"DJ's group is in Dragon City?"
Branch spared glances between a letter in his possession and the very furry creatures who delivered it to him (and, by extension, the rest of the Tribe Leaders and Ambassadors, who were in the room with him). The creature was called a Dijiang or Hundun, and they had six feet, four iridescent wings, and no visible face. They both chirped and yipped happily, albeit in a way that gave hints that the letter they were delivering was to be read with the utmost of urgency. He was reading the first sentence before Quincy and Essence peered over his shoulders, the former reading the next before the latter.
"They had previously stopped by Latin City and recruited Chancellor Diogo and Princess Dulce."
"Now they are stopped by Dragon City to recruit Empress Sun Lien."
"And who in the hay is Sun Lien?" Delta Dawn frowned in uncertainty over the authenticity of the letter.
"Judging by her title," Laguna Tidepool adjusted her glasses, "She may be the ruler of Dragon City, a Tribe Leader in her own right. And a very powerful one."
"Did the letter mention anything about Poppy?" Holly peered over her shoulder.
Skimming through the paragraphs and pinpointing a few specific words, Branch sighed.
"They haven't seen her, but they're willing to help expand the search."
"What about Melody?" Val squeezed past Holly and Laguna, "Is she there with them?"
Repeating his earlier actions, Branch nodded this time.
"Melody's with DJ and King Trollex...and so is CJ, Keith, Priscilla, Coral Blush, Clampers, the younger Carol, Gemma, and Tiny Diamond."
Rereading the paragraph written by Melody, Branch handed the letter over to her older cousin.
"Val...I think this is something you need to read."
A bad feeling rising in the pit of her chest, Val gingerly took the letter and, as the rest of the Leaders and Ambassadors slightly surrounded her, read her younger cousin's section for herself.
Val... You're probably wondering why I suddenly disappeared on the first night of TrollsTopia. It wasn't because I was angry or ashamed over your actions, although I would like to think I should share some of the blame. It's just...ever since my dad died and my mom was placed in intensive care, you've been acting overprotective. While you're on the way to realize that Pop Trolls are not as bad as you think and say, you being placed in the new position as the Ambassador of the Rock Trolls, has given you a new responsibility and some time for me to think. It's dawned upon me that everyone has a part to play in the story unfolding here, which is why I'm writing this letter to you and the rest of the Tribe Leaders and Ambassadors.
Realizing what she was trying to do, Val spotted a nearby lit lamp, snatched it up, and hovered the letter over the light. In a moment, another section was unveiled to her and the group.
It turns that there was an ancient race of Trolls that existed decades– perhaps centuries – ago in the past. They were called the Magical Musical Trolls. They existed the same time as the main Troll Tribes and could control a certain essential aspect of existence reflected in them. Pop represents Reality, Funk represents Space, Classical represents Time, Techno represents Mind, Country represents Soul, and Rock represents Power. They were deemed extinct due to natural causes, but we learned from the Latin Trolls that they were executed due to the ancestors deeming them...an "abomination" or a "disgrace". There is only one Magical Musical Troll left by the name of Agatha. It also turns out that the Party Crashers are working with the Chanty Trolls in order to find the Six Strings, unaware that they were destroyed by Poppy. Wherever she is, they may be after her next since they captured the Latin Trolls and possibly the Rock Trolls as well. Val...there's something big about to go down, so you, the Leaders, and the Ambassadors had better be careful.
Exchanging nervous and uncertain glances amongst each other, King Quincy and Queen Essence were the ones who felt fear and dread the most. It was a pair of glances that their two sons noticed.
"Mom? Dad?" Cooper approached their parents first, "Do you know who the Chanty Trolls are?"
Queen Essence nodded, "Unfortunately, yes, we do. The Chanty Trolls are a large gang of violent pirates who are rather infamous for kidnapping their victims and never returning them."
"We were lucky to prevent our people from being the next of many," King Quincy stood beside his wife, "But we prayed for the fates of the other Trolls that were kidnapped."
"I think I remember a fair few of these Chanty Trolls," Gust rubbed his chin, "I used to think of them as myths or bedtime stories."
"You mean, all those bedtime stories my parents told me..." Holly tilted her head, "...were all real?"
"Yes, they're very much real," Minuet Sonata nodded her head, "And from what I can tell, many of our own kind...our own Tribes...have aligned themselves with the Chanty Trolls. Some by force, others by consent. And we were all too weak and powerless to stop it from happening."
"That's...that's horrible," Holly shook her head and placed her hand over her chest, "We can't just let this keep happening! They must be stopped! As an Ambassador of TrollsTopia, we need to fight against these pirates!"
"True," Prince D nodded before adding, "But these particular pirates are pretty violent. Their technology is very advanced despite being a group of supposed mindless marauders."
"Darnell is right," Rhythm concurred, "The technology in Vibe City has, at the very least, reached a level where it is advanced enough to where we can put up an evenly-matched fight."
"As for you guys..." Blues sighed before shaking her head, "Well, there is absolutely no way in the Underworld you could stand up to them, even if we all joined forces."
"Come to think of it," Trollzart rubbed his own chin, "In the months leading to the unveiling of TrollsTopia, I have spotted small ships soaring around our territory. They have backed off prior to our arrival. We haven't been able to deduce the exact reason why they were interested in us, but Minuet came to the conclusion that it may involve the gems in our stomachs."
Becoming something of a character tic of hers, Laguna adjusted her glasses as she gave Trollzart's revelation a thought, "So what you're saying is...the Party Crashers are in cahoots with the Chanty Trolls. When they attacked, the majority of the Party Crashers specifically went after Poppy, but some also went after the Classical Trolls and some of the young Trollings as well. From what I can tell, the Party Crashers are not keen on following rules, making up their own as they go along. This in turn makes them as violent as the Chanty Trolls...perhaps even more so."
Branch's breath hitched before turning to face Laguna, "Assuming they haven't spotted them already, I'm assuming that the Chanty Trolls and the Party Crashers could be going after Suki, King Trollex, and the others as well."
"Well, we definitely need to pick up the pace," Barb turned toward Branch, "Branch, what's the play?"
"We know now where Suki's group is," Branch pulled out a map and began marking several different locations, "Knowing where they are exactly is the problem."
"Judging by the letter sent to us," Laguna glanced over his shoulder, "The group traveled to Volcano Rock City first before Latin City. Latin City is closest to Vibe City's location, and Vibe City is on the left of Dragon City, closest to Symphonyville. Given the tale of the Six Strings regaled to us, it would seem that they are essentially traveling in the reverse, passing by the other main tribes as they go."
"Then we follow the trail of their breadcrumbs as they go."
"And what about these...Magical Musical Trolls?" Val knitted her eyebrows, "Our history never mentioned their existence, not even once."
"I'll give them a check at the library when I can. Right now, our top priority is Suki's group."
From a corner watching them, Guy Diamond breathed a sigh of relief as Meadow Spriggs comfortly clutched his hand.
At least I know my son is alive...
