...

The crowd was still cheering loudly, waiting for Branch, or Bitty B, to appear on stage and bring the drop to the song.

Between the excited trolls, Poppy was clapping her hands to the beat, encouraging the boyband in their perfomance... only some green hair grabbed her leg and pulled her away.

- WOAH!

She gasped, trying to get free, only to realize it was Fuzzbert. He looked terrified, shaking his mane of apple green hair around and crying for help, anyone that would know what to do about the accident he thought had been caused by him only.

- Fuzzbert ?? The queen called his name.

He was way too much shocked to listen to her and was trying to explain everything at the same time, and he was already hard to understand !! Time was running short and Poppy did not wanted to miss Branch's perfomance, but she still had responsabilities as a queen;

- Fuzzbert ! She called again, Hey hey buddy relax ! I can't understand waht you are saying at all !! What's going on exactly?? Deep breathes !

Finally, the fuzzling managed to breathe and point to the sky.

She saw.

- Oh frosting...

.

- You're ready ?? Floyd asked him.

It was his cue soon but he still wanted to make sure his closest brother was doing alright. Branch seemed terrified; it had been years since he hadn't done that choreography.

- Can you repeat it again? Branch asked, visibily sweating like a puffalo.

- Sure ! Just jump up, kick back, whip around and spin... and then jump back, do it again!

- Urgh, that sounds like the theme song of a kid show about ninjas fighting snakes and evil !! Branch held his head between his hands, his brain couldn't process anything.

- Because it literally is... Floyd remembered, But that's not the point ! You were 2 years old when you learned it, you surely still can do it !

Floyd's hug time watch opened, glowing and making the familiar bell signal, his cue was in 30 seconds.

- I gotta go, you got this okay?? I believe in you Bitty B ! He ruffled his hair.

Branch went to his place, preparing to dance and hide his anxiety behind a huge smile. Sometimes he wished he would be confident just like when he was a 2 year old baby, just so he could connect with his brothers so easily again. His brothers always wanted to do loud, crazy things, how could he explain to them he wasn't loud and crazy like he used to be ?

The countdown to open the curtain started; in 3... 2...

Only the 1 never came. Branch heard a familiar scream; Poppy ! She was in danger !

No waste of time, Branch pushed the curtain open himself and rushed to where the call for help was coming from; that's when he saw them; those creatures had torn the tents and were filling the sky, masking the beauty of the stars above them. Panicked, trolls village habitants were running around, trying to get away from those terrifying beings; they were made of darkness, pure pitch black and had blue light coming from their inside. Some trolls were getting caught and lift in the air, but quickly being dropped back; it wasn't this one.

They had a prey in mind.

Branch's logic conclusion was that they were searching for the most important troll around; Queen Poppy. Who else would those monsters wants ??

- BRANCH !!

A weight throwed him on the ground to hide under the stage just before one of the entity caught him; John had get all the brothers there and was making sure everyone was doing alright, Branch had to be held back by Clay because he was trying to get to Poppy;

- CLAY LET ME GO !! He protested.

- What are those things ?? Floyd asked next to him.

- I don't know, but we gotta get everyone to safety! John Dory explained, they look like they only want one troll but no matter who it is we can't let that troll to those things !

- Got it, Spruce said, Branch, sorry baby bro, We are gonna need your bunker... Branch ??

He looked at Clay... but Clay was licking a chocolate ice cream.

- What ? He asked, Yall know I can't resist ice cream !

Branch ran the fastest he could, avoiding the claws of the floating shadows. One of them still managed to grab his sides and lift him but Branch was a quick thinker; he used his magical black hair and wrapped them around the shape of a tree. The creature had to let go of his body when the bluish troll punched its face and Branch vanished from its view like a chameleon.

Quickly the male troll reached the forest, where he was sure Poppy had hide. A creature tried to smell the ground to find his track but did not find any and flew off just afterward.

- Poppy ?? He called, terrified they had get the princess, that he had been too late.

- Branch ! Over here !

