(This is the first time in this book where a chapter will not be told from Roxy's POV. Instead, it will be told from...someone else's POV. Let's see how long it takes you to figure out who it is before it's made obvious.)

The entire stadium grew eerily silent as they waited for the results of Queen Barb's musical blast. Roxy's body had been encased inside a chrysalis-like structure that looked like it was made of rocks and molten lava.

"Did it work?" A random rock troll shouted from the audience.

Out of curiosity, as Barb approached the chrysalis, she reached her hand out to touch it.

CRACK!

The chrysalis began to shake violently as a crack formed straight down the middle of it. Roxy burst out of the chrysalis looking completely different. Her eyes were glowing red and what was left of her hair was spiked up all over the place. Instead of the red t-shirt and black shorts that she had been wearing before, her entire outfit had changed. She was now wearing a black fringed skirt with black fishnet tights, a black crop top that was so short it almost counted as a bralette, and a white, sleeveless crop jean vest. She also had on black, finger-less gloves with spikes on the knuckles that reached all the way up to her elbows.

With only one quick tug, Roxy had ripped her chains off their hinges and stepped off her podium. Everybody kept their eyes on her as she made her way to the front of the stage. There was a long pause before she finally threw her hands up in the air with the standard rock n' roll salute.

"WHO'S READY TO ROCK?" She shouted at the top of her lungs. The crowd of rock trolls roared in response! However, horrified expressions were all that could be seen on the other troll leaders faces.

"No! Roxy!" yelled Queen Poppy from her cage high above the stage. Queen Barb smiled.

"It works!" She shouted as she turned to her mother with an excited look on her face. "Mom, did you see that? I fixed Aunt Roxy!"

The former Queen Katheryn did not look pleased with the results. "" She asked as she made her way over to Barb and Roxy, grabbing an electric guitar along the way. Barb groaned.

"Mom, get off the stage! This is my show, not yours!" she said as she crossed her arms and started tapping her foot impatiently.

"" Katheryn said sweetly as she walked in front of Roxy. "" With a devilish grin on her face, she started to whisper something in Roxy's ear.

Roxy nodded and took the guitar out of Katheryn's hands. "What did you say to her, mom?" Queen Barb asked as Katie walked back towards her.

"" Katie said as she passed Barb and took a seat next to her husband, King Thrash.

"Great idea, mom!" Queen Barb pointed at the drummer. "Give her a beat, Riff!"

Riff picked up his drumsticks and began to play. It was like he already knew what song Roxy was going to sing. Once she had plucked the guitar pick out from between the strings, she began to strum along to the beat of the drums and started to sing:

First things first

I'mma say all the words inside my head

I'm fired up and tired of the way that things have been, oh ooh

The way that things have been, oh ooh

Hey! I recognized this song! I looked around at the other trolls and, based on the confused looks I saw on their faces, they must've never heard it before, even though it was technically a rock song. She continued:

Second things second

Don't you tell me what you think that I could be

I'm the one at the sail, I'm the master of my sea, oh ooh

The master of my sea, oh ooh

The rock trolls slowly started to collectively back away from the stage as Katie stood back up and started walking back over to Queen Barb. She must've thought that Roxy hadn't actually turned into a rock zombie, and was gonna make Barb blast her again. But then...

I was broken from a young age

Taking my sulking to the masses

Writing my poems for the few

That look at me, took to me, shook at me, feelin' me

Singing from heartache from the pain

Taking my message from the veins

Speaking my lesson from the brain

Seeing the beauty through the...

Suddenly, Roxy started to scream the chorus into the microphone, causing all of the rock trolls to start cheering wildly. "There's our princess!" I heard one of them scream.

PAIN! You made me a, you made me a believer, believer

PAIN! You break me down and build me up believer, believer

Pain! Oh, let the bullets fly, oh, let them rain

My life, my love, my drive, it came from...

