I really hope that this is coming along just like I hoped it would, and I hope that you all like it as well.

Pairing: Belle Baggins/Aragorn, son of Arathorn

Belle Baggins/Legolas Greenleaf

Belle Baggins/Fili

Rating: T

The Hobbit belongs to J.R.R. Tolkien.


"Get up," a harsh voice called out to the little girl who lay bleeding on the ground. Her blondish-brown hair was spread into the mud as she stared into the unforgiving face of her tormenter.

"I can't Master," she wheezed out as she clutched her chest. A harsh whip struck down on her clothes that tore and her skin that couldn't take anymore bruises; all the while she refused to get up or scream or do anything. "Please," the water that was once a weapon to hurt her had turned to a cool refreshing sensation on her skin and the pain that ensnared her was slowly fading.

"I can't teach you, if you refuse to learn Belle. There is so much I can do and baby you is not one of them," the hobbit watched with tears in her eyes as her Master Hildigard turned her back on the tiny child. The other benders sneered at her before turning away from Belle and as the last elf left the lake she cried. A harsh sounding sob that broke the night's air but it wasn't like she could hear it.

Never had she heard the whispers going on behind her back, nor could she hear the snickers that her fellow benders made when they watched her fall against people twice her age and experience. Those horrible rumors that echoed about her through Eryn Vorn, and despite the others protecting her from most of it Belle faced humiliation everyday.

She was tired of seeing Legolas' angered face when he heard those horrible barely disguised jokes.

She could hardly stand seeing Aragorn's emotionless body as he threateningly held his Fire to her tormenters.

Nor could she take Fili treating her as if she was a piece of fragile glass after she was bullied by the Water Benders.

No more would she take this, and even though she was the youngest bender she would become the best. Plus, it was hardly her fault that she couldn't stand her ground against Master Hildigard; whereas the woman had been training for years Belle had just started three weeks ago. The full moon above her calmed her trembling body as she gazed up into the light. A light breeze blew through the trees surrounding the lake that supplied Eryn Vorn's Water Benders with their needed element.

Oh, how she wished she could hear the rustling of the leaves, her mother's voice, or maybe what the others sounded like.

The ripples in the water's once sleek surface had Belle get to her feet and in the shallow end on the water was a dripping wet Legolas. His face was filled with impatience and annoyance as he looked over to the two Air Masters hovering in the Air. "Leegolaas?" her voice stumbling over his name since she had only known it after she lost her hearing.

His body twisted elegantly to face her and his face lit up in a smile and he waved her over. Trying to remember her earlier lessons on water waves that afternoon Belle did her best to mimic the moves of her Master and was happy to see the little wave shake underneath her as she surfed to the other side. He squatted on the balls of his feet and opened his arms for her to jump in. Before she could even make it near him her wave faltered and she sunk underneath the water's surface.

Her frail arms and legs kicked desperately and she took a huge breath as her head broke into open air. Looking to the elf who now had the two Masters placing their hands on his shoulders. Her mind couldn't take in the blur that was their lips and further more it wasn't anything said in Westron; his face was completely emotionless as the elven Masters made him turn away from her.

A small wave was seen from Legolas as he turned back to her and gave her his best smile, one that was only meant for her.

Belle paddled to the edge of the lake once more and drew her knees up to her chest. How was she going to be the youngest Master when she could hardly comprehend the basics? She wanted her father to be there so he could comfort her while he sang her favorite lullabies, or for her grandfather Old Took to tell her the story of her great Uncle Bullroarer Took.

There would never be hear for her, not now and not in the future.

One of the things she was sworn to when she had been taken in with the Water Benders was not to divulge any sensitive information about the specifics of the Call. The second was that she was not to seek help from any other bender besides her Master. The third and final rule was to never, under any circumstances, let the secrets of Eryn Vorn out under threats of death and torture.

The Masters had made her and the new batch of those who followed the Call to Water swear to those three things and if they didn't they would be set back into the Wild. Left to die and never to come back unless they sought death.

