Ursa always knew Zuko was entangled in the spirit world.
Even the Fire Sages said so when he was presented. Zuko was a mirror. A reflection of the past and future. The one to lead peace and prosperity in the future of the Fire Nation.
"Like Yin and Yang, the two may be separate, but they are always connected, one mirroring the other, despite being opposites. Prince Zuko is the bridge, he will lead the Nation into an era of peace and prosperity, a reflection of the past, and the past Fire Lords. He will be the end of the war and the start of a new era. He is a reflection and conclusion of past actions, and future choices."
The High Sage had been clear in his predictions, had been in awe of the strings in her boy's destiny, had warned of the sensitivity of such information.
And Ozai, her child's father, (who has such disregard to the spirit's existence), had been proud to have sired a child said to finish the war, or inherit his predecessor's (father's) results.
(The political meaning would have been on his mind, Ursa knew his skepticism for these things. She knew his ambition.)
Ursa knew her boy was special. She knew he was tied to the spirits' plans. She knew he was a focus of the past in hope of the future, a duality of his predassors. Ursa knew it.
She did not expect the spirit to visit him.
She was in one of the living rooms embroidering when Zuko came running in, tottling on his two year old legs.
"Mamma? Mamma! A boy by- by the turtaduck pond!"
He looked at her with eyes welling and tears about to overflow.
"Is he by the tree in our spot, Zuko?"
Her son nodded and sniffled the tears away, tugging at her robe to come with her to fix the problem.
Ursa was worried, but not overly so, the palace security was reliable after all, but servants generally were too scared to take leave from duties out of their compound.
With Zuko tugging at her legs as she heaved herself up, pausing to catch her breath before walking after her too energetic child. Laying a hand on her swollen belly, Ursa smiled at her son. Soon he will have a sibling, and while it would be a while before he could play with them, it would do him good.
He was the only young child at the palace.
"Come mom! Come! There, in OUR spot. It not fair!"
Walking into the outside light, Ursa blinked at the pond, ready to tell Zuko that the servant boy left and 'their spot' was back and-
"Oh"
There was a boy there, how Ursa missed him under the tree at first, she didn't know.
"Lu Ten?" She called out.
"Nuh-uh, not Lu-Ten. Lu-Ten at teaching, Mom."
Then who-
Ursa stepped in front of her son, whoever this boy was, she would rather be safe than sorry, and the slight shimmer of his form unmistakable. A spirit, and Ursa will not allow it to harm her child.
Ursa bowed low, as low as she could with her pregnancy, and prayed the spirit would forgive any possible offence she and Zuko may have caused.
Moments passing, waiting with anxious patience for the Spirit to address them, Ursa dares to look up. The apparition has barely moved and Zuko-
Zuko.
Zuko is standing right in front of it, tiny hands on his hips and babbling outrage in being ignored and he is going to offend it and Spirits are cruel and-
The Spirit is ignoring him, staring right through him into the pond.
Ursa summoned the nearest page to call for a Sage.
The Fire Sage came shortly, along with Prince Ozai.
By that time Ursa got Zuko away from the phantom, and came to the conclusion that it definitely took a liking of the Fire Nation Royals. The resemblance to Lu Ten was almost uncanny, but not quite. He also took out some spectral bread, tearing it to pieces and chucked it towards the pond, where it simmered out of existence after leaving their hand. He didn't move much otherwise.
"What is the meaning of this?" Ozai's cool demand announced their arrival.
The two men rounded into the garden and stopped short, shock appearing as another bread piece faded and the Fire Sage dropped immediately into a bow.
"I do not think he can see us, Fire Sage. He has not even acknowledged mine and Prince Zuko's presence. Prince Zuko found him, you see." Ursa quickly explained her observations to the man and her husband, who has grabbed Zuko's hand to stop him from tugging on his robes, Zuko seems content with the absent action.
Movement from the pond interrupted her. Ursa whipped around to see the Spirit looking right at them. Right through them. Then turn and mutter something. A light scowl across his features and a slight hunch to his shoulders.
The moment tapered into silence as they waited for the Spirit to do more. The Fire Sage took a breath to address it when it leaped to its feet and started inaudibly ranting what could only be a passionate defense. A vague distortion approached the phantom boy and a small translucent hand tore a chunk of bread out of the phantom's hand, chucking it into the pond with more force than Ursa regarded necessary. A small, pained smile appeared on the specter's lips, as they settled back against the tree, the hominoid mirage next to them.
