Trolls: A New Take

A Tense Trip - Part I

A little bit after setting off Poppy and Celeste went up to Melody who was letting Tiny do most of the driving for now from the confines of the carrier she was now wearing.

"You okay, Mel?" Celeste asks.

Melody sighed, "I'm just... conflicted, Cels. That's all. I'll be better once this is all over and done with and your husband is safely back with you and Branch."

Celeste nodded in understanding before saying something that surprised Poppy but made her smile, "That was a good show back there. I was left speechless for a hot minute."

Melody laughed lightly, "Y-Yeah... I didn't really mean to do or reveal all of that. John's probably going to be prickly with me for telling them that. He never wanted them to know those truths, so as not to hurt them. Said it made him stronger, and he could take any sugary insults they throw his way so long as they can keep their illusion that their guardian was Rosiepuff and not him."

Celeste hummed in understanding before responding, "That idea of his sounds familiar to me... Like a little something someone told me when they took on a job they hated and once more when they refused to run away with the love of her life and their baby siblings to who knows where away from all the stress and crushing responsibility of their job at the time."

Melody became a bit suspicious, "Just what are you implying there Celeste?"

Celeste simply hummed a bit before walking away with another vague comment, "Oh, nothing much, just that it seems to me like there's a lot of running that Troll I was reminded of and John Dory have been doing instead of owning the truth and being selfish for once, not to hurt anyone but to be kind to themselves. That's all."

Melody sighed and shook her head softly before turning to Poppy and frowning sadly a bit as she turns her eyes back on the road.

"You're probably still wondering why I never told you about Viva or John Dory, or even what I said to the boys earlier..."

"A little bit..." Poppy answered soflty before supportively assuring her, "But you can tell me on your own time, I know it's probably not easy to talk about it."

Melody took a deep breath before answering her with the truth.

"When, uh... When we were all still living in the Troll Tree, Viva was still with us." Melody reveals causing for Poppy to listen attentively, "She was there when you were born and she was so excited to meet you, she gave you the name Poppy. But... But on the last Trollstice she begged me to let her lead the last group of fleeing Trolls through the tunnels. I had been training her up until that very morning on how to defend herself, fight off attackers, and lead. So... So I gave in, and I let her lead the final group through the tunnels. I would lead the first, and Celeste would lead the second group. Thankfully there were only three groups, and the third was the smallest which is why I came around to it. The tunnels collapsed during the escape after the second group had just made it through. Celeste took over both main groups and I ran through the tunnels looking for her. I searched and searched, helping Trolls as I went, but I ended up having to help injured Trolls out of the tunnels first. When I did make it back in, yelling about leaving no troll left behind and calling for her, all I could find was her hug time bracelet. I-I-I... I felt like a failure, both as a queen and most of all like an older sister."

Melody paused to catch her breath and calm herself as Tiny hugged her and she took over driving before rounding off, "I know I should've told you, but my heart was broken and I didn't want to break yours by giving you such a news so young. Eventually, when you got older, I wanted to tell you... but then I realized that you were too adventurous, too reckless still. That you would no doubts go looking for someone who at the time I thought was probably dead. To this day, I still feel so guilty about that."

Poppy hugged her carefully in assurance before answering her gently and kindly, "Okay. Obviously this is a lot, and it's really been hurting you. I'm not upset that you didn't ever tell me, you were in pain and you didn't want me to be in pain too. I get that, and I am so glad to have such an amazing and loving sister like you by my side."

Poppy then pulled away and shocked Melody with her parting comment before she left to go check on the brothers.

"But... you've done more than enough for me and for Viva, it's about time you start doing things for yourself instead of us. Stop running from the truth, and be a bit selfish."

Melody was shocked but smiled gratefully at her comment as she answers under her breath, "Thanks, Poppy. I love you, little sister."

Back in the living space, Branch was separated from his brothers just lost in thoughts and concerns, while John Dory was just sitting on his couch reading a book, pointedly avoiding talking with his younger brothers unless necessary or warranted.

After a bit longer, Branch decided that his older brother and himself both deserved for him to at least try and talk with him sincerely without reproach of his past mistakes.

As he got close to John, he saw he was reading a sad romance book and humming a catchy tune.

"Hey...John?"

John hummed in surprise before looking up in surprise at him as he saw it was him and answered awkwardly, "O-oh, hey Branch... What's up?"

Branch smiled sadly as he spoke sincerely and then asked about what he was humming, "I... I wanted to get real with you after Melody snapped at us and told us some harsh truths that I wish you had told us yourself, but I kind of understood why you didn't when I had time to think it over. I'm sorry for how agressive I've been and how bad I've been treating you. Yeah, it sucks and it was cruel of you to leave me behind twenty years ago, but you did it because you couldn't take the others only seeing the worst in you and what you'd spent your entire life doing. If I had known I probably wouldn't have been as harsh, though just to be clear, I still don't like that you abandoned me back then. I was a baby, and Grandma could only do so much for me with her illnesses."

John nodded in appreciative understanding and gratitude before Branch changed the subject and asked his question.

"What was that song you were humming?"

"Oh that old thing?" John answered amusedly before laughing it off, "That was just an old song I wrote a very long time before I actually started properly dating Melody. It's nothing special honestly."

Branch doubted that, but he relented as their brothers came up to them a bit tensely.

TBC