I Don't Believe in Ghosts {Remington Leith}

7

Thoughts of our fight swirled through my head, before I waved my hand in front of my face to dispel them. I refocused on the scene in front of me, of Kristen meeting the rest of the Kropp boys.

"Is it working?" Rain appeared beside me, floating a little above me. We were talking without the fear of being caught by the immortals below, making our forms exist on a different plane than regular spirits (who exist on a different plane than the living. It's like a stack of pancakes, really). We were mirroring each other unconsciously, arms crossed and faces puckered with severe concentration.

"Yes, it seems to all be coming together.... at what cost, though?" I murmured, tracing the bottom on my chin with my index finger.
"Just the truth. Speaking of which, when are you going to tell her?" Rain directed his attention towards me, tilting his head in a way that made his chocolate fringe cover his green eyes. He's not a bad looking guy, with freckles dusting the middle third of his face, and big, green eyes framed with thick, dark lashes.

Hey, I'm straight, but I'm not blind.

"If I have my way, probably never." I grunt, knowing that the truth is not to be shared with Kristen until after this conflict. It would throw her off her game, and the world needs her emotionless.

"You shouldn't be doing that to her." Rain tutted, making me roll my eyes. I looked at Rain side eyed, smirking a little.
"Careful Rain. Your concern might be mistaken as a crush." The tips of Rain's ears flushed scarlet.
"Pssh, what of it? It's not like that Kropp boy could do anything about it." He smirked wolfishly, baring his left canine as he tries to intimidate the oblivious boy below.

"He might not, but I sure can. You know what happens when you interfere with fate, anyways." I dismissed Rains inflated ego with a flick of my hand. He knows as well as I do that the actions set in motion already have toppled some dominos, starting a reaction that cannot be stopped.
"Low blow Walters. I would have thought you would've refrained after this afternoon...."

He always tries to rile me up, but it'll never work. He doesn't understand that not everyone is so affected by petty taunts. Unlike himself, who will forever be stuck in a teenage mentality. The process of changing morphs the host into the version of themself they think would be the coolest, but it can never be changed. Kind of stupid. Like asking teenagers to determine their career path in freshman year.

"It needed to be said. She'll get over it." I shrugged.
"So confident."
"You forget I've known her for centuries." I laughed, getting a little annoyed with Rains attitude.
"I forget nothing. Have you heard the new declaration?" He changed the subject erratically.
"That the Kropp family is to be inducted? Yes. Should make things a hell of a lot easier." I cut him short, not giving him the satisfaction of one upping me. I have seniority, he can't upstage me. Now that I think about it, we kind of have a sibling like relationship. He's the younger brother, obviously.
"And what of Sofia?" It always boils down to the girls again. So annoying, so unoriginal.

"....She's making trouble where there needn't be any. We must keep an eye on her." Sofia's been disappearing recently, and withholding information from the council. Strictly forbidden offenses, actually, and punishable by destruction, but I would need to persuade her alter ego (whom Sofia keeps locked up at all times, how unhealthy and suspicious of her), and the rest of the council, alter egos and all.

"I can't betray her. You know that." Rain sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose and breaking posture for the first time during this interaction.
"I'm not asking you too." Does he not listen?
"What are you planning, Walters?"
"I'm not planning anything. It's what she's planning that you should be cautious about." I gestured towards the blonde beauty I've grown up with below us, admiring her for her strength and cunning.
"Who, Kristen? She's not malicious enough for that."

"You obviously haven't been paying attention." I chuckle, itching for the day that we prove him wrong.
"I've been paying attention alright. I've seen how you train her. 'Cause obviously, fencing is going to get her somewhere in this war." I laughed mirthlessly, extremely pleased by the illusion I've created. Complicated magic for sure, to be able to show all realms the image of fencing when in reality, she's been practicing her magic and archery under my supervision. "Good to know." I say through my lightened giggles.

If I can fool Rain, I've definitely fooled Sofia. I started to fade from the realm Im currently in, which actually looked like i was sinking and becoming more opaque.

"Where are you going? I thought we were chatting?" Rain smiled toothily at me as I rolled my eyes.
"We were, now we're not. I have some business to attend to that effects my realm. Get your.... bitch. Okay? Thanks." I waved cattily, starting to get a little more fed up with this tyke beside me.
"You've got some audacity, Walters. Better not make me an enemy in this fragile balance."
"Heh, or what? You'll.... burn me?" It's not like he could threaten me.
"You fucker."
"Ciao." And with that I melted into the spirits realm.

"That was..... unwise."
"So what?" A conversation with Rean is never unappreciated, his guidance is the one thing I rely on the most in this afterlife. Besides Kristen, of course.
"If you want to win this petty fight, you might need his assistance."
"I don't need Rain's assistance. I need- no, we need- Jade's assistance." I correct.
"You're learning."
"I DO have this voice in my head guiding me."
"So flattering. You know how to enlist the Kropps? They'll be incredibly pivotal."
"I know how. Also, you've never been clear on that, pivotal how?" The thing is, Rean has the ability to see all timelines, but he only tells me enough to get us in the right path. The path towards light and peace, like I chose in the beginning. Rean offered either dark, or light, when he first turned me, and I chose light, hoping that it would let me keep Kristen with me.

I guess cradling your best friends dead body while making incredibly important, world altering choices can influence anybody's opinions.

"Just because I know the future does not necessarily mean I can tell you. Sorry, Patty."
"I get it."