People hoped for a Cecile reference, but I can understand why they wouldn't make a very specific callback to season 1 that wasn't related to this plot. It would have required a little too much supplemental viewing and just confused a general audience without some awkward exposition. In a lot of pre-TJM fan art, fans also seemed to universally agree that Helga's bow would be used as a bandage for Arnold at some point, and they'd end up going over a waterfall and Helga's wet hair would tip Arnold off to who Cecile had been. Both scenarios I like and wish had made it into the actual movie. Or at the very least I wish she had used her bow like Indiana Jones' whip…
The trio of young companions dodged yet another death trap set by the ancient Greeneyes people, intended to ward off any outsiders. Of the three of them, Helga's mood had soured to the point where Arnold and Gerald were beginning to feel more afraid of her than the jungle, Lasombra or any of the other pressing threats to their lives. She had been the one leading the charge up until this point, but she appeared to be succumbing to the stress of being lost in the jungle, which the others found understandable of course, if not convenient. For the third time all three preteens ended up in a dog pile as the result of dodging yet another booby trap. Helga picked up the journal and smacked it into Arnold's face again, this time earning his ire.
"Helga, I'd appreciate it if you'd stop hitting me with the book…" Arnold groaned, "It's kind of a family heirloom. And that hurts…"
Helga sneered, "Yeah? Well if you'd stop leading us into booby trap after booby trap I'd appreciate that too!"
"Guys, this really isn't the time for you to be fighting." Gerald intervened, pushing the two of them apart, "We're kind of in a situation that's gonna require cooperation."
Helga had grown frustrated to a boiling point however, and wasn't about to listen to any calm voice of reason.
"Well I hope this has all been worth it short man." she growled, "Worth risking all of our lives and yours just to find your deadbeat parents…"
Arnold frowned, "Look, I'm sorry, I never meant to put any of you in danger, but if I find them then… then it'll at least be worth me putting my own life at risk."
"Are you serious?" Helga shouted in his face, "How can you weigh your own life against two people that… that you don't even really know?"
Both Arnold and Gerald went wide-eyed with shock. Helga was nothing if not blunt, but now her usual verbal abuse was getting uncomfortably personal.
After an awkward pause, Arnold at last said, "They're my parents…"
Helga scoffed at the notion.
"Yeah, yeah, well newsflash football head, they may have brought you into this world but they abandoned you!" she shouted, "They ran off to this stinking jungle and for all you know maybe they never wanted to come back!"
Arnold's eyes bored into hers as he said, "Helga, you don't know what you're talking about." Arnold said in such a deathly serious tone that it gave her shivers for a moment.
Quickly regaining her bravado, Helga kept shouting, "You sure about that? Because I've got way more life experience than you when it comes to parents and let me tell you, parents are the worst."
"Helga, stop!" Gerald protested.
"Maybe yours are, but mine were different!" Arnold snapped back, "They were good people, and I know why they left. They'd never abandon me on purpose!"
"Really? Cuz it looks like these alleged Greeneye people were more important to them." Helga retorted.
Another painfully awkward pause ensued before Arnold broke the silence.
"I know my parents loved me…" he said through gritted teeth, "I'm sorry yours don't, but mine-"
Arnold's anger vanished as he instantly realized he'd gone too far. The look of anger on his face quickly turned to one of remorse. Likewise, Helga suddenly looked deeply hurt.
"Yeah. Yeah, I guess you're right…" she said as tears gathered in her eyes. Without another word she spun around and ran off.
"Wait! Helga! Come back!" Arnold shouted after her
Gerald stood in a silent daze, unable to believe what he had just heard. Helga saying snippy insensitive things was commonplace, but to hear Arnold retaliate as he did shocked him.
"Ouch. That was pretty cold Arnold…" he shook his head, "I mean, she may have had it coming but still… that wasn't very Arnold of you."
"I know… Gerald, can you wait here?" Arnold asked, "I think I need to talk to her alone."
