Chapter Text
“NO!”
I sprinted to where his body laid motionless and dropped to my knees. Violet blood seeped into my clothes, but I couldn’t have cared less. I scooped him into my arms, a sense of dread befalling me as I realized how pale his face was.
“Stay with me! Don’t die- you can’t die!”
My throat grew tight with desperation and my vision grew burry as tears poured down my face in large rivers. Oh Zeno, no no no no!
“Please!”
I pressed his head against my chest, holding him in a tight embrace, desperately seeking for any sign of life left in his body. This can't be happening, this can’t be happening!
“Don’t die on me! Please!”
His body was losing strength rapidly. The only thing he managed to do was glance at me, giving me a small, weakened smile that was covered by the blood pouring down his face. The light in his eyes began to fade as his soul left his now lifeless corpse.
“ZAMASU!”
***
Zamasu’s eyes shot open.
With a gasp, he sat up from the bed, drenched in a cold sweat. His chest heaved with every violent breath he inhaled, and he could hear his heart still racing in his chest.
Flicking his eyes to his surroundings, relief washed over him as he recognized the familiar cozy walls of his chambers. Light shone through the thin curtains covering his window, dressing the room in a bright tint. Everything was right in its place, as it had been the day before.
I’m in my bed, Zamasu inhaled slowly, allowing himself to calm down. I’m in my room, I am not in danger… I am safe.
Breathing now at a relatively normal pace, Zamasu turned to glance at the clock sitting at his bedside. The hour hand pointed at the seven, indicating that it was time for Zamasu to get up and start his morning routine for the day. It had crossed his mind once that it was odd Kais used the universal time system the mortals shared- especially considering a year for a Kai would be more than a lifetime for an average mortal- but Zamasu had never bothered to question it too much.
Tossing the bedsheets, Zamasu moved towards the window and swung the frames open to allow the morning breeze to flow into the room and calm the young Kai’s mind. The cool winds assisted in waking him from the lingering remnants of sleep and allowing him to feel refreshed and ready for the day. Zamasu stretched, returning the energy to his muscles as he mentally prepared himself for another day of hard work.
He walked towards his closet, opening the door to retrieve his uniform; a black and gold rimmed overcoat, a purple undershirt, blue baggy pants and the cyan sash that worked to hold the overcoat closed.
As he began to change into his proper attire, a weak memory came into his mind, reminding him of what awakened him so abruptly. He had the most peculiar dream earlier, something Zamasu wasn’t too akin with. He normally had peaceful, dreamless slumbers, with the only exceptions scarce in numbers. These sorts of dreams usually correlated to his state of mind before going to bed for the night. But he possessed no worries as of late, so the horrifying and surreal dream was a surprise to him.
He opted to not mull further on it, having a routine to keep up that he’d much rather focus on than whatever the events of last night had been caused by. After sliding into his shirt and pants with ease, he slipped on his socks and pristine white boots that were sat just against the wall. Then he wraps his black overcoat around himself and ties it off with his sash. Glancing at the mirror, Zamasu can’t help but give a small smile. His appearance was just as any other day; neat and orderly, just as it should always be.
Speaking of which!
Pausing by his bedside, Zamasu smoothed out the blankets and laid them nicely down on the mattress, making sure the bed is nice and neat as how it was when he went to bed the previous night. Smiling as he finished his work tidying the bed, Zamasu swiftly made his way out the door and down to the kitchen to begin preparing today’s breakfast.
He busied his troubled mind with the familiar task of brewing tea and preparing breakfast. Despite doing this daily, he—as a Kai—didn't require nourishment. It was a mere luxury gods indulged in, not something to provide any sort of nutritional values.
The meals Zamasu usually made were composed of all sorts of confectionery goods, like biscuits, cookies and tea cakes to go along with the beverage. Personally, he didn’t enjoy sweets as much as his teacher did. Something about how sweet sugar made things irked him a bit, and he would’ve much rather have made simpler snacks with little to no sugary contents.
But he had to cater to his teacher’s likings here and not his own, so today he was starting off with preparing the usual batch of chocolate chip cookies and vanilla cupcakes with a pot of morning tea to go with it all. Definitely not Zamasu’s first choice, but oh well. Once breakfast is over, he could make something for himself to snack on if he wanted to.
The faint ding coming from the small alarm clock on the counter startled Zamasu out of his musing. Oh, he thought, the cakes are already done? He must really be out of it today, he’s usually much better with spatial awareness. Apparently that nightmare earlier had really messed with him, despite most of the memories of what went down in said dream already having fled the grasp of his mind.
Shaking his head, Zamasu got to work taking the fresh batch of confectioneries out of the oven and setting the cookies down nearly on a tea tray. Then he moved to the still hot cupcakes and began frosting them with the frosting batch he had made yesterday and had leftovers from. Zamasu always disliked throwing out things if he didn’t need to, so it was quite nice putting the last of the previous batch of frosting to use.
Once the cupcakes were finally done, Zamasu added them into the tea tray and got to work brewing the morning tea. He already heated up the kettle, so all that was left to do was to pour the water into the teapot and add in the tea leaves and allow the water to brew into the tea Zamasu’s teacher desired every morning. Ugh, he was already growing quite sick of it, but he’d get over it.
Carefully, Zamasu placed the teapot and two additional teacups onto the tea cart and began pushing the cart down the familiar hallways of the Supreme Kai temple. The walls were quite empty in his opinion, with nothing to decorate them but the shimmering lights that always shined so brightly upon this realm, not even a single potted plant! Well, at least there were no objects to bump into along his path to the familiar large doors that lead to the courtyard.
The doors opened with a loud creak as Zamasu pushed them open, blinking to adjust to the sudden lighting.
He started towards the center of the yard, all the while pushing the cartwheel. The seat Gowasu usually sat on stood unoccupied, signifying he had not yet aroused from his own chambers for the morning. It was an ordinary occurrence for Gowasu to wake later than Zamasu, the young Kai having a habit of waking up early to prepare for the day beforehand while his mentor had a harder time getting out of bed in the early mornings.
Zamasu began laying out the tea cups and plates across the tabletop, organizing them in an orderly fashion so that each plate isn’t out of reach for either- not that he’d eat any of the sweets, but it looked nicer and less heavy on Gowasu’s side- and each cup was positioned at each end of the surface. By the time he finished, the sounds of footsteps echoed from within the temple, letting him know of his teacher’s arrival.
The large pair of doors swung open, followed by Gowasu stepping into the open yard. His movements as he approached were a bit sluggish and uncoordinated, his body still suffering the effects of drowsiness and fatigue.
“Good morning, Master.” Greeted Zamasu, bending forward in a stiff, quick bow. His voice was stoic and monotonous. Gowasu nodded in acknowledgement.
“Good morning, Zamasu.” After exchanging the usual greetings, the two took their respective seats on each side of the table. Zamasu picked up the kettle and tilted it so the now freshly brewed tea could pour smoothly into the teacups. He filled Gowasu’s cup first, avoiding filling it to the brim so he could have the necessary room for the sugar and milk he loved to add to the tea. Zamasu didn’t share his mentor’s enthusiasm for that either, finding their addition to deprive tea of its inherent bitterness.
The two slowly fell into a steady conversation, which consisted of Gowasu voicing simple notes and questions, such as a positive remark on the current events, giving passive praises to Zamasu’s skills, or musing- more to himself than Zamasu- about his plans for the day. To each Zamasu would either nod or repeat common answers mechanically.
So was his routine; work and keep any thoughts to oneself. Never was he directly ordered that way, but it was something he slowly learned as time went on. The conversations which once would arouse his excitement and tug at his nerves in fear of saying a single wrong word as he tried desperately to maintain a polite, knowledgeable front were now nothing more than another boring chore to his daily life. A chore where he would just reiterate common phrases like a parrot instead of voicing his true feelings.
“How did you sleep last night?” The question left Zamasu frozen stiff for a moment. He briefly ran over whether he should disclose the horrifying scene that flashed in his sleep the other night or keep it to himself, before coming to a decision.
“Well,” he responded simply, deciding against revealing any redundant information. The most his teacher could offer was some simple- and honestly pretty useless- advice to meditate before bed. Besides, he could barely remember it anymore anyway. He’d get over it.
The rest of breakfast proceeded in silence. Neither Gowasu nor Zamasu sought to break the silence, there was no need to. Occasionally, there was the quiet sip of tea as both Kais enjoyed their drinks, and even the quiet chewing noise as Gowasu munched at the sweets Zamasu had so carefully made for him. But neither of them spoke to each other.
At long last, Gowasu took his last sip of tea and placed the cup back on its plate. “Zamasu, I must check up on something today.” He stated with a serious voice as he stood up from his seat, “There have been some anomalies occurring in our universe that I wish to get to the bottom of. Keep an eye on the temple whilst I am gone.”
“Yes, master Gowasu.” Came the automated reply, Zamasu remaining seated as his master crossed his arms behind his back. It was typical for him to take care of the temple whenever Gowasu was away, the simple chores that had to be done were placed on Zamasu’s shoulders until Gowasu came back later. Sure, the extra work was somewhat annoying on top of his studies, but Zamasu did them anyway.
With a nod, Gowasu turned tail and walked towards the exit. The doors were opened and he teleported away once he stepped out on the green grass outside the temple grounds, the doors then closing behind him with a loud creak.
Once Gowasu left the courtyard, Zamasu took a deep breath. Breakfast was always quite stressful nowadays, despite that all it consisted of was just repeating things over and over again. Sure, this was better than being all alone on that miniature planet from when he was North Kai, but not by much.
Sighing, Zamasu stood up and placed the teacups and plates- some with leftovers and some without- onto the tray before wheeling it back inside towards the kitchen. He knew if he kept this train of thought up, it would certainly stress him out beyond what he could handle.
As he entered the kitchen for the second time that day, Zamasu began cleaning up the plates as he avoided dwelling on his thoughts. Each plate was washed under the running sink with care, and Zamasu took extra notice in organizing them properly on their shelves in the cabinets. The leftovers were carefully contained in air proof containers before then being placed into the fridge for storage. Hopefully Gowasu would eat them later, Zamasu would hate for them to go to waste.
Once all his work was done, Zamasu smiled a bit. That’s one chore done for the day! But Zamasu already felt exhausted after that breakfast with his master, and not to mention that dream… well, he couldn’t really remember it, but it was stressing him out!
With a huff, Zamasu glanced up at a clock sat hung on a wall in the kitchen. It was still early morning, and he had plenty of time to get his chores done while Gowasu was away. His mind was too confuddled to get any of his work for the day done at the moment, Zamasu knew. He needed to get his mind off of last night!
Maybe a small break is in order!
Zamasu felt the environment around him change as he used his Kai-Kai to teleport to his desired destination. A soft, cool breeze blew onto him, wafting over the familiar and wonderful smell of crisp morning air. He opened his eyes and basked in the sight of his familiar relaxing spot.
He was on some distant planet somewhere in the western part of universe ten. It was a place vacant of any sentient life, so he didn’t have to worry about some mortal wandering too close and spotting him. Gowasu would throw a fit if that happened! And Zamasu would know; it happened before, when he first started his training. Now he’s sure to always avoid traveling to planets inhabited by mortals.
However, in Zamasu’s opinion, these planets without any trace of sentient life were always the most beautiful. The trees here were lush with flowers and green foliage, the ground covered in soft grass and dotted with the occasional small flower patches—even the small stream of water Zamasu stood next to filled him with a sense of calm and happiness. Everything here was just so perfect!
And this was exactly why Zamasu chose this planet to be his relaxing spot.
Whenever the life of his apprenticeship threatened to overwhelm him, he’d retreat to this globe to recharge. It was by far the most beautiful planet Zamasu had ever seen in his universe, and he sought comfort from it more than any other.
Zamasu approached a large boulder just by the river and sat down on it. The rock was warmed by this planet’s sun, but it wasn’t hot enough to burn or make the Kai feel uncomfortable.
If Zamasu could, he would redesign the entire temple grounds to look like this! He never enjoyed being confined to the temple grounds most of the time, so having a break away from it was always something he looked forward to. No matter how roomy he made his chambers… it never could compare to the beauty of natural life.
And furthermore, Zamasu wasn’t even allowed to have his pet pig at the temple! Poor Bancha wasn’t even allowed to see him while he was away studying to become Supreme Kai! Whoever was in charge of watching her while Zamasu was away better be doing a good job, or else he would-
A sudden tingle went down Zamasu’s spine, and he tensed.
There was an uncomfortable feeling in the air all of a sudden.
What the..?
It almost felt like he was being watched. But that was impossible, Zamasu was alone on this planet! Then why..?
Blinking, Zamasu turned his head to his sides. Nothing. Where was this sudden paranoia coming from?
Confused by his sudden unease, Zamasu glanced all around his surroundings. Each bush and tree was closely analyzed by his silver eyes, boring into the world around to find anything that could indicate why he was so paranoid all of a sudden. But upon close inspection of his surroundings, he found nothing amiss.
Not a single blade of grass was out of place, nor were there any unusual looming shadows mixed in with the trees and shrubbery. Nothing… even though Zamasu could swear he could sense a dark Ki nearby…
Zamasu shuddered. “I’m just tired,” he murmured to himself, tearing his focus away from the placebo sensation of eyes boring into his back. No one was there, this planet was void of all sentient life.
But that didn’t help shake the feeling that something was wrong- a presence nearby that Zamasu was unfamiliar with.
Instinctively, his eyes began to search his surroundings more vigorously.
I am alone , Zamasu repeated to himself nervously, growing increasingly unsure of his own words as the feeling lingered. There is no one here. I am alone!
But his heartbeat only increased as he swore he heard a rustling sound nearby. Maybe he wasn’t alone- but this planet had no sentient life! Then what?! I am alone, I have to be alone-
A sudden movement came from the trees, and Zamasu whipped his head around in surprise-
Only to see a lone bird fly out from behind some leaves, cawing as it flew into the sky.
Oh. A bird.
Zamasu sighed in relief. That small animal nearly gave him a heart attack! He didn’t realize one had made a nest near his resting spot! A small, amused chuckle arose from his throat. And he actually began to think he was being watched!
No. Nothing sentient is alive on this planet, save for Zamasu.
A part of him wanted to go back to relaxing, to just rest away his worries that were clearly getting to him. But Zamasu was a bit stressed after that scare; it still weirded him out a little. It wasn’t often his stress manifested itself in the real world as something like paranoia, so the sudden feeling of eyes boring into his back startled the young Kai.
