Butler had been listening outside the door for a good part of the conversation, hearing how much Rosaline had gotten out of Artemis. He panic upon the realization, as it meant that she had a whole new hand to play with the knowledge. She had what she wanted, she didn't need Artemis anymore. But upon listening further, he heard Artemis' self-loathing, and Rosaline's adamant reasoning that he was not evil, repeating the arguments that had been used on him for a year. And yet somehow, it seemed her words held more weight. He heard them walking, their voices getting a little further. She thought him a hero?... Even after everything she knew? She was either a rabid idealist, or judged humanity with a different sort of standard from the rest of the world. He remained outside the door, growing slightly nervous when they stopped talking. But he couldn't hear anything that called for action. He leaned against the wall, trying to focus on any movement, his face remaining stony as he considered Rosaline's ease at breaking down Artemis' walls.
Butler was not the only person listening in on this conversation. Two other creatures listened and watched the scene unfold, both wincing inwardly at Artemis self-deprecating attitude. They tried to contain their shock at the ease with which the girl touched him, and the fact that Artemis made no attempt to hide himself from her. Both were understandably worried about the entire situation. Their only human companion had betrayed them, as the videos clearly allowed, to a person he couldn't possibly know. A random orphan girl, who he'd only met today, was being paraded through his house and to his mother as his girlfriend, and he'd... somehow told her everything about his life through a handshake...which had led to a rather awkward viewing for the two, who had averted their eyes slightly to give Artemis a semblance of privacy. The shorter spoke first.
"I don't want to believe it. Not after all this time. He can't have honestly revealed everything to her. He didn't even tell her anything. They just shook hands and she knew." The small female shook her head slightly, unwilling to believe what was happening, or the repercussions that would have to follow.
"You heard him, Holly. He openly admitted to having met us. He didn't even think about, judging by his reaction. He has also realized what he's done, because he got worried. But what I don't understand is that substance. She got it on her hand, and suddenly nothing made sense. And he's been saying that the dust itself gave them this connection. A mental connection. I need to get ahold of some, analyze it. He's in severely hot water at the moment, and that dust might be the only thing that saves him." Foaly shook his head, anger, sorrow, and more than a little bit of curiosity coursing through him.
"But that girl..." Holly said, looking at the long red hair flowing down her back, her hand still in Artemis'. "He and she both talked about her, and according to her, and him, really, she isn't human. And from what she said, it sounds like she has magical abilities similar to ours."
"Except according to her, she can't control it. I know. I heard. But it doesn't really change the fact that he revealed us-" Holly cut him off, hope of a loophole driving her now.
"But not to a human! He didn't reveal us to a human! He's found a creature that doesn't technically belong to the human race. And he seems to believe she's like us... that she's a fairy. This isn't a typical case. It's diff-" Foaly snorted, a bitter, frustrated sound.
"Do you think that's going to matter to Trouble? He can't stand Artemis. If he gets word of this, he's going to start demanding a mind wipe. He's never been one for listening to the whole story, and don't give me that look. I know he's your friend, so you know all this. He won't care about the truth. He's only going to want Artemis out of the picture. And he wouldn't believe us anyway." Foaly shook his head sadly. "I wouldn't believe it either. Frankly, it sounds impossible."
"What? The girl?" Holly looked at the screen again. The girl's face was peaceful, her eyes slightly hooded as she gazed across the Fowl estate.
"I can't understand how she acquired magic. I know Artemis retrieved some once, but that was vastly different. I highly doubt she's been hitchhiking through the dimensions. Our scanners would've picked up on it. So, frankly, she is an anomaly. There's no way a human stole magic from us. They can't physically do it. And there's no way she is a fairy." He paused, considering something. "Humans and fairies cannot procreate together. She isn't some natural hybrid. I can't even understand her existence. This leads me to a rather unpleasant theory." He frowned again, looking at the slight girl beside Artemis. "She's so normal looking, with the exception of her ears, and rather small stature."
"What are you thinking?" Holly asked, although she was pretty she knew what he was going to say. She wasn't born "naturally." They both stared at the girl on screen, who'd just met Artemis today, and had somehow already managed to know him so well.
