As Branch searched the forest for Flower and Hickory, he began hearing voices.

“Let's get him!" one of them whispered. Branch prepared himself for an upcoming attack. “One, two, three... Yeah!"

What Branch wasn't prepared for was being tripped over, dragged into the bushes, and tied up in pink ribbon like a Christmas present! He looked up and noticed five Trolls with different colored hair in front of him. They looked like Pop Trolls, but much more sleek.

“Hey, cry baby," Wani said as her friends giggled. “Your name Poppy?"

Branch was confused. “No. Who are you guys?"

“We are the K-Pop Gang," Baby Bun answered as Kim-Petit whooped.

“And you're going to take us to Queen Poppy," Wani added sternly.

“What?" Branch asked. Suddenly, he heard a different kind of music. The Reggaeton Trolls were sneaking up on them!

“Not so fast, Tracy," Wani said teasingly, grabbing Branch. “We're taking him."

“It's pronounced Tresillo," he corrected. “And if you want him, you're going to have to dance for him. I can't live in a world without reggaeton!"

“And we can't live in a world without K-pop!" Wani declared. She freed Branch from his binds and forced him to dance with her posse as they sang together.

커지는 heart b-b-beat

빨라지는데

너답잖게 heart b-b-b-beat

거려 나를 볼 때

마지막 남은 순간까지

점점 다가오지 crazy

아찔하게 겨눈 Russian roulette

B-b-beat

Glaring at them, Tresillo snatched Branch so he could dance with him, Marimba, and Tambora to their favorite song.

De esquina a esquina

Y ahí nos vamos

El mundo es grande pero lo tengo en mi mano

Los DJ's no mienten

Le gusta a mi gente

Eso se fue mundial (Freeze!)

By the end of the number, Branch was tied up again.

“Wow!" Ari exclaimed, impressed by their opponents.

“Respect," Wani and Baby Bun said together.

“Respect," Tresillo replied as Branch tried to break free. “Why don't we split him?"

“Huh?!"

“Good idea!" Gomdori agreed. Kim-Petit laughed at the thought.

“Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait!" Branch interrupted, not wanting to get sliced in half. He decided to make a proposition. “Why does Barb get to decide which music gets to be saved? All music should be saved."

The K-Pop Gang and Reggaeton Trolls glanced at each other and reached an agreement.

“Alright, okay," Tresillo said. “I'm listening, Pop Troll."

🖤☠️🖤🌺🖤☠️🖤🌺🖤☠️🖤🌺

Poppy sat by a creek, looking at the Pop string in her hands. All she heard was what she wanted to hear, not even listening to her real friends. Branch was right, differences do matter.

Suddenly, she heard footsteps approaching and tucked the string into her hair, ready to face whatever was coming.

“Mommy! Daddy!" a voice called out. Poppy looked up the hill and saw two familiar Trolls approaching. “Mommy!"

“Poppy! There you are!" Hickory sighed in relief.

“Hickory!" Poppy exclaimed, hugging the Country Troll. “It's so good to see you."

“Mommy!" Flower cheered as Poppy held her.

“Are you okay, Flower?" she asked. “You must've been scared to be away from Mommy and Daddy."

“Daddy?" Flower wondered, looking around. Her daddy was gone!

“Where's Branch?" Hickory asked, just as curious.

“We had a fight, he's gone," Poppy answered, causing Flower to gasp. “He's heading back to Pop Village."

“Ah, that's a shame," Hickory said as Flower's eyes watered. Her nightmare came true.

“I'm sorry, Flower," Poppy apologized to her daughter, putting her down. “It was all my fault. I was so desperate to be a good queen, that I stopped listening to anyone but myself. Including my best friend. It's all because of this stupid string!"

Flower looked away sadly as Poppy held out the pink Pop string. Hickory's hazel eyes widened at the sight of the string and looked away nervously. He knew what he had to do.

“Poppy, take Flower and the string and run as fast as you can, you hear me?" he said, his body beginning to shake.

“What?" she asked, confused. “What are you talking about?"

“Trust me, just go," Hickory pleaded as his back legs moved around like crazy. “Now, please! Just go!"

“Hickory, are you alright?" Poppy asked, feeling concerned.

“I'm fine!" he insisted, his body somehow being stretched out like he was made of rubber. “Hey-Hey, now! Stop that!"

Poppy and Flower looked closer to see something squirming in his pants.

Then, a hand popped out! Then, another hand! Hickory's entire body was torn in half! The queen and princess screamed at the sight.

Hickory's other half turned to face him. He was much shorter, with a red beard and ponytail, and thick eyebrows.

“Nein!" he shouted in a foreign accent. “What are you doing, Hickory?!"

“Quiet, Dickory!" Hickory yelled, speaking in a similar accent that confused the Pop Trolls.

“What's going on?" Poppy asked, scared. Flower nervously hid behind her. “Hickory?"

“I am so sorry," Hickory said apologetically, trying to push Dickory away.

“Ja! Show them who you really are, Hickory!" Dickory said, ripping off Hickory's clothes to reveal lederhosen underneath. Poppy's eyes widened as Dickory started... yodeling. Lowering his head in defeat, Hickory took off his sideburns and ten gallon hat, revealing a tiny, black alpine hat, and yodeled at the top his lungs with Dickory.

Poppy couldn't believe it! “Wait, you're the Yodelers?!"

“Yeah!" Dickory confirmed. “Ya darn skippy, playa-play!"

“And you were going to give our string to Barb?"