"Fine by me. Whatever's going on between you two you'd better sort it out on your own. And quick." Gerald sighed.
"Just wait right here." Arnold said, as he handed Gerald his journal, "We'll be back. Here, hold onto this for me."
"Don't take too long, buddy." Gerald insisted.
Urgently, Arnold ran off in the direction Helga fled in. After a short run alongside the river, he came across her fairly quickly, sitting just off the trail on a rock. Fortunately she hadn't gone far, probably knowing better than to accidentally set off any more booby traps. She sat with her head buried in her hands and sounded as if she was sniffling.
"Helga?" Arnold called to her, but got no response, "Helga, I'm really sorry. I didn't mean-"
"Whatever you meant, football head… it's true." Helga murmured.
"Aw, come on Helga… your parents love you." Arnold insisted.
Helga glanced up at him and smirked.
"You're terrible at lying, you know that?" she said.
"I know they've got their own weird way of… well, you know, even if they're kind of… I'm sure they still uh…"
"Look, shove it, Arnoldo. Let's just call it even. I said some things, you said some things… I didn't really mean it, I've just got a lot on my mind and I'm just… I'm kind of…. worried. You know, about the others."
"All the more reason we need to find the Greeneyes. They'll be able to help us, hopefully. My parents helped them before, so hopefully…"
"We're really kind of playing this by ear, huh?" Helga sighed.
"We don't have many other options. Come on." Arnold offered her his hand, which she declined but stood up on her own.
"Okay. We're calm. We're calm…" Helga sighed as she got a hold of herself, "Let's just try to avoid blindly stepping into any more booby traps like…"
As if jinxed by her very words, Arnold accidentally stepped onto another hidden mechanism. Before they knew it the ground beneath them started to rumble. Glancing around frantically, Helga spotted an enormous boulder barreling towards Arnold. Reacting quickly, she leapt towards Arnold.
"Like that! Arnold! Look out!" She screamed.
Her attempt to push him out of the way worked, but she knocked him off his feet with greater force than she'd intended. Her ensuing tackled sent Arnold falling backwards, and straight into the river.
"Hey!" he cried out as he fell into the water. He desperately tried to swim ashore but the current was too strong. Slightly disoriented, Helga slowly rose to her feet and beheld the horrifying sight of Arnold being swept away.
"No!" she screamed.
"Helga!" Arnold cried out as he fought agains the river to no avail.
Helga desperately looked around for a vine she could throw to him like a rope, but couldn't find one. She ran alongside the river trying to catch up to Arnold. Worse still, his cries for help were slowly being drowned out by an increasingly loud roaring noise. Helga gasped in horror when she spotted the rapids ahead, or rather a small but nasty looking waterfall.
"Oh no, no, no, no, no, no!" Helga cried out as she helplessly watched as Arnold barreled towards the falls, "No!"
"Helgaaaaaaa!" Arnold's voice rang in her ear as he went over the edge.
Still panicking, Helga looked over the edge. Expecting to see Arnold's mangled corpse, she instead beheld a semi miraculous sight. Beneath the falls rested a small still pool that Arnold had fallen into. A small miracle to be sure, but now the boy lay floating apparently unconscious. Hopefully unconscious, as opposed to the alternative.
"Criminey! Now you've done it! You've finally done it, Helga you maniac." She cursed herself as she climbed down towards him, "You finally broke the stupid football head!"
Helga jumped from the ledge into the water. Swimming over to Arnold, she grabbed him by the arm and with all her might she dragged him to the shore. Soaked in water, her hair had come undone and now draped over part of her face. Brushing her hair aside, she looked at Arnold who appeared to be alive at the very least. Desperately she shook him, trying to get a response.
"Arnold? Arnold please… Arnold, it's me." she pleaded, nearly in tears, "It's Helga… I-I was trying to protect you from the thingy, so I just pushed you out of the way, and I guess I didn't notice that cliff or the waterfall there. But hey, at least it was a small one, right? So don't say I never did anything for ya, right? Eh heh, heh, heh…"
She paused, still failing to get a response, "Oh criminey, please say something…"
Arnold remained motionless. Feeling for a pulse, Helga suddenly noticed a cut on his forearm trickling a stream of blood.
