Original subtitles

* Hilda *

You up to anything today?

Not today.

You haven't been out with Frida and David for a while.

Is everything okay?

Yeah.

Everything's fine.

Dozens of reports of a large beast

being sighted throughout the city...

Buy, buy, buy, and buy some more!

This is Victoria Van Gale of the Greater Trolberg Meteorological Bureau,

and things are looking gloomy out there.

You can expect sorrowful winds throughout the day...

...maybe even the odd ominous rumble.

But the worst of conditions will be reserved for the early hours.

Don't worry, Twig.

This should clear up soon. Victoria Van Gale is never wrong.

I've got to drive over to the art supply store today.

- Do you want to join me? - No.

I was going to go to the library to see if I could find

a copy of this book that Frida's lost.

But looking at the weather, I think I'm gonna give

the whole "leaving the house" thing a miss today.

Ah! Who would have thought it?

My Hilda, put off by a little spot of rain.

Ugh!

Ugh! Maybe I should've stayed at home, too.

Huh, must be the storm.

This is Victoria Van Gale.

The weather today, not exactly the best.

With any luck, the area of high pressure should start to see

the storm shift away from the city.

Hopefully. Maybe.

Uh, in the meantime, expect nothing but continuous rain throughout...

Scratch that. Looks like we've got some...

- snow. - Snow!

Come on, Twig!

Let's go make a snow troll!

Wow!

What are you doing here?

Have you seen what it's like out there?

Yeah, but why are you here?

I know it's hard to believe,

but I don't actually know that many people with central heating.

Okay, make yourself at home, but I'm going out there.

The snow's settling already, and I wanna be the first to make a...

Hello?

Hilda, it's Mum. Listen, I think I'm gonna be a while.

The road's blocked off with snow and no one's getting anywhere in a hurry.

Are you okay?

- I'm fine. I was just about to... - Listen.

Don't go outside, okay? Stay in and stay warm.

It's nuts out here.

- But, Mum, I... - I won't be home to make anything,

so help yourself to the leftover pie in the fridge if you get hungry, yeah?

All right, I'd better go. Bye!

Sorry, boy.

- Is there normally thunder when it snows? - If you ask me, it's the weather spirits.

No way. Victoria Van Gale would have said something about that by now.

I'm just saying it has all the hallmarks.

Mm. Though, this does seem bad...

even for them.

Well, let's see.

My sincerest apologies to the three or four people

who actually tune into this frequency.

We are currently experiencing some, uh...

technical difficulties.

Everything's... fine!

Weird. I check this broadcast every day and I've never heard anything like this.

Something bad's happening.

This is not good.

She said everything's fine, and I, for one, believe her.

Oh, come on, you heard it just as well as I did.

Victoria Van Gale is in trouble, in danger, even.

We have to do something.

But...

the storm?

Yes, the storm.

And it's getting worse.

And if it is weather spirits causing this,

then she's the one person who would know what to do.

But... my cocoa.

Your cocoa can wait.

We have to go to the Trolberg Weather Station.

But just me?

Are you not going to ask Frida, too?

I don't think she's going to be up for this one.

Hmm.

Okay, I'd be glad to come.

Where is the weather station anyway?

I'm already beginning to regret this!

What's that?

That's an argument.

- Between who? - Weather spirits.

We made it!

The Trolberg Weather Station.

We're here! Come on!

Uh... Hilda?

Whoa! This is amazing!

Look at all this stuff!

It's no wonder she's good at predicting the weather.

We've got to get inside and find out what's going on.

I hope she's okay.

- Whoa. - Oh, boy.

Something really did happen here.

I think I liked it better out in the cold.

This doesn't make any sense.

It's like no one's touched this stuff in years.

Victoria? Victoria Van Gale?

Victoria?

Oh, well, she's not here. We should probably go now.

Victoria Van Gale! Where are you?

Ah!

I'm okay.

Whoa!

Victoria Van Gale?

Who the devil are you?

I'm Hilda. It's so great to meet you.

I'm your biggest... Well, I bet everyone says they're your biggest fan,

but I'm a pretty big one.

What on earth were you doing in the garage?

What did you see? I mean, what are you doing here?

We thought you might be in trouble. We heard your broadcast.

I listen to it all the time, you see.

Oh, you mean, you're visitors!

Well, yes, I suppose we are.

Well, don't worry about that broadcast nonsense.

As you can see, everything's fine here, quite fine.

Good gracious, isn't this a wonderful surprise?

I haven't had a tour group up here in quite some time.

Ooh! That reminds me, don't go anywhere.

Oh, now, they must be round here somewhere.

They don't just disappear.

I think something funny's going on.

I also think something funny's going on.

What are you talking about? She's just pleased to see us.

Right, here are your visitor stickers

and your complimentary Greater Trolberg Meteorological Bureau key rings!

And, uh, help yourself to a giant pencil.

Strictly speaking, they're not free, they're on the house.

Come!

I must give you the grand tour.

This is a solarimeter.

That records the sunlight, of course.

Cool.

This monitor here's showing barometric pressure readings

- from across the Greater Trolberg area. - Oh!

And here, of course, is the studio where I...

Where you make your broadcasts!

This is the coolest thing ever!

What's that sound mean?

Nothing.

- What's in here? - Oh, that's my bedroom.

It's a bit of a mess.

Now, far more interesting is the main observatory

where I survey the skies and conduct the vast majority of my work.

Ah, yes, have a look.

Oops.

- What was that? - I'm sorry?

You pushed that lever and it started raining.

- No, it didn't. - David, you're being ridiculous.

Why don't I make us some coffees?

This is what coffee tastes like?

I prefer cocoa.

So I confess, my instruments aren't solely for predicting the weather,

but some of them are also for controlling it.

But why would you want to control it?

