The Goblin's Admiration

The Goblin's Admiration is the first one-hour special of Season 10 and is written as a short story rather than the expected Plot Summarization. It is episode seventeen, created by Numbuh 404.

Part 1
The forest fountain's sheen existed only by the moon's light when the wind whispered through the trees high above. Leaves rustled on the branches, but one was plucked off at the stem's weak spot and fluttered down below; it landed at the foot stand of the pedestal nearby. In the night before dawn, the golden goblet glinted like the snide wink of a gentleman's eye when he catches sight of the fairest maiden. A gust of wind made it shutter, but it proved heavier than it appeared to be, standing its ground without fail.

Suddenly a creature soared through the underbrush and dodged an oak tree before tiring and glided up to the fountain's edge. A thin figure contrasted by shadow and partially enveloped in white moonlight shook her head and rested, brushing off some dust from her clothes. She had long bangs and short dark hair, a dainty cap, light skin, and eyes as black as the evening sky; she would be beautiful if not for the fur-tipped pointy ears, fangs, and pig snout.

She believed this when she saw her reflection in the water, and her curly rat tail, wings, and long sharpened feet further contributed to the bitter feelings. Otherwise, she couldn’t reject the light grey dress that matched her hat – besides, she knew she was thirsty.

She took hold of the goblet by the stem and leaned over the edge of the fountain, dipping it into the frigid waters. Just as she brought it to her lips for a sip, the ripples enlarged, becoming waves, and then rose around the fountain in a cyclone. Fearing this, she dropped the cup and backed away without taking her eyes off the watery display until it settled down. Once she believed it was safe to approach again, she did and noticed a shady figure perched on the tallest crystal: she suspected they were cursed by the nature of the fountain. When they lifted their head, she discovered it was a male with similar features as her – on that note, she concluded they belonged to the same species.

He hopped down in front of her and caught her eye, and he seemed just as surprised to see her as she was to see him. She studied him as he did her: long black hair - slightly wild and unkempt – matching eyes, wings attached to hands with long fingers, a long crooked tail, feet just like hers, and clothes she guessed were a shade of yellow. Based on his face, too, she estimated his age to be quite old; perhaps in the middle of his lifespan if not a tad over it. Compared to him, she felt quite young.

After a few minutes of silence passed, he glanced over his shoulder and huffed, picking up the goblet between their feet.

“If I never see this fountain again it’ll be too soon,” he muttered. Then he raised it in both hands only to thrust it down over his leg, snapping it in two with a shattered glass sound erupting abruptly. It made their ears twitch, and then he tossed one piece against a tree - it smashed to pieces – and the other disappeared in the bushes behind the female. He sneered as the pedestal vanished into thin air: “Finally, I’m free of that unbearable curse!”

"Who are you?” she asked, crossing her arms. He stood up straighter and rested his hand on his chest.

"My name’s Mystico,” he said, “What’s yours?” She hesitated to respond which prompted him to add, “Come now, you must have one.”

"Wha – Vira,” she replied agitatedly. “And I noticed that you’re the same race as me, but so far you’re the only one I’ve seen around here. You the last one or am I just not looking in the right places?” She hadn’t expected him to become restrained, so when his eyes cast down with disappointment, she softened hers a little more.

"A few centuries ago when I got out of that fountain, I went straight home and found out that what used to be my birthplace was abandoned. Since then, I’ve accepted my fate as the last Goblin,” he explained. A flash of hope appeared in his eyes as he continued, “But with you, things could be very different. I know I may not look like much, but with your help, we could restore the species.” He reached out and touched her arm. “You know.”

At his approach, a feeling of disgust and anger overtook her, so she growled at him with her ears turned away. Instead of backing away, he snarled in return and lifted his arms in a challenging stance, opening his wings to appear bigger too. To this, she bared her fangs and claws; despite this, he never cowered. In the blink of an eye, he pounced and tackled her to the ground, but just when he thought he had her, she flipped him onto his back and pinned him down.

"I don’t need you barging into my life, Misty, so beat it.” She let go and leapt over him, brushing herself off as she strode away, but she added over her shoulder, “The ‘I’ in Vira stands for ‘independent’ just so you know.”

"Yeah, and the ‘V’ stands for ‘vicious’,” he grumbled as he stood up. He shook his head and took to the air. As he veered through the trees, a thought struck him. “Hmm. It’s a long shot, but maybe the little blue people can help me persuade her…” He shrugged and figured it was worth a try, so he made his way towards the village. “With any luck, I’ll be there by morning."

. . .
The following day proved to be partly cloudy with a chance of rain by the time most of the Smurfs got up and started working: Papa, in particular, was tirelessly preparing a spell for Clumsy when he heard a knock at the door. He stood up and walked over to it, smiling at the sight of Smurfette and Sassette holding flower vases with daisies in them.

"Good morning, my little Smurfs,” he said, gesturing for them to come inside, “I see you’ve finished arranging flower vases for the village. They look smurfy!” Smurfette entered and went straight to the back window beyond his experiment table, careful to avoid the corner.

"Why thank you, Papa Smurf,” she replied. She placed the vase on the window sill and stepped back to admire it, taking pride in her work. “Doesn’t it smurf so nicely right there?”

"It certainly does, Smurfette,” he agreed. He looked at the Smurfling still in the doorway and asked, “Who does yours go to, Sassette?”

"It’s for Clumsy, Pappy Smurf,” she stated, “and there’s more in Handy’s cart outside.” She pointed to a contraption behind her which contained at least three dozen other identical vases with various bouquets of flowers ranging from tulips to chrysanthemums to roses. The sight of it allowed him to estimate the amount of time and effort the girls had put into their job, and it made him proud.

"I’m sure that every Smurf will love these decorations for their homes,” he added. At that moment, Smurfette shrieked and they looked. “What’s wrong, Smurfette?”

