This chapter's dedicated to Rally9933. It's not about what you are, but what you see in yourself.

“Hey, Branch, check this out!" Poppy said, still reading the book. Branch gave up talking Poppy out of reading and decided if he couldn't beat her, he would join her.

“One Rattlecobra was an empath, he was gifted with the ability to sense what someone else was feeling. He soothed the angry, calmed the scared, and comforted the depressed. But the rest of his magic was weak, and his father, the King Rattlecobra, feared his son wouldn't be strong enough for him to take his place. So, the young prince decided to make his father proud, by stealing the magic of other Rattlecobras, which ended up killing them. The prince became more powerful than he ever imagined, but with a price. He lost his empathy, his soul grew as black as his scales, and his hunger for power became an addiction. He continued stealing magic, murdering innocent snakes. Then, one night, his parents discovered him, and instead of pride, like he expected, they only felt horror. As the Queen begged her son to stop, his craving took over, and he destroyed her. Enraged, the King tried to destroy the monster who killed his wife, friends, his entire species... but how could he?"

“He must've died, too," Branch figured. Poppy nodded.

“The prince was all that was left of the entire Rattlecobra race. He became the most powerful being in the world, but he still wanted more. So, he searched for another creature that would satisfy his needs. Hundreds of years later, he found one. They didn't have true magic, but a powerful energy that came from the heart. He tried to absorb it from them, but he couldn't because they weren't his kind. The only way he could steal their energy is if he had a connection with them. So, he kidnapped one of them, cast a spell on her, and the connection was formed. Another one found them, and the two fought fiercely. On his dying breath, the Rattlecobra cast a Resurrection spell on himself, so he would return and use the connection to drain the energy out of these poor, unsuspecting creatures..."

“Uh, Poppy, what's that?" Branch asked nervously, pointing to a picture in the book. “That looks like..."

“Willow?"

After hearing what had happened, Willow's Dad decided to go talk to her and see if he could make things right between them. He knew his wife was a horrible woman, but he never expected her to do everything she did. And Willow suffered the most out of it. He would apologize to her before seeing the rest of his children.

“Willow, I'm so sorry I was never there for you," he said outside her doorway. “I wanted to take you and the kids away from your mother, somewhere we could all be safe, but I just let everything waste away. I forgot what was important. I should've given you a better life, and I want to help you, now. But I understand if you don't want me around."

Willow's Dad waited for a response. Nothing. Nervously, he stepped inside.

“Hello?" Willow's Dad gasped at the sight. Willow's stuff and some still packed up boxes were knocked over, but the scary part was that Willow was gone. “Oh, no!"

Frantically, Willow's Dad lifted a desk with his hair to see if she was under it. He tried again with a bed. Suddenly, he noticed Willow's camera on the ground. It had a red light flashing, that had to mean it was still recording!

“Please show me something!" he pleaded, and took out the tape. Willow's Dad set up a television set and put the tape in the VCR. He rewinded and fast forwarded it to find answers. And then, he saw it. A black snake with glowing eyes was dragging Willow, who was unconscious, across the floor and out of the pod with a single fang. “Oh, no!"

❤️🧡💛💚💙💜❤️🧡💛💚💙💜

Feeling a throbbing pain in her head, Willow slightly opened her large eye. She took in her surroundings, and noticed she was in a dark cave. A tiny ray of sunlight shone through a crack in the ceiling. Willow wanted to rub her forehead to ease her pain, but for some reason, she couldn't even move. Willow noticed she was wearing a black bikini, revealing all her markings, and her arms and legs were encased in white, crystal-like pillars, and one more hung above her head. She tried pulling her limbs to free herself, but she couldn't slip out nor even crack the pillars. Just as she was beginning to freak out, she felt herself get electrocuted.

“The pillarssssssssss are enchanted," a sinister voice hissed. In the darkness, a glowing, yellow eye blinked open. “Not even your magic can break them."

Willow was confused. “Magic? I don't have magic."

The voice chuckled. “Foolish little girl. Sssssssssstill oblivioussssssss, even after all the sssssssignsssssssss. But don't worry, I'm here to tell you everything..."

At that moment, the creature went into the light. It was the same black snake that broke into her pod and bit her. But he looked a lot bigger, with a massive hood and a silver rattle on the end of his tail. Willow trembled at the sight.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

“Okay, Lily!" Satin said with excitement as she and Chenille covered Lily's eyes.

“Prepare for a bachelorette party you'll never forget!" Chenille added, and the fashion twins guided her to a secluded part of the forest.

