Disclaimer: I do not own the world of Avatar the Last Airbender.
A/N: Hello All! I hope you enjoy this chapter. I enjoyed writing it and giving Opame a little bit more depth. Enjoy!
Zuko gently placed Opame down on the bed in her borrowed room. She sighed in her sleep and rolled over, facing the wall. The hair at the sides of her temple slid across her face out of the ponytail she had started to wear her in; Zuko was tempted to move it out of the way but Ceba beat him to it.
Ceba crawled over his sister's legs, placing his back against the wall, watching Opame closely. Zuko hesitantly turned in the direction of Aang, Sokka, Toph and Katara, who were waiting out in the hallway. After some reassurances, they had managed to get the younger kids to go back to the main area. He moved outside of Opame's room, gently sliding the door closed. "Um…."
"What were you two doing in there!?" Katara hissed, her glare deep.
Toph nodded, her arms crossed over her chest. "We thought something had happened."
"She was – we were," Zuko started, not really sure how to explain. He was just as confused about what happened as they were. "I was just trying to help her let off a little steam. She was having trouble flying," he added, looking at Aang.
The younger boy nodded, a concerned look on his face. "She was but – that didn't feel like her just letting off steam. . . . That felt like something big."
Zuko had to agree with that. To be honest, he was shocked; he never thought that he'd see Opame cry, especially not like that.
Or her bright smile, the one she had turned on him before she had passed out.
He had gotten so used to her more reserved demeanor.
"Maybe next time," Sokka said, sounding exasperated, "give us a bit of a warning before you two decided to have a shouting match that sounds like the whole temple is coming down."
"We should let her rest," Aang responded. "We can check on her later."
The others peeled off, leaving Zuko standing in front of the door. He frowned, contemplating, before he slid the door back open, moving quietly back into the room. Opame had turned over onto her back, her chest rising and falling slowly. Ceba was still watching her, though he was regarding her fondly. He looked up when Zuko entered, curious. "What did you do?"
"Nothing!" Zuko whispered defensively. "I don't know. . . . I just – She said she was feeling angry and I wanted to help."
Surprisingly, Ceba nodded, reaching forward to play with the edge of Opame's sleeve. "Opame's always been really good at hiding her emotions, especially in public but often around me. I think she was trying to be strong for me. I've never even seen her cry, but I think she needed it. So," Ceba finished, looking up at Zuko with a smile, "thank you."
Hesitating, Zuko nodded. Opame had always said her little brother was smart, but he sometimes sounded much older than nine. He figured spending time with Opame might have done that. Ceba looked back down to his sister, placing his hand over hers. "I'm going to sit with her for a while."
Zuko knew that he was being dismissed. He took a step back towards the door. "Right, um, let me know if you need anything."
With one last look at Opame, he let himself out of the room.
Someone was drawing gentle circles on her forehead.
She recognized this. Her mother said the Light Chakra was located in her forehead and when she was feeling confused or disconnected, Ro would do this, to help with 'the flow of energy'.
Opame slowly opened her eyes, blinking in confusion at an orange sky.
Where –
"Be careful, my love. You've had a long journey."
Despite the warning, Opame turned her head quickly. She was on the floor, but her head was resting in a woman's lap. There were small smile lines around the woman's gray eyes, eyes that matched her own. Her dark brown hair was drawn into the three banded ponytail, like Opame's had been, bangs hanging low on her forehead. She looked different here, happier, but there was no mistaking the smile on her face. Ro brushed back Opame's bangs. "Hello, sweetling."
Opame shot up, wrapping her arms around her mother's shoulders, tears burning her eyes as Ro hugged her back. It hadn't been long since she had last been held in Ro's arms, it felt familiar and foreign all at the same time. Ro drew back, wiping the tears from Opame's face. "I'm glad to see you as well."
The initial shock of seeing her mother was settling and Opame looked around. The sky truly was a yellow-orangish color. They were surrounded by large, leafy trees, the grass under them was lush. In the distance, she could see a red stream. She turned a frantic gaze back to her mother. "Am I . . . dead?"
Ro chuckled. "No, sweetling. Your spirit traveled here. You are safe."
"I – my spirit traveled?"
