Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It turns out defeating Nemesis had been the easy part…

Maybe it had been a lack of foresight on his behalf, but Yuki didn’t think about how the world would have to be put back together afterward.

It was taking a lot of work as cities were still trying to rebuild themselves, people were trying to heal, and the WBBA tried to stop the masses from blaming beyblade for the Nemesis crisis.

Everyone was doing their part to help, and it was an honor to contribute as much as he could.

But… It was still hard to take on such responsibilities at such a young age.

Sure, he is an astronomer, a scholar, a legendary blader… But he is also just a teenager.

Sometimes, Yuki felt like it was not fair that he, at 17 years old, was being asked by the WBBA to help develop a new generation of beyblades alongside a brand-new battling system.

Well, at least it wasn’t that bad. He was working with one of his closest friends, and they were allowed to take breaks… Whenever deadlines weren’t looming over them like threats.

Sometimes, Yuki thinks about how he’s been working for what was basically his entire childhood. 

Before, he dedicated almost every minute of his life to working to find a way to stop Nemesis. 

Now, he was working to help undo the damage Nemesis caused.

Yuki didn’t like to think about it, but even if he was doing what he loves, he still feels it’s unfair he didn’t get to be a child.

Even now, despite being a teenager, he is so preoccupied with being taken seriously as a scientist that he feels the need to hide his more… Juvenile interests.

“Ugh, I feel like my brain is going to fall out of my ear if I don't look away from my screen right now!”

Madoka’s words snapped him out of his thoughts.

Yuki looked up from the blueprints, his hand stopped scribbling almost at the same time.

“Are you okay, Miss Madoka?” He asked out of genuine concern.

The young girl was rubbing her eyes, but still managed to nod.

“I just need a break.” She explained with a yawn. “We’ve been designing schematics all week, I’m starting to hate graph paper.”

Yuki understood, in fact, he started feeling his own exhaustion hitting him as he sat straight and stretched his arms.

“I think I’m going to take a walk and do some errands to distract myself.” Madoka stood up from her chair and grabbed her bag from the coffee table. “Wanna tag along?”

Yuki shook his head, “I’m okay. I’ll take a break too, but I'd rather just stay here if that’s okay.”

Madoka nodded, “Sure, stay all the time you want. Just take an actual break, okay?”

“I will, don’t worry.” Yuki insisted with a smile.

Without anything else to say, Madoka climbed the stairs out of the basement. 

Yuki waited until she was out of sight before getting his backpack and pulling something out.

It was a magazine.

He excitedly flipped the pages until he found the article he had left on last time. It was titled, “Exclusive! Alien Sightings at Shibuya Station!”

Yup! 

Yuki Mizusawa, the professional 17-year-old astronomer that wanted to be taken seriously as a scientist by his peers at the WBBA, had an embarrassing secret…

He enjoyed anomalies. 

Ever since he was a kid, he would read about different conspiracies in his free time. He was fascinated by the paranormal, things that hid in plain view, strange events that science wasn’t capable of explaining yet… He loved all of that.

However, he always made sure to be careful. Even back then, after realizing he couldn’t go a day without reading conspiracy-related articles, he made sure to delete his internet history, hide every tabloid or piece of alternative press that he got his hands on, and to pretend he didn’t care about non-scientific phenomena. There was no way he would have let his grandfather know the kind of nonsense he enjoyed. 

Yuki loved his grandfather, but he knew he wouldn’t understand. It wasn’t even a hunch, he remembered his grandfather rolled his eyes at “fake scientists” that distracted the world with “rubbish” that couldn’t be proved.

He understood his grandfather’s grievances, he really did. But Yuki also found value in these urban legends and conspiracies. After all, one could argue the return of Nemesis was a conspiracy before the evidence quite literally fell from the sky.

But he remembers overhearing his grandfather having THAT conversation with a colleague…

His grandfather didn’t take kindly to those who compared his life’s work to that of astrobiologists’. Or as he would call them: “UFO chasers.”

Yuki didn’t want to break his grandpa’s heart by letting him know he was engaging in “subpar science” back then. And right now, the last thing he needs is to give his colleagues another reason to dismiss him. So, his love for anomalies remains a secret.

…And it will remain a secret, since he is pretty sure none of his friends would understand either.

He made peace with that. He knows he can’t share this with anyone, and will probably die of embarrassment if someone were to find out the weirdness he is into.

Sometimes, Motti can’t help but to miss the way her life was before the Nemesis crisis.

She wasn’t sure why. Motti was aware that her life wasn’t exactly great and that it was mostly surrounded by jerks like her brother Johannes, or dangerous sociopaths like Pluto. They weren’t exactly people she would call family, even if one of them was her actual brother. They were just people that would call Motti whenever they needed her to do something for them.

However, life had just felt much more simple back then.

It wasn’t always bad. Well… It was bad for the most part, but at least it made sense. 

All she had to do was to do things for them, and they’d let her do what she wanted. 

It wasn’t great, but at least Motti was allowed to see the world, didn’t have to bother talking to people, and was just free to battle and wander to her heart’s content.

Sure, Johannes wouldn’t even bother answering her texts unless he needed a partner for a tag team tournament. She also didn’t have anyone from the Black Sun to talk to or relate to. She tried to make friends with the other kids, but they were actually serious about Nemesis, so they didn’t like her tendency to goof off. So, she didn’t have any friends back “home.” 

Pluto found her amusing when she was little, but he only cared about bringing back Nemesis. He had dedicated hundreds of years to it, so the cult kids he raised were nothing but a part of his plan, and she knew that. 

But sometimes it’s hard to not miss how things were so easy… How she had so much freedom to do what she wanted, and a place to go back to. 

Now the world is a mess thanks to Pluto, and what does she have?

A brother that cut contact with her, a frilly café uniform, and bills to pay is what she has…

Well, that and an ex-boyfriend, apparently.

Motti rolled her eyes, thinking about Hase’s stupid outburst after she asked if he wanted to go to Beypark after her shift.

