A/N: 120,000 words and almost exactly 6 months later, here it is. The final chapter. I really hope you enjoy it!
Thank you so much to everyone who has reviewed and supported this story - in particular the last chapter, I loved reading what you guys had to say about it. I've really enjoyed writing this, and I hope it will be the first of many. So thanks again, and enjoy :)
-Kio
Chapter 27;
Haven City, The Lower Elements
Holly Short sat on the edge of her futon, her jaw clenched and her eyes hollow, unblinking. It was only a few hours since she had made it back to Haven. The part of her that was still rational knew that she was in shock, unable to properly come to terms with everything that had happened.
Artemis was gone. Swept aside by Amber's malice. Even unconscious the centaur had found a way to tear a hole in Holly's life. It was difficult to believe it had really happened. Holly had felt as though her and Artemis were somehow invincible, conditioned by countless impossible victories to believe that there would always be a way to come out on top.
She had come to expect that one of them would always produce the spark of brilliance that would get them through whatever situation they found themselves in. She kept on thinking that somehow this was all part of one Artemis's genius plans, and then had to keep on reminding herself that no, this wasn't part of a plan. This was real. Artemis was gone.
Holly wasn't angry, at least not yet. She knew that would come later; the anger at Artemis for allowing this to happen, the anger at Amber for being responsible, the anger at herself for being unable to save him. But for the moment, all she could feel was emptiness. It consumed her like something tangible, a darkness that slowly asphyxiated her, leaving room for nothing else.
She had already made the mistake of trying to sleep, hoping that perhaps if she slipped out of consciousness, then she might be able to ignore the hole inside her. Sleep had come, but the nightmares had been worse than any waking pain. Memories of Artemis, distorted by grief until they were unrecognizable.
And so, she had found herself sat there, on the edge of her futon, unable to face the prospect of sleep, but unable to summon the energy to do anything else, not even to stand up. Slowly but surely her resistance grew weaker, and the shadows of loss began to tear her apart. The pain built deep within her until she wanted to scream. She felt like she was being eaten alive.
Artemis was gone. Not temporarily. Forever. There wasn't even a body to bury. A myriad of tiny things occurred to her then; insignificant things that Artemis always did, little mannerisms that made him the person that he was. And she would never experience any of them again. She had never even consciously noticed him doing most of them, but now that felt like a waste, as though she had squandered all her opportunities to properly appreciate every little quirk he had.
It was inconceivable that she would never again see his face, or his smile. Never again hear his voice, or his laughter. Never again feel her lips on his.
In another time.
It was only now that she was lost in the darkest of hours that Holly found she could be truly honest with herself. She had told Artemis that she loved him, and she had meant it. It was true that she had felt some of that love when they had travelled to the past, but Artemis had lied to her and broken her heart. And so she had buried her feelings so deep that she thought she would never find them again.
She had convinced herself that what happened between them was nothing, just the result of the time stream messing with her emotions. She had told herself that there was no future for them together, and that thinking otherwise was just a childish fantasy. She repeated it so many times that she had even started to believe it. And though she had forgiven Artemis for lying to her, she had allowed the hurt to continue preventing her from acknowledging how she truly felt.
But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't quite kill that hopeless dream. It had simply retreated deep inside her, enduring, waiting for the right time to emerge.
It had almost broken her resolve watching Artemis battle Atlantis. She had sat by his side day after day, night after night, watching as his mind tore itself apart. She had been desperate to help, but found there was nothing she could do to save him from his hell. A part of her had felt it then, some of that love she had for him, but her resolve had held and she had repressed it, in the process denying the two of them any chance at a life together.
And now it was too late. Too late for anything but grief. Artemis was gone. Death had come and ripped him from her life.
Haven General Hospital, The Lower Elements
Captain Galadhon did something he had not expected to ever do again. He opened his eyes.
He recognized the interior of a hospital ward instantly. For a few moments, he simply lay there, strangely contented, until memories started flooding back. He remembered the pain, and the fear, and the sight of his own body, crippled and broken, limbs twisted at extraordinary angles. Remembered his flesh, blackened and charred by the unnatural purple flames. Remembered the agony as a thousand shards of shrapnel had embedded themselves in him, and remembered the bullets lodged in his chest.
He looked down at himself. His skin was unblemished, his body undamaged. He no longer felt any pain.
"Captain."
The elf looked up sharply. K'Azir was watching him from the entrance to the ward. Galadhon sat up a bit in an attempt to show at least a little respect to his commanding officer.