“Maybe I should just get back to work now.” He concluded, standing up off the rock and walking away from the water stream. Besides, it was about time he got back to the temple anyway. Gowasu wouldn’t be too happy if Zamasu wasn’t doing his chores by the time he got back, and the young apprentice didn’t want to anger his master.
Glancing back, Zamasu looked at the tree the bird came from one last time. Maybe he could study the creature later in his offtime. With that thought, he teleported back to the temple, leaving the planet in an instant.
Two lone eyes stared out from just behind the treeline, their raven colored irises boring at the spot where Zamasu last stood.
***
The bright lights from the windows glistened down the halls, guiding Zamasu forwards as he navigated his way through the temple.
It took a while to get all his chores done for the day, especially since he had to add Gowasu’s chores on top of his own because he left for something important earlier. But thankfully Zamasu got them all done before his master returned, and now he needed to get back on track with his studying for the day.
The tile floor under boots clanked with every step he took, echoing across the walls loudly. Zamasu was used to it at this point, but it didn’t help the somewhat empty feeling he had from it. Even when he was North Kai, there was his pet pig to keep him company, but here the only one to speak to was his master Gowasu and he wasn’t too keen on conversing unless it was related to Zamasu’s training or his work.
Zamasu paused in front of two large doors standing in his path. The designated ‘library room’, as Gowasu called it. Zamasu wasn’t too sure what a ‘library’ was, but he was sure he would know soon enough.
He pushed the doors open and took a deep breath as he smelled the crisp scent of paper and books emanating from the room. Walking inside, he couldn’t help but admire the glorious library room before him.
The vast library had shelves taller than the largest of trees, demonstrating the great collection of novels- and even some audio logs- the grand room had. Each shelf was carved from cherry oak wood and lined with gold along the sides and edges. Some lanterns were alight, burning gently yet brightly and casting light onto the large expanse of shelves, never to flicker out because they were crafted from the ki’s of the old supreme Kai’s.
Aside from the small garden and his own personal chambers, this had to be one of Zamasu’s favorite rooms. He just adored being able to fly up into the forest of shelves and search for the newest book to catch his attention away for the next few hours or days. Without much else to do except studying and training, getting lost in fantasy worlds of either fact or rarely even fiction was always a nice distraction from reality.
However, today Zamasu was searching for one specific book in particular. He couldn’t quite remember the title, but he knew what it looked like well enough to discern it from the rest. Flickering his eyes upon the many different shelves, Zamasu made his way over to the one he knew held books on artifacts. There were no labels on the shelves, and it took many tries for Zamasu to actually navigate this place, but thankfully he got familiar with each and every shelf’s contents.
His fingers grazed the books, the smooth texture of their hard spines bringing joy to Zamasu. Some of them were marked with notes of the old Supreme Kai’s, and some were even written in by himself. However, no longer did Zamasu see a purpose in doing so. It didn’t help him remember anything, and it always made him uneasy to be marking up the precious books of the centuries.
The only book he willingly wrote inside these days was his diary, which sat hidden away in his nightstand drawer on the other side of the temple. There was no reason to hide it, he knew, as Gowasu barely ever ventured into his room and would never snoop in on Zamasu’s privacy anyways. Perhaps it was more of a habit that he kept it hidden.
No matter though, Zamasu shook his head, I must begin my studies for the day.
Pulling off a familiar book off of the extensive shelf, Zamasu smiled as he saw the unique royal blue cover with symbols he recognized as letters from the language of the gods. Tneicna stcafitra dna rieht segasu , it read in a bold golden font. Perfect, this was the exact book Zamasu was looking for.
With his book in hand, Zamasu swiftly left the library room and brought the book over to his chambers, setting it on his desk as he sat in his chair. He flipped through the pages, searching for the one he left off on just a few days earlier. Gowasu always insisted on making sure the books were always kept in the library room when neither of them was using them, which was pretty annoying on occasion when Zamasu had to pause his studies for chores or other tasks like sleeping. But what could Zamasu do about it? It wasn’t that big of a deal in the long run, anyway.
Zamasu read the book in silence, skimming each page boredly. He would’ve used the table of contents if they were actually even the slightest bit useful in these books! Most of what was on the paper was rather useless, in Zamasu’s opinion. Seriously, who here needed to know about magical beans that renewed one’s stamina?! Those aren’t even in the tenth universe! Besides, he was looking for a specific artifact Gowasu wanted him to read up on.
Senzu beans, a type of legume grown in universe seven - skip.
The nankinjō stones are a suppressant type of artifact- skip.
The Dragon Balls are- Skip! Skip! Skip!
The time rings- oh finally! A sigh of relief practically left the apprentice as he finally reached his designated page. Zamasu decidedly despised whoever made the table of contents so long on these books!
Just earlier the previous morning, Gowasu had insisted Zamasu read up on the time rings. He went on about them being important to know about when he becomes Supreme Kai one day. If they were so important, then Zamasu wasn’t too sure why he didn’t just show Zamasu what they were himself.
However, Gowasu was always more insistent on learning via the books of the ancient Supreme Kai’s. Maybe he trusted those books to teach Zamasu more than himself. Zamasu wouldn’t blame him there. As far as he’s aware, Gowasu had learned to become Supreme Kai the same way as he’s teaching him.
Blinking, Zamasu shook his thoughts away. That stuff didn’t matter right now, he needed to study.
Maybe he could dwell on those thoughts later.
***
Lunchtime came a bit too quickly to Zamasu. He had only gotten halfway through his studies before he found himself having to get up and prepare more tea and snacks for him and his mentor. Sure, Gowasu was still away, but he would certainly be back for lunch. He’s never missed an opportunity to indulge himself in the sweets he so dearly enjoyed.
With care to keep at a decently fast pace, Zamasu pushed the currently full tea cart back towards the courtyard once again. It was covered with new, freshly baked sweets and the same black tea Gowasu preferred in the later hours of the day. Zamasu was a bit upset that the elder Kai showed no interest in consuming the leftovers from earlier, but he’d get over it. Just like the last… however many times.
Internally, the young apprentice sighed. He didn’t see the point in making tea and sweets so often. Gowasu was practically addicted to the treats Zamasu served him every day! Sometimes it felt more like the older Kai saw Zamasu as a servant rather than an apprentice! But oh well, it could’ve been worse. At least he wasn’t made to actually eat these sugary foods!
Zamasu pushed the large doorway open, blinking to readjust his eyes to the sudden lighting before peering ahead.
“Master Gowasu, I brought your-” he paused mid-sentence as he caught sight of what was before him.
Gowasu stood in the middle of the courtyard, facing away from Zamasu. He was standing straight, not sitting in his seat next to the table like he usually was. Blinking in surprise, Zamasu tilted his head. Gowasu didn’t even acknowledge his presence, seemingly staring at nothing from across the courtyard.
That’s… that’s unusual. Was he merely distracted by something else? But what was here to be distracted by?
Suddenly finding himself uneased, Zamasu took hesitant steps forward, the tea cart’s wheels squeaking now becoming the only noise to distract Zamasu from the tense silence that seemed to envelop everything around him. A sense of anxiety dawned on him, and he felt the strong urge to check up on his mentor.
Something was amiss. Zamasu knew something was off, but he couldn’t put his finger on it. Maybe something was bothering his teacher? Perhaps he saw something that scared him? But what, in that case?
“Master Gowasu?” He finally called out, the qualms in his mind getting the best of him. Despite not having many intimate ties with his mentor, Zamasu couldn’t help but care for him.
Gowasu turned around. His eyes were wide with shock and something else Zamasu couldn’t decipher.
“Zamasu..?”
Flinching at the quiet mumble of his name, Zamasu took a shaky breath and reluctantly opened his mouth to reply.
“Gowasu, I-… I brought you your noon tea-”
He had no time to react when his mentor tore towards him before he was suddenly entrapped in a spine-breaking hug.
Zamasu froze. His eyes went as wide as the saucers he used daily before narrowing in confusion. What the hell...? This was probably the first time Gowasu had ever hugged him before; they barely ever make physical contact in general!
Despite being shocked by the horribly tight hug, Zamasu made no efforts to break away from it. Gowasu meant no harm from the hug, Zamasu knew, and he didn’t want to accidentally upset his master by trying to push back.
Besides, it did kind of feel nice. However, that didn’t calm his growing unease and worry.
“…Gowasu? Are you alright?”
His mentor froze, seemingly snapping out of his odd state of disbelief and wonder. He pulled away from the hug and moved back into his usual formal stand, but Zamasu could tell that it seemed more forced than usual. “I- apologies, Zamasu,” Gowasu stammered his words, seemingly struggling to formulate his sentence, “I must be tired, is all.”
Something about that answer didn’t sit right with Zamasu, but he bit back bringing up his concerns. Gowasu did seem rather tired earlier, maybe he just got less sleep than usual today. While Zamasu found it unusual for his mentor to mess up his sleep schedule to such a degree that causes him to act like… this, it was plausible that he just had a bad night.
Briefly, Zamasu noticed the faintest stench of iron rubbed off on his overcoat from Gowasu, but he shrugged it off. His master was always out and about somewhere to check up on the mortals and other Kais, it was inevitable he’d get covered in unusual stuff now and then.
A stiff silence fell between the two. Gowasu clearly wanted to say something, but was holding back. It was quite unusual to the younger Kai, Gowasu usually never held his thoughts back in such a way. At least, he never held back his ideas on Zamasu’s training and work related things, so maybe this was different. Yeah… that’s gotta be it.
“Do you still want your tea, master..?” Zamasu finally asked, breaking the silence. He needed to know what was going on here, this new attitude didn’t seem like something driven by sleep deprivation. But a part of him warned that it would just be best to let Gowasu rest for a bit and he would be back to normal later.
Gowasu smiled genuinely, and Zamasu had to hold himself back from showing his surprise.
“…Yes, Zamasu. Let’s have some tea.”
Chapter Text
Zamasu blinked once. Then twice. Slowly, the realization of his strange environment sets in.
He snapped his gaze to each side, watching as hordes of people rushed by. From the flashes of faces he glimpsed every time a mortal passed his side, he could see the look of pure terror that contorted their blurred features.
Sharp, loud screams resounded throughout the vast expanse, muffled by the occasional explosion befalling the area. Clouds of smoke and flames broke out arbitrarily, bringing destruction to the once clean and structured buildings and residences, reducing them to piles of debris with bent and broken structural steel bars.
Zamasu cried out to the mortals, trying to stop someone to inquire about what has led them to flee their homes, but none of them heeded his calls—nor even acknowledged his presence. Almost as if he’s invisible in their vision. He couldn’t even make out his own voice in the chaos.
The sound of laughter rang through the area, pulling Zamasu’s attention to the gray, foggy sky where a dark figure loomed, hovering high in the air. Zamasu had to squint his eyes to gauge his appearance, but failed to point any features as shadows enveloped his form, leaving only a black silhouette against a gloomy sky.
As if he located Zamasu amidst the crowds, the mysterious figure began descending towards his spot, continuing his maniacal laugh, impartial to the mortals’ suffering and dread. As he closed on him, the darkness started to slowly lift, allowing Zamasu a small peek into the being’s face-
***
Zamasu jolted up into a sitting position. He heaved out, fear and anxiousness tightening in his chest. What the hell- Zamasu grimaced, feeling sweat pour rivers down his face. Remnants of the sinister grin and dark gaze that cornered him in the dream began to fade as his consciousness steadily returned, allowing him to return to reality once again.
He sighed in relief when he realized it was only the work of his subconscious—perhaps a result of his worry regarding mortals and their liability with violence manifesting in the form of an imaginary formidable creature, capable of bringing down havoc on the same level as a destroyer. Zamasu let out a soft groan as a shudder coursed through his body when he reminisced on the events of his nightmare.
Quickly, he threw the blanket off him and stood up, eager to distract his troubled mind by occupying himself in his daily chores.
Zamasu entered the bathroom and stood before the sink. He grasped the knob and turned the faucet, prompting water to start streaming down into the basin. He held a hand under the running water, blocking its descent, and splashed some onto his face to fully awaken his still numbed nerves.
Perhaps I ought to lessen my caffeine intake before bed… he pondered as he turned the faucet off, canceling the water’s flow, and went back to his room, where he started to dress in his attendant uniform. He made sure to look himself over in the full-length mirror hung on the wall, ascertaining his appearance was presentable and that the fabric of his attire was unwrinkled before exiting the room and leaving to prepare breakfast.
However, as he made his way towards the kitchen, the familiar aroma of baked goods caught his attention. He paused, confused, and turned his head towards the source of the smell. The courtyard door was open, and he could see the tea cart already set near the table. What the..? But Zamasu hadn’t even started baking today, and Gowasu almost never used the kitchen anymore!
Curious, Zamasu passed the kitchen and made his way out to the courtyard.
He blinked.
The table was already set up, with the teacups already filled near to the brim with tea and the plates evenly dispersed across the counter. It was done exactly how Zamasu would’ve, even down to the exact quantity of tea he’d pour for himself each cup.
Strangely, the plates held an array of snacks that were… rather abnormal for Gowasu to request, but all catered to Zamasu’s tastes; cucumber sandwiches, ube muffins, and even bowls of fruits and honey dips.
Zamasu’s eyes widened in surprise as he took it all in, and he nearly dropped his usual formal stand. What is this..? He questioned. The scene was so… surreal to the apprentice, he even felt the urge to pinch his arm to make sure it wasn’t just some weird dream.
“Ah, Zamasu!” Startled, Zamasu jolted at the sudden voice from behind and turned to see his mentor standing in his usual formal manner. However, much like yesterday, it still looked extremely forced.
“Oh- Good morning, Master Gowasu!” Despite doing his usual stiff bow and maintaining his monotone voice, worries began to fill Zamasu’s mind. Gowasu was acting strange yesterday, and he doesn’t seem any better today! He told me he was just tired, but… this isn’t normal. Zamasu allowed himself to ponder on the state of his mentor a little longer, before he raised back up from his bow.
Gowasu was looking at him oddly, a smile that seemed tense at the edges spread across his face. It took a few moments for Zamasu to realize the expression wasn’t forced, but rather that Gowasu was forcing it not to get bigger. Just what was up with him..?
A chuckle left the older Kai’s throat, “No need for such formalities, Zamasu.” The apprentice flinched in surprise as Gowasu wrapped his arm around his neck and led him further towards the table. “How about we just skip all that and enjoy some breakfast?”
