A/N: Like my other adaptations, these are shorter stories than my trilogy. So I'll be updating either every day or every other day, depending on when I have time. I did want to leave you with one more chapter before the weekend, when I'll be doing the most writing. Here, we get to see who plays Dory!
Jpbake – I had thought about prosthetics, but I wanted Poppy to have something that held her back, an obstacle to overcome. That's why I stuck with crutches. For this AU, I'm saying that no, trolls don't have prosthetics.
I know a lot of you are asking/wondering about Branch. I'm afraid this is not a big romance/Broppy story, but there will be some bonding between them, and you'll soon find out when!
Chapter Three – Field Trip Fiasco
The next day, Peppy tried to hide his worry behind a smile as he escorted his daughter to school. Poppy bounced and babbled on like any excited child would. Today, she had her hair pulled in a ponytail and wore a green headband with blue flowers. She also wore a blue and green sundress. When they arrived at the clearing, Poppy gave her dad a quick hug and then hurried to meet with Moxie, Aspen, and Rudy.
"Good morning, children!" Karma called out over the little ones. "I hope you're ready for walking, because we're going on a field trip today!" The kids cheered excitedly. Karma always took them on the best field trips.
When Peppy heard the words "field trip," however, he almost had a panic attack. But he remembered his promise to Poppy, and put on an encouraging smile as his daughter left with the other children and Karma.
"Not bad." North mused, looking to Peppy.
"But you're not going to sit here until they get back, are you?" Blossom asked hopefully.
"No, of course not." Peppy said. "I think I'll go home and clean…something."
"Good. Take your mind off things." Blossom said.
"Hey, I can't keep hanging over my daughter forever." Peppy shrugged as the parents headed for home. "She'll be fine."
"Yeah, of course." North agreed.
"I just hope Rudy will behave." Axel said. "I always have trouble with his brother when we go to the meadow."
Peppy froze, his eyes widening. "The meadow?! They're going to the meadow?!"
"What's the big deal?" North shrugged.
"Are you insane?! Why don't we just wrap them in seaweed and say 'Here you go! Bon appétit!' to the nearest predator?!" Peppy snapped.
"Peppy, calm down." Blossom urged.
"You be calm! I have to save my daughter before she's snapped up by something!" Peppy took off running, sprinting after the schoolkids.
"He's going to die of an anxiety attack in about ten years." North sighed.
"I'll give him ten months." Axel said.
Poppy kept falling behind from the group because she couldn't stop looking around at everything. So Rudy gave her a piggyback ride while Moxie carried her crutches. Karma talked about the different plants and the trees they passed on the way to their destination. Poppy hardly ever went farther than the market when she left her house. Everything was so beautiful, especially on this bright and sunny day.
"Here we are, students!" Karma announced. "The meadow is just beyond these trees. We're going to stay together once we get there. Remember: the meadow is dangerous. Right now, I want you to explore this little clearing we're in and tell me what you find. Don't go beyond the trees, for your safety."
The kids scattered, marveling at the land around them. "Let's go this way." Moxie suggested, handing Poppy her crutches as the pink troll slid off Rudy's back.
"Thanks for carrying me." Poppy told Rudy as the trio wandered towards the trees.
"No problem." Rudy said. "You're light, and it was a good workout."
Aspen suddenly shot past them on his skitterboard, doing a few flips. "This place has some sick terrain for tricks!"
"You're really good at that." Poppy complimented.
"Aspen is one of the best skitterboarders in town." Rudy said. "He's even won competitions."
"Wow." Poppy breathed.
Aspen skated back to his friends and kicked his board up to his hands. "Here, Poppy. You try."
Poppy looked down to her amputated leg. "I don't know if I can."
"You'll never know until you try." Aspen said. "Why don't you try sitting on it first? You can go down…that!" He pointed to a slanted rock, perfect for sledding down on a skitterboard. The kids climbed up to the top of the rock, and Moxie held Poppy's crutches again.
"So sit down like this?" Poppy carefully lowered herself onto Aspen's skitterboard.
Aspen positioned the board to face straight down the slope. "Good. You just have to lean left or right to turn. To stop, dig your feet…er, foot into the ground and lean back. You might tumble a little, but it's fun!"
"Okay!" Poppy said. "I'm ready!"
Aspen gave her a light push, and the skitterboard quickly gained speed as it rolled down the rock. The board hit the level ground and kept going. Poppy never experienced something so thrilling. She tried turning and leaned to the right. But she leaned too far and veered way off-course.
"Not that way!" Aspen yelped.
"Poppy!" Moxie cried as the kids darted after their friend.
Poppy went right through some tall grass and down another small slope, rolling faster and faster. She gripped the sides of the skitterboard in fear, and her eyes widened when she saw some rocks up ahead. With her current trajectory, she would slide across the rocks and fly right off, no doubt hurting herself once she hit the ground.
