Disclaimer: I do not own Hey Arnold or any of the characters. Hey Arnold is the property of Nickelodeon and Craig Bartlett.
Andy's Tournament
Chapter 1: Training
It was a typical afternoon in the town known as Hillwood. School has just let out and many children were going to go spend the afternoon either at home, goofing around with friends or at some after school activity.
One particular young man had just left to do the last one.
His name is Andy Shourtman, a nine year old Fourth Grade in Old Mr. Simmons class. He had just walked out of the school with his best friend Kiara and they were talking.
"So, any plans after school today?..."Andy asked.
"I got my violin lessons today at 4:30...you?..."Kiara asked.
He was about to answer when someone called his name.
"Hey Andy! Kiara!..."A loud voice called.
They turned around and saw that some of their other friends appeared. They are Adam Berman, Sammy Peterson and Courtney Gammelthorpe and her buddy Nate.
"Come on, we're all going to Slaucens..."Sammy said in her light southern drawl.
"Sorry guys, I got my karate lessons this afternoon..."Andy said.
"And I got my violin lessons..." Kiara added while their friends pouted.
"Well, garsh...this is bad timing..."Sammy said.
"Can't you guys re-schedule?..."Nate asked and Andy shook his head at that.
"Guys, you know that I've been non-stop practicing my moves for the upcoming tournament..."Andy said and his friends groaned.
They knew that there is a karate tournament this weekend and Andy has been working hard for it. He is a fun guy but when it comes to sports and karate, he can get really dedicated. He is the regional karate champion and has been undefeated for...like ever.
Andy has been practicing every day this week since he had to make sure that he didn't get rusty for the tournament. His great-grandmother says that a drive to succeed is in his blood.
"You really wanna win..."Kiara said and Andy nodded.
"Yeah, no doubt..."He said seriously.
Courtney, due to having a crush on Andy and being his "biggest fan", took a step forward and started sucking up to him, as always.
"Well, Andy...I am willing to come cheer you on..."Courtney said as she batted her eyelashes at him.
Andy cringed and Kiara sent her an annoyed look.
"I think he doesn't need a cheerleader for this..."The intellectual girl said with some edge in her tone.
Courtney frowned at that and before this could turn into one of their infamous fights, Adam spoke up next.
"Okay, fine. Be that way. Come on, let's get to Slaucens before all the good stuff is gone..."Adam said and the others agreed.
"So long, Losers..."Adam laughed before walking off.
Andy rolled his eyes at that. Adam is a friend but something he mouths off a lot.
"That Adam..."He muttered and Kiara nodded in agreement.
While their friends left, that is when Kiara's mother, Phoebe Hyerdahl-Johanssen, pulled up in her mini-van. They also saw that Kiara's sister Kiki had come out of the school and was heading in the same direction.
"I better get going. See ya, Andy..."Kiara said as she went to the car.
"Later, Kiara..."Andy said as he watched his best friend and her sister leave with their mom.
Now, he had to wait for his mother to come pick him up.
The dojo isn't that far away from the school but his mom is very protective and insists on driving him and his siblings everywhere. She said she wanted to make sure that they didn't get lost or mugged or something. Andy knew that she meant well but he mostly just had is some pocket change and his bus pass on him.
What mugger would want that?
The young football headed boy thought it was silly but he promised his mom he would wait. So, he sat down on the steps to wait for her. Just then, his little sister Megan came.
"Hey Andy..."She said.
"Hey Megs, how was class?..."Andy said.
"Kinda fun, class was so easy. There was really bad spaghetti for lunch and Lonnie and Maya threw up on the carpet, which is going to take all night to scrub..."Megan said with a giggle and her brother chuckled at that.
Those two girls are the younger sisters of some mean sixth graders named Bonnie and Maritza, and they are every bit as snobby as their older sisters are. From what his mother told him, their mothers were no different at that age either.
Anyway...soon, their mom came in her car, with baby Henry in the car seat. The Shortman siblings soon went to the car and their mother drove them to take them to their after school activities.
