ARTEMIS FOWL: THE CONTACT BETWEEN

Author's Note:

I can't believe that I practically updated in less than 24 hours. This rarely happen, even to a fast updater like me. With the exception for my Escaflowne fic, though (not my Game of Insanity, the other one!). I've known Escaflowne too long that I can type a chapter in twenty minutes without even thinking (bragging a little here, readers!). But Artemis Fowl is new to me, so this is classified as 'strange'. Oh well, forgive my rambles. I'm having a very bad flu and I just read twenty more AF fics. Anyway, just pass this and go to the next stage!

Disclaimer: I don't own Artemis Fowl. Such a shame, really.

CHAPTER 2: RAGE AND PAIN

Right before the video began to play, Artemis caught some signs of grief and shame on the face of Root and Foaly. He frowned a little, slightly baffled. 'A video that can't be traced by Foaly? A kidnapped Holly? This doesn't make sense.'

At least he got the answer for the signs of grief and shame.

The video started by showing a gray metal door, contrast against the plain white wall around it. There was a click of the key, and the door swung open. The holder of the video camera walked into the room, and Artemis could barely hold a gasp.

There, lying on the white ceramic floor, was Captain Holly Short. For a quick glance, she would look like a bloody lump of flesh, clothes, and hair with those wounds on her body. Her jumpsuit was torn everywhere, and blood leaked from the wounds under the holes, dripping with every second, each drip taking her closer to death. She was lying in her own puddle of blood. Her eyes was closed, as if she had been in a deep sleep. Then suddenly, the screen went off.

There was silence, dead silence. Artemis stared at the screen, eyes unseeing. Foaly pulled him out of his trance by saying in an abnormal high-pitched voice, "Well, that's it, I think. Any idea, Mud Bo…Mud Man?"

For a second, Foaly thought he saw a blazing ice of rage beneath Artemis' glazed eyes.

Holly never felt any pain that could surpass the pain she was feeling that moment. She had forced herself into sleep, trying to ignore the pain. Yet her dreams were haunted by that face, the face that had followed her everywhere lately. She wanted to remember whose face it was, yet she simply couldn't. She felt another painful jolt, and something struck her brain like a lightning. For a fleeting moment, scenes from her forgotten past flashed behind her eyes.

Dark, raven black hair. The icy fields of Arctic. A coin, floating in the air. A gunshot. A bullet passing through the middle of the coin. A raw scar on a finger. And, at last, a pair of icy, sharp dark blue eyes.

A name flew out from between her lips, a name she knew yet did not recognize.

"Artemis…."

And she fell into another sleep, yet with a different dream.

She found herself on an icy field. She knew that place. The Arctic Circle. She had been there, once. She knew it.

But when?

Someone called her name. She glanced around. Nobody was around. Who called her?

"Holly…"

Holly. Holly. The word swirled in her mind, forcing it into her memory. Her name… Is it her name?

Another voice rang, brought by the freezing wind. She did not feel the cold, yet the sentence brought a shiver down her spine.

"Good-bye, Holly…"

Her heart broke upon the sentence. She cradled herself, her tears threatening to spill out. She couldn't believe what was happening to her. She was crying upon something she knew, yet she did not recognize.

'Who am I?' she shouted inwardly. 'Who…? Why…? When…? Where…? How…?' The questions ran wildly in her brain, and she felt herself began to crumble.

A pair of dark blue eyes. Dark hair. Pale skin.

"Holly…"

"Who are you?" Holly whispered, nearly to herself. Suddenly, her surroundings began to turn into darkness.

Right before darkness swallowed her along, that name escaped again from her lips. Except this time she was calling out, calling out for the owner of that name.

"Artemis!"

She knew that name, she knew those eyes, she knew the owner of that hair and skin. Yet she did not recognize all.

She simply couldn't.

TO BE CONTINUED TO CHAPTER 3

There you go, another chapter. A little depressing, but I love writing the Holly's part. Whaddaya think?

R&R!

Celon Ierith