"I don't un-derstand" The ghastly, sweating witch stuttered as she tried to pull her rolls of figure up the next set of steps, "how have you got so much energy?"

"Brimming with youth remember?" You turned back and scowled at her, Howl still making little of a fuss in your arms, the old tail of the dog wagging against your upper arm. "why don't you call it a day? You can't make it."

You carefully set Howl down, even more irritated he'd picked an animal with such a misleadingly heavy weight to transform into. A breeze rushed over the steps, blowing a gentle cool breeze on the back of your neck that was beaded with little droplets of sweat. It was a wonderful contrast from the warm sun shinning agains the back of your neck and causing a dull numbing in the back of your head.

"Its been.. 50 years now! Since they drove me out of here!"

"Oh yes I've done well to remember your endless ranting, oh glorious witch of the wasteland" You yelled over your shoulder, your voice thick with garish sarcasm.  Regaining your hold of the old dog, you carried him up another 15 steps before you had to put him down. He seemed rather oblivious to what you were talking about, perhaps he had accidentally chosen a dog without a sense of hearing.

The witch's thick black fur coat couldn't have been doing her much help as it dragged behind her, with the weight of the animals that she'd probably taken the souls out of when she made it. "Then you know.. how long.. I've been longing for this day! Help me (Y/n)!"

Your fist graced the side of your hip as the beautiful fabric adoring your figure, your hair, tied in a messy bun on top of your head, with two strands of hair falling either side of your face. "I can't. I'm not much good at cardio" Reaching your arms out towards the dog, you huffed, "kind of need a heart for that I suppose".

"You awful girl! Next time I'll take your magic too!"

By this time you had finally reached the top of what seemed like a set of endless marble steps. Finally, you were at the entranceway to the palace where you were supposed to go and meet this supposed King.

"Hurry up then" You said back to her, before your gaze returned to the fashionably dressed butler that had begun to march towards you. "Aren't you going to help her?" You said blatantly, your eyebrows in a naturally trained stance of timid accusation.

His tweezer-thin moustache seemed to curl upwards with his charming but pudgy smile, "I'm afraid we are forbidden from assisting anyone".

You cleared your throat, brushing your bottom lip with your top teeth as you studied him, "well that's just poppycock. The king himself invited her".

While your destain for your former teacher and guardian ran strong like the blood coursing slowing through your faded veins, you had always been a reasonably well-mannered, and frankly, kind person. So you couldn't help but feel upset that such an abled gentleman was not going to forgo a rule in order to help a lady in need. Even if that lady was the tormenting witch of the waste.

The square was so lively, like this was such an ordinary sunny day in the town of the palace. So when you stood so far up the steps looking down on it all, you couldn't help but pity the ignorance of those ordinary people. Meanwhile, your old teacher was almost to the top step, "and you call yourself a witch". As she looked up at you with beady eyes, made even more startling to look at as they were framed with green eyeshadow, she replied shortly in insult.

Another thing you noticed, much to your surprise, was how much she seemed to hunch over now since making it to the top. How her hair seemed more mattered, and lacking the vibrance of her former sunset colours.

"You look older.." You mumbled, but quickly righted your posture and followed the servant as you, the old dog, and the witch, were welcomed into the reception hall. You couldn't help but laugh to yourself a little, my my, sometimes my life feels like one of those old story books.

Shaking your head, you looked up as your 'name' was announced upon your arrival, "Madame Pendragon, and the Witch of the Waste". 

The old woman at your side was still panting, like a prized race horse having just done its final course. "Pull yourself together would you?" You grumbled at her, tapping your fingers over her hand and cringing a bit of how your fingers almost drummed like glass against her wrinkled skin. 

Withdrawing your arm from the thick, plastic aura that stretched over the ever-raging witch, you looked up instead at the palace entranceway.

Every fixture seemed to be decorated with gold-painted decor, stain-glass paintings of no particular illustration aligned the tops of the large walls.

"Pendragon? Why does that sound so familiar?" The witch breathed out, her voice hoarse from her subsequent lack of air, and she doubled over even more. You quickly shot your eyes down to Howl who were trudging along at your side, his tail ever wagging.

