Remaining Anonymous

"Remaining Anonymous" is a story that is part of the EMPATH: The Luckiest Smurf story series. It is the fanfiction counterpart of the cartoon show episode "Nobody Smurf" set in that particular universe.

Plot Summary
Empath has a counseling session with Anonymous, a Smurf who literally feels like a nobody among his fellow Smurfs because he has no special attributes in his personality, and is often called Nobody Smurf because of this. Empath tries to help Anonymous see that there's nothing wrong with him just being himself the way he is, that if anything he's more of an inspiration to his fellow Smurfs who just want to be part of the crowd rather than be put on a pedestal, that by being a nobody he can literally be anybody. But Anonymous feels that he would rather be somebody, if he only knew just what to be.

Out in the middle of the forest, the Smurfs stumble upon a magic fountain and discover a pedestal with a golden goblet, and a warning: ''Beware ye thirsty travelers, this is a magic fountain. Touch not the goblet or a goblin curse will befall you.'' When Clumsy falls into the fountain, Anonymous helps him up, only to knock over the pedestal and send the goblet into the water - therefore unleashing Mystico from his imprisonment. Almost immediately he introduces himself and, seeing Clumsy trip over a rock when the Smurfs run away, remarks, "My, what a graceless creature you are!" And with his arms raised, he turns him into a goblin with enormous feet.

He soon finds Greedy eating at a table (which is assumed to be the work of Handy) and makes him a goblin with a gigantic mouth; he prances away, laughing about him never being about to keep his mouth filled. Right after that he greets Hefty and uses his strength against him - he becomes a goblin with oversized arms and is unable to nab his transformer before he skips away. Last he comes across Brainy, who is explaining (and demonstrating) how to properly start a fire, and Papa Smurf standing over him.

Mystico surprises them both and interrupts Brainy to say, "You talk too much!" Instantly Brainy becomes a fast-talking, nearly incomprehensible, and never-ending-speech-giving goblin. While Papa is off-guard at the sight, Mystico turns to him and transforms him into a goblin with large ears: "You seem to be a good listener." Finally Empath encounters the goblin, and Mystico says, "You like to hear voices inside your head? Well, how would you like to hear many voices at the same time?" And Empath finds himself in extreme pain as his ability to block out other people's thoughts with his telepathic powers has been removed.

He disappears into the forest and comes across a stump, now worn out by all the fun he's having turning everyone into goblins, so he settles down for a break to rest in a tree; he hangs by his tail and covers his face and front with his wings. Shortly after he enters his slumber, Anonymous Smurf approaches his tree with the goblet in his hands. He steps on a twig, awakening Mystico rather abruptly.

Mystico chases him around the tree, hoping to take him down like he did the others, only to give Anonymous the perfect chance to bring up his weakness: legend had it that the only way to turn everyone back to normal was to put the goblet on his head and trap him back into the fountain. While in the tree directly above the goblin, Anonymous drops the goblet and successfully lands it on Mystico's head, sending him back into it; the Smurf then proudly goes back to the fountain and returns him to his prison.

After all the Smurfs return to normal, Papa Smurf congratulates Anonymous for his bravery, saying that he has now made a name for himself among his fellow Smurfs. Anonymous humbly accepts the applause, humorously saying that he would prefer to "remain anonymous", as Empath and his fellow Smurfs laugh.