She was hiding between some plants with the help of her hair as a camouflage. Branch joined her and she wrapped them both; they hugged each other tightly afraid they were close to have lost each other, forever.

- It's okay, you're okay.. Branch caressed her hair, pressing his forehead against hers.

He had to whisper, scared those monsters could hear them and attack. Poppy pushed her barrier of hair just a bit open to look at the empty village with the creatures still looking for their prey like a hungry pack of grossums. At least all the trolls had find a safe shelter.

- Did you ever saw one of those before ? Branch asked the pink troll.

- Never... Fuzzbert told me they came from a dark wormhole ! She explained, I thought you would know what they were, she admitted, and how to chase them away.

But Branch had no idea what they were neither why they came from a wormhole like Fuzzbert pretended ! And he sure wanted those things to go back where they came from but had no idea how to scare them off.

- I probably have a book that Clay placed in there for me ! Branch realised as he spotted something.

His safe tent in which they were sitting earlier; Clay had probably placed some books in there and maybe they could find informations about those creatures, including how to chase them !!

- Branch, you're a genius !! Poppy cheered for him, Okay, let's go !

Using their skills to hide, the iconic duo moved toward the tent without being seen by any shadow still floating around the area. Branch and Poppy with the years had got pretty good at understanding each other without a word... Branch could even recognized Poppy's step and Poppy could recognize the sound he made when his arms came in friction with his vest. Useless, yes, but when acting discret it was pretty useful.

They went back to the heart of the place where the huge tents had been taken down and managed to find the one where the scrapbooking material still was. They silently looked for the ones Clay had let there for Branch.

- Where is it, where is it ?? Poppy's voice was frustrated.

Branch turned around, seeing she kept pushing her hair back. He pushed the lock of hair in her crowd and she gave him a playful look.

- You're such a do- BRANCH, WATCH OUT !

She jumped on him, a creature had saw them and went falling from the sky like an arrow. Seeing it had missed its target it hissed loudly and all creatures went on Branch at the same time.

...They wanted Branch !

Poppy grabbed his hand and they ran off. Branch's heart had double in speed realizing he was the main target.. until.

A lock of pink hair grabbed them both and pulled them away like bags of potato, Branch and Poppy screamed out as they got pulled away. Brozone had surrounded them and placed them in the middle.

- Good ! You got the angel ! Spruce smiled at Poppy.

- They want Branch ! Floyd pointed out, What are they some kind of shadow dogs?? Why do they want Branch ??

- ...Probably because he is a Branch, and all dogs loves Branches, Clay joked

- SHUT THE FUDGE UP!!! Branch protested.

- Okay it was a bad one- Clay admited.

- Stop fighting ! John Dory said to all of them, We can judge of Clay's jokes quality later !

- BUT HE STARTED IT !!

- NO FLOYD DID !!

And just like that they all started to battle-

The mass of bodies was so confusing the shadows looked at each other, confused. Poppy even had to join and try stop them; it wasnt the moment at all!! Until Branch got throws out of the battle, and the creatures grabbed him, taking him away.

The scream Branch let out got back everyone's attention and they tried to save their loved one; but John stopped and thought, the mecanics inside of his brain turning until he had it;

- JOHN, NO !! John Dory screamed.

The creatures stopped, looking at the troll they had captured with confusion; wasn't this Branch?? Then why did this other troll called their prisoner John ??

- What are you doing Jo- but John stopped Spruce could finish his sentence

- LET GO OF JOHN !! John Dory screamed, hiding his fear and shaking, Please, take me instead ! I'm Branch !!

The creatures fell into the trap easily; they let go of the actual Branch that was soffocating in the monsters' grip and they all went for the older sibling instead. Without being able to do anything about it, they captured John and dissapeared with their prey in the wormhole.

- NOO ! Branch screamed, NO BRING HIM BACK!! JOHN !!

Floyd and Poppy grabbed Branch's shoulders before he could jump in the wormhole... the portal closed and Branch broke down, sobbing.

John Dory was gone.