Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

He could hear them before anything. He should have known - trolls were notoriously loud and trusting and they loved to sing at the top of their lungs. But, he supposed, in this case, in his case, it was a good thing. With his throat crackling as if it was on fire and his limbs feeling heavier than lead, he was, for once, grateful for the noise and color that pop trolls loved. He was exhausted and dehydrated and he knew it. 

It had been eight days since he escaped the Bergen attack. Eight days since he had become the reason for his brother’s death. Eight days all alone for the first time ever. Eight days void of color - nearly entirely gray. 

He knew five days ago he should have stopped every once in a while. To rest, drink water, eat food, something. Or at least, munch on the snacks he had in his backpack. He’d have to start rationing, he supposed. But he didn’t want to do any of that. And he didn’t. All he did was walk and walk and walk until he was beyond sore, beyond tired and beyond thirsty. 

He walked until he could literally walk no more. 

He didn’t remember much after that. 

***

Waking up was a slow and exhausting process. His limbs still felt heavy but at least his chest was no longer on fire. He must have found water. Or something. Opening his eyes, took some work and his vision was assaulted by a blinding shade of pink. And then, suddenly, another flash of slightly darker pink was by his side, looking down at him. He made out the form of dark magenta eyes, staring, wrapped in a wreath of blue flowers. 

“Wh-.” 

“You probably shouldn’t talk quite yet,” she said, bubbly. She was practically vibrating while trying to contain her excitement. “But now that you are awake you can drink water on your own!”

Wait? On his own? How long had he been out? 

A large glass was shoved in his face. The pink girl helped him but he was determined to do it on his own. He mostly succeeded. Glass after glass, he forces the water down and glass after glass, she refills it. He lets out a long sigh when he’s had enough and she figures it out. 

“I have, like, a million and five questions,” she started, her hands waving about in gesture as she spoke. “But I should tell you… it is totally safe here. We are all trolls and if you are worried about the Bergens, don’t be. It’s been over fifteen years since we’ve seen any.” 

“Bergens?” he mumbled. 

“Ah… yes… do you… do you not know about the Bergens? I’m sorry, I totally just assumed…” 

“I know about the Bergens,” he interrupted. “You’re from the Troll Tree?”

She nodded. “We escaped years ago, when I was a baby.” She looked around his age, maybe a year or two younger. Had it been that long? But it meant the trolls had escaped. Trolls were alive. He stared at his hands. The grayness had not changed, even with the good news. 

“Do you know a lot of trolls around here?” 

“Pretty much everyone, yeah,” she nodded, her face then morphing into almost horror as she reminded herself of something. “Wow, I am so rude. My name is Poppy.” 

“Branch.”

“I’m sorry?”

“My name. It’s Branch.” 

“Oh! That’s great! Thank you for telling me!” 

Okay… he really didn’t know how to respond to any of this. 

Might as well get right to the point.

“You wouldn’t happen to know anyone named Floyd living around here, would you?” He asked hopefully. He hadn’t been back to the Troll Tree in years - perhaps Floyd had come back in that time. Grandma would have explained things to him, surely…

“No. That doesn’t sound familiar. Sorry.” 

He tried not to feel a crush of defeat. It wasn’t entirely surprising, just a bit disappointing. He should have known. 

“How about Rosiepuff? She’s older,” he tried again. There had to be someone here, even if none of his brothers came back while he was gone. His grandmother hadn’t wanted to leave the tree at all but perhaps she would have been forced to. 

“Loves to macrame?” 

That sounded like her. If she wasn’t gambling, she was messing with macrame. Sounded like one thing hadn’t quite changed in the years he was gone. 

“Yeah. Do you know her?” 

“Sure! She has a garden towards the edge of the village. I LOVE her macrame,” Poppy explained, probably not understanding the implications of why he had asked for her. “Do you know her? Well obviously you do, since you asked for her by name.” 

“She’s my grandmother.” 

Poppy bit back a squeal. “Really?! That’s so cute! Long lost relatives! She’ll be so happy to see you!” 

Probably not, Branch thought, especially with the news he was carrying. She never wanted to see him again, anyways. And after she finds out what happened… Well, he wouldn’t blame her if she never spoke to him again. 

“You should get more rest,” Poppy suggested, patting the blankets that he was under. She stood up, ready to move for whatever Branch asked for her. She was probably a good caretaker, at least, if him being alive and okay was any indication. “I can bring her here if you…” 

“NO!” Branch said, quickly. For once he was glad his mouth moved before his brain. He really wasn’t ready to see her yet or explain to her what had happened. He needed some time to formulate what to say. “No, thank you. Can I just… rest and then go to her later?”

Poppy looked mildly concerned and confused but nodded in acceptance of his request. He tried not to let out a sigh of relief.  “It’ll be a couple of days.” 

“That’s okay.”

***

The days went by too fast. Before he knew it, he was out of Poppy’s home and on his way to see his grandmother. Poppy was a kind host, although a bit overly excitable but she was sweet and tried too hard and her smile could be infectious. He didn’t want to smile. He didn’t have anything to smile about. 

He hates it. 

And he runs the first chance he can as his body allows. She lets him go alone and tells him she’s there if he needs anything. He won’t, he vows. He knows she didn’t want him to go off alone. He knows she wanted to come with him. 

She thinks they are friends. 

He doesn’t want to be friends with her. He can’t. 

He is slow to approach the macrame-themed home that is a little outside of the others. The ground underneath and surrounding it is covered by several gardens of varying types. Trees, flowers, vegetables, other plants he doesn’t care to identify. She’s gardening in a little flower patch when he approaches. He doesn’t say a word. He doesn’t trust himself too. 

She heard something though and spoke without even looking up until she was nearly done. “Look Peppy, the mittensettas are not in season. They won’t be for a while and you know that,” she said, halfway amused. When she got no response, she looked up and gasped in recognition. She probably thought she’d never see him again. “...Branch? Is that you?” 

She moved quickly for her age and gave him a hug with more strength than he could muster back. He was hesitant and when she pulled away to look around him, undoubtedly searching for another, he was sure he was about to cry. 

“Sweetie, where is your brother?” 

He can’t help it. He breaks down into tears right here. 

***

Branch doesn’t live in a pod. He won’t live in a pod. He wants his feet on the ground and the ability to hide and disguise. He had drawn doodles of a hideout when he was very young, before they left, for each of his brothers and a waterslide to shower. It was silly but he was going to make it. 

Maybe without the waterslide. 

He and his brother had talked about underground bunkers for years after that, swapping theories and ideas, criticizing points and basically creating schematics in their heads. A few got on paper. It was clear enough and Branch remembered all of it. He found a spot outside of town with a good clearing and natural defensive barriers. He started digging. 

The townspeople had been surprised by his sudden appearance and a bit apprehensive at first. His color might have been a topic, he wasn’t sure, but they didn’t bother him too much. Poppy joined him every now and again. At first she tried to include him in things - desperately trying to invite him to parties. He wasn’t interested. Then one day she brought a shovel and started digging with him. He was a bit touched. 

He hates it. 

Most evenings were spent by a fire, waiting and hoping and praying his brother miraculously could find him. It was useless and weak and stupid but he clung so stubbornly and desperately to that hope. Once again, every so often, Poppy would join him, bringing sticks and marshtatos to toast. She was pretty good at making them. And every so often, she brought one or more of her other friends. Branch slowly learns their names. 

There is the ever so confident, auto-tuned voice of Guy Diamond, a glitter troll who loves what he does a little too much. Biggie, a scared coward with a heart bigger than his brain with his spooky worm-pet-child. Cooper, who is something Branch isn’t sure of, walking on four legs with virtually no filter and almost no thoughts in his head. He’s an orphan too but he and Poppy seem to be a lot like siblings. Smidge, the tiny troll who sounds more like a man five times her size. Leggsly, DJ Suki, Fuzzbert; they all get introduced, all with the same vigor and interest. He doesn’t care much. Except for the time Poppy made the mistake of bringing Creek around. 

It was safe to say she didn’t do that again. 

It didn’t matter. He didn’t care. 

He worked endlessly into the days until the first level of the bunker - the fake bunker - was finished, in which he set up traps too. He continued to work, digging down, over, diagonally. Keeping his mind on everything his and his brother ever talked about with bunkers, terrain, traps, alarms. Everything. 

His bunker was huge by the time he realized two years go by. He started saving food, even pickling and jamming vegetables and fruits his grandmother grew. She visited frequently and did most of the talking. He didn’t mind. He doesn’t have a lot to say anymore. 

It was springtime when he and Rosiepuff heard the muffled screams of the townspeople. He is convinced it is a Bergen. His grandmother is not. 

She is right. 

In fact, it was a giant, adorable and very familiar armadillo bus. She was dusty and scrapped up and overall kind of gross but he still recognized her. He could always recognize those stupid stripes and that adorable face and the scars she bore from protecting him years prior. He immediately burst into tears. At least, he would have if he hadn’t noticed the trolls trying to pin and tie her down. 

“STOP!” he screamed at the top of his lungs and made a dash for the beast, doing anything he could to keep them from continuing to fight against her. It would probably be futile anyways - she was rather strong. “STOP! STOP! Back off! Please stop!” 

He was nearly ready to launch at someone with a stake when Poppy burst through into the clearing. “Let her go! Back off!” she commanded. Even still just a teenager, her voice and tone demanded respect and obedience. He had never been more grateful for her. The bus spun around, growling as she eyed her would-be captors. They backed off, although hesitantly. In the corner of his eye, he had spotted Poppy ushering people away and out of sight. 

“Rhonda!” Branch shouted. 

The creature whipped around towards him, her angry face turning excited and happy at the sight of him as she slobbered all over him in glitter. He didn’t care. She found him, even after nearly two years. He hugs her tight before running a hand lightly along her face. “Rhonda. “Where’s Big Brother? Can you find Big Brother? Is he with you?” 

There it was. That spark of hope. 

But Rhonda just stopped and let out a mournful wail. It was a sound he had never heard before and wished he hadn’t. It coincided with the shattering of Branch’s hope as his heart went along with it. 

His brother is dead. 

He doesn't realize it at the time, but his color goes entirely gray. 

His brother is dead. It’s his fault. 

Chapter Text

“In a happy forest, in the happiest tree...lived the happiest creatures the world has ever known. The Trolls! They loved nothing more than to sing, and dance, and hug. Dance, and hug, and sing, and dance, and sing, and hug, and dance… And hug, and dance, and sing, and hug, and dance, and hug...But then one day, the Trolls were discovered by…”

“A Bergen!”

“The Bergens didn't know how to sing… or dance... or even hug. They were the most miserable creatures in all the land. And once they saw how happy the Trolls were, they wanted some of that happiness for themselves. Eating a Troll made them feel so happy, they started a tradition. Once a year, every year...the Bergens would gather around the Troll tree to taste happiness on a holiday they called…”

“Trollstice.”

Poppy ended her story with the light and upbeat warning of how life used to be; the fear of the Bergens. She sang out a note at the end, which the children that sat around her, in rapt attention joined in on, to her delight.

“And that’s why we hug every hour!” one noted, wriggly happily, so pleased with their tradition. 

“Yep!” she agreed as she closed the scrapbook. It wasn’t the only reason but it was close enough for them. They were only kids. 

“I wish it was every half hour,” another child said, defeated. 

“So do I,” she assured, suppressing a laugh. “But that wouldn’t leave much time for singing and dancing, now would it?” 

“Princess Poppy?” a child called out as she placed the history scrapbook back on the pedestal. She sounded so worried - Poppy would have to reassure her, undoubtedly. “Do the Bergens still want to eat us?” 

“You bet!” 

The children gasped, horrified. 

Okay, so maybe not exactly the best tone and way to go above doing that. She rushed over to pick her up. “But just because it is the only way they’ll ever be happy.”

And wasn’t that a terrible concept? To only be able to be happy if you destroyed another’s life. Of course, to Poppy’s entire surprise, one child just licked himself. “Oh no! I do taste delicious!” 

Oh boy. 

“Isn’t there anything else to make them happy?” the girl in front of her asked, throwing up her arms. 

“Oh! What about having birthday parties?” 

“Or slumber parties!” 

“Or staring at your parents while they sleep.” 

The other children just groaned, uneasily. Yeah, Poppy could understand why that one was a little strange. 

“But I don’t want to be food,” a child whined. 

“Don’t worry,” Poppy replied, standing up. “No troll ever will be. And that’s why we are celebrating with the biggest party ever! Everybody’s gonna be there!” 

Somehow, the tiniest child had snuck into hair and peeked out, his smile growing into something suspicious and expectance.. “Everybody?” 

“Everybody.” 

She was going to be sure of it. 

And then, with her signature cowbell that she kept hidden in her hair, she led a morning song number and performance. It was fairly regular with trolls but especially her, as she filled her morning with music and friends. Her voice bounced off the trees, loud and confident as she sang about the trolls under her care and their celebration. 

She helped her friend DJ Suki set up the music and turntables, did some dance stretches with a lot of her friends and cheered Cooper on with the practice of his own solo and dance number with a crowd of mushroom voices. With a bit of encouragement, her bestie, Smidge, had beaten her own weight lifting record, which helped her dispense beautifully made invitations. And then, of course, she went with Biggie for his very frequent - almost daily - photoshoot with his worm pet, Mr. Dinkles which ended up more glittery than it started, to their delight with the ever so confident Guy Diamond. 

Swinging around with her friends, greeting the twins Satin and Chenille, they swam through a flood of trolls and ran under a troll-made bridge, bringing their impossibly long performance to an end with an impressive display of gymnastics and hair art. Even her father came in at the last minute. 

It was amazing. 

Poppy gulped in air, trying to catch her breath when she heard the slow clapping. Who would that be? Someone who wasn’t involved? There weren't many. She looked around and spotted a blueish gray troll from underneath a mushroom, a pile of neat sticks under his arm. 

“Unbelievable guys. Really, really great, he said. His tone was a bit flat, she noticed. “I could hear you from a mile away!” 

Cooper lowered his head so Poppy could hop off. “Oh good! I was worried we weren’t protecting enough,” she let out. Most others had begun dispersing already with the song over but a few of her close friends stuck with her in the interaction. 

“Poppy,” the troll sighed. He did not look happy. But then again, she wasn’t sure if she’d ever seen him look happy. “If I can hear you, so can the Bergens.” 

“Oh boy,” Guy Diamond threw up his hands in defeat. He had long since stopped trying so hard to be his confident and normal self around him. It was no use. He didn’t find Guy charming like the others did. 

“Here we go again,” Cooper sighed. 

“Oh Branch…” Biggie mumbled. 

“You always ruin everything,” Satin started with Chenille continuing, not missing a beat. “Warning us about the Bergens.” 

“No, I don’t,” Branch said with a scoff. 

It was a lie and they all knew it. 

Despite it having been twenty years since the Bergens had even been spotted. Branch’s fear of them was well known. Poppy thought it must have had something to do with the fact Branch had only been here for less than half the time the others had. He hadn’t been with them in the escape but found them years later, when Poppy was a young teenager. No matter how much Poppy tried to assure him. Branch remained unwaveringly fearful and suspicious. 

“We haven’t seen a Bergen in twenty years,” Poppy never did stop trying. She couldn’t. It wasn’t in her nature. “They aren’t going to find us.”

“No, they aren’t going to find me,” Branch insisted. “Because I will be in my highly camouflage, heavily fortified Bergen-proof survival bunker.” 

Oh Poppy knew all about his bunker. In the beginning, she had helped him dig it on a fairly frequent basis. Her father hadn’t been entirely sure about it but Poppy wanted to be his friend. She still did. After a bit had been constructed, Branch didn’t let her in past the first trap door so she was relegated to bringing him snacks and talking his ear off around a fire when he was done for the night. Sometimes they’d get sick on marshtatos. Fond times. 

