Welcome to a world of ice skating and snow and ice and Trolls! And of course, sweet Broppy goodness! I've never written Trolls material before but I'm giving it my all, so I hope you enjoy!

Chapter 1 The Tradition

"Found them!"

From her closet, Poppy emerged, holding a burgundy box that, while old and worn and lacking a bit of its structure, still looked rather elegant. Especially with the gold ribbon adorning its lid.

Smidge was perched right on the edge of Poppy's bed, eyes wide and filled with curiosity when they spied the mysterious box. Anticipation had driven her to leap down mere moments later, however, and rush over to her friend's side. "Lemme see, lemme see!"

"Hang on, Smidge," Poppy laughed, holding the box close to her chest. "Remember, these belonged to my mom, so we need to handle them with care, alright?"

Smidge nodded repeatedly and tossed a quick thumbs-up. "You got it. I'll handle them with care of a level you've never seen."

Poppy knelt down on the rug, still holding the box reverently. Smidge took seat as well, facing her. The petite yellow troll watched with rapt interest as Poppy removed the lid, revealing what was nestled inside.

"Oh my god," whispered Smidge, mouth falling open. "They're beautiful!"

Smiling fondly, Poppy reached into the box and pulled out a pair of ice skates, magenta eyes possessing a wistful shimmer.

The boot of the skates were encased in a brilliant violet crystal, the blades cut into finer pieces and attached to the base of each boot, the insoles padded with a plush fabric for comfort and necessary support. The skates had dulled a bit at the edges, the blades scuffed in certain spots, but that didn't make them any less lovely in Poppy's eyes.

"Your dad really made these for her?"

"With his own two hands and a chisel," Poppy answered, her tone deeply sentimental as she marveled at the treasure she'd uncovered. "He told me that each year, on the night of the first full moon in winter, she would welcome the snowy season with a routine out on the lake. And the reason it had to be on the night of the first full moon is because that's the night that the ice lilies bloom."

"Ice lilies?"

Poppy nodded. "You know those pretty white flowers that pop up everywhere around this time? The ones that have those shimmery gemstone centers?"

"Oh those! Yea, I've seen those around."

"Well, with enough holiday spirit, the gemstones in the center of the flowers will cast these rays of colorful light that all shoot up towards the sky like fireworks. And when they all meet in the center, the light creates a big explosion that creates kaleidosnowflakes, snowflakes of all these crazy colors and shapes. And if you catch one on your tongue when they fall…well, I've never tasted one before, but they're said to be the most delicious frozen treat you'll ever indulge in. Mom would use her routine to lift the spirits of all the trolls and bring about the kaleidosnow. Every year…" Poppy's smile began to fade. "While she was still around, I mean."

Smidge rested a comforting palm on her friend's shoulder, her expression soft and full of sympathy. "I think your dad would be very proud if you picked your mom's tradition back up, Poppy. But you should make sure they fit first. Here, let me help you try them on."

Smidge loosened the network of laces on the front that were flanked by glittery stone. Then she held one of the crystal skates out and Poppy slid her foot into it. After fiddling with the laces and tying them tight and secure, she sat back and they both assessed the result.

"A perfect fit," Smidge declared.

Poppy's smile lit up her entire face. "This is my sign, Smidge. Now I have to! I just have to run the idea by my dad first. You wanna come with me to ask him?"

The smaller she-troll smirked. "Like you even have to ask. Of course I do."

So, after storing the skate back in the box with its companion, Poppy left her pod and headed down into the village, Smidge following closely behind.

The cold stung Poppy's nose and she shivered lightly. But cold as it was, the village in winter was positively beautiful to the young queen. True, it wasn't nearly as colorful and bright as it was in spring or summer, but the way she saw it, the powdery white snow blanketing the ground and dusting the tree branches was a breathtaking sight to behold all the same.

It didn't take long for the duo to find Peppy. The aging former leader was in the heart of the village, helping to pass out mugs of delicious hot cocoa and making sure everyone had a warm coat on their back or a scarf around their neck. Not so much a situation of urgency, but he did still like to pitch in, whenever he had the energy for it.

