Trolls 4 - Musical magic

- It’s more complicated than you think Popsqueak…. - Poppy turned around to see Barb standing in the doorway. She looked at the rock trolls surprised.
-Barb, wha…what are you doing here? - Poppy asked. As Branch and Poppy looked up, the other leaders came into the room.
-We need to talk. It’s urgent. - Essence stated looking at the couple with a concerned look.
-Sure. What's up? - Poppy said, turning to the leaders. She definitely did not expect this day to turn out like that. This day was supposed to be perfect. She had everything planned. Well apparently life had other plans. It was hurtful, but who could do anything about it.
-Maybe we should talk about this in a more…private setting. - Trollzart cut in.
-Yeah, I mean there’s dozens of trolls behind those curtains. They would freak out. - Barb commented agreeing with Trollzart.
-We can go to the place our string used to be. - Poppy suggested. - I will leave others a note and we can go.
Poppy took a piece of paper out of her hair. She was looking for her pen, but she couldn’t find it in the mess of her hair.
-Here. - Branch passed her his pen he was using for everydays schedules. She accepted it with a warm smile. Poppy quickly drew something on the piece of paper and put it on the dressing table.
-Is this some kind of monogram? - Delta Dawn asked with a disoriented look on her face.
-Oh no! It’s just something me and Viva do. She’ll understand what I mean when she reads it.- Poppy said meekly.
-Alright then, message passed on, so we can go now. - Trolex exclaimed.
-Yeah, let’s get moving. We don’t have all day. - Barb said, turning back to the exit door.
Every leader proceeded to leave the room. The one left behind was Branch. Poppy turned around and faced him. She wanted him to be there. Right with her. She trusted him more than anything. He was her future king.
Branch just stared at her with a mix of awkward and uncomfortable look written on his face.
-You coming Branchifer? - Poppy said, reaching out for him.
-Maybe I shouldn’t go. I mean it’s a bit of an official matter. - Branch said, fidgeting his fingers.
-Come on. I want you to come with me. We’re a team, aren’t we? - Poppy chuckled. Branch looked at her hand. It was so small compared to his. Although Poppy still had it reached out, so he could grab it, he didn’t. He just stared at it.
-Besides we are used to you following Popsqueak like a pup. - Barb snorted..That comment made Branch and Poppy blush.
-Okay, okay. I will go. - Branch said frustrated. He took Poppy’s hand and they all headed to the secret place. It took them less than five minutes to get to the right place. They all took their place right in front of the giant harp.
-So, as you might see, something has not been right. - Essence exclaimed with a serious look on her face.
-Something has been happening to our music, and as we saw you also experienced that. - Quincy added, looking at his wife. Everyone looked at Branch who had clearly experienced the loss of music himself. He cleared his throat and tried to decrease his level of uncomfortableness.
-Of course, first Val…then Branch. - Poppy muttered. She turned to the other leaders. - Does that mean we can lose our music…forever?
-Well we can avoid that. - Delta said with her arms crossed.
-We did some digging, and we may have found the solution to our problem. - Essence said. Barb reached out to her pocket and threw on the closest table a small piece of paper.
-Hey it wasn't so crumpled before. - Trollex said, looking at the piece of paper. Everyone gave Barb an angry look.
-Next time maybe we should give the ancient artifact to someone else. - Delta said, rolling her eyes.
-Right, we should probably think about that. - Quincy whispered to Essence. Poppy walked over to the table and started to unwrap the paper. She did that slowly, to not accidentally tear it apart. When Poppy opened it, she was looking with amazement at the drawings on it.
-This looks like the figures that are in the scrapbooks. - She said touching one of the figures in the drawings. She felt something soft under her fingers. - Is this made of felt?
She asked shocked.
-Well as you might know, our ancestors had a rule that whoever won, they had the opportunity to make a scrapbook. - Quincy started.
-And those… - Barb pointed at the troll in the picture. A little figurine had curly baby blue hair that looked just like cotton candy, gold and vivid pink cape. She held white stick with a violin key on top of it. - Did definitely lose since the only thing we have left is this piece of paper.
-Those are the musical trolls. The ones who apparently made our strings in the first place. - Essence said with a sigh.
-Wait, wait , wait. Hold on! - Poppy cut in. - Weren't strings made by our ancestors?
-That was what we believed in this whole time. - Delta said.
-The truth is slightly different. - Quincy stated with a serious face.
-How did you even find out about this? - Branch asked, barely believing what was happening right now.
-It all started a week ago…- Essence started. - That day trolls started to seek our help in special matters. It turned out some of them had fallen ill. They couldn't sing like they used to… we put them in the quarantine on observation. It was something we weren't prepared for. After some research and check ups we found out there was nothing wrong with those trolls. Their singing came back after a short time. We assumed it was just a temporary thing…some sickness. Well but that was until Barb came to us with the same problem.
-We then tried to find out what was causing that. There were no clear symptoms that's why we decided to dig into our history. We went through all of the scrapbooks we had from those times, but we didn't find anything relevant. Until we actually found something that changed everything. In the book of the beginning of the music you borrowed us, we found some important information. The singing loss is actually one of the things our ancestors experienced when the strings were non existing yet. We then looked for some information about how to create strings, but the further page was ripped out. - Quincy said.
