The snow was coming down hard and fast. A state of emergency announcement was eminent for the tri state area. A strong magical force was hanging over the town in the form of heavy precipitation.

Lulu shivered, rubbing her hands together for friction as she trudged through the storm. She squinted her eyes as snow was blown into her eyes by the freezing wind. With the whiteout she couldn't see even a few feet in front of her. The lack of a view distance caused her to trip over the steps that led to the magic shop. She barely caught herself by grabbing the snow-covered railing. Her hand was frozen and then burning forcing her to release the rail and manage her own footing. She started up the steps, forcing the door open before collapsing against it.

"Hey, Lu," Anka sighed as she fingered a priceless artifact. "Magic store lady is investigating the strange weather in the back room," she explained, nodding toward the beaded curtain.

"Burr," Lulu shivered as she stamped her boots on the door mat. "Good...I was expecting some flurries but this is ridiculous," she remarked as she dusted the snow off her coat.

"I know, I don't even have clothes to go home in since I wore this out here," Anka motioned to her light sweater and skirt. "I was just going to buy some cards and go...so..." she shrugged.

"Oh, don't worry, dear. I'll run somewhere and buy you something more appropriate once I warm up a bit," Lulu said comfortingly.

"Lu, I can't have you do that," Anka replied.

"Part of your Christmas present so you can't refuse," Lulu insisted.

The magic shop lady walked out from the back, rattling the beaded curtains as she did so. Her hair was a mess of black curls and her clothes were a modern day gypsy's. "There is a strong magic amongst us..." she said solemnly.

"Please tell me there's something we can do," Anka pleaded.

"We'll need more than three casters for a counterspell, sadly," the magic shop lady hung her head.

"Great, and the storm prevents just that," Lulu sighed.

"Indeed, it does. But the thing about magic is: you're always where you need to be when magic needs you to be there..." she said confidently. "I'll put on some tea while we wait for our other fated mages," she said thoughtfully.

"Okay, I'll stoke the fire," Anka suggested as she moved toward the fireplace.

---

Nami shivered, glancing up from her computer for the first time in hours. There wasn't a thermometer in her room but she could tell that the temperature outside had dropped dramatically. She stood up, grabbing her comforter and draping it over her shoulders like a cape, using it to keep the warm air around her. She approached the floor heater, turning the nob entirely to the right to speed up the heating process. She slipped her feet into her fuzzy slippers, glancing at her curtained windows curiously.

Seeing the attempt to fit behind her desk as an inconvenience she shrugged, starting down the stairs. From the first few steps she could see out the living room windows. "What the hell?" she asked as she scurried down the stairs. "Light flurries my ass..." she muttered as she knelled on the couch to stare out the bay window. The accumulation was legendary, almost fictitious.

Her eyes searched the blanket of white for any sign of movement or even life. "Mom? Dad" Nami called out as she turned toward the kitchen. The kitchen was dark and empty and by far the coldest room in the house. She shivered as she entered the kitchen, noting that she should adjust the floor heaters elsewhere in the house considering the weather patterns.

She flipped on the light switch, sighing when she found the note from her parents. "Went out to get kerosene...be back soon...love mom and dad. PS order a pizza if you're hungry." Nami shook her head as she glanced over at the token 20 dollar bill that her parents left for her, "Nobody is gonna deliver in this weather."

---

Chloe, Zoey and Toby all circled Nagi. The three girls from his graduating class that he found the most annoying, naturally, had to be stuck with him during a snowstorm that was being called a blizzard. "What if we die here?" Toby cried out, twisting her cinnamon curls around her fingertips anxiously.

Nagi sighed, "We're in a super store," he breathed, "there is food here, there are bathrooms here, there are even beds here. The chances of us dying here before the storm clears are nearly none," he assured them for the umpteen millionth time.

Zoey shrugged, "True, but what about our carnal needs?" she batted her eyelashes at Nagi.

"Go find another stock boy," he answered before taking a sip of his hot chocolate.

Chloe frowned, "If we do get stuck here and we do need to use the food to live won't we have to pay for it?"

"I don't know," Nagi shrugged. "It's never happened to me before."

Zoey hopped down from the shelf she was sitting on, landing in front of Nagi. "Why don't you show any interest in girls? Are you gay?"

"I'm not gay," he growled.

"Then you should have some interest in girls," Zoey said with a smirk.

"Zoey, you're barking up the wrong tree," Chloe assured her. "Nagi likes nerdy girls."

"I can do nerdy," Zoey said enthusiastically.

"Save your energy," Chloe sighed.

"We're all gonna die, aren't we?" Toby sniffled. She turned toward the other three who were all glaring at her. "What? I just asked the question."

"What kind of nerdy girl do you want me to be?" Zoey asked, returning her attention to Nagi.

Nagi grabbed his vibrating cellphone from his pocket, answering it without looking at the caller. "Nami," he blushed before walking away from the three girls.

"See, now I don't know if she's who's on the phone with him or if that was the answer to your question," Chloe chuckled.

"I don't wanna die...I'm too young and beautiful to die!" Toby whined as she collapsed against a shelf.

