Chapter 1: An Important Decision
"Your father and I will be back in a few days." Despite her best efforts to appear calm, their mother's voice is tense and she's wringing her hands. She's talking to all of them, but she's looking at Opal. "I'm sorry that we'll be missing your birthday, sweetheart."
The little girl doesn't question her mother's honesty for a second. The circlet she wears is keeping her wavy hair in place, so it's easy for Opal to see how sad the woman's eyes are. "It's fine. I know that you have to go."
"Believe me, I'd much rather stay here instead of visiting the Earth Kingdom." Her mother crosses her arms, frowning. "Every time I see that Queen, she's wearing her weight in jewelry! I swear, I'm going to ask how she can waste money when her own subjects can't even afford to feed their families these days!" At this point, Opal is sure that their mom isn't talking to her anymore, but the girl doesn't say anything.
"She's more suited to ruling over dinner parties than a kingdom, that uptight, close-minded–"
"Now, dear." Their father doesn't have the loudest voice, but he's brave enough to interrupt their mother. Suyin Beifong looks back at the architect, who is smiling apologetically above the stack of papers he's carrying. "We're going to be late."
Their mother takes a deep breath and exhales, but the frown is still there. Hoping that it would help even just a little, Opal smiles up at her. "I'll have more birthdays. The Queen can't take them all up, right?"
To her relief, her mother laughs softly and kneels down to Opal's height. "If she does, I'll annex Zaofu from the Earth Kingdom." She says, wrapping her arms around her in a hug. "We'll make it up to you when we get back."
Her chest aches a little knowing how guilty her mother feels, but Opal keeps trying to sound cheerful. "It'll be okay, Mom!"
Something wavers in her mother's eyes when she pulls away, but as soon as Opal spots it, the Metal Clan matriarch is standing up again. This time, she's speaking to everyone. "All right then, kids. Aiwei's in charge until we're gone, and I expect you all to be on your best behavior."
They all nod, but their mother isn't content with their response. "I mean it." She walks away from Opal and stops in front of the twins with her hands on her hips. Out of all the Beifong children, Wei and Wing racked up the most complaints from the house staff. "That means no throwing discs in the hallways."
Wei and Wing nod, but their mother isn't finished: she's looking at Huan now. "And no staying up past midnight."
Huan scoffs, his hands curling into fists under his sleeves. "The cries of my tormented soul shouldn't be bound by curfew!"
Their mother smiles. "Maybe not, but your teachers are saying that you're falling asleep in class."
"They're conformist tyrants who want to crush my individuality!" Huan insists with a scowl.
"I'll make sure that they all get to bed on time." Baatar Jr. is speaking now. Despite being twelve years old, he talks like he's thirty. Huan just rolls his eyes at their oldest brother, and the twins exchange a grin and a look that says 'We'd like to see him try'.
Luckily their mom knows that they wouldn't listen to Junior, even if he had the best intentions. With the grace and experience of a well-seasoned diplomat, she handles the situation deftly. "I'm sure Aiwei can manage, but if he needs it, I'm trusting you to help him out. Just don't be too tough on your brothers and sister, all right?"
"I'll do what's best, Mother." Junior adjusts his glasses over the bridge of his nose, and Opal catches the twins sticking their tongues out at him.
Their dad pipes in this time, taking a break from shuffling through the papers in his arms. "And remember, Junior: you don't have to finish up those blueprints for the next project. I know you have tests coming up."
Junior shakes his head. "I said I'd help. When you come back, I'll be ready to discuss them with you."
The older Baatar, the one whom Junior is named after, concedes with a good-natured smile. "All right. Maybe you'll find something I missed." Their father's last sentence makes her brother stand a little taller, and she feels happy for Junior.
Her mother looks over their heads and addresses her advisor, who is standing a few feet away. "I leave it to you, Aiwei."
Always the portrait of perfect composure, the man speaks in a confident voice. "Of course, Suyin. Please be safe." Aiwei glances behind her parents, where her mother's guards are standing by. "Keep a watchful eye."
As the guards nod, Opal's eyes settle on the one standing closest to her mother. Even though she's the youngest of her peers, Kuvira is taller than most kids her age and already stronger than the most experienced fighters in Zaofu. With the plated armor and her hair braided back from her stern face, she looks older than her twelve years of age. When she speaks, she sounds every bit the earthbending prodigy she had proven herself to be. "We won't let anything happen."
Please take care of them, she almost wants to say, but Opal knows that she doesn't have to– Kuvira means every word she says.
Aiwei bows low, and her parents return the gesture. Afterward, her mom and dad give them all one last hug. Because this is the first time they're leaving the twins and Opal, she can't blame them if they feel nervous. As Huan and Junior keep in place as their mother hugs them, Opal thinks that they can sense their parents' anxiety as well.
