Tellka was pacing the dark room. "Kate?!? KATE!!!" Kate and Frank had just vanished a while ago and Tellka was begining to worry. "Where is she? Kate..." She began pacing frantically back in forth infront of the cot she had last seen Kate on. She began to wonder. "Frank must have done something, he looked like he knew what was happening.. grr... I thought we could trust him.. if he's done anything to Kate.. I'll.. I'll..." She growled loudly to herself. What worried her the most was the fact that right after Kate and Frank left, she lost her contact with Kate. It was odd not feeling her there, quiet and hollow. "Kate.. please be okay.."

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"You ready to go back, Kate?" Frank asked quietly as I approached him. I looked back at my mother. I didn't want to leave, I hadn't seen her for such a long time, but, I had to get back, Tellka was probably worring about me. I turned back to Frank and nodded slowly.

"We're ready. Anytime." Frank told Philemon.

"Ok. Best of luck to both of you." I heard him reply, and suddenly there was a flash of light.

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"WHERE IN LADON'S NAME DID YOU BOTH GO?!" I heard Tellka's voice echo through the little room. Yup, she was worried. I was watching them.

Tellka.. please.. I'm alright..

"Alright, ALRIGHT?!?! I was worried SICK about you..." I could sense it in my mind of how she must of felt. I had to admit, it felt better knowing that Tellka was there again. I didn't feel so alone, so hollow. Frank was trying to quiet down Tellka.

"It's hard to explain..." Frank said quietly. He folded his arms and continued. "We were in the place between consciousness, and unconsciousness."

"I'LL put him in a place between consciousness and unconsciousness if he-"

Tellka, PLEASE...

She glared at Frank. "If you did anything to Kate..."

"He didn't, Tellka. I'm fine. In fact.. " I sighed. In fact he took me to my mother.... I saw Tellka's mouth drop.

"Her mom?! She talked to her mom?! I don't believe it." She was looking back at Frank.

"She did... and how did you know???" Frank gave her a curious look.

Tellka grumbled. "Kate and I sometimes talk to each other through our thoughts." She explained lightly.

"Okay... I think... Well, Kate met the man who gave me my Persona, I got the power to access my 'Ultimate Persona,' if you will I also got.."

"That pendant!!!" Tellka started, cutting off Frank. "Where did..."

"Philemon gave it ot him, along with an item to unlock his 'Ultimate Persona." I explained quietly. I tried to stiffle a yawn, I was feeling so tired. It was becoming harder to just pay attention to those two.

"Frank, do you know..." Tellka began slowly.

"I know. Philemon told me that it belonged to someone named Katt Chuan. It's endowed with power that will make me a bit faster stronger in battle." He told Tellka. She watched him for a moment, thinking about all of this. Frank walked over to me.

"Kate..." He said softly.

I glanced up at him.

"Kate... I know... How hard it is... I know you want to see your mom again..." He said gently. I glanced down and thought about how I almost didn't want to leave when we had to go. I suddenly felt very sad again.. there was so much I wish I could have told her, but... I looked back up at him. He knelt down beside my cot and looked me in the eyes.

"Here... It's not much. But..." Frank pulled a little ring from his pocket. "I had Philemon cast a spell on this ring..."

I glanced down at the ring and looked back up at him curiously.

"With this..." He continued. "You can talk to your mother anytime you want." He slipped the ring on my finger. I was surprised that it fit so well... it even matched my eyes. I started at it for a moment. Mom? I can talk to her now? I didn't know what to think. I looked slowly back up at Frank.

"Frank... why? Why did you do this for me?" My voice was becoming shaky, and I was almost sure I might cry.

"Because I care about you, Kate. I saw how much it hurt.. To be seperated from your mom. It hurts me too. I don't even nkow if my mom is ok. Kate..."

"Frank???" I asked.

"I don't know how to say this... but I think I love you."

I looked up at him, trying to say something, but no words would come out. I wasn't even sure what to say. I didn't know how to react, what to say, what to think.. I just wasn't sure.. I didn't even know what to do, there were so many things on my mind but at the same time I couldn't seem to think of anything. I looked back up at him. "Frank... I don't know what to say..." I had to force the words out of my mouth. he didn't say anything, but reached out and hug me. I put my head lightly on his shoulder and started crying. There were so many things going in my mind. My mother, Frank, Redwing.. just wasn't sure of anything right now.. So this was why he kept helping us, Tellka... I didn't know...

"It's ok... Kate..." He said softly to me.

"It's... it's not that... It's just that.. you care about me.. You've really shown that you truly care about me... and... my feelings... up the the point where..." I tried holding back my tears for a moment, just long enought to speak, but I couldn't manage to get it all out together. "This ring... to talk to my mom... " I could feel Tellka's eyes on me. I didn't know how long she had been watching us but she never said anything.

"It's ok. Kate..." He patted my back softly.

Suddenly, I felt something odd, like a warmth going through me, and I looked up to see the butterfly back.

"Kate.. you've got to rest. You need some sleep."

I was feeling very tired. Suddenly I noticed something. "My ankle... It's healed... Philemon???"

Frank nodded. "Rest Kate... We're gonna have a lot to do before we can get out of this colliseum." He said quietly.

I nodded and something caught my eye. I looked over to see a blue door that I hadn't noticed before.

"What the..." "Where did that come from?" I heard Tellka ask.

"The Velvet Room.. Can you watch her, Tellka? I've got to go there and get my new Persona." Frank explained. Frank pulled out the minature Meow Staff from his pocket. Tellka gasped. "That..."

"I mix this with a Justice Class Persona. I'll be back soon." Frank stood up and walked to the door. I nodded at him and he turned and opened the door. Tellka and I waited untill it closed behind him.

e-mail author, talonr@hotmail.com