𝓓𝓲𝓿𝓲𝓭𝓮𝓭 | 𝓣𝓻𝓸𝓵𝓵𝓼 |𝓑𝓻𝓪𝓷𝓬𝓱 𝔁 𝓯𝓮𝓶 𝓣𝓻𝓸𝓵𝓵 𝓡𝓮𝓪𝓭𝓮𝓻 {𝓣𝓱𝓲𝓻𝓭 𝓑𝓸𝓸𝓴}

𝓢𝓮𝓿𝓮𝓷. 𝓟𝓵𝓪𝓷 𝓒: 𝓤𝓷𝓮𝔁𝓹𝓮𝓬𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓔𝓼𝓬𝓪𝓹𝓲𝓷𝓰.

𝓙𝓾𝓷𝓲𝓹𝓮𝓻'𝓼 𝓟𝓞𝓥:
Assigning the digging work to those best suited for it, Poppy is leaning against the cell door, watching the guys break a sweat. I let myself be entertained as well, bouncing up from the dangling bench to approach Poppy's side, joining her against the door. My eyes can't stop themselves from moving to Poppy's frame, her body slumped forward with a disapproving frown dawning upon her lips, eyes fixed on her bended knees.
I am thinking about speaking up, wanting to lighten the dull mood, but an unusual sound cuts me to it. The clinging of something hooking onto the metal of the beams behind us, our heads turning to investigate, but we never get the chance before the door disappears behind us.
As our frames were leaning against it, the force from the pull drags us along. We land backs first onto the harsh dirt, now lying with our faces staring up on the blue sky, before our heads tilt to face each other with wide eyes. Footsteps became clearer the closer they got, a pair of hooves stops right at the top of our heads. Readjusting our heads with rising chins, our gazes falls upon a Troll, half a horse from his hips and down. He is upside down from our view. "It ain't right to put you in jail, because your music's different." The Troll speaks up, his face not visible for our eyes to catch as his wide cowboy hat is covering his features. My eyes manage to catch a glimpse of his mouth, a straw sticking out from between his lips and visible from outside his hat. "It seems some folks' round here don't appreciate a rad medley when they hear one." Both Poppy and I rolls onto our stomaches, getting a better glimpse of our rescuer. He raises his chin, allowing us to get a full view of his facial features. With two fingers, he takes a hold of the straw and removes it from his mouth, with a blink of his eye in our direction.
"Let's Skedaddle!" Poppy's smile grows as she pushes herself back up, me mirroring her actions, jumping back to my feet beside her. "Yes! Mission back on!" Poppy pumps a celebrating fist, the Cowboy tightens the rope on the door pulled from its hinges, tying the opposite end of it around himself. "Branch, Branch! Biggie! You can stop rescuing us!" I yell in their direction, but I'm not able to spot them. Their figures has disappeared down the much deeper hole they've dug, with their own sweat and tears. Poppy holds a firm grip of my wrist, leading me towards the Cowboy. "Poppy, you two don't even know who this is." Branch tries to reason as his head is now visible from above the ground. Both him and Biggie returns from the hole, pulling themselves up, before leaving the now broken cell with a careful eye, scanning our unfamiliar surroundings.
"My name is Queen Poppy." She plops down on the Cowboy's back, pointing on herself as she introduces. "And this is my sister, Princess-" "Princess Juniper?" Poppy extends her arm to introduce me, but he interrupts her before she could finish her sentence. "Yes?" I answer with a chuckle, my actions becoming uncertain midway, as I am lowering down to sit against the horizontal door. With a shake of his head, seemingly snapping out of a light trance, he doesn't add anything to the fact he already knew about me. "Name's Hickory." He retreats the straw to stick out between his lips, Poppy ignoring the episode, turning her head back in Branch's direction. "Branch, this is Hickory, Hickory this is Branch and Biggie!"
