"Kate... let me help you." I turned to see Frank get up and start towards me. He stopped almost instantly and grabbed a hold of his side, his fast showing pain. I sighed lightly and my ears dropped.

Why won't he just sit down? I felt bad for him wanting to help me. He looked like he was in so much pain, I just wanted him to rest.

"Sit. Both of you are in no condition to do anything at the moment." I turned and looked at Carrie. I nodded lightly and Frank and I helped eachother back to the table were we retook our seats.

I blinked my eyes, they felt heavy.

"You need some sleep."

I suppose.. I blocked a yawn and blinked again. Sleep sounded like a good idea. I leaned my head over and rested it on Frank's shouler. I felt my concious slip away into darkness as I began to drift into sleep.

*****************************************************************

I felt darkness all around me. I couldn't see it but I felt it. I wasn't sure how that worked, it just seemed right at the time. I blinked and looked about me. Everything was blurry and out of focus. What was happening? I saw someone, she was a woren, she looked about Tellka's age. Then she was gone and there was a man with blue hair, I think he was my age. I blinked as images of people flashed infront of me. A small girl, two men wearing masks, the images went by quickly and I could only see a few of the features. Some of them I couldn't even tell what clan they were.

Then my eyes shut and I couldn't see anymore.

Now I could only feel and hear.

I heard a loud bang, a snap, then something warm around me. It wasn't comforting warm, it was a frightening warm, and it turned cold soon after it touched the air. Then I felt something hit me, go through me, past me. I felt myself falling.

I opened my eyes and I was caught. I looked around but I still couldn't see, I just knew that somehow my eyes were open.

Then I saw a man. Two men. Wearing masks, they carried a bag, something, and I felt scared but I didn't know why. Then I felt it again, something running through me, then it was gone, and I felt afraid.

I opened my eyes again, then again, and another time. Everytime I was looking through something else. I saw a forest, I saw a school room, I saw my house, but it didn't look like my house. I saw me and then Tellka. I saw Carrie but she didn't look right either. I felt confused.

What is going on? I think I'm dreaming...

More images, more feelings. I heard a voice...

*****************************************************************

"-ready... Kate?" I felt myself being shook and opened a sleepy eye. My dream was already fadeing away in my mind. I looked up at Frank.

"Frank?" I asked quietly.

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

I nodded, then slowly sat upright in my chair. I still felt tired and I ached all over. Carrie brought us our food and I looked down at my plate. I didn't feel like eating, but at the same time I was hungry. It was one of those feeling where you feel so hungry that you'll throw up if you eat something. I nibbled on a few peices and ate very slowly.

"You okay?"

Just tired.

"I see."

That was it really. I was just tired. I could get a good night of sleep tonight, and tomorrow I would feel so much better. I listened quietly as a conversation started at the table. Frank and Carrie were talking about what happened at the Colluseum. Every so often I put in a comment, answered a question, and mentioned something Frank didn't. But mostly, I just listened. When we finished supper, Carrie took our plates.

"Kate... Frank..." I glanced up at her, as did Frank. "Here..." She continued. "Let me help you. You look like you both need it." She began taking our dishes. I opened my mouth to say something but Frank stopped me.

Frank looked over at Carrie. "Carrie... thanks. But I'll heal us." Carrie gave him a curious look. I looked at Frank and waited. I knew what was going to happen.

"How do you think Carrie will react?"

Before I could answer, Frank stood up. "Persona Change... WINLAN!!!" I watched as Frank's image split into three others. The images circled him and one landed on him, the two others in tow. I blinked a bit in sleepy surprise.

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

Frank nodded and then raised his hand once more. "PERSONA!!"

Instantly, a blue circle appeared under Frank and he was surrounded by a column of soft blue light. I squeezed my eyes shut and grabbed a hold of Frank's coat. I was wide awake now. Magical energy swirled up and around Frank like a great wind. A beam of light shot from him and morphed into the form of Nina Winlan as she hovered above Frank.

