Oh my gosh I am soooooooooo sosososo SOOOOOOOO sorry that I've kept you guys waiting for so long!!! I'm so mad at myself now!! grrrrrrrr!!! I just had a really bad case of writers block, and with school and everything....it's just so bad! ugh! im in all honors classes too which DOES NOT HELP!! anyways, thanks guys soooooo much for staying and waiting for a writer who can't evn update her own stories! i love you all! free virtual cookies for eveyone who reviewed! and even those who didn't!

*reviewer takes a cookie from a pile that says 'non-reviewers only'*

Holly(me): NOOOOO! don't eat those!

reviwer: why?

Holly: *shrugs*

*in the background a non-reviewer takes a cookie from their pile and start to choke and turn purple.*

Holly: hehehe...

reviewer: *puts cookie down, and slowly backs away from pile, walks over to the 'reviewer pile' and eats a safe, harmless, non-poisoned cookie.*

AAAAAAAAANYWAYS...

Disclaimer: I don't own Artemis, Holly(well actually, i kinda do, its ma name), or any othr of eoin magnificent creations! *gets teary-eyed*

Chapter Two

Holly awoke, immediately opening her eyes to see if everything that happened last night had been a dream. It wasn't. But something had changed. Holly was now in a room that was at least five times the size of the metal box she was first placed in.

Why am I in here? She wondered, scanning the room. It had two beds, bunk bed style.

But why two? Holly was getting confused, again. There was also a table and chair on one side of the room. On the table there was a notepad and pencil.

What is that for?

"It is there for writing," answered one of the Opals, the Past-Opal to be exact. "You might as well spill any secrets you have; you only have thirteen days to live anyways," Past-Opal added.

"Thirteen days!" Holly screeched, "How is that?"

Present-Opal giggled,"Oh silly me," she said, "I forgot to tell you. We injected three milliliters of Deathbed into you," she finished with an evil smirk.

Holly paled. Oh no. I thought that concoction was banned years ago! But then again, the Opals probably just hacked into the Council's files and stole the recipe.

The Deathbed Shot is a vile poison, created with the most poisonous mushrooms, venoms, and anything else that can crash your entire body system. Also, the poison included another ingredient, but no one had ever said the addition out loud. The poison is able to give the victim no pain but its own grief of death and then, on the last day, the poison shuts down each organ, slowly and extremely painfully. It is worse than animal fat and holy water mixed together! The length of the poison depended on the amount given to the victim.

"That was enough to give you fourteen days to live," Opal sneered, "and you have already wasted a day."

***

Artemis looked up at Butler, eyes confused and sad. His throat was constricting from the effort of slowing his tears.

"What?" he was able to choke out. Butler swallowed, then said, "I asked: 'How lo-,"

"I know what you said!" Artemis snapped, "What do you mean?" Butler sighed.

"You know what I mean, Artemis," he began, "you always have."

Artemis took in a deep breath, as if someone just let go of his throat trying to strangle him. "No. I don't." he lied pitifully. Butler slowly shook his head, trying to think of a way to get Artemis to tell him.

I could try to force it out of him, he thought, then mentally slapped himself. Stop it! This is getting way out of hand. "You're right," Butler admitted solemnly.

It's the only way… "Maybe I should explain."

Artemis raised an eyebrow. What is he playing at? He thought, he surely knows I'm lying. And then: Artemis! "Huh?" Artemis started.

That was weird. But…that wasn't me. Then, who was it?

"Butler?" Butler snapped out of his little daze thinking of a plan, "What is it?"

"Did you hear someone or something calling my name?" Now it was Butler's turn to raise an eyebrow, "Uh, no, I didn't. Did you?"

"I thought I did" Artemis said neutrally, half of him in thoughts, trying to decipher whose voice that was. It almost sounded like…

"Holly!" he finished out loud.

"Holly what?" asked Butler, still confused.

"It was her! Holly just communicated with me!" Artemis concluded excitedly. He looked up at his old bodyguard and friend, and frowned.

Butler was shaking his head, as if Artemis had gone crazy. Then Butler looked up and said, "No one called you, Artemis. Especially Holly. You must be hearing things."

"But-" Artemis started, but was interrupted with another thought. Artemis! I'm sorry! I know you can't hear me but…

"But what?" Artemis screamed out loud, now sure he was hearing Holly.

But not out loud, he thought, because Butler can't hear her. But I can…why can I only hear her? Then it clicked.

"Of cour-" he started, but was interrupted by the ringing of a…ring. Artemis's fairy communicator was ringing. He checked it.

It was Foaly. Artemis twisted the ring, and then made his thumb and pinky into the shaped of a make-believe telephone.

"Hello Foaly." He greeted.

"Hi Artemis," returning the gesture, "I have another email from the Council. They wanted you to get it, but they also wanted to let me know. Shall I send it to you, or tell you?"

Artemis thought about this for a few seconds, but then finally said:

"Tell."

***

Artemis! Holly screamed into her mind, thinking of him for the fiftieth time today.

"I have to stop doing that," she stated plainly, knowing that that will never happen. So she figured that maybe she should start thinking up an apology if she ever saw Artemis again, dead or alive.

