Poppy's Flower [DISCONTINUED]

Family

“In three... two... one."

“Hug Time!"

Branch couldn't believe it. Poppy left every Troll in Troll Village in his bunker, while she went off on a suicide mission to Bergen Town! Just to save her nine (or ten, if you include Mr. Dinkles) best friends in the world. Did she even think about the rest of the village? How much they needed her?

Then again, her friends probably needed her more, given their situation. But that's no excuse to hide the rest of the Trolls in his bunker to use up his supplies! The nerve she had.

Branch's thoughts were interrupted when he heard everyone's Hug Time bracelets go off a second time. To avoid being pulled into another enormous group hug, he snuck into the one room they haven't seemed to find yet: Flower's bedroom. As Branch locked the door and stuffed the key in his hair, he heard her crying, again.

“Oh, come on!" he groaned. He picked his six-month-old daughter up and tried to get her to stop crying.

“Flower, please go to sleep," he pleaded, quite annoyed. “I fed you, I changed you, I gave you earmuffs... What else could you want?!"

Flower mumbled in between sobs before answering.

“M...m...mama."

Branch's eyes widened in realization. Of course she wanted her mama. Poppy may not have realized it, but she was the perfect woman to raise his child. She was kind and sweet, and she would sing their baby to sleep.

“I'm sorry, but Mommy's not coming back," he said. “Or at least, not on her own."

At that moment, Branch knew what he had to do.

🔻🔺🔻🔺🔻🔺🔻🔺🔻🔺🔻

Branch couldn't sleep that night. He could only imagine what Poppy and her friends were feeling. They were betrayed, sold out by one of their own. Branch knew Creek was trouble, but not even he expected this.

Poppy, on the other hand, was completely heartbroken. Whether it was for spiritual advice or help taking care of Flower, Creek was always there for her. And she was just trying to do the same for him. But he sold her out. No, he sold everyone out. And it was all her fault.

The following morning, Chef returned. She dumped the Snack Pack in a giant cooking pot and set it down on a cart.

“Now, let's prepare the main course!" she announced, as the other cooks opened their fanny packs and dumped the rest of the Trolls inside. “The Trolls!"

Branch and the others could only watch as their friends and loved ones were dumped in the pot. Once the last Troll fell in, Chef laughed evilly and locked the lid. At that moment, Branch heard an all too familiar sound.

“Flower!" he exclaimed, following the sound of his daughter's cries. He found lying on her back, bawling in pain. He picked her up and held her to his chest.

“Papa..." she muttered. The Trolls gasped in shock, but Branch paid no mind.

“It's okay," he assured her. “Sweetie, you're okay. Daddy's got you."

Flower wasn't hurt badly, except her back was sore, but Branch then noticed Poppy falling apart right in front of everyone... blaming herself for bringing them to their doom.

“But, Poppy..."

“You were right, Branch... The world isn't all cupcakes and rainbows."

Branch almost forgot he said that, and immediately regretted it. But before he could take it back, he felt his heart crack as he watched the princess' pink, happy colors drain from her body, replaced by a dull, lifeless grey...

No... Please, no...

“Poppy..."

Before Branch could even blink, he saw the rest of the Trolls' colors fade away. Even Flower now looked exactly like her father. Which, in this case, was a bad thing. Branch never wanted this to happen. Not to anyone. Especially not Poppy. He had to fix this, but... how?

Flower rested her head against her daddy's chest, listening to his heartbeat. At that moment, Branch felt its rhythm and realized what he had to do. He tucked Flower in his hair, took a deep breath, and began singing...

🔻🔺🔻🔺🔻🔺🔻🔺🔻🔺🔻

“I know it's not officially Hug Time yet, but..."

“Now that I'm queen, I decree that Hug Time... is all the time."

At that moment, the new queen of the Trolls wrapped her arms around the Troll she loved, who returned the embrace.

Suddenly, they felt another pair of arms wrap around them. Unlike Troll arms, these were long and skinny. Poppy and Branch turned to find a familiar-looking Cloud Guy smirking at them.

“Up high!" he said, raising his hands up for a high five from both of them. The two Trolls glanced at each other, and high fived him hard enough to send him flying off the mushroom.

Once Cloud Guy was gone, Poppy realized only the two of them were together now, and immediately panicked.

“Branch, we gotta get back down!" she practically screamed. “Flower's probably still down there, wondering where we are!"

“I don't know about that," Branch said, pulling their daughter out of his hair.

“Mama!" she babbled, stretching her arms out towards her mother. Poppy took the baby and held her close.

“Branch, was she inside your hair the whole time?" Poppy asked.

“That depends on what you mean by ‘the whole time,'" Branch replied. “But I left her in the bunker with your dad when I went after you. She's been in my hair since this morning. Now, come here."

Poppy approached Branch and he wrapped his arms around his girls. Flower looked up and noticed how her father's colors matched her own now. She didn't know how it happened, nor did she care. She loved him, nonetheless.

And so did Poppy.

I'm not entirely sure what I'm doing, but let's just say I have to meet people's demands or they'll destroy the planet.

Wish me luck.