"Gah!" she recoiled at the sight of Arnold bleeding but quickly got a hold of herself, "Okay, calm down Helga old girl… all that extensive medical training comes to this… oh why couldn't I have paid attention in health class instead of hocking spitballs at this clod… while fantasizing about playing nurse with him… no, not now… focus. Did Simmons even cover first aid? No, it was all Monkeynucleosis and other useful nuggets of knowledge…"
As if summoned by her words, a monkey appeared on a branch just above the two kids. Helga looked up at it as it stared at her with interest. Her brow furrowed as she pulled the bow from her hair.
"Back... off…" she growled.
Using the ribbon like a whip she warded off the monkey, which quickly scurried away, screeching as it went. Looking at the ribbon in her hand she got an idea. Delicately, she wrapped it around Arnold's arm as a crude bandage.
"Guess that'll have to do. Arnold?" Helga asked, "Please wake up. I… I don't know what my life would be without you, and I really don't want to find out. Oh, this is all my fault… Maybe I should try… true loves first kiss? No, that only works in cartoon movies…"
As Helga prattled on to herself, unbeknownst to her Arnold slowly started to stir.
"Arnold, I'm sorry. I brought us here without understanding how much you really needed this; how much you needed your parents, and that's something I don't think I'll ever understand. I wanted to help you but… but I just did it so… so you'd be eternally grateful. But that's changed. I promise you, now I'm doing it because… because I really care for you. More than care, l- oh Arnold, you know why. I don't know why we still keep up the facade. You told me once that you thought that I just acted mean, but underneath it all I was a nice sensitive person, and one day I wouldn't be afraid to show it… well, that day is today, and I'm going to be kind to you from now on, you wonderful idiot."
Helga cradled Arnold who had regained consciousness, but was pretending he hadn't, and was now listening to her heartfelt and melodramatic monologue.
"Oh Arnold, my beloved orzo-shaped fallen angel, my poor delicate broken mirror unto my heart. Too delicate for these caring but overbearing hands to hold in love's firm grasp. Too good for this world, yet you share your heart willingly with all therein. My muse, my guiding light, my one true love, what have I done unto thee? How ironic that thine own kindness should spell thy downfall. Alack be the day you sheltered me with such undeserved kindness and unwittingly cursed yourself with my destructive affection. My love; a violent insatiable fire that warms my heart, but burns to the touch, bringing naught but destruction and misery to all unfortunates in its wake. Truly thy heavenly form was never meant to feel the infernal flames of Hel…"
Her words momentarily caught in her throat as she choked on some water.
"… gah… ga G. Pataki. Though I am unworthy, I bid thee return to we mere mortals who deserve you not, but desperately need you still, for without your guiding light this world should be forever darkened. Return to us, if not for mine own sake, then for thy stalwart best friend's sake, return! For thy devoted grandparents who treasure thee dearly as their own child, awake! For thy parents, if perchance they still dwell amongst the living, that they might behold thee and all thy wonders, arise! For all who may have yet to bathe in the healing light of thy pure heart's glowing radiance, live! I implore you!"
She paused and looked woefully at his still apparently unconscious body. Suddenly her brow furrowed and she started shaking him violently and slapping his face.
"HEY, ARNOLD! WAKE UP, FOOTBALL HEAD!"
Arnold abruptly dropped his act and cried out, "Gah! I'm up! I'm up!"
"Arnold! You're alive!" Helga gasped, "Uh… about time, Football Head! Thought you were gonna just leave me stranded here. Real considerate."
Arnold stared at her with searching eyes, "You… I remember you now…"
"Remember me? Don't tell me I gave you amnesia, Arnoldo." she scoffed, "I mean, what goes around comes around, but still."
