Title: Creation in Nine Acts
Author: Qwertyuiop
Fandom: Avatar the Last Airbender
Characters/Pairings: A character from the finale, so in that there are Spoilers for Sozin's Comet, but nothing else really plotwise
Warnings: None
Summary: An Avatar creation myth.

Notes: This fic was inspired the scene with the lion turtle in Sozin's comet as well as many other creation myths that I have read. Because honestly, every culture and tons of fictional universes have creation stories, this is a ipossible/i one for the Avatarverse. As such there could be other versions and whatnot, because hey the Avatar World is incredibly diverse, and it is so well developed that I am sure Mike and Brian know the true way in which it was created. So think of this as a myth being told as opposed to the objective reality.

Also, because I was fashioning it as a myth there were stylistic choices that I made that might put you off. If you are bothered by the fact that there is a limited use of pronouns or that I phrase things as "said Lion Turtle" or "said Dragon" than I am sorry that I can't help you. So basically you can complain about it, but I am just not going to listen to things along that line, because there was very distinct style I was trying to capture here, and I think I pulled it off as best I could. So those things I did on purpose for this story.

That said feedback and comments are always welcome.

I. The Gathering at the Edge of the World

Before the dawn of man, the spirits lived in the Spirit World, with little else to do but meditate and play and eat and share in the bastions of their infinite wisdom. And they were all ruled under The Wise One, who kept the order. Of course there were mischievous spirits, but The Wise One always kept them in line. For their world was completely balanced.

And one day The Wise One was walking through the many forests on the edge of the Spirit World and he came upon Lion Turtle.. Lion Turtle was the source of the trees and the plants that sprouted in the Spirit World, though they had begun to grow without his tending. He was large and powerful and he was renowned for his strength and firmness, but today The Wise One could tell that something was bothering Lion Turtle, as the he was staring out into the void at the space that was outside the Spirit World.

"What ails you, Great Lion Turtle?" Wise One asked, "You do not seem like yourself today. Shouldn't you be planting trees or tending the gardens or talking with your friends? Dragon or Tui and La, perhaps?"

Lion Turtle sighed, but kept staring into space.

"What is out there Wise One?" he asked.

"Out there is Chaos, it is a world constantly without balance," The Wise One replied, "Do not muse on it, to step out there would drag you into Chaos."

"But there are colors," said Lion Turtle, "I can see them."

"Do not be tempted," The Wise One said, "You should remain here where it is safe."

And the Wise One left for he had important matters to attend to. Lion Turtle stayed and did not move for many days or nights. And his friends began to worry. La and Tui, and Dragon, and Bison, and Badger Mole all joined their friend in looking out to the great abyss.

"What has captivated you so?" asked Dragon, for he did not understand why his friend had separated from them for so long.

"Yes, please tell us," said Tui and La who spoke in turn, for they were always in unison.

"Tell us, we want to understand," chanted Badger Mole, and Bison nodded.

"Can you not see it?" said Lion Turtle

"See what?" asked Bison.

"The colors," said Lion Turtle, "have you never seen colors like that before."

They looked, but they did not see it. But they stayed with him, and constantly try to talk him away from the edge. But Lion Turtle did not yield. He stayed vigilant and constant.

II. Lion Turtle steps into the Void

And then one day, Lion Turtle turned to his friends and bid them good bye.

"Where are you going?" they cried

"I am going out there," said Lion Turtle, "I was thinking about how beautiful that world is. And yet it is imbalanced and full of chaos, but imagine if we brought order and balance. Imagine how beautiful it would be then!"

"But that is suicide!" cried Dragon in horror, "You will be absorbed into chaos."

"Maybe I will, maybe I won't," replied Lion Turtle, "but I can't not try, maybe if I am strong and resolute maybe I can withstand."

His friends looked to each other, but in the end they acquiesced, for Lion Turtle was stubborn and resolute. And if anyone other than the Wise One could withstand the Chaos than it would be Lion Turtle.

And with that he stepped beyond the wall of the Spirit World and into the abyss. From the moment he entered, he could feel the energy assault his body, and try to pull him a part, but Lion Turtle stayed firm, trying desperately to keep the energy from tearing him apart. Even through the pain and the pressure were threatening to destroy him, Lion Turtle began to feel things he had never felt. Feelings of love, hatred, fear, happiness, sadness, anger, weakness, which while they were things that existed in the Spirit World, they never existed at this kind of intensity.

