.

The storm had lasted all night long, but the trolls in the village had decided to already begin the formation of several search teams to find their two missing friends who had fallen in the wild currents of the river. They had installed small cameras of the latest funk technology on them, at the level of their chests, so that they remain at all times connected to the base which would be of course, the spaceship of the funk trolls being safe in Trollstopia. Inside of the large ship, they had placed the strange object belonging to Branch, which had indicated several points on the map of the forest ... Not understanding what these meant exactly, Quincy assigned a team to each demarcated area. In any case this remote control had been modified by the engineer and could perhaps show them the clue of a path to the missings.

To move foward faster, the number 4 team was added a group of flying critters that would allow them to have a better overview of the territory. They took off when the last drop of rain hit the ground after the violent storm that had hit them a few hours earlier. Let's just not lie; a storm like this one had worried them all like crazy. Several clues that could lead them to their friends would undoubtedly be cleansed by the tears of the cloudy sky, in addition to the danger that such a product of the weather could represent for two individuals possibly injured and disoriented. Perharps the event was fatal to them, or maybe not.

At the head of the 4th research group was none other than Queen Barb of the rock trolls' tribe; she had to volunteer without the slightest hesitation to find her two friends who disappeared when the task had been proposed to all of them. Behind her camera was Carol who played the role of extra eyes to ensure her protection in this unknown environment of the Trolls. Each troll in the team had a partner behind their cameras, led by Quincy who managed the operations aboard the ship.

Barb's team was composed of Smidge, Trollex and Cooper, respectively accompanied by their cameras; DJ Suki, Synth and Prince D. The troop was assigned to the right sector of the river, and kept their eyes wide open, flying over the area, riding their flying insects.

- Will it be okay? Are you okay? What is your position? Carol's voice caught her attention in her left auricle.

- Yes, everything is okay, we are about 4 km from our sector, Barb informed her companion.

- Ok, I'm taking note... But really, are you sure you are okay ?

Barb did not respond and bit her lower lip nervously, since Carol couldn't see hee expressions she got worried:

- Barb?

- It's okay I... I just hope they are doing okay as well, that's all.

- Be realistic... We're talking about Branch and Poppy, the most stubborn duo of all Trollstopia ! Right now they're probably just arguing about whether Branch will be coming to Flowers' Days tomorrow or not.

Barb laughed at this thought. It gave her hope a bit. Even though Carol wasn't there physically, she could almost feel a little invisible pat on the shoulder from her crush.

Wait crush?

She shook her head and decided instead to focus on the mission, which was a priority; They flew for a few hours and then...

... Barb and her team had to land on the ground at the sight of a frightening theater scene. Who to say, one to freeze the blood.

Blood. Blood is the first thing Barb saw. A lot, a LOT of blood, red, scarlet and even black dry that shone under the sun's rays returning after last night's violent storm. Somehow there was so much blood that even the natural catastrophe was not enough to clean up the horror in front of their wide-eyed eyes in its entirety... Or it was here that was to find the eye of the cyclone, and the crime scene had been spared by the wild hurricane.

King Trollex of the techno trolls advanced first, his fins dragging in the dust as he bent down to catch a blue felt flower... The piece of clothe came from Poppy's crown, covered in blood, it was covered in blood. Without any other word, the poor fish troll fell to his two knees and sobbed.

Barb and Cooper were too shocked to say anything at what they were seeing. Their eyes ran on the landscape which was far from being a paradise painted on the calm canvas of the forest floor; Claw marks on trees, a branch break and blood, gosh too much blood. Smidge who was advancing towards a a little cliff pressed her hands against her mouth, which caught Barb's attention as Cooper went to hold poor Trollex close to him.

- Oh my god... G-Guys... She whispered in shock.

There was a rock below, it was red, someone, a living being, feeling pain as much as love, had empty of its own blood on it, and the traces around the rock showed a fierce battle with a group of predators, hundreds of them perharps, who had fight mercyless to have the meal that represented this wounded creature.

Behind the cameras, inside the Ship of the Funk Trolls, King Quincy and King Peppy had wide eyes of terror.

- We're too late... The King of Funk whispered.

The clues followed one another, blood, more blood, other pieces of clothing, claw marks. And even a miniscule piece of literal flesh snatched away from its owner. Trollex no longer had the strength to open his green eyes. Cooper almost throwed up.

- These are grossums, DJ Suki, who were behind the camera of Smidge finally recognized the marks, lots of grossums claws...

-Barb, can you send us a sample of this blood on this rock? Synth asked from his microphone.

The rock queen's trembling hands eventually accomplished the task, grabbing a bubble maker from Trollex's vest to fill it with blood; soon the information was transferred to the mothership and King Quincy looked down at the results;

- B- ... Branch, this blood here is Branch's...

