#trollsau

Poppy closed the scrapbook everyone presumed to be from the beginning. ”Twenty years ago today, King Peppy made us safe. And now every Troll is free to be happy and live in perfect...”

The trollings harmonized with her, “Harmony!” 

“This is the last thing I remember before I came here,” Poppy revealed. 

“I remember coming here before the morning song! I wonder what it looks like here!” Smidge wondered aloud.

“And that’s why we hug every hour,” one of them said.

”Yep!” Poppy smiled.

“I wish it was every half hour,” a slightly disappointed trolling muttered, tracing circles on the ground.

Branch visibly cringed at this. “You would have even less time to do literally anything productive?” 

“Hugging is productive!” Poppy countered.

Branch internally facepalmed.

”We still have plenty of time to do other activities, Branch,” Creek pointed out.

Why did Creek feel the need to be so bothersome? And only to him?

”So do I,” Poppy agreed, “But that wouldn’t save much time for singing and dancing, now would it?” 

“Princess Poppy, do the bergens still want to eat us?” a trolling asked.

”You bet!” she answered, making horrified gasps cast around the room.

”Seems like you don’t care about that though,” Branch said.

Poppy turned to him with genuine confusion. “Is this about the party? We’ll be fine!”

“Yeah sure. Whatever floats your boat.”

“But just because it's the only way they'll ever be happy,” Poppy explained.

“Oh, no. I DO taste delicious.”

“Isn't there anything else to make them happy?”

“Ooh! What about having birthday parties?” A trolling suggested.

“Or slumber parties?”

“Or staring at your parents while they sleep,” Keith said, which gave the other trollings obvious discomfort. 

“Well isn’t that pleasant,” Branch commented sarcastically. 

“Creepy…” Chenille shuttered.

”Oh yeah… I don’t really know why he says things like that, I’m sure he just—Yeah,” Poppy said, realizing the kid was just naturally creepy.

”What an odd one indeed,” King Peppy agreed, nodding.

“But I don't want to be food,” the trolling whined.

“Don't worry. No Troll ever will be,” Poppy assured. “And that's why we're celebrating with the biggest party ever, everybody's gonna be there.”

“Everybody?” Keith asked from her hair, turning his head sideways.

“Everybody,” she said, trying to mimic him. She then took out her cowbell and began to hit it.

”Please don’t tell me I have to watch a musical number,” Branch groaned. 

“Awh, it’s the least you can do since you never are there for the morning song!” Poppy said.

”Everybody isn’t going to be there! Branch never goes to a party,” Cooper pointed out.

”Yeah, but Poppy is still convinced a part of me wants to go,” Branch explained.

”Come on, Branch! I know you have happiness inside of you!” Poppy grinned.

”Absolutely not.”

[Song plays and then ends with the trolls all in a pyramid-like formation]

Slow clapping came as the trolls breathed heavily. 

“Unbelievable guys,” Branch said.

”Oh yeah, this is accurate,” Branch said in approval, causing half the trolls to say “we know”.

“Really, really great. Good job. I could hear you from a mile away!” he said, annoyed.

“Good. I was worried we weren't projecting enough,” Poppy said with no remorse.

“Poppy, if I can hear you, so can the Bergens,” Branch said in a hushed voice.

“Oh, boy.”

“Here we go again.”

“Oh, Branch,” Biggie said almost sympathetically.

“You always ruin everything.”

“Warning us about the Bergens.” Each member of the Snack Pack shared.

“No, I don't,” he said dumbly.

Everyone turned in unison towards him. 

“What?” He said in disbelief, “It’s impossible for me to say it ALL the time…” 

“Not a day goes by.” Smidge shook her head.

The scene switched.

”The bergens are coming! Argh!”

”The bergens are coming! Argh!”

”The bergens are coming! Argh!” this time Branch flipped over a coffin and a troll fell out.

”Now I do NOT remember that,” Branch defended himself. “This probably isn’t completely accurate… right…?”

“It’s okay Branch,” Poppy sympathized, patting him on the back. He didn’t hesitate to remove her hand from him.

“Come on, we haven’t seen a bergen in twenty years! They aren’t going to find us,” Poppy reasoned.

”No, they’re not gonna find me, because i’ll be in my highly camouflaged, heavily fortified, Bergen-proof survival bunker,” Branch huffed.

“You don’t need that bunker! You should stop isolating yourself from us Branch, try coming to a party sometime,” Poppy suggested.

“Oh okay, I’ll try it sometime,” Branch said, smiling slightly.

”Really?” Poppy answered, startled.

”No.”

“You mean you aren’t coming to the party tonight?” Poppy asked for confirmation, slightly disappointed.

