Disclaimer- I don't own Trolls or Trollstopia in any way, size, or form. Melody Song, Mal Shredder, Stereo, Twilight Tidepool, McJagger, Buckaroo, and now finally, Sid Scales are my O.C.s and belong to me. Aggie and her family members on her mother's side, her father's side, her parents, cousins, siblings, and all other MMTs belong to I.M. Rally. I also do not own the song or the lyrics selected that I use for this chapter today. Now, let's get to it!
Poppy and Branch: You can do it solo!
Aggie and Trollex: But then you'd be all by yourself.
Stereo and Synth: (Synth: Yo!) So, it'd be more fun to share this one with someone else! (Tiny Diamond: Hit it, daddy!)
Rhythm, Blues, Quincy, Essence: Together, we will soar across the sky and beyond! (Prince D: To the great beyond!)
Holly Darling, Buckaroo, Delta Dawn: So, tune-up your voice!
Val Thundershock, Barb, and Melody Song: Stand up and sing along!
All: All different voices (Tiny Diamond: Everybody now!), our melodies ringing. We're living in harmony! Yeah, we're living in harmony! Our song is much stronger will every troll singing. We're living in harmony!
Callback for Calloway
Ever since the day Trollex found his calling as a career in being a radio DJ, the Normal Trolls have had one exciting adventure after the next. The day after, Aggie trained with the Normal Country Trolls to partake in the rodeo, and while she didn't win the rodeo, she did break the Mondejar family record in lasting the longest on a bull: 18.318 seconds, and because of all her hard work and dedication in putting on such a marvelous performance at the rodeo, her family gave her a very special present: a lasso with an inscription that said "Don't worry, Sweet Pea. I'm here" which were the same words that her grandfather used to tell her back when he was alive. Aggie cherished this gift a lot and was very happy to have something special that connected her to her Magic Country roots and her grandfather's roots.
Today, at the moment, she was helping Trollex, Synth, Stereo, and Laguna get to form a common bond with the Magic Techno Trolls.
That left everyone else back at the condo to do their own things.
Barb was currently outside checking the mail when she saw she got a letter from Governor Rodrigo Duarte. Intrigued, she opened the letter and read the note inside to see what Rodrigo wrote to her about.
A few minutes later, the entire condo was greeted by the sounds of Barb's excited shouts and cheers, startling everyone, before they saw the Rock Queen excitedly run inside and head up the elevator into her room.
"Hot dang, y'all; Barb sure seems excavated 'bout something," Holly commented curiously, looking up from her book.
Val was looking up from her phone, saying, "I'm gonna see what's got her so pumped up."
"I'll join you, Val," Melody said while putting away one of the items she was organizing in her stylist's case.
"Me too," Demo added as he dropped his Classical guitar and left it on the chair he was sitting in.
"Uh, I'll join too, since I'm Barb's right-hand Troll," Riff commented while getting up from his beanbag.
"Ooh, me too," Poppy commented while putting away her scrapbook supplies.
With that, the group walked over to the elevator and rode it up to the floor Barb's room was on. Once they were there, they walked up to Barb's condo room, where they were greeted to the sounds of loud guitar playing through the door.
"Well," Poppy started to say, laughing a bit, adding, "Sounds like Barb's definitely in a good mood."
"Everyone knows when she plays her music extra loud, she's really pumped up about something that's got her really excited," Riff mentioned.
Val knocked on the door, saying, "Hey, Barb, can we come in"?
The group waited in anticipation as they heard the music stop and saw the door open, where Barb greeted them with an excited smile, saying, "Hey, guys! Come in, I got some really cool news"!
As they entered the room, they all sat by the dining room, where Barb offered them fruit punch in glasses as she explained, "Ok, so Governor Rodrigo has invited me to host a concert tonight for a monthly event at the Rock Fields tonight called Rock Fest"!
"Ooh," the group said in awe.
"Rock Fest? That sounds so rocktastic," Val commented while making the Rock hand gesture with her right hand.
"Awesome! Can we come with you," Demo asked excitedly.
Barn grinned and gave it some thought, saying, "Hmmmm, let me think...," before exclaiming happily, "Of course! In fact, everyone's allowed to come with me to Rock Fest"!
Everyone cheered excitedly, with Barb adding, "And, I can definitely use the help of my fellow Rock Trolls as my band for tonight's performance, if you're interested, guys."
"Are you kidding? Of course, we're interested, Barb," Val replied excitedly.
"Yeah! We'll help you pull out the most epic Rock concert ever," Melody added happily.
"We'll definitely need to make a good setlist," Barb addressed, saying, "Classic Rock hits, like BonBon Trollvi, Kiss-Kiss, Janis Troll-plin..."
"Hearts and Roses, AC/TC..." Demo listed.
"Don't forget Royalty," Riff added
"Ooh! And the Rhythm Rocks," Melody added.
Val, however, was more in thought of something, pointing out, "Yeah, but those are more modern day artists. We should do songs from Rock artists who are hard-hitting and popular but have more of an impact on the community. Songs from artists like..."
Then, to Poppy's surprise, all the other Rock Trolls started to groan tiredly, with Demo saying, "Here we go again."
"Uh, sorry for interrupting, but what do you mean "Here we go again," Poppy asked curiously.
"See, Poppy, there's this one artist Val has been obsessed with ever since we first came to Harmonious Land, and his name is.." Melody started to explain before getting interrupted.
"Carl Trolloway," Val exclaimed excitedly, saying, "He's only one of the biggest rock stars of the generation! His songs are incredible! I've listen to every one of them since we came here"!
"And she likes to talk about him a lot," Barb commented with a chuckle.
"Like a lot," Riff added in a more tired sense.
"When it comes to the topic of Trolloway, she's like Blaze Powerchord; she won't stop yammering about it," Melody mentioned.
"Wow! Sounds like you really admire this Carl Trolloway, Val," Poppy commented.
"Oh, you bet I do, Popsqueak! What I wouldn't give to meet him and get to sing a song with that guy," Val answered, her eyes glistening in awe.
"Well, we may not have a talented rockstar such as him, but I can still make tonight's Rock Fest concert just as epic as any of his songs, with a little help from you guys," Barb mentioned, making everyone in the room laugh.
A little while later, Barb decided to take a visit to Rock Fields in Music Area to see how the set up for the concert was going. She saw a few MMTs working together to put the speakers up on the stage while others were doing a soundcheck.
Barb grinned, saying, "Oh, yeah! This is gonna be awesome"!
"This is terrible," an upset voice exclaimed.
This made Barb confused as she looked around to see who it was that shouted, and saw Governor Rodrigo nearby, looking at a clipboard, and he seemed upset about something. She approached the governor, saying, "Hey, Rodrigo. What's up, man"?
Rodrigo looked up from his clipboard, noticing the Normal Rock queen, and replied, "Oh, hi, Queen Barb. I'm just stressing out; I went over the attendance RSVPs for tonight's Rock Fest concert, and barely any MMTs have chosen to come."
"What? Why? Isn't these concerts open to everyone," Barb asked.
