AN: Hey there, everyone! Bet that you didn't expect this story, did you? I didn't plan initially to commit another Trolls story. Even with Band Together announced long ago, I decided to wait.

'Trolls World Tour - Real Harmony Takes Lots of Voices' remains my most popular fanfic story (unless the buggy story stats reveal something else once they're bloody fixed). And while there were attempts and plans, I was not motivated to continue since it felt like everything was already established.

Getting to watch Trolls Band Together, I've found myself feeling wary of the franchise's direction. I consider its storywriting not as great as the first two films, namely the new reveals and some jokes. But once again, I enjoyed the animation and the creativity alongside some wickedly entertaining villains: I can't stop listening to Watch Me Work and failed to find a full version of Velvet's and Veneer's Sweet Dreams cover. Band Together is a good spectacle, but I consider its story needs some work on if the director ever listens to constructive criticism.

Which leads me to here. So gather the children and prepare that popcorn; TU4QU0I53T4IAN6L3 is back again to strike on this trilogy! W-Well, it's not gonna be a huge story and I might not update it too regularly. But I want to make my own small rewrite to expand the characters and worldbuilding a little, alongside fixing major concerns.

It's even a gateway for me to write Trollex and Barb again! Hell yeah! I wanted to write a story about them, but when I attempted writing a crossover that includes them, it all crumbled apart. Eventually, I found a way to include them here that feels fitting to look through their perspectives, alongside reusing scrapped scenes.

Before we get started, I want to inform you that there are SEVENTEEN REFERENCES to other Trolls fanfics, fanwork series and creators in the fandom! Ranging from FFN, AO3, Tumblr and even one exclusive in WattPad! It does NOT mean that my Trolls AU is the 'ultimate multiverse'. They are more like loose adaptations, mentions and references, all in good fun with significant impacts. Please respect the original works I'm giving a shout-out to.

Good luck finding all the references cause I'm keeping my mouth shut until someone finds the right ones in each chapter. Maybe I'll confirm when I finish this story. You'll need research to collect them all!

But note that at the end, if you're not happy with me referencing your work or have some questions, don't be afraid to let me know and we can discuss together.

Enough talk before this reaches a page. Let's get this show on the road!

Chapter 1 - The Preparation

The first thing the young Trollex did was take a selfie near the cliffside.

If they weren't in water, it would be more dangerous for him. He wasn't even thirteen yet and was already daring to do all these crazy things.

His family was out on a special vacation in celebration of his mother's birthday. His father, King Juan of the Techno Trolls, got their cousins, aunts and uncles to join along. Even Trollex invited a few of his friends from school. They stuck close to the neutral zone of a nearby barrier reef not too far away from Techno Reef.

Juan was constantly worried that there might be danger around, especially with the inconsistent timing nowadays. However, Trollex managed to convince him that they would be safe.

Oh, how wrong he was to assume…

Most of the day was spent taking pictures with his coral-covered camera and observing the shiny shells. Trollex would be the king sometime soon and always had a thing for keeping close details of anything. However, later in the afternoon, he decided to use this lonely time to practice with his trident.

Now migrating above the colorful coral garden, holding onto the family trident his father owned. His father trained him well with diligence, but the feisty Trollex often likes getting in a fight. While he wished he had his own trident, his father's prized trident was a beauty to hold. Lightly-colored with a rainbow shine, it told a subtle beauty than the neon colors Trollex was familiar with.

He huffed many times as he stabbed the trident in the emptiness. Despite his energy, the many huffs emitted showcased his closeness to becoming exhausted. But exhaustion was not a gift earned as he imagined an enemy before him. He stabbed the foe in the chest, spinning around and kicking his tail fins up.

Being a king would mean not causing a war but always ready for it.

During the second half of this self-practice, his father eventually joined. The next half an hour was them play-fighting with Juan asking to be the foe. Trollex was careful with poking the trident around, making sure to not hurt him accidentally. The much bigger troll was more reflexive, casually dodging even the faintest stabs.

Though, one of the sharp prongs got caught in his hair accidentally and ended with Trollex pulling it out. This was the first time he heard his father scream like a girl when a tiny strand got ripped out.

The two of them eventually laughed it off. One thing that got their hearts pumping in delight.

