~Later On~

As The Night Dawned By, The Villager And His Helpful Feathered Companions Flew To The Next Location From The Map

Where He Was One Stop Away From Retrieving The Wonderous Wishstone

In The Night Sky, Hart & Sole Continued To Help Fly Branch Over To The Field Of Sorrows, Where He Was Getting Closer To His Wishstone.

"And So That's Why I've Been Traveling All Day. Probably Missing Most Of Valentine's Day, But For A Good Cause For Someone!"
Branch Finished Explaining.

"Ah, I See"
Hart Nodded.

Branch Sighs.
"I Need That Wishstone To Give Poppy A Valentine's Day She Deserves. One That She Wished She Always Had. I've Done Nothing But Keep Her From Having Fun Back Then...If This Wish She Grants Makes Up For It, I'll Surely Be In The Clear"

Hart & Sole Looked At One Another, Giving Doubtful Looks, Thinking If That's The Right Way For Branch To Approach His Valentine's Day Issue With Poppy.

After A While Of Flying, The Two Lovebirds Reached The Destination And Landed Down In A Dark And Empty Field.

"This Is It?"
Branch Asked As He Hopped Down.

"Yep, This Is It"
Sole Replied.

"Well, Thanks For Everything Hart And Sole. I Really Appreciate It, And It's Unusual Of Me Cause I'm Not Very Fond Of Birds. I Guess On The Mission For Love, Anything Is Possible"
Branch Shrugged.

Hart Chuckled.
"It's No Problem Man. And Good Luck Getting That Wishstone"

"Thanks Hart"
Branch Smiled.

Hart Was About To Fly Away, But Turned Back To Branch.
"Ya Know, That Advice You Gave Me Back At The Pocket Full Of Noisies. It Was Pretty Inspiring. I Had No Luck In Achieving The Love I Have For Sole...But You Taught Me That, All I Needed To Do Was Be There. No Wishstone Required"

As Branch Listened To What Hart Reminded Him About What Advice He Gave, It Started To Make Him Wonder Again If What He's Doing For Poppy Is Right.

"Happy Valentine's Day Branch"
Hart Grinned.

Branch Grinned Back.
"Happy Valentine's Day Hart"

Hart Held Sole's Wing, And Both Flew Off Up In The Night Sky, Heading South For The Rest Of Their Valentine's Day

"AND SORRY ABOUT YOUR BAAAG!"
Hart Shouted As He Flew Away.

"YEAH SURE!"
Branch Shouted Back, Rolling His Eyes Playfully.

Branch Chuckled To Himself, As He Turned His Attention Back To Where He Was, Looking Around At The Empty, Dark Field.

Branch Felt The Grass.
"Hm, This Must Be-"

🌾 The Field Of Sorrow 🌾

A Field In Which May Seem Vast, But It Won't Allow You To Escape Your Past

"Surprisingly Not As Threatening As I Thought. I Got This"
Branch Shrugged.

Branch Began To Walk Through The Empty Field, With A No Worry Attitude.

With The Slight Wind Breeze Among The Field, The Sound Of The Waving Grass Hit Branch's Ears Soothingly.

Branch Exhaled.
"Ahhh~ The Soothing Sound Of Grass. Nature Never Disappoints, Unless It's Danger. But I Wonder Why It's Called The Field Of-"

Branch Suddenly Stopped, As He Noticed Some Grain, Poking Out Of The Field. 🌾

"Just One Piece Of Grain In This Entire Field? There's No Way That's Not Suspicious"
Branch Crossed His Arms.

With Branch Saying That, His Stomach Began To Rumble And Grumble, Since He Hasn't Eaten All Day.

"From Being On My Mission, I Haven't Ate...One Snack Won't Hurt Right?"
Branch Asked Himself.

Branch Snatched The Grain And Took A Big Bite Out Of It.
"Mmm...Plain Nutritionnnn.."

Branch Closed Both His Eyes, Enjoying The Snack He Took, And Embracing His Taste Buds.

Branch Sighed Satisfyingly.
"Hhhh~ This Is Just What I Needed To-"

Suddenly, As Branch Opened His Eyes, He Was Shown To Be Inside Of Some Similar Colorful Hair, Ontop Of Someone's Head.

".....Eat?"
Branch Finished His Sentence, Confused Of Where He Was Suddenly At.

Branch Looked Around Inside The Colorful Hair, And Held Up His Grain.
"I Hope This Was Grain.."

