Poppy and the rest of the group arrived at the castle's assembly hall as more and more citizens began filling up the chairs. As her mother walked ahead to the podium, the Pop Queen took a look at the numerous different individuals who hailed from different universes and took the form of different Trolls. While most of their forms adhered to the main six Troll Tribes, many of them were associated with the Subgenre Tribes as well, and some even expanded to the Subgenre Tribes within said Subgenre Trolls.
For example, the K-Pop Trolls—themselves a Subgenre Tribe—had a trio of Subgenre Tribes in the form of Dragon Trolls, Panda Trolls, and Kitsune Trolls.
"Kitsune Trolls?" Poppy tilted her head.
"Yep," Mei nodded as she explained, "The Kitsune are some of the most powerful of the K-Pop Trolls. In the living world, they hunted demons. In the spirit world, they hunt sentidemons. They're like normal demons, except far more stronger and smarter."
When one particular Kitsune Troll made herself visible enough to the Troll eye, Mei made a point of pointing her out.
"Look, look! There's one right there!"
Poppy took in the Kitsune Troll's appearance and almost fainted how hauntingly beautiful she was.
She was a young woman similar to Raya, but with a petite, slender build; a pale complexion; and large, compound-like eyes that lack pupils, only a haze of gradient purple, making her eyes appear similar to those of insects. She also had black wavy hair that faded to dark purple, styled at the back of her head into a flat yakai-maki bun, and fastened with a white, turquoise and light purple butterfly ornament. In addition, she had center-split, ear-length, voluminous curtain bangs that flowed down to frame the sides of her face, with two slightly thinner chin-length locks of hair in front of her ears below them.
Her main uniform consisted of a dark-purple tinted straight-lined black jacket with golden and matching colored tabi socks and hakama pants, tucked into white butterfly patterned Kyahan fading into pale turquoise then pink around her lower legs, fastened with white ribbons. Worn over her jacket was a white haori with a butterfly wing pattern that faded into a pale turquoise then pink color on the sleeves and hem, which were cuffed with a black and white dotted trim. For her footwear, she opted got white zōri sandals with purple straps. Attached to her waist was a katana in its sheath.
"She's beautiful," Poppy held her heart, "Who is she?"
"That would be Shinobu Kocho," Raya approached her from the side, "She's one of my teachers during my time here thus far. In her past life, she was a protector of humankind known as a Demon Slayer. She was also one of the best of the best Demon Slayers, known as a Hashira. If you want to be specific, she was the Insect Hashira."
"And what does the Insect Hashira do, exactly?" Mirabel frowned.
Raya opened her mouth to answer the question, but she never got the chance.
"She whose peerless dances deliver poisonous bites."
In the blink of an eye, the Insect Hashira appeared before them, standing specifically before the Pop Queen.
"You must be Queen Peony's daughter, I presume?" Miss Shinobu asked in a soft-spoken manner as she smiled warmly.
"I am!" Poppy returned the smile as she introduced herself, sticking out a hand for her to shake, "I'm Queen Poppy! It's a pleasure to properly meet you!"
For a moment, Miss Shinobu was caught off guard by the rather overenthusiastic nature of the current Pop Queen. It did not necessarily bother her, but it still surprised her regardless. From what information she acquired from the former Pop Queen, Peony was quite calm, collected, and composed. Her daughter...was the exact opposite.
"The pleasure is all mine," Miss Shinobu nonetheless returned the greeting by shaking her hand, "I must say...you are not at all what I've imagined you as."
"How did you imagine me?" Poppy asked with equal parts worry and intrigue.
"As a spitting image of your mother," Miss Shinobu replied, "Even though I was told by her that you were nothing like her and instead your own person. I must say, however, it is a welcome change. Forgive me if I compliment you by saying you are quite beautiful and elegant, something you share with her mother in that particular regard."
Poppy blushed at the compliment and smiled proudly, "Oh, thank you. My mom used to say that beauty and elegance are key when being a Queen...although not for the reason one would think. And don't worry, I forgive you for that particular compliment."
Miss Shinobu nodded and turned to a slightly jealous Mirabel, "And to answer your question, Miss Madrigal, the Insect Hashira places particular emphasis on the medical and pharmaceutical fields in demon slaying, specifically the brewing of poisons and their usage in combat. The Insect Hashira utilizes Wisteria, a type of plant that can poison or immobilize a demon or turn said demon back into a human. The Insect Hashira possesses the necessary physical skills to slowly saturate their body with poison without negatively impending their own health, as well as the medical skills needed to counteract the venoms and poisons created by demons."
To emphasize her point, Miss Shinobu unsheathed her katana and carefully displayed it to the four girls. Upon closer inspection, the katana was revealed to be heavily modified. The handguard was designed to bear resemblance to a four-petaled aqua-colored flower, trimmed with orange. The blade is lavender-blue in color, with the words "Evil Demon" (惡あっ鬼き, Akki?) engraved on the right face, while the word "Destruction" (滅めっ殺さつ, Messatsu?) was engraved on the left face due her sword's structure. Slightly above the hilt was where the weapon lost its blade and was replaced by a rod. It ended in a needle-like tip, resembling an insect's stinger in appearance and function.
