AN: You know what? Sod revision, here's chapter 13.
It's the end of the world.
Screams. Fire. Shouts for loved ones.
People run this way and that, trying to find an escape from the horror.
Buildings are nothing but smoking ruins. The streets can't be seen for the fire that covers them. The world is ending, and Simon can do nothing but watch as it burns. He stands above it all like a god, but unlike a god, he cannot interfere.
He hears a voice now. "Skulduggery!" It's Valkyrie. With effort he turns round and sees her, looking anxiously into Skulduggery's empty eye sockets. "Where is this?" she says.
"Dublin," says another voice, louder and calmer than Valkyrie's. It fills the sky, for that is where they appear to be.
He sees her. The Sensitive person - Cassandra. Her legs are crossed, her eyes are closed, and she looks more composed than any of them. This is her domain now. Simon is in her world, where she reigns supreme.
"This is Dublin?" says Valkyrie, alarmed. She glances down at the city nervously. "When is this going to happen?"
"The future is changing continuously," says Cassandra dramatically. "What you see before you could happen tomorrow, in a year, or it could indeed never happen."
"You don't know, basically," Valkyrie says under her breath.
Cassandra says nothing. If she has heard her, she chooses not to show it.
For a few seconds, Simon and the others say nothing, watching the devastation below them.
Skulduggery speaks up. "How come the vision is so vivid? Normally projections of visions are hazy, muted."
"And they don't usually offer such an immersive experience," adds Valkyrie. "The last time we saw a projection of a vision, it was just figures in steam. This looks – real."
"If I was willing to risk opening my eyes, I would give you a second opinion," says Cassandra. "But seeing my projection both inside and outside my head could very likely overwhelm me. My strength would drain, I would fall into unconsciousness-"
"But why wasn't there any steam this time?" interrupts Valkyrie impatiently. "You just sat down and boom, we were here. How come you didn't need anything?"
There is a very long pause, then Cassandra sighs. "I don't know. Maybe my strength has improved. All I know is that ever since a few days ago, I have had no need for the steam and heat that has been necessary before."
"A few days?"
"Yes… no, yesterday, in fact. Early evening."
Early evening yesterday… it was early evening when they met Valkyrie and Skulduggery.
Before Simon has time to ponder this further, there is a whoosh and the ground speeds up to meet them.
Simon's eyes widen. They're falling through space, towards the burning city. The ground is coming closer and closer and they're going to meet it any time no-
They stop, barely a metre away from the ground. They are frozen in space, but not frozen in time. The shouts and the screams continue, echoing all around them. The fires are right in front of them now. Instead of being merely watchers of the events, they are now inside them.
"Is something going to happen?" says Simon shakily.
"Yeah, is this the part where we come in?" asks Jace. "I thought we were somehow central to this whole thing. Is this where we get to see how?"
Cassandra's lip twitches. She must be concentrating impossibly hard, but this small movement is the only indication. Her features are as still as a marble sculpture. Valkyrie notices this and lightly touches Jace's sleeve to get his attention, putting a finger to her lips.
A figure comes running past them. Clary jumps in alarm. "What was that?" she asks, trying to keep her voice low as to not distract Cassandra.
Skulduggery's eye sockets follow the figure as it disappears from view. "That was quite possibly you," he says.
"Me? Really?" Clary exclaims. She pauses. "Wow."
"Well, it could be anyone, but there is a possibility that it was you. A small possibility. Well, minute possibility. Tiny. Microscopic, even. But still a possibility."
Clary's eyes narrow.
"You're quite mean, aren't you, Skulduggery?" says Valkyrie mildly.
"I punch people for a living; what do you expect?"
Valkyrie considers. "That's a good point," she says.
Suddenly Clary gives a little gasp and points. They all whirl round to see what she is looking at.
"But that's…" Simon begins.
"Magnus," says Jace.
Simon gulps. Somehow they're connected to this whole thing- now they're about to find out how.
