Disclaimer: i dont own HMC, just borrowed the characters to play with for a while.
Authors Notes: Hi, this is my first story, I've been around since 2000 but never uploaded. - -; anyway i fell in love with the movie Howl's Moving Castle and figured there wasn't enough stories based on the movie, which frustrated me to no end, so I decided to write my own! Big step for me. Anyway I don't know if this is a one shot or if i will continue, i have left the end open. Tell me what you think? sorry i just can't help writing angsty stuff...
A young boy, probably not much older then 12 could be seen head down into a pillow; quiet sobbing sounds could be heard. Above his head on the overly large bed, in an overly extravagant room filled with charms of gold and every colour of the rainbow, was a letter that looked like it had been scrunched and then straightened again and had obvious wet marks over the writing.
The letter seemed to go something like this:
Howl,
If you are receiving this letter then I have failed to return from one of my missions safely.
I am sorry I will never get to see the man you will grow into but you are strong, even at your young age and I'm sure you will go some great things with your life and help others, as all in our family have done, but you are the last of us left, and for this I am sorry. As I know how lonely you have been and now will continue to be.
If you decide not to follow the path I have placed for you as the Royal apprentice, then all I ask is that you don't use your talent for self-gratification or to cause any innocents grief.
Please remember that every life is special, unique and has its own magic, as our family has always believed this one ideal.
I have left your special place as it is; you know how to get there.
I am sure you will do great honour for our family.
You have always been a smart lad, too smart for ones own good.
May we meet again in the calm.
You're Uncle Alvin.
A knock on the door put a quick stop to Howl's tears. Howl rubbed his red eyes on his long sleeve and suddenly it didn't look like Howl had been crying for the past hour.
Slipping the letter under his pillow, Howl got up to answer the door. He opened the door to a blonde boy about the same age as him with clear blue eyes, wearing a page's uniform bearing a royal emblem.
"Apprentice Howl, Madam Sulliman Requests your presence at once".
The page bowed and stepped away from the door, signalling Howl to follow him.
Howl signed, even with just finding out this news Sulliman still didn't give him time to himself, showing she really was as cruel as always.
Howl followed the page down the hall and out the apprentice quarters into the setting sun on the palace grounds. He wasn't very liked among the other apprentices because he had been chosen as the royal apprentice. Thus they teased him about his clothes to his speech, which he had ignored as best he could.
His uncle had been his only relative alive. His parents had died not long after he was born, when he had asked his Uncle about their deaths, on one of the few weekends both had been home at their small cabin, which had been located about 3 hours walk outside Kingsbury, about how they had died, all he had got was "they died fighting for peace" and that was the end of it. He had never asked again.
Howl arrived at the glasshouse and the page continued to wait for Howl to enter, as he was known for running away from things. This was not an exception it would seem.
Howl entered the glasshouse and past the fauna and flora till he came to a section where Madam Sulliman, wearing her Royal uniform of a red cap with gold fringes and red gown and not to forget her wizard stick with carvings in the ancient language running around it, sat in her overly comfortable wheelchair. Her face looked sincere for her old age as always, but underneath a stubborn and determined woman lay. Who in Howl's opinion would do anything needed to reach her goal.
"Howl please take a seat, we have much to discuss" Madam Sulliman said gesturing at the chair which suddenly appeared across from her.
Howl walked over and bowed to Madam Sulliman, "Good evening Madam".
He took his place on the small chair across from her.
"Howl, I have heard the dreadful news of your Uncle," Sulliman's face seemed to have taken a sad look on it, which surprised Howl. He never thought she felt anything for anyone but herself. "He was a dear friend of mine in our younger years…" Sulliman had all but forgotten Howl was there, she seemed lost in memories of a time long past.
Howl knew then that there was a lot more to Sulliman and his Uncle then what was on the surface, the two had always been coolly polite in front of others. Maybe his Uncle had run away from things as well when he was younger and had never had the courage to fix the damage?
Madam Sulliman gave her head a shake as if to wake up, the sad look on her face gone as quickly as it came, "Anyway in view of your loss, I have decide to give you a few weeks off to settle family affairs and to grieve all you need. However when you come back, it will be straight back to business."