"Enough with the formalities, Let's go!" Biggie snaps, plopping himself down beside me on the door. "This is Mr. Dinkles, by the way." He tips Mr. Dinkles' hat in greeting. With a sudden crash, a door bursts open from one of the buildings on the opposite side of the street. And out from it comes Delta, flanked by her townfolks on either side of her. Her expression seemingly stern and her elbows wide, hands placed on her hips. "I said: let's Skedaddle! Hyah!" Hickory shouts back at us as his eyes caught onto Delta, realising he's been caught mid crime. Almost one leg across the other, he bolts towards his front, outside of the Village. I whip my head back, remembering Branch hasn't sat himself upon the door yet, he is being left behind. "Branch, snap out of it! Come here!"
"Go get them, Clampers!" Delta moves a hand from her hip, up to her mane where her niece is hiding, pulling her out from it and sets her free onto the ground. Her large rabbit teeth is visible from behind her lips, repeatedly opening and closing her jaw as she runs in Branch's direction, threatening him with her sharp whites. Branch turns his head twice, making sure his vision wasn't failing him as the little Troll is bolting herself at him. With a frightened bounce mid air, he sets into sprint, quickly catching up on the remaining space between him and us. "Ahh! This was my Plan C, by the way." I lean out towards him, with my hand further out for him to grab, pulling him upon the door beside Biggie and I. I keep my head facing behind us, Delta and her minions picking up a pace of their own, slowly getting closer and closer per metre we pass. "Oh no Hickory!" Panic flows through Poppy's voice, grasping my attention back forward, noticing where we're headed. "I got this, Queen Poppy!" Hickory responds, now approaching the threat that is waiting ahead for us, zigzagging his way in between the field of cactuses, avoiding every single needle with graze. "Don't let them get away!" Delta sounds desperate, from behind. Clampers is getting dangerously close, chewing through all of the obstacles in her way. Hickory is the one looking back this time, noticing the danger biting our way. With a change in our direction, he is now heading towards a Mine in the ground, flying across the hole with us on the door. Branch, Biggie and I, locks our arms, keeping each other from falling off mid jump. Clampers, on the other hand, didn't seem to have noticed the Mine. Instead of dodging it, she falls through. "Oh, yeah!" Hickory is celebrating too soon.
"Come on Growly Pete, do your thing." Not far from Delta's order, a lasso only created of hair, loops around Branch's ankle of all. Growly Pete is putting his moustache at use. Branch pulses his leg and pulls in the strands of hair wrapped around it. Pete plants his heels in the ground, leaning backwards, which causes Branch to be ripped from the door, only just getting a hold of it before it was too late. "That Tickles!" Branch laughs, persuaded by the tickling feeling of hair against the sensitive skin. His fingers are losing their hold on the door, finding difficulty in doing so that much longer. "Branch, hold on to Mr. Dinkles!" Biggie pushes Mr. Dinkles in my fawn, his own hands now holding into me. I offer Dinkles for Branch to reach for. The tight grip on his ankle keeps on pulling at him, which causes Mr. Dinkles to stretch his body further. And to believe it couldn't get any worse, it then did. A part of the surface is moving, something is moving underneath the layer. It cracks open and appearing from the crack, Clampers. She jumps up and attaches her mouth to Branch's shorts, biting deep enough to reach his skin. His piercing shriek of agony caused me to suck in a wince.
"Hickory, look out!" Poppy shifts onto Hickory's hat, grasping into it with one hand and the other pointing in front of him, mentioning to the new challenge awaiting us. The end of our ground, a Cliff ahead. "We're not gonna make it!" She tightens her grip, the weight of her body on top of his hat, makes it cover his eye sight, completely blinding him. "Oh yes we are!" Branch grasps into Clampers' dress, shifting her from chewing on his leg, to chew the moustache, cutting the strands still attached to his ankle. The pressure of the moustache pulling in his leg vanishes in the same moment, sending him hurtling backwards. He crashes into me, who crashes into Biggie, which causes the door we're upon, to slam into Hickory's back. The force pushes us the rest of the way to the edge of the cliff. All five of us hovers mid air for a short while, the thick rope around Hickory's waist loosen its grasp, sending the door crashing down. Our heads tilt to gaze in the same direction, watching as the door splashes into the water running underneath us. "Well. I hope Pop Trolls can swim." Hickory nods his head in acceptance of the moment that's about to strike, his straw returning to sit in between his closed lips, before gravity hits. In free fall, we race toward the river beneath, the wind roaring around our ears. But all sound disappears, expect for the violent splash that follows as we reach the water.
