Hi! So, this is my first fanfic and Ghibli fanfic, and I'm really happy to post the first chapter, so, enjoy the prologue!
The Wastelands looked a lot creepier at night. The wind whistled quietly and the blowing grass kept on coming. Nobody seemed to enter the wastelands at this hour, considering of evil wizards coming after them and eating their souls, but what they don't know is that the only place around here with no evil seemed to be rather than Howl's castle.
It moved slowly and loudly, smoke puffing out of pipes everywhere around the messy tat house. It looked like a massive explosion hit thousands of buildings and they all fell on each other, combining into one messy outside looking house with a clean interior.
Sophie Hatter had gone to visit her dear sister Lettie, and she hasn't realized that she had been gone until nighttime. She bid her farewell and made her way back to the wastelands by her own. It has been months since she became an old lady and stumbling upon Howl's castle, and meeting the youthful wizard.
She had a shawl with her, and that seemed to keep the little cold air from touching her fragile skin. She shivered as it tickled through her soft skin. "It's so cold all of a sudden," she muttered and continued walking.
Normally, the wastelands seemed to be a little warm at this hour, but this night seemed to be an exception. It felt like something was awakening...judging from the atmosphere and the sudden coldness.
Sophie, realizing the mood, looked around nervously. "I have a feeling something's wrong judging from what I sense and feel," she said. She wished that Howl or Markl could have been with her.
Suddenly, a high pitched whooshing sound filled the air. The wind grew violent and colder. Sophie, feeling something is terribly wrong, she tried to run away, but the wind swooped her, throwing Sophie violently to the ground.
Sophie crouched down, trembling, on the cold grass. Then, she looked at it, and then the grass suddenly changed from its dark green shade to a gray shade, indicating that the grass had died.
Sophie looked up and saw the rest of the grass turning into the same color. She quickly looked around for help, and in the corner of her eye, she spotted the castle coming for her.
Sophie stood up carefully, and ran towards the castle. She didn't dare to look back, knowing that whatever is next is going to harm her pretty badly. She stopped when she heard a loud, cackling voice, sounding like an old witch. She never looked so scared in her life. As it was done, she ran faster, fear entering her mind.
Something is definitely going wrong here. She then looked up and realized she was in the doorway. The door opened to reveal Markl, looking panicked and scared as Sophie was.
"Sophie! Get inside, now!" Markl quickly instructed, gesturing her to come inside. "Get up!"
Sophie ran towards the door, but just as she was about to enter, the wind grabbed her feet and tried to pull her back outside. Sophie reached out her hand. "Markl help!"she pleaded.
Markl grabbed hold of her and tried to pull her back with all the strength he could muster. But the harder Markl tugged, the wind tugged Sophie harder, desperate to pull her outside. The wind and Markl continuously tugged Sophie hard, like a game of tug and war.
Markl, feeling all the strength light up in his body, like a candle, he pulled Sophie with such force, letting her go from the violent wind and the two were thrown back. Markl quickly ran to the door and closed it, and turned the color handle into blue, rendering them to safety.
"What was that Markl?!" Sophie, in a panic state.
Markl looked at her with such a grave look, Sophie swore he never looked at her like that before. "Markl...what's wrong..?" Sophie whispered.
Markl hesitated to answer. "Calcifer just told me something..," he said in a grievous state. "A great evil had entered the Ghibli world, and we are the first ones to be attacked."