AN: Sorry for the long absence for all those waiting. Things have been challenging for the past few months and I have put more energy into my university projects. However, after clearing uni work out of the way and handling some problems, I can continue doing what I like now.
Of course, you might know that I have been reading and checking around a couple of stories on here, but please forgive me if my writing is a bit off. It's been so long.
Anyway, let's enter 'Hole 'N' Fun'!
Chapter 8 - The Putters
As it turned out, finding the most likely place Clay would reside in was impossible in one night. They couldn't spend the next day doing so since they had to get to Mount Rageous soon before Floyd could be used again. Studying the clue board wouldn't be enough to determine Clay's whereabouts.
Fortunately, Branch got an idea when he spotted Clay's 'funderdrawers' from a painting frame hanging on the wall.
By using the scent of Clay's teeny tiny underpants, Branch managed to give Rhonda a good idea of where to go. After all, armadillos could smell and spot a person from a thousand miles away with incredible criteria of the right person! Not only that but by the push of a unique journey through the 'Hustle Dimension', the gang could move through the night at the speed of a rocket.
After making it out the other side, they let Rhonda run around to find the right destination…while watching Barb sniffing the insides of Clay's underpants.
A long, deep sniff and the Rock Queen released the slimy drawers from her fingertips.
"Yep," she stated flatly. "Funderwears smell like it was swimming in the toilet for ten years."
"Can I smell it?" asked Poppy.
"No."
"I'm all for keeping nappies all day long like it's recycling," remarked Tiny Diamond from the front seat. "But soiled nappies as a painting? You must be keeping the ladies fainting."
"What's a nappy?" asked Poppy.
John Dory chuckled sheepishly, casually dropping the limp underpants on the floor. "I get sentimental about past things. Literally."
Bruce, having his eyes on the underpants through a maddened vision, cringed. "That's weird."
"Why did you even save these?" asked Branch as he sat on the floor. "It's incredibly disgusting. If it's meant to be memorabilia, it must be clean."
"I'm used to the smell," clarified John Dory. "It reminds me of Clay a lot…"
Everybody was weirded out.
The uptight John Dory sighed. "OK, OK! I'm slow to accept changes and growth spurts. It's the only way I can remember Clay while I was gone. I'm sorry!"
Branch decided not to say anything. Aside from noting the sarcastic tone, he honestly didn't understand the trouble in keeping something Clay was vocally ashamed of. He was still reeling from the revelation that his eldest brother was having issues and he didn't want to be on John's overbearing side.
Meanwhile, Trollex, after looking into John's soul for an awful while, decided to assure John. The Techno King just didn't have anything to say about the shiny underpants.
"Um, sorry that we thought of you that way," he said. "Though, what does the smell of the underpants exactly mean to you?"
John looked back at the curious Trollex staring at him. Unintentionally giving green puppy eyes. John hesitated, considering scowling. However, it was an honest question. Well, to John. The eldest brother just gave a simple shrug with a smile.
"It just…well, reminds me a lot of when Clay is around," he said. "With that strong smell, I thought of keeping it around and, well, you know?" Trollex opened his mouth, but John started rambling a little. "It's just…it's a bit difficult to…dis-explain. Sure, I had a clear idea of what Spruce and Floyd were doing, but with Clay? Sometimes when I'm not thinking he's gone, I also think about what he is like now. He always wants to be the serious one and I can't visualize that without picking up a stupid picture from the past…"
No one spoke about this, letting John lay it thick on his explanation. Barb kept glancing at him and back at the underpants. Trollex kept his face as emotionless as possible, his mind gearing with every new word John Dory rattling. Guy Diamond kept nodding, though he couldn't tell what John was saying because he spoke too fast.
For Branch and Bruce? Neither of them expected John's voice to not be this grating for once. It was like seeing his pragmatic side again. A little. Bruce didn't even think of reminding John to address his name the right way. Let him fizzle out first.
In the middle of quietly theorizing Clay's whereabouts, Poppy perked up with an idea.
"Clay was starting to tell about his wish not just to be the Fun Guy," she said. "Remember? During the disco era?"
John paused, tilting his head. "Huh, you're not right, your Majesty. However, Clay doesn't strongly associate with Disco. It's hard to tell since he never clearly indicates what he wants, not even outside BroZone…"
"Doesn't he used to be in a sad book club?" pointed out Bruce.
John's smile disappeared. "Well, it's…only one of his many interests. It can't be just him wanting to be more than just the fun one, right?"
Poppy hummed. "I guess we have to find out."
A loud beep from the front. It also alerted them of how slow Rhonda suddenly became. She was trembling a little, explaining why everything was shaking. All eyes turned to the front and they heard Tiny's quiet voice squeaking in hesitation.
"We're…here?" he said, uncertain what he was supposed to see.
Describing 'here' was difficult to do. Approaching 'here' was much scarier. The forest seemed to make the place darker and darker. The pitch darkness around them inhibited their vision from any traps ahead. And Rhonda was facing a giant brick wall with an old, rusted garage door.
It looked like a place for a Bergan funeral, except it was haunted. But how so? None of them couldn't tell if anything moving through the dark could be off immediately without a trace of light or sound outside.
There wasn't any noise except Rhonda's worried grunts.
Almost everybody on board stared at the rusted door with equally terrified looks, ranging from skepticism to outright repulsion.
Barb raised her eyebrows, impressed that a simple dark area scared her. "Metal."
The usually adventurous Trollex was shaking. "Shut up."
"With a zipper first," said Barb, grinning a little.
