I got some good news for you all. I'm slowly gaining my inspiration for "A Lifetime of Love" back, so expect to see a new chapter within the next week. But for now, I have an interesting idea for a Korra oneshot stuck in my head that needs to be put on paper. :P But for now, enjoy this nice little oneshot! Read and review away, my friends! :D

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender. The show and its characters belong to Mike and Bryan, the brillant geniuses behind one of the greatest cartoon shows in the history of cartoons. Their work is legendary, and I salute them for it.

The Greatest Debt Of All

On a lone hill in the Lower Ring of Ba Sing Se stood a tall tree, its green canopy spreading wide over the verdant hill. The buildings and rail system encircle this one hill, an oasis of nature in a city of earth and stone. Many knew of this hill, but very few actually used it for their own purposes. Iroh of the Fire Nation was one such person to use this hill during his time in Ba Sing Se with Zuko, using the spot to remember his son's memory by celebrating his birthday. But this hill was not only used for the remembrance of a deceased loved one, for it was also used to celebrate the blossoming of young love. It was about midday in the great Earth Kingdom Capital, the warm sun bathing the walled city with unyielding light. It was a calm and peaceful day, much like all days since the end of The War about a month before.

Two young people lay underneath the cool shadow of the tree on the hill, a dark skinned girl and a bald boy. The girl was dressed in a green kimono, a pink flower in the bun of her hair and two hair loops framing her tan face while the rest of her dark hair billowed down her back. A blue betrothal necklace was around her neck, her precious trinket that reminded her of her deceased mother. She lay flat on her back as she stared up at the sky, a small smile on her face. The boy lying next to her on her left was dressed in orange robes, a wooden medallion with the symbol of Airbending engraved on the brown wood. He had a single blue arrow on his forehead, which trailed down into smaller arrows on his hands and feet. He too stared up at the wild blue yonder, smiling as he looked at his element high above the two of them.

The boy pointed up at a passing cloud and asked the girl in a happy voice, "Hey, Katara, don't you think that cloud looks like a Sky Bison?" Katara squinted to catch a glimpse of the cloud the boy was referring to, and she saw a cloud that looked like it had the horns and feet of a Sky Bison.

Katara smiled and replied, "Seeing as how Appa's the only Sky Bison I've ever seen, I'd have to say that it does look a lot like him." She chuckled as she looked over at the boy and added, "But you think that every cloud looks like a Sky Bison, Aang."

The young Avatar looked over at her with a quirked eyebrow and asked, "Is that such a bad thing?" His eyebrow returned to its normal spot as he said, "Besides, as the last Airbender, I have to keep some hope alive that Appa isn't the last Sky Bison."

"Aang," she said softly, "it's been a hundred years since the Air Nomads were wiped out by the Fire Nation. I know it hurts to hope for the return of the Sky Bison, but think about it…no one in the whole world has seen one in a whole century, not until Appa came along." She paused and added, "They could be extinct for all we know."

Aang shook his head, causing the grass to prickle his bald head, and said, "I don't think that's the case, Katara. Think about Momo. We found him at the Southern Air Temple about a year ago, and I'm pretty sure Lemurs don't live for a hundred years." He smiled and added, "If there was a hidden colony of Lemurs at the Southern Air Temple, think about how many other hidden colonies of Lemurs there could be at the other temples." Excitement entered his voice as he said, "There could even be whole herds of Sky Bison out there that haven't been discovered yet!"

Katara smiled at his optimism and thought to herself, He's so full of hope…I'm sure he's right, though. If Momo's existence is possible, then the existence of other Sky Bison is entirely possible as well. Aang's gone through so much hardship in his life…and yet, he remains cheery and so full of life through it all. She smiled to herself and thought, But that's one of things I love most about him, and I'm glad I'm not confused about my feelings for him anymore. To affirm her thoughts, she slipped her hand into Aang's. The young couple smiled at each other, love pouring out of their eyes and into each other's souls. "I believe you," she cheerfully said, causing Aang to blush slightly. Katara turned her attention back to clouds, scanning each puffy piece of vapor for interesting shapes. She spotted one and said, "That one right there looks like a Koi Fish."

Aang looked over at the cloud she was referring to, and it did indeed look like a Koi Fish. He chuckled and said, "Katara, every cloud looks like a Koi Fish to you." They both laughed at his joke, their young voices carrying throughout the city.

Katara looked over him and said, "Not every cloud, my dear Avatar." She smiled mischievously at him and said, "Besides, there are more Koi Fish in the world than Sky Bison…and I think Koi Fish are way more interesting than Sky Bison." Aang looked over at her and gasped in mock horror, causing Katara to laugh at his reaction.

"Katara, how can you even say that?" asked Aang in a feigned voice of horror as Katara stopped laughing. He looked up at the sky and asked, "Spirits, why did you have to send me this girl? She seeks to contradict everything I say!" Katara giggled to herself, knowing full well that Aang was playing along with her joke.

