After that party, I decided that it would be nice to take a breather before we get back to the tag tournament. So here's a sweet little bonus chapter for you!

KedharS: They'll have supervision, Ayame's family will be there.

Rosealine gold: Yeah, I wonder what she's going to do for break… heh…

Hellraiserphoenix: Olivia is such a fun tease, their relationship wouldn't be nearly at the level it is now if not for her.

Tambry96bj: Sadly the party is over. But it was fun while it lasted.

MikySP: Giselle has mainly been a background character until now.

Aquahaze675: Yeah, they should hopefully have a good time.

Pokemon Academy: Beginning of Beginnings

Bonus Chapter 5: A Devilish Angel

Saffron City Memorial Hospital

"Kagome… I know you're worried about your surgery tomorrow…"

The white-haired Kagome sat in bed, staring at the far wall with dull gray eyes, her mother's "soothing" words falling on deaf ears.

"No, mother. I am… not worried," she said. "I already have accepted it. It's… the only option, right?"

"Kagome…" the girl's mother began to tear up, but she couldn't afford to cry. Kagome was only 10 years old. And if she saw her mother crying…

"Miss, it's time for visitors to leave."

An orderly came to get the woman, who rose from where she was sitting. She leaned over her daughter and pulled her into a hug, unable to hold her tears back anymore.

"I'm sorry, Kagome… I'm sorry for being such a bad mother…"

"It's… okay… mother…" Kagome said, patting her mother gently on the back. Mother and child parted, and the mother was escorted out of the hospital room. The orderly flicked the light off, leaving Kagome alone in the darkness.

So it's all… going to be over tomorrow… Kagome glanced out the window, staring at the sparkling lights of the Saffron City skyline. She knew she should try to get some sleep, but however hard she tried, she just couldn't. Now… now wasn't the time to sleep. These last hours were the most precious things she had, she had to make the most of them.

But what can I do sitting in a hospital bed? Kagome's world, for a long time now, it had been contained within the four walls of this room. Large glass door out onto the balcony… that was her one source of respite, a window out into the world beyond her own.

She blinked, rubbing her eyes to make sure she wasn't seeing things. There was someone… walking on the balcony of her room?

She rubbed her eyes again, just to make sure. The shadow was still there, bathing in the light of the city.

"Um, excuse me…"

Kagome called out timidly, not sure what she was intending. But… was that so wrong? For a girl like her, who only interacted with her mother and the staff of the hospital, seeing someone new made her want to call out to them.

"Oh? I didn't think anyone would be watching at this hour. Having trouble sleeping?" The balcony door slid open, and the figure slipped inside. Squinting, Kagome could barely make out her features in the low light of the hospital machinery. She could just barely make out the smile on the blonde girl's face.

"To see someone while I'm enjoying my Kanto trip, what an interesting sight. I'm so glad I decided to go roof-jumping tonight!"

Kagome thought maybe she was dreaming. If not, well… her hospital room was on the 12th floor. There was no way someone would just be randomly here, right?

"Um, miss, are… are you an angel?" Kagome asked.

"Eh? And angel?" The odd girl laughed. "My, how boring and predictable that would be. No, you can… think of me as a devil."

"A… devil?" Kagome asked, stunned.

"That's right~" The girl walked closer to her, leaning down until Kagome could make out every detail of her face. "I'm a devilish girl, and like any good devil, I'm capable of granting any wish… for a price, of course."

"A wish…"

"That's right. What's your name, little girl?"

"Ka… Kagome…"

The girl smiled wider, standing up straight and looking down at Kagome.

"Well, well, well… my name is Sylvia Driscoll. So tell me, my little bird in a cage, what is your wish?"

Kagome blinked. She smiled sadly and turned away from the woman, looking down.

"It doesn't matter," she said, shaking her head. "My wish… not even you can grant it."

"…Well that's boring," Sylvia scoffed. "It sounds like you don't know who I am!"

A playful smirk crossed her face, and she reached over and grabbed Kagome by the chin, turning her face to look back into her eyes.

"If you won't even tell me, then you're right I won't be able to grant it. Even if I can already guess at your wish, I still want to hear you say it. So what is it you wish for, my little bird?"