“You aren’t coming to the party tonight?” Poppy asked with a frown. He never did but this party was different. It was a milestone in their freedom. She thought maybe this was the one party she could convince him to attend. 

“But it’s going to be the biggest!” Satin and Chenille announced. 

“The loudest!” DJ Suki agreed. 

“The craziest party ever!” Cooper finished as Biggie nodded along. They all cheered around her with the new wave of hype. 

“Big? Loud? Crazy? You’re just going to lead the Bergens right to us!” Branch insisted. 

“Are you sure about this?” Cooper leaned over to ask. He knew what she was thinking. They had practically grown up together when Cooper had literally fallen into their laps. He had always been supportive of her mission to befriend Branch but she also knew he hated how dejected and frustrated she got when her plans failed. 

“Yes,” she said, confidently. “Everyone deserves to be happy.” 

“I don’t do happy.” 

Although probably generally true, Poppy did remember plenty of nights of soft almost smiles. The closest she could remember was a few years ago when a large dirty bus animal had burst into the village. The look on Branch’s face - for even for that moment - had been one Poppy never saw on him before. Or after. 

“Branch, I know you have happiness inside you,” she promised. She knew it. “You just need our help to find it!” she added, gesturing to them for help. 

Maybe she just couldn’t do this alone.

She reached into her hair and grabbed an invitation, especially made for Branch. A lot of invitations were specially made and personal but in her quest to befriend him specifically, his tended to be but a bit more . A sun popped up as she opened it with his name and beautifully cut and scrapbooked grass and landscape. Flowers sprang from the sides and a mini Branch holding a heart unfolded out. “Celebrate freedom from the Bergens!” the scrapbook Branch sang. 

Branch did not look impressed. 

And then glitter spewed from the card. 

Okay, so maybe the glitter was a bit much, if Branch’s face was any indication. “What do you say, Branch? Just this once?” 

He took the card slowly and hope bloomed in her chest…

And then died just quickly  as he threw it to the ground, smushing it with his foot. Her friends gasped in shock and horror. Smidge was glaring. The insides of Poppy just sighed in defeat. 

“I won’t be caught dead at your party but you will be,” Branch said, trying to wipe away the glitter. It would take more than that, she knew. “Caught and dead.” 

Poppy sighed, trying to think of the best way to handle this. It didn’t bug her so much before, when he refused, but he was being a bit more particularly malicious about it today. 

“Easy, Branch, easy.” 

The ever so soft and soothing voice of Creek danced around them and she turned. The purple troll flew over to them in his signature position, glowing with the sun behind him. The lightning big let go of his hair and Creek made a touching farewell to his ride. 

Poppy saw Branch roll his eyes. It was no secret that Branch couldn’t really stand Creek. Their personalities clashed far too much - way, way more than Branch with Poppy. That wasn’t even considering their differences in worldview. Poppy liked both of them in different ways. Creek was a steady presence she could count on for support but she never really knew what he meant half the time. Branch was generally predictable, which made it easy for Poppy to work with and he never shied away from his opinions. 

“Okay, first of all thanks for sharing… your unique perspective on things, mate,” Creek greeted with a pat on Branch’s arm. Branch’s lip curled as he brought his sticks closer to his vest and backed away. “Again.”

Apparently Creek didn’t remember the last time he called Branch, mate. It hadn’t been pretty. 

And over two years ago. 

Cooper and Biggie sniggered while Poppy shot them a particular glance. “But for now, why don’t you try on some positivity, eh?” he wriggled in some sort of strange dance. She wasn’t sure what it was but Branch wasn’t liking the troll encroaching further in his space. “A little positivity might go with that vest.” 

He wasn’t entirely wrong. Branch could use some positivity. Maybe some color would do him good. 

“Okay, fine,” Branch said. 

Wait, what?!

“I’m positive you are all going to get eaten.” 

That… was not what he meant. Poppy just internally sighed again. He didn’t have to look so happy about it. In that moment, a range of sounds sprung from the bracelets on their wrists. 

“Hug time!” Poppy announced. 

“It is hug time,” Creek took her hand. 

She was looking at Branch, though, hopeful. He was drawn into the group hug, undoubtedly against his will. 

“Oh! That feels good!” 

“Our hearts are synchronizing.” 

“I can squeeze you forever!” 

Oh yeah, that was Guy Diamond. Unmistakable. 

“Someday, when the Bergens find us,” Branch snapped. He must have found a way out. Poppy looked over to see him picking up his pile of sticks. “And the survival of every troll is in your hands…” 

She finally got out of the group hug and took a step toward him. 

“I sure hope the answer is singing, dancing and hugging because that is all you know how to do!” 

She could dig a bunker, she thought. And smoke an incredible marshtato smore than even he liked. 

She had done that for him. 

“That is NOT true,” Biggie came to her defense, definitely. Or at least, as defiant as Biggie could get. “Poppy can also scrapbook!” He sounded so confident. 

And that was not helpful in this case. 

“I can’t believe you’re going to be queen one day,” Branch grumbled, irritably. 

The way he said it did not fill her with much confidence. He really didn’t believe her at all, did he?”

“Tune out his negative vibrations, Poppy,” Creek approached. “They’re toxic. Some folks just don’t want to be happy.” 

Although, perhaps, that was true, she wasn’t so sure. “I…I guess.”

“You guessed right,” Creek replied, bopping her nose with a “Boop.” 

She tried to smile. 

She just wishes she could have gotten through to Branch. 

Chapter Text

Branch could hear them setting up. It was afternoon, easily turning into evening. With a sigh, he headed out towards the outskirts of town, avoiding other trolls. The pod he came to was entirely macrame themed and he knew from experience the inside even more so. He stopped near the gate that separated the area from the large garden that was underneath and around the home. There was a giant array of flowers, fruits, and vegetables growing there and the troll living there was pretty much the only one he willingly talked to those days. 

She saw him and smiled with a wave to approach. So Branch let himself in and set the sticks in a pile off to the side with a couple of others she had not yet used and then walked over to her. 

“Afternoon, sweetheart,” his grandmother greeted. “Thanks for the sticks. I’ve been running low and my tomato plants are droopy.” 

She used them to prop up certain plants so they would grow better. Branch had suggested it years ago when he first came into town. He had found some straight sticks and tried to whittle them perfectly but she seemed to like the natural bark better. An aesthetic thing perhaps. He wasn’t sure.

“No problem, grandma,” he replied. “How are you doing?” 

“Alright, as usual. Did you hear about Poppy’s party?” 

Branch’s lip curled into a frown. “Yes.” 

“She gave you an elaborate invitation, didn’t she?” she teased. 

He sighed. “Yes. 

“She always does. She’s rather fond of you.” 

“It’s a stupid idea, this party.”

Grandma Rosiepuff shrugged, picking some of her fruits that were bright and ready. “Maybe, but I admire her enthusiasm and optimism. She’s not entirely wrong. It has been twenty years with no Bergen in sight.” 

“It hasn’t been that long for me.” 

She stopped and looked at him, sympathetically. “I know, dear. But it has still been years. You know your brother wouldn’t want this for you.”

“He’d want me to survive.” 

“You can survive and still have happiness, Branch.” 

“Maybe I don’t want to be happy.” 

She looked unconvinced. “I think deep down, you do. One day, I hope you find it. Maybe you just need a little help.” She offered him two baskets, each full of fruits and vegetables. She knew he would jam and pickle them for later. Storage. Preparedness. 

He took them. “Are you going to Poppy’s party?”

“No,” she shook her head. “I’m too old for that sort of thing these days. Besides, I have some macrameing to do for Harper and a favor for Milton Moss. I’ll be working well into the evening.”

Branch nodded. “You could stay in the bunker tonight. Just in case.” 

“No need, honey,” she mused. “I’ll be just fine. And I know where to go if something does happen.” 

They both knew. Branch had made a small bunker underneath the large rock near her garden for her to hide in just in case. It wasn’t much, but it was enough in a pinch. She wouldn’t live with him in his bunker but she at least let him do that. 

“Okay, I’ll check on you in the morning, then, alright?”

She patted his arm. “Of course, dear. I look forward to it.”

Branch swung past the village area again to pick up Poppy’s broken invitation. It was a stupid habit but his stupid conscience wouldn’t allow otherwise.  

As the pounding music of Poppy’s party was into full swing, Branch sat at his table in his dimly lit bunker, putting the card back together. It sang back at him as he connected the recording back. He couldn’t help but smile faintly. 

She tried so hard. 

Sometimes he wondered what would happen if he did go to one of these things. Or if he did let her more into his life. What would change? Would anything?

On a hidden shelf next to him, dug into the wall, was a cascade of other cards she had made for him over the years, each more unique and elaborate than the last. Sometimes he wished he attended any one of them. 

Then, there was a pounding at his door. 

He gasped, nearly jumping out of his skin. He slammed the card shut and tried to shove it into the curtained shelves with all the others as the banging continued. Of course, with his luck, they all fell out. Tons of recorded messages shouted his name collectively as he pushed them back, trying to hush them.

“No, no, no, no, shush, shush, no!”

Finally, he got them quiet and into the shelf, closing the curtain but the shouting of his name continued. It wasn’t the cards, he realized.

He glanced up and scrambled to the elevator to get to the surface up to the fake level as the banging and yelling of his name continued. 

“Branch!” Poppy’s voice shouted. “Branch! Are you there?”

He opened the peep hole in the mat. “I’m not going to your party.” He said it before and he was sticking to it. 

Poppy turned to face him. “The party’s over! We just got attacked by a Bergen!” 

His eyes widened as his heart leapt into his throat. He didn’t… she looked so scared. Freaked out. He quickly opened the door with practiced ease, grabbing a hold of Poppy’s hand and dragging her inside. The locks were in place and the traps were set in no time at all. 

Grandma Rosiepuff would be fine. She knew what to do. She promised. 

“Branch,” Poppy tried. 

Branch’s heart was racing as he hushed her. 

“I have to tell you something.”

Could she not? She had come to him . The least she could do was listen so he could protect her. She just sighed and raised her hand. Oh, she was going to be the death of him. 

“What?” he whispered. “What could be so important that it’s worth leading the Bergen right to us?” 

“The Bergen is gone.” 

“You don’t know that. I could still be out there,” he insisted. He remembered the beady eyes of the Bergen the last time he saw one, scanning the ground for him. He remembered being still for hours. He remembered being silent and not making a sound for days. “Watching, waiting, listening.”

His ear twitched. 

“No, it left,” Poppy insisted, standing up. “It took Cooper and Smidge and Fuzzbert and Satin and Chenille and Biggie and Guy Diamond…” she listed off so many of her close friends. Branch’s heart sank. He didn’t love any of them, per say but he didn’t have them and would not wish this fate on any of them. “And Creek!” 

“Mmm,” Branch rolled his eyes. 

Okay so maybe he kind of hated one of them. 

“Which is why I have come to ask you,” she pleaded in start. He honestly did not know where she was going with this. There was nothing he could do. “Will you go to Bergen Town with me and save everyone?” 

Wait what ?

“What?” He spat out. “No!” 

“Branch! They’re your friends!” 

“Ah! Ah!” He protested with the wave of his finger.  “They’re your friends. I’m staying right here in my bunker where it is safe.”

“That’s great,” Poppy huffed, sarcastically. “You’re the one guy who knows more about Bergens than anyone but when we finally need you, you just want to hide here forever?” 

It wasn’t so much knowing about Bergens, Branch thought to himself, but rather survival and self-sustainability. 

“Forever? Pfft . No.”

Even he couldn’t do that. Not even with 20 years of storage and collections. He shifted the level and the elevator underneath them started its descent. Here it was. Years in the making and Poppy was going to finally see his bunker. She made a noise of surprise. 

“I really only have enough supplies down here to last me four or five years… six if I’m willing to store and drink my own sweat…” he explained sharply. 

They both knew he probably was. 

Poppy watched the caverns go by, mostly unmoved by his declaration. Well, it was enough for him and Grandma Rosiepuff but she also had some stock of supplies they could stretch. 

“Who’s crazy now?” he asked, smugly as they reached the bottom. Poppy’s head swiveled, looking around. “ Me . Crazy Prepared.”

“I’m sorry. I should have listened to you. You told me not to throw the party and I did it anyway,” Poppy sighed. She was trying to placate him and mush him all up. He scoffed. “And it’s my fault they were taken. And now I don’t know what to do.”

It was only partially true, Branch thought. 

Branch set a jar of jam on the shelf and leaned against it. “Why don’t you try scrapbooking them to freedom?” 

Mean? Maybe. 

Poppy stared at him as he smiled, smugly. “Solid burn, Branch. Well, thanks anyways,” she grumbled, turning to leave. 

That was too easy. 

Way too easy. 

He wasn’t sure what he had been expecting. 

“Anytime Poppy,” he shrugged it off, not going to look a gift caterbus in the mouth. “See you in half a decade.” 

She made it to the lift and pushed the lever, staring him down. Wow, she got a hang of that fast. As she disappeared, his smug look frowned and he turned away. It was probably a mistake. 

Then the platform lowered again. Poppy crouched down to talk to him through a small opening. “Oh hey Branch?” 

“Yeah?” he asked warily. 

“Just wondering if I could borrow something.”

“…What?” 

Was she really going to ask for a weapon? Honestly, he would have never expected that. 

That was not it. 

She grinned. 

Oh he was not going to like this. 

“Your bunker!” 

“What?!” 

“Okay everybody! Come on in!” she shouted. 

WHAT?

Trolls came cascading down and immediately spreading through the space. No. No. No. “No! No! No! Wait! What are you doing?” he shrieked, narrowly avoiding being trampled. 

“You said you had enough provisions to last five years right?” she asked, walking back up to him, now sporting her own smug smile. 

“To last me five years. Me ,” Branch snapped. And his grandmother, but he left that part out. “It’ll last them less than a week!” 

As if proving his point, he heard a jar crash and break, followed by a “Sorry, Branch!” 

“Then I guess I better hurry,” she added, heading back towards the entrance. 

“You won’t last a day out there,” he insisted. 

“And you won’t last a day in here,” she replied, looking at him up and down. “Solid burn, returned.” 

Oh, she wasn’t wrong. 

She left him like that, dumbfounded as he took in the mess of trolls everywhere. What was he going to do? She was disappearing from view as she waved. “Goodbye!” A chorus repeated after her. 

“And 3, 2, 1,” she whispered. 

What was she…?

A sporadic line of dings filled the air. Oh no. 

“Hug time!” King Peppy announced. 

Oh no. Oh no.

*** 

Branch quickly relegated himself to the garage where an armadillo bus resided most nights. She was definitely confused why she wasn’t allowed outside but settled as soon as Branch got in. It was the one place that he could hide and he knew she wouldn’t let anyone in. 

“Thanks Rhonda,” he mumbled. The beast hummed, cooing comfortingly. 

He hugged his knees. He should go after Poppy. He wasn’t wrong, she wouldn’t last out there. Even before making it to Bergen Town. He just didn’t know if he could make himself do it. 

“Branch, honey?” his grandmother’s voice called from outside. He sighed and tapped Rhonda. Her side door clicked open and Rosiepuff climbed in. 

“You okay?” Branch asked. “Sorry I didn’t come and find you.” 

“The Bergen didn’t even come near my pod,” she assured as she approached. “I see Poppy made use of your bunker. Are you going to help her?” 

“No. I’m already helping.” 

“You know she won’t make it without you.” 

He did. 

No one else knew how to travel out there like he did. 

“Your brother would want you to help.”

That was a really low blow. 

“And get myself eaten? I don’t think so. No thanks.” 

“You give yourself too little credit,” she said. “You have been taught so well. You have learned yourself so well and you know and can do so much. I know it is scary but…maybe this is something you have to do… to move on.”

“I’m just supposed to move on ?” 

How does one move on from that? Why would he just move on?

