Unknown Location
The first thing Artemis felt was pain, unimaginable pain. He plunged into the sea of writhing forms like a rock, ending up completely submerged in the horrid monsters that constituted it. They surged on top of him like a legion of rabid dogs, howling unnaturally with their rotten maws, their empty eye sockets seemingly focused upon the boy who had entered their domain. Artemis felt fear explode into his mind as the dead grabbed at him, their twisted hands seeking to pull him down into the depths. His eyes widened as one roared not an inch away from his face, assaulting him with the worst stench he'd ever smelt. Despite the iron resolve he had held not moments before, Artemis began to shake uncontrollably, the horrors around him relentless and vivid. It was the pinnacle of everything that was wrong. In a moment of utter terror, he screamed, fear now consuming him.
The creatures around him seemed to enjoy his plight, their grinning skulls stretching into purely impossible grins, the empty space within their dark eye sockets glinting with tiny pinpricks of bloody red light. They felt the terror of the soul amidst them; they licked it up voraciously. With the demonic grins plastered upon their dead visages, the monsters pulled him down, deeper into the bottomless sea of darkness. As he felt himself descend into the writhing masses of living dead, Artemis felt a voice barge through his terror.
Stop! He heard a part of his mind demand. You will not let this defeat you!
Artemis ceased his cries as his mind began to focus, shutting away the debilitating emotions as he had trained himself to do so from a young age, surprising himself with how easily he did so given the circumstances. The monsters around him were absolutely terrifying, but when he considered it, the thought of Opal succeeding brought far more fear than the former ever could.
I have to do this! He thought vigorously, grimacing as the mutated dead pulled him deeper into the sea of limbs. He was not sure where he was going, nor where it was he had to go. His sense of direction was gone, every angle an impenetrable wall of twisted forms. Alwin had told him that will and will alone would triumph over what he faced now. But will was not something one could simply wish upon oneself; they either had it in sufficient amounts or did not.
He struggled against the hold of the monsters, trying to pull himself free of their frigid touch. He could not; they held him with immovable grips. Even his greatest efforts failed to make their grasp even shift, and as he gritted his teeth in his attempts, they simply sneered at him with their empty skulls. They had him.
They're too strong! Artemis thought angrily. He could feel the tingle of panic creeping at the back of his mind, like the humble beginnings of a raging torrent. Something had to be done, and fast. It was getting colder as he went farther down, the only source of light being the small glints from the skulls of the evil manifestations. He tried again to free himself, but to no avail. Struggling against them physically was a fool's errand.
I can't let this happen!
A deep roar sounded far beneath him, sending a rumble through the nearly solid mass of living corpses. Artemis had no time to deliberate the source of the noise, as the rotting bodies beneath him fell away, sending him falling into a nearly pitch black void. He yelped as he plummeted into the dreadful unknown, certain that he would either never stop falling or end up squashed to a pulp. Was it even possible for a spiritual form to be rendered into a pulp? He didn't know, and sure as hell didn't want to find out.
Not that there's anything I can do to stop it! He thought desperately, his inability to see anything beneath him causing for his imagination to fill in the blanks with horrifying possibilities. No amount of self control could waver the primal fear of the unknown.
He fell for what seemed like an eternity, and as suddenly as the fall had begun, it came to a halt. He winced despite himself, but found that such was unnecessary; his fall had been broken by an unseen force, leaving him unharmed upon an unknown surface.
Where am I now?
Artemis looked around the new environment, searching for any clue of a way out. The dark chamber was flat, its very floor made up of a darkness that was solid and chilling to the touch. Its walls, if it had any at all, were hidden in the impenetrable gloom, leaving Artemis with no indication as to how far the area stretched. Given previous experience, it was safe to assume that the gloom never ended.
Am I closer to an exit, or is this deeper into the void? He thought, still looking about cautiously.
It made sense that, after such a fall, he'd be farther into whatever hell he had entered. If anything, however, this area was an improvement. Gone were the horrid monsters and seas of rotten flesh, the maddening cacophony of millions of unnatural screams, all of them replaced by a silent darkness. The lack of such terrors was a relief, but it did nothing to calm his nerves; he was still in the depths of the same madness that had consumed Opal. Until he was free and in his own body, he had to stay vigilant.
Artemis continued to observe to blackness, but to no avail. The gloom swirled quietly around him like a predator stalking its prey, refusing to grant him any sight of his surroundings. It didn't take long for him to accept the fact that he would just have to start walking. With a cautious gait, the boy began walking into the dark, choosing a random direction. He didn't know what the purpose of this new place was, but its frigid calm was unsettling.
As he walked, the dark mists followed, taunting him silently in his attempts to find a way out. Artemis growled with frustration, knowing that every second he spent in this hell was a second Opal had to wreak havoc.
This place is playing games with me. He thought angrily, his eyes, though impeded by the dark, not missing the purposeful movements of the darkness. Still, he pushed onward, knowing there was nothing else he could do.
"Artemis."
He froze, his eyes darting about in search of the utterance. As he did so, the already frigid air became thrice as cold, and the gloom swirled with quiet laughter. Artemis stared into the blackness, his breath caught in his throat. The voice was almost familiar, yet he could not find the name.
"Artemis."
He spun about, and this time his eyes made purchase upon a form in the mists. It was hunched over, its back to him. A faint sound came from the being, and in the unbearable silence, it filled Artemis' starved ears. It was crying, its small frame shaking amidst quiet sobs that spoke of an endless sorrow. Artemis stared at the being, wonder what, if anything, he should do. After a moment of observance, his morbid curiosity took over.
"Hello?" He called softly, walking slowly towards the hunched form. It didn't show any signs of hearing him, remaining in its lonely, broken state. Artemis stepped nearer, wondering who the despairing figure was. The darkness kept close behind him, swallowing up the visible air that he had passed through with silent hunger.
Artemis was now a few paces away from the crying being. At this distance he could make it out completely, instantly telling that it was a child given its size, or was it a fairy? He took another step, and as he did his eyes locked onto the hair. It was auburn, and kept in the exact fashion of his close friend.
"Holly?" He whispered, his voice betraying the incredulity that he felt.
She didn't respond, instead heaving into even greater sobs, almost silent save the sporadic breaths. Artemis stared in disbelief. It was her, it had to be.
"Holly!" Artemis called out, falling to his knees behind the elf. He grabbed onto her, pulling her into an embrace, willing to share whatever grief that ravaged his friend. "Holly, what's wrong? How are you even here?"