“Ding, ding!" Dickory replied, feeling smug. “Give this person a strudel for the correct answer!"

Poppy then turned to the shorter of the pair. “And you've been in back the whole time?"

Dickory's face flush in embarrassment as he took off his part of the disguise. “Next subject, please!"

“I thought we was fwiends," Flower said sadly.

“Why would you do this?" Poppy asked Hickory, his handsome face full of regret.

“So sorry," he apologized quietly. “Uh, it was the only way to save our beautiful yodeling."

“Hickory..." Dickory growled.

“But trust me, you need to get out of here right away," Hickory warned. If Barb heard their yodels, she could show up any moment!

“What are you doing, Hickory?!" Dickory said angrily, trying to snatch the string from Poppy.

“Nein, Dickory!" Hickory pleaded, fighting for it with Poppy. Flower tried to help, but was accidentally knocked out of the way and fell into the bushes.

“Shut your mouth hole, please!" Dickory spat as the three Trolls engaged in three-way tug-of-war. “We must save yodeling!"

“Let go!" Poppy yelled, pulling on the string. Flower got back on her feet and was about to head for them, but saw three strange Trolls show up on a motorbug and hid even further in the brush.

“Got you!" Carol laughed as she grabbed one of Poppy's arms. Another Rock Troll grabbed the other and Dickory successfully snatched the string.

“I thought I heard a yodel," Queen Barb said, smirking as she took the string from Dickory. It played a catchy beat. “The final notes of Pop. It will never invade anyone's brain again."

“I'm not gonna let you do this!" Poppy shouted defiantly. Barb turned around to find the Queen of Pop glaring at her and eyed her from head to toe.

She had never seen anything more pathetic. “This is who I've been worried about? This little pipsqueak?"

“I'll never stop fighting until I make things right!" Poppy declared. “And I'm not a pipsqueak!"

“Uh, yeah, you are," Barb taunted. “'Cuz I'm, like, a whole centimeter taller than you."

“Leave me alone!" Poppy shouted angrily.

“Leave you alone?" Barb repeated, tossing the burnt card. “Uh, I'm sorry. You were the one who was all desperate to be best friends."

“Get your hands off me!" Poppy growled at her captors.

“Oh, okay!" Barb said, backing up with her hands in the air. “All right, you're feisty. I respect that. Strong woman to strong woman, am I right? But you know who else was feisty?"

Poppy's rage died down as it was replaced with confusion.

Barb smirked at her fellow queen and said, “Pop Village."

Poppy gasped as her eyes widened. “Oh, no. No!"

🖤☠️🖤🌺🖤☠️🖤🌺🖤☠️🖤🌺

Flower could only watch as her mother was taken away by Barb and her Rock Army, the Yodelers leaving with them.

“Mommy, no!" she cried out, attempting to run after them. Poppy looked back and noticed her little girl all alone. “Come back, Mommy!"

I'm sorry, Flower, she thought. I should've just taken you home when I had the chance.

Luckily, Flower was unnoticed by Barb and the Hard Rockers. Poppy figured she'd be safer down there than wherever Barb was taking everyone else. Falling on her knees, Flower sobbed her heart out. For the first time in her 19-month-old life, she was completely alone.

Or was she?

Once her tears were spent, Flower heard the sounds of snoring. She searched the forest to see where it was coming from until she came across a familiar, pink flower balloon. It was Sheila B!

“Balloonie!" Flower exclaimed in delight.

“Huh... What?" she muttered, waking up from her nap. “Oh, hi, little Flower! Sorry, I was just taking a little snooze."

While Sheila B went on about what happened after she was blown away in Symphonyville, Flower looked around to notice the instruction manual lying in the dirt. Flower couldn't read, but hoped the pictures would give her a clue on what to do. She opened it up and skimmed through the pages until she found something. There was a big red button that was supposed to let out a distress signal. Flower found the button and smacked her tiny fist against it. Sheila B's eyes flashed red and loud sirens blared. Hating the sound, Flower turned it off and hid in one of the baskets of candy.

“Did you hear something?" she heard a voice say. Terrified about who it could be, Flower grabbed a lollipop and broke off a piece of it. Once she felt someone climb into the balloon, she jumped out of the basket, went into full battle mode, and charged at the strangers, holding the broken lollipop like a sword.

“Hold on, you little cutie!" Wani said, grabbing Flower before she could hurt Ari. “What do you think you're doing?"

“Wemme go!" Flower growled.

“Pop Troll, you know this one?" Tresillo asked. Branch climbed in to see what he was talking about.

“Flower!" Branch said, hugging her. “I was so worried about you."

“Daddy!" she cried, dropping her lollipop. “Daddy, Bob took Mommy!"

“Barb took Mommy?" Branch asked worriedly. “How could she find her?"

Flower looked down sadly. “Hicky helped her."

“‘Hickey?'" Gomdori said quietly.

“Hickory," Branch corrected, feeling enraged. “I knew he was trouble! Where's Barb taking Mommy?"

“I don't know."

“The same place she's taking all the other Trolls," Tresillo answered.

“Volcano Rock City," Wani added. “Where all the Hard Rock Trolls live."

“But why?" Flower asked.

“Once I get us in the air," Branch said to his daughter and new friends, “we're gonna find out."

I don't know why, but I call Flower a princess but not Ash. Although, I'm not entirely sure if Ash counts as a princess because she was adopted.

I can't tell you what happens in the next chapter, but I'll give you a hint: 🖤✨🌈

Until next time. ✌️