"Ah, Ro, didn't you explain her spiritual connections?" Ro turned a wry gaze to her left, to another woman. She looked similar to Ro, but her eyes were a bit rounder, like Ceba's, her hair a jet black, tied up in a bun. She was less curvy than Ro as well, slightly taller Opame realized as the two of them stood up. There was a bit of a mischievous glint in her eyes as she marched forward, pinching Ro's cheek and then Opame's. "Where would the two of you be without me?"
Opame frowned at the woman, taking her in before realization settled. "Grandma Mio?"
She hadn't really gotten to know the woman. She had been maybe four when her grandmother had passed but that playful gleam in her eye hadn't changed, despite the fact that here she looked no older than maybe twenty-five.
Mio smiled, wide and free. "Good to see you too, dear heart."
"This is insane," Opame muttered, looking between her mother and grandmother. "How is this happening?"
"I've told you before how connected to the spirit realm our family has been," Ro explained.
"I thought those were stories! I never thought that I could – come here. . . ."
"Have you ever tried?" Mio asked with a tilt of her head.
"Of course I haven't!" She knew she could sense emotions, knew that empathy was her strong suit, but this seemed so . . . surreal.
"Consider it a gift," Ro said, taking Opame's hand. "Not many mortals are able to travel among the spirits, besides the Avatar. You may not get this chance again once . . . well. . . ."
"Once what?" Opame asked.
Mio took Opame's other hand, pulling her forward. "Mother will explain everything."
"Mother?" Opame whispered as Ro and Mio walked her in the direction of the red spring. Opame chanced another look around as they walked. There were some very strange creatures dancing around in the orange light. Something like a lemur leapt from tree to tree. Something that looked like a firefly or bunny floated by.
Opame looked away from all of that as they reached the stream and the woman that stood beside it. Her hands folded behind her back, she kept her gaze on the river. Mio let go of Opame to walk up to the other woman, leaning forward to whisper into her ear. Opame looked to her mom, who nodded, giving her daughter a gentle push forward.
Hesitantly, Opame approached the woman by the bank. Mio smiled before walking away, leaving the two of them alone. Folding her hands in front of her, Opame stared into the water too, trying not to look as shocked as she felt. The reflection of the woman in the water was nearly identical to her own. The same round face, the same dimple, the same black hair, though the other woman wore hers short, chopped to her shoulders. They could have been twins. The other woman finally looked up, smiling at Opame. "Hello, great-granddaughter."
Opame let out the breath she didn't realize she was holding as she turned to face her fully. "Grandma Shenden."
Shenden's smile turned fond as she reached forward to place a hand on Opame's cheek. "You've grown up beautifully, if I do say so myself."
"Um. . . . Thank you. It's – nice to meet you."
"I'm sure you have a lot of questions."
"Oh, just a few."
Shenden nodded, lifting her eyes to the sky. "When I died, I was worried. I had no way of knowing how long my descendents would last in this cruel world that wished to see them dead. So, I prayed to the Spirits, to my ancestors, for some way to protect my family. It worked, in a way. A piece of me, passed on to the women in my line. But – I made a mistake."
Her great-grandmother turned to walk down the bank. Opame was quick to follow. "You say just the women. What about Ceba?"
Shenden smiled. "Ceba was a surprise, wasn't he? To your mother, to me. My line has never birthed a male before. We should have known then that the world was changing. Maybe if I had kept that in mind, I wouldn't have been so rash."
"What mistake were you talking about?"
Opame stopped as Shenden did, the other woman taking her hands in her own. The look in her eyes was sorrowful, guilty. "I wanted nothing more than to protect my family, to protect the heritage that the Fire Nation had been so quick to wipe out. I was angry, furious, bitter. . . . When I passed on my protection to Mio, those feelings followed. As they followed, they grew, becoming angrier, more bitter. You've felt it, haven't you?" Shenden asked, nodding at Opame's wide-eyed gaze. "Anger that you couldn't explain, a rage you had to tamper."
"That was you, wasn't it, in the Fire Lord's throne room that day."
Shenden nodded. "A bit of me, a lot of you. You had all of the skill, the courage, I just . . . amped it up a bit."
"All this time." Opame let her hands slide out of her great-grandmother's, taking a step back with a frown. "Do you – do you realize how awful that was? How terrifying? I had to fight, every day, not to lash out because it would have done nothing but put my family at risk!"
"I realized. I know my apology won't mean much but I do understand my mistake now, though I know it was too late."
