Part 37: Episode 24: The Third Request - The Approaching Rain

It is even more pudding than its name had led me to imagine.
Looking at it, it… well… I can’t think of any name other than “Mt. Pudding”.

Coo, coooooo!
Calm down, San! Going berserk now won’t fix anything!


Okosan! I knew we’d see him here!

I thought Okosan would be here, but I hadn’t quite expected you, Ryouta!

So it would seem.
I see… I guess you two are together even in this dream, then?
We arrived on the same train! We’re a dynamic duo, on a quest for The King. What about you?
I… guess I’m a Votaress of Pudding.

And the role comes with a new costume! This time he gets to be a nun!

So that means Okosan is--

Incidentally, what does he need those things on his back for?

Aren’t gods supposed to be calm and composed?
Coo, coooooo! (It is not the time for being calm! The rain is coming!)
Weather usually changes quickly in the mountains, so if we wait it should be clear again eventually…
Coooooo! (Waiting is not an option! Okosan’s pudding will be rendered gooey!)
Sounds like the rain would be a problem for you too, Okosan.
The King said rain has never fallen here, so there must be something behind it. It might not go away even if we wait.

You’re never going to get rid of rain clouds by flapping at them, San!
And if the clouds get blown down the mountain The King will be sad. We need to think of another way.
The clouds are coming from the summit…
Let’s climb the mountain and see what’s up there, Nageki!
All right.

And so Nageki and I slowly began our descent up Mt. Pudding.
The music stops.



Aaaah! That was more of a climb than I had expected.
By the time we reached the top of the mountain, the clouds had made the sky dark and it had begun to rain.

I never realized pudding was this hard to climb up!
I suppose it is very slippery.
Are you doing okay, Nageki? You didn’t get tired?
Not at all. I flew.

This… this is the true separator of birds and men!

Well, we’re at the top…
And there’s something suspicious right over there.



A bird was caught headfirst in the caramel pudding top!

It’s like in The Inugami Clan!
N-Nageki! What do we do!? This isn’t a fairy tale, it’s a murder mystery! It’s Sukekiyo!
The corpse upside down in the water was a diversion by the real culprit. People get it mixed up all the time, but Inugami Sukekiyo wasn’t the man in the white mask or the corpse in the water.

So this is what the spoiler warning was for! But even with a warning it’s bad form to go telling people the answers to puzzles in mysteries, Nageki! Don’t do that!

Anyway, if he stays stuck in the caramel for too long, he’ll suffocate. Let’s help him.
Right! You take one leg, I’ll take the other!

It took quite a bit of pulling and tugging, but eventually the bird was free of his caramel prison.




Wow, he’s covered in caramel! He’s like a walking ant trap!

Umm… We’ve been bumping into people who were at the observation so far, so…
You’re Mr. Nanaki… right?
No, that’s not right. I’m Nemo.
Nemo?
So your name is… Nemo?
Yes. Yes, that’s right. I’m Nemo, and I’ve lost something.

……

Hey, Nageki… Don’t you think the rain’s getting a little heavier?
Definitely. And more clouds are gathering.
Aaah… Where should I look…? I think I dropped it in this swamp…
I look, and I look, and I don’t find it. And now I feel sad.

How poetic!
Well, think about where we are. There’s no need to think realistically.

So to get rid of the clouds maybe we need to solve Nemo’s problem?
Well, it’s worth a shot, if nothing else. Maybe we can help two people then!

What are you looking for, Mr. Nemo? We’ll help you find it!
You will? Really? That’s so nice of you…

Y-your name…!?
Hence “Nemo”.

How do you lose your own name…?

I just told you, Miss Lourde. Logical thought will get us nowhere.
What does your name look like?
Ummm… I wonder what it does look like?

I’ll ask the questions here, bub!

I don’t know. I can’t see anything.
Because your eyes are full of caramel?

I ate them, you see.

WHAT!!!!!!!!!!!

If a bird eats its own beak it will die, but if it eats its eyes it will be fine.
N-Nageki…! Every time Sukekiyo here opens his mouth he does terrible, terrible things to our fairy tale atmosphere! Everything he says is way too surreal!
Not really. The macabre is a long-standing tradition in fairy tales, after all.

