A/N: Hope you guys are enjoying this one! We're a little more than halfway done.
Chapter Nine – Get Up
Once he started to regain consciousness, Peppy became aware of two things:
One, he was riding something that had coarse hair.
Two, he felt like he would puke any moment now.
"Dude? Hey dude."
Who was talking to him? Peppy blearily blinked his eyes open and only saw a swirl of colors.
"What do you see, dude?" someone asked him.
"Uh…" Peppy blinked a few times. "The sky….and a pink walking stick that talks?"
The "pink walking stick" laughed. "Close!"
Peppy rubbed his eyes and forced himself to sit up. Once his vision cleared and he saw who talked to him, he realized he couldn't be sure if he was awake or dreaming. The creature before him looked like some sort of llama with pink fur and blue legs. But he had the facial structure of a troll, and he wore a green hat sitting on dreadlocks.
"Um…hi….." Peppy said tiredly.
"He lives!" the strange creature cheered. "We weren't sure you would ever wake up, dude!"
"Wake up?" Peppy asked. "What are you talking about? And what are you?"
"A llama-troll, my man!" the creature said. "And I'm talking about you! Taking on Tarantapuff Territory? Man, you got to be some kind of adrenaline junkie."
Peppy felt his stomach doing flip-flops. "I think I'm going to be sick."
"Whoa, whoa! In the bucket, not on our ride!" the llama-troll thrust a metal bucket into Peppy's arms right before Peppy vomited his stomach contents, which was thankfully mostly just liquid and bile. "Yeah, the doc said that might happen once you woke up."
Peppy wiped his mouth on the back of his hand and handed the bucket back to the llama-troll. "What doc? Where am I, Mr. Llama—" He put a hand to his mouth when he felt more puking might be on the way. Luckily, he managed to swallow it back.
"Dude, Mr. Lamas was my father." The llama-troll said as he dumped the bucket of puke over the side of the moose he and Peppy rode.
"Hey! Watch it!" someone shouted from down below.
"Sorry!" the llama-troll called. He returned to Peppy. "My name's Cooper! What's your name? Or do I call you Lion Mane, wild dude?"
Peppy was still a little out of it, but he finally realized he was indeed riding on a moose with a llama-troll. "I'm Peppy. Nice to meet you, Cooper. I'm trying to find the Hyacinth Highway. You know where that is?"
Cooper laughed. "Dude, you're riding it!"
Peppy blinked, and then climbed up to one of the antlers on the moose. His jaw dropped.
It was the Hyacinth Highway, just like the fireflies said. There were dozens of animals of all kinds, traveling by land and by water. Land creatures went along the pathway long since beaten into a road thanks to years of travel. Water animals swam in the river. Birds and insect flew overhead. Hyacinths truly did line the river's edge and the edge of the pathway.
Cooper came up to stand by Peppy. "Pretty, ain't it? Yeah, we were just walking down the Highway, minding our own business, when we saw you and your friend coming out of Tarantapuff Territory. My buddy here—" Cooper patted the moose they rode. "—and I came to help, along with my daughter, Harper. You should be fully cured of those nasty web poisons."
"Well, Rosiepuff and I are grateful you—" Peppy gasped. "Rosiepuff! Oh my gosh! Where is she?" But Peppy looked all around and didn't see Rosiepuff anywhere.
"You mean that lady troll who was with you?" Cooper asked.
"Yes! Is she all right?" Peppy asked worriedly.
"Man, she wasn't looking too good when we found you two." Cooper said. "Doc said she suffered a lot of blood loss and she was super poisoned and half-dead already. He also said a lot of things I didn't understand. All I really remember was that it was really tough getting any medicine into her. Not to mention she was bleeding all over the place."
Peppy glanced down to his vest, and he realized with horror it was still stained with Rosiepuff's blood. "Oh gods." He buried his face in his hands. "Oh gods, I killed her. I killed her!"
"Whoa, calm down there, Spider Dude." Cooper said.
"But I killed her!" Peppy protested, moaning in despair. "What have I done? I thought I managed to get her out of there but all I did was—"
"Peppy!"
Peppy grunted in pain and surprise when someone body-slammed him. He and his tackler landed on the back of the moose, and Peppy felt like another snake constricted him.
"Oh I'm so happy you're okay!" Rosiepuff said, giving Peppy her tightest hug.
"Choking!" Peppy gasped. "Not breathing!"
"I was so worried about you! But you're okay!" Rosiepuff gasped and suddenly began looking Peppy over like a fussing mother. "You are okay, right? You're not hurt at all? Let me see your teeth!"
