Willow was spending the day with Princess Poppy. She had volunteered their time to read a story about their history and Trollstice to the younger trolls. It was a good story, as it was the twentieth anniversary of their escape.
She remembered the escape better than most, so she tuned out most of the story. "Twenty years ago today, King Peppy made us safe," she heard Poppy say. She looked up and smiled at her friend. "And now every Troll is free to be happy and live in perfect...Harmony." Willow smiled and joined in Poppy's harmony with the children.
"And that's why we hug every hour," a little Trolling said smiling.
"Yep," Poppy grinned and closed her book.
"I wish it was every half hour," another little Troll said, disappointed.
"So do I," Poppy said standing up. "But that wouldn't leave much time for singing and dancing, now would it?" Poppy moved to put the scrapbook back on the book stand.
"Princess Poppy?" A little Trolling asked, raising her hand. "Do the Bergens still want to eat us?"
Poppy turned around and grinned. "You bet." The Trollings all gasped in horror. "But just because it's the only way they'll ever be happy," she assured as she ran to comfort one of them.
"Poppy," Willow warned as the little Trolls started to panic. "Maybe this isn't the best conversation to have right now."
"But I don't want to be food," a Trolling said about to cry.
"Don't worry," Poppy comforted. "No Troll ever will be. And that's why we're celebrating with the biggest party ever." Poppy grinned, excited. "Everybody's going to be there." Willow grimaced when she heard that. She forgot to tell Poppy the bad news.
"Everybody?" Keith asked, popping his head out of Poppy's hair, her cowbell on his head.
"Everybody," Poppy confirmed grinning.
"Actually, Poppy," Willow started before Poppy grabbed her cowbell and started tapping out a beat. Willow sighed and smiled. It could wait. Poppy was about to start singing.
(Poppy)
Everybody, move your hair and feel united
ohh
Everybody, shake your hair and feel united
Willow hurried to follow her friend down the slide as she sang. "Branch is going to kill me when he finds out," she muttered.
(Poppy)
Yeah!
Everybody's coming to the celebration
I'ma hook you up with an invitation
Let your hair swing and party with me
No bad vibes just love, you'll see!
Poppy and Willow landed on DJ Suki's wooferbug and started dancing as Poppy kept handing out invitations.
(Poppy, Suki, and Willow)
Do the D-A-N-C-E
One-two-three-four-fight
Stick to the B-E-A-T
Get ready to ignite
The wooferbug burst into butterflies and the girls landed at Creek's yoga session. Willow forced a grin on her face and kept going. It was extremely rude to just walk out of a music number, no matter how much you hated a Troll.
(Poppy, Suki, Willow)
You are such a P-Y-T
Catching all the lights
Just easy as A-B-C
That's how you make it right!
Willow watched with Suki as Poppy hopped down and joined Cooper and Smidge.
(Cooper)
Oh, it aint hard out here
When you're doing it right
Put a smile on blast
That's the Troll life
(Poppy)
And I'm here to help you through it
Come on Smidge, I know you can do it!"
Poppy said the last bit landing on her friend Smidge's weights. Smidge grunted as she struggled to lift the weights with her hair. "Your confidence gives me strength!" She yelled as she lifted the weight into the air.
The weight spun with Poppy on it and she was able to send out the rest of her invitations.
The gathered Snack Pack walked over to where their friend Biggie was taking a picture of his glitter-worm, Mr. Dinkles, and his invitation. "Okay, Mr. Dinkles," Biggie said, grinning. "Say Leaves!" Mr. Dinkles responded with a 'mew' and the invitation fell over before Biggie got a picture. Biggie hung up the picture next to the others and stepped back. "Something's missing," Biggie said.
Poppy motioned for Guy Diamond to go over and do his thing. He grinned and walked over and farted some glitter onto the portrait. The Snack Pack grinned and jumped in the air. "That's it!"
