Chapter 5
I awoke with a start as Howl turned the bath water on above us. I rubbed my eyes with the back of my paws before standing and stretching my back. Sophie awoke a few moments before me and was getting out of her nightgown as I carefully crawled out from behind the curtain. Howl was mucking up the bathroom again, if my nose had anything to say by it. Sophie was taking us out to Porthaven today to shop for food.
"I don't know why we're doing this, Master Howl hardly eats anything." Markl said with his cloak disguise on again. Well, we couldn't pay for anything, so we had to get someone to come along with us.
"Well, too bad. The rest of us do." I said sharply, ending all discussion. Sophie said good morning to a few people that passed as we made our way into the market, talking about how beautiful the ocean was to Markl. My eye caught a sparkly in a stall a few feet away from the potatoes, where Sophie was practically buying out the store. I wandered away, entranced by the feather, golden bell, and jewel hanging from a stick, obviously made for cats. I stopped in front of it and stared for a minute, then my cat instincts decided it was worth my time and I batted at it, mewing occasionally.
"Aren't you the cutest little thing!" The lady at the stall cooed, picking me and my play item up. "Now who do you belong to?" She asked.
"Verity!" Sophie exclaimed, rushing over the the stall with Markl. My tail twitched but my eyes never moved from the toy.
"Oh, is this your cat?" The lady asked with a smile. "I found her playing with this. Her eyes won't even stray from it. Watch," the woman chuckled, and I would have been offended if my attention wasn't diverted by the sparkly moving from side to side. My paws launched at it, trying to grab it but missing every time. Sophie laughed and told Markl to pay for the toy and also a collar for me, making me glare at my sister. She took me away from the vendor and, since I was small enough, I crawled onto her shoulder to rest for a bit.
"Don't. Say. A. Word," I hissed as soon as we left the lady's stall. Sophie and Markl burst into a round of laughs and I pouted, digging my claws into my sister's shirt to hang on as we moved. I tried not to catch her skin. We stopped at a fish market but they closed when citizens ran by, saying a boat was in the harbor. A destroyed battleship. Just before I could convince Sophie to steal a fish for me, she moved on to get a better look.
The ship was disastrous with men pouring out the sides as smoke filled the air. Sophie stepped back fearfully and I cried out at the sight. "Come on, Sophie, let's get a better look." Markl said.
"No, I've seen all I can take. Let's go home." She told him then froze as she looked to her left. I followed her gazed and silently gasped, seeing the Witch of the Waste's henchmen peering over the crowds as if searching for someone. "The witch's henchmen are here," Sophie whispered to Markl.
"What?" He exclaimed loudly, looking around.
"Quiet down. They're only a few feet away," she told him as he tensed. The henchman soon slinked away. "He's gone," Sophie said, letting go of the side of her hat she had pulled down to hide her face. "I don't understand why no one else seemed to notice him." I came out of my hiding place wrapped around her neck. We all looked up as something whizzed through the air, three bombs exploding in the water all in a row.
"Look up there, Sophie, Verity. It's the enemy's airship!" Markl pointed to the metal plane as papers flew from it while the crowd ran away around us. My back was frozen in an arch as Sophie suddenly tore through the crowds, trying to get back to the castle, as Markl chased after us.
I jumped off her shoulders between the railings as she leaned heavily against the wall at the bottom of the stairs of the castle. She gasped for breath, hand over her heart as I looked on concerned. Markl closed the door after sitting the basket of potatoes down.
"Sophie, are you okay?" He asked before Sophie dragged herself up the stairs, moving to the chair before the fire as I jumped up on the hearth. Calcifer looked at me confused and I shook my head, saying I'd tell him later.
"I just need a glass of water," Sophie told Markl, who quickly volunteered to get it. Howl shrieked from the bathroom upstairs, making everyone jump from the sudden noise. Sophie shot out of her seat as Markl rushed over to see what was going on, full glass in hand. He sobbed, grunting when he bumped into things, and raced down the stairs with his eyes covered. His hair was a bright orange hair and he was dressed in only a short towel. He stopped midway down the stairs to yell at my sister.
"Sophie! You sabotaged me! Look!" He yelled, grabbing his hair and running the rest of the way down to shove his head in her face. "Look what you've done to my hair!" I backed away slowly as Markl cowered behind Sophie. "Look!"
"What a pretty color," Sophie commented with a smile.
"It's hideous! You completely ruined my magic potions in the bathroom!" He yelled.
She stepped back, blinking up at him confused before she grinned nervously. "I just organized things, Howl, nothing's ruined." She stated.
"Wrong! Wrong!" He said, clutching his face sorrowfully. "I specifically ordered you not to get carried away!" He said, tears filling his eyes. I mean, I felt sorry for the guy, but he was taking this to the extreme.
He cried, sinking into the seat Sophie had occupied only seconds ago. "And now I'm repulsive. I can't live like this." He sobbed, bending over until his head was by his knees as his hands covered his face. I slowly crept up and nudged his hand, mewing and wanting his attention.
