That right up above is the last time I use the markers I got for Christmas.

Willow felt guilty for leaving her friends behind, but decided to push that aside when she finally made it to the edge the Bitter Sea. The wind blew hard, the water was rough, the waves crashed into the shore.

First thing's first, Willow needed to make sure she had the best chance of crossing. So, she took off her coat, her pants, her boots, her scarf, her earmuffs until the only piece of clothing left on her was a black unitard. As a bonus, she pulled her hair back and tied it up into a ponytail. Without a moment to waste, Willow opened up her wings and flew over the water... only for a giant wave to throw her back. After swimming back to the shore, she decided to try a different strategy.

“Okay," Willow muttered, opening her wings up once more. She began flying over the water again, but this time, she retracted her wings and dove into a wave. She found a big pointy rock sticking out of the water and climbed up it. After using her inhaler, Willow continued flying. As a much bigger wave approached her, Willow created a force field so she could fly through it. Suddenly, she turned her head to find the same wave sneaking up from behind her, trapping her underwater again!

As Willow began to swim towards the surface, she was approached by a stag-like creature made of water. Willow froze as the Water Spirit stared at her with glowing blue eyes. Once the spirit vanished, Willow swam up to surface. After gasping for air, Willow looked down and noticed the Water Spirit swimming towards her. She created a raft of ice and climbed on it only for the spirit to knock her right off. Willow looked around for the Water Spirit only for the stag to jump onto her and push her deeper into the water and all of the air out of her lungs.

Unable to think otherwise, Willow inhaled the water and felt gills open up on her neck. Finally able to breathe, she used her powers to freeze the spirit to solid ice. Once that happened, the stag vanished and Willow swam up to the surface, only for the spirit to throw her into the air. She tried to push the Water Spirit back with a wave, but the spirit grabbed her by the wrist and dragged her through the water. It seemed bad, but Willow had one last plan. She wrapped her ponytail around the stag's neck and climbed onto the spirit's back so she would have the upper hand. This angered the Water Spirit, who began bucking around like crazy, trying to get her off. Willow refused to let go, however, and eventually, the spirit calmed down and bounded across the water towards a stony island covered in ice.

“Nefilheim is a glacier?" Willow asked herself. “Well, that would explain while all those memories were frozen solid."

“Ah-ah-ah-ahhhhhhhh!"

Willow gasped as she heard the voice call out to her from Nefilheim, the ice letting out a soft glow.

“I hear you, and I'm coming," Willow said softly, the stag prancing across the Bitter Sea towards the frozen river of memories.

Every inch of me is trembling

But not from the cold

Something is familiar

Like a dream I can reach

But not quite hold

I can sense you there

Like a friend I've always known

I'm arriving

And it feels like I am home

Once they reached the snowy shores, Willow pulled back her hair and lept off the Water Spirit. After a quick bow to each other, the stag retreated into the sea and Willow headed inside a tunnel through the ice, loosening her rainbow hair and letting it fall to her ankles.

I have always been a fortress

Dark secrets deep inside

You have secrets, too

But you don't have to hide

Show yourself

I'm dying to meet you

Show yourself

It's your turn

Are you the one I've been looking for

All of my life?

Show yourself!

I'm ready to learn...

Ah-ah-ah-ahhhhhhhh!

“Ah-ahhhhh-ah-ah-ahhhhhhhhh!" the voice called out once more. Willow turned around and noticed four bright lights the same shape and color of each of the spirits' symbols. Willow ran after them deep into the heart of the glacier.

I've never felt so certain

All my life, I've been torn

But I'm here for a reason

Could it be the reason I was born?

I have always been so different

Normal rules did not apply

Is this the day, are you the way

I finally find out why?!

Show yourself!

I'm no longer trembling!

Here I am

I've come so far!

You are the answer I've waited for

All of my life

Oh, show yourself!

Let me see who you are...

Come to me now

Open your door

Don't make me wait

One moment more!

Oh, come to me now

Open your door

Don't make me wait

One moment more!

In a dark cavern, Willow found the spirits' symbols appear as four giant crystal hearts, which lied on the ground ninety degrees apart from each other with the fifth spirit's clover-shaped symbol resting in the center. Determined to meet who had been called her, Willow stood on the fifth symbol, causing them all to light up and let out a bright flash. Willow looked around and gazed in awe at the memories all around her, like a three-sixty dome theater. Some of them she recognized, others were from far before her time.

“Where the Northwind meets the sea" a chorus of mothers sang to their children. “There's a river full of memory..."

Willow noticed the memory of an injured silver Rattlecobra holding a young Troll, calling out to the spirits in a very familiar tone.

“Elora..." Willow gasped. But that could only mean...

“Come my darling, homeward bound," sang a very familiar voice. Willow turned around and saw Elora in her Troll form singing to Willow when she was a baby. At that moment, Willow finally realized the one thing she was looking for all this time, the answers she needed...

