2 Days Later. Haven Heights.
Artemis gazed out, watching the burning point sources that were supposed to represent stars, as they sparkled across the artificial night sky backdrop stretching across the entirety of Haven. One day soon he would think of a way of turning this against Foaly, a very public display of superiority that would be visible to the entire population below, but for now he was just going to admire the work that had been done. Foaly, Artemis somewhat begrudgingly admitted to himself, had done a rather magical job. Dying, not for the first time, seemed to bring out some kind of appreciation in Artemis for the artistry behind the souls of people he knew, at least for a little while. The first time he had died, it had ignited his relationship with Holly, the second time… Well, he didn't know exactly at that moment what it would bring, but he knew what he wanted to happen.
As Artemis continued to gaze out to the horizon, he gradually became aware of footsteps behind him, approaching his position. He glanced behind him, to see a woman appearing out of the shadows. She was tall – taller than Artemis – and slender, with wavy, auburn hair that reached to the middle of her back. Her eyes were icy blue, to the point of almost being silver, something that Artemis noticed nearly straight away. They were such a contrast to not only her hair, but the red, lacy dress she was wearing. Artemis didn't know her, and yet, deep down he knew exactly who she was. Artemis tapped his hand on the ground next to him, indicating that she should join him.
"I suppose a thank you is in order" Artemis said, once she had perched herself on the hilltop. "You did, after all, save my life."
"Think nothing of it" The woman replied. "How did you know that it would work, that I would be able to bring you back to life?"
"I didn't" Artemis replied. "It was a calculated gamble. I hypothesised that, like all self-serving parasites, you would want to protect your host, that host being me. Wyatt was never going to let me leave his lair alive, and so I determined that you were my greatest mitigation to that."
The woman almost seemed to scoff as Artemis finished.
"Parasite? Gods, you make me seem like a thoughtless, insignificant organism."
"I know that you're not that" Artemis said. "Though, I haven't exactly been given sufficient time to determine what you actually are."
"True" The woman replied. "How did you know I was even here? I thought I had been so careful in concealing myself."
"I had my suspicions after I integrated myself into the energy matrix for the second time. I knew that I had been flooded with energy, but I could feel something more tangible also make its way into my consciousness, which is what avowed me not to use the matrix again. That suspicion was confirmed on a night not unlike tonight, down here in Haven, when you agreed with me on how beautiful the scenery was. I heard the voice, yet there was nobody in my vicinity."
"Guess I wasn't as careful as I thought."
There was a brief pause, as the woman eyed Artemis up.
"I know you want to ask me a question" She said. "Ask it."
"What are you?"
The woman shook her head slowly, though she was smiling.
"I am not an inanimate object, Artemis."
"Fine" Artemis replied. "Who are you?"
"I'm glad you asked. My name is Eden, and I am the goddess of new beginnings."
"Goddess?" That was the first thing to come out of Artemis' mouth.
"It's just what we called ourselves" Eden replied wistfully. "Divinity is rooted in many different places, but for several species, it is rooted in us. The title seemed to fit. My siblings and I, we were the very first species, from a time before time even existed. We saw the birth of the universe, and revelled in its wonder as it began to expand, as the stars and the planets began to form, as life took hold. We were there, every step of the way, shaping and moulding it as best we could. We figured, as the only species in existence, it was our job to look after this brave, new universe. We all had jobs; Mine was to help that which had failed, to enjoy a new existence, to nurture it back to health. It was beautiful, Artemis, so beautiful. Eventually, as the universe continued to grow, we were no longer the only species to exist. More were beginning to appear, spread across the cosmos. Some found beauty in our existence, helped us to form the fledgling stellar systems, but others did not. Some species came to resent us and what we represented to them; They detested our power, our omnipresence, our desire. Something has to give, and give it did."
Eden took a moment to pause, and look up at the makeshift night sky.
"There was a bloody war, the very first universal conflict between all species. We lost, badly. As our punishment, we were banished to a faraway planet on the very edge of the universe, a planet that would come to be known by the name 'Earth', and imprisoned inside an energy matrix, never to be released. And so, the millennia passed, and nothing changed, until our matrix was discovered by a pixie on a scavenger hunt."
"Opal Koboi" Artemis interjected.
