Disclaimer: If I owned the avatar, which I don't, I would show Zuko drinking cactus juice. Anyway, enjoy the mini story/thing/what/cool/cheese/I should shut up and let you get on with your story.
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"How in the world did we get here?" Zuko demanded, as he got off the emu horse. Sand was all around them. Zuko shielded his eyes with one of his hands, the heat almost unbearable. Sand as far as he could see, and to top it all, they were lost!
"I think we should ask for directions." Iroh suggested staying on the emu horse.
"We don't need directions! We're perfectly fine!" Zuko yelled waving his arms around.
"We're lost," Iroh said flatly. "And we don't have much water left." Iroh lifted the water cask, but then dropped it by mistake. The last drop of water was evaporated in the sun. "Um… scratch that. We don't have any water left."
Zuko started to huff and puff, while Iroh tried to smile, to calm his nephew down. Zuko saw a cactus, and grinned. He took his two dao's out.
"Zuko? What are you doing?" Iroh asked who started to get worried.
"I'm going to take my anger out on this stupid plant, in this stupid desert of all our stupid luck!" Zuko replied angrily.
"You shouldn't do that, we should respect all-" Iroh was cut off by the sounds of slicing.
"What the?" Zuko said as he saw water start to come out of the plant. "Uncle!" Zuko cried out. "There's water in these plants! We're not going to die!" Zuko started to cut more of the cactus and started to drink the water. His emu horse walked slowly towards him, and Zuko gave some water to the animal.
"Zuko… remember what you said about not eating random plants since the last incident? I think that's not the right cactus to be drinking from…" Iroh said cautiously as Zuko drank more cactus water.
"Uncle you should have some, it quenches your thirst really good!" Zuko exclaimed, water running down his face. "It has a little funny taste, but…"
"Zuko?"
Zuko's eye pupils widened, and his head felt a little lighter than usual.
"Drink cactus juice! It's the quenchiest quench that will ever quench your quenchiest quench, quench, quench!" Zuko shouted and started to dance. Iroh's eye brows lifted high as he saw his angst, serious nephew start to roll around on his stomach and then hang on him.
"Umm Zuko… I think that plant made you either tipsy or poisoned you." Iroh commented. Zuko went to the emu horse, which suddenly started to act strange.
"Look Uncle! Dad is dressed like a horse again!" Zuko laughed.
"Or you're hallucinating." Iroh said, getting rid some of the cactus water. The emu horse started to run around in circles, and then buried its head in the sand making groaning noises. "This is not good…"
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One hour later…
"Uncle! Look at the birdies!" Zuko exclaimed. Vulture bugs were swarming around them. Iroh wiped his head off with sweat. The bird horse was hard to pull, especially trying to keep tract of Zuko. It was as if he was a kid all over again. Iroh took a second to watch Zuko making a sand angle, smiling.
It's been so long since I've seen him smile. Maybe I should keep some cactus juice, just in case…
"Uncle! You look thirsty!" Zuko exclaimed. Iroh chuckled a little.
"Why yes, yes I am!" Iroh replied.
"Then you should drink water!" Zuko exclaimed as Iroh shook his head disbelieving. "Look Uncle! There's water all around us! We're swimming in a ocean!" Zuko started laughing and tried to swim in the sand, but moved no where, while the emu bird started to peck at him. "Ahhh a shark! Someone help me!" Zuko wiggled around.
We have to find shelter until Zuko gets his head right. If we're attacked, it will be hard to protect Zuko, and the bird, and to defeat anymore bounty hunters… Iroh thought. Soon the emu bird started to take off. Zuko's foot got caught in one of the straps of the harness and went along for the ride, being dragged on the ground. "I'm flying!" Zuko yelled as he was dragged away from his Uncle.
"Zuko!"
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"After yesterday of you hallucinating, you drink cactus juice, again?" Katara complained. Sokka lazily looked at her.
"Relax pretty girl, all you need is some cactus juice!" Sokka said, as he put some old dried up plant in her face. Katara smacked it away.
"ENOUGH WITH THE CACTUS JUICE!" Katara screamed.
"Why did Sokka drink cactus juice?" Toph asked. "The sand people gave us some more water."
"That will always be a mystery to me Toph." Katara said in disgust as Sokka sat on the ground playing with Momo.
Aang stayed quiet. He was angry with himself for a lot of things. For loosing Appa, getting angry at his friends, and loosing himself to the Avatar State, nearly killing everyone. Suddenly Aang spotted a movement. It was an emu horse heading towards them. The emu horse stopped suddenly in front of the group, and Zuko stopped screaming. He somehow freed himself, and slowly got up.
"Ahhhh!" Zuko screamed.
"AHHHHHH!" Aang screamed.
