. . .
. . .
. . .
"The Troll Tribes have united once more...but for how much longer?"
. . .
"The time will come for the tribes to separate again once hubris is moved to the forefront."
. . .
"History will repeat itself, should the Trolls not heed their previous attempts to take control of the Kingdom."
. . .
"The Trolls are a troublesome lot. Decisive when it comes to consequential action and war, undecisive when it comes to peace and harmony."
. . .
"While one must admit the Trolls are a major step-up from the last species that roamed the Earth, this faint praise does not excuse them for their past misbehavior."
. . .
"The day will arrive when their pride and arrogance will be utilized against them, destroying them from the inside out."
. . .
"The kingdom will be ours. The universe theirs. And the Trolls...what can they possibly do...but burn...?"
In the dark of the night, high above the skies of the Troll Kingdom was a flying ship, stretching approximately 250 in feet, 50 in width, and 25 in mast length. The construction of this mighty vessel was not an easy task to complete, but it was not an impossible one, either. The first allowance was spent on buying the neccesary parts, the second allowance was spent on hiring crewmembers for obvious reasons, and the third...well, the Troll responsible for the ship's construction nearly ran out of money for the final touches. Fortunately, an anonymous donor seemingly took pity on the poor Troll, providing an extra million gold coins for the completion. The Troll never knew the identity of the unknown benefactor, but the Troll offered thanks to the brave soul.
Inside the Captain's Quarters, which seemed bigger on the inside than the out, a peculiar-looking Troll leaned back in her recliner as she alternated between the map on her desk and the moon in her porthole. She had sapphire blue eyes, thick blonde hair with pink tips in a downward swoop, and holographic fuzzy ruby skin; she wore a sky blue pirate jacket with gold epaulettes above a white blouse with gold cufflinks, black leather pants with matching gloves, black boots with gold souls, and a black tricorn hat with a single blue feather. The map on which the moonlight shone on contained the six main Troll Kingdoms. Techno Reef was located on the far east; Lonesome Flats and Vibe City were located in the far west; Symphonyville was located in the North, and Volcano Rock City was located in the South. The five kingdoms surrounded the bane of her existence...the bee in her bonnet...the thorn in her side...
Pop Village...
A pompous pit of pitiful pursuits of plainsong pieces. A sickingly-sweet, saccharine shaft of sentimental, simple-minded saps. A tourist trap of troublesome Trolls. A diabolical dump of dastardly denizens.
Pop Music...was not real music.
Pop Trolls...were not real Trolls.
However, her high hatred for Pop Village was overshadowed by her complete contempt for the Latin Trolls, who had stolen numerous firearms and additional weapons from their arsenal. All they had done was force their hand into joining her alliance so that many of the villages they established up until that point would remained unscathed...which they ultimately didn't. The blame was placed on her second-in-command, one of the most amoral, deranged, and utterly psychotic Trolls one would ever meet.
BANG-BANG!
"Captain! Captain!"
. . .
"The door is open."
At that, a Classical Troll with a smaller tricorn hat and a red bandanna entered the Captain's quarters.
"Boss, did you hear the news?"
Never sparing her subordinate a glance, the Captain frowned as she continued scanning and marking specific spots on her map, "No, dear Benny. Pray tell, what are the news that I have not heard yet?"
"It would seem that the Troll Tribes have declared a truce and, with it, peace."
Now that statement alone got a reaction from the Captain, who slowly turned her gaze from her work to her fellow pirate, whose oblivious smile immediately dropped in terrified realization.
"I beg your pardon?"
"Uh... Uh, I mean...I can only assume that it's a bad thing for business, right?"
The Captain opened her mouth to respond, but the gears in her head began to grind on their own. Contemplating the discovering words of Benny (who nervously looked on), she rubbed her chin as she paced back and forth from one side of her quarters to the other.
"No..." The Captain responded after a moment, "I suppose not. This could be our lucky break...assuming they do not retract this truce of theirs and declare war on each other again."
"An opportunity knocking on the door with us on the other side, Captain?"
"Maybe, but we need not to get ahead of ourselves. Overconfidence can lead to one's downfall. Just ask Pistachio; he learnt that the hard way."
"But the other subcultures will want a slice of the life we intend to cut out of the cake that contains it, Captain."
"Yes, and the other subcultures will wage war if they do not get their way. A wise Troll once said... "A wise leader does not seek out war, but he or she must always be prepared for it.""
Walking to her drawer desk, the Captain pulled out her sidearm, a Beretta 90Two, and loaded it with ammunition.
"I intend to take that Troll's advice to heart."
Benjamin stood straight, "I understand. What is thy bidding, my Captain?"
"Send a small squadron of Chanty Trolls to each of the six Troll Tribes for a swift survey. See if the rumors are true first."
"And what shall we do?"
"We wait. Be prepared in the time between. We need to act fast. After all..."
The Captain stared out the porthole as the moon illuminated the kingdom below. With her back facing Benjamin, she produced a wristwatch-like device that glowed electric blue and slipped it on.
"So many Trolls, so little time..."
("The Other Side" by SZA & Justin Timberlake) ["Film Version" by Anna Kendrick, Justin Timberlake, Rachel Bloom, Anderson .Paak, Quvenzhane Wallis, Anthony Ramos, & Gwen Stefani]
A single spotlight shone on Queen Poppy as a microphone was tossed to her. She was dressed in a metallic, sparkly outfit with matching boots and silver eyeshadow that couldn't outshine her even if it tried. Offscreen, DJ Suki and King Trollex worked their magic on their respective disc jockeys while Tiny Diamond and Techno Beat Drop Button provided back-up on their respective synthesizers just as Poppy opened the song.
[Verse 1: Anna Kendrick & Justin Timberlake]
You're preachin' to the choir, stop hatin' on yourself
Quit playin' with your mind, you're spinnin'
If you think that I'm a liar, just try it for yourself
The clouds will open up, blue skies are willing
Near the end of the first verse, Branch slid into the scene donning a black leather, lightly sequinned jacket with wool knit cuffs, navy blue pants, and white sneakers, helping Poppy wrap up the first verse.
Yeah, I know it's so hard to throw away
The clouds will open up, blue skies are willing
As six more spotlights were switched from off to on, six more members of the song eventually joined in. First Prince D, second Harper, third Archer, fourth DJ, fifth Trollex, and sixth Barb. While the four non-Pop Trolls adapted greatly to their style and sensabilities, Barb was less than pleased to wear the clothes of her former adversary.
[Chorus: All]
Back on your feet again, lift your head, hold it high
You wanna run it back, but you can't turn the time
You start to feel like you're losing your shine
But the grass ain't always greener on the other side
The eight members danced in a highly choreographed dance routine, blending elements of Pop, K-Pop, Funk, and Techno while putting their own literal spin on it.
Other side, got you stuck in your mind...
Keeping with the idea of duets, the eight members paired up in pairs. Poppy with Branch, DJ Suki with King Trollex, Harper with Archer, and Prince D with Barb.
You start to feel like you're losing your shine
But the grass ain't always greener on the other side
This time, Branch took over for Poppy, singing the second verse...
[Verse 2: Justin Timberlake & Anna Kendrick]
Hey you, stop stressin' 'bout what you're missin'
So blue, just take it easy, take your time
If you think my words are wise, just try it for yourself
I promise the stars will light the path you walk, don't give in
...while Poppy took over Branch, wrapping up the second verse in time for the chorus.
Got a heart of gold, what a shame to go to waste
The clouds will open up, blue skies are willing
The group slid back into the spotlight after letting the new couple sharing it.
[Chorus: All]
Back on your feet again, lift your head, hold it high
You wanna run it back, but you can't turn the time
You start to feel like you're losing your shine (Losing your shine, shine)
But the grass ain't always greener on the other side
DJ Suki and King Trollex lead the four other members in providing back-up vocals...
