Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

How could a question carry so much uncertainty? Could one question seal the fate between two partners? It didn't sound realistic to the ear of a skeptic. It was something constantly on the young troll's mind nowadays after having obtained a potential partner for himself. To have such a simple question be equally daunting and terrifying.

“Do you want to get married?”

Such a simple phrase, but it carried mountains of weight and meaning. What does marriage even mean to a Troll? “Forever bonded by happiness” was one of the many phrases Branch had heard uttered at every wedding ceremony between the bride and groom. If Trolls were the embodiment of happiness, then how could a marriage be anything more than what they already are?

Branch’s wavering mind continued to linger, watching the beautiful ceremony that was taking place before him. It was a spectacular venue, something even Branch couldn't have put together without some insight from his peers. The venue overlooked the old and now vibrantly blossoming Troll Tree. Many memories lay inside its branches for the dark-haired troll, thoughts that only seemed to linger negatively until he forced them away. He didn't need to be thinking of his past life right now. His eyes shifted over to his brightly colored partner, who stood excitedly in anticipation as King Gristle and Queen Bridgette recited their vows.

Bored, Branch had begun to picture the bride and groom instead as himself and his lover, Poppy. The two Bergens spoke words that melted like velvet to Branch. It was true love if he’d ever seen it before, he was convinced. They had finished reciting their vows, Bridgette throwing in a few “Pookie-Bears” and “Sweetie-Pies” here and there. The sky had decided to set the mood perfectly, a beautiful painting of pink and orange pastels from the passing sunset. It was events like this that made Branch feel alive, and grateful to be where he was today. He couldn't help but envision something this perfect- if not even more- for himself on his own wedding day.

In addition to a wedding ceremony, it was also Bridgette’s coronation. She was becoming Queen of the Bergens, a title earned from marrying the dashing young King Gristle. Continuing the fantasy of his perfect day, a realization hit Branch like a ton of bricks.

Poppy. Poppy was the Queen of the Pop Trolls- His Partner.

He would be- well, he wouldn't be King of the Pop Trolls. That's not how it worked. He would however be a royal consort, a lower title which allowed the Pop lineage to continue with the royal hierarchy. It was weird, but Branch didn't care. If he and Poppy were to have children, then their son would be King-

He and Poppy… having children?

Branch was shaken from his flustered thoughts as a small pink hand brushed his wrist. “Branch,” The female voice spoke, calling the attention of the Troll beside her. Branch became red, his thoughts having run wild to places he had never thought of before. “Are you okay?” The female voice belonged to his partner Poppy, coaxing Branch closer to her with a gentle tug at the nape of his wrist. Her boyfriend had been lingering and was now suddenly red in the face.

“S-Sorry.” Brach stuttered, flustered. “It's just so beautiful.” Branch stumbled for an excuse, not wanting to admit he was now envisioning her in a beautiful wedding gown. The dress she had on was still beautiful, an adorable bridesmaid gown she had stayed up late the night before perfecting for the big day. “Awe, Branch, you're so sweet. But you are not holding my tail!” Poppy spoke through gritted teeth, stress sifting through her words. “Ugh! With your bowtie off center too!? Branch!” An offended look fell over her face as she scolded him, reaching over and adjusting the glittery tie around his neck. Branch rolled his eyes with a soft chuckle, letting his girlfriend adjust the sequined tuxedo to her liking. Poppy seemed to notice his scoff, her lip poking out in a pout.

“I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I just want to make sure everything is perfect for Bridgette.” She put her hands up in defense but returned to scolding Branch. “I told you my tail was going to wag too much and mess up the flow of my dress! Please hold it Branch.” She held the long curled tuft of fur on her tail, handing the base of it to Branch. “You worry too much.” Branch mused, accepting the task of assisting his lover in controlling her excitement. “You look cute when it wags. Who cares?” Branch mused, twisting a few of the pink hairs of her tail between his digits.

This caused Poppy to flush, turning away with a glare. “Branch!” She hissed, fanning her face in an attempt to diffuse her embarrassment. Branch couldn't help but feel his tail wiggle in time with hers as he attempted to control the snake writhing wildly in his hands. It was true, Poppy was extremely excitable.

The ceremony would close, and Branch would lose track of Poppy’s tail as she sprouted forward in a full run with a happy squeal, celebrating her friend's newfound love and status. Branch watched the peppy little Troll scamper off, the pang in his heart reminding him that she was his, his one and only. Branch couldn't believe how sickly in love he was with her.

As the crowd began to disperse to attend the cake-cutting, Branch stepped off to the side to take off the pesky bowtie that was irritating his chin. He loved Poppy and her experimental clothing ideas, but scratchy sequins were not a hit. Branch skittered off away from the crowd, needing to take a walk after that long and agonizing ceremony in a noisy and rambunctious crowd of Trolls. Luckily the forest was nearby, he could regroup there.

The Pop Queen was the only thing the lovesick Troll could think about. How amazing she was, how the white speckles on her cheeks fanned outwards to frame her face. How the light in her eyes never faded, even when she was exhausted to the bone. Branch held his hands up to his flustered face, feeling how warm and happy he felt. He took a deep breath, relishing in the feeling. This was so much better than gray. This felt so much better than lonely, paranoid, and spiteful. He was in love, and she was the most beautiful, inspiring, adorable-

Branch could have rambled off synonyms for hours. He made his way back around the party after the short break, giving him a sliver of time to regroup. Still overwhelmed, Branch didn't care. He let his lovesickness carry him through the dense crowd of Bergens and Trolls, wanting nothing more than to spend the rest of the love-filled day with his even more loving partner. Then suddenly, as if a cloth had come to smother out his light, his thoughts echoed back a daunting question.

“Is this what it's like to feel like a normal Troll?”

The question stopped Branch in his tracks. Such a dark question, where the hell did that come from?! Branch grew angry at himself, of course, he had come to ruin his perfect happiness.

Suddenly, they all started falling like raindrops.

“What, am I not a normal Troll?”

“How am I not normal?”

“Just because I was gray, doesn't mean I'm any less of a Troll.”

“What if it does?”

The banter wouldn't stop, completely snuffing out Branch’s light. Of course, of course. Who was he kidding? He can't get married. Not if he keeps doing bummer shit like this. Not if he can't keep up with Poppy…

Branch took the moment of mental clarity to check his surroundings. He was almost to the throne room, where the reception was being held. It was still a long way up for the little Troll, giving Branch a moment to realize how exhausted he was. He had been keeping up with Poppy all day, but that girl could run. Planning a wedding isn't easy, and Branch had the title of her right-hand man. The tall Bergen steps grew daunting, reminding Branch yet again to go over the construction plans with Poppy for the Troll staircase. By the time Branch had reached the top, his tail was dragging on the floor. “Geez…” He tiredly rubbed the side of his neck, feeling the tiredness stemming from there.

He thankfully met up with Poppy quite quickly, the small pink Troll enthusiastically greeting Branch with a hug by the entrance. “Eee! This is so perfect!” Poppy exclaimed, grasping her boyfriend's hands while jumping up and down. Branch acknowledged her with a smile, before asking his question with beaten breath. “How long is the party going to last?” Branch’s ears perked up in anticipation of an answer.

“All night of course!” Poppy exclaimed happily. Branch’s expression faltered without escaping the diligent notice of Poppy. “What?” She quickly lost her smile. “Poppy, we’ve been running around all day…” Branch said innocently while rubbing his foot into the dirt, insisting that maybe they should wrap this up soon. Poppy, however, was strongly in the mood to party with her newly-wed BFF. “I'm not tired at all. Are you?” She frowned, gripping her boyfriend's hands in hers. Branch let a gentle shrug loose, he certainly didn't want to sleep after all of this. Maybe spend a nice evening with Poppy. His heart was aflutter, but if his partner wanted to party, he would bear with the overstimulation.

“I mean, I don't care. I'm just saying. We can stay.” Branch swayed with his hands in hers, a slight hum in his voice. Poppy knew how to pick up on the smallest of hints from him, god he loved that about her. She raised her eyebrow in confusion. Branch seemed to be having an inner battle with himself, unsure of whether to stay or go. “I-I mean,” Poppy spoke up, certainly not wanting to put her boyfriend through more stress if he was already tuckered out. “Oh Poppy, don't worry about us! We’ve got stuff to do.” Bridgette spoke up from across the table, looking at her newlywed husband with a glint in her eye. The man swallowed before tugging at his shirt nervously, erupting a giggle from both Bridgette and Poppy.

“If you know what I mean.” Bridgette giggled deviously. “Thank you so much for the party, Poppy!” King Gristle cut his wife off, standing up from the chair. “Me and my new wife would love to spend the night watching movies together. We can party after the honeymoon!” He inflicted, hoping the Trolls would get the message. “O-Oh! Of course!” Poppy giggled, winking at Bridgette. She spun on her heels back to face Branch. “Perfect timing then.”

As the couple was pacing out of the Begen castle, the sky happened to catch Branch’s eye. The sun had mostly set, the dusk of night settling into the deepened atmosphere to let the black liquid of space spill from the darkness. Splotches of stars began to peek out of the ink, creating quite a beautiful scene. “Wow…” Branch heard erupt from Poppy, who had also caught that evening’s sky in her eye. Branch’s attention had turned to Poppy, now seeing her illuminated by the setting sun. Those speckles of stars seemed to reflect off of her glossed eyes, watching as those balls of light darted back to meet Branch’s own.

“Isn't it beautiful?” Poppy asked, sincerity in her voice, welling up with emotion.

Branch didn't look away from her. “Y-Yea,” He whispered in response. Poppy’s mouth dropped in shock, realizing what Branch had meant by the comment. “Branch!” She gasped, becoming flustered and running up to her boyfriend. She started giggling like mad, spinning as he embraced her. Her tail couldn't stop whipping rapidly, experiencing the blissful moment of love with her boyfriend. “Shush you.” She giggled, planting a teasing kiss on the cheek. She gently let go of his hands that held her, taking a step back.

“Hey, um… Do you want to do something tonight?” She asked, her question poised in a way Branch wouldn't be able to refuse. He raised an eyebrow with a smile. “I'm not opposed, just nothing that requires a lot of energy?” Branch suggested lightly with a smile. Poppy nodded in agreement. “How about dinner? My treat, for helping me out with everything today.” Poppy clasped her hands together with a smile. Branch grinned. That idea sounded perfect. A quiet and lovely dinner date with his even lovelier girlfriend. “Sounds like a date.” Branch mused. “Mhm!” Poppy announced in excitement—finally, a night to spend together, with love fresh in the air.

Branch felt as if he might pop the question right then and there.

Chapter Text

The restaurant Poppy had chosen was a bit of a trek, but she had reassured Branch it was worth the effort. They had taken a lightning bug to speed up the travel process. It was a quiet and homely little family bar out of the way of Pop Village and close to the bordering lands of neighboring troll species. Together they sat at the bar counter, ordering a round of drinks to celebrate.

The bar was lush and dimly lit, providing a pleasantly calming atmosphere for the couple. Branch and Poppy gently clinked their cups together before drinking the entirety of their glasses. “We never get to go out like this! Gosh, I didn't realize how busy my queenly duties make me.” She tucked her hair behind her ear as her eyes shifted over at Branch, her fingers circling the rim of the glass. His tail seemed to stop following her movements, becoming still. Her nose scrunched in thought.

“I hope that doesn't make me a boring girlfriend.” Poppy pouted, looking up at her boyfriend for reassurance. “What? Pft. Please. You're anything but boring Poppy.” Branch chuckled, watching over his shoulder to try and get the attention of the bartender. Poppy didn't seem too satisfied with his answer, continuing to pry into her anxious thoughts. “Am I too much?” Nervousness bubbled from her voice. Her gaze shifted down to the small glass cup in her hand. She guessed drinking might've spiked her nerves. “Sorry,” She huffed in annoyance, holding her head in her hands. Branch frowned, seeing his partner upset.

“Hey…” Poppy felt a gentle brush of Branch’s tail slowly wrap around hers, forcing her attention back on him. “You did amazing today. It went off without a hitch.” Branch reassured her with a hum. Poppy’s smile returned, gently placing her hand on top of his. Branch blushed slightly at the feel of her touch, the burning question boiling back to the forefront of his mind. He wanted nothing more than to be with this Troll forever.

“Hey… um, Poppy…” Branch blushed, his grip around her tail tightening as his anxiety spiked. Poppy’s ears perked up in attention to Branch, her eyes lulled in admiration. “Yea Branch..?” The bubble stuck in his throat. He couldn't get it out, the question burning his tongue. Is he ready for this? What if she's not? Is she going to freak out? His heart started to race, a combination of fear and excitement.

“Branch?” Branch had frozen up, his attention being yanked back to Poppy as she waited in anticipation. It was too late. He had to say it now. “Would you ever consider… getting m-” Out of the corner of his eye, Branch was cut off by the illumination of a figure moving in the background. He had to do a double take, stopping his words abruptly. “What?” Poppy said, noticing his gaze had changed to behind her. She shifted in her seat to match his eye line, falling on a blue and pink-haired troll sitting contemplatively at a booth- alone.

The Troll looked exhausted, having nothing but a tall glass of water in front of him. He looked to have just sat down only moments prior. Poppy noted they seemed to look familiar, but couldn't place her tongue on why.

Branch felt the smooth glass he held slip from his hand in his shock. It came crashing to the floor, hitting with a clank but thankfully not shattering against the waxed wooden floor. The loud sound caused a hush over the restaurant, as well as the troll that had caught Branch’s eye. All eyes turned to the source of the sound. Ice seethed through Branch’s veins, now feeling the trolls’ eyes burn into his skin. The troll stared with a glare before Branch watched his expression fall. Confusion was replaced by shock and grief, guaranteeing that the troll had seen and recognized Branch.

“...Branch?” A quiet voice spoke out from the hush of the restaurant. “Floyd?” Branch felt his head sink. What was HE doing here? Branch couldn't move besides quietly uttering the troll's name, one that resurfaced old scars. “Branch! Baby Branch!” The pink-haired troll suddenly announced from across the restaurant in excitement. The nickname felt like bitter liquid being squeezed into Branch’s ears, something he hadn't heard since before he was five years old. “I-I've been looking for you!” The pink-haired troll abandoned his table to sprint up to the dark-haired troll and his partner.

The unfamiliar troll dawned a large green knapsack, accompanying a leather jacket. His belt held a gold buckle hat paired with his other jewelry. A golden ring around a chain rested on his collarbone, reflecting the burning lights of the restaurant. His body language proved to be unthreatening and exhausting, looking as if he hadn't slept in days.

Branch, still shaken from the sudden appearance of the long-lost Troll, couldn't move as Floyd happily wiped the tears that were beginning to form on his face after finally reuniting with his baby brother. “I-I thought it was going to take another night, but you're here!” Floyd continued to speak, nervousness rising as Branch couldn't retort. He silently set the smooth glass down on the counter.

Floyd couldn't help his excitement, pulling the Troll into a tight hug. “W-Where did you come from?” Branch could feel his voice begin to break, emotions bubbling in his chest. Poppy had completely been forgotten, watching in confusion and shock at the conversation taking place in front of her. “You came back?”

The words shook Floyd to his core. His eyes widened, sadness falling over his face. Floyd genuinely looked exhausted and beaten down, looking to have been traveling for more than a few days. “B-Branch, of course, I came back,” He pulled back to smile reassuringly at the younger troll. Branch shook his head in disbelief, tightly wrapping his arms around his long-lost brother.

Branch’s heart was aflutter once more, this time being thrown down the path of nostalgia. Floyd’s tail could be seen whipping rapidly as he embraced his younger brother. “I got one of the letters the Pop Queen had sent out about the reunion of the music kingdoms… you were in the letter. I hoped you would be somewhere easy to find.” He tried to explain his presence but was interrupted by Poppy.

“Okay, whoa whoa whoa. I'm going to need an explanation here.” She stood up from her spot at the bar, adjusting the frilly bridesmaid’s dress she still dawned from earlier that evening. “Who are you?” She pointed at Floyd. He hesitated to answer the pink troll, looking around at all the eyes on the group in the restaurant.

He seemed to falter- in a similar way to Branch- about what to do next. He turned to the bartender and requested they had access to the balcony of the restaurant to go and have a conversation in seclusion. The bartender agreed, pointing them in the direction of the alternate room. “Come on. I’ll explain everything.”

Chapter Text

Branch could feel his face was pale. He had no clue how he was supposed to react to this new situation. Floyd sat in front of the couple, sitting crisscrossed in one of the booths while holding his hands together patiently. They all hadn't spoken a word, watching the wind make the large felted trees above begin to dance against the milky black sky. Poppy decided to break the ice, observing the tension in the air.

“So, Floyd… you know Branch how?” She asked, leaning into her seat in anticipation. Floyd's ear flicked with hesitance before he turned to the female troll. “I'm his brother.” Floyd smiled but noticed Branch’s expression didn't change. Many emotions were flowing around in his chest, and for Branch, it was too many. Poppy consciously took note of her boyfriend's state, gently re-wrapping their tails together for support.

“What! A brother!?” Poppy gasped in shock, turning to look at Branch. “You never told me you had a brother!” Her tail started to excitedly wag, taking Branch’s with it. “One of four, actually.” Floyd mused with a smile. Branch shared the opposite mood, his face turning sour at the mention of his other brethren. “FOUR!?” Poppy gasped as she held her hands on her cheeks. Branch’s ears pressed back slightly, causing his gaze to refocus on Floyd.

“You didn't know where we were?” He asked, his voice hushed. He had more pressing questions on his mind, feeling guilty for being non-responsive to Poppy’s excitement. Floyd quickly lost his smile. “No, no I didn't. I didn't know where anyone was,” Floyd anxiously tapped the table.

“You’re here now! Isn't that crazy Branch? My letter helped your brother find you!” Poppy seemed so thrilled for the reunion in front of her, that when she turned her gaze back to Branch, she had finally noticed his face. “What's wrong?” Her voice fell to a whisper. Branch had his hands folded together, staring blankly at the wood of the table.

He was unable to focus, his mind and thoughts swimming with such a large mix of emotions. Both parties seemed to take notice of Branch’s absence. Branch seemed to shake his head in annoyance, closing his eyes tightly before looking back at Floyd. His mood was now painted with concern. “I-I'm sorry,” Branch spoke up, his voice raspy. “It’s just…”

He was still at a loss. He couldn't just spill everything on his mind, half of the questions he wanted to ask Floyd he didn't want Poppy to know. The other half felt too emotionally compromising to leave his throat. He didn't want to suddenly drop all of his abandonment issues onto Poppy, while simultaneously having to admit to his brother those issues.

He felt like a hurricane of emotions, one that made him freeze and unable to speak clearly. There were too many things at risk to just start talking, so his body did the opposite. It completely shut down on him, the overstimulation and sudden reliving of past trauma being too overwhelming for his small, unfunctional body. “I need to leave.”

Branch didn't even hear the words leave his throat before his body took control. His one solution that always worked in situations like these, run. He stood up from his chair. “What? Branch-” Floyd spoke up. His tail unraveled with Poppy before he walked towards the restaurant door. “Branch? Where are you going?” Poppy spoke up before he left.

Branch’s ear flicked, realizing he probably looked like a complete asshole for just standing up and leaving like that. “O-oh! Sorry. Bathroom. I'll be back!” His chipper but forced self returned, smiling back at Poppy. His gaze shifted right back to Floyd, who upon entering his vision, saw Branch’s smile fall as he reentered the restaurant from the back door.

Floyd had noticed every signal Branch had been giving, suddenly being hit with a wave of guilt. “I'm sorry… I should've probably sent a letter first… this is probably so overwhelming.” He sighed guiltily, looking up at the pink troll that sat across from him. “It's okay. He gets overwhelmed easily. I'm sure he just needs a minute.” She turned back to face Floyd with a smile. “He has three other brothers?”

“Yep!” Floyd’s smile returned as he perked up slightly, glad to shift the conversation. Poppy reflected on his grin, taking a silent note of how similar Branch’s cute little smile looked in comparison. “We used to be pretty close…” Floyd folded his hands together with a sigh. “Oh no… what happened?” Poppy scooted up to the edge of her seat, now fascinated with learning her boyfriend's lore. Floyd seemed to shift quite frequently between expressions, Poppy watching as his smile yet again faded.

This was a troubled troll, much like her own Branch. She could see it in Floyd’s hollow and defeated eyes, looking as if he had just journeyed through hell and back to get there tonight. “So… that's why I think Branch is acting indifferent… Is because of what happened.” Floyd twirled his fingers, silently stimming to focus on the question at hand. He was unsure of this trolls’ relationship to Branch, but it was clear they were close.

“Who are you?” Floyd shifted the conversation to be about something less heavy. “Oh! I'm Queen Poppy, Branch’s girlfriend.” Poppy held out her hand enthusiastically. Floyd smiled, happily greeting the small pink troll in return. “Queen? Girlfriend? Wow.” Floyd mused. “Your Highness.” He gently did a little bow, causing a scoff and a giggle from Poppy. “Oh, Pft. You don't have to do all of that.” She fanned her face with a giggle, becoming flustered over her status. They sparked up a conversation about Branch, Poppy being excited to learn things she might've never known before about her lover.

...

Branch, On the contrary, was trying everything he could to regain his composure. He splashed his face with cold water, hoping to shock himself out of his stalled state. “Stupid, stupid.” He cursed to himself, looking at his reflection in the mirror of the bathroom. His muted colors were obvious, so obvious. He hated them, no after how many times he had tried to fix it back to normal. He had considered maybe after Poppy, they could return, but with the weeks turning to years, he had lost hope. He didn't know how to explain it to Floyd but he absolutely couldn't bring up anything of the matter. That was something they could conversate about at a later date.

A more pressing question forced its way to the forefront of Branch’s mind. For years he was convinced he was abandoned. They didn't come back, none of them did. Suddenly, out of the blue, they began to reappear. After he had finally put his past behind him, he was forced to resurface it again. Branch could feel the hair on the back of his neck stand upright.

But... WHY!?

The question brought rising anger. Why now? Why after so, so long? Why after- quite literally- his entire life? He was ready to move on and start a new life and a new potential family, but now he had to re-wrap old wounds. Branch frustratingly pulled at his hair, having zero ideas on how to help this situation go smoothly. His emotions weren't going to allow it to happen. “God you're so fucking stupid,” He began to curse at himself, returning to the sink.

“Just suck it up.” His voice spat angrily at him. He splashed more cold water onto his face. His tail swayed across the ground in irritation. A hand wavered under the soap dispenser. As if to taunt him, it made an electrical sound to taunt him with no soap coming out of the machine. Branch tried again, a third time, a fourth. Branch could audibly hear the sound of a twig snapping, being forced over his limit.

Out of impulse, Branch suddenly ripped the dispenser off the wall. “STUPID FUCKING THING-” He expressed his anger out on the machine, slamming it against the wall before throwing it into the nearby trash bin. Branch was hot in the face, his emotions well past the point of boiling over. “Why can't just one thing go right-” His voice spilled like liquid fire, before quickly dipping down into gut-wrenching sadness. A pang hit Branch in the heart. Why is he acting like this!? Shouldn't he be happy his brother came home? Came home looking for him? Was he being selfish?

Did they not abandon him, and just couldn't find him?

Branch’s dark thoughts forced him into emotional compromisation. He looked down at his hands, noticing they were now red and bruised from abusing the soap dispenser. As he refocused on his surroundings, he noticed the wall he had slammed the dispenser into now had a large impact mark. “S-Shit,” Branch started to panic, realizing he had just damaged property that wasn't his. He quickly looked for anything to cover up the impact mark, shifting the garbage can in front of it. While pulling the heavy can, Branch caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror.

His face was covered in tears. He hadn't even felt them escape his tear ducts, now dampening the fur on his face. Branch felt his heart completely sink. “S-Stupid,” He sputtered out, but it only caused him to start sobbing. He didn't even know why, but he couldn't stop it from coming. He hiccupped a pitiful sob, fleeing away from the mirrors and into one of the public stalls. He reminded himself that he would never, ever drink again, if this is how emotional it made him.

...

After quite a long while, Poppy and Floyd realized their conversation had come to a halt, and Branch was nowhere to be seen. They were so preoccupied with learning contrasting pieces of Branch’s life, that they had completely absent-minded his presence. Poppy’s ears perked up, her first instinct to wrap her tail around Branch’s going unmet. She turned her attention to the empty seat next to her. “Er, he’s been in there awhile, hasn't he?” She spoke up, eyes shifting back to Floyd.

Floyd blinked, realizing they had no idea how much time had passed. “Oh. Geez. Yea. You're right.” Floyd frowned. Poppy took a deep breath, standing up to readjust her dress. “I’ll go check on him…” She spoke, turning her attention towards the door. Floyd stood up behind her. “Alright… I’ll wait,” As much as he would love to assist, he knew this was probably a lot for the young troll. Poppy shared a reassuring glance with Floyd before re-entering the restaurant, trekking to go and find the bathrooms.

Branch was shaken from his state on the floor as a loud knock sounded on the door. “Branch? Are you in there?” He heard his partner’s voice call from the outside of the bathroom. His heart started to race, not wanting Poppy to see him tear-stained. Before he could get the chance to stand up, he heard the door open impatiently after not hearing a response. Branch covered his ears, his tail curled up around his feet. It was silent for a long while until Branch heard the footsteps stop in front of his stall. His breathing was ragged, it was clear Poppy could see him on the floor from outside the stall. “Branch?”

Branch still couldn't respond, not ready to face his partner in such a state. He didn't have a choice however, she was already there. Poppy had a way of being able to smell when something was wrong from a mile away. “Branch, you are starting to freak me out.” Branch heard her voice dip down to genuine worry. Branch sharply inhaled and forced himself to shakily stand, and unlock the stall door. “S-Sorry,” He murmured out apologies as he swung open the door. Poppy’s tail dropped as she saw her boyfriend's face. He refused to look at her, quickly trying to clean the emotions from his eyes. “I-I don't know what happened, I got overwhelmed and just,” He tried to explain his behavior, but honestly didn't even understand it himself. Poppy had never seen Branch cry before, so this was a shocker to her. Branch quickly thought of an excuse to lighten the mood.

“This is what happens when I drink.” He justified. While it certainly wasn't 100% a lie, it was good enough.

“Aw, Branch.” Poppy pouted with a frown, feeling remorseful for making her already overwhelmed boyfriend come out to have dinner and drink. Certainly, they couldn't have foreseen the arrival of Branch’s brother, but that didn't subside Poppy’s guilt. “Are you going to be okay?” Poppy asked, the concern not leaving her voice.

Now that Poppy had reappeared, Branch had started to feel better. He was still carrying a stack of bricks worth of emotional weight, but for the time being, Poppy was there to help support him in carrying it. He responded with an unsure nod. She smiled at his small gesture, opening her arms and offering a hug.

Branch gratefully accepted, slumping his weight into Poppy’s arms. Branch’s tail curled around her legs, holding her even tighter to his chest. Poppy hugged him, feeling his grip was tighter on average as well as his heaving chest. Poppy’s nose scrunched in confusion. No way this was only because he had one drink. Poppy could feel his body shaking ever so slightly, coming down from his panic. It had to do with his brother, she just knew it.

“Is this about Floyd?” She whispered, a comforting tone to her inflection. Branch couldn't help but nod, giving her a confirming answer as he inhaled her scent, calming his nerves almost instantly. “Well. He’s here now.” She whispered, holding Branch tightly. Branch’s ears perked up at her statement. She was right.

Poppy gave him time to regain his composure before they made their way out of the restroom, hand and hand. Branch reopened the back door to the restaurant balcony, seeing his brother illuminated by the moonlight. Floyd’s ears flicked at the sound of the door opening, turning his attention to see the two Trolls exit the restaurant. “Everything okay?” Floyd asked nervously, his tail falling to the ground. “Yeah.” Branch exhaled with a smile towards his brother. He was genuinely happy he was home after all these years. That's all that mattered, right?

Branch opened his arms for a hug with a smile, causing Floyd to perk up. “It's just, been a while,” Branch said, confidence regained in his voice. Floyd felt his heart skip a beat, his brother didn't completely hate his guts. Floyd’s ears pressed back as he accepted the hug with a heavy sigh of relief, tightly pulling his younger brother close. Both Trolls couldn't prevent their tails from wagging, embracing each other after many years of absence. Poppy clasped her hands together, getting teary-eyed.

Chapter Text

Branch’s mood had completely shifted, now infatuated with his brother and the retelling of his journey to find Branch. The group walked the long way through the forest, deciding to take the scenic route to give Branch and Floyd much-needed time to talk. “So… what about everyone else?” Branch asked, stepping over a tree root to not trip. He held Poppy’s arm, helping her over the same root with a gentlemanly smile.

“Have you seen anyone else?” Floyd sighed heavily at his question, his tone to Branch inferring that he had known the question was coming. “No. I thought everyone was dead.” Floyd couldn't hide the grief in his voice. Branch’s ears folded back as the group came to a halt. “Everyone?” He repeated. Floyd nodded sadly.

“I thought you'd be safe with Grandma. When I went back to the Troll Tree… it was empty and dead. Given it had been a few years but, I didn't know what happened.” Floyd sniffled, clearly having thought his brother had been deceased for the last 20 years. Another truth hit Branch like a rock to the face.

Grandma Rosiepuff. He hadn't thought about her in so long, considering she had gotten eaten over 20 years ago. It was still a solemn and painful memory, fully blaming himself for what had happened. With Poppy, he had been able to put his past behind him. However, it was continuing to claw its way back up to the surface. Branch dreaded the next question to come, predicting what the conversation would lead to due to the mention of their grandmother.

Sure enough, Floyd spoke up. “How is, Grandma, by the way?”

Branch fell silent once more. All previous regained confidence had seemed to be instantly drained. No, he wasn't ready. This was too soon. He wasn't ready to tell Floyd about what happened to Grandma Rosiepuff, how he got her killed, and how he turned gray-

“She’s… no longer with us.” Poppy interjected for her boyfriend, seeing him beginning to spiral. Floyd’s face fell. “What? Oh no… that's so horrible, I'm so sorry.” Floyd placed his hand on his heart. “Y-Yea,” Branch exhaled, letting the bubble of anxiety leave his throat. He was so thankful for Poppy.

“For how long?” Floyd pressed on, seeming to have grieved Grandma Rosiepuff previously. Poppy was only confirming his beliefs. “Branch was still a kid I believe, a long time now.” Poppy frowned, looking back at her boyfriend. Branch’s ears had folded once more, his eyes trained on the ground, now watery.

“I'm so sorry Branch,” Floyd coaxed, now starting to understand some of Branch’s reserves. “It's okay. I managed.” He mumbled, barely above a whisper. Floyd offered him another hug, which he thankfully accepted. It was a more gentle and comforting hug, together honoring their long past grandmother and resurfacing old grief. He prayed for Floyd to switch topics, which thankfully seemed to work as he pulled away from the hug.

“I take it you hadn't heard anything from them either..?” Floyd asked, referring to the rest of their still-missing siblings. “Nope… Nobody cares about the youngest.” Branch shrugged it off, a bit of his old bitterness leaking through to the surface. The comment seemed to put off Floyd, who instead interjected with his own. “Well, shame on them! Because you turned out really cool.” Floyd attempted to lighten the mood with a compliment, walking past a patch of grass that caused a small patch of fireflies to fly up into the air. They lit up the night sky, adding a unique 3D element to their starry night sky.

Branch’s ears flicked upright, something about the praise coming from his cooler older brother hit a pang in his heart he didn't know was there. The glowing bugs painted the atmosphere almost harmonically, the small lights glistening off of the brother's eyes. “Really?” He said, seeming surprised that someone would say that- especially about him. What about his life made him seem cool? “You look put together, I mean, dude, you married the Pop Queen, I can't think of anything else cooler.” Floyd mused, coming to a stop with his hands on his hips.

Branch and Poppy both got completely flustered. “N-Not married! Not married!” Poppy crossed her hands over her eyes. “Y-Yea, We’re not,” Branch fell completely red, watching Poppy run around through the grass and squeal from the shared embarrassment. “O-oh. My bad. You did say, girlfriend.” Floyd giggled as Branch stood next to him, folding his arms across his chest. Poppy tried to fan off her embarrassment, darting away from the two boys. “... potentially?” Floyd asked with a shrug. Branch blushed once more as his tail started to wag. Floyd giggled, taking that as a Yes.

“I'm exhausted. Sorry, you two act like a married couple.” Floyd grinned, causing Branch to roll his eyes with a smirk. “Hah! Sure.” He snickered in response, bumping his elbow with his brother. “STOPP!” Poppy flushed red as she yelled from across the clearing, erupting another fit of laughter from both of the boys. They looked at each other while laughing, sharing another warm smile. Their tails wagged happily in time, the lightning bugs and stars reflecting off of their teary eyes. “I'm so glad I found you,” Floyd said happily, gently taking his younger brother's hand. Branch smiled in return.

“Me too-” The two brothers froze up as the ground began to shake.

Poppy was about five meters away, having started to walk back towards the two brothers. Her eyes shot upright in shock, seeing two stalky figures suddenly appear out of the darkness behind the bushes. Poppy let out a scream before anything else, alerting the two Trolls of a potential oncoming threat.

“BRANCH!” Floyd suddenly yelled out as a large glistening purple heel sunk its way into the dirt right in front of them. Branch looked up in horror as a giant purple bottle swung down to scoop them up. He frozen in fear, was suddenly grabbed around the waist by Floyd’s arm. The creature attempting to catch them like a couple of mice let out an angry cry as they escaped. Floyd grabbed ahold of Branch, being significantly smaller he was able to carry him over his shoulder. “POPPY!” Branch screamed in horror, realizing ANOTHER giant creature had gone after his lover.

The pair were shaken off their feet as the large purple crystal almost crushed their bodies by being slammed down on top of them. Floyd ran into the wall of the diamond with Branch, slamming quite hard against the wall before being thrown back to the floor. They each had hit their heads, leaving them dazed. Branch’s only focus was Poppy, poorly regaining his footing before attempting to dart out of the crystal. It only caused him to hit the wall once more, falling back harder than before.

“Poppy!” Branch cried out, now realizing that he and Floyd were trapped- albeit together. “Got you!” A loud female voice bellowed out with a laugh. “Hah! Oh my god, Veneer! I got two for one!” The creature looked over its shoulder at its partner in crime, who had pathetically fallen in the dirt behind her.

Branch began to panic, looking over at Floyd as the diamond was turned upright. Somehow the geometric shape had completely sealed, locking the two trolls inside. Branch began to claw at the walls, trying to see any possible way of escape, but they slid off the completely pristine surface. Floyd had recovered from the impact, now attempting to do the same. Their captor, a tall rubber-looking woman with exaggerated features and shockingly contrasting green hair- glared back at them.

