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2

Decisions are Made

"We can't be back in the war," Valkryie said. "You said it was impossible to travel back in time. And it was nothing like the shunting Silas Nadir gave me last year."

Skulduggery shrugged. "I don't know how it happened, but happen it did."

Valkyrie was quiet for a moment. "When do we go back?"

"I don't know," Skulduggery answered. "It could be similar to the shunting, and fix itself in its own time, or we may have to be sucked into another portal, or even have to do a certain task.

"You better hope I don't miss my party. You do realise it's next Tuesday," Valkyrie reminded him.

"The one I wasn't invited to?" Skulduggery asked.

"There was another one, for all my mage friends, remember."

"Distinctly."

Valkryie looked around. "Do you know what fight this one was?"

Skulduggery peered at the scuffle more closely before answering. "I think it is The Battle of Lightning Ridge."

Valkryie looked at Skulduggery to make sure he wasn't joking. "Please tell me you're not being serious."

"OK then," Skulduggery replied.

"That fight was really called The Battle of Lightning Ridge?" Valkyrie asked sceptically.

"Yes. It was a turning point in the war," Skulduggery explained. "It was called The Battle of Lightning Ridge because it-"

"Took place on Lightning Ridge," Valkyrie interrupted.

Skulduggery glanced at her. "Actually, no. The night before, there was a lightning storm, and lightning struck the ridge you see up there. So the ridge up there is called Lightning Ridge, and that plain they are fighting on doesn't have a name."

"That would have been my next guess," Valkyrie muttered defensively. "So who won?"

Skulduggery hesitated. "Mevolent, but it was close."

Valkyrie started to walk off. "Well, why don't we go and help out. Maybe with our help, you can win this one."

Skulduggery caught her arm before she had gone three paces. "Valkyrie, it is important we aren't seen. By anyone. Let alone arrive in the middle of a fight and try to change the past. We should leave the past to act out as it did."

Valkyrie looked at him. She pulled her arm free and turned to face him. "And what if we were sent here to complete a certain task? Then what. We can't complete it if we hide out around here."

"You make a valid point," Skulduggey said. "But-"

"Was this before or after you died? " Valkyrie interjected.

"Before," Skulduggery answered.

"Then what if we were sent here to stop you from dying? What if we killed Serpine before? Then Meritorious and Crow would still be alive. Your wife and child could still be with you, and you could be human again. Human with skin and organs and everything." Valkyrie ammended.

Skulduggery was quiet for a long time. He watched the battle rage on behind Valkyrie.

"There would be no being ashamed of your past as Vile, because you wouldn't become him. Think about it. We could change the history of the world. And then we wouldn't have to worry about the Supreme Council, because we wouldn't have Serpine and Vile to worry about." Valkyrie spoke softly now.

"Maybe... Maybe we could go and see if there is anything we can do, but after this fight." Valkyrie could hear the trepidition in Skulduggery's voice, and behind something she had never heard in his voice.

"Skulduggery," Valkyrie asked. Skulduggery looked at her. "Are you OK?"

"I'm fine. Just fine," Skulduggery siad, sounding like he was trying to convince himself he was OK.

Valkyrie raised an eyebrow. "Well, if you're sure..."

"I am," Skulduggery said.

"Then why are we still standing around? Lets go." Valkyrie turned around and started walking again. She heard Skulduggery hesitate, then catch up to her. "Will you be there?"

"Not in the actual fight, but yes.."

"I can't wait to see you with a face."

"You see me with a face all the time."

"I meant your own face. I haven't seen you with that face."

There was silence for long moment, svae for the sound of their footsteps, and the sounds of the battle grew louder as they walked closer. "Valkyrie."

"Yes, Skulduggery."

"We can't use our real names. It would look fishy if there were two Skulduggery Pleasants, and one was a skeleton, and then the other died and became a skeleton."

"Why can't I use my real name?"

"Because Ghastly and Ravel and the many other mages who were here and that met you now would remember you. Which would be hard to explain." Valkyrie scowled.

"Fine. Do you have a name?"

"I was thinking something along the lines of Trickery Pheasant."

Valkyrie laughed. "Really? Ok then, I will be Variety Cessation."

Skulduggery looked at her. "And you thought mine was stupid."

"It is," Valkyrie snickered. "Mine is too, but not as bad as your's." They stopped talking as they neared the fight. Skulduggery tapped his collarbones and a false face flowed over his skull. This one had dark brown eyes, much like Valkyrie's, and a dark brown hair. He reached inside his jacket and pulled out the cloaking sphere. He twisted it before they got to close to the fight, and a bubble of haze surrounded them, hiding them from the view of the mages involved the fight. They skirted the edge and walked down to the back of the fight.

"Meritorious sometimes kept to the back, revising strategies and talking tactics with the other commanders," Skulduggery explained as he led her down behind the fight. A town sat, squalid beside a dirty lake.

"Is that... Is that Roarhaven?" Valkyrie asked.

"It is, yes." Skulduggery led her down the squat road to an ugly, brown building. He knocked on the door twice, paused, then knocked three times. A slot on the door opened and a pair of icy blue eyes peered through.

"Yes?" A familar voice said asked.

"Mr Bliss?" Valkyrie asked. The blue eyes looked at her.

"I am, yes. I don't believe we have met."

Skulduggery stepped forward. "My name is Trickery Pheasant, and this is my daughter, Variety Cessation. We have infomation we believe you may find useful to the current state of the war." Bliss's eyes narrowed slightly, but a voice, muffled by the thick wooden door, drifted out. Bliss nodded and stepped away from the slot, then closed it and opened the door. Skulduggery walked through and Valkyrie followed. She looked at Bliss as she passed. The last she had seen, he was floating naked when Mevolent was in control. Before, he had been killed a Faceless One. Meritorious, looking younger than when she had first met him, stood there, with several mages she had met. One she didn't know, however, was a young looking, blonde mage. He looked at them curiously. "You said you have infomation. What is it?" Meritorious asked.

"You get straight down to business, don't you," Skulduggery said, his voice rougher than usual. Bliss looked at him suspiciously, but didn't say anything. Nobody said anything. "Mevolent is going to win this fight," Skulduggery said.

"How do you know this," the blonde mage asked. Valkyrie stifled a gasp and looked at Skulduggery. He nodded imperceptably. Valkyrie swallowed and looked at Skulduggery Pleasant in the flesh once more.

And, we have met Skulduggery. And didn't I say that I would most likely write shorter A/Ns?