Sacrificing My Love For You

Sacrificing My Love For You


Tosh let out a deep and weary sigh, as she sat around a circle made of burning, blood red candles. Jack sat on the opposite side of the circle, as he read from an enormous thick leather bound book. It appeared to be centuries old.

Tosh was required to concentrate on her love for Owen, as she wore the ruby amulet around her neck. The amulet was the main key, besides the large book. The amulet was what would summon the goddess. Tosh was pouring all of her love into the Amulet, as it was love and willing self sacrifice, which would summon the goddess.

Jack continued to read carefully from the book, as he couldn’t afford to make even the slightest mistake. There were no second chances to be had, as the ritual had to be completed correctly on the first attempt, or the amulet would be rendered worthless.

Jack continued to read for another five minutes, until he had read the last word from the long and complex passage on the page. The result was instant. Both Jack and Tosh had to cover their eyes from the immense bright white light, which had suddenly erupted in the hub.

It disappeared as quickly as it had appeared. Jack and Tosh wearily removed their hands from their faces. Tosh visibly faltered, when she saw a tall raven haired woman, standing there in a form fitting dress of black silk. She was outlined in a white glow.

Jack felt like the beings icy blue eyes were trying to read his soul. He inwardly snorted, and thought ‘Yeah, good luck with that’ As of sensing his thoughts; the goddess narrowed her eyes at Jack, while a tiny smirk slightly curved her blood red painted lips.

She eyed Jack and Tosh each in turn. She spoke up in a hard voice, full of power and authority that had been honed for over several thousands of years. “You summoned me, state your reason for doing do so.”

Jack cleared his throat and said, “We summoned you, because you are the goddess of love, life and death, or so this book claims” he gestured to the book in his lap. The goddess narrowed her eyes at him, before saying “Correct. Now state your reason for having summoned me.”

Tosh spoke up “We were hopping you would consent to returning the life of someone dear to us.” The goddess shook her head and replied “I cannot and will not bring the dead back to life.”

Jack commented “What if the person in question has no heart beat, and does now heal, nor age, or need sleep, but still is up and walking about?” He raised an eyebrow, waiting for her to answer that one.

The goddess walked up to Jack, before placing the flat of her palm up on his forehead. Jack wondered what she was doing, and went to protest. The goddess shook her head and said, “I intend you no harm, I merely search for information.”

Before Jack could protest again, she quickly entered his mind, but carefully, so as not to cause any damage. She closed her eyes, and scanned his mind for a moment or two, before pulling away completely, and reopening her eyes, and stepping back.

She eyed Jack in wonderment, her eyes narrowed. She commented “You can not die, and do not age. You aren’t human. But I sense it is not you whose life needs to be returned to him, as life is all you seem to have.”

She added looking at Tosh. “No. I see and sense it is another whose life you wish me to return. I saw him being shot, and then him being returned by the means of that infernal glove. I wondered where that had gotten to. You never should have used it in the first place. The only thing you did right was actually destroying it.”

Tosh asked nervously “So will you do it?” The goddess moved over to Tosh, before placing a hand gently upon her forehead. She closed her eyes, before reopening them, with a slight gasp.

She stepped back, before placing a hand upon her heart. She commented “Your love for this man is boundless, truly a beautiful thing. Yet you love him, but he does not return your love. So why would you wish to return his life to him. From what I gathered from you memories, you only cease to be invisible to him, as soon as he died?”

Tosh sighed wearily, and replied sadly “Because I love him, regardless of how he treats me. I will always love him. You can’t chose or control who you love. The heart is a complex thing that doesn’t give you much of a choice in such matters.”

She added “He does not deserve the life he is living, or the pain of never being able to be intimate with another. To never do the things others take for granted every day. He has endured enough. He deserves to have his life returned to him.”

The goddess sighed, eyeing Tosh sadly. She asked “If I do this, how much are you willing to sacrifice for love, love that most likely will never be returned? My price is high, as is the immensity of the consequences.”

She added “Are you willing to die for him. Or even worse yet, would you give up the right to be able to ever love another. To have a relationship with another, while he experiences this?”

