"Hehe, you're so cute, Matilda!"
"Come on little sis!"
"Let's go, girl!"
"Aww, you're so adorable!"
This was a girl's night out for the beyblade girls, even Hiromi, but minus Ming-Ming who's on tour, and Queen for obvious reasons. Matilda was trailing behind everyone as everyone else ran ahead when they saw the hotel spa they were staying at.
"No way! You did NOT beat Max!" Emily exclaimed as they all sat in the outdoor spa, or the hot spring.
"I did so! Ask him!" Mariam gloated.
"Alright, I will!"
"That was so funny! I can't believe you knocked both Rei and Max's beyblade out!" said Hiromi with a laugh as they talked about the beygirl's best beybattles.
"Isn't that technically a cheap shot?" Salima asked but Julia tsked her.
"A beyblader must be prepared at all times and expect the unexpected! There are no such things as cheap shots!"
"Thank you! See? I knocked them both out, fair and square!" said Mao with a cat-like smile.
"…" Matilda sat in the middle of the different small groups and stayed quiet. She can't recall an amazing beybattle she did against anyone. She then glanced over at Hiromi who has been constantly talking the whole time.
"She doesn't even beybattle and she's so into the conversations. Why can't I…be more like them…?"
If a shop can grant you any wish you can ask for in exchange for something important to you, what would you wish for?
Matilda blinked as she felt a bit light. She looked around and looked down to see her back into her street clothes. Before her, she saw a small building. A force seemed to have drawn her to it as she walked towards it and opened the door setting of the chime above it.
"Hello there, welcome to my Dream Shoppe!"
Matilda almost jumped when a stranger appeared before her in a black Chinese dress with red on it along with the red dragon slithering up her body.
"I'm Kaida, it means 'little dragon' and this is my Dream Shoppe. How may I help you?" Kaida introduced with a mysterious smile.
"Um…" Matilda looked around to see rows and rows of shelves that's filled with lots of everyday items but looked prettier, "Actually…I'm not even sure…"
"Oh we sell wishes…"
"Wishes?" Matilda repeated with lit up eyes.
"Yes, you may wish for anything at all and I'll make it come true…in exchange for something important to you," Kaida explained.
"Any wish? At all? Really?" Matilda didn't seem to believe what she was hearing! Kaida wasn't even sure if she heard the 'exchange' part.
"Yes, any at all. What is it that you want?" Kaida answered.
"I want…" Matilda slightly blushed, "There's someone I really like and…I want to be more confident in myself! We're on the same team but…I don't think I really stand out much. I wish I were more like the other girls that beyblade…" Kaida nodded and walked up to one of the shelves and took a jar from the middle shelf. She returned holding it up. It was heart shaped and was revealed to be a bottle with small crescent moon's and swirls decorating it.
"The Moon Maiden's Tears…"
"The…what?"
"The Moon Maiden's Tears. If you drink it, it allows you to use the moon's power to transform into any form you want. It'll be effective until the next full moon. If your dreams come true in those amounts of day, you're granted a magic wish," Kaida explained.
"Magic wish?" Matilda repeated.
"You can remain in that form forever. Ironically, someone earlier this week had a similar wish to yours!" said Kaida with a smile and her eyes glanced over at the Nightmare Candy.
"I just…want to be that perfect person for him…I'll take it!"
"You sure?"
"…Yes! Yes I am! Please! I'll give anything!"
"We just got this today…so how about your goggles?"
"Huh? You want these?" Matilda pulled her goggles off and looked at them, these were her favorite accessories!
"Yes, that's the payment I'll collect by the next full moon."
"…Okay…deal…" she said in a whisper.
"Thank you! That completes our contract!"
Matilda sat on her bed of the hotel room she's sharing with Salima whom she's met and gotten along with when they all met up at the bus. Salima was still in the hot spring with most of the other girls as Matilda fell back on the bed in her bathrobe and stared at the bottle.
"If I can choose any of the girls here…who would I choose to be like?" she thought and she thought about them all. She hid the bottle in her bag.
"I'll decide when I see him again…" Matilda thought as she decided to try and enjoy the rest of the stay here.
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The bus ride back was as crazy as ever among the beygirls. Only Matilda spent more time staring out the window than talking with the rest of them. When the bus ride arrived at their destination next to the beyblade community center, some of the teams were there to pick up their female teammates. Matilda took her time to get off the bus and looked around to find hers.
"Matilda! Over here!"