Tiny Diamond was surprisingly calm. "Are we sure THIS is where Clay lives?"
Guy, on the other hand, wasn't. "Are we sure? Our GPS is an armadillo bus sniffing used undies. So, no, we're not sure!"
"Do we even want to go into this place?" asked Branch worriedly.
"I think this is the place from every true crime podcast I've ever listened to," said Bruce with certainty, years of true crime preparing him for this moment.
"Very insightful, man…"
Poppy tried keeping a delicate smile. "It shouldn't be THAT bad! I mean, it could be worse!"
"Don't tempt it, Poppy," hissed Guy Diamond.
"Y-Yeah," agreed Branch. "Any chill you have will be killed out there."
"No, she's right," said John, rolling around his shoulder. "There could be a ghost waiting for us. We just need to be a little Ghostbuster and then we're set."
"Not helping at all, big guy," complained Guy.
"Well, we're going into unknown territory," said Barb, narrowing her eyes. "Even if we can find Clay, and that's a big if, the kind of place he 'seemed' to be living in is uncomfortable."
"That's travel, for sure!" stated John, puffing up his chest. "Not to mention you still have glitter fart to blind any monsters!"
"I guess you have a point." Guy sighed, rubbing his twitchy eye. "Sorry, I don't want to lose my entire hair to a giant again…"
"We should be fine!" reassured Bruce. "Rhonda! Go steady as you go!"
Rhonda barely moved, but after a few seconds, she sighed and walked forward. Tiny Diamond kept his little hands on the steering wheel, narrowing his eyes to see anything out of the blue. Predictably, the rusty door slowly opened by itself. Creepy yet convenient. They could only confirm that escaping was impossible once they entered the unknown area.
Safe in the bright light inside, the group could only stare through the front window as Rhonda navigated the strange environment outside. They couldn't make out their black surroundings, but the different objects lying around seemed to form a…path.
Trollex and Barb slowly pulled out their weapons, a trident for the former and a guitar for the latter.
Poppy quietly held onto Branch's hand. His fingers curled around hers with the same anxiety.
Guy slowly slid backwards, trying to hide behind John and Bruce.
After crossing over a wooden bridge, Rhonda suddenly stopped. Tiny Diamond shifted the steering wheel, but Rhonda refused to move. To confirm this, she barked a couple of times. This meant trouble.
But this was followed by the door automatically opening.
Eventually, looking outside, the paths ahead were too small for Rhonda to get through, not to mention that they could see rickety structures that could easily fall apart. They could only let Rhonda stop by in the large clearing where they stopped. Exiting the terrified armadillo, they explored the quiet place.
They nearly stood in the same spot, reluctant to walk further, and close in a tight group. From their view, they could only make out patches of dry grass and puddles. Most of the clearing was just natural earth. This place was likely for the dead. At worst, it felt like entering a dangerous hunting ground.
As they observed the scene, Branch took the lead with a stake in his hand. Guy Diamond was just behind, his fists and his butt clenched.
"If it were any Troll tribe to live here, then who would it be?" mused Branch.
"I call that the Dark Ambient Trolls would love a place like this," muttered Guy Diamond meekly. "Gloomy, ambient, sensible…"
Branch shook his head. "I doubt anyone NOT a monster would like this kind of place."
"It can be anyone. Creek did that before…"
Branch shivered. "This place is as cold as his heart was."
Upon witnessing the adults wielding weapons, Tiny Diamond immediately tried to hop out from the baby harness he was trapped in. It was futile since Bruce made it extra tight when wearing it. That didn't stop Tiny Diamond from bouncing around.
"Can I be part of the action?" he asked. "Please! Let me at them!"
"No, you're too young for weapons, mister," said Bruce sternly.
"Aw, come on! I can fight!"
"Let the little guy do so," offered John.
"No way, Tiny," said Bruce with the sternness of fatherly protection. "You'll get hurt!"
Rearing from the back, the young royals checked to see if anything was following their tail. Poppy with only her bare fists and readied loose hair. A grim-looking Barb brandishing around her energy-fuelled guitar. Trollex with his shiny trident, moving it carefully.
Poppy then noticed how serious the situation became. "Barb, aren't you going to…you know, rush in? Kill it with fire?"
"And spoil the tension? No way!" Barb softly pressed her guitar strings, delicate to how fragile and powerful they were. "Besides, I'm not suicidal. Maybe Trollex."
Trollex hummed. "I'm as tense as you are, Barb. I'm surprised they take it slow if they want to hurt us. Where's the blood?"
"Well, I'm not as battle-ready as you two, but…wouldn't there be…spikes coming out with lasers charged and everything?" asked Poppy innocently.
"Don't tempt it!" reminded Branch.
"No, no, Popsqueak's right," said Barb with a slight smile. "We just need to stay still and not set off any booby traps."
"I thought you would try activating all of them at once to clear the danger," asked Poppy.
"That kinda sounds more like you," said Barb casually, unknowingly pointing her guitar at the Pop Queen. "You're more approachable to anything."
Noticing how close the neck of the guitar was to her stomach, Poppy nonchalantly pushed it away. It pointed to Trollex, who just lifted his trident high to protect it.
"You know, I'm surprised there isn't a switch around to turn on the lights," commented Trollex casually.
"HALT!"
As if on cue, the lights from a nearby building flashed and a loud, following clang echoed throughout the place. If the sudden noise wasn't enough, they could now see the far mechanical clown staring down at them with bloodshot, yellowish eyes.
Its toothy mouth was wide open with a red tongue sticking out to form a long slide. All would fear that one step and the tongue could lash at them.