She didn't answer, but the sobbing stopped, leaving in eerie silence. Artemis blinked; with his arms wrapped around her, he should have been able to feel her heartbeat and breathing. Instead, he felt nothing. As he noticed this, he became aware of how cold she was, his arms already in pain from the immense chill that seemed to leach into him from the elf.
"H-Holly?" He whispered uncertainly, pulling his freezing arms away from her, though still kneeling right next to her. Again, she didn't respond. Artemis felt his unease grow exponentially. "What is this?" He breathed to himself.
There was a flit of movement in the darkness to his right, then another to his left. The blackness swirled around him as it always did, but now a faint sound crept from its shadows. It was indistinguishable, but it dripped with haunting soullessness.
"Artemis." A hollow voice rasped. It sounded like it came from all directions at once, but as it came again, Artemis found that it was Holly.
"Artemis."
Artemis stared at her, trying to fit the voice to the elf's. It didn't fit at all. It sounded as though someone was trying to speak with a half cut vocal cord and a few quarts of blood in their lungs, and even without that, the voice was utterly devoid of anything that could make it Holly's. It was a voice of death.
Holly's hunched form lurched, startling Artemis. She twitched again, eliciting an unhealthy snap from her body, followed by a rattling breath. There was a slight moan in that breath, an emotionless, dead moan.
"Artemis." She rasped again, this time louder, almost above a whisper.
Artemis simply stared, frozen.
Holly's broken form lurched violently to one side, then became deathly still. There was a terrifying pause, followed by a series of sickening crunches as her head began to turn. Artemis watched with pure horror was his friend's head turned about, not stopping where it should have. With wet, gut-wrenching snaps, Holly's head spun about completely, loose and lopsided, like a worn out bobble head. When he saw her face, Artemis could have sworn his heart stopped.
She was, of course, much like Holly; the miss-matched eyes, the facial structure, and other tiny features. The problem was that only half of her face was actually there, the rest either bone or twisted flesh, leaving her half decomposed. Her eyes were perfect circles that reflected complete insanity, impossibly wide as they stared into Artemis' soul. With more cracking sounds, she grinned, showing hundreds of needle-like teeth.
"Artemis."
Artemis gaped, falling backward in absolute terror at what he saw, and subsequently pushing himself away from the rotten doppelganger. He couldn't form words, though speaking was the least of his priorities as Holly lurched after him, moving like a strung puppet.
"Artemis. Artemis. Artemis..." She kept saying hollowly, her insane eyes bleeding black blood as she repeated his name like a demented chant.
"No, stay away!" Artemis yelled, frantically retreating from the elf.
Of course, she didn't listen, and as if to torment him more she doubled her pace. As he continuously backpedaled, Artemis began to see shadows moving in the gloom all around him. He looked behind himself and saw the same. He was surrounded by dozens of figures, though the darkness hid them.
"Artemis...Artemis...Artemis..." He heard the figures whisper, each with a different voice, each of them strikingly familiar.
"No..." Artemis breathed, eyes wide with the realization of who the others were.
The shadow cast figures materialized from the darkness one by one, moving slowly and erratically, as if walking was something new to them. They moaned and rasped as they shuffled into visibility, their very presence an abomination that laughed in the face of all things good. They were, to Artemis' horror, everyone he'd ever cared for.
"Artemis...Artemis...Artemis..."
His eyes flitted from one form to another as they emerged, every time finding something of nightmares. The first to come out was a vastly deformed Butler, his massive frame hunched and bent on an angle. His body was bristling with bones that jutted out from rotten flesh, gleaming and sharp. His eyes were just as Holly's; dead and insane.
Next came his brothers. Both crawled on all fours like animals, their small bodies twisted into predatory forms. Their fingers were over three times their normal length of razor sharp bone, as were their toes, and their arms had three joints instead of two. They smiled at him with razor filled mouths, their feral eyes showing a slight amount of childish innocence as they bore down on him.
Artemis fell to the ground, his legs weak. Were these grotesque mockeries of his loved ones conjectures of the dark magic, or were they really his family and friends, now dead and turned into monsters for Opal's sick enjoyment?
More came. His father and mother, much like two half exhumed corpses, shambled in. Then came Juliet, or at least her upper half. Mulch and Foaly, each bent horrendously out of shape, dragged themselves in next, followed by Quan, N°1, and even Minerva. They were all horribly disfigured, as though someone had placed their limbs in all the wrong places, and then threw in a few extra as an afterthought.
"This-this can't be happening!" Artemis choked, turning in all directions to find the horrid shapes of his closest friends and family. He could smell their stench as they closed in on him, and see the sickening details of their torn faces. He keeled over, vomiting up nothing but air, his dry heaves sucking the oxygen from his lungs.
"Artemis...Artemis...Artemis..."
Countless more forms stepped from the darkness, each mirroring a part of his life in a sick, mocking fashion. Each and every one of them stared at him relentlessly, their visages displaying a litany of dark emotions. Artemis, still gagging from pure disgust, heard a rasping voice right beside his ear.
"Artemis."
He turned slightly, and as he did so Holly's horrid face came into view, her needle-like teeth grinning hungrily at him. Her eyes were somehow wider, and now that she was this close, he could see untold madness inside them. He fell to the ground again, but had nowhere to go. All around him were the familiar doppelgangers, each leering at him maniacally with their twisted faces. Artemis clenched his teeth as they closed in, shaking uncontrollably as fear and sadness overtook him.
An even greater chorus of cries sounded in the gloom high above, assaulting Artemis with a wave of horrid noise. He noticed that the previous gloom was amalgamating with a crimson glow. He looked up, his tear filled eyes widening instantaneously. The entire expanse above him was filled with a solid mass of writhing beings, the same one he had first fallen into and subsequently escaped. Now the sea of death was falling down upon him, one united wall of flesh and bone.
"Oh god..." He croaked.
With a series of unnatural groans, the twisted forms of the surrounding creatures surged towards him, reaching out to grab hold of their prey. Artemis sat there, staring up at the death filled sky with a sad look in his eyes. In an instant, he felt his resolve shatter like a mirror, its glorious pieces falling away into an abyss, never to be recovered. He felt so small, so insignificant, so powerless; he felt hopeless.
There was a great screech in the air as the horrid forms of his loved ones piled on top of him like a pack famished hyenas, covering him in moments with their grotesque bodies. At the same time, countless millions of the dark apparitions fell from above, burying everything in a sea of rotting flesh.