Night had faded into day and when she awoke it was Aragorn who stood above her, ready to pick her up when her eyes flew open. Her wrists flicked outward and water tendrils shot up at him, and when she realized who it was that woke her Belle let the water fall to her sides. "I'm sorry, didn't mean it," she mumbled as she grabbed his offered hand and he pulled her up.

"Breakfast," he guided her towards the giant trees that held Eryn Vorn up. Houses and entire halls were built up on the air with spiral stairways built going up the trees to hanging bridges that connected each building to the other. The steps were made in thought of the Little Folk who got the Call while keeping the Big People into consideration with the high ceilings and tall doorways. It scared Belle to first go up into the town but after the days of running up and down them with Fili she stopped caring.

Her eyes brightened up as she bent as much water off her as possible, but she was still quite damp as she and Aragorn entered the Mess Hall. The high tables and chairs loomed over Belle but as she split off from the Man to go to the Water Benders she had a hard time getting into the chair. She was glad for being deaf as she would have heard the snickers as a kindly human picked her up.

"Thank you-" her thanks were cut short when she saw Master Hildigard but she kept on so she wasn't rude. "Thank you Master," but the woman only placed the faunt into the chair before sitting in the one next to her. The mouths around her slowed to a respectful rate when the Master sat, as it always was when the Masters sat with their students and fellow Masters.

Belle grabbed enough food she needed even if she wanted more, but she didn't want to be seen as greedy by the others. She was ostracized enough and didn't need to add more reasons against her than you very much! Her meager meal made the only one watching her raise their eyebrows and after Belle finished her small glass of milk and polished off her plate more was starting to pile up.

Master Hilidigard was someone who grew up on the road, and she knew what it was like to watch children starve so it pained her to see the child try to eat the minimum. After placing more eggs and toast onto the hobbit's plate she refilled her glass with more milk. Forcing the girl to look at her mouth she blatantly demanded, "Don't ever let me see you do that again, got it? You eat what you would have eaten before the Call, like what any little girl your age would have. Understand?"

"What about second breakfast? Elevensies? Afternoon Tea? Dinner? Supper? Dessert? Do you know about those?" she asked and the other hobbits in the room held their breath. This was obviously something that they have been hoping for for ages, but none were young enough to require these luxuries that the fauntlings got.

"W-What?" the Water Master sputtered.

"Hobbits eat seven meals a day and it is required until we are thirty-three."

"Well how old are you?"

"I just turned twelve," she puffed her chest out proudly as she was proud of being this age.

She was ignorant to the elves' disbelief and the human's shock, who could blame them? Where did the hobbits put all that food!? The teen elf who was the ringleader of the group that was against her paled, he was bullying a babe. A little babe, just the age of a newborn! His face was nearly as red as his hair, and looking to Master Hildigard he knew she felt just as bad.

"Well eat then we spar, and I guess I'll let the class out for second breakfast. Though no elevensies, I'll talk with Master Willow about the other meals," she said before turning back to her own meal. Belle could only smile, maybe this was a sing from Yavanna. Maybe this was her start to being the best and that smiled stayed on her face even when she was face down in the mud and water.

Yes, this was the start to a better Belle.

~.~.~.

Maybe she was wrong about it being a sign from Yavanna; Master Willow, an elderly hobbit from Bree, was quite firm in his opinion that Belle and the other underage hobbits were to be treated like all others.

"She may be but a faunt but there was not a single hobbit that complained about the rations given. She and the others can learn to be more grateful about food this way."

"You- you have lived your life sheltered in a kind town of the West and as of consequence have not seen starvation. I grew up as a descendent of Dale and lived my entire life on the road before I got the Call at thirty-eight. Hear me out Willow," she pleaded to the hobbit, "I have watched children eat rations and die as of such. We have no need to ration. The Earth Benders care for farmland with the Hobbits and the Fire Benders raise and slaughter livestock. We have a winter storage big enough to feed Esgaroth-"

"What is that?"

"A town that has a greedy Master and famine that cripples the young and old. Can you not spare a few more meals to those who can eat it?"