"Because this girl loves you very much," teasingly replied Katara as she leaned over towards Aang. She planted a loving kiss on his cheek, causing the Avatar to blush profusely as he smiled at her. She laid back down in her spot, still holding Aang's hand as she blushed as well.

Aang chuckled and said, "The Spirits also sent me this girl because they knew how much I would love her." Now he leaned over to Katara and kissed her cheek in return, causing her to smile. He laid back down in his spot, and the two looked at each other for a while. They had gone through so much together that it only helped to further their love for each other, a fact that they were both happy of. Only the Spirits could have made a love this strong, and the two knew they were blessed to have each other. Aang glanced back up at the clouds, and his eyes widened with awe. "Look at that one!" he exclaimed in amazement, pointing up to the sky with his free hand. Katara followed his finger until she saw what he was pointing at, and as she squinted her eyes she saw that the cloud was in the shape of…

A lightning bolt.

Katara's eyes widened in shock and her breath got caught in her throat, her blood freezing solid as she looked at the white apparition. Her mind suddenly races back to a not-too-distant time, a time when the whole world was in danger…

"No lightning today?" taunted Zuko to his insane sister, pumped up by the power of the fiery comet and the adrenaline from his Agni Kai. She rushed up behind Zuko as he boldly asked, "What's the matter?" He took a stance as he said, "Afraid I'll redirect it?" She stopped well behind Zuko, still wary of Azula.

"Oh…" snarled Azula menacingly, "I'll show you lightning!" The Fire Nation Princess began to whip her arms around in circular motions, generating a massive charge of deadly lightning. The sparks illuminated the courtyard with a bright blue light as Zuko prepared himself to redirect it, calming his mind of all turbulent thoughts as he faced his kin. She watched as Azula continued to conjure up her cold fire, the power crackling throughout the air with the potent smell of madness. Finally, Azula brought her hands together in extended index and middle fingers, ready to attack. But she hesitated for a moment, looking to her left with vicious amber eyes as she spotted a new target…

The Waterbender herself.

She watched as Azula held her pose for several seconds before bringing her fingers together and firing…at her. She can only watch in stunned silence as time seems to slow down around her, watching as the electricity raced towards her. Horror filled her mind as she realized a fatal fact…

Death was coming for her…and there was nothing she could do to stop it.

She can only watch as the instrument of her demise seemed to creep ever closer to her, taunting her with its malicious and deadly power. She is frozen in that one spot, terror and fear forming unbreakable bonds around her legs. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up straight, her skin becoming charged by the blue bolt of doom. Her gaze is entirely fixed upon the lightning, her life flashing before her eyes as death came ever nearer to snatch her away from this world of war and destruction.

But then she saw him.

She saw the Prince of the Fire Nation, her once-hated enemy, jump in front of her, shouting, "NOOOOOOO!" She watched as his whole body cringed, absorbing the deadly attack inside of his body. As he flew through the air, electricity dancing on his skin, she realized that the impossible had happened…he had taken the blow that was meant for her. He had taken the death sentence that she was meant to have. Zuko fell to the ground, his body covered in electricity. The deadly power died away as he managed to redirect some it skyward, causing a booming thunder to resound in the atmosphere…but it was not enough. He cringed and convulsed on the ground, writhing in the agonizing pain of his sister's attack.

She could only look on in horror at what her friend had done, fear and terror griping her heart with icy fingers. She had lost so many people over the years…her mother to the Southern Raiders…Aang to Azula in Ba Sing Se…and now Zuko to his own sister. He was going to possibly die…because of her.

"Zuko!" she screamed.

Katara gasped frightfully as she let go of Aang's hand and quickly sat up, her heart racing as she panted heavily. She could hear Aang's muffled voice to her left, concern obvious in his incoherent tone. All she could think of was that one day, the day that death had come for her…and was thwarted by the Prince who was now the Fire Lord. Katara's heart was racing so fast that it seemed to be threatening to burst out of her chest at any moment. The Waterbender placed a hand over her heart, feeling the frenzied beat of her own fear resound in her body.

Her mind played that awful memory over and over again, reminding her of how she should have died on that day. Azula's lightning bolt should have hit her and snuffed out her life energy, but Zuko had stopped that. He had saved her life at risk of his own, and if he hadn't done that…she would be dead…totally and utterly dead. Not like Aang, who died in Ba Sing Se and was brought back to life by Spirit Water. There would be no magical healing water, no secret way to revive her, no help from the Spirits themselves…she would be gone forever.

Dead.

A chill passed over her soul, as if the icy hand of death was coming back for her. Suddenly very afraid, she whispered, "Hold me, Aang…" The Avatar was surprised for a moment, but he opened his arms to her to allow her to rest her head on his chest. He leaned back as she laid her head on him, wrapping his arms around her back while she put her hands on his chest. She shivered against him, and he realized that she was lightly crying.

