Conversations with a killer -

Valkyrie was gone. Darquesse was out. Their was nothing anyone could do to stop her. Tanith was possessed by an evil remnant - a small slice of pure darkness. And no one could do anything to stop her serving her evil overlord Darquesse. Ghastly was dead. Banished to his grave for all eternity. There was nope hope anywhere there. Or so everyone thought. Except one Mr Skulduggery Pleasant. He knew in his heart - or the space where his heart used to be - someday he would get his parter, his best friend, back. Oh, and find a cure to extract darkness out of someones soul. Then learn to resurrect the dead.

It was a fine morning in Haggard. The birds were singing in the nourished green trees. The grass was emerald and fresh. The evil psychopath Darquesse was murdering mortals, by a slight nod of her head, or a twitch of her fingers. All she wanted to do was kill.

Skulduggery felt the wind in the back of his exquisitely tailored jacket, as he gave chase to Darquesse through the Safire sky. He had been on her trail for around about a month now, and so he was very tired but also determined to get his job done and over with, so he could have his partner back and everything could go back to normal.

Darquesse changed route and headed out towards the pier. she landed on the very edge - and if she stepped backwards anymore than a millimetre, she would surely die lying cold on the seabed. But then again, this girl was Darquesse, world breaker. When she spoke she glared a glare that could most probably seer holes into the marrow of the detective's bones.

"Oh dear, Skulduggery my friend. Your looking very worn out after such a short flight."

"Number 1 - I am not YOUR friend, I am Valkyrie's. And 2 - How could you expect me to not be tired out? We were flying for almost 10 whole hours!"

"There are some advantages of being a homicidal manic with 1000 combined sorcerers magic. One of which is having very good stamina."

"Yes. Now, if you wouldn't mind could you please give Valkyrie back?"

"Hmmmmm... let me think about this. If i let Valkyrie back out, i am banished to my spot in the back of her mind, and may never regain control again. Tough one. What do you think Pleasant?"

"I think you should give her back and then we could go live happily ever after? Maybe hit a few people on the way home even?"

Darquesse laughed menacingly.

"Ha! Im sorry pal but that ain't gonna happen."

Skulduggery opened his jaw to speak but was cut off.

"While we were flying, i was thinking. What if my good friend mr Renn wasn't the only person that could teleport? Maybe if i tried, i could achieve more than just teleporting, i could possibly venture into the past."

She shot a sly smirk skulduggery's way.

"Teleportation through time." He murmured under his breath.

"Precisely." She confirmed, as murderous looking grin crept across Darquesse's face.

"So," She continued, "Where should i take you first? Back to when yo were a child perhaps? Then murder your younger form in front of you? Or make you relive your wife and child being killed by Serpine?" She paused to think. "I know!" She exclaimed, "I shall take you to the time you were at school and destroy all that you cared about in that hideous place!"

She lunged for Skulduggery. In all her excitement Darquesse was a fraction too slow. Skulduggery leaped out of the way and watched solemnly as she disappeared into the past with nothing in her arms but air. He sighed and wished. He wished with all his soul that one day he WOULD get Valkyrie back, preferably before she destroyed the world and all its inhabitants.

Darquesse felt a rush go through her as she travelled back in time. 'STUPID ME FOR NOT CONCENTRATING! I COMPLETELY MISSED SKULDUGGERY!'
But she barely had time to loath the stupid skeleton before she was swept back into Valkyrie's mind.

Valkyrie had watched all the last month's occurrence from inside her own inner lunatic's brain, she was very tired. She didn't have time to think about how many innocent people she had murdered in cold blood, before she registered her surroundings.

She was standing in front of a spectacular yet large building that reminded her of Hogwarts. It had tall spires that seemed to touch the heavens, and right in front of her were some creamy marble steps, leading up to a polished oak door, with a spectacular knocker hung just under her arms length upwards. She was in the past. Where did Darquesse say she was? Oh yeah, she was at skulduggery's school when he was around her age.

Well this was gonna be awkward.