Poppy led the group to the center of the town, where a small, battered piccolo lies on the ground. "Oh my!" Poppy cried, running over to it. "Are you okay?"
"I...I am now, thank you," she said.
"What's your name?"
"I'm Penniwhistle," the piccolo said.
"I am so confused," Sora whispered. "How is that flute talking?"
"I wouldn't think too much about it," Donald whispered back.
"Everything has a face here, Sora, I guess ya just gotta get used to it," Goofy said.
"I guess, but it still weirds me out," Sora replied.
"What happened here?" Poppy asked.
"The Rock Trolls happened," Penniwhistle said. "The Classical Trolls are small Trolls with short wings. We lived peacefully. And Wolfgang was the conductor. He sometimes conducted us to play songs and we would all play along with our instruments. Until the Rock Trolls came. The Classical Trolls fought, but they couldn't keep up with the loud Rock Trolls.
"Eventually, the Rock Trolls took our string and kidnapped Wolfgang. The rest of us fled town, along with their instruments. I was left behind. I haven't found any others yet."
"I'm so sorry," Poppy said.
"It's okay, I can rebuild," Penniwhistle said, stacking a small pebble onto another. "And when the Classical Trolls come back, we can all rebuild together."
"That is if they do come back," Branch muttered.
"What was that?" Poppy asked.
"Nothing," Branch said.
"I promise, Penniwhistle, that we'll find the Classical Trolls and save your town," Poppy said with determination.
"Thank you," Penniwhistle smiled. "Symphony Ville will be full of life once again!"
"You can count on it!" Poppy said.
Poppy led the group back to the balloon and set off again. "Okay, next on the list is...Country Trolls!"
"Country Trolls?" Sora asked. "As in...country music? With the banjos and sad lyrics?"
"Yes," Branch said. Sora sat in silence for a moment. "You know, I've never been a big fan of country."
"Well, I don't even know what it sounds like so we'll have to find out then, won't we?" Poppy said.
"I think you're a little too optimistic there, Poppy," Sora said.
"As long as there's a sun in the sky, and bird chirping in the trees, I will always be optimistic!" Poppy replied.
"Yeah, only when Bergens fly is when she'll stop," Branch said.
"I like the optimism," Biggie said.
"You're optimistic too, Biggie," Sora said. "And you apparently like cotton candy."
"I can't help it!" Biggie cried. "Its soft like a cloud, and it tastes really sweet!"
"You know, a dentist made cotton candy," Brach said. "To make you visit his office more."
"I brush very well, thank you!" Biggie said, irritated.
"Hey, just sayin'," Branch replied, shrugging.
"Quit fighting, boys!" Poppy called. "Look!" Poppy pointed to a large desert, which Sora thinks looks like blankets but he didn't think too much about it. In the distance is a small spot of shadow. "Is that their town?" Sora asked.
"Most likely!" Poppy replied, excited. "Ooh, I get to meet a Country Troll! I'm so excited!"
"I think you're hyping it too much," Donald said.
"I like country!" Goofy exclaimed.
"Of course you do," Donald said.
The balloon landed on the ground. Dust didn't fly up as much as it did in Symphony Ville, but there was a small cloud. "Okay, everybody!" Poppy said. "This way!
The party followed Poppy until she stopped in the outside borders of the town. "Okay, this is it, Poppy," Branch said. "If we can get any information, great."
"Information on what?" Poppy asked.
"Barb!" Branch cried.
"Oh, right," Poppy said.
The Country Trolls walked out. These Trolls are part horse, part Troll. The leading Troll has tall, red hair, white legs, orange skin, a blue tail, and a button up white shirt with a large, yellow belt buckle. She pulled out a banjo.
"Ooh! Ooh! A song!" Poppy cheered quietly.
"Shh!" Sora shushed.
"We don't hope for making things better," she started singing. "All we want is to keep it together. Every day's a rainy day, no changing the weather. This kind of life has made our hearts as hard as leather."
"It's so sad already!" Sora whispered.
"Shh!" Poppy shushed in return.
"But all these tears are from the dust in our eyes. And all these years just keep on passing us by. All this misery makes it hard to deny. We all know that we're just...born to die. We all know that we're just born to die."
Sora sniffled and moved Branch's hair out of the way. Branch looked up at him with concern. "Sora?" he asked. "What are you doing?"
"I can't see," Sora replied, wiping a tear from his eye.
"I hear the voice of a whip-poor-will singin'. She don't know of all the...comfort she bringin'. We all know the sound of...when the truth is ringing. Yeah, it hurts your soul just like a bumblebee stingin.'
"All these tears are from the dust in our eyes. All these years just keep on passin' us by. All this misery makes it hard to deny. We all know that we're just born to die. We all know that we're just born to die." She stopped for a small musical bridge on her banjo. "All these tears are from the dust in our eyes. All these years just keep on passin' us by. All this misery makes it hard to deny. We all know that we're just born to die. We all know that we're just born to die."
The Trolls dancing around her stopped as she closed the song on a chord. "That was beautiful," Sora sighed, wiping his eyes. "No wonder you like country, Goofy!"
"I thought it was kinda sad," Poppy said.
"Well, life is sad sometimes so...I kinda...like it?" Branch said.
"Oh, I know!" Poppy cheered. "How about we show them happy songs!"
"What?" Poppy, Biggie, Branch, Goofy and Donald asked in unison.
"We can show them some of our songs!" Poppy cheered. "All of them!"
"Poppy, are you sure this is a good idea?" Branch asked.
"Yeah, it sounds a bit brash," Sora said.
"Oh, trust me," Poppy said, waving her hand at them. "We can show them all of them!"
"By 'all of them...' do you mean...all of them?" Branch asked.
"All of them!" Poppy exclaimed, smiling smugly.
Author's Note
I prefer Holiday in Harmony Poppy. She's the best of them all, honestly.