Chapter Text
Poppy never liked sad thoughts; he always tries to keep a big smile on his face to show positivity to his friends. After all, life is too good to get lost in bad feelings. You should always try to hide these feelings and replace bad things with good ones. This was the first lesson he learned from his father: never let sadness dominate your life. That’s what he’s always doing, trying everything to distract himself from the bad thoughts he sometimes has. It might seem like nonsense, but it’s still something. At least he doesn’t wallow in sadness like the other trolls.
The pink troll lets out a deep sigh of exhaustion as he prepares, looking at the mirror in his room. He tries to put a smile on his face, tilting his head slightly. Poppy's heart aches a little when he realizes how discouraged he feels, without understanding why. After all, today should be a day full of happiness, as two of his dear friends are getting married. Yet here he is, feeling tired and failing to be cheerful, which he believes he shouldn’t be feeling.
Looking in the mirror again, Poppy starts to fix his hair, which has the ends dyed red, green, and blue. He’s wearing a red and gold suit, without any footwear. He’s also wearing leather gloves he got from his friend Queen Barb, which don’t cover his fingers, and two black earrings. His face is adorned with glitter and a bit of makeup. Poppy blows himself a kiss, slightly pleased with his appearance. He looks simply wonderfully handsome.
Finally feeling ready to go out and see his friends, he still needs to help Bridget get ready, along with Satin and Chenille. The two sisters are the most stylish trolls he knows, always impeccably dressed and creating clothes as beautiful as they are. The feeling of tiredness lifts a little from his chest when he remembers that he will be meeting his dear friends, able to talk and create incredible memories today. Why was he feeling so down? Sometimes Poppy can be quite silly.
He picks up a basket full of chocolate chip cookies and walks to the door, pausing to take a deep breath and summon his courage for the day. "Today is going to be the best day ever." Poppy murmurs, forcing a bright smile as he clutches the basket tightly.
Then, he steps out of the house.
★★★★★
The sun is brighter and hotter than usual, warming the pink troll’s skin in a pleasant way, even if it stings a little. His subjects are all playing with water or assisting with the wedding decorations, and a sense of pride swells in his chest, happy that the entire Pop Village is so united and respectful. Not just them, but also trolls from other tribes who are helping. It's beautiful to see everyone content with the little things, with no one feeling sad.
He practically skips around as he hands out cookies, speaking kindly to everyone. He occasionally stops to help the trolls or play with the kids. Wanting to assist everyone, even though he doesn’t have much time before he needs to help Bridget. In fact, he always finds time to help; kindness never hurts, right?
"Your aura doesn’t look very good to me." He hears a female voice and turns to see a beautiful troll.
Creek is wearing a green crop top with a flower print and a long skirt of the same color, adorned with sun designs. Her purple and green hair is styled up gracefully. She wears colorful necklaces, earrings, and rings. Light makeup enhances her features, and she sports flat wooden shoes. Various insects and animals surround her, contributing to a calm and relaxing aura that makes his heart beat faster.
Poppy's face turns red as he watches his longtime crush. He and Creek have known each other for years, their friendship lasting throughout that time. She has always been such a charming troll, and it wasn’t difficult for him to fall in love with her. Unfortunately, Creek never seemed to reciprocate his feelings, often ignoring his attempts and pretending not to notice. Perhaps she feels sorry for hurting his feelings.
"Hello, Creek!" Poppy greets her with a smile, offering her a cookie. "I'm fine, really. There's no need to worry."
"Ah, honey, I always worry about you." She replies, taking the cookie and lightly tapping it on his face, ignoring his flushed cheeks. "Can I get two more? I’d like to give them to some friends."
She is so kind...
The only thing on his mind as he hands Creek two more cookies is. "So, are you excited for Bridget’s wedding?" He asks with an enthusiastic expression, not noticing her tired sigh.
"I think so. The decorations are very beautiful."
"I decorated them with Cooper and Darnell!" Poppy says, his face lighting up as he talks about his friends. "We were very excited. We spent hours decorating, although some Bergens didn’t like it very much. They thought it was too shiny." He mumbles the last part with a sad expression, gripping the basket tightly. "But don’t worry, in the end everything worked out. No one got upset or anything."
