I do not own Trolls or Trolls World Tour or Trolls Band Together or any of the characters in the franchise or the songs! And I especially don't own any of the songs I use from the movie or any other song I pick out in general! I also don't own the characters of Trollstopia! The only thing I do own are my O.C.s Melody Song, McJagger, Buckaroo, Stereo, and Twilight Tidepool; I.M. Rally owns her O.C. Aggie Galido, and Cheah owns his O.C. Finn Okazaki Tidepool. Now, strap in, ladies and gentlemen, and let's get on with the show!

Back out in the forest, Laguna had made it to the edge of Mixed City and wandered into the thick area of forest brush that extended out beyond the city. Using her hands to push the bushes, she kept her eyes peeled for any sign of the marigold that would mark the pathway that'd lead to the "Catacombs of Music", not aware of the trap that awaited her arrival amongst the fake location. However, as she walked, she still felt a strong hint of resentment and anger towards her friends after overhearing their discussions about heading back to the Troll Kingdom; her mindset still stuck on the misunderstanding that they didn't want to help her anymore.

As she pushed aside a bush full of roses, her eyes caught notice of something pink up in the distance, and she followed the sight of the color, wanting to see what was up ahead.

Greeting her was a long dirt pathway that led into a deeper portion of the forest by the edge of Mixed City, and what highlighted the pathway was a large archway made of growing vine branches that intertwined and twisted to create the archway. But its most prominent feature were the many colorful flowers that grew from the branches, especially the biggest flower that stuck out right at the top, and what kind of flower was it? A large blue-and-pink marigold with a gold center, its colorful petals glowing under the sunlight.

"Aha! There is the blue-and-pink marigold that marks the path towards the Catacombs of Music," Laguna commented eagerly, adding, "For someplace that the others say is "fake," it sure appears to be real to me, just like as my mother was able to document."

She huffed softly, crossing her arms and saying to herself bitterly, "Let's see them think I can't handle what's coming my way now," and proceeded to walk towards the pathway, following the path down into the depths of the forest.

The anTrollpologist's eyes looked around the area, keeping a sharp look out for any sign of the Catacombs of Music like in the picture that she saw in the book. Her ears twitched slightly at the slightest sounds that she picked up on, in case there was something dangerous around the area. The further she walked down the path, the more trees she saw along the way, which also made the area start to grow a little darker, though the sky still was seen open above, with the sun visible in the clear blue sky.

Once she reached the end of the pathway, the Techno Troll noticed a clearing up ahead, and up in the clearing, there lay what she thought was the legendary "Catacombs of Music" surrounded by large quantities of flowered bushes and rocks aplenty that surrounded it.

In front of her was what was most certainly a humongous stone cave, and by the entrance of the cave, there were stone pillars that had archeological carvings marked on them, ranging from hieroglyphic messages to ancient figures in Trollgyptian times, the Medieval Era, and the Trollnaissance. Right above the cave entrance, resting on top with support from the pillars, was a flat roof with a bunch of boulders that looked ready to fall if a Troll gave the cave side a good kick.

Laguna's eyes glimmered with hope and eagerness, the Techno Troll cheering while shouting, "I can't believe it; it's here! And it's..." before her eagerness died down slowly as the anTrollpologist took a closer look at the place, saying while raising an inquisitive eyebrow, "Not like how I expected it to be."

She examined the pillars, saying as she took notes about it, writing in her notepad, "Note: these pillars look authentic, yet there's a sense of there not being a feeling of authenticity amongst them It looks almost like...they were carved out in recent years. And judging by its structure, it seems rather odd that the catacombs have been constructed under the presence of a cave rather than a temple."

Under normal circumstances, Laguna would want to study further into this and do close-up analyses, and she was already making mental notes on coming back outside ina bit to study this "structure" further into detail, but Laguna quickly shoved her thoughts aside, saying, "I can study this later; right now, I gotta go in and see if my mom is still here."

"I'm coming, mom," Laguna said in determination as she walked into the cave, determined to try and locate her mother.

Laguna slowly entered the cave, eyeing the torches that hung on the wall and illuminated the entrance's walls. The eerie sound of the wind from outside blowing into the inside made Laguna's nerves feel a little uneasy, but she didn't let her nerves get to her, shoving aside any feelings of nervousness and fright to focus on looking for clues about where her mother could possibly be.

As the interior of the cave got darker, Laguna instinctively made her hair and skin glow, showing some light that made the inside appear less dark.

Eyeing how it looked on the inside, as she trekked deeper, she soon found herself entering the "Catacomb"'s main platform area, which looked quite bare, stalactites decorated with embedded growing crystals that sparkled like chandeliers, and along the back wall, 5 tunnels that led to who knows where, possibly somewhere deeper below or above this place.

Suddenly, as Laguna was looking at each of the tunnels along the wall, something sparkly caught her eye, making her turn her head and look at the tunnel on the far right. She walked towards it and looked inside, not seeing anything present except for the sight of something sparkly and glistening coming from the far end of the tunnel's passageway.

Curious, she walked into the tunnel, trying to narrow down where the glimmer came from, though her footsteps remained light and quick since she was still feeling antsy about being inside, and her desire to try and locate her mom in this place ran deep.

She walked for what felt like a good 5 minutes before she saw the end of the tunnel's passageway, showing an entrance laced with rubies and emeralds, showing the entrance to another area of the cave.

Laguna walked into the room and what she saw made the anTrollpologist's eyes widen in surprise and her mouth drop in shock.

Inside the room, there were shelves loaded with all kinds of rare valuables: bags of gold coins and jars with shiny jewels, but the most shocking part of all of this was the massive amounts of artifacts that covered these shelves! Ranging from small gold statues to massive pottery with images of ancient figures in history, to Greek-themed statues, silver fossils, and just about everything else in between! To anyone interested in history or archaeology, this was like a paradise of facts to study up on!

"Oh...my...Troll," Laguna commented to herself in stunned disbelief, her eyes glimmering in awe, saying as she walked in and looked around, "There's so many artifacts here just stored away! Along with all these coins and gems; how on Earth did they all end up here"?!

She noticed a golden globe and walked up to it, picking it up and inspecting it, saying, "Note: All of these treasures look like they've been here for so many years! My mother must've spent so much time here trying to track all of these things down"!

Suddenly, she heard a voice shout harshly, the tone of voice making Laguna squeak in fright and jump a bit from being startled, "Oye, ¡¿qué estás haciendo con eso"?!

