A/N:OK,this is something I've been pondering over a lot lately.What would it be like for the world of Bender's in our time.Then..well,guess you can say it came to me!This is my first and hopefully not last time.By the way,this is sort of the introductory chapter.More Avatar-related material will be added next chapter and then it really takes off!

Disclaimer:I own no charators,Except Zuleika,Sesto,Coty,etc.

Chapter:Three hundred Book:Water

Many years gago,the Avatar returned to the world in a time of reat peril.After he had apparently just,as some called it then,"Vanished into thin air" the great war between the fire nation and the other nations as well began.That's when everything turned gloom and desperate.The Air Bender's were termentated and it wasn't until 100 years later that,nearing the end of the long struggle,only so many survived.And that's when,the Avatar reappeared.

Zuleika sat quietly by the window,writing down the words her Grandmother had to her as a little girl.When she was very young,Zuleika's Grandmother Juliea told her many stories ofthe Avatar and about many other great and exciting Benders.Now,she sat there,writing them down on paper.

She sighed restfully,as she sat the notepad down on the window ceil and raked her finger's through he shiney black hair as memmories and recollections of how fascinated she had been and still sometimes was of the marverlous things that her Grandmother had said.But,alas,all that was a while ago and she hadn't seen her since she was 8.But,thinking back,it was only 3 hundred years ago that the Bender's had left.Left.And set off into a new world and never heard from again.However,Zulekia had somehow always had hope.

"Hey,Zu."her older brother Sesto interupted her thoughts,looking over her shoulder with an amused grin playing on his face,"Wha'cha got there?More weirdo,wacked-out Bender stuff?Please!You still acutally believe all that nonsense about elements!Zuleika Moore."

She breathed in a steady breath of air,"Sesto,"she began slowly,her blue-green eyes cool as she started rising to face her 1-year-older brother,"I will believe what I want to believe..."she smiled to match his almost,"When I want to."

Sesto watched his now Thirteen-year-old sister gather up her things and start heading off in the direction of the kitchen to say good-bye to thier Mother and to get away from him.He had always thought it was all just a far-fetched fantasy and so did their Mother.But even with the conflicting feelings on whether to believe it all or not,didn't stop Zuleika from hoping.Hope,that someday the Bender's would return.

"All set?"Kayla,thier Mother,inquired her daugther cheerfully.

"Mom."Zuleika laughed,watching her brother out of the corner of her eye,"Yes,I'm set."then she added a little more secretly as she turned her back to leave and her brother finally entered,"But I'm not all set to adjust to the way we just picked up and moved all of a sudden.I don't like it one bit."

They had moved from where they were in Tokeyo,to the Sunny town of Cliffington,California.Her Father had recently gotten a new job a few weeks prior to them having to leave and had insisted they all make the move as soon as possible.So here they were,one month later,with the beginning of school starting and not much time to dream about Benders.

Zulekia watched her brother carefully as they made thier way to the Bus stop,all three of them really.Because thier younger brother Coty was starting 1st grade at age six.Studying his profile,Zulekia had always seen past her brother's well-built and muscle-bound structure.Being quite a popular football player back where they use to live,he naturally looked the part.Tanned,tall and lean.His deep green eyes her very handsome againist his dark skin and his almost never combed brown hair was the only outside apperance that seemed flawed.But,if you looked past all that and really got to kow him the way Zulekia did.You'd find out really quickly he had a whole other side to him.A protesting yet good-advice-giving side.But he disregard of Bender's exsistence ever,remained strong.

"What are you look at?"He caught her looking at her blankly and arched a brow,"Oh...yeah.Now I remember,"he formed a teasing,sly smirk,"I'm totally hot!I know girls can't resist."

"Resist this!"Zulekia grinned and playfully pushed him back,racing the rest of the way to the stop sign at the edge of thier road,but Sesto was quick to catch up.And then a very out-of-breath Coty came panting up to,he smiled up at her.

"Why did we run?"he asked her cheekily,his dimples showing.

She only shrugged and rumpled his hair,"I dunno,"she said breathlessly,taking her hand away from his shaggy brown hair and flinging her knapsack over her shoulder as the bus pulled forward and the three got on,"Just a little warm-up practice."

On the bus they looked around and finally aimlessly just plopped down into a seat.Zuleika was about to sit down in an empty seat,when a girl with short blond hair kind of called out to her and motioned her to sit by her.Nodding,Zulekia quickly made her away to the seat and sat down just as the Bus began to move.Turning,she was off guard my the girl's grin.

"I'm Sarah."she told her ecstatically,her voice in a high-pitched,somewhat off key,"And who might you be?"

Zuleika smiled politely,"I'm Zulekia or sometimes Zu or Zule."

Sarah grinned widely as she talked,saying things like "Coolie!" or "Neat" everytime she said something that Sarah thought was interesting.But then feeling comfortable with her new friend,she began in on her beliefs and hopes of Benders.

"...And there's so much we could learn from them,"Zuleika explained with a dreamy expression on her face and then she went on,"Of coruse,there's no acutal proof where they are and most people these days not bother with it but,um,Sarah?"

She had grown strangely quiet and turning to Sarah,lowered her eyes so she could Zulekia could see behind her black-rimmed glasses and see clearly into her eyes.They sparkled with curiousty,but it was mostly clouded with worry.

"It's banned from our school,"She told Zuleika firmly,making sure they had direct eye-to-eye contact,"We don't believe in it.Plaining and simple,besides!"she said a little more perky now,"It's just an urban myyth,no proof or anything like that."

"Right."

As they neared the scool,Sarah had to get passed her to at that moment because they were at the 6th and 7th grade part of the school.So Zuleika scooted over to the window in the seat and lightly pressed her face to the glass surface as a light summer drizzle began to start.Sighing deeply,she took out her book and read and re-read the story.As the bus was nearing the 8th grade part of the school,Zuleika put it back in her knapsack and as she was getting up to leave,she didn't pay attention to the fact that the water outside was moving with her.Only stopping once she was off the bus and inside.

Well,hoped you like it so far!More soon.And,yes,at least 'some' of the old charator's will reappear in other chapters.I wonder what Zuleika will find out later?Oh well,stay tuned and thanks for R&Ring peeps.Outta here!

LP