Hey guys, here is the next update in this Avatar saga...

Enjoy the read.

Chapter Twenty-Six

Choices and Consequences

The Bison landed down on the ground of the fire Nation Palace as the palace guards approached them armed with weapons.

"Stand down soldiers," Natsuki called out.

"It…It`s Princess Natsuki," one of the soldier said, "Weapons down."

Natsuki slid down the Bison`s side, landing on the ground in front of the group. The girl approached the soldiers.

"Where is my Father?" she asked.

"The King is inside the Palace," the soldier said, "He had his soldiers rallying around the country because of that wall of fire that surrounds the country. It`s causing quite a bit of panic."

Zula, Zhou and Emi went down from the Bison`s back and, though it was both Zula and Emi who flew off while Zhou slid down. The group drew the attention of the guard but they said nothing as they followed after Natsuki who was leading them into the Palace itself. It felt such a long time ago that she had come here for the Ball where she and Natsuki first met.

They walked through the palace`s entrance and passed through many hallways leading into a room with a large room. The room was fast with many tall pillars standing upon it all of them designed with fire designs and symbol.

The figure at the end of the room looked up at their entrance. The man was dressed in extravagant robes all of them red and gold themed with a large flag of the Fire Nation behind him. He was also wearing a gold piece upon his head which signalized his position as Fire Lord.

There were a large table in front of the Fire Lord filled with people and Generals of the Army.

"Natsuki," The Fire Lord said surprised, "How are you here…You weren't due back for another couple of days."

"I came back upon the back of a Sky Bison," Natsuki answered, "Zula had managed to get Shen to retreat but the flame surrounding the Fire Nation doesn't seem to be going away."

"You are right," one of the General spoke out, "We have men working to remove them but no matter what we did, none of them were able to bend the flames away."

"No man will be able to bend the flames of the Dragon Spirit," Zula told them.

"Who are you?" another General asked.

"I am Avatar Zula," the girl announced.

"So you`re the one that managed to send Shen away," another spoke out, "Now we can rallies our Sky Fleets and amount an attack upon the…"

"No," Zula said, "Attacking Shen will do nothing but needlessly throw lives away. Your entire fleet will be destroyed."

"Well, what do you propose we do Avatar Zula?" The Fire Lord asked, his voice silencing the protest that was about to rise, "The entire country is surrounded by a wall of unbendable fire that will surely dry up the oxygen and causes the death of every men, woman and child. There must be something we have to do."

Zula stayed silent for a few seconds with the eyes of everyone upon her.

"I struck a deal with Shen," she said, "That I will resolve this with him on the day of the Summer Solstice that is coming up with an Agni Kai."

"The Summer Solstice…"

"Are you serious?"

"You will bet the future of an entire country on an Agni Kai?" one of the men said, "A sport game?"

"In Shen`s time, an Agni Kai used to be a way to express thankfulness for Agni`s Grace by a Dance of Sacred Fire," Zula spoke out, "He still believes it to be a scared offering to his mother and that was the only reason as to why Shen had accepted."

"But what about the fire that still surrounds our country?" The Fire Lord asked.

"I will ask him to remove it when I defeat him in our Agni Kai," Zula told him, "The Summer Solstice is only three days away, I will be ready to face him then. I only ask that you allow me this chance to fix a past that had been wronged for the longest time."

The Fire Lord stayed silent for a few seconds the man closed his eyes seemingly thinking. Then he opened his eyes.

"What will happen if you do fail?" he asked.

Zula frowned.

"The Fire Nation won`t be harmed if that is what you`re worrying about Fire Lord," she said with a light inclined of her head.

The man let out a sigh.

"Very well," he said, "I will allow you to do what you can to help us Avatar Zula."

Zula bowered to him.

"Thank you for your understanding," she said.

"My Lord," one of the Generals said, "I must protest…are you seriously going to leave such a task to a little girl barely out of her teens…"

"That little girl is the Avatar," Natsuki spat out, "You own her your respect, Commander Yan."

The man raised his hand.

"Forgive me Princess I meant no disrespect," he said, "I was simply pointing out…"

"There is nothing to point out," Natsuki said, "The only person qualified enough in this room to deal with this crisis we`re in is the Avatar unless you have the power to make an angry Spirit listen to your words?"

The man, simply looked down, not saying anything.

Zula then walked out of the room with Zhou following after her.

"Natsuki, where is Zuko?" The Fire Lord asked.

"He is with Zivun back on Airbender Island," the young girl told him, "He is safe."

The Fire Lord let out a breath.

"Very well," he said, "This meeting is adjourned."

The group within the chamber walked out and The Fire Lord sighed to himself leaning back against the chair he was seating in.

"I sincerely hope that she knows what she is doing," he said looking up toward Natsuki.

"I believe in her Father," Natsuki answered, "If there is one person that can fix this…it`s her."

The Fire Lord stayed silent as he observed his daughter for quite a long moment.

"Then let`s hope that your faith is not misplaced,"

Zula walked through the Palace along with Emi and Zhou.

"Zula, what exactly are you planning to do?" the young man asked.

"Well, I am planning to call up toward the Airbender Island," she said, "I want to talk to Daishi about the location of where that temple Shen talked about is located."

Emi took hold of her arm.

"This isn`t what he meant Zula," she said drawing the Avatar`s attention at her, "How are you even going to face a giant Dragon? Didn`t you see the size of that thing…you won't be able to defeat it without help."

The Avatar stayed quiet.

"Zula, you know you wont be able to defeat Shen without help," Emi told her, "Maybe if Zhou go with you..."

"Emi," Zula interrupted, "I am doing this alone."

"Why?" the Airbender girl asked, worry in her voice.

