A/N: Okay, I'm updating early because I'm not going to be on the computer this weekend. Enjoy this next chapter! We get to see some old OCs and new characters!


Chapter Seven – The Allies

After the events of last night, the next day was quiet. The Troll Tree trolls gathered in the library at Poppy's insistence, to take advantage of the quiet time and relax. Branch and Rosie both studied from spell books. Branch had even found one of Eclipse's journals, and gave it to Rosiepuff to read. It turned out to be one of her older diaries, where she wrote of good memories during her teenage years. Rosiepuff enjoyed the read, and appreciated Branch thinking of her while learning of Eclipse.

Around lunchtime, Crimson entered the library. He bowed to the royal family, something Branch had long since given up on trying to stop. "My Liege, Lady, and Little Lass," Crimson grinned when Rosie giggled at her nickname. "The allies have arrived."

"Both kingdoms?" Branch asked, closing his book and standing.

"Yes. Aka and David are tending to them. They expect to meet you at the front gate." Crimson said. "And though I know you are less formal in your kingdom, it would be best if you and your family wore your crowns."

"I think we left them in our room." Poppy said.

"Not the leafy, flowery ones." Crimson said. "The silver ones with the gems. The ones you wore at the party last night. Trust me."

Branch and Poppy exchanged looks, but shrugged. They, Rosie, and Ash went to get their crowns. Crimson even asked Rosiepuff to be present at the meeting, and got her a small circlet to wear to signify her rank. The rest of the Troll Tree trolls were permitted to attend the meeting, but in the background (and silent, as Crimson insisted).

Branch, Poppy, Rosie, Ash, and Rosiepuff waited in front of the castle, standing at the bottom of the steps leading to the great wooden double doors. Poppy held Ash in her arms. Symphony and Shadow stood on either side of the royals. Creek kept an eye on the others, making sure they stayed quiet.

The gate to the wall around the castle rose, and Crimson stepped forward with a small crowd behind him. Crimson, Aka, and David led the kingdoms inside the courtyard. King Yuki was easily recognizable. Snowstar, now a grown adult mountain troll, walked beside him. Another mountain troll in royal garb walked with them, this one with dark green skin, bright blue hair, and blue-grey eyes. He was only eighteen years old. The wing trolls looked exactly how the myths described: rainbow trolls, but with sparkly fairy wings on their backs. No two sets of wings were alike in their designs, though the shapes of the wings were the same. Three of the wing trolls wore elegant crowns and radiant attire, indicating the royal family. The eldest was a male troll with ruby red skin and indigo hair. His wings had elegant designs on them. His eyes changed color every time he blinked. First they were red, then orange, then yellow, then green, then blue, then indigo, and finally violet. His eyes went through the entire cycle of the rainbow colors on repeat. The eyes of the other two royal wing trolls did the same thing. Both of them were female. The older princess, at eighteen years old, had purple skin and turquoise hair. Her wings had feather designs on them. The younger princess, only fourteen years old, had purple skin and dark pink hair. Her wings had large lightning bolt designs. Both kingdoms had a small group of six soldiers behind them. As Poppy noticed, the guards kept shooting glares at each other. A pair of snow phoenixes, one older than the other, and an arctic fox walked with the mountain trolls.

Crimson stopped before Branch's family and spoke with such volume that it filled the area. "Announcing the arrival of King Yuki of the Mountain Troll Kingdom and King Cobalt of the Wing Troll Kingdom, with their families and entourages." He, Aka, and David stepped aside to let the kingdoms approach. Poppy could see David and Aka eyeing the royals of the Mountain and Wing Trolls. Something didn't sit right with her, but she put on a smile as the royals approached.

"It is good to see you, Branch." Yuki said. "My, how you've grown since last we met."

"You mean with the whole 'being forced to fall in love with your daughter' thing?" Branch chuckled. Yuki and Snowstar laughed.

"What?" Rosie asked.

"I'll tell you later." Poppy whispered to her daughter. She looked to Snowstar. "Based on that crown, I would think you've become queen by now."

