Ollo little Jewels!!! It's been quiet a while Since I've been able to Write some things. . . . Yeah summer vacation/End of school Is Always a bit hectic, but I'm glad to be Back and writing!!! And now Back to Emi!!!! Oh Btw I just really like this song and it kind of goes with the mood of this chappy Too so. . . win-Win!!!  

P.S: Extra long Chappy ahead!!

Emilia's Pov

The King of Omashu

"Listen here Squirt! You'll never take me down!" My father glared down at me holding the platter high above his head. 

Defiant I pointed my plastic light saber to him, "Don't understate me father! For I want my cookie!!"  

"Me Too!" Little Bobby stated while hiding behind me.

Alyssa in the other room corrected, "Underestimate." Before I launched myself at him, with Bobby backing me up we eventually got our cookies and our fun. 

Grinning I fluttered my eyes open and immediately lost my smile. I wasn't just sleeping in my own bedroom at home, I was in one of the women's hut. . . . . facing a wall. . . . in the Swamp. . . . .in the morning. 

The screaming sob built up inside me until. . . . I swallowed it back down. No point in waking up the entire clan. That was a weird word to use but it fit this place just right, Clan. I missed my own clan I thought while holding my thin pillow closer. I felt something cold brush the bottom of my foot, clutching my pillow I squealed into it and looked down. 

I nearly screamed again but stopped as I reminded myself that Slim was 'part of the family'. Not a monster to be scared of, even IF he looks like a Mob bosses pet, a crocodile with a mustache, nope nothing to be scared of.

"Morning Slim?" I greeted well questioned as I started to quickly pray that he wouldn't eat me while slowly moving my feet away from his maul. He grunted a hello back, and I mean grunted in the nicest velociraptor/Jurassic park type greeting. . . sitting up I slid my feet up and under me not taking my eyes off him the entire time.

I looked him over, as his faded copper-green eyes stared at me, he was a very strange hybrid like creature. It seemed like Slim was a large cat fish combined with a crocodile. . . or was it an alligator, I always get those two mixed up. I guess he could be a mix of all three; because all the animals here apparently are mixed with some other type of animal. I nearly lost my dinner last night when they said that I was eating POSSUM-chicken. . . . I THOUGHT IT WAS JUST REGULAR CHICKEN!? I mean I basically ate a rat last night!? 

I shivered and pushed that thought away, Slim looked at me then set his giant head to rest on the ground. Feeling more at ease with him in resting mode I turned to the side cracked my back and started to put my waterbent-clean shoes on. The bedding here wasn't that bad, it was like a very thin mat with a rough thick blanket and absorbing pillow/mat thingy. . . . So my exhaustion mixed with a confused brain and an okay sleeping area made for a well rested Emi. The huts were nice and comfy too, humid but comfy. 

My mind started to replay all that had happened last night and the new information I had also received. Just before going to bed Huu said that he might have an idea of where I should start my search to get home, but that he'd tell me in the morning. Can you believe that? That's like saying "Here's your Christmas present! Oh wait it's the 26th of December? Well I guess you have to wait a Whole Another Year!!!"

Rubbing the sleep from my eyes I looked around the hut again. It was still pretty early, but it seemed like a few of the other women here were already awake. Only a few others were still sleeping on their mats. I folded my pillow and blanket up then swinging my bag over one shoulder I started to creep my way out of the hut with Good Ol' Slim at my ankles. I could feel his hotter than hades breath on the back of my calves! His rounded nose and mustache must've bumped me no less than ten times before I got out the door!?

I stepped to the side and looked around the large area. Some of the women, dressed in large leaf colored skirts and exercise bras, tops or tanks, were standing around some large pots cooking something that I assumed was breakfast, but smelled like dinner. A few older men, unfortunately, were all similarly dressed like Huu leaving my imagination stunned and my eyes darting around the plants. The men were either teaching water bending or helping to prepare the food. 

Slim gave a low reptilian growl and pushed my legs forward, making me stumble into the clearing. That's it new rule: While I'm here, don't give beef jerky to creepy carnivorous pets! 

"Emilia! Good Morning!" I gave Slim one more glare before looking up to one of the taller cooking ladies. She had long dark hair with a few dark grey streaks and a vine wrapped around like a headband. Her skirt was a bit longer and she was wearing a tube top with a vine wrapped around her neck. One arm was swirling the soup while the other was waving to me. "Come on over an' join us!" 

