The Lunar Warrior [ATLA FF]

Book 1: Water | 42 | Liberation III

"How the fuck were we scared of you?"

"I lost all of my income fearing something like this?"

Hala was one of them. Her fists found their targets, the movements ingrained into her. Soldier after soldier couldn't match her ferocity. "Five years of torment..."

Her husband. Her son. Her life. Her home.

"I'll be giving it back to you now, with interest!"

She was the wife of the chief for a reason, and that reason was being displayed this night in all of its furious glory.

Of course, they never rushed into a battle that was too much for them. No one was ever alone when they attacked. Yes, they were trained, but they weren't stupid enough to believe they were invincible because of that. Ayaan drilled that thinking out of their minds.

'Never go into a battle you feel you can't win. Never be alone. Never let yourself get cornered. If you need to run, then do so. Your safety and the safety of your people come first, before victory.'

The 'buddy system'. It ensured that they had backups should they need it. It was for this reason that Ayaan trained them together, in groups, so that they'd be more familiar with each other than they already were. He didn't want them to end up in situations where they were cornered and alone.

Battles were not straightforward. There was more than one way to win, and lose. A fight was a fight. It did not matter what needed to be done, as long as it was within your morals and did not harm your comrades.

'When you hit, make sure you hit hard.'

"All that training really paid off!" A lady said, luring more firebenders her way. "Lord Ayaan is the best!"

"Of course, our beloved Lord made sure to teach us well." Her husband, sticking by her side, agreed with her. "...I still want that."

"Same—"

"Stop it." Another girl, just a bit younger than them, cut off the conversation. "How the hell are you two comfortable enough to have this type of conversation in the middle of a battle?!" The girl's sister was flabbergasted.

""We're just being honest though.""

The 'fan club' once again had grown.

The girl could only sigh. She was so done with them. Of course, she could see why they were saying these things but still! Right now? Here?! They had a job to do!

Those that were attacking right now weren't meant to outright battle the firebenders stationed there. No, not at all. They were bait. A lure. Their true battle would not be in the village. But to get to this stage of their plan, they needed to lure the scumbags out. Tossing sludge onto their tents, rocks on soldiers passing by, hit and runs, all of this was to lure them in.

And it had worked splendidly.

The firebenders were enraged, chasing after them with the numbers that hadn't already been knocked out by their assault team. Now, it was time for the second part of their operation: The Forest.

"Where are you?! Come out, you rats!"

The forest was silent, only the eerie whistles of the wind being heard.

"Come ou-ARGH—" A sizable log came swinging from the darkness, knocking several fire nation soldiers into the air. The resounding cracks from broken ribs and pained screams echoed into the night.

If they weren't hit by trees, they were bombarded by rocks. If they weren't bombarded, they were trapped in nets like prey. If not that, they were sprayed with disgusting slop from the air. Left, right, above, below, nowhere was safe.

Ayaan was a genius when it came to traps, and Sokka made it his mission to learn his ways. Aang was the king of pranks, adding his spin to the traps made. Katara was more than eager to learn. Put these four together with a slough of villagers, and you get absolute pandemonium.

One by one, little by little, they were dwindling in number. Soon, only a few of them were left, trying to desperately get out of the forest. They slowly realized what was happening.

"R-run!" They screamed, "We need to get out of here—"

"Sorry. That ain't happening." A shroud of darkness appeared. The only thing visible was their strange, different-colored eyes. There was an ominous pressure exuding from its small frame.

"My brother told me a lot about some of the stuff you guys did."

The ground beneath them shifted, but they were too afraid to notice it.

"Some of the girls you took never made it to the prisons, did they?"

Their faces paled. No one was supposed to know about that. It was a secret they kept amongst themselves, not even reporting it to their superiors. They finally noticed that they couldn't move when they tried to run in the opposite direction. At this, their faces paled further.

"He said you bragged about what happened to them."

"What is this?!" Their legs were stuck in something. Sand? "No... NO!" They gradually sunk into the earth, with nothing to latch on to, no one to save them. "Please, don't—"

"You're begging? That's funny." The small phantom wasn't laughing, though, "Begging didn't save them, did it? Why do you think it will save you? I'm not the one who will pass judgment on you."

"AHH—!" They dropped into the sandpit ditches. The phantom closed his eyes, manipulating the rivers of sand beneath the earth to transport them to their various destinations.

"The families of those girls will take very good care of you, though." With that, the phantom vanished into the night, followed by another they didn't know was there, watching them as it sat in silence.

The revolt lasted for three days. The villagers, with their tactics, traps, and fierce training, overwhelmed the soldiers that riddled their homes. Their fort had been secured, and now, they waited patiently for their captured families to begin the third and final phase of the operation.

The Phantom Unit and their vessels stayed to make sure it stayed that way until their lord returned.

"And now, here we are!" Aang finished grandly, the children cheering and clapping. "Oh, it looks like the fight's over."

Tyro, Haru, and the other earthbenders worked together, shifting the coal beneath their adversaries and lifting them over the ocean. Seeing what was about the happen, the warden pales with dread.

"No, please! I can't swim!" He pleaded. But if he was looking for mercy, he wouldn't find it with them.

"Don't worry. I hear cowards float."

"No!" The coal island crumbles beneath them, dropping them all into the sea below.

Ayaan then comes up, dragging one of the soldiers by the leg.

"L-let go! Let go of me!"

It was the unfortunate one that insulted him before.

"Sure."

He tossed him over the side like trash.

"NOOO—"

Splash!

There was silence. It took a moment for everything to truly sink in.

The battle of the rig was over.

They were free.

The entire silo erupted into triumphant cheers, relieved cries, and waves of reignited hope.

For the first time in five, long years, they were headed home.

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