Hello everybody and welcome back to "To Eternity, My Witch". I have been busy with work and a bunch of other things. I had to place this story on the back burner for that time.
Hope y'all are doing well.
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.
Ch 32 Laying Low and PLanning
~Downstairs of the Inn…~
Stefan sighed as he joined to rest of the Avengers who were present. Scott, Sam, and Tony, who had just arrived moments ago with Reila, were huddled in a corner near the fireplace, speaking in low tones. Pepper was nearby talking with Shuri, Pieter, Peter, and MJ. Loki had awakened and sat on a stool near the other corner of the fireplace listening, pale and shaking, his healing scar clear for all to see. When Zelda, Rin, and Kagome healed him, they had Stefan and Link donate blood to him as dragons were able to change their blood to match anyone's blood type. T'Challa stood behind his sister and Pietro, nursing his arm stump which had the new prosthetic hand that Tony, Shuri, and Stefan had developed for him.
Natasha was right next to him as he approached the room. He took a seat in the lounge chair next to Loki and Natasha sat in front of him, leaning against his legs as he sat. Link sat across from him with Zelda also on the floor. Kagome approached Link with some medical supplies in hand and whispered into his ear. He sighed and nodded without hesitating. She knelt next to his left arm as he rested it there and worked on getting two bags of blood from him. Reila had joined Rin and Laura in the kitchen, the three women preparing dinner for everyone. Steve and Clint were still gone as was Thor whose wife was overseeing their people nearby in another town over.
Stefan noted that Natasha's hair, which had grown to her mid back since the wedding, was unbraided and he tapped her shoulder, "How about I French braid your hair, Tasha?"
Natasha smiled and nodded, simply tilting her head down so he could begin. Peter, having decided to practice his spider skills again, lowered himself on a web to just above Stefan and Natasha, asking, "How are James and Wanda? Is he going to be alright?"
Stefan paused a moment on Natasha's hair, looking up at Peter and then back to Nat's hair to braid it, "I'll be honest, he's in a bad way, Peter. He'll be out of commission for several days to allow Zelda, Rin, and Kagome to heal his wounds and for him to recover his strength. Wanda on the other hand is just exhausted. She used the fused shadows to killed Ragnar, which I suspected from reading her thoughts earlier and after she admitted it when I was helping upstairs."
"Ragnar's dead? Great! Now we will win this war and it will be finished!" Peter shouted in excitement, as everyone murmured in happiness at the news. However, there was still a bit of grim soberness to the atmosphere.
"I wouldn't get too excited, Peter… Therein still lies the issue with what you just said…" Stefan warned in a low voice. Everyone went quiet at that looking at Stefan as he finished off Natasha's braided hair. They all noted his grim attitude, despite Ragnar's defeat. He patted her shoulder, "There you are, Nat. There is an even greater evil in the castle than that of Ragnar. And unfortunately, it's an evil that I know from years past I wished never reared his ugly head again. He's one I never would have imagined would be here, trying to invade and take over. Which I am sure is the reason why none of Ragnar's army has disbanded. Right, younglings?"
Link and Zelda paled in unison, the latter looking dizzy as she leaned heavily into the former. Pepper noticed, concern leaking from her voice as she asked, "Zelda, are you alright dear? Do you know who Stefan is talking about?"
Zelda nodded, though she couldn't bring herself to answer, leaning her face into Link's lap. Instead, Link answered for her, the two having their special mind link, his voice holding a hint of fear and sorrow, as Kagome finished filling the second blood bag with his blood, "Ganon is alive… He's the one orchestrating all this isn't he, Stefan?"
Stefan nodded grimly, "I'm afraid so, Link. He has returned once again."
"Who is Ganon?" Tony asked, clearly shaken with all the new information.
Zelda interrupted before Stefan could explain, "Ganon, or Ganondorf as his full name, is a demon slayer whose spirit seems to have endured for millennia and has seemed to haunt my family to this day. He lusts after power, and all he wants is for darkness to rule over every single creature out there. He's must have followed Ragnar's life and found himself here, a much larger realm to conquer under his evil law. It seems Ragnar was… corrupted… forced to bend to his dark lore. Link and I have defeated him before, twice may I add. But without our respective pieces of the Triforce and the fact that he has gained the piece of the Triforce of power and Twilight power, we cannot do battle with him. It is up to Wanda and James to do battle with him once they're healed."
The atmosphere grew heavy with grimness, everyone realizing there was evil that was still lurking about, despite James' victory over Ragnar. That evil being Ganondorf and his army he had brutally used from the twilight realm. No one spoke for a long time, whether it be a minute or an hour, it was long enough for Steve and Clint to arrive back from Arbiter's Grounds. They came into the inn, finding a rather heavily grim and somber atmosphere with everyone looking grave.
Steve went over to Stefan, standing near the fireplace as Clint went to sit with Laura who finished in the kitchen, their children asleep. "What's happening? Where's Wanda and James?" Steve asked, worry etching his voice.