"She was created by someone. And I'm guessing it was one of our people. The thing that's starting to worry me now though, is why. And..." He trailed off, his face visibly paling in reaction to his thoughts. "What if she isn't alone in the world?"
Dinner proved to be a rather awkward experience. The boys were waiting for an opportunity to screw with their brother, Butler was sitting next to Angeline, across from Artemis, who was sitting next to Rosaline. Angeline was eyeing the "couple" carefully, looking for any telltale signs of lies. Both were exceedingly grateful for their in-depth connection now, because without it, they would never have been able to answer the questions she probed them with.
"So, Butler tells me you two have been corresponding via email, is the correct?" She look at the girl first. She would be the one to reveal a lie. The girl merely smiled at her.
"Yes, it's been going on for some time now. He's been rather persistent in his quest for that dust." She continued to smile, as if fondly recalling their exchanges. Artemis grinned dryly.
"And why do you want this 'dust,' Arty?" Angeline said sweetly, but Artemis didn't react to the nickname.
"I want to run some tests, a few experiments. If it has any true medical uses then the months of emails to her might be worthwhile." He ended his explanation by jerking his thumb toward Rosaline, grinning as she unconvincingly huffed indignantly.
"And my inbox will stop having a new message every few hours." She'd crossed her arms smirking as she looked at him. They'd planned out everything they would say on the plane and with the link. There would be very few questions his mother could ask that they wouldn't be prepared for.
"Hmmm. And what exactly is this 'dust' called?" Angeline had yet to hear anyone give this substance a name. Surely the girl or Artemis had a name for something they'd talked about for months.
"Oh, well, we haven't really given it an official name yet. After all, we haven't run enough tests. So far, I've just been calling it supersand. Simple, and easy to remember. I think I'll leave Artemis to come up with a technical sounding term."
Angeline spoke quickly, before Artemis could respond.
"And how did you acquire a substance that my son was unable to find? I've been assured it is very rare, after all." Angeline's eyes glinted, for the girl had notably started.
"Well, it was, sort of an accident, you know. I was in the forest, looking at the various foliage there, when I came across this peculiar looking dust surrounding the base of a rather old and large tree. There were a few plants growing in it, so I took some samples. I went back a few times, gathering more, and used it on some plants I was growing. Their size and health increased dramatically. Of course, I don't have Artemis' technology, but I came to a conclusion that the substance stimulated plant growth, and after examining the plants, it appeared to be at the cellular level." Rosaline finished her explanation calmly, with a note of pride in her voice. Artemis thought she could have been a wonderful actress. He might have actually considered her truthful had he been in his mother's position.
Angeline seemed almost disappointed at the valid sounding explanation she was given. She continued to eat her dinner, preparing her next tactic of interrogation.
'Well then, enough about business and experiments. You're from Crosshaven, my dear? Has your family lived there all your life?" Rosaline paled visibly. 'Aha!' Angeline mentally cried.
"Um, well, I have lived there all my life, but I don't have any family. I've lived in a boarding school for the last few years, which I got into on a scholarship." She finished speaking, clearing her throat uncomfortably under Mrs. Fowl's incredulous stare. Artemis didn't even notice that his right hand had found her left again under the table, and she didn't react as their fingers twined.
"O-Oh! I see..." Angeline looked as uncomfortable as she felt. If the girl was an orphan, she could hardly probe her for information about her background. What could she even know?
'How do you...like to...spend your time, Miss Flynn?" She spit the question out as soon as it came to her. Anything to break the awkward tension. Rosaline seemed to relax a bit.
"Oh, I usually go for walks along the water, or through the forests whenever the weather allows. And I have a tendency to collect plants to catalogue." Artemis smiled at her candidacy. No point in lying now. She did like plants. He'd seen that for himself.
"Ah, you enjoy nature?" Angeline found it difficult to believe that her son could have much in common with a girl who went on leisurely walks in forests.
"Oh yes, I always feel at ease when I'm outside. But my inner science geek makes everything technical." Rosaline laughed lightly. Angeline frowned.
