A/N: This might be a bit of a rant on my part, but I'd like to point something out. Something I notice about people doing adaptations like I am: too many of you are following the movie too closely. That's borderline plagiarism (please don't go into the argument of what fanfiction is). I got in a bit of trouble for doing something similar when I started out doing something like this in another fandom. I don't want anyone else to get in trouble, and I'm also a bit bored reading the novelization of a movie where the characters are simply replaced. A lot of you are doing really well, though, and I love reading what you guys create. My challenge for authors following my example: don't even watch the movie, and purposefully change most of the story so it is original for you.

Now that that's out of the way, on with the next chapter!

Jpbake – Oddly enough, I was watching Ghostbusters while writing the ghost scene. :D


Chapter Six – Party Interrupted

A few hours before Rosie was dealing with ghosts in the castle, Rosiepuff prepared herself for bed. She still changed her clothes in the bathroom. The feeling of someone watching her would come back now and then, making her uncomfortable. She even had Branch magically check the room, but there wasn't any holes or cracks or anything someone could peer through. Who would spy on her, anyway?

Rosiepuff emerged from the bathroom wearing her nightgown, and she tossed her dress on her bed. She sat at the vanity against the wall and untied her hair bun. She began combing out her hair, working her fingers through the tangles. The action was almost like a meditation, allowing her to unwind from the day. She had to practically drag Branch down to dinner because he was so enthralled in his reading. Rosiepuff saw so much of Eclipse in Branch. It sometimes surprised Rosiepuff to see how much Branch resembled his mother's side of the family, considering he never had the opportunity to meet them. Eclipse loved to read and practice her magic. She would sometimes become so captured by her studies that she would disappear for a full day. Like her, Branch had a talent for magic and could learn new spells with ease. Even Rosie had those traits.

Above all else, Rosiepuff wished Branch could've met Eclipse. Or, at the very least, she should've been able to see him when he was born. It wasn't right that she was murdered. Rosiepuff tried to avoid violence and violent thoughts, but she hoped Eclipse's murderer died a horrible, painful death.

As she checked her hair one last time, Rosiepuff ran her comb through her green locks a few more times. She noticed something in the mirror, and she spun around. She gasped, her comb dropping from her hand.

A ghostly light floated behind her. The light hovered in the air, wisps like smoke curling off the orb. The light came closer to Rosiepuff, and she recoiled. She wasn't entirely sure what to do right now. Scream for help? Throw something at the light? Just sit there? The light got closer, and Rosiepuff felt a strange warmth. It was comforting and—for some strange reason—familiar. The light floated away from Rosiepuff and went towards her door.

After a split-second decision, Rosiepuff jumped from her stool. "Wait! Wait, come back!" The light floated through the door, and Rosiepuff threw the door open to follow it. She saw the light flying down the hallway, and she ran after it. Rosiepuff followed the light down a few hallways and up a flight of stairs. The light would pause only to let Rosiepuff catch up. She followed the light to the door of a room she thought she'd never see.

"Eclipse's room." Rosiepuff murmured. The light floated right through the door and disappeared. Rosiepuff knocked. "Hello? Hey, where'd you go? I can't get through here." As she and Branch discovered during their walk through the castle, Eclipse's bedroom was locked. Branch tried several times to open the door, with no luck. The light reappeared and pushed Rosiepuff towards the door. Shrugging, Rosiepuff put a hand on the door handle and pushed.

To her surprise, the door clicked open as though it weren't locked. Rosiepuff pushed the door open, and the light followed her inside. The door swung shut, and lights in the room illuminated. Eclipse's bedroom was oddly clean, despite it being a few decades since someone occupied or cleaned it. Everything was as Rosiepuff remembered it, with one exception. A full-length mirror stood in the center of the room. The light floated towards the mirror, and Rosiepuff followed. The light floated right into the mirror, and Rosiepuff saw her reflection fade away. A new image appeared. The scene depicted a young troll girl, sitting in the grass and making a crown of flowers. The girl wore a bright yellow sundress. She had lavender skin and green hair and eyes.

That's me. Rosiepuff realized. She sat down in front of the mirror and watched the scene play out.


