AN: I've never written for Howl's Moving Castle before, so please be gentle. I'm not entirely certain if this is going to have more points from the Anime or from the Book, but who knows. It's AU, but have pity on me. Once again, this is a first time thing, and if it goes well, I'll continue it. If it doesn't...well, I'll probably just leave well enough alone.

Disclaimer: I dun own Howl, Sophie, or their castle. Please don't sue me, I have mouths to feed.

Mist and Mysteries

By: Chibi-no-Oneesan

Chapter Five

She'd stayed.

Howl lay in his room, staring at the ceiling as though it were the most fascinating thing in the world. The goodness in that woman never ceased to amaze him. Despite his temper, despite yelling at her, despite undoing all her work. In spite of everything, she'd stayed.

He fingered his now black hair with a sigh. He supposed, looking back at the entire situation now, he'd over-reacted a bit. He was just tense. He'd received word from the King, ordering him to come to the palace for some reason or another. When one combined that with the turbulent feelings surrounding the entirety of the situation with Sophie, it was like walking through an emotional mine field.

He would have to apologize later.

He sighed, mentally bracing for the blow to his pride. What Michael had said was true. His two biggest flaws were his vanity and his pride. And look at where those got him. He'd be lucky if Sophie ever spoke to him again. And he'd almost put Calcifer out. He'd almost killed himself and his best friend.

He heard a rap on the door and closed his eyes, bracing for what was probably going to be a painful event.

"Howl, it's me, I'm coming in." Sophie's voice filtered through the door. She didn't ask.

He didn't mind. She was probably just coming to tell him she was going to leave, anyways. He took a steadying breath as he heard the door open. Then, he opened his eyes and looked towards the elderly-looking Sophie. He just watched as she walked in, holding a glass of milk and a cheese sandwich. Last meal? He wondered idly.

Sophie stared at him for a long minute, then, nudged the door shut with her toe. She didn't speak as she walked over, setting the simple meal on the cluttered table beside his bed. She simply watched him intently, her face set in an odd calm. "I thought about yelling at you, but it likely wouldn't do any good." She said softly.

He blinked, eyes widening. Then he smiled bitterly. "I have a thick skull." He admitted.

She nodded in agreement.

He winced. She didn't have to agree with him so readily.

"You do." She said softly, tugging lightly at her apron. "You're stubborn and proud and vain as a preening peacock." She said evenly. She watched him flinch with every word. "But I'm stubborn as well and I have a temper and I'm too scared usually to do anything about it so it festers."

He looked up at her, shocked. She'd touched on a few of his flaws, then flayed herself with words as well. His face softened a bit. "Sophie..."

She lifted a hand, requesting silence. She took a few steadying breaths. "I have no right to yell at you when I have a list of flaws just as long as yours." She said softly. "So I would like to make a compromise." She looked him dead in the face and saw him looking at her stunned and slightly suspicious.

"Compromise?"

She nodded firmly. "Yes."

He eyed her warily. Compromises with women usually didn't turn out too well for him. "What kind of compromise?"

For the first time since she'd entered the room, she felt nervous. "I will learn what order your things are supposed to be in the bathroom, if you will not make me apologize for messing up your hair. In return..." She let out her breath in a huff. "You will not slime the house again, and I will not make you apologize for the mess you made this time."

His eyes snapped wide and he stared at her. She was sitting rigidly, her hands fisted around the edge of her apron. It was as if she expected him to laugh at her suggestion. He reached out, catching a free flying strand of stubborn silver hair and tugged it lightly. "This isn't the dragon-lady..." He said softly. "I don't think I've met this Sophie before..." He kept his voice light and teasing.

A small smile turned up the corner of her lips. A shy smile, but not a mouses. It was a woman's smile. And her face returned to that of young Sophie and he smiled slightly. "So, who are you?" He asked softly.

She extracted his fingers from around her hair, her blue green eyes sliding closed. "Maybe this is who Sophie really is." She said softly. She set his hand lightly on the bed and stood, smiling. "Go ahead and drink your milk and eat your sandwich..." She turned to go and blushed when Howl caught her wrist gently. She turned towards him, seeing a warm look in his eyes. It could almost be called affection. Her blush darkened against her will, and she vaguely felt like a schoolgirl with her first crush all over again. Damn him.