Other side (Feet again, lift your head, hold it high)
Got you stuck in your mind (Run it back, but you can't turn the time)
...while Poppy and Branch wrapped up the chorus's second roundabout.
You start to feel like you're losing your shine
But the grass ain't always greener on the other side
This time, Barb, DJ Suki, and Harper lead the third and final verse before the chorus's third and final roundabout, Prince D, King Trollex, and Archer providing back-up echos.
[Verse 3: Rachel Bloom, Quvenzhane Wallis, & Gwen Stefani feat. Anderson .Paak, Xolo Mariduena, & Anthony Ramos]
Just take it from me, you'll be okay (You'll be okay...)
'Cause it don't matter how sweet it taste (How sweet it taste...)
Seguing into the other half, the six members sang in harmony to ease Poppy, Branch, and themselves into the outro of the song.
The grass ain't green, don't worry
Losin' sleep, still wanna get
Yeah, you get...
In unison, all eight of them sang once more in perfect harmony, the Rock Queen in particular becoming more and more lost in the feeling of Pop.
[Chorus: All]
Back on your feet again, lift your head, hold it high
You wanna run it back, but you can't turn the time
You start to feel like you're losing your shine
But the grass ain't always greener on the other side
Noticing this in glee, Poppy let Barb hog the spotlight as she danced her heart and unknowingly led the others on.
[Post-Chorus: All]
The other side...
From Archer, Harper, and Prince D...
Got you stuck in your mind...
...to King Trollex, DJ Suki, and Branch...
You start to feel like you're losing your shine
But the grass ain't always greener on the other side
The grass really wasn't greener on the other side.
It had been a few weeks since the events of Barb's World Tour ended with the Six Strings being destroyed, the six Tribes uniting under all music, and the Troll responsible for the first two events...very nearly dying as a result. Although, one could argue that the Troll actually did died, and a whole new Troll was born. Poppy was silent for the most part concerning that last part, much to the concern of Branch, her friends, and her potential allies. Her people and the other tribal citizens barely noticed due to the fact that they were too caught up in the celebration and festivities to even do so. While Biggie, Guy Diamond, Smidge, Legsly, Mandy, Aspen, Tresillo, and Wani were recovering from the trauma of being forcibly converted into Rock Zombies, they at least had the positive consequence of not facing death up close and personal.
Poppy never broke the news to them, but her silence all but confirmed to them that she had indeed died upon destroying the Strings, only surviving because her mother practically forbid her from dying at the improper moment. Even in death, Queen Peony watched over her family and loved ones with an attentive eye. Despite this, she couldn't process that she did what she did, what had to be done, summing it up as a spur-of-the-moment decision even though she received warnings beforehand. She couldn't blame those who gave her said warnings, however. As the Queen of Pop and Pop's descendant, her ancestor was responsible for the pain and suffering of the other tribes and subcultures, even driving some to extinction. She...was at fault.
But don't forget who you are. You're Poppy. The daughter of King Peppy and Queen Peony. The Princess turned Queen of Pop. You're smart, you're independent, you're kindhearted, you're loyal, you're brave, and you're true.
And if you knock, knock me over...I will get back up again.
"Poppy?"
The Pop Queen looked up from her thoughts to find Branch and the Snack Pack staring at her in worry and expectancy.
"Umm... Yes?"
"You said something about something big you had planned?" Smidge spoke.
"Oh, right!"
Just like that, Poppy's train of thought had left the station and traveled down the railroad. Pulling a rainbow-colored scrapbook out of her hair, which was too colorful even by her standards, she opened it up and held it to where her friends could see clearly.
"As we all know, by nature, Trolls are determined to make friends wherever they go. Maybe too determined. So, when we learned that there were all sorts of new Trolls out there, it was like there were friends everywhere. A few months ago, we discovered that we aren't the only Trolls; we're just the Pop Trolls! One of many separate tribes scattered throughout the world. There's the Country Trolls, the Classical Trolls, the Funk Trolls, the Techno Trolls, and the Rock Trolls! We weren't always separate, however. 14 billion years ago, when the cosmos was still new-"
"Uh, Poppy?" Smidge smiled, "I think you've gotten too far back..."
"And most of us may have heard this story already," Satin and Chenille nodded simultaneously.
"In fact, most of us were there," DJ Suki tilted her head.
Poppy made an 'O' with her mouth when she reached this realization.
"Oh, you're right..."
Closing the scrapbook and holding it by her side, Poppy continued, "What I'm trying to say is that it's been weeks since we found out about the other Tribes, you guys, and we're no better friends to them now than we were then."
"And I'm guessing that whatever you have planned is a solution to your dilemma?" Branch crossed his arms.
"Aw..." Poppy leaned in close, much to Branch's embarrassment, "You knew what I was going to say..."
With the exception of DJ Suki, who merely rolled her eyes at the sight, the Snack Pack giggled excitedly behind them.
"Poppy, not in front of the others..."
"Let them look... Besides, they know already..."
SNAP!
Poppy, Branch, and the Snack Pack looked up from their little situation and immediately set their guard up, Branch in particular holding the switchblade he acquired from Poppy a few weeks back while shielding her. After a moment, their peripheral vision spotted a rustle in the bushes, prompting Branch, DJ, and Chenille to attack and elicit their respective battle cries.
"YAH!"
"AHH!"
"ARGH!"
Watching the three of them throw punches, land kicks, and ultimately struggle to survive in the battle, Poppy and the rest of the Snack Pack eventually witnessed them pull the supposed attacker out of the bushes and into the open. Who they saw...well, see for yourself.
"Wow, I feel so loved here."
"Oh..." The three of them winced, "Sorry, Creek."
"Yeah, yeah. Spare me," Creek waved their apologies off before standing up and brushing off the dirt.
"Hey, Creek," Poppy approached, "How are you holding up?"
"A little better than most. I helped Mandy and Aspen out of a quicksand puddle despite the fact you can't actually sink in quicksand. Also, Harper needed new paint from Bergen Town, Gia Grooves needed assistance with the daycare, and Karma needed wildlife expertise when rounding up Dust Bunnies."
"Which is why you were in the bushes?" Poppy nodded in understanding.
"Well..." Creek scratched the back of his head, "Not exactly. But I'll tell you more when I get back."
"From where?" DJ handed Creek his discarded eyepatch, which the Pop Troll tied over his left eye.
"I don't know. Something productive. Nova Swift and Maddy need a model for their new designer disguise clothing line, so...I'll see you then."
Creek turned to leave before being stopped by Poppy.
"Creek, wait. If you're not busy later on, maybe...you can help us with our new passion project?"
"Maybe..."
Creek nodded his head before turning away to walk away towards the village, its citizens going about their daily business. As he did, the Snack Pack looked on with sadness and solemnity. Despite his role being cemented in Troll history, they couldn't help but feel sorry for him. A shadow of his former self, the Pop/Guru Troll's remorse was made crystal clear. Even Branch, who once had reservations about his supposed heel-face turn, pitied the poor unfortunate soul. Creek was never what he considered to be an ideal candidate for redemption, but his opinions had begun to sway after seeing his efforts during the tribe's recovery. It would seem that he never sleep for, at the most, 72 hours straight. They suspected three possible outcomes: A) It was something to keep his mind occupied and off things for a while, B) The recovery efforts would be much faster to anticipate, or C) The first two options combined with a twist: It was his choice of punishment for his betrayal towards Pop Village.
Poppy turned to Branch with a growing smile, "And that's why our passion project is important."
"And what, pray tell, is this important passion project of ours?"
"Why, I call it..." Poppy paused for dramatic effect before responding with, "TrollsTopia..."
Now, for this part, think of a split screen/time montage hybrid.
("Come Together" by Anna Kendrick, Amanda Leighton, Kenz Hall, & Aleque Reid)
Over the past few weeks, Poppy, Branch, the Snack Pack, and Creek worked together to send letters to the Troll Tribes (primary and subculture), explaining the new social experiment disguised as a celebratory event. Each of the tribe leaders were choose a delegate of their own to serve as their test subjects while they themselves remained in their respective villages. Glowflies were deployed to each corner of the kingdom to deliver said letters, often encountering comically life-threatening predicaments along the way...not unlike their Queen.