“Ugh, I’m so tired of hearing you talk about that dumb crap! I thought you were one of those cutesy girls, but you are just one of those beyblade weirdos! We are done!”

And just like that, her first relationship was over. 

In retrospect… He sucked.

Hase had a pretty face and had been charming at first, but he started being a jerk to Motti whenever she talked about her interests.

So, yeah, he was garbage.

But most of the people in Motti’s life were garbage, and it still hurt when they left!

And she tried to move on! Seriously! 

Motti was trying her hardest to make a life for herself! 

She stopped talking only to cats, made friends, and even started training with Blader DJ to become an announcer some day!

She tried to move on from Johannes, from Pluto, from Nemesis…

But every time she gets hurt, she ends up thinking about them anyway.

Well, not so much about them, but about the time when she knew who she was.

When she didn’t feel so… fragmented. 

“Meow.” She shook her head and mumbled as she made her way to the B-Pit. “I need to stop thinking about that stuff. It’s getting too gloomy, meow.”

Motti had originally planned on just smiling and pretending everything was fine. However, she just couldn’t. She was tired, she had an awful day, and she could use some venting. So, she ended up sighing heavily, letting her face slowly and dramatically fall on top of the counter.

She heard Madoka’s soft giggle.

“Long day?” Madoka asked, clearly guessing what the answer to that question must be.

Motti just let out a tired noise that sounded like a cross between a groan and a meow.

“Meow, Hase dumped me…” Her muffled whine was still understandable despite having her face practically glued to the counter.

Madoka smiled and patted her friend’s head gently. However, not even someone as nice as her would hide her smirk at the recent news.

“Congrats! Trash took itself out.” The young mechanic let out a giggle.

“Meow…” That caused Motti to whine again. “You are supposed to comfort me!”

Madoka giggled again, “I am, promise! I’m cheering you up by reminding you he was trash and there’s nothing to be sad about!”

Motti lifted her head, still supporting her elbows on the counter.

“Meow… Well you are right. He was awful.” Motti mumbled, looking down at her hands.

“Right?!” Madoka nodded, “Even Gingka agreed he sucked… And Gingka sometimes becomes friends with people who try to kill him. That should have told you something.”

Motti blinked, she was having a slow realization as Madoka’s words started to sink in.

“...Meow, you are right.” She sighed. “He acted like I should be cute and childish all the time, but then was mean every time I was excited for something… Not to mention he hates beyblade for some reason, meow.”

“Ugh, so many red flags…” Madoka almost gagged. “Seriously, what were you doing with that idiot?”

“I dunno, meow…” Motti shrugged and sighed again, “I guess I was just excited to be in a relationship for the first time… Meow, I kinda wanted it to be like in the movies.”

Madoka moved to her side and wrapped an arm around her.

“Well, real life is more complicated than that.” She said gently, “but it’s okay. You got friends that are going to help you get through it.”

Motti smiled, leaning on Madoka’s hug and giggling when her friend patted her head.

It was weird, she hadn’t cried.

She was sad and in pain. However, the pain wasn’t sharp like betrayal or abandonment. The pain was… Dull… Tiresome, even. It felt like the same disappointment she felt whenever she went through a minor inconvenience.

…Yeah, the pain will wear off in a bit.

Madoka pulled away, but not without patting Motti’s head one more time. 

“Hey, I’m going to go do some errands.” She went behind the counter again to grab a bag before turning back to the girl once again. “Want to come with me? We could go get some ice cream.”

Motti smiled but slowly shook her head, “Meow, sorry. I had a tough shift today. I think I’d rather take a nap, meow.”

“That’s okay.” Madoka smiled. “Feel free to use the couch. Yuki is in the basement, but he usually reads in silence. So, I think it will be fine.”

“Meow, Yuki?” Motti tilted her head. “Oh, meow! I remember him! The guy with the glasses, right? Your scientist friend!”

“Yup.” Madoka nodded. “If you are going to tease him, be gentle and mind his personal space, okay? He’s delicate! Like a very smart houseplant!”

Motti giggled, “Meow, I promise! I’m not in the mood to tease anyone right now… Unless he gives me a reason, meow.”

“What was that?” Madoka turned around just when she was about to reach the door.

“Meow, nothing!”

Motti was actually feeling a bit more relaxed after talking to Madoka. She was more than ready to just forget about that dull pain and just take a nap. 

As she walked down the stairs, her eyes quickly noticed Yuki sitting on Madoka’s desk while reading something, probably a book. She found it interesting how he seemed very laser-focused in the pages, so much so, that he didn’t even notice her coming in.

Something she also noticed is that he had a smile plastered on his face. Not a calmed smile people usually make when they read, but a genuine smile, a kind of childish smile. As if he had been a little boy reading his favorite comic book.

Motti didn’t really know Yuki all that well, but she had only seen him smile politely. She’s never seen him smile like this.

She was curious. What was he reading?

Motti stepped closer. Her plan was to say hi and just catch a glimpse of whatever he was reading.

However, maybe she walked a little louder than she expected.

In a matter of seconds, Yuki looked up, flinched, and quickly shoved his magazine under his jacket. 

“M-miss Motti! What brings you here?!” He shrieked. “Miss Madoka isn’t home, she just left!”

Motti blinked in surprise.

The poor guy looked terrified. His face went bright red, and he tried to look away. It was as if he had been a child caught stealing candy.

“Meow… Are you okay?” She found herself asking in concern.

“Y-yes! I am quite fine, thank you!” He, not so subtly, stuttered while using his left hand to grab a handful of the cluttered stack of notes on the desk. “Perfectly fine and dandy, thank you for your concern!”

Motti noticed that he used those papers to cover the magazine he had just hidden inside his jacket.

“What were you reading, meow?” She asks, arching an eyebrow. 

A smirk starts to form in her face as his fear increases.

“Nothing! I-it’s nothing, really!” Yuki tries to use his free hand to grab his backpack from the back of the chair.

“Meow, that doesn’t look like ‘nothing.’” Motti giggled slyly trying to take a peek.

Yuki clumsily jumps back, barely avoiding tripping on the chair. However, he managed to grab his backpack.