Howl watched as she grew younger still, looking now like she had when they'd first met. "You're a good woman, Sophie." He said softly. "Thank you."

Her eyes widened and she looked away. Those two words meant more to her than she'd ever say. They were words she didn't hear often. It would figure the first time she'd hear them said by someone who meant them, the words would leave Howl's lips. She felt very old all of a sudden. She turned back towards him and saw worry in his eyes. She forced a smile. "You're welcome."

He was just thanking her because he thought she was old, she decided. She extracted her wrist from his grasp and headed towards the door. "Good night, Howl." She said softly.

"Good night, Sophie..." He offered back. When the door shut, he cursed. Why on earth was that damn curse causing him so much trouble?! He frowned deeply, then made a decision. He would go to Kingsbury tomorrow, stop by the palace, and on the way back, maybe stop in and see his old tutor. Mrs. Pentstemmon should have no trouble at all with this spell. She'd recognize it immediately, and she should know it's nature and what was making him have so much trouble with it.

"Bloody hell..." He mumbled, scrubbing his face with his hands. He'd better brace himself for tomorrow. He was a bloody coward, and this was going to test his will. Yet, to him, making Sophie better would help. Knowing what to do to help her would help.

He smiled slightly at the irony. The woman who made him feel more helpless than anything else was giving him the courage to do what he needed to...

He rested a hand over where the warm tingly feeling in his chest had settled. Oddly it was where his heart had once been.

It was a funny feeling, being in love. Feeling powerful and helpless at the same time, courage and fear. He stared up at the ceiling and smiled the first true smile he'd smiled in a very long time. Perhaps this feeling would give him the strength he needed to overcome his own curse, as well as hers. Either that, or it would be the final nail in his coffin.

He snorted slightly.

He wouldn't know unless he tried.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Michael was relieved at the peaceful feeling that had settled over the castle the next morning. Sophie looked a tad younger than normal, and Howl was already long gone. He skipped down the last few steps and breathed a deep sigh of relief. "Good grief, it's like a completely different castle this morning..." He said, seeing Sophie was wearing a peaceful expression. "I suppose that means your discussion with Howl went well?" He asked, grabbing two plates and flat ware and setting them on the table.

"Well enough." Sophie agreed. "I promised to learn how his spells in the bathroom go, and in return, he wont slime the house again." She quipped. She used a cup to cut a hole in the middle of two separate pieces of bread and dropped them in a skillet, then cracked an egg in the center.

Calcifer grinned. That seemed too easy. It would appear his assumptions about Howl were correct. The wizard was starting to fall for Sophie Hatter, old face or not. "He's lucky you didn't verbally flay him for making a mess of the castle." The demon said, eating the egg shells she tossed into his mouth. He glanced up and saw the slight smile on her face and peeked under the skillet.

"I couldn't yell at him when I have faults of my own." She said calmly.

Michael's jaw dropped. Her faults? Good grief..."Sophie...Howl could make you look like a saint." He said evenly, watching her flip the pieces of bread and egg. "What on earth are you making?"

She chuckled softly. "Eggie in a basket." She said. "It's something my father used to make." She gestured vaguely with her hands. "The fact is, Michael, Howl could drive a saint to drink." She served the meal onto each plate and put a plate of bacon and bowl of fruit on the table. She gave the younger boy a kiss on the forehead and moved to find the juice, not noting the adolescent boy blushing furiously with a dazed look on his face.

Michael looked to Calcifer, who was wearing an understanding, if not envious expression. He managed to school his expression before she got back to the table and looked at her, tilting a head to the side. She was a peculiar woman. Her young face didn't look terribly dissimilar from his Martha's and he had a nagging feeling that the girl's missing older sister was sitting right across from him. It would take some research, which was something he did enjoy doing, since it would bring him to Wales, and as a result, to Martha.

Sophie looked up and arched an eyebrow. Michael had a far-off look in his eyes and an almost dopey grin on his face. There was also a hint of pink spreading down his neck.

"Alas, looks like love." Calcifer teased from the fireplace.

Michael snapped out of his thoughts and blushed darker, digging into his food. "So, what are you going to do today, Sophie? With the house clean and Howl unavailable to argue with?"