Oh heavens, what lie can I come up with? You tried desperately to attract Howl's help, your eyes wide and hopeful as you walked side by side with the old dog. He gave no visible reaction, "aren't you just hopeless".

"Hm?" The older woman butt in, but thankfully didn't hear much of what you had said.

Rushing for an answer, you looked down at your feet, and your magical boots. "My husband is a tailor, perhaps he had to make one of those hats you adore so much, though I pity the man if he ever had to deal with you in person".

"He is?" The witch seemed so tired as she was ushered a little ahead of you towards a large room off to the side, "perhaps that is where I've heard it then. I do really like those ruffle hats".

"Please wait in here" The servant gestured for you to move into the room, and the witch was especially grateful for the seat waiting for her in the centre as she collapsed onto it. The doors closed behind you, and you were left inside to wonder what was going to happen next.

Suddenly the scrambling of feet and ever-gentle wheezing caught your attention as Howl took off and bounded happily around the corner. 

"Howl!" You whisper-yelled, desperately going after him while trying not to be perceived by the witch who's chair faced away from you. "Where do you think you're going?"

The ring seemed tight on your finger, and you pushed through the dull pressure of the bruises on your feet as you stopped at a wall where you imagined Howl must have stopped, and it opened into an antique-looking elevator.

Inside, absurdly, stood a young boy of astounding resemblance to Howl. Such pretty, soft-grey eyes, in that neat head of bright blonde hair. "You-you look just like--"

"This way madame" The boy stepped to the side to allow you entry into the small elevator room, bowing his head and closing his eyes politely during the gesture. 

The way he moved, it was almost mechanical, but barely enough to tempt the eyes of the untrained. But for you, you noticed how his blinks were so methodical, and his fingers never moved without reason. A living doll.

When the elevator stopped, you followed the life-sized doll out into a short corridor, where you emerged into the most beautiful, large greenhouse. A shimmering glass ceiling let in the sunlight that brought hundreds of plants and flowers to live in the large room. And over the side, next to a large panel of glass, was an ornate, high-backed beige wheelchair.

The young Howl doll politely asked you to wait, and you stopped on the shimmering tile as you first noticed the elderly woman sitting in the chair. She followed the movements of the little boy, not once looking at you, and had him take a sheet of parchment she then signed on the small table beside her chair.

"So, I understand you're Howl's wife?" The woman gently took off her reading glasses and set them onto her lap. 

Your shoulders tensed a little, but you took a gentle breath out of your nose to calm yourself down, and nodded, "yes, my last name is Pendragon".

"You must be tired from all of those steps, why don't you take a seat?"

Almost conveniently, you just noticed the chair just across from the wheelchair. It wasn't as elegant, but it was made with handmade, beautifully-woven cushions, and a polished oak frame.

You nodded kindly, brushing a modest smile over your face and lifted your dress just a little in order to sit down without crinkling too much of the lovely, blue dress Howl had given you to wear.

The woman's eyes seemed to train on your magic boots, though normal in appearance, before your dress covered most of them once again.

"I am Madame Sulivan, his majesty's head witch" The well-dressed woman smiled, she had a large necklace of opals around her neck over her red dress. There was a huff and you spotted Howl, well at least, the dog, laying comfortably underneath the madame's side table.

It didn't seem like something Howl would do, which immediately sent a faint chill of nerves down your spine. If this isn't Howl, where was he?

"That dog.." You began, trailing off as you started searching the room for another animal. Perhaps that pigeon had flown over was in face Howl in disguise.

Madame Sulivan hummed in recognition of the old hound by her feet, "ah you mean Heen?" She grasped her witch's staff, "yes he does errands for me. I asked him to escort you".

"Of course" You relaxed back into the chair a bit as you bit the inside of your mouth, your hands falling over one another. 

"Howl will not be joining us then?" She raised her eyebrows, and it felt like she was looking down on you.

A cocky smile seemed to warrant the corner of your lips, "he sends his wife to make excuses. My husband would be utterly useless to his majesty" you said with confidence, waving your hand gently across the air.

She curled her arm and leaned into her hand with a frown, muted wrinkles lining her forehead. "What a shame.. he was my last apprentice, such marvellous gifts my young student had".

