5:55 p.m. Monday, 14th November

Artemis walked quickly down the corridor, his books tucked under his arm. He did not know why he was in such a rush, or why he was acting on impulse, but he did it anyway. After turning down another corridor, he found Samantha Derph sitting outside the library, a rather thin, silver lab top placed on her lap, her fingers flying across the keypad at an amazing speed. Upon hearing his footsteps, she looked up. "Oh Hello," she replied calmly. "Hi. Are you alright?" he asked as he sat down beside her.

She smiled at him. "Yes I'm fine. No offence, but I am seriously not the type of girl who just runs out crying. Did I look like I was crying? I thought my leave was rather elegant in fact," she remarked, grinning. "Well no, you didn't look like you were crying. I was just a bit…" his voice trailed off. Had he been worried? He didn't know. He was just acting on impulse. Samantha smiled again but said nothing as she continued to type.

"I'm Artemis Fowl," he said after a while. " Nice to meet you. I'm Samantha Lily Derph, but I think you know that already," she paused to type in something before continuing "Sorry for just walking away earlier," she remarked. "It's okay. Why did you walk away anyway?" he asked, feeling a bit curious. "Same reason you came after me?" she replied with a shrug. "Instinct and impulse then?" he asked again. "Yes, I suppose so,"
"Hey isn't that Dr. Guiney's main frame for the security?" he asked, glancing at the screen of the lab top. "Yes I do think so. I'm sending him a message," she said with an impish grin as she begin to type.

"Dr. Guiney,

I have exempted Samantha L. Derph and (She looked at him. "Do you want me to add your name?" she asked. "Yes, okay," he replied) Artemis Fowl from my class as I feel that there is nothing I can teach them. Therefore, I am giving them a library pass and allowing them to go to the library to expand their knowledge during my classes. If you see them anywhere else, do not hesitate to punish them for I fear that they might abuse their privileges. I would appreciate your acknowledgement. I have also contacted Samantha's parents and they are fine with the arrangement. (Artemis raised an eyebrow. "What? It is true. My dad is fine with it. Is it okay with your parents?" she asked. He paused, and then he nodded.) Artemis's parents are fine with it too. Please reply soon by sending it to my new email address, for my old one is faulty, I would also appreciate it if you inform all the other teachers to send any messages for me there.

Best Regards,

Bryce Snicket."

"There we go…" Samantha replied calmly as she sent the message. As of course, she had created the email thus she knew the password. "Clever. I assume there is more to the plan?" he asked, feeling slightly interested. "Of course," was her calm reply as she slipped her lab top into her bag pack and headed down the corridor with Artemis, stopping at a locked door. Typing a number sequence into the keypad, Samantha waited for a while before the door swung open, revealing a few cabinets, full of hall passes, late passes, library passes and more. Smiling serenely, she walked over to a dull grey metal cabinet and opened the middle drawer. Pulling out two library passes and another slip of paper, she took out a felt tip pen from her bag, and in a writing almost identical to Bryce's, she wrote down their names on the late passes and signed off Bryce's signature perfectly.

Passing a library pass to Artemis, they both left the room. "Thanks," Artemis replied. "No problem. See you tomorrow then, since we only have two periods of Bryce and then no more class. "Where are you going?" he asked. She did not reply for a while, but he could see a far away look in her eyes. "Out. Out of this school," she replied. Her voice now seemed very gentle. "You're running away?" he asked, for once, unable to comprehend something. "No. Why would I? I just want to visit a place," she replied. He paused, unsure what to say.

"Can I go with you?" he asked after a while. "Please?" he added. She looked uncertain before finally saying "I do not own the place that I am going to visit, and since nature has been so kind to share it with me, it is only right that I do not act selfish, and share it with anyone who can appreciate it." Artemis nodded. It was obvious that the place was very important to her in emotional value.

"Thank you. I promise I shall not damage it," he said, hoping it would ease her feelings. She smiled. "Thank you for trying to ease my feelings. I trust that you won't, that's why I am bringing you," was her reply.

