The television turned on with a buzzing sound, and onto the screen, a rose gold troll walked. Their hair was fluffy, and it was upheld in a ponytail [but the hair in the ponytail seemed to cascade downward much rather than hand in the air]. They were wearing a fancy, professional suit, showing that they were of importance to this show. They sat behind a curved desk, holding a stack of papers in both their hands. They tapped the papers to the desk to straighten out the stack, and afterwards they cleared their throat.

"Good evening, Trolls all across Troll Kingdom. I'm your anchor, Rumi, here tonight with your evening news." The troll had introduced themselves with a smile.

Anchor Rumi then took a gaze over their shoulder, towards the big screen behind them. They pulled out a remote from beneath the desk, and clicked a button to turn the screen. Upon the screen was a picture of the well known boyband, BroZone. Rumi looked back to the camera with a grin, "This weekend, BroZone is going on yet another tour. This is a special tour to signify their 5-year anniversary of being reunited. They're going to be visiting every single land with inhabited trolls, so be sure to get your tickets now before they run out! Their new locations include: Mount Rageous' Rage Dome and Techno Reef's Main Stage. Trolls and creatures all around are incredibly excited for this global tour. I know I sure am!"

The Rose-Gold troll then pressed another button, flipping the photo on the screen to one of Troll Kingdom's famous well-known couples, Queen Poppy and Branch. The two seemed to be posing for a formal photo, holding each other in front of a sunset. Rumi looked back towards the camera after looking at the photo for a good minute, "Next big thing, a historic celebration of love will be happening next week! Queen Poppy will finally get married to Branch, which will crown him King during the ceremony. Trolls around the world who had adored these two, even before they became a couple, are extremely excited for this momentous occasion in the two trolls' lives. Congratulations, Poppy and Branch! Everyone's rooting for you!"

As the rose-gold troll was obsessing over the couple, another creature stepped up to the circular desk, taking a seat in a chair on the opposite side. He seemed to have an ash gray fur color, with a lighter-colored muzzle, His eyes were monochromatic, and a deep blue, matching the colors of the blue markings that spread across his body. His underbelly and chest fur was white with cyan accents, matching the 6 fins on his long lizard tail. He had wings of about medium length, a large bang that swept over his forehead, and two blue gems that hover above his ears. In one ear, he had an earpiece with a microphone connected to it by metal, allowing him to talk to the camera.

The creature spoke, catching the Troll off-guard, "Isn't it crazy that the Pop Trolls will soon have a King, which is also famously known worldwide for saving their butts and also performing in an epic boy-band? I mean, phew! If I had a boyband king, I'd surely think he was the coolest guy in town! Although this guy can be kind of a drag sometimes, I'm still happy for him!"

Blinking awkwardly, Rumi turned their attention back to the camera and spoke, "Well, friends! This is my Zurro Dragon companion, Skip! He technically isn't supposed to be here, but the little guy can slip past security guards like butter."

"Yep! Also, I grabbed one of the Tech Crew member's pizzas back there!" The critter then took out a large piece of pizza and swallowed it whole.

"Well, there goes someone's lunch-"

"Hey! I can't help that I have a pizza addiction! My therapist is trying to help me get out of it! However, he told me that my addiction was a tough case to crack.... Might have to see a Pizza professional..." The Zurro Dragon trailed off, staring off into the abyss as he seemed to be lost in deep thought. But then, he shook his head and professionally turned to Rumi as if he were an actual news anchor like them, "But, I digress. About the wedding?"

"Well, I think we covered all there is to talk about in terms of the Royal Wedding.... However, you think you can cover the weather for the upcoming week, little buddy? It really seems like a doozy," Rumi responded, taking their stack of papers and bumping them against the desk to straighten out the stack once more.

"First of all, don't say doozy EVER again." Skip's reply was met with a groan of annoyance from Rumi as he continued to speak, "and second of all, sure! Sounds like fun! Weather is usually a Zurro Dragon's thing. We're masters with the weather!"

As soon as Rumi knew it, their little fluffy companion had dashed out of the swivel chair from behind the desk, causing it to spin round and round briefly. He then scrambled in front of the second camera, straightening out his little fancy red bowtie and adjusting his ear-piece and microphone. He pulled a little, extendable pointer out of thin air, smirking towards the camera as it had turned on to show him to the public.

Skip cleared his throat, then a gravely serious expression was masked over his face as he pointed to the giant monitor showing each and every troll the weather for the day. He spoke in a serious, and loud tone, "Here is today's weather!! Read it!!" He gave the audience a long, almost intimidating stare.

Rumi peeked their head into camera view, looking down at Skip and scolding sternly, "Skip! You're supposed to read it off to them! Some people can't see!"

"Then why are they watching the news?"

"BECAUSE RADIOS ARE OBSOLETE AND BLIND PEOPLE NEED THEIR WEATHER, DAMNIT!" Rumi blew up in his face, causing Skip's fur to frizzle and poof up as his eyes were widened.

Skip then shook off his body to help his fur return to normal. He then spoke with a pout of the lip, "Alright! Alright! Don't need to yell at me! Sheesh!" He then turned back to the camera with slightly-flattened ears, blindly pointing to the screen with his little rod, "Alright tonight the high will be 60 degrees Fahrenheit, and tomorrow the high is 80 Fahrenheit, with a low of 73 Fahrenheit, yata yata-"

Rumi bumped their side into him, causing Skip to get bumped off the camera with a yelp of protest. His rod was left twirling in the air for a cartoonish effect before Rumi caught it in their hands, "Thank you, Skip!" They spoke with a strong hint of sarcasm that Skip couldn't quite pick up on. They did a lip trill as they sighed through their mouth, shaking off their arms before they compacted the metal rod into a smaller size, slipping it into their hair, "Now, there is a warning that I think all you trolls should stay vigilant of...."

The screen then turned to a very ominous photo. It seemed to be a real captured photo from 10 some-odd years ago. It was dated, and even had the name of the Troll who took the photo: Aqua Moon. Rumi's expression faded into one of seriousness as they pointed to the dark, ash-like fog in the photo, "The rare occurrence of Blackout Fog is upon us, so please take extreme precaution to help prevent any casualties during the storm. It has been predicted by some strong winds and heavy storm clouds from the west. The air also seems to gain a distinct lavender smell that is said to lull trolls to sleep. If you smell any traces of lavender, hide away immediately. That signifies the fog is upon your city, and you are under warning to take shelter. No troll knows what has happened during said fog.... But one thing's for sure, it kills. Warn your families and friends immediately if you notice any signs of an oncoming storm."

~•°•~

"Pft! Like that's ever gonna happen!"

"John, please!" The voice of Floyd, the second youngest BroZone brother yelled. 'This is a serious thing! The news anchor told us so! Should we let Branch tell Poppy to address this to the trolls and help them take the proper precautions?" He asked around to the remainder of his brothers, one of them actually being the Branch himself.

"Yeah, dude. I have to admit, Floyd's right. This has been documented before, and it's been documented officially! I've read books about it! We should probably let the Queen know," Clay spoke with caution, trying to reason with his older brother, who seemed to be trying to come up with a reasonable argument.

"Come on, guys! I've been out and about in nature for 20 years! I remember braving one of those storms head-on and not dying!! You guys are just a bunch of nervous nellies, we'll be okay!" JD scoffed, waving his right hand as he attempted to tell them off.

"But John, you don't know everything. Plus, there are records of trolls dying during these storms! We have to get to safety!" Bruce argued, anxiety clearly shown within his tone.

"No! Guys, we're gonna be alright!"

"No! We need to take precautions!!"

The two brothers then looked over to Branch, causing Clay & Floyd's eyes to shift that way as well. Branch could clearly see they haven't even made up their minds, so he asked, "Soooo.... Am I going to tell her....? Orrrr.....?"

"It's nice of you to offer, Bitty B. But, it really isn't needed," John Dory replied with a shake of his head, and then another wave of the hand.

"You know that John's brain is the size of a goldfish! Little Bro, you know the right thing to do! Tell your fiancée to tell the village to be cautious!" Clay suggested in warning.

"Excuse me?! My brain is not the size of a goldfish! I have a normal brain just like all of you; and I tell you that everything's going to be okay!!" John countered, trying to convince his brothers that his way was right. "I can do simple math just like the rest of you guys! That shows something!"

"Square head! Whenever we were kids, you claimed that 2+2 equals fish! That was the day before our first concert! Don't act like you don't remember that day!" Clay exclaimed. As the smart one, he seemed pretty pressed about this mathematical error.

"Oohhhh! I do remember that day, Clay! Don't you dare act like I was in the wrong then, because I wasn't! I know basic math!" John Dory attempted to prove he was right through aggression.

"IT EQUALS 4, STUPID!" Clay screamed, getting up in his face.

"GUYS!" Branch suddenly yelled, breaking up their fight and shoving them apart. He took a deep breath to calm himself before he spoke again, "Let's not argue right now, okay?" He then turned to JD, "John, I understand you've been in nature before, and were definitely around to witness the fog, but your memory is a little fuzzy."

"See? HAH!" Clay boasted confidently.

"And you," Branch spoke in a firm tone, turning his body to face Clay. "It's not nice to insult John! For all we know, he could be right, and we can be okay."

"But! You just!" Clay spoked with his mouth ajar in disbelief. "You just said that we could be in danger! Pick a lane, Bitty B!"