His friends watched on the other side in horror. But even as they looked on, they began to see the energy begin to form strands. And there were colors. Oh the colors! There were reds and blues and greens and yellows and silvers and golds that existed in such intensity and splendor that none of them had ever seen before.

"He's bending the energy," said Bison, "Look at how it flows around him! "

"But it is too much," said Badger Mole, "He will not be able to control it for long. See how it tears at him. He has already lost half the trees on his back."

"He will be destroyed!" shouted Tui and La.

Dragon scowled.

"We must go and help him," said Dragon.

The others looked at him.

"But then we will be destroyed too," said Tui and La.

"Maybe," said Dragon, "But if we do it together, maybe we will have the strength."

They did not argue, but together, with Dragon in the lead, they headed into the chaos to help their friend.

II. The Creation of the Elements

Lion Turtle was losing, he could feel it, yet he still tried to make the energy yield under his hands. Just as he was about to let go he felt a touch on his back. It was Dragon.

"Dragon!" cried Lion Turtle, "What are you doing."

"Let us help, old friend," said Dragon, "you should not weather this alone."

And with his tail touching Lion Turtle's back and drawing energy and strength from his friend, Dragon soared through the energy, and began to weave a strands of energy colored red, orange, and yellow away from the chaotic din. Dragon felt the burn from the from the energy, but at the same time the emotions of passion and light began to wrap around his heart. It was exhilarating.

Dragon drifted and soared until he wrapped the energy into a ball, until finally a great ball of reds and oranges and yellows flared out into the area.

The four spirits looked at it in awe. It was beautiful. For the ball had dampened somewhat the effects of the chaotic energy, and it was a bit easier to move and think in the din.

"What shall we call it?" asked Badger Mole, as he tried to keep the energy from engulfing him completely.

"We shall call it the Sun," said Dragon, "and it is made of Fire."

However, soon the sun began to grow, trying to free itself from its ordered dome. Dragon tried to stop it but, the energy it taken him to form the sun had drained him and he had much less strength. Had he not been still bonded to Lion Turtle he might have been lost forever.

"I can't contain it," said Dragon. "It is too strong!"

And for a moment they all struggled against the waves of heat that radiated from the chaotic ball, until Bison to took a vigil at Lion Turtle's back and began to guide strands of energy silver and white away from the chaos. He began to wrap it around the sun, and soon the heat from sun died down due to being embraced by the winds.

"This," said Bison, "shall be Air."

And with that the pain and pressure lessened even more. But soon the winds of air that contained the sun began to beat down on them again, for there was nothing to block its way.

Badger Mole stood next to Bison and begin to bring the different strands of energy colored in different shades of green together. He bended and molded them into a steady rock wall, he spread it as far as he could, until it stretched far beyond what any of them could see.

"This," said Badger Mole, "shall be named Earth."

By this time, the strands of energy were no longer moving them across the space, and they all could have steady footing. But the mixture of the air and heat cause the ground to soon became scorching hot and dry, and their feet began to burn. So Tui and La stepped in, with the support of their friends, and finally brought the strands of blue energy to mix with the Earth and the Air and the Fire until, the brown ground was soon accompanied by bodies of water, and on either side of the world, were the two poles of ice. And thus there was direction as well. There was now North and South, and East and West.

"This will be Water," said Tui and La.

And thus the four elements came into being.

And there was nothing left but a gold light flickering throughout the land, but the pressure and pain was no longer biting at their skin. And they felt that for the most part their work was done, and they looked with pride at their creation.

IV. The Birth of Man

And for awhile the world was serene. But soon the Great Spirits felt the pressure of the elements, struggling to break free into chaos again.

"We cannot maintain this order, forever," said Lion Turtle, "there must be keepers of the elements."

They all nodded. Dragon then opened his mouth, and out of his mighty jaws, smaller dragons poured out and into the new world. They drew the power of the sun and their flames were bright and beautiful.

Bison did the same, and soon a swarm of small bison were flying through the air twisting, the winds underneath their feet, keeping the sky free and clear.

The Badger Mole poured out its young who began to mold mountains and deserts and caves, to make the land more varied and diverse.

Tui and La could not so they became one with the ocean and La formed a Circle and placed it in the sky to help the Ocean, and thus there was the tide. Yet they could still at this time project their true selves into form to talk with the others.

Lion Turtle looked on all of this in joy. The colors were still shining, although they were less intense than before but they were still more beautiful than anything that had ever been seen.. Surely this would be enough to keep balance. He planted trees and grass and flowers to bring even more beauty to the world.

So for many years things were peaceful, (for the world was ordered so time had begun). But soon the badger moles became enemy to the dragons who ate them, who then in turn competed with the bison for mastery of the sky.

"This is useless," cried Tui and La, "Whatever we do, the world is tossed into chaos and disunity."

"We need beings, " said Dragon, " who do not belong to any of the elements to be masters over them so that we can keep the elements unified."

"Yes," said Lion Turtle. And Lion Turtle looked at the golden strands of energy in the sky. The last remnants of the time when the world was nothing but chaotic energy and, he bend these strands down into him.

And soon it was not just trees and plants sprouting from his back but living beings, filled with the golden energy. These beings were quite small, much smaller than the bison, dragons, and badger moles. But they stood upright, with two legs and hands and eyes.

"This," said Lion Turtle, "is Humanity. Man and Woman. They will be shepherds over all else, and I will give them calmer creatures to keep them from becoming lonely."

"But what elements will they work?" asked Bison.

"None," said Lion Turtle, " for they belong to none of us, and as such are beyond the elements."

And so things were. There were men and women, and soon after there were children. And they were soon joined by other creatures such as the turtle ducks and the moose lions and the koala sheep. They all existed within the unity of the four elements.

V. The Art of Bending

And there was peace and balance, but only for a little while. Soon the humans began to fight each other, and war and disease and death became rampant, spawning even new threads of chaos.

"It is because they do not feel connected to the world," said Badger Mole, "it was wrong to put them out of touch with the elements."

"But we cannot just let them have power over them either," said Dragon, "They will only use them to bring more destruction to the world."

"Not to mention," said Tui and La, " that their bodies are too weak to control all four elements it would destroy the pure essence of their beings."

"Maybe," said Lion Turtle, "but maybe they can handle one element on their own. Go find people of strong spiritual strength, and have the badger moles and the dragons, and the bison, and Tui and La teach them in the art of controlling elements."

And so they did. Thus the art of bending was born.

VI. Lion Turtle meets Jianyu

And they were satisfied. But soon the humans began to section off into groups. Waterbenders, Airbenders, Firebenders, and Earthbenders all split off from each other, each group followed by its nonbending peers. And soon even greater wars were fought to determine which element was superior.

"Stupid humans," said Bison, "they do not understand that no element is greater than the other, that the elements must exist in unity in order to be at their most powerful."

"It was wrong for us to give them this power, surely the world will fall back into Chaos," said Dragon, "and after all our hard work."

And they all nodded solemnly, because this time none of them had an answer to their solution, and so they retreated back into the Spirit World, groaning in dismay. All of them, except Lion Turtle. He stayed and looked out at the world with great grief. For he did not want it to disappear.

So he stayed and watched as the humans fought and died. Until one day a young man no older than sixteen years came upon him. This man seemed different from the other humans, for he had an acutely strong spiritual presence yet Lion Turtle sensed that this man was not a bender of any kind.

"Who are you?" asked Lion Turtle, "and why have you come to speak to me."

"My name is Jianyu," said the man, "I have come from far and wide to seek you Great Lion Turtle, Creator of all Things, I seek your wisdom."

"What is it, you wish to know?" asked Lion Turtle.

"I want to find the way to peace, for I have been to all the tribes," said Jianyu, " and there is good in them, yet they lie and hurt each other. It pains me."

Lion Turtle nodded for he felt the same.

"Tell me, young Jianyu," said Lion Turtle with great interest, "why is it that you have not learned to bend an element? I can sense great spiritual power in you?"

"To be honest," said Jianyu, "I do not know which one suits me. I think it would be wonderful to feel the sense of controlling fire, however it is devastating, I have seen what happens to scorched forests. And then in turn I find water is appealing, it can heal and it is at the root of life, yet you can drown and be swept away in the waves, and then I think that I need something more steady and firm, like Earth, but it is too unchanging and I would be afraid to be stuck as one thing on my own. And with Air, I could fly and be free, but I feel like we cannot just do whatever we want, I would lose control."

"You are very wise Jianyu," said Lion Turtle.

"Yes, maybe it would be nice to bend all four, because it seems that in them there is balance, but I suppose that is impossible," said Jianyu.

Lion Turtle looked at Jianyu, and nodded, but an idea had sprung into his head, but it was not the time to act, he must consult the others first.

So he talked more with Jianyu, and listened to Jianyu detail the plights of humanity.

"You are right, Jianyu," said Lion Turtle, "we do need someone who commands all the elements to unify the world."

Jianyu looked at Lion Turtle.

"Couldn't you, great Lion Turtle, unify the world? After all it is said that you are the only being with the power to control all the elements," asked Jianyu.

