Now we see the fallout of Sylvia and Satsuki's semi-inadvertent torment of Dakota! What will be the result? Will Dakota recover? Will Serefina beat Sylvia like a drum?! And how will Akira react to all this?! Review!
KedharS: Sylvia's not quite a sith. She's more like the force itself.
Aakareo Kokokuhikari: Hating Sylvia is kind of the point. From the beginning she's always been the kind of person who uses others for her own amusement. It's just that we're now seeing her actions result in actual consequences for others, which makes her less enjoyable to watch. At the same time, though, she also has the capacity to be helpful if it will result in something enjoyable for her. But stories without conflict are boring to her, so that's seldom the case.
Duskzilla: She's just trying to make a ghost's afterlife a little bit better, is that so bad? #SylviaDidNothingWrong
JoshGamerV: Good. Stay hyped.
Pokemon Academy: Beginning of Beginnings
Chapter 157
"Dakota…" Serefina sat down next to Dakota, who she had found curled up in bed, bawling her eyes out.
"I'm such a fool…" Dakota sobbed. "I promised myself that I would give up on my feelings for Akira… and yet… when I saw Sylvia hugging him, I… I suddenly couldn't stand being in the room anymore… Seri… what do I do? How do I stop… feeling like this?"
"She was hugging him?!" Serefina snarled, patting Dakota on the back. "That bitch!"
"Seri…" Dakota cried, wiping her eyes on her comforter.
Dakota's crying was interrupted by a knock on the door.
"Let's just leave it," Serefina said, noticing Dakota's look of worry toward the door.
Much to her frustration, though, the knocking only continued, louder and more insistently.
"God, what is it?!" Serefina exclaimed, throwing the door open. "I'm trying to comfort my friend, damn it!"
"Well now, Serefina, the way you're behaving is so unbecoming of your sweet nature," Sylvia purred, smiling at Serefina.
"Sylvia…" Serefina growled. "You have a lot of nerve coming here after what you did to Dakota!"
"So rude," Sylvia huffed. "I already told you, I had nothing to do with that. Besides, I'm here to extend an olive branch to the two of you."
"An olive branch for stealing another girl's guy?" Serefina growled.
"Seri!" Dakota exclaimed, her face turning bright red. "Akira… Akira isn't mine… so she didn't steal him or anything… it's totally… fine…"
"You say that, but it looks to me like your heart is about to break wide open," Sylvia smirked. "Like I keep telling you, I had nothing to do with that. I have absolutely none of those sorts of interests in Akira."
"Then why did you visit him?" Serefina asked suspiciously. Sylvia rolled her eyes.
"You aren't a very social person. I can't go visit someone in the hospital?"
Serefina narrowed her eyes.
"I don't trust a thing you're saying. You know what you saw, right Dakota?"
Serefina looked back at Dakota, but the redhead's face had clearly transitioned into a look of relief.
"Oh, I see, you don't have any romantic interest in him," Dakota sighed, smiling. "It was all just a misunderstanding."
How are you normally so suspicious about everything else, but you're just buying that with a straight face?! Serefina wanted to scream.
"I'm so sorry for the misunderstanding," Sylvia purred, strolling past Serefina and walking right up to Dakota. Her face told Serefina that Sylvia was not sorry whatsoever, but much to Serefina's frustration Dakota didn't notice at all. "Please, allow me to make it up to the both of you."
"If it really was a misunderstanding, then there's no reason to make it up to us, is there?" Serefina said, glaring at Sylvia.
"Maybe not," Sylvia admitted. "But you'd still like to hear the circumstances behind it, wouldn't you? Come on now, Serefina, you should be more trustworthy. It's Dakota's job to be the nosy, suspicious one, isn't it?"
Serefina narrowed her eyes into another glare. Dakota was in a rather fragile emotional state right now, and she was being swept up into Sylvia's pace. She needed to stick beside her, or else Sylvia would certainly cause her even more emotional pain.
"What is that?" Serefina stared at the "donut" Sylvia had ordered from the café. The three girls were sitting at a table outside a small shop in the mall Sylvia had taken them to, serving donuts. Most of the donuts were rather ordinary, but some of them… weren't.
"What? You guys don't like peanut-butter and cookie chunks?" Sylvia asked, confused. "With whipped cream décor, of course!"
Serefina looked at the mess of things sitting on the donut, and felt a little like vomiting. Dakota didn't seem much more receptive to the "interesting" design.
"Something like chocolate or sprinkles is so regular," Sylvia laughed, glancing at the girls' selections. She took a big bite out of the monstrosity that was more topping than donut. "I prefer flavors like this, they're so much more enjoyable."
"I can't believe they sell something like that…" Dakota gulped.
