Vixen: Part Three

It had been three days since Ivy had come to stay in the Moving Castle. But as the fox gently padded across the floor and jumped onto the stone hearth, it felt like she'd been there for an eternity. In the short span of 3 mere days, the young woman had grown accustomed to life in the Castle, as well as the Wizard and Fire Demon that lived there. Though she had been unable to speak her thoughts aloud, Howl and Calcifer seemed to understand basics and had made her feel completely welcome.

Calcifer would jabber incessantly to her about all sorts of things, while she sat beside him. He'd even complimented the fiery color of her fur on one occasion, which had made Ivy bashfully hide her nose beneath her paws. And Howl had done his best to make her feel at ease, having gone to the trouble of creating her a bed of pure silk and a pillow ten-times bigger than her body. He had also magicked a dish for her that filled with food and water automatically, so she never had to go without. Or bring herself to beg, seeing as she was a human and not a pet.

Ivy was unhappy in her animal state, but she had to admit that being pampered so nicely was a wonderful change. Before she'd been a fox, she had been worked to the bone. But now, she felt as if she were royalty. At times it almost seemed like it was all a dream. . . But she had yet to waken, so she found herself playing a full part in the tale as it unfolded. Where she had been unsure of the handsome Sorcerer and the snarky little fire, she now trusted them fully. They cared enough to tend to her needs, and had been nothing but sincere. It was more than she had been given in years, and she would always be grateful to them for their efforts. Whether they could break her curse or not, she would always hold them in a special regard.

Currently, Ivy sat patiently beside Calcifer on the hearth-side, her tail wagging absently. As the fluff flitted nearer to the demon he blew a raspberry at her.

"Watch it, Vixen. Last thing I need is a mouth full of fur!"

Ivy rolled her golden eyes, as she playfully swatted a paw in his direction. When she had first arrived, Calcifer's blunt manner had scared her a bit. But now she was familiar with his jabs and was more than able to recover and keep up with his moods.

Calcifer instantly mimicked her motion with a wave of his own fiery hand, erupting with a loud snort, just as the Castle door swung wide. Both fox and demon turned to watch Howl as he strolled up the steps and joined them. The wizard shrugged off his colorful jacket onto the table, before pulling up a chair beside the fireplace. He sat before them for a long moment, with shining sapphire eyes. He had gone to recover the last ingredient they would need, and by the pleased expression he wore, Ivy guessed he had been successful in his endeavor.

"Calcifer. Vixen," he greeted peaceably. "Please forgive my absence. The pure balgre was harder to find then I had believed."

"Yeah, yeah. But you got it right," Calcifer interrupted impatiently.

Howl nodded once, letting his long hair gracefully fall about his angular face. "I did."

Ivy yipped happily at his admission. Howl had spent the last handful of days researching and gathering items to break her curse. After the first 500 pecks, she would have to take a potion to ease into the transition, so she would be completely human when her curse was broken. That and after more reading, it had been discovered that the kisses didn't in fact have to be split up into 1,000 days. If Howl was willing, they could break her curse that very day. . . But the young woman doubted that she'd be able to handle so many kisses all at once. And if she did turn back after a single day, she'd never be able to look him in the eye afterward.

Howl reached out with a gentle ringed forefinger and thumb to catch Ivy 's chin. As she met his gaze, his eyes visibly softened. Even after all the attention he'd given her, she found that he still had the ability to make her melt. . . Though she'd never tell him as much.

"Before we begin our venture, I have a gift for you," Howl offered.

A gift? Ivy studied him curiously as he pulled out a small herb from his pants pocket and proffered it to her. It was a deep shade of purple, with strange crimson veins running down the length of the leaves. It was an odd looking plant, to say the least. . . and it obviously wasn't any of the ingredients Howl had showed her pictures of, that would help break her curse. . .

Howl watched her reaction before he moved to explain. "I know that you've been at our mercy these last couple of days, Vixen. . . So I figured you'd appreciate being able to communicate past the primal noises."

Ivy 's head cocked to the side as she fought to understand. She placed a paw to the Wizard's hand questioningly, but he merely held the plant closer to her muzzle.

"Bottoms up, sweetheart. I promise it'll be worth your while."

Golden eyes beseeched light blue, before the fox leaned forward to sniff the plant. The scent was unlike anything she had ever smelled, but it wasn't overly repugnant. . . So with baited breath, Ivy opened her mouth and took a generous bite.

It was terribly bitter and chewy, but at Calcifer's cackle and Howl's encouragement, the woman was able to chomp it down quickly and swallow. For several long seconds, she thought it would come back up again, but with will power and the grace of Heaven, it stayed put.

When she had gulped it down, Ivy lifted her wide golden eyes to Howl again. When nothing explosive happened, she shook her head in confusion.

Howl chuckled warmly, "You have to open your mouth to talk, dear."

Talk? Did he mean. . . ?

Ivy gingerly opened her mouth and made an experimental noise. But instead of a yip or a whine coming out, a human note flowed past her teeth. The fox jumped in surprise at the unexpected gift, before she began to laugh in relief. Soon the laughter turned almost hysteric, as she tested out her old voice. It had been so long since she'd been human, that she'd almost forgotten what it sounded like. . . 'Twas a simple miracle to recall what it felt like to form words instead of sounds.

"T-Thank you," she said as her giggles subsided. "I would say it a hundred times more, if it helped you believe my gratitude was sincere!"

Howl beamed at her, before winking. "Once was plenty, sweetheart. I must admit Cal and I have been curious as to what you would sound like. Your voice is a lot deeper than I had originally thought it would be."

Ivy 's tail batted back and forth happily. "You planned this?"

"Since he agreed to help ya, fox," Calcifer snorted, though he too seemed pleased by the development.