“Knock it off!” She suddenly shook the vile violently, causing both Branch and Floyd to fly upright into the air and collide with each other. They both let out a yelp of pain before falling back to the floor of the gem.

Their captor seemed amused as they had stopped squirming, now needing to recover once more. “I missed! Oh please tell me you got at least one!” Their second captor, a male version of the one they were observing, peered over the female's shoulder. “You dimwit! How are you supposed to be famous if I have to carry the entirety of the load!?” The female snapped, erupting an apology for the male named Veneer. “I'm so sorry Velvet, you're right. At least you caught one, right?”

Branch was writing in pain, having hit his head quite hard in the past few minutes. “Branch! Are you okay!?” Floyd knelt above him, grabbing onto his younger brother. The floor in the jar shifted as Floyd pulled Branch tight so they wouldn't go flying again. Branch held one hand over his right eye, looking up as their two captors peered down at the trapped trolls, seeing both pairs of eyes meet each other.

“I caught two.” Velvet sneered with a devilish grin. “Oh my god Velvet, you are so amazing.” Veneer began to fan himself excitedly. “Thank you, thank you.” Velvet flaunted, so proud of herself for catching two trolls.

Branch and Floyd fell completely quiet, listening to the sounds of each other's hearts racing at thunderous speeds with the bellowing echo of their captors' voices through the thick geometric prison. “W-What just happened?” Branch whispered, regaining his composure but too fearful to move away from Floyd, who seemed to be experiencing the same issue. Both boys were trembling, their tails unconsciously tightly curled around each other for support.

Branch’s mind was racing, trying to focus on whether or not they had captured Poppy. It didn't seem like it, both captors looking at the two trolls like a mouse looking up at a hawk. “Awesome! We can just put one in mine, and our plan still works!” Veneer spoke cheerfully as Velvet laughed. “Well, let's check if it even works like that gem seller said.”

The two trolls watched as Velvet pulled out a long perfume spray attachment, plugging it into the top of the prismatic lid. With a few twists, the device had a new attachment. “You. Figure it out.” Velvet said after having the device to Veneer. Veneer mused, turning the crystal over in his hands to look at the pair of trolls on the inside. “I'd brace yourselves, little guys. Sorry for this.” Veneer whispered. “W-What?” Branch spoke up in confusion, but didn't have time to process as Veneer began to spray Velvet.

For Floyd, it was uncomfortable. The extraction of talent was never a good thing, and never completely painless. Blue orbs of light almost like glitter floated up and away from Floyd, turning his magical essence into something usable for the two pop stars. It didn't go without side effects, Floyd becoming dizzy and losing his balance.

For Branch, however, the process was agonizing. Branch had no idea how long it took, but he could feel the icy suction enter his veins. His entire body went cold, feeling as if he was kissing death right then and there. It was like reliving the feeling of turning gray again, only that it was painful. All of the color drained from his body, it was as if his literal blood had been sucked out of him. He was completely cold, having the air knocked out of him and ending up on the floor.

“Branch!” He heard Floyd cry out, holding his head off the ground as he slowly came back to consciousness. Branch coughed harshly, shakily sitting up as he allowed air to re-enter his lungs. “B-Branch, holy shit why did it knock you out!?” Floyd fanned his face. His color had slowly returned from the pale blue, coughing as he sat up in Floyd’s arms. “W-What was that?” Branch shakily asked, looking around at their surroundings. It looked like they had been placed in some kind of purse for safekeeping.

“I don't know. But, this is designed to trap and kill us.” Floyd said, his voice heavy. Branch’s ears folded. “Kill?” He whispered. Floyd nodded solemnly. “It's… it's diamond Branch…” Floyd sounded so devastated, sounding hopeless.

“... the perfect family harmony…” Branch mumbled under his breath. Floyd perked up but then felt his ears droop back down. There was no way. They didn't even know where their brothers were, let alone how to contact them outside of this.

“Branch…” Floyd spoke up sadly after he watched Branch’s mind start to race. “No. We’ll figure something out.” Branch shakily tried to stand, but was suddenly hit with a splitting headache. He hissed through his teeth, falling back down to the floor on his hands and knees. “H-Hey, take it easy, we got pretty shaken up,” Floyd put a hand on his shoulder, helping the younger troll sit upright against the cold diamond wall.

Chapter Text

Poppy tore through the forest underbrush. She bolted on all fours across the marshy terrain, slipping and nearly running into the surrounding trees. She ran as fast as a troll could run, her heart racing in petrified fear. Her boyfriend and his brother were snatched right before her eyes. She had managed to escape by the skin of her teeth, her expert hiding skills being the only reason she was running now. She tripped over a tree branch in her panic, colliding hard onto the ground near the entrance of Pop Village.

This caused Poppy to start sobbing hard. She covered her face as her tail tucked between her legs, praying for some Troll to come find and help her. Thankfully within a matter of moments, she had been heard by a passerby. “Queen Poppy!” One Troll cried out in horror, fearing something had attacked their beloved princess.

Poppy was quickly escorted back to her pod, and placed in the care of her fellow Troll friends. Cooper and Prince Darnell; who were visiting from the funk district of Vibe City, along with the two sisters Satin and Chenille. They accompanied Poppy to her pod. Ironically, to her thought, two pairs of siblings. That seemed to be a trend today.

Poppy paced back and forth in her pod, her tail completely extended from the terrifying encounter. A group of other trolls had gathered outside their queen’s home, worried for their safety. “Poppy, let's get that dress off and clean you up,” Chenille spoke up, attempting to calm her queenly best friend. Poppy stopped pacing momentarily to look at her state in the mirror. Her once beautiful bridesmaid dress was tattered to shreds, the entire fluffy underskirt completely lost in her panic. The dress was dirtied and torn beyond repair, the hours Poppy had spent on it now being wasted. She could also see all the marks across her skin from the tumble, she was red and sore in quite a few places.

“N-No! We have to go help Branch!” She cried out, still clearly in her terrified state. “Poppy,” Cooper spoke up, stepping into his friend’s eyeline. Poppy stared at him through teary eyes, her hands shaking violently. “We can't do anything to help Branch until you calm down.” Cooper’s tail brushed hers in comfort, ensuring Poppy that she was safe now. Poppy nodded, understanding that she needed to focus on calming down, first and foremost.



Poppy reemerged from the bathroom with Satin and Chenille, the two girls having helped patch up any injuries Poppy had obtained from the encounter. She had picked out a simple green ombre dress, with cute embroidery along the bottom of the hem. Accompanying the dress were her leg warmers of matching colors, alongside a dainty crown. Cooper and Prince D looked up from their stationary positions, ready to assist with whatever Poppy needed.

She seemed to be on a dedicated mission, running over to her scrapbooking table without notice. She immediately got to work, shaping out what she could recall from memory, and hopefully get some perspective on what to do next.

“Okay, so first, I and Branch thought it would have been nice to- I don't know, finally have an evening for ourselves? We never get to, we’re always so busy, so of course I was enthralled with finally being able to spend a single night with my boyfriend.” Her tone was sour as she cut a small depiction of Branch out of construction paper.

The pairs of siblings exchanged concerned glances, but let their friend continue to ramble off her emotions. “Bridgette’s wedding was so beautiful… I was just so happy, he seemed so happy too…” Her hum slipped into sadness, looking longingly at the small paper figure in her hand. She set the figure down, alongside her next creation. “And suddenly… We ran into Branch’s brother.”

“What!?” The group announced in shock. “Branch has a brother?” Both Chenille and Satin spoke simultaneously. “Four, believe it or not.” Poppy smiled sadly, setting the Floyd paper doll next to the Branch one. “It was sweet, y’know… he seemed really cool,” Poppy pondered but shook her head and refocused on the daunting situation at hand. “But then THESE freaks.” She showed her friends the two paper dolls she had made of their captors, Velvet and Veneer. “Came and snatched Branch and Floyd! They got both of them!”

“I got so scared, and I just ran, I-I didn't think to follow them…” Poppy started to break down again, throwing the paper dolls onto her table angrily. “Poppy! Hey,” Satin patted her shoulder comfortingly. “It's okay! We can get him back, We promise.” She gave her a thumbs up. Poppy sniffled, looking up as Prince Darnell observed the paper dolls of Branch and Floyd inside the translucent shape of a diamond cage.

“What's that?” He asked Poppy, pointing with a paw. Poppy sniffled, looking down at the figures that had fallen on top of the purple shape in her anger. “What they put poor Branch in…” She picked up the paper dolls. “I think it was glass.” She handed them to Prince D. Poppy watched as he swallowed hard, seeming to be inspecting the depths of his memory.

“Only diamond can trap a Troll, Poppy. Was it a diamond?” Prince D looked back up at Poppy in worried anticipation. Poppy’s face fell. “W-Why can a diamond trap a Troll?” She honestly didn't want to know the answer, but it seemed like the prince would know some inside information that could be helpful. He didn't seem to want to explain the answer either, Poppy watching as his ears pinned back against his head.

“So… Poppy, this is hard to explain, but, You know how the Bergens had Trollstice because when they ate you they experienced ultimate happiness?” He wavered in place, tilting his head from side to side as he spoke.

“Yea? So?” Poppy cocked her head to the side, confused about why he was derailing the conversation. “So, the thing that is unique to us to make that happiness, can be harvested.” He mumbled through clenched teeth. “For a variety of reasons. But, it can be abused too.” He looked nervously at Cooper, who encouraged him to keep talking with a swish of his tail.

“That's why those diamond traps exist.” Prince D looked back at Poppy, meeting her eyes with anticipation of giving potentially life-altering news about the Queen of Pop’s boyfriend. Poppy’s face was pale, clutching the ream of fabric near her heart.

“Do you think that could have been it?” Prince D asked slowly, his eyes worriedly reflecting the flickering light of Poppy’s home. It was dark and dreary, coming over Poppy like a dark cloud. Of course, it was. She had been there to witness it.

Poppy broke out into another crying fit. “Yes! Yes because I saw them use it! L-Like a perfume bottle! That was Branch’s happiness!?” Tears spilled from her eyes and wet her plush cheeks, the horrible reality of the situation hitting her like a truck. “Yea…” Prince D mumbled, bowing his head sadly. “I'm sorry Poppy. But-”

“No.” Poppy suddenly snapped, turning up to face him. “Don't even say it. I don't even want to hear it.” She said through her tears, not wanting to face the painful reality that her Branch might be gone.

Her pod fell silent, nobody wanting to say anything to further upset the emotionally inept queen. Her tail was whipping in thought, slowly facing the reality of what she could do to help in this situation. Everything seemed hopeless. Even if she was able to track down where they had taken Branch and Floyd, there would be no way to ensure she could even get them out of there.

“Is, Is there any way to break it?” Poppy’s tone softened, her tail dragging along the ground. She looked back at Prince D with soft eyes. His nose scrunched, tail swaying in thought before slowly shaking his head from right to left. A gasp erupted from Cooper instead. “The Perfect Family Harmony!”

“But, Is that real?” Prince D asked, unsure of the logistics. “Of course it is! The Perfect Family Harmony can shatter diamonds!” Cooper nodded with a grin. “You remember when we were kids, Poppy, and that band called BroZone? They were trying to prove it!” Cooper's tail began to wag excitedly. “We should try it sometime!” Cooper giggled, bumping against his brother. Prince Darnell smiled at his brother, returning his gratification before giving his attention back to Poppy. “You said Branch has four brothers?” His ears perked up.

Poppy gasped. That was it! With all five of them, they could definitely shatter the diamond. Branch was a Pop Troll, after all, of course he and his brothers knew how to sing. “He does! But, oh… they said neither of them knew where they were,” Poppy tapped her forehead in thought, trying to recall their conversation before the traumatic event. She shook her head, a determined look on her face. “I'm going to go search his bunker for clues.”

Chapter Text

Poppy firmly gripped the elevator handle and twisted it into place, slowly lowering the platform into Branch’s solemn bunker. It was eerily quiet for her liking, normally being  greeted by Branch when she entered. Her heart felt heavy as she was overwhelmed with his home. Every single thing reminded her of him, and how much he might be suffering right now.

She shook her head, regrouping to try and find anything that might be of help in finding Branch’s long-lost siblings. The dark bunker smelt of damp dirt and old water. She would always light a candle to deter the smell, but tonight she was on a mission. She trudged across the cold dirt floor, searching for where Branch might keep his documents. “What was his name?” Poppy spoke aloud to herself, settling on rummaging through Branch’s work desk for any sort of clues about his brothers. She spent hours down in the bunker, searching through all of her boyfriend's belongings.

Poppy began to discover things that made her want to stop violating Branch’s privacy. Strangely, she had never counted the number of traps, wooden steaks, and weapons he held in his bunker before. It was a remarkable amount, which made a small shiver creep up her spine. Poppy stuffed down her heartache and concern for Branch, deciding to touch on these topics with her lover later.

It wouldn't matter if he was dead, after all.

Poppy began to get frustrated as the hours droned on, fighting an inner battle between respecting Branch’s privacy and needing to find clues to help rescue him. She picked up one of his pillows from his bed, angrily letting loose a scream of frustration. Not a single thing she had found was of any use. She paced on her feet as she held the pillow tightly, upset that she hadn't tried harder to prevent Branch from getting captured. Feeling better after her expression, Poppy took a deep breath and leaned over to place the pillow back from where she had picked it up. She blinked in surprise as she had accidentally revealed Branch’s journal, hidden under the pillow she had removed.

“Perfect.” She mused, picking up the book. Her self-consciousness screamed against her to not open the leather-wrapped book, but her heart knew she had no choice. “I'm sorry Branch, I’ll have to make up my promise later.” She announced to herself, gently unwrapping the bindings from the cold twined book. She flipped to the beginning, the paper faded and old. It was the perfect place to get information.

Poppy could only read the first few days before the book began to get dark and tragic, but it was all she needed. Branch had started the journal by reminiscing about his brothers. There were mixes of many emotions, but Poppy noted there was mostly anger and resentment in the way the words were phrased and scribbled down. “Poor Branch…” She murmured, skipping over unnecessary information. Branch sure was an explainer. She found the page he had written about a troll named John Dory. “That was a name!” Poppy hummed to herself. A clue! She was getting somewhere. Hope fluttered alive in her heart. She might be able to save her Branch.

“The Neverglade Trails!” Branch had written where he thought his brother had ended up heading off too. The page seemed to be scribbled over with red ink, the words reading “Do Not Pursue.” Which seemed to push Poppy the wrong way. Why wouldn't Branch want to find his brother? She exhaled, setting the book down as she dropped her knapsack in front of her. She scampered around Branch’s bunker, grabbing any sort of supplies she could have needed. His captors seemed threatening and deadly, and she needed to treat them as such. Poppy slipped on the backpack, standing confidently in the doorway to the elevator shaft, ready to trek out on her adventure.

Her body seemed to put a pause on her ambition. Exhaustion hit Poppy like a ghost, suddenly realizing that she had been searching Branch’s bunker all night. One event after the other had left Poppy’s small body beat, not forgetting the long way she had run back home in a complete panic. The sky was dark, completely without light as the moon was hidden behind the trees. The darkness looked vast and uninviting. Her tail fell to the floor, mentally insinuating that maybe she should rest.

“But… Branch is getting tortured,” Poppy pleaded with herself, but she knew it would only be harmful to leave on such a dangerous journey unrested. Her eyes welled with tears as she stared up the empty elevator shaft. “I'm coming Branchifer… I promise,” She pleaded to the stars before sealing the opening to the outside. She couldn't prevent a few tears from seeping out of her eyes as she retreated into Branch’s bedroom, tail between her legs.

The heavy backpack fell to the floor off of her shoulder as she crawled under the plush blanket of Branch’s bed. Her tail stayed between her legs as she flopped down onto the pillows. The bed smelt so strongly of Branch, only adding to Poppy’s heartache. She curled up while hugging one of his pillows tight, praying that her Branchifer would be alright.

Chapter Text

The crystal prison was ice cold, the slick exterior of the diamond surface harboring no warmth. Branch sat quietly on the dark purple base of the trap. No matter what position he tried to sit in, it was making him freeze. His body felt excruciatingly cold with the passing hours at the low temperature, his fur being the only thing providing any warmth. His tail was wrapped around his legs, subsiding the shivering only slightly. 

Branch cursed himself for not wearing anything else, getting kidnapped in the irritatingly uncomfortable sequined tuxedo Poppy had made for him. It had been fine to wear for their date, but Branch underestimated how their night could suddenly turn into a hellish situation. The tuxedo provided no heat, nor did the dressing room where they had been hidden away.

Branch’s eyes had adjusted to the darkness of the room, but he couldn't prevent himself from shivering. His eyes shifted up at the Troll standing above him. Floyd, his brother who he was stuck in here with, was attempting to screw off the lid from the inside. However, the entire diamond was manufactured to keep whatever was in there, completely stuck.

Floyd’s face was red as he grunted, trying to pry it open with what little energy he had left. Their essence had been extracted countless times for their captors' continuous performances. His ears were folded back against his skull, fingers starting to bruise from the abuse of friction on the lid. Floyd felt his fingers slip, smashing them against the geometric wall once more. He withdrew his hand and shook it in pain while he clenched his jaw. Floyd sighed heavily as he gave up his efforts. 

He fell back down on the ground with a huff, landing on his behind. His eyes shifted over to his cellmate. Branch seemed to be deep in thought, his eyes darting back and forth as his tail twitched unevenly. “Any other ideas?” Floyd’s gentle voice broke the silence of the room. Branch seemed to phase back into reality, blinking a few times before looking up at his brother. Floyd frowned, seeming to notice it took Branch longer to regather himself.

“What?” Branch hadn't even heard him, but he pressed on. “Do you have any other ideas?” Floyd asked again, sitting down next to his younger brother on the cold floor. “No.” Branch rubbed his temple, soothing the headache that never seemed to leave. Branch hated to be at a loss in situations like these, especially since poor Poppy was at the brunt end of the rescue mission. He loved her, but silently feared it would be too late if she didn't focus and figure out how to save Branch and Floyd in time.

“Are you still here buddy?” Branch was startled as a hand waved in front of his face. He looked back at Floyd, seeing the concern only grow on his face.

“Hm?” Branch blinked. “Dude. That's the second time you didn't hear me.” Floyd frowned, scooting closer to his brother in the already cramped space. “I asked if you were feeling okay, but I guess I got my answer.” Floyd folded his hands in his lap, keeping his eyes on Branch.

It only seemed to frustrate Branch further, his tail flicking in agitation. He didn't mind when Poppy was all over and concerned for him, she was his girlfriend after all. When it started coming from a different Troll- especially one that abandoned him- it only made him irritated. “I can take care of myself, thanks.” Floyd was taken aback by the comment, falling silent and observing Branch’s mood by the movement of his tail.

“I know,” Floyd said, treading lightly. “It just looks like you're getting affected harder than me,” Floyd rubbed the side of his neck. Branch raised an eyebrow at him, unsure what he was referring to. Floyd pointed to Branch’s tail, redirecting his suspicions.

Branch turned his attention to the curled part of his body, noticing the fraying strands of white starting from the base and flaring outwards. A quarter of his tail was already faded white, causing him to drop it in shock. “A-AH!” He yelped, backing up from his tail. “W-Why is it changing color!?” He flicked it from side to side, ensuring half of the fur stemming out from his tail was now a gradient white to his darker blue.

“This thing, it sucks out our talent. Our essence. But… I wonder why yours is white and mine isn’t.” Floyd flicked his own tail into his hands, seeing the strands still retaining their full color. Branch folded his ears back completely, his pupils the size of pins.

Was it because he had lost his colors?

Floyd watched Branch go pale, a bead of sweat dripping down his forehead. “Y-Yea, I agree that's weird,” Branch swallowed hard, looking at his newly colored tail. Was he going to fade faster because he had less talent? “Do you have any idea why?” Floyd folded his hands together.

Instead of saying No, or asking another question, Branch felt himself freeze up. “Uh…” Floyd seemed patient with him, but it was clear Branch might have known something he wasn't admitting.

“Nope, no idea…” His voice fell, turning away from the other Troll in the prison. Silence fell between the two brothers. Floyd silently observed Branch fall back into his own head, starting to tremble from the cold.

“Do you want my jacket?” Floyd broke the silence once more. Branch’s ear flicked in response, acknowledging he heard Floyd without directly responding. He seemed to waiver on the question, another shiver running up his spine. Branch glanced over his shoulder back at his brother. Since Floyd had been journeying here, he had thankfully brought along his leather jacket.

Branch noticed he was wearing nothing underneath his top as Floyd slipped off the sleeve. “No.” Branch quickly answered, turning away again. He wouldn't let Floyd get cold over warming himself. He was fine, his glitter tuxedo would function fine. “...Branch, I don't mind, you're trembling,” Floyd reassured him it was alright to accept the offer. He knew Branch was stubborn to help, but didn't think he would let himself freeze.

Branch’s ears seemed to fold back against his skull, reluctant to accept anything from his brother. Floyd noticed his coldness, sighing gently. “Is… something wrong?” He asked, wanting to figure out what was going on with Branch. As if they had anything better to do.

“No,” Branch quickly spoke, but felt the ringing in his ears return. “Hng- Yes-” He referred to his injury as he winced in pain, holding a hand on his forehead. The pain seemed to come in random waves, each level of tolerance being different than the last. Floyd could do nothing but watch as Branch aggressively rubbed his forehead, attempting to soothe the loud noise. He felt Floyd put his hands on his shoulders, shaking him back to reality. The noise stopped as his body started to warm up. He felt the cool leather on his skin, now wrapped in Floyd’s jacket. He heavily exhaled in relief, putting his arms through the sleeves.

“S-Sorry. This is really fucking me up.” Branch spoke, having a bit of a clearer head now that the noises had stopped. “It looks like hell,” Floyd said, concern dripping from his voice. “Are you back?” Floyd gently brushed his tail against Branch’s, wanting to confirm his state. “Somewhat.” Branch said, holding out a halfway sign with his hand. The two fell quiet, neither looking in each other's direction. Floyd’s tail stayed pressed against Branch’s, hoping to help keep him present.

“You're drifting off a lot,” Floyd spoke, verifying that Branch was listening. “It feels like it,” Branch responded with a nod, gripping the cold surface of the floor. “I think I just hit my head, hard.” He rubbed his temple, sighing heavily. “I keep seeing stars.” Branch looked up at the ceiling to see multiple different colors, none supposed to be there. “Are you concussed?” Floyd asked, leaning over to look at his brother’s eyes. “Probably?” Branch chuckled sadly, his ears folding back.

“Dude… why don't you lay down then?” Floyd’s tail flicked in worry but quickly realized the problem in that. There wasn't exactly enough space to have either one of them lie down comfortably. They were practically touching, having about 8 inches of space between their feet. 

Branch had enough space to sit next to Floyd without bumping elbows, but they often hit tails or smacked faces. They had to make due to the cramped environment, but there certainly wasn't enough space to lie down. “Geez… how are we going to sleep?” Branch mumbled, feeling the exhaustion creep back up on his neck. Floyd sighed heavily, leaning with his back against the wall.

The two fell completely silent once more. This time it seemed to linger, the silence drawing Branch’s thoughts back out. He yearned for Poppy, the cold only making him crave her warm pod. Her home always smelt like freshly baked cookies. Thinking of cookies led to thinking of Grandma's cookies, which inevitably pipelined to thinking about Grandma. He started to get upset and tried to pull his mind back to his happy place- Poppy. He would give anything to see her again, not knowing how long they would be trapped in here.

...

The silence was bothering Floyd. It pricked his skin, feeling Branch’s nerves radiating off of him. What was wrong? Was it him? Did Branch blame him? Past trauma stirred up in Floyd's stomach. He folded his ears back, unsure of what his brother's cold shoulder was trying to mean. Was he actually just losing it? Floyd decided to bite the bullet, pulling Branch from his happy place. “Are you mad at me?”

Branch’s eyes peeled open, glancing over at his brother. Floyd was staring at him for confirmation, his eyes wide and hurt. Branch seemed confused, raising an eyebrow towards him. “No?” Branch’s tail twitched. “Are you sure? You seem mad at me,” Floyd twisted his hair between his fingers nervously. “What's the point of being mad at you? We’re already stuck here.” Branch grumbled, tail tucking between his legs. He started to pick through the hair, silently grooming himself as a distraction from Floyd.

“S-So you are mad?” Floyd threw up his hands in confusion. Branch groaned, his head falling into his hands. “No!” He snapped, the words coming out harder than he intended. His migraine was making everything worse, and the berating of questions from Floyd certainly wasn't helping. “Branch, just tell me-” “Just shut up Floyd!” Branch suddenly snapped, his temper getting out of control. 

His fur fluffed up and his tail whipped in agitation as he gripped the stem of it tightly. Floyd quieted down, knees pressed up against his chest and his tail curled around his feet. He nervously gripped the floor as he watched Branch attempt to control his emotions. Branch started to strangle his tail at the base, taking his pent-up anger out in any way he could. It hurt, squeezing his tail tightly until he couldn't bear it anymore.

Branch felt his wrists get pulled apart and off of his tail, suddenly being forcefully pinned down at his sides. Branch was pinned to the floor by Floyd, unable to move his limbs as his older brother held him down. He struggled, but Floyd fought back expertly. “Branch! You need to knock this off!” Floyd snapped, a sudden aggressive side emerging that he had never seen before. Branch stopped struggling, staring at the Troll that had him pinned from above. His nose twitched several times before his brow furrowed in a glare. Branch seemed to regain a bit of himself, gripping onto Floyd’s wrist. His heart rate quickened, struggling to pull the older Troll off of him as he wouldn't let off his restraints. Branch’s tail started to thrash around, attempting to throw Floyd off his guard.

“I'm not mad at you!” Branch grunted, returning to Floyd’s earlier question. Floyd shook his head in response, letting up on the restraints slightly. “Then why did you just yell at me?” Floyd huffed. Branch suddenly slipped his wrist under Floyd’s, being able to twist his arm around backward and catch Floyd off guard. “You piss me off!” Branch quickly slipped away from the Troll, running from between his arm and hips. Branch skillfully wrapped his tail around Floyds’ leg, flipping the Troll onto his back with a yip.

Branch let out a guttural laugh at his success in escaping Floyd before he was sent tumbling back to the floor with a swish of his brother’s tail in retaliation. Branch yelped as he tripped and fell back onto Floyd, the older troll thankfully being prepared to catch Branch before he collided with his body on the floor. He set Branch next to him, the troll panting out in a laugh. Branch shook his head as the shiver went down to his tail, fluffing out the fur at the tip.

“Sorry.” Branch quickly apologized, looking at his brother. “Thanks. I think that helped.” “You've been sitting in the same position for 12 hours. Hopefully that warmed you up a little too.” Floyd chuckled lightly, brushing his tail against Branch’s. Branch’s tail flinched away and tucked back between his legs, where he began to anxiously groom it again. “I hate being isolated. It reminds me of-”

Branch started, but quickly cut himself off as he yanked a white hair out of his tail. “Poppy.” He quickly changed the direction of his conversation after the pause. “I miss Poppy.” He clarified, looking back up at his brother. “I get it Branch, I'm sure she’s doing everything she can to find us,” Floyd hoped, at least. The slight wag Branch’s tail slowly came to a stop.

Suddenly, an idea came into Branch’s head. “Wait.” He said, grabbing the attention of his brother. “There's two of us, right? What if we try and hit the perfect family harmony?” Branch suggested. Floyd blinked at his younger brother, running the idea through his head. “Hm… Well, I don't see why we couldn't try?” Floyd mused. he hadn't sung in years, but he'd be damned if they weren't about to try everything they could. “What song?” Branch tapped his chin in thought.

Both Trolls fell silent, wracking the albums in their brains for any songs that could potentially sync up well enough to produce a perfect family harmony. Branch also had to take into consideration the different songs Floyd knew, their internal radios might be too different after so many years apart.

Branch’s ears flicked upright. A sudden song forced its way into his mind, one that he hadn't thought about in years, even longer than the albums he and his brothers had made together in their boyband days. Branch took a deep breath, the beat forcing its way into his brain like he had just stepped on a record player. He looked up at Floyd, who met his eyes with an anxious look. Branch smiled sadly towards him, the song resurfacing old forgotten memories.

“I remembered one.” He sat on his knees, taking a deep breath as he started to sing. It was their last effort at saving their lives, and if he wasn't going to sing his heart out, he would regret it for the rest of his life. The song reminded him of Floyd, singing it to him when he was younger.



“Please don't see, just a boy caught up in dreams and fantasies.” Branch couldn't look at his brother, hardly able to get the words out of his chest. Floyd perked up and smiled at Branch. He let him continue, nodding in encouragement that he would be able to join in.

“Please see me, reaching out for someone I can't see,” Branch continued the song, but couldn't help but think of Poppy as he sang the lyrics. He traced his finger along the cold diamond floor, his ears pressing back. He hadn't been without her for this long in quite a long time.

“Take my hand, let's see where we wake up tomorrow,” Floyd spoke up, standing up and holding out his hand for his brother. Branch looked up at him, a slight grin peeling on his face. He took his brother’s hand tightly. If they were going to try this, they had to do everything in their power to break the diamond. Floyd pulled him up to his feet as Branch continued the song.

“Best laid plans, sometimes are just a one night stand~” Branch continued, grinning as he and Floyd started to dance together. It had been over 20 years since they had done something like this. Floyd couldn't help but shed a few tears, thankful to be reunited with his brother.

“I’ll be damned, cupids demanding back his arrow.” Floyd sang in his sultry voice, adding such a necessary inflection and compliment to Branch’s range. His voice was softer but higher, and Branch had a bit of a lower tone to compliment Floyd’s voice in return. They truly were hitting harmony, unknowing whether it was going to work.

“So let's get drunk on our tears!” They sang in unison, bringing tears to both of their eyes. They were trapped, but it was clear their brotherly love was still there. Regardless of circumstances, Branch felt right then as if they might get out of there, together. Alive.

“And God, tell us the reason youth is wasted on the young.” They hit the harmony of the chorus together, spinning in time with their footsteps. Their tails followed loosely in their spins.

“It's hunting season and the lambs are on the run,” The two couldn't prevent their tears from shedding as they held onto each other, spinning around as fast as they could manage in the cramped space to try and create enough energy to shatter the diamond.

“Searching for meaning,” Branch seemed to falter as he heard Floyd’s voice fall off, no longer in unison with his.

“But are we all-” Branch continued, but tripped and fell as Floyd had stopped completely, unbeknownst to Branch. This caused both Trolls to fall over each other, tumbling to the ground in the jar.



Anger flushed Branch’s chest, about to yell at his brother for ruining their attempt until he felt the ground below them suddenly lift into the air. Fear overwhelmed him instead, the quick shift of emotions causing Branch to completely freeze up in his brother's arms. Out of instinct, Floyd tightly wrapped his arms around Branch, his protectiveness bubbling up over his uncomfortability. Both Trolls looked up at the individual who held the vile, revealing an exhausted-looking Velvet. She had what looked to be a clay face mask on, only adding to her already ugly exterior.

“WILL YOU SHUT IT!? I'm trying to get my beauty mask done!” She shook the two Trolls in the vile, causing both Floyd and Branch to launch into the air and cry out. Floyd held his brother’s head tight to his chest, making sure that he didn't hit his head once more during the assault. Floyd feared he wouldn't wake up again after another injury like that.

“Aww, I thought they were cute Velvet! It's like a little radio player.” Veneer announced, making his presence known. “I don't care. It sounded suspicious.” She grumbled, looking back at the two Trolls in the bottle. Their fur was fluffed up again from being rattled around, both creatures genuinely looking petrified. Branch had a slight snarl but didn't so much as speak a word. Velvet seemed to lean in, getting an even closer look at the two Trolls she had captured.

“Veneer.” Velvet said, her voice suddenly hit with a sense of genuiniety that neither Troll had heard yet from her. “Look at these Trolls.” She handed the bottle to Veneer. He raised an eyebrow, doing the same motion of peering into the bottle at the two petrified animals. “They look like that old band, BroZone, right? I knew their singing sounded familiar!” She held a hand on her hip.

Both Floyd and Branch felt their hearts sink to their stomach. “NO!” Branch suddenly cried out, receiving a hand over the mouth from Floyd in response. Both Veneer and Velvet raised an eyebrow, a slight grin appearing on Velvet’s plush cheeks. “Oh! Did that strike a cord?” She giggled, snatching the vile up from her brother. Branch pushed Floyd away, standing up from him to defend himself against the giants. “Branch! Stop!” Floyd shouted in response before he could say anything to harm them.

“They are a part of BroZone!” Velvet laughed, needing no further confirmation from Branch to reassure her beliefs. Branch slammed his fist against the diamond in anger. “YOU KNOCK THIS SHIT OFF RIGHT FUCKING NOW!” His anger was over the boiling point, and now he had just put the lives of all of his brothers at risk. “Oh!” Veneer announced, shocked to hear such language come out of such a tiny creature. “Language, please. My poor baby ears.” Veneer pouted.

“I'll make you little shits a deal.” Velvet sneered, holding up the vile over her head. The elevation made Branch nauseous, stumbling back down onto his knees. They stared below at the superstar, completely at will to her abuse. “You tell me where your brothers are, and I’ll let you live!”

Both Floyd and Branch’s faces fell in horror. Branch clenched his jaw shut. He would never be a sellout like Creek. Veneer’s face fell in the same level of horror. “Velvet!” He announced, causing her to lower the vile and turn her attention back to her brother. “What?” She snapped, annoyed that he interrupted her interrogation. “You never said anything about killing them.” He retorted, folding his arms across his chest. “I know we deserve to be effortlessly famous, but I did not agree to murder.”

“Oh, so kidnapping and torture are where you draw the line?” Branch spat angrily, receiving a glare from Velvet. “Hm! Sounds like I need a spritz.” Velvet giggled despicably. Branch could feel his heart racing in his ears, watching as she reached for the atomizer attached to the bottle. Branch’s body seemed to work before his brain, fearfully backing up against Floyd to get as far away from the contraption as possible. Floyd shielded him in his arms, covering as much as he could of Branch before Velvet squeezed the atomizer and activated the device.

There was only so much Floyd could prevent, the essence-extracting process being excruciating for the both of them. This time, both Trolls collapsed together on the floor. Branch groaned in pain as his migraine instantaneously returned. Any warmth his body had been able to gather was stripped away, along with more of his colors. Floyd was in a similar state but was able to recover fast enough to sit up. Branch stayed curled up on the floor in pain.