Luckily, her friends managed to catch up, and the three of them used their hair to grab Poppy and the skitterboard just before they could fly off the edge. Aspen, Moxie, and Rudy pulled Poppy back from the edge, and they gathered around her worriedly.
"I'm so sorry!" Aspen yelped.
"Are you okay?" Rudy asked.
Poppy had a look of terror on her face. "That…was…." A smile spread from ear to ear. "Awesome!"
Relieved, the kids laughed and cheered as Poppy stood and leaned back on her crutches. "That was so awesome, Poppy." Moxie said. "Scary, but awesome."
Poppy giggled, nodding in agreement. She looked around, and then gasped. "Whoa."
The rocks they stood on were at the edge of the meadow. Now that the kids had a proper view of it, they saw why everyone spoke of the meadow in awe. It was a vast, grassy area with flowers clustered around in different spots, and rocks poking out here and there. It was bright and spacious and very quiet. A few butterflies flitted about to the different flowers.
"It's beautiful." Moxie breathed.
"To think I almost went head-first into that." Poppy giggled.
Rudy scanned the area. "Hey, what's that?" The other kids followed his point to see a couple large animals not too far away from them. One of them grazed on the grass while the other drank from a stream that flowed through the rocks on the edge of the meadow.
"Oh! I know what that is!" Poppy tapped her head in thought. "I read it in one of my books. Sounds like 'oose,' I think."
"I know!" Aspen declared. "Mandy Sparkledust told us about those things. She called them a caboose."
"Those are some pretty big cabooses." Rudy said.
"I think the plural form is still just 'caboose.'" Moxie said.
"Let's go touch them!" Rudy urged. Aspen and Moxie agreed, and the kids started for the edge of the rocks.
Poppy remembered her father's warning and the promise she made. "Uh, guys? Maybe we shouldn't. Those things are pretty big."
"They won't even notice us." Aspen said. "Besides, Mandy says they only eat grass."
"But my dad says it's not safe." Poppy said as her friends began climbing down the rocks. She stood on the edge, still not daring to go down.
"Your dad's a spazz." Rudy scoffed. "It'll be fine."
"You'll be with us! We look out for each other." Moxie said. "Come on, Poppy!"
Poppy wanted to go. She really did. But something didn't feel safe about this, even if her father hadn't warned her. "Guys, I really think—"
"Poppy!"
"Dad?" Poppy yelped when her father suddenly grabbed her under the arms and pulled her away from the edge of the rocks. He set her down a safe distance away and glared at her.
"What do you think you're doing trying to climb down there?" Peppy demanded.
"No, I wasn't!" Poppy protested, but her father didn't hear her. Her friends scrambled back up the rocks to help.
"You could've broken a bone or fallen into the stream and drowned!" Peppy snapped.
"Sir, wait!" Moxie protested as she and the boys came by Poppy's side. "She wasn't going to go!"
"She was trying to get us back up!" Aspen added.
"This does not concern you, kids." Peppy scolded. "You just better hope I don't tell your parents you were out there. Poppy, what made you think you could climb down that and not get hurt?"
"I would've been fine, Dad!" Poppy snapped. "And you promised you wouldn't freak out so much!"
"You promised you would be more careful!" Peppy's voice was rising in volume. By then, Karma and the other kids had arrived, attracted by the sounds of the shouts.
"Even if I was going down there, I wouldn't have gotten hurt!" Poppy argued.
"Yes, you would have. Now come on." Peppy started to steer Poppy away. "We're going home."
Poppy managed to twist and spin out of her father's guiding, still standing. "NO, Dad! I'm not going to hide for the rest of my life just because you're afraid of the forest!"
"This is not about me, it's about you!" Peppy shouted. "You're disabled, crippled! You can't walk without crutches. You're not like the normal kids, all right?"
"So?" Poppy demanded.
"So, that means you'll never be able to do things like the other kids! You can't run or climb or jump or swim or do any of that!" Peppy yelled. "You think you can, but you just can't, Poppy!"
Poppy glared at her father, and then at the ground. "I hate you."
All of Peppy's anger vanished, replaced with shock and hurt. She hated him? His own daughter hated him?
"Okay!" Karma spoke up in a forcefully cheery voice. "Kids, why don't you go gather over there while the adults talk? Go on!" She speed-walked up to Peppy. "Uh, Peppy, is there something I can do to help?"
Peppy shook himself out of his shock and turned to face Karma. "No, thank you. I just need to take my daughter home. She's not ready for this."
"I assure you, she's safe here. Especially if her friends make better decisions." Karma cast a pointed look to Moxie, Aspen, and Rudy. The kids ducked their heads in shame.
It all just made Poppy madder. Mad because it seemed her friends were being unfairly scolded because of her. Mad because her father broke his promise. Mad because her father didn't believe she could do anything.
