ARTEMIS FOWL
A/N: I never expected SUCH an overwhelmingly positive response to the Prologue! So THANK YOU, you guys! :D Special thanks to the anonymous reviewers who took the trouble to give their feedback even when not logged in:
Tawny,
j,
Sorry nono,
D Tull,
FluffyNabs,
Kwikle and
Guest
One VERY important note: As one of my anonymous reviewers (Tawny) kindly pointed out – the word 'Limbo' has a fourth meaning: It is also a dance-game from the West Indies in which the dancer bends backward from the knees and moves with a shuffling step under a horizontal bar that is lowered after each successive pass.
BTW: Anything is this fic that does not correlate with the actual AF series is just my over-active imagination talking (or in this case, typing).
HAPPY READING!
-SB ;)
LIMBO
PROLOGUE - RECAP
A flash of blinding white light erupted out of the fire and seared into his brain. He would live. He cheered inwardly. But as the light got brighter and brighter, it hurt him. It imprinted itself firmly into his thoughts and he knew that something was very, very wrong.
He mentally repeated the words that had boosted him before: Holly Short... I have fallen in love with you...
That was the last coherent thought he had before the light completely took over his mind and Artemis Fowl the Second finally opened his eyes.
CHAPTER ONE – AWAKENING
Artemis woke up gasping for breath. A moment ago he had been blinded by something that left him with a hollow emptiness. The next thing he knew, his eyelids had fluttered open of their own accord. His chest rose and fell rapidly as his lungs drew in the much-needed Oxygen. Dark spots blurred his sight and his eyes adjusted to the orange light of the dawn that they were seeing after nearly six months.
His thoughts spun into each other incoherently and out of control. But at the top of them there was only one thing he remembered: his name.
I am Artemis Fowl the Second...
"Be calm. You are safe now".
Artemis froze, petrified. That voice... It was hauntingly familiar. He was sure he had heard it before and it triggered something within him. Something distant and hazy. He tried to reach out to it... To bring it into focus... and-
A white-hot knife of pain tore through Artemis's skull as thousands of seemingly random images sped along in his mind's eye – all too fast to distinguish, resulting in a multi-coloured blur that left his head reeling and his palms slick with sweat.
And then, as suddenly as they had come, the images quickly slipped away leaving behind only a lingering image of dazzling white light. The memory flash had lasted for only a few seconds but it still left him feeble and disoriented.
The pain in his head dulled and eventually disappeared in a second or two and the instant relief cleared his vision. His gaze sharpened and he found himself staring at a small group of very unusual looking strangers huddled over him. As his analytical mind took over, a surge of panic kicked in.
"Stay back. You don't know what you're dealing with". The words came naturally and the second they left his lips he felt an almost imperceptible prick of déjà vu.
He had been looking at the general lot when he said this, but the female's reaction drew his attention to her.
The first thing he noticed about her was her eyes. They were mismatched: one Hazel and the other Blue. At his words, they widened with some sort of recognition and she reached over and took his clammy fingers in her warm ones. "We do know you, Artemis. And you know us. Try to remember". Her hand was steady and tone sure, but for a fraction of a second, her facade fell apart and he saw how wildly hopeful she was.
Artemis expected the sound of her voice to set off another bout of physically painful nostalgia. But this time no such thing happened. Somehow, he now found her voice as alien as it had felt familiar before. Artemis mused, trying to make some sense of the situation.
"Y...you", he said hesitantly, gaze darting from one person to another and finally landing on her. "You are my friends?".
The girl trembled violently, letting her mask slip completely, and broke down into half-sobs right there. Artemis was alarmed. Had he said something wrong? He hadn't meant to make her cry. But then she smiled through the tears and he relaxed.
Glancing at the other two people in the group, Artemis saw that their expressions mirrored hers. The half-equine-half-human creature let out a shaky breath it seemed to have been holding in, and the giant human who towered over him looked fervently grateful as his face creased into a broad smile. This open display of affection from three people he did even not know discomfited Artemis.
The girl brushed away her tears impatiently as she answered his question. "Yes", she said. "We are your friends. Now we need to get you inside before the locals arrive and see the recently deceased heir being escorted by fairies".
