Carefully but quickly, the two trolls descended the mountain, following the footprints they had found. They needed to hurry. They needed to find the stone of dreams before it was too late.

After about an hour of walking, Branch looked up at the sky, his heart sinking down into his stomach. It was starting to get dark. The moon would be rising any minute now.

"We have to hurry, Poppy," he told her, his voice trembling in a panic, as he picked up the pace. "There's not much time left."

—————

Soon, they reached the end of the footprints, looking around in confusion.

"What? They... they just... stop?" Branch said in shock, looking around as he stepped forwards slowly. "They can't just stop. That's impossible! People can't just vanish into thin ai-iiiiirrrrr!" he screamed, suddenly flying up into the sky.
"Branch!"

Poppy looked up at Branch, who was now dangling upside down, a loop of rope tied tightly around his ankle.

     "Now I know how you guys feel, when you get stuck in one of my traps," he grumbled, crossing his arms angrily.

     "Don't worry, Branch!" Poppy called up to him. "I'll get you... down?"

     She cocked her head slightly, as she noticed an entire city up in the trees, right above where Branch hung.

"Whoa," she said in amazement, looking up at it. "That must be where that person went! Branch! The stone of dreams must be in there!"

     "Ok... just.. give me a minute..." he said, as he began to swing himself back and forth, trying to untie the rope from his foot. "Almost... got it..."

     "Freeze!" a voice suddenly shouted out from above, causing Branch to flinch as he looked up, seeing creatures he had never seen before, surrounding him, all of them holding long pointy staffs.

"Um... hi?" Branch said, smiling and waving innocently.

     "AHHH!" Poppy suddenly screamed from down below him, causing him to immediately look down at her. He gasped, seeing that she was now being surrounded by the same creatures he was.

"Hey! Leave her alone!" Branch yelled defensively, trying to break free from the rope that held him.

     The creatures didn't like that outburst, suddenly poking Branch with their staffs.

     "Ow!" he yelled, slapping the staff away, but that only got him another sharp poke. "Ah!"

     "What are these things?" one of the creatures asked, looking at Poppy and Branch in confusion.

     "Wait a minute... you guys can see us! Why can you see us!?" Branch demanded sternly. "Shut it!" one of the creatures shouted angrily, poking him again.
"Ow!" Branch yelled slapping the staff away from himself. "Stop that!"

     "Um..." Poppy finally said, looking around cautiously. "Hi, everyone. I'm Queen Poppy. Of the... Uh... pop trolls."

     The creatures gasped, quickly looking at each other in shock, as they murmured softly to one another.

     "Those are the trolls?"
"I can't believe their actually here."
"How did they find us?"

     Poppy looked at them, trying to hear what they were saying, but they were all over talking each other, their words blending together.

      "Um... excuse me," Poppy said softly, but they didn't stop murmuring. "Excuse me? Hey!"

     They all stopped talking at the sudden shout, looking at Poppy in shock.

     "Listen..." she told them. "I have no idea what's going on here, but my husband and I are only here for the stone of dreams." They all gasped, shocked by her words. "Did... did I say something offensive?"

     "What are you trolls doing here!?" a voice suddenly boomed out from above.

     Both Poppy and Branch look up at the sound of the voice, seeing one of the creatures standing above them, wearing a crown and a robe.

     "I am Oomar. King of Bashoongas," he stated in a firm voice.
"Bashoongas?" Branch repeated, raising an eyebrow in confusion.
"I said shut it!" one of the creatures yelled, poking Branch yet again.
"Ow!" Branch shrieked. "Cut it out!" They poked him again. "Ow!"
"Then shut up!"

     Branch crossed his arms, glaring up at him, but didn't speak a single word.

     "Hello, King Oomar," Poppy greeted with a kind smile. "I am Queen Poppy."
"I am well aware of who you trolls are," Oomar stated harshly.
"Oh..." she said softly, blinking slightly in shock. "Well... we are just here for..."
"The stone of dreams," the Bashoonga King finished. "I know why you two are here. Your here because of me."
"You put the curse on us!?" Branch shouted out without even thinking, the Bashoonga immediately poking him with his staff again. "Ow!"
"Shut it!"

     Branch crossed his arms again, growling softly in anger.

     "Well... why?" Poppy finally asked the King Bashoonga.
"Without their leaders... the troll's village will crumble. Leaving it open for us to overrun," Oomar informed with a smug grin.

     "But why?" Branch asked, the Bashoonga quickly poking him yet again. "That's it! Give me that staff!"

     Branch reached for the staff, but the Bashoonga just whacked him with it, as if he were a piñata.

     "Don't cross me, Troll," the Bashoonga growled.
"Noted," Branch groaned, clutching his stomach in pain.

     "Their not worth the trouble, Ooblec. Their time is up soon anyways," King Oomar chuckled.

     He started to walk away, but then suddenly stopped.

     "And cut that one loose," he ordered, gesturing to Branch.

     The Bashoonga who had been tormenting the little blue troll, cut the rope holding him up, so that he would plummet to the ground.

     "AHHHHH!" he screamed, crashing face first into the dirt below him. "Ow..."
"Branch!" Poppy yelled out in a panic, quickly running to help Branch up to his feet.

     "Bring em to the dungeon," Oomar ordered. "They'll spend their final hours in there."

     The Bashoongas surrounded the two trolls, as King Oomar looked on, smiling in evil delight.