. . .
. . .
. . .
"Uh...could you repeat that, dude?" Barb asked in an appropriately confused manner.
"I SAID...STOP THE WEDDING!"
Out of the assembled crowd, one half gasped in shock while the other half took a collective intake of breath; all of whom wondered who shouted and dared to interrupt the ceremony. Branch drew a hunting knife and reverted back to defense mode while Sunset and Raya drew their respective pistols, shielding the Tribe Leaders and Ambassadors from any potential danger. DJ, Barb, Aggie, Melody, and the two Trollexes protected the younger guests while Poppy and Mirabel drew their respective swords, much to the surprise of much of the latter's family. Parce even tensed up as he protected Antonio and the rest of the family.
Peering from behind their security detail, the Funk Family exchanged confused looks with the rest of their fellow royals before Queen Essence glanced up at the rooftop of a nearby building.
"Look!" Essence gasped and pointed, "Up there!"
Poppy, Branch, and everyone else looked up to where Queen Essence was pointing at, finding a presumed Pop Troll standing there tall and proud in the vein of an adventurer or hiker.
"Who in the hay is that," Delta questioned, Hickory and Holly shrugging in response.
"Obviously a Troll," Sun Lien tilted her head, "But which tribe does he belong to?"
"Well..." Laguna deduced as she adjusted her glasses to take a closer look at the more discernible details, "He gives off the appearance of a Pop Troll."
"Popsqueak, Branch," Barb turned to them while pointing up at him, "You guys know that guy?"
"Not that I'm aware of," Viva replied for a frowning Poppy while Branch narrowed his eyes towards the new Troll.
For some reason, something about him just...felt off.
It was like he somehow...knew who this was?
"Uh, Bridget..." Gristle turned to his bride, "...do you know this guy?"
"I can't remember all my suitors, Grissy," An uncertain Bridget herself answered.
Despite being obscured by the sun suspended behind him, his build was undeniably muscular and bulkier than many of the other Trolls, let alone those from Pop, which came in handy when he was in some sort of danger.
Reinforcing that look was the new Troll taking a flying leap off the rooftop and sliding down a laundry wire. He then used his hair to swing from a sign, using that momentum to fly over to grab a heart-shaped balloon and float closer to the front-row pedestals where the Snack Pack, Tribe Leaders, Tribe Ambassadors, and Bounty Hunters were. Once he was close enough to the ground, he let go of the balloon and soared straight...
"OOMPH!"
...to his face.
He landed straight on his face.
Again.
A moment of silence followed before Barb and Nimona burst into a fit of laughter at the mood whiplash.
"Sorry," Nimona laughed as she wiped her tears, "That was pretty funny."
"It really was," Barb cackled.
"Yeah, I'm currently working on that," The Troll chuckled himself as he stood up and began brushing the dust off him, giving the audience members (including the more attentive ones) a much more closer look at him. He had blue eyes, blue skin, and green hair that was shaved in the back and sides. His main outfit was a brown leather jacket with a white and dark-brown spotted fur collar, green pants that go down to his knees, and signature green skiing goggles with a pink lenses. From Sunset's perspective, she inwardly cringed; the new Troll on the block's outfit gave off the impression that he was trying (and failing miserably) to cling on what was left of the 90's. From Twilight's prespective, she outwardly frowned; the clothes were noticable torn and tattered, giving off the impression they had not been washed or even discarded a long time ago.
Unbeknownst to anyone else but Poppy, Branch gasped in understandable shock. He knew EXACTLY who this particular Troll was, and he also knew EXACTLY that this particular Troll was going to recognize him by a square mile, let alone a square inch.
"Sorry," The Troll chuckled out an apology and slid his goggles onto his head, "Is this bad timing?"
"Duh," Both Trollexes raised their eyebrows, as if nonverbally telling him to read the room.
"Sorry, my apologies again," The new Troll raised his hands up in innocence as he started to explain, "I didn't mean to intrude. I'm just trying to find a Troll named―"
Laying his eyes on Branch, the new Troll gasped in shock and smiled, "Baby Branch!"
All eyes were now on the survivalist Pop Troll, who clenched his teeth and cringed at the nickname given to him at an early age before attempting to regain his composure.
"Uh, you're making a mistake...stranger that looks similar to me," Branch narrowed his eyes, "There's no Branch here!"
Ignoring his protests or not even buying the excuse, the new Troll rushed forward to Poppy and Branch's position and pulled himself up meet face to face with them.
"Look at you," The new Troll continued, "You got so big. You're not a branch anymore. You're more like a trunk. Junk in the trunk."
As if to prove his point and simultaneously get a rise out of him, the new Troll smacked his behind real hard.
"Ow!" Branch shouted in pain as the crowd gasped and winced. Poppy gritted her teeth in embarrassment for her boyfriend, while Satin and Chenille clamped one hand over their mouths to hold back their laughter. Nimona had no such reservations.
"I bet you I can still pick you up. Come on," The new Troll proceeded to "pick" Branch up without even waiting to give him permission...which he inevitably struggled with since the latter grew from a branch to a trunk, "Ooh, you got heavy. Aah! There goes my back."
All the while, everybody looked on the unexpected scene of Branch being tossed around helplessly like a rag doll with confusion and bemusement. Mirabel additionally mouthed an apology to her equally incredulous family. On the other hand, Twilight and Laguna took note of the dynamic between Branch and the new Troll: the latter was clearly excited to see him again after a presumably long time while the former...was clearly not.
"Should we stop him?" Val asked the leaders, "It looks like Branch is being bothered by this guy."
"Very bothered," Barb darkly narrowed her eyes at the new Troll now as she pulled out her guitar before she was stopped by Queen Essence. The Funk Queen placed one paw on the guitar and gently pushed it down, the look of "Not yet" visible in her eyes.
"Hold on, girls," Quincy addressed, "This might be how this new Troll interacts with Branch regularly. So, let us watch and see if it persists. If it becomes more severe, then we shall step in and put a stop to it."
While the Rock Queen scowled in response, she understood but remained a bit defensive in case Popsqueak's boyfriend got hurt.
Meanwhile, watching Branch himself getting manhandled like crazy by a Troll she knew only through reputation, Poppy herself had to put the facade that she had no idea who this new Troll was at all. Standing her ground, she marched over amid the concerned protests of her father, the Tribe Leaders, and the rest of her friends.
"Oh! Charley horse!" The new Troll continued struggled to carry Branch, "Oh, God. Two charley horses!"
"Hey!" Poppy shouted, "Stop right there!"
Her hands glowing now, Poppy used her powers to pry the new Troll off her boyfriend and keep him suspended in mid-air, "You leave my boyfriend alone and tell us who you are and what you want!"
