Opal

"air"

- Lin, your niece is the new airbender! Isn't that amazing?

Opal is an airbending member of the new Air Nation and the daughter of Suyin Beifong and Baatar, half-niece of Lin Beifong, and granddaughter of Toph Beifong. She is also the girlfriend of Bolin, although the couple entered a rough period as a result of Bolin joining and supporting Kuvira and her army.

Meeting Team Avatar
Opal was reading when her mother came up to her and introduced her to Korra and her friends. Upon noticing the group, Opal excitedly greeted the Avatar, uttering her disbelief upon her being there and stating that Korra was amazing. When Bolin complimented her name, she shyly blushed and after he introduced himself, she reintroduced herself, causing her blush to intensify. Opal was slightly shocked when Lin announced briskly that they would take her back to their airship now that they had found her. When Suyin introduced Lin as Opal's aunt, Opal was eager to meet her, stating that her mother had told her many stories about Lin. She was taken aback, however, when the Chief of Police showed no interested in making her acquaintance, but rather wanted to leave as soon as possible. When Korra revealed that they had originally planned to bring Opal to the Northern Air Temple where she would train with Tenzin and the other airbenders, Opal was delighted at the prospect, though her mother brushed it off and suggested that Korra trained her at Zaofu.



Just before dinner, Opal admitted to Korra that she was not good at airbending, though Korra tried to set her at ease by revealing that she was a first time teacher, so they were both novices. Opal was subsequently shown the basics and invited to run through the routine with Korra. The two slowly walked around in a circle and made eased swirls of air around each other. Opal was complimented by Korra, being referred to as a natural, for which she thanked her instructor.

At dinner, Opal sat next to her aunt and Bolin and when the latter expressed his enjoyment of their meal, she readily agreed, proclaiming she had never had a bad meal in her life, only to be told by the earthbender of Mako and his street life and their encounters with disgusting food. Opal apologized for her lack of awareness, though Bolin assured her it was all in the past. As he relayed all his adventures and accomplishments, Opal was impressed by his life, calling it exciting.



After dinner, Opal was practicing some airbending katas when she was approached by Bolin. As he talked to her in a flirtatious manner, she asked him why he was acting strangely. Receiving the same question as a response, Opal said she did not like how he was talking to her and began to walk away. Her retreat was quickly halted when Bolin jumped in front of her apologized, saying he got self-conscious when he knew a girl liked him and ended up acting stupid. Opal wondered where he got the idea that she liked him, but soon revealed that she was joking. She told Bolin to stop trying so much and just be himself. The two gazed each other deeply in the eyes, though Opal quickly put some distance between her and Bolin when Korra cleared her throat to reveal her presence. When asked for assistance, Opal left with the Avatar.



Opal and Korra made their way over to Lin's quarters. When Lin gruffly allowed them to enter, Opal apologized to her aunt, acknowledging that the visit would be hard on her. She admitted that she had been excited to meet Lin due to the stories she had been told by her mother and grandmother, Toph, and was thus saddened when Lin did not want to get to know her. She continued by saying that her family could be "crazy and overwhelming" at times, but it would mean a lot to her if her aunt would be a part of it. Opal was shocked when Lin's only reaction was to coldly tell her to get out. She apologized, asking if she had said something wrong. After Lin snapped at her to get out a second time, she ran out of the room in tears.

The next morning, Suyin offered Korra lessons in metalbending, prompting Opal to suggest to Bolin that he should join them, though he declined, stating he was more of an "earth guy". She later found him in the yard where Suyin kept her meteorites, though she frightened him upon greeting him. Inquiring what he was doing, she received an evasive answer which she labeled as him being weird again, upon which he told her the truth, namely that he had been trying in vain to metalbend. When he implored her not to tell anyone, deeming his failure an embarrassment because Toph was his hero, Opal advised him to go train with her mother, since she had learned directly from Toph. As she told him to stop being afraid, he threw her own words back at her, saying that she had been too afraid to leave to train at the Northern Air Temple as she desired to do. She acknowledged the truth in his words, as she did not want to leave her family and disappoint her mother. When Bolin draped his arm around her shoulder, she labeled their conversation as nice and hugged him back.



