We're nearly there…! Sorry for recap style, just want a refresh for the last leg! Buckle in, dears, it's going to be a wild ride! Any questions message on Tumblr, Fanfiction doesn't really let me comment back on reviews to thank you guys. I turned on Anon to in case you're shy! Today our guest troll is Dryya, a DA troll designed by Knifehappyphyscho on Tumblr! Here's the ref
post/620151891513507840/ok-so-round-two-of-this-this-is-the-guard
Trollex had plenty to think about now. Beat had left with Fluffy, or the Guardian as queen Vespa always called him, to go and inform the other Troll tribe leaders of the current situation.
He had found himself once again staring out at the dark ocean that surrounded them, this time taking up a position on a rock spire near the center of town. The royals had told him that he might well be the key to their freedom, but he wasn't sure what he was supposed to do.
He closed his eyes, remembering the words Vespa had used. "From what my ancestors told me of our legends, it states that 'the light must face the darkness, shining bright with the worlds color', though that is, admittedly, not a definitive wording… But something tells me that there was no mistake made when the Guardian brought you to us."
He let out a groan, flopping onto his back and staring up. The view was the same. He closed his eyes, letting his mind drift to better sort his thoughts out.
He didn't feel like he was some big savior of an entire tribe. Heck, thanks to him, he nearly LOST his whole tribe…. Twice! He gently laid his hand over his heart, focusing on the gentle, rhythmic pulsing.
He thought back on his journey thus far. He had felt so lost and alone when he lost his color. He still wasn't entirely sure what pushed him to go to the Pop trolls in the first place. Maybe it was Beat, trying to encourage him? Maybe it was his sense of duty to his trolls?
He definitely didn't regret that first step in his journey. Pop troll village had been nice to visit. It was upbeat, and everyone was extremely friendly. It was hard to believe they nearly got eaten only a bit ago. He wondered what Poppy and Branch were up to, or if Beat had made it with his message?
He could imagine Poppy getting all excited about the discovery of a new tribe, while Branch poured over his books to find a way to help them out. He chuckled softly, the king and queen of pop appearing to his mind's eye. They were like an older brother and sister, good to talk to and ready to help.
His mind wandered further along his journey, when Cooper had 'kidnapped' him to Vibe city. He missed Cooper's lax attitude, and was still trying to figure out what the Funk troll meant whenever he talked about how he 'sounded'. He hoped he got a chance to ask… He felt his heart tighten a bit as he remembered what he had done to Essence and Quincy. He had been so defensive towards them, and hadn't accepted their affection for him.
He smiled. He still had a hard time believing they wanted him as a part of their family… it felt nice, like he belonged to something special. Sure, he belonged to the Techno troll tribe, but that was a big thing, often stressful. He could unwind with the Funky family, which was something he needed desperately right now.
Delta would probably know what to do better. She had figured out a few things about his missing colors he hadn't even thought of. It wasn't just the music; it was the feelings and emotions behind it. He missed Lonesome flats, even if it was a bit too hot for him. He could still feel tenseness and stinging pain in his shoulder from his injury, and absently noted he may be stuck with it now.
Even now, he still feared Delta's wrath. He wasn't surprised the Country leader had a soft side to her; he believed everyone did, but he was surprised she let him of all trolls see it. He remembered Hickory as well; the Country troll that helped him put his arm back in place. He seemed like a rather kind troll, willing to help someone he didn't know.
He remembered Trollzart to, how kind he was. Knowing another troll leader that was an odd age gave him a bit of comfort, though he knew Trollzart was close to retiring. He remembered Bach to, the troll he'd first met at Symphonyville. He wondered what the Classical trolls were up to now.
Probably hosting a new group of trolls, seeing how eager the trolls had been to open their gates to the rest of the world. He had been shocked just how similar their two tribes had in common. Both able to fly and swim, but obviously better in their respective elements.