Laguna quickly turned around, the golden globe still in her hands, as she gazed at who the voiced belonged to, eyeing a purple male Reggaeton Troll who stared her down sternly, thinking Laguna was possibly a thief who wanted to steal his treasures.

Laguna quickly spoke up, saying defensively, "I-I'm so sorry, sir; I-I was just looking around is all"!

What she didn't know was that this Reggaeton Troll was none other than Senor Ramon, the same Troll who she had no idea kidnapped her mother long ago. And as for Ramon himself, when he noticed the Troll who had her hands on one of his "priceless items", he felt almost taken aback, eyeing that she looked almost like the same Troll whom he had planned an elaborate trap for long ago.

But, he didn't let the shock overwhelm him, and quickly regained a calm composure, saying as he approached Laguna, "Oh, lo siento, senora, I am so sorry; I can be...how you say...overprotective with my merchandise; don't want thieves 'round here taking stuff, ya know"?

Laguna, still a little startled, now started to feel confused, asking, "Merchandise"?

Senor Ramon nodded, saying, "Si, merchandise. But of course, you must be feeling perplexed, so allow me to introduce myself and explain," and stated while he took the golden globe out of her hands, "I am Senor Ramon, business mongrel and the proud official of Ramon's Riches, my personal pawn selling business."

Laguna's eyebrow raised in confusion, which prompted her to ask, "Pawn selling"?

"Si, si," Ramon replied, explaining as he placed the golden globe back onto the shelf, "It all dates back to when I was a little Trolling. As a boy, I had always been quite fascinated about the decor and prestine figure of artifacts; their history, the origins of how they were created. It drew me into a world where one could dive into the understanding of the artifacts' historic build and presence, and the way it influenced our history as we know it."

"Oh, so you got interested into the field of Troll history," Laguna asked curiously, surprised to see someone of such "unique" sophistication share a common interest she held very dear.

Ramon chuckled before saying, "Más o menos, senora. See, while yes, understanding their history was quite fascinating, what drew to me more on learning of the artifacts was their astounding value"!

When Laguna heard him say "Value" she first thought he meant about their historical value, and commented, "Note: that is for certainly true; i mean, the historical value of an artifact goes beyond just its make-up, but also the way that it influences our ancestors' customs and-,"

However, she got rudely interrupted when Ramon scoffed and declared, "What? No no no no no, not that kind of value, idiota. I'm talking about their value in riqueza y ganancias financiers. Or as you English speakers say, it's all about the money."

That struck a bit of a nerve in Laguna, who crossed her arms and asked, "Wait, you think of artifacts in relation to money"?

"Si," Ramon answered with a chuckle, saying as he pulled out a bag of shiny blue sapphires and gazed at them, saying, "As I got to see more about the true value of dusty, old artifacts, it prompted me to show many others their value through the art of selling, henceforth, it inspired me to create my pawn selling business. I set up a base here and went on long searches for some of the rarest and most fabuloso artifacts that ever existed amongst history, where I made millions in gems and dollars with these sales."

This really irked Laguna on a personal level; for a Troll to be abusing and misinterpreting the studies of ancient history and anTrollpology for the art of financial gain and receiving money while depriving many Trolls of a chance to get to witness and learn about an essential part of history as a whole, it was wrong on so many levels! Plus, this kind of business seemed to be illegal as artifacts didn't deserve to be sold; they deserved to be displayed in museums, as they should be."

Trying to keep herself from snapping angrily at Senor Ramon, Laguna started to speak up, telling him, "Well, Senor Ramon, forgive me for speaking out of terms on this as this kind of topic is not my business-,"

But Ramon interrupted her, saying while standing close to the Techno Troll and placing a finger over her mouth as if to get her to be quiet, "Yes, it is not your business unless you are a customer, so cierra el labio, niño insolente," before stepping away and placing his bag of sapphires on the side of his desk.

Now, Laguna was REALLY mad, and this time, she had no resistance to going off at him, telling him sternly, "Excuse me"?!

Ramon didn't really care to hear her out, but did turn his head to look at her as she went off, telling him, "For your information, sir, I am not a customer, but this very much IS my business, as I am a budding anTrollpologist, and I do NOT approve of your kind of business! These artifacts that you see as value of money, they possess so much more than that and shouldn't be sold around the world like merchandise! They deserve to be displayed in museums and historic landmarks for every Troll around the world to see and learn about"!

"And why does that matter? They're just sitting there like pex muerto, so why not actually give them some good use that benefits me financially. You sound like every explorer whom I've met that has ever confronted me on this matter, yet my answers still remain unchanged about it," Ramon replied while rolling his eyes.

Lagina gritted her teeth, letting out a frustrated huff, before saying as she placed her hands on her hips and stared Senor Ramon down, "They're worth more in historic content than they are in financial worth, which you obviously fail to see! Can't you understand that these artifacts shouldn't be treated as merchandise and should be treated much more respectfully towards their historical significance"?!

"Eh, historical content don't pay me, but their value in coins and gems, ah, eso vale mi tiempo," Ramon answered, not once paying attention to any of Laguna's concerns.

Laguna's face beemed with an angered red, but while she REALLY wanted to lay it in onto the Reggeaton Troll's ignorance and sublimal blindness to riches, she still had one pressing matter to discuss with him, stating sternly, "Note: I have a right mind to get you arrested for this, but unfortunately, as you have stated before, this is not my business, as I have something more essential to be asking you. Since you have mentioned that you have encountered many explorers during your time, would you also happen to have run into one by the name of Twilight Tidepool"?

The sound of that name made Senor Ramon's demeanor change instantly, became very angered and shouted, "DO NOT STATE THAT VILIPENDIADO NAME IN MY PRESENCE!"!

Laguna was a little shocked from his reaction, but moreso, she could tell by the way that Senor Ramon reacted that he does seem to know her, saying, "Aha! So you DO know her! Where is she"?!

Ramon tried to act like he didn't know such, saying, though his anger still remained, "Por qué diablos me preguntas esto? I know nothing of what you are asking me about, you impudent girl; why even ask me this"?!

"Because that Troll whom you seem to have quite a resentment for? She found a book and a map that led her to this place 16 years ago, and she never came back home afterwards," Laguna bitterly spat out in response, slamming her hands onto Ramon's desk. This startled the Reggaeton Troll as Laguna glared at him while mentioning, "She was looking for this place: the Catacombs of Music! Whatever happened here stopped her from returning home, and you seem to have resided here so quite a while to know more about what happened! So tell me for Troll's sake where she is"!

Ramon huffed and replied, "Why does this even matter to you of knowing where that blasted stupid explore is"?

