It was so terribly dark that she couldn't see her own hands in front of her. She stumbled her way through the dark hall, tripping on her own feet, and falling to her knees on one misstep.

She let out a huff of frustration, she'd been trying to reach the end of the hall for what seemed like forever.

She sat down on her bottom, leaning against the wall. She stretched out her legs until they reached the other side of the wall. It was quite narrow, she remarked silently.

The darkness was consuming, she couldn't hear anything but her own small breath. The silence was unnerving. She wasn't a push over, or extremely cowardly, but Sophie Hatter had never liked the dark.

It was sort of like being suffocated, and she squeezed her eyes shut, this making no difference at all.

" Howl?" she squeaked out, wanting nothing more than to see his face.

" Howl," the voice sneered, breaking the silence. Sophie jumped. " Why are you thinking about him at a time like this? Can't you keep your mind off of him for one minute?"

Sophie squinted into the darkness, something was familiar about the voice, but she couldn't quite place it. Surprisingly, she wasn't that scared, only angry that someone was telling her what she should and shouldn't think.

Sophie hesitated, and the spoke, sounding a lot braver than she felt. " I may think about him whenever I wish!" she said back to the unknown, in a cold voice.

" Why, that pathetic excuse for a wizard? He's a coward!" the voice was challenging her, or perhaps the voice was simply mocking her.

" Who do you think you are talking about someone like that! If you insult him once more, I'll be forced to yell at you," she spat in the darkness.

" Why do you defend him? Are you in love with someone who cannot love in return?"

Sophie snorted, and old habit she'd developed when she was old. " You are behind the times my friend, Howl has a working heart, and I should know." Sophie only wished her old stick hadn't burned to ashes beating the Witch's fire demon that time seemingly so long ago. She would have rather fancied hitting whoever was speaking to her.

" Perhaps, but he hasn't changed much has he?" he voice sneered. " He's not interested in you! It's pity and guilt, that comes with his newly returned heart, that keeps him with you. Why, he probably courts any girl he can behind your back!" the voice got louder with every word, obviously trying to convince Sophie of something.

While the unknown voice was speaking, and during the silence that followed, there was a wretched feeling in her chest. Her own heart seemed to be going cold, and her mind was full of sudden doubt.

Through the silence, she shook her head. Then, she heard her own voice inside her head, but she could hear an undertone of the voice that was harassing her as well. It echoed inside her head, loudly and her heart seemed to beat slower and slower.

" He doesn't love you."

" He's never loved you."

" He's a coward, he will only pay heed to you when it's convenient to him."

" He won't stay with you."

" The happily ever after he promised was nothing but pretty words, lies. He does not care for you, Sophie Hatter."

On and on, a voice that she knew was not her own echoed in her head, burrowing firmer and firmer into her being. She felt as if her heart had stopped, and she feared it had for a excruciating moment. She couldn't even hear herself breathing.

But then, she surprised herself by whispering. Her body still felt cold, but she slowly regained her bearings and started speaking, not sure who the words were meant for.

" Howl is a coward," she started, almost in an inaudible whisper. " But that's what makes the times when he is brave all the more amazing." She breathed in deeply, and when she spoke again her voice was loud and confident, and it reverberated off all the walls.

" Howl has enough sense not to lie to me! I can tell when he does! When he promised me happily ever after, he meant it with all his heart. He will stay with me, forever. If Howl doesn't pay attention to me, one of his suits ends up in ruins! He does not court other woman, because I am his one and only," she stopped, and then a slightly amused tone crept into her voice, but still holding it's will and fierceness. " He doesn't even spend two hours in the bathroom anymore, in fact sometimes he forgets to fix himself up all together."

A smile made it's way to her face, and her voice calmed down, confident and dreamy now. " That, was the sign to confirm it all. I didn't need the hint though. Howl loves me, always has, and always will. And I, love him."

By now, a sudden warmth had spread in her chest, her heart was beating quite rapidly and the haunting voice left her mind almost at once. But whoever it was that was pestering her wasn't going away so easily.

When the voice spoke again it sounded weak and desperate.

" I hope you are preparing yourself, that wretched wizard could leave you any day and never come back, just as he's done so many other times!" the voice shouted, desperation seeping through every word.