“Move past what happened,” she corrected. “Face what you fear the most. Besides, Poppy is your friend. She won’t survive any of this without you.”

He sighed. “I know.” 

“Are you going to go then?” 

“I guess,” he grumbled, slowly uncurling and standing. He grabbed his old travel bag that was tucked in the corner. She’d never stop until he did anyways, even without his heart yelling at him to follow. 

She smiled at him, proud and warm. 

“What?” 

“He would be so proud of you.” 

Branch wasn’t going to think about it. He didn’t want to. It hurt. 

“Are you going to take Rhonda?” 

Upon hearing her name, the bus wriggled. “It’s too dangerous.” 

“She would help you catch up with Poppy. Maybe just take her to the edge of Bergen Town, then go on foot,” Rosiepuff suggested, slowly. His grandmother was devious, if nothing else. It probably made her a good gambler. “If nothing else, she could grant a quick escape.” 

She wasn’t wrong. “Fine.” He wasn’t sure if Rhonda would let him leave without her anyways. He set his bag near the front next to the driver’s seat and pressed some buttons and the garage door opened. 

Rosiepuff took his hands and kissed his cheek. “You’ll do great. Save your friends.” 

He waited until she left. 

“They aren’t my friends.”

Chapter Text

“Get back up again!” 

Poppy awoke with a startle, blazing into a sitting position like she had been shocked. Branch was kneeling in front of her, watching worriedly as he set down a pair of lightning bugs. Oh, so she had been shocked. She had been through so many crazy things in the last day it was hard to tell what came from what. 

Her brain was a little fuzzy. She imagined the memories of the day's previous events would come back to her in time. 

She grinned. “Branch! My man!”

He sputtered. 

Oops. Did she say that?

“You are right on time,” she winked. 

“Oh right,” he scoffed. “Like you knew I was coming.” 

“Yes! I figured after the third hug time, getting eaten by a Bergen wouldn’t be so bad although you did surprise me. You made it far longer than the third hug time,” she shrugged. It had taken him quite a bit longer than she expected though. She had been gone for a large chunk of the day. Then again, maybe he was just a slow traveler. 

“And I figured there was no way you could do this by yourself,” he huffed. “So I guess we were both right.”

Ah, so he hadn’t made it past the third hug time. Slow traveler it was then.

“Hmmm… alright! Let’s do this,” she cheered, excitedly. Great! With Branch by her side, there was no way this could go wrong. “The sooner we get to Bergen Town, the sooner we can rescue everybody and make it home safely!” The trip home might suck a little but it would be well worth it. 

“Wait so what’s your plan?” Branch shouted after her, starting to run. How was he going to keep up with that tattered backpack?

“I just told you,” she glanced back at him. “Rescue everyone and make it home safely.” She figured she would iron out the details as they came along. It wasn’t like this was a party. 

He just sighed. “Okay, that is not a plan. That is a wishlist.” 

“Oh! And I suppose you have a plan?” 

Branch cleared his throat. “First, we get to the edge of Bergen Town without being spotted. Then, we get inside by sneaking through the old escape tunnels which will then lead us to the troll tree right before we get caught and suffer a traumatizing miserable death at the hands of a horrible, bloodthirsty Bergen,” his tone had started out flat and turned into a shout. “Hold on… are you… scrapbooking my plan?” 

Oh yeah, she had started before he even began talking. She was a literal master with a gluestick and scissors. 

She kicked her feet. “Uh huh, of course, yeah. Almost…” she clipped the final touches and opened the book. A tiny recording of “We did it!” playing while all her paper friends cheering. With, of course, glitter spouting out. 

Branch looked impressed. 

“There will be no more…” he blew glitter out of his nose. Oops, maybe a bit too much then. “Scrapbooking.” 

“Only if you come up with an actual plan that does not involve us getting eaten,” she shot back. 

He sighed. “Fine. Let’s keep moving.” 

She grinned at him and off they went, Branch taking the lead. She wondered if he actually knew where he was going or perhaps, how well he knew these parts of the woods. He must have been living somewhere before he came to Pop Village but he was notoriously close lipped about it - even by Branch standards. 

He seemed to know what he was doing, though, carefully making his way through plants and avoiding certain types of sounds and animals. She started with humming which turned into a mish-mash melody of wordless sounds entirely without lyrics. Just fun things to say. 

They were crossing over a fallen tree that went over a large creek when she apparently finally met Branch’s nerves. She was almost a little surprised it took him that long, thinking back on it. 

“Do you have to sing?” 

Such a strange question. 

“I always sing when I’m in a good mood!” 

“Do you have to be in a good mood?”

Okay, now that was a strange question. 

“Why wouldn’t I be? You’re here, helping me and by this time tomorrow, I’ll be with all my friends! Oh! I wonder what they are doing right now!” she considered, hopefully. This had been the longest she had been without all her friends and she had to keep a good mind. 

They were okay. They were going to be okay. 

“Probably being digested,” Branch replied, flatly. 

Trolls were so naturally optimistic. She had no idea how Branch could be so…so not. 

“They’re alive, Branch. I know it.”

“You don’t know anything, Poppy,” Branch snapped, turning to face her. His eyes were kindling with a blaze but there was something underneath. Something she couldn’t quite yet identify. She was determined to figure it out. “And there is going to be a time where you figure that the world - our world, our lives - are not cupcakes and rainbows. Cause they aren’t. Bad things happen. And there is nothing you can do about it.” 

He turned to keep walking.

Something bad had happened to Branch. Something really bad. She always kind of knew it, in the back of her mind, to an extent, but with the way he was acting, it was more than she thought. Something truly terrible. 

“I know it isn’t all cupcakes and rainbows.”

Do you , a voice in the back of her head whispered. 

She ran up to walk with him. “But I would rather go through life thinking it mostly is. Life is what you think and make of it.”

“No it isn’t.” 

“You don’t sing, you don’t dance… you don’t even try!” Poppy’s words were coming out so fast. “You’re so gray all the time! I know you couldn’t have always been like that. What happened to you?” 

The crux of everything with him, she supposed. 

What had happened to him?

“SHHHH!” Branch hushed, throwing a finger in front of her mouth and crouching a little. 

She shuddered, her mind racing over possibilities. “A Bergen?” she whispered. This far from town?

“Maybe,” he muttered as he continued on quietly. 

She glanced around, worriedly. 

Wait, the Bergens were huge. 

They would hear - at the very least - if one approached. “There is no Bergen, is there?” 

He didn’t reply. 

“You just said that so I’d stop talking!” 

“Maybe.” 

Oh boy. This was going to be a long, boring trip.

***

She tried to keep her mouth shut, tried to be quiet, trying her very best. It was hard. She hadn’t been so quiet in ages. Here she was, walking with Branch with a million questions and he didn’t want to hear any of them. She tried a topic once in a while - any topic - but he continuously shot her down or straight up ignored her. 

But then - then - something happened. It was about to get dark and she was getting hungry and she had reached for a fruit she saw hanging on a tree nearby. Branch had spotted her and leapt into action, smacking her hand away and putting himself between her and the tree.

“Hey!” 

“Are you actually crazy? Do you want to spontaneously combust?”

“What?!” 

He sighed. “Those plants have a highly combustible liquid that interacts with saliva. It literally makes your mouth explode - and not in a good way.”

“What?” Poppy exhaled. 

“Here,” Branch took off the backpack and rummaged through it, withdrawing a snack bar. “You can eat this. It’s almost dark so we will have to find a place to camp for the night. Then I will find us some food. Food that won’t make us explode.”

He didn’t wait for her, just closed up his bag and continued to walk. She opened the snack bar and took a bite. Not amazing but not terrible either. It had given her an idea, however. “I was pretty aware you were smart,” she started slowly. “But you seem to know some awfully specific things.” 

“I guess,” Branch shrugged. 

Yes! That was a response. 

“Considering you didn’t get to Troll Village until way after it was established…” she thought out loud. “You spent a lot of time in the wilderness.”

“I guess.” 

“Can you make a fire?” 

“You know I can.”

“No, I mean, like, without the materials from the village. Out in the random.”

“Yes.” 

“Can you build a shelter?” 

“With what?” 

“I don’t know. What do you build shelters with that’s not a pod?” 

“Wood, rocks, caves, leaves, dirt. I live in a bunker.”

“But if you were camping or lost, what would you do?”

He barely skipped a beat. It was hard to tell but she noticed. He had been about to say something automatically but thought better of it. “I don’t have to worry about that. I have R-” he stopped himself. What? “A small cave, if I can find it. Wood can get soggy and leak.” 

“How do you know what plants are okay to eat?” 

“Books and experience.” 

“How did you know about the exploding one?” 

“Experience.” 

“How…” 

“I saw an animal eat it.” 

“Do you know a lot about different types of trees?”

“Yes.” 

“How do you know which is which?” 

“Bark and leaves.” 

“Do you know every type of animal out there?” 

“Probably not.” 

“Can you tell which ones want to eat us?” 

“Teeth.” 

“Are there any around right now?”

“Probably.” 

“How did you learn all this? You know, the wilderness stuff?” 

“Experience.” 

“Alone?” 

“Of course no—” he stopped himself again and shot her a glare. “Would you quit it?”

“You said no singing or scrapbooking.” 

“Maybe just be quiet?” 

“I’m not very good at that.” 

“I noticed.”

Poppy noticed things too. She knew Branch had experience traveling outside of civilization. It was probably why it was difficult for him to interact with others like most trolls but he wasn’t entirely inept. He hadn’t traveled alone but that was pretty obvious too since someone would have had to take care of him as a child. She doubted he ran away from home at a young age and survived this long alone. He actually didn’t seem to mind answering questions about specific, non personal things and he seemed very confident he wouldn’t need a shelter if camping. Whatever bad had happened, it probably happened just before he had gotten to the village and it had been bad. 

She filed it away for later as Branch pushed back some large leaves surrounding a small secluded clearing where he dropped his bag and stopped. “We will stay here for the night.” 

“We can’t keep going?” 

“Not unless you want to get eaten by something else before you get eaten by a Bergen.” 

Oh, alright then. “Okay.”

Branch set his bag off to the side and unclipped it, letting a bedroll spread out. “I’ll make a fire. You be quiet so to not attract any unwanted guests.”

“I can make a fire. You could find some food,” she suggested. She’d rather be actually helpful. She wasn’t useless, even out here. 

He eyed her warily but just nodded and disappeared into the woods. Poppy had hosted plenty of campfires with her friends. She could set a fire up, easy. She dug a shallow hole in the dirt and gathered some dry twigs and leaves for kindling before setting the logs over top of it. By the time Branch came back, she had a nice, cozy and well-sustained fire going. 

“...good job,” he said, approaching with a basket of berries and dirty vegetables. “This isn’t much but it’ll get us through, pairing with my snack bars.” 

“You have more?” 

He snorted. “Of course.” He dug into his bag again, pulling out more snack bars and laying them out next to the rest of the food items he had gathered on a large leaf. She considered them, curiously, while Branch produced a frying pan. 

“What is all this?” 

“Food.” 

“But what is it?”

“The pink berries are razzles. They pop in your mouth.” 

“They explode?”

“No. They pop. The bumpy red berries are raspberries. They are sweet and hard to find. Even harder to grow.” 

“Oh.” 

“The big ground vegetables yarntatoes. They are best boiled and toasted but we could still eat them raw just fine.” 

“And the long green things?” 

“Beans.” 

“Like snap peas?” 

“Sure.” 

She was pretty sure he meant the opposite. He finished setting up a grate over the fire and whipped the dirt from the vegetables. 

“What are you doing?” 

“Cooking.” 

“I thought you said we can eat them raw?” 

“You can if you want to. I’d rather eat mine, at the very least, somewhat cooked.” 

She stopped after that, watching him work, slowly eating some of the berries he had found. He was right. The razzles popped in her mouth. It was such a strange sensation. And the raspberries? Pretty sure they were the best thing ever. Her favorite now. She even tried the beans…Branch was right about that too. They were nothing like snap peas. Her nose wrinkled. 

She heard a light chuckle. 

Was that a laugh? Did she just make Branch laugh? The thought made her heart warm with accomplishment and something else. “I don’t like those,” her mouth announced. 

“Most people don’t. They’re an acquired taste,” Branch replied, a bit softer. “But they will keep you alive in a pinch.” 

She ate a snack bar instead, determined to be a bit quiet now while he cooked the vegetables. When they were done, he set them aside in a bucket of water to cool and then gave her one. She took a bite. There wasn’t a ton of flavor but it was soft and felt nice to bite into. “This isn’t bad.” 

“Better with some butter and a bit of paprika,” Branch shrugged. “But it’s alright.” 

“Thanks Branch. For making this.” 

And for coming after me.

“Yeah, well. We can’t starve.” 

She took a breath in and kept the quiet. After a while,  Branch let the fire die and covered it up before starting to get into the bed. They could see the moon now and the sprinkle of stars above them, a canopy of trees having formed a clearing. It was the perfect view.

She wondered if her friends could see it. 

Branch laid down, his back to the leaf she had found to sleep in. It was hard to get comfortable and the leaf had little to do with it - she was worried. Time was passing. Too much time. She brought out her pocket album frame of her friends. Creek’s face winked at her from the photo as she set it up, opening the sides. Satin, Chenille, Fuzzbert and Smidge appeared. A level up showed Guy Diamond, Biggie and DJ Suki. One more and there was Cooper. 

She missed Cooper. 

She missed all of them. 

“So special,” she sighed. “Goodnight Cooper,” she started with an uneasy smile. “Goodnight Smidge. Goodnight Fuzzbert. Goodnight Satin, Chenille,” she went through her friends back down to Creek with a chuckle. “Goodnight Creek. Boop!” 

“And goodnight Poppy,” Branch snapped with a huff. 

She frowned, looking back up at the stars. Her hug time bracelet dinged with a pleasant sound and the flower opened. Automatically she shot up into a sitting position, glancing at it and then at the only person present with her. 

Branch curled a little in on himself. “Don’t even think about it. 

She frowned as her bracelet closed. Bringing her knees to her chest, Poppy hugged herself and looked back up at the stars. Maybe… “Stars shining bright above you…” she sang. 

“Really?” Branch huffed, turning towards her. “Seriously? More singing? Do you want to attract predators?” 

“Yes seriously,” she insisted. “Singing helps me relax.” And she needed to relax to sleep. And needed to sleep to have energy and energy to rescue her friends. It made complete sense. “Maybe you ought to try it.”

“I don’t sing and I don’t relax.” 

Oh she knew it. 

“This is the way I am and I like it!” 

Did he really?” 

“I also like a little silence! And not being eaten,” he growled before laying back down again. It was up for debate. 

Hmmm. Silence. 

Pulling out her ukulele, she got up and began to play a song, walking towards him. Familiar notes rang through the air. “Hello darkness, my old friend…” she sang seriously as Branch turned to stare at her. “I’ve come to talk with you again…” 

She began to back away from him again as sentient plants stirred by the notes joined her. She loved it when they knew the songs. 

A spider came down next to Branch with a raspy, in tune, “hello.”

“Because a vision softly creepy,” she continued. More creatures joined in with sounds and whistles. Branch flung the spider off his shoulder, still staring in a bit of some kind of shock. “Left its seeds while I was sleeping. And the vision that was planted in my brain…still remains… within the sound… of silence,” she ended her notes while the plants and beasts, big or small, faded back into the darkness. 

Branch just sighed and stood up, gesturing to her ukelele. “May I?” 

She didn’t know what she was expecting but she gave it to him. 

And watched as he tossed it into the fire. 

Yeah, she probably should have seen that one coming. 

Chapter Text

Maybe he was being mean. 

Burning the ukulele was a little much. 

He didn’t know what it meant to her but she also didn’t yell at him either. He never really heard her yell anyways. Branch reminded himself to get her a new one. Maybe he could build it. Collapsable for easier storage? He’d have to look into that. Too bad his brother wasn’t here. He’d probably have some fun ideas. 

