Another Name From Another Time

"Another Name From Another Time" is a mini-story that is part of the EMPATH: The Luckiest Smurf story series.

Story
One day Empath and Duncan McSmurf were helping Tapper rebuild the tavern when suddenly they noticed that Tapper had stopped working and started crying.

"Michty me, laddie, are you all right?" Duncan asked, sounding worried as he saw Tapper crying.

"This smurf senses that something has happened, Tapper," Empath said as he stopped whatever he was doing to be near Tapper.

Tapper took a moment to gather up his emotions. "I'm sorry, my fellow Smurfs, forgive me. I don't know how, but it feels like I'm smurfing to remember a past that has been long buried in my mind. A memory of someone very familiar to me, calling me by a different name."

"This smurf could hear that name very clearly, Tapper," Empath said. "It sounds something like Neevan...it is definitely not in a language that this smurf is familiar with."

"Naomhan, Empath," Tapper said. "The name is pronounced Naomhan. It is a name my own Papa Smurf gave to me when I was born...yes, I remember that name clearly."

"You're not the only one who's remembering that name, Tapper," Duncan said. "I'm starting to remember that name as well because it's the name that none of us Smurfs could ever smurf right, and you didn't like always having to correct us on it."

"Right, of course," Tapper said. "I remember that my Papa Smurf started calling me Tapper because I was always smurfing around with the ale taps in the tavern, pretending to be like him smurfing up the drinks for his fellow Smurfs."

"So that's how you became known as Tapper," Empath realized. "So what does the name Naomhan mean?"

"It's from the Ailill language, Empath, and it means 'little holy one'," Tapper answered. "My Papa Smurf must have had some foresmurf into what I was going to be as an adult Smurf, even though he would never admit to being a spiritual Smurf."

"He knew that you were going to be a Smurf who would be preaching about this Almighty of that holy book of yours?" Duncan asked. "That smurfly sounds more like a strange coincidence to me."

"Perhaps this Almighty is the one who gave Tapper's Papa Smurf the foresight of what his son would end up becoming, Duncan," Empath said. "Who knows how exactly he was inspired to give the name Naomhan to his son?"

"I believe you may be correct on that, Empath," Tapper said. "If the Almighty is behind whatever it is I'm destined to be, then that name is one that I must honor and smurf up to no matter what happens."

"Even if that means you would smurf up this tavern and smurf yourself a church in this village?" Duncan asked. "That will certainly smurf over well with most of the other Smurfs."

"This smurf doesn't see that Papa Smurf himself has a problem with Tapper's religion if that's what he intends to follow, Duncan," Empath said. "This smurf wouldn't mind to see a place for him and for other Smurfs who wish to follow his religion to worship, as long as it doesn't become a cult like the religion of the Psyches."

"Oh, I don't have any plans for smurfing up a church in this village yet, Empath," Tapper said. "That's something only the Almighty will direct me into smurfing if that's His plan for me."

"That still leaves us with the mystery of what we're going to call you, laddie, now that you're remembering your other name from a different time," Duncan said.

"Well, as much as I would want to hear the name Naomhan smurfed to me now for the ages that I haven't heart it being smurfed, I feel that I'm much too used to everybody calling me Tapper, so unless you have any objections, I would rather you to continue calling me by that name," Tapper said.

"This smurf respects your decision and will honor it, Tapper, just as much as this smurf respects Duncan's decision to be called by his true name," Empath said.

"Aye, if only more Smurfs would respect my true name instead of calling me Gutsy all the time like Hefty does," Duncan said.

"I know how you feel, Duncan, but I feel in my spirit that Hefty admires you for being what he smurfs you, even if he never admits to it, and if he feels comfortable with the name Gutsy, then who's going to make him smurf otherwise?" Tapper said.

"If Hefty smurfs too far out of line with me, Tapper, he's going to know firsthand how I really feel about the name Gutsy," Duncan said.

"Anyway, this smurf feels that an apology is necessary because somehow with this smurf's origin as the only begotten son of Papa Smurf being revealed, it's making you remember that you're not really his son at all, Tapper," Empath said.

"Why do you need to apologize for that, Empath?" Tapper said. "In a way I should be thanking you for helping me to remember something of myself that I thought that I have long forgotten after all these years of smurfing together as a family."

"Aye, the whole village should be thanking you, Empath," Duncan said. "As much as we like smurfing together as a single family of Smurfs, sometimes we need to have a smurf back at where we all have smurfed from and remember the good things that we have smurfed from that that have made us the family that we are now."

Empath smiled. "For what it's worth, this smurf is honored to have you Smurfs not only as my closest friends, but also as my brothers."