Sometime later, Opal discovered her mother and Lin locked in a duel, both charging each other with a large piece of earth above their head. Horrified that sisters would wanting to hurt each other, she intervened by blasting the rocks away and reprimanding both women for their actions. Before she could get a reaction, however, she watched Lin collapse. Sixteen hours later, Opal found her aunt in the dining hall. She moved to leave, though was called back and invited to sit down, so they could talk. Lin apologized to her niece for snapping at her the other day, explaining that she and Su had a complicated relationship. Opal concluded that being in Zaofu made Lin uncomfortable, which prompted Lin to compliment her intelligence. When her aunt suggested that she go to the Northern Air Temple to train, Opal confided in Lin that she wanted to go, but at the same time, she did not want to disappoint her mother by leaving her home. However, she was subsequently told that she needed to make decisions based on what she wanted, not to make someone else happy. Thankful for the advice and the talk, Opal hugged Lin, before leaving the dining hall to find her parents and tell them about her desire to go train with Tenzin.

A farewell dinner was held in Opal's honor during which the chef made Opal's favorite meal of raw vegi-wraps. As Bolin told her he would think of her whenever he ate kale, she called him sweet. When he expressed his displeasure about her departure, she assured him that they would be together soon, verifying in a hopeful tone that Team Avatar planned to go to the Northern Air Temple after finding more airbenders. Making light of the situation, she offered Bolin a bite of her kale wrap, stating that until they would meet again, they would always have kale. She was subsequently praised in a toast by her mother for being an incredible daughter, sister, friend, and soon to be airbending master. After dinner, Opal departed on an airship, waving goodbye to her family and friends.

Joining the airbenders


Opal was meditating with Kya and some other airbenders at the Northern Air Temple when Bumi burst in, alerting them of the Red Lotus' presence. As they made their way over to the flying bison stables to escape, Opal was grabbed by Ming-Hua, who constricted her with one water tendril while using the other to threaten her life if the others would not comply. She was placed at a courtyard together with all the inhabitants of the temple until Tenzin attacked Zaheer, Ming-Hua, and Ghazan and ordered everyone to head toward the stables once more. Although they were fired upon by P'Li, who was stationed in a Ba Sing Se airship, they managed to make it to the stables. However, just as they got there, one of P'Li's combustion attacks scared off the bison, leaving Opal and the others at the mercy of the firebender.



Opal and the others were ushered into an airship by P'Li and taken to a cave-complex a few miles away from the temple, where they were released into the custody of four other Red Lotus sentries, who chained them to the floor by their wrists. As Jinora returned from her astral reconnaissance trip, Opal asked if she had been able to discover a way out of their predicament. Although the answer was negative, she was told not to worry. A plan was devised in which Jinora airbent the keys away of one of their guards, which Meelo airbent in Opal's direction, who nimbly caught them, hiding them out of sight of the guard. As he turned his back on her, she swiftly unlocked one of her cuffs, but before she could free herself completely, she was discovered by the guards. However, at that moment, Team Avatar and her mother burst into their prison and swiftly took out the guards, before freeing them all. Opal happily called out to her mother and she received a warm hug. Their moment of intimacy was interrupted, though, when Bolin interjected by pushing Suyin back and hugging Opal himself.



After being freed, Opal and the others were led outside, where they witnessed Korra's battle with Zaheer. When it became apparent that Korra could not fight both the Red Lotus' leader and the poison she had been administered, Opal followed Jinora's lead and started to create a tornado, which eventually enabled Korra to break free from Zaheer's grasp and slam him against the rocks. After her mother and aunt trapped Zaheer in an earthen prison, she complimented Bolin on his typical Bolin action after the young earthbender put a sock in Zaheer's mouth to refrain him from talking.

After the insurrection of the Red Lotus was put down, Opal was upset to learn that her oldest brother, Baatar Jr., had joined Kuvira on her journey to unite the Earth Kingdom under her rule, growing bitter with her sibling over the years for betraying their mother.

