Chapter 224: Illness
21st March 2012, Missouri
(Rose Potter POV)
Rose sighed in relief at her sister’s explanation. Of course, Jasmine had a plan, she always had a plan. She would never risk the safety of the entire planet like that, “And what’s your plan with this?”
“Well, that’s easy. I’m going to absorb it.”
Wait, what? All thoughts of her sister’s sanity and forethought disappeared from Rose’s head. It was funny in a way, to watch as her faith in her sister plummeted entirely. Was she out of her mind? She had just said that killing the seed would probably alert the cosmic entity, why the hell is she planning on taking over a fraction of the power of what she had already described as one of the most powerful beings in the universe.
And Jasmine isn’t just killing the seed, she’s planning on stealing its power, meaning that the celestial will be enraged with Jasmine. It’s a frankly stupid idea to do and Rose had no qualms to say that to Jasmine, “No offense, Jasmine, but this has to be one of the stupidest, most reckless, and absolutely ridiculous, ideas I have ever heard of in my life.”
Surprisingly, Jasmine didn’t get angry at Rose for pointing this out. In fact, the immortal witch burst into hysterical laughter, “You’re absolutely correct. This will be, by far, the craziest, and maddest thing I have ever done and will probably ever do. Not just for the consequences of the ritual, but also the ritual is, by itself, completely mad. Why do you think I’m nervous about it? And while the risk of Ego, the celestial, investigating the death of his seed exists, I am far more worried about the ritual itself.”
“Absorbing the celestial’s super plant thing?”
Rose didn’t want to say, absorbing the celestial’s seed. It seemed unnecessarily dirty and had some very disturbing sexual implications. Yes, super plant thing sounded a lot better than seed.
Jasmine seemingly read her thoughts because she smirked for a moment, “Ah, yes. The ritual is a lot more complicated than that, and that’s because of my current condition. Do you know what’s happening to me, right now?”
Rose nodded, “Your connection with Death was so profound that it affected your magic. It left an imprint when you stopped being her champion and it’s killing you somehow…”
Jasmine gave her a sad look, “Not really. Death isn’t something I’m afraid of. I have been an agent of Death for thousands of years, I do not fear the end. Because everything has an end, even time, even space, everything that has a beginning must end, somehow. I acknowledge that and when my time comes, I will welcome my eternal rest with open arms, greeting Death like an old friend. That’s who I am. You’re right in the fact that Death left an imprint on my magic, but it’s not killing me, not my body, at least. Cosmic entities aren’t just powerful beings that exist over multiple dimensions and universes, they’re just more, and their power, appropriately is far more.
“Whenever a cosmic entity chooses a champion, it needs a buffer, not just to contain the energy but to process the data and knowledge that comes with these abilities, to understand their powers. Right now, I might not have Death’s cosmic energy, but some of the skills were imprinted on my magic. These abilities cannot be controlled using magic, I simply cannot understand them properly to channel them with my magic, like spells. It just doesn’t work. And every single moment that passes, the imprint spreads through my magic, and the abilities become stronger meaning that I am slowly getting overwhelmed. Everywhere I look, I see only Death, the ending of all things. And it hurts so much all the time. It’s too much for me to take in.”
Rose shook her head and tried to repress the guilt that was threatening to rise. She did not realize how much her sister was suffering. She hid it well, but it was slowly becoming too much for even the Morrigan to handle, “Can’t you just stay in an empty room. Until you get a hold of yourself, that is. Until you find a better way.”
The immortal witch shook her head, “No, you don’t understand. Death is more than just the end of life. It’s the end of everything. Every item, every object, that has a concept, every spell, everything that’s structured, that has an identity, can be destroyed. A table is a table and if you put it through a woodchipper then it stops being a table, it dies. Death is the end on a conceptual level. I look at a room and I know how to destroy the walls, every indent, the furniture and it’s getting worse. Soon, I’ll see the death of every molecule and it’s too much for me to handle. I might not be dying physically, but I could turn catatonic from this, overwhelmed by the endings of everything around me. I need something to act as a buffer and since my magic isn’t enough, this is my only choice.”
“And how is absorbing this going to help…?”
“Well, I’m not going to absorb this at all. This plant is special, it is a veritable seed of a celestial. It has a core containing the cosmic energy necessary to sustain itself for thousands if not millions of years. That’s what I want, that’s what I need. The idea is to make an area without magic, isolated from the world. I will then start by releasing my magic to the world, emptying my core completely. With it, the taint should be gone with it. Afterwards, I should use the core of the seed to overwhelm my magical core of cosmic energy, transforming my core in a very fundamental way, allowing me to stop absorbing the ambient magic generated by the planet, and start absorbing the cosmic energy that makes up the universe, the dark energy that the physicists keep trying to figure out. With that done, the taint should be gone, drained with the magic, and shouldn’t ever return since it’s only connected to my magic, and my core will not be a magical one anymore. In the small chance that it does come back, then my new core of cosmic energy should be able to act as a buffer so that I wouldn’t be overwhelmed again.”
