A/N so this is just an epilogue between Kuei and Azula in which they talk about what happened and come to terms with it. Read my note at the end for more info.

"Darling! Darling, Please wait!"

Ursa called after her, but she wouldn't stop until she was at the stables and Ursa knew this for a fact. She was often envious of the bond she'd formed with that bison, though she couldn't thank Dominatia enough for healing her daughter, literally bringing her back from the point of self-destruction. Thanks to Dominatia and her herd, Ursa could sometimes see the faint traces of a human being emerging through the thick wall of psychosis and anger Azula had built around herself.

Now was one of those times. She watched with bittersweet feelings as Azula threw herself upon the bison and wept. Her therapy animal cuddled into her with genuine acceptance.

Ursa sat down beside the bison and absently petted Dominatia's nose while she waited for Azula to stop sobbing. Azula cried for a long time before she slowed down. Ursa used this opportunity. "Darling," she began gently, "would you like to talk about it?"

Azula looked up at her mother through her tear mangled hair. She sniffed. "I don't know what to tell you, mother. It's just…It's...weird! It doesn't make sense!"

"What doesn't make sense, Darling?"

Azula flipped positions and lay back against her bison, her chest heaving as she studied the roof of the stable. "It! Last night! Him! Mother, he kissed me!"

"Darling, that's not a bad thing..."

"But I'm crazy!" Azula insisted. "I told him I was crazy in succinct professional terms, using the exact words the physicians put in my charts, and he STILL kissed me!" Azula stood up and began to pace, almost frantically. She put her hands in front of her, tagging the points with her fingers: "I told him I was a sociopath with schizophrenia, I told him I was on drugs, I told him I was in therapy..." she stopped abruptly and threw her hands up in the air, shouting: "and he didn't run screaming for the hills!"

"Kuei is a very kind and eccentric man with very exotic tastes," Ursa chuckled "and Darling, you are exotic."

Azula didn't seem to hear her mother. She stopped pacing, her hand on her forehead. A thought had occurred to her. "I'm hallucinating again," she stated.

"Oh Darling..."

"No, that's got to be it, mother!" Azula insisted, pointing wildly at Ursa. "Except now, instead of seeing you..I'm seeing gold diggers, and bears in clothing, and Kings with horrid taste in women!"

Ursa shook her head and tried to approach her daughter, but Azula backed away, her eyes wild with realization "I missed a dose, mother!" she stated. "I missed a dose, and now I'm seeing things."

"Azula, I don't think..."

"No, that's got to be it!"

Ursa sighed; there was no talking her down when Azula was like this. "When? Last night?"

Azula nodded. "My medication; it's upstairs in my guest bureau. Would you get it for me please?"

Ursa reached out, taking her daughter's head in her hands. She pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Of course. Stay with your bison and try not to incinerate anything while I'm gone." Ursa disappeared into the palace.

Princess Azula slumped back against Dominatia who licked her mistress' back.

"Ugg!" Azula groaned. "Dominatia, you know I hate tongue baths!"

"She just knows you're upset." said a soft and familiar voice.

Azula looked up to see Kuei before her. He looked as tall as ever but his shoulders were slumped. A worried look contorted his features. In his hands he carried a tray loaded with rice, eggs and fruit.

"What do you want?"

"I wanted to see if you were OK. I also thought you might be hungry." He approached her the same way he'd approached Bosco once after he was injured: slowly, very slowly with no intentions of touching her until he was sure he'd gained her trust. At last he set the tray down when he was still a few feet away from her and backed carefully away from it.

Azula's gaze darted from him to the tray and then back. He wasn't behaving like a hallucination, and she could actually smell the food. "Why so much food?"

"Well," he smiled at Dominatia, "I thought you might want to share it. Good morning, Dominatia."

The beast answered him with a bellow and a roll to her back. She wiggled her six legs in the air, beckoning him to scratch her.

"Maybe later, dear," he laughed as the bison grunted with disappointment.