"Lay off the espresso and relax. The trucks will be here soon to dig us out," Zoey growled.

"Then lay off of the viagra and stop trying to sleep with Nagi," Toby countered.

"Why? He's so...yummy..." Zoey licked her lips.

"Because one of our friends likes him," Chloe responded. "And you know the girlfriend rules: we can't sleep with our friends' crushes."

"I'd be there with you if I could," Nagi muttered. "But, I'm kind of stuck at work..." He listened to Nami's reply feeling guilty for not being with her that evening. "I'll be there as soon as I can," he assured her as he slipped his coat on, switching which hand was holding the phone. "Where are Anka and Lulu?" he asked as he walked toward the back of the store.

"So who likes him?" Zoey asked.

"You mean it's not obvious?" Toby tilted her head to the side.

"No..." Zoey whispered.

"Nami is crazy about him," Chloe cut in, "and he doesn't know so don't tell him."

"Erm..." Zoey looked around quickly, "Where'd he go?"

"Uh..." Toby's light brown hair muddled as she looked around quickly, not finding Nagi within her line of sight.

"Strange, he was just here," Chloe commented, bringing her finger to her lip thoughtfully.

Nagi reappeared, fully dressed for the winter weather. "Bye," he waved to the girls in passing.

"Bye?" the three chorused before scrambling to their feet to follow him.

---

"So what have you found?" Anka asked.

"So far there are many who must take part in ridding the town of this storm," the magic shop keep replied. "Everybody will wind up here by the end of the night."

Lulu sipped at her tea before responding. "How can you be sure of that?"

"Since when do you doubt magic?" she asked.

"I don't, but, things happen..." Lulu tapered off.

Anka pulled out her cellphone, "Nagi? Where are you?" Anka listened to his reply before growing upset, "What the hell is wrong with you? March your ass back into a warm building before it freezes off!" She paused to take in a breath, "I have another call. I'm not done with you," she assured him before flipping over to Nami. "Your boyfriend is insane!" she shouted into the phone. "He's walking in this storm to get to you!" Anka paused, "What do you mean you asked him to? Do you know how cold it is outside?"

"You'd swear she as their mother," Lulu remarked. "I mean, I know she worries about both of them but Nami hates being alone and Nagi will do anything for Nami. There's no way she couldn't have seen his current act of stupidity coming from a mile away..."

"Yes, the boy is hard-headed," the shop keep agreed. "But he is doing what he is supposed to be doing."

"Bringing us more mages?" Lulu guessed.

"Indeed. Who better to lead a bunch of women than an attractive man?" the shop keep shrugged.

"A Hershey delivery van?" Lulu replied.

"Yes, but they're in short supply," the shop keep responded with a sigh.

"In case you haven't noticed, so are the men."

"True that," the shop keep shook her head.

"Yeah, it took you long enough to realize I called him your boyfriend..." Anka sighed. "Look, you know I love you..." she rolled her eyes, "and I know you hate being alone, but just wait for Nagi to get to you before you come here..."

"See?" the shop keep offered.

"Yeah, we can talk until he gets there. Let me finish chewing him out first," Anka said as she switched back to Nagi. "You need to learn to say no to her every now and again. It will kill you to keep saying yes to her! Tonight is a perfect is example!" Anka breathed. "I know she hates being alone...and I know you're so whipped that you can't say no to her, but please think of yourself for once..."

Nagi sighed. "What about the time I dug you three out of a snow pile in the mountains?" he asked. He waited for a retort.

"Nagi, you followed your magic ability to us. This is different. Nami could have lived on her own for a few hours. You could die of hypothermia at any given time..." Anka responded as calmly as she could.

"Sis, I'll be fine. And if I'm not you can slap me in my casket and tell me that you told me so," Nagi said softly. He glanced over his shoulder, sighing in aggravation when he found Zoey, Chloe and Toby tailing him.

"What now?" Anka asked.

"The flirt, the prep and the emo are following me..." he growled.

"Why?" Anka was befuddled.

"Your guess is as good as mine," he answered. "Call one of them and make them go away..." he pleaded.

"I'm going to be on the phone with Nami until you reach her in person," Anka explained.

"So I have to talk to them?" he whimpered.

"They clung to you for a reason," Anka wasted a shrug.

"Oh, come on...can't I drop them off with you at the magic shop or something?" Nagi begged.

Anka sighed, rolling her eyes. "Why?"

"You know..." Nagi cleared his throat.

"If I did I wouldn't question you," Anka answered.

"Alone...time...with...Nami..." his cheeks reddened with embarrassment.

"Fine, bring them here. But bring Nami here too...eventually," she teased.

"I'll try to remember that..." he replied, stopping in his tracks when a snowball hit his back. He turned toward them to be met with two more snowballs, one hitting his face and the other hitting his chest. "You're going to the magic shop," he said firmly.

"But where are you going?" Zoey giggled, "because I'm going there, too..."

"No, you're not. Even if I have to tie you down myself," he threatened.

"If that was Zoey you're going to regret that," Anka hummed.

"Yeah, she's been flipping everything I've said, trying to make it perverse all day..." he answered.

"I want you to tie me down..." Zoey said airily.