The Magnus in the vision doesn't look much different to the Magnus Simon knows. The only differences are his clothes and the streaks of mud that cross his face. He looks around, not seeing any of them. The vision is a two-way mirror. It's a strange feeling, being invisible.
Simon's heart is in his mouth as he waits to see what the Magnus of the future will do next. The concept that this is their future is hard to grasp.
Another man joins Magnus. It's Alec, and Jace murmurs his name audibly. Alec says nothing as he stands by Magnus's side.
The tension is almost unbearable. What has Cassandra brought them to see? Will Simon want to see it, whatever it is?
The Magnus in the vision mutters something to Alec, too low for any of the others to hear. However to Simon and his damned vampire hearing it's clear as a bell.
"You okay?" are his words.
And then Simon's heart stops to an even stoppier stop than it was before as his own voice reaches his ears.
"We saw this," he's saying. The voice is coming from round the corner of the building.
Yes we did, Simon thinks numbly. He's about to see himself. What if he's changed? What if he's got some sort of horrific injury, or isn't himself, or...
Does he really want to see the future?
Simon finds out that he doesn't get a say in the matter. The future Simon rounds the corner, Valkyrie at his side.
Simon glances at Valkyrie. She returns the glance, her face still, betraying nothing. An unsaid understanding passes between them. They both turn back, and watch.
The vision-Valkyrie is nodding. "This has happened before," she says. "I saw myself in a vision, and the me in the vision turned and pointed right at me, because she knew I was watching," she says. And then she says: "I suppose this means it's going to come true." and she looks at Simon and her eyes are misted with tears.
Simon swallows. He's worried now. They're going to see something bad.
"We've got to be ready," says the future Valkyrie.
"Where's Skulduggery?" the future Simon asks.
The future Valkyrie looks behind her. "He's coming."
The future Magnus and Alec turn to Valkyrie and Simon. "Is this where it happens?" Alec asks.
They nod.
"No," Alec says. He shakes his head. "No, it can't - I haven't even got any of my gear. I thought we were going on vacation, for goodness' sake. I didn't prepare for this."
"I'm so sorry," says Valkyrie.
"Not your fault."
"I brought you into this. It's completely my fault."
"Flattering yourself again, Valkyrie?" says a familiar voice, and Skulduggery comes into view. "I'm afraid I'd have to remind you that you weren't the only one who brought them into this."
"It's fine. We want to be here," Magnus says. "And it's not like we'd have escaped the danger by staying in that hotel. The whole city's burning."
The whole city. Simon turns away. He feels sick. He wants to get out, get back to the present, where it's safe and calm and nothing bad's going to happen. He wants to get away from the fire and the burning and the carnage.
There's a hand on his shoulder.
He looks round. Valkyrie.
"It's bad, isn't it?" she says.
"Yeah."
"We'll get through it."
Simon sighs. "Maybe."
"Look, stuff like this has happened before. Me and Skulduggery, we deal with this stuff. It's our job. We'll get through it."
"You mean apocalypses are your line of expertise?"
She laughs. "You know, I think they are."
Simon manages to smile.
Valkyrie gestures in the direction of the future Magnus, Alec, Skulduggery, Simon and herself. "We need to keep watching. I know it's hard, but there's more that we need to see."
Simon looks into the distance where the people of their future are talking, their faces drawn and sombre. "OK," he says, "let's get back to the future."
Valkyrie slowly raises an eyebrow.
He blinks. "Did I… did I really just say that?"
Valkyrie nods sadly. "I'm afraid so."
"Oh heck." Simon shook his head. "I'm a bad influence on myself. Or maybe it's Star Wars."
She nods sympathetically. "I feel your pain."
Despite himself, Simon lets out a small snigger.
Valkyrie tries to give him a disapproving look, but fails epically, falling into giggles herself.
And before they know it, they're both collapsing with uncontrollable laughter.
