A/N: I promised someone I would update twice this week, so I meant to get this up on Wednesday, then Thursday, then earlier today, and just sort of… didn't. Sorry Elisarah. But I'm still going to do my normal weekend update, so it'll technically still be two chapters this week :D

Writing this was a blast – there's some cute Arty and Holly moments (yes, they do meet in the chapter, apologies if you wanted more of a build-up, but they need to meet so the plot can happen) that were really fun to write. Anyway, I really hope you enjoy!

-Kio

Chapter 4; Alive

Nice, France

The boy paced back and forth, frustrated. The Fowls had still yet to return his call, and he had no way to know if they even would. For all he knew, they were on holiday and wouldn't return home for several weeks. Or perhaps, his strange message had simply been dismissed.

I need a plan, he thought. But much to his annoyance, no grand ideas were forthcoming. His only lead was in Ireland, separated from him by no small body of water. He couldn't fly there, not without ID. And though Ireland was technically part of the EU, it wasn't part of the Schengen Area and so he would need a passport to pass through immigration.

He shook his head. If he had a few thousand euros to spare and some connections, it wouldn't be difficult to pick up a false identity and waltz on over the English Channel to Fowl Manor. Unfortunately, since he had neither, he was stuck in France. Much as he hated to admit it, it appeared as though he was more or less reliant on the Fowls calling him back.

"D'Arvit," he said aloud. He wasn't sure what the word meant, or what language it was from, but it seemed appropriate.

"Foaly, I'm in position. I need a more specific location."

Holly Short surveyed the city of Nice as she hovered high above, waiting for a response from underground. She didn't have to wait long – Foaly was as keen as anyone to see Artemis alive again.

"The call itself was placed from a street," the centaur told her. "To be specific, from outside an electronics store. I tracked down the phone that made the call, and as it happens, it was purchased there shortly before the call. I think it's safe to say the caller isn't there anymore."

"So where are they?" asked Holly, not wanting to get side-tracked.

"That is a good question. The phone is a cheap model – extremely unsophisticated – that runs on credit. The Mud People call it pay-as-you-go. These days it's mostly used by criminals because they're disposable and difficult to track."

"I don't care about the details, Foaly. How is this relevant to me?"

The centaur stamped a hoof. "I'm getting there!" He sighed. He was so unappreciated. "It means it doesn't have the same in-built GPS like a smart phone would, and the Mud Police can't track its location if its off. It also makes this whole thing seem even more strange. Someone bought a disposable phone specifically to make that call. That's pretty suspicious."

Holly felt like she had been punched. "So you can't track the phone? We can't find Artemis?"

Foaly tutted. "I said the Mud Police couldn't. Someone with talent like mine could put together a pretty good approximation."

"D'Arvit, Foaly," said Holly, a threatening edge to her voice. "When I get back to Haven, I'm going to give you a scare of your own."

Miles beneath the Earth's crust, Foaly winced a little. "Alright," he muttered, sending Holly the phone's location. "I get the idea. No need to be so touchy."

A slow smile broke out over the elf's face as the address of a cheap hotel and a room number popped up on her heads-up display.

"I thought you said a rough approximation?"

Foaly shrugged in false modesty, even though Holly couldn't see him. "What can I say? I really am very talented."

The boy was shaken from his thoughts by his door opening. He turned to berate the source of the interruption, but to his surprise, there was no one there. Immediately suspicious, he stepped out into the hallway, eyes scanning the narrow corridor.

It was completely abandoned. Now thoroughly confused, the boy shook his head and returned to his room, pulling the door closed behind him.

He glanced around his small room. There was no one else there, but he couldn't shake the feeling that he wasn't alone. And there was still that strange sensation, as though he was sharing his mind with another consciousness. He could feel is growing stronger.

The boy shut his eyes and took a steadying breath, trying to clear his head. When he opened them, he was no longer alone.

Holly Short stared at the human before her. It was Artemis. And he was undeniably alive. His clothing wasn't exactly what she was used to, and his face was difficult to make out beneath the mess of hair, but it was inarguably him. She slipped into the second-rate hotel room as the boy frowned at the door she had just opened. She watched as he stepped out into the hall and looked around, no doubt expecting to find a couple of prankster kids.