"Do NOT talk about my mother like that," Laguna shouted angrily back in response.

Little did she know was that her statement made Senor Ramon gasp in surprise, asking, "Sostener, you...you're la hija of Senora Tidepool"?

Laguna nodded, crossing her arms while saying, "Yes, I am her daughter. Laguna Tidepool to be exact."

For a moment, Senor Ramon was speechless, stunned to his very core to be seeing this firsthand that he was talking to Twilight's daughter. Then, his speechlessness broke and gave way to some laughter, a chuckle escaping him as he said, "Oh dios mio, I can't believe it"!

Laguna's angered expression didn't let up as she watched him chuckle away, thinking this was a joke.

For Senor Ramon, his chuckle broke into a heartfelt laugh before he said, "Oh Troll, this is just priceless! Here I am standing cara a cara with the nina of the same explorer whom I was able to get rid of"!

Laguna's anger broke to a moment of shock, her face looked frighteningly perplexed while saying, "What...do you mean by that"?

Ramon grew a malicious grin as he sat down and explained to LAguna, his tone of voice eerie and cocky, "Well, allow me to tell you an "intriguing" story. See, long ago, I had encountered your mother in this EXACT room, and yes, like you said, she had followed the book and map, which I am proud to say that it was my creation of."

"You...YOU made that book and map that...that I..." Laguna tried to reply, but the shock of what she was hearing was too much for her to bear, and the realization of what her friends were talking about was coming to light that this was all staged...and she fell right into it.

"That you had certainly followed to come here? Si, those are the ones," Ramon repid before explaining, "I had heard of her astounding exploration legacy and I HATED it to the very end, and even now, I still hate it. I mean, why would any Troll be so passionate about exploring old places and finding these artifacts just to let them be so others can see and learn about them firsthand in museums and historic sites and all that crap? She seemed to be, for that matter, and any time that i had came across an artifact that i wanted to sell, that diablo morada beats me to it! Everyone loved her and looked up to her, and I just stood there simmering in rage."

His gold tooth glistened as he then stated, "One day, I decided that I had officially enough of her, and thought that it was time that she was gone...for good. So, I created this grand idea of the perfect way to lure her into my pawn-selling cave to make sure she NEVER stood on common ground with any other explorer again. I made the book with the fake page and drew up a fake map that would lead her to wherever she was to my location. I planted the book in the last place she had gone to and hoped that she would return to find it and find her way here."

He then started to stand up, saying, "That bag of bones fell for it hook, line, and sinker, especially for the decor I made outside to make my cave look like a real catacomb. Little did she know that this was all just una trampa elaborada e inteligentemente pensada. Or, as you Enlighs speakers, say," before shouting right at Laguna's face, "A TRAP"!

Laguna, now stunned to her very core, and now feeling frightened, stumbled back, landing on the ground before scrambling to her feet, but found no brave bone in her to run.

She fearfully stepped back as Ramon simply walked forward, staying close to her as he said while Laguna kept walking backward to try and get away from him, "She got lured into my sales room that we are here now, and well..she reacted the same about my business as you did. Guess you can say it's like mother, like daughter, which is for shame of you. She looked ready to put up a fight...but luckily for me...she stood right where I wanted her to...and soon...she was gone."

Laguna felt her back press against the wall that she now stood against, panicked as Ramon stared her down with a malicious grin, "But don't be sad, Tidepool; you can still be able to see her...in skeleton form. No Troll can survive without essentials for 16 years and...she had been feeling pretty weakened these past few weeks. We've had a lot of "enlightening" chats before she became...how you say? Close to meeting death."

Laguna felt like she was gonna be sick to her stomach, her heart racing really fast, while she found not a single courageous bone in her to move or say anything in response.

Ramon's malicious grin did not falter as he said, "So, that's the end of my tale, enjoyed the story? probably didn't, but who cares? You won't get to tell anyone else about it. Adios, Tidepool," before he used his hair to pull down a lever that was by his desk.

The floor below where Laguna stood opened up, and Laguna dropped into the hole below, screaming loudly as she fell deep, deep, deep down, the image of Ramon's evil grin growing smaller and smaller till she couldn't see it anymore.

Laguna fell down the chute before she saw a light coming up at the end of the chute, the tunnel leading into the inside of a cage.

Laguan got spat out by the chute, landing in the cage, before the tunnel chute pulled away and hid up into the ceiling, the cage door being swung close and a lock automatically clamping down on the door, locking Laguna inside of the cage. The cage itself was inside of a cavern chamber that looked to reside at the bottom of the cave itself, far away so that no one above could even hear a pin drop inside this area.

Laguna recovered from the fall and saw the cage that she was now trapped in, saying, "Note: this is bad! Really bad"!

She ran over to the cage door and touched the cage bars but was in for a literal shock when, upon grasping the bars, she felt electricity coarse through her, giving Laguna a painful shock. It forced Laguna to let go, wincing in pain when she saw how bright pink her hands became from getting shocked, and they were starting to ache immediately.

The Techno Troll stifled a painful whimper as she stood back up, trying to reach for the cage's lock, but the bars were so thick that she couldn't put any part of her limbs in without getting shocked, which she realize again after getting another painful shock of electricity from the bars.

Laguna shook her hand, feeling it hurt from getting shocked as she sat down, holding her aching hand to her chest, trying to get the pain to go away. Hot tears formed around her eyes as Laguna sniffled, commenting, "Someone please...help."

But it was a futile comment made; no one could hear her since she was deep below; Ramon would probably never let her go free, who knows what else that trollstard had laid here ready to do torture if she even tried to break out, which seemed to show no sign of escape in the chamber itself, and her friends didn't even know that she had snuck off to come here. She was in deep trouble and this time...no one was here to help her. She was...all alone.

Laguna sniffled again, letting her tears fall as she brought her knees up to her chest, her hands moving up to hug her legs close, and she buried her face into her knees, sobbing in pain, in fear...and in sadness. Her cries barely echoed in the cave as the Techno Troll wallowed by herself in the empty sadness that was her only source of company, feeling truly trapped for the first time. All she could even think of was...nothing. All that came to mind...just went away.

As she sobbed, Laguna could only imagine what her mother, whom she now really doubted if Twilight was even still alive, would say, and how possibly disappointed she'd be in her for...everything.

All that Laguna could do right now was...sadly prepare for the worst of what her fate would bring.

Back outside, Laguna's friends were all following Lizzy as they ran over to the edge of Mixed City, everyone calling out to Laguna in case she was within the area and not by the cave as they feared she may have gone.