Satin and Chenille joined the rest of the Snack Pack on a giant leaf and they continued the song.
(Snack Pack)
Don't stop, don't stop
Don't stop the beat
I can't stop, can't stop
Can't stop the beat
I won't stop, won't stop
Won't stop the beat
(Poppy)
Go!
Poppy joined hands with Satin and Chenille while Willow got in the back to join the Snack Pack and the rest of the village in their dance.
(Poppy)
Everybody,
Shake your hair and feel united
Ohh
Sunshine day,
Everybody's singing
Sunshine day
Everybody,
Move your hair and feel united
Ohh Yeah, ohh
As Poppy sang the last notes, a bunch of the Trolls made a pyramid including heart designs and rainbows with the very top having a very confused King Peppy.
(Everybody)
Yeah!
The group was left gasping for breath a little as the song ended. Willow grinned and started to relax from where she was standing until she heard a slow clap start. She grimaced and went up to where Poppy was standing on Copper's head. There in front of them, was her older brother, Branch.
He was leaning against a plant carrying some sticks for the bunker. "Unbelievable guys. Really, really great. Good job." He started walking towards them. "I could hear you from a mile away."
Willow flinched. She hadn't realized they were that loud. "Good," Poppy said, relieved. "I was worried we weren't projecting enough."
Willow walked over to her brother. "Sorry, Branch. Didn't mean to get that loud."
Branch grunted in acknowledgment before turning to Poppy. "Poppy, if I can hear you, so can the Bergens."
"Oh, boy," Guy Diamond said, rolling his eyes.
"Here we go again." That was Cooper.
"Oh, Branch." And Biggie.
"You always ruin everything," Satin said, her hand on her hips.
"Warning us about the Bergens," Chenille added.
"No I don't," Branch defended, looking at the Snack Pack.
Willow smiled, thinking about all the times Branch panicked because he thought a Bergen was near. She frowned after a moment. Those were times Branch was genuinely convinced a Bergen was near. He had a right to be afraid after all they had been through.
"Leave Branch alone, guys," Willow said, crossing her arms. "Sure, the past times he panicked it turned out to be nothing. But that doesn't mean he's wrong." She wrapped her arm around her brother's shoulders. "It wouldn't hurt if we're a little more careful."
"Come on!" Poppy insisted. "We haven't seen a Bergen in twenty years. They're not gonna find us."
"No," Branch insisted. "They're not going to find me and Willow, because we'll be in our highly camouflaged, heavily fortified, Bergen-proof survival bunker."
"You mean you're not coming to the party tonight?" Poppy asked, disappointed.
"But it's going to be the biggest..." Satin and Chenille started.
"The loudest..." Followed by Dj Suki.
"The craziest party ever!" And Cooper finished.
The Snack Pack cheered while Branch looked at them incredulously. "Big? Loud? Crazy? You're just going to lead the Bergens right to us!"
"Are you sure you wanna invite this party pooper to poop on your party?" Cooper asked Poppy.
Willow raised an eyebrow at Cooper. "I'd watch who you call a party pooper," she warned. "I'm not going to let you insult my brother just because we're friends."
Poppy grinned. "Yes, I want him there." She looked at Branch. "I think everyone deserves to be happy."
"I don't do happy," Branch deadpanned. Willow rolled her eyes. He really didn't.
"Branch, I know you have happiness inside you," Poppy insisted. "You just need our help to find it." She pulled out an invitation and opened it. It was a personalized pop-up invitation that sang. "Celebrate freedom from, the Bergens!" Poppy leaned forward for Branch to take the invitation as it blasted glitter in his face. She smiled. "What do you say, Branch?"
Branch smiled as he took the invitation before flinging it to the ground and stomping on it. The Snack Pack gasped in horror while Willow sighed and put her face in her hands. "Awesome job, Branch," she muttered annoyed. "As if my friends needed another reason to call you a grump."