There was a long silence in the room, seeming to last for what seemed like an eternity. The pain settled in the depths of their chest, the idea that had germinated, had begun, then, to change into the without any doubts reality;

Branch and Princess Poppy had not survived to this. They were too late.

-... We have to recreate a scene from these clues, we have to know what happened. King Peppy declared, with watery eyes, Abandon the searches... The forest took them...

He went away whimpering, sobbing and choking on his sorrow, poor Guy patting his back in support as the two left the room. The glitter troll cried as much as the old king had at the thought of having lost his precious friends. Despite everything, they were forced to come back, because a troll in the number 4 team had not believed for a single second in this show devoid of sense to her eyes;

- WHAT??

Barb's voice roared into the microphone like a thundershot. The team turned to the image of the young lilac troll who had squeezed her camera to look them in the eye, not afraid to express her feelings to her team;

- Do you seriously dare?? Do you seriously dare to abandon them?? She screamed, visibly extremely offended by such a, what she could call cowardice.

The team around her seemed as discouraged and desperate as the members aboard the spaceship. Barb just couldn't believe it. She just couldn't. Their friends were injured, somewhere in this immense forest and without any way to find home and without even giving more effort, all of them assumed that this challenge had killed them so easily, like simple mosquitoes that were slammed in a stroke of the hand on the arm! It was proof that no one really knew her friend... Poppy never gave up! Never, never, never!! She would always get back up again! No matter what! And with Branch who had all the necessary knowledge to survive such a situation at her side... How could they have the simple idea that the two trolls could have perished at a simple predator attack or a storm!?

- Poppy and Branch are not dead! The queen of rock insisted, well decided not to abandon the research.

- Barb... King Quincy started behind the microphone.

Normally, she would have been silent. She would have let the experience give her the way, but not this time! This time, it was her turn to express herself, to show the way! Branch and Poppy's life may be depending on her ability to convince them in that precise moment.

- NO! You shut your mouth and listen to me! She cut him off directly, Our friends are NOT DEAD! Yes okay, definitely hurt but do you see their body here ??

Barb was right about that; there was not the slightest trace of their bodies in this horror scene, and not even the slightest hair.

- See?? Barb laughed in victory when she saw Quincy's expression of shame, As long as we don't find their bodies we have no evidence of death! Just not giving up could change everything!

With this statement, Carol remembered a song that she, Barb and Poppy had written in the times of their childhoods... She began to sing the melody of hope of this composition to encourage the rest of the troupe to continue, Barb joining accompanied by the lyrics;

There's a fire inside, you can feel it burning
It's a neon light glowing like a furnace
And the night is long but the world keeps turning
You gotta know it, it's not the end...

Gently, the queen of rock helped Trollex get up and dry his tears. She pointed to the sun shining again after the storm; wasn't that a sign of a good spirit?

Every new sunrise is one step closer
It's a sign in the sky that the fight's not over
So face the world, it's now or never
This is the moment, let it begin!!

Barb did not hesitate for a second and jumped on a rock to overlook her team, singing what she believed from the depths of her heart;

This could change everything
Can you feel it now, something's in the air?
This could change everything
I know we're gonna know it when we get there
No more waiting, I'm taking the chance
This could change everything
Let it begin!!

After all... Maybe she was right? If the team continued, maybe they would be lucky. Maybe they could change the fate of Branch and Poppy.

Oh-ohh-ohhh! They joined their voice to Barb's.

See the world outside in technicolor (Oh-ohh, oh-ohh)
Be the one who paints outside the numbers (Oh-ohh, oh-ohh)
Like a child who is lost in wonder
I don't wanna lose it, I'm breathing it in

This could change everything
Can you feel it now, something's in the air?
This could change everything
I know we're gonna know it when we get there
No more waiting, I'm taking the chance
This could change everything
Let it begin

The team climbed again on their flying insects and flew away to continue the searches, they would search until... they at least find their bodies. Even if life had been taken away from them, they had to be taken home. Tears were still flowing, but this time was accompanied by a hope that maybe, just maybe they would be lucky.

Oh-ohh-ohh
You can feel it coming like a flood
Oh-ohh-ohhh
Wash over us, wash over us
Oh-ohh-ohh
Let the future we've been dreaming up
Oh-ohh-ohhh
Wash over us, wash over us
Oh-ohh-ohh
You can feel it coming like a flood
Oh-ohh-ohhh
Wash over us, wash over us
Oh-ohh-ohh
Let the future we've been dreaming up
Oh-ohh-ohhh
Wash over us

This could change everything
Oh, this could change everything, ohh

This could change everything
Can you feel it now, something's in the air?
Oh, this could change everything
I know we're gonna know it when we get there
No more waiting, I'm taking the chance
This could change everything
Let it begin

Oh-oh-ohhhh
Let it begin
Oh-oh-ohhhh
Let it begin
Oh-oh-ohhhh
Oooh, ooh-oooh
Let it begin
Oh-oh-ohhhh

Let it begin!