Zamasu narrowed his eyes a bit at his teacher, confused and baffled. Gowasu smiled in return, causing Zamasu to blink. What the hell..? Any thoughts of Gowasu’s behavior being caused by simple sleep deprivation was washed away as the older Kai’s behavior began to appear more and more erratic to the younger Kai. That nagging sense of something being wrong was eating at him.
While Zamasu was so focused on trying to understand Gowasu’s sudden shift in personality, he barely noticed he was being seated in his usual wooden chair and pushed in until Zamasu was just against the table. Glancing down, he noticed the tea in the teacup was not the usual blend Zamasu would make every morning. It had the familiar aroma of herbal tea, and it lacked the same translucent color the beverage had whenever milk had been added.
“It’s chamomile tea, if you’re wondering,” Gowasu said, snapping Zamasu out of his thoughts, “Do you like this kind of tea?” Zamasu looked up to see the older Kai seated in front of him, his fingers intertwined with each other and hands laid on the table as he leaned over the table a bit. It was nothing like the usual formal seating his master would take, with his back up against the seat and head raised just slightly over eye level.
“Uh-… yes, Master Gowasu…” Zamasu didn’t know how to respond. This was all so jarring to the younger Kai. Gowasu smiled wider, a flash of something shining in his eyes, something dark and eager in nature… it was only there briefly before fading away as fast as it came. Zamasu blinked.
“Great!” Gowasu abruptly exclaimed in an unusually cheery voice. “I thought you would like it!”
Zamasu felt tense. Something was terribly off about Gowasu here, never was he this happy! Even on good days, the most he’d do was a faint smile and perhaps be lighter to Zamasu if he made a mistake or missed a bit of his studies - which he hadn’t in a while, having had taught himself out of such things early on. But nothing like this!
He needed to ask, question him! Something was wrong, and Zamasu could feel the unease making his skin crawl. But should he? It wasn’t something he was supposed or even expected to do, especially when even his concerns over Gowasu’s own wellbeing were always dismissed at best or outright ignored at worst.
But Zamasu couldn’t help the feeling that this time was different. There was something going on here, and he needed to know what it was!
“Master Gowasu,” Zamasu called, hesitating for a moment as he considered if this was a good idea or not. The elder Kai smiled brightly, and Zamasu could swear he saw a hint of some strange form of sheer relief in his eyes. “Yes, Zamasu?”
Well, that settled it, there was no turning back now. “This is nice and all, but uh,” he paused briefly, trying to properly figure out how to word his thoughts without potentially offending his teacher, “if you allow me to ask, why the sudden change?”
Gowasu tensed, just barely noticeable under his happy expression, but just enough to put Zamasu even more on edge. His smile was tight. “I… don’t know. Consider it just a small want for a deviation from routine, I suppose.”
That was a lie, there was no hint of truth in that blatant fallacy! Even Zamasu could see it clear as day! He had to have lied, there is just no way he suddenly decided to change up the schedule he had meticulously planned out in favor of this! It had to be a lie…
But why would Gowasu ever lie to him?
It felt dumb, to think his teacher would deceive him. Gowasu had no reason to make false claims, and this could very well be just another one of his attempts to sweep away Zamasu’s worries, like he always had done. Maybe Zamasu was just overthinking, he didn’t know.
“…Alright, master Gowasu.” He replied after a few moments, returning his focus to his remaining food and tea to finish the dish. He hated leaving waste, and the food was really good. Honestly, Zamasu had started to believe Gowasu just couldn’t cook before today.
Despite his focus being on his food, Zamasu allowed his mind to wander a bit as breakfast went on. Gowasu’s odd behavior irked something in Zamasu, and he couldn't help but think something was wrong. Maybe he should try to ask the other Kai’s if they’ve noticed anything off about Gowasu lately?
Then again, Zamasu’s not supposed to leave the temple without permission, and Gowasu would know something was wrong if he asked to meet with the other kaioshins and gods his teacher was close to. Ugh, this was frustrating! With his head up in his thoughts, Zamasu barely registered the conversations Gowasu sparked that he was engaging with. Just the simple routine of parroting what he knew Gowasu liked, though it felt significantly harder today for some reason.
“Zamasu,” Gowasu stood up from his seat, dabbing his mouth with a cloth to clean his face from crumbs. He sat the cloth back down on the table, then folded his arms behind his back, creating an uncanny imitation of his usual formal stance. “I have some important business I must attend to. Can you watch the temple while I’m out? I will be gone for quite a few hours.”
“Business?” Zamasu inquired, his suspicions growing. “But I thought you had already finished most of your work outside the temple yesterday.” Gowasu never liked to prolong work more than he had to, this wasn’t right! Something in Zamasu’s mind told him that, as if warning him of something impending.
“Unfortunately not.” Gowasu sighed, pushing in his chair and turning to face his student. “As much as I would love to stay here, I must be off for the afternoon. Don’t expect me to be back until some time around lunch.” Zamasu felt unease building in his chest, but nonetheless chose to remain courteous.
“Yes, master Gowasu.” Zamasu bowed, not seeing the small smile Gowasu sent his way before turning to the entrance gates. In a flash, the elder Kai was gone and Zamasu was alone.
Zamasu sighed. Maybe Gowasu would start acting normal after finishing his work up. The younger Kai hoped so, even if the sudden kindness were to fade as well. Something was just too off about this new Gowasu, and Zamasu couldn’t help the gut feeling telling him something was horribly wrong.
Then again, maybe he’s just paranoid. This could all be a good thing, and Zamasu was simply too skeptical to take it as the nice and welcome change it seemed to be.
Once breakfast was wrapped up, Zamasu went to the library to begin his studies for the day. He’d have loved to go to his garden for a bit to relax and enjoy nature, but his breakfast with Gowasu took up nearly all the time he usually reserved for those brief visits. He sighed, deciding it best not to dwell on such things when there was always tomorrow to make up for the lost time.
He sat in his usual spot, tucking his crossed legs under the low desk and laying out the necessary tools to note down any key points over the wooden surface. Today he was tasked to look into a series meant to discuss mortals titled in the ancient divine language, “Slatrom Dna Woh ot Erutrun Meht .” He had been admittedly quite eager to visit this subject, anticipating it’d provide the required insight lacked by his teacher to shed light on how to properly handle mortals. Sitting and observing certainly wasn’t all there was to it, right?
He opened the cover to the first page and prepared to start taking notes, an ink pen grasped in his hand.
Most sections delved into mortals’ biology and psychology, detailing the plethora of types they come in; there was the aquatic type, whose planets are majorly composed of rivers and seas and they’d dry and suffocate if outside their natural habitat. Then there were types that required little to no nourishment, similar to gods- Zamasu scoffed at the blasphemous comparison-, or those that could live on water and nothing else.
He jotted down the types, dividing them into categories and connected them by similarities before flipping the page. He finally arrived at the part he awaited the most, How to Nurture Mortal Kind . He quickly got engrossed, poring over the text with fiery determination.
As he flipped through the pages, his excitement quickly started to die down, noticing how everything written there was the exact same he heard from Gowasu many times over. At some point, he stopped taking notes altogether, tapping his pen impatiently on the desk.
He carried on thumbing through the book until he reached the beginning of the next chapter. Frustrated, he snapped the book close and took a deep breath. It seems he held his breath for nothing; the book was as fruitful as his dialogues with Gowasu.
None of their previous conversations even touched on Zamasu’s growing distrust for mortals, always ending on the surface of the problem because Zamasu feared oversteping a line, yet as days went by, he couldn’t stop stressing over their inactivity when it came to helping their universe — all their role seemed to consisted of is to stay within the bounds of the Kai realm and observe the universe from afar as its inhabitants wreaked ruin and death on each other.
He sighed and got up to tidy the desk, picking up the writing utensils he brought and the book and returning each into its proper place around the library. He stared at the book for a moment, a look of disappointment twisting his features, before sliding it back between the other tomes. There went his last hope at reaching a satisfying solution.
Perhaps he should just start preparing lunch early to take his mind off things.
He exited the library and went straight to the kitchen to start the preparations.
***
Out in the courtyard, Zamasu came pushing the refreshment cart, parking it beside the table. He picked up the steaming plates of food from the cart and started distributing them equally across the tabletop. He wasn’t particularly thrilled for lunch, having made meals more suited to Gowasu's taste than his own as per usual, but it helped at least as a distraction from the brewing doubts within his heart.
As he finished setting the last plate on the table, his ear twitched, picking up the sound of the main gate swinging open. He looked up and saw his teacher entering, uncharacteristically beaming.
“Good evening, Zamasu,” He greeted with unusual liveliness. Zamasu had to conceal his surprise, not wanting to offend his teacher who normally arrives with little to no energy to spare.
“Welcome back, Master Gowasu,” Zamasu responded tersely, employing his usual composure as he bowed courtly. With his head ducked, he couldn’t see the frown making its way onto Gowasu’s face.
“Now, now, there’s no need for that much formality, Zamasu.” Zamasu raised his head, this time unable to keep his skepticism hidden.
“You already work tirelessly every day, that’s a sufficient evidence of your respect and loyalty,” Gowasu praised, placing a hand on his shoulder and guiding him to stand straight. “You need not bow for me on every occasion we see each other.”
Zamasu stared with bewildered eyes at his mentor, who faced him with a kind smile. He was at a loss for words, having never encountered a similar command before - was this some kind of test?
“Master, I cannot do that, I-” as he began to explain himself, Gowasu made a sad face, evidently hurt by his words, silencing him instantly.
“Please, Zamasu, it’d mean the world to me,” Gowasu said near pleadingly, giving a sorrowful smile. “I may be your teacher, but I want us to get along.”
Upon seeing his disheartened expression, Zamasu instantly backpedaled, forcing a smile. It came out forced and wry, but it was something.
“I-I see, of course, Master.” This luckily got the elder to regain his spirits.
“Thank you, Zamasu. I wouldn't want some banal formality to drive a wedge between us.”
Zamasu raised his eyebrow, confused by his statement. Did Gowasu feel a distance between them? And even if he had, he didn't think his elder would put much importance in it.
Before he could ask, Gowasu had moved to pull out a chair and gaze invitingly towards Zamasu.
“Now that's settled, why don't we eat? I'm always eager to taste your cooking.”
Zamasu sighed, too weirded out by the whole abrupt shift in Gowasu's character, but respectful enough to refrain from calling attention to it.
When the two were seated, Gowasu wasted no time trying to initiate a conversation with the younger Kai, bringing up casual subjects like complimenting his cooking skills, talking about himself, and asking about his day. Things normally the older Kai never concerned himself over, much less use them to converse with his student. Zamasu tried awkwardly to respond as formally and efficiently as he could without dragging his answers long. From the amicable tone of voice and the eagerness in which he presented the questions and remarks, Zamasu could sense that his elder was hoping for more personal responses from him.
Zamasu could only manage short, straightforward answers. He was curious why Gowasu never thought to bring up his studies, but decided not to question it.
Zamasu's face darkened as he recalled his studying session today, his recent thoughts regarding mortals resurfaced to cloud his brain. The weight of ignorance felt like heavy, metal shackles on his mind and heart. He gazed up to look at his teacher, who continued to chat so merrily; he certainly was in higher spirits than normal. Is it safe… to approach him with his troubles?
Gowasu suddenly stopped mid-sentence, his gaze intensifying.
“Is there something bothering you, my student?” Gowasu asked upon noticing the distant look washing over Zamasu as he toyed with his spoon, not once touching his food.
Zamasu went stiff. Should… should he tell Gowasu the truth? For the past few weeks now, Zamasu had been harboring a growing distaste for the mortals he’s meant to protect and nurture. The way they fight, war and repeat the cycle of destruction over and over again, it’s something unfathomable to the young Kai!
But can he really tell anyone? The last time he tried to discuss such matters with Gowasu, he was shut down and told to go meditate to ‘clear his mind’. Now, he usually avoided any talk about his personal thoughts with the elder Kai, instead venting in his diary or, on some rare occasions, he’d find himself seeking company by speaking to the plants or muttering things aloud to himself.
However, the past few hours were more than enough to prove that something very odd was up with Gowasu, and even if it irked Zamasu in such ways he could never describe as ‘good’,… he couldn’t help but want to reach out to this new side of Gowasu. Besides, if things go south then at most he will just be told to go meditate again.
“I…” Zamasu swallowed the lump forming in his throat, “I’ve been thinking about the mortals you’ve shown me for the last few days. Do they really deserve our protection?”
He paused for a moment. This was really happening, he’s really about to tell Gowasu everything because of some drowsiness! Great Zeno, Zamasu should’ve stayed in bed, it was too late to turn back now!
The elder Kai flinched slightly, something Zamasu nearly missed and definitely would’ve if he wasn’t so nervously focused on his reactions. However, Gowasu kept quiet, allowing Zamasu to keep speaking.
A shaky breath left Zamasu’s mouth, before he continued, “I know these thoughts are irrational and wrong, but I-… it’s just that I can’t help it! All I see is violence and fighting over and over again whenever we go to watch them! They don’t do anything but hurt themselves and the environment for such petty and insignificant reasons! Why must they act this way?! I don’t understand-!”
“I agree.”
Zamasu froze mid sentence. His eyes went wide and he snapped his head up to meet Gowasu’s gaze with shock.
He-… he agrees?!
A smile threatened to form on Zamasu’s face as he felt a surge of joy and relief. Oh thank Zeno!
“I have begun to feel the same way as of late,” Gowasu continued, a faint and almost knowing smile on his face, “the thoughts have been tormenting my sleep recently, hence why I’ve been struggling to get a good night’s rest.”
That… that made sense. Maybe this change in attitude was just sleep deprivation, after all…
“Then… I was thinking”, Zamasu began with a hint of his newfound excitement, “maybe we could help the mortals ourselves?” He suggested. The idea had been on his mind for a while now, to directly help the conflicting mortals and stop the cycle from ever repeating its horrible pattern again.
And besides, it was a much better idea than letting it all continue or using violence to stop it.
“If we are allowed, perhaps we could stop the horrible trend of bloodshed the mortals always fall back to.”
Gowasu whipped himself up straight in surprise.
“No!”
Zamasu froze.
He could’ve sworn Gowasu’s eyes were wide open with fear for a split second, before the older Kai composed himself and relaxed his face. “I mean- we’re not supposed to do such a thing. Us Kai’s are not ones to interact with mortal affairs, merely watch over them.”
