Upon Empath and Smurfette's return to the village, they ran into Narrator who was busy telling the story to whoever was listening.
"Oh, hello there, Empath and Smurfette", Narrator said. "You got back from smurfing your message to Laconia and Woody?"
"They have their hands full with a child, but they should be coming to our wedding, Narrator," Empath said.
"Have you seen Vanity Smurf?" Smurfette asked.
"Last I know, he has gone to smurf the invite to his friend Periwinkle the pixie. Also Greedy went to smurf one to Gunilda the fairy, and Miner is busy smurfing underground for Picklick and Guardiana," Narrator said. "By the way, Brainy wanted me to smurf you two that Tailor is expecting to have you smurf to the Imaginarium for a dress fitting."
"A dress fitting in the Imaginarium?" Smurfette said. "Well, I can't wait to see what smurfy dresses he has in mind for me."
"This smurf can't wait to see them as well," Empath said. "Thank you for relaying the message, Narrator."
"I would be rather remiss if I didn't tell you how jealous I am that you're marrying Smurfette," Narrator said. "She's a very fine young woman that I was hoping to someday marry. I have a feeling that you'll be an excellent husband for her."
Smurfette kissed Narrator on the cheek. "And you're a very excellent storyteller, Narrator, who will make a very good husband someday."
This made Narrator blush. "Aw, gee, Smurfette, I just don't know what to smurf to that."
Then Papa Smurf arrived in the village. "It's all set, Smurfette. Flowerbell has accepted the invite and she will be attending as your matron of honor."
"Smurftastic!" Smurfette exclaimed, giving Papa Smurf a kiss on the cheek. "I knew that I could count on her."
"She won't necessarily be attending alone, Smurfette," Papa Smurf said. "She's smurfing along a friend of hers."
"A friend?" Smurfette said. "Oh, I can't wait to meet her friend."
Then Century came into the village. "Century, where are the other Smurfs you went with?" Papa Smurf asked.
"They chose to stay in Pussywillow Hollow, Papa Smurf, to protect the pixies," Century said. "Somehow they can't stay in our world for very long, so they'll keep smurf over them until the day before the wedding and then they'll escort them here."
"Oh, my smurfness," Smurfette said. "I just hope Hefty and the boys will be all right."
"Hefty is a very brave and resourceful Smurf, as are the ones Papa Smurf has chosen to go along with him," Empath said. "If anyone can keep themselves and the Pussywillow Pixies out of harm's way, they can."
"I hope you're right, Empath," Smurfette said. "The hollow isn't safe for any Smurf, including you."
"It wasn't the hollow that was dangerous to this smurf, Smurfette," Empath said. "It's that Princess Chamelianne, who tried to make this smurf think that this smurf was a Wartmonger and even turned this smurf into one in order to hunt down the pixies."
Smurfette made a face thinking about how Princess Chamelianne looked. "She's definitely not a princess that I would want to be like!"
"Papa Smurf! Empath! Smurfette!" Tracker shouted as he approached. "I just spotted Dreamy's ship. It should be arriving at port soon."
"Let's be there to greet them upon arrival," Papa Smurf said as they headed to the port and watched the S.S. Smurf arrive to dock.
The crew of the ship disembarked, with Handy being the first. "We did it, Papa Smurf," he said. "We smurfed the invite to Marina the mermaid, and she said she will be attending with her friend Dylan the Snorkelian."
"Excellent work, Handy," Papa Smurf said. "Now we just need to receive word from a few others."
"Papa Smurf, I hear a stork approaching," Tracker said.
They now went to the clearing on the north end of the village and waited for the stork to land. On the stork were two mechanical Smurfs, with one of them carrying a third. "Hello there, master Handy," one of them said.
Handy couldn't believe what he was seeing. "Clockwork Smurf? Clockwork Smurfette? But you both look like Papa and Mama Smurf!"
"I'm now the leader of an entire village of Clockwork Smurfs, master Handy," Papa Clockwork said.
"And this is the first child that we smurfed together," Mama Clockwork said, showing Handy the mechanical baby Smurf.
Handy was further astonished by the sight. "Incredible!" he said. "You smurfed this Baby Clockwork by yourself?"
"Not just by myself, master Handy," Papa Clockwork said. "Me and Mama Clockwork smurfed this one together."
"May I hold it?" Handy asked. Then Mama Clockwork handed Handy the Baby Clockwork, who held it just as he would hold Baby Smurf. The mechanical baby looked up at Handy and smiled.
"That's your grandfather, master Handy," Papa Clockwork told Baby Clockwork.
Handy smiled. "I can't believe it! I'm a grandfather! And at such a young age too!"
Papa Smurf chuckled. "I'm sure you'll have plenty of time to smurf your wisdom to this little miracle, Handy!"
Soon Empath and Smurfette joined Tailor inside the Imaginarium for her dress fitting.
