A/N: I am so so so so so SO sorry! I've only just finished my GCSEs, and I'm about to go off on holiday for a month, so I'm afraid that the huge mass of updates aren't coming any time soon. I am, however, going to use the laptop to try and write some chapters on holiday, so when I get back (after the HP release date :( ) you'll all be able to view some more chapters!
I'm REALLY unhappy with this chapter, but it's the best I could do within a week. try to enjoy!
Disclaimer: Do we have to go through this every time? It's really degrading when I have to admit that I don't own Artemis Fowl
Chapter 25 – In which even the author doesn't know what the heck is going on
"So… anyone got an idea of getting the two of these teens back together again?" Asked Holly, grimacing at the idea of Artemis Fowl, of all people, gaining the metaphorical key to the world.
"The Keeper of the Balance? Again with a legend of a legend. Isn't that mentioned in one of the chapters of the Book?" Artemis asked, although everyone knew that he was just trying to start a conversation. The uncomfortable silence reigned.
"Hold on, the Keeper of the Balance? What on earth is that? You people need to remember that not everyone can read your precious Book." Cut in Cat.
One of the Artemises (no prizes for guessing which one) sighed in frustration and put his hands on Ivy's ears, "This would be so much easier if you hadn't insisted on getting away, you know. Duke Kestrel would have gladly helped you…"
"Wait a minute, Duke Kestrel? You mean the MI5 agent isn't really…" It was perhaps the first time that most people on the ship had heard the formal-suit-Artemis use such a colloquial term as 'you mean'.
"No, in fact, he isn't. Mother's ways are really rather effective, if a little immoral." Frowned Ivy, displaying her disapproval of Melissa Kestrel's blatant manipulation of the man Ivy had called 'father' for thirteen years. "I've found my biological father, and everything's been going wrong since."
"But… your emotions aren't in turmoil? You have just found out that your alleged father is not, in fact, your biological father, logically, you should be rather shocked…" Artemis started, his psychologist side showing itself.
"What are you talking about? I've always known that Jack's not my real father. It's not really that surprising. After all, you'd think that by the age of six I'd know that anyone who didn't bear the name of Kestrel wasn't related to me, right?"
Artemis blinked. Of course that was the case – he was underestimating Ivy.
"Don't worry, you're used to others being below your intellect. It's become an instinct for you to underestimate people, hasn't it?"
This made everyone do a double take. It was like she was reading his mind…
"I am. Well, sort of. I don't really know how to describe it…" Ivy replied to the unspoken questions.
"Ivy here has just come into her inheritance. The Kestrel Gift. It allows her to share anything and everything with anyone and everyone. Of course, it was only meant to stick to thoughts. It seems that her Gift of Water somehow amplifies her original power…"
"No time for that now, clone!" Came a loud yell from the cockpit. Piccolo was at the wheel, desperately trying to keep the ship steady. "The eye of the storm is disappearing!"
"What?" Exclaimed Holly, rushing to a window, "That's impossible!"
"It's not impossible, Holly," Artemis started, switching back to I'm-a-genius-so-fear-me mode, "It just means that the storm is moving slightly, nothing unusual, and hardly impo…"
"You don't understand, Fowl! This storm never moves! If it moves, it can have severe repercussions on both worlds, on both sides of this tunnel."
"B-both?"
"Yes, b-both!" Even Holly's mimicking of his stutter did not register fully in Artemis's head. There was another world right next to his own, and he had never known about it? What was the point of exploiting only one world…
"Uh-oh, I know that look…" Holly frowned, snapping her fingers in front of the boy she had known for almost three years. "Artemis, even you can't cross the boundaries between the two worlds – it's been blocked, remember?"
"Yes, but if I can somehow reconnect myself with my supposed other half, then I could cross the borders no problem. The legend of the Keeper of the Balance speaks of the ability to cross between borders, correct?"
"Fowl… no. The People won't allow you to do that."
"Aren't we getting a little far ahead here, Holly? I believe you were telling me about the coming of the eclipse?"
An identical raven-haired head popped up beside them, smiling belligerently. The hostility in his demeanour was directed at one person – his other self.
"You know, Duke Kestrel warned me that you may be like this. But I hadn't believed him. I'm disappointed to say that I believe now."
The two identical teens faced one another, two blue glares reflecting and rebounding from each other, and a stalemate was reached. Holly regarded the two teens, sighed, and bashed their heads together.
The action was so unexpected that neither teenager could resist as their foreheads collided. The resulting sound made everyone twist around from gawping out of the window at the inexorable movement of the storm, and the resulting view was enough to make at least a few of the occupants of the ship choke on their laughter.
Both teenagers were staggering in the manner of drunken men, and one of them had tried to lean against thin air, the resulting force bringing him down to the floor.
