My first howl's moving castle fan fic- so soz if not the best. read and review please!
"Tell Howl, me, granny, Heen and Markl are going out for the day, Calcifer." Sophie's light voice drifted up the stairs.
"Why? What are you up to? You're smiling. When you smile you're about to do something against Howl's orders."
"Calcifer- you don't have to follow Howl's orders anymore- you're not in a contract."
A silence followed.
"Calcifer-" Sophie continued, "Do you realise that it's Markl's birthday today?"
There was another long pause, followed by an awkward,
"Is it?" From Calcifer.
"Yes- and do you know what little boys like on their birthday?" Sophie scolded.
"Their heart put into a fire place to keep their fire demon from running off?" Calcifer muttered nervously.
"No Calcifer- that's just Howl."
There was yet another pause, till Sophie continued.
"Markl wants to go to the lake- the one we stopped at last year to do the washing- and he wants to try fishing."
This caused a burst of laughter from Calcifer,
"FISHING! FISHING! Why would a wizard's assistant want to go fishing?!"
Sophie sighed loudly,
"Calcifer, Markl is a boy-"
"NO!" Cackled the fire demon, his voice dripping sarcasm.
Ignoring him, Sophie continued,
"And boys like to fish."
The fire demon was still laughing at the prospect of a wizard, standing still for ages- fishing line in hand.
"OH HUSH, YOU!" Sophie shouted, "Just tell Howl we'll be back at 7, don't let him do anything stupid- and DON'T let him practise his flying- he nearly destroyed the castle with his last attempt!"
There were footsteps, a pause, and then a slam of the door.
Howl waited upstairs for a couple of minutes- checking for a sign that Sophie was in fact lying, and she was about to come back.
When there were no more footsteps, Howl rushed to his window- the one which looked out from the castle, across the wastes.
All he could see was the swirling purple/ grey mists and the tip of a hat disappearing over the hill. Sophie.
A large, childish grin stretched across his face, he was alone! Finally!
He had been waiting to do something ever since the war had finished- yet he had never had the chance, for either Sophie, Markl, granny or Heen was left in the castle with him- and on the rare occasions they had all left, he had either been dragged along, or Calcifer had gone a-wander.
After the tip of Sophie's hat had fully vanished from sight- Howl leapt up, rushing to the door and flying down the stairs (literally as he had just created a flying spell- the very one Sophie had just banned him from using.)
"Oh, uh, hey Howl…" Calcifer looked as guilty as anyone who had been caught making a mess by Sophie, "You cooking breakfast?"
Howl shook his head, marched towards the demon and grinned at him,
"What time are Sophie and the others coming back?"
Calcifer's eyes widened in shock-
"You heard?"
Once again Howl nodded, waving a slender finger in front of Calcifer.
"Calcifer, Calcifer, Calcifer," he tutted, "You were going to keep a secret from me- and just think- when I burst into slime on you- Sophie isn't here to save you."
Calcifer shuddered- his flames whipping the edges of the hearth.
"You wouldn't dare…" he moaned, turning pale.
"Oh, I could easily- my heart is no longer inside of you- so therefore- it wouldn't harm me at all!"
Calcifer turned an even paler red- more of a light salmon- and whispered the words Howl wished to hear,
"What do you want?"
Howl laughed, throwing his head back, shoulders shaking in mirth.
"You shouldn't sound so afraid Calcifer- what do you think I'm going to do?"
Calcifer tipped his flames to one side- his eyes staring accusingly at the wizard.
"You've waited till everyone's gone- including Sophie- and you're smiling like, Markl on sweets. You're up to something."
Howl shuddered at the memory of giving Markl sweets- the way he hadn't been able to calm down- then shot back at the demon-
"Didn't you say that to Sophie and it turned out she's only going fishing?"
Calcifer's eyes widened, his mouth hanging open.
"THAT'S Sophie! THE ONE WHO WILL KILL YOU IF YOU DO ANYTHING AS STUPID AS YOU USUALLY DO!" Calcifer roared, obviously not ready for a mad idea.
Howl put on his best pleading voice-
"Calcifer- my friend- could you just move the castle 20 miles to the North East? Please?"
Calcifer visibly softened,
"Alright-" he sighed, "But that's, your friend whose the most amazing fire demon ever, and has the most amazing spark, to you Howl."
