Chapter 32

~ A Strange Encouter ~

"How much longer are you going to ignore me?"

Judith's eyes snapped open. "Wha-?" She was standing in complete darkness. The last thing she remembered was lying in the sweet embrace of Zamasu. He had collapsed on top of her after they both had steadily came down from the bliss that were their coupling. She had clung to him and he had stayed deep within her until she felt him slip out and only then did he roll onto his side, taking her with him. They had stared at each other without saying a word, his grey eyes burning a hole through her already shredded soul and as sleep had overtook her, Judith remembered the soft words he spoke: "I love you."

"Come now." The voice spoke again. "I know you can hear me."

Judith strained her eyes to see through the darkness. "Who are you?" She asked out loud, her voice strangely echoing in the vast space of blackness.

"Who I am is complicated." The voice answered.

Slowly Judith's eyes grew accustomed to the darkness and she could faintly make out silhouettes of items. 'Where the hell am I?' She had meant the question as a thought, but instead her words rang out loudly through the space. "What is this?" She asked apprehensively, just as another shape started to come into view. A shape that was all too familiar. "What are you?" Judith asked softly, fearing the answer as the darkness started to lift.

"That's much less complicated." The shape said as it took another step forward and came into focus.

Judith steeled herself at the sight before her. It was as if she was looking in a mirror, except her reflection had red eyes and a wicked smile.

"I am the real you."

Judith could only stare at the apparition in front of her at a complete loss of words.

'"You see," the copy started speaking. "Despite our dear old stepdad's efforts," she practically spit out the name of the Grand Priest in disdain, "He couldn't really get rid of me, despite his best efforts. So instead, he banished me here." She motioned around herself. "Locked so deep in the recesses of your mind, had it not been for that fortunate accident on Planet Venera, I would probably still be tucked away."

Judith thought back to that glorious surge of power she felt before the ground had given way beneath her and she had bashed her head into the next millennium.

The mirror image chuckled lightly before saying. "It was a rather glorious feeling, wasn't it?" referring to the memory Judith had just recalled.

Comprehension dawned on Judith. "This is all happening inside my head?"

"Bingo." The copy answered sarcastically. "Seriously, it took you long enough to figure that out."

Judith regarded the copy sceptically. "If that's true," Judith spoke. "Why are we in Lord Beerus's abode?" The darkness had completely dissipated and Judith had immediately recognized the room. It was the same room she had woken up in after the Grand Priest had taken her.

Once again her copy laughed bitterly. "Unfortunately, 'Daddy' didn't have much of an imagination, if he had one at all." Judith saw the fury burning in the red eyes. "This was the best he could come up with… an unimaginative copy of a room he saw." Her tone was bitter as she spoke and Judith couldn't help but sympathize. Of all the places in the multiverse, this is the best he could come up with?

"Why am I here?" Judith asked the dark shade.

"Your body is asleep," her mirror explained, "So it was no longer necessary for your conscience self to be there."

"I know HOW I got here." Judith said impatiently. "I asked WHY I am here."

The dark shade chuckled. "Good to know that you are not entirely the 'goody-two-shoes' push-over that 'Daddy' had envisioned." Turning serious in an instant she answered, "I called you here… to talk."

Judith felt a sharp pain pierce her heart and she levelled her counterpart with a knowing stare. "There is no need to talk," she said evenly, even though it felt as if her insides were being torn apart, "You and I both know what needs to be done."

Her counterpart looked evenly at her. "We do."

"I just have one question for you," Judith said. "And two requests."

The dark shade raised an eyebrow at her before saying, "Go on."

"Will I still exists when I allow you to take over?" Judith asked, hoping against hope for the answer she wanted to hear. For a moment the two just looked at each other before the dark mirror answered.

"Yes. You and I will simply exchange places. You will be condemned to the recesses of your own mind, locked away."

Judith simply nodded in acknowledgement. Off course it was too much to ask for. She was secretly hoping that by some miracle this darker self wold be able to kill her or that she might just fade away into nothingness.

"And the requests?" The mirror asked.

"The first, I am sure you will enjoy." Judith said. "I need you to pay a visit to our dear stepfather, and make sure he understands the exquisite pain he has caused me and ensure that he does not allow this to happen again." Judith heard the malevolence in her own voice as she spoke.

An evil smirk had appeared on her counterpart's face that made Judith shiver. "It will be my genuine pleasure." She said and Judith had no doubt that it would be. "And the second request?"

Judith struggled to find the words, instead, she simply said his name. "Zamasu." Her voice shaking and she saw her other-self, blink and swallow heavily she softly spoke.

"I will not take over until you are ready." She simply stated.

"How will you know?" Judith asked, her voice soft and sombre.

"You and I are one. And even though THIS part of you," she gestured to herself, "is incapable of emotion, we share the same mind. When you are ready… I will know."

Judith nodded in acquiescence and with one last backward glance at what she will become, her vision faded into darkness.

… Universe 10 Planet of the Kais ….

