Memory #3 [Sound and Taste]
Moon couldn't sleep. He had been struggling with insomnia for the past few days, and it was mostly due to the conversation he'd had with Smoke in the Wilderness. So he knew his name - or something like a name - and it had nearly killed him in the process. It hurt to think of the three names he'd recovered, but he had raided the clinic for migraine medicine and was able to sedate himself into a semi-sleep afterwards.
But not tonight. Moon stood in the bathroom, staring at his reflection in the mirror and trying to organize his thoughts. He couldn't just walk around in a daze for the rest of his life. His next thought was to splash some water on his face, hoping the cold would snap him out of things.
When he turned the water on, the faucet started to splutter and strain, and Moon thought with some aggravation that he would have to find a plumber at 3 in the morning. In annoyance, he tapped the faucet with his knuckles, and to his surprise, it spit out a small round object into the sink.
It took him a second to realize what this was - another memory crystal. Did he want it? If he just left it in the sink, would it go away? Worse, Apple would probably find it in the morning. Picking it up gingerly, Moon carried it back to his room and lay down on his bed. If he had to witness this, he would at least avoid falling over onto anything.
--
The first thing he noticed was that he couldn't see. So this was like the last memory he'd had. Would he get to hear Master's voice again?
No, it was a completely different one. Higher, childish, and gloating. "There. Are you happy now?"
And then Moon noticed that his mouth was filled with blood. His own, and he was practically gagging on it. All he could taste was the metal, and he couldn't speak. The voice was coming from above him, footsteps indicating the other person was coming closer.
He could hear another person nearby, gagging. Through those sounds, Moon could hear true pain and confusion. The first person walked over to the second, sounding disappointed. "Oh boy. There must still be a bead inside you. You poor thing."
A ripping sound came next, followed by eerily familiar cries of pain. Moon spit the blood out and managed to call "Goku!" Goku? The kid from his first memory? He was in pain, and Moon's body didn't seem like it was moving to help him. Maybe he couldn't help him. Maybe they were both drowning in blood.
"Got it!" The first man sounded happy, and something small fell to the floor, tapping off into the distance. Even though he had removed whatever was inside Goku, Moon had a feeling that he wasn't an ally.
The man hmmphed in Moon's direction. "Did you really think you could win if you attacked me together?" He sounded incredulous. "I feel bad for weak people who think they're strong."
'Dammit,' Moon thought. 'I can't move. He must have gone for the joints.' He wasn't sure where this thought had come from.
"I'm guessing that's the way you are," the man continued. "You know -- rushing into things like you have a chance." He was closer to Moon now, almost speaking into his ear. "Hey.
"Have you heard of Muichimotsu?"
Something about that word made Moon freeze. He couldn't think of anything to say, and the taste of blood in his mouth was giving way to some other sort of sick feeling. This man shouldn't be allowed to say these words, that he knew.
"My sensei told me about it. 'If you meet the Buddha, kill the Buddha. If you meet the patriarchs, kill the patriarchs. Free of all, bound by nothing..."
The man crept a little closer to Moon, who desperately wanted to get away. "Have you heard of that?" the man repeated. "It means you should keep from getting trapped by desires. I think you're all too attached. You want to live... and you want to win. That's what I mean." There was a whipping noise, like that of a fabric moving, and Moon felt an inexplicable anger rise in him.
The man laughed. "You're a bad priest. The title of Sanzo is not for people like you.
The crack of a gunshot. Moon must have missed, because he could still hear the infuriating, immature voice mocking him. "I bet it's weird for you... dying in a place like this, I mean."
Dying?
"Everyone's like that. They think they're ready for death, but when it comes, they still resist. I bet you don't want to die."
Things began to fade and get quieter, and Moon only heard the man speak once more. "How pathetic."
--
And he was back on his bed, eyes open, staring at the ceiling. Moon's heart was racing from what he'd just heard, and how strong the presence of blood had been. Was this person, right, whoever he was?
Was Moon actually dead?
