A/N: As of last chapter, this story has reached a hundred reviews, so I just want to say a massive thank you to everyone for continuing to support this story :)

-Kio

Chapter 20; Farewell

Location Unknown

Opal hovered in the lotus position, unsure how she felt. She didn't know how many had survived the attack on Fowl Manor. The flames had consumed her army, but she didn't know if Artemis and his friends had been able escape in time or if the explosion had been their misguided attempt to bring the Fallen with them to the grave.

It had hurt. She hadn't expected that. As the parasites were ripped from their hosts by the inferno, she had felt their pain. Felt their dying screams deep within her. It had been agony, like every nerve in her body was burning.

And yet, despite the pain, despite the possibility that Artemis Fowl and that wretched elf Holly Short were still alive, she couldn't quite find it in her to be angry. Her hatred flitted around her mind, still a part of her, but just out of reach. She remembered what it was like to hate Artemis, to despise him with every fibre of her being and to want nothing more than to watch him burn, but the emotion was hazy, as if separated from her by frosted glass. Artemis didn't seem to matter so much anymore. Nor did Holly Short.

The parasite, that was her priority. It was perfect. The absolute pinnacle of evolution. And it needed her help to conquer the surface. Who was she to deny it? She didn't have a future anymore, at least not in the conventional sense. She had nothing to lose, and in many senses, nothing to gain.

But that didn't mean she was done. Not even remotely. Because there was still a whole world out there; a whole world that needed to be made to suffer the same way the world had made Opal Koboi suffer. Tens of thousands of fairies; billions of humans; just waiting to die.

Waiting to be assimilated.

"Mistress."

The word was a strangled snarl, but Opal understood. At first, she had needed to use her magic to communicate with the Fallen, but no longer. Now she could feel the meaning of their stunted speech. It all felt so natural. Like she belonged.

"What is it?" she replied, not bothering to turn to face the minion.

"We are weak. We need more hosts."

"In time."

The Fallen human growled its displeasure. "The humans live in great nests. Tens of thousands of hosts. They are defenceless. We must take them."

Opal sighed. "Cities. Yes, I am aware of them. But the humans also possess weapons of unfathomable destruction. If we reveal ourselves before we are ready, what few warriors we have left will be annihilated."

The Fallen reared its rotting head angrily. "You would have us wait?"

Opal finally turned to it, her eyes alight with malice. She smiled. "Oh no. The People are in turmoil. They will make a much softer target."

The Fallen human attempted to mirror her expression, its disfigured features twisting into an ugly smile. "Fairy blood," it breathed.

Opal nodded. "Then we will be strong once again. Assuming they are still alive, Short and Fowl will be isolated. And we will be free to enslave humanity at our pleasure."

Artemis emerged from the shuttle with renewed confidence. He called Holly and Natalya over to him, allowing a slight smile to decorate his face.

"Good news?" asked Holly.

Artemis nodded. "I believe I know how to find Shangri-La.

The elf frowned. "I thought you were trying to work out where it was? Not how to find out where it was."

"I was. Using the resources I received from Foaly, I have narrowed it down to a specific region of the Himalayas, but the entrance is supposed to be magically hidden, and I can't find anything referencing its exact location. However, all is not lost." He turned pointedly to Natalya. "I believe Opal used her black magic to guide her way to the hive mind. You should be able to do the same thing."

Natalya tried to keep her expression as unreadable as always, but Artemis could tell she was taken aback. "I'm not sure," she said slowly. "I have no formal tuition in magic, and no knowledge of magical science. Opal only saw fit to teach us magic's violent applications."

Artemis shrugged. "Well, it's our only chance, so if you're not up to the task, we're all dead. No pressure." He turned his attention back to Holly without waiting for a response. "Holly, please fetch my family. We will have to deposit them in a safe location before we pursue the hive mind."

Holly left to do as she was asked, her expression mixed, as though she couldn't decide between enjoying Natalya's newfound discomfort and being appalled that they were going to have to rely on her to find Shangri-La.

Natalya watched her go. "Fowl. What you are asking of me is unlikely to work. You must realise this."

"It has to work. There is no other choice." Artemis closed his eyes, thinking for a moment. "The parasites. Can you… I don't know, sense anything when you are near them?"

Natalya shook her head, but then furrowed her brow slightly, as if reconsidering. "When I healed Holly, I felt it, the thing inside her. It called out to me. Like a scream. A dying scream."

"I suppose that could be relevant. What about anything more general? Since the Fallen re-emerged, have you felt some kind of malignant presence calling to you from deep underground?"