She kept her shield up until Artemis had closed the door to his room. She would have preferred to greet him immediately, to throw her arms around him and make sure he was real, but she couldn't afford to be seen by someone else in the building.

As if on cue, Artemis shook his head and shut his door, turning to face her.

I'm sure he's figured out a fairy is in here by now, thought Holly as she watched Artemis glance suspiciously around his room. She was about to unshield, but then she took a closer look at her human friend. He certainly didn't look like someone who was aware of her presence. He looked… confused. Uncertain.

Holly couldn't help but be reminded of how he had been while in the grips of Atlantis, during those times when he was almost lucid, but not quite. The way his gaze never quite settled; the shadow behind his eyes. The doubt. The worry.

She watched as he squeezed his eyes tight shut and took a deep breath. She stared at him, still trying to come to terms with the fact that she was alive. She tried to speak, but the words wouldn't come. Heart in her throat, she switched off her shield and puller off her helmet.

Artemis opened his eyes. Surprise registered immediately, but he recovered quickly, hiding his shock with a hostile expression.

"Stay back, you don't know what you're dealing with."

Stay back, Mud Boy. You don't know what you're dealing with. The first words she had ever spoken to him.

"Artemis?" she asked tentatively, just about managing to keep her voice steady.

"You aren't human," the boy before her observed, eyes narrowing distrustfully. "Your ears. They're pointed. And who's Artemis?"

Holly stared at him. The guarded boy before her much more closely resembled Artemis as he had been when she had first met him than the person he had developed into.

"Interesting," he continued. "You seem surprised. Am I to assume that I am supposed to know who Artemis is?" He paused to think for a moment, recalling back to his trip to the library. "Is this something about that Fowl man?" he asked carefully, as though he didn't want to give away too much information to the strange creature staring at him.

Holly still didn't trust herself to speak. She just carried on staring at the human friend, eyes wide with concern. Artemis frowned and shook his head.

"This is absurd," he muttered. "You're a fairy. Fairies don't exist. This can't be real."

Having her existence questioned was the last straw for Holly. She stepped forward, finally finding her voice.

"You… you don't remember me?"

The troubled boy took a step back, as though afraid of Holly's words. Afraid of the stranger knowing that he could not remember who he was.

"Remember?" His brow creased, as though he was concentrating on trying to solve a particularly difficult problem. Trying to reconcile his distrust of the fairy before him with the prospect that maybe, as strange as she seemed to be, this was someone from his previous life. His desire not to be alone any longer ended up overcoming his doubts.

When he spoke again, his voice was so soft Holly could scarcely hear it.

"Are you… are you my friend?"

The elf smiled, unaware of the tears starting to leak from her eyes. In a single swift movement, she stepped forward and wrapped her arms him.

"Yes," she whispered. "I'm your friend." She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "I missed you."

Unsure how to react to the spontaneous hug, Artemis hesitated for a moment, but then rather awkwardly returned the gesture. Once the elf broke away, he looked at her uncertainly, as though trying to decide what he thought of her.

"I'm sorry," he said eventually. "I'm afraid I don't remember you. What's your name?"

"Holly," answered the elf warmly, still smiling uncontrollably. She shook her head. "I still can't believe you're alive."

"Holly?" The boy frowned. "Interesting…"

"Why?" Holly asked, confusion giving way to excitement in her voice. "Does that mean something to you?"

"Yes, actually." He regarded for a moment, weighing up his options. Deciding whether or not to trust her. Eventually, he reached into his pocket and withdrew a fairy coin on a leather necklace. "I found this in my pocket. I don't know what it is, but it feels important to me." He held it out to her. "Can you tell me anything about it?"

Holly felt her breath catch in her throat. It was the coin that she had given Artemis all those years ago as a reminder of the first good thing he had done. A symbol of the start of their friendship. She wasn't sure how he still had it when he seemed to have lost all his other possessions, but she was touched that despite not remembering her or the coin's significance, he still felt that it was important to him.