"I… I…" Kagome's eyes began to water. She shook free of Sylvia's hand and looked past her, staring out at the city.

"When I was born, the doctors told my mother that I had a weak heart. A congenital defect, they said. But luckily, my family is wealthy, so they were able to afford treatments, the best doctors, my own private room. I've had more surgeries than I can count in the last ten years. Even now, I'm still having surgeries. I have one scheduled for tomorrow, one of the most important ones. But because of my frail body… I've spent my entire life in this hospital. My mother says I can't go outside, my heart won't be able to take it…"

Kagome's hands were trembling. This was her life, she was used to this, wasn't she? And yet… something about this girl who called herself a devil was… soothing. She felt like she could tell her these things. Besides, after tomorrow, it wouldn't matter.

"All I've seen of the world outside are books and television, and the view outside of that window, so… I guess if I had a wish, I'd like to go outside for once," Kagome smiled sadly.

"…Okay, so just go?" Sylvia said, tilting her head to the side in confusion. "I don't see what the problem is."

"Huh?"

"If you want to go outside, go outside," Sylvia shrugged. "Your mother says? Your doctor says? Who gives a damn about that? Just do what you want to do, little bird."

"Huh? What… what I want to do?" Kagome asked.

"Alright, it's settled," Sylvia said, clapping her hands together. "I've heard your wish, little bird! I'll grant it!"

Sylvia grabbed Kagome by the hand, tugging her off of the bed.

"W-wait, but I can't!" Kagome said. "I have my surgery tomorrow, I can't just go outside! If I- if my heart-!"

Sylvia flicked her on the nose.

"Worrying about a 'tomorrow'?" Sylvia laughed. "How boring and predictable. That answer gets 29 points. That mother, those doctors, all they're doing is keeping you alive, as long as possible, little bird! Locking you up in a cage like a pet Pidgey, trying to hold on and prolong your life for as many years as they can? But Pidgeys gotta fly! If you ask me, between a short life filled with interesting things and a long life where you sit in bed between surgeries and try to hold on for one more day? The choice isn't even worth thinking about! So I'm going to grant that wish of yours! Tonight, we're going to stuff you full of enough interesting experiences that it will completely overwrite the last 10 years of meaningless existence!"

"Uh…" Kagome was at a loss for words.

"So let's get going!" Sylvia pulled the frail girl out of bed and lifted her up, draping her over her shoulder. Due to her physique, even the slender Sylvia could carry her without any trouble. Sylvia walked out onto the balcony, and took a deep breath.

"Smell that?" She asked, glancing at the confused girl she was carrying. "That's the scent of the city! Full of just the worst humanity has to offer, corrupt corporate CEOs, gang members, cheating spouses, and salarymen! So let's go, already!"

"Huh?" Kagome barely had time to react when she felt the world spinning around her. Suddenly, Sylvia was no longer holding onto her, and she wasn't on the ground, either. There was nothing around her but the flashing lights of the city shooting past her, and the cackling laughter of Sylvia's voice ringing in her ears.

Falling…? But this is… the 12th floor… Sylvia had thrown her off the balcony. So this is how it-

Then she wasn't falling. Kagome opened her eyes, confused. She glanced down and saw that the ground was still a few stories below her, but she wasn't falling anymore. She flailed around in confusion, but she couldn't touch anything. That was when she noticed a blue light wrapped around her body.

"Huh?!" Kagome gasped, trying to twist around to see what happened.

"How was that for your first interesting experience of the night?" Sylvia, also glowing bright blue, floated down next to her.

"That… what?"

"Specter!" Sylvia called, a shadowy figure appearing beside her head.

"A-A pokemon?!" Kagome exclaimed, staring at the creature. It looked like a cheap doll, with a body made of a dark sheet draped over a round ball, which formed the head. Large blue and gold eyes stared at her, and a thin horn stuck out of its head.

"This is my friend, Specter," Sylvia said. "Thanks to his psychic…"

"Shuppet!" The pokemon chirped, his eyes flashing the same color blue as the light around them. Kagome and Sylvia were pushed through the air, soaring over the city streets.

"…Well, what do you think?" Sylvia asked. "Haven't you ever wanted to try flying before?"

"That's…" Kagome didn't know what say. She glanced over her shoulder, the hospital shrinking further and further away.

