Trolls World Tour: Forever My King

Ch.5: Torn Apart

We didn't have time to take any form of transportation to the reef. Preparing either an angler bus or a caterbus would take too long. So, without a second to lose, Barb, Highlight, and I took off running to Techno Reef as fast as we could. I ended up regretting this decision almost immediately.

Although Barb and Highlight could keep a stead pace and run pretty fast, I couldn't. They were still young and agile. I was getting old, and my body wasn't as fit as it used to be, so obviously running was like torture! I could practically hear my legs screaming at me to stop!

But I couldn't stop. Not until I got there.

I stared down at the ground as I ran. It was nothing but a blur beneath my feet. Dark, heavy clouds began to block out the cheerful, summer sun. The wind had started to pick up and the air was starting to get colder. I could smell a storm coming. What perfect timing.

I hoped that we weren't too late, but as we broke through the treeline near the beach, I heard Barb scream:

"What the HECK IS THAT?!"

I lifted my head up and gasped. Something large was hovering over the ocean ominously, which cast a big shadow over it. Just looking at it made me feel...a bit uneasy, mostly because I'd never seen anything like it before.

It was hard to tell what exactly it was since it seemed to blend in with the dark, stormy skies. However, there was a few strips of red light that outlined its shape. There were spotlights shining down on the water while heavy chains dangled from a large opening on its underbelly, which were mostly submerged.

As we got even closer, I finally noticed the state of the beach itself. It was nothing but chaos. Techno trolls were trying to get out of the water and were now flying past us towards the trees, hoping to not get captured by the mysterious enemy.

We were almost to the shoreline when I heard a tiny voice calling out: "Miss Roxy! Miss Roxy!"

The three of us skidded to a stop and I turned my head to see a familiar, green techno troll rushing towards me. His parents were chasing after him.

"Coral Blush!" his mother panicked. "Don't run towards the danger! Get back here this instant!"

The five-year-old techno troll jumped into my arms and I hugged him tightly. It had been a while since I'd seen the little tike.

"Miss Roxy!" his voice trembled. "I-I'm scared..."

I patted his head and tried to calm him down. He always reminded me of Trollex when he was just a guppy. He used to nuzzle up to me during thunderstorms, and although I was equally as scared as he was, I'd wrap the two of us up in a blanket, hold him close, and then I'd sing him to sleep. Except now was not the time for a lullaby.

"Shh, everything will be alright," I reassured him. "Trust me."

"Your majesty! You're here!" Coral's dad exclaimed. "You have to help us! Where do we go? What should we do?"

I turned my head in Barb's direction and cleared my throat. Without having to say a word, she understood what I wanted her to do, and nodded.

She took off running at full speed with the crowd of techno trolls towards the trees.

"ALRIGHT, TECHIES! FOLLOW ME!" she shouted. I handed Coral Blush over to his father.

"Go to Harmony Castle," I told them. "Queen Barb will lead you just beyond the forest, and then point you in the right direction. You'll be safe there!"

Coral's mother pointed at the unknown aircraft. "A-And what about..."

"Don't worry," I said with a smile. "I'll take care of it!" That obviously made them feel a lot better.