Chapter 7: Sacrifice

A/N: Aw, I am debating on what I shall do in the end…I guess I will have to think.

Thanks to NightcatMau, PierDreams, and the amazing Guest that reviewed!

Tanith bit her lip as tears fell down her face, decisions crossing her mind. If she was a hero, she would sacrifice herself…that would help more than just herself, but was she prepared to die?

This was a tough choice, but in her heart she knew the right decision. She would have to sacrifice herself for the benefit of her new family. She sighed and stuffed the paper in her pocket, and decided she had to tell Valkyrie.

She trudged to the bathroom trying to wipe the tears off of her face, taking deep breaths so she could hide her emotions. She knocked on the white door and waited for a response, her mind racing. Tanith knew she had to tell Val, but was it really a good idea? Probably not…

"Come in! I'm all covered!" Valkyrie called from behind the door.

Tanith nodded and opened the door, watching as the towel covered Valkyrie ringed out her dark hair. Valkyrie looked up and smiled, making Tanith feel even guiltier. Perhaps she wouldn't tell her…

"So, uh, Val. I have an idea where their new hideout is…but we would have to move quickly," Tanith explained, not wanting to bring up the note.

Valkyrie nodded and replied, "Okay, just let me get dressed, alright?"

Tanith watched as Valkyrie walked by, then suddenly put an arm out to stop her. Valkyrie was shocked but turned to face Tanith, waiting for her to speak.

"Ok…I have something to tell you…" Tanith started, looking deeply into Valkyrie's eyes.

Valkyrie looked down and whispered, "Ok…"

Tanith sighed and decided she would just change up the whole sacrifice bit. She thought for a moment until an idea came to her, and knew it was for the best. She bit her lip as she organized the sentence in her head, and thought that it was enough to convince Val.

"Ok, when we get there later, if I go down, forget me and work on getting Skulduggery. If I die – Val don't cry, I'm being serious. If I die tonight, at least get Skulduggery back so it will be worth it. Oh yeah, one more thing…Could you tell Ghastly I love him?" Tanith requested, her gaze on the wall.

Valkyrie still had tears streaming down her face but she nodded with her mouth clamped closed. Tanith smiled shakily and watched as Valkyrie ran up the steps, her bare feet slapping the wood. Tanith sighed and went to the living room to wait for Valkyrie who should've been getting dressed.

"Well, well, Pleasant. Your friends will be here tomorrow to come and get you. The only depressing part is…they won't get you," Elizabeth sneered, sitting on and old bench as Skulduggery Pleasant struggled in chains next to her.

"You know, you are awfully confusing," Skulduggery muttered, trying to pull out of the chains.

Elizabeth laughed and whispered, "That poor girl. Falling in love with an overly egotistical skeleton…She could do way better and you know it. Who could ever love a worthless pile of bones like you, Pleasant? Who?"

"Me," someone called walking out from behind an old roller coaster.

Elizabeth gasped and looked over as a dark haired girl clad in black clothing walked up to them. Not far behind her was…Tanith Low. Elizabeth then cackled, her laugh echoing throughout the abandoned amusement park.

"Oh, I see you made your decision, Low," Elizabeth growled, rising to her feet.

Valkyrie suddenly stopped and looked over to Tanith, who was nodding silently. Valkyrie clenched her fists and glared at her friend as she muttered, "Tanith, what in the Hell is she talking about?"

Tanith didn't answer but walked forward, drawing her sword. Elizabeth's eyes widened and she laughed once again, making Valkyrie want to punch her in the face.

"Someone didn't tell her best friend about the deal, did they?" Elizabeth whispered icily, putting her gloved hands on her hips.

"What deal?" Skulduggery and Valkyrie both chimed in, looking from Elizabeth to Tanith.

Tanith sighed and replied, "I told her that if she let Skulduggery go, I would take his place…"

Elizabeth smirked as Tanith finished and glanced over at Skulduggery and Valkyrie, who both had their jaws wide open, obviously shocked. Skulduggery then put his gaze directly on Tanith and shook his head.

"Tanith, why would you accept such a thing?" Skulduggery asked his tone soft and quiet.

Tanith smiled as tears went down her face and whispered back, "Skulduggery, there was one reason I agreed to this. I had to get you back for Val. You two obviously love each other, and now that we have finally found you, I will do anything to keep you together…even if that means dying. Please, don't make this any harder on me."

Valkyrie began crying, Skulduggery looking down at the ground, leaving Elizabeth to be the only one laughing like a lunatic. She raised her head and smiled at the whole depressing scene, the white mask covering the upper part of her face glowing in the moonlight.

"Well, isn't this touching? A friend sacrificing herself so you two can be together? Surely you understand why she did this, you wouldn't want her to die for a lesser reason, would you?" she taunted, a deadly sweet tone in her voice.