Sound of Silence wasn’t a bad song choice. 

Branch couldn’t help but be in a foul mood, however. They were going back to the Troll Tree, to Bergen Town. Her friends were probably dead already. His brother was. 

Making it to the tunnels almost made him sick. They were so close and unlike almost half a decade ago, he did not want to be this close. “So… one of these tunnels leads to the Troll tree,” Poppy said, uncertain. 

Maybe more than one but at least one. “That’s right.” 

His brother had told him all about them. Branch had been sleeping the only time he had gone through when they had left and so he didn’t remember much of it. 

“There’s so many of them,” she said nervously. “I wonder which one.” 

“I don’t know,” he admitted as they approached. 

“CHOOSE A HOLE WISELY.” 

The two jumped at the echoing voice behind them and spun around. 

“For one will lead to Bergen Town and the others to certain….DEATH.”

“Who said that?!” Branch growled, stepping forward, curling his hands into fists. His glove squeaked. 

“It was…” a wispy cloud appeared in front of them with a lazy grin. “ME!” 

Branch lip curled. Ugh. These things. 

“Hey guys. How’s it going? Welcome to the root tunnels. Uh… I just wanted to warn you. One tunnel leads to the Troll Tree and the others to certain…DEATH.”

Branch just sighed. He hated these cloud people. Always so dramatic. Usually his brother dealt with them so Branch didn’t have to. “Do you think you can tell us which one is the right one?” Poppy asked. 

“You bet!” 

“No, I’m not sure. I think we’ll be fine. Thank you.” 

“Branch!” Poppy chuckled nervously. “He’s trying to help us!” 

“I don’t like the looks of him,” Branch mumbled. “He’s a cloud guy. And really, who wears socks with no shoes? Does that seem trustworthy to you?” 

“He seems to know what he’s talking about,” Poppy insisted. 

Branch growled. “Okay, fine.”

He hated even talking to these people. 

“Which way do we go?” he asked the cloud. 

“First, you have to give me a high five. Then…I’ll tell you.” 

“...what?” 

“Oh! Oh!” Poppy cheered, excitedly. “I love high fives! I’ll do it!” 

“Oh I know you will do it… but will he? Alright! Up high!”

“Nope. I don’t do high fives,” Branch’s mouth moved automatically, shaking his head. 

No, no, no, no, no, no. 

Handshakes sure but not high fives. 

“Slap it, boss.” 

“Not going to happen.”

He wasn’t going to let his first high five since the loss of his brother be to some annoying cloud stranger. He couldn’t. 

“Party on the top floor.” 

“Nope.” 

He had to hold out. He couldn’t. 

“Little slap-”

“Don’t make it weird.” 

“Come on,” the cloud whined. “Just one little high five.” 

“Uh… no. Thanks. I’m good.” 

“Branch, it’s a high five,” Poppy started with a near desperate and incredulous whine. “The others lead to certain death! Get perspective!”

He was going to have to. It was going against every fiber in his being but to move forward, he would have to give this up. He hated it. “One high five and you tell us which tunnel to take, right?” Branch demanded. 

The cloud blinked lazily, one eye after the other. That was disturbing. “So easy.”

He sighed, defeated. “Fine.” 

At first he thought he missed. But then…

“Too slow!”

“...too slow?!” 

Poppy chuckled. “Classic.” 

Was this what his brother had to deal with any time they encountered these people? There was no doubt he could, his brother could be annoying with the best of them but honestly, no wonder it always took forever if he was jumping through these hoops. 

“I’m gonna let you slide with a fist bump.” 

He was going to regret this. 

He regretted it. After a dozen fake outs and Branch’s anger boiling over the top, he was done. And then, when they laughed and the cloud offered a hug, that was it. He was done. He was going to murder someone today. He grabbed a stick and broke it into two sharp pieces. 

The chase was on. 

They stopped at the top of the tree and Branch’s anger was still at a boil. 

“We’re here! You guys are a lot of fun. Gotta go!” the cloud guy chuckled as he swung around from the top of the tree. “Catch you on the way back? Unless, you die .” 

If Branch ever saw him again, he was pretty sure he was going to kill him. 

But the two turned around, leaving it alone. 

“The Troll Tree,” she whispered. 

Branch tried to breathe as he looked further. “Bergen Town.” 

It was disgusting. Branch could barely look at them, watching them walk around their cobblestone streets. They looked terrible and Branch felt a curl of satisfaction. Good, they should feel that way. “Wow. They’re as miserable as you,” Poppy realized, quietly. 

Okay, so rude. 

“Which means they haven’t eaten a troll yet!”

She probably wasn’t wrong about that one.

“Now come on! Let’s go save our friends.”

“You’re friends.” 

“Our friends! Don’t fight it.” 

What would be the point? He was too tired to try. None of the Bergens seemed to notice them as they climbed down the tree. None of them even spared a glance, probably so angry with the tree and its lack of trolls for the past two decades. 

“Do you have a plan to get inside?” Poppy asked, as they got to the ground. There were gouges in the bark, old and dusty pods smashed and holes all over the ground. Was this what his brother had seen years ago? It looked like a massacre. If Branch had not found the village and seen this instead, he probably would have thought everyone was dead. 

“They don’t seem to know that there are trolls in the vicinity, so I think if we stick to the shadows and avoid eye contact and main pathways, we should be able to get to the castle.” 

She nodded. “Then let’s go!” 

“And be very, very quiet,” Branch insisted. “We don’t know how good their hearing is. I’ll lead. You don’t know anything about stealth.” 

She scoffed. “And you do?”

“Lived in the wilderness on the road for years, remember?” 

“Okay, fair,” she shrugged. “Let’s move though.” And then she darted through the gate. He sighed, rolling his eyes. This girl was definitely going to be the death of him. 

Branch remembered the first time he had been separated from his brother after leaving the troll tree. Branch had been kept close for a long time, having been so young but there was a time . He was still pretty young and it had been dusk with fog settling in. You couldn’t have seen five feet in front of you. The air had been musty and thick, the ground wet and slippery. He had been alone. Alone for hours. Alone for nearly an entire day. 

He had been entirely and absolutely terrified, finding a hiding spot and trying to stop himself from crying. He thought something was going to eat him. His worst fear had been that it would be a Bergen. His ear had twitched at every sound - real or perceived - never being able to breathe right. 

His brother had found him and Branch remembered him looking so panicked and scared out of his mind. He would never forget it. Branch had been terrified - but so had his brother. He found Branch and immediately scooped him up, tucking him in his jacket as the child began to sob. 

Branch didn’t remember so much of the circumstances around it but he remembered that fear. The cold grasp on his heart that squeezed just enough to be agonizing. The chill in his lungs that made it hard to breathe. 

He could feel some of that same fear now, avoiding an entire town of Bergens who would be absolutely delighted to eat him. 

But he also remembered what happened after his brother had found him. He hadn’t let him go and kept him close, whispering small comforts in his ear. He would never let anything happen to him. 

He wanted his brother. 

So he dug into that feeling, clung to his determination to get Poppy to the castle. And he did, he succeeded and they made it. And then there they were, standing hidden in the bushes just outside the main door, trying to catch their breath from the mad dashes it took to get there. 

“We made it,” she grinned. 

“It’s getting late. We need to keep moving.” 

She nodded. “I don’t know if we can reach the window, even with our hair,” she admitted, looking over the walls. 

“The mortar is messy. There could be footing we can use.”

“And if there isn’t?” 

“Well, we could fall and die. Or we could fall and get caught by a passing guard and get eaten alive and die,” he suggested. 

“Great.” 

“But there is a fair chance of that either way.” 

“Loving your optimism, Branch,” she sniggered and bolted towards the wall. Using her hair, she gasped at the brick and pulled herself up, catching a ledge in the uneven rock. Branch followed the best he could but it wasn’t an exact science and he slipped. Or, rather, pieces of the wall broke off. Poppy grabbed his arm and pulled him up. 

“Thanks.” 

“You’re welcome. I think we can get to the window from here,” she added and tried throwing her hair again. It caught onto the window latch and she pulled herself up. The window came open and she went with it. 

“Oh no,” he muttered as Poppy let out a mild but surprised shriek. Pulling himself up to the sill, he bolted to the edge outside of the viewing port as a Bergen, curious with the opening window, looked out, Poppy still hanging onto the outside latch. The Bergen wasn’t expecting anything as small as trolls, Branch realized. With that, the Bergen closed the window, leaving before it even slammed shut. Branch pulled Poppy out of view as quickly as he could. 

“Thanks,” she exhaled a whisper. 

“You’re welcome.” 

Making sure the Bergen was out of sight, they carefully pulled open the window again and slipped inside, immediately heading for the rafters where they would almost certainly not be spotted. They made their way through the castle, using their hair to swing better distances from the rafters, shelves and other dark light fixtures in search of Poppy’s friends. He wasn’t convinced they were still alive. They had gotten pretty far when Poppy spoke. 

All good things must come to an end, he supposed. 

“So where do you think our friends are?” 

He didn’t bother arguing. “If I had to guess, I’d say in a Bergen stomach. 

He almost hated that he might - probably - be right. 

“Could you try to be positive?” 

“To what? Go with my vest?” he snarled. 

“Okay, I know you don’t love Creek but seriously? Just once, you might like it.” 

“Okay, I’m sure they’re not only alive,” he lied sarcastically through his teeth. “But about to be delivered to us on a silver platter.” 

She sighed with a smile. “Thank you. That wasn’t so hard was it?”

He stared at her. 

What. 

Poppy’s hug time bracelet went off and she gasped knowingly at Branch. Branch did not know. 

“Hug time? Seriously?” he hissed. Couldn't she turn that thing off?

“SSHHHHH! Listen!”

A near dozen chimes lit up around the bend. 

No way. 

No way. 

They made their way to one of the chandeliers in a larger hall over a series of tables that were being set up in a horseshoe shape. Several Bergens were there, including what he expected was the king and… and… her. 

Her. 

The Bergen who took everything from him. 

The Bergen who killed his brother.

Chapter Text

“Branch! Look!” Poppy yelled in a whisper, peering over the jagged of the chandelier they were perched upon. 

He did and stiffened. She noticed. 

“They’re alive?” he choked. His breathing was a little weird but Poppy put it up to shock. 

“And on a silver platter too! We were both right!” 

It was funny how that worked out. 

“And to mark the occasion, your highness, look,” a female Bergen said, bringing out a piece of fabric on a string. It looked old and the Bergen older. Her hair was done up and her clothes freshened but it would do nothing to the ugly sneer ingrained in her expression or the even uglier scar that was jaggedly slashed across her face. “I found your old Troll bib.” 

“Oh wow!” the young king Bergen gasped. 

Ew. Gross. 

“I bet you still fit,” he announced proudly with a smile. He tried putting it on himself but the string just wasn’t long enough. No matter how much he pulled, it was futile. It wouldn’t fit. The string ended up snapping and the fabric flung away. 

Cooper couldn’t help but let out a laugh from the cage he was in. His situational awareness had never quite been the best, even by troll standards. As far as Poppy could tell, everyone missing was there in the cage and unharmed. 

“Oh, you think that’s funny?” the Bergen king demanded, approaching the cage. “Well we will see who is laughing when I bite your yummy head off! When I bite all your yummy heads off!” He paused, eyebrow furrowing in the middle. “Wait a minute. Chef, this isn’t enough yummy heads to feed all of Bergen Town! How are we supposed to have Trollstice if there aren’t enough trolls? This cannot be like the last time with that one troll you brought. I will NOT be as kind as my father the second time he banished you.”

The lady Bergen - Chef - moved quickly to assure him. “Oh there is plenty more where that came from, sire, I assure you. This is…not like last time,” she continued, expression darkening.

Okay, Poppy had no idea what that meant. 

“Are you sure? Because I promised everyone a troll.”

Poppy spared a glance at Branch but his eyes were fixed on the scene unfolding below them. It was like he was holding his breath. Was he worried about them too? She knew he had to care.

“Oh, no, no, no, sire,” Chef continued. “Everything will be fine. If I were truly so worried… would I be willing to do this?” she asked as she opened the cage and her hand plucked a troll from the crowd. A familiar, purple troll. 

“Creek!” Poppy gasped aloud. 

Branch’s hand pulled her down and they hid behind the decoration of the light fixture. Poppy didn’t know if she had been heard but obviously Branch thought she had been. It was a good call, although the pinched expression on his face told her he was simply terrified. 

The boy king gasped. “Oh! Oh! My first troll!” 

Branch and Poppy dared to look again. 

“Go on, eat King Gristle,” Chef urged, handing him the troll. Poppy’s breathing sped up, nearly in time with her heart. There was nothing she could do. Oh, oh no. He was going to die. 

Gristle hesitated. “Shouldn't we wait for Trollstice?”

Everyone sighed in relief. Even Poppy could hear them. 

“Sire, everyday is Trollstice when you have trolls,” Chef pointed out. She set down a plate with a hard tortilla shell that had some lettuce and a couple other fixings. Weird. 

“Yeah… I guess.” He paused again. “But my dad said the first time should be special,” he pondered. There was more sighing. Even Branch’s mild relief could be heard, at least to her. 

“Well, you are the king now.” 

Creek yelped. 

“Yeah, I am the King,” Gristle agreed, proudly. “But I think I should share this moment with all the kingdom.” 

Goodness, what a rollercoaster. 

“EAT IT!” Chef demanded and shoved the taco - Creek and all - into the boy king’s mouth with force 

“NO!” Poppy yelled. 

“YES!” Chef shouted at the same time and snapped the king out of sight with a spin. “Idget!” she demanded as she approached the door the king had been spun out of. “Lock these trolls in your room and guard them with your life!” 

“Yes, Chef,” a smaller female Bergen replied, dutifully as her boss disappeared with the slam of the door. 

“I am so sorry Poppy,” Branch said. It was genuine and earnest. 

Poppy couldn’t wrap her head around any of this. “We have to save him.” 

“Poppy, we can’t save him.” 

“We didn’t see him chew!” she insisted, desperately. She had to cling unto this hope, she just had to. Her mind was racing. “We didn’t see him swallow.” 

She nearly hated the sympathetic look Branch gave her, like he entirely understood her position and why she was making these suggestions. “I’m sorry Poppy but he’s not coming out.”

The not alive part hung in the air silently. 

“If we try to go after him, we are just going to get eaten too,” he continued, his voice softening. “And we have other trolls to consider.” Poppy’s ears were ringing as her eyes were anywhere but on him. She saw everything and nothing at the same time. She watched as the servant girl - Idget(?) - started to roll the cart and cage away. Branch was right about one thing. She needed to save her friends. She had to. 

Suddenly, without warning, she leapt from the chandelier, sliding down the edge of a ladder. Distantly, she heard Branch call her name but she didn’t look back. Surfing on a spoon down the runner of the table, she swung her hair around a broom and flung herself to land on the knot in Idget’s apron. Branch appeared a moment after, foot hooked in one of the loops to stand in. They just looked at each other. 

Save their friends. 

As Idget made her way down the stairs and into her room, Branch and Poppy leapt off to hide and observe, waiting for a good time to make a move. The Bergen girl set the cage on a table. 

“Scullery maid!” Chef’s voice yelled from a decent sized hole in the ceiling. A pile of dishes and pans fell from it. “Wash these pots and pans for Trollstice! The King is inviting everyone! Except you!” 

Ouch. 

Poppy and Branch dashed to another spot closer to their target as Idget began to sob. Poppy stopped to stare. She looked so… sad. She supposed she never realized Bergens could feel any emotions. She cried on her bed for a moment afterwards before taking Poppy by surprise - bursting into a sad, melancholy and longing song.

She didn’t think Bergens could sing. 

