Disclaimer~ I don't own anything.
A/N~ Please keep reviewing!
Dark room, Inside the Warehouse, Somewhere in Ireland
Everyone seemed frozen in time. A few seconds ago Captain Short had passed out from her fatal wound and now the rest of the group stood still, racking their brains for ways to save Holly. But all anyone knew was that for right now they had to get out of there.
As Holly passed out Trouble had picked her up and cradled her in his arms like a baby and had started running towards the exit. Everyone else followed suit although, Artemis needed help getting up due to his wound. The groups soon found a staircase, using Foaly's help even though they wouldn't admit it, and made their way back out of the warehouse the way they had come in. Soon they were back at the Bentley.
Nothing had changed since they were last there but Butler still did his bomb check anyway, you can never be too safe, right? By the time they were all settled down in the car Foaly could clearly be heard sobbing from the OP's booth.
"Pull yourself together, man!" said Root, in a rather exasperated voice. "Now, before you completely fall apart, tell us where the nearest place is that we can perform the Ritual."
"Oh, okay." Sniff. " Umm, it's about ten minutes from where you all are right now. Just take the road that you got here on all the way south. It will end at a bend in the river where an oak tree is. You can do it there."
"Okay. Ten minutes you said? Fleur it, Butler. We need to get there in as little time as possible." Root commanded in an authorative voice.
"Alright. Buckle up." Came Butler's solemn and grave voice from the drivers seat.
At the End of the Road, Somewhere in Ireland
Trouble was still gripping Holly as if his survival depended on it. He looked slightly teary-eyed and tired but you could see the determination to save Holly in his eyes burning. He would have done anything to help Holly at this moment, anything.
Butler pulled up to the end of the road and halted the Bentley silently and stepped out cautiously. You never know who may be waiting for you around a bend, especially in a situation like this, with enemies all around. Within second he spotted the large, mighty oak standing proud and tall amongst younger, smaller birches. It appeared to be rather majestic and grand, with it's foliage green, and thick, it's branches swaying softly in the evening breeze, and the furry, little woodland creatures running all around it, playing merrily with each other. It was just like something you would see in a storybook for young children. The peace around the tree made Butler want to forget his duties and impending dangers, but he knew that there are lives to save and he mustn't dawdle.
As the others filed out of the Bentley, Butler made busy trying to find some acorns that the fairies could use for their Rituals. The Ritual is an ancient duty that replenishes fairies magical powers. He had seen a few Rituals but mainly for minor things, cuts and small wounds and severed fingers, even though to him that wasn't considered minor. He didn't see the major healing that Holly had preformed on him but he could imagine that to bring someone back from the dead it must have taken great effort.
After he had found a few acorns he brought them back to the tree where the fairies were waiting, patiently would not have been a good word to describe them though. Trouble was standing up cradling Holly in his arms as he looked around anxiously. Commander Root, on the other hand, was showing his impatience through tapping his foot on the ground in a quick rhythm as his complexion got redder and redder and redder. He knew that time was ticking, and running out quickly, for that matter.
As Commander Root was handed the acorns he said, "Kelp, I want you and me to do the Ritual first and then we will have Captain Short do it. That way while she is automatically healing herself we will have magic enough to give her an extra shot so she can get more healed quicker. Okay?"
Trouble just nodded. He wasn't really listening to anything the Commander had to say. It really wasn't his main focus at the moment. His main was focus was to save Holly. At the moment he felt oddly cold. Like all of the emotion had been sucked out of him. This must be what it feels like to be Artemis, devoid of emotion, he thought.
He finally regrouped himself from his thoughts and he and the Commander plunged their arms into the soil whilst holding the acorns. They said the incantation and soon he could feel the tiny blue sparks surging into his body, filling him with momentary joy. To be revitalized in such a way always lifted his spirits, no matter how awful his situation was. The magic coursed through his body, opening every pore, and going through every last body part. He took a deep breath when it ended, as did Root, as the excitement of the Ritual started to die down.
Even Artemis was excited, even though he didn't show it, as the pair preformed the Ritual successfully. No matter how many times he saw it done he still couldn't get over the wondrous effect it all had on him. Sometimes he felt jealous that he wasn't born a fairy and so he couldn't do the Ritual. But then his knowledge of all the rules and limits the possession of magic had come back to him and he stopped wishing. Dealing with the severity of the situation at hand there was not any time for silly, childish dreams.
