Chapter 7

Fluidly Burning

Briarwood

Business at the Rockporium was booming as usual, a fact that the music store's manager, Xander Bly, was definitely proud of. Ever since Toby Slambrook, the owner, had given Xander his managerial title, Xander had promised that the place would become the home of Briarwood's music scene. It had been a few years since then, and so far he'd lived up to that promise and then some.

Now, Xander couldn't take all the credit; he would have in earlier years, but not now. He had to give his friends their due. Vida Rocca was still the best DJ in the area, and Xander wouldn't have it any other way. I still can't believe she kept her hair pink all this time, Xander thought. And to think, she didn't like pink that much a ways back. Guess once the Power takes hold, it don't let go.

Chip Thorn's storytelling abilities always wowed the crowd, especially the younger visitors and it was his idea to put the music video game stations in. At times when V wasn't spinning her beats, (which wasn't often) people could play the games for free. There were always lines to play the games, and Xander put Chip in charge of making sure everyone got a turn. In fact Xander and Chip had come up with an idea to have tournaments each week, and Toby was all in favor of it…though Vida wasn't exactly happy she wasn't going to get as much "air time."

Xander was proud to see that all was going well…mostly. There was one little problem, though. Vida's sister, Madison, who was the local video documentarian, hadn't quite been herself lately. Xander was worried. Maddy had gone on her break, but she still wasn't back yet, and it had been half an hour. Xander decided to ask Chip if he knew where she was, and what was up with her.

"I don't know, bud. She hasn't been herself at all. Maybe…she's not herself. Maybe she's been replaced by a doppelganger."

"Come on, mate. Get serious." Chip's imagination tended to run wild sometimes. "Sometimes" meaning "practically all the time." Xander new he'd have to keep his buddy's lightning-quick mind grounded in order to figure out what was wrong.

"It's not out of the realm of possibility," Chip continued. "Especially with everything we've all gone through."

"It may not be outside the realm of possibility, but it's on the outskirts. No, Chipster. What this situation needs…is a good ol' Plan Xander."

"Now that's out of the realm of possibility. Not a single Plan Xander has worked in the history of Plan Xanders. Or in the history of Xander Bly, to be honest."

Xander winced. If anybody knew the…less than stellar… track record of Plan Xanders besides himself, Chip would be that guy.

"There's a first for everything, right, mate? This could be the first successful Plan Xander."

"Dude, just ask V. She'll know."

Couldn't argue with Chip's logic there. Vida would know what was wrong with her sister more than anyone.

"Alright. I guess I gotta give you a point there."

"But if I'm right about my first idea, let me know. Clare and I could cook up something."

"Don't get your hopes up, Chip."

"No clue," Vida responded. "She's just been off for a while."

"I don't know, V. I'm getting kind of worried myself. She hasn't hung out with us for the past two weeks. Chip's worried we got a spy in our midst."

Vida laughed. "Chip always tends to figure the worst. That guy can make mountains out of mole hills with the best of them."

"Oi! Making mountains out of molehills is my schtick."

"But Maddy hasn't been with us much since that whole big deal a while back. That is unlike her."

"And I haven't seen her with her camera in the past week."

"Yeah, I know. Definitely unlike Maddy."

"So what do you think's goin' on?"

Vida had a knowing smile on her face. "I think there might be something, or to be more accurate, someone, on her mind."

"Ah, I get ya. A certain someone who hasn't come home yet, and we only saw at that big thing back then. You mind checking in on her?"

"No problem," Vida answered stepping off the turntables. "Just make sure nobody touches my equipment, OK? You know the drill."

"Done."

Vida checked out back and sure enough, Madison was there. She was in deep thought, clutching a red baby blanket that had belonged to someone close to her a long time ago, before they had met.

"I knew this had to do with him. I could tell from the time of the year."

"Huh? Oh, hey, V. What did you just say?"

"I knew this funk you're in had to do with a certain Light in your life. You miss him even more now, don't you?"

"How could I not?"

"That would be impossible."

Maddy had an embarrassed look on her face. "I can't help it, V. He said he'd come back. It's been so long. I hope he wasn't lying."

"You're kidding me, right? He'll come back. Nick will keep his promise. You have faith in him, right?"

"Of course I do. It's just… I don't know. It's been so long and we only saw each other that one time. I just feel like he might end up… just…"

"You think he'll forget about you?"

"Yeah."

"Never going to happen. Nick's not like that. You know it, Maddy."

"But what if he is, V? What if he… what if I lose him, Vida? I…I just couldn't bear it if I never saw him again."

Vida sat down alongside her sister. "Look, Maddy. It's like this: Nick may have been away for who knows how long. But he'll be back. He's always come through for us, right?"

"Right."

"And Nick wouldn't want to let us down, right? His family and friends are what he lives for."

"Mm-hmm."

"So don't you think Nick feels like he belongs here? He'll definitely be back." Vida smiled then tugged on the blanket. "Besides, you got this. I think he'll want to reclaim it someday... and something that means even more."

"Does he really, V?"

"Maddy, what are you talking about?"

Madison's eyes shut tight, as if she was trying to fight the tears that were building. "I just feel like Nick only came back to us that one time because he had to, that his heart was not into it at all. Like he did his duty and now it's all over for him."

"That's not true and you know it."

"V, please. I don't need pity."

"This is the honest truth. We were nearly done for. Nick even turned against us for a while. But who broke him out of that? Who was it that made sure we stayed in the fight when even The Light had gone dark? When even he was ready to quit? YOU were, Maddy! If you were the only reason he had to come back, even if neither of you had anything or anyone else left, if all of us were gone, he'd still come back. For you."

This made Madison's mood a little brighter. "Thanks, V. I really hope so. Because I don't know what I'd do if he didn't."

"Definitely." The sisters turned and headed back inside.

Meanwhile, two motorcycles rolled into the town limits. On the inside of the lane was a Howler bike, decorated with a purple wolf crouched in front of fire during what appeared to be a light snowfall. In front of it was a custom built Phoenix, white with bright red flame patterns. A phoenix and a dragon seemed to rise out of the flames and travel side by side. The two pulled over with the Phoenix a little ahead. The young man on the Phoenix smiled under his helmet having only one thing on his mind: I'm home. And on the bike alongside him, the young man's father couldn't help but smile as well. His mother would be proud.