"What do you mean, technical? What do you find technical?" Rosaline grinned again.
"Perhaps, systematic would be a better term, Rose." Artemis looked at her, tilting there joined hands slightly as he turned his head. Rosaline smiled at him, her eyes sparkling. "I think you're right." She turned back to Mrs. Fowl.
"I'm systematic because while walking, I try to catalogue the plants I see in my head. It's my personal challenge. Naming every tree, every plant. If I can't get it, I take a sample back to find out later. The same goes for the beach and seashells. Although granted, I do like to appreciate the beauty of nature." Angeline groaned inwardly. Now she understood how they got along. They had scientific minds.
"And, do you plan to pursue this as a career?" Angeline was starting to resign herself to the fact that the girl might actually suit Artemis. God help her.
"I would like to major in biology, looking into medical school." Rosaline looked down at her plate, carefully taking a bite of her steak.
Dinner carried on in a similar fashion, Angeline probing Rosaline, Artemis' hand in her own, and the twins growing steadily bored. Butler was the only one who didn't relax.
"Well, with hair like mine, I strive to avoid wearing orange, otherwise I look like a walking carrot." Rosaline and Angeline laughed together. Artemis chuckled slightly.
"So what colors do you prefer? What's your favorite?" Angeline asked, taking in Rosaline's hair. The orange must make finding decent looking clothes of a proper color difficult. Rosaline opened her mouth to reply, but Artemis spoke first.
"She doesn't have a favorite," Artemis said, quite confidently. Rosaline turned her head to him slightly, her lips quirking. "She doesn't have a favorite color. But she hates light blue." Rosaline frowned slightly, and Artemis squeezed her hand momentarily. It wasn't difficult for Butler to guess why she would hate light blue.
"You don't like light blue? But then how do you enjoy nature? The sky, the water...?" Angeline tried to ignore the fact that her son knew such a mundane detail about the girl.
"Oh, I don't mean I hate it in my surroundings. I hate it, on me." She looked down, eyeing her right hand.
As the evening came to close, and with it Angeline's questions, the twins took their chance to speak with Rosaline. As she and Artemis went down the hall, they followed. Quickly grabbing Rosaline's hands, they pulled her backward with them through a door. Swiftly locking out Artemis, the boys leaned against the door, eyeing the girl. Her surprise wore off quickly and she crossed her arms, raising her eyebrow at the devils.
"To what do I owe the pleasure, gentlemen?"
"We have some questions for you, Miss Flynn." Said Myles, now leaning back in a chair. Both boys grinned mischievously.
"Ah I see. You are the Godfathers? And I told you to call me Rosaline." She went to turn on the lights, flooding the room which turned out to be a playroom. She burst out laughing. "Are we on your turf now?" She leaned against the door, waiting for Artemis to come back and retrieve her.
"We just want to know more about you, and not the kind of questions Mum was asking." Beckett said, leaning against a toy chest. Myles grinned like a Cheshire cat.
"For starters, why wouldn't you give our brother any of that substance? He doesn't need or want anyone's help when he's working."
"Oh I get it now." Rosaline shook her head, grinning softly at the boys. Myles frowned.
"Get what? Just tell us why-" Beckett started, but Rosaline easily cut him off.
"You're both jealous." They started for a second, before Myles snorted. "You're jealous because Artemis and I are going to work together on an experiment, when he could have his brilliant younger siblings assist him instead of some lowly high school girl." Myles and Beckett were actually pouting now. "You know, if you asked him, he would probably let you help him, at least a little."
Myles and Beckett both let out snorts of disbelief.
"You clearly don't know him all that well after all. He never lets us help, no matter what we say." It was said with a fair amount of sadness mixed with sarcasm.
"I know he loves you both rather immensely," she started, easing away from the door to look at the more directly. Her eyes were rather soft now. "And I know that despite his exterior, he enjoys being with you, aside from wanting to be alone occasionally. And furthermore, I know with utmost certainty that he hates hurting your feelings or making you feel unwanted. You are not, I assure you. But as his brothers, I'm sure you're aware of how much he enjoys his space." She smiled gently at them now. "I doubt you'll hear him admit it, but you are both precious to him."