The rest of the Leaders and Ambassadors momentarily forgetting Poppy had powers now, Holly smiled and whooped in support, "You tell him, Poppy! That guy's got no right to mess with your man!"
"Or be a wedding crasher on top of that," Sunset aimed her Glock 21 alongside Raya, who aimed her SIG-Sauer P226 SCT.
Rolling her eyes and regaining her composure, Poppy set the new Troll down and offered him a hand to take, "Sorry about that. I get overprotective sometimes when it comes to my loved ones. Now...I take it you know Branch personally?"
"I do..." The new Troll chuckled and took said hand to pull himself up and shake, "...and I can relate. So you're Baby Branch's girlfriend? Man, if anything, I should apologize; it's totally rude of me to not even introduce myself. I...am Branch's brother."
An orchestra of shocked shouts and goggle-eyed gasps was conducted by EVERYONE present. Such a casual reveal got everybody riled up. At this point, nearly everyone who exclaimed and clamored in surprise forgot about the wedding, including the bride and groom themselves. Gristle and Bridget were leaning close to try to get a good peek and listen.
"What?!" Viva, Aggie, the Tribe Leaders, the Tribe Ambassadors, and their associates shouted in disbelief.
"Oh my guh," Smidge exclaimed while clutching her head.
"Oh, golly," Holly declared, both her hands on her chest in response to the stunning revelation.
"Oh-ho-ho!" Lownote Jones chortled, "What a world."
Cooper smiled, "Branch has a long-lost brother like I do?"
"I think he does!" Prince D smiled as well.
"Wow! And I thought I was the only one with a secret brother no one knew I had."
"I'm so confused…" Beat muttered.
"You and me both..." Barb muttered as well.
"Well, that's not gonna open a can of worms," Melody remarked as she turned to Creek, who merely rolled his eyes, shook his head, and went elsewhere. While the Guru Troll did just that, DJ and the rest of the Snack Pack glanced at each other.
Branch?
Brothers?
Branch had a brother?
But that's impossible.
Never once did Branch mention any family member other than his grandmother.
Was this even true?
"Correction: Used to be my brother," Branch clarified bitterly, "Not anymore."
Processing this information, Poppy turned back to face him and smiled in sympathy, "Hey, um, remember earlier when I said you should open up to me and be real?"
Branch's stern expression faltered for a bit, "Well―"
"You could've started by telling us you had a secret brother!" Viva grinned and squeaked.
"Former brother," Branch repeated, not bothering to look at the brother in question.
"That's not how DNA works!" Viva screeched in exasperation, Poppy smiling and shaking her head as well, a feeling of Déjà vu creeping up on her.
"Ooh, drama!" Tiny Diamond smirked as he again recovered from the shock faster than his friends, "Corn me, Dinkles."
One squeak later, and the worm in question spewed out a bucket of popcorn for him and his friends to munch on as the "drama" unfolded. Antonio took one bite...and was immediately entranced by the taste and smell, silently beckoning his friends to join in.
Peering over her brother-in-law's shoulder, Viva turned to face her father, "Dad, did you know about this?"
"Huh?" King Peppy suddenly froze and chuckled nervously, "What? Me? What would I know about secret family members?"
"Well, to be fair, Dad..." Poppy smiled and shrugged, "You're pretty good at hiding them."
At that comment, Peppy smiled sheepishly before he froze up at the sensation of a specific Troll behind him.
"A king at it, if you well," Peony smirked as she rested her hands on his shoulders.
"Mom!" Viva gasped in excitement and practically leaped up to hug her waist, "You made it!"
Peony smiled back and returned the hug, "Of course I did, sweetheart. I had to drop off a few things."
Snapping her fingers, Peony summoned Sonata Dusk and Amethyst van der Troll at that moment.
The former was wearing a lavender off-shoulder dress top with lilac vertical stripes and a magenta mermaid-style skirt that had a white hemline; that white hemline was sprinkled with pink polka dots. She also wore matching magenta knee-high platform boots with a mulberry collar area, heels, and outsoles; they were complemented by a gold necklace, silver earrings, and rose pink opera gloves.
The latter was wearing a bubblegum pink illusion dress top with a hot pink circle skirt that also had a plain white hemline. She also wore taffy pink moccasins with white straps along with a silver necklace and bracelets; the latter objects were adorned with crepe pink gemstones while a bubblegum pink heart-shaped gemstone was hanging from the former. Her purple eyes were hidden by a pair of pink heart-shaped glasses.
Sonata seemed excited to be there, while Amethyst...seemed sick in general.
"Ugh, what was I thinking?" Amethyst groaned and shook her head, "Popsqueak...never again am I hitching a ride with your mom."
"Aw, boo!" Sonata waved her off, "It was fun, Queen Poppy!"
"I'm sure it was," Poppy smiled as Viva happily hugged them both, "I'm just glad you girls could make it."
"I would be, too," Amethyst began, "if it weren't the pounding sound of my head about to burst."
After breaking away from her two friends, Viva abruptly regained her jittery energy, "Oh my gosh! I was being so rude. I was so caught up in reuniting with my younger sister for the past few months that I've never met anyone from Branch's family before! Properly, that is. I'm Viva, Queen Poppy's sister and Branch's brother-in-law. Should we hug, fistbump, smile and wave for now and see where the night takes us?"
"All of the above," Branch's brother smiled, his now deepened voice giving off a slight charm that sent chills down many of the guests' spines, "I'm just glad to meet you. I need to get caught on what happened here last."
"Actually..." Peppy suddenly spoke up, catching everyone's attention again, "Come to think of it, we had it real messy when we moved to the heart of Troll Forest; it was very chaotic when we were rebuilding our society systems. I couldn't find Branch's other family relatives and by the time he built his bunker...he basically made his past unknown…"
During his explanation, It was clear he was trying to not guilt-trip the observing and astonished Bergens at this revelation. Nevertheless, Barb noticed King Gristle Sr. biting his bottom lip while his son donning an uncomfortable but understanding facial expression. They both knew too well what went wrong. All of the Pop Trolls had to abandon everything (and every one of their loved ones) when fleeing Bergen Town long ago. Their previous homes that brought them safety, even if the peace was not sufficiently sought. The Tribe Leaders themselves also felt guilty; not fully aware of the backstory between the Pop Trolls and the Bergens, they isolated themselves from the Pop Tribe out of fear of their music being corrupted by them like it had been done before all those years.
Taking a brief moment to glance back at the old Troll Tribe (which was quite colorful but quite outdated in vines and faded pods), Barb's eyes eventually widened in alarmed realization as she put two and two together. She had been annoyed―angered, even―by the Pop Trolls' apparent obliviousness to their history back then. Looking at this now, she now realized it was far more complicated.
Their history books would have faded out lately.
In fact, they should have.