The first thing Poppy noticed upon entering the dining room? The enchanting aroma of the food cooked for her, the Tribe Leaders, and the rest of her group, which soared beneath her and made it twitch in hungry anticipation. The second thing she noticed? The actual food itself, which was practically a greatest-hits buffet of all things Dragon City; the roster included (but not limited to) orange chicken, teriyaki chicken, cheese katsu, a layered dessert mainly consisting of gelatin, almond cookies, deep-fried bow ties, mochi ice cream, tea cookies, watermelon punch, sweet pancakes, red bean mochi, and (what else?) fortune cookies. Taking in the sight of the feast a bit too fast made the stomachs of Poppy and Mirabel grumble, but both hesitated and held back the urge to charge the table and dig in. It was only when Ying Wei shot them a look of amusement and made a slight gesture towards said table did they bolted faster than a bullet train to the food, helping each other serve each other with their plates and utensils. They were joined by Long and Ying's children, whom they helped at their insistence.
Shaking her head in amusement, Peony was met by Long Wei and Ying Wei on the way to their respective spots to the dining table.
"I wish I was there for your wedding and Poppy's subsequent birth, Peony," Ying sighed remorsefully.
"Don't blame yourself, Ying," Peony shook her head, "You and your husband falling to the horrors of war was not our own doing. You two were defending your kingdom and have defended it well."
"Not enough, I believe..." Ying lamented as her husband grasped her left hand with his right.
"Peony harbors a point, my love," Long comforted his wife, "We fought bravely. It was enough to save our kingdom."
"I suppose...but we never truly considered what we were willing to leave behind before arriving here..."
As Mirabel talked with Long and Ying's children and the rest of the group themselves shared a fair amount of small talk for the next two hours, Poppy could not help but listen to the short but meaningful conversations between husband and wife. It immediately, instinctively brought up memories with her and Branch. The island that would lead to Latin City was the place where he first confessed his true feelings for her. The confession was in the primary form of a love song written by himself, a gesture that she found very heartwarming and made herself wish the songs she would usually sing for him was as heartfelt as his one. That one song was somehow better than her few dozen.
Shaking her head for letting herself get distracted, Poppy saw her mother take the seat to her right and Long and Ying the seats in front of her with the rest of the Tribe Leaders. Mirabel found herself invested in the conversation between husband and wife, sadly remembering that she too was far from home much like her new friend.
"It's not your fault, Empress," Poppy smiled sadly, "At least you tried to defend your kingdom...unlike me..."
Peony, Mirabel, the Empress, and the Emperor looked up in surprise and shock at the blunt delivery of Poppy's statement saturated with sadness. They were surprised and shocked for two different reasons. The former two knew for a fact that the pressures of running a kingdom and the guilt of not properly protecting it was eating her alive, while the latter two had simply been revealed to the real reason of her presence in the Space Between.
"Dear Poppy..." Ying's eyes began to tear up, "Your kingdom fell?"
"I think so," Poppy shook her head, "but I'm not sure. It's why I'm here."
Feeling it best to show them rather than tell tem, Poppy took a deep breath and closed her eyes before reopening them to reveal their now glowing white color. Slowly levitating up from her seat, she raised her hands in a similar fashion and began lifting the subjects and objects in the room, which included the table, chairs, utensils, and even the occupants. They began slowly spinning around the dining room in a similar fashion to a tornado. Paul and Anna noticed that Poppy exhibited a more relaxed demeanor compared to the past times during her training, where she placed exclusive focus on the task at hand. Whereas her concentration was key to levitating the objects, she was far more calm during her current demonstration.
Perhaps too calm for the group's liking.
Long and Ying's offspring seemed to not mind in the slightest. Becoming acquainted with an outsider Troll with a similar power to their maternal aunt was not expected for the plan for tonight, but it was a welcome addition nonetheless. The ability to levitate meant they could float and soar around in zero gravity much like the tales told of a young Troll who refused to grow up. Not that the young Troll was considered an ideal role model, mind you.
Eventually, Poppy settled down and managed to place down everyone and everything safely back to their original positions before she herself floated back to her seat, rubbing her head as her eyes reverted to their normal color.
"Child..." Long spoke slowly, the shock settling in, "What has happened to you?"
"I was granted the power of the Six Strings...but not intentionally," Poppy sighed, "I destroyed the Strings a few months ago to stop a former villain from using it to rule the kingdom. I didn't think about the consequences of what would happen, though. It was just...a last-minute decision."
"Poppy..." It was Ying who spoke this time, "Are the power of the Strings...?"
"Transferred into me? It's like I said, it's why I'm here. I was transported here the first time after...I died. The second time was just recently after Pop Village was attacked."
"We made our first stop at Latin City," Peony interjected, "where Poppy first trained with her powers with the help of our friends Paul and Ana."
"And thus necessitating your next stop to Dragon City," Long nodded in understanding, "You wish to continue your daughter's training?"
"To help my daughter fight. Fight what is coming next."
Rubbing her chin in contemplation, Ying eventually turned her gaze to Mirabel.
"And you, child? What is your purpose in the Space Between?"
Caught stuffing her mouth with deep-fried bowties, Mirabel herself suffered the misfortune of chewing and gulping them down before giving an answer.
"Going home. I have a family in the living world. They're very special to me...even though some of them don't see me as special. My family was in danger of losing their magic so I wanted to set things right. I ended up here before I could. I just want a chance. A second chance."
Poppy placed a hand on Mirabel's shoulder and comforted her as she began to reminisce over the past events that led to her unexpected arrival in the Space Between.
"Hmm," Long chuckled before he slowly got up from his seat, "Funny you should mention it..."
"What?"
At that moment, a series of doors were summoned into the room, soaring around, although not to the point where the occupants were in imminent danger. Skimming the number, colors, and overall make of the doors, Long hummed when he spotted the one he wanted.
"Follow me."
Before they did, Mirabel and the Royal Children whined about the food before six waiters and six waitresses glided into the room with the intent of cleaning after their messes. Exchanging knowing glances with each other, they teamed up to snatch up any remaining food and pasteries for later before Peony urged them onward.
The moment the group entered the room, they found themselves adrift in a space-like environment, complete with shining stars, interstellar galaxies, and cosmic nebulas. Several different doors, serving as portals to an alternate dimension, were floating in a similar fashion as Long led the group to another. This time, the environment shifted from space to sea, the vast ocean setting giving Poppy subconscious reminders of the Space Between again. It reminded her of the Space Between if it was adorned with waterfalls, tidal waves, and a very powerful maelstrom. Conjuring an air bubble to protect the group from particularly strong currents, Ying helped Long lead the group more down the rabbit hole that was the free vortex. One bright flash of light later, and the group finally found themselves in the middle of a bamboo forest.
The bamboo forest eventually parted ways to forge a path for the group to pass through and they floated forward, an impromptu tour of the wildlife underway. Many of the mythological beasts inhabiting the pocket dimension included a flock of phoenixes with bird-like beaks and talons and long fiery wings in addition to an orange glow; horses with the face of a dragon, the antlers of a deer, turquoise scales, long scaly tails, and a blonde mane and beard; furry, faceless creatures with six feet, four iridescent wings, and a form of communication through chirps and yips; lion/mastiff-like creatures with two sharp tusks on their upper jaws; raccoon dogs with curved claws and shapeshifting abilities; turtle-like imps who lurked in the lakes and were constantly on the short end of the stick inflicted by the raccoon dogs; a creature with the body of a bear and the nose of an elephant; and a winged horse that could travel a thousand miles in a day.
One of the most recurring creatures was another shapeshifter, but one that took the primary form of a white, four-legged, nine-tailed fox. While nine seemed to be the highest number of tails these foxes could have, some also had ranges of three and four to six and seven all at once. Along with Long and Ying's children, Poppy, Mirabel, Paul, and Ana were wonderstruck and left touched at the heartfelt display of parent-and-child interaction.