"Rosiepuff, you're squishing my face." Peppy's voice sounded weird from Rosiepuff grabbing him by the cheeks.
"Sorry." Rosiepuff said, pulling her hands away. "But I'm just so glad you're unhurt!"
"Me? What about you?" Peppy asked, remembering Rosiepuff got the worst of Tarantapuff Territory.
"Oh, I'm fine!" Rosiepuff assured. "Don't get me wrong, I was loopy for a while there and unconscious for a lot of it, but I'm right as rain now." She noticed Peppy staring at something, and she glanced to her shoulder and arm which were now covered in bandages. "Oh, right. Did you know that tarantapuff bites aren't venomous, but they hurt like the dickens?"
Peppy hadn't stopped staring at the bandages wrapped around the spider bite wound. Rosiepuff's dress and coat were still stained with blood. He surprised Rosiepuff when he suddenly wrapped his arms around her neck in a tight hug. "I'm so sorry. This was all my fault."
"Hey, it's all right." Rosiepuff assured. "Besides, it's not like I remember much of anything that happened yesterday."
Peppy still felt guilty. He wasn't sure if Rosiepuff had been right, and that dark path was the safer option. But he should've done a better job looking after her. "This shouldn't have happened, Rosiepuff, and I do apologize."
"Look on the bright side." Rosiepuff said reassuringly. "We made it to the Hyacinth Highway."
"We'll get you where you need to go!" Cooper assured. "No worries!"
Rosiepuff noticed the sad look on Peppy's face. She smiled comfortingly. "Come on! The children and I are playing hide-and-seek! Come play with us!" She didn't really give Peppy a choice as she pulled him along. Peppy didn't mind too much. He wanted to make sure Rosiepuff didn't strain herself after just getting patched up. He stuck close by her as they met up with the children, who rode on another moose just behind the one Cooper rode. Rosiepuff either didn't mind or simply put up with him worrying, to ease his fears. Harper seemed to be the unofficial leader of the children. Though Cooper's daughter, she was actually a normal rainbow troll. She had light blue skin and dark blue hair, though her skin and hair were so splotched with paint that it was hard to determine her true colors.
Steadily, Peppy did relax and let himself have fun. While the seeker would count on the moose, the other children, Rosiepuff, and Peppy would hide on the animals nearby so nobody got left behind. Peppy had never seen so many animals congregating at the same place. To his immense surprise, he saw some predators there, too. As Harper explained, the law of the forest dictated that hunting was forbidden on the Hyacinth Highway. Predators and prey did not interact very often, but the Highway was used so often that sometimes a crocodile would bump into a deer and simply say "Excuse me" while continuing on their way.
The playing hide-and-seek became boring by lunchtime. So, after eating, the kids moved to the moose Cooper rode and began swinging on the moose's antlers by their hair.
"They're so darling." Rosiepuff sighed blissfully, watching the children laugh and play.
"Yeah." Peppy agreed. He couldn't help but think of Poppy, and it made him a little sad. Suddenly, Harper lost her grip, and she ended up falling in the water of the river. Peppy gasped. "Oh my goodness!"
"Whoa, easy there!" Cooper held Peppy back. "She's fine."
"Fine? She just fell into the river!" Peppy protested.
"Well, let's see how she does on her own." Cooper suggested.
As everyone watched, Harper's head popped up from the water. She swam with all her strength, and then wrung out her hair enough to stretch it out and grab the edge of a turtle's shell. She pulled herself from the water, and then bounced off a Trampoline Mushroom and landed on the moose's flank. She climbed up to the back of the moose.
"I did it! Did you see me, Dad? Did you see what I did?" Harper cheered.
"You rock, little dude!" Cooper hugged the child.
Peppy sighed in relief. "I'm glad that didn't end badly."
"Oh, I've been through worse." Harper said. "My dad and I have been traveling the Hyacinth Highway for years!"
"Really?" Rosiepuff asked, surprised.
"Yeah, we don't have one home we stick to." Cooper said. "We just travel the Highway, exploring everywhere we can. It's a great learning experience for Harper."
"But what if something goes wrong?" Peppy asked.
"We get up and try again!" Harper said.
Rosiepuff elbowed Peppy. "Hey, does that sound familiar?"
Peppy looked down. "It's not easy to get up after you get knocked down."
"Maybe not." Rosiepuff shrugged. "But…"
Oh here we go. Peppy knew what was coming. Sure enough, Rosiepuff started singing.
Maybe the road ahead looks dark and scary
Keep going on, though you are wary
No road in life is ever that smooth
Besides, what's life without a little groove?
Cooper joined in, just as sprightly and bouncy as Peppy's traveling partner.
