Valkyrie and Fletcher sat at the edge of the pool with their feet dangling in the water.

'I know I should've told my parents, but I think I've put it off for too long now. I don't think they'd like the idea that they've been living with a fake version of me for four years.'

'Honestly Val, I think you should tell your parents the truth. I ruined my relationship with my Dad and I regret it.'

That night, Valkyrie couldn't sleep. She was running through scenarios in her head.

Scenario 1 - I never tell my parents about magic. My reflection becomes Stephanie Edgely permanently. Alice has to live with that heartless freak as a sister. That didn't seem fair at all. She hated her reflection and could not bear the thought of letting her live the rest of her life.

Scenario 2 - I die and someone has to explain to my parents why my death is plastered over the media, but I appear to be still safe and sound at home. No way.

Scenario 3 - I become Darquesse, and, out of control and power hungry, I destroy my parents along with the rest of the world. Hmm, somehow not entirely appealing either. Valkyrie climbed out of bed and knocked hard on the neighbouring door.

'Fletcher!' she hissed 'Wake up, I need you.' He woke too suddenly, and rolled out of bed, landing with a THUMP! on the floor. Valkyrie heard a muffled 'Ow'.

He opened the door for her, still half asleep, with his hair flat on one side and his duvet wrapped around him.

Whadda ya wan?' he moaned.

'I'm going to tell my parents the truth. I need you to take me home.'

'Right now?'

'Yes.'

'But I look awful.' Looking at his crumpled pyjamas and skewiff hair, she had to agree.

'Just put some jeans on and sort out your hair, then let's do this before I chicken out.'

All the noise had woken Skulduggery. He stumbled into Fletcher's room and found a note on his bed. It read:

We've gone to my house to talk to my parents. Fletch can pick you up in the morning. Sorry, just something I gotta do. Your annoying associate xxx

'That bloody girl!' he muttered.

Fletcher had teleported them to outside Valkyrie's house, where it was midday. She walked in, opening the front door for the last time has 'Stephanie'. If all went to plan, from that day on her parents would know her as Valkyrie.

The first thing she showed them was her elemental powers. They were taken aback as she hovered in the air, and produced fire from her fingertips. Then Fletcher teleported into the room, and helped her to explain the situation.

Her Dad seemed a lot less surprised about the magic than her Mum. Valkyrie guessed that he'd known about magic really, but just didn't want to accept it.

'Stephanie has become very important in the world of magic. The insanity virus epidemic was caused by evil magic controlling people, and she was responsible for stopping it.' Valkyrie took over. 'It may be hard to believe, but everything Uncle Gordon wrote about was true. He wasn't mad, he just knew about magic.'

She left the bit about her reflection until last. It was hard to tell whether her mother believed her. She were grateful to know that the distracted and distanced reflection wasn't the real Stephanie. She knew that the existence of magic was a far more logical explanation for everything they had seen, Stephanie's powers, the insanity virus, than all of the far-fetched theories that other people had been coming up with. When she looked at Stephanie, she didn't look mad. In fact, she looked a lot more real and sincere than this replacement she had told them of.

'I might not be around a whole lot any more, but I promise I won't use the reflection again. You can tell people I went to college, university, or something like that.' Desmond just sighed. He believed his daughter, and was glad that she had opened up. He was disappointed that she'd been caught up in Gordon's crowd. There was nothing he could do to stop her now, she was nearly an adult and it was her own decision, after all. He tried not to let the hurt show on his face. 'I know you might not believe me yet, but read Gordon's books and try to understand.' She tearfully hugged her parents, realising it might be months before they saw her again. 'Oh, and one last thing, can you call me Valkyrie please?' A/N- Please review!