However, Poppy spotted a single-tailed kit softly howling in distress, its parents visibly not around to tend to it, before curling up into a ball and expressing very low spirits. Her own heart now aching for the young fox, she broke away from the group and floated towards the kit to aid it. Crouching down and gently stroking its fur, its attention was grabbed and its behavior lifted somewhat at the sight of this unfamiliar Troll. Fascinated by her overall pink complexion, the kit nudged its head more into her stroking hand, making a sound and facial expression resembling joy.
Poppy giggled to herself as Ying eventually joined her.
"I see the young kit has taken a shine to you."
"Most definitely. Where are its parents?"
"They were the victims of an attack four to five moons ago, protecting its kin from intruders. Perhaps this is the reason for its quick attachment towards you."
Sparing a quick glance at the young kit, Poppy smiled and picked it up, holding it close to her. The young kit responded by burying its face into her chest.
"Does it have a name?"
"I'm not sure. Most of the animals here usually don't have a name to identify themselves. Most except the most important."
Poppy rubbed her chin.
"What are the Dragon City names for "fox"?"
""Húlijīng", "Jiǔwěihú", "Kitsune", "Kumiho" or "Gumiho", and "Hồ Ly Tinh" are six of many names harbored by the Dragon City citizens. But, if you wish to keep it simple, the term used by the founders of Pop is "Vulpine", derived from the "Vulpinus", itself derived from the term "vulpes"."
Poppy glanced at the young kit again, this time noticing its subtle eyelashes.
Vulpes...
. . .
Vulpinus...
. . .
Vulpine...
. . .
"Volpina?"
The young kit gekkered happily at the name choice, which in turn made Poppy and Ying laugh heartily and nod in agreement. Picking up Volpina and catching up with the rest of the group, Poppy had her attention grabbed by Ying, who gestured upward. Looking up at the hills, there stood a large temple surrounded by several two-story shacks. It was a village, one that was deemed important by Long and Ying for Poppy and the rest of the group to pay a visit at.
Many of the older occupants were training. Intensely training. Intensely training for a battle that seemed to be forthcoming. Donning multicolored training robes quite similar to the ones used by her and Branch during their HairJitsu sessions, each of their robes seemed to signify the diversity among the villagers and highlight their specific elemental roles through their color. Those who wore red handled fire, those who wore blue handled water, those who wore yellow handled earth, those who wore green handled wood, those who wore white handled metal, and those who wore cream/kavi handled air. Those who wore all of the colors handled all of the elements, and they handled them with aplomb.
Most of the villagers seemed content on training in the traditional manner, with swords, shields, staffs, spears, bows-and-arrows, and even their bare fists. Poppy instantly knew that, compared to the people of Latin City, the people of Dragon City were people to be feared and absolutely not meddled with. Watching a specific small group of Dragon Trolls watch their trainer perform a special display of fighting techniques, she tilted her head in confusion. For a moment, the trainer looked and sounded exactly like...
"Captain Karina?"
The Dragon Troll stopped in the middle of her teaching session upon hearing her name being uttered. Not anticipating how loud she may have uttered it, Poppy held her breath for a moment's notice before the Dragon Troll smiled warmly and glided over, but not before giving her class a hand gesture to continue practicing the given techniques on their own for the time being. She shook her head and laughed in the same warm manner.
"No, Queen Poppy," The Dragon Troll explained, "Captain Karina is merely an extension of myself across the Multiverse, one with a distinct name and personality. As such, I am Master Wai Lin..."
She then glanced over her shoulder to find the group approaching, "...and I see you have met my sister and her husband."
"Wait, Empress Ying is your sister?" Poppy gasped, "You're practically royalty!"
"Royalty can be overrated sometimes, dear, and leaves much to be desired," Wai Lin waved her surprise off, "Sometimes...a little peace and quiet is in the eye of the beholder."
"And here she is," Ying rolled her eyes, "My older sister in her natural habitat spouting her characteristic rapier-witty advice."
"And the world would not have it any other way," Wai Lin chuckled as her younger sister pulled her in for a warm hug, "How are you and Long?"
"Dear Lin," Long Wei bowed down in respect for his beloved's older sister, "We have been doing quite better in the years since, all thanks to you."
"Nonsense," Wai Lin shook her head again, "I merely gave you both the push. Now, what brings you here besides a friendly visit?"
"Perhaps an old friend?" Peony approached next, Wai Lin's already large smile growing wider as she pulled away from Ying to envelop her "old friend" in an equally warm hug. Taking a moment to examine her, it then occurred to Wai Lin that Peony would not be here if not for a dire emergency.
"Or perhaps a dire emergency, Peony?"
"I'm afraid so, Wai Lin. I thought it would be best to show you rather than tell you..."
Exchanging almost apologetic glances with her daughter, Poppy herself nodded and complied with Peony's implied command. Setting down Volpina, who scurried over to Ying's side, she closed her eyes and clasped her hands together. A minute later, she reopened her eyes to reveal their glowing white color, after which most of the objects surrounding her began lightly levitating. With each usage of her powers and abilities, however light or heavy, came her capability to remain completely calm and collected during her displays and demonstrations.
It seemed second nature to her despite only being a few weeks.
Eventually, Poppy reverted back to normal and she took deep breaths as her mother rubbed circles around her back. Amazingly, despite initially expressing surprise of her own, Wai Lin never reacted with shock and awe or horror and dread at the reveal of Poppy's profound powerset. She took the revelation in stride, rubbing her chin while contemplating her next course of action.
"I see then...we shall start training in the week after. Come."
"Wait," Poppy held out her arms for Volpina to dive back into, "If this is a dire emergency like my mom said, shouldn't I start training today or tomorrow at least?"
"I was going to say..." Mirabel spared a glance at the villagers, who had mostly returned to routine, "You guys seem...pretty dedicated around here."
"Perhaps," Wai Lin nodded before adding, "But I do not wish to rush you both in our accelerated combat training. Instead, I wish for you to grow accustomed to our literary methods first before engaging in our physical practices."
She then donned the same warm smile as she momentarily stopped and turned to face them, "Besides, getting acquainted to your fellow classmates and building deep trust among them is also essential."
Following Wai Lin to her group of students, Poppy and her group watched them train vigorously. One of the more proficient members of the group was a Dragon Troll who was perhaps younger than Poppy but older than Mirabel. She had light blue skin, long black hair, dark eyes, and a dark blue training robe with matching gloves; her primary weapon was a Balato sword with her secondary weapons, a pair of Kali sticks, were holstered in a small on her back. They watched as she effortlessly shredded through the training dummies as if they were nothing but negligible nuisances in the way of her goal, all the while donning a scornful scowl that cut her opponents down in the same manner.
In the eyes of everyone and anyone else (Poppy included), they saw a formidable warrior who took the form of a ticking time-bomb just aching to go off.
In the eyes of Mirabel Madrigal...she saw only a beautiful goddess.
"Oh, yeah. Pretty dedicated."
Noticing a drastic increase in her awkward demeanor due to the intensity of the Dragon Troll's training, Poppy smirked and whispered in Mirabel's ear.
"Emphasis on the pretty?"
