"So one of these tunnels leads to the Troll Tree," Poppy guessed, looking at them.

"That's right," Branch confirmed as they kept walking.

"There's so many," Poppy said, surprised.

"I don't remember there being this many tunnels when we left, Branch," Willow said, nervous. "How are we going to pick the right one?"

"I don't know," Branch said, grabbing dirt from one of the tunnels.

"Choose a hole wisely," a voice boomed outside the tunnels. The trio looked around, startled. "For one will lead to Bergen Town, and the others to certain death."

"Who said, that?" Branch demanded, looking around. He stood in front of his sister and Poppy to protect them.

"It was," a cloud popped out from beside a tree and grinned. "Me." The cloud walked down the tree. "Hey, guys, how's it going?" He asked. "Welcome to the root tunnels. Uh, I just wanted to warn you. One of these tunnels leads to the Troll Tree, and the others to certain death, death, death."

Willow tilted her head in confusion at the cloud. "What a weird dude you are."

"Do you think you can tell us which is the right one?" Poppy asked.

"You bet," The cloud said, grinning and pointing at Poppy.

"Great!" Poppy grinned, enthusiastic.

"No," Branch put his arm in front of Poppy. "That's okay. We're fine, thanks." He pushed Poppy and Willow away from the strange cloud.

"Branch," Poppy chuckled nervously. "He's trying to help us."

"I don't like the looks of him," Branch insisted, looking at the cloud man. "I mean, who wears socks with no shoes?"

"This coming from someone who doesn't like to wear either," Willow pointed out, ignoring that none of them were wearing shoes. Poppy looked at her, hoping she'd try to convince her brother, but she shrugged. "He's not wrong, Poppy. It's probably not a good idea to trust random strangers. We don't know if he really wants to help us." The cloud looked over and waved when he saw they were looking at him.

"He seems to know what he's talking about," Poppy insisted.

Branch sighed, annoyed. "Okay, fine." He turned back to the cloud. "Which way do we go?"

"First, you have to give me a high five," The cloud smiled, his hand lifted in the air. "Then I'll tell you."

"You've gotta be kidding me," WiIllow said, her eyebrows raised.

"Oh!" I love high fives," Poppy ran up, her hand in the air. "I'll do it."

"I know you'll do it," Cloudman said, pointing at Poppy. He pointed at Willow. "I'm even pretty sure she'll do it." Willow crossed her arms, suspicious. "But will he?" He pointed at Branch. "All right, dumpy diapers, up high!"

Branch crossed his arms. "I don't do high fives."

"Slap it, boss."

"Not gonna happen."

Willow groaned in frustration and walked over to the tunnels. "I wonder if I can just climb this and avoid the tunnels altogether," She muttered to herself as her brother argued with a cloud.

"Branch, it's a high five," Poppy said, exasperated. "The others lead to certain death. Get perspective."

Willow turned and crossed her arms. "I'm voting we climb and avoid the tunnels and cloud completely," she offered. She turned around. "I'm not sure how we get up there, though."

Branch sighed. "One high-five, and then you'll tell us which tunnel to take, right?"

"So easy," The cloud confirmed.

"Okay, fine!" Branch groaned. He walked over to give the cloud a high-five, only for the cloud to move his hand away at the last second.

"Oops, too slow," The cloud laughed.

"Too slow?" Branch was annoyed.

Poppy chuckled. "Classic."

"No, no," Cloud laughed. "All right. I'm gonna let you slide with a fist bump." Branch lifted his fist to meet the clouds. "Whoo." The cloud moved his hand away. He then used his hands to make shapes around Branch's fist. "Shark attack! Nom-nom-nom-nom. Jellyfish! Hand sandwich. Turkey. Snowman. Dolphin."

Willow started backing her and Poppy away as she watched her brother get mad at the cloud. "Maybe we should get out of the way."

"Helicopter. Last Supper. Monkey in a zoo." The cloud grabbed Branch's fist. "Gear shift." When he finally let go of Branch's hand, Poppy and the cloud burst into laughter. Branch glared at Poppy and she stopped laughing. "Okay, okay, okay," The cloud finally stopped laughing. "Now I'm thinking we hug."