Out Of Thin Air, The Snackpack Appeared In Front Of Branch, With Their Hairs Attached To The Colorful One.

"Guys? What Are You Doing Here?"
Branch Wondered.

The Snackpack Wasn't Listening To Branch Or Didn't Even See Them, Cause It Seemed They Were Watching Something Else In Front Of Them.

"Helloooooo? Guys!"
Branch Waved His Hand In Their Faces.

"Your eyes. They're like, two pools so deep, I fear if i dive in, I might never come up for air."
A Familar Voiced Said Quietly.

Branch Instantly Knew That Voice, And Turned Around To See His Gray Self, Telling A Poem For Bridget To Say To King Gristle.

Heavily Confused, Branch Stared At His Other Self, With The Biggest Shook Face, And Mouthed The Word: "What?"

"And your smile. The sun itself turns jealous, and refuses to come from behind the clouds"
Branch Continued To Tell Bridget To Say.

Then, Poppy Appeared Across From The Other Branch, Gaining A Smile From His Beautiful Words.

"Poppy..?"
Branch Said To Himself.

"Knowing it can't shine half as bright"
Branch Finished Off.

"I kinda do have a nice smile don't I?"
King Gristle Told Bridget.

"Yes...you do"
Branch Smiled Over Towards Poppy, Meaning It For Her Secretly.

Branch Watched His Other Self Say That, Then Looked Over At Poppy, Seeing Her Smile For The Second Time.

"She Really Does"
Branch Said To Himself.

Branch Went To Run To Poppy To Hug Her.
"Oh Poppy!"

Until, When Branch Went To Hug Her, Poppy Disappeared, And Branch Was In Another Familar Location, The Bottom Of Lonesome Flats By The Shore Of The River.

Branch Realized Where He Was And Felt Himself.
"What The-?!"

Some Coughing Could Be Heard Behind Branch, As He Turned Around To See Biggie With Mr. Dinkles, Hickory, And Himself With Poppy Laying Out On The Sand.

"I'm REALLY glad you came with me"
Poppy Grinned Over At Branch Next To Her.

"....me too"
Branch Grinned Over At Her As Well, Happily To Be With Her.

"And I'm Here With You Again! POPPY!"
Branch Ran Towards His Other Self And Poppy.

Before Branch Could Reach Them, They Vanished As Branch Was Seen In Another Familar Location.

Branch Stopped And Noticed He Was At A Forest Nearby The Stream, With A Big Bubble Coming Down.

Looking Up, Branch's Eyes Widen And Moved Away A Bit For The Bubble To Land And Pop, Due To It Having The Other Branch And Poppy In It.

Branch Watched As His Other Self And Poppy Gave Each Other Upset Looks At One Another, And Walked Away.

"We are really different."
Poppy Said.

"So different!"
Branch Turned Back To Her.

"Completely out of harmony."
Poppy Added.

"Completely!"
Branch Replied Back.

"I don't even know why we're friends!"
Poppy Blurted.

"Neither do I"
Branch Blurted Back Firmly.

As Branch Watched Himself And Poppy Arguing Back In Forth Not Feeling Like They Belong Together, Began To Break His Heart Seeing Them Split Apart.

Branch Was About To Attempt To Comfort Poppy.
"Poppy....I-"

"So, why do I, care about you more than anyone else in the world"
Branch Suddenly Told Poppy, Looking Back At Her.

"Weird...right?"
Branch Added, Continuing To Walk Away From The Area.

Hearing Himself Say That Again, Made Branch Quiet And Thinking Back To That Moment, And Seeing Him Leave Poppy, Made Him Wanna See His Poopy Again.

Poppy Was About To Go After Branch, But The Words Swarmed In Her Head, Making Her Feel Awful And Cover Her Eyes, Beginning To Cry.

