Trolls Fanfiction: Blue Poppy

Chapter 7

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀<  ❈Poppy's POV❈ >

Darkness was all that swirled around Poppy. It felt like she was falling into an endless pit of shadows and nightmares. Screeches of agony sounded in her ears. She wanted to blot everything out but she couldn't move. Her limbs were stiffer than trees, and she couldn't close her eyes to shut out the view.

There was a strong, painful ache in the Queen's chest. No, it wasn't the ache she'd felt when thinking about Branch. It was a miserable ache. The kind of ache you wanted gone. The kind of ache that made you realize your nightmare had come to life.

Finally, after what felt like hours, the delicate pink Troll fell to the ground, dust flying up around her. It stung her eyes and filled her mouth, but she finally was able to move around. She spit out the dirt and collapsed again, letting out violent coughs that racked her whole body. Tears streamed down her cheeks; both from the dust and the grief tearing at her heart like the vicious teeth of a wolf.

Blackness slammed down on the female's vision and she was unconscious once again.

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Poppy slowly opened her ruby orbs, her eyelids feeling like one-hundred pounds weighing on her face. Her vision was blurry and she felt dizzy. So dizzy she couldn't even lift herself up. But thankfully her sight cleared and she could see she was safely tucked in her bed.

The silky sheets enfolded her in a tight cocoon and the soft pillows surrounded her. But there was something else, too. There was another warmth. There was that beautiful smell of underground rock, dirt, and fresh water. That smell she cherished with all her heart. The pink Troll, feeling less dizzy now, flipped herself over, coming face-to-face with just whom she expected. Branch.

The handsome blue male was wide awake, his eyes fixating on her as she turned to him. "Hey, Poppy," he muttered softly. There was concern and sympathy in his gaze. Even grief as well. The strong Troll wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her against him. She pressed her face into his chest and let out a wail of despair. She felt so lost and afraid. Branch had told her not to become too miserable after her father's death and that it was completely normal for this to happen. He had made it sound so easy. She had wanted to believe his kind words. But now she wasn't so sure they were true. At least, not for her.

Branch cradled her head in his large hands and used his fingers to caress her face. "It'll be okay," he promised in a smooth whisper.

Poppy felt warm, salty tears streaming from her eyes and dripping quickly down her cheeks. Heat spread through her head, and she felt another bout of crying grip her fragile body.

"Shhh," Branch soothed the best he could. He brushed the back of Poppy's head, but Poppy hardly paid attention. Her father was dead. And she had to accept it whether she wanted to or not.

"I'm sorry, Branch," Poppy choked out. Her voice was scratchy from lack of use. "Don't let my mourning burden you. You can go back to your house. I'll be fine." She sniffled, and suddenly began to violently hyperventilate, her hands growing numb.

"I am not leaving you, Poppy," Branch said in a hard voice. "The last thing I want is for you to be alone. Especially right now." The large male pulled her close to him once again with a gentle grasp. Poppy clung onto him like she was dangling off a cliff, fighting to stay up. She shut her eyes tight, squeezing out several more tears. This was a crazy amount of feelings for Poppy. She couldn't handle it. She'd never felt grief like this in her life. Sure, she'd felt it when receiving the news of her mother's death and discovering Creek's selfish ways, but this was different. She'd not known her mother. And Creek had just been a puppy crush.

She was emotionally connected to her father. He taught her everything she needed to know about being Queen when she was little. But without him here, she felt lost and doubtful of her leadership. The pink female curled up closer to Branch. His warmth was comforting but it did not melt away the icy grief frosting her body.

"Do you think you can stand up?" Branch asked, rubbing her flank with a large blue hand.

Poppy glanced up at him with a questioning gaze. "Wh-why?" she choked.

Branch sighed. "I think they're preparing Peppy for his funeral. I'd imagine they want you there."

Boiling rage suddenly gripped Poppy. She broke away from the blue male's hold and stared at him with the most angered expression she'd ever worn on her face. "There is NO damning way in going to look at my father in that casket! I can't bear to think about him! And you just want me to go out there and see his dead body AGAIN?" She was shaking, her blood gurgling through her veins. She had to hold back from smacking her delicate pink hand across Branch's face.

The handsome Troll steadied her with his hands, placing one on both of her shoulders. "Poppy, I'm sorry," he apologized sincerely. "I wasn't thinking. Please don't be upset with me. The last thing I want is an affair with you. I...I love you."

Poppy brought her now-folded legs up to her chest and buried her face in her knees. She gritted her sparkling white teeth hard together, warm droplets slipping from her tear ducts again and spilling down her face like rain dripping from a leaf. She practically tackled Branch, pinning him to the bed and slamming her face to his chest. His earth-scent calmed her.

But she still felt that she was falling in a hole of misery...

Aw, yes, I'm sorry for the short chapter this time. I'm just trying to get to the main plot so these next few parts may go a little fast? I hate speeding through Peppy's death, but this story isn't supposed to revolve around it. 😅

Anyways, it's time for the question! How many times have you watched Trolls? I've watched it over ten times, I know that. Give me your answer in the comments! And don't forget to hit that vote button right in the face!