Notes:
This mini-story takes place during S'Eleene Paris's "Artemis Fowl and the Ardagh Chalice" story. Her story is rated T, and as such, the specifics of the Metamorphosis Ritual can't really be explored; she has to "close the door", so to speak, on the details of what happened between the two characters.
She has graciously given me license to flesh the details out (if you'll pardon the pun). I cannot stress enough that this story is absolutely, positively, only for adults. It includes graphical description of sex, and with a character who is not of legal age in the United States (in the United Kingdom, where Artemis is a subject, 16 is the age of consent, so the act would technically be legal). If you are not comfortable with this, please stop reading. Otherwise, enjoy the exploration...
Background:
The main point of consideration here is that fairies cannot just reproduce every twenty years, but that they must reproduce every twenty years... or die. I have received some comments on this myself, and I will be getting into the math behind it as I post Chapter 3 of my own story, "Artemis Fowl: The Kurokaze Conspiracy". Regardless, at this point, Holly is in a situation where she must reproduce or die, and Artemis is aware of this. At the point in the story where this takes place, the two of them have been trapped in Tir Na Nog, the ancient fairy city, and are isolated and alone. Holly has explained the legal details (a written proposal) to Artemis, who has completed that contractual obligation...
Metamorphosis
Preparations
"So," Artemis said, "now what happens?"
"Well," Holly responded, "you read our Book, right?"
"Yes, but it was a little short on specifics."
Holly nodded. "Yeah, I know. But there is a generally-accepted format for this. I'll guide you through it. First, we'll need something comfortable to lay down on."
Artemis looked around the city ruins. "A mattress, perhaps, or blankets?"
"Yes, that'll do just fine."
After a quick exploration, they scrounged up a mattress that had clearly seen better days, but was still contained enough spongy foam to make it pleasant to lay on.
"We need a clearing, six or seven meters in diameter," Holly explained, and the pair began to brush away some of the debris and detritus. When that was finished, Holly and Artemis dragged the mattress into the center.
"Have a seat," she said. "I need to take care of a couple of things."
Artemis complied. He brushed a bead of sweat off of his forehead, wishing that some of his handkerchiefs had survived the trip. He felt... anxious? It was difficult to tell. This was a new experience for him. Part of him wanted to catalog it for his diary, but another part of him told him that it would be better to simply enjoy the moments as they came.
Meanwhile, Holly had begun to trace a pattern in the dirt. On the outside was a circle, at the furthest range of the clearing that they had made. Lines crossed from five points, evenly spaced around the circle, each line reaching the two points opposite, forming a star.
"A pentacle?" Artemis asked.
Holly nodded, still concentrating on the spacing. "An ancient symbol of power. Unification of the elements. Far older than humans think."
She finished, and walked back to the mattress, careful not to disturb the lines that she had traced. "All right. There are two rituals here, sort of. The first is a binding ritual. You people would call it a marriage, but it goes a bit further than that. The second is the... mating, which is renewed between the couple every twenty years. The whole thing is broken down into three parts: spirit, mind, and body. Highest to lowest, as it were."
Artemis nodded, his mouth having gone a little dry at her choice of the word "mating". Despite all his self-assurance and confidence that this was the right course of action, this still depended on him to succeed at something that he had never done before. "What do I need to do?"
"For the first part, just repeat after me..."
Part 1: Union of Spirit
Artemis moved to a lotus position on the mattress. Holly had not told him to do so, but it felt somehow appropriate. She sat down opposite him, and placed her hands over his, cupping them gently. He could feel his pulse rate increase, and an almost electric sort of feeling went up and down the back of his spine.
He felt good.
He felt nervous.
He felt ... excited.
"I'm going to talk for a little bit," she explained. "There's some formality here."
Artemis nodded.
Holly took a deep breath.
"Circle of magic, circle of power. We cast you this night to enclose and protect us, to bind our spirits, minds, and bodies as one. We call on the elements to consecrate and bless this circle and union. We call on the earth and air, the fire and water. We call to the Earth Mother and to the Sky Father. Cast this circle, cast the power. Surround and guide us as we perform the Ritual."