"What about Aang? He doesn't deserve your anger. He's just a kid."
"At the time, I didn't feel that way. I felt like I had been betrayed. I may forgive him, over time."
"It's been a hundred years!"
"My point is," Shenden responded, "I may still be a bit angry but that doesn't mean you have to be."
"Well, what do I do? How do I fix it?"
"You already have."
"I – don't understand."
Shenden smiled, moving back towards Opame. "You cried. You cried and you screamed, for all of us, for our family, for our ancestors. Didn't you hear them? But most importantly, you did something I never could do. You forgave."
Opame's frown deepened. "I haven't forgiven anyone."
Shenden's smile turned knowing. "Prince Zuko."
Opame could feel the shock on her face as Shenden knelt beside the water, running her hands through it. "I'll admit, it took me by surprise. The great-grandson of our enemy and my great-granddaughter, getting along, caring for each other. I was certain that you were the one making the mistake, trusting him. . . . But he fought for you. He held you while you cried. He seems like a good man," she finished, looking back up at Opame.
A slight smile came to Opame's face, as she looked down at the ground. "He really is."
"As long as he takes care of you, I have no qualms with him. Now," Shenden said before Opame could protest, "are you ready?"
"Ready for what?"
"To let it all go. The anger and the pain."
"I'm . . . not sure I know how."
"You do."
Opame stared at the woman for a moment before she took a breath, closing her eyes. She placed her hands over her heart, picturing it. She thought about the pain that had accumulated over the years, the anger that had been growing stronger for the past century. She thought of all the times she held her tongue, of the fear she felt working in the capital, of the hatred she felt for the royal family.
With a gasp, she opened her eyes. Hovering above her hands was a glowing red butterfly. She could see the swirls, the Air Nation symbol etched into its wings as it fluttered at an angry pace. Though it didn't land in her hands, it felt heavy, solid. Shenden smiled. "You did it."
"It's beautiful in a way," Opame whispered.
"Well it did start off as a gift."
Opame stared at it a bit longer, tears forming in her eyes. "This is – this is all I know. What happens when it's gone?"
A hand rested gently on her shoulder and she looked over to find her mother. "You'll still be the same kind, empathetic, wise woman you have grown to be. That won't change."
"But I – I won't be able to see you anymore will I?"
"With meditation, especially from someone so spiritually connected, transcending to the spirit realm is sometimes possible," Mio answered, thoughtfully, appearing to Opame's left. "But remember, as we've learned, it doesn't do well to dwell on things past. You won't see us again, not until it is your time to, and I pray to the spirits that will be a long, long time from now. You deserve to live a happy, happy life Opame."
Shenden stepped forward, placing her hands underneath Opame's. "It's time to move forward and let it go. Empty your heart of my anger and fear."
Mio placed her hands under her mother's. "Fill the space with joy and fun and peace."
Ro followed suit, smiling at her daughter. "Fill it with love and happiness."
Shenden nodded. "It's time."
Opame nodded back, taking a deep breath. With the help of her mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, she pushed her hands towards the sky. The butterfly took flight and, as it did, Opame watched as it seemed to soften, the glow less harsh, the flutter less intense, the color fading from bright red to a calm orange, blending in with the sky as it flew away.
She let out a shuttered breath as her family wrapped their arms around her, her mother pressing one last kiss to the side of her head. "Goodbye," Opame whispered.
Opame eyes opened, slowly. The sun shined in through the open window and, when she looked over, she saw a clear blue sky. She was back in her room, in the Western Air Temple, she clarified to herself. "Dizzy," she muttered, placing a hand to her temple.
She had seen her mother and grandmother.
She had met Shenden.
The older Airbender was not at all how she had imagined her. She supposed from stories, she always pictured her as a gentle, kind soul but, if what she had said was true, she was also brusque, unforgiving, relentless and ferocious. She hoped, over time, that Shenden too would find more peace.
Opame sat up, placing her hand over her heart. She wasn't sure if she felt any different but maybe there was – something.
She swung her legs over the edge of her bed, letting her feet settle on the ground. Tentatively, she got to her feet and moved to the door, sliding it open. It seemed so quiet in the temple. She wondered if they had gone back to training after she –
Oh no.
Her face burned red as she leaned against the wall. She basically had a full meltdown in front of everyone. What they must think of her.
What Zuko must think of her.
