("Trolls Wanna Have Good Times" by Anna Kendrick, Justin Timberlake, James Corden, Icona Pop, Ester Dean, Kenan Thompson, & The Pop Trolls) [Instrumental Version]
The celebratory welcoming party kicked off to a relatively pleasant start. Poppy needed and wanted to show the Trolls the time of their lives. DJ Suki, Guy Diamond, and Meadow Spriggs worked on the club music, which was a shifting combination that adhered to the different genres, often transitioning from one similar music to another. Creek, Smidge, Sky Toronto, and Klaus Von Frousting handled food and concessions while Nova Swift, Laroux Laroux, Cookie Sugarloaf, and Maddy helped the other tribe members don the style and fashion of their favorite musical genre. Meanwhile, in another area, Dr. Plum Plimsy, Milton Moss, and Gia Grooves helped the younger children learn about the history of the Tribes and the String War as CJ Suki, Keith, Priscilla, and Gemma served as learning assistants while Aspen Heitz, Ripley Wisp, and Tug Duluth introduced the more athletic and extroverted Trolls to their sporting activities and events.
Woke up in the morning light
Today is the day that I do everything right
Now that I'm Queen, I've got a kingdom to run
'Cause Trolls, they wanna have fun
Yeah, Trolls just wanna have fun...
Branch, Harper, Archer, and Bella Brightly assisted the Tribe Leaders and eventually the Subculture Trolls as they arrived, having been caught up in traffic. The Lost Trolls, led by James and Lucy, offered their assistance periodically, something that the survivalist Troll assumed was their method of earning trust. However, while he didn't trust them entirely, he did trust Poppy, whom he knew could make her own decisions.
Wait...where is Poppy?
"I honestly don't know."
Jumping in fright, Branch turned to find Harper standing with a tray of hot chocolate with whipped cream and chocolate shavings, serving the drinks to any thirsty Troll.
"Wait, you can read my thoughts now?"
"Nope, and I still can't. I can read faces, however," Harper chuckled, "Knowing Poppy, she probably went somewhere to take a breather. Considering her position, though, you can't really blame her."
"Yeah..." Branch agreed, "I mean, she was crying earlier..."
"Poppy crying?" Archer appeared beside his girlfriend as he sampled a couple of cupcakes loaded with Giggleyum, "That's...actually unlike Poppy. What do you think happened to her?"
"It's probably stress, Archer," Harper turned to her boyfriend, "She is the Queen now and probably has a lot on her hands. Unless...what was she wearing? Sometimes, emotions are reflected in their clothing."
It was then that Branch realized: I knew that dress Poppy was wearing looked familiar.
"I think she was wearing her mother's dress."
Harper and Archer's eyes widened in surprise.
"You mean, her deceased mother's dress?" The latter tilted his head, his innocent insensitivity earning him a mild glare from the former.
"Yeah," Branch nodded, "I think she's still grieving her mother's passing."
"Or..." Archer continued, careful to properly word his response this time, "She's still recovering from the fact that...she herself almost passed."
"Maybe," Harper sighed, "but we have to make sure and not jump to conclusions before we go running in."
"I'll go ask her first," Branch agreed, "if I can find her first."
As the both of them watched Branch leave, they exchanged worried looks, praying that Poppy's supposed case of PTSD wasn't indeed the case.
Meanwhile, a few feet from where they stood, Holly continued to taking selfies with her newfound friends, who questioned the function of a "selfie".
"Well, I'll be glad to explain it to y'all," Holly did just that, "A "selfie" is a self-portrait photograph that a person takes of oneself or with their friends!"
"And it works better when you have one of these," Amy approached to make her presence and that of her rectangular-shaped device known, "It's called a smartphone. It was designed by the Funk Section of the Lost Trolls. S.M.A.R.T. is short for Scientifically Mechanicalized Advanced Reliable Technology. You can do anything on an smartphone. You can call, text, take pictures, listen to music, use a map, check the weather, watch movies and TV shows, stream movies and TV shows, buy movie tickets, order food, read a book, write a book, and practically anything and everything else but tell you what time it is."
"Ooh..." The small crowd of Trolls stared in awe at Amy's gadget before Holly realized something, "Wait, it doesn't tell you what time it is?"
"Yeah, we're working on that part," Amy chuckled guiltily, "There was no more room for the clock."
Meanwhile, another few feet from where that conversation was taking place, DJ Suki and King Trollex were both talking to each other as Guy Diamond and Meadow Spriggs worked together with Bliss Marina and Techno Beat Drop Button to let the music take control...both literally and figuratively.
"So, how are you holding up so far?" Trollex swam to DJ's left side.
"Well, it's been rough," DJ, meanwhile, walked to Trollex's right side, "I had to take CJ to Dr. Moonbloom because she's been having nightmares of late."
"What about?"
"Oh, the whole World Tour thing. She's still shaken over the fact that she literally faced death right in the face and that Poppy died saving the world only to be resurrected by her deceased mother of all people. Plus, Priscilla's been working with the enemy prior to her heel-face turn, but even that's water under the bridge by this point."
"Priscilla?"
"Oh yeah, she's one of CJ's friends. Pink hair, yellow skin, dark blue eyes, and red glasses. Apparently, she took a liking to Rock while trying to inflitrate them or something. I honestly don't see anything wrong with that, but I think the shock got to CJ. You know what I mean?"
"For the most part...but you sound so casual about it."
Suddenly, DJ stopped walking and gave Trollex's words a moment of thought: He's right. Oh Lord, I'm such a fool.
"Is...that a bad thing?"
Trollex's eyes widened and he attempted to backtrack his wording, "No, no! Of course not! But I don't want the other Trolls to get the wrong idea. You know what I mean?"
"I guess," DJ shrugged, "I do care about CJ. I just...have my own ways of dealing with the stress."
"Like what?"
"Well, I usually have my friends to remind me that there's reasons to keep moving forward. CJ, even more so. And...there's you. You're a reason to keep moving forward."
Trollex blushed and stammered out, "Oh, well... I'm flattered that you think of me that way. I... I love you too."
DJ smiled back and pecked him on the cheek, "I'm glad you do. Now come on, the kids may not be alright."
Rendered now a silent, sweating mess, Trollex could only swim behind DJ as they made their way to the play area.
("Crazy Train" by Ozzy Osbourne) [Rachel Bloom Cover]
Meanwhile, a dozen feet away from them, Val Thundershock got her and Melody's belongings situated in her temporary pod. Huffing in contempt at her new sticky situation, the Hard Rock Troll's mind began to wander. Wander and wonder why Barb chose her of all people to be one of her primary delegates for the tribe. It could've been just Demo and Blaze, but she just had to be introduced into the cake mix. It could've been Riff, Carol, Sid Fret, her best friend Petra or even Billy Reverb of the highly popular band Bad Hair Day. No, it just had to be her. Then again, at least she had someone familar close to her to keep his sanity intact.
Mental wounds still screaming
Driving me insane
I'm going off the rails on a crazy train...
I'm going off the rails on a crazy train...
"Hey, Val!"
Val turned to find Melody herself standing in the doorway as her belongings were set aside.
"Hey, Mel."
"Are you...doing okay?"
"Yeah," Val's eyes scanned from left to right, "Why?"
"Well..." Melody hesitated, "Some people have been noticing that you've been acting...um, antsy lately."
"Me. Antsy."
"Yeah."
. . .
"Do you think I'm been acting antsy lately?"
"What?! No!"
. . .
"I mean, a little, but that's nothing compared to what the others are thinking!"
"Not saying?"
"Well...yeah, but they at least have the decency to not say the bad things straight in your face. They'll just say it behind your back."
. . .
"Um, Mel...?"
"Yeah, I just realized what I'm saying. Sorry, Val."
Val chuckled as she shook her head, "No worries, cuz. I got the jist of what you were trying to say. Thanks for the support."
"Anytime, cuz. You're my cousin after all."