“Tada!" they cheered simultaneously, uncovering her eyes. Lily was left without words. There was a pool table (it was really a swimming pool full of balls with numbers on it), a juice bar with heart-shaped glasses, and a karaoke machine.

“Testing, testing, testing!" Smidge sang that last part.

“Very... unique," Lily said.

“Well, you said ‘Surprise me...'" Satin pointed out.

“... and you wanted us to hurry," Chenille finished.

“Well, my wedding's in two days, so I don't really have much time," Lily replied.

“But Lily, with everything that's happened your family, you haven't had much time to do anything," Smidge pointed out. “Shouldn't you move the date up a little? Why does it have to be in two days?"

Lily sighed. “That night, we're going to see the Aurora Trollealis. It doesn't happen often, and Trolls are usually too busy partying to even notice when it does. I've been making charts all my life, predicting when it would happen. But every time I try to see it, my parents drag me to a party so I can have actual fun, try to make friends, something I've never been good at. They say a wedding is all about the bride, if that's true then maybe I can show the Aurora to everyone."

The bridesmaids were in awe.

“Speaking of my family, where's Willow?" Lily asked them. Lily asked Willow to be her maid of honor right before she left the hospital.

“I thought Satin invited her," Smidge replied.

“I thought Chenille invited her," Satin said. Chenille just pointed to their conjoined hair, reminding Satin that they would've invited Willow together.

“You should've asked Poppy to do it," Lily said.

“To do what?" Poppy asked, as she and Branch made their way into the clearing.

“What are you guys doing here?" Smidge asked curiously.

“Trying to prove Rattlecobras never existed," Poppy answered. Branch just growled.

“Branch, shouldn't you be at Archer's bachelor party?" Satin asked.

“Especially since you're his best man?" Chenille added.

“We're throwing it later tonight," Branch replied. “In the meantime, I'm stuck with her."

“You love it," Poppy teased.

“Well, we can't have any guys at my bachelorette party," Lily pointed out, “unless you're willing to take off your vest and pants."

“What?!" Branch exclaimed while the rest of the girls giggled. “I am not stripping down!"

“Crank it up, DJ!" Smidge shouted to DJ Suki, who played smooth jazz on her Wooferbug. Poppy, Lily, and Lily's bridesmaids sat around Branch, waiting for him to move.

“Fine," Branch groaned, and began taking off his vest.

“WHO OPENED THE BOOK?!" a voice shouted. The six Trolls turned to find Willow's Dad running through the forest.

“Mr. Duckweed! What are you doing out here!" Poppy shouted out.

“I can't talk!" he yelled back. “I have to save the Trolls!"

“‘Save the Trolls?' From what?!" Branch asked.

“The Rattlecobra!"

“Okay, seriously, what's a Rattlecobra?" Smidge wondered.

“He's pure evil, he wants to destroy the Trolls," Willow's Dad answered.

“You read the book, too?" Poppy asked, causing him to stop.

“What do you mean, ‘too?'" he asked angrily. “I left a note, it clearly said ‘DO NOT OPEN!'"

“I-I thought it was a prank!" Poppy said.

“Mr. Duckweed, are you saying everything in that book is true?" Branch asked. “And since Pop... since we opened it, we brought him back from the dead?"

Willow's Dad nodded. “He cast a Resurrection spell on it, because he knew Trolls are curious. One of us would want to read it eventually."

“Do you know what the connection is?" Poppy asked. “Maybe we can destroy it."

“No! I promised I wouldn't let anything to her!" he argued, causing everyone to stare. He sighed. “Let me try to explain..."

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

“I musssssssst sssssssssay, I've really enjoyed being dead," the Rattlecobra began. “I didn't feel any cravingsssssss until waking up."

“Cravings for what?" Willow asked nervously, unsure if she wanted the answer.

“Let's sssssssstart from the beginning," he decided. “My parentssssssssss thought little of me, too. They thought I wassssss nothing more than an empathetic weakling. I traded my empathy for power, but they turned on me. My father wanted me dead, ssssssssso I killed them. I am now the mossssssst powerful being on Earth. Well, tied now that you're here."

“What are you talking about?!" Willow exclaimed, struggling with her binds. “How do you know what my parents think of me?!"

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••

“Despite Duckweeds being extremely fertile, my entire family was eaten by Bergens during the time they held us captive," Willow's Dad explained. “I felt lonely for quite a while, but then I met Cecilia. Seemed rather typical, the high school quarterback and cheerleading captain, but I thought it was a match made in heaven. I eventually learned how wrong I was. Cecilia only cared about herself, and often made out with me when her friends were watching, to make them jealous."

