Hello everybody and welcome back to, "To Eternity, My Witch". I apologize that I have not gotten a chapter out this past week. You know with the Christmas season upon us, it becomes a busy time of year for me and many other people.

I will try to get another chapter out this week for you all to enjoy.

I DO NOT Own any of these as they are and were created by their respective creators. Marvel is owned by the late Stan Lee via Disney. Phantom of the Opera (PotO) is owned by Andrew Llyod Weber. LofZ : TP and OofT by Shigeru Miyamoto. Fire Emblem by Shouzou Kaga. Black Butler by Yana Toboso. And finally, Inuyasha by Rumiko Takahashi.

Chapter 14 Jotumheim and Orcozan

Third POV.

James, with Wanda riding on his back, made his way through the sewer system, though it was filled with twilight rat beasts. The twilight could be discerned by tiny black specks floating in and out of existence. Occasionally, James paused, observing and listening to the trapped souls in the sewer system using his new senses, usually an exhausted and trapped guard, cowering in the corners of the sewer. Most of them were injured, exhausted, or both, having gone down into the sewers to hide.

Wanda sadly commented their existence here whenever they came upon a guard or servant and they would move on, unable to help. They soon found themselves in a dilapidated tower connecting to the sewers. However, the staircase leading upwards led to the rooftops was collapsed in several places, forcing Wanda to help James jump to from one ledge to the next.

On the rooftops, Wanda pointed, "That tower over there…" She pointed over to the tower with the gilded railings. "That is the tower where Amelia is being held, James. We need to get there from here." James nodded.

He felt sadness, None of this was supposed to happen. We were just married, and a killer invader has come and changes everyone into spirits except us. Please let out family and Amelia be alright…

He felt Wanda sadly pat his shoulder as he trotted along the rooftops leading towards the tower of interest. Though he had to kill several twilight bird beasts and rat beasts along the way using his fangs. They both saw and hid as best they could when they saw Twilight beasts in the streets below. They were there after all the citizens had fled to the countryside. Wanda and James came across some guards in spirit form, all too injured to leave the city at Thor and Stefan's orders. They cowered amongst the boxes and the shelters, hiding from the twilight beasts, that were on the rooftops of the palace, awaiting help… or their ends.

Soon James jumped onto a window ledge and inside the hallway leading up to the chamber where Amelia was being held. Wanda mumbled out, "Go forward with caution my James. There could be a guard inside with Amelia, or that invader fellow. Hide if you can." James nodded.

James walked forward with Wanda on his back as he approached the doors. The left door was left ajar slightly. Sniffing the air, James figured that Amelia was the only soul in the room, no other people were inside. Wanda felt no one in the room besides Amelia. James nudged open the door further with his snout and walked into the room cautiously. Though as soon as he entered, he smelled blood as it heavily tainted the air.

Slumped on the eastern windowsill, her back bloodied and greatly bruised from a heavy wiping session was Amelia. Pale, her eyes were closed, a wince coming to her face every so often, as she took shallow uneven breaths. She moaned in pain and mumbled intelligentially as they looked over to her.

Wanda gasped in shock and James' mouth went open, remembering his time at HYDRA and his forced hand at whipping her. James remembered it was never this bad. His handlers never had him beat or whip her to this level. James rushed over to Amelia and placed his head on her lap, his tail limp. He whined, as Wanda spoke rapidly, "Amelia! Are you alright?"

Amelia opened her eyes slowly, painfully, a weak and saddened smile gracing her lips. She whispered in pain and exhaustion, "You… you found him… Wanda… Good… good." She moaned in pain as she looked down at James who whined and pushed himself into her legs, saying in his mind, Amelia! What have they done to you?!

Wanda nodded, "Yes I did, but what happened?! What did they do to you?!"