"A monster, Papa Smurf – I just saw it!” She pointed out the window, shaking in her heels. Then a head poked in through the doorway.

"Hello, Smurfs,” the old Goblin greeted suspiciously. The trio gasped at the sight of him and Papa exclaimed, “Great Smurfs, it’s Mystico!” With a sly smile he revealed more of himself and continued. “That’s right, I’m back – again.”

“Worried wombats, what’re you doing here?” Sassette interjected, “You’re supposed to be in that fountain where we left ya."

"And that’s exactly where you’re going!”

Mystico turned around and realized that he was surrounded by other Smurfs, but the one who’d spoken was Moxette. He recognized her as the courageous female who imprisoned him last time, but instead of fearing her, he simply straightened up to appear unafraid of them. Even when they closed in on all sides, he stood his ground.

"I’m not here to terrorize you,” he announced. Moxette especially filled the gap between him and the crowd – he wondered if she had something more against him than just causing trouble previously – so he found himself with his back to the wall of Papa Smurf’s house. He tried to get on their good side. “Let me explain – let me explain! I’m here for your help!”

"I say we smurf him outta the village Brainy style!”

“Yeah!”

The energy exploded; Mystico had no choice but to scale the wall to avoid being captured. He crouched down on the roof near the chimney and watched as Papa Smurf took control with his arms up.

“Wait, my little Smurfs,” he bellowed, “I think he’s telling the truth. He’s not harmed us yet, and I say we give him a chance to smurf before judging.” The crowd gradually mellowed out, but they noticed that Moxette took her sweet time as Clumsy stood at her side. With a moment’s hesitation the Goblin hopped down, relieved when everyone stepped back, and began to explain his situation.

"Last night, I was freed as you all know,” he started, keeping a watchful eye on the purple-haired Smurfette, “and it was by a female Goblin – the first I’ve seen in five centuries. But when I offered we be mates, we tussled and she left. I don’t know how to get through to her is all, so I’m asking for your help.” He felt vulnerable now, especially with everyone staring at him – angrily, sympathetically, and apathetic alike – but then Sassette approached him.

"Well, it wouldn’t be very smurfy of us not to give you a hand, Mr. Mystico,” she said with a smile, “I know the Smurflings would be happy to help!” She glanced at her friends who, just a second ago, weren’t thinking the same; when she looked at them, though, they agreed. “See?”

"Maybe I should’ve gone to Ripple first…” he whispered to himself. The little girl grabbed his hand and tugged him towards her friends as she added, “Come on! We’ve got lots to do before you see that girl again!” The other Smurfs snickered at him as he was led away: needless to say, Moxette wore a smug grin, which drove him up a wall.

. . .
Hours later, the Smurflings and several other compassionate Smurfs had learned about Vira and given Mystico advice about how to approach her: some said to be more confident with his advances while others suggested being more cautious, Harmony told him to sweep her off her feet with music, Poet believed poetry was best, Hefty insisted that brawn would catch her eye, but Smurfette assured him that girls respond to romantic gestures the most positively – “whatever form it comes in so long as it’s about her,” she said.

Mystico nearly collapsed from all the information, but before he could, he noticed Moxette by the Smurf Well fiddling with some string and hauled his exhausted bones to it. He sighed and leaned over the side, letting his arms hang inside, reaching for the water far below. Finally she addressed him.

"Having fun yet?”

“Fun?” he retorted, lifting his head, “This is madness! How’s a guy like me supposed to remember everything? I can hardly stay on me feet let alone on my toes chasing down this girl I just met yesterday!” He paused and pulled his arms back up too, lowering his voice a decibel or two. “I get the feeling you’re enjoying my misery.”

She smirked and showed him the string formation in her hands: it looked like a bat. She fiddled some more until it became a heart, and then she turned and trailed away, whistling the La La song. He rolled his eyes and shook his head, leaning back into the Well, overwhelmed by the complexity of her and the other Smurfs – compared to them, he felt so misplaced.

“Silly Goblin, lying around – you’re no Lazy Smurf and I should smurf you don’t become him.”

This startled him; instinctively he pricked up his ears and he outstretched the fingers from his palms in an alerted position. He found Brainy standing at his side with a disapproving frown and his hands behind his back, shaking his head as if he knew better. He continued.

"You should be reciting the excerpts I wrote in my book, A Goblin’s Guide to Getting the Girl by me, Brainy Smurf, to assure you won’t accidentally misquote. Such genuine passages should never be taken lightly and as far as I’m smurfed, you’ll have a great deal of trouble winning over Vira if you spend your time smurfing about rather than reading my brilliant works.”

Mystico let his arms rest at his sides and waited for him to finish before trying to speak. Luckily, Brainy was done, so he allowed a moment of silence to pass before acting; without a word, he raised his arms and turned the Smurf into a Goblin. Then he walked away as if nothing had happened. He didn’t bother to acknowledge him as he called after him, demanding to be returned to normal.

"He still talks too much,” he whispered to himself with a tiny smirk.

. . .
Sometime later, he, Moxette, and Brainy (now back to normal) were walking through the forest in search of the female Goblin; they had covered what they believed to be equidistant to a human jousting arena, but according to Brainy, it was “fourteen-hundred smurfs in the wrong direction each time.”

The only reason he was tagging along with them was thanks to the incident earlier in the village, and Papa Smurf thought it would be best if spent some quality time together to get to know each other. So far, Mystico was getting to know Moxette much more than their chatty complainer – to his surprise, he found he was starting to warm up to her.

"There she is,” Brainy stated confidently, overlooking a berry bush. They joined him.

"Brainy, that’s just a rock shaped like her,” she corrected, mutely adding, “Genius…” before proceeding towards it. She crossed her arms and turned towards him, standing by the large rock with an eyebrow raised apathetically. The four-eyed Smurf studied it, blinked, and then straightened his back.