“Why didn't you just break up with her?" Chenille asked.

“I was going to, but one night, she disappeared," he answered. “When I finally found her in a dark cave, I also found him. He coiled his body around her, some of his black scales had purple light in them. He was hissing and her body began glowing, too. Partially, but I still saw it. I didn't know what he was doing, but I wasn't going to let him get away with it. So, using my hair, I ripped out one of his fangs. He stared at me for a second, let Cecilia go, hissed at a book, and I slashed his throat with the fang. Right before he died, he told me once someone opened the book, he would use the connection to destroy us and steal our energy. I didn't know what the connection was until... until a month later."

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

“You are the connection," he answered. “I created you to help me, I sssssssssee what happenssssssssss to you. Why do you think you're sssssssstill alive after all thosssssse timesssssss your mother tried to kill you, no matter how brutal it wassssss? When she tried to abort you, and all thosssssse yearssssss she ssssssstabbed you, beat you, threw you, poissssssoned you, held a pillow over your face? Because Daddy wassssss here to help you. Assssss long assssss a tiny part of me ssssssstill existssssss, you will never die."

“Why should I help you?!" Willow spat. “You're a monster who killed their own parents!"

The Rattlecobra let out a sinister laugh. “You have no choice, my dear. Besssssidesssssss, you're no different yoursssssself. You really think that lightning came out of nowhere?"

Then, the Rattlecobra lifted up his tail and made Willow stare into his rattle.

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

“I knew the baby wasn't mine, but I convinced everyone it was, including Cecilia. Her family didn't approve, of course. Stardusts and Duckweeds never got along. We got married shortly afterwards, and when I first held Willow in my arms, all I saw was hope and innocence in those giant eyeballs. I promised her I would protect her. I wrote a note on the book, tied a ribbon around it, and hid it in the Practical Matters section of the library, where no one would find it."

“Told you no one goes in there," Poppy whispered to Branch.

“Clyde was in there," he pointed out.

“Now that you opened it, I have to keep that promise," Willow's Dad said. “I abandoned Willow when she needed me, but never again. I'm going back to that cave, and I'll destroy the Rattlecobra once and for all."

“I'm going with you!" Poppy said. “As queen, I have to protect the Trolls."

“And I have to protect Poppy, so I'll go, too," Branch added.

“Willow may be a Duckweed, but she's still my cousin," Lily announced. “I love her, and I will help her."

“This bachelorette party just got exciting!" Smidge shouted. “Let's go save the Trolls!"

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That was when she remembered: as her mother stabbed her, Willow was trying to grab her arm so she would push her away. But it was too late. Willow felt a terrible pain in her left eye, normally covered by her bangs, and just as she felt it reach her brain, a shock of electricity struck her mother... and it came from Willow's own body.

“No..."

“Oh, come on," the Rattlecobra chuckled. “You know you hated her. All you did wassssssss give her what she desssssserved."

“I never wanted her to die..." Willow lied, tears falling from her eyes.

“You cannot essssssscape this. Thisssssss issssssss why I created you. But don't worry, once I'm done with you, you finally will die. Now be a good daughter, and help me drain your people'ssssssssss energy."

With that, the Rattlecobra coiled part of his body around one of the pillars, began shaking his rattle, and the pillars began to glow. Willow felt a strong rush of energy flowing into and out of her body. She could no longer see or hear what was happening.

The Rattlecobra, meanwhile, was finally beginning to feel satisfaction. And boy, did it feel good.

“Hey, Snake Eyes! Get away from my daughter!" a familiar voice shouted. The Rattlecobra turned to find a familiar looking Troll. He was older, had baggy eyes and a beer belly, but he recognized him.

“Oh, it'ssssss you," he hissed, unintimidated. “It'sssssssss been a long time sssssssssince you MURDERED me."

“I know, and it's gonna happen again," Willow's Dad spat as the rest of the group joined him.

The Rattlecobra just laughed. “You're too late. I've already won."

At that moment, Willow's Dad collapsed and his colors drained from his body.

“Uncle Forest, are you okay?!" Lily asked, worried.

“Oh, my head feel not good..." he groaned.

“Mr. Duckweed, this is really important," Branch said. “How do we stop him?"

“A Troll... has to.... break her heart," he gasped, fighting for his life.

“It won't happen," the Rattlecobra said. “She can't sssssssssee or hear you."

Poppy noticed Willow's pained expression and made a sudden realization.

“She can still feel," she said. “I never wanted to do this to anyone, but I have to do it to one of my best friends."