"Yeah, but it's like no one's interested in coming today," Rodrigo explained, adding, "If I don't get enough attendees, then we might have to...cancel the concert."
Barb gasped in shock, saying, "Cancel it? No way, man! We're not letting anything get cancelled tonight! Let me try to get some attention."
She ran up to the stage and quickly grabbed a nearby microphone, speaking into it, declaring, "Lsiten up, all you MMTs! Tonight's concert may not seem as exciting, but trust me, you'll be in for an awesome treat! With the help of my friends, we're going to blow the ceiling off this place, and we're gonna make the concert so epic, you'll be glad you came! Doesn't that sound like a blast and a half"?
The MMTs that were watching Barb's decree, at first, didn't seem as interested in what the Rock Queen was saying.
Panicking inside, Barb was worried that her idea wasn't working. Then, she got an idea of something that might just help get them interested, as she then declared, "Well, what if I were to tell you that in tonight's concert, we have a special guest performing with us"?
That statement seemed to work, as she got a few curious looks as one MMT asked, "Who's the guest"?
Barb tried to think of a random name and noticed an old poster with the name Carl Trolloway on it, making her grin and say, "Why, it's none other than..Carl Trolloway"!
Every MMT currently by the stage, the stagehands, and even Governor Rodrigo himself gasped in shock/surprise when they heard Barb say the rock star's name.
"Wait, THE Carl Trolloway...he's performing with you guys," a female Magic Pop Troll asked in excitement.
Barb didn't really know what to do, as she didn't expect a lot of MMTs to suddenly be interested so quickly. So, she quickly made up a response to appeal to them, saying, "Uh, y-yes! Yes, he is! He will be performing with us tonight in our concert"!
While initially worried no one was gonna believe her, Barb was surprised to see how many MMTs were quickly pumped about getting to see the return of Carl Trolloway and getting to see him perform with the Normal Rock Queen.
Barb sighed a breath of relief as she dropped the mic and leaped off the stage when she saw Governor Rodrigo excitedly run up to her, saying, "Queen Barb, thank you so much! Everyone is so excited to see Trolloway sing with you guys! How did you even convince him"?
Barb suddenly felt a lump in her throat, unsure of how to answer. She couldn't bring herself to tell the truth that he wasn't coming, and seeing how happy the governor looked, she didn't want to disappoint him. So, she forced a smile, saying, "Oh, uh, w-we met...a few days ago."
"You actually got to meet him," Rodrigo asked excitedly, bombarding her with fan questions such as, "What's he like? Does he sing in the shower? Which guitar string chorus is his favorite? What inspires his songs? Why was he gone for so long from the music industry"?
Barb felt nervous about the questions being asked, as she hesitantly replied, "Uh...look, I..would love to answer these, but...I...have practice to do"?
Luckily, Governor Rodrigo seemed to buy her answer, calming down while saying, "Oh, of course, queen Barb. Go on ahead to practice. We can't wait to see your performance tonight! Tell Carl Trolloway that every MMT is excited to see his return to the stage"!
Barb nervously chuckled and said, "Uh, oh, yeah, I definitely will tell him that," as she walked away, muttering to herself, "What did I get myself into"?
While walking inside the condo, Barb was trying to process what had just happened, saying, "Ok, I just told a few MMTs and the governor an outragei=ous lie about some celebrity performing with us. But, no biggie, it's not like that news will travel around fast."
Suddenly, on cue, Barb felt her phone vibrate as she picked it up to see what she had received. It turned out to be a Loveagram post she was tagged in, where an MMt had posted her speech earlier today, and it was going viral.
Barb gasped in shock and quickly placed her phone away, saying, "Ok, so now the news is viral, but as long as the other Rock Trolls or Poppy or even Aggie finds out about this, then things won't get too-,"
"Barb, what in the name of Troll did you just do," a voice exclaimed in shock.
The Rock queen nervously turned her head and saw Val, Riff, Demo, Melody, and Poppy approaching her with the same voice, which had come from Demo, saying, "You're trending on Loveagram"!
"Your announcement is viral all over the Internet," Poppy pointed out.
Barb tried to play it cool, saying with a nervous smile, "Uh...I just wanted to...do some flashy advertising"?
"Barb, you just straight up lied in front of all of Harmonious Land," Melody said, scolding her queen.
Barb tried to make things better by saying, "Woah, woah, timeout. I didn't exactly lie, Mel; I just...stretched the truth a bit."
"Isn't that the same thing as a lie," Riff asked before she saw the deadpanned look Barb gave him, making him shrink back and ask, "Or something"?
"Look, guys," Barb said, trying to calm things down, adding, "Rodrigo was worried about not many Magic Musical Trolls showing up for the concert, and I felt bad for him. What did you want me to do; nothing? Besides, we can make this "lie" a truth if we actually go find this Carl Trolloway guy and ask him to perform with us! Problem solved"!
Val then stepped forward, saying, "Barb, are you out of your mind"!?
"What," Barba answered back to her ambassador, saying, "It's a great plan."
"No, it's not," Val retorted, adding, "Carl Trolloway, I'm like his biggest fan, and I can tell you guys this: the guy is a recluse."
"What's a recluse," Riff asked curiously.
"Someone who basically strays away from society and prevents themselves from interacting or socializing with others, like Branch used to be back when I was still a pricness," Poppy answered.
"Exactly, Popsqueak," Val commented, adding, "Like seriously, after his wife died from cancer, no one's seen him in over 15 years"!
"15 years?! Wow, that's a long time to hide yourself away from others," Melody commented.
Realizing the situation's reality, Barb panicked, saying, "Oh, that's not good."
"No, it's not. And imagine how upset everyone is gonna be when he doesn't show up tonight," Val addressed.
"Or worse. Imagine how upset everyone is gonna be when they find out you lied about this, Queen Barb," Demo pointed out.
Barb was pacing back and forth frantically, saying, "Oh man, oh man, oh man, oh man! We're gonna look like complete fools of ourselves! What have I done?! Why do I always end up making stupid mistakes"?!
Poppy tried to reassure the Rock queen, saying, "Hey, it's alright, Barb. You felt worried for someone and just wanted to help them. Sure, you said a really big lie that's probably gonna backfire on you horrendously, but look on the bright side: at least they'll respect you for being honest."
"Popsqueak, even if I come clean about this, once the truth comes out, we can consider the Rock Troll reputation forever tarnished," Barb mentioned sadly.
"The only way we even have a chance of getting out of this is if we can somehow find Carl Trolloway, but the odds of that happening are like...1 in a million," Melody commented frantically.
Barb suddenly felt determination flow through her veins as she declared, "If that's the case...we're gonna have to find him"!
"What," Poppy, Val, Demo, Riff, and Melody shouted in surprise.
"Barb, we can't just go looking for a celebrity who we have no idea where they even live," Melody pointed out.
"Plus, the concert's tonight! We might not have enough time to find him and be back for Rock Fest," Riff added.
"And what if even after we talk to him, he doesn't want to join the show," Demo mentioned.
