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A Twist of Fate by Stardust Firebolt
Chapter Seven: Finding Yourself
"Wh-what is this?" Foaly exclaimed disbelievingly, astounded by what he was seeing. His eyes couldn't be deceiving him because he clearly had perfect vision, but what on earth could have caused such terrible destruction?
Fire ravaged every corner of Haven, turning streets into ashes and dissolving everything in its path into a massive ocean of red. The flames malevolently licked the shops that once stood there proudly. Doorposts succumbed to the heat of the fire and crumbled before it, sending swirls of dust into the air. Through the thick, black column of smoke that had begun to gather, Foaly could see Root and his team trying valiantly to protect themselves from the ravenous blaze of the fire while they tried to find out who had caused such a terrible thing. Bodies lay charred on the floor while the people of Haven scurried frantically about, panicking and shrieking, causing a chaotic situation that had never been seen since the goblin incident four years ago. While people tried to save their own lives, the 'booming' sound never ceased, making Foaly wonder if the source of the sound, whatever it was, was the one causing the fire.
The furious rage in Root's eyes was fiercer than the fire that threatened the livelihood of the people of Haven, causing a shudder to run down Foaly's spine.
"D'Arvit!" Root swore. "How could we have overlooked such a terrible thing!" he spat angrily. Trouble was surveying the area around Root, looking grim. "Send some people to put out the fire! Go, quick!" Trouble commanded hurriedly, ordering two men to go back to the LEP and call for more back-up to help extinguish the fire. The LEP officers were doing everything they could to keep the fire in control, but it was quickly getting out of hand.
Foaly rushed back to his booth and ran another scan to see where the fire had spread. The computer bleeped noisily as the flame symbol began to crop up almost everywhere, except for the LEP building and the area to the northeast. Foaly tried not to panic. He was the smartest centaur in the world, dammit! He clacked away furiously on the keyboard as he tried to give the situation to Root, who was busy swearing away at their hindsight.
"D'Arvit, D'Arvit, D'Arvit!" Root's voice screeched over the radio. "We could have saved the people, we could have done something, why didn't we see it?? Why didn't anyone in bloody Haven call the bloody LEP!"
Foaly tried to sound calm, but in reality, the possible destruction of the Haven he loved was having quite an adverse effect on him. "Calm down Root!" he shouted back. "The fire's not only concentrated in this area, more fires are being started down south! Whoever it is, I don't know, but I presume it has something to do with the...the...thing in the northeast!"
"D'Arvit!" Root went again. "We can't be in so many places at once, Foaly, think of something!"
"I'm thinking, I'm thinking," Foaly replied as he bashed away at the keyboard, feeling the tension and pressure mount. "I'll try and burst the water gadgets that I've installed in some of the places that are in flames right now. The gadgets should have enough water stored in them for emergency purposes such as this one. I'll try and keep most of the fires under control, but not all the places have water gadgets. If only I had enough funds from the LEP -"
"Foaly, we can discuss your mediocre salary later on. RIGHT NOW WE NEED TO SAVE THE PEOPLE!" Root shrieked, trying to drive the point home.
Foaly sighed. "Okay, okay," he replied. "While I release the pressure on the water gadgets, send a few men to check out the source of the sound coming from the northeast. I have a feeling it's got something to do with the fires," Foaly rationalized as he pressed a few buttons on his computer system, which drew up a map of Haven's town plan and pinpointed the locations of the water gadgets.
Root grunted over the radio. "We're already short-handed, Foaly!"
Foaly chuckled. "So now you realize the importance of having an extra girly captain on your team, Julius, no matter how crazy she may be."
He heard Root sigh impatiently over the radio. "If you're talking about Holly, I don't have time to debate about that with you. Wherever she is, I hope she's safe."
"Yeah, or Trouble will never forgive you," Foaly chuckled yet again, and depressed a few buttons on his computer system. Immediately, a water gadget was shown being blasted open on the computer screen, releasing a huge spray of water which arced high over a fire nearby, dousing it. He did it a few more times.
"Things are all right so far, Julius. Have you sent your men to check northeast Haven yet?" Foaly asked.
He could hear Commander Root grumble, and then call for Trouble Kelp. "Captain Kelp!" Root yelled. "Take a few men with you to northeast Haven and inform us of any signs of trouble. Pardon the pun."
Foaly could hear Trouble giving a short laugh, before he got all serious again. "Yes, Commander!" Trouble replied.
Foaly's eyes switched back to the computer screen. I hope everything turns out okay, he thought worriedly. Or I'll never forgive myself for not watching Haven closely enough.
