I do not own Trolls or Trolls World Tour or Trolls Band Together or any of the characters in the franchise or the songs! And I especially don't own any of the songs I use from the movie or any other song I pick out in general! I also don't own the characters of Trollstopia! The only thing I do own are my O.C.s Melody Song, McJagger, Buckaroo, Stereo, and Twilight Tidepool; I.M. Rally owns her O.C. Aggie Galido, and Cheah owns his O.C. Finn Okazaki Tidepool. Now, strap in, ladies and gentlemen, and let's get on with the show!
The sudden call of the new voice was the sudden kick in the pants that broke the fighting up, causing everyone to immediately stop and turn their heads away from what they were doing, and take a quick breather, eyeing whoever it was that had the guts to speak up.
Behind a tree appeared to be a shadowy figure, although the shade of the tree made the figure's swamp-pine green skin seem darker than it really was. The figure showed no malice or sign of danger, as it appeared just to be a passerby who just so happened to overhear all the commotion and came over to see what or who was making all the noise.
The Trolls, however, couldn't help but try to get a better look at who it was, some of them squinting their eyes to try and make out the figure's appearance.
"Who's there," Dante called out.
"Whomevuurr ya are, come out with your hands in the air," Holly added out.
The figure seemed to smile from the shadows, chucking as it replied, "At ease, ya ol' swampers. I come passing through in peace, though I'm much as obliged to ask what may be the matter here."
"We'll be the ones asking questions, thank you," Barb responded before adding, "Now, come out and show us who you are, stranger"!
"Please," Synth added while clasping his hands together like a child about to beg.
The figure chuckled again, saying, "Where have I heard that before," before it appeared to come out into the light, showing its presence in front of the Trolls.
The figure turned out to be an elderly male Pop Troll with swamp-pine green skin, bright orange hair with grey streaks that was covered by a large straw hat that looked similar to Rufus' hat, orange eyes, with one eye present while the other one had a black eye patch covering it, and he seemed to be wearing a yellow-orange vest-shirt with a tan button keeping it closed, a tealish-green jacket with the sleeves rolled up over it, a light turquoise neck tie scarf around his neck, brown pants, and reddish-brown foot coverings on his feet, with his toes and the front of his feet exposed. The Troll also appeared to have a small reed in his mouth and was using a sturdy wooden cane to move around efficiently.
He smiled, saying, "Howdy, strangers; sorry if my presence alarmed ya; I was just collecting some seeds for my garden when ay heard what sounded like a scrappin' between two weasels that shouted louder than a mating pelican. So I came over to see what was happening, and here we are now."
The Trolls all looked at the mysterious stranger in front of them in surprise, a little startled to see what appeared to be a Pop Troll living out here in the swamp and not over in Pop Village. At the same time, this stranger also had a sense of familiarity within him; in fact, one could point out that he almost looked similar to someone that they seemed to know, but that was a question to be asked much later. Right now, though, the only thing on everyone's mind was wanting to know who this person was.
The new Troll tipped his hat while saying, "The name's Pop-Pop Plantroll; nice ta meet ya, strangers."
With introductions now set in order, and observations noting that Pop-Pop appeared to be friendly, everyone decided that it'd be best to introduce themselves to him.
"Nice to meet you as well, Pop-Pop," Trollex went first, shaking hands with the elderly Pop Troll while saying, "I'm King Trollex, leader of the Techno Trolls. Behind me is my brother and prince/ambassador: Synth."
Synth eagerly shook hands with Pop-Pop next, adding, "Hello, yo! It's so *imitates airhorn noises* to meet ya! Allow me to show you how we say "hello" the Techno way! With a rave wave," and proceeded to bop his head to a Techno beat, earning a hearty grin from Pop-Pop, who thought the gesture was very fun.
Quincy and Essence approached the elderly Pop Troll next, Quincy going first, "Pleasure to meet you, Pop-Pop. I'm King Quincy, and this is my wife: Queen Essence."
"We're the leaders of the Funk Trolls," Essence added while doing a kneeling curtsey in front of Pop-Pop.
Pop-Pop responded with a bow toward the Funk leaders, saying, "An honor ta meet ya, your Funkinesses."
Low-Note Jones went next, shooting a wink while saying, "Hey there, Pop-Pop. Name's Low-Note Jones, proud Funk ambassador and president of cool; pleasure to be acquainted, baby."
Delta approached him next, shaking hands with him while saying, "Ay'm mayor Delta Dawn, leaduurr ov the Country Western Trolls. Gotta say, we didn't think we'd be seein' ayy Pop Troll all the way out here."
Pop-Pop chuckled while saying, "Well, feelin' mutual, Ms. Dawn as ay didn't think I'd be running into you Trolls out here either; love the accent by the way."
Holly went next, giving Pop-Pop a hug while saying, "Ay'm Holly Darlin', the Country ambassador, ayn' it's sure sugar sweet ta be meetin' ya, good sir"!
After Holly let him go, Buckaroo came forward, saying while shaking hands with Pop-Pop, "Ayn' ay'm Buckaroo Ringuurr, Lonesome Flats ayn Trollstopia's finest detective."
"Well, well, maybe you can help me solve the mystery of where my hat's gone," Pop-Pop replied jokingly, earning a chuckle in response from the detective.
Aggie went next, approaching Pop-Pop while saying, "Hi! I'm Aggie, the Master of all Music"!
Pop-Pop smiled while saying, "Definitely looks like it; ya got ayy part ov ever' genre of music on ya"!
Aggie chuckled while answering, "Well, that's because I'm a Magic Musical Troll; my friends helped me earn my True Colors months ago, and I got a special physical attribute and color of each of the 6 main genres of music"!
Pop-Pop was very surprised, saying, "Well I'll be a Cocoa-ola's uncle; didn't even know that MMTs existed; you're one lucky Troll, Ms. Aggie."
"That she is," Trollex replied as Aggie blushed, flying over next to Trollex as Barb approached Pop-Pop next, saying, "Name's Barb, queen of the Hard Rock Trolls. Up there is Trollzart and Dante Crescendo, the leader of the Classical Trolls and his royal composer."
Pop-Pop looked up and saw the two Classical Trolls hovering above, whom both Trollzart and Dante greeted him with bows, which prompted the Pop Troll to bow back in response.
Barb then said while pointing behind her, "Over there's my ambassador: Val Thundershock, who's being held back by her little cousin."
Val, who wasn't paying attention, was still trying to get out of Melody's grip, as Melody kept a firm hold while replying, "Hi, I'm Melody! I'd wave properly, but Val's trying to fight one of our friends, so I gotta keep her restrained or it's gonna get ugly again."
