Memory #5 [Sight, Sound, and Smell]
Moon hadn't been keeping up with the journals lately. He was actually so frustrated with everything going on that he'd shut down in a way. Besides a few words to people at work, and a few to Apple at home every night, he'd stopped talking.
He figured that he was depressed, but it was so weak to admit it, especially when he didn't know what he was depressed about. He almost felt like a robot, just going through the motions. What was even the point of anything he did here? Crazy outfits and random punishments from the heavens aside, nothing in Edensphere ever changed.
Moon hadn't gone into work for two days when he finally ran out of cigarettes. A trip to the Bazaar was in order, and he managed to make it back to the apartment with little interaction. Once inside, he ruffled through his bag, taking out the two cartons he'd purchased, when his hand brushed against something smooth at the bottom.
Peering into the bag, Moon's eyes narrowed at the sight of a memory crystal. Just what he needed; as if he weren't already feeling like crap. Figuring it was best to get things over with, he picked it up, touching the bright spot at the center...
---
He could hear and see this time, and his vision went straight to a young man standing in front of him, wearing familiar white robes and... was that the scroll Moon had received for his birthday? Anger bubbled up inside him ('That's mine!'), but he focused on what the other man was saying.
"My sensei is an amazing man. He can do anything -- He knows everything. Sensei made this castle."
That voice! It was that annoying man-child who'd taunted him in a previous memory. Moon's hands clenched into fists. This was the thief from before.
"He trusted me with everything and declared me a priest," the man continued, smirking right at Moon. "See? I'm a real Sanzo."
"I think you're full of shit," Moon snapped. "Maybe your master was a Sanzo, but if you really inherited the title... then where the hell is your sutra?" Moon could smell blood nearby - on him, his blood, but he ignored it and kept talking. "You went out of your way to take mine. That was only because you don't have your own, right?"
"Shut up!" the man cried. "Shut up!" His eyes were wild.
"You never told us your name because you don't have a proper Buddhist title as a Sanzo, I'll bet," Moon continued. "You may have inherited the clothes and the powers and the castle from your Master... but he still never gave you the title of Sanzo!"
"SHUT UP!" The man's voice echoed around the room they were in, and things became deathly silent.
Moon could only hear his own shallow breathing in his ears. Then, he looked down to see he was standing in a pile of toys, toys which had suddenly sprung to life and were clinging to his legs. "Wha-" he managed.
"Hey! Somethin's grabbin' me!" Moon didn't have to turn his head to know that Meatbun was in the room too, somewhere off to the side. "What's goin' on?"
The young man, the fake Sanzo, was laughing. "That's my toy army. Those aren't normal dolls you're standing on. Do you know what they're made of? They used to be souls... but you broke the tool that made them."
"Souls?" Moon was getting dragged under, but he heard West speak next. "But that would mean..."
"You son of a bitch!" Smoke yelled from nearby. "You're out of your goddamned mind!"
Moon fell to the ground, covered by the possessed creations. The sounds of the others were muffled. Yet he could still faintly make out the man's voice.
"See?" the fake said, amused. "My sensei is amazing. He even left these toys for me. He said that everything alive is God's personal toy."
Moon had started to mumble something under his breath. It was a chant, and it felt so familiar it was making his chest ache. He knew this by heart, it was something so powerful he could feel the energy change around him as he spoke. The last words he knew had to be said louder.
"ON. MA. NI. HATSU. MEI. UN!
"MAKAI TENJYO!!"
The scroll that had been resting on the fake's shoulders suddenly sprang to life. It became larger, winding and snaking through the air. It seemed to fill all corners of Moon's vision, and the light and power from it was blinding. It destroyed the dolls that were attacking the others, and forced the fake to retreat a few steps.
"What is it you were saying about the dolls? You pathetic piece of shit." Moon stood up, and the scroll curled up in midair, returning to his hand where he welcomed its familiar weight. "If your ass studied under me, I wouldn't give you anything." He clenched his fist, almost to make sure that the sutra was still there. "Not one single thing."
"Give it back!" the man shrieked. "GIVE IT BACK GIVE IT BACK GIVE IT BACK!"
As he raised his hand, holding some sort of weapon, Smoke stepped in. He grabbed the fake by the wrist and held him there. The fake whipped out some attack made of beads, striking Smoke directly in the chest, but the redhead stood his ground. His grip tightened and he lifted the fake straight off of his feet, where he dangled helplessly.
"It's been a long game of tag," Smoke managed, gritting his teeth. "Now you're finally It."
---
Moon came back from the memory to find his cartons and the bag were scattered on the floor. He pushed them aside and ran straight for his room, to dig through the box he buried his scroll in. It was still sitting there, and he brushed a hand over it. He could now sense a power he hadn't been able to before.
"Makai Tenjyo," he whispered to it, and while it didn't explode into furls like the memory, it fluttered a little. Moon smirked.
