Just a little heads up, this chapter is kinda long. So much stuff happens, but I just couldn't break it apart. Enjoy!

Before anyone could see him, Creek prepared himself to play the role of grief-striken lover. When he was ready, he approached Biggie, DJ Suki, Smidge, and Cooper.

"Hey, Creek!" Cooper greeted. "What's wrong? You look as though the world just ended."

"It may as well have," he said in a quiet voice. "Poppy's... dead."

"What?!" Smidge gasped. "No! She can't be!"

"What happen to her?" Biggie asked.

"She was killed... by Prince Branch," Creek lied with some fake tears. The others gasped. "At least I got to tell her I... Before she..."

"I can't believe Poppy's gone," DJ Suki cried softly. "Without her, how do we go on?"

"I don't know," Biggie said. "But we need to tell King Peppy. He won't want to hear it, but he's the only one who would know what to do about Prince Branch and who will lead us before he goes."

The five Trolls went to see King Peppy, not knowing they were being followed. They found the elderly king trying to settle a town wide argument.

"People, settle down," he tried to say to everyone.

"King Peppy?" Biggie said. "You may want to sit down."

"Why? What's wrong?" King Peppy asked.

"It's Poppy, sir," Creek said. "Prince Branch murdered her."

"What?! No!" King Peppy gasped. "That... That can't be."

"What was that?" Blaze asked.

"He said Poppy's dead," a Techno Troll replied.

"We have to do something about that two-faced so-called Prince!" Smidge said angrily. "I say we throw him in a pit full of grossums!"

"Excuse me," Captain Hyacinth interrupted. "What seems to be the trouble?"

"The trouble is your 'prince' killed our Poppy!" Smidge answered.

"And why do you assume this?"

"She told me herself before dying in my arms," Creek answered, feigning both anger and pain. "I don't know why he would perform this evil task, but any Troll whose prince is a cold-blooded murderer should not be welcome here."

"Is that so?" Hyacinth asked, holding out a piece of paper. "Then, how do you explain this letter written by the prince himself?"

Waterlily grabbed the note and looked at it for herself. "It's his handwriting. I'd recognize it after two years of lame poems."

"It also says that Branch was going to leave so Poppy and Creek could be together," Minuet added.

"Hmm, why would Branch kill Poppy after letting her go?" Laguna asked. "Unless... Branch wasn't the one who killed her."

"No!" Creek said desperately. "He... He's lying! Or Hyacinth forged it!"

"That's Captain Hyacinth to you," Hyacinth corrected.

"Okay, Blaze is confused," Blaze said.

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Branch and Synth were on their way to Guru's Glade when they heard someone shout "QUIET!" It startled them, but Branch recognized his sister's voice anywhere. Then he heard her singing, but her tone didn't match the song.

M-My head's underwater

B-but I'm b-breathing fine

You're c-crazy and I'm out of my mind...

"Hey, wait up!" Synth shouted as Branch ran off. He followed the sound of her voice until he reached the clearing where he saw Lavender singing to a Beating Heart while Barb, Holly and Val were staring at a lifeless figure on the ground, her hands and stomach covered with blood. Branch felt his heart sink to the forest floor.

"POPPY!" he screamed, running to her. He fell to his knees and pulled her close to him. "Poppy... No... Please, no."

Lavender sighed. "Nothing... Nothing is working."

Once Synth finally caught up to them, he saw Holly wrap her arms around Val as she began to tear up. Branch kept holding Poppy's body in her arms while Lavender just looked away from them, ashamed of her failure.

"Oh, no," he gasped.

"You gave it your best shot," Barb said as she gently wrapped her arm around Lavender's shoulders.

"I just wish it was enough," Lavender muttered, tearfully pressing her forehead against the Rock queen's.

Then, without warning, they saw the Beating Heart glow and heard it beat rhythmically. Barb and Lavender's eyes widened as they heard another sound.

A voice.

This time, this place

Misused, mistakes

Holly and Val dropped their jaws. Branch was singing! Actually singing! Not a hum or a whistle, but real, genuine singing!

Too long, too late

Who was I to make you wait?

Just one chance, just one breath

Just in case there's just one left

'Cause you know... You know...

You know.......!

I love you...

I loved you all along

And I miss you...

Been far away for far too long

I keep dreaming

You'll be with me and you'll never go

Stop breathing

If I don't see you anymore...

Lavender then noticed the glowing yellow nectar dripping out of the Beating Heart and let it drop into the rest of the cure as she mixed it together.

On my knees, I'll ask

Last chance for one last dance

'Cause with you, I'd withstand

All of hell to hold your hand

Once it was ready, Lavender handed the cure to her brother.

"Make her drink this!" she said. Branch poured it into Poppy's mouth as he kept singing.

I'd give it all, I'd give for us

Give anything, but I won't give up

'Cause you know... You know...