Branch Watched Poppy Start To Cry, Wishing He Could Comfort Her, But Already Knowing He Couldn't Cause She Was Just A Vision, Made His Ears Droop Down, And Wished Things Could've Happened Differently.

~~~

~Inside Of Vibe City~

As The Queen Grew Tiresome Of Jumping From Festival To Festival, She Was Only Lead To Find Out Another One Of The Kingdom's Tribes Were Throwing An Exclusive Festival

This Time, Thrown By The Princes Of Funk, In Their Up High Spaceship

In The Bubbles, Poppy, Guy Diamond, Legsly, Barb, Trollex, Trollzart, And Delta Were Being Transported Through Vibe City.

The Group Saw All Of Vibe City Decorated For Their Own Valentine's Day Festival, And All Of Troll Kingdom Was There Enjoying It.

"Whoaaaa.."
The Group Admired How Vibrant And Upbeat The Funk Festival Was.

"What Is Happening.."
Poppy Groaned To Herself, Sick Of The Multiple Festivals Thrown.

The Group's Bubbles All Landed On The Lit-Up Piano, And Popped For Them To Be Right At The Entrance Of The Festival.

From There, The Group Got A Good View Of The Festival With Lights, Balloons, More Happy Faces Than Heartbroken Ones, Louder Music, And Even Better Food.

"There They Are!"
Delta Pointed Across.

Prince D & Cooper Were Standing At The Entrance Of The Festival, Behind A Rope Where They Would Let Guests In And Out.

"HEY! LONG NECKS!"
Barb Marched Towards The Funk Twins, Along With The Others.

Cooper Locked Back Up The Rope.
"Whoa Whoa Whoaaa, Slow Your Roll There Guys!"

"Yeah Don't Go Pass The Rope"
Prince D Gestures.

"Don't Go Pass The- YOU'RE NOT GONNA LET US IN?!?!"
Barb Said.

"Sorry But This Is An Exclusive Club. For Exclusive Guests Only"
Prince D Told Barb.

"And That's Not You Guys"
Cooper Added.

The Group Groaned With Upset Looks And Frustrated Expressions On Their Faces.

"But Surely Cooper Would Let In His Long Time Pals Huhhh? Huhhhh?"
Guy Diamond Winked.

"You Know, The Friends You Grew Up Withhhh? Eh? Eh?"
Legsly Winked Also.

"Sorry, I Gotta Follow The Clipboard"
Cooper Held Up A Clipboard. 📋

"Mmm -.-"
Guy Diamond And Legsly Glared At Cooper.

Tiny Diamond Hopped Down.
"Ha! Sorry Daddy And Legsly! But Tiny Diamond Is Always On The List. Excuseee Meee"

Prince D Put His Foot Down In Front Of Tiny.
"Sorry Lil' Man"

"AWE C'MON! You Can't Exclude Tiny D! I'm Always On The List!"
Tiny Diamond Said.

Cooper Checked The List.
"Hmmm Tinyyy...Tinyyyy...Nah No Tiny. But We Do Have Shiny Diamond. C'mon In Mr. Shiny."

"What?!"
Tiny Said Confused.

The Invisible Shiny Diamond Walked Past Tiny And Walked Under The Rope To Get Into The Festival.

"Mad Disrespect Shiny. An OP For Real 😔"
Tiny Pouted With A Frown.

"How Do You Guys Even Have Power?"
Trollex Questioned.

"Yeah I Caused A Power Outage!"
Barb Said.

"See, We Live In A Spaceship With Unlimited Ways To Keep The Power Going"
Prince D Replied.

"And One Of The Ways We're Keeping Up Power Is By Our Good Friend And 5 Time Trollammy Award Winning Singer In Vibe City, Carina!"
Cooper Introduced.

"Carina?!"
The Group Says, Raising Their Eyebrows.

Behind The Group, On A Little Stage, A Beautiful Funk Troll Girl Named Carina, (Voiced By "Cynthia Erivo"), Was Standing With A Microphone Connected To Multiple Power Outlets In Vibe City.

"Hi There!"
Carina Waved Happily, Holding Her Mic.

"Her Mic Is Connected To Every Power Outlet In Here, So That Whenever She Sings A High Note, It Gives Us More Power. Show Em' Carina!"
Prince D Allowed.

Carina Cleared Her Throat And Sang A Loud High Note Into The Mic.
"HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!"

The High Note Made Vibe City Get Even Brighter, Giving Off More Power To The Ship.

"Gals Got Some Pipes"
Delta Said.

"Thanks! I'll Sing Any Word High! 😊"
Carina Grinned.

"Awe, And They Even Crafted Together Better Food.."
Trollzart Pointed.

Over By The Dinner Table, The Festival Had Buffalo Wings, Nachos, Hot Dogs, Popcorn, And Many More Different Foods.

"BUFFALO WINGS?? You Funky Tempts -.-"
Barb Glared.

Poppy Stepped Up.
"Cooper, Prince D, Ms. Carina Over There. I'm Sorry Everything Lead You Guys To Throwing A Festival. That Wasn't Supposed To Happen Today! Things Just Got A Little Scrambled...Sooo Why Not We All Make Up And Share Some Love! It Is Valentine's Day After All Amirite?"

"We Respect That Poppy"
Prince D Said.

"But We Felt Too Left Out. So This Is Our Only Way To Represent A Funk Tribe Valentine's Day"
Cooper Said.

"But This Place Is Sooo Cool And Fun! Just Please Let Us In"
Trollex Begged.

"Forget The Begging, I'm Getting One Of Those Buffalo Wings"
