174 AG
When Opal had finally gathered her bearings she discovered that the bison Meelo was flying was Pepper, his own animal. She would've worried about Lefty but Kai's bison had trailed behind them and caught up by the time Opal woke up. She couldn't have helped him back in Zaofu and she was unbelievably grateful that he was alright. She didn't want to think that Kuvira's army would've hurt the bison if they'd discovered him in the stables, so she didn't.
It was pointless for Lefty to follow them if he could go back to Kai, but he seemed unwilling to deviate from the group. Opal offered to escort him back. Jinora insisted that Lefty could find his own way home; every bison was very intelligent and had a better internal map than most humans did. All the same, Lefty wouldn't budge from their side even though Opal knew he wanted to be with his partner.
Opal understood why Jinora didn't want her to leave and even agreed with her reasoning. However, Opal was not going to pursue her family. Jinora, her siblings, and Korra were going back to Republic City; they weren't going to help free the Beifongs right away. Opal was just as passionate as her mother but she liked to think she wasn't as reckless; she'd wait until they would help her get her family back. She couldn't save them by herself.
Opal and the people who could help her were useless to each other in Republic City. Opal could do nothing for them and as long as they stayed in Republic City she would get no aid from them. It was just as well that she should be the one to coax Lefty back to the Northern Air Temple, and she wanted to spend some time with the bison anyway. She wanted to see Kai again.
Opal missed her own air bison as well. She and Kai would alternate between their bisons every mission for fairness and to let the bisons rest. It had been a few weeks since she'd seen Juicy. She was sure he'd be happy to see her too and be eager to help. That was one defined quality of Juicy, other than his weepy immune system; he wanted to help more than anyone, human or animal.
Korra eventually convinced Jinora to let Opal go with Lefty. She was apologetic; she hadn't intended to lose at Zaofu. Opal never blamed her, she'd just been surprised. She realized now that she shouldn't have been; Zaheer had hurt Korra immeasurably and had put the girl out of commission for three years. She shouldn't have expected Korra to fix everything all at once, but Opal still held faith that Korra would eventually be able to.
Opal broke off from the group, loaded with a few lunches Pema had prepared for her children and the promise to return to Republic City after Lefty was back with Kai. When Opal was securely on his back, Lefty started moving automatically in the direction of the Northern Air Temple, he already knew the way. Opal let Lefty fly by himself, turning around and folding her arms.
She watched the skies glumly as the cold wind whipped her skin. She was still aching from the events at Zaofu. She hoped her family was alright. She didn't like to think that Kuvira would hurt them, but she never thought Kuvira would ever do such a thing in the first place so Opal couldn't say for sure.
She knew her family was resilient though, even the meeker members like her father and Huan. They were all strong, and she knew her mother would protect them all and bear the brunt of any pain inflicted on them. Thinking like that made Opal feel sick with worry so she turned around and dug her face into the soft fur on Lefty's head, hugging him.
Through bison's thick down Opal noticed something snaking beneath them through the trees. She propped herself up and peered over Lefty. Something silver and thin shone in the forests below them. Opal's fingers gripped the bison's fur. It was Kuvira's train. It was heading in the same direction as they were, so for awhile Opal had an excuse to follow them as she pretended that she wasn't.
When the train finally slipped off into the distance Opal had to admit to herself that she'd been pursuing it. They'd followed it for a few kilometres but it was too fast for them. Reluctantly, she righted Lefty's course. They hadn't deviated too far from the direction they'd been heading in anyway.
Opal had to remind herself of the goal, the Northern Air Temple. Juicy, Kai. Korra would help bring down Kuvira eventually, people would help Opal get her family free. She couldn't let it get personal. But it was personal and beneath her Opal realized the train had paused. Kuvira had stopped for some reason and as Opal and Lefty passed overhead she realized she had to make a decision.
Lefty had kept true to his course, flying over the train, but listened when Opal signalled him to land. They settled on the ground somewhere within the forest next to the train. She could see the glint of metal through the trees but they wouldn't notice her unless they were really looking.
Opal couldn't help but wonder if Bolin was on that train. She knew Kuvira was. Anger suddenly flushed through her body. They had just left Zaofu like nothing had happened. She wanted to find Kuvira and give her a piece of her mind. But . . . she'd made a promise. Disappointment replaced her anger and welled thick in her throat. She'd have to let Kuvira go.