She sighed, looking at the ceiling. "Well, just because the house is clean doesn't mean I don't have any work." She nibbled a piece of bacon and looked at the boy. "You?"

He flushed. "Um, I have...uh...business..."

She smirked. "Really? What's her name?"

The boy relaxed and sighed cheerfully. "Martha Hatter." He finished his breakfast quickly, moved his plate to the sink and headed out the door. "See you all later!" He was long gone before he realized he'd just given away the fact that he knew someone likely related to Sophie.

Sophie stared in shock at where the boy had once sat. The bacon that had been in her fingers had fallen silently to the plate. She looked down at her half-eaten breakfast and sighed, appetite suddenly gone. She picked it up and walked towards the fireplace and Calcifer, who was waiting, making yummy noises. "Open wide, Calcifer..." She said quietly. When the demon's mouth opened, she scooped the remains in and walked over to do the dishes. Calcifer didn't speak as she worked, of which she was grateful. She worked steadily, then set aside her chores and turned the doorknob green blob down, preparing to head out for some much needed mindless relaxation.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Michael sat in Cesari's, waiting for his girl's lunch break, chewing over the fact that he'd let such an important little secret slip. A cup of tea sat in front of him as he debated telling the blond that her sister was not, in fact, lost in the world. He knew the time would come eventually and he was completely baffled how to explain that the woman cleaning the castle he lived in was in fact, most likely Sophie Hatter.

He'd asked about the lost sister when he'd first gotten there, and she'd shown him a picture of the older woman that she kept in her wallet, a picture with her and another pretty blond, who had a face much more like Sophie's. He nibbled on a crumb cake and stared into nothing. Then, a short time later, a small hand settled on his shoulder.

"Hi, Michael..." Martha said, sliding into the chair beside him. She looked tired, worried. "How are you?"

His brow creased and he glanced around the room. "Martha, we need to talk someplace private..." He said softly. He saw her blush and felt one starting to color his cheeks as well. "Just to talk. There are things you need to know..." He took her hands in his and stood, walking outside and into a quiet alley nearby. "Martha, is your sister's name Sophie?" He asked quietly.

Her eyes lit up. "You know her?!" She threw her arms around his neck. "Where is she Michael? Is she safe?!"

He took a deep breath. "She's safe." He said, hugging her tightly. "As for where she is..." He made a vague gesture. "That's more complicated..." He set her down, keeping his hands on her arms, holding her back a bit. "I need you to listen to me, and understand that I would never lie to you."

She looked wary. "Michael, what's wrong with my sister?"

"The Sophie Hatter I know looks like an eighty-year old woman."

Martha blinked. "Well, she couldn't possibly be my sister, then..." She saw something urgent in his eyes, almost akin to panic.

"She is, Martha. I believe she is. Sometimes...she doesn't look so old. Some times, she looks like she's about twenty four."

She frowned. "That's not possible." She said, starting to pull away from him. "Don't make me feel hope like that and then lie to me-"

"I'm not bloody well lying!" He whispered fiercely. But it was too late. She'd broken free of him and was heading towards the entrance of the alley. "I live with the man that saved her life." Michael said, a bit desperate. "His name is Howl Jenkins."

She paused, looking back at him. "Excuse me?" She asked coldly. "Why should I believe you?" This wasn't the Martha he'd been seeing, the sweet, passionate, loving Martha. This Martha reminded him of the Dragon-Lady they had for a cleaning lady.

"Because it's true." He whispered, his face sad. She didn't believe him. She wouldn't believe him, he could see that now. He lowered his head, sighing. He pulled out some money he'd managed to scrape together and pushed it into her hand. "Here, for what I had today." He started walking away.

"You're leaving?" She sounded disbelieving.

He paused, turning back towards her. "What the point in wasting my breath when you wont believe me anyways?" He asked softly. She looked shocked at his words. "I'm going home. Don't worry, I wont show up any more." He turned away again, heading back towards Howl's door. What was the point in staying, in coming back, if she didn't love him enough to trust him?"

The patter of steps sounded behind him and two slender arms wrapped around his waste. He froze, staring ahead, heart pounding in his chest. How did Howl walk away from so many women when they did things like this? He closed his eyes, resting his hands on hers.