PAIN! You made me a, you made me a believer, believer

With a shrug, Katheryn returned to her seat and continued to watch the show. Something seemed...off about her. I mean, sure, I have never talked to her before, but with how Roxy had described her to me in the past, she seemed like she was acting a bit different than usual. However, I, too, shrugged this thought off my shoulders as I continued to listen to Roxy sing:

Third things third

Send a prayer to the ones up above

All the hate that you heard has turned your spirit to a dove, oh ooh

Your spirit up above, oh ooh

I was choking in the crowd

Building my rain up in the cloud

Falling like ashes to the ground

Hoping my feelings, they would drown

But they never did, ever lived, ebbing and flowing

Inhibited, limited

Till it broke open and rained down

And rained down, like...

I could hear some of the rock trolls start to sing with her as she started the chorus for the second time.

PAIN! You made me a, you made me a believer, believer

PAIN! You break me down and build me up believer, believer

Pain! Oh, let the bullets fly, oh, let them rain

My life, my love, my drive, it came from...

PAIN! You made me a, you made me a believer, believer

Roxy then turned away from the crowd and pointed at Queen Barb:

Last things last

By the grace of the fire and the flames

You're the face of the future, the blood in my veins, oh ooh

The blood in my veins, oh ooh

Barb just smiled slightly at the lyrics her aunt had sung to her. Then, Roxy turned her attention back to the audience.

But they never did, ever lived, ebbing and flowing

Inhibited, limited

Till it broke open and rained down

And rained down, like...

Now, every single rock troll started singing along and nodding their heads to the beat as Roxy sang the chorus for the third and final time:

PAIN! You made me a, you made me a believer, believer

PAIN! You break me down and build me up believer, believer

Pain! Oh, let the bullets fly, oh, let them rain

My life, my love, my drive, it came from...

PAIN! You made me a, you made me a believer, believer

As she finally finished the song, the crowd erupted into thunderous applause. She didn't smile or do anything in response. She just stood completely still, waiting for her next order. I sighed.

My Roxanne...the love of my life...my beautiful wife...

I couldn't stop staring at her. Even though she had been turned into a rock zombie, she was still breathtakingly beautiful. She would always be beautiful in my eyes, no matter what she looked like on the outside.

Queen Barb walked up to her and handed her own guitar to her. All of the strings were glistening red in the bright stage lights. Roxy looked down at it blandly.

"I have decided..." Queen Barb began as she addressed the audience. "Now that our amazing princess has finally been converted back to her original genre, SHE will be given the honors of converting any troll she pleases to join her on stage! But only one."

She began to back away from Roxy. "Go ahead, Auntie! Choose wisely..."

Everyone held their breathe as Roxy stood their in silence with the guitar in her hands. Then, slowly but surely, she turned her head to stare right back at me.

My heart started racing a mile a minute as she suddenly started to run towards me. I thought I would be happy to see her running towards me, but not like this! I was terrified! She skidded to a halt and continued to stare deep into my eyes.

I heard Trollex gasp from on stage. "Dad! No!" he screamed, but he couldn't do anything else to help me. He was stuck on that podium. I sighed.

In that moment, I wished I could tell her everything that had happened to Trollex, and why he couldn't remember who she was. I wanted to tell her that due to the head injury that he got trying to protect her, he lost most of his early childhood memories, which unfortunately included memories of Roxy and what she looked like. He only remembered, like, three or four things about her now. I wanted to tell her how much my heart ached when I had heard her cry out to him, only to see his turn away and deny ever knowing her. It hurt me just as much as it had hurt her. But I couldn't say that...not now...now was not the time...

I started to sweat. "Hello..." I squeaked out. She growled at me in response. I gulped.

Without hesitation, she grabbed my arm tightly. I tried to wring out of her grasp, but she was so strong. Trembling with fear, I looked into her dead, soulless eyes, hoping that she would realize what she was doing and quickly put an end to it. But I felt like she was truly gone now, and this time, I didn't even try to help her. I promised that I'd always be by her side and never let anyone hurt her, and I made the mistake of breaking that promise. And now, I was staring at what she had become...

"I'm so sorry, my love..." I choked out as tears began to fall down my face. "Forgive me..."

Suddenly, she gave me a soft smile, then she leaned forward and whispered in my ear:

"Won't you dance with me?"