Here's to Christmas - Skulduggery Pleasant FanFic

Chapter 6: Watery Visions

Valkyrie frowned and pressed play. The video showed a face off between Madam Mist, Portia and Syc and Ravel, Ghastly and Anton. As the three minute film went on, Valkyrie, Tanith and Donegan became increasingly concerned as to why the video was entitled Roarhaven Compromised. And then a cleaver, draped from head to toe in midnight black, came forwards. Ravel began to slide something out of his sleeve. Before his Gist could be freed, the cleaver's scythe took Anton's head and put a permanently surprised look on his pale face, allowing a gasp of shock and horror to spread around the group. But now Ravel had a knife, and surely the tables would be turned? It was not so. Valkyrie felt like throwing up witnessing the event that followed and she did not wish to recall it now. Ravel cried as he killed Ghastly Bespoke, one of the truest, purest, bravest men Valkyrie had the privilege of knowing. The tears were not real and they most certainly were not for Ghastly or Anton. They meant nothing and could not compensate for the terrible betrayal.

And then he lied. Claimed that Ghastly deserved what he got, that he was a traitor, that traitors would be punished as seen appropriate. That two faced, double crossing cockroach! How dare he?

Darquesse, by this point, was free and most certainly bent on revenge, and so Darquesse arrived at the Battle of Roarhaven, blasted the battlefield away and carried on past them all for Ravel. She found him all right; getting kicked about the place by Skulduggery. He pretended to be so noble and acted like death didn't phase him - the liar. She didn't allow him to die. She made him suffer for what he did.

And then Darquesse turned to China, who, to kill Madam Mist, had committed a painful suicide that she was still enduring. Darquesse didn't watch her die, because she saw something in China that Valkyrie Cain had never seen - a sort of fear, an intense vulnerability that she hid so very well; Darquesse spared China, healed her, because she saw something very mortal in her.

Valkyrie now realised that everyone, sorcerer or not, had that mortal quality hidden somewhere inside. It was a human quality. Something that mother nature forced them to have and deal with. And whilst she felt she would get by just fine without hers, she was still glad for it, because she had experienced what it was like to live without her mortality - without her humanity. One of tge main things that bothered Valkyrie about sorcerers was how they called non-magic folk mortal. It implied that a mage was immortal, which was very untrue.

She remembered vividly the first time she met China Sorr -

"Val!"

A second later she felt something rubbery land on her head, and she spun around in the water and resurfaced, sweeping her dripping hair out of her eyes. She growled in frustration as she retrieved the inflatable ball and put it on the side of the pool, where she leant and asked, "What?"

Skulduggery stood with his arms folded, Dexter had his head tilted and Saracen was instantly distracted by the ball.

"Why are you swimming in a deserted outdoor pool in the middle of the night?" Skulduggery asked her. Valkyrie took time thinking up her answer and in the end could come up with nothing better than this:

"Because I felt like it."

"How did you even get in here?" Dexter questioned. "The place is locked."

"I'll give you a hint," she said shortly, "It involved bribing the pool manager thirty euros."

Saracen, whilst this conversation had been occurring, had been bouncing the inflatable ball, and at this point lost control and the ball slipped back into the pool.

"Aw." he said.

"Aren't you cold?" he asked after recovering from the loss of his ball. Valkyrie scowled.

"I wasn't but now you've stopped me I am getting chilly."

"How many lengths have you done?"

"Oh I don't know, like, a million."

She was standing in the shallow end and submerged her shoulders to try and preserve some of the heat.

Valkyrie threw the ball back at Saracen, who grinned slightly and then pulled his mouth down to look serious. Skulduggery tilted his head.

"What's going on, Valkyrie?"

She blinked twice, considered denying it and then sagged.

"I promised I wouldn't tell you. But I swear it is nothing completely serious that affects my health or work or anything."

Skulduggery hesitated. "You're angry. I can tell."

"Yes. I'm furious actually."

"Well you know what the best way to relieve anger is?"

"Of course I do, but it seemed illogical at this time of night."

"Whereas bribing your way into an outdoor swimming pool at one twenty two on a Monday morning was perfectly normal."

Valkyrie was silent for a while. "I'm glad you see my point. And it was twelve thirty seven when I got here for your information."

"And of course, that makes all the difference. Come on, get out and we'll go and relieve some anger."

"Where, exactly, are we going to find something to beat the hell out of?"

"I have a punchbag at my house."

Valkyrie shrugged and pulled a face. "Meh. I'd rather just stay here."

"But it's freezing," Saracen tried. Valkyrie leant on the edge of the pool.

"I don't know, I mean, the water's surprisingly warm." They all gave her a look and she sighed. " Ok, fine. Give me a hand Dex."

Dexter foolishly held out his hand and Valkyrie took it and violently pulled him into the pool. She laughed hysterically and Saracen's jaw fell open in amusement as Dexter flailed like a wingless bird, righting himself and scowling. Whilst Saracen was laughing, she pulled him in as well.

"Come on Bones," she said, holding out her hand. Skulduggery shook his head.

"No," he said firmly, "thank you."

Valkyrie shrugged. "Have it your way."

And she launched herself halfway out of the pool and grabbed his ankle and pulled him in too.

Although this moment of hilarity most certainly did not close the hole China had left in her heart, it managed to mask some of the pain. She realised that maybe the scars left on her heart would never heal, but over time the pain would lessen. All she had to do was focus on what she still had, not what she lost, which was easier said than done, but a step in the right direction in any case.