"Yes. It is now Queen Snowstar." Snowstar confirmed. "Though I am still happily without husband." She smiled at Branch when she said this. Branch remembered Snowstar's vow, and he was happy to know she did not regret her decision. The two of them stayed very close friends after all these years.

"Who is this?" Branch asked, looking to the youngest royal.

"This is my adopted son and heir to the throne: Prince Icestorm." Snowstar introduced. "Icestorm, you remember the stories I told you of Branch? This is him."

Icestorm bowed. "An honor and pleasure, sir."

"It's wonderful to meet you, Icestorm." Branch said. "You have an amazing mountain troll as your mother. This is my wife, Poppy; and our children, Rosie and Ash; and my grandmother, Rosiepuff."

"You, I remember." Yuki said. He took Rosiepuff's hand and kissed her knuckles. "It is good to see you in Moonlight Kingdom once more. You were Eclipse's closest confidant, apart from her daughter."

"A pleasure to see you again, King Yuki." Rosiepuff curtsied politely. "Might I ask how you came by that snow phoenix there?"

"Angel?" Snowstar asked. "He is my loyal steed. He found me many years ago, and has been by my side ever since."

Rosiepuff laughed. "How strange, the nature of life and the will of fate. Your Angel, Queen Snowstar, is none other than Lucky, the former steed of Branch's father."

Branch stared at the older snow phoenix. "That's Dad's phoenix?"

"He was a phoenix rider, after all." Rosiepuff confirmed. Even Symphony recognized Angel/Lucky, and the two birds chirped in greeting.

"This is Frosty." Icestorm gestured to the younger snow phoenix. "He is one of Angel's chicks, and my faithful friend and steed."

"And my friend and steed is the fox, known as Sapphire." Yuki nodded to the fox, who had gorgeous blue eyes, hence her name.

"How typical, the way mountain trolls seemed to cohabitate with animals." The eldest royal of the wing trolls mused.

Branch turned to the wing trolls. "My apologies. In our joy at seeing old friends, we have forgotten the new friends who have arrived."

"Our friendship is yet to be determined, Emperor Branch." The king of the wing trolls said diplomatically. "I'm afraid I did not have a good relationship with your grandmother."

"I hope to change that." Branch said with a smile. "You have met my family. Might I know yours?"

Once again, Rosiepuff was amazed to hear similarities between Branch and Eclipse. Like her, Branch spoke formally in the presence of royalty. That's my boy.

Even the king of the wing trolls looked impressed. "I am King Cobalt, Your Majesty. These are my granddaughters." He pointed to the eldest. "Princess Erika, my heir to the throne." He gestured to the younger one. "Princess Ariana, 'the fun one,' as she likes to call herself." Ariana's mouth twitched with a suppressed smile.

"An honor and pleasure." Branch said.

"We were surprised by your letter." Erika said.

"And more surprised to see we would be joined by the mountain trolls." Cobalt added, casting a sideways look at Yuki. The king of the mountain trolls returned the mildly disdainful stare.

"What is the purpose of bringing us together?" Snowstar asked Branch.

"I returned to my mother's kingdom to learn more about her." Branch said. "As her heir, I believe it is my responsibility to make the kingdom stronger as well. When Crimson told me of the allies to this kingdom, I wanted to meet them for myself and ensure that there is peace amongst our homes. Shall we discuss our alliance?"

Yuki and Cobalt stared at Branch for a moment, and then agreed. Symphony and Shadow led the steeds of the mountain trolls to the stables. Crimson, David, and Aka joined the ensemble who journeyed inside the castle and into a chamber with a large, circular table and many chairs. The royal families took their seats at the table while everyone else lined the walls and watched silently.

"Unfortunately, I am still unfamiliar with the history of this kingdom." Branch started the meeting. "I would like to know your relationship with my grandmother, Eclipse."

"I believe your other grandmother can answer some of that." Yuki said, nodding to Rosiepuff.

"I have spent enough time with Eclipse to know of her kingdom." Rosiepuff said. "She had a strong relationship with the Mountain Troll Kingdom. As I understood, Eclipse was good friends to you, King Yuki."

"Yes, that is correct." Yuki nodded.

"But I heard little of the Wing Troll Kingdom." Rosiepuff looked to Cobalt. "Perhaps you can enlighten us."