The boys looked at her, not wanting the scene to get any more emotional. Myles and Beckett both shifted uncomfortably, blushing slightly as a stranger told them of their brother's love. Myles was the first to break the silence.
"How would you know?" For the first time since her arrival, Rosaline thought they sounded their age.
Artemis was rounding the corner when he glanced behind him to ask Rosaline if she wanted to retire, when he realized that she was no longer in his presence. How had he missed that?
He started back down the hall, calling her name while trying to listen for her voice.
"Rose? Rose, where've you gone now?" He was about to make a left when he heard voices from behind a closed door. The handle didn't budge.
"precious to him."
"How would you know?" soft, lilting laugher came beyond the door.
"How indeed?"
Artemis unlocked the door, glaring at his brothers as everyone jumped. He strode over to Rosaline, taking her left hand and taking her with him.
"I'd appreciate it if you two wouldn't take people away without asking them."
They walked briskly down the hall, heading to his room. He shut the door behind him, and started talking quickly.
"I've tried to remain calm for the sake of my family, but I can do that no longer. Did you sense my fear in the sitting room? Do you understand what is coming?" He took her shoulders, not tightly, but enough to convey his nerves. She realized what he meant.
"I...I felt it in the very beginning. You broke a rule and now..." she took a shaky breathe. "Now they are coming for you... for us. I gathered I shouldn't say anything, and you seemed to become more relaxed once I was informed. But, why are you more relaxed? Aren't they en route? It shouldn't really take them that long to get here... just a matter of hours. I didn't see your thoughts on what they'll do though." She paused. "What are they going to do?" She looked at him, wide eyed.
"There are a few options available to them. One, they could kill us. They are rather sophisticated in it, as well, and would most likely want to use the biobomb. That would eradicate every living thing in the house, including the innocent. Two, they could simply make us disappear, the mad Artemis Fowl gone nutters once again. Three, and this is I hope the most likely option, they will mind wipe us, including Butler and my mother. To them, I have broken a crucial rule in revealing their existence, and they cannot let it slide. I can't believe how foolish I was. But truly, I didn't precisely break the rule. I didn't reveal their existence to a regular human. I told you," he glanced at her apologetically. "You, who are not exactly a normal human. While the more intelligent of them will probably realize the importance of this fact, others will be less lenient." He smiled wryly. "I have of course managed to piss off quite a few of them."
"Foaly." He turned to look at her, surprised.
"What?"
"Foaly will help you... He's clever. He'll be able to see the difference. And after all, he's the one who is watching your house." She paused, and a small smile grew on her lips. He continued to look at her, left eyebrow raised. "He's watching us now, right?" Her eyes darted around, as if she could see a camera.
"Probably," he said after a pause. Did she seriously want to talk to them?
"Right. Well then." She lifted her head, looking slightly upward. "Hello. If this is Foaly watching, then I really must say it is a pleasure. But past formalities, if you've been watching this whole time, surely you can see this isn't your average case. I'm not human. So, Artemis hasn't really done anything wrong. But I suspect that you already know that. So please, I," she paused, and took a breath. "I know that you all live beneath the surface. If you're already sending someone here, give them different orders. Don't let them kill us or mind wipe us just yet. Ta-take me back down with you. You can run tests! You'll see that I am most definitely not human."
"Well, you two have already caused a small crisis down here. And I've already determined what is going to happen." Artemis and Rosaline spun around, looking at his computer, where a horse like creature was staring back at them. "You can never go very long without starting something, can you Artemis?"
"Foaly," He strode over quickly. "You have been watching, right? Did you also see what happened in Crosshaven? I don't mean to be presumptuous, but please tell me you kept an eye on me." He leaned over his desk, staring at the centaur.
"Yes, I did, and it's a good thing too, given your situation. And I almost got my hide tanned for delaying to inform Trouble." Foaly looked at him hard, and Artemis felt another wave of guilt.
"What was Trouble's verdict?"
