I swing open the back door to the shop, I race to the front door and open it to see the destruction of my hometown and I step out onto the street to see buildings engulfed in roaring flames that reach up into the dark night sky. I look around to see people crying and yelling out in fear, I hear the sound of hissing, I turn my head sharply over my right shoulder to see the King's soldiers turning into those blob things. "There are bombs falling on us! Why don't you go put fires out instead!" I yell at them as they make their way towards me as I jump inside the shop closing the door behind me, I lock the door trying to slow them down.
I run back to the back door and close that one as well as I hear the sounds of glass breaking as I get the back door shut. I rush out into the courtyard as a shadow crosses over us, I look up gasping to see a battleship above us and seems to be getting ready to drop a bomb on us. I press myself closer to the wall as I look up into the sky at the battleship as a bomb hurtled towards us. I felt the age old myth of my life flashing before me as it got closer and closer. Suddenly a dark object attaches itself to the bomb as it continues to fall towards us, as it gets closer I can make out feathers and it becomes clear what it was or rather who it was. "Howl! No!" I cry out to him, I feel tears fall down my face at the thought of him dying too. Another bomb explodes somewhere around the house, the impact of the blast held me further into the wall for support as stones and sticks go flying around me, I tuck head into my arms and face the walls to protect my face. It stops and I turn around to hear the sound of rustling behind me."Howl!2 I yell out happy to see him, I run over into his arms, I snake my arms around his neck embracing him closer to me. "You're alright!" I look at him to see his wings are crumpled as they slowly curl around us both, I look down on the ground to see the bomb still in one piece thanks to Howl.
"I'm sorry, Serena. I should have gotten here sooner." He rasps out of breath, his bright blue eyes becoming dimmer as they look down at me.
"You're alive! Oh, thank goodness!" I smile as I nuzzle into his chest feeling his warmth as he runs his fingers through my messy mud coloured hair. He wraps his arms tightly around me and starts to lead back inside, as the blob men following behind us slowly forming into human type figures still rounded and they were still wearing green suits as they try to reach us. We make it through the door as the blob men do too but are forcefully push away by Howl's magic.
"Master Howl! Serena! You're okay!" Markl cheers, as Howl sets me down on a chair, Markl wiggles out of Sophie's hold running towards me and jumps up into my lap, I wrap my arms around him in comfort as she too comes over to me putting her arms around my shoulders. Howl walks over to Cal, he moves his hand over Cal and extracts an ink black blob out of Cal's mouth, it explodes into sparks by his magic.
"Calcifer! You hang in there, now." Howl tells him, he walks off over to The Witch of The Waste with his hand pressed to his chest. "Tell me, was that cigar a gift from Madam Suliman by any chance?" He asks her, she blows the smoke from the cigar around his figure.
"Howl, she fed me something gross. I feel sick." Cal groans, gagging in disgust.
"Why, if it isn't Howl. I think you and I need to have a nice, long, heart to heart chat." The Witch says, lounging back in her chair, with her chin on her knuckles.
"There's nothing I'd like more than that, but right now there's a war going on." He tells her with a sweet smile, he holds out his hand out to her. She blows out one more buff of smoke, before crushing the cigar into Howl's outstretched hand, it flares with magical sparks.
"How unlike you, Howl, not running away anymore." She smirks at him.
"Until later, then." He says, closing his hand around the remains of the cigar, with a bow to the Witch. He turns to the rest of us, as Markl was still in my lap hugging my waist and Sophie was hugging my neck, he takes my hand in his, looking into my eyes. "Stay here. Calcifer will protect you from the henchmen. I'll stand guard out front." He says, shifting around us then glides over to the door, I jump out of the chair putting Markl on the chair and race over to Howl.
"Howl, wait! It's too dangerous out there!" I cry as I bury my face into his back, embracing him as if it would be the last time.
"Another wave is coming." He tells me, turning his head. "And Calcifer 's too weak to stop the bombs."
"Then let's run! Don't fight them, Howl!" I plead with him.
"Sorry. I've had enough of running away, Serena. Now I've got something I want to protect. It's you." He claims I gasp as he turns around kissing my quickly on the lips, making me loosen my grip on him and he flies off outside.