"AHHHHHHHH ZUKO!" Sokka screamed pointing at Zuko.
"AHHHHHHHHH FLITHY PEASANT!" Zuko screamed pointing at Sokka.
"ZUKO!" Katara said, getting into a fighting stance.
"AHHHH! CUTE WATER BENDER THAT HAS THOSE WEIRD LOOPY HAIR THINGS!" Zuko screamed again.
"What?" Katara asked shocked.
"Who are you?" Toph asked calmly.
"AHHHHH! GIRL I DON'T KNOW BUT I HAVE SEEN IN WHEN WE CORNERED MY EVIL SISTER AT A DESERTED TOWN AND WHEN MY SISTER ALMOST KILLED MY UNCLE" Zuko stopped talking and took a deep breath. "AND CAME TO THE RESCUE OF THE AVATAR AND HELPED DRIVE MY EVIL SISTER AWAY!"
"Wow, that was long, and descriptive." Toph commented.
"Oh my God!" Zuko exclaimed, pointing at Aang.
"What?" Aang asked.
"What happened to your HAIR!" Zuko went to Aang and started to pat his head. "It seems that this arrow took over your hair!"
"Umm…. Prince Zuko? Are you okay?" Aang asked worried, as Zuko inspected his head. At that moment a voice called.
"Zuko?" Iroh called out.
"That monkey!" Zuko and Sokka went to Momo. "You can talk!"
"What is the meaning of life?" Sokka asked Momo. Momo just looked at him.
"Uh huh, uh huh…" Zuko nodded.
"What did he say scar man?" Sokka inquired.
"I have no idea," Zuko answered.
"Oh thank goodness I found you Zuko!" Iroh exclaimed, breathing heavily. Iroh found the emu horse walking in circles again. Iroh quickly calmed the bird as Katara approached him.
"Hey, wait a minute, you're Zuko's Uncle!" Katara realized.
"Yes, Zuko please, you must stop that!" Zuko started to eat the sand on the ground thinking it was water.
"Is Zuko… all right?" Aang asked Iroh.
"He apparently drank some water from a cactus" Iroh explained.
"You drank the cactus juice?" Sokka exclaimed pointing a finger at Zuko.
"Well, it's the quenishiest!" Zuko answered.
"Don't worry, it's only temporary." Katara comforted Iroh.
"What are you doing here? I thought you got hit by that crazy lightning girl!" Toph said, slowly making her way to Iroh.
"It's good to see you again too!" Iroh said bowing slightly. "We were on our way to Ba Sing Sa to meet a few friends, and also hide too."
"Why are you going there?" Aang asked.
"We are on the run, from Zuko's sister, who is either trying to kill us, or imprison us." Iroh explained.
"Guys, I want you to meet my father. Lord Ozzai!" Zuko announced gesturing his emu horse.
"Um… Zuko, that's an emu horse." Katara tried to reason.
"No! You're lying! He likes to dress like a horsy!" Zuko yelled. "Shhh it's okay daddy, she's just jealous." Zuko whispered and petted the emu horse.
"Ooookay," Katara said. "How much cactus juice did he drink?"
"Almost the whole plant, but I think the sun has also gotten to him, especially his situation with his father." Iroh said.
"Oh no! It's Azula!" Zuko cried pointing to the setting sun. For a second Iroh was in fighting stance, but then saw nothing.
"You can't get me now Azula!" Zuko screamed into the vast of nothingness. "Father's here right with me! Dad believes me! Isn't that right Dad?" The emu horse let out a growl.
"I actually know how to get out of here. We were supposed to meet a friend, but currently got lost." Iroh explained. He then saw Sokka start to dance with his nephew. "I take it that your brother has drunk some of the cactus juice?"
"Yeah… if you guys need help, why don't you come with us?" Katara said.
"Yeah, if we get you and Zuko out of the desert, then you can show us how to get to Ba Sing Sa!" Aang said excitedly.
"That sounds wonderful. What do you think Zuko?" Iroh asked out loud. No response. "Zuko?"
Zuko apparently fell asleep with Sokka. Their backs were against each other, supporting their bodies to be in a upright position.
"What will we do when Zuko goes back to his old grumpy self again?" Katara inquired looking at the two drugged up teenagers.
"Well, we could always take some cactus juice along, and 'accidentally' slip it into his dinner…" Iroh suggested slyly.
"Ok!" Aang chirped.
Iroh lifted both sleeping teenagers on the back of the emu horse. Well, it looks like I have to give Zuko that talk about drugs or strange plants…
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Sorry if the ending was a bit abrupt, but this is my first short drabble. Please review, and if you want to give suggestions, well, go ahead. And if you want me to make this into a story, well just review me.