Rosiepuff bit her tongue in concentration as she weaved the flower stems. The child paused to think about what her mother taught her, and then continued her work. When she finished, she fitted the crown over her hair and let it settle on her brow. She smiled proudly, happy with her handiwork.

Suddenly, someone yanked the flower crown off her head. She jumped to her feet and glared at the three older boys who stood before her. "Give that back, Birch." The girl demanded.

"Or what, Your Majesty?" Birch bowed mockingly. "You're not royal, so stop wearing a crown."

"It's just a flower crown." Rosiepuff said. "It doesn't make me a queen. My mommy taught me to make it. Now give it back!"

"No." Birch said. "I don't think I will."

"Why do you have to be so mean?" Rosiepuff growled. "Trolls aren't supposed to be mean."

"Well trolls are also supposed to be professional music makers, and you never sing for anybody." Birch countered. "You're never going to be a real troll that way."

There he goes again. Pointing out Rosiepuff's worst fears and insecurities, as if she didn't already feel bad enough. "Just give it back!" She lunged for her flower crown. Birch moved the crown out of the way, and he turned to push Rosiepuff into a nearby mud puddle. He and his buddies laughed while Birch ripped up the flower crown. Rosiepuff rubbed her eyes, smearing mud on her face. The little girl tried so hard to not cry. It wouldn't help. In fact, Birch would use that against her.

BZZT!

"Youch!" the boys yelped. Rosiepuff turned and saw several zapper bugs. They were wasp-like bugs who zapped other creatures with electricity from their stingers. The bugs zapped Birch and his buddies until they ran away screaming. The bugs chased the boys for a while, and then flew over to Rosiepuff. They analyzed her for a moment, and then flew away.

Rosiepuff turned when she heard giggling, and another troll girl emerged from the shrubbery. She had periwinkle skin and purple hair, with pretty purple eyes. She wore a purple sundress that matched her hair.

"I love being able to talk to animals." The girl laughed. She came over and helped Rosiepuff stand. "You okay?"

"I'm okay." Rosiepuff said. She stared at the mud on her dress and frowned.

"Don't worry, that'll wash out." The girl assured. "Why were those boys picking on you?"

"They always do." Rosiepuff said. "Did you say you could talk to animals?"

"It's a gift." The girl said. "When I saw those guys messing with you, I convinced the zapper bugs to teach them a lesson."

"Thanks." Rosiepuff said. "I haven't seen you around the village."

"I like to keep to myself." The girl shrugged. "My parents are always telling me to make friends, but people think I'm a freak."

Rosiepuff smiled. "You're not a freak. All my classmates say I'm too shy. I didn't know you could be 'too shy.'"

"I do see you sitting by yourself at lunch a lot." The girl said. "You can sit with me, if you'd like. Then neither of us will be lonely during lunch."

"Really? That would be great! I'm Rosiepuff."

"My name's Eclipse. Wanna be friends?"

"You want to be my friend?"

"Sure! You seem nice. And lonely people need company, too."

Rosiepuff giggled. "It would be nice to talk to someone besides my neighbor, Cybil. She's only a baby, so she doesn't talk back much."

Eclipse smiled broadly and hugged Rosiepuff, not caring that she got mud on herself. "Hello new friend!"


Rosiepuff felt something cool on her face, and she realized she was crying. The elder troll wiped her tears away, though she smiled. That was one of the happiest moments of her life, and absolutely the happiest moment of her childhood. Her first friend, who defended her when Birch was acting like a jerk. Eclipse became part of her line of defense when Birch started flirting with her in their late teenage years.

"Eclipse….." Rosiepuff raised a hand and touched the mirror. The image rippled like the surface of water, and a new scene appeared. Rosiepuff got comfortable, ready to relive another happy moment. She recognized it at once: the time she and Eclipse went on a treasure hunt after finding a map in a book.

At some point during the night, Rosiepuff fell asleep, and she woke up in her bed back in her room. She sat upright quite abruptly, and she looked around. Sure enough, she was back in her room. But how did she get back there? Unless her visit to Eclipse's room and the magic mirror were a dream. Rosiepuff ran to the door and yanked it open.

Branch jumped, his hand raised to knock. "Oh. Good morning."

"Good morning!" Rosiepuff said, trying to hide her concern. "Time for breakfast already?"

