Disclaimer- Me no own Artemis. Or Holly or any of them.

Hi! This is my second Artemis Fowl fanfiction. This contains spoilers if you haven't read The Atlantis Complex, so beware!

*Spoilers from here on out*

Vinyaya and Root are my favorite characters, so here is my tribute.

Enjoy!

Holly Short stood there, not wanting to see what was going on. She swallowed. This was painful beyond words, standing there, watching her beloved Commander being lowered into that casket for recycling.

Raine Vinyaya. She had not been ready to die. She was a true hero, dead because of her loyalty to her officers. She had only been four hundred years old, reflected Holly with a sigh. Barely middle-aged.

Two Commanders dead in a space of five years. The Lower Elements Police hadn't had such a tragedy in centuries.

Holly didn't care about that. She cared about how her mentor, her friend was gone. Vinyaya had taught Holly to fly a shuttle. She'd taught many of the in-services that Police Plaza had offered and Holly had taken every one of her course. Now she couldn't. Vinyaya was dead.

Vinyaya was dead.

Holly choked back tears and stared despondently at the ground. She heard the sound of footsteps.

"Holly."

She knew who it was. Trouble Kelp. He was a Commander too.

If he died too, she wouldn't be able to keep living.

"I know how you feel."

Holly didn't say anything.

"It seems that the world is falling. First Commander Root, and now Vinyaya…"

Holly bit her lip. "I thought that they would always be around, you know…"

"I know."

Holly released her sobs and cried openly in front of Trouble.

"I can't lose anyone else! My parents and Julius and Vinyaya…"

Trouble nodded sadly. "When Julius died, Raine was just sad. She and Root loved each other for years."

Holly raised her gaze, shocked. "Really?"

"Yea. They just never told anyone. They kept it secret for years. The two best Commanders the LEP's ever seen, secret lovers."

"You're a pretty good Commander yourself."

Trouble smiled. "I'll have to be pretty damn good if I ever make it to their level. They were to best, those too."

Holly returned the sad smile. "Yea, they were. So why did they die?"

"Because of filth like Turnball Root and Opal Koboi." said Trouble vehemently.

"I wish that they had never been born." said Holly sadly, thinking of her lost friends.

"I couldn't say." aid Trouble. "What gives us the right to say who lives or dies?"

Holly nodded sheepishly. "I guess your right. I…I just can't believe it. Vinyaya's gone! Dead, along with Root!"

"It sure is sad." acknowledged Trouble.

"Is that all you say?"

Trouble shrugged. "No. I was just thinking that we should cry when they go and always miss them, but at the same time we should move on. Do you really think either of them would want us to dwell on their deaths'?"

Holly shook her head. "You're right. They both died defending their People. That's what matters."

And as Trouble Kelp and Holly Short watched the funeral, they swore that for an instant they could see the shine of silver hair and the smell of a fungus cigar.

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