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kittyball23 · 5 months

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Neverglading (a Trolls fanfic)

Summary: John Dory meets an unexpected companion while trekking through the Neverglade Trail

A/N: Taking place before TBT; Makes references to my oneshot from Trolls 3.0 titled "Found" (ch 18) :)

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I guess there’s a reason they call it the NEVERglade Trail, John Dory thought, exhaustedly taking another step forward and forcing himself to look past the fatigue that plagued his body.

The marshland was not that deep underfoot, only coming up to his ankles, but it sure was thick. One could only go so long taking forcible steps before you got awfully tired out, and before the marsh started to feel like it was taking its grimy hands and holding you in place. But John Dory was not letting it deter him. He refused for it to. He had been the leader of BroZone, and there had been certain traits that a leader needed to have. A key one of those was determination, a strong drive to get done what one strived to get done, and, if it could helped, completing it in the best way possible (or, as John Dory liked to call it, in the most brodacious way possible!).

Come on, JD, he urged himself, you CAN do it! Hauling his knees up, he marched through the boggy trail, ignoring the burn in his muscles. FEEL the burn, he encouraged himself, using the same words he had on Spruce when the Troll had adamantly prepared for every show they’d performed with some workout exercises beforehand. And besides, he continued lecturing, why would I give up now? Just a few yards or so away, he could see the telltale green that indicated a smooth, solid patch of grass. The end of the trail! Knowing his victory was just a hop, skip, and jump away fueled the Troll, and he hauled himself forward some more. Yes! Almost there! Just gotta -

“Rrrwoaw !”

JD gasped at the sudden cry that pierced the air and, upon reflex, took a fighting stance. It was very unexpected, with the only sounds that had accompanied his trek thus far being the bubbling of the bog, a couple of bugs flitting by with a quick ZZZZT! , distant bird calls, and the sound of his own heaving grunts. The sound was foreign among the others, and did not give off the vibe of a creature who was in any way relaxed. And that made the green hair on the back of his neck rise in an unpleasant way. Was he being hunted? Was that the creature's cry of battle, ready to charge at the unsuspecting Troll and splatter what would become his remains across the land?

John Dory shuddered, suddenly feeling cold. Nobody deserved to go out like that!

“RRWOAW !”

He grimaced upon hearing the cry resound again, and not two seconds after that, again. That's when the Troll had to stop and think. For one, he was still standing there, the bottom hems of his white slacks a little muddied, but otherwise well off. If this creature had wanted to attack him, then surely it would have done so already. Or else, why make the ruckus? Any predator intelligent enough in the order of things in the food chain would know to keep quiet and not scare off their prey with any loud sounds. This creature, whatever it was, was not following that basic protocol. Which got JD thinking… perhaps it wasn't hunting. Perhaps it was…

“RRRRWOOOAW!!”

… distressed.

His head whirled around to his far left, in the direction the call had been coming from, somewhere off the bog's marked trail in the swampy woods. He sucked in a deep breath. There was a certain order to things. Just like in his band, for example. He was BroZone’s leader (a role that he believed his brothers could have shown him much more appreciation for taking). Spruce was the Heartthrob, Clay the Fun Boy, Floyd the Sensitive One, and Branch the Baby, all with their own reasons for being that way. And he was sure that there was a reason to why this trail was marked, why it didn't veer off to the left where the noises were coming from. What dangers were that way? They were dangers he didn't really have to find out about. But for the sake of the creature, he wanted to. There was a soft spot somewhere in JD for critters, even if Grandma had never let him have one of his own. He still loved playing with Pop Village's pets when time between band rehearsals and keeping his brothers in line permitted. Still, John Dory gazed longingly at the patch of green up ahead, where he could rest his aching feet and sore muscles.

He paused to reconsider. Maybe it was better to go there first, rest a second, regain some energy, have a snack or two, or…

“RRWOAW !”

… or not .

Before he could change his mind, John Dory stomped his way through the bog, away from his green and right to the source of the sound. The creature's cries were becoming far more frequent now, baying every couple seconds, perhaps even knowing that it had garnered someone's attention at last. John Dory dutifully followed, pushing aside throngs of bushy leaves and slinking through mossy undergrowth until, at last, he came to what he had been seeking. Just beyond a curtain of leaves he could see something thrashing, and the creature's cries were unbearably loud. JD gulped. He hadn't a clue what lay beyond that curtain. Whatever it was may not like him, trying to bite at him with its fangs or swipe at him with claws that may as well pass for daggers. Or, it could be injured, his sights to be met with a gruesome image of blood and gore from wherever it had been wounded.

Aw, no…

He didn't want to hurl, not when he'd just eaten some super delicious marshmallows not five minutes ago!

Regardless, it was no use turning back now. He bothered to trudge his way through the marsh, and he wasn't going to make it a pointless trip. Slowly, his hand went towards the leaves, and he braced himself as he dramatically thrust it aside with a great big swoosh!

"ACK!"

"RROO!"

Both he and the critter surprised each other with a shout. John Dory hid his face with his hands for a second while they both recovered, in case the creature reacted badly. But he didn't end up feeling any chomping on his fingers. Tentatively, he opened his eyes and put his hands down, coming face-to-face with a…

… Well, he didn't know what it was.

Wide, green eyes blinked back at him, pupils shrank some in fear. Its body was armadillo-like, with a shellish exterior that was pudgy-looking in texture. Four stubby green legs kicked around in midair, and just then did he notice that the creature was suspended, tied up among a whole mess of vines with no way to get out.