"Before the heavens above and the earth below, we unite our two souls as one. We will bind ourselves together and bind ourselves forever."
She let go of his hands for a moment, removing two items from a pouch on her belt. Grasping his right wrist with her left hand, she clasped their right hands together, palm to palm, placing a piece of spun rope between the palms. Artemis said nothing, but gave her hand a quick squeeze, almost to reassure her that he was serious about this.
Holly swallowed.
"With this cord, we are bound."
She nodded at Artemis.
"With this cord, we are bound," he repeated, his voice cracking slightly.
She wrapped it once around their clasped hands.
"Spirit to spirit." Repeated. Another wrap.
"Mind to mind."
"Body to body."
"Heart to heart."
"Soul to soul."
The cord was about halfway wrapped now. Holly reached down for the second item. Artemis's eyes grew wide when he saw that it was a knife – and extremely sharp, from appearances.
"You won't like this part," she whispered. "No one does."
She pressed her right palm against his, forming a small cup, and slid the knife between the two palms, with the blade perpendicular to the palms. The pain was immediate, but due to the cord's wrappings, neither could pull their hands out. Blood welled and mingled, dripping down their palms and saturating the cord.
"Flesh to flesh."
"Blood to blood."
"Through pain and pleasure."
"Through life and death."
Holly looked Artemis directly in the eyes. "Brace yourself," she whispered.
"Thenceforth..." she said, whipping the knife from its grip.
Artemis gasped in pain. "And forever more." Somehow he knew how to finish her statement.
The cord had loosened some from their natural movements. Leaning forward, Holly placed her forearm against his, and gently slid the wrapped cord off, careful to leave the coils in place. With a quick knot, she tied the loose ends together, holding the bloodstained wraps in place. Then, she grasped his hand again in the same position as it had been bound, her magic making up for his lack, knitting the deep slice on their palms.
Breathing heavily, Holly grimaced. "Okay, that's the first part done."
Artemis winced. "I see marriages among the People are not entered lightly."
She shook her head. "No, not at all. When we say forever, we mean... forever."
Part 2: Union of Mind
Artemis looked around, taking a few deep breaths. His wound had healed, but some of the blood remained, and the memory of the pain was still quite fresh.
"Is it my imagination, or does this place feel somehow... crisper. Cleaner."
Holly looked up sharply. "You... ? I see. No, Artemis, that shouldn't surprise you. You are connected to the soul of one of the People. You quite literally have some of my blood flowing through you, so I guess it stands to reason that you'll have a bit more appreciation for this sort of beauty."
She took both his hands in hers again. "I want to try something. Look into my eyes, Artemis. What do you see there? Don't think; just describe."
He looked into her hazel eyes, almost falling into their depths.
"I see... pain. Loss. I see..." His eyes became unfocused.
"Union. Pairing. Return. Loss. Doubling. Blue and green. Silver. Exchange."
He shook his head suddenly, his eyes refocusing.
"W... what was that?" Artemis said weakly.
"Sight," Holly said, with a wry grin on her face. "We are connected now. You can see glimpses of the future in your partner's eyes. They probably won't make any sense until after the events have happened, but there it is. Proof that the first part of the Ritual worked."
He blinked a few times. "So what's next?"
"This should be easier for you, actually. Humans know a fair amount of meditation, and I can see that Butler taught you some of the techniques. The People know a good bit more, and can actually forge mental links between two people, although they have to be very connected for it to work."
Artemis smiled. "And we're close now, aren't we?"
She nodded. "Indeed we are. This part is a bit less formal, although once we start, we won't really be able to stop until it's complete."
He cocked his head to one side. "What do you mean?"
"You humans have a word called 'telepathy'. Basically, visual experiences transmitted, sort of, from mind to mind. What we are about to do goes a little farther than that." She shook her head. "I can't really explain it very well."
Artemis nodded. "That's all right. I trust you, Holly."
She nodded. "Go ahead and get comfortable. Lay back on the mattress and hold my hand."
They both laid down, next to each other, hand in hand.
"You know to do this," she said. "Just focus on your breathing; try to get yourself to approach a trance state. My magic will handle the rest."
