The Lunar Warrior [ATLA FF]

Book 1: Water | 27 | Training or Punishment? II

The art isn't drawn by me! OMG! This lovely fanart was done by Simp.402 | @dance_off_bro on Instagram! I love this, it made my day! Thank you so much!

Katara, Sokka, and Aang. Ayaan had been training with these three for a while now, and in that time, he noticed many things.

Katara was too dependent on her waterbending. Because capable people were around her, she had a low sense of danger. While she herself was strong, she had zero training in any form of martial art. During their life in the southern pole, she hadn't taken up training, or even glancing at it, as Sokka had.

This is what Ayaan was trying to rectify in his training of her. Until they got to the North where she could learn from someone well versed in the art she so desperately wanted to pursue, this is the only true way he can train her. While they still explore waterbending, and it still has uses, it doesn't make up for much in a heated confrontation.

That didn't mean that Katara didn't have any skills whatsoever. As she used her waterbending more often than he did, she was naturally better at it than he was. Granted, Ayaan didn't use waterbending as his primary means of battle.

Sokka's case was different. He had the basics down thanks to Ayaan's meticulous corrections. He had the makings of an amazing strategist, and he had an abundance of perseverance. He could be knocked down again and again, but he would still pull himself from the ground to continue.

But Sokka had no skill whatsoever in the art of the spear. None, not a speck. He seemed to be better with a sword than a spear, but Ayaan wasn't as great with a sword as he was a spear, so it was a bit complicated.

So he gave one of his recently bought ō-naginatas, connected the interchangeable blade with the sword hilt, and gave it to him.

"T-this is..." Sokka was in awe of the weapon. It was different from his club and trusty boomerang. It was light and well balanced, a double-sided blade with a jagged side and a smooth side. It was a beautiful weapon.

"It's yours," Ayaan said simply. "You have zero affinity for the spear," Sokka deflated, "but a sword may suit you better," Sokka beamed. "Try it."

And he did. While Ayaan didn't know everything, he did know the basic teaching their father had shown him with the sword. He'd demonstrated these basics to Sokka, who took to it much better than he did. With time, Ayaan was sure that Sokka would wield that weapon well.

But nothing can top his expertise with his boomerang. Nothing.

And that left Aang...

Ayaan resisted the urge to sigh.

Aang was an incredible bender. He was extremely bright and very quick to learn. The only thing that Ayaan could do was to boost his overall endurance, strength, and battle awareness.

And it was at this phase he hit a snag.

While Aang is a powerful bender, he is a pacifist who goes by the teachings of the monks. Violence is frowned upon in his culture, don't even think of killing anyone. Aang probably wouldn't want to hurt a fly! He is a child full of fun and love, his heart is big enough to fit the world inside and still have space.

And this type of person is the centerpiece in a war that has been waging for a century. That amount of pressure, that amount of responsibility... the lives of millions had been placed on this 12-year-old kid.

This kind child was the Avatar.

Preparing these three for war, training them in any way in preparation for that felt so wrong. It was so wrong to have to send them into any type of battle, for them to put their lives in danger like that. They were all kids! But... such was the way of war. He had to continuously do things that he wasn't comfortable with, deal with horrible situations, and worry like this.