"No looking back!" Sylvia called to her. "Let's just focus on where we're going!"

Specter's eyes flashed again, and the two girls landed safely on the ground. Kagome's legs wobbled shakily, and she shivered. She was just in hospital scrubs, and it was the dead of winter. She sneezed.

"You're cold, huh?" Sylvia laughed. "Looks like we chose right!"

Sylvia cocked her head to a large boutique they were standing in front of.

"Let's go pick out some clothes for you, Kagome!"

Sylvia headed towards the door.

"B-but! But! It's the middle of the night!" Kagome sputtered. "It's closed!"

"'Closed'?" Sylvia asked, turning back and giving the girl a smirk. "With me, there's no such thing as 'closed'."

Specter floated through the door, and a few seconds later it slid open.

"Now, let's go find some clothes for you!" Sylvia declared, strolling inside.

"B-but! This… isn't this a crime?!" Kagome wailed.

Sylvia snorted. She turned around and flicked Kagome on the nose again.

"'Isn't this a crime?' How boring and predictable! Of course it's a crime! So what?"

Kagome stared at Sylvia in shock.

"You still don't have the proper mindset, little bird," Sylvia laughed. "Tomorrow isn't coming, remember? So who cares if we do something like this? After all, we aren't going to be facing the consequences!"

Kagome didn't feel very good about this, but she also didn't think she could get back to the hospital by herself. She'd never even stepped foot outside, she could be three blocks away or thirty, and she would still be hopelessly lost. It seemed that there was nothing she could do but follow the girl.

"What, um… what should I get?" Kagome asked.

"Huh? Whatever you want, of course," Sylvia said.

"But I… I've never really… worn clothes before," Kagome admitted.

Syvlia rubbed her chin contemplatively.

"Then, do you have a favorite color?" She asked.

"…Red…"

"Perfect!" Sylvia grinned, clapping her hands together. "Then you are absolutely forbidden from getting anything red!"

"Huh? But-"

"It's utterly boring to wear your favorites," Sylvia said. "Don't you want the experience of wearing something you wouldn't normally choose?"

Kagome meekly nodded her head. A few minutes later, she returned with a white sweater and a pair of blue jeans.

"Perfect!" Sylvia applauded, Kagome sighing in relief. "Now, let's go try them on!"

Kagome looked at herself in the mirror and smiled. She liked these. After picking out some shoes and socks, and a warm coat (she was still surprised Sylvia didn't seem cold) they headed out.

"So, um… where are we going next?" Kagome asked. Sylvia smirked.

"A… a movie theater?" Kagome said. "But… but why…?"

"You've only experienced movies from your bed, right? Then you've never had the full moviegoing experience," Sylvia said. "Luckily, this place is open 24/7!"

Sylvia walked to the ticket counter and took out her purse, Kagome sighing in relief. At least they weren't breaking in again.

"Now, the best part of the movies!" Sylvia crowed, grabbing her by the hand. "The refreshments!"

Sylvia pressed her hands on Kagome's back and pushed her forward to the refreshment counter, her eyes lighting up in surprise.

"I-I had no idea there were this many types of candy!" Kagome gasped.

"Don't get much junk food in the hospital, huh?"

"No, never, my hospital meals are all…"

"Boring and predictable?" Sylvia replied.

"Yeah, exactly," Kagome giggled.

"Hey! You just smiled!" Sylvia said.

"Eh? What? I did?" Kagome blinked, surprised.

"Yup! Your smile is totally cute! You should do it more!" Sylvia encouraged. "Just for that, get as much candy as you'd like! My treat!"

"R-really?"

"Absolutely! There's no tomorrow, remember? So if you want to try something, now's the time!"

Kagome glanced back at the candy rack, and gulped. They ended up getting one of everything, and a bucket of popcorn bigger than Kagome's head.

"See? Now isn't this a lot better than wasting the night away in some crummy old hospital?" Sylvia boasted as the two headed into empty screening room, already stuffing their faces.

Kagome couldn't say otherwise.

"Ah, this is the best! No one here!" Sylvia crowed, looking at the rows and rows of empty seats. "We get our pick of the lot!"

"Where should we-"

Sylvia didn't even wait for Kagome's question. She walked right into the very back.