"Hey! I'm just trying to keep an open mind!" Branch spoke sternly.

"Listen, guys. I have an idea," Floyd suddenly spoke up amidst all the argument, causing the eyes of his brothers to shift towards him. He stood up on wobbly, weak legs as he attempted to persuade, "Branch, how about you tell Poppy just in case. Tell her to keep vigilant, and close to any source of communication with the village, in case any immediate information is necessary to be given. This doesn't mean that something terrible is happening for sure, it just means that you all should be aware of something if that something should arrive."

John, Bruce, Clay, and Branch all looked at each other as they let Floyd's idea sink in, seeming like they all agreed that it was the best approach to take in a situation such as this. They then looked back to Floyd with a synchronized nod, causing a little smile to appear on Floyd's lips.

Branch then walked over to Floyd, placing one hand on his shoulder, and another on his back as he set him back down on the couch once again. Branch was being cautious of Floyd. After all of this time, he was still recovering from the toll practically dying took upon him. After Floyd had been brought back to life, everyone had assumed that he would be completely fine, and go on living life as normal. However, about a week later, he went into a terrible condition. For the first 3 years of noticing his weaknesses, he was too busy with physical therapy and troll doctors to even see anyone.

Then, for the past two years, he was deemed able to move with assistance of others, or some object to help him walk. He was much better now, and growing more fit every day, but he still needed help on occasions.

Branch, being the close little brother he was, was always making sure that Floyd wasn't doing anything that over-exerted himself. Floyd secretly felt that Branch was being too overbearing with him, but of course he said nothing of the sort. He believed it was sweet that Branch wished for his full and wonderful recovery, but Floyd still couldn't help but feel like Branch was there with every step he took.

"Thanks, Branch. I-I appreciate your caring," Floyd spoke in a sweet tone, which seemed to be a great cover-up for his unease, because Branch never seemed to pick up on that aspect.

"It's nothing, I just want to make sure you're okay," Branch smiled kindly, which made Floyd's heart hurt from feeling so uncomfortable. Branch was such a caring troll, why wasn't he grateful for that?

Floyd was at an internal battle with his morals, and with his desires to keep stable relationships with his brothers. On one hand, he felt that he should truthfully express his feelings to Branch, sharing how he wished he had some space. After all, he could do mostly everything by himself now, and he really didn't need all of this from Branch anymore.

On the other hand, Floyd wanted to keep his lips zipped, bottling these negative emotions away, deep down inside of him where they would never find the light. He was afraid that, if he spoke his truth, Branch would get upset and not wish to see him again. He could see the vision in his head:

"Branch, I have something to tell you!!" A scrapbook Floyd yelled in urgency.

"What is it, my lovely older brother which I desire to help so much?" A scrapbook Branch responded, innocently batting his eyes and grinning.

"I feel like you're being overbearing! I can take care of myself now!" Scrapbook Floyd admitted, sighing afterwards as if he'd gotten a huge weight off his shoulders.

Suddenly, the scrapbook Branch did something that scrapbook Floyd didn't seem to expect. He started to cry, causing the scrapbook pages to fill up with a shiny felt, one which resembled water.

The scrapbook Branch cried out, "I was just being kind, Floyd! You don't love me, do you, Floyd?? Oh, Floyd!!"

"Floyd?" The real Branch spoke as he waved his hands in front of the eyes of Floyd, who seemed to be staring out into the distance, zoning out into the void of his thoughts. His name was being repeated in his own mind by a scrapbook Branch, which seemed hurt by his imaginary confession. "Floyd???"

"Huh? Wha?" Floyd blinked, suddenly being brought back to the weight of reality.

"You were zoning out there, you okay?"

"Oh, yeah!" Floyd chuckled nervously. "Just thinking, that's all!"

"Oh, well if anything is on your mind, you can tell me."

"Heh, yep! Don't worry, nothing too serious, just thinking of.... Random stuff...." Floyd trailed off, his heartbeat quickening nervously. There Branch goes again....

Branch listened closely to his tone, hearing some form of discomfort. His ears drooped a little, fearing that he had made his older brother uncomfortable. So, he scooted away, giving him a shy little smile. After the brothers had gotten back together, Branch felt like he'd been too clingy with them. He always wanted to try and bond with them, since it had been forever, and he couldn't help but feel like all of his brothers were getting tired of him.

Floyd noticed Branch shy away, and he couldn't help but sigh with a burning guilt in his throat, feeling like Branch had gotten the hint.

Branch stood up from the couch, looking to the rest of his brothers as he started to trail over to the exit door of John's armadillo bus, Rhonda. He spoke, "Well, I guess I better get going. Got some stuff at the bunker to take care of. Y'know, the wedding and whatnot. I'll let Poppy know about the fog for all of you. Thanks for letting me hang out...!"

"Hey! It was nice having you around, buddy!" John Dory yelled with chill finger guns pointed at him.

"Can't wait to see you for rehearsal Friday!" Bruce yelled out with a wave, referring to the rehearsal for the band's performance that weekend.

"Fun times today!" Clay smiled, placing his hands on his hips.

"Yeah...." Floyd spoke in a way which seemed to trail off.

Branch listened to the way Floyd said his unclear goodbyes, and he let out an uncontrolled sigh. He knew he'd probably crossed a boundary he didn't wish to cross, and he wanted to make it up to Floyd. But then again, if he tried to make it up to him, would that make him seem like he was just being even more clingy than he was before? But what if Floyd never forgave him for his overbearing actions if he didn't apologize? He was torn.

"Well.... Goodnight!" Branch spoke in a cheerful way, as if he were trying to force his upset emotions deep down inside. He was met with a chorus of goodbyes and goodnights as he stepped outside the armadillo bus.

When the door shut, Floyd let out a great sigh of relief, which caused the attention of the rest of his brothers to turn to him. He spoke, "Not wanting to be rude, but Branch is overbearing. Very overbearing. Like, I appreciate his help, but I can do things by myself now! But I'm not sure if I can tell him that without breaking his heart."

"Well, sometimes you just have to bite the bullet. You have to tell him, or else this is gonna be uncomfortable for the both of you," Bruce tried to be a voice of reason in the situation, which elicited a sigh from Floyd. Although Bruce was right, Floyd still believed it would be a tough subject to speak of.

~•°•~

"Here we go again!!!" A voice rang out through the trees. A long-winding road broke a path through the edge of the forest, outlooking over the seas. Just on the curb, a group of 4 Trolls were walking, talking and laughing without a care in the world. On their backs, some of them had cases to hold instruments like guitars, while others had pouches to hold drumsticks of some kind.

The Trolls were very recognizable people, with their matching denim outfits, and their distinct "*K" pins on their clothing. Also, based on looks it was easy to tell who they were. The group was Trickee, Ablaze, Hype, and Boom from one of Troll Kingdom's famous boybands: *KISMET. Usually, the band would have another member, but Branch was obviously not present for reasons of his own. The troll had a wedding to plan, and a BroZone concert to practice for. So, these 4 trolls were all out on the road, headed to Vacay Island to catch a break.

"Uhh, guys?" The blue glitter troll, Hype, spoke hesitantly, looking up at the sky. The once-gorgeous sunset was slowly starting to set, while also getting covered by oncoming clouds. They looked dark, filled with potentially dangerous storms, but that wasn't necessarily Hype's main issue. His issue was how late it was getting, and he spoke with concern, "How long do you think it's going to take us to get to Vacay Island? It's getting pretty dark...."

"I don't know? Ask Boom! He's the one with the cellphone out!" Ablaze spoke with a hint of frustration from the Troll in the back.

The rainbow-haired, golden, glitter troll in the very back was busy walking with his nose in his phone, not even paying attention to his surroundings. He was too busy giggling and typing back to whoever was on the other side. The rest of the band wouldn't be surprised if he had completely forgotten where they were headed by now.

"Ahem!" Trickee cleared his throat, attempting to get Boom's attention. Boom paid no mind, instead he just laughed out loudly, causing everyone else to flinch. Trickee looked to the other boyband members for help.

"BOO!" shouted Hype, holding his arms out and fanning out his fingers to make himself look big and intimidating, attempting to scare Boom out of it. Once again, Boom paid no mind and continued to walk around Hype with a snort of laughter. Hype's expression turned from one of intimidation, to one of annoyance as Boom walked by, his arms dropping down and making his posture more slumped over.

"Boom! Quick! Hide!!! A Bergen!!!" Ablaze screamed out dramatically, dropping to his knees and flailing his arms around.

"Bergens don't eat us anymore, stupid," Trickee spoke with a deadpan expression.

"Oh yeahhhh, right."

"OOOH! I've got an idea!" Hype shouted out of nowhere. He ran up to Boom, snatching his phone out of his hands, "Got your attention now!!!"

Suddenly out of his haze, Boom looked at Hype with an exasperated expression, trying to swipe his phone out of Hype's hands, "Bro! Not cool! Give me my phone back!" As he kept scrambling to try and reach it, Hype kept pulling it away, sparking Boom's increasing frustration.

"Let's see what all of the girly giggling is all about, Boom!" Hype spoke with a tone of mischief, holding the phone up to his face to see who he was conversing with. A wide smirk crossed his lips as he looked, "Hah! Floyd??"

"Give it BACK!" Boom spoke with long, stressed pauses between his words. He ran full-force at Hype with his arms extended as he tried to get his phone back, but he was stopped by Hype's hand pushing him and holding him back.

