Universe 7's Sacred World was much nicer than 10's, in Hana's opinion. It wasn't as bright, or hot. It had a lot of mountains and rivers, which U10 lacked, possessing instead mostly long stretches of flat grassland. U7's trees didn't shed and make her sneeze, also. Which speaking of, she was enjoying the shade of one while drinking tea with the Supreme Kai of this universe, Shin, and was trying to ignore the look of confusion and horror he just couldn't shake from his face, although he was trying.
Hana stared at Zamasu's reflection in her tea. She knew she was making Shin very uncomfortable, but he wouldn't tell her why- it puzzled her; after all, Zamasu wasn't a repulsive figure, quite the contrary. Yet, the atmosphere remained oddly tense. "I appreciate your hospitality, Shin. I hope my presence isn't causing too much inconvenience. It wasn't my intention to intrude like this," she murmured into her tea cup, suddenly not thirsty.
Shin snapped out of his stare to respond.
Shin's attempt at a smile faltered slightly as he poured more tea, his expression holding a hint of unease. "Yes, Universe 7 does seem to attract its fair share of unusual events," he admitted, with a touch of apprehension. "Your arrival certainly adds to that reputation." As he recounted his initial doubts about Hana's story in his mind, Shin's brows furrowed with lingering uncertainty. "I must admit, I had my reservations at first, given our history," he confessed, his gaze flickering briefly towards Hana. "But King Kai assured me of the truth of your situation." Curiously, this wasn't the Universe 7 that the South Kai had originally contacted, much to the King Kai of this timeline's surprise. It made sense once Shin was made privy to the situation, and realized there was a Time Ring involved, though it obviously bothered him why his Universe 7 was tethered to it.
Hana smiled- King Kai- the her, the North Kai, of this Universe. He looked like Aoume, she heard all of the lower quadrant Kai did here.
"For the benefit of both our Universes, it's best you stay here until your Supreme Kai can get a better handle on things." Shin stopped himself there. Zamasu was the Supreme Kai in her timeline. Shin couldn't quite bring himself to say his name out loud in regards to that title. Not after everything he did.
As Hana observed Shin, she couldn't help but contrast his demeanor with that of Zamasu's. Despite their shared title of Supreme Kai, they seemed worlds apart in temperament. Shin's kindness and openness stood in stark contrast to Zamasu's stern and often judgmental nature. Being in Shin's presence instilled a sense of calm and safety in Hana, a feeling she rarely experienced around Zamasu. It was strange to think that despite Zamasu's immense power, she felt more at ease with Shin.
Hana also appreciated Shin's genuine interest in mortals, something she rarely had the opportunity to discuss with Zamasu. The Supreme Kai's disdain for mortals was well known, and he rarely entertained Hana's fascination with them. Reflecting on her past transgressions, Hana felt fortunate that she hadn't been caught shuttling mortals around her sector while Zamasu held the title of Supreme Kai. The consequences would have undoubtedly been severe, far worse than the slap on the wrist Gowasu had given her.
She thought for a moment about what Shin had just said, and looked up at him curiously. "What do you mean given our history? Do you know our Supreme Kai?"
Shin hesitated, grappling with the weight of what he knew. It was a burden he wasn't sure he should share, especially given the complexity of their situation. The memory of Zamasu and Black's reign of terror, which ultimately led to the erasure of that timeline by Zeno, was a heavy one to bear. Hana and the others were from an alternate timeline, unaware of the horrors that had unfolded elsewhere. Was it his place to tell her? The thought churned in his mind as he carefully considered his response.
"It's nothing," Shin lied, poorly. "Just a minor inconvenience, really. This universe has its fair share of strange occurrences, so body swap problems aren't entirely unheard of." He hoped his vague explanation would suffice, concealing the deeper truth that lingered beneath the surface.
Hana crossed her arms. "I don't believe you," she said sternly. It hurt her to think it, but she wouldn't be surprised if Shin said Zamasu had done something awful.
Shin softened his gaze. "Well - Hana, is it? - Please remember, the Zamasu I'm talking about, is not your Supreme Kai. They are not exactly the same individual." It was wrong of him to plant a seed of doubt in her mind about her Supreme Kai. Her timeline's Zamasu did nothing wrong. Yet. "I don't know how much you really want to know about all this anyway. It's not appropriate."
Hana grabbed at the sides of the table. She could feel herself getting upset again. Angry. She tried to push the feeling down, but she wanted to know the story. "What if knowing something from back then could help us now?" She had a feeling Shin knew exactly what was going on with her timeline. "You have to tell me!" She sprang up and grabbed him by his collar.
