AN: Here is a new story pitched to me by supersasaiyan3goku, which has obvious elements of "Avatar: The Last Airbender" in it. As I'm currently trying to juggle three stories, I'm afraid that this story will be updated when I have time. Also, instead of being an Asian-themed setting, this world will take place in a Final Fantasy VII-esque world, a combination of modernisation and oldness, minus the pollution and evil company.

The Last Benders

Disclaimer: I do not own Ed, Edd n Eddy/Danny Antonucci or Avatar the Last Airbender/Production Team. All I own are O.C.'s (who you will know if you've read my other stories) and the world this story is set in. Credit to supersaiyan3goku (great guy!) for pitching me the basics of this story.

Chapter One: The Circus

483 years ago (1527)

ooo

Darkness hung over the barren, desolate strip of land like a blanket trying to blot out and smother all traces of life on this pathetic strip of raw, dusty earth. The city that surrounded the two, a once great, sprawling metropolis and the main settlement which connected the two main landmasses of Palmoth, the Kingdom of Fire, now laying empty and rotting, the screams of the dying and the clang of swords echoing throughout the gray, bloodied city.

The man and woman, both standing on a large broad tower at the heart of the port, stood glaring at each other. They were both suffering heavy wounds, and were responsible for the death of hundreds.

The woman was dressed in a tattered blue robe, with a raggedy, silver cape fluttering about her shoulders. Her arms were covered in cuts and slashes, oozing blood, and there was a nasty weeping welt on her back. Her pale, silvery skin was even paler than normal, as though Death Herself had her in Her grasp, and her wavy, curling frigid-blue hair was covered in the blood of both herself and others. In her right hand was a kunai, and she was poised to through it at the man.

He himself was badly injured, though better off than the dying woman. He wore a purple suit of armour, with black swirls all over it, and his dark, cobalt-blue hair was tied back into a ponytail. His skin was pale like the northern wind, but he was not dying. He held a sleek, lethal j=katana in his hand, covered in the crimson life force and responsible for the deaths of many Benders who had lost their lives in this: the Great Battle.

"Chenga," whispered the woman, her voice laboured and weak, "why did you do this?"

"Dear sister," smirked Chenga, "do you really want to know why I did this? It was for fame, glory and recognition. Recognition that I was the best warrior in the history of the planet, the warrior who smote the scourge of all mankind: The Benders."

"You and your Hunters claim to stamp out evil, which to you is Benders," cried the woman, "yet you are a Waterbender yourself!"

"Shanom," snarled Chenga, "I have fully and willingly given up my powers to my Lord, and have renounced my powers of Bending. I will be remembered for killing out all Benders, and ruling the planet at the side of my Master. I will rule with him for doing the greatest deed in the world; killing my sister."

"The Avatar."

"Do not think I will go out without a fight," whispered Shanom, and a large ball of water began to form around her. Her eyes glowed blue and bright, as the ball of water began to grow and grow and expanded at extreme measures. Though he despised his sister and what she was, Chenga could not help but stare in awe at his sister's fearsome display of pure, raw power.

Power that only the Avatar could command.

"You will pay for what you have done!" screamed Shanom, trapping her estranged brother in a ball of air so he could witness what he had driven the dying Avatar to do in her final moments of life.

Black clouds of storm gathered over the Palmothia Pass, over the city where all had fallen silent at the large orb of water forming at the heart of the city. It began to rain, but not a soft, caressing rain; no, it was a rain where the icy water poured from the open heavens in torrents, lashing and striking at any unprotected flesh it found. An earthquake began, the land quaking and shaking as though the Spirit of Earth himself had picked up the strip of land and was shaking it like a rattle. Screams resonated throughout the open air, as a huge chasm began to pierce its way through the centre of the city. It wound its way around the tower, so that as the earth moved apart it was like a lost island surrounded by a sea of rock and molten fire. Large waves began to stir off the coast the coast of Alrecia, the city that was unfortunate enough to be the site of the Great Battle, and began to menacingly advance towards the coast, gathering velocity and more water until they were tsunamis of huge heights, ready to greedily devour the city and its tens of thousands of remaining inhabitants. The tsunamis suddenly stopped their destructive path about a mile off the coast; they formed huge chunks of ice that encased the city. The agonised screams and cries of those futilely attempting to escape the trapped city were plentiful, and Shanom, still in the Avatar State, glared hard and long at her brother.

