Everyone knows the remarkable news about Howl defeating the Wicked Witch of the Waste. Things got better now: Calcifer's and Sophie's curse were broken, Howl receive his heart, and the scarecrow and Percival, the dog-man, were back to their human forms. But what else happened after that? The story is not over yet.

After the victory, Sophie's mother, Fanny, threw a party at her place, congratulating Sophie and Howl for their bravery. Everyone had a good time eating, chatting and joking around. After the party, Fanny came to Sophie and asked, "Would you like to come back home?"

Sophie thought about it and said, "No, I'm fine where I am."

Fanny was stunned. She looked like she was going to faint from her pierced heart. "What?!" she said. "Why not? I want you to come home. I'm your mother and I've missed you so."

"But I'm fine where I am," Sophie protested. "Howl has been treating me very well, and I feel more at home in his castle. I can't leave now. He needs me."

"You've been bewitched," her mother said. "He has cursed you to be his slave. He'll eat your heart. You're not safe with him!"

"Howl's not like that," Sophie said. "I've been in his castle for a few months and I know what he's really like. He's not a cruel demon. He has a sweet, gentle, childish heart, and he has never eaten any young girls' hearts. I'm much happier in his castle."

Fanny's eyes grew watery. She gave Sophie a big, loving hug. "I'm going to miss you. But who will run the hat shop?"

Sophie looked around the room, thinking of the perfect person to run the shop. Then she thought of Percival. He would be perfect for the shop, Sophie thought. Sophie suggested that Percival could run the shop, and Fanny agreed. Sophie and Fanny said their goodbyes to each other through tears and Sophie went back to the castle with Howl and Markel.

Weeks passed and everything had gone smoothly. Sophie still cleans the castle and is happy with it. Howl is more mature with things with the king of Kingsbury and with Prince Justin. Markel decided to get a job, now he's a tutor for all young witches and wizards. Percival has been doing excessively well in the hat shop. Every day, the shop is crowded with women who are excited to buy his uniquely, creative, fascinating hats. Sophie is also being taught magic by Howl. As for Calcifer, he did not leave Howl and Sophie completely. He still visits them every once a month. He looks completely different now since the curse has been broken. He looks more like an orange comet, soaring through the night sky like a phoenix. Everyone seems to be happier now. But something awkwardly different started happening to Howl.

A few weeks later, Howl seemed to be ill. He's been wheezing heavily and continuously. His forehead would get moist with sweat. When he walks, he would walk sluggishly with his back hunched over. Sophie noticed his symptoms and was concerned about him. She came to him one time to check his temperature and pulse.

"I'm fine," he said, trying to hold back his pain. "You don't need to baby me."

"It's not called babying, it's called taking care of," remarked Sophie.

Howl pushed her hands away. "I can take care of myself. You've done a lot for me, and I think you should take a break."

"No," Sophie said firmly. She placed her hand on his heart. Her eyes widened with shock "You pulse is terrible. It's skipping beats."

Howl felt it too but denied it. "Oh, it's nothing. It'll be back to its normal beat soon." But he squeezed his fist trying to stop to pain.

"You should rest," said Sophie. "Go back to bed and I'll try to solve the problem."

Howl groaned but obeyed her command. He walked upstairs with Sophie's help and rested in bed.

Sophie grabbed all the spell books she could find in the castle. She scanned every one of them, trying to find the cure. The only problem was Sophie wasn't sure what to do and how to do it. Howl helped search too. Finally, he found the cure he was looking for. Howl instructed Sophie to find these materials for his heart: a mermaid's scale, stardust, and some pure water. Sophie knew these are going to be hard to find, especially pure water, but this was a matter of life and death. Sophie will use all her strength to find these three things.

First, she went to Porthaven to find a mermaid's scale. She knew she could find one by the lake since she saw mermaids there once while Howl and the Wicked Witch of the Waste were battling each other. She looked near the dock by the water, no scales sighted. She even tried ducking her head in the water, but it was too cold. She was about to give up when she saw something glittering on the dock. It was definitely a mermaid's scale stuck in the crack of the dock. She carefully picked at it with her nails until she finally got it out. Sophie was satisfied. Only two more items left.

