On Barb's Angler Bus, the Hard Rock Trolls were partying to loud rock music non-stop. Willow just sat on a couch by herself, not quite sure if she should say something or not. She was Pop, these guys were Rock, what could she say to them?

"Hey," Ash said suddenly, sitting next to her as she held a six-pack. "Wanna soda?"

"I've never had it before, but okay," Willow accepted, taking a sip from the can and swallowing it before she could spit it out in disgust. "Ugh, tastes terrible. But at the same time, I want more."

Ash laughed a little. She grabbed a can, shook it real hard, and once it was open, she sprayed the glittery fizz all over her fellow Rockers, and they just loved it.

"Give it up for my sister!" Barb cheered as Ash poured what was left of her soda all over her body. Willow watched as the brown, carbonated liquid dripped down Ash's beautiful skin, her orange hair was now messier than before. Willow couldn't look away. Ash sat back down on the couch and smiled coyly at the Pop Troll, who felt like she was going to have a heart attack, her wings threatening to pop out of her back.

Suddenly, they all noticed something sparkly and cute flying into the bus. It took Barb a moment to realize what it was.

"Wait, is that... Debbie?!" Barb asked in horror as the bat flew up to her, and she gave her a comforting hug. "No! What did they do to you, my hairy little baby?! Come here, come here, come here..."

"Gnarly," Riff said quietly.

"I see your pet met my friend Poppy," Willow figured as King Thrash mumbled something. Barb noticed Debbie holding an envelope with her feet.

"What is this? Pop Trolls?" Barb asked herself as she ripped it open with her mouth and opened up a card shaped like an ice cream cone.

Dear Barb

Can't wait to meet U

I have tons of great party ideas

Maybe U & I can even be

BEST FRIENDS!!!

"Best friends?" Barb repeated, baffled. "Is she making fun of me?! No one says that! Friendship takes time and years of mutual care and respect. You don't just become best friends!"

"Then you don't know Poppy like I do," Willow said. "She got our entire village to be friends with creatures that eat Trolls. And while she was at it, got 'em to stop eating Trolls."

"Wow, that's impressive!" Ash admitted.

"Well, no one's stopping me from eating what I want," Barb said in defiance. It seemed to Willow she wasn't a very good listener. "Plus, everyone knows I already have a ton of friends. Like Carol. Right, Carol?"

Carol didn't answer, she just stuffed her face with spray cheese.

"Okay, you're busy. That's fine. Love you, Carol."

Willow noticed the Rock queen's face fall. She tried to reach out to feel something from her with her power of empathy, but before she could, Barb noticed a fuse burn out on the card. Willow knew exactly what was going to happen.

"And three, two, one."

"Trolls just wanna have fun!" Poppy's voice sang from the card as glitter splattered across Barb's face. She growled in fury as everyone backed away nervously.

"Gnarly!" Riff whimpered, backing up King Thrash's wheelchair for him.

"Pop music isn't even real music!" Barb growled as she destroyed everything in her path. "It's bland! It's repetitive! The lyrics are empty! Worst of all, it crawls into your head like an earworm!"

Willow and Ash could only watch as she sliced an entire couch in half with a chainsaw!

"And people tell me I have anger issues," Willow muttered as Barb's rage died down.

"You know, and you can't get it out..." she panted. "Uh, I'm tired now. Whoo! Hating things takes a lot of energy."

"Yeah, I've been there, sister," Willow said understandingly.

"Trolls just wanna have fun," King Thrash mumbled the lyrics to Poppy's song. Willow held back a laugh as the two sisters rushed to their father's aid.

"No, no! Look what their music just did to Dad!" Barb cried out, giving him a juice box. "Daddy? Come back! Come back to me, Daddy."

"It's okay, Dad," Ash reassured him, gently holding his hand. "It'll be okay."

"No one does this to Dad, and no one makes fun of Queen Barb!" Barb said angrily as her father smashed the empty juice box against his head. "Ah! I need that Pop string. And I know who's gonna help me. The most feared bounty hunters in all of Trolldom."

"Trolls have bounty hunters?" Willow wondered to herself.

🖤☠️🖤🌺🖤☠️🖤🌺🖤☠️🖤🌺

Indeed, Trolls had bounty hunters. First, there was Chaz, a stealthy Troll who lured his victims with his Smooth Jazz music. Then, there were the Reggaeton Trolls, Tresillo and his señoritas, Marimba and Tambora, who were famous for their cunning, as well as their impressive dance moves. There was also the K-Pop Gang: Kim-Petit, Ari, Wani, Gomdori, and Baby Bun. They were well-known for their playful nature, but also their mischief. You do not want come across these girls. And finally, there were the Yodelers, who were masters of patience and trickery, but no one really knew anything else about them.

"What's the difference between K-Pop and regular Pop?" Willow whispered to Ash.

"I think it's all about the teamwork," she answered.

"Okay," Barb announced as she stood in front of the bounty hunters. Ash pulled down a map so Barb could explain their job to them. "As you probably know, I'm bringing a tidal wave of rock across this land of ours. And soon there will be nothing but hard rock as far as the ear can hear. Whoever brings me Queen Poppy gets to keep their very own music in their very own territory. Right over... here!"

The bounty hunters weren't too satisfied about their prize. It was an island barely visible to the naked eye, even on such a huge map as this one.

"I don't know, it looks pretty tiny," Tresillo pointed out.

"You want it or not?!" Barb snarled. They all silenced their complaints. "All you have to do is get me Queen Poppy!"

The bounty hunters immediately got to work, except for Wani.

"Do you validate parking?" she asked, holding up a ticket. Before she could get an answer, Kim-Petit pushed her so they could leave.

At that moment, Barb noticed someone was missing.

"Dude, where are the Yodelers?" she asked Riff.

"I heard a rumor, uh, that they yodeled so hard, an avalanche fell on 'em," he stuttered. Barb just glared at him. "Or something..."

"Well, I don't pay you to hear," Barb scoffed.

"Actually, I'm doing this for college credit," Riff pointed out.

"No offense, but I don't think your sister's very nice," Willow whispered to Ash.

"Then you don't know her like I do," Ash replied, laughing a little.

"I'm starving, when do we eat here?" Willow asked.

"We eat here whenever, you eat here never," Barb answered.

"I-I can reheat you some pizza," Ash whispered nervously. For some strange reason, she found herself being nice to a Pop Troll.

The moment Ash grabbed her hand, Willow felt her emotions. She was feeling... affection. For her.

"What?" Willow muttered.

"Is something wrong?" Ash asked with concern. Willow didn't know what to say, because she couldn't even believe her own words.

"No. Nothing at all," she replied, and left with Ash while Barb sat on her throne and held Poppy's card to a candle.

"If anyone can find me Queen Poppy and her string, it's the Yodelers," she said in a sinister tone, burning the card as the music slowed down and stopped.

Told you the beginning was gonna be weird. Then again, Willow's kind of a weird Troll. But we love her anyways. 💜

Until next time. 🌈