McJagger, who was still holding back Laguna, who while wasn't fighting as much in his grip, did still try to reach out towards Val, went next, saying, "I'm McJagger, nice to meet you, sir! Right now, the Troll in my arms is Laguna Tidepool, who would love to say hello as soon as we can get things calmed down."
Pop-Pop noticed how Val and Laguna seemed to still be feeling agitated and nodded in acknowledgment, saying, "Ah, gotcha there, swampers. Tell ya what, it might feel a little less tense if we all talk somewhere a little more peaceful and calming to help settle down those fired nerves. Why don't y'all come by my farm? I got a juice shack where y'all can sit ayn' get something to drink and rest up a bit before you continue on with whatever y'all were doing."
"That sounds like a marvelous idea, Mr. Plantroll; we'd love to take you up on your offer," Trollzart answered in response, with some of the other Trolls also nodding to show their agreement.
Pop-Pop grinned and tossed his cane up, declaring, "Woohoo," before catching his cane in one hand, using it to support himself, before he added as he led the way, "Follow me. The farm's not too far, just up a ways from this yonder brush of trees ayn' plants."
As the Trolls followed Pop-Pop down in the direction that he was leading, they were curious to know a little more about him and why he was living out in the swamps.
Dante was the first to approach him and ask a question, saying, "so, just out of my curiosity, good sir, how long have you been living out here in these barbaric swamplands"?
Pop-Pop replied happily, "Oh, I've been living here for quite some time; about 50 years give or take."
"50 years, you've been here," Dante exclaimed in surprise before Quincy asked, "Do any of the Pop Trolls from Pop Village know ow that you've been out here for so long"?
Pop-Pop nodded, saying, "Oh yeah, they do. I've moved out of the Troll Tree, or given now, the now-minted Pop Village, a long time ago, but I still keep in touch with some close friends through letters. Y'all might know one of 'em, his name is R.T. Plumegrass."
Val's eyes widened in shock upon hearing that name, making her temporarily forget about being angry to ask, "Wait a minute, R.T. Plumegrass"?
"Yeah, though he prefers being called Rufus," Pop-Pop quickly added on, the revelation earning some surprised gasps from the group
"Hot dang, ay didn't know y'all knew Rufus," Holly commented in happy shock.
"That's so cool," Melody added before asking, "Does this mean that you and Rufus grew up together"?
"Oh, ya bet, lil' swamper," Pop-Pop replied, explaining, "We went fishing a lot and did all sorts of shenanigans when we were tots. Why, I even convinced him ta put his creative mind to use in professional scrapbooking."
"Oh, we know all about that, and of his series: Glitterborn Chronicles," Aggie commented.
"Yeah, it's Val's favorite scrapbook series," Barb mentioned with a smug grin, earning a pink blush of embarrassment from Val.
Pop-Pop chuckled, saying, "Well, I'll be; never thought ay'd see a Rock Troll enjoy scrapbooks."
"A lot of things have changed over the years; our tribes have all reunited after someone "who's name I will refrain from saying" tried to do a big world tour to gather all the strings and turn us into mindless music zombies," Trollex answered, saying the air quotes bitterly due to his resentment of Barb.
"But after the strings got destroyed, we realized that our music didn't come from them, it came from us; our lives, our culture, our experiences," Low-Note Jones added on.
"Ayn' after ever'thing got resolved, we've all now been much more in harmony together," Delta stated.
"There's even a new city in Pop Village called Trollstopia," Synth added, "And there, a lot of Trolls from our tribes have come there to live together, and it's been going so *imitates airhorn noises*"!
Pop-Pop was taking all of this in and commented, "My oh my, that's brilliant as I live and breathe! Maybe someday, I'll swing by with the grandkids and come see this Trollstopia for myself."
"You definitely should, Pop-Pop," Aggie added, saying excitedly, "You'd get to meet a lot of new friends and see so many different Trolls living together"!
Then, McJagger realized something that Pop-Pop had said and quickly pointed out, "Wait a second; Pop-Pop, you have grandkids"?
Pop-Pop nodded, answering with, "You bet I do! They're back at the farm, managing things while I was out on my seed errand; y'all get ta meet 'em once we're there. Though I should warn ya, they may be cute, but they are as energetic as a bussle of baby bumblebees."
"Ay know how ya feel; ay got a nephew back home who tires me out with his energy," Buckaroo replied with a chuckle, earning chuckles from the group as well.
As they continued to walk, Melody, who was still holding Val, and McJagger, who was still holding Laguna, thought that maybe it was now a good time to let them go and hope that they could both walk together without attacking each other in an argument again. With that in mind, McJagger was the fist to speak, saying, "So, I think that there has now been a good amount of time for you both to cool of a bit and hopefully not want to strangle each other."
"So, if we let you both go, will you both walk calmly and without fighting again," Melody asked them, though her eyes gazed more upon Val in concern since she knew how riled up Val could get when she was angry.
Val looked at Melody before asking bitterly, "Depends; do I have to be near this jerk while walking," while pointing to Laguna.
Laguna, who felt very offended, angrily snarled back, "Excuse me?! Like you're one to talk"!
McJagger, not wanting another conflict to come about, quickly addressed, "Ok, easy, easy, both of you. Let's have some good vibes between us, ok? Good vibes, good vibes."
Val and Laguna both shouted in unison, "Not helping," which prompted the red Funk Troll to keep quiet nervously.
Val then rolled her eyes before saying, more angered than annoyed, "Ok, fine, I will not fight with Laguna, so long as I can walk a good distance away from her."
"Note: I agree on those terms as I have no instance in wanting to be near Val right now," Laguna bitterly spat back in reply.
Melody and McJagger looked at one another before they both let go of Val and Laguna, with Val stretching her arms up while Laguna took a minute to stretch a knot that was in her back out. Val then crossed her arm and proceeded to walk over to where Holly and Synth were, with both ambassadors seeing Val no longer wanting to fight, but the angered look she had still showed that there was bad animosity still residing.
Melody let out a sigh of relief before saying, "Man, I really hope things can get settled soon between them."
"I'm sure that Val and Laguna will forgive each other in no time, Mel," McJagger reassuringly stated, adding, "Grudges, or anger, go away in time. Plus, in the meantime, we can help them calm down a bit and feel less angry. Watch," before he walked over to where Laguna was walking, and said, "So, boo, would you feel better if I offered you a personal ride over to Pop-Pop's farm"?
