Everyone stared upwards in hushed awe, a humungous disco ball had emerged from the dance floor after the button was pressed.
Riff: So sparkly...
John Dory: ...Someone please tell me what I'm looking at.
Spruce: Oh, I don't know, I thought maybe you had is all figured out since YOU PRESSED THE BUTTON!!!!!
John Dory: That was an accident! And isn't that what Floyd was about to do?! Or...was that just an excuse for hand holding? 😏
Floyd: ...Shut up! 😳
John Dory: Come on, little bro, admit it, you like her!
Floyd side-eyed Destiny, then looked back at John Dory.
Floyd: I...I don't!
John Dory: I saw the way you looked at her, little bro!
Branch: Guys, enough!
Everyone turned to Branch and Clay who had just arrived on the scene.
Clay: What's that?
Everyone looked back up at the huge disco ball.
Destiny: I don't know...us Disco Trolls, we own a ton a of disco balls, but I've never seen one this big, why would DJ Slick own one like this? Ever seen anything like this, Flo?
Floyd: Um...
John Dory: Little bro's speechless, I'll speak for him. No.
Destiny: Um...okay? 🤨
John Dory: I'll leave you two alone. 😏
Floyd and Destiny both looked away blushing, neither one of them spoke.
Tiny: ...I don't know what's going on, but I'm loving it!
Branch: What did I just walk into?
John Dory put his arm around Branch.
John Dory: Just some matchmaking going on, Bitty B.
Branch: What...?
Clay: Guys, we're getting off track, where's Viva?
Poppy: GUYS!!!!
Everyone turned to Poppy who was out of breath, she fell to her knees as soon as she caught up with them.
Branch: Poppy! Are you okay?! Where have you been?!
Branch ran up to Poppy and helped her back to her feet.
Barb: About time, Popsqueak! You're missing all the drama going on!
Riff: What drama? Is there a play going on?
Barb: Shush, you don't get to talk.
Poppy: Viva...DJ...trapped...!
Clay: Wait, what?! What about Viva?! Is she okay?!
The look on Poppy's face said it all and Clay's heart sank.
Clay: It can't be...
Poppy: I'm sorry, Clay...Viva was recaptured...and she told me to get away...but she told me to give you this.
Poppy handed Clay the necklace Viva gave her earlier, he immediately recognized it when he saw it.
Clay: Viva's charm...
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Poppy: Huh...?
Clay: Viva's had this since I first met her...it's supposed to bring good luck.
Poppy: You mean like a lucky coin? Or a 4 leaf clover? Or a shooting star?! Or a leprechaun?!
Clay: A lepre-what...? You know what, nevermind, she must've given this to you for a valid reason.
Poppy: What do you mean?
Clay: She's never really entrusted it to anyone else but me, and she once told me that if she's ever seen without it, then something happened.
Poppy: Wait...are you saying...?
Clay: Yeah...I think Viva's in serious danger.
Poppy dropped to her knees as soon as she heard that.
Branch: Poppy...?
Poppy: ...It should've been me...
Branch: What are you talking about?
Poppy: I should've been captured, not her...
Branch: Hey, hey, what made you think that?
Poppy: ...She got zapped with some kind of scepter and-
Clay: Hold on, did you say scepter?!
Poppy: Yeah...? Why?
Clay put his hand under his chin, he remembered seeing something like that while they were searching for Viva earlier.
(Flashback)
Destiny led the group through the wild party, luckily, no one suspected anything.
Spruce: So Floyd...welcome to the club.
Floyd: W-What do you mean?
Spruce: Looks like you got yourself a soulmate.
Floyd: Wait, what?!
Floyd started blushing and tugged his bangs.
Spruce: Come on, bro, there's no use denying it, I know that look anywhere!
Floyd: D-Denying what?!
John Dory: Way to leave me hanging, Floyd!
Floyd: What?! But you have Seluna from when we went to the beach for our sleepover!
John Dory: That's different! She and I are just friends.
Spruce: Sure, sure...
While they were arguing, Clay looked around scanning the area, then he caught sight of what looked like a scepter behind two way glass.
Clay: Hey guys, you might wanna check this out.
Poppy: Guys, please!
(Flashback ends)
Clay: ...Poppy, by chance, did this scepter have a star on top of it?
Poppy: Yeah, it did, why?
Clay: I saw something like that earlier.
Poppy: Huh?!
Clay: Tell me, what does this...DJ guy plan to do with it?
Poppy sighed and took a deep breath. She hoped that what she was about to say wasn't true, but sadly...it was.
Poppy: ...He plans to turn the forest into his own dance floor.
