Chapter 9
"That could actually work," I said surprised.
"Are you two crazy? I can't move the portals without Howl's help," the fire demon said, snatching a piece of wood from its spot on the hearth and shoving it into his mouth.
"You have to at least try. If we don't break away, Howl will keep protecting the flower shop." I told him as Sophie tied her shawl around the Witch of the Waste. "I preferred him as a coward," I scowled, patting Markl's head as he stood beside me, waiting for directions.
"Okay, we have to go now," Sophie told the Witch softly, helping the old woman up and handing her over to Markl to lead outside.
"We can't do that. It'll make us too vulnerable!" Calcifer hissed at me.
"We already are!" I shouted back. "If we don't move quick, Howl doesn't have a chance." I said then spoke quieter. "And neither do you."
"Sophie! Verity! They're about to bomb the flower shop!" Markl cried out, and Sophie moved to help him get the Witch outside quicker.
"Verity, get Calcifer!" Sophie ordered and I nodded, picking up the black shovel that Howl had used only a day before.
"You're coming with us. Hop on," I said, shoving it towards him as he moaned uncertainly.
"I can't! It's impossible!" He stuttered. "No one but Howl can take me out of this hearth."
"There's no time to loose, Cal. We have to try something," I told him, then picked him up myself. He yelped, clinging to the sides, then started yelling at me like he had at Sophie when she was cleaning out his ashes that one time.
"Oh! Don't do this! No, no!" He begged. "Help, help, help! Crazy lady with a shovel! Don't do this!" He said then started to warn me as I got closer to the door. "If you take me out that door, the castle could collapse." He said then looked at me like I was insane when I said that was a good thing. I waited until Markl raced back in, stating they were all ready outside.
"Alright, stand back." I told the kid, then started making my way carefully down the stairs.
"Make sure I go out last, Verity. I don't know what's gonna happen, but I'm sure it won't be good." He whimpered as I slowly turned around and backed out of the entrance. As soon as the shovel had crossed the entrance, the castle door disappeared and the castle collapsed in on itself.
"I told you it would collapse!" He yelled at Sophie and I, then noticed what was going on outside with a gasp. "Rain! Rain!" He tried to cover himself as Sophie told Markl to stay with the Witch as the rest of us went to find a way in. He ran off with Turnip-head and Heen following close behind and engines roared above us.
"That ship's heading towards town!" Sophie said alarmed and I looked around in the sky worried. "We have to tell Howl that we're not connected to the shop anymore!"
"How?" I asked her, shouting over the loud pounding of rain on the broken-down castle. "The castle isn't moving anymore, we're disconnected from the shop, and Howl is flying around somewhere in the air!" I told her just as we found a way out of the rain and Sophie yelled back for Markl. I placed Calcifer where the hearth once was and we quickly gave him bits of wood from the castle, ignoring his complaints of it being damp.
Sophie put a stool in front of the fire for the Witch, telling Markl to hurry up inside.
"The castle's a wreck." The kid stated.
"Told you we should have stayed put. Howl and I could have handled it," Calcifer said, munching on a small stick that Heen gave him.
"We have to tell Howl that it's not connected anymore. Move the castle and take us to him." Sophie ordered as I stood beside her, eyes narrowed.
"What?" Calcifer asked incredulously, avoiding a droplet of water.
"I know you can do it. I've never seen a fire with more spark," she told him with a grin and I faintly smiled at the memory, but my panic was still high.
"But there's no– But there's no chimney here. And I keep getting dripped on. And the wood's all damp."
"They say that the best blaze brightest when circumstances are at their worst." She said, leaning forward more.
"Yeah, but no one really believes that." He said morosely. "Come on, let's be honest."
"Calcifer! Take us to Howl! If we don't get there soon, it won't matter if I break the contract or not!" I yelled loudly and he back into the wood fearfully. The Witch finally made it inside and sat down on the chair.
"What a pretty fire." She said and I smirked, knowing we won.
"All right. I need something of yours, either one of you two, it doesn't matter." He told Sophie and I.
"Why's that?" She asked him curiously.
"I can't do it by myself. How about your eyes?" He asked me and I gaped at him, shaking my head no.
"What about this?" Sophie volunteered, holding up her long braid. Calcifer reached up and formed one hand into scissors, cutting most of her hair off and gobbling it up. He glowed a dark purple then shot up with a shriek, picking the ceiling up with his larger form. We all watched awed as he lifted it up and thing not necessary fell around us. A section of the floor fell from beside us—almost taking Markl with it—before the castle started clambering down the rocks of the mountain.