She turns her face, showing a smile that reveals her teeth. Poppy's heart races at an unusual speed, making him let out a passionate sigh. He adores the bright, pleasant smile Creek has on her face. "Oh, you and I could go together, you know?" The troll with two-tone hair suggests, her delicate, scar-free hands gently caressing his pink hair. His face turns red, the mental image of them attending the wedding together feels incredibly romantic.
"Well..."
“We can go as good friends.” she adds.
"Yeah, yeah." He mutters.
Her eyes sparkle with amusement, clearly pleased that he agreed. "Well, I’m glad you agreed, darling," Creek says, starting to walk away. "We’ll see each other in a bit; I have to meet my friends." She then gently kisses the taller troll’s cheek, laughing lightly as she walks away. "See you later~."
He watches her go, feeling a pang of sadness return to his chest, but he soon forces a smile. As he looks around for someone to invite to the wedding, he spots a not-so-funny doctor. Always being dramatic and giving patients heart attacks, something Poppy finds a bit amusing.
He practically skips over to Dr. Moonbloom, offering her the cookie. "A cookie for a beautiful lady." The woman raises her eyebrows, her serious expression seeming to judge the cookie.
"Hmm, thank you." She says, putting it in her coat pocket and starting to leave, but Poppy stops her.
"Wait a moment!" He grips the older woman's shoulder, his hands trembling with anxiety and his eyes shining with anticipation. "I’d like to know if you’ll be attending the wedding."
"I'm sorry, I won’t be able to make it. I have too many patients to take care of." She replies curtly and quickly walks away, not giving Poppy a chance to say anything.
He stands there looking perplexed and a bit disheartened, not pleased with her response. At least she was kind and not rude. He clutches the basket again, trying to ignore the bad feelings in his chest. Poppy urgently needs to do something to shake off these negative emotions, as he can no longer bear them.
Fortunately, he spots Dennis, who is happily chatting with a group of trolls, likely some of his theater friends. Dennis is wearing a very cute bunny costume, waving his arms excitedly. He doesn’t notice Poppy practically jumping up next to him with a cookie in hand.
"HELLO!"
"Hey, Poppy." Dennis says with a surprised but friendly smile. "I haven't seen you in a while. Is everything okay?"
"Everything's great." The taller troll replies with a laugh, shoving a cookie into his mouth. "I was helping decorate for Bridget and Gristle's wedding, and I was also making cookies."
Dennis gasps in surprise, coughing a few times as he takes half of the cookie. Forcing a smile, he looks at Poppy's bright face. "Wow, thank you. It's delicious."
"Are you going to the wedding?" Poppy asks.
"I will, no need to worry." Dennis replies, running a hand down his throat and genuinely laughing. "I just need to change; I can’t wear this."
"Why not?"
"Because it would be very inelegant."
"Seriously?"
"Yeah." The troll says with a laugh, looking Poppy up and down. "You look very stylish."
"Really? Thanks!" Little tears of happiness well up in Poppy’s eyes, but he quickly wipes them away.
The blonde would say something else but is interrupted by his friends, who start discussing something related to theater again. Poppy steps back slightly, realizing he is intruding on their moment. He says a quick goodbye and begins to walk away. As he does, he notices Keith and CJ Suki having a playful water balloon fight. One of the balloons almost hits him, but he ducks just in time.
The children’s joyful laughter fills the air as they run into the forest. Poppy briefly considers checking on them to ensure they’re safe but is quickly distracted by the sight of a kind veterinarian. Feeling an immediate urge to talk to Milton, he heads in that direction.
Milton is kneeling, carefully bandaging an animal's paw that Poppy can't quite describe. He wears a gentle and concerned expression, handling the animal's wound with great care. "Look if it isn't the best troll there is~," Poppy says in a teasing tone, causing the older man's face to turn red.
"Oh, hello, King Poppy." Milton greets, standing up and taking Poppy’s free hand. "Excited for Bridget's wedding?" Poppy shakes Milton’s hand enthusiastically, almost jumping with excitement.