The elf reached out a hand and Artemis dropped the necklace into her palm. She turned over the coin in her fingers distractedly, briefly lost in her own memories.

"I gave it you," she said eventually. "It was a gift."

"Why?"

Holly smiled. Artemis seemed as inquisitive as always. "You saved my trigger finger," she explained. "And my career in the process."

"I see," replied Artemis, even though he didn't. "And tell me; how exactly does one save a finger?"

Holly chuckled at his puzzled expression. "It's a long story."

"I don't have any plans."

"Fine," she sighed, fully aware that the explanation she was about to give would only further confuse him. "My finger was cut off by a door on a train." She raised the finger in question and pulled off her glove, showing Artemis the faint scar at its base. "You reattached it."

Artemis raised a cynical eyebrow. "I… reattached it? Care to elaborate on that?"

Holly laughed again. "I suppose I should start at the beginning." She sat down on the bed and composed herself, gesturing for Artemis to join her. Reluctantly, he sat down next to her and waited for her explain who he was.

Holly tapped out a quick message to Foaly on her wrist computer before turning to Artemis. She cleared her throat and began her story.

"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.…"

Police Plaza, Haven City, The Lower Elements

Foaly could scarcely believe it as he read and reread the message that had just popped up on his screen.

Found Artemis. He's alive and unharmed, but I don't think he remembers anything. Will deliver him back to Fowl Manor later. Thanks for the help.

A smile spread across the centaur's face. It was true that he and Artemis's relationship had largely consisted of arguing, name-calling, and hacking each other's sensitive data, but they had nonetheless been good friends, with a mutual respect that both would have refused to admit was there. Centaurs didn't make many friends, and Foaly had struggled to come to terms with losing one of the few he had.

But now Artemis was alive. How that was the case he had no idea, but he expected they would find out soon enough. The smug little Mud Boy could go back to helping them saving the world, and Holly could go back to her usual self. In fact, now that he thought about it, Artemis would probably be able to shed some light on how to deal with increasingly volatile situation below ground.

He can't help if he doesn't remember us, his pessimistic side couldn't help pointing out.

He'll get his memories back, his other side insisted. I'm sure he will. As soon as we know why he lost them, we'll be able to help.

He nodded absently to himself. Yes, they would be able to help. Soon enough, the Artemis of old would be returned to them. He found himself smiling unconsciously again.

"Foaly!"

The shout came from directly behind him. The centaur turned to see Commander K'Azir striding purposefully towards.

"Commander," he said, wiping the smile of his face. He noticed that K'Azir's cheeks were currently a wonderful shade of purple. "Is there a problem?"

"A problem? You're damn right there's a problem. I've sent you three alerts. What in Frond's name are you playing at?"

Oops, thought Foaly. He'd disabled messages and alerts so he could focus on helping Holly locate Artemis. An oversight, perhaps, now that he thought about it..

"Sorry sir," he said hurriedly. "I must have missed them. What's the situation?"

K'Azir's face was grim. "Koboi."

Nice, France

The boy was slightly overwhelmed. The story he had just been told was exceptional to say the least. And what's more, according to the elf sat next to him, he had been involved in the extraordinary adventures she had described.

Holly was watching him intently, trying to gauge his reaction. "Artemis?" she asked tentatively once it became clear that the human wasn't planning on saying anything any time soon. "Are you OK?"

Artemis. My name. Apparently. He wasn't sure how far he trusted Holly's claims, but he didn't see what she would have to gain from lying to him.

He nodded weakly and looked more closely at Holly. "Your eyes," he said. "They are dichromatic. A mirror of mine. Why?"

The elf smiled at the memory. "The time tunnel," she explained. "When we got back from Hybras, we had switched. Don't ask me how," she added quickly. "I don't understand all the intricate working of interdimensional travel."

"Hybras. That is the demon island, is it not?" Holly nodded. Artemis thought for a moment. "I would presume that data can be become mixed or corrupted in small ways as the body is disassembled and reassembled." He raised one of his hands and flexed his first two finger experimentally. "Perhaps that explains why my middle and index appear to be reversed."

