I'm BAAAAACK! Wow, I was thrilled with the reviews I got last time, I'm glad you guys liked the fluff. This is another shorter-ish chapter, nothing incredibly dramatic happens…

Our quartet reaches the field of flowers again and discovers something…a bit unfortunate. Then Kitty has another vision and there's an important change of plans…more fluff! I had to wait fifteen chapters for there to be fluff, so…well, you get the picture.

Disclaimer: Not. Mine. Okay. Let's go.

Empty

"Cause it's you and me and all of the people
With nothing to do
Nothing to lose
And it's you and me and all of the people
And I don't know why
I can't keep my eyes off of you…"

- You and Me (Lifehouse)

The four of us passed through the marsh without much incident, unless you count the time when the two teenagers in love kissed right in front of me. Honestly, I didn't need to see that! Humans and their rituals…so very odd and annoying.

In contrast, my wandering partner remained silent and aloof, odd for a girl of – what – five or six? Almost as if she'd seen it all before, spirits and ghosts and marshes and kissing couples…although that in itself would not be a good thing. Five years old, remember.

We found the field where I had scouted it out earlier, before the dragon incident and Nathaniel and Kitty's sudden decision to proclaim true love…goodness, I just can't stop going on about, can I? Bloody annoying, like I said. Anyways, there were still lots of flowers. White ones, in case you were wondering…

"We've made it," Kitty whispered. What is it with humans and stating the obvious?

"Yes," Nathaniel replied. He leaned down - I mean forward, since they were about the same height - and kissed her on the forehead.

"Quit it, lovebirds," I snapped. "I've got to show you…there! See it? In the centre, there?"

Nathaniel's eyes widened.

"The tower," he said. "But – how is that possible? It was destroyed by the mercenary and that marid…"

"Good, you remember," I replied. "As for that…I honestly have no idea. Could be some inner magic of the island, keeping everything perfectly in balance…it's there for us tourists, anyway."

"Tourists, Bartimaeus?" Kitty was suddenly serious again. "We're here to find a way to get Nathaniel back home, remember?"

"Oh, right."

"Shall we go, then?" Nathaniel extended his arm to Kitty, who looped her arm around his with a small smile. This was getting to be too much. I changed from Ptolemy's form to a winged horse (modelled after a children's book...don't ask, please) and beckoned to Kathleen beside me. With an expression of strange gravity, she mounted and we took off into the air to win the 'race.'

Nathaniel walked beside Kitty, feeling happier than he had in what seemed like ages despite their situation. Almost as if they were playing for time, he had picked some of the flowers and woven them into a wreath, which she placed upon her hair.

"Would you like on as well?" she asked him jokingly.

"No, thank you," he said, mockingly stern. Kitty kissed him on the cheek, and his feeling of elation increased. If only they could have had this when he was still alive…in a way. Nathaniel wasn't really dead, but he could not help but think of Nouda's words. It had been less than a day ago, and yet it seemed like he had born the terrible burden of the truth for longer than he knew. And yet he still spoke of it to no one.

"Are you all right?" Kitty was watching him. He smiled encouragingly.

"Yes, I'm fine."

"I remember the last time you said that…" She reached up to feel his forehead and he sighed.

"That was different. I'm just thinking about…things."

"Don't worry," Kitty said earnestly, "we'll soon get you out of this and back home. Then we can – have all the time we want, together…"

She left her sentence hanging. He wished it could be true, every bit of it, but knew somehow that with Nouda's actions their best-laid hopes would crumble into the dust of the stone tower…

After some time, they arrived at the tower, looking for all the world as though an immense magical explosion hadn't ripped every stone from its foundations, barely a year ago. Nathaniel was moved, once again, by the awesome yet completely natural power on Phasma Mortuus. Would this, perhaps, be the only way he could get out of his fate?

"Bartimaeus?" Kitty called. And, after a moment, "Kathleen?"

"We're…erm…inside…" The djinni's voice sounded as though he was reluctant to tell them something. "You've been ages…"

"Sorry," Nathaniel answered. He placed a hand on the giant bronze door, so like what he remembered, and entered the tower of Phasma Mortuus for the second time in his life.

It was all there, again: the dust laid thickly upon the floor stones, the strange depictions on the walls, and the altar with its velvet covering…all that would be missing, really, would be the amulet, as it had been destroyed in some way.

Thinking of this, he stepped forward to where Bartimaeus and his small companion stood by the altar, his gaze questioning.

"It's not there, Nat," Bartimaeus said apologetically. "Nothing's here. I looked everywhere…there aren't any other artefacts, nothing to help us."

"What?" Kitty said, looking devastated. "The whole place is – empty?"

"It's all right, Kitty," Nathaniel said, although his heart had plummeted downward at the djinni's words. "I – hadn't expected much."

"But there's got to be a way!" she cried out, looking close to tears, although Nathaniel knew she wouldn't cry. "I've come all this way…what about my -"

"Kitty?" he said uncertainly, as her face went white. "Kitty!"

Her body went rigid and she started to shake, then Kitty collapsed against the altar, succumbing to another vision.

The strange voice again…

Do not struggle.

Against what? She demanded angrily. My impending fate? Nathaniel's doom? Why did you bring me here if there was no way to bring him back?

There was no reply, but an image formed in her mind…a mountain, tall and majestic, rising into the clouds of Phasma Mortuus…the same one she had seen in a previous dream…

Is this the answer? She asked. Why are you showing me this?

Nothing. She was alone, and feeling herself wake up again…

Do not struggle Do not struggle Do not struggle Donotstruggledonotstruggledonotstruggle…

"Kitty!" She opened her eyes to blackness. "Kitty, wake up! Please…"

She blinked and her vision cleared. Nathaniel was standing over her, stroking her cheek with his finger.

"Thank God…"

Kitty sat up quickly, remembering what she had seen.

"It's not here, Nathaniel," she said, "The answer…we have to find the mountain…"

"Mountain? There's no mountain on the island." Bartimaeus looked incredulous.

Kitty felt a small hand grasp hers and looked into Kathleen's penetrating gaze.

Donotstruggledonotstruggledonotstruggle…

The feeling was gone, but the girl remained. Something in her eyes reassured Kitty, and she got to her feet gingerly. Nathaniel hugged her close, kissing her forehead.

"Please stop doing that to me," he whispered. Kitty could see the anxiety in his prematurely lined forehead.

"I can't stop the visions, Nathaniel…not when they might help me to save you…"

"Kitty…what if this is all really pointless?" he asked, his mouth a grim line. "What if…there really isn't a way to bring me back? What if Nouda and I really defeated each other for good?"

"Is there something you're not telling me?" she asked, the same question as before. Then, again, the shifted gaze. He would not meet her eyes.

"Come," he said, leading her back to the door. The pressure within her heart increased as he led the four of them back out to the field. They shut the bronze door behind them, closing off with it their hopes. But then…

"What the hell?" said Bartimaeus, blinking. "I swear that wasn't there before…"

A mountain, rising tall and powerful before them. As one, the three other members of the group turned to look at Kitty. Bartimaeus and Nathaniel's expressions were shocked, but Kathleen's looked strangely…triumphant. Had she known, then, that it was here? According to Nathaniel, she had never been here before…but did he really know? Her uneasiness about her namesake increased.

"I'd say 'I told you so,'" Kitty told them carefully, "if I understood why a huge mound of earth and rock just popped out of nowhere…"

Ah…how was that? Kind of a predictable chapter, and unfortunately a bit short. Hope there was enough NatKitty fluff…unfortunately, I miscalculated and there's now only four chapters left after this one. Review please, remember that I love you all!