“W-well it’s not nothing! It's …uh… Work stuff!” He laughs awkwardly while shoving every paper he was holding into the bag. “You know? Just… boring work stuff!”

Motti smirks again, “Is that so, meow?”

“Uh y-yup!” He backs away again. “It’s just research! And… Uh… Scientific references for the-Ah!”

“Meow, careful!” Motti yelped, trying to reach for his hand as he tripped with the chair.

Thankfully, Yuki didn’t fall.

He managed to steady himself and avoid a painful crash with the floor.

However, at the cost of regaining his balance: his backpack fell open. It spilled out a mountain of loose papers, but also a couple of glossy magazines.

The poor astronomer was still so shaken from almost falling that he didn’t react fast enough to stop Motti from kneeling down to help him put everything back.

“W-wait!”

It was too late, she had noticed the magazine’s big red font.

“Exclusive! Alien Sightings at Shibuya Station!”

Motti blinked, unsure if she had read right. 

“Meow… Aliens?” She asked, grabbing the magazine.

Yuki felt his soul leaving his body for a second.

“T-that’s-! Um- That’s not mine!”

Without a second thought, Yuki snatched the papers from her hands and shoved them back into his backpack. He tried zipping it, but his fingers were shaking and ended up fumbling a little with the zipper without moving it much.

Yuki hoped Motti would have enough sensibility to pretend she saw nothing… However, he felt his stomach filling up with dread as he heard a soft laughter.

Ugh, he knew this would happen if anyone ever found out.

“Meow, you read that stuff?” Motti managed to speak between giggles. “I thought you were a scientist, meow!”

Yuki would want nothing more than to stop this conversation and pretend none of this happened. 

But… She wouldn’t stop laughing.

This had just confirmed his biggest fear. 

It wasn’t a surprise. He knew that this is how people would react to the “astronomy prodigy reading tabloids about alien sightings,” and Yuki had made peace with that. He was non-confrontational and couldn’t handle embarrassment like this, so he told himself he’d just let it happen and move on.

So… Even he was surprised when instead of staying quiet, he felt something unexpected…

Anger.

“I am a scientist, thank you very much!” He almost shrieked, crossing his arms and looking away.

Motti blinked surprised.

But then smirked again.

That was an interesting reaction.

“Meow, really? I didn’t know scientists liked to read that UFO stuff.” Motti giggled again, this time it came out as blatant teasing.

Yuki scowled, “For your information, that’s an outdated term. It’s UAP now. Unidentified Aerial Phenomena.”

That caused Motti to snort, “Oh meow, you are serious!”

“Yes, it’s quite hilarious. I know.” Yuki mumbled as he hugged the backpack close to his chest and looked away. “You can just, I don't know, go tell everyone you know that I'm ‘not a real astronomer’ or ‘I'm just a kid’ or whatever!... I already hear that at work every day, anyways.”

Motti’s laughter died not long after that. 

Maybe it was the way his voice broke for a second, or the way his shoulders became stiff, maybe how his fingers were clearly trembling as he tried to hold tight to the backpack… 

Maybe it was because she just remembered her garbage ex-boyfriend used to make fun of anything she liked in the same way.

But regardless of the reason, she felt guilt twist her gut.

Motti looked away for a second and then awkwardly scratched the back of her head, “Meow, I mean… I think it’s cool.” 

Yuki turned his gaze back to her in confusion.

“What?” He blinked, unsure of what she meant.

Now it was Motti’s turn to fluster a little, “Meow, I mean! That you like this sort of stuff! I mean, if you believe in aliens, meow. Who cares?! Right?!”

That seemed to make Yuki even more confused. He stared at her like she had just grown a second head.

“I mean… I sort of believe in ghosts, meow!” She blurted out, laughing awkwardly. “So… We are on the same boat! Meow!”

She expected a reaction, maybe an awkward nod, a sigh, or a whispered “Thank you.”

“Pfff, are you serious?”

But… She would have never expected him to laugh.

“Ghosts? Please, don't compare the two like that.” Yuki managed to mumble between giggles. 

Her jaw almost drops. 

She had actually felt bad for this pitiful nerd and THIS is how he repays her?!

“Meow, excuse you?!” She raised her voice and placed both her hands on her hips. “What’s so funny about ghosts?!”

Yuki blinked at her, still trying to stop laughing.

“Wait, are you serious?” He asked with a smile that she so wanted to smack off his face.

This guy is teasing her… Oh, that is not going to stand.

“Yes, I’m serious, meow!” Motti practically hissed at him. “Just like how you were seriously reading about crop circles and UFOs just now, meow!”

With that comment, Yuki’s laughter immediately died.

“I-I just told you! They are called UAP now!” He almost growled, his face flushing in anger. “And you can’t make a serious comparison because there’s more plausibility and data behind scientific anomalies than there is about ghost stories or urban legends! Governments around the world acknowledged the legitimacy of astrobiology and has decided to investigate it because there’s undeniable proof of it!”

Motti wasn’t sure why, but the way this puny guy crossed his arms and looked away in disdain really hit a nerve with her.

Where did he get off laughing at her after she was trying to make him feel better about being caught with a silly alien magazine?!

Sure, she laughed at him first, but it was all in good fun!

He’s the jerk looking for a fight.

“Meow, oh please!” Motti stepped closer, realizing she was an inch taller than Yuki as she towered over him. “We all know that all that ‘proof’ is just blurry pictures that scammers and paranoid weirdos pass around, meow!”

She expected Yuki to back off, as she remembered Madoka saying he got easily overwhelmed about personal space.

Surprising her once more, Yuki took a step forward. There was fire in his eyes, the kind of fire she normally sees in bladers who give it their all at tournaments.

This guy is a legendary blader, and he’s getting worked up about aliens and UFOs? What are his priorities?!

“That’s a generalization used to mock the actual proof there is for anomalies!” He raised his voice, seemingly not caring about his inside voice now. “And you want to talk about paranoia?! Ghost stories are the result of paranoia leading to superstitions!”