Lion Turtle shook his head.

"Even with the power of the four elements, I cannot keep unity, for I am not human and do not feel and see the way you do and as such I cannot be the one to balance the world," said Lion Turtle, "for humans were created to keep balance and it is only through their will that they can achieve it. I can bend the elements, but I cannot bend human will. Humans must inspire that in each other, so the only way to unify would be if the elements came under the power of one human. But there is no human that I have found who has the spiritual power to withstand such a burden. For the elements descended from Chaos and even now they still yearn to be in that chaos, to weather the burden of control over even one element is a heavy task indeed."

Jianyu nodded solemnly.

"If only there was such a person," said Jianyu softly, almost entirely to himself.

VII. Jianyu meets the Spirits.

But maybe there is, thought Lion Turtle to himself as he stared at Jianyu. For Jianyu's spiritual strength was strong, stronger than any other benders or mands, and who was he to say whether a man could not handle it. For before, hadn't he, Lion Turtle, beaten the odds in controlling the elements. This human might be the same.

So when Jianyu left for the evening, Lion Turtle called upon Dragon, Bison, Badger Mole, Tui and La and informed them of his plan. They argued through the night.

"We will see if this plan can work," said Tui and La, "but we must meet the man ourselves to determine whether he is up to the task."

And so, when Jianyu went out again to see Lion Turtle and learn more he was surprised to see the other honored spirits in front of him.

"What is this?" asked Jianyu, but none of the spirits answered him.

"Well he is as spiritually strong as you say," said Bison, "but I am afraid even his tremendous spiritual power will not be enough to bend all the elements, he would be lucky to even master two. To handle all four would break his body a part."

Lion Turtle nodded gravely. But then he looked into Jianyu and the answer became quite clear.

"Than I shall give him my spirit, so that he may have the power and resilience to master them," said Lion Turtle.

The others looked at him aghast.

"But if you do that, you will no longer be able to return to the Spirit World, your home!" cried Tui and La.

Lion Turtle closed his eyes in sadness. For even though he loved his new world, he missed the gentle confines of his home and the calming influence of the Wise One. It would be painful to no longer walk along its borders planting trees and helping flowers grow.

"I know," Lion Turtle said, " but if this is what is needed to balance the world than I shall do it."

"Wait," said Dragon, "you mustn't do it alone. We helped you create this world, and thus it is our responsibility too."

"Yes," said Badger Mole, " we shall help you, for even your spirit alone may not be enough."

"Thank you," said Lion Turtle, touched by their concern and help.

They all turned to Jianyu who had watched the scene with mysteries in his eyes.

"Jianyu," said Tui and La, "In order to maintain balance in this world we are willing to give you the strength and power to control all the elements. With this power it will be your duty to guide the humans on the true path to unity and to peace. To keep balance among all living things."

"Me?" asked Jianyu.

"Yes," said Bison, "for only you hold the compassion and the wisdom to withstand it. For the ability to bend an element is a grave one indeed, and they each have their own unique challenges."

Jianyu nodded in agreement, for he had seen proof of that himself.

"This will be a grave responsibility, young Jianyu," said the Dragon, "for you will still be human and thus are just as susceptible to greed, hate, fear, and anger as the rest of your kind."

Jianyu looked down.

"You will not always be able to succeed, because even with this power, people will still work to their own will, but if you stay true to yourself and to your mission, you will be successful in the end," said Badger Mole.

Jianyu nodded.

"I understand, to hold all four elements is a test of my ability to be good," he said.

"We will not force this upon you," said Lion Turtle, "this must be entered by someone who is willing to put the entirety of the world above their own wants and needs. We will not blame you if you refuse."

"I will admit, a part of me wants to," said Jianyu, "for I know that I have fallen many times, and this mission is grave indeed. But the world needs this, and I can't back down in fear. If me mastering the four elements will bring to peace the world and to humanity then I must take it."

"And you will not be alone," said Lion Turtle, "for you will still be human and as such you will not be separate from the world. For people will guide you and help you, as will many of the creatures who live in this world."

VIII. The Dawn of the Avatar

With that, Lion Turtle turned to the others.

"Who shall be the first?"

"We shall," said Tui and La and they approached Jianyu, stretched out their arms and pressed their index fingers to Jianyu's temple.

"We give you , Jianyu, the essence of Water, may you learn from its soothing and healing nature. May you realize that Wisdom shall be your guide," said Tui and La, and when they were done, they disappeared, Tui into the ocean and La into the moon, where they stayed, and pushed and pulled the water and tides.