Sophie gulped and carefully stepped forward, as if walking on bomb-riddled ground. "Come on, it's not that bad." Then the color soon faded to a black, making him look even better. "You should look at it now. This shade is even better." Sophie encouraged.
"She's right Howl," I told him softly, trying to help my sister, but he ignored the both of us.
"I give up. I see no point in living if I can't be beautiful," he said as rumbling overtook the house and the room grew dark, even though Calcifer still shined brightly. Shadows morphed around the room and came through the cracks as I started to back up again, crouching at the very back corner of the hearth fearfully. "Howl, cut it out. Howl, no, stop it. Howl," Calcifer said stooping low.
"He's calling the Spirits of Darkness. I saw him do this once before when a girl dumped him," Markl explained and I rolled my eyes at the typicality. Sophie stepped forward again and reached out to the depressed wizard.
"Now, Howl, you're all right. We'll just dye your hair back again. Ok?" She asked, then gasped and pulled away when she finally touched him, slime trailing from her fingers as he started dripping with it. I cried out shocked as Sophie stepped away horrified, lip quivering.
"Fine! So, you think you've got it bad? I've never once been beautiful in my entire life! My own twin sister is prettier than me!" She yelled than spun on heel and ran to the door. "I've had enough of this place!" She cried, heading out into the pouring rain of the Wastes.
"Sophie!" I yelled after her, leaping down off the hearth and scratching at the door hopelessly. At that moment, I had never wanted to be human more. I gasped loudly when my paws suddenly became hands and I hit my human head on the door handle. I was still in the gray dress I had worn when the Witch changed me, but I had a new edition too: a brown, fluffy tail and cat ears I had felt when I rubbed my head. Without another thought at my change, I raced outside into the rain, wincing every time the rain hit me until I got used to it. Turnip-head stood over her with an umbrella as she cried and I rushed over to capture her in my arms.
"I'm so sorry, Sophie! I had no idea you felt that way!" I sobbed onto her shoulder before cracking a watery grin. "We're twins, so if you think I'm pretty, you are too!" She smiled shakily up at me and apologized for her behavior earlier, which I was quick to forgive. Markl came racing out for Sophie and I, saying Howl was in trouble before dragging us by the hand back to the castle. As soon as I crossed into the castle, I became a cat again. My ears drooped sadly and both Markl and Sophie paused for a moment, then hurried to a slime-drenched Howl. He had his head laying on the hearth and was getting slime everywhere, even close to Calcifer. I jumped up on a clean section of the hearth to stay out of the way.
"Such drama," Sophie said with a small smile as Markl asked if Howl was dead. "No, he's fine. He's just throwing a tantrum. Come on, give me a hand," my sister said, rolling up her drenched sleeves as she walked towards the slime-covered wizard. I chuckled a little as they pushed the chair over to the stairs, almost slipping on the goo, and Sophie pulled Howl's arm around her shoulders to drag him up the stairs. I couldn't hold in my laughter, even though I turned away, as Howl's towel slipped off as she helped him to the bathroom.
I jumped off my perch on the table and raced up the stairs as soon as I heard the bathroom door click shut. "Now I have to mop again." Sophie said with a sigh and her hands on her hips as I roared with laughter again, jumping onto my sister and climbing up her dress to her non-slime-covered shoulder.
Almost an hour later, the floors were clean again and Markl opened the door where I was waiting steadfast outside. A tired, but fully clothed Howl was dragging his feet behind the poor kid. I followed them to Howl's room at the end of the hall, hopping up onto the bed as soon as Markl got the wizard under the covers. I looked around the strange room as Markl left, taking note of all the knickknacks and wizardly items.
I purred as Howl weakly lifted up his hand and ran his fingers through my silky, short fur. I moved from under his hand and went up to his top pillow out of three, nuzzling his black hair. "I like it." I stated, sneezing a bit in the other direction when the perfumes slipped into my nose. He chuckled softly, eyes still closed and with no verbal response. I sighed and crawled onto his stomach, curling up into a ball and trying to fall asleep.
One of my eyes cracked open as Sophie knocked and said she was coming in, carrying a cup of warm milk that instantly caught my attention. "I brought you some warm milk. Want a sip?" She asked him softly, frowning when he shook his head no. "I'll leave it here for you, then. Try to drink it before it gets cold." She glanced at me after sitting the tray on the nightstand, noticing my hungry look. "No, Verity. Not for you. If you want some, go wait downstairs for me to get you some."
I huffed, settling back down on Howl's stomach as Sophie made her way back to the door. "Sophie, wait." Howl called out quietly and my sister stopped with her hand on the doorknob. She then slowly walked back, asking if he wanted some milk. He shook his head again and she sat at a stool beside the bed, stroking my fur as I climbed down onto her lap. One of his handing ornaments starting ringing and shimmering before Howl's eyes snapped open.
"The Witch of the Waste is trying to find my castle," he said. Sophie's eyes widened and she shot a look at me.
"We saw her henchmen in the harbor," she told him with a gasp.
"I am such a big coward, all I do is hide. And all of this magic is just to keep everybody away. I can't stand how scared I am," he admitted, turning his face away from us.
"Sometimes hiding is necessary to survive," I spoke up and he glanced a me before looking away again.