"Yes, and I've decided I'm going to walk through the museum afterwards, if you'd like to join me." Branch said.

"I have a couple things to do myself, thank you." Rosiepuff said. "By the way, I have a strange and random question: Eclipse's bedroom is locked, right? Can't open it at all? Not even a little?"

"I tried this morning, and couldn't get it at all." Branch confirmed. "Then again, there's not really anything exciting in there."

"Right. Of course." Rosiepuff forced a smile. "I'll see you at breakfast."

Branch noticed his grandmother's tight smile, but nonetheless shrugged it off and went down to breakfast. Once he disappeared, Rosiepuff sprinted to Eclipse's room. She hesitated, and then pushed open the door with ease. She peered inside and saw it dark. The mirror still stood in the middle of the room. Rosiepuff shut the door, staring at it for a long moment.

"Oh, Miss Rosiepuff." Aka came up from behind, making Rosiepuff jump. "What are you doing down here?"

"Just trying to open this door." Rosiepuff said. "Why don't you give it a try?"

Aka shrugged, stepped up to the door, and tried to push it open. But no amount of pushing and shoving would open the door. "Sorry."

"That's okay." Rosiepuff assured. "Let's just get to breakfast."

"Yeah. Don't worry about that door." Aka said, leading the way to breakfast. "That just leads to Eclipse's room. Nothing important in there. And nothing dangerous, either."

"Why would there be something dangerous?" Rosiepuff asked.

"Because it's the room of a crazy person." Aka scoffed.

"Eclipse was not crazy." Rosiepuff scolded.

"She was a power-hungry maniac and a witch." Aka protested. "She deserved to die."

Rosiepuff suddenly stopped, glaring at Aka. The teen stared back with surprise. Rosiepuff's tone became dangerous, and Aka cringed. "You will never again speak ill of Eclipse, or you answer to me." Rosiepuff stomped past Aka, trying to calm her racing heart. She normally was not so quick to anger. When it came to insulting or harming her family, even Eclipse, she tended to snap internally and show and exterior of calm sternness. It was like a dark force enhanced her rage to near-uncontrollable levels.

Aka, ever confused, simply followed Rosiepuff to breakfast. She sat next to Bliss, as far away from Rosiepuff as she could. Nobody noticed the awkwardness from Aka or Rosiepuff's quiet rage. Breakfast went on as normal.

"Branch, I want to let you know that we finally received responses from the Mountain and Wing Troll Kingdoms." Crimson said near the end of the meal, handing a couple envelopes to him.

Branch opened them, and he read through the letters inside. Yuki's letter spoke of his excitement to see Branch again, and how surprised yet thrilled he was to know Branch was Eclipse's grandson. Yuki would be in Moonlight Kingdom by the next day. The letter from the Wing Troll Kingdom was signed by King Cobalt. His vocabulary indicated he was stately and dignified. He, too, accepted the invitation with the intent of assessing whether or not Moonlight Kingdom was truly an ally.

"Well, they're both coming. That's good." Branch said. "I imagine they'll be here tomorrow or the next day."

"They may come right after the party tonight!" Poppy cheered.

"Crimson, what can you tell me about this King Cobalt?" Branch asked.

"Not much, I'm afraid." Crimson said. "Stella told me Eclipse and King Cobalt did not have the best relationship. Not ready for war, but not at peace either. It was kind of mutual dislike for each other. Stella wrote to Cobalt after taking the throne, but by the time we got his response, I was in charge. For some reason, Cobalt wasn't a fan of that. He wouldn't talk to me. He only wanted to talk to the royal family. I informed him that Stella and you would arrive soon. Of course, we haven't spoken since then, so I imagine this invitation came as a surprise."

"This King Cobalt sounds kind of…" Chenille thought for a moment.

"Snooty." Satin said. Her twin nodded in agreement.

"Can you blame his attitude if he and Eclipse didn't get along?" Poppy shrugged. "No offense to your mom's mom, Branch, but I would also rather speak to an actual royal if I thought I was speaking to a middle man instead."

"Very wise thinking, Queen Poppy." Crimson said.

"Yes, if my husband had thought of that, he wouldn't have been so offended at the time." Jasmine said. David and Aka snickered at their father's expense. "By the way, Queen Poppy, will the party be ready by this evening?"

