Stephanie Edgley was good, she was the epitome of a role model… well until Valkyrie came into the mix, not that that Valkyrie was bad, in fact she was very good but with Valkyrie came Darquesse and Darquesse was evil, very much so. Thankfully due to her surge she had obliterated Darquesse from her body. Well she thought she did, the evil entity soon found out that so long as Valkyrie/Stephanie still existed within the universe she would always have a link to that universe, so as such Stephanie made a plan.
It had been five years since she saw her little sister, or anyone really. Yet she knew that once she left again she would never be coming back. So as such she found Alice sat outside on the school bench waiting for Mr and Mrs Edgley and decided to take a chance.
"Hello" she said as she sat down next to the child.
"My mummy and daddy said I can't talk to strangers" she said. Stephanie smiled
"Your mummy and daddy are very smart… Alice can I ask you something?" the little girl looked at Stephanie in alarm.
"How do you know my name?" she squeaked. Stephanie smiled at the little girl, if it was anyone else she would've laughed at the panic but this was her little sister.
"I've known you since I was born, nether the less you didn't answer my question" Alice scrunched up her face, trying to remember the question her sister had asked.
"Yeah you can ask me a question" she replied when she remembered.
Stephanie sighed, she didn't know if the answer would be a good thing or not.
"Did… your parents ever tell you about Stephanie Edgley?" At this Alice's face lit up like a kids on Christmas morning.
"Yeah, she's my big sister, I don't see her anymore. Mummy says that she's a hero and she saved everyone but she couldn't stay with us because she wasn't well. She said Stephanie had to go away for a while to rest… I don't remember her that much but I remember that she loved me. Mummy has pictures of her and Daddy always cries on her birthday, according to mummy the gift I get from Steph every year is actually her."
Stephanie felt a little choked up at that, she wiped away a tear and saw her parents running towards Alice, worry on their faces.
"Alice I have to go but just so you know, Stephanie did love you very, very much and when your parents get here tell them… tell them Valkyrie Cain Says hello" at that Stephanie Edgley turned on her heel and left.
When she stood atop the cliff she felt some apprehension, she knew what she was doing was going to hurt everyone but she had to. Her darkness was not allowed to arise, she couldn't let it. Yet just as she was ready to jump that blasted Bentley stopped her. Skulduggery Pleasant ran out of his car and stopped a foot in front of her.
"What the hell are you doing?" he screamed. She laughed mirthlessly.
"She still has me to connect to Skulduggery and I can't let her try"
"You purged her out Val… she's gone" Stephanie smiled, edging closer to the edge. Skulduggery screamed, actually screamed.
"This is reckless and irresponsible, I nearly lost myself when you went away…. I won't survive you dying" she felt a tear run down her face, traitor. Skulduggery never really shared his emotions with her, he was a very… unemotional skeleton. She sniffled slightly
"I've been known for recklessness and I'm afraid to say this isn't reckless…. Skulduggery I've exhausted every other option…" the skeleton watched as tears streamed down her face, he felt for the first time since he died, he felt his heart shatter. Stephanie just stared at him, edging closer to the edge.
"Tell them I love them!" she yelled, then she jumped off the cliff, Skulduggery ran to her and felt the fabric of her coat fall through his bony fingers.
As Stephanie Edgley fell to her death she remembered, she remembered how she got here, how Skulduggery became her best friend and protector. She remembered her family and how she tried to protect them and all the good things she did but then she remembered the bad. The lies, the deceiving and the cheating, the darkness that eloped her and she couldn't find it in her to think that just maybe dying was a cowards way out. Yet as the wind whipped her hair she smiled, finally she would be at peace.
When Valkyrie hit the ground there was one word resting atop her lips.
Goodbye.