Artemis Fowl: Opal's Revenge

This story is set after the last book, The Last Guardian. If you have not read the last book and don't want spoilers, don't read ahead!

After Artemis's clone is taken from the Chrysalis, and his soul finds its way into the body. Foaly takes Artemis on his back and to take back to the house, and Holly tells him how he knows them, since his memories are very few, having been a floating soul for six month's. Foaly leaves to deal with business in Haven, and Holly finishes telling Artemis about how they met and all the adventures they had together. Artemis goes to sleep, exhausted after his ordeal. He soon realizes that he wasn't the only soul floating around…

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Artemis Fowl or any of the characters.

Artemis Fowl was dreaming.

A skull with no flesh was looming in the darkness before him. The mouth was moving, speaking words, but Artemis could not hear them. Then he heard Opal laugh.

Artemis jolted awake, sweating slightly. The room was just barely light. He remembered the skull, the mouth moving, and Opals laugh.

But Opal was dead. After trying to open the Lock, he had taken the clone of her and put the hand on the lock that would seal it forever, thus saving mankind, and killing himself. Opal had died. He had died himself, unable to leave the orb of light surrounding it. His one fairy eye, Holly's eye, had prevented him from escaping.

Now he was alive, after his clone had been created and they had put it in the roses, so his soul could find it.

He turned over and saw Holly curled up in a leather armchair by his bed, asleep. Butler was in another one, head sagged to his chest, snoring slightly. He sighed and sat up, still feeling weak. His memories had returned fairly quickly. He remembered everything that had happened with his life and his family and friends. He was surprised they had returned so quickly.

On the other side of his bed, his mother and father were sitting in armchairs, slumped over, sleeping. He knew Holly had told them what happened. His mother and father were overjoyed to see him alive again. They had thought him dead, and now their son was back.

"Holly," whispered Artemis, reaching over and touching her arm lightly.

Holly jerked and sat up, blinking sleep from her eyes.

"Artemis!" she whispered.

Butler jerked his head up.

"You're awake!" Holly whispered.

"I dreamt of a skull, and hearing Opal laugh." Artemis rubbed his eyes.

"She's dead."

"I know," Artemis replied. "Still, it was unnerving."

"How do you feel?" asked Butler.

Artemis sighed. "A bit weak. But I slept for about, what? Twelve hours? I actually feel okay. I can't believe the memories returned so quickly when you were telling me the story."

Holly sat on the bed next to him. "I'm so glad your back." She hugged him.

Artemis hugged her back. "It's good to be back with you guys."

His parents awoke and fussed over him a bit, asking him how he felt and if he needed anything. Butler went to make him some broth, saying his body needed something easy to eat.

A few minutes later, Artemis, having insisted that he was quite well enough to walk, was seated in the dining room, sipping broth out of a blue china bowl in the dining room. His parents, Butler, and Holly were eating fruit.

"The allotments around here are thriving," said Holly. "This organic fruit is wonderful. No yucky pesticides."

The Fowl estate had been broken down into allotments for people to live and grow food on. With the disasters that Opal had wrought, there was no more driving to the nearest grocery store to pick up packaged, processed food. Everybody had to grow their own food, including the Fowls. A few people lived in small house built right behind the manor and helped Angeline with the garden. She hadn't been very good at gardening at first, but they had helped her, and now they had plenty of food to eat between them all.

The twins were still sleeping upstairs. They had been awed and thrilled to have their big brother back, even though Artemis had taken a few minutes to remember who they were.

"Son," said Mr. Fowl. "I'm sorry to have to do this, since we just got you back, but I'm leaving to go abroad, and help people try and get society back together. I'm meeting with some other people in Dublin and we will be leaving by boat and going to London for a meeting with some leaders."

"I understand," said Artemis.

Mr. Fowl left three days later. Holly left too, to do some work in Haven. The fairy world was recovering faster than the human one, no doubt thanks to their already advanced technology.

Angeline remained at home, fussing over her son, until Artemis had to remind her, kindly, that while he had been dead for six months, he was not an invalid, and could do things for his own self.

Butler was looking his age, due to the fight and how he been blasted. He was completely bald, every follicle in is head being burned.

"The bald look suits you," commented Artemis one afternoon, helping his mother in the garden. Butler was picking weeds, trying not to squash vegetables with his enormous hands. "You always had a crew cut anyway, and looked nearly bald anyway."

"Kind of nice, not having to shave," said Butler, smiling. "Oops." He looked down to realize he had accidently squashed a tomato completely flat, the red juice running in rivulets into the earth.

"That's our food supply!" said Angeline, playfully smacking his arm.