Techno Reef was the first to retrieve their letter, promising a fun time of raves and whirlpool surfing. Upon reading it, Trollex beckoned Techno Beat Drop Button to attract the attention of Bliss Marina, whose help was needed to recruit a potential delegate.
Symphonyville was the second, promising a fun time of unity and elegance. Upon reading it, Trollzart smiled with pride and summoned Pennywhistle, whose need was required to recruit a potential delegate.
Lonesome Flats was the third, promising a fun time of line dancing and country faires. Upon reading it, Delta Dawn's cautious frown morphed into a warm smile as she got ready for the day, dropping off Clampers to school before seeking out a potential delegate.
Vibe City was the fourth, promising a fun time of love and feel-good vibes. Upon reading it, the Funky Family exchanged eager smiles and sent a call throughout the city in search of a potential delegate.
Volcano Rock City was the fifth, promising a fun time of powerful and rebellious energy in addition to stuff blowing up. Upon reading it, Barb chuckled in amusement and sent Riff, Carol, and Sid Fret to help search for a potential delegate.
Pop Village was the sixth and final, with the group receiving response letters from the five tribes, the subculture tribes, and even a few obscure, outsider tribes. The anticipation riling up within them, Poppy led the Snack Pack into the heart of the village and sent them off into separate directions, assisting with the celebratory preparations.
Everybody, get ready!
It's finally the day we've been waiting for!
Poppy pulled Branch along for the ride as they leapt over the citizens, nearly literally landing into one sticky situation after another.
Everybody is coming!
Let's show them the best version of the world!
Poppy and Branch then passed by Guy Diamond shining a disco ball (and then his posterior) and Biggie blowing up balloons with the help of Mr. Dinkles, whose attempts at doing so blew up in his face.
A little extra spice to make it nice while their song's on the stereo!
And let them know that it can feel home!
"Only better..." Poppy thought to herself.
Oh, raise your hair up all the way!
It's a special day!
Yeah, let's celebrate!
While Biggie chased down an inflated Mr. Dinkles...
"Mr. Dinkles...!"
...Cooper soared past by and pooped out a stack of red velvet cupcakes (complete with a silver tray), which Poppy and Branch taste tested. Meanwhile, Creek and Smidge set up the tables for the tribe leaders and delegates; plates, trays, and utensils galore.
Let's all come together!
For the first time ever!
So much magic in the air!
A moment later, the Snack Pack unrolled a red carpet and set up two lines of red and silver / black and gold rope railing aisle dividers. The carpet and dividers stretched as far as the outer limits of Pop Village and Troll Forest.
Let's raise our voices
Joining all the chorus
Sing it loud without a care!
Looking at their hard work well done, the Snack Pack rushed back to the village to further prepare. Poppy and Branch were the last to leave, walking side-by-side, hand-in-hand.
"Come on!"
Now they waited...
Another few weeks later, Pop Village was gathered in large crowds, making way for the set-up red carpet for the Tribe Leaders and Delegates. Bella Brightly and Celine Starburst assisted the Snack Pack with adding the finishing touches of preparations; Gia Grooves, Milton Moss, Mandy, and Aspen tended to the young Trollings and animals; Nova Swift, Maddy, and Harper set up their fashion and decorative designs; and Branch, Creek, Archer, Adora, and Catra set help the security detail.
Poppy herself was getting dressed in a more sophisicated dress than her usual and casual uniforms. Her dress of choice for today was a halter maxi dress with a Grecian-like strap and two waist-high slits on both sides, the front of the skirt forming a point, while the color scheme shifted from teal blue (top) to cerulean blue (middle) to ocean blue (bottom). On her head was a sand-colored headband with three green leaves; one was a Magnolia leaf in the middle, while two of them were Betels that took both sides. It was a near-exact replica of her mother's dress designed by her own hands; as much as she wanted her best friends to design the dress themselves, Satin and Chenille were far too occupied and preoccupied with other things. As such, she asked Nova Swift and Laroux Laroux to sew it for her as a big surprise for the crowd.
Looking at her reflection in the mirror, Poppy sighed in melancholy. She didn't want to become her mother per se, but there was a lot that she could learn from her despite not knowing her well enough. One encounter and short conversation with her and the former Tribe Leaders proved this theory of hers in spades. Even though they had their share of mistakes, they learned from them and became better rulers because of them.
My mother was loyal...
My mother was brave...
My mother was true...
...and I...
...I am just her reflection...
("Reflection" by Christina Aguilera) [1998 Version]
Poppy's reflection in question began to sing to her, much to her surprise.
Look at me
You may think you see
Who I really am
But you'll never know me
Glancing around and rubbing her eyes to make sure she wasn't hallucinating, Poppy then realized that she was crying. Why?
Every day
It's as if I play a part
Her reflection then turned away from her, dramatically gazing at an offscreen object.
Now I see
If I wear a mask
I can fool the world
But I cannot fool my heart
Turning back to her, Reflection Poppy stepped out of the mirror and stood face-to-face with a shocked Poppy.
Who is that girl I see
Staring straight back at me?
When will my reflection show
Who I am inside?
Reaching out for her reflection, Poppy's hand phased through her, wondering if she really was dreaming.
The reflection paid her no mind as she continued to sing.
I am now
In a world where I
Have to hide my heart
And what I believe in
But somehow
I will show the world
What's inside my heart
And be loved for who I am
For some reason, the lyrics sung by the reflection seemed to resonate with Poppy, who had no idea why. They...just did.
Who is that girl I see
Staring straight back at me?
Why is my reflection
Someone I don't know?
Must I pretend that I am
Someone else for all time?
When will my reflection show
Who I am inside?
The reflection began to dance circles around Poppy. However, her dancing barely matched those utilized by the Tribes. She spun on her heels and toe tips for the most part, but there were times where she bent her knees and lightly leaped to where she stood on one leg and stretched the other out behind her.
There's a heart that must be
Free to fly
That burns with a need to know
The reason why
Another dance move the reflection performed was her slowly extending one foot directly in front of her, as if she were drawing a line on the floor, while pointing her toes. Poppy was so lost in the grace and ease of the movement that the lyrics almost lost meaning to her.
Almost...
Why must we all conceal
What we think, how we feel?
Must there be a secret me
I'm forced to hide?
I won't pretend that I'm
Someone else for all time
When will my reflection show
Who I am inside?
Reflection Poppy had a point. Why was she keeping her emotions bottled up and not releasing them? Why was she not venting her frustrations?
. . .
Because she wanted her people to see her as they hoped...not feared.
. . .
A fact admitted guiltily by Real Poppy.
When will my reflection show
Who I am inside...?
Her point made clear as a crystal, Reflection Poppy faded away into ashes, a harsh reminder of her final fate on that fateful night...
. . .
. . .
. . .
KNOCK-KNOCK!
"Poppy? Poppy!"
Poppy blinked her eyes open and turned toward the entrance of her pod to find Branch standing there, staring at her in worry.
"Poppy... Are you okay?"
Her eyes watering up like before, Poppy blinked her eyes again and wiped them away.
"Yeah. Why wouldn't I be?"
"Well..." Branch knew something had happened during his absence, but he did not know why, "The Tribe Leaders are here, as are their citizens, and they're waiting to present their potential delegates."
Gasping in realization, Poppy pushed any and all troubling thoughts away and formed a massive grin on her face, "Well, why didn't you say so? Let's go!"
Without letting him finishing, Poppy jumped out of her pod and her hair morphed into helicopter blades. The crowd watched from below as the Pop Queen floated down to the ground and landed on top of the mushroom where the Snack Pack and the Tribe Leaders (her father included) awaited her.
