The attack on Troll Village quickly became more than the Trolls could handle and Queen Poppy knew that a defensive hairicade wouldn't be enough to stop them. It was time for her to take action and confront them from the top; but the riotous leader of the Party Crashers seemed a formidable foe. Fighting wouldn't be a wise option against the large beast, so talking, maybe even becoming friends, was Poppy's go-to plan.
As Poppy approached their leader, she noticed Branch swooping in for an attack, and was just in time to stop him. This didn't go unnoticed by the leader who seemed to smile at the challenge. She held tight onto his arm, not letting him go until she was sure Branch wasn't going to continue his attack.
"Poppy! Why would you stop me?" demanded Branch, pulling himself from Poppy's grip.
"Fighting isn't the answer. I want a chance to try talking this out," said Poppy.
Watching their exchange, the leader of the Party Crashers laughed. "Talking things out? You can't be serious."
Poppy turned to him. "Yes, please? Let's talk about this, leader to leader."
"I guess that makes you the Queen I heard about," he snorted. "Alright. I'll give you a chance to humor me. The name's Bash, by the way."
The plan already felt like it was coming together. Eager to begin the journey to a new friendship, Poppy was ready to follow Bash. Who nodded toward the forest so they could speak privately. However, before she could go, Branch grabbed her by the hand and stopped her.
"Are you sure about this? I think I should go with you," Branch said, concerned.
Poppy smiled and gave him a reassuring kiss on the cheek. "Everything will be alright."
Once they were alone, Poppy was prepared to do almost anything to protect her people and the village. Bash, however, had other plans.
Removing his sunglasses to reveal his light brown eyes, Bash grinned down at Poppy. "This is the way this works, Queenie. Your village, it's mine now, and everything in it is ours until there's nothing left. Then we'll move on and your little Troll friends can have it back."
"Listen, I'm willing to let you and the Party Crashers stay in the village, and as Trolls, we would be more than happy to share what we have with our guests. But I'm not going to let you just take over our home and destroy everything we worked hard for!" said Poppy.
"You really think you can stop me?" asked Bash, with a raised brow.
Poppy bit her lip, searching for an answer, but couldn't find one. Violence wasn't the answer and now she wished Branch had come along with her. He was better at coming up with solutions in times like this. So, silent she stayed.
"That's what I thought. Now let's do this." Bash lowered down onto all fours and stretched out. Loosening himself up from his head to the tip of his tail.
"Just because I don't have a plan right now, don't think we aren't going to figure this out. I'll keep us together and see us through this. You'll see and you'll be sorry," said Poppy as she turned to go back to her frightened village.
"That isn't going to be an issue," growled Bash, stopping Poppy in her tracks. "I don't think you understand how one pack taking over another works."
"What do you-" Poppy started to ask, but couldn't finish the question before Bash attacked.
Waiting for Poppy to return was almost enough to drive Branch crazy. He paced around, looking between the forest where he knew she was and the village that was falling into chaos. But "chaos" was a stretch of the imagination in reality to what was actually going on behind him. The Crashers thus far hadn't hurt anyone. Eating the Troll's food and destroying a few tables, yes, but nothing vicious. Nothing that could pull Branch away from how much he worried about Poppy.
Branch took Gary from his pocket and looked down at him, projecting all of his worry onto the remote control. "What do you think is taking her so long?" he asked.
Gary, of course, silently listened to all of his father's rhetorical questions.
"Maybe I should go check on her? It wouldn't hurt," Branch convinced himself. "Yeah, just a watchful eye. You're right, Gary."
Branch had only a made it a few steps before something grabbed his attention and the attention of everyone in the village. Bash appeared atop his elephant monster, carrying Poppy over his shoulder. She wasn't moving. Suddenly, Bash threw back his head and let out a deafening howl that forced Branch to cover his ears. Every Crasher in the village however, cheered and let out a howl along with him. It wasn't until it ended that Branch could hear again and do something.
"Bash!" Branch shouted up to him. "What did you do to her?!"
"How dumb are you Trolls?" he asked himself with a chuckle before replying to Branch. "Let's make a trade. You get your Queen and I get that remote? Sound fair?"
Branch growled under his breath, wanting to use Gary on Bash right then and there, but he couldn't. Not without getting Poppy caught up in the trap too and possibly more injured. So reluctantly, he agreed to the trade, deciding he would figure out a plan after he could get Poppy somewhere safe. "I'm sorry, Gary" he whispered to his precious son, then tossed him up to Bash. "There!" he shouted. "Now give me Poppy!"
Once Bash had the remote, not only did he not hesitate to feed it to his elephant, much to Branch's horror, but he then threw down Poppy. Purposely missing Branch so that she hit the ground with a crushing thud.
Completely mortified, Branch ran over to her.
Seeing their Queen thrown in defeat, the Troll's nature kicked in and they began running circles in a frightened frenzy. This only became worse when Bash howled to the Crashers to start killing them all. Suddenly, the entire village erupted in the sounds of painful screams and cries for help. For Branch, however, all of this fell on deaf ears.
Branch could only see Poppy. Still and twisted. He fell to his knees and his heart raced as he checked her over for any sign of life. Any sign that this wasn't real. It couldn't be real. "Poppy, please… please, please, please…" he begged, eyes tearing up.
The deep bite mark on her neck was the confirmation he feared. Her neck had been broken with one powerful bite. As Branch's heart sank and shattered, his colors drained along with it. The blues that Poppy's love and friendship had brought back to him, were now lost to blacks and grays. Darker than what had been left before. The light inside was gone.
Sobbing over her, he still heard nothing of what went on around him. The destruction and chaos was lost in this moment of sorrow. The only thing to catch his attention at all was the sound of another's cries over Poppy, as well. Branch looked up to see King Peppy. Grayed out by the loss of his only beloved daughter.
King Peppy looked to Branch and their teary eyes met with remorseful understanding. No words were spoken. None were needed.
Branch got back to his feet and very gently, picked up Poppy. She was still warm and limp, and that was even more heartbreaking than if she had been cold and stiff. Everything in him prayed that she would pull a miracle and wake up in his arms. That maybe this was just a prank that went too far. He would forgive her for anything, so long as she came back to him right now. But that was just the desperate hope of a dying heart.
Walking slowly in solemn procession, Branch carried Poppy out of the village. Away from the pandemonium. Out to his bunker where she could be mourned in peace. King Peppy followed close behind. Branch, respectfully accepting his company.