174 AG

Days had to pass for Opal to finally see the familiar mountains that encircled the valley where her hometown lay. Her throat clenched. From this distance she couldn't see if Kuvira had arrived yet. When a few hours had gone by and Lefty flew over a mountain peak Opal was relieved to see that there were no signs of the Earth Empire army.

Each and every dome was up and the reflected sun burned white into her eyes. Squinting, she spotted some guards milling around outside the city. They weren't watching the skies but she could see them and she knew they would recognize the bison once they noticed it. When Opal and Lefty settled down outside the dome that housed the Beifong estate it opened up for her without hesitation.

Having landed, she recognized a few of the guards and they recognized her as well. She could see that were all stressed, anticipating Kuvira's arrival, but a few guards greeted Opal with smiles. She asked them to take care of Lefty and she turned her back to watch them lead the bison to the stables her father had built for visiting bisons.

The domes began to be sealed up again, and she watched the sunlight retreat until the smallest sliver was eaten up by the shade. Looking down she could see how the plants in Zaofu were suffering from Kuvira's threats, the grass was ill from lack of sun. How long had the city been under this pre-emptive siege?

Suddenly, from behind her, Opal heard a familiar, high-pitched gasp. She turned around quickly, a grin already spreading across her lips. "Opal's here!" Wing yelled, voice breaking a little. "Mom!" Dark thoughts forgotten, Opal almost started crying from happiness as she sprinted up into her brother's arms. He picked her up and spun her around in the air.

"I missed you!" she cried, and she hadn't noticed the magnitude of it until she had her arms around him.

"You got shorter," Wing started blubbering, wiping his eyes as he hugged her back, arms warm on her waist. She grinned into his chest, giddy. Wei all but tackled them when he launched himself at Opal, attaching himself to her side.

"You're back!" the other twin sniffed, mussing up her hair, swaying his siblings in their tight, clumsy embrace. Tears ran down Wing's face without check and he wiped them and laughed even while Wei punched him in the hip. Opal couldn't help but lean up and squeeze them closer to her, smile cracking her cheeks open.

"Mom!" Wing yelled again. Opal saw her mother, elegant in her way that hurt Opal wonderfully to see preserved, emerge from the door of their house and her eyes lit up. She yelled something inside the building and then started running up to her daughter, arms already open. Her brothers' grip on her released, allowing Opal to dart over to their mother.

Suyin grinned, tears in her eyes, as she got her arms around Opal, holding her with strength she'd gained from fighting and dancing and being a mother; a securing hold. Baatar Sr. joined his family in the next second, extending his arms around the both of them, smiling so gently and excitedly. "Opal!" Suyin murmured, as though she couldn't believe it. "You're back!" Wei made a choked sound from behind them.

"We weren't expecting you," Opal's father said warmly, his hand gentle on Opal's back.

"I'll get Chef to make you something to eat, you must be starving," Suyin said, stroking her daughter's hair. Opal sagged in her arms, unwilling to let her mom go just yet. It was so good to be back, to smell her mother's perfume and her father's aftershave. Even the domes that had at times felt oppressive were lovely now, as comforting as her mother's touch.

"I had to come back," Opal said, trying not to cry. She felt her father and mother jostle around her and she knew Wing and Wei had reattached themselves to the messy hug she and her parents shared.

"We're so glad you're here," Suyin said, hoarse with emotion.

"I don't know how much I can help," Opal spoke into her mother's neck. "I didn't see any of Kuvira's troops outside the city."

"No," Suyin said, voice growing more serious.

"She gave us some warning," Baatar Sr. spoke up, his tone still soft. "She'll be arriving soon. She's been gathering together all the soldiers she can spare."

"She plans to invade us," Suyin said, extricating herself from her family's embrace so that she could look Opal in the eye. "She says she wants a diplomatic meeting, but no one brings an army if they just want to talk." Opal recognized the truth in her mother's words.

"She would rather we join the Earth Empire right now," Baatar Sr. said, pushing his glasses up on his nose anxiously. He seemed older now, they both did.

"It's not going to happen," Suyin concluded.

"What can we do?" Opal asked her family. "What can I do?" Wei's sniffs had stopped, and Wing finally let go of Opal's back. The dimness of Zaofu, a sort of twilight colour marked with streetlamps, became reality inside Opal's mind. Opal felt wonderful, loved and cherished, but she couldn't ignore what the future had in store for them, not when there was a possibility she could help.

"I don't know," Suyin said honestly. "But I'll be damned before I let her take Zaofu." Opal had forgotten how fierce her mother could be and how much she admired her for it. Seeing her daughter's expression, Suyin's face softened slightly. "Come on now," she said gently. "Chef's missed someone to cook for. We can deal with Kuvira when she comes. Right now, I'm just happy to have my daughter back home." Opal let herself smile again and her mother, Wing and Wei in tow, tugged her towards the kitchen.