Pressing her hands to her face, Opame groaned. She would have to figure out some way to explain.
"Opame!"
Lowering her hands, Opame looked up as Aaang came rushing towards her. He stopped in front of her, hesitantly reaching for her. "Are you okay? We were all so worried! Do you need anything? Are you hungry? I can go get you something! Should I go get Zuko? Or maybe I should get Katara and she can check you over and –"
"Aang, breathe!" Opame interrupted and he did so, taking in a big gasp of air. She smiled. "I'm fine, honestly. It's only been a couple of hours."
Aang shook his head. "You've been asleep since yesterday!"
"Oh." Opame blinked and then took a breath herself, deciding that that was something she'd think about later. "I – I'm actually glad I ran into you. I needed to talk to you."
"Um, okay." Aang looked surprised by the sudden turn in the conversation but he followed Opame as she went to sit on her bed. "Is everything okay?"
Opame twisted her fingers together. "I wanted to say I'm sorry."
"Huh? For what?"
She took a breath. Aang was the Avatar, the bridge between this world and the Spirit World. If anyone understood what had happened to her while she was asleep, it would be him. Still, for some reason, telling him about her journey felt strange and, oddly, too personal. "There was a part of me, a part I didn't have much control over, that was mad at you."
"Mad at me?" Aang tilted his head, confused. "For – oh," he finished at her meaningful look.
"I'm so sorry," Opame responded. "I shouldn't have been angry with you but I was. That's why, yesterday, I distanced myself. Why training has been difficult for me."
Aang turned slightly away from her, folding his hands in his lap as he looked down at the floor. "I'm sorry. I think about it often, you know. About what life would have been like if I had stayed. I'm sorry, I really am, I –"
"Please don't." Opame reached forward placing her hands over his. "Please don't apologize. I'm not looking for an apology because it wasn't fair of me to be angry. I had no reason to be angry with you because I get it. I know what it's like to have someone place a huge responsibility on you and expect you to just be okay with it. And all I had to do was keep Ceba safe, hide our secret. They wanted you to protect the whole world. You're twelve and it wasn't fair. I don't blame you for leaving."
"You don't?" Aang asked, peering up at her with teary eyes.
"No. No I don't. And I think it's time for us to move forward. No more thinking about the past, about could have beens or should have beens. Besides, if things had turned out differently, I wouldn't even be here to have this conversation with you. I would have never met you, or Zuko or anyone else. And, knowing you all now, I couldn't imagine that. Just like I don't think you could imagine not knowing Katara, Sokka or Toph."
"I can't imagine not knowing you, either, Opame," Aang said, turning to her with a watery smile.
Opame leaned forward and the two of them hugged. When they separated, they laughed, both of them wiping away tears. Opame looked to the corner of the room, where someone had placed her staff. She took another breath, standing up. "Can you do me a favor?"
A few moments later, the two of them stood twenty feet back from the ledge of the cliff, gliders open and resting between their shoulder blades. Aang bounced on the balls of his feet, glancing over at Opame. "You ready?"
"No. Yes," Opame corrected, tightening her grip on the handles. "Running start."
"I'll be right with you."
She nodded and took another breath. Bouncing like Aang had, she took off, trying not to give herself too much time to think about it. Her booted feet slapped against the ground, the edge drawing nearer and nearer.
She jumped.
The wind whipped through her clothes and through her hair as she fell. She blinked back the tears forming in her eyes.
This was a mistake. A mistake!
No. No.
She could do this.
She was an Airbender.
Opame pulled up, feeling the shift in the air as she rose. Next to her, Aang whooped, laughing as he followed her. She looked over at him, the grin on her face matching his. "A natural!" he cried.
Opame laughed, twirling around him as they zoomed forward. She thought she heard shouting and she looked down to see the others had come out to watch them, cheering them on. She watched one of them take off in a sprint, their own glider popping open as they soared up to meet her. Ceba laughed as he weaved between Opame and Aang. "Opame! You're doing it!"
Aang drew back a bit as the siblings danced through the air together, laughing and playing. Opame soared up as high as she dared before she flipped over, closing her eyes as she let herself fall. This time, the tears she felt were happy.
She leveled out and came in for a landing to the chattering of Teo and The Duke. She smiled up at Katara and Sokka, who both looked mildly impressed. "Guess your feeling better," Katara remarked.