"I knew it all the time,” he assured them. She sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose, shaking her head disapprovingly at him. Mystico snickered, joining her side, prompting Brainy to ask, “What’s so funny?” They glanced at him and she shrugged him off, merely gesturing to continue their “aimless wandering” as she put it.

"And this is what I deal with every day,” she whispered to the Goblin. They trailed behind the other Smurf – although, they knew better than to let him lead.

"Does he ever learn?” he asked.

"Nope.” The smirk on her face portrayed both scorn and frustration; he noticed but hesitated to inquire her thoughts. After a minute, he braved it: “Pendant for your thoughts?”

"Sometimes I just wonder if, well, maybe…” she paused, uncrossing her arms to hide her mouth with one hand to ensure Brainy wouldn’t hear even her muffled words, and continued, “…Maybe I would like him if he wasn’t so unsmurfy, you know?” At first he thought she was joking, but she fell mute and he quickly realized she wasn’t: he had no suitable response. With nothing more to say, they caught up to Brainy and steered him in a new direction.

. . .
 Vira, sleeping peacefully in a pocket of an oak tree, twitched now and then as she dreamed: a memory made her wiggle her nose and curl her tail. A bird twittered nearby, jubilantly and heartily, causing her to wake. She blinked a few times and turned her head towards the little robin with a groan.

 “Can’t a girl get a few minutes of silence?” she grumbled, sitting up. She rubbed her eyes and yawned, stretching her arms away from her body, but suddenly a twig snapped below. She froze with wide eyes.

 “Who’s there?” At the first sign of movement in her peripheral vision, she hugged the branch and growled, staring daggers at – much to her surprise – Mystico who briefly caught her eye.

 “Hello again,” he called up to her.

 “Oh, it’s just you,” she replied in a bored tone, rolling her eyes. She sat up and crossed her arms and legs, watching him sternly with her tail curling and uncurling. “What do you want?”

 “Come closer and I’ll tell you,” he answered.

 “No thanks.”

 “I mean you no harm.”

 “Don’t care.”

 “Just come down here, okay?”

 “Mm…nah, I’m fine up in this tree,” she said with a persnickety grin and one-shoulder shrug, “Besides, I’m not really interested in you or whatever you say, so you may as well just go.” She flicked her hand at him and lay on her back on the branch with the other hand behind her head, adding, “Go on – find another girl to bother. Shoo now.”

 Mystico huffed and shook his head; he spread his arms and jumped into the air as he reminded her that she is the only girl left to bother. He landed on the branch beside hers and kept his hands where she could see them.

 “Maybe you’d rather we get to know each other first,” he suggested. She hopped to her feet and scowled at him.

 “I’d rather not,” she responded arrogantly, “I don’t need you or any other guys like you trying to brush up to me. You’re better off luring a mermaid than you are me.”

 “I’m just trying to be considerate of your feelings,” he insisted, trying to remain calm – her attitude was beginning to test his patience.

 “Look, Misty, I’m sure you’re a nice fellow, but my mind’s made up. I’m not ready to mate, I don’t want to mate, nor do I want anything to do with the very idea of finding a suitable mate, so leave me alone before I make you leave.” He didn’t budge, so she bared her teeth, narrowed her eyes, lifted her arms to expand her wings, and cocked her ears back as she added, “I’ll give you a five-second head start…one, two, three...”

<p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"> “Alright, alright, I’m going already!” he snapped; he groaned and glided down without looking back. He came to a stop near a tree maybe twenty feet away and scurried into the underbrush, out of sight. Back in the tree, Vira relaxed and smiled.

<p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"> “What happened?” Moxette asked upon his return.

<p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"> “I tried being nice and she threatened to hurt me if I didn’t leave her alone, that’s what happened!” he cried angrily. The Smurfs could tell his fur had been ruffled and were quiet for a minute to let him cool off. He told them, “Now what?” once he was ready.

<p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"> “I suggest you smurf her an item to express your smurfy feelings,” Brainy proposed, “Perhaps she would like a few of my most favorable quotes from my Quotations series, or a copy of my latest book, Accepting a Smurfy Suitor the Brainy Smurf Way, which, might I say, is quite the piece de Smurf, or maybe -”

<p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"> “Shut up, Brainy!” Moxette exclaimed. She turned to Mystico and said, “A personal offering is a great idea, so let’s give it a go.” The Goblin pondered for a moment and agreed that it could work. “Right then – we’ll smurf her something she can’t possibly ignore.”

<p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"> “Hopefully this trick will turn out to be my treat,” he commented as they headed back to the village. “Come on, Four-Eyes.” <span lang="EN" style="line-height: 115%; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;">Brainy crossed his arms and frowned.

<p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"> <span lang="EN" style="line-height: 115%; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;">“What have you two got against good literature?” Neither one answered, so he just followed them, muttering to himself something about not being appreciated for his genius. Quite frankly, Moxette tuned him out and sang the La La Song in her head with her pig-snouted companion at her side. She didn’t admit anything out loud, but she was starting to like hanging around him, much more than Brainy by any comparable standard.

<p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">''' <span lang="EN" style="line-height: 115%; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;">. . . '''

<p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"> <span lang="EN" style="line-height: 115%; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;"> They returned to the village and had spent the last few hours rummaging through books and throwing ideas back and forth – either with each other or they sought help from other Smurfs when they were in earshot. About thirty passersby offered their assistance, but most of it was rejected because what they considered “surefire” was deemed “crash and burn” tactics. The old Goblin could only take so much “help” from every Smurf; it wasn’t long before he became aggravated and retreated to Moxette’s house with her, Smurfette, and Sassette.

<p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"> <span lang="EN" style="line-height: 115%; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;"> Moxette was half-heartedly skimming through a picture book while her blonde companion spruced up a flower vase near the back wall. The little Smurfling stood next to the bed where Mystico lie with his hands over his midsection, one over the other, and his expression showed dissatisfaction and grief. At one point, Sassette had asked if he was feeling okay – “chipper as a chipmunk” as she’d said – and he simply nodded.