You can't stay inside and live in fear
Not when all your friends are near
Life is a piano, its keys are black and white
Even in darkness, I know it'll be all right
Harper sang the next line, leading the chorus where they all sang together. A smile tugged at Peppy's lips.
Sometimes life will knock you down
But you can't give up right now
You've got to
Get up, get up
Try it again!
Don't stop, don't stop
Finish what you begin!
Push on, pull through
Over every hurdle
Don't let anything get in your way!
Just get up!
It didn't take long for the rest of the children to join the song, and even a couple other forest creatures traveling the Highway hummed along and created a beat with their walking. Rosiepuff stayed by Peppy's side, trying to coax him into the song.
Sometimes the world seems dark and grey
You just have to kick the clouds away
Let the sun shine through and dance in the light
No fear can stop your will to fight
Cooper proved himself to be quite the dancer. It was like his legs were made of rubber, and he could twist and move his body in ways no one expected.
Don't stay locked up in your shell
Come on out, see all is well
If you get yourself in trouble, no need to fear
Make a friend or two, and they'll be right here
If you let the world fill you with doubt
You'll never know what life is all about
You've got to
Get up, get up
Try it again!
Don't stop, don't stop
Finish what you begin!
Push on, pull through
Over every hurdle
Don't let anything get in your way!
Just get up!
As Peppy watched everyone having fun and singing to their hearts' content, he thought about how much Poppy would've loved this. When he looked at Harper, he realized just how strong she was, and she was so young. Poppy wasn't the only troll in the forest who had an amputated limb and had to live with it. But because she was his daughter, because she was Peppy's whole world, he was always too afraid to let her explore and learn to adapt.
Peppy sighed, leaning against one of the knobs on the moose's antlers.
I promised to keep her safe
Never meant to push her away
Everywhere, it's dark and black
Don't know how I'll get her back
Peppy felt someone's hand on his shoulder, and he saw Rosiepuff standing with him once more. He could tell by her comforting smile that she heard his soft singing.
You don't have to go it alone
Time goes by, and you will grow
Don't be stopped by fear and strife
It's all just a part of life
Get up, get up
Gotta get up and try again
Can't stop now
Finish what you begin
Rosiepuff nudged Peppy playfully. Finally, the father rolled his eyes with a smile and joined everyone else to finish the song.
You've got to
Get up, get up
Try it again!
Don't stop, don't stop
Finish what you begin!
Push on, pull through
Over every hurdle
Don't let anything get in your way!
Just get up!
Everyone laughed as they finished the uplifting song. For the first time in years, Peppy felt truly happy. Not only that, he felt hopeful. He almost forgot what that felt like.
Cooper, Harper, and the other children ate dinner together, chatting happily. Harper and Cooper told of their lives traveling the Hyacinth Highway. The kids reported their reasons for traveling on the major pathway.
"So where are you going?" one of the children asked Peppy and Rosiepuff.
"We're going to Bergen Town." Peppy said. "My daughter was kidnapped."
The children and Cooper gasped. "What happened?" Harper asked.
"No, kids, I don't want to talk about it." Peppy said. "Besides, it's not a very nice story."
"Please?" Harper begged, her plea echoed by her friends and even Cooper. Peppy shared a look with Rosiepuff, who shrugged. The children settled down and listened attentively.
Peppy finally relented. "Okay, here it goes. I come from an oak tree that's a long, long way from here, deep in the forest. I have a daughter named Poppy, and she's the only one of my family who survived a snake attack. She's crippled, and she can't do things other kids can't. At least, she doesn't know how…..yet…I don't know. One day, she and I just got so mad at each other. While we were fighting, these two bergens came, and one of them took her away from me. I tried to run after them, but they jumped on a couple moose and went too fast for me. So I ran after them as fast as I could until I lost them. Then I ran into Rosiepuff…..quite literally….." He chuckled a little. "She tried to lead me to where the bergens went, but then we met these three crocodiles who were trying to be vegetarians. They were nice, at first. But then there was an…..ah, altercation that led to one of them chasing us around this old boat in a swamp. During the chase, a box of fireworks exploded and scared the crocodiles away.
"When Rosiepuff and I woke up the next day, we were dangling over the swamp. We managed to get off the damaged boat, but then we ended up in the home of an angler-snake that tried to eat us. Rosiepuff was able to decipher a clue accidentally left behind by the bergens, and she even saved me from the angler-snake. After that, we traveled for a couple days and were directed to the Hyacinth Highway by some fireflies. But we ended up taking the wrong path thanks to me, and we were caught in Tarantapuff Territory. We tried to jump our way out, but the tarantapuffs caught Rose, and I had to go back for her. We managed to beat our way out. But, the truth is, we might've died if Cooper and Harper hadn't found us. Now, Rosiepuff and I are going to Bergen Town via this highway to save my daughter and bring her home." Peppy looked down. "I need to tell her how sorry I am. I said so many things to her that I didn't mean."