"My modified Nichirin Katana can inject the correct amount of Wisteria poison into a demon," Miss Shinobu further explained, "while my sheath can act as a portable poison mixer and loader."
Poppy could not help but greatly admire the mastery and craftsmanship put into the forging of the katana. At the same time, she recognized its style reflected in Miss Shinobu: simple but beautiful and lethal.
"In short," Miss Shinobu finished, "Of the Hashira, I'm the only one who can't cuff off a demon's head...but I can make poisons that can kill demons. Impressive, isn't it?"
"Very," Mei carefully took the sword and examined it before gently handing it back to its owner, "I've gained a whole new respect for you and the rest of the Demon Slayers."
"I very much appreciate it," Miss Shinobu nodded and sheathed her katana before gesturing to the growing crowd, "Now...I assume you four are here for the meeting?"
"We are," Raya nodded, "Queen Peony sent a letter explaining the details."
"I know," Miss Shinobu nodded back, "I was one of the first to retrieve said letter, which I had sent to the other Princesses."
"The other Princesses?" Poppy asked again.
"You have met two of them already,"
Miss Shinobu gestured in the direction of Raya and Ruby, much to the surprise of Poppy and Mei in the latter's case.
"Ruby? You're a Princess?"
"I didn't want to bring it up," Ruby bashfully admitted, "Plus, I didn't think it would be too important."
"I guess Mr. Morales can consider himself extra rizzed up, huh?" Mirabel elbowed the Hip-Hop Troll himself, who merely chuckled and shook his head as he mentally cussed her out.
"Please don't ever say rizz in my presence ever again."
The group turned to find a trio of multicolored Country Trolls approaching. The one who made her embarrassment known was a female with light amber skin, moderate cyan eyes, and brilliant amaranth hair with light apple green stripes. She wore a black biker jacket and a gold, classic-shaped crown with each point studded with a small magenta jewel.
"Not that I hate the word, mind you," The Country Troll cackled, "but I might confuse that particular word with another particular word..."
"How immature can you possibly get?" A male Country Troll with brilliant gamboge skin, vivid cornflower blue eyes, two tones of moderate sapphire blue hair, and a black leather coat shook his head, "And to think, I dated you in the human universe..."
"Because you liked me as much as I liked you!" Sunset exclaimed, "Why you liked me as much as I liked you, I have no idea—"
"That's exactly what I'm saying," Flash rolled his eyes, causing Sunset to shoot a death glare at him in response.
"Sunset, Flash," A second female with purple skin (specifically pale, light greyish mulberry), moderate violet eyes, and dark sapphire blue hair with moderate purple and brilliant raspberry streaks, a white puff-sleeve top with a purple band around her waist, and a gold crown with studded sapphires and a single magenta star-shaped gem admonished the bickering couple as she approached last.
"Are we honestly having this conversation right now?"
"No, ma'am..." The two Country Trolls answered in ashamed unison...before realizing what they had done and shared a fit of giggles, much to Twilight's chagrin and amusement.
"Now...that you two are prim, proper, and poised..." Twilight allowed herself a cordial grin, "Please allow us the honor of introducing ourselves to the daughter of the former Pop Queen...the current Pop Queen, Pop–"
The Country Troll stopped herself the moment she took a closer look at her savior's daughter, who tilted her head in an affable yet apprehensive manner. Her mouth agape and her words faded, she struggled to find the right replacements to salvage the botched introduction.
"HUH?" Twilight carefully marched over and subconsciously allowed her hands to wander all over the current Pop Queen's build, "You're...you're Queen Poppy?"
"I... I am?" Poppy struggled to maintain her composure and not burst out into uncontrollable laughter.
An approaching Sunset had no suchh reservations, unleashing a cacophony of cackles as she placed a hand on her girlfriend's shoulder.
"Honestly, T-Sparks, why are you so shocked? Actually...Poppy, was it? Mind if I ask you...has anybody called you Popsqueak?"
"Frequently," Poppy nodded in confirmation, "and too many times to keep count. Mind if I ask you...why?"
"Oh, no apparent reason," Sunset shook her head as Twilight continued to incoherently ramble.
"How old are you?"
"I'm 20 years old," Poppy answered bewilderedly, "But I'm about to turn 21 soon."
"21 years old and you're already a Queen?" Flash blinked in a similar manner.
"I guess time works differently for them," Sunset shrugged, "I mean, Twilight once said to me that Princess Celestia is practically over a thousand years old when she was crowned Princess, and...well, she's still a Princess."
"A thousand years?" Ruby blanched at the thought of being her grandmother's successor for that same amount of time.
"Maybe we should put a pin in that plot point for now," Mirabel smiled, "and just be glad that we got to meet in person. That is Queen Poppy, and these are her friends."
The Latin Troll gestured to each member of the group thus far.
"Raya and Mei..." The Dragon Troll nodded as the Panda Troll smiled.
"Ruby and Miles..." The Techno Troll smiled as the Funk Troll waved.
"Lady Bone Demon and Alberto..." The Dragon Troll and the Techno Troll smiled and waved.
"...and you probably know Miss Shinobu," The Kitsune Troll nonetheless bowed in greeting.
