Chapter 3: Reunion

Artemis the hunter. That was the sign for Holly to let down the camouflage foil. On the mission with Jon Spiro. Holly. He was with the fairies then. Before that, they had been in the Arctic to rescue his father. And before that, he had first become acquainted with the fairies and abducted Holly for a ton of fairy gold. So that's where the gold was from.

But why were the memories lost? Unless he was mind-wiped, he couldn't have forgotten. Unless he was mind-wiped…

Why were all these memories coming back? What did Artemis have anything to do with them?

Artemis's face was perspiring with exasperation. He was on the verge of fainting. "Mademoiselle," Artemis cried softly. "I need an explanation." The flow of memories gushing back through his neurons was too much even for his smart brain to handle.

"What explanation, Fowl?" Diana replied. "I believe you now recall everything from the last two years?"

"Yes, but… It is all too complex. I need to go to my manor."

"We have to go there anyway. To return your bodyguard's memory. Butler, you say?

"No," Artemis blurted. "It's…Domovoi. Domovoi is his first name."

"Very well, Domovoi it is, then." Diana said. "Let's get going right away."


Fowl Manor

"So. We were mind-wiped from all our memories of these fairies," Butler said. "And all of our two years is on this disk?"

"Yes," Artemis said. "I know it's unbelievable, Butler, but take a look inside. I'm sure all your memories will come back."

"Artemis, you're just slipping." Juliet whined. "Are you sure this girl isn't your girlfriend or something, and you're just too embarrassed to admit it?"

"Are you quite out of your mind?" Artemis and Diana shouted simultaneously.

"Wait, wait," Butler shouted, clenching his head. His immaculate black suit was crumpling. "Oh my God, I remember, I absolutely do. This Mulch guy-" Butler gulped. "donated fat from his- his-"

"Yes, I know," said Artemis in his usual dignified way. "He donated fat from his behind to fill in it on your face. You had grown old after I placed you in a cryogenics pod and Holly healed you. She healed my entire family, in fact."

"Wow," Juliet gaped as she read. "I remember too. I smashed two macho men with my jade ring. That was way too cool-"

"That's enough," Diana intervened. "We seem to have a serious problem down in Haven. I suppose you all remember Jon Spiro?"

Three nods.

"Well, he's discovered our subterranean friends, and I believe he wants to start a war. By the way, Fowl, I lied about my being a criminal. I'm actually a undercover agent, and you are a very wanted person."

"Really," Artemis said, interested, and barely noticing the threat. "You must be fairly intelligent. I'm fed up with imbeciles like Spiro. I duped him utterly."

"Yes, yes," Diana nodded curtly. "Fowl, the fairies helped you twice and healed three of your family members. It is about time that you assist them."

"I agree," Artemis replied. "Now that I remember, I was prepared to help Holly whenever she needed my assistance. And so was Butler."

"All right." Diana unfolded a sheet of cam foil. "Nice to see that all of you are so determined. We're all flying."


Haven, Lower Elements

"The first thing I'm going to do is ask exactly how he lied through my mesmer." Holly seethed, teeth gritting. "Honestly, I thought I was pretty good at mesmerizing people."

"It's a good thing you weren't good enough. We might have never been able to see Arty again." Foaly said.

"Why don't we do this," Root said. "After this, we mind-wipe him again-"

"No!" shouted Foaly, Holly, and Mulch together.

"I mean negative, Commander," Holly added hastily. "It would be of too much risk. Artemis will find a way to deceive us again. Besides, it's against the law, sir. We've already been through this."

"The Captain Holly Short I knew was more than willing to break some rules." Root commented.

Holly pondered this for a moment. "Okay. Truth be told, I did miss him."

"And he's back."

Holly spotted Artemis and Diana walking down a corridor. She was shocked at how Artemis had grown. Her being a little over 3 feet tall, Artemis always had seemed like a giant to her, but he seemed to have grown a lot in barely two months. He was even – slightly – good-looking.

As he drew closer, she smacked her own head painfully for thinking so.

"Is this all I get for a greeting?" Artemis drawled, his voice icy and sarcastic as ever. "Four pairs of stoic eyes. How wounding." He grimaced.

"Honestly, Artemis. Did you expect us to share an embrace and a kiss? How so un-Arty like." Root joked. Root didn't joke often.

"Actually, Holly and I were talking about how much she missed you." Foaly said.

"I did not!" Holly shouted. "Well, I did miss you, but not a lot, just… Welcome back, Mud Boy."

" First of all, no, I would not like an embrace, and a kiss, no thank you. But a smile and a pat on a shoulder wouldn't hurt. Secondly, Holly, I would prefer it if you did not address me as a Mud Boy. I thought we were friends, after all,"

"Very well," Holly replied. "It is unlike Artemis to be maudlin at a reunion. I expected that. And she," pointing at Diana, "is our new member-"

"Diana Choi," Artemis replied. "CIA agent. Not a criminal, as she first told me."

"Well, Arty, she's as shrewd as you, so you'd better watch out."

"I doubt it." Artemis smiled. "And don't call me Arty."