Howl couldn't help looking surprised; kindness from Madam Sulliman was rare, even rarer when there was nothing for her to gain from it.
Keeping himself under control, Howl stood and bowed.
"Would that be all Madam?"
"Yes Howl. I'll see you in a few weeks".
With that, Howl turned and walked toward the door.
Madam Sulliman watched him go. She knew these next few weeks could change everything, she could feel it in the air, but she would also grieve Alvin's passing to the calm. And because of him, the decision to allow Howl time to grieve by himself had risen to the surface, unable to be squished by logic and something she would never normally allow to happen had indeed been done.
She would regret this for years to come, something told her. But it was to late now, what was done was done.
Howl returned to his room and flopped onto the bed.
He didn't know what was worse, staying here in the mists of everyone at the academy but being totally alone or being stuck in that cabin his Uncle had called home with no one but himself.
He rolled over onto his stomach.
At least when the weekends came and his Uncle had given word, which was nearly every weekend. Howl would go straight to his garden, his home. But as it was, Howl had to do something with the cabin in the hills, which he decided to figure out when he got there.
It was nearly time to go down to the dinner hall for supper, which Howl hoped was only dinner…
But Howl couldn't shake off the feeling of being truly alone, even if he had only seen his Uncle once every few months, Howl had known if he truly needed him and sent word, his Uncle would return. This thought had always given him comfort, even at the darkest of times.
But now he WAS alone, he had no one. No one to care if he was sad or if someone had hurt is feelings, or if he needed help with something.
No one to give him honest advice, there was no one for him to turn too, no one to love him or for him to love. It felt like there was a gaping hole in his heart.
There was a sudden loud ding and Howl got up from the bed and went to the tall mirror that was in the corner of his room. Turning from side to side he inspected himself. He was wearing a light blue silky shirt with long sleeves which had embroidery of little leaves running around the edges. They glowed in the oddest way that it was obvious that magic had been used to enhance the cloth to its silky state. His pants were a slightly darker blue but magic had also been used as the bottoms had the same markings.
Howl opened the door and rang out of the room, the door automatically closing its self.
He had to hurry; if he was too late after the dinner bell the older boys would already be there and would be thinking of ways to torment him.
Howl ran down the stairs and turned left. Howl could already see a lot of people inside. The dinner hall was a very large room that had once probably been a ballroom but as the need for a larger hall for dinner grew, it had given up its original classification. However chandeliers from a past age still remained, glowing with the magic that had them alight.
The walls were made out of light coloured wood which probably had once had wallpaper on them but was now removed to show its original state however plain it had a homely feel to it. There were a few paintings on the walls of scenery long forgotten but mostly there were notice boards all over the hall, some for clubs and others for study groups but none of real interest.
It would seem that Howl was not to be so lucky today, as he turned the corner into the dinner hall the floor became as smooth as ice and Howl slipped backwards onto his bottom, laughter could be heard, but that was not the end of it, instead of falling and that be it, Howl kept sliding all the way along the floor on his tush to his chair.
"Haha! Look who decided to slide in", Tye a red haired boy laughed.
"Looks like you finally found yourself a job after this Howl, as the cleaner!" another one teased.
"Hahahaha"
"With those clothes he would surly get the position".
Howl ignored them and picked himself off the floor and took his sit, which he the preceded to act like a vacuum to eat as fast as possible, which I must say was a sight in it's self.
Howl didn't even notice the different flavours. All that mattered to him was finishing as fast as possible and then getting out of there. He could hear them whispering among themselves, which was not a good sign. They were probably angry their last trick hadn't upset him.
But before they could play anymore pranks. Howl had finished his meal and headed out the door, thanking his lucky stars that he was not going to be here in the morning, the only good that had come out of these events.
The Next morning saw Howl leaving the castle, he only had a small bag with his personal items in there, but it was all he had.
It took him a while to get through the hussle and bussle of the crowds, but once he was out of the capital and the buildings were no longer so large Howl figured no one would notice him, he used magic to move a lot faster then average people.
He was at his Uncle's cabin within an hour, and all the old house did was make him depressed.