Natalya smiled faintly. "You're joking, right? A malignant presence?" She shook her head. "I'll do my best when we get there, but come on. Don't you think I might have mentioned something like that?"

Artemis's gaze was like ice. "I'm not convinced that you are even capable of conducting yourself in an honest or forthright manner. I will question at all times the veracity of anything you tell me, and whether or not you have omitted key information, whether because of simple incompetence or deliberate malicious intent. Do you understand?"

After a moment of frosty silence, Natalya reached out a careful hand and touched underneath Artemis's chin. She tilted his head upwards so their eyes were level, reminding him of the height difference between the two of them.

"Be careful, Fowl," she whispered. Then the hand was gone, and she was heading back to shuttle.

Artemis exhaled slowly. He didn't appreciate the touch. The last time Natalya had touched his skin, she had been torturing him. And while she had entirely erased the physical wounds, the emotional ones were no less raw than on the day.

Holly returned with Artemis's family and together they boarded the shuttle. Artemis Sr. and Angeline took the twins to what served as the shuttle's passenger area and tried to make themselves as comfortable as it was possible to be in a military shuttle. Artemis Jr. made to follow Holly to the cockpit, but he was interrupted by a groan. Butler seemed to be regaining consciousness.

Holly spared him a supportive glance. "It's best coming from you."

Artemis took a breath. "I know."

"Call if you need me."

Artemis nodded absently and went to the stirring giant. It wouldn't have been such impossible news to deliver if Juliet had simply been killed in the struggle, but the fact that she had given her life for his layered his grief with guilt. For Artemis, Juliet's legacy was one of crushing responsibility, as though he had inherited the duty of justifying her sacrifice through his future actions.

And there was no doubt in his mind that he would hold himself accountable if he failed to deliver, even if no one else was willing to.

"Domovoi." He lent down and helped his manservant up into something resembling a sitting position. "How are you feeling?"

"Like I was just trampled by a small herd of elephants," Butler said before frowning, as though his mind was taking a moment to catch up with his ears. "You used my name. What's wrong? What happened?"

Artemis hunted for a way to say it. A way that might render the blow just a fraction softer. Anything that was better than the blunt truth.

Nothing came to mind.

"Juliet is dead. She gave her life so that I could escape the formers."

Butler stiffened, but was silent. Artemis studied him, searching for a sign.

"I'm sorry," he said, and immediately regretted it. The words felt woefully inadequate, a hollow gesture in the wake of an unimaginable tragedy. But he didn't know what else to say. A thousand explanations, callous excuses, fought for priority against worthless words of comfort, but Artemis pushed them all away. They weren't enough. Nothing would ever be enough. Making an attempt to alleviate the pain felt almost foolish. It would be nothing more than an attempt to diminish the severity of what had happened.

Butler slowly pulled himself to his feet, the movements clumsy, his once unmatched coordination sealed away behind stupefaction. His eyes found Natalya.

"Artemis," he said quietly. "Why is that girl on board this shuttle?"

Natalya caught a fragment of the conversation and turned. An emotion flitted across her face when she saw Butler conscious.

"She saved us," said Artemis, unable to think of a reason not to tell the whole truth. "All of us. And she healed you and Holly."

"That doesn't answer my question."

"She's still here because we need her to defeat Opal. Far from ideal, I know, but it's the reality. It's work with her or doom to entire planet."

Butler was silent for some moments. "I see," he said eventually, and started to walk away from Artemis. It wasn't obvious what he was thinking, or what he was planning to do.

"Butler…?" Artemis called after him, but the bodyguard shook his head without turning around.

"No, Artemis. Just no. I need to be on my own."

Artemis watched helplessly as he retreated, forcing down the urge to go after his oldest friend. It wouldn't do any good, that much he was sure of.

Holly was just finishing her pre-flight checks as Artemis joined her in the cockpit.

"How is he?"

Artemis sat down heavily. "He wants to be left alone."

Holly nodded sympathetically. "I understand how he feels. Were you brave enough to tell him about your Faustian pact?"

"If by that you mean accepting assistance from Natalya, yes, I did."

"I'm impressed."

"Don't be. He saw her. And no, he didn't react very well to that either."

Holly was still angry about the situation with Natalya, and she considered pressing her advantage, but Artemis was weak right now – weaker than she'd seen him in some time – and she knew her conscience wouldn't tolerate it. She instead filled the silence with the roar of the shuttle's engines. Artemis had already programmed their destination into the onboard computer, and she brought up the pre-calculated route.

