The moon was full. More bright than Trouble had ever seen it.
They came up through Tara, despite the fact that it was full of fairies drawn to the surface on a night as perfect as this. A wave of the badge got them to the front of the line. Since they were still in uniform, anything they did could be considered "Police Business", though this had nothing to do with crime. On top, they left Tara swiftly, wings carrying them far away. Holly was leading, he didn't pay attention to where they were going. The landscape was stunning. Ireland never failed to take his breath away. It was something every fairy shared- an appreciation for the Earth they were forced to leave. No wonder they were resentful of humans.
It wasn't until they landed that Trouble realized where they were. In the weeks after the Fowl Siege, Trouble had been filing away the details of the case in the master archive, every tiny aspect of the case put away for the future. It was grueling work, longest three weeks of his long life. But he had become acquainted with the case, more so then he had previously. He'd been out for most of the siege after Butler took out his entire retrieval team, himself included. He'd been underground for medical attention before they'd even issued the time stop.
He recognized Holly's chosen landing point. Ritual sight #57, the place where Artemis Fowl kidnapped her, that night so many years ago. He wondered why she had chosen this spot. Perhaps it was a strange connection, a place of pain and fear, mixed with friendship and nostalgia.
"I always come here to refuel." She said, hand sliding down the bark of the ancient oak. "Arguably what happened here was the most obvious turning point in my life."
Trouble allowed himself to imagine what life would be like if Artemis Fowl never successfully kidnapped a fairy. He was sure that it would have been different, these last few years, and definitely not for the better. Opal Koboi would have gone ahead with her goblin rebellion, and she probably would have won, and gods know what kind of terrible fate they'd be enduring right now.
He stepped closer to the stream, removing his helmet and wings. Without the heavy machinery, he felt unburdened, free in the cold Irish breeze, the crisp air filling his lungs. This was heaven. How could the People have ever managed to have left the surface? He couldn't believe what kind of pain might've been behind that decision, and whoever had had to make it.
He felt a presence, and Holly's fingers slipping through his. Her fingers were warm, her hand soft. This was heaven. No doubt there.
Author's note: Recently I've been rereading all the books, re-acquainting myself with the world of Artemis Fowl and the People. The moments involving Trouble kelp are sparse, but gratifying, and giggle at the level of detail Eoin Colfer puts into his writing.
"If you're looking for Trouble, he's right here." Gotta love it. Please Review!:)