"WHO GOES THERE?!" roared the clown.
Almost everybody jumped at the same time.
"Who did it?!" yelled Trollex, frightened.
"It wasn't me!" exclaimed John.
"It was you?" whimpered Branch.
"Take John Dory!" cried Tiny Diamond. "He's old!"
"WHO DARES TRESPASS ON THESE SACRED GROUNDS?!"
Everybody was huddled up together, with the braver Trolls pointing their weapons and readying their fists for a fight. Worst case scenario, the clown could move and reveal itself to have a huge body.
On the other hand, Branch knew it would be pointless and they didn't have that much time.
Shaking his arms to relieve the tension, he walked out of the group and showed a firm expression.
"Listen!" Branch called out. "W-We don't want any clown-related trouble, OK? We're just here looking for our brother, Clay."
The voice of the clown seemed to falter. "WAIT A SECOND. YOU'RE TROLLS?"
"So what? You're a clown."
An awful lengthy silence as a couple of clinks could be heard from the clown's head. This was followed by the teeth slowly opening up as if it were an invitation to climb into the mouth. Though, that didn't happen. Once it became silent again, an object flew out from the mouth and rode down the tongue.
Everybody stared with wide eyes at the apparent golf ball as it reached the end of the tongue slide. A yellow, fuzzy ball covered in orange dots.
"That's it?" said Barb, a little disappointed.
Then, the ball immediately unfurled…
…and it was revealed to be a pink Pop Troll!
Similar skin color as Poppy's and messy blonde hair with too many wavy strings to tell where it was supposed to be combed. She looked war-ready with scars lining up her arms and yellow and pink markings beneath her eyes in the fashion of war paint. She looked classy but ready for a circus performance with a cape made from fresh grass that could rival Branch's vest.
In the first few seconds, she looked stern. But upon analyzing the new group of Trolls, she broke out into a relieved smile.
"Oh, my gosh!" she cheered. "Hello!"
Nobody got a chance to properly introduce themselves when the blonde rushed up to whoever was in front. That would be Branch, who flinched upon getting into a fast handshake.
"It is so fantastamazing to see other trolls!" she chirped. "It's been a while since we've seen other survivors!"
She let out a high-pitched squeal and her blonde hair jerked upwards, a sign of her visible peppiness. She was so peppy that she went around the circle to hug each of them. Nobody was able to form a thought as she did so.
"Hey, hey, hey!" Trollex warned, uncomfortable.
But, when she got to Trollex, the Techno King learnt his lesson. He tossed his trident aside and put his hands forward to stop the blonde-haired troll from coming forward.
She was, thankfully, a fast learner. "Oh, not a hugger. Gotcha! So, 'fantastamazing' is my own personal word. It means, um, fantastic and amazing. I used to say 'amastic,' but then I was like, 'Hmm, that's not as good.'"
"Hmm, fantastamawesome?" joined Poppy.
"That's different, but that works too!" said the blonde troll. "Glad that you make it your own!"
As the blonde jumped to another side, Poppy quickly leaned close to Branch.
"Is this how people feel when they meet me?" she asked.
Branch suppressed a snicker out of amusement and adoration. "Pretty much."
"Wait, who are you?" asked Guy, tilting his head.
The blonde twirled around and her hair drooped a little. "Oh, I'm so sorry. I'm getting ahead of myself. I'm Viva! Leader of the Pop Trolls! Or was it Putt Putt Trolls?" She shook her head with a blase smile. "Forget about it. Same thing!" When nobody responded, she frowned a little. "Though, am I being a lot today? I know that I can be sometimes a lot."
"No, no, not really," said Barb nicely, albeit dizzy. "Just…"
The Rock Queen scanned the new blonde troll, Viva, from head to toe. A near lookalike to Poppy, but if she was wilder and hyperactive. And, of course, the girl literally screamed cupcakes and rainbows. The intimate hugging might be a bit too much and judging by her bouncing feet, she couldn't keep still.
She looked like a lot of fun.
Barb's cheeks glowed red. "...a bundle of surprises."
"Aww…" cooed Viva, bashful.
"I think we might have ended up in the wrong village," muttered John Dory. "Doesn't seem to be Clay's kind of place."
"I'm not sure if we're in the right place at all," said Branch before turning to Viva. "Our apologies, but we thought you were dan-"
"Oh no, you're in the right place!" forgave Viva too quickly. "Any Troll is welcome here with us!" And to demonstrate this, she turned to the surrounding darkness and yelled, "OK, Putt Putt Trolls! Lights on for our new friends!"
Just like Viva, the inhabitants proved to be friendly. They all rolled out of the darkness as balls before uncurling themselves to reveal their bodies with expressions of relief and thrill. They all shared the same frizzy hair and war paint while clothed in protective clothes and helmets as if they were camping.
Evidently, Rhonda stopped in the middle of her shivering as several Putt Putt Trolls passed her casually. She sighed in relief before resting on the ground, purring. Those nearby turned to her, giving her kind pats. Feeling safe, she could finally rest after running around non-stop.
As quick as their immediate friendliness, the entire place lighted up. The newcomers were bathed in colorful lights and welcomed to giant statues made from wood and plastic. The paint looked old, but the handmade hills, towers, houses and statues added a family appeal to all.
From water towers to windmills to forests to even food towers that would attract the average Pop Troll!
The place looked and felt warm, cozy and…simplistic. It wasn't that big, but it had a lot to explore, like an old amusement park.
In the distance was a Bergen-like statue holding a gold putter and wearing a cap decorated in the traditional racing patterns of black and white squares.
