I was never planning on making a part two to this story but, oh my hair, EVERYONE asked for one! I'm so happy you all enjoyed part one so much! I've always had an idea of who Branch and Poppy's offspring would become and I'm happy I finally get to explore that possibility.

I don't own Trolls or the song "The Beauty Underneath" (say what you will about Love Never Dies, but at least that song rocks).

In honor of the recent holiday special Trolls: Holiday in Harmony, here's part two!

Princess Melody buried her bright purple toes in the sand for the umpteenth time as her most recent scrapbook came to life at her fingertips. Her mother had been right; the beaches just outside of Techno Reef were beautiful. The sands were a sparkling white, the ocean was so serene it could lull you to sleep, and there were more than enough shells, wildlife, and plants for her to study. For once her father couldn't join her as he was helping her mother and their friends set up for the night's upcoming festivities. Although he was her favorite person to study with, she would be lying if she said she wasn't enjoying her alone time.

The sun began to dip into the ocean as the princess poked her fingers into a nearby tidal pool. She couldn't wait for the sun to set. King Trollex and the Techno Trolls had promised their visitors a spectacular light show that evening, complete with every kind of music and a campout on the beach to finish the night. It was hard for her to believe her parents had grown up only knowing pop music when there were so many other enchanting kinds. That wasn't to say she didn't adore pop— she was a Pop Troll for a reason— but all of it, from pop to rock, just seemed sprinkled with a sort of… magic.

"You know the water is a lot more fun in the ocean, right? Or are you pretending to be some kind of aquatic Godzilla?"

Melody pulled her dripping hand out from the tidal pool as she looked up to the troll girl in front of her. She looked almost identical to the former but with a few differences. Her purple skin was a tad bit paler, her hair was pink and blue striped as opposed to pink and black, she was covered head to toe in glittery freckles, and her eyes were blue not pink. Also, unlike Melody on this particular night, her hair was tied into a ponytail. A small part of Melody hated their minor differences as the two had never been able to pull pranks on the other trolls (and succeed that is). Still, she couldn't deny this girl was her best friend.

She rolled her eyes but smiled at her twin sister. "Hey, Harmony. I thought you were helping Uncle Cooper with party supplies."

Harmony sat down beside her sister. "Well, I was but…"

Melody giggled. "Mom and Dad had to drag him out of the cupcake display again?"

"Bingo."

The two laughed but it wasn't long before silence overtook them again as the beauty of the scenery dragged them back under its spell. It took even less time for Melody— who was about to break into "Beyond the Sea"— to recognize this as a major red flag. Harmony was never this quiet unless she was plotting something.

Practically on cue, Harmony spoke up. "So I was thinking—"

"No."

"You don't even know what I was going to say!"

Melody rolled her eyes again. "You've probably got a crazy plan that will blow up in your face."

"This time it won't! I know it!"

"Isn't that what you said when we built that giant—"

"You promised never to mention that again!"

"Well you promised we wouldn't get grounded."

The two were silent for a moment, choosing to stare at the surf once again instead of each other. Harmony sat twisting the end of her yellow dress— yet another contrast from her sister's light green one, though they were both wearing blue jean vests over them— The longer it went on though the more Melody could feel her sister's unavoidable outburst of ideas about to run her over like a Caterbus.

"Fine, I'll bite," the former princess surrendered. "What's your plan?"

And just like that Harmony was her happy self again. "There's a small, flat islet just a couple hundred feet from the shore. It's about the size of our pod back home. When the show begins the lights and waterworks will surround it completely and it will vibrate with the music. Think of it as Aunt Suki's DJ table, but we're inside it!"

Despite her misgivings Melody was intrigued. "Where did you learn abou— Queen Barb?"

"Once again, bingo," Harmony complimented. "If we sneak off while Mom and Dad are still busy we won't be seen. It would be an absolutely perfect place to sing and dance!"

Melody almost got excited the moment her sister brought up her two favorite activities in the world, but the grounded mind she had inherited from her father brought her back to reality. "Wouldn't that be dangerous? We won't be able to see anything when the sun goes down and we could get hurt."

Harmony waved her off. "The show will give us plenty of light and the islet extends under the sea; there's no way any of the waterworks will shoot at us without us being able to see it first."

"Mom and Dad will kill us if they find out."

"They won't find out! We'll just tell them we're going to go hang out with the other kids!"

Melody stayed silent, electing to give her sister an are you serious? look.

"Come on, sis!" Harmony begged. "Think about it! The music drawing us in, a vortex of beautiful light, singing and dancing until we drop? It would be incredible!"

Harmony was saying all of the right words. Melody began to feel her twin's excitement rush over her like, well, like an ocean wave. Still, she forced her heart to slow down. "I can't do it, Harmony. We'll be better off just dancing on the beach with everyone else."

