"How- what-" Howl just stared at the three of us in awe as we sipped our tea. HAHAHAHA!! He looks so lost! I barely had time to register what was happening before Howl was upon my brother with an angry look. "Who sent you here?"

"Dude! Chill! It was some strange Airport lady! One minute I was hitting on her then the next minute I was here!" Danny raised up his hands in surrender. That was uncalled for and what the hell?!!

"Howl! This is my brother!!" I yelled back at the wizard. I saw his eyes go wide, and then he lowered his hands from my brother's shirt. "Please try to understand what we're saying. We didn't come here out of being bored, it's because someone dropped us off here!!"

"Yeah!" Danny got out of his grasp and stepped in front of me protectively. "For all I know, you've been keeping Amelia here as a slave! Perhaps make her into a goblin!" Okay, my guess was right on what he thinks happened to me.

Howl looked down at the floor, and I kinda felt bad. I didn't mean to yell at him like that! I sighed and walked over to the wizard as he stared down like a guilty child.

"I'm sorry." I apologized. "That was rude of me. You were simply worried and I threw it back into your face." That's when he looked back down at me with blue eyes; and I saw something swim in them.

Something new.

"Yada yada yada. What can a demon do to get hooked up with fire around here?!?" Calcifer complained as he slowly was dying. I laughed at his drama and tossed three or four logs onto his flame. We all stood in silence.

"Well!" Michael clapped his hands together as if to disperse the moment. "It's too dangerous for any of Amelia's family to be walking around anyway, so I guess Danny is staying with us!"

"Rad!" Danny pumped his fists into the air. "Wait- why is it dangerous?"

"Another wizard named Salazar is after my ass for who knows why." I shrugged. Like 'no biggie, just possible death.'

"Oh. Well then, sucks to be you." Danny smirked back. I gave him a smile.

~*~

The night soon came upon the Earth slowly and steadily. The moving castle was silent except for the soft sounds of snored and breaths. No light was found other than the light of Calcifer who even then, was growing dimmer as he slept.

Howl sat in the seat closest to the window; seeing out over the lake and to the silver moon. He took a sip of his tea calmly as he sighed.

What should I do? Howl turned his attention to the quick sound of feet on the stairs. Danny was there suddenly; a wild and frantic look on his face as he raced to the curtains under the stairway. Howl then watched as the man relaxed, and Amelia's tossing under the blankets quieted.

"Checking on your sister?" The wizard finally asked and Danny Starr jumped a little.

"Oh, uh," he scratched the back of his head causing tufts of brown to flop into his eyes. "I had a nightmare, that's all."

"If I'm permitted, about what?" Howl asked. After the day's incident, he wanted to know more about Amelia's family. One could say he was curious. A few months is how long this woman has been in Howl's life, and though she knew so much about him, there was little he knew of her.

"You know, you hear that fraternal twins have this bond that always keep them close? Well, Amy and I were like two peas in a pod." He avoided the question. And Howl almost wanted to applaud for how well he had done it.

"Was the nightmare about her?" He asked, and Danny physically flinched as if the question caused him harm. He looked away, and that was all Howl needed to know. "Are you scared of me?" The wizard stared him down calmly.

Shifting in place, Danny decided to sit at the table opposite.

"Yes."

"And why is that? Have you not seen all the good I've done for her?" Howl clenched his teeth in silent anger. Yet, both boys looked carefully to the sleeping woman under the staircase. Then they continued their conversation.

"You've helped her, yes, but I'm more scared of your power than I am of you." Danny explained. "She's hard on people in the department of trust, and due to that, I guess I've become very protective." He shrugged.

"And what about my power that scares you?"

"That's the thing; just the idea of it. It's when a little kid realizes there is a whole world outside of himself. Planets, solar systems, and, I don't know...it's a scary thought." Danny sighed heavily; taking his eyes from the dying fire to meet Howl's.

"I don't understand." Howl furrowed his eyebrows; gripping his cup a little harder. "The thought of power scares you?"

"Don't pull that bullshit with me." Danny' face panned out seriously. "You understand perfectly. From what I hear, that Salazar guy has the same status as you, and yet, you're scared of him."

Howl's eyes widened at Danny's words. Were they true? Did Salazar hold so much power after cutting down his beloved that Howl had decided to hide in a hole for the rest of his life?

"I'm right. And I know it." Danny yawned, stood up to shuffle to Amelia's bed once more, and after being sure of his sister's safety, he proceeded back upstairs. "That's why I'm scared you'll turn on her."

"I will protect her!" Howl blurted out as his anger boiled over. He himself didn't understand fully what he was promising. Who did this man think he was?!? He had to prove him wrong, no matter the circumstances.  "Just watch!"

"I'll know it when I see it, Howl Pendragon." Danny, for the first time, cracked a small smile towards the wizard before exiting the room altogether.

Then Howl was left alone once more.

The only comforting noise was the soft crackling of Calcifer and a rustling of Amelia. He placed a hand to his head as a feeling of nausea swept over him; a symptom quite new to him. What is happening? No magic could cure what Howl felt; yet how could he not know what it was?

More shuffling came from behind the purple curtains where Amelia slept. It was a restless, uncomfortable shifting, and to this Howl walked to see why.

"Amelia." He whispered softly, but she did not respond. He watched as her head tossed and turned in the state of a nightmare.

"Hmn..." She murmured indecipherable words. Howl pushed back some of his raven hair before pushing back the red hair to place his hand gently to Amelia's forehead.

"Sleep, and calm your mind...." He spell whipped quickly from his hand in a green light onto Amelia's form. Soon, the frantic actions of her subconcise slowed into a softer dream. He watched as the fear contorted on her face vanished into content.

"I will protect you." He promised the sleeping woman, "otherwise, how will I ever repay your kindness to an old, stubborn wizard such as me?"

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~Saturnthehero.