I am found!

Show yourself!

Step into your power

Grow yourself

Into something new

As Willow sang with Elora's spirit, her black unitard transformed into a white gown with heart-shaped gems scattered across it.

You are the one you've been waiting for

All of my life!

All of your life

Oh, show yourself!

You...

Ah-ah-ah-ahhhhhhhh!

Ah-ah-ah-ahhhhhhhh!

Ah-ah-ah-ahhhhhhhh!

Ah-ah-ah-ahhhhhhhh!

Ah-ahhhhhh-ah-ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!

Using her magic, Willow made thick, colorful clouds swirl around her and in a flash of white, they evaporated and Willow found herself surrounded by ice sculptures, each of them reflecting a moment from the past.

“Happy Troll-A-Bration, everybody!"

“I don't think King Peppy made it..."

“No Troll left behind!"

Willow cringed at the sight of King Peppy's naked rear.

“Did you hear that, Carol? We have a girl group now!"

“My name's Hickory. And I don't much care for smooth jazz."

“The Bergens are coming! Aah!"

“Just for now, why don't you try on some positivity, eh? A little posi–"

Willow decided that one was better off forgotten.

“This oughta show them Northrens," a Troll said as he stacked a bunch of rocks on top of each other, using his hair as a grappling hook on the edges of the cliff.

“Hawthorne, sweetie, be careful with that," a slightly younger Fuchsia warned him.

“Relax babe, I'll be fi-i-ahh!" Hawthorne screamed as his hair lost its grip and he fell dozens of feet to the ground, landing on his head while making a loud SNAP!

“Ouch," Willow muttered. She noticed another memory from when King Peppy was just a young prince.

“Okay, campers!" Dandelion announced. “Welcome to Northros! We're going to stay here this summer to learn about the magic of nature!"

“Hey, Prince Peppy! Check this out!" said a young Northren playing with Zephyr. Like any other Troll, Peppy couldn't resist the chance to play with a new friend and joined in on the fun.

Willow then noticed another memory of Zephyr carrying young Peppy to a Caterbus right before a few other Pop Trolls came running.

“Where's Fuchsia?" one Troll wondered. “Has anyone seen my baby?!"

Willow then found a memory of Elora talking to a Northren.

“I came by to tell you we have visitors, Miss," he told her. “They call themselves the Trolls."

“Yes, I've seen them," Elora told them.

“Don't you wish to meet them?"

“I'm afraid I can't, Toadflax," she replied sadly.

“Why not?" he asked her.

Elora sighed. “I was forced to leave my home because of a monster that craved power. Even after all these years, I still fear he'll find me and my magic won't be enough for him. These Trolls have something special in them, something he'll want once he–"

Willow noticed Elora freeze in terror, her pupils turning to slits.

“Once he what?" Toadflax asked.

“He's coming," Elora muttered, then leaned close to Toadflax. “Listen to me. Go tell everyone the Trolls have to leave immediately. If they don't, they'll all die. Go! While they still have the chance!"

As Toadflax ran off, Elora slithered in the opposite direction. Willow noticed a much larger Rattlecobra, whom she was way too familiar with, heading in her direction. The young Pop Troll followed them deep into a dark tunnel.

“Come out, come out," the evil prince hissed. “I know you're there. I can feel you here."

Willow froze as she reached the bottom of the stairs, with nothing but a deep pit below her feet as she stood on a ledge, the air turning cold. She tried to adjust her body temperature, but she still shivered.

Dive down deep into her sound

But not too far, or you'll be drowned...

Willow was well aware that something bad would happen if she kept going, but she needed answers.

So, she jumped.

Once Willow landed on the icy ground, she noticed a thin layer of frost beginning to cover her skin.

“Dandelion, you and the Trolls need to leave," Toadflax warned him. “You will all die if you don't get out now."

“No, no, no. You said we were welcome here!" one of the parents pointed out.

“I wish I didn't have to tell you this," Toadflax said. “But you really have to go!"

“Make us!" a young boy said stubbornly.

Willow was so cold, she lost almost all feeling in her limbs, but she had to keep going. As her hair lost almost all of its color, she found Elora coiled up, trying to make herself look smaller, as the larger, more terrifying male approached her with a sinister grin.

“You belong to me now..." he said quietly. Elora chanted the Resurrection spell and muttered something about a firstborn as the prince prepared to strike.

“No!" Willow shouted, trying to reach out to them, but her legs were frozen to the ground. As Elora let out an ear-piercing scream, Willow's body slowly turned to ice. She looked up and painfully held up her free arm.

“Poppy..." she whimpered, letting out a blast of magic before freezing completely.

I'm not crying, you're crying.

Unless I'm mistaken, there are about... three more chapters left.

Until next time. 🌈