Because Noodle and I rule, we wrote the sequel to Artemis Fowl and the People of the Sea. So read it then this. Thanks former readers for support and hopefully new as well.

The Irish sky was stained with grey. Light grey, dark grey, just grey. Nothing was happy about it. Even the clouds that covered the earth's inhabitance cried freezing water onto anyone that was unlucky enough to be outside in the cold.

It wasn't a happy day. Not for Artemis, not for anyone.

After the coffin had been lowered, everything was said and tears were shed, Artemis Fowl II leaned against a fichus tree that grew in the cemetery. The entire time, he had not cried. It only looked like it because of the rain. It wasn't because he wasn't depressed, or sorry, or distraught. No. He was all of those and much more, so much that it physically hurt him. It was just…he couldn't. He wanted to cry, he needed to cry. Hard. But he couldn't.

He stared at his black dress shoes, covered in water droplets. It's my fault…he kept thinking. She's dead and it's my fault. All of it. I'm to blame. Artemis didn't want to think any different. Other than having her back and alive and happy…all he wanted was somebody to have their shoulders open and let him heave all of his pain onto them. He wanted to toss away his memory of the incident, or that he even met her.

Or loved her.

He wanted someone else to take the blame.

But he couldn't. It was all his fault, even if he wasn't the one that killed her. That was someone else, of course. Artemis would never kill—

"Artemis."

The Irish boy looked up out of his soaking raven bangs and saw Butler with a black umbrella. His eyes were bloodshot.

"Yes?" His voice was weak and defeated.

"We're ready to leave….Have you paid your respects?"

"All the respects I have to pay."

Butler covered the soaking boy with the umbrella and they started walking towards the exit of the cemetery. "…I'm really sorry about her," he said. Artemis could tell that he meant it.

"Don't be sorry, old friend. It's not your fault." Artemis couldn't look up at the Eurasian man for some reason. He had a feeling it would only hurt even more to look into his, or anyone's, eyes.

"I know." Butler gave a long, deep sigh. "I'm still sorry."

Artemis only nodded. As they walked, he could hear people talking. Talking about what happened, how she died, how he couldn't do anything to stop it. About her.

"I heard she was very sweet. It's such a shame…and so young. Never got to really live."

"How can someone be so sick? Really, that must've hurt. I wonder who did it…"

"Her hair was pretty, wasn't it? Oh, those blonde locks. I wish I had them, I would be the envy of EVERYONE…"

"Shut up, Prue."

He tuned them out. He didn't want to hear anymore. His heart felt like it was going to break as it was.

Suddenly a soft pale hand rested on his shoulder from behind.

READ BEFORE YOU GO ANY FURTHER OR YOU'LL GET LOST.

This is a sequal. Seeeequaaaal. Before you go ANYWHERE ELSE, I highly suggest reading the first story, "Artemis and the People of the Sea." If you don't, it is likely that you will get lost within THIS story and become uninterested, which we don't want. So yeah, read the other one first.

Thank you!

Noodle