"Definitely large emphasis on the–"
Her mind processing the words that were coming out of her own mouth, Mirabel's eyes widened as she used them to shoot Poppy a dirty look. The Pop Queen herself could only shrug and move forward with the faux intent of introducing herself. Mirabel hastily responded by tugging her back by the arm, perhaps a little too hard for Poppy's liking; she, in turn, responded by engaging in a "little" slapfight with her as the Lost Trolls tried to stop them from causing a disturbance in the village.
Their slapfight was eventually cut short by the intervention of Peony, who beckoned them over to meet with the group of students as she approached them herself. In an ironic twist of earlier events, Poppy had to tug Mirabel along due to the latter's hesistance on meeting them. No guesses as to the reason why.
"Pretty..." Peony murmured as a pink lotus flower flew down in a circular manner into her hand, "You must be Wai Lin's students. I must say all of you show talent and promise."
"Thank you, ma'am, but I'm not really the fighting type," One of the younger Trolls timidly took the compliment with a grain of salt. She had light red skin, black hair with red highlights, light brown eyes, silver glasses, and a dark red training robe; her primary weapon was a straight hardwood bo staff. The most distinct characteristic about her was her panda motif.
"I think you're making progress, Mei-Mei," The older Troll (the pretty formidable warrior/ticking time bomb) ruffled the younger Troll's hair, managing to elicit a giggle of delight from her before introducing herself, "We thank you, Your Majesty. I'm Raya, and this is my little "sister", Meilin or Mei-Mei for short. It's a pleasure to meet you."
Raya. . .
Her name echoed in the mind of Mirabel Madrigal as she and Poppy approached the group.
"The pleasure is all mine," Peony nodded as she introduced herself, Poppy, and Mirabel, "I'm Queen Peony of the Pop Trolls, and this is my daughter, Poppy, and her friend, Mirabel Madrigal. I suppose they will be your new training partners for the time being."
"About time!" Mei abruptly huffed in relief, "Raya's been beating my butt six ways to Sunday!"
"Well, even though you lose," Raya rubbed her chin as she contemplated, "it's not for lack of trying. Maybe you just need the proper motivation."
"Try us for example," Mirabel suggested, "Me and Poppy are just trying to find our way back home."
"Funny. That's what me and Mei are trying to do."
"You two are from the world of the living as well?" Poppy asked.
"Not just from the world of the living," Raya nodded, "but another universe. Where I come from, humans and dragons co-exist in harmony...well, used to co-exist in harmony."
"Where I come from," Mei concurred, "I can transform into a red panda. In fact, the female members of my family can transform into red pandas. My mom said it's a blessing, but I kinda saw it as an inconvenience until now."
"Well, I don't think it's an inconvenience, Mei," Poppy attempted to cheered her up, "If anything, I think it's convenient that you happen to be the only Red Panda Troll in a kingdom populated by Dragon Trolls."
"And that's another thing," Mei fussed, "Everybody gets cool Dragon forms, even Raya. Raya, I can understand, but everyone else? I'm stuck being a Red Panda."
"You're not just a Red Panda," Raya smiled as she leaned in for a hug, "You're our Red Panda."
Despite her own misgivings, Mei returned the hug and buried her face into the chest of the older girl whom she considered an older sister. Poppy and Mirabel leaned in to initiate a group hug, followed by Volpina, who climbed her new owner to gently nudge her face into Mei's shoulder. Her attention caught, the younger girl briefly broke away and immediately gushed over the kit.
"Aw! She's adorable!"
"Her name's Volpina," Poppy held out her arms for Volpina to leap back in, "I adopted her just now."
ʺOh, Poppy!ʺ Mirabel caught her first, using a single finger to rub Volpina's chin, "Why didn't you tell me you adopted such a cute baby fox?"
"First off, it's a húlijīng," Poppy crossed her arms as she playfull narrowed her eyes at her friend, "Secondly, you were there. You saw me adopt her from afar."
Mirabel blinked before exchanging glances with a concurring Volpina, "Huh. Oh, well. Volpina's still a cute baby...húlijīng!"
Peony watched as Mirabel and Mei gushed over Volpina while her daughter and Raya shared a short but no less lively conversation.
Dear Poppy...you always had a way of befriending others.
("Every Summertime" by NIKI)
Entering the lunar-inspired castle, Sun Lien, Shang, and Xia led the group to the dining area where many of the occupants were already on the verge of serving their second. Having managed to barely survive the nearly two-day hike, the younger Trolls were the first to make their way to the table, feasting their eyes on the vast array of food before diving head first into the feast. DJ Suki and King Trollex were hungry as well, but even they had not dared to hesitate to hand their plates to a family that had arrived late. Melody had took a few bites of the snacks, due to her focus on the Rainbow Wand overwhelming her hunger.
Speaking of focus, Diogo's focus was placed exclusively on Sun Lien, who seemed oblivious to his rather...hungry (or thirsty?) looks. While he had no idea whether or not she noticed his rather ravenous regards, the Empress herself knew that her former flame would search for her the moment he arrived in Dragon City with his new entourage. The both of them had pined for each other in their early years during the three stages of the String War, with each passing day amplifying each passing hope. With the String War's unexpected but no less welcome end, Diogo and Sun Lien knew that a relationship could still be possible, even with the relations being relatively tense.
Unsure, in turn, whether or not it was the reason for Diogo's presence in her kingdom (despite her up-close-and-personal witnessing to his gloriously flustered reaction), Sun Lien considered it a private affair. It involved nobody but him and her, her and him. She just needed to get him alone in order to confirm her suspicions.
The Latin City Chancellor himself was on the opposite side of the table when his gaze met hers. Their eyes locked together as they engaged in a non-verbal battle of the mind, which they wisely decided to momentarily cut short and take elsewhere. Moving far away from the citizens privy to their perilous past, their absence was noted only by Dulce, who chuckled and shook her head in disbelief.
"What? What is it?" CJ tilted her head in confusion.
"Nothing to worry about, CJ," Dulce waved her off.
"Are you sure?"
"Well, DJ..." Dulce shrugged, "I just have a strange feeling that I may become an aunt myself."
A minute of silence before DJ responded with, much to the chagrin of Dulce, "Well, that promotion's long overdue."
As soon as Diogo and Sun Lien found temporary freedom from interference, they shared a laugh and embraced each other, engaging in a brief yet passionate dance of romance. In this dance, they single-handedly reignited the thought-to-be long-lost spark they had withheld and subsequently went out over the years. Because that spark was purposefully withheld for many moons, the feeling they experienced was rather bittersweet, the two characteristic halves sharing an equal amount of the limelight.
"我想念你，我的爱人," Sun Lien softly cooed before asking, "你为我做过同样的事情吗?"
"Por supuesto, mi querida," Diogo replied with a warm smile, "He estado durante las últimas lunas."
Sun Lien returned that warm smile before cupping Diogo's face with her right hand. The latter mistakenly thought the former was preparing to kiss him when he made that (admittedly heartfelt, in her opinion) romantic declaration, but he dared not to pucker his lips. Luckily, his decision may have saved him the embarrassment when she in turn decided not to kiss him just yet.
"那你为什么没有找我呢?" Sun Lien asked next as her smile fell and transformed into a saddened frown, "这些年。。。而不是你存在的一个迹象."
Diogo's smile fell as well, his frown displaying similar regret, "Oh, mi amor. Siempre quise... pero tenía demasiado miedo de enfrentarme de nuevo después de todas esas lunas. Los deberes de mi reino también te han disuadido de perseguirte. Seguramente, lo entiendes. Si no, por favor perdóname."