"It's already ready!" Poppy assured. "The musicians know when to come, and the cooks are preparing the food after they clean up from breakfast."

"There's only one thing left." Satin said.

"Satin and I are going to make everyone here some new outfits for the party!" Chenille said. "We'll need your measurements."

Branch wiped his mouth on his napkin. "I'll catch up with you on that later. Aka, if you don't mind, I'd like to check out that museum right now."

"Sure!" Aka chirped. "This way!" She and Branch left the dining room, and Aka guided Branch out of the castle and to a building just outside the castle walls. A sign above the door read "Relics and Reminiscence of the War." Aka and Branch walked through the front door and came to a lobby. There was a tapestry resting between two doors, depicting the old crest of the Flame of Happiness. The same symbol that Branch wore around his neck in the form of his mother's pendant.

"Wow." Branch breathed.

"Just go through either of these doors and you can go anywhere in the building." Aka said. "Shall I give you a full tour?"

"Actually, Aka, I'd love to just walk through alone." Branch said.

Aka looked a little disappointed, but shrugged and left. Branch stepped through one of the doorways and smiled when he laid eyes on the interior of the museum.

There were benches lined down the length of the halls. Paintings, books, and old weapons sat against the walls. Branch walked up one side of the room and down the other, occasionally reading the placards under each relic and painting. Seeing the painted faces of the trolls who knew his mother so well made Branch feel closer to his mother's past. He analyzed the battle-scarred weapons and worn books. Learned the names of the rebels who passed, giving their lives for their kingdom. Read quotes from Stella about the different rebels she fought alongside. Branch even found his father's armor on a mannikin.

One of the relics deeper in the museum made Branch pause. He walked closer to the pedestal and stared at the items behind the glass: an arrow and a wooden pendant that was broken in half. Branch looked to the placard below the relic.

This pendant was given to me by my dearest friend, Pollen. He was loyal, funny, and very brave. He was a phoenix trainer like me, and taught me much about what I know. This pendant, this sign of friendship, saved my life from an arrow that could've killed me. Pollen did not survive the battle like I did, and I dedicate this memorial to him. – Larch

"Whoa." Branch breathed. His own father's life was saved by a simple gift. Branch only wished Pollen was still alive to tell him about his father. Continuing through the museum, Branch passed a hallway and almost skipped over it because it looked empty. But the sight of candlelight made Branch pause. He stepped into the room and looked towards the light. He gasped softly.

Hanging on the wall was a portrait of Stella, dressed in her rebellion garb with her crown resting on her head. She had a sword drawn, and Symphony was painted in the background. Shelves and tables sat below the painting. There were flowers, candles, and little gifts left on the shrine in honor of Branch's mother. Branch approached the shrine and stared at his mother's painted face.

In that moment, Branch realized he remembered so little about his parents. The faintest memory tickled at his psyche, but he still couldn't remember what Stella's voice sounded like. He only got to spend a few hours with her before she died. Branch barely remembered what she looked like without staring at the painting before her. He was less than a year old when his father was taken. He had good memories from his toddler years of being with his grandfather. But most of his childhood was spent with his grandmother. Then, when she was taken, Branch had no one. He locked himself away. He did not let himself have a family.

He barely remembered most of his family.

Branch broke down into sobs, mourning the death of his mother and silently lamenting his lack of memories connected to the rest of his family. Both of his parents were only children. No aunts and uncles or even cousins. He never met Eclipse, and never knew who her husband was. He had such a small, broken family. No wonder he was always so lonely when he was grey.

"Branch?"

Branch's breathing hitched, and he turned to see Poppy standing behind him. He wiped his eyes on his wrist. Even after being married to Poppy, he sometimes slipped back into his old habits, like being embarrassed when he cried in front of her. Poppy approached Branch and sat beside him. She hugged the blue troll, rubbing his back soothingly. When he still hadn't quite calmed down, Poppy began to sing.

Like a phoenix burning bright
You shine for all to see
Do not hide who you are
Spread your wings and be free

Cry when it hurts
Smile when you're happy
Embrace your magic
Let your light shine for me

Branch sniffled, but his sobs quieted. "Thanks, Pop."