Holly bit her lip. "So you're just… accepting this? No cynicism?"

Artemis's expression lost its playful curiosity. "Hardly, Captain Short. I do not make a habit of blindly trusting people, especially those I did not previously believe existed. However, your seemingly ludicrous story does fit the limited information I have."

Holly frowned. "What information? I thought you couldn't remember anything."

Artemis shifted ever so slightly. Holly recognized the position he adopted when he was about to deliver a lecture.

"Firstly, you give a convincing explanation of the coin and its apparent sentimental value to me. Secondly, I had deduced that I was likely connected to the Fowls, and happen to know that I bear a passing resemblance to the males in the family. It is not inconceivable that I could be related. And if I am indeed Artemis Jr., my month-long absence would explain my overgrown hair and beard." He paused to glance down at his Avenged Sevenfold t-shirt distastefully. "Even if the clothes remain a mystery."

Holly tried to keep a straight face. She failed. "I don't know Mud Boy," she giggled. "I think it suits you."

Artemis scowled. "I would far rather be wearing a suit," he muttered.

Holly relented. Maybe she was going soft, but she couldn't deny how glad she was to see Artemis alive.

"I'm just messing, Mud Boy," she said, lightly punching him on the shoulder. "So you really don't remember anything? Nothing I've told you seems familiar?"

The closed his eyes, a look of concentration forming on his face. "I don't think so. But there is one thing. Your name."

"My name?" Holly frowned. "What about it?"

"When I first regained consciousness yesterday, I couldn't remember anything apart from a dream I was having. I suspect that what I interpreted at the time as a dream was actually residual memories."

"What do you remember from it?" asked Holly, leaning forward excitedly.

Artemis shrugged. "Very little. I recall being in a very good mood when I awoke, and eventually attributed it to something from the dream. All that came to mind was a single word. Holly. I didn't understand what it meant, but I suppose I was remembering your name. As such, I am somewhat more inclined to trust you than a true stranger."

Holly kept her face even, but she couldn't stop her heart from fluttering. Whatever had taken his memories had been unable to entirely erase his memories of her. The thought was comforting.

"You don't remember anything else?" she said.

"Not a great deal." Artemis thought for a moment. "I remember there was a girl. With two swords. She was very pretty, but she was violent. I was afraid of her."

Holly's expression darkened considerably. "Natalya," she spat. "Amber's accomplice." Her mood soured as her thoughts inevitably turned to her memories of the brutal Russian assassin. The pain she had suffered at her hands was still fresh in her mind. And she certainly didn't appreciate hearing Artemis calling her pretty. OK, maybe it was true, but that didn't mean she liked him noticing.

"Ah yes. From what you told me, she doesn't sound very nice."

Holly gave a sardonic laugh. "That's an understatement. So all you remembered was my name and Natalya?"

It took the boy a moment to respond. When he did, his voice was soft. "I remember suffering. I was in pain. All the time. Like my mind was broken. Atlantis?"

Holly nodded sympathetically. She couldn't imagine how painful the mental illness must have been for him. It had been bad enough for her and Butler.

"I should get you back to Fowl Manor," she said, keen to move the conversation in another direction. "Your family will be thrilled to hear you're alive. Butler and Juliet, too."

"My family," said Artemis absently. "Yes. They are grieving for their son I presume?"

"Obviously."

"And you say that my apparent death was my own choice?" Guilt flashed across Artemis's features. "What have I done to my parents…?"

Holly's eyes hardened. Since seeing him alive, she had been too busy being relieved to feel angry at him, but that didn't mean she had forgotten the pain he had caused her. It didn't mean she had forgiven him for it, either.

"They aren't the only people you hurt," she said, her voice harsher than she had intended.

Artemis tensed. She could see that he was surprised by the hostility in her tone. He didn't look like he knew what to say.

Holly took a steadying breath. He did what he felt he had to do to stop Amber. To save his family. To save the world. Don't take your grief out on him. He doesn't even remember doing it. She let out the breath and pushed all the anger and residual grief to one side to be dealt with later.

