Once more, blurry lights and rushing wind. All too familiar to Kizuna, who was wondering how often she would be visiting them. How long was this mission going to take? There had to be an infinite number of worlds, did that mean an infinite number of them needed their help too? How would she know when her mission was complete? Would she be at this for the rest of her life? She looked up at David, who was palling around with Paulo as an unamused Abbey watched from the sidelines.

How long would David stick by her? What if he got bored of it and wanted out? Kizuna closed her eyes to clear her mind. She mustn't let doubt and fear fog her thinking. When she opened her eyes, Paulo and David were still free styling in their freefall. Kizuna smiled. Despite coming from worlds apart, Paulo and David would always be friends.

"Check THIS out!" David exclaimed, pulling a spinning move with random arm motions.

Paulo laughed at his friends' antics. "Yeah, well check THIS out!" He said, attempting a dance move he'd seen a singer from the 50s do in an old video.

David whistled, impressed by his friend's retro dance moves. "Not bad, Elvis." He smiled at Abbey, who was now in his crosshairs. Abbey was still watching them with his arms folded, still looking unamused. "You next, Abbey! Show us what you got!" Paulo spun around to look at the Abyssinian too.

"No thank you." He replied bluntly. "I think we have bigger things to worry about, rather than who has the best dance moves."

Paulo's mirthful smile fell into a frown. Abbey wouldn't know what fun was if it came up and slapped him in the face. "Why do you always gotta be such a stick in the mud?"

Abbey rolled his eyes. "In case you two haven't noticed, we are currently falling through a wormhole to who knows where, traveling who knows how fast, for who knows how long."

David pretended to push up some glasses on his muzzle. "Well actually, we're falling through a suitcase."

"And I did happen to notice that." Paulo remarked, annoyed at being spoken to so condescendingly, and by Abbey of all people. "In case YOU haven't noticed, there's nothing we can do about that, so we might as well have some fun!"

"I'm only suggesting that it may be prudent to get a better understanding of what's actually going on here." Abbey replied, equally as annoyed, but David had already gone back to spinning around, and Paulo was once again his audience. Abbey sighed and shook his head. Morons across the universe, it seemed. His gaze shifted down to Kizuna, who was fixated on the three boys, particularly David. Concluding that neither David nor Paulo would be of any help at all, he decided to seek counsel with her.

Kizuna saw the brown cat start swimming through the air down to her. He felt a little awkward as he did so, he never went skydiving or anything before so how one should navigate a situation like this was all new to him. When he got there, he greeted her. "Hey. You seem like you're the one in charge here." Abbey swiveled his head to look up at David who was still flailing around to a laughing somali. "I should hope."

Kizuna straightened out to look more professional. "I am." She said in her most business-like voice. "That is my associate Dav- err, Agent Big Chocolate."

"I know who David is." Abbey said, turning back to look at the girl. "But I don't know who you are, though you appear to be familiar with me."

Kizuna gestured to herself. "I am Agent Babe."

Abbey cocked an eyebrow. "You mean like the pig from that movie?" Kizuna's face fell, but Abbey continued. "Anyway, I mean your REAL name."

Vigilant as ever, Abbey was. Kizuna knew there was no way she could lie to him, he would see right through it. "Kizuna." She said. "My name is Kizuna."

"Kizuna, huh?" Abbey had never heard such an odd name in his life. He wasn't so sure this was her real name, either, but the earnestness in her voice told him to trust her. "It's good to meet you. Even if it is under such strange circumstances."

"I'd say the same, but I already knew you." Kizuna smiled. "But it's good to see you again!"

"That's the thing!" Abbey said, "I don't seem to recall you at all." He gave a worried frown. It felt rather rude to forget someone who knew him so well. "Forgive me."

"It's okay!" Kizuna waved off his doubts. "You wouldn't- we're from different worlds."

Abbey rubbed his chin. "Which brings me to my next question, is any of this real?"

"It is." Kizuna sighed. "Sadly. But don't worry! It's alllll under control!"

"Right…" Abbey said, not so sure. Nothing about their situation so far screamed 'under control'. More like out of control. He was alarmed, as this not being a dream meant he really was lost. Then came the next question, "Is this really taking us to HIS Sue?"

Kizuna imagined this is what Liam must have felt like, so many questions about everything. But she remembered how alarming and overwhelming it was for her at first, so she remained calm and polite. "That's the plan. Wherever she is."

