There and Back Again: A Howl's Moving Castle fic
By Calcifersgrl
Author's Note: Where are the Howl's Moving Castle fic?!? Well, this is going to be one of the firsts, I guess. Twinklestar: whereever you are, please do continue your HMC fic. I can't find it anymore! Well, your fic inspired me to write my own HMC fic.
I absolutely adore Sophie and Howl and the others from the Castle series, all of whom belong to Diana Wynne Jones (who is an absolutely wonderful author).
Please Read and Review. Tell me what you think! I honestly don't know what's going to happen here, so send ideas!
***
Chapter One: In which the Witch is back, and has a Conversation with Sophie
"You covet something that belongs to me, Miss Hatter," said a voice, "And I'm not going to rest until I get it back." The Witch glided out from behind the sulking shadows. Her voice was cool, husky like her former fire demon, Lily Angorian. Her hair was an improbably shade of black now, draped over one bony shoulder.
Sophie stared at her. "You're dead. Howl crumbled your heart. I saw it."
The Witch laughed. Snootily. Sophisticatedly. She sauntered over, looking very much the part of a court lady. "Quite true, Miss Hatter. Quite true. Heartless Howl crumbled my heart. But I don't need a heart to exist. I just needed a new body," she explained, coming closer and closer to Sophie. "You should know that. After all, Howl doesn't have a heart," she added, leeringly.
Sophie trembled, but stood her ground. She was no longer old, yet the looming bony woman in front of her caused that dratted heart of hers to bang against her chest, trying to jump out of her body. "He has a heart," she said, struggling to keep her calm. "I broke his contract with Calcifer. They're both free now. Howl has a heart; I gave it back to him."
"Does he now?" The Witch paused in her saunter, and regarded her coolly. Ice blue eyes flickered in her new face, a young, porcelain one. "I see you've given your heart to him."
Sophie reddened. She clenched her hands, desperately wishing she had her good luck stick with her. "That's no business of yours," she said determinedly. "You couldn't have his before, you can't have his now."
The Witch looked at her through cruel blue eyes. "Is that so?" Her corners of her mouth flickered up into a wry smile. "Is that what you think?" Then she threw back her head and laughed. A husky, throbbing voice. It reverberated and ricocheted off the walls.
Sophie swallowed. She'd always hated girls with beastly throbbing voices, especially Lily Angorian. Especially when she had thought Howl had been in love with that dratted fire demon. But she wasn't going to take this from the Witch. Especially from the Witch who was supposed to be dead.
"Young girl's love. Puppy love," boomed that loathsome voice scornfully. "You've given him your heart and yet, he hasn't given you his heart . . ."
"Yes he has," Sophie replied. "Howl said we were going to live happily ever after. He loves me."
"Love, if he could. But he can't. Do you want to know why? Because I've got him, Miss Hatter. I've ensnared him, and soon, I will get all of him."
"You can't," cried Sophie furiously. Her eyes narrowed at that mocking heart-shaped face. She glared ferociously ("That turned me to stone!" Howl had once replied) at the black sheets of hair swinging from underneath her broad black hat.
The Witch laughed again, not pleasantly, but rather hatefully and callously. "Isn't it funny that you can tell me what to do, Miss Hatter, when I can do what pleases me?" Then that porcelain face visibly tightened. "I've got him, and I'm going to get all of him. You won't stop me. You can't stop me."
"Not if I can help it," said Sophie between clenched teeth.
The Witch sneered. "That's the trouble, you can't help it, but I'd sure like to see you try." She tipped her hat, mockingly. "To save Howl, you'd have to give him up first, and I don't believe even you are capable of doing that, Miss Hatter."
And she was gone. Stepped side-ways into the shadows and vanished.
Sophie seethed inside. Her heart pounded inside its cage. "It's okay, heart," she told it, "You belong to Howl. Nothing's going to change that." But she couldn't deny something wasn't right. Something was wrong with Howl. There was something true that rang in the Witch's statement. It was an instinct deep down inside, and she knew something was wrong.
To save Howl, you'd have to give him up first, and I don't believe even you are capable of doing that, Miss Hatter.
"Well, I'll show her," said Sophie bitterly. "It IS puppy love. Howl falls in love with every girl he meets. And just because he has his heart back, he thinks that he's in love with me." She whipped her head around, looking for that mocking smile and cruel eyes. "I'm giving him up," she cried, proclaiming it for the Witch to hear. "You aren't going to have him," and then her voice got softer, a little broken and incoherent, "not if I can help it."
That's the trouble, you can't help it, But I'd sure like to see you try.