"I'm really excited! I don't think I've ever been so thrilled and happy!" Poppy exclaims. "Today is the best day ever—nothing is going to ruin this perfect day!" Milton laughs in response, tilting his head and looking kindly at Poppy. "But I have a question for you too."
"What’s the question?"
"Are you and Smidge going to the wedding together?"
Milton’s face turns red, making Poppy’s expression turn mischievous. "Well, yes, we're going as a couple."
Poppy has been watching the development of their romance from the beginning, finding it adorable how Smidge fell in love with Milton at first sight. The way Milton never judged her friend and fell madly in love with her was simply beautiful.
He hopes for something similar for himself.
"I'm happy for both of you." He says, handing a cookie to Milton.
"Can you give me another one? I want to give one to a friend."
"Sure." Poppy hands over a cookie that is different from the others, not very well decorated. "Do I know this friend?"
"No, you don’t know her." Milton replies, tucking the cookie away and picking up the animal. "I’m going now; I have to get ready for the wedding. See you later." Milton walks away with a gentle smile.
"Goodbye!" Poppy calls after him.
★★★★★
Poppy stands next to Creek and his dear friends, engaging in light conversation while trying not to draw too much attention. The Bergens don’t seem very pleased to see them, but at least they aren’t trying to attack, likely due to Gristle’s request. Unfortunately, the hungry and predatory glances they cast at the trolls remain unsettling.
King Poppy observes his friends: they are well-groomed and adorned with glitter, a classic look for pop trolls. Cooper and Darnell chat animatedly, pointing at people and holding back laughter. Satin and Chenille are slightly bragging about the clothes they designed, while Biggie looks on in awe. Guy Diamond is having a small spat with his upset son. Milton and Smidge are shyly flirting with each other, which Poppy finds adorable.
And of course, the most beautiful and kindest troll is next to him. Creek is brushing her gorgeous hair, her eyes closed as she concentrates. Poppy wonders if he might be irritating Creek in some way. He hopes with all his heart that he isn’t; he just wants to be a good friend or maybe something more in the future.
"That's so beautiful..." Poppy murmurs to Creek, who simply agrees. "Everything is so beautiful; I hope Bridget arrives soon."
"Everyone is hoping she arrives soon." Creek replies, falling silent again as they both wait for her best friend to appear.
Everyone is eagerly awaiting the bride, their excitement palpable. Some are sitting on chairs, while others stand, all looking forward to seeing the couple finally make their relationship official. Although the Bergens display expressions of boredom and seem to dislike being there, Poppy realizes he has never seen any of Bridget's family. He only knows a few of Gristle’s relatives, along with several trolls.
Well, that doesn’t matter right now. None of that matters. The only thing that matters is Bridget’s happiness. Speaking of which...
Her entrance at the wedding is magnificent. The outfit that Poppy and his friends designed fits Bridget perfectly. Gristle lets out a passionate sigh, tilting his head as he watches the love of his life walk toward him. Their eyes shine with love and happiness—something the Bergens hadn’t felt before, but thanks to the king of Troll Pop, they and many other Bergens now understand what true happiness feels like.
As the couple stand before each other, everyone rises to witness the beautiful wedding scene, ignoring Gristle’s aunt’s somewhat unnecessary comments. They are completely focused on the joy of the young couple, marveling at their deep love for each other. Poppy’s heart pounds as tears begin to fill his eyes; he bites his lip in a mix of anxiety and excitement.
Then the strangest thing happens.
"STOP THIS WEDDING!" A voice rings out, causing everyone to look around, trying to identify who is ruining such a special moment.
Poppy hears Bridget say something, but he ignores it, determined to find the person disrupting the ceremony. With an extremely upset expression, he is resolute that nothing will ruin his best friend's day, especially after declaring it would be perfect. He signals his friends to help find the source of the disturbance, remaining focused on scanning the area.
Suddenly, a troll appears, making a dramatic entrance with a cool jump and striking a hero pose. Poppy gets a better look at him: the troll is obviously older and wears glasses typical for adventurers, similar to those used for skiing. He sports a stylish, warm-looking jacket and, peculiarly, only one glove. Although the mismatched glove confuses Poppy, but he decides not to judge others' fashion choices. The troll’s skin is a striking shade of blue.