Shin put his hands up to try to soothe the riled up Kai, whose iron grip he was caught. What if Hana didn't have control of that body? She looked agitated. He didn't need an out of control fused Zamasu tearing his Sacred World up. "Ok, ok." He watched as she powered down and relaxed. "The long story short, is that the Zamasu you are presently in, is a Potara fusion."
"We guessed that much." Hana cut him off.
"As I was saying…he's a Potara fusion between a Zamasu from one timeline, and another Zamasu, from a different timeline, who took control- like what happened to your body- of a powerful mortal named Son Goku." Shin looked at her very seriously.
Hana paused, processing the Supreme Kai's words, before erupting into uncontrollable laughter. "Zamasu? Inside a mortal's body? Oh, come on now, you must be joking," she managed between fits of laughter. "Zamasu and mortals? That's like oil and water." She wiped away tears, her laughter gradually subsiding. "You should see how many he tries to get Rumsshi to obliterate regularly" The idea of Zamasu in a mortal's body? Over his dead body. "I just can't imagine it.".
Shin sighed. That was her take away? Just as well, he thought. "Anyway, separately, they killed an obscene amount of mortals, leveled planets, and completely destroyed that timeline, before finally fusing." He gestured towards Hana to emphasize his last point. "The timeline was so corrupted, that the only solution was for the Omni King to erase it from existence- all beings, planets, stars, gods, multiverse…gone."
Hana was enveloped by a heavy blanket of sadness. Zamasu had done that? But they were Kai—Gods of Creation. They were meant to embody love and compassion; they were tasked with creating, nurturing, and safeguarding the universe. How could a Kai even conceive of something so destructive? How could they harbor such thoughts? Suddenly, she felt profoundly uneasy, more so than usual in her current state. She now understood why Shin was uncomfortable with her. In Zamasu's form, she represented nothing but death and sorrow to him. The fight couldn't be considered a victory if it led to the erasure of an entire timeline. Until now, Hana had been gradually coming to terms with her situation, but now a rising panic gripped her chest; she desperately longed to return to her own body.
Shin noticed her discomfort, and still worried she might be volatile, put his hand on her arm for comfort and comradery. "Remember, it seems your Zamasu is wired differently. Or at the least, has components of his environment that are making a big difference for him. Don't associate him with what I just told you."
"You don't even know him." Hana was on the brink of tears.
"I don't have to. He's a Supreme Kai. He wouldn't have made it that far if he couldn't show the necessary attributes of one."
Hana considered his statement thoughtfully. Her timeline's Zamasu was intense, a little arrogant, and very stubborn, but she wouldn't describe him as cruel.
"I'd advise not to give up on him, or he might set down a destructive path again." Shin realized a bit too late his biggest mistake in this, and that was turning Supreme Kai's Zamasu's support system, his lower Kai, against him.
"Alright. I won't. We won't." Hana grumbled.
"Ok. Well, all this aside, unfortunately what concerns me now, is that I'm afraid there's more than one alternate Zamasu running around your universe."
"What do you mean? Like, more than one me?"
"Yes. It didn't occur to me when I first heard of your situation, but upon reflection, Zamasu was able to make copies of himself after he fused, right before the end. Even if only one managed to escape Zeno's erasure, he could multiply and eventually infect an entire universe. Yours."
"Like a virus." Hana said out loud.
Shin nodded in agreement. "Although I'm happy to allow you stay here if you like for a little while to rest, I'm afraid I have to change my mind and ask you to leave sooner then later. In hindsight, this was a mistake. I can't risk you, or that Time Ring you're wearing, attracting the other copies here. There are incredibly powerful fighters in Universe 7, and if what happened to you, happened here again on an even larger scale, it would be a disaster of unimaginable proportions."
It was during the silence that followed Shin's decision, that they both felt it. Hana picked her head up and looked behind her in her seat. "NO." Shin said out loud. "He wouldn't dare!" He stood up and kicked his chair back, looking around frantically.
What was first a mere shadow in the distance, quickly increased in size as it flew in at a speed so great, it caused a large draft of wind and dirt to nearly blow away the unsuspecting Kai when it finally stopped short in front of them.
Shin and Hana coughed and waved at the air to dispense the dirt around them. Shin couldn't see the perpetrator through the dust, but he didn't have to.
"GOKU! NO! Leave immediately!" He yelled between coughs.
"Aww c'mon Supreme Kai, I just came to say hi!" Said a jovial voice that was beginning to take form as the air returned to normal.