The two cousins shared a hug before getting the rest of their belongings situated.
"So what now?"
"What do you mean?"
"Are you going to join the rest of the Tribe Leaders and Ambassadors in the 39-course ice cream banquet?"
"Well, I'm pretty sure it's going to be 40 since you're here with me. Wait..." Val blinked in surprise upon what she said, "39-course ice cream banquet?"
"Yep," Melody nodded, "It's supposed to be a peace offering and taste test in preparation to what's to come after. And...I'm pretty sure it's going to be 40 since I'm here with you."
Val chuckled again, this time in admiration, "Well, I guess Popsqueak came through...for now, anyway. Let's just hope that this ice cream banquet has cupcakes a la splode."
"We can only hope," Melody chuckled as she walked side-by-side with her older cousin. Val, meanwhile, patted her younger cousin on the shoulder as her mind wandered elsewhere.
All right, Popsqueak. Surprise me...
("It's All Love / It's All Love (History Of Funk)" by Anderson .Paak, Mary J. Blige, George Clinton, & Justin Timberlake)
Meanwhile, Poppy herself was wandering elsewhere, watching the festivities unfold and the Trolls interact with each other. Aspen Heitz and Ripley Wisp were teaching the Country Trolls some of their sports; Gia Grooves, CJ, and Keith were taking care of and teaching the younger Trolls about their history; Harper and Archer served refreshments to their guests; and DJ, King Trollex, and Prince D bonded over their similar music and attempted to write a new song together. She was careful to avoid any conversation with any of them or the Royals, requiring time for herself for the time being. As happy as she was that her fantasy had become a reality after months of preparation, she couldn't help but feel...sad.
But why? I'm supposed to be one of the happiest Trolls around. No...the happiest Troll around. Then again...I explicitly told Branch that I knew the world wasn't all cupcakes and rainbows; I would rather go through life thinking that it mostly was...instead of...being like him.
Him who doesn't sing.
Him who doesn't dance.
Him who does...grey all the time.
But I'm not Branch.
I'm Poppy.
Caressing her face in contemplation, Poppy's eyes furrowed in confusion as she discovered her hands were a little...rough than she remembered. Pulling them away to figure out what was wrong, her eyes widened as she gasped in shock. Her fingers had turned to an ash-like color, reaching for the palms of her hands.
I'm...turning grey.
First, it was all love (At first, it was all love)
Hands up, super star love (Stars up)
That you can have it, you can have it all, love (And you can get it how you want)
But then you took it, took it all, love (They took it all)
"All, love..." Poppy whispered to herself as she desperately attempted to think happy thoughts.
Cupcakes...
. . .
Rainbows...
. . .
Branch...
. . .
"Branch..." Poppy whispered a little louder that time.
Turn it up louder (Turn the music up louder)
Sing along, get the crowd up (Get the crowd up, come on)
But then you took it all, love (Took it all, love)
Then forgot all about us (Oh), but it's all love...
Poppy honestly had no idea in the slightest how the Funk Trolls could be so forgiving even after all of the crimes Pop committed against them. They harbored no animosity towards them, they let bygones be bygones, and gave away numerous signals that the past was in the past.
But why?
I feel you... (Sounds good in my ear when I hear it like that...)
It had to be an act...
I feel you... (I say I look good to the mirror and it says it right back...)
A ruse to keep her occupied...
I feel you... (A little love wouldn't kill you...)
A trick to lower her defenses...
You really did me wrong, it was real cruel... (It was real cruel...)
A scheme to make her look like a fool...
A simpleton...
An inefficient ruler...
Had a lot of love and I still do 'cause I feel you...
But the love they seemed to spread felt so genuine. How could it possibly be any more fake?
. . .
She had no idea...but it was all love.
Right?
Glancing at her hands again, Poppy sighed in relief as they slowly reverted back from grey to pink. Regaining her composure, she continued on her way through the village while simultaneously hoping that the day or following days would not get any worse. Little did she know...
"All right, fellow Trolls!" Klaus Von Frousting beckoned the crowd, "Gather around, gather around! It is time to give the Tribe Kings, Queens, and Ambassadors a taste of...The Cupcake."
"Metaphor!" Cooper gasped in excitement, much to the amusement of his family and fellow Funk Trolls.
Harper and Archer came out around with the trays of sweet dishes, the both of them dressed as maitre d's.
"To begin," Harper began, "We commence our 40-course ice cream banquet in service of the Tribe Leaders and Co-Leaders."
"For Dante Crescendo and Minuet Sonata, a Classical Troll staple: classic vanilla," Archer placed down a tray that held a ceramic sundae dish, which in turn held three scoops of plain, French, and extra creamy vanilla ice cream.
"For Holly Darling and Gust Tumbleweed, a Country Troll speciality: ice cream jerky," Harper placed down a tray that held a glass plate, which in turn held six strips of Neapolitan ice cream-flavored lean-trimmed meat; three each were for them both.
"My favorite! Chocolate, vanilla, and mesquite BBQ!" Holly proudly chomped down on one of the strips as she whooped.
"I think that "chocolate" is actually strawberry..." Gust murmured before taking a bite and enjoying it anyway.
"For Lownote Jones, Rhythm & Blues, a Funk Troll factor: the Funkytown Funkadelic Fair," Harper took a breather as she placed down a tray that held three glass sundae dishes, which in turn held three scoops of cookies-and-cream ice cream with candy-and-chocolate covered biscuit toppings.
"For Synth and Laguna Tidepool, a Techno Troll trait: the Technologic Trifecta Twist," Archer also took a breather as he placed down a tray that held two sundae dishes, which in turn held two scoops of Blue Moon ice cream with Swedish Fish toppings.
"And for Val Thundershock and Melody Song, a Rock Troll rundown: the Sweet Little Rock & Roller Reservoir," Harper and Archer simultaneously took breathers as they both unveiled their special: two scoops of vanilla ice cream with dark, dark, dark chocolate dipping and Pop Rocks melted into said dipping.
Melody oohed in anticipation while Val scoffed in derision.
I'll decide what this Rock & Roller Reservoir has in store for me.
Suddenly, specks of pink glitter rained down the sky, which caught the attention of and enchanted the non-Pop Trolls.
"What is this? Is this glitter?" Synth cupped his hands and stared in awe at the pink sparkles, brightening up in realization as he did so, "It's glitter!"
"Wonderful! Glitter simply falls from the sky?" Dante excitedly inquired Satin and Chenille, who were hosting in place of a still missing Poppy.
"Well..." Chenille glanced up in acknowledgement at the true source of the raining glitter.
"What other explanation can there be?" Satin shrugged before flashing a thumbs up at Guy Diamond, Tiny Diamond, and four other Glitter Trolls, who returned the gesture.
"For TrollsTopia!" The Glitter Trolls exclaimed and continued raining down upon the amazed crowd.
Meanwhile, Branch emerged from the Troll Village Stadium, which was the last place he considered looking for Poppy. He checked everywhere for her, from the Troll Village Spa and Maddy's Hair Saloon to Sky Toronto's Party Shop to even the Fun Dungeon. Nothing and nobody, absolutely nothing and nobody was found.
Where are you, Poppy?
"Hey, Branch. What's up?"
The Survivalist Troll turned to find a dolled-up couple in the form of Adora and Catra walking towards him and he blew out a sigh of relief.
Finally, someone with a sense of sanity and stability.
"Adora, Catra! Thank goodness. I can't find Poppy in time for the first amalgamated musical number for the other delegates!"
"You too?" Catra winced before gazing down at her ruby red dress, "I was going to ask her for a dress request. As much as I love this color, I prefer a tuxedo instead of a dress. It's kind of a...personal touch."
Adora rolled her eyes as she turned to Branch, "Did you check the village spa? Maddy's Hair Saloon? Sky Toronto's Party Shop? The Fungeon?"
"Yes, yes, yes, and surprisingly enough, yes," Branch nodded in response, "Still nothing."