"It's okay, Katara…" he said softly as he started rocking back and forth to try and comfort her. "I'm here. Everything's going to be fine." Katara's eyes were closed, tears sliding down her face as she cried. She had never felt this amount of fear in her entire life, even though they were in the safest of times. Even in a world of peace, she wasn't safe from the scars of war that were left in her mind. She had lost her mother to the angry, red-hot flames of one Firebender…she had lost Aang to the cold, merciless lightning of Azula in Ba Sing Se…and she had almost lost Zuko as he tried to protect her.

"Why do so many people have to get hurt protecting me?" choked out Katara through her tears, misery and grief thick in her cracked voice. She started fully sobbing now, her tears now staining Aang's robes. But the Avatar didn't care about his clothing getting wet. The girl he loved with all his being was in great sorrow, and nothing else mattered but her at the moment. She was his whole world, and he had worked too hard to save the world for her to break now. "It's all my fault…" she sobbed, her voice heavy with despair. "If it wasn't for me, my mom would still be alive…you wouldn't have gotten hurt in the Catacombs…and-"

"You don't have to tell me, Katara," said Aang softly, his voice flowing with comfort and support for his girlfriend. "Just let it all out," he said soothingly, causing her to let out a choked sob. For almost ten minutes the two sat there, unmoving in Katara's grief and in Aang's total love for her except for their rocking back and forth. Soon Katara's tears stopped, leaving her to whimper quietly into Aang's chest. He rubbed her back with his hand, sending waves of loving comfort throughout Katara's body. Her mind took her back to the aftermath of that horrible day…

Azula was no more…she was defeated, chained to the grate by her opponent. But she knew that Azula was only the beginning. Zuko still needed her help. She rushed over to the fallen Prince and rolled him onto his back, bending water onto her hands and placing her liquid gloves on his scarred chest. Please don't be dead, she fearfully thought to herself. You saved me, and now it's my turn to save you. As she healed his broken body, she thought,You've gone through too much to die now…you just can't die, Zuko! She felt his body come back together, the energy pathways that had collapsed from the lightning restored. The water fell away from her hands, and all she could do was pray now.

Mercifully, he stirred, groaning slightly from the pain. She looked up at his chest, realizing that it's been healed, and then up to his face as she looked happily at him. The Firebender laid still, not wanting to move for fear of hurting himself any further. Eyes still closed, Zuko hoarsely whispered, "Thank you, Katara…" She smiled at him, and then closed her eyes. Relief flooded her soul, glad that Zuko was going to live after all. She thought of how much Zuko had changed since she first met him, how he had gone from an angry and spiteful banished Prince to a redeemed man who would now proudly lead his nation as its new Fire Lord. She didn't hate him, for all that anger had been washed away after she had forgiven him…but this time was different. Rather, she was grateful for what he had done. He had not acted out of selfishness and let the lightning hit her, but out of compassion for his friend. In her eyes, he had completed his path of redemption with her by saving her life.

Tears filled her eyes and ran down her face as she opened them and said, " I think I'm the one who should be thanking you."

Katara opened her eyes slightly, her face still wet with tears. Zuko…saved me, she thought to herself. If it weren't for him…I wouldn't be here right now. She realized something even more shocking, causing her eyes to widen. I wouldn't be here with Aang…it's because of Zuko that I'm here with Aang. He gave me the chance to be with Aang by taking the lightning bolt that was meant for me…and if he hadn't… She didn't want to think of what could have been, for she knew full well what would have happened if he hadn't saved her. Aang doesn't know…none of them know what Zuko did for me that day. They all just know that he got hit by Azula's lightning, but not why he was hit…I have to tell Aang. He has to know. She looked up at the Avatar and said, "Aang?"

"What is it, forever girl?" he asked teasingly, a cheery smile on his face. She couldn't help but smile back at him, glad for his support in her time of grief. He kissed her forehead and asked, "What's on your mind?"

"Do you remember how I told you about what happened to Zuko in his Agni Kai with Azula?" she asked as she continued to look at him. "How he got hit by lightning?"

Aang nodded and replied, "Yeah." A thoughtful look came over his face as he said, "I thought it was kind of strange that Sifu Hotman got hit by lightning when he knew how to redirect it." He laughed lightly and added, "I guess in the heat of the moment he just didn't think of it." He gave her a cheesy smile and jokingly said, "Get it? In the heat of the moment? He's a Firebender, he was fighting an Agni Kai during Sozin's Comet, and-"

"I get it, I get it," she chuckled as she rolled her eyes, amused with Aang's cheesiness. Even after all the growing up Aang had done over the past year, he could still be that goofy little kid she had found in the iceberg. He just smiled lovingly at her, knowing that his attempts at cheering her up were working. She looked back at him, the smile slowly fading from her face. "But there's a reason he got hit by Azula's lightning…a secret that only he and I know…something that happened between us." Aang's eyes widened in fear, and Katara instantly knew what he was thinking. "I'm not cheating on you with Zuko," she said reassuringly. "It's not like that at all, not even close," she added as she gave him a deep kiss on his lips.

