Meanwhile, Cooper wandered an uncharted area of the Troll Kingdom. To catch you readers up, Cooper believed that there were other Trolls just like him, and when he saw a picture on King Peppy's scroll, he saw that one of them looked almost identical to him. Since then, he's been out searching for them and where they could be. He looked around and saw a four legs underneath a leaf.

Cooper: Trolls that look like me! Yes!

Without thinking, he ran forward, and he was in for a surprise. Instead of Trolls, he came across strange looking birds.

Cooper: Oh...hello there...

There sure were a lot of them, and they were examining Cooper very closely, but what happened next completely caught him off guard. Instead of cawing or...whatever a bird does, they were trumpeting like horns overwhelming him completely. One of them nearly swallowed him whole before he managed to get away. They all stared down at him nearly sending him into panic, he suddenly pooped out a whole cake and candles...and somehow fire.

Cooper: Happy Birthday...?

________________________

Back on the river, Biggie and Hickory were sitting by a fire while Branch was keeping a vigilant eye out for any potential danger. He couldn't help but feel that there was something off about him, something he was hiding. He didn't seem like other Trolls, and it was strange that he had offered to help them out of Lonesome Flats and somehow already knew they were Pop Trolls.

Branch: What are you hiding, Hickory...?

Poppy sat down next to Branch twirling the hibiscus he gave her earlier in her hand. Branch couldn't help but notice how vulnerable she looked after what she had been through. He could only imagine what had happened after she escaped from Barb. When he found her, she was out like a light, covered in bruises and had blisters on her feet...and her arm was banged up. Luckily, she was recovering nicely, just her arm was still healing.

Branch: Poppy, c'mere.

Poppy looked up at Branch as he carefully removed the filthy bandage from her arm, it was still pretty banged up and only showed a few small improvements. Branch replaced the old bandage with a new one and secured it around her arm before cutting it.

Branch: Is that better?

Poppy: Much better.

Poppy later let out a soft yawn and took a pillow out of her hair before laying down.

Branch: Poppy?

Poppy: I might call it a night soon...

Branch nodded, understanding how she might've been feeling right now. She only slept for a few short minutes since her disappearance, and it's been almost 2 whole days, she must've been exhausted.

Branch: ...Poppy, you know I never intend to hurt you, right?

Poppy: Yeah...

Branch: So, um...about what I said earlier...I'm not trying to hurt your feelings, Poppy, I just want you to be vigilant. This is still entirely new compared to what you and I are used to, we need to be on high alert. And right now, we're not sure who we can trust. I've been keeping an eye on Hickory, and there's something strange about him that I just can't put my finger on, just stay alert.

Poppy: I am, Branch...maybe tomorrow morning...

Poppy brought her knees to her chest and closed her eyes, hugging her pillow like a stuffed animal.

Branch: Tomorrow it is then...

Poppy: ...Branch?

Branch: Yeah?

Poppy: Be straight with me...do you think I'm a bad queen?

Branch was taken aback by Poppy's sudden question.

Branch: ...What made you think that?

Poppy: Well...just seeing how you were just...it made me have doubts, and what you said earlier really got me thinking if I was doing the right thing.

Branch: ...Poppy, as your...friend, it's my job to guide you through right and wrong. But I'm not a critic, sometimes I want you to figure it out yourself. I'm here to guide you, not hurt you.

Poppy nodded looking down at her scarred arm, a vivid reminder of the Bergen attack from her childhood...but also a heartwarming reminder saying that Branch will always be by her side to dry her tears and get her back onto her feet. But just as she was about to call it a night, she heard distant music that sounded like it was coming from just ahead.

Poppy: Branch...do you hear something?

Suddenly, a Smooth Jazz Troll emerged from the water playing his saxophone, what Poppy and Branch didn't know was that this was Chaz, one of the Bounty Hunters Barb hired to recapture Poppy.

Branch: Whoa...

Poppy: Look at that guy's cHeSt hAiR...

As Chaz played his saxophone, Poppy and Branch started to become disoriented, succumbing to the sound of smooth jazz.

Branch: poPpY...I cAn'T FeEl mY FaCe...

Poppy: iT'S LiKe i'M BeIng pARalYzEd bY iT's smOOthNeSS...

Pretty soon, the smooth jazz began to overwhelm the two Trolls and they ended up lost in their own world on a beach, wearing bathrobes and drinking fizzy drinks.

I don't even know how to describe it, but...it was weird, the smooth jazz was messing with their heads in unspeakable ways. It was like...they completely forgot what they should've been doing and were just letting the smooth jazz carry them away from reality. Poppy picked up a ringing telephone from Mr. Dinkles who...apparently had strong arms now.

Poppy: HeLLo...?

Branch: HeLLo, iT'S mE...!

The two continued goofing around in their own little paradise, nearly losing touch with reality.

Branch: lOok! nArWHaLs...!

Poppy: tOTaLlY gNAr gNar...!

Biggie: Poppy!

Poppy was certain she heard Biggie calling for her, but she quickly dismissed it, continuing to lose herself and talking crazy. Branch was the same way apparently. Personally, I believe that their minds must think alike if they were both having the same hallucination. Branch was...supposedly about to feed Poppy sushi, but really...