Sophie thought about finding pure water second so that it would be out of the way. She didn't know which lake had the purest water, so she just filled a bucket of water from the Porthaven Lake. Second, she went to the Waste and filled up the water in her second bucket.

The last item on her list was stardust. Sophie had no idea where to get stardust. But then she thought of Calcifer. He was now a comet, so she can borrow stardust from him. That night, she called for Calcifer and explained the reason for needing stardust. Calcifer was more than happy to lend her some. He blew into her hand and stardust immediately filled in her palm. Sophie thanked him and rushed into the castle.

When Sophie entered Howl's room, he was lying in bed looking pale and sickly. He almost looked half dead.

"Howl," she called to him, "I have what you need."

"Good," he said hoarsely.

Howl sat up a bit, raised his hand to his chest, pressed hard into his chest and took out his heart. It was very hard and painful. The heart was all black like soot and its pulse was very low. Sophie came to Howl's side and unpacked her three items.

First Sophie took the mermaid's scale and pierced it into the heart. Then she took the stardust and sprinkled all of it onto the heart without leaving a single speck of dust on her hand. Finally, she took out her two buckets of (that was supposed to be) pure water. Sophie was very nervous, but she took the first bucket from Porthaven Lake and poured all of it on the heart. Nothing happened. She took her second bucket from the Waste and poured again. The heart remained the same. Now Sophie was very worried.

"What have I done wrong?" she said. "Why isn't it working? I thought they were pure."

Suddenly, Howl collapsed on his bed with a thump. Death was close to him now. His skin was paler, his forehead was soaked with sweat, and his breathing was hardly there. Sophie was too scared to think or do anything that she did nothing but cry.

"Howl, please don't die," she sobbed with her hands covering her face. "I don't know what I'll do without you."

Thick, huge chunks of wet tears leaked between her fingers. Sophie was too upset that she didn't notice what was happening. Every drop of her tears touched Howl's heart and it immediately changed from black to bright red. His heart was so purely red that it glowed. Sophie got a hold of herself and noticed Howl's bright, glowing heart. She smiled with relief and quickly put the heart back into Howl's chest. Howl sprung up like a jack-in-the-box, feeling refresh.

He took a deep breath, and said to Sophie, "I knew you could do it. You're a lifesaver!"

"But how," asked Sophie. "How is it possible?"

"Because you're so pure," answered Howl. Sophie was still confused. "Don't you get it?" he continued. "You are the purest girl I have ever met. You have a pure character, a pure heart; even your hair's pure." Sophie laughed. "You were the only one to give out your pure tears to save me. And that's what saved my life, a pure being like you."

Sophie was so touched she began to weep again.

Months passed and seasons went by quickly from fall to winter. Heavy snowflakes danced in the night sky. It grew cold in the castle, but the fire warmed their souls. Sophie was busy doing the cleaning and organizing, and Howl sat in a chair, eating an apple and reading. Sophie, soon, grew a little tired. She finished up what she was doing and said to Howl, "I'm going to bed now. Sweet dreams."

Howl got up and said, "No, wait. Don't go yet. I have something very important to tell you."

Sophie agreed to stay a little longer. "Sophie, you've been a great help to me," Howl said. "And I really appreciate it. You're a sweet, pure, beautiful girl. You've really helped a lot around here; you broke Calcifer's curse, helped me defeat the Witch of the Waste, and brought back my heart and cured it. You have changed my life!"

Sophie's heart pumped fast. Why am I getting nervous all of a sudden, she thought.

"I only have one special favor to ask you, Sophie," Howl continued. He pulled something out of his sleeve. He opened his hand and there was a diamond ring lying on his palm. Sophie widened her eyes, lost her breath, and her heart pumped faster.

"Sophie," he said, "will you be mine forever?"

Sophie looked at Howl, unable to speak. Suddenly, her eyes caught a glimpse of light outside the window. It was Calcifer; he was eavesdropping on them. Calcifer smiled enormously and winked at Sophie. Then she looked back at Howl, took a deep breath and said, "Yes! Yes, I will marry you!"

Unexpectedly, flashes of colorful fireworks filled the room with its bright colors and designs. Howl put the ring on her finger, and the diamond caught the reflection of the fireworks.