With that, Barb was lifted high into the air by the harness, which was attached to a Beetle Bike driven by Stevie. Circling the auditorium and smiling as her people cheered for her, the Rock Queen decided that the Funky Family would be the first targets. Strumming the Strings, a red lightning blast struck them as King Quincy and Queen Essence immediately shielded Prince D, but to no avail. The Funk Trolls screamed in horror as Cooper and King Peppy hung their jaws in shock.
Moving to King Trollex and Conductor Trollzart, Barb zapped the both of them and they both became Rock Zombies upon being blasted upon by the Ultimate Power Chord. The Classical Trolls cowered in fear as Pennywhistle gasped in sadness. An undeterred Barb moved on to Delta Dawn, whom she zapped and who threw up the Devil's horns, and Mandy, whom she zapped while she was trapped in her cage.
The Techno Trolls screamed in horror much like the Funk Trolls did, but their screams were far more distorted and mechanicalized. The Country Trolls elicited groans of grief while the Pop Trolls gasped in alarm; the eyes of Priscilla and Biggie's group widened in terror as King Peppy's cries out for his daughter were drowned out by the noises of distress. The basket's occupants watched in dread as, one by one, the Tribe Leaders became an empty shell of their former selves, servitude to nothing but the Tribe of Rock.
Landing back on the platform, Barb took a good look at her hard work well done. She deserved this victory. She knew she deserved this victory.
"WHO'S READY TO PARTY?! WITHOUT SMILING."
"Hey, Popsqueak!"
A zombified Mandy turned toward her master, who tossed the guitar to her.
"I am. In fact, you can finish the job."
Mandy turned towards Cooper and King Peppy, who exchanged fearful glances as they prepared to be turned into Rock Zombies by one's closest friend and one's only daughter. Using the guitar, she played an epic guitar solo and slowly slid forward on her back. Standing properly this time, the zombified Mandy aimed the guitar at the both of them, raised her right hand, and...
SMACK-SMACK!
She was immediately smacked away and knocked out by a lasso of hair, the guitar sliding a few feet away from where she laid. Scowling in agitation, Barb made her way over to pick up the instrument of mass destruction.
BANG-BANG!
However, a hail of gunfire prevented her from reaching it, prompting her to glance up at the source, who was obscured by the spotlights. The figure zip-lined down and landed on the stage, unmasking itself and revealing its true identity to the crowd.
"Creek...?" Biggie murmured under his breath, his shocked tone echoing the sentiment of many of the Pop Trolls, Cooper and King Peppy included.
"What?" Barb muttered in shock, "W-Whose side are you on?"
"My own," Creek shrugged as he aimed his firearm at her, "Even taking my allegiance into consideration, your plan would've gone off without a hitch if you considered one thing: that's not the real Queen Poppy."
Everybody, Barb included, turned toward the zombified Mandy, wondering who the fake Poppy really was.
"And I am."
The audience turned toward the spotlights again and widened their eyes in surprise as Queen Poppy herself zip-lined down to the stage, followed by Hickory, Meadow, DJ, CJ, Satin, Chenille, Adora, Catra, Chaz, the Reggaeton Trolls, the K-Pop Gang, Riff, and Branch, who hurled Sheila's instruction manual into Barb's face. Disoriented for a moment, she threw the book off her face and stared in shock of the remnants of the Pop Queen's alliance.
It was then that her suspicions were raised. Turning back to the seemingly zombified Tribe Leaders, their red eyes reverted back to their normal colors the same time they themselves reverted back to their normal selves. Many of the Trolls in attendance gasped and murmured in surprise while Barb's shock increased tenfold, the horror of her plans becoming undone by one simple mistake coming true.
"H-How...?"
Poppy smiled and plucked a pair of gumdrops out of her ears, "Gumdrops. Soundproof...and delicious."
Proceeding to eat them both at once, more than a few groans were provoked amongst the Troll Tribes. Hickory and The Rock Trolls merely chuckled in amusement, the Country Troll lightly smacking Riff on the arm in acknowledgement.
"She learned that from watching me!"
"Us," Creek corrected indignantly.
As the Tribe Leaders exchanged confused glances amongst themselves, it was King Trollex who reached a realization first. Plucking a pair of gumdrops out of his ear, he shrugged before eating them both and shooting a thumbs up at Queen Poppy. It was an action that many of the Tribe Leaders mimicked soon after...the plucking, not the eating.
