#geothewriter writes

[geothewriter]

Hath No Fury

“Afraid I’ll redirect it?” 

The final words Katara knew she would hear him say. 

The simmering crackle of death followed swiftly. The electric white energy quickly built in the other girl’s fingertips. 

Its sheer power sundered the air as it released from her grasp.

Over.

It was over.

No one can outrun lightning.

Her body tensed, bracing for impact.

But she could not move, anchored in fear, or perhaps acceptance.

Then it happened.

He happened.

He who worked harder than any man should to win her trust.

He who started as an enemy.

Then an ally.

Then a friend.

Then something else.

Something more. 

He outran the bolt. He dove into its path. Did the impossible. 

For her.

She blinked, closing her eyes. She couldn’t watch it. Couldn’t bear it.

Every fight they ever had played out in instantaneous moments lasting minutes, hours, days in her mind. Anything to delay the inevitable.

She was weak. She was strong. He bested her. She bested him.

In the crystal cavern, their paths crossed, pasts reforged. In that cavern, they fought. In that cavern, neither won.

On an airy mountain cliff she derided, he pleaded.

On a distant sea, she trusted, and he supported.

On an island paradise, she forgave.

Somewhere between, he opened her heart.

He became more.

And now, he was giving everything. Everything for her. 

Giving her everything before she could return anything.

Crackling light flashed in her still-closed eyes, already filling with glistening tears, wet with fear. 

His body fell, energy coursing and crackling through. It lay motionless before her. Her inner turmoil screamed in anguish waiting for the deafening roar of thunder.

The thunder never arrived.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Her eyes flashed open.

The sundering of air had only just begun.

Her hands formed into fists that were not hers, feet slid into a stance she did not practice, together in a motion she did not know.

He dove before her, but her arms had already risen, solid anchored forms bestowing power yet unseen.

The ground began to quake.

She realized, in that blitz of motion, that her mind was not her own.

She was watching from afar, through a looking glass, as her body moved of its own accord.

It thought too quickly, too fully, too absolute to be her.

A sheet of crystal, perfect in its construction, erupted from the plaza in front of him, blocking the energy from ever reaching his form.

Another column of emerald pushed from the ground beneath her feet, carrying her into the sky.

She shouted then, in a voice that did not belong to her, “You will not take him from me! Not again.”

And with the power of her words, the ground quaked as though the mountain itself was waking from slumber. 

Her fists clenched in a rage she did know. 

Her heart raced. 

She could only observe what would come next. 

The other woman, standing in an awkward stance, hunched to one side began wide arcs of movement. But before she had the chance to make more than a quarter turn, Katara flicked her finger, and a shard of rock impacted her opponent’s wrist, ruining the stance. 

Still, her fists clenched, fury swirling within, and she felt it. The liquid answered her call. This feeling was familiar, one she was so intimately close with, she couldn’t deny it. It pulled and sloshed and coursed, the feeling brought comfort.

But when it arrived, she felt terror. 

A seething fury of unstoppable fiery death erupted forth from the ground across the plaza, launching rock and metal in its wake. She stepped forward from her perch with confidence she did not know she had.

A swirling tempest of molten rock met her fall and carried her back skyward. 

Acceptance.

This is who she was. This was who she is.

A voice still unknown to her shouted once more, “For your actions, I can never forgive you!”

Her molten wrath obeyed her command, streaming and pressing outward, warping and churning toward her prey. 

A voice, hardly a rasp broke through the raging anger of not her mind. “Katara, don’t…”

The hands that still were not her own paused, and the mountain fell silent. And with it, the lava froze into obsidian as it surrounded her opponent in a prison of shining black stone.

Carried by unfamiliar legs, she strode toward him with an unnatural speed. 

The voice belonging to another called softly to him. To he who perished saving her, if only in her mind. 

“I will lose you never again.”

She found her arms back under her control as they tightly wrapped themselves around his neck. 

Tears rushed again to her eyes, recalling what was almost. What nearly wasn’t, and she found her wavering voice under her own control once more. 

“I thought I lost you. Was going to lose you.”

Zuko’s eyes flashed green for but an instant, and a strong, confident voice that was not his answered.

“Never again, my love. Never again.” 

In the moment that followed, recognition flashed across their brows. He returned her embrace and she finally accepted that she longed for his touch, and he for hers. Their embrace tightened, unresolved for far too long. Apart for what seemed like forever.

Their hearts grew, remembering an ache, a familiar feeling, a distant memory. Their minds danced with the possibility. 

Their lips met. 

The possibility that it wasn’t true, sundered in an instant.

Together once more. 

At last. 

Their love was strong and they found their way.