"Come on, Lefty," she said reluctantly. She pulled herself back onto the bison. As much as she wanted to pursue Kuvira, she'd told everyone that she'd go to the Northern Air Temple. There probably wasn't a lot she could've achieved by confronting Kuvira anyway. She looked at the train and kicked her heels. Lefty didn't move. Confused, she got off the bison and walked over to his head.
"Come on Lefty," she insisted. He could sense that she didn't want to leave, but he needed to go back to Kai. "Lefty," she said. "Let's go." The bison snorted derisively. He was every bit as stubborn and insightful as his owner. The bison took to the air, hovering above the ground. They both knew he could fly back to Kai with his eyes closed. He'd wanted to go with Opal, just as she'd wanted to go with him, but she needed to confront Kuvira and he could tell.
"Thank you," she said. Sometimes she felt silly, talking to animals, but other times she knew it was perfectly justified. Kuvira was down there somewhere and Opal couldn't just let her slip through her fingers. Not again. She watched Lefty fly off past the trees in the same direction they'd been heading before she turned and started running.
She wasn't thinking about what she was going to do, she just knew that she had to do something. She hunted through the trees, taking care that no one would notice her. It seemed like there was a town past the forest that Kuvira's army was either loading supplies from or unloading them to. It didn't matter.
This was a pointless risk and Opal wasn't entirely sure what she was looking for. Kuvira, Bolin, or her brother; she had something to say to each of them, but in all honesty she wanted to see Kuvira the most. Bolin had been kept in the dark, and Baatar had been manipulated, but Kuvira was the one who had started it all. When she spotted Kuvira she stopped in her tracks.
Kuvira was by herself, each hand clasping the opposite elbow, thinking to herself. Opal looked around. They stood at a pretty far distance from the train, and Kuvira's people were busy doing whatever she'd told them to do and Opal hadn't noticed them nearby. She stepped out into the clearing. Kuvira looked surprised when she saw Opal.
"Opal," Kuvira began to speak but Opal opened her palms towards Kuvira and blasted her with all the force she could muster. Kuvira dodged the wind easily and immediately became all business. Bands of metal snapped off of Kuvira's arms and she sent them flying at Opal, trying to catch her arms or legs. Opal missed them in the way she'd learned to at the Northern Air Temple. She kept her feet light and kicked up a gust of air, sending it to whip at Kuvira.
Kuvira leapt out of the way of another flare of wind and hid herself behind a tree. "I don't want to fight you, Opal," she warned in a low voice. Kuvira was one of the greatest benders Opal had ever seen but Opal wasn't so bad herself and she had a greater incentive to win.
"It's too late for that," Opal called back. Gathering air into a giant ball in her hands, she sent it rolling towards Kuvira. Kuvira moved out from behind the tree, which took the blunt of the blast. Kuvira sent more metal sailing in Opal's direction but the airbender's attack had made her stumble and the bands clattered off course.
"Not bad," Kuvira said patronizingly, her hair hanging in her face, dishevelled. When Korra had started airbending she'd knocked Kuvira clear across the field. Opal wasn't at Korra's level, even out of the Avatar state, but she could hold her own. Kuvira's condescension only served to get her more riled up.
Kuvira had her entire family, the people Opal cared about the most. And now she dared to fight Opal as though Opal had struck the first blow. The Air Nomads were a peaceful people, and Opal could swear as many oaths as she wanted, but Jinora would never be able to understand this situation. This was personal.
Opal knew Kuvira wasn't fighting Opal with her full ability and that just made her more furious. She was holding back, as if she gave a damn about hurting Opal. Opal's hands moved rapidly, collecting air into a small tornado around her. She sent the storm crashing into Kuvira, throwing the woman's body against the trees. Opal didn't care if she got caught anymore. She wanted Kuvira to feel the pain she felt.
Kuvira got up, blowing her hair out of her face. Her eyes were angry and she quickly sent a metal band to catch Opal's foot and pull her up into the air. Opal panicked but kept collecting air and sent a blast through the trees, breaking Kuvira's concentration long enough for Opal to fall out of her grip. They both rested on the ground for a moment, aching and covered in dust.
"I'm sorry I took your family Opal," Kuvira said. "But your mother tried to kill me."
"Because you tried to take our city!" Opal yelled, getting to her feet.