"Dad!" Poppy called.

Peppy looked up right away, a bright and loving grin creasing his face. "Good morning, my princess! Good to see you up and about so early today."

"Dad," she said again, but this time, laughter could be heard in her voice. "It's 'queen' now, remember?"

"Of course I remember. My memory's still sharp as ever, even if I am old. But you'll always be my princess. Even as you lead our people like the regal queen that you've become."

Humility wrapped itself around the young ruler, and she swallowed past the tiny lump in her throat trying to take root. "Erm, speaking of regal leaders…I wanted to ask you something. Do you have a minute?"

"For you? Always." He set down the stack of blankets he was holding and beckoned her to a less populated area, away from the large cluster of gathered trolls.

Once they'd reached a quieter spot, Peppy stopped, leaning on his cane. "Okay. I could tell by that look on your face that this was a serious matter. So, come on. Out with it. What's on your mind?"

Poppy pursed her lips nervously and held the box out to her father.

Brow quirked, Peppy opened the box to look inside, and it was clear he hadn't been prepared for what he saw. "Oh…" The elder troll's breath hitched, lips parted. "You…you found your mother's skates..." His timeworn eyes filled with a heartbreaking faraway sadness, but a gentle smile followed soon after. "You know, skating was one of her favorite things to do this time of year. Besides making sure everyone was safe and warm."

Poppy nodded, ears lowered as she tried to rein in the flurry of emotions taking hold of her in that moment. "I remember you telling me about her tradition, and I…I was wondering, if…if you'd be okay with me carrying it on myself? In her honor?"

"Oh Poppy," he whispered, eyes beginning to grow misty at his daughter's touching request. "I…I would love that. And I know she would too."

Squealing excitedly, she pulled her father into a tight hug. "Oh thank you Dad! Thank you thank you thank you! I promise, I'll do you both proud!"

Poppy returned to the crowd shortly after to find Smidge, happily clutching a mug of cocoa where she'd gotten cozy on a mushroom.

"He said I could do it!" Poppy cheerfully exclaimed, jumping up and down.

"Really?" Smidge shot straight to her feet and hopped down. "That's great, Poppy! I can't wait to see the show you're gonna put on! This is gonna be so cool. I didn't even know that you knew how to ice skate!"

"Oh, I don't."

The toothy grin on Smidge's face vanished straightaway. "Oh…" She blinked, brows furrowed and lips curved into a confused frown. "So…how are you gonna do this then?"

Poppy shrugged. "I'll just have to learn. It can't be that hard."

Little did she know she'd soon be eating her words like a freshly baked pie.

-[][][]-

As it turned out, learning to ice skate was insufferably hard. And painful too. The first few days out on the lake proved to be an experience that left both her limbs and optimism deeply bruised upon making these disappointing discoveries. She couldn't seem to get more than a few feet in any direction before starting to stumble and fall on the slick sheet of ice. Instead of glide, jump, turn, repeat, it was more like flail, slip, fall, repeat.

But around mid-morning, she thought she finally had it figured out. She had mastered a solid wobbly gait and managed to inch her way away from the lake's edge and closer to its center. Stiffly, she shifted her weight from one leg to the other and back again, feet sliding back and forth like a pair of discs on Suki's turntable. Ten whole seconds without falling gave her a sudden burst of confidence, and she picked up her pace.

Unfortunately, that confidence was short-lived as she quickly lost control with this sudden increase in speed. In a panic, she flailed wildly, desperately grasping for precious balance, to no avail. Her breathing grew erratic as her attempts to stop, or even slow down, were fruitless. On the contrary; she felt herself going even faster. Urgently but clumsily, she dug the blades of her skates into the ice, willing to try anything that would work in her favor.

Alas, she realized a little too late that her only viable option was to brace for impact. A loud scream built in her throat and rang out as she threw her hands up over her face just before colliding head-on with a prickly snow covered bush.

