Chapter 8
Gowasu and Whis had barely spoken a word since they left Grand Zeno's palace. The old Kai had so many questions that still needed to be answered.
"I can feel your unease Supreme Kai." Whis said in a teasing voice.
"Oh-uhm-forgive me!" Gowasu stumbled over his words and almost let go of Whis's shoulder.
"Oohohohoh." Whis laughed. "Forgive ME for startling you."
"May I ask you something Whis?" Gowasu asked the angel.
"I believe you will ask me your question regardless of my response, so please, go ahead." Whis said lightly.
"O-okay…" Gowasu considered his words carefully, he did not want to offend this particular angel.
"Better ask your question quickly Supreme Kai!" Whis said cheerfully. "We are approaching your planet at considerable speed and will be there soon…"
"Yes, off course! I was wondering why the Grand Minister would take such an interest in this particular affair. Surely it has no impact on any of the other 12 universes. Why would he trouble himself with such a trivial matter?"
Whis remained silent for a considerable amount of time before he answered.
"I am afraid the answer to your question is far to complex to explain to you fully in the time we have left before we reach our destination." Whis thought for a moment longer before he spoke again. "So, let me offer this for now: In general histories have always had a tendency to repeat themselves, whether it be good or bad, but no histories repeat themselves more than 3 or 4 times." He continued. "In this particular case, the same events occur again and again in endless cycle, no matter how much we alter the circumstances and time has no effect on them as well. It is simply not natural."
Gowasu slowly started to catch on to what Whis was trying to say.
"I believe the Grand Minister endeavours to change the events in order to prevent a collapse of the entire natural order." Whis said.
"I think I understand what you are trying to say Whis." Gowasu remarked thoughtfully. "The Grand Minister fears that if the cycle is allowed to continue in an endless loop, it may destroy the entire cosmos, by defying nature."
"That's correct Supreme Kai." Whis confirmed Gowasu's revelation. "All the more reason for us to succeed in our endeavour this time." Whis had just finished saying as they closed in on the planet.
"Aaaaaaah… TREE!" Gowasu shouted from behind Whis, his white hair standing straight up as if he was being electrocuted.
"Oh my." Whis said calmly as he saw the massive tree approaching fast. "How did I miss that?" He asked himself before quickly correcting course and missing the tree by millimetres. "My apologies Supreme Kai!" Whis laughed. "I don't know where my head was."
They landed gracefully just outside the temple. Gowasu's legs gave way beneath him almost immediately.
"I am getting to old for this." He sighed.
… Judith's room …
Zamasu felt the approaching energies of Gowasu and Whis. He looked down at Judith still cradled in his arms. She had fallen asleep against his chest, lulled to sleep by the rhythm of his heartbeat. He could off course have left as soon as fell asleep, she was completely exhausted, the jumps in her Ki was more than her body could handle. But try as he may, he simply could not bring himself to let her go. The proximity of her body had made it almost impossible for him to contain himself, but he decided that he would rather struggle with his desire than leave her.
But nothing lasts forever. He did not know it then, but his words held an ominous irony. He would discover that somethings do last for all eternity.
He laid her down softly and gently removed her hands from his chest, which were still clutching his clothes.
'Oh great.' He thought looking down at his uniform. 'Wrinkled…' Gowasu was going to have a stroke when he saw his apprentice was donning wrinkled attire. 'One could only hope…' he thought bitterly.
Judith stirred slightly, feeling his warmth was gone and curled up into a ball, like an embryo. Zamasu forced himself to leave.
When he was outside her room, he took a deep breath, steeling himself for the wave of questions Gowasu would probably have. Gowasu must have felt Judith's strange energy. Zamasu could tell, even from this distance, something was wrong with Gowasu's Ki.
He looked at Judith's closed door one last time, closing his eyes, he turned and headed in the direction of the courtyard.
… the temple courtyard …
"Remember Supreme Kai." Whis said. "It is imperative that neither Judith nor Zamasu becomes suspicious."
"Yes, off course." Gowasu said seriously.
Just then Zamasu appeared in the doorway leading to Judith's chamber, but before he could speak, Gowasu had exclaimed: "Ah! There you are Zamasu! How are you my dear apprentice? I trust your time with Judith was uneventful, I mean, we are living on a secluded planet, how much is there that could have happened?" Gowasu laughed nervously.
Whis was dumbstruck before he palmed his forehead. "Unbelievable." He sighed.
Zamasu stood in shock looking at Gowasu. 'Did they give him something to drink while he was up there?' he thought. "Uhm… welcome back Master Gowasu." Zamasu spoke uncertainly. "It seems your visit was pleasant, judging by your excellent mood."
"Oh yes! Pleasant! It was pleasant! Very pleasant!"
A huge sweat drop had appeared on Zamasu's face.
