Once Upon a Wizard [Howl's Moving Castle Fanfic]

Chapter 6

Y/N stared out of the door at the rain pouring down around her friend, listening to the heart-wrenching sobs coming from the elderly woman. Y/N started to feel her own tears cascading down her face and she hastily wiped them away. Sophie just couldn't see how beautiful she was, even as an old lady. Y/N knew something that Howl and Sophie seemed to have forgotten. There was a beauty that could be held within a person's heart that shone out. Both of Y/N's new friends had the beauty of a kind heart, but neither seemed to be able to see it.

Just as Y/N was about to step out and comfort her friend, Markl ran up to her and tugged at her hand.

"Y/N! Y/N! Come on! Howl's in trouble!" Y/N turned to see Markl with tears in his eyes and he dragged her back up to where Howl was slouching on the hearth, the green slime starting to ooze everywhere. She sighed, wiping her tears once more and rolling up her sleeves.

"Well, let's get to work now, shall we."

"He's not dead, is he," Markl asked, following behind Y/N. 

She shook her head. "No. He's just a little out of it right now." 

The first thing she and Markl did was push Howl away from Calcifer so that the poor fire demon didn't have to worry about being extinguished by the slime. Then, after Y/N tied her hair up, she slipped one arm beneath Howl's shoulders and lifted him from the chair. Markl ran ahead to get some hot water running so that Howl could bathe properly. As they were walking up the stairs, or while Y/N was struggling to drag Howl along, she heard a dull splat on the ground behind her and turned around to see the towel that had been around Howl's waist, was now on the floor a few stairs down.

"Oh goodness," she muttered. She averted her eyes as she pulled Howl up the last few stairs, and as she handed him off to Markl, she shut her eyes tight.

"Make sure that he's properly cleaned up," she said. "Make sure that you dress him and get him into bed. I'll come by later to see how he's doing, all right?"

Markl nodded and before going to help Howl, he hugged Y/N tight. "Thank you, Y/N."

With Howl now out of the way, Y/N decided to leave the slime for the time being and go out to comfort her friend, who was still standing in the rain. The young woman paused in the doorway, smiling when she saw that Turnip Head had gone to comfort Sophie, giving Y/N the chance to deal with Howl.

"Sophie," Y/N called out as she approached the woman. 

Sophie turned and let loose another wave of sobs when she saw her friend, slick with rainwater, walking toward her with her arms outstretched. Sophie flew into Y/N's arms and buried her head in Y/N's shoulder, sobbing heavily while her friend comforted her.

"Oh, Sophie," Y/N whispered. "If only you could see yourself the way I see you. And the way that everyone else sees you."

"What do you mean," Sophie asked through the sobs. 

"You're beautiful, Sophie. I mean that even beyond your physical beauty." Y/N pulled away from the hug and wiped away the tears from her friend's eyes. "Your heart is the most beautiful that I've seen in all my life. And that shines through everything you do."

Sophie smiled. "Thank you, Y/N."

"Now," Y/N said, pulling her friend back toward the castle. "Let's get you back inside and warm you up with a cup of hot chocolate. Sound good?"

Sophie nodded. "That sounds wonderful."

The two women entered the house and Y/N helped Sophie sit down on her couch bed, before walking over to the kitchenette to make some hot chocolate for the two of them, and Markl. Y/N had found some hot chocolate powder the last time that she had been sorting through the kitchen cabinets, and they had an abundance of milk. Y/N took down a small saucepan from the wall and headed over to Calcifer.