Back in the village, there was a rehearsal for the wedding ceremony that Brainy Smurf was in charge of. He wanted to make sure everything went along smoothly in the rehearsal as it would in the actual ceremony, but without all the players, and also with a few Smurfs causing problems like Dimwitty bringing the wrong things to the bride and groom, it was very frustrating to both Brainy and to the others in the rehearsal.
Then during the rehearsal came a shout. "Success, my fellow Smurfs! We've safely brought the Pussywillow Pixies to our village!" It was Duncan with the Smurfs that went with him into Pussywillow Hollow, plus some others.
Smurfette left her place in the rehearsal, as did most of the other Smurfs, to greet their new arrivals. Brainy did not like this interruption one bit.
"Oh, my young child," Elderberry said as she and Smurfette greeted each other with a hug. "I'm so happy for you. I wouldn't think that I would be able to see someone like you get married to one of your fellow Smurfs!"
"So where is the lucky bridegroom?" Lilac asked.
"He's over there at the altar with Brainy," Smurfette said. "Empath, the Pussywillow Pixies are here!"
Empath left the altar to meet the new arrivals. "It's so good to see you again," Empath said to them. "This smurf only wishes that our first meeting was under better circumstances."
"You look like such a brave and noble soul, young man," Elderberry said. "Not that I don't think highly of your friends that escorted us here."
"Yes, well, these Smurfs are truly a brave and strong group, Elderberry," Empath said. "This smurf couldn't think of any Smurfs who would be best suited for the job."
"Okay, you Smurfs, let's smurf this rehearsal again from the top," Brainy said as he approached them, disgusted by all the hassles and interruptions. "I suppose that the three of you Pussywillow Pixies are assigned to be the bridesmaids for Smurfette."
"That's right, and I'm supposed to be the flower girl," Acorn said.
"Fine, then you four can join Smurfette as we resmurf the rehearsal one more time," Brainy said.
"Brainy, the pixies have just arrived," Smurfette said. "Can't you smurf them enough time to relax before smurfing them through a rehearsal?"
"You're the one who wanted this wedding to be so smurfect, Smurfette, so I'm just trying to follow orders and making sure that everybody else follows them, including the bride and groom," Brainy said.
"Well, I say you should let them relax and stop worrying so much about how smurfect this wedding is going to be," Smurfette said.
"This smurf agrees with what Smurfette has to say, Brainy," Empath said. "They seem to know what's expected of their roles in the wedding. They'll do just fine regardless."
Brainy pulled on his hat, ready to tear it off his head. "Oh, fine! Smurf it your way! But don't blame me if your wedding doesn't turn out to be smurfect!"
"My, my, this Brainy Smurf seems to be rather touchy today," Elderberry said.
"He just wants to do a perfect job at the wedding," Empath said. "By tomorrow, he's not going to care about all these little problems and will just enjoy himself the way he normally does."
"Yeah, by smurfing everybody to sleep," Snappy said.
"We just want to thank you for thinking about including us as part of your wedding," Bramble said. "It looks like it's going to turn out to be beautiful anyway."
"Hey, Clumsy," Pansy said as she spotted him among the Smurfs. "Long time, no see. How have you been doing lately?"
"Uh, you know, just the same as usual for me," Clumsy said. "Smurfette just smurfs so pretty, I can't wait to smurf her in the wedding dress."
"Me too," Pansy said. "Of course, I would probably trip and fall if I were to wear a wedding dress."
"It don't matter to me if you did...you'd still look pretty in one anyway," Clumsy said.
"Oh, that's just sweet of you," Pansy said, as the two of them went off to talk to each other.
Empath turned his attention to the Smurfs escorting the Pussywillow Pixies. "So how was it staying in the hollow for about a week?" he asked Duncan.
"Uhhh, I feel like the smurf of the place has smurfed onto me, Empath," Duncan said. "And then I had to deal with Hefty smurfing on about you and Smurfette all the time. I think there's something wrong with the boy."
Empath noticed that Hefty had just left, wearing a facial expression more commonly found on Grouchy.
"This smurf senses that he isn't comfortable about what's going on," Empath said.
"So, are we on for smurfing the bachelor party in the Imaginarium?" Tuffy asked.
"Of course, Tuffy," Empath said. "Why wouldn't this smurf want to attend such a party?"
"Some of your fellow Smurfs might think you'd change your mind if you smurfed through the bachelor party, Empath," Century said.
"Really?" Empath said. "That depends on what's going to happen during the party."
"Just be prepared for anything, is all that I can smurf you, Empath," Duncan said. "This will separate the Smurfs from the Smurflings."
Empath sighed as he began to wonder what's in store for him.
