Chapter 27

"What do you want now?" A nervous Master Zuno asked as he watched his attendant get to his feet with difficulty. "I still don't know where this individual known as Judith is located." He watched anxiously as the Kai advanced toward him having knocked his attendant from his path.

"Do not worry yourself sage, it is no longer a matter of concern. What I want now is for you to tell me about the Super Dragonballs. Tell me everything that you know." He said in a dangerously low voice.

"Very well." Master Zuno answered, looking slightly less anxious. "I shall give you a comprehensive answer on these cosmic artifacts. Super Dragonballs are called wish orbs. They were created in the year 41 of the divine calendar by the dragon god Zalama and they are perfectly spherical planet sized celestial objects measuring exactly 3796.2204 kilometres in diameter. Super Dragonballs are rare and number only 7, they are divided between 6th & 7th universes." Master Zuno paused, cheekily clearing his throat. "Uh-uhm." Zamasu, quick to pick-up on Master Zuno's act of defiance, grimaced in anger as he continued to listen. "In the centre of each pale yellow sphere there is a unique arrangement of red star shaped markings numbering them one through seven- Aaaaaaaaah."

Zamasu had heard enough. With lighting fast reflexes he threateningly sliced his hand over Zuno's neck, allowing the energy of his instant severance attack to just slightly breeze over the sage's neck.

"I am a Supreme Kai in training," Zamasu said rubbing his hand suggestively while Zuno was check if his head was still attached to his body. "And can easily eliminate you if I choose, so suggest you don't waste my time."

"But you requested that I tell you everything I know about the Super Dragonballs which is precisely what I am doing." Master Zuno explained innocently.

Scowling, Zamasu spat. "Just skip the trivia and tell me how to use them."

"Huh. Yes." Master Zuno swallowed heavily. "Off-course. I'm sorry." Taking a breath he continued. "Using them is quite easy. But first you must locate them spread across the vast expanse of the 6th & 7th universes and gather them all together in preparation of the summoning. Then once they have been collected you must speak in the divine tongue. You must recite the phrase come forth divine dragon and grant my wish peas and carrots."

"Peas and carrots?" Zamasu asked incredulously, wondering if Zuno was once again taking the mickey out of him. "Really?"

"That's the grand phrase, yes." Zuno said sweating nervously. "Once you say that the divine dragon will be summoned forth and grant you any single wish that you desire without limitation. After that wish is fulfilled the Super Dragonballs will be dispersed again across universes 6 and 7 and wait in silence for another seeker with an unfulfilled wish to gather them again."

Considering the flushed state of the sage in front of him, he decided that Zuno was indeed telling the truth. "Where exactly are they waiting in silence sage?"

"I'm afraid I can say no more." Master Zuno said defiantly.

Within the blink of an eye, Zamasu's hand was once again threateningly close to Zuno's neck as he spoke. "You will, if you want to live." With his hand this close, he would merely have to concentrate his energy and the blade would pierce Zuno's neck.

"But even if you can locate them now they won't help you for a summoning occurred to recently. The brilliant and celestial glow of their power is faded and their efficacy is gone." Zuno hastily explained.

"So how much time till they can be used again?" Zamasu asked.

"The span between the birth and death of a cockroach." Zuno carelessly answered.

"What?!"The tone of Zamasu's voice literally screamed death.

Zuno, quickly realizing his folly hastily clarified. "That means nearly one year from now."

"Almost a year? You sure?"

"You will have to wait Kai." Zuno said in reply, satisfaction evident in his tone. " Have patience."

"You will tell me precisely where the orbs have gone." Zamasu said without looking at Zuno.

"I what?!" Master Zuno asked, his voice a few decibels higher than usual.

"That's not all." Zamasu said, his eyes shimmering with hatred. " I want to hear everything you know about the mortal named Goku."

"The saiyan Goku?" Master Zuno asked for clarification.

… Planet Venera …

Judith sat in silence. It had been some time since Whis finished and patiently waited as she turned the facts over and over in her head. Whis had relit the fire and watched as the shadows danced in her eyes, which held a faraway look. Finally Judith broke the silence.

"Why are you telling me this?" her voice barely a whisper. "Or is this another poor attempt on the Grand Minister's part to seemingly save the 'bastard child' of a deity?" she sounded bitter even to herself.

Whis considered his answer carefully, deciding to ignore the last bit concerning the 'bastard child'. "Actually it was Lord Beerus that put forth the idea, I just ran it by the Grand Minister. Quite frankly Judith, the Grand Minister is already resigned to your fate."