“A-Are you okay Branch?” Floyd softly ran a hand across Branch’s shoulder, eliciting a groan of pain from him. Anger rose in Floyd’s chest, seeing his brother knocked on his back again. “Don't worry Branch.” Floyd reassured him, whether or not he was listening. Floyd would protect him. It was the only thing he could do, after all. Floyd still felt sickly from the extraction, leaning against the wall of the prison for support.

“Velvet, these Trolls aren't going to make us through to the big show this weekend,” Veneer said, watching the two Trolls interact, the guilty feeling rising in his throat as he realized the severity of the situation. They weren't just taking their talent, but their lives as well.

Velvet didn't seem to care about his concern, brushing it off. “Yes, they will.” She reassured him. “And then we’ll let them go. Okay?  Does that satisfy your stupid concern?” Velvet did not like to be questioned, especially about her “genius” plan to get mind-blowingly rich and famous. “No! Velvet, they’re just protecting each other. I’d do the same thing for you.” Veneer frowned. “This isn't right.”

Velvet stared back at the Trolls in the diamond capsule on her vanity. Floyd had not taken his eyes off of the two, hovering over Branch as his tail twitched in agitation. His worst fear had been confirmed- their captors' intentions. It was clear they would use both Trolls down to the bone. If they didn't escape, they would both die. Floyd's gaze shifted down to Branch, still recovering from being hit with the extraction device. Branch would die first. He would be stuck in here with his baby brother’s dead body.

The thought sent shivers down Floyd’s spine. While he hoped Velvet's face would soften in a change of heart, he only saw it harden. “Fine.” She dusted her brother off. “Let's cancel Wednesday and Thursday's performances. I’d rather get past Saturday.” She looked at Veneer with an eyebrow raised, hoping that would satisfy her brother. He clapped his hands happily.

“Yay! Good for you. How about a spa day instead?” He grinned, trying to deter his sister into a distraction. “Gotta get those nails perfect for the cameras!” Veneer opened the door for her with a smile. Velvet rolled her eyes and stood, checking her nails as if they weren’t already perfect. She gasped in shock as she suddenly noticed something was off. “I BROKE A NAIL!” She cried out. “Stupid Trolls!” Ugh!” She stormed out, slamming the door behind her and her brother.

Floyd’s heart rate slowed as the two tormenters left. He reminded himself to thank Veneer later. “Hey,” Floyd coaxed his brother, seeing Branch stir. He squinted his eyes open at Floyd, still struggling to recover. “Veneer just bought us a few days. It might not mean anything, but at least until Friday.” Floyd smiled, hoping to deliver some sort of good news in this dire situation. Branch’s tail flicked in response before his eyes fell closed again. “G-Great,” He grumbled, Floyd unsure if it was sarcastic or just pained.

“Is there anything I can do?” Floyd asked, wanting to help his baby brother. Branch fell silent, unsure of what to say in response. Floyd watched him silently move his body, forcing himself to sit up against the glass. He did so poorly, still clearly pained. “I can't die,” Branch said, his voice raspy and forced. “D-Don't let me die.” He pleaded to Floyd, his ears folded completely back against his skull.

Tears started to swell in Floyd’s eyes as he watched his brother struggle. “I-I won't Branch. I promise.” Floyd nodded. Branch took a shaky breath, forcing his body to regain its composure and recover faster. “I can't.” He repeated, tightly closing his eyes in pain.

“It will kill Poppy too.”

Branch managed to get the last word out before his jaw locked shut in pain. He steadied his breathing, the freezing feeling slowly starting to fade. He sat for a while in silence just trying to focus on staying conscious, for Poppy. He couldn't leave her in the dark, having no idea what had happened to him. He couldn't let Poppy find him. “Just hold on Branch. I'm here.” Floyd coaxed, reassuring his support for Branch.

“Even if I'm hanging on by a thread, you can't let Poppy find my body.” Branch spoke sternly between his teeth. “It will crush her.” Branch felt Floyd’s tail tightly wrap around his, giving Branch reassurance in his pain that he wasn't alone. “I won't let you die. There won't be a body to be found.” Floyd’s voice sounded more confident. “You're talking already. It hasn't even been 5 minutes. We’ll be okay.” Branch peeked his eyes open to look at Floyd, noticing tears were running down his cheeks.

Branch lost his stern demeanor, softening at the sight of his brother spilling tears. “F-Floyd, I didn't mean to make you cry,” He mumbled, feeling bad for the onslaught of emotions he had put his brother through. “We’ll be okay.” Floyd sniffled, wiping his face. Branch offered him a hug, which he accepted with gratitude. The two sat there holding each other, staying warm against the ice-cold diamond floor, having bought themselves a few more days to live.

Chapter Text

Poppy was eager to start the day, hopping to action as soon as her eyes opened the next morning. Wasting no time, she took off from Branch’s bunker up the elevator shaft. She tightened the straps of the bag around her shoulders, making sure the backpack was secure before setting off to rescue her lover.

She paced through the dense underbrush of the woods, staring up at the treetops above as sunlight shone through the leaves. She longed for Branch, wishing she had woken up that morning next to him. She instead had risen alone, the bunker deep, dark, and empty. Her eyes were stained with faded tears from crying herself to sleep that night, but she pressed on. Pop Village faded away behind the pink troll, starting an adventure alone for the first time in what felt like years.

Eager to venture to the Neverglade Trails, she sought to find John Dory as her first stop. The Pop Queen had a small pep in her step, proceeding cautiously to her heart's extent. She was on a mission after all, and needed to help rescue Branch and his brother. Poppy had once thought the trek to Bergen castle was a difficult one.

Headed to the Neverglades? That was a journey. She had underestimated how long one or two song montages would take. It took a shocking four for her to reach her destination, and she was all sung out.

…

Poppy had been adventuring all day, slipping past rivers and cliff ends, making her way North. Her feet were behind her, now tired of her own lonesome singing. What she wouldn't give for a little back-and-forth banter between her boyfriend to stimulate her mind. Her heart was heavy, her tail dragging loosely behind her on the ground. “Oh, Branch…” She mumbled aloud, holding her hands to her heart.

Her ears flicked upright as she heard the distant sound of rushing water. Poppy poked her tongue out and licked her lips, realizing she felt a bit peckish from all the walking. She hobbled her way over to the rushing water, coming across a small acute stream. She knelt over the embankment, glancing at her reflection. She blinked in shock, realizing her hair was tattered and a mess.

“Poppy.” She huffed, deciding she needed a moment to fix her dishevelment. She set down her backpack next to a nearby tree. Skipping back to the water, she slipped her hands into the cold rushing stream. She removed them and shook off the excess droplets, using her damp paws to help smooth out the loose ends in her hair. She finished re-wrapping the scrunchie to fit her signature ponytail. She then utilized the water to wash the tiredness from her face.

“Alright, mission evaluation,” Poppy spoke aloud to herself, now refreshed. “Find John Dory, Hopefully, get information to find Branch’s other brothers, find out where Branch and Floyd ended up, and rescue them both!”

How hard could that be?

Branch’s own words from so long ago echoed in her head. “That's not a plan. That's a wishlist,” She repeated the words aloud, tapping her forehead in frustration. “Ugh, Branch would know what to do…” Poppy grumbled, blinking as she realized how useless she felt without him. He knew how to do rescue missions like this, not her. She hadn't done this in so long, feeling rusty. She had recently failed hard on the Rockpocolypse mission and was now motivated to prove herself yet again.

“Okay okay Poppy, you need to focus.” The pink troll spoke to herself, pacing back and forth on her feet. What would Branch do first? She perked up. “Make a clue board! Of course. What do we know so far.” Her eyes shifted back to her backpack, where Branch’s journal resided. She started to pace back over towards it before she felt her foot brush past something irregular in the dirt.

Before Poppy’s eyes, her body was yanked up into the air. She cried out in shock, now suddenly dangling 15 feet above the ground, entrapped in a net. She quickly thrashed, realizing that it had been triggered by her stepping into the trap. Her tail was stuck through one of the holes, along with two of her paws. “H-Hey!” Poppy started to panic, unable to move from her stagnant position. She was stuck. “Oh well… that's a predicament…” She mumbled, unsure of what to do suspended helplessly in the heavy game net.

…

Poppy sat there for what felt like hours in the most uncomfortable position she had ever been in. There was no indication of how much time had passed outside of the moving clouds in the crystal blue sky. Poppy was beginning to feel the burn of the sun on her light pink skin. She was irritated and in pain, her tail flicking in agitation. “Who doesn't check their food traps? Come on guys…” She grumbled, trying to have optimism in her situation. The net appeared to be made for a bigger creature, making it so she couldn't get out of it easily. From her attempts, the rope was tightly bound against her skin from all of the struggling.

Poppy lay her head down against the rope, growing tired of her lingering. She couldn't stop thinking about how much she was letting down Branch by getting stuck in such a simple trap. She started to doubt her abilities, if this was her biggest obstacle, how was she even going to be able to do this? Poppy couldn't help but start to cry, just hoping Branch was okay and her incompetence wouldn't cause the result of his loss. She alerted the nearby forest folk with her cries.

A deep rumbling started to shake the ground, causing Poppy to stop crying. She fell quiet, starting to fear that the thing that had trapped her was a Troll-Eater. She started to struggle more against the ropes as the thunderous footsteps continued, quick and rampant. They were quick, loud, and approaching-

Poppy shielded herself as a giant creature leaped out of the bushes, spinning its scaly green legs into the air happily. It let out a guttural roar before stopping in front of Poppy, the troll suspended in the air in front of its face like prey. Poppy was spooked, fluffing up her fur in the net. The creature sniffed at Poppy’s tail twice before letting out a purr and backing away from the net. “O-Oh, are you friendly?” Poppy asked, relieved the beast hadn't come to consume her.

Poppy perked up as the creature settled on its feet. A blue figure suddenly darted up its backside. A large blue Troll stepped out, keeping one hand on the beast as he stood atop its head. “Well well! A damsel in distress!” He mused at the younger troll, erupting a confused scoff from Poppy. “Um, excuse me?” Her tail twitched as she held her hands up. “WHO DOESN'T CHECK THEIR TRAPS EVERY 2 HOURS!?” She suddenly snapped, something the older Troll hadn't expected.

“Uh-” He started, but the angry pink troll kept rambling. “I'm sunburned now! Do you know how long I've been up here!? My tail hurts! My tail never hurts!” She struggled against the ropes. “I-I’ll get you down, Ma’am!” The older troll quickly gave into her commands, using his creature to help grab the net so she wouldn't fall out of the air. He cut the rope at the top with his claws. His large beast slowly set Poppy down on the ground, where the older troll helped get the net off of her.

“Honestly! These traps are a safety hazard! Another hour and I would've been-” She turned to face the older troll, suddenly recognizing her boyfriend's eyes, and came to a full stop. The troll in front of her paused as he picked up the net from the ground. “My apologies ma’am, are you hurt at all?” He seemed concerned, noticing the rope marks against her skin.

Poppy took a step back from him, seeming spooked at suddenly finding another Troll, especially one that looked so similar to Branch. “I didn't mean to startle you.” He seemed genuinely apologetic, taking off the goggles from his teal-colored hair to look less threatening to her. He held out his hand with an endearing smile. “The name is John Dory.”

Poppy almost squealed in excitement, running back up to the older troll and wrapping her arms around him in a hug. “I found you! Oh my stars I found you!” John Dory was completely blown away by the sudden change in behavior of the pink troll. “Uhh,” He gently grabbed her arms, lowering Poppy down from the hug. “Do I know you?”

“Yes! Uh- No! B-But,” Poppy started to fumble her words. “You're Branch’s brother!” That was all she was able to get out of her excitement. The older troll's face fell in confusion, putting the goggles back on his head. He seemed surprised by the name, taking a step away from the pink troll.

“Baby Branch?” He said, his voice cracking slightly. John Dory’s tail tucked between his legs. “H-How do you-” John Dory started but was interrupted by Poppy once more. “I'm his girlfriend!” She hopped up and down excitedly upon delivering the news.

“He’s alive?”

The words froze Poppy’s excitement in place. She turned back to face John Dory, her tail perked up in interest. “W-What? Of course hes alive,” Her face fell upon seeing his reaction. John Dory shook his head, huffing slightly. “No. I know what I saw. Prove it.” He crossed his arms, a sudden stubbornness forcing it's way past his initial gentle nature. Poppy scoffed. Her scoff fell into a slow sigh, understanding the Trolls' reservations. She didn't know how to prove that she knew Branch, but hoped her story would make sense.

“He got kidnapped.” Poppy started, twirling her fingers together as her tail tucked. “Along with his- Your other brother. Floyd.” She anxiously fidgeted with the hug bracelet around her wrist, looking downwards at it solemnly. She watched John Dory’s face fall, with the mention of Floyd, it proved to be a lot harder of a story to fake. “They were together?” John Dory asked, Poppy watched his ears slightly fold. Poppy nodded. “He showed up yesterday.” She rubbed the rope burns on her arms and winced from the pain.

“I was the only one to escape the people who ambushed us. They locked them in this insane diamond prison, and the only thing that can break the diamond is-” “The Perfect Family Harmony.” John Dory said in unison with Poppy. Poppy smiled, nodding excitedly. “S-So I came here to find you! We have to find the rest of your brothers so we can save them!”

Poppy watched John Dory’s face falter once more. “Er… that's not gonna happen sister.” “What!?” Poppy stomped her foot. “We’ve never even been able to hit it! I-I haven't even sung in years! What makes you think we can do it now?” John Dory raised a pressing question. “Practice? I don't know, but we don't have time to think we can't do it! We have to try!” Poppy pressed, beginning to sound desperate.

John Dory just shook his head, picking up the scraps of rope that lay over the floor. “I don't know who you are lady, but I can't do it. I'm sorry. I can't help you.” He turned away from Poppy, walking back up the large beast. It cooed sadly, looking at Poppy apologetically.

Poppy couldn't believe it. How stubborn could a Troll be? She desperately looked at everything around her. She looked up towards the sky, noticing the clouds had started to turn a dark grey, the sun now shielded. Poppy’s skin burned less, but she still felt the remains of the rope burns tightly meshed into her skin. Both Trolls could smell rain on the horizon. Poppy couldn't prevent tears from leaking out of her eyes as she ran to fetch her backpack. There must be something, anything that she had that could convince him to come along and save Branch. The wind had started to pick up, reflecting Poppy’s spiraling emotions as her hair started to blow against the wind.

Not wanting to leave the pink troll to fend for herself in the approaching storm, John Dory hesitated on inviting her onboard. Poppy tore through the contents of her bag, taking out Branch's vest she had stashed in the knapsack. She sharply inhaled as she held back tears, her ears folding back completely against her skull. She threw the garment aside, grabbing the thick leather book she had been carrying as well. She opened Branch's journal to the page she had turned to last: John Dory. Her eyes widened as she remembered the red ink that had scribbled out the page, scrawling “Do Not Contact” in Branch’s pristine handwriting.

“He was right.” Poppy croaked out, but it was loud enough for John Dory to catch on the wind. “You abandoned him. I don't know why I expected anything else…” Her ears stayed folded, her heart swelling with emotion. She couldn't let Branch down. She couldn't fail him. She let tears spill from her face as she started to sob, clutching the book and leafy vest in her hands as she folded over herself.

“I didn't abandon him.” John Dory sounded, alerting Poppy. She jolted, not having heard him approach. The wind had picked up quite a lot more, Poppy’s hair now beginning to blow into her face. “I went back to the Troll Tree. Everyone was gone.” John Dory pulled at his shirt collar, reliving his traumatic experience with this Troll he had met only minutes prior.

Poppy stared up at the older Troll, tears colliding with raindrops as they started to spill from the sky. John Dory’s hair and tail blew against the wind, giving him a more menacing presence than Poppy was ready for. Lighting turned the sky white behind John Dory, reflecting off of Poppy's eyes as she didn't look away from the man above her. Her face stayed trained on a stare, unwavering from eye contact with the oldest of Branch’s brothers.

“That's what he said to Floyd.” Poppy’s voice strangely held no emotion. “That you abandoned him first.”

She could see that struck a nerve with John Dory, watching his brow furrow at the Pink Troll. Poppy pressed on the nerve. “And he’ll die still believing it.”

Chapter Text

Poppy’s tail fluffed up as thunder shook the exterior of the creature John Dory had lovingly named “Rhonda”. The beast was happily scampering through the rain, but seemed to slow down every time thunder shook the ground before refocusing her pace. Poppy had gotten drenched in the rain, now wrapped in a towel from John Dory’s survival stash. She held a cup of tea, warming up her hands as John dug through a first aid kit. Poppy groaned, the thunderstorm making her stressed. She never liked them, and being in the presence of a new stranger wasn't helping her mood.

“I didn't catch your name.” John Dory spoke up, setting down a bandage next to her. “Poppy.” She grumbled quietly under her breath, exhaustion growing on her. She was glad to not be walking any longer, but being wet, cold, and hurt wasn't making her the happiest camper. She dawned Branch's vest over her shoulders, providing her a slight amount of comfort. Her name seemed to catch John Dory off guard, pausing in his ventures through his supplies.

“And, you're a Pop Troll?” He asked, his ear flicking upright towards her. “The one and only.” Poppy joked, taking a deep breath and humming a small pop tune to prove her point. John Dory leaned back from the first aid kit he was digging into to view her face. They stared at each other momentarily before he spoke again. “Are you… Princess Poppy?”

Poppy blinked, suddenly realizing that her status might've been important to the older Troll. She smiled awkwardly. “Hah… um, it's actually, Queen Poppy now.” She clarified politely. John Dory’s jaw dropped. “I-I accidentally trapped the Queen of the Pop Trolls in a net for two hours!?” He facepalmed. “Your Highness, I'm so sorry,” John Dory turned towards her on his knees, holding his hands together in a plead.

“Oh, I'm not, it's okay really, it happens.” Poppy blushed in embarrassment, not used to being addressed in that fashion. She gestured for him to stand up, which he obliged. John Dory cleared his throat. “So… My brother married the princess of Pop?” He raised an eyebrow. “Nice Branch, Nice…”

“N-Not!” Poppy blushed, standing up from her chair almost immediately. “We’re just dating. Why does everything think we’re married!?” She huffed. “I mean…” John Dory rubbed the back of his neck with a shrug. “I wouldn't be risking my life this much for someone I didn't WANT to marry.” He shrugged, gesturing to her.

“For your brother?” Poppy’s nose scrunched, confused. “What? No, Poppy.” John Dory snickered, taking a seat at the table across from her. “Never mind.” He pressed on.

“Would it be alright if I wrapped your arm?” John Dory suggested, shifting the conversation. “Um… sure.” Poppy held out her arm for John Dory to treat. The rope had cut into her skin, looking raw and irritated. Poppy was surprised at how gently the rugged Troll treated her, being very kind and slow. Her tail swayed in anticipation of a conversation, thousands of questions running through her head but she struggled to pick one.

“John Dory… Earlier, when you said “I know what I saw” when you asked if Branch was alive… what did you see?” Poppy poised the question gently, looking up at the older Troll with curiosity. John Dory sighed, carefully wrapping the bandage around Poppy’s arm before responding. “Everything was destroyed and abandoned. I figured I was too late.” He shrugged lightly. “That's the extent.”

“That's it?” Poppy blinked. “You didn't bother to… look for him?” Poppy’s nose scrunched. If she had a sister? She would never do anything of the sort. “Why would I look for them if I thought they were dead?” John Dory raised an eyebrow. “Because they’re your brothers?” Poppy frowned. John Dory sighed heavily, taping the bandage around her arm.

“Look Poppy, I know you were a baby when I left the Troll Tree, but when you're around as much death as us old trolls have been, you kinda just get used to assuming your family is gone by default.” The stress lines seemed clearer on John Dory’s face. “But, it's nice to hear he’s alive.” He rubbed the back of his neck guiltily, exhaling as he said the next phrase. “For now…”

Poppy's nose scrunched up as her doubt returned to follow John Dory’s. She silently rubbed her hand across the bandage on her arm. “Anywhere else?” John Dory asked, trying to move away from the uncomfortable questioning. “My… tail,” Poppy said, her tail swishing around to settle in her lap. John Dory reached towards her tail to assist but watched as Poppy flinched back. “W-Whoa buster.” She had grabbed John Dory’s wrist, pulling it away from her tail. “Tails are off limits.”

John Dory’s face flushed red momentarily before backing his hand up from Poppy. “O-Oh my god, I completely forgot, haha.” John Dory dusted his hand off on his jacket. “Sorry Your Highness, I didn't mean anything of it. I haven't been around another troll in quite a few years…” John Dory apologetically fiddled with his singular glove. “It's okay… I’ll do it.” Poppy picked up the bandage herself.

Troll tails were very sentimental and important communicative body parts that most trolls possessed. Physical contact between tails was reserved only for Trolls who had close relations with each other. Tail grooming and care especially was reserved for family and romantic partners, as it was also a necessary appenage for reproduction. John Dory had forgotten the Troll custom and had just tried to touch the Queen’s tail. He was flush with embarrassment, deciding to retreat to the head of the cabin to let Poppy tend to her wounds. Poppy watched him leave, huffing in slight amusement.

He acted… just like Branch. The awkwardness, the kindness, the cunning attitude, she could see where he got it from. Poppy looked down at her tail, starting to pick the bits of moss and leaves out of the soft hairs. The tip was red and raw from the tight friction of the rope she had been caught in earlier. Poppy carefully wrapped up her small injury and put away the first aid supplies. She wrapped the towel around her shoulders, her ears flicking towards the sound of the rain on a nearby window. Her gaze shifted to watch the world pass by for a lingering moment of silence.

“Do you know who to look for first?” Poppy spoke up, hoping to get a progress update on the mission. “Um… kind of. It's a bit of a shot in the dark.” John Dory spoke up, flipping down the visor in front of the driver's seat. He pulled out an old tattered postcard, blowing the dust off of it before observing the image in his hands. He let out a slight amused huff before pacing back over to Poppy. She picked it up, looking at the image.

It was quite a beautiful picture of a sunset island with a nice orange-to-red gradient. A few palm trees sprouted up from random points on the island, creating quite a peaceful vision of a nice island vacation getaway. The words “Wish You Were Here” were scrawled out in blue printed ink. Poppy turned it around to the back, realizing the postcard was blank. “Um… John Dory, How is this supposed to help?”

“I think it's from Spruce!” He chuckled. “He’s the only one I know who talks like that.” Poppy stared dumbfounded at the older troll in front of her. She loved to be optimistic, but even this was a stretch. “Are you sure..?”

“Like, a solid 80%.” John Dory smiled. Poppy clenched her jaw in worry. “Don't worry, Poppyseed. I got this covered. I promise.” He grinned, giving her a thumbs up. Poppy appeared too tired to be playing a guessing game with the fate of her boyfriend’s life. John Dory seemed to catch on, clearing his throat.

“Do… you want to take the cabin and try to get some rest? It’ll be a few hours.” He suggested. Poppy’s tail swayed in thought, feeling how heavy her eyes were beginning to feel. “Yea… I probably should.” Poppy stood, holding the towel in her arms.

She paced towards the back of the creature, where the cabin; separated by a curtain, donned a soft small bed for Poppy. She sighed gently, laying the towel down onto the mattress, and nabbed a spare blanket from John Dory’s stack of folded clean ones.

She made herself a small nest, curling up in a ball with her tail tucked. The bed was more comfortable than she fared to admit, feeling herself relax quite quickly. The sound of the storm lulled her to sleep, the movements of the creature traveling assisting Poppy to sleep. Her thoughts faded to those faintly of Branch before tiredness overcame her.

She didn't think the thing she would miss the most about Branch would be his voice. The way he always seemed to fill the silence around her with the hum of his presence. It wasn't something Poppy thought she needed in her life at all. What she wouldn't have given to hear Branch ramble about some random defense idea or of some new concept he was thinking of right now.

…

Poppy jarred awake to her loneliness in the bed she had just barely laid down to rest in. She hadn’t had so much as a dream, just lingering thoughts of her lover. Her heartache seemed to stay when she woke, this time not being panged occasionally by sadness. It was permanently there, eating away at her heart. Poppy groaned sadly, deciding she should probably get up so they could continue on the mission. She shakily got up to her feet, her body feeling cold and restless. The tiredness still lingered, not seeming to leave Poppy alone.

She slinked past the curtain and noticed Rhonda was no longer in motion. They were stationary with a gentle sunrise peeking through the curtain. Had she slept all night!? Poppy started to panic at the loss of time, not meaning to sleep that long. She quickly looked around for John Dory, noticing he was nowhere to be seen.

She dipped out the creature’s side door but came to a stop as she saw the older troll only a few feet from the entrance. A sigh of relief slipped her lips. She glanced over towards the sunset, realizing they had made it to the destination John Dory had been theorizing about.

John Dory was humming to himself, the sweet aroma of something cooking alerting Poppy. She didn't realize how hungry she was until the scent lingered to her. John Dory’s ear twitched at the sound of Poppy moving behind him, quickly shifting to face her. He greeted her with a smile, his tail seeming to perk up at her presence. “Morning Princess.” He mused. Smoke lifted off the makeshift grill John Dory had put together. “Is it morning?” Poppy asked, rubbing her eyes and glancing towards the sunset over the island.

“It's almost night actually. I'm just making us some dinner.” He smiled, pulling whatever was on the grill off and onto a plate for her. The smell was sweet, so Poppy was intrigued. “Um, I'm a vegetarian…” Poppy mumbled, attempting to see what he had been cooking on the grill. “Perfect!” John Dory smiled, holding out the plated food to her. Poppy observed it curiously. It looked like a large round yellow circle, grilled on both sides.

“What is it?” Poppy’s tail swayed, sitting down next to Rhonda as she rested, facing the sunset of the island in front of them. “Pineapple! You can only find them in this region. They're really good, a bird once told me that if you grilled them? It was a crazy experience.” John Dory shrugged. “Tried it, loved it, hey! I grab some every time I come out this way.” As John Dory spoke, Poppy took a small nibble out of the fruit. The flavor exploded into her mouth, being shocked at how juicy the fruit in front of her tasted.

“Mm!” She announced, her tail starting to wag. John Dory snuffed out the grill before taking a seat next to Poppy, watching the sunset with her. They both were quiet in each other's company, scarfing down the food as much as they could.

“We should probably stay there for the night. I doubt we’ll find Clay by morning. We’ll be lucky if we find Spruce.” John Dory suggested, cleaning his face off on a nearby rag he had used for cooking. Poppy licked her lips, looking towards the island ahead of them. “But…” She knew she had gotten to rest at least for a while, but honestly didn't want to stop making progress. “We should keep going,” Poppy suggested in return. John Dory sighed heavily, gently reaching over to pat Rhonda. “I'm just as worried about Branch as you Poppy, but if we push Rhonda too far, we’re all screwed.” John Dory frowned. Poppy’s ears folded back. John Dory was right, poor Rhonda needed a break.

“You're right,” Poppy smoothed her hair out, taking a shaky breath. She pondered on what they could do in the meantime, fiddling with her fingers. “Alright.” John Dorry clapped his hands together as he stood up. He began to clean up the mess he had made during dinner, prepping them to leave. “Let's figure out a way to get to that island!”

Chapter Text

John and Poppy decided it was best to continue their journey onwards, giving Rhonda an opportunity to rest. The odd pair made their way through the dense but intriguing forest of the tropical island. The young female troll followed close on John Dory’s tail, both keeping their eyes out for potential danger in the undergrowth.

Poppy was eager for a conversation, the lingering silence of the jungle beginning to bite at her neck. She took a deep breath as they pressed on, deciding to voice her concerns over John Dory’s vacant plan. It felt like a risky shot in the dark. Poppy was hesitant on if they could afford to waste time on a potential loose thread.

“So… JD, How do you know Spruce is really here?” Poppy's hands folded behind her back as she leaned into her inflection. The pink haired troll followed close to his tail tip as they cut through the thick underbrush.

John Dory's ear flicked back towards Poppy as he thought of a response to the question. “Well,” He spoke up, having to pause and pick a direction to continue their wandering. 

“Spruce told me when we were kids, this is where he wanted to end up. We came here one time for a performance, and all of the boys loved it.” John Dory laughed before Poppy noticed his tone falter. It turned his expression sour as he fell back into silent thought. This Troll was tricky and not easy to talk too.

“That's really sweet,” Poppy broke the silence, reminding the older troll that he wasn't there alone. He glanced over his shoulder towards Poppy with an eyebrow raised, confused by what she had meant by her statement.

Poppy wanted to press for questions, but didn't know where to start. Both trolls now stood stationary in the dense woods made up of pool floats and inflatables. “Was it sad?” Poppy slowly spoke, her hands finding themselves fiddling with the hug bracelet around her wrist.

“Wh…” John Dory seemed taken aback by her statement. “It’s not sad it's just…” John Dory didn't know how to explain himself, at a loss for what to say. He fell silent for a few moments before he exhaled and shrugged, giving up on the thought. “I feel bad.” He put it simply before turning around and continuing through the rubber woods.

“Feel bad?” Poppy inquired, continuing on his tail. John Dory hesitantly exhaled once more, his tail swishing as he kept pacing forward. “Look Poppy, I don't think I want to unpack my years of issues right now.” John Dory grumbled, as he glanced over his shoulder at her once more. Poppy bit her lip as she nodded in understanding.

“Sorry,” She mumbled before changing the subject. Poppy understood his reserves but still had so many questions for the old troll. It was clear he wasn't ready. The two had just met after all. This was a family rescue mission, not a therapy retreat.

“Can you tell me about Branch instead?” She still wanted to fill the silence and awkwardness, the longing for her partner only fueling her heart more. Hopefully, it would ignite the same fire under John Dory.

His rough exterior melted once more, clearly having a soft spot for his baby brother. His face softened as he slipped his hands into the pockets of his vest. His eyes trained up towards the sky, seeing the colors shift and deepen as the sun continued on it's course. 

“Aw man, that kid? He was wild.” John Dory’s personality seemed to flip like a light switch, coming back to the cheerful and outgoing persona as they trudged onwards.

“He loved digging in the sand especially. We had to keep dragging him out because the kid didn't know how to swim!” He shook his head back and forth with a slight chuckle. Poppy smiled, envisioning baby Branch playing in the water by the beach, building sandcastles, finding seashells, all while his tail whipped happily in excitement. The image was short lived, John Dory's sorrowful eyes falling back onto hers from over his shoulder.

“What about you?” John spoke towards Poppy. “Can you tell me about what he’s like now..?” John Dory asked, curious about how his brother acted and behaved after not seeing him for the majority of his lifetime. 

Poppy perked up, thrilled at the opportunity to talk about her amazing boyfriend. She couldn't hide her smile as she clasped her hands together. “Well, He’s kind of a lot like you,” Poppy said with a hum. John Dory’s face fell in shock, catching Poppy off guard.

“Really..?” John Dory spoke up quietly. Poppy nodded with a smile. “He’s reserved, quiet while also being outgoing, confident while also being cautious, I see a lot of him in you.” Poppy stepped over a large tree root in her way, her eyes never leaving the older trolls face. John Dory appeared to fall silent, continuing with their trek through the woods. Poppy frowned, hoping what she said hadn't upset him. 

“In a good way.” She quickly added after a tense moment of silence. “That's… that's really cool Poppy. I like that analogy.” Was all JD responded with. Poppy bit her lip, hoping to maybe help them figure out all of these tense and difficult emotions soon. There was some lingering fog around John, and clearly some hard feelings about Branch in particular.

The two approached the top edge of a cliff, stepping their way out of the dense underbrush. Poppy gasped in shock as the entirety of the landscape's beauty was revealed behind the trees. The island looked like a giant sandcastle vacation paradise. The sunset perfectly framed the beauty of it all as giant waves crashed up onto the sandy shore.

“I can see why he would've wanted to come back here…” Poppy said, fanning herself in awe. “Come on Poppyseed. Let's go find my brother.” John Dory beckoned her forward with confidence.

The island inhabitants all took part in enjoying the beauty and peace the environment had to offer. Their appearances reflected brought-to-life sock puppets, all enjoying different aspects of the Vaycay lifestyle. Poppy watched in awe as some groups played volleyball together, splashed in the nearby waves, danced in a drum circle, and so much more. How she would love to come and take the perfect vacation here with Branch, where they could relax and play all day without a care in the world.

…

The search party spent the rest of the evening searching for Spruce, painfully coming up empty-handed without any indication on where to turn next. Poppy sat curled up in a beach lounge chair, exhausted from having searched the entirety of the vacationer's island.

Her tail hung over the edge as she watched the waves crash against the darkening shore. Most of the light in the sky had drained, darkness now being speckled with white, pristine stars. The same stars she had seen the night Branch was taken. Even in the presence of the most beautiful and relaxing island she’d ever seen, Poppy was still stressed and strained.

She was beginning to give up hope, having hit a hard dead end in her efforts to rescue Branch. If they couldn't find Spruce, they could try and find Clay next. However, John Dory had even less of a thought of where the third brother of theirs could possibly be. 

Poppy held back tears as her eyes trained on the water. She didn't want to fail Branch and was frustrated at their lead turning sour. It didn't help that John Dory acted like they weren't pressed for time, mingling with anyone he saw the chance to.

“Can I get you anything to drink, darling?” Poppy heard a male voice speak up. She didn't bother to look up from the waves, her heart too heavy to care. Her tail swayed as her ears flicked in response, pondering the question. “Tequila on the rocks and a lime please,” Poppy mumbled. If she had nothing better to do, might as well grab a drink to help subside her emotions.

The waiter let out a small chortle. “Yknow, it's been a while since I’ve seen a Troll here. It's been even longer since I've seen such a pretty one like yourself order something like that. Is something wrong sweetheart?” The waiter asked, causing Poppy’s indirect attention to shift to them. 

She fell quiet upon trying to think of an answer for the man. “Boy troubles?” The waiter asked with a slight “Hmm?” added at the end. Poppy let out a slight chuckle followed by a sigh. “Kind of.” Her gaze shifted to the kind waiter who had decided to talk to her that evening.

“Well, why don't you come on in and sit at the bar where it's warm? I'll make your drink there.” The waiter winked. To Poppy’s surprise, the waiter had been a Troll.

Her ears perked up as she noticed the fancy swoop of purple hair with a complementing puka shell tied around his neck. His tail was one of the longest that Poppy had ever seen, practically doubling the Troll in length. What she recognized first however, was her boyfriend's eyes.