Ivy bowed her head to them both, as she fought back tears. "From the bottom of my heart, I thank you. . . I had almost thought I'd lost the ability to speak. . . It's been so long."

"The memory of speech can never be lost completely," Howl said as he reclined in his chair. "And I doubt such a pretty voice could disappear without a trace."

If she'd been human, her face would have exploded into a blush. But luckily for her, she was as fluffy as ever.

"So, kid," the demon interrupted. "You wanna tell us how ya got cursed with such a doozy? Before lover boy starts macking on ya left and right?"

Ivy stiffened slightly, her tail stopping mid sweep. Something that the wizard noticed immediately.

"You don't have to tell us anything you don't wish to, dear. Silence is your right."

For a long time, she was still before she sighed heavily. She hadn't originally thought she'd have to share her story. . . But with all they had done, and were willing to do for her, it wasn't right for them to remain in the dark.

"It is not a pretty story. . . But if you wish to know, I will tell it."

Howl nodded to her, giving her his undivided attention as she lowered into a ball. She was tired and the story would weaken her further.

"I was born far from here, in a different land," she began quietly. "But I've been away so long that I don't remember it well. There was no magic there, as I recall. But that doesn't mean too much, I'd reckon.

"When I was a little girl, I accidentally passed from my world into the Spirit Realm. Since I was human, I was unwelcome and would have been killed if I hadn't found a place."

Howl's face was devoid of emotion as she spoke, save for his eyes which were as visible as always. "What place did you find for yourself?"

"To save myself, I went under contract and became a slave at a Bath House for the Spirits." She said this calmly, but the pain it caused her was evident in her body posture. "I gave my name to the owner of the establishment, in return for safety from persecution. . . It's been so long, that I've no recollection of my real name. . . It was taken from me, and I never was able to get it back. . . I ended up going by Ivy . . . It sounded pretty, and was the only substitute I didn't mind."

Ivy fell quiet for a long moment. All the while, Howl and Calcifer shared meaningful glances.

"The owner of the Bath House, the one who holds your name," Howl finally asked, "They're who cursed you?"

"Yes." Came the resigned reply. "The owner: she's a powerful witch, who went by the name of Yubaba."

"Why did she slam ya with a curse like that when you were already working for her?" Calcifer wanted to know.

Now Ivy grew even more uncomfortable. She had kept the secret for so long that it felt unnatural to speak of it. But they had earned her trust, and she would give her past willingly. She owed them that much.

"After years of servitude, I was . . . attacked by one of the patrons," she said haltingly, her small furry head hanging in shame and regret. "I wound up pregnant."

The woman kept her golden eyes pinned to the hearth stones beneath her, unable to look at the Wizard or demon as she momentarily relived her darkest moment.

"In her disgust, Yubaba cursed and banished me to this land. She knew it was a prominent realm for the hunting of unique furs. . . I assume she figured I'd end up dead and skinned soon enough. . . I wandered for almost a year as a fox, trying to survive and find a way to change back. . . and then I ended up meeting you two. . . And here we are."

As her story came to a conclusion, she slowly lifted her gaze to regard them again. She didn't know what to expect, but as she looked between Calcifer and Howl she felt her heart rise to her throat. There was no judgment or revulsion from them. Only calm support and tenderness.

Howl, still reclined in his chair, shook his head. "No wonder you didn't trust me in the alley." He mused with a wistful look in her direction. "After your experience with magic and men, I doubt anyone would've be eager to leap back into the middle of it."

"I don't mind," she said truthfully, as several tears rolled down her red muzzle to coat her paws. "Not when it's you two. . . I haven't felt this safe since I was a child."

"Ehhh, kid, stop with the water works," Calcifer said uncharacteristically quiet. "You'll make me cry too."

Ivy laughed despite herself. "Can fire cry?"

"He would if he could," Howl asserted, before adding seriously. "Thank you for telling us, Vixen. We appreciate your candor. . . and what you've been through."

The fox dipped her head. "It's the least I can do. I just hope it's enough."

"Don't worry, fox. We don't require payment from people like you."

Ivy flashed a hesitant look towards Calcifer at his brash comment, but Howl's added statement made her heart warm.

"He means family, sweetheart," the wizard chuckled as he reached over to tenderly ruffle her fuzzy head.

Family, she thought. They consider me family? . . . They've only known me three days, and I have done nothing to earn it. . . Then she paused. Perhaps I am family, because they sense that I need it. Or because they know I want it. . .

More crystal tears of happiness fell from her golden eyes, as she carefully jumped into Howl's lap. Though she was very rarely so bold, she couldn't stop herself from cuddling into him.

"Thank you," she whispered again. Emotion cracked her voice as she felt a wave of contentment crash over her.

Howl's gentle hands wrapped firmly around her in a reciprocating hug. For a long moment he didn't say a word, before he whispered in her ear.

"Are you ready, sweetheart?"

Ivy nodded from where she was nuzzled into his chest, and closed her eyes. Then as her heart hammered in her little chest, Howl affectionately pressed a kiss to the top of her head.

Sheer electricity shot throughout her entire body, as he let his nose graze the spot he'd kissed. The blood in her veins became fiery, while the tingling sensation grew to the point of numbness.

As Ivy shuddered in his arms and her golden eyes bugged out of her head, Howl chuckled and Calcifer rolled his eyes.

The 1,000 kisses had begun, and Ivy finally had a place to call home.

A/N: This chapter was interesting to write. I finally got to expand on our dear Fox's curse and why she ended up in Market Chipping. Spirited Away and Howl's Moving Castle have always been my two favorite Studio Ghibli films so it felt very natural to do a crossover. I hope you guys enjoyed the surprise. ^^

I believe this story will have two more chapters total. We're coming up on the end. So stay tuned!

~Lyn