Poppy hugged him. She glanced to the portrait of Stella. "Your mother was beautiful. You look a lot like her."

Branch stared at the painting. "My family is small and broken."

"But still good." Poppy said. Branch looked down, doubtful. "Hey, have you looked at your in-laws? Or lack thereof? My grandparents died long before I was born. My mother was an orphan, and she died when I was barely a year old. My uncle was a crazy sorcerer who tried to kill a bunch of people. Our families are not perfect, Branch. Not entirely. But within the darkness we see, there are lights. My light has been my father. Yours, your grandmother. And now, we have two new lights: our children."

Her words rolled around in Branch's head, and he smiled. "When did you get to be so wise?"

Poppy rolled her eyes and shoved him playfully. "Come on. Satin and Chenille need your measurements for your party outfit."

Branch stood and walked with Poppy out of the room. He glanced to his mother's shrine one more time. "Actually, there's one thing I want to do before that."


Moonlight Kingdom was never a very large kingdom, even when the Flame of Happiness trolls returned to their families and moved back to the village. The entire kingdom could've fit in the ballroom with minimal crowding. But, to Poppy's disappointment, only half of the villagers showed up to the party. Crimson and Jasmine did not look surprised. According to Crimson, Moonlight Kingdom trolls weren't ones to party much. But the entire royal guard was there, and most of the attendees from the village were old rebellion members and their families.

Once again, Poppy realized the customs of Moonlight Kingdom differed greatly from the Troll Tree Kingdom. Crimson asked her, Branch, Rosie, and Ash to stand at the front of the ballroom so that the guests can step in and greet them. Only after all the guests have arrived and greeted the royals would they be allowed to mingle. Satin and Chenille did wonders with the outfits for their friend group, especially for the royals. Poppy wore an ankle-length green dress with blue glitter across the torso. Branch wore a green vest with gold embroidery, and blank pants. His vest perfectly showed off his new tattoo on his arm: the Flame of Happiness crest, just like his mother's. Rosie wore an ankle-length dress like her mother's, hers bright blue with green embroidery. Ash wore a royal blue onesie. Each of the royals, even the baby, wore a casual crown.

After about two hours, Crimson permitted the royals to go mingle while the musicians played some background music. "I'm going to get some food for me and Ash." Poppy said. "All this overly royal stuff is tiring."

"Sounds good." Branch said. "I think I'll go talk with some of the rebels."

"I'll go with Dad!" Rosie volunteered. She joined her father as they wandered into the crowd. "Hey, can I get a tattoo?"

"No." Branch said. "Not until you're eighteen."

"Aw man." Rosie pouted.

"Emperor Branch!"

Branch and Rosie looked up and saw a trio of trolls heading for them. One of the trolls was in a wheelchair, and one was much younger than the other two. Branch thought for a moment to remember their names. "Fire and Electra, right?"

"Yes. So nice to see you again." Electra said.

"And this is your daughter, right?" Fire asked. Being paralyzed from the waist-down did not hinder Fire's liveliness. He still had a bright light in his eyes, and his and Electra's relationship hadn't cooled even after the birth of their child.

"I'm Rosie. Nice to meet you." Rosie looked to the younger troll with Fire and Electra. She had scarlet-colored skin and sapphire blue hair, and wore a knee-length dress. "Who's this?" Rosie asked.

"I'm Scarlett." The troll introduced. "I'm their daughter."

"You know, she has had a massive crush on you since she was a toddler." Fire said to Branch.

Scarlett's blush was almost hidden by her skin color. "Dad!"

"What? If he wasn't already married, I'd totally be hooking you two up." Fire said.

"Oh, Fire. Knock it off." Electra scolded. "You should've heard how he talked about your mother. Once complimented her on…what did you say, Fire? Her rockin' body?"

"Okay, so I had a crush on her for a while, too." Fire shrugged.

Branch laughed. "It's great to talk to you more. Hawk and Eagle said they'd be here, too."

"I'm surprised by how many people arrived." Scarlett said.

"I heard that Moonlight Kingdom isn't exactly a party scene." Rosie said.

"Well, parties sometimes attract….unsavory situations." Scarlett said.

"What does that mean?" Branch asked. Fire, Electra, and Scarlett shared an uneasy look, but did not answer Branch's question.

