Sorry I didn't get to Valkyrie's thoughts while Skul's in the Faceless Ones Realm. I had to do this one first! Hope you like it! ^w^
Valkyrie sat at her desk in her room eating some cereal. She had returned from her day out with Skulduggery, doing what Detective's do best. Her parents had told her that morning that they were going to a business party of some sort, so she wasn't surprised to find them gone and a 'be back soon' letter on the kitchen table. What did surprise her was that her refection was not home yet. She wasn't sure what to do about it so she just waited.
Several hours past and still her refection hadn't returned home. Valkyrie's parents had called and told her that something had come up and that they would be coming home the next morning, so she had some time. She decided it was probably best to call Skulduggery for some help.
Just as she began to dial his number, the door rang. She jumped up and ran down the stairs. When Valkyrie answered, she realized what had taken her refection so long.
"I'm sorry I am late," The reflection said emotionlessly. Valkyrie stared at it.
"What the hell happened to you?" She asked while leading it in.
"I was mugged," It said calmly as if nothing happened. The refection was covered in dirt and blood. It's hair was a mess and It's skin was bruised. It's eye's were swollen, but had their usual blankness.
Valkyrie shook her head, "I would like to resume my life now."
She followed her reflection up to her room and opened her wardrobe. It stepped into the mirror. Valkyrie readied herself for whatever she was about to see. It couldn't have been that bad, could it?
The reflection continued to wait as Valkyrie stared out at it. "Here we go," she murmured and touched the mirror. Memories started to flood in.
She was walking home from school. Everything seemed normal. She passed through the gardens, the way she normally went. Then suddenly she was pulled back, a hand over her mouth. Her vision was cut off for a little while then it came back again. It was dark and it looked like she was in an abandoned house. The walls were rotted and the ceiling was crumbling with holes, looking like it would cave in any second. There were four dirty looking man standing over her. One grabbed her by the shirt collar and whispered into her ear, "Now listen up girly. Your goanna do what we say and not complain about it. If you do, were goanna kill you. Got that girly?" The other men laughed and howled and she said 'okay'. She had really agreed to it. Well at least her reflection did. Then it all happened so fast, like a blur in her mind. They had a knife and gun. They punched her and kicked her. They abused her, cussed at, and insulted her. But the worst wasn't over yet. They had raped her.
This had gone on for hours but only lasted a few seconds in her mind. When it was all over she fell to the floor, tears rolling down her face. How could her reflection let them do that? It was way too much for her. She did not expect it to be this bad, but it was. And now she was crying, curled up on the carpet. She slid to the corner of her room and pulled out her phone.
Valkyrie couldn't stand being alone. She needed someone here with her. She skittishly dialed the numbers in her mobile and pressed down on 'talk'. It answered after two rings.
"Hello?" The skeleton detective's velvety voice came smoothly.
"S-skulduggery? Can you…can you come over?" Valkyrie whimpered into the receiver. She knew he could hear the fear and anxiety in her voice.
"Valkyrie, is everything alright?"
She didn't want to make this harder than it already was so she told him the truth. "No," Valkyrie whispered.
"I'll be there soon," was all he said then the phone hung up.
Valkyrie closed her phone and shivered. How long would soon mean?
About ten minutes after the call Valkyrie heard light tapping on her window. She knew who it was so she didn't hesitate in opening it. Once she did her skeletal partner strode in.
He examined the floor beneath him. It was stained with dark blood. He turned to her.
"What happened? Are you alright?"
Valkyrie shuffled a bit then answered the question she knew he would ask next, "It's the reflection blood…"
Suddenly everything clicked and Skulduggery knew why she had called him. "Did something happen to your reflection?" He asked quietly, his voice was soft.
Valkyrie's shoulder's started to shake and she nodded. "She was… I mean it was… raped," Valkyrie burst into tears and buried her head in her hands.
"Valkyrie," Skulduggery said, concern leaking into his voice. He wrapped his boney arms around her shoulders and pulled her into his chest. Valkyrie threw her arms around his waist and wept into his shirt.
"A young girl should never have to go through that. Even if it was only a refection's memory. I'm sorry Valkyrie…" Skulduggery let his jaw rest on her head. He hushed her and sat on the bed, cradling her in his lap.
"I-It seemed so real," Valkyrie said in quick sobs. She sucked in air and quivered as the memory dug back into her mind. It was horrible. What they did was horrible. Valkyrie never thought she would have to ever go through something so horrifying.
"The memory of an event can be just as painful as the event it's self," Skulduggery told her. "The reflection is a copy of you, therefore it is you. Anything that happened to it happened to you. But only by memory can you concede what it has done in your place. In this case, it has encountered… sexual harassment. So have you."
Valkyrie had long since stopped crying and now was looking up into his dark eye sockets, "So whatever happens to it happens to me?"
"Exactly."
"Oh," Valkyrie sighed, "I think I may understand now. But why must you make everything sound so confusing?"
"Sounds like your back to your normal self."
"Well you do!" She wined and Skulduggey chuckled slightly.
Valkyrie let her gaze fall, "My parents won't be home till morning. Do you think you could… you know, stay for the night. I don't think I could get any sleep if I was alone."
Skulduggery tilted his head and used a gloved hand to brush some bangs out of her eyes, "Of course."
"Thank you." She climbed off his lap and Skuluggery let her get ready for bed.
He sat on a chair next to Valkyrie. She smiled and pulled the covers up to her chin. She felt safe. She always did when Skulduggery was around.
"Hey Skulduggery?" Valkyrie said in mid yawn.
"Yes?"
"You know how you're always there for me? Like you're always there to catch me and stuff?"
"Vaguely…"
Valkyrie nudged him in the arm in an attempt to punch him, but she was just too tired. Skuluggery chuckled again.
"Yes," he said slightly amused.
"Well, I think…" Valkyrie posed.
"What do you think?"
"I think you're my guardian angle or something like that," she said tiredly.
"Oh, really?" Skuluggery said, a bit astonished by her remark.
"Yeah," Valkyrie murmured before shutting her eyes and drifting off to sleep.
"I must be then," Skuluggery mumbled while watching her shoulder raise slowly as she inhaled, than back down again as she exhaled.
She was the most beautiful thing when asleep. So peaceful. Like an angle… He truly didn't understand why she liked him to an angle. He didn't see the resemblance at all, with him being dead and everything. The fact of her saying that kind of made him feel a bit warm in the bones. Quite the fuzzy feeling, you know?
He sighed and leaned back in the chair, watching the stars through the window. He liked the idea of being what Valkyrie had called a Guardian Angel,So he held on to it. If Valkyrie said he's her Guardian Angel, then he will be.
"I promise," He said to himself before falling into meditation.