"I'm listening now." She whispered.

He turned, seeing a frightened look on her face. "Can you take the rest of the day off? This could take awhile..."

She nodded slightly, and pushed herself onto her toes, kissing his lips lightly. Then, she dropped down, running back into Cesari's. It was several minutes later when she returned. She was pale, teary eyed, her hands shaking. "They said that work should come before family, and that if I left to not bother coming back."

His brow creased in worry. "I understand. Go back to-"

"So I told them they could shove that job up their kazoo."

He stared at her pale, trembling figure for a long moment before a laugh escaped from his throat and he pulled her into his arms, hugging her tightly. "Woman, you're completely insane!" He whooped, lifting her off the ground and spinning her around. When he set her back down, she buried her face into his chest to hide a sweet blush. "Then let's get you home...It'd be better to talk there. Fewer ears..."

When they reached the safety of her apartment, he helped her into a chair and sat down across from her. "This is going to sound completely insane." He said bluntly. "But bear with me." He saw an expectant look on her face and took her hand. "First off, I'm not from Wales." He said bluntly. "I don't even live here. I live in a place called Ingary, a world that parallels this one."

She opened her mouth, her brow furrowing, but he silenced her with a single finger. "Ingary and Wales are separate, but connected, and now and then, when someone needs something that they can't find in their world, a door is created between the two." He chewed his lower lip. "To be honest, I don't understand everything. Howl could explain everything better than I can."

"What does this have to do with Sophie looking like an old woman?" Martha asked softly.

He grinned a bit. "I don't know the whole story, no one's asking Sophie, because she doesn't think anyone knows that she's not as old as she looks. Calcifer might, and Howl's starting to suspect something, but I'm not sure he knows the whole story." He waved his hand vaguely. "Regardless, something happened the last night Sophie was here, and she's cursed now."

"Calcifer? Howl? Curses?" She started to look at him in a cross manner. "Michael, what are you playing at?"

He sighed. "Howl's a wizard, Calcifer is a fire demon." He said bluntly. Just facts. "I don't really know the whole story about how they're connected, but..." He shrugged, looking at her, miserably. "Sophie's been our cleaning lady since she got there. Self-appointed really, no matter what she says about Calcifer hiring her. Calcifer doesn't give a damn about dust."

She took a steadying breath. "This is completely crazy..." She said softly.

He lowered his head, staring at the carpet. Yes, to a non-believer, or someone who wasn't from Ingary, this would sound nuts, he supposed. How could he blame her for not believing him? Her hands wrapped around his, and he drove onward. "I think Calcifer and Sophie are planning something too, probably involving her curse. I don't know why she doesn't just let Howl break it for her." He was starting to ramble. Great. If his earlier words hadn't frightened her off, this certainly would-

"Michael."

It would figure. After all, he didn't have the charisma that Howl seemed to ooze, nor any real charm. He was just simple Michael Fisher from Kingsbury, and there was no way he should be able to keep a girl like Martha. She was too smart, too pretty for someone like-

A light slap on his cheek stirred him from his thoughts.

He looked up at her, stunned, and was about to say something, when her lips sealed over his and kissed him silent. When she pulled back, he stared at her, stunned.

"Shut up, Michael." She said softly, cupping his face gently in her hands. "I believe you."

He blinked, and stared. "Are we going completely mental?" He asked, resting his hands over hers.

"I certainly hope so." She said, grinning and leaning down to kiss him again.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

It was getting close.

Even his elderly tutor had noticed the doom looming behind him.

It would catch up soon. And when it did, Sophie would be in trouble.

Howl walked the streets of Kingsbury a long time after his business was concluded. He'd been right about going to see Mrs. Pentstemmon. The little old woman was more than willing to try to help him with Sophie's little problem. When the woman had started hitting a little too close to home with her queries, however, he quickly slithered out of the situation.

He'd managed to avoid visiting the palace, however, as he was having tea with the older woman. He knew he could only get out of going for so long, and soon it would no longer be a request, but an order, and if he ignored that order, he would be considered absent without leave and could likely be thrown in jail. It was getting late, and he figured he should get home soon, before Sophie was able to fully terrorize the other's in the castle.