"Laguna," everyone called out, trying to find the missing Techno Troll.

"Laguna? Where are ya, gerl," Holly shouted while looking behind a tree.

"'Guna? You here, yo," Stereo declared as she and Synth looked by a bush of yellow begonias.

"Laguna! Where may you be," Dante declared as he and Trollzart did an air search.

McJagger was searching frantically, saying with concern, "Oh, I really hope we can find her! I can't bear to lose my girlfriend and have her go missing. I'm scared that she's gonna get hurt." His eyes glimmered sadly while he added, "What if we don't find her? What if she's gone for good"?

Aggie patted McJagger on the back while reassuringly telling him, "We'll find her, McJagger; I'm sure we will. We're not going to stop until we find her, wherever she is."

"Why does that somehow not make me feel any better," McJagger replied, though he did appreciate Aggie trying to help him feel better, before he added, "I think I'm more scared that Senor Ramon might do something to her if he finds Laguna first. If he's as malicious as Lizzy said that he was when she saw him, then who know what he might do"?

"We feel ya, McJagger, and that's why none of us are gonna stop looking looking until we find her, or at least a clue that can lead us to where she may be," Aggie replied encouragingly.

On cue, Val's voice could be heard shouting, "Guys, over here"!

"Buckaroo's found more fin prints," Melody's voice followed afterward.

The Trolls gathered over to where Buckaroo was, seeing them looking at some fin prints in the ground as the detective stated, "Yep, these are huurrs all raheet, ayn' they lead up this way."

The Trolls began to follow the trail of footprints, looking around the area while they did so just in case Laguna was still around.

Then, Delta spotted something and commented, "Y'all, look ovuurr there"!

Everyone turned their heads and went over to where the rose bush was, pushing it away and spotting the same archway that highlighted the dirt pathway leading down to the cave that Laguna had gone to and the blue-and-pink marigold landmark that remained on top.

"It's the blue-and-pink marigold like in the map," Quincy stated as he pulled out the remote and pressed the button, showing the digital map that had the same one as the marigold in front of them.

"Lizzy, is this the pathway that leads to the cave you were talking about," Melody asked her older sister.

The Pop/Techno Mixed Troll nodded, saying, "Yep, that's it alright."

"Looks like Laguna must've found it and went down that way towards the cave," Essence replied.

"Come on then; the sooner we get there, the sooner we can kick some greedy Reggaeton arse and save Laguna from yearly entrapment," Barb declared.

Everyone started to head towards the pathway, passing under the branch archway and the blue-and-pink marigold that glimmered under the sun.

However, Melody noticed that Lizzy seemed to stay behind from the rest of her friends. This made her curious as she turned around and came up to Lizzy, asking her, "Hey, what's up, Lizzy? You coming"?

Lizzy shuffled her right foot, looking down in concern as she replied, "I...I can't go with you guys. Not that I don't want to, but...I can't being myself to face this kind of conflict. I can jut feel that something bad is gonna happen if I get involved in this."

She gripped her arms, commenting to herself, "I won't get caught up in another incident."

Melody understood how frightened Lizzy felt and could tell that her older sister was downright worried about her friends' safety and her little sister's safety, yet at the same time, she was also frightened about being able to put herself in a dangerous situation.

She patted Lizzy on the shoulder while saying, "I get it; I'd feel the same way if I had experienced what you went through. I'm just gonna be missing you while we're off doing this."

Lizzy nodded slowly, saying, "Same here."

Melody then pulled Lizzy into a hug while saying, "I'll be back soon, sorella," and turned around, heading to meet up with the others who had already gone ahead down the path, leaving Lizzy to watch her little sister walk away, left alone to reminisce on her own thoughts.

Deep within the cave, underground in the hidden chamber that no Troll could even think of reaching, amongst the ginormous piles of shiny gold coins, rare gems, and various other valuable artifacts that were stored, Laguna was lying on her side inside the cage that had her trapped, curled up in the fetal position, her knees brought up to her chest while her arms hugged them. Her hands, which were still bright pink and felt very achy from having touched the electrified bars, brought up and were hugging her arms, Laguna's face buried within her arms, masking the sobs that could be heard. Her fedora slipped forward enough to cover her eyes but not enough to cover the visible tears that could be seen falling.

The Techno anTrollpologist sniffled, unable to find the strength to speak what was on her mind or do anything to make the situation better; but even so, how could she? She was trapped in a cage, the bars electrified and unable to be touched without harming herself in the process, and the lock booby-trapped with the same electricity that covered the cages, down underneath the cave floor so deep that it was highly likely that no one above them could hear her cries or screams, and no one even knew that she had snuck off on her own, so her friends had no idea she was gone. For once, she truly was...alone. Senor Ramon had won, and she was now suffering the same fate as her mother did...and would soon most likely fall under the hands of a slow, lonely death.

Laguna shivered as she cried, sadness and fear overwhelming her body and mind; she hadn't felt this way since her father assaulted her, and that was something she didn't even want to think about, but the feelings of back then, she felt now, except this time...her fate was inevitable. there was no hope or chance of escape; she was cornered and had no way out. This was even worse than the time that the Lost Game Room almost caved on her and her friends who accompanied her, but even that had an open chance she took to help them get out in time whereas compared to her current situation now.

The purple Techno Troll trembled in fright as the sobs slowly ceased, but the sadness still remained as Laguna tiredly rubbed her eyes, trying to rid herself of any more tears that may or may not be forming, as she whispered to herself, feeling utter regret and guilt, "Note: I'm such a failure. I've failed my mission, I've failed my friends, I've failed my brother, I've failed my family...I've even failed my mother...wherever she may be now. I'm a lousy explorer and a pathetic excuse of a Troll to my own family and my friends. I don't deserve to be a Tidepool."

She felt her fedora fall off, which prompted Laguna to pick it up, looking at it sadly, before saying as she threw it aside, "I don't even deserve to be an explorer"!

The fedora flew across the cage and landed on the other side of the floor, not too near the cage bars.

Laguna sniffled again and huddled, whispering to herself, "I'm sorry for failing you guys. I'm sorry for not being strong enough, I'm sorry for being such a failure of a daughter, mom. I'm sorry..."

Feeling fatigued from the emotions she felt wash over her, before Laguna could fathom it, a single tear fell as she closed her eyes and drifted into a deep sleep.

Inside the dream...

Inside Laguna's mind, Laguna was still in the same huddled position as she laid down, surrounded by black all around her, not seemingly in the cage anymore, currently asleep, until she heard a voice shout, "Don't give up, Laguna"!