"It's a risk, but we have to try, guys. Please...for the MMTs," Barb pleaded to her friends, who all looked at one another before they smiled in agreement.
Poppy was the first to respond, saying, "Well, I'm in, Barb; anything to help a friend in need."
"Me too; plus, when you do ever get the chance to do research about your favorite musician," Val commented next.
Melody chuckled, saying, "If Val's in, I'm in too."
"Me too," Demo added while raising his hand up.
"And me as well," Riff said.
Barb smiled, feeling grateful her friends were helping out, as she said, "Alright! Are we all in this together," while putting her fist out.
Poppy, Val, Melody, Demo, and Riff all responded by bringing in their fists with her's, unifying as one giant fist bump together.
Once they were ready to start their search, they left the condo to begin their search.
"Ok. So, if we're gonna find this Carl Trolloway guy, we need to know more about him, and luckily for us, the Acklan Library is the best place to start," Poppy instructed.
The group entered the library and looked for the section where there were books about the history of some of Harmonious Land's greatest musicians. The shelves were labeled by genre: Rock, Country, Classical, Techno, Funk, and Pop.
While looking at the Rock shelves, they picked out all the books that had any information on Carl Trolloway.
Once they collected enough books to read, they found an empty table and sat at it, beginning to read each book they collected.
A half-hour later, after reading many of the books they picked out, they had come up short, unable to find any source of information or clue to finding where Carl Trolloway lives.
Val sighed tiredly, saying, "Anyone find anything"?
"Nope," Poppy commented in exhaustion.
"No," Demo replied, placing his book down tiredly.
Riff didn't even say anything as his face was covered with a book, and he was snoring, fast asleep.
Barb groaned tiredly, saying, "Oh man, we're not getting anything! We might have to try a different alternative."
Melody was looking at a book she had when she saw something that made her eyes widen in surprise as she said, "Guys, I found it"!
"You what," Barb asked curiously while grabbing the book and looking at herself, saying, "It's here"!
Riff was startled awake by Barb's shout, asking, "What happened? Are we late"?
"No, Riff, we found where Carl Trolloway lives," Barb answered as Melody, Riff, Demo, Val, and Poppy gathered around to look at the page in the book.
Barb commented while pointing to a section in the book, "Look, it says right here that after his last concert, it is rumored that his last known whereabouts were said to be at a fancy mansion in the middle of the woods around...somewhere between Chairmaasin and Trollnila."
"So, that's gotta be where he is," Poppy replied happily.
"I can't believe it; we're gonna get to actually meet him," Val squealed excitedly.
Her squeal ended up causing a few MMTs to turn their heads and shush her, making Val whisper, "Sorry."
"Booyah! Now, all we got to do is go here and we'll find him," Demo stated.
"How are we gonna get there in time so we can be able to come back to Rock Fields for the concert," Riff asked.
A few minutes later...
"Really, Barb? We just had to take the Angler Bus," Melody commented while everyone was shakily holding onto their seats while the angler Bus was running on the road, taking the Trolls to their location.
"Hey, I figured if we're going to meet a rock star, we meet them in style. Besides, it'd be cool to get this guy up and running to stretch its legs," Barb replied while patting the side wall of the bus interior.
"Is it following the directions to the address," Poppy asked?
"Yep. Riff's handling the front and using his phone's GPS to lead it the right way," Barb answered.
At the front of the bus, Riff was holding onto the tongue as tightly as he could while holding his phone, which had a GPS app open that said, "Continue straight," which allowed the angler bus to follow the directions it was being given.
"Either way, this is so exciting! We're going to actually meet Carl Trolloway in the flesh," Val exclaimed happily.
"Yeah! This is so rocking! Yow," Demo shouted while raising both his hands up while making the Rock hand gesture.
Poppy then got an idea, saying, "How about we turn this trip up with some music"?
"Great idea, Popsqueak! But maybe instead of your cowbell, try this," al commented while tossing Poppy her butterfly-shaped electric guitar.
Poppy held the guitar and grinned, starting to play a Rock-themed tune on it, which made the other Rock Trolls start to grin and dance along to it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Smile by Avril Lavigne~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Barb started off by singing, shaking her head in classic rock fashion while she sang.
Barb: You know that I'm a crazy Troll! I act wild and reckless, crazy's in my soul! All I want to do is rock on out! Oh, oh!
Poppy then slide over towards the Rock queen and pretended to shred her guitar like the Rock Trolls do while singing the next verse.
Poppy: The music gives me energy! I flow with it, go with it, play with ease! Feeling the urge to sing and shout!
Demo picked up some loose drumsticks on the floor and started to bang the wall with them, like if it was a drumset, as he sang.
Demo: You said, "Hey"! What's your name? It took one note, and to this song, we play!
Val started to mimic an air guitar solo while she sang, as Melody did an air guitar solo next to her cousin.
Val: Yeah, you said, "Hey"! And since that day, we've become friends, and now, we hang out all day! Yeah-eah!
Everyone in the bus was dancing and singing together while the bus continued on the road.
All: And that's why I smile! It's been a while since every day, and everything has felt this right!
Somehow, you turn it all around! And instantly, you make my day!
It's why that I-I-I, I smi-i-ile!
Melody started to break dance while she sang before pulling out her electric guitar and playing alongside Poppy.
Melody: Yesterday, my day was a mess! Turned upside-down, filling me with stress! But then, you came and make things turn out right! Oh, oh!
Poppy: As long as my buddies are with me, we can do anything 'cause we're a team! Together through the day and the night!
Barb: You said, "Hey" (Val and Demo: Hey!)! What's your name (Val and Demo: What's your name?)? It took one note, and to this song, we play!
Yeah, you said, "Hey" (Val and Demo: Hey!)! And since that day (Val and Demo: Since that day!), we've become friends, and now, we hang out all day! Yeah-eah!
All: And that's why I smile! It's been a while since every day, and everything has felt this right!
Somehow, you turn it all around! And instantly, you make my day!
It's why that I-I-I, I smi-i-ile!
It's why that I-I-I, I smi-i-ile!
Barb: You know that I'm a crazy Troll!
Val: I act wild and reckless, crazy's in my soul!
Poppy: All I want to do is rock on out!
Demo: You know that I'm a crazy Troll!
Melody: I act wild and reckless, crazy's in my soul!
Barb: All I want to do is rock on o-o-out!
All: And that's why I smile (Poppy: I smile!)! It's been a while since every day, and everything (Demo: Has felt this!) has felt this right!
Somehow, you turn it all around! (Melody: And instantly, you make my day!) And instantly, you make my day!
It's why that I-I-I, I smi-i-ile (Val: It's why that!)!
(Val: It's why that I!) It's why that I-I-I, I smi-i-ile!
Barb: It's why that I-I-I, I smi-i-ile!
Suddenly, to their surprise, the bus seemed to skid to a stop, causing them to get thrown into the back wall and crash into a pile.
"What happened," Barb asked as she climbed out of the pile first.
The front entrance to the Angler Bus opened, where a scuffled and exhausted Riff weakly held up his phone, where the GPS said, "You have arrived to your destination."