[ooc: Scene taken from Saiyuki Vol 8, Chapter 48, pgs 148-156 of the Tokyopop edition. Link to anime scene is HERE (0:00-2:45). Despite Italian subs, dialogue is word for word transcribed here.]
But not tonight. Moon stood in the bathroom, staring at his reflection in the mirror and trying to organize his thoughts. He couldn't just walk around in a daze for the rest of his life. His next thought was to splash some water on his face, hoping the cold would snap him out of things.
When he turned the water on, the faucet started to splutter and strain, and Moon thought with some aggravation that he would have to find a plumber at 3 in the morning. In annoyance, he tapped the faucet with his knuckles, and to his surprise, it spit out a small round object into the sink.
It took him a second to realize what this was - another memory crystal. Did he want it? If he just left it in the sink, would it go away? Worse, Apple would probably find it in the morning. Picking it up gingerly, Moon carried it back to his room and lay down on his bed. If he had to witness this, he would at least avoid falling over onto anything.
--
The first thing he noticed was that he couldn't see. So this was like the last memory he'd had. Would he get to hear Master's voice again?
No, it was a completely different one. Higher, childish, and gloating. "There. Are you happy now?"
And then Moon noticed that his mouth was filled with blood. His own, and he was practically gagging on it. All he could taste was the metal, and he couldn't speak. The voice was coming from above him, footsteps indicating the other person was coming closer.
He could hear another person nearby, gagging. Through those sounds, Moon could hear true pain and confusion. The first person walked over to the second, sounding disappointed. "Oh boy. There must still be a bead inside you. You poor thing."
A ripping sound came next, followed by eerily familiar cries of pain. Moon spit the blood out and managed to call "Goku!" Goku? The kid from his first memory? He was in pain, and Moon's body didn't seem like it was moving to help him. Maybe he couldn't help him. Maybe they were both drowning in blood.
"Got it!" The first man sounded happy, and something small fell to the floor, tapping off into the distance. Even though he had removed whatever was inside Goku, Moon had a feeling that he wasn't an ally.
The man hmmphed in Moon's direction. "Did you really think you could win if you attacked me together?" He sounded incredulous. "I feel bad for weak people who think they're strong."
'Dammit,' Moon thought. 'I can't move. He must have gone for the joints.' He wasn't sure where this thought had come from.
"I'm guessing that's the way you are," the man continued. "You know -- rushing into things like you have a chance." He was closer to Moon now, almost speaking into his ear. "Hey.
"Have you heard of Muichimotsu?"
Something about that word made Moon freeze. He couldn't think of anything to say, and the taste of blood in his mouth was giving way to some other sort of sick feeling. This man shouldn't be allowed to say these words, that he knew.
"My sensei told me about it. 'If you meet the Buddha, kill the Buddha. If you meet the patriarchs, kill the patriarchs. Free of all, bound by nothing..."
The man crept a little closer to Moon, who desperately wanted to get away. "Have you heard of that?" the man repeated. "It means you should keep from getting trapped by desires. I think you're all too attached. You want to live... and you want to win. That's what I mean." There was a whipping noise, like that of a fabric moving, and Moon felt an inexplicable anger rise in him.
The man laughed. "You're a bad priest. The title of Sanzo is not for people like you.
The crack of a gunshot. Moon must have missed, because he could still hear the infuriating, immature voice mocking him. "I bet it's weird for you... dying in a place like this, I mean."
Dying?
"Everyone's like that. They think they're ready for death, but when it comes, they still resist. I bet you don't want to die."
Things began to fade and get quieter, and Moon only heard the man speak once more. "How pathetic."
--
And he was back on his bed, eyes open, staring at the ceiling. Moon's heart was racing from what he'd just heard, and how strong the presence of blood had been. Was this person, right, whoever he was?
Was Moon actually dead?
[ooc: Scene taken from Saiyuki Vol 8, Chapter 48, pgs 148-156 of the Tokyopop edition. Link to anime scene is HERE (0:00-2:45). Despite Italian subs, dialogue is word for word transcribed here.]