Artemis! I'm sorry! I know you can't hear me but… "I forgive you. And I…I…"Holly stopped, interrupted with a new thought.

\Wait. Why am I even thinking of an apology? He should be the one apologizing! He was the one who manipulated me! Holly was furious at herself now for thinking such a thing.

He didn't mean it…I would have done the same for my mother. She looked up at the camera.

"Come out, Opal. You can't hide away forever!" she screamed into the open air.

What am I doing? But she continued to scream. After all, what else could she do?

"How many more days now, Koboi, do I have?" she stopped herself. A slight creaking came from one wall. Then a door flew open, showing two almost identical Opal Kobois, both dressed in the same catsuits. Both were armed with the latest Koboi weapons and grinning maniacally. The human Opal stepped forward, cocking her neutrino.

"You have eleven days left, Short. Best not waste them," gesturing to the table and on it, the pencil and pad of paper.

"Okay, Koboi. I give up. What is your reason to capture me?" Holly inquired. She was very capable of coming up with plenty of possible conclusions, but Holly was naturally curious, and so, she asked anyways. Both Opals lost their grins, and conversed quietly, before seeming to come to an agreed conclusion.

"Oh very well, Captain," the past, still pixie Opal started, "After all, isn't that what most kidnappers do?" Opal paused, as if waiting for an answer. But Holly knew better.

Seeing the captain's expressionless face, and the fact that she made no move to answer her question, past-Opal sighed and explained their perfect plan.

"You see, your present-day Opal and I have come up with an exceptionally good plan. We have seen, from past attempts at revenge and taking over the world, how close you and that mudboy have gotten. We even found out a few secrets of yours, of course using truth serum." Holly instinctively pulled up her sleeve, seeing a small blemish where the needle must have been. "D'arvit," she muttered. If the scar was there, that meant she had the last of her bit of magic drained somehow by her not-so-gentle kidnappers. That means no magic left for a Mesmer.

Present-Opal cleared her throat, clearly wanting to be given full attention by Holly. And, of course, Holly refused her unspoken wish. As Holly continued to look anywhere but Opal's face, she sighed and took off where her past-self had stopped.

"We know about the kiss," at this Holly paled, "and we suspect this could be used to easily get the Council to exile you." She finished with a dangerous smirk.

"Anyways, we have already sent a message to Fowl and Foaly, and we've expected the Council to find out about your capture, and also to not allow Fowl to be incorporated with your rescue. But, being the genius he thinks he is, he will still attempt a rescue. And fail. We will capture him as well, and throw him in the same cell as you. But that is as much as we've allowed ourselves to share with you for now, so," at this, Present-Opal cocked her gun, "goodnight."

And with those departing words, Present-Opal sent a charge into Holly's chest, knocking her out cold.

***

Artemis sat, engulfed in darkness of his study the only light coming from the computer. The soft glow emitting from the screen made his usually pale skin an eerie white. He was trying to figure out what Deathbed was, but also attempting to get the earlier conversation out of his head.

Flashback:

"Tell."

Foaly sighed. "I feared you would say that…" he looked around, obviously nervous about Holly's current situation.

"The Council wants to warn you, to further prevent you or discourage you from helping Holly, that all LEP officers, no matter what their rank, have permission to shoot you, perhaps kill. You may even be mindwiped, if the chance arises; which it won't." said Foaly, with an edge in his voice.

"I need you to keep your memories. I'm putting all my faith in your plan."

He already thinks I have a plan, Artemis thought.

"It seems like they don't like you Artemis, even after all that you've done to help us." Foaly stated, clearly wistful.

"Yes, they certainly have 'jumped', so to speak, at the chance to rob me of my presence in their lives." Artemis finished, none too impressed at all.

Foaly was fazed by the boy's calmness in receiving this death-threat. So real it had to be forced. But who knew, with Artemis. And Foaly brushed it aside, thinking nothing of it.

Artemis's cool, calm composure on the outside was ice to the heated thoughts racing in his mind. Calculations and emotions swirled around, bouncing off the boundaries of his mental capacity (A/N: Which is quite big, ha-ha):

'I can overcome this!'

'No, you can't! Your life is in danger!'

'HOLLY'S life is danger!'

'Save myself!'

'Save her!'

This constant inner banter weakened and troubled the young genius, who was used to clear and composed thoughts, unlike the incomplete and incomprehensive ones screaming in his skull.

End Flashback.

His fingers, once a blur, stopped abruptly, remembering something else.

Amongst those racing thoughts, there was one thought that had stayed plastered to Artemis's brain, never unfinished, never being rushed, always repeating: 'Is my life truly as revered as hers?'

'No. Not even close.'

Wootwoot! Sry its so short, i will be sure to make the others much longer........and better. i hate this chapter. and hopefully i will be able to update more frequently now that ive settled into high-school life.

see ya laters,

-ForgottenFairy95

p.s. if you've got any question pertaining to the story or my chosen name....or anything in general, just ask! email me or if you want the question publicized(kind-of)just put it in ur review. i am always open to suggestions, too!

Bye!