Chapter 2: Hello all! I am sorry I have not updated! But since Mr. common cold visited me today, I have to stay home! So here it is. Sorry it is short, I am working on a bigger prject.But I pinky promise the next chapter will be chock full of beastyness!

For those of you who favorited/story alerted/reviewed my story, I would like you to pretend I showed up at your door and gave you an I-love-you-so-so-much glomp!

But onto my story! Remember, reviews are love!

Disclaimer: I do not own Howl's Moving Castle. So you better not sue me, got it?

EDIT 2-11-12: Here we go. Added more details, cleaned up some things, changed a couple others, got rid of that bloody author's note that broke the story.

After my bath, I went upstairs to bed. I was very tired from the day's events, and frankly, even a good wizard such as I needed his rest. I had always loved my bedroom. Most people, upon seeing the blinking eyes and orbs around my room, became either repulsed or confused. Or both.

Then again, seeing as most people included Markl, one girl long ago, and the wizard that had helped me build this marvelous castle, I suppose this is not an adequate summary of all people. What they didn't know was that each one was a tool. Some helped me keep a watch on my castle, some warned me of danger, and others were just for my enjoyment. (For example, there were two stuffed cows from my childhood on the bed called Benny and Waldo.) I plopped onto my bed, exhausted. The magic I had used today had taken a lot out of me. But I least I hadn't needed to fight those blob men head on. Closing my eyes, I got some much needed rest.

Unfortunately for me, rest always meant nightmares.

A burning city lay below me as I flew.

The other country's bombs had severely diminished the small town. I could hear people screaming for help. A raging fury was ravaging its way through me. The "people" if they could be called that, which had done this were no more than the lowest monsters. The bane of the Earth. I would destroy them. I would take revenge on them for the people who could not. But for now, I would help. I would heal. I landed in a not too far off field and transformed back into a human, prepared to do whatever I could to help. It wasn't until I got to the border of the city that I realized the screaming had stopped.

Running through the city, I examined the destruction. It was only when I got to the town square that I saw how horrific the scene really was. "Dear God." I whispered. For there, piled under the rubble that was the town where thousands of people, all destroyed by two country's bloodthirstiness, by a petty fight among kings.

Suddenly, the small girl from the parade earlier today ran through the square. Her face was marked by terrible burns, and as I stumbled forward to help her, she disappeared. All went black around me and I heard a maniacal laugh that was all too familiar. Suddenly, something attacked me from behind and in a burst of pain, I fell to the ground.

"No!" I yelled as I sprung upright. It was night now, and I could hear it raining horrendously outside. A great clash of thunder sounded, and I slowly sank back against my mattress. If I had my heart, it would be crashing against my chest. "What a horrible nightmare." I muttered, already halfway back asleep.

I was in my Raven form in the Otherworld. The Otherworld is the place the black door leads. It is a portal. A road. Another world. A healing place. A fighting place.

My greatest hell.

My place of resting.

My Otherworld.

To make up for me not having a heart, I have done my best to help end the war. I fight neither for Ingary nor against it. I simply fight. Both sides were at fault here. The Otherworld takes me where I am needed the most. A few years back, it might just have been a small trifle, such as a fire or a robbery. Simple matters, easily taken care of. Nowadays though, I am always at the scene of battles. The dream I just had was nothing compared to the horrors I see every day.

Looking down below, I squinted to see what the trouble was. Down below, I could see a young woman standing in a grassy field all alone, just outside the city that had been in my previous dream. She sank to her knees and put her head in her hands. As I moved closer, I recognized somebody I had known almost my whole life.

Starlight silver hair down to her shoulders, wearing a blue dress, with the brownest eyes I had ever seen. "Hello Sophie." I murmured quietly, sitting down beside her. She didn't speak. She rarely did when she made appearances in my dreams. Her head bolted up, and she smiled sadly at me. I could still see the tear tracks down her face. "Hello Howl." she mouthed. I flopped down on my back, closing my eyes. I felt a hand rest on my shoulder. I opened my eyes, and blue met brown. "Are you okay?" she mouthed. "No." I said. A bitter grin laced my face. "Am I ever?"

She put her hand on my arm and squeezed reassuringly. I leaned my head against her hand, and close my eyes. Opening them, I saw that she was smiling softly at me. "When am I going to find you like you told me to?" She threw back her head in a silent laugh. She put her hand on my forehead, and I had an image of the girl I had helped earlier at the festival. "Soon" she said, finally using her pretty voice. "Sooner than you think."

Opening my eyes, I sighed and slowly got out of bed. I was glad that I had ended my sleep with Sophie. Even though I had not really met her yet, she always made me smile. I was surprised she had used her voice. Once, when I asked her why she didn't speak a lot, she replied that it tired her, since I had only heard her voice for a few moments and didn't really know what it truly sounded like.

The day that would be burned in my mind forever. The day I gave my heart away.

Getting dressed, I proceeded to walk down the long wooden stairs that led to the common room. "Good morning Calcifer." I muttered, though I knew my friend was still asleep and probably had not even heard me. I stepped out into the morning air, prepared to find the girl from yesterday.