Hana could sense it was a mortal that was upon them, and something felt oddly familiar about him, though she didn't understand yet why. And wasn't Goku the name from the story? She was so fixated on the part where Zamasu destroyed an entire timeline she couldn't remember now.
Shin looked at the mortal in front of them, now clear as day, angrily. "Not a coincidence you chose today, I suspect, Goku! You are to leave, NOW!" He pointed in the direction of where he flew in from. It had to be King Kai that tipped him off, probably innocently, but not the first misstep he made regarding Goku's noncompliance. He was going to get the ear splitting discipline of a century, when he, no Elder Kai, was done with him.
The mortal just ignored the Supreme Kai, walking up to Hana with a grin on his face, trying to hold back laughter. "No one is going to believe this!" he sang, putting his face inches from Hana's and looking into Zamasu's grey eyes. She crossed her eyes as he brought his finger towards her face and landed on her nose. "BOOP!" The mortal was in hysterics. "Oh man, I want to get Vegeta here, it's almost not fair to him!"
"Not going to happen, Goku!" Shin entered himself between the two and created distance between them. "Because you're leaving, NOW, and not saying a word! Let the Kai handle this."
Goku crossed his arms, smiled, and cocked his head to the side. "Like you did last time? Oh, and that's right, you defeated Majin Buu too, I forgot." He turned towards Hana. "I get hit in the head a lot."
Hana observed in awe, momentarily tuning out the argument between the mortal, Goku, and Shin. His aggressive entrance had initially surprised her, but now, having a chance to observe him, she came to a conclusion. He was quite a remarkable mortal! She sensed immense power within him, far beyond what he displayed outwardly. His true strength seemed to lie beneath the surface, waiting to be revealed. He was undeniably fascinating, and she felt a growing eagerness to meet him
"Hello! Goku, is it?" She yelled to get his attention, as he squabbled with the Supreme Kai.
Goku immediately turned in her direction. "No way! That's his voice too! You sound just like him!" He ran up to her as a child would a shiny new toy. "Hey do me a favor and say, 'You filthy mortal, I will eliminate you!' "
Hana paid no mind to Goku's comment, instead seizing the chance to assess him. She got a little too close for comfort, causing him to freeze as she scrutinized him from head to toe. At one point, she even grabbed his hair and then placed her hands around his chest, testing his strength. Goku awkwardly scratched the back of his head as he endured her inspection. Leaning over to Shin, who stood nearby, he whispered, "Hey. This isn't really Zamasu, right? Because this is making me uncomfortable."
Shin shook his head. "No Goku. It's not really him. There's another Kai inside, as I'm sure you were told, because I know you would never purposefully come here to start a fight."
Hana, stood up and brought her face close to his, as he did to her before, and gave him a hard stare for a moment. "Why do I feel like I know you?" She questioned. She felt like his chi was so familiar, and she couldn't put her finger on it.
"Oh!" Shin jumped up. "This is the mortal from the story. Technically, he's half of you."
"Just my body!" Goku snapped back quickly at Shin. "I'm not really in there with you, that's all Zamasu."
Hana nodded, still not quite able to fully process everything she learned today completely, and satisfied with her inspection, finally backed up from the Saiyan, and then bowed politely to him. "I'm Hanakotoba, the North Kai of Universe 10. You can call me Hana, though."
Goku hesitated for a moment, taking in the visual of one of his greatest enemies, bowing to him in respect. He wanted to laugh again if it didn't feel like it was messing with his mind so much. He thought about the name. "Wait, are you a boy or a girl?" Hana sounded kind of girlie to him, but the voice was Zamasu's.
Shin smacked his own forehead in frustration. "She's a girl, Goku. There are female Kai out in the universe."
With that Goku exploded into a fit of laughter again. "Zamasu's a GIRL!" He stopped and thought for a moment. "Wait, where's your body?" he asked Hana. He knew the answer already, but wanted to hear it, out loud, in Zamasu's voice.
"The Zamasu that was inside here has my body." Hana didn't see what was so funny about this.
Goku gave one more uproarious laugh, thinking about how furious Zamasu must be trapped inside this poor girl's body. "Man, this day keeps getting better and better, whew." He collected himself, and bowed back politely to Hana. "I was going to ask you for a fight, but I think that might not be respectful because you're a girl?"
"AND THERE IT IS!" Shin yelled as he reached up and grabbed Goku by his gi and started leading him away. "Thank you Goku, Hana is pleased to meet you, I'm glad we could make your day. Now go home, you don't want to be late for dinner."