"Did you try the village library?" Adora offered again.
This time, Branch silenced himself before he could answer, realizing that he actually had not yet checked the library as he should have guessed.
"Uh, no. I haven't," He admitted shamefully.
"Well, it's a good thing I did then," Adora patted his shoulder.
"And that whole musical number shindig?" Catra chuckled, "I think DJ Cutie's got that covered."
Indeed, DJ Suki took cover for TrollsTopia's first amalgamated musical number. Considering that the spotlight was mostly shone on Poppy and the rest of the Snack Pack at this point, she would like to believe that she earned it...but she would never say it out loud.
("A Good Time" by Gwen Stefani, Icona Pop, Fryda Wolff, Megan Hilty, Vladimir Caamano, JP Karliak, Michael-Leon Wooley, and The Troll Tribes)
The Treasure Troll roped the Snack Pack as they unrolled another red carpet for the Tribe Leaders and Co-Leaders to stroll down.
[DJ Suki]
Are you ready for a good time?
`Cause that's how we like to roll
Yeah, we always find a reason to celebrate
Holly and Gust caught on and pulled the nearest Troll, Meadow Spriggs, along for a hoedown.
[Holly Darling]
Was born ready for a good time
And I'm already havin' a ball
I like the feelin' of this place
Synth and Laguna helped CJ drop the beat as they went next.
[Synth]
Yeah, yeah, all my people came ready for a party
Yeah we rave till the morning comes
We can show you how we do when we come through
How we movin' to the rhythm
Dante and Minuet led an orchestra consisting of Biggie, Satin and Chenille, Guy Diamond, and Creek playing the harp and trombones respectively.
[Dante Crescendo]
Oh, I didn't know that life
Could ever be this fu-uh-uh-uh-uh-un
Cooper and Prince D helped Lownote, Rhythm & Blues envelop their piece with a little bit of soul.
[Lownote Jones]
Jubilation in the air
Raise your hair
Wave it left, wave it right
Can ya dig, outta sight
Oh, yeah
The Trolls then came together to sing the outro in perfect harmony...well, with the exception of Val and Melody, but even then, they seemed to be enjoying themselves.
[All]
When we're together
We find perfect harmony
Magical everything
Here we go to the sky
You and I will find a good time!
Noticing Val having a considerably less good time than Melody, though, DJ made a mental note to remind Poppy, who was still missing.
It's guaranteed
You, me, everybody
Magical everything
Here we go to the sky
You and I will find a good time!
Even so, the idea was to show the Troll Delegates a good time, and a good time they shall show them.
True to Adora's prediction, Poppy was indeed holed up in the library, the last place she wanted to end up. After she almost ended up turning grey, she ended up turning her attention to the village study, a decision that surprised herself as much as it would be to Branch. What was more surprising to her, however, was that she was in need of peace and quiet, a far cry from the energetic and party-loving Queen of Pop. Considering the events that led her to find sanctuary in the book/journal/novel storage, though, it was important for her to settle down once in a while.
It was also important to not confuse peace with quiet.
Poppy was reading books over the concept of Grey Trolls and disturbed by the amount of hatred inflicted upon them by the Pop Trolls. Words and actions were exchanged among them to display their disdain for who they saw as the product of doomsday and armageddon. To the Pop Trolls, the Grey Trolls were nothing but the bane of their existence, the bee in their bonnet, the thorn in their side.
But Branch was a Grey Troll...and yet, he regained his true colors. Why couldn't the others?
One page turn later, and Poppy's eyes widened in horror at the answer to her question.
Because the Grey Trolls...would die before they got the chance.
Her heart leaping up to her throat and becoming lodged in it, Poppy quickly scanned by the cover and skimmed through the pages.
This can't be right. Whoever wrote this...book, he or she had to be a sadistic liar fueling his or her own fantasies.
Her head then recalled the words of Prince D in Vibe City.
"Scrapbooks are cut out, glued, and glittered by the winners. They can be meddled with and prevent the truth from coming to light..."
Her stomach began to churn and threatened to induce vomit with each word penned by the author and read by the reader.
Freak...
Off Color...
Tainted...
Outcast...
Broken...
Poppy was heartbroken by the revelation that her Pop Trolls, or rather the past generation's Pop Trolls, were not as innocent and goodhearted as she believed them to be. What was worse was that, with her blissful dismissal of Branch, unintentional as it might have been, she unknowingly passed down her ancestor's bigotry to the current generation.
Oh, Branch... What have I done to you?
Her mind then trailed to her boyfriend. For the most part, Branch was accepted by the village, who would often seek him out as an advisor and/or counselor for safety, emergencies, and/or simple visits to a friend. Even Cloud Guy, whose primary intent was to gleefully tease his role as the only sane Troll in his circle of friends, never went as far to mock him for his grey colors; he was just easy prey. Over the years starting from childhood, Poppy was one of the few Trolls who were concerned about his lack of rainbow shades, making several attempts to befriend him and help him. During that time, the Snack Pack was born and each had their own opinions on the Grey Troll, ranging from mildly unconfortable to downright contemptuous, always prompting Poppy to interfere and defend him, going so far as to permanently ban them from joining again.
By his own admission, Branch only harbored a slight animosity towards Poppy, whom he eventually came to see as a loyal friend...and a slightly annoying one at that. In retrospect, the idea of ridiculing him for his grey coloring should not have been condoned in the first place. Not only because the revelation of his dark and troubled past that would shape him into the Survivalist Troll they knew and hated, but it was also uncharacteristic of the fun-loving, happy-go-lucky Pop Trolls she knew and loved. In any case, such criticism concerning Branch went from unadvisable to unthinkable following his real reason for turning grey. While Poppy's mother died when she was very young, thus sparing her the pain of experiencing death for the first time at the age, Branch's grandmother died right in front of him as she saved her nephew from the Bergen Chef.
Suddenly, to her surprise, anger started to flare up in her chest at the memory of how Branch himself almost died at the hands of the Bergen Chef, who was already long gone by this point.
I should've killed her right then. Killed her and be done with it.
. . .
Wait, sad and angry with the added threat of turning grey?
. . .
What is happening to me?
Glancing down at the book, Poppy's vision became blurred and distorted as the five most prominent words were repeated through the pages.
Freak...
Off Color...
Tainted...
Outcast...
Broken...
Those five most prominent, most hateful, most troubling words repeated over...
Freak...
Off Color...
Tainted...
Outcast...
Broken...
...and over...
Freak...
Off Color...
Tainted...
Outcast...
Broken...
...and over...
Freak...
Off Color...
Tainted...
Outcast...
Broken...
...and over...
Freak...
Off Color...
Tainted...
Outcast...
Broken...
...until the words became...jumbled together.
Broke...
Out...
Taint...
Off...
Freak...
Color...
Cast...
Jumbled...
Cast...
Color...
Freak...
Off...
Taint...
Out...
Broke...
. . .
. . .
. . .
Broke...
. . .
Freak...
. . .
. . .
. . .
J-Jumbled...
. . .
R-Rattled...
. . .
T-Tainted...
. . .
M-Muddled...
. . .
T-Tainted...
. . .
R-Rattled...
. . .
J-Jumbled...
. . .
. . .
. . .
Poppy blinked her eyes and released a deep breath before she came to her senses. Finding herself back in the village library, confusion shook...no, rattled her to the core.
W-What happened just now?
. . .
ZAP!
"ARGH!"
Suddenly, a form of electricity jolted through Poppy's body, prompting her to cry out in pain. Leaning against the nearest bookshelf, her fear and anxiety were skyrocketing. Her mind began to race, her breathing began to hitch, and her heart began to pound against her chest to the point where it precariously resembled a heart attack.
A first jolt was merely a sign of things to come.
ZAP!
An second jolt sent Poppy falling to her knees. The pain was instantly turned up as tears leaked through her closed eyelids. Running her fingers through her hair and starting to pull on her strands, it was a desperate attempt to focus on a secondary wound rather than the primary.
