The next day, Zuko was already at the railing when he saw the temple rise out of the sea fog. The sun worked normally here and was heading toward its zenith, so the light was clear and made the sky a softer blue. The fog was all that was left of the smaller icebergs that had been pushed this far north, and it still smelled clean and cold.
As they had always looked, the crumbling spires of the Southern Air Temple resembled bones, but of a body that had been neglected and improperly buried. The towers were arthritic, the cliffs were eroding, and the overgrown grass clung to it all like petrified burial cloth.
It had never felt sad to Zuko, because it had aged into something else. It wasn't rotten, but dry. Time had stripped away the deaths and atrocities, and left only the frame of things. He could drape any sort of story over it, or examine it for what it was.
Maybe this is why the Fire Nation cremated their dead, to leave nothing up to the world's interpretation.
"You're looking melancholy my prince." The unknown figure approached and Zuko leaned away from them. By keeping his mouth shut and moving around the ship in ways he assumed Azula would, Zuko had picked up useful information. This person was Zuriko, an infamous daughter of a prominent noble family. Their infamy had begun as a child when they were sent to the Girl's Academy, despite that they had insisted they had no gender.
The scandal had ripped through the court and there was talk of Zuriko being disowned and exiled, which would have resulted in their death through any number of means, when Iroh had made a stop at the family's home.
Whatever was said, or implied, or threatened, ultimately Zuriko had been moved to one of the other buildings the palace held and started going by Zuri.
Which meant they had been around as Zuko as he had grown up. They made Zuko wary, even though they had never given any indication so far that they were suspicious.
"I don't know why I'm here." Zuko said. It was easier to be honest, but to word things in a way with multiple meanings. Depending on how most people reacted, he could learn more than from their actual response.
"You were begging to leave the palace, if you remember." Zuri said and jostled him with their shoulder. "But you will be helpful in the North Pole. People like you."
"No they don't." Zuko replied automatically and jumped as Zuri laughed.
"When you relax they do." They said and then paused. The two of them peered at the Air Temple in silence. Zuko wondered if it would look the same from when he had stopped here in his time.
"Zuko, what happened with your father, it wasn't your fault. I know he is trying to make you feel like it is, but that's only because what's happening is too big for you to understand." Zuri said with what seemed like genuine softness.
"So what part do I play in all of this?" Zuko asked, trying to resist the urge to follow the new path Zuri had opened.
Zuri shrugged and leaned more heavily against the railing.
"We have what Lu Ten assigns us. What he tells us about that part may be incomplete, or totally wrong, but we all have choices to make, right?" They said.
"How long will I have to stay in the North Pole?" Zuko asked. Zuri smiled.
"Not long, if everything goes the way we need it to. And then lots of things will begin to happen very quickly. And don't worry," They turned met Zuko's gaze. "Nothing will happen to the Waterbender."
Zuko felt his face flush and he stepped away from them.
"What do you mean?" He asked sharply.
"You've been trailing after the two Tribals since they boarded. Neither of them will be harmed, if it's the brother you're more concerned about."
"I." Zuko's throat tightened as his face warmed even more.
"Just remember where your loyalties lie!" Zuri said lightly, teasing him. They patted him hard on the shoulder and walked off, leaving Zuko reeling.
He had found out from other talk, a lot of it coming from Lu Ten's lieutenants Gorou and Sang, that things were far worse than he had expected.
His father was in unofficial exile in the Earth Kingdom. Ozai had accused Ursa of poisoning Azulon, causing his death after the former Fire Lord had seemed to be recovering from pneumonia. Whatever support he had been expecting had not materialized and he had been sent away to the interior to oversee a work camp.
Ursa was alive, and had taken on many duties of the Fire Lady since Iroh had ascended the throne as a widower.
Azula lived in Omashu as a guest of Mai's family, the governors of the city kingdom.
Ba Sing Se, having survived the same siege Zuko had known, had sealed itself up. Nothing moved in or out, and the refugees fleeing from the Fire Nation's expansion scrambled over the massive kingdom.
The Fire Nation was firmly entrenched in a long, continuous war. Small battles were fought en route to the larger city kingdoms, till those were finally sacked. It was taking years, but the Fire Nation didn't care; more land taken in the Earth Kingdom gave them more food and resources. The war was not a strain as long as they were winning.
Zuko had tried to figure out what event had altered this timeline so much.
Lu Ten had not died at Ba Sing Se, because Zuri had defended him from a Spirit attack. But Zuko had never heard of a Zuriko in his timeline, and wondered if they had even been born.
Aang had not run from the Air Temple, and had gone on to take up his Avatar training, yet still disappeared.
His mother had clearly murdered Azulon either at Iroh's request or with his promise of protection.
It made him sick, and forced him to think about what would happen if the people around him realized he had been changed. That there was now a potential for disloyalty.
It made him think, for the hundredth time, if he should find a way to run with Katara and Sokka once they landed at the Air Temple.