Amelia slumped further in defeat, in pain, "Ragnar guessed you were still… around somewhere and he… he thought that I was in the know… know where you were located. When I… I wouldn't tell him where you… you were, he had his guard whip… me until I bled. I… I will be fine…" She moaned in pain, eyes closing, tears of pains falling down her check, as she shifted. James' ears fell, he had pulled his tail between his legs. He jumped up on the sill and laid down, head on Amelia's lap, whining. I have never seen Amelia in so much pain. Are you alright?

Amelia opened her eyes, smiling a weak, haunted, forced smile at James who looked up at her in sadness. She knew what he was thinking without reading his mind, "James, I will be fine. It's not the worst thing that has happened to me. I have had it far worse. Far, far worse. In time, these wounds will heal and be a forgotten moment in time." James whined again, crawling closer to where his front paws and chest where on her lap, leaning into her, warming her chilled body with his large, wooly frame. This is much worse than HYDRA Amelia, much worse. Amelia patted his head, his left front leg and paw cold against her, yet it felt good on her clammy skin.

"You remind me of my late brother Jed, James. You look so much like him when he was a wolf." Amelia closed her eyes, a tear falling slowly from her left eye as she held James close. James pushed his furry head into her shoulder. She cried into his shoulder, clinging to James, none of them saying anything for a few minutes as she did so. She grieved for all that had happened and unknown things as well, things that James and Wanda both knew and even things they didn't know.

Wanda's shoulders fell and she probed weakly after a few more minutes, "Amelia, as much as I would like to reminisce and grieve further, we need to get on with planning to defeat Ragnar."

Amelia opened her eyes, letting James go with a hand, but he stayed there, leaning into her, trying his best to comfort her, "Very well." She lifted her left hand and a scroll appeared from nothing, gently landing on her open palm when it solidified and stopped growing. "This scroll contains all the locations of the fused shadow pieces in the realms that have been covered in Twilight. Each map is label and detailed extensively, so you will know where to go and formulate a plan of action to get each piece. Plus, it will change languages if you and James start to speak in Russian or if someone by chance gets a hold of it. Also, each realm will most likely have people who will need your help along the way, many who will in turn help you in reaching the goal of defeating Ragnar. Look for those allies you two and go forward with courage and wisdom."

Wanda snapped her fingers and the scroll disappeared, "I will look at it later with James in a safer location. Is there any other way you can help us get started Amelia?"

Amelia shook her head in pain, weakly saying, "No, there is nothing else I can do Wanda… aside from maybe giving you advice on how to proceed. James, keep an eye on Wanda…" James huffed, nodding into her shoulder. "We all know how stubborn you are Wanda." Amelia smiled weakly, despite her situation.

"Now go!" Amelia pushed James off the sill gently, grunting in pain, and urged him to the door with Wanda not far behind to sit on his back. "Quick! The guard is coming, and he sounds like he is in a mood!"

James paused to look at Amelia one last time before he cantered out the door and down the hall with Wanda on his back disappearing, leaving Amelia behind. Amelia whispered in desperation, and pain, "May God be with you my children… may He be with us all…" And with that, she slumped again against the windowsill as she blacked out from the pain, unconscious to the world around her.

James' POV.

I cantered down the stairs, even though I wanted to stay and fight the beast who guarded Amelia, she had ordered us to go get a treasure she called a fused shadow. Wanda tugged on my ear, causing me to yelp in pain quietly. She whispered in my ear, "NO! Not that way. The guard is coming from there. And he looks like he's in a bad mood." Wanda and I looked around and she spotted the ledge we had jumped from earlier. She floated up there quickly and I jumped to her, hiding moments before the twilight beast opened the door and dragged a tray of food up the stairs to bring to Amelia. However, the meal look palfrey, too small to provide enough to live on for a long period of time.

She won't survive with that small amount of food for long. Seeing those whip wounds brought all the memories from when HYDRA forced me to whip and beat her. Plus, the amount of blood that she lost… she will be weak. A tear, if a wolf could cry, made its way down my furry face as I trotted outside and onto the rooftop of the palace. It was raining in the Twilight covered Asgard. Wanda jumped off my back and stood to face me.

