A Few Days Earlier. . .
("Trolls Wanna Have Good Times" - Anna Kendrick, Justin Timberlake, James Corden, Ester Dean, Icona Pop, Kenan Thompson & The Pop Trolls)
When she woke up in the morning, the first things she did to get ready for the day was take a shower, shave her legs, and brush her teeth. She sighed in relief as her body was washed with warm water and soap, her legs were rid of her comically large hair, and her teeth were shown her true colors. That last part was actually not at all surprising when you consider that she had been using a lollipop in place of a toothbrush...but that was Queen Poppy for you.
Woke up in the morning light
Today is the day that I do everything right!
Drawing a makeshift crown on the misty mirror, Poppy watched as her green headband with blue flowers were summoned by a pair of green smiling flying bugs, who were just as eager to take on today with her. It wasn't a crown but it was certainly close enough.
Now that I'm Queen, I've got a kingdom to run
'Cause Trolls, they wanna have fun
Yeah, Trolls just wanna have fun!
Exiting her pod, Poppy lead the rest of her Trolls into an early dance routine that prepped for the day ahead. Well, the rest sans her significant other, at first.
They just wanna, they just wanna
They just wanna (Hey!)
Trolls just wanna have fun!
Branch himself sat in his bed, contemplating two things. One, about how his life managed to take a turn for the better after learning to live a little. Two, about how he wanted to sleep in for the day. For both of those things, only one Troll could motivate him to get on with it.
Lived underground to get away from the world
Till I had my life changed by a beautiful girl
Just need the guts to tell her that she's the one
But you know, Trolls, they wanna have fun
Unveiling a hidden photo of him and Poppy sitting together sharing a heartfelt gaze, Branch held it close to his actual heart for a moment before hanging it back and heading to his platform with a cup of fresh coffee. Taking a few sips and sighing in relief, he slipped on his night robe and into his day clothes as he shot upwards the sky. There, he fist-bumped the Sun and leapt down alongside Poppy to join her and the others in their little dance.
Oh, Trolls just wanna have... (Hey!)
That's all they really want
Some fun
When the working day is done
Oh, Trolls, they wanna have fun!
Oh, Trolls just wanna have...
Poppy and Branch then leapt down, the former using her hair as a helicopter and the latter using his hair as a parachute.
"All right, Queen Poppy," Branch pulled out a pencil and clipboard out of thin air as Poppy followed him. "I've prepared an agenda for the day."
"Oh! Well, I hope it says singing, dancing, and hugging! Ow-ow!"
Of course, Poppy and Branch always had different meanings for cooperation.
"Uh, isn't that we do every day?"
"Yeah! Good times!"Poppy tossed Branch a pair of roller skates and beckoned him to come along. Being lovesick, he couldn't help but play along. Slipping them on, he joined her and the rest of the Snack Pack in their roller skates to the surface.
Good times
These are the good times (We have a good time, yeah)
Leave your cares behind
These are the good times (Havin' the best time, oh yeah)
Leave your cares behind
Meanwhile, from a distance, Harper painted a magnificient picture of Mandy Sparkledust as she stared longingly and lovingly into the distance. The painter rolled her eyes at her friend's antics. Aspen Heitz expertly skating on a caterbug sent shivers up her spine and made her take a ragged breath.
The chills that you spill up my back
Keep me filled with satisfaction when we're done
Satisfaction is what to come
I couldn't ask for another
No, I couldn't ask for another
"Do you want another?" Harper smirked in amusement.
"Of course not! I couldn't ask for another!" Mandy laughed as she pulled her along for the ride down. In the eyes of Harper, Mandy's own were set squarely on a fastly approaching Aspen. Catching up with him, the master skitterboarder smiled towards and greeted his friends, happily unaware of the romantic thoughts of his best friend.
Your groove, I do deeply dig
No walls, only the bridge, my supper dish
My succotash wish
I couldn't ask for another
No, I couldn't ask for another
"Hey, girls! And Aspen!" Moxie slid down beside them. "A lovely morning, isn't it?"
"I'd say!" Aspen nodded in agreement, "And we have a heartfelt groove to thank!"
