Beasts of legend
"Uncle, can you tell me the story of the Tailed Beasts again? That one's my favorite," an ecstatic eight-year old asked, begging his uncle to tell the story one more time.
"Alright. Alright. But when I finish, you have to go to sleep. Understood, Zuko?" the boys uncle bargained, seeing the boy bouncing around, shouting his happiness to the world of being able to hear the story again. "Well the story starts a little something like this…
"Long ago- before even man existed, mind you- there were nine tailed beasts of legend. All with their own forms of power. All unique in their own special way. They were the nine beasts of legend that taught bending to the world. When humans came along, the Beasts decided that they would share there awesome powers with the people in their respective lands. The One-tailed Raccoon and the eight-tailed Ox taught the first people of the Earth Kingdom to earth bend. The Two-tailed Cat and the Seven-tailed Beetle taught the Air Nomads to air bend. The Three-tailed Turtle and the Six-tailed Slug taught water bending to the peoples of the Water Tribes. The Four-tailed Gorilla and the Five-tailed Dolphin taught the Fire Nation fire bending-"
"But, uncle, didn't you say there were nine Tailed Beasts? What happened to the last one?" the ever-so-impatient Zuko asked.
"If you wait, you will find out, nephew. I was just getting to that anyways," came the reply from the slightly annoyed uncle. "As I was saying…"
Since there were only four countries and nine beasts, one country would have plenty more power than the others. The Nine-tailed Fox, the ruler of the Tailed Beasts decided to not join a country. He decided that he would make a line of people that would keep balance in the world like how he does. The Nine-tailed Fox created the Avatars.
Over time, though, the humans started to get greedy of their powers and wanted more from the resident beasts. Humans not only wanted the powers that the Tailed Beasts had bestowed upon them, but also the powers of the Beasts themselves. Humans started a tradition of sealing the Beasts into their most promising babies. In fear of being sealed, the Tailed Beasts fled to the Spirit World. There was one Beast that didn't flee and that was the Nine-tailed Fox. He didn't particularly mind being sealed. But it wasn't just anybody that could have the amazing Nine-tailed Fox sealed into them. He or she had to be a Namikaze. The Namikaze were an elite warrior family on a small island just north of the Fire Nation. They were in a time of peace and prosperity. The Beast had just been sealed and something dreadful happened.
By this time, Fire Lord Sozun had already started having talks of a war to share the wisdom and prosperity of the Fire Nation. Fire Lord Sozun had just gotten word of the sealing of the Beast. Jealous of the fact that there was a place that had a Beast he decided where to start the war.
The day after the Nine-tailed Fox was sealed was the day the Fire Nation began its campaign by wiping out the small island home of the Namikazes. No man, woman, or child was spared that day. That day is now known as The Day of Mourning. That was the day the Fire Nation attacked, the Namikazes were massacred, and the day that the Tailed Beasts were never seen again in the Physical World.
"Now that I'm done with the story, Zuko, it's time for you to go to bed," said the boy's uncle, trying to stifle a yawn at the same time.
"Fine," he whined. "Good night, uncle, and thank you for the story," Zuko said while watching the retreating back of his uncle.
"Good night, nephew. I hope to see you in the morning," said the uncle 'I just hope I can get some sleep before I have to go to that meeting with my brother.' And with those final thoughts he walked into his room, fell on his bed, and fell asleep.