"Because I want to not only save the Fire Nation…but help Shen," Zula told her, "I understand why he is doing what he is doing right now. He is hateful against the First Firebenders because he lost a close friend to him."

The two looked at her, completely taken aback.

"How do you know of this?" Zhou asked her surprised.

"Because I have seen it happen," she said.

Emi was confused.

"Seeing it happen?"

Zula let out a soft sigh.

"When I meditated I saw what happened to Shen," she told them, "I know why he is angry against all of our ancestors…and to tell you the truth, I don't blame him for being angry but…"

"But?"

Zula looked up toward them.

"If I face him during the Summer Solstice," she said, "and what is going to happen will happen."

The two stared at her and Zula continued to walk away.

The Avatar reached a communication room quite soon. The girl approached one of the people there and spoke out.

"Is there any way to contact the Air Temple Island in Republic City?" she asked, "It`s about something important."

"Sure," the man said, pointing toward the small screens in the corners.

"You can make a call using that machine over there," he said, "It`s the latest in the communication technologies in the market."

"Thanks," Zula told him with a light smile.

The young girl approached the machine in front of her and could see the pad where she has to place the number in and did so waiting for the screen to turn on. It didn`t take a long time to wait before the face of one of the Air Bender to appear there.

"A…Avatar Zula," the man said surprised.

"I need you to get Sifu Katara and the two archeologist for me please," the young Avatar told him, "It`s quite important."

"Very well Avatar Zula," the man told her before walking away.

Zula let out a soft sigh as she sat there waiting for Sifu Katara to come to the phone when she felt someone`s hand fall upon her shoulder. The girl looked up toward the owner finding Natsuki there.

"Natsuki," she said.

"They told me you came through here," she said.

Zula turned her attention forward.

"I stood up for you back there," Natsuki started, "The Fire Council didn`t like to leave things to a child barely out of adulthood but I put them back in place."

"Thanks," she said, "I appreciate it."

Natsuki looked at her, the silver eyes as intrusive and mysterious as she had ever known them but this time, Zula could see the concern within their depths.

"Zula, are you sure what you have planned will work?"

"Don't worry about me Natsuki," she said.

The girl nodded at her.

"Zula….is everything alright?"

That drew the girl`s attention toward the screen in front of her, recognizing Katara`s worried face.

"Everything is alright Sifu Katara," Zula told her with a light smile, "A lot has happened yesterday but I need to talk to Daishi if he is here."

"I`m here," Daishi told her, "What exactly do you need from me Zula?"

"Do you know of a place called Temple of the Dragon King?" she asked.

Daishi nodded.

"Yes, I did heard of it," Daishi told her, "They said it was the Temple built for Shen when he first started to teach Firebending."

"Do you know where it`s located?"

"From the ancient writings, they said that the Temple is located in the Fire Nation," Daishi told her, "But I never could find any evidence considering in the many years, no sign of the temple was ever found."

Zula sighed, "Well that could cause a bit of problem."

"How so?"

"Shen challenged me to an Agni Kai and told me to meet him…well more like I challenged him."

"You challenged him? What make you do that?"

"Shen had the entire Fire Nation completely surrounded by fire and was about to use it to completely annihilate everyone," Zula told him, "I simply couldn't let that happen…this world would have been completely thrown out of balance…more than it is already."

"When do you have to challenge him?"

ON the Summer Solstice," Zula told him, "Three days away."

Daishi seems to be thinking for a few seconds.

"I will be on the next Airship to the Fire Nation," Daishi exclaimed.

"It`s not use," Natsuki told him, "Father had closed down all the ports in the Fire Nation…With that wall of fire surrounding the entire country…we`re kind of in a deadlock here with Shen. I thought that you would know where it is located."

"Sorry," Daishi said.

"But what about the Temple that you found imprisoned in?"

"Well I know where it`s located in the Fire Nation but this place was likely to be a place of worship for Shen and The Goddess Agni. It`s on the Island called Crescent Moon Island."

"We`ll this is our best chance at finding where that Dragon King Temple is located," Natsuki said.

Zula nodded at her.

"Thanks Daishi," she said.

"It`s the least I could do despite everything I am responsible for," the man.

"IT wasn't your fault," Zula told him, "You never could have known that Azar would betray you. You don't have to worry about anything. I will fix everything that had happened, you`ll see."

Daishi smiled at her for a few seconds.

"Thank you," he said.

The screen went black and Zula leaned backward.

"Well take care of it tomorrow morning," Natsuki told her, "It`s already almost past midnight."

Zula gave her a glance.

"Come with me," Natsuki told her taking her hand, "If you plan to start this…quest of yours, you are going to need your rest."

Zula followed the princess out of the room and they were walking through the almost empty halls of the Fire Nation Palace.

"What about Emi and Zhou?" she asked.

"I already have servants brining them to their rooms," Natsuki answered, "You however Zula will stay with me."

The two reached the princess`s room and they found someone inside, working upon fixing the room and the young woman turned at their entrance before giving a low bow.

"Princess Natsuki," she said, "I have prepared your bed for you."

"Thank you Lying," Natsuki said, "You can retire for the night. I`ll take it from here."

The young woman, Lying gave her another low bow before walking out, leaving the two girls inside. Natsuki wasted no time removing the little armor she was wearing and getting ready for bed.

"I am sleeping here?"

"Yes," Natsuki told her giving her a glance, "You`re not…against it are you?"

Zula shook her head placing her Airbending Staff against the wall and gave the princess a small smile.

"No…I am not," she said, "A good night rest sound good, with all things considered."

So ends this chapter...

Next Time: Avatar Xion

Jacques0 out.

R&R