Zamasu blinked, and, ignoring the clear irrational desperation and hints of fear lurking within his teacher’s voice, he could’ve sworn there was a touch of anger at the mention of his duties as a Kai. Though those thoughts were easily swept away in favor of the sudden shock that had overtaken the younger Kai.
Gowasu was scared of something...
“… Listen Zamasu, there comes a time when we must realize there is just no hope in trying to correct the follies of those beneath us.” Said older Kai let out a small sigh, but it was clear he was far from anything calm or composed. “We must stand our ground here as Kai’s, not sully ourselves with fools. Do you understand?”
No. No, Zamasu did not understand, not at all. Everything felt so wrong here, he hated it!
“…Yes, master Gowasu.”
But what choice does Zamasu have here?
There was an awkward silence between the duo, and it quickly dominated the rest of the conversation, putting an end to the fragile sense of camaraderie that formed between the two. Gowasu made some attempts to spark back conversation, but Zamasu quickly found himself falling back to the usual routine of echoing small responses.
After a few minutes, Gowasu gave up and allowed the uneasy tension to remain undisturbed in the air. Glancing up briefly, Zamasu noted hints of something dark in his teacher’s eyes, as if he was stuck deep in undesired thoughts. He knew the feeling all too well himself, and it struck him as odd to see even his own teacher going through such a thing. Gowasu never lingered on bad thoughts, at least never when Zamasu was around.
Maybe it was wrong to be so closed off to Gowasu now, when he was seemingly trying to open up more. His mentor had never been so kind before, and he'd truthfully be disheartened if all this was just Gowasu’s one-time attempt at bonding with his student —maybe out of simple boredom or irritation with his student's inflexibility— before resuming their usual, monotonous interactions once the day's up.
But no matter how Zamasu tried to view things, how he twisted and reshaped everything in his head to understand it, he couldn’t help but feel that something was wrong.
Terribly, terribly wrong.
Chapter Text
Zamasu didn’t know when he woke up, nor did he remember when he walked past the kitchen and out to the empty morning courtyard. Everything was a bit blurry, and no amount of blinking or rubbing his eyes would remedy the issue with his vision. For some reason, he found that it didn’t bother him much at all. He felt… light, for a lack of a better word.
Why was he here again? He didn’t have the tea tray with him, nor did he recall preparing anything for the morning. So why was he in the courtyard? Zamasu blinked, his head felt funny. Not painful, just somewhat off. Maybe he didn’t get enough sleep and walked out on instinct?
A loud echoing creak caught his attention, and Zamasu turned to see Gowasu, unusually fatigued and with his head tilted low, walking in from the courtyard entrance doors. A cold tension seemed to befall the temple, and Zamasu found himself tensing instinctively.
“M-master Gowasu!” He stammered, surprised. Zamasu formally bowed his head for a moment, before realizing the horrible appearance he must be making without anything out to serve for breakfast. “My apologies, but I haven’t finished preparing breakfast yet. It’ll only need a few minutes of time-”
He stopped dead in his sentence as he looked up from his bow. Gowasu hadn’t stopped his slow approach to the table, nor did he even seem to acknowledge Zamasu’s presence. His head was still cast low, making it near impossible to depict any expression from him. A shiver went up Zamasu’s spine, and he felt himself growing uneasy.
“Master Gowasu..?” Zamasu asked, his formal appearance faltering as he was yet again ignored. He hesitantly tried walking over and waving his hand in front of the elder Kai’s face, only to have to pull it away as Gowasu didn’t even seem to acknowledge the block in his pathway. Zamasu’s brows furrowed with deep confusion as Gowasu walked by him as if he wasn’t even there.
Catching a glimpse of his teacher’s passing face, Zamasu flinched in surprise when he saw faint tear tracks on Gowasu’s cheeks. “What..?” He murmured to himself as he realized Gowasu was not necessarily fatigued at all, but rather being weighed down by something psychological.
“Master Gowasu, are you alright?” Yet again, no response. Zamasu was growing desperate. What was going on? Was Gowasu purposely ignoring him, or was he just too caught up in his head to notice his student? Icy cold waves of growing dread filled Zamasu’s veins, and the tension in the air grew suffocatingly thick. “Please, say something! This isn’t funny!”
He reached out to put his hand on his teacher’s shoulder to garner his attention, only for his entire arm to go right through Gowasu’s form.
Zamasu’s breath hitched and he pulled his hand back, as if it had been burned. Glancing down, he couldn’t notice anything wrong with his hand, nor did he notice anything off with Gowasu’s body that would indicate why such a thing had occurred. What in Zeno’s name was going on?!
No longer hearing the sound of footsteps, Zamasu looked back up to see Gowasu now stationary at the empty table. Now that he wasn’t walking anymore, Zamasu noticed how his body seemed to ever so slightly tremble in place, as if weakened by some heavy burden.
“Zamasu…” his teacher muttered with a heavy heart. Zamasu would’ve thought he was finally noticed, had it not been for the tone of sheer grief in Gowasu’s voice. He was holding one of his hands close to his face, and staring at it dearly. Wet droplets dripped onto the table, and it took Zamasu a moment to recognize them as tears. Gowasu was crying..?
Blinking, Zamasu noticed something yellow and orange in Gowasu’s hand. It was hard to make out, and it didn’t help that it seemed to blur worse than anything else so far did, but there was something oddly familiar about it. Something wasn’t right here.
“What is that?” Zamasu inquired, not really expecting a response, but still asking all the same. After a few moments of silence, only broken by Gowasu’s quiet sobbing, Zamasu found himself hesitantly moving towards his teacher. His steps were slow and uneasy, and his body felt like it was growing weaker with each step forward. Was it always this hard to walk?
When Zamasu was close enough to where the vague thing Gowasu was holding, the haze appeared to clear. He carefully peered over his teacher’s shoulder to get a better look at the object-
A loud bang startled Zamasu, causing him to jump up with fright. However, Gowasu didn’t seem to notice him or the noise.
Zamasu’s eyes were trained on the broken down entrance, staring at where the now busted doors used to be. A dark and shadowy silhouette stood at the doorway, blurred raven colored irises boring into Gowasu.
Zamasu’s eyes widened with fear as he recognized the figure. He didn’t recall where, but he remembered something, from the deep recesses of his memories, that caused his mind and gut to scream danger.
Instinctively, he found himself entering his fighting stance. However, neither Gowasu nor the dark silhouette seemed to acknowledge him. “Who are you?!” Zamasu cried, stifling the fear gnawing at him the best he could as the figure approached. There was no reaction to his question, not even a flinch.
Gowasu didn’t even react to the approaching figure, too engrossed in his mind and sobbing to care for the waking world. “Master Gowasu, please!” Zamasu shouted frantically to his ignorant teacher, giving one last attempt to yield any form of acknowledgment from him.
Being ignored yet again, Zamasu decided it wasn’t worth it to continually fight for his teacher’s attention, and instead turned to focus surely on fighting the invading silhouette. A ki blade formed in his hand, light purple in color. “Stop, don’t come any closer!”
The figure didn’t listen, so Zamasu jumped into action. His training certainly wasn’t all for naught, and he found himself in front of the mortal in under a second, his blade aimed and ready to pierce the bastard’s cold empty heart-
Only for his body to phase completely through the mortal, not leaving so much as a scratch on him.
Zamasu stumbled as he went through the mortal, barely able to keep his footing as he landed on the floor. Fear coursed through him, and he frantically turned around to see the mortal beelining directly for Gowasu.
“No, stop!” Zamasu yelled desperately, but yet again he was ignored. He tried to run, to attempt an attack on the mortal again- even if it garnered nothing, he needed to save Gowasu!- but he found his feet glued to the floor, unwilling to comply with his mind. “Work, damnit!” It felt as though tears were streaming down his face, the familiar sting in his eyes was ever so prominent, yet he knew he was shedding none.
The figure kept approaching Gowasu as his form gradually blurred as well, making it harder to distinguish the two of them apart. “Gowasu, run!” Zamasu cried, desperately trying to move forward- to do anything to save Gowasu from what he knew was certain death- but nothing happened. No no no, this couldn’t be happening!
Everything began to crumble and shake, but only Zamasu seemed to notice as Gowasu and the silhouette had yet to show any signs of acknowledging it. “Gowasu!” Zamasu cried, his feet losing their balance as the floor beneath him cracked..
Zamasu watched with sheer terror as the figure extended a hand towards his teacher, yet the image quickly faded to black as the sky went dark and everything was cast into shadows.
Unable to find his ability to fly, Zamasu could only yell in horror as the last remnants of tangible rock left from under him, leaving him descending in a free fall at a rapid pace. Everything felt like it was burning!
The world descended into darkness, the smell of ashes and fire overtaking Zamasu as loud screams began to drown out the ringing in his ears. He screamed.
“GOWASU!”
…
Zamasu awoke with a gasp.
He jolted upward into a sitting position, his hands clenching the covers as he took in gaping breaths. His hands trembled as cold sweat dripped down his forehead. Loud thumps rang in his ears as his heart raced with fear and shock.
Vivid imagery of Zamasu’s previous night terror remained freshly engrained into his mind, worming their way down his spine and making his body feel as cold as ice.
“Fuck-!” He stammered, forcing his voice to remain quiet as his breathing began to even out.
Glancing around his room, Zamasu allowed his mind to trace each shadowed form with hasty precision, the scenery allowing him to calm down from his dream. It was only a dream…
Taking in a deep breath, Zamasu closed his eyes lightly. None of that was real, I was merely having a night terror again, he repeated to himself softly. He had grown used to such dreams by this point, as they had become a nightly occurrence about a week ago.
It calmed him to know the horrible things he had witnessed were merely a product of his own weary mind’s imagination, but it did little to soothe the anxiety still eating away at his insides. Moving a hand over to his small nightstand, Zamasu grabbed the familiar smooth glass cup- one he had poured himself just before bed- and took a few sips. The water inside wasn’t cold, but it still was too chilled to be considered warm. It helped to relax Zamasu’s tense muscles, and he stopped squeezing the covers with his free hand as hard.
These nightmares are only getting worse , Zamasu sighed as he sat the half full glass back down on the nightstand. None of the herbal teas Zamasu had been drinking had helped ease his mind, and the paranoia he felt only grew stronger by every passing day. It was equally infuriating and worrying to the young Kai. Certainly he shouldn’t be having such childish issues as a full grown Kai in apprenticeship!
Perhaps I should try to take up meditation , Zamasu joked half heartedly with himself to keep himself from falling down a rabbit hole he had every intention to stay out of. Either way, he didn’t think meditation- like his teacher would most certainly suggest if Zamasu dared bring such foolishness up to him- would help his situation. If anything, Zamasu thought it would make everything worse. Zamasu was never good at meditating, usually he ended up getting stuck in his own thoughts more than getting out of them.
A small chill went down Zamasu’s back, and he found himself staring at the window he had, curtained so the light outside wouldn’t wake him up at any early hours.
He froze.
One of the once-downsides of living in the 10th universe Kaioshin temple was that there was never any daylight cycles. While at first it was detrimental to Zamasu’s sleep schedule and routine, with the constant light source preventing him from knowing when he should be awake or asleep, he eventually got himself situated with the change.
Of course, once he was used to it, Zamasu began using it well to his advantage. It helped him see to work early in the morning when he felt he needed to, and he never had to worry about it getting dark and hindering his ability to train. At the temple, there were no unnatural light sources because there needn’t be any.
Which is what allowed Zamasu to see the dark humanoid shadow currently residing behind his window’s blinds-
In an instant, Zamasu leaped out of bed and was at the window, a ki blade formed on his right hand.
Who was there?! How did someone get to the temple without Gowasu or him noticing?! Zamasu barely gave it any time of thought, uncaring for it among the haze of chaos that was quickly forming in his half awake head.
Dark thoughts swirled in a horrifying symphony as he took a second to prepare himself. His training certainly wasn’t all for nothing!
With ferocious speed Zamasu swung open the dark curtains blocking his view-
… Only to see nothing out of the ordinary.
Zamasu blinked, then again.
His Ki blade dissipated and a tentative sigh of relief left his mouth. Thank Zeno, it wasn’t real!
I need to get over this paranoia, Zamasu internally huffed as he closed the curtains back up and dressed himself for the day. It’s going to affect my training if it keeps up, I can’t risk my position over some silly fears!
That shadow must’ve been a mere trick of his half asleep mind. It had happened before, though rarely, but never to this extent, to where he thought an actual person was nearby. No wonder it gave him quite the startle!
Still, Zamasu mused to himself as he finished getting ready for the day, to think anyone could end up at the temple without at least Gowasu detecting them was laughable! Zamasu’s anxiety must be bad, if such an outrageous belief seemed plausible to him!
Deciding he could no longer stay in his confining chambers, Zamasu quickly made his way out his room door and through the temple corridors. He made sure to not take hard steps on the floor, lest he risk accidentally waking up his teacher from slumber. The last time Zamasu did that, he didn’t hear the end of it for the proceeding few weeks!
Then again, Zamasu paused briefly, Gowasu had been acting rather unusually as of late. In fact, unusual didn’t even begin to describe the sudden behaviors Gowasu had been presenting. It had been odd the first day, sure, but it quickly turned into something completely baffling and unlike anything Zamasu had seen from the elder Kai as his change in behavior only continued.
But how much of that change was Gowasu and how much of it was Zamasu giving everything too much thought? Sure, there were plenty of new things to come from Gowasu’s new behavior, but what if Zamasu was escalating things in his mind far beyond what they were in actuality? Would that be the reason he’s so paranoid?
Resuming his pace, Zamasu held back a sigh as he pondered on everything: The temple, the changes, it was all getting to him. His nerves were always jumpy as of late, and his paranoia had been through the roof ever since those horrid dreams started.
Maybe it was because he wasn’t able to spend nearly as much time as he’d like outside the temple, only able to secure small visits to uninhabited planets and galaxies whenever the increasingly rare opportunity presented itself. He missed the beautiful environments and biomes he was able to view during these small periods: vast expanses of flower fields or high mountains. Each was well treasured in his heart, and Zamasu couldn’t bear the thought of ever losing such moments to time.
Zamasu cut his train of thought off as he made his way to the courtyard doors. With careful precision, he opened them with as minimal noise as manageable- which thankfully wasn’t a lot to begin with- and once on the other side made equal efforts to close them silently.
Seeing that it was still rather early, Zamasu decided he had enough time for a short visit. It wouldn’t be long, he was sure, and he should be able to make it back in time to prepare breakfast for Gowasu.
He wouldn’t notice anyways, Zamasu noted. Gowasu was never aware whenever Zamasu left the temple, so long as it didn’t interfere with his studies or training.