<p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"> <span lang="EN" style="line-height: 115%; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;"> “What do you think she might like?” Moxette asked after a long, quiet pause. She looked up from her book at him.

<p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"> <span lang="EN" style="line-height: 115%; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;"> Mystico shrugged and said, “I don’t know…something impressive?”

<p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"> <span lang="EN" style="line-height: 115%; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;"> “What’s impressive to you?”

<p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"> <span lang="EN" style="line-height: 115%; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;"> He turned his head to see her and replied, “I used to think being evil and strong was what females were attracted to, but maybe I’ve been gone too long. I bet times have changed.”

<p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"> <span lang="EN" style="line-height: 115%; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;"> “Well, most girls like something that makes you unique,” Smurfette commented, “A smurfy talent like telling jokes, making music, or cooking can be smurftacular, Mystico. So, what talents do you have?” He pushed his upper half off the bed with his hands and rubbed his neck for a minute.

<p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"> <span lang="EN" style="line-height: 115%; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;"> “Come now, you must be good at something,” she insisted.

<p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"> <span lang="EN" style="line-height: 115%; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;"> “The only things I know how to do well are turn other creatures into Goblins and play pranks,” he admitted uneasily. He could tell by Smurfette’s expression that she didn’t consider either trait being smurfy, and Sassette’s giggling wasn’t making him feel any better.

<p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"> <span lang="EN" style="line-height: 115%; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;"> “Pranks? Aren’t those just a smurf childish?” Moxette asked, cracking a smile.

<p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"> <span lang="EN" style="line-height: 115%; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;"> “I picked that up from an old friend, that’s all,” he protested, shifting positions to turn his back to them, “I haven’t actually pulled a fast one in a few hundred years. I don’t even know why I said it since it’s not really a ‘talent’, let alone a hobby.”

<p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"> <span lang="EN" style="line-height: 115%; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;"> His sour tone put a damper on the girls’ moods, but Moxette sympathized for him; she put her book down and approached him. Hearing her footsteps, he tucked his tail to one side of his body and held his legs with his head almost resting on his knees.

<p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"> <span lang="EN" style="line-height: 115%; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;"> “Don’t feel bad, Mystico,” she said, patting his back, “You’ve probably just got an underlying talent you haven’t discovered about yourself yet. I’m sure if we put our smurfs to it, you’ll unlock it.” His eyes darted in her direction once, and then away. “Just like Somebody Smurf.”

<p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"> <span lang="EN" style="line-height: 115%; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;"> He cringed with a mild hiss escaping his lips, so she removed her hand and stepped back – she caught a glimpse of his fangs as he hopped off the opposite side of the bed.

<p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"> <span lang="EN" style="line-height: 115%; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;"> “That fool’s a complete nobody! Don’t compare him to me ever again!” With that, he stormed his way out the door.

<p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"> <span lang="EN" style="line-height: 115%; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;"> “Grumpy gophers, what’s wrong with him?” Sassette queried, bewildered. Smurfette huffed, putting her hands on her hips, and told her that she thought he was overreacting and so on while Moxette sighed with her eyes still on the front door. She decided to follow him in the hopes of convincing him to come back inside; after all, she finally thought of something for him to offer Vira and figured he’d like to hear about it.

<p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">''' <span lang="EN" style="line-height: 115%; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;">. . .  '''

<p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"> <span lang="EN" style="line-height: 115%; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;"> The sun set hesitantly. Mystico was perched – slumped, more like – on a toadstool on the outer edge of the village, far enough from it to ensure he would not be found too soon. He hung his head with his wings at his sides and was still as a statue; his eyes were closed and a gentle breeze picking up swayed his hair. He became aware of a visitor when they stepped on a fallen leaf, but his only motion was one ear cocking towards the sound.

<p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"> “Hey there.”

<p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"> It was Moxette to his relief; he opened his eyes somewhat and listed his head to the left until he caught sight of her in his peripheral vision. Then he exhaled and gestured for her to come closer with his hand. By now the sun had disappeared over the horizon and the shadows were extending, limiting the range of colors visible to the female. He, however, was able to make a clearer distinction of color and shadow during the night than day.

<p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"> “You okay?” She sat down next to him and held her hands in her lap.

<p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"> “I guess so,” he mused with a shrug, “In case you haven’t noticed, I have a bone to pick with Nobody.”

<p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"> “It’s Somebody, Mystico. He changed his name,” she corrected gently. He seemed to dismiss this after a moment, so she didn’t feel it was necessary to explain his backstory – she figured he’d hear enough and wanted nothing more to do with the Smurf. “And I’m sorry your relationship with him isn’t the smurfiest. I was just smurfing you an example, that’s all.”

<p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"> “Fine, Moxie.” He turned the other cheek to her, and for a few minutes they were silent. The fading light cast grey, black, and blue-purple hues across the land accompanied by a rapidly star-filled sky; Moxette stood and viewed the woods behind them.

<p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"> “We should get back to the village before any Smurf sends out a search party,” she suggested, “and I could use your help finding my way.” When Mystico looked at her, she added, “You can smurf better than me in the dark, so…” He got the hint and straightened up, checking their surroundings before proceeding, but was caught somewhat off-guard by her next gesture: she took his hand.

<p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"> He gave her a confused, almost misreading glance, but rather than pull away he let her hold it. Tentatively he closed his fingers over hers, hoping Vira was nowhere near them to see this – he convinced himself that his Smurfy companion did so in order to assure they wouldn’t separate. He led her back to the village in time for dinner, and before he retreated from the crowd, she told him what she thought he should bring to the female Goblin.

<p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">'''. . .'''