Howl went inside the old cabin, there wasn't really much to it. Two bedrooms and a lounge with a heath, the kitchen off to the side. Old wood made the floor here and it looked like only spiders had loved this home.
There was only one painting of his family together, it seemed when a lot of them were alive, which had only been a few years before Howl had been born and then suddenly there were none. But that's another story.
Howl picked up the painting and put it under his arm, then went to his Uncle's room. There wasn't much in there, but Howl hadn't expected much. Just his bed, not even a wardrobe and…… Howl was surprised, he had forgotten about his Uncle's store gem. His Uncle had kept most his books and spells in it and had said he would make one for Howl, but had never gotten around to it. Would it open for him? Howl was indeed most curious but at the moment opening it was not at his top priority, getting out of this depressing house was. He picked up the small navy gem.
Nothing else seemed of value but that was always how his Uncle liked it. So he could pack up and go at a moments notice, showing the coward in himself of getting into anything long term.
Howl went back to the lounge and didn't even go into his room. There was nothing on value in there. Howl never really lived here after getting his garden all those years ago.
As Howl exited the cabin, he said his final goodbye to his Uncle.
"Till we meet in the calm".
And as if he had always known what he was going to do, Howl walked away from the house. When he was a safe distance away, the cabin promptly blew up.
Howl sat on a rock not to far away and watched the flames of the old cabin burn and for him; it felt like a new beginning. One chapter of his life was closing and yet another opened. He was free.
His Uncle's letter in his hand, he reread the same sentence over and over … "If you decide not to follow the path I have placed for you as the royal apprentice".
If HE decided. Not anyone else, himself. This was a new development he hadn't thought of before. Never had he had a choice, his Uncle had always decided what was best for him. There had never been a choice.
He could always remember his Uncle teaching him magic, "It's a necessity for living and for your future".
He never had the choice to decide to go to the academy, "You need an education". But Howl had had a great one from his Uncle, since he learned so quickly at home he had never had to wait for classes and had learnt more at home in a few months then he ever had in the 2 years he had been at the academy.
But Howl had known, known the real reason he had been sent there. His Uncle had received a letter from the King, calling him back to service. With no other relatives alive, there had only been one choice.
He could still remember the surprised look on his Uncle's face when he told him he got Royal Apprentice.
The Cabin had burnt down to near nothing now. Only a few embers remained. The sun was near setting.
Howl stood up and collected the portrait and his bag, the cool breeze blowing Howl's hair out of place.
Howl took out a piece of chalk and went over to where the old door of the cabin had landed. Howl checked it was sturdy for his weight then put down his valuables.
Howl drew the basic wizard circle however the symbol in the circle was a V with an odd line through it. He then collected all is items and placed them in the circle. Lifting one arm from his side, the circle began to glow.
It extended its self a little wider and suddenly Howl, his bag, the portrait and the circle were gone in a flash of light.
With a Flash of white light, Howl appeared standing on the cement slab in front of his little cottage.
The Sun was just beginning to set so Howl took off his shoes and sat down at the edge of the slab, as his feet hit the water Howl released a sigh, the cool water of the lake relaxing him.
He loved it here; it was always comforting to be here.
Howl looked over his garden, of course there were no trees or plants to speak of, but it had always been a garden to him.
As the sun set and the last tints of red and golden orange disappeared out of the sky, Howl got up and with a wave of his hand, his feet were dry.
Howl picked up his shoes, the bag and the portrait and went inside his cottage. He put all the stuff down on the small table and with a wave of his hand a fire lit in the hearth and collapsed into the chair at the table and sighed.
Hmm, Howl hadn't been here for two weeks and normally brought food with him however he had been in a rush from the castle he had completely forgotten.
Deciding it was the only option; Howl magicked a few vegetables onto the table and with a wave of his hand, an old pot which was sitting next to the hearth jumped to life and moving through the air, went to the small sink where the taps turned on pouring water into the pot. At the same time the vegetables were peeling themselves.
With in minutes Howl had a stew going.
He relaxed into the chair, feet up on the table. Stamina was something he was going to have to work on. Normally someone else was around to do a lot of things for him but not anymore… With that Howl proceed to fall asleep on the chair.