That voice stirred Laguna awake, prompting her to open her eyes and lift her head up, a bit startled but mostly confused as to who was talking, which only grew as another voice shouted, "Y'all ken't give in just yet"!

This made Laguna look around curiously as another voice called out, "Yeah, ya gotta keep fighting, yo"!

"Don't let that trollstard win," another rash voice added in, all while Laguna kept looking around, trying to see where these voices came from.

Suddenly, in a bright flash of light, right in front of Laguna, the Techno Troll saw a light version of McJagger standing there, telling her encouragingly, "Come on, boo; you still can fight your way out of this"!

Laguna was startled to see her boyfriend present, sitting up right and moving backward while letting out a frightened shout, asking, "McJagger? How are you here"?

McJagger smiled and replied, "Well, you're in a dream, but that's not important right now; what is important is that you can't just let Ramon take you down that easily! He's spooky, yes, and maniacally smart, but you're just as smart and clever and strong as he is! After all, you're a Tidepool, and just like you've told us about what your mom used to say: when the going gets tough, a Tidepool gets going"!

Laguna sighed in resignation before sadly replying, "What's the use, McJagger? I'm trapped in a cage with literally no way to get out safely, and if I tried, I'd wind up hurting myself badly; the cave area is soundproof, so no one can even hear my calls for help, and worst of all...I'm all alone and...I feel so guilty that I walked out on you guys the way that I did...refusing to listen to your warnings and understanding that you were all only trying to help me. I'm...in really bad trouble...I'm weak and pathetic. It's hopeless."

"No, it's not," McJagger commented, trying to reassure her before saying, "It's not hopeless, and you're not weak OR pathetic, because if you were, you wouldn't have gotten to show us just how strong a Troll you are. And we all agree on this, right guys"?

On cue, all around Laguna, light versions of the Troll leaders, Aggie, the ambassadors, and the other associates appeared one by one, each giving affirmative nods and smiles in agreement to the statement.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Survivor by Destiny's Child~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As music started to play in the background, some of the other Trolls who appeared started to speak, one of them being Val, who shouted, "Yeah, you've gone through hell and back and STILL were able to make it out to live the life that you live now."

"When ya daddy hurt ya, y'all were hurt ayn' traumatized badly; but ya recovered, and are still healin', growing stronguurr from the trauma ever' day! That takes real strength ayn' courage ta do," Holly added.

"Remember when you lead us to the Lost Game Room? Even when you were scared, you learned to trust yourself and found a way to save Holly and Poppy and got us out safely! That takes guts and a lot of wisdom," Aggie mentioned.

"Yeah, yo. ya got an adventuring spirit like no other Troll, one that carries out your family's legacy proudly, yo," Synth declared with a chuckle.

"When faced with whatever obstacle that was in your way, you overcame it and came out the other side stronger from it," Low-Note Jones stated with a wink.

"And even when things looked bleak, you never gave in to the darkness; you kept fighting with everything that you had," Dante added on.

"You're not just a skilled explorer and a smart Troll; you're a survivor, Laguna," McJagger added happily, continuing with, "A strong one, just like your mother."

Then, McJagger began to sing while dancing to the beat of the music that played in the background.

McJagger: Now that you're out livin' your life, you're so much better! You thought that you'd be weak and can't fight, but you're stronger!

The leaders all followed the red Funk Trolls' movements, dancing in sync while they also sang along, helping to encourage Laguna to keep motivated and not give up.

Essence: You thought that you'd be down on your luck, the chains shrank farther!

Quincy: You thought the past would stay stuck, you're healing harder!

Trollex: You thought you wouldn't grow from the hurt, but now, you're wiser!

Delta: You thought you'd feel helpless and burned, but now, you're smarter!

Trollzart: You thought you'd be stressed and distrustful, now, you chillin'!

Barb: You thought you wouldn't find true friends, now, got a million!

Then, the leaders all began to do a synchronized dance routine while singing, with McJagger following the same dance moves and adding back-up vocals.

All (leaders): You're a survivor (McJagger: What), you never give up (McJagger: What)! You don't ever stop (McJagger: What), you keep workin' harder (McJagger: What)!

All (leaders): You're a survivor (McJagger: What), we know you gon' make it (McJagger: What)! You will survive (McJagger: What), and keep on survivin' (McJagger: What)!

The other Trolls present followed the leaders' lead and danced with them, singing along, while Laguna watched her friends encourage her and show full support for her, su[raised yet also...touched that even faraway, despite if this felt real or not, they still cared about her immensly.

All sans Laguna: You're a survivor (McJagger: What), you never give up (McJagger: What)! You don't ever stop (McJagger: What), you keep workin' harder (McJagger: What)!

All sans Laguna: You're a survivor (McJagger: What), we know you gon' make it (McJagger: What)! You will survive (McJagger: What), and keep on survivin' (McJagger: What)!

After the leaders had their chance to sing, Aggie and the ambassadors and associated each took a turn to sing an encouraging verse for the anTrollpologist.

Aggie: You thought you couldn't breathe without fear, but now you're inhaling!

Val: You thought you couldn't see a bright future, now, perfect vision!

Holly: You thought you'd never last with the trauma, now hey, you lastin'!

Synth: You thought you'd die too soon from the karma, now hey, you livin'!

Low-Note Jones: You thought you'd fail to succeed, but now, you're on top!

Melody: You thought you'd quit fighting for what's right, now, you don't stop!

Stereo: You thought you'd crash and self-destruct, but you're still here!

Buckaroo: Even in the years to come, we know you are still gonna be here!

Once more, the Trolls surrounding Laguna all began to sing and dance in sync, while Laguna watched her friends work to motivate her, and truth be told...it was working...not to mention that the beat itself was catchy and making her tap her foot while a small smile grew on her face.

All sans Laguna: You're a survivor (McJagger: What), you never give up (McJagger: What)! You don't ever stop (McJagger: What), you keep workin' harder (McJagger: What)!

All sans Laguna: You're a survivor (McJagger: What), we know you gon' make it (McJagger: What)! You will survive (McJagger: What), and keep on survivin' (McJagger: What)!

Feeling the music get to her, Laguna started to dance the same movements as the other were, following the rhythm of the song.

All sans Laguna: You're a survivor (McJagger: What), you never give up (McJagger: What)! You don't ever stop (McJagger: What), you keep workin' harder (McJagger: What)!

