Hello everybody and welcome back to "To Eternity, My Witch". I am sorry I have posted for a month. I have gotten back to work full time and had other health issues causing me to delay on the posting of chapters. I will do better. Here is chapter 21 for y'all to enjoy.

Remember… 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 21 Forgotten Grounds

In the north fields…

Lanayru set James down on the ground and called him to consciousness. James shook his head, before looking at his paws realizing he was a wolf in the restored Asgard. The chain and shackle around his left metal paw still, as loud as ever. How am I a wolf in a restored Asgard? I… Yet his attention was diverted to the fast, shallow breathing that sounded from his back. His eyes widened at Wanda's parlor and shallow fast breathes. He heard Lanayru's voice from above.

"Go to the Queen trapped in the tower of Asgard, sacred beast. She will provide information and healing. Go to her. QUICKLY!" With that order, Lanayru's voice disappeared. It was night and with it, rain started to come down heavy and hard.

Please don't die on me Wanda! NOT NOW! He thought as he galloped through the fields of Asgard to the palace, ignoring the roaming twisted Twili and the monsters therein. When he arrived in the city, which had taken over an hour, he was forced to avoid the twilight beasts that prowled the area. Without Wanda's help, he was forced to creatively figure out a way to the sewers that lead to the rooftops of the palace without signaling them that he was near.

Hours later in the dead of night, he landed on the roof that he and Wanda had used before to get to Amelia. Cautiously, he jumped down to the stairwell and trotted quickly up to the room at the top. He nudged the door open and went inside. Though he didn't find Amelia. Wanda groaned and fell to the ground, unable to cling to his back any longer. James whined desperately, panicked, as he weakly licked her check.

He lifted his face as a hand came down to touch Wanda's check gentle. It was Amelia and she was thin. Too thin. She had lost a great deal of weight over the course of the last four and a half weeks. Too much weight. Her clothes now hung on her as her body had suffered from the lack of proper food and the limited light. And she had more scars. Her face scars much more jagged and pronounced than before. And they were turning black. But by the Lord above, somehow, she was… surviving… by all odds.

Her eyes, sunken and sallow, were tired and sorrowful. Now grey and ashen in color. Heartbreak therein. Her body was weak, trembling in the breeze, either from weakness or the cold he could not tell. Amelia's wings were limp, and her hair lacked luster and was going thin, wiry, and straight.

Amelia took Wanda's hand in her and Wanda spoke weak in short phrases, "Amelia, can you break… break the curse on James? He… he needs to go alone… alone to the Mirror of Twilight. Please, I… I beg you. Tell him… the way."

Amelia shook her head, voice hoarse and depressed from isolation, "No, Wanda, James needs you with him as you get there. Without you this disaster will not be resolved. You are our salvation."

"He has some evil… magic keeping him as a… a wolf, Amelia. Can you… take it out of him? He… he needs to be able to get… get to the mirror in human… human form." Wanda ignored the comment weakly, yet urgently.

Amelia lifted her hand and waved it along James' body, her face scars flashing weakly when she got to his head. He still looked down at Wanda in fear. "James…" When he looked up to Amelia, she whispered a command, though it sounded like a plea, "Go to the ancient grove in the forests of Vanaheim. My sword, Psipherion, disappeared to reside there in the ancient ruins called the sacred grove… It's also called the sword of evil's bane. It should have the power to remove the curse placed on you, which I cannot with this… collar. Even without it, I cannot…" Amelia groaned in pain as said collar flashed blood red.

James came forward trying to bite at the collar without hurting Amelia. It didn't work, but he tried. Amelia petted him, tears flowing, "I wish the collar off too, young James. I will survive. Just as you and Wanda will." She turned to Wanda again, taking her hand, "Wanda, beautiful creature, I give that I have to you, so you can save us all." She closed her eyes and started to sing in a beautiful, ancient language. She started to glow as did Wanda. Said woman went wide eyes as she was lifted into the air, feeling herself heal. With Amelia's ability and soul.

"NO! JAMES STOP HER!" Wanda shouted. James lunged forward but was met with a barrier that threw him back. He righted himself and growled, watching helplessly as Amelia opened her eyes to look up at Wanda as she finished her song. Wanda closed her eyes in desperation and defiance, not wanting the gift of being healed, Amelia's hands disappearing from Wanda's.

James looked away from the light as it got too bright, only to open them moments later when it vanished. He watched Wanda slowly float down to stand on the ground next to his left shoulder, fully healed and able to withstand the light of their world. They looked to where Amelia had been moments ago, now empty at her gift of giving her life to save Wanda. Amelia was gone, having given her life to save Wanda and give her the ability to handle the light.

