Chapter 12

Judith's world had turned to shades of grey. She felt numb, incapable of feeling anything. She sat on the porch of a wooden cabin, nestled between humongous mountains at the edge of a small lake. Her cognat eyes stared unseeingly into the distance.

Fizz had brought her here after that day in the library. 'How long has it been?' she wondered. Days? Weeks? Or has it been months even? Judith had no idea, her days and nights blurred together into one.

She had not gone quietly, that much she knew. After Fizz had told her, she remembered feeling an intense hatred rising inside of her, hatred she felt because someone would dare take her away from HIM (she could not bear to even think his name.). She remembered feeling incredible anger and she had started seeing red again before Fizz had knocked her unconscious.

Afterward, she woke up here, beside herself. Panic, that she had never felt before had gripped her and she could literally feel her heart break, it tore a hole in her. Try as she may, she could not even manage one tear and remembered thinking how cruel it was that she could not express her profound agony at HIS loss.

Fizz had refused to tell her anything, He simply said it was not his place to explain. She had, however, managed to convince him to at least tell her where she was. "It's not like I can send a smoke signal for help." She had told him. He had considered it and then decided to give her that much at least.

She was told she was on the planet Venera, but Fizz would not disclose in which universe she was. She was informed that this planet was similar in appearance to earth, apart from the fact that it was uninhabited. There were no birds, no animals, not even insects. All that thrived there was the plant life. She and Fizz were the only complex living organisms on the planet.

She did not know why she even wanted to know where she was, none of it mattered to her. All she could think about was the unbearable knowledge that Zamasu had not suggested she be taken away, only that she be given an attendant and the painful fact that he did not know where she was. She had tricked Fizz into disclosing that particular piece of information while he was babbling on about the beautiful scenery of the ghost planet.

Her throat grew tight as his name crossed her mind. Zamasu. She felt a familiar stabbing sensation in her broken heart… she would never see him again. Her face betrayed no emotion, though her grip had tightened on the chair's arm rest.

Zamasu did not know where she was, he did not know that she was taken away from him, he did not know that she did not want to leave him. Her last words to him kept repeating themselves in her head. "I don't want to see you right now." She sighed as she closed her eyes. What she wouldn't give to take those words back and see his cold silver-grey eyes, if only just once.

Fizz had thought it wise to stay out of Judith's way, at least for the time being. He came and went as the Grand Minister would send him to attend to certain tasks. Most often he would return to find Judith in the same spot he had left her. He would only attempt to interact with her when she needed to take a meal, which was a challenge in itself. On more than one occasion he had to resolve to threaten her with the worst punishment imaginable… doing the dishes. Only after he would give her this ultimatum, would she take a few spoonful's of soup.

Despite her departure from the sacred world of the Kais, Judith continued to have the recurring dream. Though it seemed, that without Zamasu's presence, the dream simply repeated itself, over and over again like a broken record, without anything new or more for her to remember. Night after night Fizz would sit on the porch and feel Judith's energy flare and hear the familiar scream. "Zamasuuu!"

Each morning Judith would wake to find herself on this godforsaken planet, the angel to greet her with a lavish breakfast, which she always declined, and without Zamasu…

"Excuse me Lady Judith." Fizz said from the two open patio doors that led out onto the porch. It was almost dusk, and the temperature was dropping fast. Judith did not acknowledge him. He knew she would never forgive him for taking her away from Zamasu and he did not expect her to. "I have been summoned by the Grand Minister." Fizz continued undeterred. "As you know it is quite a long journey and I will be away for at least 2 days." Judith continued to stare out over the lake emotionless. "Please contact me if you require assistance with anything and please look after yourself." Fizz truly meant it. Despite Judith's disdain for him, he was fond of her, he did know her far longer than she realized, she just could not remember him. "Is there anything I can bring you with my return?" Fizz had asked every time he left, and he never received an answer. This time was no different. "Well then." he walked past where she was seated and started down the stairs when her voice stopped him.

"Bring me a book." She said. Her voice was soft and emotionless, and she did not look at him as she spoke.