"Heal all" I heard Nina's voice echo through the air. I liked that voice. A golden light encompassed Frank and then was gone. Then it surrounded me and I felt a warm feeling flow through me. Soon after it all faded away.

Carrie had a shocked look on her face. "What.. what was..."

"His Persona.." I said quietly as I stretched. I felt better. Tired, but less sore. Carrie didn't answer, she was still staring at Frank in surprise.

"Any way.." I tried to break the silence that had suddenly filled the room. "Carrie.." I scratched my head. "Frank.. kinda needs a place to stay. And.. seeing how he's here and all.. do you think he could stay the night here?" I gave her a hopefull look.

Carrie shook her head, as if to relieve her of the daze of Frank's Persona change. "Huh?" She blinked and then nodded, with a thoughtfull sigh. "He can stay on the couch. Kate, run up and get some extra blankets." She waved me off and I scrambled upstairs.

I headed to the hall closet and, opening it, I began scanning the shelves. "Blankets.. blankets.." I pulled out two blankets, one dark green, and on that was an off-white, cream color. The green one was thicker then the other. I wasn't really sure how cold it would be that night. I stacked them in my arms, kicked the closet shut, and headed back downstairs.

Frank and Carrie were in the front room. Carrie had been fixing the bed up for Frank, fluffing the cushions and moving them around. She was using the smaller ones as pillows so Frank wouldn't hurt his head on the hard armrest of the couch.

"Blankets!" I said cheerfully as I handed them to Carrie. Carrie nodded as she took them from me and plopped them down on the couch.

"Here you go." She smiled at Frank. "Now you just make yourself at home here and we'll leave you in peace. Kate," She turned to me. "Let's go up and get ready for bed."

Carrie and I turned and went upstairs. I started towards my room when I heard Carrie's voice behind me. "Kate..."

Oops.. here it comes... I knew Carrie wouldn't get mad infront of Frank, he was company. But, now Frank wasn't here, and Carrie had a few things to say. I followed Carrie into her room and sat down slowly on her bed as she closed the door behind her. She was still facing the door when I heard her sigh.

"So that's where you have been going off to.."

"Carrie.." I started to stutter out an explaination but she turned around and shut me up with the look on her face. She looked angry, said, worried, and confused all at once. My ears dropped and I lowered my head.

"Kate.. the colluseum! You're sixteen years old! Kate, you could have been killed tonight! It's a dangerous thing, why would you want to get into that? It's dangerous, it's wrong, people get hurt.."

"Carrie.."

"And sometimes they die, Kate!" Carrie gave me a convicting look. "You yourself could cause the death of someone else. Kate, why would you want to do that? Who gave this idea anyway?"

"I did." I glanced up to see Tellka suddenly standing beside Carrie. Carrie looked at her in shock.

"Who... where..." A flash of annoyance crossed Carrie's face. "Just who are you? And why have you been getting Kate into this?!"

Tellka raised her right hand, her staff held vertically in her left as the tip of it rested on the floor. Personally, I think it looked a bit odd to see her with the Meow staff.

"One at a time." Tellka sayed calmly to Carrie. She then stepped back and gave a profesional bow. I had seen her do this once before, but it was a long time ago. "I am Tellka Chaan, appointed Guardian to Kate by her mother, the late Janis Chan." Tellka raised herself up again.

"Appointed Guardian? What type of Guardian are you to get her into the Colluseum? That's a dangerous place!"

"And who are you," Tellka crossed her arms in defence, "to question my motives. Do you know Kate's history? Do you know Kate's family? Do you know Janis's requests of me? Do you know my motives."

Carrie's voice began to raise. "She is under my roof, in my house, and eating my food. As long as she lives with me, I'm taking care of her. Not you or anyone else! I demand you get her out of that Colluseum now!"

"Alright." Tellka's voice remanded calm and steady. "If you don't want her in the Colluseum while she lives with you," Tellka shrugged, "then she won't have to live with you anymore." Tellka motioned for me to get up. "Come on Kate, get you're stuff, we're out of here."

