Prettyinpinkgal: Review, please :) Thanks for all the reviews so far! I can't believe how popular this story is! I thought I'd have maybe five or ten reviews by the time the story was over, but now there's so many already! Thank you, everyone!

I also apologize for the delay and the shortness. I'm so busy with tests and projects right now! I'm sorry:( But there's a sweet little scene at the end of this chapter that will hopefully make up for it!

Disclaimer: I don't own Howl's Moving Castle or the Nutcracker.

A CHRISTMAS STORY

CHAPTER FOUR

No matter how ridiculous a name the land had, it was beautiful. However, there was one strange aspect of this country: Much of it was made out of candy. Instead of trees, there were giant lolipops. Instead of lamps, there were glowing candy canes.

And here, inside the Sugar Plum Princess's home, absolutely EVERYTHING was made out of sweets. Even the floor was made out of sugar!

"Well," began a stupified Sophie, "this is...rather odd."

"No, it's not!" Michael said.

Of course he would say that. He lived here.

"I guess not for you, but to me..." Sophie looked around, feeling quite hungry.

Before she could even realize the horror of thinking about eating someone's castle, people who represented every sort of candy appeared through large graham cracker doors. First was an elderly woman, who despite her age walked regally down the stairs. She started dancing the can-can out in the middle of the ballroom.

"My tutor, Mrs. Penstemmon," Howl said, throwing a wave in the woman's direction. Mrs. Penstemmon glared in response.

Next came a dog. "That's Ben," Calcifer told Sophie. The dog came to the bottom of the steps and transformed into a man. He bowed, and a young girl appeared next to him.

"Lettie? How on earth did you get here?" Sophie asked, bewildered. But Lettie did not appear to hear. She went on dancing with Ben.

A girl walked up to Michael. Sophie realized it was Martha. "Would you like to dance with me?" Martha asked Michael sweetly.

Michael's face turned bright red. "Well, uh, s-sure." To his friends, he stuttered, "I'll just be, uh..."

"Yes, yes," Howl said, waving his hand dismissively. "Have a nice dance."

Calcifer went off to dance with a lovely young woman named Lily, but she glared coldly at him and left the castle. Calcifer looked back at Howl and Sophie, his eyes saying, "Feel bad for me."

"Poor Calcifer," Sophie said, sighing.

Howl, however, was pitiless. "Yes, that is a shame. Being rejected by a woman is awful, so if you are kind enough to spare me that agony, I hope you will dance with me."

Sophie stared at him, a slight blush coloring her cheeks. "You're not serious," she said slowly.

"I assure you, dear Sophie, I am quite serious."

"Liar," Sophie retorted.

"Am not," Howl threw back.

"Are too."

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"Am not!"

"Ah, young love," Ben said as he danced in dog-form with Lettie.

Much to Sophie's annoyance, she found that her lips were unable to form any words whatsoever. Even if she could, it would have done no good, thanks to Howl kissing her.