[demaparbat-hp]

First, omg YOUR ZUTARA ART! It's so so beautiful I want to weep.

Do you have any Zutara fic recs? I need some more Zutara in my life lol

Hi! That's so sweet, thank you ❤️

Most of my free time is spent reading, but I almost never save the links...and can never seem to remember the names and/or authors of the fics.

Luckily I saved the links for some of my absolute favorite fics! There are a lot of truly breathtaking works out there and, sadly, I can't mention them all. These are some names in a very long list of favorites. I hope you enjoy them ❤️

Vermillion Seas, Cardinal Skies by @geothewriter

New directions and re-imagined canon events race toward a different endgame. From lighting bending to bloodbending and deal-making in the Spirit World, this canon-divergent/adjacent AU travels a new road, where unforeseen experiences shape who our heroes are, and who they will become. A Zutara slowburn.

Forgetting is a kind of mercy by @nerdylizj

It's death by a thousand cuts, Katara thinks. Saying goodbye to their old lives, forging ahead with whatever amalgamation of reality once they both fully remember everything, whatever reality that may be. Yet, two tethers between them will remain. Or, Five years after Katara and Zuko go missing in Ba Sing Se, Kya and Lee are found living peacefully in the Earth Kingdom countryside.

Eight Years Later by @starlight-tea-writing

Eight years after Sozin’s Comet, everyone’s lives have begun to take shape, their responsibilities pulling them further and further apart. The last three years have been broken up with infrequent and hurried meetings and get togethers, but by happenstance, things play out a little differently for the eighth anniversary of the End of War. Follow what happens in the year after all of Team Avatar gets together again and the found family re-finds each other and grows even larger. Zutara centric, Sukka, Toph/OC, Aang/OC Irregular updates, Saturdays only.

The White Lotus Zuko series by @calcliffbas

Zuko becomes one of the good guys a little earlier than usual, and joins Aang, Sokka and Katara in Omashu. A canon-adjacent series featuring friendship, humor, and romance.

The Spirit Trap by @leradny

In the Southern Water Tribe, Hakoda teaches his second son Katara to channel the grief over the death of his mother in a healthy way. In the Fire Nation Capital, Ozai tries to betroth his eldest daughter Princess Zuko to Iroh's son, and Ursa has to explain why that's not a good idea. [AU: Switched Genders, but just for Zuko and Katara]

Everything I Am by we-were-angels(untilwefallinlove)

There is something inevitable about them; like the certainty of the sun in the morning and the moon and all her stars at night. After all is said in done, how will history tell their stories? (Set after the One Hundred Year War and the years following.)

[geothewriter]

Vermillion Seas Cardinal Skies: Chapter 20 - Realization

Hello all!

Chapter 20 - Realization is long in coming, but it's here!

Shoutout to @achillmango, as always, for her excellent editing/proofing work! I'm super excited to share this one with y'all. It's special. it's really special. There's not much else that I can say about it though.

So with that out of the way, please enjoy chapter 20 - Realization

“This is such a terrible idea.” Mai sighs and continues walking down the carved hallway in solitude. She shudders at the thought of what the waterbender will do to her when she discovers who is knocking at her door. Mai knows what she’s going to say, just not how to say it. Yeah, Katara saw her when she got off the airship with the rescued prisoners. More like glared at her; but, this is different. This is a one-on-one confrontation with the girl who immediately swept Zuko’s feet and somehow blocked his chi with a water whip when he asked to spar with her an hour ago. This is going to go fantastically.

Continue Reading on AO3.

[geothewriter]

Vermillion Seas Cardinal Skies: Chapter 19 - Recognition

Hello! I hope you all are having wonderful days! Now that the ZK Big Bang is over, and my story is posted, I should have a bit more time to focus on VSCS. Which, for the sanity of those in the story, may not be a good thing. Anyway, onto some more info!

Turns out that the plane writing session was a massive success! This chapter grew and grew and grew, and originally was going to be nearly FOURTEEN THOUSAND WORDS. It was subsequently split into 19 and 20. I absolutely HAVE to give an enormous shoutout to my editor/beta reader achillmagno for her efforts on this one. It was an absolutely massive undertaking and I’m so thankful for you.

Now, without further interruption, please enjoy a snippet from Chapter 19 - Recognition.

Three swift raps on Azula’s door stir her from a surprisingly restful slumber. Servants rush into her room, throwing open the darkening curtains and windows behind them, filling the room with bright light and the sweet smell of the flowering late summer blossoms. They are quickly followed by Li and Lo who approach Azula’s bed.  A scowl sets in as she forces her eyes open. “What. Is. it?” She mutters angrily. The women answer in their typical sing-song cadence alternating who is speaking. “It is your father, Princess.”

