02x08 - Chapter 8: The Fifty Year Night

[bunniefuu]

- [birds chirping]


- [door opens]


- [Johanna] You’re still grounded.


- [Hilda] But why?

You know why.

Now, I have to pop out to turn in

some work, but don’t get any ideas.

I don’t want you leaving

this building at all today. Got it?

[sighs]

Yes.

Look, I’ve been here before.

I got into trouble too

when I was your age.


- And I… I know it’s no fun.


- So, stop it then!

You’re just doing it to be mean!

I am doing it for your own good!

You lied to me, Hilda and…

You need to learn

that actions have consequences.

I’ll see you later.

[sighs]

Is it for my own good

or is she just doing what she thinks

a parent is supposed to do?

[car engine starts]

[sighs]

This is going to be one boring day.


- [yells]


- [Twig yelps]

[Twig whimpers]


- [birds chirping]


- [theme music playing]

Hilda ♪

[woman vocalizing]

Got any twos?

[yawns]

[door opens, closes]

Oh, it’s just Mr. Ostenfeld.


- [gasps]


- What is it?

Mr. Ostenfeld! He disappeared!

He’s right there.

He re
-appeared!

He was gone and then back again,

in the blink of an eye!

Hmm. Perhaps, you just blinked your eyes.

We have to investigate!

Ugh! You are aware that you’re grounded?

Unjustly grounded.

Come on, Alfur,

you wouldn’t tell on me, would you?

Uh
-huh.

[gasps]

Traitor!

But Johanna made me sign a pledge

to tell her if you left the building!

I don’t think

I have to leave the building.


- I’ll just go downstairs.


- [sighs]

I suppose that is

within the letter of the law,

if not the spirit.

And isn’t that

what’s most important to elves?

All right, Hilda.

Downstairs, but no further.

And I’m… I'm coming with you.

[sighs]

She never waits.

[Twig whines]

[gasps]

What do we have here?

Hey! Hey!

[grunts, sighs]

Wait, surely you’re not considering…

Ah! Hilda! The postal regulations!

[Alfur] Ooh! “Trolberg Digest.”


- That’s an oldie.


- Hmm.

[gasps]

Ah!

What just happened?

Uh, well, apparently,

you opened a magazine

and renovated the lobby of your building.

This magazine is nearly 50 years old.

Hmm. And so is the upholstery pattern

on this chair.

Everything that looked old,

looks new again.

Alfur, I think we’re in the past!

Oh, dear.


- Come on!


- No! Stop!

I’m not going to let you leave!

Oh…

[Alfur] Hilda!

This is my street?


- Whoa!


- Enid Hallgrimm!

Don’t dawdle.

Miss Hallgrimm?

Hilda, I must point out

in the strongest terms,

that you have left your building!

But not on the day I’m grounded.

Ugh! That’s a fair point.

My, you’re good with loopholes.

Well, now there’s only one thing to do…


- make the time travel chart!


- [Hilda] Alfur!

It’s Mr. Ostenfeld!

[gasps]

Two of him?

How many are there?

Six. No… seven.

Mysterious.

Aah!

In you go.

[gasps]


- Uh…


- We’re brothers.

Hmm?

Mm.

[whistling]

Oop. You’re a bit young

for the night life.

Best you run on home.

Not bad advice, really.

[jazz music playing inside]

Hmm…

[panting]

[grunts]

Wow! Fancy.

[jazz music continues]

[woman laughs]

[Hilda] They’re watching that guy.

[gasps]

He’s got the same magazine!

We must’ve traveled back

to the exact date of this issue.

Ooh! I’ll add that information

to my time travel chart.

[jazz music continues]

[mouths]

Thank you.

[inaudible dialogue]

[inaudible dialogue]

[jazz music continues]

[chuckles]

[applauding]

[slow romantic music playing]

These two are clearly

meant to be together.

Well, the Ostenfelds didn’t like that.

Hey! That’s my neighbor’s kid!

She doesn’t belong here!


- [gasps]


- I think it's time to go!


- Yeah!


- Hey!

[grunts]


- Whoa!


- Get back here!