"No! Come back!" I yell out to him, I run after him outside, I look up at the sky where he soars off to, to keep us all safe. I lower my gaze to the shop to see the blob men reforming again, I nod with determination and rush back into the house. I close the door behind me hard and spin the dial to the Waste. I hold my breath and open the door a fraction to see outside, it was raining hard. I pull open the door, ignoring the wreckage of the castle as I try looking for Howl in the skies from the cliff, Markl and Sophie follow behind me, they take my hand in theirs as we try to comfort each other, I look over to Sophie to see she still hand her silver hair but she was back to her normal self.
"That's where we were at the shop." She says worriedly. "Looks like Howl's in trouble." She points out to a ship flying above the shop, it catches on fire, I narrow my eyes as I try to step forward but Sophie stops me.
"Howl, look out!" I shout out to him as the battleship goes down in flames, as tears fill my eyes. Once it reaches the ground it creates a loud booming sound and the battleship explodes, Markl tugs on my dress, I look down at him and pull him into my arms, he looks at me and asks what was going on but then Turnip head shows up, hopping over to Sophie's side. I keep looking ahead, till Sophie puts her hand on my shoulder gaining my attention, she drags us back inside, she asks for Markl's help, I put him down onto the floor so he could help. It seems she has a plan.
"We have to move the portal away from the shop!" Sophie exclaims to Cal as both Markl and me. make it up the stairs, we pause in out movements looking at her, I think it over and smile in realisation.
"That may work," I say in surprise looking at Sophie.
"Are you both crazy? I can't move the portals without Howl's help!" Cal protests, he takes a piece of wood by him and shoves it into his mouth.
"You have to at least try. If we don't break away, Howl will keep protecting the shop." I tell him as Sophie takes off her shawl walking over to the Witch and puts it around her. "I preferred him as a coward." I narrow my eyes, I look down to see Markl holding onto my dress and I bend my knees so I'm at his level.
"Okay, we have to go now," Sophie tells the Witch softly, she helps the old woman up from her chair and hands her over to Markl so he can lead her outside.
"We can't do that. It'll make us too vulnerable." Cal hisses.
"We already are!" I hiss back at him. "If we don't move quick, Howl doesn't have a chance," I say softly. "And neither do you."
"Sophie! Serena! They're about to bomb the shop!" Markl cries out, Sophie moves over to him and helps him to take the Witch outside faster.
"Serena, get Calcifer!" Sophie orders me, I nod at her in confirmation, I pick up the black shovel that Howl had used before.
"You're coming with us. Hop on." I tell him firmly, I move the shovel towards him as he moans in uncertainty.
"I can't! It's impossible!" He stutters. "No one but Howl can take me out of this hearth."
"There's no time to lose, Cal. We have to try something," I tell him, I pick him up myself. He yelps, as he clings onto the sides, then starts to yell at me in protest.
"Oh! Don't do this! No, no!" He begs. "Help, help, help! Crazy lady with a shovel! Don't do this!" I get closer to the door. "If you take me out that door, the castle could collapse." He looks at me as if I was insane when I tell him it would be a good thing. I wait until Markl races back inside, telling me that they were already outside.
"Alright, stand back," I tell him, then I start making my way carefully down the stairs.
"Make sure I go out last, Serena. I don't know what's going to happen, but I'm sure it won't be good." He warns me, I slowly turn around and back out the entrance.
As soon as the shovel had crossed outside the entrance to the castle disappears and the castle collapses in on itself.
"I told you it would collapse!" Cal yells at us, I notice something going on outside with a gasp. "Rain! Rain!" Cal tries to cover himself poorly, Sophie asks Markl to stay with the Witch as the rest of us go find a way inside the castle. Markl runs off with Turnip and Heen following behind him and a loud sound of engines roaring above us reaches our ears.
"That ship's heading towards town!" Sophie yells in alarm, I look to the skies in worry. "We have to tell Howl that we're not connected to the shop anymore!"