It had all happened in such a blur.

With a pained groan, she shut her eyes tightly, pitiful prey to the biting cold of the snow she'd been buried under.

Just then, she heard a familiar voice shouting her name in alarm. It was faint at first, but she knew right away who it was.

"Poppy! Poppy hold on, I'll get you out!"

Frantic hands clawed away at the pink troll's snowy entrapment, eventually exposing enough of her body for her rescuer to pull her out.

She shivered, blinking and looking up into the eyes of her savior as her teeth began to chatter.

"B-B-B-Brrr-anch? Wh-what are you—d-d-doing out h-here?"

"Saving you from the perils of a cold winter's day. Seriously, do you have a death wish?" he shot back flatly, but worry was very present in his gaze as he brushed the remaining bits of snow off her face. He gently gripped her chin, murmuring an apology when she winced and carefully looked her over. She wasn't bleeding anywhere, to his immense relief. "You okay?" he asked, his tone softer now as he removed the cloak he wore and wrapped it around her. "Anything feel sprained? Broken?"

"No," she groaned, a pout on her lips. "The only thing broken right now is my heart." She huffed out a heavy sigh, head hanging low. "I had no idea this would be so hard…"

"What, ice skating?" Despite being angry that she'd so foolishly put herself in danger like this, a smirk still graced his features. "Well yea, of course it's hard, if you've never done it. It's a skill like any other. Takes time to perfect. But it's also really dangerous, which is probably why you don't see many trolls on skates. I didn't even know anyone still skated, actually…"

When Poppy's only response was to glumly stare out at the frozen lake, Branch inched closer, ears lowered ever so slightly.

"Why are you so worried about learning to ice skate?"

"Because Branch, I told my dad that I wanted to revive my mom's winter tradition. When she was alive, she would always skate a big routine the night of the winter's first full moon and lift everyone's spirits so that the kaleidosnowflakes would fall."

"Wait, the what now?"

She huffed a frustrated breath, the tiny puff billowing up into the open air in tendrils. "They're these beautiful snowflakes of different colors and shapes that fall from the sky the night the ice lilies first bloom. But only with enough holiday spirit. Dad always said it was his most favorite thing in the whole world. That he'd never seen a more beautiful sight in his life. And I just…since I'm queen now, I just wanted to honor both my parents by continuing the tradition my mom started...because then, in a way, it's like she's still with us." She looked away. "But I'm sure you think that's dumb."

A touched smile tugged at Branch's lips. "No no, it's…actually really beautiful, Poppy. But if you're serious about this, then you've got some work to do, and you can't do it on your own, without getting seriously injured. What exactly was involved in your mother's routine?"

"Ummm, it's mostly twirls and toe touches, but the actual jumps?" She started to list them off, counting on her fingers. "Let's see…there's the toe loop, the lutz, and the butterfly spin. Her signature finale move."

"…yea, you're going to need help if you wanna pull that off. Or anything remotely close."

Poppy bit her lip in unease, huffing once more in frustration. "Well, I'm lost there; I don't know anyone who still knows how to skate."

"I do," Branch told her.

She stared back, her eyes wide and interest piqued. "You do?!" she leaned in excitedly. "Who is it? I need to speak to them right now."

"Okay, okay," he chuckled. "Keep in mind though, they might be a little rusty. But they can still give you some pointers."

"Who is it?" the pink troll demanded eagerly. "Tell me!"

"I will, but first, you need to come with me back to my place, so you can warm up and I can tend to some of those bruises. And you need to rest a little and probably have a fresh start when the pain's subsided."

"Branch, I can't rest, I don't have time! The full moon is only a few weeks away, I have to get a move on w—owwww." She hissed and gritted her teeth, a whimper threatening to sound as she gently bent her arm in a way that wouldn't aggravate the angry purple splotches she'd earned today.

"You'll have to make time for it." Adamant, Branch carefully scooped her up and began to carry her away from the lakeside.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"You need to be off your feet for a while if you want to get back on the ice anytime soon," he answered.