ZAP!
A third and much more powerful jolt saw Poppy's blunt whimpers increased into sharp screams.
ZAP!
A fourth jolt caused Poppy to beat the ground mercilessly, never minding the cuts and bruises she obtained while doing so.
ZAP!
A fifth jolt prompted Poppy to bang her head this time against the ground and the bookshelves, the book themselves falling down.
ZAP!
A sixth jolt led Poppy to then fall to her side and get into the fetal position, bowing her head and hugging her knees.
ZAP!
A seventh jolt spurred Poppy to take rapid-fire breaths and mumble to herself as a distraction from the pain.
She waited for the eighth jolt...but nothing came.
She waited for the ninth jolt...but nothing came.
She waited for the tenth jolt...but nothing came.
Nothing came...
Nothing came...
Nothing came...
What...?
What is happening...?
What is happening to me...?
Poppy then fell asleep on the library floor, unaware of the sound of Branch, Adora, and Catra calling out for her...
Later that night, as the festivities raged on, the Snack Pack gathered around the stage after their attempts to convince Val to see the fun and fancy free of TrollsTopia fell flat on their faces, and not in the good old slapstick way. Apparently, Demo and Val's cousin Melody were the only ones who were fully persuaded, while Blaze needed a little more reassurance. Val was the odd one out, refusing to see the other side of their Pop Troll hosts.
As they snatched up more refreshments, the Tribe Leaders, the Tribe Ambassadors, and the Lost Trolls spotted the Snack Pack sporting clothing vaguely resembling that of the Rock Trolls, much to their amusement and confusion.
"Yo, DJ Suri!" Barb called out to Suki, "What's going on?"
"Val's the only one of the Troll Ambassadors who refuses to acknowledge Pop Village's pros in place of its cons, complete with a loud and expository "MEH". Also, it's Suki."
"So what's the plan?" Prince D tilted his head.
"Val also said that if she wants a good time here, then we have to rock and roll hard. So we're gonna challenge Val to a Rock Battle in the hopes of earning her respect."
Upon hearing DJ's master plan, Barb's eyes comically widened in horror and she stammered out her response, "O-Okay, DJ Sammy, I don't think that's the best idea because A) Biggie's group only barely managed to survive my Rock Concert by sheer dumb luck and B) the Troll you're going up against and/or challenging is actually of Rock loyalty. You and your group don't stand a chance."
"You're right," DJ nodded in agreement, much to Barb's surprise, "But us Pop Trolls don't give up until we get what we want, which in this case is nothing but chivalry. With that said, we try to ease it into the challenge as gently as possible. And it's still Suki."
"Why do I get the feeling that this isn't going to end well?" Delta Dawn chomped down on a hamburger.
"Believe yourself," Meadow Spriggs deadpanned, "It probably won't."
"Well, we're most definitely screwed, then," Amy took another selfie with a confused Holly, "and I would like to be there when it happens."
DJ led the Snack Pack to the stage to set up their equipment and catch the attention of a sulking Val idling around with her fellow Rock Trolls.
DIIIIIII!
The crowd now turned their attention towards the mushroom stage, their curiosity getting the best of them, particularly those from the Rock Section. Exchanging confused glances, Val and Melody walked towards the front and saw the Snack Pack directing their smug gazes at the primary Rock Troll Delegate.
"What's going on here?"
"Sorry about the volume, Val!" DJ Suki called down from above, "Guess we're just being...reckless."
While the crowd murmured in bewilderment, Val could only chuckled in amusement, "So what? You glitter pups want me to think you're rockers now?"
"Oh, we'll surprise you," DJ boasted as she continued, "Sure, during the day, we might play cute and sweet..."
"Yeah!" Guy Diamond jumped in, "Some might even say we're as cute as a newborn puppy opening its eyes for the first time!"
"That's too much, Guy Diamond!" The Treasure Troll raised a single index finger, "Dial it back!"
"Message received!" The Glitter Troll chuckled as he backed up and let his leader hog the spotlight again.
"The point is, when the sun goes down, the rebel in us...cuts loose..."
DJ slid forward on her knees while strumming her guitar, shooting Val a look of provocation. The primary Rock Troll Delegate herself was...less than impressed.
Okay, this is getting real old real fast. I might as well just humor them.
"So...you guys like being wild and breaking rules?"
"You got that right!" Cooper interjected this time, "That's why I ignore the rules on most card games. Oh, I will go fish whenever I want!"
The Snack Pack cheered their Funk friend on while the Funky Family held back amused giggles. Delta Dawn cringed at the attempted badass boast and turned towards Meadow, who offered a simultaneous smile and shrug of solicitation.
"Drinking game?"
"You're on."
Val hummed under her breath before sighing in faux resignation, "All right, DJ Sophie. If you rock so hard, let's see you keep up with...this!"
The female Rock Delegate whipped out her purple-and-black guitar and ripped up a guitar riff to commence the Rock Battle.
DJ smirked up and did her best to keep with Val, whose shoulder was tapped on by Melody.
"Val, what are you doing? I don't think this is the best idea!"
"But it sure is a good one, little cuz! Just relax and follow my lead! Have I ever steered you wrong before?"
. . .
"Yes! Multiple times!"
. . .
"Oh. Well, no backing down now! Rockers! Let's rock..."
"Poppy..."
. . .
"Poppy...?"
. . .
"Poppy...!"
The eyes of the Pop Queen fluttered open and she found herself still in the library, four pairs of eyes formed in a square as they gazed down at her in concern.
"Adora...? Branch...? Catra...? Dad...?"
"Yes, yes, and yes," The cat-themed Rock Troll nodded in confirmation, "Are you okay, Ice Pops?"
"A little," Poppy groggily replied as Branch and Adora helped her up, "I'm alright. What happened?"
"You've been away from the party for a little longer than expected," King Peppy explained, "Are you sure you're all right?"
Poppy opened her mouth to respond, but she couldn't. Her mind was currently in the middle of a mental debate on whether or not to tell them about the events that occurred earlier in the library. On one hand, she didn't want Branch, her father, and the rest of her friends to worry; she was the Queen, and any unfortunate misgivings concerning the Queen would result in required rest, and she couldn't rest when diplomatic duties were concerned. On the other hand, if she didn't tell them more sooner than later, the pain she experienced would possibly progressively become much worse than before.
They would find out eventually, though...
"I'm just tired," Poppy murmured after a moment, surprising herself as much as the four Trolls in the room with her, "I just need to rest..."
DIIIIIII!
The five of them glanced up at the sound of what appeared to be a guitar strumming. Exchanging bewildered glances, they made their way out of the library and into the surface.
("Pandemonium" by Gwen Stefani, Fryda Wolff, & Lauren Mayhew) [Original Version by Amanda Leighton, Kenz Hall, Aleque Reid, & Lauren Mayhew]
Val and Melody both played their guitars while Riff and Carol played the drums, Sid Fret and Blaze played the back-up guitars, and Demo played the keyboard.
[Val]
Yeah, I came to rock!
I got the fire!
Ragin' inside me and it's burnin' strong!
DJ Suki and Guy Diamond played their double-necked guitars while Biggie played the keyboard, Satin and Chenille played the accordion, Cooper played the cowbell, and Smidge played the drums.
[DJ Suki]
Ow! I never stop!
I'm a live wire!
Yeah, I can rock until the morning comes, ow!
Val now was impressed with DJ Stephanie's rock persona, but she still was fully convinced that she herself could do better, never mind more so than her own Queen.
All right, DJ Sara. Let's turn this performance up to eleven.
[Val]
I live for the pandemonium!
Loud, rough, raw!
DJ laughed heartily and mirrored her friendly rival's actions.
[DJ Suki]
I'm not just sweet and harmonious!
I rock hard!
