[u][b][center][color=yellow][h1]Kohaku[/h1][/color][/center][/b][/u]
[center]- AG84 -[/center]
They had heard many others ask for the ability to remember everything clearly. Their past life, their skills, their mission, etc. They hadn't wanted that. This was a gift. A new life. A chance to [i]forget[/i]. Not everything. Freedom wasn't a relief if you forgot the prior captivity. At least a vague recollection was needed to appreciate the gift given, but only a vague one.

Instead, they'd chosen to remember only one thing, the most important thing, and a tool that would help them. With what? Oh who could say. The mission they'd all been given? Maybe. They'd probably get around to that... sooner or later.

An infant's mind could barely even recall something that happened ten minutes ago. A strange spiritual encounter? That was barely more than a dream. Sometimes whether or not it was even real was difficult to discern. The fact that they had basically flawless recall of nearly the entire history of the world did lend some credence to it being real, though.

Moments of lucidity came and went. The mind they'd brought with them would sometimes focus long enough to overcome the feeble, infant body it was trapped within. Slowly they picked up new information.

"Careful, Zuko. Kohaku is still small and squishy, just like you used to be." Kohaku, that was their name now. What had it been before...? Eh, it was hardly important now. Also, they had Zuko as an older brother, though Zuko was barely old enough to be considered more than a baby himself. He'd only even been walking for maybe a month. 

With Zuko as their brother, that meant Ursa was their mother. That... was a strange feeling. Recognizing Ursa as their mother came with a feeling of dread, anxiety, and bitterness. However, there was also warmth. When Kohaku wasn't thinking so much, which was more often than not, honestly, her embrace was infinitely comforting.

It was an unpleasant and jarring dichotomy. 

Though it wasn't the [i]most[/i] unpleasant thing to happen so far.

[hr]

"I do hope you aren't going to suggest the child has my eyes or some such tripe?" Prince Ozai scowled down at the child.

"You finally come to see your child and this is what you have to say?" Ursa bit back, fighting the urge to flinch when Ozai turn his glare upon her.

"The first was only months old when suddenly you're laden with a second. It's not normal. Why shouldn't I be suspicious? Especially when it barely resembles me."

"[i]It[/i] has a name, you know," she told him, "Kohaku. After a few days, being nameless any longer would have felt cruel."

"As if it would have known the difference! It's not a fitting name! It's as if you're trying to draw attention to it."

"How you name your children won't put you or them on the throne any faster. Iroh is already in line and that doesn't seem likely to ch-" She clamped her own mouth shut as Ozai stormed toward her.

"Fix it."

"Wh-what?"

"It's too late for me to easily be rid of it, so give it a better name. I'm letting you keep it, and I'm letting you name it. In return, I'm hoping this is the end of whatever rebellious streak has made you so... talkative this evening."

". . . Kohaku," Ursa said, and immediately one could see the veins on Ozai's neck bulge, "But... for public appearances... I suppose Zuihou could suffice. Do you approve of that? I'm sure Kohaku will be a clever child who will understand."

"Hmph. Very well. Zuihou it is." With that, Ozai left the room without a further word or glance at the newborn.

And so, having barely learned their first name, Kohaku was saddled with a second. A name both Kohaku and Ursa were sure would be the only one Ozai would ever use.

[hr]

So that had been... tense. There had been moments Kohaku had been expecting to be sent right back to Aang's doorstep already. Then again, who was to say Aang could ever repeat the process? If nothing else, it certainly set the tone for what kind of relationship Kohaku was going to have with their father.

More time passed and slowly, but steadily Kohaku's moments of lucidity became longer and more frequent. At the same time, Zuko learned to speak, with his vocabulary growing about as quickly as Kohaku's ability to focus... which wasn't very. Still, to Kohaku's surprise at first, he was a very attentive older brother. Partly this was due to Ursa's coaxing, but when Kohaku thought about it, it made sense. At heart, Zuko was a more sensitive soul than one might assume based on his... later exploits. 

Then again, he wasn't even two years old yet, so it was a bit early to say for sure how he'd be as an older brother. Maybe he was just curious or following his mother's lead. Just so long as he didn't follow his father's and "accidentally" roll Kohaku down a flight of stairs or something.

Kohaku had the suspicion that Zuko wouldn't see much of Ozai's influence for another two or three years when he was old enough to learn to fight. That would at least give Kohaku enough time to start walking and talking before things potentially got... nasty. There was a bit of dread and anxiety regarding Zuko as well.

Oh, and there was one more thing to be anxious about. The one thing Kohaku knew they would absolutely have to deal with one way or another. Roughly one year after Kohaku had been born...

"Take a good look, Ozai. [i]She[/i] has your eyes."