Five year old Opal Beifong hid behind her mother's legs, cautiously peering around them to catch a glimpse at the mysterious stranger who had suddenly appeared in their home. The girl was definitely older than Opal by at least two years. She had a single braid hanging down her back and was tugging on the end of it nervously. "Sweetheart," Her mother gently tugged Opal from her hiding place. "This is Kuvira. She's going to live with us now."
"Hi," The guest gave a cautious wave. Opal returned it silently, blushing furiously.
"I think I'll put her in your room for the time being, Opal dear. At least until we make other arrangements. Won't it be nice to have a friend?" Her mother asked, pulling Opal onto her lap. Opal eyed the girl curiously from the safety of her mother's arms.
"I suppose," She reluctantly agreed. In truth, she rather liked having a room to herself, and she could always play with Wing and Wei. She felt a twist in her middle when she saw the way her mother was smiling at this new girl.
Seven year old Opal Beifong peered out from behind a tree.
"Good job!" Her mother was saying to ten year old Kuvira as she spun a sheet of metal, twisting it into a coil. Six year old Wing and Wei were happily bending pebbles at each other, giggling when they actually hit their target. Nine year old Huan was manipulating a meteorite, shaping it first into a star and then into a perfect sphere. This tip of his tongue stuck out in pure concentration. Opal watched at the way her mother's eyes lit up as she taught them: her earth benders. She turned away and focused on a small nearby rock, trying for the umpteenth time to get it to move, even just an inch. She was concentrating so hard she didn't hear Kuvira approach her.
"Opal." Opal jumped at the mention of her name, blushing when she realized she'd been snuck up on. "Were you spying on us?" Opal glanced up, looking towards her mother who was now standing next to Huan, teaching him how to form the meteorite into a more advanced shape. Kuvira crossed her arms as she waited for an answer.
"I just wanted to watch." Opal muttered, turning away to go back into the house to her books.
"Oh." Kuvira relaxed, letting her arms fall to her sides. "Why don't you come out, then? Maybe Su can teach you this time." She was quite familiar with Opal's struggle – and failure – to earth bend.
"That's okay. I think I'll just go inside and play." Opal knew trying again wouldn't make a bit of difference.
"Alright…" Kuvira turned to return to Opal's mother and her lessons with an almost sympathetic smile. Opal couldn't help the jealous twinge that curdled in her stomach at the wide smile her mother gave Kuvira. Suyin listened to her speak for a few moments before looking right in Opal's direction, giving a warm smile and a wave. Opal returned the smile and wave halfheartedly before returning to the house. Maybe if she was lucky her mother wouldn't be too tired to read her favorite story before bed.
"Dad, this is boring," eight year old Opal whined as she clenched the pencil between her fingers and tried to follow his explanation of the designs he was working on for the new building in Zaofu.
Twelve year old Bataar Jr. frowned. "No it isn't. I think it's interesting." He had a thick book open before him and was busily sketching a design on his notepad. His father had been pleased when his eldest son took an intense interest in architecture. He'd suggested that Opal might find it interesting as well. Opal hadn't heard the whispered conversation between her parents earlier that week when Suyin had confided in her husband that she worried about their daughter. She'd been moping around lately, and had been particularly surly upon learning that Wing had successfully bent a meteorite a few days earlier. Suyin was concerned that she was feeling jealous of her siblings who could earth and metal bend, and Bataar had been the one to suggest she spend some time with him and her eldest brother. It wasn't going as well as he'd hoped.
"Can I just go play?" Opal finally asked. "I don't really have any good ideas like Bataar." The elder Bataar sighed but gave his daughter a small smile.
"Of course, Opal." He helped her down from the tall stool next to his work desk. "Just run along. If you ever want to draw something, or you have an idea, or you just want to talk, you know you can come here, right?"
"Yeah, Dad." She gave him a half smile before turning to leave the room. Bataar gave his father a questioning glance, but his father only shook his head in response.
Opal had just settled down on her bed with her favorite storybook about Avatar Aang when she heard the chime of the doorbell. Curious, she scampered down the hallway and stood behind her mother as she answered the door.
"Mom!"
Suyin's surprised greeting was drowned out by the cries of her children.
"Grandma Toph!" Wing and Wei grabbed onto either side and Opal clambered for her own hug.
"Hello," the aging woman grudgingly returned the hugs, but there was a small smile on her face. "I've missed you all."
"Grandma, Grandma!" Wing tugged her sleeve. "I bent a meteorite last week!" He shared proudly.
"Well, good for you." Toph patted his head with a chuckle.
"I'm gonna be a powerful metal bender like you someday." He took on a serious expression and assumed a fighting stance, fists clenched before him. Toph patted his cheek.
"You have a long way to go, sonny." She said good-naturedly. Wei and Huan clamored to share their own accomplishments, and Bataar Jr. had run to fetch the small model of the building he'd helped his father design. Kuvira blushed wildly when Suyin praised her metal bending accomplishments to Toph. Opal stood silently to the side, which didn't go unnoticed.
"And what about you, my little Opal?" Toph reached out to put a hand on her shoulder. Opal shrugged.
"I still can't earth bend, Grandma." She hung her head. "I don't really have anything for you to be proud of."
"Pah. Of course you do. I hear you're doing very well in your studies. I never did like school. Someone's gotta have the smarts. Sokka couldn't bend either, but he was dumb as a board to boot." Toph cackled.