It's a long time before they stop, and when they do, Valkyrie's taking in great, gulping gasps of air, desperately pulling down the corners of her mouth, trying to stop the gusts of laughter that are building up inside her from bursting out.
"Oh. Oh. Oh," she gasps, trying to keep a straight face but only succeeding in looking like a goldfish that just had a cold shower. Simon can't stop himself laughing, even though he knows it's mean. Valkyrie looks up, catches his eye, and grins. Then she's doubling over with helpless laughing again.
Simon succumbs and laughs and laughs and laughs until he wouldn't be able to breathe if he could. Then he laughs some more, and despite his very best efforts every time he glances up and makes eye contact with Valkyrie, he sets off again. They forget about the vision and the flames and the darkness and just laugh.
After a long time, they slow down. Valkyrie holds her stomach, trying to get her breath back. Simon has no breath to get back so he just stands there, shaking his head happily. He hasn't laughed like that for a long, long time. "You- we're ridiculou-"
He stops. Valkyrie's eyes are locked on something behind him. He turns round to see Skulduggery, his head cocked on one side. He seems to be amused.
"How long have you been there?" says Valkyrie accusingly.
He tilts his head back to its normal position. There's a smile in his voice as he replies. "Longer than you think."
She harrumphs mock-angrily and pummels him playfully.
"Hey!" he says, putting his hands up.
She stops. "OK, what's been happening in this ere vision then?"
He pauses. "A lot of talking. It seems like something is going to happen soon, something bad, and they know about it because they have already seen it in the vision."
"This vision?" says Simon.
"Precisely."
Valkyrie peers over his shoulder. "It's about to happen, then?"
Skulduggery nods.
Valkyrie exchanges glances with Simon. He shrugs.
In unison, they walk towards their future.
And the world dims into silence as the Shadowhunters, mages and vampire watch with baited breath to see what the future holds.
The world seems to dim. The future Magnus looks up. Nobody says anything; the world is silent, holding its breath.
As future and present watch, a line of yellow light splits the sky. It widens into a crack, then an eye, then a gaping chasm of yellow.
Simon looks across to Valkyrie, confused, but she isn't looking in his direction. Her gaze is focused on the light, and she looks more worried than he does, if that's possible.
"Valkyrie?" he asks. "What is it?"
"I don't know," she replies, not taking her eyes off the swirling gap in the sky. "I might know, but I'm hoping to God I'm wrong."
Simon gulps.
And then a shape appears in the light. It grows, filling the chasm. Features gradually become visible- arms, legs. Simon is sure it has more than is natural of those.
"Is it a demon?" Simon hears Clary whisper to Jace.
"I don't know," comes the answer.
'I don't know.' So much not knowing. Valkyrie doesn't know, Jace doesn't know. They can see their future in front of them, but they still don't know what's going to happen.
The shadow creature steps out of the light and into the street.
"Don't look at it!" screams the future Valkyrie, and then the scene fades away and they're spinning, spinning into a mess of light and dark and they don't know what's happening or who they are any more and if they're still alive and
Everything slows down.
Valkyrie is alone. Cassandra is gone and the others are nowhere to be seen. She is the only person left. Where has everyone gone?
In front of her, the vision carries on, but something is different. Jace, Magnus, Alec, Clary and Skulduggery are gone and only the future Valkyrie and Simon remain in the vision.
Simon has a cut down his cheek. There's not much blood, but it's long, spanning from his temple almost to his neck.
Valkyrie's hair is matted, but she isn't injured as far as the present Valkyrie can tell.
They stand, facing each other.
And there is something about the way that they stand, feet apart, shoulders squared, looking each other in the eye, that tells Valkyrie that they aren't quite as amicable towards each other as they are now.
What's caused the change?
And then, faster than Valkyrie can blink, the future Valkyrie extends a hand towards Simon, twisting it, and there is a sickening wrench.
Simon's hands fly up to his throat.
He dies.