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Poppy thinks her dad is a little too paranoid. It had been ages since they had seen a Bergen. Twenty years was a long time! She understood that the people had a right to their fear but they had changed staying down here. Compared to all the stories, Poppy was just worried the people weren’t as happy as they’d been before.
It’s not anything against her Dad, he was awesome, amazing, and everything above, but she just wondered if this was enough. Were they holding themselves back? Everything was different from how she had heard her father had run things before. All she knew was her Dad’s way and the walls of their city, she wondered if it was enough to efficiently cheer everyone up.
Her Dad had been talking recently about coronating her, but she was running into issues. She just didn’t know who to be like, she had heard the praises of both her Dad and Father for most of her life, and people loved both of them. They loved her too, even though she hadn’t even done much yet. Would she be able to live up to both of their legacies?
Her father had given up everything for his people, even his life. Along with this he had helped keep his people safe and had been the one who had led the escape. The king had been a shining light leading his people, he had loved to sing and dance, even with the threats of the Bergens weighing down on him, and had loved his children from the very depths of his heart.
His legacy was almost untouchable at this point, there was no way that she could hold a candle to what he had done for all of them. She didn’t even really want to touch his legacy, she just wanted to be good enough for the crown. But if she based herself on her father’s legacy she never would. So that just left her Dad, which while not as untouchable, wasn’t as easy to deal with either.
Her Dad was the center of everything, he was the center of people’s hearts, the city, and the mindset of those in the city. He had been leading the trolls for practically all her life, the way he handled things was all she really knew and had seen. She had only heard of her father’s actions from word of mouth, she would never get to see them. Her Dad had made sure no one had starved in the beginning by hunting, protected them from predators, and helped bring about a new era for trolls.
He had basically changed their diets for sprinkle's sake! Their diet had mainly consisted of fruits, vegetables, and sweets in the tree, but before they had found the crystals, they had eaten meat from John’s kills. They had slowly got used to it and had it anytime a creature was defeated, they feasted on those days. The point is, that John Dory has changed a lot.
As much as she wondered about things being different she was a daddy’s girl and had been raised by him. She was more excitable than others but she had taken after John just as much as Branch, or even any other troll had. Though she rarely went up to do it, she knew how to hunt, she could pitch a tent in minutes and she could hear the whispers of paranoia just as much as others. She just tended to pretend she couldn’t hear them often, denial is a skill after all.
It didn’t help that most of the trolls in the city adored her Dad to some degree, would they even want her to take over? Sprinkles, he even had a fan club, that she was fairly certain Fern was a part of. She doesn’t know how her Dad doesn’t know about the club, considering some of them had t-shirts but the love her people had for him was obvious. He didn’t seem to know exactly how much they loved him, but oh boy they definitely did, trolls of all ages seemed to.
How was she supposed to match that and make her people just as happy?
She loved them to pieces and was grateful for everything they had done, but they were making this so difficult for her.
She hadn’t told anyone that she was worried about taking over or being good enough, but she thinks that Branch knows. He always seemed to know about these things, it was like Dad’s “my kids are doing something stupid” radar. But she’s just not sure if Branch would fully understand. He was just so…so confident. He didn’t really care about other’s opinions about himself and tended to speak freely about any and anything, as long as it wasn’t his emotions.
She adored her big brother though, he was always there for her even when she was messing up and doing something that seemed like a great idea in the beginning but ended up being a failure. Knowing all of this, she really didn’t know why she hadn’t included him in her plans right now. Well, okay, she did kind of know. She knew that he would agree with Dad and probably find some way for Dad to find out about it. He wouldn’t directly tell him, but he was the type to move evidence right in front of you and point at it.
Walking into Creek’s place, she jumps onto DJ and laughs when she flails a little bit. Waving at everyone she waited until she got everyone’s attention, making sure to give Biggie a look when he got a little too excited.
“Okay everyone, it’s the escape anniversary party tomorrow, and I’ve got a plan!”
Explaining her plan she could see the excited looks on some of their faces, but also the trepidation in some of the other’s.