Rose thought that this ritual was very ambiguous, not to mention overly ambitious and extremely dangerous, “Wait, so is the imprint only connected to your magic or not?”
“I don’t know, that’s the problem. No one has ever studied the champions of cosmic entities before, everything I know is through observation and experimentation. I don’t think a champion resigned from his post in the past, ever. We’re in uncharted territory, and the coming crisis isn’t helping us at all.”
“Then why are you changing your own magic? It’s just wrong and very risky, especially since you don’t know everything about this.”
Jasmine shook her head, “Perhaps that’s true, but should the taint still remain present after my magic is drained then it will affect the entirety of the regenerated magic, meaning that my condition will be aggravated further, and I’d probably end up brain dead. Trust me, this is the least risky way I could think of, to solve this problem. At least if the cosmic core transplant doesn’t work, I’ll be dead as myself, and not live out the next few thousand years as a vegetable that barely knows how to breathe.”
“You’re risking your life, Jasmine.”
“I’m always risking my life. At least, this time, it’s my choice. I would rather die than live out the rest of my days in agony, seeing only death, while not being able to move or communicate with anyone. This is my choice, and you may disagree with it, but you will respect it. You’re my sister you should at least support me in times like this.”
She’s right. Jasmine was obviously unsettled with the ritual and scared of the possible outcomes. She minimized the chances of the imprint overwhelming her. But it didn’t make sense. The only risk there was death, and Rose knew for a fact that Jasmine wasn’t even slightly scared of her death. There was something wrong, something more to it, “No, I will support you, but you’re not telling me everything. That’s not what's scaring you so much, not really. There’s something else to it.”
Jasmine looked shocked for a fraction of a second. If Rose wasn’t actively looking for any sign of deception or fear, she would have missed it, “I suppose you’re right. What I’m scared of, isn’t the risk that comes if the ritual fails, it’s what could happen if it succeeds.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Even if it works, I will be different on a very fundamental level. I’m not exaggerating when I say that cosmic energy is on another level. It’s what’s used in the creation of the universe. One way or another, I will evolve. I have already fought for thousands of years to not lose my humanity and become the lonely god that people think I am. It’s hard, caring all the time for people, knowing that one day they will die in front of you, either thanks to the cruelty of the world, or just the sands of time. I kept trying again and again, taking an apprentice, adopting a child, making friends. It was so easy for me to lose myself, to forget that I am the Morrigan and just become the persona I chose. It always ended in heartbreak, but the time in between was enough for me to not lose my humanity. And in a way, the pain of losing people, even if they are mortals, is proof that I still retain even a fraction of my humanity.”
The immortal witch sighed and continued, “It’s so easy to give in to apathy, to stop caring altogether. Selene did that a long time ago, before we even met. She could see people being massacred in front of her and she wouldn’t care. She wouldn’t even look twice. It’s different with me because we’re each other’s companions. We have lived together for thousands of years, so she knows that she can trust me, love me, without expecting her heart to break once more. Trust me, I know what kind of a monster lurks underneath my wife’s skin, ready to be let out at a moment’s notice, should I not be there to calm her down and assure her that she isn’t alone anymore. After the ritual, I will be different, in mind and soul. I will not be a witch, not really. My legacy as Morgan Le Fey, as Hecate, and so many other mage identities I have taken through the annals of history, will be over. Atlantis’ magic, my magic, my father’s legacy, will die that day, no matter what. And taking its place will be a stronger woman, that can barely be considered human anymore.”
By the end of it, Jasmine was gasping, having said her deepest fears, and voiced them out in the open. It was different thinking something and saying something. Rose had no idea that her sister was so scared. She was always so strong, so powerful, so stoic and unmoving. It was odd seeing her show her vulnerabilities like that. Rose was grateful that her sister trusted her enough to spill her heart out to her like that. And even then, the younger witch had some sick gratefulness to see her perfect sister break down like this. It showed that even today, there was still a human being deep down inside her.
Rose just walked to her sister and gave her a hug. Jasmine froze for a moment but returned the gesture. It was nice, warm. The two sisters had never expressed themselves like that before.
They stayed like this for minutes, maybe even an hour, until Rose released her sister from her embrace, “Are you better now?”
Jasmine nodded, “Thank you. I really needed to let that out in the open,” she turned around and grabbed the celestial super plant thing, “let’s go home.”
Rose nodded and Erebus, the phoenix that Rose actually forgot was there, created another cloud of darkness and teleported them back to the mansion.