"James, I can't tell you how much I love you. We need to get this all sorted out." Wanda smiled, weakly. I rushed forward licking her again. "Oh James…" Both of us were feeling the depressed nature around us. Amelia taken prisoner and whipped until she bled, a new invader usurper, and only the two of them to save everyone. It was a pressure that weighed on Wanda and me greatly. Literally the ultimate fate of the universe rests in our hands… Wanda and I sat there a few minutes in silence, trying our best to just realize how long the road in front of us was. Though soon, Wanda stood and faced me.

I sat as she took out the scroll and unwound it. It had a map of Asgard and its surrounding country. It also had all eight other realms, four of which aside from Asgard that had a moon and sun converging around each other. Hmmm… I wonder if that means they are the realms that are covered in Twilight…

"They are, Bucky. I spoke with Amelia before I came to help you escape and she suggested going to Jotunheim to get the second of the fused shadows. This mask I am wearing is the first piece. She mentioned that the fused shadows, once we gain all five of the missing pieces, we can move forward with defeating Ragnar." Wanda explaining her headpiece.

I nodded, Then if we are to avoid this realm for now, let's get going. Wanda, we need to get to the Bifrost to travel to Jotunheim.

Wanda nodded, "Sure. Let's get going." She settled on my back, and I slowly, but surely made my way down the palace to the ground before I carefully made my way to the Bifrost. In the Bifrost, all the gates to the realms covered in twilight were opened. The other four had been shut, a barrier of light between them and the gates, a solitary note was tapped to the sword in the center of the room. Not only that each gate had a note as to which realm they led to, quite handy for whoever had made them. Heimdall was nowhere to be found, even in spirit form.

"James, go over to the sword and look at the note." Wanda patted my shoulder. I trotted over to the sword in the center of the room. The note had writing, and it said, "'James, Wanda, I don't know if where you are or whether you are safe, but I had Thor and Heimdall close the gates leading to the realms that were not covered in twilight. If you are reading this, then you are safe enough for now. Since four of the realms are not behind the veil of twilight, everyone and I thought it best to have their respective gates closed to make sure Ragnar doesn't get the chance to go there if he sees them as a conquest.'" Wanda looked up from the note and to me.

"Seems we have a long road ahead of us, James," She mused annoyingly. I huffed. She looked back to the note and continued.

"'As you see, I left the other gates opened for you to collect the fused shadows. Loki is in Jotunheim at the present, trying to speak with the Frost Giants. They are forever indebted to me for a past happening between them and myself. I will try to stay in contact with you as best as I can without endangering anyone. Another thing, pray from Natasha, Peter, Thalia, Lila, Cooper, and Nathaniel. The corrupted Twili kidnapped them and carried them away somewhere unknown. Please… if you happen across them, bring us news and reassure them. Be safe as you journey to get the fused shadows you're going to get. As much as they're needed, they are dangerous items. Love you Wanda, James. – Stefan.'"

Wanda looked to me, clearly outraged, "What! Natasha, and the children kidnapped?! Those murderous bastards…" A spark of her powers went off as I growled, though I was surprised at the word coming from Wanda's mouth she rarely swore. Wanda took a deep breath, "It's good to know that Stefan knows we're here. Plus, knowing that Loki is in Jotunheim, perhaps maybe we can send him a note to give to Stefan when we go to the temple located there. And as we travel, we'll need to look for Natasha and the children."

I barked, wagging my tail. Wanda hummed, putting the note back, this time folded and picking up a piece of charcoal, she signed her initials, WMB, as well as mine, JBB. She soon got on me and I trotted over to the portal labeled Jotunheim. Wanda held onto me as I jumped through the portal and traveled to the realm. We landed in a cold climate near a crumbling city. It looked to be in active repair though. The place the portal set Wanda and I looked as if it were an ancient receiving area from Asgard.