“Poppy, that’s going to be so cool, I’ve never seen a firework before! What does Branch think about it?”
Looking at Cooper, she smiled widely, “I didn’t ask him!”
Cooper seems to deflate just a bit at this, but he still seems excited about it, just a little hesitant. Creek, Satin, and DJ also still seemed to be pretty excited, while Biggie, Smidge, and Chenille seemed to be hesitant.
“But Poppy, aren’t fireworks really loud, won’t that be too much?”
“Yeah, and what about John Dory, did he agree to this”
No one really said the word Bergen’s unless it was during the party, so she understood what Biggie was alluding to. And she was just going to ignore what Chenille had asked, if she asked her Dad she knew that he’ll say no.
He had only just pulled back all the way in the party planning. She had been doing it for years now, but when she first started, he had basically hovered and helped the whole time, she knew that he couldn’t help it. It was ingrained in his very mind to have some type of hand in things.
John had made her repeat the phrase “fun but safe” so many times that she had gotten a tongue cramp one of the nights. He believed that anything that could bring too much attention should be banned. Well not explicitly stated to be banned but if anyone asked about something not subtle they knew they would get told no.
He and Branch were alike in that though they both sang and danced, it was definitely not the same amount as her or the other trolls. And they never belted or yelled their singing, even on the top. Their singing was always at the same calming level. It made her feel something indescribable at times but most times she felt mild annoyance.
“Come on mates, Poppy knows what she’s doing, this'll be amazing,” and then he turned to her and booped her nose, smiling widely, “You'll do great Poppy, Boop.”
Oh boy, she’s glad Branch wasn’t here to see that, she knew that would be a big mess. She hadn’t known why, but Branch just seemed to have always disliked Creek, she had only found out later that it was mainly because he obviously liked her and disliked him. She hadn’t believed it at the time but after looking a little closer she had noticed what he meant.
Creek was cute and sweet but they were friends and she didn’t want to ruin that. Besides, Branch might actually wring both of their necks if they did date each other. She had teased him because of his older-brother-style protectiveness but he had just said that it was because it was Creek. She wouldn’t win on this one.
Even Dad wasn’t as partial to him because of the way Branch and Creek argue.
She would listen to what he said though, no matter her minuscule doubts. She would do amazing and she would make sure to make this as fun as it could be for all trolls. She was going to make everyone happy and be a good queen to everyone. Branch would even tell her that he was wrong! This was going to be awesome.
“How’s everyone doing tonight! Keep that energy up as much as you can!”
Continuing to dance on stage, she was smiling widely, laughing at everyone’s delight, they were having fun! See! She knew what she was doing.
“Why did Cooper just ask me how I felt about fireworks?”
Whipping her head around she turned and saw Branch looking at her tightly. Sprinkles, she knew that she had forgotten something, it had been on the tip of her tongue to ask Cooper to keep it on the low. But knowing how close those two are, it was a losing battle.
She had to play this right, trying to deny it would fail and just telling him everything would be ok would piss him off.
“Don’t worry Branch, they're not going to be big, I made them so they wouldn’t go past the treetops!”
“Dad’s going to be pissed, and I’m lowkey upset too. Poppy what if this goes wrong, nevermind the Bergens, what if this attracts another hufflebear or something.”
Shoot, this wasn’t working.
"Branch, trust me, I've taken every precaution into consideration. The fireworks won't go higher than the treetops. It'll be a small, controlled display, nothing to worry about. I-"
But before she could finish her sentence, a sudden explosion of color and sound filled the air, catching them both off guard. Someone was starting the fireworks early! Looking confused she noticed Creek frowning as he hovered over the firework shells. Looking up he smiled brightly and gave a thumbs up to her. Did he set them off or had he seen who did it?
Looking up she felt her blood go cold. This was not a part of the plan, the fireworks were humongous, showing Poppy’s likeness and going way over the tree line. Her Dad might actually kill her. What was going on?
