We're not as powerless as you think. Yes, the Malnosso have imprisoned us, and yes, they've done horrible things - they can take people's memories away, make them think that they're someone else, make them think that they're in love. They can reveal our thoughts to each other in bubbles over our heads, make all of our deepest fears dance in front of our eyes...

[And she turns to face Aang very soberly.]

But in the end, they can't change who we really are. Their experiments never last very long. We always come back to our true selves. And as long as we don't give up hope, we will find a way out, we'll find a way back home. Resilience and adaptation aren't the same kinds of strength as the kind that lets you grab hold of those who are doing evil and stop them - [her tone grows hard for a moment for this aside] - although, don't worry, we have that too - but in the end, it's just as important.