A loud bang woke Howl from his slumber. The pot had followed his instructions to the letter, even putting the stew into a large bowl and the putting it's self into the sink, which was what had woke him.
He ate slowly, going over the days events. So much had changed in such a short time that Howl himself couldn't believe it. And now he was free.
He felt like chains he never knew existed had fallen away and only after they had gone had he realised the burden of them.
Feeling like he had more energy, Howl pushed away his finished bowl and grab his bag, shuffling through he found what he was looking for.
It glowed an old navy colour and Howl rubbed his hand over the gem. It felt warm to touch, where all store gems warm? Howl didn't know.
Now how to open it? Howl checked all the sides of the gem, feeling the smoothness, till he noticed one side was rougher then the others. He pushed his thumb on the side the test its strength but instead it let off a bright light and the next thing Howl knew was there were books and scrolls everywhere.
Well that had been a little unexpected. Howl had thought that it would have been a lot harder to open then that. Maybe it just opened because Alvin was no longer alive? Howl didn't know for sure.
But look at all these books. He had a lot to go through. But at the moment bed looked better, and after shoving most of the books on Howl's small bed onto the floor, not very neatly mind you, Howl crawled into bed and went to sleep.
The next morning saw Howl reading through one of the many books. There was so much he didn't know and now had the opportunity to study as much as he wished.
Also he had figured out that to put an item back into the gem was as easy as pointing the gem on the item and concentrating and vola!
Thus Howl spent many days and weeks doing this. With little sleep or food, he became deadly thin. But Howl didn't care. The thirst for knowledge all but consuming him. But after getting through many of his Uncle books, Howl realised how much he didn't know. How much had been hidden from him. Like the one he was reading now "Daemon partnerships".
Of course over a long period of time and depending on what item the partnership was made on, the use would be consumed by the daemon if it was evil or turned into monster's themselves by using magic while connected to the daemon. But a lot of wizards who shape shifted often were already under this threat if they had no relations with others in the first place. And even then, depending on how the shape shifter changed and into what form they shifted. Even one's character could influence the chance of permanency.
It was all interconnected. Howl realised that now.
However to break to contract with a daemon normally meant the death of the daemon as daemons could not normally hold their life force here. It was a sad story indeed for the daemon. But of course, the book said, there were some exceptions.
Howl continued to read for days about shape shifting, black magic, white magic, magic imbuing, the ancient language and soon it was nearly time to return to the palace.
The night before Howl was to return, he went for a stroll around the lakes. Which he was very lucky for that night shooting stars were falling.
Howl didn't know what to do, to return or not. His Uncle had made it clear that if he didn't, then he would not disappoint him. And Howl had decided being free was much much better then being caged. Even when he was at the palace he was alone. No one liked him and all his class mates thought that he had gotten the position of Royal apprentice through favouritism. It was hard for them to believe that Howl might have deserved the position for all his study, because he refused to 'show' them his magic.
At least if he was alone by himself, then he could do what he wanted. At least he was free.
And then the light show started and Howl was the shooting stars. One landed right near him. And Howl couldn't help feel sorry for it as it dead. But then a large star fell and Howl suddenly realised it was going to land right on him.
Howl caught the star, it was warm to touch.
"Hey, you got to help me kid!"
Huh? "The star talked?" Howl was surprised.
"Do I look like a star to you? No don't answer that."
Now Howl was very surprised a star that said it was not a star.
"Look I'm a daemon. I can tell you got some magic in you, more then normal people. Let's make a deal".
"A deal?"
"Yeah, hears how it goes, you give me something of your's. And I do whatever you say".
"Would that mean you had to stay with me forever?" At that thought, Howl's breath got caught; maybe he wouldn't have to be alone.
"Yeah, that's what would happen".
The daemon light was getting smaller, "come on kid I don't have much time".
"Ok a deal but what do you want from me?"
"How about your heart? You don't need that to listen or see".
It seemed like a good idea to Howl. All his heart had done for him was given him pain.
"The heart sounds good to me".
"Ok kid, now u just got to swallow me so I can get to your heart".
Howl thought about it, there was no other way, so with that he picked up the daemon and put it into his mouth, it was warmer then before.