"Never forget, Chenga," she whispered, "you caused this."

And in her mind, Shanom felt sadness for her fellow Benders.

I am sorry, my kin, she thought. I have succeeded in destroying the Hunters, yet I have failed in saving you.

Forgive me.

The ice tsunamis shattered, and millions of gallons of frigid sea water fell onto Alrecia. The strip of land broke off from the two main Palmothian landmasses, and the submerged city began to descend deeper into the sea, the Palmoth Pass submerging along with. Yet Shanom and Chenga were safe in the eye of the storm, a whirling maelstrom of water all around them. Still in the Avatar State, Shanom began to burn. Her skin caught aflame, yet no screams of agony escaped from her mouth. Chenga watched with sick horror as his sister's-no, not his sister's- the Avatar's corpse began to ignite and decompose, and the whirling water collapsed around him. In his last moments, Chenga-the pride of the newly-formed Hunters-fell something for the first time. He felt remorse for his actions.

Then a blinding fiery light, like an exploding star, covered his vision, and Chenga was destroyed by the exploding Avatar.

ooo

483 Years Later (2010)

ooo

"Tell me more about the Avatars, Grandma," whispered Nazz excitedly, sitting cross-legged on the blanket before her grandma. Eleion gazed at her granddaughter, a warm smile on her face. Nazz was a beautiful, healthy girl, and looked amazing for a fourteen year old. Her sunny blonde hair was long and fell to her elbows, though today she wore it in a bun that rested on the back of her neck, and it was styled to look like a bob. She wore a white, simple tank-top, and a black knee-length skirt. She wore white leggings and black slip-ons as well as a black cardigan over her top. Her sapphire-blue eyes were staring intently at her grandma, her loving, wise grandma, who had cared for her all her life.

Eleion was in her late seventies, with starry-white hair that flowed freely around her torso, and the exact same eyes as Nazz. She wore an ordinary green dress, with a jade shawl around it, and brown sandals. Eleion always wore green; she had been born in the early 1930's, when green was the predominant colour worn in Algia, the Earth Kingdom.

"No more stories, my little turtle dove," spoke Eleion gently, for old age had softened her frail voice.

"Oh please," pleaded Nazz. "Just one more?"

"Yes, Aunt Eleion," spoke Eddward. "How about the last Avatar?"

Edd was sitting on the blanket, next to Nazz. Edd was kind and studious, and was Nazz's closest and best friend. When Nazz was only a baby, Eleion had one night found a baby, nestled in a wooden basket with a shawl draped over him, on their front doorstep. Apparently, there had been a note with the baby Edd, telling whoever found him that his parents were ill and could not tend to him; the note also mentioned his name, age and birthday.

Now that he was fourteen, and older than Nazz, Edd was a fine young man. He had cerulean-blue eyes, lighter in tone than Nazz, and spiky, deep-brown hair; however, he chose to cover it up with a black hat that had been left in his basket (every year, Eleion made him a new and bigger one). He wore a flame-red tunic, with blue denim shorts and black sneakers. His socks were orange and came up to mid-shin.

"Oh no, my dears," said Eleion gravely, "I've said far too much already, and I don't like speaking about the Last Avatar."

"Why?" asked Nazz with a pout. "You never tell us about the Last Avatar, and you only tell stories about the two before that!"

"That's enough, young lady," said Eleion. "Now off you go and play."

"Grandma," said Nazz tentatively, "can I go outside?"

"Nazz, dear," said her grandmother, "I'm afraid you can't."

"But why?" asked Nazz sadly.