Outer Chamber
The pattern covered walls of the ancient cavern pulsed with crimson light as the earthquake created a chorus of groaning stone. Dust and smoke blew through the air as a dozen ships landed upon the chamber's battle scarred outcropping, their pilots doing their best to compensate for the colossal vibrations that were shaking them to the core. Many more interceptors flew around the large cavern, vigilant should any more hostiles appear. The cave, despite the seismic chaos, was perfectly intact. Below them, in the sea of bubbling magma, the burning form of Opal's battleship smoldered, still sinking into the molten rock. Inside his LEP interceptor, Trouble Kelp managed a grin, taking great pleasure in seeing the pixie's ship in ruin. The smirk, however, did not last long. He knew that Opal wasn't beaten, the dooming earthquake was a sure sign of that. Bringing his ship down for a landing, Kelp checked his communicator, growling with frustration as he failed to get any signals. Was there even anything left to signal to? He clenched his teeth, pushing the pessimistic musing from his mind. Regardless of what happened, he had his duty, and he would be damned if he stood by and let Opal win.
As his ship made contact with the surface, he felt the vibrations grow exponentially, rattling his ship like a fragile toy. It was annoying, but his mind was on more pertinent matters.
I hope Holly and the others are alright.
Given the amount of carnage within the chamber, he was certain that they had made it past Opal's remaining forces, meaning that they were at the Gate, doing everything in their power to stop Koboi. He believed in them, but with the entropy that had engulfed the world around him, he was beginning to have his doubts. The possibility that they all may be dead terrified him, because no matter what he or any of his remaining officers did, they would be powerless to stop Opal.
Trouble took a deep breath to calm himself, then pushed open the ship's canopy, emerging into the hot winds of the magma lit cavern. He warily regarded the gleaming markings that covered the walls, eying them with disgust as he jumped to the solid ground, pulse rifle in hand. Around him, dozens of LEP and allied fighters had landed, their occupants now removing themselves from the ships, weapons ready. Commander Ivankov and his men were already formed into squads, checking the landed daemon transports for any hostiles.
If they have been beaten, then Opal has no real threats left to challenge her. Kelp thought, staring into the glowing tunnel at the end of the outcropping. If even they failed to stop Opal, what hope do we have of defeating her? He looked back to his men, seeing nothing but pure determination on their part. He smiled proudly, his mind already made up. Even if there is no hope, that will not stop us now. If this is our end, then we will make it one worthy of remembrance. He looked again to the cave, his rifle gripped naturally. We will not give Opal the pleasure of seeing us cower beneath her. We will show her that even in defeat, we are far greater than a monster like her can ever be!
Commander Kelp motioned to his men. "Let's go!"
Unknown Location
The insane chorus of the innumerable monsters blended with the blood tinctured gloom, the ubiquitous glow seeping through the clamoring limbs and gnashing teeth, illuminating their hateful faces in every dreadful detail.
Artemis lay near lifeless amidst the imprisoning mass of dead, the cold now warm compared to the chill in his heart and soul. The twisted mockeries of his friends were all around him, their gnarled fingers holding him fast as their hellish eyes taunted him, daring him to try and escape. He failed to even squeeze his eyes shut, completely paralyzed by the numbness that was seeping into him from the dead, as though they were slowly converting him into one of their own.
His mind was growing numb as well, the terror that had engulfed it a buzz in the distance, replaced by a sense of dimming light. He could barely articulate thought, and even though he knew full well the fate he would suffer if he failed to escape, his resistance was virtually nonexistent, eaten alive by the horrors that subdued him.
Is this all that you can muster!? Pathetic! An accusing voice taunted from nowhere, its speech filled with spite. Was it his own critical mind, or was the dark magic making fun of him now?
You are a failure! It said mockingly. Your soul will die here, dooming those who were stupid enough to call you their friend!
Artemis felt the accusations slice into him. Usually such words wouldn't hurt, but with the dead forms of his family and friends glaring into his soul, he felt as though he had already lost them to whatever hell had taken over the world. He stared dumbly into the air as he felt everything grow even colder, his memories and consciousness sinking into a sea of mist. All he had ever been was being sucked away, robbing him of his very identity. He could barely think, but he still wondered why he couldn't recall his name. Who was he?
Upon him, the gnarled form of Holly grinned widely, as though sensing his failing grip on reality. The others each hissed their own approval, the feral madness in their eyes glinting sharply like well polished knives. Whatever agenda they had, it was progressing perfectly.
Artemis saw the faint tinges of darkness begin to form at the edges of his vision, though the occurrence barely registered in his mind. He felt...hollow.
One by one, the deformed hands of those around him pressed into him. They didn't stop as the physical boundary, however, they simply passed right into him, into his partially ethereal body. It was as though he were made of air, and the beings were grasping at mist—but they were not failing in their attempts to destroy. As they passed into him, he felt the icy cold go beyond measure, and the dark ring in his vision expanded almost across his entire field of view. It was like something was being sucked out of him, something that was irreplaceable. It felt horribly wrong.
The taunting voice laughed insanely in his ears, its source everywhere at once. Pathetic failure! How do you live with yourself?
The words seemed so far away, along with everything else, fading into black ever so slowly. He was sinking into the depths of an abyss, his very essence falling apart like dispersing clouds in the sky. As he sunk, the only two words that came to his deadened mind were the same he'd been thinking ever since he'd fallen.
I'm sorry.
As soon as his eternal regret flashed in his mind, his vision failed, leaving nothing but darkness.
The Gate
Opal Koboi laughed as more and more power flooded into her, an endless surge of magic that went beyond any possible means of measurement. It was truly a bottomless well of magic, and it was all hers. The spell was not yet complete, however. She still had a few irritating minutes to go before she unlocked the Gate, and opened the way to the actual prize. But despite her usually impatient nature, she didn't mind one bit. Her enemies were all dead or dying, and the dagger was destroyed, leaving nothing in her way. Besides, there was no rushing such a beautiful moment of triumph. She wanted to savor this feeling, drink every last drop of it while it lasted, lavish herself with it. Why not? She was, after all, a god; what could possibly stop her now?
The tremors shook relentlessly as her mind swam with power, oblivious to all else. The sounds in the air grew and grew into impossible choruses of dread, almost at the grand final of the horrid climax that was literally shaking the entire planet. And this was but a taste of that which was to come. Once she gained the power that the Gate offered, there was no limit to what she could do. The universe, every reality imaginable, everything above and beyond the previously incomprehensible, would be her oyster. How wonderful that felt!