———
I gasp for air as my head manage to break through the churning surface, lungs burning and limbs trembling from the struggle. My eyes search frantically along the coast, until they found Poppy and Branch sprawled on the sand, farther up the shore. Drenched and heaving, their chests rising and falling in ragged sync as they cling to consciousness, but barely, after narrowly escaping the river's relentless current. My head turns to Biggie, who has dragged himself and Mr. Dinkles further away from the splashing water, his voice panicked as he keeps repeating Dinkles' name. He is crouched over Dinkles' motionless frame, lying on the sand. His fur soaked through, he must have swallowed litres of water, considering the fact he is double his normal size. Then, all of a sudden, his eyes snap open, and with a sputtering gasp, he releases a torrent of river water from his lungs like a fountain, slowly sinking back to his normal form. "Oh, Mr. Dinkles, you're alive! For a minute there I thought you've kicked the bucket." Biggie's relief lets out a breath he didn't even realise he have been holding. The worry softening, slowly leaving his face.
Branch's ears catches on to the sound of a splash above his resting head, created by my body emerging from the water - panic flashes in his eyes as they land upon me, swiftly melting into overwhelming relief. The moment his eyes meets my tired ones, he jolts upright from where he'd been slumped against the sand, suddenly filled with renewed energy. In seconds, he's at my side, dropping to his knees and pulls me the rest of the way out of the river's grasp. "Juniper! Answer me, are you well. Have you been hurt?" His hands are trembling as he drags me onto dry ground with questions flowing, patiently giving me the precious chance to catch my breath. With a final, deeper breath, I turn once out of his grasp, collapsing my back against the sandy ground. Branch is quick to follow, throwing himself onto the sand beside me, both arms flying out to either side with a relaxing sigh.
"I'm truly glad you decided to go along with Poppy's mission, supporting my decision to do so." My panting is slowly dying out, returning to a normal rhythm as my head turns to my side, catching Branch's gaze already being on me. "It's you and I against the upcoming challenges, right?" His lips widens into a smile, his already outstretched arm, moves for his hand to get placed in mine, palms touching.
Hickory succeeds to reunite with Poppy, Branch, Biggie and I as he have found his way back - washed ashore further down the river. Interrupting the quiet intimacy shared between Branch and I, Hickory gallop towards us, skidding to a halt just above our heads, sand spraying from his hooves as they carve along the shoreline. We shoot up in an upright position, brushing the unwanted sand off of our clothes and faces. "Whoo! I think we lost them, we should be all right." Hickory beams, adjusting his Cowboy hat upon his hair. "Thank you. I don't know how we can ever repay you!" Poppy approaches my side. "Oh wait, I do!" Hickory's gaze shifts to me as mine is downcast, rummaging my hand through my dress pocket. "Gumdrops!" With united palms, they return from my clothes, shoving the few pieces of candy under his nose. "Gum what?" He stares questioning down on the sour treats. "Oh. well, thank you Princess. Queen." In a thanking motion, he takes a hold of the tip of his hat with a nod, before he reaches for the gifts, moving the candy into his own hands. He plops one into his mouth. "Whoo, that's got a zing, don't it?" He reaches for another one, but Branch was quicker, stealing the candy from his grasp. "It's not candy time, it's question time." His focus is taken by the flower upon his bracelet, spreading its pedals with a soft light. The soft sound of the chime makes him release the gum drops, his gaze now upon his colourful wrist. "Hug-time!" Poppy's beaming shout catches Biggie's attention as he joins our gathered group, pulling us further in as his arms wraps us into a hug, both Hickory and Branch is forced into it. But Branch is the only one managing to escape the trap, bouncing a few feet back. "Why are you helping us?" His bracelet opens again, but he slaps it closed with his palm. "What's in it for you?"