"We made it," Val shouted happily while standing up.
"Come on! Last one outside is a rotten egg," Demo shouted as everyone scrambled to their feet and ran outside of the bus to see where they were. To their confusion/shock, they were in the middle of the woods, in who knows where, with no sign of a house or mansion anywhere.
"Riff, are you sure this is the right place," Melody asked while raising her eyebrow.
"According to the GPs based on the address Barb typed in, yes," Riff answered while tapping his phone to make sure the GPS was right but was struggling to get some service.
"It doesn't look like anything can live in these woods," Demo commented while tapping a tree.
"Hey, the scenery looks nice, at least," Poppy said while looking up at a tall tree, where she ended up seeing a small Snake Critter lower its head and hiss angrily at her, making Poppy scream and run back to her friends.
Barb was looking around, saying, "Looks like we're gonna have to walk there...wherever "there" is."
"Walking? In which direction," Val asked curiously.
Riff was trying to check the GPS, saying, "I'm not getting any signals. You guys"?
The rest of the group pulled out their phones and tried to see if they were getting any service.
"Nothing on my phone," Barb answered.
"Same here," Melody answered.
"Same," Demo commented.
"My phone's not getting any service either," Poppy replied.
"Nothing on my end either," Val added.
"Great; we have no phone service, we're stuck in the middle of nowhere, we're still not at Carl Trolloway's house, and we are losing precious daylight before the Rock Fest concert," Demo shouted in frustration.
"Well, we're gonna lose more if we stand around lollygagging, Demo. Let's try walking one way and see where it leads us to," Val suggested.
"Our deaths," Melody questioned rhetorically, earning an eye roll from Val.
"Val's right. After all, if we go one way, we're bound to end up somewhere. So, let's just get moving," Barb ordered as the group started to walk through the woods, passing the multitude of trees and plants around them.
One hour later...
Barb struggled to push her way through the bushes, stumbling out the other side before helping the others through.
"These plants are more prickly than Branch is about his safety tips," Val joked while brushing leaves off her skirt.
Melody and Poppy couldn't help but snicker as a result of the joke, with Poppy saying as she picked leaves out of her hair, "I shouldn't laugh, but it's true."
Demo then commented, "Yeah, though maybe we shouldn't because there's Branch right now," while pointing up to a tree branch, making everyone laugh again.
Suddenly, Barb heard Riff running up to her, saying, "Your rockness! Your Rockness! There's something over there you need to see"!
"Woah, Riff, man, what did you find," Barb asked.
"Lead the way if you found something," Poppy commented as they all followed Riff in the direction he led them.
They walked for a bit before the group came across a large wall with a black, metallic fence built on top of it with long bars. It wasn't so big that they couldn't see through the fence holes, but it was still pretty large. There was a large black fence door next to where they were standing, currently locked, where it was the entrance/exit of the place.
Inside, the wall/fence surrounded a large acre of field lands, and in the lands was a little pond, a cottage mansion with pink ceramic walls, a red tile roof, white stone pillars, brown wooden windows, and a matching brown wooden door, with small bushes and plants growing around the house.
Outside, currently working on fixing a black motorcycle with fore-themed designs on it, was what looked like a middle-aged male Magic Rock Troll with thick white hair (due to the color of hair dye) with streaks of orange (the real color of his hair) in a frizzy mullet that went down to his lower back, orange eyes, who wore a light purple and dark purple plaid shirt, a red long sleeve sweater over it, blue jeans, and brown flat shoes on his feet.
Everyone was surprised to see the MMT, but no one was more surprised than Val, who commented softly, "Oh my Troll! There he is"!
"That's him," Poppy whisper-asked Val, getting a nod in reply.
"Sweet guitar picks," Melody commented in surprise.
"I can't believe it, it's really him! In the flesh," Demo commented quietly/excitedly.
"We did it, guys! We actually found him," Barb commented happily, feeling proud/very relieved that they were able to find him.
"So...now what," Riff asked.
"All we have to do now is ask if he'll be in our concert, and everything will be coming up Rock," Barb answered as the group approached the fence door and reached up to look through the holes.
They peeked their heads through to look, with Poppy saying, "He seems pretty nice."
"Yo! Mr. Trolloway," Barb shouted, trying to get the Magic Rock Troll's attention.
It seemed to work, as it did make his head turn around slightly, except the only response she got was a loud "Go away" from the Magic Rock Troll, who returned his focus to working on his motorcycle.
His response made the Normal Trolls flinch, as Demo then shouted, "W-w-wait a minute, sir! We just want to talk to you for one minute"!
This time, he didn't even get a response, as Carl seemed more focused on working on his motorcycle, as he had purposely ignored Demo's remark.
Poppy tried next, saying, "You don't need to worry, Mr. Trolloway; we're very nice Trolls."
Once more, they didn't get any response from the Magic Rock Troll.
"We're not leaving until you talk to us," Melody declared, hoping that would work.
But even saying that didn't break the Magic Rock Troll's attention one bit.
Finally, Val saw the fence wall and commented loud enough for him to hear, "Fine! If you're not coming to us, we're coming to you"!
"How exactly," Riff asked in a scared whisper.
"Easy, Riff. We're gonna jump the fence," Val answered as she led the group over to the fence.
"Val, are you nuts?! We can't jump the fence," Melody commented.
"Of course we can, Melly. We just climb it and boom," Val answered as she and the rest of the group started to climb up to the wall and were about to grab the fence bars.
However, when Carl saw the Normal Trolls about to grab the fence bars, something in him made his get up and say worryingly, "No! Stay off the fence"!
Poppy was about to ask why, but Val stopped her, saying, "Don't listen to him, guys. This fence is completely harmless; just scale it up and over."
But, what all 6 Normal Trolls didn't expect was that the fence wasn't so harmless because it was actually an electric fence. So, when they grabbed the bars, not only di the electricity fry their hands, but it also shocked them, not so much that it caused them pain, but enough to make the group fall back and succumb to unconsciousness, lying helplessly on the grass.
They were knocked out for a while, especially Barb, who was out the longest. But soon, the Rock queen was awake when she heard a faint voice, Val's voice, ask her, "Queen Barb"?
The Rock queen slowly started to open her eyes, her vision blurry at first but clear enough to see Val standing next to her, looking at her in concern, and her hands were bandaged.
Barb tried to sit up, saying, "Val-," but winced in pain as she brought her hands up and saw that her own hands were bandaged too.
Slowly, her vision got better as she took in more details on her new surroundings. She saw that she was currently lying on a couch, under a brown-and-red plaided blanket, her head resting on a yellow pillow with red designs on it, with Poppy, Melody, and Demo sitting next to her on the couch, their hands also bandaged, while Riff was standing next to Val, looking at the Rock Queen worryingly, also with his hands bandaged.
The room they were in looked like an average living room, with a few easy chairs, some quilts lying around the house, another couch nearby with throw pillows, a brown table where there was a coffee mug on a sauce currently on top of it.