Chapter 224: Illness
21st March 2012, Missouri
(Rose Potter POV)
Rose sighed in relief at her sister’s explanation. Of course, Jasmine had a plan, she always had a plan. She would never risk the safety of the entire planet like that, “And what’s your plan with this?”
“Well, that’s easy. I’m going to absorb it.”
Wait, what? All thoughts of her sister’s sanity and forethought disappeared from Rose’s head. It was funny in a way, to watch as her faith in her sister plummeted entirely. Was she out of her mind? She had just said that killing the seed would probably alert the cosmic entity, why the hell is she planning on taking over a fraction of the power of what she had already described as one of the most powerful beings in the universe.
And Jasmine isn’t just killing the seed, she’s planning on stealing its power, meaning that the celestial will be enraged with Jasmine. It’s a frankly stupid idea to do and Rose had no qualms to say that to Jasmine, “No offense, Jasmine, but this has to be one of the stupidest, most reckless, and absolutely ridiculous, ideas I have ever heard of in my life.”
Surprisingly, Jasmine didn’t get angry at Rose for pointing this out. In fact, the immortal witch burst into hysterical laughter, “You’re absolutely correct. This will be, by far, the craziest, and maddest thing I have ever done and will probably ever do. Not just for the consequences of the ritual, but also the ritual is, by itself, completely mad. Why do you think I’m nervous about it? And while the risk of Ego, the celestial, investigating the death of his seed exists, I am far more worried about the ritual itself.”
“Absorbing the celestial’s super plant thing?”
Rose didn’t want to say, absorbing the celestial’s seed. It seemed unnecessarily dirty and had some very disturbing sexual implications. Yes, super plant thing sounded a lot better than seed.
Jasmine seemingly read her thoughts because she smirked for a moment, “Ah, yes. The ritual is a lot more complicated than that, and that’s because of my current condition. Do you know what’s happening to me, right now?”
Rose nodded, “Your connection with Death was so profound that it affected your magic. It left an imprint when you stopped being her champion and it’s killing you somehow…”
Jasmine gave her a sad look, “Not really. Death isn’t something I’m afraid of. I have been an agent of Death for thousands of years, I do not fear the end. Because everything has an end, even time, even space, everything that has a beginning must end, somehow. I acknowledge that and when my time comes, I will welcome my eternal rest with open arms, greeting Death like an old friend. That’s who I am. You’re right in the fact that Death left an imprint on my magic, but it’s not killing me, not my body, at least. Cosmic entities aren’t just powerful beings that exist over multiple dimensions and universes, they’re just more, and their power, appropriately is far more.
“Whenever a cosmic entity chooses a champion, it needs a buffer, not just to contain the energy but to process the data and knowledge that comes with these abilities, to understand their powers. Right now, I might not have Death’s cosmic energy, but some of the skills were imprinted on my magic. These abilities cannot be controlled using magic, I simply cannot understand them properly to channel them with my magic, like spells. It just doesn’t work. And every single moment that passes, the imprint spreads through my magic, and the abilities become stronger meaning that I am slowly getting overwhelmed. Everywhere I look, I see only Death, the ending of all things. And it hurts so much all the time. It’s too much for me to take in.”
Rose shook her head and tried to repress the guilt that was threatening to rise. She did not realize how much her sister was suffering. She hid it well, but it was slowly becoming too much for even the Morrigan to handle, “Can’t you just stay in an empty room. Until you get a hold of yourself, that is. Until you find a better way.”
The immortal witch shook her head, “No, you don’t understand. Death is more than just the end of life. It’s the end of everything. Every item, every object, that has a concept, every spell, everything that’s structured, that has an identity, can be destroyed. A table is a table and if you put it through a woodchipper then it stops being a table, it dies. Death is the end on a conceptual level. I look at a room and I know how to destroy the walls, every indent, the furniture and it’s getting worse. Soon, I’ll see the death of every molecule and it’s too much for me to handle. I might not be dying physically, but I could turn catatonic from this, overwhelmed by the endings of everything around me. I need something to act as a buffer and since my magic isn’t enough, this is my only choice.”
“And how is absorbing this going to help…?”
“Well, I’m not going to absorb this at all. This plant is special, it is a veritable seed of a celestial. It has a core containing the cosmic energy necessary to sustain itself for thousands if not millions of years. That’s what I want, that’s what I need. The idea is to make an area without magic, isolated from the world. I will then start by releasing my magic to the world, emptying my core completely. With it, the taint should be gone with it. Afterwards, I should use the core of the seed to overwhelm my magical core of cosmic energy, transforming my core in a very fundamental way, allowing me to stop absorbing the ambient magic generated by the planet, and start absorbing the cosmic energy that makes up the universe, the dark energy that the physicists keep trying to figure out. With that done, the taint should be gone, drained with the magic, and shouldn’t ever return since it’s only connected to my magic, and my core will not be a magical one anymore. In the small chance that it does come back, then my new core of cosmic energy should be able to act as a buffer so that I wouldn’t be overwhelmed again.”