"This is it, Trolls! Today is the day!" Poppy exclaimed to the crowd of Trolls of all kinds, who cheered with applause and enthusiasm.
"Today is the day where the Troll Tribes was unite as one! If we show the delegates a good time, then there's no way they'll say no to TrollsTopia!"
"And we are honored to partake in Queen Poppy's passion project," Queen Essence stepped forward and gestured to her family, "All of us are."
Poppy nodded and turned towards the leaders, "Mayor Delta Dawn of the Country Trolls, why don't you go first?"
"Gladly," The Mayor and Sheriff of Lonesome Flats stepped forward and took center stage, "The delegates I chose represent the Country Trolls. Our songs will make you get up and yee-haw with them! May I present..."
"Howdy, y'all!"
The crowd turned toward the source of the voice and saw the Country Troll delegates gallop toward the mushroom stage. The first was an orange-skinned female with large light blue hair and a matching tail styled into a ponytail with two purple-striped ties. Her eyes and nose were both blue, while her hooves were of a darker tone. She wore a white top with a ruffle and pink rim that exposes her midriff, and blue denim jeans. The second was an orange-skinned male with brown hair and a tail, a red nose, blue eyes, and black hooves. He wore a black hat with a navy blue band, a light blue shirt, blue denim pants, a dark brown belt, and a brown vest with a sheriff badge.
"Holly Darling of the Country Trolls!" The female introduced herself first, "Queen Poppy, it's such a pleasure! I never met a real-life Queen on account of my tribe being less of a monarchy and more of an oligarchy, but...to each his own."
Holly quickly side-stepped to Branch, who blushed at the close proxmity.
"Say, you're cute!"
"Uh..."
She then side-stepped back to Poppy and slung one arm over her shoulders while pulling out a Polaroid camera.
"SELFIE!"
CLICK!
FLASH!
Poppy's irises shrunk as a result of the camera flashing, something Holly gleefully failed to notice.
"That's a good one! I'll send you a copy! Let's party, y'all! Whoo-hoo!"
As Holly walked back to her section, Branch and Poppy exchanged shocked looks as the female members of the group giggled quietly. The Pop Queen turned to the Mayor of Lonesome Flats, who merely smiled and shrugged with only a vague hint that her recruit of Holly was on purpose.
Oh, crumbs. Why am I getting jealous at a time like this?
Noticing this, the male Country Troll stepped forward next and shook hands with Poppy, "Gust Tumbleweed, the Deputy of Lonesome Flats. It's a honor to become a part of TrollsTopia as one of the Western delegates."
"Thank you, Gust," Poppy nodded, "The honor's all mine."
Returning the nod, Gust returned to Holly's side while King Trollex swam forward next, "Okay, I guess I'll go next. I, King Trollex of the Techno Trolls, chose two potential delegates as well. They'll make you feel the bass as they drop the beat! May I present..."
At that moment, the ground began to shake and the crowd began to murmur excitedly. From the ground up, a pair of Techno Trolls shot up accompanied by a pair of flying Glow Jellies and a laser light show. The first delegate was a dark purple-skinned male with pink hair held in a neon blue topknot and matching eyes, freckles and body outline. He has a pale blue unibrow, a green pixelated heart on the chest, and green-and-pink arm patterns. His fins were longer than most of the Techno Trolls seen thus far and had a pale blue square outline pattern with a line of pink at the end. The second delegate was a purple-skinned female with dark blue hair, neon blue eyes and heart, and a pair of short green-and-blue arm patterns. She wears black round glasses, a green tie in the lower part of her hair, a necklace and a bracelet on her left wrist, both made of purple-pink beads. Like her partner, she was distinguishable from other Techno Trolls, in this case having a pair of eyebrows instead of a single unibrow.
"Hey! Yo! What up, Trolls?!" The male delegate floated down with his partner, "I'm Synth! And you must be Poppy! It is so ma-ma-ma-ma-ma-ma-ma-ma-mad to meet you! Allow us to say hello the Techno way: with a Rave Wave!"
The Rave Wave consisted of the person making circles with their head while staring at another person who would perform the same action. It was simple and mindless, but it was enough to invest Poppy.
"Hahaha! I love this! But...does it ever stop?"
"Haha! Sometimes!" Synth chuckled, "Now...let's party!"
As Synth swam to his section, the female delegate groaned and soothed her forehead, "Ugh. Sorry about that, Queen Poppy. Synth has apparently developed the mindset that because he shares an appearance with King Trollex, he can get away with partying all day. Laguna Tidepool. A pleasure to make your acquaintance."
"Thank you, Miss Laguna."
Laguna nodded and swam next to Synth as Conductor Trollzart flew forward next, "Much like Mayor Delta Dawn and King Trollex, I, Conductor Trollzart of the Classical Trolls, have chosen two delegates. They bring the elegant and heavenly side of us."
A quartet of Songbirds lowered down a large white Gardenia flower down to the mushroom stage. Its petals unfolded to reveal the Classical Troll Delegates, both of whom shared their tribe's large heads, small bodies, and golden velvet skin complexion. The first delegate was a male with light pink hair and cheeks, a golden gem on the place of his belly button, and a black coat with white borders. The lower half of his hair was tied in a small ponytail, while his wings have a pink color, quite different to the rest of his Tribe in terms of both color and pattern. The second delegate was a female with light green hair tied at the top with a hairband that has a feather decoration, and her wings were completely golden with a more solid coloration than other of her fellow Classical Trolls. She had a blue choker with a heart on it, red lipstick and a small beauty spot, which was uncommon among Trolls in general.
"Greetings!" The male Classical delegate introduced himself first, "Dante Crescendo, royal composer..."
"..and Minuet Sonata, royal concertmaster," The second Classical Delegate went next.
"Please accept this anthem as a commemoration of our greeting."
Both of them produced conductor's batons and lead the Songbirds alongside a sextet of purple music note-like notes in a concise but no less captivating composition before pointing at Guy Diamond to finish it off. The Glitter Troll farted an on-the-spot note...which proved to be detrimental.
"NO!" Dante Crescendo panicked.
"Uh, you're flat, dear." Minuet Sonata explained more calmly for Guy Diamond. The Glitter Troll farted the correct note this time, much to Dante's approval.
"Better."
The both of them flew over to their sections as Poppy smiled in pride, knowing her social experiment was going well thus far.
What a true masterpiece...
"That's odd," Branch approached her left side, "I don't saw the ambassador or ambassadors from the Funk Tribe."
Double checking her clipboard, Poppy almost panicked herself had it not been for Cooper's timely intervention.
"Oh, don't worry about that, lovebirds. If there's one thing I've learned from the tribe of my birth..."
Suddenly, funk music began to play, prompting the crowd to turn toward the source, a yellow-and-purple striped UFO.
"...it's that they know how to make an entrance," Cooper finished as a purple tractor beam transported the three Funk Troll Delegates down to the stage. The first was an orange-stripped male with purple and red hair tied in a bun, a blue nose, and a purple goatee; he wore a pair of golden-framed shades with rose-colored lenses, small studs on his ears, a sparkling yellow feathery boa around his neck, a golden anklet on his front right leg, and a ring on one of his front left toes. In addition to his long and gown-like fur, he appeared to be a quadrupedal Funk Troll.
The second and third delegates appeared to twin sisters. The first sister had blue and purple-striped skin with darker purple hair tied by a yellow headband; a blue nose/arms/legs; a golden planet-shaped right-side earring with a couple of golden left-side studs; Two golden bands on left arm and leg. She also wore a thick golden choker around her neck and a toe ring on her right foot. The second sister had yellow and orange-striped skin with pink hair/nose/arms/legs, blue eyes. She wore blue star-shaped hairbands that tied her hair into two side buns, golden stud earrings in both ears, a right-arm bracelet, a couple of left-leg aglets, a right-foot toe ring, and two golden chokers around her neck. In contrast to their male partner, both of the sisters appeared to be bipedal.
