A/N: I know, a massive update gap this time. (It's been so long, I don't know if any of the same people are still around now. x3) The only explanation I have is that I got unexpectedly sidetracked into a massive project in another fandom, and then from there got sucked into another fandom (with accompanying projects) after that. And because I have such a one-tracked mind, I was pretty much only working on those for the past couple years.
My mind has never been completely away from this project, but after getting pretty bogged down trying to push myself as hard as I could, I saw these other fandoms as opportunities to do something different than what I was trying to do here, and I thought it might be a good idea to take a real break, both to try some other things and give myself a fresh perspective. (I just didn't expect the break to be quite so long.)
I'm a bit rusty on trying to push my writing up to that final level I'm always striving for here, but reading over this chapter a couple times recently, I decided it had gone through enough work and revisions to be worth putting up, and hopefully be a good starting point to getting the machine going again at some point. (Also wanted to update here at least once before I put up another story I'd been working on, for Avatar the Last Airbender. I know, I'm pretty late getting into that fandom.)
If any of you from before are still around, thank you so much, I don't even know what to say, and welcome to anyone new. Hope you enjoy, and I'll see you at the end! :J
Chapter 12: The Past Before the Past
In the expansive master bedroom of Fowl Manor, Artemis Fowl Senior stood by the window.
Although the sun had already set and a blanket of darkness had descended over the landscape, he knew the magnificent grounds of the surrounding estate well enough that he could picture them clearly in his mind's eye. He could see the wisps of silver ash trees and sturdy, proud oaks which stood like guards on every side. He could see the many rows of vegetables of the organic gardens to the south, the glittering lake to the west, which turned a deep blood red at sunset—and of course, the great, towering stone walls that contained it all.
For centuries this land had been passed down from generation to generation through the Fowl line. Once he, Artemis Fowl the First, had been proud of it, anxious to uphold the family honor and prestige, just like his father before him. However, in the past few years his priorities had changed.
Artemis Senior let the heavy curtain fall back into place, then slowly turned. His eyes fell on the form of his oldest son, curled up on the antique four-poster bed he and his wife had long shared. Angeline sat next to the boy, patiently stroking back unruly strands of raven hair from his forehead. Butler stood by an armchair nearby, watching the twins as they played a quiet game in the corner as Angeline, speaking softly, spoke of things more fantastic and strange than he could have imagined.
"And that's it," she finished softly. "Now you know."
Artemis Fowl Senior gazed back at her for a long moment. Had anyone else tried to make him swallow any of the preposterous assertions of which she had just been informing him, he probably would have been inclined to have them thrown in the Bentley trunk for a few hours to reconsider telling him the truth. Even now, a part of him wondered if his wife could have completely lost her mind, or if he was, in fact, still a prisoner in the Arctic, and this was all some kind of strange dream to help him escape his day-to-day torments.
"Fairies," he said slowly. "Magic."
Angeline gave a single grave nod.
Frowning, he turned his back to her again, hands folded behind him.
This is absolutely absurd, said the cold, rational side of his brain. Even though he had turned all the Fowl business ventures legitimate, the Fowls still had enemies. Perhaps one of them saw it in their interest to go to elaborate means to set this up, in order to make him think he might be going insane.
However, the other side of his brain wasn't so sure. Those creatures had certainly appeared perfectly real, and if this wasn't all a hallucination, they were hard to explain away, even with the most advanced robotics or genetic experiments.
Besides that—Artemis Fowl Senior found, when he closed his eyes and concentrated, that there was something innately familiar about all this. As though someone had told him all this once before, about Artemis consorting with fairies and the existence of magic, but he had somehow forgotten. However, for some reason, he couldn't seem to make his mind close around the thoughts. They seemed to hover just on the edge of his mind, out of reach, blurring and shifting every time he tried to bring them into focus.
"Your illness last year," he said. "You say it was caused by something to do with these fairies. And Artemis saved you with help."
Angeline nodded, then shuddered. "An evil creature—she came inside my head and took over my body. After it was all over, I remembered everything, and I made Artemis tell me what he's been doing all these years."
"What about that—that thing downstairs?"
Angeline sighed and shook her head. "That—I don't know any more than you do. I told Artemis he needs to stop putting himself in danger and concentrate on school and friends, but I expect he hasn't been listening to me, as usual."
Artemis Senior's mouth turned up in the ghost of a smile. That he could well believe. However, a moment later he slowly sank to the bed to sit beside his wife, feeling his entire body slump with exhaustion.
"Why didn't you tell me about any of this before?" he asked quietly. "If this is all true, and the mental illness he's been fighting actually has something to do with these magical creatures..."