Taking one last glance at the temple, Zamasu couldn’t help but get an uneasy feeling in his gut. There was just something so… off about the place he was so familiar with.
Then again, everything was beginning to feel wrong to the young Kai. Perhaps he was just overthinking things.
Zamasu sighed. He really needed this break.
With a quick instant transmission, Zamasu was then gone from the temple and the place of all his festering thoughts.
***
Hours tick by, each faster than the last, but Zamasu found himself barely noticing or caring as he laid down next to the running stream of his favorite break spot. The natural symphony of flowing water helped numb the paranoia and unnerved feelings that had been eating away at Zamasu for the past week.
Everything felt so peaceful to the young Kai. The way the leaves bristled in the wind, and how that harmonized with the beautiful sound of birds chirping and water running. What he’d give to stay here forever! The more Zamasu learns about his future duties, the more he finds himself resenting the path he’s going down.
It ached to know that he had no more reigns in his fate, and eventually he will be stuck as Kaioshin without any chance of retiring until he can no longer work. But he couldn’t go back, there was already a replacement for the North Kai position he abandoned for this one, and gods like him can’t just leave their positions! Not even to see his pet Bancha! Maybe that’s another reason he likes to sneak out so much…
Despite himself, Zamasu found his mind wandering back to the temple and his teacher. Gowasu’s sudden personality change had been quite a shock to Zamasu, and slowly did that switch to confusion and scepticism as the days ticked on with no signs of him returning to normal. Even if it was honestly not that bad of a change, it still put him on edge.
If anything, Gowasu had gotten worse over the following days. Zamasu often awoke to his teacher already making breakfast for the pair, and he’d have to sit for hours on end at the table as Gowasu seemingly kept dragging on conversations and tangents to keep Zamasu fixed. Because of this, the young Kai barely found himself ever able to leave the temple and relax at his favorite spot anymore.
Though, if Zamasu was being honest, his studies had gotten easier. Gowasu, who was usually the type to insist Zamasu read every single book about his future job he could at one sitting, now seemed to care less about assigning anything study-related to Zamasu. In fact, Zamasu had realized he was now picking out the books he’d review himself just to give him something on topic to study.
Zamasu sighed, slowly sitting up from his relaxed position on the ground. There goes relaxing. Though, he shouldn’t have expected it to last that long, considering how he woke up that morning. Not to mention, Zamasu could feel chills beginning to run down his spine.
As he stood, he couldn’t help the lump growing in his throat. He could practically feel the paranoia seeping in his veins, his gut screaming false alarms at him as the sensation of eyes on him became more and more realistic.
With a shudder, Zamasu formed a ki ball in his hand, and carefully fidgeted with it to distract himself a bit. Of course his paranoia came back now, right as he was just trying to relax. Then again, should he really have expected better? Just going off the last few days alone, at any time Zamasu wasn’t with Gowasu, he felt eyes in his back.
As he toyed with the ki ball, he couldn’t help but grow tense as his anxiety kept skyrocketing. It felt as though he was being drowned in a cold fog of sorts, blocking out all sense of rationality and leaving only his fears and core instincts at play.
With a tentative sigh, Zamasu relented and allowed himself to scan his surroundings. Nothing seemed out of place, the trees and boulders were all stacked tall around him, as they had been when he got there. Beautiful lush grass and flowers were blooming, with a noticeable increase in numbers closer to the river.
Nothing was wrong.
He glanced around, and his eyes flickered over to the forest.
There were dark eyes boring into him from the shrubbery-
Zamasu whipped his head around in an instant, forming a ki blade in his free hand.
Too late did he notice his sudden jerky movement caused him to let go of the ki ball, sending it shooting off towards a nearby boulder. He only realized his mistake when his ears caught the loud explosion, but he had barely any time to move before broken rock chunks rained down upon him.
“Agh-!” Zamasu hastily tried to move away from the falling debris, but he felt dull stabs of pain on his body as he was impacted despite his efforts.
Dust swept up by the blast clouded his vision, and he coughed into his arm and clenched his eyes shut to prevent it from entering them.
When the dust clouds settled, Zamasu opened his slightly wet eyes. His clothes were dirty and crooked because of the blast, Gowasu would notice this for sure! He couldn't go back to the temple like this!
Remembering the sensation of eyes lingering on him from the forest, Zamasu abruptly whipped his head upwards to stare back to where he once thought he saw eyes-…
And, just as it was earlier that morning, there was nothing.
Great Zeno, I am having a horrible day.
Sighing, Zamasu dusted himself off. Gowasu would not be happy if he came back to the temple a mess, and then he’d have to admit to everything. Zamasu was not a fan of the idea to involve Gowasu into his private life- or what little of that he really had- and the mere thought of even trying to explain the lousy excuse that caused Zamasu to look like a wreck was not on his agenda for the day. Or ever.
“No matter”, Zamasu mumbled to himself, his own voice bringing him comfort in the suddenly tense silence. Even now, the cold paranoia seemed to linger in his mind, despite Zamasu being confident it was all just in his head. Gowasu doesn’t have to know, he reminded, no one does.
Once he was sure he was all cleaned of any dust, he adjusted his slightly disarrayed outfit to look as clean and normal as he could. Everything would be fine, he was sure… hopefully.
Transmitting at the temple’s entrance, Zamasu inhaled a deep breath. His small excursion had done little to remove his mind from the persistent paranoia and anxiety. If anything, lonesomeness apparently was the last thing he needed in his current dilemma. He couldn’t believe he was starting to think like this, but he wished Gowasu would waken early to spare him that dreadful, haunted isolation.
As he pushed open the door, he almost choked on his breath when he looked ahead. It seemed his wish had been granted at the worst time possible, he realized, when he found his teacher up and about, frantically pacing around in the courtyard.
“M-Master?” Zamasu gasped. His voice seemed to put an end to Gowasu’s frenetic steps, turning to face him with a bewildered and almost crazed look. The sight appeared ghastly to Zamasu, having never witnessed such an expression before.
“Zamasu! Where have you been?! I’ve been looking all over for you!” As Gowasu started toward him, Zamasu clenched his eyes shut tightly, bracing himself for a round of reproach. He listened to his teacher's footsteps as they hurried at him. In an instant, he found himself facing his teacher, his chin held by Gowasu’s gentle hand. Zamasu searched, but found not a single trace of anger in Gowasu’s eyes, instead, there was trepidation evident in the way he tilted Zamasu’s face, seemingly to inspect the side of his face. “Zamasu, you’re hurt!”
Zamasu blinked, not registering what was being said. He brought his hand to brush his cheek, noting a smidge of violet blood left on the tips of his fingers. He remembered the small incident with the boulder and quickly started to explain, hoping it’d alleviate Gowasu’s worries.
“This- I was training and merely accidentally blew up a rock, that is all.” but Gowasu’s intense look remained set.
“It could get infected, we must cleanse and bandage it at once!” the older Kai exclaimed with urgency.
Zamasu brushed Gowasu’s hand off his cheek, raising his brow. “There’s no need, Master, it is but a scratch!” Yet, Gowasu stayed firm, grasping Zamasu’s wrist. “Don’t be silly, it’s best not to risk it. Better safe than sorry.” He tugged at his arm. “Come along, I will help.”
Zamasu ended up following wordlessly; he'd have protested and resisted, but he was too stupefied by his elder’s bizarre reaction to properly respond.
***
Zamasu found himself seated on the divan at the drawing room with Gowasu on his side, rubbing the thin wound with a small handkerchief, soaked in alcohol. It had quickly ceased bleeding, growing crusted to close the cut, but Gowasu remained determined to patch it up.
Zamasu found the situation rather embarrassing. Not only was the damage an absurdly minor scratch, but having someone else tend to it -especially his teacher- added another layer of awkwardness to what was already a ridiculous situation. He kept his eyes removed from Gowasu, not bearing to look at him as he plastered a gauze swab over his cheek, covering up the wound.
“There, that should do it.” Gowasu exclaimed, relief washing over him.
Zamasu had thought Gowasu would step away once he finished, so he was duly puzzled when Gowasu's palm lingered on his cheek, thumb brushing over the bandage. “Um, thank you, Master, but that truly wasn’t needed…” Zamasu leaned away. The action seemed to have given Gowasu the needed hint to lower his arm.
“Well, I don’t want to risk you falling ill. With me so busy as of late, who would take care of you then?” Zamasu had to keep his expression straight, not wishing to look weirded out. A small cut like the one he got shouldn’t lead to infection. But he also wondered why Gowasu would care at all.
Gowasu clasped his hands on his lap, turned in his seat to face his student, his expression now unreadable. “Now tell me, where have you gone to? And so early in the morning too!”
“I…” Zamasu bit his bottom lip. This certainly wouldn’t be easy to confess, but he couldn’t bring himself to fib while in his revered teacher’s presence. “I went to an uninhabited planet for a bit. Forgive me for not asking for permission.” he ducked his head apologetically, only raising it when Gowasu lifted his chin to look him in the eye. Zamasu nearly flinched when he saw the wild look in his elder’s eyes, as if the older Kai was struggling to keep his expression neutral.
“You left?! Why?! Did something happen here?!”
Zamasu frantically waved a hand, as if brushing the assumptions. “No, nothing of the sort! I just…” he felt his face burn in shame, “I had a troubling dream—I’ve been having those dreams for a while now and I needed to get away from here…”
“Oh, Zamasu…” Gowasu let go of Zamasu’s chin to place a hand over his heart, as if something had pained it. “Why haven’t you said anything? Do you not trust me? Did you think I’d scold you for this?”
“I couldn’t possibly bother you with such irrational nonsense,” Zamasu stressed. He felt slightly guilty for making his mentor feel like he didn’t trust him, but he couldn’t deny it was the truth—such problems were personal and his relationship with Gowasu was professional. Banal daily pleasantries were as personal as their talks would get.
“Zamasu, nonsense! If it bothers you so, I’d happily lend an ear.” Gowasu smiled softly, placing a hand on his student’s, silently encouraging him to open up. “Do tell me, what happened?”
Zamasu glanced down at his teacher’s hand, growing a bit bashful. He sighed and reluctantly started, “I saw you… you looked upset, then a man… a mysterious mortal reeking of bad intentions appeared, but you didn’t see him.” Zamasu balled his hands, tensing at the memory.
“I’ve seen the same man in more than one dream; he always wreaks destruction and ruin whenever he appears. I can't help but wonder if he's a bad omen.” He tried to gauge Gowasu’s reaction, but his teacher had fallen silent. He could feel Gowasu’s hand tightening its hold on his fist, his face darkened all of a sudden.
“Sir?” Zamasu winced, growing regretful about confiding his dreams.
Gowasu let out a sigh, clearly trying to force a calmer appearance. “Oh Zamasu, you must be exhausted.” he concluded. “You’ve spoken to me about mortals the other week, you must be simply stressed over that.”
Zamasu weighed the idea — perhaps Gowasu was onto something, maybe his concerns regarding mortals ran deeper than he initially assumed and began to manifest in his sleep. “You’re right…” Zamasu chuckled dryly. “It is absurd to think a mortal could possibly climb to the realm of Kais.”
“Exactly! you have nothing to fear when you’re here! With that said, it’s for the best that you refrain from leaving the temple to visit that planet you told me about.”
Zamasu tilted his head quizzically. Despite the cheery tone used by Gowasu, Zamasu could sense something far removed from joy lurking underneath. “But you instructed me to never visit an inhabited planet? This planet is devoid of all intelligent beings—I’ve checked.”
“Perhaps not… yet . Mortals- they evolve everywhere, Zamasu. For all we know, a new species is developing on that very planet as we speak. It’s best not to risk your life to find out, now is it?”
“My life? I thought you prohibited me from going to populated planets so as to not intervene with their mortals’ progress?”
“I asked you this for your own good—I worry about you, not the mortals.”
“My own good?” Zamasu echoed, scrunching his face, the words too absurd to the ear. Since when was this about him? The question seemed to anger Gowasu, or so Zamasu would think if the elder hadn’t glanced away contemplatively, as though mentally wrestling with a hard truth.
“Zamasu, mortals are unpredictable, volatile creatures. Even if they seem harmless, they’re capable of many dangerous things - be it the invention of a lethal weapon or a deadly poison. That’s why Kais like us maintain a safe distance and observe from afar. If mortals learned of us, who knows what possible… evils they would commit to get their hands on one of our kind.”
Zamasu scoffed, insulted by the implication that he couldn’t hold his own against measly mortals, but he had no time to voice it as Gowasu carried on.
“Mortals are no different than a Golden Dart Frog; Small in size, but quite deadly.” Zamasu tensed as Gowasu tightened his hold on his hand, nearly crushing it as if fearing he’d slip if he let go. “I want you here where I can know you’re safe. Don’t worry me again like you have today.”
His apprehension faded into shame; he realized he had caused his master distress by leaving without a word. Even though he wanted to argue his ability to protect himself, he didn’t wish to trouble Gowasu anymore than he had already done, more so after he’d been so kind to him during this talk. Zamasu slumped in his seat, sighing. “I promise I won’t leave the temple anymore, Master.”
Gowasu gave a gentle smile, pleased by his student’s compliance. Hoping to uplift his pupil’s spirits, Gowasu searched for an alternative to the planet Zamasu loved so much.
“If you wish, you can do as you please with the garden here.” This succeeded in getting Zamasu to look at him, seemingly intrigued. “Plant whatever you desire, spend as much time there as you want.”
Zamasu perked up, eyes widened as he stuttered out a reply. “R-Really?!”
“Of course! I understand you would need some time for yourself to recharge away from work, and I know how much you love nature, so why not? Might as well put that ol’ garden to good use. I know you got a green thumb—figuratively and literally.” He playfully prodded Zamasu with his elbow, chuckling light-heartedly at his own joke. But Zamasu was so astounded to react.
“I don’t know what to say… Th-thank you, Master!”
Gowasu nodded, seemingly pleased to see his student so overjoyed. “Just promise me you’ll never hide anything from me again. I was so worried to see you missing.”
Zamasu’s enthusiasm faded as he was reminded of what he’d done, shame instantly washing over him. He averted his gaze from Gowasu’s, feeling awfully silly sneaking away every day, fearing from his mentor’s anger when all Gowasu had was his best interest at heart.
“I promise, Master.” The elder gave his hand a gentle, comforting squeeze. “Well, now that’s settled, how about we make a big breakfast?”
“We?”
