Hi, everyone, MarcellusMiro66 here! This is a Trolls Interquel told from a different POV. The story and style are reminiscent of The African Queen (1951) and The Dirty Dozen (1967).

The synopsis is described as such below: "Still residing in Branch's bunker while awaiting his and Princess Poppy's safe and sound return, a certain young Troll who paints with her hair decides to go after them both. Not one to do, four more Trolls sneak off after Harper and then struggle to find a way to help Poppy and Branch free the other captive Trolls."

The central cast is also listed below:

• Harper (voiced by Quvenzhané Willis): The proclaimed leader of her own version of Princess Poppy's Snack Pack, Harper had doubts on whether or not she is over her head in her attempt to help the Princess save the other captured Trolls.
• Mandy Sparkledust (voiced by Kandee Johnson): One of Poppy's closest friends who serves as a big sister figure towards Harper. She is initially skeptical of the latter's venture, but eventually relents and join her quest out of pity.
• Moxie Dewdrop (voiced by Meg DeAngelis): An average-sized Troll with a passion for dancing, Moxie is the best friend of Cookie Sugarloaf (listed below) who learns of Harper's journey to save the other captive Trolls...but doesn't learn the real reason why she joined it.
• Cookie Sugarloaf (voiced by Grace Helbig): The best friend of Moxie Dewdrop (listed above), Cookie is attempting to find out what her specialty is. She joins Harper's Snack Pack in order to do so.
• Aspen Heitz (voiced by Ricky Dillon): A Troll with an affinity for foliage skitterboarding, Aspen Heitz lives up to his name by braving the highest peaks. He joins Harper's Snack Pack out of gentlemanly manner.
• Creek (voiced by Russell Brand): A calm and positive Troll who approached sticky situations with an equally sticky-sweet Zen-like wisdom, Creek had secretly escaped the clutches of the Bergens to save his own skin. Nobody but himself knows this fact just yet.

"One Small Thing": While the story is somewhat small-scale, the scope/expanded universe is similar to Star Wars (1977) while the action sequences are akin to John Wick (2014). So, with that said...

Enjoy! If you can...

Episode 1: "The One Great Escape Into..."

Harper gathered all the necessary items needed for a journey and organized them into one of Branch's many backpacks. Snatching up a black hooded cloak and a red scarf, she placed both of them on and slung her knapsack before heading towards the exit. Pulling the lever as carefully as she could, the platform lifted her up until she reached the entrance, which she closed behind her after stepping off. Turning around to face the gateway to the outside world, she took a deep gulp and hesitated to take that one step.

One step... That's all it takes, one step. Then...you're officially in uncharted territory.

She eventually did, and the result was...breathtaking, for lack of a better term. She breathed in and out before continuing onwards into the dark, deep realm that was the mysterious woodlands. As the weather was dropping significantly by the second, she considered herself very lucky that she made the decision to bring warm clothing in spite of the summer season. However, it was vice versa when it came to her decision of leaving the safety of Branch's bunker during this hour; she made no other timeframe she could do so, but questioned her own stance on the matter. Because she wasn't a survivalist like he was, she didn't know what to expect, except for the possibility of some (if not most or all) of the forest occupants to be friendly and assisting. Some animals (again, if not most or all) could have been violent and feral, a thought which undoubtedly sent a shiver down her spine.

"When something feels wrong, you sing a song," Princess Poppy's voice echoed in her head. Harper nodded in agreement at her subconscious' advice and did just that.

("The Hanging Tree" - Jennifer Lawrence/Lorde & James Newton Howard)

Are you, are you coming to the tree?
They strung up a Troll here, they say he murdered three
Stranger things have happened here
No matter who it be
If we met here at midnight
In the hanging tree...

Harper breathed heavily as she scanned back and forth rapidly. Sing a little more. Yeah, continue singing and it'll be all fine.

Are you, are you coming to the tree?
Where the dead Troll called out
For his love to flee
Stranger things have happened here
No matter who it be
If we met here at midnight
In the hanging tree...

