The ruins looked exactly the same. Zuko stared up at the tall wooden posts, wondering again what they were for. Sokka and Katara, choosing to ignore their situation, chattered about them. Zuko was positive both of them knew what it was for, back in his timeline.
For how different everything was, ultimately it was the similarity that hurt him the most. He wanted everyone to be different, so he could begin to distance himself. Lu Ten was alive, and it was beginning to sound like his uncle was not a good man. It would make it easier, then, for him to do what he needed to leave.
But Sokka and Katara were too similar to his friends. Katara's laugh made his blood freeze, as he kept waiting for her to bring him into the joke. When they were close by, Zuko had to stop himself from touching Sokka's shoulder.
As the two walked away from the giant posts, Katara glanced over at him and smiled. Zuko swallowed, hard, and followed them.
"How far do you think she'll let us wander?" Sokka asked.
"They. And I don't know." Zuko glanced over his shoulder to see Zuri walking a few feet behind them. They didn't make an attempt to seem anything less than watchful, so they smiled before Zuko turned back.
"Why are they keeping us so guarded?" Katara asked.
"I don't know that either." Zuko replied.
"Well what do you know?" Sokka questioned.
"Nothing we can discuss now." Zuko answered.
They walked around the grounds while Katara marveled aloud over the grass and briar shrubs. Startling a flock of llama goats, the three of them ran off in the opposite direction. Zuri managed to follow them, but now seemed more concerned with the wildlife.
Sokka was the one who pulled them into the temple itself. They moved down corridors leisurely, listening to how Zuri's footsteps became softer. There were fewer places to go, and fewer in which to hide. Doors had been broken away and were half rotten. Debris and dust gathered in corners, and everything was dry.
"Look, I think this was a library." Katara called and stepped through a shattered door. Sokka followed after but Zuko paused to look down the hall. Zuri wasn't there, but he doubted they were far behind.
Stepping into the room, he saw the familiar destruction.
Fire Nation soldiers, after slaughtering the monks, and turned over every inch of every temple trying to find a sign of the Avatar. Books were tossed on the floor by a maelstrom of hands, and had been bleached by sunlight and a century worth of careful page turns with airy fingers.
Some were stacked on the table in front of Katara and Zuko watched her flip through the pages. Dust and insects, disturbed from their peace, flew into the air.
"Do you think they moved all these books between the temples?" Katara asked, still looking at the weathered pages.
"I doubt it. More likely they had four copies." Sokka replied, nudging a pile of books on the floor with his foot. Katara snapped the book shut.
"That's a lot of books." She stated.
"That's a lot of wasted fire fuel." Sokka countered and walked over to an empty bookcase.
Katara wrinkled her nose and put the book down.
"Do you like to read?" Zuko asked, stepping up to her side. Katara shrugged and picked up the next book in her stack.
"I think I would, if we had more books. The only time we ever got to even see one was when a trader came through. And even then, we had to have something to trade to read it." She replied.
"Remember that guy who brought the book Gran-gran thought was an atlas and turned out to be filled with dirty pictures?" Sokka snorted and walked to them.
"She almost killed him when she found us reading it." Katara replied.
"I traded a perfectly good spearhead for smut." Sokka sighed, then grinned. "The men didn't seem to mind taking it from us though."
"And you got your spearhead back." Katara added. She flipped through the pages of the new book, but this time one came loose. Zuko bent down and picked it up.
The writing on it was clear and familiar.
"What is it?" Sokka asked.
"I think…" Zuko started, but couldn't finish. Katara set down the book while Sokka snatched the page from Zuko's paralyzed fingers.
"It's a poem. 'I came to reminisce and only found bones. I know now that I am truly alone. My sadness is a still wind in my heart. I must find a good land to rest.'" Sokka read aloud. He looked up, critical. "What is that about?"
"That's Aang's handwriting." Zuko croaked. Katara and Sokka still looked confused.
"Aang is the Avatar." He explained. Sokka and Katara paled, and Sokka folded up the page.
"So he came back here." Katara said.
"And if he did, he still might have ended up in the same place as last time." Zuko replied. The idea of Aang being an iceberg, and with no way to rescue him, made Zuko's stomach twist.
"Not necessarily." Sokka said. He opened his hand and Katara gave him the book.
"He made it all the way here, got to this book, and wrote the note. Look," Sokka flipped the book over to its cover. "This is about the Earth Kingdom."
"So he was trying to find an Earthbender, to teach him." Katara said.
"He might be there, in Ba Sing Se." Sokka offered. Zuko frowned and took the book, staring at the cover.
"Who might be in Ba Sing Se?"
The three of them jumped and watched as Zuri ducked to get through the doorway.
"Now who might three children be looking for in the Earth Kingdom?" They went on, looking directly at each of them in turn.
Zuko swallowed, hard, and stepped forward. He would not be intimidated into betraying his friends. Not again.
"They're looking for their father. They haven't seen him in months." Zuko stated.
Zuri raised an eyebrow.
"A Water Tribal in the Earth Kingdom? Why wouldn't he be in the North Pole?" They asked. They were testing him and Zuko felt his blood rush in his ears.
He tried to think of anything that might help, from his past or what he learned of this world.
Then something clicked.
"Because of the pirates." He replied. Now Zuri looked stunned and Zuko relaxed a little.
"If pirates had taken them on their way north, they might be in the Earth Kingdom." He explained. Zuri regarded him, silently, and Zuko felt sweat begin to form under his arms.
"I am glad to see you being so altruistic my prince. And I know your cousin will be equally gladdened to hear of this, sudden change." Zuri said. Then they held out their hand. "I will keep this inspirational book for you."
Sokka looked over at Zuko, then gave the book over.
Zuri smiled. "Thank you. Now we should head back to camp. Lunch is almost ready."
Zuri turned and walked out through the door. Zuko's head swam in the dry air but he steadied when Sokka patted his shoulder.
"That was exceptionally creepy." He said. Zuko heaved out a heavy breath.
"At least that hasn't changed." He replied and shrugged off Sokka's hand. "Everyone in the Fire Nation is out to get me."