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The rancher and the farmer are referred to earlier in this story, right before Azula shows up dressed all Water Tribey in Kuei's story. I elaborate more here for this final chapter in Azula's redemption. You get a little glimpse of what she is like as an Earth Queen.
Again, thank you for your patience! And thank you for following!
SIX MONTHS LATER….
The Farmer Qin Li looked nervously at the air bison guarding either side of the path to the throne room. Not all of them were full grown, but even an adolescent bison, which these were, was six times his size and many more times his weight and none of them looked happy to see him. They growled and rattled their green and gold armor and ornaments as he passed. More amazing than anything was the sheer number of them! Hadn't they been almost extinct a few years ago ago?
At any rate, the rumors were true; the notorious Earth Queen Azula finally had been building a grand bison army. Apparently, their first campaign was apparently to invade the Earth Kingdom Palace.
Qin Li had been called here to settle a land dispute between himself and a neighbor. It was a long, ongoing and tiresome quarrel between himself and the rancher. His last visit to the throne room over a year ago had ended with no help from Kuei.
During that time the Rancher, the alternate party in the dispute, allegedly found himself short of many cattle goats over the next year, and several of the rancher's dogs also met with similar fates.
Of course, Qin Li was not guilty and therefore the Rancher Ling could not prove his suspicions, but the quarrel still put the King in a difficult position. Both businessmen were important parties in Ba Sing's Se's industry. It was crucial to the city that both thrive and survive, and enmity between them would only destroy a good portion of the city's economy.
Despite his innocence Qin Li was afraid as he approached the palace. It was rumored that the Bison could smell fear and that they had a taste for blood like the Queen who ruled them. Never mind that every zoologist in Ba Sing Se knew that bison were vegetarians only. The farmer was sure that these liked blood. They looked at him like they did, with a bit of hunger in their eyes, the edges of their lips curled into a faint snarl, and their nostrils twitching…with the scent of his fear.
He gulped audibly as he approached the door. He was shaking when his hand came to the latch. Jezobel, one of the grand bison mothers, did not like his hesitation or trepidation. When he continued to stand there, frozen and trembling like an underdressed Water Tribe idiot, she butted the double doors open with her head and air bent him through the front doors with her rancid bison breath.
He was screaming when he landed a few feet through the front entry, and another bison, with even more gold ornaments and emerald green bows picked him up by the collar, carried him some distance into the palace and deposited him before the Earth King's throne.
"I am disappointed in you Qin Li."
The King's booming voice was enough to temporarily distract him from the bison slobber that soaked him through to the bone.
He looked up, and the King was as he remembered him, lavishly dressed with gentle but stern features. He put his hand out to stroke his bear as the ornamented bison retreated a short distance away from Qin Li. She sat down on her haunches, relaxed but at the ready and checking him with her suspicious and angry grey eyes.
"What do you have to say for yourself?" It was Kuei again.
Qin Li looked about the throne room for the Notorious Earth Queen, but she was nowhere to be seen. Even stranger, there remained only one throne in the throne room, which was occupied by Kuei. Only the King, his bear, and this guard bison were in there.
"Your Majesty, it is unfortunate that Ling is missing livestock, but I am not to blame. Has he considered the wild wolves that hunt the countryside, or perhaps a moose lion victimized them…"
He was interrupted by a large, ceremonial growl from the overdressed royal bison guard. Her intense anger sent tremors through her body, causing the ostentatious gold ornaments and bells adorning her hair to jingle.
Kuei whistled for Dominatia to silence her, and her demeanor changed in an instant. She raised her head, a wild grin breaking across her face. Her tongue lolled out as she slid over to Kuei's throne, rolled over onto her back and presented the King with her fluffy belly. He gave it an enthusiastic but short lived scratch as he descended the throne to face Qin Li.
"Qin Li," he began, "I thought when we met months ago we had decided that the area south to the berm would be yours and Therefore, I have devised a solution to the situation."
"Solution, Your Majesty?"
Kuei threw him a smile as he ascended the throne. "Go back to your farm. You'll see that everything is taken care of."
The farmer was only halfway on his knee when Dominatia airbent him out. He landed before the long line of adolescent bison outside. Their growls chased him quicker than their crafted puffs of air.
A moment later, Azula slinked from behind the curtain in Kuei's throne room and slid her hands around his waist.
He jumped a little at her touch, but then relaxed once he realized it was her. "You are so quiet. I will be very careful to keep you happy Dearest. You could easily assassinate me."