In this semi-break, Trollex took a moment to look back at his father.

While he had bluish-purple skin, he shared the same neon green hair and eyes. His hair was flowing everywhere, only contained by a futuristic silver crown. The orange, yellow, and pink bands on his arms also matched the ones Trollex had gained.

Going for a tough-looking yet comfortable look, Juan wore a pair of blue headphones wrapped around his neck and a dark purple belt with a golden buckle.

The prideful king ruffled Trollex on the head with enough fatherly roughness. "You really have a lot more energy than I do!"

"Whenever I have my blood pumping," stated Trollex with a grin. "I always make full use of it."

"You really have your mother's energy. But I still don't know where you get it from."

With enough distance to not accidentally poke Juan again, Trollex rolled the trident around his shoulders. Though, when he got it into the other hand, he winced by how heavy that felt.

"I'm just happy I know how to use this weapon now," he commented.

Juan chuckled, tickling Trollex's pixelated heart. "You silly, little guppy. This trident has been passed down to every king and queen for generations. You are the next king to have it. The trident has been one of the most important symbols in our tribe. From music to battling to sharing history."

Trollex looked back down on the trident. Already easygoing with rolling it on his shoulders, but when it came to stressing its importance, that would be when this weight could crush his shoulders. He knew it was important already. It was just a reminder of what it meant to his father.

"Does that mean I will be a great king when I have this?" asked Trollex.

"Yep!" said Juan, patting him on the back. "Well, some people only see it that way when you wave it around. You don't really need it all the time. It still carries us, but nothing made can last forever. It will only be you carrying a lot, but that won't mean you would be helpless."

Trollex looked back and let the reflection catch his face. All he saw was the face of a child, but he imagined it as the face of a proud king. Getting ready to sing his heart out to the rave-loving tribe. Ready to take on anything that would dare to hurt them. His father might be right, but Trollex was one to believe that the trident watched over him like his ancestors.

"Sick!" he chirped. Then, a question came to mind. "Say, Dad. I recently learned about the history of the Trolls. I don't know much about the other major tribes since the teacher doesn't want me to know further about our string."

"That's OK," said Juan. "None of us have ever been near the other tribes. We are safe in the ocean."

Trollex hummed, his pink heart glowing. "I'm wondering if I became king…would it be alright if I can invite them to our kingdom? Or visit them?"

As always, Juan shot down that idea out of concern. "What? No! That's too dangerous."

"We can't be hiding in the ocean for too long. OK, maybe they were enemies before, but it was due to something separating them. I don't want a constant fight to keep people apart. I mean, some of us observed the land sometimes. And one tribe…"

He trailed off, not wanting to detail the grisly fates of those unfortunate.

"...yeah, well, what they went through sucks. No other party comes around them to help."

Juan barely broke eye contact, but his eyes told another story. "Maybe that tribe is scared to accept help. It all starts with some idiot wanting power and then, there's nothing to resolve from the split."

Of course, the younger Trollex didn't get the feeling of fear. "Why would they be scared? Wouldn't they want a better place? If we don't learn to understand each other, how can we ensure we are safe in 'peace'? Being in Techno Reef may have helped me be a good leader, but…" He fidgeted with the trident, already nervous about holding it for longer. "I'm not sure if I'm even ready for the job if shut away from reality."

Juan's ears drooped. Trollex floated closer to him.

"I have to take the first step," the younger troll reminded.

Juan sighed, still feeling protective of his little son. "Trollex, I wish I could tell you, but sometimes, you can't see through everyone's eyes. It's more complicated than you think."

"Then when will I know if I can understand?"

Juan didn't know how to commit to such an answer. His first instinct was to pull Trollex into a gentle embrace, resting his chin on his shoulder.

"You'll know soon when you're ready," he promised. "For now, I don't think it's time for you to take that journey seriously."

Trollex wasn't sure how to feel about this, but he could only nod in acceptance. "Yeah. Grow and learn. Good…"

All of a sudden, Juan screamed and pushed Trollex to the side. The trident flew out of his hands and Trollex was sent flying a few meters away. He didn't understand what was going on when Juan grabbed the trident and gave a nasty snarl until he looked at who-no, WHAT he was glaring at.

The blank-white eyes of a shark in the distance. Its black coat gave the appearance of shadows, lurking around in the water. Waiting to strike.