Helping the Earth Kingdom


Over the next three years, Opal worked with the Air Nation to help dispel gangs of bandits roving throughout the chaotic Earth Kingdom. She also got romantically involved with Bolin, though the long distance between them and his support of Kuvira put a strain on their relationship. One day in 174 AG, she and Kai were sent toward the state of Yi to help out. As they arrived at its capital, they noticed a robbery in progress. Without hesitation, Opal and Kai jumped off Lefty and soared down on their wingsuits. After Kai tipped the bandits' jeep, sending the three criminals flying, she softened their impact with a small blast of air. With the bandits tied up, the due was approached by the governor of the state, who was happy about their arrival, though wondered where the other airbenders were. Opal revealed that she and Kai were all there was since the Air Nation was spread thin over the kingdom and emphasized that they would do everything they could to help.



While feeding Lefty, Opal and Kai noticed the arrival of a train to the town, prompting Opal to voice the hope of it bringing food and supplies. When they checked it out and noticed Bolin disembarking from the train, Opal deduced that he was there with Kuvira and Baatar Jr., remarking that it could not mean anything good. Nonetheless, she was happy to see her boyfriend again, ruffling up his stiff hair before hugging him warmly. However, when Kuvira and her older brother walked up to her, she snapped at her brother for pretending to care about their mother, reminding him that Suyin had not not forgiven him for his betrayal. When Kuvira tried to defuse the situation by pointing out that they were not there to bicker with her but to help the town, Opal briskly told the metalbender that she had heard of how Kuvira saw "helping towns", namely by conquering them. Her anger was quickly replaced by shock, however, when she learned that her brother and Kuvira were engaged. She was subsequently urged to forgive and forget about the past by her future sister-in-law, though their conversation was cut short by the intervention of the governor.

When Kuvira ordered her army to head out after failing to strike a deal with the governor, Opal pleaded with Bolin to not turn his back on the people of Yi, but when the earthbender insisted he was powerless since the governor wanted the army gone, she grew upset and pushed him away when he wanted to give her a goodbye hug. Telling him to leave, she turned her back on him while he boarded the train. Determined to save the town, Opal agreed with Kai that they did not need the army's help as they could fly on Lefty to the nearby towns to gather supplies themselves. When a farmer apologized for not being able to give more, Opal quickly put him at ease, assuring him every little bit helped and the combined supplies would keep the townspeople held over until reinforcements arrived. The two airbenders bowed in gratitude before taking off on their flying bison.



En route to the state capital, Opal was asked by Kai whether she and Bolin were doing okay, to which she admitted that a long-distance relationship was challenging and that she could not stand him working with Kuvira. When Kai suggested that it seemed Bolin had found his calling, Opal remarked that he had indeed changed and feared she and Bolin were growing apart. In turn, she inquired how Kai and Jinora were doing, though before Kai could elaborate, they were approached by a biplane piloted by bandits who tried to hook their supplies away. While Kai tried to fight off the thief, Opal steered Lefty. After Kai jumped after the retreating biplane that took off with their supplies and plummeted to the ground due to a tear in his wingsuit, Opal launched herself off the flying bison and used her airbending the swiftly reach a spiraling Kai. As she grabbed hold of him, she deployed her own wingsuit, acting as his right wing, which enabled them both to safely land on Lefty.

Upon returning to the state capital, Opal sadly informed the governor about the aerial attack and the subsequent loss of their gathered supplies. As the governor signed Kuvira's contract, Opal grew angry and stalked off. When Kuvira and her army returned to the town, Opal was sad to hear the metalbender declare Yi to be under her protection. She noticed Bolin distributing supplies not to far from her, though while he gave her a bright smile while blushing, she averted her eyes and retreated dejectedly.

Defending her home


When Kuvira marched her army to the gates of Zaofu, Opal returned home to support her family. She was approached by Bolin, who was excited to see her again, though she turned her back on him, angrily declaring that he had chosen his side. When Bolin gushed about the aid Kuvira's army had given people, Opal coldly enlightened him about what happened to the people after the army left. While she acknowledged that the citizens might have been happy in first instance, she had also witnessed the people being forced to work as slave labor, while dissenters were sent off.