“I feel rather energized after our conversation. I’ll lend you a hand; I’ve gotten some new recipes from Godtube that I think you’d enjoy.”
Zamasu’s mind drifted to their breakfast the other day. So that’s what this was all about? He let out a sigh, relieved that Gowasu was merely testing out new recipes, having thought that something must’ve happened and somehow altered his behavior.
To others, a similar change in diet might not come across as anything worrisome, but to Zamasu who resided with his teacher for an age, he knew it was out of character of a picky eater such as his master to just break the routine without explanation, so he was glad to find a proper reason to attribute the abrupt shift to.
***
Loud echoing footsteps rang through the empty temple halls as Zamasu made his way to his room.
Unusually for his teacher’s new behavior, Zamasu found himself carrying a hefty pile of books he was given back to his room to study. All of them were unlabelled and specifically handpicked by Gowasu, then handed over to Zamasu before he left after breakfast.
Zamasu wasn’t complaining, though. He was rather happy to have some form of normalcy amongst all the changes happening around him. Besides, he quite loved being able to read. There wasn’t much else to do, a lot of the time, other than study and make tea. However, Gowasu seemed a bit more lenient as of late.
Entering his room, Zamasu allowed his thoughts on Gowasu to fade as he focused on the task at hand. He wondered what he’d be reading about today, as Gowasu had merely given him the pile of books he now had and simply told him to ‘read as much as possible’. Whatever was in these books must’ve been important, for Zamasu to have to read the whole thing.
Setting the unlabeled books on his desk, Zamasu quickly sat down on his chair and got to work. He picked up one of the heftier books, not knowing which one he’d be expected to read first, and began flipping through the pages.
He couldn't help noticing how brisk and fresh the pages were, countering the other ones he read whose pages had gone yellow and soft with wear and time.
Mayhaps Gowasu had found a novel edition that possessed an extra range of information?
That'd explain the size… he thought while sizing the larger quantity of leaves. He began studying the text with great care, noting how the focus was regarding mortals and their affairs.
Despite himself, he grew eager to read on, hoping that it'd shed light on the mysteries where the ancient books fell short.
Zamasu paused upon the first few paragraphs, his eyes widened a bit as he observed the blatant disagreement with his previous lessons; instead of detailing planet types and mortal species, methods of annihilation were detailed, from diseases pervading a civilization to render it lifeless to outright nuclear explosions.
To say he was appalled would be an understatement. Did Gowasu accidentally hand him a book intended for Gods of Destruction?
He put the one in his hold down and retrieved another one from the stack near him. Yet it was identical to the one he just put away.
Flipping through the other books gave a similar result; the gist of each one was to bring death and extinction to mortals. His eyes narrowed scrutinizingly. This surely wasn’t right.
These books… they didn’t seem like Kaioshin books at all! Was it possible that Gowasu gave him the wrong ones..? Maybe he brought ones intended for their destroyer, Rumsshi, but his elder mixed them up with the ones he was truly meant to study. They were all unlabelled, so it was plausible. It was just a small mistake he made when trying to gather up the right books. Surely…
But those books left him rattled with their grotesque descriptions of executing mortals so mercilessly. He might not hold any fondness for them, but even he agreed such violence was uncalled for. He sighed. At least it gave him a small appreciation for his Kaioshin duties, knowing he wouldn't ever be tasked to execute such brutal methods. He can now tell why Rumsshi is so passive with his job.
Zamasu grabbed the books and stood up from his seat. He couldn’t study these books, they weren’t the ones he was meant to read. Despite not knowing which subject it really was that Gowasu wanted him to study, Zamasu knew it would be best to just find some books he was previously studying and go over some things from those books, rather than read these ones not made for Kaioshins and risk damaging his mind by their horrendous brutality.
Making his way past the library doors, Zamasu carefully placed the books he was given down on a shelf near the entrance, then went about gathering any books he felt would help aid his studies. They were far more credible than the ones he was falsely given, and it wasn’t like a little review would hurt. Though, Gowasu might be a little upset that he didn't read the books he was meant to.
Returning to his chambers, he placed the books down on his desk, sat back down and allowed himself to resume his studies.
The next few hours blurred together as Zamasu carefully went over information he already knew and stuff he had missed on his first read. Rereading the pages helped him remember small things he had forgotten or had paid little attention to originally, and helped solidify what he remembered.
It was quite nice, all things considered. The books, even though Zamasu couldn’t help the pang of frustration he got when reading at how pointless his future duties might actually be, helped distract him from the paranoia he felt so often. Anything to escape the anxiety was a win, in Zamasu’s book.
As the minutes ticked on, Zamasu found himself wrapping up in time to get started on dinner. He had barely realized lunchtime had gone by, nor did he notice that Gowasu had never shown up for it until he was already preparing dinner.
With a content smile, Zamasu closed the book he was reading and set it aside with the others. Carefully, he took them back to the library room and put them all back into their place, safely snuggled with the rest of the ancient books. He’d return to them again if he needed them.
Making his way out the library room, Zamasu remembered the original books he was handed. Right , he needed to inform Gowasu of the books he had mistakenly given Zamasu earlier. Surely, he'd know the whereabouts of the books he was supposed to give to Zamasu. It was a simple mixup, anyone could make such a small mistake.
Preparing dinner went like it did any other day. If he was being honest, the task was getting quite repetitive. Though, Zamasu noticed that the leftovers usually left to rot in the fridge were now gone. He smiled. At least those are finally being eaten.
Finishing up the tea snacks, Zamasu carefully loaded it all onto the tea cart along with the aforementioned drink. Allowing himself to reenter his formal posture, he began wheeling the cart out of the kitchen and towards the courtyard.
Exiting the temple, Zamasu’s steps reached a halt the moment his eyes laid at the center of the yard. Next to the table stood Gowasu, who was distracted with something Zamasu couldn't see from his place behind him.
“...Master, you're back.” Upon hearing his voice, Gowasu turned and smiled.
“Oh, indeed! I managed to wrap up my work early today.”
Zamasu was thrown off— early? He was gone for the majority of the day, not even showing up for lunchtime.
Gowasu kept shifting from side to side, giving the impression he was trying to keep something out of Zamasu's line of vision. Zamasu looked puzzled and resumed pushing the cart, this time slowly so he could carefully observe his teacher’s peculiar behavior as he continued swaying to cover the table.
“Master, is something the matter?” Zamasu leaned to the side to attempt a peek at whatever the older Kai held behind, but Gowasu matched his movement and obstructed the view. His friendly, yet weirdly tense, smile firmly held despite his clear intent on maintaining secrecy. Zamasu huffed and gave up, now focusing on stopping the cart near the center and preparing the plates to serve.
“Master, there's something I wish to discuss.” his elder might refuse to reveal whatever's he's secreting, but he should answer his inquiries regarding the unusual books in the library. The moment Gowasu started to respond a squeal resounded from behind him and he instantly froze, going silent.
Zamasu stared ahead with wide eyes, tilting his head to see the source of the noise. His heart stopped the moment a familiar, dear figure leapt from the table and trotted up to his legs.
“B-Bancha?” Zamasu breathed and crumbled to his knees to inspect the small, chubby pig. Was it really her?
She eyed him with her big dark pupils, squealing with joy in greeting. Zamasu turned to his teacher who gave him a nervous smile. “Well,” he chuckled softly, “I guess the surprise is ruined.”
“Master, what is—why have you brought Bancha here?” All thoughts of the books Zamasu planned to ask Gowasu about left his mind as Zamasu took another look at his old companion. She saved him from loneliness back in his North Kai days, as there wasn’t much at all on the little planet he had. He would've loved to bring her with him to the Kai realm, had it not been forbidden by Gowasu to ensure Zamasu is never distracted.
Bancha raised on her hind legs, putting her forehooves upon Zamasu's knees and giving more squeals to keep his attention on her. From her brisk movements, he could discern she was as excited to see him.
“Well, you've been quite responsible around here, keeping the place in great shape even when I'm away as well as keeping up with your studies, so I thought you should be capable of handling a pet also with no issue.” Gowasu approached, casting a gentle, warm glance at the two. “Besides, I haven't been home as often as I'd like to, so you'd need company. It gets lonely without one—I'd know.”
Zamasu rubbed Bancha’s plump cheeks lovingly, smiling when she punched her face against his palm. He picked her into his arms and got up.
“I don't know what to say…” Zamasu failed to muster the words to describe the mirth he felt in that moment. “Thank you, Master! Thank you so so much!”
“Don't mention it, Zamasu, I–HMPH!” Gowasu felt the air knock out of him when Zamasu pushed into him, drawing him into a hug with one arm while holding Bancha in the other, forgetting his normal formality for a moment as the younger Kai was far too overjoyed to consider the propriety of it.
Zamasu heard a light chuckle from his side as a pair of arms folded around him, giving him a firm squeeze. It took him hearing his teacher's voice for the trance to fade, backing away quickly.
“I'm so sorry, Master!” Zamasu flushed and released Bancha from his hold to bow in apology.
“It's quite alright, Zamasu. I'm only glad the surprise pleased you.” Gowasu resumed his formal posture, hands folded behind his back. Zamasu wasn't sure if he caught a hint of disappointment in his teacher's voice or if he'd only imagined it, but it sounded almost as if Gowasu mourned the loss of touch.
Gowasu stepped close to the tea cart and smiled at Zamasu.
“Well then, shall we have dinner?”
***
Following their meal, Gowasu insisted on helping Zamasu with the dishes despite Zamasu's pressing that he must rest after his work, but it didn't sway the older Kai from pursuing any opportunity to spend time with his student.
Once they wrapped up, Zamasu focused the remainder of his free time on Bancha, who was too eager to play with her owner once again. From her appearance, Zamasu could appraise her treatment by the new North Kai was decent. She was as healthy and energetic as when he left her. When he questioned Gowasu on how he managed to take her from his successor, the elder Kai explained that she was well-taken care of but that the North Kai simply wasn't too fond of pets and willingly gave her over.
Zamasu didn't know how to feel about that, as he wondered if Bancha didn't receive emotional care and was deprived of play. He knew his pig was quite the lively thing. But since she was still well and alive to be with him again, he reckoned it wasn't worthwhile to concern himself with bygones and instead focus his efforts to make up for the lost time. Besides, Gowasu didn't seem happy with his suggestion to see the North Kai to question him, citing he was too busy to accept visitors.
As the time grew late, Zamasu bid his teacher goodnight in the corridors connecting to their rooms before taking Bancha into his own. Once within his chambers, Zamasu released his hold on his pet, letting her roam freely to explore her new living space as he worked on changing into his sleepwear.
Bancha started to flap her wings, making her body hover upwards. She flew up to her owner’s bed and carefully descended on the bedfoot. Zamasu laughed softly as she circled around a spot before plopping onto her side on the mattress.
Same as the past when he was the North Kai; She'd always sleep at the low end of his bed and awake him with a tickling lick to his face. Not that he'd require her as a personal alarm anymore, having adapted to waking up at a specific hour to start his schedule, but it would bring him comfort all the same to see her first thing in the morning.
Once finished changing, Zamasu lifted his sheets and crawled underneath. After the recent weirdness of the last week, he needed a hint of normalcy back into his life. Though he felt somewhat embarrassed to receive such a thoughtful gift from his teacher.
He glanced below toward Bancha as she slept peacefully, huddling onto herself for warmth, feeling his once-constricted chest ease up. He closed his eyes, mentally vowing to repay the favor to Gowasu as sleep overcame him.
…
Grey eyes snapped open in the room’s darkness.
Zamasu sat up in his bed, glancing around cautiously. It took a moment for his eyes to adjust to the room’s low lighting, but he was certain the place was as he left it before going to bed, with nothing moved and Bancha still in her spot, breathing softly in her sleep. He swore a third party had just been in his room.
As he checked the clock on the wall, he found that he’d only snoozed for an hour and a half. Sighing with frustration, he laid back down, hoping to catch more sleep before he’s obliged to wake up and make breakfast.
It seems despite having Bancha back in his life, the recently attained paranoia still refused to leave him be. Maybe it’s per Gowasu’s explanation, it’s the result of his nerves conjuring delusions and nothing more.
But then why did he hear the door click shut?
Chapter Text
Light rays shun through the window curtains, their familiar warmth bathing Zamasu as he awoke from his slumber. His mind, still somewhat numbed by the sweet haze of morning drowsiness, urged him to ignore the outside world and drift back off to sleep.
With a faint huff, Zamasu turned himself over to face away from the window, trying to ignore it to the best of his ability. He felt… odd. Heavy, maybe. Either way, all Zamasu could really think about was having a few more minutes of sleep before he had to wake and start breakfast.
A small oink caught in his ears, however. And too late did Zamasu notice the pink fluffy pig shoving her snout into his face and licking his cheek excessively.
“Wha- Bancha!” Zamasu exclaimed, his drowsiness disappearing as he was rudely awakened by his pet pig. Said pet was now eagerly running about the room in excitement, much like how Zamasu had witnessed her do before gaining his position as a Supreme Kai apprentice. Just as energetic as I remember, Zamasu chuckled fondly.
“Alright alright, I’m up!” Zamasu exaggerated amusingly, sitting himself up and sliding off the bed. A slight frown tugged at his lips as he noticed an abnormal weight to his actions, slowing him down a bit to accommodate. It was slight, but it was just noticeable. Perhaps it was just exhaustion? No matter, it’s surely nothing.
Getting prepared for the day proved to be a bit of a challenge as Bancha kept flying about the room with a particular excitement Zamasu knew her to be full of. He wasn’t bothered in the slightest by her antics, however.
It was something he missed dearly when he was forced to leave her to the next North Kai, and even now he found himself preferring the company of the excitable pet over the quiet loneliness that usually overtook the temple grounds. Hopefully Bancha wasn’t too lonely without him there to keep her entertained.
As he made his way to the kitchen, he watched, amused, as Bancha eagerly trotted by his side, her wings folded neatly to her back. She knew to be better behaved when Zamasu was messing with cutlery, thankfully, so Zamasu didn’t have to worry about her accidentally making a mess of the place while he worked.
Preparing the dishes was a simple task, rather redundant if anything. However, there was a new excitement in the act with the presence of Bancha. She was always fond of fruits, but also loved all sorts of foods that Zamasu knew weren't good for her health. Zamasu had to keep a close eye on her to make sure she didn’t try to take anything off of the tea tray. At least twice did he find himself having to stop the winged pig from stealing a bite of a sandwich or muffin.
