Hiya everybody out there. My friend who reads this is probably angry at me... sorry...

Oh, just a quick thing; I know lots of people like fall out boy and as they're going on Tour and visiting London and playing in the SSE Arena Wembley, I was wondering if any of my British readers were going (: I am and It would be cool if we saw each other! If you're going tell me (:

Omg, Thanks for all the reviews, I got a ton, way more than last time; like it was in the summer (:

Mya2015: Well, hopefully you'll find out (: Lol. SCOTLAND! Lol, as if.

BlueFox: Lol (: Thanks. Just wait and see!

The Interstellar Paragon: Nice new name btw, The ending? Honey, we're only on chapter 44! Just kidding, lol, thanks so much!

Dystopian tempest: Hey Rachel, thanks for giving out my real name, I've been hiding under the identity of 'Hazel', lol, only joking. (: I know.. Well... shame you couldn't make it. Yeah. Shhh, don't tell anyone (:

Bella Pleasant: Well, I spend hours googling old fashioned words and translating phrases into Latin and Gaelic. Me too, it kinda really sucks, like, epically you know?

Oh, you read that too huh... :/

Aw, thanks so much, it's great that you can stick up for me against idiots who have nothing better to do than post dim witted hate reviews on obscure, random fan fictions in their spare time.

Well, Skulduggery may be human but he still acts like the skeleton we all know and love/hate.

Tali4ever: Thanks, of course I will!

Nice Guest: A lot of people have been asking me about this, but don't worry, I have plans and ideas, it will work out.

Mean guest: This fanfic is an acquired taste. Don't like it? Acquire some taste (:

Anyway, thanks so much to all the amazing people who review every update, you really make my life worth living. I love you all. Let's get on with the story (:

Skulduggery's POV

The two mysterious girls led them through the trees, along a tiny, narrow rabbit path that curled and twisted around the many bushes and shrubs that grew along the pathway. As the tees grew thinner and the cottage came into clearer view Skulduggery could now see it properly, the chimney puffed smoke like a steam ship, marring the white sky slightly with lonely wisps of smog.

Skulduggery stopped at the ramshackle door of the cottage and waited as the girl; Ren, brought out a long rusted key and opened up.

The large group walked inside and were met immediately by the noise of boiling, bubbling, crashes and clanks and all manner of noise. Rickety shelves lined themselves around the sloping, short walls of the cottage, all packed full of thousands of glowing potions, casting a surreal pink light around the cluttered room. Jars and jars of pickled, slimy things and light, strange things littered a parchment strewn table in the centre of the room.

In one jar Skulduggery was sure he could see some kind of wisp flitting around inside, adding a gentle flickering light to the room.

Books of every colour were stacked haphazardly along the floor, sporting titles like 'the properties and benefits of blood stone' and 'advanced potion brewing for pleasure and profit' Skulduggery gazed in awe at the room, then noticed a man, bending over a stack of parchments in the corner.

The man turned around as they entered the room, he was dressed in a tattered, stained old robe. Skulduggery had expected some frail, wizened old man perhaps with a long beard, but this man was relatively young, looking to be in his late twenties, although, he was probably in his hundreds at least...

He had short, choppily, home-cut black hair and intelligent green-brown eyes. His face showed signs of him not shaving in days, stubble beginning to show around his chin. He was extremely handsome. Pushing the wire rimmed glasses he was wearing down to his nose; he stepped forward and extended his hand to Skulduggery, who shook it hesitantly.

"Y-you must be S-Skulduggery Pleasant," he said. Surprising, he had a stutter.

Skulduggery nodded, "and this is Avril, Dexter, Erika, Erskine, Ghastly, Anton, Liath, Charlena and Saracen."

The inventor stared, rather in awe as the large crowd of people filed in after Skulduggery, surveying the room in surprise.

"W-well, I knew you were coming. I've managed to secure some kind of sleeping arrangement for you, if you could just follow my daughters further on..."

"Hang on," skulduggery intoned, "how did you know we were coming?"

"Oh, it- it was not hard to figure out. The magical community is in disarray over your disappearance, I knew you'd probably pay me a visit in search for a potion to cure your friend."

"Well... okay then..." Said Skulduggery, taken aback. The inventor nodded and Ren and Zhara herded the group through a tiny door, so short that everyone save Erika had to stoop to pass through.

They walked into a slightly larger, cosy room. Half of the far wall was dedicated to a large window, misted over with condensation, due to the freezing temperature outside and the cosy heat inside. There were two single beds in the room, each covered with a few brown and red blankets and some cotton pillows.

The two girls had stuck up some artwork and sketches along the walls and Skulduggery could see a few charcoal drawings of the view of the valley outside the window.

"You girls will stay here, we have a few spare mattresses in the loft, and we've converted dad's old work room into a temporary bedroom for the boys." Said Zhara, pushing her black fringe out of her face.

"Okay, thank you," said Skulduggery, stepping towards a door at the far end of the bedroom.

"Yeah, it's out there," Said Ren.

"Thanks Zhara," said Saracen, smiling flirtatiously at the girl, who couldn't help blushing slightly.

Avril's POV

Soon the room was relatively empty and only the girls remained, sitting on the bed or the floor.

"Um, If you want Avril and I can go and fetch those mattresses." Erika said, breaking the silence.

"Okay, good idea." Said Zhara hurriedly, sitting up.

Avril, Erika and Zhara walked out of the room and jogged up the tall rickety stair case to a tiny loft, it was barley a metre and a half tall but somehow two mattresses were crammed into the room. With a great effort Avril pulled one of the mattresses out from the wall's tight clutch and started to push it out the door.

Erika and Zhara grabbed the remaining mattress and heaved it out after Avril who was now pulling the mattress down the stairs. Avril reached the bedroom and set the mattress down with a flump. Ren stood up and started pulling blankets of her bed and piling them onto the single mattress.

"Thanks." Avril said rather coldly, she didn't think she like these girls very much, they seemed cold and unfriendly, but they were being hospitable enough.

Erika and Zhara hauled in the mattress just then and set it down next to Avril's.

"So," said Ren, "I don't think I ever got any of your names." She was obviously attempting to be friendly. "Why don't we all introduce ourselves..."

"I'm Avril fray." Said Avril, sitting down on her bed. "I was born in County Cork, I'm sixteen, my discipline is elemental magic and wall walking; a branch of Adept magic. I'm here to find a cure for my friend Valkyrie Cain, who's bleeding to death back at my boarding school in Kildare." Avril said, being her usual blunt self. Ren winced and spoke as if trying to break the awkwardness.

"I'm Ren Hiraerth and I'm fifteen, you just met my father Kirk Bolt and I was born here in Arran."

Everyone went around introducing themselves until it came to Zhara. "I'm Zhara Epoch, I'm a time traveller born in Huila Colombia, I'm sixteen and Kirk adopted me four years ago." Zhara kept it short and brief, her eyes narrowed and unfriendly, Ren was proving to be the more outgoing person so far.

Hiya guys! How are you all, thanks for all the reviews, don't forget to review, follow and favourite (: