Howl's Moving Castle: A Cursed Heart

Fan fiction

By

Magical Creator!

(Here I am again. So sorry I can't update faster, but I have my final exams and it's just too hard. But I promise I will do my best. I hope you like my story so far and I hope it got your interest. Now who is this Anna? And what's her problem with Howl? Do they know each other? Have they ever met before? I assure you, you will find out to the next chapters. Now back to the story! Enjoy! )

I DO NOT OWN HOWL'S MOVING CASTLE.

Chapter 2: Old Memories

Howl was sitting on his bedroom all alone. He had warned Calcifer to tell everyone not to disturb him, even to Sophie. He needed some time alone and he pleased Calcifer to make them understand that.

His body was laying on the soft bed and his chest was going up and down slowly. Old memories were filling his mind and he couldn't stop it, especially now that they were getting closer to the town. Last time he had been there was eight years ago. He never thought that he would go back again. He didn't know why he was going now either. Maybe it was because of that dream he saw.

The bad choices that were made once, soon will find you and get their payback. What did that old witch from his dream meant by this? He didn't know, but he couldn't risk it. He wanted to fix all of his past mistakes so that none of them will find him and destroy what he has now. He couldn't risk to lose Sophie by any chance. So he needed to start from somewhere. And he chose her. The worst one of all of his mistakes. He had to protect Sophie, he knew that for sure, what he didn't know was if he could protect himself. He still remembered how it felt with her and the sickness on his stomach raised as he was thinking of her face. With Sophie was different. He knew he loved her, he knew he had her, but with that girl... He wasn't sure for anything. The only thing he knew was that he wanted her. He never wanted something so bad before than her. And he was always getting what he wanted back then. Always! And even tho he had her, she didn't belong to him. He knew that and it was killing him. Even tho he was able every morning to see her smile, he knew that he wasn't the reason of her smile. He knew that he didn't had her. And now that he's going back, he didn't know how would react. What would he do if their eyes would meet again. He didn't know what she would do. After all, he was the one that destroyed her whole life.

He took a deep - deep breath and got up form the bed. He moved towards a painting on the opposite wall and got out of his pocket trousers a red small crystal. He looked at it and with hesitation brought it close to the small red jewelery that the painting had carved on it. In seconds the jewelery on the painting glowed and the picture opened in two pieces. There was a small wooden box placed inside the painting and Howl grabbed it before he closed it again and put the crustal back to his pocket. He sat on his bed for once more and opened up the box. There was an old picture inside of it. Howl looked at it for few seconds and grabbed it with his hand. His hand was trembling and his eyes had began to water. He felt his heart tighten and that sickness on his stomach was unbearable.

She was so beautiful in that picture. He was too. Both of them were and they looked so...happy. His mind went back to that day. To that year, to that moment when he looked into her eyes and realized she was was something more than his helper and friend.

Flashback

He was looking at her from head to toes and he was noticing all the small details on her beautiful face. She was biting her lower lip and she was frowning as she tried to light up a candle with her mind. Her short black – as a raven- hair were falling perfectly on her face covering her one eye. They were so unusual for a girl that time. Most of the girls used to have long hairs in ponytails or hair a little bit above the shoulder. But her hair were short behind and a little longer in front. They were unusual, unique but looked so perfectly gorgeous on her. They were messy and a little bit wavy and they smelled like cherry, like the rest of her. He had been with a lot of girls and women, with different cultures and morals, but never had found a girl like her. She was... different. And difference was really an attractive thing for him.

His smile was big enough to take the girl's attention.

" What am I amusing you?" she said annoyed. The smile on his face became even bigger and he made a negative gesture with his head.

" Then why are you smiling? Do you like watching me torturing myself?" she said with a frowned face and crossed her arms. Howl licked his lips once and made a few steps towards her.

" Torturing? I thought you liked magic" he said.

" I love magic." she made clear to him phrasing the word ''love''.