Wanda closed her eyes and jumped backwards onto James, "Let's get to Vanaheim, James and get her sword. We need that curse broken to save our world." James nodded, stepping towards the door. Before leaving, Wanda spoke quietly, "You gave me the greatest gift, Amelia, though I did not want it. But I will cherish it to infinity." James let a tear roll out of his wolfish eye, heartbroken at Amelia's sacrifice to save Wanda to give them a chance to save the world.

In the south field heading to the Bifrost.

As soon as James and Wanda made their way to the bridge, a loud roar sounded, causing them both to turn to watch in horror as a pyramidal barrier surrounded the palace. Both Wanda and James growled, the latter had his fangs barred. Yet when Wanda looked down at the dragon tattoo now on her arm and her hands which Amelia had so recently held, she sobered and patted James' shoulders eagerly and said, "To the Bifrost!"

At the Bifrost, James and Wanda discovered Stefan sitting alone on the pedestal. He jumped up when he saw them. "James, Wanda! What happened?! When you arrived in the spring, Thor, Steve, T'Challa, and I were about to greet you when Ragnar appeared. Where did you go? And how are you physical, Wanda?"

James lowered himself to the floor in shame, ears back and head on his paws as he whined. Wanda lowered her head, whispering in shame, "Lanayru transported James and I to the northern fields and instructed us to go to Amelia after Ragnar harmed me with Lanayru's light to the point of life-threatening injuries and cursed James with a piece of twisted Twilight magic." At that Stefan paled, but he waited for her to continue, "She charged us to go to find her sword in Vanaheim to remove the curse Ragnar placed on James. And… in turn… Amelia healed me… but sacrificing her own life… for the sake of mine… Giving me the ability… to handle light again…" Tears rolled down her checks and on Stefan's and James' as she broke down in a blubbering mess.

Stefan fell to his knees and screamed, "NO! AMELIA!" He screamed in pain and lost before he crumped. He became a sobbing mess, inconsolable. Loss. Broken heartedness. It was something that both Wanda and James had experienced before. Wanda got off James' back and hugged Stefan, who in turned clung to her in desperation. James howled in sorrow.

No words were said between them, only raw emotion. Sadness, loss, comfort, and tears. Soon Stefan quieted down, holding onto Wanda. He whispered in her ear, "She wouldn't have had it any other way Wanda. She knew what she was doing. Go get her sword." He stood up with a courageous strength that greatly impressed James and Wanda. It was shocking actually…For him to just accept it so quickly was heartbreaking. They would ask him about it later.

He whispered, "Go… What's done is done… and there's no use to grieving over it forever." Stefan ushered them to the gateway and charged them to get the sword. Jumping through the gateway, James and Wanda came to Vanaheim again, intending to get the specific sword.

However, when they arrived, Wanda sadly patted James' shoulder, "Let's take a side quest to Tofte, James. Let's check up on Natasha and the others." James nodded. Knowing the path well from before, James trotted through the forest and to the village. It was evening and rather quiet as they arrived in the village.

Wanda, now that she was physical, knocked at the door of the sanctuary. The door cautiously opened, Peter's face appearing. When he saw Wanda and James, who was a very large black wolf with ocean blue eyes and grey and brown markings and his arm being wolf, he swung the door wide and exclaimed, "WANDA! JAMES! Come inside!" He ushered them inside before quickly closing and barracking the door. Natasha's eyes were wide at their appearance and the children came over to surround Wanda and James.

Lila petted James' ears, "James, you're such a cute wolf. Your arm is even a wolf's arm. It's cute." At his growl, she giggled, "Oh come on brother, I'm sure Wanda feels the same way and loves you like that. Besides your fur is so soft." She hugged James and cuddled into his fur, who huffed, ears back, though he simply let her do so. He was silently relishing the attention. Cooper petted his back and Nathaniel toddled over to Wanda who had gotten off James once they were inside. Nathaniel smiled and laughed in delight as Wanda smiled at her younger adopted brother's antics.

"Wanda you're physical! How…?" Peter asked, beating Natasha to the question.

Wanda's smiled disappeared, replaced by a pained expression that she shared with James who lowered his muzzle to the ground, whining, to which Natasha, Peter, Lila, and MJ caught on. Meg did as well and intervened with her father Charles, "Children come. It's time for bed." She and Charles ushered Lila, Cooper, and a teary-eyed Nathaniel away to bed in the basement, which they made into a makeshift bedroom for everyone, leaving Natasha, Peter, and MJ with James and Wanda. Lila looked to Natasha and then away, knowing she'd get an explanation from her aunt later, both sharing a knowing look.