“Spruce!?” Poppy gasped, jumping up from the lounge chair. The troll in front of her blinked in surprise at the sudden energy burst that erupted Poppy out of her chair. “Uh, I actually go by Bruce now! I'm assuming you recognize me from my band. Those days are behind me.” He chuckled, waving the air with his hand. “No! S- Bruce! I'm-”

Poppy’s heart fluttered like a bird taking flight for the first time. All hope had instantly returned. She found the troll they were looking for and John Dory’s lead wasn't a waste of time after all. “I'm Queen Poppy!” She shook his hand with an enthusiastic grin. Bruce raised an eyebrow, staring at Poppy before visibly going into thought.

Poppy smiled as she noticed almost instantly yet another trait from Branch. Bruce took a moment to recall his past life back at the Troll Tree. “Wait wait, of the Pop Trolls? Princess Poppy of King Peppy?” His jaw dropped. There was suddenly troll royalty in his presence.

“Yes!” Poppy hopped up and down excitedly, her tail whipping from side to side. “I remember when you were just an egg! Wow, it's been such a long time…” He smoothed his hair back, looking towards the waves crashing on the shore longingly. Before Poppy could tell him about their mission, he beckoned her inside.

“Come on! Catch me up. It's getting cold.” He turned and started walking towards the door, his tail promptly swishing behind him. Poppy excitedly followed, looking around for any sign of John Dory. He had gone off in a different direction, the two splitting up to cover more ground.

Poppy tailed the older troll into the large oversized bar. The sign that hung over the doorway read “Bruce and Sons.” An indicator that Poppy would've seen earlier if she had been looking for it, or perhaps Branch would've been more focused to have pointed it out. Poppy silently cursed herself for the oversight.

Puppets everywhere were celebrating whatever had brought them to the island, clinking alcoholic beverages and cheering amongst their groups. Poppy followed close to the purple-haired troll as to not get stepped on, observing as Bruce called out orders and charming phrases to all the customers.

Poppy slipped into a stool at the miniature bar as Bruce slid behind the counter. It was a neat little area made up for micro-creatures of any sort, a large variety of drink options on display behind the bar. Bruce began to hum an oddly familiar tune to Poppy as he started to make her drink. She anxiously tapped the counter, unsure of how to start the conversation with Bruce.

Thankfully for Poppy, Bruce seemed to have the charisma to understand her hesitancy. “So, this boy of yours, is he causing you trouble?” The bartender hummed, putting a cocktail glass on the counter. “No,” Poppy said, sighing heavily as she twirled her fingers together. She watched as Bruce poured the ice into the cup, following with the liquor.

“Can I tell you the craziest thing that's going to blow your mind?” Poppy asked, wanting to make sure Bruce was prepared. Bruce appeared intrigued at her proposition as he slipped a lime onto the rim of her glass.

“Your Highness, there isn't anything you can say that’ll surprise me. I’ve seen it all.” Bruce hummed, attempting to sound mysterious. Poppy let loose a small grin, shaking her head softly from side to side. He had no idea. Might as well not dwell any longer.

“So this… boy.” She started slowly, deciding she should reveal the whole ‘kidnapping’ issue with the presence and support of John Dory, considering what had happened last time. However, she didn't mind talking about Branch while she waited for him to show up.

“Is your younger brother… Branch.”

Not to Poppy’s surprise, she watched Bruce’s jaw drop. “W-Whoa, what? Baby Branch?” He seemed to believe her, knowing no random troll would just pull his name out of thin air. His eyes fell on the leafy vest that dawned her shoulders, coming to the realization himself.

“Oh my stars! I haven't seen Baby Branch in years!” Bruce gasped, gripping the counter in shock. Poppy exhaled as she picked up her drink. She drank the entirety of the glass before putting the lime in her mouth, a sigh of relief slipping past her lips.

“How is he? I heard on the wind that the tree was abandoned.” Bruce folded his hands, leaning over the counter to continue the conversation. “Yea… It was.” Poppy mumbled, starting with the easier question. Maybe if King Peppy had left some sort of note or sign for the other Trolls who returned to the abandoned tree, they wouldn't have thought everyone was gone or dead.

“But, as for Branch…” Poppy started but fell off as she tried to contemplate what to tell Branch's older brother. Bruce frowned, his arms retreating from the counter and crossed across his chest, understanding that the answer might not be good. She was unsure of where to start, her grip on the glass tightening.

“Is being held captive.” Poppy heard a voice announce from the right of the bar. Both trolls turned to see John Dory leaning on the counter, already with a drink in his hand. “John Dory?!” Bruce blinked, shocked to suddenly see his eldest brother. He took a minute to think over what he said, brow furrowing in confusion. “Being held captive?”

“Yes, and Floyd.” John Dory sat down next to Poppy. “And Floyd..?” Bruce felt his heart sink. “I came here with Branch’s girlfriend to find you.” He pointed at Poppy. Poppy shot him a glare. 

“I came to find all of Branch’s brothers to rescue them.” She mused, looking back at John Dory with a sly grin. “Yea. Whatever.” He scoffed playfully with a slight chuckle. Poppy’s nose twitched, noticing that she smelt quite a strong aroma of alcohol coming off from John Dory.

Had he just been drinking and screwing around the whole time?

Poppy’s face fell, but it was unnoticed by both brothers. “Did you call the authorities?” Bruce asked as John Dory bit his lip. “No… They got locked in a diamond prison. We need to get everyone so we can perform the Perfect Family Harmony and save them.” John Dory put his hands on the counter, setting the empty glass he held down. 

Poppy could feel the anxiety rising in her chest, the mission seeming more impossible every time it was described to her. It sounded like the plot of a children’s movie.

“Another drink please,” Poppy mumbled under her breath as the boys went silent, pushing her glass back towards Bruce. He exhaled, still deep in thought as he picked up her glass, giving him something to do with his hands.

“Please Bruce, you have too. For Branch and Floyd.” John Dory spoke up, recognizing his brother's hesitance. Bruce just slowly shook his head as he set the glass down and grabbed the large bottle back off of the shelf.

“I don't do that stuff anymore man… and nobody knows if the Family Harmony even works. It could just be a fairy tale, or some fever dream you made up.” Poppy's eyes widened as Bruce’s tone suddenly turned sour. His glare fell on John Dory, a sudden tension rising in the air. Poppy quickly turned to John Dory. “W-What?”

“A diamond prison? Really? Come on man, it sounds like you're pulling my tail.” He placed the freshy made drink in front of Poppy, his eyes not leaving the old troll in front of him. John Dory held his hands up, attempting to start three different sentences before giving up and turning to Poppy for help.

“Dude, she's the one who saw it.” John Dory pointed at Poppy. “Are you sure it was a diamond, Your Highness..?” Bruce asked to confirm his suspicions.

“Yes. And just Poppy is fine, thank you.” She said in response, stern and straightforward. All of Branch’s brothers were so stubborn. Her eyes softened slightly, the thought making her remember how Branch used to be. Cold, sharp, cut off from the world, isolated and gray. She could see flakes of him in their personalities, reflections coming to light at even the smallest of traits.

“I-I mean, guys, I’d love to help but is this really the best way to go about things?” Bruce asked. Poppy took the second shot in front of her, this time biting into the rind the lime as stress made it's way to her face. They had no other plan.

“So, you just want to abandon them again? Like we did before?” John Dory asked, causing the other brother to fall silent. John’s tone was stern. Poppy blinked, realizing John Dory had just used the same manipulation tactic as her from earlier. 

Bruce’s face fell dark. Poppy hoped he would answer with “of course not” or even a “are you kidding me?” or something, anything else then what Bruce said next.

“No. I'm out. I got kids man, I'm old. I can't be out here risking my life anymore.” Bruce shook his head, the comment clearly causing some sort of tension between them. Bruce promptly turned and walked away from the bar. He continued through the small door that led back into the kitchen.

“S-Spruce! Wait!” John Dory quickly jumped over the counter, following his brother. Poppy sat stationary in the bar stool, feeling the alcohol she had consumed start to take effect. 

Chapter Text

Poppy sat at the bar silently for a long moment, collecting her thoughts. She was honestly in shock. Bruce had said no and he was convinced this mission was a waste of effort, perhaps even a hoax made up by John Dory.

His points were right however, and that's what upset Poppy the most. They didn't even know for sure if the Perfect Family Harmony could shatter diamonds. It sounded unrealistic, it was fair to believe it wasn't true. They had never witnessed anything of the sort, even from an old band named BroZone Poppy recalled from when she was younger. They had never achieved it, and had eventually caused the band’s fallout. What made Poppy think they magically could?

Her hope had been blind this entire time, just floating on the fantasy of saving Branch. In reality they still had absolutely no plan. The dread fell on her shoulders like dumbbells. She could feel herself whell up with tears again, but refused to let them spill.

A fire had been lit in her heart, and she refused to let these stubborn trolls give up and not try. She's been ambitiously successful before, what was different now?

She spat out the lime she held in her mouth that whole time, slamming the cup on the counter before standing up. She walked around the back of the bar before ducking into the kitchen. The room was silent except for a tall female puppet that appeared to be cooking.

She was silent, humming a tune before promptly stopping upon noticing Poppy. Both women heard the distant sound of shouting, Poppy’s ears perking up as she looked for the source of the sound. “Is that your boyfriend? You better go get him before I grab my husband.” The puppet spoke to Poppy, looking over at the Troll that had entered the kitchen.

“No. It's his brother.” Poppy spoke dismissively, emitting a confused look from the puppet. Poppy didn't have time to stop and chat, storming out of the door that led to the balcony where both Trolls stood arguing. Their tails were completely fluffed up and extended, anger painting both of their faces.

Neither brother had even noticed Poppy step out, continuing on with their argument. It was something Poppy had never seen before, as it was rare for Pop Trolls to get angry, all except for Branch.

Now she could see why.

“I'm not making it up Spruce!” Poppy heard John Dory speak first. “How am I supposed to believe even a second of that? After everything you put us through, after everything you said to us! How am I supposed to believe this isn't just a ploy for you to make money off of the Perfect Family Harmony again!?” Bruce shouted in response, both trolls’ voices being raised.

John Dory gestured at his brother in complete disbelief. “Oh, yea yea. Because it's hilarious that I would joke about our brothers being kidnapped after finally seeing you after twenty years. You have that little faith in me!?” John Dory retorted, his tail whipping against the wind that came off the water on the horizon.

“YES!” Bruce threw his hands up in the air. John Dory grinded his teeth. Poppy watched as his hands clenched into fists. “What I did for you? Oh, you think I made that money for me!?” John Dory shook his head, anger bubbling in his throat.

It was clear to Poppy that both brothers had an intense history together, and a lot of it ignited from anger. “I don't have a dime of it, Spruce. A DIME! It all went back to you! Who took care of you all those years!? WHO STEPPED UP WHEN DAD LEFT.”

The words sent shockwaves out to the other two trolls standing on the balcony. Bruce’s glare didn't falter. John Dory was heaving, his tail swiping side to side every few seconds. “Who left first?” Bruce growled in response, his nose scrunching in a scowl. “You… You motherfucker.”

John Dory pointed at him. “Of course I left first. Because you fuckers broke me. Every single one of you. I didn't even want to come on this stupid mission.” He spat, making Poppy’s head turn. “But I'm still not gonna sit in my shit and let my baby brothers die because I was too scared to sing .” Poppy watched Bruce’s face fall, seeming to crack under John Dory’s much stronger exterior.

Both trolls fell completely silent, their tails still conveying their true emotions. A quick swish back and forth. Anger.

“Die?” Bruce asked, his voice soft. John Dory softened up almost instantly upon hearing his tone, his tail pausing in its movements.

“You said they were trapped.” Bruce clarified. “Why did you just change what you said?” Bruce’s brow furrowed again, but was now confused. 

“It's a machine that extracts Troll talent. Too much taken and…” John Dory sighed, rubbing the back of his neck, feeling guilty for getting worked up after not even explaining the severity of the situation. His tail fell to the ground, his anger fading. Bruce took longer, but his tail eventually fell as well, both brothers no longer hostile.

“Why didn't you say that first..?” Bruce asked, folding his arms across his chest. John Dory didn't respond, his tail flicking as his ears folded back before he spoke.

“Because I know you hate me.” John Dory silently admitted, folding his arms across his chest to mirror Bruce. “And I knew this was going to happen. So I drank because I was anxious, and then I couldn't think straight so I got defensive.” Bruce blinked, surprised to see John Dory of all people reflecting on their behavior. As a father now, Bruce could recognize it.

John Dory didn't give Bruce a chance to respond, continuing. “But, it's an attack on the family. Not just Floyd and Branch.” John Dory looked back upright at the troll in front of him. “And that Queen over there came and found me in the middle of the woods and asked me for help. Now she's asking you.”

Poppy perked up, her presence being acknowledged as she observed the conversation. She had never seen anything like it before. “You wouldn't believe me if she was here or not. Isn't her being here proof enough?” John Dory frowned, unsure of anything else he could use to get Bruce on their side. He had exhausted all of the tools at his disposal.

Bruce’s gaze shifted between the blue and pink trolls in front of him. He sighed heavily, rubbing the back of his neck, a unsure look on his face. “Fine.” He said flatly as his hand fell to his side. 

“You shouldve said it was a life or death mission first.” Bruce mumbled, adjusting his checkered flower vest back up to his shoulders. “Yea… I got that,” John Dory chuckled uncomfortably before noticing Poppy standing off to the side. The pink troll hadn't said anything the entire time, her ears pressed back against her skull and her tail on the ground.

“Thank you Bruce.” Poppy mumbled out after the group had fallen silent. Bruce smiled solemnly at her with a nod. “I don't want them not to be able to come home to their families. I know that would kill me…” Bruce said as his eyes fell on John Dory and then shifted towards the building behind them, thinking of his family.

Poppy’s tail suddenly fluffed up as a sound made its presence known on her wrist. The hug time bracelet chimed, interrupting the dense silence between the three trolls. Both turned to face the source of the sound, seeing Poppy with a glowing flower on her wrist. Neither troll knew what it was supposed to mean, having left the troll tree before the idea was ever implemented. 

They watched as Poppy stared down at the flower before snuffing it with her thumb, turning off the light. Her ears completely folded back as her tail tucked between her legs. The sound had brought her back to the present. 

She was somewhere so foreign, so different, and alone. She had solo adventures before, but this was so much different. Poppy realized she didn't just want her boyfriend back, but needed him. She needed Branch's support on missions like these, otherwise she wasn't herself or as confident. 

The trolls she was with were so cut off from their society that they didn't act like trolls at all- to Poppy's eyes. These trolls were hostile, isolated and… Branch. They each acted just like a more radicalized and concentrated version of pieces from Branch's personality.

“Poppy?” John Dory announced, shaking her out of her state. “Are you alright?” He asked. Both Trolls were staring at her. “Y-Yea.” Poppy said, her voice starting to break. She felt like someone was squeezing her lungs together, making it difficult to breathe. She put a hand on her throat, looking up at the other Trolls in confusion. 

“What's wrong Poppy?” John Dory asked again, a bit more urgency in his voice. “I-I…” Poppy couldn't speak. She didn't understand what this feeling was, but she hated it.

She turned to look at her tail, seeing the digit completely puffed up and tucked between her legs. Her tail never did that on its own. Poppy seemed confused, her body reacting to things without her brains permission first. 

“W-What's happening?” She said, her voice frail and squeaky, but she hadn't meant it to come out like that. She started fanning her face, her body feeling hot and uncomfortable. “You're freaking out- that thing went off on your wrist and it spooked you.” John Dory said, realizing she was starting to panic. 

She hated it. Whatever she was feeling it felt like hell. Every point of her skin was being stabbed with needles, and everything around her was too loud. She could barely stand, looking up as John Dory quickly made his way over to her, recongizing her panic. He quickly grabbed her arm, preventing her from falling onto the ground.

“Poppy, do you drink very regularly?” Bruce spoke up. John Dory and Poppy’s eyes shifted back to him. Bruce's tail whipped in worry, both trolls dismissing their argument and came to her aid.

“No.” Poppy admitted, causing a sigh to emit from John Dory. “B-But it didn't feel like this…” Poppy coughed, still finding it hard to breathe, but was able to speak.

“You're having a panic attack. Just relax…” Bruce said, glancing at John Dory. He shrugged, clenching his jaw in a “I had no clue” motion. “How do you know?” John Dory asked Bruce. “One of my kids has seizures. It's okay.” He nodded reassuringly. “Just sit with her, I'll be right back.” He pointed at John Dory before running back inside.

John Dory appeared bewildered, having watched this cheery seemingly easy going troll fully break down in front of him. Poppy was trembling, trying to regain control of her body. “Don't drink much..?” John Dory asked, feeling uncomfortable in the silence.

“G-Guess not,” Poppy mumbled, her tail twitching frantically. John Dory bit his lip, getting nervous around the intoxicated royal. “Do you-” He held out his hand to her. As if she was waiting for him to ask, she quickly grabbed onto his hand, holding it tightly before he answered.

She just wanted Branch. It was the only thing she could think of while trying to calm down. Poppy felt like a failure, the longer they waited the more she felt worse. The liquor might've not been a good idea, but she didn't think it would come to this intense of a problem.

“Wow, I bet Branch is gonna be shocked you had your first panic attack.” John Dory spoke, trying to shift the conversation to help Poppy focus. Poppy’s tail flicked as she took a deep breath. “This is what Branch has all the time!?” Her ears folded back. She felt even worse for making him go to all those parties now. 

John Dory smiled solemly, looking up as Bruce came back out with a Troll-sized blanket for the young Pop Troll. “Any better?” He asked, handing Poppy the blanket. She promptly wrapped it around herself, not letting go of John Dory’s hand. “A little.” Poppy said with a nod. 

The floor of the balcony shook as the large back door to the kitchen opened. Out stepped the large puppet Poppy had passed in the kitchen. 

“Alright! Enough fighting. You two are freaking the poor girl out.” She put her hands on her hips. “We won't Brandy, I promise. It was just a misunderstanding.” Bruce said, reassuring the large woman that everything was alright.

“I don't want to hear any of it again.” She pointed at John Dory who apologetically grinned. “Apologies ma’am,” He tipped his head slightly, still stuck next to Poppy for the time being. 

“Oh! John, Poppy, this is my wife Brandy.” Bruce introduced the puppet, whose sweet smile returned. “Brandy, this is my brother,” He pointed at John Dory. “And the Queen of the Pop Trolls, Poppy.” Bruce smiled with a shrug. Poppy gave her a small wave, letting up on her grip on John Dory’s hand. 

“She’s related to this somehow,” Bruce said, looking back towards Poppy. “I'm Branch’s girlfriend.” She clarified with a small smile. Bruce’s face seemed to light up, excited to see that Branch had found a pretty unique- not to mention royal- partner.

“Oh that's nice,” Brandy smiled, folding her hands together. “Are you doing better now dear?” Brandy asked reassuringly, wanting to make sure Poppy was alright before she got back to work. Poppy nodded, finally being able to let go of John Dory’s hand as it fell to her side. “Take it easy on your liquor sweetie.” Brandy hummed, a motherly sense to her tone.

“Thanks sweetheart.” Bruce mused, his wife leaning down to receive a peck on the cheek from him. “Be good.” She giggled softly before turning to go back to work. Poppy seemed back to her normal state, now feeling the regular dizziness of intoxication she had been used to from drinking prior. She stared at the bracelet around her wrist longingly, her heart still aching for her partner.

“What is it?” John Dory asked. Poppy looked up, seeing his eyes focused on her bracelet. “Oh, erm… It's…” Poppy didn't exactly know how to explain it, the concept being cheesy to a non-Pop Troll.

“It's from Branch.” She justified, staring at the bracelet. Technically, she wasn't wrong. Her and Branch shared many memories around their hug time bracelets, and Poppy had made his to replicate hers. “Ah…” John Dory nodded, the conversation falling uncomfortably silent.

“Were you two planning on staying the night?” Bruce spoke up, glancing over the horizon as the wind started to pick up. Poppy followed his gaze, looking out at the vast darkness of the water.

John Dory hesitated to answer, deciding it was Poppy’s choice for what she was up for.

“... Do you know where to find Clay?” Poppy asked, showing no signs of being ready to stop for the night.

Chapter Text

Both brothers sat silently in the vast darkness together. Their captors Velvet and Veneer had gone home for the night, leaving the two trolls to fend for themselves. 

They were locked away in the dressing room of the studio, hidden amongst other glass perfume bottles along the vanity. There was no safe way off without causing them to collide with the ground and potentially causing more trouble for the already injured brothers.

The temperature was dropping in the room as the studio shut down for the night, cutting the power and any source of heat. The only light in the vanity room was a skylight fixed on the ceiling, letting in the soft glow of the neon-colored streets outside Mount Rageous.

The pink-haired brother, Floyd, was unable to sleep. The fear Branch had instilled about not letting him die still festered loudly in the forefront of his mind. Every escape effort of theirs had gone unmet, every possible obstacle in the way. Things seemed hopeless for the night, so the two had decided to settle. 

Branch was in a similar position, curled up in a tight ball on the stone-cold ground. It was beginning to burn his skin, causing him to shift frequently so he wasn't making direct contact with the ground. Floyd watched him stir, their intertwined tails shifting with his movements. 

“How are you doing?” Floyd asked, breaking the silence now that he knew Branch was awake.

Branch let out a slow exhale, his tail twitching in Floyd's grip before he responded. “I'm okay.” He mumbled with a sigh before rotating onto his back to face his brother. 

“You..?” Branch observed Floyd’s pink hair beginning to fade from the roots, turning a crisp white color. Floyd’s eyes looked heavy, but they were too trained on Branch to care about the exhaustion.

“I-I'm good.” Floyd’s tail shifted in place. His voice was hoarse and strained. Stress dripped from his lips as he watched Branch force himself to sit upright. He sighed heavily as he shifted in front of Floyd, their tails still interlocked.

Floyd let out a slightly pained chuckle. “We made it through our first twenty-four hours…” He tried to sound optimistic, but it was heavily forced. The two weakly fist-bumped and chuckled before their hands fell to their sides.

“I'm never gonna be able to let your tail go after this,” Branch said with a snicker, appreciating that they could try to make humor in the dark of this situation. “Heh…” Floyd responded sadly, the grip around Branch’s tail beginning to tighten.

“You'll be lucky if I even let you see your girlfriend.” Floyd took a minute to think of a response, snickering at his joke. Branch grinned at him, shaking his head with a sigh.

The two fell silent once more, staring at the colorful lights that danced on the ceiling of the studio. They were mostly a vibrant orange and yellow, with an occasional purple accent. It looked like an aurora borealis through the diamond. The light split into thousands of moving parts, only visible to the trolls locked inside. It was bittersweetly beautiful, both trolls thankful they weren't sitting in pitch-black darkness.

“If you want… you could probably come live with me in the bunker after this,” Branch spoke up after the lingering silence started to bother them once more. Floyd’s head whipped back to face the smaller troll. Their connected tails started to sway in place. “You… you built the bunker?” Floyd said in awe, his eyes widening in shock.

Branch’s tail started to wag, acknowledging his brother's excitement. “Y-Yea! I did, for everyone… I even added a few extra rooms, but, well… no water slide.” Branch’s ears folded back slightly, meeting his brother’s eyes with similar enthusiasm.

“I’d love to Branch.” Floyd nodded softly with a sad smile. Branch’s tail started to wiggle more, causing Floyd’s to unravel. Branch covered his face as he was flush with emotion, having been waiting an unimaginable amount of years for his brother to say that.

It relieved Floyd that Branch was speaking and emoting. He seemed to have accepted that they were stuck, making due with the situation at hand. Or he might've been too exhausted to care anymore- Floyd felt he was approaching that point.

“I gotta say, I'm not super fond of living underground anymore, but I’m sure what you built is a lot nicer…” Floyd spoke, attempting to envision how Branch would build a bunker that would fit their entire family, like in his drawing from so many years ago.

“Underground? You were in a bunker too?” Branch perked up, drawing the conversation on. “What were you doing before this?” Branch asked out of curiosity, his tail slowing down in it's wag.

“O-Oh? Me?” Floyd blinked, turning to meet Branch’s eyes. “Well I uh…” Floyd trailed off, falling silent as he stared at Branch. 

He hesitated telling Branch anything, about who he was, where he came from, and who he grew up to be. Floyd’s ears slowly folded back, anxiety beginning to flood his chest. Did he even want Branch to know?

Branch raised an eyebrow, seeing Floyd become nervous over the inquiry of his past. “Whatever you’re comfortable with sharing,” Branch added on, a statement learned from Poppy.

She never pressured Branch into giving up information, taking a different seat in becoming the support of the conversation. It was new for him, but gave him an opportunity to utilize the people skills Poppy had been teaching him.

“Sorry,” Floyd quickly apologized, his hand shooting up to the fur that stood at attention around his neck. Branch watched as he quickly ran a golden chain that had been hidden around his neck through his fingers, seeing the small golden ring that was attached to it. Floyd appeared to check if it was still there before setting it back down, picking a piece of information to give Branch.

“I was married,” Floyd spoke softly. “O-Oh! Oh?” Branch blinked, noticing his tone had faltered and he had used the specific phrasing ‘was’. “... what happened?” Branch pressed as he shifted to sit on his knees, curious to learn more about his long-lost brother. Floyd seemed reluctant to share however, the previous fear returning. 

“Oh… that's a long story,” Floyd started, swallowing the bubble in his throat. He met eyes with Branch again, the curious younger brother sitting upright in front of the pink-haired troll. His heart fell in his chest, seeing Branch's ears falter at his secretive nature.

“Y'know…” Floyd took a shaky breath before continuing, caving into his younger brother's curiosity quite quickly. “I would hope he's coming to save us too.” Floyd's head turned away from Branch to glance towards the dancing lights on the ceiling. 

“He..?” Branch blinked. “Oh,” Floyd's ears perked as he quickly turned back to Branch. “Y-Yea. Surprise..!” Floyd chortled softly, his tail swaying. “I married a man. Yay,” His tone wasn't very enthusiastic about the information, his ears folding back upon speaking about his significant other.

Branch quickly caught on to his physical uncomfortably, making it apparent something was occurring between Floyd and his perceived husband. “At least… I hope he's looking for me.”

Floyd's words dipped into severe sadness, his voice falling flat while his ears completely folded against his skull. He was stuck in his head, thinking about his past life outside of the diamond. Branch watched Floyd shift and sway, smoothing down the ruffled fur that continued to spike upwards from Floyd's internal anxieties.

“Would he… not be?” Branch asked, hoping they would have another team of people looking for them. He had faith in Poppy, but if someone was also looking for Floyd, it made their chances of success much more likely.

Floyd fell silent upon hearing Branch's question, meeting his eyes with reflective wide spheres. He didn't have a direct answer for Branch, seeing the small troll hopeful of rescue. Floyd faltered again, taking a shaky breath before shaking his head slowly.

“Yes. I would hope so…” Floyd forced out quietly, although his words were full of doubt that didn't go unnoticed by Branch. “I-I… I would, I would go look for him if this happened to him…” Floyd's ears stayed completely folded.

Branch recognized all the discomfort Floyd was expressing, doubt upfront and blatant. “Did… something happen, Floyd?” Branch inquired, slowly moving closer to his brother in an attempt to offer comfort. Floyd took a shaky breath, stifling his emotions to answer Branch.

“The last time I saw him… we were fighting. Bad.” Floyd smoothed back down the fur on his neck before tightly closing his eyes. “He said he hated me and never wanted to see me again.” Floyd’s words were full of pain and hurt, his wounds still fresh. “Oh, Floyd…” Branch’s ears folded back completely in shock, understanding Floyd’s reserves to discuss anything about himself.

“Sorry, it’s still recent.” Floyd’s saddened voice fell to a whisper, looking down at the ring around his neck. Branch could feel Floyd’s complete emotion shift, sinking in on himself against the prison wall.

“I'm sorry Floyd,” Branch frowned, unsure of what to say to help his brother, having not expected such a heavy emotional downpour. 

“It’s okay… I just hope he is actually looking for me…” Floyd whispered, keeping his eyes off of Branch. He tightly clenched his fist around the ring, taking a slow deep breath before meeting Branch’s eyes once more.

He decided to shift the conversation, wanting to push the heavy topic away. “What were you and Poppy doing before all of this?” Floyd sat upright and readjusted, all of his previous heavy emotion dissipating. “You both are certainly more dressed up for something other than a night at the bar.”

Branch’s ears perked up before he let out a chuckle, looking down at the sequined tuxedo he was wearing. The garment was falling apart, unable to stay held together under the stress of imprisonment. “Yea, you're right. We were at a wedding.” Branch sighed gently, settling to spin the hug bracelet around his wrist. 

Floyd completely shifting his behavior didn't go unnoticed by Branch. There was definitely something different about his brother. Floyd continued to pretend like he wasn't brought to tears almost moments ago, his voice tone normal and unwavering. Branch took silent note of his behavior, figuring that the topic must be much too difficult to handle right now.

“A wedding? That's cute!” Floyd’s tail swayed gently against the ground in unison with Branch’s. “So…” Branch decided to pass the time and soften the tension by retelling the story of how he and Poppy saved the Bergens who used to terrorize them. The night droned on as the story was quite long, Floyd tiredly observing Branch's excitable speech patterns and behavior.

Every time Branch would talk about Poppy, he would look towards the lights on the ceiling and smile. He missed her, but telling her story made it hurt just a little less. It was very clear to Floyd that Branch was deeply in love with her, the blush on his cheeks and the way his tail swayed back and forth, it was undeniable.

“And when we all were trapped, Poppy was finally able to bring my colors back-” Branch hadn't realized what he was saying, so enthralled in telling the story of him and his girlfriend, that he had forgotten one important detail.

Branch completely froze up, his eyes darting back up to his brother. Floyd’s interested expression fell into a confused one. Branch sat completely upright, his tail tucking away from Floyd. He hadn’t meant to say it, but it was too late. His jaw snapped shut as he appeared spooked, waiting for Floyd’s response.

“You were gray..?” Floyd’s ears flattened to his skull. “What? But that… it takes so much to turn a troll gray…” His face fell in shock as he quickly recognized the differences in Branch’s coloring. “Is that why your hair is darker?” Floyd scoot closer to him, only to see Branch turn away.

Floyd became confused at his shift in behavior. “What's wrong?” He asked quietly. “I-I wasn't supposed to tell you,” Branch whispered, refusing to look at Floyd. 

“Why?” Floyd pressed. Branch slowly shook his head. He didn't want to give Floyd more to worry about and dump resentments onto him. The poor troll seemed to already be dealing with enough. Now he had fumbed his words and refused to make the situation worse.

“I-I’ll tell you later…” Branch tried to dismiss. “Branch, that's a huge deal… Are you okay?” Floyd’s tail swished in worry, concerned all over again. Branch just simply nodded, wrapping his arms around himself in a shiver.

“I-I'm fine. Poppy helped me and… you came back. So it doesn't matter anymore.” Branch exhaled heavily. Floyd stared at him, noticing it made Branch uncomfortable in the same way he had been earlier.

“Poppy’s really something special, huh…” Floyd said, his words drifting off to stop prying at him. Branch frowned solemnly, his gaze returning upwards to the lights.

"Yea…” He nodded slowly as he closed his eyes. “She’ll find us. I know it.” A sad sigh fell off of his lips as they trembled alone, together in the darkness. 

Chapter Text

It took about an hour of negotiation and debate for the group to leave Vaycay Island. There was a lot of pushback from Brandy and the kids, not wanting their old man to leave while it was still dark out. The rest of the hurdle was Poppy having to convince everyone she was alright and good to travel. She had scared every troll half to death on their journey so far.

The hour had given Poppy plenty of time to come up with the next course of action. The band of rescuers had just finished packing up Rhonda, hoping the few hours of peace would have been enough to let the beast rest. John Dory shuffled through his closet of various tools and boxes, looking for anything that might help in their search for Clay.

“You haven't heard from him?” Bruce called out from his seat next to Poppy. They stared at John Dory’s tail poking out of the closet, swaying back and forth as he rummaged around in it's contents. 

Poppy was wrapped up in a blanket, sitting on a chair with her legs tucked under the fabric. They were absent of a lead, unsure of where to turn next. “Uh, No. Not since the band broke up.” John Dory announced from the closet.

“... Band?” Poppy spoke up, her ears turning upright.

Bruce turned to her as John Dory leaned out of the closet. “What do you mean band?” Poppy asked, turning to Bruce with a raised eyebrow. “Oh, um…” Bruce seethed through his teeth, clenching his jaw as his eyes shot back over to John Dory. “You don't know?” John Dory asked, blinking in surprise.

“Know what?” Poppy’s nose twitched, only becoming more confused. “That we-” John Dory’s eyes shot back over to Bruce, who only shrugged in response. “Well, dang.” John Dory exhaled before turning heel back into the closet. “Here! I’ll show you!”

“Oh John, I don't think-” Bruce started, watching as John Dory yanked a large grass-weaved box out of the closet. Poppy ears stood up at attention, her tail perking in interest at the colorful box. 

Bruce exhaled heavily, placing a hand on his temple. John stumbled under the weight of the large box before heaving it onto the ground in front of the two trolls.

“Whoa!” Poppy discarded her blanket, slipping out of the chair and onto the floor in front of the box. “Wait a minute.” Her eyes widened, recognizing some of the branding on a few of the colorful photos and products.

John Dory stood with a smile, his hands on his hips as he watched her reaction. “Ah, told ya she’d know.” John Dory clicked his tongue, looking back to Bruce with a grin. Bruce rolled his eyes, shaking his head back and forth as he gazed over Poppy’s shoulder into the box. An acute framed photo sat complacent on top of the box, covered in dust. Poppy picked up the photograph and dusted it off with her arm.

Poppy didn't notice as John Dory’s ears folded back, recalling what was in the photo before she had finished cleaning it off. “I wonder…” He dismissed himself, pacing away from the two trolls and back into the closet. Bruce raised an eyebrow, noticing his ears were folded before returning to look at the poignant photograph.

“Oh my stars! Look!” Poppy gasped with a smile, holding it up to Bruce’s face. “Ah! Look at that.” A smile quickly appeared on Bruce’s face, picking up the framed photo from her hands. It was a family photo of theirs, showing five vibrantly blue young boys and a sweet old lady together posed neatly. They each dawned jackets and bowties, looking to be their best attempt at a family photo.

“This is us, that's for sure.” Bruce chuckled, wiping off more of the dust away from the frame. “Who’s who?” Poppy asked, leaning over Bruce’s shoulder while her tail whipped. Bruce grinned, pointing to himself in the photo. “Me, obviously.” He chuckled, admiring his young statue and body. “Ah, what 13 kids does to you.” He laughed to himself before his thumb moved to the oldest looking of the group.

“That's John. He yelled at Clay right after because he stepped on his tail.” The eldest brother’s face was contorted in anger, but looked his best to be professionally posed. Poppy giggled softly, admiring the dashing young trolls in their suits before glancing back towards where John Dory had darted off to. His tail was no longer visible, having ducked away into the closet.