"The back? Is that the best place to sit?"

"Nah, but you can see things you don't see otherwise if you sit back here," Sylvia explained, giving her Shuppet some popcorn. "If you're lucky there are always a few couples you can perv on."

"…Perv on?" Kagome asked, confused.

"Don't worry about it," Sylvia shrugged. "Now, sit, sit! Here's the sight I was talking about!"

Kagome sat down next to Sylvia, staring at the rows and rows of empty seats in front of them.

"Sitting way up here, looking down on all these empty seats… doesn't it make you feel like we're the only people in the world?"

Kagome didn't think about it that way, but it was true.

"Isn't it… lonely?" She asked, remembering her time alone in the hospital.

"Nah, not at all," Sylvia chuckled. "As long as the life I'm leading is an interesting one where I'm doing what I want to do, I won't feel lonely even if I really was the only person left!"

"…I guess… I can't think of it like that," Kagome admitted. "This… I'm sure if I wasn't here with you, then things would just be boring and predictable… I'm not an interesting person like you are, so…"

"That's fine, just be yourself," Sylvia said. "If you just tried to copy me, that would be rather boring and predictable, don't you think?"

"Then, um… if I can't copy you, is it okay if I think of you like my big sister?" Kagome asked. "I… I haven't had a big sister before, and you seem like… this seems like what I would imagine a sister would be like."

"…You say some pretty sweet things," Sylvia said, patting the girl on the head. "But don't think of me like your big sister. If I was, I would be a wicked step-sister for sure, heh. No, like I told you. I'm just a devil. I'm granting your wish only to satisfy my desires, after all."

Kagome smiled. Even if she was saying that… Sylvia was still the kind of big sister that she would have wanted, had she lived a normal life.

"Oh! The movie's starting!" Sylvia said, the lights dimming.

"A Nightmare in Elm's Lab" flashed across the screen in bleeding letters. Kagome froze.

She was wrong, Sylvia was a devil after all.

Kagome felt like death by the end of the movie. There was so much blood, so many times the killer had popped up out of nowhere and done something terrifying, and every time he did, Kagome felt her heart stop. Even now, it was pounding, pounding, pounding, far more erratically than she had ever felt before.

"That movie was a blast, don't you think?" Sylvia said, slapping her on the back. "Nothing beats the old classics!"

"I was… that was terrifying!" Kagome wailed. "I thought I was going to die!"

"So? Who cares if you die?" Sylvia shrugged. "No tomorrow, remember?"

Kagome fell to her knees, looking up at Sylvia as tremors ran up her body.

"My heart, it's not… am I going to-?"

Sylvia leaned over and flicked her on the nose. This was becoming a pattern.

"I have a theory. Your heart is a muscle just like any other, right? Muscles get stronger the more you use them! Maybe the reason your heart is so weak is because you never really push it!"

Kagome considered this…

And then turned and vomited into the trash can.

"…Urgh…" Kagome groaned, her heartrate returning to normal but now her stomach was aching. She had eaten way too much candy.

"Ha! That was a great response!" Sylvia laughed. "…But still, only 55 points."

"Huh?"

"If it was me, I would have vomited on my shoes," Sylvia replied.

"But-! But I can't do that, there's a trash can right there, and-"

"It's 'wrong'?" Sylvia asked. Kagome meekly nodded. Sylvia chuckled.

"There's nothing more thrilling than a slasher film, Kagome! Forget all those 'must-watch', defining movies people hype up. Watch what you want to watch!"

"But I didn't-"

"Well exactly! If you watch what you actually want to watch, then you won't experience new things!"

Kagome was dreadfully confused. So she wasn't supposed to watch what other people recommend, or what she wanted to watch? Then what was she supposed to watch?

"Just watch what you want to watch, but not if you actually want to watch it," Sylvia "explained", though it only made Kagome that much more confused. "Except sometimes it's okay. The point is to never do what's expected of you, that's the best way to live an interesting life! Leave it to your big sister, the night's just getting started! And now that your stomach's empty, let's go get something to eat!"

Kagome didn't know if she could still eat, her stomach still felt nauseous.