Laguna's eyes gazed up at McJagger while she replied, though her tone of voice sounded bothered, "Not in the mood right now, McJagger," and walked ahead of him, creating some distance between them.
McJagger let out a small sigh while Melody commented, "This is gonna be a little harder than we thought," while they caught up with the group, walking beside them.
10 minutes of walking later, the Trolls noticed that they were coming up across a gigantic mushroom-shaped housing unit surrounded by fields that were full of growing vegetables and fruits and a little red shed where tools were placed. The house is quite old and is made from the stump of a tree; it had a small yellow wooden front door and a circular window beside it; there was also a bio-luminescent mushroom implanted beside the door, acting as the light of the front porch. The house appears to have three floors and has a red wooden roof with a large branch protruding from the side, with moss and grass also seen prominently growing throughout the exterior of the house. The house also had a small wooden chimney set atop the third floor's roof, and a back porch also had access to a small lake where a wooden ship was currently moored. A large sign with Pop-Pop's face labeled "Pop-Pop Veggie Garden" was seen greeting the front of the farm.
Next to the housing unit, there was also another mushroom-shaped building, but a little bit smaller than the other one, and it had lanterns decorating the roof; the roof was blue, and the stump it was built out of was brown. There was a large serving window that showed the kitchen inside of the juice shack, and there were tables made from old lilypads and mushroom stubs that acted as chairs where customers could sit and get something to drink.
"Welcome to the Plantrolls' farm," Pop-Pop declared as he walked up to the entrance of the housing unit, pointing to the left first, saying, "On your first is one of my best vegetable gardens that you've ever seen"!
The Trolls turned their heads and saw the first field that had a massive vegetable garden, with plenty of ripe, delicious veggies that looked ready to be picked, while others seemed to be still growing, needing a little more time to grow.
Pop-Pop then pointed to the right, saying, "And on your right is the juice shack; there, you can get whatever kind of drink ya want."
"And this here," before turning around and pointing to the housing complex, saying, "Is my home. It's where the grandkids and I live, and it has plenty of room where if any night-stayers come by, they can spend the night here and not have to get lost roaming around the swamp like a hootenanny."
He then knocked on the door and shouted, "Springer, Paula, I'm back, and we have guests"!
He then stepped back, and everyone watched the door open, and on cue, two little Trollings came running out to greet the guests,
One of them was a little male Pop Troll, who looked to be about 5 years old, and he had turquoise skin, light purple eyes, an orange nose, and appeared to be wearing a swamp green vest with gold buttons, dark purple shorts with brown stitching on it, and a pair of grey goggles on his head.
Standing next to the little Pop Troll was a little Funk Troll, a female, and she looked to be about 4 years old, a year younger than the male Pop Troll Trolling. She, like him, also had turquoise skin, but it was in a more faded tone, and she also had bright blue stripes. She had cyan blue deadlock hair with a yellow/light-yellow polka-dotted bow on top of her head, purple eyes, an orange nose, and 4 light blue legs, making her quadruped, like Cooper and Prince D.
"Awwwww, they are so cute," Holly exclaimed in awe, already feeling like her heart was gonna melt from how cute the kids were.
Pop-Pop felt his grandkids hug his side as he introduced them, saying while introducing the Pop Troll first, "This lil' guy right here is Springer."
Springer grinned while saying, "Hiya! Nice to meet you, folks! Did you guys come all the way from the main Troll kingdom"?
"Indeed we have traveled a long way from our homeland on a remarkable journey," Trollzart responded.
Springer then looked over at Queen Barb, and he instantly felt in awe of her, running over to her while saying, "Woah! you look so cool! What happened to your ear? did you lose it while fighting a monster? I like the nets on your legs! Is it true that you can dive into fire and not get burned"?
Barb, on a regular day, would feel overwhelmed by the energy of a little kid, but in Springer's case, seeing how much he seemed inspired by her made the Rock Queen grin and chuckle, stating, "I like this guy."
Pop-Pop then introduced the little Funk Troll, saying, "and this here is my adopted granddaughter: Paula. My eldest grandchild Anne found her in the swamp when she was just an egg and brought her home, and we've been raising her ever since."
Paula giggled and ran over to them, saying, "Hello"!
Essence couldn't help but pick up the little girl, saying, "Aww, you are so adorable; Q, doesn't she remind you of our own kids back home"?
"You bet; she's definitely got spunk," Quincy added as Paula crawled up onto Essence's back, then leaped up onto Quincy's back, saying, "Wow, you two look just like me! Are we long-lost relatives that my grandpa didn't tell me about"?
Quincy and Essence both shared a laugh before Quincy replied as he placed Paula back onto the ground, "Not exactly, but we do share the same music genre."
Paula then ran up to Aggie, saying, "Wow, you're so colorful! I like your tail"!
Aggie flicked her Techno tail gently while saying, "Aww, thank you! i love your bow; it's very becoming of you."
Paula playfully stuck her tongue out, saying, "It's not becoming of me, it is me! And I'll prove it to anyone who doubts it"1
Springer was meeting the Country Trolls, currently talking to Delta while asking, "You look so strong; can you lift up everything"?
Delta chuckled and replied while flexing her arm, "Well, ay don't know about ever'thing, but we are pretty strong. Our strength helps us move lots ov heavy things back in Lonesome Flats."
Pop-Pop then approached his grandkids, with Paula and Springer turning around to face him as he asked, "Say, where's Anne"?
"She went to go help Marcy and Sasha with their strawberry harvest down the creek," Springer replied.
"She said that she'd be back by sundown to help with the garden and make supper," Paula added on.
Trollex looked at the vegetable garden again while asking, "Did you guys grow all of those vegetables by yourself"?
"Ya bet we did; Plantrolls are great at farming," Springer declared happily while pounding his chest in determination.
"And getting into trouble," Paula added playfully, nudging Springer's side, which caused the two siblings to push each other playfully.
Pop-Pop chuckled before breaking up the play fight, telling his grandkids, "Ok, you two, easy. Why don't you both go squeeze some juice up for our guests over by the shack"?
Springer and Paula nodded before they ran over to the juice shack, opening and closing the side door as the trolls gathered around to watch in curiosity. Val, however, didn't go to watch, as she simply walked over to the doorframe by the housing complex, and leaned up against it; she was still feeling very sour, and wanted some time to herself to clear her head and process her emotions.
Meanwhile, everyone else had gathered by the window to watch how the kids worked together to make the juice.
Springer pulled out some big berries; pineapple berry, raspberry, cranberry, etc., and threw them into some baskets that were on a large counter, each basket having a silver nozzle at the bottom that seemed to act like a faucet.