She saw her good friend, Mihaeru waving her over.
"Mihaeru! Oh, um…" she looked around and saw only he was here, "Where are the others?"
"Oh they couldn't make it! But I said I would pick you up!" Mihaeru replied with a smile.
"Oh…thank you!" Matilda smiled back.
"Just me and Mihaeru…"
One Week later:
Matilda sat with the rest of her teammates as they wait outside the hospital to hear news about Mihaeru who suddenly fell sick. It worried Matilda to no end. Time passed and nighttime became later and later until Matilda drifted off to sleep.
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Mihaeru stared outside his window and saw nothing but green grass and the other buildings of this hospital.
"This scenery would be so perfect…if it had just one more thing there. I just don't know if…I'll live to see it happen..."
"Have you heard what happened to Mihaeru?"
"Poor Mihaeru!"
"No! Poor Matilda!"
"Yes I know! Doesn't she really like him?"
A few of the beygirls decided to gather at Takao's dojo from Hiromi's invite and started discussing Mihaeru condition.
"HIROMI! I told you to NOT invite your friends into my home when I'm OUT!" Takao shouted when he opened his door and saw 5 girls sitting in the dining room. He stepped out for less than 15 minutes for some groceries and came back to this.
"Oh Takao, like you're home at all," said Hiromi and stood up to help him with his bags at least.
"So Takao, have you heard what happened to Mihaeru?" Hiromi asked as she and Takao started to put the groceries away.
"Hm? No I haven't. I haven't spoken to any foreign teams lately," Takao confessed.
"You don't have to! There's a thing called: the news! Mihaeru's in the hospital, he's sick."
"What?!" Takao exclaimed almost spitting cookie crumbs all over Hiromi as he had a cookie in his mouth.
"I said he's sick! And it could be getting worse. I keep hearing from his teammates, besides Matilda because they don't want her to know, that Mihaeru might have a brain tumor…" said Hiromi sadly.
"No way…" even Takao was taken back by this.
"He's losing his ability to use his hands…he won't be able to beyblade and might not live as long as he should…"
"And…why doesn't Matilda know?" Takao asked in a serious tone.
"That would crush her! She likes him, Takao!" Hiromi exclaimed.
"But…don't you think she has every right to know especially since she likes him? Would it hurt her more if Mihaeru suddenly died, or if she knew now and can spend as much time with him as possible before that happens?"
"…Well…" Hiromi's head drops, unsure of the answer…
"Here Mihaeru!" Matilda came in that day with some flowers for the vase.
"Thanks! Glad to see you feeling more cheerful now. You were so down as I sat here," said Mihaeru as Matilda took the seat next to his bed.
"Oh um…well it looks like you're doing better so…of course I'd feel better!" Matilda lightly blushed as she talked.
"I'm glad I can make you feel that way…" said Mihaeru and his head turned to stare outside again. Matilda's eyes followed and she also stared out the window.
"What are you looking at Mihaeru?" Matilda asked.
"…I'm imagining a tree there. Right there in the middle of all that. I wonder why they never planted one. It can provide shade and more oxygen. Not to mention beautiful flowers if it blooms," said Mihaeru as he stared at the empty space.
"I see…a tree really would be nice out there!"
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Matilda left by the end of visiting hours and as soon as she stepped and into the hallway, she was surprised by a visitor.
"Special follow-up service. But I see you have yet to use the product," said Kaida in the same outfit as Matilda first saw her in.
"Oh yes…um…sorry…It's just that, things have been happening and-"
"I understand. It's quite unfortunate for your friend…"
"Do you know if he'll get better? Or do I have to pay something in exchange for that answer?" Matilda asked and Kaida shook her head.
"I only sell wishes, not answers. But yes…I know exactly what's going on. Doctors, your friends, and even Mihaeru himself knows his fate. You are a sweet person…but people fear to hurt you. Do you still wish to know the truth?" Kaida asked in a serious tone, her mysterious smile, gone.
"The truth?" Matilda repeated. Has no one told her what's really wrong with Mihaeru?
"Your friend has a brain tumor. He's losing his ability to use his hands. In short, there's not much hope for him to live very long…"
Matilda couldn't believe what she was hearing. Mihaeru, her Mihaeru, is dying…
That night, Matilda stared outside at the moon.