"Bah." Abbey said, not sounding all that convinced of this either. "We're going to be falling here forever then, I doubt any Sue in the universe is even interested in being friends with Paulo, let alone… no. Just no." He shook his head. "They get along as well as water and oil."

"Hmm…" Kizuna pondered. "Maybe it's someone else named Sue? Someone we don't know?"

"I'm pretty sure he was arguing with our Sue back there." Abbey pointed out.

"Oh, right, sorry…" Kizuna said, embarrassed she had missed something so obvious.

"Hey!" Called a disgruntled voice from behind. Paulo and David had grown bored of their dancing antics, and now were coming down to see how much longer it would be before they were at their destination. Naturally, Paulo was unhappy about Abbey's negative words about him. "You got a problem with me an' Sue?"

"It is not Susan I have the issue with." Abbey replied forcefully.

"Sounds like to me you're just jealous!" Paulo teased.

Abbey's face lit on fire. The audacity of that arrogant somali! He had never thought of Sue in that way. They were just good friends. "For your information, I happen to be with someone else!"

"Oh really now?" Paulo folded his arms and leaned toward the abyssinian. "Who might that be?"

"It's-" Abbey started, wanting to slap Paulo across the face with Augustus' name, but he held back. No doubt Paulo would use that as more ammunition against him, and he wasn't about to let that happen. "None of your business." He mumbled.

"Ha! I knew it." Paulo remarked smugly. Abbey felt his temper rising, his hands balling into fists, but Kizuna popped up between them.

"Boys, please, don't fight!" She squeaked. Things were already going to be hard and complicated enough, but add two feuding teenagers to the mix and it might be impossible. Ugly, for sure. They needed to all stick together to keep from getting further lost.

"Hey, is it just me," David said, swimming around. "Or is it getting colder?" The others took a moment to feel the air, and David was indeed onto something. It WAS getting colder, and heading into being downright chilly.

Paulo squinted at a bright light in the distance. "What's that?"

Kizuna recognized this as probably the exit. "Brace yourselves!"

They all did so, bodies tensing up and holding their arms out. One moment they were engulfed by the blinding light, the next-

Fwoomp! Fwoomp fwoomp fwoomp!

One after the other, the band of travelers were ejected from the endless suitcase. Into a strange new world they went, where the first thing each of them felt was how terribly cold it was. Kizuna landed and tumbled through something crunchy and wet. When she finally came to a complete stop, she got the opportunity to take a look around.

All around, as far as she could see, was a thick blanket of snow. It was growing ever thicker from the steady snowfall. Before her was a small canyon that she left behind from her tumble, disturbing the otherwise smooth surface of the snow layer. Not much else could be gathered, as the snow and a thick layer of fog lowered the distance of how far she could see. Cold air stung Kizuna's lungs slightly. Now she needed to locate the others.

The dog got to her feet, and set out to find the other dog. She used the gutter her body carved out in the snow as a waypoint to follow back to the suitcase, which was already getting buried in the snow. Kizuna quickly snatched it up before it disappeared for good. Who knew how long it would take them to find it if it got entirely covered? About a foot away, Kizuna spotted another disruption in the smooth layer of snow very similar to hers.

At the end of it, she found David, who was currently on his back, wiggling his arms and legs back and forth. "Look, Kizuna! Snow angel!" Kizuna couldn't help but giggle at his silliness. Any opportunity David got, he was always trying to bring smiles.

"C'mon, Davie. Let's go find the others." Kizuna laughed, offering a helping hand. David accepted it and got to his feet. He was still covered in snow, but he made short work of it, shaking it all off like he did water when he got wet.

Kizuna put a hand above her eyes to act as an impromptu visor as she scanned the area. This didn't help much at all. "Those two couldn't have gotten far." Kizuna said with a shiver. "Better find them quickly. It's starting to get really, really cold out here. Gah! But it's impossible to see anything out here."

"They're right there." David said blatantly, pointing behind Kizuna. And sure enough, there Paulo and Abbey were, piled on each other in a heap.

"Get off of me, fruitcake!" Paulo demanded

Abbey was currently feeling too poorly to respond with anything. His stomach felt like it was still spinning. "Urgghhh…" He groaned, crawling off of the disgruntled somali. "I don't feel too-BLAARGH!" Abbey emptied the contents of his stomach into the snow, which melted the spot a little before freezing itself.