"What?" Carrie blinked in surprise. "You can't take her, I won't let you! Where would you go? What would you eat? What would-"

"Ms. Harlow.. Kate's in Windia because I brought her here. You found her because I left her for you to find. You wouldn't have even known about her if I had taken her elsewhere. I have kept her safe thus far, and I could continue to for as long as need be."

Carrie blinked again. "You wouldn't!"

Tellka gave her a skeptical look. "Kate, your things.."

"No." Carrie shook her head. "Keep her here!" She turned to Tellka. "I don't want her out there alone..."

"Ms. Harlow, I simply can't keep her here if you will not allow me to do my job..."

Carrie opened her mouth to say something, but in her eyes I could see she had already given up. She surrendured to Tellka a few moments later. "Alright..." Carrie shook her head. "Alright.." She sighed. "As long as Kate stays here... but.. promise me nothing will happen to her." She looked back up at Tellka with a stern look. "Nothing, no scratch, no bruse, no broken bone..."

"Then.." Tellka started. "You might as well keep her tucked away in a box of styrofoam peanuts. She will get scratched, brushed, and perhaps even a broken bone or two, but she will not die. That is what I promise."

Carrie opened her mouth to say something but Tellka shook her head. "That is all we have to say to eachother for now Ms. Harlow. Kate," I glanced up, "bed." I nodded and headed out the door into my room. Tellka gave one last nod to Carrie. "We can talk again later." And then she was gone.

* * *

I layed in my bed staring up at the ceiling. Tellka... Did you have to talk to Carrie like that?

"What's wrong with the way I talked to her? It was the truth, that's all she needed to know."

I sighed. Carrie was a sweet woman. I felt bad that Tellka had to do that to her, but it was true. Tellka was the one who was really watching over me, not Carrie. And it was Tellka's choices that I was to listen to. She knew what she was doing. I suppose it was for the best. I rolled over in my bed but I felt wide away. I couldn't get to sleep. After a moment I slipped out of bed and headed out of my room.

The house was dark and I could hear Carrie sleeping in the other room. I moved quietly to keep from waking her. It took me a moment for my eyes to adjust to the dim light. I slipped downstairs.

Moonlight flooding in throught a skylight above the kitchen table almost blinded my night-vision as my eyes had to adjust once more to the amount of light in the room. I blinked a few times and made my way quietly through the kitchen to the front room and peeked in.

The kitchen was the brightest room in the house at night. The only light in the front room came from moonlight and street lamps shining in through the small window on the door, and that didn't offer much light. The bedrooms upstairs also had large windows, but there curtains were usually shut and not much light came in through them.

As my eyes adjusted once more I could make out the form of Frank asleep on the couch. Atleast, I think he was asleep, I wasn't to sure. If he was awake he wasn't moving much. I chewed my bottom lip. I wanted to say something, anything. Ask him about what he plans to do, what he wants to do, how he was, if he was worried or afraid, or curious. I wanted to be able to sit down and talk to him, but I didn't know if he was awake, and if we was sleeping, I didn't want to wake him. He needed his sleep.

"So do you Kate, back to bed!"

Right.. I took one last look at Frank's form where he lay and turned and made my way back upstairs into my room.

I slipped back into bed and looked up at the ceiling a bit longer.

Something feels odd... I can't sleep..

"Why not?"

It's too quiet... I sighed and closed my eyes for a few minutes. My fingers reached down to the ring on my hand. Mom.. remember that song you used to sing to me?

There was a pause. *yes* I couldn't hear her that well. It seemed like my link to her was weaker then the one I had with Tellka.

Could you.. sing it for me? I think it would help me sleep...

*Alright*

I closed my eyes and drifted into sleep as my mother's voice weaved music through my mind. Soon I fell into a deep and dreamless sleep.

e-mail author, talonr@hotmail.com