Fizz was surprised by her request, but he did not show it. "Off-course." He said lightly. "Is there a specific title you would like?" he asked smiling.

Judith was quiet for a moment before she spoke. "Herodotus". She got up and went inside. Fizz closed the doors telepathically behind her. He could tell by the pressure in the atmosphere that it was about to start snowing. He would have been worried to leave Judith alone in this cold, but knowing her, she was more than capable of lighting the fireplace by herself.

Fizz had left in a ball of white light and just as he predicted, it had started to snow. 'Oh great.' Judith thought as she saw the first of the snowflakes fall. 'They couldn't send me someplace warm? They had to send me to most desolate planet they could find.' She made her way to fireplace and irritably started to build a fire.

Just as she was about to place the last log on the pile, her entire body went numb. She had felt a familiar presence. 'It's official.' Little Miss Judy spoke. 'You have lost it.' No, she knew that energy. Her heart was racing as she slowly stood up, not trusting her legs to hold her, and walk toward the door. Her stomach was doing back flips as she felt the presence grow stronger. 'Don't you dare get your hopes up Judith.' Little Miss Judy warned, but by the time Judith had reached the door, the presence was overwhelming.

Judith paused for just a moment, steeling herself for what awaited her on the other side. She grabbed the doorknob and flung it open. And there HE stood….

Zamasu.

Judith thought she was hallucinating, with all the wishful thinking she had been doing, but she felt his presence, his energy overwhelming her. She could see his silver-grey eyes staring into her. His breath was white on the air.

"Found you." Zamasu said in his deep voice and Judith felt her heart stop at the familiar sound she had missed so much.

The day she had disappeared from his live, his world had stopped turning. Nothing made sense without her. Every trace of her was gone, like she never existed. Gowasu had sworn he did not know anything about the Grand Minister's plan. Zamasu obviously did not believe a single word he spoke and would have killed him where he stood. Fortunately, he had kept enough of his wits to spare him, the old geezer still had some use left. Zamasu had not stopped searching for her.

He knew he could not go to the Grand Minister; it was he that had separated them in the first place and by that extent, he could not ask Whis either. He consulted the great Master Zuno, even threatened him with death, but not even he knew where she was.

Nearly 2 weeks had passed since her departure and he was standing in the tea garden, the last place he had seen her, when his eye was caught by something that was still lying between the dead plants. It was one of Judith's potara earrings that had been cast off during her episode and Zamasu knew, he would find her with it.

He had left the temple without telling Gowasu and had walked to a clear field, the wind sweeping over the grass plains. The earring still held traces of her energy signal. He focussed on it when he finally found her on the planet Venera. And now, he looked at her standing in the doorway of this cabin, her cognat eyes mixed with emotions.

He looked dishevelled, to say the least Judith noticed. "I want to believe that you're real." Judith said in a strained voice. "But how can you be?" Her voice saddened as she spoke. Zamasu took a step toward her, his heart breathing in rhythm with hers. "You cannot be him." Judith said, afraid to allow herself to believe he was real. "He is far away from here." She continued as Zamasu stepped closer, his eyes never leaving hers. "He is far away from me." Zamasu stepped over the threshold and slammed the door shut behind him with force.

He was standing inches from her, both of them breathing hard. He slowly brought his hand up and hesitantly touched her cheek. Judith leaned into his touch, closing her eyes as the feel of his skin overwhelmed her senses.

"I am here Judith." Zamasu breathed, "And I am very much real." his voice ethereal. "And no one will take you away from me again." His deep voice was commanding, and it made Judith's legs weak. Zamasu pressed his forehead to hers, his hand was still on her cheek and the other had found her hip. Judith had placed her hand on his chest and took hold of his forearm with the other. They stayed that way for a moment, eyes closed, feeling each other's warmth in the now cold cabin.

Zamasu slowly moved his head away from hers, not letting go of her hip. Something had taken hold of him, an immovable force. Judith felt the air changing around them and it made the hair on the back of her neck stand on end. As she looked up to into his silver-grey eyes, her cognat eyes betrayed her desire for him.