"Let's see.... 'Last week's hangout was amazing, Floyd! You're such a cool troll to hang out with!' Well aww!! Would you look at that? Little Boom here's in loooovvveeeee!!!!"

"Stop reading that!!!"

"'I agree!! We should totally hang out more!' Dang, you two have got something going on!"

"Shut up!!"

"'Yeah! Maybe next time, we should go on a picnic in a pretty field where the spring flowers bloom, and the sun is a gorgeous ray of light visible from miles away!' Geez, if you wanna ask him on a date, just say so, bro!"

"ENOUGH!!" Boom's frustration gave him the adrenaline to push Hype's hand away so he could snatch his phone out from his other. Boom sighed out relief, clutching his phone to his chest. He then glared at Hype, "Well, that was rude!"

"Hey! We just wanted to know what all the fuss was about! You weren't even paying attention as you were walking. You almost got hit by 15 separate cars!" Trickee spoke.

"Well I'm sorry. I miss Floyd!" Boom complained.

"Well, you can talk to your little boyfriend at Branch & Poppy's wedding reception! You know he's gonna be there!" Trickee countered.

"Boyfriend!???" Boom yelped with a dark blush spreading all across his face.

"Come on, man! You know you like him!"

"Uhh, guys? The time?" Ablaze spoke, cutting off the conversation as his arms laid crossed in front of his chest. His expression was one of annoyance and frustration with their little talk. It was so childish, and they were acting like teenagers.

"Ohhh, right," Trickee and Hype spoke in unison.

Boom looked back down at his phone, pressing the on button to turn on the screen display. The time read 8:30 PM. He looked back up and repeated the time to the rest of the group, "The time is 8:30."

"As I thought! It's getting late! We should hurry up if we want to get to Vacay Island before it gets too dark! Also, we have a ferry to catch so we can get over there!!" Hype panicked.

"Well maybe you guys shouldn't have been worrying about the little Floom situation, and instead you should've acted like the adults you are and kept walking!" Ablaze spoke scornfully.

"Come on, you had to admit that you were acting like a child as well just trying to get Boom's attention!" Trickee complained.

"Whatever!"

"Let's just get going, okay? I'm sorry for stalling all of you with my childish, lovestruck behavior," Boom apologized.

As Boom started walking with his phone in his pocket, Hype walked up to him with a smirk, "So, you admit it, huh?"

"Oh, hush it!" Boom hissed, continuing to walk by with a look of aggravation as Hype chuckled, continuing to walk alongside the rest of the boy band.

After the funny business between the guys blew over, they all kept walking, keeping a close eye on the time. The docks of the ferries that led to Vacay Island were just in view, and the band knew that it wouldn't be too long before they arrived.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, Boom chirped, "Ooh! Guys, we should sing a travel song!" He flashed the rest of the band a wide smile, wondering if they'd all be on board with the idea.

The rest of the band members had looks of uncertainty, as Ablaze spoke, "But, don't we wanna rest our voices for-"

"-OOOHHHHHHHHHH 99 HUG TIME WATCHES ON THE WALL, 99 HUG TIME WATCHES!!!" Boom started singing out loudly into open air, causing birds to fly out of trees, and small critters to scramble into bushes. Boom ran up to Trickee, "ONE GOES OFF, AND YOU GIVE SOMEONE A HUGGGGG-" He then squeezed Trickee into a tight hug before skipping in front of him, "AAAANNDDDD THERE'S STILL 99 HUG TIME WATCHES ON THE WALLLLLLL- BECAUSEYOUDIDN'TTAKEANYOFFTHEWALLLLLLLLLL-"

Hype looked up to the sky, "Oh mighty Dinkles in the sky, how long must this last?"

"FOREVER...." an ominous, disembodied voice replied, causing Hype to shiver with wide eyes. He then turned to Boom, "Okay, Boom! I really don't think that's necessary! Since we have to-"

"99 HUG TIME WATCHES ON THE WALL!!" Boom started again, even louder than before.

"YOU ARE GOING INSANE!" Ablaze yelled out, covering his ears.

"Come onnnn!!! Sing along! We're trolls for goodness sake! Singing is our thing! It's like the most obvious part about us!"

"Yeah, but we-" Trickee got cut off.

"Don't be like that, guys! We've gotta act in character!"

"You're really trying hard to impress the author, aren't you?"

"...what author?"

"LET'S JUST KEEP GOING," Hype spoke out quickly, stomping quickly past the rest of the band. He then walked up to the ledge of land they were walking by, looking down to the rocky coast by the waters. Just downward rested a dock, which held a Fairy Ferry, one which was exclusive to Vacay Island travel. It was a water critter, which could also substitute as a land critter, and an air critter, since it had big, functioning wings. He smiled, pointing down to the docks as the rest of the boy band walked over, "Look! There's the docks! Relaxation and vacation are upon us, friends!"

"Yes! I can't wait for that nice, sunny day in the sand," Ablaze spoke, his eyes sparkling as he proceeded to daydream.

"I need a snack," mumbled Trickee, remembering Bruce's restaurant, thinking that would be his best bet.

"I'm going to dominate everyone in a giant beach ball tournament!" Hype announced with pure confidence, his hands placed on his hips.

The three of them, with plans in mind, looked over to Boom, who had said nothing of the sort so far. They blinked patiently, waiting for his plan, to no avail. Boom blushed with embarrassment, before speaking out shyly, "I may, or may not have forgotten to think of what I'm going to do once we get there." He gave the rest of them a sheepish smile.

"It's because of that BroZone member, isn't it?" Trickee asked.

"It's Floyd!! ....and yes," Boom spoke defensively, which then changed back to embarrassment.

"Come on, you guys!! We're wasting time! Let's get down to that Fairy Ferry and get over to paradise!!" Ablaze spoke with excitement. He then wrapped his hair around the 3 other trolls, dragging them along with him as he ran down to the docks, causing the rest of them to shout from surprise.

~•°•~

The forest was relatively quiet that night. Dark, blue-ish gray light was shining through the leaves of trees, shining pale, stormy light across the forest floor. The gentle winds, which were slowly increasing in pace, were blowing through the vegetation, creating rustles of plants and sticks. Fallen leaves were swept up from the ground, fluttering through the atmosphere. Critters were sleeping within hollowed-out trees, some were cuddling in dens dug into the ground, while those who were nocturnal scurried about.

Through this nighttime peace, the future king of the Pop Trolls was walking. He was headed towards his bunker, where his fiancée was waiting. He watched his feet as he walked, however also staying vigilant of the critters that hustled by. He made sure to watch his back, given that his old and paranoid habits die hard. But, he also watched out for the safety of smaller and much more vulnerable critters.

As he walked, his mind was filled with several thoughts. One, what if that storm is extremely dangerous? Would it put his family in harm's way? He didn't want that, not at all. Or, what if everyone's just been dramatic? Maybe it's just a predator drawn out from the shadows? Two, why were his next weeks so crowded? First off, he had rehearsal for his anniversary tour with his brothers, and then the next day, the tour started. Second off, he had an entire wedding to attend! He was getting married to the love of his life, which was obviously a positive for him. He just wished it wasn't so close to all of his other plans... it overwhelmed him. Third off, he was going to become KING. At the wedding, he will be crowned the new King of Pop Village, meaning he'll have even MORE responsibilities.

Not only that, but he seemed to be going on a lot of adventures over the past 10 or so years. Sure, a lot of positive and revolutionary things were the results of those adventures, but he still couldn't help but feel like those were just getting in the way of his life. He needed time with his family, especially with Poppy. He wanted to spend a lot more alone time with her, but it's hard with how busy he's been, and going to be. Maybe he should just settle down...

First, it was the adventure to save Poppy's friends from BergenTown, which then turned his friends afterwards. Him and Poppy seemed to have a lot of bonding time on that adventure, for it was just them and them alone for most of the time. Sure, Branch was on the grumpy side, and focused on avoiding making friends, but it seemed as if Poppy had worn him down, and he ended up opening up to her and empathizing with her. As that adventure had progressed, his feelings for her grew tenfold, and that was when he truly knew that he was in love with the positive troll. Before that adventure, he believed it was just his mind playing tricks on him, and that he truly didn't have a crush, he was just lonely. But then, after getting to know her even more, he realized how genuine those feelings were.

After they'd successfully made peace with the Bergens and saved Poppy's friends, Poppy had been crowned Queen by former King Peppy, her father. Branch had found it a little crazy that he had a crush on Troll Village's Queen, thinking he couldn't possibly have a chance with her as he hugged her upon that isolated mushroom. But boy, was Branch completely incorrect in the past. If Branch from the present day went back in time and told his previous self that he and Poppy would be getting married, Branch from the past surely wouldn't believe him. But hey, I guess you can believe in miracles.