Continuing her long journey into the unknown, as well as her song of seemingly innocent comfort, Harper attempted to shake any remaining thoughts of dread that nobody (Troll or otherwise) would help her brave the dangers of the forest and even try to devour her.

Are you, are you coming to the tree?
Where I told you to run, so we would be free
Stranger things have happened here
No matter who it be
If we met here at midnight
In the hanging tree...

SNAP!

Perhaps that thought was a little too close for comfort, as Harper's ears perked up at the sound of a literal branch splintered in half. The turquoise Troll gasped gently as she took cover. Unzipping the backpack and digging out a wooden-handled dagger, she gave it a short gaze that felt like a long one in her mental psyche:

Are you, are you coming to the tree?
Wear a necklace of rope, side by side with me.
Stranger things have happened here
No matter who it be
If we met here at midnight
In the hanging tree...

She gulped a deep gulp once again before closing and slinging her backpack, slowly but surely making her trek towards Bergen Town a safe and sound one. However, the sound got closer and closer, narrowly catching up. With every step the creature took, Harper took two steps faster.

Are you, are you coming to the tree?
Where I told you to run, so we would be free
Stranger things have happened here
No matter who it be
If we met here at midnight
In the hanging tree...

One...

Are you, are you coming to the tree?
Where the dead Troll called out
For his love to flee
Stranger things have happened here
No matter who it be
If we met here at midnight
In the hanging tree...

Two...

Are you, are you coming to the tree?
Where the dead Troll called out
For his love to flee
Stranger things have happened here
No matter who it be
If we met here at midnight
In the hanging tree...

Ten.

"In the hanging tree..."

Harper wasn't going to run. She was going to fight.

"YAH!"

What happened next was to be spontaneous: Harper stopped dead in her tracks, turned tail, and lunged at her stalker...dagger in hand as she did so. Evidently, the bushes rustling had finally gotten to her, prompting to her to attack without a bat in her eye. However, she didn't instantly kill her pursuer. It was a good thing, too; the moment she straddled the hunter (or, rather, huntress) and propped her weapon in her face...was the moment she instantly regretted doing so.

"... Mandy?"

Indeed, it was the yellow Troll with raspberry hair and pink eyes who acted her as her stalker, albeit unwillingly. Judging by the scowl currently worn on her face, Mandy seemed rather ticked off about...something worth being ticked off about. She pushed Harper off her and stood up, brushing the dirt and dust off her dress.

"Yeah.. I'm Mandy, Mandy Sparkledust. And who are you, thief?"

Harper was taken aback by Mandy's uncharacteristic hostility as of this moment, "I'm sorry, thief?"

"I saw you sneaking out of Broth's bunker with a lot of his supplies! What do you have to say to your defense, thief?"

Broth...? Harper's head tilted in confusion until the realization hit her like an arrow to the back. She giggled. She chuckled. She laughed. She full-out howled like a hyena, threatening to disturb the woodland creatures of their well-deserved sleep. It was Mandy's turn this time to be taken aback by her perceived threat, despite her best intentions.

"Uh...what's so funny?"

Harper regained her composure before explaining to Mandy, "First of all, Mandy... His name is Branch. Second of all..." She then unmasked herself for dramatic effect, earning an intended gasp from her, "This thief has a name."

"... Harper?"

"The one and only."

Without hesitation, Mandy lunged forward and engulfed Harper in a bone-crushing hug, which the latter returned with some difficulty. The former finally separated from the hug and began to become a motor mouth: "Oh, thank goodness! I was worried that the thief might have taken you as well, but...it turns out that the thief was actually you all along. Wait... What are you doing here? With a lot of Branch's supplies? I mean, I'm not agreeing or disagreeing on what you're doing here unless I know it first, I'm just...curious."

Harper tried to answer with no hesitation, but she did with some of it anyway: "I'm...going to save Poppy and Branch...and the others..."

That last part came out as a murmur courtesy of a shy Harper, but it was loud enough for a formerly confused Mandy to hear. "Oh... That's what I thought." An uncomfortable silence followed soon after before Harper started opening her mouth to reply...but Mandy interrupted her to do so first.

"ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?!"

That time, the forest occupants did indeed awoke from their slumber, much to the two Trolls' terror. Fortunately for them, they remained awake for a split second or less before falling asleep once more. They both sighed in relief, thankful for the powers that be making them fall into their nightly helping of energy conserving. They wouldn't possibly get another chance like this again.

"... Maybe."

Mandy shot Harper one of those "Seriously?" looks, to which she (Harper) replied, "But it's a risk I'm willing to take."

The yellow Troll was reluctant to join her turquoise companion on her journey or even turn back and head back to Broth's ‒ sorry, Branch's ‒ survival bunker for safety. Mandy had absolutely no idea in the slightest why Harper ‒ her painting passionate, worrywart mess of a friend ‒ would dare take this life-threatening trek on her own. However, she supposed she was more the merrier for it.

"Well...you can't do it alone," Mandy huffed in defeat.

Harper shot her a "Really?" look before she tackled her with a hug of her own. She returned the hug with an expression of half amusement/half non-amusement before breaking away with a question on her mind, "Where are we?"

Reality came crashing down on the duo as they realized their current location in the woods was currently unknown. After a few minutes of aimlessly scanning their surroundings for a path of some sort, Harper bit her lip while Mandy threw her hands up in exasperation. The former continued forward while the latter, after staring off as she walked away, followed after her.

"I don't know," Harper finally responded, "but we can move forward."

She then handed off her red scarf, which Mandy took after seeing that she had been shivering for the past few minutes. Wrapping the tippet around her neck, she breathed a warm breath of fresh relief as she walked side by side with her. From a distance, another Troll ‒ this time a male with bright green hair and red eyes ‒ watched as the two continued on their way. Well, that's a good start. Using his hair, he silently swung from treetop to treetop in order to catch up with the duo, unaware of the long adventure before them all...

A few miles away. . .

A machete-wielding Troll used said weapon to cut through the vines that enveloped the forest. As he slipped through, a female Troll trailed behind reading the map. He rolled his eyes at the sound of her singing, which he secretly enjoyed. Though it may surprise you, the Troll couple traveling to Bergen Town...were not Branch and Poppy.

"Wow. I guess all of this gives a whole new meaning to the phrase 'It's a jungle out here', right?"

"Sure. Let's go with that."

"... I'm sorry, was that sarcasm in your voice? Because I'm pretty sure it was."

"Well, if it was, Trolls like you probably wouldn't know that."

"Oh, 'Trolls like me', huh? Smooth."

"Hey, I said 'probably'. Next time...pay attention."

Before more could be said, the female Troll pulled the male Troll by his coat collar, making him stumble backward and almost lose his footing. Almost... Standing beneath him was a deep, dark abyss beyond the point of return. She pulled him back and face to face for a smug grin,

"How about you pay attention next time?"

"Uh...right. Thanks, Dawn."

"Anytime, Dusk."

After sheathing his machete and folding her map, Dusk and Dawn then continued on their way. As they did, they failed to notice a dark shadow watching them trek onward from afar. It said nothing else, it did nothing else. It just...watched them.

And smiled.

It smiled a sinister smile before following behind.

"Oh, darling..."

A/N: The team will not get together right away, but in a few chapters (possibly Chapter 3). Also, the OC's of Dusk and Dawn not only provide a sense of comic relief, but both play a prominent part in the story. So...you might wanna remember them.

Episode 1 Summary: "After sneaking out of Branch's bunker, Harper attempts to find the path to Bergen Town before confronted by a watcher in the woods. This watcher is revealed to be Mandy Sparkledust, who then decides to join her in her quest to save the other captive Trolls; another Troll who snuck out of Branch's bunker has decided to join them as well. Meanwhile, Dusk and Dawn ‒ two Troll bounty hunters ‒ are journeying to Bergen Town, unaware of the mission that awaits them..."

Up Next on Episode 2: "Harper and Mandy are cornered by spiders; The third Troll saves them and introduces himself before they are joined by another Troll or two..."