Artemis closed his eyes, and began to deep breathe. His diaphragm took over, naturally breathing deeply, slowing his pulse rate.
Holly spoke quietly. "When this begins to work, you're going to start to see and hear some odd things. Don't be surprised."
He squeezed her hand gently in acknowledgment, focusing on his deep breathing.
In.
Out.
His favorite chair in Fowl Manor. So comfortable for long plotting.
In.
Out.
The feel of the sun on his face on an Irish spring morning.
In.
Out.
The comfortable weight of a gold bar in his hands.
In.
Out.
The reassuring feeling of having Butler at his back.
In.
Out.
The warm embrace of his mother after Holly had finally cured her depression.
In.
Out.
The genuine smile on his father's face when he told him how happy he was to have his family back.
In.
Out.
The rush of wind over her face as she flew over the English Channel.
Artemis inhaled sharply.
"Relax." The words came from somewhere, and he knew that he must listen.
In.
Out.
Shooting Commander Root with a paintball gun, and making Trouble Kelp laugh so hard that he threw up.
In.
Out.
The caress of a warm shower at the end of a long duty shift.
In.
Out.
The scenes were as a slide show at first, small and short, but they came faster and faster. His breathing forgotten and automatic, he saw everything that Holly had lived through. He became Holly for a while, and saw things as she had.
Her abduction at his hands, the pain and humiliation. The triumph of defeating Opal Koboi together with a human. Giving back both a mother and a father to a human who, despite his flaws, had served the People better than any other human to date.
Her past. Her parents and their deaths. The sorrow that she felt. The pride from her Academy graduation, the respect that she demanded for herself. The risks that she had been willing to take, the determination to get into Recon. Her grudging admiration for Commander Root.
Her life.
In the blink of an eye, Artemis absorbed everything that Holly felt and was, and he knew that she was experiencing the same.
His eyes shot open, and his heart raced. Part of him noticed that she was doing the same.
"I... that... you... I had no idea..."
She nodded, struggling to keep her breathing regular. "I told you, Artemis. The People know much more about this."
"So, you've seen..."
"Yes. As have you."
Artemis began to breathe more regularly, his pulse settling down. "That was amazing."
Holly smiled. "It always is, and the partners can renew that any time they wish. Like I said..."
"Forever," Artemis finished. "Which means there's only one thing left..."
"Yes," Holly said, coloring slightly, and reaching out to him. "Yes, there is..."
Part 3: Union of Body
"You realize," Artemis said, shifting around and laying on his hip, "I've never done anything like this before."
Holly nodded. "I know; me either. First time for everything, eh, young scholar?"
Artemis looked down at the mattress. "Yes, I suppose there is."
She sidled closer, her legs brushing against his. "Artemis..."
He looked up. "Holly, I've read about this sort of thing, and I know a -"
She put a finger on his lips. Forcefully. "Artemis, shut up. No book learning. Just shut up. And just kiss me."
Holly uncoiled from her position on the mattress, like a lioness pouncing her prey. Her momentum knocked over the very surprised human, who let out a woosh of air as the fairy landed on top of him. She put her hands on either side of his head, cupping the back gently, and locked her lips on his.
The kiss was fierce and hot. Sparks flew. Literally. Artemis could feel magical energy flowing between the pair, and the air began to take on a faint bluish glow. He filed that observation to the side and focused on what he was experiencing.
The sensation was soft and moist. Holly's lips were just slightly rough. She was sucking and nibbling gently on his lower lip, her tongue darting in and out ever so slightly.
Artemis closed his eyes and began to do the same, flitting his tongue under her upper lip, finding a ridge of tissue there and running his tongue up it. Holly moaned into his mouth, and her tongue found his, twining and dancing as they explored each other.
He placed his hands around her back, gently pressing her to his body. She nestled closer, moving her hands to the back of his neck and gently stroking the soft hairs back there.
Artemis could feel himself becoming rapidly aroused. He did not have time for thought; there was only expediency. He opened his eyes, looking straight into those of his partner. "Holly, we're wearing far too much..."
She sat up, giving him a bit of space.