"Man..." Barb muttered under her breath, "I'll give credit to the Pop Trolls for not being totally prepared from the get-go."
This earned the Rock Queen a gentle but cautionary elbow nudge from Prince D.
Her mind trailing back to that fateful night when she and the rest of her fellow survivors were separated from their Tribe, Viva gasped as she attempted to distract herself.
"Wait a minute, I know you. You're the guy from BroZone! Poppy and Branch were just listening to them."
"Yeah, BroZone!" Cooper nodded with the kids before he frowned in confusion, "Wait...BroZone?"
"Yeah, actually..." Camilo frowned and tilted his head in a similar manner, "Who and what is a BroZone?"
"Wait, Cooper," Val turned to face the Funk Prince, "You don't know who BroZone is? You've been in Pop Village longer than I have."
"What, and you do?" Petra chuckled jokingly...before her amused smirk fell from her face and she stared at her now blushing best friend in shock, "No. Oh, no..."
"O...M...G," Melody gasped, "Val...are you telling me that...you're a fan of BroZone?"
The Rock Tribe turned their attention to a now embarrassed Val, who blushed more after being put on the spot, "Er...no. No, I'm not. I didn't say I was."
"But you were implying it, weren't you, chica?" Tresillo wriggled his eyebrows.
"OMG!" Viva slid over to Val, "What's your favorite song and who's your favorite member out of them all?"
"Well, it's most definitely not The Heartthrob," Val crossed her arms defensively before her eyes widened at her mistake. In the background, Gust's eyes widened before they narrowed, not thinking too lightly of this "Spruce" while simultaneously apologizing to Branch mentally. Delta and Holly giggled in response.
"Mine's The Fun One!" Viva confessed before turning back to Branch's brother, "Wait. Wait, wait, wait. Don't tell me who you are. Um...okay, well, you're not the heartthrob."
"Well, that's your opinion," Branch's brother murmured, his pride wounded, "I―"
"The fun one? No, I just said this...and you're kind of uptight."
"Uptight?" Branch's brother was now visibly offended, much to the mild amusement of both Poppy and Branch.
"Hmm," Viva continued to assume, "Not the sensitive one either."
"Okay," Branch's brother bit his lip, "A lot of assumptions for someone you just met 30 seconds ago."
30 more seconds of chin rubbing, Viva snapped her fingers, "Oh, oh! I've got it. You're John Dory!"
John Dory brightened up, "Yes! The leader―"
"The old one!" Viva smiled back at him, causing John Dory to deflate and sigh in resignation while Branch and Barb stifled their "light" laughter, earning them "light" elbow jabs to their sides.
"Uh, sorry to interrupt," King Gristle interrupted, "but we lose the venue at 11:00, so―"
"Shh, Grissy," Bridget softly waved his concerns away, "I'm trying to listen. Hot gossip."
"Very hot gossip," Miss Maxine concurred.
"So, wait..." Viva gasped as she reached a realization, "If...if you'e Branch's bro, then that means that all the other BroZone bros...are Branch's bros too! Branch, how come you never told us? Poppy, especially?"
"Because it's complicated," Branch huffed in response, Poppy feigning ignorance in return as she comforted him.
"Oh, sweetie. It's because you weren't in the band, right?"
"Oh, Branch was in the band all right," John Dory confirmed for them, causing Viva to gasp again.
"What? No way. Which one was he?"
"Bitty B," John Dory replied.
"Bitty B?" Viva stared incredulously, "No, that's impossible. Bitty B had glasses."
"Oh, and a diaper, right?" Val snarked.
"Aaaaaaand..." Branch subsequently harmonized, "...a falsetto made of gold. Not that anyone cared. But that's all in the past. Because John Dory, Spruce, and Clay stopped being my brothers the day they walked out on me and never came back."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa," John Dory raised his hands up, "That's not fair, Branch. I did come back, but no one was there. No Troll Tree, no Troll Pods, nothing. It wasn't until I heard about you saving the world from the "Rock-Pocalypse" that I realized you were even still alive."
Branch helped himself a little smile in pride at that. One little win in his books.
"Oh, that's...that's so sweet. He realized I was still alive. 20 years too late!"
"In fairness, Branch," Viva patted his shoulders, "It was 20 years too late for me as well. Not only did I realize that I had a younger sister to call my own...but I found out that one of the members of a boy band that I hold deep and close to my heart is actually my future fiancé..."
"Wait, what?" Poppy turned to her older sister in surprise.
"What?" Viva absentmindedly tilted her head before realizing the words that came out of her mouth, "Oh! That's not what I meant to say."
"I'm sorry, did you just say fiancé?" Branch's eyes widened.
"Fiancé?" Poppy, Prince D, and John Dory repeated.
"Fiancé?" Val, Sonata, and Amethyst repeated.
"Beyoncé?" Sisu asked confusedly through her stuffed mouth, causing Miles, Sunset, and Flash to choke on their spit and fight back their laughter.
"Umm..." Viva giggled, blushed, and admitted sheepishly, "I meant to keep that part as a surprise."
Regardless, Poppy squeed in delight and hugged her older sister as her way of congratulations, Peppy, Peony, and Sonata following behind. Prince D and John Dory were both speechless, but their small smiles were a sincere and surefire sign of congratulations.
"So..." Branch approached, "You know my brother Clay?"
"Of course I do!" Viva beamed as she explained, "He was one of the Trolls who survived alongside the others when we escaped from Bergen Town. He's practically my best friend...before he became my boyfriend, which was a really weird transition. And then he proposed to me on this beautiful dock a few nights before, and I got so excited I―well, I can't tell you that particular part."
"Uh...I think it's best you didn't," Mirabel smirked, side-eyeing Antonio and the rest of the younger kids in attendance, "but congratulations, girl! When's the wedding?"
"We don't know yet," Viva shrugged, "But Clay and I are taking steps and inspiration from this one. We wanted to not only meticulously plan our wedding, but also give you some time to rest before I asked you for your help."
"Oh, Viva," Poppy touched her heart, "I would help you no matter what...just as I imagine Branch doing the same with his brothers? That's the question right there."
Rolling his eyes while still trying to process that Poppy's sister was engaged to his brother, Branch shook his head, "I think the real question we should be asking is, what's going on with him? I bet he's only here because he needs something."
"That's not true, Branch," Viva smiled, "He's your brother above everything else."
"Well, actually..." John Dory began to admit, "I'm gonna be straight with you. I do need something.
"And there it is," Branch scoffed.
"Come on, man," Viva smiled more awkwardly, "I'm trying here."
"Wait, wait," John Dory pleaded, "Hold up, Branch. It's about Floyd. If you're not gonna listen to me...for me...at least listen to me for him."
"What do you mean?" Branch exchanged now concerned glances with Poppy, his initial dismissal paving the way from subsequent dread, "What happened to Floyd?"
