Disclaimer: I don't own Howl's moving castle and if I did I woudn't be wasting time writing this. I would be at the book store spending all the cash I got for the movie
Warning: I wrote this story…
Calcifer sat happily on the hearth in the new castle the Howl had made. Sophie was off shopping and Markl was working on his magic. Just a normal day for this little fire demon. He took another bite from his wood watching as Markl began writing some symbols on the wood floor. Calcifer had long found out it was a bad idea to distract this young wizard when he was practicing so Calcifer sat relatively quiet only a few sparks here and there when he hit a damp place on the wood. He was driving the castle along a difficult ridge so he was plenty busy. Calcifer had been keeping track of the direction Howl wanted him to travel when Markl said, "All ready!" Calicfer jumped just a little, and placed most of his attention back at Markl. The markings on the floor looked similar to the ones Howl used when he moved. Califer flickered uneasily when Markl gave him a strange look.
"What are you planning?" Calicfer asked a little worried at the moment.
"I am working on a spell I found earlier today." His excitement showed clearly on his face. His young eyes where sparkling. "You know when Howl gave you his heart, right? Well this is similar." Markl jumped with excitement.
"I won't be a part of it!" Calcifer said. Markl should know by now he only listened to Howl and Sophie.
"I wasn't planning on it, but I could." Markl said stubbornly, he grabbed an old spell book, which was falling apart. Calcifer sighed and sat back, it couldn't be that bad, I mean Markl isn't strong enough for Howl's spells. A few moments latter a soft knock on the door made Markl jump. Calcifer watched as he laughed at himself and opened the door. Since it had been a few years since they had met Sophie, Markl wasn't the little boy he had been. He was a teenager now, but that only had to do with him being able to open the door without a disguise. At the door was a girl about the same age as Markl. Her name was Twilight. She had pure black hair, deep blue eyes, fair white skin, and was Howl's apprentice. She had a knack for magic and had the power to back up any spell she wove. Her voice was soft and sweet, and she had a comforting laugh. She seemed to brighten up the room, even though she always wore dark clothes. Unlike Markl who was still wearing similar clothes to the ones he had when they first met Sophie, Twilight wore colors that suited her personality. The colors that her clothes usually where a dark blue, purple, and or black. She always wore a cloak that had a hood and black skintight boots. She wore the boats to make it easier for her to shape shift. Howl had found her one-day in the form of a fox by the lake. She had a large puddle of blood spreading from a wound in the chest. Her past was still unknown; she didn't even talk about it to Sophie who was more like a mother to the poor girl then anything. Calcifer shook himself from the past and watched as she leaned over the marks and began to change some of the marks.
"There it should work now." Twilight said with a small smile on her lips, she only had a brief idea what this spell would do but it didn't look like Howl would be mad if it went wrong. She hopped up on the kitchen table to get out of the way and warped her cloak around her a little tighter,
"Ready?" She asked.
"Yes, here we go!" Markl stepped into the middle of the markings a smile held on his lips. He couldn't do this spell in his head, and he wasn't strong enough to do the spell like Howl would have so it left him no choice but to say it out loud. "From the dark I call, from the light I stand. We shall remain separate yet together we shall walk. From the words I say to the power I hold I tell you to listen and do as I say." Just like the book had said all the light in the room went out, even Calcifer's flames darkened. Calcifer sat uncomfortably on the hearth wishing he could see a little better, he wasn't worried about the dark room what worried him where Markl's words. Markl's words filled the dark room once more, "I wish not to harm, I wish not to kill, and I wish to have you by my side." The spell was supposed to summon a harmless demon that could see the shadow world and Markl was really excited. "I want to glimpse the world unseen, the world that hides my other side." The room spun. The spell book hadn't said anything like this would happen. Markl held down a scream, and hoped that Twilight didn't know he was scarred. Then it stopped, it all stopped. Markl looked around noticing that everything looked the same. There wasn't any difference in the room. Twilight hopped down from the table.