"I wouldn't be caught dead at your party," Branch said wiping the glitter off his face. "But you will be. Caught and dead."
"Woah woah," Creek said as he floated down into the area with one of his bug friends. "Easy, Branch. Easy." He nuzzled his bug friend on the top of his head. "Thank you for providing safe passage, brother. Namaste." He waved the bug off.
Willow scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Not this guy again," she muttered, annoyed.
Creek grinned and turned to Branch. "Okay, first of all, mate, thanks for sharing your unique perspective on things. Again." Biggie and Cooper started snickering. "But just for now, why don't you try on some positivity, eh? A little positivity might go with that vest."
"Okay, fine," Branch looked at Creek, annoyed. "I'm positive you all are going to get eaten."
Creek was going to respond when everyone's hug time bracelets went off. "Hug time!" Poppy called, her arms outstretched. The Snack Pack agreed and gathered around for a group hug, pulling Branch and Willow in it.
Willow smiled as she let herself hug and be hugged by her friends. It wasn't long before Branch managed to pull himself out of the hug. "Someday, when the Bergens find us," Branch started, walking away, "and the survival of every Troll is in your hands," Willow sighed and pulled herself out of the hug as well." I sure hope the answer is singing, dancing, and hugging. "Because that's all you know how to do."
"That is not true," Biggie defended. "Poppy can also scrapbook."
Branch shook his head, annoyed. "I can't believe you're gonna be queen one day." He looked at his sister. "Come on, Willow."
Creek stood beside Willow. "Are you really going to drag your sister down into your pool of sadness with you, Branch?" He asked, smiling. "Maybe she actually wants to go to the party."
Willow turned to face Creek, fists clenched and glaring. "Back away, pretty boy." She pushed him away and looked at Poppy, her face apologetic. "I'm sorry, Poppy. Maybe some other time."
Poppy smiled sadly as her friend walked over to her brother. "Yeah. Maybe next time."
Willow crossed her arms as she followed Branch to the bunker. "That was uncalled for, Branch," she said when they reached the door. She opened it and let him in with his armload of sticks. "You didn't have to insult her."
"She's not taking this seriously," Branch insisted. He put his stick pile down. "We could be attacked any day by Bergens and she wouldn't know what to do." He sighed and sat down. "Was Creek right?" He asked, looking at her. "Am I 'pulling you down with me'?"
Willow rolled her eyes. "Ignore that moron," She insisted. "He'll say anything to make you seem like the bad guy." She started making some sandwiches for dinner.
"And what about your friends?" Branch raised his voice, a little upset. "They think I'm crazy and the Bergens are gone. Do you think I'm crazy?"
Willow paused in her sandwich-making and looked at her brother. He looked surprisingly vulnerable. She sighed. "I think, you have a different perspective than everyone around here." She sat down at the table to look her brother in the eyes. "Many of the Trolls our age don't remember much of Bergen Town. And the older ones don't like to talk about it and do what they can to forget it." She crossed her arms. "I can't say I remember a lot about the Troll Tree. But I do remember how scared you looked every time you thought a Bergen was nearby. You're traumatized, not crazy, and it's important to me that you know that."
Willow stood up and patted her brother on the shoulders. "I don't know if a Bergen is going to show up, but I know it makes you feel better and safer when we're in the bunker. So we'll stay in the bunker tonight while the village parties. And this way, if a Bergen does show up, they won't find us." She grinned and walked back to her sandwiches.
Branch sighed and smirked at his younger sister. "How did you end up the mature one?" He leaned back in his chair. "I'm the big brother."
Willow snorted. "Probably around the time I beat up Creek for the first time."
Branch nodded. "Yeah, that's probably it. Good job not hitting him today," he added when she put a sandwich in front of him.
"It was difficult," Willow admitted, picking up her sandwich. "He has a very punchable face."
And Willow's hatred of Creek continues. Hope you all continue to enjoy this story, because I am enjoying writing it. See you next time!