The King made it back to his throne and started to pull her into his lap although the gesture really wasn't necessary. Azula's momentum was already propelling her there and the couple's arms found their way around each other's shoulders very quickly.
"Don't you remember," Azula purred, stroking the back of his neck, "I promised my brother I wouldn't. He made me agree to it before letting me go."
"Ah, yes, that 'prenuptial agreement,'" Kuei chuckled and leaned in for a complete open mouthed kiss. They were newlyweds after all, and newlyweds were always ridiculous around one another. Sokka called the newlyweds Aang and Katara "vomit worthy" which strangely was different from how he viewed Kuei and Azula. Sokka would only stare at them, open mouthed and studious during their make out sessions.
When Aang called him out on it, Sokka explained: "Somehow, I don't get grossed out by them. It's their weirdness! It's just so much more powerful than their oogies."
Which was true, but weird though they were, they still liked to make out. Azula finally stopped the King by placing her hands gently on his chest. "We'd better call in the Rancher, Your Majesty."
"Everything is in order then?" Kuei asked, still panting a little.
The corner of her mouth turned up into a sadistic smile and she touched his nose playfully with her fingertip. "This is me we're talking about," Azula told him, "Of course everything is in order."
"Of course, my Dearest Queen," he slapped her playfully in the leg and called to the throne room guard. "Send him In."
And in stepped Ling from the eaves, a small, older man with a grumpy disposition and a temper shorter than Azula's. He was also one of the few people undeterred by Azula's notorious reputation. On the contrary, her history only infuriated him. He scowled at the king as he entered.
The royal couple studied him.
Dominatia grunted at him, turned herself around and plopped down on the marble flooring so as to show him her fluffy, bell adorned rear end and thereby her low opinion of him. She was actively trying to pass gas at him when King Kuei spoke:
"Rancher Ling, reports are that you have been sending your livestock onto Farmer Qin Li's territory, that they are eating his crops. Is this true?"
The old man squinted at the King. He was so old he had gotten to the point of 'I don't give a rat's A ## what happens to me and therefore I say and do as I F-ing please!' "Yeah I done it, and a good thing too! That there piece of land between his property, the one that goes over the hill…
"Is mine," Azula chimed in, and she exited the King's lap with a grace that would put a cat to shame. She was wearing a very stunning cheongsam and her hair was done up Earth Kingdom style, with several combs and flowers, but this delicate appearance did little to distract from her piercing amber eyes or 'I will take pleasure in gutting you' demeanor.
"You see, my bison Army is growing and they are in need of training grounds. I love my brother, but I can't trust him completely, any more than he can trust me. We must maintain our military might and that piece of land is perfect for it."
"Oh so now you suddenly care about the Earth Kingdom! I seen what you done to Ba Sing Se them years ago, you unholy she-witch! Now you 'xpect me to listen to you! You got the King under yourn spell!"
Kuei came out of his throne at that one. "That is your Queen and you will show some respect!" he blustered.
But Azula only smiled and put her arm gently out to silence her Husband. He was still burning up with anger, but intrigued by what she was about to do. He loved seeing her in action. It was such a turn on, so he let her continue uninterrupted.
"Of course you're right about all those things," Azula countered gently. "I am a depraved she- witch with delusions of world domination, but since I frankly dislike my homeland, find the Water Tribes too cold and was already Lord of an Air Temple for some time, world domination shall remain a pleasant fantasy of mine only. But it doesn't matter. I will tell you what does. I have seized the three acres between yourself and Qin Li, but the King and I will provide you with full restitution, twice the livestock you lost and some, new, additional livestock. You will find them waiting for you in your barn when you return to your ranch. In return, all the quarreling between yourself and Qin Li will cease, and you will allow my bison and their riders to train unhindered in the formerly disputed land. If there is any more trouble between the two of you, my army and my bison will be there to put a swift end to it. "Do you have any questions?"
The Rancher squinted at her and moved his jaw around. He looked like an old cow chewing on cud. She could see that he was unhappy with this verdict, but she also thought he understood that there was little he could do about it. She found him reprehensible, but thought real trouble at this point from him was a minimal reality.
"Is there anything else, Your She Witch Majesty?"
Azula only blinked at his insult. "Why yes," she answered. "Straight past the second set of palace doors and to the right in the courtyard you will find a large watering trough that I use for my bison."
"What has that got to do with anything?" he snickered.
"Everything. Go dunk yourself in it." And before he could react a blue stream of lightning had set his pants aflame. His walking stick and lame hip was completely forgotten as he streaked out of the palace.
The splash incurred from his dive into the watering trough echoed even in the throne room.