Juan gritted his teeth, pointing his trident forward.

Trollex was suddenly filled with fear, hearing his own pounding heartbeat.

And just when it looked like the shark was about to swim away, it suddenly rushed towards Trollex and opened its razor-sharp teeth coating its jaw AND throat.

It was suddenly in his face.

TBDB, or Beat for short, had already woken up earlier. This was mostly due to the rock music these cavemen played all night. He wondered how the Rock Trolls could sleep like a rock. Well, Trollex could, snoring away in a round circular bed wrapped up in a plaid blanket. Must be due to familiarizing himself with the loud noises of Rock.

Beat still had a lot to learn. As the early morning rolled over, the little green fish tried to distract himself while waiting. First was a dip in the nearby goldfish bowl of water. Barb was generous enough to leave one in this guest room. And the water was cool. Flopping into it, he was greeted with the same coldness of the liquid and the freshness that relieved his mouth. He sighed happily, nearly rubbing himself into the dirt below.

Speaking of dirt, he took a moment to look around this room. Unlike the more rocky corridors, this one was at least neat. All coated in black denim with white stitches and hardcore posters on the walls. The majority of them appeared to be different rock bands. Beat kept his eyes away from them. He did not know many of these bands and was more obsessed with neon-colored DJs than black and bold fashion.

The second detail was the furniture around. Sort of. The guest room wasn't exactly packed with many instruments. It was a simple bed with a glossy black desk and a closet. The only signs of furniture were the plastic Pop figurines Trollex kept on the desk to keep them company, his mini DJ set table the exact size of a keyboard and his prized trident leaning against the desk chair.

The third detail was that the room was surprisingly neat. There was no tipped-over vase or broken instrument or a single crumb left on the carpet. It seemed as if these Rock Trolls cleaned the place up for them. Royalty matters, they might say. Or that could be just Barb adjusting to be more kinder to those around her. The Rock Queen was doing a lot recently.

While relaxing in the goldfish bowl, Beat spun around and slapped a bowtie below his mouth. A lovely black bowtie. Not the most creative, but the most respectful. Today was gonna be Bridget's and King Gristle Jr.'s wedding! He and Trollex hadn't acquainted themselves with the Bergans yet. Thank goodness Prince D already did so.

While they might be a little suspicious towards the Bergans, Beat wished he knew them before this wedding. Trollex, for sure, would have gone out of his way to introduce himself…

A whimper from Trollex and Beat whipped around. His body hadn't even started glowing yet and he was stirring around. But the little fish realized something wasn't up. Trollex was rolling back and forth in bed…whimpering as if in pain.

Beat's smile gradually faded upon realizing what this would mean. His little antennas drooped in sorrow. An urge to help him out energized him. He immediately shot out of the bowl and so did Trollex.

Beat didn't expect to hear a scream from Trollex, who flew high enough to crash into the ceiling. Hovering in mid-air, the Techno King spun from the impact. Once he stopped, he rubbed the bump on his head and his green eyes were wide in horror. He wasn't right there in reality, trying to find the danger around.

But Trollex quickly found out he was in this guest room in Volcano Rock City. He wasn't in Techno Reef. He wasn't twelve years old again. And there were no…sharks around. Except for one poster glaring at him with the shark sporting devil horns. Upon seeing this image, Trollex felt his breathing becoming more rapid and he clutched his chest.

It was only a dream, thought Trollex.

More like remembering.

Remembering…Trollex frowned. Those blasted memories. The day when his father died. The day when he had high hopes of protecting his tribe. His hands tightened into fists, now livid from being reminded of that day when he was weak.

Growling in frustration, Trollex twirled around to punch the wall. But before his fist could land a hole in the wall nearby, Beat immediately blocked his punch with a simple tap from his back. The Techno Troll pulled away in reflex, his unfocused eyes glaring daggers into Beat.

"We don't need your hand to be broken again," said Beat firmly.

Trollex blinked for a few seconds before he could recognize his friend's voice. Once he did, he stared down at the fist he threw.

"I would grow numb to it anyway," he muttered. Feeling like a bomb ticking, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath in. He was safe. He shouldn't freak out like this. "I'm fine. I'm fine. Sorry…I just…"

Beat hummed, looking worried. "You're having nightmares again?"