"Branch!" His narrowing eyes shifts to me as I give him a warning glare, silently telling him to let the suspicions go. "I'm sorry about our.. associate." Poppy offers Hickory the apology Branch was meant to give. Gently placing her hand on his back, she guides him forward. She glances over her shoulder to shoot Branch a sharp glare of her own, before turning back to Hickory strolling at her side. 
"What is up with you?" His eyes flashes with a hurtful emotion as they meet mine, upset about Poppy's choice of word. He wasn't planning on answering my lingering question, he releases a huff instead, before following the others further up the shore. I was quick to catch up slightly behind him, my eyebrows furrowing deeper as he shook me off with a huff so easily. "I loved your message about music bringing Trolls together. You guys may be Pop, and I may be Country, but. Trolls is Trolls." Hickory exclaims, which leads to another comment coming from Branch. "Trolls is Trolls, wow, deep." He keeps his voice down, the only one catching on to it is me. Now that he has decided to shake his own girlfriend off, I think I will give him a taste of his own medicine.
Quickening my pace, I catch up to Poppy and Hickory, who is walking in front. I turn for my back to face my headed direction, catching their gazes as I speak up, walking backwards. "This is the beginning of a partnership between Trolls, that's going to save all Trolls!" Hickory stops mid step, causing Poppy to stop at his side and I in front of him. "You're darn Skippy." His accent is really falling through as he compliments my wisdom, earning a giggle in return. But his compliment did in fact also earn a groan from Branch, standing behind with folded arms and a frown dawning on his lips.  "Okay. We need to get to the Funk Trolls, before Barb does."
"Well, quickest way is down this river. I'll build us a raft!" Hickory points out, before he trots his way around me, his gaze searching along the sand for useful materials. Branch scoffs. "This ought to be good. Guy probably doesn't know the first thing about building a raft." Hickory is quick to prove Branch's comment wrong, his fawn now filled with long lengths of rope, thick logs and leaves for shelter. "Cappuccino anyone?" He asks now upon his raft on the second floor, leaning against a table with a coffee machine installed on the deck of his boat. "Cappuccino!?" Poppy chuckles, her wide eyes catching Biggie's, as wide as hers. "Cappucci-yes!" I nod along, my head moving along with Poppy and Biggie as they jump onto our floating ride.
Glancing back, I catch Branch's expression - jaw practically on the floor - and I can't stop myself from releasing a soft giggle by the rare sight of him being proven wrong. "I do want one.. But I am not happy about it!" Another scoff comes from his direction, along with (again) another grumbled comment. He stomps up beside me with his arms still tightly crossed over his chest. My laughter doesn't seem to bother him - instead, he drops the arm closest to me, and wordlessly extends his hand. I hesitate, eyes fixed on his outstretched fingers, and he notices immediately. "I'm sorry. Hickory is a stranger and, we have no idea why he is so determined to help us." His gaze softens just slightly as he waits. I hug my own arms against my torso, one eyebrow rising as my eyes moves back to his with an unyielding look. Something about his apology isn't digging deep enough. "And maybe I am a little jealous of how effortlessly he seems to be good at everything." Another admission is shared, the corners of my mouth now lifting into a closed smile, awaiting the third and last one that needs to be spoken of. "And maybe i am scared, of him pulling you further from me. It felt like he was trying to steal you right out from under me." I can still sense that he is not exactly fond of Hickory. But even so, he is genuinely sorry for snapping at me, especially knowing it came from nothing but jealousy.
