A/N HIIIIIII! I'm back! Anyways, this is Ch. 3! (Obviously!) So in this chapter, some interesting developments happen. BUT I AIN'T TELLING YOU NOTHIN'! READ IT FOR YOURSELFS! The title actually KINDA gives it away… WHOOPS, MY BAD! (: (: (: (: (: (: Oh well! Read this and PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE review! And if you have any suggestions or corrections, I won't judge so BRING 'EM! Oh and thank you to Eldewind Dolly for the review and advice! (: (: (: (: (: And also blueturtlepower4ever! HAPPY EARLY 4TH OF JULY! (; (; (; (; (;

-Liz

Ch. 3 What do you mean he has ice powers?

Now the machine is in question. What did it look like? The machine was a metal shower shaped box with glass window panes. Metal strips separated each glass pane. On top was a dome of the same metal as all the other parts.

Holly was absolutely against Artemis getting powers, hence her blowup upon seeing the invention. Foaly was delighted that his machine was making a wonderful revving noise. This meant it would work properly. He switched the gears and the machine began to vibrate.

Inside, Artemis listened to the whirring and was rethinking his decision slightly. What if I never survive this? What will happen when Butler tells my family? What if… Artemis's train of thought was cut off by a jolt.

Butler was concerned, along with Holly. Both the elf and the bodyguard inched forward, closer to Foaly and that horrible machine. The invention began to vibrate and shake.

Butler spoke to Foaly over the din. "Foaly, are you sure Artemis is alright?" The centaur nodded eyes still on the machine. "Oh yes, Butler! Artemis is perfectly safe."

For some weird reason both Butler and Holly didn't feel that reassured as they watched the invention with Artemis inside start to glow an eerie blue. Foaly wasn't unduly concerned. This was all part of inserted the powers into Artemis's DNA.

Foaly had chosen ice powers for Artemis since the boy had never said which power he would like. The centaur twiddled his fingers then began to slowly feed the new genetics into Artemis.

The machine grew brighter and magical blue sparks exploded from Artemis's fingers.

Inside, Artemis watched as Foaly pressed a couple buttons and then sparks flew out of his outstretched fingertips. The sparks were blue and froze over the walls inside. So Foaly must have given me ice powers! thought Artemis.

Butler and Holly were terrified beyond compare when the sparks began. They were both staring as the walls froze over and they couldn't see Artemis clearly anymore. Holly ran up to Foaly.

"Foaly what's wrong?" she screamed over the machine's whining groan.

Foaly turned to the terrified elf and yelled back," Don't worry! The machine is only finishing the power insert." At that moment, there was a dull thump from inside the invention and all turned to see what made it.

The invention was slowing down, its whirring coming to an abrupt stop. The inside walls were frosted over and some ice was crawling through the cracks to the outside world. The crackling of the ice caused the centaur, bodyguard, and elf to stare at the invention.

Butler was the first to react, noticing a dark shape on the floor through the iced glass walls. "Artemis…" he gasped then raced to the door. Holly and Foaly followed, Foaly hitting the door button on his way.

The door to the machine opened with a hiss and cold mist poured out. Inside lay Artemis very still and pale in his rumpled Armani suit. Butler quickly checked for any injures and found none.

The overprotective bodyguard then lifted his unconscious charge and carried him in his arms to a nearby wall. Foaly and Holly followed in a shocked silence. When they reached the wall, Butler slowly sat down against it and Holly followed suit.

Artemis was still not responding and that scared Butler. The Eurasian bodyguard kept holding Artemis to him in a protective manner and smoothing the boy's raven black hair back from his pale face.

This was comforting to Butler and Holly, who was sitting as close as she could to Artemis. Foaly sat down on the other side of Butler, curling his front and hind legs under him. All three of them sat there in a shocked silence for what seemed to be forever.

