Chapter 9

True to his word, Gowasu had set the plan into motion the following day and just as the Grand Minister predicted, Judith and Zamasu had formed an extremely fragile and ludicrously strange friendship. Time and time again Gowasu would sit in amazement and watch the two of them bickering, back and forth witty exchanges were made, neither one every conceding to other. 'Just like siblings.' Gowasu would muse when he was alone.

If Gowasu was not so naïve, he would have noticed that with each passing day, Judith and Zamasu's carefully constructed walls, protecting their hearts from one another, was beginning to crack and crumble.

Slowly the days turned to weeks and the weeks turned to months.

Each night they would retire to their separate chambers and each night, while lying in their beds, waiting for sleep to come, they would wish the other was there beside them.

Each morning Judith would wake up screaming Zamasu's name, the dream returning to her night after night. Each time there would be another detail revealed or something she had not noticed before. And each time, Zamasu would feel her energy change. The need in him grew to banish the agony in her voice. He wanted to catch her when she came out of the abyss and hold her close to him.

And then it happened. The one thing Gowasu was instructed to prevent. It hit him like a breaking tidal wave: he had failed.

It was a day like any other. It started off with early morning tea underneath the sacred tree (which was now healed). Gowasu and Zamasu would discuss and muse over the dealings of the 'higher ranked' or 'more evolved' mortals in universe 10, which would soon be Zamasu's to rule. Afterwards they returned to the temple, where they met Judith for late morning tea (Judith never accepted the offer to try it). Judith and Zamasu had their bickering session which ended with Judith simply saying: "We will just have to agree to disagree."

Judith was surprised to discover that the Kai's grew their own tea leaves on the planet. Zamasu had sarcastically commented: "What? Did you think we buy it at some one-stop space shop?" Judith had to admit that she deserved that one. Honestly, she had never given much thought to where the tea came from.

Judith and Zamasu was busy harvesting leaves from a small garden inside the temple's many hidden oases.

"May I ask you a question Zamasu?" Judith asked.

"No." was Zamasu's curt response, knowing full well that she would continue to ask her question regardless of his answer.

"This is purely out of curiosity, but why is it that you enjoy tea so much?" she asked innocently.

Zamasu considered her question before answering. "Tea… is the study of the art of life. There is something in the nature of tea that leads us into a world of quiet contemplation of life. It represses the vapours that invades the mind and keep the soul serene."

Judith was both fascinated and confused by his answer. She could tell it was one of the extremely rare times he has actually given her an honest one, there was only one problem.

"That is a beautiful sentiment," she said, "but what exactly does all of that mean?"

"Why are you even here?" he asked, irritated at her remark. His question, he noticed, had unnerved her somewhat. 'Interesting.' He thought.

"I wish I could return the favour and give you an honest answer as you just have given me," she spoke, "but I'm afraid I can't." her brow had furrowed.

"Truly?" Zamasu said, fiddling with a plant. "I had no idea that you would still try to keep a secret from me when be both know I can read you like an open book." He said sarcastically.

"There is no secret when I don't know the answer." She answered matter of factly, but her voice betrayed her annoyance.

"So, ignorance then?" Zamasu smirked, continuing to push. He knew he was getting under her skin. She had stopped working and was staring at the ground.

"I told you, I don't know." Judith said again, but her voice sounded different.

"Not surprising really." Zamasu continued. "Your kind have always lacked the desire to pursue their higher purpose." He could feel the anger in her Ki, but the energy once again felt wrong. He was on dangerous ground and he knew it. 'Maybe you should stop.' His senses warned him, but something was urging him on. "It seems I have finally found a way to shut you up." He said with feigned enthusiasm. "Or have you finally come the conclusion that you are indeed an inferior species?" he gave her one last push as he uttered the word: "Human?"

Something snapped inside of Judith. "SHUT UP! JUST SHUT UP!" she screamed as her energy flared and at last, her true nature was revealed to him: it was black, as dark as the farthest reaches of space. He looked at her eyes, they had gone blank, the pupils had disappeared and her once beautiful cognac eyes had turned blood red. The energy he felt was truly horrifying. It held no emotion, it was like and empty void, pure and unbridled darkness. It was cold and empty.

All of this Zamasu could somehow still bare, but what he could not live with was the fact that he could no longer feel her, her life energy which was always present and such a comfort to him had vanished… she was gone. Zamasu's last walls came crashing down, his heart revealed.