"Mmh-mmh-mmmmmh-mmmmmh, mmh-mh-mmmmmh-mmmmmh…" Gowasu was humming the newest song he had heard on God Tube (something about ladies and rings). He was on his way to his tree, he needed a nice and peaceful afternoon underneath its ever-changing leaves.

"What's up!?"

"Wha-" Gowasu almost jumped in surprise at the sudden voice. Across the courtyard he could see not only Whis and Lord Beerus approach him, but also the saiyan Goku and none other than their universe's Supreme Kai, Shin.

"My. Another surprise visit." Gowasu said before stepping out from behind the tea trolley to make a respectful bow toward the destroyer god. "Has something happened to bring you here?" He asked with a pointed look at Whis. Zamasu had been missing since their last strange conversation and he could only hope it had nothing to do with Judith.

To his surprise, it was Shin that spoke first. "Well, first off all, I'm relieved to see you're alright."

Gowasu looked puzzled. "What does that mean? Why wouldn't I be?" he asked, wondering if he had missed something.

It was Lord Beerus that spoke next. "Is Zamasu here?" his asked, his tone bored as usual.

"We would like to see him most urgently." Whis added by way of explanation, whilst giving Gowasu a knowing look. So it was as he had feared…. Judith was somehow involved.

Looking abashed, Gowasu had no other choice but to admit: "I'm so sorry to disappoint you, but I'm afraid he's been an absentee since early this morning."

"Absentee?" Lord Beerus repeated disapprovingly.

"And where might he be?" Whis asked, trying his hardest to sound non-pulsed, but Gowasu had noticed the slight stiffening in his shoulders.

"That's just it," Gowasu explained. "I have no idea. Tell me, has my apprentice done something wrong?" he asked, his concern growing with every passing second.

"Is there anything about Zamasu that's been bothering you lately Kai, excluding our mutual female acquaintance?" Lord Beerus asked point blank.

"Bothering me?" Gowasu asked, his unease growing with every second. "How do you mean?"

"Talk of devine justice for example." Lord Beerus answered almost immediately.

He could not have been more right if he tried and Gowasu tried his best to hide his surprise. "Aah. Divine justice." Gowasu repeated lamely. "He's still a young Kai." Gowasu said, the urge to protect his student winning out. "I have already put those doubts to rest." and quietly added : 'I hope'.

But Lord Beerus was not easily swayed with his answer. "Doubts you say?" he pressed.

"Zamasu is in the process of learning his divine duties and in due time will oversee the 10th universe as its supreme Kai, as I have for ions. What is the meaning of mortality? Of wisdom? What is the essence of godhood? We watch the ups and downs of countless worlds and questions arise." Gowasu tried desperately to explain away Zamasu's strange behaviour. "He and I maintain a healthy dialogue."

But Lord Beerus was still not satisfied with his answer. "Questions? That's a gentle way of putting it." He pinned Gowasu with his yellow eyes. "And your saying those questions have been put to rest?" He asked, sounding completely unconvinced.

"Yes." Gowasu answered with an air of finality. "Right now his soul is perfectly clear." deciding to ignore the few instances of dark and bitter tea he had received. "For a time he was apprehensive about a Kai's role, about the interplay between good and evil and his own desire for justice, but I have helped him understand the perspective necessary for a Supreme Kai and he has opened the door that leads to enlightenment."

Little did he know of how wrong he would be in his assumption. His visitors had left him in the courtyard shortly afterwards with something called 'sticky rice cakes'. Gowasu decided that he would keep them for when Zamasu returned and they could enjoy them together.

… Judith and Zamasu …

Judith lay awake and watched Zamasu's chest rise and fall with every breath he took. After her enlightening chat with herself she had awoken with a start just in time to see the last echoes of black energy that had started to radiate from within her, disappear. She had felt a sting in her hands only to discover that she was clenching her fist so tightly, her tails had dug into her palms. She watched as the half-moon shaped wounds healed themselves, the only evidence that was left of the lesions, were the black pulsing veins in their place. She knew there was little time left. And so, she had turned to Zamasu's sleeping form and had tried to memorize very inch of him.

"How long are you going to keep staring at me?" Zamasu suddenly asked without opening his eyes.

Judith was momentarily both stunned and annoyed. How long had he been awake and how had he known she was looking at him?

"For as long as possible." Judith answered him instead. "I didn't think you off all people would mind, what with your overblown ego and masochism." She couldn't help but tease him, if only to forget for a moment of their reality.

His eyes snapped open, levelling her with a noteworthy glare. A few months ago, if he had given her such a look, she might have felt intimidated perhaps even scared, but now, it only made her laugh at how easy it was to rile him up.

"Is something funny?" He asked in a serious, almost angry voice, and this only caused Judith to laugh a bit harder.

Through her laughter she managed to say: "You still have an egregious sense of humour." Thinking back to that day that they were on their way to Gowasu's tree and the banter they had exchanged. The memory made her sober almost immediately. It felt like a lifetime ago, but before she could think any further, Zamasu had rolled back on top of her, pinning her hands.

"And I distinctly remember telling you that your sense of humour angers me." He said as he bent down to capture her lips, but then, his eye caught sight of her palm and the network of black lines that was pulsing there. "What?"