I somehow got into the ATLA and LOK fandom on tumblr and started reading fanfics there. That brought me back to this page and back to writing myself.
I kind of have no cannon character to ship with Zuko, so I made up my own. I hope you like it. Reviews would be great!
Shau ga was floating on her back in a nice cool pond between the rocks of this bay. She took a deep breath and smiled when the water played with her open hair and on her exposed skin. She had needed this bath. This area was way too dry for her taste, it had been a great relieve to find this little pond. Her closed where already washed and where drying in a tree next to the water, while she was just enjoying the water.
At least she was until she heard a surprised voice from a little above her. She opened her eyes and saw a man with dark hair between two big boulders. He quickly covered his eyes and she rose a shield of fog around her. "I'm so sorry, I didn't know anyone was here." The man called down with a voice that made her want to meet him.
She blushed, glad that he couldn't see that. "Uhm, it's not your fault, how could you have known."
Covered by the fog she quickly gathered her close, bend the air out if them and got dresses before she let the fog disappear again. He was still covering his eyes. "It's save to look now."
The man looked up and took his hands from his face. "May I come down? It's getting late and this is the only source of water I have found for over an hour."
She nodded. "Sure, come down. Here is enough space for two."
He disappeared and she gathered her things a little tighter together to make space, not that she needed to. But she didn't want to seem like she took too much space.
He appeared in the entrance of the little canyon and she gasped when she saw his face. She knew that face, she had seen it on a bunch of wanted posters a few years back and lately she had heard a lot of stories about the new firelord.
Quickly she bowed deeply. "Firelord Zuko…" She mumbled shyly.
He sighed and waved it away. "Don't call me that. Right now I'm just a normal traveler." He pushed his hair back. "I'm just Zuko. Who are you?"
She felt her face get hot again, which annoyed her. "I am Shau ga, it is an honor to meet you."
"Shau ga? That doesn't sound like a water tribe name."
She bit her lip and shook her head. "It isn't." He had enough common sense to keep him from asking more questions.
Instead he put his pack down and looked at the pond. "A bath would be wonderful. Do you mind if I take one?"
She shook her head and pointed at the water. "Of course not, it is wonderfully refreshing. I meant to go gather firewood anyways." With these words she grabbed a bag and went to the entrance of the canyon. When she reached it she couldn't help but turn around for a moment. The firelord, she couldn't believe that it was truly him, was just taking of his shirt and she couldn't keep her eyes from staring for a split second. He was tall, a little less then a head taller then her, slender but really muscular and had bit of a tan. Quickly she turned around and left so he wouldn't catch her staring. It was crazy anyways, just because he had taken her by surprise with his presents and his identity.
What was he doing our here on the border of the fire nation that was the farest away from the palace anyways? And that alone in traveling clothing.
She shrugged the thought of and gathered the little wood she could find. This desert-like plain was really getting on her nerves, but with a little luck she would reach the end of it by tomorrow night.
When she was back at their camp the firelord lit a fire and they shared their food. But they didn't talk more then the necessary and a little bit of small talk. To be honest she had no clue what to say to him.
Later that night she was brushing out her long, dark hair. A quest that took her quite some time every night, her hair loved getting into tangles over the days and usually trapped a lot of dust and even small leafs or something like that.
At some point she noticed Zuko watching her and gave him an asking look.
For a second she almost thought he would blush, but then he talked with a calm voice. "You are a water bender and you look like you could be from the South Pole, but you dress and talk like you are from the fire nation."
Shau ga nodded. "I grew up in the fire nation and lived there most of my live."
He looked surprised. "How is that possible?"
She looked down and hesitated. But then she decided to tell him. After all he was known to be friends with benders of all nations and the avatar. And he had promised to make as many wrongs caused by the fireman ion right as possible. "I was taken by the fire nation as a baby together with my parents, both benders. The soldiers didn't know if I was a bender and couldn't get themselves to kill me as well." She swallowed at the thought of her lost parents. He noticed, but she didn't give him time to react. "So my adoptive father took me home to his wife and his daughter who is a year older then me. When they, we, found out that I am a bender we decided to hide it. They didn't want to give me up." She was still looking at the ground, talking about this was always emotionally for her.
He inclined his head. "I am sorry for what my nation, my family did to you." She knew how often he had said things like this, but it didn't sound fake. Surprisingly he sounded like he actually cared. She looked up in surprise.
He gave her a slight smile. "So why are you on the edge of the nation now?"
She shrugged. "I decided it was time for me to learn more about my heritage. Plus my sister and her husband are expecting their third child, my mother lives with them and there is not much space in their house." She returned his smile. "And you? What is our ruler doing away from his throne without any officials by his side. Or his girlfriend." Almost the whole world knew about the firelord and Lady Mai.
This time he did blush. "I… uhm… I needed a break from all of it. I traveled for most of my adult life and I feel like there is a lot I need to make right and find out. So I left. Everything. And everyone." This time it was him who averted his eyes.
She nodded. "I understand."
He shrugged and turned back to the letter he was writing. She finished her hair and went to her tent, thinking about what he had said.