Barb wrinkled her nose as she connected the dots. Still a Rock Troll at heart, her heart wasn't the faintest for… "Golf? This is a gold course?"
"It doesn't look too bad," said Poppy, loving the nostalgic feeling of a lovely mini golf course. "It looks so cool!"
Trollex's green eyes were sparkling in awe. "I…I had never seen a golf course before. This does look cool."
Barb slumped, unimpressed. "You're sure? Golf is boring. You just whack the ball, watch it roll SLOWLY until someone steals it…"
"Steal it?" asked Branch, though he wasn't concentrated. He was concentrating more on the wooden statues and buildings around them. Despite their worn-out look, he was surprised they were standing and safe for the Putt Putt Trolls to stay in. "I don't see any robbers around."
Barb groaned. "Fine, I-I'm bad at golf, OK?"
"It can't be that bad," suggested Trollex. "I'm new to the concept of golf, so…"
The chatter from the Putt Putt Trolls grew louder. As they turned their attention to them, they realized they were also Pop Trolls. They were fidgeting and moving around a lot, nearly in the same way Classical and Techno Trolls move around. They looked curious. They even looked tough with the armor too.
John Dory grinned with his hands on his hips. "Seems like my kind of people!"
Guy Diamond smirked. "Reminds me of you, Branch. Always needing troops to make the trenches."
"Wait, the what now?" asked Branch, turning to him.
"They appear really old school," criticized Tiny Diamond. "I like it!"
After seeing her guests comfortable and safe, Viva continued the passionate task of hosting them.
"Oh, my gosh! This is so exciting!" She was obviously excited, but her fast talking indicated a desire to impress her guests. "What do you want to do?"
Poppy started. "Well-"
"I could spice up the decorations!" said Viva, suddenly at her side.
"Get you good food!" And then at Branch's side, placing a milkshake into his hand.
"Manage your bedrooms?" Again, she appeared at Trollex's side, slamming a pillow in his face.
"Carry your things!" A fourth time, cheekily lifting John's goggles briefly.
"Braid your hair!" A fifth, braiding Bruce's hair within moments.
"Watch your baby sleep?" Viva finally slowed down as she crept up to Tiny. She tickled the glittery baby on the nose, earning a chuckle from him.
"How were you able to teleport away from our vision?" cooed Tiny.
Bruce looked up at his hair. His braided hair. All braided into a tall, neat hairstyle, standing tall and proud with multiple ribbons. It couldn't match his preference for slick backs, but it didn't feel like it would weigh him down on his shoulders. He wasn't too into cutesy things, but the ribbons were fashionable and classy.
"I could get used to it!" he said, smiling.
However, the rest of the group couldn't react, shocked by Viva's frenetic energy. Just like that, Viva immediately gained a new idea in the absence of a reply.
"Oh! I know!" she chirped. "How about french fries?"
The sound of fries was enough to hype the Putt Putt Trolls around them. Soon enough, a group rushed back with a massive basket of gigantic fries coated in salt crystals and runny ketchup.
"Oh, yes! Bring out the works! Milkshakes to celebrate!"
A huge glass of pink milkshake literally fell from the sky in front of the group with the most beautiful swirls and not a single chunk inside.
"That huge!" exclaimed Barb, gaping. Next to her, Trollex was gaping as well and salivating at the sight of liquid.
Poppy was impressed. "I never cooked food this huge before! Man, she's really…" Looking satisfied, she sighed in glee. "Wow…"
Then, it hit Branch. He looked down at the glass in his hand. Compare that with the gigantic milkshake before them. "Wait a minute, is this place built by…giants?"
"They'd go great with a burger," commented Bruce.
A hushed gasp from the Putt Putt Trolls and they all took a step back, muttering curses of shock. A collective paranoia replaced their friendliness. The mood suddenly shifted as if they had just encountered a red flag.
"W-Wait, what is happening?" asked Bruce.
"Oh! Yeah, about that…" said Viva sheepishly, tapping her fingers together. "We try not to use that word around here. It's just that 'burger' sounds a little too much like, uh…bergen? Wait, no, I shouldn't say that out loud."
"It's fine, Viva!" reassured a rose-colored Putt Putt Troll, snapping out of her fear. "Just…at least don't mention the exact word too much, please, humble guests."
"You're sure about that, Faith?" asked Viva, observing the crowd.
Barb and Trollex shared a glance. The former remembered her quick observation of the old Troll Tree and the explicit implication of the chaos of escaping the Bergens long ago.
With these Putt Putt Trolles, had they gone through trouble with the Bergens too?
Everybody was starting to realize that. With these Putt Putt Trolls, their reactions made sense. And the place didn't seem as soft and nurturing as regular Pop Trolls would prefer. The tension amongst them spoke of a new kind of trauma they had never seen from other Pop Trolls.
Barb exhaled sharply, stunned.
"Oh my goodness," she said simply.
One green-haired Putt Putt Troll cleared his throat, seemingly more confident than the others. "We just call them 'meat circles'. Helps lower the nerves, disassociate the connection."
He knew that they would eventually come back, but not like this. Not with extra guests around. But he was happy to see them. And when his brothers turned around, they were filled with joy upon recognizing the long-lost Clay.
Clay kept it cool, but inside, he knew he was jolly close to exploding into confetti.
Spruce's face lit up again. "Clay?"
Clay eventually let out a squeal and rushed towards Spruce, coming out of the crowd. Before, he used to have a slim figure and straight yellow hair. Now, he bore the same frazzled hair and took on a green palette, even nearly making his skin appear more green than blue. But that didn't stop him from cheerfully doing a brotherly chest bumping with Bruce.
