Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews and thank you beckythorn 13. This chapter wraps up Chapter 1. Hopefully you all will understand what's going on.
Chapter 4: In Which Sophie was Warned and Cursed.
"It's me. It's me……" echoed the little voice.
"I know. Where are you?" cried Sophie.
Sophie isn't sure she should trust whatever it is, but its voice is sweet and trusting. But she knew she mustn't be deceived, she could feel something is after her. She isn't going to let her guard down this time.
"I'm here, with you……," echoed the voice. "I'm here, I'm there. I'm everywhere wherever you want me to be……."
Sophie turned her head left and right, but she can't see anyone or any other living creature. She heard the same chiming again and began to feel that this is a joke of some sort.
"Can you be a bit more pacific?" cried Sophie, who is getting annoyed. "I can't understand a bit of what you're talking about!"
"I apologize, apologize……." It echoed. "I'm here, behind you……."
Sophie turned her back to the berry bush. There from the behind the bush, she gasped saw the oddest thing ever, a floating ball of light hidden in the darkness. The ball light lit a bit of the darkness from behind. Sophie could see it's damp and trees crowd there, with some sort of fungus growing on them. Sophie was disgusted with that scene. If this was Howl's bathroom, it would take me forever to clean it, she thought.
"I'm here, you are looking at me……as I said you will, as she said I will……" said the ball of light.
"What are you? Why are you here?" cried Sophie.
"My name is Silverlight, for my light is silver."said Silverlight.
"How do you know my name?" asked Sophie.
"She told me, she knows, knows all……"said Silverlight.
"Who is she?" asked Sophie, who is beginning to be a little nosy again.
"One is not here to give out private information, but to warn you, Sophie Hatter……" said Silverlight
"Warn me? Whatever for?" asked Sophie.
"I'm sent here, to warn you of the grave disaster that will soon fall upon Ingary……." Silverlight said.
"What disaster in Ingary?" Sophie said.
"The world is changing as we know it, but all this has something to do with you, Sophie," said Silverlight.
"Me? Is this some sort of dream?" Sophie asked.
"No, I wish it was too. This is all too real, this conversation, this world, even you and me…… " said Silverlight "Don't let your gift be taken. It's the final ingredient"
"My gift to talk things to life? It's fading away now, I'm losing it……" Sophie said sadly.
"Oh no, it's there, I see it. It's always there and always will be," said Silverlight.
Sophie wondered if this is true. It doesn't work when she commanded the wind to stop. But after much thought, that might not be just any normal wind.
"You must remember Sophie Hatter. True strength must come from deep inside; Determination must be from within; the will to believe in yourself is in your determination; Hope is a glimmer away and true love will then find you……" said Silverlight.
"You're not making any sense!" cried Sophie.
"Watch out for the evil one," said Silverlight. "She is looking for……She's here!" shrieked Silverlight.
"Who?" asked Sophie.
"The evil sorceress," replied Silverlight.
The leaves on the ground began shifting towards Sophie. Sophie backed away hoping that nasty wind isn't coming back.
"Quick! Follow me and run when there is still time!" cried Silverlight.
The little ball of light flew to the left. Sophie could see it flying away from behind the trees shining brightly like a little laturn. She picked herself up and began chasing after Silverlight. The leaves react fast, and began flowing after Sophie too, gathering up more leaves at the same time. Again, the wind picked up the leaves, giving them more speed to chase after Sophie.
Sophie was getting tired of being chased by leaves and wind, she is thankful for that unicorn's healing waters or else she wouldn't have made it this far.
"Wind and leaves! STOP IT! Stop chasing me!" shouted Sophie.
But it failed again, the wind became faster. Whoever that evil sorceress is, she must have been controlling it, she thought.
"Sophie!"
Sophie knew its Silverlight's voice. She looked to her left and saw Silverlight just behind the trees, flying as fast as it could.
"Sophie, remember you are the final ingredient, don't let her stop you!" cried Silverlight.
"Enough about me being an ingredient already, you are still not making any sense!" panted Sophie.
The two of them tried to escape the magic that is chasing after them. Sophie tried using a few spells she learned but it doesn't seem to have any effect. There is no choice but to keep on running.
"Could you do something?" cried Sophie.
"The evil sorceress's magic is beyond my limits!" cried Silverlight. "I'm nothing more than a mere beginner in magic in my world."
"Well, so am I!" panted Sophie. "Can't you at least try?"
"I shall then!" cried Silverlight.
Silverlight turned back and flew swiftly towards the raging wind. It screamed a few words, unlike any language Sophie has ever heard of. Suddenly, a bluish transparent shield began to rise from the little ball of light. Sophie was amazed, to think that whatever could do magic like that was called a beginner, she thought.
The wind closed in to Silverlight. But then, the leaves the wind carried just went through the shield. Sophie could see Silverlight is no match for the magic it's facing. Silverlight lost its comtrol and is blasted away into the trees.
"Silverlight!" shouted Sophie. Even though Sophie doesn't know much about Silverlight, but she doesn't want that little thing to get hurt, it doesn't deserve it after all.
"Sophie!"
Sophie turned to her left again and saw Silverlight. For a little thing like it, it could be quick, Sophie thought.
"I'm sorry! I can't do it, she eats the magic I used on her!" cried Silverlight. "The evil sorceress is getting stronger than ever!"
"Well, we can't fight it we'll have to escape from it!" panted Sophie.
"I don't think we can! Look behind you!" cried Silverlight.
Sophie look back over her shoulders, the wind has changed its form, she could see whenever the trees touched it, and they are all sucked into it.
"Well, if we can't fight it, we'll have to escape from it," panted Sophie.