I smiled because: one this lady or Milani was one of the coolest people I have met so far and two. . . . . Slim wasn't aloud by the cooking pots! "Bye Slim, Hello Milani!" She smiled as I came over and sat on a stump. "Morning Akita, Lia, Reki!" I said nodding to each of the other ladies in the group while thanking the heavens that I remembered their names. Akita the youngest in the group, was by another pot in a bending stance as she copied the motions that Milani did. Lia and Reki stood side by side next to a table filled with chopped and whole vegetables.

Lia and Akita nodded back, Reki gave me a motherly smile, "Mornin Emilia, I hope ya slept well?"

"Oh I think she did." Akita snickered her high ponytail bouncing with her movements, Lia and Reki grinned and continued to chop up the plants.

I raised my eyebrow, "What's that suppose to mean?" 

"Well," Lia started, her smooth voice indicating a chuckle, "last night all we could rightly hear was, 'No!! My Cookies! You can't have them!' " Lia's voice went up a couple octaves to make a toddlers squealing voice. "They Are Mine, No Cookie Monster Can Have them! HI-YAH!!" 

Akita couldn't hold it in and started laughing over the stew. Reki standing next to her daughter caught the contagious laughter and had to put her knife down to wipe a tear away. My face heated up, but I bit my lip to keep in my own laughter, cause I had to admit that it was pretty funny. 

Milani came over to me and patted my shoulder, "Out of all the things ya could've dreamt of . . . . Ya dreamt of cookies." With that we all started to laugh, getting up I bumped Lia into her mom and started to help with the cutting. 

Our laughter died done to giggles and comfortable silence. I studied the plant that I was cutting, it looking like a cucumber with rings on the inside and it smelled like . . . . garlic? Or onion? "Hey, umm what are we making?"

Akita turned to me, one arm still bending the soup around a grin on her face, "One of my personal favorites! Black Onion Hoppers!"

Black Onion Hoppers? What is in that!? My mind started to come up possibilities, none of them good, well I guess black beans, onions and rabbit would be in a good stew. . . . but I don't think they have rabbits in the swamp.

(what do you Guys Think Black Onion Hoppers are???)

"The green onions are a bit sweeter this time, but we'll still have the ink and meat from the hoppers." Reki spoke.

I stopped cutting and swallowed, "Ink and meat?!"

Lia smiled, "Yep! Them Black Hoppers are small animals that swim in the water. They have two strong arms that help them ta climb over them roots and branches, that they jump over with help from their tentacles."

"The men are huntin for some more but we already have enough, see?!" Akita grinned moving over so I could see what she was boiling.

"Frog. . . squids?! That's what we're eating for breakfast?" I started to feel green and I was probably as pale as the Hoppers which looked a lot like something you took fishing. 

"This'll be for Lunch," Milani chuckled, "If ya would like some breakfast we have left overs from last night or ya can pick from the fruit barrel by Slim." 

I looked over to find Slim not "BY" the barrel but wrapped around it. . . I gave Milani a playful glare, "You do this on purpose." 

She shrugged with a hidden smile, "You did say last night that ya missed the teasin ya got from yer family, I'm just makin up fer lost time." 

I rolled my eyes, "Ha-ha very funny."

Smiling I made my way over to Slim; he lifted his head a gave another 'grunt' in hello. I waved "Hi Slim, don't mind me," He lifted himself up a little higher showing some teeth, making me break out in a dry sweat. I slowed down and started to carefully reach over him and into the mysterious barrel, "I'm just . . .getting some fruit. . . .From. . . . this. . . . barrel. . . ." I grabbed a hand full, "And. . . Now. . . I. . . Will be leaving-here-really-fast-before-you-eat-me!!!!" 

Maybe he was mad that I didn't give him more jerky or maybe it was because I startled him by my erratic movements. But when he snapped at me. . . . . . . .Man you probably have never seen anyone jump as high as I did in that terrifying moment. If someone from the Olympics had seen me they would've given me the gold medal on the spot for high jump and distance!!! I quickly ran and hid behind Milani as Slim gave another affirming snap in the air. 

"Stupid Slim." I muttered, "YOU DON'T EVEN LIKE FRUIT!?" I yelled at him before hiding again from his hissing. Akita and Lia lost it again in laughter, I held Milani's shoulder which also shook in laughter.

