The Nut Gatherer (The Devereaux Story)/Chapter 5

Wilt turned around and saw the whole red Smurf army on one side of him, "My goodness, you guys! Don't you ever quit?!"

"When our master left us," Arthur explained, "We tried everything in our power to get him back. And we won't stop until we show you guys a lesson!"

"Not if we can help it!" Wilt heard a familiar voice. When he turned to the other side, he saw a whole army of Znurvs with Buffy joining them. The leader, with a white beard like Papa's stepped up, so did Arthur.

"Arthur, you shall not harm these innocent beings!" Father warned.

"And what are you going to do about it?!" Arthur taunted. Once Father gave the signal, the Znurvs and the Red Smurfs broke out in an all out brawl. Wilt tried to find the cough syrup while the Znurvs held off the red Smurfs. Once he found it, he was nudged so hard the cough syrup slipped out of his hands and broke on the ground. He shook his head in disbelief and went over to aid Granny, "Granny, I'm so sorry! I broke the the vile! I am so sorry!"

"It's okay, Wilt," Granny weakly smiled, "This life was a mess anyway."

"What?" Wilt widened his eyes, "How can you say such a thing like that?! Do you realize you could...?!" Wilt's eyes welled with tears, "You know..? I'm sorry. I'm trying to be optimistic, but, it's hard to when you see someone you care about drifting away!"

"Wilt," Granny held her frail hand out to his cheek, which he supported, "You must learn that it is okay to feel like this, as long as you don't give up."

"So, I can be sad and have...hope," Wilt recapped. Once she nodded, Wilt closed his eyes and tried to smile. When a tear rolled down his cheek, his emblems began to glow yellow. Clover watched and saw his brother stand and face the red Smurfs, eyes glowing yellow. He held out his hand to her, and once she grabbed it, her cheeks started glowing as well. They shared a power bond that no Smurfelli had seen before. They rose above the ground and formed a glow around them that shined almost brighter than the sun.

"Get back, Buffy warned the Znurvs.

"Oh crud," Arthur muttered before he was wiped out of the area by a green and yellow tornado of power that flew them back to Gargamel's old hovel.

The Znurvs celebrated the victory of Wilt and Clover. When the two returned to the ground, they were both weak. Wilt blushed out of humbleness while Clover tried to bow, but fell flat on her face. Father Znurv came over to the two and held out his hand, "Now...where's my mother."

Wilt led him to the dying body of Granny Znurv. He fell to his knees and watched in disbelief as Granny smiled at him, "S-son...you found me."

"Mother," Father supported her head and pressed his forehead against hers, "Let's get you home."

"No," Granny refused, "I must stay here. This is where my legacy ends."

"But...what about the village?" Father asked her, "I've only been running it because you went missing! And...we found you!"

"Son, you are the leader now," Granny replied, "And a fine job you're doing. You can do it...I believe in you. As long as you have strength and hope, you can do anything you set your heart too. I love you, son." And with her last breath, she passed away into Father's arms. Father wept while holding his mother, who was cradling Artie's dead body with hers. Father brought up one breath to say, "I love you, too."

Even Wilt and Clover were saddened by the loss. Clover hugged Wilt and sobbed into his shoulder.

It was a very melancholy day for both Znurvs and Smurfs.

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