So... yeah... Bending AU oneshot or whatever it's called.
Okay, disclaimer, normally I hate, and I really mean HATE when Hiccup is anything other than an Airbender and the Avatar (just because). BUT! I saw this AN where someone explained why they went with Hiccup as an Earthbender, and the reason was awesome! Hiccup would make a great Toph. Kinda. I guess xD
Anyway, here's a very short little story about Astrid the Avatar needing an Earthbending teacher. Boom.
I wrote most of this in a car on my way home. Haven't checked it through and all that. It read it but didn't change anything. I couldn't make it less awkward anyway.
Also I'm Danish, my native language isn't English. Oh yeah, and I kinda own nothing.
-0-
Finding an Earthbending teacher was harder than Astrid thought possible, especially with the time limit. Born a Waterbender, the second element she should learn as the Avatar was earth. Sadly, she had no idea how to. With no one to learn from, she had to break that line. Because of this, both her Firebending and Airbending were pretty decent. Enough to put up a fight with her teachers, at least.
Ah yes, her teachers. The group of very special people she had somehow gotten together...
First off, well, it was hard.Traveling around in a small boat until she found Fishlegs and his Sky-Bison Meatlug wasn't what she considered fun. Traveling around with them was much better.
Fishlegs was her first teacher.
Next she, along with Fishlegs and Meatlug, found Snotlout. Snotlout was a little too much confidence and muscle. Born a non-bender, he dedicated his life to fighting. He could handle every weapon imaginable.
Snotlout was her second teacher.
Then she met the twins, two Firebending lunatics. Ruffnut and Tuffnut were definitely different, but nice people none the less. They loved everything that could explode and destruction.
Together, the two teacher her the art of Firebending.
And now, with only a couple of weeks left before what she supposed would be the big showdown, she reall, really, needed someone to help her with the remaining element. The Watertribes had fallen, the Air Nation was on it's way down too. Which is why the group of five were currently in one of the bigger Earth Kingdom lands. She had no idea what the place was called, and didn't care anyway. The only important thing was that there supposedly were a lot of good Earthbenders.
Walking around the city, looking through all the different academies, she found not one who interested her. They were all the same, old and had no real love for bending. Just fighting.
She was just about to give up when suddenly Tuffnut spoke up. "Hey guys, look at this! There'll be some kind of match off in the arena not long from here!" He said. "Maybe we should check it out!"
"The only reason you want to go there, is because there'll be fighting." Snotlout said unenthusiastically. A smirk quickly found it's way to his face however. "You know what, you're right. We should totally check it out." He agreed.
Astrid groaned. "Haven't you muttonheads been listening to anything I've said?" But she knew it was futile.
-0-
The guys decided to sit at the very front. Astrid and Fishlegs, not knowing what to do, followed. The arena was big and could probably hold a couple of hundred people. Astrid didn't know if that was a good thing. Snotlout and Tuffnut were almost shaking in excitement, Ruffnut didn't seem as interested but she too had her eyes on the platform. Fishlegs was out of it, probably not knowing what to do with himself.
Even though Astrid had never tried something like an arena fight before, and wanted to look uninterested, she couldn't. She admired the Earthbenders on some level. They were strong people who knew what they wanted and took it if they cared.
That's why, when a VERY lanky boy, probably 13 - her age - came on the platform, she was silent. His opponent, a much bigger man who clearly wouldn't hold back, looked at the boy with... determination. The boy even had the nerve to yawn when the bigger mans name was called! She didn't understand.
The boy apparently called himself 'The Blind Bandit'( I'm not good with names, 'kay? ). A blind Earthbender? Never had she ever heard something so absu- oh. He won. HE WON? Maybe she judged him too quickly. Hm.
She turned to look at her friends. "Guys, we're gonna find that guy and talk to him."
-0-
It took a lot of persuading( and money ), but they found the guy eventually. Hiccup Haddock. Very rich, apparently. Just another thing Astrid didn't understand about the guy.
She knocked on the big door two times before someone opened it. It was a woman in her 30, but she looked a lot younger. "Ms. Haddock?"
The woman nodded. "Yes, that's me, but you can call me Valka. No need for last names." She gave them a small smile.
Astrid too smiled. "Hello, we're looking for your son, Hiccup Haddock. Is he here?" She asked, really hoping they didn't go wrong.
"Are you some of Hiccup's friends?" Valka asked. She didn't sound accusing, she just asked.
"Uh..."
Astrid didn't want to lie, but before she could even answer, Snotlout jumped into the conversation. "Yes, we are! Hiccup said he wanted to talk to us, if that is okay?" Snotlout asked. Astrid glared daggers at him.
Valka smiled even bigger. "Oh, wonderful! Hiccup's friends never come over! He only talk with them when the guards follow him to the market!" Guards? Astrid thought. Why would he need guards? He seemed to do pretty well without them in the arena. "Will you stay for dinner?" Valka asked them.
This time it was Fishlegs who talked. "We really couldn't?" He said with a smile.
"Nonsense, of course you can. I'll find Hiccup!" She said. After a minute or two, she was back with a location. He was in their private garden, and they got permission to just go out there and find him themselves.
When they came out there, he was already standing in their direction, arms crossed. He didn't look all that happy to see them, but, Astrid supposed, she probably wouldn't either. "Okay, who are you and what do you want." He asked coldly.