"Go on and eat yer spoils." Milani snickered gently pushing me to the stump.

I rolled my eyes and sat back down next to the cutting table, Reki gave me a curious look with an dark eyebrow raised. I tilted my head, "What is it?"

She blinked, "Nothing." She then looked at my hands her lips grazing into a smile, "I just didn't think ya'd like lemonquats."

I looked down at the vibrant yellow fruits, they were perfectly rounded and they felt as hard as marbles, "Lemon. . . quats?"

Lia gave a soft smile, "Mom likes them."

Akita grimaced, "Yeah yer mom also likes elbow leeches!"

"They aren't as bad as those!" Lia snapped back.

Akita shrugged, "I'm just sayin if it was between eatin one of them elbow leeches or starvin, I'd die."

I rolled the small fruit between my fingers, well you can't judge a book by it's cover, unless it's a black hopper, "How do you eat these?" 

"Ya don't." Akita said turning back to her pot, ponytail swishing. 

Reki clicked her tongue annoyed before turning back to me, "Ya just pop them in yer mouth, like this."

Taking one she threw it in her mouth and chewed a few second before indicating that it was my turn. Now I've had lemon juice at home and I've also had kumquats before. . . so I wasn't to excited about eating the sour things. Nodding I took hold of my own and popped it in my mouth.

My back teeth crunched through the outer skin revealing a soft grainy center. After a second bite the flavor finally hit my taste buds. . . they didn't taste bad it was just unexpected. I thought it would either have a tart taste of kumquats or the sourness of lemons but instead it was more of a tang grapefruit with a pixie stick consistency?

Akita, Lia, Reki and Milani were all looking at me, waiting. I shrugged, "Weird, but a good weird. I actually kind of like them. They're like a sour gobstopper." I said popping another one in.

Akita scrunched up her little nose, "How can ya eat that!? They kill yer tongue!?"

"I told ya they weren't that bad." Lia smirked.

I shrugged, "From where I'm from, they are like candy, so I guess I'm use to them."

"Ya have candy like lemonquats?!" Reki smiled.

"Oh yeah, if I had some I would share them, but I ate the last of them a few days ago. Gobstoppers are what we call them, they come in different flavors like grape, strawberry, orange. . . ." They started looking at me weird again, I smacked my temple, "Duh Emi! Sorry in your world your fruits are mixed with other fruits, in mine they kind of stay with one fruit flavor."

Akita frowned, "How boring."

"Akita!?" Lia spoke throwing a ring of Onion at the girl. The onion fell in the stew missing Akita by an inch. 

"Sorry, sorry." The young girl said with a playful smile and a fire in her eyes as she bended a small water ball with the onion ring in the middle. 

"Hello Emilia." Turning around my eyes found a familiar face.

"Morning Huu---" I was cut off as Lia screamed. Akita started chasing her around with the stew ball, shaking my head I turned back to Huu. "How are you?"

"Oh just fine." He nodded, "Have you been well?"

"Yep!" I said popping my p, "Although I'm dying to know what you wanted to talk to me about?"

He nodded again, "Come let's talk." Nodding I popped the last lemonquat in my mouth and joined him.

We went over to a few stumps and sat down. He spoke of the spiritual journey that he has been doing. And that he planned to go back to the Spirit Tree again later that day to continue it. We spoke a bit about the natural energy that surrounds us all, and that all living things have a spirit, which meant that we were all connected. I kind of understood what he meant, and it seemed that he was still learning that lesson as well. "Emilia, I know that you would like to return home but it seems that to go back through the Spirit Tree will not work. I think you will only fall again."

"And get my butt whipped." I frowned.

Huu gave a small smile, "Emilia, I find that you only have two options." I leaned forward prepared to listen and hang on to every word he said. I mean I like it here, the whole clan has been so kind and so much fun to be around. Even though I had fights and was stressed with my own family rules and regulations, I missed them, so much. I'd do anything to get back home. "The first option would be to find the spiritual enlightenment to get back to your own world. This would require study, patience, integrity but most importantly time. It takes most people a life time to find their own bridge to the spirit world. The higher state of mind, body, and spirit. A world within a world. If you gain the knowledge needed you could make it back home."