"That's all I was expecting for you to admit." Releasing one arm to relax against my side, I reach out and take his hand in mine. Leaning in, I press a firm kiss to his cheek, which is slowly turning red. "But, take it easy on Hickory. I do believe, he is only trying to help us out." My hand now within his grasp, gets tightened with a reassuring squeeze. He gives me a firm nod, silently promising to at least try. Together, we make our way to Hickory's crafted boat hand in hand. He lifts me upon the platform, as Hickory approaches him with a Cappuccino in hand.
———
The Night has already fallen, the moon hanging high above us, casting a silver glow across the silent river. We'd spent the rest of the sunny hours drifting peacefully. Now, I am relaxing near the edge of the raft's platform, cross-legged, quietly enjoying the gentle movement of the water. Beside me, a small Lantern, it's warm light flickering with a soft glow, so I'm able to sense my own patterns I draw upon the pages of my scrapbook. Hickory has shown me the kindness, he was the one who brought me the Lantern.
"I can make a cortado, macchiato, latte-" I caught onto Hickory's brag from second floor, along with the sound of the raft creaking beneath me. He is sat underneath the shelter, Biggie in front of him and a burning inferno in the middle. "Let's get our grub on. Food's ready!" Hickory calls out, bringing his stick in from hovering above the flickering bonfire, to eat the snack attached to the end. "Well, I'll bring more kindling!" With a log under each arm, Poppy trots under the shelter, while creating a Country accent of her own. Getting up from my seating, I tuck the scrapbook back to hide beneath my ponytail, before I turn to the few steps, leading to the second floor. Just as my feet touches the platform, I am being dragged aside by my boyfriend, crouched in the shadows with a pair of binoculars pressed to his eyes, clearly spying on Hickory. "Juniper. Maybe it is just me, but are you also sensing a weird vibe from Hickory?" He asks, moving the pair from covering his eyes as both our gazes lands upon Hickory, examining his current movements. "No, why? Are you?" "I just- I don't know, I don't trust him." That does not surprise me.
Hickory notices us watching him and gives a sweet smile, lifting a hand in a friendly wave. Then he gestures for us to come over, inviting us to join in and grab a share of the meal for ourselves. "Well, yeah. But you don't trust anybody, Branch." I reason with a little chuckle. "Hey. I just want us to be safe!" The binoculars was back to cover his eyes, which he then yet again lower, now shifting his head to gaze up at me. "And you know what is not safe? Putting too much trust into a complete stranger!"
"Branch, you promised to at least try to believe, Hickory is helping us with good intentions."
"I can't help it, Juniper. This is who I am." He didn't exactly deny the mention of his apparent promise, but he didn't embrace it either. His eyes are quickly fixed back upon Hickory, who is munching away on his meal. "Oh, I see. It's not Hickory you don't trust, it's me and Poppy, isn't it?" "Wait what? I didn't say that!" He is quick to protest against my statement. I reach for my upper arm, soothingly running my hand up and down the tense muscle as my eyes are downcast, my expression tightening with quiet hurt. Without hesitation, Branch stands and pulls me into a warm hug. He holds me close, clearly unsettled by how much we've been fighting lately, alongside me. "I did believe you were supporting both of our decision-makings. Even the drastic ones.." My arms never return the hug, hanging loosely at my sides. Sensing the distance, he pulls back just enough to meet my eyes, his brows drawing together in confusion. "I do support your decisions as much as I possibly can. But sometimes, it is important for a close one to speak up, and tell if they think you're making a mistake." I turn my gaze away, quietly considering his words. But before either of us can add more to the argument, it is cut short - our attentions drawn to a sudden melody drifting in from the water beneath.