<p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"> That night, the old creature lie awake in Greedy’s bed – having high jacked it – and found that his nocturnal instincts kept him just out of reach of a decent sleep. Frustrated by the lagging hours of restlessness, he huffed and dragged himself out of the house, out the window. He thought briefly of confiscating Somebody Smurf’s territory, but it would be only in vain; with nothing more to do, he crawled on all fours and advanced to Moxette’s little mushroom. He perked up his ears as he passed the others, each offering some interesting noise of snores, ticking clocks, breathing, or etcetera.

<p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"> “These beings are louder than they think,” he murmured, “…than they ‘smurf’…” He chuckled quietly, repeating it again, mocking their language. The laughter renewed his energy, so he smirked and hopped onto the nearest roof.

<p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"> “This should be a lot faster,” he said. He leapt to the next one and added, “and a lot more fun!” before continuing along.

<p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"> Soon enough, he reached his destination, but unlike most other Smurfs, he discovered that Moxette did not leave her windows open during the night. He wondered for only a second how to work around this, and then spotted the chimney above him; he sprung to it with a powerful flap of his wings and dove headfirst into the top.

<p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">'' Bop! '' He landed flat on his back on the ledge of the mushroom structure and dug his claws into it to sojourn the fall to the ground – he saw four chimneys swirling for a minute. When they became one, he kicked his feet until he touched the wall and threw his body onto the roof in a backflip. He shook his head, rubbing the sore spot on his forehead, and stared, quite befuddled, at the smokestack behind him.

<p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"> “What just happened?” he asked himself. He recollected and hopped back to the top of the chimney to inspect it. Just as he suspected, there was a metal plate – he realized that he must have struck it before seeing it. Annoyed, he furrowed his brow and slid off the roof, ultimately giving up further attempt to enter. He decided he would bother Moxette in the morning and try to find food in the meantime; he hadn’t eaten in a few hours.

Part 2
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"> “Wake up, Mr. Mystico!”

<p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"> He sprang up with a yelp and took a defensive stance only to see the Smurflings surrounding him, and they were no threat (considering their general smurfy nature). He shook himself off and stood as he asked, “Don’t you kids know it’s bad luck disturbing a Goblin?”

<p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"> “We’re awful sorry, but Papa Smurf wants you back in the village,” Nat explained, pointing over his shoulder, “He says Moxette found some smurfy flowers.” With a shrug Mystico followed them back to the center where the older Smurfs waited. He noticed Sassette had a tiny daisy in her hat, but didn’t bring it up, believing she was experimenting with her style like Smurfette would sometimes do.

<p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"> As Nat had said, Moxette was holding a few white and yellow flowers – upon closer inspection, he realized they were Snapdragons, the Goblin’s simplest symbol of love. He took them from her and nodded, accepting them for usage. Likewise, Moxette smiled and held her hands behind her back as Papa Smurf addressed him.

<p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"> “Before you go, Mystico, let me first tell you something about the flowers,” he said, “I smurfed a potion onto the petals to enhance their fragrance. When Vira smurfs them, the scent should be powerful enough to soften her feelings for you.”

<p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"> “Interesting,” was the Goblin’s only reply. He transferred them from his hand to his mouth, firmly but gently nipping the stems, and stretched his arms in preparation to take off; before he did so, Papa added, “Take Moxette with you in case something unsmurfy befalls you.”

<p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"> Mystico glanced at the female and nodded to Papa before jumping into the air. He flapped incessantly and moved over her, plucking her off the ground by the arms with his feet – when she gave him a suspicious eye, he winked and beat his wings, gaining altitude until he felt it was safe to surge forward.

<p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"> “’Next time I’ll fly’ I told him,” she mused, watching the passing ground, “Well, next time I think I’ll walk.” She could hear her friend chuckling above her.

<p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;"> '''. . .'''

<p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: left;"> The water trickled down a tiny slope, becoming a stream, as Vira strolled along the bank of a pond frocked with reeds. She tried to avoid her reflection, but her true nature proved she had a hint of vanity; she knelt down and preened, mostly paying attention to her dark hair. She removed her cap and smoothed out her bangs before putting it back on, and then she heard something – limbs moving against clothes. She turned her head and slowly stood up, noticing only Mystico standing with his hands behind his back.

<p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: left;"> “You again,” she sighed, “My answer is still no, Misty. Give it up.” She discouraged eye contact from that point on, crossing her arms with her back to him, but could hear him approaching. For a minute she ignored him and he was quiet.

<p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: left;"> “Do you like flowers?” he asked simply. Hesitantly she replied, “Yes,” and then he revealed the snapdragons from behind his back. For a moment she didn’t move – she had no direct reaction to them. However, she accepted and studied them while he took a step back; she sniffed them and twitched her nose, holding them away from her face.

<p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: left;"> “These are a lot stronger than usual, Misty,” she remarked suspiciously.

<p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: left;"> “Well, I had a friend enhance the scent thinking you’d like that better,” he admitted with pride. She rubbed her nose with her arm and handed them back to him. He took them in one hand and added in a slightly more disheartened tone, “I guess not…”

<p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: left;"> “They’re just too strong,” she insisted, re-crossing her arms. She returned to the edge of the water and crouched down, scooping up some water in her hands and washed her face. “Nice try, Misty, but I’m not going to be your mate so you might as well leave me alone.”

<p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: left;"> Rather than argue, he surrendered and told her he’d return later; with a sigh he sauntered away into the underbrush where Moxette was hidden. Having watched their interactions and seeing how the flowers failed, she patted his back and reassured him: “We’ll try something else when we smurf back to the village.” “Sounds fine,” he replied with a light shrug. He started to open his wings, but was interrupted when she said she’d rather walk. “It’s faster than walking,” he disagreed, “and it’s getting late. Before you know it, it’ll be dark, so I’m flying.” She tried to protest, but he curled his long feet around her arms, hoisting her off the ground with a few powerful beats – she gave up, having no chance of winning now.

<p style="text-align: center;"> '''. . .'''

