Storyteller: Well, that was part of Frank's first adventure in this fantastic new world.... I will let him tell it from his point from now...

Frank: Jeez, it's about time!!!!

Storyteller: AHEM! Anyway... Let's just say that this adventure will be part of his.... um.... Personal Diary.

Chapter 23

I watched as Kate ran up to Carrie and threw her arms around her. I couldn't help but smile. It was then that I noticed that Carrie was staring at me.

Man.... that's right... the Guard didn't bring her back.... I did... A guy about her age.... and in the middle of the night too...

I looked on as Carrie continued to console Kate. Carrie whispered quietly to her then took her inside. Carrie motioned for me to follow, and I did.

I followed them in, taking a good look at Kate's home. It was nice... Very homey... Before I knew it, we were in the kitchen. Carrie motioned for me to sit down, and I did.

"I need to go upstairs for a moment." Kate said to Carrie in a quiet voice.

Carrie nodded, and Kate took off. When she was upstairs, Carrie turned, and took the seat across from me. I couldn't tell if she was angry, glad, or worried. She had a neutral look on her face.

"Interesting uniform, young man... are you some sort of a bounty hunter?" She asked me cautiously.

Bounty Hunter... what?

"No ma'am... I would never do anything of the sort. I believe that it's wrong to kill people for money." I answered honestly.

Carrie raised one eyebrow. "Then what do you do?"

I cleared my throat, then fished my wallet out of my back pocket. I searched through, and pulled my school ID out. I handed it to Carrie, who in turn, looked at it curiously.

"My name's Frank Maynard. I'm a high school student." I said quietly.

"Student?" Carrie said as she looked at my ID. "It say's here that you attend St... How do you say this?" Carrie asked.

"Hermelin. St. Hermelin High School in the city of Lunarvale. I'm an 18 year old Senior." I explained Carrie looked at me... well... I can't explain the look she gave me.

"Lunarvale? Where is that?" She asked me.

"Ms. Harlow..." I started to say. Honestly, I didn't want to explain. I didn't want to give her a heart attack.

"The truth is... I'm not from around here... I'm from another dimension." I said quietly. Carrie shot me a skeptical look.

"I guess I can believe you for now. Now tell me Frank. What exactly happened to you and Kate?"

Persona Chuan: Frank, be careful about what you say. I don't think she knows about Tellka.

Ok Katt. I'll be careful.

I took a deep breath before telling my story. I began at the begining, from when I first came to Windia, continuing on to where I found out about Nathaniel Redwing's plans for Kate, and finally, our little jaunt through the demon infested colliseum. Of course, I left out the parts about Tellka, since she didn't know anything about her.

Carrie looked at me with wide eyes. " How is it that a young man, still in school, was able to go through all of that, and manage to live?"

"Ms. Harlow..." I started.

"Just call me Carrie."

"Carrie... If you've seen what had happened to my city.... You'd understand..." I said quietly.

"Frank... What happened?"

"My hometown... Lunarvale... was overrun by demons... demons which had never existed until today. I was given power, along with some of my friends, to fight them... But I was seperated from them." I explained sadly. My friends... Alex, Nate, Mark, Mary, Ellen, Chris. Yuki, Brad, Alana, Tad, Tammy... Please still be ok...

"What sort of power?" Carrie asked curiously.

"Persona... The ability to call on others within ourselves... I'd show you... But I'm kinda low on energy at the moment." I said tiredly. I then rested my head in my hands.

Carrie began to look at me, then gasped. "How much sleep have you had????"

"In the colliseum... One and a half hours. In the past day... One and a half hours."

Carrie was about to say something else, when we saw Kate enter the kitchen, with her head low.

"Kate, sit down." Kate sat, in the chair to my right. "Frank was just telling me what happened." I noticed that Carrie looked from me, then to Kate. "Kate... Are you ok?"

Kate managed a slight nod.

No... You're not ok. Let me help you, Kate. You're in no conditon to move.

"Are you sure?" Kate nodded again, and I think I may have heard Carrie sigh.