Paula, meanwhile, grabbed some cups and placed a few of them over by each basket, about 3-4 cups at a time with each basket. Then, she leaped into the first basket that as full of blueberries and began to jump up and down, using her feet to squeeze the berries into juice. As the berries were being pressed, the juice poured out of the nozzle spilling into the 4 cups that were underneath. Once that basket was empty, she leaped into the next basket full of pineapple berries, doing the same thing as before, squeezing out pineapple juice.
"Ooh," everyone commented in awe.
"Wowee! Look at them go," Melody exclaimed in awe.
"Bro, look at all that good jhuice they're makin'," Synth declared happily while pointing to the cups of juice that were getting filled as Paula began to squeeze the raspberries in the next basket.
"Howee, that there's ayy fast process they got," Buckaroo commented, impressed to see very strong technical footwork.
"Yep; the grandkids are very energetic and often when I'm tending the fields, they help out ta burn off some of that energy," Pop-Pop explained, adding, "Springer's all about the picking and the tilling, and Paula loves ta stomp out pests and squeeze juice for us. Makes good use of all four feet."
Soon, Paula leaped out of the last basket and went to grab some trays, tossing them to her brother, who caught them, picked up the cups of juice, and placed them on the trays to serve.
She helped pick up one of the trays and they served the juice to the Trolls, saying in unison, "Anyone thirsty"?
"Wow," the group all commented in awe, some of the Trolls clapping while others cheered.
"Hot dang! You two work really well togethuurr," Holly exclaimed.
"That was truly a marvelous display of teamwork and clever fruit processing," Dante added on.
"Thanks; we love to juice together," Paula declared.
"Now, drink up, guys," Springer declared while offering a cup of blueberry juice to one of the Trolls.
One by one, each Troll was offered a cup of juice and delivered a bunch of thank yous to the Plantroll kids before proceeding to sip from their chosen cups, enjoying the rich, sweet taste of homemade fruit juice.
"This is so good," McJagger exclaimed while sipping on his cup of raspberry juice.
"So rich, so flavorful, elegant," Trollzart commented while drinking his cup of blueberry juice.
"Not bad, definitely not as sweet as punch, and I love it," Barb declared before basically guzzling down her cup of blackberry juice.
"Yesiree," Pop-Pop declared before stating, "We strive for all the best natural treats on our farm, from veggies to drinks. Follow me, and I'll show you some of the vegetables we grow," before leading the Trolls to the nearby field near the house. However, Laguna stayed behind, sitting at one of the tables, as while she wanted to see the fields, she wanted to process what was on her mind at the moment and needed some time alone to do so.
Melody was following the group when she noticed something that caught her attention.
Melody saw the anTrollpologist sitting by herself at one of the tables, glumly looking at the cup of pineapple juice in her hands. The Pop/Rock Troll then turned her attention over to where Val was, leaning up against the doorframe of the housing complex, looking away from the sight of the juice shack, out at the vast swampland beyond, masking the saddened/hurt look on her face. The tensions between them from their argument were still as thick as heavy whipped butter, and if things didn't cool down soon, who knows what could come of their journey?
Deciding to take matters into her own hands, she got up from her seat and walked over to Laguna, asking, "Hey, mind if I sit with ya"?
Laguna didn't look up from her current position but did move her hand and pulled back one of the empty chairs next to her, letting Melody sit down, pushing herself in.
Melody then broke the ice right away, saying, "Alright, I'm gonna come out and say it right off the bat: what Val said was not good, and I apologize for it on her behalf. BUT, it doesn't excuse that what YOU said to her was not good either; if anything, it was worse."
Laguna's expression grew a little angered in response as Melody then stated while crossing her arms, "I get it; it wasn't right of Val to say that she hoped that you find your mom dead, but in her defense, she only said it because you got her really riled up talking about her mom, Laguna. It's a really hard subject for Val, and you made it sound like it wasn't a big deal, which it IS, especially for her."
She then added, "Look. I understand that you are feeling stressed and anxious about wanting to find your mom, and we all understand this, but what you need to understand is that you also have to consider yourself grateful that there's that possibility that your mom is still alive. Like Delta said before, not everyone still have living relatives around, so it makes the subject matter all the more essential for a Troll, no matter if a person they love is dead, alive, or in danger, so not everyone is lucky like you are. and it also doesn't give you any right to boss us around; we're only trying to help you, and we know how important this is, but if you keep making it harder for us to help you, then you'll be pushed away from the support, especially if there's danger."
She then mentioned, "Plus Val was also right to mention that you don't know how her family life's been, so it gives you no right to bluntly talk about it when you don't even know the circumstances of her mother."
Laguna's expression softened again, still pertaining to its initial glumness, but now showed a more vulnerable emotion: regret. Melody could tell that Laguna really regretted what she had said to Val.
Laguna, meanwhile, looked up at Melody and asked, "Is it true that...Val's mom...took her own life"?
Melody nodded, saying, "Val doesn't like to talk about it but...yeah. I never got to really know Val's mom, but when I heard what happened, it shook me as bad as it shook Val."
Laguna then asked, "If I may inquire...what did Val mean when she said that her mom died...because of her"?
Melody took a deep breath before explaining, "It's a long story. See, Val was born under...hard circumstances. Her mom had a teen pregnancy and gave birth to Val when she was 18."
Laguna let out a gasp, commenting, "18"?
Melody nodded, continuing, "The worst part was that the guy who knocked her up gave her no consent to even say no or refuse the action of...you know, and then he wanted nothing to do with her after he found out about her pregnancy. Then came when Val's grandparents disowned her, and it left her out on the edges of Volcano Rock City with nowhere to go and a baby on the way. My adopted mom, Mal, had seen what had happened and she took her in, giving Val's mom shelter and a safe place to raise a kid. Soon, Val was born, and the post-partum depression settled in right after: her mom found it hard to be...happy with raising Val. It wasn't that she didn't love her, but with everything that happened that led to her giving birth; the guy who got her pregnant, the forced "action" that led to her getting pregnant, getting disowned by her parents, Val's grandparents, it took a toll on her. Like life got...sucked out of her."
Laguna didn't speak a word as Melody explained the story, but the anTrollpologist couldn't even believe it herself; Val's mom had gone through so much, it was no wonder why she found it hard to...properly tend to her child after Val was born.