Poppy glanced to the creatures her friends wanted to touch. The two large animals were still close to them.
"What if this were to happen again?" Peppy asked Karma. "I know you take care of these kids, but what if she wanders off again? I don't want you to have to keep her right by your side. That seems inconvenient."
"But I would be willing to do what I need to if it meant keeping Poppy in school." Karma said. "She's so bright. She needs a place to learn."
"I can't take the risk." Peppy said. "I can't lose her, too. You know that."
"I do know. Believe me, I understand, Peppy. But—" Karma felt a tug on her skirt.
"Miss Karma?" a green troll child with blue hair said.
"Not now, Keith." Karma said, trying to usher the boy troll back to the other children.
"But Miss Karma!" Keith said. "Poppy went out into the meadow!"
Everyone whipped around to see Poppy hobbling across the rocks, right towards the creatures she and her friends called a caboose.
"Poppy!" Peppy ran to the edge of the rocks and skidded to a halt. He flashed back to that snake that attacked and killed his wife. Fear kept him rooted in the spot.
Poppy had a bit of a hard landing when she slid/fell down the rocks, but nonetheless made her way to the two creatures. Now that she was closer, she saw the creatures had brown hair, cloven hooves, large antlers, and big snouts. The one who had been grazing came over to drink from the stream. Poppy hobbled/crawled over the rocks to reach it.
"Poppy, come back here!" Peppy shouted. "I said get back here right now!"
Poppy turned to glare defiantly at her father.
"Don't move one more inch!" Peppy ordered. "I'm coming down there!"
Before he could, Poppy raised a hand.
"Oh, no!" Peppy warned. "If you lay a single finger on that moose, I will—"
He didn't get to finish. Poppy lightly tapped the moose on the nose. The moose looked up and stared at the little pink thing who touched it. Everyone held their breaths. The moose analyzed Poppy for a moment, then blew a puff of wind at her that made her ponytail shake. The moose went back to drinking and Poppy proudly hobbled back towards the other trolls.
"She touched the caboose." Rudy gasped.
"You get your little tail back here right now, Poppy!" Peppy shouted.
Poppy ignored him for the most part. She kept her head high with pride. She even kept her haughty expression when one of her crutches got caught between two rocks.
"See? Now you're stuck!" Peppy started to climb down the rock. "Stay there. Here I come."
Poppy rolled her eyes. She tugged on her crutch to get it free.
"Let me tell you something, Poppy: you are in a heap of trouble!" Peppy shouted as he landed on a lower rock. "You are in big—"
Suddenly, the grass parted, and a humongous creature with green skin, white hair, and red eyes emerged.
A bergen.
Peppy eyes widened. "Big…"
Moxie screamed in terror. Poppy realized all her classmates screamed and pointed behind her. She turned and saw she was completely in the bergen's shadow.
Poppy shrieked, dropping her other crutch and attempting to hop to her father. But she tripped. "Daddy! Help me!"
"I'm coming, Poppy!" Peppy ran for the edge of the rock he stood on, intending to jump towards his daughter. But he stopped when another bergen appeared in his path. Karma herded the terrified children into the safety of the forest. The larger bergen carefully scooped up Poppy and plucked her crutches off the ground. He deposited his catch into a small wire cage and headed for the moose. Peppy backed up and away from the second bergen, who took out a camera and snapped a picture of the older troll. The flash of the camera nearly blinded him.
"Thanks, little guy." The bergen said as he left. "Now run along home."
Peppy only saw blurs and colors. "Poppy! Poppy, where are you?" He had to blink a few times and rub his eyes before he finally spotted the bergens mounting the moose. "No!" Peppy made a mad dash for the animals. The taller, older bergen tucked the cage holding Poppy into a saddlebag.
"Daddy?" Poppy whimpered. "Daddy!"
Peppy reached the moose. He ran up a taller rock and jumped off, grabbing the saddlebag with his hair to pull him forward. He landed on the moose's flank, gripping the coarse hairs and crawling towards where he saw his daughter disappear. His cane must've poked the moose, because the animal whapped her tail against her flank and knocked Peppy off. He hit the grass, and the bergens spurred their moose into a run across the meadow.
Once he regained his bearings and breath, Peppy looked up and saw the moose galloping away. "No…..Poppy!" He ran after the moose, not willing to give up.
The moose galloped at a steady pace. The older bergen checked his bag to make sure the troll he caught didn't get thrown around too much. Then, the moose jumped to avoid a log, and the bergen quickly grabbed the reins. He didn't notice his thermos falling out of his bag and rolling away.
Even though he lost sight of the bergens and his lungs burned from panting so hard, Peppy wouldn't give up. He followed the flattened and bent grass to track the bergens. He thought only of his daughter, how scared she must be, and how he would do absolutely anything to get her back. But he reached the other side of the meadow and came to another part of the forest, and suddenly the tracks had disappeared. There were no more marks on the ground and no sign of the bergens or their moose steeds.