Artemis frowned uncomprehendingly but before he had time to analyse anything she'd said, the exceptionally large human had leaned down and putting a gentle arm behind his shoulders, pulled him to his feet. Artemis swayed a little. He still hadn't recovered full use of his mental and physical facilities.
Chuckling with good humour at his clumsiness, the horse-man gestured to his back. "Oh, go on, then. Just this once".
The human hoisted Artemis up. "You had me worried, Arty", he continued, as the group began to move across the fields. "And your parents are devastated. Wait until they see you".
Artemis's entire thought process came to a screeching halt. Parents? He had PARENTS? Well, of course he was aware that every living thing would have biological parents. But if he had parents, he would remember them surely... right?
The girl, who was walking alongside him on his left, began to talk but Artemis was miles away from listening. He only caught random phrases here and there like 'rescue mission to the Arctic' and 'saved Atlantis from Turnball'. They made absolutely no sense to him and he began to tune those out too.
He tried to recollect something – anything – related to his parents, but his mind was a perfect blank. The panic returned but this time it left him feeling weak and vulnerable, not defiant like before.
"Tell me", he said in a frail voice. "How do I know you?".
The human laid a comforting hand on his shoulder and the girl began to speak again. "It all started in Ho Chi Minh City one summer. It was sweltering by anyone's standards. Needless to say, Artemis Fowl would not have been willing to put up with such discomfort if something extremely important had not been at stake. Important to the plan.…".
Blue. He was lying in a soft sea of deep blue... No... A large bed with immaculately spotless blue sheets and fluffy down pillows. He tried to push himself up but his elbows felt wobbly and unsupportive.
"Oh no, you don't, Mud Boy", said a voice from his side. Seated in a chair on his right was the large human and sitting beside him was the girl. It was she who had spoken. She leaned over and gently but firmly pushed him back down onto the bed.
"She's right Artemis. You haven't fully recovered yet", said the man. "And I won't have any arguments", he added sternly when Artemis opened his mouth to protest at the mollycoddling. Eyeing the man's large frame, Artemis wisely decided to not say anything for now.
The girl checked a futuristic looking watch on her wrist. "Now you just stay here, I'll be back in a second".
She left, presumably to call in more visitors and Artemis took the time to study the room he was in: the walls and ceiling were painted a cheerful shade of yellow. The well-polished wood furniture and contrasting gleam of metal equipment around was sufficient for him to conclude that he was in a hospital room. But the place did not have the clinical feel to it that such rooms usually did. The rich colours and the homey decor had a pleasant feel to them.
Artemis tried to place how and why he was here and suddenly it all came rushing back to him. He groaned internally when he recalled how he had fainted before. He been listening to the girl's tale when a few minutes into it, his head started feeling sluggish and heavy. The shock of the past few minutes and the fatigue finally caught up with him and his system simply shut down. Artemis had a slight memory of a strong pair of arms catching him as he had fallen.
"Glad to see you're up, Artemis", said the giant man smiling. "For a moment there when you collapsed like that...". He trailed off broodingly.
The door to the room opened and along with the girl entered three other companions. Artemis took one look at the latter three and did a double take. Two of them were midgets – the first one was thin and wore a doctor's coat that was a soft cream instead of the conventional white and a pair of spectacles. He had a clipboard in his hand and a pen in the other which his fingers kept restlessly fiddling with.
The other midget was also short but bulky, with wild hair and a coarse beard that seemed to cover most of his face. Behind him shuffled a creature that bore a startling resemblance to a rhino. In fact, reflected Artemis, he would've definitely mistaken it for an actual rhino if not for its stocky figure, armoured pale skin and strange red tattoo-like markings.
Artemis instinctively shifted backwards a little, hoping it was inconspicuous enough for no one to have noticed.
"Jeez. I'm not gonna murder you Mud Boy! I'm your buddy", said the burly midget, catching the movement. So much for inconspicuous.
"His memories have been affected, dwarf. Obviously he doesn't remember you either! Now stop antagonising the patient!", hissed the other midget in a low tone that was clearly not meant for Artemis to hear. But his sharp ears caught the words and he filed away the information to ponder upon later.