"There is nothing we could do! We can't escape!" cried Silverlight.
"Now what happen to that quote you had about 'Hope'?" panted Sophie.
"I……Ah!" shrieked Silverlight.
It was such a high pinched shrieked that Sophie cover her ears. When she looked back to see if Silverlight was okay, it's gone.
"Silverlight!" shouted Sophie.
"Run Sophie, don't care about me!" echoed Silverlight.
"I'm not leaving you!" cried Sophie.
Sophie could feel the wind behind her back. It's gaining on her fast. She is so confused of what's going on. Nothing is making any sense. It all seems now is juat keep on running and hope for the best.
"Remember, Sophie!" Silverlight echoed. "AH!"
Sophie kept on running. I could try to raise a wind, she thought. But I can't get it right……But it's worth a try!
Sophie raised a wind, hopefully it will be successful, and unlike the last time she tried it. She felt the wind leaped up, whistling. She could see the grass beneath moved quickly. Then, she wasn't running any more. The wind blew her red gold hair and the wind drums her ears. It was a nice feeling that she succeeded this spell for once. She looks back over her shoulders and could see that the wind it isn't catching up with her anymore.
She was relieved, but suddenly, her spell stopped. Sophie lost control and fell on the ground. She got up on her back, she felt humiliated. Sophie could had sworn she got the spell right, whoever that evil sorceress is, she must have somehow disable my spell somehow, thought Sophie.
Sophie looked around, she was surrounded by trees. There is only a wide space nothing more, there is no way out, she's trapped.
"Oh, confound it! I stumbled into a trap," said Sophie. "There has to be a way out!"
"Sophie……" echoed a little voice.
"Silverlight? Is it you? Help me get out of here!" cried Sophie.
"Yes, it's me Silverlight, whose light is silver. There is no way out Sophie, you're trapped" echoed the voice.
"No way out? Where are you? Come out and at least try to help me out of here!" screamed Sophie.
"I'm afraid I can't do that Sophie……" echoed the voice.
"What? You're not Silverlight!" shouted Sophie.
Sophie hated to be deceived or tricked, and being betrayed by a little ball of light is just too much.
"Show yourself! I'll give you a piece of my mind!" shouted Sophie.
"I'm here, I'm there, I'm everywhere. You can't escape me Sophie……you can't……"echoed the voice.
The same words kept on repeating in Sophie's mind. Sophie tried searching for a weak spot around the trees, but it's really hard to concentrate with all those words repeating in her head. She couldn't take it anymore; she can't let this madness get the best of her.
"Be Quiet Already!" screamed Sophie. "I've had enough of this! You don't expect me to go on with this madness, do you?"
"Oh……I think you will. You're trapped like a mouse, a little grey mouse……" echoed the voice.
"Ugh! Why are you doing this?" asked Sophie.
"I'll tell you, look here, look there, I'm behind you right here……" echoed the voice.
Sophie turned around, she gasped. Right in front of her stood a slender and tall woman. The woman wore a black dress with a few twinkling diamonds on it and she had long black hair to match with it. She held a grimly looking staff with her and a raven, perched on the shoulder. Sophie couldn't believe who she was looking at, The Witch of the Waste.
"My name is Silverlight, for my light is silver," said the Witch in Silverlight's sweet voice.
"You tricked me again," said Sophie as she glared at the Witch, she is so annoyed with her. "You pretended to be Silverlight to trap me didn't you?"
"Huh! You are gullible sometimes Miss Hatter. There is a Silverlight before I grabbed her away just now. Intelligent little thing, it warned you before I can get my hands on it," said the Witch.
"You were dead! I could have sworn you were!" Sophie screamed.
"Little do you know Miss Hatter, I have ways in dealing with death. You see, even with my body destroyed, my spirit still lives then I found a way to regain my body back. Amazing, don't you think? Cheating death, life is just so fragile," said the Witch.
"What do you want?" asked Sophie sternly. She is neither afraid of the Witch nor even a bit scared, she isn't afraid if she turns her into an old woman again.
"You know very well what I want, Miss Hatter. Revenge," said the Witch. "It's really a pity you didn't bring Howl with you. It will be a much more interesting reunion," said the Witch.
"You better leave us alone! That goes for my family!" cried Sophie.
"I have nothing to do with your pathetic family. I can do whatever I want with them soon anyway," said the Witch. "I guess I couldn't mess with your little love life, couldn't I?
Sophie blushed, hoping that the Witch wouldn't notice. Sophie felt the need, urging to get back at her.
"I'll be surprised if you could do anything with your fake body, that old walking stick and that roasted chicken of yours!" cried Sophie. For some reason, she felt good after saying that, but she knew she shouldn't and the Witch is going to have to deal with her.
The raven crowed angrily at her and the Witch stared at her. "You are foolish Miss Hatter. Isn't it too much of a risk to insult magic that is beyond your dreams?"
"I shouldn't think so, if it's your Hocus-Pocus!" cried Sophie.
The Witch bit her lips, she had never been this insulted, and she pointed at Sophie and said "Miss Hatter for the next few days, I will be back. And you better be prepare by then!"
The Witch swayed her hands around Sophie's face. Sophie backed, knowing that she might be turned into an old woman again. She began to feel dizzy, her vision blurred, everything turned black. The last thing she heard was the Witch's sinister laugh.
The Witch smirked when she saw Sophie fainted. She held up her staff, Elfarium. By slashing midair with its tip, she opened a portal.
"Sweet dreams, Miss Hatter. While it last," the Witch said grimly.
By Celtic Angora
Author's Note: Now the action can finally start. Phew! Please review and for those who did, thank you ever so much for the reviews again. Hopefully, this chapter is good. Next chapter may be up soon.