Natasha sat down serious, and asked straight to the point, "What happened? Is it something to do with Amelia?" Peter and MJ sat down as well, intrigued.

Wanda looked at James, whose ears went flat his eyes closing slightly. Wanda sighed, "Amelia… is… dead." Natasha, Peter, and MJ stared at them in horrified shock. Wanda started crying again.

"What do you… you mean… she's dead?" Natasha whispered, clearly on the edge of hysteria, her eyes wide with horror.

"She gave her life… to… to save mine… Ragnar discovered us… us in Lanayru's spring in Asgard after we had gotten the last fused shadow. He… he tried to tempt me to… to come with him… And when I refused, he exposed me in my twilight form… to Lanayru's light, which is deadly to Twili. Amelia literally gave herself to save me to allow James and I continue our quest." Wanda sobbed out as she spoke. James laid down, whining as he went, clearly heartbroken to see one of his best friends die in front of him for another. She gave her life to save Wanda.

Peter and MJ cried silently as he pulled her close. Natasha stared blankly for a moment before screaming in anguish, very not like herself at all, "NO! Amelia! WHY?" She fell to the floor in a heap as she wept loudly. It was very un-Natasha like of her. Wanda went to Natasha and sobbed with her as she draped herself over Natasha as if to protect her. James simple howled in sadness, wolf-like tears coming from his eyes.

Soon, Natasha fell into a fitful sleep as did MJ. Peter, sadness clouding his eyes, picked MJ up and brought her down to their bedrolls for the night, having sad goodnight before leaving. Wanda stayed by Natasha, who was whimpering in her sleep. Charles came up and over to them, "Peter relayed the story to me. Meg had to reassure Cooper and Lila at Lady Natasha's outburst, though Nathaniel remained asleep during it fortunately. I remember Amelia from long ago. Such a sweet and powerful person. And a good friend. She will be missed here." A tear fell down his check.

"How old are you exactly Charles?" Wanda asked in surprised, tears still flowing.

Said man hung his head in sadness as he closed his eyes, "I'm roughly, in Asgardian terms about 56, but in human years, I am about 4267 years old. I've been around long enough to meet and get to know Amelia. But let that be out of your mind. I came at Peter's prompting to gather Natasha up for sleep. She needs a good bed for that little one she carries. I also have your bedroll laid out for you both." Charles looked at the wolf.

James tilted his head, nodding. Charles gentle and smoothly lifted Natasha into his strong arms without waking her and he stood. James stood and nudging Wanda to get on his back. Following Charles as he carried Natasha down, James walked slowly as not to awaken the others, but with the chains and the shackle on his left front leg, it made rather loud noises even at a slow easy pace, being that his left front leg and paw were made of vibranium.

Charles laid Natasha down gently as if she were his own daughter and tucked her in, whispering, "Goodnight, Lady Natasha." He turned to James and Wanda who pulled the blanket over both, "Sleep well, James and Lady Wanda. Good night."

"Night Charles," Wanda whispered. She curled up into James' fur, comforted to know he was there. Too much sadness and loss for that day. She silently cried for the mother she found and had lost too soon. James licked her check, trying to comfort her the best he could in wolf form. Soon Wanda drifted off to sleep, leaving James the only one awake.

Amelia, why? He wondered resting his head on his paws, yet as he asked himself, he already knew the answer. She did it to save Wanda. Their children. To be able to let Wanda and him to complete their quest to kill Ragnar. Soon he was the last to fall asleep.

~In the morning…~

Wanda stretched her arms as she awoke. She felt something furry against her back and realized it was James. He had curled around her protectively in his sleep. She smiled weakly and rubbed his stomach. He groaned, rolling over at her ministration. She weakly laughed, "Morning soldier, like that?" He huffed, quickly rolling onto his stomach and licking her face. "I guess you would in a more private setting then?" She giggled as she tried to stop him from continuing.

Yes, doll. Especially since there are children around. He thought knowing she heard him. Meg called down to the stairs, "Breakfast is ready everyone!" Peter, MJ, and the Barton children groaned, yet they all moved and stretched before moving upstairs.