Myles and Beckett were picking weeds. Myles was instructing Beckett on how best to do the job. Beckett plucked a carrot and bit it, ignoring his brother.

"Beckett, that has dirt on it!" scolded Angeline.

"I like dirt," said Beckett.

Done for the day, they got up, surveying their work. Artemis suddenly seen the skull again. He had the sensation of floating, the roses growing on the ground below. He had a feeling of hatred…

He blinked and was looking at the tomatoes again.

"Are you okay?" asked Butler.

"Uh-yes," said Artemis, blinking. "I'm a bit tired. Think I'll go inside."

"Oh, sweetie, you need to rest," said Angeline, putting her army around. "You probably shouldn't be working in the sun."

"Mom, please."

The two went into the house, followed by Myles and Beckett, who was still munching on his dirt encrusted carrot. Butler went to do his usual check around the grounds, making sure everything was okay. The look on Artemis's face; he had gone blank for a moment, and then it was like a look of hatred flashed in his eyes, and was gone quickly.

Artemis was sitting in his father's study, reading a book. Holly popped in through an open window.

"Holly!" said Artemis, setting the book down.

"What are you reading?" asked Holly.

"War and Peace."

"Some things never change," said Holly. "If you can believe it, I actually got a three day vacation, and a pass to spend it here, as long as nobody outside the family sees me."

"Shouldn't be too hard," said Artemis.

"I did the Ritual a few days ago," said Holly. "I was going to sneak over for a visit, but I got a call. Some rogue Troll was running rampant."

Artemis laughed.

Holly slept on a cot in Artemis's room, next to his bed.

"Sleep over! Yay!" shouted Beckett, dragging in a sleeping bag.

Myles came in, carrying his neatly folded sleeping bag, and a book that described each of the elements in the periodic table.

"Read us a story," said Beckett, climbing into Artemis's bed. Holly crawled in next to Artemis.

"Yes, read us a story," said Holly, in a whiny joke voice.

She had gotten Beckett and Myles some story books for baby fairies. Beckett had one, about a really ugly gnome with a flatulence problem who went and defeated an army of trolls with a single fart.

"Reminds me of someone," said Holly, thinking of Mulch. "The flatulence."

"Why, whoever could that be?" said Artemis, thinking the same thing.

Artemis read the story to them, and then it was Myles turn. Artemis read through the first fifteen elements in the book. Myles was riveted, but Beckett barely made it past Hydrogen, before he was passed out in two minutes flat, drooling on the comforter.

Afterwards, Holly took Beckett to his sleeping bag and tucked him in; while Artemis promised Myles he would read about more elements to him tomorrow. Myles agreed and got into his sleeping bag and went to sleep.

Holly and Artemis said goodnight and went to sleep.

Artemis awoke in the night, feeling different. He couldn't put his finger on it. The feeling grew stronger and he realized it was hatred.

He looked at Holly. He hated her. He should kill the stupid little elf. She had helped wreck his plans for domination.

Artemis tried to shake himself of the feelings and thoughts invading his mind. He didn't hate Holly.

Was it the Atlantis Complex coming back. He thought of four and didn't scare him.

"Four," he whispered out loud.

"Four what?" whispered a thought in his brain, letting out a familiar laugh.

Artemis froze.

"Now, be a good boy and go to sleep for awhile, so Mommy can get some work done."

Artemis gritted his teeth.

Opal?

Opal was dead.

"Not so very dead."

Artemis realized he was getting out of bed. He willed himself not too, but realized he couldn't control his body anymore.

No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't stop himself from getting Holly's gun from the shelf were she had locked it in a box, in case Beckett tried to play cowboys and Indians with it. The last thing they needed was Beckett blasting holes in the house and hurting someone.

He set the Neutrino to the highest setting and aimed it at Holly's head.

"Night night, little elf."

"No…" Artemis whispered, his voice cracking. He was shaking with the effort of holding the gun and keeping himself from pulling the trigger. Holly was his friend. He couldn't do this. What was happening?

"Stop interfering, you worthless Mud boy. Go to sleep so I can kill Holly!"

"No…"

Artemis struggled, shaking.

Holly stirred and looked up. In the moonlight, she could see Artemis standing over her, holding the Neutrino, pointing it at her.

"Artemis?" she whispered.

"Holly." Artemis's voice was strained. "I can't hold out…much longer. Call Butler... Scream for help… Do something… to stop me. I can't…"

"BUTLER!" shrieked Holly. "HELP! HELP!"

Artemis realized his vision was going black around the edges.

"That's right. Just go to sleep and let Mommy do what she needs to do."

He pulled the trigger, and then everything went black…