The High Cost Of Smurfing/Part 6

Papa Smurf paced around inside his guest chamber, constantly looking at his pocket watch, feeling really anxious. Empath and Periwinkle seemed to be taking much longer than he thought to return. He began to feel like something was wrong and that something happened to them.

He was about to step out of his chambers when some guards entered into the chambers. "Papa Smurf, you are to come with us to stand before King Goldenrod for questioning," one of the guards said.

"Why, what's wrong?" Papa Smurf asked. "Where's Empath and Periwinkle?"

"Come with us and do not say a word," the other guard said.

Papa Smurf realized that he had no choice but to be taken to the throne room. The atmosphere inside the throne room was deadly serious, as if Papa Smurf was going to be put on trial for a serious crime.

"King Goldenrod, I do not understand why I am smurfed here at this time," Papa Smurf said as soon as he stood before the king.

"Silence, Papa Smurf," King Goldenrod said. "Scullcap has evidence that you and your son are conspiring with my daughter to steal pixie dust from my kingdom and use it for your own personal business."

"Evidence? What evidence?" Papa Smurf said. "We're only here to prove the innocence of Vanity Smurf in regard to the theft. Why would we come to your kingdom and do this to you?"

"Maybe you should ask your own son that same question," Scullcap said, showing up with both Empath and Periwinkle surrounded by guards. "I have caught these two inside my office trying to divert the flow of pixie dust from our refinery to the Smurf Village."

"That's a lie!" Periwinkle said. "Scullcap is trying to take over the kingdom by selling pixie dust as a drug."

"Silence!" King Goldenrod roared. "You, my young Smurf, is what Scullcap said about you true?"

"It is true, your majesty," Empath said. "We were planning to steal pixie dust from your kingdom with the intention of using it in our Smurf Village."

"Empath, how could you say that?" Papa Smurf said. "You know that's not true!"

"Silence!" King Goldernrod roared. "Unless there's evidence to the contrary, I'm going to have to declare you, your son, and my daughter Periwinkle as criminals and traitors to my kingdom."

"This one believes that there is evidence," another voice spoke. Everyone turned to see that it was Polaris Psyche, who had Wild Dagga with him carried by the collar of his robe. "This troll right here is an associate of Scullcap, and he has been selling pixie dust to customers by his master's orders for profit."

"Please, don't let him touch me again!" Wild Dagga said. "I confess that it is all true! I am an employee of Scullcap, and I have been helping him sell pixie dust for those who want to get high on the stuff. I have been doing it for years. Everything you need to know about Scullcap's business is right in his office. You can go and check for yourself."

"This stranger has manipulated the witness to make him say what he wants him to say," Scullcap said. "He's in league with these two Smurfs."

"This troll does work for him, Father," Periwinkle said. "I have seen it, and so has Empath."

King Goldenrod stroked his beard, wondering what decision he was going to make. Then he said, "Guards, release the Smurf and my daughter from your grasp. I will order an investigation of the facility to verify the validity of the claim. If what has been revealed today is true, then I have no choice but to declare you, Scullcap, as a criminal."

"You're not going to do anything like that today, you despot!" Empath shouted as he made a rush toward the king.

Polaris sensed that Empath was being mentally manipulated into attacking the king. "Empath, settle down!" Polaris said as he grabbed him before he touched the king. "Something's got a hold of your mind!"

"You step aside and let me remove this tyrant from the throne, you traitor!" Empath said as the two of them struggled with each other.

"Empath, you're under the effects of the pixie dust," Polaris said in a calm voice, trying to reason with his friend. "Scullcap is trying to manipulate you in order to gain the throne for himself. Trust this one when this one says that this one is your friend, and this one is your Psychelian brother."

The struggle seemed to last for about a minute, with Empath fighting the temptation of pixie dust in his mind. Then finally he came to his senses and relaxed. "Polaris, what are you doing here?" he asked. "And what was this smurf doing inside the throne room?"

"This one senses that you were drugged and forced to attack the king when things took a turn against Scullcap, Empath," Polaris said.

"Scullcap?" Empath said. "He's the one who was building a drug ring right here in Pixitopia. We've got to stop him."

"We're in the process of doing so, Empath," Polaris said. "We must let justice work its way through the process so that a verdict can be reached."

"Empath, Scullcap is getting away," Periwinkle said as she saw him make a run for it.

Empath soon ran after Scullcap. His adversary was fast, but Empath was faster and soon tripped him up by using his telekinetic powers.

"You're not going to have me be branded as a criminal," Scullcap said defiantly.

"That's up to King Goldenrod to decide," Empath said as he picked up Scullcap and carried him back to the throne room.

To be expanded on.