[bell clanging]

[grunts, pants]

Phew! That was close.

Now how does this thing work?

[blows air]

[both] Phew.

Whoa!!

You’ve wasted one of my magazines!

And they only work once!

Duly noted.

Why are you spying on me?

I think the bigger question is…

why were you all spying on that guy?

I’m allowed!

That guy was me!

You?

[sighs]

It was one of the best nights of my life.

I went out expecting to listen

to some music, but instead…

I met… her.

The night flew by all too quickly,

and I wanted to see her again,

but I didn’t want to seem too eager.

No… I was afraid.

I let the moment pass.

I… I thought I would get another chance,

but… I never even got her name.

For decades, I tried to recapture

that night in any way I could.

So, when I found an advertisement

to send away for old magazines,

I ordered the one

I was reading that night.


- And when I opened it…


- How does it work?

I don’t know.

But each copy only works once.

So, I ordered more.

And now I can finally see her again.

Even if it means watching that moment

slip through my fingers.

What about the other yous?

My previous trips.

I try to space out my visits

so I don’t add up too fast.

Have you ever tried to… change things?

The past is the past,

you don’t mess with it.

There’s always consequences.

He has a point.

There must be a reason the magazines

keep taking you back there

and it isn’t just to… lurk.

Maybe they want you to do something?

Oh… I don't know.

If you don't do it, I will!

No!

[pants]

Stop!

Stop her!

[both] Huh?

[panting]

Where'd she go?


- I think she went this way!


- No, no, she went that way!

[jazz music playing]

Thanks for a lovely evening.

Oh, um, you're welcome.

I mean… thank you!

Well, all right then.

Good night.

Good night.


- Mr. Ostenfeld!


- Oh!

How do you know my name?

That’s not important.

What matters is you’ve got

to make plans to see her again.


- Now!


- But that’s so forward.

You won’t get another chance.

Seize the moment,

or you’ll regret it the rest of your life.

But… I…

[sighs]

Trust me.


- Go!


- What?

Hurry!

[slow jazz music]

[inaudible dialogue]

[inaudible dialogue]

[Hilda] Yes!

He did it!

I did it!

I never knew I had it in me!

[female voice] Hilda?

Uh, I… Are you?

She must be your previous trip.

This is weird.

Oh, dear, I better update my chart!

I like your use of arrows

for the different timelines.

Why am I… or rather why are you here?

We came to help Mr. Ostenfeld find love.

And we did! With no consequences!

[rumbling]

Um… What was that?

I was right. This was a bad idea.

Hilda, you have to get out of here!

Who's this?


- You!


- Me!


- [both] Us!


- [Alfur 2] Hello!

[gasps]

[gasps, screams]

Run!

[people screaming]

[worm roars]

Oh!

[yells]

What is that? And where did you come from?

I’m you from the future

and I came to stop us getting eaten.


- Well, you messed that up a bit!


- Hey!

You’re still here aren’t you?

Let’s try and keep it that way!

Will you stop pulling me!


- Uh, terribly sorry about this.


- No offense taken!


- Get off!


- Ugh!

[both screaming]

Mr. Ostenfeld!

We need to get out of here now!

[pants]

Oh, no!

No!

The magazine!

[worm roars]

[grunts, gasps]

[tranquil music]


- [whirring]


- [whooshes]

Mr. Ostenfeld, look!

I can’t believe that’s my life.

[Peter] If only I’d lived it.


- Wait. Is that… Tildy?


- You know her?

She lives around the corner

from our building!


- Ah, there you are. Come on!


- Wait!


- I’ve got to find my copy of the magazine.


- Forget that.

Hilda!

And all this time

she was just around the corner.

Once that thing’s done with

the Ostenfelds it’ll come for us.

There’s only one way we get out of this,

we’ve got to find…

Oh, will you stop being difficult

Will you stop pulling me around

and be nice to me?

[both yell]

You just had to mess around with time,

didn't you!

Don’t make out like this is my fault.

You did it too!

Yes, I did! I’ve been here before!

That’s why you’ve got to trust me

when I say this is for your own good!

[worm growls]

[Hilda 2] Hey! Over here!

