Skulduggery Pleasant - Until the End Oneshots

... and from the nothing came everything.

Just seconds before, Valkyrie had watched everything and everyone she loved wiped from existence. Darquesse couldn't stop it, she couldn't prevent the end from occuring. Every last planet, star, galaxy... Gone.

Less than a blink of time had passed and everything and everyone she loved was back. She looked around, the light from outside almost too bright as she'd adjusted to the nothingness that had previously surrounded her.

"How..." Valkyrie looked to Darquesse, shock etched on her face. A wave of relief washed over her and she looked to an older Omen, almost 3 years older than when Skulduggery and her had sent him back in time not even fifteen minutes before. He'd done it.

The relief that washed away the shock changed to confusion as she glanced the unfamiliar man in front of her. She watched cautiously as the man removed a glove with wariness. He glanced up at Valkyrie and then to Darquesse lifting a flesh and blood hand into view.

"Ah..." his voice almost a whisper, "Interesting."

Valkyrie approached Darquesse carefully, she'd deal with the man after. Darquesse watched her with a small smile. She started to explain her alters that she had sent out into the universe, how she'd absorbed the knowledge and memorized everything in the universe and therefore was able to recreate it exactly as it was.

Valkyrie laughed, consolation making her giddy. Darquesse explained that she was a universe now and Valkyrie watched as she faded away.

She turned to the man and noticed the suit he wore, along with the matching hat. He wiped the front of his tie down flat and adjusted the hat on his head. A man that looked to be in his mid thirties, wearing Skulduggery's clothes. As he began to adjust his belt that seemed far too tight around his waist she turned to Omen who looked just as shocked and relieved as she did. Pulling him in to a hug she whispered,

"You did it. Omen, you did it." She gave him one final squeeze before he replied,

"I have to go see my family, I've had a lot of time to think while I was gone. I don't think I want to change my name anymore, I want to be a Darkly. Plus..." He glances at the man who seems to still be fixing and admiring himself with a smile, "I'm going to leave you two to it, that's too much to handle."

Valkyrie gives him a quick hug before she watches Omen run down the stairs. She turns to the man and studies him, he seems just as shocked as she does at his presence. She supposed everyone's shocked at their own presence after what has just happened. Slowly she walks closer to him. An unrecognizable face but the clothes, the movement, she knows it. She knows him.

"Skulduggery?" She meets wide blue eyes, her voice soft and unsure. He stops fussing and nods gently, a small smile on his face. Her eyes sting and her lip begins to tremble, before she lets out a sob her face is buried in a chest and arms wrap around her shoulders.

"It's me, I'm here. You're okay. Everything's okay." A hand on the back of her head, his breath playing with the loose strands of hair. He's warm, his suit smells like him and feels like him but the warmth is so foreign. She grips his jacket on his back and sobs. She can feel him manually breathing, just like when she had put his soul temporarily into that man, this was still strange to him.

She calms slightly and pulls away to examine him. Her hands still grip his suit jacket, scared he'll fade away again. Her eyes roam over his face. She can see dark brown hair beneath his hat and stubble. She watches his eyes dart over her face as well, concern written in the furrow of his brows making sure she's not hurt, making sure she's still her and still here.

Finally, he meets her eyes and a smirk softens the concern on his face. As he reaches his hands up and cups her face, his thumbs wiping at her soaked cheeks he says,

"I know I'm aesthetically pleasing. Exquisite if you must. However, there's no need for tears over it."

Valkyrie groans and steps away, wiping her face and nose. She glares at him,

"You're unbearable, Skulduggery, an idiot! An imbecile!" She begins walking towards the stairs. "Stupid, stupid man."

"Ah, stupidly handsome."

"Stupidly arrogant, egotistical, moronic..." She throws a look over her shoulder as she continues to descend the stairs as Skulduggery follows behind.

"Admit it dear, you find me attractive."

"Yeah, right." Her pace quickening slightly.

"You can't run from your feelings, Valkyrie."

"No, but I can walk from them."