Smurfskip 2 (Or: How Jokey Smurf Invented Parkour, Again)

Chapter 65: [00:00]

Jokey opens his eyes. He's leaning against a tree. His heart falls, tears welling up with the realization. He didn't make it.

Then he feels grass beneath him rather than bark, and sees roots around him rather than leaves and open air. He sits fully up, finding himself tucked into one of his favorite hiding spots, barely five minutes from Blossom. The potion bucket is right next to him.

He yawns, stretching, and spots the unblemished skin of his hands. No cuts. He checks, finding no bruises. The only injuries he has are his everpresent burns and the ringing in his ears he's long grown used to, from constantly being around explosions. The only exhaustion he feels is that of one who just woke from deep rest.

He...

He must have fallen asleep on his way to find a woodland animal to prank, Jokey thinks, somewhat hysterically. The entire ordeal was a crazy dream, brought on by too many sleepless nights memorizing Alchemist's schedule so he could steal the potion. Yeah, that's it. Just a dream.

A long, painful, sick dream.

Jokey picks up the potion bucket hesitantly, shaking as he steps out into the wider forest. There's no fox waiting for him. He sighs out in relief, releasing the breath he'd unconsciously been holding.

Just as he's about to head back home (dream or not, there's no way in smurf he's going through with this stupid prank), a scream slices the air. Jokey ducks back into his hiding spot, peeking out carefully.

Brainy runs past, glasses cracked and bent, followed by a hissing Azrael. He hits facefirst into a tree, unable to properly see where he's going, and falls to the ground in a daze.

The cat gets closer.

Jokey checks his hidey hole for extra joke boxes.

Brainy presses himself against the tree he hit.

Jokey can't find any; it's been a while since he properly restocked.

Azrael unsheathes her claws.

Jokey curses.

Brainy whimpers.

Jokey runs past Azrael and partially up a different tree, jumping off it to flip on to the cat's back. She tries to buck him off, but she's nothing compared to the squirrel. He bites down hard on her ear, making her yowl.

He jumps off Azrael's back, kicks against a tree, and flips into a roll to safety just as she runs away. Breathing heavy, Jokey stands, turning to Brainy.

"Ya alright, four eyes?" He sniggers, pointing to the other's broken glasses. "Or maybe that should be three an'a half eyes?"

"Where the smurf did you learn to jump like that?!" Brainy asks instead of answering, eyes wide.

Jokey opens his mouth to reply. He pauses, closing it. He knows exactly where he learned how to do that. But it was a dream, it has to have been a dream, there's no way it was real!

It can't have been real, it can't! If it really happened once, it could happen again, and he can't– he can't–

Jokey can feel himself starting to hyperventilate, can hear Brainy's concerned voice saying... something. He can't make it out, the sound is muffled, like he's underwater. Again.

That thought doesn't really help.

What does help is Jokey forcefully reminding himself that it can't have been real. It has to have been a dream. What happened to him was impossible.

...except becoming better than Acrobat at flips, apparently. But that hardly means anything, plenty of Smurfs learn new skills from dreams!

...right?