"And you? Who are you?" Sunset examined Mirabel from head to toe as she shook her head.
"Oh, I'm nobody important—"
"That's not true," Poppy shook her head in refutation, "This is my first best friend, Mirabel Madrigal."
"M-Mirabel?"
Everybody turned now to find a male Latin Troll approaching the group with caution. He had golden brown skin; dark auburn wooly, dreadlocked hair; hazel brown eyes, and freckles across his noses and cheeks, along with dark tints on his eyelids. He wore a beige button-up collared shirt with the sleeves folded up to his elbows, a golden waistcoat, black high-waisted jeans, black shoes with white etchings, and a facial expression of shock and worry.
Walking beside him was a young Rock Troll with muddy red skin, black shoulder-length hair with blue reflections that were tied into two pigtails, bright bluebell eyes, light pink lips, and light freckles on both cheeks and the nose of her bridges. She wore a red leather jacket, a white long-sleeve collared shirt, a black tank-top underneath, navy blue jeans, black boots, and a pair of red-and-black earrings.
"Uh, yes," Mirabel nodded in confusion, "That's what she just said."
"Miss Madrigal..." Miss Shinobu interrupted to explain, "This may seem difficult for me to explain and for you to understand...but that Troll is an alternate universe variant of your cousin, Camilo Madrigal."
For a moment, despite the lively activity commencing in the assembly hall, the room fell into a stunned silence, which overwhelmed the minds of both Mirabel and Camilo Madrigal. The latter in particular was especially driven into such a state of surprise because the very thought of an alternate universe variant of his deceased twin cousin (especially one who was alive and well) completely slipped his mind. The former was also shocked not because of the alternate universe variant detail (which she barely managed to register), but by the simple fact that her twin cousin were here to begin with; she had been a resident of the Space Between for so long that she had forgotten the faces of her family.
None of that mattered to the both of them, however. As the two cousins rushed forward, one thing did: hold them tight and never let go. Yes, they both knew that neither of them was their main universe variant. But did that do much to lessen the impact their embrace on each other?
No, it did not.
"You're...you're here," Camilo sniffled out after a brief moment.
"Of course, I'm here," Mirabel chuckled as she pulled away to wipe away the tears, "I've been here for...almost a year now? Unless it was more for you since you've last saw me."
"It was," Camilo nodded, "For me...it was five years since I last saw you."
"Five years?" Mirabel murmured before she remembered Miss Shinobu's words, "Oh...an alternate version of me. Did...your Mirabel run away or disappear or something? Did she..."
"My Mirabel..." Camilo sniffled, "She died at the age of 10...trying to save that damn candle."
It was then that the revelation spoken by Camilo that triggered a realization within Mirabel. She did not know how precisely she remembered the events that led to her arrival in the Space Between, but it was a first step.
"Huh. Kinda like me..."
"What?" Camilo pulled away in shock as his twin cousin explained.
"I tried to save the candle after...Casita...after Casita collapsed. You and Isabela tried to help me, much like you tried to help your Mirabel, yes?"
Her twin cousin's confirming nod allowed Mirabel to continue.
"I managed to grab the candle, and then...I fell. Casita tried to shield me from the debris..."
"But the debris managed to break through, regardless," Camilo presumed, prompting a nod from his twin cousin, "You...you were truly the best out of all of us, Mira. You...you were the true Miracle."
"Our family was," Mirabel shook her head as she continued hugging Camilo, whom she held tight and never let go.
Poppy was the first to approach and join in their hug, followed by Raya, Mei, Alberto, Miles, Ruby, and Marinette. The latter in particular snaked around and held Camilo close, much to Mirabel's now growing confusion...and elation.
Gasping as she broke away, Mirabel cupped her face in excitement.
"Camilo...is there something you wish to tell me about...or someone you wish to introduce me to...?"
Turning in the direction she was facing, Camilo gasped and lightly shoved Marinette away, "N-No! No, there isn't! She's not my girlfriend!"
"We didn't say she was your girlfriend, idiota," Alberto smirked, earning a giggle from Mei and Camilo's "girlfriend" in addition to a chastising smack from Ruby.
"I'm Marinette Dupain-Cheng," The Rock Troll introduced herself to Mirabel and Poppy, the latter shaking her hand first, "It's a pleasure to meet you in person. Camilo's told me much about you...well, the alternate you, anyway."
"I'd bet," Mirabel shook her head as Marinette giggled in amusement and Camilo groaned in embarrassment.
Just then, having been examining the conversation unfold, Miss Shinobu was joined by two more Trolls.
The first was a young Orchestral Pop Troll with pearl white skin, light blue eyes, and wavy shoulder-length auburn hair. Fitting for a princess, her main outfit was a gown consisting of a lilac bodice trimmed in two lines of pearls down the front and along the neckline and wings on the skirt; a pearl-hemmed and studded lilac petaled skirt with a row of great lace drops and trumpets each arranged like a four-leaf clover or cross on a nimbus, and a yellowish petticoat with a lilac band; a swirly tiara inset with pink sapphires, white pearls, and a turquoise diamond; violet slippers with bows and mid heels; and a silver-and-amethyst necklace with a huge ruby pink drop cabochon jewel pendant on a swirly silver backing topped with three sapphires.