Then Foaly sighed suddenly. Butler and Holy were startled to hear him start to talk. "This is all my fault. I should have known that Artemis wouldn't be able to handle such a transformation." Foaly said in a hushed tone, looking down at his legs.

He sighed again. "I'm really sorry about this, guys." The centaur finished, and looked up to Butler and Holly. Both were looking down pondering in silence. No one moved or spoke for the next 5 minutes. All were looking at Artemis hopefully.

10 minutes passed then Artemis suddenly coughed. Butler lifted his charge in to a higher position, sitting the boy up a little further. Holly moved closer and Foaly looked up in surprise. Artemis coughed again then moaned.

His eyes fluttered and forceful coughs pushed their way through his throat. Butler quickly laid Artemis down on the floor on his side, to help the boy's coughing. Holly and Foaly watched Artemis as he continued coughing with Butler encouraging the coughing along.

Artemis gave one last cough then opened his eyes. Images swam before him. He blinked several times, and then the blurriness was banished. In its place were the concerned faces of Butler, Holly, and Foaly.

Butler had a protective hand on the boy's back and was rubbing it to calm Artemis's breathing. The boy felt the hand and was slowly comforted back into a regular breathing pattern. Holly was crying with relief and Foaly looked equally relived.

Butler was the first to talk. "Are you alright now Artemis?" he asked in a soft voice. Artemis nodded, not quite strong enough for words.

Foaly was next to speak. "Artemis, I was so worried! Please don't let me ever do that again! If I would have known…" He was cut off by Butler, who lifted Artemis up and said in a quiet way most unlike him, "Foaly, I think Artemis needs to get home. He seems a little weak from the experiment."

The centaur nodded and stood up. Holly followed, wiping her tears away. Butler stood carefully, cradling his weak principal in his arms. Artemis curled closer to Butler and didn't move or say a word. The boy only groaned a little with pain.

Butler glanced down at Artemis who was fighting to stay conscious. His eye lids were fluttering and his breathing was weak and shallow.

"Artemis? Are you with me?" The boy tried to nod and only managed to tilt his head a little. Butler took that as a yes and continued to walk with Foaly and Holly to the shuttle.

Holly kept looking back to check on Artemis and Foaly trotted next to Butler. They four of them walked in a comfortable silence, each thinking their own thoughts as they walked through the halls of the LEP Headquarters.

Often an LEP officer would walk by and stop to ask what was wrong, but Holly would stop them from speaking with a quick glance at the officer, then the officer would continue on his way. No one argued with a determined female elf. Especially if that elf was Holly Short.

They reached the shuttle bay without further incident, and Holly prepared a shuttle while Foaly talked to Butler. "OK, so don't let his powers get out of control or lose control of his emotions." Foaly spoke quietly, gesturing to Artemis who was still in Butler's arms and had recently fallen unconscious again.

"Why?" asked Butler in an equally quiet voice. "Because his emotions control his powers. When his emotions are out of control, the powers will emit ice or frost by itself. Artemis will have no control whatsoever."

Butler nodded. "Anything else?" Foaly thought for a minute, then shook his head. "Nope. But if you have any problems, contact me." Butler murmured a quick goodbye then carried Artemis onto the shuttle. Holly started the engines, and then drove the shuttle carefully into the magma flares.

Butler sat in the back and the whole way held the still unconscious Artemis in his arms. Butler barely noticed the jolts and bumps that the shuttle produced and Holly's voice drifting from the cockpit saying 'sorry' every time the shuttle hit a rough spot.

Soon the shuttle stopped all together and Holly walked to the back. "We're here, Butler." She announced, looking at the boy in his arms with concern. "Is he still unconscious?" the elf asked. Butler nodded then stood up and walked out the shuttle door.

Outside the Irish land was green and a welcoming sight. The Fowl Bentley was still by the road, just where Butler left it. He opened the back door and laid Artemis on the seats, fastening seatbelts around him so he wouldn't roll off.