Both of them shared a guitar solo that was complemented by their respective bandmates' soulful playing of their respective instruments. During the performance, DJ and Val started to shoot colored blasts of electricity at each other, careful not to hit their audience, their bandmates, and their competitors.
Adrenaline flowed through their blood as they played with energy, putting the "hard" in hard rock. Smoke and sweat stained the stage as their instruments were dangerously close to burning up, complete with literal smoke.
So, perhaps they were rocking a little too hard.
It was a realization that DJ and Melody both reached as the music continued to play without them. Glancing around to find their bandmates running around while breaking stuff non-stop, the both of them exchanged looks of terror and gulps of nervousness.
"Too much?"
"Oh, yeah."
"Guys!"
"Stop!"
Val was the first and only one of the onstage Trolls to fully listen and comprehend their pleas of cessation. Glancing around, her mild surprise eventually paved way for mild admiration.
"Wow, I guess I was wrong after all."
CREAK!
Glancing up, DJ, Val, and Melody saw one of the stage arches cracking and crumbling, a result of Biggie and Guy Diamond repeatedly smashing their instruments against it. Their eyes widened in horror before DJ turned towards the equally shocked Tribe Leaders, Tribe Amabassdors, and Lost Trolls and called out for them.
"Get out of the way!"
SNAP!
The screams of the crowd finally snapped the rival bands out of their Rock-N-Roll-induced trance as they gasped in shock as they all hastily scrambled for cover, DJ snatching up CJ and Val pulling Melody along with her.
"Look out!"
CRASH!
As the group from the library rushed back to the heart of the village toward the commotion, their eyes were not ready for the sight that awaited them. In a scene that eerily resembled the attack on Pop Village a few months before, the celebratory welcoming party was in ruins, but thankfully not beyond the point of repair. The Tribe Leaders, the Tribe Ambassadors, and the Lost Trolls were making sure nobody was hurt and everybody was safe. The Snack Pack and the Rock Troll Delegates (as well as Riff, Carol, and Sid Fret) could look on at the damage they caused in sorrow and guilt; they did not anyone (rival or not) to get seriously injured in the rock battle.
Noticing this, Branch carefully handed Poppy off to Adora and Catra before sprinting over.
"What happened here?"
"Miss Suki and Miss Thundershock were both engaging in a rock battle," Priscilla responded, "and it resulted in the whole stage crashing down."
"I'm so sorry, Branch," DJ apologized, "Things just got...a little out of hand."
"A little?" Val angrily stomped over as she pulled Melody along, much to her chagrin, "You nearly got us killed, Sabrina!"
"It's Suki," DJ gritted her teeth, "and I swear to all those who are listening that we are not that aggressive! We were just pretending to be Rockers and..."
"Pretending?" Val's anger almost went through the roof, "I knew it. This was just a big show to fake me out, right?"
"Val, that's not true," Branch stepped forward, "I'm sure what they were trying to do was make a good impression on you and the Rock Delegates."
"And we wouldn't necessarily call it "putting on a show"," Chenille attempted to clarify, "I would say it's more like..."
"Giving you a cupcake!" Guy Diamond jumped in, "like we're doing with the rest of the Ambassadors!"
"NO!" The Snack Pack, Tiny Diamond and Legsly included, hushed the Glitter Troll before anything else could be revealed, but the damage was already done. The Ambassadors gasped even though they had no idea what the phrase exactly meant, though the implications to them were not in the favor.
"I...don't understand," Synth tilted his head.
"Perhaps I can shed some light on the situation?" Laguna floated forward, "It would seem that Poppy's entourage merely posed as Rock Trolls in order to make the Rock Troll Delegates and, by extension, the rest of the Rock Trolls feel right at home."
"And it would also seem that while the plan worked on paper," Minuet understood, "it ultimately missed the execution."
"In any case," Val shook her head in disapproval, "Melody and I are both leaving."
"Val, wait!" Melody turned towards her older cousin, "Why are you making it seem that this entire mess is their own fault? If anything, you need to bear some responsibilty as well! This is your fault as much as theirs!"
Her eyes widened, Val turned towards her younger cousin, "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Even since you came here with us, you've acted rude, reclusive, and arrogant!" Melody blew her stack, "The only reason DJ Suki and the others "put on a show" was because you were the only one of the Ambassadors who wasn't having a good time! They were trying to earn your trust and respect, and yet you still won't budge! Why can't you trust them? Is it because they're Pop Trolls?"
Val did not have a response for a moment, but she eventually shot back, "It was like Barb said during her World Tour: Pop Trolls were responsible for the separation of the tribes simply because their ambition outgrew theirs, including our own! Pop Trolls are nothing but tyrants! Overlords! Fearmongers! And now our Queen Barb, the one Troll who led us through thick and thin, decides to just up and let bygones be bygones?"
"You're missing the point, Val," Barb approached Branch's side as she crossed her arms, "I didn't choose to do it on the fly. Even I was hesitant to forgive the Pop Trolls for what they've done, and it took me time to make a choice. Either let the cycle continue or make amends."
"Tyrants? Overlords? Fearmongers?" Melody could only gawk in utter disbelief at Val, a far cry from the tough but kindhearted guardian she'd known throughout her life, "If that is how you see the Pop Trolls...then I guess I'm a tyrant, overlord, and fearmonger as well, right?"
"What? No..." Val shook her head, "N-No! No one is calling you any of those!"
"Except you," Melody asserted, "I may be one of you in the present, but I haven't forgotten my past, Val. But you as hell sure did."
It was then that Val realized the mistake she had made.
Am I really that blind and selfish?
"Is it true?"
Everybody turned to find Poppy sauntering away from Adora and Catra in order to hear the truth for herself.
"Were you not enjoying your time here, Val?"
"N-No," Val hung her head in shame, "but I swear it had nothing to do with you directly. It wasn't your fault."
"Yes," Poppy shook her head in disagreement, "It actually was."
Everybody stared at her wide-eyed, waiting for an explanation.
"As the new Queen of the Pop Trolls, it's my duty to ensure the wellbeing of not just my subjects, but those from the other Tribes as well. To see to their needs and/or wants. You see...this was all my idea. I just wanted to perfect the unification of the Troll Tribes and prove that the Pop Trolls had changed a great deal since the String War's beginning. I just wanted...to right the wrongs of the past...in order to save the present."
Poppy's mood suddenly and considerably darkened as her mind wandered off to areas that were as such. The idea of TrollsTopia stemmed from the events of the World Tour, in which she and Barb prominently partook in. The latter wanted to unite the Strings and "destroy" the world, the former wanted to unite the Leaders and "save" it. They both wished to bring together the Troll Tribes once more, but they both had different methods of doing so. Poppy believed Pop was the best musical genre, while Barb saw Rock as such. Despite their key differences, the two Queens could not be any more similar...and it sickened her to no end.
Their goals and means to an end led to pain and suffering for all Tribes: both sides of the conflict and all those caught in the crossfire. Barb turned nearly all of her friends and closest allies into Rock Zombies, and Poppy had destroy the Guitar housing the Six Strings to restore everything normal...and died as a result.
"Poppy...?"
"Poppy...!"
"Poppy!"
Poppy was pulled out of her deep, dark thoughts by Branch, whom she was brought face-to-face by.
"Hmm?"
"Are you okay? You're...grey."
Turning back to her hands, Poppy saw that they both tinted with the same ash-like color from before, having spread throughout her body. She glanced up to find her hair was fifty shades darker, specifically lead with a hint of charcoal. As she did, everybody murmured in shock, sadness, and uneasiness, with the other non-Pop Trolls wondering if she had lost her music once more.
Poppy seemed resigned to her state, viewing it as a mere annoyance.
"Oh..."
ZAP!
"AAAHHH!"
Suddenly, the same electrical jolt from before surged throughout her body, causing her to cry out in pain and catching the attention of those around her.
"Poppy?!" Branch was the first to rush to her aid, followed by Adora, Catra, the Snack Pack, and the Tribe Leaders, "Poppy, what's wrong?"