"I, young Jianyu," said Badgermole, as he pressed his paw Jianyu's temple, "give you the essence of Earth. may you be strong and resolute, and be just in your dealings with all living things."

And with that Badger Mole turned to stone and sunk into the rock beneath him, and from it sprung the high mountain in the world Mt. Kaolin., which lay deep in the Earth Kingdom.

"I give you, young Jianyu, the power of Fire, so that you will know the pain of destruction, but also the glory of cleansing and rebirth," said Dragon with his tail touch to Jianyu's center.

And Dragon rose into the sun and curled around the glowing orb, and it is said that that is why the sun sets, for Dragon becomes weary of the world and needs time to rest.

"And I will give you," said Bison, "the essence of Air. May you always understand the importance of free will and the necessity for compassion."

And with that Bison melted into the wind, and one can still this day hear the Bison whistle his playful tune, if the person is listening with an open mind and heart.

Jianyu crouched down. The weight of the four elements inside him was pulling him a part, until he felt the claw of Lion Turtle against his chest.

"And I give you my spirit," said Lion Turtle, "so that you can find balance within your own self, and remind you to never forget the bonds of your fellow man. The love that you have for this world and humanity will be your greatest strength. You shall be called the Avatar for you are the representative of all the elements and the soul of this world."

And when Lion Turtle removed his claw, Jianyu felt his body calm, and the pain melt away, and he felt each of the four elements inside of him, unified and at peace.

"I have given you a part of my spirit," said Lion Turtle, "you shall be the protector of this land. The world will look to you for guidance. The spirit inside of you helps keep the elements unified. And with this there will be balance for all time."

"Does this mean, I will live forever?" asked Jianyu, for an eternity seemed like a long time.

"Your soul has been given immortality," said Lion Turtle, "but you are still human, and thus you will die. For death is a part of what means to be human, you cannot connect to the world if you do not fully comprehend what that means. However when you die, your soul will be reborn, so that it may guide this world until its final days."

"I understand," Jianyu said, "thank you Great Lion Turtle, I will never forget this."

IX. Lion Turtle Goes to Sleep.

And with that Jianyu walked out and into the world and onto his destiny. And Lion Turtle moved along the Earth, swimming through the ocean. He missed his friends, although he was comforted by Bison's winds, and Dragon's friendly shine, caressed by Tui's waves, or protected by La's steady glow, or the rumble from Badger Mole from underneath Mount Kaolin.

But he was still lonely, and he missed the Spirit World quite profoundly, until one day he felt a familiar presence from behind him. He turned and there stood the Wise One.

"Wise One!" cried Lion Turtle, "I am sorry that I left you, but I felt that this was something I had to do!"

"Do not fret, Lion Turtle," the Wise One said, "for I see now that this was your purpose. The world you have created is bright and beautiful."

"Yes," said Lion Turtle, "but even with the Avatar it will never be balanced like the Spirit World."

The Wise One chuckled, "I would not worry about that dear Lion Turtle, for if you were to completely balance this world, it would loose its shine and intensity, the emotions would be less, it would lose what drew you here in the first place. So complete and utter balance is not needed for your world. For chaos is not always bad, but you are a stronger creator than I to stand it."

"Yes, I see that," he said, for he so did love the world's colors, "but I miss the Spirit World, and that peace at the same time."

"Well then," said Wise One, "How about I insure that the two are never separate. I will gift your Avatar with the power to engage with the Spirit World. Not only will he handle the problems of Man but he will also be in charge of working peace between the worlds."

"But Master, how…" cried Lion Turtle.

"You see Lion Turtle, your creation has in turn changed the Spirit World, there are Spirits who look upon this world with jealousy and longing," the Wise One said, "I will not be surprised if quite a few Spirits pass into your world, and while I believe most of them will be benevolent or at the very least neutral, there are some who will be malicious and will try to guide man on the wrong path."

Lion Turtle looked worried, for he knew some of the Spirits who might be involved, and he feared for Jianyu and the future Avatars for what this might mean.

The Wise One noticed Lion Turtle's worried look and patted his head.

"Do not worry, Lion Turtle, you must believe in your creation," the Wise One said, "For trust is what insures that it stays strong."

And with that, Wise One began to hum into Lion Turtle's ear and in a few moments he closed his eyes to the sweet melody. He had not slept since he had created the world and soon the Wise One's hummed flowed into his dreams, and he finally had a moment of a peace.

"You have done well," Wise One said after Lion Turtle was asleep, "you have done well."