Sophie was mad, she was fuming. " Who are you to talk this way? Do be quiet! I do not wish to talk to you any longer!!" she shouted.

" I am only speaking the truth, Sophie," the voice wailed. It seemed it was fighting with something, and was struggling to keep control now.

" You are not worth talking to! I love Howl, and nothing, nothing you can say is going to change that. Now, please. Leave. Me. Alone." Sophie said bitterly between gritted teeth.

" Howl doesn't love you!" the voice sounded frantic now, as if it were still fighting for control. " You should give up on him, leave him before he leaves you! Find someone else! Howl doesn't love you!" the voice was almost shouting, sounding desperate and scared.

" I thought I told you," Sophie said, her fists clenched and her mind set. " To leave me alone." Her voice calmed, an intensity setting about it. " Please, go away!" Sophie's voice was commanding and confident.

The voice let out a wail and then Sophie could hear it no longer. She smiled to herself.

" Damn this girl!" the wizard cursed under his breathe. He slowly walked to his Prince's chamber, dragging his feet in defeat. He gingerly knocked on the door.

" Come in," he heard the dull voice from inside.

" Prince Justin," the man bowed to his master.

" So?" the well-dressed young man inquired.

The wizard kept his eyes on the ground. " Thankfully the girl did not recognize me, even though she had met me once before. The good news is the transportation spell worked..." he hesitated. " I was not able to get through to her. At first I was able to break into her subconscious mind easily, but nothing I could say would sway her, my spells of memory loss were not working either. I could not even implant one tiny, lasting doubt into her mind. I could not penetrate the barriers of her heart either."

" You didn't try hard enough," the princely man replied even toned.

The wizard almost laughed at that. " I can assure you, I tried. I will have to sleep for three days straight to regain the power I spent trying to toy with that girl's mind. Believe me, Prince, I tried."

" But, you told me it was possible for you to do, that you'd done it before!" The usually well-carried man was frantic as his hope was being yanked from beneath his feet.

" Yes, I've done it before, but never have I encountered such an unwavering and strong will. This girl didn't succumb to my strongest form of magic, even when I attacked her subconscious while she slept. Do you even know how venerable a person's subconscious is while they are in deep sleep? I am afraid that to perform such magic and hatred-born spells on this girl would be impossible, even if I combined my powers with another's."

" But, you said-"

" Forgive me, Prince, but I am very aware of what I said. I know you wanted me to alter her heart so that you could marry her, but she is safe from my, or anyone else's magic if it involves corruption of the heart."

" Why? I thought you had mastered these sort of spells!"

" Master of spells or not, no magic is greater than that of true love."

Prince Justin was speechless. He stared at the acclaimed wizard standing before him, telling him there was nothing he could do. Telling him that there was nothing to be done.

" Forgive me for my failure Prince, I am gravely sorry. I must retire for the night now, for I am weary, and I will take my leave in three days without anticipation of payment."

" No! You must try again! Try again until she comes running into my arms! Try again!" Justin was desperate, a wild hysteria creeping into his eyes.

The wizard turned on his heels, smiling a wary smile. " My Prince, have you heard nothing I have just said? I cannot help you, and I can do no more." With that, the wizard walked away leaving the Prince to himself, with his scorn and hate.

Sophie opened her eyes to find Howl hovering over her, looking distraught.

" By heavens! Sophie!" he jumped up away from her and started pacing the room. " Are you okay? Argh! I was such a fool!" he groaned.

" Howl!" Calcifer cackled from the hearth. " Enough pacing! I've had enough of your forsaken pacing!" he said irritably.

Sophie took her first good look at Howl. His eyes were bloodshot and red rimmed and his hair was sticking out all over the place. His clothes were scruffy and looked as he'd been wearing them all night.

Sophie looked skeptical. " Are you okay?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

He nodded his head, to dismiss the notion. " I'm sorry Sophie, someone put a spell on you while you were visiting Martha and it was a while before I suspected anything!" he groaned again, still pacing furiously.

Calcifer laughed. " After you didn't come back and Martha didn't know where you were Howl thought you'd left for good and went and got himself drunk! You should have seen him, it was like the world was ending!"

Sophie thought this was sweet, and she smiled as Howl looked mildly embarrassed and annoyed by what Calcifer had told her.