Harmony couldn't hide her disappointment but she erased it from her face faster than you could say "hug time." "Well I'm going with or without you, and you can't stop me."

Melody sighed in partial defeat. "Fine, but this is one plan you're not dragging me into."

-One hour later-

"How do you keep doing this to me?"

By now the sun had set for the night and the two Pop princesses had taken their places on the islet. They could hardly see the beach they had come from anymore— and not just because it was now pitch black this far into the ocean— but like the surf at sunset, there was still a serene feeling to the mass of rock they had ended up on. Still Melody held onto her sister's hand to give her some feeling of safety. Harmony, for once, didn't comment.

"So when does it start?" Melody asked, breaking the silence.

Before Harmony could answer her, the two were nearly knocked off their feet by a sudden, constant vibration. Both sisters gripped the other's hand for some form of balance as the dark ocean surrounding them spontaneously lit up with every color of the rainbow spinning like a vortex. Both princesses became entranced by the light tornado they had found themselves in, only to be snapped out of it when gigantic geysers of somehow multicolored water shot up all around them in a fantastic display. The Techno Trolls sure knew how to put on a show.

"WHAT'S UP MY FELLOW TROLLS?!" King Trollex's voice echoed throughout the surf. "WHO'S READY FOR A PAAAAAAAAARTY?!"

Even from the twins' distance they could hear the other trolls going wild on the beach. Melody was beginning to question whether or not tonight's activities were going to leave her deaf.

The ocean water continued to fly in seemingly impossible ways— spirals in all directions, shapes like hearts and musical notes, even midair explosions— looking a lot more like fireworks, minus the fact that the two Pop princesses were getting soaked.

"TONIGHT IS ABOUT FAMILY, LOVE, AND MUSIC FROM ALL OVER THE KINGDOM!" the Techno King announced to more cheering. "AND TONIGHT WE'LL BE STARTING OUR MUSICAL SHOW WITH A SPECIAL REQUEST!"

Only the first few notes were struck before Melody recognized the song that was vibrating her and her sister's makeshift stage. One surprised look at Harmony's pride filled smile was all it took.

"How did you convince King Trollex to play this?" she asked in astonishment.

"A princess has powers beyond understanding," she stated as if she were some kind of guru. "On a completely unrelated note I need your help restocking Mom's gumdrop supply."

Melody was so excited she forgot to roll her eyes. She could still remember the day she and her twin first heard this song. It had been Queen Barb's turn to host a party (which, for some reason, always made the twins' parents nervous) meaning rock songs 24/7. While none of the other trolls had gotten quite as into the music as the Rock Trolls had, they had all enjoyed themselves regardless. It was when Barb swept the crowd up in a duet describing how passionate a father and son were about music that Melody and Harmony had seemed to fall under a spell. Despite how different the two Pop princesses had always been from each other, for both of them it was love at first note.

Before Melody could think any further back, her sister took her hands and spun her around. Their spinning quickly turned into a graceful dance number on both sides. Somehow Harmony's voice wasn't drowned out as she sang the first few lines of their favorite song.

Have you ever yearned to go

Past the world you think you know?

Been enthralled to the call

Of the beauty underneath?

Have you let it draw you in?

Past the place where dreams begin?

Felt the full breathless pull

Of the beauty underneath?

When the dark unfolds its wings

Do you sense the strangest things?

Things no one would ever guess

Things mere words cannot express?

"Yes!" echoed throughout the ocean breeze.

Harmony's smile was wide before she even turned to face her twin sister. The latter sang the next verse with every bit of passion in her soul. She never took her eyes off of her sibling, the lyrics speaking her mind for her.

Is the music in your head?

Have you followed where it led?

And been graced with a taste

Of the beauty underneath?

Does it fill your every sense?

Is it terribly intense?

Tell me you need it too

Need the beauty underneath

The sisters' dancing was synchronized perfectly with the phenomenal water show all around them without them even being aware of it. Their two voices came together to create one beautiful sound for one more verse.

When it lifts its voice and sings

Don't you feel amazing things?

Things you know you can't confess

Things you thirst for nonetheless

It was as if the sisters were conducting the magic themselves. With every note, every word, every step, Melody felt as though she was flying; as though her feet were no longer touching the ground.

Wait a minute…

The Pop princess opened her eyes to discover that she was no longer on her and Harmony's makeshift stage, but instead flying away from it. As she watched the colorful waterworks grow smaller and smaller— her mind no longer in the music— she slowly looked up to see what had her by the arms and was carrying her away.

The legs of a flyer. But not just any flyer; one that was piloted by her father.

Melody looked to her left to find Harmony being carried in an almost identical fashion by their mother. The twins shared a look of dread, though Melody's disappointment in both her sister and she was threatening to show itself as well.

