Empath's Honeymoon/Part 1

Empath and Smurfette looked down from the gondola that the stork is carrying them in at the vast stretch of ocean below them. Though they have traveled far from the village before on various occasions, it seems that this travel by stork is taking them someplace really far.

"Oh, Empath, where are we smurfing to on this honeymoon of ours?" Empath asked.

"It's someplace that Marco Smurf has found on one of his seafaring adventures, Smurfette," Empath answered. "According to him, it's a really beautiful island, and the people that live on it are for the most part hospitable."

"That reminds me...I've never smurfed on anything like a honeymoon before," Smurfette said. "What exactly is that?"

"A honeymoon is a ritual where a married couple spend some time away from loved ones and other people to...consummate their love for one another," Empath explained. "It's not something commonly practiced among the Smurfs even if there were other female Smurfs in the village for the other Smurfs to marry."

"But to travel so far just to be to able to enjoy ourselves...it must be something really special to smurf," Smurfette said.

"That's how much your fellow Smurfs love you, Smurfette," Empath said. "If they think that letting you have a week to spend with the Smurf you love and married will make them happy, then this smurf thinks that it's worth it. And this smurf also thinks that Marco Smurf has made the right choice for its location."

"Smurfing of which...there it is!" Smurfette pointed out, as they saw the island toward which the stork was descending upon.

Empath saw it for himself and indeed the whole island looked beautiful. It was very lush and filled with all types of scenery that made every other place the Smurfs went to look pale in comparison. It made Empath feel embarrassed that the more creative Smurfs weren't there with him to take in what his eyes have beheld.

Empath and Smurfette held onto each other as the stork descended unto a spot on the island's beach where they disembarked. The stork lowered its neck to allow Empath to unstrap the bags of luggage that it was carrying.

"Now what is this place smurfed again?" Smurfette asked, looking at the surroundings.

"Utopia Island," Empath answered. "It's the home of the Utopii, which Marco Smurf have stayed with when he visited this island."

"Is their village far to reach, Empath?" Smurfette asked. "I surely don't want to smurf for miles smurfing a wedding dress in this heat!"

"It's a short walk from the beach at this location, Smurfette, from what Marco had told this smurf about the island," Empath said. "I'll worry about carrying the bags...we just need to go up along that trail in front of us that will lead us to their village."

"Before we smurf anywhere, Empath, I think we can smurf yourself just a little more comfortable," Smurfette said as she loosened up the tie and unbuttoned the shirt jacket he was wearing.

"You're just doing it because you like to see this smurf not wearing a shirt as usual," Empath said, smiling as Smurfette was making the adjustments.

"Well, you can't hide what you smurf like from me now, Empath," Smurfette said, also smiling. "If we're going to be smurfing together like this for all time, you better get used to the fact that we'll be smurfing a whole lot more of each other than we're used to."

"This smurf isn't complaining about that, Smurfette," Empath said. "This smurf would be honored to give you what you heart desires, no matter how embarrassing it may be to this smurf." He then picked up the bags. "As we approach the village, you should let this smurf handle the appropriate greetings to the Utopii, according to what Marco Smurf has told this smurf about such interactions. They're generally a laid-back people and very friendly, but we don't want to do something that will offend them in any way."

Smurfette sighed. "To you, my brave Smurf traveling companion and guide, the smurf is yours to lead me on."

-

As Empath went up the path that led to the village, Smurfette couldn't help but notice the flowers that were growing alongside it. "Aren't they so beautiful?" Smurfette said as she was looking at them. "Oh, what I wouldn't smurf just to have one of them smurfing in my garden back home!"

"You should be careful, Smurfette!" Empath warned her. "Marco said that the flowers that grow on this island are...very different!"

"They're just flowers, Empath," Smurfette said as she went over to one of the blossoms to get a smell of its fragrance. "How different can they be from anything that smurfs in our forest?"

"Hey, lady, you can look but you shouldn't touch us!" a voice came from one of the flowers.

"That's how different these flowers are, Smurfette!" Empath said.

"That's impossible, Empath!" Smurfette said. "Flowers don't normally talk!"

"And I suppose we're just here for you to sniff and pluck out of the ground like any other plant!" one of the flowers said.

Smurfette turned to the flower she was about to sniff. "Did you just smurf to me?"

"Yeah, and I'm not the only flower that can speak on this island," the flower answered. "We are what you would call Petalumas. We're special living plants that only grow on this island."

"But why only on this island? Can't you smurf anywhere else?" Smurfette asked.

"Because this is a very special island, sweetie, which is home to lots more than just us and the Utopii," the flower said. "Besides, us Petalumas don't really take kindly to people just plucking us out of the ground and planting us anywhere that they feel like."

"Well, is there any flower that I can smurf on this island that I won't have smurfing at me like that?" Smurfette asked, not liking the idea of being sassed at by a flower.

"All I can say is that if a flower on this island doesn't talk to you, then it's a flower you can pick," the Petaluma said. "But be careful around the various types of plants here, because not all of them are friendly like us!"

"I don't intend to smurf my honeymoon smurfing to flowers that smurf back to me," Smurfette said.

"Wait," the Petaluma said. "You and this other blue being beside you are married?"

"As a matter of fact, we have been recently married, Petaluma," Empath answered. "How is it that you know anything about marriages and honeymoons?"

"Because that's what the Utopii live for," the Petaluma said. "They like celebrating marriages and often make a big show of it. Of course, it's not actually often that any of the Utopii do get married, except for its two leaders, Papi and Mami Utopi, but they still make a big show of it just the same. Of course, when it comes to male and female strangers visiting them, they will think that you two aren't even married yet, so just be prepared for the reception you'll get when you meet them."

"Not married?" Smurfette asked. "They can't even smurf that me and Empath are smurfing the same types of hats?"

"It's a different culture, Smurfette," Empath said. "It's most likely that they don't even wear hats."

"With what the Utopii grow on their heads, they don't even need hats like you do," the Petaluma said. "Frankly, I don't see why the both of you need to wear hats at all!"

"It's part of our culture, Petaluma," Empath answered. "Smurfs generally feel that Smurfs that don't wear hats are not real Smurfs at all."

"And besides that," Smurfette added, her voice dropping to a whisper, "male Smurfs are actually bald."

"Smurfette!" Empath exclaimed.

"Oh, so that's why the other blue being needs to wear a hat," the Petaluma said, understanding. "I can see that he's starting to turn reddish-purple right now."

"Oh, don't mind Empath," Smurfette said. "He's just easily embarrassed when he has to smurf in very little clothes. Personally, that's the way I like him."

"Anyway, he doesn't seem to like that you're spending time talking to a flower," the Petaluma said, "so I might as well just be quiet, go back to looking pretty, and let you two go off on your merry way."

"Well, it was...interesting smurfing with you," Smurfette said. "I hope that I can smurf with you again before we leave!"

"Just remember, my dear...be careful around the flowers on this island," the Petaluma said as it watched Empath and Smurfette continue along the path.

"That was really strange, Empath," Smurfette said. "Normally I smurf to my flowers, but I hardly had flowers smurfing back to me. I wonder if there's any other strange things smurfing on this island."

"Marco wasn't on this island long enough to find out everything about it, Smurfette," Empath said. "Maybe we could use the time on our honeymoon to do some exploring."

"And I thought this was going to be a quiet private getaway for the two of us, Empath," Smurfette said. "Just smurfing on the beach with nothing to do, no Smurfs to worry about or even bother us."