That was the last thing Branch could take because he reached down, grabbed a stick, and snapped it in half. The cloud thundered and started raining before running from Branch. "That's right," Branch said, running after the cloud with Poppy chasing him. "You better run, Cloud!"

Poppy and Willow ran after Branch as he chased the cloud through one of the tunnels. "I'm gonna tear your little cloud arms, off your cloud body, and high-five your face with them!"

Willow looked around at the tunnel, curious. "Are we going through the right tunnel?" she asked herself as they ran. She scoffed. "Of course, the cloud was messing with Branch."

"He's just a cloud!" Poppy yelled as they raced through the tunnel. "Run Cloud Guy!" She cried as the four of them raced through the tunnel, Branch threatening to Kill the cloud as they did.

"Ta-da!" Could Guy said, stopping. "We're here!" Poppy and Branch stopped, surprised. "Whew!" Cloud Guy walked over and grabbed the stick from Branch's hand. "You guys are a lot of fun. You know, I gotta go. Got some cloud stuff to take care of. Catch you on the way back? Unless you die!" He sank back into the tunnel.

Poppy and Branch looked around them. "The Troll Tree," Poppy said amazed.

"We're back in Bergen Town," Willow said, nervously. "Yay." She looked around at the seemingly dead tree. "It feels so weird being back here."

The trio of Trolls walked over to the edge of the tree so they could see the Bergens.

(Bergens)

I ain't happy, I'm feeling glad

I got sunshine, in a bag

I'm useless, but not for long

The future is coming on

I ain't happy, I'm feeling glad

I got sunshine, in a bag

I'm useless, but not for long

The future is coming on

Is coming on, is coming on

"Wow," Poppy said, amazed. "They're as miserable as you." She looked at Branch. Branch looked at her a little insulted. "Which means they haven't eaten a Troll yet."

Willow smiled in relief. "Thank goodness this wasn't a waste of time," she muttered.

Poppy grinned at Willow and motioned for her and Branch to follow her. "Now, come on. Let's go save our friends."

"Your friends," Branch retorted as they continued to walk.

"Our friends," Poppy insisted. "Don't fight it."

Willow was right. It had been relatively easy to stay out of sight as they made their way into the castle. Finding their friends proved a little trickier. The trio hid in a wall sconce with Poppy disguising her hair as fire when the guards changed their position. When they left, Willow, Branch, and Poppy used their hair to swing across the hall to the door. "So where do you think our friends are?" Poppy asked.

"If I had to guess," Branch said, walking by a picture of what looked like Trollstice. "I'd say in a Bergen's stomach."

Willow flinched. "Branch, can you please stop talking about them getting eaten?" She begged, her face pale. "I really can't handle it anymore."

"You're sister's right," Poppy said, gesturing to Willow. "Could you try to be positive? Just once. I think you might like it."

Branch looked at his sister and grimaced. Right, they were her friends too. "Okay," Branch said, looking at Poppy. "I'm sure they're not only alive but about to be delivered to us on a silver platter."

Poppy sighed in relief while Willow grimaced at the sarcasm. "Thank you," Poppy said. "That wasn't so hard, was it?"

Branch looked like he was about to respond when Poppy's hug time bracelet went off. She gasped in surprise. "Branch!" She looked around.

"Hug time?" Branch asked, incredulous. "Seriously?" Before he was shushed by Poppy.

The trio listened before they heard all of the hug time bracelets go off. They went into the ceiling to see if they could enter the next room without being spotted. They landed on a chandelier in the room without any issue.

"Branch, look!" Poppy pointed to the cage the chef had rolling around beside her. There were the Trolls they were looking for.

"They're alive?" Branch asked, surprised.

"And on a silver platter, too," Poppy said when they hid behind the chandelier. "We were both right."

"And to mark the occasion," they heard the chef say. "Your Highness, look." She pulled out a bib. "I found your old Troll bib."