"King Quincy, Queen Essence, and Queen Poppy," The male Funk Troll Delegate introduced himself first.
"I assume you're Lownote Jones?" Poppy glanced at her clipboard and then at the male Funk Troll, who merely chuckled, nodded, lifted his shades, and winked at her in succession.
"You got that right, baby," Lownote replied, "and these are my associates, Rhythm & Blues."
This time, it was Branch's jealousy that was piqued before it caught the attention of the Funk Troll sisters, who giggled under their breath in amusement.
"Whoa, your voice..." Smidge was clearly starstruck, perhaps more so than the others, "How do you make everything sound so cool?"
"It's 'cause I have long vocal cords," Lownote explained, "which are folds of membranous tissues protruding from the larynx to form a slit across the glottis of my throat."
With the exception of the Classical Trolls, his scientific dictionary lost almost everyone, even his own people, prompting the sisters to simplify for the crowd.
"His voice is deep and bass-toned," The first sister, Blues, clarified.
"Not uncommon among older Funk Trolls," The second sister, Rhythm, added.
"Oh! Okay," Smidge nodded in understanding, "All of those words are really gross, but they sounded so cool."
"Cool as ice," Lownote returned said nod before walking alongside Rhythm & Blues to their section as Barb & Riff approached next.
"Okay, I guess that leaves us. The Delegates we chose bring out the side that defines us the most: strong, defiant, and rebellious. We first have Blaze Powerchord..."
A muddy purple male with purple hair with blue streaks, a goatee, and a brownish-red nose stepped forward. He wore a red tank top, black pants, and a grey skull-buckled belt, black studded bracelets, a grey left-arm armband, and a hoop earring and stud on each ear.
"What's up, TrollsTopia? Sorry about that whole "taking-over-the-world" fiasco! That was totally my Queen's doing and not mine!"
While a select few lightly chuckled, the majority of the crowd, Barb especially, winced at the rather tasteless joke, even if it was technically true.
"Ugh, I dislike Mr. Powerchord already..." Minuet shook her head in disapproval, something Creek overheard and actually agreed with.
Yeah... He's me if I were a Rock Troll...
Continuing to whoop, Blaze only stopped when the second delegate lightly backhanded him on the way to center stage, causing him to swallow his pride and shut up.
"...and next, Demo..."
Another male, he had muddy blue skin, dark blue hair in a large spiky style, and a soul patch on his chin; he wore a white vest, a purple and black stripped necktie, wine-colored pants, a black studded belt with matching ear studs.
"Hello, fellow Trolls! I'm so stoked to be here and honored to be representing Rock...as are my fellow delegates."
Demo walked away to his section as Barb continued,
"...and last but certainly not least, my primary candidate for Rock's representative. She's tough, impulsive, and above all else, reckless. She is the one and only...Val Thundershock!"
. . .
. . .
. . .
Nothing.
Nothing but chirping crickets.
Nothing strong, rebellious, defiant, tough, impulsive, and reckless had occurred, confusing the crowd and agitating Barb.
"I said..." Barb tried one more time, "She is the one and only–"
DIIIIIII!
A loud electric guitar strum echoed throughout Pop Village, surprising the crowd and satisfying Barb this time. Smoke surrounded the area and a pair of blood red spotlights shone upon a pair of female Rock Trolls, one of which had to be the one and only Rock Troll Delegate.
The first female had light blue skin, purple and white-striped hair with white stripes that was styled into two pigtails with red skull-shaped hairbands, a dark blue nose with red eyes, purple lipstick, a purple left-ear hoop earring, and two red-and-blue colors right earrings in addition to a purple stud. Her main outift was a purple skirt, a black tank top with a red heart and crossbones motif that exposes her belly button, a black studded belt, black studded bracelets, blue fingerless gloves, a black armband on her left upper arm, and a purple-and-red leg warmer on her left leg.
The second female had magenta skin, lavender hair with bright pink highlights that was styled in a ponytail by a golden scrunchy, and a dark purple nose with matching eyes. Her main outfit was a black leather jacket with grey spikes worn above a red shirt with a rainbow music note on it, matching black leather pants, rainbow tie dye sneakers, a golden necklace with her name embroidered ("Melody..."), and black shades that rest on the top of her head.
So that meant the first female was the primary Rock Troll Delegate. The one and only...
"VAL...THUNDERSHOCK!"
Val strummed her guitar and she played in conjunction with the second female Rock Troll named Melody while chanting "Thunder..."
The crowd looked on with anticipation, as if they were expecting a full-on introductory performance. Little did they know...
"You've been...thundershocked..."
DIIIIIII!
Val and Melody both took their guitars and, holding them by their necks over their heads, smashed their instruments and sent the broken pieces flying everywhere.
As the both of them took a breather, it wasn't long before the crowd began to applause for them, who eventually noticed and took respective bows as they made their way over to center stage.
"Sorry about that," Val laughed, "My cousin and I get lost on the way and we didn't know we were even invited to TrollsTopia. So...Barb Wire, is this the little Popsqueak you couldn't shut up about?"
"Yes," Barb gritted her teeth, believing that she had made an apparent mistake, "This is Queen Poppy, the host of TrollsTopia."
"Hi, Miss Thundershock!" Poppy held out a hand for Val to shake, "Welcome to Pop Village, also known as TrollsTopia, for the time being! I'm so glad you came!"
"Wait, wait, wait, wait," Val herself held her hands up, "Glad I came? Why wouldn't I come? Rock Trolls don't follow through on their commitments?"
Poppy was clearly taken aback, "Wha? No! Not at all. I absolutely expected you to be here."
But Val wasn't finished yet, "Oh-ho-ho! Expected me to be here? So...when Queen Poppy sends a Rock Troll an invitation, they're just supposed to drop everything and come running? Is that it?"
"No! Uh, I mean... I... I..."
As frightening as the confrontation between Queen Poppy and Ambassador Val was, there were a fair few that couldn't help but found amusement in it. The primary source of comedy located within was the fact that Queen Barb was an undeniable influence on Val, something that wasn't particularly found fond of by the Rock Queen.
Stop trying to be like me, girl...
Val eventually chuckled in good humor, "Just messing with you, Popsqueak! Hahaha...or am I?"
Poppy yelped in fright as Val chuckled again in false reassurance, "I am...not messing with you."
Val then walked away as she laughed all the way, leading the younger girl with her whilst muttering, "Man, I rock so hard..."
Branch patted Poppy's shoulder, "You okay?"
Poppy regained her composure with a smile, "A little thundershocked."
"Is that everyone on the list?" DJ Suki called from afar.
"Not exactly."
Everybody turned again towards the entrance of Pop Village where a group of assorted Trolls made their presence known for the entire crowd to witness. The group of assorted Trolls ranged from those from the main Tribes to those from the Subcultures to those from an unfamiliar genre. The supposed leader, a Pop Troll with azure blue skin, cerulean blue eyes, sapphire blue hair with streaks shifting from ruby red to silvery grey to plain white, and a brown leather jacket above a white long-sleeve button-down shirt with black pants, stepped forward and introduced himself first.
"Queen Poppy? My name is Prince James of the Lost Trolls. We have traveled from our version of TrollsTopia to yours to find out if the rumors were true. Have the Troll Tribes declared peace and unity in the Kingdom?"
"Yes, they have," Poppy nodded, "Wait, you have a TrollsTopia too?"
"And who are the Lost Trolls?" Branch tilted his head.
"We're the Lost Trolls, Branch," A Rock Troll responded as she approached. She had red hair stylized up into a spiked peak, muddy green eyes, muddy grey skin, single hoop earrings on both ears, a black leather jacket above a matching leotard, leather fingerless gloves, and fishnet stockings, making some of the male (and female) Trolls whistle and swoon, "The Lost Trolls are the Trolls that were separated from King Peppy's faction during the escape from Bergen Town."
"Lucy?" Barb called out to the Rock Troll, who turned to glance back at her in turn, "Is that you?"