"Hildigard, my answer remains the same and if young Belle has a problem she can come to me."

The human growled and kicked a table over in frustration, "Do you not see? She is too scared to ask for help, and as the youngest in Eryn Vorn, is constantly put down. Myself included." Despite her shame she continued on, "Just this one thing. You have fought me and the other Masters since you are the oldest here; you think yourself better. They are but children, let them eat."

"I HAVE SAID MY PIECE! The answer is no and will be until I die!"

"Bitter old hag."

"Stupid human! I will not give some Punished brat special treatment!"

The Water Master left the arrogant Fire Master and went forward without knowing just where she was going. Her feet walked for her and her mind drifted off into the memories of her childhood. She missed her lovely fathers, who took her in as a starving babe off the side of the road. She wished to see her children and husband once more, all she wanted was to do was hug her little Tilda and talk with Sigrid. Maybe teach Bain swordplay, but most of all she missed her Bard's love.

"I'm going to leave one of these days."

"Why don't you?" she stopped just in time to see Belle standing in the lake. Her arms flailing as she prevented a slip in the mud and with a small wave of the hand Hildigard helped her gain her balance. The Master nearly cried out at the bruises she saw on Belle, all of her doing no doubt. She hated how hard she was on the hobbit but the girl reminded her of Tilda, with those eyes and her long curly hair. To forget her pain she pushed the hobbit far past her limits, and she felt so ashamed.

"I have yet to loose the Call's needs, and I hope after this group it will fade."

Belle brought her arms in and up before pushing them out and down, repeating this until the motions made the water surge with her. When the top began to crest over her body the wave got shaky and collapsed all over her, drenching the hobbit in cold water. She sniffled slightly before starting to go through the motions again, and was quickly corrected into the right position.

Hildigard took both of Belle's hands in her own before going through the motions with her, the wave growing higher and higher until the Master showed her how to let it drop gently back into the lake. Belle's honey colored eyes sparkled as the water in the lake rippled slightly as the water was bent back into it; a happy grin on her face despite the tears that fell.

"Thank you Master," she sniffed as she wiped at the tears on her face.

Hildigard brushed the tears away with her rough thumbs before nudging her forehead onto Belle's, "I'm so sorry." The hobbit couldn't hear the apology but felt the trembling of the older woman as she cried into her hair. "I-I'm s-so sorry! P-please forgive me," not knowing what was happening Belle wrapped her arms as far as they would go around the Master.

"I'll make you the best there will ever be Belle, I promise."

Belle's eyes flickered from her mouth to her eyes and seeing the sincerity she held out her pinky, "Pinky promise?"

A laugh bubbled out of her before she could stop it and she hooked pinkies with the hobbit, "Pinky promise."

While she regretted that promise in the long run Belle was forever grateful for it, as the months progressed Hildigard taught her at night alone and with others in the day. The hobbit rose through the ranks and sooner than later she had beat the Master of Water and Ice at an official duel for Mastership, and right before celebrating her birthday the next week. She was now a tween and was proud of it.

When the last of her group became Masters, they and the rest of Eryn Vorn gathered at the edge of the forest to watch her leave. Belle wrestled her way through the crowd to see the Master rest a large gourd of water on her back. The woman had side pouches everywhere filled with lambas bread and dried meats and a water-skin of dwarven ale. The little tween slammed into her legs and cried out, "Do you have to go?"

Hildigard knelt down and picked up the girl; giving her a squeeze before nodding, "I've been gone from my family for three years, right after the birth of my youngest. I need to see them again, but do come and visit me in Esgaroth." After putting the hobbit down she melted the ice cork in the gourd and rode out on a wave of water.

All stood there to watch her leave and all bowed in respect, even Master Willow had bowed deep for his fellow Master. As soon as the human was out of sight the crowd began to dwindle down before it was just Belle, Legolas, Fili, and Aragorn.