Oh Artemis, if only you were alive to see me now. She thought wickedly as she shifted another layer of the spell into place, eliciting another layer of was so close now, there were only a few steps remaining, a pittance of time between the world and an eternity of damnation. Opal's insane grin was seemingly permanent as everything fell into place, a reflection of her uninterrupted madness. You've been a formidable foe, Fowl, but everything has its end...apart from me of course. Her eyes were burning like condensed stars. Wherever your pathetic soul is rotting now, I honestly hope that you are witnessing the results of your failure. That is a punishment from which even death will not spare you!
The chamber was hammered by another wave of tremors as another spell weave was put into place. The intricate spell circles were now almost completely amalgamated into a singular entity, with only a few remaining to be integrated into the colossal equation. Opal felt the anticipation course through her veins like liquid fire; the time was almost up.
Unknown Location
An eternity passed, an eternity of nothingness. He was nothingness, a useless soul trapped within itself, incapable of doing anything but wait for a salvation that would never come. He knew nothing; not his name, not even the simple fact he existed; everything was empty of meaning. Feeling nothing, seeing nothing, hearing nothing, thinking nothing...was here anything tangible here?
He lay weightless in this formless prison—all purpose, all freedom—gone. He was a ship without sails or oars, left in an endless sea devoid of wind and current. It was hopeless. And so, in his catatonic state, he drifted to nowhere.
For another eternity, it seemed, he floated. After an endless passage of distorted time, a voice echoed through the emptiness.
"Artemis!"
It was impossibly far away, yet he heard it clearly; he recognized it! With his numb mind, he struggled to make the connection, to make any sense of the voice, to build the bridges that had been burned by the terrors of this place. It took him forever, but he managed a name.
...Holly...
His drifting consciousness dragged itself along, confused by the name. Who was she? How did he know that name?
"Artemis!" It called again, stronger this time.
His mind slowly formed the word that it called to him.
Art...e...m...is...
Was that...his name?
The voice called again.
My name...is Artemis...He thought, perplexed and intrigued. And that...voice...is Holly...
She called again, and this time it sent a jolt of emotion through his unfeeling husk. It surprised him, like an entirely new experience. Maybe it was...
Artemis...Holly...
The names echoed through the hollow expanse of his mind, sounding more familiar every time they bounced off of its barren walls. He pondered it for an age, the echoes ever causing something to increasingly change within him.
"Artemis!" A voice called, this one different from the last, but no less urgent.
Domovoi...Butler...The name came randomly to his mind, surfacing from the dark depths of the abyss. It felt weird, and brought a faint feeling of comfort to his lonely being. The distant familiarity was getting closer, but still felt too far to grasp, eluding him like taunting water escaping between the fingers of a man dying from thirst.
"Artemis!" Even more voices called, each filled with love, and fearful urgency.
Mother...Father...Myles...Beckett...Juliet...
Shards slipped together, their sharp edges forming a smooth, fulfilling surface. He began to connect the broken pieces, each time a greater picture forming, one that aroused an odd, undefinable emotion within in. What was it called? What was this...feeling? The name eluded him, as did the memories.
More voices began to call his name, along with those that were already doing so, mounting to dozens, to hundreds, and more. He knew them all.
I am...Artemis Fowl...The Second...Yes, that's my name...
Now images were forming in the blackness, faint pinpricks of light which flashed on and off all around him like brilliant fireflies on a warm summer night. Their beautiful moments of glimmering warmth kissed him gently, like a loving mother.
"Artemis! We need you! He heard Holly's voice call above all the others, its signature penetrating into his being like a needle, but it didn't hurt like one; it brought a pure and healing warmth.
Faces. He began to see faces. They appeared before him, flickering into and out of existence in brief, glorious star bursts of innocent light. Some were young, some old, some in between; all of them looking to him with deep expressions. Each he knew, and as they became more defined, he began to place names to them.
Myles, and Beckett...Juliet...my parents...some hairy kleptomaniac...Mulch, yes.
As they popped into his mind, they filled in the empty spaces, displacing the cold cobwebs that had intruded so malevolently. As they did, the numbness slowly started to fade, like a sheet of solid ice melting after a long winter, revealing the tender beginnings of spring flowers beneath. He could feel, and just the feeling of being able to do so was foreign, as though he had been born only moments before.
More faces appeared, each calling to him desperately. Why was he so important to them? What was the motivation behind their cries?
Foaly...Butler...
Then he saw them, the odd mix of blue and hazel: those glorious mismatched eyes. They bore into him like nothing else, capturing him with their brilliance, stealing him away without protest on his part. In that moment, he felt himself come alive, the face he beheld like a bolt of lightening striking his dead soul, jolting its sleeping functions into motion once more. The eyes stared in his own, shining beautifully.
"Holly!"He yelled, his own voice sounding just like he knew it should: it was him. He was Artemis Fowl.
He felt a rush of consciousness, a tide of knowing, a wave of meaning that shattered the gloom. He remembered everything, why he was here. It rammed through the cold, decimated the numbness, and shattered the illusion surrounding him. He had been lost within a dark cave, the only images visible those of distorted shadows. Now he had emerged from that cave, finding his way into a light that brought everything into focus, showing him truth. The blackness fell away, revealing the crimson tinted masses of writhing corpses, still piled on top of him, grinning with evil.
"Artemis!" He heard the memories call again, the faces now plastered in his mind, each a banner to his cause.
He was covered with the horrible forms of those he had thought were his family, his friends. They stared at him, still believing that they had him, still thinking that he was lost in himself. Artemis heard the voices calling, saw their faces in his head, and felt their love in his heart. It warmed him completely. He felt a fire rising within, a storm of heat that flared as he finally brought the dominant thought to mind: Opal.
The beings around him seemed to feel his growing resolve, their wicked grins disappearing, and their familiar masks fading slightly. They growled, sending their hands plunging into him again, seeking to pacify him once more.
Artemis felt the frigid hands drill into his being, their intrusion a sudden shock of pure agony. He gritted his teeth, but refused to submit. He could not die yet, it was unacceptable, an improbable thing to consider. Just one more purpose, that was all he had. He didn't care if his fate was decided, so long as he accomplished his goal, for them, the voices in his heart.
The dead creatures pushed harder, crushing against him as they doubled their efforts. Before his face, Holly's ruined form growled, her insane eyes burning with fire. All around her, the others did the same, malice pouring from them in droves. They saw something in him that they utterly despised, something that was the antithesis of their own nature.