Dominatia raised her head up and smacked her paws against the floor, large bison snorts racking her body and jingling her bells. Bosco also roared with hilarity.
Kuei came up from behind her and hugged her enthusiastically. One could practically see the corny anime hearts hovering above his head as he nuzzled her. "Dearest as always that was amazing! Every time I think you've outdone yourself you surprise me! However did I do this job without you?"
Azula patted the King's arm affectionately. "His Majesty flatters me too much I think. The rancher will still have to accept his new livestock."
Kuei turned her in his arms and looked at her questionably. "I was wondering about that. I don't remember purchasing new camel-goats or cattle for the rancher. Whatever did you send him?"
# # # # #
"Stupid psycho She witch Queen. Stupid Qin Li. Stupid burned pants. Stupid bison" the old rancher cussed as he hobbled into the barn where he kept his livestock and rum. His half consumed trousers were slipping off his bottom, leaving an unsightly swatch of underwear visible to the world. This swatch had been visible the whole train ride home, just as it was now. Not that he cared. Ling may have been a capable rancher, but he was a nasty old man, and has he headed for the back of the barn where he kept his rum and livestock. It was true, he had been sending his livestock out to torture Qin Li. As far as he was concerned, the land belonged to him!
So what if that evil Fire Nation Banshee wanted the land between himself and Qin Li? On his way in he had taken a look at the disputed strip of territory and it was still a barren grassy berm, void of bison or soldiers or anything that the Queen said would be there shortly. Ling figured it would take her some time to build it up and seize it properly. He was going to have one last go, by the spirits! He was going to send his pig chickens and camel goats and cattle onto Ling's land one last time, get one last bushel of his vegetables or his name wasn't….
"BRRRRR"
Ling cocked his head at the sound. He wasn't completely sure of himself since his hearing had started to fail in recent years. But he had heard something, something off and certainly not camel goat in nature.
Speaking of which, where WERE all his camel goats and pig chickens? The barn was strangely empty, and he thought certain he'd taken them in from the pasture earlier that day. The cattle were nearly always outside, but the others were back and forth between the two. At least, he was pretty sure.
Another "BBBRRR" followed by a snort and another sound-a hiccup, perhaps-echoed through the barn.
He looked about the room and heard the faint tinkering of bells.
Suspicious, he took his walking stick and meandered to the back of the empty barn. His foot slid against something as he made his way to the back. He looked down: an empty rum bottle.
Perplexed, he continued and there, spread shamelessly amongst the hay bales and a mess of empty bottles, lay the She-Witch's belled bison.
Dominatia saw him, burped, flashed him a sarcastic grin and lifted her leg to reveal a rancid bison fart that was twice as loud as the BRRR's Ling had heard on his way to behold the unholy sight.
Ling's mouth turned down in disgust and he fanned his hand in front of his face with equal revulsion.
Now a bison fart is quite an impressive thing, especially one from a bison as drunk and sarcastic as Dominatia. But hers at that moment was more than impressive, it was a certifiable biologic hazard so foul it drove Ling out the side door of his barn into the pasture before him.
What he witnessed there was even more disconcerting.
Before becoming completely wasted, Dominatia had managed to fill the troughs up with alcohol. Ling could smell the acrid scent coming off of the troughs. Evidently, his livestock had followed the insane bison's lead and lapped up the spirits without hesitation. They bleated helplessly as they lay in their stupor on the pasture, completely devoid of the ability to torture Qin Li one last time.
Strangely enough a small group of bison was on the edge of the fence, grazing with the cattle and it seems, without a taste for rum. They were effectively blocking the area between his estate and the berm. Ling thought that perhaps a few more cattle were in the pasture, but that mattered little to him now.
All he could think was that he had been robbed of his final revenge.
# # # #
"Only one thing concerns me, Dearest. How will Dominatia get home?" Kuei asked suddenly at dinner a few hours later.
Azula's fork paused halfway to her mouth and she set it down with sudden realization. If Ling had as much rum as he was rumored to, Dominatia was probably making an absolute disgrace of herself and her liver by now. It could take hours for it to wear off.
She dabbed her mouth with her napkin. "We'd better go after her."
A/N: Well there you have it folks, my deranged version of Azula's redemption. I truly hope you enjoyed it and that you feel like I put her through enough to earn it. As for THIS story of wacky romance and redemption, I am done! I may return with spinoff ficlets at a later date, dependent upon Madame inspiration, but for now that is it.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR FOLLOWING! This Infidel is OUT! PEACE!