"Hahaha!" Paulo laughed, sitting up. "Figures your wussy stomach couldn't - BLLERRCH!" Paulo was cut off by his own sick.

Kizuna turned away, looking sympathetic as the boys hurled. Paulo wiped his mouth. "Hey, how come you guys didn't get sick! You coulda given a heads up!"

"I hate to agree with HIM." Abbey said, standing up. "A warning would have been welcomed."

"Sorry guys." Kizuna said. "It seems to happen everyone's first time."

"Looks like you guys made a sick angel." David commented in awe, leaning over. "Why didn't I think of that?"

"Because that's vile." Abbey said with a disgusted look.

Now the four were all standing around, still trying to make out exactly where they were. It was cold, damn cold. The chill and wind burrowed past their fur, stinging their bones. They all began to hug themselves. "G-geez man!" Paulo shivered. "I wish we h-had some j-jackets!"

"Oh! I c-can remedy th-that!" Kizuna said through chattering teeth. Suitcase still in hand, she closed her eyes and focused on large, thick, warm jackets for all of them to wear. There was a rumble inside it, and she popped it open. Out came four jackets, one for each of them. They wasted no time in getting into them, and soon they were warm once again. Well, as warm as they could be in such frigid temperatures.

"What a marvelous suitcase you have there." Abbey said, looking in awe at it. "Is there anything it can't do?"

"Hey, look Paulo! Ours match!" David said, showing off his jacket to the somali, who was wearing the same. "We should start a club! Members only jackets!"

"They're all the same jackets, you imbecile." Abbey said, rubbing his temples.

"C'mon guys, let's not waste any time." Kizuna said, taking charge. "Paulo, does any of this seem familiar to you?"

"It was summer when I… well. Yeah." The boy said, still not having wrapped his mind around the situation. "July fourth."

"Then why would we be sent here…" Kizuna pondered.

"You did ask it to send us where HIS Sue was. Maybe she got mixed up here too." Abbey suggested. "Or maybe the world is in a nuclear winter, because there's no way Sue would even CONSIDER liking Paulo unless he was the last person on Earth."

"A nuclear winter?" David perked up. "Maybe we'll get superpowers! Or I'll grow an extra head! Then I'd always have someone to talk to."

"She's gotta be around here somewhere!" Paulo said anxiously, looking out at the winter wasteland. "We need to find her!" And without waiting for anyone else, Paulo turned around and began trudging through the deep snow. The others looked at each other and took off after him.

The rest of Roseville was just as desolate as where they arrived. The snow had piled up even deeper in some places, forcing the troupe to find another way around. There were no cars, and traffic lights lit up to an audience that wasn't there. The thick fog carried the multicolored lights with a ghostly glow. The jackets helped, but did nothing to cover their feet, which were starting to grow numb from the cold. As the number their feet got, the more and more they gave up on hope of finding Sue. Still, Paulo pushed on, urging them to follow. "She has to be here somewhere! We need to check her house."

The others wanted to protest and try to regroup in a warmer place, but at least now they had a direction instead of aimlessly wandering around. Paulo knew the way, having been there many times, and soon they arrived at the european burmese's house. After a knock on the door, it opened to Sue's mom, who looked at them, very surprised. She looked over top of the teens' heads at the world behind them. "Goodness! The snow has gotten deep." She looked down at the four. "Paulo? Abbey, David?" She gave Kizuna a strange look, one that she was used to getting. "Er, what are you all doing out in such terrible weather?"

"We're looking for Sue. Is she home?" Paulo asked, trying to hide the desperation in his voice.

The mother shook her head. "Well, no. I sent her out to mail a letter for me not too long ago. She should be home soon. Oh, I hope she isn't snowed in at the post office!"

The group felt their hearts sink. "Ah, well thanks ma'am. We'll get out of your hair." Paulo said quietly.

"It's no problem. I didn't know you cared for her so much." Sue's mom smiled. "If you see her, tell her to come home soon! Dinner will be ready shortly."

Sue's mom went back inside. Paulo nodded and turned away to keep searching for his girlfriend. "Wait. Wait!" Kizuna said to his orange, furry back. "Maybe we should-"

"If you all want to turn back, that's fine." Paulo cut her off, not even turning around. "But I'm not leaving without her." And without waiting for a response, he started trudging off through the deep snow again.