"Your concern is unnecessary," Azula told him as she stood, straightening her hair. "Mother's gone for my medication; it works better when my stomach is empty." She turned away from him and leaned against the stable support. "I'll eat afterwards."

Kuei let out a breath. "I should have known it was you. Last night I was amazed by your boldness and intellect. There was only one other woman in the world really that could have matched the Bison Lord, and that is Princess Azula of the Fire Nation. You know in the Earth Kingdom her prowess is still as legendary as her cunning. She killed the Avatar, instituted a coup, and conquered Ba Sing Se. Who would have guessed that beneath all of that is a very frightened and distrustful young woman?"

Azula blinked against her tears. "I think it's pretty obvious I didn't kill him," she corrected. "I already apologized to you once for all of those things. It was a couple years back, after we found mother, remember?" she said over her shoulder.

"I do, and as you remember I forgave you."

"Good, so it's done between us. So what do you care?"

"I care about you."

Azula pinned her forehead against the stable post, fighting her sobs. She was too choked up to answer, and try as she might, she couldn't pinpoint why. It was like last night when he'd confronted her and she couldn't analyze him. Her inability to do so was so far outside her comfort zone and understanding of people that it was driving her to tears.

Kuei read her and had to bite back his own sobs. How very sad to believe like she did, that no one could ever love her. Nevertheless, if love was what she had trouble with, he'd try logic. "Azula, I am not a man known for my forcefulness. You said it yourself. I'm too kind; I'm a pushover. This leaves my kingdom vulnerable." He paused, taking a step toward her. "You're still thought of as a force to be reckoned with. With you as my bride, no one would mess with the city, let alone the rest of the kingdom!"

Azula's pride swelled; she couldn't help it any more than she could help the delighted smirk that spread across her lips. Still, she kept her back turned, hesitant to reveal her enthusiasm. "I thought you weren't ready for marriage; I thought that's what last night was about."

"You're right, I'm not, but maybe in a year or so. You're not ready right now either so…it works out." Kuei paused, choosing his next words carefully. "You would be Earth Queen," Kuei said softly, "and you would be your brother's equal; you do realize that?"

At that moment a light went on in Azula's brain, and the rest of her face couldn't help but surrender to the self-satisfied, maniacal grin that Kuei's words inspired. Azula turned to study him, her eyes sparkling with power lust and intrigue.

Her expression did not go unnoticed by Kuei, but he kept his words cautious and caring. "I asked your brother if I could court you."

Azula let out a snort. "And what did Zuzu say?"

"Well after a lecture about drafting a will, designating an heir, going with an armed guard, and insisting it was 'my funeral' he grudgingly agreed. "

Azula pursed her lips, but the force of her laughter burst them apart. "That's so very Zuzu!" she managed amidst a fit of giggles. "Well, I don't blame him," she said, wiping her tears of laughter with the back of her hand. "I almost killed him you know…but not just once!" She grinned wildly and held up her fingers to show her attempts at assassination.

"You don't say!" Kuei exclaimed. "I tried too, but just that one time, outside Yu Dao colony. He's so stubborn!"

Azula rolled her eyes. "Tell me about it! But you see it's because Zuzu's one of those people; by that I mean he just won't die. So I've accepted the fact and moved on."

Kuei smiled warmly at her "You see we have so much in common."

Azula licked her lips, considering him. "You know," she shared, "I've just discovered another reason why I don't like peasants."

"Oh, what's that?" Kuei laughed.

"Because they're so very wrong about so very many things! One of them is you. A lot of the peasants say you are a coward, but you are an exceptionally brave man to want to court me. Perhaps the bravest I've ever met! You do realize I could vaporize you with a flick of my wrist?"

"I know that. I also know that you won't."

Azula's eyes smoldered. "What makes you so sure?"

Kuei smiled warmly at her. "You wouldn't understand me if I told you. That's one thing you'll just have to figure out for yourself."

Well people I'm not sure how much further I want to take this wacky romance. But I did think that these two kids deserved an epilogue at least. If anyone's got any ideas, I'm open to suggestions. As of right now that's it for the Bison Lord. Peace out monkeyfeathers!