While the crowd gathered in a circle in order to try and find out what was happening to the Pop Queen, Queen Essence and King Quincy stopped them in their tracks. Furthermore, the Troll Ambassadors and the Lost Trolls did their best to keep them back as Dr. Plum and Dr. Moonbloom arrived and Branch cupped her face so her eyes were focused on her eyes.
"Give Queen Poppy some space!" King Quincy bellowed.
ZAP!
"Poppy, look at us!"
ZAP!
"Poppy, talk to us!"
ZAP!
"Poppy, focus on us!"
ZAP!
"Poppy!"
ZAP!
"Poppy!"
ZAP!
"Poppy!"
The voices of her friends and loved ones in her head became...
. . .
Became...
. . .
Became...
. . .
Muddled...
. . .
Rattled...
. . .
Jumbled...
. . .
. . .
. . .
J-Jumbled?
. . .
. . .
. . .
J-Jumbled!
. . .
For a moment, there were nothing.
. . .
Nothing but silence.
. . .
Absolute silence.
. . .
The next moment...
. . .
A scream to break it.
. . .
"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!"
Branch, the Snack Pack, the Tribe Leaders, the Troll Ambassadors, and the Lost Trolls immediately recoiled at Poppy's ear-splitting scream, covered their own ears and eyes in distress. Everybody else watched as Poppy began to glow a bright color, shifting back and forth from white to pink to even gold. It was a visually-stimulating phenomenon that Branch eventually noticed and prompted him to rush forward and try to help her, despite not knowing what to do at this point. He never got the chance as Poppy started now to levitate and rise in mid-air, her glow becoming increasingly frantic and brighter by the minute. For a split second, the three primary colors crawled to a stop before engulfing the Pop Queen in a coccoon of some sort, which subsequently exploded after another split second.
Her "transformation" process now complete, a still unconscious yet more calm Poppy floated back down to the ground, laying on her back as the colors disappeared. While she was no longer grey, there was a substantial difference between her former appearance and her present appearance. Her mother's dress remained relatively intact, but the shades of blue were significantly darkened; the headband she wore now resembled her usual one with the blue flowers, but in place of the central large dark blue flower or Magnolia/Betel leaves, five thin, sharp cones gave the appearances of the Devil's horns. Her skin complexion was pink, but it was bubble gum in the past, rose in the present. Her hair was magenta in the past...a variety of colors in the present.
Blue...
. . .
Purple...
. . .
Yellow...
. . .
Orange...
. . .
Red...
. . .
...and Pink...
Approaching first, Branch knelt down and gently caressed Poppy's face.
"Poppy...?"
"YODEL-LAY-HEE-HOO!"
Everybody, Branch included, looked up to find a group of Trolls fast approaching the entry line of Pop Village. Even from a far distrance, he immediately recognized them.
"The Bounty Hunters!"
"Ambush!" Tresillo called out.
"The Party Crashers!" Wani added.
"They're coming this way!" Hickory shouted.
The crowd of Trolls began to panic, the Pop Trolls remembering all too well the last time they went up against the Bergens' bloodthristy blood relatives. While they were brave, the only reason they managed to survive against the Party Crashers was because of Poppy and Branch's quick thinking, Biggie's renewed resolve, and an atoning Archer...with a little help from an annoyed pissed Peter. In other words, sheer dumb luck.
Glancing around, Branch spotted Tug Duluth nearby helping Gia Grooves and Milton Moss working to gather the younger children and assauge their fears.
"Tug! Tug!"
Upon hearing her name, the orange-skinned Pop Troll made her way to the Survivalist Troll.
"I need your help."
"What do you need?"
"I need you to take everybody to my bunker."
"What are you going to do?"
"I'm going to stay with the Tribe Leaders and give everybody a chance to take shelter."
"I can help you."
"You already are. Help them."
Tug nodded and ran back to Milton and Gia, informing them of the plan. The three of them led the massive crowd of Trolls to the safety of Branch's bunker with the help of the Ambassadors.
Meanwhile, Adora and Catra readied their weapons the same time as the Tribe Leaders readied their group of warriors to hold the line. Specifically, Delta Dawn and Hickory helped the Country Trolls ready their shotguns and lever-action rifles; King Quincy, Queen Essence, and Prince D helped the Funk Trolls ready their hoverboards and bass guitars; and Barb, Riff, Carol, Sid Fret, and Creek helped the Rock Trolls ready their assault rifles and combat knives.
To Branch's surprise, the Lost Trolls prepped out weapons of their own and passed some to the Bounty Hunters. Before he could question it, an explosion rocked the entire area, catching everybody off guard.
"They're here..." Branch murmured, "Everybody, move!"
As the rumbling and yells grew louder and louder, the remaining Trolls braced for impact as the Party Crashers swarmed Pop Village like bees to their hive. The Snack Pack, the Tribe Leaders, and the Lost Trolls charged into battle and engaged the Party Crashers, smug pride and bloodthirsty reveling being their main traits. As the two sides fought each other, Branch and Hickory raced to get Poppy to safety, only to get tackled by a couple of Party Crashers whom they did battle with.
As they did so, Poppy began to regain consciousness and take notice of her surroundings.
W-What's going on...?
Upon spotting the battle occurring nearby, her eyes widened as she attempted to stand up and join her allies. However, the prior pain from the electrical jolts prevented her from doing so. At that moment, the corpse of a Party Crasher fell down just a few feet from where she laid. Eyeing the enemy's weapon, a blood-stained machete, she mustered any remaining strength she had to crawl over and take a grasp of it.
"Queen Poppy! There she is!"
Poppy stood up much more quickly, using the machete as a crutch before running as fast as she could. This action attracted the attention of Branch and Hickory, who chased after them. The Pop Queen ran towards the outskirts of Pop Village, where she eventually reached the cliffside and left her with nowhere to run. With no other choice, she ran back and hid in plain sight, waiting until one of the heavy-set Party Crashers emerged while wielding a giant club. The moment his fellow Party Crashers showed up was the moment Branch and Hickory did as well. The both of them fought the enemy group, managing to overwhelm them before the heavy-set Party Crasher swung his club, prompting them to jump out of the way. When his back was turned, Poppy used her hair to form a lasso around his neck and swing up to grab on to his head, causing him to flail around aimlessly.
"Poppy!" Branch's eyes widened along with Hickory's.
"Run..." Poppy called out to them both before impaling the Party Crasher through the head, causing him to scream in pain and stumble toward the ledge. One more step back, and they both tumbled over.
"POPPY!"
Poppy herself spared Branch and Hickory one more glance before turning back to continue her mid-air fight with the Party Crasher, who lunged at her. Hesitating for a moment, the Pop Queen pulled out the machete and proceeded to stab him until she was certain he was...dispatched. Peering over his shoulder and gaping at the distance between them and the ground, she nervously gulped and held on tight to the corpse.
Even if I use my hair, it wouldn't be able to either slow the fall or break it.
Her breathing hitching within her throat, Poppy closed her eyes and counted down toward the ground.
10...
. . .
9...
. . .
8...
. . .
7...
. . .
6...
. . .
5...
. . .
4...
. . .
3...
. . .
2...
. . .
1...
. . .
SPLASH!
("Addict" by Silva Hound, Michael Kovach, & Kelly "Chi-Chi" Boyer) [Lyrical Cover by Anthony Ramos & Anna Kendrick]
The Techno Trolls were confused as to why the music stopped for the second time tonight. Bliss Marina and Techno Beat Drop Button were both convinced that they underwent preparations to prevent this from happening again. However, they were caught off guard when King Trollex and Queen Poppy appeared behind them, scaring them out of their wits and into the crowd (not really).
The former now had pink skin; green eyes with pink pupils; yellow, red, and pink bands on both arms; and numerous colors dripping from his face to give off a bleeding vibe. The latter now had blue skin; yellow eyes with pink pupils; blue, purple, and yellow bands on both arms; and a green headband with glowing blue seashells.
