*may contain feels*

It had been a while since the entire gang was back together. The last time they were was probably when Republic City first opened officially. It had been one of Aang’s greatest successes. And now it would be the place of his friends’ reunion.

Right now it was just him and Toph in the city. Life and responsibilities pulled Zuko and Sokka back to their respective countries. And admittedly, a fight with Katara made her take up her ambassador job again so that they could have space apart. Aang didn’t want space. He wanted to marry her. But he could do nothing to convince her otherwise. As much as it hurt to be away from Katara and only speak through the rare letters, he was excited for her to return so that they could get back to where they used to be.

“Everyone’s boats are docking soon, Twinkletoes. You ready to go?” Toph asked impatiently. Though the years made her stronger and wiser, there were just some things that never changed.

“Yup, I’m ready.” Before he could continue, he noticed something red wrapped around Toph’s finger. “What’s that?”

“What’s what, Twinkletoes? You know I don’t do well with pointing.”

Aang rolled his eyes. “That string around your finger. What is it?” Aang looked closer at it and the red string dangled off of her ring finger looking worse for wear and slightly frayed.

Toph looked at him disbelievingly. “What are you talking about? I don’t have a red string on my finger.”

”Yes you do!” He lifted her hand. “Right here!”

Toph snatched her hand away. “You’re losing it, Aang. We need to go.”

Aang could tell by her irritation that it would be better to just let it go. Maybe he’ll ask his other friends about it when they get here. The ones that could actually see.

X

“Sokka!” The Water Tribe warrior was the first person Aang spotted on the docks. There were a bunch of people gathered around greeting Sokka’s retinue as well as other new arrivals.

”Hey Buddy!” Sokka said as Aang pulled him in for a hug. “You look good. You’ve been working out?” Sokka faced Toph next. “I know you have. Look at you all grown up,” he said as he ruffled her hair.

Toph swatted his hand away. “Knock it off, Snoozles.” Aang noticed she swatted him with the red string hand. He had to have seen it. He’ll have to ask Sokka when they were alone so as to not annoy Toph again.

Sokka looked around at the other people. “So where’s my sister?”

Aang looked at him confused. “I thought she was with you in the Southern Tribe?” It wasn’t a secret amongst the friends that Katara left Republic City to resume her Ambassador duties. But it was an unspoken not well kept secret that what pushed her into it was difficulties she was having with Aang.

Sokka, being Katara’s brother, would always have his sister’s back. So he knew all about the rocky relationship. Perhaps even more than Aang did. “She’s an ambassador. You didn’t actually think she’d spend all her time in the Tribe did you? Last I heard, she was in the Fire Nation helping Zuko with something. I just thought they would’ve been here by now.”

Aang tried to hide his surprise and disappointment. No, he hadn’t heard about that. He knew Zuko had a problem. He even messaged Aang requesting help. Aang didn’t remember the reason he gave, but he wasn’t able to attend the Fire Nation at the time. “Don’t worry about it, buddy,” Sokka said with his usual enthusiasm. “Look! A Fire Nation ship is coming in now. Let’s go greet my sister and his royal jerkbender.”

Aang let out a small laugh and followed Sokka and Toph toward the Fire Nation retinue exiting their ship. Aang was a little lost in his thoughts as Sokka and Toph were further ahead of him. First the red string on Toph and now his lack of information on Katara. Something felt off and he couldn’t understand it.

When he finally snapped out of it, he noticed Zuko and Sokka letting go of their Water Tribe arm grasp. And then he noticed her. Her back was to him, but she was still so beautiful. Katara. He couldn’t help it. He practically ran to her. “Katara!” He grabbed her arm and turned her around only to scream at the sight. “Ahhh!”

Katara looked at him shocked. “Aang!” She wasn’t sure what scared her more. The abruptness of him reaching her, or him screaming in her face. “What is it?!”

Aang looked at her wide eyed. Why was she looking at him like he was crazy? “Katara, what is that?! Why is there a knife in your chest?!”

If Katara wasn’t confused before, she was now. “What are you talking about?!”

Aang was getting more frantic. “You’re a healer! How do you not feel that? Or SEE that?! Take it out!” He reached for her as to pull out the knife in her chest himself, but before he could reach it, she backed away from him.

”Aang, will you calm down! I have no idea what you’re talking about!” Katara’s yelling finally caught the attention of the rest of the gang.

Zuko came up to Aang. “What’s going on here?”

Aang turned to him and started to explain. “Zuko! Katara has a…AHHH!”

Zuko looked at him wide eyed. “What?!”

”You have one too! Why do you both have knives in your chest?!”

Zuko tried to grab his arm and calm him down. “Aang, you need to calm down and lower your voice. You’re going to attract a crowd. None of us have knives in our chests. We’re ok.”

Aang pulled away from his grasp. “No. No, no, no. Something’s wrong…” Without saying another word, he left the group and the docks and went to find solace to meditate.

X

Aang was deep in meditation. He begged the spirits. He begged his past lives. He begged for someone to give him answers. Finally, when the full moon was high, he made his way into the spirit world, only to be greeted by a nice looking old man. “Welcome, Avatar Aang. I’ve been waiting for you. My name is Yu.”

Aang looked at this old man spirit. He seemed very nice. He kind’ve reminded Aang of Zuko’s uncle Iroh. Definitely more so than Katara’s step-grandad Pakku. “Hi Yu. If you don’t mind me asking, where are we?”

The old man smiled at him. “We are in the temple of the Moon. You asked for answers and here you shall find them.”

”The moon temple?” Aang asked curiously. “I’ve never been here. Is Yue here? We were friends once.”