There was a mix of awe and sadness from the listeners. Harper hugged Peppy. "You'll find her. I know you will." The other children, Cooper, and even Rosiepuff joined in the comforting hug, speaking words of encouragement.
Peppy sighed with a small smile. "Thanks, kids. I appreciate it."
"We'll make sure you get to Bergen Town." Cooper assured. "We'll even wait for you to come back and we'll lead you home!"
"Thank you." Peppy said. "I just hope we make it there."
"You will." Harper said.
Rosiepuff nodded in agreement. "I'll make sure of it."
Peppy grinned at her. "Thank you." This time, he truly meant it. He was truly grateful to have Rosiepuff there.
What Peppy didn't know was that his story spread like a wildfire. First, the moose carrying the trolls told the story to his neighbor, who then relayed it to the birds flying overhead. When those birds reached their destination, they retold the story to their friends, who passed it to their friends, who passed it to anyone else who would listen. Details were changed and a few things got mixed up or abbreviated. But soon, the entire forest got the gist: one troll, accompanied by a friend, was traveling across the forest to find his daughter, and nothing was going to stop him.
Word traveled so much faster than Peppy and Rosiepuff did. It didn't take long for their story to reach the edge of Bergen Town, where a group of wingdingle birds snacked on little fish they found in the lake. Every wingdingle snacked peacefully except for poor Randy, who had to catch his fish and then hover in the air to eat it so the alley cats wouldn't steal his food. The cats yowled and meowed at Randy.
"Oh would you all just shut up?!" Randy snapped, throwing the remains of his food at the felines. "Thieving, conniving little beasts!" He scanned the water for another fish. A couple other birds flew past him.
"This guy who's been looking for his daughter, Poppy." One of them said.
"Poppy?" Randy quickly flew after them. "Hey! Hey, what's that you were talking about? Someone named Poppy?"
"Oh, yeah!" another wingdingle said. "Come over here, Randy. It's quite a story."
Back in Gristle's pet store, everything was quiet. In the troll tank, everyone was depressed. Gristle Jr. and his father left for their weekend trip yesterday, which meant the shop only got one visitor every day: another bergen who would come in to feed the animals and then immediately lock up the shop on their way out.
Poppy sulked in the corner, staring at the pet shop door and fearing the day Chef would waltz in and take her away. The other Tank Trolls tried to cheer her up, to no avail. Branch even locked himself in his owl statue, too ashamed to face anyone. The Tank Trolls couldn't stay mad at Branch. They knew he only wanted to help them, and he had sacrificed a lot to free them. Poppy only wished she hadn't dropped the saw and lost it. Then again, she was too afraid to go back out there.
Finally standing, Poppy hobbled towards the owl statue and crawled in through the hole at the bottom. She saw stairs leading up, and she hopped up them to reach the loft where Branch stayed. Branch sat on his sleeping mat, curled up in a ball and staring out the glass eye of the owl statue.
"Branch?" Poppy piped up.
Branch didn't answer at first. "Hey there, Princess."
Poppy hobbled up to Branch. "I'm sorry I failed."
Branch sighed. "No. Don't ever apologize for what happened yesterday. I'm the one who needs to apologize."
"But I was the one who couldn't do it." Poppy said.
"And I'm the one who put you in danger." Branch said. "I was so ready to get out. I was so desperate to leave. So desperate that I was willing to put you in harm's way. But nothing should be worth that." He looked to Poppy with a sad gaze. "I'm sorry I couldn't get you home, Poppy. I broke my promise."
Poppy sat next to Branch and hugged him. "You did a lot for me, Branch. I wouldn't be as strong as I am now if it weren't for you. I'm just sorry I couldn't get us all out."
Branch wrapped an arm around Poppy and held her close. Their moment was interrupted, however, by a loud THUD of someone smashing into the window. The Tank Trolls hurried out to the wall facing the window, and they saw Randy climb up onto the flowerbox on the windowsill. The wingdingle held up an acorn lid attached to a string. Creek dug through the dirt and found another one, like a tin can telephone. This was the only way Randy and the Tank Trolls could talk when Gristle Sr. locked the windows.
"Poppy! Poppy, you're not going to believe what I just heard!" Randy said.
"What?" Poppy asked, curious as to what kind of news would pertain to her. "What is it?"