Because he turned to Mandy when he said this, her heart leapt for Aspen. Harper merely rolled her eyes again.
Groove is in the heart
Groove is in the heart
Suddenly, an ear-piercing, Auto-Tuned scream echoed through the village, alerting the Snack Pack and many others surrounding them.
"Poppy! Come quick! It's an emergency!"
Rushing to their friend's aid, the Snack Pack screeched to a stop in front of him. Mandy, Moxie, and Aspen bumped against Biggie's back while Harper simply leapt over him.
"Guy Diamond, what's wrong?"
"I'm having a...BABY!"
Everybody screamed in delight save Mandy and Aspen, who both cringed in disgust not at the thought of Guy Diamond having a baby but rather the mental image of it. On the contrary, Harper and Moxie were perfectly happy that the Glitter Troll was becoming a father. Harper smacked Mandy just as Moxie did the same to Aspen, case in point.
"We're on jumpsuit duty!" Satin and Chenille sewed together a mini outfit in an eager need for speed.
"I get to be a role model!" Cooper exclaimed happily...
"I don't wanna be a big sister!" ...while Smidge screeched angrily.
Guy Diamond gasped and sighed as a silver egg emerged from his silver hair. The egg cracked open and out shot who was essentially a miniature version of him. While the Snack Pack awed as its adorable nature, the select four wondered how the baby was still suspended in midair.
"What should I name him?" Guy Diamond thought out loud.
"How about...?" Poppy rubbed her chin in contemplation before a smile, "Tiny Diamond."
Judging by the typical hip-hop verse, "Tiny Diamond" seemed to like.
Yeah, yeah, yeah!
Tiny Diamond is my name (Diamond!)
Come straight from my Daddy's mane (Mane!)
My whole body's made of glitter (Glitter!)
And I'll throw it in your face (Face!)
I love when I make music
And the groove is in my bones (My bones!)
Just like my aunt Queen Poppy
Someday I'll sit on the throne (King Tiny!)
The Snack Pack took Tiny Diamond along with the ride as they bounced on the mushrooms for the reminder of the way down to the surface.
Groove is in the heart, yeah
Groove is in the heart, yeah
Once they did, the Snack Pack joined the rest of their fellow Trolls for the climax of the story's first (technically second) musical sequence.
They just wanna, they just wanna... (These are the good times)
They just wanna, they just wanna... (These are the good times)
They just wanna, they just wanna... (These are the good times)
They just wanna, they just wanna...
Trolls just wanna have...
*Pause for dramatic effect...*
Fun...
Everybody cheered with and for the Snack Pack, who were responsible for leading them into the day with style. As the crowd dispersed, Poppy began handing out compliments to her fellow Snack Packers like they were party samples.
"Hey, that was some fancy footwork, Cooper!"
"Some people just got it!"
"Biggie, Mr. Dinkles! You two were on fire!"
"Yeah, sorry about that, Queen Poppy," Biggie put out the ablaze head of Mr. Dinkles, who only mewed in response.
"I'm digging that new anklet, Legsly!"
"Thanks, Poppy! Kisses and doughnuts and sprinkles!" As Legsly walked off, Mandy and Moxie both wondered: Where did she come from again?
"Ah, what a troll," Branch obliviously made note with fondness.
"And Tiny Diamond," Poppy continued as she gushed at the newborn Glitter Troll, "Welcome to the family, little buddy!"
"Thanks, Aunt Poppy!" Tiny Diamond reciprocated enthusiastically, "And thanks to this silver-haired daddy of mine for bringing me into this world!"
Poppy, Guy Diamond, and Aspen Heitz fussed over the baby while Harper's eyes met Branch's expression. She could tell that the survivalist Troll had developed a crush on the Troll Queen for some time now, but her suspicions were confirmed during a sleepover with Mandy and Moxie. They had let her in on the "deep, dark" secret that Branch had been crushing on Poppy since childhood. Expanding on that, Poppy absentmindly revealed to Harper that she returned Branch's crush on her but didn't want it to reveal it out of perceived embarrassment from her friends and peers; she knew that her father, Harper, Mandy, and Moxie would agree with her decision.