Gowasu had never felt such a profound sense of pain and agony than what he felt radiating from Zamasu in that moment. It was then he realised just how badly he had failed.

Judith remembered red hot anger bubbling to the surface like a volcano before she screamed something at Zamasu, and everything went blank. Slowly her senses had retuned. Her vision was blurry and there was a ringing in her ears. As her eyes started to come back into focus, she felt something wet on her cheeks and she instinctively moved her hands to her face.

'That's odd.' She thought. Judith had never shed a single tear in all her life, she had NEVER cried and was unfamiliar with the feeling that accompanied it. Sure, she had seen others cry at an intense emotion, but she had never felt the same overbearing feeling that prompted such a response. She was, however, sure the feeling she felt now was not one that solicited tears.

Her eyes focused on Zamasu and she felt herself go ice cold at the expression on his face. She had no words to describe the raw agony that had befell his beautiful features. She removed her hands from her face and gasped when she looked down at the wet and sticky substance that covered her fingers: blood.

'Tears of blood?!' she thought exacerbated. She stood in absolute shock and confusion, unable to move, staring at her blood-stained hands.

"Judith." Zamasu said, raw emotion in his voice. It had taken Judith a few moments to remember what had caused her to lose control so profoundly. She looked up at him, her eyes filled with hurt. He had done this. He had caused this. He had pushed her to this. All Judith could do was look at him.

"Judith, I-" Zamasu stopped mid-sentence, the words stuck in his throat. He knew he was responsible for her distress.

All Judith could say was: "Why?" she continued staring at him with hurt filled eyes. " Why do you persistently continue to torture me? Why do you hate me so much?" Judith asked, her voice holding nothing but hurt and shame, hating herself for betraying her emotions.

Yes, she felt hurt that he would push her to her breaking point, knowing what he was doing, but it was the shame that hurt the most. The shame she felt for losing herself, the shame she felt that he had seen her like this. Shame. She could feel the disgust rise in her throat.

There were no words that could describe what her words caused Zamasu to feel. Each one struck him like daggers burrowing into him, but it was her hurt filled eyes that made it feel like the life was being squeezed out of his heart.

"I am done playing for today." Judith said, her voice emotionless. She turned and started to walk away before adding. "Don't come to find me. I don't want to see you right now."

Zamasu made now attempt to stop her. His mouth had gone dry. He had crossed a line he knew he would never be able to go back to.

Judith walked as fast as she could to her room, her greatest fear, bumping into Gowasu on her way there. He no doubt had sensed what happened. 'What had happened?' she asked herself. She made it to her room, locked the door behind her and made for the bathroom.

Even she was shocked at her appearance. Blood was streaked down her face and neck, pooling in to hollows of her collar bones and super sternal notch. Her dress was soaked, fortunately it was black. Suddenly she felt complete disgust at herself. She ripped the dress from her body and made for the shower, she did not notice the bloody footprints she left behind.

… the tea garden …

Gowasu found Zamasu standing alone among the plants. His face was blank, void of any emotion. Gowasu noticed the large area of dead plants and scorched earth and immediately guessed what had happened: Judith.

"Zamasu." Gowasu addressed him. Zamasu had once again constructed his walls and Gowasu was unable to sense him, his feelings was once again securely locked away. Zamasu had not acknowledged Gowasu's presence.

"Zamasu." Gowasu said again, but still did not get a response. Gowasu sighed, he could only imagine what had happened, but this was no way for his apprentice to treat him.

A thought suddenly crossed Gowasu's mind. It was a risky move and the Grand Minister would no doubt disapprove, but then again, if he phrased everything carefully, perhaps it would work. Gowasu walked toward his apprentice and placed a hand on his shoulder. The physical contact seemed to bring Zamasu back to reality and he looked at the old Kai questioningly.

Gowasu started to speak, considering, and weighing every word carefully before uttering it. "Zamasu. I will not pretend that I did not just sense your conflicted mind and judging by the scene," he gestured toward the dead patch of earth, "I can only assume that Judith was the cause."

Zamasu stared blackly at Gowasu. His mind was far from conflicted when his anger started to rise. "If you can assume with such certainty that Judith is to blame for this destruction," Zamasu's voice was dangerous, "then I will be safe to assume that you knew about her true nature." Zamasu shrugged Gowasu's hand from his shoulder, before continuing. "Perhaps something the Grand Minister shared with you on your visit to him. And something you decided to keep hidden from me."

