Chapter 18

The storm had past and the snow that fell like blankets had slowly dispersed. Occasionally, a stray snow flake would glide gracefully past the cracked window panes of the cabin on the lake, having been dislodged from its spot on top one of the high Fir trees that covered the valley like an emerald carpet. The relatively small lake was now covered with an, albeit thin, layer of ice, the atmosphere was one of complete tranquillity, the only sound was the light breeze that wafted through the tree trunks.

Inside the cabin it was freezing cold, except for one room. Zamasu held Judith's naked trembling body close to his, her head had once again found the crook of his neck and had buried itself deep into it. He could feel her shaky breath on his skin and her fingertips digging into him. Judith waited for the horrid feelings of agony, loss and hopelessness that remained after every dream and clung to her heart like leeches to release their clutches.

As the last fingers of dread released their grip, Zamasu pressed a lingering kiss on her forehead.

"I wish I can make sense of things." Judith finally said in a breathy voice, frustration, and annoyance evident in her tone. "These dreams… or rather memories…" she corrected herself. "My mind is refusing to reveal their meaning to me." She shifted somewhat so as to see Zamasu's grey eyes. "You say your life had no meaning before me?" Judith had absentmindedly trailed her finger down Zamasu's cheek, holding his gaze. "I have no memory of my life before you, before I saw you." Judith had came to the realization some time ago, there were fragments, instances in time that she thought she could recall, certain events, but she could never get a firm grasp on them.

"Well for someone that only possesses memories of the last few months of their live…" Zamasu replied, "You are a marvel of mental stability." He finished dryly. Judith smiled at his attempt at humour and then replied cheekily. "Stick to being a pompous ass." She smiled up at him. "Humourism does not suite you at all." She saw a flash of amusement behind his beautiful grey eyes as he spoke. "It is always comforting that I can thoroughly rely on you to always be brutally honest and not muck about with social graces." He smiled down at her affectionately and leaned down, kissing her deeply, gently… sensually. Now that they had rid themselves of their endless longing and carnal desire for each other that plagued them for so long, all that was left was their raw affection for each other, pure and gentle.

"As for your emotional dilemma in dealing with your perturbed mind…" Zamasu said as he drew away from her, "perhaps, just this once, your stubborn pride will allow me to assist you?"

Judith chuckled. "I'm sure I can make an exception…" she paused briefly, still undecided when Zamasu broke the silence.

"That day in the courtyard, they day after I left you in the library…"

"The day you pinned me to the wall…" Judith interjected.

"You were telling Gowasu about the dream you had…" Zamasu continued, ignoring her interruption.

"Hey, I thought you left to get Gowasu his all-important tea…" Judith said, feigning offence.

"I had to briefly pause in the hallway and happened to overhear your conversation." Zamasu said flatly.

"You just happened to overhear?" Judith smiled lovingly at him.

Zamasu ignored her and continued. "You did not tell him everything, did you?" He half stated and half asked. "There was something else. Something you did not want to tell him or something you did not want him to know."

Judith's expression grew serious as she sat up, instinctively wrapping a blanket around her exposed shoulders.

"How did you know that?" she asked, her voice low almost a whisper. She looked at him with confusion mixed with surprise.

"It would seem that I was already, unnaturally attuned to you." Zamasu said, reaching out and brushing his hand down her cheek, Judith closed her eyes at his touch.

"I don't think I will ever get enough of your touch." Judith blurted out; she had not meant to say it out loud… Little Miss Judy palmed her forehead.

Zamasu chuckled as he also sat up, the sheets slipping from his body and Judith could not help but stare at his perfectly chiselled chest and abdomen.

"I must admit," Zamasu said, his hand caressing further down her neck and onto her shoulder, pushing the blanket away as he went. "I do enjoy watching the effect I have on you…" he softly placed kisses onto her now exposed shoulder, his lips brushing over her skin. 'Oh good god… focus!' Little Miss Judy screamed. "It is addictive." Zamasu admitted.

In the blink of an eye, he had somehow managed to push her back onto the covers, his body pinning her down, his weight preventing her from moving. His hand gently caressed over the mark on her chest, over her breast (the feeling of his palm touch her there made her shiver) and continued down.

"Now," Zamasu said, propping his head onto his elbow, his eyes following his hand and he caressed over Judith's flawless skin. "Tell me." He ordered.

Judith was in a blissful dream, her heart floating in her chest as she felt Zamasu brush over her body. She did not hear a word he had said. She had subconsciously bit her lower lip and winced slightly. Somewhere in between, while they were both falling, their senses going blank by the pure pleasure and ecstasy, Zamasu had bit down on her lip, unable to control himself. Judith had tasted the blood and, although she wished she could deny it, the taste made the act so much more erotic for her.

"I will be the one biting that lip again… later." Zamasu said.

His words brought some degree of sense back to Judith. "Mmmh. What?" Judith asked obliviously.

Zamasu looked at her beautiful face. He still had difficulty believing that she had so completely submitted to him, that she was so infatuated with him, so vulnerable…

"Judith." Zamasu said her name. This caught her attention and she opened her star glazed eyes to look at him.