Val helped the Rock Queen sit up while saying softly, "We're inside Carl's house."
"After we got zapped and became unconscious, he brought us inside," Poppy explained.
"He bandaged our hands and laid you on here when he saw you were the only one who hadn't come to it yet," Melody added.
"You were out for a while, Queen Barb," Riff added.
Barb groaned tiredly while looking at her bandaged hands, saying, "Woah, that's crazy. Were you guys able to talk to him"?
The group nodded, with Demo saying, "Yeah. We were just discussing if he'd consider performing with us at the concert tonight."
Barb smiled weakly, asking, "Oh yeah? And what did he say"?
To her surprise, on cue, an easy chair that was behind the couch she was lying on and in front of a warm fireplace turned around, revealing Carl Trolloway to be sitting there as he answered bluntly, "He said, "No." Not in a million years."
He then got up from his chair and proceeded to leave, but Barb tried to stop him by saying, "But, uh, Mr. Trolloway, sir, please...you-y-you have no idea how much it would mean for us to have you perform with us at the concert at Rock Fest-,"
But before she could even finish her sentence, Carl interrupted her, shouting, "Would you stop your yakking"?!
Barb quickly stayed quiet, and actually felt worried when she saw Carl ball his fist momentarily before he sighed and left the room, stopping and telling the Normal Trolls, "And I want you all gone by tonight," before he exited the living room.
All 6 Normal Trolls were left in shock/disbelief, but at the same time, they all felt a bit sad too. They came all this way, and now..Carl Trolloway was giving them the answer they had dreaded, especially for Barb, who felt disappointed.
On the one hand, Val did expect a response like this to happen, so she wasn't totally caught by surprise, but she was saddened to see the musician she had grown to become a fan of look so...distant. She commented softly to her friends, "And this is why they say "Never meet your heroes."
Barb sighed, saying, "I'm sorry I dragged you all into this. This is all my fault."
"Barb, don't go blaming yourself for this. We would've been in the same situation you got into one way or another," Melody replied.
"Yeah. Plus, even though this is...not what we expected, we're still getting the chance to meet him," Demo added, trying to sound optimistic.
"Besides, maybe if we just stick around a little longer, we might grow onto him, and maybe, just maybe, we can be able to convince him," Poppy suggested.
"Poppy's right. Think of it like this: If Aggie were here right now, what do you think she would do," Riff asked.
Barb thought about it before saying, "She'd try to convince the old geezer to think about performing with us, but at the same time, she'd also help him out a bit, just to be nice and courteous, as a sign of gratitude for him helping us get better."
"Exactly. We just...have to give it a try at least," Poppy replied.
Barb couldn't help but smile, saying, "Thanks, guys," as the Normal Trolls gathered into a group hug, despite it not being Hug Time yet, unaware that Carl Trolloway was watching their moment from behind the doorway of the living room, seeing how close of friends the Normal Trolls were with one another.
Around the afternoon, after the group had recovered a bit from the initial "shock" of the electric fence, they were outside, helping Trolloway tend to his garden.
Demo and Poppy were helping to plant a few flowers, Riff was moving some rocks around from the dirt to make it more accessible to dig, and Melody was using a lawn mower to help cut the grass.
At the moment, Carl Trolloway was using a wooden hammer to nail a wooden sign into the ground that said, "Beware! Electric fence".
Meanwhile, Barb was walking around the Magic Rock Troll, trying to convince him to take part in the concert, telling him, "Honestly, man, this concert is gonna be the best one any Magic Musical Troll or Normal Troll has ever seen"!
She quickly ducked her head to avoid getting hit by the hammer that Carl tossed into his tool kit before continuing with, "and once you step onto that stage with us and feel the crowd cheering-,"
"Turn on the tap for me," Trolloway asked the Normal Rock Queen while gesturing her to turn on the faucet nearby that was connected to a yellow hose he had.
Barb saw the faucet and replied, "The tap? Uh, sure, man," and walked over to the faucet, turning it on, while continuing with, "So, back to-,"
But then, she saw that Car had the hose nozzle...pointing directly at her, and with a squeeze of the handle, he shot some water at Barb, making Barb slip and fall backward, all the way into the pond.
Carl couldn't help but laugh and say to Val, who approached him while holding two mugs in her hands and looking at Barb worryingly, "Oopsy-daisy."
"Barb! You alright," Val called out to the Rock Queen, who sat up in the pond while saying, "I'm ok"!
Val then offered Trolloway one of the mugs, earning a hesitant look from him at first before she answered, "It's tea, you drink it."
Carl accepted the mug and started to take a sip of the tea as Barb, soaking wet, approached the Magic rock Troll, frowning and saying, "Not funny, man."
Poppy came towards the Magic Rock Troll, saying, "You know, Mr. Trolloway, Barb does make a good point: it's really gonna be the coolest-,"
"The most rocking concert that you'll-," Demo added on before getting interrupted by Carl.
He looked at the hug, surprised by how it tasted, asking, "Did you put honey in this"?
Val nodded, saying, "It's...supposed to be soothing and make it sweet."
Melody then came jogging over after cutting the grass, saying, "And the best part of the concert is getting to sing your heart out in front of all those cheering MMTs just chanting your name-,"
But when she saw the stern look Carl Trolloway shot at her, she gulped quietly, saying, "Still not interested, huh"?
While not giving a reply right away, his silence seemed to answer that question before he commented, "Besides, I lost my singing voice..."
"Your voice sounds fine to me, sir," Riff commented while carrying a rock and placing it in a nearby wagon.
Carl didn't take too much into the comment as he sighed and left to go water his bushes.
Val couldn't help but feel worried about Carl Trooloway, as she had a hunch on what could be the reason behind why he was acting this way. Bravely, she asked him, "This is all because you lost your wife, isn't it"?
While watering the bushes, Carl heard the comment, saying, "Okay, Pigtails, we're not talking about my Ruby."
Val could tell that she must've struck a nerve, but the way she saw how the star reacted, it gave her a clue as to how maybe she could try to help. She slowly approached him, saying, "Look, I know she inspired so many of your songs-,"
"All of my songs," Carl clarified, sounding a bit more stern this time, while he continued to water the bushes.
Val wasn't to deterred, as she continued with, "Right. I...know what it's like to lose someone so special. I know it may sound..cheesy and completely uncool of someone of Hard Rock culture like me to say it, but it's true. But, if there's something I've learned from dealing with grief and loss that I can say that...might provide some insight for you, it's that...do you think this is what Ruby would have wanted for you"?
That question didn't seem to strike a nerve this time, but it did leave the Magic Rock Troll in thought while Val continued with, "I mean, you out there on your own and never singing again-,"
Carl then interrupted her by softly saying, "No. Y-You don't understand. There's no rock star living here anymore."
Wanting to see if she could help encourage him, Val then commented, "Carl, you just need to play again; your songs will bring you back."
But the more Val was speaking about music and Carl's deceased wife, it just seemed to make the Magic Rock Troll feel worse, and it made him more agitated the longer Val talked about it.