“Meow, superstition?!” Motti asked with indignation. “You literally helped fight a ghost like two years ago! What do you think Nemesis was?!”

Now Yuki was the one with a face full of indignation, “Nemesis started off as a star fragment that got corrupted by someone who used it for evil! It was a cluster of energy that went rogue, but its followers confused it with a deity! Beyblade itself is another anomaly we can’t fully understand yet! It doesn’t mean it has spirits attached to it!”

“Meow, Nemesis was filled with ghosts and spirits! We could see Pluto’s face in it after he died!” Motti stomped her foot. 

“That’s not true! That amount of energy can easily create stress-induced hallucinations! Our brains can’t process it, so it fills the gaps to make it easier to understand!” 

Yuki mimicked her action, knowing it would piss her off even more. He even threw his own backpack on the floor, not caring that the papers and magazines he was trying to hide previously were scattered on the ground again.

“That’s not true! Beyblades and spirits go hand in hand, meow!” Motti got even angrier. “What kind of legendary blader are you?!”

It seems like that particular question touched a nerve, because Yuki’s eye twitches right before he snapped, “What does that have to do with anything?!”

“Meow, EVERYTHING!” Motti shouted, half outraged and half flabbergasted. “You cause freaking light shows and summon a god every time you battle, meow! What do you call that?!”

Motti tried to tower over him once more, but Yuki didn’t back down and pressed upwards. Their foreheads were touching this time, but neither of them seemed to care.

“Those apparitions and psychic projections have a perfectly scientific explanation! I have a hypothesis that it’s a manifestation of a blader’s brain waves that merge with the energy of the star fragment! Many believe it is tied to spirits just because it’s scary!”

“Oh, meow. You want scary?! I’ve seen way scarier stuff growing up in the Black Sun!”

Yuki rolled his eyes and crossed his arms again, “Oh really? Like what?”

Motti scoffed at his attitude, but then smirked, “Meow, have you ever seen what happens when a blader gets killed? Meow, sometimes a bey spirit can’t deal with it and ends up absorbing its blader’s spirit! It’s horrifying, and the yokais that result from that are even worse! And guess what, meow! I’ve seen them because Pluto was a sicko!”

For a hot second, Yuki seemed stunned into silence by that mental image. However, he ended up scoffing and looking away once more.

“That sounds like unprocessed trauma wrapped in superstition if you ask me.” He mumbled loud enough for Motti to hear it.

Motti’s eyes went wide for a second.

“You nerdy little-!” Motti stepped forward, finger jabbed at his chest. “You don’t know what you are talking about, meow!”

“Yes, I do!”

“No, you don’t!”

It seemed as if the two of them didn’t notice their yelling was starting to echo through the B-Pit. 

When Madoka came back, she was taken aback by all the noise and followed it all the way to the basement. She was starting to wonder if somebody had gotten hurt, but was surprised to find Yuki and Motti fiercely shouting at each other.

Well, to tell the truth, she was even more surprised about the fact that they were standing so close, their foreheads and noses were clashing. This came as a shock, because she knows for a fact Yuki can barely tolerate physical contact.

“Huh… Is everything okay?” Madoka asked, settling her shopping bags on the table.

However, her question went ignored.

“Meow, you are such a jerk! I was trying to be nice!” Motti shouted.

“You call that being nice?! You are the one who started it!” Yuki shouted back.

Madoka blinked, “I was gone for a few minutes.”

What did she miss?

Madoka is pretty sure this is the first time she has seen Yuki get into a fight that didn't involve beyblade. 

And sure, she has seen Motti get into petty arguments, but she is usually all smirks and quips. She would usually get into someone’s skin easily with her words only. But now? There was fire in her eyes… Like Yuki had been the one to get under her skin. 

Well, at least she is not sad about her trashy ex anymore.

Motti was red in the face. Yuki’s hair was even messier than when they were working. They were all up in each other’s faces with such an intensity, you’d think they just insulted the other’s entire bloodline.

“Um… I brought some cookies. Anyone want any?” Madoka tried to soften the tension with a smile.

However, her peace offering went ignored.

“Meow, you know what?!” Motti hissed right before pressing her index on Yuki’s forehead. “I bet you don’t have the guts to deal with a real ghost!”

Yuki moved back ever so slightly to escape her touch, but he narrowed his eyes.

“Of course I can! And you know why?! It’s because they do not exist!”

Motti smirked, “Meow, then how about you go to the abandoned train tunnel in Serinuma?”

“Huh?” Yuki blinked.

Motti nodded, “Meow, you heard me! That place is haunted as hell! Especially at midnight! If you go in there and see one, then you’ll have to admit ghosts are real!”

The young astronomer hesitated for a second, but then nodded.

“Fine.”

“Meow! It’s a-”

“But!” Yuki raised a finger and smirked, “While I’m there, you’ll have to pay a visit to Shiroishi Hospital!”

Motti tilted her head, “Meow? The abandoned hospital?”

“Precisely!” Yuki nodded, “It was recently revealed that it’s the most consistent UAP hotspot nowadays. So, I dare you to go to the roof, and when you see alien sightings, you’ll have to admit anomalies are real!”

Madoka blinked, “...Is that what this whole fight is about?”

Motti nodded fiercely and offered her hand, “Meow, you’re on! But you’ll have to be on the phone with me the whole time, so I know you are not cheating!”

Madoka arched an eyebrow, “Seriously? You two are gonna trespass creepy abandoned places at midnight over a stupid bet?”

“Sounds good to me!” Yuki nodded and took her hand before shaking it. “Once we pick up the call, we enter at the same time!”

Madoka turned her head to look at the boy in disbelief, “Yuki, seriously? I thought you were supposed to be smart.”

“Meow, perfect!” Motti nods once again. “I’ll go to the hospital, you go to the tunnel, meow!”

Madoka sighed, “You do know killers have hidden bodies in both of those places, right?... It’s important for me that you know that.”

“Midnight. And you better pick up.” 

“Meow, you bet I will!”

Yuki hands her his phone, and hands him hers. They write each other’s numbers in a new contact with a smirk on their faces. It’s obvious they are quite excited about this.

