Magic Man, SeongJoong

꧁•⊹٭𝙵𝚛𝚎𝚎٭⊹•꧂

Hongjoong was still falling, yet after saying the words to Howl, he was no longer scared. He said what he needed to, and although there was still things he needed to do, he took the steps back into the darkness slowly. With Heen by his side.

With each step, Hongjoong found that the red horizon from the sun was right behind him. And with every step he took, he found himself closer to tears. He wiped at his eyes, but nothing could rid of the salty streams on both his cheeks, and the wobble of his bottom lip.

"I'll walk there Heen." Hongjoong called out as the dog had successfully led their way back to the castle's door.

Hongjoong walked back through the veil of darkness, and into the bright light of a new day. He didn't feel like he had been gone for that long, but time was warped, so he wasn't surprised that the light of a new day had dawned. He was still in the mountain side, surrounded by half the castle's materials. Yet, that wasn't what had garnered his attention.

A large heap of grey and black feathers was sitting hunch over in the middle of all the chaos and destruction. How utterly hopeless he looked.

Hongjoong's heart was bright with happiness at just the sight of the feathers which cursed his wizard. His heart was happy to know he was living, and Hongjoong hadn't killed him. He was a sad sight to behold, yet Hongjoong felt his heart was finally back together. The young man walked forward, towards the bush of feathers. Howl's curse should've made him a complete bird, yet he was sitting there, two feet taller, and feathers sprouting out every inch of his skin.

Hongjoong delicately reached up, and moved the feather's from Howl's face. Seonghwa's eyes were looking straight at Hongjoong, slightly void of any emotion. The once smooth skin was littered with tiny feathers, and his eyebrows were turned into miniscule feathers too. He had dirt embedded in his skin, and a tiny splash of blood on one cheek. Despite everything, Hongjoong still thought he looked incredibly pretty.

"I'm sorry I took so long." Hongjoong apologised, and he stroked back the feathers some more, "You've been waiting all this time."

Hongjoong reached up on his tiptoes and placed a gentle kiss on the wizards cheek, hoping to reignite some passion and heart into the wizard. He didn't expect much to happen, after all, Hongjoong wasn't magical.

"Take me to Calcifer." Hongjoong whispered out.

He stood carefully on Howl's massive bird foot, and he watched in awe as the wings of the bird flew open and they started to take flight. Hongjoong thought about the 3 times Howl has made him fly, and each time it gets more out of control. Yet, he was serene as they flew because Hongjoong knew just what to do to fix all the trouble he had caused, and how to get Seonghwa back.

Hongjoong kept a careful eye on the surrounding hills, looking for half of the castle which had made it unscathed. They found half the castle, wandering over lone hills. It was without a roof, and without walls, so Hongjoong could see Yeosang, Jongho and the scarecrow on top. Howl gently swooped down and landed on the castle's last remaining legs.

"Hongjoong!" Yeosang sprung up at the intrusion, and hugged the young man.

Howl collapsed after landing safely, and his feather's dispersed from his body, flying in the wind. Left to lie on the floor was the human body of Howl. Hongjoong turned his body up right gently, and removed his unkempt hair from out of his face. He looked tired, hurt and worn down. Hongjoong would have to move fast.

"Is he dead?" Yeosang whispered, wringing his fingers together nervously.

"No no, he's fine." Hongjoong reassured even if he didn't know the truth. Scaring Yeosang would only make the situation more stressful.

Hongjoong stood up, and walked over to Jongho once more. The old man seemingly knew what Hongjoong was up to and turned the fire away from him. Hongjoong could only smile a little smile, as he crouched down to the old man's level.

"Grandpa." Hongjoong started softly.

"Don't look at me. I don't have anything." Jongho attempted, cunning even at his old age.

Hongjoong placed his arms around the old wizards neck, and squeezed softly. Perhaps his first attempt was a bit too forward, a bit to harsh. If he tried to beg, show that he would do anything, perhaps the old witch would consider again. Hongjoong knows this old witch has somewhat of a heart.

"Please." He whispered, pouring every solid emotion he has ever felt for the dying wizard into his plea.

"You want it that badly?" Jongho sadly asked, seemingly giving in to Hongjoong's pleas, "Oh well, in that case...You'd better take good care of it."

The old man opened his clenched hands and handed the blue dying flames to Hongjoong. In his hands, he now held Mingi, a dying Mingi who was in fact the heart of Seonghwa. He walked carefully over to Howl's body, and knelt beside him. He looked down at the blue flame, and gently smile at Mingi's determination to be alive.

"Mingi..."

A tired, worn out face mixed into the flames. Hongjoong could see just how hard Mingi had worked all through the night.

"Hongjoong, I'm all worn out." Even the fire's voice was deeper and rougher, Hongjoong pitied him.

"If I give Howl's heart back, will it kill you?" Hongjoong asked the flame, he hoped for good news through and through.

"Probably not, if you do it, Hongjoong." The sweet flame said, and Hongjoong smiled, "After all, we both survived the water you dumped on me."

"I'll try then." Hongjoong nodded, letting Mingi know what he was going to do but he had one last thing to say, "It's all fluttery and warm, like a bird."

A sweet juxtaposition. Being a unchangeable bird was a curse to the wizard, but his sweet little heart always fluttered like one. A bitter sweetness.

"It's still only a child's heart." Calcifer replied, and Hongjoong found it all the more sweeter. No wonder Hongjoong thought Mingi was child-like, and whiny, it was Howl's heart the whole time.

"May Mingi live a thousand years, and may Seonghwa recover his heart." Hongjoong whispered into the air.

He gently moved his hands closer to Howl's chest, moving his hands in order to place the flickering flames onto Howl. He pressed onto the fire gently, allowing Seonghwa's body to absorb the flames. Allowing him to absorb his heart, and reclaim what was once his.

Sudden flickers of light danced from Howl's chest and through Hongjoong's fingers, and into the air. A small blue ball of light, a fallen star, was rising in front of everyone's eyes, in clear daylight. Calcifer had risen out of the binds of his contract, out of Howl's grasp. A sudden cheery voice lifted the tense atmosphere.

"I'm alive! I'm free!" Calcifer cheered, and his body of glowing light danced around everyone, and finally zoomed off into the horizon.