My Friends

At last, I have managed to talk myself into leaving the Fire Nation. This place holds many memories. Not since before Zuko's banishment had I taken the time to really look my old home in the eye, and see all my past written there.

Of course I am unspeakably proud of my nephew and his...uh...very strong bride! He is the Fire Lord that the Spirits wanted for our people. His blazing life makes the emptiness of my own estate easier on my tired heart.

I made myself enter Lu Ten's room yesterday. The servants have kept it clean but unchanged. I wish he could see the world at peace! Ah, but perhaps he can, from his place among the Spirits? Yes, I think so. Now I am taking some of his finest portraits with me to Ba Sing Se. And yes, I have packed my favorite portraits of his mother, as well. How proud she would be of Zuko! I hope she would be proud of me, too...

Ah, what is more precious than dear friends? It is true that, when I lost her...when my life ended for the first of many times, heh...I thought that I would never open my heart to anyone else, ever again. Even my little Lu Ten suffered from my coldness. But then, in his pure little smile, ha ha, I began to see hope again! He taught me to open my heart to those around me. I watched his fearless friendliness, his way of including everyone, even strangers...and I did my best to heed his unspoken lessons.

And then the Spirits allowed *him* to be taken from me. But this time, I did not forget his teachings. I kept my heart open wide as the endless sky! At least, I tried to. I sought friends wherever I could find them, though rather few of them sought me back, heh heh. But oh, it was worth it. Never again would I let others' rejection of my friendship stop me from trying. Dear friends are too precious for that. Perhaps only one in a thousand would become such a friend, but is it not worth a little pain to unearth a diamond?

If my beloved son had not showed me the priceless value of friendship, I wonder if I would have been able to support Zuko when he needed me? Hm...I do not think I would have kept my heart open to my nephew, and perhaps he might never have found his way...  Or perhaps I give myself far too much credit, ha ha ha!  Ahh, but no...I believe that it was Lu Ten's example to me that redeemed my life, Zuko's life, and our nation's life! His example of open friendship. Which, come to think of it, is also what allowed the Avatar to prevail against terrible odds! I must spend more time with Aang. He has much to teach me about keeping an open heart.

I have feared to look into my past. I have feared to remember the many friends I have lost. But if I keep their memories at a distance, that is when I truly lose them. Coming home again has made me look my past in the eye, and I am glad.

But it appears that I still have some future left in me, ha ha! So to the future I look now, and to my poor neglected teashop! And to my beloved new friends!

Oh, yes, that reminds me. It turns out that the water in the Fire Nation has a slight hint of sulfur in it. Ha ha, I had never realized it until I drank so much tea that was made with the waters of Ba Sing Se, and then noticed the difference! But it actually has quite a pleasant effect on my tea! Too much sulfur would taste revolting, I think, but this perfect natural touch of it actually causes some of my favorite tealeaves to produce a richer, more lingering taste.

Now, how can I reproduce this in Ba Sing Se?