Haruka's Fanfiction

*Note* Contains spanking. For the benefit of those who don't know the history, the Mighty Ducks originated from a planet called Puckworld in another dimension. Before Nosedive turns 16, the planet is invaded by the Saurians, led by the evil overlord Dragaunus. Wildwing's friend Canard leads the Resistance, bringing the Mighty Ducks together (Nosedive only gets to join on Wildwing's insistence.) Canard sacrifices himself to save the team members in battle, and they follow Dragaunus through a dimensional porthole that lands both sides in Anaheim on modern day Earth.

It should be noted that on Puckworld, it’s winter year round and _everyone_ grows up knowing how to skate and play hockey.


The Mighty Ducks (animated series) – Childhood Mistakes: Grin (age 13)

By Haruka (haruka@ymail.com)

--

“Mr. And Mrs. Hardwing?” the secretary said to the couple seated on the couch, “you can go in now. Your son should wait out here.”

The adult ducks stood up. “Wait here, Grin,” Mr. Hardwing told the boy who was still seated.

Grin gave something resembling a grunt in response and watched his parents go into the Principal’s office. He leaned back with his muscular arms behind his head and stretched out his legs, unconcerned that his fate was being determined one room away.

He’d been this route so many times before, he could predict exactly what would happen. Principal Carrion would tell his parents about the latest fight he’d been in, if you could even call it that when only one person threw punches. He’d tell them that their son was always bullying the other kids and it was high time they did something about it. His mother would claim he was misunderstood and looking for attention, his father would say ‘boys will be boys’, like that summed it all up. The Principal would realize he was getting nowhere and would send them away, then give Grin a week’s worth of detentions. Which he would not attend.

Grin yawned noisily. He wouldn’t be wasting his time like this if that stupid kid had just given him the money he’d asked for. It’s not like he didn’t give him enough time to get it – he’d had two whole days.

After a little while, the door to the office opened. “Grin,” the Principal himself stood in the doorway, “come in, please.”

Heaving a bored sigh, the teenager pushed himself up off the couch. He passed the Principal, meeting his eyes. Although Grin was only thirteen, he was much bigger than most kids his age, and was almost as big as Principal Carrion. The man didn’t seem impressed, and just let Grin pass before closing the door and returning to his desk.

“As I was just telling your parents, Grin, this visit is a little different than the others,” the Principal said as he sat down. “You’ve been extorting money from other students and beating them up when they don’t give it to you. That is a criminal act.”

Boo hoo, Grin thought. Tell it to someone who cares. In response, he shrugged.

The Principal gave a disgusted sigh and turned to his parents. “You can see what I’m up against,” he said. “Your son simply does not care if he hurts other children or steals from them, and thus far, the discipline I’ve attempted to impose upon him has had no effect.” He looked from one to the other. “I shouldn’t even have to ask you this, but do you discipline him at home at all?”

“Our boy minds at home,” his father said. “It’s not our fault if you can’t control him in school.”

“Mr. Hardwing, I have requested on several occasions that you change your mind and sign the consent form that allows me to administer corporal punishment, but you have refused to consider it,” Principal Carrion reminded him. “Unless you do so now, you will leave me no alternative but to suspend Grin for a week.”

Grin perked up. A week of no school? Sounded good to _him_!

“We don’t believe in spanking,” his mother told the Principal.

“That’s right,” his father agreed. “Why would we let you do it if we don’t do it ourselves?”

“And therein lies the problem,” the Principal remarked and began writing notes in Grin’s rather thick file folder. “He is now suspended. You may take him home where he can be _your_ problem for a while.” He looked up at them. “And if after he returns there is no improvement in his attitude and behavior, I will not hesitate to expel him.”

His parents looked offended as they stood up to leave. “Come on, Grin,” his father said. The teenager got to his feet, saluted the Principal with a cocky smile and walked out.

--

This is the life, Grin thought as he sped down the ice with his stick. Being out of school with nothing to do all day but play hockey – what more could a duck ask for? The kids he was playing against were cutting school, but they and Grin all had one thing in common – none of them were worried in the slightest that they were missing out on their education.

“Head’s up!” Grin called out and plowed down yet another player, stealing the puck from him. He was bigger than all of the other kids, and when he wanted to score, there was very little they could do to prevent it. He’d get the puck any way he could, tripping, elbowing, slashing, high-sticking – whatever worked. And what usually worked best was causing the other kid enough pain that they just didn’t want to fight for it anymore.