"He's in danger, man," John Dory explained solemnly, "I hadn't heard from him since the band broke up. Until...I got a letter from him."
Producing the letter in question, John Dory handed it over to Poppy and Branch for them to look over. Meanwhile, the Tribe Leaders and Ambassadors exchanged alarmed looks with each other as everyone else murmured in worry.
"Dear John Dory," Poppy read first, "I'm being held against my will by superstars...Velvet and Veneer."
"Come to Mount Rageous at once and bring our brothers," Branch read next, "Love, Floyd."
"I didn't know where any of you were," John Dory continued, "so...I went to Mount Rageous alone."
("Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)" — Eurhythmics) [Andrew Rannells & Brianna Mazzola Cover]
Mount Rageous: the grand and glorious mountain of an amazingly technicolor city with big people and shinier duds. Although, due to the constant lighting in the city, it was currently unknown if there was a crystal clear distinction between day and night for this place.
An overall hustling and bustling, mostly urbanized location with next to no biomes, it was full to the brim with neon lights and highly advanced technologies, such as wide TV screens for live broadcast and visual entertainment. Another technical achievement was the advent of Wi-Fi, which allowed high-speed Internet access for its users to download content on their devices or even entertain themselves online. All types of vehicles ranging from bumper cars to pick-up trucks to even bullet trains were the main sources of transportation, as its highways defied gravity and refused to obey the laws of physics at all.
(Of course, this meant a lot of road accidents, as the drivers would pursue danger and recklessness and forgo any traffic rules, common sense, or simple morality.)
If one was familiar with the Funk Trolls and the Techno Trolls, one could point out the similarities in terms of technology and aesthetic.
However, the inhabitants of Mount Rageous bore little to no resemblance to either Tribe...or the other four, at that.
Dubbed "Mount Rageons" by the rare few who visited, they were tall, doll-like beings whose skin gave off the faint presence of rubber and/or plastic. They were also incredibly slim and lanky to the point where they resembled spaghetti noodles, with overall immaculate appearances with no visible blemishes, scars, or injuries. They had colored lips, big eyes, and petite noses. Their hair was commonly styled in plasticine shapes, and their aforementioned skin was usually a silvery or matte chrome color. Although the colors of the rest of their body can vary, they typically had a monochromatic color scheme, which consisted of multiple shades of a single color. Their primary outfits tended to be baggy trousers, jumpsuits and other outfits reminiscent of an older yet extravagant era, and the clothes they normally wore were meant to match their hair.
Finally, due to their flexible bodies, the Mount Rageons more often than not took pride in their highly physical flexibility. They could swing and twist their bodies with ease—which gave them momentum—and the most talented dancers of their species could swing, twist and twirl from one move to another with agility. However, having traded in raw strength for complex elasticity, they were physically weaker compared to, say, the Bergens, whom they also paled in comparison to in terms of tallness. Despite this, they were still taller than the average Bergen and stronger when pitched against Trolls due to their larger size.
Say a Mount Rageon was kidnapping a Troll the same way a Bergen would.
The outcome would be glaringly obvious.
Cruising around Mount Rageous in his beige and red-striped mode of transportation, John Dory scanned his surroundings in equal parts caution and intrigue, noticing the sign that displayed the name of the city in a bright pink font with gold outlines. He had never strayed outside the borders of the Troll Kingdom, let alone this far in general before, so he was venturing into uncharted territory now. Adding to this anxiety-inducing adventure, he was rather significantly—or insignificantly, rather—smaller than the residents and their equally larger vehicles, so a chance of being crushed or smushed was now a possible likelihood.
But his fear of being turned to a bloody paste on the road was insignificant compared to the troublesome fate of one's family member or loved one.
Maintaining a stoic, steel-laced poker face, John Dory persisted onward and drove forward, venturing into the heart of Mount Rageous.
"I found where this...Velvet and Veneer were performing that night," John Dory narrated as he arrived at the location in question: a neon-saturated nightclub known as "The Boom Box", where the sounds of electronica, synth-pop, and new wave become progressively louder and louder as he got closer and closer.
Parking his vehicle and glancing around some more, John Dory's eyes widened in shock as he got a much better look at some of the citizens of Mount Rageous. No wonder why they did paid no heed right now as much as they did on the road; they all looked like (and acted like) actual teenagers!
As such, he slipped inside just as easily as he would do again in a few minutes, but his easy access was anything but smooth. Courtesy of a very large crowd clapping, cheering, dancing, and stomping to the beat of the song, the ground shook heavily beneath his feet and the sounds vibrated violently around his eardrums. This nearly knocked him flat on his behind and forced him to cover his ears and keep his footing as he headed further inside.
Actually...the song was pretty good.
Great, even.
Unblocking his ears, he watched a pair of Mount Rageons perform onstage for the very large crowd. Given their rowdy cheers and rambunctious claps, it was clear to John Dory that these two were the main attraction tonight. And given the appearances of these particular two Mount Rageons—both spindly, attractive, doll-like, pearly-white-skinned humanoid giants with green hair, deep-blue eyes, lavender-pink rosy cheeks, and minimal makeup—it was crystal clear that they were twins.
Sweet dreams are made of this
Who am I to disagree?
The female Mount Rageon's hair was longer, wavier, and kept in a high-ponytail. Her eyes possesses fluttery-like lashes, and her makeup consists of sparkly-light violet eyeshadow and fuchsia lip gloss. She wore a V-neck gold tank top worn under similarly-designed crop-tops with pointed shoulder-pads. Her gold attire was followed by a matching miniskirt, and her crystal accessories includes a spiked-tiara, two chokers with one of them having a diamond-shaped pendant, bracelets on both her wrists, and high-heeled boots; all of them made out of grape-purple crystals. In addition, she dawned a set of fuchsia-purple, teardrop-shaped dangle earrings while the two longest parts of head ornaments vaguely resembled the letter "V".
She sung first, swaying her hips and stomping her feet to the beat of the song in a way that captivated everyone in the room...and we mean everyone.
Blinking in bewilderment, John Dory shook his head as he heard her voice literally echo in his head.
I travel the world and the seven seas
Everybody's looking for something
The male Mount Rageon's hair was shorter and gelled into a long quiff, and he wore makeup consisting of green lipstick and greyish-cyan eyeshadows. For his choice of attire, he and his sister wore matching outfits; a gold tank top under a V-neck crop-top with pointed shoulder-pads that is the same color, followed by a set of matching short-shorts. His accessories, however, included a choker, bracelets on both his wrists and high-heeled platform boots; all of them made out of indigo-blue crystals. He also dons a small, simple, bronze hoop-earring on his right ear. In addition, even when wearing said platform boots, he seemed noticably shorter than his sister.