"Commander, sir. What's the situation topside?"
K'Azir smiled, making his way towards Galadhon's bed. "Contained, thanks to your efforts. We took some heavy losses, but all major security risks have been addressed. It's over."
Galadhon knew that he should feel relieved, but he could find only sadness. So much carnage. For nothing.
"How many?" he asked quietly.
K'Azir frowned. "How many what?"
"How many made it home?"
The commander took a moment to respond. "Six, including you." He paused, allowing an uncomfortable silence to fill the air. "I know it's a heavy price to pay, but the victory is worth it. Without their sacrifice, hundreds more would have died."
Galadhon looked K'Azir in the eye. When he spoke, his voice was cold. "Victory? We may have achieved our objective, we may have defeated Amber, but this was no victory. Today, everyone lost."
K'Azir didn't respond. He didn't have anything to say to that. In a way, he supposed that Galadhon was right, but that didn't change the fact that there had been no other choice.
"So how am I alive?" asked Galadhon, keen to change the subject.
"That would be my doing," said №1, appearing in the doorway with perfect timing. "I healed you, and the other survivors at Tara."
Galadhon frowned, but then he nodded slowly. Now that he thought about it, he did vaguely remember seeing №1 disembark the supersonic shuttle as he lost consciousness.
"How did you know to come?"
A look of sadness came over the little demon warlock. "I felt the attack."
Galadhon was cynical. "You felt it?"
"Those humans killed more than a hundred fairies last night. A hundred magical beings, slaughtered in the space of a few seconds. It would be impossible for a warlock not to notice a magical disturbance like that. Frankly, I'm surprised no-one else could. Modern fairies are not as in tune with magic as they used to be."
"№1 came straight to Police Plaza to tell us," said K'Azir, picking up the explanation where the little demon had left off. "It was around the same time as we picked up your message about being overrun. I decided to send help."
Galadhon acknowledge the explanation with a respectful nod. "Thank you, then. It seems I owe the two of you my life." He looked at K'Azir. "You said it was over. Am I to assume that Fowl and Short managed to retrieve Amber?"
K'Azir's features twisted uncomfortably. "Yes and no. They stopped Amber before she could launch the bio-bombs, but she was killed in the process. At the moment, everything has been contained, so the humans don't know about us, but we have no way to prove the attack on Tara was orchestrated by a fairy. People are already asking why they can't contact their loved ones – when we tell them why, there's going to a strong lobby for war."
"D'Arvit," swore Galadhon. "The council's going to have a hard time controlling things for a while. Did we lose anyone?"
K'Azir shrugged. "We didn't. Short and Diggums got back a few hours ago in the shuttle he stole. They dropped the remaining humans back at their home in Ireland."
"Remaining humans?" Galadhon asked, suddenly a lot more nervous than he had been before.
K'Azir's voice was devoid of emotion. "Apparently the Fowl kid didn't make it."
"What?" exclaimed №1, rounding on K'Azir. "Artemis is dead?"
The commander nodded.
Galadhon felt like he had been punched. He wouldn't exactly say he had been fond of Artemis, but he had had a certain respect for him. And the Mud Boy had been a good friend to the People. Without him, Haven would lie in ruins several times over.
"How?" demanded №1.
K'Azir gave another shrug. "I'm not sure. Caught in an explosion of something. Does it matter? He was just a human."
№1's eyes glowed a dangerous red. "Yes, it does matter. Artemis Fowl was a hero, and more than that he was my friend. So don't you dare think about insulting his memory."
K'Azir wasn't used to such impudence from a child. "Now listen to me…" he began spluttering angrily, but then he noticed the bolts of lightning forming in №1's hand and thought better of it.
"Wise choice," said the demon, turning his back to K'Azir before storming out of the room. Galadhon waited a moment before speaking.
"Where's Holly now? Debriefing?"
K'Azir shook his head. "I sent her home. She was barely even fit to talk – Mulch had to explain what happened before he was arrested for grand theft auto and assaulting an LEP officer when he stole the shuttle. The council wanted to me arrest Holly, too, but I couldn't bring myself to."
"Mulch goes and helps save the People – again – and he gets arrested for it?"
To his credit, K'Azir did seem genuinely sorry. "I know it's not fair, but everything's a mess right now. Hopefully in a few days can let him go free. Maybe he'll even get that medal he never stops asking for."
Galadhon didn't respond. For a minute the two friends simply sat and said nothing, contemplating the situation. It was strike team captain that finally broke the silence.
