Just so you guys know, I don't write Howl's Moving Castle fanfics with the witch or Hein, so it's mostly based on the book, except I prefer Markl over Michael. Just so you don't get confused

~Sophie~

"Whew! Today was a long day. I'd thought I'd never make it home!" Howl dramatically said as he finished taking off his white shirt and laid down on the bed with his beautiful wife Sophie. He had spent most of the day working with Sullivan at the King's castle, even thought when all was said and down, it was only a simple locating spell that he had been asked to perform. Who was the King trying to find you ask? Well who else but the one man who disappears from the King more then any one else in the kingdom: Prince Justin. Yet again the young prince and king got into yet another fight and instead of solving that problem like the men they biologically are, the King yelled and the Prince 'ran away,' yet again. How on earth Sullivan couldn't have found him herself was beyond Howl, because it turned out that the prince had locked his room with magic and just hid there for the day.

"For the royal family, they sure are off the wall," Sophie commented after Howl told her, in detail, every little detail of the entire annoying ordeal.

"You can say that again, Cariad," Howl wrapped his arms around Sophie's waist and kissed her neck, "But now it's just you and me," Howl whispered seductively, followed by a nibble on her ear. Sophie responded with a moan and turned around in Howl's arms, wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him passionately on the lips. Howl growled and was just about to beg entrance into her mouth when a soft knock startled them.

"Sophie! Will you get me a glass of water? I'm really thirsty!"

"*Sigh* Alright Markl, wait for me downstairs, okay?" An annoyed Sophie reluctantly got out of bed, after Howl begged her not to go, and went downstairs. Markl was sitting by Calcifer on the hearth when she arrived and jumped up and followed her.

Sophie opened to cupboard and pulled out a small glass for the bouncing young boy and began walking to the sink, when she heard a barking sound.

"Markl, cut it out. It's too late for playing around."

"But Sophie, I'm not-Whoa! Look Sophie! It's a dog!'

"Don't be silly Markl, there isn't a dog-" she turned around just in time to see that in fact, there was a dog in there main room. It was yellow and didn't look like it was from this world. But Markl didn't seem to care because he took off after the dog when a dark swirl emerged and the dog took off running into it. Markl followed and they both disappeared into the black vortex in their main room.

"Markl!" Sophie shouted, but he was already gone. Without thinking, her mothering instincts kicked in and she took of running into the dark portal, ignoring Calcifer shouting at her not to go.

The feeling was so strange, stranger than when Howl took her flying over Upper Folding. Despite for being a black hole, nothing about the place she was in now felt evil. In fact, she didn't feel anything. This strange place was filled with light, swirling colours but no walls. There didn't even seem to be a floor, yet there she was, standing on thin air. Sophie looked up and saw across from her was Markl disappearing through another black vortex. Timidly, she took and deep breath and took a step forward, and was relieved that she didn't fall down into the pretty colours. So she summed up all her courage and ran after where Markl last was.

She felt a warm breeze and could hear water running somewhere nearby. She slowly opened her eyes, and was met with a stunning scene. She was standing in the middle of a indented stone octagon. There was water flowing out of four of the walls and into a small garden bed. Two of the sides, directly across from another, held a rising stone pathway that led into what looked like a rows of houses built next to each other tightly. They were paint in bright colours of orange, brown, tan, and yellow. There was many plants here, crawling up the walls, growing in garden beds and flower baskets.

The town made Sophie speechless. It was the most beautiful town she had ever seen, even though it wasn't like Port Haven or Kingsbury.

Suddenly she heard a barking sound coming from the side on her left.

"Markl! I'm coming!" Sophie took off to where she heard the noise, hoping Markl was with the dog.

~Howl~

"Howl! Howl! Wake UP!" Calcifer shouted, after watching both Markl and Sophie disappear into the strange dark vortex that was still in the corner of the room.

Howl came running down the stairs after hearing Calcifer shouting, expecting something had happened to Sophie or Markl, only to find when he entered the main room that only Calcifer was there. Panic-stricken, Howl searched the room with his eyes for the two missing family members, he quickly double checked the black swirling hole in the corner of the room but could not find Sophie or Markl.

"Calcifer. Where is Sophie and Markl?" The worry in his voice shining through every word.

"Howl! Thank god! You're not going to believe this! A black hole just formed and this weird looking yellow dog walked out of it and then Markl saw it and ran after it and then Sophie saw Markl and ran after him! And I can't tell where the black hole came from or if Sophie and Markl are in trouble!"

"WHAT! THEY went in THAT THING! Howl's jaw practically fell to the floor. He felt like sliming or passing out, he couldn't tell which. All he knew was that his family could be in trouble.