A good four years after the day the Trolls befriended their greatest enemies, Branch and Poppy had discovered that there were different kinds of trolls spread out across the world, each with different tribes of music. However, they came to a terrible discovery: Queen Barb of the Hard Rock Trolls was planning to turn everyone into mindless, Hard Rock husks under her rule. So, with a different motive on their travel, Branch and Poppy went out to save the Trolls and reunite all of them together. However, this was a point where Branch and Poppy seemed to have a rough patch. During the time, Poppy could never seem to listen to the warning signs of the other Trolls, and was so naive that she kept believing that everyone was the same. She kept only hearing what she wanted to hear, and while Branch tried to stay on her side, given that he wanted to stay loyal, he still felt like she wasn't listening to anyone, even himself. The two then had a fight, and Branch thought that was the end, which was a terrible and heartbreaking conclusion to come to, given that he still loved her so much. However, he later re-encountered Poppy and sacrificed himself for her so that she didn't have to turn into a Rock Zombie. After complications with broken strings and accusations, the music of the Trolls had been revealed to be now within their hearts, much rather within a string, which was just a mere symbol of their music tribe. After everyone had made peace, Branch had finally gotten up the courage to confess to Poppy about his crush on her, and she reciprocated his feelings, which started their journey in a romantic relationship.

The two thought that they would finally be able to spend time together, just the two of them, but those theories were quickly disproven a month later. The day of, Poppy's best friend, Bridget's wedding to the king of the Bergens, Gristle, Branch's oldest brother, John Dory had found him again. John had claimed that his brother, Floyd, was in danger, and that they needed to reunite the rest of the brothers just to save him from a dreaded diamond prison. Throughout the journey, there were some bitter feelings between all of the brothers, given that the last time they'd seen each other was a fight 20 years ago. Branch had even left them alongside Poppy to go save Floyd himself, because he couldn't deal with their constant fighting. Although Poppy was using reverse psychology when claiming that this whole brotherly topic was hard for him, Branch still believed it was true. Branch had gained salty feelings against all of them ever since that moment, but fortunately, the brothers were able to bond and get through their disagreements during the adventure, and Branch couldn't be more grateful.

Now, 5 years later, Branch can see his weeks starting to get more swamped with responsibilities and events, and he fears that there's going to be yet another oncoming adventure that he'd have to face. Him and Poppy never got any alone time anymore, and now specifically is a time they couldn't get that. Branch had non-stop meetings with his brothers, plans with hired trolls for his wedding, and talks with Satin & Chenille on kingly uniforms. There were so many that he was coming home so late. In fact, his original purpose when hanging with his brothers was discussing their game plan for their opening night on their anniversary tour. He could never seem to catch a break. He hoped that, by next month, he and Poppy could come to an agreement on settling down, so they can just take time to themselves for their marriage and see where it goes from there. Branch was getting burnout from these adventures, and he was scared that they weren't going to stop.

As Branch had finally maneuvered his way through the forest, he ended up at the entrance of his bunker. It hadn't changed much over these past five years, aside from the moss growing upon the top surfaces of the boulder, which held up its purpose for camouflage. He looked down to the welcome mat, which disguised the hatch which led to the inside of the bunker. It was no longer a "PLEASE GO AWAY' mat, but instead it was a "WELCOME IN! [Please just knock first ((that counts for you too, Poppy.))]" mat. Branch chuckled lightheartedly at the mat, but then he had a thought.

If him and Poppy were going to be living together from then on out, would he truly need that notice on the mat? If they lived together, it became her bunker too, meaning she could enter and leave as she pleases. So, the point of her knocking was truly unnecessary, and it would only make Branch believe it was just another house guest at the door.

But then, this brought up the following question: Would they even be living in the bunker anymore? The couple hadn't really discussed that yet, even though it was about time that they did. Would Poppy wish to move into a big pod, one which was closer to the heart of the village? After all, they were going to be King and Queen, so it was best that they were as present in the village as possible. But then again, what if she chose to live in the bunker? What would be the purpose of that? Branch thought for a bit; maybe, just maybe, if they decided to expand their family beyond just them, would the bunker be a better place? But wait, it was quite dangerous.... Well, they could just... baby-proof it?

Branch didn't even know where his thoughts were leading him, he probably just assumed he was getting too ahead of himself. But, he still couldn't help but think deeply about this: after marriage, what was their game plan? Would Poppy like his settling down idea? Would they move out of the bunker? Would they even stay permanently in the village? Or would they decide to travel often, almost like John did? Another topic: what would be their family situation? Would they be interested in having trollings? Would they not?

"I really need to stop overthinking this.... I should just have a sit down with Poppy and then talk this out. I need closure," Branch whispered to himself. He rubbed his hands down his brown, patched shorts, then he gripped the edges of his leaf vest. He felt anxious to go into the bunker, but he wasn't sure why. He just had his doubts about how this conversation with Poppy would go. He didn't want to argue, so he prayed that she agreed with him, and that she would settle down with him.

Summoning all his courage within one, deep breath, Branch stepped up to the large boulder. He brushed back some vines, revealing a num pad, to which he then typed his password upon it. The mat-disguised hatch then opened with a loud release of air, and a click; it sounded almost like a compressed jar being opened. The gray-ish teal troll then walked over to the hatch, hopped inside the bunker, and then shut the hatch behind him.

As Branch made his way down the elevator, he started tapping his foot to the stone beneath him. His eyebrows knitted together in deep thought as he bit his lip. His heart was pounding within his chest, making him feel as if he'd just ran a marathon. His stomach turned with his nervousness, making him feel nauseous. He felt quite faint, if he were being honest with himself. He didn't know why he was so scared suddenly, but he hoped he would just be worrying over nothing.

"Branchifer! You're home!" a familiar, cheery voice chirped from the living room as soon as the elevator had made its full descent. Branch looked ahead towards his fiancee, smiling softly towards her to hide the anxiety growing within him. He made slightly shaky steps off the platform of the elevator, trekking towards her in hopes of receiving a hug and/or a kiss from her.

Even amidst his worry, Branch couldn't help but feel overwhelmingly happy just by the sight of Poppy. She was the best troll he'd ever met... and to think he was getting married to her was simply crazy, in an outstanding way. She was the most beautiful troll ever, her candy pink skin and fuchsia hair always in his memory. The Queen of Pop was wearing a blue nightgown, similar in color to her everyday dresses. Her hair was also let out of its regular ponytail, seeming to make her look all the more ethereal.

Poppy let a wide smile across her face, showing the gap between her teeth that just added to the factor of adorableness beaming off her. She raised her arms high in the air, opening them wider as she closed in on him. Just a few seconds later, she was then wrapping her arms around him, resting her head upon his shoulder. She let out a sigh of contentment, nuzzling her face into his neck.

Branch too let out a sigh, partially relieved from his anxiety. He wrapped his arms around her in reciprocation of her hug, completely leaning his weight into her as she did the same back. He felt comforted by the embrace, he wished it could last forever.

Suddenly, Branch's ears pricked up as Poppy whispered, "So, how was your meeting with your brothers? Any progress?"

Branch sighed, remembering the time with his brothers before he responded, "Yeah, it was okay."

"Something wrong, Branch?" Poppy asked with worry, leaning back in the hug so she could properly meet his gaze. He seemed like he was trying to end the conversation as quickly as he could. He sounded very awkward and kind of nervous.

Branch noticed that she picked up on his tone, so he decided to tell the partial truth, "It's nothing, Popifer! Just.... I wanna spend time with you. Just me and you! I don't need to talk about my brothers right now! Let's just have some fun, you and I!" He was attempting to be very cheerful and full of spirit, which Poppy seemed to like, judging by the looks of her.

"Oho? Really?" The Pop Queen spoke, a smirk appearing on her lips as her tone of voice turned slightly flirtatious.

"Ye- Wait..." Branch trailed off. He looked at her smirk, finding himself blushing a little, "I-I meant like conversation?"

"Yeah! I got that!" Poppy chirped.

"Really? But I thought you were-"

"I was, what?"

"I thought you were thinking of-"

"Of what?"

"...nevermind."

The tone between them then felt very awkward through misunderstanding, the air becoming thick and almost suffocating. The two let out force chuckles of sheepishness, looking away from each other. Every time they looked back at each other, their uncomfortable giggles resounded once again until it faded into an uncomfortable silence.

As the two were laughing, Branch was lost in deep thought. He was thinking of the same things he was earlier: settling down, their living situation, and even family. His heart started pounding again as the thoughts kept rushing through his skull. It seemed as if the two halves of his brain were at war, deciding if he should share his thoughts with her, or should he not?

On one hand, it would be a good thing to do. A true commitment such as this requires pure honesty. He didn't want to get this off to a bad start, and before they were married at that. He wanted her to know his thoughts, so the two could have a proper discussion about it, and so he could also add in her personal opinion.

On the other hand, he was afraid of her reaction. He was afraid that his ideas would either upset her, or even make her feel nervous. He didn't want to rush her into anything, but he still couldn't help but desire closure from these thoughts.

So, taking in as deep a breath as he could, Branch spoke hesitantly, "Poppy, I actually have some things that I need to discuss with you."

Poppy raised an eyebrow, her head turning to the side, "Really? Well, what is it?"

This was it.

The blue troll decided to start with the simplest thing he could, "Well, a question that's been lingering in my mind is: what's our living situation going to be like? Y'know, after we get married and all that. We can't keep this whole situation going on forever, y'know; you and me going back and forth from each other's homes every weekend. I feel like we're gonna need to find a place to truly stay."

Poppy's eyebrows knitted together as her expression filled with thought, and Branch couldn't help but feel a little worried, deep down inside. Poppy then spoke up, "That is a good point. I-I never actually put in that thought before.... Uhm, maybe we could move into a nice-sized pod in the village? Y'know, we're both gonna be ruling Pop Village together, and we need to be accessible to all trolls!" Poppy smiled, wanting to hear his opinion on the matter.