“I’ve been alone with you inside my mind…” Idget sang, starting to scrapbook with a magazine cover. Was she cutting out a photo of the King? “And in my dreams I’ve kissed your lips a thousand times. I sometimes see you pass outside my door… Hello! Is it me you're looking for?”

“What?” 

That was Branch, probably even more baffled as her but not nearly as interested. 

“I can see it in your eyes. I can see it in your smile. You’re all I’ve ever wanted and my arms are open wide. Cause you know just what today and you know just what to do…” 

“What is happening?” 

“SHHHH!” 

“And I want to tell you so much…I love you,” she whispered to a picture. 

Yeah, that was the king alright.

Idget quickly cried herself to sleep and began to snore. “She’s in love with the king,” Poppy realized out loud. 

“What are you talking about? Bergens don’t have feelings.” 

“Well maybe you don’t know everything about the Bergens!” 

“I never said I did!” Branch whisper yelled. “But I know enough,” he added, venom lacing every word. 

“Let’s just go.” 

They ran across the floor and climbed their way up onto the table. Branch tore off the cover from the cage. “Guys!” Poppy greeted as they approached the cage filled with familiar trolls.

“Poppy!” they all cheered. 

Oh it was so good to see all of them! Alive! 

“Celebrate good times, c’mon!” they sang together, happily. 

“It’s a celebration!” Poppy couldn’t help but finish, singing along in response. 

Branch shushed them quickly and her friends’ only response? The quiet light singing of “There’s a party going on right here!”

She wanted to laugh so much. This was great. 

“NO!” Branch snapped. “There is not a party going on right here!” He stuck a hand in Poppy’s hair, making her twitch in surprise. 

What?

And he produced a pair of her scissors. How did he even…? 

She tried to watch as he leaned over the lock and after a few clicks, gave her back the scissors, irrevocably bent. She just hummed, rather impressed. Okay then, good cause. Good to know he knew how to do that too. 

“The sooner we get you guys out of here…”

“The sooner we can save Creek!” 

“What?” Branch gasped. “Look Poppy, I know you are looking for the cupcakes and rainbows here but we have to face it. Creek has been eaten,” Branch huffed, swinging the cage door open. 

“They put him in a taco!” Biggie cried as he jumped out. 

“It was horrible,” Cooper added as he followed. 

“I’m sorry, Poppy but Creek is gone,” Guy Diamond patted her shoulder, for once nearly entirely void of his usual spunk and autotune. 

“How do you always look on the bright side?” Branch asked, frustrated. “There is no bright side here! None.” 

“There is always a bright side,” Poppy insisted. 

As if on cue, a bright light blinded them and Idget’s voice towered above. “Hey! Where do you think you are going?” 

And then? Well, chaos of course. They all ran in different directions. 

Poppy needed a plan. 

“Chef’s going to be so mad! Get back in your cage!”

As if that was even an option. Poppy climbed up onto the bed and towards the shelf at the front, peeking under the curtain. Okay… so her name wasn’t actually Idget it was Bridget, first of all. And wow…yeah, she could work with this. Poppy turned back to the unfolding chaos . Bridget was holding a pan, ready to hit Branch. 

Oh heck no . 

“BRIDGET! STOP!!” 

Not only did she but everyone else did as well. 

“You’re in love with King Gristle!” 

Bridget gasped. “Ahh…uhh no I don’t know what you are talking about.” 

Poppy just revealed some of the collage featuring the King underneath the curtain to prove her point. Girl, it was obvious. 

“Uh… excuse me. That’s not mine,” she rushed forward trying to close it but Poppy ripped it open further, cementing her case. Bridget just stared and then sighed in defeat. “Why does it matter? It’s not like he even knows I’m alive.” 

“Bridget,” she insisted. “I can help you! What if there was a way we could both get what we want?” 

“What do you mean?” 

“That troll King Gristle put in his mouth earlier? That’s Creek,” she started, pulling out a photo. “And I would do anything to save him. The only problem is we can’t get anywhere close to the King without him eating us but… you can!” 

Bridget stared. 

“You can walk right up to him and tell him how you feel.”

Bridget scoffed. “As if. I can’t just walk up to the king. His Royal Awesomness would never talk to a scullery maid like me.” 

Okay, she could still work with this. 

Trolls were masters at hiding in their habitat. How hard could disguises be? And with Satin and Chenille here, they could totally pull it off. 

“What if he didn’t know you were a scullery maid? What if he thought you were this total babe.”

Maybe a bad choice of words but well, whatever worked. 

“What kind of total babe would be dressed like a scullery maid? I smell like gravy.” 

Okay, fine. 

“What if we made you a new outfit?” Satin started, like she read Poppy’s mind. Oh, she was already on board. 

“I’m thinking…” Chenille continued. 

“Jumpsuit!” They sang together, excitedly. 

“What is the point of a jumping suit if I have this hair?” 

”Oh we can fix that,” Poppy assured. Out of everything, that was probably the easiest. 

“What is the point of a new outfit and new hair if I don’t even know what a total babe would ever say?”

Cupcakes and rainbows this girl was not trying to make it any easier. 

“We can help with that too.” 

“Really!” 

Yes! She was interested!

”What do you say, Bridget? You help us get Creek and we get you a date with the King.” 

The pause almost made Poppy scream. 

Bridget looked down at them. “Let’s do it?”

YES!

”A 5, 6, 7, 8!” Poppy counted off. Her friends knew exactly what to do. They always did. 

“When you look in the mirror…” they started to sing. “Let it disappear, all your insecurities…”

”Wait!” Bridget shouted. 

Oh no. No. No. 

“Why isn’t this one singing?” Bridget asked. “Aren’t trolls always singing about what they do?” 

What??

Poppy looked around. Of course. Branch was not singing. He never did. She hadn’t really expected him to either. Why did Bridget care if one troll out of a dozen wasn’t singing? He was just leaning quietly against the collage, waiting patiently. It wasn’t like he was a bother. 

“Come on, Branch,” Cooper urged. “Sing with us!” 

The others agreed, wholeheartedly. 

“Oh no. That’s okay,” Branch brushed it off, easily. 

“You don’t think it’ll work?” Bridget was already near tears again. 

Branch looked a bit taken aback and concerned by the change. Maybe he didn’t think it would work but he hadn’t mentioned anything on the subject. He had been quite near the entire time. “Oh no, no no. It’s not that. I just don’t sing.” 

By the look on Bridget’s face, Poppy was sure they weren’t going to get her cooperation unless he did. She didn’t love this but the desperation was growing in her chest. Just this once. Just this once. 

“Branch.” 

“No,” Bridget croaked. “He’s right. This idea is stupid. The king will never love me!” She began to sob and threw herself on the bed, other trolls trying to comfort her. 

Branch just looked mildly surprised. He never said anything about the plan, stupid or otherwise. “That is not at all what I said.” But it fell on deaf ears and he sighed, rolling his eyes and moving away from the scene. 

Ugh…couldn’t anything go smoothly? Everything was a fight. 

“Branch, please, you have to sing,” she said as he started to climb up the curtain towards a small window. She followed him. 

“I told you. I don’t sing.” 

He also didn’t do high fives and he did one before. 

She was starting to get frustrated. She just wanted to save her friend! “Well, please! You have to! Just this once!” 

“I’m sorry but I can’t!” 

“No, you can but you just won’t,” she hissed, anger building up. 

“Fine. I just won’t.” 

She just wanted to save her friend!

”You have to,” she yelled but it sounded like a beg. 

“No.” 

“Yes!” It was definitely begging that time. 

“No!” 

“Yes! Why NOT? Why not this one time? Why not ever? Why won’t you sing?” 

“I got my brother killed singing!”

The venomous snap of the confession made Poppy stop on the ledge they were standing on inside the window. Everything stopped. Out of all the answers she was expecting, that one was nowhere near any thought in her mind. What?

He kept his back away from her, shoulders bristling. “Are you… are you happy now? Just leave me alone.” 

She’s made that mistake before. 

Happy? How could she be happy? Branch lost his brother. 

She couldn’t even imagine losing a sibling, even though she never had one. 

“My uncle broke his neck tap dancing once,” Cooper said. A lie, sort of. A strange lie. Cooper didn’t have any uncles although she could guess who he was talking about. 

She watched Branch put more distance between them but she followed all the same. No matter what happened, ever, with them, she was always going to follow. She always had. “How… what happened?” 

Maybe it was the wrong question to ask, as she wasn’t sure he would even answer. He never really answered any personal questions about his life and past before. 

“We were coming back to the Troll tree,” he sighed in defeat, his voice cracking. “We were gone for years. I found out that he was taking us past it with no intention of actually going back there. I got so angry. But… we saw… we saw it was dark and dead and I made him check it out. I forced him too.  Our grandmother still lived there and we didn’t know about the escape. We didn’t know you all left. He told me to stay put and stay quiet.” 

Poppy guessed that wasn’t what he ended up doing. 

“I was so mad at him and so petty and I wanted to spite him and show our grandmother what I had learned, how much I had grown. I thought…I didn't know there were Bergens in the woods.”

It wasn’t expected. No one really ever saw Bergens leave the Town much. Them being in the woods seemed strange and unlikely.

”I was so lost in the song…I thought it was perfect …I didn’t realize…I didn’t notice the Bergen. I didn’t even hear him try to warn me. He just pushed me into a ravine out of the way and got grabbed instead. I’ll never forget the way he screamed.” 

Poppy shuddered, already in tears. She knew Branch hadn’t been alone in the woods before he came to the Village but to lose his brother like that, when he thought he was safe?

She couldn’t imagine. 

The Snack Pack lightly sang behind them a song she didn’t really recall at the moment. Branch just hugged himself and huffed, drying up his own near tears with a heavy breath. 

“Me singing brought a Bergen and got him killed. I haven’t sung a note since. How can I? How can I justify that?”

“I’m so sorry Branch,” Poppy whispered. “I had no idea.” 

“It’s not something I like to talk about. Ever, really.”

”I kind of assumed you had a terrible voice,” she confessed. It was stupid, perhaps. She had never known any troll that could have that bad of a voice. Then again, maybe she was trying to lighten the mood with such a ridiculous accusation. 

“No,” he sort of scoffed, like it was actually funny. She almost perked at that, surprised that it had kind of worked. “Grandma used to say it was like an angel’s.” 

“That’s really cute.” 

“My brother told me it was like a missing piece in nature’s harmony, a perfect fit.”

Trolls didn’t compliment each other’s singing voices a whole lot. It wasn’t that any of them were bad, they just all had such beautiful and unique singing parts, but well , those were quite the compliments. 

“Well, I guess I’m named Branch for a reason.” 

She couldn’t help it. It didn’t matter if Branch thought he didn’t want the hug or not, she felt the need. She gathered him up with all of her arms and strength. 

“Whoa, whoa. What are you doing?” He didn’t seem particularly upset with her, more curiously surprised. “It’s not hug time yet.”

He fit so perfectly, even if he wasn’t really hugging back. 

“I just thought you could use one.” 

To his assured disdain, despite it sounding more mocking and out of obligation than anything else, everyone ran up to him to join. That was something, she supposed. 

“Okay, okay, okay. Can we stop now? I’ll help.” Branch huffed, wriggling to get out. 

Poppy nudged Cooper in an unspoken communication and he got the message around to back off of their new Snack Pack member. 

“I am still not singing.” 

That was okay. 

“Fair enough,” Poppy said, determination renewed. “Okay, people! Hair we go!”

Chapter Text

This was not going to end well. 

Shouting the truth about his brother that he had not even mentioned by name in half a decade was bad enough. The hug was…vaguely nice. Not too squishy, like their normal ones. It was weird. He didn’t know how to feel about it. 

Branch stayed quiet as Satin and Chenille worked on the Bergen girl’s new outfit, Poppy and the rest of them running around to doll her up. They left him alone, thankfully, and didn’t press any further about well, anything. He watched carefully and quietly as they got her ready and harmonized to create her hair, vaguely resembling a rainbow. He kept himself around and present - he definitely was not going to stay behind in case something went wrong. 

Something usually went wrong. 

And of course, he didn’t trust the Bergens. Any Bergen. 

He didn’t really start paying attention until he had to, almost dozing off during the ever so predictable song and dance number. Maybe his brother would have liked it but he couldn’t be sure anymore. It had been years. And then he heard the Bergen king’s voice. He waited even further before paying any attention. 

Poppy glanced at him, worriedly but he just shook his head. He had no idea what they were talking about. 

“Lady!” Biggie started. 

“Glitter?” Guy questioned. 

“Sparkles!” Smidge shouted. 

“Seriously?” Branch hissed as Bridget relayed the name - including his own accidental addition. 

This was unbelievable. They were all going to die. Branch sighed.

There was more talk and Branch was pretty sure Bridget was being asked on a date. Poppy cheered, triumphantly at the victory but Branch just took a step back. He did not want to listen, much less watch. “When are you going to ask about Creek?” As much as he loathed to admit it, that was why they were here doing all of this. He wouldn’t wish even Creek dead by Bergen stomach acid. 

“Well, we have to warm him up first,” Poppy replied, like it was obvious. “Don’t you know anything about romance?” 

Branch huffed, crossing his arms over his chest to hide his sweaty hands. What was he supposed to say? Sure, his brother had told him some necessary things, especially when he got a little older. But his brother also had very little experience, living in a household helping take care of four brothers for half his life and then living almost alone for the next half. Branch hadn’t really thought much of it. Now things were different. Everything was different. Deflect, deflect, deflect.

“Of course,” he said instead. That was not deflecting, he internally screamed. He didn’t like how that came out. “I’m passionate about it.” 

That was worse!

“Really?” Poppy looked so surprised. 

“Don’t you know anything about sarcasm?” 

Okay, that was a nice save. His brother would have been proud of that one. 

“I think I had a sarcasm once.” 

And then there went Cooper, with his unnecessary strange commentary yet again. “Things are going to get messy!” the Bergen King announced loudly,. Branch sighed. 

“Back to work, people. “ 

He could not watch this Bergen disaster with pizza. It just kept getting worse. “Compliment him back!” Poppy commanded, hurriedly. 

Gristle had complimented her? Branch had zoned out again, apparently. “I like your back,” Bridget’s fake sultry voice was going to give him a hernia. 

“No, I meant say something nice about him.” 

“But I do like his back.” 

“Huh?” 

“Poppy help her,” Branch couldn’t keep watching this. It was worse than a train wreck and there was no way he was going to do any better. He wasn’t really a people person at this point. Or ever had been really. 

Poppy tried her hardest, in her defense. King Gristle did not make it easy, that was for sure. He was also a troll eating Bergen so there was that too. That didn’t help. “Uh… your eyes. They’re…” she looked ready to throw up. “Ooo… your ears…?” Bridget tried to repeat after her. 

It was insane. Poppy was practically a master of compliments; even able to compliment Branch at times. He had never seen her choke up like this. 

“Nose!” Biggie yelled. 

“Skin!” Satin and Chenille threw out.

“Neck!” Cooper laughed. 

“Skin, neck, ears, nose, face, back of your head,” the words simply rolled from Bridget’s tongue like a grocery list. She was useless.

“Are you okay?” 

“Your teeth,” Guy sang in autotune which Bridget tried to repeat… just like Guy. 

“What’s going on? Are you making fun of me?”

Was this really happening? Was it really up to Branch, of all people, to try and salvage this? 

Apparently yes. Poppy better be grateful he was doing this for that irritating jerk. He better be alive. Who was he kidding? It was for her. 

“Your eyes,” he said calmly, giving Bridget time to repeat after him. “They’re like two pools so deep, I fear if I dive in…I might never come up for your air. And your smile…” 

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Poppy’s quiet gasp as she turned towards him, realizing what he was doing. That it was him. Don’t look. Don’t look. Don’t look. 

“The sun itself turns jealous and refuses to come out from behind the clouds, knowing it cannot shine half as bright.”

Don’t look. 