Seconds after he had preformed the Ritual, Commander Root grabbed Holly from where Trouble had laid her down. He roughly shoved an acorn in her hand and plunged it into the ground forcefully, just as he had done back in the Artic when her finger had been severed. Well this brings back memories, it's just like having déjà vu, he thought. Ironic, isn't it?
Soon, a massive wave of blue sparks seemed to engulf Holly. They jumped across her tanned skin so quickly it seemed that Holly's skin was alight with blue fire. After approximately three minutes the sparks died down until only a lone two or three could be seen.
Knowing how much energy is released during a healing the humans and Mulch backed away about a hundred or so feet. Commander Root and Trouble ran to Holly as fast as their two legs would carry them. They got down on their hands and knees and put their fingertips to Holly. Simultaneously they said 'heal' and they pushed their magic to the limit as they forced it into Holly's body. After they had done all that hey could do, they ran back to the others and waited. And waited. And waited.
After what seemed like an eternity, Holly started to jerk. First it was just her fingertips and then her toes right on down to her pointed ears. Soon she flew up into the air in violent thrashings as she jerked and twisted from side to side in painful convulsions. After watching two minutes of this horror, Artemis had to turn away. It looked like an invisible person was torturing her. It was all too gruesome for him. It was hard enough having to see one of his only friends be shot, but then to have to witness an almost tortures healing was overwhelming.
Then, it stopped. Holly's limp, pale form fell to the ground with a soft thud. Artemis leaped to his feat and ran to Holly, the others not too far behind him. He rushed over and knelt by her as he lifted her head up off the ground. Slowly, Holly opened her eyes just enough to see Artemis' overjoyed face. Without a second thought he pulled her into a warm hug that seemed to never end.
When Artemis did this Trouble was overcame with jealousy. Not only had he gotten to her before he had but now he was holding her in an almost loving fashion. This infuriated Trouble. He had never liked Artemis Fowl but now he loathed him something terrible.
Holly couldn't tell what was going on. Last thing she could remember was fainting in Troubles arms and now, here she was, with Artemis hugging her. Wait a minute. Artemis hugging her? That just didn't sound right. But even with all of the confusion in her mind she numbly wrapped her arms around his frame gently. What do you know, I'm alive, she thought with a slight smile.
A/N~ She didn't die! I wouldn't do that to you all anyway. I'm not that mean, even though my friends say I am. Please review and tell me what you think!
A/N~ Please keep reviewing!
Dark room, Inside the Warehouse, Somewhere in Ireland
Everyone seemed frozen in time. A few seconds ago Captain Short had passed out from her fatal wound and now the rest of the group stood still, racking their brains for ways to save Holly. But all anyone knew was that for right now they had to get out of there.
As Holly passed out Trouble had picked her up and cradled her in his arms like a baby and had started running towards the exit. Everyone else followed suit although, Artemis needed help getting up due to his wound. The groups soon found a staircase, using Foaly's help even though they wouldn't admit it, and made their way back out of the warehouse the way they had come in. Soon they were back at the Bentley.
Nothing had changed since they were last there but Butler still did his bomb check anyway, you can never be too safe, right? By the time they were all settled down in the car Foaly could clearly be heard sobbing from the OP's booth.
"Pull yourself together, man!" said Root, in a rather exasperated voice. "Now, before you completely fall apart, tell us where the nearest place is that we can perform the Ritual."
"Oh, okay." Sniff. " Umm, it's about ten minutes from where you all are right now. Just take the road that you got here on all the way south. It will end at a bend in the river where an oak tree is. You can do it there."
"Okay. Ten minutes you said? Fleur it, Butler. We need to get there in as little time as possible." Root commanded in an authorative voice.
"Alright. Buckle up." Came Butler's solemn and grave voice from the drivers seat.
At the End of the Road, Somewhere in Ireland
Trouble was still gripping Holly as if his survival depended on it. He looked slightly teary-eyed and tired but you could see the determination to save Holly in his eyes burning. He would have done anything to help Holly at this moment, anything.
Butler pulled up to the end of the road and halted the Bentley silently and stepped out cautiously. You never know who may be waiting for you around a bend, especially in a situation like this, with enemies all around. Within second he spotted the large, mighty oak standing proud and tall amongst younger, smaller birches. It appeared to be rather majestic and grand, with it's foliage green, and thick, it's branches swaying softly in the evening breeze, and the furry, little woodland creatures running all around it, playing merrily with each other. It was just like something you would see in a storybook for young children. The peace around the tree made Butler want to forget his duties and impending dangers, but he knew that there are lives to save and he mustn't dawdle.