"Howl, why is the Witch of the Waste trying to hunt you down?" Sophie asked suddenly.
"She was once quite beautiful, so I decided to pursue her. Then I realized she wasn't," he told us with a frown. Both Sophie and I sighed at the predictability. "So as usual, I ran away. I can't run much longer, though. I have to report to the palace, as both Pendragon and Jenkins."
"The two invitations you got when we first came to the castle?" I asked him. He nodded once.
"How many aliases do you have, anyway?" Sophie questioned.
"As many as I need to keep my freedom." Howl stated and my sister suggested refusing the invitation. "See that?" He asked us, pointing to a paper held to a dartboard by many pointy objects. "That's the oath I took when I entered the Royal Sorcery Academy. I must report to the palace whenever summoned."
"You know, Howl, I think that you should see the king." Sophie said with a smile.
"What?" Howl and I both asked, looking up at her like she was insane.
"Give him a piece of your mind. Tell him this war is pointless. And you refuse to take part, huh?" She said, straightening in her seat satisfied. Howl sighed loudly and I struggled to hold back my laughter at his expression, especially in serious conversation such as this.
"You obviously don't know what these people are like." He told her.
"But he's our king. He should want to hear what all his citizens have to say."
Howl suddenly gasped, straightening up with a large grin. "I got it! Why don't you go to the palace for me?" He asked, black hair floating around his face.
"Huh?" My sister asked.
"Just say that you're Pendragon's mother, and your son is such a cowardly wizard, he's too afraid to show his face. Maybe then Madame Suliman will finally give up on me." He said, excited now with his blue eyes gleaming.
"Who's Madame Suliman?" Sophie whispered confused and I shrugged as much as a cat could before wheeling on Howl.
"How on earth did you get to that reasoning!? So many things could go wrong with this! If Madame Suliman is a witch, how do you know she won't be able to tell that Sophie isn't your mother!" I yelled but was ignored as Howl dragged himself out of bed and wrapped his blanket around his shoulders, as he was only in a long white shirt. Sophie carried me down the stairs with Howl following behind.
I gasped and leaped down from Sophie's arms, stumbling a bit when I landed on the wood before falling onto my side with a grunt of pain. "Verity!" Sophie exclaimed as everyone rushed to circle me. I struggled to stand but fell back down. My cat orbs widened as I threw my head back, shrieking in pain as it felt like my blood was boiling.
"Uh, you guys might want to get back..." Calcifer suggested from the hearth as Howl stared down at me, watching closely but pulling Sophie and Markl back nonetheless. I screamed as magic poured from me and my body lengthened and humanized painfully, unlike my other transformation.
"What's happening to her?" Markl and Sophie cried out as they watched squirm and scratch at myself from my place on the ground, trying to break out of Howl's grip to get to me.
"She's changing back," Howl said surprised. I breathed deeply as a light coat of sweat covered my body and I stretched out my legs from my fetal position, sitting up slowly unless the pain decided to come back. Howl kneeled down beside me and lightly touched my flicking tail that still remained, accidentally tugging too hard and making me swipe at him with my longer, sharper nails. I groaned when I felt my cat ears twitched, even though when I felt the side of my head, my human ears were there too.
"I never want to do that again." I huffed. Howl chuckled. My tail flicked again and I glared at it, then reached up to cup my extra ears. "I think this is the remaining part of the spell. I can deal with these," I said as I stood, but I would have fallen if Howl hadn't caught me in time. Guess I had to get used to human legs again.
"You can go as my wife then, since you were so worried about Sophie getting caught," Howl said suddenly with a smirk. "We'd just have to hide your cat features."
"What? Go where?" I asked, hoping he wasn't saying what I thought he was saying.
"Why, to the palace of course, my lovely Verity," he purred. Instead of looking seductive like he'd hoped, he ended up looking ridiculous. He was hunched over in his brown blanket and orange house shoes and his black hair was ruffled. I was so used to him with blonde, that it seemed quite strange. I snickered and he playfully glared, knowing fully well what I was thinking.
"Well, someone has to be there to help this hopeless hag," I said teasingly, nudging my sister in her ribs gently.
"Don't you speak to your mother-in-law that way!" She returned with a wink before we burst out in laughter and Howl started to work his magic on us.
A/N: Yeah! Verity is back to her human form! There was some drama in this chapter...ooh, and did anyone else squeal when Howl (I almost called him Kaname...I have been reading WAY too much Vampire Knight.) suggested Verity go as his wife? Yes, I still squee, even though I wrote it.
Sorry, guys. I had planned (and promised) to post this yesterday, but I had to stay after school for an extra five hours... and I received the first season of Clannad on DVD. Anyone who understands what that anime is like will know that I was too busy crying my heart out to do much of anything last night. (Fu-chan! TT-TT) Well, talk to you again next week. Oh, and thanks for all the favorites, reviews, and follows!
(I'm one of the people who check out the favorite stories of the people who favorite/review/follow my stories, so I am having a horrible time trying to read all of them! I still have 8 more author profiles waiting in my email inbox! *cries*...Now 9... *cries more*)