Branch nodded in understanding, "I agree on that idea, but..."

"But... what?"

"I-I wanna at least let us weigh in other options!" Branch grinned sheepishly.

Poppy gave her fiance a soft look, "Branchifer, is this about leaving your bunker? If you're not comfortable with leaving it, then we can gladly stay here! I'm fine either way. I may want what's good for the citizens, but I truly want what's best for you."

"Oh, nono! It's not for me...." Branch trailed off nervously.

"Well, if the other options aren't for the best of you, then what are they best for?"

"Oh, I don't know, maybe if we're weighing in the future? If we.... Y'know, have a change in the future? OO! I've got it! Let's get out a hypothetical chart!" Branch spoke with a change in discussion suddenly. The troll scrambled away from his spot next to his fiancee, and then he went over to a closet, to which he pulled a chalkboard from. He wheeled it out in front of Poppy's view, picking up a piece of chalk with an innocent grin.

Poppy's face gained a frown of confusion as she sat in the reclining chair across the living room, the only chair where she could see his board the best. She spoke hesitantly, "Okay, I'm listening?"

"Great! Thanks, Honey!" Branch spoke cheerfully with gratitude. He then started drawing some very poor quality sketches upon the board, pointing to them with his stick of chalk, "Okay! So, here is me and you! We're happy together in this new pod! It was big enough for the two of us, and so far a comfortable living situation."

Poppy nodded with an, "mhm?" She seemed confused with what he was getting at with this.

Then, Branch turned back to the board, adding a little small detail to Poppy's hair: a troll egg. Poppy got pretty flustered by this drawing, feeling her heart starting to race in her chest as he pointed to it. The blue troll then spoke out to his fiancee, "This is a hypothetical troll egg. Think about this: If we moved into a pod that was specifically chosen for just the two of us, how could we possibly raise that egg there? That's where my idea of the bunker comes in!" Branch then spun the chalkboard over to the other side, which seemingly had the exact same drawing, except for the fact that Branch and Poppy were now in a bunker. He pointed to the drawing, "The bunker was already made quite spaciously whenever I built it years ago. I know that it might seem a little too dangerous for a trolling now, but I can easily remove all sharp whittled sticks, glass ration jars, and any unused traps in storage!"

Poppy was already feeling greatly flustered by the mere idea of trollings, so much that her thoughts got directed off the path of just a mere living space. She felt like she was potentially overthinking this, but she couldn't help but let it get stuck in her mind. Did she think the two of them having trollings in the future was a bad idea? Far from it! The girl just never expected such a topic just as Branch got home. Even though he was using the situation as a hypothetical, she couldn't help but dream of it.

Suddenly, Poppy was distracted from her wandering thoughts by noticing Branch's facial expression, which seemed kind of worried. He must've noticed her zoning off, and she couldn't help but blush of embarrassment in reply. The pink troll cleared her throat, looking ahead to Branch, "Y-You do make a good point, Sweetie." She originally thought she wasn't going to say anything more, but suddenly a genius thought came to her. Her eyes lit up like the sun as she pushed herself up from her chair, "Oooh! I've got it! What if, for the time that it's just the two of us, we can move to a pod! Y'know just to get the feeling of moving somewhere together for the first time? However, if a trolling comes along, we can always make plans to move back into the bunker! We don't have to get rid of it for good!!"

"But, what about the new pod, then?" Branch asked with confusion lingering in his tone, although he could get where his fiancee was coming from.

"We could use it for work! Y'know, during the day, one of us could go to that pod, so the village has easier access to us! At the end of the day, that someone would then return back home to the rest of their family. Since we would have a trolling at the time, and we will both have a very important job, I feel like we should switch back and forth between who takes over ruling for the day?" Poppy explained, hoping her idea made enough sense for Branch to get hooked on it.

"Why wouldn't we just get the pod for solely work if that's what it's going to end up being?" Branch asked, but he couldn't help but be interested in her idea.

"Well, wouldn't it just be a nice feeling? To move into a new pod with each other and all that? I want to at least experience that one in our lives! It would be fun!" Poppy spoke, attempting to convince him. "So? What do you say?"

Branch noticed her grin of pure excitement, and he couldn't help but return a smile back, "Sure! Why not? The idea seems like a good one, and it's even kind of exciting." Branch giggled a little bit as excitement became the driving factor for his racing heart.

"Yes! Great!" Poppy cheered, clapping her hands with joy as she ran over to Branch. She then enveloped him in a big hug, squeezing him as tight as she could as she expressed all of her happiness within it. Branch had the breath brought out of him from such an embrace, but he couldn't help but chuckle warmly at her gesture as he hugged her right back. He almost forgot the rest of the things he was going to ask her....

Until he didn't.

The thoughts rushing back to Branch caused his eyes to open and widen, suddenly getting really nervous once more. He was battling on which part he should share with her first. On one hand, he really wanted to speak his mind on the idea of the two of them finally taking time to settle down from adventures, but on the other hand, he felt like the fog was much more important of a matter at the moment.

So, shoving his own problems away, Branch decided to speak of the important matter at hand, "Actually... I have something else, and it's something I really need you to lend an ear for." His expression shifted to one of even more nervousness as he backed a little bit away from her, still staying within her arms.

"What's up now, Branchifer?" Poppy asked with a caring voice. She suddenly noticed his change in demeanor, so she gained a more serious expression, letting him know she was ready to listen. She took his hand in hers for extra reassurance, letting him know that it was okay for him to speak about anything with her.

"Well, when I was hanging out with my brothers, an alarming announcement came on the news." Branch frowned, worry expressed in his face. He watched as Poppy nodded with understanding, continuing his story, "The reporter was talking about the weather.... This week, a 'Blackout Fog' is upon Trolls Kingdom? Apparently it smells of lavender, and it can kill trolls. But, JD claims that he's been through it before, and it's harmless. However, you can't trust John's judgment all the time, but what if he's right? What if there is nothing to worry about?"

"Do you want me to tell the village, because I can!" Poppy exclaimed with intense worry, her standing position now becoming tense as her hands curled into tight fists.

Branch noticed her worry, immediately attempting to soothe her, "Not now. I want to wait and see if it's an actual threat. I don't want to give anybody a false warning too early. But, I also don't want trolls to go into it oblivious and too late." Branch gave her a worried grin, hoping she was able to see where he was coming from.

Lucky for him, Poppy nodded in response, seeming as if she understood his plan. But then, a more worried frown crossed her lips, which heightened Branch's anxiety. The Queen spoke, "You said this week? But, you have a performance with your brothers this week, Branch! If it's called a blackout fog, could you even possibly see when you're performing. That's if it isn't deadly! If it was, would you have to postpone the show? Oh! What about our wedding planning!" The Queen's thoughts were being thrown into a frenzy by this sudden change of events. The couple had everything planned out for months now, was it all going to get screwed up by some bad weather? She hoped not.

Branch could see where she was coming from, similar worries coming to his own mind. Still, he wanted to attempt to relax her, attempting to ignore the overwhelming weight of their problems in the moment. He spoke, a hand placed on her shoulder, "We'll find a way through all of that, I promise. For the BroZone show, maybe we could change the date to be safe? We could let every troll in free of charge? Also, if it interrupts our preparation time for our wedding, I think we'll be able to make it. This wedding has been in planning for months, I think we're more than ready."

"Wow, I never thought I'd hear you say such thing, Mr. Crazy Prepared," Poppy smirked playfully, causing Branch to chuckle warmly. But, then she frowned once more, "You're sure about this, yes? You're not just saying that everything will be okay just to make me feel better, right?"

"I promise, I believe we'll be fine," Branch responded. That was a lie. He hated lying to his fiancee, but he hated seeing her worried as well. He was torn. He didn't want her to keep worrying over this like he was, so a lie was the best option. He was holding back a nervous expression and sweat, hoping she bought it.

Fortunately for him, she did. Her smile of ease made him feel so relieved, yet so guilty. She spoke, "Well, that's nice to hear. If you aren't worried, I feel like I have no reason to worry! Everything's going to turn out great for us, I know it!" The Pop Queen cheered joyfully, causing Branch to release a smile on his face. He couldn't help it whenever it came to her. She then grasped ahold of his arm, dragging him away into the hall, "C'mon, silly! Let's go to our room!"

"But, I'm tired!"

"I know?"

"...Oh."

"What were you-?"

"No questions."

~•°•~

Meanwhile, somewhere else in the forest, a giant Armadillo Critter was lying. She had her head to her paws, her eyelids drooping over her glowing, green eyes. The rest of her stretchy body was curled around herself, a comfortable position for a tired critter.

Inside the armadillo van, John Dory was relaxing on a couch, right next to Floyd, one of his younger brothers. Ever since he'd been freed from the diamond prison Velvet & Veneer held him captive in, Floyd had nowhere to sleep. So, he'd been staying with Rhonda and JD, for five, long years.

It's been so long that you might think that Floyd would've tried to get his own pod by then. However, not only was he in need of assistance from his brother for the longest time, but he also knew that he'd feel great regret for leaving his older brother all alone. The two had been hanging out together for a long time now, and the two had seemed to bond very well. Especially John. Floyd didn't want to upset him.

Him and John had done everything together. They went on hikes [Floyd really just stayed inside Rhonda while she walked behind him], composed songs, browsed around the troll village market, and they even traveled to every troll territory known. They'd done practically everything. Floyd was getting burnt out, but he'd never tell; just like how he wasn't going to tell Branch that he was being clingy. He didn't want to seem like a jerk.