Next to the platform, a stone pedestal with a glowing orb on top looked as if it would allow people to travel back to Asgard. But Wanda ignored it and she opened the map, pointing to a marked spot, "Looks like the temple that houses the fragment that this realm holds is about 10 leagues from here. It will take us outside of the opposite edge of the city…"

I barked, growling after, noticing several corrupted Twilight beasts near the doors to the road. Three Twilight beasts roamed through the door and noticed us. Wanda quickly got on and leaned her body against along my back, whispering, "James, I want you to know, remember how you fought as a human and the training you have, use it, and feel how your body and new senses will benefit from that. It will give us the advantage here." I barked, agreeing.

I ran forward, pausing as I growled menacingly, the beasts surrounded Wanda and I as I continued to snarl and growl at them. A forcefield surrounded the three beasts and I as I came forward. I rushed one and dodged its swinging arm before jumping on its back biting hard on its throat several time before it threw me off. I righted myself and attacked it again, effectively killing it. I repeated the same tactics on a second one, yet as soon as I killed the second, the last beast let out an ear-shattering screech, causing both dead beasts to rise to life again.

"James! If you keep killing two and leaving the third it's just going to keep screeching like that. I… I can help… if you growl and snarl like before and in battle stance, I can send out a field of energy. Get all three beasts inside the field's range and I can help you kill all three." Wanda shouted. I barked before I growled and snarled again in a battle stance. Wanda lifted her hair hand, and a field of energy went around her and I about a ten-foot radius.

I maneuvered myself to lure the three beasts into the field's range and as soon as I opened my jaws, I sprang forward fast on one, two, and three beasts, snapping their necks and killing them instantly as Wanda helped me. The beasts' bodies soon exploded into Twilight specs and formed into a weird circular portal fifty feet in the air.

"Aw! A portal! That will help with traveling back and forth between places!" Wanda exclaimed. I wagged my tail. Hmmm… I'm growing soft… Wanda got on my back, and I soon was racing towards the target destinations. It took several hours to get there, as I approached the city proper, frost giants became more frequently seen in their eerie flaming soul flame forms. Though none saw us as I trotted on by with Wanda on my back. It was as if none could see us, only seeing my tracks I left behind, leaving them baffled and on edge.

~Ragnar's POV…~

Just as James and Wanda killed the group of Twilight beasts outside the Bifrost arrival area, I walked into the temple guardian's chamber. Orazan growled at me, tense and prowling, "Leave cursed and wretched creature! Have you no integrity for us frost giants and Amelia's and James' blood in you?!"

"No… I care nothing about your pathetic ideology called integrity; nor do I care about my accursed parents and their so-called good-hearted intentions. They did nothing for me, only causing me to suffer." I sneered back at the frost giant guardian. My master sent out a powerful forcefield, throwing Orazan against the wall behind him.

Orazan groaned in pain as he tried to get up from the floor as I stalked over menacingly. I took out an orb that my master prepared and I let out a growl as my master forced constricting chains around Orazan, who fought against them ferociously. I smiled maliciously as Orazan fought against the chains. He struggled and broke one chain at its base, hitting me in the arm. I roared in pain and anger as my arm began to bleed. My master, with the power of the Triforce of Power, growled and sent out another, more powerful forcefield, overtaking Orazan this time.

I sulked forward menacingly, blood dripping from my arm, and I pressed the orb against the temple guardian's forehead, pushing hard. Orazan roared in pain, and he bellowed out a cry, loud enough for other frost giants to hear. I winched inwardly as I pushed hard on the orb as it fully went into Orazan's skull. He fell silent immediately as the last trace of the orb disappeared. He shook his head trying to dislodge the orb, but soon he was overcome with the orb's overwhelming black, evil magic. He bowed, saying, "I am Orcozan. Master, what is thy bidding?"

I smiled, sickening sweet and intimidating, "The man by the name of James is on his way here to gain your fused shadow. An imp named Wanda will be with him. Kill the bastard named James, and then bring Wanda to me."

"Your bidding is mine, master," Orcozan bowed again in agreement.

I turned and left the temple, teleporting away to head to the final realm. My master laughed maniacally as I headed to the bottom of Asgard's sea to corrupt the guardian there.