Hana gasped. She didn't want him to leave. It had been a long time since she was so close to a mortal, since before her suspension, really, and she was growing fond of him. Plus, he could probably help, considering both his history with the situation as well as that incredible power she was certain he possessed. "Wait! Maybe he can help us." She grabbed Goku's arm and pulled him back from Shin.
Goku was in full agreement of this. "See Supreme Kai? I can help."
"NO." Shin was adamant as he grabbed Goku's gi again and tugged him.
Hana pulled him back further. "You said there might be hundreds of Zamasu's running around! We need help!"
Goku gawked in excitement. "C'mon Supreme Kai! You know I'm leagues stronger now! I can take them! Don't make me beg!"
"Hana, you don't know the full story. I must insist Goku stay here, as far away from your universe, and your Zamasu, as possible."
Shin pulled Goku off his feet a bit with a hard tug.
Hana narrowed her eyes, and gave Goku one more pull towards her, winning the tug-of-war, as he crashed into her. "You said our Zamasu was different. That he might not do the same things the others did. And you know what? I believe he'll do the right thing as Supreme Kai. He cares about us, and his universe."
Goku felt like a ton of bricks just crashed onto his skull. "Wait, hold up- Zamasu is Supreme Kai of your timeline?" Now he was definitely not taking no for an answer.
"Yes." Hana answered. "And he's a good one too, he'll be happy for the help. I know he will, I have a feeling." She looked at Shin sternly. "I say the mortal comes." She was starting to grow tired of everyone dumping on Zamasu, including herself. He wasn't perfect, but he was her Supreme Kai, and deserved her loyalty.
Shin sighed and shook his head. "You're asking me to gamble the future of our respective timelines, on a feeling, Hana?"
"What's the alternative Supreme Kai?" Goku interjected. "Let it get out of hand, and then the Zamasu's bleed out to our universe and our timeline? I'll be respectful, I'll just help."
Shin looked at Goku with a scoff at his last sentence.
"I'll take responsibility for him, Supreme Kai." Hana said with hopeful eyes.
Shin considered his crossroads. Goku was right, as dimwitted as he could be sometimes, he usually was about these things. They were going to need help. And who knows, with Hana's chi signature and Time Ring stamp here now, his timeline might already be marked as the next target. It's possible he already doomed his universe by agreeing to let her stay. "Promise me you'll contact Rumsshi. He has to be in on this." It would give him peace of mind to know the Destroyer was involved.
Hana put her hands together as in prayer, bowed, and nodded in agreement.
Goku grinned and picked up Shin and cracked him with a hug. Hana gasped at a mortal handling a Kai so flippantly, as well as how Shin seemed to not be phased by it. She laughed, and remembering Goku's comment earlier, did her best Zamasu impersonation. "Hey filthy mortal, unhand that Kai with your sinful hands! You should bow down to the god that made you!"
Goku lost it again. "Hey that was pretty good!" He looked at Shin, who looked nonplused. "C'mon that was pretty funny Supreme Kai, lighten up. It's going to be fine."
Shin wasn't so sure. He watched Goku and Hana laughing together as if she wasn't trapped in the body of an extremely dangerous and deadly fighter. One that could impact multiple universes and timelines, should things get out of control again; and more importantly, a fight that Goku technically could not add as a win to his overall record, despite his confidence in handling the situation this time around.
"Supreme Kai!" Hana yelled as she came trotting over. She bowed deeply and respectfully towards him. "Thank you for your temporary sanctuary. And for trusting me with the truth."
He forced a smile. "You're very welcome. I'm just sorry we didn't meet under better circumstances."
"That's what I wanted to ask you!" she said excitedly. "When this is over, and I have my own body again, can I come back sometime? I'd like you to meet the real me, and I want to hear more of your stories about the mortals here."
Shin nodded. At least she was confident this would be over soon. Hubris might be a necessary ingredient in this fight. "Fine by me. But you'll have to clear it with your Supreme Kai, he'll have to escort you with his own Time Ring." He looked at her hand that presently had one. "When this is over, I mean."
"Oh." Hana tried not to show too much disappointment on her face. "Well, we'll see then, I guess. Zamasu doesn't like us asking for a lot of time off from our sectors, usually." She turned her head abruptly to the sound of Goku yelling for her, before she could ask if maybe Shin wouldn't mind asking Zamasu for her, on her behalf.
"Let's go Hanasu!" Goku was yelling and waving her over impatiently as he stretched.
HANASU! Hana laughed out loud. It felt so good to laugh, she felt like it had been so long since she felt genuinely uplifted. She did one more quick bow to Shin before joining Goku, full of excitement, that she just might've saved the 10th Universe