5:48 p.m. Monday 14th November

Ireland

Holly was watching her 'principal' through the window when a voice buzzed in her ear. "Captain Short? I'm here. I'll take over now," Captain Vein's voice rang. "Thank you Captain Vein, I'll see you tonight then," Holly said before flying off to a nearby cham pod. Captain Vein meanwhile, took over Holly's position by the window.

6:00 p.m. Monday 14th November

Ireland

Artemis and Samantha darted through the corridors, racing towards the gate. Samantha had programmed a loop into the camera system that was monitoring the gate. Running out towards the entrance, Samantha flashed a card, which she had gotten in the room where all the passes were kept, towards the security guards, and they let them pass. Hurrying towards the gates, Samantha quickly entered the security code and the gates swung open. Rushing through the gates, Samantha turned left so they were out of view of both the security guards and the camera.

"It's a long walk you know," she remarked. "We can call Butler if you want," he replied. "Don't get offended Artemis, but I was more worried about you than me. I have no problem in running there from St Josephine's, much less walking there from here," she replied with a shrug. Artemis pouted, pretending to be offended. "You know, I am as fit as you are," he sulked. Samantha raised an eyebrow, than giggled.

"Personally, I don't think so. Care to try?" she asked with a grin. "Sure. How far is it from here?" he asked. "Urm… 10 minutes walk 5 minutes run?" she said with a shrug. "You're on then," he replied. "Ready set go!" Samantha said suddenly as she sprinted off. "Hey not fair!" Artemis shouted as he followed behind her.

But what he said was true. He had become much more fit since the Opal incident. He had bought a home gym and worked out every day, so that he was now as fit, or even fitter than Captain Short, and could punch even harder, for he was bigger in size, and a guy (A/N: I'm not being sexist. This is true sometimes, even though I hate to admit it).

He soon caught up with her and the two of them ran side-by-side, jumping over logs and dodging under trees, till they reached the top of a cliff, and Samantha collapsed onto the ground, breathing softly. Artemis sat down next to her, panting slightly. "Not bad," she remarked after a while as she gazed out over the cliff. Under the cliff were a tall oak tree and a clear snaking river. There was an emerald green forest a slight distance behind the oak tree where wildlife thrived. Artemis's breath caught in his throat.

This place was perfect for conducting the ritual. Could she be an elf? He turned his head slightly to examine the slim figure sitting next to him. Raven black hair, very unlike the auburn shades of hair that an elf had. Creamy skin that was the total opposite of the elves tanned skin, and her height… She was definitely much taller than your average elf. The only thing was that her fingers were really longer than normal humans and quite slim. Also, her ears were a tad sharper than his or any humans for that matter. She couldn't be an elf, could she?

"Oww… Crap…" she muttered as she begin to wipe the blood of her hand. "What happened?" he asked, turning his attention back to her. "Cut my hand," she replied, fishing out a piece of tissue from her pocket and beginning to wipe the cut. It looked rather deep, and a lot of dark crimson blood was flowing out from it. "On what?" he asked. "That…" she said, gesturing in front of her with the hand that was not bleeding.

There was a sharp, short, dagger with a silver handle that had jewels encrusted on it on the grass in front of her. "How did you cut your hand on it?" he asked disbelievingly, finding it hard to see how someone could be so careless. "It was covered by the grass earlier on. I was rubbing my hand across the ground when it cut me, so I used my other hand to pull it out," she replied, scowling at her wound.

Some part of Artemis suddenly registered "Not an elf. Elves have the power of healing," he sighed inwardly. He was just being over suspicious perhaps, or maybe he wanted a fairy friend with him. Speaking of which, Holly was due to call him tonight.

"You okay?" he asked, watching as she pressed the tissue to her wound, winced and then scowled. She tried to smile but it turned out more like a grimace.