"D'Arvit! Why are the forces of gravity still functional here?" Complained the suited-Artemis, picking himself up from the floor, and stumbling towards a somewhat firmer surface.
"This is a go-between. I think that…" The other Artemis began, his face slightly screwed up from trying to remember his lessons, "Er…"
"Of course, this inter-dimensional passage probably functions along the brainwave patterns, doesn't it? The same way as a time-stop does?"
"Sharp as ever, Mud Boy." Frowned Root, slightly put of from the lack of attention he was receiving. "Yes, Foaly ran a scan a few years ago, but immediately destroyed it so that nobody would know about it – probably why you didn't know anything about this tunnel – and the scans showed that it's like the largest time-stop ever."
Ivy wasn't exactly happy at the moment – it was one thing to find and be introduced to the father you had never known, but another matter entirely if you find out that friends you had known all your life had been keeping such a huge secret from you. She understood the theory, sort of, but the noises buzzing around in her head wasn't helping much.
In the distance, she heard Trouble explaining some of the finer details, presumably with lots of help from Foaly…
No, not presumably… definitely…Funny, how did she know that…?
The time-stop region…Stupid Mud Boy…
Duke Kestrel is going to blow when he hears this…
…encompasses…
…when is he going to…
…how am I going to explain…?
…all…
…learn…
…to him…
…revenge…
The thoughts were now so deafening that she could no longer differentiate between speech and thought. Resisting the urge to curl up in a ball and scream, she tugged on one of the Artemises – she was beyond the point of caring which one – and whispered in a harsh voice that was hardly recognisable as her own,
"How do I make it stop?"
This Artemis looked rather surprised.
Why…What…
Confused…
Loss…
Going…
"Ah… I see that the Gift of Kestrel has begun to take its toll. Congratulations, Ivy. You've just set a record." A pair of unlaced shoes appeared in front of her, and the same malevolent smirk prevailed upon his face. "You know, your father's going to be very upset about this – you've broken his record."
And with that, two soothing hands descended upon her temples. The cooling fingertips massaged her, and at the same time, there was the feel of a healing. But different.
"Interesting healing method. Mind healing?" A pair of loafers appeared in Ivy's line of sight.
"Yes." The identical voice. But with a hint of surprise. "A guess or something more?"
"Call it intuition."
"I see."
And, all the while, the thoughts crowding into Ivy's head began to fade…
Fascinating…It's working…
Until they became no more than a whisper.
"You know, I was not aware of the fact that mind healing was possible. I read in the Book that healing worked only on the body." Ivy's eyes met with cool blue ones, two pairs, but whereas one reflected compassion, the other was unsure, as if he had forgotten how to express it.
"Ivy?"
She shook her head slightly, trying to dislodge whatever the magic had done to her. It felt as if there were constraints on her mind, as if metal walls had descended upon her. Once again, the feeling of claustrophobia kicked in, but she controlled it, just as she had all her life…
And then, something occurred to her. Something that had been buried for so long…
"The Vows…"
The concerned blue eyes stared into her emerald green ones, piercing them, "Ah. Right, I see. Duke Kestrel's going to have to remove these, I'm afraid. My lessons haven't progressed this far yet, and I doubt that I'd be able to master it with my limited knowledge anyway."
Cat shoved both of the teenagers out of the way, lowering herself to Ivy's level, "Ivy! Are you okay?"
Piccolo wasn't far behind, and, as his usual practical self, he handed her a bottle of water. The whispers inside her head became a little stronger as he approached her. Focussing on the insistent whisper, she could hear…
A sharp slap came across her face, and she stared in shock (she wasn't the only one) at Artemis Fowl. With his archaic clothes and sombre expression, it was as if a righteous priest from long ago had been ripped out of his own time space and dumped in front of Ivy to chastise her. With disbelieving eyes, she raised her head to look at the ice-cold eyes of one Artemis Fowl.
And then, she saw it.
So many lifetimes…So tired…
Reunite…
Fulfil…
There was so much more to being the Keeper of the Balance than just wishing, like the Book made it out to be. The deaths of so many companions, only to be…
Ivy Saraswati Kestrel tore her eyes away, leaned onto Artemis… the suited, still-innocent Artemis Fowl… and wept for the centuries of pain conveyed in those eyes of sapphire.
The moment was somewhat ruined by the sudden jerk to the side, and a maniacal laughter coming from outside.
A/N: Horrible, huh? Well, it's almost coming to an end, and the sequel is going to come, whether you people like it or not, but the sequel's not going to be in AF fanfiction. I'll leave you to ponder that...
Ivy: TWO Fowls? What are you going to do? Put us into a polygamous marriage?
PeridotNox: No, but now that you mention it...
All of the cast: EWWWW!!!!!!!!!
PeridotNox: Okay, alright, I wasn't entertaining the thought anyway... not too seriously...