Fili rested his hands on Belle's shoulders before pushing his forehead up to hers; pulling back he told her, "I'm proud of you... Master Belle." Aragorn congratulated her in his monotone voice briefly, but laying a hand on her hair. The elf was far more exuberant in his congrats, for he threw the hobbit into the air and spun her around once he caught her. The second her feet touched the ground he lay a hand over his heart and bowed his head; tears of happiness shone in his eyes.

"Lets go home," it was weird. Calling Eryn Vorn home, but at this point it had become more welcoming than the Shire. Yes, while she would visit her homeland Belle didn't think she could live there anymore. Fili agreed with her, being a Prince was grueling business and Legolas confirmed it.

"I could have been a Prince," Aragorn said.

"Why didn't you?" Fili asked.

"My ancestors failed to destroy a relic, and his downfall lead to the broken strength of men. My line of would-have-been-kings have been thought to contain this same weakness. And we do, my father displayed it when he died and I did as well. I still do, for I am weak," he explained with a straightforward disposition.

"You're not!" Belle cried out.

"But I am Master."

"You're strong if you can admit being weak!"

Fili looked thoughtful as he mulled the thought over, "An interesting way of seeing that Belle." The lithe blonde agreed with the dwarf as he led the little group back into the town. Legolas looked as if he desperately wanted to tell them something but couldn't so he settled for hand gestures. "I get ya loud and clear Legolas," Fili smiled, "He wants you to know Aragorn that you are stronger than a... a tree?"

The X's that the elf made with his arms made Fili back-step, "I mean than a... king? No! An elf!"

Poor Legolas jumped threw his hands into the air in exasperation.

"Well I'm sorry we don't have any paper for you to write on!"

Belle's laughter made them smile, well with the exception of Aragorn who never smiled, but he did feel a little twinge in his heart.

~.~.~.

"Then you gotta meet it head on and SMASH!" Fili roared as he showed his first group of students how to destroy a boulder with bare hands and their own head. "Everyone got it?" when no one dared to speak a word the blind dwarf then bent the rubble away and pointed to the next boulder. "Golin! You're up next," and a stout dwarf took the horse stance before charging the rock.

His head banged against it and the group groaned as they heard some snaps echo through the air.

"Someone go get Master Belle, tell her broken bones and a possible concussion."

The only elf quickly left to do the dwarf's bidding, she was not at all ashamed to say that the blind Master scared her. Even though he was one of the Punished she admired his strength and courage.

It was a sore subject she discovered, being one of the Punished, and she was one of the many who felt bad for those who were Punished. Master Willow and the Fire Masters being those who looked down on them, giving Fire a bad name. Well, Master Aragorn was a fine man who didn't judge anyone regardless of being Punished or not. He was collected and looked as if he was emotionless of all things, but he treated all with the same indifference. Master Belle was a kind child, healing the wounded and always giving them a sweet when she saw that none of her students were watching her.

Gwaelin decided it then and there, while Master Aragorn was striking everyone would much more prefer Master Belle when they learned to get over the fact that she was a Punished bender. She didn't even know how the tween punished, since she acted like everyone else albeit a little more observant.

"Master Belle! Master Belle, come quick," she called from the edge of the forest.

She frowned when the Master didn't respond, her lesson went on uninterrupted as if Gwaelin wasn't there at all! "Master Belle, Gwaelin in asking for you," a human man said as he followed the motions.

"Oh! Pardon me Miss Gwaelin! What is it you need?" she asked from the lake.

"Golin broke his hands again! This time he also got a concussion!" why couldn't Master Belle hear her earlier?

Belle sighed and bent a stream of water into a water-skin she kept on hand with her at all times, turning to her class she ordered them to get in partners and practice making waves. "Ready Miss Gwaelin," she smiled as she touched her side pouch with a smirk. The hobbit reached in and grabbed a small package wrapped in leaves, opening it there were little brown cubes in it. "Let this be our little secret, Master Willow will be quite cross if he finds out where the caramel has been going," she whispered before pressing a cube into Gwaelin's hand.

"Of course Master."