"Forget about it," she muttered, standing up and retrieving her helmet. "We should go. It shouldn't take long to carry you to Ireland."

Artemis's eyebrows shot up. "Carry me? To Ireland?"

"That's right, Mud Boy," replied Holly, pointing to the mechanical wings built into her LEP suit and pulling out a sheet of cam foil. She winked. "I hope you didn't eat anything recently."

Police Plaza, Haven City, The Lower Elements

Foaly trotted nervously after K'Azir towards the Situations booth as the commander gave him a quick summary of their current predicament.

"Opal Koboi from eight years ago, LEP codename Nexus, has completely evaded detection by the LEP since she initially escaped capture upon arrival into this time," K'Azir began. "But that finally changed about ten minutes ago; Koboi herself contacted us via a satellite link.

"She says she wants to offer us a deal, but she's refusing to talk to anyone apart from the commander of the LEP. I wanted to wait until you were there to begin negotiations. Since she's something of an expert on Koboi, I would have preferred to wait for Captain Short, but since she's on the surface, we'll have to proceed without her. I don't want to delay too long."

Foaly frowned. "Wait a minute. Opal initiated contact? Why?"

"We don't know. At the moment, we're completely in the dark." K'Azir shrugged. "Maybe she really does want to offer us a deal. It can't hurt to hear her out. At the very least we'll find out something about what she's up to."

"Can't we just trace the signal and arrest her?" asked Foaly as they reached the Situations booth.

K'Azir gave another shrug. "I was rather hoping you could do just that," he said. "But your technicians aren't making much process." K'Azir pushed open the door and made his way through the small crowd of LEP personnel. A technician rushed up to him.

"Sir," she said, gesturing to a console in the middle of the room. Live pictures of Opal Koboi were being broadcast all around the room. She looked bored. "You're online with Nexus. We're sending her audio only; no visuals."

K'Azir nodded and dismissed her, walking to the indicated console and activating the microphone with a wave of his hand.

"Commander K'Azir of the LEP speaking."

On the various screens, Opal's eyes lit up, her boredom already forgotten.

"Commander!" she squealed delightedly. "I'm so glad you could make it. Congratulations on the promotion, by the way."

K'Azir grunted. "What do you want, Koboi?"

"Patience, Commander. I want to talk to you."

"Why?"

Opal smiled and leaned into the camera. "I have a proposal for you. An offer I believe to be mutually beneficial."

K'Azir didn't have time for the crazed pixie's games. "Explain."

"A trade. One Opal Koboi for another. If you release my future self, I will surrender myself."

"What the Hell kind of deal is that? How does that benefit either of us?"

Opal rolled her eyes. "Why do the slow ones always fail upwards to the top of the LEP?" she muttered, but then composed herself. "Very well. I shall endeavour to explain using words that a simple mind such as yours can understand."

K'Azir growled into the mic, but Opal ignored him.

"As I'm sure you aware, I need to return to my own time. If I do not, the chances are it will eventually result in a time paradox and the entire timeline will collapse. I have read the reports about my future self's exploits, and it would seem evident that she was not operating with prior knowledge of her circumstances, and she no longer had access to the powers I have now. The logical conclusion – and one that I'm sure the more intelligent among your pathetic excuse for a police force will have already reached – is that, one way or another, I am captured, mindwiped and sent back in time."

K'Azir glanced at Foaly. The centaur nodded – that was exactly the conclusion he had reached.

"Alright, Opal," said the commander. "Say I agree with you. Why should we release the future you? You've just admitted that you'll eventually be captured anyway."

Opal fluttered her eyelashes. "Because, my dear K'Azir, you don't know what the cost will be."

K'Azir felt himself growing uneasy. This tended to be part of negotiations where the terrorists starting making threats. "Cost?" he asked cautiously.

"Yes," confirmed Opal. "The cost. While I recognise my need to return to my own time, I will not do so willingly while I know that my future ends in incarceration. So if you decline my offer, I will be left with no choice but to pursue alternative means of liberating my future."

K'Azir snorted. "And how exactly are you going to do that?"