"Wow, that was neat! What did you see? All I saw was a dark portal around you and would all of a sudden spark blue flames! The room went pitch black after you started the spell. I hope it worked!" Markl didn't say anything; he was still tying to figure out what went wrong. He also didn't want Twilight to know he did something wrong. "Is something wrong?" Markl jumped at her words. He knew she couldn't mind read, but she was good at judging moods. Markl didn't answer he was still looking around the room. That's when he noticed Calcifer was gone. The hearth was empty. Markl ran towards the hearth with Twilight on his heels.
"Calcifer!" Markl yelled, "Calcifer?" His voice cracked the second time. Markl had been fond of the fire demon. Twilight who by now had noticed Calcifer was gone whispered.
"We shall remain separate yet together we shall walk." Her voice was small. It fell on his shoulders like a feather then began to gain weight. The spell had gone wrong. Really wrong. He had sent Calcifer to the shadows.
"Calcifer answer me!" Markl yelled desperate to hear the fire's crackly tone rise from the hearth, but nothing happened. Twilight stood still, rock still. Markl could feel her gathering her power. He glanced down into her palm to see she held it out flat. He could feel her magic tugging gently at his, but he knew better then to allow his magic to enter one of Twilights spells.
"From the words I say to the power I hold I tell you to listen and do as I say!" Her voice shook the house. This wasn't a pleasant feeling. Markl felt the power explode through his veins, he watched as her magic searched the castle. Markl knew she was taking his place in the spell, and he knew the spell would listen to her. "Bring me Calcifer!" Her voice sounded cold as she concentrated on the spell. A blue circle appeared, on the symbols of white calk. The blue spun making the symbols move, the circle of blue light then became a wall around the spot where the wizard should have been. Then a white light flashed, blinding Markl and Twilight. Then in the spot where Markl had once stood was a boy around his age. "Calcifer." Twilight said, her tone soft once more.
"What did you do?" The boy yelled, his face was flush with anger, "I didn't bother you during the spell. Yet I am the one that's changed!" The voice sounded too alike Calcifer's to be just another person with the same name. "How am I going to drive the castle like this? Its just luck it hasn't fallen apart like the last one! Look at me! I am a human!" His anger grew until there was fire encasing his body.
"Calcifer." Twilight called gently, her soft tone calming Calcifer's rage.
"Twilight, what happened?" Calcifer was scarred, it was hard for Calcifer to admit it to himself, but he had to. He was in the wrong body!
"Calcifer, you can see the shadows can't you?" Twilight said as a question but everyone in that room knew it was a question it was a statement.
"Yes, but what does that have to do with anything?" Calcifer said. His anger was sparking once more.
"I want to glimpse the world unseen, the world that hides my other side, was a line in the spell. Since you couldn't give Markl your eyes, and you couldn't have his body this happened. It was because Markl wasn't strong enough to call a demon from the shadows, I should have known better. Markl might have the magic, but he can't access it yet." Twilight said her eyes where down cast, "I thought this wouldn't require much experience and will power. Markl didn't really know what was going to happen and sad to say I didn't either." Twilight closed her mouth. She was shivering in fright.
"Don't worry I am sure Howl can fix this!" Calcifer said happily hoping to bring Twilight back to her normal happy mood. His words earned him a small smile from Twilight. Markl on the other hand was shaking.
"No! Don't tell Howl I can fix it! I can, I know I can! All I have to do is undo what I did!" Markl said as his shaking slowed then stopped and hope shone in his eyes brightly.
"You have to know what you did wrong first." Twilight said, wishing Markl would just agree with her and get help from Howl. Her words earned her a frown from both the demon in the human body and from the young wizard. "Well you do." Twilight said, not willing to show her embarrassment.
"I am back!" Sophie's voice filled the silence Twilight's words had created. They heard her coming up the steps; luckily you couldn't see the hearth from the front door. The young group was also far enough away they could whisper without her over hearing.