Trollex stuttered, nervous about telling the truth. On one hand, he didn't want to appear pitiful. On the other hand, he didn't want to let these memories replay in his mind.

"I…uh…" His green eyes looked away, the only clear signs of telling his mind when his voice glitched. "Not…really a-a…"

"It's always a monthly nightmare and it's twice this month!" said Beat, floating closely. "I thought you could stop banging on walls five years ago."

The little fish was so close that Trollex could see the fear in his eyes. Knowing what he nearly resorted to, Trollex would never forgive himself. He looked down and his ears drooped in guilt.

"I know, I know…" he said quietly, rubbing his hands. "The doctor told me about how to recover and maybe those nightmares wouldn't be frequent. Maybe it's just random. As far as I should be concerned, I don't think they would matter. I got a lot of responsibilities to take care of."

Beat sighed. "But you never know if you can push them away, man. Look, don't stress out that much. The more you overexert, the more likely you would have them again."

Trollex closed his eyes, cringing. "I-I know! I know." Ashamed, he rubbed his face with a yawn. "I shouldn't be like this. Why am I thinking back to the past? A mood like this isn't suitable for today's party."

The little fish hovered a bit closer, reaching up to the Techno King's chin. "Dude, don't you think it's time you stop beating yourself up? You tried telling yourself that after Barb's rock apocalypse. Constantly distracting yourself to be 'happy' isn't really healthy. That's why I had been serving you three cups of hot cocoa every time you came in your room for the night."

"I'm not 'happy'. I'm just trying to be a supportive king." Trollex immediately shut his lips, knowing this was his everyday response. He knew this motive would tire out, but he could relapse back to his stubborn self.

Beat was still understanding, however. "I know. But you can't overdo it to replace the stress bottled up. You got to let that fizzy out, man! You did so much and it's good, but no more exhausting yourself. Alright? Today is your big break and you get the chance to hang out with your friends."

Before, Trollex would have been hesitant to go along with it. Before, he never chose to take a break. While the pressure was heavy, thinking about letting his father down caught up to him and he devoted all his strength to keeping the kingdom running and happy. He would never let a tear to be seen.

Despite still having trouble adjusting to things for one month, the Techno King found himself feeling much lighter and ready to give his heart a break. Branch reminded him of this, leading to him trying to take good care of himself. The reunition of the tribes was the high peak for everyone and the best thing Trollex ever wanted as a child. Helping him to know better as a wise king from new company.

He inhaled deeply once again and exhaled with a relaxed smile. Tension flowed out from his body, even allowing it to glow again.

"Thanks, buddy," said Trollex, patting his friend. "Maybe a knock on the head is what I need."

Beat chuckled, giving him a quick nuzzle under his chin. "You're welcome. Now, we should get dressed already. It's going to be a long drive to Bergan Town."

And just like that, Trollex was already back to his chipper, energetic self. He was like a blue elastic band snapping and bouncing everywhere. Snatching the clothes from the closet, rushing over to the nearest mirror to put them on and flying right to one spot to adjust the last few bits.

The Techno King never bury his bioluminescent neon colors, even if wearing a full-body suit. While he sadly chose to wear a shirt over his heart, it didn't stop him from looking this good.

Flexing his bare, rainbow-coated arms in pride, Trollex twirled around to let his black vest, decorated in blue and purple pixels, flutter upwards. This vest was made from lighter material and the lapel was much neater than last time. His shirt was also sleeveless: a neon purple collared shirt with a black tie with light blue bubbles.

Finishing the look was a silverish-holographic crown over his head and his trusty trident in his hand.

"How do I look?" he said with a smirk.

Beat snickered. "Show-off."

"What? Gotta look fancy enough for the wedding reception!"

"You know that the theme of the wedding isn't exactly a glow-in-the-dark party."

"Well, Barb is zealous in bringing her crazy rock 'n roll there. As heavy as her idea is, I can't wait to drop the beat once again."

Beat giggled, circling around Trollex. "Will you do so on time?"

Trollex shrugged. "Relax! I will!"

"Oh, c'mon, Trollex! You gotta!"

"I pinky promise! I will!"