Howl gave his friend (Who apparently was the most amazing fire demon ever, and has the most amazing spark) a grin, then grabbed a saucepan.
"And about that breakfast Calcifer- bend down."
He heard the demon moan as Howl reached for a couple of eggs, but when he turned around- Calcifer already had his head down- waiting for his `torture' to be over.
Howl finished the eggs- fed Calcifer the shells, than sat down to eat. As he took the first bite of delicious egg- he cast his mind back on the past year.
It had been a year since the war finished, and Howl had got back his heart, and life at the moving castle had calmed right down.
Sophie and Howl didn't really have strong feelings for each other as they had originally thought- they had tried- by any existing relationship had instantly vanished when Howl had been telling jokes to Calcifer and Markl about Sophie's hair being grey, while she was barley into her 20's. The discovery of the jokes had ended in Howl's fine silk clothes fed to moths, his hot water tap swapped with the cold and- worse of all- his hair being died a bright pink as he slept.
Relationships would never happen between the pair again.
"Howl!" Calcifer cut through his thoughts, "We're here- where ever here is."
Howl jumped upright- picking up his plate and scrapping the remains into Calcifer's waiting mouth.
The fire demon swallowed and repeated his earlier statement,
"Howl? Where are we?"
"Calcifer-" was howl's reply, "I think you just need to put the castle's left leg in."
"Into where?" cried Calcifer.
Howl snapped his fingers, and outside- a tunnel popped out of nowhere.
"In there." He said smugly, nodding forwards.
"Okay…" Calcifer grumbled.
The castle shuddered as its front leg moved a step forward.
"And what happens now?" Calcifer complained.
Howl tilted his head to the left-
"Actually," Howl smiled, "Pull the castle's leg back out."
Once again- the castle moved.
"And now?" the demon scolded.
"Put it back in."
The castle moved.
"And back out."
"And back in."
"And back out."
"Howl?"
"Now Calcifer-"
"Yes?"
"Shake it all about."
"WHAT!" the demon yelled.
"Just do it."
The castle shook rapidly, from side to side.
"Howl- what are we trying to achiev-"
"Now do the hokey, pokey and turn around."
"HOWL! WHAT THE FLAME IS THIS ALL ABOUT?!"
Howl laughed loudly.
"Exactly!"
Calcifer looked around bewildered.
"What?"
Howl clapped his hands in amusement-
"You put your left leg in,
Your left leg out.
In, out, in, out,
You shake it all about!"
Howl was howling in laughter at the look on the demon's face/ flame/ whatever.
"Don't you remember that song Markl came back last year singing?"
Calcifer's eyes widened in acknowledgment. It had been Calcifer who had finally shut the boy up, by hovering a fiery hand over Markl's favourite toy.
"Is this for his birthday then?" Calcifer questioned, setting howl off on another round of laughter.
"No! Never!" Howl's eyes started to shine in pure happiness- "Personally- I just like the tune- and thought it would be quite cool if the castle could do the little dance for it!"
Calcifer crossed his flaming arms,
"You made me come all this way so you could try out a little dance!"
Howl nodded in agreement.
"So how are you getting back to pick up Sophie and the others?"
Howl's grin faded-
"Now Calcifer- you wouldn't do something like that, would you?"
Calcifer grew a grin of his own.
"Oh Howl- I would- I really would!"
"Now Calcifer- what do you want?" a sudden urgency creeping into the wizard's voice.
"Nothing. Except a fly around the wastes…" the demon leaped up from the hearth and floated at the base of the chimney.
"Now Calcifer- don't be so hasty-" the colour had drained from Howl's face- sweat dripping down his neck.
Calcifer let out his own evil laugh, and he shot straight up the chimney, his voice creating a menacing echo.
"BUT WHAT ABOUT THE CASTLE?!" Howl shouted up after Calcifer.
"Move it yourself!" came the reply- "After all- haven't you just created a flying spell?! Surely Sophie wouldn't fully kill you!"
sooooo, what do you think?
review please- what do you think will happen to Howl when he reaches Sophie?
thanks 4 reading!
c ya soon!
LL99 out, LL99 in, Out, In, Out, In, Leaving to catch a fire demon!
