Chapter 1

Empath's personal journal, August 1.

Handy, the village inventor and mechanic, had asked this smurf to witness the rebirth of one of his creations that he made six years ago. He called this creation Clockwork Smurf, for he was made as a mechanical assistant for all the other Smurfs, doing a wide variety of tasks with the skill that only this smurf could match, basically running like clockwork.

But as fate would have it, Clockwork didn't stay that way. He became aware of his own existence, and fearing being used as nothing more than a tool, ran away from the village. Eventually, he found himself in the company of a human named Gerard, a teenage prince who was kept hostage in his own castle by his aunt Imperia, who wanted her nephew's rightful place on the throne for her own evil purposes. The two of them managed to escape captivity and fled to the Smurf Village, where Gerard found help from the other Smurfs to return to his castle and expose Imperia's plot. After Gerard was coronated king, he allowed Clockwork Smurf to stay with him as his royal adviser.

Over the past five years, Clockwork has visited the Smurf Village, giving his fellow Smurfs some help whenever they needed it, and eventually Handy built him a female companion named Clockwork Smurfette. Unfortunately, less than a year before this smurf's final return from Psychelia, a lightning bolt struck Clockwork, overcharging his internal workings and destroying his body from within. Every Smurf thought at that point that Clockwork was, to use a word this smurf would normally reserve for living beings, dead.

But Handy wanted to prove otherwise. He managed to salvage some parts from Clockwork that weren't destroyed, like his "brain", and has since started building a new body for his original creation. Today this smurf is to witness Clockwork Smurf coming back to life once more, with some features Handy put into the new version that he thought about putting into the original.

In Handy's workshop, Empath watched as Handy, now wearing blue bib overalls, removed the sheet from a diagonally-elevated wooden slab to reveal what was underneath it. "Behold, Empath, the new and improved Clockwork Smurf," Handy announced.

Empath saw Clockwork Smurf and noticed that the new body for him didn't appear anywhere different from his last body, from what he could see in Handy's recollected memories. "He looks like the same old Clockwork to this smurf," he observed.

"Well, as Brainy would say, looks can be desmurfing," Handy remarked. "Just watch this!" He snapped his finger in front of Clockwork, who immediately opened his eyes to look around before he noticed Handy, and then he smiled.

"Hello again, Master Handy," he said.

Empath was astonished. "You got Clockwork Smurf to talk now?" he asked.

"Amazing, isn't it?" Handy said, grinning. "Years ago, I could only get him to smurf a single word, and now he can smurf up a conversation with anybody." He then turned to Clockwork Smurf as he helped him down from his slab. "Clockwork Smurf, this here is Empath Smurf. He's a Smurf who came home to smurf with us for good."

"Hello, Master Empath," Clockwork Smurf said. "It is a pleasure to meet you."

"Salutations, Clockwork," Empath greeted him back. "The honor of meeting you is all this smurf's. How do you feel being reactivated again?"

"I feel so...smurfy, Master Empath," Clockwork Smurf answered.

Empath laughed at that. "So spoken like a true Smurf!"

"That's just the first of his many new improvements, Empath," Handy interrupted. "Watch now as Clockwork demonsmurfs another new feature." He drew some water from a storage barrel into a pitcher and handed it to Clockwork, who opened his mouth and swallowed it down.

Empath wasn't sure what Clockwork would need with water, but as he continued to watch, Handy lit up a fire in his forge and directed Clockwork's attention to it. Clockwork turned toward the forge, cocked his head back slightly, and then forced the water back out through the flopped top portion of his hat, spraying it over the fire like a hose and dousing it.

Empath thought that part was interesting. "He can swallow water and put out fires with it," he commented. "That could be very useful."

"That's not all that the new Clockwork can do, Empath," Handy continued. "Just watch what he can smurf with a sarsaparilla leaf and a bowl of water."