Opal's eyes were hard. "I will focus all my efforts on destabilising the Lower Elements such that liberating my future self would become more feasible. Specifically by contributing as much as possible to the current climate of unrest that you have already managed to cultivate below ground – well done, by the way – and exposing the People to humanity."

K'Azir wore the grim face of a fairy who was slowly realising he was being outmanoeuvred. "I don't understand. How would that help you free yourself?"

Opal shrugged. "Even though the LEP would be massively weakened and I would gain allies in Haven, I will admit that chances of success are low. But I have calculated that the odds are better than with any other course of action, so if you refuse my terms, you will be leaving me with no choice. The cost will be severe. What I am offering you is a completely risk free way of removing any threat I pose once and for all."

K'Azir switched off the mic and turned to the LEP crowd. "Thoughts?"

"It's a trap," said several officers immediately. "We should just track her down and arrest her."

K'Azir looked in Foaly's direction. The technical consultant was still trying to get a fix on Opal's location. "Foaly? Any luck?"

The centaur shook his head. "She's bouncing the signal around the world a few thousand times before she's sending it to us. Give me a few hours and I might be able to trace the source, but I doubt she's stupid to let us delay her that long. Whatever this is, she's been planning it for a long time."

The commander nodded in agreement. "So what do we do?"

Foaly considered it. He had no doubt that Opal would find a way to carry out her threat, if only out of spite. But there was no way they could risk releasing the pixie's future self.

"Honestly? I don't know. We can't release present Opal, but we can't just let that maniac go on a rampage, especially if she might expose us to humanity. She's been biding her time since she arrived in our time, now she's making her move and she's got us by the balls. We need to stop her."

There were a couple of cynical mutters among the LEP officers present. A few were loud enough to be audible, comments like "Oh, all we need to do is stop her. Why didn't I think of that?" and "Well that sounds like a nice and detailed plan. Real genius, donkey boy."

Foaly whinnied indignantly at the officers before turning back to K'Azir. "I hate to say it sir, but this is the best lead on Nexus we've had since she was first came to our time with Holly and Artemis. It would be stupid not to capitalize on it."

K'Azir sighed. "I was worried you were going to say something like that. I was thinking the same thing. If she wants to make a trade, she'd have to be onsite. That would give us her location."

"Wait a minute… you want to actually accept her offer?" exclaimed a captain, surprise written all over his face. "Are you crazy? You can't trust Opal Koboi. She'll double-cross us!"

K'Azir gave a crooked smile. "Of course she will. That's why we double-cross her first." He switched the mic back on. "Alright, Opal. Give us your location. We'll release your future self as soon you're in custody."

Opal made a great show of laughing, as though K'Azir had said something incredibly funny. The commander waited patiently for the gales to subside. Once she had finished cackling, Opal narrowed her eyes.

"I think not, Commander," she said acidly. "Have you never overseen a prisoner exchange before? I will enter custody as my future self is released." She leaned back as though surveying K'Azir, even though she was receiving no visual feed from Police Plaza. "Let us be entirely candid for a moment: I do not trust you, and you do not trust me. The exchange will take place when and where I see fit. I will contact you again in twenty-four hours. I hope, for the sake of the People, that you have an answer for me, and that that answer is yes."

K'Azir opened his mouth to object to the pixie's terms, but the link had already been terminated. He pointed a finger at Foaly.

"Get Captain Short back down here from the surface ASAP. I have a feeling this is going to get messy."

A/N: Well, there you have it. Opal's on the warpath. As much I got bored of her in canon, I have to admit, she's really fun to write. Maybe that's just because I'm twisted like her, I'm not sure.

Anyway, Artemis and Holly's reunion is obviously a pretty important moment (even if it wasn't their proper one where Arty has his memories) so I really hope I got it right. I tried to weave in some good TLG references (even lifting straight from it in a few places) since this and Winter of Decay are kind of designed as an alternative to TLG. Personally, I'm pretty pleased with how the scene turned out, but I'd love to know what you thought, so please feel free to leave any feedback you might have :)

-Kio