Grin cheered for himself as he scored, nearly decapitating the goalie in the process.

“Hey, Hardwing,” one of the other kids said, “what did your old man do when you got suspended?”

“Same thing he always does when I get in trouble – blamed someone else!” Grin laughed. “It’s not his fault or my mom’s fault and it’s certainly not _my_ fault. In this case, it was Principal Carrion’s fault. They’re thinking about enrolling me in another school.”

“Ha!” the boy said. “No other school would have you with _your_ record!”

“So what do I care?” Grin snorted. “School is a waste of time. I’m gonna be the best hockey player on Puckworld!”

“Not with that attitude, you’re not!” stated an unfamiliar voice.

Grin stopped skating and looked around for the person who needed a pounding. The only others there were the boys he’d been playing with. “Did you guys hear that?” he asked.

“Hear what?” one of them said.

“That voice a second ago – babbling about my attitude!”

The other boys exchanged glances that clearly wondered if Grin was losing his mind. They all shook their heads at him.

“Morons,” he muttered and decided to ignore whoever it was that had spoken. His life was none of their business.

--

That was a productive day, Grin thought as he skated toward home. It was the third day of his suspension. His parents had called other schools to see if they would enroll him, but as his friend had predicted, none wanted him. He wasn’t worried, at least not until they started talking about military schools. The fear didn’t last long, though. His mother was vehemently opposed to the idea, and his father wasn’t crazy about it, either. They ultimately decided that they’d try a private tutor before they’d go _that_ route.

Grin was remembering that conversation as he sped past the Duckworth Military Academy. He slowed down when he saw a bunch of the cadets playing hockey on the other side of the fence. Most of them looked a little older than him, but then he knew that size was deceptive. One in particular caught his attention – a cute little redheaded female. She was zipping in and around the bigger players with an ease borne of practice and confidence, but when she fired at the net, it was with a killer slapshot. Still, as good as she was, he didn’t think she’d be able to stand up against his strength and power. None of them would.

“Hockey is all about running over the opposition to get the goal,” he said assuredly.

“And just who taught you _that_ bit of crappola?”

Grin spun around. It was that voice again! The same one who had cracked wise at the game the other day! And once more, there was no one nearby who could have belonged to it.

Someone was playing mind games with him, he thought, clenching his big fists. And when he found out who it was, they were mincemeat.

--

“Please don’t hurt me, Grin! I didn’t mean to!”

“Just like I don’t mean THIS!” Grin punched the smaller boy hard enough to send him flying back against the convenience store wall. Useless, that’s what these other kids were. All he’d wanted was for the guy to lift a can of soda from inside the store, but he’d chickened out at the last moment. What a waste of time.

He stalked off in search of another potential victim, and was mildly surprised to see Principal Carrion get out of a parked car as he approached.

“Well, I didn’t expect to run into you here, Grin,” the adult duck said. “But then you live only a few blocks away, don’t you?”

“Yeah,” Grin replied and studied his knuckles to see if he got any of that kid’s blood on his gray feathers. He kept walking.

The Principal obviously wasn’t finished talking, though. “Have your parents found a new school for you yet?” he called after him.

Grin hadn’t known that the Principal was aware his parents were looking elsewhere. “Nah,” he said with a careless wave, “but Dad said they’d spring for a private tutor if they had to. Either way, you probably won’t have to worry about seeing me in your school again.”

“I’m sorry it had to come to this,” Principal Carrion said.

“I’m not!” Grin retorted and picked up his pace, turning a corner.

“You shouldn’t act like that with him – the man only wants to help you.”

Grin stopped. The voice again! “Who are you?!” he demanded angrily, looking left and right. “Why are you bugging me?!”

“Because you need it.”

Grin ran for home as fast as he could.

--

“Outta my way, wimps!”

It was the last day of Grin’s suspension, and he was making the most of it. Barreling down the rink, he proceeded to plow down the other three kids on the ice. He headed for the empty goal but came to an abrupt stop when someone just _appeared_ in a cloud of smoke on the rink ahead of him. When the smoke cleared, a wizened little old duck holding an ancient-looking hockey stick stood there.

