Smurfette's Inner Beauty/Part 5

The three Smurfs arrived in the Smurf Village only to be greeted by Tapper. "Oh, blessed smurfs of Eire, thank the Almighty that the three of you have returned," Tapper cried out.

"Tapper, this smurf senses that something terrible has happened to Smurfette while we were gone," Empath said.

"The poor girl has smurfed into a faint while I was smurfing her to the tavern for a bit, and Hefty had to smurf her into the infirmary where Dabbler and Papa Smurf are right now smurfing over her," Tapper reported. "I fear that she's not going to have long to smurf."

"Michty me, that is not the news that I want to hear of her," Duncan said.

"Pray tell, were you successful in getting Hogatha to remove that horrible spell from Smurfette?" Tapper asked.

"This smurf regrets to inform you that Hogatha has prevented us from doing so, Tapper," Empath said.

Tapper sighed with resignation. "At the very least you have tried your best, Empath. All we can smurf now is pray for a miracle to happen."

"What do you mean, that's all we can smurf?" Brainy said, not liking what he was hearing. "We should smurf back there with Empath's mindlink and force Hogatha to smurf back what she's taken from Smurfette! We can't just let Smurfette pass away from us like that, can we?"

"Trying to force Hogatha to remove the spell right now wouldn't accomplish anything, Brainy," Empath said. "As long as she's enjoying her private moments with Harlequin, that would be the last thing on her mind that she would ever want to do."

"What a sad thing to know that it's what Hogatha is smurfing Smurfette's beauty for, a single night of unmarried pleasure," Tapper said with a hint of distaste in his voice. "I will smurf you to Smurfette right now so you can let her know what's happened."

Empath, Duncan, and Brainy followed Tapper into the infirmary, where they saw Smurfette lying in a bed, looking incredibly old and on her last legs of living. The three Smurfs were shocked at how much Smurfette has aged in such a short time.

"Thank Smurfness you returned, Empath," Papa Smurf said as soon as he appeared. "I can't understand for the smurf of me how this Spell Of Syphonia is making Smurfette age quicker than I was expecting. According to my understanding of the spell, it isn't supposed to smurf this amount of aging with beings that have longer lifespans like us."

"Perhaps it's because of the spells that you used to make Smurfette into a real Smurf, Papa Smurf," Empath said. "Since she wasn't a real Smurf in the first place, the spell must be tapping into the other spells that would give her youth and beauty for as long as she lived."

"Hmmm, that would seem to be the case," Papa Smurf said as he stroked his beard in thought. "Still, I don't like the thought that there's nothing I can do to reverse this process, which seems to be only smurfing worse for her."

"How long do you think Smurfette has to live, Papa Smurf?" Empath asked.

"At this rate, I would say that she would smurf well into the morning at the best," Papa Smurf said with some foreboding. "At the worst...she may not be..."

Empath understood what Papa Smurf was saying as he noticed his voice was trailing off. "This smurf appreciates what you are doing, Papa Smurf, as this smurf is sure that Smurfette will."

"Empath...are you here?" Smurfette spoke, her voice very faint and weak.

Empath took a hold of Smurfette's hand. "Yes, this smurf is here, Smurfette. This smurf regrets to inform you that this smurf cannot get Hogatha to remove the spell from you."

Smurfette sighed as she nodded slightly to the news. "Would you please smurf the night beside me, if this is going to be my last night of being alive?" she asked.

"Of course, Smurfette," Empath said, trying to fight back how he was feeling about Smurfette passing away. "This smurf won't ever leave your side."

Empath looked to the other five Smurfs gathered around her, and all of them quietly understood what Empath and Smurfette wanted. They left the two Smurfs alone with each other in the infirmary, realizing that this would be their last night together.

"Oh, please, Lord God Almighty, watch over my dear sister Smurfette and smurf her safe under the shelter of your wings, and let her know how much You love her and want her to be part of Your kingdom, where she will be happy forever and ever," Tapper quietly prayed.

"Amen," Duncan added, overhearing the prayer.

To be expanded on.