Judith looked at him expectantly, to quote Whis, she 'quite frankly' did not give a rat's ass about the Grand Minister. When Whis made no attempt to continue she spat irritably: "I did not ask you who's clever idea this was," putting sarcastic emphasis on the word clever. "I asked why you chose to act on it?"

Blushing slightly at his seemingly idiotic slip, he humbly responded. "Why don't you ask Lord Beerus?"

"Because I'm asking you Whis!" Judith said losing her temper, struggling to keep her energy in check.

Whis, deciding not to test her patience further, hastily explained. "To roughly relay Lord Beerus's reasoning, he believes that you, for once, deserved the right to make your own choices in life and not follow a path that was predicated for you by others. He wanted you to at least have some control over your life." He paused before quietly adding. "And your death."

Judith could not help but scoff. "Well what a guy." Her word's dripped with sarcasm.

"Despite what you may think," Whis said defensively, "Lord Beerus has always been opposed to the Grand Minister's decisions when it came to you. Now that may not sound like much, but coming from a narcissistic destroyer, he might as well have said he actually cares about you."

Another long silence ensued. Whis watched as a crease appeared on Judith's brow before she asked: "Does he know?"

"Who? Zamasu?" Whis asked,

"No, I mean Pope Benedict the 17th." Judith said sarcastically. "Off-course I mean Zamasu!"

"Ohohohoh" Whis chuckled at his second act of idiocy. "Forgive me Judith!" Laughing light heartedly as only an angel could, but he quickly collected himself when he met her murderous glare. "No. Zamasu knows nothing." He said seriously, all traces of a smile or a laugh gone.

After another few moments Judith let out a defeated sigh, slumping her shoulders, the weight of the information crashing down on her.

Whis looked at her sadly. He found himself wishing that he could somehow offer her some decree of solace, but he knew there would be no solace to find. No prospective outcome. Nothing he could say to comfort her.

When Judith spoke again, her voice was empty, void of any emotion. "I suppose I should thank you Whis. You and Lord Beerus. But you will forgive me for not jumping with enthusiasm to do so." Judith did not look at Whis as she spoke, instead she stared unseeingly into the flames.

"You do understand what this means, don't you?" Whis asked after another long silence.

Judith continued to stare into the flames as she answered him. "I do." Her voice still empty. "And I know what it is that you're asking of me."

Whis looked at her puzzled. "I didn't ask you anything Judith."

Judith gave a snort. "You didn't have to Whis. You know I do have some decree of intelligence, even if you don't believe it."

"Then pray tell, what is it?" Whis pushed, wanting to be sure that Judith understood the gravity of the situation and the extent of what the collateral damage may be.

"You want me to choose between this universe's existence and…" Judith struggled to even say the words. "And Zamasu's life." Judith could literally feel her heart tear. She could not even bare to think of a life without him, to think that he was d-. 'NO!' her mind protested. She would not allow herself to even think that word.

"Judith, I hope you understand the implications if you do not do the right thing." Whis said, careful to not upset her.

Judith snapped her head toward Whis, her eyes burning into him as she spoke. "Tell me, Whis, if love were a choice, who would ever choose such exquisite pain of having that love stolen away from the,? Not that I expect you to understand." She was starting to allow her anger to seep through. "Have you ever loved someone so much that you experience actual physical pain when they are not with you? Have you ever experienced anything so intense that you stopped to exist as a person and be replaced as one part of a whole? Have you ever felt like your chest could barely contain your heart because it no longer belongs to you, but to someone else? What did you expect me to say?" Judith asked Whis angrily. "Did you truly expect me to choose this cruel and pathetic universe over him?"

Whis stared at her incredulously. "Judith, this is not just a few planets and stars we're talking about, this is an entire universe wiped from existence, trillions of lives lost because you choose one man above them!" Whis could not believe that he had to convince her of this. Surely she knew what the right thing was, regardless if she was a reaper.

"He is my universe Whis." She answered him flatly. "Now please leave. We have nothing further to discuss." She returned to stare into the fire, but Whis made no attempt to move.

"I know you Judith. I have literally lived with you for 6 lifetimes, 7 if you include this one. You were many things, but you were never cruel." Whis placed his hand on top of hers, desperately trying to appeal to her human side. "And I refuse to believe that you would engage in such an act of cruelty to let others die because of your selfishness."

"You have no right to ask this of me." Judith whispered.

