A/N: Thanks for reviewing to those of you who did. My morale is a bit bolstered now so I think I can do this more efficiently now. I don't require reviews to write… I just write because I like it, but having nice reviews doesn't hurt a thing in the least. Now to reply to my reviewers:
ArtyChick: Thanks… feeling like my story actually interested someone helps me a lot. Daegana will eventually question Anthony too much but it will take a while. She's immensely loyal and, frankly, afraid.
Me You, obviously: I have meddled with fairy aging unduly in my time as an Artemis Fowl fan and it sort of varies but I think I figured out a way to do it that will make everyone happy. And of course Anthony's a jerk, he's had two generations of Spiro's teaching him…what could anyone expect? I don't know if he has any really redeemable qualities yet or not… I'm just kind of feeling my way through with him. Age wise, he's probably just a bit older than Ariana, although for some reason my best friend decided that he was thirteen. This is up to your imagination, as is his appearance, but in my mind his appearance was based on my old boyfriend. (Not because my old boyfriend was villainous, but just because it seems to fit.) My old boyfriend had green eyes, he was Caucasian but tanned very easily, was moderately tall, was thin, and had medium to dark brown hair. Lol, why is it that my replies to reviews are longer than the reviews themselves?
BluAyu: Dorothy? O.o Why? Dorothy's hair was red… and she was an android. (Why is it that all anime involving androids have heavy innuendo in the title or incorporated into the show itself?) Anyway, Anthony is not- in my mind- all that big and bad. He's just "heading up the road to perdition- just another boy with blind ambition." (Corny lyrics from YuGiOh Movie Soundtrack thing.) And you think Anthony should be thirteen? Hmm, I thought of him as older. But I'm not dictating anything to anybody.
AgiVega: I can email you the answer to your question or you can wait until everyone else finds out. ;-)
Chapter Five: Present Tense LEP Ops BoothAriana looked down at herself and at the dull green jumpsuit she had been given to wear while working for the LEP. She then glanced wistfully at her uniform; it was a dark blue jumpsuit with silver zippers and dark green stitching.
The clip-clop of Foaly's hooves could her heard behind her, "Problems Miss Fiore?" he asked.
She turned to him and smiled coyly, "No, not at all. I just… well it's a bit of immaturity but I like my uniform better."
He glanced at it, "It doesn't look like an LEP uniform at all though."
"Well…" Ariana looked off into nothing, "The LEP is very… different where I come from."
Foaly enjoyed listening to Ariana's vague mentioning of her life in the future. It made him feel like he was a part of some really astounding science-fiction series.
Before he could ask her anything specific about the futuristic LEP, or do anything else for that matter, the pneumatic hiss of the booth's doors was heard.
Both occupants of the room turned their head's toward the doors.
Commander Root, Holly, Artemis and Juliet entered.
"I see that you've both made so much progress," said Commander Root with his characteristic sarcasm.
Juliet looked at Ariana and spoke pointedly, "You look familiar… but I don't believe Artemis or me have ever met you."
Ariana smiled slightly and outstretched her hand, "I'm Ariana Fiore, I'm a-," she paused for a second, swallowing any self doubt, "-an agent for the LEP's Retrieval Squad and I'm trained in the operation of time travel equipment, so I've been sent here by the LEP of my time to retrieve Anthony Spiro and bring him into custody."
"I see," said Artemis. For once someone who said this was not lying.
Once again an eerie silence fell over everyone in the room. These were happening a lot but rifts in time are often awkward.
Commander Root decided to break the silence and said in his usual at least half-way-to-a-coronary tone, "Well are we all just going to stand here and gawk. This isn't a social visit. Someone, all of you, get to work."
Holly responded immediately, "Yes, sir."
"What's our first objective, Commander?" Artemis asked, following in suit.
"To find out where in the hell this new demented Mud Boy's base of operations is… then we figure out what he's up to."
Artemis mentally winced but outwardly nodded evenly.
Juliet laughed quietly.
Foaly took the initiative to actually give instructions, seeing as the Commander probably didn't even know where to start, "I can run an internet search on Jon Spiro… find out whatever became of the Spiro Needle."
Commander looked to Ariana, "You are a trained field agent, aren't you?"
"Of course. Generally corporate officials aren't sent on life-endangering ventures."
"So you say," Artemis said under his breath.
Foaly ignored Artemis and responded to Ariana, "Yes, of course. That's why I am rarely ever in the field. Corporate workers are more indispensable."
Holly scoffed, "Don't kid yourself, Foaly. You're just a computer geek that's good at finding back doors and staying one step ahead of Mud Man technology."
Foaly slumped a little, "Oh, shut up, Holly."
Root's expression went from contemplative to determined, "Captain Short?"
"Yes?" Holly asked, standing up straight.
"You take Fiore to the artillery and make sure she knows how to use our weaponry."
"Mud Boy?"
"Yes?" Artemis sighed.
"You stay here with Donkey Boy and try to make yourself useful. Don't break or steal anything."
"Sir, yes, sir." Artemis replied snidely.
Juliet shifted on her feet restlessly, "What am I supposed to do, stand here and produce carbon monoxide?"
"It's carbon dioxide, Juliet," said her current unofficial principle.
"Whatever."
Ariana pursed her lips to hold back laughter. They're all the same, she thought. Maybe relating to them wouldn't be so hard after all.
"What exactly can you do, Juliet? Other than incapacitate imbecile mafia henchmen?" asked the Commander.
Juliet glared slightly, "I am a black belt in seven martial arts disciplines. I can wrestle anything you care to send at me. I am fluent in Japanese. And, um… I can cook."
"Well, if we need someone to make dinner later we'll call you, but just, for now…" Root paused to think. "You're a fighter… hmm… go with Holly and Miss Fiore. See if you can make yourself useful."
"'Kay," Juliet responded perkily.
Excerpt from Ariana's Journal Year: 2059That day was the beginning of a venture that would change my life forever, by nearly ending it. It was under extraordinary circumstances but it was supposed to be a routine mission: go there, contain the problem, fix the damage, and come home. But it turned out to be so much more than that. The first lesson I learned in the days that were to follow was that time doesn't change people; only love, compassion, hatred, and pain do. People may change on the outside but the core always stays the same. In many cases this is comforting, but in others it is very devastating…
A/n: Please review. Thank you for reading!