"As I live and breathe, Rocksqueak," Lucy chuckled.
Quite uncharacteristically, Barb laughed heartily as she slid down the mushroom stage to hug her old friend, who returned the hug.
"Wait..." Barb realized something, "We're the same height."
"But I'm older than you," Lucy retorted.
"Yeah, I'll give you that."
"Hold the H-E-Double Hockey Sticks up," Val followed her Queen down, "Queen Barb, who's Lucy?"
"Val, you don't remember her?"
"No, no, Barb," Lucy chuckled while shaking her head, "It's okay. I really didn't expect Val to remember after all those years of banishment inficted upon me."
The crowd gasped in shock and appallment as Poppy and Branch followed Val down, "You were banished from the Rock Tribe? Why?"
"Let's just say the ideas I supposedly spread proved too much for the higher ups in Volcano Rock City," Lucy simplified, "But honestly, I'm glad I was banished because I wouldn't have met James."
"And I wouldn't have met Lucy," James confirmed his love for Lucy, who returned the smile he shot her.
"Ugh, get a room, you two. Or rooms, at the very least," Another Rock Troll approached the front with another Pop Troll by his side. He had pitch black hair styled into a mohawk fade, muted green eyes, purple-grey skin, a black leather biker jacket, black boots, black gloves, and a spiked collar with matching bracelets. She had light brown hair, light green eyes, a dark red leather trench coat with matching corset, black leather pants, and a black choker necklace with a ruby red gemstone pendant.
"Did you guys and gals have any food here?" The Rock Troll continued, "I'm famished from all the trouble we ran into on the way here."
"So am I, dear, but that doesn't excuse you from acting inconsiderate like that," The Pop Troll rubbed his back while comforting him.
"Forget food! Do you people have any reception here? I need to update my social media profile," A red-haired, blue-skinned, hazel-eyed, and Scottish-accented female Pop Troll with a black leather jacket, a magenta dress with a black sash belt around her waist, and (oddly enough) Classical Troll wings approached from the right side. She held up a pocket-sized rectangular device that seemed to be built from the Funk Trolls' technology.
"현명한 트롤은 온라인에서 "친구"가 진정한 우정과 같은 것이 아니라고 말했습니다." A K-Pop Troll approached from the left as she examined her new surroundings with a noticeable disdain, "나는 즉시 당신이 이미 그 교훈을 배웠다고 가정, 에이미."
"Oh, hush up, Tessa!" The winged Pop Troll shouted back, "I quite did...just not enough to completely kick me off the addiction bandwagon, okay? I'm still learning."
"Just not enough, apparently," The K-Pop Troll named Tessa shook her head while continued to glance around. Meanwhile, a brown-haired, green-eyed, and beige-skinned male Country Troll with a white long-sleeve collared shirt (the sleeves themselves folded up to just below his elbows) with a dark brown basic five-button leather vest atop, medium brown frontier pants, a light brown Gambler Hat, and a red neckerchief approached from the center and took a page out of Tessa' book, taking a brief look around.
"This seems pleasant enough," The Country Troll eventually nodded, "Sorry about the sudden intrusion. We were just looking for a place to stay for the time being, and we figured TrollsTopia 2.0 seemed like a good fit."
Poppy rubbed her chin in contemplation. The more the merrier, right?
"Of course it is! And we'll be more than happy to accommodate your group."
The Lost Trolls murmured excitedly as they were led to their temporary pods while Branch kept a closer eye on them, suspicious of their actual intent if they had any.
"Poppy, are you about this?"
"No," Poppy shook her head, surprising herself as much as Branch, "But if it's true what the Lost Trolls said, then it's my duty as the Pop Queen to offer my assistance to those in need. And if it's not true...well, that's where you come in, right?"
"Yeah. Right," Branch chuckled in amusement before having his air cut off by a kiss on the cheek.
"I love you, Branch."
"I...love you too, Poppy."
Poppy smiled as she walked ahead to tend to the Tribe Ambassadors and Lost Trolls.
You got this, Poppy. A few extra guests doesn't hurt business, it supports it. If they knock, knock me over, you will get up back again...
With only the moonlight serving as her primary source of illumination, she walked out of the forest and into the town standing before her. If it weren't for the amount of chatter originating in the biggest bar there, the entire place would've been seen as nothing more than a ghost town in her eyes. This chatter was a blend of friendly and unfriendly, ranging from compact chitchat about trivial problems to complex conversations about arms deals and child trafficking. She scowled at that last part as she dove into an alleyway and stripped to her birthday suit. As she lifted her hood, her pink hair was revealed to be adorned with black streaks while her ears had two silver hoop earrings, implying that the effects of Rock Zombification lingered long after. She then pulled out of her bag a black leather jacket, a black leather vest, a dark denim high-rise skirt, a pair of black leather fingerless gloves, black fishnet stockings, spiked anklets on both ankles, black combat boots, a black spiked headband, and a domino mask. She placed her normal clothes into her bag and pulled out another pistol along with a short-barreled shotgun; a pair of combat knives; and extra ammunition for all of her firearms.
After slipping into her main uniform, she slung her sheathed short sword over her right shoulder just as she sheathed her combat knives into dual cases on the back of her waist. She performed a brass check on her pistols before holstering them on each thigh before pumping the fore-end of her shotgun, activating the safety, and attaching it to a special brace on her leg. She slung a shotgun shell bandolier over her left shoulder before placing on her domino mask. The last item she pulled from her bag before she stowed it away for safekeeping was a 'Wanted: Dead Or Alive' poster, which she gave a good look before rolling it up and stuffing it into her jacket. She then calmly strolled out of the alleyway for a night on the town.
Inside, a teenaged Rock Troll was performing sexual acts with a preteen Pop Troll, clearly enjoying her role as the Pop Troll's dominating master as opposed to the Rock Troll's submissive slave. As they both climaxed, a young adult Country Troll joined them onstage and invited the two girls to lick his shaft as a "reward". The audience squirmed in their seats but nonetheless cheered in absolute audacity. None of them shouted their apprasial more than a group of male Trolls seated in the far back, though. Their leader was (of course) a middle-aged, heavy-set Pop Troll with faux bull horns, faux griffin wings, and all the duds of a pimp: a fur suit, a top hat, a cane sword, and an ass-load of jewelry to boot. He was the one running the show here, but not everywhere else. This was just one of the many establishments owned by his actual boss, who was as suave as he was feared. He liked to think of himself as something of a moral center for the associates, customers, and patrons in his service, but his smug and sadistic attitude made them unwilling to take him seriously. He was nothing short of a disdainful and disrespectful douchebag who was no better than his groupies, showing nothing but contempt for anybody besides himself and only showing compassion if only for his own benefit, going as far as to mock his own boss behind his back.
In short, Mr. Adrian Zagan was an unpleasant individual...and he was the reason she was here tonight.
"Listen here, fuckface! I've been running this show for 15 years and I'll be damned if my boss says otherwise!"
Oh, and did we mention this particular pimp spoke in a stereotypical British accent? He did so out of toughness, not respect for those different than him.
"10 years, boss."
. . .
"I beg your pardon?"
Whether it was the contradiction of the amount of slaving years or the nonchalant tone in which he delivered it, Adrian was clearly not fond of this henchman at all. The vitriol even furthered when he discovered it was a red, blue, and black Techno Troll who corrected his mistake.
Disgusting creatures...but at least this one is tolerable.
"You're five years ahead, boss man," The Techno Troll slid a sizzling skillet of Texas Cheese Fries to him, "But Mr. Val has been running the primary show for fifteen plus five years, if that's any consolation."
"Yes..." Zagan growled, "but Val has been lenient for the past five years, which means he's growing soft and weak. And we can't have soft and weak Trolls running the streets, now can we...um..."
"Lotus, Mr. Zagan," The Techno Troll now named Lotus gulped down his soft drink as his employer gawked at him.