"I need you...Artemis." Holly's voice cried through the growls.
Artemis felt the flames of his own determination burst into every fiber of his metaphysical being, outshining the glaring eyes of the monsters around him. His purpose was strong, his final directive in life now his battle cry, his creed, his definition. With his mind now perfectly in control, he grabbed onto the gnarled arm of Holly's false apparition. He pulled on it, and with surprising ease, it snapped apart, fading to dust in a pathetic manner. The creature's eyes betrayed something that he'd never seen in them before: fear. Artemis' face was solid, his eyes filled with a fire of their own. He grabbed onto the neck of the false Holly, pulling her close as to look directly into its hateful eyes, unblinking, unafraid.
"You are NOTHING!" He growled, and as he did so, the things around him visibly pulled back, terrified. The false Holly roared at him, the smell of death assaulting his senses as it went ballistic. It then forced him back, hitting him with such a strike that it made him fall to the ground. As he fell, the others regained their resolve, and with roars of their own, launched themselves onto the boy, their actions driven by a sense of pure desperation. They had to stop him.
Artemis grunted as they piled onto him, stabbing their limbs into his body with utter hatred, seeking to overwhelm him with sheer numbers. There were millions of them, billions even, blotting out everything with their twisted forms.
"You fool, you can't win!" The taunting voice from before yelled, as cunning as ever.
Artemis gritted his teeth against the enormous, stabbing cold pain that the boney claws made as they punched into him, ramming into the warmth of his soul relentlessly.
The voice laughed, its confidence supreme. You see! You are nothing, Fowl! You will fail!
Another hundred claws stabbed into him, leeching his strength. A short cry escaped his lips, but nothing more. Against the impossible pain, he held firm.
The voice growled angrily. Just give up!
More and more of the dead surged onto him, yelling and screaming with unbridled hate, doing everything in their power to end him. Artemis felt their weight, and their hands as they reached into him. He glared daggers right back at them, unwilling to give them the pleasure of seeing him cower.
"You can do it Artemis!" The voices called. "We believe in you!"
"Don't listen to them!" The antagonizing voice yelled, increasingly emotional. As if in response, even more hands stabbed into him.
Artemis closed his eyes, the pain assaulting him in enormous waves. I have this one chance. He thought. I will not let them down!
At once, all of the memories he had of those he fought for washed through his mind. Every moment, in every detail, was before him. He looked back to the beginning of it all, to when a misled child captured a fairy. The images moved like a movie, from scene to scene, from year to year, one adventure after another. All of the pain, all of the happiness, all of the times he'd saved or had been saved by others, and every time he had been shown the beauty of the world. It was the story of his life, and from his point of view, it was incomplete. The last chapter had yet to be written, the white paper still devoid of the fate deciding markings of its master. It was but a few pages short, the ending yet to be discovered, a tantalizing mystery for the literary eye. He smiled.
One last adventure...
He let the memories amalgamate within his heart, pooling into a precious sea of hope. Hope, that was the word that had eluded him before. He had hope.
By now he was covered in a sea of the dead things, but even with the hundreds of hands stabbing into his soul, he felt not a hint of their chill. He was better than that, he would not let them win. The evil voice screamed incoherently into his ear, roaring with all the hate in the universe. Artemis' face tightened into a serious glare, his eyes opening and falling upon the false Holly once more. All of the flesh was gone now, leaving a burning skull with pinpricks of red light in its empty sockets. It's razor teeth dripped with black blood, the sharp fangs gnashing hatefully. He took a breath, ignoring the howling all around him, and the spiteful assaults that the antagonizing voice sent into his head. None of this scared him, it was just an obstacle in the way of his destiny, a blockade between him and all that he loved. It would not stop him, not in a million years.
"YOU PATHETIC SHIT! The voice roared. "DIE!"
Artemis' eyes flared wide, his expression one of complete anger. He balled his fists, drawing upon every ounce of strength that he had within himself, shaking from the purposeful emotion he felt. The monsters around him pressed harder, but they were nothing. With his teeth barred into a challenging snarl, Artemis yelled out.
"GET...OFF!"
The enraged voice of his invisible antagonist was cut off abruptly by a sudden surge of invisible power, choked out like flames smothered in an ocean. This outburst exploded from Artemis, slamming into everything around him without discretion, blasting the twisted figures back with ease. As they were thrown back, the monsters bodies disintegrated, exploding into clouds of black dust that flew carelessly into the wind, disappearing as they did. Holly's form was the first to go, obliterated instantly before him, its flaming eyes winking out as it was destroyed. The other twisted illusions of his life soon followed, each torn from existence with the same morbid efficiency, cast into flowing seas of fine dust which danced madly amidst the destruction. All around him, the sea of writhing corpses was thrown backward, the shock wave sending the millions of ghouls careening in all directions like weightless dolls, limbs flailing pointlessly as they spun into the endless distance. Artemis stared in amazement at what he had done, though his awe was soon silenced by an even greater change. He felt everything around him shift, the air itself rippling as though the dark realm was an elaborate illusion, its falsity thrown off canter by the force of the blast. Cracks soon formed in the shimmering air, and he could feel himself changing, though as to how he did not know. It mattered not, for all he needed to know was that the prison was unraveling. The cracks expanded in the air, an intricate web of structural deterioration that meant certain collapse.
This is it...Artemis deduced, feeling the ground beneath him give way.
With a massive crack, everything around him shattered, sending him falling from what had been his eternal prison and into a place he knew all too well. There, below his falling specter, was the Gate. The entire chamber was visible now in all its dreadfulness, though cast in a semi distorted fashion, as though everything was submerged in crystal clear water; everything shimmered, and there was no sound.
He fell, and fell, though his eyes were on the chaos that had consumed the room. Opal was floating high in the air, unbelievable measures of power shining from her, the dark magic still flowing from the Gate and the artifacts into her. However horrible this looked, it was also a good thing. Opal had not completed the spell, there was still a chance.
Artemis looked around as he descended upon the hellish scene, weightless. His eyes were quick to notice the fallen forms of his friends, each strewn about like forgotten toys. Butler and Juliet were on one end, Quan and N°1 on another, all of them bleeding profusely. This dismal view soon changed to the center of the chamber, stopping his ethereal heart as it did. There he was, lying on the cold floor, dead. But this was an established fact that he obviously saw coming. What utterly hurt him was seeing Holly, a few feet away from him, stabbed into the earth with a wicked magical lance. She was alive, but obviously losing grip on the world. All of this brought fresh terror to his soul. All of them lay broken because of him, because of his failure. They had fallen for him. He felt his anguish explode, his shame for what had befallen them ambushing him powerfully. He gritted his teeth as he got closer.