Of course, some powerful nitrous oxide was wearing off from Poppy after a visit to Doctor Plum, so neither of them could tell whether or not she was telling the truth.
"Oh, I never knew my heart could be so full," Guy Diamond rubbed his cheeks affectionately against his son's. Tiny returned the favor by repeating the same actions towards his father before bidding them goodbye for now.
"Peace and love! Bless up! Tiny and Daddy out!"
"Okay, bye!" Poppy watched them leave before noticing a green smiling bug (the same kind that brought her headband) fly past her toward the garden. Watching her follow the bug, Harper nudged Branch and gestured to Poppy. Glancing back and forth between an oblivious Poppy and a smiling Harper, Branch nodded in understanding.
"Hey... Uh, Poppy... There's something I was hoping to ask you... Uh, I mean it's something I want to...tell you moreso..."
"Uh-huh," Poppy was blissfully ignorant as she hugged the bug and let it fly away before turning her attention to the garden.
"But, listen... You can feel free to...respond to it with an answer if you wanted – "
"Sure. What's up?"
Branch's eyes widened in surprise as he stumbled over his words, thinking a little too quickly what to say next. Meanwhile, Mandy, Moxie, and Aspen stood a few feet behind Poppy, having figured out what was happening now.
"Uh, what's up is... I, uh... I... I... I... I... I... I... I wanted to tell you that..."
Poppy and Harper (who was standing a few feet between Branch and Poppy) waited expectantly for what Branch had to say; Mandy and Moxie giggled under their breaths at Branch's predicament; and Aspen and an approaching Meadow Spriggs couldn't help but cringe in embarrassment for Branch. Poppy's patient smile, however, did transition from a concerned frown as she balanced focus on him and the flowers she was watering.
Eventually Branch exhaled in exasperation and substituted his intended with something close enough. "You're crushing it at this queen thing."
Mandy and Moxie groaned in slight disappointment while Harper and Aspen exchanged glances and small smiles (He'll get there eventually...). In the meantime, Meadow Spriggs was completely lost as to what was happening here. Poppy paid them no mind and instead focused on Branch's unintended compliment.
"Oh, Branch! Thank you! Being a good queen is the most important thing in the world to me...other than being your friend."
The eyes of Mandy, Moxie, and Aspen widened in shock, but their following reactions were considerably different. The two girls clamped their hands over their mouths in an attempt to hold back their laughter while the one guy gritted his teeth in wince-inducing humiliation. Harper bit her bottom lip as well and turned to Branch, who seemed to mentally shut down at the mention of that dreaded word.
Friend...
Friend...
Friend...
Friend...
Friend...
Friend...
Fortunately, Meadow realized the turn of events and was a kind enough soul to save Branch from the land of confusion. "Excuse me, Queen Poppy?"
"Oh, hello, Meadow! How's the life of the party turning out for you?"
"Well, it has its benefits, for lack of a better term. Speaking of which, I need your opinion on the roses, violets, sunflowers, orchids, petunias, and begonias I plan to use for our Flower Day."
"Of course! Lead the way, Partier's Apprentice!" Meadow nodded and led Poppy to her section of the garden. "See you, Branch!"
Still mentally recovering, Branch offered a halfhearted goodbye wave before hanging his head in frustration. Once making certain that she was out of sight and out of mind, Mandy and Moxie cackled in enjoyment until their stomaches hurt. It was only after Branch shot them a death glare did they calm down.
"Don't worry, Branch," Harper patted him of the shoulder for reassurance, "You'll get it eventually. It just wasn't the right timing."
"Thanks, Harper," Branch acknowledged her encouragement and turned to walk away. Before he could, though, a trio of differently pitched screams echoed through Troll Village, sending those around them shivers down their spine. Recognizing the third scream belonged to a child, Branch instantly leapt into action and grabbed a sharpened stick as an improvised weapon. Harper, Mandy, Moxie, and Aspen immediately followed behind with Poppy and Meadow treading on their heels.
When he arrived, Branch saw two things. One, Biggie, DJ Suki, her niece CJ, and Mr. Dinkles were being chased. Two, the actual chaser, which was...
What is that thing?