Sophie and I got on our knees to look out to Market Chipping, as Turnip-head hopped along under the castle. "Thanks, Calcifer. You're fantastic!" We said happily to him.
"Imagine what I could have done with your eyes. Or your heart," he told us, voice echoing. I almost didn't catch the Witch gasp over the noise of the castle.
"That's it! You've got Howl's heart!" She exclaimed happily. "I found it!"
"I can see Howl down there! Look's like he's trapped!" Sophie yelled out, quickly bringing my attention back to watching out the floor. We gasped as lightning struck where Howl was.
"Calcifer, hurry!" I yelled, turning back to him only to shriek. The Witch was grabbing at Calcifer's shovel, pulling it from under the wood as she reached towards Howl's heart.
"Put that back!" I screeched at her, racing to her side to wrestle it out of her hands.
"Howl's heart, it's mine!" She yelled, dropping the shovel as Sophie grasped her around the waist from the back. Calcifer was loosing control of the castle and I gasped, letting go as the flames scorched my hands. The castle started to stumble down the hill and the Witch was thrown against the wall, letting Calcifer's flames engulf her.
"Put it back now!" I yelled, catching Markl and holding him tightly as he almost slid off the floor.
"It's hot! Oh, it's burning me!" She cried out and I stood once I was sure Markl had a good grip on the floor.
"Let go!" I cried out, trying to pry her hands off of the heart, but it was too hot. "You're catching on fire!" As was I.
"No, it's mine! It's mine! It's mine!" She yelled.
"No it's not! It's Howl's!" I yelled at her, then gasped as we were drenched with water. I cried out as the flame turned a dangerous blue. 'If I die, Howl dies too, I hope you know!' Calcifer's words echoed in my head as tears pooled in my eyes. I ran to my sister where she was still holding the pail from beside the hearth and slapped her. Then I only had time to gasp as the floor suddenly fell out from under us. The castle was breaking apart. Heen jumped into Sophie's arms as we fell screaming to the depths of the cavern.
"Verity! Sophie!" Markl shouted, reaching out a hand. I blinked as I landed on hard ground, then covered my head and ducked as things from the castle fell around us. I stood up, wondering why we weren't dead, as I silently helped my sister up. I kept my face turned away from her.
"Oh, Verity, I'm so sorry!" She sobbed onto my shoulder as I stared ahead blankly, not fully registering the fact that Howl might be dead. "I didn't even think!" She cried as tears finally streamed down my cheeks, landing on my hands in my lap. Heen wheezed, trotting up to us as I buried my face in my palms, letting out a couple of sobs.
Sophie suddenly gasped and shook me, making me look up and follow her gaze. My ring from Howl was rattling with a blue light coming from the regularly red gem.
"It's moving. Is Howl still alive?" I questioned, then pulled my hand closer to my face. "Can you lead me to him?" I asked it, tears drying. A blue light led to a metal heap. Sophie and I shared a confused look then followed it, realizing there was a door behind it. Together we moved the metal away and saw the front door. I opened it and gasped, feeling blackness instead of stone like I should have when I reached out to it.
Without a second thought, I walked into the inky blackness, feeling like I was walking through air once again, though this time Howl wasn't beside me. Sophie and Heen quickly caught up and we appeared inside a small cottage. The familiar feeling was back again and I knew where we were.
"Howl's private cottage, but why would the ring lead us here?" I asked, looking down at the piece of jewelery that faded then up at my sister before searching around until Heen scratched on the door. I quickly moved outside, noticing the lack of flowers as shooting stars fell from the sky, bursting on the ground. I winced as the ring tightened on my finger. The ring shook so hard it seemed like it was rattling.
Far across the field a star burst, lighting up the form of a young boy wandering around. "That's Howl," I gasped as more shooting stars rained down. Memories of the stars gathering at Suliman's greenhouse appeared in my mind and I raced down the steps of the cottage before my sister could even open her mouth. She raced after me, calling my name as I tried to get closer to the younger Howl.
"We're in Howl's childhood. This is how Howl made the contract with Calcifer!" I said, ignoring Sophie's shocked gasp. I glanced to the lake where a star burst beside me, running as fast as it could on the water before it drowned to it's death. "When a shooting star falls, it dies!" I said astonished.
I paused for a moment then gasped as I felt my feet sinking into black mud and I stumbled back, just a one last shooting star shot across the sky, landing in Howl's open palms. Howl spoke to the star then swallowed it as my eyes widened. 'You who swallowed a falling star, oh, heartless man' I remembered from the Witch of the Waste's scorch marks. The ring grew tighter as Sophie grasped my hand. Young Howl gasped in pain, coughing and clutching his chest as a flame came into his hand.