After receiving a boop on the nose, Beat circled around Trollex again and pulled out a water bottle. The Techno King smiled in gratitude before taking it gently. Popped open and down went the entire water bottle. He couldn't choke on it. While he had adjusted to being on the surface, he was still an underwater creature, so he couldn't live being dehydrated.

"Do you think it would excuse me working hard from Barb working a lot lately?" asked Trollex randomly, still sipping his water. His throat could somehow endure talking and drinking at the time.

Beat rolled his eyes. "Don't take that as an example. And I don't know how much energy Barb has. Come to think of it, she seems to be a bit more precautious about things."

Finally done, Trollex exhaled in relief and lowered the empty water bottle. He couldn't lie. It was kind of noticeable. Barb remained upbeat and wild but became more vocal about her worries. She even started to look more worn out to the point she couldn't keep up with Poppy's equal energy. And while the Rock Trolls were brutally honest, Barb's honesty didn't carry the same edge as before.

Whether that was a good thing or a bad thing, he couldn't decide. But it did lead him to feel sorry for the still-new Rock Queen.

"Well, it's far different than how she acted before," stated Trollex, leaning against the wall. "At least she's not terrorizing everyone."

"I'm thinking she's moody," said Beat. "Though, should I be concerned? Her tribe is resilient and tough, but she didn't seem to go by that nowadays."

Trollex waved his hand. "Let's just drop it. Besides, she and I did work together on new sick songs. That got her mind off." He cracked a grin. "I kid you not the many times she smashed her guitar when emphasizing a political point."

"Ooh, sounds rough, buddy."

"But fear not!" said Trollex, his hands on his hips. "Maybe, like you said, this big break might even help her relax. I'm sure that things can go out in a-!"

BANG!

The next thing he knew was the door crashing into his face and pushing his back against the wall. It was dark, cramped and cold. And a lot of pain in his face.

"RISE AND SHINE, BOYS!" shouted Barb, her gruff yet lively voice matching the high and proud horns of metal she made. "I'm expecting no sleep-ins! Get your arses moving in thirty minutes!"

"You know we royals wake up early, Barbara," deadpanned Beat.

Barb turned to the little green fish. And her loud voice lowered to room volume with a hint of surprise. "Oh! You do?"

The Rock Queen was also dressed for the occasion. She usually preferred casual wear but dressed more extravagantly for the wedding.

A black collared crop top with a white bowtie and golden necklaces. Fitting for such a metalhead. She even wore a black knee-length skirt cut out at the front of her right leg to reveal tight yet sensible black shorts. She retained her black fishnet leggings, except they had thick black cuffs at the ankles.

Finally, a white leather jacket with spiked wrist cuffs coated her body. White was always a prime color Barb associated herself with. This one had several colorful badges, ranging from the cupcake button resembling Pop to a sheriff star button resembling Country. Her jacket appeared heavy due to all these badges, but Barb still wore them proudly on her chest after learning about the other tribes.

Too bad that she failed to learn about the groaning behind the door. "Where's Lex Luthor?"

Beat raised his eyebrows. "Pounded to the ground."

"You didn't see him blending in the walls, did you?" uttered Trollex.

Barb turned around and jumped. "Oh! There you are. My bad, dude."

When she opened the door to let him fly out freely, Trollex IMMEDIATELY jumped and pounced onto Barb, grabbing her in a hug around her neck before proceeding to noogie hard on her. The two young leaders laughed, immature in Trollex's little revenge on her. Beat watched along with a big smile, alright that Barb seemed OK at the moment.

Their friendship was tumultuous for a much more friendlier term. Sure, Trollex was angry at Barb for destroying his home and tried acting aloof during her contribution to the reconstruction. But after Barb learnt her lesson, Trollex eventually gave her a second chance.

It didn't stop them from being sarcastic to each other alongside criticizing, but they hit off pretty well later on. It even helped that the more adventurous Barb told him more about their world, and in turn, she learned more about his tribe's music and culture.

After their little scuffle, Barb slithered out from Trollex's grip with an uncontrollable giggle.

"OK! OK!" she barked. "I yield!"

"Just knock first before you can come in, Barbara," reminded Trollex lightly.

"If your face is too close, then I'm not gonna be the one to blame."

Trollex smirked. "We'll see about that."

He suddenly lurched forward in a playful attempt to intimidate Barb. It did make her move but it widened her thrilled smile as well.