Melody then said, "So, Val's mom had post-partum depression for years, and Mal and Bill did the best they could to help her during that time, helping her raise Val and watching her when Val's mom went to the doctor's or a rock show, treated her like family. Soon after...I was adopted into the family by Mal and Bill, and Val became my older cousin through there, but it didn't do much to help with her mom's depression. Years passed, and after Bill died, things...were hard, but the upside was that Val's mom looked like she was getting better; she didn't seem as depressed anymore and took more initiative in helping to raise Val. She even got married to a new guy who became Val's step-dad, then Dad after he adopted her; I tell you, the guy looks so much like Val that she liked to joke that they could be brother and sister, that always got laughs. Then came...the night she left and never came back."
Laguna's heart felt like it was aching, and her gut twisted in anxiety as she asked, "What...happened that night"?
Melody explained, "So, one night, when Val was 8 and I was 6, her mom brought Val over to my mom and me, asking if she could watch Val for a few nights. She said that she was going to "a touring concert near Lonesome Flats" and share the passion of rock." My mom thought none the wiser and happily said, "Yes." I took it as Val as sleeping over for a few days...then those few days turned into a week. By the end of the week, Val was asking about when her mom was coming back and...that's when Thrash came by and...told us the news about...Val's mom."
Laguna's hands immediately shot up to cover her mouth in shock as Melody then said while gripping the edge of her jacket, "Her body was found at the bottom of a steep cliff...and the autopsy showed...she had jumped and...shattered almost every bone in her body...purposely. I was too little to understand it at the time, but when Mal told Val that...her mom wasn't coming back...she took it really hard. Even harder years later when she told us that Val's mom had committed suicide. I'm not gonna even begin to talk about the letter that Val found under his room bed the day after that talk with my mom, but...long story short, since then, she's blamed herself for her mother deciding to end her life. She felt like she was her mom's biggest regret and the sole reason that her mom was depressed and wanted to end things then and there. She felt awful for a while, and while things got better as she got older...the self-loathing never went away, and it still remains in her."
Melody could feel her own tears well up and quickly wiped them away, commenting, "Sorry, that story's hard for me to talk about; it was a family matter...and it's impacted me as much as it impacted Val."
Laguna didn't even refuse to wipe her tears away, letting them fall as she sniffled and commented, "I didn't know...all that happened."
Melody patted Laguna's shoulder while saying, "It's ok; we don't usually talk about it, especially outside of...our family. But, do you see what Val meant when she said that you don't know what it's been like for her? At least you know that your mom is possibly still alive...Val know that her mom's never coming back...and feels like it's her fault for it."
Laguna sniffled again, letting a few more tears fall before saying, "Note: I feel awful, especially for the way I had talked to Val and..." before taking a minute to wipe her tears away while saying, "I'm so sorry, for what I said."
Melody had a small smile, commenting, "Hey, I forgive you; you were just stressed, Val was stressed, you both got angry and harsh words were dealt," before saying with a frown, "But it's not me you have to apologize to."
Laguna knew very well that Melody was right; the Troll she did need to apologize to wasn't her, it was Val.
Melody then got up, saying, "I'll let you take a few minutes to reflect on this; I'll be with the others by the vegetable garden if you need me," and walked away from the table, leaving Laguna by herself again in thought.
Laguna watched as Melody walk away, stopping by Val to place a comforting hand on the ambassador's shoulder before she went out to the vegetable garden and, soon, let her mind take a moment of reflection on the conversation she had with Melody.
By the doorframe at the housing complex, Val was still leaning up against it, gazing over with a sulking expression, though every now and then, she'd look up to see her cousin and some of her friends gathered around by the vegetable garden, talking to each other while others were talking with Springer and his little sister.
Then, she heard footsteps coming up behind her but she didn't turn her head to see who it was.
It turned out to be Pop-Pop, who had a cup in his hand full of cranberry juice, which he offered to Val, asking, "Thirsty"?
"Not really," Val replied monotonously.
Pop-Pop didn't press further as he said, "Gotcha, not feeling it, huh"?
Val didn't say anything, but the slight angle at which she turned her head away from the elderly Troll told all that needed to be said. Pop-Pop's smile didn't falter as he then stated, "I feel ya; can't really enjoy somethin' when the taste of bitterness is still in your mouth, huh"?
"You said it," Val replied glumly.
Pop-Pop shook the glass slowly while standing next to Val, saying, "So, heard that ya had a bit of a bad fight with one of your friends; though ya probably don't wanna talk about what it was about, right"?
Val didn't seem to show any response to the question other than a small shake of her head that meant "no."
Pop-Pop understood, saying, "No worries, I get it, ya know? Personal matters can be touchy to touch up on, especially when it's 'bout somethin' ya don't like to think of too often. Regrets, past actions, secrets, family drama plenty of things that'll rattle your mind for a long while."
Val's gaze shifted a bit from looking out at the swampland to focusing on Pop-Pop, just to get an understanding of what he was saying.
Pop-Pop fiddled with his cane as he commented, "Though personally, I don't like to stew in 'em for too long, or else it'll spoil the good things in life, like these veggies the grandkids and I grow."
Pop-Pop then said, "You know, the kids sometimes have some heavy arguments, but in the end, they always find ways to forgive each other."
"And why's that," Val asked, though her tone held a sense of bitterness.
Pop-Pop replied, "Because in the end, they're family, and they love each other very much. It don't matter if the fights are about something small or if it gets personal. I remember one time, Springer was mad at Paula after she accidentally broke his slingshot, and he said that he didn't want her around 'cause she made things worse for the family."
Val's expression went from solemn to surprise, her mouth a bit agape in shock, as Pop-Pop continued the story, saying, "Paula took it to heart and ran away. Didn't come back by dinnertime, which was when Springer started getting all worried, and told me and Anne about her disappearing. Anne went out to look for her, and Springer stayed home, telling me what happened and what he said that caused her to run away. Poor fella felt bad about it; said that it as his fault that she was gone, 'cause he made her think she didn't love him."
Val, engrossed by the story, asked hesitantly, "W-What happened then"?
Pop-Pop smiled, saying, "Well, I first told him that what happened with the slingshot was an accident, that I could whittle him up a new one lickety-split. Then, I told him that while yes, he said some hurtful things, that it didn't mean that this was entirely his fault; he just got mad and spoke without thinking. Then, he asked me about what if Paula never came home? That she decided to run away forever because he made her feel like no one wanted her? You know what I said then"?
"What," Val asked curiously, sitting down next to Pop-Pop.
Pop-Pop replied, "I told him that family is like a tower; it can sometimes get knocked down, but you can always rebuild it better than ever with love and care. I explained that Paula matters just a much to our family as any other Troll did, and that even if she was mad at him or anyone else, it wouldn't mean she'd never want to come back home. Sometimes we hurt each other unintentionally, but it don't mean we don't love each other; and no matter what happens, you would always be welcomed back home with open, loving arms. Anne soon found Paula and was able to bring her back, whereas then Springer apologized to her for what he said and Paula apologized to him for running off. the pair made up and things went back to normal afterward."