The second was a male Latin Troll with a tall and slender figure; warm amber/hazelnut eyes; and short, slicked black hair with slightly grey streaks around his temples and wavy side bangs that fell just above his ear. He wore a dark red tailcoat, a navy blue dress shirt, a black waistcoat, white trousers, black boots, and a seemingly calm yet increasingly nervous smile on his face.
"Miss Shinobu!"
The Kitsune Troll perked up at her name being called and smiled as the young Orchestral Pop Troll approached with her Latin Troll mentor. She had taken a liking to the young girl following her arrival in the Space Between, taking her under her wing and allowing her to stay at her residence for as long as she liked. Of course, so did that Princess Peach as well, leading to an ongoing yet somewhat friendly rivalry over who was the beter big sister figure.
"Hello, Princess Sofia," Miss Shinobu knelt down to her level and gently petted the young Troll's hair, "How are you this morning?"
"I'm doing alright, thank you!" Sofia smiled, "Most of the books in the library were disorganized or discarded, so I took it upon myself to reorganize and reshelve them. I used my magic this time as a part of my training."
"That's good to hear," Miss Shinobu nodded as she faced the Latin Troll this time, "And I suppose Chancellor Esteban has been assisting you with the training in question?"
"I have, Lady Shinobu," Chancellor Esteban himself nodded in response, "There's no reason for any panic."
"For now..." Lady Shinobu muttered to herself as Esteban frowned in bemusement and Sofia giggled in amusement.
Watching the conversation ensue from afar, Poppy saw it fit to introduce herself to them before spotting another Pop Troll approaching from the distance. She was quite tall with a slim and lithe figure; daisy white skin; vivid blue eyes framed by six lashes; full pink lips; and long gold hair with a triangular bang in the center of her forehead, two rows of flips on her back, and two split sideburns framing her face. Her signature outfit of choice was a pink floor-length dress with puffy sleeves, a high collar, magenta panniers at the waist, a frill of the same color at the hem, a white petticoat under the gown, and a pair of pink bloomers (if one could easily spot it).
Poppy watched as the Pop Troll made repeated stops in her track to the assembly hall, either to oversee the numerous operations led by the Royal Guard or give friendly greetings to the young occupants of the kingdom. Taking a breath and marching forward, she made it a point to brush off the nonexistent dust and dirt off her dress and smoothing it out, a blatant attempt to present herself as prim, proper, and poised.
"Princess, I presume?" Poppy introduced herself to the Pop Troll Princess, "I'm Queen Poppy. It's a pleasure to meet you, um..."
"Princess Peach," The Pop Troll Princess smiled and returned her introduction, "The pleasure's all mine, Queen Poppy. Your mother actually sent me and the rest of the other Princesses a letter detailing an impending meeting in the assemby hall."
Oh, that's what that was...
Poppy nodded, "Ah, yes! Of course, she did!"
"You thought she was doing something else, right?"
"Yes," Poppy's smile fell comically as she started to sulk, much to Princess Peach's concern and amusement as she patted her back.
"It's quite alright. Misinterpretation can be something. Although, judging by the presence of nearly half of the kingdom, I can only assume the urgency of this meeting detailed in the letter was quite utmost."
"I can assume..." Poppy nodded again.
"Princess Peach! Queen Poppy!"
Poppy and Peach looked up from their conversation to find Sofia and Esteban marching forward, much to the latter's confusion.
"Chancellor Diego?"
"I wish," Esteban groaned in disappointment, "Unfortunately, that cabrón is considered the better variant of me."
"Mr. Esteban!" Sofia lightly chastised her mentor for surprisingly not using such foul language in foreign form, but deeply belittling himself, "Nobody's better than you! That's why Queen Poppy's requesting your assistance, right?"
"I suppose, Miss Sofia. I suppose so..." Esteban smiled at Sofia's comforting words before introducing himself to Poppy, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Queen Poppy. I am Chancellor Esteban. I look forward to training you for your impending battle against your opponents."
"And I look forward to training with you, Mr. Esteban," Poppy nodded as she returned the greeting, "And I presume Princess Sofia will be joining us?"
"Yes, your Majesty!" Sofia nodded a little too excitedly, "It's a honor to meet you in person, Queen Poppy! I look forward to training with you as well and showing you what I have learned in the Space Between!"
"I take it my mom's talked about me a lot?" Poppy asked amusedly.
"I must say you are something of a celebrity amongst the residents of TrollsTopia and even the majority of the Space Between," Miss Shinobu smiled.
"A celebrity?" Ruby laughed as she practically tugged Miles along, "She's a hero! A living legend! She managed to convince the Bergens to repent and make a switch! Not only that, but she took on two villainous groups, beat them at their own game, and live to tell the tale!"
"After she died destroying the Strings, right?" Raya frowned.
"And she still survived!" Mei shared the enthusiasm founded by Sofia and Ruby.
"Well, dying the first time wasn't exactly part of my plan," Poppy sheepishly admitted as she basked in the admiration her new friends and fans showered her with.