"I know." Whis answered. "But only you can make the right choice Judith and you know what the right choice is." He said gently.

"I need some time." Judith said. "I need to be alone. I need to think." Whis was going to object just as Judith begged. "Please." Her eyes were pleading. Reluctantly, Whis agreed and moved to exit her room. He paused at the door, looking back at where she sat, staring into the flames once more before silently closing the door, leaving her to her thoughts.

… Universe 10 Planet of the Kais…

Gowasu once again sat in the middle of the temple courtyard. He had just finished a cup of perfectly brewed tea. He picked up the pot to pour himself another cup when it came up short. "My goodness is it empty already?" he asked, surprised that he had finished the entire pot all by himself.

He made a mental note to endeavour to cut back on his tea intake. How Judith managed to live without it, he had no idea. Without hesitation, Gowasu called upon his apprentice. "Zamasu. I'm in need of another pot of tea." But no answer came.

"Zamasu?" Gowasu asked again, not accustomed to his apprentice not being there. "Zamasu!?" he called a little louder, but still no answer came.

"Where in the world did he go?" he asked out loud before scowling Zamasu inwardly. 'Probably sneaked of to his so-called paradise.' Was all Gowasu thought before getting up to brew his own tea for once.

… Planet Venera …

As soon as the door closed, Judith jumped up from the arm chair she was sitting in thoroughly pleased with her acting skills. She grabbed her coat and silently slipped out the window into the cold, making a be-line for the woods. As far as she understood, no-one except for Zamasu could sense her energy signal now, unless she lost control again, which she dearly hoped would not happen again. As soon as she was out of sight of the cabin she slowed her pace.

Judith's mind was racing. It felt like a thousand thoughts rushed through her head and flashed before her eyes. It did not matter how hard she tried, she could not calm her mind, only when she thought back to those few precious moments with Zamasu, did she acquire some measure of control. Her breath made white gusts on the cold air as she wandered slowly further into the woods.

She desperately needed to get control of her mind and emotions, all of which seemed to have gone hay-wire since her incident in the woods. It felt as if someone had given her a shot of adrenaline straight to the heart and Judith shuddered to think what would have happened if she had not fell and hit her head. She slowed to a stop as a clearing came into view. Everything was deathly quiet, something that suited her well at the moment. She took a seat on a boulder that stuck out at an odd angle from the ground and crossed her legs. To anyone who would have seen her then, she would've appeared to be meditating, holding her specific pose unmoving.

No sooner had she closed her eyes, when the flood of emotions assailed her, the strongest of which was anger and rage. 'Did they really think I would choose anything above Zamasu!?' Her eyes shot open, the red slivers in her irises expanding at her growing emotions. She took a deep breath. 'Calm yourself Judith.' She told her self before she closed her eyes and tried again, this time having some a bit more success sorting through the overload of information Whis had shared with her and her returning memories. She struggled to supress the wild emotions that threatened to overwhelm her.

Whis's meaning was clear. If this universe she was in now were to survive, Zamasu had to die. "Your nature will envelop him Judith, drive him to give into his darkest whims, even as we speak, it had already begun." Whis had said. She remembered asking him how he would know such a thing and his answer was equally clear. "Your souls are bound together now, inseparable, your mark is proof of that. If you seek certainty, take a look at your potaras." Judith had gone to her room and returned with the jewels in the palm of her hand. She had gasped when she had taken them out of the drawer. Her perfect pure white crystals was being invaded by what can only be described as a black cloud, swirling, and pushing ever further. "The more you are corrupted, the more they will change, and rest assured, the same thing will be happening with Zamasu's earrings as well." She felt the anger threaten to surface once again. How can she become corrupted if her very nature is to corrupt and devour souls? She forced the emotion away.

Judith found it hard to believe that Zamasu would be capable of such genocide as what Whis described, but she also knew there was a darkness inside him. A darkness obscured by his unshakable principles. "Entire species wiped away, hundreds of planets cleansed of their inhabitants, indescribable acts of cruelty, horrific scenes of suffering Judith. All at the hands of Zamasu. And all because you are the catalyst that started it all." Whis had said. "Each time it ended with the Omni king destroying that universe, wiping it from existence."

Even as Whis spoke, somewhere in the back of Judith's mind, she had started formulating a plan before she even realized she was doing it and now it was time to earnestly consider said plan. For the hundredth time in the past few hours, she whished she could just fall asleep and once gain wake up in Zamasu's embrace. Her hand once again traced over the area where her mark was. A slight jolt of electricity shot through her body at the touch. On the Planet of the Kais in Universe 10, Zamasu felt the strange sensation travel down his spine.

