Author's Note: A friend and I were talking earlier today, making Avatar jokes like always, when suddenly this idea popped into my head. And since we both like to write, we thought we might as well put it into writing. It's just supposed to be a funny little oneshot, hopefully that you will laugh at and enjoy… so if either of the characters seem slightly OOC, that's probably why. Heh heh… xD
Anyway, read, laugh, enjoy, and review!!
(EDIT: Changed the turtle duck's name from "Ducky" to "Duck Duck." My friend and I thought it was cuter. =))
Fire Lord Zuko paced the halls of his palace. "I'm not sure she'll like this… I mean, it isn't like me to surprise her like this." As he muttered to himself, Momo poked his head out of one of the many doors that lined the hall he was currently pacing. "Momo! Maybe you can help me."
The Fire Lord knelt down and pulled a ruby and onyx necklace out of his pocket. "Do you like it? Yes, I know it's shiny," he said, pushing the lemur's hand away from the necklace. "It's for Mai. And I really think she'll like it and- Hey! Get back here you little nuisance!" he screamed as Momo took the necklace out of Zuko's outstretched hand and flew down the hallway.
As Zuko raced after Momo, Aang poked his head out of the room Zuko and Mai gave him to stay in. "Umm, Zuko, is something wrong?"
"No, I'm just going to fry that stupid lemur as soon as I catch him!"
"You're going to do what to my lemur?" Aang cried out as he ran after Zuko. "Zuko, I know you have anger issues, but what the heck did Momo do?"
"Your lemur stole my necklace." Zuko groaned once he realized what he said.
"He stole your…what?"
"Look, Aang, Momo stole the necklace I got for Mai; tomorrow is her birthday, and I need that necklace!"
Aang rolled his eyes as he tried not to laugh. "Sure, Zuko."
"I'm dead serious here!" Zuko screamed. The two of them sneaked past Zuko and Mai's room. "If she wakes up we are so dead."
"No need to tell me," Aang whispered to the Fire Lord. After they got past the room of death as they jokingly called it, the two of them continued their search for the elusive lemur. "So, tell me, how exactly did Momo get this necklace?"
Zuko sighed. "I showed it to him, and I guess the candlelight played off of it, so I guess it looked really shiny to him, and well…"
"In other words: you were being your same stupid self that always gets in trouble day after day," Aang finished, laughing his head off.
"Yeah…right…" Zuko rolled his eyes before muttering, "Maybe I should fry you, too."
Aang stopped in his tracks. "Hey, Zuko?"
"Yeah?"
"Why don't you let me find him? After all, he is my lemur."
Zuko looked over at him and sighed. "Alright. Just don't let anything happen to that necklace." Zuko's usually harsh tone had all but vanished as he went out to the garden to vent.
"I swear, he needs a new hobby besides gardening and feeding the turtle ducks," Aang muttered as he walked down the hallway alone. "I mean, come on, it's not that hard to pick up a new hobby, is it? Most people would expect the Fire Lord to like more ruthless things," he said as he sat down.
Momo sat down on the ground beside him. "Hey Momo!" Aang quickly swung his head around.
"Momo!" he cried. "Momo, don't! Spit it out! You spit it out right now!" Momo was eating the necklace. Aang tried to pull it out of the lemur's mouth and failed, watching, horrified, as the ruby and onyx necklace slipped down the lemur's throat. "Momo! No! Bad lemur!" Aang groaned. "Now Zuko is really going to kill you… No, he's not just going to kill you; he's going to fry me alive! Do you understand? Zuko is going to kill me because of you!"
Zuko sighed as he fed the turtle ducks. "I hope Aang can find the necklace. I can't mess this one up! Seriously, I'm doing something nice for once," he told Duck Duck, his favorite turtle duck. "Duck Duck, am I worrying for nothing?"
The turtle duck looked at him and honked.
Zuko laughed. "Yeah, you're right. Aang did save the world, so how hard can it be for him to find one necklace?" Zuko suddenly looked up at the window. "Do you…hear someone screaming?"
Duck Duck cocked his head and honked.
Just then, Aang came into the garden. "Did you find it?" Zuko asked him.
"Yes, but Zuko, promise me you won't get mad."
Zuko's face darkened a bit, but he sighed. "Fine, I promise, so where is it?"
"Momo kinda…sorta…ate it." Aang quickly added, "You promised not to get mad!"
Zuko's face went from red to purple to almost black, and steam shot out of his ears and nostrils. "Well, now what are we going to do?" he yelled.
"Well, we can start with you not frying Momo…or me," Aang said meekly.