”But it’s gonna be the biggest…”

”The loudest…”

”The craziest party ever!” 

“Big, loud, crazy?” Branch questioned in disbelief. “You’re just gonna lead the bergens right to us!”

”Why are you being such a party pooper all the time?” Smidge groaned.

”Yeah okay,” Branch muttered.

“Are you sure you want to invite this party pooper to poop on your party?” Cooper leaned down, whispering into Poppy’s ear.

“Yes. I think everyone deserves to be happy!” Poppy grinned.

“I don't do happy.” Branch scowled.

“Branch, I know you have happiness inside you, you just need our help—To find it!”

“Like I haven’t heard that before…” Branch mumbled, loud enough for only Poppy to hear.

She responded with a slight frown. “Come on, you know it’s true!”

“Celebrate freedom from the Bergens!” the felt Branch on the invitation sang in a high-pitched voice.

“What do you say, Branch?” Poppy asked.

Branch scoffed. “What do you think?”

”Well the worst you could say is no—“

Branch threw the invitation on the ground and stepped on it.

“Oh, my guh!” Smidge said.

“I wouldn't be caught dead at your party, but you will be—Caught and dead,” Branch said harshly.

”You will be,” Branch decided to comment, agreeing with his other self. (Or future self?) He was still coming to terms with this whole “movie”? watching thing. 

He didn’t really have a problem as long as it didn’t overstep any of his boundaries, but he still couldn’t help but be skeptical of the whole idea.

Creek flew in on a critter. “Whoa, whoa. Easy, Branch. Easy.

“Thank you for providing safe passage, brother. Namaste,” Creek said, pressing their temples together.

“Okay, first of all, mate, thanks for sharing your unique perspective on things...Again.” Creek turned to the rest of the Snack Pack, amused by his own joke. They all snickered slightly in amusement also.

Branch off-screen grumbled slightly at this. The trolls seemed to find anything Creek said entertaining, even though that was simply not true. 

“But, just for now, why don't you try on some positivity, eh? A little positivity might go with that vest.”

”That also sounds like someone I know,” Branch said smugly, turning to Creek. He found it funny how this was now the third time he heard Creek say the same line within the span of thirty minutes(?).

“Okay, fine, I'm positive you all are going to get eaten!” Branch smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes.

Poppy looked between him and Creek wearily before her hug time bracelet dinged, “Hug time!”

Creek smiled, “It is hug time.”

“Hug time!” The rest of the Snack Pack exclaimed.

“That feels good.”

“Our hearts are synchronizing!”

”I can squeeze you forever-r!” Guy exclaimed in his usual autotune-fashion.

Branch shuttered at the thought of being hugged by a large group like this. It scared him to think that there were even larger group huggings like this.

Branch flipped out of the hug, grunting. He picked up his sticks again, “Someday, when the Bergens find us, and the survival of every Troll is in your hands, I sure hope the answer is singing, dancing, and hugging, because that's all you know how to do!”

“That is not true! Poppy can also scrapbook,” Biggie defended, clutching Mr. Dinkles.

Branch scoffed. “I can't believe you're gonna be queen one day.”

”You really should be more positive mate,” Creek commented. 

“Yeah Branch! You might like it!” Poppy added energetically.

“Tune out his negative vibrations, Poppy. They're toxic. Some folks just don't want to be happy,” Creek assured Poppy.

“I guess.” she smiled.

“You guessed right.” he booped her nose. “Boop!”

”Ew,” Branch accidentally said aloud, making Poppy turn to him.

”Whattt! It’s cute!” Poppy giggled.

Branch usually hated signs of affection, and he couldn’t really help it. He did not mean to voice that aloud in anyway. He didn’t want to be verbally attacked (not really) by Creek so he kept his mouth shut. He didn’t want to risk saying a single wrong word and Creek commenting about it.

They both didn’t like each other. At least the rest of the village could somewhat tolerate him. Creek just showed attitude and got away with it whereas Branch would be told to be “more positive”. Yeah no thanks.

“Yeah!”

“I love you so much!”

“Yeah!”

“Whoo! Glitter!” The trolls cheered. Creek catapulted another glitter bomb which hit Smidge, making her fall back and sliding across the ground. Everyone immediately went quiet.

She got up and yelled, “YOLO!!” everyone started celebrating again, partying more than they ever had before.

”This party IS fun!!” Poppy said in admiration to her future self. “And no bergen.” she directed to Branch, who just rolled his eyes. 

“MORE GLITTER!

                  TURN! IT! UP!!!” 

Poppy shouted,

            “I can't hear you!”

The scene changed to somewhere outside of the village where Chef was, looking—Crazy, to say the least.

She snapped her head around. “Trolls.”