Madoka looked at them with disbelief and sighed once more, but this time, feeling exasperation, “Ugh. I swear, I can’t leave anyone alone for five minutes.”

Chapter Text

It felt like something out of a horror movie…

The boy couldn’t help but to swallow hard before forcing his shaking legs to take a step forward.

“It’s okay… It’s just a train tunnel…An abandoned, creepy, and dark train tunnel…” His mind echoed as he walked.

The wind howled through the tunnel’s mouth like a warning. 

Yuki tightened his grip on his flashlight as well as his phone, "Don't even think about hanging up."

On the other end of the call, Motti's footsteps were faintly audible. However, Yuki could pick up other noises like the sound of someone stepping on glass pieces and breaking them further, or what sounded like odd pieces of metal being kicked away.

"Meow, relax. I'm still here." Motti giggled. "And you better not run away screaming, meow."

Yuki stopped walking for a second and rolled his eyes, "Funny."

"Meow, I know! I'm hilarious." Her voice was surprisingly cheerful for someone who had just walked inside the creepiest abandoned hospital she's seen in her life.

Once he was deep enough in the tunnel, his footsteps became loud. Yuki froze for a second because he could suddenly hear the way his feet collided with tiny rocks on the floor.

Seems that Motti noticed how he was spooked by the enhancing of his every move, because she had gotten quiet for a few seconds.

"Meow, are you doing okay?" She asked after hesitated one time.

Yuki blinked a little in surprise, but his grip on his phone tightened.

"As well as I can, I suppose." He answered while looking around the faded graffiti on the walls. "How about you?"

There was a little hum before Motti answered, "Meow, I'm good but this place smells terrible."

"Same here… I think I'll need at least two showers to get the stink out when this is over," He mumbled while looking at the moldy corners in the tunnel. "Is it normal for ghosts to smell like sewage?"

That elicited a little laugh from her.

"Meow, nope." Motti answers cheerfuly, "Meow, actually, ghosts smell like roses!"

Yuki arches an eyebrow at that interesting bit of information.

"Roses?" He asks, a small smile tugs in the corner of his lips. "There's no way that's true."

"It's true, meow! And I've confirmed it myself!" Motti insisted. "Pluto said that it's easy to tell a person was possessed or if there's a strong spirit nearby because scents are the only bridge between the living and the death."

Yuki couldn't help but to find that interesting.

"So… Does that have anything to do with cultures relating certain flowers to death?" He asked out of unexpected curiosity.

"Meow, exactly!" Motti's tone became a lot more lively. "Pluto said flowers are the ultimate offer to the death because they hold life inside them, meow! And that people cover their dead loved ones with flowers so the essense of life would stay with their souls when they cross to the afterlife."

Yuki wasn't sure why he wanted to hear more. Normally, he wouldn't entertain any of these ramblings about the supernatural, but…

There was an earnesty in Motti's words… She sounded so genuine.

"And… What happens if they don't get any flowers when they die?" He mumbled, not sure if he wanted her to hear.

However, it seems like she heard him because he could hear her giggling.

Her hearing was quite amazing…

"Meow, they'll still smell like roses!" Motti replied. "Pluto told me that lonely spirits get obsessed with something from their lives, meow. And the more they stay, the stronger they'll smell. So, they end up smelling like roses, meow!"

Yuki couldn't help but to hum as he thought about her answer, "So… The more they linger, the more their souls get drenched in the essence of the living world… And end up acquiring a strong scent… Am I understanding this correctly?"

"Meow, yup!"

"That's actually quite interesting…"

"Meow, I know, right?!"

Yuki couldn't help but to wonder… Was that true?

His brain was already trying to dig through his memories before he realized it.

That day… Did he smell roses?

Had he perceived any kind of aroma after his grandfather-

"And what do aliens smell like?"

Yuki was snapped out of his thoughts.

"W-what?" He asked before processing her question.

"Aliens." Motti clarified as if it hadn't been obvious. "What do they smell like?"

"Uh…" Yuki instinctively looked down for a second. "Um… I'm not sure."

There was a pause on the other side, like Motti stopped walking for a second.

"Meow, seriously?" She asked, sounding genuinely baffled.

"Huh?" Yuki blinked in confusion.

"Meow, people have researched aliens for years and nobody has ever found out what they smell like?" She asked.

Yuki arched an eyebrow. Was she trying to make fun of him or something?

"Uh... W-well, most periodicals I've read have been focused on finding proof of extraterrestrial lifeforms to begin with." He explained, "So, I don't think anyone has gotten a chance to focus on what they smell like yet."

"Meow, what a bummer…" She moaned in disappointment.

Yuki couldn't stop himself from giggling a little. It seems like she was being serious.

"I know." He smirked without realizing. "It could have been the scientific finding of the century if anyone bothered to lay the groundwork."

"Meow, and what do you think aliens smell like?"

"Huh?"

"Meow, I mean… You are a scientist and you read this stuff, right?" Motti quipped. "Meow, what do you think?"

"Uh… I've never really did any "fieldwork" regarding anomalies." Yuki scratched the back of his head. "I just read tabloids and-"

"Meow, come on, Professor Stargazer." She encouraged with a teasing tone. "I wanna hear your theory, meow."

Yuki froze for a second.

Why would she want to know what he thinks over something so silly?…

He can't seriously tell if she is making fun of him or not.

"Well…" He started, unsure of what to say. "If I had to make a hypothesis… I guess… Aliens would smell like chemicals?"

"Meow?"

Yuki sighed as he tried to elaborate, "I mean, space is a near-vacuum, so it's technically odorless, but… We have a sense of smell, right? So, maybe aliens do too."

"Meow, true!"

"Yeah, and well… I remember reading about astronauts that said space smelled like a mix of chemicals, fumes, and metals. I mean, it's very likely that those smells are just the residuals from their space suits, but… If aliens travel through the galaxy… Maybe they smell like those residuals too…"

There was a little bit of silence, as if Motti was expecting him to say more.