The caramel was truly a gift from the Valar, it was creamy yet sweet as it melted in her mouth. She looked over to see the tween had put one in her mouth before wrapping it back up and putting the leaves in her pouch. The dirt clearing that was obviously meant for the Earth Benders and in it were large stones lined up and rubble everywhere.

"Golin! Come here please," the brunette dwarf grumbled as he brought his swollen hands to Belle. "These breaks need to be set for I cannot mend them, they are too jagged to even attempt. I'm sorry," she said as she bent the cool water over his knuckles. The glowing water soothing his swollen flesh as Gwaelin watched in envy, she wished she was blessed with Water's Call.

"My thanks Master Belle," he hissed out as she set each finger with a stick and strong strips of leaves.

"No problem, ah yes. Here you are," she whispered as she passed the dwarf a piece of caramel, "I don't want you to participate in hands-on training but you can go through arm and leg motions only."

"Yes Master Belle."

"Go on now! Fili is most impatient!"

Gwaelin watched as the dwarf quickly heeded her advice and went to re-join the class, but she lingered. She needed to know.

"Master?" once again no response. Getting in front of Belle she fell to her knees and tried again, pushing her flowing black hair back behind her pointed ear. "Master if I may? How did you get Punished?" she asked as the tween looked to her large feet.

"Its quite a story, one that helped me mature more than others."

"I'm willing to hear it all the same."

Belle only shook her head and pointed to her ears, the pointed tips accentuated her face but that wasn't the point Gwaelin discovered.

"You can't hear me?"

"Afraid not?"

"Then ho-"

"Westron is very easy to read off one's lips, but my story will wait for another day yes?"

"Promise?" the elf asked.

Belle grinned, "Pinky."

"I look forward to your story Master."

"As does everyone else, now go before Fili gets angry! Trust me he's nicer when he's not angry."

Gwaelin merely threw her head back and laughed and in that moment Belle wanted to hear the no doubt beautiful laugh.

~.~.~.

She was quite beautiful, Thorin thought, Despite the little scene she made upon meeting them, for the patchwork robe left much to be desired.

When arriving in Bag End the Company knew something was wrong with the house, since it didn't feel at all inviting as the other hobbit holes. Being inside was definitely worse than standing at the ominous green door, and the inside was much better than the dead garden outside. A clean house was a happy house, as Dis said to him many times. Though this house may have been cleaned it was by no means happy.

Portraits of a happy family were hanging on the wall and the matron of the house, Belladonna Baggins nee Took, was in everyone of them. A rotund, happy hobbit male stood neck to her while in her arms was a bouncing baby girl. There were no signs of the hobbits in the portraits and soon after he arrived everyone knew why.

"HOW DARE YOU!? DON'T TELL ME WHAT THEY WOULD HAVE WANTED! DO NOT THINK FOR A SECOND THAT YOU KNEW WHAT BUNGO AND BELLE WOULD HAVE WANTED!" Belladonna thundered after Gandalf went to convince her to sign the contract she blatantly threw to the floor.

"My dear, they wouldn't wan-"

"I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY WOULD WANT, NEITHER DO YOU! YOU NEVER DID AND NEVER WILL!"

"Bungo wou-"

"Bungo is long dead and Belle might be in the same boat as he! I swore to him that I would remain here in case Belle came back, but she never did. D-don't talk to me of what they want since I should have known it myself!" she cried out. By now the Company was quite shamefaced, for trying to make the poor lass their burglar.

Bombur was close to tears; the portly dwarf felt horrible that she had lost her One and her child and Gloin feeling sympathetic towards the hobbit he once dismissed as weak. Dis held Kili in her arms as she knew the pain that Belladonna was feeling, and it truly was a horrible thing to experience.

From then on the Company didn't judge people based on their looks.

The long-lost daughter of Belladonna Baggins was a mix of her mother and father, mannered but impulsive. Quiet though possessive.

She demonstrated these characteristics since she and her companions meet that first night, and it seemed that the Benders were all very fond of her. Especially Fili, who spent the time away from his family with the hobbit. He wasn't the only one, Belladonna had spent every single second with her possible communicating with the hobbit by writing in the dirt. Though young Belle was fine with reading lips, but the accented Khuzdul was grating on her nerves.

