Here it is! Chapter Three! My goal was to reach 15 reviews before I posted the next chapter, but I got 16! Thanks so much to everyone who reviews, favourites, follows, and reads this story, it makes my day to see that people like my writing!
moonlightdreamer1- You won the prize for first reviewer for my last two chapters! Shall we make it THREE chapters? Also, my muse was hard at work today, this is my longest chapter so far!
NerdAlert8910- Yeah, I knew I had to put Gristle and Bridget in somewhere. They are the cutest couple! (After Broppy, of course!) Cyber hugs!
Ribes Montana- You should watch the movie, its one of my favourites! But if you don't you should still enjoy and understand the story.
SilverG- Apparently Gristle shares your feelings about the rushed marriage, too!
The Authverlord- Thanks so much! I try! ;)
Rosie2009- Don't worry, I am team Broppy all the way! Down with Creek!
The painted lady of the leaf- Thanks so much for both of your reviews! Yes, Chef is the evil queen. I thought her relationship with Creek in the movie would work well as step-mother/step-son here. I love writing for Gristle as Nathaniel, but I couldn't make him in love with Chef, hence the blackmail with Bridget. Can you guess who Branch's kids will be?
Also, check out my profile, I finally got around to writing it.
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Trolls or Enchanted, those rights go to their respective owners.
On with the story!
Chapter Three- Make a Wish
The sound of wedding bells filled the air at Trolldalasia's royal palace the next day. The sun shone brightly on its golden turrets, and a soft breeze ruffled Gristle's hair as he stood on the palace steps, waiting for the bride to arrive. When a white and gold carriage pulled up the pathway, he scrambled down the stairs as quickly as he could to greet it. Stretching himself up importantly, he cleared his throat, reached for the carriage door, and was promptly hit in the face with it.
"Oh my gosh, I am so sorry!" Poppy gasped, tugging her massive white skirts out of the carriage. She wore a full-skirted wedding dress with cap sleeves and a tulle overskirt, and her hair was swept into an elegant bun. Gristle moaned, holding his face, but forced himself to recover as Poppy looked around worriedly.
"Am I late?"
"No,Miss-" Gristle assured her, but the pinkette went right on talking.
"Oh I hope I'm not late! I was just-"
"Just in time." The green Bergen told her with a slight bow and a smile.
"Oh!" Poppy giggled, rushing towards the stairs. "Thank goodness!" Gristle's smile faded from his face as soon the pink troll turned away. How was he going to stop this when the girl was so excited about getting married? He understood her perfectly, for not too long ago he was the one who… Gristle shook himself. He couldn't think about that right now. He needed to focus! His thoughts suddenly were interrupted by a yellow and blue squirrel leaping out of the carriage.
"Hey, wait up, Poppy! We aren't done with you yet!" she shouted, rushing past the startled bergen.
"Ahhh!" Gristle shouted when he was suddenly run over by a stampede of animals pouring out of the carriage. "How did they all fit in there?" he wondered, wincing as an ellor stepped right on his head. "Hey!" he yelled after it, but the ellor, which was carrying a spool of sparkly white ribbon, ignored him completely. Two colorflys snipped off a length of it and flew after Poppy, tying the ribbon in a bow around her waist. Poppy jumped as two owlpuffs placed a diamond and silver tiara on her head.
"Thank you!" she cried, waving at the pair.
"You're welcome, Poppy!" they chorused together. Poppy dashed up the remainder of the steps and through the ornate wooden doors, with Gristle right behind her. All of the woodland animals expected to be allowed to follow after them, but Gristle grabbed the doors and slammed them in the animals faces, knocking Smidge backward.
"Hey! What's the big idea?" Smidge yelled, shaking her paw at the closed doors. "Nobody shuts the door on me!" Grumbling angrily, the squirrel climbed up a nearby wall covered with flowered vines, determined to follow her friend.
Inside the castle courtyard, Poppy skipped happily along the pathway, about to burst with excitement. She turned to Gristle, who was gasping for breath, thoroughly winded from running after her.
"I can't believe in only a few minutes, that Creek and I…"
"Um, miss, do you think-" Gristle tried.
"That he and me…"
"Yes, about that-"the bergen started to say.
"Oh, that WE!" Poppy squealed, not listening to his attempts to warn her. Gristle grabbed the bride's arm, forcing her to come to a stop.
"Miss, are you sure that this is a good idea? I mean, maybe you don't love the prince as much as you think you do? You haven't known him very long." Poppy looked at the bergen with a smile.
"I appreciate your concern, sir, but Creek and I, we share true love! We couldn't wait another day to be married, so we could be together always!"
"Yes, but-" Gristle yelped as an old troll crone stepped out in front of them, her eyes trained on Poppy. She wore a black cape that covered her green hair and purple body, but her red eyes made her recognizable to Gristle, making him gasp in horror.
"Oh!" she cooed with a gap-toothed smile. "What a lovely bride!"
"That's very kind of you." Poppy said politely, trying to step around the crone. "But I really must be-"
"Oh no,no,no!" The crone cried, blocking her path again. "Granny has a wedding gift for you, my dear." Poppy continued to try to get around the old woman.
"Thank you, but I really need to go." She darted around the old troll and hurried toward the open doors across the courtyard. Panic flashed in the crone's eyes, and she grabbed Poppy's wrist in her bony hand.