Albeit slow to do so, Sun Lien's smile returned, "我当然明白，亲爱的. 你不应该为超出你控制范围的事件道歉. 如果有的话，我应该为让自己的欲望超过我王国的需求而道歉. 我不配得到你的爱."
Turning away in shame, it was Diogo's turn to cup Sun Lien's face in his left hand.
"Entonces, ¿por qué estoy aquí? No estaría aquí si no fuera por ti. Tu amor. Tu amor me llevó de vuelta a ti... así como mi amor te llevó de vuelta a mí."
In sharp contrast to her high-and-mighty display as a formidable Empress, Sun Lien giggled like a giddy young schoolgirl in love.
"在这里，我相信你和你的朋友是一时兴起的."
Diogo blushed, "Bueno, es menos un capricho y más una emergencia."
"祈祷告诉，这是紧急情况吗?"
"Pozo...puede o no involucrar a los Chanty Trolls, los Six Strings y la desaparición de la Reina del Pop."
The moment the words left his mouth, Sun Lien's eyes comically widened in horror before she slapped Diogo on the cheek. Perhaps a little too hard for his liking, as he immediately yelped in pain.
"¡Idiota!" Sun Lien snapped and tugged on Diogo's (nonexistent and metaphorical) collar, "你为什么不早点警告我?!"
"¡Oye, no me culpes, mi hermosa dama!" Diogo indignantly defended himself, "¡Tú fuiste quien me arrastró a las sombras para reavivar nuestra luz perdida hace mucho tiempo!"
. . .
. . .
. . .
"哦。。。 井。。。" Sun Lien's feisty attitude wavered as she realized Diogo had a point...before countering with, "好吧，你先做到了!"
"¡Nunca lo haría! ¡Solo te estaba siguiendo! Entonces, técnicamente hablando, ¡lo hiciste primero!"
"好! 我们俩同时做到了! 别再对我大喊大叫了!"
"¡Dejas de gritarme! ¡Solo estoy gritando porque me estás gritando!"
"好吧，我只是大喊大叫，因为你拖延了对紧急情况的清晰描述! 呵呵，你为什么一定要做一个务实的小丑呢?"
"Bueno, ¿por qué debes ser una diva seria?"
"好吧，为什么你必须是这样的。。。"
. . .
"这样的。。。"
. . .
"这样。。。一个。。。"
Sun Lien was unsure what playground insult she would use next, but she was determined not to let Diogo get the final word. It was quite tricky, as Diogo had a plethora of jokes, quips, and witticisms up his sleeve that gave him a distinct advantage. Then again...the final word did not have to be a word.
Her contemptible frown morphing into a mischievous grin, Sun Lien pulled Diogo in for the mother of all kisses. While the latter was initially caught off guard by the former's impulsive action, he immediately melted into her warm embrace and wrapped his arms around her. She simultaneously cupped his face as she, to his surprise, kissed him harder and used her tongue to push through his lips. His eyes widening at the even more impulsive action, he had little time to react before she pulled away and breathed heavily. A heavy pink blush coloring her blue skin, she looked away in slight shame as he chuckled to alleviate the tense silence.
"¿Tal qué? ¿Un troll guapo y obstinado?"
. . .
"成. 是的，没有其他巨魔会像你一样固执或英俊."
Smiling as a sign of reassurance, Diogo cupped Sun Lien's face and faced her directly.
"¿Especialmente como terco?"
Sun Lien returned the smile, "特别是顽固."
Chuckling again, Diogo found it fitting to return the hot kiss delivered to him earlier, complete with him using Sun Lien's move against her in a "friendly" manner. The Empress now rendered a heavily blushing, heavily stunned silent mess of herself, she grinned goofily very much like a giddy young schoolgirl in love and melted into his warm embrace. A moment or two passed, perhaps too much for their own liking, but they would not dare admit it out loud. Whatever semblance of a moment they had was theirs and theirs only...no one else's, and they would not have it any other way.
Eventually finding the strength to pull away, Diogo and Sun Lien were lost in each other's gazes.
"I missed you, mi amor."
"So have I, qīn ài de. So...about that emergency..."
"Oh! That's right! Well, do you remember about...it, let alone know about it?"
Sun Lien frowned as if Diogo was some kind of a lunatic, "I do know of it, but I don't remember much about it...whatever it is. What was it, again?"
"That little incident with the Six Strings," Diogo clarified, "It turns out the Rock Queen wanted to unite all the main Tribes under the Rock Genre using the Six Strings before being stopped by the Pop Queen, but the Pop Queen destroyed the Six Strings in order to do so, and then she died, and then she came back to life, and then she went missing after unveiling something called TrollsTopia, which I'm assuming is a passon project of hers."
Taking a moment to process Diogo's crazy, short explanation, Sun Lien huffed as she shook her head in bemusement, "And you never bothered to explain this the moment you arrived because…?"
"Well…" Diogo smirked, "You and I know the answer to that question."
Blushing heavily again, Sun Lien scoffed and playfully smacked Diogo again, this time aiming for his chest region. The Chancellor yelped in pain before turning his attention elsewhere. Specifically, he hungrily watched the Empress's backside lightly bounce as she walked off back to the dining room. When she turned around, all he could do was look away in shame and whistle nonchalantly.
"Hey, boy…" Sun Lien asked in a sultry manner as she batted her eyelashes, "Are you coming?"
His turn to blush heavily, Diogo nodded to the point where his head nearly fell off his shoulders as he rushed to join her.
Oh, I love her…
Oh, what an idiot…
Oh, I love her…
Oh, what an idiot…
Mirabel was still crushing hard on Raya as she placed on full display her aggressive side (i.e., her effortless slicing-and-dicing of the training dummies and nonchalant flexing of her tightly toned muscles and abs) and her tender side (i.e., her kind and warmhearted demeanor towards the younger Trolls and Mei-Mei). Because she had a significant other herself (obviously), Poppy found it rather sweet that her new best friend would find somebody to love. Unfortunately, it also had the side effect of annoyance, seeing how Mirabel repeatedly hesitated in approaching Raya for even a simple conversation after their first meeting.
Poppy decided to change that. As the waiting period party prior to her first training session was nearing its end, she knew that Mirabel would garner inner torment should she not go through with her "confession" to Raya. So, as her new best friend and current matchmaker, the Pop Troll traveled to her secret spot and watched her cut down bamboo trees with ease. It would appear that her reason for doing so would amount to her building staffs for the Dragon Trolls to use in battle.
This alone made Poppy nervous to approach Raya because she seemed to be in deep concentration. Attempting to work up the strength and courage (either one was optional) to get her attention, she gulped deeply and facepalmed herself.
Why is this so hard? You are the Queen of the Pop Trolls. You can do anything and everything. Anything and everything except approach this beautiful beast of a warrior and tell her such a simple secret.
. . .
Oh, what the hockey sticks. You can do this. You just go up to her and say –
"Say what?"
Poppy yelped in fright to find Raya had snuck up on her, a cross of what appeared to be an amused grin and a bemused frown adorning her face.
"You know, voicing your inner thoughts doesn't exactly do you wonders in the long run. Sometimes, it helps to get it off your chest right away…whatever "it" is. So, what is it, anyway?"
Poppy was a deer in the headlights before she cleared her throat.
"Well, um… Do you remember my friend? Mirabel Madrigal?"
