The Smurfocalypse Chapter 111: The Search for the Savant Cure Part 15: What it means to be arisen. The ascended Smurf essence: A step above Super Smurf?
"Oh no! She can't escape! Stormy!" Smurfblossom yells as Smurfstorm is being bound by her opponent's whip.
All the other knights began to mimic her emotions and were sure that Smurfstorm was in lethal danger from which she could not escape. Hefty however knew better and was very interested to see what Smurfstorm was possibly capable of due to the fact that her legs were still free and she was standing on the ground. Smurfstorm screamed though her gritted teeth in frustration and struggled to escape as Terry tightened her grip causing the whip to crush her. It caught her off guard and she was focusing to much on the parts of her body that she couldn't work with. She felt humiliated in general, and completely embarrassed that Hefty especially was seeing her in a situation like this let alone the fact she was surrounded by spectators. This wounding of her pride could never be forgiven.
"Stop wiggling around already and suffocate!" Terry screamed.
"She can't use her Smurf essence and she's being crushed! Stormy's gonna die!" Smurfblossom said before burying her face in her hands and sobbing deeply. Farmer comforted her by sympathetically putting his arm around her which much to his surprise she allowed.
Smurfblossom removes her hands from her face and glares at Hefty.
"Why won't you stop this!? I know you have the power to save her!" Smurfblossom yelled.
"Because overcoming this challenge will make her stronger, and that's why she follows me… to get stronger. Plus if I interfere with this match it would bring shame upon her. I respect Smurfstorm far to much to disrespect her that way." Hefty said.
"He truly understands… That just makes me love him even more, but I have to prove to him I could whip him in a fight! I still have to kick his stupid ass before I'll be comfortable enough to tell him how I feel! If I'm not strong enough to be his equal… Then he'll never love me." Smurfstorm thinks.
Smurfstorm helplessly struggles again as her air is quickly being cut off.
"If I don't get out of this I really am going to die though." Smurfstorm thought.
The sounds of Smurfblossom's cries break her heart and she shuts her eyes and tries to escape again.
"I know he'll keep her safe. Everyone will be safe in Port Saint Smurf as long as Hefty lives." Smurfstorm thought.
But then she began to think her last thoughts. She didn't know what would happen after she was killed, but she did know that she'd probably never see Hefty or Smurfblossom again. This thought was breaking her. She was overwhelmed with a strong sense of loss. It was flooding every fiber of her being. The idea of being separated from those she loves forever, and the idea of it being all her fault was the only thing she could focus on. She swore never to leave Smurfblossom's side. The bond they shared was strong, and Smurfblossom's cries were causing all of these thoughts and emotions to swirl in her head. Then something inside her awakened. It was definitely her Smurf essence, but it was as though it were more powerful than ever. She felt the aura of her Smurf essence break out of its canceled state and immediately envelop her body, but it wasn't the typical blue aura. This time the aura was purple. She flexes her muscles and the whip breaks apart as though it were made of mere rope. Hefty stares in awe as Smurfstorm begins to levitate slowly until she is slightly off the ground. Terry stares up at her in fear of her aura alone. Hefty's eyes widen as he witnesses the tremendous display of power before him. He could sense the incredible power Smurfstorm has just pulled out of herself and was beyond amazed and impressed.
"Where did she get this much power!?" Hefty said.
As Hefty spoke Smurfstorm was hovering in mid-air glaring at Terry as her Smurf essence wisped and cracked around her. She was channeling her essence and the wind was also being affected. This was no deliberate doing of Smurfstorm. Her Smurf essence became stronger and developed a second type.
"She is arisen!" Mammoth said in realization.
"Arisen?" Hefty asked curiously.
"Her Smurf essence has awakened beyond the level of what is commonly known as Super Smurf." Mammoth said.
"There is another level!?" Hefty asked excitedly.
"There is… Although to achieve it someone you love dearly has to be killed in front of you." Mammoth said remembering the day the black hearted killed his wife in cold blood in front of him while he was defending the village.
"To be separated permanently from someone you love is what can cause a Smurf essence to awaken. However if it hasn't been activated then it obviously can't awaken." Raptor said.
"And for it to activate your life has to be in serious danger..." Hefty said.
"Few have the willpower to activate their Smurf essence, and even fewer are arisen." Raptor said.
"So Smurfstorm thinks she can achieve a new level of strength without me huh?" Hefty thought.
"Do you know what it means to be arisen Hefty Smurf?" Raptor asked.
"As a matter a fact I don't." Hefty said.
"Only the truly Smurfy who lay down their lives in the name of justice, and put others first will achieve arisen status." Mammoth said.
"To think there was a Smurf among your little brigand of murders that actually had what it takes to awaken." Raptor said.
"I'm not really buying all the justice talk." Hefty said.
"Then consider this Hefty Smurf. To be arisen is to be a truly good Smurf. The evil, the corrupt, the lazy, and the stupid among our kind simply couldn't achieve it even if their lives were a second from ending. To ensure natural selection weeds out the undesirable it takes a special level of what we call Smurfiness to ascend. No ascension, no second wind… no second wind and well I'm afraid it's over." Raptor said.
"She really is an amazing Smurfette though, but if she thinks she can ascend and leave me in the dust she's wrong. I'll find a way to be arisen. There has to be a better way, and I'll discover it." Hefty thought.
The next thing Smurfstorm did would shock Hefty even more. As she levitated perfectly still her aura caused what can only be described as a super charged version of her Leaf Storm reinforced with wind from her Smurf essence which pursued Terry, carried her into the air before razor sharp leaves cut her to ribbons, and then a gust of wind sent her flying off into the forest. They heard her hit the ground with a thud disrupting the plants beneath her. Her purple aura then faded and she landed on her feet in the arena standing victorious. She then walked up to Hefty and stared him in the eyes with a serious expression on her face.
"That was for Timber." Smurfstorm said.
"That… was the most amazing power I think I have ever witnessed!" Hefty said excitedly.
"Right? I don't even know what happened I was just focusing hard on something and then it flared back up stronger than ever!" Smurfstorm said excitedly.
"That's not fair!" Hefty said jokingly.
"Deal with it." Smurfstorm said nonchalantly
"Stormy!" Smurfblossom yells as she throws herself onto Smurfstorm.
"I knew you could do it!" Smurfblossom said.
"Alright alright enough… We still have a job to do." Smurfstorm said.
Smurfstorm then playfully grins and puts her arm on Hefty's shoulder.
"Nice talk. You're very special to me Hefty. No go out there and win." Smurfstorm said.
Their eyes locked and Smurfstorm's expression hardened as she became more serious.
"And don't you forget what I told you. You're still not allowed to die." Smurfstorm said.
"I will end things swiftly… Then we can find Sweepy and get the bloodstones back to Grandpa. By now he's probably drawn a new map for us to find the other things." Hefty said.
"And we have to bury Timber…" Jupiter said.
Hefty turns to Raptor and scowls.
"Alright asshole get out there, I'm gonna kick your Smurf in." Hefty said stepping into the arena.
The final battle starts next chapter.