"Because, it might…be…erm…dangerous! Yes, you never know what kooks and creeps stalk the streets these days, I tell you! Society is descending into a hell-hole, mark my words, and I don't want you to be dragged down with it!"

Elion finished her speech with a look of authority on her face.

"Fine, Grandma," spoke Nazz sourly, and ran out of the living room and up the stairs. Eleion turned pleadingly to Edd, who nodded in understanding and walked up the stairs to Nazz's room. The door was locked.

"Nazz?" asked Edd softly. "May I please come in?"

He heard a chair being pushed back, and Nazz walking up to the door. He heard her unlock the door, and then it opened, Nazz standing there with slightly red eyes.

"Hi," said Nazz, "com on in." She briskly walked into her room, with Edd carefully following behind her. Her room was large yet simple; everything had at least a touch of violet-purple on it, as well as white. Nazz sat gloomily on her double, four-poster bed, and Edd sat down next to her.

"Nazz," began Edd, choosing his words carefully, as Nazz was having many mood swings these days (a result of entering adolescence), "please don't be angry with your grandma. I know that she only has your best intentions at heart."

"Well," raged Nazz, "if she has my best intentions at heart, then why won't she listen to me? All my life I've been cooped up in this house, large and expansive though it may be, never allowed to go outside!"

"Perhaps Aunt Eleion thinks its unsafe," remarked Edd, who called Eleion his aunt because she had raised him his whole life.

"Really, Double-D?" asked Nazz, Double-D her pet nickname for him. "How unsafe could it be? Look at it this way; we live in one of the safest districts of Herleville, where guards patrol the streets every night. The crime and fire rate is very low, and there are lots of families in the area. It would have been a perfect environment to grow up in, but I was never allowed out! She even got private tutors for us!"

"Mr. and Mrs. Glen are very nice," said Edd firmly, "and remember, I have never been allowed out either!"

"I know!" agreed Nazz. "If it wasn't for your, like, company, then I would have gone crazy ages ago!" Edd smiled when Nazz said this.

"Well, Nazz," spoke Edd slyly, "if it's freedom that you want, then it's freedom that you'll get." He reached into his pocket, and pulled out a folded piece of paper. He unfolded it and laid it out on Nazz's bed, Nazz staring at it in wonderment. It was a promotional poster, very colourful and bright, which read:

Come and see Taileia's Travelling Circus of the Moon!

Gaze upon our amazing displays with wonder, as you gape at acts such as:

"Strongman Rolf," who can lift a hundred kilogram barbell with one hand!

"Ritzy Rebecca," an acrobat who performs jaw-dropping stunts!

And "Ringmaster Taileia," whose magical feats will entrance you!

Come along any night at 9 P.M. between Sunday 10th-Monday 18th May 2010 to see these acts for yourself!

"It floated through my window a few days ago," explained Edd. "I looked it up in a newspaper, and apparently it's a very famous circus. It only costs 8.00 Gil per person to get in, so we could go tonight, seeing as how it's the last day it's in town."

"Aw, Double-D!" giggled Nazz. "Would you really do this for me?"

"Of course, Nazz," smiled Edd, and as she went into her wardrobe to find a bag to wear, Edd whispered something only he could hear.

"I'd do anything for you."

ooo

"Shh!" fretted Edd in a whisper. "Aunt Eleion will hear us!"

It was half-past eight at night, and Nazz and Edd were creeping down the staircase in their house. After telling Eleion they were going to have an early night, they waited for half an hour before deciding to leave. They managed to get to the bottom of the staircase without incident, but this was where the trouble began. In order to get to the front door, they would have to cross the doorway to the living room, where Eleion would be reading a book, as she always did every night before bed.