“There’s Clay.” Bruce pointed to their exuberant little brother, unable to contain his excitement and smiling wide for the photograph. He donned sharp scraggly yellow hair, complimenting his excitable nature. “Aw,” Poppy smiled, her tail whipping as she learned about Branch’s family.

“Little Floyd, aw.” Bruce cleaned off the frame more, revealing each brother as he smeared away the dust with his thumb. “He was the cutest. He’s trying not to cry.” Bruce chuckled, tilting the photograph to show Poppy. He used his fist to smear the dust away the rest of the photograph, revealing the sweet old woman and a small toddler.

“Grandma and Baby Branch.” Bruce smiled as his ears folded back partially. “What!?” Poppy gasped, picking up the photo from his hands. “T-That's Branch!? Oh my stars! He’s so cute, aww!” Poppy’s tail whipped, admiring the adorable little baby in a bowtie, obviously too wiggly for their grandmother to keep still. 

“You are so adorable together!” Poppy’s tail whipped excitedly, setting down the photo before turning back to the box.

“You all were BroZone!?” She covered her mouth as the reveal hit her over the head. She picked up a small stack of photos, all consisting of different photographs from their performances. “Yup… That’s us.” Bruce chuckled solemnly, picking up the framed photo from where Poppy had set it down.

“Look at you all! Your outfits! Aw!” Poppy looked back up towards the closet. “John! Why didn't you say anything!?” She smiled, but faltered upon noticing the troll still wasn't present. “That's… very unlike you John.” Bruce mumbled, glancing at Poppy. “He always bragged about it.”

“Well, that was a while ago.” John spoke up, pulling out of the closet with another box. “It was never really- relevant.” John shrugged, setting the new box next to the old one.

Bruce’s face contorted in a puzzled look, sensing something off about the older troll but couldn't identify what it was. “Relevant!? You’re BroZone! That means-” Poppy gasped.

“You were the original ones to try the Perfect Family Harmony!” She put her hands on her cheeks. Her plan wasn’t so off the walls after all.

“Keyword pipsqueak. Try.” John Dory gestured with air quotes. “We couldn't do it. We probably still can't. We're more out of harmony than ever before.” John admitted, echoing Bruce’s words from earlier. “W-Well, yea! Try! That's the whole point!” Poppy frowned.

John exhaled heavily, dismissing himself again with a shake of his head before pacing away back towards the closet. “Hey, John.” Bruce spoke up, looking up from the picture frame in his hands.

“How did you get this photo?”

John Dory stopped in his tracks, halfway back to the closet with his back turned to the group. Bruce’s ears pressed back as he noticed John Dory’s tail tuck slightly at the question.

“I uh… from the Troll Tree.” John Dory mumbled quietly, refusing to turn around.

“You went back?” Bruce stood up. “Y-You went back to the tree?” He repeated, a sudden tension falling over the two trolls. “Of course I went back to the tree, Spruce.” John Dory huffed under his breath before continuing back into the closet.

Bruce paced after him, standing behind the doorway as John Dory continued to dig in his boxes. “When? When I went back, it was-”

“Destroyed. Yep.” John Dory said flatly, his ears folding back. Bruce bit his lip, letting out a slight huff. “John, Did you find anyone else?” Bruce frowned.

“Of course not. As far as I knew everyone was dead.” A sharper tone came out of John Dory, causing him to glare over his shoulder at Bruce. “Dead? Why would you gloss that conclusion?” Bruce shook his head in disbelief. “Even me?”

“YES!” John Dory turned around to face him, throwing his hands in the air. “What does it matter!?” His tail shifted across the ground, swaying as he stared up at Bruce from the floor, his ears pinned completely back.

Bruce silently stared at him, seeing John Dory’s fur ruffled around his neck. This was difficult for him after being convinced for years everyone he loved was gone.

Regardless of what he knew now, the rest of them were guaranteed to hate him for leaving. It left John frustrated on top of still being intoxicated.

“Are you okay, John?” Bruce’s voice fell, his tone softening up. John Dory’s ears flicked upright before folding right back down, pressing against his skull before looking away. “Yes. I'm fine.” He grumbled quietly.

Poppy quietly observed the two, having stopped digging through the box once tension entered the room. “Well,” Bruce exhaled softly. “I am glad you're not dead.” He said softly, offering his hand to John Dory. He paused, momentarily staring at it before accepting it. Bruce helped pull John to his feet and out of the closet.

“Me too.” John Dry sighed lightly, squeezing Bruce’s hand momentarily. Bruce grinned at him before yanking his arm and pulling him into a forced hug. “H-Hey!” John Dory yelped. “I know you're not a hugger but I don’t care!” Bruce laughed, picking up his older brother.

Poppy grinned as the two embraced with shared laughter, the tension dissolving with the pleasant sound. She softly exhaled and glanced down at the small polaroid photos in her hands. 

It was a variety of different performance-based photography, capturing quintessential moments in time of their youths. An idea popped into her head, a cheeky grin appearing as she began to sort through the memorabilia in the box.

…

“Well!” Poppy announced as she hopped up from her spot on the floor. The cap of a glue stick twirled in her fingers before it sealed away the glue.

She firmly planted her fists against her hips, staring proudly at her work. A large piece of paper was taped up against Rhonda's interior side. Glitter and scraps of paper were stuck to her fur from her messy craftsmanship.

“I have a plan! Tada!” Poppy held out her hands in an exasperated stance as she showed off her poster to the other trolls in the cabin. Her tail wagged rapidly, spreading the glitter worse around the cabin.

Both brothers stared blankly at the elaborately decorated board in front of them. They both appeared utterly confused, glancing at each other in worry before returning their attention to Poppy. “Okay, so!” Poppy whipped around, her tail continuing to wag as she started to explain her ‘genius’ plan.

“There’s about thirty five miles worth of dense forest surrounding Bergen Town before we hit the coast. A Troll can only walk so far before they get exhausted. Now, to be cautious, My dad made sure we took an entire day to venture away from the town before finding our new home.”

“If we calculate how long a Troll can walk before getting exhausted, and add about a three mile buffer, we should find Clay in this area!” She jumped up, throwing more glitter onto her poster board. John Dory internally cringed, knowing he was never going to get all of the glitter out of there. She turned around to face the other two members of her party. “Does it make sense?”

“Uhh…” John Dory stalled, looking over Poppy’s elaborate but not well thought out plan. “So… we’re supposed to search thirty miles of dense forest?” Bruce asked. Poppy blinked, realizing they didn't exactly have the time for such a task. “O-Okay. Hold on.” Her face scrunched as she turned back to her poster board, staring blankly while she tapped her chin.

“We should’ve put a tracker on that kid.” Bruce attempted to humor the situation, thankfully emitting a light chuckle from John, who also sensed the tension. John Dory picked up a framed picture of their young family from the memoriabellia box.

“Clay was way more feral then Branch. It took everything to control those two.” John Dory laughed, staring solemly at the picture in his hand.

“Floyd would just always beg them to stop fighting! Then cry when they wouldn't listen.” Bruce laughed from next to him, patting his eldest brother on the shoulder. John Dory grinned with a nod. “Yea Yea. Floyd…” He exhaled slowly before turning to look back at Poppy.

“A tracker…” Poppy repeated, delayed to the conversation. “Put a tracker on Clay?” She turned around to look at John Dory for conformation. “No Poppy, Bruce was just making a joke,” John Dory clarified before Poppy hopped up again. “A tracker! JD, do you have anything that smells like Clay?” Poppy started digging in the box.

“Um… no? Well uh,” John Dory pondered before a thought came into his head. He snickered slightly. “Oh my stars! I do. I totally do!” John excitedly hopped up, walking into the back storage area of Rhonda. He came out with a picture frame that held a strange pair of underpants.

“Ew!” Poppy gasped, covering her mouth. John Dory and Bruce started laughing. “You still have those!? Ew!” Bruce laughed. “Who’s the crazy hoarder now!? Woohoo!” John cheered, holding the frame over his head triumphantly. “Why do you even have that?!” Poppy kept her hands over her mouth, offput as to why John could possibly have a reasonable explanation to keeping his brothers underpants.

“I really don't know.” John chuckled dismissivly, breaking open the frame on the side. Poppy huffed before shaking her head, moving onto the task at hand. “Do you think Rhonda can catch a scent with those?” Poppy suggested, her tail starting to whip excitedly.

“Of course! I absolutely bet she can.” John Dory’s ears perked up, intrigued by Poppy’s idea. He popped open the hatch, running out of Rhonda to test her theory. “Yes!” Poppy happily spun around in a circle.

“We got a lead! We’re going to be able to save the boys!” Happy drunk Poppy was definitely a shocker to Bruce, watching the Pop Queen spin around happily on her heels. “Ugh! I feel so much better than earlier.” She exhaled, relieved at the rush of positive feeling.

“Not to keep your hopes down Poppy, but we should probably have a plan just in case we can't hit the Perfect Family Harmony.” Bruce's voice fell to a whisper. Poppy turned her attention to him, pausing her celebration.

“Oh, um… no, you're probably right.” She nodded, realizing they still needed a pretty large chunk of their plan to be figured out before a celebration was in order. “What do you need to hit the Perfect Family Harmony?”

“To be perfect!” John Dory stepped back into the armadillo bus, dumping the broken glass he held into the nearby garbage can. “That's what it needs.” John pointed towards the ceiling before spinning around to the head of the cabin.

“Rhondas got the scent! Buckle up broskis!” John Dory slid over to the driver’s seat, the cab rumbling as Rhonda took off barrelling towards the tracked scent from Clay’s old underpants.

Bruce sighed heavily. “No, it doesn't need to be Perfect. We just have to be in Harmony. You're focusing on the wrong part John.” Bruce spoke up. “We’re both rusty Bruce, it's alright to admit it.” John Dory snickered, watching the road as Rhonda bounded excitedly through the forest.

“Ooo! Sounds like you guys need a little bit of practice!” Poppy excitedly hopped up, grabbing her backpack from the floor. Both brothers shared an uncomfortable glance at each other.

“Er… Poppy, maybe we should wait till we have Clay,” Bruce suggested lightly. John Dory nodded only to have Poppy promptly shake her head.

“We have a few hours to kill! Come on. Let's keep going. Just a little practice, please?” Poppy pouted, her tail still whipping between her legs. She was excitable and intoxicated. Both boys sighed, knowing they were just going to have to indulge the young troll for the time being.

Chapter Text

The trio had attempted a few dances and practices, dusting off the old singing pipes and getting back within range. While traveling with Rhonda, Poppy had been successfully able to get Bruce and John Dory to harmonize. Poppy had spent the better half of the long night practicing singing with the other two trolls. Once they had decided to break, exhaustion had completely overwhelmed Poppy.

They had been rolling nonstop since morning and she had only taken a short nap in between destinations. The liquor had drained more energy out of her than intended. She settled on a simple less-intensive activity. Poppy flipped through the picture albums of John Dory’s collection, picking out memorable photos she loved the most. She commented with an “awe” and a few “that's so cute!”s but it was otherwise a silent activity.

John Dory was also exhausted, getting a few winks in as he lay against the couch, head against the wall with his goggles slipped over his eyes. He let out an occasional snore, indicating that the troll could sleep in any position he saw fit. Bruce decided to take the helm, unwavered by the intimidation of the unknown controls.

“He was such a cute baby…” Poppy announced sleepily from the floor, holding a picture of Baby Branch with his frosted tips. She booped the large plush nose of Baby Branch in the picture, the lasting familiar heartache returning. She collected her pictures into Branch’s journal, stashing them away for later. She made sure to still leave John Dory a few good ones.

“He really was.” Bruce agreed, a hush over his voice. “He looked the most like our mother,” Bruce didn't look back at her as his voice fell solemn, but he knew she was listening. Poppy’s tail perked up in curiosity. “He does?” She crawled up next to Bruce on the floor, handing him the small picture of Branch. Bruce scoffed at the photo with a gentle smile before handing it back to Poppy. “Yup. The hair and teal color.” He seemed to be scrubbing his brain for what he could remember, pausing to think.

Poppy frowned sadly. “Ah… I wonder what that’d look like now.” Poppy hummed, putting the photo into her dress pocket. “The frosted tips?” Bruce asked, confused about what she had meant. “No, the hair color,” Poppy spoke tiredly before pausing, her eyes quickly widened in shock. She quickly snapped her jaw shut.

“U-UH!” She stood up from the ground suddenly. Bruce glanced back at her, still confused. “He dyed his hair darker.” She cleared her throat. “I’ve never seen the blue color is what I meant.” She looked back at the photo in her pocket, internally wincing at her poor lie. “Heh. Interesting…” Bruce nodded before looking back towards the road. Poppy swallowed hard, exhaling in relief as she almost let Branch turning gray slip to Branch’s brothers. That could be an emotional disaster, one she didn't have the capacity for.

“You should probably get some rest Poppy,” Bruce suggested. “You're practically falling over.” Poppy wavered in her spot, her ears flicking up to give the older troll her attention. “W-What’d you say?” Poppy smiled, having missed what he said. A slight grin pierced his lips, shaking his head in amusement. “Go to bed Poppy.” He said again in more of an assertive father's tone. “I-I need to find Clay,” She said tiredly with a heavy sigh. “You won't be able to if you’re falling over!” Bruce retorted.

“It's going to be awhile. I'll get you up when we're there.” Bruce reassured her, knowing Poppy was going to need some kind of rest to continue onwards. He admired her passion but knew she wasn’t taking care of herself with only Branch in her mind. “Okay okay!” Poppy stomped her foot playfully, flicking her tail. She turned around to walk back into the cabin area before glancing back at Bruce.

“Thank you for coming along Bruce.” She said, her voice genuine. Bruce smiled back at her. “Happy to help.” He said softly before turning back to face the road. Poppy ducked into the head cabin. Relief flushed over her body as she saw the bed, sighing in exhaustion before plopping down like a stone into the river. She curled up like a kitten, tucking her tail against her stomach and pulling a blanket over herself. “Goodnight Branch… see you tomorrow,” She prayed quietly aloud, nuzzling into the blanket as she let sleep overcome her overworked body.

…

Poppy was able to recover during her rest as Rhonda continued to travel through the rest of the night. John Dory had traded off with Bruce to let him catch some  rest, watching out the windshield as the familiar forest passed them by.  It was solem to the older troll, having not returned since observing his family’s now incorrect perceived deaths.

There was still heavy guilt that lingered from his choices, but he had made and stuck with them nonetheless. His nose scrunched in silent thought. Maybe after this he could slip out and leave the rest of his family to recover, knowing his presence might make things more difficult for all of the trolls involved. He felt Rhonda come to a halt, shaking him out of his thoughts. John Dory glanced back over his shoulder towards Bruce, who slept unbothered on the couch. He quietly rose from his seat at the helm, deciding to scope out the area before he would wake the other two trolls to proceed with their mission.

He quietly stepped out of the hatch, sealing it back up before Rhonda plopped down on the ground, panting tiredly. “You did awesome girl. Thank you.” John Dory coaxed the beast as he ran a hand along her side. Rhonda cooed in appreciation, the overworked critter taking a well-deserved break. John Dory started his patrol of the area, looking up to see a large brick building that towered over the small size of the teal-haired troll.

The building looked to be a ticket booth, run down and in ruins. Ivy crept up the exterior walls, breaking into the hard stone-brick structure. A neon sign hung above the archway entrance. It was old and faded, revealing an abandoned Bergen mini golf course.

“Are you sure he's here Rhonda..?” John Dory raised an eyebrow, looking back at the large critter. She grumbled a confirmation, letting John Dory know that she was sure. He stared back at the building in confusion before he saw a dark shadow dart past the entrance.

John Dory’s tail fluffed up, taking a few steps back towards Rhonda. “What…”  John Dory spoke before feeling the floor beneath him give way.

John plummeted downwards into the earth. Rhonda cried out in shock, quickly jumping up as she ran towards the hole in the ground that John Dory had disappeared into. The cave went deep into the ground, being too dark to see what had happened to John Dory. Rhonda began to panic, her favorite troll having disappeared before her eyes. She started to dig at the cavern entrance with her large green paws, alerting the trolls that had been resting in her interior.

Rhonda opened her mouth as Poppy slid out followed by Bruce, alert and awake. “What's wrong Rhonda?” She asked, quickly wiping the sleep away from her eyes. Rhonda whined, gesturing to the hole in the ground below her. “What…” Poppy blinked, confused and weary. “Whoa, Poppy!” The pink-haired troll felt Bruce grab her arm, stopping her from making another step. “There's traps everywhere.”

There were dozens of hole traps surrounding the entrance to the mini golf course that Poppy hadn’t even noticed, blended in well with the mossy terrain. “John Dory!?” Poppy panicked, looking towards the hole that had now been uncovered. “Don't take another step!” Bruce instructed the troll. Rhonda continued her worry, returning to dig at the hole in the ground. “Rhonda, stop! You're gonna cause it to cave in!” Poppy shouted at the beast. Rhonda wouldn't listen, prompting Poppy to yank away from Bruce to block the hole with her body.

Rhonda stopped her attempt at saving John Dory, letting out a frustrated whimper as Poppy got in the way. “John Dory, where are you?!” She shouted into the ground, receiving no verbal response.

“Halt!” A voice announced, causing both Trolls to freeze up. Wooden spears suddenly came flying out of nowhere, causing Poppy to yelp out in a panic, quickly shielding herself as much as she could while suspended over the hole.

The spears sunk into the ground, trapping the two remaining trolls between the hole and a sharp spear. In her panic, Poppy lost her grip on the loosened soil and proceeded to slip and fall into the hole. 

…

“Poppy!” Bruce cried out, attempting to grab the troll before she fell in. Bruce managed to nab her by the end of her tail, catching her before she disappeared into the darkness.

“BRUCE!” Poppy suddenly cried out, being yanked by the tail. The force caused Bruce to trip and tumble, diving into the hole and colliding into Poppy. Both trolls tumbled down into the darkness before being spat out into a large underground cavern. Poppy landed first, quickly followed by Bruce, who was thankfully able to land next to her and not squash the poor pink troll. Poppy groaned in pain, the tumble having twisted her every which way.

She slowly regained her composure, looking up to see a spear pointed directly at her nose. She squeaked slightly, her tail tucking in fear. There stood a large group of different trolls, all camouflaged to look like artificial foliage on a mini golf course. 

“Other Trolls?” Poppy perked up, momentarily relieved. “Who are you!? Where did you come from!?” The troll holding the spear to her nose started to shout. Poppy’s ears folded back down. Her momentary relief was short lived. These trolls were hostile. “W-We were just looking for-” “You were infiltrating our defenses! How many of you are out there!?” The troll yelled at her, causing Poppy to get frustrated and scared. 

“Hey!” Bruce shouted from behind her, causing the other rogue trolls of the group to point their spears at Bruce. That was Poppy’s last straw, standing up off the floor. “Stop it!” Poppy snapped as she stomped her foot. She pushed the spear away from her face, getting aggressively close to the troll that was threatening her. 

“YOU! You do not get to yell at me like that! Get your leader NOW! And stop pointing these spears at my men.” She snapped angrily, causing the aggressive troll to back down. A few of the group gasped, pointing out the crown that sat on Poppy’s head. She acknowledged the gasp, realizing they had noticed she was royalty.

“Dude!” One of the other trolls shoved the one that had yelled at Poppy, causing it to huff and walk away. Poppy swished her tail in annoyance before turning back to Bruce. “Are you okay?” She whispered, her eyes darting around looking for John Dory. “Your men?” Bruce quoted her with a snicker. “That was pretty impressive, Poppy.” He taunted, looking upwards at the holes in the ceiling. Wherever John Dory had come in, he was long gone now. 

“Shush. We’re on royal business now…” She grumbled, deciding to hold up the queen persona for now. They held Poppy there with Bruce, both Trolls unsure of where John Dory had run off to. “Um, I guess you're going to have to come with us.” A dark-haired troll spoke up, wearing a capsule machine top as a hat. The group had mingled for quite a while, unsure of what to do with the royal intruder. The Troll beckoned them forward, starting their trek down the tunnels. 

Poppy wasn't super enthused to be trapped in this group of trolls underground with seemingly no escape, worried that they were burning daylight. They were brought into a gigantic underground cavern, opening up to a sizeable village of Trolls. She blinked in shock, observing the thriving society they had not seen from the surface. The initial entrances to the underground utopia were the overlaying golf course that sprawled on top of the soil above. Each hole appeared to lead to a different entrance or exit to the surface.

The biggest shock to Poppy was how bright the underground tunnels were. Branch’s bunker wouldn't compare to the amount of work and professionalism it must’ve taken to build. Wires had been ripped down from the electrical interiors of the golf course, being reused to create soft amber lights out of repurposed light bulbs.  It brought the place to life, an orange illuminate glow lighting up the underground Trolls as they mingled with each other. Laughter and play could be heard from the children chasing their tails together.

While observing the other trolls in the underground, Poppy realized that these all appeared to be Pop Trolls like her. “W-What?” She spoke up, confused. There were tons of trolls here. Where did they come from? Why were they in Bergen Town and she didn't know about them?

Out of the corner of her eyes from observing the beautiful hidden society of these underground trolls, Poppy noticed a sharp contrast of bright blonde hair sticking out from the crowd. There stood a troll with a strikingly similar fur tone, talking to the dark-haired troll that had initially gotten in Poppy’s face only minutes prior. 

“Who is…” She squinted, trying to get a better look at the troll. The blonde-haired troll's attention suddenly turned to Poppy after the dark-haired troll had pointed back over his shoulder toward the newly arrived group. Poppy anxiously watched as this new person approached, her expression confused and twisted. “Hello..!” The troll greeted, a smile painting over her face. Her tail swayed behind her in interest, easing Poppy's nerves of more hostility.

“My name is Viva, and I'm the co-runner of this place!” The pink troll announced her name and status happily. “It's been so long since I've seen other trolls! Wow… where are you from!?” The troll in front of Poppy was eerily cheery. They didn't have any other unique and species-altering features, convincing Poppy that they were also a Pop Troll. “It's nice to meet you..!” Poppy held out her hand in a warm greeting. 

“Sorry if the guards were a bit rude, haha. We've been having a bit of a squirrel problem.” She twirled her large curly blonde hair around her finger. Viva seemed relieved Poppy didn't come off as a threat, gratefully shaking her hand.  Viva met her eyes as a puzzled look fell on her face. “You're… Princess Poppy, right?”

Poppy’s eyes widened. This troll knew exactly who she was. “U-Um, yes..! It's actually Queen Poppy now…” She smiled, glancing back at Bruce. He gave her a thumbs up, encouraging her to keep going. “Queen Poppy! Oh my goodness, that's so fantastamazing!” Viva announced with a smile. 

Poppy felt a rush of relief wash over her, finally meeting a Troll that matched her energy. “I remember when you were just a tiny egg! Wow, that was so long ago…” Viva paced on her feet, tapping her fingers together. “You do?” Poppy perked up, her tail lifting off of the ground. “You were at the Troll Tree..?” “Yes!” She nodded, clutching her hands together. “It's so nice to see other Trolls alive… it's mostly just been us the last twenty years,” She gestured to the beautiful amber-lit city before them. 

“Especially the Queen of all Trolls! Have you come looking for us, Queen Poppy..?” Viva tilted her head to the side. Poppy frowned, biting her lip. Is that why they thought she was here?

“Actually Viva… I had no idea you were even here..! This is amazing, you have a beautiful villiage.” Poppy complimented. “Excuse me,” Both girls heard Bruce announce from behind them. “Not to be a bother, Viva, was it?” Bruce offered his hand to Viva. She grinned, taking it with a nod, her tail wagging back and forth. “Name’s Bruce.” He greeted them as they shook hands.

“We’re only looking for a troll named Clay. Have you seen him? Yellow hair?” Bruce pulled Poppy back on task, remembering they were counting the hours down till they would be able to rescue the remainder of BroZone.

“Oh! Yes actually! Clay’s my husband!” Viva clapped her hands excitedly, the frilly cape over her shoulders following with the sway of her tail. “Come! I’ll take you to him!” She beckoned them forward, starting her waltz down the brightly lit street. 

“Oh my gosh! That's so perfect!” Poppy gasped, looking up at Bruce in shock. “We found Clay! We’re going to be able to save everyone!” She cheered excitedly, tailing behind Viva. “W-Wait up!” Bruce chuckled, quickly following after the two speedier trolls.

The small town was a lot larger than Poppy would've ever expected. She watched as Viva happily greeted the trolls she walked past, oftentimes stopping to chat with ones that had a few questions for her, always introducing Poppy and Bruce. 

Bruce was much more preoccupied on finding his now two missing brothers in the underground city. His tail was upright in the air, with a certain pep in his step that Poppy seemed to have lost on their journey. Being so overwhelmed with the kidnapping of her boyfriend, it was nice to have a small break before getting back on their way again.

Chapter Text

“You guys are so much fun!” Viva chimed, stopping in front of a small wooden circular door that was a part of the exterior of the dirt walls. 

“This is where me and Clay live.” The frilly-haired troll hummed, turning back towards the door. “So are you!” Poppy smiled in return. “I’m so glad we found you guys, you're absolutely awesome!” She giggled, her tail whipping in time with Viva’s.

Bruce took a mental note that these two trolls acted very similar, almost identically. Viva turned her attention back to the door, gently knocking on the dark wood surface before throwing it open. “Clay my love! Are you home?” She asked before stepping into the house. Poppy and Bruce followed her into the small but cozy home.

It was about the same size as Poppy’s pod, just a tad bit larger. Every piece of furniture had been handcrafted, mostly sustaining wood and miscellaneous objects. Both Trolls turned to see a tall, blue troll with wild neon green hair. He donned a sweater vest with his tail slipping out the bottom.

He stood on a step-stool, holding a makeshift screwdriver in one hand as he held up a piece of an interior door frame with the other. “In here, Love!” Clay called through clenched teeth, holding a screw in his mouth as he tried to utilize both his hands to hold up the board.

“Clay!” Bruce announced, exacerbated to see his brother after so many years apart. Clay’s ears perked up to the sound of his brother's voice. “We have company!” Viva smiled, stepping to the side, and gestured to the two Trolls that stood in the doorway.

“SPRUCE!” Clay shouted, alerting Viva. Clay dropped his tools and the board of the door frame that had not yet been connected to the ceiling. Everything fell discarded to the ground, crashing down and colliding with the floor.

Poppy blinked in surprise as the troll excitedly fell to all fours and sprinted towards his brother. Neither of Branch’s other brothers had reacted this way to seeing each other up until this point, and it was shocking to see two of them actually appear to have missed each other. “Clay!” Bruce said cheerfully, catching the neon green-haired troll as he jumped into his arms, tail whipping rapidly.

Trolls often only ran on all fours as second nature, normally preferring to run on two legs. It was normally either a response to fear or excitement, the tail tucked or upright respectively. Poppy personally had rarely seen it, most trolls not having a reason to and preferring to not get their hands dirty.

“It's so good to see you!” Bruce chuckled happily, setting the Troll back down on the ground. “What are you doing here!? It's been like- twenty years! How did you find us?!”

Poppy’s gaze shifted over to Viva, who had also was watching her husband in shock. “Good to see you too brother.” Bruce chuckled, ruffling Clay’s hair affectionately, genuinely happy to see his younger brother again.

“We’re here on a mission.” Bruce glanced at Poppy, causing Clay to turn to her. “O-Oh, my bad. I didn't see you there.” Clay smiled, holding out his hand to introduce himself to Poppy. “I'm Clay! I'm the leader of this village.”

“Leader!” Bruce scoffed in amusement. “I know I have my own business, but that's pretty impressive Clay.” Clay smiled at his brother before turning back to Poppy. “I’m Poppy! Branch’s girlfriend. And also the Pop Queen.” Poppy started, getting her titles mixed out of line.

“Whoa!” Clay gasped as they shook hands. “Baby Branch is dating the Pop Queen!?” Clay looked at Bruce for confirmation. “Wait, where is Branch?” Clay interrupted his thought as he glanced around the room for his younger brother.

“That's why we’re here,” Poppy spoke, bringing the attention back to her. “The mission- Branch and Floyd got kidnapped,” Poppy said, sorrow returning to her voice. Viva gasped, covering a hand over her mouth. “They’re being held in a diamond prison, and we need the Perfect Family Harmony to break them out.” Bruce clairfied, his smile falling.

“The Perfect Family Harmony..? But we've never been able to do it before! What makes you think we can do it now?” Clay frowned, realizing how dire the situation had suddenly become. His tail stopped wagging but stayed upright.

“And how are we even going to find John Dory for that..? He ran off to the middle of nowhere.” Clay huffed slightly, crossing his arms over his chest. “Actually, you're the last one we needed to find!” Poppy said with a smile. “John Dory helped us find you.”

“What?” Clay appeared confused. “You pulled him out of his stupid hole?” His tone turned sour, shifting on his feet as his tail fell to the ground.

“Huh?” Poppy blinked, looking confused. Bruce took a deep breath, stepping up to Clay. “Look Clay, I know we have resentments towards John Dory, but we need to unite together right now. We don't have time for fighting.” Bruce said with a gentle nod. “I already did. He's… different now, it feels like.”

Clay scoffed. “Yea, twenty years different.” He kept his arms folded across his chest. “We wouldn't have been separated if it wasn't for him.” Clay appeared to get aggravated, his tail starting to twitch. 

“Hey,” Viva spoke up, approaching her partner in notice of his discomfort. Clay turned to Viva with a sigh. “I'm okay Viva. It's just… family stuff makes me mad.” Clay softly took Viva’s hand.

“What do you mean… wouldn't have been separated?” Poppy asked, causing everyone's attention to turn to her. “Didn't you all leave?” She fiddled with the hug bracelet around her wrist anxiously, now not understanding the backstory between the brothers with this new information. Branch had never discussed his family before.

“... You didn't tell her?” Clay asked, looking at Bruce. Bruce shrugged before looking back to Poppy. “Hey, She told me that the boys were trapped. I thought she knew.”

Poppy’s tail flicked, rubbing the stress lines that formed on her face. “No, Bruce, my boyfriend, and his brother got snatched in front of me after they had just reunited for the first time in twenty years. I barely even know who Floyd is!” She gestured with her palms splayed upright.

“Now can someone please tell me what happened so we can move past this family drama and save my boyfriend!?” Poppy seemed to be losing patience the more they stood around… talking. She was one to mingle herself, but she couldn't help but feel like Branch’s life was in a diamond hourglass- ironically. Each grain of sand was a minute of his life, slowly being drained by two superstar freaks.

“Wouldn't that… counteract your need to get out of here faster..? It's a long story,” Clay asked, causing Poppy to run her hands down her face in stress. “Fine! Fine.” Poppy’s tail was starting to fluff. “You both have to promise me you won't start a fight with John Dory.” She folded her arms across her chest.

Both Clay and Bruce exchanged a glance, before looking back at Poppy. “There will be plenty of time for therapy AFTER your brothers are rescued.” She sighed heavily. 

This was going to be a long time coming. She just needed to make sure Branch was safe- and alive. “I think that's perfectly reasonable,” Clay said with a nod. “Yeah,” Bruce agreed. “Now… we just need to find John Dory…” Poppy’s tail fell back to the ground as she pondered in thought, moving on decently fast from the uncomfortable situation. 

“I thought you said he brought you here?” Clay tilted his head to the side. “He did… But he disappeared down one of your tunnels. Poppy and I fell in after him.” Bruce mumbled, tapping his chin. “He's somewhere around here.”

“Clay…” Viva spoke up, still clutching her partner's hand. “Yea Viva?” He tilted his head to face her. “Could I have a word with you..?” She smiled, but it seemed forced. “Of course Love,” Clay looked back at the other two Trolls. 

“Why don't you two take a look around? I’ll catch up.” Clay smiled. Poppy nodded sharply. “We’re on it!” Poppy waved goodbye to the other two trolls, turning towards the door.

…

The group divided upon exiting Clay’s home, leaving the couple to have their conversation.  “Now where would John Dory run off to.” Poppy pondered aloud, looking around once more at the amber-lit town. “A bar?” Bruce jokingly suggested, letting out a slight chuckle at his own joke. “Hm.” Poppy’s nose scrunched in thought, and the two started their trek through town. She didn't completely dismiss the idea, remembering what he had done the last time the two got separated.

“There!” Poppy pointed, seeing what looked like a sign for a diner. It had been carved out of what looked like a giant log they had pulled under the golf course.  “Wouldn't he have gotten stuck like us by the guards..?” Bruce suggested, following Poppy towards the diner. “Yea, but if he was slick, he’d run and find somewhere to hide…” Poppy thought aloud as she pulled Bruce with her into the diner.

“Thank the stars…” Bruce sighed in relief as luck seemed to be on their side today. There sat John Dory, mingling with the waitress behind the counter. Her eyes were partially folded over, infatuated by whatever story John seemed to be rambling on about. “Uh oh.” Poppy giggled, glancing at Bruce. “Looks like he's coming for your Heart Throb title!”

“What?” Bruce peeked around the corner. John Dory’s tail was curved upright as he appeared to be very interested in this Troll. 

The waitress was a nice gentle red tone, her giant curly hair falling out her shoulders. Her poofy hair perfectly framed her face. Her tail had been swishing in interest, also perked upright. Bruce smiled softly at the display. “You can tell, look at his blush.” Poppy giggled slightly, her tail starting to wag.

“John Dory!” Bruce suddenly shouted, catching the attention of the older troll. He paused mid-conversation and looked back at his group. “Hey guys!” He beckoned them over. “This is Shauna!” He introduced them to the troll, who in turn smiled and waved. 

“Good Morning newcomers.” Shauna hummed in a sultry transatlantic accent. “She was just telling me all about Clay. Turns out he runs the place!” John Dory put his hands on his hips with a nod. “Eeeya. We already found him,” Bruce said with a slight shrug of his shoulders.

“You did?” John Dory blinked, his confident demeanor fading. “Then where-?” He looked behind Bruce. “He went to have a conversation with his wife. I'm going to assume about leaving,” Poppy clarified, fiddling her digits together. 

“Leaving?” Shauna perked up. Poppy turned to her. “Oh, y'all are never going to get him out of here. His wife Viva? Obsessed.” She fanned her hand as she spoke. “What do you mean..?” John Dory inquired. 

“It means that whatever your plan is, you aren't getting that man out of here without prying him from her arms. She's never left the underground… and I doubt she will let Clay go. You might have better luck with… literally any other troll.” She checked her nails with a sigh.