"Oh, Branch!" Crimson walked up to the blue troll, nodding in greeting to Fire, Electra, and Scarlett. Another troll accompanied Crimson, smiling warmly. "In all this business, I never got the chance to introduce you to a key character in our kingdom." Crimson told Branch. "This is Camellia. She is a duchess, of sorts, and monitors the kingdom. She takes notes of any problems for myself and Jasmine to handle."

"A pleasure to formally meet you, Your Grace." Camellia curtsied elegantly. The sixty-five-year-old troll had turquoise skin and green/gray hair, dressed in an elegant dark blue gown.

"The pleasure is mine." Branch said.

"So you keep an eye on the kingdom, huh?" Rosie said. "I think I've seen you around."

"Yes, that is my primary position." Camellia said. "I am also David and Aka's godmother. I was very close to your grandmother, Eclipse, and helped her rule the kingdom from time to time. When Crimson took over for your mother, I was able to assist with any tensions that rose amongst the subjects."

"Tensions?" Branch asked. "What tensions?"

"Oh, mainly between the subjects who supported Eclipse and those who did not." Camellia said.

"Well, if any issues like that rise again, we must take care of them immediately." Branch said.

"Of course." Camellia nodded. "But for now, you should spend time with the old members of the rebellion. They can tell you much about your mother."

"Yeah, let's go hunting for them." Electra suggested. "It'll be fun!"


To the slight disappointment of the Snack Pack, Cooper and Suki wandered off to talk to rebellion members with Branch and Rosie. All four of them heard stories about their family members who fought for the happiness of Moonlight Kingdom. It made the night much more enjoyable, but the rest of the Snack Pack felt a bit left out. None of them liked how comfortable Cooper and Suki looked with Moonlight Kingdom trolls.

Moxie broke from her group and found David standing by one of the columns on the outskirts of the ballroom. She stood beside him and nudged the guard. "Hey."

"Good evening." David said. He monitored the ballroom, paying special attention to the windows.

"Do you ever relax?" Moxie asked out of genuine curiosity.

"I'm a guard. I must be on guard." David said.

"Not all the time." Moxie said.

"What else am I supposed to do?" David wondered.

Moxie shrugged. "Do you mind if we chat?"

"Not at all." David said. "I would enjoy that."

Moxie giggled. "You're very charming, David Stanley."

David's resolve melted like a stick of sugar in hot water. "Really?"

"Yes. I enjoy spending time with you." Moxie said. "I'm learning a lot about my grandmother through the other guards, but I truly love the training you are giving me with the archery."

David blushed. "I enjoy the lessons as well. You are a pleasant person whose company I appreciate."

"Aw, thanks!" Moxie gushed, making David smile.

Across the ballroom, Branch took a break from talking with other trolls and got himself something to drink. His grandmother sauntered up to him and smiled when she saw his joyful expression. "Enjoying the night, my angel?" Rosiepuff asked.

"It's one of the best nights of my life!" Branch said. "I feel like my mom is right here in the room, telling me about her life."

"I'm so glad. I also love the new…what do the kids say? New ink?" She pointed to Branch's new tattoo.

Branch shrugged. "In honor of my mother." He hugged Rosiepuff. "Thank you for taking me here."

Rosiepuff returned the embrace, finally worry-free about bringing Branch to Moonlight Kingdom. She perked up when the music increased in tempo. Poppy had convinced the band to play something livelier. The folksy, traditional music echoed acoustically through the ballroom. "You want to learn how to dance like a Moonlight Kingdom troll?" Rosiepuff offered.

"Yes please!" Branch said excitedly. "Uh, how do you dance like a Moonlight Kingdom troll?"

"Stella and Crimson showed me. I recognize this song. Come on." Rosiepuff led Branch out onto the dance floor with the other trolls. At her instruction, they each held up one of their arms similarly to the other trolls: flexed in an L shape, linked at the elbows, with their hands pressed together. They began to circle each other, in time with the music, and changed direction when the other trolls did. Branch tried to follow his grandmother's steps at first, but sometimes had to look to the other male trolls in the room to match them. Though he was unfamiliar with the dance moves, they felt almost natural to Branch. With some encouragement from Rosiepuff, he put more energy into the dance. The folk dancing was fun and lively, and the Moonlight Kingdom trolls smiled more than they had all night.

