𝐆𝐎𝐋𝐃𝐄𝐍➸ ǫ.ʙ

જ⁀➴𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐅𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐒

"I'm sure they're not only alive, but about to be delivered to us on a sliver platter."

Cloud Guy frowned and a thunder storm started below him. Branch chased him around the space and into a tunnel while Mireya and Poppy tried to stop him.

"That's right. You better run, Cloud! I'm gonna tear your little cloud arms of your cloud body, and high five your face with them!"

"He's just a cloud!" Poopy shouted to him.

"Get back here!"

"Branch! He can help us!"

"Branch, stop! You grey, unpleasant, murderous rodent!"

"Come back!"

"Run,Cloud Guy!"

"I'm gonna kill you!"

"Ta-da! We're here!" Cloud guy lead us out the tunnel and turned to face us with the calmest facial expression ever seen. "Phew... You guys are a lot of fun. You know, I gotta go." He walked by us, taking the broken stick from Branch's hand and throwing it away. "Got some cloud stuff to get back to. Catch you on the way back? Unless..." He slowly descended into the tunnel entrance, using the deep voice again, "You die, die, die, die, die..."

"The Troll Tree." Poppy said in a lowered voice while looking around.

"Bergen Town." Branch almost whispered to the girls.

"We're back.." Mireya mumbled to herself.

They walked to the edge of the tree trunk and saw bergens, singing an unhappy tone, doing unhappy things.

THE BERGENS

I ain't happy
I'm feeling glad
I got sunshine in a bag
I'm useless
But not for long,
The future is coming on

I ain't happy
I'm feeling glad
I got sunshine in a bag
I'm useless
But not for long,
The future is coming on
Is coming on
Is coming on,
Coming on
Is coming on

They walked around, cutting the heads of their flowers and plastic flamingos off, ripping the pages of their newspaper out for no apparent reason, giving each other wedgies for who knows why.

"Wow! They're as miserable as you." Poppy was quite the observer.

"I'm sure he's not as bad as them." Mireya tried to redeem the queen, "I mean, Branch hasn't sung since-" She stopped once she saw the intense stare Branch was giving her.

"Wait. This means they haven't eaten a troll yet!" Poppy's smile was back, and wider than ever. "Now, come on. Let's go save our friends." She stood and grabbed the siblings' wrists.

Branch was quick to decline the allegations. "Your friends."

"Our friends. Don't fight it."

✮ ⋆ ˚｡𖦹 ⋆｡°✩

Soon enough, they'd made it into the castle. How, no one will ever know. Nonetheless, they made it, and were currently hiding in a torch, using Poppy's hair to disguise themselves as fire.

They latched onto a chandelier with their hair and swung from the torch to a piece of wood on the wall.

"So where do you think our friends are?" Poppy questioned whoever would answer.

"If I had to guess, I'd say in a Bergen's stomach." Branch whispered in response.

"Could you try to be positive?" Poppy asked with a hint of anger in her tone. "Just once. You might like it.

Branch turned to her and smiled, "Okay. I'm sure they're not only alive, but about to be delivered to us on a silver platter."

Poppy sighed in relief, "Thank you. That wasn't so hard, was it?"

Branch sent her the most confused look you've ever seen and Mireya gave him a thumbs down along with a head shake from behind Poppy.

The hug time bracelets once again, chimed. Mireya subconsciously closed it, and Poppy's eyes lit up while she looked at Branch. "Branch!"

"Hug time? Serious-" He was cut off. By the girls shushing him, and Poppy covering his mouth with her finger.

They listened closely, and sure enough, they heard the others' hug time bracelets and could see the luminance from them too.

Yep. They are some bright bastards.

Hey! You can't say that word, there's kids.

What. Bright?

"Gotcha." Mireya smirked and ran past her friend and her brother. They followed her to find their friends being carted around in a cage with the king and the Bergen that took their friends. The chef.

"Branch, look!"

"They're alive?"

"And on a silver platter, too. We were both right." Poppy smiled at Branch and Mireya decided to listen in on the Bergens' conversation.

"And to mark the occasion, Your Highness, look." The chef brought out an old, tiny bib, and presented it to the king. "I found your old troll bib."

"Oh, wow!" His eyes sparkled in the nostalgia. "I betcha it still fits."

He strained to get it around his neck, finally getting it on, only to choke himself. "Like a glove!"

It rips and flies off, causing Cooper to laugh.

"Manners, Cooper! Manners!" Mireya scolded under her breath.

The other trolls shushed him worriedly and the king marches his way up to them. "Oh, you think that's funny? Well, we'll see who's laughing when I bit your yummy head off. When I bite all y'all's yummy heads off!"

Once he calmed down, he started counting the number of captured trolls in his head, briefly turning to the chef.

"Hm. Wait a minute. Chef, this isn't enough yummy heads to feed all of Bergen Town. How are we supposed to have Trollstice, if there's not enough trolls?"

"Oh, there's plenty more where that came from, sire." The chef, despite quietly worrying for her job, calmly assured the king everything would be fine.

"No, no, no, no, no, sire. Everything will be fine." She gently pushed him away from the cage and opened the door. "If I were truly worried, would I be willing to do this?" She grabbed Creek and took him from the small prison.

"Creek!" Poppy reached out for him, then Branch and Mireya pulled her down as quickly as they could. The chef looked around, searching for the source of the sound. Mireya quieted herself. Her breaths so quick and shallow, she was close to hyperventilating.

The king gasped in excitement, returning the chef's attention to him. "Oh, my first troll!"

"Go on," She handed Creek to the king, "Eat, King Gristle. Enjoy the taste of true happiness."

While Branch and Poppy were watching Gristle slowly lift Creek to his mouth, Mireya was still on the floor, reluctant to stand. She didn't like Creek all that much but, she never wished death upon him. And she couldn't take the sight of anyone being eaten by a Bergen, so she just listened.

TO BE CONTINUED...

Words:1071

Halfway thru the movieeeee gasppp