Cobalt stared at Rosiepuff derisively. "I was not aware of a new kingdom in the dark forest until several years after its creation. I attempted to make contact with its leader, but Empress Eclipse and I did not agree on several things such as land and territory. She also neglected to inform me of her powers, and distrust increased between us. Eclipse was aloof and distant, and I prepared for a war. But before any more negotiations could be made or attacks initiated, Eclipse put a barrier around my kingdom. Nobody could get in or out. Years later, the barrier fell, and I took it as a sign that she had finally died."

"She was murdered." Rosiepuff corrected. Branch noticed a hard glare in her eyes, something very uncommon.

King Cobalt only nodded. He did not show a hint of pity. "Empress Zelenia reached out to my kingdom, to extend a hand in peace. I agreed on the condition that we meet in person. Of course, that did not happen. I must say I am pleased to know she left a legacy behind."

"I was happy to hear you accept my invitation to come, King Cobalt." Branch said. "I want to ensure that Moonlight Kingdom has loyal allies."

While the leaders of the kingdoms talked, two royals had to put extra effort into paying attention. Icestorm and Erika kept glancing to each other. The moment they locked eyes, they'd look away again. Neither of them could comprehend it. Icestorm believed wing trolls were ugly creatures with bat wings, like a harpy from the mythology books he read. But the wing trolls looked like fairies. In Princess Erika's case, very beautiful fairies. Erika had never seen a mountain troll. She thought they'd be rugged and rough, or perhaps even monstrous like yetis. This evidently wasn't the case. The mountain trolls looked like wing trolls, except with darker colors and no wings. Icestorm did indeed look rough and rugged, but also quite handsome. The prince and princess were smitten with each other the moment they locked eyes. Love at first sight never seemed so real before.

"I agree with your points, Branch." Snowstar said. "You can count on the Mountain Troll Kingdom's alliance to Moonlight Kingdom. Right, Father?"

"Absolutely." Yuki nodded.

"What say you, King Cobalt?" Rosie asked. "Are you satisfied with this meeting? Can we count on you as an ally?"

Cobalt cast a sideways look to Yuki, and then looked to Branch and his family with a small smile. "I am satisfied that Moonlight Kingdom is under proper leadership, Emperor Branch. I can confidently consider our kingdoms allies."

"Thank you, King Cobalt." Branch said, relieved.

Poppy had debated whether or not she would say this. Now that she had an opportunity, she couldn't pass it up. "And what about the alliance between the Mountain Troll and Wing Troll Kingdoms?"

Immediately, it was like a storm cloud settled in the room. "There will be no alliance between our kingdoms, Queen Poppy." Yuki said.

"Why not?" Poppy asked innocently.

"Because we will never ally ourselves with monstrous trolls like them." Cobalt snarled, glaring at Yuki.

"It is you who are the real monsters!" Yuki shouted.

"Whoa, whoa!" Poppy spoke up, alarmed. "What's this about?"

"The Mountain Troll and Wing Troll Kingdoms have feuded for three centuries." Cobalt explained. "The mountain trolls are murderers. Always have been, always will be."

"The wing trolls are evil beings of magic. Witches and warlocks, the lot of them!" Yuki growled.

"The magic of wing trolls is rainbow magic." Cobalt argued. "Unlike the shadow magic of your dear friend Eclipse."

"Eclipse was a beloved friend and ally, and a responsible sorceress." Yuki snapped.

"She was a witch and just as much a monster as you and your people!" Cobalt shouted.

"Eclipse was not a witch!" Rosiepuff snapped.

"As if I'd trust the word of a blasphemous vermin like you who supports an evil enchantress!" Cobalt huffed.

"ENOUGH!"

Due to the acoustics of the room or perhaps a spell Branch cast, his voice echoed for a good ten seconds after he shouted. No one spoke, staring at Branch. He glared at everyone around the table.

"Thank you, Branch, for silencing the room before I hurt someone." Snowstar sighed, rubbing her temples.

Branch nodded to her before turning to talk to the rest of the table. "King Cobalt, though my paternal grandmother was not born into royalty, she is still part of my royal family. You will treat her with respect, regardless of your views on my maternal grandmother, Eclipse."