Barb Grabbed The Rope, About To Enter.

"Go Over That Rope, And You'll Get Decked By One Of Those Wings!"
Prince D Warned.

Barb Scoffed.
"You Wouldn't"

Suddenly, A Buffalo Wing Got Thrown At Barb And Hit Her On Her Shirt, Making A Stain Of Buffalo Sauce.

"No. But I Would. And By The Way, They're Delicious"
Cooper Smirked, As He Took A Bite Of One Of The Wings.

"Mmmmmmmmm -.-"
Barb Started To Get Furious.

"Oh No.."
Poppy Knew Things Were About To Get Ugly.

Barb Went Across The Rope And Went To The Food Table.
"Well Maybe You Should Try Them With Some-"

Barb Grabbed Handle Of Nachos And Dip.
"NACHOS!"

Barb Threw The Handful Of Nachos And Dip Towards Cooper, Making It Splatter All Over His Face.

"Uggggh! Mm, Good Guac Though!"
Cooper Said, Wiped It Off His Face To Taste It.

Trollex Laughed A Little To Himself, Trying To Hold It In But Couldn't.
"Pfft- 🤭"

"Oh Is That Funny Trollex?! Cause The Potato Skins Are HILARIOUS!"
Prince D Grabbed A Handful Of Potato Skins And Threw It At Trollex.

Trollex's Face Got Splattered With Potato Skins.
"HEY!"

Legsly Grabbed A Piece Of Cherry Pie From The Table And Threw It At Guy Diamond's Face.

Guy Diamond Just Stood There.
"....Legsly...Why Would You Do That.."

"I Don't Know....Seemed Fun!"
Legsly Shrugged.

A Meatball Was Thrown At Legsly's Outfit And Face, Making Her Splashed In Meat Gravy.

Trollzart Was The One Who Threw It.
"You're Right, It Is Fun! 😁"

"Nothing's More Fun Than- GUACAMOLE!"
Trollex Grabbed A Handful Of Guacamole Dip And Threw It.

Prince D Got Hit In The Face With The Guacamole And Wiped It Off.
"Oh Now You've Done It-"

"O__O"
Trollex Gulped Nervously.

Prince D Grabbed A Handful Of Mashed Potatos And Threw It Towards Trollex.

"Wuh Oh!"
Trollex Quickly Ducked.

As The Mashed Potatoes Hit Right At Delta, Who's Face And Big Hair Was Covered In Mashed Potatoes.

Delta Groaned Upsetly.
"That Was A Mistake"

Delta Went To Grab The Plate Full Of Eggrolls, And Threw The Whole Plate At Cooper And Prince D.

Everyone Got Furious With One Another, Giving Each Other A Angry Look And Disgusted Face.

"UGGGGGGRAAAAAHHHH!!!!!!"
The Group All Ran To The Food Table And Started To Throw Food At Each Other Angrily.

"🍗 🧀 🌭 🍤 🥧 🥔 🍕 🍔"
Everyone Threw Food With No Mercy Being Shown, Just Grudged Up Faces.

The Food From The Festival Got Thrown And Destroyed From Everyone Fighting, Messing Up The Funk Valentine's Festival.

Carina Watched Everyone Food Fight And Suddenly Got Hit With Guacamole.
"Awe Man, My New Valentine's Outfit 😕"

Poppy Tried To Get In Between Them Without Getting Hit With Food.
"Guys! Guys! Everyone Please Settle!"

Carina Grabbed The Mic And Shouted A High Note.
"EVVVVVVEEEEERRRRRRYYYYYOOOOOONNNNNNEEEEEEEE!!!!!!"

The Group Stopped Throwing Food At Each Other And Turned Their Attention To Carina, Even The Rest Of Troll Kingdom Stopped What They Were Doing To Listen.

"Look At Yourselves! Acting Like This On The Day Of Love We're Supposed To Share Together! The Point Of Valentine's Day Isn't To Fight. It's To Feel!"
Carina Told Them Into The Microphone.

Poppy Nodded And Stepped Up To The Microphone.
"Carina's Right Everyone! This Is Valentine's Day! A Day Of Sharing And Spreading Love. Not Fighting Over Who's Festival Is Better Than The Others. That's Not What Valentine's Day Is All About"

"Well Said Poppy. I Wasn't Done With My Speech. But Well Said 😄"
Carina Grinned.

Poppy Sighed Deeply Into The Microphone And Continued.
"Listen Everyone...This Valentine's Day Obviously Hasn't Turned Out What I Thought To Be...All I Wanted Was A Valentine's Say We Could All Share Together As One. A Day To Love Another And Exchange It In Ways Our Kingdom Hasn't Done For Centuries"

"A Day Just....To Be Together.."
Poppy Held Out Her Mitten-Settia Flower Branch Gave Her, Thinking Of How She Wished He Was Here With Her.

Everyone Thought About What Poppy Said, Realizing How Foolish It Was To Jump From One Festival To Another.

"I Just Wanted Us To Celebrate Together...But, I Guess Valentine's Day Isn't Meant For Us As A Holiday"
Poppy Said, Gripping Onto Her Flower, Knowing She Referred To Branch As Well As The Others.

Poppy Quietly Stepped Down From The Microphone, And Walked Away From The Area From Everyone.

With The Biggest Disappointed Sad Look On Her Face, Poppy Summoned A Bubble To Pick Her Up And Float Her Out Of Vibe City.

The Leaders Watched Poppy Leaving, Feeling Bad And Also Realizing How Silly They've Acted All Day, And Not Celebrating Valentine's Day The Right Way As They Should Together As One.

Cooper Shook His Head.
"Wow...Bah Humbug"