"Not really but thanks for your… concern anyway," she remarked, binding the tissue round her wound. "Here," he said, leaning closer as he pulled out a black silk handkerchief out of his pocket and passing it to her. "Thanks…" she muttered as she bound her wound.

6:oo p.m. Monday, 14th November

Ireland

"Captain Short! You're not going to believe who our 'target' is with!" Captain Vein exclaimed. "Pray tell," Holly said cynically. "Yes do tell," Foaly remarked. He was watching their video feed, a sign that not much was going on at Police Plaza. "I'll send the video feed to you two. Hold on," Captain Vein said. A few minutes later, he heard a chiming sound coming from his earphone, signalling the fact that they had received the file. "Open file," Holly enunciated clearly as very clear images flashed across the screen. "Good Lord," Holly murmured, unable to hide the interest in her voice. "Holy Frond," Foaly added. "Eh? Why isn't her magic kicking in?" Vein asked. "Yeah, it should…" Holly added. "Her file says that she has those powers. I even saw them. She demonstrated. Not in front of other people of course," she added. "She has ran out of magic I guess," Foaly remarked calmly. "She completed the Ritual last night, I watched it." Holly countered. "Unless… she has managed to control her powers! Is that even possible?" Foaly asked. "Has to be," Holly murmured. "Amazing," Vein said, letting out a low whistle.

6:20 p.m. Monday 14th November

Ireland

"Do you want me to get Butler? To fetch us?" Artemis asked after Samantha had finished binding her wound, and was examining the dagger with great interest. "No offence to him, but I don't think he will be able to find us. Besides, just let me stay 10 minutes longer, I want to watch the sunset," she replied. "But it's going to be really dark soon, we're not going to be able to find our way back, besides, how are you planning to get back to St Bartleby's?" he asked, feeling a bit impatient. "Who says I won't be able to find my way back? I've come here too many times to not know how," she snapped. "In the dark?" he scoffed. By now, the dagger that Samantha had been holding lay abandoned on the grass. "Don't use that tone with me! And YES! In the dark! I come here to watch the sunset so obviously I go back when it's dark! What did you think? I fly back?" she snapped.

Artemis sighed inwardly. He knew he was in the wrong. "Sorry…" he mumbled. "Never mind, I shouldn't have been so peevish either," she replied as she picked up the dagger again. "It's made out of pure silver you know," she said, stroking the blade, and the handle… I think it's made out of melted silver with some melted Opal added in, that's why it looks a bit milky," she replied. Artemis leaned over. "I don't think it's melted Opal, more like melted Pearl I think, because it doesn't show different colours under sunlight," he murmured, fingering the handle. "Maybe. But Pearl would be a bit more milky won't it?" she asked. "True…" he agreed, then he shrugged and put the blade down. "I'll keep it," she said, placing the blade into a compartment in her bag pack before proceeding to lie down on the grass, gazing at the sky with her deep purple eyes.

Artemis hesitated for a while before lying down beside her. The sky was a mix of amber, crimson, lavender and pink. The sun was a glowing orange orb. It was beautiful, and Artemis doubted if he would ever be able to draw it perfectly. "Probably not," he decided. Samantha was as mesmerized as he was as she gazed up at the sky for a while before sitting up and tugging at Artemis's sleeve. "Artemis," she said, pointing at the stream. Instead of the water being clear, the stream was reflecting a rainbow of different colours. He smiled. "If only my friend Holly was here," Artemis sighed. "If only my dad mum was here. She loved sunsets," Samantha said with a sigh. She was disappointed that her mother was not here, but inside, she was smiling at Artemis's remark. She had a feeling that his wish for his friend to be here would come true.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

How is it? Please review. I really need to know how to improve. Oh and I forgot to say that Artemis Fowl is not mine etc etc. Only Samantha Lily Derph, her parents and this story line is mine. Oh and the name Derph, is from the Artemis Fowl Files, the seventh dwarf. (I think that's the title of one of the stories) one of the dwarfs is called Derph. Or at least this name is mentioned.