"Oh, wow!" The King said, excited. "I bet you still fit." He tried it only for it to break apart. Willow snickered at the king's misfortune, being careful to not be heard. Unfortunately, Cooper didn't have that luxury and burst into laughter before the other Trolls could silence him.

The king stormed over to the cage. "Oh, you think that's funny?" He asked, angrily. "Well, we'll see who's laughing when I bite your yummy head off. When I bit all y'alls yummy heads off." He looked around and counted the Trolls. "Wait a minute. Chef, this isn't enough yummy heads to feed all of Bergen Town. How are we supposed to have Trollstice if there's not enough Trolls?"

"Oh, there's plenty more where that came from, sire," Chef assured.

Branch and Poppy gasped in concern. Willow placed her hands on their shoulders. "Don't worry," She assured them. "The bunker is well hidden. They won't be able to find it." The two nodded and looked back to the conversation between the King and Chef.

"Are you sure?" The King asked. "Because I promised everyone a Troll."

"No, no, no, sire!" The Chef said grabbing the King's shoulders. "Everything will be fine. If I were truly worried, would I be willing to do this?" She opened the cage and pulled out a Troll.

"Creek!" Poppy cried before Branch pulled her back. Willow hid inside the chandelier before they could be spotted by the Chef. The trio watched in horror as the King was about to eat Creek before he changed his mind and suggested waiting for Trollstice.

"Sire," Chef smiled. "every day is Trollstice when you have Trolls." She put Creek in what looked like a taco and tried to get the King to eat it.

The King picked up the Creek taco and smiled. "Yeah, I guess." He was about to put the taco in his mouth when he paused again. "But my dad said the first time should be special."

Willow groaned quietly. "I wish he would get it over with," she whispered. "This is torture."

"That's horrible!" Poppy whispered harshly. "We don't want Creek eaten."

"Well obviously," Willow argued back. "But the constant wondering is driving me crazy."

Chef grunted irritated. "Just eat it!" She pushed Creek into the King's mouth.

"Never mind," Willow said, looking like she was going to be sick. "This is much worse."

"Idget," The Chef said as she walked the King out of the room. "Lock these Trolls in your room and guard them with your life." She threw the spoon she had and it hit the young girl in the head.

The girl straightened up. "Yes, Chef."

"Branch, we have to save him!" Poppy said, ready to jump off the chandelier.

"Save him from what?" Branch asked, pulling her back. "His stomach?"

"We didn't see him chew," Poppy insisted. "We didn't see him swallow!"

"Face it, Poppy. Sometimes people go into other people's mouths, and they don't come out." Branch didn't notice, but his comments were making things more difficult for Willow. She hated Creek, but she didn't want him to get eaten. "If we go after Creek now, we're going to get eaten. I'm sorry, but it's too late for him."

Willow stood up, nausea passing. "We can't do anything for him, Poppy." She held her friend's hand. "The best thing we can do is focus on the friends we know are alive." She looked at the Bergen girl. "That means we need to follow her."

Poppy looked to where Willow was pointing. She nodded, jumped off the chandelier, down a ladder, and landed on a spoon to ride down the tablecloth and land on the girl's apron. Branch frowned and the two siblings jumped down and landed on a guard's hat. They used the hats as landing pads until they made it to where Poppy was riding on the Bergen girl's apron. Branch landed on the bow string beside Poppy, while Willow landed in the middle of the bow. She slipped but grabbed the knot so she wouldn't fall. She was lucky the Bergen girl didn't notice.

Branch groaned and looked at his sister. "You just had to suggest we follow her." He looked at his sister's pale face and frowned. "You going to be okay?"

Willow nodded and clung to the knot in the apron. "Just gotta concentrate on not falling," She smiled nervously.

The trio was quiet for the rest of the ride, not sure where they were going or how they were going to get their friends back.


This chapter was annoying to write, but that's mainly because I can't stand Cloud Guy. He's extremely irritating. I hope you all like this chapter and the next one should be coming out very soon. Until then, thanks for reading!