"It's just so wonderful that the Imaginarium allows me to smurf up so many magnificent possible designs for your wedding dress," Tailor said. "And of course, you can choose to alter the designs however way you want it."
"At least I don't have to get unsmurfed just to try on a dress in here," Smurfette said.
"And it's so private in here," Empath said. "You won't have Sneaky Smurf trying to sneak a peek at you when you're undressed."
Smurfette laughed. "Why can't a Smurf like him ever grow out of smurfing something like that?"
"Okay, we've set up a mirror for you to smurf yourself in whatever dress appears on you," Tailor said. "Just simply smurf before the mirror and relax while the dress appears."
Smurfette then stood before the mirror and watched as her normal clothes was replaced by an imagined dress. She took a look at it and then said, "Uh, this doesn't smurf right."
Then another dress appeared. "No." Then another. "Uh-uh." Then another. "This doesn't work." Then another. "Not in this lifetime."
"This could take forever, Empath," Tailor said as they watched her go through several more dress designs. "Why not just simply choose the one you want her to smurf in?"
"No, Tailor," Empath said. "This is her wedding too, and this smurf wants her to make the decisions on what would look great on her."
"Suit yourself, then," Tailor said.
Then after a few dozen more dress designs, Smurfette said, "Now, this is the design that I want!"
Tailor saw the dress she appeared in. "You sure this is the dress you want? Something about it doesn't smurf right with me!"
"Empath, what do you think?" Smurfette asked.
Empath took a good look at the dress Smurfette appeared in. "Tailor, this is definitely the dress Smurfette should appear in for the wedding."
"Okay, fine, then," Tailor said. "I'll just get the measurements and the cloth, and I'll start smurfing work on it."
"Now it's your turn, Empath," Smurfette said. "I want you to smurf before the mirror and tell me which bridegroom outfit looks smurfy on you."
"Smurfette, this smurf thought that this is supposed to be your dress fitting," Empath said.
"Oh, come on, Empath, smurf along a little," Smurfette said. "I want to see how my Prince Smurfing will look when I smurf him at the altar."
Empath sighed as he went over to the mirror and Smurfette stepped away, appearing in her regular clothes. "Okay, then, show this smurf the first outfit."
Instantly Empath appeared before the mirror wearing a green-plaid kilt with no shirt on and a green feather pinned to his hat. Smurfette snickered as she stared at Empath in this appearance, which only made Empath look at her with a side glance of slight annoyance.
"What's wrong, Empath?" Smurfette asked, trying to contain her laughter. "Don't you like the first outfit that I have smurfed for you?"
"This smurf thinks you should be marrying Duncan instead of this smurf if that's what you're intending for this smurf to wear at the wedding," Empath said.
"I'm sorry if you don't want to be embarrassed by showing how strong and handsome you really are to the wedding guests," Smurfette said. "I'll let you smurf something with a bit more dignity if that's how you want to smurf."
"Maybe for the honeymoon, this smurf can dress up in this for you, Smurfette," Empath said with a slight smile before he caused the next wedding outfit to appear on him.
Throughout the rest of the day and the following day, Empath and Smurfette went through the entire village looking at what the Smurfs were planning to do for the wedding. Greedy and Biscotti created a sample of the wedding cake that they intend to bake, with Sculptor desiging the little bride and groom figurines for the top within a heart shape. Vanity was creating floral arrangements with the help of his friend Periwinkle the pixie, who decided to stay in the village and offer some assistance in that area. Harmony, despite being the worst musician in the village, was busy at work composing his own musical masterpiece that he hoped to play at the wedding. Printer showed samples of the programs he was developing with finely crafted designs by Painter. Carpenter was building a special carriage that Puppy would pull so that Smurfette could be taken from her house to the wedding, using a giant hollowed-out pumpkin from Farmer's garden, while the Smurflings were training Puppy how to gently pull the carriage once it is completed. And Architect was going through the various seating arrangements for every Smurf, including the guests.
Meanwhile, outside the Smurf Forest, all this activity was being observed by an elderly woman in a blue robe and hood looking through a giant telescope in her observatory. Her name was Chlorhydris, and for years she sought to get her revenge on a world that robbed her of the happiness of marriage. Now she is seeing preparations for a marriage that the Smurfs are having for two of their own, and she could feel her anger and jealousy being kindled as she watched how happy the two Smurfs are with the prospect of being married.
"What gall that these Smurfs have to be so happy and to make preparations for a joyous occasion that should have been mine," the old witch muttered. "And even worse, it is this star-clothed Smurf that has interfered with my plans who is getting married to this Smurfette. Well, my little blue friend, if I must suffer in a world where marital love is for everyone but me, I shall plan to make you suffer with me...as I will make all your friends suffer along with you."
By the end of the second day, Empath and Smurfette felt exhausted. They took a break in Tapper's Tavern with a bit of smurfberry wine that Tapper had served them. "It's a very special vintage, my friends," Tapper said. "I was smurfing it for this particular moment when the two of you would be smurfing together."