The Sage cleared his throat. "I, uh, I will look into this matter, your Highness, my Prince"
After many weeks of bafflement for the Priests, scares for the servants, and shrieking delight for Prince Zuko, the sages made some conclusions.
"It is by no means a traditional spirit, further than that, we can only really guess."
The spirit was only visible when in proximity to Zuko, which was the cause for numerous frights for Ursa and any of his on duty Nursemaids, as such the Sages determined him as the focal point of the phenomenon.
With that observation, one of the younger more imaginative Sages came up with the theory that "Maybe we are seeing a visual representation of the future Spirit of Prince Zuko?"
"Explain, Fire Sage Shyu."
"Well, as it is rare for a spirit to take on such a distinct, constant, mortal likeness, especially if not an exact replica of a living or dead person, along with the general normality of his actions in relation to a royal Prince in his home, I would conclude that we are watching the life of an ancestral Nobel of Agni's line, however with the likeness not matching any portraits, and Prince Zuko's inexplicable involvement, an idea of this nature came to me, High Sage Kenji."
Spring claimed in the higher latitudes, and the Specter settled as another part of the palace life. Lu Ten took it as his twelve-year-old quest to track it, dragging Zuko along by necessity of the mission, resulting in a bond between the two and a sense of idolism from Zuko.
The bonding was first noted by Ursa when Lu Ten cane stumbling into Ursa's presence panicking with a crying Zuko, rambling about how the Spirit was doing advanced sword kata's in the courtyard, and Zuko thought it was so cool to learn swords and would Lu Ten please teach him but he was too young and he kept insisting swords and then he started crying and Lu Ten didn't know what to do-
Ursa was laughing as she relieved her nephew of her crying son.
The week of the equinox came, and with it, the proximity around Zuko the "Spirit Prince" could appear slowly increased to across the hallway. This led to many more startles among the busy servants, and more "hunts" from Zuko himself, as Lu Ten was busy preparing for his role in the upcoming festival.
A nervous Nursemaid had reported Prince Zuko slipping away from them much more frequently than usual when Ursa pressed about his location.
The day before the equinox festival, Ursa had her first experience of her two-year-old ninja.
She paused to ask a servant to prepare her son's room for bed, which took a maximum of five seconds, where did he go?
Zuko saw the Boy, the Boy was sneaking again. This was Lu Ten's favorite time for hunting him. Giggling quietly because Lu Ten always told him to be quiet, Zuko followed the Boy, hiding where he hid, and running where he got left behind.
Zuko recognised the door that the Boy stopped in front of. The Kitchen! Giggling, Prince Zuko knocked and waited for the nice cook people to open. The Boy wasn't nice and went through the door instead of waiting for them to open it. A shout made Zuko start giggling again, remembering the first time he followed the Boy down here.
Everyone screamed when he first appeared through the door. When they calmed down they gave Prince Zuko a cake, and let him sit next to the Boy as he also snacked and spoke inaudibly.
The Cooks joked that if the rumors were true and it is indeed the "Spirit Prince" they should get used to kitchen visits becoming a common occurrence, then offered Prince Zuko another taiyaki before sending him up for bed.
However, if Ursa had to choose the primary irritation of Zuko's connection with his future spirit, Ursa would not choose the newly discovered ninja skills.
She would choose his new need to climb, everything. Ever since he saw himself on the roof or balancing on the garden walls, Zuko started to climb things around the palace too. At Least sneaking around isn't hazardous to such a young, clumsy, fragile and Zuko get off the back of that couch, you're going to fall, how did you even get up there?
Zuko's restrictions to the training ground until he was older did not protect Zuko from Ozai's high expectations as much as Ursa had hoped.
She was summoned to one of the gardens around high noon by her husband, the page relaying to come as quickly as her advanced pregnancy allows.
Ursa arrived just in time to see the Spirit Zuko end off a firebending kata, and Ursa felt ice down her spine.
Prince Ozai turned to her with a conceited smile, holding her Zuko on his hip like it's the most natural thing in the world.
"We could not see his fire due to the nature of the spirits, yet whoever was instructing this backyard training session only had to correct him once in his set. If this is truly our Zuko as seen in the future, and he performs like this in his lessons, I would say he has the potential to fulfill the Late High Sage's prediction."
Ursa put on a well practiced smile, and bowed her head with an "Of course, Prince Ozai."
She was forbidden from ever speaking of the nature of her son's first Shrine visit.
