A short little one-shot, a tad pointless but nice to read. One of Holly and Artemis' "philosophical" conversations. Set whenever you want. Please r&r. thanks. x
"Artemis?"
"Mmhmm." The boy managed an irritated murmur without looking up from the book he was reading.
The two figures were seated under a tree in the grounds of Fowl Manor. Artemis was sitting on a dark emerald picnic rug, his back leaning against the trunk of the tree, his companion lay on the opposite side of the rug, hands under her head, staring up at the perfect, clear sky.
"What's it like to be human?"
Silence.
"Fowl?"
"What is it Holly?" Snapped Artemis, looking up from his book to glare at the elf. Holly was oblivious to his annoyance.
"What's it like to be human?" She repeated airily. The boy sighed and put down his book, carefully placing it pages-down so he didn't lose his place.
"It's restricting. We are such a slow race, it takes us decades to come up with the technology that takes you merely…"
"No Fowl." Holly sat up to face him. "That's superficial; what's on the outside. I want to know what it's like to be human."
Artemis frowned again. "I don't think I quite comprehend…"
"Never mind." Holly interrupted quickly. "Forget I asked." She lay back down, settling herself into a comfortable position. Artemis was puzzled, but he picked his book back up and attempted to continue reading. However his mind wouldn't allow him to. His thoughts were racing. -What is it like to be human?- Truth be told he had never thought about it before. There was silence for several minutes.
"It's lonely." He said finally.
"What is?"
"Being a human."
"Oh."
Artemis put down his book again. "It's very lonely. All the time, humans crave happiness, above all other things. Everything we do is for our own contentment, it's selfish, and therefore, we are lonely."
"But there are some people who aren't selfish, aren't there? Are they lonely too?"
"No, because they have someone, someone else to think about, other than themselves. Human's are driven by the desire for happiness, and the greatest generator of that feeling… is love."
"One human being's love for another…" Holly murmured dreamily.
"Why did you ask in the first place?"
"No reason. Just interested."
There was silence for another moment before…"What's it like to be a fairy?"
Holly grinned. "Do you know what Fowl, I think it's the same. The things that separate us, you and I, are what you mentioned first: the superficial things, the things on the outside. On the inside we're just the same."
Artemis smiled, standing up. "That's why we're not wrong." He said. "We're the same on the inside. It's the things on the outside that separate us, force us apart."
Holly stood beside him. "But that doesn't stop us."
Artemis took her hand "No. It doesn't"