[groans]

No!

Just run!

Find

Time to go!

[sighs]

That was all my fault.

She was just trying to help me and…

Oh… That could have been me.

[gasps]

It was me.

Don’t beat yourself up kid.

As far as anything matters now,

none of that really happened.

Come on.

Let's go home.

[screams]


- Mr. Ostenfeld!


- Run! Run!

Run, run, run, run, run!

[Hilda yells]

[pig snorts]

[pig squeals]

Aah!

[overlapping dialogue]

[worm growls]

[panting]

Alfur, that’s Mum’s car!


- A getaway vehicle! We’re saved!


- Wait!

Uh, I really don’t think time is on

our side right now Hilda.

[dramatic music playing]

[exhales sharply]

Am I doing the right thing?

[sobs]

This isn’t the sort of Mum I wanted to be

but what am I supposed to do? I…

Oh, Johanna just get a grip.

[car engine starts]

[sighs]

This is going to be one boring day.


- [yells]


- [Twig yelps]

[Twig whimpers]

Where are we going?

Tildy!

It’s an emergency!

[screams]

Come in. That spell won’t last forever.

You’re just who I wanted to see.

I am?

Yes.

It seems I fell in love 50 or so years ago

and got married.

Know anything about that?

Ah! You’re the girl from the dance hall.

All our happiness we owe to you.

I’m glad you’re happy.

The thing out there isn’t.

It’s called a Time Worm.

Ah! Good name. Very… descriptive.

You’ve created a new timeline.

With a new him.

And a new me.

The Time Worm is here

to get rid of the old ones.

But why is it after me?

Because he’s not your neighbor anymore.

So, the you that met him

and traveled through time shouldn’t exist.

And that version is… oh, you.

And me.

Precisely.


- There’s got to be a way to stop it!


- [Tildy 2] There is.

But we’ll need the enchanted object.

I have one!

Good! Now we just need to destroy it.

[Tildy] No.

That won’t work. It’s just a copy.

It has to be the original.

This is all my fault.

No, Hilda, it's not.

[Hilda gasps]

The original magazine!

How did you know where to find it?

I’m the one who enchanted it

in the first place.

[Tildy] I so wanted to see that man again

that I went back to the dance hall

that night and tried to find him,

but he was already gone.

All I found was that stupid magazine!

With all that dancing,

I didn’t even get his name,

so being the reckless

young witch I was, I

[Hilda] Hoped he would find you?

I wasn’t thinking about

the consequences back then.

But we can fix it!

If the enchanted object is destroyed,

everything that was a result of it…

will be undone.


- Everything.


- You mean…

Us.

Yes.

We’d be safe, but I’m afraid

the Time Worm will take them instead.

I can’t. We can’t do it to them.

What are you doing?

Stopping this. It’s all because of us.

This isn’t fair.

You two are clearly meant to be together!

We know. But not like this.

I’m glad we shared a life together.

Even if it’s to be erased.

We lived it. That can’t be erased.

That’s what matters.


- [Time Worm roars]


- [screaming]

Come on. I’ll walk you home.

[Tildy] If I’m not mistaken,

you’re supposed to be grounded.

[gasps]

Mr. Ostenfeld!

Morning, Hilda. And, uh…

Tildy.

I’m Peter. Nice to meet you.

Good day, ladies.

Well? Go after him!

The past is the past.

I think we’ve messed with it enough

for today.

Hey, boy.

I can say with some certainty that

that was the longest…


- 35 minutes of my entire life.


- [door opens]


- Mum!


- Told you I wouldn’t be long.


- [gasps]


- [sighs]

Oh, Hilda, I’m…

I’m sorry I was a bit harsh before.

I didn’t mean to

I didn’t really give you much choice. I…

I know you just worry about me

and I’m really glad that you do.

But you shouldn’t have to. And I’m sorry.


- Where are you going?


- I’m grounded, remember?

Oh, yes I do.

Thanks for not telling Mum

I left the building.

I wouldn’t even know where to begin

trying to explain this.

And all things considered,

it didn’t work out too badly.

We saw ourselves die… twice.

[closing theme music playing]