Angeline looked up from her son's sleeping face, and her deep blue eyes were pained. "I'm so sorry, Timmy," she whispered. "Artemis made me swear not to tell you anything. These fairies are very secretive, and they don't like anyone to know about them."
Artemis Senior nodded slowly. He was surprised and a little stung to find that his wife was capable of keeping such a major secret from him. However, he knew he had no right to be upset. He was the one, after all, who had taught their son that lies and secrecy were often a necessary way of life, and clearly these creatures, if they were real, were not to be trifled with.
Although the possibilities of delusion or deception remained strong at the back of his mind, already he could feel his incredulity giving way to practicality. He may not have been a crime lord anymore, but if he wanted to ensure his family's safety, he had to think like one again. Looking at these creatures as a secret military organization like any other, what would they do, in light of what he and the rest of his family had seen? Were Artemis's ties to his contacts within the organization strong enough that he could intercede on their behalf, or would they be determined to eliminate unwanted witnesses?
"What about the other one?" he asked. "The more human-looking one, who stepped in and fought the creature."
Angeline's worried expression brightened slightly. "Oh, I told you about Artemis's friend Holly Short. I only ever saw her in that creature's memories, but I think that was her. She helped Artemis save me from that illness."
Artemis Senior nodded. According to his wife's story, this Holly Short was also the same fairy that his son had kidnapped and used to extort gold from her people. She was apparently his son's ally now, but he wondered how far she could be trusted.
"Artemis seemed to think she was behind the attack," he said cautiously.
Angeline sighed, her fingers still running through Artemis's hair. "I know, I suppose it must be the disease. You know how they told us that it can make him—paranoid. He didn't even trust Butler."
Artemis Senior glanced back across the room to where Butler stood, his back to them as he watched the twins. His normally impeccable posture was slightly slumped, and he radiated an aura of gloom.
Angeline seemed certain that Artemis's suspicions were just part of his mental illness, but as Artemis Senior's mind began to adjust itself to this new and alien situation, he found he couldn't be so sure. He had seen the female put Artemis under with some kind of strange hypnotism with his own eyes. If these fairies had powers like those, Butler could easily be under some kind of spell.
Angeline sighed again very deeply, and the hand stroking her son's hair stopped, coming to rest on his broad forehead. "But I suppose after this he'll have to go back to that hospital. And we were so close to finally having him back."
Artemis Fowl Senior said nothing. Now that he knew that Artemis had, in fact, not been in a facility in Germany being treated by an eccentric practitioner who denied contact between patients and family as a matter of course, and rather had been underground being poked and prodded by a race of strange, non-human beings, he didn't know he would be letting Artemis out of his sight again. Surely they could find doctors to treat him here at the manor. Normal, human doctors.
Angeline seemed just fine with Artemis associating with these fairies. But that was just her nature, trusting, ready to think the best of others. He had the highest respect for her intelligence and judgment on almost anything, but she had never fully understood the complex nature of politics and incentives, or just how deep the cesspool of crime and corruption in the world ran. Since returning from the Arctic, Artemis Senior had worked to return to the person he once had been, loving, idealistic. However, even if he now believed family to be more important than gold or power, some truths could not be conveniently ignored. The only way to survive in a world like this one was to trust no one.
He was grateful to the fairy for stepping in and saving his family. But he wouldn't allow gratitude to cloud his vision. In his experience, everyone had their own agenda, and he wouldn't relax until he understood what this fairy's was.
There came a knock at the door.
"That's probably Juliet right now," Angeline said, smiling. "I bet she's feeling as good as new."
Artemis Senior didn't answer, but slowly climbed to his feet, facing the door.
Butler went to the door, Sig Sauer at the ready, then carefully drew it inward a few inches.
Artemis Senior squinted beneath Butler's arm, and immediately saw that their visitor wasn't Juliet.
The fairy from before—Holly Short, his wife had called her—stood in the hallway, helmet under one arm. Just as he remembered from his brief glimpse downstairs, she was dressed in a military-style jumpsuit, strange weapons and equipment bulging from every pocket. If he had to guess, he would have said she was probably special forces, or at least the fairy equivalent.
Upon seeing the fairy there, Butler had immediately put away his weapon, and the two had a short, muttered conversation which Artemis Senior strained to hear, but couldn't make out. At last Butler sighed and slumped, clearly in relief.
The fairy touched Butler's forearm briefly in an almost supportive gesture, then her eyes flickered to the rest of the room. Her expression was stoic and unreadable in proper military fashion, but Artemis Senior could see her taking in every detail.
"Holly," Angeline said warmly. "We haven't met before, but Artemis has told me so much about you. I know how much we owe you over these past few years. Won't you come in for a moment?"
Angeline didn't stand, but she extended a welcoming hand in the direction of the fairy, who was still standing outside the door, partially obscured by Butler's massive form.