All sans Laguna: You're a survivor (McJagger: What), we know you gon' make it (McJagger: What)! You will survive (McJagger: What), and keep on survivin' (McJagger: What)!

McJagger then stepped forward, stepping in time to the beat as he sang while encouraging his girlfriend, offering a paw out to her. Laguna smiled and accepted the paw, grabbing it gently with her hand as she felt him twilr her into a graceful spin with each verse.

McJagger: Feel the courage in your chest, don't buckle from the stress! Nothin' less, pass the test, and show them who's the best!

McJagger: (All (leaders and ambassadors), Aggie, Melody, Stereo, Buckaroo: You're better than that!) Show them that you ain't gon' bow down!

(All (leaders and ambassadors), Aggie, Melody, Stereo, Buckaroo: You're better than that!) Show them why you proudly hold your crown!

(All (leaders and ambassadors), Aggie, Melody, Stereo, Buckaroo: You're better than that!) Prove to them that you have what it takes!

(All (leaders and ambassadors), Aggie, Melody, Stereo, Buckaroo: You're better than that!) Beat them all out and raise the stakes!

(All (leaders and ambassadors), Aggie, Melody, Stereo, Buckaroo: You're better than that!) You know you got this; nothing can stop you!

He then spun Laguna one last time, which allowed her to return to the center of the circle, while everyone joined in on singing together again.

All sans Laguna: That's something your mamma's taught you!

Once more, Laguna followed her friends with the choreography and danced the same way they did while the other Trolls sang together.

All sans Laguna: You're a survivor (McJagger: What), you never give up (McJagger: What)! You don't ever stop (McJagger: What), you keep workin' harder (McJagger: What)!

All sans Laguna: You're a survivor (McJagger: What), we know you gon' make it (McJagger: What)! You will survive (McJagger: What), and keep on survivin' (McJagger: What)!

All sans Laguna: You're a survivor (McJagger: What), you never give up (McJagger: What)! You don't ever stop (McJagger: What), you keep workin' harder (McJagger: What)!

All sans Laguna: You're a survivor (McJagger: What), we know you gon' make it (McJagger: What)! You will survive (McJagger: What), and keep on survivin' (McJagger: What)!

Then, each Troll began to slide their feet while moving ina circle pattern, each delivering on-beat vocals while they did so.

McJagger: Oh (All (leaders): Oh!)! Oh (All (ambassadors): Oh!)! Oh (All (associates), Aggie: Oh!)! Oh (All sans Laguna and McJagger: Oh!)!

Oh (All (leaders): Oh!)! Oh (All (ambassadors): Oh!)! Oh (All (associates), Aggie: Oh!)! Oh (All sans Laguna and McJagger: Oh!)!

Feeling her spirit reinvigorated and her confidence restored, Laguna looked to her friends before she started to speak out, singing some self-motivational words that helped her feel ready to try and get herself out of this trap, with her friends' support keeping her motivated all the way.

Laguna: After all of the darkness and sadness, soon comes happiness!

Laguna: If I keep the thought of the positive things, I'll stay motivated!

For one last time, everyone together started to dance in sync and sing together, though this time, Laguna joined in with them on the singing.

All sans Laguna/Laguna: You're a survivor/I'm a survivor (McJagger: What), you never give up/I'm not gon' give up (McJagger: What)! You don't ever stop/I won't ever stop (McJagger: What), you keep workin' harder/I'll keep workin' harder (McJagger: What)!

All sans Laguna/Laguna: You're a survivor/I'm a survivor (McJagger: What), we know you gon' make it/I'm gonna make it (McJagger: What)! You will survive/I will survive (McJagger: What), and keep on survivin'/I'll keep on survivin' (McJagger: What)!

All sans Laguna/Laguna: You're a survivor/I'm a survivor (McJagger: What), you never give up/I'm not gon' give up (McJagger: What)! You don't ever stop/I won't ever stop (McJagger: What), you keep workin' harder/I'll keep workin' harder (McJagger: What)!

All sans Laguna/Laguna: You're a survivor/I'm a survivor (McJagger: What), we know you gon' make it/I'm gonna make it (McJagger: What)! You will survive/I will survive (McJagger: What), and keep on survivin'/I'll keep on survivin' (McJagger: What)!

Then, one by one, each of the Trolls in Laguna's group began to disappear, floating up to the sky and dissipating into glitter that rained down on the anTrollpologist, who's gaze as the sng came close to an end, laid on McJagger, who approached her while moving to the beat.

All sans Laguna/Laguna: You're a survivor/I'm a survivor (McJagger: What), you never give up/I'm not gon' give up (McJagger: What)! You don't ever stop/I won't ever stop (McJagger: What), you keep workin' harder/I'll keep workin' harder (McJagger: What)!

All sans Laguna/Laguna: You're a survivor/I'm a survivor (McJagger: What), we know you gon' make it/I'm gonna make it (McJagger: What)! You will survive/I will survive (McJagger: What), and keep on survivin'/I'll keep on survivin' (McJagger: What)!

McJagger was the last Troll still present as he and Laguna both shared one small dance together, circling around together while looking into one another's eyes, Laguna singing to him as he added back-up vocals alongside her.

Laguna: I'm a survivor (McJagger: What), I'm not gon' give up (McJagger: What)! I won't ever stop (McJagger: What), I'll keep workin' harder (McJagger: What)!

Laguna: I'm a survivor (McJagger: What), I'm gonna make it (McJagger: What)! I will survive (McJagger: What), I'll keep on survivin' (McJagger: What)!

"You got this, Laguna," McJagger commented as he placed a paw onto Laguna's cheek, Laguna nuzzling into the touch as he added, "You're your mother's daughter, and if there is anyone we know who can find their way around ancient traps and columns, it's you. We'll be there soon, but for now, you know that we're all supporting you. Keep fighting for us...for your mother...for yourself."

Then, McJagger's light being began to fade away, with Laguna watching as she saw that charming smile the red funk Troll had stay before it too disappeared, leaving her by herself renewed, reinvigorated, and motivated.

End of dream...

Laguna stirred slightly as she woke up, her eyes opening up the instant that they felt able to, which let her be able to take in her surroundings. Reality was still imminent; she was still in the cage, locked, with no way to get out. However, she no longer felt hopeless or had the mindset of giving up and succumbing to the darkness.

She sat up slowly and stood up onto her feet, walking over to where she had tossed her hat away, picking the fedora up and holding it in her hands. As her thumbs caressed the front of the hat, she smiled in determination and placed it back on her head, saying, "I'm not gonna give up that easily; when the going gets tough, a Tidepool gets going! And I'll keep fighting for my friends and my family, no longer how long it takes"!