A tiny smile turned up his lips, then turned back into a frown.

How many different ways could that woman terrorize such a small house, anyways? She was a bundle of raw energy, ancient in body or not. He often noticed by the end of the day, she still had excess energy, but lacked the ability to expel it further. It usually resulted in her rocking in a chair impatiently.

He started walking past a bookstore and paused, then smiled slightly. It wouldn't hurt to see if they had anything that she might like to read. He was about to go in when there was an awkward burning sensation in his chest that had nothing to do with his feelings for Sophie. "Blast..." He gasped, hurrying towards the door that would lead him back into his castle.

It was lucky that he wasn't far away.

He reached the door and threw it open, practically sailing inside. Calcifer was scarcely more than a green and blue flicker in the fireplace. He hurried over, gently reaching into the flame and lending the small demon some of his power. "Hold on." He said softly. He could see his heart had blackened a bit much for a standard moving. He looked around for the castles other occupant. "Stop Calcifer." He said calmly.

The demon relaxed, shivering and the castle ground to a halt.

Sophie turned abruptly, wide-eyed. He could see that the mouse was definitely in those eyes. She was scared, deathly afraid of something. "I believe I asked you not to terrorize my friend..." He said mildly, pulling his hand away from Calcifer.

She seemed to notice that Calcifer was burning low and rushed over, her face genuinely concerned. "Calcifer! Oh, my goodness, are you alright?!" She crouched by the fire, her brow creased in concern.

Howl almost touched her hair, then reconsidered, his eyes soft. "He just needs some rest." Howl said. "Let's not bother him." He moved towards the table, finding an apple and a knife and began removing the apples bright red skin. "So...what had Calcifer moving the castle so quickly, anyways?" He asked, sitting on the edge of the table and eying her as she sat slowly in the chair by the fireplace. It was her spot. A place he'd come to expect to find her during evenings. He'd found he even liked watching her impatiently bouncing the chair that didn't have rockers in order to do something.

She looked ashamed of herself. "A scarecrow..." She admitted. "I found it in some bushes, and pulled it out. I tend to talk to things when I'm by myself..." She blushed, looking down so he couldn't see the blush. "I'd headed back up to the castle...and it started..." She shuddered. "It followed me." She said faintly. "It tried to get into the castle..."

He could see that she was deeply afraid. His eyes softened and he cored the apple, setting it neatly in the pile of skin on the plate that still sat there from someone's lunch. He cut a slice of apple and offered it, still pressed slightly to the blade. "It's not safe..." He began, trying to explain the grave situation without breaking the rules his contract set. "For Calcifer to move the castle that fast. It's bad for him, and what's bad for him is bad for my heart." He almost grinned at the irony of that statement.

Sophie took the apple between trembling fingers. Then she nibbled at it quietly. "I should figure out what to do for dinner..." She said, looking down still.

"Nothing heated." He said calmly. "Calcifer doesn't have the strength. Perhaps I could have Michael bring some bread back from Cesari's, since I'm almost certain that's where he is..." He noticed the slightly alarmed look on Sophie's face and tilted his head to the side. "Bad idea?"

She blinked, realizing she was staring. As she watched, he took a slice of apple off the edge of the knife with his teeth and she quickly looked away. "I'll see if there's anything I can do cold, then..." She stood slowly, jumping when his free hand made a slight sweeping motion and the chair hit the back of her knees, sending her back down upon it. She looked up at him, about to snap at him, but found him leaning close to her face, wearing one of those devastating smiles.

"Just sit down, Dragon-Lady." He teased lightly. "Cheese sandwiches will do fine. So sit down and let your heart calm down." He saw the blush on her face and noticed she looked much younger than she had when he'd first come in. He was pleased with that. He tapped her nose lightly and straightened.

Sophie quickly looked away from Howl in time to see the knob swing towards black side down and Michael came walking through, wearing an extremely pleased expression on his face. "Good evening, Michael," she said quietly.

Michael walked right over, planted a huge kiss on her cheek, which stunned Sophie and caused Howl to adjust his grip on the knife in a threatening manner. Then, the dreamy-eyed boy went wandering up the stairs to his bedroom.