At nightfall, upon hearing Jinora urge Korra to prevent Suyin, Wei, and Wing from going through with their mission to take out Kuvira, Opal stated that they should not be trying to stop her mother but help her instead. However, since no one knew exactly what Suyin's plan was, they were forced to wait, lest they would invoke some unwanted consequences by exposing the threesome. When Kuvira announced over the city's communication system that Suyin and the twins had been captured, a distraught Opal turned to Korra, pleading with her to undertake action as she could not let the army commander get away with the arrest. Declaring that they had to break out her mother and brothers, she was reminded by Jinora that she should not revert to violence as she had sworn an oath of nonaggression upon becoming an airbender. Dismissing the oath in favor of her family's safety, she was urged to remain calm by Korra, who agreed with Jinora and pointed out that Kuvira had merely defended herself. Upon hearing Korra claim self-defense, Opal snapped at the Avatar, refuting the claim by pointing out that Kuvira was planning to attack Zaofu and expressing her wonder about Korra's refusal to fight back. She calmed down, though, and when Korra announced that she and Jinora would try to negotiate with Kuvira at dawn, Opal stated she would come along.



At dawn, the three women walked up to Kuvira and her army and Opal ordered the commander to release her family. Inquiring about Bolin's whereabouts, she was led to believe that he was completely on board with Kuvira's plan to forcefully annex Zaofu to the Earth Empire and that she had failed to realize how much he had grown up during their time apart. Upon hearing Kuvira announce that her actions were to gain "equality" for her people, Opal snapped at the leader for only being interested in control and turned to Korra, urging her to take Kuvira down as that was the right thing to do. When Korra accepted Kuvira's challenge for a one-on-one duel for the fate of Zaofu, Opal warned her to not play around, as the master metalbender was too skilled for that. She gave the advice to finish the battle quickly by utilizing the Avatar State, though was told by Korra that she would only employ the state as a last resort.



Witnessing Korra being tossed around and barraged with earth and metal attacks, Opal rushed to her aid, though was ordered by the Avatar to stand down. When Kuvira was on the verge of finishing Korra off, Opal and Jinora intervened by blowing the army commander back with a powerful gust of wind. Their action broke the peace treaty, however, and they were forced to create a large whirlwind to keep the incoming soldiers at bay. While Jinora used her spiritual projection power to call for help, Opal maintained the vortex by herself. As Meelo and Ikki arrived on Pepper, she helped Jinora to carry Korra on the bison's saddle. As Pepper took to the sky, Opal lunged forward, intending to jump down and free her family, though was held back when Jinora and Ikki latched on to her. As her mother called that she should flee, Opal stated that she loved her and would be back for them.

Personality


Opal is genuinely friendly and easygoing, quickly extending a hand of greeting to the members of Team Avatar when they arrived in Zaofu. She also exhibited some shyness to the group, as she blushed and looked down when introducing herself to Bolin. While practicing her airbending after dinner, she joked around with Bolin after the latter attempted to flirt with her, displaying a little bit of her easygoing side. Her easygoing side disguises her passion and discipline in her interests, such as her focus and training in her newly acquired airbending abilities. At the same time she also possesses a strong belief in honesty and in a person simply being themselves.

She also shows a more serious demeanor as when she stopped the fight between Lin and her mother, angrily questioning why they would be fighting each other after so many years of separation. Her seriousness arose again as the subject of Kuvira and her actions became a sore spot for her.

Opal also seems curious and interested in the outside world, reveling in Bolin's tales about his days living on the streets of Republic City. Having spent her life within the safe confines of Zaofu, she seemed impressed by his adventures, calling his life exciting. She also inherited much of her mother's humanistic way of thinking, encouraging Bolin to pursue training in the art of metalbending, believing in his potential to do so.

Abilities


Despite being a new airbender, Opal has shown considerable skill in the bending art, able to seamlessly create swirls of air in tandem with Korra, who referred to her as a natural. While practicing after dinner, Opal was able to perform multiple blasts of air and create a powerful air wave by striking the ground. She was even strong enough to break up a duel between her mother and her aunt Lin, two powerful earth- and metalbending masters, in a single move. Over the course of three years, Opal improved her airbending skills, as evidenced during her time with Kai in their patrol around the Earth Kingdom and during her battle with Kuvira's army, where she and Jinora protected Korra by creating a strong whirlwind, which she was able to maintain by herself.

Appearances
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Book Four: Balance (平衡)
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