Trollex swam circles around Poppy, who swooned as her lover teased her so slightly.
[Verse 1: Michael Kovach/Anthony Ramos with Chi-Chi/Anna Kendrick]
'Til death do us part
But we're already past that phase
This is a brand new start
And I think I deserve some praise
For the way that I am
Poppy attempted to reach out for Trollex, who merely avoided her with every chance he got.
For the way that I am
Despite having overdosed
And ending up comatose
Was he doing this for the song or on purpose?
I don't give a damn
I've let my emotions go
Fuck being a sober hoe
Trollex playing hard to get, huh? We'll see about that...
This is the mantra
This is my life
You're playing with now
'Til the end of the night
Surrounded by fire
The passion ignites
A hit of that Heaven and Hell
A hell of a high
The passion indeed igniting, Poppy took the opportunity to snatch Trollex's free hand and pull him into a loving embrace.
[Chorus: Michael Kovach/Anthony Ramos & Chi-Chi/Anna Kendrick]
I'm addicted to the madness, this hotel is my Atlantis
We're forever gonna have a fucking reason to sin
Let me leave my soul to burn and I'll be breathing it in
I'm addicted to the feeling, getting higher than the ceiling
And we're never gonna want this fucking feeling to end
Just concede and give in to your inner demons again
The two Trolls smirked before turning to lead the crowd into a synchronized jump.
[Drop]
Poppy and Trollex spun each other in circles, prompting the crowd to mimic them. The latter spun the former around while slipping on a pair of headphones with a built-in microphone in time for Verse 2.
[Verse 2: Chi-Chi/Anna Kendrick with Michael Kovach/Anthony Ramos]
Yeah, you fell in love
But you fell deeper in this pit
While death rains from above
So count your blessings 'cause this is it
Poppy's lovesick feelings suddenly turned just sick...
You're not letting it go
So what if I misbehave?
It's what everybody craves
...for she could relate to these sickening feelings all too well.
You already know
So, come if you're feeling brave
And fancy yourself a mate
Did it really matter in the end, however?
You want it
I got it
See what you like?
We could have it all by the end of the night
Your money and power
My sinful delight
A hit of that Heaven and Hell
A hell of a high
Poppy had Trollex.
Trollex had Poppy.
They both had the music.
The music had them both.
[Chorus: Both, Michael Kovach, Chi-Chi]
I'm addicted to the madness, this hotel is my Atlantis
We're forever gonna have a fucking reason to sin
Let me leave my soul to burn and I'll be breathing it in
I'm addicted to the feeling, getting higher than the ceiling
And we're never gonna want this fucking feeling to end
Just concede and give in to your inner demons again
The two Trolls clamped each other's hands and floated around in circles, Bliss awaiting the signal to drop the beat once more.
The crowd began to become worked up again.
The rhythm of the night should've lasted longer...but such is the price of an addict.
Just concede and give in to your inner demons again
Using Techno Beat Drop Button, Bliss finally dropped the beat...
[Drop]
...and the crowd absolutely lost their minds, their cheers reaching the surface.
With a little help, Poppy and Trollex fell into a loving embrace and finished the song the same way they started it.
[Outro: Michael Kovach & Chi-Chi]
I'm addicted to the feeling
Getting higher than the ceiling
And we're never gonna want this fucking feeling to end
Just concede and give in to your inner demons again
The rhythm of the night indeed should've lasted just a little longer...but such is the price of an addict...
"Just concede and give in to your inner demons again..."
. . .
. . .
. . .
Where...
Where am I?
Poppy's eyes fluttered open, greeted by a big, bright blue sky. Before she could get accustomed to it, she noticed that she was lying on something...wet. Slowly sitting up and glancing over her shoulder, she found a puddle that stretched for a thousand miles or more and surrounded the entire landscape. She was also surprised to learn that she wasn't entirely drenched despite laying in the same spot for presumably so long.
A feeling of deja vu washed over her as Poppy realized where she was.
I'm in...the Space Between again.
Her thoughts immediately went to her mother, whom she believed held the answers to her questions. Remembering which path to take the last time she was here, she headed North instead of South and sure enough, her mother was standing in the same spot, staring at the same bright light behind the same clouds far away from them and the same large abyss that made up the space between.
Approaching with caution, Poppy stood beside her and scanned her from head to toe.
"Mom?"
Queen Peony glanced up from her daze and down to her daughter, flashing her a warm smile.
"Hello, Poppy. It's been a long time."
"It's actually been a few months in real time."
"Still longer than expected. What brings you back to the Space Between?"
Poppy's mood slightly darkened, "Pop Village was under attack by the Party Crashers, and I fell off a cliff saving Branch and Hickory. I think I landed in the water afterwards. I... I made a mistake. I figured that by uniting the Troll Tribes, things would get better. I forgot to take into account that other Trolls or non-Trolls wouldn't be too happy about it. What's worse is that...I couldn't do anything about it. For some reason, I keep having these panic attacks."
Peony tilted her head in intrigue, "What kind of panic attacks?"
ZAP!
Before Poppy could answer, the same electrical jolt surged through her body once more, causing her to cry out in pain once more. While briefly fazed, Peony maintained a stoic resolve as her hands glowed a light blue color and reached out to Poppy, whose mild cries devolved into soft whimpers. They cupped her face and shifted it to face Peony's, whose comforting warmth increased over seeing the state of her loved one.
"Breathe, little one," Peony instructed, "and breathe slowly..."
Doing as her mother told her, Poppy's breathing, while initially labored, became concentrated with every second. Meanwhile, the energy from Peony's hands flowed throughout her body, serving as an antidote for the symptoms brought about by the electrical jolts. After a moment, Peony pulled away and continued smiling at Poppy, who sighed in relief.
"Feel better?"
"Much better. What did you do?"
Examining her daughter more clearly now, Peony took into account her outfit, her skin, her eyes (which consisted of, now that they were open, amber/gold/honey yellow sclera with cerise/magenta/ruby pink irises), and especially her hair, which glowed sapphire blue, amethyst purple, topaz yellow, jasper orange, ruby red, and rose pink in every direction. Her calm and collected demeanor almost faltered upon the last sight, but firmness remained.
"I gave you enough time. Come. We must gather with the former Tribe Leaders at once."
Without waiting, Peony bridal carried Poppy in her arms and glided over into the clouds, transporting both to the Space Between.
Much like her previous visit, the city saw its citizens going about their daily business, but they almost dropped everything and greeted Peony with excitement and concern. They began to ask questions involving the poor state of Poppy, but the High Queen maintained her relaxed nature.
"People of the Space Between, my daughter's second visit to the Space Between was quite unexpected. It's imperative that she acquires proper rest and rehabilitation until further notice. Send word to the former Tribe Leaders and have them meet me at the Royal Castle."
The Trolls nodded and chattered in enthusiasm and understanding before rushing to perform their respective duties. Peony continued to glide towards the castle until she reached the front entrance, where two royal guards awaited.
"Take my daughter to the rehabilitation center and have Sophie and Turner run a diagnostic on her; she appears to be suffering from Glitching. And have Royal Guards surround the castle."
"And if intruders try to intrude?" Jackson, the male Royal Guard, tilted his head.
"Dispose of them...violently."
"Don't worry, Queen Peony," Christine, the female Royal Guard, took Poppy from her Queen, "Your daughter is in safe hands."
"I hope so. Move quickly."
The two Royal Guards simultaneously nodded and took off, Jackson drawing his 3rd Generation Glock 17 to provide Christina some back-up fire.
As they arrived, the former K-Pop Leader and her mentor, a blue-and-yellow stripped Funk Troll with yellow tinsels, red glasses, and a blue-and-white lab coat looked up from their work to find two of the former Pop Queen's Royal Guards carrying her daughter.