The other kids managed to regroup and skate up to Grin’s side. One of them said in awe, “It’s Tae Quack Do! The great hockey master!” The three of them bowed, but Grin stayed where he was.

“The puck, please,” said the elderly duck.

“You want it?” Grin sneered. “You got it!” He hauled off with his stick and fired the puck straight at the old man – who caught it effortlessly in one hand.

“Your strength is great, my son,” the man said.

“H-How’d you do that?” Grin asked, stunned. Another part of his brain told him that he knew that voice, but the old duck’s action overwhelmed everything else.

Tae Quack Do approached him. “You need enlightenment on the true path of hockey. Come, my son, and I will teach you.”

It was _him_! Grin finally registered. This was the guy who had been following him around! He skated after him without a word.

--

Tae Quack Do’s place looked to Grin like something from a foreign land. There were no chairs, only mats to kneel on. Strange wall hangings and lit candles were everywhere, giving the room an eerie appearance.

“So, buddy – “ Grin started to say.

“You will call me ‘Master’,” the wizened duck replied. “As you are my pupil.”

“Okaaaay,” Grin said slowly. “Uh, Master … why have you been following me around? You got me pretty steamed.”

“You get ‘steamed’ too easily, my son.” The old man turned to look up at him with a piercing gaze. “Your anger and aggression are blinding you to the truth that is hockey. You beat up on innocents, disrespect your elders, show no interest in your education ….”

“Yeah, so?” Grin asked, wondering if this was actually _going_ somewhere. Sure, the trick with the puck outside was cool, but he didn’t want to listen to this guy list his indiscretions all night.

“So, in training you to become an enlightened hockey player, I must first undo the damage that your irresponsible parents have done over the years.”

In a flash, the frail-looking old duck had used his battered stick to sweep Grin’s feet out from under him, giving him an added push so that he fell flat on his face. Before he could move, Grin felt something alight on his back. It was Tae Quack Do.

“Spare the stick, spoil the player,” the elderly man quoted something ancient – probably himself, Grin thought – just before the old hockey stick made contact with his backside.

“OW! HEY!” he yelled and tried to push himself up from the floor. But for some reason, he couldn’t. The old duck couldn’t weigh more than 90 pounds soaking wet – this was impossible! The stick slammed against his bottom once more and he howled in pain and indignation.

“The true path must sometimes be paved with pain,” said the old duck, and proceeded to assault Grin’s rear end with blow after blow from the hockey stick. At first the teenager raged and swore, but before long that changed to tears and wailing, and eventually, sobs and pleading.

“You will apologize to your Principal!” *WHAP!*

“AAAAHHHHH!” Grin cried tearfully. “Y-yeees, Master! I p-prooomise!”

“You will never pick on other children or anyone else!” *WHAP!*

“NOOOO! I WOOON’T!”

“You will learn the true path of hockey and become my prize pupil!” *WHAP!*

“YES! YES! ANYTHIIIING!!!” Grin sobbed into his arms helplessly.

The light weight left his back. “Arise, my son, and we will begin.”

Sniffling and hiccupping, Grin raised his head and saw Tae Quack Do offering a hand to him. His expression was kindly. He accepted the hand and got to his feet.

“Kneel on the mat, young Icehopper” the old duck instructed him, and took his own place on the small riser in front of him. Grin wiped his eyes with the back of his hand and winced as he knelt on the mat where the Master indicated.

“M-Master,” he said, his voice still thick with tears, “how come you have no chairs?”

The old duck’s eyes twinkled and he waved the stick in the air. “You think you’re the first hard case I ever had? Hockey players with sore backsides don’t pay attention if they have to sit in hard chairs!”

--

Grin knew that people noticed a change in him in the weeks that followed. He apologized to his parents and to Principal Carrion, who let him back into school on probation. He no longer bullied other children or smartmouthed the adults. Most notably, his hockey game became cleaner, depending solely on skill and timing rather than brute force (although that still came in handy when a good check was necessary.) He became known to say unusual things that generally contained grains of wisdom if one took the time to think about them. His angry expression changed to a serene countenance, and the only thing that ruffled his feathers was when his inner peace was disturbed by violent outside sources. When that happened, he used the guidance of Tae Quack Do’s teachings to set others on the path to serenity.

Whether they liked it or not.

--

(2002)

Disclaimer: The Mighty Ducks characters belong to Disney.

This fic is not to be re-posted.