"She actually wasn't too bad. She siphoned some of the energy to use for various contraptions, but she never attached herself to the matrix. However, she soon disappeared, and another Pixie took her place."
"Flower Kevoor."
"She, unfortunately, did attach herself to the matrix. We didn't know at first what would happen, but then my brother Demonos, god of chaos, saw it as a potential escape route, and rode the wave into her brain. Unfortunately for my dear Demonos, all his presence achieved was to drive the girl insane. Poor pixie couldn't cope, bless her. It only got worse when she approached the matrix itself, the energy spill-over already frying her brain as it was. Then, she died, and Demonos went down with her. That was all the warning we needed, to know what happened if we left our prison. It should have been the end of it, but you know very well Artemis, that it wasn't."
"No" Artemis concurred. "Azikh Khan."
"Khan wanted to build his own Energy Matrix. I don't even know if he knew ours existed, but he built one himself, and managed to kill everyone including himself in the process. Azikh Khan and those closest to the explosion, however, were so jacked up on energy, they continued in their existence. I don't know everything, but somewhere along the line, he decided to try and tap into the quantum realm, no doubt to try and extend his existence even further. He managed to create a quantum bridge between his matrix, and ours, and began siphoning energy but, somehow, he also managed to rip three of my siblings from our grasp. They too would soon become lost."
Suddenly, Artemis had a brain wave.
"Celestia, Aquaria and Solaria."
"Yes" Eden replied, with something of a surprised look on her face.
"So Khan was right. He was still insane, but he did truly have a trio of gods ruling his thoughts."
"I wish that was a consolation" Eden replied.
Artemis considered everything he had just been told for a moment. Past the idea that a higher life form may exist, something else bothered him.
"Why are you here?" Artemis asked. "If you knew the danger of leaving the matrix, why would you take the risk and couple with me?"
"Because" Eden said. "Unlike the rest of my siblings, I realised something. Be it Kevoor or Khan, there was always somebody there, the same person, who came out on top. That person was you. So, when you finally took possession of the matrix and attached yourself to it, I decided to take the risk. If anybody is strong enough to survive my coupling, I figured it would be you. I didn't realise our first true act of partnership was going to involve my resurrecting of you, in part to ensure my own survival."
"One last question, if I may?" Artemis asked. "If you are truly an omnipotent being from the beginning of time, why do you look entirely human?"
"This is just a projection" Eden replied. "I decided that just being a floating voice in your head may be disconcerting, and that this would be considerably more personable. Of course, that does mean that only you can see me. If any of your acquaintances were to stumble upon us, all they would see if you talking to yourself."
"That will do wonders for not seeming insane" Artemis quipped, seemingly quite amused by the sentence that had just come out of his mouth, something Eden picked up on.
"How do you know that you're not insane?" Eden asked. "I have just unloaded knowledge that will have changed your entire perception of the universe onto you, yet you seem to have taken it like I've just read you the evening news. I was expecting some kind of bewilderment, at least."
"The way I see it" Artemis replied. "Either I truly have gone insane, or what you have said about yourself and your origins are true. Given the fact that I am currently here and not in a body bag, I'm going to believe the second option. Besides, if fairies exist, then the prospect of aliens was never truly that much of a stretch."
"Alien" Eden replied, the word bitter on her tongue. "You make me seem so common."
"Goddess, then, if it makes you feel better."
"Better" Eden replied. "You are truly a remarkable human, Artemis Fowl. I believe I have made a good choice in choosing you."
"I wouldn't count on that just yet" Artemis said. "Not whilst Wyatt Munroe is still alive."
"Quite" Eden replied. "Just try not to die the next time you see him, bringing you back to life was not a pleasant experience for either of us."
As Eden spoke, Artemis began to notice more footsteps approaching, footsteps that were very familiar. Eden noticed it too.
"I suppose this is where I disappear for the moment" Eden said. "It wouldn't be fair if I didn't leave the two of you in peace, especially given what comes next."
"Holly is behind me, isn't she?" Artemis asked.
"Correct" Eden replied. She stood up, and turned to face Artemis, then blew him a kiss. "Best of luck."
Artemis watched, as Eden vaporised into nothing.
"I do hope that I'm not insane."