As Poppy continued conversing with the group, a pair of Trolls entered the assembly hall and surveyed their surroundings.
The first was a female Pop Troll with pastel pink skin, red eyes, and a blue nose and lips. Her main outfit consisted of a silver long-sleeved dress with purple cuffs and leggings.
The second was a male Wolf Troll with distinct wolf-like features, such as canine teeth and a dark grey snout (although this was invisible upon first glance). He had dark brown eyes with yellow sclera and thick black eyebrows, the left adorned with a subtle notch. His main outfit was a casual suit consisting of a cream-coloured blazer unbuttoned over a bright white dress shirt, cream-coloured dress pants, a brown leather belt, and a pair of brown dress shoes.
Satin and Mr. Wolf watched many of the kingdom's citizens talked lively amongst themselves as they attempted to find open seats. As the latter noticed, the former was incredibly impressed by the abundant amount of diverse denizens. Many of the Trolls hailing from the main six Troll Tribes and even Subgenre Tribes were recognized, but she could not help but be more fixated on the Trolls who hailed from neither.
Before she could fully dwell on the different Trolls, Satin eventually laid eyes on a familiar-looking Pop Troll who was greeting young Trolls while ushering the rest to their seats.
"Queen Peony!"
The current ruler of the Space Between looked up at her name being called, turning to find a familiar-looking Pop Troll rushing towards her, a Wolf Troll trailing behind.
"Oh, hello, Miss Satin!" Peony greeted her, who slowed down to a stop, "It's a pleasure to meet you once again!"
Satin returned the greeting with a curtsy, "The pleasure's all mine! To be honest, I didn't think you would remember me."
"But of course," Peony refuted her claim, "Any friend of Poppy is a friend of mine. Now, to what do I owe said pleasure?"
Satin took a deep breath as she began explaining.
"I'm actually looking for her. Pop Village was under attack by the Party Crashers. In the chaos, Poppy fell off a cliff trying to defend Branch and Hickory from one Party Crashers. Then a few weeks later, it turns out the Party Crashers were hired by the Chanty Trolls, a group of sky pirates. Then another few weeks, the Party Crashers came back and tried to capture or kill us all before I blew up Branch's bunker with myself in it to give everyone else a chance to escape. Then...then I ended up here. I figured if I ended up here, Poppy would have too. Do...do you know where she is? And if...she's okay?"
By the end of her abridged explanation, Satin was tearing up before Peony wiped away said tears.
"Don't fret, my dear. Poppy is just fine. She's right over there talking with fellow royals."
Perking up at this simple yet effective revelation, Satin turned to her left and indeed found the Pop Queen herself in the flesh. Her eyes widening at the appearance of her long-time friend happily chattering with a group of different Trolls she did not recognize, it warmed her heart nonetheless to see her alive and well. After much tension and turmoil for the past month or so, it was rather nice to witness such a palate cleanser.
"Poppy! Poppy!"
Her ears perking up at her name being called, Poppy turned to face the source and her eyes widened in surprise.
"S-Satin? Satin?!"
"Poppy!" Satin herself continued to call out for her friend.
Moving past the crowd of her new friends, Poppy made a beeline for her old friend...
"Satin! Sat—"
...before speeding to her much like a literal bee would. Unfortunately, tapping into a newfound ability in the heat of the moment makes the owner of said newfound ability forget certain things, such as knowing how to control it or stop it. As such, the comically horrified Pop Queen quite literally ran into an equally comically horrified Satin, both screaming in simultaneous surprise as they collided with each other.
When the dust cleared, the two of them became an entangled mess on the floor, understandably dazed and confused. This, of course, provoked a fit of laughter from Mirabel, Mei, Miles, and Alberto in addition to an amused smile from Peony and Mr. Wolf. As Poppy helped Satin up to her feet, she took notice of the trail left behind due to her speed run.
"Huh. That's new," Poppy noted dryly before turning her attention back to her friend, "Satin, you're here!"
"Of course I'm here!" Satin hugged her friend, who returned the hug in earnest, "You're one of my best friends!"
Satin briefly pulled away from Poppy and crossed her arms, now wearing a look of semi-serious concern for her.
"And as one of your best friends...I have a buttload of questions to ask you."
"Like...?" Poppy smirked at Satin, who jokingly rolled her eyes in mock exasperation.
"Like...where are we? What is this place? Is this the Space Between? Who are they? Are they your new friends? Where have you been? Everybody's been worried sick about you! And...you do realize your hair is glowing, right?"
Poppy glanced up to find, yes, her hair was indeed glowing.
"Yes, this is the Space Between, but we're in the kingdom of TrollsTopia. Yes, those are my new friends, whom I've been training with for the past month or so. And yes, my hair is indeed glowing, Satin. I can explain that."
Before Poppy could, however, Raya had beaten her to the punch.
"Basically, your friend here has been bequeathed the power of the Six Strings after she destroyed them and died in the process."
Satin opened her mouth before closing her mouth, processing the information Raya gave her. Backing away to examine Poppy from head to toe, the Maker Troll gasped.
"Was that how you were able to come back to life afterwards?"
"Oh, no," Poppy chuckled and shook her head, "I personally don't think so. I think my mom had something to do with it."