“No no, girl!” He scolded as he gently scooped her up and sat her down away from the food. “You can’t eat those!” Noticing the small pout forming on Bancha’s face, Zamasu sighed internally. He knew he couldn’t resist such a face, and he couldn’t stop himself from spoiling his precious pet.
“Listen, I’ll give you some strawberries later if you behave.” The young Kai promised, smiling as Bancha seemed to immediately lighten up. If there was one being who could sway Zamasu to crawl into the deepest pits of hell and back, it would be Bancha. Not that she would ever do that, of course!
Setting the finished breakfast plates on the tea tray, Zamasu led Bancha outside to the courtyard with him. The creaky wheels of the cart were barely noticeable under the excited squealing Bancha was making. A small chuckle escaped Zamasu’s mouth. Bancha always liked the outdoors, much like the young Kai did. He would take her to play outside the temple grounds when he finished his studies, hopefully she wouldn’t be too rowdy inside the courtyard before then.
Zamasu struggled to properly place the breakfast platters with Bancha sprinting around his legs. Poor girl must've missed him dearly; she couldn't spend a second without him. He was grateful she was brought back to her rightful owner if the North Kai couldn't provide her the required company.
Zamasu's grip on the plates tightened, almost crushing the porcelain. He must not mull over this excessively, lest his frustration leads him to the North Kai planet to give his successor a severe admonishment for falling short in his care of Bancha. Gowasu might've been in a lofty mood these past couple of days, but one thing he never tolerated under any weather was Zamasu's short temper.
The young Kai let out a deep breath, and went with it his rising rage. Bancha tilted her head, curious about her master's unreadable frame of mind. Zamasu smiled gently at her to erase any assumptions that he's mad at her. Settling on one knee, he stroked her furry head, smile growing when she punched her head onto his palm for more.
Zamasu paused when his ear caught the sound of a click resounding from across the yard, snapping his gaze towards the direction of the noise. The courtyard appeared empty save for himself and Bancha. Gowasu must still be asleep in his chambers, otherwise he'd sense his ki around.
Weird… he looked back to Bancha to see if she heard it too. The piglette seemed equally confused, but perhaps it was his abrupt shift that threw her off.
Her floppy ears perked up and she glanced towards the gate leading to the temple’s interior. Zamasu traced her gaze and was surprised to find Gowasu approaching.
“Good morning, Zamasu,” the older Kai greeted, taking no note of the disoriented look expressed by his student.
Zamasu got to his feet, almost bowing before recalling his teacher's request to drop the custom.
“Good morning, Master. I hope you've slept well.”
Gowasu gave a low laugh and stretched his back and arms. “Quite! I've slept like a baby. How about you? Any more of those pestering nightmares?”
Zamasu smiled at him, appreciative of his care before nodding at Bancha.
“Actually I've slept better than all of last week. I believe Bancha is to thank… and you too for allowing me to have her here.” Zamasu’s voice dropped at the end, unaccustomed to expressing such tender feelings. He dipped his head bashfully and kept his eyes on Bancha to escape Gowasu’s gaze.
His focus shifted when a hand held his cheek and gently pushed him to face his master. Zamasu was caught off guard to see a look of fatherly warmth from Gowasu.
“It pleases me to hear so.” He sounded happy as he claimed. So why did his voice quaver?
After the two sat in their usual places, a casual conversation passed the duo, with the majority led by Gowasu, who seemed eager for every answer Zamasu gave. Amidst the idle chatter, Zamasu was reminded by the pressing question he hoped to ask Gowasu before he was surprised with Bancha.
“Master, I was hoping to speak to you regarding the books you tasked me to study the other day.” Zamasu must've imagined it, but it looked as if Gowasu flinched. His airs, however, had shifted from lackadaisical to serious.
“What of them?” Gowasu’s voice was even as he picked a leaf of kale with his fork and brought the silver to his mouth.
“I've noticed that they're not…” Zamasu paused to gauge his teacher's emotion before continuing, “...intended for Kais, clearly. The subject seems more in line with the destroyers’ work.”
Swallowing his food, Gowasu laid the fork by the salad bowl and centered his attention on Zamasu, who almost cowered under the intensity of his gaze. The atmosphere turned heavy with trepidation on Zamasu’s end. Gowasu's silence didn't say anger, but determination, customary of his teaching sessions—Zamasu had nearly forgotten after its prolonged absence.
“Zamasu, I believe it's about time you know.” Gowasu placed his clasped hands front of him on the table and fixed his student with a firm look. Zamasu gulped, sensing the seriousness of the matter.
“While it is not our main objective, us Kais are also tasked with learning destruction.”
Zamasu’s eyes went wide, leaning forward to hear more.
“But isn't that the job of the destroyer’s office?”
“Indeed, however, destroyers aren't exactly a necessity as one might be led to believe, but a mere, dispensable bolster for us; they exist to aid us real gods and nothing more.”
“I'm afraid I don't understand, master…” In a vague way, it added up as Kai's are inherently divine, whereas destroyers were originally mortals bestowed with divinity in exchange of their strength. “Are you saying it's our duty to both oversee creation and destruction?”
“Indeed.”
“But then why recruit destroyers at all?”
“It was the Omni-king’s decision.” Gowasu scrunched his face. Zamasu swore he could sense something akin to disgust within his elder's words. “So that Kais aren't burdened with all the work of maintaining universal balance and harmony.”
“So a destroyer is merely a vice-deity?”
“Correct. So you see, this knowledge is required in case our assigned destroyer is incompetent or of no use to our divine role.”
Zamasu went quiet, unable to process the unprecedented information. All possible responses wouldn't suffice to describe his shock. While it made sense theoretically, in practice he'd seen his master behaving all cordially towards their destroyer on many occasions as if they were standing on equal grounds. Was all of that just a charade built on pity? Or an attempt to foster camaraderie based on the shared goal of bettering the universe?
“I know this is a lot to take in now, but you'll understand in time.”
Zamasu would've liked to question further, unsatisfied with the abrupt exposition, but he found himself speechless against the smile his mentor presented. Sighing, he opted to do the only thing he could.
“Yes, master, I understand.”
Gowasu nodded and got up, wiping his lips with a napkin.
“Now then, I should depart. My work is yet to be done.” he restored his enthusiasm. “Your cooking’s as great as ever. Thank you. Could you please save me the leftovers?”
“Of course…” Zamasu nodded but his mind was adrift. “Would you like me to accompany you? Surely you can be done with that work with additional help.”
“NO!” Gowasu shot him a hard look, making the younger Kai flinch. Noticing his student’s reaction, Gowasu sighed, clasping his hands behind his back and turning around. “Forgive me… But this business is of consequence.”
Zamasu rose from his chair, hands planted on the tabletop as he leaned forward.
“Wouldn't that be more reason for me to go too? Can't you at least tell me what's this business that keeps you occupied all day?”
Despite his pleading tone, Gowasu didn't move to regard him.
“In due time, Zamasu. You shall learn in due time.”
After Gowasu left for the day, Zamasu got to clean after their meal. His mind was in a state of unrest; he couldn't understand anything. Before, he knew almost the ins and outs of the Supreme Kai office, but now he keeps encountering new problems, one after the other.
***
After retrieving the unnamed books from where he left them yesterday, Zamasu decided to take his studies to the quiet of his room, finding himself desiring its familiarity.
Zamasu pulled out the chair from under the desk aligning with the wall and sat before putting the book atop the desk surface. He tried to push down his nerves as he tugged the thick cover open with a shaking hand. Even knowing its relation to his duty didn't make the task any easier.
Inhaling deeply, he flipped the leaves until he reached the one he last stopped at. This section was dedicated to providing a comprehensive list on the vices of mortals as well as their weakness.
Apprehension lingered in Zamasu's mind but since the subject lacked the severity of the one prior if the title was anything to go by, he decided to bite the bullet. But as he got to reading, the measle flicker of hope died the moment he discovered his reservations were founded. The writing, detailed and full, held an unhidden aggression targeted toward the mortals. It seemed as though this part listed a whole order of self-justifications on why mortals are to be eradicated instead of diving into their flaws and when it's appropriate for a civilization to get expunged.
Zamasu had to glance away from the book every so often to spare his brain and conscience any more of this long string of pure hatred spilled in ink onto a sheet. He agreed with Gowasu that it's his duty as a god to oversee the good as well as the bad instead of recruiting mortals to take the rotten half of the job and them to be left with the pleasant. Encouraging himself with that mindset, Zamasu set out to read the assigned material, forcing his gaze onto the pages.
“Mortals are inherently barbarians no different from animals and beasts. If a civilization fails to evolve to a respectable degree, they'd ought to get eliminated lest their evil reaches other planets–”
Zamasu tore his gaze away from the passage he was reading when an urgent oink rang from beneath him. Leaning back to see below the desk’s edge, he found Bancha, who was nestled on his bed when he started on his studies, now casting him a concerned glance. She must've caught on his souring mood.
Zamasu massaged his temple to soothe the growing headache before turning from the book and spreading his arms for Bancha. Bancha took the invitation with glee and dove into his embrace, nuzzling her cheek against his coat. Zamasu giggled and held her, thankful for her simple, peaceful presence warding off the once rising mental war.
He wouldn't vouch for mortals any day, but they certainly weren't hopeless if given the proper guidance. What he feared, however, was that he'd have to carry the task of eradicating a planet when promoted to the Supreme Kai position. Even if the likeliness of that occurring were low, with their destroyer’s infamous laziness, there was a fair chance and it keeps increasing the more his indolence grows. Rumsshi hadn't even bothered contacting Gowasu in weeks now. Neither had Cus, but he could pardon her for she's practically become her dolt of a destroyer’s babysitter.
Bancha oinked up at him, giving her owner a wry look. Zamasu was unsure of what she wanted until she stood atop her back legs and pressed her trotters against her belly, conveying her hunger to Zamasu.
Zamasu chuckled.
“Still a big eater, aren't you?” She squealed and floated up to lick his cheek playfully. Zamasu brought her into his arms and got off his seat.
“Let's prepare you some food,” Zamasu declared as he carried her to the door. He was admittedly glad to distract himself from his studies for once.
Zamasu carried Bancha all the way to the kitchen, where he set her down gently on the tile floor. Her curled tail wagged with excitement as she oinked eagerly to the young Kai. He chuckled, “now just wait here, Bancha. I’ll get you some food, alright?”
Bancha did as he said and sat down on the floor with sudden patience. She was always an intelligent flying pig, Zamasu remembered. Most of the pets given to North Kai’s were smart, able to understand the gods and understand things like right from wrong. It disheartened Zamasu to have to leave his best friend behind when he became Gowasu’s apprentice, as she was always such a nice comfort during his darkest of hours.
Making his way towards the counter, Zamasu pulled out the necessary utensils; a knife, a cutting board, a plate, and some fresh strawberries from the fridge. It had been a while since Zamasu got to prepare any fruit, with Gowasu usually preferring unnatural sweets over the delicious tastes of fruits and vegetables.
As he began cutting the juicy fruits, Zamasu found his mind drifting a bit. Fruits in the Kai realm weren’t too common, most of them were garnered from mortal planets due to the vast environments they grew in. In fact, nearly all of Zamasu's ingredients he had were from the mortal realm, even some blends of tea.
However, it was quite inconvenient to have to go and, while evading being spotted by mortals, locate and pick the correct fruits he needed. Especially since apparently some of them were cultivated and not naturally grown, it proved quite the challenge to gain fruits. He hadn’t gone searching for any in a while, though, as he had a significant amount still fresh in the fridge for later consumption.
Perhaps he could convince Gowasu to let him grow some fruit plants in the temple garden? He seemed more accepting of decorating the place, as of late, and having the fruits harvested directly at the temple would be very convenient to help feed Bancha-
Zamasu was suddenly shocked back to reality when he felt a sharp sting in his finger. His breath hitched as he set the knife down and pulled the hand previously holding the strawberries up to see. A small narrow cut was now marked along his pointer finger, violet blood seeping out through the small injury. “Shit!” Zamasu hissed, quickly making his way over to the nearby sink.
Bancha perked up in confusion, not noticing the wound as Zamasu quickly placed his hand under the faucet. With a simple turn of the knob, cold water began pouring onto Zamasu’s hand. He had the setting on low, so it wouldn’t be too hard on the injury, but enough to help clean the blood around it.
For a few moments, the water would rinse off the wound with a slight purple tint gained, but it quickly diluted back to the usual transparency water was supposed to have. Sighing, Zamasu turned off the faucet. He hoped the cut wasn’t too bad, it would be a nightmare to explain to Gowasu later if it were anything severe.
But as Zamasu held his finger out under the light, he found something strange. While there thankfully wasn’t any such big injury on his finger, it seemed as though there was no injury at all. Furrowing his brows, the young Kai turned his finger to catch different angles of the light. Nothing. That wasn’t normal, he knew he had cut himself just a few moments ago!
“What?” Zamasu muttered, staring at his finger with growing concern and curiosity. Maybe the light wasn’t able to catch the injury?
Bancha oinked at Zamasu, to which he turned his attention away from his hand at the sound of. Oh right, he still needed to feed his pet pig. Shaking his head a bit, Zamasu decided to shove the thought of the cut to the side for the moment and get back to taking care of Bancha’s needs.
Walking back over to the partially cut strawberries, Zamasu picked the knife up again and returned to chopping them into even slices. There was a notable haste in his actions that wasn’t present before as Zamasu quickly chopped up the remaining fruit. He lifted the cutting board to a slant and used the knife to help push the cut fruit onto the previously empty plate, before placing both the knife and cutting board into the sink. He didn’t want to touch that knife, not for a while at least.
Giving Bancha the small plate of fruit, Zamasu sat down on the floor in front of her and watched as she eagerly devoured the strawberries. He allowed his mind to wander a bit, only to find himself thinking more and more about the cut he got.
Zamasu knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that he was injured to some capacity. He saw the blood, for crying out loud! But still, the entire wound seemed to have vanished into thin air. It made no logical sense!
Perhaps there were some books on the subject in the library? Perhaps Zamasu didn’t get that deep of a wound and he just couldn’t see it that well, surely! Wounds don’t just magically heal in seconds! And it wasn’t like he was using his healing abilities… Was he? Perhaps he did heal his wound and just didn’t notice?
Blinking, Zamasu was brought out of his thoughts when he felt a furry muzzle rubbing against his arm. He glanced down to notice Bancha, her fruit plate having been finished moments ago, looking up at him worriedly. She oinked, tilting her head to the side, as if trying to ask Zamasu if he was alright. He gave Bancha a somewhat unsure smile. “I’m alright, girl.” He said, gently petting her back as he tried to reassure her, “just a little out of it at the moment.”
