I keep on postponing the update date. Back-to-school, busy, you know the sort. I'm trying to update as soon as I can. And of course, I'm getting very close to the end.
number 423601: You're back! Glad you enjoyed the chapter!
brownpaperbagswithcherries: Ah. That will be revealed in the mini-sequel:)
neutralgal: Thank you for your compliments, but the reviews are just enough for me. That way, I can talk to my reviewers individually, you know.
Raefel: Thank you! Keep reading!
cybergurl: Glad you liked the cliffie, and the sudden twist. You like just about everything about me ,don't you? I thank you for that!
Kama Nanashi: Hehe. I like to keep readers on my toes, so there are a lot of cliffs. Enjoy the rest of the story please!
Wolfgirl Silver Suicune: Here's the next chapter for you!
Chapter 24: Recovery
It was after a while that he awoke. For one split second, he had no clue whatsoever about who(or what) he was, where he was, and why he was there in the first place.
My name is Artemis Fowl the Second. A small voice answered him from somewhere deep in the back of his head. Where am I? He asked the voice.
I'm in the Lower Elements, in order to rescue Haven. The voice popped out of nowhere once again.
Then it hit him. The attack.
Shocked at the sudden flow of memories that were saved as a small document in his brain, he watched, completely speechless, as his mind flashed images on a mental screen in front of his eyes of the conversation he and Spiro had, Keeth's betrayal, how the feckless American had drew out his gun and...but... he didn't feel any pain at the moment...
That's it. His whole body must be in agony if he were to be alive. Therefore his body was being anesthezised in heaven. Or rather, hell, for he hadn't done anything much decent in his short life. He flickered a finger in distaste.
"Artemis?" a girl's tone inquired. "He's come to! I just saw his finger move!"
Oh Lord. Satan was calling him. Although he never assumed that Satan was a girl...
"Diana, calm down, it's only been a few hours..."
"No! I swear I saw him move, I tell you!"
Splash. A pail of icy cold water was thrown at his face, and hit him with a sledgehammer of comprehension. Now he didn't want to open his eyes. He just wanted to lie here forever, in the same spot, this place that was perfectly safe. He wasn't born for these adventures.
"We all know you're awake, Artemis," Root's loud voice was amplified into his ear. "Open your eyes."
Ah well. What choice did he have? Slowly, he flicked open an eyelid, and the room was dark. He could just make out the outline of his friends, his friends who had apparantly been there by his side for the hours he had been knocked out. Along with that came a wave of guilt.
A hand was flicking the lights on, one by one, leaving an interval of ten seconds so that Artemis could adjust to the brightness. He sat up and looked around, and although he didn't know it, the scene of him bobbing his head around the room puzzledly made him look like the child he was. As his eyes wandered across the floor, he saw Commander Root standing up to meet his eyes. And two round, concerned eyes behind him, one belonging to Diana and the other to Foaly.
"Are you all right?" he asked. Artemis nodded.
"Do you still remember everything?" Artemis nodded.
"That's a relief. Magic can't do anything about amnesia, you know. We can't even reverse mindwipes. The victim has to do that himself with a stimulation that can trigger the residue that might be left in the brain." Root winked. "Why so speechless? Cat got your tongue?" He frowned as Artemis refused to speak, but shook his head instead. "You aren't- surely it isn't aphasia, is it?"
"No, I believe it isn't," Artemis answered, snapping back to his usual self. "I see a few people are missing. Where's Juliet? Is she all right? What about Holly? She must have healed me, and once again, she did her job well." Artemis peered inside the freshly clean shirt he was wearing to see that his chest was milky white with no trace of the wound there was before. "She must have had ample magic to heal a fatal injury like that without my body growing old like that time with Butler, I see?"
"He seems fine," Root said with a smile. "And full of questions. Holly did heal you, and she's gone off to rest due to exhausion and nausea. The reason you have not grown old is that Holly and a few warlocks available in the building did the surgery together. And Juliet is accompanying her-"
"She's about to go anorexic in just a few hours. She's feeling so guilty- she keeps on repeating, 'What was I thinking' and 'Dom would never have done that', and I think you should go see her." Foaly interrupted, and Root gave him a look.
"You know, Artemis," Foaly began solemnly and apologetically. "I could tell you were scared out of your guts, and I don't blame you. I can't blame you, rather. Honestly. You had the world on your shoulders for the past few weeks. I think it's time you had a break."
"I was afraid," Artemis answered, eyeing the floor in what could be inevitable shame. "I also worried a lot of people. My parents and Butler turn out to be alive, so they must be devastated. I really don't deserve to do that to other people." He looked up, then down again, embarrassed at what he had just said.
"I must go see Juliet," Artemis said suddenly, standing up and walking to the door.
"Artemis?" Foaly called again.
"Yes?"
"When you're ready, Artemis. When you're ready."
Artemis Fowl nodded once. Before anyone knew it, he was out the door.
Juliet Butler was on the verge of tears indeed. She sat in a small chair in the corner of a small room, her lower lip bit and her head resting on her knees. She looked somewhat devastated. Artemis had never pictured Juliet acting this way before.
Just when Artemis was becoming worried for her, Juliet held up her head and caught Artemis's eye. The result was unbelievable. Her entire body shook with relief, but her face was held in her hands once again as guilt washed over her.
"I'm so sorry, Artemis," Juliet stammered as he drew closer. "I'm beyond sorry. I don't know what had gotten into me- I knew I should have done it myself. I knew you couldn't do it yourself, I just wasn't thinking. Oh Artemis, are you alright?"
"I'm quite fine," Artemis replied, overly alarmed as he stared at the tears swelling up in her eyes.
"I don't know why I have to be so reckless. Sure, Dom has no mercy when it comes to things crucial, but besides that, he always seems to think logically and rationally. No wonder he's the youngest graduate in Madame Ko's academy and I'm not."
"I reckon that's the similarity between the two of us, isn't it?" Artemis asked as he pulled out a chair and sat down beside Juliet.
"What do you mean?" Juliet inquired, blinking back the tears.
The Irish teenager just looked at him calmly with his incredibly blue eyes, a look suggesting 'Isn't it obvious?' "We're still both teenagers. Still immature. We always do things without knowing what exactly we are doing. Even I, who seems to think in multiple facets overlook many possibilities. No matter how clever I may be, no matter how physically strong you may be, we both lack the strength that is most valuable in one's life."
"Ah," Juliet smiled meaningfully. "I think I know what you mean.""So I was thinking," Artemis continued earnestly. "After this, no more extreme missions. No more illegitimate acts."
"Are you serious?" Juliet asked, apparantly shocked.
"Until the day I am no longer a minor," Artemis smiled. "And after one last mission."
"And what would that be?" Juilet smirked, folding her arms in mock stern.
"You know what that would be," Artemis retorted without looking up.
Juliet's amused smirk faltered a few millimeters, but no more than that. "And are you confident this time? Do you believe that you will succeed?"
"No," The Fowl heir replied, his face splitting into an unmistakable grin. "I don't believe. I know. Artemis Fowl the Second never fails more than once."
BAD NEWS) THERE WILL BE NO SEQUEL.
GOOD NEWS) Two more mini-sequels after epilogue. A comedy fic, action, and romance fic bubbling inside my head. You may anticipate!