Raya rubbed her chin before she perked up and snapped her fingers.
"Of course! How could I forget? Slightly tanned skin, curly black hair, beautiful hazel eyes?"
Poppy blinked in bewilderment before shaking her head and continuing on.
"Yes… It's kinda connected to what I'm trying to you."
"Mirabel has a crush on me."
"No, it's more like a minor infatuation– Wait, what?"
"I said, Mirabel has a crush on me. Is that what you wanted to talk to me about?"
"If you knew about it, why didn't you tell Mirabel about it?"
Raya merely shrugged, "It's too soon. I mean, it's pretty sweet and I'm flattered, but...it's too soon."
"Why?" Poppy persisted, "Because you were in love before but the person you fell in love with broke your trust AND your heart?"
For a brief moment due to Poppy's persistence, Raya's stoic expression faltered. She did not anticipate how...precise her hypothesis was. Grimacing at a particularly nasty memory, she sighed and shook her head.
"Not exactly. She was my...vẻ đẹp kỳ lạ. My best friend. Well, the closest thing I had to a friend anyway. When I was younger, my father...he taught me to not only become a guardian of the Dragon Gem, but to open my heart and trust again in order to pave the way for the five Tribes where I'm from to unite once again. He wanted me to take the first step."
Sparing a quick glance at her reflection in the blade in her hand, Raya now wore a forlorn expression of bitter reminiscence as she turned and walked away to take a seat on the steps.
"And where did it get me? A father turned to stone, a home reduced to a wasteland, my people's treasure reduced to a stolen fragment, the evil entities threatening said home reawakening, and...and a potential new friend becoming my fulfilling worst enemy."
Momentarily forgetting the reason why she was here, Poppy's sympathy for Raya's current situation outweighed her own (and admittedly selfish) intentions. Taking a seat beside Raya, she did her best to place forward a queenly demeanor.
"I'm sorry for what happened to you."
"Don't be. You weren't there. I'm assuming you had problems of your own to deal with?"
"In a way. As the Queen of the Pop Trolls, I had a lot of expectations to live up to and responsibilities placed upon me. My people needed my guidance and protection, even though I lacked both in my earlier years. I was young and naïve, oblivious to the horrors of the real world. I used to think that the real world could use more cupcakes and rainbows, but my...boyfriend taught me that sometimes too much of a good thing isn't such a good thing. He knew what tragedy felt like because he suffered one at a young age and grew accustomed to seeing even the little things in a cynical manner. For some reason, it helped me. It helped me see that the world isn't always cupcakes and rainbows, but one shouldn't give up seeing it that way either."
Raya soon nodded in understanding, "He helped you find a balance between cynicism and idealism. Hmm. If I must say, you're the lucky one."
"Well, I wouldn't call myself lucky. If anything, I'd say you're doing pretty good yourself. Although...did you have a problem trusting me and Mirabel the first time we met?"
"To be honest, I still do. I guess you could say it's a force of habit, considering I've spent six years wandering the land by myself."
"I take it those six years were spent searching for the Dragon Gem?"
"Oh, no. I had a piece of the Dragon Gem. That piece was used to summon Sisu, the last of the dragons where many have perished to fight the Druun, which are a group of evil spirits that feed on the mistrust and discord of the people. Those six years were spent looking for Sisu so she could create a new Dragon Gem out of the remaining fragment to banish the Druun. When she couldn't exactly do that, we went on a journey to reclaim the remaining fragments from the other kingdoms: Tail, Talon, and Spine, Fang being our last stop. We made friends...friends who helped every step of the way. At Fang, Namaari drew a crossbow on us, but Sisu still believed there was good in her."
"Was she right?"
. . .
"Yes. But she didn't live long enough to discover the truth for herself. She got killed because of me. I still haven't forgiven myself for it...and I probably never will."
Poppy was, of course, sympathetic to a fault, "It's not your fault, Raya. Even if you feel like is."
"And we feel believing in you!"
Poppy and Raya literally looked up from their conversation to find Mirabel and Mei eavesdropping on them...while also being dangerously close to literally dropping on them.
"Have you two been eavesdropping this entire time?"
"I'm thinking they're about to literally drop down, Poppy. Also, that's somehow not as impressive as you holding on to Mirabel by a thread, Mei-Mei."
"Not by choice," Mei huffed as she struggled to keep her grip on Mirabel's thread tight, "Mirabel was worried that her new best friend was stealing her new favorite crush."
"I was not...!" An offended Mirabel crossed her arms, the following words she spoke being her last before she and Mei came tumbling down. Reacting quickly, Poppy's hands glowed up and she engulfed them in a blue air bubble similar to Long Wei's. Barely struggling to keep them afloat and the bubble intact, she slowly and carefully set them down on the ground.
The first thing Mei did upon standing up was rushing over and hugging Poppy.
"Wow! Thanks, Queen Poppy!"
"Aw, it was nothing, Mei!" Poppy returned the hug as she faced Mirabel, "And Mirabel, don't worry. I wouldn't steal Raya from you; I respect you too much."
"Honestly, I should be the one saying that to you," Mirabel chuckled nervously as Raya approached from behind, "To think I would get lost in such a short-lived crush."
"Aw, too bad, cutie," Raya smirked as she planted a soft peck on Mirabel's right cheek, "I was just starting to like you."
As Raya walked away from the trio, the heat in Mirabel's cheeks reached their boiling point when she processed what had happened.
"Huh," Mirabel giggled in temporary triumph, "Fire reignited."
"She could've done that to mess with you and throw you a bone, Mirabel," Mei gently took her hand and led her back to the party as Poppy walked beside them.
"Maybe. Raya did say it's too soon, even she found Mirabel's crush on her sweet and flattering."
Sweet and flattering?
Me?
Oh, estoy enamorada...
Diogo and Sun Lien arrived back at the dining area, where most of the food had all but disappeared and most of the guests were engaged in small talk. The latter clapped her hands together to catch the attention of her guests, unintentionally frightening the former in the process.
"So! I hear my guests have an emergency."
"Uh, no," Trollex stammered nervously, "I already used the restroom when–"
Before he could finish that particular sentence, DJ smacked him in the arm and approached the Empress to bow to her in respect.
"Greetings, Your Majesty. I am DJ Suki, that was King Trollex, and these are my friends. You already know Princess Dulce and Chancellor Diogo. We're being pursued by the Chanty Trolls and just arrived here from Latin City, which was their last stop."
"The Chanty Trolls were following you and you just decided to come here?"
"Oh, no!" DJ's eyes widened, "It's not like that...!"
"Relax, I'm just messing with you," Sun Lien cackled, "I suppose Lucas told you to travel here?"
"Actually..." Melody approached next, "My mother instructed us to travel here...well, Dragon Hollow specifically."
"Dragon Hollow?" Sun Lien's eyebrows knitted together in fascination, "Hmm. Fascinating. No one ever wishes to travel to such a forbidden part of the kingdom unless..."
"Unless what?" DJ tilted her head in intrigue when the seemingly nonchalant Empress wore a facial expression of hesitation.
"Unless they seek the deepest of a dark desire," Xia replied in her younger sister's stead.
"Almost a year ago, one such Troll, when discovering the fragment upon her arrival, rarely left," Shang noted solemnly, "There was pain, anger, sadness, fear, and regret in her eyes."
"What did she regret?" CJ stepped forward.