"Calcifer! Come on! We're going to go get them back!" Calcifer jumped out of his hearth and onto Howl's shoulder. Then Howl took off into the dark portal.

(Howl and Calcifer go through the same thing that Sophie went through, I just don't feel like typing all that out again)

"Where are we?"

"I… I don't know…"

"We didn't come through into another world did we?"

"I don't know Calcifer. There's something odd about this world. I don't think we're in Ingary anymore. In fact, I don't think we're even in the same world."

"What? You can't be serious. If this is another world, than Sophie and Markl could already be dead." Calcifer stopped when he noticed Howl's face instantly flinched and cringed at the thought of the love of his live dead. "Sorry…"

"It's… fine. Lets just focus on finding them now."

And with that, Howl and Calcifer decided to take the path into the stone town on the right. Normally Howl would have used his magic to find Sophie and Markl, but he couldn't be sure if this town was used to magic or not. His hometown of Wales did not believe in magic so he decided not to take the chance at finding out the hard way.

They walked around corner after corner until they reached a part of the town where there was a larger opening when suddenly a puff of bluish green smoke appeared and a tall old man with a long white beard and dressed in all blue materialized a few feet away from them. The old man dusted himself off and then mumbled about being late and being on time for something. Howl and Calcifer exchanged looks and then watched as the man walked away from them, still not noticing that they were standing there, and went inside what they assumed was his house.

Surprised by the fact that the man was indeed a wizard, Howl and Calcifer decided to follow him. They opened the door and found the old man setting a book down on a tall table at the end of the room. Calcifer glanced at Howl to see how he was going to go about this. Howl was just about to tap the man on the shoulder when he disappeared in another puff of greenish yellow smoke. The action startled Howl and he jumped a foot back. Calcifer just stared wide eyed at where an old man once stood.

"Umm… Okay, what now?"

"Maybe you could start with what you are doing here?"

The voice startled Howl and Calcifer. Howl jumped around and was face to face with the old man. His long nose just centimeters from touching Howl's nose.

"My my, now how is it that you have a fire on your shoulder without catching on fire?" The old man spoke with a surprisingly cheery voice, not at all the way Howl was expecting him to sound. Not many people would sound 'cheery' after they found two strangers in their house.

"Ah well, you see we….we aren't from here. In fact, would you be able to tell us where we are exactly? Because I'm trying to find my wife and my apprentice," Howl explained to the fellow wizard.

"A young woman and a small boy, you say? Hmm… well, other than the towns people, I haven't seen any newcomers. Perhaps, if I may be so bold, offer you assistance on the matter? Seeing as neither of you two don't know which way is which in this town."

"Yes! We would so much appreciate that!" Calcifer jumped into the conversation. "I'd rather not get lost here when we have no idea where here is," eyeing Howl as he started to make a move to protest, more than likely going to say something like 'I am a great and powerful wizard! I don't need help finding my wife!' or 'I can find my wife perfectly well on my own!'

"Right, well then, off we go!" Again, he disappeared in a puff of purplish blue smoke, only this time he took Howl and Calcifer with him.

When they reappeared, they were at the gate of a long stone staircase that was outdoors and lead up to huge, brilliant castle that had towers pointing every which way. Some of the towers were even floating next to the castle, by magic Howl assumed, happily noting that this world's magic was not so different from his world's magic.

"Now, if anyone can help you find your wife and apprentice, it would be Ansem the Wise. He is a respected sage and our ruler. Come along now! No need to keep him waiting."

"Who would we be keeping him waiting? He doesn't even know we're here!" Calcifer shouted after the old wizard as he ascended up the long stone staircase.

"Ah, Ansem knows everything. Which is why I'm certain if anyone can help you, it would be him." On the note, the wizard continued his ascend, not bothering to see whether or not his new followers were behind him.

Howl sighed and quickly caught up to the old wizard, surprised by how nimble he was. 'He kinda reminds me of Sophie when she was older.' Howl couldn't help but chuckle at the thought, but quickly switched his emotions to worry as he thought of Sophie.

"So, I never asked your name good wizard," Howl asked as he finally caught up with the nimble old man. But was startled when he turned around swiftly.

"I'll have you know that I am not a wizard! I am a magician! I graduated from my wizard apprenticeship over forty years ago young man! Something I see you haven't done," the response was so vibrate that Howl would've normally kept his mouth shut, however, the fact that the magician knew that Howl himself was a wizard made his curiosity peak.

"How did you know I am a wizard? I since I arrived in this world I haven't used magic once."

"I'm a magician, young man. I know a wizard when I see one."

And on that note they continued to Ansem the Wise's castle, hopefully for answers.