Trolls Fanfiction: Iris

Chapter 27

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀<  ❈Blossom's POV❈ >

Blossom followed Iris towards the little hideaway Creek had locked up the Snack Pack in. As the sun set lower behind the horizon, darkness grew, casting long shadows across their path. The first stars and the moon were already shining into view as well.

The pale pink female shivered slightly from the cold, tucking her arms close to her dress in attempt to warm her hands. "We did not dress prepared for this weather," she whispered to Iris.

The Princess only shrugged. "It's okay," she replied. "It's better than being stuck with Creek. I don't even wanna think about what he'd do with us right now..." She shook her head, clearly trying to fling the terrifying thoughts from her mind.

Blossom probably wouldn't have followed Iris had she not seen the blood on her body and the fear in her eyes. She knew Creek did do something. Iris never made things up like that. She was usually quite honest. She gets it from her dad. Why does she act so much like him? I can't even see a trace of Poppy in her personality. All I can spot is one side of her hair is the same color, and so are her eyes and nose. Weird...

The white-haired Troll saw the hideaway coming into view, vines and ivy draped all across it, somewhat camouflaging it. But it didn't seem to be enough. The rusty metal that formed it was pretty visible, even in the gathering darkness. Creek really wasn't too prepared, she thought.

As the two girls approached the metal structure, Iris halted, her pink optics widening in surprise. "The...the door is open..." She sounded a little anxious, pointing with her finger to the door that was wide open, as if someone had just been in there.

Blossom swallowed down anxiety that was rising up inside her like cold water. "Do you think Creek beat us here?" she asked nervously.

Iris shook her head. "That's impossible! Maybe the wind just blew it open..."

But even as Iris spoke the words, Blossom didn't think she believed them. "Then let's go inside. Maybe we're just overreacting." The girl tried to convince herself, but there was some strange feeling creeping through her, telling her something wasn't right.

The blue-skinned female nodded, carefully and slowly stepping towards the open door and slipping inside. Blossom followed right after her, her heartbeat increasing with every passing moment. She heard a sharp, loud gasp escape Iris' mouth and lifted her head, her ears perked forward. To her shock and horror, the cage was completely empty, the door hanging wide open, and the lock laying on the floor.

She walked over to Iris, seeing the Princess' eyes welling with tears. She fell down to her knees, burying her face in her hands and whimpering with defeat. Blossom crouched down beside her friend, resting her hand on her shoulder. She was feeling very sad as well, casting a glance over at the cage. Her family had been in there too... Even though they hadn't given her much attention her whole life, they were still her family and she still loved them, even if she didn't act like it. Oh, I've hurt them. I know how Iris feels. She wants to make things right but now she can't...because they're all gone.

"Creek has them! I know he does!" Iris wailed, lifting her face from her palms and staring up at Blossom, a single teardrop sliding down her cheek. "This is my fault. All of this is my fault. I shouldn't have ever listened to Creek. He lied to me...I know he did. All he wants is to be King. He didn't love me even if he acted like it. And I never loved him. What you were seeing was my hijacked self. I felt weird after I passed out...after bringing him back to life."

Blossom nodded in understanding. She had once questioned Iris about finding Creek and how he was able to take over when everyone had watched him die. The story had been intriguing and almost as if it were a fairy tale. But she had to believe it because there was no other logical explanation.

"They're all gone..." Iris whimpered, lowering her head, still sitting on her knees and staring hopelessly down at the floor.

The next thing that happened caused Blossom's eyes to grow wider than the moon, her mouth gaping in horrified shock. "Iris..." The Princess' colors were dulling out, starting from the top of her split-colored hair, traveling to her head, seeping onto her shoulders until...the grayness had engulfed every inch of her slender physique. Tears still streamed thickly from her eyes, her teeth clenched hard together.

Blossom backed up slightly, her heart hammering away in her chest. Are my colors going to fade too? she wondered with panic. She felt as if it were highly possible. Sorrow was coursing through her veins, her heart seeming to crackle into millions of tiny pieces. But she forced herself to raise her head, to move back over to Iris. She swallowed hard, fighting back the lump rising in her throat. Ever since she'd joined the Troll Princess in this hectic, crazy ride, she'd grown to like her a lot. Before, she had only seen her as an annoying Princess who constantly mooned over her brother Titian.

She felt for sure the pale pink color that made up her skin would melt into grayness, but it didn't. Because hope suddenly sparked inside her. She slumped down beside Iris, tucking her legs underneath her and grabbing the Princess' hand. "Iris, you can't give up like that," she muttered softly. "We don't know for sure if Creek took them or not. They could've—"

Iris cut off her sentence. "There's nothing else that could happen! Creek is probably killing them...so, so slowly. Torturing them." Tears swarmed her eyes once again and trickled down her face. She sniffled violently, her sides heaving quickly as she began to hyperventilate. "I killed everyone, Blossom. I killed my own parents. And I killed your family too. Why are you still talking to me?"

Blossom shook her head. "No, Iris! You didn't kill anyone!" she protested, scooping her hand down underneath the blue-skinned girl's chin, lifting her gaze towards her. "We will find them. They're alive. I think I'd be able to feel if my family was dead. Something inside me would crackle and I'd be sitting on the floor with gray skin just like you. You can't give up..."

Iris glared up at Blossom, a scowl planted on her face. "Whatever," she growled, rising to her feet and whipping around, stomping towards the exit.

Blossom hurried after her, sorrow and frustration coursing through her body and bringing more determination to her bones. She's not giving up like that! I'll find a way to show her. I know I will.

The Troll Princess suddenly stopped dead in her tracks, her pink eyes, the only remaining color on her body, widened.

Blossom followed her gaze until she saw it too. A little Troll had stepped from the bushes, her appearance all too familiar at this point. She was filled with both relief and shock. I...was right.

Iris spoke to the small Troll before Blossom could even peep a word.

"Smidge...?"

YAY CLIFFHANGERS

KINDA

Thanks for reading, kids, and stay tuned for chapter 28 >~<