"Well, I may have brought you back to life," Peony herself approached, "but I believe your initial death may have caused your powers to manifest. They just happened to be triggered on the day you were unveiling TrollsTopia."
"Thankfully, with my assistance," Paul approached with a skip in his step and a smile on his face, "Your powers are in further control and thus, the likelihood of them acting up again is unlikely."
"But there's a chance it could happen again?" Mirabel frowned.
"Unfortunately, yes," Paul solemnly nodded before he perked up, "But if Poppy continues on with her training, then she could lessen the chances of it happening."
"I understand the feeling."
The group turned to find a very tall Troll who, in terms of calm poise and regal appearance, was quite similar to Peony.
The Troll bore flowing, dual-toned hair of both pink and purple in shimmering pale hues to her lofty stature. Her skin tone was also a tint of light purple. She also possessed a grand pair of translucent feathered wings, a gradient of pink to purple.
Her main outfit consisted of a sky-blue cloak that reached just above the ankles and draped like a curtain behind her (all the while held together by a string of white jewels), a saturated pink leotard with a short skirt, and light mauve leggings with violet heeled boots. Complementing them and making her daintly prim and regal personality stand out more were a pair of pristine elbow-length gloves. To top it all off, matching her pearl-drop earrings was an opalescent gem adorned the center of her forehead.
"My daughter had initially suffered an eerily similar condition in the living world," The Troll explained as she approached, "but it was healed with the Sword of Protection and the other Princesses' working together."
"Ah, Angella," Peony curtsied and exchanged small kisses on both cheeks with her, "It's a pleasure meeting you again."
"The pleasure's all mine, Peony," Angella nodded, balancing her attention between her and Poppy, "And I must say it's also a pleasure meeting your daughter in person for the first time."
"I'm Poppy," Poppy introduced with a curtsy of her own, "It's a honor to meet you in person, Queen Angella."
"The honor is mine," Angella returned said curtsy to humor her, "How does it feel to step foot in your and your mother's kingdom for the first time?"
"It's very surreal," Poppy admitted as she glanced around the hundreds (if not thousands) of different Trolls gathering around and taking their seats, "I thought a place like this was nothing more than just a fantasy. Never once did I think it would become a reality."
"Thanks to your mother, of course," Angella smiled with pride and admiration for the former Pop Queen, "Aside from an attention to detail, Peony always had a vision. A quite beautiful one, I might add."
"Oh, Angella, stop it!" Peony smiled, giggled, and blushed in succession, swatting away her friend's praise, "You're making me blush!"
"Oh, yeah," Sunset chuckled under her breath, "They definitely boned..."
As her boyfriend cackled, her girlfriend choked, prompting her to punch Sunset in the jugular to prevent her from saying any more dirty comments. Flash laughed harder at Twilight's unexpected and unprovoked response, with Mirabel, Mr. Wolf, and Alberto joining in despite lacking any proper context. For all the three of them knew, the prim, proper, and poised princess practically performed a punch of preventation. Raya rushed over to massage Sunset's neck as she coughed and hacked, shooting a dirty glare at all parties involved.
"Well, then..." Poppy cleared her throat before shaking her head, "Mom, you said that a meeting was fixing to be in session?"
"I did," Peony nodded and gestured to the large group of people, "And it seems like the last of the council members have arrived. Let us take our seats."
"And to think," Mirabel managed to breath out to Poppy as she calmed down, "We managed to have that entire conversation in the span of five-to-ten minutes, huh?"
Poppy could only exchange laughter with Mirabel as she walked with her new group of friends to the assembly. Satin trailed behind, glancing around the room to examine the vast array of Trolls, each hailing from a main Tribe or a Subgenre Tribe. As a member of the former tribe, she ultimately did not recognize those who hailed from the latter category, although she inwardly commended them for their more colorful appearances and more diverse personalities.
At the same time, Satin was quite worried. From what she could tell, most of these unfamilar Trolls were around her and Poppy's age, including the ones in the latter's expanded friend group. Not only had she witnessed first hand what a great amount of mental, physical, and emotional trauma could do to a Troll or experienced it as well, she also had the rotten luck of being the giver of it, which is how she ended up in the Space Between in the first place.
Looking back at her friend, Satin started to notice that Poppy had been taken her own "death" a little better than she was, cordially chatting with her new friends under their breath as most would when sharing and spreading romantic gossip. A factor in this, she assumed, was the fact that Poppy had been in the Space Between a lot longer than she was; in addition, this was only her second visit.
. . .
And she came back to life this first time around...with the help of Queen Peony.
. . .
Maybe... Just maybe...
. . .
Could I...?
. . .
Could we...?
. . .
"Yes, you can, Miss Satin."
Satin yelped and jumped in fright as Poppy's mother suddenly materialized beside her, wearing the same warm, comforting smile as before.
"W-What now?"
"You were planning to ask the question of whether or not I can resurrect you and Poppy in the hopes of reuniting with your loved ones," Peony continued to smile as she concluded, "Is this correct?"
Satin stammered for a brief moment before regaining her composure.
"It is. Can you, though?"
"That is correct," Peony nodded, "That is why this meeting is being held...among other things. Come. I'll explain."