Valkyrie glared at Elizabeth earning a blood red smile, Tanith doing the same. Elizabeth suddenly turned to Tanith, the smirk still upon her face. She laughed before summoning shadows from around the park, wrapping them all around Tanith's neck. Before Tanith could move she was rising from the ground by her neck, the shadows getting tighter as she went up. Elizabeth kept her evil cackle going, watching as Tanith's face went an ugly shade of purple. Valkyrie cried out as Tanith gripped for the shadows to get off of her, her legs flailing hopelessly beneath her. Suddenly, Tanith's body went limp, earning Elizabeth to drop her body to the ground, the shadows fleeing back to their places.

Valkyrie screamed and ran to Tanith's body, throwing herself to her knees as she cried endlessly into Tanith's stomach. Elizabeth cooed at the event then started gathering shadows in her palms, getting ready to strike Valkyrie.

"Val!" Skulduggery yelled, watching as the shadow ball got bigger and bigger.

As Valkyrie turned around, Elizabeth released the ball, causing it to slam into Valkyrie's chest and send her sprawling across the dew covered grass. Valkyrie groaned and slowly got to her feet, slightly stumbling as she did so. She made her way over to Skulduggery and slumped over on the ground next to him. Elizabeth smirked as Valkyrie went unconscious, and turned her attention to Skulduggery.

"Well, she wasn't too hard to beat. Guess all I had to do was trigger those emotions," Elizabeth laughed, playing with her shadows as she stood.

Skulduggery growled and glared at Elizabeth, his fists clenching in anger. He began to pull on the chains to get free, but froze as he glanced behind the cackling Elizabeth. Tanith was slowly getting to her feet and caught his gaze, putting a finger to her lips. Skulduggery only stared in disbelief until Elizabeth's annoying voice went into the air.

"What's wrong Pleasant, you ready to die again? You know you're alone now, and there's nothing you can do about it," she teased wagging a finger in his face.

Tanith was now drawing her sword silently, sneaking forward with some surprising grace. She was now behind Elizabeth with her sword raised, a smirk now upon her bruised face.

"You thought you could take me, huh, Pleasant? But guess what? No one can!" Elizabeth screeched a twisted smile on her face.

Tanith glared before muttering, "I can."

Elizabeth froze and went to yell, but before she could do anything, Tanith's sword went straight through her chest with great force. Elizabeth's mouth hung open as she looked down at the blade penetrating her flesh, and she began coughing on her own blood. Tanith then pulled the blade back out, watching as Elizabeth's dead body fell to the ground in a messy heap.

Tanith then looked at Skulduggery and laughed, "Guess her name finally has a meaning."

Tanith crouched down and felt around in the dead woman's pocket until she found the keys to Skulduggery's shackles. She rushed over to him and stuck the key in the lock until she heard a clink. Skulduggery groaned then stood up as the shackles feel off of him, then looked over at Valkyrie as she began to stir.

"Ow…that hurt," Valkyrie complained, rubbing her head.

She looked over and saw Elizabeth's dead body and went to speak, but then she saw Tanith standing across from her. Valkyrie almost shrieked as she ran at Tanith, tackling her to the ground with a huge thump. Tanith began laughing as

Valkyrie gave her a huge hug, then closed her eyes.
"I thought you had died!" Valkyrie cried, hugging Tanith even tighter. Tanith laughed and helped Valkyrie to her feet, earning another hug. Tanith brought her mouth to Valkyrie's ear as they stood and whispered, "Go get him, girl."

Valkyrie nodded and ran over to Skulduggery, enveloping him in a huge hug. Skulduggery laughed and wrapped his arms around her, soon pulling back to look into her eyes. He pulled a strand of her dark hair behind her ear and whispered, "You love me?"

Valkyrie almost cried out in joy, but whispered back, "Yes, I really do, Skul."

Skulduggery tilted his head before bringing his teeth to Valkyrie's lips, wrapping his arms around her waist as he did so. Valkyrie smiled against him and snaked her arms around hi shoulders, tears slowly making their way down her face. Before they got any further there was a wolf whistle and clapping from a few yards away, and they glanced over at Tanith who was now smirking. Valkyrie rolled her eyes and kissed Skulduggery again, not wanting it to end.

After a few minutes they heard running and separated to see Ghastly Bespoke rushing over to them. He looked at the entwined hands of Skulduggery and Valkyrie and smiled, then returned his attention to Tanith. Tanith cried out and ran to him, Ghastly scooping her into his arms.

He smiled and whispered, "I thought I had lost you."

Tanith laughed and replied, "Come on, it's me we're talking about!"

Then she kissed him once again.

A/N: Aww, that's the end. Hope you enjoyed it!