~James' POV…~

I walked along the pathway, looking for any good direction to get to the temple. How in the world will I get that fused shadow from the guardian in wolf form? Especially with the realms covered in twilight. Wanda padded my shoulder as I started to trot along a path towards the temple.

She mumbled, "Perhaps we'll find some way to undo the twilight before then. And until that moment, let us just keep moving forward." I nodded and kept moving towards the temple. I paused and Wanda took out the map again. I had brought us close to the temple already and I was in a main pathway that had several branches going off it to other places.

The temple containing the fused shadow piece was just outside the city in the desolate mountain range. It was tucked away from peering eyes and looked as if there was only one entrance to it. As Wanda and I regarded the map, I noticed a sweet smell whiffing from a somewhere nearby. A quiet, painfilled voice sounded softly… Hero… come to me… you who were changed… into a divine beast… Come… to my… spring…

I sniffed the ground, trying to discern the direction the smell and voice were coming from. I circled around the area a few times, confounding Wanda in the process. It came from my left. I turned to my left, causing Wanda to tug my ear, "Hey, what gives? Where are you going? The temple is that way, James." She pointed towards our destination, a path to my right.

Wanda, I smell something… a sweet, yet sorrowful smell… it seems like something, or someone is in trouble… this way. He paused, looking to his left. Someone called out to me… asking for help. Remember Amelia said there were people who, if we helped them, would help us in return. I believe this is one of those times. I reminded her. Wanda sighed, nodding.

"Very well, but the longer we wait, the more time Amelia and everyone we know is trapped and either suffering of being alone or being tortured," Wanda mentioned.

I closed my eyes and sniffed around the area, trying to pick up where the scent was coming from. Wanda watched me both in fascination and impatience, curious that I now acted as a wolf. She was impressed I settled into my role as a wolf, and not only as that, but as her protector and hero so quickly. Soon I picked it up and trotted along, sniffing the scent trail slowly. For the next hour or so through a rocky mountain trail, I tracked the scent to a cave. The scent led straight into the darkness of the cave. Wanda… be prepared for anything. The scent and feeling of calling are coming from the cave.

"Very well… Go forward with extreme caution." Wanda whispered.

I walked forward, listening as I went. Sniffing the ground, I followed the scent into the cave, though not far into the cave's interior, something came to my ears. Water trickling. And, oddly enough, warm air. I continued forward slowly, cautiously, until I brought Wanda to an underground river which lead to a spring. It seemed… pure… and holy… However, a mass of light, dim and swirling sat a few inches above the spring's waterfall. I went forward, the scent and call leading directly to the mass of light. The spring around the mass of light was warm compared the weather outside the cave.

As soon as Wanda and I approached the swirling mass of light, a voice spoke, "Welcome to… to my… my spring young hero who… who is a… a divine beast and… and you Twili… at least what is left of it… I am the guardian of this… realm… My name is… Joseph of Arimathea… my light has… been stolen by… the corrupted Twili… that Ragnar twisted… I give you this…" An item very similar looking to a modified grapevine solidified in front of Wanda and I, the former taking it in hand.

"That is a… a vessel… called the Vine of Light… there are 21… drops of light… that the corrupted beasts of Twilight… stole from me… Gather them and place… them in there… and bring them back here and… and I will be made… made whole again… bringing this realm back to normal and… and the Twilight will then be… be dispersed from this realm…"

Wanda nodded and I barked. "Vine of Light? Fill it… We'll do our best." Wanda said with determination. I barked.

"The beasts that hold the drops… are invisible… so you'll have to use… your senses to discern where… their location is within the Twilight, James… Be careful… the corrupted Twili… will come if you… are not prepared… Now go… and be safe…" Joseph finished, and with that, he fell silent.

I turned and trotted out of the cave. Wanda opened the map and she gasped. On the map were 21 dots indicating where the drops were located. "It seems the fell beasts are scattered over the entire area we covered since arriving here James. It will take several hours or more to gather them all. You ready?" Wanda looked to me and I barked. She sat on my back as we made our way to gather the drops of light.