At the moment Val mentioned, "You can; you can reconnect-," he snapped and shouted, "No, I can't"!
Val was taken aback a bit while her friends watched in worry as they heard Trolloway comment, "I haven't even heard one of my songs in over 15 years, and for a good reason"!
Carl Trolloway dropped his hose and seemed shaky to continue talking, as he mentioned, "Ruby was everything," before dumping the rest of his tea onto the ground while adding, "And I don't like honey in my tea," before he walked away back into his house.
Val watched the Magic Rock Troll walk away, feeling bad for him.
Melody approached her cousin, saying, "Val...you ok"?
Val gave a small nod to her cousin as Barb, still soaked, walked over to her ambassador sadly, saying, "He's not gonna change his mind."
Val then commented, "He will...," before adding, "But you and the others should head back. At least to help get the stage at Rock fields prepped for the concert."
"Huh," Poppy, Riff, Demo, and Melody said in confusion.
Barb was surprised, as she was confused, as she asked Val, "But what about you"?
Val looked back at Carl's house and saw Carl heading up to the door, saying, "I just need time with him; I can't just leave him like this," while picking up the mug Carl left.
"Well, I'm staying with you, Val-," Melody started to say.
"No, Melly. This time...I want you to go back with them," Val instructed, adding, "I can handle this."
Feeling unsure, Melody bit her lower lip before she sighed, saying, "Ok, if you're sure. But, if you need anything...we're a call away."
Barb, Poppy, Demo, Riff, and Melody soon started to leave and head back to the Angler Bus, while Val stayed behind, heading over to the steps.
A while later, the Angler Bus had returned back to Music Area, arriving at the entrance to Rock Fields.
Once it was parked, Barb, Poppy, Melody, Demo, and Riff walked out of it, with Poppy asking Barb, "Barb, with Carl Trolloway still not on board on doing the show with you and the other Rock Trolls, what's gonna happen to your concert"?
Barb sighed sadly, saying, "I don't know, but...I know what I have to do."
"You're gonna go tell Governor Rodrigo that he isn't coming," Demo asked, feeling concerned.
Barb nodded, saying, "Yeah, I might as well come clean with him now and face the disappointment early so at least I'll be the only one looking like a fool, not you guys."
"Barb, you don't have to-," Poppy started to say.
"No, Popsqueak. This time... I really have to face the music...alone. You guys just wait right here...and try not to be too disappointment if our concert gets cancelled after this," Barb told her before the Rock Queen entered Rock Fields, leaving her friends behind, who watched Barb in concern.
Back at Carl Trolloway's house, Carl was sitting in his easy chair in a new room of the house, looking at a picture of when him and his wife (who was a female Magic Classical Troll with pale light blue hair, sapphire blue eyes, who wore a white dress with a black tuxedo vest over it) were getting married.
He missed his wife dearly, and it felt like nothing could ever bring him back to feeling the way he used to before. All he ever loved was hearing his wife's beautiful singing and her love for the piano. And now that she wasn't with him...what was the point of loving music like before?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Stuck in a Moment by Scarlet Johansson~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Suddenly, a strange sound got his attention. It sounded like...guitar playing?
?: I'm not afraid of anything in this world.
He turned his head to hear where the music was coming from.
Outside, it turned out to be coming from Val, who was sitting at his front steps strumming her guitar, and singing a little tune to herself.
Val: There's nothing you can throw at me that I haven't already heard.
I'm just trying to find a decent melody.
Lulled by the sound of the melody, Carl started to come out of the room and walk down the stairs, where he passed a few pictures, including one where there was a party being thrown while he and his wife, who was sitting in a wheelchair, were smiling for the camera. All while he continued to listen to Val singing...one of his old songs.
Val: A song that I can sing in my own company.
I never thought you were a fool, but darling, look at you.
You gotta stand up straight and carry your own weight.
Back outside, Val continued to play and sing, all while unaware that Carl had opened the door and came outside, finding ehr singing on his front porch.
Val: These tears are going nowhere, babe.
You've got to get yourself together. You've got stuck in a moment; now you can't get out of it.
She then paused and looked up, seeing Carl walk down the steps and sit right by her. He didn't say anything, but he did look at hr and ushered her to continue singing.
Val, having nothing against it, continued to strum her guitar and started singing the song again, watching as she saw Carl stare off into the distance, thinking most likely about any past memories of him and Ruby.
Val: Oh love, look at you now. You've got yourself stuck in a moment; now you can't get out of it.
I will not forsake the colors that you bring. The nights you filled with fireworks, they left you with nothing.
I am still enchanted by the light you brought to me. I listen through your ears, and through your eyes, I can see.
And you are such a fool to worry like you do, oh.
I know it's tough, and you can never get enough of what you don't really need now; my, oh my.
You've got to get yourself together. You've got stuck in a moment; now you can't get out of it.
Oh love, look at you now. You've got yourself stuck in a moment; now you can't get out of it.
While singing, Val herself, was also getting caught in her own memories: the memories of someone she missed dearly to her: her mother. She never told anyone a lot about it, but she terribly missed her...and often, she found it hard to really play her own music to the fullest without feeling her mother's spirit, a feeling the grief she wasn't there with her anymore.
Val: I was unconscious, half asleep. The water is warm 'til you discover how deep.
I wasn't jumping, for me, it was a fall. It's a long way down to nothing at all.
You've got to get yourself together. You've got stuck in a moment; now you can't get out of it.
Don't say that later will be better. Now you're stuck in a moment, and you can't get out of it
After she had concluded the song, she and Clay sat there, not one Troll daring to say anything.
Then, Carl spoke up, saying, "I haven't heard anyone sing that in quite a while."
Val placed her guitar away, replying with, "Well, when I first started to hear your music, this song...really spoke to me. See, just like I said before, I know what it's like to miss someone you love dearly. It hurts...and even if you try...it's not a pain that easily goes away. it can linger on, even for years."
Carl then said something that surprised Val: "The day that Ruby passed, she told me to keep this phrase: let the rhythm of your heart play the tune you want to play in your life. But without her...how can i even continue to play that tune? She was my melody, the source of my inspiration, passion, and devotion to music. Without her, I feel...so lost."
Val placed a hand on the Magic Rock Troll's knee, saying, "It's hard. But...if you want to have her still with you, do what you know she would love you to do. If she loved music as much as you do, then music is the key to helping you be able to keep her with you."
Val then said, "I keep playing rock music because...it lets me stay close to...someone special I miss dearly. And every time i pick up my guitar and strum a chord, I feel her guiding me to play the perfect piece. If you let yourself be able to let the spirit of your passion for music, and the passion for the person you loved dearly, guide you, then...you can find that rock star inside of you again. All you have to do is just...play."
Carl gave it some thought before he did something he hadn't done in a long time: gave a genuine smile, saying, "You know, Pigtails, you may be as annoying as those other Normal Trolls, but...you're the right kind of annoying."
"Thanks...I think," Val replied, confused but happy she was able to help Carl feel better.
Carl Trolloway then got up, saying, "Come with me."