-But it turned out that this piece of paper was hidden under the floor in one of the old pods in Lonesome flats. - Delta said with her usual country accent.
-And according to the scrapbooks we have in our libraries, those fellow trolls are some kind of demi- gods. They can create anything you want. - Trollzart added. In Branch's mind something clicked. At first he didn't see the coloration between those trolls and their problem, but now everything was slightly clearer than before.
-So, what I'm getting from this talk is that us destroying the strings has something to do with us losing our ability to sing and stuff, and to bring this music back we have to… - Branch started.
-Seek the musical trolls and get them to create our strings again. - Poppy muttered under her breath. - If that’s the cause, shouldn’t it had shown up earlier?
She asked confused.
All of the sudden, some kind of strong guilt rushed through her body. She was one of the main reasons why strings were destroyed in the first place. If she wasn't so stubborn, so careless…if she had listened to anyone except this voice in her head, that she was not good material for a queen.
-We will do it. - Poppy said, looking up at the leaders. Branch was shocked at her statement.
-What?! - Branch shouted.
-Are you sure you want to do this? - Essence asked Poppy softly.
-Yeah I mean, I kinda destroyed our strings and I think I need to make it up to you. - Poppy stated. Barb looked down with a painful expression. She knew she started this mess. Poppy now wanting to repair it was just so…sweet.
-What do you say, Branchifer? Ready for one more adventure? - Poppy turned to her boyfriend. She reached out her hand. He wanted to hesitate, but could he say no to that. He knew that even if he said no, Poppy would find some way to drag him to their balloon and ride to the other side of the village.
-Fine we will go. - He chuckled. When he took her hand she squealed excitedly.
-So where should we go? - Poppy asked the leaders. They exchange looks. They weren’t exactly sure where they had to seek for musical trolls.
-You need to go to Stringland. - Peppy said, cutting into the conversation. Poppy turned to her father.
-Dad! If I find out you knew something about this, I don’t know what I will do. - Poppy said, infuriated.
-I didn’t know about any of this honey, I swear. - Peppy reassured his daughter. - But I do know one thing. Musical trolls were last seen at the land of our ancestors.
-But how the heck will they get there? We don’t have any maps. - Delta asked.
-Well…we do. - Peppy put a piece of paper out of his hair. He handed it to Poppy and pointed at a lilac color spot.
-This is the place all trolls used to live at. - Peppy said to Poppy. - It is said that musical trolls never left this place. I think you may find them there.
-Alright, so we have to go to the north east. - Branch said, taking a glance at the map. - I’m sure if we will take Sheila, we will be there in no time.
-Okay! Sounds like a plan. - Poppy said with a little bit of excitement. - We will go pack and then meet at the Misty Meadows?
-In about 30 minutes then? - Branch asked.
-Mhm! Yeah! That sounds good. - Poppy kissed Branch goodbye. Leaders looked at those two in awe. They were used to that kind of interaction between those two. Of course at the beginning of their alliance, which was also a moment that “Broppy”, (as everyone called them) relationship was taken to the next level, they were still a bit awkward with showing their feelings. They were too embarrassed to hold hands in front of the leaders, not to mention that kind of act of tenderness. However after those three years they became comfortable enough to even flirt during the meetings.
-Okay so it’s settled then. - Essence said with a smile. - We can give you a lift. I know it’s not some huge gesture comparing what you are doing for us, but that’s the least we can do.
-Oh no, no! No need! We will take our balloon, we don’t mind that, right sweetie? - Poppy said with a smile. She couldn't contain her excitement. Branch couldn’t even protest. It was definitely a handful in his other plan for proposal.
-Right! We definitely don’t mind! - Branch added with a chuckle.
The leaders didn’t have anything more to add so they proceeded to leave. Meanwhile when Poppy was about to leave someone grabbed her by the arm.
-Wait Popsqueak. - Barb said to her. Poppy looked at her. She looked rather upset. - Listen I… you don’t have to go there. I mean I am responsible for this mess. I should make things right.
Poppy couldn’t help but smile.
-Barb… don’t worry. It’s okay. Me and Branch will go and we will make things right. We had so many adventures, that this one will be easy. Besides… - Poppy looked around to see if no one was eavesdropping. She whispered something to Barb's ear. Although the words she said weren’t heard by the others, her body language told it all. She was moving her feet, her body was shaking, and a smile couldn’t get off her face.
-Oh…wow that’s huge. - That was the only thing the queen of rock could say. - Way to go Pops!
-Just keep this between us, okay? - Poppy said with a chuckle.
-Yeah, sure! No biggie! - She replied.
-Hey Barb! You coming or not? - Delta asked. Barb completely forgot that funk trolls were the only transport back home.
-Yeah! I’m coming! - Barb shouted to the leaders. She turned to Poppy once again. - Good luck Pops! Hoping for the invite soon.
-You sure will get one.