" Then what's the problem?" he asked letting his blond hair fall on his face. The girl sighed and put a disappointed look on her face.

" I can't light it up. And if I can't light up a simple candle then I can't and won't be able to do anything more" Howl smiled admiringly at her words. He admired of how passionate she was and how humble.

" You haven't got the slightest idea of what you are capable of, of the things that you can do." he started saying. The girl raised up her look and stared into his eyes as Howl was getting closer to her. He took a piece of her hair and placed it softly behind her ear and then he looked deep into her green eyes. " You have such power inside of you, it is almost scary. You are unbelievably good at this, you just have to relax. Relax, you have it in your blood, you just have to stop pushing yourself and let it come natural. You have it in you, now you have to believe it." he said at her with his smooth words that made her smile.

" Do you really believe that?" she asked him.

" Oh trust me. I believe that more than you do!" he smiled and the girl laughed. " Now" he said moving behind her and placing both of his hand on her bare shoulders. He could say very easily that her hair were smelling like cherry as he was standing exactly behind her and in a position very close to her head. He moved his face close to hers so that she could hear him whispering. He pulled her hair to the side "Remember, close your eyes" the girl closed her eyes "take a deep breath" and so she did " you have it in you, you just have to believe it and it will come natural." her chest was going up and down very slowly and her pulls were intense " Open your eyes" he finally whispered to her and so she did.

The moment she opened her eyes a small flame was created on the candle. Her smile was so big the moment she faced it.

" I did it! I lighted it up!" she said with so much excitement. " I can't believe it. I did it!" she repeated again all happily.

" I told you!" Howl said proudly at her.

" Unbelievable!" she said as she she played with the fire and looked at it like it was a miracle.

" You're unbelievable!" he said meaning it. The girl turned and looked Howl into his sparkling eyes.

" You know Howl... In moment like this one... I don't regret at all that I left home and left everything behind me for this. You're worth all of it" that was the first moment that her words touched him. He knew that he admired him, but this...This was so deep for him. No one has ever told him a thing like that. She was the first one and he could say that she meant every single thing for it, her eyes told him that. That moment he knew...he would never want to let her go.

End Of Flashback

" Howl?" Sophie's voice put him out of his thoughts. His heart was pounding very fast and he was feeling an emptiness inside him and a pain that he couldn't describe. He put the picture back into the box and locked it into the portrait. It has been there for eight whole years and even more. It was today, that after so long he finally looked at it.

" Howl, food is ready!" Sophie reminded him again. Howl cleared his throat.

" I'm coming love." he said loudly and took a deep breath before he opens the door. Before he closed it, he took a last look inside his room and sighed one last time. The door was closed and he was ready to get down the stairs. He straightened his back, took a breath and put on his fake smile and climbed down the stairs.

(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)

They saw it...

Howl's Moving Castle...

He's back Anna...

Haven't you got tired of being like that?...

How could you say that? Ask for his help?...

He did this to me...

Maybe he changed...

Monsters don't change...

Give him a chance...

Anna closed her eyes and tried to put those words out of her mind. She looked outside of the window watching the sun going down. She looked over the calendar that it was placed opposite on the white wall. Eight more days to come, she thought worried. In eight days the Blue Moon was about to rise and she was getting more concerned as the days were passing. At the end of every fifth month of every year, the Blue Moon appeared on the sky and that's when her curse got activate. That day, on that specific night, when the Blue Moon's light fell on her, the worst nightmare, the thing that everyone in town feared got awaken. And it was too painful to know that, that thing was her. She couldn't stand that, 'cause that moment she's changing into something worse than the devil and after the hell passed, she returned to her old self. And that's the worst part, 'cause as long as she was that thing she didn't know what she was doing, she wasn't realizing, but then next day she was seeing all the damage she's done. That's the part that hurt the most, 'cause that's the moment when she's witnessing the monster that she has been the last night

And he did this to her... He did this to her! He forced her going through all that hell for eight whole years.