Princess Azula was born exactly a week after the Summer Solstice. Everything went smoothly, a true blessing of luck and a large relief compared to Zuko's birth. All the customs were carried out, and all traditions followed.
A month old Azula was presented to the new High Sage.
The High Sage gave the classical blessings of wellbeing, longevity, and talent. Giving the speech with the traditional reverence that earned him favor with Fire Lord Azulon, long may he reign.
The focus was on the new Princess for the next half year. Zuko was spending more time with Ursa and his sister than anything. Autumn passed, and Zuko turned three. He played with Azula in the ways that he could, lamenting Lu Ten's packed schedule. He did not climb as much because his sister couldn't, meaning he did not fall as much. He did not need to use "his bed" in the infirmary at all that winter.
No one saw the Spirit Prince get treated for a severe burn early that Spring.
The week approaching the Autumn equinox had the servants talking. The Festival was when the Spirit Prince was most visible, where he would be seen the most, running around the palace and scaring the cooks. He was not seen by anyone that season. The Sages were confronted, and had said to not worry, it was probably a normal disappearance, nothing to do with the young Prince's health and safety.
Three years go by and the Spirit Prince becomes a story. The old staff barely talk of him, and the new staff doubt it. The Young Prince and Princess think of it as a story, slightly more dull than one of their Mother's plays. However they still listen to the story, how a specter made its home in the palace for near a year.
The young Prince would still pester his sixteen year old cousin to play Stalk the Spirit, and his mother would still get alarmed if she ever finds him in ridiculously high places, especially if he tries to get his sister up with him. They rarely got caught after that.
Their father still remembers the prediction of his son's future, still favors his son, still patient to wait for his talents to show.
The Royal family was at peace.
"MOM! MOM! I think the spirit boy is back! The spirit boy from your stories? He's back!"
The call of Zuko startled Ursa from the scrolls she was reading, and she was already up by the time Zuko and Azula ran into the room.
Moving quickly, she sent a servant to fetch the Sage, and another to fetch Ozai.
Zuko led her to the entrance hall while Ursa carried Azula, where sure enough, a shimmering form now stood, wearing a future edition of the uniform of a royal prince.
"Mama," Azula spoke in her ear, "what happened to his face?"
To say Ursa was horrified was an understatement. To see a future where her boy, her son, was scarred like that? Her son who would look so much like Lu Ten at twelve, barely have any resemblance at sixteen because of someone's sadistic urge to harm him? She was appalled and horrified and so, so angry that she could only look on blankly, putting Azula down and following Ozai down the hallway as he called her to follow to their quarters.
Ozai slamming the door shut shocked Ursa out of her thoughts.
"Did you see him? Did you see his face?" Ozai practically hissed. "Who would dare to harm a child of the noble line of Agni in such a way? My son, the future of the Fire Nation, my heir! To have him scarred like a weak, dishonorable, cowardly peasant? As if he was incapable of defending himself? MY SON? A heir is a reflection of their predecessor, and l will not have the servants seeing that spirit like that, the meaning of such a prominent scar, to not have context, it is a mark of weakness!"
Ursa was quite used to staying out of immediate reach of any fire when Prince Ozai was in such state.
The Sages promised to still not share the identity of the returned spirit any further than Ursa and Ozai, Prince Zuko's parents.
Zuko and Azula were being instructed on pre-bending disciplines when the Scarred Spirit came into the courtyard. Zuko wondered if he could even see out of that eye, the scar looked like it hurt.
The Scarred Spirit started doing some of the advanced warm up katas that Lu Ten was still learning, and the Spirit was good.
After being flicked on the ear for zoning out by the royal instructor, Zuko started his own meditation, trying to feel the flow of his chi and connect it to the heat of the sun.
His instructor ordered him and Azula to carry on meditating while he goes to fetch their father Prince Ozai.
Zuko couldn't help but sneak some peaks at the Scarred Spirit, imagining himself in his place, moving with those smooth, practiced motions instead of how awkwardly he performs his basics for the instructors, trying to get it just right-
"Zuzu, focus. It's just another guy training."
Azula was sitting next to him, the perfect student, at his lessons. Zuko doesn't mind that much, sharing his lessons with his sister. Until, that was, his teachers started liking her better, but oh well, soon he will be just as good as the Spirit practicing across the rooms, with gold fire like Father-
Zuko snapped back to meditation, back perfectly straight like Azula, hopefully before his Father noticed him staring at the Spirit.