Back in Papa Smurf’s lab, they explained what had happened and asked for a new idea. The old Smurf contemplated their story for a minute, curious for the reason his potion didn’t work. “I know I smurfed the right ingredients,” he said, holding one hand behind his back and the other on his chin, “Vira is quite a strange creature. I’ve never known anyone who could smurf something as powerful as my fragrance enhancer, but I suppose I can find something else with more potency.”

“We appreciate your help, Papa Smurf,” Moxette stated. As he walked over to his bookshelf, the door opened and in jogged the Smurflings. The boys crowded around Mystico while Sassette stole Moxette’s attention, asking them questions about Vira – how they met, what’s she like, did she like the flowers – until the Goblin backed himself into the wall. Getting the hint faster than the little ones, his companion shooed them off.

“We’ll tell you all about her after we smurf a new plan,” she alleged, “Now smurf along and play.” They groaned and trudged out, and she closed the door after them. “Those Smurflings can be quite a handful, can’t they, Mystico?” she joked. He rolled his eyes playfully and stepped away from the wall as he agreed.

“Here we are,” Papa Smurf announced, reading one of the pages in an old red bound book, “I’m certain this will smurf your girl trouble, Mystico. It’s an old recipe from the Middle East called Desert Flower with the ability to attract females with the tiniest amount.” He lifted his head and looked at the Goblin as he and Moxette exchanged hopeful glances, continuing.

"It's a very smurfy perfume that I came across once in my travels with Grandpa Smurf when we met with the Mystic Magi for help with our time crystals. He may have not been much help, but by smurf, the perfume was quite a treasure to smurf.” Then he laid the book on his table and skimmed the list of ingredients before rummaging through his cabinets. For a minute he went back and forth pulling out bottles and jars, placing them on his table, and glancing down the list for whatever came next.

“I seem to be missing one ingredient,” he said, “The petals of a dried cactus flower.”

“How do we find that, Papa Smurf?” Moxette asked, putting her hands on her hips.

“Let’s see – ah, here we are.” He turned the page and read one sentence aloud, “’Cactus flowers grow on cacti which are indigenous to desert regions. Humans have been known to relocate these plants for exotic potting in their gardens, and the flowers bloom frequently.’”

“Humans, huh?” Mystico wondered softly, thinking of something, “Would any around here have any cactus we could take?” Papa Smurf smiled and nodded.

“Yes,” he replied, “King Gerard had a few specimens imported from the Middle East fairly recently after having them recommended by Clockwork for his courtyard. I’m sure he would be more than happy to smurf you a flower or two.”

“Good, then we’ll start for his kingdom immediately,” Moxette announced, turning to her companion, “We can take Feathers.” He agreed and they raced out the door – more like he raced out and she hurried to catch up as Papa Smurf wished them good luck.

Part 3
“Now that we have the cactus, we can finish Papa Smurf’s Desert Flower perfume,” she mused. At King Gerard’s castle, Clockwork had been very eager to assist her and Mystico, although he was hesitant to accept him as a new friend at first. His majesty was busy with a few surfs at the time of their visit, so Moxette told his advisor to give him their regards, and then they left. Presently they were gliding above the trees of the forest on Feathers; she held the baby plant, just beginning to bloom its first flower, and was careful not to touch the spikes. She learned from her companion’s mistake when he tried to grab it from the courtyard.

“Down there, Feathers,” she said, pointing below, “I see the village.” The great bird smoothly dived, pulling in its wings, and navigated through the underbrush. They came to a proud stop and hopped off right before the village limits. “Thank you!” she called as Feathers departed.

“Come on, Moxie, I’m getting impatient,” Mystico remarked, already walking. She turned and followed him as he approached Papa Smurf’s laboratory; she knocked on the door and the village leader gladly welcomed them inside.

“Good work getting this cactus, my little Smurf,” he said, taking it from her. He set it down on his workbench and examined the flower atop it. “This smurf may be small, but it should work. While you were gone I smurfed up the other parts of the perfume, so all that’s left to smurf is this.” He plucked the petals, assuring them that another flower would grow in its place later, and rested them along the windowsill where the afternoon sun shone in full glory. “We must wait for them to dry first.”

“What can we do in the meantime, Papa Smurf?” Moxette asked with her hands behind her back.

“Why don’t you go play with the Smurflings? They’ve been asking me about you since you left,” he replied, chuckling. The Smurfette smiled and took the Goblin’s wrist, leading him out.

“Okay, we will – only because they’ve been so smurfy,” she joked.

“I’ll send for you as soon as the perfume is ready, Moxette,” Papa said.

“Sounds great!” And then they were gone.

“I’m not exactly good at playing nice,” Mystico groaned. Her response was a smirk and nudge which quieted his worries. “Sorry, I forgot you’re just like me.”

<p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">'''. . . '''

“There she is,” Moxette whispered, spotting the female Goblin by the fountain. She pulled away a branch of the bush that concealed them from her sight, taking a moment to confirm her identity; it was Vira, all right. “Why she smurfed back to your fountain, I can’t quite say.”

“I can’t go up to her like this,” Mystico stated miserably. She turned around and looked him over.

“You’re right,” she replied, “You’re a wreck.” She approached him from the front and proceeded to brush off the dirt and dust from his clothes, adding, “I guess you really don’t play nice very well. I’ll be sure to smurf that for later.” She stepped around to tend to his hair – she found twigs and leaf parts from when he had stumbled into a Smurfberry bush earlier.

“It’s all thanks to those rotten Smurflings, Moxie, I can’t stand them!” he snapped, setting his ears back somewhat. “Don’t they know I’m not as young as them, after all?”

“Come on, they didn’t mean for such unsmurfy results,” she assured him, restoring his midnight-black hair to its former glory. Then she spruced up his hat from behind which startled him at first, but he made no attempt to stop her.

“Still,” he insisted, softening his eyes, “I don’t have the same energy I used to. Let’s face it; I’m old and should be departed from this world by now, but thanks to that -” he cut himself off, frowning just as she rubbed a smudge off his cheek “- that despicable fountain. The wizard who put me in it – stop it.” He put his hand over hers and leaned his head away, feeling claustrophobic with her inches from his face.