~~~

And Just Like That, The Queen Left Her Kingdom, Brokenhearted From The Feeling Of Not Truly Being Together

But Most Of All, Not Being With The Villager On This Special Holiday

Outside, Poppy's Bubble Floated Out Of The Vibe City Ship And Floated In The Night Sky.

Poppy Was Crying Softly To Herself, Brokenhearted Of The Tribes Not Getting Along For Valentine's Day And For Branch Still Not Being With Her All Day.

Poppy Realized The Time From Her Hug Time Watch, And Decided To Give Up Hope On Having A Great Valentine's Day.

With That In Mind, Poppy Took Out Her Snailphone And Stared At It, Hesitant To Make A Message To Send To Branch.

The Bubbles Continued To Float Along The Night Sky, As Poppy Was Headed Somewhere In Mind The Stay The Rest Of The Night.

~~~

~Meanwhile~

"Oh I realized,
It's hard to take courage,
From a world full of people..
You can take sight of it all...the darkness inside you, can make you feel so small.."
Branch Sung To A Gray Poppy, Kneeled Down With Her.

Branch, Watching Another Sorrowful Memory, Couldn't Bare But Feel Despair From Being The Worse Side Of Poppy In Sad Form Again.

As The Chime Of The Hugtime Watch Rang, Branch Saw Himself Reaching For A Hug To Poppy But Her Denying It.

The Other Hugtime Watches Rang With Poppy's, To The Slow Rhythm Of The Song The Other Branch Sung.

Branch Suddenly Felt His Own Hugtime Watch Ring To The Memory, Feeling More Awful Looking At It, Knowing He Has No One To Hug In This Moment.

Branch Sighed, Closing His Eyes.
"I Can't Watch.."

As Branch Turned Around, Opening Back His Eyes, He Was Suddenly In A Different Memory, Ontop Of The Big Mushroom During The Holiday Gift Swap.

Branch Saw The Holiday Decorations And The Lights, And The Old Opened Large Box Poppy Gave Him With Nothing Inside.

Branch Turned Around To See Himself And Poppy Talking About One Another For The Gift Swap.

"I'm sorry...I didn't get you anything. Because, when I tried to think about what to get the COOLEST troll in the world, I-I totally drew a blank! I mean what do you get someone who is so sweet, and so funny, and kind, and cute, and like weirdly over prepared for everything!"
Poppy Explained As She Made Her Way Over To Branch.

Branch Rubbed His Arm, Seeing Poppy Talk About Him Like That Again, And Hearing It Made Him Feel All Good Inside Again.

"You know...the thing I like most about the holidays is just...being together...with you"
Branch Held Poppy's Hands Lovingly.

As Branch Watched Himself Say That Hugging Poppy, It Hit Him Right In The Heart Knowing He Wasn't Sharing This Valentine's Day Holiday Together With Her.

When Branch Rubbed His Eyes From Tears, The Memory Fades Away And He Was Back In The Empty Field Of Sorrow.

Branch Gazed Up At The Night Sky, With The Cool Wind Breeze Blowing Against Him And The Grass.

With The Memories From The Field Of Sorrow, The Villager Had Been Reminded Of His Favorite Thing In The World

To Be Together With The Queen

Feeling These Emotions Of Sorrow From Seeing Those Memories Again, Branch Felt Alone And His Love For Poppy Was Strong Enough For Him To Do Anything To Be With Her Right Now.

Branch Broke Into A Heartbreaking Song By Himself.
🎵 When a maaaaaaan
loves a woman! 🎵

🎵 Can't keep his
mind on nothin' else.. 🎵

🎵 He'd change the world
for the good thing he's found.. 🎵
