The Impossible

The Impossible

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Synopsis: A little girl realizes her goal in life with the help of an even smaller girl—a bright blue one.

Author’s Notes: This story was written as an entry for Erin M.’s February 2003 Iron Chef contest on PPMB, in which the writer had to create a crossover fanfic for “Daria” that, per the contest, should or could not have been written. It is assumed that the reader is familiar with the major characters of the “Daria” TV show, so explanations of who is who are not needed.

Acknowledgements: My thanks go out to Erin M., but this story cannot really be blamed on him. It’s purely my own fault.

“I know how you feel,” said Smurfette sadly. “I know just how you feel.” She reached out her small blue hand and took the other girl’s hand in her own. Smurfette’s skin felt as soft as a blanket.

The little girl instinctively knew that Smurfette told the truth. The knowledge rang inside her: Smurfette hurts like I do.

“I don’t know where my mommy is, either,” Smurfette went on, an edge in her squeaky voice. “I worry about her all the time. Sometimes I think—I’m afraid that—”

She did not finish her thought. Instead, she looked over her shoulder through a break in the dense, protective trees. In the distance beyond was the dark, dreary castle of the evil Gargamel.

She’s afraid that Gargamel caught her mother, the other girl knew. Perhaps, even now, Gargamel can see us both from his castle and is coming to catch us.

“I’m scared!” said Smurfette, her voice winding up for a long cry.

“Don’t worry, Smurfette!” said the little blonde girl. “I’ll be with you.” She had to be brave for both of them, brave and strong. She hesitated and then added, “I love you.”

“I love you, too, Brittany,” said Smurfette, cheering up right away. “You are the best friend I’ve ever had!”

Brittany Taylor did not feel the smile she gave Smurfette. She ached inside for her own mother. It hurt so much that it made her sick. Her mother had disappeared one day a few months ago, while Dad was at work and Brittany was in her first-grade class and her baby brother Brian was with the au pair from France who smoked too much. Now, Brittany and Brian and their angry father and the au pair who smoked too much and wouldn’t read to Brittany were all alone in their huge, empty house full of expensive furniture and silence and no Mommy.

Why did Mommy go away? Brittany feared she knew why. She feared that answer more than anything in the world. She never told this to anyone, not even Smurfette.

She left because of me, she thought. Mommy got angry with me because I did something wrong, and she stopped loving me and went away. Brittany wanted to cry as she sat in the forest with Smurfette, but she put on a good face and pretended not to care.

“What did your mommy used to tell you?” Smurfette asked.

“She told me to be strong and brave and always wear a smile,” Brittany said, and she made herself smile. She wished her mother had told her how she was supposed to be strong, brave, and cheerful for real when she felt so sad and awful most days that she just wanted to lie down and never move again.

“I’ll be with you,” she told Smurfette. “We’ll always be together.”

“NOT FOR LONG!” shouted Gargamel. He jumped out from behind a tree, black robes flapping, and he grabbed Smurfette. He looked like Mr. Hargrove, the first-grade teacher who once called Brittany an idiot in front of the whole class and made her cry for a week.

Smurfette in his fist, Gargamel then ran back to his castle, to put Smurfette in a pot and cook her for his supper. Her friend would die in just moments.

“No!” shouted Brittany. She forgot about her mother and the ache in her stomach that never went away. She ran after Gargamel as fast as she could run. In no time, he was inside his castle, but so was Brittany. He ran into his dungeon, but so did Brittany.

Gargamel drew his arm back to throw Smurfette into the cooking pot. “Finally, I have you!” he cried. “And now, I’ll eat you!”

“No, you won’t!” Brittany shouted. She felt braver than brave, she was so angry. She became stronger than strong, stronger than mountains and lightning and the sea.

Gargamel turned around to stare at Brittany in surprise and fear.

“You put her down!” she yelled. Suddenly, she was as big as Gargamel, as tall as he was, and then she was as big as B. A. Baracus, Mr. T’s character on “The A-Team,” which her mommy used to let her watch on Friday nights. Brittany shook her fist at Gargamel just like her hero, Mr. T, would do. “Watch out, Gargamel!” she yelled. “I pity the fool who hurts my friend!”

Gargamel stepped back, more frightened then than Brittany had ever been in her entire life. Brittany rushed at him, just like B. A. Baracus would charge at the bad guys to pound them. Gargamel dropped Smurfette, who ran off in an instant, and he tried hard to run away himself but he was too late, and Brittany took a swing at him and—

* * * * *

Brittany jerked awake with a gasp and sat up in bed. It was completely dark in her room except for her Smurfette nightlight on the wall by the door. It had been a dream—except that her face was still wet with the tears she had cried for her lost mother.

Something was wrong, however. Smurfette was gone! She felt around above and under the covers for her large plush Smurfette doll. She crawled to the edge of her bed and saw Smurfette on the floor where she had fallen. Brittany rescued her with a quick grab, and then she got back under the covers and snuggled up with her best friend.

The ache in her stomach was gone. She had saved Smurfette. She had done the impossible and beaten Gargamel. She lay half-awake, remembering her adventure, then yawned. Sleep would return to her and give her true peace.

Now, however, she knew what she had to do to get Mommy back. She would be brave and strong and cheerful, like Mommy had told her to be. If she did that and did it long enough and hard enough, her mommy might come home again. She would not let her wonderful mommy down a second time.

She closed her eyes, her face pressed to Smurfette’s. In a Smurf of a second, she was gone.

Original: 2/19/03

Young Brittany, crossover (Daria/The Smurfs, with a little help from “The A-Team”)

FINIS