And to their surprise, they found themselves doing a handshake they did long ago.
"Hey there, man!" said Clay. "How have you been doing?"
"Clay!" shouted John, his arms wide open.
Clay, on the other hand, was frosty and distinctly dismissive.
"Hmm, John," he acknowledged robotically before looking back with a bright look at Bruce.
Once again, John Dory's smile was strained. "Wha?"
Keeping his coldness towards John entirely buried underneath, Clay focused on his joy in seeing his other brothers. As he asked Bruce a few questions, the rest watched the scene. First time seeing Clay and he was healthy and happy despite his unusual circumstances with the other Putt Putt Trolls. He seemed to be in a good state, just like they found Bruce.
And since Clay disappeared during the escape from the last Trollstice two decades ago, this could mean…the Putt Putt Trolls here were the ones accidentally left behind to fend for themselves.
There was no visible scar on Clay or the other Putt Putt Trolls with the exception of Viva.
Poppy grabbed Branch's shoulder and shook it, obviously thrilled. Branch, for his part, decided to smile. Despite fearing what could happen to him, the two were relieved to see Clay still alive. It didn't look like he had lost his previous self and, in fact, appeared more vibrant than ever, thanks to the neon green palette he chose.
This only enhanced when he turned to Branch with sparkly eyes.
"Baby Branch!" said Clay. "Good to see you again!"
Annoyed, Branch raised a finger. "Actually, it's Big Branch now-"
He didn't get to finish when Clay was already pinching his cheeks. Though, unlike John and Bruce, he was surprisingly gentle as he did so. That didn't help the baby voice Clay was making out of complete adoration.
He seemed too into it and Branch immediately stepped away in constant protest.
"Or just Branch…" huffed Branch, resigned to today's embarrassing greetings.
"Branch is fine!" said Clay without question. "Oh, come here! Come here! Hug it out like men!"
Accepting the embrace, Branch kept an eyebrow raised. No calling him as 'Bitty B'. No mentions of 'diapers'. Not for long, but Clay was surprisingly quick to accept that he had already grown up. Maybe staying with the Putt Putt Trolls did something to his brother.
Looking over Clay's shoulder, he could see Poppy and Guy Diamond wearing matching grins. Barb and Trollex were giving him supportive thumb-ups. Meanwhile, Bruce nodded and briefly looked over to John, who awkwardly raised a finger as if he wanted to say something.
Though, it didn't seem like John was too mad about this. He just silently lowered it and watched with a blank stare. He humbled overnight.
Even the Putt Putt Trolls calmed down from their previous paranoia, taking in the wholesome sight of two brothers reuniting. Some of them looked teary, emotional.
It came to the new guests of the golf course that these Pop Trolls were separated under uncontrollable conditions. That included Clay. No wonder why he didn't come over to visit.
"This…this actually feels nice," muttered Branch, his voice muffled in his brother's shoulder.
Viva clapped her hands, finding the scene sweetening. "So I'm guessing these three good-looking men are your brothers, Clay! BroZone, am I right?"
John blinked for a few seconds. He still felt sore that Clay didn't bother looking at him, but he managed to push that feeling back inside its nasty cave. He would deal with that later. And now, onto a potential fan!
"The one and only," he boasted with a sauve tone and a smirk.
"Oh, I realized we didn't introduce ourselves," said Branch.
"And no, Viva, we were just too caught up with too many things, too," reassured Trollex, rubbing his head. "Wait, how many times did I say 'too'?"
"So, Clay, Viva, this is Poppy," introduced Branch.
After squealing endlessly when meeting John Dory and Bruce, Poppy was calmer but still pleased and gladly shook Clay's hand. "Nice to finally meet you, Clay. A fan of your music!"
Clay's smile nearly faded away. The thought of his previous image with BroZone soured the meeting. However, some part of him still desired the good old days when he got to control the music they made.
But Poppy seemed to recognize what he made. "The pleasure is mine."
Branch resumed, "Guy Diamond. Tiny Diamond."
"'Sup!" called Tiny, winking.
Branch was about to introduce Barb and Trollex, but Clay cut in.
"Wait, don't tell me yet…" Clay smirked, eyeing the two young royals. "You're…royalty to the Rock and Techno Trolls?"
Trollex beamed, puffing up his chest. "You named it right."
"We're fine with just being called Trollex and Barb, dude," said Barb, playfully bowing.
"Oooh, I'll be damned! You found the other tribes!" Viva's smile disappeared, apologetic. "Though, sorry about that stringy thing, your majesties. We could have knocked out our ancestors with common sense if we were there. No hard feelings? Pinkie promises to be good? Shall we make new strings to attach?"
"Eh, it's all good," said Barb coolly. "We managed to work some things out and you'll be surprised at how far we have come in two months."
It wasn't just Viva who was seeking forgiveness. It was the Putt Putt Trolls as well. Judging by their quiet conversations, they seemed to feel bad for what the Pop Trolls did in the past.
Their apparent awareness was unsurprising after Bruce confirmed that he had heard about the World Tour but also shocking since they seemed to be hiding for so long.
"How did you know?" asked Poppy, curious.
"It's a small world and we managed to secure the record books before the last Trollstice!" explained Clay.
"Technically, Clay first found out about this," said Viva, her cheerfulness returning. "Besides, we're bookworms! We're lovers of history! If you want to stay truly rooted in your culture, then you must always respect the greatest and understand the latest."