"Now what?" Twilight asked in a soft whisper she was afraid and the other two could see it in her eyes.
"I don't know." Markl said sadly, "They are going to be so mad at me." Markl said he was close to tears, but he could hold them back at least long enough so Twilight wouldn't be able to see.
"Markl? Who are you talking too?" Sophie asked as she walked into the room. She looked at Calcifer and gasped, she had been around wizards long enough to notice who she was really looking at, "Calcifer?"
"Yes that is Calcifer." Twilight said a sigh escaped her lips, she knew Sophie could calm down Howl to a point where there wouldn't be any yelling. She shook her head at the thought Howl would probably just laugh and comment on the spell Calcifer was under. Right then almost as if to answer her thoughts Howl's laughter echoed throughout the castle.
"Calcifer, you are moving the castle differently!" Markl stiffened, Calcifer gave a relived sigh, and Sophie joined in laughing. Howl came into the room and gave another chuckle. "Like the new look Calcifer. Looks like some magic went on here while I was gone. Twilight?" Howl asked.
"We wanted to speak to a demon from the shadows, and she our other sides. We didn't take into account the demons that could see the shadows from this world. Calcifer just got hit by the after affects of the spell."
"How did he get back here? The spell your talking about would have sent him to the shadows as well."
"I brought him back." Twilight answered.
"Markl?" Howl asked happily. Markl stiffened a little more.
"I cast the spell."
"Then undo it!" Howl said.
"I don't know how, Howl?" Markl asked uncertainly.
"You two are the ones who cast the spell, I can't do anything. My magic won't let me interfere with your spell. At least not until you have completed it." Markl sighed, he wasn't sure if it was of relief or disappointment.
"How do I finish the spell?" Markl asked expectantly.
"Not sure, how about as my two apprentices you figure it out. Call it homework for tonight!" Howl said happily as he left the room.
"Good luck you two!" Sophie said encouragingly then followed Howl out of the room.
"Well?" Calcifer asked hoping they knew what they where doing.
"Markl?" Markl gave Twilight a nod. She took his hand and they both closed their eyes. Almost like they had prepared the spell it fell from both of their lips.
"This was wrong, take it back. Give us what we had. This demon wants his flames back, and his unquenchable hunger for wood. We want not to ruin another life; we want not to hurt again. Switch the bodies back, do what we tell you. With our power, with our will, and with our words. Together again shall we be." The spell warped around them once again. This time the air around them grew cold. Twilight and Markl's breath was visible. Calcifer was circled in flames. The flames where bright blue warming the air. Then it stopped again. They looked at each other and blushed. Twilight and Markl took their hands back and looked at the hearth. Sure enough Calcifer was fine sitting back on the hearth.
"That was an adventure don't you think?" Calcifer said, his crackly voice feeling the room again.
"Yes it was." Twilight said a smile on her lips once again.
"Yeah, I guess we won't be doing that again." Markl said a little disappointed in how everything had turned out.
"Are you crazy? We just began!" Twilight said. Howl came back into the room.
"The red door, there's some customers that want a wizard to find their lost demon in the Shadows." Howl began, "And I assign you with the job." He then went over to the front door turned the knob to the red and opened the door, "Have fun!" Twilight and Markl gave each other sideways glances then trudged through the open door.
"Here we go." Markl said. Howl tossed something to them.
"He will help you look." Howl said then closed the door behind them. They looked down into Twilights palm to see a blue flamed demon.
"Please don't tell me its Calcifer." Markl said in dismay. Twilight shook her head.
"No my name is Blue gate." Said the little blue glob of a fire demon responded from Twilights hand.
"Were did you come from?" Twilight asked.
"I was summoned." Blue gate said, then turned and faced Markl, "By you."
Well I hope you enjoyed it. This is my second story and it may be a one shot. Maybe not. If you liked this story and like Inuyasha please check out Kagome's Shadow. Thank you again. Oh and I really do like reviews!