Astrid decided to look him over before asking. He was wearing expensive green clothes, had auburn reddish hair and... he really was blind. "Uh, my name is Astrid and I'm in need of an Earthbending teacher. I saw you in the a-"
Faster than anyone thought possible he was standing in front of her, a hand over her mouth. "You will not mention the arena here! My parents doesn't know about it, and the won't now because of you. Understand?" He whisper yelled. They all nodded. "Great." He said and took a step back. "Now, about that teacher... you don't walk like and Earthbender." He turned around and pointed at Fishlegs. "Despite your large size you almost don't touch the ground when you walk. Airbender." He said and Fishlegs froze. He turned to Ruffnut and Tuffnut. "Firebenders." Then he pointed at Snotlout. "Non-bender." And then he turned to me. "You're an interesting case. Your steps are too light to be a Firebender but glide too much to be an Air or Earthbender. I'm guessing Waterbender." He crossed his arms again, looking very smug with a big smirk on his face. "By your shock I'm thinking I'm correct."
Oh poop. Busted. Fishlegs opened and closed his mouth about 20 times before just keeping it closed, probably not knowing what to say. Hiccup just stood still, waiting for a reaction. "How did you?..." I asked when the silence became too much. He knew all that just by how we're walking?
He shrugged. "That's my little secret, miss perfectionist." He answered with roll of his eyes. "Now what are you doing here? I don't see why you'd need to learn how to Earthbend." He asked.
I looked around to see the gang's faces. We all knew he could probably kick our asses, or get us in jail, at least. Being honest was probably the only reasonable thing to do. I sighed. "Okay, look, I'm the Avatar, and I need to master all the elements before the Dragons Comet. I-"
Hiccup held up a hand, gesturing for me to stop talking. "Stop right there." He said. "I don't actually care. There's hundreds of Earthbenders out there, I don't see why you'd need to come invade my home and ask me. I'm 'just a blind little boy'." He told us with distaste. "As far as my parents know, I can only just move a small rock. I'm not allowed to walk around by myself and I'm certainly not allowed to run around the world with the Avatar."
Astrid and her friends gaped. He could much more than move a small rock, that's for sure. He won every single match in the arena without breaking a sweat. And he hadn't told his parents? "I know this probably sounds crazy, but... I need a teacher, and you're probably the only one worth something around here. The word needs you." Astrid tried to persuade him. He would help her... Right?
He stayed silent for several minutes. Just when Astrid thought he might say no, he turned around and started walking. "Come." He said.
Astrid followed, the gang stayed behind.
-0-
"I was born blind, you know?" He started. Astrid listened with actual interest. "It was hard for my mother and father. I didn't know at the time, of course. But I got older, and I understood something was wrong with me." He shrugged. He did that often. "I couldn't walk around by myself. My parents were afraid I'd walk into something and get hurt. I've lived my entire life isolated and being watched." He told her with a bit of hesitation, playing with some blocks of earth.
A question had been burning inside Astrid while Hiccup talked. "I hope it's okay if I ask, but how do you...?" She didn't know how to finish the question.
Hiccup understood what she was trying to ask. "How do I walk around? How did I fight?" He asked for her. She nodded. "I'm not sure you'll believe me if I tell you." He said, but continued anyway. "Well, as you already know, I couldn't see when I was younger. One day I fell into a hole. I have no idea how I found it, but I'm glad I did. Next thing I know I'm surrounded by Badgermoles. I don't know if you know, but it's said it was a Badgermole who taught the first Earthbender how to, well, bend." Hiccup smiled, the memory clearly meant something to him. "They taught me how to feel the earth and not just use it. I feel the vibrations in the earth. I guess you could say I see with my feet."
Astrid stared at him. She had never heard anything like what Hiccup just told her. He was right, it was pretty unbelievable. But somehow, she knew he wasn't lying. "Wow." She said.
Hiccup shrugged again, still smiling. "I visited them every day. They basically became my first friends. I was 6."
"That's amazing! Why haven't you told your parents?" Astrid asked, still a little confused about everything.
Hiccup winched. For a moment Astrid was afraid she said something wrong and he'd send them away. But he didn't, instead he started explaining. "They wouldn't understand. They are very overprotective. Treat me like some kind of glass doll. I'm pretty sure they think I'll break or something." His smile disappeared but came back. It was not a real smile this time, however, it was much more forced.
"I-I'm sorry I shouldn't have asked." Astrid said.
"No, it's fine." Hiccup shrugged. "But now you know why I'll never get permission to go with you." He told her sadly.
"But, Hiccup, if you're not happy... why don't you say something?" She asked.
Hiccup turned to her for a second. "They're my parents. They try to do what they think is best for me."
Astrid smiled sadly. "There's an extra place with us if you want. We leave in about seven hours, I think." She told him. "You're welcome to come. I'd really like your help."
Hiccup nodded and turned around to go back inside.
-0-
That night Hiccup left, a note on his bed and a bag on his shoulder, ready for a new adventure.
-0-
Yay! Longest I've every written, I think!
I know I... uh, what's the word? Remember? No, that's not it, re-repo... REPEAT! That's the word!
I know I repeat myself a lot, but I'm not that good at English. I got what I think is a B or B+ in my last test, but whatever.( Danish, remember? )
Anyhow, hope you enjoyed my little thingy I used very little time on xD