"Yes I imagine your appreciation of him" You felt a twinge of unsettle, but you couldn't quite place it, "given you're... little dolls".

"So you noticed they weren't alive? You must be gifted like your husband Mrs Pendragon, you're the first to have noticed their peculiar resemblance. I got the likeness quite well didn't I?" Madame Sulivan seemed to fizzle with delight at the idea of her clones being such a wonderfully powerful creation of hers. "I had rejoined in finally finding a worthy heir before he abandoned his studies".

You scowled a little, gosh all these old witches are alike. So self-absorbed. 

"If only that demon hadn't taken his heart.. he wouldn't have abandoned me" Her silver hair was done neatly, and didn't even move as she dropped her head slightly into her hand.

You were startled, you imagined it must've been a woman who'd broken his heart, because people often used broken hearts as useless excuses, "People do funny things without a heart, but as I said, he would be useless to his majesty".

"Still using his magic for purely selfish desires" She shook her head. "Mrs Pendragon, that boy is dangerous" she said, leaning forward towards you.

That was it, you'd had enough of this woman and her rude presence, who was she to talk down to Howl so poorly? Like the witch of the waste back spitting her foul words in her face again.

"I assure you, my husband is no such thing".

"His power is too great for someone without a heart--"

"I manage just fine.." You cut yourself short with a pause in breath, failing to let slip anything more about yourself, "we, we manage just fine. Dealing with this together".

"If he continues down this path, he will end up like the witch of the waste" Madame Sulivan looked back over towards a corner of the greenhouse, "bring her over here".

You looked around the back of your chair, and were shocked to see the witch of the waste, an elderly woman with glassy eyes compared to her precious fashion. She had ages so quickly, but had shrunk to nearly half of your height. As she crouched on the little wheeled cart the Howl doll had pushed her over on, and parked her next to your chair.

"What happened to you!?" You reached over and pushed up her large, black fur hat up. The witch couldn't even meet your eyes as she stared off towards the ground, or perhaps, nothing at all.

Madame Sulivan's expression didn't even change, "I restored her to her real age". She gestured to how the witch was doubled-over on the little wheel cart. "All of her powers are gone as well, we took them from her".

You looked quickly back up at her, a distorted look of shock on your face as you had gotten out of your chair to help the old witch try to sit up. "Why did you do this?"

"Once a time she was a magnificent witch. Even caught the eyes of your husband in his youth".

You held back your snarl, "how kind of you to say" you said sarcastically. 

"Then she made a bargain with a demon" Suliman exhaled dramatically, in such disapproval of the woman so obviously older than her. "That demon consumed her body and soul, long, long ago".

You put your hand on the witch of the waste's shoulder, even though your other hand was balled in a tight fist. "If you're telling me some fairytale of the waste, I must inform you, unlike my husband I've outgrew fairytales".

"Listen to me, Mrs Pendragon" She said sternly, "Our kingdom can no longer afford to turn a blind eye to disruptive witches and wizards. If Howl comes to serve the kingdom, I will teach him how to break free from his demon" Her staff clutched firmly, "If not, I'll strip him of his powers as I have taken hers".

You stamped your foot, and sparks flew out from under your dress, "Shut up!" You said abruptly, and struggled to pull together a polite manner of speaking after having had to listen to this apparent 'wise-old-witch' for so long already. "Now I understand why Howl refused to come here...Something's not right". 

You looked over towards the Howl dolls as they began to move towards them through the garden. The old woman at your side began pulling gently on your dress and cooing like an old lady looking at birds.

"You forced your aged guests to climb stairs, dragging them into strange rooms.. only to lead them into a trap" You shook your head at her, "and you call Howl heartless?". 

Madame Sulivan was perplexed at your change in nature from the timid girl who'd first entered her greenhouse.

"Yes, he's selfish, cowardly and unpredictable" You snapped at her, "but he only wants to be free. Howl won't turn into an evil monster. He'll battle his demon on his own. I believe in him!"

Suliman smiled, "Mrs Pendragon... you really are in love with Howl"

"I--" You snapped your jaw closed. What?

Look who's back! I loved writing this chapter and I'm going to finish the plot of this movie so this will be my first completed Wattpad book. GET EXCITED EVERYONE!

This is my longest chapter yet!