The rhino-human creature stepped forward. On closer examination of its face, Artemis realised that despite the fierce looking runes and body structure, the creature's smile was unfeigned and its orange eyes warm.
"How are you, Artemis?", it asked seriously.
"I-I'm fine, thank you", murmured Artemis uncomfortably. Somehow, he found it hard to be impolite to this gentle creature.
"You don't recognise me, do you?", it asked, smile falling a little.
"I'm sorry, but no".
Meanwhile, the doctor had been checking the apparatus around to make sure everything was alright. He straightened up after observing the heart monitor carefully and studied Artemis. "Feeling better Fowl?".
Artemis nodded. "Much better, yes. I don't feel quite as physically strained as I did before. Not to be rude, but who are-".
"I'm your Healer. Dr. Jerbal Argon", he said shortly. He felt Artemis's forehead with the back of his hand and noted something down on the clipboard.
"Oh yes, that reminds me: introductions are in order", said the girl gesturing to the crowded room. "I'm Holly, and this is Butler". She pointed to the big human. "And these are Mulch and No.1", she continued, indicating the grubby midget and the rhino-boy in turn. "Foaly stayed for some time while you were asleep but he was called to Police Plaza. They need him to contain the situation a lot these days, what with all the People sightings above ground".
Artemis frowned. Apart from the introductions he had not understood a single word of what she said, and Artemis Fowl did not like ignorance. He might not know where he was or what was going on but he did know that he was used to be on top of things. Not on the bottom rung of the ladder.
Holly caught his obvious frustration and winced. "That's right. You don't remember. Sorry about that. Anyway, like I said, Foaly wasn't able to make it. So he wants to talk to you over this". She fished a small com-set out of her pocket and switched on a button. "Hey Foaly, it's me. He's woken up at last. Here". She handed the device to Artemis.
He took it gingerly and peered at the small screen. The half-horse-half-human creature was on it. "How are you feeling Mud Boy? Better now, I hope?", it said.
Artemis frowned. "Apart from some lingering traces of fatigue, I'm perfectly fine, thank you, and I would quite appreciate it if you would all stop asking me that. Now would somebody tell me who you all are or why most of you keep referring to me as Mud Boy? If it's supposed to be offensive in some way, I find it a rather poor choice of insult".
"Partial memory loss, but snappishness intact, I see", muttered Foaly.
"Cut him some slack Foaly! He's been through a lot", said Holly.
"Excuse me, girl. But I don't need you fighting my battles for me", said Artemis coolly.
Holly bit back the retort on the tip of her tongue. He was not himself, she reminded herself. Well, actually he was, but not how he had been six months ago. With a sudden spurt of understanding, she realised that he was back to the way he had been before meeting fairies and becoming a better person. He wasn't Arty – juvenile genius. He was Artemis Fowl the Second – criminal mastermind. The thought was deeply saddening but made her even more determined that instead of letting him get under her skin, she would make sure he was well again.
She met his gaze squarely. "If you think you can distance yourself from us by acting like your twelve year old bratty self, you're mistaken Artemis. We're your friends and we're still going to be there for you. So I think it's better for everyone if you could atleast try to be a little nicer".
Artemis retained his expression of cold formality. But inside he was taken aback. He had thought that she would get angry and irritated with him. He hadn't expected this, whatever it was.
"So, Artemis... Would you like to eat something now that you're awake? Or something to drink, perhaps?", said Butler quickly, hoping to diffuse the tension.
Artemis's stomach let out a rumble of protest right on cue and he turned red. How mortifying.
"I'll take that as a yes", said Butler trying not to smile.
Argon hastily intervened. "This is a hospital so we don't have anything too fancy here, mind you".
"Some Caviar and plain Irish spring water will suffice", spoke up Artemis before Butler could say anything and everyone stared at him.
"Surprising turn of events, but good. Very good. He still remembers his preferences, eh? Not irreversible damage to the memories, I would say. Nothing that can't be put right", said Argon, scribbling enthusiastically on his clipboard. "I half expected him to get up and demand to know who HE was. But seems like we don't have THAT big a problem!".
The mood in the room brightened. Even Foaly looked pleased from his com-screen.
"Alright. Now I strongly advise that you all clear out-". Argon was cut off by Artemis.