"Mother." Su quietly reprimanded. Opal giggled at her grandmother's antics. Even the greatest earth bender in the world didn't think she was useless. That had to count for something.
"Opal." The thick whisper sounded from the other side of her door, and eleven year old Opal threw off the covers and cautiously tiptoed to the door. Mom and Dad wouldn't be happy if they knew she was still awake. The door opened to reveal Kuvira, hair unbound from its usual braid and hanging down the back of her nightgown.
"What is it?" Opal glanced down the hallway, hoping no one had followed Kuvira. She quickly motioned for her to enter the room and took a seat on the bed. Kuvira followed suit.
"I wanted to talk," Kuvira shrugged. "Do you hate me?" She blurted out.
"No!" Opal was shocked. "No, I – why would I hate you?" She took in Kuvira's wrinkled brow and wide eyes.
"I just feel like you do. Every time I'm with your mom… You're always kind of glaring at me. You didn't even come to watch the dance your mom and I choreographed. I thought it was really cool. You kind of avoid me a lot." She shrugged again. Opal didn't say anything at first, taking in everything Kuvira had said.
"I don't hate you." She repeated. "I'm sorry you feel like I do. I guess I just… feel left out?" Her voice rose at the end of the statement so it came out more like a question. "I can't metal bend. I can't even earth bend. But you're really good." She saw the slight pink in Kuvira's cheeks.
"Your dad can't bend either. Neither can Bataar Jr." Opal didn't notice the way Kuvira's voice hitched a bit over her eldest brother's name. "It's not that big of a deal." Kuvira wrapped her arms around her legs and rested her chin on her knees. "Do you feel like I'm spending too much time with your mom?" she asked in a small voice. Opal shifted her gaze from Kuvira's. It was too intense.
"Maybe sometimes I do." She admitted softly. "But I know it makes Mom really happy that she can teach you all this stuff." All this stuff she wished she could teach me, Opal added silently.
"Su is really proud of you, too!" Kuvira was adamant. "She talks to me about you a lot! She's really proud of how smart you are, and how well you do in your classes. She says you have a really quick mind." Opal blushed at Kuvira's words. "She loves you a lot," Kuvira continued. "It makes me miss my own mom." Opal's heart softened at the sad look on Kuvira's face.
"I guess… she can be like your mom, too." Opal finally suggested. Kuvira's face lifted at that, and she smiled brilliantly at Opal.
"Really?" Opal nodded. "Well… I guess that makes us sisters." Kuvira surprised Opal by pulling her into a tight hug. "I'm really glad I get to be part of your family," she whispered in Opal's ear before she let go. Opal smiled back then. Kuvira was the closest thing to a sister she'd ever have.
Wing and Wei had finally convinced their mother and Kuvira to play a game of power disc with them. Thirteen year old Opal watched longingly from the sidelines, knees drawn up to her chin. They really looked like they were having fun out there, but it would be a little difficult for Opal to join them without being able to metal bend. She cheered when her mother bent a disc past Wing into the goal, falling silent when her mother celebrated by slapping a high five with Kuvira.
"Hey Opal." She'd been so caught up in the game that she hadn't noticed Bataar Jr. come up behind her. He picked up her discarded book and handed it to her, taking a seat next to her in the grass. "They finally convinced Mom to play, huh?"
"Yeah" Opal's gaze was fixed on the arm her mother had slung around Kuvira's shoulders and she didn't look at her brother right away. "And Kuvira," she added as though it wasn't obvious.
"Looks like fun, doesn't it?" Bataar's intelligent olive eyes were fixed on Opal's.
"Sure does," she agreed with only a slight hitch in her voice.
"Being a non-bender in this family isn't always easy, is it?" Opal shrugged in response, returning Bataar's half-smile. She'd always shared a special bond with her brother, the only other non-bender in the family save for her father.
"No." She sat in silence for a few moments. Kuvira's laughter carried across the field to her ears. Opal glanced at her, and Bataar followed the path of her gaze, knowing exactly where her thoughts wandered.
"You know," he began thoughtfully, "Kuvira is really lucky that Mom took her in. She would have had to go to an orphanage otherwise. Mom loves helping people reach their potential. That's why she spends so much time teaching Kuvira metal bending. It's also why she spends so much time teaching you and why she buys you all those books. She sees potential in both of you, you know. In all of us. It comes in a lot of different forms." Opal glanced over at her mother who noticed her watching and raised her arm in a wave, smiling widely. Opal grinned and waved back.
"Like you and Dad. Your designs. You see Zaofu's potential." Opal was beginning to see everything in a new light.
"Exactly." Bataar smiled at her, glad she understood. "Everyone and everything has potential, Opal. You don't need bending for that." Opal was surprised to feel the sting of tears at the corners of her eyes.
"Thanks, Bataar." She threw her arms around him in an impromptu hug before turning to watch the game again. She was truly glad that Kuvira had the chance to be a part of her family, because she was convinced that there wasn't a better one in the world.
I hope you enjoyed this so far! Not everything came out as well as I'd hoped, but this story has been begging me to be written. I'm honestly surprised that I haven't seen much like this. The next section will start with our first canon meeting of Opal and will be published some time after the finale so that I can complete it as well as possible.