Sylvia led her to the next place, a fast-food restaurant that even Kagome had heard of, McDonalds. She ordered them two triple-cheeseburgers with everything. The smell was amazing; Kagome had seen things like burgers before on television, but that wasn't even close to the same thing as being in the restaurant itself, smelling the salt and grease and the cooking meat. Kagome was a lot hungrier all of a sudden.

"Got 'em!" Sylvia walked over to her, holding up the bag. Kagome licked her lips and reached for it, but Sylvia yanked it away, wagging her finger back and forth.

"Not yet~""

"But, but-!" Kagome didn't get it, didn't they come here to eat?

"Just wait, I told you I'm going to be giving you an interesting night, right?" Sylvia chuckled. "There's places to go!"

Sylvia led Kagome… to another restaurant? This was a 24-hour pizza place.

"More food?" Kagome asked, surprised.

"I told you, just watch," Sylvia laughed, strolling up to the counter. "One cheese pizza, my good man! And two of your largest drink sizes!"

As the pizza was being prepared, Sylvia gestured over to Kagome.

"Drink time~ It's the best part of being at a fast food restaurant!" Sylvia led her to the drink bar. "So, what are you thirsty for?"

Kagome's eyes lit up as she looked at the selection. She'd only had water, milk, and the occasional juice before, so seeing all these soft drinks, she couldn't decide which one she wanted to drink!

"Um, a coke-"

"All of them? Excellent choice!"

"Eh?!"

Sylvia slid the large cup under the coke option, and pressed the button, the crackling brown liquid spurting out for a second before she removed her finger. She slid the cup over to the next option, a root beer.

Kagome stared in shock as Sylvia added more and more drinks to the cup, from grape juice to mountain dew to iced tea.

Sylvia passed the cup to Kagome and began to fill up the second one. Kagome looked down at the horrifying bubbly concoction in her hands. People actually drank this?

"Um, I don't think-"

"You're not supposed to be thinking, you're supposed to be experiencing!" Sylvia said.

Kagome gulped, and took a big swig.

It was absolutely disgusting, and she nearly spit it out.

"Delicious!" Sylvia said. Kagome stared at her. What the hell was wrong with her taste buds?

The two sat down, and a few minutes later their number was called. Sylvia went to go get the pizza, while Kagome tried to get through her drink.

"Mmm, doesn't it smell great?" Sylvia asked, setting the pizza down in front of them and licking their lips. Kagome was drooling. After being denied the McDonalds earlier, she couldn't wait to dig into the pizza, the scent of the greasy melted cheese was irresistible!

Wait…

Kagome looked at the pizza, then at Sylvia. This was just a cheese pizza. Ordinary cheese pizza. The most boring option she could have gotten. Was this part of her "be unpredictable" thing? Or was it…

Sylvia put the McDonalds bag on the table and took out the cheeseburgers, then reached into her purse and withdrew a knife.

"Ready for some cheeseburger pizza?" Sylvia asked. "See, I wasn't sure what we should get for your last meal on earth, cheeseburgers or pizza, so I thought 'why not both'?"

Now Kagome was really drooling. That sounded delicious. Sylvia sliced up the cheeseburgers and sprinkled them over the pizza, and the two girls began digging in.

"That… that was the best meal I've ever eaten!" Kagome gushed, patting her stomach. The two girls and the Shuppet headed out into the night again, stuffed to the gills.

"Not done yet!" Sylvia laughed. "Next is dessert!"

"Dessert?" Kagome asked.

"Ever been to 151 Flavors before?" Sylvia asked. Of course she hadn't. A few blocks later, and they arrived at the ice cream parlor, Kagome's eyes lighting up with delight. She got ice cream as a special treat sometimes, but it was always vanilla or chocolate. But 151 flavors…

Unfortunately it was closed.

"Well, it's closed," Sylvia sighed. "Ah, well."

She winked at Kagome, and used Specter to break the lock again, the two sneaking inside.

"So, Kagome, what do you think?" Sylvia asked, clicking the light on. "A lot of options, huh?"

Kagome nodded eagerly. Sylvia walked to the counter and slid over it, looking over the options herself. She winked at Kagome.

"So which flavor do you want?"

Kagome smiled. She knew what Sylvia wanted her to say.

"All of them?"

"That's my girl!" Sylvia grinned. "Your big sister is so proud!"