Gowasu had taken a step away from his apprentice as Zamasu turned to face him. He had suddenly decided not to pursue the idea that he so foolishly entertained. Zamasu's voice was ominously void of emotion as he spoke again. "I have been patiently playing your game for 5 months now, and I am sure you are well aware how distasteful I find it to be someone else's pawn." Zamasu's hands clenched into fists behind his back. He closed his eyes in concentration, desperately struggling to keep himself under control.

Gowasu looked calmly at his apprentice, unaware of the danger brewing inside of Zamasu. "As your mentor I will off-course keep certain things from you. But that does not mean that I am playing a game or more importantly, that I do not trust you. I keep things from you because I am certain you are not yet ready to receive their wisdom."

Zamasu's fists clenched tighter, he could feel his nails beginning to dig into his palms. "May I then inquire if there is anything else that you have not told me regarding the Lady Judith?" his voice holding its dangerous monotonous tone.

Gowasu had not expected Zamasu to ask him this question so openly and abruptly and was not prepared to answer. A frown had appeared on Zamasu brow and he slowly opened his eyes to look at Gowasu. Gowasu had to admit, he was intimidating in his ways. "Or is Judith also just a pawn in the Grand Ministers game?"

"Zamasu, that's enough!" Gowasu warned him sternly. "I have told you before to remember your place, it is not for us to question the Grand Minster. And do not forget, you are not a Supreme Kai yet."

Zamasu merely continued to look at Gowasu with his cold eyes. "How can I forget, when you so graciously continue to remind me, Master?" Gowasu was dumbstruck at Zamasu's reply. Never had Zamasu dared to challenge him.

"Is there something you wish to say to me Zamasu?" Gowasu challenged him back, hoping his voice did not betray the fear that had suddenly stollen over him.

'Oh, there are several things I would like to say to you.' Zamasu thought as he closed his eyes again before speaking in the same emotionless voice. "I have grown weary of playing this game the Grand Minister has orchestrated, and I have come up with a proposal that would be beneficial to all parties involved."

Gowasu was shocked that Zamasu had seen through their deceit so easily. How long had he known? "Let's hear it then." Gowasu invited Zamasu to speak.

Zamasu had successfully hid his true feelings as he laid out his proposal to Gowasu.

Gowasu had listened intently, and he felt his heart grew lighter with every word Zamasu spoke. The Grand Minister could not have come up with a better solution.

Gowasu left Zamasu in the garden with the words, "The arrangements will be made without delay."

'Well,' Gowasu thought 'That worked out better than I had imagined.' As he made his way to the courtyard to contact Whis.

… Judith's room …

Judith sat in her small private garden underneath the canopy of lush leaves and white flowers. She was furiously reading a book she had smuggled out of the library, although she did not register a single word she read.

The shower had helped calm her nerves after the events that had taken place that afternoon, unfortunately, whatever had happened had left a permanent mark on her. At first, she thought her eyes were playing tricks on her, but she soon realised that that was not the case.

A jet-black streak had appeared in her auburn hair. She had studied herself in the mirror. For the past few months she had noticed changes to her body as well. She was always slender and athletically built, but somehow her body had become more toned and she could feel her strength had grown.

Zamasu had noticed the changes to her already beautiful body as well. Off-course she would grow stronger. For all intents and purposes, she was putting her body through immense strain, without her realising every night as she dreamt. Her constant fluctuations in energy was the cause for her changing body, she was constantly powering up, raising her power level then bringing it down, only to raise it again. Over and over she would do this while she dreamt.

Judith slowly replayed the events of that afternoon, trying to understand what had happened, but try as she may, she simply could not.

"What is happening to me?" She asked herself out loud, finally giving up on the book and went to lay down. She was exhausted. It almost felt like the same exhaustion she experienced that day underneath that cursed beating tree. She was still thinking about that stupid tree and Zamasu so close to her, holding her in his arms, when she fell asleep straight into her recurring dream. Judith had realized that if she were to understand why she was here, she had to remember her past, and the best way to do that, was to embrace the dream.

That night as Zamasu lay on his back, he could feel the familiar rhythm of Judith's Ki building and crumbling, climbing, and falling. He hated himself. He had caused her to be reduced to that horrifying state. He had lost her to that darkness, and he would not allow that to happen again. He thought that if he could only still feel her life-force somehow, he would be able to live without seeing her. He would soon discover that it would not be enough to satiate his endless longing for her.