Artemis Fowl Alternate Ending – Forgotten Memories

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Surface air filled Holly's lungs. It was refreshing to be seeing the full moon again. And the stars. When she looked at them, a smiling pale-faced Irish boy called to her.

"It's not as if he's dead," muttered Holly to herself laboring under the delusion that she had not lost him, which in a strict sense, she did.

There was only one reason why she now visited the surface. It was to replenish her magic. For a while, she flew noiselessly toward the magical spot where the earth would be expecting her service on burying another seed back to it. This time, without a troll, a mars probe or softnose lasers after her. Strange enough.

It was a silent travel. Not a voice quivered in the chilly night. She landed on the foot of an ancient oak, with the river bend being a little farther from the right. Slowly, she picked her way through the twigs and thimbles looking for her acorn, unaware that she was dawdling about to finish it as slowly as possible.

"Artemis?" Holly said, half expecting a big bulky shaven head to bob out from the rock.

There was no reply. The bushes and the rocks continued to sit still and silent, unperturbed by her inquiries. A pang of disappointment met her. No pea-shooter was ever going to come hurtling to her shoulder. In spite of the micro-filaments on her suit deadening the cold, it made her feel colder than she felt for a hundred years.

There was nothing here but rocks and bogs. Captain Holly Short ascended to leave. In a few minutes, she would be strapped comfortably to her shuttle, and after that, back to her own apartment all alone. Mother and Father gone, along with Julius Root, even Artemis.

Holly gritted her teeth. She'd have to bear a couple of scoldings if it's worth a peep on her friend. She flew away from the Tara fairy Terminal. Okay, maybe just once. After all, he won't be able to see her.

There it is! The fowl Manor rising loftily above the others in the plains. She immediately knew the right window where a desk and a chair would greet her, along with the familiar cunning smile of the boy.

What would she give to have that smile for her own?

What would she give?

But of course there was no Irish boy who was waiting and smiling. For one, she was not expected, never mind remembered, and two, it was no boy. It was a grown man with slight age lines etched in his face. Still wearing his bespoke suit and loafers. Some things never change. Holly smiled, in spite of her unchecked tears and sobs.

Normally on these situations, Foaly would have replied on the other line, "Excuse me while I get some tissue. No wonder LEP officers are males." But Foaly was silent. In fact, the dear old stoic Foaly was also blubbing under the controls using the aforesaid tissue.

Perched on the man's legs was a little miss. They were happily engaged on the pictures of the album. Artemis was talking.

"Here is your Grandfather in the hospital after we rescued him in the arctic from the Mafiya. Five million dollars for a Ransom."

"Ow papa, thank goodness you weren't killed!" replied his child.

"Of course that could not happen. We were able to set up an elaborate plan to secure his safety," He was going to go to the specifics of the 'elaborate plan' but all his mouth said was, "We had help."

"You mean Butler beat them?" asked the child.

"Well no..." trailed Artemis' voice as his eyes narrowed to try to remember his forgotten treasures. "Someone else."

Artemis blinked. He looked at the pictures with a new mission: to find something delightfully missing in it. Was it Artemis Senior as he marched about the room on his new prosthetic legs? Or mother as her cheeks became rosy again after two years of sickness? A silent longing came over him. Something his overstuffed brain could not form in words. Something missing on the pictures. No, not just the pictures. Also on his head.

The longing and thirst for remembrance did not stop. He may have just wanted another caviar serving. No, still not it. He desired something else. A massage in the spa? No more delightful than that.

His heart continued to ask for something. The pitiful thing about it because he could not quite identify what it was. His brain would not allow him to remember what. Or who? He longed to say things. But he could not form any words from the kind of chemicals fed to his neurons. He may have to read more about this.

It was some time before he recognized this sensation. (Really rather stupid for a genius since it was rather simple, but we must cut him some slack because the memory to help identification was obsolete) He missed someone. Terribly.

Holly followed her friend to the lake. She recognized the place very well. Once it was full of crickets and ducks trying to bite every inch of skin in their body. She gazed at her friend and his deep blue eyes. It was searching.

"I miss you!" shouted Artemis as he cupped both hands to the side of his mouth.

"I miss you too," replied Holly, fully aware that her helmet was sound proof. She hovered him and kissed his cheek, just like the way she does after their adventures. Such adventures they had. Artemis gently touched his cheek.

"Arty dear, come here, I need you!" A voice issued from the house. He sighed. These days people were calling him Arty, a name that is too infantile. But he wasn't so upset about it after all.

His wife beckoned him inside. She was stroking her belly gently. They were already expecting a new baby in three months. Artemis walked along the grass towards her.

"Holly," he whispered.

"I beg your pardon..", said his wife.

"Holly is a beautiful name. We shall name her Holly," and he stroked the little marplot fondly, half expecting a punch from it on the shoulders.

accompanying song inspirations:

long live - Taylor Swift

Nickelcreek - When you come back down