"Holly?"

The elf turned to her human companion. "Yep?"

"I'm worried."

Holly continued the take-off procedure, covering her surprise. This wasn't like Artemis. Not at all.

"I didn't know Artemis Fowl did worried," she said lightly, trying to take the edge off his words. Judging by his expression, it didn't work. "Come on, we've never failed to save the world before. I don't see why this time should be any different."

"It's not that. I'm worried about what happens after."

Holly gunned the ignition and the shuttle began to rise out of the forest clearing. "I don't understand."

"I feel… different. Have you noticed it? Even since I regained my memories, I haven't quite been the same as I was before."

Holly tilted her head slightly, considering it. Now that she gave thought to it, Artemis had seemed a little different. A little more normal than his old self. A touch more subdued, perhaps, as well.

"I'll bet it's what Natalya did to you. I'm sure it'll clear right up once we get №1 to heal your mind."

"Maybe," said Artemis, but his tone was doubtful.

"You don't agree?"

"I'm not sure," he said after a moment's pause, and Holly could tell it was the truth. "I suspect you are half right. I think what Natalya did was part of it, but not the magical side of things. Not the programming. Just the things she did."

Holly didn't say anything, but she could feel anger welling up inside her all over again. How could Artemis even consider working with this girl?

"It's not only that, though," Artemis continued. "Do you remember all those years ago, when you healed Butler in London?"

Holly hesitated, wondering where Artemis was heading with the question, then nodded. How could she forget?

"Do you remember what you said to me? About my schemes?"

Holly thought for a moment, willing the memory to the surface. "I told you they had a tendency to get people hurt. Particularly those that cared about you."

"I thought I understood what you meant. I thought to myself, she's right, I need to stop playing these games. But I didn't stop, and I didn't understand, not really."

"Isn't that for the best, though? Aren't you glad we got to have all those extra adventures?"

"You're right. I am glad. And since we saved the world a few times in the process, I'm sure everyone else is too. Or at least, they would be if they knew. But I don't think I can go on. All of this… it's too much."

"Oh, Arty."

Artemis smiled bitterly. "I thought I was so grown up, gambling other people's lives, and the fate of the world. Gambling my own life. Playing games I had no right to. Shouldering burdens no one can bear alone. But I think now, I've finally grown up. I finally learned the lessons that anyone else would have learned years ago."

Holly didn't speak, but her face made it clear how she felt. Her anger was gone. All she could muster now was sympathy.

"Twice, now, I've made Butler and my parents grieve for me. The second time, I put you through that pain as well. Juliet gave her life for mine, and now my oldest friend is without his only family. The twins had to suffer through a siege for God's sake. My ill-thought-out plan to rescue you cost Trouble and countless others their lives. And that's not even mentioning the list of bad things I did deliberately – we went through that list more than enough when I had Atlantis, and we both know it's long. Far longer than it has any right to be."

"I thought we'd been over this – you can't blame yourself for other people's actions! Opal killed Juliet. Natalya took you from me, and from your family. And the first time you went missing, that was just bad luck!"

Artemis shook his head patiently. "I am not accepting blame for the malice of our various opponents over the years. But what cannot be denied is that those things happened, and would not have happened if I had acted differently. Do not misunderstand me: I am not necessarily saying I regret them – although I wish some of them hadn't happened. I think you are right; it was for the best. The world needed saving, and this was a lesson I needed to learn for myself.

"But it cannot continue. We will stop Opal, and this time, it will be permanent – Natalya made sure of that. We will destroy the Fallen once and for all. But, assuming we survive, it will be our last adventure. And this time, I mean it."

Holly turned her attention back to flying for a moment, trying to work out how this made her feel.

"It's not just about the effect on other people, either," Artemis added. "There has been a personal cost. Atlantis, attempting to sacrifice myself and Natalya's torture are the worst culprits, but there are others. I feel… older. Weary, almost. Things got a lot darker, at least for me. For you, too, I think. Our adventures are no longer the light-hearted affairs they once were."

Holly tried to digest this. Artemis was right; things had got darker. A lot darker. And now that she thought about, she realised that he wasn't the only one who had suffered a personal cost as a result. In the last few months, she had been shot, kidnapped, tortured, lied to, beaten within an inch of her life multiple times, and had to watch the Lower Elements descend into chaos and murderous resentment. She had had to grieve for both Trouble and Artemis. All of that, it had changed her, cost her some of the person she had always prided herself on being. Her old self, for example, would have never considered what she was going to do to Natalya once Opal and the Fallen were defeated.