Suddenly Whis smacked Gowasu from behind with his staff. "Haha! Forgive your Master Gowasu's strange behaviour. He had a terrible fright while we were landing. He seemed to think that I would fly through your Tree of Balance on purpose!" Whis laughed nonchalantly while giving Gowasu a warning look, which the elder Kai immediately understood.
'What is going on here?' Zamasu thought. He had once heard of thing called a WTF moment and had never understood the concept… until now. After witnessing the duo in front of him he had only one thought: 'WTF?'
"Tell me, where is the Lady Judith?" Whis asked. "I would hate to leave without saying goodbye and knowing her, she would definitely give me a hard time about it." He smiled.
Zamasu had read the deceit in his words. He knew Whis merely wanted to know if Judith was alright. Zamasu smiled at Whis, a knowing smile, as he answered. "I'm afraid the Lady Judith is resting and I would hate to have to wake her. And as I'm sure you know; it is quite impossible to wake her once she has fallen asleep."
Gowasu had noticed the unspoken exchange that was taking place between Whis and Zamasu. Zamasu felt a sweet satisfaction at the angel's concern and the fact that he, Zamasu, was now the one politely denying him access to Judith. He could still see the way Whis had looked at Judith as she had embraced him, his anger swelled just at the thought of someone other than himself touching her.
"Resting? At this hour?" Gowasu interrupted, sensing the unease growing between the two heavenly beings.
Zamasu shifted his cool gaze to Gowasu. "Yes, I'm afraid so." He answered in his emotionless voice. "I took your advice to interact with the Lady Judith Master," both Gowasu and Whis slightly stiffened at the news (which did not go unnoticed by Zamasu)", so, I took her to your favourite place."
"Ah. The Tree of Balance." Gowasu nodded in approval. Whis said nothing, but merely continued to look at Zamasu.
"Unfortunately, she does not seem to share your approval of the place Master." Gowasu's eyes grew bigger in surprise.
"How so?" he asked.
"She had some curious symptoms while we were there, which seemed to get worse as we moved closer to the Tree." Whis's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "She said something about an unseen force pulling her closer before she fainted." Zamasu finished in his monotone voice.
"Oh dear." Gowasu said. "I hope she was not harmed during the occurrence."
Zamasu's mind flashed back to Judith cradled in his arms, her head pressed to his chest. "Not at all Master Gowasu." He answered, his face betraying nothing. "I would, however, be more concerned about the tree." Zamasu's eyes moved to Whis, who had shown no surprise at the news. "But I expect you already knew that Whis." Zamasu added unassumingly.
"Why would you think so?" Whis asked with a smile.
"You do not seem surprises by any of this." Zamasu said. Whis was slightly annoyed at his informal manner with which he spoke to him. "I assumed that was the reason that you so graciously accompanied Master Gowasu." Zamasu feigned his ignorance, knowing full well why Whis was here.
"Oohohoho! You caught me!" Whis laughed.
Gowasu now understood the reason for their abrupt departure from Grand Zeno's palace, but he had more important things to be concerned about now. His tree!
… Judith's room …
She had fallen asleep in the warm embrace of Zamasu, nestled into his neck. She awoke now once again alone in her room. Suddenly an overwhelming feeling of vulnerability came over her. Was it because of her dream? Or because she could no longer feel his presence?
'Damn you Judith!' Little Miss Judy shouted. 'How could you become so dependant on one man in such a short space of time!'
Judith herself did not understand it either. In a matter of 3 days she had become completely dependent on this so-called god. She always prided herself in being completely independent. She was stubborn, tough, and proud and it was her pride that demanded her to accept help from no one. She had made herself believe that she did not need anyone other than herself.
And now here she was. Without realising it, she had become completely devoted to Zamasu.
As she came to this horrifying conclusion her eyes had wandered to her bedside table. She had noticed the beautifully carved key and immediately recognised it as the library's. Underneath was a note scribbled in elegant handwriting:
'I trust you will remember to lock the doors.' Was all it read.
Judith smiled as she read the note. It did not say much, but the gesture said enough.
… The garden …
Gowasu had taken off in the direction of 'his' tree. Whis and Zamasu had to jog to keep up with the old Kia. The mention that 'his' tree might have been damaged, truly put a spring in his step
Upon seeing the scorched bark and dead grass, Gowasu had grabbed both sides of his face before squealing in an unnaturally high voice: "Ooooooh noooooooo!"
Whis merely said "Interesting." Before turning to Zamasu, ignoring the old Kai's gyrating. "I believe it goes without saying what the Lady Judith is to be kept away from here."
"Far away!" Gowasu yelled from behind Whis.
"Naturally." Zamasu acknowledged, ignoring the old Kai.
Gowasu was shaving a fit around his tree. The news that 'his' tree was harmed thankfully caused him not to notice Zamasu's wrinkled uniform.
"Well, I will be sure to mention this occurrence to the Grand Minister and if you say Judith is unharmed, I will be taking my leave. Lord Beerus is due to wake up any time now." Whis spoke.