I looked down and shook my head, "I know I need to practice more patience, but I can't wait my entire life to get back home?!" I took a deep breath, I couldn't stay here I didn't belong in this world, I belonged with my family. Sure I was putting on a brave face and joking around a lot but I was really terrified. I didn't know how anything worked here; the science, the way of life, the food, culture, the air I mean EVERYTHING was different here! It was taking all of my energy to not have a panic attack and pass out! "I need to go back home and quick, what's the other option?!"

Huu took a breath and looked at me straight, "To find the bridge between our world and the spirit world. Emilia you must find the Avatar, only he can help you through your journey." 

"The Avatar? How do I find them? No wait. . . . Avatar I know that word?" My mind was turning in circles, I knew what an Avatar was. . . Not the blue type of Avatars but. . . . URG!? Stupid head. . . it'll come to me later. 

"You may have heard us talk of him. The Avatar is a human being that can control all four elements. He is also the ambassador between the humans and spirits. When the avatar dies, his avatar spirit is reincarnated into the next nation in the cycle; Water, Earth, Fire and Air. If anyone can help you back home, The Avatar can."

"But wait, what is so hard about finding a person who is so famous?" I questioned, I mean heck finding someone seemed a lot easier than a lifetime of 'spiritual enlightenment.'

"He disappeared over a hundred years ago. No one has seen him since." 

I looked down, "Oh, I guess that does make it hard."  

"Don't lose hope youngin," Looking up with my eyes I saw him smile at me, "The week before you came, there was an unusual but powerful aura around the Spirit Tree. Just before I found you the whole Spirit Tree glowed with immense spiritual energy. Emilia I believe the Avatar is alive and I believe you can find him." 

I blinked, "Wow, you sure know how to give someone a confidence boost!? If you really believe that he's alive. . . I guess I should look into it." 

"Not only do 'I' believe it but even now there have been rumors of people seeing and talking with him as well. Rumors that he is the last air nomad and that he is traveling on a flying bison towards the Water nation."

"Okay! Okay! Okay! Hold. The. Phone." Holding my hands up I looked at the ground as it finally clicked where I knew the word Avatar from. "Let me get this straight. The Avatar is the master of all four elements, the last Air Bender you could say?!" I finally peaked up at Huu.

He looked at me patiently with a slight curious look, "Yes."

I closed my eyes again, only one way to find out Emi, "Last Air Bender. Traveling with two water tribe siblings. A flying lemur. A flying bison. The fire nation is after them but specifically a prince. AND they are not just traveling towards the water nation but specifically the North Pole! RIGHT!?"

Huu looked at me sideways, "I'm not sure, but we do have flying lemurs in our world."

I took in a deep breath, my chest was starting to feel tight. . . . and now tighter!? "Avatar: The Last Air Bender. . . . it's a uh story from my home world. . . . I know this story, or at least parts of it. . . but what if my mind is making this all up. . . .what if I really am in a Coma and my mind is mixing reality with what Hannah and Cathy have told me?!. . . . . . What if------"

"Emilia." I was breathing rapidly. . . . I can't get enough air.

My vision. . . was blurry. . . black. . . . tight. . . . help.

"Emilia!" Huu had put both of his hands over my shoulders and was gently massaging them, "Emilia listen to my voice. Come on youngin. I know yer scared. But do you really think I would lie to you? In the two days you have been here with us you have become a part of our Clan, and I would never lie to a family member." He gave me a gentle shake until my wet eyes found his, with a set of tears falling on their own. "I promise that This right here, right now is real."

"I-I-I. . . " My muscles had strained enough. They relaxed and my tears cascaded down my cheeks in abundance.

Huu's arms came closer and wrapped me in a hug, I didn't even care that my face was being buried on his bare chest. Well I did a little bit, but not really. "I know you are frustrated and that this isn't what you would call normal. But you are doing very well considering what you are going through. May I, make another promise to you?"

I sniffed again and nodded pulling away to wipe my eyes, "Yeah sure."

"If you stay strong, happy and open minded you will find the Avatar. I also promise that he can and will help you home. I also have a way that will help you start your journey if you are willing."

Breath Emi, just breath, "You do? What is it?" 

The sound of jingling and laughter mixed with music started to come towards us. I looked at Huu curious, he grinned back to me, "That, is it."

(YEAH!!! TOOK ME LONG ENOUGH!?!?!? Sheesh, I'm so sorry Little jewels I didn't know that It would take me so long to write a Chappy, A 3700+ word Chappy, But I guess the First long chappy In This book deserved some Time. Either way Here you all go!! Love ya and Enjoy!!)