Cobalt looked surprised, but also impressed. "My apologies."

"I am thankful Poppy inquired about the tension I somehow overlooked." Branch continued. "Now I see that we have a problem at hand that we must take care of as soon as possible."

"Sound familiar, Father?" Snowstar asked with a bit of sass in her tone.

"Thank you, Snowstar." Yuki sighed. "Branch, the feud between my kingdom and King Cobalt's kingdom does concern Moonlight Kingdom."

"Though Moonlight Kingdom does not take a side in this feud, I fear that conflict between the wing trolls and the mountain trolls would negatively affect all three of our kingdoms." Branch explained. "Say your kingdoms decided to declare war? Would I need to choose a side? Even if I decided to stay neutral, can you guarantee your war will not affect my people?"

Cobalt and Yuki exchanged glares. They both shared the same understanding: they couldn't promise such a thing. "So what do you propose?" Cobalt asked.

"I propose that you remain in Moonlight Kingdom a while longer." Branch said. "Let us talk as leaders and foster peace amongst all three kingdoms."

"I can tell you right now that I am not thrilled by this idea." Yuki said.

"One of few things we can agree on." Cobalt droned.

Poppy spoke up this time. "Queen Snowstar? Princess Erika? As a leader of the mountain trolls and the future heir for the wing trolls, what do you think of this plan? To remain in Moonlight Kingdom until we sort this out?"

"I think it is a wonderful idea." Snowstar said. "We are neighbors, and therefore a steady alliance would prove beneficial for all parties involved."

"I, too, agree that it is a good idea." Erika said. "I do not know anything about the mountain trolls or even Moonlight Kingdom beyond what my grandfather has told me. Even the little history I have studied yielded more questions than answers. A kinship would benefit us all."

"Likewise, even though the Troll Tree Kingdom is much farther from here, all the troll kingdoms should form alliances with each other to prevent any wars." Poppy said.

Yuki sighed. "My daughter speaks with wisdom beyond her years. I do not know how long such negotiations will take, but I am willing to stay and find out."

Begrudgingly, Cobalt nodded in agreement. "I am not looking forward to sharing a common living space with trolls we believed to be enemies for so long."

"I assure you that accommodations will be made to prevent conflict as we continue with negotiations." Branch said. "That will start with your rooming. The guards will remain in the barracks with my soldiers. As for the prince and princesses…"

"If I may," Creek stepped forward. "I understand there are three more guest bedrooms in the castle. Each family can take a room. Or the kings and Queen Snowstar can each take a room and their children can—"

"I will not have my granddaughters staying with a mountain troll." Cobalt said. "At least, not yet." Or not ever.

"I have an idea." Rosie piped up. "King Yuki can stay in one room, King Cobalt can stay in another, and Prince Icestorm can stay in the last room. Queen Snowstar can be with her father or son. And Erika and Ariana can stay with me and my friends."

"Creek, would you be wiling to give up your space and share a room with Icestorm?" Branch asked. Creek nodded in agreement. Branch looked to the royals before him. "Does that sound reasonable?"

Cobalt looked to his granddaughters. "I believe the girls could benefit socializing with your daughter, Emperor Branch. Who are the other roommates?"

"That would be me and Bliss, sir." Moxie said as she and Bliss stepped forward.

Cobalt analyzed the girls, and then nodded. "Very well."

"I will have my servants set you up in your rooms, and you may have time to settle or explore." Branch said. "Perhaps you would be interested in joining our communal dinner?"

"As long as we are not sitting next to each other." Yuki said.

Branch nodded in understanding. The meeting was dismissed, and servants and guards came to escort the guests to where they would sleep. Branch ushered his wife and children to the door while he held his grandmother back. He wanted until the room was empty before he spoke to her.

"What happened back there?" Branch asked. "I'm not mad. Just curious. You don't normally lose your temper, but you looked ready to murder Cobalt after those things he said about Eclipse."