Yeah...they weren't on a beach...they were still on the boat, completely delirious, and Branch was tapping a stick on Poppy's tongue...ugh.

Branch: poPpy...hOw'D yOu LiKe tHe SUsHi...?

Soon, they began to snap out of it, thank goodness, but realized that they were all tied up, their wrists and ankles were tied together. Branch stared at the stick in his hands with wide eyes, Biggie was squeezing Mr. Dinkles tightly, trying to keep it together, and Poppy...? She was still waking up from her hypnotic trance and was still a little unaware of her surroundings.

Poppy: W-what just...?

Chaz: Gotcha, Pop babies.

The three stared at Chaz wide-eyed, Poppy, still waking up, couldn't grasp what was really going on, she only remembered hearing smooth jazz and...it was just a blur from there.

Chaz: Soon, Barb is gonna have you back, Queen Poppy, and the world will be rid of cheesy, pointless pop music, once and for all.

Hickory: Hold it right there, Chaz!

Hickory suddenly came out of nowhere and stood face to face with Chaz.

Chaz: And who are you supposed to be, cowboy pants?

The three gasped staring at Hickory slack-jawed.

Hickory: Name's Hickory, and I don't care much for smooth jazz.

The three Trolls gasped again, turning their heads to Chaz.

Chaz: Oh, yeah? Well, you've just never had the Chaz experience.

Chaz started playing his saxophone again, but instead of succumbing to its smoothness, Hickory bucked him and he fell back into the water. Then he took two gumdrops out of his ears.

Hickory: Gumdrops, soundproof and delicious.

Chaz: Smooth jazz will be heard again! Smooth jazz will never die!

Once everyone was untied, they all stared at each other, still processing what had happened.

Poppy: Who was that guy?

Hickory: One of the many bounty hunters out there looking for you, Queen Poppy.

Poppy's heart dropped to her stomach when she heard that, she put a hand over her mouth and dropped to her knees.

Biggie: That was awful, so smooth and easy and awful!

Hickory: I know, big buddy, it's enough to putcha off jazz all together.

Branch turned to Poppy who was still on her knees in disbelief.

Poppy: They're...after me...?

Branch: Poppy, look, at this point...maybe we should call it quits.

Poppy: Uh uh, no, I'm not doing that! We're seeing this to the end.

Branch was starting to reach his breaking point, Poppy kept ignoring her own needs and she kept either getting hurt or putting herself in danger.

Biggie: Alright, that's it, we need to go home!

Poppy: Wait, Biggie-

Branch: Actually, Poppy, he's got the right idea.

Poppy: No, no, it'll be okay, I promise.

Biggie: Stop saying that and listen to me! You only hear what you want to hear, and it puts us all in danger. How are you supposed to save the world if you can't even keep us safe? 

Poppy lost her train of thought as soon as she heard her friend say that, she felt her heart begin to break.

Biggie: You made a pinky promise to me, Queen Poppy, and you broke it!

Poppy watched as Biggie took off in the river using Mr. Dinkles as a miniature speedboat.

Biggie: What kind of queen breaks a pinky promise?!

Poppy: Biggie, no...come back, please...! We're so close to...to...

Branch: Poppy!

Poppy's eyes suddenly closed and she fell backwards, Branch reacted quickly and caught her.

Branch: What's wrong?!

Poppy: I'm okay...I'm okay...

But Branch could easily tell that there was something wrong with Poppy, maybe...maybe there was still jazz in her system.

Branch: No you're not, Poppy, he has a point, we need to go home!

Poppy: WE'RE NOT GOING ANYWHERE!!!!!!!!

Poppy's sudden outburst took a huge toll on her and she crumpled to the ground sobbing uncontrollably. Branch didn't know what to do to talk her out of it and he started caressing her back gently.

Branch: Look, Poppy, he's right, we haven't really been able to defend ourselves out here, if you can't keep yourself safe, how can you keep the world safe?

Poppy: DON'T YOU THINK I FEEL BAD ENOUGH ALREADY, BRANCH?!?!?!

Branch didn't like this side of Poppy...either the jazz was still messing with her head, or...wait, Branch suddenly remembered what happened earlier before they encountered Chaz. Poppy was about to call it a night when they came across him. She did mention that she traveled on foot for almost a whole day, that was probably the problem...she was cranky.

Branch: Hey...you've had a rough day, get some rest, okay?

Poppy looked up at Branch, but then looked back down. Branch picked up her pillow and handed it to her.

Poppy: I'm sorry...I guess I'm just under a lot of stress right now.

Branch: That, or there's still jazz in your system, lay down.

Poppy sighed and laid down near the fireplace hugging her pillow, closing her eyes. Branch sat next to her feeling terrible for her. But what really bothered him was how worried everyone back at Pop Village must've been, they still thought that Poppy was being held hostage and they had no clue that she had escaped. Was she deliberately making them worry? No, that wasn't her, but hopefully, she would come to her senses and decide to go home soon. Branch kept an eye on Poppy making sure she was sound asleep, then he looked around to make sure that no one was watching and did something without thinking clearly. He kissed her forehead.