As the others filed out of the Bentley, Butler made busy trying to find some acorns that the fairies could use for their Rituals. The Ritual is an ancient duty that replenishes fairies magical powers. He had seen a few Rituals but mainly for minor things, cuts and small wounds and severed fingers, even though to him that wasn't considered minor. He didn't see the major healing that Holly had preformed on him but he could imagine that to bring someone back from the dead it must have taken great effort.
After he had found a few acorns he brought them back to the tree where the fairies were waiting, patiently would not have been a good word to describe them though. Trouble was standing up cradling Holly in his arms as he looked around anxiously. Commander Root, on the other hand, was showing his impatience through tapping his foot on the ground in a quick rhythm as his complexion got redder and redder and redder. He knew that time was ticking, and running out quickly, for that matter.
As Commander Root was handed the acorns he said, "Kelp, I want you and me to do the Ritual first and then we will have Captain Short do it. That way while she is automatically healing herself we will have magic enough to give her an extra shot so she can get more healed quicker. Okay?"
Trouble just nodded. He wasn't really listening to anything the Commander had to say. It really wasn't his main focus at the moment. His main was focus was to save Holly. At the moment he felt oddly cold. Like all of the emotion had been sucked out of him. This must be what it feels like to be Artemis, devoid of emotion, he thought.
He finally regrouped himself from his thoughts and he and the Commander plunged their arms into the soil whilst holding the acorns. They said the incantation and soon he could feel the tiny blue sparks surging into his body, filling him with momentary joy. To be revitalized in such a way always lifted his spirits, no matter how awful his situation was. The magic coursed through his body, opening every pore, and going through every last body part. He took a deep breath when it ended, as did Root, as the excitement of the Ritual started to die down.
Even Artemis was excited, even though he didn't show it, as the pair preformed the Ritual successfully. No matter how many times he saw it done he still couldn't get over the wondrous effect it all had on him. Sometimes he felt jealous that he wasn't born a fairy and so he couldn't do the Ritual. But then his knowledge of all the rules and limits the possession of magic had come back to him and he stopped wishing. Dealing with the severity of the situation at hand there was not any time for silly, childish dreams.
Seconds after he had preformed the Ritual, Commander Root grabbed Holly from where Trouble had laid her down. He roughly shoved an acorn in her hand and plunged it into the ground forcefully, just as he had done back in the Artic when her finger had been severed. Well this brings back memories, it's just like having déjà vu, he thought. Ironic, isn't it?
Soon, a massive wave of blue sparks seemed to engulf Holly. They jumped across her tanned skin so quickly it seemed that Holly's skin was alight with blue fire. After approximately three minutes the sparks died down until only a lone two or three could be seen.
Knowing how much energy is released during a healing the humans and Mulch backed away about a hundred or so feet. Commander Root and Trouble ran to Holly as fast as their two legs would carry them. They got down on their hands and knees and put their fingertips to Holly. Simultaneously they said 'heal' and they pushed their magic to the limit as they forced it into Holly's body. After they had done all that hey could do, they ran back to the others and waited. And waited. And waited.
After what seemed like an eternity, Holly started to jerk. First it was just her fingertips and then her toes right on down to her pointed ears. Soon she flew up into the air in violent thrashings as she jerked and twisted from side to side in painful convulsions. After watching two minutes of this horror, Artemis had to turn away. It looked like an invisible person was torturing her. It was all too gruesome for him. It was hard enough having to see one of his only friends be shot, but then to have to witness an almost tortures healing was overwhelming.
Then, it stopped. Holly's limp, pale form fell to the ground with a soft thud. Artemis leaped to his feat and ran to Holly, the others not too far behind him. He rushed over and knelt by her as he lifted her head up off the ground. Slowly, Holly opened her eyes just enough to see Artemis' overjoyed face. Without a second thought he pulled her into a warm hug that seemed to never end.
When Artemis did this Trouble was overcame with jealousy. Not only had he gotten to her before he had but now he was holding her in an almost loving fashion. This infuriated Trouble. He had never liked Artemis Fowl but now he loathed him something terrible.
Holly couldn't tell what was going on. Last thing she could remember was fainting in Troubles arms and now, here she was, with Artemis hugging her. Wait a minute. Artemis hugging her? That just didn't sound right. But even with all of the confusion in her mind she numbly wrapped her arms around his frame gently. What do you know, I'm alive, she thought with a slight smile.
A/N~ She didn't die! I wouldn't do that to you all anyway. I'm not that mean, even though my friends say I am. Please review and tell me what you think!