"This smurf appreciates it, Tapper," Empath said. He raised his glass toward Smurfette's. "Here's to our future together."
Smurfette raised her glass and clinked it with Empath's before they both took a sip together. "Mmm, very smurfy."
"Something seems to be smurfing on your minds," Tapper said. "I'm believing that it's all the preparation for a ceremony, wanting it to be so perfect and yet uncertain of what you really want with it."
Empath nodded. "It's such a momentous occasion for the both of us, Tapper, we're not sure how we would be able to keep it simple."
"Hmmm, sometimes I just wish we could smurf it simple," Smurfette said. "It's just so much work to make it smurf so beautiful, and there's always the chance that something can smurf wrong with it."
"A beautiful wedding isn't about decorations or cakes or dresses or anything like that," Tapper said. "The beauty of the wedding comes from how you both wish to express your love for each other. Even if a major disaster were to strike the village on the day of your wedding, it shouldn't stop you from showing that you're willing to spend eternity with that person and that you're willing to sacrifice all that you are and have for that person. Woody and Laconia didn't have the perfect wedding, and look how they turned out."
"Speaking of perfect weddings, are you still looking forward to being married to the Almighty's Son on the day that He comes for you?" Empath asked.
"Aye, Empath, and what a beautiful day that will be, when the bride of Jesus Christ smurfs beside Him before the throne of the Almighty," Tapper said. "That day will come when we least expect it, although now we will smurf through trials and tribulations of this life to be counted worthy to be by his side."
"Trials and tribulations?" Smurfette asked.
"It's all part of the walk of faith that we smurf through, my dear Smurfette," Tapper said. "Our faith will be tested by various trials so that those who smurf the test will be rewarded with a crown of glory that will never smurf away. It doesn't matter how long the Lord will tarry until He smurfs for His bride, for a day with Him is as a thousand years and a thousand years with Him is as a day. He smurfs in eternity, and we smurf in time. But someday all His promises, for both good and bad, will smurf true, and His faithful ones will see that all the struggling they have smurfed through will be worth it in the end."
"This smurf would go through anything just to have you, Smurfette," Empath said.
"And I would smurf you everything I have just to have you, Empath," Smurfette said as they both looked into each other.
Tapper smiled. "You see, if you have love for one another, that should be enough for a beautiful wedding. Of course, if you have need of anything for me to smurf for the wedding, don't hesitate to let me know."
"Thanks, Tapper, we appreciate it," Smurfette said, not looking away from Empath.
Tapper took this as his cue to leave these two Smurfs alone and returned to his place at the counter. His thoughts turned to Hefty and the Smurfs that Papa Smurf had sent with him into Pussywillow Hollow. Century said that they would be staying there to protect the pixies until the day before the wedding. He just hoped that Hefty and the boys would be all right.
It was night in Pussywillow Hollow. The pixies had folded over their wings and slept on the branches. Hefty, Duncan, Willpower, and Tuffy were camped nearby, huddled together near a fire they have built.
"The nights here are so chilly," Willpower said. "I'm not sure if I can smurf through a few more nights of all this hiding from the Wartmongers."
"Just hang in there, laddie," Duncan said. "You've smurfed through much worse than this with all that time-traveling we did when Grandpa Smurf lost the Key of Chronos."
"Right now I'd rather be smurfing through time than wasting it protecting the Pussywillow Pixies just so they can attend a wedding," Hefty said.
"You always seem to have something against Empath and Smurfette smurfing together," Duncan said.
"You think that smurfing Empath and Smurfette together for the past ten years was easy?" Hefty said.
"I never said that it was easy, Hefty," Duncan said. "Sometimes I do think about what kind of future I would want to smurf with such a fine lass like her. I would give anything to make sure that she would be happy. But I know somehow that she would never be happy smurfing her whole life with me."
"So you would just give up on her, like every other Smurf seems to be smurfing when it comes to her and Empath," Hefty said.
"That's one battle that I just don't have enough strength to keep smurfing, Hefty," Duncan said. "I would rather give up my happiness for Smurfette's than be selfish and expect for the slim chance that Smurfette will someday smurf her heart to me if she's already smurfed it to someone else."
"Well, I don't intend to retreat from this battle, Gutsy," Hefty said. "I'm going to let Smurfette know how much I care for her, and I'm going to fight for her heart no matter what."
Duncan sighed, realizing how dead-set his friend is and how he isn't going to persuade him to change his mind.
"Let's just smurf to sleep. We're going to need our strength to continue our job here in the hollow before we return to the village."
"Aw, let them come," Tuffy muttered. "I'm not afraid of what's going to happen, and I'm not afraid of this wedding."
Hefty snickered as he settled down on a leaf along with Duncan and Tuffy. "You will be, Tuffy. You will be."