Flower couldn't swim, but figured this would be a good time to learn. Unfortunately, she struggled to stay above water, but found the jail cell door floating in the river and held onto that.

“Mommy! Daddy!" she cried, coughing out some water. Poppy was the first to stick her head above the water, and swam after her daughter.

“Don't worry, Flower!" she reassured her, grabbing the door. “Mommy's got you!"

Branch came up and noticed Poppy putting Flower on her head and swimming to shore. He followed to make sure they were okay. Flower started choking and Branch performed CPR so the water would leave her system. Biggie was doing the same thing to Mr. Dinkles.

“You... okay, sprout?" he panted, exhausted from the escape. She nodded and he just lied down next to Poppy.

“I'm really glad you came with me," Poppy said in relief, smiling at Branch.

“Me, too."

“Yah! There you are! Whew!" Hickory shouted, shaking the water off of his body like a dog. “I think we lost them. We should be all right."

“Thank you!" Poppy said gratefully. “I don't know how we can ever repay you. Oh, wait! Yes, I do. Gumdrops!"

“Gum what? Oh, well, thank you," Hickory said, popping one into his mouth. “Whew. That's got a zing, don't it?"

Flower giggled as Branch took all of the gumdrops away from Hickory.

“It's not candy time," he said, feeling suspicious. “It's question time."

“Hug Time!" Poppy and Biggie shouted as all four Pop Trolls' Hug Time bracelets went off. They all gathered together for a group hug, which Branch immediately pulled away from. He may like hugs now, but no pair of arms could keep him from getting serious.

“Why are you helping us?!" he asked Hickory. He smacked his own wrist as his bracelet went off again. “What's in it for you?"

“Hey! Branch!" Poppy scolded, and turned to Hickory. “I'm sorry about my... associate."

Hickory didn't mind Branch's question, however, and happily answered as he strolled with Poppy.

“I loved your message about music bringing Trolls together," Hickory explained. “You may be Pop, and I may be Country, but Trolls is Trolls."

“‘Trolls is Trolls.' Wow, deep!" Branch muttered sarcastically.

Poppy gave Branch a look and turned back to Hickory. “This is the beginning of a partnership between Trolls that's going to save all Trolls!"

“You're darn skippy," Hickory agreed, winking at her. Branch groaned as she blushed.

“Okay," Poppy said, pulling out the map. “We need to get to the Funk Trolls before Barb."

“Well, quickest way is down that river," Hickory explained. “I'll build us a raft."

“This ought to be good," Branch scoffed. “Guy probably doesn't know the first thing about building a ra–"

Before Branch could finish his sentence, however, Hickory had already built a fancy raft with a coffee maker!

“Cappuccino, anyone?" he offered them.

“Cappuccino? Cappucci-yes!" Poppy accepted, as she and Biggie headed aboard the raft. Flower looked up at her father, whose jaw dropped.

“I do want one, but I am not happy about it!" Branch grumbled. Flower giggled as he carried her.

🖤☠️🖤🌺🖤☠️🖤🌺🖤☠️🖤🌺

That night, as Hickory cooked his new friends a hot meal over a fire, Branch spied on him with a pair of binoculars while sipping his cappuccino.

Poppy, meanwhile, was just putting Flower to bed. She sang a sweet song to her about sunshine and lollipops as the toddler drifted off to sleep.

“G,night, Mommy," she mumbled.

“Goodnight, my little princess," Poppy replied, kissing Flower's forehead.

“Let's get our grub on!" Hickory announced. “Food's ready!"

“Well, I'll bring more kindlin'!" Poppy said in a Southern accent, holding a couple sticks.

“Poppy," Branch whispered, “maybe it's just me, but are you getting a weird vibe from Hickory?"

“What? No. Why? Are you?" she asked.

“I just– I don't know, I don't trust him," Branch replied, looking through his binoculars again. Hickory just waved at him.

“Well, yeah, but you don't trust anybody, Branch," Poppy pointed out.

“Hey, I just want us to be safe," he said defensively. “And you know what's not safe? Putting too much trust into a complete stranger!"

“Oh, I see," Poppy said, feeling offended. “It's not Hickory you don't trust, it's me. Do you not think I'm a good queen?"

“Wait, what? I didn't say that!"

“I thought we were friends, Branch," she argued. “I'm starting to think you don't even know what that means."

