This requires an explanation before I launch into the story. The original idea for this was not mine. AH4eva gave me kind permission to write this, so major thanks to you. The characters belong to Eoin Colfer, except for the Voice and the four OC's in later chapters.
This is going to be a long fic, probably in two or three parts, and I will be writing it as I go along, so updates will be slower than in Viranaemia. I tried my best to keep them all in character, and I think I did ok, but please tell me if there is anything you don't like. I want to get this as good as I can, because if the start of this isn't really good, the rest of it is going to fall apart. I will try to get updates about once a week, but no promises. Anyway, here is the first installment. If anyone has a good idea for a title for this, please pm me. I want as much of everyone's imput on this as you're willing to give. Thanks!

"Are you sure this is a good idea, Captain?" Trouble barked, hand straying to his Neutrino. Holly sighed and walked past him, looking around. He should be here by now.

"Yes, Commander, I'm sure. This is Artemis we're talking about. We owe our entire civilisation to him and Butler, the least we can do is meet with him when he asks."

He had actually asked, too. Holly had received an email from the boy the previous day, politely requesting that her and Trouble come to the surface and meet with him about 'a very urgent matter'. Holly found that suspicious. Artemis didn't ask, he demanded. The boy was up to something, and she wanted to be able to punch him if the situation called for it. Trouble knew her real motivation for agreeing to the meeting, and snorted at her explanation.

"I still don't like it. Why did he want to meet here, of all places?"

Holly shrugged. Who ever knew why Artemis did anything? Still, the Commander had a point. It was an odd place for a meeting.

"I don't know, Commander. Ask him when he gets here."

Trouble ignored the fact that he'd just been given an order and returned to scanning the surroundings. Where was Fowl?

-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-

"Why here, of all places?" grumbled Artemis, pushing dark hair out of his eyes. Butler shrugged and looked around. They were a little late because they'd gotten caught in the Saturday night traffic outside Dublin city centre, so Holly should definitely be here by now. 'At the place we first met', her email had said. Well, there it was. The magnificent oak in all its glory. Where was Holly?

"Maybe she's trying to get me back for the time-travel incident" theorised the boy, wincing. It would be a low blow, but she would certainly be entitled to do so. Butler acknowledged that it was a possibility, eyes still darting all over the landscape. Finally, he spotted what looked like a heat shimmer by the trunk. Holly. He started towards her slowly; caution was the better part of valour. There was something about this situation that he didn't like.

-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-

Holly saw the two shadowy figures before Trouble did. She pointed and switched off her shield.

"Here they are."

Beside her, Trouble did the same. His sudden appearance startled Artemis. The boy looked to Holly.

"You didn't tell me the Commander was going to be here."

Holly frowned.

"What do you mean? In your email you asked for both of us."

"My email? You contacted me."

"If neither of you sent the messages, then who did?" Trouble asked, drawing his Neutrino. Holly imitated him, starting up her wings and scanning the entire surrounding area from ten metres up. Butler pushed Artemis against the tree and aimed his Sig Sauer at the floor, ready to shoot at anything that so much as twitched. They were being set up.

"I don't see anything, Commander. Just a few trees and a cow."

Holly floated back to earth and stalked to Artemis's side. His suit was rumpled from being shoved unceremoniously against the oak. He pulled his shirt straight.

"What sort of person lures all four of us here, then doesn't do anything about it?" Holly asked him. "I've checked the surrounding area, and there's nobody there, shielded or otherwise. I even did X-ray in case they were hiding in one of those tents you used when you kidnapped me, and got nothing. We're the only ones here."

"Maybe they planted something, like a bomb?" Artemis suggested. From his tone, one would have thought that he didn't care whether or not he got blown up. Holly shook her head.

"There is no bomb."

Holly spun and pointed her weapon at the sky. The voice had emanated from somewhere above their heads and it was no-one she recognised. It was also impossible to say whether it was male or female. Trouble walked over and stood back to back with her, pointing his Neutrino at the stars. Butler made sure that no part of Artemis was visible behind his bulk and imitated the fairies pose.

"Who's there?" Trouble shouted at the sky in general, running another check for thermals through his helmet filter. Nothing.

"Not who" said the voice "but what."

"I really hate riddles" Holly said, listening intently. If they could keep the voice talking, then maybe they could pinpoint its exact location. "Just name yourself."

"Guardian" came the reply. Holly still couldn't place it. It seemed to be coming from all directions at once, which wasn't possible.

"Guarding what?" Artemis asked. His voice was a little muffled, but his question was a good one. There was a hint of humour in the voice when it answered this time.

"Guarding you. I'm here to help you."

"Then show yourself" Trouble bellowed, tired of talking to an empty sky.

"Not yet. You will see me when you need to, and I will always be around to help you in the upcoming days. Until then, I will impart a gift to each of you."

"I'm alright, thanks" Holly said, completely unnerved by this experience. "I don't take gifts from disembodied voices."

"You will take this one" said the voice, with steel in its tone. "You will have no choice."

There was a flash of pure white light that made all four of them cover their eyes. By the time they could see again, the light had separated into four colours and was hovering above their heads like some parody of the Aurora Borealis. Red, blue, silver and green streaked across their vision. When the voice spoke again, it was louder and more demanding.

"These gifts will provide you with a chance in the upcoming struggle. They are your only chance. Wield them well."

The four streaks of lights swirled around each other and headed for the figures on the ground. The green light surrounded Butler's form, lifting him away from the tree and exposing Artemis. The silver light bathed Trouble, pulling him into the sky opposite Butler. Both of them were curled in the foetal position, and were completely unresponsive to the shouts from the two still on the ground. Holly dived in front of Artemis, making the blue light ricochet back into the sky. The red streak followed her, but stopped short when she bellowed 'no' at it. The voice wasn't happy.

"Accept it, Holly. It will help you. The gifts are specific, and this one is yours. Trouble and Domovoi already have theirs, do not turn this aside."

The light danced in front of Holly, swaying backwards and forwards in a complicated, mesmerising dance. Holly's gun lowered a few inches.

"Accept it" the voice demanded softly. Holly dropped her gun and moved forwards. Artemis tried to stop her, but she didn't seem to hear him. The light enveloped her and she was lifted into the air with the other two. The blue light swirled around Artemis, and the voice hissed sibilantly at him.

"Accept it."

The light filled the boy's vision. The voice was right, he should accept it. How could he not? He reached out a hand and touched the streak of blue. It surged up his arm and surrounded him. His vision went black, and the light lifted him to join the others in the sky. They rotated slowly around each other. The voice whispered softly to the four unconscious figures in their bundles of light.

"To each of you I bequeath power unlimited. It never needs to charge unlike fairy magic, but that does not mean you should waste it. Each gift is specific to you and your personality, but also compliments each of the others. Together, you are stronger. Good luck."

That's it for the first chapter. I want to do a poll-type thing. It's gonna be via reviews or pm's, because my profile doen't like official polls. I don't know why. Anyway, I have the first part of this planned out, but I want your imput. Who do you want the ultimate villian to be? This is set after TTP, so we have past Opal, present Opal, Ark Sool, Minerva, Jon Spiro, Arno Blunt, an OC, etc. I will also take other suggestions into account. How about a collaberation of two or more of them? Please, help me out here. Thanks so much.
Liris
xxx