Barb was probably freaking out, since she seemed to be the only other leader with any connection to the darkness. It was that, or the Guardian had tried to take him then, and she was nearly collateral. He was happy he had gotten to stay for the concert though. He remembered the sheer rush of adrenalin the rock music gave him!
He could still feel the rock music in his heart. He smiled, remembering all the different songs and genre's he'd taken into himself on his journey. He may be a Techno troll, but he was so, so much more now. He could feel a bit of every tribe here with him, be it memories, music, or their love.
He opened his eyes, and smiled up at the darkness above him. "I don't think I'm so scared anymore… Mom, dad, if you can see me even here, so deep under the water, I hope I can help these trolls. I really… I really feel like that's why I'm here. There's something I need to do, so please… protect me."
He waited for a few more minutes in silence. He hadn't expected any kind of response, but it felt good to talk to them again, even if they couldn't actually hear him. He had enough time to think now; his thoughts felt less like a tornado, and more like a gentle spring storm. He pushed himself up to a sitting position, and then pushed off of the rock spire.
He decided that while the royal family was preparing… whatever was needed for their music, he'd go and visit the Blush family. As he made his way towards the family's temporary dwelling, he saw that the lights were off; despite the fact that he knew it was midday. It seemed that the Dark Ambient trolls had the same internal clock as Techno trolls. He wondered if maybe that was something they got from mixing with Techno in the past?
He figured he'd knock on the door anyway, hovering in front of it as he rapped on it lightly with his knuckles. He waited for a bit, humming a tune he swore he could hear, just a soft tune, no lyrics, and a little strange, but… it was nice none the less.
After a few minutes of waiting and zoning out, he sighed, reaching out to knock again. He paused when he saw a flash of green to his right. He glanced over to see the Blush family, who seemed so very drained. He bit his lip a little before putting on a soft smile, making his way to them.
"Hey, Blushes. How are you two doing?" He paused a bit when their eyes met his, and he could almost feel their pain in their gaze. He sighed softly, rubbing the back of his head. "Listen, you two, I have a bit of an update… Do you want to hear it?"
Anemone sighed, looking back down to the ground. Atoll gave her shoulders a gentle squeeze. "What is it, Trollex…?" He tried not to visibly wince. They sounded dead in the water….
"Well, I learned today that Beat can come and go freely, but only him… I sent him to the surface with a message for the trolls up there. He'll tell Coral that everything is fine, and come back with updates on the tyke."
While he had hoped that would cheer the couple up, it just seemed to weigh heavier on them. Anemone sniffled softly, rubbing at her eyes. "We appreciate it, Trollex… But until we can hold our baby boy in our arms again, I don't think anything will help…" They moved on past him, making their way into the dark home. They never turned on the lights.
Trollex sighed, rubbing at the back of his head. He knew that while it was true, all the Techno trolls that were brought here were having a hard time, but the Blush family was broken.
He took a deep breath, and steeled his nerves. He needed to figure this out. He needed to get EVERYONE to the surface. He had to at least try! He zipped off to find the royal family. Last he heard, they needed to head down into the cave systems for something. He gave his tail a flick and darted off towards one of the guarded gates to the tunnels bellow. He could most likely sneak past the guards.
He hoped, at least.
As he made it to the nearest tunnel, he slowed to a near stop, looking down towards a set of guards, The two standing at the entrance to the tunnel were male, while the one chatting to them was a female. He tilted his head a bit and zipped a little closer, hiding behind a rock outcrop to listen.
The female Dark Ambient troll rubbed at the bridge of her nose, clearly agitated. "Look, yes, I get it, alright? You guys got a job to do, but so do I! I can't round up a group of rowdy teen trolls on my own! Especially when they're Classical decent." Her wings were buzzing in agitation. "All I'm asking for is you guys to come lend me a hand. They're testing their bravery at the barrier… again. Something about the 'barrier challenge'….ugh, kids today…"
One of the male guards, a timid looking green one, held his spear to his chest. "I don't know, lady Dryya, We're not supposed to leave our posts with all those new Techno trolls…"
The female, Dryya, groaned loudly. "Ya ya, I know. But have you seen them? They're so depressed, poor Peter has been having trouble keeping up with the lot of them. None of them even leave their homes, save for their king. And he's been told by the royal family to stay out of the lower levels!"