The fairy hesitated, as though going into a room full of humans had not been on the agenda. However, Butler stepped aside, and the fairy took a cautious step inside.
"Holly," Angeline said, smiling. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you. I'm Angeline Fowl."
Angeline had always been a gifted hostess, with a way of putting her guests at ease, and the fairy smiled a little in return.
"Hello, Mrs. Fowl," she said. "Sorry to get your son mixed up in all this. But really, he brings it on himself."
Angeline stroked Artemis's hair again, and laughed softly. "Oh, I'm well aware of that." Her eyes turned a touch more serious as she asked, "And how's Juliet?"
"She'll be fine," answered the fairy. "Just wiped out. A team of warlocks is examining her now, but I'm sure they'll send her up to you before too long."
Artemis Senior couldn't hold his peace any longer. "Warlocks?"
The fairy's gaze shifted to him, and he noticed that, oddly enough, her eyes were two different colors. Perhaps simply a genetic abnormality, as humans sometimes had, or perhaps it was a common trait among these creatures.
However, for some reason he couldn't explain, the mismatched-ness of the eyes seemed somehow familiar to him. Like a sweep of dejà vu.
"Yes," she answered. "As soon as I saw the goblin, I called in backup. They just arrived a bit ago, and they're securing the area in case any of the goblin's friends show up to finish what he started."
Artemis Senior's eyes narrowed slightly. "There are more of you?" He was beginning to think that he had made a mistake in allowing his wife to persuade him to send all their personnel, including security, home for the weekend. She had argued that, as he was no longer in criminal enterprises, they didn't have so much to fear as they once had, and what was more, Butler and Juliet would be there if a crisis did happen to arise. But now Juliet was out of action, and it could be that Butler was under some kind of mind control.
The fairy seemed to immediately pick up on the muted hostility, and though her features remained professionally impassive, her eyes sparked with defiance. Her lips again flickered up in a smile, but it was far from the same smile she had given Angeline.
"Yes, Mr. Fowl," she said. "There are more of us. I hope that's not a problem." Her polite tone only thinly masked the challenge.
Out of the corner of his eye, Artemis Senior saw his wife give him a disapproving look at his behavior. He sighed to himself, and decided to relent for the moment, though he didn't take his eyes from studying the creature's every move, trying to decipher her real thoughts behind her even expression.
"No," he said. "In fact, I'd like to express my appreciation that you intervened when you did. Who knows what that creature might have done if not for your timely arrival."
"Hmm," said the fairy, and he got the feeling she didn't buy his facade of politeness anymore than he bought hers.
He paused, then added, "My wife has informed me a little about all this, and your situation. Of course your secret is safe with us."
It was only for a fraction of a second, but the fairy's eyes flickered downward. Then her gaze returned to him, and she said evenly, "Thank you."
Artemis Senior was certain. These creatures were not going to let them go at that. But what action they were planning to take, he didn't know.
At that moment, there was a beep on the fairy's wrist, and she pulled back a Velcro strip to peer at a screen of what appeared to be a miniature computer.
"I've got to go," she said. "I'll be back to check in with you in a bit, and I'll give you some more details about what the plan is. Hopefully Juliet will be back by then. In the meantime, just stick to this room. The officers will do everything they can to keep you safe, but probably better if you don't run into any of them."
"Of course," Angeline said. "Thank you for being here, Holly."
The fairy made a vague, dismissive gesture. "Just happy to help."
She turned to go, but Butler put a hand on her shoulder. "When do you think Artemis will wake up?" he asked.
The fairy shrugged. "Who knows. If we're lucky, he'll sleep through the night at least, he could use the rest."
Butler nodded slowly and backed up a step. He didn't ask about the hypnotism, or make any veiled threats should Artemis not recover. In fact, judging from his tone and body language, he seemed remarkably relaxed and open around this creature. Artemis Senior couldn't help but think that if the creature suddenly drew her weapon, she would have a hole through his forehead before he could even think about reacting.
Such sloppiness was most unlike a recipient of the blue diamond tattoo, and particularly Butler. Possibly he was just getting too old—Artemis Senior had certainly taken note of Butler's slowing reflexes and deteriorating fitness in recent years. Or possibly Artemis was right, and he was completely under the influence of these creatures.
As the female left, Butler slowly closed the door, then resumed his position watching the twins play. They had paused momentarily to watch the proceedings, and when the fairy was gone, Myles sat up and turned to Artemis Senior.
"That was a fairy?" the boy asked.
"Apparently," Artemis Senior said reluctantly.
"A friend of big brother's, or just an ally?" Myles inquired.
Artemis Senior was too used to his son's intelligence for his age to be taken aback by the question. "I don't know," he answered.
Angeline shot him a reproachful look. "A friend, of course. Don't listen to your father."