Val followed the Magic Rock Troll to a spot where he had his motorcycle parked and saw him toss her a yellow motorcycle helmet while telling her to "Put this on."
Val caught the helmet, asking, "What's this for"?
Carl gave a small chuckle, saying, "Well, we have to get to this concert, right? Why not arrive there in style"?
Val gasped in surprise/excitement, covering both her cheeks with her hands.
Over at the Rock Fields, Barb found Governor Rodrigo helping to make sure the lava pits were functioning right.
The Normal Rock Queen gulped nervously, toying with the strap of her undershirt, as she walked up to the governor nervously, saying, "Uh, hey, Rodrigo, man."
Rodrigo turned around, saying, "Barb! How's it going? I bet rehearsals are rocking! Am i right"?
"Oh, y-you could say it like that," Barb replied nervously, scratching the back of her head.
"Barb, I can't wait to see the concert you and your fellow rock trolls will be putting on tonight! Everyone's pumped to see you guys perform with Carl Trolloway"!
Barb nervously grinned before saying, "Say, about that, there's something i need to tell you."
"Ooh! Is it a secret set list? Or maybe a clue as to how you'll be doing your big finale," Rodrigo guessed.
"Uh...actually...," Barb started to say before she then felt her phone vibrate and picked it up, saying, "I have to answer this first"!
"No worries, go right ahead," Rodrigo said excitedly, "You can tell me once you're done"!
Barb quickly ran over to a quiet spot, away from any fellow listeners, and answered the phone, whispering, "Val? Now's not exactly a good time."
But the Rock Queen relaxed when she heard Val's voice shout, "Barb, I got him"!
"What," Barb replied, surprised/shocked.
On the motorcycle, Val was talking on her cell phone, saying, "I got Trolloway! Here, he wants to talk to you"!
Val held the phone up while Carl, who was wearing an orange motorcycle helmet and black sunglasses over his eyes, shouted, "Your friend is even more annoying than you are"!
Val giggled and said to Barb on the phone, "Don't listen to him; we're heading to Rock Fields right now"!
"You are," Barb asked excitedly.
"Yes," Val's voice exclaimed on the phone.
Barb smiled happily and sighed a huge breath in relief, saying, "Oh my Troll! Okay, this is great news; seriously, you have just saved my life here, Val! Thanks," before hanging up.
On the road, Carl rode his motorcycle all the way over to the Music Area, over to Rock Fields.
Meanwhile, with Barb, she turned around and approached Rodrigo, saying, "And what i was gonna say earlier is, oh boy, are you in for a treat tonight"!
Governor Rodrigo cheered happily, saying, "Rocking"!
After she had finished her conversation with Rodrigo, she ran outside to join her friends, saying, "Val got him"!
Poppy, Demo, Riff, and Melody gasped in surprise/excitement.
"Val actually got Carl Trolloway," Demo cheered.
"She did it," Melody exclaimed happily.
"Way to go, Val," Poppy cheered for her friend, despite Val not being there with them at the moment.
"Gnarly," Riff commented in surprise.
"Oh yeah! We are gonna really now have the best concert ever," Barb exclaimed as all 5 Normal Trolls raised their hands up, making the Rock hand gesture together.
At the condo, the Techno Trolls had returned after a fun day of getting to form common bonds with the Magic Techno Trolls, and were relaxing with everyone else inside the lobby, when they heard something playing on the TV.
"Hey, Sid, turn up the volume," Smidge commented.
Sid raised the volume of the TV, where a news story was being announced, the spokesperson saying, "And in breaking news, tonight's Rock Fest concert will be hosted by the Queen of the Normal Hard Rock Trolls: Barb! And as a special treat, she's announced that their performance tonight will be including a special guest: famous rock star legend Carl Trolloway said to have disappeared from the music world for over 15 years, announced to return to the stage tonight and make his musical return by performing with them at the concert in Rock Fields."
On cue, everyone gasped in surprise.
"Woah! Barb got Carl Trolloway to be in their concert tonight," Aggie exclaimed excitedly.
"Is this Carl Trolloway guy popular," Dante asked curiously.
"Oh yeah he is! He's a rock star legend," Aggie happily answered.
"Well, I may still dislike Rock music, but I can appreciate someone's high talent in music, especially if he's considered a legend," Trollex mentioned with a chuckle.
"Y'all! What are we standin' round here faw?! We gotta get ta Rock Fields faw the show," Delta declared.
In a puff of smoke, all the Normal Trolls, and Aggie, ran out of the condo and hopped on the next bus to Music Area so they could head to Rock Fields for the Rock Fest concert.
Meanwhile, the night had fallen, and it was time for the concert!
All the MMTs, including Magic Rock Trolls and other MMTs of other music genres, had gathered around the stage and were cheering excitedly to watch the concert.
Barb was wearing her outfit from the day she hosted her big World Tour concert, as she turned around and faced the other Normal Rock Trolls, saying, "Alright, guys! This is it! The big show! Every Troll ready"?
Demo, who was wearing a purple tank top with a white skull design on it, torn grey pants, a spiky belt, purple fingerless gloves, and spiky bracelets on his wrists, grinned, saying, "Oh yeah! I'm so ready"!
Riff adjusted his hat, saying, "All set, Barb"!
Melody adjusted the collar of her leather jacket and adjusted her shades, saying, "Time to rock this joint"!
Val was about to say something when she noticed that Carl wasn't with them backstage, making her say, "Hold on! I'm gonna go check on Carl"!
She ran off to an area backstage where Carl was sitting at, and found the Magic Rock Troll opening his guitar case, where his guitar was. She noticed him looking at something inside the guitar case while he took out his guitar, and whatever it was, it seemed to make him a bit upset, as he closed the case afterward, shaking his head.
It turned out to be a photo of his deceased wife: Ruby. And seeing her again, it made Carl feel shaky about being on stage again.
Val could sense he wasn't feeling ok as she approached him, saying, "Hey, you alright"?
Carl didn't say anything but gave a small nod to her.
However, Val was worried that Carl wasn't as okay as he said he was.
Seeing the Magic Rock Troll stand up, she walked beside him, s they went to join up with the other Normal Rock Trolls.
On stage, Governor Rodrigo spoke into the microphone, saying, "Hello, Rock Fields! Who's ready for Rock Fest"?!
A huge wave of cheers was his answer.
All of the Normal Trolls in the audience were cheering for Barb and her Rock Trolls, excited to see the performance she was gonna put on.
"You got this, Barb," Poppy shouted.
"Break a hair, guys," Aggie added.
Governor Rodrigo said, "It is my honor to introduce tonight's performers to the Normal Trolls' very own queen of Hard Rock: Queen Barb"!
A huge lava plume erupted by the main mic stand as Barb was riding on top of it and leaped down, smashing her guitar while making a stellar entrance, which made all the Trolls in the crowd cheer loudly.
While Governor Rodrigo walked off the stage, letting Barb have the floor, Barb spoke into the mic, saying, "Hey! I just have one question for you all: who's ready to rock"?!
Her answer was a large eruption of cheers, seeing everyone up on their feet, cheering.