Yu shook his head. “No, Avatar Aang. The moon spirit does not reside in this temple. It is merely used to do her bidding as I am a servant of hers. My full name is actually Yue Tao, the old man under the moon.”

Aang looked at him curiously. “So why am I here, Master Yu?”

Master Yu walked deeper into the temple. “The moon spirit asked me to show you this.” With a wave of his hand, a glowing orb of light appeared in the center of the room. With another wave, several red lines began to protrude out of it. Some even went through Aang and kept on going into the beyond. “These, young Avatar, are the red strings of fate.”

Aang’s eyes widened. “Wait! I think I’ve heard of that. The monks told us of this story where red string connects two people meant to be soulmates.”

Master Yu nodded. “That’s right. The moon holds power over intuition, guidance, and emotions. She sees the people below her and she creates each person’s red string. And she is never wrong.”

”That’s amazing,” Aang said in almost a whisper. “But wait, what does that have to do with me?”

Master Yu sighed. “The great moon spirit believes you have impeded her work one too many times. And based on her mortal memories of you, she felt that you needed to be shown rather than told.”

”Shown what?’

Master Yu looked at him curiously. “You’ve been having visions, have you not?”

Aang shivered at the memory of seeing the knife protruding from Katara’s chest. And then the same on Zuko. “Yes.”

”Those were visions from the moon spirit; to show you the consequences of your actions.”

Aang was starting to get mad. “How have I been impeding her work? And why am I being punished for it?”

Yu waved his hand again and all of the red string disappeared, except for one. The remaining string was lanky and ripped at the edge. “This string belongs to your friend, Toph Beifong. It’s ripped because she has decided to not pursue her soulmate. I can’t tell you who he is, but I can tell you that you are a direct cause.”

Aang looked at the ripped string and its frayed edges. It brought a sadness to his heart, especially knowing he was the cause. “Well, maybe it’s a mistake. Maybe Yue chose incorrectly for her.”

Master Yu shook his head. “No, the spirits are never wrong. Only humans are wrong. Yue sets the string, but it is up to the people’s free will to determine what they do with it. Once she places it, it can only be undone by the two soulmates. Not even the moon spirit can change it at that point.”

Aang was still confused. “What about Zuko and Katara? I didn’t see a red string on them. What I saw was way worse.”

”What you saw was the consequence of your actions.” He waved his hand again and Toph’s string disappeared. Instead, another string came out of the ball of light, but rather than continue endlessly like the others had, it swung back around and made a loop back into the light. “This string is Katara’s. And it is also Zuko’s.”

“WHAT?! That can’t be right!” Aang yelled almost desperately.

”The spirits are never wrong. Only humans,” Yu reiterated. “Their red string was decided a long time ago. Yin and Yang. Fire and Water. Moon and Sun. Hate…and love.”

Aang shook his head in disbelief. “No, no that can’t be. They hardly know each other.”

Master Yu shook his head again. “You know that is not true, Avatar Aang. Perhaps you don’t see the love between them because you yourself have been selfish with yours. But the Moon Spirit sees all.”

Aang looked at him angrily. “I’VE been selfish?”

Yu nodded. “Yes. Your love for Katara has only ever benefited you. You chose her over the Avatar state all those years ago. You chose her over your responsibilities.. And you chose her before she was allowed to choose herself, let alone her soulmate.”

Aang shook his head. “That’s not true.”

“Is it not, Avatar Aang? Is she not finally choosing herself by leaving Republic City?”

”But we didn’t actually break up. She could still come back.”

Yu nodded. “Yes, she could. And if so, that knife in her heart shall stay. In Zuko’s as well. A visual representation of the curse laid upon them.”

Aang stumbled back as if punched in the gut before stumbling and sitting on the floor. “I did this.” Aang put his face in his hands. “How can that be? All I ever did was love her.”

”Love manifests itself in many different ways, Avatar Aang. Guru Pathik taught you that. But just because we love someone one way, does not mean they must love you the same.”

Aang looked up at him wide eyed. “I’m the reason Katara and Zuko can’t be together. My two best friends and I’ve put a knife in each of their hearts. And Toph…wait a second.” The wheels in his head were turning. “If I’m the reason Toph severed her string…is it because…am I her soulmate?” In an instant, Katara and Zuko’s red string disappeared and Toph’s reappeared. Aang looked at his hand where his own string appeared, lanky and severed. Just like Toph’s.

Master Yu looked down at where Aang was still sitting on the floor. “You’re finally understanding.”

Aang thought about the time he had spent with Toph in Republic City, how she always supported him and helped him through difficulty. How she kept him grounded when everyone else would just agree with him. He then thought on Zuko and Katara. How he took her to face her mother’s killer because he knew better than anyone facing the person who took your mother from you. He thought about how Zuko never judged her for her decisions and had always asked for her opinions on important matters. How could he have missed all the signs? Because Master Yu was right. He had been selfish.

Aang got up abruptly. “Tell me how to fix this. PLEASE!”

Master Yu looked at him with a neutral expression. “Yue has played her part. I have done her bidding. The rest is up to you and the others. Only you have the will to change things.”

Aang nodded and then bowed to him. “Then so it shall be.”

X

It takes time, but after a while, the visions of broken strings and knives in his friends’ chests finally fade away. And when Aang is attending another Republic City reunion with his friends, he looks down at his hand to see a vision of his red string pointing toward his wife. He looked up to see her a few feet away, their daughter Lin in one arm while she held their eldest, Bumi by the hand as he tried to get away. He could see the end of his string tied to one of her fingers. Thick and strong.

Toph was speaking with Katara who had her hands on her pregnant belly. She was heavy with her and Zuko’s second child. No knife in sight and instead, a red string leading from her hand behind her to where Zuko, her husband, was conversing with others; a little girl in his arms.