"Say, this weather, hmm? Gonna be wild!" Floyd started awkwardly, trying to bring up some small talk. He continued, "How do you think it'll affect us in the long run?"

"Me personally? I think it's just a bunch of crazy superstitions. I have been through lots of things together! I've had fights with a pack of grossums, I got stuck on the side of a cliff, even eating a bad cupcake one day was worse than that fog! Was it hard to see? Sure! Maybe some people just need to learn to stay home! That's probably the reason there are so many deaths! Because people are causing critter accidents!" John spoke with pure belief in his words, watching his television.

"But, what if this fog is an actual, natural threat? I mean, it's a blackout fog, meaning you can't see anything! You don't know if the fog brings something along with it, or not," Floyd spoke softly, trying to have a gentle debate with his older brother, who just wasn't having it.

"Whatever you say, Floyd. But, I assure you, you're worrying about nothing!" John attempted to reassure Floyd, wrapping an arm around him and pulling him in by his shoulder, ruffling his hair. Floyd grunted a little, surprised by the sudden, playful aggression from his brother. When John let him go, Floyd was left frazzled as John spoke again, "Say, Bro! Me and Rhonda were gonna go walk around the village tomorrow and go rolling down a giant hill! You should totally come along!"

Floyd felt his nervousness starting to settle in, looking at John with an expression of distress, "Oh, John.... I don't think-"

"Trust me, It's gonna be a great time! Besides, you said you were getting better! So, that means you don't have anything holding you back anymore, right?" John exclaimed. He wanted to actually do something with his brother. He believed he was making Floyd feel left out because he just sat around with them all day. John just wished to bond.

Floyd knew that much was true, but Floyd just felt like he couldn't escape the presence of other trolls, "Yeah, but-"

"Great! Oh boy! This is going to be a fun time, Floyd! Trust me, you're gonna love it!" John cheered and chuckled, causing Floyd to chuckle back, albeit uncomfortably.

Well, the younger brother was in for it now. He couldn't help but feel guilty for desiring alone time. His brothers were always at his side with every step he took, but they were only being nice. Heck, they were spending quality time with him after 20+ years of separation! But, why'd he still feel so burnt out. He hated it.

Suddenly, the armadillo vehicle started to tremble, and a growl was heard coming from the critter. John and Floyd exchanged glances, deciding to check out what was going on. The two opened the door of Rhonda, stepping outside to meet her worried face.

John, her caretaker, walked up to her and placed his hand to her nose soothingly, "What's wrong, Rhonda? Did you see something?" Rhond could only respond with a growl, looking up to the sky with increasing worry.

John looked up to the sky as well: there were dark, storm clouds rolling in. John squinted at them for a second, but then looked back at Rhonda with sympathy, "Aw, do you think a thunderstorm is coming in? Poor baby, It'll be alright."

"John...?" Floyd spoke hesitantly, poking his own fingers as he kept his gaze to the sky.

"Yes?"

"Didn't the news say that this fog was being predicted by heavy storm clouds?"

"Mhm! And?"

"Well... what if those aren't just any normal storm clouds? What if this is the warning sign for the fog?" Floyd's worry was starting to increase.

"Well, if it was, then we still have nothing to worry about! Floyd, I told you already: I've been through this, you've got nothing to worry about!" John dismissed the conversation, continuing to pet Rhonda to calm her down.

"Still, John- I believe you should get Rhonda into a critter-keeping pod just to keep her safe." Floyd suggested. John then gave him the most bone-chilling glare he'd ever received from any of his brothers. It almost made him nauseous.

"No, Floyd. I can't stress this enough with all of you! I am not going to let someone else take care of Rhonda!" John yelled.

"Please, John? It's for her safety! And, it's only for a day or two," Floyd attempted to convince.

"Can you please just move on? I said no, and that's my final answer. I can't leave her alone with some stranger," John argued.

"But, John! This stranger has a profession in taking care of critters during bad storms! You don't know everything John, something could happen! Even if something doesn't happen, you should at least keep her safe!" Floyd spoke, not wishing to drop this conversation until Rhonda was safer.

"Floyd, stop being pushy."

"John! I'm just saying, that for her safety-"

"ENOUGH! Look! I've got this all on my own, okay? NO ONE ELSE should take care of my Rhonda, and that's final! I can't be without her, do you understand?!" John yelled, almost as if he were a father trying to take authority and get someone to listen.

Floyd's lips turned into an even wider, more visible frown as he looked to his feet. His ears drooped as he fiddled with his hands. He was just trying to help John out, but he supposed that he didn't need his help. He just had to hope that John knew what he was doing.

Suddenly, thunder rumbled in the sky, lightning following soon after and lighting up the evening sky. The two brothers looked up towards it while Rhonda whimpered, backing up underneath the shade of a tree.

Floyd then had another suggestion, "Let's at least take shelter beneath something? We stay with Rhonda, you & I. Is that okay...?"

John just let out a huff, "Fine." He gently patted Rhonda's trembling front leg, guiding her along through the forest until him and her were safe beneath an open rock. Rhonda laid beneath the rock; her tail curled around her legs.

After he'd noticed them sit down, Floyd let out a sigh and walked over to the two of them. Once he was there, he sat down in the dirt, his back propped against Rhonda's big tail. He sighed, looking at the stormy sky as he thought back to his spat with John. He regretted his suggestion, although he just wanted to keep the two of them safe. He knew John clung to Rhonda, he knew that he cared about her so much, but Floyd still couldn't help but worry.

But, he also knew that it wasn't any of his business, John did what he wanted. That was his choice.

~•°•~

Along the coasts of Trolls kingdom, Clay had been walking. He stayed off the road, sticking to the curb to avoid any potential dangers of the road. He kept his eyes ahead, not wandering once as he searched for streetlights which lead his path. The sun was setting then, and it was getting too dark for him to see without assistance.

As he made his way towards Hole N' Fun, he kicked a tiny pebble across the road. He was in deep thought as he let out a long, tired sigh. He shivered at the feeling of the wind against his bare arms; it was getting pretty cold outside now. He quietly listened to the sounds of the waves crashing on the ledge near the road as he continued to walk, trying to block out the frigid feeling from his system.

He felt worried. He truly believed that this oncoming storm could be dangerous, and he didn't want his family to get hurt. Not only them, but he didn't want any other trolls to get hurt as well. Him and Viva had been co-ruling Hole N' Fun side-by-side since forever, and he didn't want any storm destroying the home they worked so hard to build.

The two of them had found this place when they were only kids, him about the age of 10, and her about 13. Viva had escaped the Troll Tree by fighting off a group of Bergens which were about to eat the trolls who were following behind. They had gotten separated from the remainder of the group, leaving them no choice but to travel far away and find refuge in a different place.

During that time, Clay had already been a loner for a few years. He had left his childhood pod about two years back at the time, and he spent his time wandering the forests and attempting to find other groups of trolls. After he'd left, he realized that leaving his brothers had truly been a huge mistake, but he could never seem to find his way back at Bergen Town. That, and the fact that it was too scary to go back there. He had a risk of dying if he went back. He already made it far, and he couldn't go back.

Viva and the group of trolls she'd been leading had eventually, and unintentionally crossed paths with Clay, and they quickly made friends. Viva was the first Troll in the group Clay had talked to. He recognized her immediately, for she was King Peppy's eldest daughter. He never thought he'd ever talk to a princess before, but it was a nice reality. Viva was super nice, although energetic. He didn't mind it though, not one bit.

However, their conversation went from sweet to sorrowful over a few minutes. She had explained why her, and this group of assorted Trolls were out here in the middle of nowhere. She explained how Bergens were getting close to eating this small group of Trolls which were unable to keep up, and so she fought them off. She explained how the tunnel they'd made had collapsed, and how the group of Trolls got separated from the rest. She claimed that she was thankful they made it out of Bergen Town safely, but she was still very sad; she missed her Father and Sister.

Clay had been saddened by her story, and attempted to console her by telling her that everything would be alright, and that they would find a way to bounce back. Clay also made a promise to her that day: that he would help her find her Dad and little Sister. He too missed his family, but he never brought that up, for he felt that pain wasn't the same. He voluntarily left his family in a fit of rage, she was separated from hers. His pain felt more so like guilt and longing, hers was just devastation.

Since then, Clay traveled with that same group of Trolls, cheering Viva up whenever she was sad, and giving her a shoulder to cry on whenever she needed it. He wanted to be there for her, and he knew she would do the same right back. The two had became the best of friends instantly, and they had eventually found Hole N' Fun together. They were the appointed leaders of the group, and things have been running smoothly ever since. Well, aside from the constant paranoia and battle training set by Viva, things still seemed better than what they initially thought they would be. That was a start.

Since they found Hole N' Fun over 20 years ago, things have been about the same. Once they'd learned Bergens weren't that much of a threat, they started letting their guards down a little more. They felt like there weren't really any threats around to harm them, and that they were finally free of constant suspicion and superstition. However, if something did spark up, they would all still freak out. They had their moments, but little did Clay know that this would be one of them.