“But… we have to take Clay,” Poppy mumbled, her tail falling to the ground. “Viva should understand… right?” “Oh, sister.” Shauna chuckled gently at Poppy. “That one has issues. A troll with issues like that? It’ll take some amazing miracle to get him out of this bunker.” Shauna adjusted her apron.

”I bid you good luck, but there will be a fight. It's best to just sneak out.” She put a finger over her mouth with a wink. “Thanks for the info Shauna, you're a doll.” John Dory winked at her, emitting a slight giggle.

“We should get going though, on a rescue mission and all.” He buffed his gloved hand on his jacket. “It was nice to meet you all.” Shauna mused with a hum, looking at John Dory while she spoke. Poppy couldn't help but let her grin slip as John Dory held up the call me sign with his hand before standing up from the counter. “Alright group, let's hustle.”

John Dory was the first to step out of the diner, unable to hide the blush that formed on his face as soon as he had turned around. “Whew! That was informing!” He put his hands on his hips, turning towards the rest of the group. Poppy couldn't hide her grin while Bruce had a knowing gaze. “What?” John Dory put up his hands.

“You were SO flirting with her!” Poppy couldn't help but get excited, always loving to witness a romance blossom. “Pft, come on Poppy, I was just trying to find Clay.” John Dory rolled his eyes, dusting her off. Poppy didn't lose her smile, seeing the small grin and blush he was struggling to keep down. 

“I hope you gave her some sort of contact information at least. You should've seen your tail.” Bruce joked with a laugh as the group began walking.

“My tail!?” John Dory looked back at his tail. “Great.” The blush on his face darkened. “Let's just go get Clay, please.” “On it!” Poppy giggled, her tail swishing as she took the lead. 

Chapter Text

They made their way back to Clay’s house, finally feeling like they were on track.

Upon arriving, Poppy’s ears flicked upright. They heard a commotion from inside the house, coming from loud and aggravated voices. “Yea… looks like Shauna was right,” Bruce hissed through his teeth. Poppy’s ears quickly flattened back down as she paced up to the door to listen in.

“Viva, please just sit down and we can talk about this,” Poppy heard Clay’s desperate tone. “N-NO! How long are you going to leave!? You can't just up and leave me in charge of everything! I-I don't have that power!” Viva's voice sounded like she had been crying, the argument banter going back and forth. 

“What if you get kidnapped too!? What if you can't make it home- then nobody can save you! Who says this isn't some huge trap to kill you!?” “Viva please!” Clay’s voice snapped.

Poppy quickly stepped away from the door, her tail tucked between her legs. She hadn't thought about that before. What if… it was a trap? And Velvet and Veneer would successfully trap all of them. What if she's just blindly leading Branch’s entire family to their demise-

Poppy stomped her foot, forcing her bad thoughts away. Without thinking, she grabbed and opened the door. “Poppy!” Neither of the boys had expected her just to barge in, shouting her name in unison. 

“Hey! We’re back! We found him pretty quickly.” Poppy interrupted, before stopping in her stride. “O-Oh, geez.” She pretended that they had just walked into the fight scene having not heard anything prior. 

Viva’s face was stained with tears, her tail pressed between her legs. Stress lines painted Clay’s face. “Everything okay?” She asked, slowly walking up to Viva.

Viva’s tail flicked, taking a step away from Poppy. She hesitated to say anything, trying to start her sentence multiple times but failing. “Sorry Poppy. We were just…” Clay looked at Viva for an answer. Viva stared longingly towards Clay before her eyes fell back onto Poppy with a worried face. “... Poppy, he can't go.”

“Viva,” Poppy sighed, forcing her smile. “He has to. Their brothers are trapped, and the only way to free them is with the Perfect Family Harmony. And Clay is a part of it.” Poppy pointed at Clay, speaking reassuringly.

“I understand how worried you are. I honestly don't even know if my boyfriend is alive right now.” The words seemed to just spill out of her mouth, and she was unable to catch them before they fell. The entire room fell silent, even Poppy. Viva stared at her in shock, meeting Poppy's widened eyes. 

Poppy’s mouth hung open in disbelief at what she had just said. “... I-I… Don't even know if he’s alive right now.” She repeated, more to herself than anyone as her voice went quiet.

Could their entire mission just end up being a failure?

“I don't want that to be the truth.” John Dory stepped in, putting a hand on Poppy’s shoulder. “What Poppy was trying to say is… She does understand. The fear. It's strong and right upfront, and it has an iron-like grip on your heart. It hurts. It hurts like a motherfucker. But we don't want it to be replaced with grief. I'd rather have my brothers come out of this alive. We need Clay to save all of our brothers."

The room fell into complete silence at John Dory’s words. Poppy had started to well up with tears, now overwhelmed with emotions. Viva kept her eyes on John Dory, processing what he had said, her ears completely folded back. She looked back at Poppy, taking a long moment to observe her, putting herself in her shoes.

Poppy looked disheveled and exhausted, having done everything in her power to get this far for her lover. Her stress lines were dark, along with the circles under her eyes. Her clothes and fur were now muddied and dirty from traversing the tunnels. Leaves were stuck in her hair. Viva could see she was being genuine.

“I promise we’ll bring him back.” Poppy said quietly, noticing Viva’s eyes trained on her. Viva bit her lip as her eyes flooded with more tears, looking back to Clay. 

She suddenly turned back to Poppy and ran to give her a hug. Poppy had not expected it, tensing up as Viva wrapped her arms around her. It was nice, forcing Poppy to realize she hadn't hugged anyone in the last few days. Her tail fell to the ground, unable to hold back her tears anymore as she started to sob.

It broke each one of the brothers' hearts, they knew her cries were genuine. The journey thus far had been even more emotionally tolling than rescuing her friends from the Bergens and tailing Barb on her Hard Rock Tour. 

It was clear that Poppy was taking quite a hard emotional beating from all of this, from being driven to drink to having a panic attack for the first time. “You’ll get him back Poppy,” Viva said, her tone calm. Poppy nodded through her tears, holding onto Viva tightly.

“I'll make sure Clay comes home to you too,” Poppy said through hitched breaths, fanning her face to try and calm herself down. She pulled away from the hug. Viva smiled, grateful for the promise. 

Viva turned back to Clay before running over and giving him a tight goodbye hug. “Please come back,” Viva whispered to him. “I promise my love.” They exchanged a momentary kiss. Poppy felt her heart sink again, cleaning the tears from her cheeks.

John Dory softly placed a hand on Poppy’s shoulder. “You alright, Princess?” Poppy nodded solemnly in response . “Oh boy. I need a drink.” She joked, emitting a snicker from John Dory. He patted her shoulder before turning back to the party, now complete.

“Shall we head back up?” He asked. “Let's get this party going!” Clay cheered, being the first to bolt out the door. John Dory tipped his goggles to Viva before following Clay. 

“Thank you Viva. I appreciate it so much.” Poppy said, her hands clasped together. “Of course. Anytime, sister.” She smiled sadly with a nod. Poppy and Bruce left last with a wave, stepping back out into the street.

The party made their way towards the tunnels, Clay rambling to John Dory about where he could've ever come up with those powerfully moving words to get his wife to agree. Poppy was the last behind Bruce, her tail dragging along the ground.

She felt uncomfortable in her own skin. Everything was bothering her in every which way, her senses and emotions heightened. Her gut was constantly churning, making butterflies in her stomach. 

They were on their way, and they were making great time. Every brother had been found. They were going to be able to rescue them.

Why did she feel so horrible..?

“Come on Poppy!” Poppy looked up at the sound of her name, having fallen behind the group. All the underground trolls were wishing their leader Clay good luck, cheering on the party. Poppy had to stop and take a deep breath, wiping the stress from her face and adjusting her crown. 

She caught up with the group, forcing a smile and shaking trolls’ hands as they greeted her. Clay was the last up the tunnel, sealing it shut behind them.

“Alright, let's get Rhonda and hit the road!” John Dory announced triumphantly.

Chapter Text

Branch held the small hands of the opposing pink Troll tightly. He was never going to let her go, ever again. He loved listening to her sing as they both danced together, providing the gentlest of backup vocals. Nothing else in the world around them mattered. Not when she was here. 

As their bodies moved fluently with the music, Branch became overjoyed at being able to share this experience with the love of his life. They were dancing in the middle of the woods surrounded by fireflies, just like the night they had been walking through the woods.

Admiration bloomed as he watched her just be herself. Her frilly dress swayed with her movements. He adored her. When he leaned in to kiss her cute plush lips, a large geometric wall of a diamond sliced between them, seperating the couple. 

“POPPY!” Branch cried out in a panic, slamming his hands against the wall. He heard Poppy’s distant scream ring in his ears as she was taken away, leaving him alone on the forest floor, abandoned.

…

Branch was startled from his dream, the damp feel of the forest floor from his dream now becoming the ice-like diamond surface of the prison, cold to the touch. The only warmth he felt was from the body next to him.

Floyd and Branch’s tails were uncomfortably sprawled up the walls to create as much room on the floor as they could to lie down and sleep. The space was very small for two trolls, clearly the device was only meant for one captured creature.

He groaned towards the cold feeling against his body, starting to tremble and long for his bed. His migraine had not dispersed, returning to daze his vision. 

He felt the soft tail of another Troll brush up against his own, reminding him that he wasn't in here alone. Branch inhaled sharply, consciously coming out of his sleep, remembering that they were trapped by the hard reality of the diamond wall.

“P-Poppy, Floyd,” Branch said the first things that came to his mind, jolting up to a sitting position. He was dazed and unaware of his surroundings. 

“Shh.” He felt Floyd grab ahold of his still exhausted body and press his face against his chest, shielding him from the light in the room. Branch could barely see in his hazed vision, accepting Floyd’s assistance.

Branch froze up as Floyd shushed him so he wouldn't say anything else. Defaulting to a scared young troll who listened to his older brother, he obliged, hiding his face in his fur.

They watched like scared kittens curled up together in a cardboard box as their captors flaunted about the dressing room. This wasn't right, Branch realized. 

It had only been about fifteen hours since their last use. Veneer had bought the trolls a few more days before the big show. Why were they here then? Those shows were supposed to be canceled.

They both tensed up as the bottle was snatched off the vanity by Velvet. “Ready for another performance, Trolls?” She sneered with her evil grin reflecting against the interior geometric walls. 

“W-What!? But Veneer-! He said-” Floyd started as Branch’s heart began to race. 

“What, do you think my brother is in charge of me? Turns out the venue didn't have a full refund policy soo… sucks for you!” She let out a devilish laugh, causing both Floyd and Branch’s tails to extend in fear.

Velvet took the opportunity to let these Trolls know who was in charge, and that anything was to be done at her command, regardless of what her brother's input was. Branch tearfully hid his face as he writhed in pain of his essense getting extracted once more. 

It thankfully hurt less and less, but that only worried Branch more and more. Floyd held him tightly as he thrashed, feeling the same effect to a lesser degree as both brothers collapsed onto the floor of the crystal.

“Velvet!” Veneer’s voice sounded from across the room, causing Velvet to panic and fumble the bottle in her hands. 

“What? Veneer come on. You can't expect us not to be seen tonight, and not have to do at least a few videos or be in the background of someone's livestream. Even if we're just going clubbing.” Velvet huffed, setting the bottle down quite harshly onto her vanity.

“They aren't a permanent supply! No more.” He pointed at his sister. Velvet huffed, offended at his attempts to control her behavior. “How dare- Veneer! I caught two! We’re fine!” Velvet put her hands on her hips. 

“Yea, and one of them can't even stand up anymore.” Veneer retorted with a huff as he snatched the perfume bottle away from her vanity. “I think I'm going to be in charge of them now.”

Floyd coughed as he steadied Branch, dizzy from the extraction yet again. He didn't mind the effect of it anymore, seeing how much worse it seemed to affect Branch. Every time the pop stars spritz themselves, it sent Branch into a writhing frenzy. 

Floyd couldn't figure out why it was causing him so much more pain, but he was trying everything he could to help his brother. He was relieved Veneer was trying to help them, but knew he was at will to his sister no matter what.

Branch’s head was pounding, the loud ringing in his ears making it difficult for him to hear. It took the smaller troll longer to recover every time. Floyd held down his tail as it thrashed wildly, trying to help steady Branch's focus. 

Eventually the sickly troll would regain his composure, sitting up dizzily. His gaze shifted to Floyd to check on his brother, who had the same solem and pained expression as him.

“Better?” The dark pink haired troll asked, his voice barely above a whisper. Branch nodded shakily as he audibly panted, taking sharp breaths to recover. Sweat pooled down his face as Floyd carefully wrapped his tail back around Branch's in comfort.

It was something they used to do a lot as kids, being a bonded pair of youngest siblings. Now they were tied together to reassure each other that they each were still there, still enduring the torment together. 

Branch now noticed the white skin and grayed hair start to form at the base of each of their tails, now not only his. Pity fell over his heart, knowing Floyd was hurting just as much as he was. Branch shakily held himself up before the shadows in the room began to move once more.

Both Trolls looked back up as the jar began to float, Veneer picking it up and placing it down safely on his vanity. Floyd quickly opened his arms back up for Branch to retreat into so they didn't hit heads moving in the air.

“That's literally so unfair. I'm the one who caught them! Technically I should be the only one using them!” The two siblings began to bicker and fight, it all being too much noise for Branch. 

He was so thankful Floyd was here as he carefully covered his ears, not knowing what he would do without his older brother stuck with him.

“T-Thank you Floyd,” Branch managed to croak out, weakly placing his hands on top of Floyd's that covered his ears. “Don't mention it.” Floyd’s shaken voice whispered out, trying to prevent his claws from sinking into his brother accidentally. 

Floyd was terrified. Now the few days they had been promised to be safe were now compromised. He was put back on high alert, stress permanently straining his face.

He hadn't slept a wink, having been too fearful to close his eyes in case he woke up and Branch was dead. Floyd was overly exhausted from having stayed awake for over 24 hours, but nothing could be done to soothe the terrified trolls’ nerves.

“Well… I have two. We could just put one in your bottle.” Velvet's voice came out of the background, Floyd realized that their fight had stopped through his panic.

Then he realized what she had said.

“Um… sure, I guess that would solve our problem.” Veneer tapped his chin. “I'll take the smaller one so you don't kill him,” Veneer glanced back at the bottle on his vanity.

“N-No, NO.” Agony flooded Floyd's veins. They were going to take Branch from him. His grip on Branch suddenly doubled, Floyd unable to prevent his claws from sinking into Branch’s clothes. 

Branch let out a yelp, waking up a bit more to the situation at hand. “F-Floyd, ease up,” Branch whispered, but his ears perked up as he noticed Floyd's change in behavior. Floyd’s claws were unnaturally sharp, but Branch was barely able to feel much anymore anyway.

Floyd’s heart was racing faster than Branch had ever heard before. Floyd had been shoved into full fight or flight mode, ready to defend his dying brother like a feral cat. All of his fur was fluffed to its maximum extent. 

“W-What's going on?” Branch whispered, fearful and now aware that there was a problem.

Floyd was in an inescapable panic. He couldn't be separated from him. Branch would die without him. His terrified younger brother fed off of his fear, their tails only tightening their grips. 

All they could do was sit and listen to Velvet and Veneer discuss their separation. Branch now understood Floyd’s panic, but instead of joining him, got an idea.

He saw the opportunity to make an escape. “F-Floyd! When they open it, make a run for it!” Branch pointed at the lid. Floyd hesitated, feeling the weakness in Branch’s body against him. “W-What about you?” Floyd asked, concerned for his brother's issues with mobility in his state. 

The poor Troll couldn't even stand, let alone try and plan an escape. Branch just simply nodded. “I’ll be right on your heels.” He said with forced confidence. Floyd appeared hesitant but nodded, hoping he had enough strength to jump out after him.

Floyd and Branch felt the jar jostle as Velvet set down an identical looking one next to it. It caused fear to surge through both of the trapped brothers, while also giving them a boost of adrenaline. 

“Alright you little shits…” Velvet grumbled, glancing at the trolls in the bottle. Floyd trembled as he reared on his heels, standing over his brother on all fours protectively like a feral cat and its baby. His tail was completely tucked against his stomach, physically shaking in fear. 

Velvet carefully began to twist off the lid. Suddenly, fresh air rushed into the jar as the lid was removed. Velvet reached her hand in to grab Floyd from above Branch. Floyd tightly closed his eyes and let his animalistic instincts take over.

He hadn't felt this scared in so long, forcefully pulling Floyd back to a mental place he had never wanted to return to. Fighting for his life, he snapped open his jaw and latched onto the white hand that grabbed him around the waist.

Velvet let out a horrified scream as Floyd suddenly bit down hard into her hand. His sharp fangs pierced her smooth soft skin as he utilized his claws to scrape and kick and squirm as hard as he possibly could. 

Velvet yanked her hand out of the opened diamond from the aggressive attack. The quick action caused the jar to plummet to the floor with Branch still inside. 

Velvet screamed as she tried to shake Floyd off. “GET IT OFF GET IT OFF!” She yelled at her brother, who panicked and came to her aid. “NO! THE OTHER ONE!” Veneer cried, seeing Branch dart out on all fours from the diamond prison.

Branch, disoriented and dizzy from the hard fall, overestimated his ability to be able to follow Floyd after jumping onto Velvet. Branch instead darted towards any sort of door he could find, running for his life. It was extremely painful with his weakness, but the adrenaline forced him to keep going.

Velvet and Veneer began to completely panic, both of their Trolls having escaped. “GET THE FUCK OFF OF ME!” Velvet screeched, violently slamming her hand into the wall. She made contact with Floyd directly, crushing him against the wall. It caused him to unlatch and fall off of her hand and to the floor. 

Floyd violently tumbled across the floor before recovering, shakily shooting up to all fours. He was completely disoriented from the fall, poorly picking a direction to run. He could barely see where he was going, spitting out a mouthful of blood onto the ground. 

Floyd could only hear his rapid heartbeat in his ears in addition to all the screaming, looking around in complete terror for Branch.

It was the worst fear of a troll, to get crushed. They were already so small, and anything larger than a Troll had the potential to crush and kill. They always taught each other when running away from a predator, to run away from the direction of their feet, no matter if you think you can make it or not. 

Branch, being delusional from his head injuries, forgot this simple yet life saving rule, in an attempt to flee for his life. Veneer froze up upon feeling something give way underneath his heel.

Branch would never have thought he could make such a sound, feeling the sensation of getting crushed under Veneer’s large glass boots. The scream caused Floyd’s body to completely freeze, eyes darting in the direction of his baby brother. Floyd felt like the world had just stopped, and his brother was just killed before his eyes.

“OH MY GOD!” Veneer cried out in horror. Velvet took the opportunity of Floyd’s frozen shock to slam the diamond successfully over him like a mouse and a cup. Branch was lifeless on the ground, unable to move as his body went into shock. 

“VENEER WHAT THE FUCK!” Velvet cried out as she saw the scene in front of her, securing Floyd in the prison before addressing Branch.

“I didn't want to crush the little guy! Oh my stars,” Veneer started to panic, thinking of all the consequences of their actions and how screwed they were if anyone were to find out about this. Floyd stared in terror of his baby brother on the ground, his own body still in shock.

“This is literally exactly what happened with Mr. Glitter, Veneer.” Velvet folded her hands across her chest, raising an eyebrow at her brother. The intensity of the situation meant little to nothing to their captors, treating the small troll like a pathetic hamster that couldn't handle the roughhousing of toddlers.

“I'm sorry! I just drop small little fuzzy things!” Veneer knelt down to Branch’s level, seeing the small figure in all of it's damage. “At least he's still alive… I think?” He shrugged, looking back up at his sister for confirmation.

Velvet looked like she was going to be sick, acting like Branch was just some lifeless rat on the ground. “Just put it in the jar then. It should still work if they can't move, right?” She shrugged dismissively. 

“Velvet. That is so messed up.” Veneer sighed, obliging his sisters command and pinched Branch by the arm. He lifted him up gently and set him into the bottom of his own perfume bottle. Veneer couldn't tell if he was alive, watching momentarily to see if he would move. 

“Sorry little guy,” Veneer had guilt seeping from his voice, but it didn't appear to last long as the lid was screwed back shut on Branch’s prison. 

“I need some air, That was gross.” Velvet spat, fanning her face as she turned towards the door. “That was entirely your fault by the way!” Veneer retorted, before looking back at Floyd, helpless on Velvet’s vanity. 

“Hnn…” He silently picked up Floyd’s perfume bottle and set it next to Branch’s on his vanity. “I-I'm so sorry I…” Veneer couldn't continue before running out of the room.

Floyd couldn't move. His heart was pounding in complete shock. “B… Branch?” His voice wavered, completely terrified for the state of his baby brother. 

Their escape had failed, and now both trolls were deadly injured, cutting their time in half. The adrenaline started to fade away and Floyd could feel just what Velvet had done to him. 

He held a hand on his chest, realizing he had broken at least a few ribs. A sharp intense pain radiated from his chest. His head was pounding, but he didn't care. The only thing he cared about right now was Branch.

Floyd pressed himself against the smooth surface of the perfume bottle, attempting to see into Branch’s crystal. “BRANCH!” Floyd cried out, desperate to see if his brother was okay. 

“BRANCH ARE YOU OKAY!? BRANCH! BRANCH!” Floyd cried at the top of his lungs, fearing for his brother's life. After receiving no response, Floyd started to cry. 

“Branch I'm so sorry, I should've held onto you,” Tears spilled from Floyd’s eyes. Branch couldn't focus due to the amount of pain radiating from his tail, barely conscious as he listened to Floyd’s helpless cries. His body had been shoved into complete shock, the pain forcing him unconscious.

Floyd cursed to himself as he cried, unable to do anything besides throw his weakening body against the side of the jar. “Please! I can't lose anyone else, please!” The pink haired troll screamed in misery, pathetically collapsing against the wall as his pain prevented him from slamming his body against the wall any longer.

Floyd’s breathing became beated, trying to think of anything and everything to get the two of them out of this situation. His own injuries started to take effect, seeing as blood still continued to spill from his mouth. His injuries were clearly more severe than he cared to admit. The pain was horrible, making Floyd start to plead for help.

“Vincent, I need you, please…” Floyd silently started to beg, folding over himself as he cried on the floor. “I-I take back everything, I'm sorry, I'm sorry I'm so sorry,” Floyd helplessly pleaded to nobody, his words falling on vacant ears.

He needed help, and now their time was cut in half. Either one of them was going to die now, their injuries too severe to stay untreated. Floyd was unable to do anything except curl up and cry himself unconscious from the pain, praying for Branch to still be alive and for help to come soon.

Chapter Text

Poppy felt something shift. It was instantaneous, the rapid icy cold that shot from the base of her tail up her spine. She tensed up, sharply inhaling as it forced her upright. Her breathing quickened as she clutched her chest, eyes darting down to her tail.

Something was wrong.

“What's wrong Poppy?” Clay asked, having his turn to skim through John Dory’s old photo album while he sat on the floor. He noticed Poppy jolt harshly, speaking up with concern. 

“Looks like you just got spooked by something.” The party had returned to Rhonda, setting their course for Mount Rageous. The location Bruce knew Velvet and Veneer would be performing at that night.

Poppy stared at her tail as the strands of fur strained before relaxing. “... That wasn't me.” She mumbled, starting to brush the fur of her tail through her paws.  

Something felt wrong, very wrong. It felt like she had just lost something and didn't know what it was. “... I think something just happened with Branch.” She mumbled under her breath.

Oftentimes when Trolls have a strong connection, their tails have a stronger link then the rest of the body. Partners could often feel their mate’s approaching presence through the base of their tail, like an instinct.

Their tails would perk up before even hearing their partner arriving. It was like an otherworldly connection, something that she had even recalled Branch talking about. Now, that connection was gone, but Poppy couldn't exactly describe what the feeling was.

“How do you know?” Bruce asked, sitting up in his chair from next to John Dory. A slight blush formed on Poppy’s face as she held the furred tip of her tail in her hands.

“So… there's this thing, with Pop Troll tails,” She spun the follicles between her fingers, attempting to recall exactly what Branch had said to her about their biology. Her nose scrunched in thought.

“Partners can like… feel each other through their tails. Does that make sense?” Poppy looked towards Clay,  knowing he might be the only one to understand, having another troll-like partner.

“Hm, I've heard of that, but I've never really felt it, y’know?” He shrugged, looking back at the photo album in his hands. “It might just be your anxiety.”

“No.” Poppy retorted, calling Clay’s attention back to her. “It…” She stared at her tail, seeming to contemplate what she would say. “It… went away.”

The entire bus fell silent, staring at the pink troll as she tried to come to terms with what she had just felt deep in her species instincts. Her tail twitched slightly, appearing to respond to her internal fears. She sharply inhaled, shaking her head before looking back up. “We need to hurry.” Her eyes shifted to John Dory.

“How far are we?” She hopped up, shifting the conversation. She refused to admit it, but Poppy absolutely knew what she had just lost. Of course she knew. Branch had just died. Their connection wasn't there anymore. They were too late. 

She had been holding onto it this entire time, and knew it had left her body. She prayed she would be wrong, but she couldn't doubt her biology.

She refused to admit it however, forcing her mind to go black to carry on with the mission. 

Her tail dragged along the ground, now being completely ignored while reflecting Poppy’s mental state. She couldn't stop, have another breakdown or scare their brothers into thinking the mission was now all for not.

Potentially, they could still save Floyd.

“Practically here.” John Dory announced, seeing the large brightly colored city come into view from the dark cloudy outlands surrounding it. “Wow…” Poppy mumbled, in awe at its size, desperate for a distraction. 

“Alright Popifier.” Clay clapped his hands together. “What's the plan?” Poppy tensed up at the nickname, her tail lifting off the ground. 

Just as she had forced herself into the dark to stop thinking about Branch, she was pulled right back out. Her eye twitched as her hands started to shake. 

“Um,” She contemplated, her train of thought having derailed completely. “Give me a minute.” Without another word, Poppy quickly darted away into the cabin, throwing the curtain shut behind her.

“Huh..?” Bruce sat up as Poppy disappeared. Clay also watched, confused. 

“Okay… um, first off, we should probably stash Rhonda somewhere. She's gonna be too big for us to sneak in. We want to be stealthy, right?” Clay asked, looking back at John Dory. They should attempt to atleast get started without Poppy.

“Sounds good. We’ll work on that now.” John Dory patted the dashboard, the mountain city quickly approaching in the distance.

…

Poppy didn't know what to do. She felt like she needed to cry but couldn't, having cried so much already. She just felt empty, and didn't know how she was going to focus to complete the mission. 

“Stupid,” She angrily growled to herself. “Stupid, Stupid Poppy,” She repeated. They still needed to save Floyd. She needed to focus, even if her emotions were quickly becoming overwhelming.

“Do it for Floyd, Poppy.” Poppy inhaled sharply, trying to control herself out of view of all of Branch’s brothers. She took the opportunity of silence to narrow in on her tail. 

She needed to know if it was telling the truth, or if she really was just losing it. After watching her tail for what felt like half an hour, she got frustrated and turned her head away. Suddenly, she was face to face with a mirror.

Poppy didn't recognize herself at first. She was a complete mess, and she could see it right there on her face. Her eyes softened at her state, realizing how much she had really gone through these past few days. Now she was shaming herself for being emotional. Her ears folded completely back, the ache in her chest returning.

She tried to clean herself up just a little, fixing her hair and cleaning herself off of all the dirt and mud. Her clothes were stained, and her injuries were prominent. “Oh Poppy… what did you do to yourself…” She whispered, rubbing the tears from her eyes. 

Her heart ached so much, the only thing she needed was Branch. But she didn't know whether or not to believe her tail. Poppy took a slow deep breath.

She decided to ignore it, proving it wouldn't be of any use to the mission right now.

Poppy slowly pulled back the curtain, stepping back into the main cabin of Rhonda. “Ready Queen Poppy?” John Dory asked her. 

They all were ready to go, supplies secured in respective backpacks. John held out Poppy’s knapsack to her. She forced a small smile, taking the bag from him. 

“Ready as I'll ever be,” She sighed shakily. “Hey.” John Dory put his hand on her shoulder, getting down on a knee so he could talk to Poppy eye to eye, being a bit taller than the small pink troll.

“You can do this. You made it this far.” Poppy’s ears folded as she listened. “I can see your doubt. He’s alive, I promise. We can do this. We’re going to get them both. Okay?” John Dory reassured her, seeming to be pulling her own resenting thoughts directly out of her head. 

Poppy sniffled and nodded, feeling her confidence return with John Dory’s support. The other brothers nodded in agreement, exchanging confident glances.

“LET'S GO SAVE OUR BROTHERS!” Clay cheered, pumping his fist with a wooden stake in it into the air.

“Alright, what's the plan, Poppy?”

Chapter Text

It had been a few hours since Floyd had seen Branch awake. Both trolls had practically been left there to die, Floyd’s internal injuries were worsening by the hour. 

It was getting more difficult and painful to breathe. A small puddle of blood had started to form from dripping out of his mouth while he slept. Floyd was curled up in as tight a ball as he could make himself, trembling in unimaginable pain.

Floyd’s ears shot upright as he heard Branch cough. He quickly looked up from his curled position. “B… Branch?” He croaked out, listening for another cough. 

It remained silent, making Floyd think he was beginning to hear things and hallucinate from the pain. He sadly lowered his head back down as his ears pressed completely against his skull. 

He was convinced his brother wasn’t going to make it, but had to keep his spirits up. It was so much worse being in there alone, even colder than before without Branch’s presence.

Silence rang louder and louder, the inaugural buzzing in Floyd’s ears never seemed to leave. His head swam from the loss of blood as his breathing continued to rake.

Floyd pondered giving up. If Branch was already gone, who cared..? Nobody even knew where they were, and poor Poppy wouldn't be able to find them without help. 

His brothers probably didn't even know they were in this situation, and would die without ever finding out. Or they all were already gone and dead. He would never know.

The last thought hit Floyd the hardest. His husband wasn't looking for him. Not after everything he had done. He just had to admit it to himself. Who would search the ends of the earth for a lowlife troll like him.

Floyd rolled over to lie on his back, staring up at the skylight that continued to dance glistening colors through the prism. Tears spilled out of Floyd’s eyes as he coughed harshly, wincing in pain as more blood spilled out onto the floor.

Floyd thought about his life. The things he could have changed, the better choices he would have made. He regretted most of it, thinking about the people he could have saved instead of hurting.

At least he got to die with his favorite brother, regretting ever leaving him. His breathing continued to labor, getting more and more difficult. Floyd closed his tear filled eyes, and started to sing while he still could.

“This is for all the lonely people…”

His voice was hoarse and pained, barely able to sing but still tried. It was the thing he missed most to do with his brothers, regretting not seeing any of them before he died.

“Thinking that life has passed us by, We won't give until we drink from the silver cup,” 

He couldn't prevent tears from spilling down his face, just letting them go as he knew it didn't matter anymore. He was a goner. His injuries were unbearable, and would only worsen as the hours passed.

“Ride that highway in the sky…” 

His tone failed with a forced inflection, singing between sobs and labored breathing. 

He let his breathing slow before he opened his eyes to stare at the skylight above, finally letting go.

Chapter Text

The rescue team made their way through the HVAC system of the Rage Dome, aimlessly searching rooms for their two kidnapped companions.

“This is impossible. We’ve already been looking for an hour, what if they're in a drawer or a closet somewhere?” John Dory grumbled, beginning to get stressed and strained.

“Um…” Poppy mumbled, her tail dragging along the ground behind her. The group approached another vent, quieting down as they peeked into yet another vacant room. 

“This place is huge. Where would they even be?” Clay rubbed his chin. “We should maybe start searching entire rooms, yea.” Poppy nodded in agreement. Their limited perspective from the vent might take them too long. It would be better if they thoroughly searched.

They all paused their conversation as a voice was suddenly heard from a distance. Everyone fell silent to listen to it, unsure of what it was saying. It sounded like… singing. A very faint melancholy melody bounced off the smooth grate walls of the vent.

“FLOYD!” All three of the boys said in unison, recognizing their brother's long lost voice. It wasn't immediately noticeable, but each of the brothers' ears perked upon hearing the sound. Poppy felt her heart skip a beat, whipping around to face the direction the song was coming from. 

“There!” She pointed in a direction before suddenly taking off. She took two heavy steps before falling down to all fours, beginning to scamper her way through the vent. All the other trolls tailed after her as Poppy bolted away. They were going to find them..! They were going to save them!

The other trolls followed her closely as she slid to a stop in front of a vent. The singing had stopped, but it had just been long enough for them to make it to the room. Poppy peered through the vent, seeing two purple diamond bottles sitting upon a vanity. “There!” She pointed. 

“Yes!” John Dory said excitedly, checking the room. It seemed vacant so the Trolls quickly made their way into the dressing room.

…

Loud voices of laughter and yelling echoed in Floyd’s ears. Children playing, running through fresh grass together. Floyd could feel the soft dirt and wet grass between his paws.

The foliage smelt sweet and fresh, the gentle tang of flowers on the wind. It was real. Floyd skidded to a stop in front of a large rose bush, coming face to face with a large plush red rose.

The rose was sweet smelling, drawing Floyd in with it's attractiveness. He ran a finger along the silk petals before deeply inhaling near the center of the flower. The sweet smell flooded his senses, encapsulating his attention and desires.

He wanted to continue to indulge in the rose, getting a taste and wanting more. His ears perked upright as the laughter around him began to get louder.

Floyd leaned in to sniff the bountiful flower once more, before a familiar voice completely tore his attention away from the flower.

“FLOYD!” 

Floyd’s eyes opened from his sleep, being jolted awake from the sound. He was met with the geometric wall of the prison, reminding him of his fate.

Floyd groaned, lying his aching head back down onto the floor. He had awoken from his dream, only to be met with the same waking nightmare.

Except the voice was real.

“Floyd!” John Dory cried out, sliding up to the bottle that held Floyd. He opened his eyes once more, being met with those of a Troll he had long since forgotten.

“J-John..?” Floyd’s voice cracked, the weakened troll forcing himself to sit upright. He couldn't believe his eyes. There was no way this was real.

“H-Hey..! Hey buddy!” John sounded relieved, his ears folding back as he made contact with Floyd. Floyd watched in shock as his other two long lost siblings ran up to the crystal, relieved to see Floyd alive.

“Y-You came?” Floyd’s voice was barely above a whisper, a thimble of blood slipping down his lip from the corner of his mouth. John’s ears pressed back completely, tears coming to his eyes as he saw his brother's beaten state. “Of course we came!” Clay retorted.

Poppy ran over on all fours, skidding in front of the bottle that had Floyd before quickly running to the second one. “BRANCH!” She cried out, jumping up to look into the bottle. “Branch! Branch, can you hear me?!” 