Ursa was called to a family dinner that evening, as were her children. Ursa quickly dressed for the occasion, then went to prepare her children, reminding them of their etiquette lessons, how to behave, to speak only when spoken too, to keep their elbows off the table.
She may have fussed a bit much, but she was worried about them, particularly Zuko, with how Ozai reacted to the scar.
Dinner was a stifling affair, as were most full family meals with Fire Lord Azulon present.
Fire Lord Azulon asked for reports on how their day has been, reports on duties and training. Ozai answered for his children, a custom Ursa would be ever grateful for. Ozai mentioned he and a Sage observing their spiritual guest training during his own children's session. He finished his report on Prince Zuko's composure and talent, and how his pride and joy should start showing his true potential soon.
A secret smile across the table sent colder chills along Ursa's back.
Azula firebends a week later.
Zuko is still hopeless in his meditations and basic forms.
Azula, the ones the Sages ignored, the second born, firebent first. Ozai was ecstatic at the clear prodigy his daughter is, of course. However he did wonder if he was focusing his attention and lessons to the wrong child.
He obviously spoke to Ursa about the matter, expressing his concerns about Zuko's lack of talent, and that maybe the High Sage did lie to protect the welp. He concluded to give Zuko a chance, because the Sages were right about Zuko being a bender, despite the lack of any spark Ozai could see at his birth.
That is, if the apparition even is a future Zuko.
Their Spiritual guest, as Father called him, disappeared again a few weeks after Azula showed off her first attempt at firebending a kata she just learnt to Zuzu. The servants who couldn't keep quiet said it looked like he was fleeing. Azula doesn't mind really, now Zuko could stop staring at the stranger training dry and look at her bending. Father did say she was a prodigy, a real sight to behold.
"Zuko! Zuzu, look! It's the Spirit Guy!"
Zuko and Azula were playing in the courtyard when she noticed him walking into the light of the torches and her fire, the first time he had been seen in about a month.
"Stay here and watch him, Zuko, I'll go find Mom and Father."
Running through the palace was different at night, Azula doesn't know how Zuko can like it, with no flames to light those creepy shadows that things moved in. Azula found her parents rather quickly, calling them like they asked if ever the boy came back.
Leading them to the courtyard was easy, she grabbed Ursa's hand and marched them through the hallways, much more familiar with her parents with her.
Azula rounded into the courtyard just in time to see the scarred boy leap to the side and get blown backward, the threads of lightning visibly coursing through his body, landing in a heap harshly across the courtyard.
Azula could see him shaking and seizing from the aftershocks.
"He- he's dead... the lightning..."
"Oh, oh my…"
"Mom, how-"
"Zuko!"
Azula almost tripped, turning to hug her mom as Ursa rushed past her to Zuko. Ozai's hand lands on her shoulder, steadying, and she turns to hug him.
"A princess of a strong nation must become used to the realities of death. Azula, you will grow stronger than your brother would be, has shown to be. Come."
Azula looked back to see Ursa standing behind a kneeling Zuko, the boy lying still on the floor.
Zuko was in shock, Azula ran to get Mother and Father, while he stayed to watch the cool spirit boy with the scar.
When the spirit started throwing fire, fighting way scarier than any of the plays he saw on Ember Island with Lu Ten, Zuko didn't know what to do, so he watched. When the spirit got hit by the lightning, all he could do was try to check if he was okay.
Running, run! move legs, the ground is flat! stop tripping! to the boy, his legs finally collapsing right next to his head. The spirit- the Boy was in pain. He was breathing hard, like when Zuko fell off the wall and hurt his arm. After a second lasting forever, something started glowing at the hurt boy's chest, and the spirit opened a sliver of his fire nation gold eyes, looking, for the first time, right at Zuko.
Katara could have sobbed in relief, Zuko was alive, Zuko was awake. She didn't think she could have survived another multi-week long bedside vigil keeping a comatose friend breathing.
"Oh..."
"Hey Zuko, shhh, it's okay you're fine, look at me, don't talk, don't strain yourself, look at me."
The unfocused look in his eyes was scaring her, she couldn't heal a severe concussion and keep him stable at the same time.
Zuko started mumbling and Katara leaned in to hear him.
"The Spirit boy's back"
What?
"I- You can hear me thi- this time, right? Don't- don't worry, I'm okay, 'm gonna be fine..."
Weeks later, when Fire Lord Zuko stood from his crowning and the crowd below him bowed, he caught the flickering form of a young boy standing near the front of the crowd. Fire Lord Zuko sent him a small smile and a nod, then turned to address his people.