The ring burst and the ground opened up below Sophie and I as I called out to the two behind us. "Howl! Calcifer!" I cried out as Howl turned to us, the flame in his hand poking it's head up curiously. "It's us, Verity and Sophie! I know how to help you now! Find us in the future!" I yelled as the ground swallowed us up as soon as Heen jumped in. We fell from the sky until it faded to darkness and Heen started walking like we had when we first entered the door. Tears streamed from my eyes as I smiled.
"Verity, are you alright?" Sophie asked me concerned.
"Sorry, Soph, I'm trying to hurry. I just can't seem to stop crying," I told her as the door appeared. I walked quickly out of the doorway, pausing when it disappeared behind us, then freezing as I looked forward again. Howl was there, crouched down and breathing heavily in his bird form once more.
"Howl," I said softy, moving forward and shifting the feathers from his face, seeing eyes that stared forward at me blankly as blood dripped from him. "I'm sorry. Did I come too late? I didn't mean to make you wait this long." I apologized, leaning forward to gently press my lips to his, ears flat on my head once more. "I need you to take us to Calcifer if you can." He outstretched his foot and I climbed on with my sister at my side, watching him unfold his wings and take to the sky as we clutched on to his leg.
We found the castle walking precariously on the edge of a cliff with only the floor and its two legs still together and landed gently and my sister and I stepped off as Howl fell to his side. The feathers and bird-like features disappeared from Howl's body until only a man was left behind. I turned him over, moving his hair out of his face as Markl ran over.
"Is he dead?" He asked me while Sophie stood back.
"No, Markl." I said then stood and walked over to the Witch of the Waste who was still clutching onto Howl's heart, whimpering and trying to hide it from my view. "Howl needs that back now," I stated, kneeling before her and outstretching my hands.
"Don't look at me. I don't have it. I don't know what you're talking about." She mumbled, looking away. I embraced her tightly.
"Please. Please give it back," I begged.
"You really want it that badly?" She asked me. I only nodded against her shoulder, whispering a yes before pulling back. "All right, then. You'd better take good care of it. Here, dear." She said, handing the pulsing blue flame over to me.
"Thank you, you have a big heart," I told her, cupping the heart in my hands before getting up. Sophie bent down to hug her, kissing her cheek kindly. I walked back over to Howl's unconscious form and bent down, leaving Sophie with the Witch of the Waste and Turnip-head.
"Calcifer." I called on him as the fire demon looked up at me.
"Verity, I'm so tired." He whispered.
"If I give Howl back his heart, what will happen to you?" I asked him.
"I'll be okay if you do it. I think. Sophie dumped a bucket of water on me and Howl and I both survived, though you did block most of it."
"I better try then," I said softly, closing my eyes and feeling the thumps of the heart in my hand. "It's fluttering like a bird. And it's so warm." I stated.
"It's still just the heart of a child." Calcifer pointed out.
"Please, let Calcifer live," I prayed. "And please help Howl take back his heart." Then placed my hands on Howl's chest and pushed the flame into it. Humming came from the spot as sparks flew through my hands, followed by a shimmering light.
"I'm alive! I'm alive! Look, I'm free!" Calcifer cheered and I smiled, sad to see my friend fly off. "Free! Free! I'm alive!" Howl moaned, instantly bringing my attention back to him until the remainder of the castle creaked.
"It can't stand without Calcifer!" Markl yelled as Sophie pulled him down to the floor and I made sure Howl didn't move as we slid down the edge of the mountain, all of us screaming loudly. Turnip-head jumped in front of us and tried to slow us down, snapping his pole but successfully doing so.
"Turnip!" Sophie yelled out concerned, then we slid off the side of the mountain and got stuck between two large rocks that held us from falling to our deaths. I sat up, gently pulling Markl up from his place buried in my side as my sister picked up Turnip-head.
"His pole snapped! Are you alright? We'll get you a new pole, ok?" she promised, then her eyes softened. "You saved us, Turnip." She said, then leaned down to kiss him. I grinned then gasped as the scarecrow grew legs and real arms, face turning human as his suit turned gold and his hair grew and turned blonde.
"Thank you, Sophie," he said with a bow. "I'm the prince who's been missing from the neighboring kingdom. Somehow I got that blasted spell put on me." He told her as I stroked Howl's face, glancing at my sister curiously. She was blushing!
"I know that spell. A kiss from your true love breaks it," the Witch of the Waste said with a smile as I bit my lip to keep from chuckling when my sister's face only grew redder.
