A/N: yes, I know. This is getting pretty long for a one-shot. But what can I do? Inspiration just sometimes hits me like a baseball-bat on a cold night. At those times, all you can do is roll with the brain-meshing strokes and write it off… ah, what the hell am I talking about anyway?

Just read the thing. ;)

0000~Z~0000

They were all crazy.

Zuko had been sure of that long before he was forced to follow this ragtag group into the gates –the Jaws- of Ba Sing Se. And the point was proven again, as the Avatar and his "gAang" raged through the Royal palace, in search for their beloved friend.

The ten ton sky-bison, Appa.

Apparently, nothing could stand in the way of their love for this great lumbering beast: The group tore walls; they uprooted pillars; they knocked out Dai Li. Ithin the rubble of their handiwork, they soon they found Long Feng: the man in charge; the man that knew where that spirit-cursed sky bison was kept.

And then, as one, the entire group turned on Zuko. Yes, they expected him to make the threats and implications necessary to loosen the man's tongue.

Another obvious sign of their madness: none of them had pulled their punches before. Not the innocent-looking blind earth bender, not the kindness-preaching healing water-peasant. Not even her lazy, kitchen-raiding big brother. –that's right; the water-tribesman was indeed crazy enough to stop for lunch during their attack on the Earth Kingdom's royal palace!

Not even the Avatar had pulled any punches, though he insisted he was a pacifist at heart. The sweet-looking boy preached friendship and togetherness at every turn, insisted every creature could be their friend, and refused to eat meat on the basis that that would require an animal to die. Still, it turned out he had little trouble wind-slapping unsuspecting men whose only crime was serving their king loyally.

Yet now it became time to threaten this roach of a man, the lot of them suddenly got cold feet and expected the Fire Prince to stoop off his moral high-ground.

Regardless, the task turned out unnervingly easy for Zuko: all it took was one hand holding a flame, another on an out-thrust hip, and a few lines in imitation the scariest person he knew: his sister.

Long Feng soon redirected them to Lake Laogai.

Dirty deed done, the entire group went on to tear a tunnel through the city, right into the poor Dai Li's base. Not a moment was spared to worry about damages to property nor person. Zuko followed them at a small distance, constantly torn between the compulsion to loudly proclaim he wasn't with these people, and the equally crazy calling to apologize for their behavior.

But their ruthlessness paid out in the end, and Appa was freed. This the real madness began.

Zuko had known, instinctively, that this had been his cue to leave. He had tried to explain as much to his overly-friendly should-be-enemies. But the water bender –craziest of crazies- , upon hearing his refusal to mount, and loudly proclaimed that she didn't give a damn if he stayed behind here. To get himself locked up or killed or brain-washed by the Dai Lee. A beat later she had promptly used all her water to nab and launch him into the saddle regardless.

In hindsight, Zuko would have preferred any of the fates she had named, or perhaps even all three, over the torture he was to endure next. It turned out Appa was very pleased to be rescued, and areal celebrations were in order.

The bison did loops. The bison did rolls. The bison did drops and sharp pull ups, spins and screws, and other tricks Zuko was sure there were even names for. All the way, the passengers whooped and screamed and yelled his ears off. Yes; the bison was as crazy as any of its riders.

When they finally landed; after too, too long a flight that was the prince's first - and hopefully last - he scrambled to the ground. Then Toph came up next to him and slapped him on the back, laughing boisterously. "Great flight huh?"

This is where the lunch Zuko had fought hard to keep down for over the last hour came back out the wrong way.

Toph kept her quiet as he noisily threw up more then he'd thought could ever have fit in his stomach, and then commented a little pensively. "Yeah, I'm actually not that found of the loop-da-loops myself."

When Zuko had finished his violent bouts of sick, he got his first pleasant surprise of the day. - No; much longer than that, actually. - It turned out Aang had landed them right with the one person Zuko had been so desperate to find these last weeks: his uncle Iroh.

Oddly enough, the general was not riding to Zuko's rescue on the forefront of an army; no, he was alone, riding an ostrich-horse and dressed in inconspicuous an brown. In fact, had it not been by the old man's joyous words of welcome, Zuko would not have known his one friendly relative at all. That Aang had been able to find his uncle at all could only have been due to his Avatar-ish powers.

When Zuko inquired as to what was going on, Iroh came forth with more bad news. It was the kind of news Zuko could not—would not believe. No; it was wrong, and it was crazy. That the Avatar and his companions were stark-raving mad was a proven by now. And, perhaps if the spirit of the world was mad, the world itself should be equally lunatic. But that Zuko's country might turn equally bereft of reason… It was a possibility Zuko would rather not meditate on too deeply.

"Enemy… of the state…?" he half chocked out, not even understanding how such a charge could be brought against him.

Uncle was sympathetic, but pragmatic in his response: "Sadly, our ship and crew have been repossessed. Zhao came by, brought an official document naming you a traitor and commandeered the lot. I'm afraid I've committed an act of mutiny to come after you. You might be pleased to hear some of the crew offered to join my quest to find you. But as it was declared the act of joining you would name them traitors as well, I felt I had to decline in your name."

"Traitor, what—how can they say that, traitor?"

Iroh smiled apologetically. "Well, word is you have given up on capturing the Avatar, and have joined him instead."

That was ridiculous.

"I am capturing him!" Zuko's voice was too tight in his throat, but at least he could still force out… something. "Look!" he grabbed Aang around his middle, lifting him bodily off the ground; like grabbing at straws, "I've captured him right now! Get the chains."

The boy-Avatar gave a high-pitched cry in alarm, and then started squirming in his hold. Oddly, his friends did little: Sokka walked over to his sister and Toph, and half-whispered something that got him a snort out of both girls.

As for Uncle, he seemed strangely humored. "The Chains? I'm afraid I've forgotten those with the ship. I did have to travel light you see."

"Well, then get me rope. Rope can work." Zuko glanced down at Avatar. "Stop fidgeting you!"

"I can't help it," the boy giggled, half-hysterical. "I'm ticklish!"

0000

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