Later
After dropping Megan at her dance class, Helga took her son to his karate lesson. However, after Andy spent an hour under Master Chan to prepare for the tournament, he knew that he still had to be ready for his next lesson that day.
At the Sunset Arms Boarding House to be more precise, which is where he is right now. So are Megan, Henry and Mom.
His dad is still at work at the University, something about a presentation today. Anyway, the four would be hear for a little while.
"We're here..."Helga said after parking the car.
"Yay! Great-grandpa and great-grandma's house…"Megan said happily while Henry giggled in his car seat.
"I wonder what G.G is gonna show this time..."Andy said as he and his sister sprinted out of the car.
"Watch your steps, you two…"Helga said sternly as she got Henry out of his car seat and locked the car.
"Aw, Mom. We're fine..."Andy said as he walked up the stairs and rang the doorbell.
After a few moments, great-grandpa Phil opened the door and there was a smile on his wrinkly old face when he saw them.
"Well, look who's here…."Phil said happily at them.
"Hey G…."Andy said happily as he gave the old man a hug.
"Hi great-grandpa, I missed you…"Megan said sweetly before she kissed him on the cheek.
Phil chuckled and hugged the two of them.
"I missed you guys two, little lady..."He said before he paused.
"Now...wait...I think there is someone missing here..."Phil said as he scratched his head.
That stopped when he heard an amused sighed.
"Don't worry Gramps, here he is..."Helga said as she carried Baby Henry.
Phil smiled at the sight of her and his youngest great-grandchild.
"Hey there, little tyke..."Phil said as he made a funny face at the baby, making him laugh.
"Hahaha!..."Baby Henry giggled at that.
"Anyway, come on in..."He said as he invited them inside.
They soon arrived to the living room, where the kids grandparents, Miles and Stella Shortman, had just entered from the kitchen.
They saw them and smiled.
"Hey, look who's here..."Miles said as he went to his grandchildren and his wife followed.
"Hey grandpa and grandma..."Andy said as his grandparents hugged him and his siblings.
"Hi..."Megan said happily as she hugged them both.
"Hey, Miles...Stella..."Helga greeted her in-laws, who smiled at her.
"Hi Helga Dear, how have you been?..."Stella asked her daughter-in-law.
"Can't complain. I submitted my new short story to Mr. Wright..."She said.
"That's nice..."Miles said as he grabbed Henry and began cooing at him.
Andy saw this and sighed. His grandparents and great grandparents always make a fuss whenever they visit. However, Andy noticed someone is missing here.
"Where's G.G.?..."Andy asked.
"Oh, she's getting ready...you know where to find her..."Phil said.
Andy nodded and since he is still dressed in his gi, went upstairs to find her.
During this time, Miles and Stella turned to Helga.
"Anyway Helga dear, we're making some snacks in the kitchen. Wanna help us bring them in?..."Stella asked.
"Sure..."Helga said and felt her daughter tugging her skirt to get her attention.
"Can I go too?..."Megan asked, mostly since she wanted some snacks too.
"Sure thing, Angel..."Miles said as he playfully picked up his granddaughter, making her giggle.
Helga had a small smile at this before she handed Henry to Phil and asked him to keep an eye on him, which the old man was all too happy to do.
Once they all left to the kitchen, Phil turned to his youngest great-grandchild, who was looking at him with curious green eyes and a smile.
Phil smiled at him.
"Say, wanna hear about how I beat a bunch of enemy soldiers with spoiled cham during the war?..."Phil said and Baby Henry giggled in response and the old man took it as a yes.
The little guy loves hearing his stories and always clapped and giggled when he says them. Though, it's mostly since he can't understand him yet, since in his young mind he thinks he's funny and only claps and giggles at what he thinks are funny parts. Phil, in turn, loves telling his stories to his younger great-grandson since he doesn't talk back yet and doesn't question if it's real or not, unlike someone he won't mention.
"Alright then..."Phil cooed at him while the baby kept giggling as the old man started his story telling.
With Andy
The young oblong headed boy went upstairs and soon arrived to a familiar door.