"Do you guys hear something?" I wonder aloud, catching Poppy's gaze, which is already scanning our surroundings with a sudden focus. Branch pulls away from my body, still against his, as the rest approaches us by the edge of the platform. Our eyes falls upon strange pink bubbles surfacing from the water, lit candles surrounding the spot. Branch shifts to stand in front of me. "Huh. Look at that guy's chest hair-" Poppy points out, but her pupils grow strangely large, along with Branch's. I spot this Troll, now surfacing along with the bubbles. A Pink mane, beard and chest hair too. Clarinet within his grasp, which is making that melody. My vision is drifting away, replaced with a thick layer of blur, causing me to loose my focus and sense of my surroundings completely. The strange took action once the musical notes went through my eardrums. "June, I can't feel my face." Branch claims, with the sound of his palms slapping against his cheeks. "It's like I'm being paralysed but it's smoothness." A bright light makes it through the blur, my gaze now upon the sun. Which - now that I'm thinking of it - has made a return to the sky too quick for my logic to understand. Returning my head to its neutral position, I quickly catch on to the change in my surroundings. I'm now seated against the warm sand, facing the soothing water splashing onto the beach, and my body is covered by a bathing rope. The raft has suddenly disappeared from under me. Biggie, Hickory and Poppy has gone missing. A Tiger runs across the sky above the ocean, and in the same moment, a quite muscular body with no head attached to it, appears from underneath the sand, pouring a strange blue liquid into a glass assigned for me. Taking a hold of the neck of it, I lean to my left, clinking the glass with Branch's, who is seated beside me, wearing a rope similar to mine. Another figure appears from the sand in between our seated forms, the figure having the same appearance as Mr. Dinkles. With the use of his muscular arm, he offers me a phone, which is ringing. "Hello?" I bring it against my ear, answering the strange caller. "Hello, it's me!" Branch's voice is coming through. He has gotten a hold of a phone himself, his small giggles going through the call and his feet swaying side to side. "Look, narwhals!" His finger suddenly points to the ocean, my jaw falling agape as Narwhales comes into our view, surfacing from the water. "Totally gnar-gnar!" Our storyline change up without warning. A pair of chopsticks now within Branch's grasp, picking up a lump of rise with a piece of fish resting on top. He is feeding it to me, my mouth wide agape.
Just as the snack was about to reach my lips, reality returns - dragging me out of this strange daydream. I am once again on the raft's lower platform, arms and legs bound, Poppy and Biggie is back, tied up beside me. At my front, is Branch - like the rest of us - tied up, a stick within his grasp. "Juniper, how'd you like the sushi?" Holding the stick out in front of me, Branch seemingly is still imagining his stick to be the chopsticks from our shared dream. He shakes his head back into reality, noticing what he's currently doing, before his eyes snaps wide open, dropping it out of embarrassment. "Guys! Where were you at?" My head turns to my sister and friend seated just behind me, their bound figures pressing close against my own. "I was in TrollVillage, but every citizen living in the Village, was a Dinkle."
Biggie shares his part of the story, but before Poppy could begin hers - or before Branch and I got a chance to explain ours - the Troll with the annoyingly perfect hair suddenly speaks up. "Got you, Pop babies." He is stood just off to the side, facing us with his polished clarinet resting confidently in his hand. His expression is unreadable, there is something almost too calm about the way he is carrying himself. I scan his face, but there is no spark of recognition. "Soon, Barb is gonna have your String, and the world will be rid of cheesy, pointless pop music." His gaze rests upon Poppy at the mention of our string, which shifts to me with his soft smirk only seeming to grow. "And soon, Barb is gonna have you, Princess Juniper." I've never met this Troll or the said Queen Barb, what is his intention to do with me and what does Barb want from and with me? Our Jazz-loving kidnapper steps closer, and I instinctively scoot back, until there's no more platform to scoot back on. He lifts his Clarinet and presses it beneath my chin, tilting my head up to force my gaze on him. Branch struggles against the thin rope binding his wrists, his protective instincts surging as he fights to do something. Anything. But he's helpless to stop it.
"Hold it right there, Chaz!" Higgory suddenly leaps out from the shadows of the shelter, the only one not bound into a helpless position. "And who are you supposed to be, Cowboy pants?"