"Look after each other. We'll be back soon." Their mom says, and then she and their dad walk toward the waiting airship. The guards follow them, and the line of steel-grey armor and green robes march toward the ramp, disappearing into the underbelly of the airship.
When the last pair of guards have boarded, the ramp slides back into the ship and the low hum of the turbines escalate to a deep roar. Within a few minutes, the machine lifts off from the ground, climbing into a steady ascent through the air. As it rises higher and higher, the twins move to each side of Opal, waving their hands in the air and shouting their farewells. When she thinks of her parents watching them from the airship and waving back, a twinge goes through the place where her heart is.
Her bright green eyes watch the airship glide away from them, slowly becoming a speck as it moves toward the vast expanse of starlit darkness. She must've been watching longer than she realizes because now she hears Aiwei calling from behind her. "Let's go, children."
The twins are quick to listen but Opal stays where she is, standing a short distance from where her mother had said good-bye. The airship has disappeared now, carrying her parents away from the city they built together and from the only home Opal has ever known. The twinge in her chest becomes stronger, and something wet forms in the corner of her eyes. Good-bye. I love you both.
Opal hears footsteps approaching her, and Baatar's voice follows. "Opal?"
She quickly raises her hand to her eyes, wiping away the tears she managed to keep in. "Yes?"
"Come on. We've got lessons tomorrow."
She turns around to face her brother, and then they start over to where Aiwei and a small group of guards are waiting with Huan and the twins. As he walks beside her, Baatar says, "They can't help it, you know. It's important for the Metal Clan to stay on respectful terms with the Earth Kingdom."
She knows this already, but Opal nods. A brief lapse of silence passes between them and then Baatar speaks again, as if he thinks that she's still upset. "And you shouldn't be worried. Kuvira and the guards will see to their safety."
Her brother has a habit of sounding like a know-it-all, but Opal is aware that he's trying to cheer her up in his own way. So despite how she's feeling on the inside, she forces a smile. "Right. I know she'll protect them."
Their guardian doesn't move until Junior and Opal have joined the group again, and then they all board the monorail that will take them back to the estate. After Opal settles into her seat, the doors close and the vehicle begins to move upon the railings underneath it.
During the ride, Opal takes in the scene before her. The twins are pressing their faces against the glass like they're trying to catch one last glimpse of the airship. As Aiwei lightly scolds them to properly sit back down, Huan stares at the floor, most likely lost in the designs of his next art project. Opal turns to the seat next to her where Baatar is sitting with one leg folded across his knee and his head turned toward the window, looking out at the blinking lights and the shadows of towering structures.
As Opal sits with her hands resting against the green fabric of her robe, her thoughts go back to the girl who is with her parents right now. For as long as she could remember, Kuvira has been an extension of their family. She has always been tough and smart, and to this day she never backs down from helping others...in a lot of ways, she thinks that Kuvira is the daughter her parents were supposed to have.
Those thoughts used to make her sad enough to cry on the really bad nights. But now, they comfort her more than Opal can put into words.
It won't be long until they reach the estate, so she takes a moment to watch the passing scenery. The lights flash by in dots of yellow and orange as the merchants close up their shops and the restaurants serve their last customers. Outside of her window is a city made entirely of metal, molded by the citizens that flocked to this valley long ago with little but the clothes on their back and the dreams in their heads. Everyone living in Zaofu had a talent, a skill, something that could be honed and perfected for the greater good of the city.
Everyone living in Zaofu has something to give…but not Opal.
She has books, but there is nothing in the stories she loves that could be used to help out the Clan, let alone her family. She's not like her Dad or Baatar, who build things from the drawings and equations they put together. She can't create art like Huan, and she doesn't have the twins' energy to make it through each day without feeling tired or useless.
She takes one last look at everyone around her: at her brothers, at Aiwei, and at the guards who even now stand watch over them as the vehicle moves smoothly over the rails. Even if she feels the slightest bit tempted, Opal knows that she can't tell them anything. They'd just ask her to stay, and she doesn't want to go through that. Her parents will be fine, and so will her brothers. Aiwei and Kuvira will be here for them.
It may hurt them at first, but they'll understand why Opal had to run away.
Writer's Notes: Hello! This is my first try at writing a Legend of Korra story. Loved the show and I miss it every day!
I loved Opal, and I wished that we could've seen a bit more on how the Beifong family interacted with one another. I bet holidays would've been hectic in Zaofu! Anyway, sorry for the short chapter, but there'll be more to come. Hope you look forward to it, and thank you for reading!