"I'm surprised that you're still exhilarated today," stepped in Beat. "Your rock-Rockness? Rockfulness? Rock…" He blew a raspberry, clearly unsure how to refer to Queen Barb. "Ya, royal tyrant?"

"If only we Rock Trolls were taught to not move at all, which would be boring," joked Barb.

"That's probably why we heard you playing rock music from above," said Trollex as he sat on the bed. He didn't need to, but he wanted to relax a little, gently. "I don't have a problem. But I'm concerned that you might end up like your father from partying too hard at night."

Barb shrugged and hopped onto the bed on her feet, her smile remaining wide. "Just needed to host last night's rock concert before handing it to Dad to take care of the second half. Last night, I had arranged the trucks loading supplies to here in order of rockiness…"

Beat hissed to himself. "Rockiness, of course!"

"Unchildproofed the main castle with enough spikes for the grand walls…" continued Barb, trying to recall everything. "...installed a few more soundproof walls for the motels…checked the stock income of those krabby patties you sent me…and I needed to see the gullible to ensure they weren't mining for so-called diamonds."

She gasped, her pink eyes lighting up.

"Seagullible! That's a great band name, Trollex!"

"You seem gullible that it's a terrible name," pointed out Trollex.

Barb pouted with a teenage-like slouch. "Fine. Thought it would be funny for our little…" She paused, looking confused. "Duo? Band? What should I call our little act?"

"Since we're both celebrities, let's go with 'supergroup'."

Barb took a few seconds to let that sink in before sinking into the bed. "Ah…that's more like it. Can't wait to play 'Love Me Tender' at this Bergan wedding soon. It's gonna be a blast."

The Rock Queen nearly dozed off in the bed, but it wasn't because the mattress was soft and the blanket was itchy (wonder how Trollex endured THAT when he picked it up). Last night's work kicked in, and she found herself feeling tired from the tasks that she had done.

However, as soon as she was close to snuggling a bit deeper, she sighed and sat up, but not before she did a soft punch to the bed.

Her silence was too long to go unnoticed. Trollex, still progressing through Beat's advice, tilted his head in a mix of curiosity and concern.

"You must have overworked yourself in the span of like 3 dark hours," he muttered.

Barb scoffed, covering it with a loud laugh. "You think so, fish boy?"

"Well, even though we planned to take a break from things, you were flying around the castle like a seagull trying to find fish," said Beat. "You might burn out soon."

Barb grunted cooly. "Me burning out? Since when was the last time I fell flat as a burnt pancake?"

"As many times I get severe concussions for running headfirst into things," deadpanned Trollex.

The Rock Troll took a moment to think about it. "Well, that checks out some of the headaches. If Delta could do at least 20 responsibilities in the morning, then so can I! There are a lot of things a queen should do. Can't really be the slacker; it's how you remain a boss!"

Trollex wouldn't have seen through this if it weren't for the slightly tired tone hidden in Barb's voice. The savage-looking grin would be convincing, but the energy he knew from her wasn't exactly there. Could be given like a professional and non-bragging statement, but Barb always sounded hyped when committed.

And right now, she could nearly sound worried about making this statement. In her mind, she didn't feel too good about herself. People could say that she was still a good leader, but a thought persisted on needing to maintain that regardless of all she did.

Poor Barb, thought Trollex. The Techno Troll hummed with a sad look in his eyes. He felt bad for her becoming a bit more deprived of rest. However, the break should take pressure off her shoulders.

Trollex didn't want to provoke Barb by accident, but he did want to show that he understood how she felt. He still kept his space but turned around to face the tired-looking Barb.

"Not gonna lie, I can relate, Barbara," said Trollex with a smile. "Been working hard as well the past month. Just take care of your strong body to remain…victorious? You said that 'hating things takes up a lot of energy'. I mean that as a compliment."

When Barb nodded with a serious look, that confirmed that it was tolerable for him to say.

"And with that big break I'll be taking for a while, I'm considering some kind of…vacation? Maybe a break? Meet up?"

"Or just simply chill, you two," teased Beat.

"That was what I was gonna say."

"No, you didn't."