"Ugh, sorry, I guess it's kind of weird to even think-"

"Meow! I like that idea!"

"Huh?"

"I think it makes sense, meow." She giggled, "I hope I actually meet an alien tonight, meow! If I do, we'll find out what they smell like."

Yuki rolled his eyes, "Very funny…"

There was a pause before she spoke, probably her blinking in confusion, "Funny? Meow? I'm serious. After coming all the way here, I hope to at least see an alien."

Yuki stopped walking, his eyes went wide for a second.

He looked at his phone and hesitated a little before talking, "But…you dont believe in them…"

He isn't sure of why, but he felt his heartbeat skipping a beat of anticipation for her response.

"Meow, so? If they are real, it would be pretty cool! Wouldn't it?" Motti answered, sounding sincere.

"Yeah… I guess it would be 'pretty cool' all things considered."

"Meow, besides. You are sure they are real, right? There must be some truth in aliens if a scientist that helped save the world believes in them."

His fingers tightened around his phone once again.

"…Do you really think that?" He asks, unsure of why his voice came out as a whisper.

"Meow? Of course! Why would I say it if I didn't mean it, meow?"

Yuki felt a bit of a knot on his throat before pushing himself to speak again.

"W-well… You were very adamant about anomalies being something to laugh at… You called it silly." He reminded her awkwardly. "I also noticed that you saved my number under the name 'Conspiracy Nutcase' in your contacts…"

Yuki heard a sudden CLANK! after saying that. He wonders if she tripped or something.

"Oh, meow… You saw that." Her voice was low, but she was clearly laughing awkwardly. "Meow, I'm sorry. I was angry, okay? My boyfriend dumped me today and he was a real jerk and… Meow, you didn't deserve me taking it out on you... And… Well, I actually don't think your stuff is THAT weird, meow. I mean, I grew up in the Black Sun. Pretty sure I've seen weirder stuff than aliens."

"I suppose that's true…"

"…And if it changes anything, I actually felt bad about the contact name, meow. I changed it to your actual name after I stormed out of the B-Pit."

"…Oh, thank you for telling me."

There was an awkward minute of silence in which they both resumed their walks through the unknown.

"Meow… I'm sorry."

"Huh?"

"I'm sorry, alright?" Motti repeated before sighing. "I was so mean and you didn't deserve it… I just… Meow, I guess I'm no better than Johannes or my ex if this is how I treat people."

"T-that's not true!"

"Meow?"

Yuki stammered for a moment, realizing he had raised his voice so hard his echo ran through the tunnel.

"I-I mean… I don't know about your ex-boyfriend, but I am certain that you are not like Johannes at all." He explained nervously. "Miss Madoka truly appreciates your friendship. And… Sure, our argument got heated, but we both said harsh things."

"Meow, I guess, but I was such a bitch about it." Motti sighed again. She sounded kind of sad now.

And Yuki noticed. So he tried to think of something else that would make her feel better.

"I-I was being a bitch too!" He flustered realizing how high he had yelped. "…Perhaps we were both being childish about it."

Motti didn't say anything. Maybe he startled her with his sudden loudness… Or she had been shocked since it was the first time she heard him using that kind of language.

Regardless, he took advantage of her silence to explain his point further.

"You had a terrible day and the worst thing you did was daring me to a silly challenge that I didn't think twice before accepting. That is nowhere near close to Johannes' antics." He pointed out. "I had to deal with him tormenting me and my friends for months. Compared to how he used his bey to hurt me when we first met, this is nothing."

Motti stood quiet for a second, but then she giggled.

"Meow, I guess you are right." She said between laughs. "Meow, I'm so used to him leaving me behind, I can't imagine what's to have him following me for months."

Yuki ended up giggling too, "It was certainly unpleasant… Although, I bet it wasn't as disturbing as growing up with him in a cult of darkness."

"Meow, it wasn't always bad, meow. " Motti replied with a bit of fondness in her voice.

Yuki wasn't sure if that was sarcasm. It sounded sincere enough with just the right amount of self-awareness.

"Meow, well… I gues it used to be very scary when I was little." Motti explained. "I used to be terrified of ghosts, meow. Every time there was a ritual, I'd hide, but they would find me and drag me there… Meow, I still remember the purple lights and shadows Pluto would summon all the time to try and make Proto-Nemesis stronger."

Yuki's eyes went wide for a moment.

So… She has seen spirits before.

"That does sound terrifying."

Motti sighed.

"Meow, I felt cold and paralyzed every single time." She confessed in a small whisper. "Meow, but Pluto taught me a secret prayer to keep evil spirits from hurting me."

"Huh… It's hard to imagine Pluto doing something nice for someone…" Yuki pointed out with intrigue.

Motti giggled again, "Meow, I think he was just tired of dragging me out of my hiding spots… But, meow, I guess he was very patient too when he taught me the steps."

Yuki blinked, "Steps?… For a prayer?"

"Meow, the prayer was a dance! It was hard to learn because I would trip all the time, but I eventually got the hang of it, meow!" Motti explains, her voice becoming a bit nostalgic as she remembers. "Pluto gave me a long, pretty scarf, and told me to do the dance every time I felt there was an evil spirit near me, meow… I started doing it every day and I'm not sure if it worked, but it made me feel safer, you know?"

"I think I understand." Yuki nodded. "I've read that a lot of cultures utilize dancing as an expression of their devotion during rituals. However, this is the first time I hear about it being used as a form of spiritual protection."

"Meow, and are you not going to call it 'ritualized coping' or something like that?" Motti quipped, clearly smirking.

Yuki stumbled a little, his face warmed up as he was reminded of his previous behavior during their fight.

"I-I didn't mean-!…" He took a deep breath before continuing. "I am sorry for being insensitive earlier. It wasn't my intention to disrespect the culture you grew up in… Regardless of my personal biases against the Black Sun, I shouldn't have been so dismissive."

He wasn't sure how she was going to respond, but hearing her giggle made Yuki feel a bit calmed.