Butler turned to see Holly waving goodbye and then the shuttle was gone. The bodyguard got in the driver's seat, then made the long drive home.

When Butler reached the Manor, he heard a faint moan from the back seat. He quickly opened the back door and saw Artemis almost awake again. Butler undid the seatbelts and helped his charge out. Artemis didn't say anything, and then Butler saw that he couldn't stand without swaying. He picked up his charge without a word.

Artemis protested almost immediately. "No, Butler. I can walk." Butler grunted. "I don't think so, Artemis. You were swaying on the spot." His charge said no more and Butler began to walk to the Manor.

Much to his dismay, all the family was gathered in the front room when Butler walked. The twins were on the floor with Juliet playing a board game and the two parents were on the couch watching the television. All looked up when he came in with Artemis.

Angeline was the first to react. "Oh Arty!" she exclaimed, jumping off the couch and running to Butler and Artemis. When she reached Artemis, Angeline turned to Butler while stroking Artemis's hair and asked, "What happened?" Artemis I appeared next his wife, along with the twins and Juliet.

"Yes, what happened?" repeated Artemis I, turning his attention to Butler. All eyes were turned to the bodyguard and he began to explain. "Foaly tested his machine on Artemis and it was a little too strong for him to handle. Now Artemis has ice powers." he explained in a brief sentence.

Butler was sure he would have to explain in more depth later. He said to Juliet, "Juliet, could you take the twins up stairs?" His sister nodded and tried to smuggle a laugh. It didn't quite work. Juliet earned a glare from her brother as she turned and herded the two twins up the stairs.

Angeline and her husband just looked shocked from this new development. "What….what do you mean he has ice powers?" asked Angeline, staring at Butler. Her husband was likewise staring, but not at Butler. He was staring with amazement at his son.

Artemis II clearly didn't like this kind of attention and squirmed a little in Butler's grip. Butler noticed a put the boy down on the nearby couch. His parents followed and sat down on either side of their son. Angeline turned to Artemis II. "Alright. Now you need to explain."

Artemis began. "Well, we met Holly by the shuttle port and drove to the Haven. There we went to LEP Headquarters and met Foaly in the Operations Booth. He took us to the lab, where he keeps all his inventions." Angeline interrupted.

"Is Foaly the centaur?" Artemis nodded. "Yes. So he showed the machine to us and, of course, Holly was against me trying the invention out."

Here Artemis shook his head. "I don't even know why. Maybe it's something to do with me getting hurt." "Anyways," he continued, "Foaly started the machine and inserted the ice powers into my DNA."

Artemis stopped to think. "Well, the invention began to shake and suddenly I lost consciousness. I don't remember anything else except waking up in Butler's arms." The boy finished, looking at his parents.

Both his father and mother were watching him with some bewildered amazement. Artemis I was first to talk. "Do you think you can demonstrate these ice powers?" His son looked a bit shocked and uncertain.

Then he slowly nodded. Artemis stood up from his position on the couch and stood in the middle of the large room, near the stairs. His parents and Butler watched him as he closed his eyes.

Artemis concentrated and carefully tried his strength in ice powers. OK, concentrate. Clear your mind of all other thoughts. He felt a peaceful feeling come over and relief flooded through his body. A tingling sensation was felt in his hands and suddenly Artemis heard his mother gasp.

Artemis opened his eyes and was delighted to see that his hands were producing blue sparks and snowflakes. He watched his parents and Butler with a smile, and then decided to try something more complicated.

Artemis swirled his hands to make a ball of snowflakes. He threw the ball into the air and it exploded into millions of sparkling snowflakes. He watched as the snowflakes floated to the ground and then turned to his parents and Butler.

No one said a word or moved.

A/N CLIFFHANGER! YOU HAVE TO WAIT NOW! (x (x (x (x READ AND REVIEW! AND FOLLOW! AND FAVORITE! AND…Well, you get the idea. Anyways, Ch. 4 will be up soon!(Hopefully!)