As Wanda had said, it took me almost a full day to locate all 21 drops of light. In that time, we encountered three more groups of three corrupted Twili, all of which we defeated and their remains turning into a portal. Transporting to the portal nearest the spring, I took Wanda to the cave, stopping several feet before Joseph's swirling mist. Wanda took out the full Vine of Light and it floated towards Joseph's shattered soul. When it collided with the mist of light, the light flashed, blinding Wanda and I in its brilliance.

When I could see again, something felt different again. I looked around and realized I was human again. Looking at myself in surprise, I was dressed in white and gold armor with my sword in a back harness. "Wanda, I'm… I'm human again." I laughed joyfully. Looking around, I found that Wanda was a shadow, though I could see the colors of her eyes and hair.

"Good, and you look handsome in that armor, my James." Wanda said, laughing. My arm was out in the open for everyone to see. I looked up towards Joseph. He was a tall middle eastern man who held a ball of swirling white light in his left hand.

Joseph smiled, "Good job, younglings. It takes much courage to face the corrupted beasts of Twilight and the unknown. The armor that you now wear, James, once belonged to Amelia's brother Jedidiah. He had at one time lost his left arm before it was restored when he was resurrected in her realm of origin, Reslutia. He kept his armor that way, using his left arm with separate armor. It suits you well. Though on to business, I must warn you as you go to the temple down the path, there are increased amounts of monsters and evil beings prowling the temple's halls. Also, when you gain the pieces of fused shadows as you go, don't be tempted to touch them. For as harmless as they seem, they were once created from corrupted beings. However, in your hands Wanda, they'll be safe and very useful."

"Alright Joseph. Thank you. Anything else before Wanda and I go to the temple?" I asked the guardian.

Joseph nodded, a concerned frown on his face, "Yes, avoid the frost giants as much as you can presently. They're as confused as ever as is Loki. Moments ago, they were spirits in the Twilight covered realm of theirs and now they are not. They will be unable to get back to Asgard to fight against Ragnar's corrupted Twilight. Loki is doing his best to talk with them currently. I cannot stress how important it is to avoid them because of that reason.

"I suggest you go straight to the temple and get the piece of fused shadow before making your way back to Asgard. And one last thing, James, as you go forward with this temple and all the other temples in the other realms, you are going to experience situations where you will have to face your past with HYDRA. Not necessarily physically per say, but mentally. Each temple will bring out memories and experiences that will test you emotionally and psychologically. So be prepared…" I frowned yet nodded.

Wanda placed a shadowy hand on Joseph's shoulder, passing right through his flesh, "Thank you Joseph. James and I will do our best to get that piece and then back to Asgard quickly and quietly."

Joseph smiled a sad smiled at her, sighing, "I am sure you'll get it done, Wanda and James. Before you leave though, I have some warm garments for you, James. You will need them in this wintery climate to survive." Joseph paused and waved a hand at the wall to his right. It opened to a hollow that had many furs to keep warm. I went over and placed on several garments, knowing I would be warm enough now to complete the temple and get the second piece of fused shadow.

Joseph nodded in finality, "Now go. Be careful and safe as you journey to undo this disaster. As horrible as Thanos' plan was, Ragnar's plan is even worse. Now go! And quickly and quietly. I sense frost giants nearing here."

"Wanda, hid as my shadow and I'll head to the temple." I looked to her. She nodded and made down towards my feet, shapeshifting into my shadow. I jogged towards the cave's opening, making my way towards the temple's entrance.

Joseph's POV.

I watched as James and Wanda leave my spring and disappear out the entrance, worry filling my mind along with sadness. I knew this journey of theirs was going to be long arduous, most likely ending with many people dying.

I whispered quietly, "May the Creator be with you, younglings… may He be with us all…"

If I do not get to another chapter this week, I will get it out for you before the new year begins.

Until next time.

WS. Z.