"How?" I ask her, we had to shout above the noise, and the pounding of the rain on the broken castle. "The castle isn't moving anymore, we're disconnected from the shop and Howl is flying around somewhere in the air!" I ask her as I find a way out of the rain and Sophie yells back for Markl.
We make it inside and I place Cal down where the hearth used to be, and we quickly give him some wood from the castle, I try ignoring his complaints of it being damp. Sophie puts a stool in front of the hearth for the Witch to rest, she tells Markl to hurry up inside.
"The castle's a wreck." He comments as he makes his way inside with the Witch.
"Told you we should have stayed put. Howl and I could have handled it." Cal tries to say, as he munches on a stick that Heen had given him.
"We have to tell Howl that it's not connected anymore. Move the castle and take us to him." I order him, as Sophie stood next to me.
"What?" Cal asks, avoiding droplets of water.
"I know you can do it. I've never see a fire with more spark." We both say together with a grin on our faces, as we look down at him.
"But there's no - but there's no chimney here. And I keep getting dripped on. And the wood's all damp." Cal moans.
"They say that the best blaze brightest when circumstances are at their worst," I tell him, it was a quote from one of my many books.
"Yeah, but no one really believes that." Cal rolls his eyes. "Come on, let's be honest."
"Cal! We don't have time! Take us to Howl! What's the point of helping you break your contract if Howl is dead!" I yell at him as he tries to hide from me in the wood from fear. The Witch makes herself comfortable on the stool in front of Cal and looks at him.
"What a pretty little fire." She gazes deep at Cal making him uncomfortable.
"Alright, I need something of yours, either one of you can, it doesn't matter." He tells us.
"Why's that?" Sophie asks him.
"I can't do it by myself. How about your eyes?" He asks, I look at Sophie and she looks at me with shock and we shake our heads.
"What about this?" Sophie volunteers, holding up her long braid. I put my hand on her shoulder knowing she loves her long hair.
"I've got something." I tell her, I reach my arms around to my neck and take off my necklace, I show it to Cal. "Will this do?" I ask him, he reaches out with a fire formed hand and takes my necklace from my hand.
"You can't Serena! That is your most prized possession, you love that thing so much." Sophie argues.
"I love Howl more and Father would understand," I tell her and Cal moves the dangling necklace over his gaping mouth and drops it into his mouth swallowing it whole. He starts to glow a dark purple then shoots up with a shriek to what was once the ceiling and picks up the ceiling with his larger fire demon form. We watch in awe at the power as he lifts up the ceiling and parts above us fell around us. A part of the floor behind us starts falling apart almost taking Markl with it, finally, the castle starts to move down the rocks on the go onto our knees and look out to see the Market Chipping, Turnip hops along with us under the castle.
"Thanks, Calcifer. You're fantastic!" We grin wide.
"Imagine what I could have done with your eyes. Or your heart." He tells us, his voice echoing.
"That's it! You've got Howl's, heart!" The Witch exclaims in happiness. "I found it!"
"I can see Howl down there! Looks like he's trapped!" Sophie yells out, that gains my attention, we gasp as lightning strikes where Howl is.
"Cal, hurry!" I yell I turn around to face him only to see the Waste of a Witch grabbing at Cal's shovel, pulling it from under the wood as she reaches out for Howl's heart. "Put that back!" I scream at her, I jump up racing towards them and wrestle with her to get it out of her hands.
"Howl's heart, it's mine!" She yells, dropping the shovel as Sophie grabs her around the waist from the back. Cal loses control of the castle and I gasp, letting go as the flames burn my hands. The castle starts stumbling down the hill and the witch gets thrown against the wall, letting Cal's flames engulf her.
"Put it back now!" I order her, I catch Markl and hold him tightly as he almost slides off the floor.
"It's hot! Oh, it's burning me!" She cries out, and I stand there once I know Markl has a good grip on the floor.
"Let go!" I yell at her, I try prying her hands open to get the heart out of her tight grip, but it was too hot. "You're on fire." As was I.
"No, it's mine! It's mine! It's mine!" She yells.