Zamasu looked at him with mock surprise. "Oh. Leaving?"
"Yes, I have seen all that I need to see…"
"I thought you wanted to see Lady Judith; afraid she might be angry with you for leaving without saying goodbye. Judging by her energy, it appears that she is awake." Zamasu cut Whis short.
This time Whis was unable to hide his surprise as he asked: "YOU can sense her life force?"
Zamasu was taken aback by his reaction and his question. He was a Kai, off-course he could sense her and all other being's life force. "Off course I can." He answered irritably.
Whis had composed himself and displayed his usual pleasant smile.
"Perhaps it is best that I slip away while I can. As I have said, Lord Beerus should be finishing his nap anytime now and he does get quite destructive if I am not there waiting for him with something to delight his palate with." His calm demeanour was starting to irritate Zamasu. Perhaps better that he did leave.
"Gowasu." Whis turned to address the old Kai, who was still faffing over 'his beloved' tree and had not noticed the exchange between Whis and Zamasu.
'Really?' Whis thought. "Gowasu!" he said again, more loudly, this time prompting a response.
"What?!" Gowasu shouted back. Whis and Zamasu stared at him stunned at his rude response. For a moment Gowasu was still oblivious before it dawned on him what he had just said.
"Oh! Forgive me!" Gowasu said, seizing his labours around the tree and turning to address Whis properly. "I meant no offense! I am just emotional about my dear tree."
"Ooookaaaaay." Whis said, rasing his one brow. "I'll be leaving now Supreme Kai." Whis said again. "I trust you will use the knowledge shared with you by the Grand Minister wisely and to the advantage of all in your universe."
The sentence held far more meaning and Gowasu knew it. Unfortunately, Zamasu had also heard his cryptic goodbye.
"Yes. Thank you for all your trouble and intrusting me with the Grand Ministers knowledge. We will talk again at a later date." Gowasu replied.
Whis, satisfied with Gowasu's answer nodded at each of them. "Zamasu. Supreme Kai. Till our next meeting." With a bright flash of light, he was gone.
Zamasu glared at the old Kai. 'I will discover what you are hiding old man.' He thought as he watched the old Kai retake his labours around the blasted tree.
… Somewhere in space …
Whis stared ahead deep in thought. 'Judith's true nature have definitely not changed. The tree is as much evidence as we need to be safe in that assumption.' His brown changed to a frown. 'But then,´ he mused 'Zamasu is able to sense Judith's life force, though it seems he is unaware that he is the only one, apart from angels, that can do so.' His frown deepened. 'And he seems to already be extremely possessive of her. Off course I cannot make an absolute judgement, but we may already be to late. The process seems to become faster as each cycle passes…' Whis arrived just as one of Lord Beerus's alarm bombs exploded.
… underneath the Tree of Balance …
'Fortunately, the nature has not been affected.' Gowasu thought as he focused on the scorched bark of his beloved tree, the bark immediately started to heal 'It appears that what the Grand Minister had said was true after all, if so, the events seem to be happening much sooner than he anticipated.'
Gowasu had been instructed to facilitate a friendship between Zamasu and Judith. A friendship ONLY. He is to see her as a sister and she him as a brother. If Gowasu suspected that their friendship grew into anything other than platonic, he was to inform Whis immediately. Gowasu sighed. He was conflicted. He liked Judith and understood she did not now enough to be able to control her true nature, but still… look what she had done to his tree!
Zamasu watched as Gowasu healed the scorched tree. 'Soon that power will be mine,' he thought, 'and I will finally be able to build my Utopia on the foundations provided by the bodies of inferior mortals.' Zamasu was still incapable of creation, that privilege was reserved for the Supreme Kai alone. 'This old, ignorant fool will never realise the full potential of the power he wields.' Zamasu looked disdainfully at Gowasu as he continued to tend to that stupid tree. 'Enjoy it while you can because that tree won't be there much longer.' Zamasu thought satisfyingly. 'Once I'm done, there will be no need for balance.'
"Ah. Please excuse my absent thoughts Zamasu. I have much on my mind." Gowasu could hardly believe that the young Kai in front of him can be capable of the heinous acts described to him by the Grand Minister.
"No need to apologise Master." Zamasu politely replied. Gowasu had expected Zamasu to question him about his visit to the Grand Minister, but much to his surprise and relieve, Zamasu had asked: "Shall I prepare a fresh pot of tea for you Master?"
"Yes, thank you Zamasu. A delightful cup of tea is just what I need to calm my chaotic mind."
Gowasu did not think he would have been able to deflect any of Zamasu's inquiries if he had voiced them at that moment. For a moment he thought about asking after Judith, but decided against it, he was much to exhausted to put their carefully constructed plan into action. He will wait till morning. He watched Zamasu walk toward the temple, sighing again. "I am definitely getting to old for this."