You know.......!

In the village, the confused crowd began to hear someone singing of love in the distance. Curious as to who it was, they decided to follow, completely forgetting about Creek.

"Hey, where are you going?!" he shouted. "Get back here!"

"Let us find out," Hyacinth suggested, roughly pulling him by the arm.

I love you...

I loved you all along

And I miss you...

Been far away for far too long

I keep dreaming

You'll be with me and you'll never go

Stop breathing

If I don't see you anymore...

Synth and the girls looked for any sign of movement from Poppy, but she was completely limp.

"Were... Were we too late?" Holly asked painfully.

So far away... So far away...

Been far away for far too long

So far away... So far away...

Been far away for far too long...

At that moment, the rest of the village arrived to find Branch tearfully singing to Poppy, whose colorless body rested in his arms. Then, they noticed a soft pink light beginning to shine through the wound on her belly, her colors slowly returning to her body.

But you know... You know...

You know.......!

I wanted...

I wanted you to stay

'Cause I needed...

I need to hear you say...

Before Branch could sing another verse, he felt a warm hand touching his face and opened his eyes to see Poppy, wound-free and smiling warmly at him. She started to sing with him.

That I love you...

I loved you all along

And I forgive you...

For being away for far too long

Last to arrive were Creek and Hyacinth, who was still holding onto his arm. Creek couldn't believe what he was seeing. Poppy was alive?!

As they continued singing, Poppy noticed Branch's grey skin began to glow this blueish color. From roots to tips, his hair went from black to purple.

So keep breathing

'Cause I'm not leaving you anymore

Believe it

Hold on to me, never let me go

Keep breathing

'Cause I'm not leaving you anymore

Believe it

Hold on to me, never let me go

Keep breathing

Hold on to me, never let me go

Keep breathing

Hold on to me, never let me go...

Once they were finished, Branch pulled his wife in for a warm embrace.

"Oh, Branch..." Poppy sobbed. "I'm so sorry."

"You have nothing to be sorry for," he assured her, rubbing his fingers through her hair.

"I don't want to be apart from you ever again," Poppy declared.

"You won't be," Branch replied. "From now on, we'll face everything together."

While Lavender, Barb, Synth, Holly and Val joined in for a group hug, the rest of the Trolls cheered.

That is, except for Creek.

"Sycamore, prepare a carriage to Ornery Grove," Hyacinth ordered the stable master. "Creek, you are under arrest for attempted murder."

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"Don't worry, Captain," Gust Tumbleweed said to Hyacinth. "Loganberry and I will have this Troll behind bars in no time."

"I don't doubt you, Sheriff," Hyacinth replied.

"Captain, can I have a word with him before he's sent away?" Poppy asked.

"If you wish, he can't hurt you now," Hyacinth assured her.

"Get your filthy hands off me, you damn dirty brutes!" Creek shouted as Val and Demo dragged him into the carriage. Once the two Rock Trolls were out, Barb slammed the door shut and Lavender quickly installed a lock. Poppy approached nervously as he glared at her.

"Were you always planning on killing me?" she asked her ex.

"No," Creek answered. "I knew one day, you would give me a prince or two. Then, when you let these outsiders invade our home, I thought I would find a way to manipulate you into driving them away, but your heart was too pure. You were so kind, so selfless... You married someone you never met before just to save your precious kingdom. I planned to break you up from the very beginning and if I couldn't, I would kill Branch myself, cover it up as suicide, and I would be your shoulder to cry on."

"And what were you thinking after you stabbed me?"

"I would frame Branch, the others would no longer trust the Trolls from Ornery Grove, they would all be forced to leave," he explained. "Your senile father would pass the crown to me, because he thought I loved you, and the first thing I planned to do as king would be to banish all non-Pop Trolls from Pop Village so things would go back to the way they were. When we were the only Trolls in the world."

"You just don't get it, Creek," Poppy sighed. "I created a better world for all Trolls. Everything you ever did or planned to do... you did for yourself. I'm sorry I couldn't help you see that."

"Take him away, boys," Hyacinth commanded Gust and Loganberry, and they drove the spider-pulled carriage out of Pop Village and into the woods.

Poppy sighed sadly. Having been in love with Creek for so long, she was still feeling heartbroken.

"You okay?" Branch asked.

"I'll be fine," Poppy insisted, wrapping her arms around him. "I'm getting over his lies already. But you still kissed another woman!"

"You're right, I'm sorry," Branch apologized. "How about I make it up to you with a dinner date and a movie?"

"Make it a double date with Barb and Lavender," Poppy replied. "And Synth picks the movie for us. He knows all the good ones."

"Deal."

Told you there was a lot of stuff going on.

Next chapter should be the last, though I'm not entirely sure how to end it. I'll figure it out, though.

Until next time. 🌈