Meanwhile, Handy had a private talk with Marina the mermaid. "So how's life with your...uh, new boyfriend?" Handy asked.
Marina laughed. "He reminds me so much of you, Handy...he's smart, brilliant, inventive, brave! He showed me the people who lived in his village under the sea, and it just amazes me how much they are like your people...well, except that there also female Snorkelians."
"I just wish we could smurf more time together, Marina," Handy said. "It's just so unfair that I have to smurf on land and you have to smurf in the sea. I'm glad that you've smurfed somebody who will always be with you."
"Handy, he can never replace the feelings that I have for you," Marina said. "I still love you and I still wish that we could actually be together. I still appreciate that you went out of your way to rescue me and my father King Aquarius, and that you got the lilyroot from the Pool of Avalon during the time he was sick."
"Yeah, those were the days, all right," Handy said. "And now I'm surprised to find out that I'm a grandfather Smurf to one of my creations."
"The Clockwork Smurf," Marina said. "It's surprising how much he looks like your Papa Smurf now."
"There's just so much that smurfened with him while he was smurfing with King Gerard, I just wish he could have smurfed me more often about those things," Handy said.
Marina held Handy's hands in hers. "Handy, you'll make a good husband and father someday. My only hope is that you'll find somebody that will care for you just as much as I do."
"That's my wish as well, Marina," Handy said. "But there will never be anyone in my life who's like you. Nor will there be anyone like Smurfette."
"No, I guess not," Marina said, smiling as they looked into each other's eyes.
Meanwhile, Clumsy was walking around with Pansy when she noticed how quiet her friend has been for the past few minutes. "Is there something the matter with you, Clumsy?" she politely asked.
"Pansy, there's something I've got to tell you that I feel rather ashamed to tell you," Clumsy said, sounding very uncertain.
"If you've found somebody else to fall in love with, I'm sure that I'll understand," Pansy said. "After all, we come from two different worlds, and we both can't live in each other's like this."
"Well, it's just that I've been smurfing feelings about my friend Brainy, and it's making me feel like I'm less of a Smurf for having them, because...you know...," Clumsy said.
Pansy looked a little shocked as she realized what he was trying to tell her. "You mean...that you're in love with Brainy? But how does he feel about it? Have you even told him?"
"I did, one time during a Valentine's Day party, and he told me that he couldn't feel for me the same way that I did for him, even though he would still be friends with me," Clumsy answered. "But it's still hard to me to smurf with this kind of feeling."
"I'm sorry to hear that, Clumsy," Pansy said, sounding a bit understanding. "Maybe you'll find the right one who will love you for just the way that you are."
"Gee, Pansy, I don't think there will be anyone else out there," Clumsy said. "Besides, Papa Smurf always says that Mother Nature created males and females to love only each other and not the same gender, or else there wouldn't be families."
"That doesn't sound right or fair, Clumsy," Pansy said. "You deserve to be happy with whomever you fall in love with, no matter if it's a male or a female."
"I wish I could believe that, Pansy, but I don't want to risk my life on smurfing the wrong thing with choosing who I love," Clumsy said sadly. "Tapper believes that his Almighty already has somebody smurfing for me sometime in the future, and that He will smurf her to me when He feels that I'm ready for her."
"But what if you find out that you'll never be happy with that someone else?" Pansy asked.
"I really don't know, Pansy," Clumsy replied. "But what other choice do I have in life now that Smurfette's going to marry Empath?"
"I'm sure that we'll find that special someone for you, Clumsy, trust me," Pansy said, as she and Clumsy embraced each other.
After the rehearsal, Polaris Psyche and Lilac took a walk around the village so that they could have a talk with each other alone. "Oh, I do declare that I feel so much more free walking around in this village than I do back home in the hollow," Lilac said.
"It is unfortunate that your life is bound to living in that world and this one's life is also bound to living here in this world, fellow Lilac," Polaris said.
"It doesn't mean that I can't dream of the two of us being together, can I?" Lilac said. "Don't you sometimes dream of who you want to spend your days together with?"
"This one finds such dreams to be a distraction from this one's duties, although the possibility of who this one wants to be bonded to besides Empath has been meditated on from time to time," Polaris replied.
"But I don't happen to be who you're thinking of when you do think of that?" Lilac said, sounding a bit displeased.
"You are very beautiful and attractive for a female member of your species, Lilac, make no mistake about that," Polaris said. "It's just that this one yearns for someone who will accept this one for the kind of person that this one is without any reservations."
"Well, that just makes me feel appreciated," Lilac said, folding her arms and looking away with her nose in the air, sounding a bit hurt.
"It is nothing personal against you, Lilac," Polaris said. "This one appreciates that you have shown an interest in this one despite how this one behaves towards others. It's just that there can be nothing between us beyond a fellowship even if we were to exist in the same world together."
