This just came to me today while I was watching the news. Yeah, I know. The news. Anyway.
Enjoy! Oh, and I don't own Skulduggery Pleasant. Unfortunately.
Valkyrie Cain missed magic. She missed the feeling of power, the thrill, the mystery.
Sometimes, she regretted her choice to leave. It had only been two years. Two years since she had summoned a flame in her hand. Two years since the Sanctuary had called her in for a case.
Two years since she had heard the name Darquesse.
Darquesse. The sorcerer who was going to kill the world. Who was going to kill everyone and everything. Darquesse, who the Sanctuary still hadn't caught, still hadn't identified.
Of course, how could they? Valkyrie was Darquesse.
And she refused to be the end of the world.
"Mum, Dad, I'll be back by dinner." Valkyrie, now known again as Stephanie, called as she left her house. Her parents probably didn't even hear. Little baby Anna absorbed most of their time, and right now she knew for certain that Grandma was cooing over her with them. Sighing, she walked down the road. Without consciously making the decision to, she ended up at the pier. That pier held so many memories. Memories of magic, or Skulduggery. Memories of fights and friends. Stephanie curled up against a rock, pulling her knees up to her chest and wrapping her arms around them. She only ever thought of magic when she was alone, where she would be free to cry or laugh. Today, Steph thought of Skulduggery. Oh, Skul. How she missed him. She missed his ego. She missed his witty remarks. Damn it, she missed him. She missed how he said her name, like-
"Valkyrie?"
Oh, hell no.
Stephanie's head shot up, and she gasped, looking into the skeletal face of her old mentor, teacher, and partner. "No." It came out as a whisper, barely audible. She stood up, shaking her head. "No." Louder this time. "I...can't. Skulduggery, god dammit! I told you not to come here anymore! It's dangerous!" Tears were running down her face as she tried to push past him, but he grabbed her shoulders held her to him. Stephanie struggled, sobbing, but soon ran out of energy and settled to wrapping her arms around his neck and weeping into his Ghastly-made suit. "Oh, God." She whispered. "Oh, God. I missed you." She withdrew from him and wiped the tears from her eyes. "I'm so sorry I left, Skulduggery. I..." she trailed off.
"Valkyrie," She flinched at her taken name. "Valkyrie, it's not your fault." His velvet voice was low as his gloved hand cupped her shoulder. "I missed you."
Stephanie sighed. "I'm Stephanie now."
"Oh"
Memories flooded into her mind. Fighting bad guys, laughing at Crux, practising magic. Warm embraces, stolen kisses... "I have to go." Steph choked out, looking away. "I... I'll see you around, Skulduggery."
Once she was out of sight, Stephanie ran. She ran as fast as she could in her out of practise body.
When she reached her house, Stephanie didn't even think as she pushed the air and climbed through her bedroom window. She didn't even think as she got her reflection out and jumped out of her window. She got out her mobile and sent a text to the numbers she never deleted from her contacts.
To: SKULDUGGERY; TANITH; FLETCHER; GHASTLY
Meet me at Gordon's house. Please.
Valkyrie
And Valkyrie Cain thought that maybe, just maybe, there was another way to change the future.
Hopefully.
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