Barb huffed with a little smile, amused yet appreciative to hear. "If everyone's alright with that. I mean, regarding meeting up with the other tribes during this break. The Rock Trolls kind of had a rocky start in TrollsTopia."

Trollex nodded, nudging her elbow with his fist. "I'm sure it would be all good! Poppy cannot stop talking to me about seeing you again. She's head over heels to make those wafers you promised!"

That thought was enough to perk Barb up again, the Rock Troll snickering in delight and sheepishness. "Wish me luck for visualizing sugar and NOT eating the simplicity of sugar. I don't want Poppy to go too much with the sprinkles!"

"If there's a Rock God, sure," joked Trollex. "Besides, their sprinkles aren't bad."

"Though, I have to agree," cooed Beat. "It's POPPY. Her sprinkles are quite the belly full."

"I think it's swallowing up too much cuteness," said Barb, looking smitten. "Can't really eat that much!"

As the two flopped out of the bed, Trollex remembered something.

"Oh, that reminds me, have you got a response from the other leaders?" he asked.

Barb shook her head. "Unfortunately, no. Trollzart and Delta sent their love this morning but had to take care of an animal ambush in their respective towns."

Trollex groaned sadly. "Bummer. I was hoping to see Trollzart again. I hope he'll be alright."

"Yeah, same," agreed Barb. "I was looking forward to seeing Delta at the wedding. But she's still an intense and steadfast leader like us! Never leaving a hairstring in the haystack."

"How about the Bounty Hunters?" asked Beat, circling around the Rock Queen. "I would love to see Tresillo making a few Bergans fall weak on their knees!"

Barb wheezed at the thought. "Bwah ha ha! Now THAT would be a better visualization out of the rainbow, dude! But they're also unavailable. Speaking of which, do you two know anyone from TrollsTopia coming? I haven't heard from Val."

Trollex and Beat glanced at each other before shrugging in unison and perfect timing.

"Not from the bottom of my head," squeaked Beat, shaking around. "I heard Branch DID try to invite Synth, but he hasn't responded. My best guess is that he set it on fire. What a klutz."

"Oh c'mon, Beat," said Trollex, nudging the little fish. "Synth isn't that bad! Aside from Branch giving him the invitation, we heard that Poppy sent a lot. But I don't think many are well-acquainted with the Bergans to their liking."

Barb nodded in acknowledgement. "That makes sense. Maybe a bit of a coward move, but they still got things on their end. At least the more clumsier Charleston won't make a scene. Should she?"

Trollex looked off in the distance with a thousand-yard stare. The flashbacks he was having couldn't be explained to simple minds.

Barb gave a cheeky smirk, being the one to nudge Trollex in the elbow. "What about your rainbow girlfriend? I was hoping you two get the catch of the day when the newlyweds speed off for their honeymoon!"

The imagination of Trollex and Aggie managing to catch a bouquet of flowers from King Gristle Jr. and Bridget as they walk down the red carpet was enough to get a reaction from the Techno King. Trollex's face turned hot pink, and he looked away, grinning in love. He was trying to subtly hover downwards to downplay his shrinking composure, not helping that his fins were forcibly pressed on the floor.

"Barb!" he squeaked, a little embarrassed. "C'mon."

"You know she's right," pointed Beat matter-of-factly.

Finally, Trollex lifted his face back off with a shy laugh. "Yeah. I wish she could come. Sadly, last night, Aggie told me she won't be around. She's scheduled to represent the Magical Musical Trolls in a peace treaty with the Flexi-Trolls."

Barb leaned in, interested. "Wait, didn't they plan to go to war with each other?"

Even Trollex looked surprised, his eyebrows raised. "Thankfully, no!"

"Oh." Barb blinked a few times, stunned. Then, she narrowed her eyes, appearing envious. "At least someone is handling a conflict easier."

"It's a bummer they won't be around today," said Trollex. "Nice that Prince D, however, can join. He wants to get in on the fun with his brother more. I was more hoping to play our new songs to all of them. Shall we just go ahead with what we have?"

Immediately, Barb was quick to disagree. "Whoa, whoa, whoa! We planned to surprise them if we have the leaders from every tribe watching."

Trollex was a bit more chill than Barb's more critical and carefree approach towards music. And to prove that, he leaned against the door frame with a casual smile.