"Your father has been fighting his way through the whole forest looking for you!" Randy said. "He's on his way here!"
The Tank Trolls voiced their surprise, but Poppy looked doubtful. "My dad? But he's afraid of the forest."
"Wait, what was his name?" Randy thought for a moment. "Kinda sounds like your name. Pippy? Pappy?"
"Peppy?" Poppy asked hopefully.
"Yep! That's him!" Randy said.
"My dad's coming to get me!" Poppy cheered. "My dad's coming to get me! How's he doing? Is he okay?"
"Yeah, but it's been a rough ride." Randy explained. "After you were scooped up by Senior, your dad ran after the moose like a maniac! He sprinted after you, but then they got away! And then he met this troll who has been helping him on the journey. But on their way to find you, they were captured by three crocodiles. What does your dad do? He scares them off with fireworks! Then he ends up in the darkness of an angler-fish home, and he has to fight off this monster while searching for a clue to find you. He and his friend manage to beat back the snake, and how do they get to celebrate? By fighting through Tarantapuff Territory! And now, your dad's riding on the Hyacinth Highway and he's headed right here to Bergen Town!"
During the whole story, Poppy's smile grew. She almost couldn't believe her father did such amazing things. She had underestimated his bravery. He was traveling the entire forest, fighting through every obstacle, just to find her.
Poppy realized something. But what if Gristle Jr. catches him too? Then he might get chosen to go with Chef!
The Tank Trolls were in awe by the story. "Look at that, Princess. Your dad's been looking for you this whole time." Branch turned to Poppy, but was surprised when he didn't see her. He looked up and gasped.
Renewed and invigorated by her father's battle, Poppy realized she couldn't give up on Branch's escape plan. She hobbled away so fast it was like pole-vaulting across the tank. She dived foot-first into the hole and headed for the cabinet.
"Poppy, wait!" Creek shouted.
"Don't do it!" Suki called. Branch darted through the hole, hurrying after Poppy. But by then, she was already up on the counter, and Lucifer realized a troll had escaped again. The watchdog darted over from her bed in the corner. Poppy used her hair to swing herself up onto the counter and made her way to the cord plugged into the wall. Instead of climbing up onto the little ledge near the cord, Poppy climbed up the cord itself and held on while Lucifer lunged for her.
Lucifer chomped down.
"Poppy!" The Tank Trolls cried in fear.
Branch jumped back as Lucifer yanked the cord from its outlet. The watchdog tore the cord right off the tank. The only reason the tank didn't fall off the counter was because it was screwed securely into place. Branch stared at the spot where Poppy once stood, and his heart nearly stopped.
No….she's gone…oh gods, she's gone….. Branch looked up as Lucifer approached, and he braced himself for pain. Nothing could hurt more than losing Poppy.
Then, Lucifer paused. Her back leg twitched. Her tongue lolled out of her mouth and she got a loopy look in her eyes. The watchdog rolled over onto her back, revealing Poppy scratching her tummy.
"Poppy!" Branch gasped happily.
"Hi Branch!" Poppy said. "Look, I think Lucy likes me! All she needed was a tummy rub." She hopped off the watchdog. Lucifer rolled over to her stomach and licked Poppy's face and hair. Poppy giggled, patting Lucifer on the snout. Lucifer even went so far as to help Poppy and Branch climb up into the cabinet so they could return to the tank.
"That took guts, Princess." Branch said. "Well done." The Tank Trolls cheered for Poppy until Branch could get their attention. "All right, team! We have a little over a day and a half until Gris and his dad get back. With the AC cranked up like it is, this tank will get plenty chilly by then, but we have to help it along. Someone tell Randy that, tonight, he needs to just cake a bunch of dirt onto the window so no sunlight can get through. The rest of you, gather up the blankets and put them in the middle of the tank. We'll huddle together for warmth. Uncover any gaps where you can find them. When Gristle Jr. sees the state of the tank, he'll have to take us out to replace the heater. It's going to be a couple freezing nights, but we'll get through it together."
"We can handle it!" Creek said.
"We got this!" Satin and Chenille agreed.
"Whatever we need to do, we'll do it." Guy Diamond said.
"Just tell us what we need to do." Smidge said.
Branch patted Poppy on the shoulder. "We work together and stick together, like we always have."
A/N: The song that replaced "Just Keep Swimming" is an original piece by me, inspired by songs like "Get Back Up Again" from Trolls and "Shut Up" by Simple Plan.
Also, I have a poll up on my profile! I need to know what you all want to see for my next adaptation after I finish Part 3 of Flame of Happiness.