~*~
(Trouble's point of view)
Trouble choked on the smoke he had just inhaled, and berated himself for not wearing a face mask. He should have known following an unknown thing was hazardous. He waved over his shoulder for the men to hurry up. He loathed having to walk through so much smoke.
Trouble held his breath while he dove through another column of smoke, and realised that that beyond it, the sky was clearer than it had been back there, with just a slight, lazy cloud of smoke hanging above the ground. The ground ahead wasn't charred, and the trees aligning the side of the road were intact. Trouble was puzzled. Perhaps Foaly was right after all...
"Come on, men, hurry up," Trouble barked as he clutched his Neutrino 2000 for comfort. He ran up the road, looking out for any signs of activity, and shone a flashlight through the dense trees, just to see if anyone was hiding in there. Involuntarily, he shuddered. This deserted and creepy place gave him a sense of dread, and forthcoming danger.
Suddenly, he heard a 'phweet' sound, like a shrill whistle, instead of a 'boom' sound. What a very weird place this is, Trouble thought to himself, shivering again. He shone his flashlight around as he walked further up the trail.
"Anything suspicious, Trouble?" Commander Root's voice crackled through the radio, startling Trouble. Haven sounded a lot noisier back where Root was than here. Trouble glanced around himself before replying, "Not at the moment, Commander."
Ph.....weeeeeeet!! Trouble heard the sound again, before it was accompanied by a 'boom' sound. The ground shook gently beneath Trouble's feet.
"What's the eerie sound?" Root spoke again, and Trouble shrugged before he realised Root couldn't even see him do that. "I don't know," Trouble admitted, trudging further up the walk. "I've been hearing it ever since I came nearer here."
His flashlight shone on a dark figure, who flew away. It couldn't be a bird, because it had two legs. When the figure walked, there was an awkward gait to it. "Hey!" Trouble yelled, running after the figure. He heard his men panting behind him.
"What is it, Trouble?" Root asked.
"I think I saw someone, Commander...someone flying..."
Trouble hurried after the dark figure, who ran off towards the dense trees. "Stop there!" Trouble yelled after it.
Trouble soon caught up with it, and pinned the figure to the floor. He removed the hood the figure had been wearing and was shocked to see who it was. His eyes flew wide open.
"HOLLY?!" Trouble cried in surprise, and in his amazement, let go of Holly. She merely stared at him, as if she couldn't recognize him, and flew up high. Her flight seemed to be aided by some buzzing thing connected to her arms. She stared at him again, and laughed out loud.
"Eh....hee hee hee HEE HEE HEE!" she laughed. Trouble was taken aback. This was hardly the Holly he knew, and loved. Holly never laughed like that. Nor did her eyes glint with such insanity. What happened to Holly?!
"Wh-what are you doing here??" Trouble asked bewilderedly.
Holly didn't reply. She seemed to be oblivious to her surroundings. Instead, she fixed him with a steely glare. "This...has been....a...fun...game...but....Haven....will... perish..." she said gleefully, and burst into laughter again. She did not seem to notice how chopped up her sentences had become, as if she was no longer the Holly who was eloquent.
"Die...LEP....die...die....Haven, die....!!" she screamed, and with that, she depressed something on her belt, and a tiny missile shot out of it, making a 'phweet' sound. Trouble watched disbelievingly as it soared into the sky and fired towards downtown Haven, crashing with a satisfying 'boom'. Trouble soon figured out what had been making the sounds, and the fire.
"Holly....Holly...what's wrong with you?!" Trouble started angrily. He knew this couldn't be Holly. Not the Holly he respected, not the Holly he loved. This wasn't the special Holly in his life, damn it! The men behind him were clearly shocked too. This couldn't be Holly, the girl who loved the LEP to death, nor could it be the Holly who thought of Haven as her home! Someone had taken over Holly!
"HOLLY!" Trouble screamed, trying to get Holly down.
"My name.....my name...my name's not Holly....leave me alone..." The Holly in the sky was moaning, clutching her head.
Trouble was adamant. "Holly....! I'm Trouble, it's me, come back to me, Holly..."
"My...my name...is...is not Holly....My...my name is not Holly...is not Holly...is not Holly...IS NOT HOLLY!" she screamed, as if her head was splitting in half. Immediately, it was as if an invisible hand pushed her forwards, and her body went limp as she sank to the ground, her flying tools failing her.
Trouble reached out to catch her before she could crumple to the ground. He ran a hand lightly over her face, a worried look etched out on his face. He watched anxiously as Holly's eyelids fluttered open, her eyes confused and befuddled. "T-Trouble?" she whispered.