Artemis Senior turned to his eldest son's bodyguard. "You've heard Angeline tell me everything," he said. "Is there anything else we should know?"
Butler slowly turned his attention on him. His expression was perfectly professional and stoic, as it always was. "I'm sure Artemis will tell you what he wants to tell you when he wakes up," he said evenly.
Artemis Senior felt a flare of irritation in his chest, but he quickly smothered it, and only nodded. Butler considered himself Artemis's servant before all else, so he wouldn't divulge Artemis's secrets without Artemis's say-so. That was to be expected—and why he hadn't already hammered the bodyguard with his full-interrogation's worth of questions.
However, again, he felt a flicker in the back of his mind. A hazy recollection of a conversation he couldn't quite grab hold of. He shook it off.
"So that was the fairy who helped me in Russia," he said.
Butler hesitated, then nodded once.
"And she helped save Angeline from her illness last summer."
Again, Butler nodded. He paused, then said, "She's more than proved herself. She's a friend if there ever was one."
The bodyguard spoke with such conviction that Artemis Senior didn't ask him any more, and only stood where he was, watching the door as various thoughts churned themselves over and over in his mind.
Danger, said the crime lord in his mind. Keep on your guard, or the next moment could be your last. Whether magic and fairies were real, the rules that governed the world were the same. Understand incentives. Trust no one.
He turned and looked down at his son's pale, sleeping face, and he wondered what the boy would have to say about all this when he awoke. Did he really trust these creatures? Or had he been under a spell as well, and all his apparent madness was his attempt to break free?
Whatever the case might be, there was little he could do about it, with so little information to go on.
This is why the world shouldn't have magic, he thought, scowling at the dark corners across the room as he returned to the bed. It made everything far too complicated—and, as he knew only too well, the world was already far complicated enough.
Holly stepped onto the LEP transport shuttle parked around back.
Even though it seemed Angeline had given all the servants other than Juliet and Butler the night off for the celebration, the LEP did not want to chance someone discovering the craft by accident, and because this shuttle was too large for the parking garage, it was nestled far back into one of the thicker forested areas. Many of the trees were bare, but there was a grove of conifers that provided decent cover.
As the shuttle was shielded, it took Holly a minute to find it, and when she did, she had to insert her code into a virtual keypad and offer her thumb for a fingerprint and DNA scan. Holly stepped onto the command bridge, and she was a little surprised to see in the high-backed command chair, not Major Evergreen, but Trouble.
"Captain," he said, glancing her way, and she stopped where she was, standing at attention.
"Sir."
Holly half expected Trouble to give her the what-for about what she had been doing at the manor, but he surprised her.
"Good work, Captain," he said brusquely. "You took down one of our convicts, and that will give us a lead on the others. I want you to go straight to the lab and give Foaly a rundown on all the details. He's going to be cracking open that goblin's head for us."
"Foaly?" Holly said, surprised. "Foaly's here?"
Trouble nodded. "We all set out as soon as we got your alert. He wanted to get a look at that suit and gun, but of course that's not happening—all the goblin's tech dissolved almost as soon as we got here. The goblin got a few minor acid burns, but he's relatively intact thanks to treatment from some of our medi-warlocks. But this means our enemy already knows we have their goblin: someone had to set off that detonator to destroy the technology, and it certainly wasn't the goblin."
"Strange they didn't dissolve the goblin along with the technology," Holly said thoughtfully. "If one of us gets killed in the field, Foaly can do it. All other technologies so far have been on par with ours, so it's strange this mastermind wasn't able to do the same. Or did he just choose not to?"
Trouble shrugged. "Maybe the goblin just doesn't know anything important. Or maybe they did mean to dissolve the goblin, but we got there in time to save him."
Holly nodded, but inwardly she had her doubts. She had trouble believing that if the mastermind really wanted the goblin dead and gone, he wouldn't be.
"Anyway," Trouble said, "just make sure you get down there and tell Foaly everything you know before he goes to work. I expect we'll be camped out here all night—I don't like how exposed we are, but there's the off-chance the demons might show up if they don't know their goblin pal's been caught already. The techies are already getting to work setting up defenses and traps."
Holly nodded. "It's too bad, I bet he's disappointed. He came all the way up here, and not one scrap of new technology to take apart."
Trouble's eyes were already back on the screen in front him, the information pouring in from his operatives scouting the perimeter around the manor. He said distractedly, "Well, I also wanted him to be here in case—" He paused, glancing back at Holly with a slight frown on his face before looking back at the screen. "Well, never mind that. After you're done with Foaly, I want you to keep an eye on things in the manor. I'll check in with you again later."
Holly had noticed the abrupt shift in what he was about to say, but she decided to let it go. "Okay, Trubs. I mean, yes, sir. I'll get right on it."