He didn't feel quite so depressed now.
[Memory taken from Saiyuki manga chapter 54, page 124-137, Tokyopop edition.]
He figured that he was depressed, but it was so weak to admit it, especially when he didn't know what he was depressed about. He almost felt like a robot, just going through the motions. What was even the point of anything he did here? Crazy outfits and random punishments from the heavens aside, nothing in Edensphere ever changed.
Moon hadn't gone into work for two days when he finally ran out of cigarettes. A trip to the Bazaar was in order, and he managed to make it back to the apartment with little interaction. Once inside, he ruffled through his bag, taking out the two cartons he'd purchased, when his hand brushed against something smooth at the bottom.
Peering into the bag, Moon's eyes narrowed at the sight of a memory crystal. Just what he needed; as if he weren't already feeling like crap. Figuring it was best to get things over with, he picked it up, touching the bright spot at the center...
---
He could hear and see this time, and his vision went straight to a young man standing in front of him, wearing familiar white robes and... was that the scroll Moon had received for his birthday? Anger bubbled up inside him ('That's mine!'), but he focused on what the other man was saying.
"My sensei is an amazing man. He can do anything -- He knows everything. Sensei made this castle."
That voice! It was that annoying man-child who'd taunted him in a previous memory. Moon's hands clenched into fists. This was the thief from before.
"He trusted me with everything and declared me a priest," the man continued, smirking right at Moon. "See? I'm a real Sanzo."
"I think you're full of shit," Moon snapped. "Maybe your master was a Sanzo, but if you really inherited the title... then where the hell is your sutra?" Moon could smell blood nearby - on him, his blood, but he ignored it and kept talking. "You went out of your way to take mine. That was only because you don't have your own, right?"
"Shut up!" the man cried. "Shut up!" His eyes were wild.
"You never told us your name because you don't have a proper Buddhist title as a Sanzo, I'll bet," Moon continued. "You may have inherited the clothes and the powers and the castle from your Master... but he still never gave you the title of Sanzo!"
"SHUT UP!" The man's voice echoed around the room they were in, and things became deathly silent.
Moon could only hear his own shallow breathing in his ears. Then, he looked down to see he was standing in a pile of toys, toys which had suddenly sprung to life and were clinging to his legs. "Wha-" he managed.
"Hey! Somethin's grabbin' me!" Moon didn't have to turn his head to know that Meatbun was in the room too, somewhere off to the side. "What's goin' on?"
The young man, the fake Sanzo, was laughing. "That's my toy army. Those aren't normal dolls you're standing on. Do you know what they're made of? They used to be souls... but you broke the tool that made them."
"Souls?" Moon was getting dragged under, but he heard West speak next. "But that would mean..."
"You son of a bitch!" Smoke yelled from nearby. "You're out of your goddamned mind!"
Moon fell to the ground, covered by the possessed creations. The sounds of the others were muffled. Yet he could still faintly make out the man's voice.
"See?" the fake said, amused. "My sensei is amazing. He even left these toys for me. He said that everything alive is God's personal toy."
Moon had started to mumble something under his breath. It was a chant, and it felt so familiar it was making his chest ache. He knew this by heart, it was something so powerful he could feel the energy change around him as he spoke. The last words he knew had to be said louder.
"ON. MA. NI. HATSU. MEI. UN!
"MAKAI TENJYO!!"
The scroll that had been resting on the fake's shoulders suddenly sprang to life. It became larger, winding and snaking through the air. It seemed to fill all corners of Moon's vision, and the light and power from it was blinding. It destroyed the dolls that were attacking the others, and forced the fake to retreat a few steps.
"What is it you were saying about the dolls? You pathetic piece of shit." Moon stood up, and the scroll curled up in midair, returning to his hand where he welcomed its familiar weight. "If your ass studied under me, I wouldn't give you anything." He clenched his fist, almost to make sure that the sutra was still there. "Not one single thing."
"Give it back!" the man shrieked. "GIVE IT BACK GIVE IT BACK GIVE IT BACK!"
As he raised his hand, holding some sort of weapon, Smoke stepped in. He grabbed the fake by the wrist and held him there. The fake whipped out some attack made of beads, striking Smoke directly in the chest, but the redhead stood his ground. His grip tightened and he lifted the fake straight off of his feet, where he dangled helplessly.
"It's been a long game of tag," Smoke managed, gritting his teeth. "Now you're finally It."
---
Moon came back from the memory to find his cartons and the bag were scattered on the floor. He pushed them aside and ran straight for his room, to dig through the box he buried his scroll in. It was still sitting there, and he brushed a hand over it. He could now sense a power he hadn't been able to before.
"Makai Tenjyo," he whispered to it, and while it didn't explode into furls like the memory, it fluttered a little. Moon smirked.
He didn't feel quite so depressed now.
[Memory taken from Saiyuki manga chapter 54, page 124-137, Tokyopop edition.]