Imagine the possibilities! What that would mean for the world

if we could harness that power and make it work for us.

- Oh, boy. - She's a mad scientist.

So, the weather station is your laboratory?

Oh, yes, for years now.

I've made progress on wind direction,

pressure manipulation, and the generation of small-scale weather events,

the likes of which your talking bird friend just demonstrated.

But it's inconsistent, trivial.

If my experiments have proven anything,

it's that the atmosphere only truly answers to one thing...

the weather spirits.

They're not easy to find, of course,

but I discovered a way to lure one and perhaps learn from it,

but it worked too well.

Rather more turned up than expected.

How did you manage to lure a weather spirit?

That's not important.

The thing is when two weather spirits meet,

they get into an argument.

They love to debate.

When that happens, a storm occurs.

But when five, ten, dozens meet at once, well...

If you can control the weather, isn't there something you can do

to try and move the storm away from the city?

I don't know.

The storm's wreaked havoc on my systems. I'm not sure the equipment can take it.

But isn't it worth trying?

That storm is terrible, and it's only gonna get worse.

You've learned to do some amazing things.

If there's a time to use them, this must be it.

You know what? You're right!

We're going to try and summon an air current

to blow the storm away from the city.

Anemo-motors engaged.

Adjusting aneroidic pressure modulators.

When I give the signal, turn that wheel as far as it'll go, okay?

Okay.

Okay!

It's working!

Ah, oh.

Oh! I knew it.

No, we can try something else. There has to be another way.

That was it. That was the only way.

We just blew up the controls. No, it's hopeless.

But there are people out there in that thing right now.

My mum's out there.

There's already 52 centimeters of snow in Trolberg.

By my calculations, it'll be 168 by nightfall.

At this rate, the city will be completely buried by morning!

Why do I get the feeling I'm about to get roped into something?

Hilda, what are you going to do?

The storm's getting worse.

Perhaps we could just fly out there and talk to the weather spirits.

- There we go. - Are you crazy?

- You can't go back into that thing. - We've got to do something.

Hilda, listen to me.

You'd listen to Frida.

That's because Frida would know what to do.

She'd have a better plan than this. Have you got a better plan?

No.

Then this is all we've got.

Climb on.

- You're gonna do all the talking, right? - Sure!

I'm just saying it's completely natural

to precipitate on the windward side of any hill I come across.

Yeah, it's natural, but is that decent?

Oh, are you calling me indecent?

I think what our friend here was trying to say is...

- Oh, please, can you elaborate further... - Hey!

...on the great shame of a natural heavy rainfall?

Hey!

A heckler? What's the meaning of this?

You're doing the talking, remember?

I am your moderator!

Oh, yeah, yeah.

Moderate this!

Hilda's right.

Frida would know what to do, but I'm no use at all.

- Why did I think I would be? - Uh, are you asking me?

I don't know you, kid.

Take it easy.

Unless...

Okay, you will speak one at a time.

Every spirit will get their time to speak, so no interrupting.

Are we clear?

- Fine, yes. - Very well.

- Okay, you first. - Right, well...

Okay, David, come on.

Victoria, could I get... No.

Hey, Victoria, I was wondering, could I get another, uh...

Oh, Victoria, could I get another, um, one of those coffees?

You know what? That's a wonderful idea. Though, I think a herbal tea for myself.

More than one coffee, and I get a little kooky.

Oh, David!

- Yes? - Milk and sugar?

Mm-hmm.

I'm just saying why not steer the rain towards those that need it most?

I did not blow westwards!

Oh, you wouldn't know your east from your west.

Right, you stay there, you over here, thank you.

Sorry about that. Please continue.

Thank you.

As I was saying...

Ah, at last.

Oh, cruddlesticks!

Oh, David!

Oh!

Looks like the storm's easing up.

Okay, you've been bursting to say your bit for ages.

Let's hear it.

Let me start off by saying that I have never!

I mean, gusts and gales, can you even... The nature of it, unprecedented!

I can't... I can't... I can't even get it out!

I can't quite recall the point I was trying to make.

Come on, let's go find David and get out of here.

Now that the abnormal atmospheric event has come to an end,

Trolberg can look forward to a gentle breeze blowing in off the fjord.

Good Lord, you look like you've been in a hurricane!

What happened?

- Goodbye, now. - Safe travels, friend.

- Will you be joining us? - No, I need to think.

I came here for a reason, but in all that arguing,

I can't quite remember.

What was it? Why did I...

You just talked to them?

Fascinating.

This will be invaluable for the next time.

Next time?

What's wrong with just observing, learning?

You don't have to control things.

Where did that little boy get to?

His coffee's going to get cold.

David! What were you doing in Victoria's bedroom?

- I... - Uh, guys!

I think we're in trouble.

David!

- Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow! - Are you okay?

- Can you walk? - Is it broken? Is it the wrong way around?

I think now would be a really good time to skedaddle!

Victoria! Come on, let's get out of here!

I won't go!

Shall I try and grab her?

No, get David home and safe right away. I'm going to stay.

What? What are you gonna do?

I can't just leave her here.

I've talked them down once, I'll do it again.

Hilda, take these!

Go into Victoria's bedroom.

It's not actually a bedroom.

I'll be back for you as soon as I can.

Where is he? What have you done with him?

Hey, hey! You're not allowed in there!

You poor thing!

- This isn't what it looks like. - My baby!

This is how you lured them here.

Oh, I... I can explain!

You kidnapped a spirit to use it as bait.

David was right, you are mad!

How did you even...?

No, don't!

Please, you don't know what I had to do to catch it.

I don't care!

No!

What happened? What happened to Hilda?

Oh, no.

Whoa!

Excuse me! Hey! Hello? Can you turn back?

My home's that way.

We've got to back!

Oh.