"Hilda…" Arnold murmured.
"Yes, yes it's me, Hil-" Helga sputtered, "What? No, it's Helga, paste for brains. Hel-GAAAAAH. Sheesh, I already have enough people in my life who can't get my name right…"
"Helga… Helga Pataki?" Arnold corrected himself.
"Well, doi! How many other Helgas do you even know?" Helga demanded, "And how many of them are you lost in this stupid jungle with?"
"Sorry, it's just for a moment I thought… you were…. someone…" Arnold slowly trailed off.
"You thought I was someone." Helga said dryly, "Behold, the ontological powers of Arnold. You sure I didn't give you brain damage?"
"I thought you were someone I met in a dream once…" Arnold continued.
"Okay, Arnold, you're starting to weird me out." Helga shook her head, "And what are you looking at me like that for? Something on my face…?"
Arnold squinted as he stared at Helga, as if searching her face for something. Her wet hair covering her face suddenly sparked something in his memory.
"No… it couldn't be…" he said, shaking his head.
"You're uh… really looking into my soul, there, Bucko…" Helga giggled uncomfortably.
Arnold said nothing in return but his eyes started to widen as his mouth fell open. Helga backed away feeling disturbed by his behavior.
"Okay, and now you're really starting to creep me out, you little creep." she said, "Sheesh, you look like you've seen a ghost or something.
In a barely audible whisper Arnold uttered one word, "Cecile?"
Helga hadn't quite heard what he said, but suspected exactly what he'd said.
"B-beg pardon…?" she stuttered in slight terror.
"Arnold! Hey, Arnold!" another voice suddenly rang out from above.
"Gerald!" Arnold shouted.
"Oh thank whatever god the Green-Eyes believe in…" Helga muttered to herself, "Hey! Geraldo! We're down here!"
Gerald appeared on the ledge above them. Looking down at them he shouted, "What in the heck are you two doing so far off the path?"
"Oh you know, Arnold here thought he saw a shiny new quarter at the bottom of this pool so we decided to just take a little detour." Helga said sarcastically, "WE DODGED A DEATH TRAP AND GOT A LITTLE SIDETRACKED, OKAY?"
Gerald tossed a vine down to them, and the two of them climbed up to his level. Gerald and Arnold hugged as Helga ran her hands through her hair which somehow popped back into her usual static pigtailed style, as if by magic.
"Thanks for leaving me back there, guys." Gerald smirked.
"Hey, it was an accident." Helga retorted, "We've had problems of our own, Geraldo."
"Thanks, pal." Arnold smiled.
"You cut yourself, Arnold?" Gerald asked, motioning to the pink ribbon around his friend's arm, "Or is that some kinda friendship bracelet?"
"Huh? Oh…" Arnold finally noticed Helga's makeshift bandage on his arm.
"Well, we didn't exactly have time to grab a first aid kit back at the camp." she shrugged, "Had to use something."
"Yeah… we're fine." Arnold said, "Everything is just fine." He smiled lovingly at the bow wrapped around his arm, and then similarly at Helga.
"Yeah, yeah, and I'm just peachy myself, thanks for asking." Helga cracked her knuckles, "Now let's get moving. Geraldo.
"Still got the map?" Arnold asked.
Gerald pulled out the journal, and smiled, "Gotcha covered."
"Gimme." Helga grabbed the journal and looked over the map carefully. "Alright, our last checkpoint was… here… and then all that stuff happened here, so now we're roughly… somewhere in the jungle."
"Oh boy…" Gerald and Arnold said together in unison.
"What? You want longitude and latitude?" Helga asked, "We're lost, alright? Arnold, just use your mystical deus ex plot device necklace would you?"
"My what?" Arnold scratched his head. "Why are you calling it that?"
"I'm a writer," Helga shrugged, "You start to recognize these kind of tropes. Just do it."
Arnold held the amulet over the map and checked it over for a few moments, "I think the path is… this way." he said.
"You sure?" Helga asked.