"But isn't that a lot of ice cream?" Kagome asked, looking over the tubs of ice cream. "We can't seriously eat-"

"Sure we can!" Sylvia said, holding up some tasting spoons. "Let me show you how!"

Sylvia jammed a tasting spoon into the first tub, scooped it out, and then flicked it down into the blender behind the counter. Kagome's eyes widened. It took a while, but Sylvia had managed to work her way through the entire selection of ice cream, piling up the mini-scoops in a big colorful pile in the blender. She closed the lid and winked at Kagome, pressing the button. Once all the flavors had been mixed together, she poured them into two cups. Both girls took sips.

"Disgusting!" They both agreed, laughing. It was a bizarre mix of flavors, and yet somehow it still tasted like sweet ice cream. It was an indescribably flavor for sure.

"Now that's a flavor you won't get in a hospital room," Sylvia laughed. "Next!"

She took Kagome by the hand and they headed outside.

"Where are we going?" Kagome asked.

With Specter's psychic their bodies began glowing blue, and they flew into the air again, flying towards their next destination. They did so many things, they rode on a roller coaster, broke into the laser tag and the arcade, and finally reached the Saffron City Zoo.

"I can't believe it!" Kagome gasped, staring at all the pokemon enclosures from above. "Pokemon! Real, live pokemon!"

"It's a magnificent sight," Sylvia agreed. They hung around the zoo for a while, Kagome looking at all the pokemon. A lot of them were sleeping, but a few of them were still awake, including a particularly large Arcanine.

"Want to go pet him?" Sylvia asked, nudging Kagome in the shoulder.

"What? But we-"

"Can't?" Sylvia narrowed her eyes and smirked. Kagome smiled and nodded. The two floated into the Arcanine's enclosure. Kagome gulped, and reached her hand out, placing it over the Arcanine's fur. It felt great.

"It's so soft and warm…" Kagome murmured, smiling at the pokemon. The Arcanine watched her calmly, having been raised around humans and thus not bothered by the two girls approaching him.

"Arcanine," he growled softly.

"You see?" Sylvia said, smiling. "There are so many interesting things in this world, don't you think, little bird?"

"Yeah…" Kagome said, nodding. Small tears trickled down her face. Sylvia led her out of the enclosure and she placed a comforting hand on Kagome's shoulder.

"One last place to go," she said, checking her watch. "Have you ever seen the sun rise from atop Silph Co.?"

Kagome's jaw dropped and she shook her head.

"Shuppet!" Specter cried, her eyes flashing blue. Sylvia and Kagome floated up into the air, flying towards the roof. Kagome smiled to herself, holding her hand over her chest. This… this was like nothing she'd ever experienced before. It was like she was a normal girl… no, better than normal, she was living a life that a "normal" person never could have experienced, all thanks to this strange girl who had come upon her balcony in the dead of night.

Kagome and Sylvia sat down on a bench atop the Silph Co. building (why there was a bench there Kagome didn't know, but she suspected Sylvia might have had something to do with it) and watched the first traces of light slowly peek out over the peak of Mt. Moon.

"Thank you for this," Kagome said quietly. "I've always lived in that room, I… I had no idea that there were so many fun and wonderful things I can do. Tonight… tonight was amazing. I wish… I wish it didn't have to end…"

"But even if we live like there's no tomorrow, the sun always rises," Sylvia replied.

Kagome nodded. But not for her.

"But as for me, that's… not the case. So thank you for this lesson, big sister, but I won't be able to do something like this again."

"Because you're going to die tomorrow?"

Kagome flinched, looking down.

"I looked at your chart earlier," Sylvia said.

"It's bad, I know," Kagome said, wiping her eyes. "My surgery… the chance of it succeeding is less than 10%."

"And you'll die if it fails."

"But if I don't… then either way I'll…"

Kagome sniffled.

"I knew it was coming, but… but after tonight… after everything we did… even more now, I realized that there are so many things I never got a chance to experience…" Kagome cried. "I don't… *sniff* I don't wanna die… why me? Why do I have to die? It's not… *sniff* it's not fair…"

"No, it isn't," Sylvia coldly replied.