Bancha didn’t look too convinced, but didn’t make anything more of it. Zamasu stooped to his knees and picked up the empty plate. He placed it in the sink to clean later, not wanting to worry himself with any more tasks he could get really lost in thought with. What to do now?
Zamasu really didn’t want to go and read those books Gowasu told him to, he felt sick at the thought of touching those things again. If that was really the duty of a Kaioshin, maybe he shouldn’t have accepted to be placed under Gowasu’s tutelage! However, there wasn’t much else to do other than that.
Some movement caught the corner of Zamasu’s eye, and he glanced back down at Bancha. She was looking up at him, her wings flapping a bit as she squealed at the young Kai. Oh, maybe he should go take Bancha out of the temple a bit. He planned to do so earlier anyway, and honestly he too needed the break from the place.
With Gowasu out and lunch hours away, Zamasu knew he’d have enough time for a quick break outside the temple walls. Bancha was full and raring to go play, no doubt eager from being cooped up with Zamasu during his studies, so Zamasu decided to bring her to his new favorite spot: the temple’s garden.
In the past, he used to be impartial to the garden as it were plain compared to the planet he used to retreat to. The shrubs bloomed the same flower types during the entirety of his time as an apprentice, all with blank petals and skinny stems. Zamasu didn't know if it was Gowasu's choice or the ones before him, but either way he never brought it up. Zamasu wouldn't have disliked the garden as he’d done if the colorless flowers were ones out of a different many.
Zamasu walked across the lonely pathway stretching through the bushes, with Bancha seated on his arms. Green fields ran along each side of the way after the shrubs. He smiled as he took in the beautiful shades and hues of flora now blossoming. He'd made sure to plant as many varied kinds as he could when granted liberty over the garden. Bancha mirrored his amazement, turning her stout head back and forth to see all the magnificent blooms.
Zamasu stopped at an opening in the middle of the road, where a white, marble fountain sat. Zamasu served under Gowasu for a long time, and the fountain had never once functioned. Cracks were deeply ingrained into the stone, it was a miracle it stayed standing.
Another thing he's ought to mend someday.
Bancha leapt out of his hold and into the air, floating and squealing happily, riveted by the multicolored plants surrounding them. Zamasu used the chance to stretch a bit. He'd been feeling lethargic since he awoke and he's yet to figure out why. He blamed it on his unusual deep sleep, reasoning that his body had gone numb from the heavy repose and was yet to be revigorated.
Taking a few steps back from the fountain, Zamasu assumed a stance, parting his legs, bending his knees, lifting his fists ahead. Bancha knew that pose well enough to keep her distance. When Zamasu would train back at the North Kai planet, he'd always order her to step away so that he doesn't accidentally hurt her.
Once she was a fair distance off his radius, Zamasu got to practicing his punches, slicing the air with his fists. Training had always been a source of relief and relaxation for the Kai, to feel his body flowing with the surrounding environment never failed to bring his mind the needed ease. As if he becomes one with nature. That’s not to mention the ability to fight if needed. Though he’d gotten a couple of remarks from Gowau and Rumsshi that physical prowess was unneeded for a Kai since he won’t have to battle anyone, and with a destroyer by his side, there was no danger to be feared.
Zamasu always scoffed at those points; he didn’t want to entrust his life with Rumsshi’s hands, especially when he’s lazing around for the majority of his time. Zamasu had inquired about Rumsshi’s notorious inactivity to him personally, yet he was met with the irritantingly disappointing answer of “I’m just not feeling it.”
Zamasu felt his muscles regain energy. The stuffy lethargy washed off him the more he trained his limps, yet he felt a faint remnants lingering behind. It was more subdued than earlier, but bothersome all the same. From much experience, he learned that making his Ki flow through his veins gets rid of any languor riding his brain and body.
Zamasu paused but kept a firm posture. He closed his eyes and focused on his Ki, concentrating hard on raising it. Bancha watched from a safe distance as he held the same position for a couple of long moments, tilting her head to the side. She knew he intended to unleash his Ki, yet nothing came of it.
Zamasu gasped, slacking a bit. He couldn’t do it.
Sweat droplet trailed down his cheek as he panted. Why couldn’t he do? It’s always been easy like second nature to bring out his Ki, but this time he found it impossible to even feel it. As if a block stood in the way of his access to it.
Bancha descended down to his eye level, her little wings flapping on her back, and nudged his cheek with her snout. She succeeded in getting Zamasu to look at her, yet she nearly jumped with look of stark bewilderment in his eyes as he whispered, “I can’t do it…”
Bancha gave an oink to draw him back as he passed her, speaking more to himself than to her.
“Why can’t I do it?” He couldn’t feel the usual fulfilment when his ki would overflow and his aura spike up and engulf him whole. Instead, he felt empty—weak, and it scared him.
He held his temple in both hands and sat on a nearby stone bench facing the center of the opening where the fountain was. Bancha flew up to him, lowering herself on his lap and gazed up at him. He rubbed her head, but there was no heart in the act. Zamasu pursed his lips, contemplating the cause of this abnormality.
Taking on somewhat shaky breaths, Zamasu held Bancha close for comfort. Perhaps he was ill? He did feel rather unusual when he woke up, maybe he came down with something and it's affecting his ki? But Zamasu had been sick before, and never had any illness caused him to lose control of his ki to this extent!
Maybe this is some new sickness then, right?! There isn’t any reason for Zamasu’s ki to just stop working! The powerless feeling became suffocating when he noticed it, and suddenly Zamasu found himself feeling rather tense.
Bancha rubbed her muzzle against Zamasu’s chest, and the young Kai blinked. Poor Bancha looked so concerned at Zamasu’s apparent panic. He sighed, attempting to calm his nerves by turning his attention to the surrounding garden. The surrounding greenery should help ease his worrying mind.
The place was nothing short of beautiful; large trees of all types growing on soil coated in the greenest of grasses, colorful flowers adding a nice contrast to the landscape, and even some small succulents and mosses scattered about the garden.
A small smile twitched upon the Kai’s face. Before, the garden here was rather lackluster, with at most just a mere few saplings and unkept weeds eating away at the space. Despite the poor conditions it was in, Gowasu refused to let Zamasu pluck a single weed to aid the poor saplings. However, now that Gowasu had permitted Zamasu to do as he pleased with the garden, it had become more akin to a small paradise.
And with Bancha here, Zamasu reminded himself, I no longer have to be so miserable. Unconsciously, Zamasu found himself gently scritching the small piglet behind one of her ears, resulting in her letting out a pleased oink.
Actually, now that Zamasu thought about it, ever since Gowasu seemed to switch up his whole demeanor, everything had gotten better for the young Kai. This new Gowasu was far kinder than anything from before, even going as far as to allow Zamasu the privilege of aiding the garden and giving him his precious pet back!
Admittedly, Zamasu could do without the books he was told to study, but otherwise everything had seemingly taken a turn for the better. Perhaps I have just been paranoid all this time.
Blinking, the young Kai looked back down at Bancha, still tucked within his arms. “I think I’ve been too hard on Gowasu as of late, haven’t I?” He asked the piglet, who turned her head up to look at him curiously. He smiled back down at her. All this time he was treating Gowasu’s new attitude with harsh scrutiny, when it seemed to be deserving of anything but.
“Perhaps I should just get started on lunch earlier, today.” Zamasu pondered. It sounded nice, he really needed to get his mind off of those books and recent developments with his ki. Plus, he wanted to make Gowasu something nice for allowing him to have Bancha back with him again.
Setting Bancha down, Zamasu stood from his seated position. “Let’s go back to the temple, Bancha,” he called back to her, and she eagerly trotted over to his side as the duo made their way back to the interior temple grounds.
…
Zamasu was used to the sound of glass plates. They made up a majority of his life under Gowasu’s tutelage, as his tasks always came back to making tea and getting meals ready. However, there was an air of content in the air this time, with Bancha’s presence.
Carefully, the plates were set evenly across the table, each one handled with gentle delicacy and precision. Bancha, who was watching Zamasu work from the sidelines, was notably calmer than before, most likely having exhausted herself with all the excitement she was practically radiating off ever since yesterday.
While handling the teacups, Zamasu nearly jumped at the sound of footsteps approaching. He turned and saw Gowasu walking towards him with a bright smile on his face. “Good evening, Zamasu!” The elder Kai exclaimed gleefully, an upbeat air following his forward motion.
That’s… odd, Zamasu thought, I couldn’t sense him when he arrived at the temple. Nevertheless, Zamasu found himself quickly responding in kind to avoid being perceived as rude. “Good evening, Master Gowasu.” He held back from bowing, remembering Gowasu’s want for less formality.
Gowasu smiled and sat himself down in his seat, stretching his arms a bit as he relaxed himself. “I’ve had quite the busy day,” he explained as Zamasu finished setting the table and sat himself down, “and I still have more than plenty left to do!” Gowasu sighed, and Zamasu frowned.
“I offered to help earlier,” Zamasu reminded, “and I’m still willing to if you wish.”
But Gowasu merely chuckled and shook his head in response. “No no, I’m enjoying myself, Zamasu. Besides, this type of job isn’t made for you.” Unsatisfied, Zamasu bit back questioning his teacher further, and instead took a sip of his tea. It was clear Gowasu didn’t want him to know what he was doing, and Zamasu would much rather respect this silent request for privacy than potentially upset his teacher. “Alright, Master Gowasu.”
After that, the lunch fell to silence. Gowasu seemed to be in a pleasant mood, and the quiet didn’t seem to bother either Kai that much, so the two continued their lunch without another word.
A small tug caught Zamasu’s attention, and he looked down to see Bancha gently pulling at his sash. She oinked, and Zamasu was surprised to notice a hint of something unnerved in her eyes.
He gave her a small smile and patted his lap, prompting her to hop onto it and snuggle into his waist. Zamasu bit back a chuckle at the piglet’s actions, and he turned to eating his lunch while petting her with one hand.
“Zamasu”, Gowasu called, causing the younger Kai to glance up from his plate. “I was wondering, how’s your training going?”
Zamasu blinked. Oh, right! “About that,” he began, a hint of uncertainty in his voice, “I was wondering… is it normal for one’s Ki to stop working?”
Gowasu seemed unfazed by the question, save for turning his attention fully to Zamasu. “How so?” He inquired, and Zamasu was quick to answer.
“Earlier I went out to train in the gardens, but no matter how hard I tried to use my Ki… I just couldn’t. I can’t seem to be able to use my Ki. This has never happened to me before!” He kept his voice somewhat quiet to avoid startling Bancha, still tucked in his lap. She had begun to fall asleep, and Zamasu would rather let her fall into a nice slumber peacefully than rudely snap her out of it.
A small hum left the elder Kai’s mouth, and he raised a finger to his chin. “Perhaps, Zamasu, you merely exhausted yourself?” He suggested, causing Zamasu’s eyes to widen a bit.
“But doesn’t overexerting your Ki lead to extreme side effects with the Ki? Mine isn’t experiencing any errors, rather it’s fully just gone!” He read about this in his books, about how some overexert their Ki and then get stuck with energy they can’t even control for long periods of time, ranging from faulty teleporting to haywire flying.
The thought of having such conditions sounded frightening to the young Kai, and he felt bad for any Kai that had to suffer through such a thing. However, his symptoms were different, and Gowasu suggesting it to be the answer to his qualms seemed inaccurate.
“That’s where you’re wrong, Zamasu”, Gowasu smiled a bit at the younger kai’s ignorance, “sometimes, if you’ve overworked yourself to such a point, you can lose the ability to access your Ki.”
Zamasu pondered the thought a bit. He never knew such a thing as losing one’s Ki was possible, though the thought that it was merely overusage and nothing serious brought ease to his mind. “So if I wait long enough, it should come back?” Gowasu smiled, “Of course, just lay easy on it for the next few days or weeks.”
A relieved sigh left Zamasu’s mouth. He was glad to know he’d be back on his feet again after some rest, though he’d rather not wait so long. Some things just can’t be helped, he supposed.
But as he looked up to see Gowasu’s face, Zamasu couldn’t help but feel an air of unsettledness wash over him. Gowasu looked… happier than when he walked into the temple, as if the news of Zamasu’s ailment had pleased him.
But Zamasu knew that couldn’t be the case; Gowasu would never be happy about such a thing. It made no sense to the young kai! Surely he was just imagining things. Soon enough, Gowasu would finish that job of his and the duo can go back to normal, and Zamasu’s training would resume as normal with a few slight adjustments for his lack of Ki.
Everything would be fine, right?
littlebeloslover on Chapter 1 Mon 14 Oct 2024 06:48PM UTC
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Anonymous Creator on Chapter 1 Fri 18 Oct 2024 06:03PM UTC
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FatedDenial on Chapter 2 Thu 09 Jan 2025 09:40PM UTC
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Anonymous Creator on Chapter 2 Fri 10 Jan 2025 12:33PM UTC
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littlebeloslover on Chapter 2 Fri 10 Jan 2025 07:50AM UTC
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Anonymous Creator on Chapter 2 Fri 10 Jan 2025 12:50PM UTC
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hitmehardnsoftt on Chapter 3 Tue 21 Jan 2025 08:33PM UTC
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Anonymous Creator on Chapter 3 Wed 22 Jan 2025 12:29AM UTC
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hitmehardnsoftt on Chapter 3 Wed 22 Jan 2025 08:33PM UTC
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FatedDenial on Chapter 3 Tue 21 Jan 2025 10:08PM UTC
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Anonymous Creator on Chapter 3 Wed 22 Jan 2025 12:40AM UTC
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littlebeloslover on Chapter 3 Wed 22 Jan 2025 04:01PM UTC
Last Edited Wed 22 Jan 2025 07:34PM UTC
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Anonymous Creator on Chapter 3 Wed 22 Jan 2025 11:45PM UTC
Last Edited Wed 22 Jan 2025 11:46PM UTC
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littlebeloslover on Chapter 4 Sun 23 Feb 2025 01:02AM UTC
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Anonymous Creator on Chapter 4 Sun 23 Feb 2025 03:18PM UTC
Last Edited Sun 23 Feb 2025 03:19PM UTC
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hitmehardnsoftt on Chapter 4 Sun 23 Feb 2025 09:50PM UTC
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Anonymous Creator on Chapter 4 Tue 25 Feb 2025 08:27PM UTC
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