The mute elf was friendly with Fili, oddly enough, as was the human who controlled fire and all three of them protected Belle from most of everything. Except she was used to the small rations, unlike her mother.

"So how in the world did you get to go on an adventure nadad? Surely you would have stayed with Lady Nali and Gimli while Amad and Uncle were away?"

"He was, but days after leaving Ered Luin I found him trailing along with one of the ponies we left in Nali's care. Kili is still being punished," Dis told Fili as she leveled a stern look at Kili.

"Hey! I'm not the only underage dwarf here, right Ori? Fili?"

"Ori was allowed because of his apprenticeship to Balin, and if it was my way Fili would be with you in Nali's care. Though as Mahal would have it, it was not to be the way Amad would have liked."

Belle could hardly catch up with what was being said and Aragorn merely smirked at Fili, "Ah younger brothers, lovely aren't they?" His grey-blue eyes twinkling with mischief as he nudged Fili.

"Some things are lovely and brothers are one of them."

"I agree, my face being one of them!"

"I'm glad I'm blind so I don't have to see your ugly mug."

Legolas snickered silently as Belle roared with laughter at Aragorn's face.

"I am rather handsome if you ask me."

"That's the thing, you said 'If you ask me" and you think you look good."

"You can't deny it!"

Fili waved his hand in front of his eyes and snorted with laughter when he felt Aragorn's vibrations get a defeated feel about them.

"If it makes you feel any better Master Aragorn, you are in the hobbit's range of beauty," Belladonna told him. Fili didn't even need to see to know that Aragorn was smiling like he won a prize, with a quick jab with his foot to the earth the dwarves watched as a line trailed to where Aragorn sat. The line of what is now churned earth erupted in a large blunt rock that sent poor Aragorn flying forward.

"I'll get you for that!"

"See to it that you do."

Three days after this it had rained, to which Belle had kept the Company dry and happy until the rain stopped, and in the wee morning the day after it rained a howl was heard. The ponies had ran the minute it was heard leaving the Company stranded in the edge of the woods they were in, making the younger ones pale.

"Amad? Whats going to happen?"

"Nothing, we will be fine Kili."

"The ponies-"

"We will be okay. I promise."

The rustling of twigs and bushes caught Legolas' attention rather quickly and he notched an arrow and waited. Patience made perfect and soon a scouting orc atop his warg burst through the foliage. He let the arrow fly perfectly into the neck of the warg, making it throw its rider forward onto the ground. Thorin and Dwalin tried to dispatch it quickly and quietly but the orc was too loud.

"Amad!"

"I know."

The calls of the oncoming pack was ringing in their ears, and for Belle she became alert when Legolas had. A brown man came out of the woods behind her making Legolas through his palm forward and a burst of air made the man fall onto his back.

"Radagast! Do not worry it is Radagast the Brown!"

When the wizard got to his feet, he heaved for his breath and held up one finger. "W-well. Nice to you as well Estelcyll," he greeted Legolas and was quite happy to get a nod in return.

"Oh yes, I need to tell you something Gandalf..." the rest of the Company stopped listening to them as the sounds of the pack got closer. Kili, who was barely Balin's height, clutched Dis' traveling cloak as the others got ready to fight.

"Those are Gundabad Wargs! They will catch you!"

"And these are Rhosgobel Rabbits! I'd like to see them try."

Legolas looked in disbelief as Radagast jumped on his sled on took off, giving them a somewhat safe passage for what he believed was Imladris.

Aragorn frowned as he knew exactly what Gandalf was planning, not looking forward to seeing the twin's again.

Fili kept near Dis and Kili, ready to defend them if need be.

Belle had her mother stay by her as the Brown Wizard took off, not wanting to be separated from her again.

It might kill her if they were.


Back-story time! The next three chapters will look a lot like this one, just a heads up.

Ragehappy Mavin Fan