"That's right. If it weren't for Sophie, I would have been a scarecrow for the rest of my life," he stated. My attention was brought back to Howl when he moved his head, groaning as his eyes fluttered open and he sat up.
"What's going on? What am I doing here?" He asked, groaning at the pain in his chest. "I feel terrible, like there's a weight on my chest." He said, lying back down.
"A heart's a heavy burden," I said with a grin and a wink, launching myself as him as his blue eyes shined up at me happily. I giggled as he turned and pinned me down on my back, leaning down to kiss me deeply. He pulled away for a moment before leaning in for another.
"Verity!" Markl whined, making me peel away from Howl to look at my adopted kitten, as my cat instincts told me, who had his eyes closed thanks to the Witch, since both couples were kissing. I chuckled, taking the boy in my arms and leaning against Howl's chest as he sat up with his leg bent.
"You should go home and tell your king to stop this dumb war," the Witch of the Waste advised the prince as Sophie walked towards us.
"Soph, did I ever mention I loved your hair? So much more beautiful then brown. Now who's the jealous one?" I said with a teasing wink, laughing when she sprang at me and hugged me tight.
"Yes, that's exactly what I'll do. One thing you can always count on is that hearts change." He said with a wink to my sister, who froze and blushed deeply. "So as soon as the war is over, I shall return for you, my love," he promised, stepping forward and bending down to kiss Sophie on the hand.
"I'll look forward to it," she stuttered a reply, elbowing me in the gut when I snickered. We climbed up the hill and waved the prince off as he bounced away on a pole across the sky.
"And you laughed at me for falling in love with a wizard!" I laughed at her.
"Oh, be quiet, Verity," she said with a wide grin, too happy to be angry with me. My eyes lit up as a familiar shining light spiraled towards us.
"Hey, it's Calcifer!" Markl said.
"You didn't have to come back, Calcifer." Howl told him with a grin and I moved away from his hand around my waist to hold the fire demon in my palms.
"I kind of missed you guys." He admitted, then pouted. "And it looks like it's gonna rain."
"I missed you too, Cal," I said, then bent down to give him a kiss, laughing when he blushed. Later that week, when the war officially ended and the battleships were headed for home, we were floating above them in our new flying castle made from the remnants of battleships with many new features and a few more hearths for Calcifer to move around the house in. I stood on a long balcony, watching the clouds roll by as my tail flicked from side to side happily.
"Verity? Are you out here?" Howl asked, opening the door and smiling wide when he saw me. "Hello, love." He said, walking out and holding on to the side as he watched the clouds with me. My tail swiped in his face and he spluttered. I laughed then ran for the door, shrieking when he caught me by the waist and turned my chin for a long kiss. "So, I actually came out here to ask you something," he said when we pulled away, and I looked up at him curiously.
"What is it?" I asked him. Howl smirked and pulled a diamond ring from behind his back, making me gasp as he slid it onto my finger where the other ring that led me to Calcifer once laid.
"Will you marry me?" He asked, and laughed when I captured him in another kiss. "So, is that a yes?" He asked, pulling away as I nodded against his chest. We moved back inside to tell the others and I groaned suddenly, tugging my brown locks. "What's wrong?" He asked, then quickly got his answer as I changed back into a cat, once again getting caught in his arms.
"Not again!" I moaned as he laughed, stroking my fur as he carried me out to the garden where Sophie and the Witch of the Waste were sitting in chairs on the patio as Markl ran around with Heen.
"So, did you ask her, or were you distracted by her turning into a cat again?" Sophie asked us amused, chuckling when I playfully swiped at her with my claws. I jumped onto the hearth next to Calcifer as Howl went to play with Markl and Heen. I shook my head at the three amused as we four all talked together about random things. Ah, family.
A/N: DON'T WORRY PEOPLE, THERE IS STILL THE EPILOGUE! Finally, I get this updated! So, I meant to post this last week, but then I was too lazy... Sorry! I offer no excuses but my laziness! I promise that next week the final chapter will be posted. The...last...one *sobs*. I love you guys so much!
WHOO! Howl got his heart back, Sophie is not lonely, Howl proposed, I think I did pretty good, if I do say so myself! Though I am irritated by how many lines Verity stole from Sophie... I couldn't change them without it sounding really bad, so this is what you get! I did my best!
On another note, does anyone else watch the show Merlin (BBC)? I LOVE~ IT! Arthur is such a prat (though gorgeous) and Merlin is such a(n embarrassing) cutie! Bradley and Colin go so well together~! Yes, I'm just bringing this up now though I have watched the series from the beginning. I MISS IT SO MUCH! TT^TT
Okay, (wow this was a long Author's Note) see ya next week!