“I do kind have have a nice smile, don’t I?” 

Don’t look. 

“Yeah, you do.” 

Oh, he looked. 

Poppy’s smile was warm but Branch quickly tore his eyes away. Okay, nope, nope, nope. 

“I can’t believe I’m about to say this…” 

“Guys, she’s going rogue!” Biggie cried. 

“But being here with you today… makes me realize true happiness is possible.” 

“Whoa…” Poppy whispered in awe. 

“It is,” Gristle insisted, scooting closer in the booth to her. “True happiness is a lot closer than you think. It’s right here,” he brandished the gem that was holding his cape together. 

Ugh, cheap, Branch scoffed. 

“Hmmm…that’s pretty…I guess…” 

Well at least Bridget got it. 

“What do you think now?”

He opened the gem, Creek gasping for air. What? “Creek?” Branch stuttered. 

“I knew he was alive!” 

Everyone whispered their delights but the chaos had distracted him from the conversation for a moment. “....working.”

“It!” 

“It,” Bridget corrected. “Working it. You know.” 

“Yeah,” Gristle laughed. “You’re not kidding. Cause you’re going to be there as my plus one.” 

“Really?” 

“Assuming you’ll say yes.” 

“Yes!” 

“Yes!” Gristle pumped the air in victory. 

“Yes!” the trolls cheered. And as Gristle started to flirt again, Branch was pretty sure it was time for him to check out again - at least for a bit. Branch mostly just focused on his balance as the Bergens had their moment skating in the rink. One thing was for sure, Bridget didn’t need any help skating. Unfortunately, she did so too well. It didn’t take long for the trolls to fly off her head - taking her new hair with them. Poppy managed to grab onto one of her pigtails and in the last moment, with Cooper hanging onto his feet, Branch was able to lock hands with Poppy. They got everyone down and back into position before the Bergen king turned to look again. 

They were more careful and attentive after that. 

Apparently Bergens did have some semblance of feelings. 

Branch didn’t really know if that made him feel better or worse.

“Your Majesty,” Chef’s voice brought him back to reality. His feet frozen suddenly in place, his mind trying to convince him to run. He had frozen the last time too. “You seem to be having…fun.” 

“Oh I am!” the king greeted, cheerfully. “Meet the lovely Lady Glittersparkles.”

Chef eyed Bridget carefully. “You remind me of someone.”

Someone. Someone. Branch’s mind echoed. His grandmother’s voice swept across his brain; you remind me of him, when you do that.

She had a habit of mistaking things from others. 

He hadn’t realized the others were shaking in fear, making the Bergen’s bright hair quiver. His arm brushed up against Poppy’s next to him. “Oh! I see! For a moment there I was concerned you were changing the plan.” 

The plan? What was the plan? Did he miss the plan?

Gristle just laughed. 

“Well this won’t be a problem at all, your highness. I’ll just get my worthless scullery maid to get another place setting for the lovely…Lady Glittersparkles…” 

You’re worthless, Branch thought. 

“Put her place setting next to mine,” Gristle announced. “I want her right by my side.” 

“Run,” Branch whispered to himself. 

Maybe Bridget heard because she bolted out the door. Branch couldn’t move his feet - he couldn’t get himself unfrozen - but the Bergen girl could definitely move hers.

Chapter Text

Poppy could breathe . 

Creek was alive! Her friend was alive and he was able to be rescued. She could really pull this off! She couldn’t have done it without Branch. She would have to thank him later. He wouldn’t want a party but maybe she could make him a cake. Or, maybe he was a pie person. She definitely had to find out. 

As Bridget burst into her room all of them collapsed on her bed and she sighed happily. “I think the King really likes us!” Cooper giggled. 

“I know right?” Biggie agreed. 

“That was the greatest day of my life,” Bridget announced. “Thanks Poppy! Thanks to all of you,” she glanced at Branch, a bit uncertain. “Even you, I guess.” 

Branch’s light smile turned into a frown. 

Excuse her? If it wasn’t for Branch, Gristle would have thrown them out. Poppy felt her shoulders bristle just a little. 

“I never thought something like that could ever happen to me! And it just. Did! I’m so excited I could scream!” Bridget let out the strangest not really scream- scream Poppy had ever heard but it didn’t really matter. 

“I could scream too! Creek is alive!” Poppy jumped as everyone began to cheer. After a moment they faded out until only…Branch’s was left? 

It sounded strange. 

He stopped. 

“Are you okay? What’s wrong?” Poppy asked, hurriedly, worry flooding her. He sounded like he was about to hack up something. 

“Nothing. I thought we were celebrating?”

Oh. Oh honey. 

“That’s your happy shout?” Cooper asked, a little surprised. 

Branch just shrugged and frowned again, casting his irritated gaze to the side. “It’s been a while.” 

“Well you are going to have plenty of practice,” Poppy approached, excitedly. “Because we are going to save Creek and life will be all cupcakes and rainbows again!” Her friends erupted into another wave of cheer. She grinned at him. 

“Up top!” Branch offered. 

No way. No way. 

Poppy didn’t actually hesitate but it must have been enough, because Branch withdrew his hand, smugly. “Too slow.” 

She smiled at him. He smiled back. 

He smiled at her! She got him to smile! 

Her heart was soaring. This was turning out far better than she hoped. She was finally getting somewhere with Branch and her friends were alive. “Okay everyone. Let’s go make a plan and save Creek!” she cheered as they jumped off the bed and towards the door…only for Bridget to block their way. 

“No! No! You can’t leave!” Bridget panicked. “Lady Glittersparkles is going to be the King’s plus one at dinner!” 

“The dinner where they are serving troll?” Branch scoffed, disbelievingly. He wasn’t wrong. It would be weird and she didn’t think it would even make sense. She tried not to think about it too hard. “No thanks. We will pass. We’re going to have to skip that one.” 

“No! No! You have to help me be Lady Glittersparkles,” she insisted. “I need you.” 

Oh no. 

“You don’t want to pretend to be someone you’re not forever,” Poppy said, carefully. 

“Then how about just for tomorrow?” 

“Bridget…” Poppy tried to formulate the best words. She wasn’t sure how. They were supposed to be eaten tomorrow. “You don’t need us anymore. You and the King can make each other happy.” 

“That’s impossible!” Bridget spat as she stood up. “ Only eating a troll can make you happy. Everyone knows that . I wish I had never gone on this stupid date,” she sobbed, throwing herself at the collage wall, clawing it down.

“Bridget…” 

“Just go! Get out of my room! Leave me alone!” 

“Please, just listen…” 

“Bridget!” Chef shrieked from above. 

“We have to go,” Branch coaxed. 

“Bridget,” Poppy tried again. 

“What’s going on down there?! Bridget! Scrub that dish,” Chef yelled as a plate fell into the room. “The king is bringing a plus one!” 

Bridget paused her crying for only a moment to say, “Yes, Chef.” 

“Poppy.” 

She knew. She knew it was time to go. She had to focus on saving Creek. As much as she wanted to help Bridget, she had no idea how anymore. Maybe she was wrong to do this to her. Poppy turned to follow Branch and tried to keep her mind off of everything else. They ran through the shelves and rafters in search of their missing friend. 

It was almost embarrassing how long it took, considering how loud and obnoxious the Bergen King could be. But he was smitten with Bridget’s alter ego and smitten men do certain things when they like a lady. Such as work out. So, while he had headphones in and running on some kind of treadmill, with his cloak on the floor, they made their move. 

She spotted the gem from the door. “There it is!” And then they made a mad dash for it. “Creek, we will have you out of there in a second,” she assured as Branch pulled on it. 

“Hurry!” Biggie cried. 

Not long, she thought. 

“It’s stuck,” Branch grunted. In the reflection, a new beast showed its face. Uh oh. 

“Scatter!” Poppy yelled, grabbing one end of the gem, trusting Branch to follow her lead. He did and they all ran in different directions. The pet-animal creature couldn’t follow them all. In the end, they made quite the mess in the room with the animal doing most of the actual damage. 

“Hey guys! Over here!” 

“Get in!” 

A few trolls had taken refuge in the skate Bridget had left behind at the roller rink. Gristle had kept it, of course. And now it was going to aid them in their escape. Everyone leapt in, shouting over one another as Fuzzbert started to run on one of the wheels to get it moving. The creature leapt and fell just short of them, propelling them into the hallway. 

“Everyone, hold on!” Branch commanded. 

As she suspected, the animal followed. 

“Hold is steady guys!” Biggie yelled. 

“Not helping,” Branch read her mind. He was holding onto one side, Poppy on the other with the gem - and Creek - between them. She looked around and spotted the light fixture as well as the dead end. 

Perfect. 

“Satin! Chenille! Sharp right!” Poppy shouted. The conjoined twins jumped in front of the boot and into action immediately. 

“Let’s do it!” Satin yelled, flinging her sister, who grabbed the light fixture above. They swung around, screaming as Satin pulled her back in after successfully making the turn. 

They needed something else. Oh! 

“Guy Diamond,” Poppy looked back. “Glitter him!” 

She didn’t see anything to know the beast got plenty of glitter in his eyes, obstructing his vision as Guy’s autotune voice shouted, “Eat Glitter!” 

“Hold on.” 

They were flung into the air, the force knocking the gem from their hands. Poppy panicked. 

“Creek!”

And out the window they went. 

Halfway in the air, she saw the gem glimmering behind them and determined, she leapt for it. It was only half a surprise that she caught it and swung to face back towards her friends. She had to trust him on this one. She knew they were all there but her vision tunneled to one person. 

She could count on him. 

“Branch!”

He didn’t hesitate. Not a hair of a second. He threw his own hair to meet hers and they entangled, wrapping around once, twice, three times. The grip was insane. It tightened further as Branch pulled her back into the shoe with the gem. 

“We got you!” Biggie shouted. 

We? Poppy almost laughed. She had to give Branch all the credit for that one. They screamed as they broke through a green window. Although they didn’t see much else, they knew they hit the floor eventually as they all tumbled out of the skate in all directions. The gem bounced away. She ran to catch it and when she did, found Branch on the other side. Of course. She smiled confidently at him. 

“Gotcha!” 

They quickly set it down and opened it. Her chest emptied as her heart filled with dread. It was empty. 

“No,” she exhaled. “He was just here… he can’t be gone.” 

She failed. 

“I’m so sorry, Poppy,” Branch murmured. “We’re too late.”

There was a brief, blessed silence. 

“Actually,” a menacing laugh came from above. Poppy heard all the breath leave Branch’s lungs. The chef stood over them with another cage. There was nowhere to run or hide this time. 

“You’re timing is perfect!”

Chapter Text

Biggie was sobbing hysterically. 

It was going to drive Branch absolutely nuts. Well, Branch himself wasn’t doing a whole lot better. Feet once again frozen in place, eyes cast down, unable to look at Chef’s face again. He wasn’t sure if he could. Dark skies and beady eyes flashed across his mind. His hands were trembling. If he thought hard enough, he could almost imagine the blue of his own skin. He didn’t move when she locked the cage and didn’t move when she put them on the table. All he heard was Biggie’s hyperventilating. 

Unless that was him. 

“Sorry,” Chef chuckled. “I can’t have you leaving before tomorrow’s dinner. A dinner which you are all invited to,” she continued, leaning in close. 

She was right in front of his face and now entirely filling his view. Large sharp teeth flashed as she spoke, crooked and broken. Her makeup would have been perfect…but it could never disguise the scar that cut across her cheek near her eye. It was jagged and pulled, puffy and red from lack of care. Something had dragged across her face so deep, she would never forget it. She would probably always feel it. 

Good. 

“And when I say all, I mean every troll in troll village,” she hissed. She sounded so confident. 

“You’ll never find them,” Poppy stepped forward. “Not where they’re hiding!” 

Maybe not never but possibly long enough that the Bergens would stop looking. The bunker was deep more than anything and it had a fair amount of space. He was planning more but it was enough for now. It could take a hit. 

Chef grinned. “Oh, you’re right. I couldn’t find them. 

Ha. 

But he didn’t like the way she was smiling. “But I could with someone they know… someone they trust,” she nodded and opened her fanny pack, using two fingers to take something out. “Someone like this guy.”

It was Creek. 

She had pulled out Creek. 

Creek, sporting that stupid meditation pose with his eyes closed. Creek, who looked disturbingly calm. Creek, who looked peaceful despite his situation. Creek, who was set down gently. Creek, who didn’t even try to run . 

Branch vaguely heard Poppy exclaim along with the others, so happy he was alive. But he knew. He was the only one who realized it. He was going to have to rip that relief and joy from Poppy and he hated that. He really, really didn’t like Creek. Creek was not really someone you should trust with anything. But he had never thought Creek would do something like this. 

Branch moved before he realized what he was doing, a bit to his surprise, flinging his hair around the purple troll’s neck. Branch had fought before, hunted animals too but nothing ever like this. Even Creek was surprised by the sudden violence, choking and wriggling to get free. Branch said something but it sounded watery to his ears. Creek would not break free from his grip. 

Chef watched, almost amused. 

“Branch!” 

His breath calmed and Chef smiled. He hated that. 

“Branch!” Poppy’s voice cried. “Wait!” 

A hand pressed against his chest. She might have said something else but his ears were ringing with anger. Creek rubbed his throat as Branch’s dark hair retracted. “Thank you, Poppy,” he started, taking a breath. “Branch is right. I’m selling you out.” 

Branch did not expect Poppy to swing her own hair to start choking Creek as well, like he had mere seconds prior. He heard others start to freak out, trying to get Poppy to stop. He wouldn’t. They had undoubtedly never seen her so angry and violent before. Branch certainly never had. 

He blinked in surprise but watched as that turned into a certain smug expression, sitting back to watch. The traitor deserved whatever the princess was going to dish out. And then worse.

“That’s enough of that,” Chef said. 

Branch barely saw the glint of the knife before he moved. 

He had to move. 

“Branch, move!” a voice he hadn’t heard in years shouted at him. 

He…moved?

He obeyed like second nature, tackling Poppy to the side, making her retract her hair. He mostly succeeded. He was mostly fast enough. He heard a snikt and felt breath leave him. He tried to protect her. He did. If not that she was the troll princess - his princess - but she was his friend .

And then she was staring at him. When he opened his eyes, he couldn’t look back at her. He scrambled away and to his feet and she followed suit. He was already stepping in front of her, protectively, shoulders bristling. 

It was his turn to protect someone from this monster. 

Tiny snippets of hair fluttered to the ground outside the cage. Creek watched them fall. 

“Branch,” Poppy whispered. 

“Don’t you touch her,” he snapped, lip curling into a snarl. His fists clenched and knuckles hardened, the glove over his hand creaking lightly. “You don’t ever touch her.” 

Chef got closer and for the first time ever, Branch wasn’t entirely frozen in fear. At least, not enough to freeze in his tracks and let someone he cared about get eaten. She studied him for a moment. He could see the tiniest jagged marks of her scar. The loud, blazing fury that started in her eyes. It was hate. True hate. 

“You…” she hissed. “You, you, you…I knew you were trouble.” 

Her scar almost looked like it was bubbling. 

“You will not make a fool out of me this time,” she paused, using two fingers to grab at his hair. 

“No!” Poppy shrieked, trying to pull him back. The Snack Pack behind her tried to help and he appreciated the effort but it was no use. Her grasp was short lived. Branch dangled in the air, helpless. 

Chef noted him, her eyes narrowed. “You’re gray. Why aren’t you colorful?” her hate turned into irritation. 

“I just am,” Branch snapped. “I won’t make you happy. I’m never happy.”

“Never happy?” she asked, now almost delighted. 

So that definitely had the opposite effect he was going for. 

“That is perfect,” she grinned. “Perhaps when the King eats you, instead of making him happy you’ll just kill him on the way down.”

“No!” Poppy demanded. “Let him go!” 