"Can't we still do them?" he asked, his eyes sparkling like a puppy. "It was a lot of fun! Never knew that Techno and Rock could really fit well. Even with our collaboration with Bad Hair Day!"

Beat whooped, beaming. "Oh, that song we got to play! That's our biggest hit! I agree as well."

Barb hung her head. "No, no. I won't waste a perfectly epic performance on a small wedding crowd. OK, we would have performed for the entire Bergan Town, but only the Pop Trolls will be at the wedding. Whenever you have something sensational, you need a larger, diverse audience. It's the millennium."

Trollex still didn't seem to get it. You see, they collaborated lately to do a few songs together. Trollex was meek to share since he knew Barb wouldn't like the 'bleeps and boops'. However, they started sharing keytars that emitted electronic rock sounds. Then, they started trying out different guitars, synths and beats. Before long, they became a powerhouse and even wrote a few new songs to publish.

The difference was that the Rock Queen saw it more like a cultural movement. All these songs they made weren't like anything at all. Some of them could be considered Pop songs yet tough-sounding. When all she saw was the dumbfounded look on Trollex, she already wanted to do their work justice.

"I'm getting what you mean?" said Trollex dumbly.

"If we're under a flashy spotlight, sure, doofus," said Barb, roughly grabbing a fistful of Trollex's jacket. "But promise me you WON'T tell anyone else until we have a bigger arena." She then pressed her intense-looking eyes against Trollex's innocent, wide eyes. "Deal?"

Oh, and she had her spiked cuff right near Trollex's neck.

Naturally, the brave Techno King gave a cheesy smirk. "Deal, perfectionist!"

Barb rolled her eyes with a puppy whine as Trollex pushed her away. So immature, she thought.

Beat giggled a little but swore to the promise.

"We should get going by now," he informed. "Time's ticking."

Both leaders nodded and all three filed out of the room. Barb stroked her bright red mohawk back, feeling its spiky tips. Meanwhile, Trollex brushed his arms and his rainbow bands glowed brighter.

"Are your roadies ready?" asked Trollex, tilting his head. "They seem to have terrible waking-up alarms."

Barb snorted. "Don't worry! I woke them up early by using their favorite song."

AN: And thus, the two young leaders are blasting off to the wedding. I really like how this all starts out. While I didn't look back to evaluate my entire rewrite of World Tour, I tried to carry both characters' spirit and essence with some call-backs.

Trollex is still the snarky yet passionate king in this AU, while Barb has been noticeably weary and conscious since her rock apocalypse.

Oh, and Charleston is still Charleston.

There have been many fanfics surrounding Trollex's potential loss of his parents alongside him possibly being the youngest of all the tribe leaders. It's a bit different here as Trollex's mother is still alive and my version of Trollex is one or two years older than the newly-coronated Barb.

King Juan is an exciting character to write about, even if his role is significantly minor here. However, I want to ensure that he remains a distinct character compared to other interpretations of Trollex's father. One noticeable example would be that Trollex is more of a daddy's son. Fun fact: King Juan's name is a reference to Juan Atkins, who's a Detroit Techno DJ himself.

I wish I had done more for Barb in this opening chapter since I want to touch on her character growth. Initially, in the scrapped story, she was gonna become quieter and grumpier. But, I decided to tone it down when using her again for this, allowing her to remain upbeat while starting to feel worried about the responsibilities given. It helps that she still feels guilty for the damage inflicted. We'll see more about her later on, I promise!

At least Barb doesn't let that negativity get to her, just like Nimona! Speaking of Nimona, there's even a reference to the film when Barb comes up with the name 'Seagullible'.

Also, Beat having trouble referring to Barb by the proper title took inspiration from The Suicide Squad and Helluva Boss.

The dynamic between Barb and Trollex also shapes how they are right now. Since they're young and feisty, I want them to share a brother-and-sister relationship. So expect a lot of moments of them pestering each other around soon. And if any of you future shits pester me that it's a shipping thing, DON'T even bother asking me if it is. I do my own thing, you do your own thing, you got that?

Thank you for reading this chapter! What do you think of this opening and the tone set for this story? Let me know in the reviews. If you enjoy this story, be sure to follow or favorite this story! Constructive criticism would be much appreciated, but if anything foul, then you're going down the drain.

Until next time, keep on rocking!