~Jinhai POV~

I decided to go hunting for some food for us while Kat and Aang stayed at the camp with Appa. I was able to find some nuts for Aang while I hunted some fish for Kat, Sokka, and myself.

I know Aang wouldn't be happy about me killing an animal, but we have to for survival.

When I got back to them, I saw Sokka beat me to them, but I didn't care.

Kat: How'd you hunt the fish?

Jinhai: Let's say I have my ways. Also, I found some nuts and some berries for Aang while the three of us have some fish.

Then, we felt a rumble between our feet, two times to be exact. Aang pointed in a direction that was unfamiliar.

Aang: It's coming from over there!

We went over and we all hid behind a fallen tree, and who we saw a young man, practicing his earthbending.

Kat: An earthbender.

Sokka: Let's just stay back and-

Instead of listening, Katara went ahead and introduced herself.

Kat: Hello, I'm Katara. What's your name?

This earthbender was surprised that he dropped the rock he was using and ran away. Who can blame him for being spooked out?

Jinhai: Kat, you act when you should think.

Kat: I just wanted to say "hi".

Jinhai: He's gotta be from a village not too far away from here. We could find him again.

Sokka: Hey! I worked hard to get those nuts!... Yeah, I hate them too.

We were able to find the village, which was walled up and very protected. I saw Aang trying on a hat, but who I saw made me stop in my tracks.

It was my mom, in the flesh, looking the same as she "died". Her hair was blonde and she had some woven hair braids that looked similar to Kat's, but no hairtail.

It had to be her, so I had to let the gaang know that I would catch up with them as I "looked around".

Jinhai: Hey, guys, I'm gonna check something out real quick.

Sokka: Alright.

I went up to to my mom, who clearly doesn't know that I'm here as I as I reached my hand out to her.

Jinhai: Excuse me, are you Erya Huang?

Mom: Who's asking?

When I heard her voice, I wanted to turn her around and hug her, but I kept myself together.

I knew I had to reveal myself to her, so I said, with my voice cracking...

Jinhai(voice cracking): Your son.

She then froze before turning around to see me as she dropped her basket. She still looked the same when I was younger and before she was "killed" as I smiled with such happiness that I can't explain.

I mean, she was so shocked seeing me as my eyes were watering.

As if my mom was wanting to know if I was real, she then put her hand on my shoulder. And when she realized it was all real, her breathing hitched, lunged at me, and hugged me so tightly that I was on the verge of tears myself as she was bawling!

She was just shaking from all the crying and I really couldn't believe that she was really still alive, just like what King Bumi had said.

Mom: You're alive!

Jinhai: I thought you were dead, but I heard about you still being alive. I had to find you.

Mom: Bumi told you?

Jinhai: He has.

Mom: But Jinhai, what are you doing here? Don't you realize that I'm in hiding while you're on the run?

Jinhai: I know, but I want to fight back and tell them that the party is over and we're not taking any more of their crap.

Mom: Spirits! Are you alone? How did you get here?

Jinhai: Some friends. Come on, let me bring you to them.

Mom: Of course.

She noticed her basket of prepaid fruits on the ground and was going to pay for them, but the vendor stopped her.

Vendor: Fruits are on me, ma'am. You spend time with your son. I'll handle it from here.

Mom: Thank you.

I couldn't believe that I'm now spending time with my mother like I should. I saw my friends in a house and I brought her there, but when Kat saw me, she was wondering who my mom was.

Kat: Jinhai, who's this?

Jinhai: Katara, meet my mother, Erya Huang. Mom, meet one of my best friends from the Southern Water Tribe, Katara.

Kat bowed and showed respect towards my mother, but my mom hugged her without hesitation. Kat was shocked at first, but she melted into the hug after a bit.

Mom: Katara, huh?

Kat: Yes ma'am.

Mom: That's a pretty name.

She noticed the necklace on Kat's neck and I knew what she was going to say.

Mom: Oh, you and Jinhai are engaged to be married?

Kat turned RED as I was RED TOO as we had to get that straight across.

Kat: No! He's not my boyfriend!

Jinhai: Mom, she's not my girlfriend! We're just friends, that's all. Plus that necklace is the last memory of her mother.

Kat seemed relieved when I straightened out the deal between Kat and as it was funny to see this side of her.

Sokka: Hi. I'm Sokka, Katara's brother.

They both bowed as Aang introduced himself.

Aang: I'm Aang. A pleasure to meet you, ma'am.

Mom: Same here. These are your friends, Jinhai?

Jinhai: They are. There's actually something I want to talk to you about.

Mom: Okay, what is it?

Jinhai: Way before I found you, I fell in love with a girl and it's not Katara.

Mom: Oh, who is this girl?

Jinhai: Her name is Mei and she's from the little Island of Kyoshi, where she's a part of a group called the Kyoshi Warriors. If you've heard of the Avatar named Kyoshi, that's why they're named that.

Mom: What is she like?

Jinhai: She's really cute and nice and, you won't believe this, but she actually kissed me.

Mom: She kissed you?! On the lips?

Jinhai: No, just on the cheek.

Mom: Do you like this girl?

Jinhai: I do, yeah, but I don't know if we'll ever become a thing. She want us to become a thing, but I don't know if I feel the same.