Stefan let out a snort of derision while everyone remained quiet. Except for Reila who came out of the kitchen with Rin behind her, having heard Steve's question, "James and Wanda are upstairs, Steve. James is unconscious with at least fourteen deep lacerations on his torso and two more smaller ones on his arm. He lost a lot of blood. Wanda is exhausted from her usage of the fused shadows against Ragnar. On top of that Ganon has reared his ugly, evil head again, Steve and Clint."
Both Clint and Steve paled at the news, though the former asked, "Who is Ganon?"
Link spoke out this time, Kagome having finished with taking the needle out of his arm and headed to the kitchen to help Rin and Reila, "He's an evil demon slayer from my world. One who is the culprit of bringing Ragnar to his corrupted state and twisted his mind. I wouldn't doubt he's going to be an even harder evil to beat than Ragnar. And take it from me, battling Ganondorf, twice I might add, was death defying. I assume he hasn't remembered much from his time with Twilight Link that he was defeated in a similar manner…"
Steve paled further, "How is James going to beat him then? How are we going to beat him? If he's that powerful… Especially in the condition James is in now?"
Stefan said softly, "He will defeat Ganon, we will defeat him. As long as James doesn't get cocky, and knows that we stand behind him, he will. Especially with Wanda helping him."
"Father…" Kagome, who also heard Stefan's statement, came out of the kitchen, leaving Rin alone to prepare dinner. Reila rejoined Rin as Kagome said in a low, worried voice, turning fearful eyes to him, "James needs to heal first. You saw how badly wounded he was from his battle with Ragnar. Not only that, but he also lost a huge amount of blood as well. He needs at least a week or more, if not longer, to recover fully, even with Rin, Zelda, and my healing sessions with him. Even with our blood transfusions and photoreceptors and his status as a super soldier.
"You know he's also going to have some of his memories from HYDRA come out from the healings as well." She tapped her chin in thought, worry written on her face, wondering out loud, "Perhaps it would be good to have Sesshomaru and Uncle Todd come over from our world to help in the battle. I'm sure that Inuyasha and Aunt Lillian wouldn't mind taking overruling until we get back to Reslutia."
Stefan contemplated Kagome's words. Upon seeing Natasha's, Zelda's, and Kagome's looks, he sighed and gave in, though he changed the agreement, warning, "No. I'll have Inuyasha and Sesshomaru come. I absolutely refuse to call Todd out of retirement again, and I refuse to budge and go against my agreement to his personal commitment. Besides… you remember what happened last time Uncle Todd decided to come out of retirement to battle, Kagome…" He gave her a pointed look; a disapproving, reprimanding look that Kagome shrunk back from.
Everyone caught on to the dangerous meaning behind his words, they were a warning to his daughter, even though they didn't know the back story. Kagome paled considerably to such an extent that she was as white as a sheet. All present paled, knowing her unspoken reaction was evidence to his warning. Nodding, she remembered that Uncle Todd had transformed unintentionally and inadvertently into his Wraith form when possessed by a demon which Ashnard the mad king had summoned on him. He had unintentionally killed over three dozen of people with his Wraith feeding ability and strength.
As soon as he was restrained by Sesshomaru, Stefan, and Inuyasha and the demon was exorcised, Todd had gone on a self-imposed exile as a hermit for little over twenty-one years before he was persuaded and convinced of his innocence to come back to his role as advisor to the throne and act as Pseudo-Emperor in times of need. Lillian was beyond heartbroken during that period of his self-imposed isolation, and she had refused to be consoled.
For 20 years, she had held onto hope that he would return. When he didn't after 20 years, she started to slowly fade, refusing to eat less and less each day. Christine and Erik were out of their mind. She had come close to death that upon his return when he did return almost 22 years after he went into self-imposed exile, and it took several months for her to recover. Once he had come back and Lillian had recovered, she and Todd had taken several months to discuss the whole incident alone in one of the regenerancy locations.
After a year of discussing with Lillian, Amelia, myself, and the council, he only agreed on his flat-out insistence that he would never be called back to the battlefield, unless it was an absolute emergency. And only if it threatened Reslutia. Any other realms he would refuse as part of his agreement and oath unless it threatened Reslutia directly. Amelia and Stefan were in complete agreement with him and Lillian, all others followed suit to their decision. Many seeing his reasons as more than valid.
Stefan turned to his newest daughter, who had come in at his warning, "Reila, I know you just arrived here back from earth a few short hours ago, but I need you to go back to earth again and travel to the Isle of Worlds. The Mirror of Horizons should accept you now. When you get to Reslutia, you'll be in a secret room inside Amelia and my chambers." Reila nodded.
"Is there something I can take to make sure that Inuyasha-sama and Sesshomaru-sama will recognize me?" Reila asked.
Stefan shook his head, "No. They'll know it's you. With the Dragon Bind that we did, they'll know you already because of it. Sleipnir is outside and I am sure he would be willing to take you."
Tony stood, "I know I just arrived back from earth with Reila, but I will take her back again. She needs the fastest transport, along with your sons, Stefan." Pepper huffed, Tony shaking his head. Pepper sighed and conceded to his decision.
Reila smiled, "Thank you, Tony." She stood and the two of them disappeared out the door.
Hope y'all liked this chapter. Yeah, it's short, but it's something. Please drop a like and leave a review; tell me what y'all are thinking.
Until next time.
WS. Z.