"Much, thank you," Opame responded.
"They were saying you have some fancy moves," Toph responded with a smirk. "Sokka sounded excited at least."
"Hey," the Water Tribe boy declared, "I am all for any extra advantage we can get against the Fire Nation."
"What changed?" Katara asked, as Aang and Ceba landed gently behind Opame. "After yesterday. . . ."
She trailed off and Opame bowed her head to avoid the questioning eyes. Right. It would have been foolish of her to think they would let yesterday's incident be swept under the rug. "I'm sorry for worrying you all," she said, with a demure bow. "And I appreciate you all for taking care of me. I've been holding a lot of stuff in and I was finally able to let it go."
When she looked up, she met Zuko's eyes. He had been silently watching her, pensive, but she couldn't tell what he was thinking. She smiled at all of them in turn and, for the first time since she woke up, she felt the change. She could feel that her smile was more open, more honest.
She didn't have anything to hide anymore.
"I hope I can help you all end this war as best as I can," she told them.
"Me too!" Ceba announced, leaping onto his sister's back. She wrapped her arms under his legs, laughing lightly as he hugged her. He had changed too, she realized. He was more full of life and energy than she can ever recall. "We're going to kick Fire Nation butt!"
"But first," she told him, poking him in the side, "we have more training to do with Aang."
Ceba hopped down, pouting up at her. "Right now?"
"No, of course not," she answered, to his relief. A smirk came to her face as she tapped his nose. "Right now, we race!"
Before he could comprehend it, Opame flicked open her glider and dashed to the edge of the cliff, laughing as she jumped.
"No fair!" Ceba yelled behind her. "You cheated!"
Zuko found Opame later that evening, after dinner. She sat on the edge of the cliff, like she had done yesterday, but he noticed the difference right away. Yesterday, she had been hunched over, still, quiet. Today, she looked more relaxed than he had ever seen her, leant back on her hands, kicking her feet as she hummed some song he didn't know, her three-banded ponytail dancing softly in the breeze.
As he approached her, she looked over her shoulder and she smiled at him, bright, gray eyes crinkled slightly at the corners. He stopped in his tracks for a moment, taken aback by how happy to see him she looked. "Hello."
"H-hey." He composed himself and moved forward, sitting next to her to stare out at the world around them. The sun was almost completely set, painting the sky pink, orange and red. Above those colors, the sky was dark and he could see the stars beginning to claim the light. When he looked over at Opame, he was surprised to see her gazing at him. She started when he noticed and looked away. Was she blushing? "So, what actually happened yesterday?"
She looked at him again, though she didn't seem surprised by his question. She shrugged her shoulders. "I met my great-grandmother in the Spirit World."
Zuko blinked and then slowly nodded his head. "Okay."
"I know how it sounds."
"My Uncle told me he could see Spirits and that he's been to the Spirit World. The Avatar frequently does it. It doesn't sound as bad as you think. What did she have to say?"
Opame huffed out a laugh. "Well, she approves of you, for one thing, though I think it shocked her. She thinks you're a good man."
Zuko looked away as his face warmed. "I guess it's nice to know your family likes me."
She nodded, smiling softly as she looked back out to the trees across the chasm. "She was trying to protect my family, but, in doing so, she left behind a lot of her anger and pain. It kept growing as the years passed. I never told you this, but every day I worked in the palace was a constant battle to keep from lashing out at Azula and your father."
"And with me?"
She frowned slightly. "No, never with you. . . . But that anger, It probably would have kept growing if, well, if I had never met you. And if you had left me alone after I tried to brush you off," she added teasingly.
He smiled back at her. "Glad I didn't let you scare me off then."
"I'm glad too."
"So, you feel . . . better?"
Opame seemed to contemplate his question, tilting her head from side to side. "I feel as if a weight has been lifted. I mean, I know there's still a war to fight. I know I still will do anything to protect Ceba. I know we are still technically in hiding and on the run. But those things don't necessarily have a heavy hold on my heart anymore. Maybe because of whatever Shenden . . . took out of me. But I think it's mostly because I know I don't have to handle it all on my own anymore. So, thank you. For being by my side."
She placed her hand on top of his, leaning over to place her head on his shoulder. Zuko stayed still for a moment, hesitant to move, to ruin the moment. But he relaxed, turning his hand over so that her's rested in his.
"Thank you for being by mine."