"If you'd just surrendered in the first place none of this would have happened," Kuvira replied, shaking her hair clean of dirt. Is that really how Kuvira saw it? If they all just rolled over and accepted Kuvira she wouldn't have taken the Beifongs prisoner, wouldn't have tried to kill the Avatar; she would have happily claimed her empire unimpeded. She really thought that if they stopped resisting she'd have their consent. Opal's hands moved on their own.
Opal gripped the air in Kuvira's lungs and tugged, lightly at first, then all at once. Kuvira gasped on nothing, eyes wild with panic, and Opal clutched tighter on her breath. Kuvira got to her feet, advancing towards Opal but Opal ran, expanding the vacuum around Kuvira's head. By the time Kuvira caught up to Opal, she was stumbling slightly. She tried summoning a sheet of metal to her hand and it rose in the air before clattering to the ground.
Opal kept on pulling on Kuvira's breath like it was a stray thread from an otherwise tightly woven piece of clothing. She pulled until she felt like she could hear the last few breaths left in Kuvira's lungs abandon her to join the whirlwind that was collecting in Opal's hands. Opal's palms were wet and warm. It felt like blood.
Kuvira fell to her knees, hands grasping at Opal's clothes, lips turning blue. The woman's eyes were fluttering as she reached for Opal's hands, too weak to pull them apart. Kuvira gave up on fighting and just pulled on Opal's clothes, gasping a deep, hollow sound. She blurred in Opal's vision, and Opal realized dimly that she was crying. Tears were hot on her cheeks as she watched Kuvira desperately fighting for air. Opal's hands trembled and she let go. Kuvira sagged against her, gasping.
Tears were falling freely now and Opal desperately wiped her cheeks. Kuvira's head rested on her stomach and she could feel the woman panting against her as she cried. She'd almost become a murderer. Opal wrapped her arms around Kuvira's head, trying to hold back her sobs. "I'm sorry," she choked out. Kuvira's arms circled Opal's waist as she continued to chase her breath. "I didn't know I could do that," Opal whimpered, holding onto Kuvira like she was trying to tie her to the world.
"You're a powerful bender," Kuvira spoke up, voice hoarse and eyes still fluttering. On shaking legs Kuvira got to her feet, still holding onto Opal for support. In that moment Opal hadn't been thinking, had been drunk on power, had almost been delighted to see Kuvira on her knees. Opal was horrified. Kuvira stroked her back soothingly as she swayed. "Maybe, if you had been a metalbender, you'd have been able to beat me."
"What?" Opal asked, looking up at the taller woman. Within seconds, a sheet of Kuvira's metal had snapped onto Opal's wrists and Kuvira had ducked an arm around Opal's leg, hoisting her into the air.
"Kuvira!" Opal yelled, panicking. Kuvira said nothing; she simply hefted Opal into a more comfortable position closer to her chest. "Let me go!" Again, Kuvira didn't respond. Opal's hands were bound together, and while Opal was busy assessing her situation Kuvira bended another metal band to connect her feet.
Opal couldn't fight, couldn't bend, and Kuvira who'd nearly died not a minute ago was carrying her like she weighed nothing. The fear was real, but Opal found it turning into anger and desperation. "You have work camps," Opal hissed. "You tried to kill Korra. You have my mother and the rest of my family at your mercy; you corrupted my brother and my boyfriend. I don't regret hurting you!" Kuvira didn't look like she'd noticed. Opal felt helplessness take over her, making her feel far weaker than being physically restrained did.
She struggled to keep the tears in her eyes, furiously glaring three inches to the side of Kuvira's face. "Let me go," she added, brokenly. Kuvira looked down at Opal with something like grim regret as she carried her.
"I'm sorry," Kuvira said at last, her voice still hoarse.
"Your feelings," Opal said, getting angry again, voice shaking with rage. "If they're even real, are not worth anything!" If Kuvira was sorry she'd let Opal go, she'd let everyone go, but she didn't. Opal wriggled in Kuvira's grasp and Kuvira sighed, annoyed. Opal had to keep angry, or she was going to fall apart with fear.
Binding her with metal, Kuvira had found a way to stop Opal from airbending as well as fighting physically. Opal doubted it would be a fair fight either way but Kuvira had taken away that option. Kuvira was good at taking away options until there was no other choice but to obey. Opal was not going to make it pleasant for her.
Continuing to wriggle and fight pissed Kuvira off, but the older woman was about as strong as the Avatar herself so she kept a pretty good grasp on Opal. "I hate you," Opal said as a last resort. "I know," Kuvira said, hefting Opal's weight in her arms. Her tone seemed blameless.