Barb grinned, saying, "Then, it's time I introduce you to our crew for the night! Starting off, on the drums is my main man, and right-hand Troll: Riff"!
A spotlight shined on the drums, where Riff was seen, as the Rock Troll did a little drum solo before posing.
"Backing up on bass electric guitar, the stellar manager of my ambassador: Demo," Barb exclaimed.
"Yow," Demo shouted while a spotlight shined on him, adding, "Let's party, Trolls"!
"On her electric guitar, she does Pop and Rock like nobody else! Give t up for my mix-star: Melody Song," Barb exclaimed.
Melody slid on her knees as a spotlight shined on her while she did an electric guitar solo.
Backstage, Val and Carl were waiting to be called out onto the stage, but Val noticed Carl Trolloway looking shaky.
Worried, she tried to encourage him, saying, "Carl, it's ok; just sing. Your songs will carry you."
However, Clay looked like he was gonna have a panic attack, as his eyes weld up with worried tears while he said, "No...this is a mistake."
"Please," Val quietly begged, trying to help him calm down.
Carl sniffled while saying, as his breathing was jagged due to his worries, "It's been so long...I'm not ready. I'm sorry, Val...I'm not ready."
Val couldn't help but feel bad for Carl, but before she could get the chance to comfort him, she heard Barb about to introduce her name. So...with a heavy heart, she stood on standby and prepared for Barb's introduction.
Barb then declared, on the stage, "And finally, my go-to hard Rock solid ambassador, the girl who's always ready to Rock: Val Thundershock"!
Val ran out onto the stage and flipped, using her hair to project herself up before landing on her feet. She saw the crowd cheering loud, and seeing her friends cheering them on, she knew that now, there was one Troll everyone was expecting to see: Carl, and he didn't feel ready. But...she knew that he could do it...she just...had to give him a small boost.
Before Barb could speak into the mic again, Val quickly put her hand up, mouthed a "Wait," and gestured that she wanted to speak.
Barb nodded and gave Val the mic, watching the Rock Troll place it on its stand while she spoke, saying, "Thank you all for coming. We picked out a special tune for tonight's song that you all might recognize. A song that...someone very talented made popular that a lot of us today can still relate to. But this is a song that we can't sing alone; we need special people by our side to help us sing it. So...I encourage you all, our friends, and all you Magic Rock Trolls, to sing along with us. And for all you other MMTs of different music genres, don't worry about singing it; just follow along with cheering, Ok"?
The MMTs of different genres all nodded their heads, set to cheer since they knew they couldn't sing Rock songs because it wasn't their genre of music.
The Magic Rock Trolls, and all of the other Normal Trolls, and Aggie, were ready to sing along with whatever song they had picked out.
Barb was ready to start playing a tune on her guitar, but Val put her hand up again, saying quietly to her, "I got this."
Barb, Demo, Riff, and Melody all looked at one another, but smiled and nodded in agreement, knowing that if Val had a plan, it was gonna work, one way or another.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~But I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For by Scarlet Johansson and Bono~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Val smiled before facing the crowd, holding the Mic, and starting to sing into it.
Val: I have climbed the highest mountains. I have run through the fields. Only to be with you. Only to be with you.
Barb, Riff, Demo, and Melody were all confused by the song choice that Val was singing because this was a song they didn't agree to do. So...why was it she was singing it now?
Val, however, still continued to sing, despite there being no music yet.
Val: But I still haven't found what I'm looking for.
She then looked back at Barb and the other Rock Trolls and encouraged them to sing along while also raising her arm up so the Magic Rock Trolls and the rest of her friends in the crowd could sing along too.
All (Normal Rock Trolls, Magic Rock Trolls, Normal Trolls, and Aggie): But I still haven't found what I'm looking for.
Backstage, Carl was hearing all those voices singing, and at that moment, he felt something he hadn't felt in a very long time: love...for the music. Love of the fans out there waiting for him. They were all waiting to hear him...they loved him still, they loved his music still. It felt just like...ruby was right there, standing beside him, giving him the strength, courage, and now...the feeling of going out there and singing, just like before.
All (Normal Rock Trolls, Magic Rock Trolls, Normal Trolls, and Aggie): But I still haven't found what I'm looking for.
Suddenly, before any of the Rock Trolls could start playing their instruments, the sound of someone playing their electric guitar was heard in the background. That made them look around curiously before Val gasped happily, realizing who it was.
When they saw Val's reaction, they turned their heads and gasped happily to see who it was that was playing the music.
Everyone in the audience anticipated seeing who it was.
Coming out onto the stage, playing a solid rock chord, before continuing his solo, was the one and only: Carl Trolloway!
The audience went nuts with loud cheers, claps, and squeals of excitement.
"It's Carl Trolloway in the flesh," Governor Rodrigo cheered on the sidelines.
Invigorated by the moment, Barb, Demo, Melody, and Riff started to accompany the rock star with their instruments, playing the same tune with their instruments, while Val watched happily watching Carl Trolloway come onto the stage and begin to sing.
Carl Trolloway: I believe in the Kingdom Come. Then, all the colors will bleed into one. Bleed into one, but yes, I'm still running!
When Val saw that he had joined up beside her, she started to play her guitar alongside him as they sang together.
Val and Carl Trolloway: You broke the bonds and loosed the chains. Carried the cross of my shame. Of my shame; you know I believe it!
Soon, the other Rock Trolls on stage joined in with the singing.
Carl Trolloway and All (Normal Rock Trolls): But I still haven't found what I'm looking for!
Then, the rest of the Normal Trolls, Aggie, and the Magic Rock Trolls in the audience began to sing along, loving the song, while the MMTs of different music genres were all cheering separately for the performance.
Carl Trolloway and All (Normal Rock Trolls, Magic Rock Trolls, Normal Trolls, and Aggie): But I still haven't found what I'm looking for!
But I still haven't found what I'm looking for!
But I still haven't found what I'm looking for!
Feeling excited in the moment, the Normal Rock Trolls and Carl Trolloway let the Trolls that sang in the audience finish the last bit of the song, feeling the love and excitement of the music filling the entire Rock Fields.
All (Magic Rock Trolls, Normal Trolls, and Aggie): But I still haven't found what I'm looking for! But I still haven't found what I'm looking for!
At the end of the song, everyone in the crowd, including Governor Rodrigo, all cheered loudly and happily for the epic performance that was given.
The Normal Trolls all cheered excitedly for their friends.
The Normal Rock Trolls smiled and placed their instruments on the ground to meet up at the front of the stage with Carl rollaway and Val, as they all bowed together in unison.
Val looked up momentarily and saw Carl's happy smile, and she knew he had found his love for music again. The spirit of Runy, and rock, had reignited the Carl Trolloway that she knew, the one everyone knew.
Carl saw Val smiling and gave her a small nod of gratitude, as if to silently say, "Thank you for everything to her."
Val grinned and nodded back in reply before she, the rest of the Normal Rock Trolls, and Carl Trolloway bowed again while the cheers kept going.