"And I want you three to leave me alone," he said as he started walking at a swifter pace.

"Where's the magic shop at, exactly?" Chloe asked.

Nagi sighed when he realized that the snow made navigation nearly impossible. "Anka, are the lights on in the shop?"

"Yeah," Anka replied.

"Good, because we can't really see, even when the wind isn't blowing..." Nagi sighed.

"Switching back to Nami now," Anka said as she hit the flash button.

Nagi glared down at his phone that had apparently began draining its battery at a faster rate. He powered it down in case he would need to rely on it later. Keeping his pace swifter than the three girls' he avoided direct conversation with them for a few blocks. Waiting for them he came to a stop.

"What'd you stop for?" Toby asked when she reached Nagi.

"I don't know," he answered. "I just...felt something," he said slowly. Turning toward a distant sound he began ambling forward again. Seeing the fogged lights of a car, Nagi slowly moved out of the car's path. When he heard the squealing of tires he decided to approach the car.

"Somebody's already stuck..." Chloe remarked as the group stopped at the snow covered vehicle.

"That has to suck," Zoey commented.

"Drake?" Nagi blinked a few times when the driver rolled down his window. "Why are you trying to drive?"

"No power at my house. Like half of the city is without electric...I was gonna go somewhere with power," Drake replied.

Nagi smiled, "Listen, Drake..." he turned toward the girls, "If I help you get out will you take them to the magic shop? It still has power and Anka and Lulu are already there."

"Sure. I was just gonna go pick up Connor, Tristan and Lucas. They're all at Connor's and the power keeps browning there," Drake replied.

"Alright, good," Nagi said as he started toward the back of the car. The girls stood off to the side, watching Nagi as he forced the car forward with all of his might. After a few tries he frowned, turning toward the three girls. "One of you come with me," he commanded, Zoey, naturally following him afterward. "Zoey, steer the car and hit the breaks if the car begins to slide," Nagi ordered. "Drake, I'll need your help to push it out."

Drake stepped out of the car, more than willing to help Nagi push the car out of the snow bank that trapped it. After a few shoves, the car was out of the ditch and on the road. "Thanks," Drake replied.

"No, thank you," Nagi huffed.

Drake smirked. "I bet I can guess where you're heading."

"Doesn't take a genius," Nagi shrugged. "Did you hear from Parle tonight?"

"No, which is odd..." Drake said thoughtfully as he grabbed his phone.

"See if he needs picked up, too. Let's make a party out of it," Nagi said before starting on his way again.

---

Parle shivered, stepping into the magic shop. "Helloooo?" he called out.

"Parle?" Lulu yawned as she stepped into the front of the store.

"Good, somebody's here," Parle sighed in relief as he stamped his feet on the mat.

"Yeah, we're here," the magic shop keep announced. "Come on back for tea and cookies," she said invitingly.

Parle shrugged as he shed the layers of snow-covered clothing. "I had an urge to buy some tarot cards and runes..." he admitted as he entered the lounge.

"Maybe after the storm, then," the shop keep smiled as she poured him a cup of tea.

---

"Took you long enough," Connor commented as he opened the passenger door. "Oh, no. No, I get shotgun. Back seat, Zoey," Connor said firmly.

"No way," Zoey said stubbornly.

"You can both squeeze into the front seat and like it," Drake growled. "We're going to be squished anyhow."

The others piled into the back seat, not minding the tight fit since it kept them relatively warm. "So, ladies..." Lucas smirked.

"No!" the rest of the car's population scolded him.

The magic shop lady stood, leaving the back room. "Where are you going?" Lulu asked.

"We're getting company," she answered. Promptly, headlights were visible through the window of the store. "See? I thought we should greet them."

"Wow, how did you know they'd get here now?" Anka asked.

"Magic," she said flatly. "Nothing special."

The car's population all migrated into the shop at once. They all stamped their feet to loosen the snow on their boots and they all stripped out of their layers of warm clothing.

"So, what's up?" Drake asked.

"We've been having our fortunes read," Lulu replied.

"Really?" Toby perked up. "I've always wanted my fortune read..."

"Well, come on back," the magic shop lady said warmly. "I'll read everybody's tarot cards."

---

Nagi trudged through the snow, but the task was easier than he thought it would be. Surprisingly he wasn't bored and he certainly wasn't tired or cold. He had been walking for a few miles before he came to the small gas station that sat just off the stretch of road.

He walked inside, making a beeline to the cocoa machine. He filled the cup all the way to the top before pressing a lid on the cup. As he stood in line to pay for his beverage he was greeted by a familiar voice. "What are you doing here? I thought you'd be at the house," Kelly commented.

"Uh, I'm on my way there now," Nagi answered as he turned around.

"How? The roads are terrible. Dan and I are waiting for the roads to clear," Kelly whispered.

Nagi placed the money on the counter, "I'm walking."

"I'd warn you to wait here with us, but I'd assume that I would just be wasting my breath," she sighed.

"Of course you would be," Nagi answered.

Kelly patted Nagi's back. "Go ahead and marry my daughter while you're at it."

He tilted his head, "Thanks? I think..." he murmured before heading back into the snowstorm.