Guess who's back back back...Back again ain ain...Chaos is back back back...Tell a friend friend friend...

Yay! I'm back!!!!!! Sorry I've been gone so long. FanFiction was blocked. And now I don't have my laptop so I'm doing everything on the home computer. Well, at least I've finally updated. Read!!

Chapter 49

I had no idea where I was headed. The only thing I had settled for sure was that I needed to leave Ptolemy's presence. I wasn't sure of anything, really. The anger and depression Ptolemy had released when he spoke about the day he died was unbearable. I couldn't help but react the way I did. I wasn't expecting it and I didn't want to break my usual ool like that, but I just couldn't help it. Everything that I had held close to me - everything that I had bottled up - just burst. It was then that I realized it was slowly escaping since the first day I saw Ptolemy again.

I'm not used to seeing something I once held dear come back. That's how I learned that getting attached to humans isn't a good thing. It was through Ptolemy's hard example that I learned that. I've been so accustomed to being by myself that I had no other real way to react. Kitty's bringing him here seemed it was hurting me more then helping me.

As the sparrow flew in and out of the clouds, trying to find something to entertain it, it decided where it would go. I'd decided I'd go back to Mr. Button's library to try to find out why Ptolemy wasn't anywhere among the other books. I know thats initally a stupid - and ironic - thing to pass the time by, but the question had been eating at me since I had first been faced with it, and now was the best time to answer the question.

Well, it was a good way to kill time abd a good way to get my mind off things, so why not? I mean, it's not like I'll have anything else to do for a while. Since Kitty was now 'close' to Ptolemy, she'd allow him to think my reaction over and not bother to bring me back. Besides she's a smart girl and she'll know we need space.

My mind made up, I turned around and flew in the direction of Mr. Button's estate.

XxxXxxXxxX

Kitty watched as Ptolemy stared at the spot Bartimaeus was last seen. He only stared there for a moment, thinking things over, and then began to trudge upstairs to the observatory. Kitty quickly followed after him, calling his name. "Ptolemy! Ptolemy! Wait up!" But her calls were in vain. Ptolemy's wouldn't listen. Kitty could understand why, but she didn't want to be totally useless in the situation. She wanted to help him. It was the best thing she could do at the moment.

Still calling, Kitty ran after Ptolemy until she caught up to him when he stopped. He looked out the observatory's big, round window and up to the stars, as though he was hoping they'd answer all his questions. Kitty stepped to his side and looked up o the stars as well.

She grew bored of the stars and looked to Ptolemy, who was still eying them. She saw the stars glitter in his eyes and know he was thinking hard about what Bartimaeus had said.

Kitty was now desperate to say something, so she found an excuse to. "You see where he's soming from, right? I mean - "

For the first time since she'd heard of him and all his politeness, Ptolemy interrupted her. "Save it." And that was all he said. He continued to look up at the stars, without even acknoweldeging her.

Kitty was stunned. She knew that wasn;t Ptolemy's way. Either what Bartimaeus had said really stirred him, or he was thinking so hard he was forgetting who he was. Kitty decided she had to continue. "You don't hate him, do you?"

"Of course not." Ptolemy continued to stare up at the stars. "I could never hate him. But what he said...it really got me thinking. He's right."

"It's hard loosing someone you loved." Kitty answered softly, speaking through her expreiance with Nathaniel.

Ptolemy looked away from the stars and to her. "You loved Nathaniel, didn't you?" He was more stating then asking. Kitty just nodded.

"Half of him. I didn't love - or like at all, frankly - the magician he'd grown to become. Same as all the others, execpt you."

Ptolemy was silent for a moment, then looked back up to the stars. He sighed and said, "That's the course of humanity. The growth of power overwhelms us and then we spiral."

"Spiral?" Kitty repeated, slightly confused.

Ptolemy nodded. "Things spiral out of control. Our djinn rebel against us, finding more and more weaknesses, enemy magicians find our birth name, your own people cast you out and kill you..." Kitty realized he was talking about himself, she knew. Ptolemy noticed this as well and stopped talking. He simple looked back to the stars again.

"You and Bartimaeus seriously need to talk." Kitty told him in her old Ressistance-leader tone.

Ptolemy looked back to her for a moment, then said, "Obviously he's not ready for that."

"Ptolemy, he's tried. I can tell. He's really trying."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Woman intuition." Kitty answered with a smile. Ptolemy gave her a small smile in response. "But seriously," Kitty began again when she felt the air between them lighten, "you guys need to settle everything once and for all. So both of your spirits can be at peace." Ptolemy nodded, took the thought into consideration, turned away from Kitty, and stared back up at the stars. Kitty left him at that - he'd gotten the message.

XxxXxxXxxX

Ptolemy thought about Kitty's words. She was right. He needed to talk to Bartimaeus about his death to put them both at peace. Their friendship would never be the way it used to be unless he confronted Bartimaeus. He desperately wanted to, but he didn't know how to approach the matter. He'd never spoken about death before, and speaking of his own was even worse. How could he talk freely about the day he died? It seemed impossible to him. It was such a tender subject with Bartimaeus...He didn't want to hurt his only friend.

The more Ptolemy thought about it, the more he realized how faithful Bartimaeus had been to him. From the day they met to today, Bartimaeus had never let go of his faith and moved on. No. Instead, Bartimaeus held him close to hist heart for over three thousand years. That was the biggest sign of love Ptolemy ever heard of. And all of that was coming from a djinni that hated humans. Bartimaeus was indeed a confusing being.

Kitty broke his thoughts. "Do you want me to bring him back?" Ptolemy numbly shook his head, still looking up to the stars. Three thousand years and they hadn't changed one bit. They looked exactly as they had three thousand years ago, in Egypt. They still twinkled and shined with their mystifying beauty.

Ptolemy was at a loss for words. He couldn't describe what was going through his mind. All he knew was that Kitty was right and thet Bartimaeus was the only reason he was here again.

A/n

So there's my little AgiVega style of writing for the day. Thought I'd write a small side-chapter describing what each character was thinking after Bartimaeus' little breakdown. Still sketchy on what's going to happen next, so suggestions are very welcome!