"Yes?" she said.

"I asked you to tell me." Zamasu said.

"Tell you what?" Judith asked innocently.

"Your dream!" Zamasu said, starting to become annoyed at her silliness.

"Well maybe, you should stop doing this," Judith said defensively, gesturing to his hand which was still moving over every inch of her body, "and I might be able to focus enough to enlighten you!"

Zamasu looked into her cognat eyes, his cold grey eyes challenging hers. Reluctantly he stopped, his hand coming to rest just beneath her collar bone, taking care not to touch the mark that had so suddenly appeared.

"Satisfied?" Zamasu asked sarcastically.

"Ecstatically so." Judith said, matching his sarcasm, before she started talking again.

… The Planet of Lord Beerus …

"Mmmmh-uuuuuuuh-aaaaaaahhhh!" Lord Beerus moaned as he stretched himself out. Yawning he propped his head on his hand. "That wasn't very nice." He said to Whis standing a few feet away from… let us call it a circular bed and not a cat pod.

Whis had arrived just in time to see Lord Beerus go savage on the seven planets nearest to his own. Moving at blinding speed as he shot through them, each one exploded, turned to dust and rubble.

Whis acting swiftly, catching Lord Beerus just as he was moving past the angel. "That's enough!" Whis said angrily before knocking the god of destruction unconscious with a quick blow to the back of his neck. Lord Beerus had fallen like a sack of potatoes to the ground.

As his attendant, Whis dutifully transported Lord Beerus back to the palace and his sleeping chamber. With a swift tap of his staff, Lord Beerus had changed into his sleeping attire and was snoring away on his pod…. bed.

Whis waited patiently for him to regain consciousness. He looked up thoughtfully at the enormous cobra statue that loomed over the chamber entrance, a large hour glass wedged tightly between its fangs.

'How long has it been?' he thought. '1 600 years? 2 400?'. Even he could not remember how much time had passed as his mind wandered and he recalled the small girl playing on the very same statue he was looking at.

"Judith. Get down from there!" Whis had said sternly. The girl merely smiled down mockingly at him from where she balanced on top of its head.

"Make me!" she challenged him playfully. Even back then she was already stubborn as hell.

"I am warning you. If I have to come up there, I will tell Lord Beerus that you ate all his pizza… and you know how much he loves his pizzas…" Whis threatened.

"Mmmmh…pizza…." Lord Beerus had mumbled in his sleep, causing the 6 year old Judith to giggle.

"He is so qute Whis!" Judith said mockingly. "I want a kitty-cat too."

Whis was pulled from his memory as Lord Beerus stirred from his slumber. "That wasn't very nice." Lord Beerus stated flatly, looking at Whis.

"I had to my Lord. You were taking out your temper on those innocent worlds." Whis replied.

"Umph!" Lord Beerus scoffed. "You only have yourself to blame. If you were here with my pudding, like you were supposed to be for your Lord and Master, nothing would have happened!" Lord Beerus scolded as Whis waited patiently for him to finish venting. "Where were you anyway! And why did one of my alarm bombs go off?!" He shouted angrily.

Whis looked at Lord Beerus with genuine surprise. 'An alarm bomb?' He thought. 'That cannot be.' Whis had personally set each and every one of Lord Beerus's alarms and their back-up bombs. There was absolutely no way he had made a mistake. A thought crossed his mind… 'Can it be?'

"Well? I'm waiting Whis." Lord Beerus said impatiently.

"I was summoned by the Grand Minister on an urgent matter." Whis said nonchalantly, simultaneously producing a package from his staff. "I do apologize my Lord, but I am sure these little divine gifts of heaven will lighten your mood…." Whis continued as the box of pastries floated through the air toward Lord Beerus. "These are from Bulma's personal chef and is apparently the most delicious pastries on earth, though the name is a bit strange…"

"Oh?" Lord Beerus said, forgetting about Whis's absence momentarily and taking the box, laying in on his lap where he sat crossed leg on his pod… bed.

"Yes. Bulma said it is called Kadaif."

"That doesn't sound very appetizing." Lord Beerus said before looking back at Whis. "I take it you already had yours?" He eyed Whis suspiciously. "You just couldn't wait, could you?"

"Not the case my Lord." Whis said cheerfully. "I am just not in the mood for something sweet."

Lord Beerus literally fell off his pod… bed. Never had Whis ever declined an invitation to sink his teeth into something high in calories. Lord Beerus's eyes narrowed as he climbed back onto the bed. He thought about Whis's whereabouts before asking, "Why were you at the Grand Minister? Please don't tell me it was about Judith again?"

"I am afraid it is my Lord." Whis said with a sigh, attempting to hide the sadness in his voice.

"Oh great!" Lord Beerus said annoyed.

… Planet Venera …

Zamasu's eyes had not left Judith's face while she was recounting her recurring dream, which he was now certain was her memories. Just as he suspected, the Grand Minister had endeavoured to lock them away or hide them from her, but clearly, the cracks in his construction was starting to show.