Holly turned around and silently left the bridge—frowning a little to herself as she went.
Holly rapped hard on the door to the lab at the back. Holly would have welcomed a simple "Hey, come in, glad to see you alive." But instead, a tinny voice issued out of the speaker on the wall above the usual combination key-coded lock and DNA scanner. Holly had already entered the information, but she was still being denied access, as a certain paranoid centaur inside had apparently set up the room so he had to personally green light anyone who wanted to enter.
"That really you, Holly?" said Foaly's voice. "Not an impostor?"
"Open this door, centaur," Holly said testily. "I am not in the mood for this."
"It's you," Foaly conceded, and a moment later the pneumatic steel door slid sideways, allowing Holly to step inside before it instantly sealed behind her.
Holly's eyes immediately fell on an operating table in the center, on which the goblin's unmoving form was strapped down. He was dressed only in a pair of black shorts, clearly of a material not unlike the one-piece Holly wore that complimented her own jumpsuit uniform. His body was a mass of well-toned sinuous muscle, and even though he was unconscious, Holly couldn't help but notice again just how big he was. He was probably about as big to her as Butler was to Artemis.
Holly turned back to Foaly, who was bustling around, attaching wires and nodes to the goblin and getting his supplies ready.
"You aren't going to dissect him, are you?" she asked, glancing at the operating table again.
"Unfortunately, that would go against regulations," Foaly answered, feigning a wistful sigh. "I'm going to run a few tests, then hit him with my new Retimager." Foaly flicked a long forelock smugly. "Brand new model. I found a way to marry the old Retimager, which works on physical evidence from the eye itself, and the brainwave converter we use for mindwipes. This thing actually puts them together, images and information. It's like being able to pick little movie clips straight out of someone's head. Tell me that's not ingenious."
Holly was dubious. "Really? You can just play someone's entire life like a movie, can you?"
Foaly frowned. "Well, not exactly. The images you get from the Retimager aren't the best quality in the world, and matching up the images to the right binary information we get from the brain is a trick. Your best shot is looking for something recent, within the last month or two, so the images on the eye are still fresh. But when you're trying to find out what a perp's been up to lately, you don't really need to go back all that far."
Holly nodded. She had to admit, that would be useful.
Foaly sighed. "But this one may take awhile. Goblin eyeballs are a nightmare, honestly. Saliva interferes with the procedure."
Holly wrinkled her nose. Charming.
"So what will you be looking for?" she asked. "Signs of Opal?"
"Yeah, we'll look to see if he's ever had contact with Opal, sure." Foaly's eyes were suddenly trained hard on one of his screens as his fingers hesitated on his keyboard. He added carefully, "And whatever else might shed some light on this whole messed up situation."
A moment later, he said abruptly in a different tone, as though wanting very much to change the subject, "So, what information do you have for me? Anything I haven't been told already?"
"He was pretty light on his feet for a goblin," Holly said. "Or anything breathing, for that matter. I can't help but wonder if he was being physically augmented somehow."
"Steroids?"
Holly shrugged. "Just a possibility. Maybe some mental enhancers, too."
Foaly nodded. "Right, well, nothing unusual has come up on his vitals so far, but we'll do a blood test and a few other scans. Anything else?"
"That's about it," she said. "The minor details will be in my report. How long before you'll be able to use the Imager? I want to be around for that."
Again, Foaly didn't meet her gaze. He started fiddling with a few dials on his machines and stared at them as though they were the most fascinating thing in the world.
"Actually, I think Commander Kelp wants you stationed inside the manor all night. After everything that's happened, you could use a bit of downtime. And we also need someone to keep an eye on—on things..."
Holly had wanted to give Foaly the benefit of the doubt, but now it was too obvious why he didn't seem to want to look at her. Her face morphed into a scowl.
"He still suspects Artemis, doesn't he?" she said flatly. "And so he doesn't want me around when you get the information out of the goblin, because he thinks you're going to find something I'm not going to like."
Foaly looked slightly apprehensive. "Well, to put it bluntly...dead right."
"That goblin nearly killed Butler," Holly snapped. "He was a second from taking out Artemis if I hadn't got there when I did. How could anyone possibly think he's behind the goblin now?"
Foaly coughed. "Well," he began, "just to play devil's advocate—the goblin could have been sent there because he knew that's exactly what we'd think. It would draw away suspicion. The only reason the goblin got caught was that you just happened to be there. It's possible the goblin might have just been planning to scare them a little, do some property damage, and leave."
Holly's glare was so ferocious Foaly winced.
"You honestly think Artemis would—" she began heatedly, but Foaly cut her off, putting up his palms defensively.
