Toggle Background Color

Thank goodness, there really was spring here.

Lily, what exactly is this spring you found?

Here, take a look at this.

Whoa!

Eek, a frog?!

How cute. It's so chubby.

That's rare for this time of year. Wouldn't Lady Moriya be delighted?

I-I suppose so. Just, uh, keep it away from me, please.

Wait, you worship a frog god but you can't handle frogs?

W-well, obviously I love them, I just prefer to observe them from a distance.

So why is this frog so important?

Living beings emerge from the ground along with the overflowing power of spring. In other words, this frog that's woken up from its hibernation is a sign of spring.

That's the power of spring?

It's the power of the life energy that's been sleeping in the earth. It's just a bit, but there's still some left.

The power of spring is running low because Youmu has been stealing it.

Plus, that weird marching band we just met mentioned going to a flower viewing.

Is that where all the stolen spring is being taken to? How can they cause all this suffering just to hold a flower viewing party?

And of all the seasons, why'd we have to get stuck with winter? I don't think anyone would mind an eternal autumn.

That sounds wonderful...

But if it actually happened it would be a problem.

Really? I thought you of all people would welcome that with open arms.

All jokes aside, the cycle of the four seasons is the cycle of life. You can't just stop it.

How do you mean?

A full turn of the seasons mirrors the life of a single creature.

Spring is birth, summer is growth,

Autumn is both the reaping of one's earned rewards and the start of the decline,

And, finally, winter is death.

So just like the cycle of life, the flow of the seasons must continue?

Exactly. So no matter how much I may loathe winter, autumn must always come to an end. As a member of the four seasons, even if it pains me to do so, if it fills me with anguish, if it breaks my heart, we must always pass on the torch.

You really hate it that much?

So, is that why you're helping us Letty?

Indeed. When a season's time has passed, it needs to end properly.

Oh, I see. I was sure you were benefitting from this incident, but I guess you're just another victim.

In that sense, all four of us are in this together.

Then how about we form the Season Alliance to welcome in the next autumn?

I'll be the King of Autumn, and Shizuha can be the Queen of Fall.

You do realize you're both the same season, right? We're missing a summer.

Since she's associated with sunflowers, Yuuka usually stands in for summer.

So what do we do with the frog?

Well, it'd be a waste to throw it away, so we could probably cook it somehow.

Not a bad idea. I bet it would be pretty good grilled.

I can't let you do that after I worked so hard to find it...

Ack, please get off me! It was a joke!

You don't have much of a sense of humor, do you?

And of course you were joking too, right Mokou?

Of course I was. They're not that good grilled.

Heeeey, could you let me have it then?

I don't mind, why?

I wanna freeze it and give it to Letty. To show we're friends.

I told you, I not going to let you-

C'mon, frogs shine their best when frozen!

If you're gonna fight over it then I want it too!

Sheesh, this is so troublesome.

Um, Miss Letty?

What is it?

Maybe it's weird for me to ask you for this, but could you accept Cirno's frog?

Why would I want something like that? And why would you be asking this of me?

She said this earlier, but that's a sign of Cirno's friendship. Cirno is, well, she's like that, so because of her ice powers a lot of people start to dislike her. So I had her promise not to use her powers recklessly-

Get to the point, fairy. What does this have to do with me?

Cirno was... I think she was so happy to meet you. Someone else who really understands her ice powers.

...

Hey, you two, stop wasting time and let's go.

So what were you talking about? Perhaps an exclusive scoop?

Ah, no, nothing like that. So, I'll be going now...

Is that so? Then I can ask you questions while we travel.

Why?

You turned me down earlier, but once it becomes spring I'll have missed my chance to interview you. Just talk about the dangers of a prolonged winter, or something like that.

Is that all you want? Well, first of all it's cold.

I see, so it's cold... and?

And... it snows, and the days are shorter so it's dark.

I see, so it's dark... and?

Can we just go already?