"Hey, girlie," John Dory whispered, finding his voice after a moment. "Oof… got yourself tied up pretty good, huh?" The critter whimpered, and he couldn’t help chuckling to himself a little at how cute it sounded. Then a thought occurred to him. "Wait a sec… you are a girl, right? Not a boy?" At the mention of the word "boy" and the suggestion of being one, the critter growled, and JD got his answer. "A'ight, girl it is. Need some help getting out?"

The critter seemed to somewhat understand what he was saying, and she gave a short bark in reply, wagging her small, stumpy tail.

"Alright, okay, we're gonna solve this right now, yeah?" Shifting, John Dory slipped out of his acorn backpack and leaned it against a tree, hurriedly searching for something, anything that could assist. He couldn’t imagine how the poor girl felt.

Wait a second… yes I CAN.

It suddenly hit John Dory that he had undergone this terrible scenario. It wasn’t too long ago that he had been strewn up in front of nearly all of the Troll Village, trussed alongside his brothers in an embarrassing display during what was their first and last show of the Family Harmony tour. He had known the frustration, the humiliation… and he did not want this little critter to endure that any longer.

Not on MY watch!

“HA!” he shouted, finding the switchblade stashed at the very bottom of his bag. He’d rarely used the item, so it was still in pristine condition. And it would prove useful in this scenario. “I gotcha, girlie!” JD assured, approaching her.

The little creature recoiled a little at the sight of the sharp object, and squirmed when he brought it up the closest vine she was entangled in.

“Relax,” JD whispered, “probably best if you don’t move, ‘kay?”

The critter whimpered a little, but seemed to understand, and stilled. He could still sense her trembling, but he worked quickly, sawing the vine and being extremely careful not to let it touch her in the process. As soon as the first knot was free, the rest was a breeze. The vines fell apart with ease, and he managed to pull her free, holding her firmly in his arms before she tumbled to the ground. She was heavier than she looked, and he grunted a little as he attempted to maintain his balance in the already unstable bog.

“There we go… that wasn’t too bad, was it?” he asked with a chuckle, trying for humor to lighten the mood.

Turns out it wasn't necessary. As soon as she was able to wiggle her arms and legs free, the critter trilled loudly, though this time, it was a trill of happiness, not sounding anything like the cry of desperation that she'd emitted before. In a flurry of gratitude, she leaned up and lapped at John Dory’s face in a series of doggy-like kisses.

“Okay, you’re welcome, you’re welcome!” he laughed. Once free of the critter’s tongue, he glanced around, not really wanting to go trudging through the boggy forest again. Luckily, he had another trick up his sleeve. He reached into his green hair and pulled out a grappling hook, shooting it out so it gripped the top of a tall tree above their heads.

“Hang on, tight, girl!”

The critter squeaked in surprise when John Dory swept them up into the air, using his stretchy Troll hair to swing them up and out on the tree limbs like monkey bars. Before he knew it, they were on that patch of grass and away from the swampy place.

The critter celebrated with a chirpy noise, snuggling up next to JD and wagging her tail.

In a fond gesture, JD bent down and patted her head. “Not a problemo, a’ight?” he cooed. “Now, I better scoot. Catch you later, small fry. I got another trail ta hike!”

John Dory began to head off, adjusting his backpack on his back a little better, when he suddenly became aware of the creature’s remaining presence, padding behind him. When he turned to look at her, she wagged her tail and panted.

"You're welcome, girly!" he chuckled, giving a thumbs up and hoping she'd get the message. But when he turned around to head off again, he could still hear her footsteps coming along behind him on the grass. That was when he realized what was going on, and after a couple seconds he called out to her. "Uh, you're kinda coming with me, aren'tcha?"

She barked affirmatively, and he bent down to her level, letting her rub affectionately against the hand that he held out to her. "What's a matter, girl, you don't got a family?" The mention of a family got the critter somber. She looked down, her green eyes giving off sadness in the way that rubbed off on JD.

"I don't either," JD admitted, "not anymore, at least..."

He paused for a second, silent, but then got happy at a new realization. "Say... WE got a family now!"

The critter liked the sound of that, and barked in agreement.

"So, if we're gonna be partners in rhyme, gotta kinda call you something other than 'girl' all the time." John Dory tapped his chin and thought. "Hmm... how are you digging 'Anna'?"

The way the pup almost seemed to scoff told him that she wasn't digging it.

"Err, alright... how about ‘Camila’?”

Another scoff.

"'Amy'?"

She grumbled.

"'Zoey'?"

She flopped to the ground.

JD sighed, then tentatively asked, "'Rhonda'?"

The pup sat up, like it had a nice ring to it, and she wagged her tail.

JD's eyes lit up. "'Rhonda'? Yeah? You like that?"

The pup barked and panted, running a few circles around him.

JD laughed and rubbed her head. "Rhonda it is. Now, let's get crackin'!" He whistled and waved a hand to get her to follow him, though that was not a problem. She trailed behind him obediently, occasionally coming to rub up against his legs and yip excitedly. It'd been only a few minutes meeting him, but she already loved his company!

And he loved hers. A friend was just what he needed, and a pet was what he'd always wanted. To get both at once felt great!

He bent down, scratching her behind the head and then bounding off with a pep in his step, having a feeling that hiking this new trail was going to be a whole lot more fun.

#trolls #trolls 3 #trolls band together #john dory #rhonda trolls #dreamworks #fanfiction #kittyball writes #brodacious fanfiction

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