Mom: Well, let me tell you something, Jinhai, I know you treat every single girl with respect and you have done the same to me. If you keep going the way you're going, you just might win her over. This Mei sounds like a really cute and nice girl. When are you going back to Kyoshi?

Jinhai: I want to go back and confess my love to her, but the thing is, Aang's the Avatar, but he needs to master all four elements before taking on the Fire Lord. We're on our way to the North Pole to find a waterbending teacher for Aang and Katara.

Mom: Why stop here?

Jinhai: Because we're trying to find food for our journey. I only hunted some fish but Aang doesn't eat meat. I'm planning on buying some fruit and some nuts for him while Sokka, Katara, and myself eat some protein.

Mom: I can help you out. I have some friends here who can give some food to you and your friends Jinhai.

Jinhai: We don't have much money, all we have is a couple copper coins and some silver coins. Plus, your friends didn't seem very nice to us when we got here, mom.

Mom: I'm gonna make them an offer they can't refuse.

She put her arm around me and walked to the door.

Mom: Come with me. Let me take you to them.

Jinhai: Alright then. Guys, I'm going with my mom for a bit to buy some food.

Kat: Alright.

Sokka: Okay.

Aang: Be back in a little while.

We left as it was just my mom and I, but I didn't think she'd do something drastic to the vendors here!

Mom: Hold on there!

Vendor: Hello Erya! Good to see you!

Mom: Good to see you too.

Vendor: And who is this?

Mom: This is my son Jinhai, who needs some food for his friends.

Vendor: Well, I don't have any food for sale. I'm about to close up.

Jinhai: You're only closing up just because you saw me?

Vendor: No, of course not. I saw that the sun was going down so I decided it was the best time to close.

I went up to his desk and I had to do something about that.

Jinhai: Yeah. I think I want my food now.

He was chuckling a little bit and I know that he wanted to not give me the food for my friends.

Jinhai: Well sir, I know that you're a vendor and the saying goes that the customer, but in all fairness, I should explain to you who it is that I am. For instance, tomorrow morning, I'll get up nice and early, take a walk over to the store and, see that, uh, if you don't give me the food my friends and I need, I'll slice your freaking hand off in front of everybody here at the store.

He was breathing heavily and my mom was shocked at what I was saying, but to me, this was the only way to get the food.

Jinhai: And just when I escape from jail, hopefully, you'll be bandaged up. And guess what? I'll slice your other freaking hand off, because I'm freaking stupid. I don't give a crap about jail. That's who I am. And we all know who you are, don't we sir? You're a freaking con artist of a vendor.

Vendor: You can't touch me!

I grabbed his arm and held it tightly with a threatening glare.

Jinhai: HEY! You freaking rip-off! You put my freaking food away, you better get my food before I slice your freaking hand away!

He was breathing heavily in fear as he started getting the food that my gaang needs.

Vendor: Erya?

Jinhai: Don't "Erya" her, this is for my friends! Give me my food now! You can try me, idiot! Freaking try me!

He grabbed the food, gave it to me, and he ran away. Mom and I start walking back to that house where my friends were as she was a bit angry.

Jinhai: Think he got the point?

Mom: Jinhai, what are you doing? You can't do that to him. He's going to go to the Fire Nation.

Jinhai: Oh screw the Fire Nation! He's been dodging my friends since we got here! And what's it with you? I thought Bumi told me you'd be rebellious against them?

Mom: I am, but not rebellious like that! Come on, Jinhai, what are you doing? Where's your head?

Jinhai: Where's my head? Where's your freaking guts! Huh?

My mom was appalled at what I said, but this is me speaking the truth right now.

Jinhai: Right now, I don't recognize my mom anymore! I thought she'd be more tougher than I thought, but it seems like the same mom I've known before she got, quote unquote, "killed".

Mom: Come on, son. I didn't mean it like that. I just didn't feel like it was important to be rebellious.

Jinhai: It is, mom. You know, I don't know if you know this or not, but since dad died and I was in your stomach, no one had been able to help you give birth to me because of this simple thing: your weakness.

Mom: You have to understand that the Fire Nation is looking for me. If I even started something like you just did, they could arrest me. It would've been all over.

She was really telling the truth to me and I had to apologize before something bad happens.

Jinhai: Listen, I'm sorry. I'm just so desperate to get food for the group. We've been traveling all this way from the South Pole and we're really hungry.

Mom: I understand. If it makes you feel better, I'll help you four out however I can.

Jinhai: Would you?

Mom: Anything for my son. Let me look for some more food while you go back to your friends.

Jinhai: Okay. Thank you for doing this. I deeply appreciate it. I love you, mom.

Mom: I love you too, sweetheart.

We both hugged until we walked away, just so my mom can try her best to get the food for my friends, but when I returned to that house, I saw that my friends moved to a barn with Appa.

Aang saw the basket that I had and came down!

Aang: You got the food?!

Jinhai: Yeah. Some of the vendors wouldn't give me any for us, so I made them an offer they can't refuse.

Aang: You didn't threaten them, did ya?

Jinhai: No no, I took care of them.

Aang: At least we got food. That's all that matters.

Jinhai: Where's Katara?

Aang: She went on a walk with this kid named Haru. She'll be back.

Jinhai: I hope so.