“Mystico, I’m not letting her smurf you like this. Just let me get that scratch,” she said rather sternly. Before he could answer, she used her other hand to rub off the dirt on the tip of his nose. “There, it’s gone.” He twitched his nose and let go of her.

“As I was saying, the wizard who put me in it ruined my life,” he continued, taking a step away from her.

“I think you became despicable because of the fountain’s curse. In spite of yourself, you let its power over-smurf you and even now that you’re free, it still has a smurf of you.”

He was silent for a minute and didn’t look at her; he jolted when she touched his shoulder. She added, “If you really want your freedom, you’ll stop smurfing in the past and be optimistic about the future. I mean, who knows what adventure or romance lies ahead for you?” Mystico seemed complacent by the thought of it. “Anything is possible. Don’t let these opportunities smurf by you is all – take hold and smurf the best you can of each moment, starting now with Vira!”

“Yeah, you’re right,” he said more eagerly. “She’s the one missing out if she rejects me again.”

“Atta smurf!” She rejoiced with a swing of the arm and a proud smile. He smiled too, feeling more confident by her encouragement. “And you might need this.” She pulled out the tiny bottle of Desert Flower from her dress pocket and handed it to him with one instruction: “Don’t overuse it. No girl likes an overpowering aroma.”

“Thanks,” he said, holding it away from himself. He closed his eyes and turned his face away as he applied it; he heard Moxette take a few steps back just like Papa Smurf had advised. With three puffs, he set it down on the ground and shook himself off, hoping he didn’t use too much.

“Can you smell if from over there?” he asked.

“No, you’re good,” she replied, giving his a thumb’s up. “Go get ‘em, tiger!” With that, he swiftly turned and hopped over the bush. He landed and cautiously stood up, spotting the other Goblin standing at the edge of his fountain. She cocked an ear in his direction, so he took one step forward and waited for her to address him.

“You again? Now you’re just a pest, Misty,” she teased, shaking her head. She stuck out her left hip and crossed her arms, rolling her eyes. Despite this he approached with his head held high, silently reassuring himself that he could win.

“You know, Vira, this is where we first met,” he mused. He stopped at the edge of the fountain on her left and looked into the waters. “Why are you here?”

“I thought…” she began; she sniffed the air and suddenly her expression changed to a wickedly flirtatious smirk. “…I thought there was something different about you. What’s that pleasant scent I detect – vanilla? Lilac? It’s hard to label.” He smiled casually and turned his body more towards her.

“It’s called Desert Flower. Do you like it?”

She eyed him suspiciously while tapping her chin until she finally admitted she did; instantly his shoulders relaxed. She turned to face him too and told him, “Funny, though, my thoughts are getting cloudy from it…” For a moment he was motionless and hesitated to speak, but at the risk of her leaving again and having another failed attempt on his conscience, he gathered his courage and made a bold move. He cupped his right hand around her left forearm which made them catch eyes. At first she appeared to be defensive, but it quickly changed to content at the sight of his wariness.

Then he chanced to do the same with her other arm; she resisted as he expected, but her growling ceased in moments. He assumed it was the perfume working to his advantage to diffuse her normally impenetrable opposition, and from the exhilaration of getting this close to her without being beaten down his heart began to pound. He refused to let himself ruin the moment with words; instead, he kept her eyes looking into his until he determined whether or not the next move was safe.

A minute dragged by, and then he thrust his lips to hers with his eyes closed, tightening his grip on her arms instinctively. Much to his relief, she didn’t fight him even though he trembled with weakness – he mentally noted that this, his first kiss, was simply one of the greatest feelings he’d ever experienced. However, he noticed that while they were together, light became brighter behind his eyelids, and a swirling breeze briefly picked up.

At last when they parted and he opened his eyes, he fell back in shock at the sight of the female before her: instead of a mocha and grey Goblin, there was a ravishing young Wood Elf with pale skin, pointed ears, dark eyes with long eyelashes, red lips, and long bangs of dark brown hair with a short cut in the back. She wore an ivy green cap, a matching mid-calf length dress with white fur trimming, and mocha arm-gloves and wrap boots. She stared at him with equal astonishment.

“How – who are – why – what happened?!” he stuttered, scrambling to his feet. His eyes were wide and ears lowered as he stood in a crouched position, touching his hands to the ground. He studied her fearfully as she explained her situation.

“Mystico,” she began, pausing to lift her hands, “You broke the spell.”

“What spell?” he demanded.

“I crossed a horrible witch’s path one day and when she saw how pretty I was compared to her, she got jealous and turned me into a Goblin.” She moved closer to him, but stopped when he retreated.

“Why didn’t you tell me that part when I first met you?” He inquired as he slowly straightened up. “It would’ve been nice to know who I was really dealing with from day one.” She dropped her shoulders and shook her heard.

“I wanted to, but she included internal silence so that I couldn’t tell anyone else about my true form. I was so upset that I spiraled into a fit of rage and ran to hide in the shadow of the moon.”

“That explains why you treated me like dirt,” he muttered. He started turning away from her, but halted when she cried, “Wait!” With a bitter frown, he looked at her again.

“I didn’t mean to be so hard on you,” she implored, holding her hands like she was begging for forgiveness, “I just didn’t want you to fall for me because I thought I’d remain a Goblin forever – I thought I had to attract another Wood Elf to break the spell.” She paused for him to comment, but he didn’t. She sighed and admitted in a quieter tone, “I was scared,” with a shrug. “…And I’m sorry.”