As they kissed, she could feel him relax. They were still new to their relationship, and she wanted to make him as comfortable as possible with their newfound love. Soon they separated, but she gave him another quick peck on his lips, causing him to blush slightly. His worried expression melted away as he asked, "So then what did happen between you two? Why did Zuko get hit by lightning?" She looked down at his wooden medallion, eyeing the engraved symbol of Airbending. Just like Aang and the rest of the world, she was free to do whatever she wanted. Aang was her new wind, and she would fly free with him forever.

She looked back up at him and said, "When Zuko was getting the upper hand in the Agni Kai, he started taunting Azula. He asked her if she was too afraid to use her lightning that day because he could redirect it back at her. She started charging up her lightning attack, but just before she released it…something happened. I was standing behind Zuko at the time, and I saw Azula look over at me." Her voice grew deathly quiet as she said, "Azula shot the lightning…at me." Aang's eyes widened in surprise, and Katara could feel his heart skip a beat.

"What?" he asked in disbelief, his eyes wide with mixed emotions. "How did you manage to-" He stopped himself as he realized what had happened that day. "It was Zuko…wasn't it?" he asked. "He took the blast that was meant for you." Katara nodded at him, and Aang lost his ability to breathe for a few seconds. He looked down at his chest and quietly said, "Wow…just wow. I owe Zuko the biggest thank you in the history of the Universe."

"Why's that?" she curiously asked him, thought she already knew the answer.

Aang looked back up at her and replied, "Because he saved you. If it weren't for him, you'd be…dead…and we would never have gotten together like this. It's because of Zuko that we know how much we love each other, and for that I'm eternally grateful." She smiled and blushed at him, glad that he was taking this revelation so well.

"Actually, I think I owe him a much bigger debt," she said. "I repaid my small debt to him by healing him after I defeated Azula, but there's something much bigger that I owe him…" Her blush intensified as she said, "It was because of Zuko that I realized my true feelings for you. Because of what he did, because he took the lightning bolt that was meant for me, I realized in that moment that he knew full well of my bond with you and that he wanted to make sure that I came back to you…even if it meant sacrificing his own life to do so. Because he gave me the chance to live on at expense of his injury, I knew that I couldn't waste any more time being confused about my feelings for you." She leaned closer to him and softly added, "But now he's alive, and we're together…and I am forever in his debt because of that. I will never forget what he did for me that day, because it all led to this…"

She closed her eyes and pressed her lips up against Aang's with all the love she could give him, and he returned it with as much passion as her. They both thought how ironic it was that Zuko, once one of their greatest enemies, had brought them this close together through his actions. The young couple remained locked in their passionate kiss for several long moments, love pouring out of their hearts with all the force of a mighty waterfall. Soon they separated, staring lovingly into each other's eyes as they smiled. "And I will never forget what Zuko did either," said Aang. "If you had died, I wouldn't have been able to live with myself. My heart is forever yours, Katara…it always has been." They both blushed lightly as they kissed again, tender love flowing between them. She pushed forward slightly to deepen the kiss, and Aang obliged her by leaning back. The two lightly fell to the ground, Katara still on top of Aang as they kissed. They soon parted lips and looked at each other, loving smiles on their young faces.

After a few silent moments, Katara quietly asked, "Do you think we should get back to the others? I know my brother is probably going out of his mind with worry right now." She softly smiled and teasingly added, "He thinks that we're probably off in some dark alley making babies or something ridiculous." She chuckled as Aang blushed, but he knew that she was only teasing him. Their love for each other was not solely based on physical attractiveness, but rather on the emotional bond they shared with each other. It even went beyond the emotional level down to their very souls, a spiritual bond that could never be broken by the numerous forces of the mortal world. They loved each other for who they were inside, and in the end that was all that mattered to them.

Aang smiled at her and replied, "Nah. I think we could just lie here and nap for a while." He paused and softly added, "Besides, I want to feel close to you right now…especially after what Zuko did for us. I want us to remember this day, so…would you be willing to follow me into the land of dreams, my beloved Katara?"

Katara smiled sweetly at him and sincerely replied, "I would be honored to, my dearest Aang." They kissed each other lightly on the lips once more before settling into the cool grass, letting the peaceful hand of sleep wash over them as they held each other. They dreamed of many things, but they mostly dreamed about each other and the love they shared. They dreamed of a lifetime of love together, and they both knew that it would all be possible because of Zuko.