Howl huffed, feeling a tad jealous of his pupil. He glanced towards Sophie and saw her blushing, but an old woman once again. Damn him for interrupting. "Did he give you an arrhythmia?" Howl asked, arching an eyebrow and taking another slice of apple off the knife.

She glanced up at him, blushing still. She stood slowly, pulling the blanket that had been around her shoulders tighter. She turned her back to him, looking down at where Calcifer was recovering. "I'm fine, thank you." She bit her lip, a slightly sad expression on her face. "Goodnight, Howl..." She turned towards her cubby and walked into it, pulling the curtain closed behind her.

His face saddened as she went. He sagged, feeling a bit defeated. Every time he thought he knew what he'd have to do to break that curse, something undid his work. There were multiple layers to it, two, if one wanted to be precise, and he was starting to get the distinct feeling that the other layer was something Sophie had created herself. Why she would want to be in the form of an old woman all the time was beyond him.

The night before she'd mentioned she was stubborn.

Stubborn was right. That woman was about as mule-headed as an ass in a field full of cattle. She was stubborn, temperamental, and had her fair share of pride herself.

And he couldn't imagine this castle without her in it anymore.

He closed his eyes, sighing softly. There was nothing more he could do. He walked over to the fire and sat in Sophie's chair. Not his, hers. "Calcifer..." He called softly.

The demon peeked at him from between two logs. "Howl...I'm tired..." The demon sounded weak, tired, and scared.

"I know, old boy..." Howl said softly. "So am I..." He looked through the air, feeling much older than he truly was for the first time in a long time. "And it's catching up."

"I feel it too." Calcifer agreed. "What are we going to do about your little dragon-mouse?" he asked, spitting a few sparks with his slight laughter.

Howl smiled sadly. "She's going to be caught in the middle of a disaster, isn't she..." He shook his head and leaned back in the chair, staring at the ceiling. "Alas, but what should I do about my heart?" He wondered aloud.

"Sophie is taking care of that." Calcifer said evenly.

Howl barked with laughter, rocking out of the chair and to his feet. "Indeed, you may be right." He said in amusement. "Goodnight, Calcifer!" He called to the deeply confused fire demon.

Calcifer frowned deeply. "What the hell?" He mumbled, then burrowed under the logs, deciding he was too tired to decipher Howl's riddles that night. He'd think about it in the morning.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

AN: Sorry about it taking so long. I'm doing some story planning, and I've come to the conclusion that I'll likely write a sequel to this one,loosely based on Castle in the Air (I think I've figured out how I'm going to do it). Anyway, here go the thanks...

Irin Black: LOL I bought Castle in the Air and I'm going to read the entirety of it, but I already knew about Sophie/Morgan being a cat and Howl and Calcifer being turned into a djinn and magic carpet respectively. I think I've figured out what I'm going to do. LOL I'm actually terrified of the sequel

IntegralGirl: Found and repaired that awkward sentence. I'll be reposting Chapter 4 when I post this one, I actually let out several swear words when I realized that my normally good grammar had gone the way of the dodo. I blame sleep deprivation.

Laurashrub: Yes, in the book, Sophie does in fact turn his hair pink. More suitable color to get upset about if you're a guy, I suppose. Especially since if I'd turned it Ginger, Sophie really would have let him have it, seeing as how in the book, her hair is likened to ginger or red-gold. Saying something like "This hair color is horrible," when your cleaning lady can make water undrinkable isn't a good idea...

JazkaStar: LOL Glad you like it. I've actually got the ending fully planned, and don't worry. I'm a rather adamant HowlxSophie supporter (mostly since Howl and Sophie from the book remind me of my husband and I), so they'll definitely wind up together.

Nightshale: O.o; Feels a little exploited...like Calcifer Erm...okay...Glad you like it...

FlaviusD: I've actually been awaiting an opportunity to hit the local bookstore for copies of HMC and Castle in the Air. My copy of the Howl's Moving Castle was in New York, a ten hour drive away...I just bought them yesterday, and have been reading Howl's to refresh myself on the events in the book. What I've been using as a reminder at this point is a rather detailed chronology on Wilkipedia (God bless them). I'm glad you like the story up to Chapter four, and I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint! 3