Mystico lowered his head and looked at the ground as he took it all in: the way he saw it, the girl he’d come to admire so much proved an imposter, and she expected him to forgive her for not revealing anything until it was nearly too late to turn and walk away from everything. He puzzled over her words and pieced together the events of their history – brief as it may seem – and wondered if her sincerity ought to mean something to him. The whole ordeal with befriending the Smurfs and putting up with constant rejection, overwhelming advice offerings, roughhousing Smurflings, and developing a strong tie to his companion hiding in the bushes nearby had taken a toll on his body more than his mind. Regardless, he was mentally exhausted by the idea of accepting the first female Goblin he’d seen in centuries to be a pawn in a witch’s game.

At last he lifted his head: “Thanks.” He said it both honestly and sarcastically. Then he took a deep breath and stretched out his wings, jumping into the air. He flapped hurriedly, only wanting to be far enough from her so he wouldn’t hear her in case she felt like protesting, nor did he want her – of all creatures – seeing him at his lowest.

Moxette called to him when he zipped over the bush, but he didn’t bother answering. He focused solely on flying and had no destination – it was simply a matter of getting lost and not being found. No one would disturb him, no matter what.

<p style="text-align: center;"> '''. . .'''

Moxette returned to the village and explained everything she had seen to her fellow Smurfs when they queried for the tale. With a heavy heart, she found Papa Smurf afterwards and asked if they could talk privately. He accepted and they sat in stools facing each other.

“He just smurfed, Papa Smurf,” she explained simply with her hands on her knees, “I saw the look on his face, too. He was hurt badly.”

“I’m sorry, my little Smurf. That poor creature must be heartbroken,” he sympathized, patting her shoulder. “I should have known there was something odd about her when the snapdragons failed to smurf.”

“We tried,” she added, “Will he be okay?”

“I don’t know, Moxette. Mystico wanted to be alone, so we must respect his wishes. I’m sure he will return when he’s ready.” He smiled earnestly. “And I couldn’t help noticing you two have become quite a smurfy pair. I imagine you’ll be the first Smurf he turns to.” She nodded and sniffed, lifting her head with woeful eyes.

“I hope he comes back soon…”

“Be patient and he’ll smurf before you know it,” he assured her, standing. He took her hand as she followed suit and led her to the door. He added, “I’m proud of you for changing your attitude towards him. When he arrived, you were most unsmurfy to him because of what he did to Clumsy, but through this entire smurf with Vira, I’ve seen your relationship blossom before my very eyes. It goes to show that time heals all wounds, and it’s very smurfy to lend a hand to those who need it even if they aren’t the smurfiest.”

“Thank you, Papa Smurf.” She hugged him before exiting and felt better after hearing such kind words.

Sure enough, hours later while she was sitting on her bed at home with a book there came the familiar sound of beating wings. She looked out her window, but it was too dark to see anything; she raced to the front door and swung it open, poking her head out.

“Misty, is that you?” she called softly. She figured that he might not want the others to know he was back. To her delight, the old Goblin revealed himself from the shadow of the window sill on her right and she invited him inside, so he scurried through the doorway. She closed it behind him and beamed when he glanced at her.

“No one knows I’m here, got it?” he said. She nodded, so he dropped his arms and lowered his defenses just in time to be pulled into a firm hug. With slightly widened eyes, he looked at her and realized just how happy she was to see him by the way she nuzzled him. “…You can let go now…please.”

Immediately she did: “Sorry, I couldn’t help it.”

“It’s fine.” He shook himself off and rushed to the window to close the hatches before the neighboring Smurf saw him. He glanced over his shoulder at the other window, but it was already mostly closed and he felt it wasn’t something worth fussing over.

“Are you okay?”

“I needed time alone to think, and I’m here now because I worked things out with myself. I trust you not to blab to everyone else.” He approached her and they stood face-to-face so he they could lower their voices, avoiding possible eavesdroppers (Brainy came to mind first). “I met an old friend today after I flew away.”

“You did? Who?”

“My best friend growing up before the wizard and his fountain arrived,” he continued, “His name’s Ripple, and he said he’s been here before. You know him, don’t you?” For a minute or so she scoured her memories for the face matching the name, but there was nothing.

“No, I’ve never met him.” Mystico was puzzled a moment, but then he shrugged.

“I’ll introduce you sometime. Anyway, we go as far back as I can remember, so he’s someone you should know. It’s weird to think of him with a female, but – meh.” He looked down to the left and added, “This isn’t as easy as I thought it was going to be.”

Moxette reached for his hand and asked, “Are you leaving?” He returned his focus to her and snickered as he said, “Don’t pretend like you didn’t expect me to, Moxie. I wouldn’t stay in this village even if my life depended on it. Plus, you wouldn’t want me around all the time.”

“Will you visit us then?” she asked with pleading eyes. He lightly nicked her chin with a side-smile as his way of saying, “Of course.” She smiled minimally and added, “Don’t be a stranger, Misty. I’ll always be here for ya.” She punched his arm playfully, too, to make sure he understood perfectly – he did.

“You’ll see me around, I promise.”

“Good,” she concluded, glancing down for a second, “So, I guess you better go before someone smurfs ya…”

“Yeah,” he said. She turned around and opened the door, so he walked out. Right before she closed it, however, he rushed back and gave her a hasty embrace and said good-bye. And then he took to the air and never looked back. Moxette waved as he disappeared into the night, smiling: “Good ol’ Misty…”

Trivia

 * This Season Special was begun on Jan. 8th and finished on March 9th, 2012 and is the start of a trend: every season has at least one Season Special at a random time, be it beginning or end of the season.
 * It is revealed that Vira was actually Wisteria under a spell from an old witch who is later found out to be Hogatha. This is Wisteria's premiere episode.
 * Since Ripple meeting Karma was an event that took place before Moxette's creation, she has not yet met him. They become friends in "We Smurf You a Smurfy Christmas."
 * Between the time after discovering Wisteria's true form and Mystico saying good-bye to Moxette that night, he had flown off to a tree not too far from Ripple. This is where they were able to reconnect after many years apart, picked up where their friendship left off, and he was briefly introduced to Karma.