AN: This story is nothing like canon. There are a lot of OCs and a lot has changed. If you don't like it, I've warned you. You can still read and tell me you don't like it, but honestly, I don't give a crap.

Hakoda was stealthily treading through the ice. The beam of light the just emitted from the top of the ice burg didn't look remotely safe. Hakoda knew that something was in the ice. He had seen a boy in the ice and the boy's eyes were open.

Hakoda came around the bend in the ice and found a boy. He was an airbender. That was obvious from the blue tattoos that lined his head and limbs. His head was shaved and he had orange runic on over yellow clothes.

Hakoda knelt down and pressed his fingers to the boy's neck. There was a pulse, but it was very faint. This child wouldn't survive. Hakoda knew the most his tribe could do was prolong his life by a few days.

Hakoda looked behind the boy's limp body. A flying bison, much like the ones that occasionally, though never when the Fire nation is nearby, fly across the skies of the South Pole. Looking at the beast, Hakoda knew it was already dead.

Now that he knew that there was no danger here, he went to the edge of the ice island. He called out. "Bato! Come here quick! There's something I need help with." Moments later, Bato came over, jumping from ice patch to ice patch. His burly frame and large build made some small cracks in the ice, but there wasn't enough to be serious.

Bato landed on the ice island and looked at Hakoda. His gray eyes shone with alarm. "What is it Hakoda?"

Hakoda ushered him over to the boy. Bato knelt next to the boy's head and lifted it out of the snow. He looked at Hakoda worriedly. "We must get him back to the village. Maybe we'll be able to help him there."

Hakoda nodded slightly. He knew that Bato knew that this was false hope. This boy was going to die. As sad as the thought was, it was true.

Hakoda helped Bato lift the boy up. He carried his feet as Bato carried the boy's head. They got to the edge of the ice when they were faced with a dilemma. "How are we going to get back to the village with him?" Hakoda asked. They had no way to travel around.

Bato eventually took the boy and put him over his shoulder carefully. He nodded for Hakoda to continue jumping. Hakoda jumped to the next ice sheet and stepped back when Bato jumped over, careful not to allow the boy to fall. They continued like this until they got to the mainland, which was still ice. They walked for over an hour, occasionally stopping to readjust the boy's body over Bato's shoulder.

They eventually came into sight of the village. The eight foot wall of snow that was a shoddy defense for the village stood on the horizon. The sun was setting, casting yellow-orange light onto the snow.

The sun had just set when they crossed the borders into the village. There was a fire lit in the center of the village. All forty- three residents of the village were sitting around, frantically muttering and shooting glances at a woman.

She had dark hair piled onto her head. She had blue eyes shining with worry. The fire light reflected off of her olive skin and blue parka. She was very pretty. And also very pregnant.

She held a small boy in one hand and the other rested over her swelling belly. It was clear that she was days away from giving birth. When she noticed Hakoda and Bato coming toward everyone, she cried out. "Hakoda! Thank the spirits! Where have you been? I would get up and slap you, but my legs hurt." She turned to an older woman with blue eyes, silvery hair pulled up in two loops, and a purple parka and said "Kanna, go and slap your son for me, would you."

The woman, Kanna, got up and walked over to Hakoda, and slapped him fiercely across the face. She hit him so hard that a red spot was apparent even under his olive toned pallor. In a craggily voice, she spoke. "How dare you! Kya is pregnant and you have the nerve to pull a disappearing act. You are so lucky that she can't get up and beat you herself—" Her words were cut off by Bato's guffaws. She turned to him and slapped him across the face as well. She was about to fall into another tirade when she noticed the boy on his shoulders. "And who is that?"

Hakoda sighed. "He's the reason we took so long. We were fishing when we found him. We noticed a beam of light shoot out of an iceberg as it cracked. Bato stayed away, but I went to check it out. Inside, I found him and a flying bison. The bison was dead, but he's still alive. But he won't be for long if we don't help him."

Kanna was still glaring at her son, though the glare had softened slightly, and motioned for him to bring the child to the fire. As they brought him forward, men, women, children alike moved out of the way. All that was left was Kya. She sat in her seat; glare wiped from her face and a look of concern etched in its place. She held out a mittened hand toward the boy and gently cradled his head as Bato placed him on the floor.

Kanna turned to another woman and said "Bring the medicinal herbs. This boy won't survive, but we may be able to wake him up." The young woman nodded. She went off and returned moments later with a basket filled to the rim with supplies. Kanna began to work moments before Kya cried out.

"The baby's coming," she rasped. Kanna looked up from her work. The boy was getting worse. He'd be dead within the hour. It might have been kinder to let him die in his sleep, but she wondered if she could wake him up. Kya looked at Kanna and said "Keep working on him. Sekoia can help delive—ah!" The older woman nodded. Another older woman, Sekoia, stepped forward and assisted in helping Hakoda and Bato lead Kya into her family's tent. The baby she was holding before was now in the hands of her friend Dakota.

Kanna continued to work on the boy. She tried, and mostly succeeded, in ignoring the sound of her daughter-in-law's screams. After forty-five minutes, she managed to wake him up. After about five minutes, she managed to get him coherent.

"Hello boy," Kanna said softly. She had sent the rest of the villagers away. This child didn't need to be surrounded in death. "Can you tell me your name?"

"Aa—Aan—Aang." He rasped. He closed his eyes and Kanna felt his heart stop. At that same moment, Kya's cries cut off.

After almost an hour of excruciating pain, Kya sighed in relief. It was over. A baby's cries filled the air. Kya looked at Hakoda. He was beaming at her. Sekoia handed the baby to him and he leaned down so she could hold the baby as well.

"It's a girl," he whispered. She smiled as she named her.

"Katara."

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