NATHANIEL:
The humanoid blob floated around, feeling quite lonely. It was kind of a lot for one person to take in, in what? 2 days? A week? 1 hour? It was impossible to keep track of any time in this place. It was strange, unfamiliar, and frightening, but he felt so at home here.
But without Bartimaeus, it was a bit dull. He wished he knew more about himself, his power, what exactly was going on. Honestly, it seemed a bit lose/lose: stay in the Other Place forever, or be summoned to the Earth as a servant.
Certainly was sobering, to see from a different point of view. Servants, slaves, and now he was one. Sobering indeed. Maybe now he could begin to understand some of their anger. How selfish it seemed now, to enslave a spirit to do whatever trivial task. All his efforts, all his goals, they seemed so meaningless, so silly now.
Then again, it had always been silly. Power? Positions? What had it done for him? He had been miserable, alone, unloved. He could trust no one, and no one cared about him. And who would? He had been blinded by ambition and greed. How much clearer, and embarrassing it all was now.
But the girl. She had seen through it. Kitty Jones, she had brought him back. Reminded him of what he always wanted to do, protect people, protect her. And he missed her. More than he would ever admit.
Suddenly he began to feel a tug. It was acute, from the very depth of his essence. At first, fright came to mind, and he fought it. But then, he just let go, as he knew how to do, and slowly, he could see the Other Place drifting away, like an island in the ocean. And then nothing.
-*-
BARTIMAEUS:
The pentacle was beyond complex. And this girl was beyond insane. If my judgements of power and size were correct, this summoning should take minimum 4 experienced magicians covered in enough charms and the like to ward off any spirit in a 10 mile radius.
"You're sure you want to do this?" I asked for the umpteenth time.
"Yes Bartimaeus." She said, lighting off the last couple candles. I sighed, this would only end in disaster.
"This is a bad idea." Ptolmey moaned, shifting into a sleek black cat, laying on her bedspread. I should of never agreed to this, but who could say no to those big, round, needy eyes. (Also the wholescream-y/cry-y thing might of influenced the idea)
"Its Nathaniel," She said, as if that made everything alright.
"Its a demon." I said, hating my use of the word. "A powerful one too, there are no guarantees his mind isn't warped, or his powers uncontrollable! Don't do it kid, go get one of those good honest types, buy a suburban house, spawn a few kiddies..."
"It will be okay, Bartimaeus, believe it. Okay?" She said, seemingly to convince herself more than anyone else. I growled in frustration. This was dangerous, too dangerous. "It will be okay." She repeated as she slung a silver pendant around her thin neck.
"I will try my best with some shields for you but..." I trailed off, in truth there wasn't much I could do against a full blown...whatever level of spirit he was. "You ready girl?" She nodded slightly as she stepped into the pentacle.
"Here goes." She said, beginning the chant. She called out his name in the middle of the incantation, I held my breath.
The pentacle slowly began to fill with a swirling black tendrils. Smoke poured out from the edges, filling the room with a misty haze. Kitty was shaking, the cat wrapped its tail around its paws. From the center of the pentacle a black hole opened and the haze became so thick nothing could be seen, save for a fading black hole in the center of the pentacle.
Slowly, the smoke began to clear. I held my breath. "Carefully Kitty!" I said. "Don't step outside the pentacle unless you have a serious boredom with living. Chances are his spirit will be incredibly-Oh lord, are you serious?"
With a pathetic "thhhppppp" noise, in the center of the pentacle lay a complete pile of goopy liquid essence, silver and limp, like a pool of slime. He had no form, he was just...there in all his liquidy essence majesty.
"Is it...Nathaniel?"
"In a matter of speaking." I rolled my eyes and jumped down from my post on her bed. "He's taken no form! I can't believe this!" How lame. How completely lame. "Oi! Natty boy!"
The slime puddle lurched, but made no effort to do anything productive. "Come on!" I yelled at it. "Take a form!" I check him on all seven planes. Slime, slime, slime...but oddly enough on the seventh plane, his true from; was exactly him as he had been alive.
The puddle lurched and became a dull grey cat, oddly identical (but in no ways as sleek) as my own chosen form. I snorted. How original.
"Bartimaeus?" The cat meowed, twitching its short tail. Yep, it was him. How pitiful. Aura all but pulsed off of him and I could feel my fur start to singe just by getting close to him, yet all he could muster was a feeble tabby? (I hated this guy.)
"Kitty!" The cat cried happily, joy overtaking his little cat face. (Cuuuuute. Now excuse me while I barf a bit). With a leap he bounded towards the edge of the pentacle, now it came my turn to laugh. There was no way someone like him could get through those protective barriers. Preparing for epic magic face smash in 3...2...my jaw hit the floor. In a spectacular leap, the cat had jumped through the pentacle (all four rings and the runes, which I had drawn, thank you very much), and stopped just short of Kittys ring, in an awkward, embarrassed, and respectful manner.
Now, had this been any respectful demon (AKA not showing up in a pile of slime), Kitty would be dead and he would be gone. Instead, she seemed a bit stunned and he seemed as dumb as ever. How touching.
-*-
NATHANIEL:
And there she was, just as he thought she would always be. Her stripe-y black and white hair was pulled back in a tight ponytail, stray wisps framing her smooth face. Her dark eyes were seemingly carved open in an expression of shock or maybe fear. The ugly cat adoringly up at the girl, who remained standing stiff in her pentacle, though it harbored no physical protection now.
"Hi." He said. Wow. 'Hi?' How original. Uhm...how have you been? Erm...Luckily, his thoughts were cut off by a swift, booted foot coming down to sweep the bewildered cat off its mangy legs. Promptly, the cat went flying onto Kitty's bed, landing heavily against a pile of pillows (A/N: PILLOWS. OKAY? NICE SOFT PILLOWS. I AM NOT A BAD PERSON!!!) "Uwah! Kitty?!" He cried.
"That's for breaking your promise, jerk!" She said, stomping the floor angrily.
"Ouch. Harsh." Quipped the djinni, making a artful slink out the window. "Well you guys have a lot to catch up on I suppose then hm? Well, best be off..." He said, turning into a sparrow and promptly hopping out the window without either of them noticing.
"Kitty, I didn't mean-" The cat started.
"You lied to me!" She said, stamping the ground again.
"You wouldn't of listened to me any other way!"
"And that meant it would be okay!?"
"It meant you'd be okay!" The cat yelled finally, before dropping to sit on the bed. "I'm sorry." He said finally. Kitty then stepped out of the pentacle and came to sit with the cat on her bed. "I'm...happy to see you." The cat mumbled out of one side of its mouth.
Calmly and without a word, Kitty reached over and scooped up the cat into a gentle hug against her chest. Of course the first emotion to come to mind would be embarrassment, for when all was said and down he was still a 18 year old boy. But soon the initial shock was replaced with something he could remember...vaguely, as if from a dream, long ago. A warm feeling, bubbling up from his very core. A feeling of safety, security. Peace.
"I love you too."
WOW. WOW. WOOOOW. What an incredible outpour with the first chapter o.o thank you so much for all the reviews and the like! Your opinion is what drives me! Honestly, this chapter was really hard to write, but I got through it! I could do better though....I really could....and I use the '...' thing too much...and italics...........I WILL DO BETTER!!!