Val was left in shock after hearing the story, which gave Pop-Pop the chance to drop a little advice, saying, "So ya see, Val, yeah, your friend might've said some hurtful things, maybe ya said some things back at her, but in the end, it don't mean that she doesn't care. And I know that you still care about her, too, right"?
Val gave a slow nod, saying, "Yeah, she may be a classic bookworm nerd at times, but...she's my friend. We all just wanna help her, even if things get...stressful"
"And friends make up just as much as your family as biological blood does. Sometimes, a lil' just needs to spill before the wounds can properly heal," Pop-Pop commented.
Just then, both Trolls heard someone approach them and turned their heads, seeing Laguna standing in front of them, giving a small wave while asking, "Uh, hello, am I interrupting something"?
Val didn't say anything at first, but Pop-Pop replied, "Oh, not at all; Val and I was just having a chat together. Do ya need to talk"?
Laguna nodded in response, saying, "I do, actually. Um, do you mind, or should I wait"?
"Go right 'head," Pop-Pop said as he got up, stepping forward so Laguna could sit where he was sitting as Pop-Pop went to go check on the garden, leaving the Rock ambassador and the anTrollpologist by themselves to talk.
Laguna and Val didn't say anything to each other for a while until Laguna spoke up, saying, "Val, look, I am so sorry for what I said to you. I never should have brought up the topic of your mother in our conversation, and I shouldn't have made it sound like her death wasn't a big deal. I was stressed, and it just made me angry and said a lot of regrettable things to you."
Val looked at Laguna solemnly before saying, "Don't beat yourself up too hard about it; I said some nasty things to you, too."
"But it doesn't excuse what I did or how I behaved," Laguna stated, saying, "I didn't know how much your mother's death had affected you. I acted like a jerk, and I feel awful for it."
"Well, I can't really blame you; you were stressed out, and I just probably made things feel worse for you," Val replied, adding, "I know that this mission means a lot to you."
"It does, but my friends' well-being means a lot more," Laguna mentioned in response, saying, "And you were only just trying to help me relax; I appreciate it, and I apologize that I tried to push that support away."
Val then said, "Hey, apology accepted, Tidepool."
Laguna then said, "There's something else I do need to tell you, though."
"What? Gonna reveal another family secret to me," Val remarked with a playful smile.
Laguna playfully rolled her eyes and snickered, saying, "No, it's not that, but it IS important, and it's something I think you need to hear."
Then, before Val could comprehend the situation, Laguna pulled her into a hug and said, "What happened in the past was not, and never was, your fault, Val. I can't speak for how your mom felt as I didn't know her, but what I DO know is that deep down, under all the hurt she was feeling, she truly did love you. She went through some bad things and was hurt in ways that I can relate to her in, so I know the pain of feeling sad when someone you thought that you could trust can hurt you. But despite it, she was still able to stay strong enough to give birth to this beautiful, strong, energetic, passionate Troll that we see today, and I know that while your birth may have been unexpected in her eyes, I feel that it was expected, because you were born for a reason: to do great things in the Thundershock name. And I know that your mom loves you for being who you are, Val; I can't say if she ever really regretted giving birth to you or not because, like you said, I don't know her and never have known her, but I know that she didn't regret raising you, because you've grown up to be a great person who, even while still learning, is making a great person of themselves."
Laguna's words were hitting close to home for Val, who listened in shock as tears welled up in her eyes, and she quietly sobbed into Laguna's shoulders while Laguna continued to speak, saying, "You shouldn't blame yourself for your mom choosing to end her life Val because YOU are not the reason why; I can't speak for what went through her head at the time or the factors that had her feeling continuously depressed, but I know that even to the end, she never stopped loving you, Val. You're not a regrettable mistake, never have, and never will. We love you, Val, and I know your mom does, too. I bet right now, she's looking down on us, and she's happy to see the person you're growing into."
Val's sobs were a little louder but not too loud to draw attention as she cried for what felt like minutes, all while Laguna kept holding Va close to her.
McJagger watched from the zucchini patch of the vegetable garden, feeling tears of pride well up, feeling proud to see his girlfriend helping Val like this. Melody was standing next to him, wiping away her own tears as she watched Val being openly vulnerable for the first time in what felt like years with someone consoling her.
Soon, Laguna could hear Val's sobs soften up, and felt the Rock ambassador pull away, sniffling while trying to rid the last few tear drops, saying, "Ah geez, my mascara's gonna be messed up later."
"How do you feel, Val," Laguna asked in sincerity.
Val smiled, saying, "Better, a lot better. I haven't felt this way in such a long time; I kept repressing it so much because it was so hard for me to think about it without breaking into a crying mess in front of the other Rock Trolls."
Laguna smiled, saying, "Well, sometimes, a good cry will do you more good than it would bad."
Val then said, "Thanks, Laguna, for...this. I never thought I'd ever need to hear that, but...thank you."
"You're my friend, Val, and you mean just as much to me as the rest of our friends does," Laguna replied with a smile, gently punching Val on the shoulder as the tradition of the Rock Trolls. she then asked, "Do you forgive me for being such a jerk"?
Val crossed her arms and chuckled, saying, "Well, it depends on whether or not you can forgive me for noogieing you."
Laguna was a little confused, stating, "But you haven't noogied me-," before getting interrupted by Val, who put the anTrollpologist in a headlock, noogieing her with her free hand while shouting, "Gotcha"!
"Val," Laguna shouted while expressing her laughter, pulling away from the headlock and creating some distance between them, both Trolls breaking into laughter.
"Well, well, looks like you two have patched things up together," Trollzart commented as he and the other Trolls, who had finished up helping in the vegetable garden and were occupied by Springer and Paula, came over to them.
"Yeah, you two look well-simmered ayn' cheerful now aftuurr that tense faheet from earlier," Delta stated.
"Have you both gotten to talk things out," Aggie asked curiously.
Val crossed her arms while saying, "Eh, we're cool now; got things worked out."
"And had apologies made where due," Laguna added.
"That's good to hear; we wouldn't want you two fighting all the way to the Catacombs of Music," Essence mentioned.
The sound of the site made Springer and Paula curious, with Springer saying, "What's a catacomb"?
"And what's a catacomb of music," Paula asked in confusion.
