Back? # **Chapter Two: The Christmas Rush** --- Song(s): **Driving Home For Christmas - Chris Rea** --- *Orlando, 6:00 AM* As he rubbed the last remnants of sleep out of his eyes and played a makeshift game of Suitcase Tetris against the backseat of a rented van, Nuro silently cursed his decision to overlap the end of his vacation with the busiest travel day of the year. It had been a fun -- albeit hectic -- two weeks amidst the fun and sun of Florida. The trip had been Nuro’s gift to Mercury, his cousin, as part of an apology for their rocky relationship over the past few years. In Nuro’s eyes, it was nowhere near enough to make up for it all, but he hoped it would at least help patch things up between them. Astral had also come along, accompanied by her aunt Clara and little sister Sydney. Sydney had officially been adopted by Clara quite recently, and Nuro was happy he’d been able to give them a true ‘family vacation.’ Nuro and Mercury’s other cousin Pyx rounded out the sextet of travellers, since she got along well with them and wanted to come. Nuro had initially planned for the remainder of StrangeNation to join them, but they all declined for various reasons. Willow and Spencer were busy as baristas and unwilling members of a cult. Fileran, Burgundy, and Mirina had to prepare for the Festival. And Taron, in his own words, refused to “sacrifice my hard-earned paycheck to spend half a month stuck in another country with the biggest annoyance I’ve ever met.” Which, of course, was Taron-code for ‘wish I could, but I’ve gotta work. Have fun!’. So, it was just the six of them, which was more than enough. At the end of it all, they were departing their base of operations—a gated community nestled right in the heart of tourist territory—feeling contentedly worn out, minds packed with memories that would last a lifetime. Despite the prior weeks’ fun, what was still ahead might have been even better. That night was StrangeNation’s headline concert at the Magispace’s inaugural Christmas Eve Festival. Travelling home on the day of their big performance was cutting it close, but they weren’t worried. Mistvale’s forecast was for sunny skies with a sprinkle of snow, making for a picture-perfect Christmas Eve. They’d get home on schedule, with plenty of time to spare. Of course, they had no other choice; the direct flight between Orlando and Mistvale only occurred once a week. But if he had to be honest? Nuro wouldn’t be upset if they didn’t return in time. Although he could sing the solo in his sleep at this point, he still dreaded the looming performance. If he -- Nuro Thental, eldest of the socialites/models/reality TV stars known as the Commanders, scrutinized by the public eye since birth -- embarrassed himself on stage, he’d never hear the end of it. The story would grace every news outlet and trashy tabloid on Itraviel, torching what little remained of his career after his recent public split from his manager. He could see the headlines now: ‘Commander Thental tries (and fails) to steal the spotlight: Behind talentless nepo baby’s latest fail.’ But if he did well, it might be his only chance to show who he truly was and reinvent himself as more than what his television persona had been; just a vapid ‘bad boy’ that everyone loved to hate. High risk, high reward. Either way, it wasn’t up to him. There were still a lot of uncertainties between now and the concert. Besides, he could still back out at the last minute should the need arise. It was fine. He’d be fine. He wasn’t freaking out, not at all. As his trembling arms struggled with his oversized suitcase -- the only bag putting up a fight -- he felt a comforting hand on his shoulder. Pale as a ghost despite fourteen days of exposure to blinding sunlight, it and its partner then joined Nuro’s hands on the suitcase’s canvas surface, attempting to maneuver it into place while Nuro pushed. “Oh, lord. This one -- ugh -- really doesn’t want to go, does it?” Mercury’s prim voice enquired between exhausted gasps. “It does not,” Nuro muttered, defeated. Somehow, two grown men were no match for an inanimate object enacting its revenge for Nuro’s souvenir-buying hubris. “Damn, Thental, remind me not to let you buy that last shirt next time,” Pyx laughed as she watched, wiggling her hands sporadically through the air. Astral came up behind her, narrowly avoiding getting hit in the face. “Maybe they’d have better luck if someone wasn’t tied up painting her nails,” she teased. Pyx smirked. “Look, you shouldn’t have gotten me this sick polish for my birthday if you didn’t want me to use it. What did you expect?” “Girls, try not to be at each others’ throats just yet,” Clara called, ensuring any potential tension was diffused. “We’ve still got a long day ahead of us.” The house’s final occupant, Sydney, emerged with her backpack, shutting the door behind her. “All’s clear in there. Now, move out of the way and let me try.” Once everyone else had stepped back, forming a makeshift barrier around her, Sydney closed her eyes and concentrated as a shimmery silver fishtail grew from her lower back, emerging beneath her sundress. She usually kept every hint of her true siren form carefully hidden, but desperate times called for desperate measures. With a smack of her fin, the suitcase fell into place. Her tail disappeared, and she looked back toward Nuro with a triumphant smirk. “You’re welcome.” Nuro slammed the trunk shut, glaring at Sydney with a petulant frown. But, the facade swiftly broke once he erupted in laughter, the sound of which quickly proved contagious. Brushing a tear off his cheek, Mercury collected himself. “Alright, alright. Now that that’s settled, it’s about time we get going. We want to be home for tonight, after all.” With a nod, the six travellers took their places in the vehicle for the final time as Nuro prepped the GPS. As he pulled out of the driveway, they bid a bittersweet farewell to their vacation and set their sights towards the airport for the journey ahead. Little did they know how much of a journey it would be.