Maybe…the demon liked the boy?
Artemis Fowl sits in his study, checking news on his laptop. The house is unusually quiet – his parents and the twins are on a trip to London. Angelina was quiet forceful to make Artemis go with them, but he regretfully informed her about his science project. Well, technically Artemis has something to do with science all the time, so it wasn't exactly a lie. At that moment his fairy device tells him about a forthcoming call. He closes his laptop and curiously picks up.
"Hi there, Mudboy!" He sees the familiar face of Holly Short, Captain in LEPrecon and his…dare he say it…friend?
"Hello Holly. What is the matter?", he asks, calmly searching Holly's face for the nature of the information. He hadn't heard of anything suspicious and therefore paranormal (well, fairly paranormal) lately and he doesn't believe that after his thorough hacking something could have slipped past him.
"Commander Kelp found that something was amiss in your files and has decided to arrange a meeting with you. " Holly answers, checking something behind her back.
"Being aware of his strong distain towards me I find it highly unsettling. That "something" must be quite important. When is going to be this meeting you spoke of?
"Tomorrow at ten a.m, we'll send transport to Tara. See you then, Arty!" Holly informs him and breaks the connection. Artemis leans back and intertwines his fingers. He has to change his plans and let Butler know. The People shouldn't have any mistakes in his papers. Not after the meeting after his three-year absence. He stands up and goes into the hallway. It could prove to be troublesome, and therefore needs to be dealt with. He goes down the stairs and sees a well-known figure.
"Butler" he says "Apparently the Fairies miss us.
Captain Holly Short talks with Foaly about new wings prototypes. She catches herself watching the door out of the corner of her eye and immediately snaps her attention to the centaur. Artemis is still talking with Commander and fixing whatever was wrong. She hopes they will solve it quickly, before either of their tempers flare.
At that moment the door opens and through it steps Artemis with his loyal companion. It's been a while since she last saw him. He looks like he always does, if a little older, with his Armani suit, raven black hair and deep blue eyes. Well, now there is just one blue eye, the second one -hazel- being hers. On his -not his- second eye is a black eyepatch.
"Oh, Arty! Did you decide to become a pirate?" Foaly guffaws and meets Artemis's flat look.
"That actually is a good question." Holly agrees, wondering about this sudden addiction to his appearance. Artemis grimaces and looks at amused Butler. He moves closer to them and opens his mouth to speak, but, at that moment, some device on Foaly's desk begins to blare. Foaly furrows his brow and reads something on one of the screens.
"What is going on?" Holly asks trying to understand the information on the screen.
"Something's not right. One of the sensors recognized Artemis's visual presence as a person in a painting made in the nineteenth century, 1888 to be precise. That's not possible."
Foaly looks at them in bemusement. Artemis quirks an eyebrow.
"Does it mean that your wonderful technology is not working?"
"This is serious. Did you try to mess with my computers ?" The centaur says suspiciously.
"No. Why would I do that?"
"Okay. Foaly, show us the picture." Holly commands and he does it throwing her a dirty look. On the biggest screen appears an old painting with a boy in Victorian clothes who looks exactly like Artemis, even the eyepatch is on the same eye. He sits on a big luxurious armchair which is at the centre of the picture. Behind it, in the shadows, lurks a tall, thin person. The details are dark, but it looks like it is a man in a butlers' attire. The creepiest thing is the butler's vivid burgundy eyes.
"Remarkable." Artemis murmurs, his whole attention on studying the hologram. It's truly mind boggling Holly thinks glancing first at Fowl, then at his doppelganger. Or maybe it's the other way around…
"What's his name?"
"Ciel Phantomhive. Born in 1875. Head of the Funtom company. It says that he was "Her Majesty's lapdog", something like a special agent of Queen Victoire, dealing with the most unusual and dirtiest crimes. And that he…made a deal with a demon named Sebastian Michealis." Foaly reads, unsure about the last statement.
"A demon? Like… No1?" Holly asks, unsure. Foaly shrugs helplessly and scrolls the information. After a minute his face drains of all color and he looks disturbed.