I told you so, she mouthed.

-About an hour later-

"What were you thinking?!" Branch demanded, doing his best not to scream at his daughters. "You could have been killed!"

Melody and Harmony sat outside of their shared tent praying to God none of the other Trolls were secretly listening to their father. He had wanted to let them have it the second they got back to the beach, but the show and the others Trolls' singing was so loud he had to wait until it was over. This at least gave the royal Pop family a chance to see the rest of the stupefying water dance. Throughout the runtime Poppy and Branch had to constantly remind themselves that they were supposed to be angry with their twin daughters. Harmony had been tempted to make a joke to Melody about this being like a prisoner's last supper before their execution but she had decided against it in the end. By now all of the other Trolls had retired to their tents but them.

"It was Harmony's idea," Melody muttered, her volume matching her confidence levels.

"If Harmony went to Volcano Rock City and jumped into a lava pit would you do that too?" Poppy asked in a stern, yet calmer than her husband's, voice.

With everything she's somehow convinced me to do in the past, I wouldn't be surprised, Melody thought.

"Queen Barb told us it was perfectly safe." Harmony argued.

"And you listened to her?" Branch deadpanned.

Melody shot her sister an icy glare. Harmony just looked down at her clasped hands the moment she saw it. Queen Barb might have been good friends with their parents but they still didn't trust her judgments of safety, especially Branch.

Poppy sighed. "Look you two, we know more than any other Troll how passionate you two are about music— heck, you two are some of the most talented singers I've ever heard— but some passions just aren't worth risking your lives over."

Branch turned his head over to the other Pop Trolls' tents, pretending to be checking on the villagers' well-being so his wife and kids wouldn't see him roll his eyes. Poppy had learned a lot over her years of crazy scheming but she still wasn't exactly one to talk about what not to risk one's life over.

"Even if you were told it was safe," the queen continued, "you still should have at least checked with your dad and me first."

"But you would've said— ouch!" was all Harmony could state before her twin slugged her in the arm.

"You're right," Branch agreed, "because we love you two more than anything in this world. If something happened to you guys we could never forgive ourselves."

Poppy nodded in agreement with her husband. Melody and Harmony now looked even more ashamed when they caught a hint of pain in their parents' expressions— especially their father's given his background with loss.

"We're sorry," the twins said in unison.

"We know," said Branch. "But we're still grounding you both for three weeks."

Melody gave her sister another icy glare expecting a protest. For once that night though it wasn't needed.

"Now go get some sleep," Poppy spoke softly. "We all have a long trip back to Pop Village tomorrow."

The twins nodded and stood up. They both walked back to their shared tent silently.

"Hey." Branch said, making his daughters stop in their tracks. Both parents walked up to both kids and wrapped them up in a gentle group hug. "We love you two. No matter what craziness you two get into, nothing will ever stop that."

For the first time since their last adventure, Melody and Harmony smiled. "We love you too, Mom and Dad," they stated.

Poppy and Branch gave their daughters one last squeeze before letting them finish their trek back to their tent.

"I'm sorry, Melody," Harmony whispered as they each grabbed a tent flap.

Melody looked at her sister, though the latter refused to meet her gaze. She was instantly filled with sympathy. "Hey, I'd be lying if I said I didn't have fun," Melody whispered back before she could change her mind, though she really was telling the truth.

Harmony finally looked her sister in the eye as she was given a smile as a peace offering. She smiled back as they finally entered their tent, happy things hadn't changed between the two of them.

Once the twins were out of sight their parents let out a mutual sigh.

"I can't believe they did that." Branch said, sitting on a nearby log.

"Honestly, I can," Poppy replied, sitting next to her king. "Harmony has a way of convincing others to join in her crazy ideas. She's just so spirited."

"I guess, but you'd think Melody would have the guts to not to go along with it for once," Branch retorted.

"Yeah, but Branchifer, keep in mind that they're a team. Whatever they do, they do it together."

"True. I guess Harmony just can't imagine doing things without her best friend…" Branch started.

"And Melody has to make sure her best friend doesn't get hurt." Poppy finished.

The king and queen were silent for a moment.

"So basically they're just like us."

"I was afraid you'd say that."

Despite the royals' conflicted emotions they couldn't resist sharing a small chuckle.

"Do you think they'll grow out of it?" Poppy asked, resting her head on Branch's shoulder.

Branch wrapped an arm around his wife and caressed her hand with his other one. "Not a chance. But if they are just like us at least they'll always have each other," he replied with a smile towards the queen.

Poppy smiled back before covering her husband's lips with hers. "Forever."

So was it good? Bad? Somewhere in between? Let me know by leaving a review!

Edger230 out!