The tiffany blue troll came upon the parking lot of Hole N' Fun, which consisted of cracked and weathered stone, covered in growing moss. He stepped through the shrubbery at the curb of the parking lot, making his way across the pavement. He eventually ended up at the entrance of Hole N' Fun, stepping through it. He lazily trekked through the repurposed mini golf course, looking around at the old obstacles, which were now homes to Putt Putt troll families.

He took a deep breath of the evening air, his nerves settling as he looked around at the home that had been built there. He was happy for where it had come. and he couldn't ask for anything better. Everything seemed so calm here, and that was the way he loved it.

However, his bliss was short-lived once he heard the sounds of screams and panic ringing out in the background. Clay felt his heart start to race within his chest, making him sigh tiredly. For once, he thought his unease would be settled by now, but the panic of his citizens only brought it back tenfold. With a newfound motive, Clay began to walk quicker, making his way towards the screams.

"Oh, Clay! I'm so glad you're here!" A familiar voiced called out to the BroZone member. A blur of pink and blonde zipped over to Clay, panting in front of him. Viva, his closest friend, looked at him with a face which displayed worry, "The trolls were all watching the news, heard about the weather, and then got sent into a frenzy!" Clay noticed the worry in her eyes, and he couldn't help but frown in worry.

"That was kind of the same thing I was going to talk to you about. Me and my brothers were having a discussion about it back at the Pop Village forests. John claims that it's harmless, while I believe we should take precaution. You know John!" Clay replied. He truly believed in the documented dangers of this storm. Plus, he wanted to keep everyone safe.

He waited for Viva's reply, as her expression changed from one of worry, to one of deep thought. After a good minute, she responded, "Well, yes. I do know that John sometimes doesn't remember the facts correctly, but that doesn't mean that can happen every single time he experiences something. Chances are, this could be something that he remembers clearly. While there's no way of telling, you at least have to give him some grace."

"Wait, so you're seriously taking John's side with this? You're not worried?" Clay blinked with confusion, seeming utterly baffled by her response to his problem.

Viva shook her head, "I'm not saying that I agree with him, I'm simply saying that you guys should at least hear him out. I'm going with the fact that it's dangerous, but only because I want to keep everyone safe. I want to make sure that we, the Putt Putt trolls, take extra precautions in case this storm does kill."

"I had a similar thought process! I don't want to argue with John, I just want everyone to stay safe!"

Clay was caught a little off guard as he noticed a smile play at the lips of his best friend. She replied in a sweet tone, "I'm glad you care so much about every Troll. It really is a treat ruling side-by-side with you, Clay. These Trolls deserve the best, and you truly deserve such a title."

Clay felt warmth flood his face at her compliment, and he couldn't help but smile back at her. His heart fluttered with pure joy. Viva always seemed to be the most caring, and the sweetest Troll he knew. She was always looking out for him, making sure he was happy. He always felt happy around her, and she definitely calmed his nerves. Clay spoke in a soft voice, "Thank you, Viva. That's very sweet of you to say."

"No problem! It's only the truth!"

After a while of losing himself in this overwhelming, happy feeling that dawned upon him, Clay then spoke more seriously, "So, since we're taking the 'playing it safe' route, what precautions should we take? Our homes were all once mini golf obstacles, meaning they all have seemingly easy openings. The fog can easily seep in through our windows and doors. Where could we take shelter?"

After a few seconds of thought, Viva's magenta eyes lit up with a sudden idea in mind. A smile crossed her face as she turned Clay's gaze towards Hole N' Fun's entrance. At the front, there was a little booth where Bergens would take money for tickets inside the golf course. Viva turned to Clay as she then spoke her mind, "What if, we get every troll into the ticket exchange booth? It's big enough for every Putt Put troll to stay in, with extra room to spare. For as long as the storm stalls, everyone can save up their food in there, and whenever the fog comes around, we'll be okay for a few days. What about that?"

Clay smiled, feeling a sudden, excited burst of energy come to him as he praised, "Viva! You're a genius! That's a great idea!" He heard her let out a giggle, feeling his world light up a little more just by the mere sound of it. He never knew why sounds like those coming from her made him so happy, but he couldn't help it.

"Thank you, Clay. You're the sweetest!" Viva complimented right back, causing Clay to blush in response.

The two were yet again left in this wonderful haze for a good moment, until they were brought back to reality by the sound of Trolls screaming and crying in the background. Everything that once seemed heavenly and bright was dulled back down to its normal darkness in mere seconds. They both turned their attention to the rest of their citizens.

"We should probably calm their nerves by telling them our plan," Viva side-spoke towards Clay, which caused him to nod in reply. After they were brought to a mutual agreement, the two then sprinted over to the group of panicking trolls.

Viva scurried around the group of frenzied trolls, running up to the giant slide which led to the giant, robotic clown statue in the middle of Hole N' Fun, Clay just behind her. Once the two trolls had made their way up to the stand, Viva pushed her fingers through her lips, whistling loudly to get the attention of the Putt Putt Trolls. It worked like a charm, causing them all to stop mid-panic, their gazes shifting to the two trolls atop the 'tongue' of the clown statue.

"Thank you!" Viva called out, glad to have gotten the attention of her citizens. She then cleared her throat and spoke, "Now, Putt Putt Trolls, I can see why you're worried. This storm is potentially dangerous, so we are going to take the best precautions we possibly can. Here is our plan, and I want you to listen close: when the storm rolls through, we will all be staying in the ticket exchange booth at the golf course's entrance. Since out homes all have holes, the fog can easily sweep though with no problem, and we'd all be in trouble. So, that's why we're all going to be staying in the ticket exchange booth, were the window can be blocked, and the doors can be locked. For as long as the storm may stall, we should all work on saving up food inside so we have enough to last us however long this storm lasts."

As the Trolls nodded, starting to understand, Clay then added, "Now, here's another act of safety I'd like you to take. If you ever see any warning signs of the storm, I want you to go to the ticket exchange booth as quickly as you can. Just outside, there is a little button which sounds an alarm -- originally used for if you got a hole in one. You must press this button to warn the other trolls that danger is upon them, and that's when we take our precautions. Is this a clear enough plan?"

The Putt Putt trolls nodded, most of their nerves seemingly calmed as they started cheering for both of their leaders. Clay and Viva shared happy side-glances, loving to see the smiles of Trolls around them. Things seemed like they would be okay for now. They had a plan, and they hoped it would be executed well.

~•°•~

"PARADISE, HERE WE ARE!!!" Ablaze shouted out with pure excitement in his tone as the Fairy Ferry had finally made its was across the ocean to Vacay Island. It was a very welcoming place, giving each *KISMET member a feeling of joy inside. Above the island were the magical floating words, "Wish You Were Here!" The group had wished the same, and their dream of relaxation had finally came true.

The Fairy Ferry critter they'd been riding with had finally came to a stop at the docks of Vacay Island. Its doors opened, allowing each Troll access to the island. Each *KISMET member stepped out of the ferry one-by-one. looking around as they stepped onto the docks. Their eyes were filled with stars, the island looked amazing at night!

To light up the beaches, there were tiki lights lit up, planted into the ground. Islanders were busy chilling inside the isolated pools of water, talking and having a grand time. The next biggest light in the evening dark was the lights coming from "Bruce & Sons [& One Daughter]." The thumping of bass from music vibrating through the floor was the most recognizable sound the group heard, and it drew them inside.

As usual, inside the beach bar it was like a party. Upon the stage, live music was being played. Two trolls stood upon the stage, singing into microphones as the crowd was cheering. The group shared glances with each other, not recognizing the Trolls singing.

"I wonder who they are? They sound really good!" Hype complimented, his arms crossing as he shined a look of approval on his face.

Coincidentally, Trickee had found a poster set up on a nearby wall, and he took it to examine it. On the poster was a picture of one of the Trolls. Her hair was as dark as midnight, tied up in braids, with a rainbow coloring fading down them. She had flowered vine wraps curled down her arms, and her outfit was a turquoise top and matching skirt. A golden necklace also adorned her neck. Above the picture were the words, "DIAMOND [MARINA]- The World Tour."

The rest of the boys hovered over the poster, looking back and forth from the poster to the stage. The female Troll who was singing on stage looked exactly like the girl in the poster, and they quickly came to the conclusion that she was performing here for her World Tour.

"Wait...." Ablaze started to ponder as he looked closely from the stage, to back at the picture, "If she's DIAMOND.... then who is the other guy singing with her?" The troll beside DIAMOND looked to be a Reggaeton Troll. The rest of the group shrugged, seemingly puzzled.

"I don't know, maybe he's a backup singer? Guest singer?" Boom threw out, holding his chin as he thought about it. He suddenly came up with an idea, "Wait! Gimme that poster!!" Boom quickly snatched the poster from Trickee's hands, much to his decline of the request. The rest of the group gathered around as Boom's finger trailed down the poster, to the very bottom. There at the bottom, he found the tour dates. He carefully read out the date of their current day: It showed that she was at this very beach bar, her second day performing there. However, that day, she was performing with a guest singer: Bonzi [Luis Fonzi]. Boom grinned, pointing to the date, "It says here that DIAMOND is performing with a Troll named Bonzi! That's gotta be him!" Boom then took out his phone, doing a little research about the troll, "It says here that Bonzi is a Latin Pop/Reggaeton Troll!"

"Man, they make a great music duo!" Hype praised, listening to their music. DIAMOND and Bonzi walked around the stage, singing out to the cheering crowd of Vacay Islanders.