With one great swallow, Howl felt the daemon go down his throat.
Suddenly pain in his chest made Howl bend over in pain. He put his hand over his chest and as the pain got worse and then Howl felt nothing. He opened his hands to find his heart surrounded by the little daemon, which Howl noted was a fire daemon. But it didn't burn him.
"Howl! Calcifer!"
Howl turned to the voice, to see a young woman wearing a blue plain dress with starlight hair and brown eyes on the other side of the small lake he was standing across, but she was disappearing in front of his eyes.
"It's me Sophie!" over half her body was gone, disappearing into nothing.
"I know how to help you now. Look for me in the future!" With that she faded into nothing.
Howl couldn't forget her eyes.
"Was she real?" Howl couldn't help but ask, she had been so beautiful in his eyes. And no one had cared enough to talk to him with so much feeling in her voice.
"Of course she was, couldn't you feel the magic there?" The daemon, which the girl had called "Calcifer", asked.
How ignored his question, "Hmmm, is your name Calcifer?"
"Actually I never had a name before", the daemon thought about it.
"Well then what do you want to be called? I can't go around calling you daemon forever".
The daemon shrugged in his own way, "Calcifer is pretty cool, I think I'll go with that."
Howl just looked at him, "You only like it because it rhythms with Lucifer, the devil in Hell".
Calcifer shrugged, "Hey we got fire in common, nothing wrong with having names in common too".
Howl just ignored Calcifer. It was his way to deal with people and made his way back to the cottage, Calcifer in hand.
"Can't you fly or something? Aren't daemon's supposed to fly?" Howl queried.
"You try flying with a heart stuck inside you, ill probably go out in the breeze and then we are both dead".
That was the end of that conversation, Howl carried Calcifer into the Cottage, which he noticed Calcifer running his eyes the mess and the Books.
"Put me in the fire place, otherwise I might burn down this tiny house". Howl put him into the fire place, on top of the other fire burning there.
"I'm Hungry", Howl's response was to throw a piece of wood on him.
"Don't humans eat as well?"
Howl knew what he was saying. But food couldn't get rid of the image of the girl stuck in his head. He could see her again, calling out to him, telling him to find her.
Howl sighed then got up, grabbed the fry pan and went over to Calcifer.
"I'm going to cook, bend over Calcifer".
The fire daemon went a bit brighter as if to argue but the remembering the deal, bent over for Howl to cook.
Howl put in a slice of bacon and with a wave of his hand a sliced onion came flying over from somewhere on the table. Howl turned and grabbed an egg in a basket next to the fire, cracked it open and was about to throw the shell away.
"Hey! Don't throw that away, I'll eat that Howl", fire daemon's like scraps? Well it didn't matter to Howl, he gave to shell to Calcifer who devoured it with a smile on his face.
The second shell went to Calcifer too and after a short while Howl grabbed a plate and put the contents of the frying pan onto the plate. Howl Grabbed a knife and fork from the kitchenette and then moved a few books out of the way on the table and sat down to eat.
But as Howl started to eat, he realised something. He chewed the food in his mouth but… He couldn't taste the food… was this one of the setbacks of losing your heart? Howl swallowed but tasted nothing, oh he could smell it, but it felt like mush in his mouth.
Calcifer was watching Howl eat, "So do you have any family kid?"
Howl looked at the food for along time, "No, I have no one now."
"Eh, sorry for asking, just thought since we're stuck together till whenever, which is probably til we meet that girl but well, who knows when that is, that we should get to know each other".
Suddenly Howl ran to the fire, "You think that's what she meant? … I had thought something different". Suddenly as if realising he had said too much Howl withdrew into himself.
"Hey, hey kid, tell me what you thought she meant, we're a team now, you know?" Calcifer seemed to know, somehow, maybe because he had howl's heart. That Howl was not used to telling others about himself or his thoughts.
"Ah… well I thought, she was going to help me… not be alone anymore, that she…"
Calcifer knew then, Howl must of had such a lonely childhood.
"Ah kid" Calcifer did his best smile," You got me now and we are going to be together forever at this rate. You'll never be alone with me around. I'll make sure of that!"
AN: Tell me, should i continue?
Shanda.