”Yeah, no. Looks to me like there is a bergen in sight. Great job Poppy,” Branch said the last part with obvious sarcasm. 

“What…No! No… But—“ Poppy looked around helplessly, turning to her friends for support, then her dad, hoping he would confirm her prediction wasn’t true. He just looked at the screen, heavy worry visibly etched onto his face.

Creek and some others sent some reassurance to Poppy before turning back to the screen.

“Okay, everyone. I just want to take a moment...and get a little real.” Poppy turned to her father.

“Poppy! She's my friend! I know her!” Biggie exclaimed before the other trolls shushed him. Mr. Dinkles mewed as King Peppy cleared his throat.

Poppy continued, “I'd like to take a second to celebrate our king, my father. Who, 20 years ago this night, saved all of us from those dreaded...” before she could finish a single large, heavy footstep was heard.

King Peppy nearly whispered in fear, “Bergens.”

Chef grinned mischievously, “Gotcha.”

Cooper pooped out several cupcakes because of his nervous state. “Uhhhhhhh. Cupcake?” Poppy said, picking up the cupcakes and holding them out.

”Does absolutely nobody find that weird and unsanitary?” Branch asked in disbelief.

”We have bigger problems to deal with! There’s a bergen!” Poppy said.

“RUN!”

“Bergen!”

“Run! Run!”

“Poppy, help!” Everything was a blur, trolls rushing around.

“Mr. Dinkles!” Biggie yelled. “Has anybody seen Mr. Dinkles?” the worm was revealed to be on his back, mewing. 

Everyone turned to Biggie. “Oh dear,” Biggie said, still looking at the screen.

“Biggie!” Poppy yelled as he got taken away. “Blend in! Blend in! BLEND IN!” she screamed.

“POPPY”

“Run, Run, Smidge!”

“Oh, my GOOOOOOOOOD!” Smidge exclaimed as she got pulled up.

“Poppy, help!”

“Hurry!”

“Go! Go! Go!”

“COOPER!” Cooper also got snatched, unable to blend in.

”Everyone, minimize your auras!” Creek yelled before being grabbed also.

Branch knew he would care the least about Creek getting snatched when he heard the news. He honestly didn’t care if the guy got eaten—And yes maybe that sounded messed up—Maybe it was… Maybe he didn’t mean it—But he didn’t really care.

“Creek! No!”

”Poppy!”

“Hold on. Poppy!”

The Snack Pack was protesting and shouting throughout this whole ordeal like it would change anything happening on screen.

“No! Creek!”

Aaargh!“

“BAD Bergen! Bad, bad Bergen!” King Peppy hit the bergen with his cane, “Bad, bad Bergen!”

Branch didn’t think the king out of anybody would lack survival skills this much. Why on earth would weakly hitting the bergen’s toenail do anything?

“Dad!” Poppy dragged her father below a mushroom and camouflaged her hair as the bergen looked under before moving away.

Branch sometimes missed his hair being able to camouflage—After all, it made great survival in dangerous situations involving possible predators.

“Thanks for throwing the biggest, the loudest...” Chef trailed off.

”The craziest party ever!” Cooper finished before his head was being pushed back into the fanny pack so it could be closed.

All of the trolls came out of their hiding spots. “Is it coming back?”

“What are we gonna do now?”

“We have to find a new home. Everyone, hurry!” King Peppy announced.

The Snack Pack turned to the current king. “Leave them behind, dad?” Poppy said, dumbfounded.

”Well—I… It hasn’t happened yet!”

“We have to leave before the Bergens come back!” he added.

“We have to rescue them!” Poppy suggested instead.

“No, Poppy, we have to run. Now, let's go, everyone. Come on!” King Peppy motioned again for everyone to follow him.

“What about ‘no Troll left behind’?” Poppy said which made her father stop in his tracks,

“I'm sorry, Poppy. That was a long time ago. And I'm not the king I once was.”

“Then I'll go. I'll go and save them!” she came up with on the spot.

“No, Poppy. It's too dangerous,” her father reasoned.

”Poppy—It is kind of dangerous…” DJ Suki shared. The rest of the Snack Pack agreed.

”Whatever may happen… I’m sure Poppy can find us a way out!” Smidge assured.

“I have to at least try,” Poppy tried.

“No. You can't go to Bergen Town by yourself. It's impossible.” King Peppy turned around, taking one more glance at his daughter before running away with the rest of the village.

NEXT CHAPTER

By the way, this fic is on AO3! I highly recommend you read it there since the updates will always be there first but here on tumblr it might take me multiple days to get to it. The fic IS AVAILABLE to guests! You do NOT need an account to read it on AO3 but I encourage it if you want to bookmark or subscribe!