"I'm going to make you all some food." Carrie said with a smile. She got up, and walked over to some cabinets.

Kate also got up. "I'll get the dishes..." She mumbled. Kate began to walk over to another cabinet, but was showing signs of pain with each step.

"Kate..." I said as I got up. "Let me help you." I began to walk, when all of the pain caught up with me. I guess being slammed into a wall does have it's disadvantages. I grabed my side, took a deep breath, and limped over to her.

Carrie turned to both of us. "Sit. Both of you are in no condition to do anything at the moment."

Kate managed a slight nod, as did I. We helped each other back to the table, and sat down.

Persona Winlan: Frank???

Yeah Nina.

Persona Winlan: I've checked... You have just enough power left to change to me, and heal up. But after that... You'll need to sleep.

Ok Nina. Thank you.

I felt a weight on my shoulder, and saw that Kate had nodded off. I smiled, and I think Carrie may have seen me.

"I see you two have grown close during that incident." Carrie told me quietly.

"Yeah... We have. First, I thought of her as a friend... Then I realized she was much more. I nearly died, trying to protect her." I said shyly.

Carrie stopped chopping a carrot and turned to me. "What? How..."

"When we were fighting that demon... I used my last shotgun shell to shoot it down so it wouldn't hurt her. It dove at me, and sent me flying into a wall. I got up in order to protect her."

"I see... You have a gun? Those are rare here..." She said as she turned back to her task at hand.

"Not back home... They're extremely common. I got mine from the Police Station, after the police were unable to stop the demons. Normally, I'd use my rapier, since I'm a member of the St. Hermelin Fencing club." I explained tiredly.

"You two must have been through alot." Carrie moved the pot over to the stove.

"Yes ma'am... But like I said. I made sure nothing happened to Kate. Although we're both hurt, It's nothing that won't heal."

I stayed quiet as Carrie began to cook. Alot of things crossed my mind. Mom? Dad? Are you both ok? Do I really want to return to Lunarvale? I'm not sure what's right anymore. Why exactly am I here? For what...

"Frank?"

I shook my head. "Yes ma'am?"

Carrie smiled again. She reminded me of my mom. "We're ready to eat. Would you wake Kate up?"

"Okay." I looked at Kate, who was still asleep on my shoulder.

"Kate... Kate. Wake up. Food's ready... Kate?" I said as I shook her gently. Kate's eyes slowly opened, and she looked at me.

She's so cute when she's asleep. Even cuter when she's awake...

"Frank?" Kate said quietly.

"Shh... We're ready to eat."

Kate nodded, then sat up straight in her chair. Carrie served us, and as we ate, we talked about what happened once again. To be honest with you, that was one of the best meals I had in a while.

"Kate... Frank...." Carrie said to us as she took our dishes.

Both of us looked up.

"Here... Let me help you. You look like you both need it."

Kate was about to say something, but I stopped her.

"Carrie... thanks. But I'll heal us." Carrie looked at me curiously, while Kate just looked at me.

"How?" Was all Carrie said.

I stood up painfully, and raised one hand.

"Persona Change... WINLAN!!!" I yelled, and I felt the energy split as I watched three images split from myself and circle around my body. One finally settled on me. The one with Nina's soul in it.

Carrie stood in shock. "Did... did you just say..." I nodded.

I raised my hand once again.

"PERSONA!" I yelled. Instantly, a blue circle appeared under me and I was enveloped in a column of soft blue light. I felt wind and magical energies blowing through out my pants and my shirt. I noticed that Kate clutche my jacket around her.

A beam of light shot out of me, an enveloped into Nina Winlan who was hovering above me.

"Heal All!" Nina yelled, and suddenly, I was bathed in a golden, healing light. After I was healed, Kate was enveloped as well. Nina, the column, and the circle faded, as soon as she healed us.

"What... what was..." Carrie stammered.

"His Persona..." Kate said quietly as she stretched her muscles.

Carrie said nothing, but stared at me in shock.