“We are friends," he assured her. “And sometimes that means speaking up if I think you're making a mistake."

Before Poppy could let that sink in, she suddenly heard smooth jazz music.

“Do you hear something?" she asked Branch. They turned to find the water full of soapy bubbles and floating candles. A Troll with wavy red hair and chest hair cut in the shape of a heart emerged from the water and floated towards them in midair, playing a clarinet.

“Look at guy's cheeessssst haaaaiiiir..." Poppy sighed, falling under a trance.

“Poppy, I can't feel my face..." Branch said, his voice slowing down.

“It's... it's like being paralyzed by its smoothness," Poppy said dreamily, her voice echoing.

Poppy and Branch began imagining themselves on a beach somewhere in outer space wearing fluffy bathrobes. A man poured them each a glass of Fizzie Blues Juice and they clinked their glasses together, smiling at each other. Poppy heard a phone ringing and went to answer it.

“Hello?"

“Hello, it's me!" Branch replied, holding his own telephone. Poppy giggled at him. “Look! Narwhals..."

“Totally gnar-gnar..." Poppy sighed as they watched a pod of narwhals leap out of the water. Biggie rode one of them and waved at her.

Branch grabbed a piece of sushi with a pair of chopsticks and twirled it around Poppy's mouth teasingly. She giggled and prepared to take a bite...

Back in reality, Branch was tapping Poppy's tongue with a stick as she just sat there with a blank expression.

“Poppy, how'd you like the sushi?" he asked dreamily, before snapping out of it. They, along with Biggie, woke up from a trance and found their arms and legs tied together. Branch noticed the stick he was holding and immediately dropped it nervously.

“Mommy, I had a bad dweam," Flower yawned. “You and Daddy was fighting."

Flower then noticed all three of them were trapped.

“Got you, Pop babies," Chaz said, floating down towards the four Trolls. “Soon, Barb is going to have your string, and the world will be rid of cheesy, pointless pop music, once and for all."

“Hicky, help!" Flower shouted as Chaz prepared his clarinet. He wasn't afraid to use his smooth jazz against a child.

“Hold it right there, Chaz!" Hickory said, galloping up to the Smooth Jazz Troll. Flower hid right behind him.

“And who are you supposed to be, cowboy pants?" Chaz asked. The Pop Trolls could only watch, feeling the suspense.

“My name's Hickory," he answered, lifting his hat up, “and I don't much care for smooth jazz."

“Oh, yeah?" Chaz asked coyly. “Well, you've just never had the Chaz experience."

Licking the reed, Chaz played his clarinet again. Flower covered her ears and closed her eyes, hoping to block out the music. Luckily, Hickory kicked Chaz with his back hooves and sent Hickory flying off the raft, falling into the water.

“Gumdrops," he said, pulling them out of his ears and eating them. “Soundproof and delicious."

“Smooth jazz will be heard again!" Chaz cried out as he sank into the water. “Smooth jazz will never die!"

“You okay, Daddy?" Flower asked Branch as Hickory untied their ropes.

“Don't worry about me, Flower," he assured her, holding her in his strong arms. “It's my job to worry about you."

“I wuv you," she said sweetly.

“I love you, too, sprout," he replied, kissing her forehead.

“Who was that guy?" Poppy asked Hickory.

“One of the many bounty hunters out there looking for you," he answered.

“That was awful," Biggie said. “So smooth and easy and awful!"

“I know, big buddy," Hickory replied, patting him on the elbow. “It's enough to put you off jazz altogether."

“Alright, that's it!" Biggie decided. “We need to go home!"

“Biggie, it'll be okay," Poppy tried to reassure him.

“Stop saying that, and listen to me!" he pleaded. “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? You made a pinky promise to me, Queen Poppy. And you broke it."

Having made his decision, Biggie pulled on Mr. Dinkles' hat, making him run like a motor, dropped him in the water, and stood on his back, floating in the opposite direction.

“What kind of queen breaks a pinky promise?!" Biggie shouted as he disappeared into the night.

“Biggie, no!" Poppy quietly pleaded.

Flower sadly waved goodbye. “Bye, Biggie."

A lot of people were probably mad at Biggie, but he did make a pretty good point. Poppy and the others were put in danger because of her arrogance. Besides, he eventually regrets leaving her. She wouldn't have left him, no matter how scared she was.

Until next time. 🌈