She continued “Are you willing to live for as long as he lives. Endure injury when he does. Feel everything he does, and I do mean everything?” She concluded “As once I return his life, it won’t be limited like a regular human.”

Jack interrupted “What do you mean; it won’t be limited like a regular human being?” What the goddess said next, chilled Jack’s blood to his very core, and made Tosh visibly tremble.

“When I granted a person’s wish, I look for a clause to add onto that, as payment for my service. And I have found the clause for this particular case. That being you’re constant and none stop immortality.”

She added “You will be unaffected, as you’re not the one who is in love with the one who you wish to give back his life. You are also not the one wearing the amulet that represents me.”

She went on “If I do this, the consequences will be shared between her and him. Only hers will be more immense then his, while both of them will share your life span, as well as your inability to remain dead. They will also heal faster. Their hearing and reflexes, as well as their vision will be altered drastically.”

She concluded “You’ll never be alone again; they’ll both live as long as you do, no longer and no less. And because you were a part of this ritual, which has summoned me, you pay the consequences, but to a much lesser degree.”

Jack asked with dread, “And what consequences will land upon me?” The goddess replied “Because you’re a part of this ritual, you’ve passed on your life span, as well as your ability to immediately heal afterwards. Like I already said, you live, as do they.”

Jack visibly paled, and looked as if he was about to become violently ill. He let out a deep breath, as he turned to face Tosh, to see what her reaction was to all that had been revealed. Was she willing to endure such a painful and life altering price for Owen’s life?”

Tosh looked ill, but a stern and unwavering determination suddenly over took her features. She replied calmly and firmly. “Do it. I accept all of the consequences, as long as Owen’s life his returned to him.”

Jack protested “But Tosh, if you do this, you’re giving up on the chance of having a relationship with another. You’ll feel everything he does. How long do you think it’ll be, before he is off shagging everything in a skirt that moves? You’re going to be able to feel his pleasure, feel him pleasuring another, another that isn’t you.”

The goddess nodded silently in agreement, as Tosh looked to her, with tears of pure anguish in her eyes. She took a deep shuddering breath, as a single tear rolled down her cheek.

A look of firm and irremovable resolve overtook her. She nodded firmly, and replied “Do it. I know of the consequences, and have accepted them completely. As long as he has happiness, then I’ll endure, and be happy for him, no matter how much it will destroy me.”

Jack moaned, and covered his face with his hands. He sure as hell didn’t want to be present when Owen found out what Tosh had gone and done. He said as much.

Tosh replied “I’m not going to trap him, meaning I won’t be telling him about the part of the clause, where I feel everything he feels. Nor of the fact I cannot love another, only him.”

She concluded “He’ll know of his new life span I share with him and of the fact if he is hurt, then so shall I as well. But he learns no more then that. I won’t have him believing he has to try and love me, love me out of some moronic sense of duty to me. I won’t allow it, nor will I tolerate it, Jack.”

Jack went to protest again, but Tosh shook her head firmly. She turned back to the goddess, and said firmly “Do it, I’m ready.” The goddess looked troubled, but still stepped towards Tosh, before placing her hand upon the amulet.

Tosh let out a pained scream, as she felt like she was being burned from the inside out. Jack stood, attempting to put a stop to it, but he bounced off, what appeared to be some kind of invisible force field.

Tosh’s eyes, they were glowing a bright gold, as was the amulet. The goddess was glowing dramatically. Soon the whole hub was encased in a both a bright white and golden glow. Jack had to cover his eyes, from the intensity of the glare.

A full five minutes later, the glow ceased, and Tosh’s pained cries became quiet whimpers, before she was silent, and passed out cold, from the pain and the strain.

Jack looked alarmed, as the goddess sighed, and gently lowered Tosh to the floor. She told Jack. “My business is done here. She shall be fine, as soon as she wakes. Your friend will have his life returned to him; even as we speak it is happening.”

With that she turned on her heel, and disappeared in a bright flash of white, causing Jack to cover his eyes again. When he removed his hand from his eyes, he discovered the goddess was gone, and the candles had been blown out.

The only lighting in the hub was from the computers, and the lights above on the ceiling. He quickly made his way over to Tosh, and gathered her into his arms, before carrying her up to his bed.