Chapter 12

Kitty

Kitty pulled her legs up close to her chest and buried her face in them. She held them tight with her arms, as if they were a childhood toy that would comfort her. The djinni's words rang in the back of her mind. You're never going to get over him if you keep it to yourself. And he was right. Is she continued to keep it to herself, it would soon overwelm her.

Kitty's eyes started to burn and blur with tears. Her back began to shudder with...sorrow and misery. For once since the incedent at the park, she was crying.

Bartimaeus' cool back was sort of comforting to her, in a sense. It felt like a dip in cold, refreshing water. Water that wasn't too cold, but just right.

Only when reality hit her did she let the tears flow.

"Kitty," The djinni began. "I'm sorry, but--"

"No. You're right. I need to stop dweling on the past."

"We all dwell on the past."

"I'm sure you don't."

"Actually...There was one. One person I was close to."

"Ptolemy?"

"Yes. The only person I've ever really cared for. The one person I was actually close to. But he was different, special."

Kitty saw her chance. Now that Bartimaeus was deep in the thoughts of his past, she could try to pry information out of him. The more she knew about his connection with Ptolemy, the better. "Why was that?"

"It never pays a djinni to get close to a human. I've learned the hard way."

"Why, what happened?"

Bartimaeus sighed. "It doesn't matter. Ptolemy died a long, long time ago." Kitty and Bartimaeus turned to face each other. Bartiameus continued on. "I suppose Ptolemy was the only human I've ever...loved. The only one I've ever cared for. But then everything just...spiraled. Ptolemy lost control."

Everything was begenning to sound familliar again. But, Kitty decided to re-gather the information. It had been five years since Bartimaeus had told her what happened with Ptolemy, back when she was in the Other Place with him. She was ignorant then, and she wasn't really listening. Just like Mr. Hopkins. She was listening to the words, not the speaker. Back then she didn't really pick up on what Bartimaeus was talking about. She was practically using his weaknesses so that he would agree to her plans. Now she could actually get the information. "He was a Pharaoh?"

"No. He was a cousin to the Pharaoh's son."

"How'd he loose control? What happened?"

"All he wanted was to be a scholar. Nothing famous. He wanted to write at least one book. One sucessful book that everyone knew about. One that everyone owned a copy of. One about the Other Place. That way people could follow in his footsteps and go to it. Then people and djinn would be united. Together. No more slavery. And I wanted him to suceed. But he never did. Most of his works were destroyed when he died. He never wanted to be king or be known all around the world. He just wanted djinn and people do be united. No differences. No slavery. No nothing. I really was hoping he'd suceed. But he failed.

"He was the first to come to the Other Place, and the last. Besides you. No other magician--or commoner for that matter--was brave enough to venture to the Other Place. Ptolemy usually summoned me to ask about the Other Place. Always asking questions. He asked so many questions in the Other Place, that when he returned, his body was practically useless. Far worse off then you were. He wasted his time asking questions. He didn't know it'd be the death of him. When he first summoned me, he asked about every aspect of the Other Place and such. I was a little surprised. You wouldn't normally expect a magician to ask about you or the place you came from. See, I was about two--maybe three-thousand years old. For us djinn, that;s not very old.

"I really wasn't ready for him.

"Naturally, I was taken off-guard when he asked me all these odd questions. At first all my answers were lies. But then the two of us grew on each other, and we struck a friendship. Ptolemy made the gate to the Other Place because of me. If we hadn't met, it wouldn't exist at all. You can see what an honor that was.

:"But then, one day, Ptolemy had me save a little girl from a rouge bull. Rumors started to spread.

"People started to say that Ptolemy was a magician that conversed with 'demons'. The rumors spread to the King's son, and things went downhill from there. There were attempted asasignatiations, and things started to get even worse.

"One day, when we were at the Spice Market--That was his favorite place--another assingation was attempted. I became a lion and stole up Ptolemy. We took to the sky, flew as fast as we could. But my mane was too fluffy. I didn't see the enemy djinni coming from the side. It hit me dead on. I was injured, couldn't fly.

"We landed in some temple. I barricated the doorways and set Ptolemy down. He was coughing up blood. I knew from there things weren't going to end well. I told him I could defeat the enemy djinn and we could escape to another place. Ptolemy rejected. And why? Because the fucking library was there! He refused to leave. All because of the fucking library."

Bsrtimaeus ended, sighed. "There's just as much bad talk is there is good." He stopped for the final time. His eyes filled with actual tears. Real tears. Tears of his essence, anyway. But close enough. Kitty knew better then to prompt him any further.

"Well," She said finally. "perhaps you'll see him again."

Bartimaeus was silent, lost in his memories and thoughts.

Kitty stood and sat down at the table. With Bartimaeus' words in mind, she reopened her food and began to eat.

Bartimaeus Ptolemy Kitty Nathaniel

Well, there it is. The miracle chapter that shows a little fluffier side of Bartimaeus. I hoped it's OK, at least. I know I spelled assaingation wrong, but no spell check. Sorry. There will be soon! Review and I'll give you all a BARTIMAEUS plushie! YAY BARTIMAEUS! Or maybe Ptolemy...Anyway, next chapter is Kitty, again...It's short...But it helps the story along.

And if any of you out there like Invader Zim OneShots and such, you should read Sanishal's three stories: Rain Storm, Obsessed, & Motherly Advice. She's done a really good job and she deserves praise. Check it out!