"Queen Poppy!" Sophie gasped in shock, "What has happened to her?"
"The Queen has stated that her daughter may be suffering from Glitching," Christine explained as she carefully laid Poppy on a nearby surgical table, "She has instructed that you and Turner run a diagnostic or two on her."
"I don't know what happened," Poppy groaned, "All I was doing was reading about Grey Trolls."
"Why?" Jackson tilted his head again.
"A few months after Queen Barb's World Tour, I wanted to unite the Troll Tribes without completely forcing them. It was supposed to be a social experiment that promoted friendship and harmony with an open mind. The current Tribe Leaders didn't have to stay; they would choose and send Troll Delegates in their place. It was working for the most part, but..."
"But what?" Sophie urged her to continue.
"But... I couldn't help but feel sad about it. I never knew about the Troll Tribes and the history of our separation, and when I did... I felt guilty. And then I started to turn grey, but not completely."
"What stopped you?" Turner glanced between Poppy and his clipboard.
"I thought about my loved ones. My friends, my family, and..."
. . .
"Branch. The one person who stood beside me during my World Tour. Who steered me in the proper direction. Who...loved me more than I loved myself."
. . .
. . .
. . .
Poppy turned to Sophie, who, along with the other Trolls in the room, stared at her in stunned silence.
"What is it?"
"Poppy... Wasn't your hair pink the last time you visited? And...not glowing?"
Her eyebrows knitting together in confusion, Poppy looked up to see that Sophie's assumption was correct. Her hair was no longer only pink, but blue, purple, yellow, orange, and red were also thrown in the mix. Her strands were also glowing brighter than they should've.
"Yeah..."
"That's what I thought," Sophie nodded gravely, "I...I think I know what's happening, or happened, to you...and it's not good."
A few hours later, many of the former Tribe Leaders were gathered in the conference room, engaging in small yet tense conversations over being summoned on such short notice.
"Peony," Queen Aretha spoke, "Why have you summoned us so suddenly?"
"My fellow Tribe Leaders," Peony effectively silenced every occupant in the room, "My daughter has transported to the Space Between once again. Pop Village has been attacked...by the Bergens' blood relatives, known as the Party Crashers."
Gasps and cries of shock and outrage filled the former silence as the former Tribe Leaders attempted to process these horrible news.
"Is she herself all right?" Governess Nina inquired.
"Far from it at the moment," Peony shook her head, "She appears to be suffering from Glitches of electricity throughout her body."
"Caused by the destruction of the Strings no doubt," King Bowie deduced.
"Perhaps, perhaps not. According to her, a few months have passed following Queen Barb's World Tour, and the Glitches have not been acting up until recently."
"So why now?" Major Tom questioned, "Why not a few more days after?"
"The possibility remains that the reaction may have been a delayed one," Mayor Dolly assessed, "Or that Poppy herself may be a late bloomer in terms of acquiring power and abilities similar to our own."
"Or powers and abilities more powerful than our own," Sheriff John evaluated.
"Much more powerful..." Uncle Flynn concurred.
"I'm afraid that all of our conclusions may end up being proved correct," Rey Alejandro realized gravely.
"Shall we wait until Queen Poppy awakens to see for ourselves?" Reina Carolina suggested.
"Queen Poppy is already awake."
The Tribe Leaders turned to find Poppy herself approaching with Sophie, Jackson, Christine, and Turner. The Pop Queen seemed a bit on edge, but considering her current situation, they really couldn't blame her.
"Christine," Trollkovsky perked up, "How pleasant of you to visit."
"Save it your chivalry for someone worth caring, Trollkovsky," Christine snarked, "Besides, I work here, remember?"
"You barely work here, Christine," Jackson rolled his eyes.
"My point still stands here."
Some of the Tribe Leaders chuckled in amusement while Trollkovsky mildly humphed.
"Queen Peony," Sophie elbowed the both of them, "Turner and I did as you requested, and Poppy has recovered for the most part. However..."
"What is it?" Peony approached, "What have you discovered?"
Hesitant to deliver the news, Sophie turned to Poppy, who gently nodded.
"Well..." Sophie began and adjusted her glasses, "The numbers we calculated are off the charts, dangerously close to skyrocketing to levels we've never seen before. Apparently, she's acquired telekinesis, telepathy, a healing factor, and extrasensory perception as of now when we ran the tests on her."
"However..." Turner added as he flipped a page on his clipboard, "when placed under heavy emotion such as anger and sadness, her powers tend to...become uncontrollable. Given the proper treatment such as therapy, meditation, or a clear mind, though, I believe that her powers can be utilized to her allies' benefit."
"So..." Major Tom rubbed his chin, "Poppy's now a superpower lottery. A story-breaker power. A...God-Mode Sue."
"A double-edged sword for sure," King James shrugged, "But how? How could she acquired such powers in such a short amount of time?"
"The Strings..." Poppy murmured under her breath, but loud enough for the Tribe Leaders to hear, "Mom... Do you think whatever is happening...or has happened...or me has to do with the destruction of the Strings?"
"I afraid so, my dear," Peony nodded sadly, "A wise person once said that power cannot be created or destroyed; it can only be transformed or transferred from one form to another. The night you destroyed the Strings was the night you also transferred its power to your body...and maybe more..."
Taking her mother's words into consideration, Poppy examined herself from top to bottom, taking a long look at her hair.
Of course! It makes sense now. Why did I recognize it earlier? Blue is Techno, Purple is Funk, Yellow is Classical, Orange is Country, Red is Rock, and Pink is Pop. Man, I'm slow.
The doors leading to the Conference Room suddenly flew open, and a group of familiar and unfamiliar group of Trolls made their presence known.
"Prince James?" Poppy and Peony exclaimed in surprised unison.
"Wait, Mom, you know him?" Poppy turned to her mother.
"I do, much to my own amazement," Peony turned to her daughter, "Prince James, what are you doing here?"
"In fact, how are you doing here?" Major Tom raised an eyebrow.
Amy flashed a wristwatch-like device that glowed electric blue with an accompanying smirk, "It's a fully functional pocket-sized Multi-Universe Transprojector. It helps you get where and when in the universe you need or want to be without putting up with the hassles of the how and why. You're welcome."
"No thanks to you," Tessa shook her head, "We nearly got separated numerous times. We had to use our hair to keep ourselves from drifting away."
"Have you tried using rope instead to perserve your hair's strength?" Poppy proposed.
Amy opened her mouth to counter her statement, but she had no such counterarguments, "Huh. That's...actually not a bad idea. Why didn't we think of that before?"
"I'm sure you tried."
"Prince James, why are you here?" Peony repeated her question.
"Because we were assigned to protect your daughter," James replied, "and we ended up here after seeing Poppy fall down to...wherever we are."
"Assigned to protect me? By whom?" Poppy tilted her head.
Exchanging uncertain looks amongst his group, James turned back to Poppy and sighed.
"By you, Your Majesty..."
Surveying the damage from far, the Captain's crewmates cringed, winced, and even vomited at the sight of the deceased Party Crashers. The Captain herself was equal parts agitated and impressed by the amount of carnage brought upon by the Pop Trolls. To think that the most peaceful and weak of the Troll Tribes would put up a fierce fight when push came to shove.
Even the Smooth Jazz and the Yodeling Tribes couldn't compare in terms of a dog's bite.
"Boss..." A lone Techno Troll stammered, "This is gonna be harder than we thought."
"A lot harder," Her husband concurred.
"So it may seem..." The Captain agreed, much to the surprise of her crew, "...but it would seem that the Pop Trolls have fled from their home and sought refuge elsewhere. Set a course."
"To where, Captain?" A Country Troll manned the wheel.
"Home...because that's where the battle is."
As the Country Troll turned the steering wheel, the Captain gazed into the moonlight, remarking its beauty for a brief moment before returning back to her quarters.
The moonlight is most beautiful when looking from an outsider's perspective. Elegance at its finest...and its worst.