"It is a wishing well, dear." She said, propelling the pink troll down another path.
"Oh, but all my wishes are about to come true!" Poppy protested. None the less, she let the old woman drag her along. Behind them, Gristle backed away with a guilty look on his face, removing his hat in remorse.
Up on the castle walls, Smidge scrambled along searching for Poppy. "If I ever see that green rolly-poly again, I swear, I'll-huh?" She froze when she heard a familiar voice below her.
"I really do have to go-"
"A wish on your wedding day. That's the most magical of all." The old woman told Poppy, pointing to a cascading waterfall which tumbled into a pool so deep, she couldn't see the bottom.
"Just close your eyes, my darling, and lean in." Poppy obeyed, curious to see what would happen. It was her wedding day, so why shouldn't she make a wish? Maybe it would work and something wonderful would happen.
"That's it." The crone encouraged. "Lean in close, that's right." Poppy stared down, watching the waterfall fade into blackness. " Are you wishing for something?" asked the old woman.
"Yes." Poppy breathed, gazing into the well. She closed her eyes and whispered, "And they both lived happily ever-AAAAHHHHH!" Poppy shrieked as she lost her balance and fell down into the well. The old crone smiled maliciously as she watched the pink troll disappear from sight. The second the young girl had closed her eyes, she had snuck up behind her and pushed hard, shoving her into the abyss.
"Oh my gawd!" Smidge yelled, watching the old troll shove Poppy into the well. "Help! Creek! Prince Creek, we need help!" She rushed down a nearby tree to find the only troll who could save her friend.
A burst of fire surrounded the triumphant old woman and she became a tall, purple bergen wearing a golden crown. Her majesty, Queen Colere. "My queen!" Gristle gasped, hurrying to the side of the well. "Where did you send her?"
The queen smirked, rubbing her hands together. "Somewhere there are no happily ever afters."
"AAAAHHHH!" Poppy yelled, tumbling through the air, falling farther and farther away from the light above her. After falling for what felt like hours, the pink troll heard the pounding of water below her. A second later, she splashed into a deep pool, the dark water churning and pounding around her. The young female broke of the surface of the water choking and gasping for air, and swam to the edge of the pool. Dragging herself up onto the shore, she flopped onto to her back and took deep breaths, staring up at the waterfall. What had just happened? She must have leaned too far in!
Flipping over onto her side, Poppy looked around the small cavern she had fallen into. There was a light shining from a tunnel across from her, so Poppy dragged herself to her feet and made her way towards it. Her wet dress clung to her body as she wandered along the tunnel, and Poppy shivered. Suddenly, the tunnel began sloping upwards, bringing her closer and closer to the sunlight. Poppy noticed a metal grate just above her, filtering in light in small squares. Reaching up, she passed her hand through one of the beams, watching curiously as it lit up her palm for a brief moment. In the wall of the tunnel were the metal rungs of a ladder, which Poppy climbed before stretching up to push on the metal grate. To her surprise it moved, and she was able to create an opening big enough to climb through. Gripping the sides of the hole, she tugged herself up, blinking in the sunlight, and she was astonished by what she saw.
She was in a village, but it looked nothing like any village she had ever seen. The houses seemed taller and less welcoming, the colours darker, and there was garbage everywhere! On the stone streets, on the concrete sidewalks, even in bushes in the house's front yards. All around her, trolls and bergens rushed back and forth, pushing and shoving, not even bothering to acknowledge each other. When Poppy's grate had opened, the crowd had made some space around it, but now that she was on the sidewalk, they started to push her along with them. Poppy's full skirt was extremely cumbersome and so long that it kept getting stepped on, earning her annoyed looks from the pedestrians nearby. The pink troll stopped short when she felt something bump into her skirt. Lifting up the front, she saw a very short troll with a VERY disgruntled expression on his face glaring at her.
"Geez, lady, what are you wearing? Are you for real?" he asked her, before turning and storming away. Poppy looked down at her hands.
"I-I think so… Wait!" She cried, trying to follow the short troll. "Where is everyone going?" Unable to break free from the crowd, the confused pinkette gave up and let herself be carried along.
As dusk began to fall, Poppy found herself in a nearly deserted part of the village. Her clothes were dry but she was still very cold, and exhausted from walking all day. She had no idea where she was, and she felt very overwhelmed and a little lonely. Just then, she felt raindrops beginning to hit her face and trickle down her back, only making her feel worse. Sitting down on the curb, Poppy looked up at the starry sky. She took a deep breath and did what she always did when she felt scared. She sang.
"Stars shining bright above you,
Night breezes seem to whisper I love you,
Birds singing in the sycamore trees
Dream a little dream of me."
"Say goodnight and kiss me,
Just hold me tight and tell me you miss me,
When I'm alone and grey as can be,
Dream a little dream of me."
Poppy sighed sadly. "Oh, Creek," she whispered. "How did this go so wrong? Where are you?" As if in answer to her question, out of the corner of her eye, the pinkette saw a bright light shining. Jumping to her feet, she let out a gasp of delight and rushed toward it. "Hello? She called. "It's me, Poppy from Trolldalasia."
Song Credit: "Dream a little dream of me" by Fabian Andre, Wilbur Schwandt, and George Kahn. Bonus points if you recognize it!
Next Chapter: BRANCH! (I promise)