"Barb! Barb stop!" the voice  yelled out, as Barb chased Branch, ready to kill him.

     "Get back here, boy toy!" she yelled, chasing him.

     He looked back, panting heavily, as he ran for his life.

     Not paying attention to where he was going, he ran right off the side of a cliff.

     His feet continued moving, as if he was running, as he levitated in the air for a moment.

     Finally, he stopped, looking down, seeing the giant pit below him.

     "Frosting..." he muttered. Then he began to fall, plummeting towards the ground.

     "AHHHHH!" he screamed, something suddenly wrapping around his waist, and catching him.

     He stopped falling, begging to shoot back up into the air, as if he where bungee jumping.

     "AHHHHH!" he continued screaming.

     As he got higher up into the air, he stopped, gasping for air, as he took a break from screaming, until he began falling back down, screaming again.

     "When does it end!?" he shouted out in fear.

     Finally, he stopped falling, dangling from whatever held him by the waist.

     He was still panting heavily, his heart racing in fear, as he looked down at the ground far below him.

     "I'm ok? I'm ok!" he yelled, cheering, happy to still be alive.

     But... what had saved him?

     Slowly, he looked up.

     Barb was at the top of the cliff, knelt on the ground, as she held onto Branch with her hair.

     "I got you!" she yelled down to him, struggling to pull him back up to safety.

     Finally, he reached the edge, grabbing onto the ground as he helped Barb pull him up.

     He lay on the ground, kissing the dirt, happy to be safe.

     "Branch!" a voice called, from off in the distance.

     Quickly, he raised his head, seeing Poppy running towards him.

     "Poppy?"

     He rose to his feet, Poppy immediately jumping into him to give him a big hug.

     "Are you ok, Branch?" she asked concerned.

     "I'm fine," he assured. "But... what in the world are you doing here, Poppy!?" he yelled, pulling away from the hug. "I told you to stay with the others! And Barb..." He turned to Barb. "I told you to keep her there!"

     Barb shrugged, and then crossed her arms.

     "You ain't the boss of me," she said. "I'm my own Queen."

     She held up her fist, and Poppy fist bumped it, both of them mimicking an explosion.

     💥

     Branch sighed, annoyed, as he covered his face with his hands.

     "Why can't you ever listen to me?" he said softly. "Just once. Is that so much to ask?"

     "She did listen to you," Barb said, defending Poppy.

     Branch looked at her, as she smirked.

     "She listened to you, and then just ignored what you said," she finished.

     "That means she didn't listen, Barb," Branch grumbled, angrily.

     Barb shrugged.

     "Eh. Marshtato Marshtarto," Barb said.

     Branch sighed again, shaking his head at Barb, before turning his attention back to Poppy.

     "Please, Poppy. You have to go back. It's too dangerous."
"Which is exactly why I need to stay," she responded. "You can't do this alone."

     He looked away from her, sadly, not wanting to put her in danger,

     She smiled, slowly taking his hands in hers.

     "We're in this together, Branch," she said.

     He looked at her, and smiled, slightly.

     "Ok... ok..." he sighed. "You can come, but just promise me you'll stay safe."

     "Cross my heart and hope to dye... my hair... beige," she said, dramatically.

     Then she smiled, hugging Branch tight.

     "Yay! We're going on another adventure!" she squealed with joy.

     "Yeah... adventure... yay," Branch said sarcastically. Then he sighed, beginning to walk with the two Queens.