"Not so fast. I demand to know exactly what is going on here. Who are you all? And in what connection do I know you?", he asked testily.
Holly and Butler looked at each other and Argon sighed. "I think its best we get this over with. You both stay here and talk it out with him. Everyone else, out!", said Argon, shooing them. "And I'll send someone in with the food in a few minutes".
"Take care, Artemis", No.1 said and Mulch held up a double thumbs-up before they backed out of the room behind the Healer.
Foaly spoke up too. "I think I should probably be getting back to work. So long, Mud Boy. And I hope to Frond that you're in a better frame of mind when I come to meet you later today", he added and signed off before Artemis could make a suitable comeback.
"I'll take that". Holly replaced the com-set in its holder in her uniform. There was silence for a few moments before she spoke again. "I'm sure that with your IQ, it's safe to assume that you've already figured out part of the situation so far".
Artemis nodded and took a deep breath. "Obviously. I haven't had much time to contemplate, but I am confident that most of you with your unusual features and appearances, do not belong to the human species. At the same time, animals – even highly advanced and bred ones – are not capable of such humanoid emotions or speech. So, I presume you are part of an entirely different race. One that has been carefully shielded from human knowledge, so far?".
Holly nodded. "Butler is the only human here apart from you, of course. The rest of us are... fairies. I know that the mental human image of a fairy is a dainty girl with gossamer gowns and wings and a sparkly wand...". Here, Holly cringed openly. That stereotype was so sexist and unflattering to fairy females. "But in reality, fairies are not like that. We are a very technologically advanced civilisation and have our own occupations, positions, traditions and infrastructure. We even have sub-species within our ranks".
Artemis absorbed all the information eagerly. His mind was spinning with grand discovery. A whole other species... This was big news.
"I suppose we are underground now since there is no other place on Earth free from human activity save for the Antarctic or underwater and this place doesn't seem like either".
"Exactly".
Artemis nodded. He opened his mouth again but Butler beat him to it this time. "I know what you're about to ask but the fact is... we don't really know what is wrong with you. Going from your unfamiliar reaction to us when you woke up, it's some sort of memory loss but Dr. Argon has to conduct some tests on you for an accurate diagnosis and he's only going to do them tomorrow".
Holly spoke up again. "As to how we know you, I'm apparently not supposed to divulge any more information, Artemis. Argon says that it might create pre-conceived notions in your mind which will, in turn, affect the test results tomorrow. He wants to find out how much of your life you remember and which parts you specifically don't. Our telling everything to you will utterly wreck the diagnosis".
Artemis scowled impatiently. He did not like being kept in the dark about anything concerning himself. Neither did he like being completely at the mercy of a bunch of strange people. But all the same, he could not argue with the Healer's irrefutable logic. Revealing too much information to a memory loss patient before a proper conclusion could be reached, was the biggest mistake that a doctor could do.
"I can understand that...", he admitted grudgingly. "But I expect an explanation at the earliest tomorrow and it better be good because I don't appreciate being abducted like this and not be given a reason".
Holly cracked a wry smile at the irony of that one. As for Butler, he looked equal parts embarrassed, remorseful and amused.
"What?", snapped Artemis. Not knowing things was driving him crazier than he liked to admit.
"Oh, you'll find out soon enough tomorrow, Mud Boy", said Holly. At his raised eyebrow, she added tartly, "It's just fairy slang for 'human boy'. Nothing offensive, I promise. Although, many fairies do find the very mention of the word 'human' insulting... So I guess it is a little bit offensive".
Artemis narrowed his eyes at her. "Oh, so this is how your species treats memory loss patients, is it, fairy girl? You provoke them as part of your treatment? Does sarcasm act as a memory trigger, by your standards?".
Butler grinned. He had forgotten how Artemis and Holly used to bicker in their initial years of acquainting. "Nice to see the love still alive between you both, Holly". It was hard to tell with her coffee skin, but Butler thought her cheeks had reddened a little bit at the comment.
Right then, the door to the room opened and a female gnome dressed in a traditional nurse's outfit entered. The only difference was that her uniform too was the same shade of cream that the Healer's coat had been. She was carrying a large tray of food with a jug of water and appropriate silverware on it. She placed the tray on a small table within reach of the bed and instructed Artemis to ring the buzzer if he wanted anything else before leaving.