"Lotus? What kind of fucking name-?"
"I like my name, Mr. Zagan," Lotus snatched up a single fry from the platter and popped it into his mouth, "just like you like your business, right?"
Mr. Zagan opened his mouth to sass back before he stopped himself and gave his words some thought. He eventually responded with, "But of course... Sir Lotus."
Lotus turned to his attention and grimaced at the underage orgy ensuing onstage, unlike his peers who cheered for them. Ha-ha, cheers for peers.
"Good. I'm glad we reached common ground. And speaking of common ground... Can you tell your men to masturbate elsewhere? They're making me losing my appetite."
Zagan peered over Lotus' shoulder and indeed found his associates plesantly jerking off to the children and their perverse promiscious performances, giving new meaning to the phrase "Ignorance is bliss". He sneered in disgust but couldn't find it within himself to tell his men off.
"If you like your appetite and your name just as much as I like my business, Sir Lotus... I highly suggest you eat elsewhere."
Lotus glared at his boss before sighing and nonchalantly stating, "Wonderful suggestion."
He then stood up and glided away to the bar, but not before he took the entire dish of french fries along with him. With that problem solved, Zagan found that a new one had formulated in the form of a young Pop Troll who refused to partake in the orgy.
"Hey, you! Come here..."
The Techno Troll's disgust increased as the girl was forcibly pulled offstage and slapped around by an ever-so-smug Zagan, her cries of sorrow increasing in the same rate.
"That your boss?"
Lotus looked up from the altercation to find a peculiarly-dressed Troll slouched against the bar top, witnessing the scene unfold and engrossed in it as much as he was. Scanning her from head to toe, she gave a sense of familiarity despite her superhero get-up.
"Yeah. Who's asking?"
"I was."
"You a Pop Troll?"
"It depends. You a Techno Troll?"
"Yeah. Who's asking?"
"Still me," Poppy pulled two stacks of eight gold coins, "Barkeep, do you serve iced tea?"
"I do," The Barkeep nodded in confirmation, "Why?"
"Get one ready with a slice of lemon on the glass in the next five minutes."
"What happens in the next five minutes?" Lotus raised his eyebrows in intrigue.
"You'll see."
The female Pop Troll stood up and approached Zagan's group, a look of murder in her glinting eyes. Because they were seated in a dark area, Zagan's group and everyone else barely noticed the amount of weapons she had on her person as she quietly and carefully advanced.
"Hey, boss," A Country Troll gestured at the nearing customer, "Look at this."
Zagan turned his attention away from the sobbing mess of a young Pop Troll and towards the older Pop Troll. "Well, well... It seems tonight is my lucky night."
The female Pop Troll laughed heartily after him before shaking her head, "No, Mr. Zagan... I believe tonight is the night where your luck runs out."
The male Pop Troll's smirk faltered and his eyebrows knitted together in confusion along with everybody else's, Lotus being the only exception. As an explanation, she pulled out the Wanted poster, unrolled it, and tossed it onto the table.
WANTED: DEAD OR ALIVE
NAME: Adrian Zagan
AGE: Between 40 and 50
CHARACTERISTICS: White hair, red eyes, grey skin
DEAD: $10,000
ALIVE: $20,000
Adrian's smirk dropped completely and was instantly substituted with a horrified grimace.
"KILL HER!"
Poppy swiftly kicked the table towards Zagan, who was immediately jammed in between the edges and the seating couch he and his friends were on, prevented from acquiring his firearms. The others weren't, though, and quickly drew their sidearms and attempted to open fire. Unfortunately for them, the former Pop Queen was much faster, pulling away the young Pop Troll and shielding her just as she quick-drew her primary pistol, firing two shots each at the head and neck of the five henchmen before emptying her five remaining bullets into the chest of a screaming and cursing Zagan. When the slide locked back, she holstered her empty handgun, drew her secondary pistol, and pushed the young girl towards Lotus, who shielded her in return on instinct. She fired 17 rounds at the impending guards before noticing the pimp lord reaching for his double-barreled shotgun. She holstered again another empty handgun and dodged away out of the way as the two shells blasted apart the lights above the bar. Drawing both her sword and shotgun, Poppy blasted his shotgun out of his hand with her own and hurled the sword into his throat so hard it passed through his juglar and the couch seat.
The employees and patrons alike of the establishment were equal parts horrified and entranced by this sudden display of violence. Turning towards the Troll responsible, Poppy breathed hard and carefully approached the dying Zagan, her shotgun at the ready.
"Do you know who I am...?"
She could whisper loud enough for him to hear. After a quick scan and moment of contemplation, his eyes widened at the realization that he was in the presence of royalty...in this particular case, former royalty. With his final breaths, Zagan snarled through the blood in his mouth and shot her a death glare.
"Poppy, you fucking-"
BANG!
A/N: As you can guess, the story I have in store for you readers will be get a little crazy. Because of the story's themes of time travel and interdimensional travel, in addition to new plotlines presented, new characters have been introduced that will prove vital to the stories going forward. Some of these characters are mine, others belong to...well, other authors. For a clarification, the new characters are listed below.
1) Chris Evans as James: A kindhearted and altruistic Pop Troll who is the Prince/King/Leader of the Lost Trolls and the husband of Lucy. James considers himself to be Classic Rock, but he never forgets his ancestors (regardless of their wrongdoings) and beginnings. This is a reference to Chris Evans' personal preference to the genre.
2) Scarlett Johansson as Lucy: A snarky but good-natured Rock Troll who is the Princess/Queen/Leader of the Lost Trolls and the wife of James. Lucy considers herself to be Indie Folk, Alternative Rock, and Dream Pop, but her original heritage still holds a place in her heart. This is a reference to Scarlett Johansson's genre of music she released.
3) Karen Gillan as Amy: A self-centered but highly dangerous Orchestral Pop Troll who worked as a Chanty Troll to survive. Amy then turned to social media to mask her pain and her obsession grew alongside her fame, keeping actual friendship to a low. This is a reference to her role in Selfie, an ABC sitcom based on My Fair Lady.
4) Jeremy Renner as Will: Another snarky but good-natured Rock Troll and the best friend of Lucy. Will banished himself when Lucy was falsely banished from the Rock Tribe, eventually meeting James and his future girlfriend Maria; he considers himself to be Alternative and can play the guitar, drums, and keyboard.
5) Elizabeth Olsen as Maria / Marie: A calm and level-headed Pop/Rock Troll and the girlfriend of Will. Maria (aka "Marie" by Will) was banished by the former Pop King (not Peppy) for being a "half-breed" of their enemy, causing to develop a suppressed aggressive side that lashes out violently against those who threaten her and her loved ones.
6) Bradley Cooper as Benjamin: A snarky but ultimately benevolent Country Troll who found himself attracted to Rock as he worked alongside Amy as a Chanty Troll. Benjamin expresses mild disbelief over the Troll Tribes declaring peace and tranquility following the String War and mild distrust towards the Pop Trolls.
7) Anthony Mackie as Sam: A brazen and cheeky Funk Troll who considers himself to be part Soul (much like Prince D to Hip-Hop). Sam is one of the best friends of James, whom he acts as the wingman for due to his troubled, romantic past. Like most of his tribe, he harbors no animosity towards the Pop Trolls despite their past misgivings.
8) Lupita Nyong'o as Adelaide: A headstrong and selfless Funk Troll who dislikes the other tribes for practicing isolationism to the point of turning away others in need during the String War. Her acts of supposed vigilantism has earned the nickname "Troublemaker" by her own people.
9) Chris Pratt as Josh: A charming and attentive Country Troll with a bit of a gambling problem. Despite this issue, Josh is quite the gunslinger and sharpshooter when and if the occasion calls for it, which is more often than not. He is also quite protective of his adoptive daughter Kat (Giorgia Whigham), whom he passed his card trick/sleight-of-hand skills to.