"Normally they don't," Sylvia said, taking another bite, "but I won a contest here for a donut design a few weeks back. It's a special promotion~"
Dakota and Serefina glanced at each other. That made a lot more sense.
"Maybe someday I'll open a shop where I can sell my own interesting donut designs," Sylvia suggested, smiling. "No more bland flavors, just exciting and original combinations! It's a really phenomenal idea, don't you guys think? I'd make a bundle!"
"Enough of this," Serefina snapped. "We didn't come here to discuss donuts!"
"Fine, fine, no more girl talk," Sylvia sighed, wiping her face and discarding her napkin. "You want to talk about the hospital thing, right?"
"Yeah," Serefina said. "The 'hospital thing'."
"Well, I'll be straight with you. I did go there with the intention of seducing Akira," Sylvia admitted.
"I knew it!" Serefina accused.
"But I didn't," Sylvia followed up. "See, when I got there, I noticed something… more interesting."
Sylvia glanced at Serefina, then at Dakota. Her smile widened.
"Do either of you know about someone named 'Satsuki'?" Sylvia asked, watching their reactions. Serefina's face only showed confusion, but Dakota… her face was pale as ash.
"Satsuki? You mean Akira's Gyarados?" Serefina asked. "What does she have to do with this?"
"I think Dakota knows," Sylvia smiled, Dakota twitching and averting her eyes from Sylvia's gaze. "Don't you, Dakota?"
"By Satsuki… you mean 'that' Satsuki, right?" Dakota quietly asked. Sylvia nodded her head.
"Dakota…?" Serefina glanced at her friend, noting the haunted look on her face. "Who is Satsuki?"
"Who 'was' Satsuki might be the more apt question," Sylvia purred. "Wouldn't you agree, Dakota? Why not share with the class?"
Dakota winced.
"Or do you not remember? Should I refresh your memory? She's a little girl about this high… with a scar over her eye that looks like this. That about right?" Sylvia traced a finger across her eye, and Dakota looked down at her knees in defeat.
"I… I can't…" Dakota said, shaking her head. "It's…"
"A secret?" Sylvia interrupted. "Now, now, that's not like you. I thought you agreed in sharing information with the masses? Or is your journalistic integrity so selective that you won't provide people with the knowledge they seek because it makes you feel inadequate?"
"That's…"
"Sylvia," Serefina warned her.
"Of course," Sylvia smiled, "if I need to, I could always speak to Akira about it. I think he'd like to have the discussion, don't you?"
"Please… don't bring it up to him," Dakota said. "Don't make him have to live through that again. I'll tell you."
"Dakota!"
"No, Seri, it's fine," Dakota said, shaking her head. "Akira said I could tell people… so if she already knows, I might as well tell you, too… I think he would want you to know, anyway."
Dakota took a deep breath, and sighed.
"Satsuki… was a childhood friend of Akira's. She was very important to him. But… when they were young, she… she died."
"Oh…" Serefina winced, holding her hand over her mouth.
"Akira never forgot about her, though. Even now… I'm sure he still thinks about her."
"Oh, he most certainly is," Sylvia agreed. "In fact, I happened to meet the girl in question last night."
"Impossible!" Dakota gasped.
"Not a bit," Sylvia said, shaking her head. "I went to go pay him a visit, and there she was, a cute little ghost girl, watching over the sleeping figure of the boy she loved. Quite adorable… and tragic, if you ask me."
"But Satsuki… she… she reincarnated as a Gyarados… didn't she?" Dakota asked, confused.
"…Well, who's to say?" Sylvia shrugged. "Maybe she wasn't a ghost then, maybe she was a projection of that Gyarados's mind, after all. Either way… the thing I met was certainly her."
"You met a real ghost?!" Serefina gasped.
"I meet ghosts all the time," Sylvia shrugged. "But when I saw how sad that girl was… clinging loyally to a boy who couldn't even see her, someone she'd loved since childhood… my heart just went out to her! I had to do something to help!"
Dakota's face turned white in a mixture of sadness and resignation.
"So the one who was hugging Akira…"
"That's right," Sylvia said, nodding. "I felt so bad for that girl, I decided to loan her the use of my body, so she could spend a little time getting closer to Akira. It's what any decent human being would do, wouldn't you agree? But then the two of you had to show up and spoil the mood…"
"I don't understand any of this, but even so…" Serefina looked down, shaking her head. "Why…?"
"Seri…" Dakota interrupted. "It's fine. Now that I've heard the truth… I'm okay now."
"What?" Sylvia said, frowning.
"I know quite well… how important Satsuki is to Akira… and how important he is to her…"
Dakota's hands were trembling, and she was fighting the urge not to burst into tears.
"I don't mind anymore…" Dakota said, smiling a sad smile as cheerfully as she could. "Sylvia… if you could… do that again… could you? Would you?"