James stretched his front legs and then his back before he shook the aches of sleeping too long. Wanda got on his back, and he trotted upstairs. Meg was handing out bowls of porridge and plates filled with eggs, bacon, and pieces of buttered bread. For James, Meg laid a plate piled with bacon, eggs, and toast for him on the ground, which by wolf standard was amazing, but it was embarrassing to eat in front of other, especially that he was a human turned into a wolf. Charles was fussing over a pale looking Natasha as she tried her best to keep down the food Meg had made for her. Finishing his own breakfast, James walked over to Natasha and put his head in her lap.

James whined, worried about his friend. Natasha smiled weakly, patting his head, "It's alright James. I will be fine, though I am grieving. I just need time to process. It doesn't help with my messed-up hormones and this morning sickness." James whined further, sitting, causing Wanda to complain as he ignored her. Natasha simply sighed, "Meg has food for you before you head to the sacred grove."

Indeed, Meg provided food for the journey to the sacred grove. An hour later, James was trotting through the forest towards the place that they had entered last time to get to the sacred grove. Like last time, the Skull Kid led them on a much longer roundabout hide and seek game to the grove only after James howled a specific song to call him.

Once James bit the Skull Kid one last time, said being jumped up and disappeared in a twirl. He giggled, "Goodbye and good luck with the sword."

James huffed, Just like last time. Annoying as ever.

"Oh, James, he's just doing his job at protecting the sword and the ancient ruins and plus, he's only having fun. Now onward." Wanda said as she pointed to the opening. Heading into the area where he received the bow, James trotted over to the painting of the dragons. He howled the same song from before and he was meet with the two statues who guarded the entrance. The statues came alive and jumped to opposite ends of a puzzle they had to figure out.

The one to his left said, "We are the guardians of the sacred grove. Place us back to our original resting places and you will be granted access to the sword of evil's bane, sacred beast. If you fail, you will die."

James huffed in annoyance and Wanda nodded in agreement. However, after a solid hour, he figured it out. The statues jumped back to their original places and turned in a circle, hitting their spears of stone against the ground as they hummed deeply for several moments. The statue that has spoken earlier ordered, "Now go to the sacred grove and present yourself to the sword, sacred beast. We yield passage to the true Sacred Groove. If proven worthy, you will be able to take the sword from its resting pedestal and be called its master." The statues hit their spears against the ground with echoing booms before becoming frozen statues again.

The door that was closed before shook and opened as it slid to the right, allowing access to the grove beyond. James and Wanda saw the glint of metal through the passage. James trotted forward slowly and slowed further as he approached Amelia's sword Psipherion. He sniffed it and the sword's set-in diamond glowed before sending out a blast of energy. Wanda was thrown back and off James to the floor, as James braced his legs. He growled as he lifted his face and barked as he barred his fangs. He felt the curse being broken as he lifted his face almost perpendicular to the sky.

Wanda watched in awe as James' wolf body flashed with light, the curse Ragnar placed on him breaking and coalescing into a piece of jewelry in her hand. She looked at it in curiosity and fascination before looking up as the sound of metal against stone sounded. James stood holding the pommel of the sword and lifting it from its pedestal. It came free easily, like a knife through butter and he lifted it over his head in his left hand, energy swirling down his arm and into him as he felt the power from the sword sweep through him, accepting him as master.

Wanda protected her face from the wind, only to look up in awe, "The sword accepted you as its master."

James swung the sword in several technics, surprised by its perfect weight and balance, as if it were an extension of his arm. He turned to Wanda, "It feels powerful, and it's like it judged me and saw me as worthy. The fact that it feels like an extension of me is astounding… However, what's that Wanda?" He pointed at the piece of jewelry.

Wanda held it up, "This is the coalesced jewelry of the cursed magic that Ragnar put on you. It differs greatly from the normal magic of the Twili, one that works on a different, a more sinister, level. We should leave it here. But…" She rolled her head in though, a Cheshire cat smile coming to her face, "Since Ragnar was so nice in giving it to us, it would allow you to change into a wolf anytime. Which would help immensely."

James put Psipherion in its sheath that appeared at his belt, and stroked his beard in thought, "I just want to mention, it can be quite painful changing between forms, Wanda." She became doe-eyed and danced around him, sending images of herself to his mind. He couldn't resist and conceded to her, "Very well, I can see your point. Fine hold onto it and let's head back to Tofte before we head to Trondheim. How about you transport me there since we have that nifty piece of magic."

"Very well, ready?" Wanda shrugged. James smiled and nodded. Touching his chest with the cursed piece of jewelry, he transformed into a wolf before she transported them to Tofte's sanctuary. Wanda transformed James into human again and he walked over to the sanctuary's door, knocking.