"It's really over?"
"Seems to be," his commander confirmed. "At least, the worst of it is over. We've still got a hell of a mess to clean up." He glanced at the exit. "Speaking of which, I had better go and start on that." He and Galadhon embraced briefly. "Be well, my friend."
Fowl Manor, Ireland, Three days after Artemis's death
Juliet knew exactly where she would find her brother – in the dojo. In the three days since Mulch had dropped them back at Fowl Manor, Domovoi Butler had done nothing more than eat, sleep and train, deflecting every attempt at conversation from his sister. Juliet would be lying if she said she wasn't concerned, but it was bad enough trying to come to terms with Artemis's death already. She wasn't sure she could spare the headspace to worry about her brother's state of mind.
Things were further complicated by Artemis's parents. When they had given the green light for their son to visit France and see Minerva, they too had decided that some time away from everything at home would be helpful. They had left for Greece the same day, and were now due to return this evening.
Juliet had no idea what she was going to tell them, especially Artemis Sr. Somehow she didn't think "by the way, your son died saving the world from a maniacal creature that isn't supposed to exist" would cut it. No doubt the fairy council would expect them to be told something other than the truth, but Juliet already knew that there was no way she would be able to lie to them. Holly had outlined what had happened on the shuttle - their son had died a hero, and they deserved to know that. It was the least she could do.
Juliet herself was coping surprisingly well. She felt a certain responsibility to Artemis to keep herself together. It was clear that her brother had already fallen apart, and on the shuttle back to Ireland Holly had been a shell of her normal self. Juliet knew that Artemis would have wanted someone to be a rock of support to the people he had been forced to leave behind, and if no-one else was going to be able to fill that role, she would.
Morning dew clung to leaves and crisp air chilled her face as she made her way across the Fowl estate to the dojo. The dawn light was still banishing the shadows of night, but Juliet knew her brother would already be up and active.
She was twenty-one, a fully-grown adult in every sense of the word, and yet some part of her could never shake a certain apprehension before entering the dojo. As a child, she had waited at just this time outside the Japanese style building every morning for her training with her brother, and had always been afraid that he would be disappointed. Artemis had died on her watch as well as his, and she couldn't help but feel as though she had failed her brother. After all the time he had invested in training her, she had failed to keep Artemis alive.
She shook her head. She wasn't a child anymore. Someone had to be strong enough deal with the legacy of Artemis's death. She wanted nothing more than to be alone and grieve, but she knew she had to step up. Taking a breath, she pushed open the door and made her way in.
"Dom?" she called, but she needn't have. Butler was in the middle of the floor space, sinking brutal punches into a training dummy. He turned at the sound of her voice, but didn't say anything. "We need to talk."
Butler still said nothing, but straightened up and gave his sister his full attention. Juliet launched into the speech she had been rehearsing since waking up.
"Listen Dom, it wasn't your fault. There was nothing you could have done. What happened was of Artemis's own design – for better or for worse, he chose it."
She was about to continue, but Butler interrupted her. "You're right. This was Artemis's plan. I couldn't have stopped it, even if I had been able to try."
Juliet was a little taken aback. "You don't blame yourself?"
"For what? He's not dead Juliet. This is Artemis Fowl we're talking about here – his plans always come through. We may not understand them until the end, and maybe not even then, but they always work."
Juliet tried to respond, but she didn't seem able to find the words. She could almost feel her heart breaking. He really doesn't believe it, she realized. And there's nothing I will be able to say to sway him. He will live in denial until it becomes untenable, and then he will break.
"I almost doubted him before," Butler was continuing. "For three years I waited. But he told me he would be back, and he came back. That's all there is to it."
"Dom…" Juliet said gently. "It isn't like last time. He didn't tell us he would be back this time because he knew he wouldn't be. Even Holly said it was the end. She was the last person to see him alive – if he had a backup plan, surely she would have known about it?"
Annoyance flashed across Butler's face, and when he spoke again, there was steel in his voice. "Artemis didn't even go to the toilet without a backup plan." He took a breath. "No. Artemis has a plan. All we have to do is trust in him. Now if you'll excuse, I need to get back to training. What will Artemis say if I'm not in shape when he needs me again?"
Juliet could say nothing. She wanted nothing more than to try and argue, but knew that no words could convince her brother. All she could was watch miserably as Butler returned to his onslaught.