Stop it! He chided himself. What use is there for such self condemnation now? He looked again to his body. This is your last chance. They can still be saved, but first you must end this! You must kill Opal!
With that, he threw his shame into the recesses of his mind, focusing entirely upon his goal. He was now directly over himself, having come to a smooth halt upon the cavern floor. It was odd, observing his own dead corpse, but he had no time to waste. Artemis reached out, knowing instinctively what to do.
Here goes nothing...
His transparent hands passed into his physical form, and for a moment nothing happened, bringing sudden panic to his mind. Had he come this far just to find that it was a fool's errand from the start? It was obviously not, for after an agonizing pause, he felt a jolt of energy. Every fiber of his being felt like it was on fire, an entire entity constituted out of glowing hot coals. He felt himself get sucked into himself, and in a moment of healing pain, everything went white.
The Gate
For what seemed like ages, the whiteness persisted. Then, with another jolt of energy, it faded to black. Noise suddenly assaulted him, the sound of Opal's laughter coupled with a million other howls. It pierced his mind, waking it up instantly. The feeling of the stone ground and the enormous tremors came to him as his nerves began to function once more, their electric impulses informing his brain of the impending doom all around. It immediately made his heart beat like a drum, reminding him that he should not have a functional heart at all, for it had been destroyed by Koboi. But despite his death, he felt very much alive. The only logical explanation was that the ancient warlocks had actually been able to save him.
And now I must do my part.
He slowly pried his heavy eyes open, the images at first appearing blurred and discolored, but soon coming into focus as his eyes adjusted. He saw nothing but magical fire above him, an endless storm of dark energy that flew from the spell circles as it worked to accomplish its nefarious ambitions. It assaulted him with hot wind and pieces of sharp stone, but he ignored it given a sensation to his right: there was something in his hand.
Turning his head to the side—a task that was difficult given the weakness that was plaguing him—he caught a glimpse of it: the dagger. It was sitting ergonomically in his palm, perfectly intact, as if it had never left his hand. He managed a slight grin. Thanks Alwin.
He sluggishly wrapped his fingers around the ancient dagger, doing his best to grip it tightly. He then looked back to the ceiling, adjusting his neck as to see the manuscripts as they shined brilliantly in the air. Opal was high above it all, oblivious as she laughed like a madman. As far as she was concerned, she had won. Artemis tried to move his legs, but only got a slight response. He groaned as he tried even harder, receiving pain for his effort. He was incredibly tired, and his body was stiff from the rigormortis that had been in place not moments before, allowing limited mobility. How was he going to stop Opal if he couldn't move?
"Artemis...?" Came a ragged whisper to his side, the voice weak but instantly recognizable. With a surge of energy, Artemis managed to sit halfway up—much to the protest of his body—looking over to see Holly staring at him, an expression of pure astonishment plastered upon her bloodied face. The look was soon coupled with enormous relief.
Holly. He thought, though he didn't speak; words couldn't form on his lips. He looked at her, and with a bit of effort, gave a reassuring smile. Everything is going to be alright, I promise.
Holly tried to say something, but failed against the pain of the spear lodged in her chest. She coughed roughly, blood gushing from her mouth and splattering onto the ground, her body shaking as though half frozen. The coughing stopped abruptly, her eyes glazing over as they rolled back, her head falling back to the ground, motionless. She was dying.
Artemis felt part of him scream to rush to her side, but that was out of his capabilities. Even if he could, what good was that? There was one thing he could do now, and it was in his hand. He gave Holly an enormously concerned look, feeling guilty that he was not there by her side, but also knowing that he was right to leave her alone. As heartless as it sounded, there were more important matters to be taken care of.
Opal...He thought angrily, his attention snapping onto the manuscripts. They were about twenty feet from him, floating five feet in the air. He knew instantly that it was an impossible distance for his weak body to move. He didn't want to think it so, but his calculative mind made it a fact: he couldn't make it within stabbing distance, not by a long shot.
I have to! He screamed inside, refusing to allow for the constraints of his physical form to govern his one chance to end it all. He had not made it through the hell of the Gate's dark magic, and almost losing his soul in the process, to fail now. He had not defied death for the second time in his life, to watch Koboi succeed. He had done it for the purpose of ending her, to cease her evil existence and that which it brought, to put that mad pixie down for good. He had done it to give the world, his family, and his friends another chance. To give his brothers a chance to grow up, his parents a chance to grow old together, his friends a chance to live their lives to the fullest, to chase their dreams and catch them, to be happy. There was nothing more he wanted, even though his desires didn't include himself; he would happily welcome death in the end, as long as everyone else was alright. The thought brought no discomfort to him whatsoever. He had been eluding the odds for his entire life, running from the arrows of fate so as to live on, for whatever reason. Maybe it was time he stood still; maybe it was his time.
Opal's laughter sliced through the air, her eyes rife with mad glee as she stared into the magical storm raging above her, the response of another layer of the spell's equation falling into place exploding into the air. Only two more! She thought, her razor sharp teeth glinting as bright as her anticipation burned inside.
Artemis brought his hand up to his chest, eying the dagger intently. Fate had brought him here to this moment, would fate now let him seize it? Fate...He thought as he tested his limbs, gritting his teeth as he willed them to function.
The air swam with crimson tendrils as Opal slammed home another section of the spell, doing so with wicked gusto. All the while, she laughed, sounding increasingly insane as she went. Yes! One more!
Artemis' legs moved slowly, and after a long moment of painful struggling, he got to his knees. The manuscripts floated not far from him, shining like the sun as they dispensed their influence. He pulled on leg forward, trying to push himself up from the ground. Halfway through the movement, he felt his leg give out, causing for him to fall back to his knees. He coughed due to the exertion, seeing a significant amount of warm blood spatter from his mouth. He ignored it.
I am Artemis Fowl. He thought intensely. I, not fate, will decide how this ends!
He coughed again, more blood spattering onto the stone beneath him. Again, he ignored it.
Just a little more, and it will be over. He closed his eyes momentarily. Please! Have the strength to carry on!
