Katara,

My letter to Sokka was top secret. I'm so happy you liked the necklace — even if people think we're engaged. Can you even be engaged at fourteen? That's so early. The blue made me think of you.

I love the shirt so much. I wear it a lot even though I have to use black pants and the servants keep complaining about washing it! Lu Ten says it makes me look Fire Nation but also worldly, whatever that means. I love the stitching, and the dragon at the shoulder is such a nice twist. It's just amazing. My seamstresses at home will all be angry when I tell them that I know someone better than them. And it's expandable, too, which is great because I just keep growing. I'm already at Lu Ten's height, he thinks I'll surpass him. However much my dad sucked, at least he gave me taller genes than Uncle Iroh.

We skipped Omashu to go to Gaoling first, and some crazy stuff happened. I wanted to go to the Earth Rumble — it's basically a place where a lot of earthbenders fight, and on top of just being cool to see I also wanted to observe earthbending to build up my forms. I'm going to be an incredibly unconventional bender when I'm older, and my rigid father can suck on it. Lu Ten supports me. It was pretty mindblowing to watch, I'll take you someday, and we saw a little girl in it, and she won. And I mean a little girl, she's maybe eleven or twelve?

I was surprised but paid it no heed, just watched the competition and all, but afterwards we went to have tea with the Beifong family, one of the richest in the world. Trade agreements, boring stuff that I had to sit in on, you know, the works. But then I learned that they had a daughter — and it was the champion! Her name is Toph and she's blind and she has such a terrible temper, but she reminds me of you in terms of prowess, even though you're always the best in my book. Lu Ten let me leave and we talked in the courtyard and I asked her if her parents approved of her sneaking out and she threw several mounds of dirt at me. Luckily I had my swords on me and cut through it, or I would have been buried alive.

We were only in Gaoling for a few days but I had her show me some forms. I feel a little bad for her, she's a very powerful bender but her parents smother her quite a bit. She does have a terrible mouth, though. I learned this new firebending form where I raise a bit of fire from the ground — it'll make more sense when I show you. Next year, remember? I'm holding you to it.

It was nice making new friends. I'll introduce you two one day and you can work on your bending together, and we'll grab an Air Nomad and build a makeshift Avatar together! Avatar Aang is getting a little bit creaky but Lu Ten said that we might be able to see him if we divert our path more! That would be cool, wouldn't it? I swear, Lu Ten doesn't want to go home.

I wasn't able to hide away in Gaoling, but we'll see when I settle into Omashu. I like that idea, running through Ba Sing Se wearing a ton of makeup. You'd be like the Painted Lady, have you heard that myth?

And yes, let's swear together. We'll do the right thing.

Once again, thank you so much for the tunic. I think it's the most precious thing I own. I'm wearing it right now.

— Zuko