"Oh, Holly.....Holly...." Trouble could hardly find the words. "I was so afraid you were gone, I was so afraid of what had happened to you..." His voice was shaking, and his heart ached with so much pain that he almost keeled over.
"Trouble," Holly said again, her voice getting weaker, before her eyelids shut and her head lolled to one side.
~*~
(Back to the Holly's point of view)
"Holly...! Holly...!"
"Won't someone help her?"
"Please! Somebody!"
"Holly! Holly....wake up..."
Holly could vaguely hear a lot of screaming from different people and noises that made her head spin. As much as she yearned to see what was going on, her eyelids just felt like they were weighted down with lead, making them so heavy that they refused to open.
"Get out of here!" a sharp voice sliced through the air.
"Who do you think you are?" a voice had risen to an angry pitch and retorted.
"I'm a doctor, that's who. Clear out so I can see the patient!"
A lot of grumbling ensued, before footsteps shuffled away. Holly felt so helpless. There was nothing wrong with her, was there? Why would she need a doctor?
"Holly...can you hear me?" The doctor's voice was soft and gentle, and Holly tried to respond, but the ache in her head made it difficult.
"Holly?" the doctor tried again.
"Ugh..." Holly groaned, and tried to open her eyes. A sheaf of dizzying images formed before her, and as her eyes tried to adjust to the new line of vision streaming through, she tried to speak.
"Wh...where am I?" she murmured groggily.
"Holly...are you all right?"
"H-how...did you know my name?" she said feebly, her eyes shifting to look at the doctor. Her vision began to get clearer.
The doctor sighed. "I guess I'm not really a doctor, Holly," the 'doctor' said softly, removing his stethoscope and long white coat, and his blonde wig.
"Th-then...who are you?" Holly asked, and she knew the answer the moment her vision cleared up.
"It's...it's Artemis, Holly. Do you remember me?" Artemis asked, fixing her hazel eyes with his piercing blue ones.
Holly sat up in shock, and a jolt to her brain immediately made her wince in pain. Artemis noticed this, and helped her lie back down. For Artemis to see her in such a vulnerable state made Holly feel conspicuous.
"Where am I?" she said softly, trying to ignore the dull ache in her head that refused to go away.
Artemis looked away. "You're back in Haven, Holly. You're back in your own home. It's where you wanted to be all along, right?"
Holly felt her heart thud unsteadily. She, too, refused to look at him. He thought that she resented staying at Fowl Manor. What he didn't know was that she thought otherwise.
"I...I guess," Holly replied slowly, unsure of her feelings and what to say. "Why are you underground, then? And how did you sneak in here?"
"I followed you here. To tell you the truth, I was afraid of what was going to happen to you. You were so..." Artemis trailed off.
Holly began to feel a sense of dread. "....What was I?" she asked timidly.
Artemis looked at a spot above her head, and Holly was tempted to turn around, but she knew there was nothing on the wall. "Well..." he began nervously. "You just weren't acting like yourself. Butler and I followed you to the McGraineys' farm where you boarded the shuttle. You arrived in Haven, and Butler and I followed you out....and then..." For the second time, an uncomfortable silence hung in the air.
Holly felt the tendrils of trepidation latch furiously onto her heart, keeping it still. She hardly dared to breathe. What had she done?
"...What did I do?"
Artemis refused to answer, and looked at his own shoes.
"What did I do, Artemis?" she repeated. She took him by the shoulders and forced his face up towards hers. "Tell me!" she said urgently.
Artemis swatted her hand away as if he didn't care, and looked stonily away from her. "Stop pestering me," he said coldly.
Holly felt indignant, and all traces of emotions for him vanished. "Why do you keep doing that?!"
"Doing what, Captain Short?" Artemis replied icily, and Holly noticed that her formal name was back in use, instead of the nice 'Holly' Artemis had used before.
"Act all nice and then so cold!" she spat, turning away from him furiously.
Artemis glared at her.
"Fine, be that way, you jerk," Holly yelled.
"Have you ever considered the fact that I didn't want to tell you what atrocities you committed?" Artemis retorted.
"And why wouldn't you want to tell me?" Holly hissed.
"Because it'll hurt your feelings, and I'm definitely not the sadist you make me out to be!" Artemis snapped.
Holly was taken aback. It certainly wasn't the answer she'd expected from Artemis. Artemis misunderstood her silence for something else.
