In The Dark (The Beat Goes On)

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I was thinking about one of my favorite episodes in The Beat Goes On, Lost in the Woods. It's great how it went, but something came to me and I thought about how it would go down differently.

The alarm in the village Fun Dungeon went off like crazy, Archer Pastry had escaped and the entire village was in a panic. Poppy, Branch, and a few of their friends searched the village for the prisoner.

Poppy: He couldn't have gone far!

Branch: That's right! Which means...it's time for a manhunt!

Everyone else agreed and high-fived.

Biggie: Quick question though, what's a manhunt?

Branch: Oh boy...
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Meanwhile, Archer attempted to flee the village without anyone noticing.

Biggie: Ready or not, here we come!

Archer heard Biggie and quickly hid behind a tree.

Branch: Guys, quiet! You don't shout that in a manhunt!

Smidge: Oh...Olly Olly Oxen Free!!!

Branch gave up and face palmed. Biggie and Smidge didn't get it at all.

Poppy: Let's split up and cover more ground!

Everyone else agreed and followed Poppy's lead. She managed to find Archer on the outskirts of the village and jumped right in front of him.

Poppy: Archer!

Archer suddenly gasped and fell backwards.

Poppy: Sorry, but you escaping would make it really tough for us to bond.

Archer: When you put it like that, I guess I could only say...baby bird!

Archer suddenly grabbed a bird egg from a nearby nest and tossed it.

Poppy: No!

Acting fast, Poppy quickly caught the egg, but Archer was getting away.

Archer: See ya, loser!

Poppy glared at Archer, she really needed him back in the village or they couldn't bond properly.

Poppy: Here you go.

She put the bird egg back in its nest and the mother bird cooed and hugged it.

Poppy: Awwwww

Wait, she was getting distracted, where was Archer?

Poppy: Get back here!

Suddenly, Poppy spotted Archer heading for the tunnels, he was walking on thin ice! Those tunnels were dangerous! They lead to all sorts of places and who knows where you would end up!

Poppy: Archer wait, don't go in those tunnels! They're dangerous!

Too late, Archer ran into one of them without looking back.

Poppy: No! Get back here, you little-

Suddenly, Poppy tripped on a stone and slid down the slope into one of the tunnels. She slid right off the edge of a cliff side but with some quick thinking, she extended her hair and grabbed onto a tree branch above.

Poppy: Phew...okay, Poppy, stay calm, we'll get out of here and find Archer. Then we can get back to bonding with him!

The pop queen struggled to keep a firm grip on the branch, but a butterfly sat on it causing it to break.

Poppy: Uh oh...

As soon as the branch snapped, Poppy plummeted into the hole. She tumbled on the rocky slope before landing face first in the grass.

Poppy: Ow...

She sat up and looked around, she was in a dense forest and it was pitch black. She tugged her hair and it started to glow in the dark.

Poppy: Okay, Poppy, keep it together, we're stuck here in this forest, it's dark, but we'll get through it! Just need to find a way out of here.

A group of bats suddenly flew right by and Poppy quickly ducked her head. Yikes, this was rather terrifying, but Poppy knew she couldn't let that get to her.

Poppy: Archer! Where are you?! It's me, Poppy!

But there was no response, had she fallen into another hole? Where was Archer? Hopefully he was okay and didn't get very far.

Poppy: Okay, we got this, Poppy, we'll get through. Besides, what's the worst that can happen?

Suddenly, Poppy hears wolves howling and her hair turned completely white for several seconds. She quickly ran in a random direction trying to get away from the sound. Hopefully they weren't too nearby, that wouldn't be good. Thankfully though, Poppy was able to find a cave and quickly hid in there, shutting off her light so no predators could detect her.

Poppy: It's fine...it fine...still got my positive attitude! I'll be fine! It's like an obstacle course! A big...dark...scary...TERRIFYING OBSTACLE COURSE!!!!

Even Poppy's positivity wasn't lasting in the forest, how long would she be stuck there? It was dark, her dress was muddy, and even the slightest sound would make her jumpy.

Poppy: I'll be fine...I'll be fine...
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Hours passed and Poppy still couldn't find her way out. The forest was like a maze and her confidence was weakening. It was getting late and it was getting darker in the dense forest. Poppy didn't know what to do, she had already endured so much. Earlier, she had encountered a stag that ran right over her, injuring her arm. She hid in another gave clutching her arm tightly. She was beginning to lose hope.

Poppy: Okay, okay...everything will be fine...fine...I just wanna go home!!!!!

She began to cry and hugged herself tightly, her facade crumbling like a cookie, she couldn't take it anymore. She wanted to go home, but she didn't know where Archer was.

?: Poppy?!

Poppy gasped when she heard that voice, she immediately recognized who it was and she quickly wiped her tears. She tugged her hair turning her light on.

Poppy: Branch?!

Branch heard Poppy's voice and saw a pink light in a cave. He immediately hurried over and found Poppy curled up inside hugging her arm.

Branch: Poppy! Thank goodness you're okay!

He gave her a big hug and kissed her cheek. She buried her face in his chest wrapping her uninjured arm around him.

Branch: What happened?

Poppy: I was following Archer and saw him go through one of the tunnels, but I slipped and fell through another one...and I hurt my arm while trying to find a way out...

Branch: ...May I?

Poppy nodded and Branch took her injured arm taking a close look at it. Poppy winced even at the slightest movement.

Branch: I think it's broken.

Poppy: W-What...?!

Branch: C'mon, we should get you back to the village.

Poppy: What about Archer? I still haven't been able to find him.

Branch: We'll deal with him later, right now we need to get you home, you're hurt.

Poppy nodded reluctantly letting Branch help her to her feet. He took his first aid kit out of his hair taking a sling out and carefully placing it on Poppy's arm.

Branch: That should help until we get you some help.

Poppy: Thank you...

Branch: You're welcome. C'mon, let's head back.

Branch tugged his hair and turned his light on and he and Poppy held hands as they navigated the forest to get home. Poppy looked around one more time to make sure Archer wasn't in the forest, he wasn't there. Thankfully though, they would find him and everything would be back to normal again.

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