Rose thought that this ritual was very ambiguous, not to mention overly ambitious and extremely dangerous, “Wait, so is the imprint only connected to your magic or not?”
“I don’t know, that’s the problem. No one has ever studied the champions of cosmic entities before, everything I know is through observation and experimentation. I don’t think a champion resigned from his post in the past, ever. We’re in uncharted territory, and the coming crisis isn’t helping us at all.”
“Then why are you changing your own magic? It’s just wrong and very risky, especially since you don’t know everything about this.”
Jasmine shook her head, “Perhaps that’s true, but should the taint still remain present after my magic is drained then it will affect the entirety of the regenerated magic, meaning that my condition will be aggravated further, and I’d probably end up brain dead. Trust me, this is the least risky way I could think of, to solve this problem. At least if the cosmic core transplant doesn’t work, I’ll be dead as myself, and not live out the next few thousand years as a vegetable that barely knows how to breathe.”
“You’re risking your life, Jasmine.”
“I’m always risking my life. At least, this time, it’s my choice. I would rather die than live out the rest of my days in agony, seeing only death, while not being able to move or communicate with anyone. This is my choice, and you may disagree with it, but you will respect it. You’re my sister you should at least support me in times like this.”
She’s right. Jasmine was obviously unsettled with the ritual and scared of the possible outcomes. She minimized the chances of the imprint overwhelming her. But it didn’t make sense. The only risk there was death, and Rose knew for a fact that Jasmine wasn’t even slightly scared of her death. There was something wrong, something more to it, “No, I will support you, but you’re not telling me everything. That’s not what's scaring you so much, not really. There’s something else to it.”
Jasmine looked shocked for a fraction of a second. If Rose wasn’t actively looking for any sign of deception or fear, she would have missed it, “I suppose you’re right. What I’m scared of, isn’t the risk that comes if the ritual fails, it’s what could happen if it succeeds.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Even if it works, I will be different on a very fundamental level. I’m not exaggerating when I say that cosmic energy is on another level. It’s what’s used in the creation of the universe. One way or another, I will evolve. I have already fought for thousands of years to not lose my humanity and become the lonely god that people think I am. It’s hard, caring all the time for people, knowing that one day they will die in front of you, either thanks to the cruelty of the world, or just the sands of time. I kept trying again and again, taking an apprentice, adopting a child, making friends. It was so easy for me to lose myself, to forget that I am the Morrigan and just become the persona I chose. It always ended in heartbreak, but the time in between was enough for me to not lose my humanity. And in a way, the pain of losing people, even if they are mortals, is proof that I still retain even a fraction of my humanity.”
The immortal witch sighed and continued, “It’s so easy to give in to apathy, to stop caring altogether. Selene did that a long time ago, before we even met. She could see people being massacred in front of her and she wouldn’t care. She wouldn’t even look twice. It’s different with me because we’re each other’s companions. We have lived together for thousands of years, so she knows that she can trust me, love me, without expecting her heart to break once more. Trust me, I know what kind of a monster lurks underneath my wife’s skin, ready to be let out at a moment’s notice, should I not be there to calm her down and assure her that she isn’t alone anymore. After the ritual, I will be different, in mind and soul. I will not be a witch, not really. My legacy as Morgan Le Fey, as Hecate, and so many other mage identities I have taken through the annals of history, will be over. Atlantis’ magic, my magic, my father’s legacy, will die that day, no matter what. And taking its place will be a stronger woman, that can barely be considered human anymore.”
By the end of it, Jasmine was gasping, having said her deepest fears, and voiced them out in the open. It was different thinking something and saying something. Rose had no idea that her sister was so scared. She was always so strong, so powerful, so stoic and unmoving. It was odd seeing her show her vulnerabilities like that. Rose was grateful that her sister trusted her enough to spill her heart out to her like that. And even then, the younger witch had some sick gratefulness to see her perfect sister break down like this. It showed that even today, there was still a human being deep down inside her.
Rose just walked to her sister and gave her a hug. Jasmine froze for a moment but returned the gesture. It was nice, warm. The two sisters had never expressed themselves like that before.
They stayed like this for minutes, maybe even an hour, until Rose released her sister from her embrace, “Are you better now?”
Jasmine nodded, “Thank you. I really needed to let that out in the open,” she turned around and grabbed the celestial super plant thing, “let’s go home.”
Rose nodded and Erebus, the phoenix that Rose actually forgot was there, created another cloud of darkness and teleported them back to the mansion.
