Raiden couldn't believe how much fun he was having. Laughing with the teenage prodigies, the celestial kitsune child now followed the group as they approached the diner.
"You two might want to change before we go in," Pam stated.
Raiden watched as Sachiko now assumed human form, becoming a young Asian teen with white hair. The disguised kitsune now turning towards Raiden. "Well what are you waiting for," she asked.
Raiden took a deep breath, he rarely assumed a human disguise. If the kit was being honest with himself, he was worried he would mess up the spell. Concentrating his form began to shift. The vulpine features of the kitsune receding as his black and red fur vanished. Now, instead of a young kitsune, stood a boy with red and black hair around 13 years of age. "So how do I look," he asked.
The teen girls now studied the boy carefully, nodding in approval. "You know he's kinda cute," Gail whispered.
"Definitely," Neela replied. "Especially the hair. Kind of a bad boy vibe going on."
"But his eyes and his face," Stella added. "Hes got kind of a teen idol look to him. Like the kind of boy who would never hurt you."
"If you guys are done swooning over Raiden can we get some food now," Ewart groaned. "I'm starved." The teenage girls now blushed fiercely, causing Sachiko to giggle as they now entered the diner.
Unnoticed by the teens, a man in his late twenties now watched them carefully. Evan Harris could sense the residual magic emanating from all of them. From the kitsune, to the teen prodigies, to the Soul Drive; Evan could sense the mark of the Catalyst.
"Evan."
Evan paused, he recognized that voice. Turning down a side street, in an area where he could still keep an eye on the diner, the dark wizard now scanned his surroundings.
"Evan."
Evan paused, turning slightly as he beheld two ghostly images behind him. "Mom. Dad."
The ghosts of Lynne and Tom Harris now hung in front of their son. As Evan studied them, he was surprised by what he saw. His parents appeared younger than they were in life, perhaps late 30s or early 40s. Both ghosts now seemed to plead with their son. "Evan please don't do this," Lynne asked, her voice ethereal.
"Do what mom," Evan asked, a small smirk on his face. "Oh, you mean them." A sinister smile now spread across the man's face as he gestured towards the diner. "Cmon Mom and Dad I'm not a monster," he chuckled. "I'm not going to kill those kids or the Catalysts special robots."
"Evan," Tom said softly. "Son, its not too late. You don't have to do what the Normal asks."
"The Normal," Evan scoffed. "Come on dad. The Normal want to get rid of magic, monsters, and all things they call Un normal. I just want what's mine."
"But it isn't yours Evan," Lynne pleaded. "Evan I love you. I always loved you and thought the world of you but you were never meant to be the Catalyst."
"Says you mom," Evan grumbled. "Just like everyone always said. I heard it all the time, especially after Uncle Caleb died. Evan is the strongest there is but he's just not what we want."
"Son," Tom sighed. "You never had to be the best. We loved you unconditionally."
"Yeah you showed it Dad," Evan replied bitterly. "When you came after me after Aunt Mika died. Do you think I wanted to kill you?! It was either me or you and it wasn't going to be me!"
"I wasn't trying to kill you son," Tom replied, his voice cracking. "You had to be stopped, you had gone too far. I...I was trying to bind your magic."
"And for me that was death," Evan snarled.
A silence now lingered between the dark wizard and his ghostly parents. Lynne now drifted forward, reaching her hand out as if to caress her sons cheek. "Evan," she said softly. "Trust me when I say I understand. Magic defined me most of my life. But, I would have given it all away just to keep you safe. I stood between my family, my friends, I even forgave you for your fathers death."
"And yet when the chips were down what did the all powerful Lynne Harris do," Evan replied bitterly. "You killed me."
"And I died that day," Lynne exclaimed, ghostly tears falling from her eyes. "You left me no choice Evan! If you kept going you were going to destroy all of existence!"
"Evan," Tom stated, the ghostly figure embracing his wife. "You have to realize you were in the wrong. I've watched your mother since then. She's not lying, she's been living a half life, simply waiting for death."
"Well," Evan smiled. "Like a good son then I granted her wish. You should really thank me Dad. I mean I know you two were in love your entire lives. To be able to hold eachother again, well shit, that must have made you feel like you were in heaven."
Lynne and Tom were silent, they couldn't lie. In death the two were reunited, the years of sorrow Lynne had suffered through washed away in her passing. "Evan," Lynne whispered. "Please, don't challenge the Catalyst. You saw what happened to anyone that challenged the previous one. I don't want you to die."
"Dont worry Mom and Dad," Evan smirked. "In case you weren't paying attention last time I killed a Catalyst. Thats why I know I'm the one meant to shape the world. I mean seriously, what chance does some kid have against me?"
Evan now turned from his ghostly parents as he continued to study the Soul Drives and the teens. "If you worried I'll destroy the magical world you don't have to," he said. "I'll leave them alone, as long as they don't threaten the Boss. As far as Darren goes. If the kid is too stubborn to give up his position as Catalyst, then I'll just have to take it."
As Evan now began to walk away, his ghost patents watched him nervously, fearful of what his fate might be.
"We love you Evan!"
"I know Mom and Dad," Evan said bitterly. "I love you too."