"My name's Hickory, and I don't much care for smooth Jazz." The smooth Jazz Troll, apparently named Chaz, flicks his eyes up and down Hickory's body, not too pleasant by his comment. "Oh, yeah? Well, you've just never had 'the Chaz experience'!" He brings his musical instrument to his lips once more, beginning to play that same smooth jazz, this time directed at Hickory. He is clearly expecting it to have the same impact it had on the rest of us. But Hickory stands firm, chest puffing and eyes squeezing shut, seeming unfazed by the strange swirling notes dancing harmlessly around him. Then, just as Chaz edge closer to his behind, Hickory lashes out with his back hooves, sending Chaz tumbling off of the raft and into the rushing river. His Clarinet slips from his grip, striking him on the head before it vanishes beneath the churning surface.
"Gumdrops. Soundproof and delicious." Hickory turns his attention back to our helpless sitting figures with a casual comment, then reaches up and pulls two pieces of candy from his ears. He must've shoved them in at the very start, to block out the hypnotic music. Without hesitation, he pops them into his mouth, chewing on their gum-like surface mixed with the goo coming from his ears. I can't stop myself from creating a grimace, by the thought.
"Smooth Jazz will be heard again! Smooth Jazz will never die!" Chaz resurfaces to shout his threats, one last time placing his Clarinet to his mouth, playing weak tunes as he sinks back into the water, the melody drowning with him.
Hickory rushes to our rescue, forcefully untying the rope around our wrists and ankles, releasing us from our prison. He then offers a hand each to Poppy and I. "Who was that guy?" Poppy asks once back on her feet. "One of the many bounty hunters out there looking for your String..." How does he know that? "And you." Both his and Poppy's heads snaps to me, his finger pointing directly at my chest. "Why me?! Why am I so important?"
"I don't know, Princess. The Troll standing behind all of these orders, must have an unknown intention with you." His response only deepens Branch's suspicion upon him, his eyes narrowing with doubt. Poppy lowers her head, her chin dipping toward the floor as the weight of everything that just happened, sinks into her mind.
"That was awful. So smooth and easy and awful!" Biggie bursts out, clearly frustrated. Hickory places a comforting hand upon his back. "I know, Big Buddy. It's enough to put you off Jazz altogether." "All right, that's it! We need to go home!" Biggie's frustration explodes. "Biggie, it'll be okay-"
"Stop saying that and listen to me!" Biggie now turns his frustration to Poppy, who is only trying to soothe his worries, alongside Hickory. "You only hear what you want to hear, and it puts us all in danger. How are you supposed to save the world if you can't even keep us safe?" My gaze shifts to Poppy, and I catch the moment the light in her eyes fades completely. She knows she's let down a close friend - sparked a fear in him that cuts deep. Biggie isn't wrong; he makes a valid point. But I can see Poppy does what she is capable of doing, even if listening isn't always her strength. "You made a Pinky Promise to me, Queen Poppy, and you broke it."
"Biggie, you're pushing it a little too far." Keeping to myself isn't an option, as I refuse to stand by and watch Poppy's gaze fall with guilt, not daring to keep his eye contact. His narrowing glare lands on me, which is rare. I know I should stay out of their Pinky Promise, since I'm not a part of it. Using his thumb and pointer to lightly pull in Mr. Dinkles' top hat, the worm starts vibrating like a motor. He lowers Mr. Dinkles over the edge and into the water. Biggie moves upon Mr. Dinkles in the opposite direction the raft is sailing. In the direction of home. "What kind of Queen breaks a Pinky Promise?!" The remaining of our group leans over the edge of the platform, watching as Biggie drifts farther down the river, his angry shouts echoing behind him until he finally disappears into the distance.
"Biggie, no..." Poppy whispers along with a soft whimper. As she straightens back up, I quickly move to her side, wrapping my arms gently around her shoulders from behind.
It is all going to work itself out in the end... right?