He sang next, mirroring his sister's movements and dance routine down to a tee. He too swayed his hips and stomped his feet to the beat of the song in a way that captivated everyone in the room...and we mean everyone.
John Dory's fear was starting to be felt, his suspicions about them reaching an all-time sky high. But remembering the reason why he was here, he took a deep breath and regained his composure.
He needed to find Floyd and get the hell out of here.
(Hold your head up)
Movin' on
John Dory looked around...
(Keep your head up)
Movin' on
...and around...
(Hold your head up)
Movin' on
...and around...
(Keep your head up)
Movin' on
...until he laid his eyes on the ceiling, where the club's air vents were.
Traveled the world and the seven seas...
An idea forming in his mind, he slipped on his goggles and extended his hair to launch himself upward and swing towards an conveniently placed air vent. All the while, everybody was looking for something...but him. Everyone was too distracted by the admittedly amazing performance, while the twins were too busy relishing in their admittedly amazing performance to even notice a single Pop Troll effortlessly inflitrating their establishment.
"Yeaaaahhhhhh!" The female Mount Rageon held a particularly sweet high note that made the crowd go wild as her brother helped hype the crowd up. She sent the male and female members a sexy and seductive series of sultry smirks, flirtatious flutters, and a practically pornographic preview for their next show. Twisting and twirling on her heels while softly panting to herself, her clothes gave off the vague impression that they were...saliciously see-through in the spotlight.
As such, much to the exasperation of her brother, more than a few audience members fainted in pleasant surprise.
Either that, or the tampered cooling system finally did them in.
Inside the vents, John Dory wielded a flashlight to shine his way through while wielding his trusty frying pan, glancing around and around until he located the dressing room. Removing a lighting panel near the decahedral-shaped chandelier, he took another brief glance inside, taking note of the items inside. This included a hexagon-shaped mirror with lightbulbs, a hairbrush, several make-up bottles, a perfume bottle large enough to hold a Troll in, a cup of powder brushes, and so on.
. . .
. . .
. . .
Wait, what?
A perfume bottle large enough to hold a Troll in?
Performing a double take at that particular item, John Dory's eyes narrowed as he squinted a little closer. Gasping in shocked realization, the Troll inside was undoubtedly his little brother.
"And there was Floyd," John Dory narrated.
But it became clear that Floyd had...changed the last time he had seen him.
20 years ago at the most, when BroZone was still a thing, Floyd had pink hair, a matching vest and a white earring on his right ear. He otherwise had the same hairstyle as his brothers and was the second shortest, being only taller than Bitty B, who was a baby. Although, unlike the other BroZone brothers, Floyd had purple eyes, leaving him the only brother without blue eyes.
And a green leafy-like vest as well, right...?
Now? Now that he was an adult, Floyd's bright pink hair had transformed to dark magenta was twisted around his head in a way that partly covered his face. His green leafy-like vest was gone and replaced with black ripped shorts and a large belt-buckle. His earring was now dark black in color. All in all, it gave John Dory the impression that he was attempting to emulate the Rock Trolls' sense of fashion. Then again, the more he looked at it and thought about it, he was always "The Sensitive One", and black was a sign of loneliness. So, in a roundabout way...his sudden shift in clothing style was surprisingly sound.
Shaking his head, John Dory then noticed that his brother was laying against the walls of the perfume bottle in an unconscious manner while being pale.
And not in like a stunning Victorian way, either.
With no further time to dwell on the issue, he took a deep breath and subsuquently mighty dive.
He dove and soared straight...
"OOMPH!"
...to his face.
He landed straight on his face.
And as we saw earlier, it would not be the last time, either.
The downright detrimental dive was enough at least to stir Floyd from his slumber, the Pop Troll groaning as he slowly but surely woke up. Just a few inches away from him, on the other side that was freedom, was his older brother slowly but surely recovering from his poorly thought-out plan.
"Yo, Floyd!" John Dory whispered over to him and caught his now surprised attention, "Floyd, it's me! John Dory!"
"John Dory? I can't believe it," Floyd smiled with hope, "I never thought I'd see any of my brothers again."
"It's gonna be okay, bro," John Dory smiled back, "I'm gonna get you out of here."
Floyd's smile faltered as he began to plead, "No, John Dory, you've gotta get out of here. You don't understand."
"What's more to understand?" John Dory frowned, "You've been kidnapped by a pair of tall porcelain dolls with poor fashion sense."
For a moment, Floyd wanted to smirk and comment that statement was rich considering John Dory himself, but now was not the time.
"That's not just it, John Dory," Floyd explained, "Velvet and Veneer are giant, Pop-obsessed succubi with no talent, and they've been stealing mine for the past five months. And they'll be back any minute for more."
It was then that John Dory, now taken aback by Floyd's explanation, finally realized the severity of the situation.
"What? That's even worse than...than lip-syncing!"
His face adorning a determined scowl now, John Dory began to try every trick in the book to get his brother out.
"Not my brother! And not today!"
And we mean every trick.
He used his baseball bat.
He used his frying pan.
He used his kitchen knife.
He used his trusty glitter-bombs.
He used his unprotected head.
He only succeeded in temporarily knocking himself out and drawing blood from his forehead, prompting Floyd to draw the line there.
"John, John! Stop. The bottle is made of diamond...and there's only one thing that's powerful enough to shatter diamond."
"Right..." John Dory smiled wide, "A diamond-shattering diamond hammer. Where can we get one of those?"
"No, John," Floyd halfheartedly chuckled at that, "I wish that was a viable option, but..."
Placing one hand over his heart to accentuate his point, he stated:
"It's the perfect family harmony."
The thought never crossed his mind until that very moment, but John Dory gasped and smiled again.
"Of course! The perfect family harmony."
Reminiscing that fateful night, he then grimaced as it rushed back to him at full force.
"But...it didn't work then. So why should it work now?"
"As long as our brothers are with you," Floyd smiled despite the situation, "Anything is possible...including the perfect family harmony."
John Dory returned the smile before his and Floyd's ears picked up the sound of a slamming door.
"Our voices sound like garbage. We are dying out there."
"Maybe we need more practice?"
"What we need are more Trolls!"
"Run, John Dory," Floyd pleaded again, "Save yourself."
Grunting in frustration, John Dory nonetheless nodded and complied, extending his hair back to the open exit he created.
"Don't worry, Floyd," John Dory vowed as he left, "I'll be back with the bros. You have my word!"
And just like that, Floyd's hope for freedom was left empty once more.
The only difference was that a single strand was left hanging.
"Floyd..."
Branch exchanged worried looks with Poppy. It undoubtedly unnerved him to learn that his fourth eldest brother was in trouble. At the same time, though, his mood soured the more he listened to John Dory's tale. For him, it could not be any more convenient.