Her puzzled expression slowly morphed into a grateful smile as she relaxed in his hold, cheek nestled against his shoulder.

Branch, meanwhile, was trying to keep his heart from cluing her in to just how much he was enjoying having the beautiful queen in his arms. And was having a difficult go of it, as it thumped to a choppy, uneven rhythm in his chest.

Thanks. Way to sell me out, he grumbled internally.

When they made it inside his bunker, he carried Poppy right over to a cushioned chair and set her down, holding both hands out. "Stay. Don't move from that spot. I'll be back, I just need to get a few things."

She nodded, easing into the chair, which she found to be quite comfortable.

A troll of his word, Branch returned with a small brown bowl, steam rising from the contents inside and a rag draped over the rim. He also brought a box with a jar stacked on top.

"This chair is so comfy," she sighed as he made his way over with his armful of belongings.

He hummed in distracted acknowledgment as he dipped the rag into the bowl and squeezed it of the excess warm water. "Good, I'm glad. Now, hold your arms out for me."

She obliged him, groaning softly when he pressed the rag to a particularly nasty bruise.

"Sorry," he murmured. "But this will help it." He repeated the process with all the other bruises he could see. Then he retrieved the jar and scooped out a bit of orange glop inside.

"What's that stuff?" asked Poppy.

"It's healing salve," he answered, applying it to her bruises. "Took me years to piece together the right ingredients. Lots of trial and error."

Once he'd finished he set the jar on the side table nearby. "Those should all be cleared up by tomorrow morning. Not completely, but this will definitely speed up the healing process."

"You're so good at figuring things out Branch. Like, stuff the rest of us don't take the time to think about all that much."

He snorted. "Someone's gotta keep you all out of trouble."

A weary giggle tumbled off her lips. "So, you gonna tell me who it is I need to talk to about my little skating predicament?"

His answer wasn't a verbal one. Instead, the blue-haired troll opened the box he'd brought out, sifting through it and finally pulling out a worn pair of simple grey ice skates.

Poppy's eyes lit up like fireflies. "So it's you," she said, her tone one of great intrigue and wonder.

He nodded, eyes cast down. "I used to skate all the time…grandma would always take me down to the pool under the tree the first day it froze over. We'd skate together, or she'd watch me…we had so much fun."

"Oh Branch," she whispered remorsefully. "I'm sorry, I didn't—"

"No, it's okay. Really." He gripped the pair of skates with a sad smile. "Had to grow into them…they belonged to my dad. He was the one who taught me, actually." Taking seat on the floor, he put on the old skates, turning his feet to view them from various angles.

"They're a perfect fit. Just like these," Poppy noted, gently kicking the sides of her skates together.

He removed his skates, freeing his feet once more. "You might should take them off now, so you can rest your feet."

She looked down at her feet but she didn't budge from her spot, having gotten all too cozy where she was.

Branch gave a good-natured roll of his eyes. "Here, I've got it." He gently slid off each of her skates then, one by one, and placed them next to the chair.

"Thanks! That's much better." She scooted forward, head tilted to one side. "So, you're really willing to teach me?"

"If you're up for having me teach you. You should know, learning to skate isn't easy, at all. And you're definitely not going to get it on your first try. It's gonna take practice, and a lot of it. And we're pressed for time. So we're not going to be able to cover everything you might want to. But I'd be happy to teach you what I can before the night of the full moon."

"Oh Branch, I'd hug you right now if I wasn't in so much pain!" She clapped in elation. "Thank you, you're the best!"

He flashed a small grin. "You may not be thinking that after a few grueling hours of fundamentals."

"We'll see! When can we start?"

"Whenever. Probably the sooner the better though, since we're limited on days we have to make this happen."

"True. Okay, how does first thing in the morning sound?"

"Fine by me. As long as you're healed enough by then."

She nodded in firm agreement. "It's settled then!"

There's the first chapter! Hope you like it so far. :)