Chapter Text
Voices echoed among the icy buildings as children laughed and screamed, playing with the freshly fallen snow that had piled on the ground through the daytime. There was now a full moon hanging up in the sky, bright and playful as it goaded the citizens out to enjoy a night of fresh snow, and to take in the glimmer of its light upon the fallen flakes, looking much like a blanket of diamonds. Snowballs were volleyed about, splattering into the faces and parkas of other kids while their mothers chaperoned. They were gathered around, often taking peeks up towards the home of Chief Arnook and his wife.
"It's been two days now; you'd think we would have heard something," one woman said. Another nodded.
"I worry that maybe something happened and they just haven't announced it."
"Spirits, I would hope not. That would devastate them. They've tried so hard for this baby."
The conversation continued, and the women looked on, feeling guilty as they watched their own sons and daughters playing happily while Arnook and his wife were possibly struggling with the arrival of their first little one.
It had been one small lighthouse of hope and excitement in the sea of dread during this continued time of crisis. Outside of the North Pole, the Fire Nation continued their destruction and occupation of the rest of the world. However, The North Pole's defenses remained untouched.
For now.
With the Avatar having been missing for decades, they counted their blessings each day as they woke up, and then as they tucked their loved ones back into bed, that they were still alive and free.
They'd been pleased with the leadership of Arnook, and upon hearing he and his wife were expecting, the North Pole bustled with excitement as they awaited the future of their tribe.
But now that excitement seemed to be fading into concern - the same concern they held each day as they waited with bated breath that the Fire Nation would be on their doorstep.
"At least they have the best healers around," one of them said, looking to one woman in particular as she beamed; her hands had prevented many an early end for their brave hunting husbands. "I'm sure if anything Yagoda-"
The thought of Yagoda, the proficient and kind healer, being able to spare Arnook any heartache melted quickly as one of the women looked to find her shadow suddenly in front of her, appearing in the night as boldly as it did in the day. The other women noticed the snow becoming whiter, and the ice from the buildings glimmered intensely. The children had all stopped and were looking up towards the mountain, and their mothers did the same.
A bright, intense light was shooting up into the sky.
Their mouths dropped as they nearly caught vertigo looking at how high up the beam of light ascended.
"It's... it's coming from the Oasis!" One of the women said. At that moment the one healer darted away. "Kieta!"
Kieta turned to look back towards the group. "Watch Onek for me!" She shouted, talking about her still-toddling little boy as he barely registered his mother leaving. She wasn't exactly sure why she'd taken off, but she felt a pull towards the Oasis. Something... something felt strange.
Kieta approached the door to the Oasis, where she was joined by two of her healing friends and two of the high shamans.
"What do you think it is?" The youngest healer, Turin, asked. She looked up at Kieta with her big blue eyes.
"I don't know," Kieta said. The healers looked to the shamans, who seemed to hesitate.
"What made you three come here?" They asked. The eldest healer snorted.
"Does it matter? Something is happening; we must investigate!" Kurdi said.
Kieta nodded. "You've been joined by three healers... I think that should say enough as to what could be happening in there."
The Shamans looked to each other and they nodded, finally opening the door to the Oasis.
Upon stepping over the threshold, the biting cold dissipated.
But the blinding light remained. It shot out of the pool in the center, from which Tui and La swam in their never ending dance.
"Is... Is something wrong with Tui and La?" Turin asked. Kurdi hobbled forward, followed by Turin and Kieta as the shamans pleaded for them to wait.
The three healers looked into the beam of light, and they registered a form laying limp halfway into the grass. They crossed a bridge, their footsteps clattering upon the wood as they rounded the small island, towards the altar and towards the body. They entered the beam of light and before them lay-
A boy.
A boy dressed in yellow and orange robes, his head shaven as an arrow glowed from his skin - the telltale mark of an Airbender tattoo.
Their mouths fell agape. They had not seen an Airbender in their entire lives; they had all been massacred by the Fire Nation. Kieta knelt down and supported the boy in her arms; she looked to the others and they were all equally stunned.
It couldn't have been...
Could it?
The Avatar?
Just as they returned their sight to him, the light from the pool dissipated.
And with it, the light from the boy's eyes and tattoos.
And just a second later, his body fell limp.
Gasping, Kurdi removed her mittens, trying to find a pulse on the boy.
There was no telltale rhythm of a heartbeat.
"Hurry!" Kurdi hissed, waving her hands effortlessly to summon water from the pool.
The shamans stepped forward in objection. "W-wait!" The elder sputtered. "We should at least-"
"At least what?!" Kurdi asked. "This could be him! This could be the Avatar and you're telling us to wait?!"
"Chief Arnook should be here to authorize use of the spirit water! Or at least Master Pakku-"
"Chief Arnook is busy and we don't have time!" Kieta snapped.
Turin seemed the most hesitant, but she watched the two older ladies step into action, and she did so as well. They called upon the special properties of the water of the Oasis to hopefully cleanse this boy of any unseen malady.
The shamans gawked, unsure of what to do, but just as they were about to say anything else-
"Wh-What is happening?!"
The shamans turned to find Chief Arnook, flanked by his wife and Yagoda.
In his wife's arms was a small bundle as its mother trembled with fear.
"Chief Arnook," one shaman blurted. "We tried to stop them-"
"Forgive us, Chief!" Kurdi barked. "But-"
"No, I saw the light," Arnook said, his tone indicative that he was aware that something beyond him was unraveling. The moment he'd begged to the moon for his daughter to be spared, the light shot into the sky, blocking his view of the moon.
He led his wife towards the water, and she handed him the bundled baby.
Arnook looked into the face of his precious, sleeping baby. Then to Tui and La.
"Please; hear my prayers," he whispered.
As the healers continued anointing the Avatar with the spirit water, hoping to revive him, Arnook lowered his newborn child into the waters as well. Behind him, his wife clasped her hands tightly in a prayer.
Arnook watched in solemn hope, not sure of what to expect.
And before he knew it, the dark strands of his child's soft hair began to shimmer a glorious silver. One by one, each dark brown lock became shorn of its earthly hue.
Across the pool, the body of the Avatar convulsed, and his eyes opened and, once again, a light glowed from deep within, only to fade and reveal the true color of his eyes: a deep gray. But they closed again as he passed out, finally breathing on his own. Kurdi quickly removed her parka to bundle up the boy as he trembled.
Arnook watched as his daughter's eyes finally opened -
And they were like beacons of light as well. Her first glance into the world was with a bright, beaming gaze, the same color as the pillar of light he'd seen just moments ago. He gasped, frightened, but soon the light faded and revealed her big blue eyes to her father.
Just in time for her to finally wail her first cries of life.