Author's Note:

This is an AU, and I had to take some liberties with the lore of the Avatar world. It should be stated that I have not watched the Legend of Korra; however, I understand that within the plot of the show the background of the very first Avatar was established. I read the Wikipedia article of Wan and how he came to be the first Avatar, but that is the extent of my knowledge of anything beyond The Last Airbender series. Even his story will be heavily altered to fit the context of the world I'm creating. Luckily, this is Fanfiction, so I can play around with what is already established to my heart's content. I hope, at the very least, you'll find it entertaining!


Prologue:

Legend has it that ten thousand years ago, humankind roamed on the backs of colossal Lion-Turtles. The world around them was volatile, dangerous, and for humankind to thrive they had to exist in harmony with their world-bearing protectors. For the danger laid in the turbulent instability of their Earth.

The Ocean's waves swelled only to turn placid with no guidance from the Moon, the earth quaked and rocked at every waking moment, the air whirled into cyclones in its stochastic whim, and fire consumed the world around it precipitously. The Spirits of these powerful entities were fickle, inconsistent, and vagarious. They were separate from one another, relishing in the solitude of their own chaos. They had little reason to concern themselves with the prosperity-or lack thereof-with the beings that inhabited the world around them. Their purpose was aimless.

This held true for all Spirits except two. Light and Dark focused only on each other; their never-ending terpsichore shook the Earth in their wake. Their purpose intertwined with each other in a semblance of fledgling balance.

The Lion-Turtle's burden lay with protecting their human inhabitants from the unintentional wrath of the Spirit's around them. Ancient and arcane beings, the Lion-Turtle's were each endowed with regnant power, granting them the ability to protect their fragile charges.

The Lion-Turtles were the subsequent spirits, the first being Light and Darkness. They came After the beginning, yet Before the others. When the others came, the moon, the sun, the ocean, the wind, the sky, water, the earth, flame, and air, they found their place, and thus the Earth was conceived. The Lion-Turtles were there through it all, and when the other Spirits came, they took heed of their power, granting parts of it for themselves.

The Four Lion-Turtles were the first to master the four elements, and they used their newfound power to foster humankind.

Gradually, the Lion-Turtles granted this ability to a select few of the resident's on their back. This decision was made for the human's aegis over their own, an ability held sacred among their communities. Eventually, others mastered these Elements: the badgermoles understood the earth as the sky bisons learned from the air, and the dragons tamed fire as the Moon and the Ocean fell into a beautiful rhythm.

Yet it was them, the Lion-Turtles, the Great Spirits of the World, bequeathed bending unto humanity. However, what they gave can just as easily be taken away.

The Earth equilibrated with the Spirits, and then one rose to maintain that balance as a corollary of Light and Darkness' devastating battles. There was peace, and a keeper to it even as humanity grew from the Lion-Turtles and settled into the lands. An equipoise of power existed amongst the Four Nations.

Then, everything changed when the Fire Nation attacked.