With nary a thought for the consequences, he tore open the buttons on what remained of his suit and tossed it to the side. His pants quickly followed, and his boxers (a lovely plaid color) finished the set.
Holly was still sitting there, with a smirk on her face. "Would you like to do the honors?"
"Yes I would..." he breathed.
Her uniform was a standard jumpsuit, and zipped up the front. His hands found their way to her neck and gently traced the line of her jaw, moving to the zipper pull. Artemis slowly unzipped the jumpsuit, revealing her nude, chocolate-colored flesh. Her breasts emerged from the clothing unfettered, her nipples hardening quickly from the cool air. Or was it excitement?
He continued down her front, one hand unzipping, and the other gently caressing her flesh. When he reached her navel, the zipper ended, and he placed his hands on either of Holly's hips. She stood, rising from the suit like a Venus, leaving it on the mattress like a shed snake skin. With one athletic kick, it joined Artemis's discarded clothing, leaving her as naked as he was.
Artemis sat down, his legs extended in front of him. Holly straddled him and sat down face-to-face with her lover, wrapping her arms around him and pressing herself into his chest. They resumed kissing, fiercer than ever, and their hands caressed each other's backs and necks. The heat from their bodies was palpable, and every touch, every sensation sent chills down the back of their spines.
He flexed his fingers and gently pressed his fingernails into the skin of her shoulders, seeking out the nub where her ancestors once had wings.
"Holly," he breathed, "I want you to know something before we do this."
"Yes, Artemis?"
"I'm not doing this just to save you. I'm doing this..." He traced his nails down the back of her spine, to the small of her back.
She gasped involuntarily, arching her back and pressing her breasts into him.
"I'm doing this because I love you, Holly. Part of me always has."
"Thank you, Artemis... my love."
She kissed him yet again, with more love and tenderness. Their tongues danced, their eyes met, and they could feel themselves becoming more and more aroused. Finally, Holly could take no more.
"I'm ready."
She stood and laid back on her elbows, spreading her legs to reveal her tender parts. Artemis knelt in between her legs, almost in reverence. He placed a gentle hand on her chest, between her breasts.
"Are you certain?"
"I've never been more certain of anything in my life."
His hand moved slowly down towards her crotch. Holly let out a soft whimper as he approached her nether regions. He gently cupped her mons, savoring the heat coming from her inner core. He lifted her labia with one finger, running it towards her clitoris. One flick of his finger, and her whimpers turned to a loud moan of desire.
"Now, Artemis," she breathed, laying on her back and spreading her arms to welcome him inside her.
He leaned forward, carefully positioning himself. Because of the height difference, he was able to kiss her as he prepared to thrust, savoring the sweetness of her mouth. With one push of the hips, he was inside her. She bit gently into his lip at the sensation of fullness, new to her.
"Is that okay?" Artemis whispered.
"More... please..."
He began to gently thrust, his body pressed against hers. His arms on either side of her head, his lips exploring her mouth, her neck, her chest. She began to lift her hips to match, spreading her legs wide to accept him inside her. They fell into a rhythm, breathing together, thrusting together.
Her eyes began to unfocus. Her hands scrambled for and found grips over her head. Her spine arched and her breathing became ragged. She lost herself in the sensation of being filled and loved.
His eyes began to glaze. His elbows locked and his hips thrust of their own accord, rocking to meet her hips, driving him deeper into her. His head arched back as he pressed harder and harder, savoring the feeling of penetrating his lover and having her enjoy every moment.
As one, their pleasure peaked. Artemis's thrusts became quick and deep; Holly's body tensed and arched further. With one burst, they were satiated. Both let out a breath that they had been unconsciously holding, and looked their lover in the eyes.
"You were amazing," they both said as one.
End Notes:
Those familiar with pagan and/or Wiccan rituals will note a striking similarity to several aspects, specifically casting a circle, a handfasting ritual, and the Great Rite. This is intentional, so please do not comment on differences or similarities. And yes, I know that an athame would never be used for such a purpose, nor does blood magic usually have a part in pagan ceremonies. This is fictional, and while I draw from such things, this is still a ritual and ceremony of my own invention. Please take it in the spirit that it was written.