The groups attention shifted to Poppy before Floyd was reminded of Branch’s state. He quickly turned around to Branch's crystal, ears folding back as he watched Poppy's reaction helplessly.

Poppy’s tail tucked completely, her face dropping in horror. Her hands quickly moved up to cover her mouth, tears immediately starting to spill as she saw her boyfriend's pertifying condition.

Branch had been horribly beaten from the incident. The bottom of the bottle was practically covered in blood. His tail had been twisted every which way, completely broken. He didn't look to be conscious, just a limp body laying in the puddle of blood. His hair was faded mostly white, as well as his tail and skin having faded from having his essence drained.

“Is he dead!?” Floyd said, standing up as he was suddenly hit with another adrenaline rush. Poppy couldn't respond, her breath stuck in her throat. Floyd's tail fluffed up in alarm, quickly turning to John Dory.

“Take her away from him, John!” Floyd suddenly commanded, pointing at Poppy. John Dory’s face was pale as he hesitated, but did what Floyd said out of urgency.

John Dory picked up Poppy around the waist. “NO!” Poppy screamed, starting to fight back. “Poppy, you can't help him right now!” John Dory said as Clay and Bruce ran between them to block Poppy’s view. “Is he alive!?” Floyd shouted, attempting to see into the diamond from his limited viewpoint.

Bruce and Clay's faces fell in a similar look of shock and horror, the first time seeing their baby brother in years- beaten to death.

“SOMEONE FUCKING TELL ME IF HES ALIVE!” Floyd screamed, slamming his fists on the diamond as tears started to spill. Poppy gave up fighting John Dory and began to break down in his arms, convinced that Branch was dead. John Dory was completely pale, having no idea how to handle this situation. 

“He's breathing!” Clay suddenly shouted.

The group all fell silent, Poppy snapping her jaw shut as John glanced over his shoulder. “See? His chest! He's alive!” Clay said, relieved and thankful to bring peace to this panic. Sure enough, they all could see Branch was breathing. 

Poppy felt the biggest rush to her heart in her life, having just dropped and then immediately returning. “Oh my god, Branch…” Poppy said, holding her hands on the bottle, staring at the image before her that would never leave her waking mind again.

Floyd, relieved he now knew his brother wasn't dead, felt the adrenaline leave his body as quickly as he had regained it. 

“H-Hah, thank the stars,” Floyd sputtered before losing his balance and collapsing back onto the floor. “F-Floyd!” Bruce panicked, watching in shock as their red headed brother fell. Floyd coughed harshly as he covered his mouth, curling back up in a ball of pain.

“What happened to you two!?” Clay said, his hands running through his hair anxiously. “Velvet, Veneer.” Floyd spoke quietly, the pain making it difficult to speak. All three brothers had their ears and tails completely folded and tucked. John Dory held onto Poppy, who's mind raced as she tried to think of a solution to this mess.

“Veneer stepped on him… Velvet threw me into the wall.” He coughed, wiping the blood from his lip.

“Oh stars…” Poppy’s pupils were pins, covering her mouth as she stared vacantly at Branch’s limp body. She felt John Dory's grip tighten on her arm. “But we can't do the Perfect Family Harmony if Branch can't sing!” John Dory spoke up.

The group fell silent, suddenly hitting the biggest road block. They couldn't get Branch. Poppy’s ears flattened completely. “No,” She pulled away from John Dory. Poppy refused to accept defeat here. They had gotten this far. She wasn't going to give up.

Poppy returned to the perfume bottles’ side. She firmly planted her hands against the bottle as she started to shake it. “Branch, Branch can you hear me!? You have to wake up Branch, we can't do it without you!” Poppy was crying, pleading for her lover to wake up. 

“Please don't leave me Branch… I-I'm here, we made it! I-I brought all your brothers… they're here for you! They came back!” She was still crying, the sight genuinely still horrifying. Branch didn't seem to stir, still unconscious.

Suddenly, they all heard the doorknob jiggle, causing every troll to look over their shoulders in horror. 

John Dory was the first to bolt, jumping off the vanity into a nearby full garbage can. Each troll followed suit, quickly leaving so as to not get caught. It took Poppy everything in her will to pull away from Branch, hating to leave him but knowing if they got caught it would be worse for all of them. 

She bolted last, falling into the can as soon as the door opened. Veneer stepped in, this time without Velvet accompanying him. He walked over to the two jars, guilt seeming to be painting his face. “Are you guys alive..?”

His voice was barely above a whisper, picking up the two bottles. Floyd pretended to be unconscious, but it was pretty convincing with the blood. “Oh shoot.” Veneer sighed heavily. 

He picked up Branch’s jar first, carefully slipping the lid off. He appeared to have brought in a roll of paper towels and some cleaning supplies. To the groups surprise, Veneer carefully picked up Branch's prison and opened the lid.

Veneer gently slid Branch out of the jar and onto the paper towels. “Hnn… I'm so sorry little guy,” He scratched his head, unsure of what to do, but was positive that he was dead.

Poppy and the others hid under some rubbage in the garbage can. She watched as Veneer seemed to do something with the bottle, getting curious and defensive. She carefully started to raise herself out of the can. 

“Poppy! What are you doing!?” John Dory grabbed her tail, stopping her from going any further. “Saving Branch.” She flicked her tail out of his hand, quietly leaving the garbage bin without a second word. She silently climbed her way up under the vanity with help from her claws, hiding behind the mirror.

Veneer started to clean the diamond perfume bottle with the paper towels. The blood wasnt coming off on the inside, making Veneer sigh heavily. He turned around and walked towards the bathroom they had connected to their room. Poppy heard the sound of the sink being turned on.

Now was Poppy’s chance.

Chapter Text

She ran out across the vanity on all fours, snatching Branch up in her arms before running off the edge of the vanity. She used her hair to swing and get to safety, clutching the limp body close. Poppy didn't hesitate before quickly exiting the room through another vent near the floor.

Veneer walked back into the dressing room, cleaning out the interior of the diamond with a paper towel. He glanced back towards where he had left the unconscious troll. His eyes widened in shock, fumbling the jar in his hands before freezing.

“Shit.”

Poppy was panting, her heart racing as she gently set Branch down on the floor of the vent. She stood over him- much similar to how Floyd had been earlier- her tail fluffed and angry. A low growl bellowed deep within her throat, only quiet enough for her to hear.

She watched as Veneer started to look around, seeing no possible trails of blood or anything. Poppy watched out the vent, ready to attack if the thing came close.

She froze as she felt a squeeze around her wrist.

Poppy quickly looked down at the body under her. Branch had grabbed onto her wrist weakly, his eyes barely open to look up at her. 

“B-” Branch suddenly covered her mouth with his other hand, his eyes popping more open in a panic that she would get them caught by becoming excited. Poppy fell quiet again, welling with tears as she stared down at Branch, exchanging words with their eyes.

Veneer, unable to find anything, got nervous and grabbed Floyd’s bottle. He slipped it into a bag before exiting the room. They watched him leave, and waited about 30 seconds before Branch uncovered her mouth. 

Her attention turned back to him, still standing above him. She felt complete relief wash over her as her body collapsed next to his, pulling him into the gentlest of hugs. “You're alive,” Was all Poppy could say before she started crying. She had done it. He was safe in her arms.

“I-Is it you?” Branch’s voice was barely audible, only being heard by the troll next to him. “Yes.” Poppy cooed happily. Branch exhaled in relief. Poppy could feel how frail and weak he was within the hug as the troll clutched onto her for dear life.

Branch let out a pained chuckle before he set his head back down on the floor, taking a heavy breath. Poppy wouldn't let go of him as her tail wagged rapidly behind her. She smoothed his hair out of his face, admiring her boyfriend whom she had missed for so long, to be okay and alive.

“I found all of your brothers. They came here to save you and Floyd.” She softly grabbed his hands, very carefully helping pull him upright. Branch winced in pain, leaning on Poppy. “Y-You… what? ”

“Branch!” John Dory made his presence known, opening up the vent in the wall. Poppy used her body to help support Branch to sit upright, turning her attention towards the vent. 

“Wow Poppy, I can't believe that worked,” Bruce said, approaching behind John Dory. Clay stood next to them, all three trolls pausing upon seeing Branch's bright blue vibrant eyes. Poppy hugged Branch around the waist happily, her tail whipping from side to side. 

Branch's ears completely folded, and he met eye-to-eye with each of his brothers. Was this a dream? Were those actually his brothers? Were they all actually here right now? His frozen state was pushed aside by Poppy's warm wet nose nuzzling his cheek again.

“They came to save you Branch,” Poppy spoke softly, noticing Branch’s fearful behavior. She couldn't blame him, assuming the troll was petrified half to death. His claw grip on Poppy was strong as she noticed his eyes locked on John Dory.

John solemnly smiled at him before taking the first step forward. “Baby Branch,” John spoke again slowly. He knelt in front of the couple before Branch spoke up with hesitance.

“You came back..?”

The words burned harder than John Dory could’ve thought. Here his baby brother was beaten, distressed and injured, but the first thing on Branch’s mind was the disbelief that his family would have returned.

“Of course,” John said softly, his ears folded back. He slowly approached as he offered the two young trolls a hug. Branch’s breath hitched in his throat before his ears pressed back completely. It was hard to believe, but this was real. He could actually feel John Dory’s fur. He wasn't hallucinating. This was real.

The overwhelming realization hit Branch hard. He was so dazed and confused in pain that he could barely comprehend what was going on around him. Instead, he felt John Dory and Poppy hold him tight. He was safe. They were rescued.

Branch started to cry, and cried hard. He hid his face between the two trolls, trembling in pain and fear. His cry was a sound of relief that his torment was over.

Bruce and Clay were welling up with tears, relieved to see their brother alive and vocal, regardless of what it was. They joined in on the hug, keeping mindful of his possible injuries.

Poppy softly coaxed him, having never heard him cry with such intensity. Branch burnt out quite quickly, the pain becoming too overwhelming to deal with anything else. Once he had quieted down, he noticed someone was missing.

“W-Where's Floyd?” He quietly whispered to Poppy, barely audible enough for the other Trolls to hear him. John Dory's ears perked upright as he glanced towards the vent. “Veneer has him…” John grumbled.

A frown fell on Poppy's face as John softly pulled away from the hug, leaving Poppy to hold Branch. She supported his weight, barely able to keep himself upright. He rested his head on her shoulder, his face permanently contorted in pain. “How are we going to do this with Branch..?” Poppy asked, realizing now they had a liability. 

Bruce and Clay exchanged nervous glances before looking back at Branch. “Can you walk?” Poppy asked him, looking down at Branch’s feet. They were completely transparent, causing a slight gasp to erupt from Poppy. “N-No. I can't feel anything.” Branch shakily whispered.

Poppy felt her heart sink. “Oh Branch,” He heard the pain in her voice as her grip slightly tightened on him. Branch let out a heavy pained sigh. His migraine was back, the pain being so overwhelming that his body was now just… numb.

“I’ll carry him.” John Dory offered. “Then we have to go save Floyd. Branch… can you sing?” He asked, turning his attention back to their youngest brother. Branch hesitated. “I-I might not be able to stay awake,” He mumbled. 

Poppy frowned, gently petting his face in an attempt to soothe him. She hated to see him this miserable, but it was so much better than seeing him dead.

“He’s still losing blood.” Clay pointed out before setting down his backpack. “We should patch him up. That’ll help him stay awake.” Clay pulled out an emergency aid kit from his packed bag. “Yeah, we should,” Bruce agreed. “Ah,” Branch said, starting to get nervous as his ears folded back once more.

Clay opened up the first aid kit, setting it down near Branch’s tail. Branch appeared to clutch Poppy tighter, finally being able to look at the damage done to his lower half. “O-Oh my stars.” He said, his voice falling. Poppy bit her lip. “I-It'll be okay Branch,” Poppy tried to coax but only felt him shake his head. 

“I-It's destroyed, it's gone,” His voice was breaking. “Hey, don't look at it.” John Dory interrupted him. He leaned over to get in Branch's eyeline. Branch’s ears were completely folded. He looked up at John Dory, meeting his emerald eyes with his large blue eyes filled with fear.

John needed to do something to calm him down, and fast. “Do you remember when you were little, and Clay thought it was a good idea to teach you how to fly?” John Dory knelt next to him, softly picking up his hand with Poppy to help support him. Branch gratefully took up the opportunity for a distraction, glancing up at John as his nose twitched in response.

“Oh yeah! I remember that one!” Bruce laughed, joining his side to help distract Branch. “We got you this, like, super tiny jumpsuit? And it had blue feathers on it, Bruce had to stop you from jumping off the tree!” Clay chuckled softly upon recalling the memory. Poppy smiled, seeing them all try their best to keep Branch calm while Clay patched up and stilted his tail best of their ability.

“That sounds hilarious,” Branch exhaled as Poppy petted his hair. He winced in pain, gripping her arm tightly as he hissed through his teeth. “Well, If you can feel that, I think you're not paralyzed,” Clay said, wiping a bead of sweat off his brow. “But you definitely won't be able to walk for a while…”

“Clay!” Bruce and John Dory said in unison, throwing up their hands at him. It caused a slight chuckle to emit from Branch. “Oop! Sorry.” He covered his mouth. “Ahh, you guys suck.” Branch leaned back in Poppy’s arms. She softly fanned his face, holding him up with a soft smile.

Aside from the circumstances, he had never been this physical with Poppy before. They were only a few months into their relationship, after restoring harmony to the rest of Trolltopia things had started to move so quickly. Poppy's ears folded back, knowing things probably weren't going to be the same from this point on. 

But here Branch was, tightly huddled against her with an iron-like grip he never wanted to let go of. She softly pressed her nose back against his damp cheek, helpless to do anything to soothe his pain. He leaned right back into her, silently saying without words “Thank you, stay here, don't leave again.”

The brothers all chuckled, watching Clay as he finished up. “Yknow, it's really not that bad Branch. I promise.” Clay reassured, looking back up towards Branch and Poppy. “M-Mhm…” Branch mumbled, beginning to tremble from the over stimuli. He could barely comprehend what was going on but knew that he was safe.

“B-Branch?” Poppy sputtered as her partner suddenly fell limp into her arms. Bruce quickly assisted, making sure he didn't come in contact with the floor. “W-What happened!?” Poppy started to panic, only to be shushed by Bruce. “He fainted Poppy, he's losing blood. He'll be okay, don't panic.” 

John knelt back next to the pair, his ears folded back. He glanced towards the vent before heavily sighing. “We have to keep moving. Floyd's getting away.” John spoke up, reminding everyone of the urgency at hand. Poppy's ears folded back to mirror John's, biting her lip as she held up her unconscious boyfriend.

She was trembling, covered in his blood. Her tail was fully extended, regardless of its wagging state. She was an emotional wreck and couldn't focus, John could see it from a mile away.

He took a heavy breath, deciding to appoint himself responsible over Branch for the mission from this point on. They still had Floyd to save. He wasn't leaving here without both of his brothers. “Alright, help me lift him up…”

Chapter Text

“Ready Poppy?” John Dory said, sitting on his knees to help Branch climb onto his shoulders. “Mhm!” Poppy said, standing while holding Branch up by the waist. “3, 2, 1!” She lifted him up, helping the barely conscious troll scramble up onto his brother’s back. Poppy used her backpack over John Dory’s shoulders to secure Branch in place as he wrapped his arms around John Dory’s neck.

“Geez Branch, you're unnaturally light.” John Dory said, adjusting him so he sat comfortably in place. “Good?” He glanced up over his shoulder to Branch’s face. “Mhm…” Branch mumbled poorly in response. He was barely awake, and would most likely lose consciousness again.

John Dory patted the side of his head softly with a sigh. “Awesome!” Poppy said, smoothing Branch’s tail out so that it stayed away from any accidental contact. She took two steps back and smiled, giving them a thumbs up. “You two are super cute, I wish I had a camera.” She patted her cheeks, looking at the two brothers with a large smile.

John smiled at Poppy before checking on Branch once more. Branch gave Poppy a soft smile before she saw it drop. “P-Poppy,” He stuttered. Poppy's ears perked as she noticed, trying to see what he was confused about. Poppy glanced towards his eyeline, realizing she was covered in his blood, staining her outfit and fur.

“Eesh,” Bruce cleared his throat. “O-Oh it's fine Branch! I was way worse yesterday. Aha.” She said aloud before quickly covering her mouth. “W-What!?” His ears perked up, sitting upright on John as he began to get nervous at her state, disregarding concern for himself. 

“Nevermind!” She covered her mouth, turning away from him to hide her outfit. Giving him more things to worry about wouldn't help right now. “Let's go save Floyd.” She beckoned the group before quickly hopping out of the vent. 

Branch worriedly watched her before he glanced towards his other brothers standing next to John. Branch became quickly distracted, recognizing their features and colors and remembering he was in the presence of other trolls. Not just any trolls. His brothers?

Everything felt waverly and blurry to Branch, like this was all a dream. The tiny troll had been thrown back in time before he could even remember. John’s grip on Branch's wrist was tight and familiar, preventing the younger one from falling off.

It was surreal to Branch to hear Spruce speak up. Through Branch's migraine and slurred vision, Bruce reassured him everything would be alright. “Just try to stay awake as long as you can.” 

Poppy kept her eye on the group of boys over her shoulder, Bruce and Clay at John's sides nervously monitoring Branch. Branch slumped into John Dory’s shoulder with a low painful groan. He closed his eyes tightly, deciding to just focus on his breathing for now.

The rescue team continued trudging through the vents, looking for where Veneer had taken Floyd. “How are we gonna do this?” Bruce asked, looking up towards Poppy. Poppy bit her lip, refusing to look back at them as she tried to come up with a plan.

...

Floyd’s ears stayed pinned back against his skull, lying on the floor of the perfume bottle in Veneer’s bag. He was nervous, especially more so that he hadn't seen what happened to Branch. 

He held a hand over his mouth so as to not cough and alert Veneer that he was alive. It was difficult, causing Floyd to tremble as a few lone tears slipped out of his eyes.

“Velvet, we have a problem,” Veneer said, running up to his sister who was occupied signing autographs. “Mm, sounds good!” Velvet hummed to a fan before pulling away, grabbing her brother by the shoulders. “What.” She growled, clearly not in a mood for any of his shenanigans while forcing a smile for the crowd.

“We’re out. We can't do the show tonight. We have to bail.” Veneer whispered to his sister. She glared back at him before folding her arms across her chest. “I-I,” Veneer glanced back at the audience around them before biting his lip. “We’ll be right back!” Velvet said with a wave, erupting a cheer from the club as Velvet grabbed Veneer by the wrist. She pulled him out of the room and into a corridor.

“What did you do!?” She said once verifying they were alone. “I-I thought the smaller one was dead. I took him out.” Veneer covered his face. Velvet’s jaw dropped to the floor. “Somehow he just- disappeared. There wasn't anything I could do!” Veneer frowned, folding his hands together in a pleading notion.

“Not take it out of the fucking DIAMOND Veneer!” Velvet angrily clawed at her face. “Where's the other one?” “Dead,” Veneer mumbled, reaching into his bag to grab the bottle. 

Floyd took a sharp breath, the bottle jostling as Veneer pulled it out of his bag. Velvet took the bottle out of his hand, observing the troll on the interior for herself.

Sure enough, the bottom of the jar was covered in blood, Floyd limp at the bottom. “Great. Thanks a lot Veneer, you just ruined our careers.” She rubbed her face as she threw the bottle back in his direction. Veneer quickly panicked, snatching the bottle before it collided with the floor. “H-Hey! I didn't kill this one! What made you think slamming him against the wall was a good idea!?”

“LOOK AT MY HAND!” Velvet yelled at him, shoving her hand in her brother's face. Her hand was wrapped in a bandage, deep red spots seeping through where her injury lay underneath. There were large cuts from Floyd clawing her and four decently deep teeth marks that had caused her hand to start to bruise. “THAT'S why!” She huffed. “What, we just cancel our big show and say hey we can't sing?!” She mocked Veneer, her brow completely furrowed.

“Yes!” Veneer said, devastation in his eyes. “Hell no!” Velvet retorted and she turned around and decided to walk back to their dressing rooms. “Come on. I'll get the other diamond then we can go find two more before the show starts.” 

Veneer’s jaw dropped in disbelief. Floyd also couldn't believe what he was hearing, and it was something he hadn't thought about. They could just go get more trolls, and put other people through the same amount of misery.

“No.” Veneer suddenly said, causing Velvet to stop in her tracks. “I don't want this. I never wanted this.” He violently shook his head, taking a step away from his sister. Velvet stared back at him in disbelief. “What are you talking about!? This is all we ever dreamed of! We’re so close and you're just going to throw it all away?! We bought a yacht for fucks sake!” Velvet started yelling at him, reapproaching her brother and getting in his face. 

Veneer began to get fearful, backing up before suddenly yelling back in her face. “I DIDN'T WANT TO KILL ANYONE!” He shouted at her, causing her to quiet down. Veneer was now crying, sharply inhaling as he held back tears. “Veneer shut up!” She looked around in a panic.

“I'm done with this. You're on your own. I'm not letting you take any more Trolls. I quit.” Veneer said, pushing past her to go to their dressing room. “Veneer!” Velvet followed him into the room. “Grr… GO TO HELL!” She suddenly snatched the bag off of his shoulder that contained Floyd before Veneer could grab the empty diamond bottle.

“Hey!” Veneer snapped. “I’ll do it myself. I've done everything for you and I'm not going to let you ruin my hard work. I caught the Trolls. I’ll do it again. And I'll use every last drop of them. I DON'T CARE.” Velvet spat. Veneer covered his mouth, going to retort before his eyes fell in shock at something behind her.

Velvet froze up, slowly turning her head to see Kid Ritz; the live TV show interviewer that Veneer and Velvet had conversed with previously, standing in the doorway. His jaw was slack, having heard the conversation from afar. “Velvet… Veneer…” He introduced with a slight nod, holding his phone in his hand- assumingly recording. 

Velvet looked back at Kid Ritz and then Veneer. “This isn't what it looks like?” Veneer said with a sheepish grin. Velvet didn't waste another moment before she suddenly took off running. “H-Hey!” Veneer tried to stop her, but she shoved him down to stop Kid Ritz from following her. “OUT OF MY WAY TRAITOR!” She darted back into the club, entering the crowd. Everyone cheered upon the siblings’ return, but it quickly turned to confusion as Velvet bolted through the crowd.

“I'm calling the police.” Kid Ritz looked up at Veneer. He rubbed the back of his neck, knowing he was at fault. “I swear I didn't know she was going to go this far,” He said sadly. “Yea… but, Trolls, Veneer? I liked you guys too,” Kid Ritz appeared disappointed in the pop star. “You know they test for that, right?”

“Huh!?” He looked up towards the Mount Ragion. “Yea. Troll magic is super illegal in the big leagues. You weren't going to get very far anyway. They don't test it here but… that's because it's a club.” Kid Ritz shrugged, holding his phone up to his ear as he dialed the police, making sure Veneer wasn't going to leave. “Well, Good. I'm glad they do.” Veneer crossed his arms with a sigh.

Chapter Text

The trolls had made their way back through the HVAC system, feeling vacant of a plan. They stood on the inside of the exterior vent, watching the large hovering vehicles zoom past on the brightly lit road. 

“Where could Veneer have taken him..? To the stage? That makes no sense,” Bruce thought aloud. “No idea…” John Dory mumbled, glancing back at his shoulder to check on Branch. The poor troll had dozed off on their trek, finally safe and secure.

Poppy was staring out the vent, holding her chin in thought. Her tail flicked from side to side. “... Should we try an upfront approach?” She suggested. “What do you mean?” Clay asked, taking a seat on the metal ground beneath them. Poppy slammed a fist into her hand, lighting up as she got an idea. 

“Yea! We can use Rhonda.” She turned to face the group. “If they are going to perform, let's crash the stage! Announce that they kidnapped Trolls and are using Troll magic. That’ll ruin their careers no matter what!” Her tail wagged, thinking her plan was foolproof.

The group's ears perked up upon hearing the distant sound of sirens. They turned to look as four police cars pulled up to the venue, causing the crowd out front to stop jumping and dancing. Everyone became concerned as Mount Ragion police officers got out of their cars and ran into the building. “Whoa, what's going on..?” Bruce spoke up as they all ran over to the grate.

“Cops? Who called the authorities?” Clay said, standing up from the ground last and coming over. “THERE'S VELVET!” Poppy suddenly shouted, pointing in a different direction than the group was looking. The pop star could be seen getting into her luxury vehicle, the bag Veneer had put Floyd in swung over her shoulder. 

“And she has Floyd!” John Dory pointed towards the bag. “She's getting away! The cops are going the wrong way!” Bruce said before forcing open the grate. He beckoned the group forward with his arm.

“Let's get Rhonda!” Poppy said, hopping out first. The group followed, quickly running out of the vent and darting to where they had stashed Rhonda.

They rushed to the beast hidden next to the dumpster, happily awaiting her friends to return. She perked up as they made their approach. “Hustle Rhonda!” John Dory snapped his fingers. Rhonda bounded to life as her side hatch flew open for the micro passengers. 

They darted in, Rhonda quickly taking off at the control of John Dory. Bruce slipped into a chair before glancing back towards John and Branch. He multitasked while keeping Branch upright on his shoulders, proving to be a bit difficult for the older troll. “I can take him, John,” Bruce offered. “No. No time.” John dismissed, stepping on the gas to follow Velvet’s luxury vehicle leaving the parking lot.

“How are you doing, Branch?” Poppy said from next to them, softly placing a hand on top of his. He had shifted back awake from the running, but was still barely holding on. His ear flicked, acknowledging that he heard Poppy but couldn't respond. She frowned, softly squeezing his hand before pulling away. “Okay Branch, just hold on, it's gonna get rocky.”

Rhonda started her romp excitedly onto the roads, her toes shifting to wheels with the slide of her paw. Poppy dug through her backpack on John Dory's back, looking for items they could utilize. Rhonda sped through traffic, following the speeding limo at minimal ease. Velvet glanced in her mirrors, seeing the small creature following her. “What the…” She had no idea what it could be, but decided not to stick around to find out.

She glanced at the bottle in Veneer’s bag. “Hm.” She snatched it up and looked at the troll on the interior. “If that other one wasn't dead from Veneer stepping on it, then you definitely aren't!” She jostled the bottle. “Can't fool me Troll.” She sneered, whether or not Floyd was conscious to hear it. She decided to test the bottle out, successfully proving Veneer wrong as she bellowed out a sultry high note after spritzing herself.

A few of the other vehicles around her noticed and started cheering for their beloved pop star, having no idea what had just occurred at the Rage Dome. Large floating stars began to fly into a circle around Velvet, cameras suddenly narrowing in on the escapee.

Velvet sneered at the cameras, getting an idea as she stuffed the bottle away under the eyeline of the shot. “MOUNT RAGEOUS! Welcome to my Road Tour Solo Performance! My brother is a flaker, but I'm here to outshine him!” She bellowed out, putting the car on autopilot before taking the show for herself.

“What is she doing!?” Poppy said, opening Rhonda's side hatch as they approached the left side of the vehicle. “Saving her career! Those things are cameras!” Bruce yelled, pointing at the stars that hovered around Velvet. “Do your thing Poppy! Ruin it!” Clay said, giving her a thumbs up. 

Poppy nodded sharply. She narrowed in on her target; the bag that held Floyd in the passenger seat. Poppy instructed Bruce and Clay to hold the other end of her hand tight before noticing Branch’s worried gaze. Her stern serious expression quickly melted into a smile for him. 

She had to do this, she needed to get all of his brothers back. She wouldn't just let them save Branch. They would save Floyd too. She had promised.

“I’ll be back!” She made him another promise before jumping out of Rhonda’s hatch. “P-POPPY!” Branch yelped, not expecting her to just leap out of the racing vehicle. “Branch, it's fine!” John Dory grabbed his arm while keeping another hand on the wheel. He had started to panic, seeing Poppy throw herself out of the door. 

Branch felt useless, knowing he couldn't do anything to help and his panicking wasn't assisting the situation in the slightest. He just started to shake, but quieted down as his claws dug into John Dory's jacket.

Poppy wore a pair of gummy gloves on her hands and feet- something she had brought in her bag of endless surprises. She latched onto the edge of the luxury car, the wild wind whipping her hair and tail every which way. She scrambled up the side of the vehicle, suddenly appearing on the hood of Velvet’s car out of the corner of the pop star's eye.

“VELVET!” Poppy snapped, announcing her presence. Velvet shot a glare towards the creature on her bonnet. Her face quickly dropped in shock as she made eye contact with the Troll. 

All the cameras turned to the tiny thing that appeared. The troll stood with a glare on all fours to make sure she didn't slide off on the windy ride. “YOU KILL TROLLS FOR THEIR MAGIC!” Velvet’s jaw dropped in shock at the sudden blatant statement. “You little shit-” She quickly set the vehicle on autopilot, stepping out onto the bonnet herself, to Poppy's surprise.

She attempted to grab Poppy, who scrambled and ran away from her. She jumped back into the car and onto the passenger seat. She was going for Floyd. Velvet growled, quickly grabbing the bag as Poppy latched onto it. She held it up in the air, unable to see where the pink troll was gripping. 

Suddenly, all the cameras’ lights were back on her. In an attempt to regain control of the situation, Velvet continued singing and dancing. 

Unable to retrieve Poppy from getting into the bag, Velvet glared towards the small animal-vehicle speeding alongside hers. The pop star gritted her teeth, spinning on her heel before she pushed the wheel with her foot, suddenly ramming the luxury vehicle into Rhonda's side. 

Velvet lost her balance as the wheel spun out of her control after colliding with the armadillo bus. She stumbled as the car derailed, losing her grip on the bag as they all flew into the air.

Velvet collided with Rhonda once more in mid-air, the beast letting out a cry as her hatch door was snapped off. Poppy held tightly onto the exterior of the diamond prison, flying through the air. The bottle collided harshly with the ground, sending Poppy flying off of it.

She tumbled onto the road, landing hard on her arm which caused a large abrasion. Thankfully the surfaces’ were slick, causing her to gain enough friction to slide away from the wreck.

Velvet proceeded to crash into another vehicle in front of her, causing her to fall back into the cabin of the car. Rhonda tumbled, sending all of the trolls flying inside. The wreck was quite bad, ending up with her on her side. 

“RHONDA!” John Dory cried out, quickly crawling out of the detached hatch as the group recovered from the fall. Branch held onto him tightly, spooked but unharmed from the wreck. Rhonda groaned, her body covered in dents and cracks.

It was interesting to see John, the troll Branch had thought was too good for them his entire life, not caring about a single thing in the world, suddenly break down at the sight of Rhonda's damage.

He touched her face, his ears folded completely back. “O-Oh my god, I'm so sorry my girl,” His tail was extended, watching as the beast cooed in pain.

Branch was surprised to see him almost on the verge of tears, his eyes shifting up to look at the large creature. His gaze fell towards his brothers, who were recovering from the crash. They had all gotten thrown around, but overall everyone seemed to be okay. 

Their coordination however had been lost in the crash. “Poppy!?” Branch called out, looking around for the pink troll, using his knees to push himself higher up on the older trolls’ shoulders.

Poppy stood up shakily, feeling the striking pain burn up her arm. “C-Come on Popifier,” Poppy growled, pushing through the pain as she regained herself on all fours. Her ears pinned back, but continued on with the mission to look around for Floyd. The crystal lay not far from the wreck site, but had slid out of reach. 

She could feel the hot light of a camera following her tail, filming the small injured troll as she hobbled back over to the diamond prison. The atomizer of the crystal had been snapped off in the wreck. 

“Floyd!” Poppy cried out, running up to the crystal on all fours. The trapped troll groaned in pain, barely conscious from the crash. “We got you Floyd, just hold on!” Poppy reassured, attempting to slide him back towards the wreck where her brothers were.

She hissed in pain, feeling the road burn and impact on her arm as she pushed. Her legs started to shake, but she kept going. “BOYS!” She shouted, causing their attention to turn back to Floyd. She was struggling as the camera filming her locked in, capturing the scene in front of them.

“Poppy!” Branch announced again in alarm as he lost his grip on John Dory. He practically fell over John’s shoulder, not able to control the bottom half of his body to stop him from falling over. John Dory thankfully caught him by the shoulders before he fell. He swiftly swooped Branch into his arms as they ran over to Floyd and Poppy.

Velvet shakily stood up from the car, disoriented from the wreck. The last camera left her, now circling around the trolls. She gritted her teeth angrily, refusing to let everything she had worked towards go to waste. “Not on my watch.” She said through bared teeth. 

Her clothes were tattered and her hair was frazzled from the wreck, but seemed mostly uninjured. She quickly started her approach to the diamond, much to the groups’ fear. 

Rhonda suddenly jumped out in front of them, barking angrily. Velvet got scared, yelping as Rhonda nipped towards her ankles. She sent Velvet running, bounding after her in an attempt to bite their attacker.

Poppy ran up to the group, holding her arm tightly. “Come on! You guys have to do the Perfect Family Harmony! Now!” She gestured towards Floyd. “R-Right, um,” John Dory paused, looking around at the group that surrounded the diamond. Everyone's eyes locked back at him, relying on him for direction. 

“I-I, I don't,” 

Poppy helped pick up Branch from John's arms so they could focus, wrapping her tail around his waist and using her body to help hold him up. “We’ve never done it before, I don't, can we?” Bruce sounded doubtful, mirroring John's hesitancy. 

Floyd stared with wide eyes, holding his chest as blood dribbled down his lip from his nose. His brothers stared back at him, all with looks of fear and regret. Floyd's ears folded back, sharing the same fear that silently lingered around them. They could still get Floyd out, right?

Branch audibly huffed, disturbing the silence as he leaned on Poppy for support. “Who cares!? We’re all here! We can try!” His voice was hoarse, but still wanted his opinion voiced. John Dory stared at him struggling to stand even with Poppy’s help. But he was still willing to try. John's eyes returned to look at Floyd, who sat trembling encased in the diamond.

The other brothers seemed to hesitate as well, the stakes extremely high with all of the cameras hovering around them after not performing for years. Branch gripped Poppy’s shoulder tightly, struggling to hold himself up as she tried to help him stand. It was clear he was in a lot of pain.

“We don't have to be perfect John,” Branch said, his voice wavering as all of his brothers stared at him. “We just have to be together.” Branch's eyes returned to Floyd, his brother weak and hurt on the ground.

The pain they shared was unimaginable, having gone through days of traumatizing horror together. But no matter what, they needed to both come out alive. If that meant having to let bygones be bygones with his brothers, so be it. 