At one point during the dance, Rosiepuff noticed Poppy and Rosie standing on the edge of the dancefloor, the latter holding her baby brother in her arms. Poppy bobbed her head to the music, and also watched the female dancers closely. The way she analyzed them told Rosiepuff she was trying to learn the dance moves. Getting an idea, Rosiepuff subtly guided Branch as they continued dancing. When they reached the edge of the dance floor, Branch did a spin like the other trolls. When he returned to his dance partner, he was surprised to see Poppy instead of Rosiepuff. In fact, his grandmother stood with his children, watching them and failing to stifle their laughter.

"Oh well!" Branch laughed. He spun Poppy around, and they continued the dance. The music became happier, and the trolls danced with more vigor. By the end of the song, everyone laughed and applauded, and a fresh light seemed to enter the ballroom.

"This is more like it." Rosie said with a smile.

"Agreed." Rosiepuff nodded.

Ash whined a little. "Yummies."

"Oh, now you start talking, O Silent One." Rosie giggled. Ash never talked much. He was reaching the age where he started speaking a few words, but it seemed he chose to be quiet unless he desperately needed something (like food).

"I think he could have some of that cake on the snack table." Rosiepuff said. "Just take pinches off it. Don't give him too big of pieces."

"Can do." Rosie nodded. She walked off, bouncing her brother in her arms.

Rosiepuff looked to Branch and Poppy, and she smiled. Her family had grown, and it made her so happy. She felt blessed to live with them, and have the opportunity to spoil her great-grandchildren.

Suddenly, Rosiepuff felt a shiver go up her spine. She turned but saw no one. The shadows against the wall looked sinister. Rosiepuff felt something tug at her skirt. Still, she saw nothing. Nobody passed her who could've stepped on the dressed Satin and Chenille made for her. Rosiepuff couldn't shake that feeling that something was here. Something unpleasant.

"Rosiepuff!" Crimson approached the elder troll with Camellia by his side. "I want to formally introduce you to Camellia."

"Oh, yes!" Rosiepuff said. "I remember you. Weren't you the head of the castle staff?"

"Until you showed up." Camellia chuckled. "Of course, you were closer with Eclipse anyway. I'm glad you came. You made her so happy."

"I was very happy to see her again." Rosiepuff yelped when she felt something tug her hair.

"What?" Crimson asked, having not seen anything behind Rosiepuff.

"Something just pulled on my hair. You didn't see anything?" Rosiepuff asked.

"No. Not at all." Camellia said.

Rosiepuff looked around, uneasy. "Neither of you feel something is wrong here?"

"Actually, I've never seen the place brighter." Crimson said. "Although, I could always have David and the guards be more alert."

"I don't want to spoil the party." Rosiepuff said uncertainly.

Camellia took a look around, and she did a double-take before staring at the ceiling. Her eyes went wide and fear passed over her face. "Uh, Crimson? We have a problem."

Crimson looked up, and so did Rosiepuff. She gasped.

It was the shadowy mass that attacked her in the forest.

"David!" Crimson bellowed loud enough to not only get his son's attention, but the attention of everyone in the ballroom. The music came to a sharp stop. "It's here!"

David drew his sword, pushing Moxie behind him. "Guards! Draw your weapons and prepare for—"

The shadowy mass shot down from the ceiling. Several trolls screamed as the party guests scattered out of the way. The shadow hit the ground and disappeared into the floor, leaving cracks from the impact. The lights dimmed. Shadows shot from under the drink table, sending punch and water and tea raining down on everyone. More shadows obliterated the snack table. Rosie held Ash close, shielding him from the debris. Streams of shadows shot around the room, clawing at tapestries and knocking over things and trolls. There were more screams, and the guards tried to attack the shadows. Branch and Poppy gathered their family members, and Branch and Rosie raised a shield around them.

"Wait, where's Grandma?" Branch asked. He and Rosie dropped the shield when they heard a familiar scream, and Branch ran towards his grandmother as the shadows tried to grab at her. The shadows condensed into a monstrous creature with glowing white eyes. The creature grabbed Rosiepuff before Branch could help her. The shadow creature stood in the middle of the ballroom, hissing and snarling. Some of the shadows materialized into a physical, solid arm that held Rosiepuff tight in the shadow's grip.