Tara, Ireland, A week after Artemis's death
Captain Holly Short of LEPrecon had once lived to fly. She had lived to feel the air against her face, to soar over the remaining patches of beauty on the surface. But as she sped across the Irish countryside, she could derive no joy from the experience.
The elf had summoned all her determination and forced herself to adopt a mask of normality. Simply unable to cope, she had banished the pain deep inside her, and pretended that it wasn't there at all.
Once she had reclaimed some semblance of control over her mind, she had contacted Juliet and instructed her to tell Artemis's parents that he was still in France until she could get to the surface to explain the truth. The news, she was sure, should come from her. It was her people that had robbed them of their son after all.
So, she had sat politely through her debriefings, and explained repeatedly what had happened in France. It almost broke her resistance every time she was forced to recall that day, but she endured, knowing that she had one last mission to complete for her human friend. She had maintained her façade, refusing to let anyone see that she was dying inside.
His parents must know the truth. Artemis was a true hero, and he gave his life so that the others may live. Of course, the LEP had immediately buried Artemis's heroics and named her and Galadhon as Haven's saviours. While Holly didn't care much what the public thought, she wouldn't tolerate Artemis's parents believing that their son had simply disappeared and left them.
When Holly arrived at Fowl Manor, the first thing she did was locate Juliet. The girl was meditating in the grounds. It was out of character, and seemed strangely wrong seeing the normally hyperactive Juliet so still. Like death. Holly guessed that she was trying to take page out of Butler and Artemis's book in dealing with difficult times. She didn't think she could blame her.
The elf switched off her shield and landed lightly in front of the human. Juliet's eyes flicked open. Sat down on the grass, her face wasn't far from level with Holly's. She couldn't resist asking.
"Anything?"
Holly shook her head. She understood exactly how Juliet felt. It felt like a betrayal giving up hope on Artemis – after all, he had achieved miracles before – but Holly knew that he was gone. She had heard it in Artemis's voice when he had spoken to her in France. There had been no mistaking the pain in his tone. He had been saying goodbye for the last time.
Holly knew she would cherish that last goodbye until the day she died.
"Butler really believes that he isn't gone," Juliet was saying. Holly felt herself grimace. She hadn't been sure how Butler would react. Of all the options she had considered likely, outright denial had been the least healthy. In time, Butler would completely destroy himself.
And what about you? asked a voice in her head, unbidden. Just because you acknowledge that he's gone doesn't mean you're dealing with this in a healthy way. Burying your grief will tear you apart in the long run just as much as denial will Butler.
Not now! she told herself. I'll deal with my own grief later. Right now, I have to tell Artemis's parents the truth.
You'll deal with it later? That's worked out well in the past.
Holly's lips tightened. She couldn't deny that her track record for dealing with internal pain wasn't exactly great.
"Holly? Are you OK?" Juliet looked concerned.
Holly didn't respond as first. Later. I'll figure this all out later. "I'm OK," she lied. She attempted a smile. "I had better go and talk to his parents."
Artemis Fowl Sr. was not in the best of moods with his son as he made his way downstairs. His wife had told him about her fight with Artemis Jr. while the family had been on holiday, and he had resolved to have words with his son at the first available opportunity. But as soon as he had returned to the country, he had found that Artemis had decided – without even asking – that he would remain in France longer than they had agreed. And without a Butler! Artemis Sr. shook his head. He knew nothing about this Minerva girl, and honestly, he wasn't sure he approved of Artemis spending so much time with her. She could be dangerous.
Besides, Artemis Jr.'s place was here, with his family. It was bad enough that he had disappeared for several months with no notice to "study" instead of returning from Iceland last year, but Artemis Sr. had thought that once his son was home, things would finally settle down. But no. His son had suddenly decided to leave for Ukraine to "help a friend" for a few days, and on his return, he had been distant and refused to properly engage with his family. And now he had disappeared to France.
I shall have to have very firm words indeed with him, he thought, reaching the bottom of the staircase and heading through to the kitchen. I know I wasn't the father I should have been when he was growing up, but it's important that he spend time with his family. The twins need their big brother, and Angeline and I need our son. Not to mention that-
Artemis Sr.'s train of thought was very suddenly derailed as he stepped into the kitchen. There was a girl sat at the table with her back to him, dressed in some sort of futuristic armoured suit, complete with mechanical wings. At least, she would have looked like a girl had it not been for the pointed ears and the fact her proportions were those of an adult. There was weapon of some kind, a firearm, strapped to her thigh.
