Volcano Rock's Worst Kept Secret

Chapter 1

Warning: This chapter has a scene with something very similar to a panic attack. It's not descibed in a lot of detail, but it is there.

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The concert was still going strong. Even after four hours, it was showing no signs of winding down. 

The booming of the music and the cheers from the crowd pumped through Barb's veins, making her feel alive. 

It was a big, loud, rainbow-painted chaotic mess, and it was better than anything Barb had ever imagined.  She could see a multi-tribe mosh pit forming by the stage. Further away a group of funk and pop trolls was dragging in a disco ball. Who even knew where they even got the thing from.   

To think a few hours ago, she almost destroyed the potential for something like this to happen. She'd thought it would be a good thing. She thought she was doing the world a favor. If her plan had gone through, if Poppy hadn't destroyed the strings -  

Her stomach twisted. 

"Barb!" a perky voice called from behind her, cutting off her line of thought. Speak of the devil. Or in this case the Sugar Cube. 

Looking over her shoulder she saw Poppy and Branch coming toward her. "Hey Popsqueak," she greeted when they got closer. "Blueboy."

He scowled at her. "For the last time, our names are Poppy and Branch."

"Right, got it Blueberry." Barb grinned when he let out a frustrated groan. 

"Why can't you call me my name?"

"This is more fun."

Another groan. 

"Anyway, Barb, " Poppy stepped in. "We wanted to know if you'd like us to introduce you to our friends, they'd love to meet you." 

Barb doubted that, but Poppy looked so eager disagreeing would have felt like kicking a puppy. She could survive an awkward introduction. "Sure, why not?"

Smiling Poppy grabbed Barb's hand and started pulling her along. Branch walked at Poppy's other side. 

As Poppy guided her through the crowd, Barb could feel eyes following them. She didn't need to look to know it was mostly rock trolls. There were probably members of the other tribes staring too, but it wasn't the same in their case. They were just curious. Her fellow rockers were watching for a mutch different reason. She kind of wanted to catch one at it and flip them of. But then her two companions would ask about it, so maybe it was better just not to bother. 

"You're going to like them, Barb." Poppy said brightly. "They're very nice, you'll all be friends in no time!"

"I doubt anybody is all that eager to be friends with me, Poppy." Barb didn't mean that in any kind of depressive sense, it was just a fact. She was not the world's most popular troll right now for very obvious reasons. 

"Of course they are," the pink troll stopped walking to look at her. "They really would like to meet you."

"Poppy, look," Barb sighed. "I appreciate what you're doing but - "

"Actually, they probably would like to," Branch spoke up. "In our village, any friend of Poppy is automatically friends with everybody else. Especially the Snack Pack."

Did... She hear that right? "The Snack Pack?"

"Poppy's closest friends."

"My best friends!" Poppy started pulling her along again. "And they're about to be your friends too. You'll see Barb, they're going to love you."