"Destroy that monstrous thing!" David ordered to the guards.

"No, wait!" Branch shouted, halting the guards as they raised their weapons. He eyed his grandmother worriedly. "You might hit her!"

"You put my grandma down right now!" Rosie shouted at the shadow. The shadow hissed at her.

"You will obey our princess, monster, or face the consequences!" Crimson snapped. The shadow snarled angrily. Rosiepuff gritted her teeth in pain as the creature's hold tightened on her.

"Stop! Stop!" Aka stood in front of the guards. "Lower your weapons!"

"Aka, this is not the time." David snapped. "We have a hostage situation here!"

"All the more reason to listen to me." Aka said firmly. She turned to the shadow creature. "Spirit who has plagued us for so long. Please hear me and listen. We do not wish to fight against you. Surely you don't want to fight us anymore. We can help you. All we need is a show of good faith. How about it? Release our emperor's family member and let us work to a more peaceful solution."

The shadow stared at Aka for a long moment. Then, the shadow lowered Rosiepuff to the ground and released her. Rosiepuff stumbled, but stayed on her feet. She faced the shadow as she backed up. The shadow locked its glowing white eyes with Rosiepuff's green ones, and she froze. The gaze from the creature seemed to glue her feet to the ground. It was like being stuck in a trance.

"Grandma?" Branch piped up. "You want to get away from the shadowy monster thing now?"

Rosiepuff tried to step back.

"Watch out!" Poppy shouted.

Rosiepuff turned to see some of the shadows forming behind her. She didn't move fast enough to avoid the shadows as they turned to spikes and shot towards her. One of the spikes hit her shoulder, and she fell to the ground. The spikes reared back and shot towards her again. This time, Branch was able to create a shield to protect her. The second he dropped it, Cooper was there to pulled Rosiepuff away from the shadow monster while Branch and Rosie unleashed their magic onto it. The shadow screeched, overwhelmed by the magic, and flew out the window. Nobody cheered. In fact, there wasn't a sound in the room.

Cooper eventually emerged with Rosiepuff by his side. She still pressed a hand to her shoulder, and blood seeped between her fingers. Creek was at her side at once, activating the Phoenix Tear Crystal he wore to that day.

"Good job, Creek." Branch said gratefully. He looked to Rosiepuff. "You all right?"

"I am now." Rosiepuff sounded irritated, but at least she wasn't hurt anymore.

Branch looked to the window, where the shadow escaped. "Crimson, was that the dark spirit you were telling me about?"

"Yes. Yes, it was." Crimson said. "Now do you see what we're up against?"

Branch glanced to Rosiepuff. Her dress was still partially torn where she was stabbed. "Yes. Yes, I do."


It seemed rather obvious that the party was over. Everyone went home, and the Snack Pack offered to clean up the ballroom in the morning.

As Poppy brushed the glitter from her hair, she glanced to her husband. He leaned on the windowsill, staring at the night sky. Poppy walked over and stood beside him, resting her head on his shoulder.

"You okay?" Poppy asked.

Branch sighed. "Of course not."

"I figured." Poppy said. "But that seemed like the best way to get you to start talking."

"Poppy, I didn't really believe Crimson when he said there was a dark spirit attacking the kingdom." Branch said. "But now, I finally understand. I finally got a glimpse at the strange force causing this kingdom so much distress. But I still don't know what to do."

Poppy kissed Branch's cheek. "I would think someone with magic could come up with a good solution."

Branch smiled a little. But then he frowned again. "I can't leave until this is taken care of. But I don't know how much longer we'll have to stay."

"That's one of the things you need to figure out as the leader of the kingdom." Poppy said. "As queen, I had to learn how to deal with problems, and I did not always find my answers quickly. Neither will you. This could take a few days, maybe a few weeks. But I'm going to be here with you. I'll help you. Promise."

Branch looked to Poppy with a grateful smile. "Thanks, Pop."


A/N: I imagine Moonlight Kingdom music to be folk dancing, like Celtic music dancing. Also, thanks to Jpbake for allowing me to borrow his OC Scarlett!

Until next time!