Laguna explained to them, "Well, a catacomb is a large temple-like area that you can enter and explore. It's usually filled with lots of artifacts and ancient writing and all sorts of hieroglyphical standards. And the Catacombs of Music is where we're all going."
"Yeah, we're trying to find Laguna's mom, who's been said to have gone missing while going to explore there," Aggie added on.
"We've so far crossed ayy vast desert with silver pyramids, ayn' crossed Bubble Swamp's rushing rivuurr," Holly lsted off where they had gone to so far.
"And almost died going over a waterfall," Trollex mentioned, shivering slightly.
"But survived and are just as amped to keep going, looking for the twin Tikki Troll statues," Melody exclaimed.
Springer then seemed to remember something, asking, "What's a Tikki Troll"?
"Isn't that those twin statues over by the edge of the farm," Paula pointed out curiously/in confusion.
This perked the Troll's attention, prompting Aggie to ask, "What do you mean "twin statues"?
Pop-Pop seemed to know what the kids were talking about, quickly piping in with, "Oh, you mean those two statues that lead that path that goes through the Forest of No Return? Where you two AREN'T supposed to be playing near"?
Springer and Paula cheekily grinned while Paula said, "It's not like we're going in the forest; just paying by it and-,"
"Wait a second," Laguna interrupted, asking, "Could we...see these statues that you're talking about"?
Pop-Pop thought about it before saying, "Sure, I could show ya, but are you sure ya wanna see it"?
"Yes; according to Laguna's map, we need to find twin statues to head to our next landmark to find the Catacombs of Music," McJagger replied.
"Well, all ya gotta do is just go down this path here," Pop-Pop said while pointing his cane down the direction they had to follow, before adding, "Turn left, pass some daisies and you'll find it. But you gotta be careful; that there ahead is the Forest of No Return. Swamp legends say that it's guarded by a fierce foe who blocks anyone who tresspasses its land, never to be heard from again."
The Trolls all looked at each other nervously before Laguna said, "Well, we're not afraid. We'll face this forest head on if we have to to get to the Catacomsb of Music."
Pop-Pop admired her bravery, saying, "Well then, if you're sure, then go ahead and check it out, see if that is where you need to go. And if so, then good luck to you, Trolls; I hope you find it and you find your maw, Ms. Laguna."
"Thank you again for everything, Mr. Pop-Pop," Val commented.
"And thank you again for the juice," Synth added, saying, "It's gotten us all re-energeized."
"You're very welcome, y'all," Pop-Pop replied, saying, "you all can come back whenever you'd like; if you ever need a homecooked meal or a drink or a place to stay, you know where to come to."
"Good luck on your journey," Springer added.
"Kick a monster's butt for me," Paula added while jumping around.
The Trolls waved goodbye to the little Plantroll family before they made their way down the direction that Pop-Pop pointed them to.
They went down the hill and turned left, walking along the edge of where the farm stood, passing a small field of daises that grew along the edge of the grass.
They made it to where the path intertwined into a pathway that led into a deep forest, and to the Trolls' surprise, what they saw was that greeting the forest was a twin set of Troll statues that looked like tikki totem poles. Each statue had a leaf crown on its head and hula skirts around its waists.
Quincy pulled out the remote and accessed the digital map to compare the image of the Tikki Troll statues to that of the statues in front of them, saying, "It's a match! These are the Tikki Troll statues"!
"They were here by the PlanTroll farm this whole time," Barb exclaimed in shock.
"Guess all it took for us to find them was us going over a waterfall and getting lost to find them," Val commented with a shrug.
"That plus, you and Laguna fighting each other and making up again," Aggie added with a playful smug, earning a chuckle from Val and Laguna.
"So, now that we know that this is the path we need ta go, what do we have ta faand in this forest as our next landmark," Delta asked.
Laguna inspected the digital map before saying, "Based on the design here, it looks like we need to find a flower. Specifically, a blue-and-pink marigold."
"Marigolds? I love marigolds," Melody squealed excitedly.
Laguna then added, "When we find the flower, it says that it will greet the path that'll take us straight to the Catacombs of Music"!
"So, what are we standin' round here faw," Holly declared, shouting, "Let's go in"!
"Onward into the forest of no return," Laguna announced as everyone began to proceed into the forest, walking past the statues and entering the brush of forest green.
"I still don't know why Pop-Pop would say that this is the "Forest of No Return," Dante commented, saying, "all that is around us is green plants and more plants."
"Yeah, and what fiendish kind of thing would be here to stop us from going through here," Trollex added, saying, "so far, all I see is us going through without a problem."
"Yeah, what could possibly go wrong," McJagger stated optimistically as the group passed a bush while walking along the path, determined to make it to the other side.
What no Troll saw, however, was that within the bush, a pair of royal blue eyes stuck out, noticing the group of Trolls that were walking through and the figure whom it belonged to remained hidden, using the shadows of the trees and plants to make them as they followed the group quietly.
Back over by the rickety golf course, Branch, Poppy, John Dory, Bruce, and Tiny Diamond were still being welcomed by Viva.
Viva ran up to each Troll one by one and enveloped them in a big ol' hug; John Dory felt squished, Bruce was happily taken aback but appreciated the gesture, and Branch got swung around like a merry-go-round, which while was very dizzying, was a much better feeling than when Bruce and John Dory had picked him up earlier.
"Hi," Viva said as she gave Poppy a hug next, the Pop Queen happily hugging back, while very static to be meeting Viva; there was just something about her that made Poppy feel so...bright! Like whenever she was hanging out with her friends or hugging them, was this what it felt like? Was this how her friends felt when she was with them?
Viva then let go of Poppy and told her, speaking very fast, "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."
"Fantastamawesome," Poppy replied, trying to come up with her own little word, and while she bit her lip, knowing that it was slightly based on "fantastamazing," it was hard; that word "fantastamazing" was the greatest word combo she ever heard of! How could anyone compete with that?
Viva, to her luck, thought Poppy's word was very adorable, telling her in praise, "That's different, but that works too; way to make it your own."
Poppy was so speechless; Viva was charming, energetic, friendly, fun; dare she say, she felt a little...overwhelmed. It was no wonder that Poppy could see that this was most likely how others might've felt whenever she was around them.
She quickly ran over to Branch, asking him in a slight whisper, "Is this how people feel when they meet me"?
"Yes," Branch replied, still feeling unsure about all of this; they were trying to find Clay in this joint, not this...Poppy look-a-like.
Before anyone could properly question things, Viva interrupted them, saying, "Am I being a lot? Sometimes I can be a lot."