The older man begins shouting desperately, running and climbing on chairs to increase his volume. "BABY BRANCH?!" he yells, shoving some trolls aside in his frantic search. "HAS ANYONE SEEN BABY BRANCH?!"
"What are you doing?!" Poppy exclaims, pacing with a confused and slightly irritated expression.
The man ignores Poppy and approaches the area where Poppy and the snack pack are. He continues to shout about this "Baby Branch" even pushing Creek hard in the process, either not noticing or not caring.
"You won't find her if you scream like crazy." Poppy helps Creek up from the ground as she mumbles a small thank you, embarrassed by the push.
"I think you're right." The man says, visibly upset, finally ceasing his frantic behavior and standing still. "I'm sorry for interrupting the wedding, but this is very important."
"I understand." Poppy says, breathing deeply to calm himself from the unusual situation, then forcing a smile. "But please calm down, we will help you look for your... younger sister?" Quickly, his friends agree to help.
"I'm not going to help this idiot; he pushed me!" Well, except for Creek, but it's totally understandable that she doesn't want to help.
"I don't think you'd be very useful." The guy says with a shrug, not seeming to care much. "My name is John Dory." He ignores Creek's complaints and reaches out to Poppy, a provocative smile on his face. "It's a pleasure to meet you."
Poppy shudders slightly at Creek's angry face but tries to hide it, thinking it wouldn't be helpful to show discomfort now. He takes John Dory's hand, frowning slightly as the name sounds strangely familiar. "I'm Poppy, and these are my friends." His friends greet and introduce themselves politely, except for Creek, who just sits in a chair angrily. "Now, can you speak more calmly? Without shouting and pushing people?"
"Look, I need to find my little sister. It's really important." John Dory says, the teasing tone gone, replaced by a serious and concerned one. "Her name is Branch."
"I understand that, but what does she look like?" Poppy asks, raising his eyebrows in anticipation.
John Dory gives him a confused look. "Her appearance, you know?" Poppy clarifies.
"Ah, well..." Poppy remains silent, waiting for him to speak. "It's just..."
"Dude, you don't know what she looks like, do you?" One of Poppy's friends interjects.
"I know!" John Dory shouts, offended, turning his face away in embarrassment, not noticing Poppy shaking his head. "It's just been a while since I've seen her."
"How long?"
"Twenty years."
This troll is a complete idiot.
The only thing Poppy can think of is how ridiculous John Dory's attempts to defend himself are. Gristle, holding Bridget's hand tightly, intervenes. "Hmm, could you guys settle this somewhere else?"
"Honey, be quiet, I want to know what's going to happen." Sometimes Poppy forgets how curious his best friend is.
"She might be gone." Darnell adds, trying to bring some logic to the situation. "Or something else."
"Did you tell her to meet in person?" Smidge asks, holding Milton's hand, who has a strange expression.
“We lost contact.” John Dory admits.
"So how do you know she's here?" Poppy inquires, genuinely puzzled.
"A friend of hers told me, a certain Cloud Guy." John Dory mutters thoughtfully, probably trying to remember if he said the name correctly.
A sigh is heard, coming from Milton, who looks genuinely tired. "Of course he's involved in this." Everyone looks at him confused, but the vet just walks away from Smidge. "I think I know your sister..."
"SERIOUSLY?!" He shouts happily, grabbing the taller troll's shoulders. "WHERE IS SHE?! I NEED TO TALK TO HER URGENTLY!"
Milton gently pats John Dory’s hands, his expression showing discomfort and concern. "I don't think that's a good idea."
"You don't understand, it's very important." John Dory insists, his voice filled with concern as he holds Milton’s shoulder tightly.
Seeing the situation becoming increasingly tense, Poppy decides to step in. "Well, I think it would be good for us to calm down, huh?" He says with a forced smile. "We can go to my pod to talk and sort this out."
The two look at Poppy and sigh, John Dory reluctantly releasing Milton. "Fine, but I want to see my sister soon."
Poppy glances curiously at Milton, wanting to know how the kindest and sweetest veterinarian in the troll village knows this guy's sister.
Well, at least now his mind will be distracted from bad thoughts.