"Oh? You mean use my body to allow them to be together?" Sylvia confirmed. "Oh, I most certainly could, if that's what they both want. I'm a charitable, giving sort of person after all."
"…I see…" Dakota said, nodding. "That's… for the best then."
"Dakota, what are you talking about?!" Serefina cried, placing her hand on her friend's shoulder. But Dakota swiped her hand away, shaking her head. She rose to her feet.
"Compared to someone like me… that only hurts him… it would be better for Akira to be with the person he really loves… isn't that right?" Dakota wiped her eyes and smiled again, a lot shakier this time. "Akira… deserves to be happy… and Satsuki… she's the one who can give him that. Not me…"
"I see," Sylvia said, frowning. How boring…
Unable to hold the tears back any longer, Dakota turned and ran away from the two of them, crying.
"Dakota!" Serefina cried, standing up. She glared at Sylvia.
"How dare you do something like this?" Serefina demanded. "Why would you do this to her?"
"I'm just telling things how they are," Sylvia said, smirking. "Don't blame me. It's not my fault that Akira can't get over a ghost. And it's not my fault that Dakota wants him to be happy with her. Instead of blaming me, why don't you save some of those harsh words for the ones truly at fault?"
Although this is still a result of my actions, of course. So maybe it's not so unwarranted.
Serefina muttered something and whirled around, stomping down the plaza. Sylvia leaned back in her seat, smiling a self-satisfied smile.
Well, Dakota's reaction was far from enjoyable… nothing more boring than a martyr. I wonder what I should do next… I still have some time before my mission tomorrow.
Sylvia smirked.
I suppose I should go clear the air with Akira next. He deserves to have a conversation with Satsuki, a real conversation.
Sylvia rose from her seat and cleared the table, heading out of the mall.
Serefina probably won't go to Dakota. If I had to guess, she'd probably be headed… the same place I am. To get the full story from the man himself.
Sylvia took out her phone, checking the time.
I'll wait for a little longer, to give them the chance to talk.
"Akira." Serefina entered his room, leveling a glare at him.
"Look, Serefina, what you saw this morning, that wasn't-"
"I want to know about Satsuki," Serefina interrupted him. "Tell me about her. Please. For Dakota's sake."
Akira's eyes widened.
"Fine…" Akira sighed, shaking his head. "If that's what you want… I'll tell you."
Satsuki watched the two of them, wincing in pain. She could see the agony on Akira's face, and it was tearing her apart. She turned to the door, and swallowed, stepping through it.
Satsuki walked the halls of the infirmary desperately. She didn't know where that girl Sylvia was… Sylvia had told her that she could use her body when she needed to, but that didn't mean Satsuki knew how to find her. But she had to. Sylvia was the only one who could see her, and hear her. The only one she could count on to say the things that she needed to say.
"Well, first a guardian spirit, and now a roaming spirit," a voice called out from behind Satsuki. "How curious."
Satsuki's eyes widened and she whirled around to see Sylvia sitting in the waiting room flipping through a magazine, a smile on her face.
"Sylvia!" Satsuki cried, floating over to her. "Please, I need your help! You… you need to let me use your body again!"
"Oh? For what?" Sylvia asked, narrowing her eyes. "Why do I 'need' to?"
"But… but you said…"
"I know what I said," Sylvia replied. "But that doesn't mean I'm the sort of charitable person that will let you use my body twice in one day."
"Please… I need… I need to talk with Akira… and that other girl… can't you…" Satsuki looked so desperate, like she was going to cry. Sylvia smirked. It was just the sort of look that she liked to see.
"Well, since you asked so nicely…" Sylvia purred, rising to her feet.
Satsuki blinked, getting used to the sensation of having a body once again. It had been several hours since the last time she'd possessed Sylvia, and in that time the feeling of being human had almost completely faded. But now it was back, and she felt reinvigorated. She ran from the waiting room, heading towards the patient rooms.
"Akira!" Satsuki cried, flinging the door open. Serefina and Akira's talk broke off, and they both glanced up to see Sylvia standing there, panting.
"Sylvia?" Akira gasped.
"What are you doing back here?" Serefina snarled.
Satsuki ran to Serefina and grabbed her hands, looking pleadingly into her eyes.
"Sorry… this must be confusing… but please, I need to speak with you!"
"We just did, what is this?" Serefina asked, confused.
"Sylvia, what's-"
"Akira," Satsuki said, glancing over at Akira. He could see there were tears in her eyes. "I'll talk with you… after. There's still so much… we need to talk about. Just… give me a little time, okay?"
Satsuki smiled at him, Akira's eyes widening.
"Don't worry," she murmured. "This time, I promise… I'll be back soon."
"…Satsuki?" Akira whispered. Serefina glanced at her, her eyes wide.
Satsuki wiped her eyes, and smiled.