Branch Looked Down At His Hugtime Watch.

🎵 If she is baaaaaaaaad,
he can't see it! 🎵

🎵 She could do no wrong.. 🎵

🎵 Turn his back on his best friend
if he put her down..🎵

Branch Started To See Constellation Versions Of Him And Poppy In The Stary Night Sky, Wanting That To Be A Reality.

🎵 When a maaaaaaaaan
loves a woman! 🎵

🎵 He'll spend
his very last dime.. 🎵

🎵 Tryin' to hold on
to what he neeeeeds.. 🎵

🎵 He'd give up aaaaallllll
his comforts! 🎵

🎵 And sleep
out in the rain 🎵
Branch Held Out His Hand, As If It Was Raining.

🎵 If she said that's the way
It ought to be.. 🎵

🎵 Well,
this man loves you,
womaaaaan! 🎵

🎵 I gave you
everything I haaaaad! 🎵

🎵 Tryin' to hoooold on
to your heartfelt looove..🎵

🎵 Baby, please
don't treat me baaaaaad! 🎵

"When A Man...Loves A Woman.."
Branch Sung Softly To Himself, Looking Up At The Night Sky, Wishing Poppy Was By His Side.

Branch Sighed Deeply, Holding And Rubbing His Hands Together.
"Oh Poppy..."

Branch Backed Up From The Field, Feeling Guilty Inside For Not Being With Her.

"I'm Sorry I Couldn't Give You The Valentine's Day You Deser- Huh?"
Branch Suddenly Backed Up Into Something.

Branch Turned Around To See A He Accidentally Backed Onto A Wall Of A Cave That Was Glowing Inside.

"What The-"
Branch Raised His Eyebrow And Peaked Inside.

Branch Gulped And Took A Step Inside, To Walk Around Curious Of What This Might Be.

As He Walked Around, Branch Noticed The Cave Was Filled With Desirable Items Such As A Glass Slipper, A Enchanted Rose Glowing Red, A Magic Carpet, A Gold Lamp, Black Boots With A Hat And Cape, And Many More Items.

Branch Started To Put Together Where He Was.
"Wait A Minute...With All These Desirable Things...THIS MUST BE-"

✨️ The Cave Of Desire! ✨️

The Villager Had Made It!

The Last Stop On His Quest!

The Cave Full Of Desirable Items That You May Seek, But Others May Take A Peek

"Whooaaaa, Check Out All The Merchandise"
Branch Examined All The Items In The Cave.

"Cool Candle! But Looks A Bit On The French Side"
Branch Held Up A Soy Wax Candle.

"Definitely Not Touching That"
Branch Walked Past A Glowing Green Apple.

"Hiya There! 🦗 Wanna Be Judged?!"
A Random Cricket With A Hat And Umbrella Asked.

"Pass"
Branch Flicked The Cricket Away.

"WOOOWWWHIIEEEEE-"
The Cricket Flung Away And Probably Died.

Branch Noticed Three Bowls Of Porridge On One Of The Shelves And Went By It.

"Oo!"
Branch Licked His Lips.

Branch Sipped One Of Them.
"AH! Too Hot!"

Branch Sipped Another One.
"BLEUGH! Too Cold!"

Branch Sipped The Last One.
"Hhhh~ Just Right"

Branch Turned To A Bunch Of Outfits That Were Hanging Up.
"CHECK OUT THESE DUDS!"

Looking Through All Of The Oufits, Branch Couldn't Find One That Stood Out To Him.

Until He Came Across A Purple, White, And Gold Royalty Outfit That Looked Like It Belonged To A Prince Or King Or Consort.

"Hm"
Branch Took Down The Royal Outfit And Tried It On.

Branch Felt Himself In It And Loved How It Feels On Him.
"Comfy!"

"Queen Poppy, Your Chariot Awaits Your Highness. Ahahaha! I Crack Myself Up"
Branch Mimicked A Fancy Royal Voice.

A Glowing Red Light Was Shining From Across Branch, Making Him Turn His Attention To What It Was.

Branch Gasped, Seeing What Was There And Couldn't Believe His Eyes.
"Could It Be..."

The Wonderous Wishstone

Right From The Villager's Vary Eyes