Why now?
Why him?
"So, you came here to get the band back together," Viva stated in understanding, "and sing the perfect family harmony."
"Yeah," John Dory smiled and nodded.
"Oh, yeah," Branch bitterly chuckled as he shook his head, "So we can attempt to sing something we've only tried once and failed so miserably at that we broke up and never talked to each other again."
"We're in," Poppy nodded.
"We are so in," Viva nodded with her.
"What?" Branch's face comically fell, "What are you guys doing?"
"Branch, don't you see?" Poppy smiled, "This is your second chance with your brothers, Branch. Why are you passing this up?"
Branch sighed and shook his head again, "It's not that easy, okay? You two..wouldn't get it."
Poppy and Viva exchanged bemused looks before the latter spoke on behalf of the former, "I mean...I didn't know Poppy was my sister, and I barely know her. But we get along just fine."
"That's my point, Viva," Branch frowned, "John Dory is not you. Compared to John Dory, you are a saint."
"Aw, thank you," Viva smiled as John Dory gaped from behind her.
"I think you both have a point," Melody interjected as a peacekeeper, "I mean...that was a questionable example, but you both are right. Viva, you are a saint. Branch...you are so lucky to have a brother to fight for, a sibling in general even."
Melody gasped before she continued, "I mean, if I had a sister―younger or older, it wouldn't matter―it would be so perfect. We'd be best friends, we'd teach each other new and different things. We'd never fight, we'd have each other's backs. We wouldn't talk because we'd think the same thoughts. Everyone would ask us if we're twins, and we'd be like, "Well, not technically", but on a technicality―"
"Melody?" Val frowned in concern as Petra raised an eyebrow from behind her...but not because of Melody's incessant rambling making a return, but there was plenty of issues there.
From a few feet, Poppy seemed visibly...uncomfortable? It was not the word that she use, but it was the closest thing she got considering how uneasy she got at the idea of Melody having a sister. It was really weird when she also considered how defensive (snarky, even) she got when her father―the former King, mind you―apparently never revealed that she had an older sister in the form of Viva; she had only discovered this before the Battle Of Folk Rock. But why?
Wait...she knows something that we don't.
Does Melody actually have a sister?
Does Poppy know that Melody actually has a sister?
"But…?" Val gestured before Melody took a deep breath and continued.
"If she were ever in trouble...I would do everything I could to help her."
Taking a moment to contemplate Melody's words, Branch turned back to glance around at his friends. Specifically, he looked at Poppy, Viva, Satin, Chenille, Cooper, Prince D, DJ Suki, CJ Suki, Val, John Dory, and finally his daughter.
In the two months following the Battle Of Folk Rock, Branch got to know with Poppy and learn more about his teenage daughter and her friends, starting with the fact that they were from an alternate universe. A struggle it inevitably was, but that was not the fault of Ruby (or Ruby-2, as his girlfriend called her), whose already thin lines of nervousness from her upcoming coronation at the New Queen was stretched to their absolute limits. She blew up one night and screamed out her insecurities to her father, who listened attentively despite being initially taken aback. In response to her fear of her supposed inability to live up to her parents, he stated that (using his brothers as an example) not everything had to be perfect.
Branch's relationship with his daughter would strengthen that day.
"Okay, listen," Branch finally replied after a moment, "If there was a brother that I might do this for, and I'm not saying there is...it would be Floyd."
"I'm not hearing a "no"," Melody smiled and nodded.
"Yes!" John Dory fist-pumped from behind them, "Works for me."
"Yeah!" Viva cheered, "BroZone: 2.0! BroZone: Reunion! BroZone's Back: Alright! BroZone: Here We Bro Again. BroZone: Where'd They Bro? I Don't Know! We're Gonna Find Them!"
As Viva steadily and swiftly spouted a plethora of particularly punny and potential picks for BroZone's belated reunion tour, the ground suddenly started to shake, catching everybody off guard. DJ, CJ, Aggie, Beat, and Trollex (both of them) noticed the chairs and pews shivering from the vibration of the earthquake.
"What, pray tell..." Trollzart blinked.
"...is happening?!" Dante Crescendo yelped.
"I don't remember the forecast predicting earthquakes!" Blues held her sister Rhythm close.
"Metal!" Carol cackled like a mad woman with Blaze Powderchord, "This is metal!"
Besides him and a few others, John Dory was the only one who remained visibly unfazed, "Hey! Looks like our ride's here!"
Gristle was the first to notice a large lump growing quickly from under the royal carpet, quickly rushing over and pulling Bridget away as the ground exploded underneath. Everyone watched as an unidentified flying object shot upwards into the sky and landed back onto the ground with a hard THUD.
The unidentified flying object was a beige and red striped Armadillo Bus that had beady light green eyes with three long eyelashes each, four long green limbs, yellow headlights atop of her head, and a dark green satellite dish on top of its behind. Betting her position as a mode of transportation, she had windows and doors over her long body.
"Ohh, that's coming out of this deposit," Gristle commented with a wince, the landing damaging a few wooden beams on the table.
"Meet Rhonda, y'all!" John Dory introduced his vehicle and companion to the guests, "Ain't she a beaut?"
The critter let out a loud roar in response, its sparkly glitter breath pushing back Poppy, Branch, and many of the others close by. After a few seconds, Rhonda panted excitedly and revealed its red tongue as its little green tail wagged happily.
"A beaut? More like cute!" Viva screamed as she leapt forward and hugged its face, CJ and the rest of her friends following afterwards before Antonio, Alejandra, Juancho, Cecilia, Sofia, and Mei. Rhonda pleasantly chittered, delighted at the prospect of meeting new Trolls after a while.
"Wow," Branch answered hesitantly, "She's...uh...something."
He himself was unsure what to make of Rhonda, especially after it playfully licked Poppy and Viva, covering them in a bit of its sparkly slobber.
"Aw!" Viva gushed, "She likes us already!"
"Or is she marking us as prey?" Poppy smiled awkwardly as she provided a morbid alternative, much to the surprise of her boyfriend, her sister, and the rest of her friends.
"Yes," John Dory in turn provided the mathematician's answer, "Honestly...you can't really tell with Rhonda."
Cooper chuckled out a comment while Prince D and Chenille exchanged hesitant looks, "Well...that ain't creepy or suspicious at all."
Suddenly, Rhonda shifted onto its back and crushed John Dory, who looked up to find Synth having as much fun as the kids were when playing with her. He had swam forward next to pet its tummy giddily.
"Who's a good creature mobile?" Synth spoke in baby-talk, "Who's a good critter mobile, yo? You are, yo! Yes, you are, yo! Yes, you are, yo!"
"Synth, what are you doing?" Branch whispered in terror at his friend, who waved him off as Rhonda purred happily while its tail wagged and one of its back legs twitched in joy from being petted.