Laguna stood firmly and proudly, ready to try and figure out a way to break out of this cage, saying to herself, "Note: there has to be some sort of method I can use to unlock the cage's lock without getting electrocuted or hurt."

She thought back to earlier how she gripped the cage's bars and got shocked, then back to when she looked down at her hands and saw how pink they had become because of the shock and how achy they felt. Processing this in her mind, Laguna deduced, "Note: if this cage is electrified, then there's gotta be some sort of electrical outlet that is producing the electricity amongst the bars. If I can short-circuit it, perhaps it can stop the flow and make it much safer to touch these cage bars without risking myself getting electrocuted again."

Laguna looked around the cage carefully, trying to find some sort of clue that made her prison stick out and show where the electrical outlet could be. The cage was a simplistic metal container with thick bars that made it unable for her to squeeze her way out, and they were too close together that she couldn't extend a limb or her hair out without getting electrocuted again, and the lock was a simple key lock, but Senor Ramon had the key hidden away with him.

Then, in the corner of her eye, Laguna thought she saw what appeared to be a blinking light and walked over to the far corner of the cage, near the locked door. She peered through the bars, being careful that her face didn't touch the cage bars, and looked down, spotting a small black electronic battery that was blinking red light, and a small spark of electricity could be seen coursing through it.

Laguna grinned, saying, "That must be it; the source of where the electricity is coming from! Now, let me see if I have anything that could shut it off or short circuit it."

She fished through her travel bag to see if she had anything on her that could be of use, but so far, all she had was some old books, pens, writing pads, binoculars, glowsticks, and rope, and even the rope itself was useless because it was cloth, and it'd easily get shocked if it touched the cage or the battery.

Laguna then fished through her hair to see if she had something stored that could work. suddenly, she felt something peculiar and pulled out the object, revealing to be a pair of long rubber gloves, which appeared to, if worn, would go up to about her shoulder. The sight of the gloves made Laguna smile, saying, "Aha! While this may not help me short-circuit the battery, this WILL at least keep my hands and arms safe from getting electrocuted again."

She placed the gloves on, saying, "Electricity can't coarse through rubber, so this will give me some protection at least," before saying, "Note: perhaps now this can let me be able to touch that battery without getting shocked myself."

Laguna walked back over to where the battery was and kneeled down carefully, extending her hand out through the bars, the rubber glove protecting her from getting shocked again. Slowly, she moved her arm through and down, trying to reach the battery while keeping her face and her body away from the cage bars so the rest of her couldn't get electrocuted.

Slowly, her hand fumbled around, trying to feel for the battery, before her hand found its way to it, feeling the battery vibrating constantly. Laguna grinned, saying, "Yes," before she began to feel around it, looking for an off switch or a loose write to pull.

On top of the battery, there were some hooked wires that stuck out, exposed to the air, and Laguna's hand found its way to those wires. Once she felt like she could grab them, Laguna grabbed the wires, holding them as tightly as she could, and gave a mighty pull, tearing them right out of the battery.

The wires getting pulled out instantly shut the battery off, which stopped the flow of electricity from coursing through the cage bars, making them safe to touch. Laguna dropped the wires onto the floor and cautiously approached the cage bars, taking off one of the gloves to test and see if she could touch them. When her hand touched the cage bar, and she felt no shock, the anTrollpologist grinned, saying as she took off the other glove and placed them away, "Yes! It worked! Now, I can try and get that lock so I can pick it"!

She approached the cage door and saw the lock on the door handle, grabbing it and turning it around so she could be able to access it at a reasonable distance. Laguna saw how small the keyhole was, saying to herself, "Note: looks like I'll need something relatively small to be able to pick it successfully. Either a pin or a metal toothpick or.."

Suddenly, something glimmered in the corner of Laguna's eye, making her turn her head to see what caught her attention. In the distance, amongst the piles of gold and valuables, there was a small thin sapphire gem that looked like it was the perfect size to help pick the lock. Laguna smiled victoriously, saying, "Perfect"!

The only problem was that the gem was far from reaching distance, so Laguna could grab it by hand, but it didn't mean that she couldn't grab it by hair. She pulled her hair free from its neon green scrunchy, which let it have extra room to move around freely, before letting it go past the bars, reaching out towards the sapphire gem. It wasn't an easy feat, though, as the gem was sitting pretty far, even from hair's distance.

Laguna reached as far as she could, grunting from the strain of stretching her hair out so far, exclaiming, "Come on, Tidepool! You...can...do it"!

Giving it all that she could, the purple Techno Troll stretched her dark blue hair out as far as she could, the tips just barely brushing up against the sapphire gem, and with one last push of strength, it successfully wrapped around the gem, nabbing it. Laguna's eyes lit up wondrously when she saw that she got the gem, cheering, "Yes"!

She brought her hair back into the cage, placing the gem in her hands before she grabbed the lock and started to pick it up as fast as she could. With luck and a little wisdom in locksmith knowledge, she was able to get the lock to unhinge, the top coming free, causing the lock to fall to the ground and the cage door to swing open.

Laguna chuckled victoriously as she exited the cage, exclaiming happily, "I'm free! I'm free"!

She let out a sigh of relief and fell backward, lying on the floor while saying, "I did it, guys! I was able to get out"!

However, this was no time to celebrate, as she still had a mission to do: find her way out of this cave, which prompted Laguna to stand back up, her right hand still gripping onto the sapphire gem while her left wrist still wore her scrunchy, and say, "Note: now that im out of that cage, I've got to find my way out of here and hopefully be able to signal my friends"!

Suddenly, she heard a soft female voice call out, "Hello? Is someone there"?

Laguna froze, quickly turning her head and looking around, feeling very defensive in case that voice belonged to someone who worked under Senor Ramon's hand.

Then, she heard the voice call out again, saying, "Who's there"?

Laguna looked around cautiously, trying to pinpoint where the voice came from, before she looked and saw that it was coming from across the cave, near where the back was. Carefully, Laguna tiptoed towards where the voice was coming from, listening as she heard it call out, "Hello? Can someone hear me? Who's here"?

She moved slowly with each tiptoe, uncertainty and worries building up in her mind, but Laguna brushed them aside, determined to see who it was that was talking.

She made her way past a pile of gold coins, hearing the voice of whomever it was calling out emit a strained cough.

Laguna looked around as she moved, looking for any sign, any clue, anything that was suspicious or standing out that could show whoever it was that called out.

