In The Wild

Chapter Twenty-one: Mirage

Viva was walking in a cave.

She doesn't know she got there, but that wasn't important.

She needed to get out.

So she started running, faster and faster until.....

" Viva."

A familiar voice made her stop.

She turned around and saw her father, or at least she thought it was her father. She hadn't seen him in so many years she didn't  remember how he looked.

" D-Dad?" Viva said nervously.

" You've lost the right to call me that." King Peppy replied sternly.

" What do you mean?" Viva asked." I united the troll kingdoms, I-"

" United? more like destroyed!" King Peppy shouted." Look at yourself, Viva. You've broken your reputation, yourself."

" B-but Dad -"

" You're a terrible leader, Viva." King Peppy spat." I wish the bergens took you instead of your mother."

Viva couldn't believe what her father had just said. How could he say something like that?!

" How could you say something like that?!" She yelled." I am your daughter!"

" Oh really?" King Peppy retorted." The daughter I know wouldn't be a tyrant who would kill people for the slightest indiscretions and terrorize her sister like that! And Clay that poor boy."

As he said this King Peppy walked up closer to Viva with the most menacing of faces.

" I can't believe you would sell him out like that."

Viva was on the verge of tears now. This man wasn't her father.

" You're a disgrace, Viva." King Peppy scolded." Anyone would be a better ruler than you."

" Especially Poppy."

And then.....

Viva woke up in a sweat with tears streaming down her face.

The last time Viva cried was when Clay broke up with her.

She turned to Barb, who was sleeping on the other side of the bed.

She thought about her fiancee.

' Would Barb really have loved me if she wasn't a pop zombie? '

. . . .

Branch was awoken a few hours later by a slap to the face.

He was eye-to-eye with the leader of the K-pop trolls.

" What do you want -"

He tried to say but then she promptly picked him up and threw him back into Rhonda, where he saw Poppy, Floyd and Bruce.

" What are you doing?" Branch asked.

" We're setting you free." The K-pop troll said." We've had enough of Queen Viva's tyranny and have decided to go rouge!"

" You mean rogue?" Branch corrected.

" Same difference," The K-pop troll retorted." Anyway, get a move on! And when you come back, we'll have a rebellion ready with your name on it!"

" Wow," Branch said, shocked." Thanks,um..."

" Wani." She responded." My name is Wani."

" Well, thanks, Wani." Branch replied.

" Wait, I'm confused." Floyd inquired." If you're not handing us over to Viva, what was the whole...smokeshow for?"

" Oh, that was just for flair." Wani giggled." See ya!