-A/N: First of all, I'm sorry that I haven't written earlier, I've been incredibly busy with my studies and I've been also making my cosplay costume (I'm going to cosplay Yüko-san! Yay!), which I've already finished (double yay!). Okay, back to the business: The third chapter to my story and thank yous for all those nice persons that reviewed! Especially to Milky Etoile, who's great idea Sophie's payement was! You really saved me!

Third Chapter

"If I meet my love, and we part,

We'll meet again, like we did before.

The sweet darkness I search for

Fumbling deep in my memories,

I can taste the sweetness of the past.

Although you're not anywhere

I'll be alright,

If I close my eyes to that,

Love won't change,

I believe

When the spring light warms, the flowers bloom

In summer, I gaze at the moon floating on the sea

The fall wind, and the winter snow

With that sigh, I wish to be warmed,

Four seasons with your love

Once again.

The promise of that only wish

Fades away when time passes.

Can you feel me underneath the skin?

If those feelings come back,

We'll be alright,

If I just believe,

No matter how far away you are,

Stay with me."

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Sophie looked at the witch, awestruck. Of course she would have to pay, this wasn't charity.

But still, she had forgotten completely that she would have to pay.How on Earth could she pay for her?

"Well... I'm not sure... Umm... I really don't have much money..." Sophie answered, feeling nervous. What if this strange woman wouldn't help her now?

Yûko laughed lightly and then replied nonchalantly: "Oh, I didn't mean money, I don't need it. I meant something you would give to me in return, as the payment."

Then she looked at Sophie intensievely. "Say, you have a really interesting hair color here. It's a symbol a the transfomation you have been under lately, isn't it? Now, would you give that color?"

"Y-you mean my hair? You want my hair?" Sophie looked at the woman as if she was crazy.

"Yûko-san, that's rude! Why would you need anybody else's hair, you've got so much on your own! I mean, you could easily choke someone with that amount of hair!" The boy Yüko had called Watanuki whined.

"I don't want her hair, I want the color of her hair. Would you please listen to what I say?" Yüko looked sharply at Watanuki and the young man barely dared to gulp.

"Well?" Yüko turned to look at Sophie, the devious smile, that seemed to be something very charteristic for her, playing on her lips

"Well.. Yes," Sophie quickly decided as she remebered the reason why the witch actually was here.

Howl.

"Good then. It's settled. I will take my payment after your wish is granted," Yûko smiled looking pleased.

"Umm... What color will my hair be after...?" Sophie asked touching unconciously her hair.

"The same as before. Brown," Yüko replied.

Sophie begun to nod but then froze. Who could she know what color her hair had used to be?

The witch seemed to notice the question in her eyes because she smiled at her.

Sophie knew the meaning of that smile.

I just know. Don't ask.

Suddenly Sophie didn't want to know anymore.

"Now that we have dediced about the details, we should get down to the business, don't you think?" Yûko chirped happily as if she was talking about having a tea party.

"Yes, please, I need to find Howl...!" Sophie pleaded, but Yüko barely nodded. She was looking around the castle, looking slightly curious.

"This castle is run by a great amount of magic and a great demon," Yûko muttered, as if she was thinking aloud. "A fire demon, to be exact."

"A DEMON? A FIRE DEMON? Aren't those things dangerous?" Watanuki babbled nervously, looking around with suspicion but however followed the woman.

"Yes, I'm a great, powerful and dangerous fire demon Calcifer!" Calcifer claimed from the fireplace sounding pleased as he was finally noticed too.

"Powerful, no doubt, but dangerous, you say? Why are staying at this fire place, then?" Yûko asked, smiling amusedly.

Sophie could have sworn that Calcifer blushed as the woman said this and muttered something.

Suddenly Yûko looked at the stairs of the next floor. "Poor boy, he seems to be scared to death," Yûko shaked her head.

Now Sophie noticed too that Markl was hiding on the stairs, trying to look as small as possible.

"Markl, that's rude! This lady here is our guest!" Sophie scolded him.

"But Master Howl told me that Ichihara Yûko-san is one of the most powerful witches ever! He told me himself!" Markl responded, still refusing to come any nearer.

Sophie was about to respond, but then Yüko cut inbetween.

"Oh, he's just a boy, let him be. But if you're going upstairs, say 'hi' for the Witch of the Wasteland from Yûko, would you?" Yüko claimed happily for Markl as the boy dissappeared upstairs.

Now Sophie was even more curious. How did she now the Witch of Wasteland?

Once again Sophie realized that this wasn't the right to think about such a things.

She should concentrate on Howl.

"Umm... How about...?" She begun, but Yüko cut inbetween once again.

"Howl? Yes, that's why we are here. So you two had a fight and he left? Howl is so sensitive, so fragile", Yûko shook here head gently.

"You're going to help me find him, right? Do you know where to look after him?" Sophie asked as she decided to also ignore the fact that Yûko seemed to know Howl too.She was too relieved because they where finally getting back to the business.

"Sure I do. But you know too, don't you?" Yûko looked at her smiling mischievously again.

Sophie looked at the woman, stunned. Watanuki also gave Yüko a weird look.

"If she would know, why would we be here? You're making no sense, Yüko-san!" The boy whined once again.

"Quiet now, you're interrupting me! I'm about to tell, if you would be kind enough to let do that!" Yüko snapped.

"Now, as I was saying, you do know, don't you? When someone you care about says something that hurts you, where does it hurt?"

Now Sophie was even more stunned. She couldn't possible mean...?

"That' s right. The heart", the witch grinned.

"And that's where we are going to look for Howl."

-A/N: Cliffie once again, huh...? I just tend to do that... This chapter was just the basement (that's why it was so boring), the next one is going to be about Howl... And his past, possibly. Now I just wanted to give a better picture of Yüko-san (well, there aren't much to tell about her, but...) This time the song lyrics were from Namie Amuro's 'Four seasons'.

See you hopefully on the next chapter!