Kizuna sighed and looked at the others hopelessly. David raced after Paulo, "Wait up buddy!" he called. Abbey shook his head and sighed, slowly following the dog, and Kizuna followed suit.

It didn't matter how much time they spent wandering the isolated snowy streets, it all felt like an eternity. Paulo took to calling out Sue's name in hopes of finding her, but the cold air stung his throat and lungs, and quickly his voice grew hoarse and quiet. Paulo took a moment to rest, leaning forward, and propping himself up with his arms on his knees.

"Hmph. Figures." Abbey muttered. "Of course we can't find her. She doesn't exist. No Sue anywhere would-"

"Hey, who's that?" David asked, looking past the group. "Is this just like a desert mirage, but for snow?"

Abbey rolled his eyes. "That's not even a- wait a minute…" The abyssinian squinted. "I think that IS someone."

Paulo looked up from his hunched position, and immediately recognized the silhouette. "Sue?"

The silhouette stopped moving. After a moment, "P-Paulo?!" came out of it.

The boy in questions' eyes grew wide and he went from nearly being doubled over to full tilt running forward. Well, as well as he could in the deep snow. "Sue! Sue!" The silhouette moved forward too, having a more difficult time making its way through the snow. The three others, still catching their breath, had to pick up and haul after Paulo.

As they got closer, they did indeed see that it was Sue. Her and Paulo embraced, with the former shivering in his arms. However, after a moment Paulo held her at arm's length. "Wait…" he said slowly, and Sue blinked in confusion, and was a little disappointed by being shoved back into the cold. "What was the first movie we saw together?"

It was such an easy question, but after the last debacle, he needed to be sure she really was the Sue he knew. She looked at him questioningly, but answered. "G… God of the B-Bracelets?"

Paulo breathed a sigh of relief and smiled, pulling a very grateful Sue back into a warm hug. "It IS you!"

"I think I'm going to be sick again." Abbey gumbled, deep frown on his lips.

Sue still shivered and shook in his arms. "I'm s-s-so c-cold…"

Without a moment's hesitation, Paulo pulled the jacket from around his shoulders and draped it onto Sue's. The girl smiled and snuggled into the jacket, and into Paulo. "Better?" He asked.

"Better." She purred back.

"OH. MY. GOSH!" David popped up next to them. "You two are TOO adorable!"

"That's great." Abbey said. "Now can we go somewhere warmer?"

Everyone wholeheartedly agreed with that idea. "We'll go somewhere where we can rest for the night." Kizuna said, gripping the suitcase. 'Take us somewhere secure…' she thought. The suitcase rumbled and she clicked open the latches.

"Paulo, what is going on?" Sue asked, eyeing the suitcase. "I just left you at your house and now you're here?! With David and Abbey and…" Sue trailed off, now realizing she didn't recognize the other girl that was there. "And it's winter now?!"

"I… I don't really know, babe." Paulo admitted. "But we just have to trust her."

"Who is that?" Sue whispered to Paulo.

"All in!" Kizuna said, dropping the suitcase.

Sue looked at the little box in disbelief. "She can't be serious." She pushed away from Paulo. "Is this some kind of prank?"

"Just trust her." Paulo said, as David hopped into the void, followed by Abbey.

Sue stumbled back, eyes wide open, mouth agape. This had to be the most elaborate trick Paulo had ever pulled. Yet, she couldn't imagine how it was done. Was there a small dug out area under the snow they were going into?

"You two are coming, right?" Kizuna asked, wanting to get out of the cold as fast as possible.

Sue shook her head while taking another step back. "N-none of this makes any sense! Am I hallucinating from the cold?"

Paulo took her hand. "Babe, trust me. It's gonna be okay. We'll go together. I made a promise to protect you."

Sue looked into his eyes and saw the truth. He wasn't lying, this wasn't a joke. His golden eyes pierced fiercely into her soul, assuring her that things would be okay. Sue closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When she opened them again, she said, "I trust you."

"Then let's go!" Paulo said, leading her by the hand to the suitcase. "Ready?"

Sue looked into the inky blackness of the suitcase. Her stomach tied itself into knots, but she steeled herself. "Ready."

Paulo stepped in, falling down, down, down, pulling Sue in with him. Kizuna looked around to make sure the coast was clear, and then leapt in herself.