"No. NO, please! She can't be gone!" Peppy ran forward, shouting for his daughter. When he saw the bustle of forest creatures ahead, he ran towards them. "Has anyone seen a bergen?" He asked, though no one seemed to hear him. "Please, two bergens! Did they come through here?" Either no one heard or they ignored him, and Peppy was pushed aside several times. "They took my daughter! Please, someone help me!"
"Look out!" someone shouted.
Peppy heard that just before he slammed into the speaker, sending them both tumbling head-over-heels through some shrubbery and down a short hill. The two of them hit the bottom of the hill and finally separated. The troll Peppy ran into had lavender skin and green hair and eyes. She wore a cream-colored dress and a magenta knit sleeveless coat. She moaned a little as she stood, holding her head.
"Anyone get a look at that Caterbus who hit me?" She shook her head to get rid of the dizziness. When she saw Peppy still on the ground, she gasped. "Oh my gracious! Sir? Are you okay? I'm so sorry. You just came running up so fast." She crouched beside him as Peppy moved to a kneeling position. The female troll was alarmed to see tears in his eyes. "Are you hurt?"
Peppy rubbed his eyes dry. "No. I'm sorry, I just have to find those bergens." He stood to leave.
"Oh, I saw a couple bergens." The female troll said as she stood.
"You have?!" Peppy whirled around to face her.
"They came stampeding by just a minute ago." The female troll mused.
"Riding moose?" Peppy clarified.
The female troll smiled and held out her hand in greeting. "Hi, I'm Rosiepuff."
"I'm Peppy now which way did they go?!" Peppy shouted frantically.
"That way." Rosiepuff pointed in one direction.
"Well don't just stand there! Lead the way!" Peppy begged.
"Oh, yes! Follow me!" Rosiepuff started running.
"Thank you!" Peppy said as he followed. "Thank you so much!"
Rosiepuff laughed, as though amused by Peppy's gratitude. The two trolls left the bustle behind them as they ran through the trees. Peppy couldn't believe his luck. With this troll guiding him, he'd find his daughter in no time.
After running for a while, Rosiepuff slowed to a jog, then a walk. She skipped a little. Peppy found it a bit odd. Didn't this troll understand he was in a bit of a hurry? Even more confusing was when Rosiepuff glanced behind her, gave him a weird look, and then sped up. When Peppy tried to keep up, Rosiepuff took a sharp turn. Peppy stayed right behind her. Even when Rosiepuff jumped over and ducked under things, Peppy wouldn't let her out of his sight. This troll was his key to finding Poppy, after all.
But of all the things Peppy expected, he didn't expect Rosiepuff to disappear through some tall grass, and then punch him right in the jaw when he tried to follow her. She swiped his cane off the ground and held it threateningly.
"Back off you creep!" Rosiepuff growled.
"What?" Peppy was still reeling from the punch. He underestimated this troll's strength.
"I'm just trying to take a nice little stroll in the forest, and I don't need a stalker on my tail!" Rosiepuff snapped. "Now stop following me!"
"What are you talking about?" Peppy snatched his cane back from Rosiepuff. "I thought you were showing me which way the bergens went!"
"Oh, you're looking for some bergens?" Rosiepuff asked. "A couple passed by some time ago. Want me to show you where they went?"
Peppy's jaw dropped, staring at Rosiepuff with a dumbfounded expression. "Why do you think I've been following you?"
"Huh?" Rosiepuff jumped when Peppy shouted at her.
"You've been showing me where the bergens were going this whole time!" Peppy shouted. "That's why I was following you! You said 'Hey, follow me!' and I did!"
"Oh, I did?" Rosiepuff looked sheepish.
Peppy's impatience and frustration grew. "I swear, if this is your idea of a joke—"
"No, no, I'm so sorry!" Rosiepuff said quickly. "It's not a joke, it's just something messed up that I have to live with."
"What?" Peppy asked.
"Well, you see," Rosiepuff laughed nervously. "I have short-term memory loss."
Peppy blinked a few times. "Short-term memory loss. Okay."
"No, really!" Rosiepuff insisted. "I forget things mere minutes after they happen. It runs in my family. I think." She began looking around. "You know, if I had a family to show you, it would make sense but I guess there's no one here but us and so it might be weird…" Rosiepuff looked back to Peppy, smiled as though seeing him for the first time, and held out her hand for a handshake. "Hi, can I help you?"
Peppy sighed. "Right. Okay. Thank you for your help, or lack thereof. I take comfort in knowing you will never remember me. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to find my daughter." He turned and walked past Rosiepuff.
He froze when he almost bumped into a mouth full of gleaming, pointed teeth.