184So… here we are. Last chapter! Yaay! :D
Disclaimer: I don't own Artemis Fowl
Chapter 16: the end?
Fowl Manor: Ireland
Fowl manor shook once more as yet another bombardment of LEP missiles bounced off the force field. Artemis ran through to the main hall and flung open the front doors. The others followed and they all halted on the step, staring solemnly up at the cluster of LEP ships in the sky.
"They'll break through in a minute." Artemis said. He was speaking more to himself than anyone else.
"So much for the force field lasting a week." Holly snorted at his side.
He scowled down at the elf. "Well I'm sorry it didn't match up to your expectations Holly. It hasn't been tested against LEP weaponry before and it wasn't designed to withstand heavy artillery."
"I know. But now we're trapped."
"Sorry."
Mulch chipped in. "Hey! At least we'll all die together. Our last stand. How dramatic is that?"
"Shut up Mulch." Holly snapped. Artemis watched as she turned back to the force field, glowering. He saw the elf's eyes suddenly widen in shock.
"What is it Holly?"
She pointed to the gates of the manor, where the force field ended. "Look." Just beyond the blue light, Artemis could make out a small figure waving their arms frantically at the group.
"Is that… Commander Kelp?"
"Looks like it." said Butler, who was also squinting to see the diminutive fairy.
"What's he doing?"
Holly took a few steps forward to see, having the best eyesight out of her current companions. "It's like he's… hold it! Artemis! He's waving for us to get back inside! They're about to break through!" immediately, they all scrambled to get in through the door. Butler shut it with a slam just as a thunderous crash reached their ears. The building shook with the most violent tremors yet, knocking them to the floor. Small pieces of plaster began to rain down from the roof onto their heads. When the shaking stopped, Artemis scrambled to his feet, pulling Holly with him. Butler was already up, gazing intently out the window.
Behind them, Mulch stood up last, brushing himself down and grumbling. "Honestly. Could they make those things any louder?" he turned to Butler. "What's going on big man?"
"The force field is down. The LEP are coming up the drive on foot."
Artemis raised an eyebrow at that, slightly surprised. "On foot?"
Butler nodded. "You'd think they'd want to be well prepared against us but obviously not."
"Obviously." Artemis echoed, suddenly thinking hard. Something had happened in the last few hours since Trouble left. Something that had somehow changed their current predicament.
He was jerked out of his contemplation by Holly. "Artemis. We need to go meet them. Something weird is going on here. This is not how the LEP operates." Obviously Holly was thinking along the same lines as he was.
He nodded and made to open the door, but a huge hand knocked his out of the way. "Nuh-uh Artemis. I'm going first." Said Butler sternly, twisting the handle and stepping outside to meet the advancing officers. Commander Kelp stopped just in front of the bottom step leading up to the door.
"Butler."
The manservant fingered his Sig Sauer. "Commander. What's going on?"
"We won't harm you." He looked pointedly at Artemis. "Any of you."
Artemis stepped forwards, ignoring the arm that held him back.
"What has happened?"
Kelp sighed dejectedly. "Basically, the fairy council are on the brink of declaring war on humanity."
There was a stunned silence. Then,
"What?"
The Commander proceeded to tell them of his conversation with council chairman Cahartez.
"This is awful!" said Holly, when he had finished. "Every fairy in Haven mesmerized!"
Kelp shook his head. "It's not just Haven. Foaly tried to get a line through to Atlantis. They're the same. So are all the minor towns and shuttle ports. It's every fairy under the earth."
"Gods. Who could have done this?"
Artemis, who had been listening carefully, stepped in. "Are you certain you still have Opal in your custody? This seems like her style."
The commander nodded. "We've got her under constant armed guard in the prison shuttle over there." he pointed to one of the ships on the near horizon.
"Who else hates fairies or humans enough to plunge the planet into a cross species war?"
"Nobody that I can think of."
"When are they declaring war?"