"I already told you I don't believe it for a second," he said quickly. "But I've been working this job for too long not to know that we've got to consider all the angles, not just the nice ones, or we're liable to miss something important."
Holly shook her head, then said with venom, "You and Trubs, I swear. You sound just alike. Hearing you actually agree with a commanding officer—that's got to be a first."
Holly hadn't said anything particularly revealing, but Foaly always had been a little too quick for his own good.
After a pause, with Holly having half-turned her back to him, Foaly said slowly, "Hold on. That's what you fought about, isn't it? Yesterday, I mean."
Holly's shoulders stiffened, her back as rigid as a board. "I really don't want to talk about it."
Foaly was quiet a moment, then sighed, almost in exasperation. "Well, if it makes you feel any better, I'm really not expecting to turn up anything about our Mud Boy from this. We still won't be able to rule him out completely of course, but I don't think you need to worry."
Holly relaxed slightly, but she didn't turn around.
"I'd better get over to the manor," she said after a moment. "As I'm clearly not wanted here. I'll see how Juliet is doing. And your number one suspect. He had a kind of Atlantis episode when I was trying to heal her, but you wouldn't care about that."
"A relapse?" Foaly said, and looked genuinely concerned. "I'm sorry to hear that."
Holly was at the door when she stopped, hesitating.
"Foaly?" she said, in a very different voice.
"Yeah?" His hands were already back to fiddling with his gadgets.
Holly's eyes stayed trained on her own hand resting next to the door's exit button.
"The goblin's attack came almost right after I arrived," she said quietly. "You don't think...he might have followed me here, do you?" Her voice nearly cracked on the last word.
Foaly seemed surprised by the question. "I could try looking into it with the Retimager. But I seriously doubt it. Your suit's untraceable to everyone but me, and it's not like he could see you while you had your shield up. With that suit, there's not even a heat haze, and even if there had been, there's no way he could see it at night. It's got to be a coincidence. I'll check it out, though."
Holly decided not to point out that Foaly's technology had been outdone before. Instead, she just shrugged slightly. "Do that, then. I'll be at the manor, in case you have anything to tell me."
Foaly nodded absently, eyes on one of his multiple screens again now. "Right. Oh, and judging from your vitals, it looks like you're fresh out of magic, so try not to break any bones or lose any fingers tonight. There'll be a full moon in a few days, you can get back your juice then."
Holly nodded. She had used up every last drop on Juliet, afraid that if she didn't put in enough, the girl might age as Butler had. But she had seemed fine when Holly had left her with the warlocks.
Holly felt her stomach tighten at the thought of Juliet bearing permanent effects from the injury. She didn't think she'd ever be able to look Artemis in the eye again.
Holly knew she should never have fired a weapon like that. Even if Juliet hadn't been unfortunate enough to be standing over her, had Holly hit her intended target, she would have probably killed him. Maybe the Council would have been happy, but that wasn't the officer she wanted to be.
Words from her mother's deathbed drifted back to her.
I spent my career saving creatures. You must do the same.
Holly felt queasy and sick at the thought of what she'd almost done. She'd gotten caught up in the moment—nearly betrayed the memory of her mother, and everything she stood for.
Holly shook her head, breathing deeply. Get it together, Short, she told herself. You had a close call, but nothing happened. You just have to concentrate and make sure it doesn't happen again.
However, as Holly slipped out of Foaly's work space and back through the corridors of the ship, she felt that person she didn't know, that had been lurking at the back of her mind all these months, stir. And Holly wasn't sure if, if again she found herself in a place where Artemis or his family were in danger, and he was counting on her to act, she wouldn't do the same thing again.
Holly stopped by the Fowl bedroom one more time to inform them that the LEP would indeed be staying out the rest of the night at the manor in case of a second attack.
Holly still wasn't used to talking to the entire Fowl family as though this were all perfectly normal, especially with Artemis Fowl Senior watching her through narrowed eyes as though not sure whether to offer her a place on the Fowl payroll, or have Butler set the dogs on her.
Holly wasn't sure what to do about the Fowl patriarch. The LEP had taken no action upon finding that Angeline was another human in on the fairy secret, but Artemis Senior would certainly be considered a potential danger. Supposedly he had reformed following his time in Russia, but Holly was aware just how much Artemis's criminal childhood had been sparked and cultivated by this man. The LEP might demand a mindwipe, and she couldn't blame them if they did. However, the problem was Artemis—it must be such relief not to be forced to lie to his parents anymore, and there was a possibility that if the LEP tried to mindwipe Artemis Senior, Angeline would put up a fight, and she would have to be mindwiped as well. Holly couldn't imagine how that might affect Artemis's mental state.
"I'll be staying in one of the empty rooms nearby as added protection," Holly said. "I'll be close by if you need anything."