“Poppy, she'll understand," Branch tried to reassure her. “It'll take her a while, but she will."

Suddenly, Branch's colors drained and he collapsed. Lily and her bridesmaids nodded and Poppy decided to do what she had to. While Branch and Willow's Dad, among many other Trolls across the land, were struggling to live, the Rattlecobra just felt stronger. Poppy approached Willow slowly, lifted herself off the ground with her hair, and was face-to-face with Willow. Poppy looked down to notice her pink skin beginning to pale. Without hesitation, Poppy grabbed Willow's face and slammed their lips together.

Willow began to feel Poppy's emotions. There was fear, regret, pity... but there was no romance. A single tear fell from Willow's eye and onto one of the pillars, which began to crack as Willow sucked the Trolls' energy out of the Rattlecobra's body and back into the Trolls.

“What?! NO!" the Rattlecobra hissed angrily.

“It's working," Lily muttered. She noticed the two male Trolls' colors returning and they took deep breaths.

Suddenly, all five pillars shattered as the rest of the cave began to collapse. Poppy separated herself from Willow and formed a hairricade around their bodies. Lily, Branch, Willow's Dad, Smidge, and the twins did the same.

When the cave finally came down, the eight Trolls pushed the rubble out of the way with their hair. Lily and the rest of the group noticed Willow staring at their queen in disbelief.

“Poppy?" she whimpered painfully.

“I'm so sorry," Poppy said sympathetically. “I never wanted to hurt you."

Suddenly, the Rattlecobra emerged from the rubble, and he sure was angry. His eyes and some of his scales glowed red and he extended his single fang.

“He's going to kill Queen Poppy!" Willow's Dad warned.

“Not if I can help it!" Branch shouted, and grabbed the Rattlecobra's long neck with his hair. Lily, Smidge, and the twins joined in. Willow's Dad used his hair to pull off the remaining fang.

“No resurrections," he growled, aimed for the throat and... a blast was released from the Rattlecobra's body. The Trolls who were holding him were blown away and noticed their hair was damaged. Satin and Chenille's conjoined hair was split through the middle, causing them to scream.

“You think I'd fall for that again?!" the Rattlecobra laughed. “I may not have your energy, but I'm sssssssssstill tied the mossssssssst powerful being on Earth!"

The Rattlecobra prepared himself to swallow Lily whole, he felt something sharp piercing his heart. He looked down to notice he had been impaled by a crystal shard, his black blood pouring out. Lily looked past him to notice Willow behind him, stretching her arms out. A fearful expression was plastered on her face as the colossal snake collapsed.

The Rattlecobra weakly laughed at his biological daughter as she stared into his large eye. “I t-t-t-told you... you c-c-cannot ess-ssss-scape... wh-what you are...."

With one final breath, the Rattlecobra was finally dead. The rest of the village came to see what they had missed.

“Willow, are you okay?" Lily asked, even though she already knew the answer. Dark clouds covered the sky so it looked like night instead of day.

“I killed him," Willow mumbled. “I killed... both of them..."

The teenage Troll-Rattlecobra hybrid walked away from the group and fell onto her knees. She just wanted to die. She could die, actually, since the Rattlecobra didn't exist anymore.

“Sh-show em... wh-who you... are," she weakly tried to sing.

“Show em that you're strong."

Willow stared at her cousin with sad eyes and noticed Poppy approaching them. The rest of the Trolls began harmonizing.

“Show em that you know where you belong," Poppy and Lily sang together.

“Open every door," Willow's Dad joined in.

“Own your destiny," Branch added.

Closing her eyes, Willow stumbled as she stood back up.

“Look down deep in your heart and believe in the you that you see..."

She then noticed the twins crying about their hair being split apart. She approached them, grabbed both ends, braided them together, and hummed a little. A light shone through her hands onto the hair, and it was magically merged back together again.

“Thank you, Willow," Satin cried happily with her sister.

Willow's Dad knew it wasn't his place to be in the way of Willow's happiness, so he decided to leave. As he walked away, however, he felt a pair of arms wrapping around him and noticed Willow giving him a warm hug, tears falling from her face.

“Oh, Willow," he sighed sadly. “I really wish I was a better father to you and your brothers and sisters."

“I'm just happy you're here now," she sobbed. Her Dad stroked her back gently to calm her down.

“Don't tell Branch I kissed Willow," Poppy whispered to Lily and the bridesmaids.

“Your secret's safe with us," Lily replied as the others agreed.

This is probably the darkest thing I've ever written...

And the longest.

Stay tuned for the final chapter. Spoiler alert: Somebody's getting married! 💒