"But if you really want to know, Miss I-think-I-know-it-all, you went happily frolicking around the town you loved and blew up half of Haven, causing a devastation like no one had ever seen before. Butler and I saw it all."
Another shock was dealt to Holly, and she found she was at a loss for words. She had really done that? What on earth had possessed her to do that?
"But - but I - how did I - ?" Holly stuttered. She couldn't even recall taking the shuttle back to Haven! What on earth was going on?
"Are you happy with the truth now?" Artemis spat.
Holly felt her strong facade ebb away, exposing her to raw emotion. The shock of the news Artemis had just revealed was crushing her, as she tried to figure out what went wrong with her.
Did I go crazy again? Am I crazy in the first place? What's going on with my own mind?! I don't even know! I've never felt so helpless before! She felt the beginnings of tears form behind her eyelashes, but she struggled to keep them in. She was not going to cry. She had to be the strong Holly everyone knew. The strong Holly she was, and the strong Holly she wanted to be for the rest of her life. Artemis, noticing her distress, softened and was about to offer a tissue when suddenly, the door burst open, and a horde of LEP officers burst in. Artemis looked stunned as did Commander Root and Trouble Kelp, who stared confusedly at Artemis.
"How on EARTH did YOU get in here and why are you here?!" Commander Root boomed at Artemis.
Artemis tried a chuckle. "I can explain -"
"You were faking to be a doctor?!" Trouble cried.
Root was beside himself. "Get away from Holly, you troublemaker!" he yelled, unleashing his fury. Root wasn't in a very good mood, because of what had happened to Haven and because Artemis wasn't exactly his best friend. "You must have been behind this, you criminal! WHAT KIND OF DESPICABLE CREATURE WOULD PUT A FAIRY UP TO THIS?!"
"I didn't put her up to it -" protested Artemis.
"Exactly!" Trouble cut him off, agreeing with Root, his prejudiced views about Artemis taking over. "You act like you're concerned, but you're really just faking it! The fact that you used a disguise to come in here proves that you're just a scheming, artful little swine!"
"I'm -" Artemis began, but was cut off yet again.
"Yes! And why else would you come to Haven?! You just wanted to destroy us, didn't you?! You detestable D'Arviting Mud Boy, it's time for your repulsive schemes to come to an end! Men! Grab the Fowl boy and throw him into Howlers' Peak!" Root commanded angrily, his emotions about Haven getting the better of him as he jumped to conclusions.
"But I -" Artemis was having trouble keeping his own anger in control.
"SHUT UP!" Holly screamed.
Trouble looked at her concernedly. "Holly?"
Holly's voice shook violently as she tried to force her tears back. She was already feeling terrible, and they had to come in here and make so much noise, disturbing her thoughts as she tried to understand how she had lost control of her own self.
Can't everyone just get along with each other for a single minute?! Do they have to make things worse?! she thought, already feeling very helpless.
"Just shut the D'Arvit up and get out of here," Holly said, trembling.
"Holly..." Trouble began, and put his arm around her shoulders, but Holly threw his arm off angrily, glaring at him with tear-filled eyes.
"D'Arvit, Trouble! Just leave me alone!" she shrieked, taking Trouble by surprise.
"Okay, okay, Holly. Calm down," Trouble muttered. Commander Root took Holly's advice and quietly left the room. "I'll deal with you later, Mud Boy," he hissed at Artemis, whose blue eyes held no trace of emotion. Trouble gave Holly a last lingering look before he left, and even Artemis got up to leave.
Holly instinctively reached out and grabbed his arm. "Stay," she croaked, wondering why she wanted Artemis' presence.
Artemis turned, his blue eyes confused. "Why?" he inquired.
"I don't know...just...stay," Holly admitted.
The confusion in Artemis' eyes gave way to amusement.
"I didn't know you needed me so much, Captain Short." He raised an eyebrow and tried not to smile.
"Cocky little piece of filth," Holly whispered, but she knew he was teasing her again, to make her feel better. And she did - at least, the tears in her eyes had subsided as a small smile began to grow on her face.
Author's Note: I don't know if you found this chapter good. To be honest, I had a little writer's block here, so the plot and the ending probably sounded a bit weird. Dreadfully sorry. Meanwhile, continue to review, and I'm sorry that the relationship between Artemis and Holly hasn't lived up to some reviewers' expectations. (Apparently there isn't enough wit and sarcasm, and I'm really sorry about that.) The next chapter will explain why Holly set fire to Haven and also Artemis' explanation to the LEP. [And there's more, but I'm not giving away anything...:) ] Chapter 8 will probably be out on Saturday.