As Peony led her along, Satin let out a sigh of relief before following her to their spots in the assembly hall.
"Among other things", though? What did that mean?
Satin would find her question answered as Peony officially commenced the meeting.
"Greetings, citizens of TrollsTopia! This meeting is officially in session!"
A brief moment of cheers and applause later, the citizens settled down and took their seats. Poppy was the last to sit down as she tried to appear more regal than she should have by standing beside her mother. Peony herself urged her daughter to take a seat, knowing standing up for far too long would be quite unpleasant.
"You all are wondering why I have called you here today. My daughter Poppy, the current Queen of the Pop Trolls, will be staying with us for the time being as she continues her training. As such, let's make her and her new friends feel welcome here!"
Everybody cheered and applauded their High Queen and her daughter, whom they sought to know more about during her stay in the Space Between. Poppy approached the podium and, brought face to face with a vast array of several different Trolls she did not recognize, could only smile, nod, and wave. As she did, she found herself bombarded by several young Trolls who gifted her with flowers, paper crowns, and even a plethora of magical gemstones, all of which the Pop Queen accepted graciously.
"Come, Poppy," Peony beckoned her daughter, carefully setting aside her gifts, "I wish to show you and your friends something of utmost importance."
Poppy followed her mother to the stage as the latter pulled out a copper, metallic-like sphere from her hair and rolled it to the very center of the room. That is where it opened and projected a large holographic map of the galaxy, which Peony examined and interacted like a touch-screen.
"This is the vast Multiverse," Peony explained to Poppy and the audience, "A hypothetical concept that suggests the existence of multiple universes. An infinite realm of being and potential being of which the universe is regarded as a part or instance. A theoretical framework that explains the origin and nature of reality. Et cetera, et cetera..."
A few others, including Poppy, held back a fit of giggles at the High Queen's attempt at humor, suggesting it was a successful one, much to Peony's satisfaction as she continued.
"The Multiverse consists of everything that exists: the entirety of space, time, matter, energy, information, and the physical laws and constants that describe them. The different universes within the multiverse have many terms: "parallel universes", "alternate universes", "other universes", or "many worlds". The Space Between is one of the few parallel universes that exist outside of time and space, but the Council have taken it upon themselves to monitor the other parallel universes and intervene only in a time of need."
"Like..." Poppy frowned and hesitated before pushing forward, "Like when I...I died?"
"Yes...and no, my dear," Peony replied, "I was supposed to let you die when you destroyed the Six Strings, so that your universe could grow into a perceived better version of itself. But..."
"But what?"
"But...my love for my family overwhelmed my duty to the Multiverse," Peony smiled as she cupped her daughter's face. Poppy herself leaned into her mother's gentle touch as she continued.
"You and Peppy were the people in my life who truly kept me moving forward, fighting for the other people you have grown to care for. It seems that my deviation from your destiny has, for the most part, paid off."
Peony stood up and faced a weary but understanding Miles.
"Which is why...I wish to personally apologize to you, Mr. Morales, for the losses you have endured."
"You don't have to apologize for anything, Your Majesty," Miles sighed and shook his head, "If anything...I should keep apologizing to myself. If only I was strong enough..."
As Ruby took his hand into hers, Poppy tilted her head.
"Strong enough to do what?"
After a moment's reluctance, Miles walked to the center of the room and toward the map, which he skimmed through until he located his desired universe. Except...there was nothing there. Nothing...but the visual of a shattered globe labeled "Earth-1610B".
Miles took a deep breath...
Alright...let's do this one last time...
...and commenced his tale of sorrow, heartbreak, and vengeance...
"Some time ago, before I arrived in the Space Between, I was the one and only...S-Spider-Man. I was bitten by a radioactive spider...and I wasn't the only one. I hadn't always had it easy...and I wasn't the only one. I'm now on my own...and I'm not the only one. I didn't ask to be bitten by that radioactive spider, but I was. I found out I had a purpose: To help people and save people...no matter the cost. And the cost was high. Too high. Or that's what I was led to believe. The first girl I loved, she was one of many Spider-People, and I...I convinced her to let me meet the rest of them. They were called the Spider-Society. A group of heroes led by one man. This man...he convinced himself that any tragedy must happen and any Spider-Person must suffer the loss of both family members and some authority figure in order to not only make that Spider-Person better than they already were...but to keep the Multiverse intact through the path of a Canon Event. The death of my father...at the hands of my nemesis...was one of these canon events."
The crowd was entirely silent save for a select few sobs and sniffles within, particularly from the young and adolescent. Poppy was close to tearing up, but she could not show it. Why, she did not know.
"So I tried to convince them. Convince them to let me save my dad. They wouldn't budge, they only refused, they locked me in a cage with no intent to release afterward. So I broke out. I fled the Spider-Society. I tricked them to chase me around so their little clubhouse was defenseless. I returned back there to use the Go-Home Machine to return to my home dimension. But...my home wasn't there anymore...and neither was my dimension. My nemesis got there first in the hopes of drawing me out. He killed everyone I loved, everyone I cared about. And he laughed, gloating that he would take everything and everyone I held dear from me eventually."