"Meow, I'm just messing with you! I actually hated the cult." Her voice goes from giddy to awkward in an instant. "Well… I hated most of it. It's actually complicated, meow. "Meow, sure, there was a lot of scary stuff but if you ignore the robes, the rituals, the ghosts, or how mean everyone was… It was actually kind of nice sometimes."

Yuki blinks in surprise unsure if he understands what she means. But then, he thinks about his own childhood. He remembers how he didn't exactly enjoy every lesson his grandfather gave him, how he sometimes felt too tired to be diligent with his chores, or how he stopped himself from playing with other kids out of anxiety.

"…I get it." He mumbled, as if trying to comfort her. "Childhoods and emotions are complicated. Not everything can be completely good or… Completely bad."

"Meow, oh my gosh, that's how I feel most days!" She responds with a more cheerful tone. "Meow, in fact… I know I said I used to be scared of ghosts, but every time I did that dance, I used to feel like I was untouchable. And they became a good thing about the cult for me, meow."

"Really?"

"Meow, yeah!" She nodded. "It felt like I had my own magic spell to keep me safe at all times, meow."

"And that made you more enthusiastic about the rituals?" Yuki asked with honest curiosity.

"Meow, yeah! I got curious and wanted to learn more about ghosts. And, meow, they became the only thing I liked about the cult. Even if it was sad sometimes."

"Sad?"

"Meow, I got to see Pluto perform exorcisms on cursed beys he'd find." Motti explained.

Yuki wasn't sure he heard right, "Wait, cursed beys?"

Motti hummed, sounding like she nodded.

"Meow, a lot of bey spirits have a hard time accepting when their blader dies and end up holding so tight that it creates powerful yokai."

"Woah…" Yuki was speechless about that fact, "And… You've seen them?"

"Meow, yeah. When I was little, Pluto would use cursed beys in rituals and see if he could use that energy for Nemesis, meow." She recalled, "But they were too powerful and he had no choice but to exorcise them most of the times, meow."

Yuki didn't know what to believe after receiving this information.

His usual skepticism felt unresponsive right now.

He had no doubt Motti was telling the truth. After all, he's seen the Black Sun stealing energy from other bladers… It wouldn't be shocking to see them stealing souls too.

Maybe that hadn't been what impacted him… Maybe it was the fact that a blader's connection with their bey can cause so much damage in the end.

"That sounds… Traumatizing." He took a deep breath. "Connecting with your bey is such a wonderful experience, but… This is making it sound dangerous."

Yuki couldn't help but to wonder… What would Anubis do if he died?

Part of him wanted to remind him his bey didn't do anything when his grandfather died.

However… Back then, it didn't have the star fragment…

Back then, Anubis wasn't nearly as powerful as it is today.

As if guessing that Yuki was spiraling, Motti let out a sigh and made him snap out of his thoughts.

"Meow… It is scary… But it showed me how special the bond between a blader and their bey truly is… It's strong enough to defy death and… Meow, I dunno, it's kinda nice to believe in that when you are all alone and all you have is your bey, you know?"

Yuki blinked as he processed that question. Then, he smiled.

"…That's true. It sounds… Comforting."

"Meow, I know, right?"

"…I understand why you believe in ghosts now. And… I’m sorry too, you know? About earlier. I didn’t mean to dismiss everything you’ve been through or act like your believes are beneath me. I was so rude. I guess I was frustrated with work… My colleagues at the WBBA treat me like I'm not even old enough to be there and I… I took it out on you… I apologize."

Motti stood quiet, making Yuki feel like he was being scrutinized for every second that went by.

…Not that he didn't deserve it, anyways.

Looking back, he wouldn't be surprised if she hates his guts after everything they went through.

However, he then heard a small giggle.

"Meow, apology accepted!" She beamed like all the previous events that brought them to this point hadn't happened at all. "And don't worry, I know ghost stories aren't 'science-friendly' or whatever. So, I get why you thought I was being stupid."

"N-no! It's not that! I don't actually think spiritualism is stupid, I-!" Yuki clammed up looking completely flustered before letting out a sigh.

"Meow? You what?"

"I… I tried to research all that stuff before." Yuki mumbled, clearly embarrassed.

There was silence, Yuki could tell she was quite surprised by these news. So, he tried to explain himself as best as he could.

"I… After my grandfather died, I… Well… I wasn't in a good place and…" He swallowed hard before continuing, it was obvious this was hard for him to verbalize. "I wasn't ready to face the looming threat of Nemesis on my own and… I guess I tried to… Find a sign that would tell me he was still around… I read so many books and even visited spirit mediums, but… It didn't matter how many times I tried… I got nothing."

The other end got quiet again.

Yuki almost wishes she would say anything that came to mind. Even if it was to tease him.

He was starting to hate the silence.

"I felt so stupid every time…" The young astronomer mumbled. "Like I was shouting into a void."

"Meow, it must have been tough." Motti mumbled, clearly unsure of what to say.

But Yuki smiled at her compassion, "It was…"

"Meow, but… If it makes you feel beter… It was probably a good thing you didn't get a response, you know?" She answered, her tone was soft now.

He blinked, "Huh?"

"Meow, being a ghost isn't fun…" She explained. "It actually puts spirits through a lot of pain… And it's so easy to become one. Your grandpa not being here probably means he trusted you to figure out things on your own and didn't see a need to stay… And meow, it seems that he was right too since, meow, you know… You did stop Nemesis and all."

He almost drops his phone after she said that.

However, he ended up letting out a shaky laugh.

"T-that's… That's actually a nice way of looking at things…" He tried to speak up despite his voice breaking through those few words.

They grew quiet again. However, this time, there was a mutual understanding between both ends of their call. They had let out things that were weighting down on them and felt… Free.

Finally, Motti speaks quietly. “Meow, I’m sorry I started that whole fight. Comparing aliens and ghosts was kinda… Dumb.”

Yuki shakes his head and let's out another laugh. “It doesn't matter who started it… I went along with it when I should have dropped it… You were right, I was being a conspiracy nutcase."

That gets a giggle out of Motti, which makes Yuki smile in relief.