"I don't know mud boy. Stop with the questions already."
Artemis looked away. "Sorry." He was very tempted to ask another question, but stayed silent. Thankfully, Holly asked it for him.
"What about Artemis? Are you still going to arrest him?"
"No. The council weren't in their right minds when they ordered me to do that. Besides, it looks like we'll probably be needing all the help we can get." He turned to the crowd of officers behind him. "Up here, we have twenty-six fairies that we know have not been mesmerised. Twenty-seven if you count Opal Koboi. We need to resolve this situation as fast as possible. You are Haven's finest officers, so let's get down there and find out who's behind this."
The fairies began to move out, heading back to the shuttles and packing up the gear as quickly as they could. Mulch bade them a cheerful farewell and sauntered off into the throng. Holly turned to Artemis. "Sorry, but I'm going to have to take your homemade phone off you now. We can't have you running about with too much fairy technology."
Artemis grinned in spite of the situation. "It's inside, I'll go and get it." he made his way through to the kitchen table where he had left the phone and scooped it up, only to find his path blocked by Holly. She looked worried.
"Artemis."
"What?"
She stepped forwards and took one of his hands in hers, enfolding it in her palms. "Be careful while I'm away. Please?"
"I'm always careful."
Holly grinned and smacked him playfully. "You know what I mean."
"I do. And I will."
"Thanks." they made their way back through the manor, stopping just inside the front door. Holly held out her hand and Artemis placed the phone in it carefully.
"When will I next see you?"
She smiled and pulled the collar of his shirt down to her level before kissing him. "Soon." She breathed.
And with that, Holly Short sauntered down the manor steps and into the waiting LEP shuttle, leaving behind a thoroughly disgruntled Artemis Fowl.
How soon was soon? He wondered as the shuttle rose into the air and shimmered out of view. As soon as it had faded from sight, Artemis turned and made his way back into the manor, shutting the door quietly behind him. For some reason, Holly's words had instilled a strange sense of foreboding in him. He had a feeling that, the next time they met, something big would happen.
Unfortunately, Artemis Fowl II was correct in his prediction. What had happened so far was merely the calm before the storm.
The catastrophic events that were to follow were the kind that made history, destroyed civilizations, ruined lives. One thing was for certain; afterwards, things would never be the same again.
The End [until next time! ;) ]
PLEASE READ:
Does anybody else find it really funny that I can't even finish a story without putting in cliffhangers? Mwahahaha! Don't worry. I am writing a sequel right now. It continues on from where this story finishes off so yes, the whole mesmerised fairies/cross-species war issue will go on.
I will also try and put in a little more A/H in it :)
The sequel will be called 'THE STORM' and I've pretty much planned it out so the first chapter should be up either this week or next week. Keep a look out for it! ^_^
Pleeeeease review my final chapter! It will greatly encourage me to get the next story written and posted sooner!
A great big thank you to A. Thorn, Artemis Fowl Lover, rainbowmouse, rosepetals98, ArtemisPercyPotter, Stefan Bashkir, MaXiMuM ride 22, TMI, Dawn Light574, ghostsaliensteletubbiesohmy, ElfinEragon, WeLovePercyJackson, Kelalexshipper4evah, brill will, mischievous 101, I fight I win, Readergirl99, TheGateBuilder, Valerie3, invader13panda, greenluvr14, wertheworld, Lynth, Gellia, KusajishiFuktaicho, endra1, gfhgfh, reepicheepy, gagster1233, Meander, Beckett Simpleton, Ellie, Tara, not bitter just twisted, Disney-movie-lover, BunnyWithEvilIntention, camdude, CarolinaEirasSa, Skullover, CatDc, pleasewritemore, HallelujahTheCreator, Kida Ookami , name and all the anonymous reviewers for reviewing my story.
You have made writing this fic worthwhile. ^_^
(If anyone reviews after I have posted this chapter, I will put your name up too)