Alice Edgley (Skulduggery Pleasant Fanfic)

1 The Protection

It was night in a small town called Trimsy and the crescent moon was watching majestically overhead. The atmosphere was being set by a few shabby apartments that had been long abandoned and a churned up muddy track. A torn Irish flag was dangling in the breeze : no longer appreciated. This was a deserted sorcerer's town that had been attacked by remnants (black, soulless creatures that possess mortals and sorcerers alike so as to control the world) in the late 1970s and had never been reclaimed again. 

A 1954 Bentley R-Type Continental was lurking in the shadows outside a grimy little pub with the windows smashed in. This pub had once belonged to Vaurien Scapegrace before he bought another pub in Roarhaven, he also went by the name 'The Killer Supreme' and had now gone to form a new life for himself with his compatriot who went by the name 'Thrasher' and Clarabelle : a slightly mad nurse who had attempted work in the bar in America. Voices could be heard in the still air. It was the perfect place to meet up in private.

A young women dressed in black sat opposite an unnaturally thin man dressed in a perfectly tailored suit with a hat pulled low over his face. There was another woman who sat next to the woman in black; her shadow implying that there was a sword strapped onto her back.              "I'm worried about her." Valkyrie Cain stated. "I still haven't forgiven myself for nearly killing her to defeat Darquesse."

"Maybe she is naturally suited to this world. There is a reason she survived. You of all people should accept that fact." the lady with the sword argued in a London accent. "That's part of the reason you enlisted me to give her combat training. You inflicted this on her Val."

"That's harsh. She was getting into fights in school. What else was I supposed to do?"

"I get that she's your sister but she's obviously a natural."

"May I add that she's also a direct descendant from the Ancients. She's got ancient blood in her veins. She belongs in the world of magic..." The skeleton detective, Skulduggery Pleasant, added."What???" Valkyrie exclaimed.

"You're on her  side in this?"

"I'm just saying, Valkyrie Cain, that Alice Edgley deserves to know about our circle of people. The Sceptre was able to bind its powers onto her; she must be magical. Why shouldn't she discover the truth. She was born into this world. Our world. Your World? Deep down you must want her to be alongside you. I'm sorry Valkyrie but I welcomed you into magic and didn't say a word against you. You should do the same for her."

"No. Stop. She's nine years old. I'm not putting her life on the line... Not again." The Londoner, Tanith Low stood up, obviously furious that Valkyrie wasn't even considering this "That's funny because isn't that exactly what you would have hated people to say when you where younger. That you're 'too young', 'too weak', 'too precious'. You're just being selfish."

"That's different... You don't have a younger sister. You don't know how I feel." Valkyrie said, appalled.

"Ladies..." Skulduggery started.

"No. How is that any different to you? She's old enough now... at least tell her about all this." and with that, Tanith stormed off. Skulduggery placed his hand on Valkyrie's shoulder. Valkyrie shrugged him off. "Just leave. I'll see you tomorrow..." she glanced at the floor. Skulduggery opened his jaw. Valkyrie had grown used to this unsettling image after 15 years of knowing the skeleton; he looked like he was about to object but decided against it and headed to the door.

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Valkyrie Cain went by three names: her given name, her taken name and her true name (though most people never find this one out in their lifetime). Unfortunately Valkyrie was one of them who had; this fact had led to the world nearly being destroyed due to her discovering it when she it had revealed it to her in the Book of Names. Her given name was Stephanie which was the name her family gave to her and knew her by, even Alice. Her taken name was Valkyrie Cain as it protected her from being controlled by anyone in the magical world. Her true name was Darquesse which was the part of her had been diminished 6 years ago when she was eighteen.

It was at times like this when Valkyrie regretted entering back into the magical world full of fighting and danger. 

Valkrie Cain sighed, she did  want Alice Edgley to know the truth about her heritage and her best friend Tanith could obviously read it from inside her. Tanith Low was right as always, at the age of 97 despite looking like a 25 year old, but she couldn't put Alice's life at risk. As much as she hated fighting with Tanith, she couldn't put Alice in any danger. Besides, her parents, who had learnt the truth of what Valkyrie had been doing when Darquesse had appeared from inside her, would hate for Alice to be revealed to the dark, dangerous world of magic. Her whole family didn't know that Stephanie, their loved daughter and sister, had murdered her baby sister. That she would never forgive herself for.

One thing that Valkyrie knew for sure, however, was that Alice would love magic!