"Effective until the next full moon…Oh Mihaeru…" Matilda looked at her Moon Maiden's Tears in her hands, "I may be using this for a completely different intention than I originally planned…"
The next day, and the day after that, Matilda visited Mihaeru. But everyday was the same: Matilda would keep a brave face for him, as would Mihaeru; but Mihaeru does something else too…Mihaeru fakes his smiles. She sees right through him and wants to see a genuine smile from him…
"I want him to be happy…that's all I want. If I can just give him a moment of happiness, it'll make me happy. Mihaeru is everything to me…"
"Mihaeru, do you believe in miracles?" Matilda asked the following day.
"Hm? That's a good question…I really want to believe in miracles but…actually, yes, yes I do! It's the only kinda of hope we have in this world…it would be stupid not to believe it," said Mihaeru and smiles for her, but she could see how fake it was…
Matilda stood outside in the grass that night, staring into Mihaeru's room and then up at the moon. She then looked at the product her hands. She closed her eyes and wished…
"Please…turn me into a cherry blossom tree!"
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Mihaeru's eyes snapped open, some force causing his sudden sense of being awake. He sat up from his bed and looked outside, suddenly lets out a gasp and quickly leaves his bed, pressing his hands against the window. No matter how long he stared or how many times he blinked, it was there before him: In the center of all the hospital buildings, on the grass, was a large blooming cherry blossom tree. In a matter of seconds, Mihaeru grabbed a thin jacket and ran outside and found himself standing before the tree. He reached his hand out and touched it.
"It's real…" he said out loud in a whisper. The ground was made pink from the falling petals and he picked some up to smell them, making the tree more real to him every second. He looked again at the petals in his hands, every moment drawn to them. He suddenly felt something in his eyes and his lips started to curve.
"It's so beautiful…" A smile spreads across his face, "It's real…"
Mihaeru held the petals to his heart and silently cried at this amazing sight before him. His heart felt so warm, as if an entire weight has been lifted off his shoulders. He was happy…so joyful of this treat.
"I'm so lucky…"
Despite what his fate is, Mihaeru never felt so lucky in his life to witness the impossible.
"A miracle…" Mihaeru then gasped again, "Matilda!"
Mihaeru touched the tree again,
"Matilda…"
Mihaeru leaned his body against it and listened,
"Matilda…" he repeated as he slid down and sat against the tree.
"Matilda…thank you…for everything…"
"If my dreams come true…then I get a wish. I wish to give my life to Mihaeru!"
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Kaida sat in her Dream Shoppe and her eyes widen when she heard of the wish upon the moon…
---------------------------
Mihaeru opened his eyes and found himself back in his hospital bed. He sat up abruptly and ran to the window. He gasped as he saw the tree.
"It's still there…it's real!"
People were just as dumbfounded by this miraculous appearance of this tree but Mihaeru was more…hurt.
"Matilda…"
"We'll have to do more tests on you but by this point, you should be fine. It's a miracle but…your tumor just completely disappeared!"
Mihaeru nodded as the doctor got up and left. He mentally cursed himself as he got out of bed and rushed to the door, had to get to the tree!
As soon as Mihaeru opened the door, his face softened.
"Mihaeru!" Matilda wiped her eyes as she smiled for him, her clothes covered in cherry blossoms.
"Matilda…" Mihaeru barely breathed the name out. He walked closer to her and brought her into an embrace.
"Matilda! You're alright!"
"Of course I'm alright, Mihaeru…if I can make you happy, I'll never leave you alone!" Matilda confidently said to him and smiled for him, "Because…I love you!"
Mihaeru stared into her eyes, seeing a whole new side of her…but he loved it…as did Matilda.
Kaida held a batch of cherry blossoms as well as Matilda's goggles in her hands.
"My oh my little Matilda. This payment is too much! Now where shall I put these?" Kaida asked herself as she looked at the cherry blossoms. Kaida smiled, really happy to have served such a good-hearted customer.
"The person you loved brought out the confidence in you…to make a hard choice. But…it wasn't hard for you, was it, Matilda? Even though you knew you may never have lived after that full moon, you did it anyway…you're extremely lucky for me to have given your life back to you. After all…the payment was too much…"
Kaida smiled as she dropped the cherry blossoms and with a wave of her hand, the flowers separated and decorated themselves on the walls.
"Be happy with him, Matilda…you truly deserve it…"
Please R and R!
-I love the Mihaeru/Matilda couple (Miguel/Mathilda)! They're my first favorite straight couple in beyblade!
-The original product was called "The Chameleon Perfume" and the chapter had a different plot as well. But in the end, I based it once again on another chapter from the manga-but with a twist.