Feeling the Love Tonight

Love Will Find a Way

Feeling the Love Tonight

Love Will Find a Way

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Summary: This is another 'what if' scenario; in which Poppy wasn't so shell-shocked and actually ran after Hickory was forced to reveal his betrayal by Dickory before Barb arrived on the scene. Maybe things would've gone a little differently and she and Branch made up sooner, but unfortunately, still not having confessed their feelings.

Post-TWT.

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Poppy knew that she shouldn't have done that; that the realization about her true feelings for Branch and him leaving her were clouding whatever's left of her sense of reason, but she was feeling too upset and guilty to even care as she pulled out the beautifully glowing pink Pop String from her hair.

"And it's all because of this stupid string!" She said as she showed Hickory the magical string.

As expected, Hickory looked awed by the string, but then it turned into deep consideration. She was about to ask him what was wrong, but he spoke up first.

"Poppy, take the string and run as fast as you can, you hear me?"

Poppy blinked. "What?" She asked, looking at the string in her hands, not noticing that the horse-like rear of the Country Troll was starting to twitch. "What are you talking about?"

"Trust me, just go!" Hickory said, looking back at his horse behind.

It was twitching! It was acting like it had a mind of its own.

"Now, please!" Hickory pleaded. "Just go!" Now, his backside was starting to make noises.

"Hickory, are you alright?" Poppy asked him.

"I'm fine." Hickory said. "Just go!"

But Poppy felt frozen as Hickory tried to wrangle with his oddly squirming backside. But then, suddenly, a fist burst out from it, making her scream. Then another fist came out. And then, the entire backside came off, making Poppy scream again.

But what was the most shocking was that the now-detached backside was actually a Troll in disguise. He had the same color on his skin like Hickory, with reddish-brown hair and a large curly mustache and a goatee, speaking with a thick accent.

"Nein?!" He exclaimed, turning over to Hickory. "What are you doing, Hickory?!"

He tried to tackle him, but Hickory held the much shorter Troll back. "Quiet, Dickory!" Hickory said.

Poppy was startled beyond belief. "What's going on?" She asked, making the two Troll stop in their quarreling. "Hickory?"

Hickory looked very guilty as he looked down at the ground. "I'm so sorry, Poppy." He said.

The shorter Troll, Dickory, just smirked. "Show her who you really are, Hickory." He said.

He ripped off Hickory's vest and denim jeans to reveal short, black overalls with gold trimmings. It wasn't what the Country Trolls usually wear.

Poppy briefly examined the new clothes before meeting her friend's eyes. Dickory then started to yodel, before gesturing over to Hickory to do the same. Out of shame and guilt, Hickory slowly removed his large white two-gallon cowboy hat to reveal a matching, little black alpine hat underneath it as he too began to yodel loud and high.

"Wait!" She shouted before they got too loud. "You're the Yodelers?"

"Ya darn skippy, playa-play!" Dickory exclaimed as he took off his jean disguise to reveal similar clothing to Hickory's.