Continue reading on AO3!

[geothewriter]

Vermillion Seas Cardinal Skies: Chapter 21 - A Breath of Fresh Air

With a mutual realization sealed in a kiss, a moment of much-needed calm is deserved. But how long can it last?

---

Happy Halloween y'all!

With the completion of an angsty arc, we enter new territory. As an apology for all of the angst and sadness and uncomfortability, here are just over 6500 words of relative fluffiness. Of course, if you know me, it won't be ALL fluff ;)

On that note, if you're paying attention - storywise we've arrived at a particularly interesting arc. That's right. We're about to take a decidedly Southern direction very soon. Just how will that play out? Well, you'll just have to wait and see.

AS ALWAYS, SUCH a massive shoutout to aChillMango for her freaking spectacular editing on this chapter. <3

Now, without further delay, please enjoy a tidbit from Chapter 21 - A Breath of Fresh Air.

Warmth. A wonderful feeling of complete contentedness encompasses her. It spreads its arms, and embraces, and lulls, and loves. And that feeling is so incredibly calming. It is as though her every trouble has melted away, leaving only this perfect feeling of belonging.  Her eyes slide open, and the crackling pops of a fire greet her in the blues and whites of her home. A deep inhale of the warm air brings the sweet scent of ginseng and the mustiness of the hides that make up her bed. The whalebone tools and set of garments needing mending are lying where she left them. She just doesn’t remember when, but that doesn’t matter. She is warm, and safe, and content. Her eyes slide shut. She can afford to sleep a bit longer. She is still exhausted from the past few grueling days preparing for the solstice celebrations. Warmth. Warmth and oppressive humidity wrap around her like a hot bath. Her eyes flicker open to shades of red, gold, and black. A set of gauze-like curtains dances in a breeze that carries with it scents of moon-peach blossoms and the earliest ripe mangoes of the season. Several pelts adorn the floor, acting as rugs on the otherwise barren wooden surface. Her eyes lazily drift up, settling on the desk opposite the bed to where her whale-bone tools sit, awaiting her return to the quilt she’s been working on for the past…how long was it?  A pair of dao swords are displayed proudly on the wall next to several theater masks, and she decides to turn over, tossing some of the covers askew in the large overly comfortable bed. She could get used to this kind of comfort. It is the kind of opulence that she’s never truly had access to, and what a change. As her head lands on the opposite side of her pillow, the smell of campfires and sandalwood reaches her nose. The smell of his soap. His smile greets her, with a lazy “Good morning.” quick to follow.  A buoyant smile pulls at her cheeks and as she pushes her body forward to kiss him good morning, her lips meet only a cold rocky surface.  She startles awake, heart racing, and coated in a thin layer of sweat. “Oh.”  “Right.” “A dream…” “Just a dream…” “Oh. It was all…just a dream...”

Continue Reading on AO3.

[geothewriter]

Risen from the Ashes

He was present the day it all changed, when the sky turned dark and the outsiders rushed in. They came under the shadows of the sun, surging forth, caring only for the snake's many heads while sparing all others.

He joined the invaders.

They broke every defense with ease, pushed through any obstacle, and surmounted any challenge.

Their enemies saw it coming but did not prepare nearly well enough. The day was theirs, they were victorious. His father and the allies of the aggressor lay slain. Victory.

But every victory has a cost.

Their enemies saw it coming but were better prepared than he thought. In the coming hours, explosions rang out across Caldera City. Fireballs erupted from seemingly random residences. Evacuating innocents was all he could do. It was all the one-time invaders turned rescuers could do. All anyone could do.

That night was filled with terror, screams, blood, and horror. Residual evils sowed as a last hurrah of the former reign.

In the morning light, Zuko picked through the rubble. It wasn't supposed to be this way. As the long shadows of the morning began receding, others crept forth from the wreckage of the capital. Everyday commonfolk, few he knew by name, but all recognized him. The people endured.

They watched as he and the invaders poured every ounce of strength into rescuing the fallen, saving the injured, and respecting the lost. They joined in.

-----------------

It was three days since defeat was snatched from the jaws of victory; however, on the morning of that third day, he learned of fate's plan. He was the only surviving member of the royal family.

He was crowned Fire Lord that afternoon. He feared that the people would never support him. He aided the invaders. How could he ever be an optimist about this?

-----------------

His fears were assuaged. Sleepless nights were unnecessary. His people had watched him save them and his allies help them rebuild, observed their honor, their respect, their humility. They were won.

There was never a question in their minds that he was the one. He was the only one who could bring them back from the brink to rise from the ashes. To forge a bright path forward into their future.

[geothewriter]

Tumblr, It's been a year.

A whole big freakin year! Man, it flew by pretty quickly.