"He wanted to mind wipe you on the spot." Artemis closed his eyes. "But, I showed them the footage from Crosshaven first. So the first thing they saw was a human girl use magic. Needless to say, that shocked them enough to realize this was special." Foaly stopped, and Artemis moved over as Rosaline came up, standing next to him in front of the screen.
"So what does that mean for us? Are we going to have the memories taken?" Foaly stared at the girl for a moment before responding.
"As I said, that's what Trouble wants. But fortunately for you the council disagreed. They have ordered you Mud People down here for questioning and...examination. Holly is on her way with a few others. Trouble managed to convince the council you were a flight risk and could resist. Especially with you troll defeating bodyguard. They should be there in about another hour. You, Butler, and Rosaline are all coming." Foaly pursed his lips. "Don't let your mother cause a fuss, will you? Trouble ordered those grunts to use whatever force necessary. He's being more pigheaded than usual."
Before Artemis could respond, Rosaline had lowered her head closer to the screen, a small smile once again on her lips.
"So I'm going? I'm really going? To the fairy civilization?" She asked breathlessly, eyes wide with her glee.
"Yes, but don't think it's going to be mystical or a wonderland." Foaly narrowed his eyes at her, but she rolled her eyes and waved her hand.
"I've already seen what it looks like. It's still incredible. I can't believe I'm actually going to see it for myself though. Should I bring the clothes I brought to Artemis'? Or are human things not allowed?" She went over to her bag, throwing it over her shoulder as if leaving right now. Artemis turned back to the screen.
"So, I suppose I should tell you about the dust." Foaly gave him a half glare.
"Yes, you probably should, considering that was the hardest thing to sell to the council. Mystery dust that involved a mental connection. Trouble claimed I was making it up, trying to protect my Mud Boy friend. The videos proved it was special, but the council is still cross. What exactly is it, Artemis?"
"It's some sort of dust like substance that contains magic. Basically I was going through various mythologies and its existence kept cropping up. I looked into it." Artemis explained the dust as he had to Rosaline.
"That can't be possible. Magic is harnessed through magical creatures. How can it just crop up in the world?" Foal looked down, a hand running through his mane.
"I don't know, my friend. That's why I was trying to get ahold of some. To be honest I couldn't believe it was occurring naturally, or that no one has tried to harness it before. But the rumors about it appear to be quite true. I did achieve a mental connection."
"Well, bring it with you, obviously. You're going to need it to make your case to the council. Mind wipe is still on the table." Foaly checked the time. You've still got about a half an hour. I'd get some things together. I don't really know how long you'll be here. Gods know that Trouble is going to wreak havoc." He paused and checked his screen. "I need to go. Good luck with Holly. She's not really pleased with you." He disappeared, and Artemis sighed. It was one of those days.
He turned to look at Rosaline, who was sitting on bed, tapping her fingers on her knee. She looked up at him, standing and smiling as she approached.
"So, the infamous Artemis Fowl returns to the fairy city. What will he do?" She stood in front of him, eye brow raised.
"I need to gather a few things." He started dragging out a suitcase, loading it with clothes as Rosaline leaned against the wall. He only put in a few days' worth, locking it and placing it on the ground. "If they want us for longer, they can wash them. They do a better cleaning job anyway."
"Yeah, well, I probably won't even be released once they have me underground, will I? I'm a threat to their security, now more than ever." She walked over to the window, gazing across the landscape once more. "I might never see the real sky again. Might as well remember it now." Artemis stood and walked over to her, taking her hands in his. A part of him was still astounded by his behavior around her, but he couldn't help it any more. She was now probably his closest friend.
"I will do everything I can to make sure that doesn't happen. You are not going to be treated as a science experiment. You're not an animal, which they won't be able to contest. You're either a human, or a fairy. Either way they can't treat you as anything less." He paused, pulling away and going to his drawer. He pulled out a small tube. "Best put these in now. We're going to need them, I expect." He held out a second tube to her. She took it, puzzled.
"Why do we need contact lenses? Will we have vision problems down there?"
"Not exactly."