"I know how that feels, but it's like, you can't help it," Poppy replied, telling Viva, "It's like you just wanna-,"
"Let your excitement cover the whole world," both Poppy and Viva replied in unison, which made both girls squeal in unison and then comment together, "Exactly! Jinx! double jinx! Puppies and rainbows and butterfly kisses! Ah, yes"!
"I'm getting dizzy just watching those two go at it," John Dory commented while holding his head.
Meanwhile, Branch was still feeling very unsure that they were in the right spot, commenting as he took a nervous step back, "I'm not sure we're in the right place."
Viva then quickly reassures him by saying, "'Course, you're in the right place; any Troll is welcome here with us."
"Wait, what do you mean by-," Bruce started to ask before suddenly, there was a light vibration that could be felt on the ground, and the sound of "PuttPutt" chants could be heard in the distance.
The group turned their heads and saw a plethora of colorful golf balls, which were all colored Trolls with the same frizzy/wavy hairstyle as Viva but in different attributes, roll up towards Viva. Once they had gathered around her, they unfurled, revealing to all share similar clothing appearances with Viva; some had the same diamond-patterned clothing, and others were wearing pots or grass patches on their heads to help them blend in with the surroundings.
Viva told the arriving Trolls around her, "Okay, PuttPutt trolls, lights on for our new friends"!
Suddenly, someone flicked a light switch on, and in an instant, the darkness that surrounded the area went away, revealing the true colors of the entire golf course! The statues, all illuminated and showing to be ones of very weird creatures, the holes glowing brightly, and even the sign at the front where Rhonda was parked was now illuminated, showing to have a gigantic statue of a Bergen dressed as a golfer, and the title saying "Hole in Fun: Mini Golf," which was the name of the place.
"Wow," Bruce commented in awe while Tiny Diamond peeked his head out and went back into the baby harness.
"Ooh," John Dory stated in curiosity.
"Wow," Poppy declared in awe while Branch looked around in surprise.
Viva then asked the group curiously, "Oh, my gosh; are you guys hungry? Are you thirsty"?
Tiny Diamond, at the sound of getting some food and something to drink, egaerly shouted, "Yes," in response.
Viva immediately stated as she sensed what to get the new "arrivals" in the golf course, "Fries? Fries! You guys want fries; I am seeing fries"1
She then told the PuttPutt Trolls, "Bring out the works," as they went to go get some food prepared for the group.
"Milkshakes to celebrate," Viva added eagerly, wanting to pull out all the stops to celebrate the arrival of the group.
The PuttPutt Trolls moved like lightning, getting as much food prepared for them for the occasion. One PuttPutt Troll in a wheelchair wheeled over to them a large serving container full of cries; another PuttPutt Troll brought out a serving container of corn dogs lathered in ketchup and mustard and while another one placed over a huge cup filled with possibly whatever crazy beverage was in there.
Then, two more PuttPutt Trolls placed out a huge banana sundae lathered in ice cream and to top it all off, a huge glass with a strawberry milkshake, loads of whipped cream, and cherry on top, was set right in the middle of it all.
Everyone couldn't believe their eyes; Poppy, especially!
"Woah, and i thought I went all out when it comes to guests, but this takes the cake," Poppy commented in stunned surprise, holding her head while smiling brightly.
Then, to the group's surprise again, Viva downed the entire milkshake, drinking it all up in one long slurp through the straw; the Troll eagerly said as she felt her adrenaline pump and her feet move quickly like lightning, "Whoo! That's better; now I finally have some energy"!
With a new burst of energy, Viva leaped forward and wile zooming right past Poppy, in but only a fraction of a second, had braided Poppy's hair into a long gorgeous braid, using purple, pink, and green ribbons to decorate the smaller braids and tied it up with a cute yellow scrunchy.
Poppy saw the braid that had now replaced her ponytail and eagerly asked Viva, "Did you just braid my hair"?
Viva came up to Poppy, replying happily, "You're welcome; it looks so good"!
"I love it," Poppy declared happily while hugging the braid.
As the girls were getting to know each other, Branch and his two eldest brothers were examining, or in Bruce's case, eating, the food liad out for them.
John Dory had taken a piece of corn dog and ate it, chewing it before saying, "This is the greatest corn dog I've ever eaten"!
Branch was looking at one of the fries that Bruce was holding while Bruce was telling Viva, "Wow, these fries are amazing. They'd really go great with a burger."
Just then, all of the PuttPutt Trolls started to scream in panic and ran off, hiding away in different areas of the gol course; it was like something was coming to hurt them, and they immediately reacted pro quo to the incoming "threat."
"What is happening," Bruce asked in confusion.
"Did we say something wrong, " John Dory asked with an unsure shrug.
Viva informed them in response, "Yeah, we try not to use that word around 's just that "burger" sounds a little too much like, uh..." before whispering as softly as she could, "Bergens."
Even just the sound of the word "Bergen" in a whisper sent the PuttPutt Trolls into another panic-fest.
Branch and Poppy eyed the way that the PuttPutt Trolls reacted and both shared a solemn expression; if they were still scared of the Bergens, it only meant one thing: that they must not have known that the Bergens had reformed and they no longer ate Trolls anymore. At the same time, it also brought back very hard memories of their days of youth; back when they used to live in the Troll Troll before the fateful Trolstice escape; Poppy had only just been born for about a week before the day that Peppy led the escape, but even then, the stories she heard of what the Bergens did in the past gave her a healthy fear of the Bergens, just as these PuttPutt Trolls had. As for Branch, seeing the PuttPutt Trols scared reminded him of the same fearful expression that his grandma had...the day that she got eaten.
Just then, everyone's train of thought got broken when they hears a voice declare, "We call burgers..."
From the shadows of a climbing structure above, a tall male Troll emerged, dawning the same teal blue skin tone of Branch and his brothers, but in a slightly "greener" tone, thick bushy lime-green hair that stuck out in all places, and appeared to be tall and slender. He dawned a green sweater-romper with the same diamond pattern that was on Viva's stocking and yellow exercise bands on both his wrists. The Troll looked down at them and said in a serious, almost threatening voice, "Meat circles."
At the sight of this new Troll standing there, Branch couldn't help but narrow his eyes, eyeing one strange detail that made him stand out: those exercise bands around the wrists. He knew better than anyone that only Clay wore them because he had always been fascinated with the energetic fashion choices that went well with his spectacular dancing skills, but he didn't seem to resemble Clay. It took a minute for Branch to come to the realization and drop his jaw in shock, feeling like it was gonna drop out of his skull; those exercise bands on the wrists meant one thing: this Troll was none other than the one, the only, the middle child of Brozone: Clay!