"You're welcome to stay anywhere you like," Angeline said generously. "We'll feel safer with you here."
Juliet was back and well, and at the moment busy blowing up an air mattress in the center of the room. She turned to regard Holly over her shoulder, then grinned.
"What's up, fairy-girl? Catch any more bad guys in the five minutes since I last saw you?"
Holly smiled reluctantly. "No, still just the one. How are you feeling?"
Juliet flexed a bicep. "Great. Even better than before. I feel like I could tackle a troll."
Holly winced. That was just what they needed. "No trolls. Doctor's orders."
Holly turned to leave, but Angeline put up a hand to stop her. "Oh, wait a moment, Holly. I have something for you." She got up from the bed and crossed the floor to an ornate wardrobe by the wall. She reached inside it, and when she turned back, she was holding a couple of folded blankets in her arms. A big fluffy one of an offensive flamingo pink, and a second embroidered quilt, which Holly suspected had been handmade by the Fowl matriarch herself. Likely Mrs. Fowl had many talents, but clearly stitchery was not among them.
"Butler thought it would be safer to shut off the heating valve gas line, in case we get any more fire-breathing visitors," she said brightly. "And it can get a bit drafty this time of year, so take these."
Holly reached out her arms to receive the load. She smiled over a thick strand of thread sticking up in her face. "Thank you, Angeline."
"If he was awake, he'd probably tell me not to fuss so much, but Arty told me once fairies don't much care for the cold," she explained.
Holly nodded. The People hated the cold. According to the Book, back in the days they still lived aboveground, fairies chose to live in temperate climates, and most did the whole migrating-south bit in the winter months.
Holly shifted the blankets onto one arm, into a more comfortable position, and flashed a small grin. "I wouldn't bother too much about what your son says. I don't."
Angeline's smile widened.
Holly thanked the woman again, feeling just a little warmer than before. There was something about Angeline that reminded her a bit of her own mother.
However, as Holly turned back toward the door, her gaze briefly lingered on Artemis, still asleep on the bed next to Angeline and looking as though he hadn't moved an inch while she'd been gone.
"You are my enemy, as you have been from the beginning."
Holly's smile flickered. She wished he was awake now. She wouldn't feel easy until she was able to see him in his right mind again.
Butler caught her gaze, and for the briefest second they shared a look full of meaning. They understood one another. Neither of them knew what to do, or if there was anything to do—if there was anything to do but sit and worry until they were sick with it.
Holly turned back to the door and, still balancing the blankets on one arm, left the way she had come.
Holly quickly settled herself in a spare bedroom a couple of doors down from the Fowls. The moment she walked in, she took one look at the huge, outrageously lavish bed, and headed straight for the armchair by the fireplace.
Using one of the arms as a pillow, the armchair was almost the perfect size for a fairy to curl up in. Holly unstrapped her wingpack and hung it on the arm, then wrapped herself in the pair of quilts and took a moment to situate herself.
Holly closed her eyes, trying to shut out her thoughts and get some rest. She had a feeling tomorrow was going to be quite a day. Once they collected information from the goblin, Major Evergreen's team would have to act on it immediately, and she was part of the team now. Artemis was under more suspicion than ever from the LEP, and there was no telling whether he would even be lucid when he woke up. With their usual luck, he might just wake up as Orion, and start declaring undying love to her in front of his parents. Artemis Senior would love that.
Holly turned slowly onto her back to stare at the ceiling. The ceiling was a lot further away here than in her apartment.
Holly sighed. She simply couldn't get it out of her mind, or stop the roiling emotions that continued to eat away at her in the darkness.
"All along, this has been your plan. Your revenge."
Holly wiped cold sweat from her brow.
"You are my enemy, as you have been from the beginning."
She was losing control of the situation. It wasn't supposed to be like this—Artemis was supposed to conquer the Atlantis Complex. Maybe be a bit crazy for a while, then come out stronger than ever, gloating smugly of his own superiority. But he was slipping away. No, he had been slipping away from the beginning, and all his apparent progress had been a mask concealing his fragility. And if there did come a point where he was on the verge of completely losing his mind...
"And even my friends. They're coming, too. They're going to take away my memories."
Holly's mouth was dry, her stomach like a block of iron. Words of Dr. Argon flickered at the back of her mind.
The doctor had suggested a certain drastic measure that might be taken, should Artemis's illness take a turn for the worst. The Fowls and even Butler didn't know it, but there was a cure for the Atlantis Complex. A cure with an incredibly high success rate, which, if it worked, would almost completely eradicate the disease once and for all.
The source of the Atlantis Complex was Artemis's guilt. So the way to defeat the disease was to remove the source, like taking out a tumor or a bad organ. Simple. All they would have to do was remove about six years' worth of memories.