The Wonderous Wishstone Was A Glowing Red Stone, Levitating Under The Moonlight, In It's Rightful Place Since The Ancestors Left It.

Branch Walked Up To The Wishstone, Gazing At It's Beauty And Admiring It's Value.

The Villager Had Found It

The One Thing He Believes The Queen Would Desire To Make This Holiday Special

And It Was Right In His Grasp

"The Wonderous Wishstone.."
Branch Reached Out His Hand To Retrieve The Wishstone He Needed The Most.

Until Suddenly, Branch Got Whacked In The Face And Flung Against The Wall Before He Could Grab The Wishstone.

Or So The Villager Thought

"DOW! Who The Heck- YOU!"
Branch Realized Who It Was.

It Was C-Bug, Who Had Also Made It To The Cave Of Desire With The Map He Stole From Branch Earlier.

"Yes! It's Me! The One Who's Gonna Make Valentine's Day Great! THAT'S MY WISHSTONE! And You're Not Getting It!"
C-Bug Told Branch, Flying Over To The Wishstone.

"UGGGHHH! WE'LL SEE ABOUT THAT!"
Branch Ran After The Wishstone.

"Mineee 🤩"
C-Bug Was About To Grab The Wishstone.

"HA!"
Branch Kicked C-Bug Away.

"HEY!!"
C-Bug Hit The Away And Rubbed His Head.

Branch Snatched The Wishstone And Held It Up In The Air.
"MINEEEE!"

"RAAAAHHH!!!"
C-Bug Flew At Branch And Attacked Him By Pulling On His Hair.

"OW OW OW!! STOP THAT! WOULD YOU GET OFF ME!"
Branch Pulled C-Bug Off His Head And Threw Him.

"You Little- What The HEY!"
Branch Realized The Wishstone Wasn't In His Hand.

"Sorry Branch! But It's For Your Own Good And My Own Good. FOR LOVE! HAHAHAAAA!"
C-Bug Laughed Menacingly.

Branch Got Ticked Off And Grew Furious, Forming And Fist A Ran Towards C-Bug With Fury In His Eyes.

C-Bug Saw How Angry Branch Was.
"Son Of A-"

Branch Tackled C-Bug Out Of The Cave Of Desire, Making Them Both Roll Outside On The Field In The Grass Together.

"Uugggghhh..."
Both Groan, Feeling The Pain Of Falling Over.

"Owww..."
Branch Said In Pain, But Noticed The Wishstone Was Out In Plain Sight.

"YES! HAHAHAHEHEHEHEHAHA!!! THE WISHSTONEEEE! IT'S ALL MINEEEE! MWAH! MWAH!"
Branch Rapidly Kissed The Wishstone.

"POPPY, YOU WILL GET THAT VALENTINE'S DAY AFTER- Huh?"
Branch Was About To Walk Away, Until He Noticed Something Else.

In The Grass, Fallen Out Was A Bag With A Bunch Of Bows And Arrows, With A Heart At The End Of The Arrows.

Branch Picked Up One Of The Arrows And Examined It.
"The Heck?"

"Uggggh...Owww.."
C-Bug Groaned And Sat Up.

Branch Pointed The Arrow At C-Bug.
"Okay Bug, Who Are You And Why Do You Have These?!?"

"What Are You Talking About?"
C-Bug Questioned.

"No One Carries These Bow And Arrows Around With Just Lovey Dovey Hearts On Them And Hides Them! SO WHO ARE YOU AND WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH THESE?!?!"
Branch Asked Again.

C-Bug Sighed, Knowing He'd Have To Come Clean Eventually.
"Hhhh.."

Branch Started To Put Stuff Together.
"Wait-....You're Pink. Covered In Hearts. You Carry Around Bow And Arrows. And You Can Fly..."

Branch Gasped Out Loud.
"😱, ARE YOU-!?!?!?!"

"Yes, Branch. I'm Cupid 🩷👼"
Cupid Revealed Himself.

"W-W-WHAT?!?! YOU'RE REAL??? I THOUGHT YOU WERE JUST A FIGURE CHARACTER FOR THE SAKE OF VALENTINE'S DAY!"
Branch Said.

"Yeah Well Everyone Thinks That. Like Santa Cause Or The Easter Bunny Or The Tooth Fairy Or The Sand Man. Story Of My Life"
Cupid Replied.

"That Explains C-Bug. And So That's How You Knew SOOO Much About Me And My Love Life With Poppy!"