Judith watched Zamasu closely. It had been some time since she had finished her account and there was something in Zamasu's expression that looked all too familiar… confusion. And it was NOT like Zamasu to be confused.

"Zamasu?" Judith spoke. "What is it, My Love?" Judith did not even notice she had just called him her love.

"Are you certain this individual's name was Demasu?" Zamasu asked.

"Yes." Judith answered. "Why do you ask?"

"Demasu was Gowasu's predecessor." Zamasu stated flatly. It felt like a ton of bricks hit Judith square in the chest. Zamasu continued: "After Demasu ceased to exist, Gowasu took over as the Supreme Kai of Universe 10." Zamasu looked seriously at Judith. "I came into existence the day it happened."

Judith was struck speechless; the colour had drained from her cheeks. She did not want to believe it, but somehow, it wanted to make sense. It would at least explain the green potarra earrings and the similar attire. What did not fit was the time. How could Zamasu not have been born already? He did mention he was 779 years old. If that were the case, Judith would have to be 784 and that was definitely NOT the case. Judith was certain she was 24, she distinctly remembered her age and she looked the part.

Judith had noticed that Zamasu had said he came into existence and not that he was born. She considered asking him about his strange choice of words but decided against it. 'Probably just his highly literate way of putting things.' She thought.

"But how can that be?" Judith said. "That makes even more than less sense…" she paused, not even she was sure what she had just tried to say. "And now I can't even construct a sentence!"

Zamasu had to admit, it did not make sense. He had never asked Gowasu how Demasu had ended his existence. He had assumed that Demasu simply ceased to exist, as all Kais do, when they reached the end of their lifespan, but the more he thought about it, the more he realised he had never came across Demasu true age. It fact, little to nothing was written about Demasu's time as Supreme Kai. 'Probably because he was as useless as the rest of them…' Zamasu thought bitterly.

Judith had noticed the shift in Zamasu's demeanour, something in his eyes changed… the colour… they were no longer the beautiful silver grey eyes, they had turned a dark pebble shade of grey and they looked… dangerous.

"Zamasu?" Judith asked hesitantly. She had never seen this look in his eyes before. This was not the Zamasu she knew… this was… something else… and it frightened her. She placed her hand on his chest and her touch made him look down at her, his expression immediately softened, but his stoical appearance had returned.

For a moment, Zamasu considered confiding in her what disdain he felt at, what he saw as, the failure and uselessness of the 'so called' gods. But something stopped him. How could she understand, and how would he recompense with himself, she was also mortal after all… or was she? If she was truly there at Demasu's demise…

"Zamasu?" Judith said again. "You are beginning to frighten me. Will you please say something?" The tone of nervousness in her voice brought him back to his senses and reality.

"You should be frightened of me." He said, his voice emotionless.

"Uuuuh- oookaaaay…." Judith said uncertainly.

"Mortals should fear gods." Zamasu stated flatly. 'Oh great! Demoted to mortal again!' Little Miss Judy perked up. "Instead the gods sit by and watch as mortals squander the divine gift of intellect on destruction and spread evil like a disease." Judith heart skipped it beat. His voice, it sounded almost just like Demasu's. Judith had unknowingly started to push Zamasu away. "What are you doing?" Zamasu asked, blinking a few times, like he was coming out of a dream.

"Is that what you truly think of me?" Judith asked him coldly. "That I am some simple minded creature, destined to destroy and spread evil?" Judith looked at Zamasu calmly as she paraphrased Demasu's words: "To deceive with a sly nature."

For a while they just stared at each other. They were opposites, their predispositions, their ideas, their natures, but yet, their hearts beat as one.

Zamasu finally spoke. "No. That is not what I think of you." 'Oh. How comforting.' Little Miss Judy spat. "I think part of you is mortal." Zamasu continued, "But there is another part of you. A part only I have seen." He briefly thought back to that day in the tea garden. "I think you cannot remember anything clearly because the Grand Minister tried to keep your memories locked away, so that they would remain lost to you." Zamasu had placed his hand on top of Judith's, which was still firmly planted on his chest. Judith could feel herself becoming putty in his hands again. "And if everything of this is true or none of it, I do not think, I know, I would still love you all the same." Judith's breath caught in her throat at his bold, unabashed admission of love. "Don't you see Judith?" Zamasu's voice had become a whisper. "I am bound to you, just as you are to me." He placed his forehead against hers.

Judith never thought she would hear words like this fall from his lips, and she also knew she would probably never hear the like again. All thoughts of fear and doubt had gone flying out the window and Little Miss Judy quietly cursed inside that she had allowed him to persuade her so easily.

"Where do we go from here?" Judith asked softly after a while, pulling her face away from his.

"Just stay with me." Was all Zamasu said as he leaned in toward her for the hundredth time and seizing her lips in a tender kiss.

Later, while they both lay panting again, bodies trembling, and helpless in each other's embrace, Judith whispered into Zamasu's ear: "I will follow you to the end of time."