As he opened his eyes, he looked to Holly, her motionless form a silent reminder of everything he lived for, what made him carry on in even the darkest of hours. It was those whom he had, those who had him, that made life worth living, not wealth or power. Gold is power...The motto couldn't have been farther from the truth for him now. What was all the gold in the world, when put up against that which was truly priceless? He smiled at the thought of his friends; he had everything he'd ever wanted.
Opal's mad eyes were filled with happiness as she manipulated the final piece of the puzzle, her attention focused on the magic alone, not the world around her. And so, with this final piece, I become a god!
Artemis brought his gaze back from Holly to the manuscripts before him, and Opal Koboi high above, his eyes filled with a fire that would outshine even that which burned all around him. The spell was almost complete—it was now or never. With his eyes ever upon his goal, Artemis Fowl drew back his arm, the dagger held tightly in a white knuckled grip. It would be a ridiculous plan in any other situation but this, but he had no doubts; he had never been so sure in his entire life.
"It's all mine!" Opal yelled high above, the magic now seconds from completion, the massive spell ring almost complete save a few characters.
Artemis' eyes never left the manuscripts, and his heart never left his friends. With every facet of his being, he willed himself to be strong, pooling every ounce of courage and strength he could muster inside himself. With his arm now fully drawn back, he took a deep breath, remembering the beauty in the world, the wonder that life held, and how far he'd go to preserve it. The world might as well have been watching, as it was he who held their lives, everything balanced upon the shoulders of one young man. Artemis' heart and soul shined with a determination that would move the stars to wonder, his face set in a look of confidence.
"Fly true." He whispered softly.
With a silent roar, Artemis put his everything into his throw, sending the dagger—the fate of the whole world—flying through the fire laced air. The dagger spun with a polished grace as it passed through the swirling storm of dark magic, its motion rhythmic and certain, its course true to its word.
Above, Opal Koboi smiled as she slid the final piece into place, enjoying the moment with immeasurable pleasure. "Finally!" She stated wickedly, feeling the power that was about to be unleashed waiting just beyond her fingertips. In her moment of victory she didn't notice the glint of the dagger as it spun through the air, heading straight for her one lifeline to the world of the living.
Artemis watched as it neared its target, all of his hopes stacked upon this one throw, this one moment. As he watched, he felt himself suddenly weaken, as if the throw had depleted his energy. With a grunt, he fell to the ground, falling almost flat on his face. He recuperated almost immediately, looking up from the ground to watch the monumental moment. No matter how this turned out, it was his duty to witness it, to bear the responsibility for his actions or lack thereof. Time slowed to a crawl, casting the scene into an unforgettable moment of perfect anticipation, existence itself now caught between life and death, a cataclysmic uncertainty upon which the whole universe waited.
The dagger spun gracefully in its arc as it flew towards the glowing artifacts, now only a few feet away, the swirling magic that surrounded its target having no effect upon it whatsoever. Opal, still in the process of completing the spell, felt the intrusion in the back of her mind at the last possible second. Her eyes widened with pure and utter fear, her smile disappearing instantly as she realized what it meant. "NO!" She screamed desperately as she turned her head, looking down in time to see the dagger near her one weakness. With a completely terrified expression upon her face, Opal cast her magic, trying to do anything she could to stop it, but it was too late. The dagger covered the final few feet in the blink of an eye, and for the first time in his life, Artemis actually hit what he was aiming for.
The ancient dagger collided with the manuscripts, the exact tip of its blade stabbing into the gleaming parchment without a hint of difficulty. As it made contact, the glyphs along its length lit up, shining brighter than anything else in the chamber. Opal screamed with a mix of complete dismay and potent rage, her face contorting between the two emotions in random twitches that refused to be controlled. Her gleaming eyes flashed brightly, her emotional screaming composed of long strings of expletives. As the pixie swore violently, the glowing manuscripts pulsed, the dagger seemingly sucking the life from them.
Artemis watched with awe as the hellish scene in the air exploded into disarray. The precariously ordered spell rings broke apart and flew in every direction, the spell not just reversing, but self destructing beyond repair. The symbols that formed the circles flashed brightly as they winked out of existence, leaving small burn marks upon the stone surface that they had dominated not moments before. The air shimmered with a rage of its own as the tendrils of dark magic writhed like amputated limbs, twitching as the life faded from them. All the while, the still floating Opal howled madly, her rage and terror flowing like a rapids. The limitless sea of magic that had been flowing into her exploded outward, sending a wave of energy hammering into Artemis. He was sent sprawling onto his back, but the force of the impact didn't impede his vision as he stared at Opal's undoing, a scene that he refused to look away from.
The two ancient devices were now flaming with a fire that glowed hotter than melted steel, pulsing with more and more energy as everything around them went ballistic, the only place of remote sanity amidst the madness that was flowing unabated. Dark magic flowed from Opal, ramming into the pillars that surrounded the main circle, which were glowing as well, their ancient markings swimming with fire. The stone monuments sucked in the energy until they gave way, their tall forms disintegrating with loud cracks, leaving piles of glowing dust in their wake. The remaining magic in the air began to collect around the center, and as it did, Opal Koboi was cast from the air, her previous power gone. She screamed as she slammed into the ground just beside the manuscripts, her legs breaking from the impact. She looked back to where her only tether to the world floated, stabbed clean through by the dagger that should have been in pieces. Her face was filled with fearful rage as she watched the two artifacts heat up even more, the impossible taking place before her.
The dark magic had fully gathered into a condensed sphere high above the Gate, its form flashing with crimson lightning and bubbling masses of pure power. Below, the manuscripts reached their breaking point, the sound of their parchment cracking apart filling the chamber with an improbable volume. As they cracked, the dagger too began to fragment, its stone surface becoming covered with glowing lines as the cracks formed. Artemis felt the air bulge with pressure as this happened, and out of intuition, held onto the ground for dear life. Not a second later, both the dagger and the manuscripts exploded into showers of wicked fire. Opal screamed as the fragments of parchment rained down around her, glowing as the flames consumed them.
"NO! NO! NO!" She screamed desperately, grabbing at the burning pieces of paper as if they could still save her, trying hysterically to gather the few remaining parts of her now shattered hopes, her eyes wide and shimmering with tears. Her shaking hands could barely reach the pieces before they burned up completely, leaving her with a handful of meaningless ashes. She stared at them with a hollow expression, her entire body shaking. "No..." She whispered, her voice the epitome of disbelief.