In confirmation, the other Putt Putt Trolls murmured with varying degrees of commitment and interest.
Trollex whistled, surprised. It reminded him of something he wished he could have done long ago. At the thought of that, he felt sad. He even saw that this came under the feared circumstances of the Putt Putt Trolls going extinct someday.
Barb blinked a few times, stunned. "Huh. At least someone was educated enough to bother."
Both Viva and Clay nodded too. Even looking proud as well. Bookworms, indeed.
"Add to that," followed Clay proudly. "I handle most of the boring stuff, and it's in the right place here!"
After knowing Clay as the Fun One for a long time, it confused John Dory greatly that Clay handled the 'boring stuff' or whatever seemed boring in this vibrant golf course. However, drawing from his memory of Clay's constant complaints in BroZone, it didn't surprise John that much of the mundane tasks Clay claimed to have done over the last two decades. The distortion of that fateful memory wasn't enough for him to forget about what his younger brother loved doing.
John Dory scratched his chin but wasn't too peeved about it. "You're joshing."
"Can you imagine that?" said Clay, crossing his arms. John's eyebrows raised upwards. "Don't give me that look. I wouldn't even ask you too to do the Rusty Robot. Who would do that?" Still, Clay was filled with shameless energy as he pumped his fists in the air with a bright and bubbly smile. "Yeah, Fun Boy Clay is dead! Serious Boy Clay only does the Well-Oiled Robot. And it is no…" To emphasize, he mimicked a rather stiff robot with bent arms and a bent back…complete with mimicking scratching sounds. "...fun!"
It didn't seem fun for Clay to do it, but the movements didn't seem serious too.
Poppy and Guy Diamond were greeted with Clay's charm as the Fun One. Both of their cheeks glowed red, adoring.
"I mean, that's still pretty fun!" commented Guy Diamond.
"Yep!" said Poppy, pressing her hands together as a physical reminder not to fangirl too much for his past self.
John tried not to chuckle that much, but he tried giving a warm smile to Clay. "Yeah, same old Clay."
"Nope! That's not true!" insisted Clay stubbornly. "If I was still fun, would I have chosen the admin building as my bedroom?"
The Putt Putt Trolls stepped aside to reveal his admin building or at least what looked like one. It was only a wooden, chipped shack that could only fit one person like a telephone booth. Compared to the wacky statues around them, this only seemed to serve as a toilet.
"Is that a bathroom?" questioned Bruce.
"Asking the tough questions, guys," said Clay. "Asking the tough questions."
Even his fellow Putt Putt Trolls nodded in unison, believing his word without judgment.
That couldn't be said the same for Branch as he stared at the sad, lone building. It came to him that Clay was not so different in trying to shirk any enjoyment of fun.
Just like what Branch did before regaining his true colors.
Always fixated on the…boring…stuff?!
"All this time, I could have ended up…lame!" exclaimed Branch.
"No, you're not lame and neither is your brother," comforted Poppy, patting his cheek."But I'll say, you're so concocted."
"…I don't even know the meaning of that word."
True to Poppy's word, Clay still stood proudly with none of the Putt Putt Trolls teasing him. As everybody let him take the moment, the observant and hyper Viva looked back at the four grown-up members of BroZone. Someone was missing…
"Hmm, aren't there supposed to be five of you?" she asked.
"Yeah, that's where we come in," said John. Clay gave him a dirty look, but it lowered when the eldest brother explained. "Clay, we're looking for Floyd and we need you."
Clay lowered his arms. "What? Floyd? What happened?"
"I'm guessing you know where he went to?" said Barb. "Mount Rageous?"
Clay stared blankly at the group.
"Does that ring any bells?"
Clueless, Clay shook his head.
Guy Diamond raised an eyebrow. "Hold on, you're not in touch with Floyd?"
Clay shook his head again, now appearing concerned. This proved that Floyd wasn't able to contact Clay at all. It shouldn't surprise them, but seeing this gesture, the group felt a chilling shiver. Considering that this place was in the middle of a spooky forest, no wonder why Floyd couldn't find Clay.
Poppy shook her head. "Anyway, he's at Mount Rageous and the only thing powerful enough to free him is the perfect family harmony."
Viva and Clay shared a glance. They seemed skeptical by the ordeal.
"Well, why haven't you just called the authorities?" suggested Viva simply. "I mean, they seemingly trust you?"
"Unless Floyd is being held in an impenetrable diamond prison," added Clay. He received pointed looks from Branch, John and Bruce. "Wait…" The reality sunk in and his pupils shrunk in horror. "...oh…THAT. Oh, man, man, man…"
"Yeah," said John gravely. "THAT."
"Clay, we're only Floyd's chance of making it out alive," said Branch softly.
Clay took a while to respond. His lips curled downwards in a reluctant frown when he finally thought it through. However, it didn't appear out of resentment or embarrassment. In fact, when he looked back at all of them, including John, he didn't give them any kind of opposite expression to them.
His eyes darted to Viva as if trying to keep a secret from her.
Viva was uncharacteristically quiet, staring at Clay.
The third oldest brother turned back to his brothers with his mind on another worry.
"W-What about those guys?" he proposed, waving his arm at Barb and Trollex. "Maybe those two can set Floyd free?"
"As much as I like to, the Heartbeat Diamond is too tough to break with bare fists and nothing else can penetrate through it," said Barb bluntly.
Clay dwelled over this again, staring at his own feet. Almost everybody looked back at John Dory. Knowing that Clay wanted to be more than just the Fun One, they couldn't blame Clay for leaving the boy band behind and he seemed happier here. Yet, they couldn't understand why Clay was hesitant since he was as civil as he could to everyone.