… Universe 10, Planet of the Kais …

Seated in the middle of the temple courtyard, miraculously without any tea or teapot in front of him, Gowasu sat… a rare sight indeed. He had a piece of parchment spread out I before him, indulging in one of his few hobbies: Chinese calligraphy, the other two being gardening and watching beetle wrestling.

Rubbing the inkstick against the inkstone Gowasu thought. 'Where is he?' He checked the ink for consistency before continuing his train of thought. 'I know I gave him some time of and I have nothing against having some leisure time, but this is just ridiculous.'

Gowasu resolved that he would contact Whis if Zamasu did not make his appearance soon, he was obviously off planet as he could not sense him. The whole situation was becoming more and more suspicious by the second. First there was his apprentice's unexplained absence, then the atrocious act on Barbari, the sudden discoloration of Zamasu's potara's shortly thereafter… something fishy was going on.

Despite his better knowledge, Gowasu could not help but wonder if Judith was somehow involved in his apprentice's peculiar behaviour. Gowasu stopped his efforts on the inkstone and sighed heavily. 'When did everything go to pot?' he thought, despite already knowing the answer: the day Judith had set foot on his planet.

… Planet Venera, The Cabin on the Lake …

Fizz had decided to check on Judith after she did not join them for dinner that evening. Attempting to keep the panic out of his voice he had stepped back into the living room where Whis was enjoying his meal while Lord Beerus and Goku seemed to be swallowing everything whole.

"We may have run into a little snag." Fizz said to no-on in particular.

Whis raised an eyebrow inquiringly. "Oh?"

"Judith is not in her room." Fizz announced tightly.

Whis nodded slowly in acknowledgement. "Yes. That can be problematic."

"Did your check the bathroom?" Goku asked, his mouth stuffed with food. Fizz decided to ignore him and not answer his ridiculous question. Later, when no-one would notice, he would slip back into the room to check the restroom, just for in-case.

"Well?" Fizz asked, looking at Whis. "What do you propose we do?"

Whis merely continued his meal, only answering once he was finished. "I suspected that she would possibly slip away."

"We have no way to find her Whis." Fizz said, irritated by Whis's calmness.

"I know." Whis said indifferently.

"It is sub-zero outside." Fizz said, his reserve crumbling with every passing second.

"Very observant of you." Whis said, dabbing at his mouth with a handkerchief.

Fizz clenched his fists, taking a deep breath to clam himself before speaking again. "Don't you think we should at least attempt to find her?" His voice was shaking.

"Mmmmh. No. I don't think so." Whis said smiling. Fizz was just about to launch himself over the table at his brother when Whis quickly added. "We have no way of tracing her, you said it yourself." Whis looked over at Lord Beerus and Goku that was now fighting over the last spring roll. "Don't worry yourself Fizz. He won't let any harm come to her."

Fizz knew who Whis was referring to and he too knew that Zamasu would never let anything happen to her if the past was anything to go on. Still, he hated the idea of leaving Judith's safety in the hands of a clearly unstable and corrupted Kai, but he had no choice…

… Planet Venera, A Clearing in the Woods …

When Judith finally opened her eyes, she was surrounded by darkness. Night had fallen and much to her surprise Judith did not feel fear, instead she felt a strange comfort in the sea of blackness. A reassurance gripped her heart as she discovered that she had no problem seeing through the darkness, as if it weren't night at all. 'Probably one of the many perks of being and evil soulless bitch…' Little Miss Judy commented sarcastically.

Judith scoffed at her own self-conscious as she stretched out her aching limbs climbing from the boulder. She smiled feeling very satisfied with herself and decided that she had the right to feel smug. She had managed to still the storm inside her and organized her mind. In the calmness she found a clarity, an outcome for the nightmare she found herself in.

Through the trees she could see the cabin in the distance, it's lights radiating a welcome warm glow. She regarded the scene for a moment. Inside the cabin were the two angels that were her brothers and the destroyer god that was her conditional friend. Judith knew that she would eventually have to return, but she had absolutely no desire to be enveloped in that warm cosy glow, no desire to go to the people who were familiar to her that she now finally remembered, no desire to experience their sibling love or sit through meaningless conversations. The only thing Judith desired in that moment was to be held by Zamasu. With a heavy sigh she braced herself for the onslaught that awaited her as she started to make her way down to the cabin on the lake.