But that wasn't what was bothering her. Or at least, not what was bothering her the most. There was something else, clawing at her insides. It took her a moment to put her finger on exactly what it was.

"What does this mean for us?

Artemis smiled. "Hopefully, it means we will actually have the opportunity to spend time together for the sake of each other, rather than simply because the world requires our cooperation. And hopefully it means that we will live long enough to get the most out of each other's company. That is, if you haven't changed your mind…?"

Holly returned the smile. "Never," she whispered, and leaned over to kiss him. Because while she didn't know what was going to happen, she knew one thing for sure: now that she had him, she was never going to let Artemis go. Not for anything.

After everything, she reckoned she had earned the right to be selfish about something.

"I really can't allow you to run off like this," insisted Artemis Sr., stood on the steps of the safehouse to which Holly had delivered the Fowl family. "It isn't your job to save the world all on your own. Stay with us."

His son gave a slightly crooked smile. "I won't be on my own. Butler will be there. Holly will be there. I know you don't really know her, but believe me, there is no one you would rather have by my side."

"What I would rather is that you don't go gallivanting off to your death! It's absurd. You're a teenager, for God's sake."

Artemis Jr. chose his words carefully. He was uncomfortably aware of how much his father was sounding like himself, only a few hours ago, talking to Holly.

"I am an extraordinarily capable teenager. And I have experience in this field. Considerable experience, in fact."

"That doesn't mean you have to go," his father pleaded.

"You're right. That isn't why I have to go. I have to go because I am the only person that can do this. If I choose the easy path, all life on this planet will be destroyed. I have decided not to allow that, and that decision if final."

Artemis Sr. held his son's gaze for a long moment. He looked slightly taken aback at the finality in his son's words, but maybe there was a touch of pride sneaking into his expression as well.

"Angeline?" he asked eventually.

Angeline smiled sadly. "Arty, my son. My poor, brave boy. I would love to forbid you to go. I would love nothing more than to have you stay safe forever. But I know that the time has long since passed for your parents to make decisions for you, and that it wouldn't change a thing if we tried."

Artemis Jr. swallowed, surprised to realise that there were unshed tears in his eyes. He blinked them away.

Angeline stepped forward and embraced him. "Please," she whispered. "Be careful. I can't bear the thought of losing you again."

"I will be, Mum." Artemis took a careful breath. "Stay here, stay inside. I doubt Opal will even be looking for you, but there is always a chance. I should hate to return from saving the world to find myself an orphan."

Artemis extricated himself from his mother's arms and went to twins. Both were absent their characteristic smiles, replaced by grave expressions that looked amiss on their childlike faces.

"Hey," said Artemis, bending down and ruffling their curls. "Be good for Mum and Dad while I'm gone, OK? And take care of them. I'm sure I'll be back soon."

Neither twin looked convinced.

Artemis sighed. "Proper little cynics, aren't you?" He smiled. "Mum told me you didn't believe me last time I said that. But I was fine, wasn't I?"

Even if Juliet wasn't, he thought, but didn't bother adding.

The two still looked somewhat anxious, but their brother's words seemed to reassure them at least a little.

"Good luck," said Myles quietly.

Artemis straightened and looked down at his brother, finding himself feeling surprisingly grateful. He considered saying something glib about not needing luck, but it didn't feel right. Instead he just smiled.

"Thanks, Myles."

He exchanged hugs with his father, and then again with his mother, before turning to face the four of them.

"Goodbye," he said. "And thank you. For everything."

And with that he was gone, striding towards the sunset. Holly would be back to collect him shortly, and he had no intention of being late. He knew from experience that saving the world tended to be the kind of thing done on a rather tight schedule.

A/N: This chapter is slightly different in tone to the rest of the story, and to canon as well. I don't know whether Artemis felt in character when talking to Holly, because their conversation definitely strays away from how they are in canon, but I wanted to underline the fact this and Winter of Decay are significantly darker stories than the canon ones and that the things that Holly and Artemis go through don't come without personal costs. Holly isn't the quite same person as she was in canon anymore. Neither is Artemis. Obviously, Artemis changes a lot over the course of the books, and shows that change most strikingly in TLG, so I kind of wanted to do a slightly sombre twist on that. As he says to Holly, I imagine that he finally grows up. He isn't a kid anymore. Which seems to me the perfect ending for the series, and perfect situation for A/H to take place.

Anyway, tell me what you think in a review :)

-Kio