"No, it's not! It's Howl!" I yell at her, then gasp as water gets dumped onto us. I cry out as the flames I cry out as the flames turn a light blue which means danger for Howl and Cal. Cal's words repeat in my head of how if Cal dies so does Howl, I look down at the blue flames as tears fill my eyes. I run to my sister standing near us with a bucket in her hands and push her to the floor and gasp as the floor of the castle falls out from under us. The castle starts falling apart around us, Heen jumps into Sophie's lap as we fall screaming down the depths of the cavern.
"Serena! Sophie!" Markl screams, reaching out his hand. I land hard on the ground, I cover my head and duck as things go flying from around the castle. I stand up, I look around at the area, it fazed me slightly seeing the damage, it was a wonder how we weren't dead, I look at Sophie and hold my hand out to her, she takes my hand not a word between us. I look ahead not making eye contact with her, I could smell the salt from her tears, she knows it was a mistake that she can't take back and I know that she's sorry and she regrets her actions, I felt broken at the thought of never seeing Howl again, him leaving me, I couldn't bare the pain anymore as I felt tears streak down my cheeks. Heen wheezes, he trots up to Sophie and me, I felt sobs rack my ribcage as I just let go as I sobbed closing my eyes. Heen nudges my hand with the ring on, I open my eyes and look to see the ring is glowing a blue light unlike the last time when it was red, I gasp in shock gaining Sophie's attention.
"It's moving. Is Howl still alive?" I ponder, I move my hand to my face looking at the ring in hope. "Can you lead me to Howl?" I ask it, my tears drying up. The blue light was leading me to a metal heap, I look at Sophie with confusion she was sharing the same look on her face, but I follow the light and get Sophie to help me move the metal to find a door behind it. It was the front door. I move my shaking hand towards the door and open it, and gasp seeing the darkness behind the door instead of the stone cliff which was meant to be there, and without a second thought, I reach out into the darkness towards whatever was pulling me.
I walk into the darkness, I felt safe in the darkness like I was being protected and I feel like I'm walking in the air again, like when I first met Howl that rush of feelings gave me hope. Sophie and Heen quickly catch up with me and we appear inside a small cottage, I felt something familiar with the place, I look around and I knew what it was. "Howl's private cottage, but why would the ring lead us here?" I ask, looking down at the ring in question to see that the ring was had faded then I look up at my sister before searching the place until Heen scratching at the door. I rush to the door, I open it to see that there were no flowers like before, but there were shooting stars in the sky above us, they were landing all around us on the ground. I felt a tight grip on my finger, it was the ring it was tightening on my finger, the ring was shaking so hard it was almost rattling.
Far across the field a star bursts, lighting up the form of a young boy wandering around the meadow. "That's Howl," I gasp as more shooting stars rain down on us. I remember when I was at Madam Suliman's of the vision she showed us of the stars dancing around us back at her greenhouse, I look out at the meadow and jump down the stairs and try getting closer to the younger Howl as Sophie and Heen try catching up to me and Sophie calls my name. "We're in Howl's childhood. This is how Howl made the contract with Calcifer!" I say, ignoring Sophie's gasp. I glance over to the lake where a star bursts beside me, it runs as fast as it can on the water below it before it sinks into the depths. "When a shooting star falls, it dies." I pause in my thought as I feel myself sinking into the black mud, I stumble backward, just one last shooting star shoots across the night sky, it lands in the young Howl's open palms. The young Howl seems to be speaking to the star, then he opens his mouth and swallows the star, then it hits me what the Witch had said in her note for Howl and it was all true. The ring grows tighter on my finger, as Sophie takes my hand in a tight grip, the young Howl gasps in pain clutching his chest, he coughs as a flame came out into his hands. The ring bursts into pieces and the ground opens up below us, we start to slowly fall into the hole. "Howl! Calcifer!" I cry out as Howl looks our way, the flame in his hands poking its head out in curiosity. "It's us, Serena and Sophie! I know how to help you now! Find us in the future!" I yell out to them as the ground takes us down, soon Heen jumps in too.
We fall from the sky till it falls into darkness again, and Heen starts walking like when we first entered that door, Tears stream down from my eyes, as I smile and keep on walking in the darkness. "I just can't seem to stop crying,|" I wipe my eyes of all the tears, the door appears in front of us.