After taking off his shoes, he opened it and inside, he saw his great-grandmother, Gertrude Shortman, sitting in the middle of a room with rocks and sand patterns on the floor. The same one Andy has come at least once or twice a week since he was six years old.
"Hello, my little tadpole..."She said as she got up and did a bow.
"Hello G.G..."He said as he returned it.
He then followed the elderly woman to the middle of the room. They both sat down and began meditating.
"Lose yourself, fall into the limitless void..."She said to him, her eyes closed as she did so. "Assume a state of relaxed, alertness..."She told him.
Andy did so and felt that way as a fly buzzed around the room. He ignored it but opened his eyes briefly to see the old woman grab it in her hand without harming it.
He knew why. He briefly recalled the first time he saw her do this when he was first starting out.
FLASHBACK
It was the day after his first karate lesson and his great-grandmother had invited him to show her own knowledge.
He was with her, trying to mediate and saw her catch a fly in her hand without harming it.
"Cool..."He said while his great-grandmother got serious.
"Now, try to snatch the fly out of my hand..."She ordered as she held her hand out, the fly was in the middle of it.
Young Andy tried to do it but was too slow, he missed and the fly flew away.
"I missed..."He said with a pout.
His great grandmother sent him an encouraging smile.
"Patience, my little tadpole. When you can snatch the fly out of my hand...your training will be complete..."She said in a wise tone.
Andy heard this and was determined to do just that.
End of Flashback
Present Time
Andy remembered that first lesson all too well. However...the young boy is rather impatient and it took him a while to do so.
He spent months training both at the Dojo and with G.G. after school. He practiced with her on the roof top doing stances, trying to chop boards and cinder-blocks with hands and other things.
Those weren't so bad but the fly bit took a while. He did manage to grab it after a few weeks of practicing...but accidentally crushed it in his hand, which grossed both him and G.G. out a bit.
However, he was young then and he has been training a lot.
He finally managed to snatch the fly after three months, which was a proud day for him. However, his great-grandmother and Master Chan said that karate is like all martial arts, is more than just a way of fighting. It's away people live.
Anyway, the blonde boy snapped out of his memories and saw the fly in the old woman's hand.
With quick reflexes, he managed to catch it and the thing was unharmed.
"Well done, my child..."Gertie said proudly.
Andy smiled as he released the fly, letting it fly away. Now it was time for the rest of his training.
His great-grandmother and his began practicing stances, breathing excersizes and the basics before she brought out the boards and cinderblocks to practice on.
Gertie was in front of him, holding a board of wood in front of him. Andy did the traditional bow before he focused. In less than a second, he easily punched through the wood like it was nothing.
"Well done, Iko-Kun..."Gertie said to him, using her special nickname for him.
The old woman then told him to get to the next one. She held a cinder-block in her hands and Andy wasted on time in breaking it in half. This continued for a while before over a dozen cinder-blocks and boards of wood were wrecked and in a pile on the fool.
Gertie dusted her hands and turned to the young blonde child.
"I see you have been practicing..."She said proudly.
"I have to for the tournament coming up..."Andy said.
"Just remember, Iko-Kun. Training may be important and it's fine to want to win but don't forget that you must be as the frog in the pond..."Gertie said wisely.
"I know, G.G..."Andy said, knowing what that means.
It means that it's okay to use karate to stand up for yourself and others, but you don't go looking for trouble, since that causes more trouble.
"Perfect, now let us resume and later, how about some green tea?..."The old woman said to her great-grandson.
"I rather have some hot chocolate..."Andy said the old woman nodded.
The two continued with the lesson and the young blonde boy listened as he followed his great grandmother's directions. To be more exact, he obeyed his sensei and mentor.
With enough practice, this tournament is going to be a cinch...or at least, he hoped it would be.
-To be continued-
Next time on Andy's Tournament
Training Part 2
A/N(1): I would like to give a special thanks to JohnathanDoe12329 for suggesting this fic. I would also like to thank NeoMark for assisting me in this chapter. You guys rock :)
A/N(2): This is dedicated to my family, my friends and my love for God! Enjoy :)
:) Till next time beautiful people, remember to read and review :)