Then, in a back corner where it was really dark, Laguna heard the sound of metal clanging, which made her freeze and turn her head to see what was making that noise.

Amongst the dark, there was a silhouette of what looked like a handcuffed Troll, though the species of Troll was still a little vague at the moment, by both their hands, their feet, and their hair, which made it practically impossible for them to move. The way that it moved made it appear to be that the figure was feeling scared, and from the figure, Laguna could hear its voice call out, her voice showing a strong Australian accent, "Whoever you are, please don't hurt me, mate! I-I'll fight ya if I have ta"!

Laguna could hear the fear in her voice, and while still remaining cautious, she slowly approached the figure in the dark, making her body and hair illuminate so that the darkness could fade away slightly. At the same time, with each step, she spoke reassuringly, saying, "I-It's ok. I-I'm friendly; I want to help. I can get you out of here."

When Laguna got close enough, the light from her glow made the shadow over the figure disappear, revealing to be what looked like a middle-aged female Techno Troll.

She had light purple skin, very dark blue hair that was tied in a longer lower ponytail with a red scrunchy that reached up to about her upper back and thick sideswept bangs hidden under her hat, bright blue eyes, a light green heart that was shining through from under her tan explorer's shirt, and singular purple-and-yellow armbands (like the pattern of Laguna's armbands), though the yellow ones were visible as the purple ones were hidden under the shirt sleeves, and on her head was a tan fedora with a brown stripe, and her tail fins had yellow and green square pixel patterns on it.

The female Troll, however, didn't seem to be in good shape; her skin looked dry and faded, there were tired bags from under her eyes, her hair appeared to be limp, and she appeared to be thin and very malnourished. Aside from that, she still seemed to be quite active and responsive to what was going on around her, especially regarding this new person who was approaching her.

However, when Laguna got a good look at who this figure was, she was stunned, her body frozen in shock/disbelief as she dropped the sapphire gem, her eyes widened to match her emotions, her mouth agape in shock, unable to speak or do anything. Even in such a disheveled state, there was no denying that this person who was chained up like a helpless animal was someone she was VERY familiar with. With memories flooding back in her head to confirm it, it all was set in stone, true as it could be: this Troll in front of her was none other than the one...the only...

Shooting her hands up to cover her mouth to avoid screaming quickly, it didn't stop the stunned gasp from escaping as her eyes started to well up with big crystal-like tears.

All while this Troll looked up at Laguna, asking, "Uh, hey, mate, is...somethin' wrong"?

Laguna didn't speak, she didn't breathe, she didn't dare to move a muscle; she didn't want it to all just be some sick dream. However, what she was feeling was real, what she was seeing was real, what she was hearing was real! Everything about right now was all real, and nothing could disapprove it because she was awake, she was breathing, and she could feel how fast her heart was beating.

Lowering her hands slowly, which then found their place over to her chest, where she placed them over her heart, Laguna, tearful, emotional, shocked, and in all of the now various emotions she felt, asked in an almost timid yet yearning voice, "Mom...is that you"?

The new Troll looked at Laguna in confusion at first until she saw the bracelet and necklace that she had on, and at first, she wanted to scold her right off the bat because the only Troll she'd given those pieces of jewelry to was...was her own daughter! However, that desire to scold instantly vanished when she looked Laguna up and down, and her own memories flooded back, thinking back to the days when she spent time with her kids during her brief intermission breaks whenever she came from one of her explorations. It was almost impossible; it sounded so unfathomable, but that look in her eyes... she couldn't deny it even for a second.

In the surreal shock she felt, realization came down on her like a ton of bricks, and all she could mutter in disbelief/sheer joy was..."Kelpcake."

That nickname she said, that little nickname, that was ALL the proof that Laguna needed to confirm to her that in front of her was really, in the flesh, Twilight Tidepool, her own mother! Alive! Trapped and chained, but alive! After all these years of not seeing her...here she was!

Seeing those handcuffs on her, Laguna quickly tried to regain her own sense of composure and picked up the sapphire that she had dropped before rushing over to Twilight. While she didn't touch her mom yet, mostly due to how scared she felt that this all was still gonna be not real, she focused on unlocking the handcuffs, first freeing her hands before freeing Twilight's fins and then her hair.

As the handcuffs fell, and her mother now had room to stretch and stand properly, Twilight struggled to sit up, leaving Laguna to grab her hand gently and help her up, getting Twilight up to her feet.

Once she was standing, Twilight stretched her arms up high, letting out a small shout before saying, "Crikey, that feels SOOOOOO good! I haven't been able to move like this is such a long time, fair dinkum, I thought my muscles would've athropied by now"!

Twilight then looked at her daughter, who nervously stepped back as she didn't know what her mom might do next. However, Twilight knew exactly what she wanted to do next; she knelt down on one knee, brought her arms up open and wide, offering a big hug, and said, with her eyes almost close to welling up with tears of her own, "Hi, sweetie."

Laguna's strength to not break down immediately vanished as she tearfully exclaimed, "MOM," and ran to her, hugging her mother as tightly as she could, though not too tight that she might hurt her accidentally, but just enough to get to feel that she was real and physically in person. She clutched her mother as her life depended on it, openly wailing emotional sobs into Twilight's chest, not caring that she was getting her mom's shirt wet.

Her cries echoed through the cave as she buried her face into her mother's shoulder, her arms wrapped around Twilight's waist, not wanting to let go, as she absorbed the feel, sound, sight, and scent of her mother being physically present with her once more after all those years of not seeing her, fearing that she was gone.

Twilight, in return, was feeling just as emotional as Laguna, if anything, a lot MORE! Never in her whole ordeal would she have expected to see her daughter, who has grown up into a marvelous young woman, to have dared fate and death, to look for her and rescue her; all those years away, she never stopped thinking about her family. She never stopped thinking about her husband, she never stopped thinking about her eldest son, and she never stopped thinking about her baby girl: Laguna.

And now...she got to reunite with one piece of it that had come in search of her!

She embraced her daughter with a hug as tightly gripped as Laguna's but not as tight since she let her have some room to move around; her arms gently wrapped around her, with one arm supporting her while the other had some free moving room, allowing Twilight to use her free hand to stroke her daughter's hair gently.

The middle-aged Techno's eyes welled with tears of relief and gratitude, falling like raindrops as she rested her cheek on top of her daughter's hat, saying softly yet riddled with emotion, "Don't worry, kelpcake; I'm here."

Mother and daughter didn't dare to move from where they stood, both locked in the hug, as Laguna's emotional sobs still played on for a while.