“Oh, I don’t think so. I don’t make the same mistake twice,” she shook her head and turned, dropping him into a bottle, pushing a cork on top. She set it next to the cage. “There, try to escape that one.”

Poppy was staring at him. 

He didn’t want to look. 

“You better have an explanation, Creek,” he just growled instead, focusing on an object of ire rather than Poppy’s worried expression. 

“I’m not sure if there is one that makes any sense,” Guy Diamond replied, uncharacteristically somber and irritated. 

Oh wow, Branch didn’t think he had ever heard Guy with so little confidence and auto tune. 

But he was right. The reason sucked. It all sucked. Sure, Creek didn’t want to get eaten but he sold out the entire village for it. A spiritual awakening? What a joke. They were going to eat Creek anyways; whether or not he helped them. Branch did not understand at all why his brother had to die while this traitor got to live. He would never have done this. Not to anyone . 

“And now I have to live with this for the rest of my life,” Creek ended, mock mournfully. What a pathetic fake…ugh. “At least you get to die with a clear conscience.”

He did not just say that!

“So, in a way, I’m doing this for you. Boop!” 

Creek took Poppy’s cowbell from her hair. 

“It’s going to be a short life, Creek!” Branch yelled, furiously. “You know they are going to eat you and you…” he stopped as he was suddenly thrown off balance. 

“Enough of that, you,” Chef said. Branch rolled around in the bottle, only hearing clinks and the faint cry of his friends. His head was dizzy and it was getting hard to see. She was shaking and rattling him around, violently. 

“You shouldn’t have tried so hard, Branch,” he vaguely heard Creek’s voice through the ringing as the bottle finally stilled. “After all, you only get loved ones killed, don’t you?”

Branch was burning with fury but the ringing in his head was strong. Then it was black. 

Chapter Text

He was gone. Branch was gone. The realization grumbled in her brain, the only thing that seemed to be there. Chef just took his bottle and left the room. He hadn’t looked good. He hadn’t been moving. He wasn’t moving. Why wasn’t he moving? Fear was coating her brain. She wanted him back. She wanted him right back next to her so he could make a plan and get out of here. She’d try to help. But she needed him to come back.  

“Oh, don’t worry Princess,” Creek hummed, almost breaking her out of her mind's circulation of fears. 

“I couldn’t…I couldn’t save him,” she realized, numbly, trying to breath normally. She has failed the one person she could count on entirely. “He saved me and I just couldn't… what…”

Why couldn’t she pull strong enough? 

“He liked you,” Creek said, plainly. 

Poppy’s head shot up, entirely breaking from her round about thoughts. “What?” 

Creek just shrugged, like whatever he was insinuating was obvious and apparent. Like it didn’t even matter at all. “He liked you. It’s ridiculous of course. You have this instinctual desire for everyone to like you, to validate your position as the next queen and you were good at it. And you thought you got everyone under your finger… except with Branch. Well, congratulations, Poppy, you did it. For a lot longer than you think. He actually rather liked you.”

He… she often thought he couldn’t stand her. 

Branch didn’t seem to really like anyone.  

Why was she even listening to him?

“Of course, you could never really be friends with him,” Creek sighed, with a shrug. 

Poppy continued to stare. Her mouth moved without permission. She didn’t want to ask. She needed to know. Why did it matter what Creek said? He was a lying liar who lies. She couldn’t trust him. Yet still…

“Why not?” 

Creek gave her a knowing smile, hiding her cowbell in his own hair. He stepped closer, leaning against the bars. “Branch can only have friends that are too stupid to say no or are dead,” Creek pointed out. 

His brother. Creek knew about Branch’s brother, Poppy realized, numbly. No wonder Branch didn’t like him. 

“Although, I suppose, soon enough, you’ll be in the latter of those two categories anyways,” Creek suggested. Poppy was pretty sure her eyes filled up with tears. She could no longer see him. She didn’t see anything. She could barely hear him now. “I guess you could be best friends after all.”

***

She didn’t know how much time passed or even what happened. She looked up one moment and Creek was gone. Biggie was sobbing and Cooper was on one side of her, Smidge on the other. “Poppy, please,” Cooper whispered. She had no idea how long Cooper had been trying to coax her out of her shock. 

“I’m okay,” she said, standing from her kneeling position. Her feet felt shaky but she figured that would resolve itself soon. “We have to get out of here.” 

Biggie continued to shriek tears. 

She sighed and turned quickly. “Biggie! Enough! We have to focus!” 

He stopped, sudden and stunned. They all were rather stunned. It wasn’t like her to snap like that to anyone, much less one of her friends. 

“We have to focus,” she repeated, trying to calm her own trembling tone. “Branch is counting on us and we are not giving up on him.”

 There was no room for debate. 

“Of course not,” Guy nodded sharply, almost with a disbelieving scoff. “It’s Branch .” 

She had no idea what he meant by that but was satisfied with his determination. “You think he’s still alive?” DJ Suki asked, hesitantly. 

“If Creek survived being shoved into a Bergen’s mouth,” Satin scoffed in disgust. 

“Then Branch can definitely survive a bottle ,” Chenille finished, rolling her eyes. 

“Right,” Poppy nodded, almost glowing at their fondness and consideration and confidence in their friend. “Branch already used my scissors to undo the lock before. Anyone got anything?”

“A bat?” Smidge offered.

“Wood against metal probably won’t work.”

“As much as I - we - loathe to ruin them,” Chenille said, putting her hand in Satin’s side of hair. Her sister shrugged as she pulled out a pair of needles. 

“Cooper. I’m going to need your help.” 

“You got it, girl.” 

It took far longer for her to mess with the lock than Branch has earlier but in her defense, she was actually inside the cage and she had way less experience with this than Branch. Which was probably why she failed to unlock the door. 

“I think we need a new plan.” 

“Augh!” Poppy yelled in frustration, throwing the needles down. “This isn’t working. Why isn’t this working? Branch made it look so easy.” 

“Well, Branch makes a lot of strange obscure things look easy,” Guy shrugged. This was true. In the over half a decade he had been living around troll village, she - and others - had noticed how easily he did certain things. For heaven’s sake, he built an entire bunker . Impressive was an understatement. 

The door of the room rattled. 

Everyone froze in place, staring with bated breath. Was it time already? Had Chef already found them and was coming back to prepare them for dinner? There was no way she could have found the bunker that fast. Was there? 

After a moment, the door opened, slowly creaking and they could only watch. Except no Bergens came through. Nothing seemed to come through. 

“Ghosts,” Biggie whispered. 

Smidge just scoffed. 

“Look!” Satin pointed towards the ground. 

“There!” Chenille finished. Poppy and the rest of them peered over the edge of the table, watching a large creature sniff around. It was ribbed and off white with a multi-color stripe running down the side. It had a tiny green tail and short green legs that it pattered along with. 

“What… is that?” 

“It doesn't look like a Bergen pet.”

“It’s so ugly.” 

“That it’s adorable.” 

“Do you think it’ll eat us?” 

“Maybe if we stay really, really still it won’t notice.” 

They watched as the creature continued to sniff, finding its way towards them. Whatever trail it was following led right to their table. It climbed clumsily up on a chair and then a wooden mop to get to the top. It just kept sniffing the surface where Branch’s bottle had been. It either hadn’t noticed them or it didn’t care. 

“It’s getting closer,” Biggie cried quietly. 

“I don’t think it’s deaf,” DJ Suki pointed out. 

And she was right. The beast turned to face them and hurriedly scuttled over, sniffing them frantically. It got up on its hind legs, clawing at the bars of the cage. Within the blink of an eye, it pushed the care over, its weight crushing it enough to make an opening big enough for the trolls to get through. Poppy tried to keep them quiet as they slipped through the crushed areas out of the cage. It whined again, continuing to sniff them. 

“I think she’s trying to find something.” 

“What? Food?” 

“Maybe, but I don’t think we are it. Look up there. It’s a visor!” Poppy pointed towards the top of the animal. “I think she might be some kind of travel bug? Like a caterbus?”

The creature licked Poppy, leaving her a bit slimy and a lot more glittery. “Oh yeah. I don’t think she’s going to eat us.” 

Actually, that gave her an idea. 

“Alright,” she said, running her hand along the creature. She was pretty sure it seemed to understand as a door popped open in her side. “You guys get in and run back to Troll Village. Warn them if you can. We know where it is so we might have a chance.”

“What about Branch?” 

“I’m going to go rescue Branch.” 

“Not alone you aren’t,” Smidge scoffed, stubbornly. “We all go. No one gets left behind.” 

“Except maybe Creek.”

“Eh, yeah. Maybe Creek.” 

“Guys…” 

“Poppy, you know we’d never make it.” 

They weren’t wrong. “Okay, fine. New plan. Some of you go by the tunnels at the Troll Tree. We can use this gal here to make a quick escape. Small numbers, quiet with me. Cooper take Biggie, DJ Suki, and Satin and Chenille. Guy Diamond, you and Fuzzbert and Smidge are with me.” 

“Guy Diamond is quiet?” 

“Hey!” 

“Quieter than Biggie,” Poppy pointed out. “Look, we have to move now. We don’t know what kind of time we have. Suki, you drive?”

“You got it boss!” 

The creature whined as she was pulled away but with minor urging from Poppy, she eventually listened. Poppy turned to the remainder of her friends and they bolted out of the room in search of Branch. 

Turned out, finding him was easy. Or at least it should have been for them. He ended up being held in the next kitchen room over. Separation, she guessed? Perhaps so they couldn’t try to make a plan? But why just him? She wasn’t entirely sure chefs reasoning and she didn’t really care. Something sparked fury in the Bergen Chef and she was convinced Branch would cause trouble. She wasn’t entirely wrong but there was one thing she overlooked. Poppy would cause trouble too. 

She told her friends to stay in the rafters above just in case something went wrong and they needed a quick lift. Smidge lowered her down to the shelf Branch and the bottle he was stuck in was set. His back was towards her, staring at something across the way of the shelf. 

“Branch,” she hissed, quietly. “Branch!” 

He turned around, more surprised than she expected. She did not like that. She hoped he hadn’t really thought she was going to leave him here to die. “Poppy? What are you doing here?” 

“Rescuing you, obviously.” 

“You need to go warn the village!” 

“Cooper is already leading some of the others away but we all know it’s too late for that.” 

“You shouldn’t be here!” 

“Blah, blah, blah. Don’t care,” Poppy rolled her eyes, mockingly talking with her hands. “You’re my friend and I don’t leave friends behind. I went back for Creek didn’t I? And he ended up being a massive traitorous jerk. Imagine what I’d do for you.”

Maybe she didn’t know what she was saying because Branch just stared at her, silently, his gray skin seeming to warm up. It was almost like he was blushing. 

“It’s a lot more,” she answered herself as she rushed forward, climbing the bottle to try and find a way out. “Like, a lot. I would never give up on you. Haven’t before and I’m certainly not going to start now. We just have to figure out now how to get you out.” 

Branch paused as he watched her for a moment trying to find some way to remove the cork. 

“...Poppy, back off.” 

“No! I won’t!” Poppy snapped, trying to lift the cork. Ugh, it was so stuck. How did those Bergens even do it? This seemed like overkill. 

“Poppy, I’m serious.” 

She sighed. Fine. They would do this now. She jumped down to face him, glaring. Despite the dull light, Branch seemed brighter than ever, even almost bluer than the stone gray he was usually. Lighting was so weird. “I said NO! I’m not leaving you behind.” 

He just kind of smiled, as if almost amused. “I’m not saying leave me behind. I’m saying back off.”

She paused, eyeing him suspiciously. “Do you have a plan?” 

“Yes, I have a plan.”

She grinned. “Of course you do,” she laughed and scrambled away from the bottle to hide behind a book. It was dirty and disgusting and she knew she didn’t want to read the title. “What are you going to do?”

“The glass is old and worn and thin,” he explained, using his hands to feel around, patting the sides. “Find even the tiniest weak spot…” 

He seemed to have found what he was looking for because he stopped and clenched his fist. There was a sharp snikt. She blinked. Nothing happened. Did he try…punching the glass? 

She trotted over and inspected the area. There was a crack but it wasn’t enough. 

“That barely made a dent!” 

Branch sighed. “Poppy.” 

“What?” 

“I’m not done. Please, go back off?” 

She huffed and went back to her hiding place. The book had a troll on it. Oh that was even worse. 

“You might want to close your eyes.” 

“Why?” 

“Trust me?” 

She did trust him and so she listened. And then, after a crack and shatter, she felt a rush of wind and…was that glitter(?) rush across her face. She coughed some of it up and opened her eyes. The bottle was mostly intact, with a large jagged hole in the side. Shards of glass were scattered on the surface, covered in glitter. In the midst of the dust and glitter, being waved away with a blue gray arm, was Branch. He emerged, waving some of the dust away and letting out some coughs. 

“Branch!” she said in relief and rushed over to him, giving him a quick hug.

“I’m alright,” he promised. 

She backed up quickly, trying to inspect the damage. He seemed okay, not really any worse for wear. The same could not be said for the bottle he was held in. “What was that?” 

Branch kicked a piece of glass out of the way, stretching out his gloved hand. “Oh, just a bomb.” 

A what?! 

“A bomb?! How did you make a bomb in there?!” She hissed, shocked and unsure how to even respond to such a revelation. She knew Branch was resourceful but how in the world did he manage that. 

“I didn’t. It was already made.” 

Double what. 

“You keep bombs in your hair?!” 

“They are very stable, I promise.” 

“Stable? They’re bombs!” 

“Bombs that I made. I know what I’m doing.” 

“Is everything okay down there?” Smidge called from above. “Is Branch alright?” 

“Branch is fine,” Branch shouted back. Guy, Smidge and Fuzzbert jumped from above and looked at the hole in the bottle and then back at them. 

“How did you… get out?” Guy asked, carefully. 

“Better question, how did you?” Branch asked. 

“You’d be amazed at the animals roaming around here,” Smidge shrugged.

“I…have no idea what that means.” 

“And you are covered in almost more glitter than me,” Guy pointed out, proving his point. “Give and take.” Branch huffed and tried to brush some of it off. 

“Looks like we are all full of surprises,” Poppy laughed lightly. They were going to be okay now. “We need to move. Cooper has the caterbus outside the Tree tunnels and we need to make a plan before the dinner.” 

“Where did you find a caterbus?” 

“We aren’t sure,” Smidge admitted. “It kind of found us?” 

“It kind of just… showed up,” Guy agreed. 

Branch looked suspicious at the notion. “That does not make a lot of sense.”

“It doesn't have to - lets go,” Poppy said, grabbing his hand to pull. 

“Wait,” Branch stopped, tearing from her. He ran to the wall on the other side of the bottle and grabbed a pair of cracked goggles that were lying on the shelf. It looked like they had been there for years. They were small enough to be a troll’s and although similar to his, they weren’t Branch’s. He dusted them off before wrapping the broken strap around his arm. He let Poppy take his hand again. “Okay. Now let’s go.”

Chapter Text

She came back for him. 

She came back for him . 

After being betrayed, in the midst of certain death, while her entire people were in peril, she came back for him. He hadn’t had anyone come back for him before - save once - and that had ended poorly. She wouldn’t regret it, he promised himself, keeping a firm grasp on the goggles wrapped around his arm and her hand in his. 

Oh how he had never hated anyone so much as Chef. 

Finding his brother’s goggles in Chef’s kitchen, dangling in front of him just out of reach was a special kind of pain. Like they were a trophy specifically made to torture him. Cracked, broken, dusty. Just like Branch. His brother was dead and sometimes all Branch felt inside was dead too. 

And then Poppy showed up with bared teeth and enough determination to light up a thousand suns with the likes he had never seen before. It was like something in his chest had cracked open. 

She had come back for him. 

She called him her friend. 

They were friends. 

He had a friend. 