"Sorry, Dubstep!" The Techno Ambassador replied, "But she's so cute! She's like a big ol' puppy!"
"Yep! A big ol' puppy with a huge ol' appetite!"
Everybody momentarily stopped in their tracks at what sounded like the voice of a person.
A person...inside Rhonda.
"Oh, yeah!" John Dory perked up and crawled out from beneath Rhonda, "I forgot to mention, I may have picked up a stowaway!"
"I'm flattered by that apt description of me, John Dory!" The voice called out, her tone dripping with sarcasm galore as she hopped out after Rhonda opened her mouth. It belonged to a Rock Troll with azure blue eyes, violet-grey skin similar to Riff's, and platinum blonde hair with dyed pink ends. She wore a black leather biker jacket (which happened to conspiciously zipped all the way up), a pair of navy blue denim short shorts, black tights worn underneath, and a pair of spiked bracelets to go with the spiked collar.
Second only to John Dory, the Rock Troll was glaringly out of place for the formal occasion for numerous reasons, not the least of which was her choice of outfit. Miles in particular narrowed her eyes at this new Troll, silently suspecting that something was off-puttingly familiar about her. It was something that was noticed by Poppy and Ruby-1 right away; the rest of the Interdimensional Friends Squad noticed eventually through the latter two's reactions.
"I'm totally not offended at all!" The Rock Troll chuckled as she shook her head and brushed the dust off her.
"I apologize, but I don't apologize," John Dory chuckled back, "You are technically a stowaway."
"On a more serious matter," The Rock Troll turned toward the bewildered crowd, "Sorry about this. All of this. I've been living and hiding in Rhonda for far too long, and it's been a while since I've interacted with anyone besides John Dory. No offense, man."
"None taken," John Dory waved her off.
"Also, is this a wedding?" The Rock Troll continued, "If so, I'm super-duper sorry! I would've been dressed up for the occasion, but somebody left the mere mention of a wedding out of the memo. Plus, I sorta wished it would be a ballroom blitz."
That "somebody" rolled his eyes and nodded his head, "If it makes you feel any better, Gwen, I didn't know it was a wedding either."
"Ehh..." The Rock Troll known as Gwen made a so-so expression as Miles gasped in shock, Poppy and Ruby-1 turning to look at him with worry and concern.
His suspicions had been confirmed.
"Well, on the bright side of things," John Dory smiled with a shrug, "We're technically in the midst of the Troll Tribes, so we can ask them."
"Ask us what?" Barb approached with caution.
"I'm just looking for my friend," Gwen approached in turn with an equal amount of caution, "I'm...I'm from another dimension. I mean...another-another dimension."
"REALLY?!" Poppy teleported in front of Gwen, who backed up in alarm, "YOU ARE?! Wooow! Actually, I'm not confused. I have past experience with that."
"You do?" Gwen's eyes widened in surprise, "Okay then. I'm just looking for my friend Miles. I need to talk to him about something important―"
"I don't think so!"
Suddenly, Sunset marched past Barb and aimed her Glock 21, shielding Poppy as Raya approached next. The Dragon Troll visibly cringed as she aimed her SIG-Sauer P226 SCT at her. Not knowing what to do, Hickory drew his Remington 870 and took aim at a now confused Gwen, pushing Annie, Amber, Curtis, and a visibly peeved Delta Dawn, who pinched her nose bridge in agitation.
"If you think we're letting you get your hands on our friend, then you have another thing coming, Long-Shanks!" Sunset shouted a warning to Gwen, who continuing frowning in confusion. Yes, if anything, she was more confused than frightened at the moment, something Miles cursed at to himself as Ruby-1 exchanged looks with him and held his hand tightly.
With that, Miles took a deep breath and gently unclasped his hand from Ruby's as he approached Gwen, moving past Sunset and Raya. The two stood down at Poppy's command as their friend approached the now cautious Rock Troll, who briefly took up a fighting stance.
"Gwen..." Miles began slowly, "What are you doing here? What do you want?"
Gwen's fighting stance faltered and then fell completely as she stared wide-eyed at the person who was once her best friend.
The person who was once her love interest.
The person...whom she spent two years looking for.
Ignoring all common sense and rationalization, Gwen's emotions overwhelmed her as she lunged at Miles and held him close, hugging him as she sobbed into his chest. She could not care less if he was still angry with her; if anything, he had every right to be mad with her after everything that had happened. Being emotional led her to fall right into the clutches of what she saw now as an interdimensional cult, which resulted in her making several wrong or questionable decisions that led to the death of a loved one of her best friend. Why would he not be angry with her after all of that?
Meanwhile, Miles himself should have been angry. Furious, even. But...he was neither. Even if she was involved in the direct chain of events that resulted in the death of his father (and wanted absolutely nothing to do with her when all was said and done), he found himself concerned for his former best friend who was currently crying into his chest. As such, he elicited a soft sigh and rather reluctantly returned the hug, prompting her to hug him tighter.
Poppy looked on with remorse while Ruby looked on with sympathy. Miles rarely mentioned the girl whom he considered to be his first love, the one who got away. A difficult subject to discuss or broach alongside the deaths of his parents, the latter―as his girlfriend―knew it was still sentitive to him over a year later and decided it would be best not to ask and bring up a sore spot. But then, he eventually opened up a few weeks before the wedding, telling her who exactly Gwen was and what she meant to him. To be honest, she felt a little intimidated.
But she would be damned if she let her intimidated her boyfriend.
"I feel like we're missing something," Gristle tilted his head in confusion as Bridget gently shushed him, expressing her own sympathies for the people involved in the hot gossip.
"Miles..." Gwen pulled away and gazed into his eyes, "I'm...I'm so sorry. For what I've done..."
"I know you are," Miles stared blankly ahead, masking his concern and replacing it with ignorance, "So why are you here?"
"I..." Gwen stammered and stumbled over her words as she mustered a proper response, "I...I came here to apologize. To you."
"That's it?" Miles raised an eyebrow, "Nothing else?"
"And..." Gwen hesitated for a moment before continuing, "...to take you home."
As the rest of the Interdimensional Friends Squad exchanged worried looks with each other (Ruby specifically did her best to mask her impending tears), Poppy and Miles frowned.
"Why?" Miles asked again before adding, "I don't have a home."
Gwen backed away again, this time in disbelief, "Yes, you do. Your mom is worried about you, and your friends at your school... They miss you a lot."
As the conversation progressed, Miles and Gwen became lost in their own little world, not once minding the troubled and worried facial expressions plastered on the faces on those around them.
"How can they miss me when they're dead?" Miles frowned, causing Gwen's eyes to widen.