" If I wasn't at Matha's, then where was I?" she asked, remembering visiting with Martha, but nothing else.

" I found you in the flower field, completely unconscious. I was really worried, it was strong magic and I'm glad I was able to break the spell. Luckily though, it seemed you were putting up quite a fight. Otherwise," he looked suddenly angry. " That damn fool would have altered your mind and heart! The nerve!" he near shouted.

" I do remember being in a darkened hallway, and a queer voice speaking to me," Sophie thought aloud.

" That would be the spell," Howl sighed. " If I ever catch the fool who did this..." he trailed off.

" Oh I'm so glad you're okay!" Howl stopped pacing and rushed over to Sophie and embraced her tightly. Sophie hugged him back. If she were anything like Fanny she would have burst into tears and wailed. But, Sophie wasn't much like Fanny. So she cried with joy on the inside and buried her head in his shoulder.

After they separated, Howl still feeling a mixture of guilt and relief he asked. " What did the voice talk yo you about, by chance?"

" You," she replied. " It was trying to convince me of all sorts of ridiculous things!" Now, it was her turn to get angry.

" Really?" he asked curiously and airily. " What did you tell it?"

" I told it to bugger off and leave me well alone!"

Howl laughed. " That's my Sophie!"

Calcifer made some remark about Howl being unable to function without Sophie, mumbling about how much he depended on her to do something as simple as smile.

" I suppose this isn't your idea of living happily ever after?" Howl asked sadly.

" You silly man. Happily ever after is so cliche. I am quite happy just living with you until the ending of ever after."

" Hmmm, how poetic Sophie." Next thing she knew Howl was kissing her tenderly on the lips and she lost herself in that kiss.

Later that night Calcifer explained more in detail about what had happened, Howl was upstairs sleeping, and it took all Sophie had not to join him in that comfy worn bed.

" He was in one of those green slime moods, he got angry at everything and everyone and he got drunk. Of course, the next day, after his hang over, he started looking for you. Howl wasn't quite convinced that you'd leave so suddenly, and, I think he was just desperate. I've never seen him so moody before, and that's saying something."

Calcifer went on to say that Howl's mood was indeed touchy while she was away. He dragged his feet and hardly spoke a word. The fire demon mentioned his eyes, which Howl said felt heavy. They were red and puffy for a long time, from what, Calcifer didn't know, or rather, didn't want to think about. He told Sophie that men weren't suppose to cry, but then he tried to excuse Howl, or comfort himself by saying Howl really hadn't gotten a lot of sleep...

" How long was I gone?"

" Well, you were suppose to be visiting Martha for three days, but after five days and your continued absence, Howl began to worry. You were gone for about two weeks. At first he thought you'd left for good, and he depressed himself. He'd tried locating spells to find you, but none of them worked. It finally dawned on him that you were under some sort of spell, strong magic that could block his own. Although, the spell you were on didn't last long when Howl got serious."

" Wow," was all Sophie could mumble. Of course, she didn't think she was away that long, even though she couldn't remember much. But still, hearing how much Howl was worried was about the dearest thing in the world.

" I wouldn't want to be the sucker who cast the spell on you, if Howl ever found him...it wouldn't be pretty."

" Calcifer, what if Howl and I were to start a family?"

" I'd run for my dear life." The fire demon's eyes suddenly went wide. " You're not...are you?"

Sophie laughed. " No, don't worry. It was just a thought, a nice one at that."

" Oh, Lord, don't talk like that in front of me!" he shrieked, hiding under his logs.

Sophie laughed even harder. " Good night Calicifer."

She stood up, walking up the stairs that led to Howl's bedroom. She opened the door quietly and slipped in. The room was dark and Howl was snoring slightly.

Sophie stubbed her toe and almost tripped over something, but she finally made it to the bed, where she immediately collapsed.

She curled up to Howl, who moaned, ( Sophie had become quite fond of his half-awake moans) and then she closed her eyes.

" Goodnight Howl," she uttered softly.

Before sleep claimed her, she heard a very sleepy "ight Ophie."

Oh yes, living to the end of ever after would be nothing short of happy.

Aha. Cheezy? Rushed? Pointless? Following more of the book story line and characteristics than the movie. Um. My tribute to the wonderful book and movie. Howl and Sophie are just too cute!

Mucho love!!