Edd peeked out over the door, expecting Eleion to see him and ask him why he was up. Instead, he was amused to see Eleion dozing in her armchair, with her book resting over her breath, making her breathing sound loud and husky. Nazz peeked out too, and almost burst out laughing at her grandmother's sleeping position. They quietly tiptoed through the hallway an up to the wooden, stain-glassed window front door. Edd reached for the keys, hanging on a hook by the door, and unlocked the three locks. They all clicked open silently, and Nazz and Edd stepped out and emerged into the cool night air. Edd locked the door behind them, and stuffed the keys into his pocket so they could get back in later. With that, Nazz and Edd began to walk to the local park, where the circus was being held.

It was dark and cloudy for late spring, and the clouds covered the fading, black sky like angry bruises. The streetlights were turned on, and everything was silent in the street, a silence which unnerved both Edd and Nazz. Before they turned a street corner, they saw a menacing shadow advancing towards the corner; the large helmet, clearly identifiable in the shadow, showed that whoever it belonged to was a Hunter, the malicious, international police force that patrolled the entire planet. Nazz began to panic at the prospect they might get caught.

"Oh no!" she whimpered. "If the Hunter sees us, then they'll detain us! I've seen how strict they are on the I.V. (Imavision), like how you can go to prison for half a year if your under eighteen and out at night in the dark."

"Well, we need to hide!" whispered Edd frantically. He looked around, finally seeing a clean-looking wooden bench. Grabbing Nazz's hand, he hurried to the bench as the Hunter grew ever nearer the street corner. Motioning for Nazz to be silent, Edd 9after composing himself) hugged her, pulling her tight to his chest and burying his face in the hollow of her neck.

"If we do this," whispered Edd, as the Hunter-tall, imposing and dressed in green and black armour- began to round the corner, "it'll look like we're older than fourteen, and that we're…um…together."

"Good plan, Double D!" whispered Nazz brightly, and she done to Edd what he was doing to her. As the Hunter passed by them, his helmet glinting in the moonlight, he thought that Nazz and Edd looked like a married couple, locked in a tight embrace. As the Hunter walked off down the street, Nazz broke off the embrace, and grinned at Edd.

"That was a good plan, Double-D!" she said, lightly pecking him on the cheek. "Now let's get to that circus!"

"Yes…" said Edd dreamily, who was thankful that it was dark as he was blushing up a storm.

ooo

"This is so exciting!" cried Nazz, her voice almost drowned out by the intense and noisy hustle-and-bustle of the packed circus. She and Edd had managed to obtain front row seats, so they would have an amazing view of all the acts that were performing.

"I agree!" spoke Edd heartily; he was in a very cheerful mood after being so close to Nazz. "I'm filled with anticipation!"

Suddenly the noise began to die down, and the fairy-lights, illuminating the orange-and-red fabric of the large circus tent, began to dim. A golden spotlight beamed down onto a young woman standing in the centre of the ring. She wore a purple dress and top-hat, with wavy black hair and intelligent lavender irises.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" she boomed. "I cordially welcome you all to Taileia's Travelling Circus of the Moon! Let the acts…begin!"

The next hour or so was filled with countless of unique and wonderful acts, causing Nazz and Edd to suffer from overexcitement. This was a superb outing from them, and the night couldn't get any better.

Until everything turned bad when the Hunters came.

A group of about six entered through the tent-door, and began to show people several pictures, asking them if they had seen the girl in the photo. A forgotten photo drifted into Edd's lap, and he picked it up to be stunned that Nazz was the girl in the photo!

"Nazz!" he hissed. "Look!"

Nazz took the photo off him, and her face turned ashen-white, all the blood disappearing from her cheeks.

"But why are they looking for me?" she hissed back at Edd. "I've done nothing wrong!"

"Sir! Over there!"

Nazz and Edd looked up to see a new-recruit Hunter pointing at them from their right, showing his senior where the target was. The elder Hunter smirked, yet didn't bother walking to Nazz to apprehend her for the crime she didn't commit. Instead, he reached into his holster, and slowly pulled out something, hidden under his cloak so as to avoid raising the alarm. Nazz, however, saw a glint of light on metal under his cloak, and came to the realization that he was carrying a gun! Nazz urgently whispered this to Edd. Before he could reply, a gunshot ran out in the activity of the tent.