"Aang, I'm not going to fry either of you… Right now I have way more important matters on my hands, such as my life hanging in the balance." Zuko groaned as he stomped over to the wall and punched a nice-sized hole into it.
"We could get her a new one, right? Where did you get the one Momo ate?" Aang asked, trying to calm Zuko down.
"I made it for her. My family has a ruby and onyx mine not far from here, so I chose the best stones, had them polished, and then I strung them into that necklace for her. It took me three months, Aang. I can't just go buy her a new one." Zuko rested his forehead against the wall. "We…could dissect Momo."
Aang's eyes widened with fear and anger. "You're not going to kill him over a necklace, Zuko!"
"No, that's not what I meant. We can get the necklace out surgically." Zuko looked over at Aang and, when Aang still just stared at him, he sighed. "And by that I mean we take him to the vet to get it removed."
Aang calmed down and started to think. "That could work, but I don't know any vets…do you?"
Zuko shook his head. "We can bring Uncle back from his vacation early; he'd know what to do."
Both of them sighed. It was true. Iroh would know what to do, but neither of them had the heart to take him out of a well-earned vacation that they had to force him to go on in the first place. Besides, it'd still take longer than a day for him to come back.
"Maybe Ty Lee would know what to do; she's really good with animals," Aang suggested to his friend.
Zuko stared at Aang dumbfounded. "Ty Lee."
"Yeah, it's a good idea, right?"
"Ty Lee. That little pink girl that loves to paralyze anything that moves?" Zuko exhaled, clearly willing to try anything at this point. "We can give her a try, I guess." A smile spread across Zuko's face. "Aang, we can ask her to help, but by 'we,' I mean you."
Aang drew back with a horrified look on his face. "Why can't the two of us ask her?"
Zuko laughed. "Three things. First, it was your lemur that ate the necklace. Secondly, you are the Avatar. Third, she really creeps me out. She's so happy all the time! Really, what does she eat in the morning? Pure sugar?" he joked and almost laughed at Aang's face. "Nice look. I hope it doesn't freeze that way."
Aang's face lit up. "Okay, but I'm going to need a few days to get to Kyoshi Island and back."
Zuko's face fell. "What about…June?" he asked feebly.
Aang rolled his eyes. "How could she help? She's in the Earth Kingdom."
"Her giant mole could sniff out a vet?"
Aang banged his hand onto his forehead. "Wait a minute, you're the Fire Lord!"
"Aang, you were there when I was crowned, and you just now figured that out?"
Aang ignored him. "You don't get it, do you? Just have one of your servants go get the vet, and bring him here."
Zuko just stared at him for a moment and then proceeded to bang his head against the wall. "Oh yeah, we could do that."
Zuko called into the palace. "Rei? Rei, would you mind coming here for a moment?" At his call a girl with a long, black braid rushed out.
"Yes, my lord?"
Zuko smiled. "Relax, Rei. I just need you to go fetch the vet and bring him here. The Avatar's lemur is sick. Can you do that for me?"
The girl's eyes widened. "Of course, my lord. I shall be back soon."
Aang stared after her as she left. "She seems nice. "
"She is, though a little jumpy… Azula banished her sister," Zuko explained sadly.
While they waited for Rei to return, Momo glided towards them and curled up along Aang's shoulders. "Hey Momo," Aang said as he pet his lemur. All of a sudden, Momo started to shake.
"What's wrong with him?" Zuko asked.
"I have no idea," Aang replied, sounding worried. The two of them watched as Momo began to cough violently and then suddenly spat out the necklace right at Zuko's feet.
"Well…that settles that. Aang, we're still getting Momo checked out," Zuko said as he slowly picked up the necklace with his finger tips, disgusted.
"My Lord, I couldn't find the vet; apparently he's on vacation." Rei panted as she ran back to Zuko.
"That's alright, Rei. Would you please wash this for me?" he asked her with a small smile.
Rei held the necklace gingerly with two finger tips. "Yes, my lord."
"Oh, and don't mention a word of this to Lady Mai."
"Yes, my lord," Rei replied, bowing as she left.
Zuko ran his hand through his air and noticed his top knot had come undone.
"Aang, have you seen my crown?" As Zuko turned to ask Aang this, he saw Momo stick the crown into his mouth and saw it disappear down the lemur throat.
"MOMO! I SWEAR IF I GET MY HANDS ON YOU, YOU ARE SO DEAD!" Zuko roared as Aang held him back. Momo just cocked his head to the side, chittered, and then happily jumped into the air, flying away from the angry Fire Lord.