As Empath watched, Handy drew some more water out of a pitcher and gave it and a sarsaparilla leaf to Clockwork. Clockwork devoured the leaf with a few well-chewed bites, then he swallowed the bowl of water. At first nothing happened, but then Empath could see steam blowing out of Clockwork's ears and his face briefly turning red. And then Clockwork turned his head downward toward the bowl, and Empath saw hot steamy brown liquid pouring out of the top of Clockwork's hat into the bowl.

Handy took the bowl and briefly drank from it. "Aaahh... just as I designed him to do, Empath," he grinned. "He can also smurf a good bowl of sarsaparilla soup! Good job, Clockwork!"

"You're welcome, Master Handy," Clockwork responded.

Empath laughed at that. "That is an interesting, if somewhat amusing, trick he can do, Handy. But this smurf could only wonder what good that would do if he is going to go back to King Gerard and his Clockwork Smurfette companion sometime soon."

"Well, Clockwork was originally designed to be useful among us, Empath," Handy explained. "I just figured that some of the improvements smurfed to him could be something that every Smurf could make use of, in case Clockwork ever visits us. However, there are still a few tests that I'd like to smurf with Clockwork before he gets smurfed back."

"This smurf would love to stay and help you test out Clockwork," Empath said as if he was eager to be elsewhere at this moment, "but this smurf promised Smurfette to help her with her gardening today."

"You know, that could be a good first test for Clockwork," Handy suggested.

"This smurfs means...alone!" Empath insisted. "However, this smurf does appreciate you showing me Clockwork coming back to life. Now if you'll excuse this smurf...!"

Both of them watched Empath leave the workshop.

"Master Handy, why would Master Empath not wish to smurf my assistance in helping out Miss Smurfette with her gardening?" Clockwork asked.

"I don't know, Clockwork," Handy answered, almost as puzzled as Clockwork was over the same thing. "Something's smurfing on between the two of them, and it sure isn't just with gardening help, either."

"Maybe they just need some sarsaparilla soup, Master Handy," Clockwork offered.

Handy shook his head. "I don't think this is something that a bowl of sarsaparilla soup can smurf up, Clockwork!"

Smurfette was waiting for what seemed like a few hours behind Farmer's toolshed for Empath to show up. She felt just about as nervous as Empath did when he was busy watching Handy showing off the features of his new and improved Clockwork Smurf.

Then she saw Empath approaching, and she started to feel relieved, though she also was concerned. "What smurfed you so long?" she asked.

"It took this smurf longer than this smurf expected," Empath answered.

"Well, I've got something to smurf you, and it's behind this shed," she said a bit suggestively. She led Empath behind the shed where, before Empath could ask what it was, she pulled him close and kissed him.

Empath reacted with a bit of surprise. "Smurfette, do you think we should...?"

"Farmer won't be back to smurf his fields for some time!" Smurfette quickly answered, following it up with another kiss before Empath could say more.

Empath found it strange for Smurfette to greet him this way. In fact, for the past few days, they have been meeting like this in secluded places around the village, sneaking around and basically getting their hands on each other, constantly kissing and being so close. Not that Empath minded how it felt, for it certainly was the best feeling he ever felt. He just didn't want to find himself having a sudden encounter with another Smurf seeing what they were doing.

Smurfette pulled Empath to the ground with her, almost knocking the wind out of Empath as he landed on his back but never removing his lips from hers. Her hands were trying to remove Empath's shirt when suddenly she gasped, feeling afraid.

"Smurfette! What's wrong?" Empath asked, immediately concerned.

Smurfette didn't know how to answer. "For a moment there, I felt like I was being watched by someone!" She suddenly giggled, feeling embarrassed. "I was probably thinking someone like the Smurflings might smurf us here or something."

"Well, this smurf doesn't think they are ready for this kind of education yet, Smurfette, but they're also far away from us for the time being as well," Empath reminded her.

Smurfette felt at ease again as they resumed kissing.