Rosiepuff sighed. "To be honest, Branch, there was once a time when I had trouble controlling my temper. I've mellowed out over the years, and now I only really get ticked when it comes to my family. You saw how I would get around Malcolm." She looked around, as though searching for something hiding in the minimal shadows in the room. "I don't know what it is about this place, but sometimes I feel almost overwhelmed by anger, and the smallest things set me off."

Branch looked around, too. "Yeah, I understand that. It only got worse after seeing that dark spirit. But we'll figure it out, and work through it."

"Agreed." Rosiepuff nodded. "And I'll try to not snap at Cobalt anymore. I understand that Eclipse did have enemies."

"At the same time, I want you to stand up to him when he steps out of line." Branch said. "I meant what I told him. You deserve respect, and he can't judge you just because you were friends with Eclipse."

Rosiepuff smiled. "Thank you, Branch. Eclipse would be proud of you."


Rosie, Bliss, and Moxie helped Erika settled in their room while Creek moved his things to Icestorm's room. Ariana had disappeared. Rosie wasn't too surprised. The younger princess looked like she would fall asleep from boredom during the entire meeting. She probably went out to explore. After the royal children were settled, Creek suggested they go out and explore the castle grounds. They were careful to sneak past King Cobalt and King Yuki so they wouldn't notice Erika and Icestorm in close vicinity.

"I am pleased to know that Emperor Branch has children of his own." Erika said. "It is nice to interact with trolls my own age."

"Yeah, and your baby brother is so cute!" Icestorm gushed a little.

Rosie laughed, holding Ash on her shoulders. "It's wonderful to meet you two and Princess Ariana."

"I do wish my sister hadn't flown off so quickly." Erika sighed. "She's such a free spirit. But she is very kind. She'll come around soon, and you can properly meet her."

"Hey, there's David and Aka!" Moxie waved and called out to the siblings, who sparred near the guards' training grounds.

"Hi Moxie!" David waved with a broad smile.

"And hello to everyone else." Aka said, nudging her brother teasingly. David chuckled nervously.

"Hey guys." Creek looked around at all the guards training. "Is it just me, or is everyone training in overdrive?"

"The dark spirit's attack last night reminded us that we have to be on alert for the next time it strikes." David explained.

"Dark spirit?" Icestorm asked.

"An evil spirit has terrorized our kingdom for much too long." David said. "It hadn't attacked for several weeks, so we did not worry about it. In our complacency, we did not see the attack coming. So we must prepare for the next time the creature threatens us."

"Yikes. I would've come down to train, too, had I known." Moxie said.

"Same here. We need to be prepared if this thing strikes again." Creek said. "We all saw what it can do."

"What did the spirit do?" Erika asked worriedly.

"It crashed the party we had last night." Bliss said.

"And it attacked my grandmother." Rosie added. She could still vividly remember Rosiepuff's scream when the shadow stabbed her. Had she not moved when she did, she might've been killed.

"You can count on our support should the spirit attack again." Icestorm said.

"Thank you." David said. "The spirit is a beast that must be stopped."

"I don't think violence is the best way to solve our issue with the spirit." Aka said.

"Yes, everyone is aware of your delusional views on peaceful exorcism." David droned. "But you are forgetting that this thing is a monster."

"The spirit is not a monster. Simply tormented." Aka protested.

"It nearly killed Lady Rosiepuff." David snapped.

"The spirit is not an 'it.'" Aka said. "In fact, I am confident the spirit is a female."

"What makes you say that?" Rosie asked.

Aka shrugged. "Who else could this dark spirit be except Empress Eclipse? I believe she is simply a tormented spirit, trapped here because she was wrongfully murdered. If we treat her with kindness and try to help her move on, she will no longer attack us."

"I admire that you strive for peace, Aka." Erika said.

"I agree." Rosie said. "Nothing good ever comes from violence."

"Didn't we become friends after I fell out of a tree and landed on top of you?" Bliss pointed out.

"No, that's what happened to Uncle Cooper and Aunt Suki." Rosie said. "That's never happened to me."

BAM!

Rosie grunted in pain when someone smashed into her, sending them both into the dirt. Ash went flying, squealing with glee, and Icestorm quickly caught the baby.