Branch's expression shifted from concern to frustration as he watched the vibrant display overhead. "I’m going to go find Dad." he stated, his tone urgent as he scanned the horizon for any signs of trouble.
There was some cheering happening, but when she took a closer look it seemed like mainly the drunk ones were the ones cheering. The others were slightly smiling but seemed high-strung and nervous looking at her anxiously.
Trying to calm everyone down, she froze when she noticed the stage was shaking. It was silent until they saw a Bergen at the edge of town smiling wickedly at them. Feeling her breath stuck in her throat, she was grateful when she heard Branch yell out.
“Code B! Code B! Code B!”
She had been sure that her Dad had just been indulging her brother when he had made all the contingency plans for events that might occur but now she was glad that he had done so. Shaking herself she jumped to start running, towards the emergency entrances in the forest. They couldn’t let the Bergen see them enter into the ground.
The plan was to spread out towards the forest and make sure not to cluster or stay in the area. The goal was to run outward, hide, and then run. Most trolls had successfully done so, but she noticed the Bergen grab a couple of trolls as they tried to run. Cooper hadn’t been able to hide as well since he couldn’t camouflage himself with his hair like the rest of them could.
All of her closest friends had been taken. And it was her fault. All over a stupid firework and her stupid insecurity. Feeling her chest start to burn she looked at her hands and then continued running into the forest, seeing some of the others come toward this entrance. Raising the fake mushroom she jumped down the tunnel and ran toward the city center.
Making it there she noticed a bunch of trolls already there nervously fretting. Hearing the fear in their voices she could hear her heart racing and eyes watering. Her ears filled with the sound of water and her eyesight was blurry. She made sure to stay behind a building, out of sight as tears started to flow.
As she huddled behind the building, her breaths came in short, ragged gasps. Panic surged through her veins like a wildfire, consuming every rational thought in its path. Her heart pounded against her ribcage, threatening to burst free.
Tears streamed down her cheeks, blurring her vision as the world spun around her. Each sound she heard and vibration she felt, had felt like a dagger piercing her fragile composure. She couldn't shake the suffocating weight of guilt and fear pressing down on her chest. This was all her fault.
Just when it felt like she couldn't bear it any longer, a familiar voice sliced through the chaos. "Sweetheart, is that you?"
She looked up, her father's concerned face swimming into focus through her tears. In an instant, she moved towards him quickly, and collapsed into his arms, trembling like a leaf in a storm.
Her father held her tight, his steady presence anchoring her in the midst of the guilt lying heavily on her back. With gentle words and soothing gestures, he guided her through each panicked breath, helping her finally calm her breathing and see clearly.
After they sat for a moment and he knew she was okay, her dad pulled back and she could see the shift in his face.
“What were you thinking,” it was said with such a steeliness that she felt like she was actively shrinking.
“I don't know what happened I… We… I planned for a firework but it was going to be small! The tip of it would only just barely be halfway as tall as the trees. This wasn’t supposed to happen!”
“Poppy, I told you no fireworks. It doesn’t matter if it was going to be small or big. I said no, and have been saying no to loud and noticeable things for years. You even asked about fireworks for your first party all those years and I said no then!”
“I know but-”
“How are you supposed to lead our people when you can’t even listen to me!”
She froze at that, sometimes he really knew where to hit her. He had just stomped over the one insecurity she had. Feeling a lump in her throat she tried to say something, maybe defend herself but she couldn’t. Not after everything that had just happened.
Guilt gnawed at her insides, twisting her stomach into knots. She wanted to explain, to make him understand that she hadn't meant for any of this to happen, that she had just wanted to make everyone happy. To make him happy. But the words remained trapped behind the lump in her throat.
With each passing moment of silence, her dad’s disappointment seemed to grow, casting a shadow over their relationship. She felt like she had let him down, let her people down, and even let herself down.
But as his stern gaze softened, she could see the flicker of concern and love as he looked at her. Despite his harsh words, she knew he only wanted what was best for her and their community. He had always only done what he thought was best. Drawing in courage, she looked up standing up straighter. She knew what she had to do.