By Calcifersgrl
Author's Note: Where are the Howl's Moving Castle fic?!? Well, this is going to be one of the firsts, I guess. Twinklestar: whereever you are, please do continue your HMC fic. I can't find it anymore! Well, your fic inspired me to write my own HMC fic.
I absolutely adore Sophie and Howl and the others from the Castle series, all of whom belong to Diana Wynne Jones (who is an absolutely wonderful author).
Please Read and Review. Tell me what you think! I honestly don't know what's going to happen here, so send ideas!
***
Chapter One: In which the Witch is back, and has a Conversation with Sophie
"You covet something that belongs to me, Miss Hatter," said a voice, "And I'm not going to rest until I get it back." The Witch glided out from behind the sulking shadows. Her voice was cool, husky like her former fire demon, Lily Angorian. Her hair was an improbably shade of black now, draped over one bony shoulder.
Sophie stared at her. "You're dead. Howl crumbled your heart. I saw it."
The Witch laughed. Snootily. Sophisticatedly. She sauntered over, looking very much the part of a court lady. "Quite true, Miss Hatter. Quite true. Heartless Howl crumbled my heart. But I don't need a heart to exist. I just needed a new body," she explained, coming closer and closer to Sophie. "You should know that. After all, Howl doesn't have a heart," she added, leeringly.
Sophie trembled, but stood her ground. She was no longer old, yet the looming bony woman in front of her caused that dratted heart of hers to bang against her chest, trying to jump out of her body. "He has a heart," she said, struggling to keep her calm. "I broke his contract with Calcifer. They're both free now. Howl has a heart; I gave it back to him."
"Does he now?" The Witch paused in her saunter, and regarded her coolly. Ice blue eyes flickered in her new face, a young, porcelain one. "I see you've given your heart to him."
Sophie reddened. She clenched her hands, desperately wishing she had her good luck stick with her. "That's no business of yours," she said determinedly. "You couldn't have his before, you can't have his now."
The Witch looked at her through cruel blue eyes. "Is that so?" Her corners of her mouth flickered up into a wry smile. "Is that what you think?" Then she threw back her head and laughed. A husky, throbbing voice. It reverberated and ricocheted off the walls.
Sophie swallowed. She'd always hated girls with beastly throbbing voices, especially Lily Angorian. Especially when she had thought Howl had been in love with that dratted fire demon. But she wasn't going to take this from the Witch. Especially from the Witch who was supposed to be dead.
"Young girl's love. Puppy love," boomed that loathsome voice scornfully. "You've given him your heart and yet, he hasn't given you his heart . . ."
"Yes he has," Sophie replied. "Howl said we were going to live happily ever after. He loves me."
"Love, if he could. But he can't. Do you want to know why? Because I've got him, Miss Hatter. I've ensnared him, and soon, I will get all of him."
"You can't," cried Sophie furiously. Her eyes narrowed at that mocking heart-shaped face. She glared ferociously ("That turned me to stone!" Howl had once replied) at the black sheets of hair swinging from underneath her broad black hat.
The Witch laughed again, not pleasantly, but rather hatefully and callously. "Isn't it funny that you can tell me what to do, Miss Hatter, when I can do what pleases me?" Then that porcelain face visibly tightened. "I've got him, and I'm going to get all of him. You won't stop me. You can't stop me."
"Not if I can help it," said Sophie between clenched teeth.
The Witch sneered. "That's the trouble, you can't help it, but I'd sure like to see you try." She tipped her hat, mockingly. "To save Howl, you'd have to give him up first, and I don't believe even you are capable of doing that, Miss Hatter."
And she was gone. Stepped side-ways into the shadows and vanished.
Sophie seethed inside. Her heart pounded inside its cage. "It's okay, heart," she told it, "You belong to Howl. Nothing's going to change that." But she couldn't deny something wasn't right. Something was wrong with Howl. There was something true that rang in the Witch's statement. It was an instinct deep down inside, and she knew something was wrong.
To save Howl, you'd have to give him up first, and I don't believe even you are capable of doing that, Miss Hatter.
"Well, I'll show her," said Sophie bitterly. "It IS puppy love. Howl falls in love with every girl he meets. And just because he has his heart back, he thinks that he's in love with me." She whipped her head around, looking for that mocking smile and cruel eyes. "I'm giving him up," she cried, proclaiming it for the Witch to hear. "You aren't going to have him," and then her voice got softer, a little broken and incoherent, "not if I can help it."
That's the trouble, you can't help it, But I'd sure like to see you try.