Above, the magic roiled like a storm cloud, circling above the Gate like a vulture. Then, with a hundred cracks of thunder, it shot straight now, slamming into the center of the circle with immeasurable force. The pedestal upon which the manuscripts had been placed shattered like glass, disappearing into the pillar of magic as it pressed into the ground, causing for the earth to groan. The carved transmutation circle glowed brightly, wildly trying to keep itself together, as if it was a living being fighting for its very survival. It only took the roiling magic a few seconds to end this resistance, and with a colossal rending of stone, the entire circle split in half, its glowing symbols reacting with what appeared to be agony, writhing sporadically before erupting into fiery explosion. The sea of dark magic pressed into the cracks in the circle, sending waves of powerful wind and kinetic bursts flying from the epicenter of the chaos.
Opal Koboi was thrown head over heals by the blasts, her face smashing into the unforgiving stone a few meters from Artemis, who was still plastered to the ground in an attempt to stay in one piece. The pixie groaned with pain as she tried to pull herself up from the ground, her face cut in several places and already bruising. Artemis looked up at her, still low to the ground as the pulses of energy blew from the storm in the center. He immediately noticed how she had changed. She had none of the power as before, leaving her weak and brittle, her broken legs a clear sign of her lost capabilities.
"No...it can't be!" Opal cried as she stared at the ground, tears falling from her eyes, her dreadful persona shattered upon the rocks of reality. It was over for her, she had lost. "That...damn...Fowl!" She seethed, her sadness compounded by a powerful rage. Looking up, she stared straight at the topic of her outrage, her eyes filled with a madness that was beyond even her previous self. Her wicked teeth glinted as she glowered at him, her visage brimming with hatred. "I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!" She shrieked, reaching out with her small but no less threatening hands as if to choke him to death. Grabbing onto the ground, she started to pull herself towards him, her useless legs dragging along the stone, leaving a smeared trail of blood behind her.
Artemis reeled backward, doing his best to avoid the insane pixie, but found that he had little strength left as well. He watched with horror as she dragged herself towards him, all the while uttering an endless stream of hate filled nonsense, her eyes wide and feral.
"FOWL!" She roared, the name uttered with oceans of spite.
Artemis pulled himself back slowly, the sound of the magical chaos echoing through the air along with Opal's screams. The dark magic poured into the ground, its heat causing for the center of the room to partially melt. Then, with a new series of loud cracks, the air around Opal shimmered, followed by a flash in the pixie's eyes, a spark that lit up and then was gone. Her face tightened at whatever was happening, her hate filled screams withering out as she realized the implications. As if to respond to her realization, a stream of brilliant crimson sparks poured from her body, spiraling through the air towards the flowing magic as it receded into the earth. It didn't take Artemis long to see that those sparks were her very being, slowly being consumed by the magic that had once been her slave. The pain was evident in her eyes, and even more evident in her voice as she croaked. "I can't go back!"
It started at her feet, her otherworldly form deteriorating into the red sparks of light. It began to work its way up her broken legs, slowly eating her alive.
"I can't!" She cried pathetically, still crawling towards Artemis, all other purpose gone.
Artemis stared at her as she wasted away, astonished at how frail she had become, and at the grotesque magic that was consuming her. It was like watching a dense thorn bush whither in a drought, its fangs useless against the omnipotent forces of nature.
"Fowl..." She rasped angrily, tiredly, staring into him with hatred, though fear filled her gaze more than anything. The dark magic was now at her waist, and rapidly tearing away her torso. As it did, her strength gave out, leaving her utterly defeated upon the uncaring stone, a legless fool. Her eyes left Artemis, seemingly forgetting him in the face of her doom, instead looking into a distant place, as though looking back on the life that she had thrown away so callously. Bloody tears filled her crimson eyes, overflowing like a deep wound and falling down her bruised face, leaving sorrowful streaks as they went. She was shaking uncontrollably, and as the magic reached her upper torso, she sobbed, her eyes betraying something that Artemis never thought he'd see from her: regret. Though it was likely the regret of not killing Artemis sooner, he could not help but wonder. It was like she was seeing clearly for the first time, realizing just how much she had thrown away, how she had squandered her promising life on the empty ideals of revenge and power, letting true happiness slip through her fingers. Her arms and shoulders fell away, leaving her head suspended in the air, ever cast in sadness, crimson tears falling like rain. At the last second, her terrified eyes switched to Artemis one last time; there was no hatred in them, only despair. With a terrified whimper, Opal Koboi disappeared, her face reduced to a cloud of glittering red sparks, the last part of her to fade being her pitiful eyes. The luminous remnants danced on the wind as they were pulled towards the magical storm, into which they fell away forever. As the last of Opal's remains disappeared, the swirling mass of energy made its own final outcry. In a shower of radiant sparks, the dark magic exploded out of existence, the evil energy's dreadful noise ending in one final boom.
Artemis stared onward, the sight of Opal's eyes chilling him to the core. The force of the explosion sent him rolling into Holly, who didn't even budge. Though the magical lance was gone with Opal, she was very well stuck to the ground with dried blood. Artemis looked at her bloodied face, and could tell by the slight movement of her chest that she was still alive. He reached out to help her, but felt himself nearly pass out from the effort. With a tired grunt, he fell to the ground beside her, feeling a new agony rising inside of him. Was he dying again? He didn't know, but at this moment there was nothing he could do about it, nor did he very much care if his end should come: he had finished it, Opal was gone, the world was safe; he had fulfilled his final wish.
The earthquake had subsided when the magic had faded, but now a new tremor shook the chamber. Dust and rock fragments began to fall from the ceiling, and massive cracks formed along the walls. Artemis felt fear rise in himself. The entire cave was coming down, and along with it his friends too would perish. He tried to move, but felt nothing. The light was fading, or was it his own vision?
The chamber shook more and more, fissures opening in the floor like hungry maws, the telltale glow of magma boiling in their depths. Artemis could barely make things out now, but in his fading strength he managed to place his hand upon Holly's, wishing for no other place to be. The darkness was slowly taking him in, welcoming him with warmth and kindness, and as it did he squeezed Holly's hand, both to console and be consoled.
Showers of stone started to fall, the noise now unbearable as entire sections of the chamber started to collapse. Shouts gradually echoed from the entrance, followed by faint shadows in his vision, though he could not identify anything. As several pairs of strong hands pulled him off the ground, he felt his grip on consciousness slip, leaving everything cast in a comforting darkness. In the last moments of knowing, Artemis heard the familiar voices of the ancient warlocks speak from a distant place.
"Well done, Artemis Fowl."