10) Gemma Chan as Tessa: A formerly shy turned self-confident supposed K-Pop Troll who has made waves as a fashion icon and socialite. Despite her status as the fashionista, Tessa also is a superb sniper, her marksmanship skills rivaling that of Josh's.
11) Chris Hemsworth as Tyler: A sour but saddened Country Troll who is a bit of a lone wolf because of his dark and troubled past. Tyler works as a Chanty Troll after his entire family is killed, believing he has nothing else to live for. However, when he discovers that their deaths was an assassination attempt on him, he earns freedom and seeks revenge.
12) Tessa Thompson as Molly: A sardonic but ultimately brave and noble Indie Alternative Troll with a drinking problem. Molly dislikes the tribes for the same reason as Adelaide, but she goes into self-exile unlike her and eventually meets Tyler, becoming a close friend of his.
13) Robert Downey, Jr. as Alexander: An eccentric but professional and highly skilled Jazz Troll who often operates as an anti-hero or Byronic Hero when and if the occasion calls for it for business or amusement; Alexander has made acquaintances with James' team over the years. In addition, he has many nicknames pertaining to him such as "The Futurist" and "The Radio Demon", but he personally prefers "Alastor" taken after a close associate of his; as such, he is rarely called by his real name.
14) Dove Cameron as Ruby: The Princess of Pop and the daughter of Poppy and Branch in another universe. Ruby is also Rock and bisexual, being the current girlfriend of Luke and the previous girlfriend of Daisy. She holds a dilemma of following in her parents' footsteps, trying to break away from their path and becoming a wise and strong ruler in her own right. She inherits Poppy's optimism, Branch's survivalist skills, and Hickory's bounty hunting, considering the latter to be a honorary uncle.
15) Tom Holland as Luke: The son of Riff and Kim-Petit who is a Rock/K-Pop Troll and Ruby's boyfriend. Luke is highly supportive of his girlfriend and even threatens to fight those who believe otherwise; however, he does a slightly better job than Branch at convincing his significant other to know where to fold them. He is on good terms with the Pop Queen and King, though, often receiving advice from on how to charm their daughter.
16) Chloe Bennet as Daisy: The daughter of Tresillo and Wani who is a K-Pop/Reggaeton Troll. Daisy is also bisexual, being the previous girlfriend of Ruby and the current girlfriend of Robbie (Gabriel Luna), a Techno Troll who works as a part-time DJ. She doesn't want to be defined by her relationship to the Pop Queen and King's daughter, instead becoming a formidable soldier and one of her personal bodyguards; the break-up between them was amicable and she is still her best friend.
17) Erin Moriarty as Annie Dawn: The eldest daughter of Delta Dawn and Hickory and the older sister of Amber and Alice (McKenna Grace). Annie is also a Junior Deputy at Lonesome Flats, working under her father; she seems to take from her mother more, developing a passionate and no-nonsense demeanor when it came to her job.
18) Olivia Holt as Amber Dawn: The middle daughter of Delta Dawn and Hickory and the middle sister of Annie and Alice. Amber is also a Junior Deputy at Lonesome Flats, working under her mother; she seems to take from her father more, developing a charismatic and laid-back demeanor while employing simple logic and observations. In addition, she has a loving and caring boyfriend in the form of Curtis.
19) Aubrey Joseph as Curtis: The son of Chenille and Prince D, the nephew of Cooper and Satin, and the older cousin of Ellie (Faithe Herman). Curtis takes after his father a lot, ranging from his love of Hip-Hop to his amiable and open-minded behavior; he is highly appreciative and protective of his family, including his honorary aunts Rhythm & Blues. In addition, he has a loving and caring girlfriend in the form of Amber.
20) Ariana Greenblatt as Gemini / Gem: The daughter of DJ Suki and King Trollex who aspires to follow in her parents' footsteps as a DJ; her stage fright may be a slight obstacle to her goals, though. Gemini / Gem belongs to Purple-Eyes Dragon / purple-eyesgreydragon and she is Trollex's younger sister. In my AU story "Addict", Gem is the daughter of Poppy and Trollex.
21) Katherine Langford as Leah: An Indie Alternative Troll who considers herself to be Hard Rock. Bullied by her peers (particularly Pop) for lacking a specific genre of music, Leah decides to turn to Hard Rock under the pretense that she has become tough and hardcore, but she never loses her timid and understanding personality. She serves as a big sister figure to a young Techno Troll named Wave (Lexi Rabe), who belongs to x-elyssa-x.
22) Hailee Steinfeld as Kate: A Techno Troll who considers herself Funk or K-Pop. Kate is also a friendly rival of Ruby, despite the Pop Princess' claims otherwise. Despite her snarky exterior, she can be helpful and relatively charming on a good day, and she can even run a couple of charities due to her wealthy status. She is also a talented songwriter, her voice often considered alluring to the listeners...much like a siren is to a sailor.
23) Florence Pugh as Amy: A Classical Rock Troll and the daughter of Minuet Sonata and Blaze Powerchord; she is considered the sixth ranger of Ruby's group, often providing only occasional help perhaps less than Kate. Despite her aloof and distant behavior, Amy cares about family, friendship, and loyalty; she deeply loves her parents and will go through hell for them.
24) Asher Angel as Lotus: A Techno Troll and one of Trollex's potential ambassadors turned future apprentices. Lotus is also the love interest of Dipsy; they are both chosen by an older Poppy to become intelligence operatives and kingdom protectors. Ryan Gosling plays an alternate Lotus; he belongs to snail-noodle.
25) Jenna Ortega as Dipsy: A Techno Troll and one of Trollex's potential ambassadors turned future apprentices. Dipsy is also the love interest of Lotus; they are both chosen by an older Poppy to become intelligence operatives and kingdom protectors. Emma Stone plays an alternate Dipsy; she belongs to snail-noodle.
26) Jessica Chastain as Captain Blue: A Chanty Troll and one of the many Sky Pirate Lords. Despite her profession, Blue displays a sense of honor and professionalism, caring deeply for her crew while depicting wrath when betrayal and mutineers comes to the forefront. Her technology is advanced and on par with the Funk Trolls and the Latin Trolls. Captain Blue belongs to SuperNova CO.
27) Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Captain Torrent: The leader of the Shark Trolls and an ally of Trollex. Torrent is well-versed in the art of war despite his age, ranging from hand-to-hand combat to weapons training such as swords, tridents, and even traditional firearms. He is recruited by an older Poppy as one of the mentors of Lotus and Dipsy. Captain Torrent belongs to sparklijam.
28) Sabrina Carpenter as Melody Song: A Pop/Rock Troll who is the daughter of Ballad Bill and Mal Shredder and the younger cousin of Val Thundershock. Melody often wishes for the best of both worlds, usually playing Pop songs with Rock stylings or vice versa; she serves as her older cousin's moral compass, steering her in the right position. She is besexual and polyamorous. Melody Song belongs to MasterClass60.
29) Pierce Brosnan as Ballad Bill: A Pop Troll who is the father of Melody Song, the husband of Mal Shredder, and the uncle of Val Thundershock. Although deceased in the present timeline, Bill is alive and older in another timeline where his wife is the deceased one. Despite hailing from another universe, he is very protective of his alternate family, seeing them as a second chance at redemption. Jeremy Irvine plays a younger Ballad Bill; he belongs to MasterClass60.
30) Meryl Streep as Mal Shredder: A Rock Troll who is the mother of Melody Song, the wife of Ballad Bill, and the aunt of Val Thundershock. Although coping with the loss of a loved one, Mal often pushes her own problems to tend to her daughter and niece, giving them advice if they're willing to listen. Despite originating from the prime universe, the idea of reuniting with an alternate Bill may be an offer she couldn't possibly refuse. Lily James plays a young Mal Shredder; she belongs to MasterClass60.
Also, I can't stress this enough: many of the songs used here or any other stories don't belong to me! They all belong to their respective owners, singers and/or producers. Until then... Adieu!