"Meow, no you weren't." She insisted, sounding a lot more relaxed. "This whole thing was my idea, meow. I sent you to an abandoned tunnel just because you bruised my ego."

Yuki raised his eyebrow, "Am I any better? I told you to break into an abandoned hospital and climb to the roof!… Hey, how about… We just forget about this nonsense?"

“Yes please, meow." She sighed in relief, "Next time we argue, let’s just… I dunno. Get drunk, share some food, and talk it out, meow?”

He wasn't fast enough to cover his mouth before he snorted.

"That sounds like the mature thing to do." He was only half-joking. "Well, more mature than our childish wager, that's for sure."

"Meow, right?" Motti giggled. "Next time, we will solve this like civilized people and get wasted instead."

"Duly noted, miss Motti!" He giggled too.

"Meow, don't call me miss." Her voice cackled a little. It was a clear indicator that she broke into giggles once again, "Why do you keep doing that, meow? It makes me feel so old!"

Yuki couldn't help but to smile apologetically as he took his phone away from his ear and stared at the screen for a second. He wasn't sure why he did that, it's not like it was a video call.

"Also noted!… Uh…Maybe we should get back to the B-Pit before we worry miss Madoka even more," He explained, still smiling. "She texted me earlier saying if we don't come back by 2:00 AM, she is going to assume we got murdered… And that she will arrange for our tombstones to say that we died like idiots."

That comment earned him another giggle from Motti.

"Meow, yeah we should-"

Yuki blinked.

Motti's voice started to cut off.

He turned around and realized just how far he had walked away from the tunnel's entrance and realized he was so deep, the entrance looked so small in the distance.

The static in the call increased. Motti's voice became more and more muffled to the point her words were unintelligible.

Did that happen because now he was deep in the tunnel?

Before Yuki could start pacing towards the exit, the tunnel's pitch black became was illuminated in the brightest crimson he's ever seen.

He gasped. His entired body went limp.

His phone almost slipped through his fingers.

But he tightened his grasp as soon as he heard a laugh echo through the tunnel.

The young astronomer could hear the voice coming from his phone again.

"Meow? What was that?!" Motti shouted, clearly having heard the laughter piercing through the walls.

Oh great… Now Yuki cannot pretend that was all in his head…

"I-I-" He tried to speak, but nothing came out.

Yuki felt a change in the atmosphere around him. It became thick, almost suffocating. Every molecule in his body was begging him to run instead of sticking around long enough to find out what's happening.

"Meow, Yuki, are you okay?!" Motti still called out to him, but was receiving no response.

Yuki started to step backwards.

He needed to leave.

He needed to run.

He needed to-

"L̳͈͉̅̊ę̷̵̧̖̫̗̆̊ă̶̸̝ͦ͊̿͋͞v̸̵̝͙͆̈ͤi̵͓͙̱͚̎͟n̷̶̯͉̊̽̐ͦ͘g̴̶̛̮̣͙͠ s̩͙͖̋͛͟ȍ̸̢̢̮͚̐̚ s̩͙͖̋͛͟ȍ̸̢̢̮͚̐̚ȍ̸̢̢̮͚̐̚n̷̶̯͉̊̽̐ͦ͘?.."

Yuki dropped his flashlight.

"Meow?! What was that?!"

He didn't answer.

Instead, he ran.

Yuki closed his eyes, trying to scrub his brain off its most recent memory.

A child.

A smiling child.

A smiling child with cracks all over their skin and dark voids where their eyes should be…

"It's not real! It's not real! It's not real!" He mumbled like a prayer over as he ran for his life.

The redness of the tunnel became even thicker. Soon, a miasma started to surround him as laughter started to echo once more.

"Meow, don't run! Stop running! Meow!" Motti pleaded through the call. "You shouldn't run away from a yokai, meow! You are basically challenging them!"

"I-it's not a yokai! It's just some kid that wanted to play a prank on me!" He shouted at the receiver, clearly unsure of his own theory. "It's not real and it can't hurt me!"

"Meow, Yuki if it catches you, it will-"

"I̶̴̗̗̦͍ͨͭ̉͢͟ ḻ̸͈ͧ͑̓̓̀͡ȍ̸̢̢̮͚̐̚v̸̵̝͙͆̈ͤę̷̵̧̖̫̗̆̊ p̶̸̨̺͊̍̒̓̀ḻ̸͈ͧ͑̓̓̀͡ă̶̸̝ͦ͊̿͋͞y̯̤͑́́̓́i̵͓͙̱͚̎͟n̷̶̯͉̊̽̐ͦ͘g̴̶̛̮̣͙͠ t̴͕͖͓̀ă̶̸̝ͦ͊̿͋͞g̴̶̛̮̣͙͠!"

Suddenly, Yuki's legs went limp once more. He tripped painfully over his own face and dropped his phone.

He heard Motti's screaming, begging for him to be okay.

However, the childish laughs became louder. They started to drown her out…

Yuki felt the miasma touch his skin.

It was cold, thick, and it smelled of-

…He smelled roses…

He trembled.

If this was how he found out ghosts were real… It was certainly unexpected.

He lived through an apocalyptic prophecy…

He fought a deity of darkness…

…And in the end, it's a damn ghost what does him in…

Yuki shut his eyes.

He didn't want his life to end like this…

So, in a moment of either bravery or incredible stupidity, he reached for his belt and snatched both his launcher and bey.

He got on his feet and launched Anubis without even counting beforehand.

A blue spark pierced through the red…

Meanwhile, Motti gripped her phone so right, she felt like she could break the screen at any moment.

Her usual green screen turned red, all she could hear through the call was static and screaming.

Yuki's screaming…

She can't believe what she just did.

She served him to a yokai on a silver platter…

Swallowing a frustrated cry, Motti turned on her heels and started running through the hospital's hallway. She knew she wouldn't be fast enough to reach the tunnel before something horrible happened, but she didn't care.

She just needed to try.

However…

Three shadows stopped her.

She didn't even have a second to think before one of them raised its hand and made her vision go dark.

…So, this is how she finds out aliens are real.

Their timing sure is horrible…