The Rock Queen's heart began to pitlessly pound against her chest, refusing to give up on her plans even if the cards were stacked against her. Glancing back and forth between Poppy's group and the guitar, which was just a few inches out of her reach, she needed to stall them long enough to grab it and finish the job. Unfortunately for and unbeknownst to her, Poppy knew she would try and do so, deciding to mirroring her actions.
"Barb...it doesn't have to end this way," Poppy reasoned with Barb, "It doesn't have to end in a fight."
Barb merely chuckled in derision, "To be fair, you and your little avengers there killed half of my enforcers, half being the keyword. But you know what, Popsqueak? If one little fight is what it takes to unite the Troll Tribes and bring harmony...then that's how this little game of yours ends. With a fight. Whatever it takes."
"Uniting the Troll Tribes by brainwashing the entire kingdom into Rock Zombies?" Branch held Hickory's sword at the ready, "That's what you consider harmony?"
"If anything, it's the opposite, chica," Tresillo sorrowfully noted.
"How will you be distinguished as Hard Rock when...everyone else is?" Wani sighed remorsefully.
"Barb..." Riff stepped from behind the Bounty Hunters and to the forefront, shocking Barb and the Rock Trolls even more. His wavering voice did not and would not deter him from the task at hand.
"Queen Poppy has a point. If we all look the same...act the same...dress the same...how will anyone know we're cool...or something?"
If only for a moment, Barb's hardened expression softened. She never really gave the implication some thought. Her ears perked up at the sound of her own people murmuring amongst themselves.
"Yeah... He's got a good point..."
"A very good point..."
Once more, the words of the second Funk Prince echoed in her head.
"Denying our differences is denying the truth of who we are..."
For another moment, Barb was seriously starting to reconsider her mission. A mission that, up until this moment, was her lifelong passion. A mission to unite the Troll Tribes...and destroy those who resisted her or them.
"Queen Barb..." Queen Essence finally spoke, "Why do you think that this is the only way to unite the Troll Tribes?"
An epiphany ignored because of hubris, Barb huffed in contempt.
"You wouldn't understand. None of you would."
Priscilla looked hurt after Barb's statement, despite the Rock Queen's look of remorse.
"The Pop Trolls have done nothing but destroy our music...our culture...our families. The Rock Trolls will do nothing but rectify that mistake. I will do nothing but rectify that mistake. I am a Queen...and a good Queen never fails her people. A good Queen brings real peace."
Many of the audience members exchanged glances of unhappiness, uneasiness, and uncertainty. Specifically, the Pop Trolls wondered if they truly deserved the ultimate fate of being transformed into Rock Zombies as repentance for unintentionally causing grief amongst the five non-Pop Trolls and their respective kingdoms. If anything, the non-Pop Trolls, including the Rock Trolls, felt nothing but sympathy for them.
Eventually, Poppy carefully took a few steps forward, Branch taking those few steps beside her.
"You're right and wrong, Barb."
Barb looked up to Poppy in surprise and confusion, waiting for a clarification.
"You're right in that the Pop Trolls did destroy the other Tribes' music, culture, and families. The Rock Trolls have done everything in their power to right our wrongs. You have done everything in your power to right our wrongs...and a good Queen never fails her people. But here's where you're wrong: a good Queen listens."
Biggie smiled proudly, now knowing that Poppy acknowledged his remorseful nature.
"A good Queen may not be able to bring real peace, but she can work around with what she has, find a new angle, and improve her mistakes. And real peace?"
Poppy eyed the discarded guitar with wary and weary determination, raising her voice to get her point across.
"Real harmony takes lots of voices!"
Branch and Barb noticed this and their eyes widened...but for entirely different reasons.
"DIFFERENT VOICES!"
With that, Poppy snatched Hickory's sword from Branch's grasp and made a run for the guitar, much to the alarm of many, but none more so than Branch and Barb.
"Poppy!"
"No!"
Bringing the sword down, Poppy was suddenly blown back by the sudden burst and landed hard face-first. Looking up to find the guitar had not yet been destroyed, Poppy seized the sword and ran towards it again, but this time, she was tackled by Barb before she could reach it the second time.
"What are you doing? You'll destroy music!"
"You're right. But if we can't have our music...then neither can you."
"Poppy!"
Poppy looked up to find Diogo soaring down and tackling her, protecting her from a hail of gunfire. The Reggaeton and Latin Trolls gasped in horror as Diogo laid there still. His peripheral vision noticing a Party Crasher attempting to retreat, Tresillo grabbed Meadow's rifle and opened fire.