Maybe he changed...

Give him a chance...

" Damn you Kate" she said to herself. She rubbed her eyes and sighed in frustration. She took one last look outside the window and then stood up form her sit. With hesitating steps moved over to her bed and nailed down on her knees. She reached her hand to grab one small silver box that it was underneath the bed. Anna sat on her bed, crossed legs and opened up, the box. The moment she faced its inside she took a very deep breath and closed her eyes. She made a move to close the box but she regretted it. She grabbed, with smooth moves, the small box of matches and a small bag that had gray dust in it. She threw the dust carefully on her bed and lighted up a match.

" One...Two...Three... Appear!" she whispered and threw the lighten match on the dust. The whole dust got on fire and in seconds it made a small explosion appearing a very beautiful shining necklace.

It was one of the most beautiful necklaces her eyes had ever witnessed. It had one golden thin chain that was placed through a small golden angel who was holding a small ruby heart with both of his hands. She took it carefully on her shaking hands and felt her heart pounding very loud. She hadn't seen it in years. All this time she knew she had it but she never wanted to see it. And now...Now she remembered... She remembered of how happy she used to be once. Her mind rushed through her old memories. That time, that day, that year...When everything was just perfect for her.

Flashback

She was sitting in front of the table, waiting impatiently for Howl to return when suddenly the door opened and he got in. He looked like a mess and she got scared for a moment, but then she saw him smiling at her and she relaxed a little.

" What happened?" she asked concerned removing his cape.

" Nothing- to worry about" he struggled to say as he sat on his chair next to the fire that Calcifer was making.

" It doesn't seem like nothing." she sighed as she sat opposite of him. " You should have let me come with you." she said, feeling really sad of watching him in pain. His hair was a mess, he was smelling awful but above all, he was wounded on his right arm. The moment Anna saw it she gasped and ran immediately to find the first aid kid box.

" Ouch! That's a- That's a pretty deep cut Howl" she said while she was studying his injury. Howl sighed in pain as she took care his wound.

" It's just a scratch" he said resting his head at the back of the chair.

" Don't pretend the tough guy to me Howl, that must hurt. What the hell happened out there?" Anna asked as she wrapped the piece of blouse around his cut.

" Next time I'll tell you."

" Next time I'll come with you" she said determinedly.

" No way!" he raised his voice " You're not ready yet and I'm not risking getting you hurt"

" I'm pretty sure I'm capable of caring myself" she said looking into his eyes.

" This is magic we're talking about. If you're not ready and wise enough, you can be easily killed." he said clearly to her.

" Am I not wise enough?" she closed the first aid kid box and put it on the side with frustration.

" Not enough for this. You are wise, but not in a point where you can handle whatever there is out there. And I'm not risking of you getting harmed." he said with closed eyes and relaxed voice.

" Well- I'm not risking of losing you either." she said and made Howl open his eyes and formed a small smile on his lips.

" You're not gonna lose me" he smiled.

" Not so sure anymore. Not if every time that, that door opens you will come in and being covered all with blood and injuries." she said to him full concerned and she frowned. Howl turned his face to see that the girl opposite him was looking on the ground, worried. His smile became even bigger to the thought that she's worrying about him getting hurt.

" Hey" he said touching her chin with his fingers making her look at him. " I'm not going anywhere." he assured her.

" Promise?" she asked with sparkling eyes.

" Promise" he whispered and pitched her nose making her chuckle.

End Of Flashback

A tear dropped form her eyes as her mind was rushing through the thoughts of the past. She had a stranger feeling inside her, an unknown pain that she hadn't felt before.

You promised, she whispered to herself. She wiped away her tears and went in front of the mirror. She look at her reflection and made a move to put on the necklace...but she stopped.

" No... Not today!" she said to her reflection and put the necklace on the box and placed it underneath the bed. She lay down on her bed, closed her eyes and let one last single tear to fall.