"No. Not at all. No1 species are called demons because of their appearance, while this demon is more personality wise like demons in Mudmens Christian religion. They are apparently fallen angels and they make deals with humans. In exchange for money, power or revenge the demons take a man's soul."
"That's horrible. I… haven't heard of them. Why is that?" Captain Short resurfaces and demands answers.
"Because apparently they came to Earth a really long time ago. As in the beginning of the planet. When we came to be" here Foaly points at Holly and himself "they were almost extinct. Only the strongest survived. The common fairly folk isn't informed of their existence because there's no need. They attack only Mudmen."
"What happened to this Ciel? He must have been special if you've got him in your files." Artemis asks, finally taking his gaze of the painting.
"Ciel Phantomhive died as a thirteen year old supposedly in a fire in London, but only a part of his soul was devoured. The other part escaped or has been set free. "
"I see. After everything you told us about the demons it is highly unlikely that a part of a soul could have escaped one of them. However, if it is the latter… that must mean that it was profitable for the demon." Artemis concluded.
"How could it be profitable if the boy was dead?" Foaly asks bewildered.
"Maybe… someone asked him to? Or made a deal?" Holly hesitantly states.
"It can't be. It would be impossible in a short amount of time." Artemis rebukes.
"Artemis, you're not making any sense." Butler says suddenly. Artemis looks at him expectantly.
"Maybe… the demon liked the boy?" Holly asks. Silence falls as three pairs of eyes look at her incredulously.
"Do you really believe an event like that could occur?
"Well, we did manage to befriend you and make you less of a psychopath, didn't we? The impossible can happen!" Holly snaps back at Artemis. His eyes flash some indescribable emotion and he nods, conceding her point.
"Do you think, if the demon is still alive, he will be after Artemis? They look identical." Protecting his charge is the only thing Butler cares about in this conversation. Foaly furrows his brow thinking and says:
"There is nothing in the files to indicate whether the demons still exist or not. If they do, he didn't come to Artemis so maybe he doesn't care. But if he isn't aware that there is someone like that…
Holly wonders about Artemis and Ciel. It is not unusual that two or more people look the same, but they are too alike. Their bearing is the same, the manner in which they carry themselves. Even on the painting it is clear that he radiates confidence and a feeling of superiority. Her Artemis is the same, maybe less now in the company of friends. Both are (were) brilliant. Artemis is a genius, but Ciel must have been intelligent as well to serve Queen Victoire at such a young age. Both had an affinity with law, maybe on other sides, but still.
She doesn't like these similarities. It may bode ominously for Artemis. All of this may be a coincidence, but she can't take the chance.
After all…
"If he isn't aware of Artemis, then we must ensure that it stays that way. If he finds out, we will protect Artemis. Is that clear?" Holly is calm, and knows she will do everything to make that demon stay away from her friend. Even if there is a quiet voice in the back of her head telling her that thing she desperately tries to ignore.
… what is the probability that Artemis is an Old Soul?
Sebastian Michealis stands beneath the shadow of a tree on Fowls' property. His perfect sight is fixed upon one of the windows on the first floor of Fowls Manor. Through the window a silhouette of a boy can be seen, sitting at the desk. His face is illuminated by the screen he's working on.
Sebastian found him by accident. He didn't expect to see a boy he thought had died a long time ago. Although he's older than then. He doesn't have any proof that this is Ciel, but he knows it. He's sure that the boy will know it too, when he sees him.
In that moment his memories of a time long gone resurface. He has a stark realization. Oh, how he missed him so! His boccian…
Who apparently already has a butler. Sebastian finds he's displeased. After all, he is the best for his young master. He's sure that can be easily fixed.
He will come to his young master and they will be what they once were. Unstoppable. Destroying everyone who stands in their way. They just have to make a contract… that shouldn't be a problem, Ciel must miss him too. Unless..
Well, if the boy doesn't remember him, he'll make him remember.
But first: eliminate the current butler.