Poppy was understandably heartbroken by her new friend's tale of betrayal, deception, and ultimate havoc. And the one responsible for his pain and suffering had the audacity to laugh and gloat? It unnerved her to no end, barely clinging onto the hope that he would achieve some form of catharsis.
"Your nemesis?" Poppy found the courage to ask, "What happened to him?"
"I had nothing left to lose...and neither did he. Either way, I knew neither of us would come out unscathed...or on top."
Miles turned to Poppy with a guilty expression.
"I killed him, Poppy. I killed him after a long battle...and it felt empty. Vengeance always does. But I didn't know this back then. Back then, I was angry. I was furious. I was determined to make the bastard pay for what he had done. Right now? I know that killing him wouldn't bring my universe back or change the fact that my parents are still dead. I can rest a little easier now...but I still feel guilty to this day."
As the older of the two (if not her entire group of best friends), Poppy wanted to give Miles a hug as her honorary older sister. Ruby could only express silent sympathies for her boyfriend, who had previously refused to talk about his family or friends until this very point. At this very point, she understood why. Many of the friend group expressed a similar sentiment, including Satin, who had barely known Miles until the same point.
"I have to give credit to your mom, though," Miles managed a small smile and snicker, "She took me in. Treated me as if I was her own child. Believed in me when no one else did."
"Well, apparently, I don't fall into that category," Ruby rolled her eyes as she approached Miles, hooking her arm around his shoulder.
"Well, apparently, I hadn't met you yet," Miles shrugged as she planted a kiss on Ruby's cheeks, the tone lightening up considerably.
"Well, apparently, I believe in you too," Poppy faced Miles and nodded at him, "If my mom believed in you from the very beginning, so will I. And...as your adoptive older sister..."
Miles and Ruby (along with the rest of her supporting cast) shot Poppy incredulous looks while Peony wore a look of simple amusement.
"I'm asking you to help me. Help me save my friends, my father, and the rest of the Troll Tribes. Maybe it can...potentially help you heal and find something that resembles a personal redemption."
Miles wanted to laugh in mirth, but he knew from the look of his adoptive older sister's eyes (great, now he was doing it), Poppy was being serious about her subtle suggestion.
"Plus...you and the others need to get out more."
His eyebrows knitting together in confusion, Miles exchanged matching looks with Ruby and the rest of the group. Many of them expressed similar sentiments, while some of them agreed with Poppy's statement. And then there was Mirabel. Knowing the similarities in the dialogue exchanged between her and her uncle during her time in the living world, she could only nod at him and guess what he was going to say in response.
Glancing back at a patient Poppy, Miles merely frowned and shrugged.
"Ehh..."
Branch examined the map of the Folk Rock Kingdom and formed a plan based on the suggestions of their expanded group of allies. Nearby, Blue was nearby cleaning the parts of her disassembled Beretta 90Two before reassembling it. Many of the Tribe Leaders, the Tribe Ambassadors, the Bounty Hunters, and even the Snack Pack members were offered rooms at the castle for the time being, while some others opted to stay at the ever-expanding orphanage.
Val was one of the others, not wanting to let her younger cousin out of her sight again. For the most part, Melody herself could not care less. Even if she was mildly clingy and overprotective, she was happy to see her older cousin again and eager to continue her training with Miss Agatha, who had become something of a mentor to her during the journey to the Folk Rock Kingdom. Her newfound relationship with the Grey Troll unsurprisingly brewed a potion of jealousy within Val, but she surprisingly showed quite a bit of restraint and ensured not to press the issue any further, much to her own credit and Melody's own surprise. Perhaps the first-time-around disaster involving TrollsTopia got through to her.
DJ sat around a table with her fellow Snack Pack friends and Pop Trolls, downing a sweet drink in remembrance of her fallen friend. They all had a hunch that Poppy was still alive despite the overwhelming odds, but the same overwhelming odds had already decided that Satin was not coming back. Even so, a rare few refused to give up hope...and DJ herself was one of them despite the above.
"Here's to a friend...wherever they may be. Salute."
"Salute..." The Snack Pack saluted in return, as did the Pop Trolls accompanying their large space. Diogo, Dulce, and Sun Lien were among the Subgenre Trolls who raised a glass for the friends or family they lost over the course of a month. With much reluctance, Chenille was the last to down her drink.
Watching this, Blue felt solemn sorrow flow through her veins, but she did not dare to show it in front of her new allies.
"You okay?"
Blue turned to find...Twig(?) regarding her with genuine concern which she mistook as fake. Regardless, she appreciated the gesture, even if she did not show it.
"Yep," Blue huffed in response, loading a magazine into her reassembled pistol before checking the sights, "Never better. You?"
"Same here," Branch continued as his concerning gaze was sprinkled with a hint of suspicion, something that Blue noticed right away.
"I have a feeling that you know something about me than I let on?"
"Something like that. Normally an alliance with an enemy suggests an ulterior motive. Am I correct?"
Blue bitterly chuckled in response, "You are."
"Let me guess. A secret treasure? Unlimited power?"
Glancing back between him and the group of the mourning Trolls, Blue frowned now at Branch.
"Something like that..."