"It was the one question we knew better than to ask," Shang continued, "She harbors no hostility towards the Dragon Trolls, however. She even seemed to lack the acknowledgement of another universe. One that she was...and still is...trapped in for almost a year."
"Another universe?" Trollex floated beside CJ before Petra stepped beside him.
"So...there's another universe out there? Or even several different ones?"
"Yes," Sun Lien nodded as she clutched to a necklace she wore, "When our parents passed, they didn't...actually passed. It was just a trip. From one life to another."
"Who were your parents?" DJ dared to ask, prompting the Empress to sadly smile as she started to explain.
("Every Summertime" – NIKI)
As the greeting party came to close, the DJ played one final song at Long Wei's request. Immediately on the first notes, a pleasantly surprised Ying Wei recognized the final song as the one that played in their first meeting. Essentially, Poppy could not help but dub it as their love theme.
18, we were undergrads
Stayed out late, never made it to class, uh
She also could not help but compare their relationship to her and Branch's own. Much like them, the two were inseparable, even on the dance floor. They were supportive of each other and even traded playful jabs at their expense, their jokes always residing on the lighthearted side of life...or, rather, afterlife. That was above the surface, however. Beneath it?
Outer Richmond in a taxi cab
You were sweating bullets on the way to my dad's and oh
Beneath it was a sad, bleak history of broken hearts, damaged relationships, and traumatic actions that led them into each other's arms. The realization was evident in their eyes and body language. Said history was perhaps much more sad and bleak than that of the main Troll Tribes, especially her own.
You said, "Baby, think we're moving too fast", ah-ah
Poppy watched as Long held Ying close and the latter seemed to reciprocate the actions of the former. She held him close and tight as if he was a shield, her shield that would protect her from harm. He knew this and would gladly do anything and everything to keep his beloved safe.
Of course, the devotion shared in the relationship made her mind dwell on the one she was comparing it to and perhaps even further. No doubt that Branch would have done the same thing had her life been endangered. In fact, it was endangered, and he had come to her aid.
And I swear the magnolias flashed a smile (flashed a smile)
All because she was weak. All because she was naïve.
And that's when I caught me hoping you'd stay a while (stay a while)
All because of...
Baby, I'd give up anything to travel inside your mind
Baby, I fall in love again come every summertime
My daddy taught me to choose 'em wisely, but you don't have to try
'Cause, baby, I fall in love every summertime
All because of her.
"Queen Poppy?"
Poppy's train of thought was promptly derailed as she jumped in fright. Shaking her head, she glanced around, up, and eventually down face-to-face with Mei, one of the few people without a dance partner.
"Are you okay?"
"I've had worse days," Poppy lightly stirred her alcoholic beverage, "This just happens to be one of my better ones. You?"
"Same for me, I guess," Mei take a sip out of her non-alcoholic beverage, "I guess you prefer to be a wallflower than be on the dance floor by yourself?"
"Like I have a choice. I'm so far away from the one I love that I can't even enjoy this pretty good love song."
"Well, I guess that's one thing we share."
"What?" Poppy nearly choked on her drink, again upon hearing a "shocking" revelation, "You...have a boyfriend?"
"Is it that shocking?" Mei took a more casual sip, nervousness flickering in her eyes, "I mean...we started dating a few months after we got sent here."
Apparently noticing the speck of nervousness, Poppy reassured her like she had done before, "And there's nothing wrong about that. I mean, Branch and I..."
"Branch?" Mei chuckled in amusement.
"Yeah, yeah. It's a funny name," Poppy waved it off, "The point is, Branch and I didn't start off as friends, but we didn't start as enemies either. So...frenemies would be appropriate. We eventually became the best of friends, but we didn't actually start dating until a few months ago. It took embarking on a life-or-death journey to save the Troll Kingdom for me and Branch to recognize our feelings for each other."
Poppy sighed, "I guess what I'm trying is...you're probably the lucky one."
Knowing what Poppy was trying to do, Mei smiled and hugged Poppy from the side.
"No, Poppy...you're the lucky one."
Caught off guard, Poppy reciprocated the act regardless.
25, man we're missing church
Laugh 'bout everyone we're hating at work
On the dance floor, a few feet away from Long Wei and Ying Wei, were Raya and Mirabel, the latter teaching how to dance in a formal manner. As Poppy and Mei assumed as they got closer and overheard certain fragments, the conversation shared between the both of them involved the other conversation shared between another pair earlier. The overall tone was quite bittersweet.
Dinner with your sister and the jokes kinda hurt
Cry the way home, and you're putting me first, oh
Even so, Raya and Mirabel was younger than Poppy by a few years and they were handling the dilemma that was romance much more better than her. She felt proud of them as the eldest of the girls. She also felt rather envious, wanting to know the secret of their success...if there was any to begin with.
Yeah, we just always know what to say (mh, ah, yeah)
Of course, she knew already that there was no secret to their success, and if there was, it would be implicit. Love was just that. That, and a complex game. As it acted up in unpredictable fashion, it was truly a force to be reckoned with.
We're strolling down the boulevard
Once again comparing her relationship to that of the others, despite seeing quite a few similarities, Poppy came to the conclusion that their relationships were all quite different.
And dancing under streetlights (oh, the lights)
And there was nothing wrong with that.
Every year we get older, and I'm still on your side (oh, I)
Everyone had their own definition of love...and she could just roll with hers.
Baby, I'd give up anything to travel inside your mind
Baby, I fall in love again come every summertime
My daddy taught me to choose 'em wisely, but you don't have to try
'Cause, baby, I fall in love every summertime
Briefly breaking away from the hug, Poppy let Mei lean against her for support.
"Honestly, I think Mirabel can give you a run for your money."
"True. But I still can't believe you fell for a guy named Branch."
"Hey! I had a lot of choices, one of which happened to be a guru named Creek."
. . .
"Okay, that seems fair."
"That's right. After all...Branch is perhaps the sweetest and grumpiest person you ever will meet."
"If we get a chance to meet him after this..."
I hope so...
Poppy watched the Emperor and Empress of Dragon City melt into a warm embrace.
Every day is summertime
It warmed her soul...and simulataneously froze her heart.
Every day is summertime
Indeed, love was just that...and a complex game.
Every day is summertime with you. . .
Truly an unpredictable force to be reckoned with.
Every day is summertime
One moment, it can act like winter time...
Every day is summertime
...and the next?
Summertime.
Every day is summertime with you. . .
"Your parents seemed like great people," CJ felt nothing but sympathy for the Empress of Dragon City, who shot her a saddened smile in response.
"I can only assume. I never really met them, so I had the bedtime stories told by my older brother and sister to fall back on."
Shang nodded, ʺAnd we would never stop..."
ʺ...for our little sister,ʺ Xia pinched Sun Lien's cheeks, prompting the Empress to laugh and bat her away.
"Um, Empress?"
Everybody turned towards DJ, who drew her Glock 17 from her holster.
"Is that Dragon Hollow? And the one Troll who never left upon arrival?"
Everybody now turned towards DJ's direction, as in the distance was a Dragon Troll. She was not just an ordinary Dragon Troll, however. Yes, she had tan skin and brown eyes much like the majority, but a select few of her characteristics helped distinguish her from the crowd.