"Guess I had my last chance, And now this is our last dance. You fell through the cracks in my hands, Tell myself be stronger; My heart's like a rubber band," DIAMOND sang out upon the stage, holding her microphone close to her lips as she walked and danced around. "And it's such a shame, You'll always be the one who got away. We both know that deep down you feel the same, Hard to say it's over; But I'm already someone else's baby, Ahh."

"Eso no, eso no," Bonzi sang out in response to DIAMOND, dancing alongside her.

"Baby, Ahh."

"Mereces mejor"

"Baby, Ahh."

"Quiero tu calor"

"I'm already someone else's~."

After a little while of enjoying the life music, Trickee got in the middle of his group of friends and begged, "Hey, Guys?? I said earlier that I wanted a snack! Can we PLEASE go to the food bar and get something to eat?" He gave the rest of the group big, shiny eyes, which unsettled the rest of them.

"Well, I suppose I could use a little something too," Hype agreed, looking over to Boom and Ablaze, who both nodded in agreement with his statement. Trickee's eyes lit up further as he cheered joyfully, leading the rest group along with him. The group had been brought over to the food bar, and behind it was Brandy, Bruce's wife. She was holding a plate of cookies, watching the live performance.

Trickee cleared his throat, "Uhm, excuse me ma'am!" He waved his hand, trying to get her attention.

Fortunately for him, his words had caught the attention of the Vacay Islander, causing her to look down at him with a small grin, "Oh! Aren't you guys Branch's bandmates? It's so wonderful to see you guys again!" The chill islander smiled kindly at them, setting her platter of cookies down on the food bar, causing Trickee's eyes to shine as if he were in heaven. Brandy smiled, "Go ahead! Take a few! I made too many extras, actually."

"This is the best day ever!!!" cheered Trickee as he ran up to the plate of cookies, taking a few of them all for himself. Ablaze tried walking up to the platter to get a cookie, since they looked great. However, when he got there, Trickee shooed him off and hissed at him, seemingly going psycho from finally having at least some kind of food.

"No cookies for me. Noted," Ablaze spoke awkwardly, and almost uncomfortably as he backed away to the rest of the boyband.

Brandy picked up some empty glasses from the food bar, taking them back to a sink for washing as she asked the group, "So? What brings you guys here again? It's been simply too long!"

"Well," Hype started. "We were coming here for just a nice relaxing time. Not only that, but we have to prepare for-"

"MMM! THESE COOKIES ARE DELICIOUS!!" Trickee suddenly spoke up out of nowhere, cutting Hype off mid-sentence. Hype just huffed and rolled his eyes, not even bothering to finish his sentence anymore.

"Well, I hope you guys enjoy your stay!" The vacay islander spoke kindly, drying out the glasses with a rag and setting them on a shelf just below the food bar.

After a few minutes of comfortable silence, suddenly the boys were knocked off their feet by a stampede running across the food bar. They all sat up, wondering what had knocked them over. They noticed that a group of kids were chasing each other around, yelling at each other and play-fighting like most siblings do. They knocked into drink-filled glasses, and they even stole some of Trickee's cookies, much to his complaint.

Brandy turned around, noticing the kids roughhousing and causing chaos around guests. She snapped a finger and called out, "Bruce JR! Rainy! Cove! Windy! Stop fighting around our guests!"

The kids immediately broke up their play-fight, speaking in unison with their hands placed behind their backs, "Sorry, Mama."

The kids then looked over to the boys of *KISMET, and they seemed to have recognized them. Bruce JR spoke up, pointing at the group, "I know those guys, Mama! They're in a band with Uncle Branch!" Gasps of fascination came from the rest of his brothers as they examined the group.

Boom smiled a little awkwardly, waving towards the kids and speaking in a kind voice, "Hello, you guys! I'm Boom."

"Hype here," Hype introduced, giving the kids finger-guns.

"Ablaze!" Ablaze spoke, pointing to himself with his thumbs.

"Trickee...." Trickee mumbled quietly, still salty about some of the kids stealing his cookies.

The group of kids were all waving back at them, but then suddenly the dropped everything and ran across the food bar, screaming excitedly as they ran past *KISMET. The group was confused, and they all had their share of glances before looking over to where the kids had ran to. They then noticed that the group ran over to Bruce, their father who had just returned back home.

"Bruce! I'm so happy you're finally home!" cheered Brandy as she finished putting some newly-cleaned plates away. She leaned onto the food bar, her arms crossed atop the surface as Bruce made his way over to her -- not without the struggle of kids clinging onto him though.

"Hello, Honey! It's great to see you again," Bruce spoke sweetly, attempting to give his wife a kiss as his sons kept trying to drag him away. As him and Brandy kissed, the kids immediately let go, covering their eyes and making groans of discussed at the display of affection.

After the kiss, Brandy then spoke to Bruce with a grin, "Y'know Branch's band members from *KISMET? They happened to stop by today!"

"Really?" Bruce spoke with a blink of confusion. He then looked over to the group, noticing them waving at him. Bruce smiled a little, "Well, no kidding! Strange though, what brings them this way after so long?"

"Apparently, they needed relaxation in preparation for.... something?" Brandy trailed off, never quite catching what they were there for.

Bruce then smiled to Brandy before walking over to *KISMET, calling out to them, "Hey, guys! Long time no see! How long has it been?"

"About five years since we've see you all together," Boom spoke, surprised by how long it'd been since they were all together.

"Yeah! The last time we were here all together with you was when we were coming to meet up with Branch after you guys had reunited together!" Hype added on with a small grin.

"Five years? Goodness, time sure does fly by fast. Well, I'm so glad you guys are here! It's nice seeing you after all this time," Bruce smiled happily, receiving a smile from the boyband as well. But suddenly, Bruce's smile turned into a frown as he spoke, "But, I can't stay for long. Tomorrow I have tour rehearsal with my brothers. But, it's nice to get to hang out with you guys right now...!"

"Uhm, Bruce...?" Brandy spoke quietly, leaning in towards him. "I have a yoga retreat that starts tomorrow. You remember that, right? I told you 3 months in advance, exactly when it would start. Who's going to watch the kids?"

Bruce's pupils shrunk, "Oh.... right."

"Wait! I've got an idea!!" Boom suddenly shouted out, waving his arms in the air. Bruce and Brandy looked over to him, wondering what idea he'd come up with. Boom continued, "Me, Hype, Ablaze, and Trickee can watch your kids until one of you gets back?"

Trickee, Ablaze, and Hype, confused by this sudden request, spoke in unison, "Wait, what??"

Boom looked back to them with an excited grin, "C'mon, guys! Watching these kids will be easy-peasy! There's no reason to worry! Plus, they could really use the help! I wouldn't mind being a baby-sitter! Pleaseee??" Boom gave them puppy dog eyes, pleading repeatedly to wear them down.

Ablaze groaned reluctantly, "Fine, I'm in." Boom smiled widely.

Hype replied, "Me too. I guess the beach ball tournament could wait." He frowned a little, thinking about all of the volleyball games he'd be missing out on by watching the kids. But, still. He wanted to be helpful for Bruce.

The group then looked over to Trickee, who was scarfing down his last cookie. He looked up from the cookies in his hands, to the rest of his friends. He mumbled with his mouth full, "What?" After we swallowed the last of the cookie, he then suddenly remembered the plan Boom had made, "Oooohhhh! Yeah, I'm okay with that."

"Yes!" Boom cheered triumphantly, pumping his fists in the air victoriously.

"Oh, thank you guys so much. You don't know how much money you just saved by not having to hire a sitter!" Brandy spoke with relief, placing a hand to her chest as she smiled gratefully.

"Wait, we aren't getting paid?" Ablaze asked with confusion.

"I don't really care, 'cause I JUST GOT PAID!....yesterday" Trickee called out with his hand cupped around his mouth as he walked over to the rest of the group.

After everything had finally seemed to settle down, suddenly one of the vacay islanders rushed up to the food bar through the waters on the outside, "Bruce! Boss!"

Bruce looked towards the islander with confusion, making his way across the surface of the bar, "Lenny? What's the matter?"

"Oh, boss! There are some dark clouds coming in! I saw the news earlier, and apparently they're supposed to be signaling a huge storm!" Lenny spoke with worry. He pointed towards the door showing Bruce the dark clouds.

With a look of worry -- and slight frustration with weather inconvenience, Bruce walked across the bar to get to the outside. He hopped onto a floaty from the lazy river to safely cross to the beach on the outside. He trudged through the sand as he felt the wind strongly blow his hair back.

There were dark grey clouds starting to swirl and pile up out in the west, lightning ricocheting through them as they slowly made their way towards Vacay Island, and the mainland itself. Bruce's eyes were squinted as the wind was nearly blowing him back. The storm looked to be dangerous, yet super far away. It didn't even look like it was moving from his point of view, for it was going so slow.

"This is going to ruin my plans," Bruce mumbled as the wind continued to blow in his face, and the storm and fog casually started to form way out on the horizon.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hey y'all!!! I FINALLY have a story started!!! This one chapter took over a month alone to create! I hope you guys will enjoy this, because I've got more chapters planned! Also, I used the theory of Floyd being weakened by Velvet & Veneer in this story, which I hope is okay. It totally develops a plot! Stay tuned for chapter two. Bye, my Zurro Dragons!

-SkipTheZurroDragon [1 April, 2024 || WORD COUNTER: 15,820 WORDS]