Artemis had always shown a distinct aversion to having his mind tampered with. Memories were information, and he didn't like there to be gaps or inaccuracies in his knowledge base. But since contracting the Complex, Artemis hadn't been himself. He was tormented by guilt, and at times no longer had control over his own thoughts and actions. And so, perhaps eventually even he might come to a point where the longing to escape the misery would finally win out.
Holly had sat back and let Artemis be mindwiped once before. Despite her own vague sense of unease and regret, it had seemed like the right thing for everybody at the time. Now Artemis might soon be the one arguing in favor of a mindwipe; she could almost hear his voice, speaking in that even, logical way.
"This may be my only choice, Holly. The disease is winning. And if I allow myself to go completely out of my senses it may already be too late. So, if it means I might take control of myself again, then perhaps I should consider making this sacrifice."
Holly already knew what she would say if he said that. She knew what would come pouring out of her mouth before she could stop it.
"So you're giving up, Mud Boy? After everything you've put us through, you can't deal with it, so you're just going to run away and leave us to pick up the pieces? I guess I was wrong about you. You're not the person I thought you were."
Over these past few months, something hard and malignant had taken root in Holly's mind. A stranger lurked amidst her thoughts, and she was constantly afraid that stranger would seize control, and the terrible, paralyzing fear that plagued her thoughts would come out in a flood of bitter poison.
Artemis would probably never see the difference, between the old Holly Short, who had been justified in scathingly asking him if he really wanted to be a selfish Mud Boy who cared about no one but himself the rest of his life, and this stranger who would use the tone of the old Holly Short that Artemis knew and trusted to stop him from doing what she knew deep down may really be for the best. Artemis, though so adept at emotional manipulation himself, probably wouldn't see her cruel and ugly words for what they were.
Holly was repulsed by the thoughts going through her mind. This wasn't who she was supposed to be. She wanted to be the fairy who had stood on the peak of the Mother Superior and told Artemis, Let's leave the past in the past. The person who stood with head held high, and made the sacrifice without looking back. But it felt like something had happened to her since she had returned from the past, and discovered that Artemis had degenerated into a state of mental illness. She couldn't seem to grab proper hold of that person she had been. She just kept slipping backward, into something not unlike that irresponsible, emotional adolescent she had been eight years in the past.
Holly closed her eyes tightly, and pressed her palms to her eyes. Minerva had been right about her. She was teetering on the edge of a precarious stability. But Minerva had been wrong to assume that it was something that could help Artemis, that she could use to make Artemis feel she understood how he felt.
Artemis needed friends to support him, to be there for him no matter what he decided to do. Not friends who might attack him and use his guilt to turn him away from a choice that may be the only way to save him.
Holly's hands slowly dropped from her face and she stared up at the ceiling.
"You can't," she said aloud into the cold, stark air. "If you want to help Artemis, you can't be like this." Artemis needed her to be the friend that he knew and respected. She had to get back to that person, and bury this unwanted transient who had taken up residence in her head. She couldn't let this stranger have control of her.
Holly concentrated, taking her mind back to that time before they had traveled to the past, recalling her state of mind and picturing herself taking hold of it, and pulling it into herself. She pictured what the old Holly Short would do and say if she was here.
No time for your own personal crises, Short. Or Artemis's, for that matter. The world could be in danger. Artemis isn't a genius for nothing, so get it together and get his take on what's been going on as soon as you can. There will be plenty of time for psychotherapy later.
Holly almost smiled. Mind on the mission, that was definitely her old self talking. And it was true. She shouldn't be worrying about mindwipes or a few unsightly thoughts bouncing around in her head, and even Artemis didn't have time to brood over his illness. The wellbeing of the world had to come first.
Tomorrow morning, she would go see Artemis, and everything would be just like it was before they went back in time. They would put their heads together and solve this problem just as they had so many times before.
Go back, said a voice in the back of her mind. Go back to the past before the past.
A/N: It's been a little while now, but I still vividly remember just reworking the last scene over and over again. (This project still stands out from anything I've ever tried to do before, including what I've been working on more recently, in terms of in-depth effort and trying to achieve a higher quality of writing. It's really helped improve my writing significantly, and I'm looking forward to eventually really getting into working on it again.)
So then. I guess it's only fair to throw out a warning for next chapter. We won't be going straight back to Holly, instead we're going to take a little detour. (As much of a headache as some of the earlier chapters were in terms of radical revisions, they are nothing compared to chapter 13. Nothing.) But! I promise, it's all necessary to the plot, and I hope to get the next chapter done and up sooner than it took me this one here.
Thanks so much for reading, I appreciate your thoughts so much! If you have a chance, let me know what you thought, and hope to see you next time! :J
Posted 6/21/18