"You really are a devil, big sister," Kagome sniffled. "Last night I was ready to die, because there wasn't really anything worth living for. I would waste away in that hospital bed, even if my surgery ended up being successful. But tonight… doing all those interesting things and having so much fun… now, now… now I have something to lose… I want to keep doing fun things, so now I don't… I don't want to die like this."

"I told you I would grant your wish for a price," Sylvia said, rising from the bench and walking over to the edge of the roof. "You got to experience a night of wonders you could only have dreamed about from your bed. But now that you've 'experienced' that… you'll be afraid of failure, scared of death. That's the price, little bird. And in the end you still have to pay it."

"I know," Kagome sniffled, nodding. "Even so… I don't regret it. I had… I had a lot of fun with you, big sister, so even if this heart of mine is going to kill me tomorrow, I won't regret my wish at all."

Sylvia smiled, turning back to the little girl.

"Don't misunderstand me. I said you were going to die. Because your doctors are simply incompetent."

Kagome blinked.

"What's 'incompetent'?"

"Stupid."

"They're… stupid?"

Sylvia reached into her purse and took out her phone, typing into it.

"They have to be, if they can't figure out such a simple thing…"

Kagome didn't quite understand what Sylvia was talking about.

"Back when I was your age, my parents insisted that I was going to be a doctor, and they bought me all sorts of medical textbooks to prepare me. I was only 10! They were the most boring things in the world."

Sylvia glanced up at Kagome and smirked, her eyes shining. She tapped the side of her head.

"Of course, I easily memorized all of them."

Sylvia walked over to Kagome and handed her phone to the girl.

"What's this?"

"Give it to your doctor," Sylvia said. "It's a little something I came up with while we were having fun tonight. Simply by reassessing the defect and approaching it from a different angle, I've made some changes to the operation and increased the odds of success for your surgery to about, oh… 76%?"

"That… huh?"

"Your issue is that your heart degenerates, and your pumps detach, so you need periodic surgeries, right? But every time you get a surgery the risk increases. Your heart's a faulty thing, little bird, and your doctors keep trying to staple it together to keep it beating. It's almost like you're being forced to stay alive, it's a shock you made it to 10! Not even a transplant would help, the entire system is faulty. You're a terminal case, absolutely hopeless, nothing can be done!"

Sylvia shrugged.

"But cardiovascular microsurgery isn't that big a deal if you really take the time to think about it. So I figured out a complete cure for your condition immediately, because I'm a genius."

Kagome didn't know what she was hearing. Sylvia… she told her that… changing the surgery? 76%? What… she couldn't believe it.

"I don't… have to die?" Kagome sniffled.

"Well, like I said, it's only a 76% chance of success," Sylvia reminded her. "Of course, I could have come up with an operating method that would have been a perfect success, but… a surgery where you absolutely know the outcome? That's far too boring and predictable!"

"…You have a really twisted way of thinking, big sister."

"If your surgeon takes a look at that paper I just wrote, he'll know what to do. He might not believe it at first, but unless he's a total fool he'll see I know what I'm talking about. The rest is up to you, after that. Your odds of survival are 3 in 4. If you want to live an interesting life after this, let's see if you're lucky enough. And if you aren't, well…"

Sylvia patted her on the head.

"Before you pass on, come find me and we can have some more fun, okay?"

Kagome nodded her head, her vision getting blurry with tears. Tonight had been so amazing, so exhausting… she just wanted to rest.

Kagome awoke in her hospital bed. Of course, it had all been a dream. There was no way that a miracle like that could have occurred. She must have been so worried about her surgery, she had dreamt of all the things she would never be able to do.

She sat up and looked down at her lap.

…Wait.

Why was she… she wasn't wearing her hospital gown. She was wearing the clothes she had picked out in her dream! Then… then it wasn't a-?

"Oh, you're awake. Wait, those clothes…" the nurse walked into the room. She was smiling, but her face was tense. She knew that Kagome was probably not going to make it through the day. Kagome smiled back. She felt the rectangular shape of Sylvia's phone in her pocket. The nurse was in for quite a surprise.

"Nurse, could you get the doctor for me?" Kagome asked. The nurse nodded, and went off to go fetch the doctor. Kagome smiled, and looked out the window, giving a silent thank you to her angel.

That was a fun bonus chapter to write. We'll be back to the main story tomorrow.