"What...? No. No, that can't be right. It was just your father who―"
"JUST MY FATHER?!" Miles suddenly screamed, causing Gwen to yelp in fright and stumble backwards, "JUST MY FATHER WHO DIED?!"
Reacting quickly, Poppy created a series of light-constructed ropes and restrained a beyond furious Miles, who was inching dangerously close to a now terrified Gwen as he began to create electricity. The Rock Troll herself was subsequently shielded by John Dory, who despite not fully knowing what exactly was the backstory between the two feuding individuals, found it within himself to protect his young ward.
"Miles!" Poppy shouted above the noise and teleported in front of Gwen and John Dory, prompting Miles to place his fists in a fighting stance. Caught in a face-to-face deadlock with the Pop Queen, the Hip-Hop Troll's eyes widened in shock as he felt his anger simmer down. Hanging his head in shame as he cried in agony, Poppy's hardened expression softened as he softly pulled him in for a cooldown hug, followed by Ruby, Skye, and the rest of the Interdimensional Friends Squad.
Feeling one of his paws being held, Miles looked up to find Antonio clutching it while giving him the brightest smile he could muster. Although his subsequent smile was tinged with sadness, the Hip-Hop Troll nonetheless appreciated the young Latin Troll's gesture.
Her ropes slowly dissipating, Poppy turned her attention to a now heavily breathing Gwen, who was being tended to by John Dory.
"Gwen?"
"I... I didn't―"
"I know," Poppy smiled, "It's okay. It's not your fault."
Gwen's eyes began to water up, prompting her to desperately wipe away the tears before Poppy took her hands and clasped it with her own, red and yellow energy swirling together. A moment later, she gently pulled away and chuckled lightly.
"Huh," Poppy remarked, "You're really aren't from here."
She then turned to Miles.
"Miles...she's not your Gwen."
"What?" Miles breathed out as he recovered.
"She's from Earth-231031B," Poppy explained, "I looked into her memories. She comes from an universe where you...where you die."
When Miles did not respond, Poppy continued, "You managed to save your father, but you die in the process. From what I've learned...the Earth-1610 was destabilized from the rest of the Multiverse when Gwen killed The Spot...and self-destructed as a result."
Gwen shook her head and teared up, "I...I shouldn't have lied to you. I should've told you."
Miles' anger subsided for the most part, replaced by conflict. He wanted to get angry at the Gwen Stacy before him for lying to him. For betraying him. For costing him everything. But...this was not his Gwen Stacy. His Gwen Stacy would have felt little to no remorse...
...as far as he knew, anyway.
"You just didn't know how to tell me," Miles frowned once more, opening an old wound of Gwen's as she flinched. After a moment, though, the Hip-Hop Troll merely sighed and approached her, wrapping his paws around her for a careful hug. Gwen understandably tensed up before melting into the embrace as Poppy and her friends looked on in sympathy. Ruby's reservations about her immediately went away as she watched her boyfriend embrace his ex-girlfriend, whom she felt pity for after her tale was regaled.
"You're not my Miles..." Gwen murmured into his chest.
"You're not my Gwen..." Miles shook his head before he briefly pulled away, "...but it doesn't mean you don't need help. I owe you an apology."
As Gwen managed a smile, Poppy smiled as well from behind...before she frowned and glanced upwards to the sky...
"MEEEOOOWWW!"
...which happened to have a female, feline-like Troll soar through the sky as she howled in fright.
"Oh, crumbs!" Mirabel flinched in terror for her ally as Poppy teleported to where Catra was and caught her before teleporting them both to the ground. The cat-themed Troll took deep breaths as Sunset rushed to the refreshment table, poured a cup of punch, and handed it to her.
"Thanks," Catra breathed out before downing the entire drink in one gulp, "A fight...just South...of Bergen Town. Thought you...oughta...know."
She then collapsed face-first into the ground as the terrified crowd began to murmur in alarm and anxiety. The Bergens' worry was mixed with a hint of exasperation, for this was not on the schedule for the big day. Nonetheless, many of them reacted with the news by taking up arms and shielding their Troll friends, both old and new.
Mirabel glanced at her family before rushing over to them and mustering up an apology, "I'm so sorry, familia. This was not part of the plan."
"It's not your fault, Miraboo," Agustín smiled in reassurance, "It's just..."
"Unexpected and happening really fast?"
"Yes."
"I get it."
Skye rushed over to Poppy and hopped up and down to get her attention, "Your Majesty, what do I do? What can I do?"
"Me and one half of my team will confront the situation," Poppy knelt down, "You will stay here with the other half and defend the guests alongside the Bergens."
"Yes, ma'am!" Skye nodded just as Twilight, Sunset, and Flash readied their weapons the same time as Mirabel, Raya, Lunella, Marinette, and Mr. Wolf. Miles, Mei, Sofia, Esteban, Elsa, Ruby, and Lady Bone Demon charged up their powers while Namaari, Nimona, Camilo, and Sisu exchanged looks with each other before stretching before the big fight.
Princess Peach held a halberd in her hand as she whispered to Elsa, "Where's Lord Madrigal?"
"He got up in traffic," Elsa replied as she conjured up a pair of ice swords.
Fearing the worst, Isabela's eyes wandered around and spotted a series of plants on the buildings' balconies. She shot up from her seat and conjured up a pair of vines that shielded Mirabel and the rest of her familia.
"Isa, what are you doing?" Mirabel faced her eldest sister.
"I don't know what's happening right now," Isabela faced her youngest sister, "but I will be damned if I let something happen to you."
"I want to help too, Your Majesty," Gwen approached Poppy, "What can I do?"
"You and Skye will help the second team defend the guests and help them into their homes if needed," Poppy replied as she turned to leave.
"Queen Poppy, wait!" A recovering Catra groaned and shook her head, "We're going up against the Party Crashers again. If you know them, then you should remember that they're killers!"
Many of the guests gasped in terror, fearful for the safety of their loved ones as well as their own. The Bergens exchanged uncertain looks with each other before shooting apologetic ones at them. The Familia Madrigal exchanged alarmed looks as well, while John Dory and Gwen felt guilty; they were under the impression they themselves had led these "Party Crashers" here to Bergen Town for an attack to commance.
Suddenly, Poppy's hair began to glow pink, purple, blue, orange, yellow, and red, just as her eyes began to glow bright white.
"So am I..."
In an instant, her stylish dress dissipated, and in its place was a jumpsuit, waist skirt, back armor, shoulder armor, hand guards, a drape-like gown, and a small metallic headdress; they all shared the same white-and-gold color scheme. Drawing the Sword of Protection, she slowly levitated for a brief moment before quickly flying off to the direction of the fight. All the while, everyone in attendance looked on in shock and awe.
Exchanging looks with each other, Branch and Mirabel merely gulped in utter fright.
"Oh..."
"Mierda..."