"Oh, I just can't stand it!" Lilac said. "I could only wish that I never met you in my life!"
"This one apologizes if this one made you believe in something that could never exist between us, Lilac," Polaris said. "This one could only wish you would find a companion suitable for yourself in your own world that would make your existence complete."
Lilac suddenly turned around and kissed Polaris. "I can only wish the same for you as well, Polaris," she said after the kiss ended.
Polaris watched as Lilac walked away, and then soon was joined by Tapper. "I hope that I'm not interrupting anything important here, my friend, but I did sense in my spirit that you're perturbed by something," Tapper said.
"This one does not like having to tell Lilac the truth about how this one could feel for her and that this one could never be anything more to her than just a friend, Tapper," Polaris said.
"Being honest with how we feel toward each other is never an easy thing, but at least it's better to smurf her the truth than to keep smurfing her with a lie," Tapper said.
"But this one cannot get her to stop thinking of this one in any romantic sense, which is what this one is sensing from her," Polaris said.
"That's something only time and the Almighty will be able to smurf, my friend," Tapper said. "What's important is that you'll still be a friend to her no matter what happens to the two of you in the future."
By the end of the day, with all the preparations done and the rehearsals finished, the Smurfs went their own separate ways to their own separate parties. Smurfette joined her female guests in the dining hall where Biscotti and Culinary served finger food and she opened up all the gifts her fellow Smurfs have made for her, including the ones that Nanny Smurf have knitted over the week. Then Tailor arrived with Vanity.
"This is the finished wedding dress, Smurfette," Tailor said as he presented it inside the box. "There's also the hat that Empath smurfs you're supposed to wear when you become his wife."
Smurfette pulled out the dress and showed it to all her guests. "Oh, Smurfette, that is absolutely gorgeous," Lilac said.
"That is a very beautiful wedding dress, my child," Elderberry said.
"Shucks, you make me wish that I was young enough to smurf that thing," Nanny said.
"That dress seems very appropriate on you, Smurfette," Flowerbell said.
Laconia signed a message of approval which Smurfette understood.
"So how does it feel to soon become the wife of Empath Smurf?" Bramble asked.
"Gee, I don't know," Smurfette said. "It's like so exciting and yet so scary at the same time. I can't believe this is actually happening to me."
"Laconia says she is sure you'll make an excellent wife," Periwinkle said, interpreting her signs.
"Being a wife," Smurfette said. "It's like something I always wanted to be, and yet it means that I won't be the Smurf I used to be anymore."
"That is part of growing up, my dear child," Elderberry said. "To step from being a maiden into being a mother is no small easy task. In some ways, I envy that you have found a mate that you will love with all your heart and soul. It's just something us pixies can only ever dream about."
"I only wish that I had your courage, Smurfette," Flowerbell said. "I wouldn't have had to rely upon my charms to trick anyone into loving or marrying me."
"But the thing is, Smurfette, we'll be there to witness your smurfing from being a single Smurf into being Mrs. Empath Smurf," Nanny said.
Smurfette shed a tear. "I know, and I'm very grateful to have you all here as my witnesses, and as my friends. This is the very day I have waited for. And I don't want to let anybody down."
"You won't, my child, you won't," Elderberry said. "Believe in yourself."
Meanwhile, unnoticed by any of the female guests at the bridal shower, a lone Smurf was watching the whole thing, remembering the days when it was just him and Smurfette, and hardly anyone stood in his way except for the other Smurfs whom Smurfette had also loved. It seemed so fair and honest...until Empath came along, and all bets were off. Now he wanted so much to tell Smurfette how much he loved her, and yet no matter what, it wouldn't change how she would ever feel towards him at all.
He felt a single tear fall from his eye, watching Smurfette being all happy.
"Aw, what are you so in tears about, Hefty, my boy?" a devilish version of Hefty said as he appeared next to Hefty. "You should take Smurfette to be your very own if you really care about smurfing yourself happy."
"And what about his friend Empath?" an angelic version of Hefty said as he also appeared. "Doesn't he deserve to be happy with Smurfette for all that he smurfed through in life?"
"Empath has never been Hefty's friend," Devil Hefty countered. "He deserves to smurf back to Psychelia where he belongs with all the other star-smurfed freaks."
"Empath has been more of a friend to Hefty than he will ever realize, but you're so blinded by your hatred of Empath that you'll never smurf that for yourself," Angel Hefty responded.
"Hefty was the first to find Smurfette, and even the first to fall in love with her, so I say it's smurfers keepers, losers weepers," Devil Hefty said.
"If that's all you really care about, then that's probably the reason Smurfette will never smurf in love with you," Angel Hefty said, before the both of them vanished.