"GET DOWN!" screamed Edd, dropping to the floor and pulling Nazz with him. A bullet zoomed over their heads and ricocheted off a chair, while the Hunters fired more bullets at the crouching duo. By now, panic had filtered into the atmosphere, and the civilians were desperately trying to escape the tent. Nazz got off the ground and ran into the centre of the arena , Edd following behind her. They both realised what a mistake this was, as now all six Hunters had a clear shot.

"Fire!" commanded the senior Commander, and six triggers were pulled. Nazz and Ed huddled together, expecting to be shot dead; but they were never hit. They both opened their eyes, which had been screwed shut, to find that a wall of rock had risen up around them. They heard a Hunter say "He's a Bender!" before the wall of rock zoomed outwards, slamming into the Hunters and sending them flying. A boy and girl of about fourteen came up to them, and Nazz saw that they were "Strongman" Rolf and "Ritzy" Rebecca.

Rolf was tall and muscular, with a thick mop of dark-blue hair and chestnut brown eyes. His skin was tanned a light brown, and he wore a brown vest-tunic, blue cropped pants and brown sandals. There were also two pieces of red cloth tied around his wrists, and his overall appearance was very though and masculine.

Rebecca was thin and around the same height as Edd, with lean muscles developing on her arms and legs. She had shoulder-length, cropped blonde hair, and sparkling- grass-green eyes. She wore black jogging pants, a black t-shirt, a bright green hoodie, and black trainers with green laces.

"I'm glad your safe!" cried Rebecca. "I don't know why those Hunters attacked you, but Rolf knows. Tell them!"

"This is not the time or place for secrets to be shared," said Rolf gravely. "Come. Rolf knows of a hidden place not far from here." Rolf raced out of the tent, with the other three kids following him. They exited into the park, and ran out of it, down many winding streets and pathways until they came to a stop in a hidden alley, overgrown with vegetation.

"Alright," said Edd firmly, "what is the meaning of this?"

"Rolf, the Son of a Shepherd, saved your life," explained Rolf. "Rolf used the Magic of Land to save you."

"What?" asked an extremely confused Nazz and Edd simultaneously.

"Allow me to explain," said Rebecca. "Hi! My name is Rebecca, and this is Rolf. We're members of Taileia's circus, but I've been travelling with Rolf for longer still. Earlier, in the tent, Rolf saved your lives by doing…Earthbending."

" Earthbending?" gasped Edd. "I thought that was merely a myth, like the Avatar!"

"Oh no," spoke Rebecca. "You see, I like to study history, and there are many mentions of Benders in esteemed history books around the globe. As you know, the planet is made up of four predominant Elements: Fire, Water, Earth and Air. Each Bender can control an Element: for example, and Airbender can manipulate Air, a Waterbender can control Water etc."

"However, there are hardly any Benders these days!" cried Edd. "If these Benders were so popular, then why have the basically died out these days?"

"I don't know," admitted Rebecca. "However, Rolf and I were departing from the circus tonight so that we could travel to Alphaville!"

"Why do you want to go to the capital of Algia?" asked Nazz,

"There are rumours that a library exists there, where a book is that holds all the history of Bending in its pages," gushed Rebecca. "If we find it, we may be able to find out what killed out the Benders, because very few exist today. Rolf's family is one of the last Earthbending clans in the world!"

"And you," said Rolf, pointing at Nazz, "must come with us."

"Why do I need to go?" asked Nazz, slightly taken-aback.

"A legend and picture in Rolf's family tells of the day you would come to save us," spoke Rolf reverently. "An aura of Bending power pulses from your being, meaning that you could only be one thing."

"Oh really?" asked Nazz. "Then who am I?"

"You are Avatar Nazz."

ooo

AN: Cliff-hanger! With Nazz finding out that she is the Avatar, how will she cope with the news? And what has Eleion hidden from Nazz all these years? Look out for the next chapter to find out!