Artemis pushed all his worries to the back of his mind. He was starving. He looked pointedly at Butler and Holly. "We'll talk to you later Artemis. In the meanwhile, you make sure to sleep well. Big day tomorrow", said Butler and after laying a hand on Artemis's shoulder for a moment, left the room.
Holly followed suit, but her hand paused on the knob for just a second. "Annoying fights aside, it really is good to have you back Artemis". And with that she was gone.
Long after he had finished eating, Artemis still remembered the looks on her face and Butler's when he had woken up. They seemed to genuinely care about him. So did the others.
The horse-man (Artemis was inclined to believe that he was a fawn or centaur, from the descriptions that fairy tales and fiction books gave) had come to see him earlier and no frosty comments had been passed this time. Before he left, Foaly had even slipped Artemis a couple of science journals to read. "In case you get bored", he had said. "I'd normally just give you a micro-computer or something more substantial but if Argon found out he would have my hide. He warned us all not to give you any knick-knacks to play with. Apparently you're supposed to be resting and sleeping away most of today. So you'll have to make do with these, I'm afraid".
Artemis felt a touch of regret for his earlier rude behaviour. But even that could not shake off the fact that he knew none of them and could hardly be expected to crack jokes and be sociable around strangers, no matter how nice they were.
Holly tossed and turned restlessly on the worn futon, unable to sleep.
After six long months of the trauma she had gone through since Artemis's death, he had been revived and things were finally looking up. She should have been able to hop into bed humming and doze off with no problem. But every time she closed her eyes... she could not help but worry over how things would turn out now that he had lost his memories.
Argon had said that the damage was lesser than anticipated and that was definitely a good thing. But he had also added later that without prior testing he could not draw any solid assumptions and that many other complications could arise in the course of time. Holly didn't want complications, D'Arvit! She just wanted Artemis to get better!
Breathing in and out slowly, she calmed herself down. She was probably over-reacting. After all, the efforts that everyone had taken and their hopes had not been for nothing. As usual, Artemis's idea had worked: he was back. Alive and breathing. And that counted for a LOT.
Now that the first step had been achieved, it would only be a matter of time before he regained his memories too. Argon was an excellent doctor despite his attitude problems. He would make sure that Artemis was duly cured soon.
Holly drew the comforter more tightly around herself and suddenly her mind flashed to Butler. She wondered whether he was lying awake fretting about Artemis too. Probably. Butler was nothing if not over-protective. But atleast he would have a clear conscience. Holly knew Butler had held himself responsible for everything that had gone down with Artemis. The man had aged a hundred years in those six months. But his face had looked years younger after Artemis had woken up. Holly's face softened into a smile. If anyone, Butler certainly deserved the peace of mind.
Sighing as her thoughts drifted back to a certain Mud Boy, Holly wondered for one awful moment whether Artemis would ever regain his memories. What if he never did? And then one thought brought her back to reality.
Artemis had made her a promise.
My soul is human, Holly, don't you see? I don't intend to die, and there is a chance that I may survive. A small chance, granted. But a chance nonetheless.
He had not given up then and he would not now either. He had managed to keep up half of his word and he would make sure that the other half was kept too. Artemis was a fighter after all. Somebody who wouldn't rest till he reached his goal. His memories were locked up in some deep recess of his brain still and one of these days they would break out. Granted, it would not be happening overnight, but it would still happen. In a moment of revelation, Holly knew that with as much certainty as she knew her name. And in that instant, she made a vow back to Artemis.
I'll do whatever it takes to bring your old self back, Arty. And that's a promise you can hold me to.
A/N: I'm really sorry about the LATE update :( It's just that after the amazing response you guys were awesome enough to give me, I wanted this chapter to be perfect. To meet all your expectations. And I hope it did :)
We've been having a lot of rain and stormy weather lately and I was given THREE whole days off from school! So I obviously jumped at the chance to update atleast one fic of mine and here is the result :D
I don't know when I'll be able to put up the next chapter – I haven't even started working on it. But I'll do my best – Scout's honour!
Thanks again, for taking the time to check out this story. Love y'all!
PEACE OUT!
-SB ;)