A/N: Hello! Yeah, I have nothing other than that to say... I like cupcakes! Okay, that was random... XD
Right then, this story's a little odd. It's from a slightly skewed POV, reflecting on the most memorable moments for each of the Monkey Team members. She is Time, and she sees all that they went through. They wonder about how long they'd been falling for, and how long they had endured. Their questions don't go unanswered, because Time has seen them and goes through it with them. You may take it as either humorous or saddening. It's sort of both, I guess. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I don't own SRMTHFG, and I most definitely do not own time itself...
The Monkey Team wonders about time. They wonder 'what is a moment?' But as an outside set of eyes tells them the answers, she also reflects on their memorable moments, and together they find the definition of a moment in the Monkey Team's lives. She is Time. And she knows. Oneshot.
Definition of a Moment
It amuses me sometimes to see the beings wonder. The solid beings. The sentient. Those mortals. They try to figure me out. They philosophise about me. Some of the theories are quite funny. It must be hard for them, to ask questions that no one around them can answer. Just how long did it take? For how long was it like that? Pity they don't bring a timer with them everywhere. All they can do is guess.
They are a few specific beings that I enjoy watching. It's never boring with them. And they too, wonder about Time.
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I like the black one. He's one of the few good philosophers left around these days. I remember when the orange one was around, the one with black eyes and the sword. No doubt the black monkey remembers him too. He was always acting strangely. Ah yes, it's coming back to me. That day when I was hit with such an onslaught of thoughts from the black monkey's mind. Such ignorant use of my name. It wasn't that the monkey was purposely abusing my name, it's just that he was unaware. He was devastated about the recent events, and his questions spun about. But they could not escape me.
How could Mandarin do this? How long has this been going on? What is he planning to do?
Oh, what a moment that was. Well I can tell you, dear Antauri. For I am Time. I know those answers, except that no one can hear me when I tell them. It saddens me to tell this answer.
A standard Shuggazoomian month and two days. That's how long Mandarin has been feeling like that. That's how long he has felt the darkness there, and he was tempted enough to walk towards it. I saw many tormented moments. For the both of them.
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Sprx, Sprx, Spaaarx. My dear little Sprx. How long is a moment for you then? A vague word like 'moment'? How do you think of time?
Oh, I already know. I don't see why I bother talking to myself. The only one that can hear me is the Universe. But he's busy most of the time, so I'm alone. I just like teasing people silently by myself.
Is it the amount of time it takes for you to calmly say her name once? Nova. That's it. I know it is. I am Time! I know what a moment is, and I know how you think of it.
Couldn't I have held on for longer?! Argh! How long had she been falling for? Poor Nova. It's all my fault. I wonder if she's okay...
Hmm, such a sad moment! And believe me, I've seen a lot of them.
You managed to hold on for six seconds to her hand. Oh, if Time could cry I would, at that very moment. Another fifteen seconds onto her boot. And then she fell. You saw her fall for about eight seconds or so. I wasn't paying attention at that time. I replayed it later, and it was eight standard galactic seconds. She screamed for a long time. I'm not sure how long really, with a wormhole it's hard to be sure, even for me. I'll have to check with my partner later. He's never around to talk to me though... And you yelled her name again at empty space for a horrible, drawn out moment.
Nova!
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Oh, that made me sad. Let's go back to something amusing. That Fortress they built was rather funny... Oh. Except with the whole Gibson incident. Yowch... I pity him. But his thoughts were rather entertaining...
Oh Shuggazoom, oh Shuggazoom, oh Shuggazoom... How long am I supposed to do this for?! Sheesh, how long can a monkey take to get to the other side of this room?
Ask a silly question and you'll get a silly answer, Gibson...! So I won't say anything. I hate to be so sadistic, but that was fun! It's amazing how you can be so entertaining to others in such a deadly and frenzied moment. Oh, what excitement! That was thrilling, and you don't find much thrilling after you've been around for billions upon billions of years. Poor Gibson made to cause a diversion like that. After all he did, he got frozen anyhow. Poor Gibson...
Egad! I could be frozen! Oh dear. I was... HOW LONG HAVE I BEEN FROZEN FOR?
Oh, quite a long time, my friend. Quite a long time. Heehe...
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Ah, I am so strange in my ways. You get an eccentric taste in humour when you see as much as I. That's why I love that Monkey Team so much. So many memorable moments...
I loved watching them grow. There was that man... Yes, that alchemist. He did magic... I've always liked him. He watched them grow as well, as their father.
Oh, I was so upset when he left. He was a nice man. I remember that the girl loved him as well. Little Nova. Poor, unhappy Nova! When I watched her, I imagined I could feel the horror as well...
How long did that sad hug last for? Don't leave me in here! Oh gosh, how long has that water been dripping down?! Do I have much longer...?
Not long enough, I'm afraid. Poor Nova, a sad, final embrace that did not last as long as she wanted! And the shuddering feeling of the water dripping on the top of her head, one tiny splash at a time... O, it would make me shiver if I were mortal! With each droplet, a moment closer to darkness...
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Those monkeys have had times of terror, but times of ecstasy also. Otto was a monkey of pleasure. Oh yes, he has made me laugh on a number of occasions! That trapeze act was magnificent! Simply wonderful! Haha, his first public circus act, and he did so well! Original use of rotating saws, my Otto, great use of your rotating saws. Sending them flying out and using them to trapeze along, oh what fun! Like the monkey bars I have seen children play along. I imagine it must have felt amazing, judging from the thoughts I heard from you.
WAHOO! I'm flying! I'm flying! No wait, I'm actually doing the trapeze! This is so cool! Wait, do I jump to the next spot now?! Or now? Wait, hang on... Ahh!
Ah, that little green fellow did marvellously. He even made free-falling look graceful.
How long have I been falling for? Uh oh, the ground was further away than I thought. Whoa!
Ah, but he landed on his feet anyway. Eleven whole seconds of free-fall from the heights of a circus tent! Bravo!
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Anyone that can drag Chiro to the circus is a good person. Speaking of freefall... Oh, what a moment. Such a horrible, horrible moment...
Poor Chiro, what a shock he got! He felt that he was too slow, to ignorant... He felt that he was useless to help, to do anything at all, even when he had a large window of time to do something.
Oh Shuggazoom, how long had Antauri been planning this? Oh, he's falling for so long... DO SOMETHING! How much time have I wasted already...?
It was a spur of the moment, young Chiro. There was nothing you could do to stop your friend falling, believe me. Fate and Chance are my best friends, they visit me when they can. Twins, they are. Your black monkey trusted Fate, and he did what was right. Eighteen seconds from the moment he closed his eyes to the moment he hit the water. But you sat there anyway, for a long, dreadful moment of seven standard seconds until the green ball of light came your way. You took about twenty-nine seconds to change, give or take of course. I'm not always accurate when I'm concentrating on something else. Especially the death of one of my favourite sentient beings in the universe.
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Oh, what a world this is. What lives you monkeys live. What moments!
But then, you still ask.
What is a moment?
Not the best ending I could do, but I couldn't think of anything else. Anyone care to review?