Artemis Sr. found himself unable to do more than stare. The creature turned, no doubt having heard him enter. He was struck immediately by how pretty she was, but after a moment, he noticed her eyes. One blue, one hazel. A perfect mirror image of his son's eyes. And they were red, as though she had been crying.
"You have my son's eyes," he said, a hint of accusation in his voice. "Explain."
Holly gave a sad smile, but said nothing. She would wait until Angeline was here before explaining herself.
"Listen to me. I don't know what you are, but I am a very dangerous man if crossed. I demand-"
Classic Fowl, thought Holly. That's exactly the kind of thing Artemis would have said before I changed him.
Artemis. She felt her heart constrict for the thousandth time that day.
Artemis's father never got to finish his demand, because at that moment, his wife appeared his shoulder.
"Holly?" she guessed. "Why are you here?" The elf could almost see the cogs turning behind her eyes as she put two and two together. "Where is my son?"
Artemis Sr. looked at his wife as if she had grown a second head. He opened his mouth to ask some very pointed questions, but Holly spoke before he had a chance.
"Gone," she said, her voice cracked. "Your son is dead."
Neither human reacted at first. They simply stood and stared, the colour draining slowly from their faces.
While Angeline had never met Holly in person, she knew about her from Artemis. She knew that the elf was a friend to her son, and that she would never lie about something like this. The realization washed across her face like a plague. Artemis was gone. The Fowl matriarch's normally commanding presence seemed to fold, like puppet with its strings cut.
She looked at Holly, her eyes hollow and pleading. "How? Please, I have to know. How did he die?"
Holly met her gaze. Her eyes were the same ice blue that Artemis's had been.
"A hero. He died a hero."
Epilogue;
Location Unknown, Time Unknown
Consciousness came gradually to the boy. Reality called to him from far away, as though across a great chasm. Slowly, he became aware of his physical presence. He was lying down. A gentle breeze suggested he was outside. The ground was soft and cool beneath his face. Grass, perhaps.
I am alive, he thought.
For reasons he couldn't explain, the thought surprised him. He tried to figure out why, but the memory wouldn't come. In fact, no memories would come. He had a past, he was sure of it, he just… he just couldn't remember. His mind was blank, as though wiped clean.
Despite this, he felt… content. It wasn't a feeling he was used to. He wondered what was responsible for his unusually good mood. Something else he couldn't remember?
No, that wasn't it. It was something from the dream he had been having.
The dream… what had it been about?
He tried to focus, but the images were already fading. There had been darkness, he remembered that. A shadow over his mind that would not let him go. There had been a girl, too. A beautiful girl and an explosion. And suffering. Suffering that had felt like it would never end.
The boy frowned. If the dream had been so bleak, why had it left him feeling happy? The answer was there, he could feel it, at the edge of his consciousness. Just beyond his grasp.
He opened his eyes and looked around. He was lying on the grass by the side of a lake, just a few inches from the water. Clear sky met the jagged row of mountain peaks before him. The Alps, he realized, though he could not explain how he knew.
The boy raised his head and studied the still water. His reflection stared back him.
Dichromatic eyes, he observed. One blue, one hazel. How unusual.
He paused. They were more than unusual. They were… familiar? He felt the ghost of a memory brush past him, just out of reach. Something from his dream. Whatever it was that had left him feeling so contented.
A hint of a smile played at the corners of his mouth.
Holly. Something about Holly.
The End
A/N: You know when I said I was going to write a sequel? This is why. Among other things, it will explain why Artemis isn't dead. The reason I'm leaving that out of here is not because I haven't thought of a way to explain it, but because it will be a relevant part of the plot in the sequel. Also, I wanted to have the subplot of Artemis losing and regaining his memories (like in TLG, at least we assume he eventually regains them there). And yes, there is a good reason that he loses them here, but I'm afraid you'll have to wait until the sequel to find out ;)
I'm afraid I don't have an exact time for when the it will be up, but I would guess it will be a few months. I have some pretty important exams coming up, but after them I'll have more free time than I'll know what to do with. So it'll be a little while, but I don't plan on being gone for too long.
In a shameless attempt to gain followers, I will now carefully remind everyone that they can follow me as an author to be notified as soon as I start the sequel.
See? I'm unbelievable. But seriously though, if you want to...
Anyway, this has been a great journey for me, and I want to thank everyone who's stuck with me the whole way. I love you guys. Speaking of which... how about leaving me one last review...?
-Kio