“I’m going to find them”
He frowned at her, making sure that she was looking him in the eyes.
“No”
“Dad, I’m not…I’m not asking”
“Poppy… sometimes as a leader you have to make cruel decisions, ones that will never leave you later on, that’ll keep you awake some nights. These are your people, Poppy, it sounds terrible to say but risking this whole city, for just six people is…it’s just not an equal decision.
Something festers in her stomach and she backs away.
“If this was me or Branch you wouldn’t be saying that, you would already be on your way to Bergen town!”
“That’s different and you know it.”
“No it’s not! They’re my friends and this was my fault!”
Hearing the silence in the air she looked at him, noticing the indescribable look on his face.
“Poppy don’t let guilt b-”
Cutting him off before he could continue she just looked at him firmly and stated one thing.
“No troll left behind”
Right after saying that she could tell that she had hurt him a bit by saying that. Spitting out the words of her father, whom her dad had looked up to was probably going a bit too far. But he just didn’t understand.
Moving back slowly, she looked one last time at his face and then started to run back to their home. Packing a small bag, she jumped when she felt a hand on her arm. Turning her head, words of rebuttal on the tip of her tongue as she looked at Branch.
“Where are you going”
“To save them”
“They’re probably dead”
He had said it in his usual voice, but she could see in the tightness of his face that he was devastated, Cooper was like a brother to him.
“They’re not, I know they’re alive.” They had to be, she doesn’t think she could ever return home if they weren’t.
Meeting Branch's gaze, she saw the pain reflected in his eyes, a mirror of her own anguish. Branch's grip on her arm tightened, his silent support speaking volumes. Though his words were blunt, she knew he cared deeply for their friends, just as she did.
“I’m coming with you”
With a solemn nod, she wordlessly acknowledged his decision, her heart swelling with appreciation and nervousness. She knew it would be a losing battle to fight him on the decision. Branch was stubborn like that.
Besides, she was good at survival stuff, just as much as most of the trolls in their city, but B was a master at it. Everyone knew it, they came to him if her dad was busy. I mean during serious moments they called him Prince Regent for sprinkles sake.
Branch could get the job done.
“I'm sorry, Poppy. We're too late.”
Looking into the broach, Poppy could feel her stomach start to sink, she had almost saved everyone.
“Actually...Your timing is perfect.” Looking up they all froze when they saw Chef hovering over them. She could feel Branch tense up his body, his flight or fight instincts rising in the face of one of his recurring nightmares.
“Sorry, but I can't have you leaving before tomorrow's dinner. A dinner to which you are all invited. And when I say all...I mean every Troll in Troll Village.
“You'll never find them. Not where they're hiding.”
“You're right. I couldn't find them. But I could with someone they know. Someone they trust.
Someone...Like this guy.”
And then she holds up Creek, and he’s looking at them calmly. Her chest flares and something indescribable bubbles in her throat. She wasn’t raised stupid, she could see what was happening, no matter how optimistic she was. Anger starts to rise to the surface and she looks at him, blank-faced as Chef places him on the table.
“He’s selling us out!”
Branch is quick to wrap his hair around Creek’s neck, tightening it until he hears him start to cough. Putting a hand on Branch’s shoulder, she looked at him tightly.
“Let him explain B”
After finally being released, Creek straightens himself out and looks them dead in the eyes.
“I’m selling you out.”
“I asked for an explanation not for a statement of what you’re doing.”
He looked a little taken aback by the vitriol and ice in her voice. Looking at her as if he was the one who was betrayed. The audacity had her almost ready to strangle him herself.
“It’s not fair…”
“What was that I can’t hear you!”
“I said it's not fair. Branch is the same age as me and yet, he has so much more than me. I hate it. You…It’s not fair that you get to have your father and get to have a sibling like Poppy. You’re not as nice or charming as me and yet everyone loves you, even when you’re rude!”
And Creek is raising his arms in the air, frustration pouring out of him.
“No matter what I do or lose, you seem to do better than me. You’re no better than me. And if I had to bring down those around you then so be it. I lost my mother and did my best to make everyone happy, and yet it’s just never enough.”