"Whoops." Rosie's tackler said, helping her stand. "Sorry about that." Rosie looked up and saw Princess Ariana in front of her. But the princess looked different. She no longer wore her crown and her hair was pulled into a ponytail. She wore shorts and a T-shirt instead of her dress.

"Ariana, where have you been?" Erika demanded.

"Exploring." Ariana shrugged.

"And smashing into princesses, it would seem." Rosie joked. She dusted dirt off her skirt.

"Sorry about that." Ariana said. She came closer to Rosie, circling her and looking her over closer. Rosie watched Ariana study her, awed by the princess's wings. "I've never seen a troll without wings." Ariana mused. She compared herself to Rosie. They were both exactly the same height, and even their faces and ears had similar shapes. "We aren't that different."

"It seems my tomboy sister has taken a shine to you, Princess Rosie." Erika said.

"A tomboy, huh?" Rosie smiled at Ariana. "Are you sure?"

Ariana pointed to David and then Creek. "You and you. Spar. Now."

"What?" the boys asked. They didn't get much time to react before Ariana grabbed Creek's wrist in one hand, David's wrist in the other hand, and judo-flipped them to the ground.

"Proof enough?" Ariana asked while Erika shook her head with a sigh.

"I love it!" Rosie laughed.

"I don't." Creek groaned as he and David picked themselves off the ground.

Ariana looked over Rosie again, and she smiled. "You know what? I think you're my new best friend."

"Awesome!" Rosie cheered. "Although, I think Bliss is already my best friend."

"Then she's my best friend too!" Ariana pulled Bliss into a hug.

"You know what?" Bliss laughed. "I like you!" Everyone laughed. It seemed Ariana's warm, friendly nature was infectious.

Icestorm looked back and forth between Erika and Ariana. "How strange. You wing trolls are nothing like what I expected. It's a good unexpected, but still unexpected."

"I must admit I feel the same about you mountain trolls." Erika said.

"I thought mountain trolls were like yetis." Ariana admitted. "But you guys look like just a bunch of buff trolls. Do you still stretch your hair?"

"Yes, but I think our most identifying physical feature is our burliness." Icestorm said.

"Just like wing trolls are known for our rainbow magic." Ariana guessed.

"I read about that." Rosie said. "Never really understood it."

"Well, the rainbow magic varies from troll to troll." Erika said. "But, usually, the powers are related to colors somehow."

"Like my powers!" Ariana said. "I can color anything I touch. Like so." Her hand glowed with a rainbow of colors, and she touched her shirt which changed from blue to yellow.

"She can also restore the colors of grey trolls." Erika said. She smiled knowingly when everyone looked to Ash, still nestled in Icestorm's arms.

"What happened to this little guy?" Ariana asked, approaching Ash.

"He was born grey." Rosie explained. "There were….complications…during his birth." Creek locked eyes with Bliss and Moxie, signaling for them to keep the full truth silent. That day was still hard for Rosie to think about.

"Well, let's see if we can fix that." Ariana approached Ash, and her hand glowed with a rainbow of colors. She held out her hand, and Ash took it curiously. The glow around her hand grew brighter. Everyone waited excitedly to see more of Ariana's power. Rosie wondered what Ash's true colors would be.

But, several seconds later, the light in Ariana's hand went out. Ash was still grey. "Hmm, that's never happened before." Ariana frowned.

"Well, you tried." Rosie said, taking her brother back. She looked a little disappointed.

"Perhaps, because he was born that way, these are his true colors." Erika suggested. Rosie didn't look much happier to hear that.

"Is it true that Emperor Branch has magic, like Empress Eclipse did?" Icestorm asked, quick to change the subject.

"Yes, and I inherited that magic, too." Rosie said. "We're kind of a rare breed of magic troll."

"I would love to know more of your kingdom, Princess Rosie." Erika said.

"Yeah, and I want to know about the mountain trolls!" Ariana added.

Rosie looked around to her friends, old and new. She smiled. "I think we all should take some time to learn about each other. Shall we convene in the ballroom?" A round of agreements answered. "Great. Let's get started."


A/N: I apologize for any typos or anything. I didn't review this as closely as I did with previous chapters because I wanted to get this updated.