His eyes darted to Viva again and he finally made up his mind.
"I'm in," said Clay, narrowing his eyes in determination. "I'd also like to volunteer to keep track of our expenses. Just 'cause I think you'll need somebody to be on top of that!"
"We were living on grubs and Bruce's cocktail drinks," said John flatly.
"And the food we can pick up here?" asked Branch, now slurping on his milkshake.
"And I also request a body scan from all of you," suggested Clay, authoritatively pointing a finger upwards. "Just in case anything blows up on the bus."
"Surely, we wouldn't!" reassured Trollex, grinning.
Branch looked at his trident and Barb's guitar, ready to open fire on anyone.
Viva finally spoke, but she stammered through her forced smile. "Umm, well, how about we do a body scan here? There's so much we have to, um, prepare you for?"
Clay stared at her. "Viva, I-"
"Perfect!" interrupted Viva, back to jumping around.
"But we just met you," pointed out Tiny Diamond.
"Oh, don't worry!" said Viva, giving them the thumbs-up. "Well, Clay DOES take care of the boring stuff, but so do I!" She gestured to the sheepishly grinning Clay. "His job is to focus on what we already know, such as the stability of our defenses or the medicinal herbs in our gardens. And my job is to predict the future! I can strategise, make weapons and you'll soon know where it is best to stay!" She stopped for a moment to laugh a little. "I mean, you wouldn't want to go out there and get eaten! We have firecrackers, we have flamethrowers, we even got candy chainsaws ready!"
All of the Putt Putt Trolls whooped in response. This earned the surprise of their guests with Bruce protectively placing his hand over Tiny Diamond's chest. These people seemed quite ferocious too.
Poppy, Barb and Trollex, the young leaders, exchanged looks ranging from disbelief to amazement. Not only did this tribe of Pop Trolls survive a Trollstice, but they also had the resources needed for their rescue mission. Who knew they would find people like this?
Not even the Bounty Hunter would use weapons for such a task.
"Why, damn me!" said Barb, impressed. "Just dial it back with the flamethrowers, but you got spunk!"
John Dory took a moment to look back at Clay and Viva. "Is it just me or am I seeing doubles of Poppy? And…triples of Branch?"
For Branch, he nodded with a smirk. "OK, you and I are gonna be best friends, Viva. But, unfortunately, we don't have the time. We need to leave for Mount Rageous, like, now."
"Not unless you know Mount Rageous by heart!" claimed Viva.
Barb snorted. "Well, I do."
"One person's experience is not enough."
Clay sighed. "Viva, we-"
A chime played from where they were standing and the unexpected noise frightened the Putt Putt Trolls again, all freezing. Fortunately, their careful watching found the source of the sound and they calmed down. It was coming from Poppy and Branch. Specifically, their hug time bracelets.
John Dory took this opportunity to open his arms wide for his brothers nearby. Branch just scowled and looked away. Bruce awkwardly smiled and shook his head, still feeling indifferent to John. Meanwhile, Clay simply shook his head with a straight look.
Trollex bit his lip, not looking forward to another group hug. However, he noticed barely any of the Putt Putt Trolls moved forward for hugs. That was…weird. None of them had the hug time bracelets, too. In what would have been them looking exhilarated by Hug Time, they just stood there neutrally with…no interest at all.
Poppy even noticed this, but she didn't have a moment to think about that when Viva gushed over her bracelet. "Aw, so cute! Where'd you get that Hug Time bracelet? It looked like the one I used to have and…"
"Oh! My dad gave it to me!" answered Poppy sweetly.
Viva suddenly paused and she looked curious.
"Can I see that?" she asked.
Poppy was willing to give a hand and when Viva brushed the flower on the bracelet. Upon contact, the flower glowed and hummed a beautiful melody. The latter gasped, her eyes shining in what appeared to be recognition…
With a wondering look, she gazed back at Poppy and something clicked in her head.
But it couldn't be, could it?
"Wait, remind me again," Viva asked. "What was…your name again?"
"Well, I'm Poppy," said Poppy, smiling.
Viva looked away, trying to think. "Okay, um, another totally random, weird question, but is your dad King Peppy?"
"Uh, yeah?"
Poppy stayed still as Viva stared back at her. The leader of the Putt Putt Trolls narrowed her eyes as she observed every detail of Poppy's face. Her eyes drifted to the bangs hanging over Poppy's eyes and she slowly brushed it out of the way. A memory sparked in her mind and it was becoming brighter today…
On the side, the rest watched in anticipation. For Trollex, Barb and John Dory, they were confused with what was happening. For Branch, Bruce and Guy Diamond, they felt a twitch of familiarity. Seeing the two together, they even had the same facial looks and structures…
"You're…" Viva gasped, breaking into a giddy grin. "Oh, you're…you're alive!"
Without warning, she picked up Poppy and spun her around in a loving hug. Viva was laughing away. No, she sounded like she was close to crying. It was a mixture of happy laughter and sobbing, though Viva did well to hide any tears. This crying laughter was different from the previous cheeriness she presented.
All while Poppy took this in, her mind slowly trying to make sense of this.
"This is unbelievable!" rambled Viva. "I never thought I'd see you again."
"Again? Wait, you're…?" Poppy gasped, connecting the dots. She looked back at Clay and he gave her an affirmative smile.
Viva stopped, placing Poppy down gently. "Poppy, it's me, Viva."
Poppy was speechless.