And Poppy has a sick realization forming in her stomach as she looks at his calm face.
“You’re the one who tampered with the fireworks.”
He shrugs his shoulders and looks to the side a bit. “I never hated you, Poppy, in fact I quite like you, but no matter what I did or said, nothing I did to Branch ever mattered. So I thought, if I tarnish the reputation of those closer to him, he’ll be affected too. I will be honest though, I didn’t actually think anything would happen, other than a dip in credibility. My mistake.”
“You…”
“Besides, dying isn’t really in the plans dear, as long as they get the village, then I don’t die. It was a spiritual awakening if you will. None of the other reasons matter any-“
Hearing the easy nonchalance in his tone causes her to finally move. Her hair whips out through the bars of their cell and grips his neck hard, she grips until she can hear him start to wheeze, only letting him go at the feel of a hand on her back.
“You’re a selfish piece of shit,” and her hands are shaking as she’s looking at him, “You would sacrifice your own people, your other mother? Did you just conveniently forget that you had two and still have one of them? You’re a jealous piece of shit who knows nothing. Have you ever just thought that maybe it’s your fault you’re not as liked as Branch. You don’t help with anything or have any life skills! The only thing you do is yoga!”
She’s gripping the bars tight as she looks down at him. “Dad isn’t even biologically B’s father. You're not special, Creek. You’re the cause of your own faults. You’re mad at yourself and decided to paint your own self-hatred onto Branch. Your mother will die because of you!
He looks pissed and ready to give a rebuttal but just turns around and gets onto Chef’s hand again.
She had never been that mad or said anything that strongly to anyone before, but Creek had disturbed her in a way no one had before.
As they were dumped into a large pot, she felt time start to slow as she looked around at her friends, feeling regret fill her as she remembered all the times she had indulged Creek.
***
After an hour of sitting in silence, just leaning on Branch, the lid was lifted again and the whole village was poured into the pot. Gripping her knees so hard she felt her claws digging into her skin, she looked around at the new additions.
“Poppy! Branch!”
Looking up she saw her Dad running towards them. Her eyes watering she looked down, almost letting her tears fall again as she fell forward into him as he wrapped his arms around her and Branch. Gripping the both of them hard she sniffled a bit.
“Poppy, sweetheart, how did the Bergens find out about the city”
It was almost silent as he asked her this, the rest of the trolls wanting to hear how this could have happened.
“Creek betrayed us all”
She could hear everyone gasp and see his mother in the back looking devastated, she didn’t want to hurt her but she needed to explain more.
“He…He was the one who sabotaged the fireworks too”
It was quiet for a moment as everyone took this in. She didn’t know what they were going to do, the situation felt helpless, they were all trapped in this pot about to be eaten, and sure it hadn’t been all her fault but she had a part in this. She didn’t know what to do. Feeling hopeless, she felt something pull in her chest and she noticed all her colors start to disappear.
She felt numb as she looked up and felt her dad and brother hold her tightly. Looking up when she heard singing, she saw her family trying their hardest to cheer her up. Slowly as the song came to an end, she smiled softly and brightened, they really were the best.
As they danced with the Bergens she was swept into her Dad's arms, seeing him smile softly at her.
“So Popstar, I want to apologize for the way I handled yes-“
“It’s okay Dad, I… If Bridget hadn’t helped us out earlier, we would’ve all been eaten, I think both of us were right to some degree. I don’t regret going to find my friends, but I don’t think the way you thought about everything was wrong either. I put our people in danger and that… that’s not okay”
“Poppy-“
“I think that I need some more time until I take up the crown, besides,” and she winks at him smoothly, “they love you, they’ll probably hold onto you for as long as they can.”
“You sure Poppyseed?”
Hugging him tightly, she could only whisper her agreeance, “Yeah, I’m sure”
Sure, they were going to have so many things to deal with when they got back, for example, Chef had crushed a part of the ceiling of their city and ruined some houses, but things would work out. She'd make sure of it.