He glanced at Guy and Smidge and Fuzzbert as they ran across the rafters. Maybe he had friends. 

His relief and happiness were short-lived. Not surprisingly but disappointing all the same. At least he could say he had a friend now. Possibly more than one. Probably more than one. 

They stopped suddenly upon hearing the familiar shouts of trolls. The small group slowed down and followed the sound to a mostly bare room. Keeping up towards the ceiling to stay out of sight, they watched several Bergens file in. 

Tossed from the pouches of the Bergens, dozens upon dozens of trolls were poured into a giant pot. It had to be the entire village. The Bergens had found the bunker. Branch bristled, hating the day he had ever thought he could trust Creek with anything. 

Branch spotted Cooper and the others as they fell in as well. Apparently, they hadn’t made it out. 

“No, no, no,” Poppy cried, falling to her knees as she watched from the rafters, helplessly. “We…we are too late. I…I failed.”

Branch looked around quickly. The Chef laughed as she tossed the last trolls in and then turned and muttered something to someone before leaving, already yelling orders for final preparations. They were running out of time. Branch struggled to think optimistically. 

He had to plan. He needed a plan now. 

The room was empty now. There had to be a way to get them out of there. 

The prep room door creaked. 

He paused. Wait! 

“Poppy,” Branch whispered. Poppy was frozen, staring at the pot. He shook her arm. “Poppy, look!” 

Poppy sighed lightly and glanced over and then gasped. Bridget had come through the door and headed towards the pot. She put her ear to the side of it. “Poppy?” she called, softly. 

Branch glanced at her and she nodded. They used their hair to swing down towards the floor. “Bridget!” Poppy cried. “You’re here!”

“I couldn’t let them eat you. But we have to move now,” Bridget whispered, hurriedly. “I got the pot, c’mon let’s go.” The free trolls hitched a ride on her apron as she moved through the galls to the nearest door. Opening it, they jumped down and she tipped the pot. 

Trolls poured out in confusion, Peppy leading them away. 

“Come on, you got to go,” Bridget urged. “Hurry, go! Go! Go! Get out of here!” 

“Bridget, if you go in there without us, you know what they’ll do!” Poppy announced worriedly. 

“I know.” 

“But Bridget!” 

“It’s okay, Poppy, it really is,” Bridget sighed with quiet reassurance. He almost believed her. “You showed me what it feels like to be happy. I never would have known if it wasn’t for you. And I love you for that.” 

Branch just stared. He never thought a Bergen could be capable of anything but death, pain and destruction. 

“Branch!” 

His head whipped around at the sound of his grandmother’s voice. He looked around the mess of trolls running away for her, her light hair bouncing as he dove towards. 

“Branch, thank goodness,” she hugged him, quickly. She bumped into his arm and looked down at the goggles wrapped around it. Tears already filled her eyes. She knew. “Oh Branch.”

“I got out because of him,” Branch said simply, unwilling to elaborate as he squeezed her hand. “Go with King Peppy. You and him are the best to do this. If you get back before us, go to the bunker. Take the mat too. Go as deep as you possibly can and wait.” 

“Why aren’t you coming?” 

“Poppy is going to do something I probably won’t like. She’s probably going to try and help Bridget. And I’m going to help her.” 

Rosiepuff smiled through the tears. “He would be so proud of you, honey,” she murmured. “And so happy for you too.”

Branch wasn’ts sure what that meant but before he could think to ask, she had turned, ushering trolls away from the Castle. Branch headed towards the back where Poppy and some of the others of her friends were helping others. They met each other’s eyes and nodded sharply, making sure every troll got before them. The streets were empty so they ran straight down them and got everyone to the Troll tree, heading into the tunnels. They had been running nonstop and they weren’t going to quit now. As the last troll jumped in, Poppy turned towards the castle again. The chants were so loud even they could hear them across town. 

“Poppy?” Branch asked. 

She turned towards him. “Bridget just ruined her life to save ours. It’s not right. She deserves to be happy as much as we do. They all do!”

Branch wasn’t sure if he entirely agreed but Bridget was innocent and she had helped them. And if not for her, Branch would help Poppy. “What do you propose?”

“We have to tell them the truth.” 

The Snack Pack had come back up, unwilling to leave their leader behind. They seemed to be ready for whatever Poppy asked for them. Their loyalty was admirable, something he definitely took into account. How much they heard, Branch wasn’t sure. “We would never catch up with her in time,” Smidge said. “She’s gotta be already near the dining hall, even at her slowest. They’ll know before we would make it halfway.”

Branch’s lips curled into a grin and without warning, let out a shrill whistle. 

“What are you doing!?” 

“Getting us a ride. Come on!” He didn’t wait as he jumped from the tree, making his way to the ground just as Rhonda leapt forth from underneath the dirt. The group shrieked and jumped back. “Heya sweetheart!” 

“You know that thing?” 

Branch leaned against his armadillo bus as she gave him a small nuzzle “Good ole Rhonda? Are you kidding?” 

“You named it already?” 

“Her,” he corrected. She wasn’t an it. 

“What?” 

“She’s been following us virtually the entire time,” he shrugged, knocking on her side. Her door opened, ready to let them in. She wriggled excitedly. 

“What?” 

“Let’s roll,” Branch said, jumping inside the side door. He spun into the driver’s seat and hung his brother’s goggles off to the side. 

“You can…drive this thing?” Suki asked, hesitantly.

“Her,” he corrected again. “And yes, I’m practically the best. And I won’t even have to use the hustle button.” 

“The what?” 

He ignored them and started her up, her feet growing the small wheels for faster travel. He didn’t love using it on cobblestone but it wasn’t a long distance and they needed to go. 

“Branch!” Poppy gasped. “Your… your colors!” 

His what? He glanced down, his normally sone gray skin brightening slowly into blue. Right. That. He almost forgot about that. He hadn’t really noticed the slow returning of color since Poppy found him in the bottle. “Oh yeah. They’re uhh… they’ve been kinda coming back.” 

Poppy was right next to him, grinning dopily and eyes shining with excitement and something else. “I love you.” 

He glanced at her, surprised, but the sentiment spread through his chest. She…he…yeah. “Me too,” he replied, eyes softening. “You’re my best friend.”

She grinned further. He had never seen her look so… happy. Or maybe it was something else. He couldn’t be sure considering Poppy was usually very happy. This was just different somehow. “Me too.” 

“We really need to go,” Guy whispered. 

Smidge muttered something else. Cooper chuckled quietly. 

“Step on it Rhonda!” Poppy cheered. 

Before Branch even did anything, the armadillo bus tore down the street, racing passed the buildings like they were never there. They made it to the castle within moments, blazing down the halls, nearly leaving smoke in their wake. 

“I love this!” Poppy shouted. 

She didn’t need to shout but Branch just grinned for the first time into years. “Hang onto something! Rhonda stops on a dime!”

And then they burst through the door. 

Chapter Text

Bridget was surrounded. They were going to hurt her. They were going to hurt her friend . Rhonda had burst through with the doors slamming into the walls beside them and she found her footing again on the ground. Poppy surveyed the situation before the bus had even stopped. 

Bridget was standing with weapons pointed at her, ready to strike.

 “Branch!” Poppy yelled. 

“Got it,” Branch nodded and, as if he read her mind - yet again - pointed Rhonda towards the guards and she dashed towards them. He turned the wheel sharply, her body moving around their legs, forcing the guards to trip over her body as she wove between them. 

“Yes!” someone cheered as they watched them fall back like bowling pins. 

“What is this?” The Chef shrieked, turning around and trying to catch sight of what was causing the commotion and chaos.

“Poppy, go. I’ve got this handled. I’ll join you,” Branch promised, clenching the wheel, with a determined stare at the path he was going to take. 

She nodded and burst through the side door, the Snack Pack leaping behind her. “Bridget!” she called and the Bergen girl caught them, quickly. Swinging their hair, they recreated the essential part of Lady Glittersparkles - her hair - on Bridget’s head. 

Voices continued to scream. 

“Get it! Get it!” 

“What’s happening?” 

“Chef? What is all this!” 

“There’s glitter in my eye!!” 

“It bit me?!” 

As the trolls settled into position and the reveal was unveiled, everyone gasped. Poppy peeked from Bridget’s hair just as King Gristle appeared in front of them, his eyes wide in shock and wonder. “Lady Glittersparkles?”

“What?” 

Things calmed down after that a little and the trolls retracted their hair. Bridget took them back in her hands and then set them gently on the table. “But how? Why? Why did you do this?” The King asked, confused. 

Poppy answered. She didn’t mean to speak for someone else but she figured it would be easier for her friend to take over once she started. Bridget could have a hard time starting to talk with people she nervous around. “Because she didn’t think you would want someone like her.” She wasn’t wrong, that was what Bridget thought. 

Branch scrambled up from the chair underneath the table as Bridget continued to speak. “How’s it going?” 

“Not dead yet.” 

“Positive then.” 

Poppy couldn’t help but smile faintly. 

“GUARDS!” Chef ordered, throwing a finger towards the scullery maid. “Finish her!” 

“No! Wait!” Gristle cried as the Bergen’s advanced, stepping forward. 

An idea. 

“Wait!” Poppy yelled, stepping forward as well. Everyone turned towards her again. Wow, she must be louder than she thought. “King Gristle, when you were with Bridget, you were feeling something, weren’t you?” 

“Yeah, I was,” he nodded, something a bit desperate in his eyes. They softened as he recalled his date and turned a little sheepish. “I just thought it was too much pizza.” 

“Me too!” Bridget agreed. 

It was a guess but it was probably the right one. 

This could work. 

“That feeling? That was happiness!” 

“You have to eat a troll to be happy,” one Bergen started, hesitantly. “Don’t you?” 

“But King Gristle has never eaten a troll in his life, right?” she pointed out. At least, she really hoped not. Peace would be easier that way. 

“No, I haven’t,” he agreed. “And yet here I am, my belly empty and my heart full.”

Oh, he was good. 

“Don’t listen to her,” Chef snarled, approaching. “There is only one way to be happy! My way!” she shoved the king aside into a chair. He yelped in surprise. “With me in charge…” 

She slammed down on the table, scar rippling with her snarl. The force made them launch a little and she caught Branch mid air. He let out a nervous shout, taken by surprise with the action. 

“Branch!” 

“I’ll serve you Troll every day of the year!” Chef announced, putting Gristle in front of Branch as she harshly put him on the table. Branch blinked, disoriented and shook his head.  

She knocked on the king’s forehead, making his mouth open. Some sort of strange reflex, perhaps. Branch tried to scramble away but she let her knife fall behind him, clipping tiny tuffs off the ends of his hair. 

“With me as queen all if life will be a never ending feast of happiness!” Chef shrieked. “Come on! Eat! Eat! Eat!” 

No, no, no, no, no, no, no. 

Branch was breathing hard now, fingers trembling as he tried to keep backing away. 

No. 

She wasn’t going to let this happen. 

Not to him. 

Not to anyone. 

Never again. 

“NO!”

Poppy was moving and all of a sudden, she had tackled Branch out of the way. Gristle snapped his head back, shocked at the sudden turn of events. Poppy kept a hold of Branch’s hand, keeping him close. This Bergen wasn’t going to snatch him from her again. 

“Happiness isn’t something you put inside,” she announced, fiercely. She had already half convinced them. Just a bit more. If she could get the rest of them, Chef wouldn’t matter. “It’s already there. Sometimes… sometimes you just need someone to help you find it.” 

“Can I really be happy?” A Bergen asked, hopefully. 

This was it. 

“I want to be happy!

“And me!” 

“Sign me up!” 

Poppy grinned. Of course they wanted to be happy. A lifetime of misery and happiness was all one could try for. They just needed the real way. Not what they have been told. 

“What about me?” a guard asked. 

“Do you really think I can be happy?” 

“Yes, of course,” Poppy assured with renewed confidence. She had them now. “It’s inside you. It’s inside all of us!” 

There was just one more thing to cement this - something a troll just always had to do. She glanced at Branch with a smile. He nodded a little with a smile of his own. He knew. 

“And I don’t think it. I feel it.”

Now to do what trolls do best. 

Sing. 

Chapter Text

Branch sang and danced for the first time in a long time, Poppy’s hand in his, moving to her and the beat like they had practiced together for years. He hadn’t been so synchronized with someone in so long, it was like something had broken off in his chest and he could breathe again. Like something instinctual was opened back up. Her eyes were alight in a new shine and he suspected his were as well as he harmonized with her for the first time. 

It felt perfect. 

His color was so vibrant in that moment, a blue shadow cast on everything around him. Every time he saw his fingers beyond the glove, he tried not to stare in awe. 

He was so happy. 

It was a performance only pop trolls could pull off.

And it was infectious. Even the Bergens started to move and dance in their own, slightly awkward way. They would learn. 

Branch laughed, delighted, as Poppy and him spun each other around. 

He saw her grin. 

He matched it. 

He did that. He made her smile. 

Branch had no idea how it happened, but at some point, there was a lemon, grill, Rhonda and fire involved as Chef, stuck inside, fell out of the castle and off the steps, flames licking all around her. 

Cooper caught his eye and winked at Branch, when he tossed the match. 

“Wait. Is Creek still in the fanny pack?” 

At first, no one said a word.

“Oops.”

***

Poppy was Queen. 

Several days later, when things settled down and the village was well into rebuilding, Poppy was crowned queen. She stood atop a mushroom while her father, Peppy, gave her a stunning new crown and announced her rule. 

Branch had never heard such loud, joyful cheer. And for once, he was a part of it. 

She went up to him and took his hands, dragging him up with her. The mushroom shot up, towering over everyone and giving them some kind of moment to themselves. It was alright, everyone else was too busy celebrating. 

“What do you know, a High Drop Mushroom,” he noted as he glanced around, vaguely interested. It was hard to tell sometimes. 

She laughed. 

He smiled back. He owed her something. A couple of things really and perhaps it was the time. “I know it’s not hug time yet but well…I think I owe it to you,” Branch said with a welcoming gesture. “Not too big to admit I’d want it.” 

“Now that I am Queen, I decree, that hug time… is all the time,” she giggled. 

He could get used to the hugs. 

“I also kind of owe you a new ukulele,” Branch added, laughing awkwardly as he pulled away. 

“Pffft… I have like, a million and five.”

Not one like this, he thought, as he was already pulling out a new ukulele out of his hair, decorated in natural swirls of plants, flowers and a stunning night sky on the stem. The moon on it practically glowed. She gasped

“Branch…how did you…where did you…it’s stunning,” her eyes were wide and interested as she looked around the instrument. 

“I spent… all night on it,” he confessed. 

“This looks different? Where did you get this?”

“I made it. Sort of.” 

“What?” 

“Yeah, my brother got into carving for a while and started it…” Branch said, drifting off with a shrug. It had been tucked in Rhonda for more than just a couple of years. “I just kind of finished it. And then painted it. Trust me, he would definitely want you to have it.” 

He would have loved her. 

Gotten along like a pod on fire. 

“It’s…it’s amazing.” 

“And the plants that are painted on it are ones that are safe to eat. Just as a reminder,” he added, pointing around to varying plants he had painted on the sides and edges. 

She laughed. “I love it. So much. It’s so you.” 

“I love you,” he replied. 

“I love you too,” she smiled warmly. It felt like she was practically glowing. There was something about the two of them that was different. He was just glad that they were friends. “Some day, when you are ready, I’d love to hear all about your brother.” 

Branch’s heart softened. Oh how much his brother would have loved her. They’d be so embarrassing to him, obnoxious and annoying but in the end Branch is pretty sure he’d secretly love it anyways. “I’d love to tell you.” 

There is a genuine feeling to things she says to him that makes her so easy to believe. And he knows he can believe her. She keeps staring at him, giving him every inch of attention and keeping herself so earnest. “I know I never got to meet him or know him but I think…I think he would be really happy for you.” 

“I know.”