"Mhm."
Satsuki and Serefina stepped out into the hall, where they could talk without being heard.
"So you're Satsuki," Serefina said. "Sylvia said you could use her body, but I didn't really believe her until now."
"I am Satsuki," Satsuki confirmed. Serefina still looked suspiciously at her.
"Are you sure? Are you telling the truth? I wouldn't put it past Sylvia to lie about something like this."
"I don't know her well enough to say you're wrong," Satsuki admitted. "All I can do it tell you that I am Satsuki."
Serefina looked into the girl's eyes. Sylvia's eyes were always strange, devoid of real depth. The eyes of someone who was laughing at everything, without a trace of sincerity to be seen. But this girl… they were Sylvia's eyes, but she couldn't see a trace of Sylvia within them. Instead, they were brimming with honesty, and emotion. A pleading look that was frankly out of place to see on Sylvia, making a fairly compelling case in favor of the girl's story.
"…Okay," Serefina sighed, sitting down in one of the chairs outside Akira's room. "I believe you. So what are you? A ghost?"
Satsuki shook her head.
"I can't really say… all I know is that I'm here… and I've been here for quite some time… watching over Akira."
"Because you love him."
Satsuki nodded, smiling a warm yet sad smile.
"I do… I've loved him for a long time… Akira… was my sole light in a world filled with nothing but pain and despair. Whenever I gave up hope… Akira was there for me. And when I knew I was going to lose him… I couldn't imagine a world without Akira in it. And so I cast aside my worthless shell of a body, and became something more… something that could look after him and keep him safe, always and forever."
Serefina winced, staring up at the girl.
"But Akira… even so, wouldn't… why do you have to do this?" Serefina demanded, her heart torn between sympathy for the poor girl and love for her friend. "I heard your story from him… and I heard about you from Dakota… I know, but even so… to do this now, when he finally could have…"
"I thought I could be content…" Satsuki said, sitting down beside her, a distant look in her eyes. "I thought I could be content with just watching over him… cheering for his happiness. But then… when he could see me… it was like I was real again, even for just a short while. And then, as he got better… and stopped being able to see me… or hear my voice… I felt so unbearably empty… a loneliness that I had never faced before. For a brief instant, I was able to be some semblance of normal… and then I just became a memory again."
Satsuki looked down at Sylvia's hands.
"And then this girl… she came to me, and gave me her body to use… a body that can touch… a body that can feel… a body that can love. A real body, unscarred and pure, capable of being with Akira as an equal…" Satsuki smiled sadly. "I thought that maybe… just maybe… even I could have a real second chance."
"Dakota… I have a friend, she…"
"I know Dakota," Satsuki smiled. "I've been watching over you all since you met, don't forget. "Dakota… I know her quite well."
"Then you know… she really loves Akira," Serefina said. "She tried to give up on him, for his sake… and it's tearing her apart! And now she's trying to give up on him again… so that he can be happy with you! It's not fair! None of it… none of this is fair!"
"Are you mad at me?" Satsuki asked.
"I can't be mad at you," Serefina said, shaking her head. "That isn't fair to you, I-"
"You're a good person," Satsuki replied. "And that's why you're telling yourself that you can't be mad at someone like me. Not when you know what I've been through. But even so… that doesn't change the fact that you are mad, does it?"
"I… am mad. I'm angry that this happened. I'm angry at Dakota for being such an idiot. I'm angry at Akira, for… god knows why, but he's an idiot, too! I just… I just want the people I care about to be happy. So why… why does something like this have to ruin it?!"
"I want Akira to be happy, too," Satsuki said, rising to her feet. "I know you care for him. But tell me… if you had to choose between Dakota's happiness… and Akira's happiness… which one would you choose?"
Serefina glanced up at her, and gulped.
"It's a hard question. A cruel question." Satsuki told her, shaking her head. "It's easy to say 'I want everyone to be happy'. But when you have to choose between the happiness of one person, and the happiness of another… if the happiness of someone you care about comes at the expense of another person you care about… can you really weigh one person's happiness against another? When you can answer that question… that's how you know which person matters more to you."
"Are you satisfied, Sylvia? Will this be interesting enough for you?"
"If you really want him to be happy… then I'll talk with him. If not… then you can try to stop me."
Serefina said nothing. She stared down at her shoes, her vision blurring.
"I can't… make that choice…" Serefina said, shaking her head. "It's not fair."
"Since I was a baby, I had the unfairness of life carved into my flesh," Satsuki replied. "Unlike you, I can make that choice. I choose Akira's happiness. Every time."
Satsuki walked away from Serefina and entered Akira's room, leaving her with the pain of her dilemma weighing down her chest.
So Satsuki has decided whose happiness matters the most. And it looks like Dakota has, too. Will Serefina accept their decisions? Or not?