Branch and Guy weren't. "Viva?!"
"Hey, man," called Tiny, dumbfounded. "Am I the only one without a long-lost sibling?"
Barb placed both hands over her mouth…and nearly groaned that they didn't realize until now. "THAT'S Viva? THE Viva who was your sister, Popsqueak?"
"I think the proper word should be 'is'," uttered Trollex, seemingly paralyzed.
John could only whisper, "After all these years…"
The watching Putt Putt Trolls simply smiled at the beautiful reunion before them. After worrying that they might never see their lost king and baby princess again, it was a miracle to see the real Poppy again and see her in the arms of her older sister.
Poppy was frozen but close to having a full-body spasm. The new blessing and surprise in front of her: her sister. The sister she thought she lost from the grand escape a long time ago. And she was here in the flesh…Poppy nearly didn't know how to feel. Could she say anything after hearing stories of Viva's likely demise?
But as the adrenaline rushed through her body, she felt a welcoming, grateful smile creeping onto her face.
"It's really you! I mean, I-I…I didn't know!" Poppy was already giddy, timidly brushing aside her hair bangs.
Viva was already over the moon, beaming. "Yeah! I can't believe that you're alive! Is Dad OK too? Were you hurt?"
The shock faded away and Poppy found herself jumping up and down. "Oh yeah! He's alive too! He's cool. He stepped down being king, but he's still partying and dancing and I-I…I don't where to start!" She gave Viva a tight hug of hers, savoring the moment. "...how come you're here with Clay and…?"
Viva smiled warmly, patting her little sister on the head. "We just found another way when we were blocked off underground. Those boulders that blocked off in those tunnels didn't stop us. And it led us to here! Nobody had used this golf course in a long long long time."
"Yeah, it wasn't easy," agreed Clay. "We had to pull a couple of punches to survive." He dropped the smile and gave a pointed and personal look at Viva. "And it seems like it's not too dangerous outside, Viva."
But Viva didn't heed that. "I can't believe I missed out on many things! What did you get into? Birthday parties? World tours? Weddings?"
Branch nearly lost thought of what to do. All he knew, he would eat his words back when he previously told Poppy that she didn't have a sister. But now, he was just happy to see Viva alive.
"Well, one of our best friends just had her wedding!" he said.
"And I was the best maid of honor!" sang Poppy.
"Oh, you'd be the best maid of honor!" praised Viva.
"You and Bridget are gonna love each other!"
"Oh, I'm gonna love her!"
This dissolved into the two of them sharing a loud, happy squeal filled with hugs and hopping, bunnies on a sunny spring day. The surrounding Putt Putt Trolls roared in celebration too. If anyone could hear it, it would be from a mile away in the dark forest. Nevertheless, nothing could reach the safety and warmth of this place.
Even Barb had to block her ears. "Geez, sisterhood can be really loud!"
"Well, that…seems to go well," said John, slowly clapping his hands.
However, as everybody watched Poppy and Viva celebrate, they noticed that a couple of Putt Putt Trolls reawakened Rhonda. The armadillo stirred around, not understanding the situation happening. The people who woke her up whispered a few words of comfort and she accepted them easily.
With that, Rhonda followed those Putt Putt Trolls out of the large clearing.
"W-Wait, wait, wait," said Branch. "Where are they taking her?"
From behind, Clay groaned in apprehension. "They're…taking her to the garage. At least what we call a 'garage'. Just near the front door."
"Why's that?" asked Bruce.
While Poppy was busy, the rest turned to Clay. He wasn't enjoying the special reunions today. Still thinking about something else, he turned his eyes back to his brothers, the young royals and the Putt Putt Trolls' guests for the night.
To his worry, it wouldn't be just this night when Floyd's life depended on them.
Branch and Bruce glanced at each other, confused by their brother's worry.
Barb and Trollex felt what Clay was feeling. The Rock Queen looked back at the Putt Putt Trolls. They were different to the Pop Trolls, but there was something Clay seemed to know about them.
On the other hand, John Dory just smiled and politely asked, "Yes?"
Clay narrowed his eyes, but it wasn't a glare at John. "We have to talk. Alone."
AN: My life is not OK, ha ha ha. Another new chapter that ends on a cliffhanger and I wanted to write more. I'll have to save it in another chapter to avoid overwhelming you guys.
However, the unexpected length of this chapter is for a good reason. Just like Brandy and Bruce, the Putt Putt Trolls are given more character exploration. There are some noticeable differences from the movie, but I figured this is the best way to consider what they went through, what they did and how they survived for a long time.
It also saves them trouble by allowing them to catch up with the events of the World Tour. However, they haven't been told about the actual World Tour, so this will come into play soon…
It would have been easier to write Viva as someone who is more Poppy than Poppy, but I want to give my take upon considering her troubles. Imagine her as a child of Poppy and Branch. I even take inspiration from Anxiety from Inside Out 2 to expand Viva's personality. She's pretty happy, but she's also really anxious and mindful of others. Years of empowering her fellow survivors and checking the security of their fortress made her faster, stronger and more paranoid.
As for Clay, his character and dynamic with Viva will be explored further. Not to the same degree as Bruce, I assume, but enough to tell the difference between him and her AND Branch.
Next chapter, I'll be returning to focus on Barb and Trollex. Spoiler alert, it's them interacting with the many Putt Putt Trolls. Until then, let me know what you think of the overall writing of the Putt Putt Trolls, including Viva and Clay. Be sure to follow or favorite to hear about the next chapter! Constructive criticism will help too!
Until then, keep on rocking!