Natasha opened the door, her sad eyes widening at seeing him human again. Only staying an hour, James was again brought to the gateway by Charles, Wanda still able to hide as his shadow despite being able to handle the light. Without much ado, James bade Charles goodbye like before and he arrived back inside the Bifrost's chamber. Stefan stood near the sword with Steve, Thor, and T'Challa. They were discussing Amelia, and what to do about Ragnar.

Just then, Loki appeared in the Bifrost with the leader of the frost giants. Stefan and the others went silent at all their appearances. Stefan went over to Loki and the leader with Thor behind him, greeting the new arrivals with warmth and welcome. Steve and T'Challa went over to James as he came forward to meet them.

"Welcome back, James. How you doing?" Steve smiled as they hugged a manly hug.

"Still not bad for a semi-stable, hundred-year-old man. It's good to be back. Now just to get to the mirror of twilight. Where is the mirror at?" James asked as they parted.

T'Challa piped up, "It's apparently in the desert near Trondheim. In a place called… What did Stefan call it again, Steve?"

"Arbiter's Grounds he called it." Steve glanced to Stefan and the others when voices were raised. The frost giant leader seemed to be arguing with Thor over something, but Stefan shouted in a strange language, prompting the leader to go wide eyed and silent.

Steve crossed his arms, "James, T'Challa and I are to bring you back to Trondheim to get to the Desert of Ruins within the next few hours."

James frowned, "Steve, I need rest. As much as I would like to go straight there, I haven't had the time to sleep or rest in almost 22 hours, plus we barely got rest prior to that because of the Water Temple beneath the sea and then with the tragedy with Amelia. And gaining Amelia's sword Psipherion was tiring to the point of exhaustion. How about we get to Trondheim so I can rest before getting to the Desert of Ruins?"

T'Challa nodded, "He's right, Steve. As much as we all want this disaster to be over with, he needs to rest. By the way, Sargent Barnes, where's Wanda?"

Wanda's voice sounded quietly so not to alert the frost giants, but she didn't appear, "I'm hiding as James' shadow. I don't want the frost giants to mistake me for a twilight beast. Steve, I agree with James and T'Challa. We have been through the ringer the last four and a half days and we both need the rest. We also have news from Natasha when we arrive in Trondheim." Steve smiled at the news as did T'Challa.

Steve gestured and walked to the gate, "Come, Stefan and Thor found horses from the stables still around the fields and have provided us all a way to get to Trondheim. They have decided to stay to continue the negotiations with the Frost Giants before they return. The Valkyries came earlier while you were in the temple and they all are stationed in neighboring towns."

James followed Steve and T'Challa to the horses outside. There were eight horses corralled and tethered to the posts, all saddled and ready to be ridden, only thing had to be done was that their bridles had to be put on. Soon all three were on their way across the Bifrost, headed towards Trondheim, leaving Thor and Stefan with Loki and the Frost Giant leader.

It took them the better half of a day to arrive in the town late in the evening, dirty and tired from the day's events. James was exhausted again, barely having gotten an hour's rest in the last day and a half, with the adrenaline rush having worn off hours earlier. Everyone surrounded him and Wanda, overjoyed to see them both. Clint, Laura, and Pietro especially. Amelia's daughters, Rin, Kagome, and Zelda, and their son Link greeted them as well as if meeting old friends.

After dinner, James and Wanda retired to their assigned room, both eager to get some rest. James laid on the cot, staring up at the ceiling and thinking of the days ahead. A single candle still burned in the candelabra above his bed, giving him enough light to see. Wanda lay on his chest in her impish form, her mask off as she found it had given her several sore spots around her ears and neck. "Tomorrow, we may have this war, doll. I can see it. Once we get to the mirror, we'll have victory in sight." James fingered her shoulder, smirking, "And the curse on you will be broken as well."

Wanda moved her head to look at him, "Hmmm… don't get cocky James. We still have all the mess of dealing with the realms. And… we have to prepare for the birth of our twins." She smiled as did James.

Still weird to think I am going to be a father especially with my past as it is. I… James' thought was interrupted by Wanda.

"If you keep thinking that way, you'll find me not letting you make love to me for a while." She teased, causing James to groan.

"No fair, woman. I wouldn't last a day." James whined mockingly.

"You'll survive, soldier. Now let's sleep." Wanda used her hair to blow out the candle. Both fell asleep soon thereafter.

Until next time my good readers. Please leave a review, let me know what y'all are thinking about my story or stories.

Yours Truly,

WS. Z