Over the past year, I've met a bunch of incredibly talented folks who craft masterpieces that made me cry, laugh, and smile like an idiot about. Y'all are absolutely amazing!

Over the past year, I've helped some people by beta reading and editing, and all the same, had my own works edited by the very talented @achillmango.

All in all, this year has been FANTASTIC. I've gotten back into writing, something I hadn't expected to ever happen again, AND I've read SO MANY WORKS by SO MANY TALENTED AUTHORS. You guys are INCREDIBLE!

Now for an announcement: My asks are open for writing requests (short one-shot styled prompts). I will complete these requests as I have time, so long as they aren't of a subject that I deem uncomfortable to write about.

Speaking of my work, over the past year, I've apparently been pretty busy! Take a look:

WIPs on AO3:

Vermillion Seas Cardinal Skies 136,146 (+13600 unposted) words An ATLA series rewrite that sets out to expand on the universe, its relationships, and the overall story. ZK

Completed on AO3:

Dark Revelations 1713 words An ATLA one-shot that focuses on Katara's rage after she finds out just how Zuko got his scar. No holding back here.

Zutara Week 2023 - A series of one-shots covering 2023's Zutara week prompts!

Hath No Fury 918 words An ATLA - Agni Kai one-shot focused on giving this final encounter a bit of a reincarnation twist.

Songs of the City 12,764

2024's Zutara Big Bang entry! - How a chance encounter led two people searching in the night to find a (surprising) emotion, and how their story went on and on and on and on... Inspired by some power ballads <3

Tumblr Posts/One Shots:

Risen from the Ashes Zuko-centric invasion one-shot inspired by Pompeii - Bastille

[geothewriter]

Vermillion Seas Cardinal Skies: Chapter 14 - Eclipsed

Despite her injuries, Katara joins the invasion and is forced to break a promise made. She reckons with the depths of her energy to make a difference.

-

Bit of a shorter chapter today, but just short by my standards. This one hurt to write, but we made it! Things will start to calm a bit shortly, but surely, calm can only last so long with a war raging.

Thank you to @achillmango for her work in editing and betaing this chapter as always! <3

Also, a super big thanks to all of you awesome readers and commenters. I love y'all so much. You make writing this story worth it.

She feels good.  The cool mists she pulls from the ocean around them fill her lungs and for the first time in days, that stretching ache in the depth of her chest doesn’t impede her. She swings her arms in wide circles, expanding the cloud of obfuscation to encompass the entire invasion force. Her breath pressing from her body to fuel the cloud’s continual growth feels almost life-giving.  It was Zuko’s words that made her try again.

Continue reading on AO3.

[geothewriter]

Vermillion Seas Cardinal Skies: Chapter 15 - Coming to Terms

With the cards all on the table, it is time for Aang and Zuko to address the element in the room while half a world away, Azula deals with her own reality.

-

Before I get into ANYTHING else, a content warning: Nearer to the end of this chapter, we get into a zone of implied child abuse - again, I don't think this is a significant enough portion of the story to up the rating, but it exists so have caution.

As always, a MASSIVE shoutout to @achillmango for her wonderful editing/betaing - helping me to get this chapter across the finish line.

Not much to say here without spoiling a bunch, so without further adieu, please enjoy Chapter 15 - Coming To Terms!

A profound silence inundates her senses with its overwhelming weight.  Complete deafening silence. Its only disruption is the soft rustle of medicinal bindings as the pair of servants works quickly to apply them to her torso. They do not question the injuries. They do not speak. Not at all. Part of her is thankful, part of her wants to scream, and another normally unheard part of her silently pleads to the spirits to take her away. She glares at the many paintings furnishing the walls, and to her surprise, they return her stare, but with practiced indifference and disdain. She blinks, refocusing her gaze to the floor. How did it all go so wrong? 

Continue Reading on AO3.

[geothewriter]

Vermillion Seas Cardinal Skies: Chapter 13 - Darkened Skies

With Katara still recovering from their encounter with Hama, team Avatar makes some difficult choices in planning the invasion.

I don't have much to say here except that this chapter contains a lot of good juicy stuff, and I hope you enjoy it!

Thank you to @achillmango for her work in editing and betaing this chapter, as well as to @ilya-halfelven for her brainstorming contributions! Y'all are awesome. <3

“Sugar Queen?” Toph’s voice questions from across the fire. Katara glances into the flames and answers, “Something wrong Toph?” “Yeah. You. I mean this in the nicest way possible, but you’re really weak and a total wreck. Not just how you move neither; when we sparred yesterday I went super easy on you and you were out of breath in a few moves. I don’t think you should join the invasion.”

Read more on AO3 :)