"Got any better ideas?" Gerald asked.
"If I had any better ideas, I'd still be at Dinoland right now." Helga huffed, "Not beating around the bush with you two saps."
The trio walked in silence for a little while. Arnold's eyes kept darting back to Helga, for whom he found himself having strangely clear strong feelings towards for the first time. Gerald looked at Arnold who met his gaze, then he looked at Helga and back to Arnold and smiled. He started intentionally walking faster than the two of them as if trying to give them a little space. As Gerald moved out ahead of the other two, Arnold at last broke the silence.
"Um, Helga?" He asked
"Football head?" she responded.
"I uh, I know you pushed me in the first place but still… thank you for saving me." he said, "Twice."
"Well, fat lotta good you'd be to us dead." Helga said dismissively.
"Heh, yeah I guess I'm worth something to you." he laughed.
"Yeah…" Helga sighed, "Very little, but yeah."
"Listen, I really am sorry for what I said to you before." he said.
"Meh, I've said worse. No need to apologize, Arnold." Helga said, "Really. We're all under a little stress out here in the bush.
They continued walking alongside one another, awkwardly exchanging glances. After a few more minutes of silence, Arnold inspected his bandage.
"I uh, think the bleeding stopped." Arnold said, peeling off the pink ribbon, "You want your bow back?"
Helga found herself reacting with excitement, internally monologging to herself.
Oh yes… twill be the crowning jewel of my Arnold shrine. Our very essences entwined… my bow… now anointed with your most precious blo- WHAT am I thinking?
She looked at Arnold and shouted, "Ew! Are you kidding me? Why would I want that in my hair again?"
"Oh… yeah, I guess you're right, sorry." Smiling to himself, he stuffed the ribbon in his pocket.
Helga patted the top of her head and said, "Thanks for the reminder though, fortunately I keep spares." Reaching into her pocket she pulled out another pink ribbon and tied it back in place. Arnold gave her a strange look "What? I've got an image, and I stand by it," she said, smoothening her brow.
" I wouldn't want to change that." Arnold said, "It's perfect."
Arnold gave Helga one of his weird ear-to-ear smiles. Helga turned slightly pink in response.
"Um… look Arnold, we've got to stay focused on the job at hand." she insisted, "Finding the Green-Eyes is what matters now. Our friends are depending on us. And… your parents might be too."
"Yeah… yeah, you're right." Arnold affirmed, "Thanks Helga. Glad to know that you care."
"C'mon you two, pick up the pace. I think I see something!" Gerald shouted from up ahead, "There's some kind of structure up there!"
Arnold retook the lead and the trio walked through a small patch of woods with a well worn path down the middle until they came to what appeared to be an ancient shrine. Suddenly the amulet stoped glowing.
"Hmm, the amulet stopped glowing." Arnold noted, "There's no more information on the map."
"Oh, for crying out loud!" Helga groaned.
"Well, if you don't mind, I could use a break. My dogs are barking." Gerald moaned, as he sat down on the edge of the shrine.
"We have to find the Green-Eyes on our own from here." Arnold admitted solemnly.
"You have got to be kidding me!" Helga snapped again, "This is the middle of nowhere, Football Head!"
As Gerald took off his shoe while sitting on the stone well, he suddenly sank through what had looked like a solid surface covered in leaves.
"Whoa!"
Helga and Arnold turned to see their companion had vanished below. Arnold peered into the now gaping hole and called after him.
"Gerald! Are you okay?"
"Gerald? Whoa!" Helga echoed, as she clumsily ran into Arnold, accidentally knocking them both into the well and into a pit of leafs. Helga reached into the pile and pulled out Gerald's shoe.
"Mm-mm-mm. Arnold, this statue sure looks a lot like you." came the voice of Gerald, standing over by a stone idol, with a very distinctly oblong shaped head.
"Hmm. I gotta say, it's not half-bad." Helga remarked as she handed Gerald back his shoe, but then scoffed, "I've seen better."