Hmm… But we can’t see anything through this caramel sauce…

Do I just so happen to be carrying any convenient tools perfectly suited to the job?
Umm…
I checked my pockets, hoping to find something convenient, like I did on the train.

Nageki, I have a pond-fishing set with me!
…You keep one of those on your person?
Doesn’t your tummy ever get the rumblies that only raw pond smelt can cure?
No.

No one ever understands me… Waaaah!

Anyway, maybe we can catch Mr. Nemo’s name with this!

And so Nageki and I sat down and cast our lines, in search of a name.
The music stops.



………
…………

I’ve got something! I’ve got something!
That’s impressive, Miss Lourde. What is it?
Hang on, I’ll have it up in a second… ha!
Look! An Early Alice!
A strawberry in the pudding…?
Mr. Nemo! Your name is Early Alice!

Oh, well.

I guess there’s nothing for it. Catch, release, and try again!



………
…………

A bite! This is a big one!
It’s certainly pulling quite hard. Here, let me help you.
Please do! Grrraaaaaggghhh!
We got it!
This is…
Everbearing Alexandria!
Mr. Nemo, Mr. Nemo! Your name is Everbearing Alexandria!

Beggars can’t be choosers, Mr. Nemo! Geez, how stubborn can you get!?



Just what is Mr. Nemo’s name?

I guess we’re not finding it…
Don’t start feeling down, Mr. Nemo! You’ll make the rain worse!
We might not find it, at this rate. Maybe we should give you a new one?
A new name for Mr. Nemo? Would that solve the problem?

What? That’s all we needed to do!?

A new name, a new name… How about Late Lucy? Early Rosie?
I told you, I’m not a strawberry…

Oh, no! I got stuck in strawberry mode by accident!

Umm… hmm… I can’t think of anything… What about you, Nageki?
You’re leaving something that important to me?
It was your idea, right? You can probably come up with a better one than I could, anyway.
Hmmm…



Hitori? That’s an odd name.
I can’t remember well, but I think… a long time ago, when I was alive, someone very important to me was named Hitori.
Are you sure you want to give me a name that precious to you?
I don’t mind. I can’t remember, anyway… You might as well have it.
Hitori, Hitori… Hitori. Mmm.

As Nemo thought over his new name, the rain began to dissipate, and eventually stopped entirely.


I can’t see you, but I can tell that you are the two most wonderful birds I have ever met. I won’t ever forget this.

I’m not a bird!

I wonder how I can thank you… Do I have anything…?
Oh. Here, let me give you this. Please take it.

He pulled a small stone from his pocket and clumsily handed it to Nageki.


Aaah! Another pretty stone!
It’s a topaz.
I feel very sunny and warm now. I always have to take a nap in the forest when I feel like this…

The thoroughly caramelized Hitori (nee Nemo) happily leaves the mountain.

The rain has stopped. The King and the guardian deity won’t have to worry about it now.
The King is probably shaking and crying in his castle right about now. Let’s go give him the good news!

Nageki and I slowly made our way back to The King’s castle.
The music stops.





We’re not exactly going into a friend’s house, Miss Lourde. Shouldn’t you be a little more decorous?
Should I? I’m already thinking of The King as a friend, though…
You must have an awful lot of friends.

The King seemed to hear us though, as his typical fanfare rang through the castle walls.

His Royal Highness, The King!



I knew it!

Don’t worry, your majesty! The rain’s all gone now, so it’s okay!
Is it truly so?
Take a look outside, sir.
The King is relieved. The King was afraid the fire would go out.

The fire? That must be the light we saw earlier.

Thanks to you two, The King’s land is now peaceful once more. The King has no more troubles.

Even though you’re out of troubles?
The King… really wants that planisphere.
Mine? No. I was told not to give it away, no matter what.
-sniff-
Puppy eyes won’t help, your majesty! No means no!

One of the stars…?

The stars are represented by gemstone shards. We could probably pull one out…

What do you want to do, Nageki?
…Even a single star is still part of the planisphere. What do you think, Miss Lourde?
I suppose that’s true… but The King has been giving us gems this entire time, so just one would be fine, right?
That’s reasonable enough.
The King asked, will you give The King a star from the planisphere?
All right, I will. Pick one.

The King was very grateful. Thank you, guests from away.
You’re welcome.
I guess we’re really done with The King’s requests now, Nageki!