Trollex felt a knot of anxiety form in his stomach. He was about to try to do exactly what that guard said he wouldn't do. He felt terrible about this, but he needed to go talk to them!
He could see the two guards hesitate, the logic of the argument clearly winning them over. The other male, a bright baby blue, sighed. "Alright, alright… We'll come help. I've heard of the barrier challenge, and the first aid bay is always fuller when it comes back around." The three spread their wings and buzzed off into the air, causing Trollex to duck behind the rock a moment as they passed.
When he heard the buzzing die off completely, he poked his head back out. When he saw no one was around, he took a deep breath and zipped forward to the tunnel, slipping into it.
It wasn't narrow by any means. Floating straight through it, he could extend his arms to wither side and touch the walls with his fingertips. The height was normal walking height. The tunnels were made of roughhewn rock, which eventually tapered off to looking more naturally formed.
As he made his way deeper, he began to realize even HE was having issues seeing. He wondered how in the six troll kingdoms—correction, seven—the royals could see down here! He ended up bumping his face into a few suddenly appearing walls.
After about a dozen of these collisions, he had a few scratches on his face, especially where his nose ought to be. After a while of searching, taking random paths as he found them, he realized just WHY this was a bad idea… the tunnels were a natural maze system, and without a guide or any knowledge of the place, there was no way he could find his way out…
That's when he heard a voice coming from a nearby tunnel. He perked up, ear fins standing up to catch the sound better. Was that...
"I'm telling you mom, I can hear someone down this way!" It was Princess Myla!
"I highly doubt that dear, I had guards posted to keep any wandering trolls out."
As they turned the corner and came face to face with Trollex, they both winced from the light of his body. "Wha…. Trollex?! What are you DOING down here?" She whisper yelled, glaring at him.
Vespa, while she didn't say anything, looked about ready to KILL the young king of Techno. He shrunk under their gaze, looking sheepish. "Er, hey there guys. I just, uh… wanted to um…" He wilted more under their gaze, scrambling out of the way as Vespa swept past him.
After a few steps, she stopped and glanced over her shoulder. "Come. We're guiding you back to the surface."
The cold and even tone she used left no room for argument or debate, so he just hung his head and floated behind her, Myla taking up the rear. After a few minutes of terrible silence, he poked his fingers together. "So I—"
Vespa glared daggers at him, causing him to cover his mouth and let out a small squeak. Once they made it back out of the tunnels and into the glow of the corals and other light sources, they came face to face with the three from before, the two males looking both terrified and shocked. The female, Dryya, looked LIVID. Comparable to Vespa even.
The queen spread her wings, preparing to take off. "Dryya, please take Trollex to his home and stay with him. I think this is a case where the boy needs to be grounded."
Myla and Trollex both looked shocked at that, Trollex absolutely floored. He'd gone years without grounding, and suddenly he got grounded twice in a month! He looked between the queen, who refused to look back at him as she lifted off, and then at Dryya, who was giving him a look that caused him to shrink in on himself a bit, letting out a soft whimper.
The Princess took off after her mom, giving Trollex a headshake and a sigh. Dryya stepped up to the young king, causing him to shrink a bit more. He REALLY missed Beat right now…
Dryya stepped forward, standing taller than most of the rest of her tribe, nearly comparable to king Sheo. That, or it was just because she looked genuinely angry at him. "Follow me, king Trollex." And so she turned and walked off, not checking if the king was following. He wasn't inclined to get on this ones nerves, and followed at a respectable distance.
He had a feeling he wouldn't be allowed out for a long while…