Her black, straight hair was parted to the right so it covered her right eye just a tad while her left side was shaved in a manner that brought upon similarities to Queen Barb. She wore a cream, almost beige-colored leather midriff top supported by a rod across her breastbone; the lack of sleeves or midway section perfectly accentuated her firm muscles, ripped abs, and sharpened wings, possibly due to the amount of training she willingly underwent. The rest of her outfit consisted of black baggy pants that were tucked into black, pointed-toe boots; a red sash around her waist held in place by a segmented golden belt, one golden band around her right bicep, and two golden bands around her left bicep. Her primary weapons of choice appeared to be a pair of short swords, which she utilized to deadly effect.
From her eyes to her body language, fury, rage, and every other adjective associated with the emotion of anger permeated her entire self. The group was fortunate enough to be not only not in her line of sight, but she seemed primarily focused on channeling her anger into the training dummies supplied to her by a couple of guards, who were nearby cowering at her ferocity while also left in a state of awe at it. With the exception of the Dragon City Royal Family, that emotional state certainly affected the approaching group.
ʺYes, DJ,ʺ Sun Lien solemnly nodded after a moment of tense silence.
"She's so...cool," CJ remarked soon after under her breath, which Trollex overheard and caused him to pout in jealousy. When DJ noticed this and asked him what was wrong, he could not give an answer in time the minute he peaked over her shoulder.
"CJ! Wait!"
Adult fear overriding her judgment, DJ ran past the group towards her niece, whose momentary goals involved sharing a conversation with the fast and furious Dragon Troll who was preparing to slice and dice the next set of training dummies being nervously supplied by the nervous group of guards. CJ slid down the hills and slowed down to a stop, making sure to keep her distance.
ʺYou are so cool!ʺ CJ praised the Dragon Troll, whose attention was now drawn to her, much to her confusion, "How did you do that?"
Now aware she garnered a young admirer, the Dragon Troll (while mildly miffed her training was interrupted) chuckled lightly and sheathed her swords as she approached her.
"It ain't easy, kid," She shrugged as she knelt down to her level, "It takes lots of training and practice."
"I don't need easy," CJ beamed as she boasted, "I just need possible."
"Ha-ha. I like you already," She ruffled a hand through CJ's hair, much to her delight, "You got a name, kid?"
"CJ!" DJ ran towards her, slowing down to catch a breath, "Don't...start...doing things...like that. I'm sorry, ma'am. My niece has an affinity for...larger-than-life Trolls."
"I can see that," The Dragon Troll peered over DJ's shoulder, "So, I take it they are among the royal guests, Empress?"
ʺThat's right, Princess Undercut,ʺ Sun Lien confirmed with a lighthearted nickname tease, "and I highly expect you to treat them with the same respect you treated us with and vice versa."
"For the little one," "Princess Undercut" gestured at CJ, who smiled and gave her a thumbs up, "I promise."
BOOM!
The thing about interdimensional travel was...the interdimensional traveler or travelers tend to become disoriented from the amount of dimensions they travel through. And since Dragon Hollow take place in its own dimension...one could put two-and-two together.
The group watched as the portals that brought them to Dragon Hollow began to act up and spit out three different Trolls who landed in three different places: a Techno Troll landed in a small lake not far off, a Pop Troll landed in the tall grass, and a Dragon Troll transformed into her dragon form and landed in front of the astonished group. In particular, the Dragon Princess found her form (consisting of a white-bluish-violet mane, two dark blue horns with swirls, and big purple eyes) all too familiar for her liking. The dragon who stood before her seemed to return the sentiment as she scanned her face. For what neither of them knew.
Eventually morphing to her Troll form, the dragon approached the Dragon Princess to get a closer look at her...and properly set up a shocking reveal.
"Namaari?"
"S-Sisu?"
"You two know each other?" Trollex asked and awaited an answer before another voice called him by his name.
"Trollex!"
Everybody turned toward the tall grass to find a Pop Troll emerging to face the group. She had grey skin, black worn-down hair, light blue piercing eyes, and a white long-sleeve dress significantly cleaner than the one she had. As she approached them, her hair began to stand tall, tie up into a ponytail, and glow different colors.
Blue...
Purple...
Yellow...
Orange...
Red...
...and Pink...
DJ, Trollex, and Melody made note of the Troll's familiarity (specifically the glowing hair), but before either one could comment on it, the Pop Troll approached Trollex and hugged him tightly while planting small kisses on his cheek. Now DJ's turn to dabble with jealousy, she seethed and grinded her teeth before Dulce chuckled and smacked her shoulder to snap her out of her murderous trance.
"Are you okay, Trollex?"
"Uh..."
Before Trollex could give a response, an all-too-familiar voice called out for her from the small lake.
"Aggie!"
The group glanced over to find...another Trollex approach them. At that, Aggie blushed and glanced from head to tail the Trollex she approached.
"Oh...wrong Trollex. Sorry about that."
"Yeah..." DJ nodded, her jealousy dwindling at the sight of two King Trollexes.
Trollex-1 and Trollex-2 found themselves in a face-off, performing the smallest gestures that mirrored each other. This included eye blinks, hand waves, and even dance moves. All the while, the group glanced back and forth in utter bewilderment. Ultimately reaching a stalemate, the two Techno Kings decided on a tiebreaker...or tiebreakers.
"I'm King Trollex!"
"No, I'm King Trollex!"
"Well, how do I know you're the real King Trollex?"
Meanwhile, Melody's attention was redirected to the "Pop" Troll Trollex-2 called Aggie. Her nickname, combined with her glowing hair, was all the information she needed to confirm her identity.
Agatha. . .
"I'm sorry?" Aggie turned toward Melody, who carefully approached as she examined her a little more closely.
"You're...you're Agatha..."
"I am...?"
"You're...the last of the Magical Musical Trolls..."
Aggie's eyes widened before she caught herself and nodded.
"I...I am..."
DJ glanced between the two girls, "You mean the group of Trolls who could wield all of the powers and abilities of the six main Troll Tribes?"
"All of whom represent a certain aspect of life and existence?" Aggie reaffirmed, "Yes, the exact same group."
Meanwhile, Namaari hugged a transformed Sisu, who fully returned the gesture despite her apparent confusion.
"Oh, Sisu. I'm sorry... I'm sorry... I'm sorry..."
Repeating a mustered-up, straight-to-the-point apology was all Namaari could do. Sisu, who could feel the latter's body shaking from head to toe as she buried her head into her chest, automatically knew what she was upset and broke away to face herself directly.
"Hey, hey... I'm here, aren't I?"
"You shouldn't be. I...I killed you."
The group (who had been listening to that point) was taken back by the revalation, catching the attention of even the two Trollexes.
"Wait, what?"
"It's a long story," Sisu waved them off, "One we can talk over potato soup. You guys have that, right?"
"We have Hulatang," Sun Lien smiled bright, "It's the closest thing we got."
"Then close enough!"
One Year Earlier. . .
The first thing he felt was...cold.
The second thing he expected to feel was...pain. Alas, for some inexplicable reason, despite being inflicted with a supposed-to-be fatal wound, he was left perfectly intact with no trace of it in sight.
Releasing a long-awaited deep breath, his ears perked up at the sound of someone else's soft ones. Far younger than his own, he glanced around and his eyes focused on a small red-skinned creature with panda characteristics. Her eyes briefly making contact with his own, she flinched at the unwanted attention and looked away.
"Hey, it's okay. I won't hurt you. What's your name?"
The young creature slowly turned to face him.
"M-Mei..."
He nodded and introduced himself.
"Mei...call me Mr. Wolf."