Branch Said.

"Of Course! I Watch All Creatures And Their Love Interests. It's How I Keep An Eye On To Make Sure The Love Connection Is Still Strong"
Cupid Said.

"Huh. Wait- So Watch Me? Umm...Have You Seen Me Uh.."
Branch Didn't Wanna Say It.

"Yes. And You're Disgusting -.-"
Cupid Glared In Disgust.

Branch Blushed In Embarrassment.
"Ahem- Anyways. Getting Off Track! If You're Cupid, Why's It So Important For You To Get This Wishstone?"

Cupid Sighed, Flying Up To Branch.
"Well Branch, Simply Put...It's Cause Of You"

"Wh- Me?"
Branch Said Confused.

Cupid Nodded.
"Yesss! Branch, I've Watched You And Poppy. You Two Have A Connection Like No Other I've Seen. It's Special. All It Takes For It To Stay Strong Is Just By Being Together. And That's One Of The Most Important Thing About This Holiday. And You Were Risking Every Endeavor To Get A Stone That Grants A Wish For Someone"

"Well...Yeah. I Just Thought That...Well...Back Then, Poppy Didn't Get To Have A True Valentine's Day. Cause Of Me! My Old Bitter Gray Self.."
Branch Looked Down, Thinking Back To It.

"I Get That. But Ya Know, All That Matters Is What's Happening Now. And How This Is A Chance To Make Up For That"
Cupid Said.

"But This Is My Chance! This Wishstone Can Grant Poppy The Most Special Valentine's She Could Ever Wish For"
Branch Held Up The Wishstone And Saw His Reflection In It.

"You Know Why I Followed You All Day Together And Took Your Map? To Stop You From Getting That Wishstone. I Think All Poppy Wants For Valentine's Day Is Just To Be Together...With You"
Cupid Smiled At Branch, Patting His Shoulder.

"And What If I'm Not Enough?"
Branch Said, Questioning Himself.

"It's Never Not Enough For Love. Especially On Valentine's Day"
Cupid Told Branch.

As The Words Of Cupid Sprung Towards The Villager, Many Thoughts Ran Through His Head

Wondering If His Quest Was Really Meant To Be Pursued For The Wishstone

Branch Listened To Cupid's Words As It Went Through His Head, And Suddenly His Hugtime Watch Rang With It's Chime.

"Hhhh.."
Branch Covered Up His Hugtime Watch, Wishing How He Could Hug Poppy Right Now.

Until, Something Dawned On Branch And Making Him Realize Something From His Hugtime Watch.

"Wait A Second, That Was The 23rd Hugtime Today. Which Means It 23:00 Hours! WHICH ALSO MEANS ITS 11 O'CLOCK!"
Branch Realized, Looking At His Hugtime Watch.

"VALENTINE'S DAY IS ALMOST OVER!"
Branch Pulled His Hair.

Suddenly, The Rhythm Of "Get Back Up Again" Played Again From Branch's Hair, Coming From The Snailphone.

Branch Took Out His Snailphone And Pressed On The Shell To See What Was Being Sent.

It Was Voice Message From The Snailphone 🐌 Saying: "Hey Branch, By The Time You Get This Message I'll Be At Bergen Town, Spending The Rest Of Valentine's Day There. Things Didn't Work Out With The Tribes's Festivals And Obviously Whatever Errand You've Been Running All Day Is More Important Than Spending Valentine's Day With Me. Hope It Was Worth It. See You Tomorrow.."

After Hearing The Message, More Panic Ran On Branch Realizing He Spent The Whole Day Getting The Wishstone, He Didn't Have Enough Time To Make It Back To Poppy.

Branch Couldn't Believe It.
"NO NO NOOOO! IF I DON'T GET THE WISHSTONE TO POPPY BEFORE MIDNIGHT IN BERGEN TOWN, VALENTINE'S DAY WILL BE OVER!"