Branch encouraged them to start, but when no one would, he looked to Poppy. She smiled in reassurance, a knowing look that she would stay right by his side no matter what. Branch smiled with his newfound support and started to sing.

“It's some kind of love… It's some kind of fire…” It was the first time any of them had heard their adult baby brother sing. His voice was so different from so many years ago, it was smooth and gentle, his kindness hidden behind the tough exterior, leaking through with his voice. It melted their hearts as they began to harmonize, attempting their best shot at saving Floyd. Poppy’s tail swished happily as she smiled warmly at her lover.

“We do it better, yea.” He and Poppy started to sway together cutely, not able to do much to contribute choreographically to the song, but made it cute regardless. Their brothers spun in turn with the song. Floyd watched weakly from the ground, happy to see his brother's attempt at saving him. 

His gaze specifically focused towards Branch, welling up with tears as he watched him dance with Poppy, barely able to do so but succeeding for him.

“I don't mind if the world spins faster, faster, faster-” Poppy and him harmonized, helping him stand by stepping on her feet as she spun him around, securing him with her tail. They began to harmonize with Branch’s brothers, singing loud and together for Floyd, not willing to back down from anything thrown in their way. Poppy and Branch were the two most resilient trolls out there. There was nothing they couldn't overcome, especially for each other.

Velvet stood on top of her luxury limo, Rhonda barking and snapping aggressively to try and bite at her ankles. She huffed, going to go after the trolls once more but suddenly caught a glance of Veneer out of the corner of her eye. It was a video on the news bulletin board, her baby brother talking to a news reporter in handcuffs. 

The caption read “Famous Star Veneer of the Velvet & Veneer Pop Group has admitted to conspiring with the misuse of Trolls.” Velvet couldn't believe her eyes, now knowing there was nothing she could do. Everything had already been torn from her. All she could do was glance back over her shoulder as the Trolls began to light up on the ground.

The magic from the Perfect Family Harmony seemed to be working, allowing the group of Trolls to rise into the air. Finally off his feet, Branch was able to dance with Poppy and his brothers for the rest of the song. He spun her around and performed a line and move with each of his brothers. 

The gray trolls' colors were slowly returning as they harmonized, the glossiness of his glass skin faded to his normal muted blue, albeit a lighter drained gradient. He held his hand out to Floyd, colliding with the diamond prison.

“Just let me take you to a better place!”

Floyd was able to harmonize in the very last moment, the sound echoing and concentrating the source of magic. It exploded the diamond before them, sending everyone plummeting towards the ground. Poppy caught Branch, and John Dory caught Floyd before they hit the ground.

Poppy panted, spinning Branch around happily in her arms. “We did it, Branch! We did it, we did it!” She cheered. “W-We did!” He said with bated breath, holding onto her tightly. Poppy's tail whipped excitedly, falling to her knees with Branch in her arms.

The group watched as they exchanged a passionate kiss, holding each other there for who knew how long. They no longer cared, love and passion were prominent in their hearts. “Woo!” Bruce cheered for them with an added clap. Poppy held Branch’s face after she pulled away. 

Her tail was a tornado as she pressed her forehead against his, never wanting to let him go ever again. They shared another tight hug before Branch gently pulled away, shifting his immediate attention to Floyd, only having so much to spare.

Poppy glanced towards his shifted gaze, seeing John Dory carefully set Floyd down on the ground, Bruce and Clay also coming to his aid. Poppy helped pick Branch up and brought him over to where Floyd had ended up. 

Floyd was recovering, his skin having returned back to a faded blue from the damage. Branch could see the bruising on his body and face, causing his ears to fold. John Dory held a hand on Floyd's back, helping the injured troll sit upright.

“Branch,” Floyd said with a shaky exhale, exasperated to see the Troll alive. Branch almost started to cry immediately as Poppy handed him to Floyd, letting the two wrap their arms around each other tightly. He was so relieved to hold his brother again after having thought he had lost him for hours. 

Neither couldn't help it as they started to cry together, Floyd’s tail tightly securing Branch in the hug. Branch only fed off of his burst of emotion, hiding his face against Floyd’s shoulder as he cried with him. They were safe. The hell was finally over.

Floyd attempted to wrap his tail with Branch's, but realized it felt different and stiff. Confused, he sniffled and checked to see Branch’s tail tightly bandaged behind them. Even though Floyd could tell his tail should be wagging right now, it was clear it wasn't.

“Y-Your tail,” Floyd said, his breath hitched in his throat. “I-It's fine.” Branch said, exhaling heavily. “I can't feel it.” 

The statement did nothing to reassure Floyd, his ears pressing back as he fought back another burst of emotion. “B-Branch I'm so sorry, I-I should have grabbed you, ran under and- I-I heard you scream a-and I thought-” Floyd’s voice trembled, starting to shake and stutter.

“I'm okay, Floyd.” Branch's quiet voice reassured his sobbing brother before Floyd pulled him back into the hug, holding the Troll tightly. Floyd heaved as he tried to control his panicked breathing, coughing harshly away from Branch as he spit up blood. This alerted the group, causing them all to perk up at attention. 

 “W-We need medical!” Clay announced, quickly fetching his backpack. Floyd wiped the blood from his lip, looking faint as his attention was called by Clay’s voice.

He looked up to see all the other members of their family standing above the two, terrified and concerned looks on their faces. Bright irritating lights spotlighted the trolls from above, reminding Floyd that this was all being watched. By literally everyone. Cameras hovered above him, filming his vulnerability.

Floyd, in a bewildered and sickly state, secured his tail around Branch upon quieting down. Overwhelm quickly overtook Floyd, unable to control his trembling fear as his grip tightened on Branch. His jaw locked tight, eyeing John Dory before hiding his face in Branch’s shoulder.

“T-Take it easy, Floyd…” Branch sat next to his brother in his arms. They all heard the police start to arrive at the scene, most likely from being filmed live. Clay grabbed his first aid kit, sitting on his knees next to Floyd. “Don't worry brother. We got you.” He reassured calmly in an attempt to calm the nerve-shot troll.

Chapter Text

Everything had been caught on film, the publicity stunt out on the front pages of any news source reachable to the Mount Rageons. To the luck of the Trolls it happened to include the reach of the Bergens. King Gristle and Queen Bridgette had arrived seemingly out of nowhere on a motorbike. The trolls had been brought back to the Rage Dome after Velvet had been arrested, allowing Poppy to give a detailed report to the authorities. 

“Poppy!” Bridgette said, hopping off the bike and running up to the group of Trolls. They sat on the steps with Rhonda, being too injured to travel for the moment. “Bridgette!” Poppy jumped up excitedly, holding her hands out as Bridgette scooped her up. “I saw you on the news! We rushed right over, what happened!?”

“Oh, so like, it was totally crazy girl,” Poppy said with a forced chuckle. “Not to be a downer but girl, you look so exhausted.” Bridgette frowned, concerned for her friend as she gently pushed Poppy’s hair out of her face. Poppy smiled sympathetically. “Oh yeah. It's been hell.” She exhaled, looking back down at Branch and his brothers. 

They were patiently waiting for Clay to be done patching up Floyd, striking up conversations among themselves. “But we're all alive. That's what matters.” She gently shrugged. Bridgette smiled softly. “Me and Grissy were just on our honeymoon! We don't mind giving you guys a ride home? Looks like you might need it.” She said, glancing sympathetically at Rhonda. 

Rhonda let out a pained growl, which was responded to by John Dory softly petting her face. “That sounds great!” Poppy said, turning towards the rest of the trolls. “Who's ready to go home?”

All of the trolls looked up at Poppy, initially responding with hesitancy. They glanced at each other, unsure of where to turn. “Who’s..?”

“Oh.” Poppy pierced her lips, remembering the long journey it had taken to get everyone. Surely Branch and Floyd were not well enough to make that entire trek in reverse. “Preferably wherever closest, honestly.” John Dory spoke up. “Rhonda needs to rest,"

“I live closest, I believe!” Bruce spoke up, holding a finger up above his head. “I get a few Mount Rageons vacationing from time to time. It's a trip, but definitely closer than anywhere else.” He suggested. John Dory and Clay nodded in agreement before looking back at the injured of the party. 

“Branch..?” Poppy asked, wanting his opinion specifically. “Uh…” Branch paused, thinking over the question. He didn't exactly sound sure, hesitant to agree. “I mean, it's really nice. I think you’d like it.” Poppy smiled, concerned by his hesitancy.

Branch was in a wavering state. Realistically, he had barely even heard what Poppy had said. The only thing he could focus on was his tail and Floyd. His tail hurt, and Floyd was hurt. He just wanted those things to stop. His mind was yelling at him to sleep, exhaustion clawing at the overworked troll.

Poppy wasn't ignorant of his state, but made the assumption he was more coherent than he actually was. Branch realized Poppy was looking for an answer, quickly responding without knowing what he was agreeing to. “S-Sounds great,”

“I think that's a plan then!” Poppy nodded to Bridgette. She hopped down from Bridgette's hand and paced back up to the group, who sat on the ledge of one of the steps.

“How are you feeling?” She asked, standing in front of him. Branch sat next to John Dory and Bruce, the two helping him sit upright. “... Okay?” He met her eyes, shrugging lightly. Everything felt okay as long as he didn't move.

“Do you think you can walk?” Poppy asked, tilting her head to the side. Branch didn't answer right away, looking down at his legs before his eyes shot back up to Poppy. “I-I, um,” His ears folded slightly as Poppy frowned. She took a slow breath and knelt in front of him, softly taking his hands. “Let's try, yea?” She said encouragingly. Branch swallowed the bubble in his throat. “O-Okay.” He obliged.

Everyone watched in silence as Poppy held his hands. John Dory wasn't particularly fond of the idea, but they needed to see if he could. Branch attempted to carefully put a foot on the ground, but immediately started to tremble. His ears pressed completely back against his skull as Poppy pulled him upright, much too fast for his comfort, forcing his other foot onto the ground. 

“S-Stop!” He cried out, alerting Poppy, something she hadn't expected, especially so pained and forced. She accidentally let go of Branch's hands out of fear of hurting him. This caused him to fall backwards, losing his balance, but not before John Dory's quick reaction time swiftly caught him so he didn't land on his tail.

“O-Oh, Sorry Branch! Did that hurt!?” Poppy said, having not expected his reaction. “Yes!” He shouted at her, frustrated that it wasn't obvious. Poppy frowned, her ears folding back as she watched him recover from the pain. He gripped John Dory's arm tightly as Bruce put a hand on his shoulder for support.

Branch's eyes popped open to meet Poppy's, a sudden look of remorse washing over his face. “S-Sorry,” Branch apologized, his voice quieting quickly, feeling guilty for having raised his tone at Poppy. “N-No, it's okay, I should've been slower…” Poppy retorted, kneeling back next to him. “You just can't feel them..?” She asked, her tail swaying behind her. “No. It hurts.” He mumbled, taking another deep breath. “

Poppy.” Bruce spoke up, putting a hand on her shoulder. “Let him heal first, yea? We can work on walking later.” Bruce tried to be gentle, but didn't like that she was pushing Branch. The poor kid’s tail was black and blue, he shouldn't be walking at all. 

“Y-Yea, Yea that, yea.” She felt bad, staring at Branch catching his breath. He closed his eyes tightly, the pain shooting from his tail. The attempt to put pressure on his spine was borderline unbearable.

“Alright bud.” John Dory said, picking up Branch as he continued to lose color from the pain. “Let's go check on Floyd.” He carried the disoriented troll into Rhonda’s torn-open hatch, leaving Poppy and Bruce to their devices. “Don't worry. He’ll get better in no time. But let's keep in mind what he just went through, Poppy. Let's approach this slowly.” Bruce reassured her. 

“Y-Yea, I know…” Poppy rubbed the stress from her face. Bruce frowned, seeing her anxiety only more prominent after rescuing Branch in a broken state. His tail swayed as an idea popped into his head. “Hey, how about we all have a drink when we get back, huh? Celebrate our victory?” Bruce suggested with an elbow bump. Poppy couldn't prevent a small smile from slipping. “Yea. That sounds nice actually.”

“I'm gonna go check in with them, why don't you figure out how we're gonna get big ol’ Rhonda back,” Bruce said, glancing over his shoulder towards the beast. Poppy nodded sharply, eager to be sent on a distracting task. “You got it!” Her forced positivity returned before turning on her heels and bounding back towards her friends.

…

John Dory carried Branch into the interior of Rhonda, seeing Floyd and Clay sitting near the couch. “How we doin?” He made his presence known. Both trolls looked up from the floor. John slowly set Branch down next to Floyd. Bruce followed in close behind, standing in the doorway. 

“Better,” Floyd's voice was weak. He was overwhelmed by everything occurring, only speaking in short bursts. “I'm thinking he has a few fractured ribs; he's not breathing too well either,” Clay mumbled, holding a stethoscope on Floyd’s back. His chest was tightly wrapped with some bandages, hoping to hold everything in place while it healed. 

“It’ll heal on its own, but it’ll hurt for a while,” Clay said as he pulled the stethoscope out of his ears. “Thank the stars,” Floyd exhaled, acknowledging Branch's presence by wrapping his tail around him first.

“How's he doing..?” Clay asked as he wiped a bead of sweat off of his brow. Branch only let out a pained groan, too disoriented to answer any more questions. Finding comfort in Floyd's presence, he huddled closer to the troll as Floyd pulled him back into a hug. The two were glued to each other. 

“Give him a second. Poppy tried to make him stand,” Bruce mumbled, scratching his chin as they watched Branch settle in Floyd's arms. “How’d that go?” Clay grit his teeth. John Dory just shook his head. “He just said it hurt, couldn't do it anymore.” Floyd frowned, looking down at the dazed Branch in his arms. 

The shooting pain had given him a migraine, stress lines apparent on his face. The looming silence quickly became too much for the newly-reunited group of brothers.

“What about you Floyd? Do you think you could stand?” John asked, not wanting to leave the silence for long. Floyd slowly shook his head, also feeling too dazed to be on his feet. 

The elder three brothers all exchanged worried and concerned glances, realizing just how much pain their siblings were in. “Well… um,” John nervously scratched his chin. Clay cleared his throat. “Is there anything else you need..?” Bruce asked them.

Floyd hesitated, sitting cowered on the floor, staring up at his older brothers. His forgotten family, whom he had thought were gone and dead for the last twenty years. A million different thoughts were flooding Floyd's head, all of which he could barely comprehend without a complete overwhelm of emotion. His life never had to have happened the way it did. His brothers were alive, and they had come to rescue him this time.

“Flo-” John recognized it first, speaking up before Floyd completely broke down. He started to sob, clutching Branch tightly in a protective stance. Branch's ears perked up, waking up more to Floyd's distress. His claws unintentionally dug into Branch's clothes, but Branch did not notice due to his numbness.

Floyd didn't know what to do, unable to control himself, and felt worse for falling to a sobbing mess in front of his brothers. He hid his face in Branch's shoulder, heaving as he tried to stuff the sobs back down. His injury was making it more difficult to breathe.

John didn't know what to do, freezing up. Bruce took it upon himself to react first, joining the brothers on the floor. “Hey, hey…” Bruce lightly coaxed, putting a hand on his shoulder. Floyd hadn't expected his response, his ears pinned back as he looked up at Bruce. “It's okay, Floyd, you can cry…”

Bruce watched Floyd's face fall in shock, as if the statement was foreign to him. It caused Floyd to cry twice as hard, letting Bruce pull both of them into a hug. Branch had a worried look on his face, staring up at Floyd in concern.

What made it worse was that Floyd didn't know why he was crying. Everything felt so overwhelming all at the same time, causing him to default on his ability to acknowledge the emotion. “I-I, I didn't, y-you,” He stuttered, trying to speak and explain himself between sobs. John and Clay joined Bruce on the floor, the brothers all together for the first time in twenty years.

It felt all too familiar to each of them, sitting together on the floor, waiting for poor Floyd to stop crying. It was agonizing, everything clearly coming from a place of fear and pain. Clay hugged Floyd and Branch next before it ended with John. John held him tightly until he calmed down.

Floyd eventually quieted after what felt like multiple agonizing minutes, but it was mostly due to him falling into a coughing fit. He covered his mouth as he spit up blood, trembling violently in his eldest brother's arms.

Branch was picked up by Clay so that medical attention could be given to Floyd. Everyone was quiet, giving him all the time he needed to process what was occurring. Floyd got to a point where he could control his breaths, covering his mouth with a folded piece of medical cloth.

“I-I'm sorry,” Was the first thing Floyd squeaked out once he was able to. John’s ears folded back instantly, helping the troll sit up on his own as he gently pulled away. “Sorry? Sorry for what? Don't be sorry Floyd, we came to help.” John Dory reassured him. Floyd wiped his face with the blood-covered medical cloth, sniffling sharply before setting it aside.

Floyd opened his mouth to speak again, but still didn't even know where to start. It might've been easier to say what he wasn't sorry about. He felt remorseful about everything in his life. From making his brothers come all this way to rescue him, to getting him and Branch trapped in this situation in the first place. For not grabbing Branch like he should've, maybe even for leaving and never coming back, and wrongfully assuming everyone was gone.

He couldn't find his words, eyes falling away from John Dory as his ears pressed back again. “I-I'm so sorry,” He poorly repeated with a hoarse voice. “It's gonna be okay Floyd…” Bruce said gently, placing a hand into his shoulder. “You look like you're gonna fall over. Do you want to go lay down?”

Giving Floyd an optional task so he didn't have to think was the best thing they could do. Floyd slowly nodded his head, the emotional and physical weight of being rescued, injured and reunited being far too much on the poor troll. Thinking Branch had died only hours prior, it made sense why he wanted to fold over and collapse.

“Alright buddy.” John obliged, helping the troll up by the arms. Floyd was surprisingly light and easy to carry, being similar in weight to Branch. John's ears stayed pressed back as his concerns over his brothers got the better of him. His tail dragged behind him as he took Floyd back into the cabin.

“This is my bed, but Poppy has been sleeping in it so it's a bit nicer.” John joked, trying to bring some sort of light to the situation as he set Floyd down. Floyd dizzily flopped back into the pillows with a groan. “Ugh… this is so much better then the floor,”

A small smile pierced his lips as Floyd stretched out, his eyes barely squinted open as he melted instantly into the soft cushioning of the bed. Bruce chuckled lightly. “Geez, it's like you haven't seen a bed in weeks!” He joked lightly. Floyd's ears flicked, acknowledging the statement with a small scoff. “Months,” He murmured before turning away from the brothers. 

John, Bruce and Clay's ears all perked up, the odd statement catching them off guard. “He's dazed… just let him rest.” Clay whispered, dismissing the weirdness around Floyd's wording. Branch was almost asleep in Clay's arms, keeping the troll upright with his tail dangling off the ground. “Branch,” Clay spoke up.

“Mm?” Branch’s ears flicked, the pain from his tail getting the better of his stability. Floyd was still concerning him, but he could only focus for so long. “Do you want to rest with Floyd?” Clay asked gently. Branch glanced over at Floyd, seeing the sickly troll curl up on the bed. “Y-Yea. I'll watch him.” He mumbled in a forced joking tone.

Clay smiled as he set Branch down next to Floyd. Giving in to his instinctive tendencies, Floyd's tail curled tightly back around Branch. “Hey, y-you okay?” Branch murmured with a stutter. Floyd just shakily nodded, pulling the troll in for a hug.

“You're a lifesaver, John Dory.” Branch said softly as John Dory placed a blanket over his two brothers. John smiled solemnly. “Hey, y’know…” He spoke with a gentle shrug. “You guys are still my brothers.”

…

John Dory was the last to make his way out of Rhonda. He let out a heavy sigh as he ran his hand along her exterior side. Rhonda was covered in scrapes and dents from her tumble, the armadillo bus having took quite the impact. 

“Just get some rest girl.” He coaxed her lightly. “And take care of them. Let them sleep.” He winked with a finger over his mouth in a shush motion. Rhonda purred in agreement, lying her head down inside of the motorcycle sidecar attached to Bridgette and Gristle’s bike. A guilty look fell over his face as he stared at the broken trap door. John shook his head before he hopped out of the cab, swinging up to the other trolls. 

They were sitting in the seat of the sidecar, leaving Rhonda and the younger boys alone to sleep. “I think they’ll be fine. It’ll just take a few months for everything to heal.” Clay was finishing his conversation about Floyd’s condition with Poppy and Bruce. John came and took a seat next to them, sighing as his gaze stayed on Rhonda. 

“As for mentally…” Clay hissed between his teeth. “Yea..?” Poppy frowned, tapping the backpack anxiously in her lap. “I don't think they’ll ever recover from this, honestly,” Clay mumbled. “I can't imagine how traumatizing that must’ve been.” He scratched his wrist slightly. “Yea…” Bruce sighed sadly. The group thought back to how hard Floyd had been crying, leaving a heavy pit in each of their stomachs.

“That's okay… all we can do is support them and help them overcome it.” Poppy spoke up with a smile. John Dory nodded, but the other two seemed to hesitate.

“In the meantime, everyone is welcome to stay as long as they’d like at my home.” Bruce added in. “I can make beds for everyone and everything. It’ll be great.” Poppy clapped her hands. “That sounds wonderful! I bet it’ll help them a lot.” She sighed gently. John Dory let out a long exhale, finally prying his eyes away from Rhonda.

“Anyone want a drink?”

Chapter Text

Floyd was the first to stir awake. They had been sleeping for hours, the entire journey back to Vaycay Island passing right by. Queen Bridgette and King Gristle had decided to take the remainder of their honeymoon on the beautiful island, enjoying what it had to offer while assisting their troll allies.

Floyd felt a lot better upon initially waking up, having gotten a well-rounded amount of sleep for his body to recover. He stretched like a cat outwards in the soft plush bed, naturally mindful of the body next to him.

His tail swayed off the bed as he yawned, forcing himself to sit up. “Grh…” Floyd felt his body welcome the pain in his chest again, the burning sensation returning.

He glanced sleepily over at Branch, who looked like the most comfortable he had ever been, still completely asleep. Floyd rubbed his eyes, curious as to how much time had passed as he glanced out the window.

The sky was dark, indicating that they had slept all day and well into the night. Floyd rubbed the ruffled fur around his neck, licking his lips as he realized how dehydrated he felt. Branch was probably the same, having not eaten in that entire period of time being trapped. Floyd touched his stomach, before remembering the bandage wrapped tightly around his chest. He softly held his hand against his heart, feeling the ache of the bruise and the quick beating of the organ.

“Branch,” Floyd cooed, gently waking up the younger troll. “Mm… Branch stirred, barely waking up to respond to the pink-faded-haired troll. “I'm gonna go outside and pee. Are you going to be okay by yourself?” Floyd asked him, not wanting to make him feel scared if he suddenly woke up alone. Branch sleepily squeaked, Floyd unsure if the response meant he heard him but went with it.

He carefully stood up from the bed, feeling the ache in his body return, albeit less, as the pressure in his body evened out. He could take a few steps with support from the wall, but walking on his own would be challenging. He carefully made his way past the curtain and out of Rhonda, his ears perked upright as his nose twitched, alert to his surroundings.

He stepped onto the balcony of Bruce’s restaurant. Music played joyfully from the bar, luckily being muffled on the interior for Branch and him. Floyd darted into the nearby bushes to do his business, finding it easier to move faster on all fours.

Floyd found the minutes alone to slowly become agonizing. He felt like eyes were burning into the back of his skull, like he could be snatched up at any moment by Velvet or Veneer once more. His irrational fears crawled up his spine like spiders, imagining that if he returned to Branch, he would have suddenly disappeared.

Floyd had no idea why his heart started to race, feeling like something was wrong. He had left Branch for no more than 5 minutes, but was now panicking like he had been gone for hours. Floyd raced back into Rhonda once he had finished, quickly checking back on Branch.

He was fine, still peacefully in the position Floyd had left him in. Floyd was practically heaving as he quickly checked Branch’s state and injuries. Branch woke up with a groan, shifting onto his back. “Mmph,” He murmured, squinting his eyes open from the disturbance.

“F-Floyd? What's wrong?” Branch asked, feeling a hand on his neck as Floyd checked his pulse. “N-Nothing. Just making sure you're alive…” Floyd mumbled, his ears pressed back against his skull. “Floyd… I'm okay.” Branch softly touched his hand, seeing the panic in Floyd’s face. “I-I know I… I just,” Floyd fell into disbelief that he couldn't leave Branch without his anxiety skyrocketing.

“I'm not gonna die,” Branch mumbled, the sleepiness returning as Floyd crawled back into the bed, pulling him into a hug. Branch hugged him back, feeling his heart racing against his chest. “I'm not gonna spontaneously combust either.” Branch joked, letting out a pained cough.

Floyd just silently shook his head, protectively holding his brother. Branch felt too tired to care, the comfort being something he needed at the moment anyway. Protecting Branch helped Floyd calm down, his racing heart eventually returning to normal. The pained hunger feeling returned after he had calmed down. It bit at his insides, a feeling Floyd was all too familiar with.

Branch drifted in and out of sleep, but woke up upon hearing Floyd’s stomach loudly protest the absence of food. Floyd pressed his ears back, clutching his stomach, this time getting to him. “Hungry..?” Branch asked, peeking an eye open at his brother. “I-I'm okay,” Floyd mumbled. Branch frowned, still wanting to make sure his brother was alright, but wouldn't let his own needs come before his.

“Well, I'm hungry.” He wasn’t, in fact, the thought of food made him feel sick. “We haven't eaten anything in what…” Branch trailed off, realizing he had no idea how long they had been trapped. “Yea.” Floyd exhaled with a forced giggle, understanding what he meant. “Okay.” He shakily sat up, letting go of Branch. He contemplated what they should do, glancing at him over his shoulder.

“Hop on, I guess…”

...

Floyd was able to carry Branch on all fours, finding that keeping low provided much more support. He was still struggling to walk, but at least on his paws, they could maneuver around. Floyd kept his tail wrapped tightly around Branch’s waist, helping to keep him upright.

They wandered out of Rhonda, greeting her with a few pets and thank yous. She was peacefully resting, and both brothers were hit with a hard pang of guilt after seeing her damaged condition. They wandered into the trolls’ customized entranceway, entering the busy kitchen of the restaurant. Floyd’s ears perked up at the change in atmosphere, while Branch covered his as the loud sounds jolted him.

“Please honey, there has to be some way you can postpone with the girls.” They both heard Bruce speak up, his voice sounding stressed. “I thought you meant next month! I can't handle all of this! Not to mention my brothers can get a little wild, and with two of them so sick, in addition to Bergen royals!? Brandy, I can't.” Floyd perked up as he saw Bruce running back and forth between the stove.

Floyd sniffed the air, the hot scent of food practically making him drool. Neither wanted to interrupt the couple’s conversation, patiently waiting for them to notice the two trolls there. They looked curiously up towards the large puppet, having not seen it before.

“You’ll be okay Brucey. If you need to shut down for a few days, go ahead. Just say the Bergens reserved the resort. They won't be here the whole month.” Brandy tried to help soothe his worries, clearly set on going with her galpals. “Brandy, please. Not even a week delay?” He pleaded. “Sorry, Brucey. The boat leaves tonight.” She shrugged, setting a fresh pot on the stove amidst the conversation.

Bruce groaned, taking a deep breath. “Okay, okay. We’ll figure it out,” Bruce wiped the stress off his face, turning around to catch his brothers out of the corner of his eye. “Floyd! Branch!” He announced with a smile, quickly running over to them. “Good morning sleepy heads! We haven't seen you in over a day!” He laughed, giving his brothers a gentle hug.

“A day?” Floyd blinked in surprise. “Once we got here, we just let you sleep. Figured you needed the recovery time. I didn't think you'd sleep for almost 24 hours.” Bruce chuckled softly. “Geez,” Branch mumbled, feeling a bit embarrassed, but knew there was nothing they could have done. “What day is it?” Floyd asked, both trolls decently disoriented and no longer having any sense of time.

“Saturday rush… about 11 pm. The bar is really crazy right now, I wouldn't go out there.” He shook his head. “Do you guys need anything..?” “Food and water,” Floyd said quickly. Bruce’s face faltered. “R-Right! Did you not…” Bruce trailed off, unsure of how to bring up the question.

“I-I didn't eat before either. Or the entire time. It's been a while for me.” Floyd stuttered, unsure of how many days it had been since he had anything in his mouth. “Of course. I can make you anything. We have menus too if that helps.”

“Sure!” Floyd perked up. “Awesome. Just give me two minutes.” He gave them a thumbs up before pointing behind them towards the door. “There's a table on the balcony. If it's not too windy, I think it’ll be quiet enough out there.” Bruce smiled. “Huh?” Floyd blinked before glancing over his shoulder at Branch, who was still covering his ears from the noise. “Oh, right right…”

“Are these the last two brothers of yours?” Brandy smiled, approaching the three trolls on the ledge. “Yes! They finally got up.” Bruce chuckled. “Floyd, Branch, meet my beautiful wife, and business partner Brandy.” Brandy smiled, leaning down to kiss Bruce’s cheek. “Good to meet you two, and glad to see you're doing better. Let us know if you need anything at all.” Brandy waved with a smile.

“Thank you, Brandy.” Floyd smiled solemnly in return. “Wife!?” Branch said, taking his hands off his ears. Bruce laughed. “Yup! We make it work.” He winked up at Brandy, who started laughing and had to walk away, covering her mouth. Floyd and Branch exchanged a questionable glance.

Chapter Text

The two patiently sat outside, Branch lying back in the wooden lounge chair that was pulled up to the table. Floyd sat across from him, thumbing through the menu in front of them. Branch mindlessly gazed at the photos on the menu, but nothing looked appetizing. 

Branch couldn't read clearly, all the words blurring together. He didn't know if he could even keep anything down, worried about what might trigger his body to react. Vomiting sounded painful, and he definitely didn't want to induce it.

His gaze shifted over to the horizon, watching the dark waves crash along the shore. The stars pierced the sky like needle holes in a large stretch of fabric as it helped illuminate the absence of the moon. He took a deep breath in the fresh air, savoring the moment after having been imprisoned for what felt like an eternity. He could feel the wind ripping through his fur and hair, a strange reminder of what he had taken for granted in those few days. 

He reopened his eyes as they fell downwards towards his tail. The poor thing was still unbearable to look at, tightly bandaged with spots of blood visible through the wrappings. His ears folded back as he looked down to the menu, feeling queasy from the random waves of pain it induced.

Bruce walked back out onto the deck, holding two glasses of water and a large water pitcher. “Alright, what sounds good?” Bruce smiled, whipping out a notepad. “Everything,” Floyd joked with a heavy exhale. “It all looks insanely good. Um,” Floyd listed two different meals, his tail swaying as he spoke. Branch silently picked up the glass of water Bruce had poured for them, taking a slow sip.

“Branch?” Bruce spoke up, noticing Branch had drifted off and not responded. “Hm?” He blinked, glancing in his direction. “What do you want to eat?” He asked again, watching as Branch still failed to answer him. He fell silent again, staring at the menu in front of him while communicating with his stomach. 

He gave up, the pressure being too much on his headache. “Just water.” He mumbled, picking up the glass again. Bruce frowned, his concern growing. “You should try to get something down at least… how are you feeling?” He asked, tail falling still.

Branch was having a hard time tolerating the onslaught of questions, the more he was forced to think of an answer the more his head started to hurt. “Some pain medicine,” Branch mumbled, not even responding directly to Bruce's last question. Floyd frowned, deciding to move his chair closer to Branch. “Okay, buddy. I'll go see what we have.” Bruce reassured before tailing back to the kitchen.

“Are you going to faint?” Floyd asked, lowering his voice as he watched Branch lie his head down on the table after Bruce left. He figured yes and no questions might be easier for Branch right now. “No,” Branch whispered, his hand still on the glass of water. “Throw up?” He softly held Branch's other hand. “Mm… maybe,” Branch mumbled, taking a shaky breath. “Okay. Just let me know.” Floyd reassured. “Maybe eating something will help that feeling go away. Does nothing sound appealing?” 

Branch just nodded, now void of social communication. Floyd swallowed the bubble of worry in his throat. Bruce came back out surprisingly quickly, having prioritized his brother’s orders. Branch was out of it, quietly resting on the table next to Floyd. Bruce set down a tray of nachos and a hotpot in front of Floyd, and a small steaming bowl in front of Branch.

“Thanks Spruce,” Floyd said, relieved at the sight of food. “Mhm! Hey Branch, try this if you're feeling up for it.” Bruce pat his hair softly. Branch perked up, sleepily interested in what Bruce had placed in front of him. He sniffed the bowl, the liquid smelling tolerable and nice. It was almost nostalgic, but Branch had no memory to pull the smell from. “It's Mom's mushroom soup. Always helped me when I was sick… might as well try, huh? I also put some medicine in there.” Bruce shrugged softly.

“Mom's?” Branch mumbled, staring into the broth. “Yea…” Bruce said, tapping his hands together. “I guess uh, you might remember John Dory making it for you instead.”

The entire table fell silent, Floyd quietly waiting to see if Branch was okay to eat, concern over him taking priority. “I don't.” Branch clarified, but hadn't realized how it might've seemed a bit harsh. Bruce’s ear flicked slightly at the tone, but he knew Branch was too out of it to be paying much attention. “But… the smell.” He mumbled, holding the bowl in his hands, and took a sip.

“Yea?” Bruce smiled, watching as Branch melted in relief. “Whoa.” He said before drinking a bit more. “Triggered your memory, huh? That's crazy.” Bruce chuckled lightly, shaking his head from side to side. Bruce was right, something had fired off in Branch's brain. It was a nostalgic feeling with the smell, but the emotion was more associated with relief.

“Thank the stars,” Floyd said with a sigh, finally turning to his own food. “I used the same broth for your hotpot. Get feeling better.” Bruce said, happy that he was successfully able to feed his brothers. “Hell yeah!” Floyd perked up, utilizing the spoon for the hotpot. 

“Mm, Spruce, you're a god at food.” Floyd licked his lips eagerly. Bruce chuckled slightly. “It's just because you guys haven't eaten in forever, but thanks.” He smiled. “Oh and… I should let you know. I go by Bruce now.”

“Bruce?” Floyd and Branch looked back towards their older brother. Bruce smiled with a nod. “Yeah I uh, wanted to change things up a bit? After getting the business, y’know, Bruce looked a lot better on the sign.” Bruce explained, his hands firmly planted on his vest, proudly. 

“Yeah, I understand…” Floyd nodded, his words holding more meaning than Bruce would ever know.

Floyd's tail continued to sway in interest as he leaned into Bruce's words. “You own this place?” He blinked in shock. “Yup! Most of the island actually.” Bruce grinned, always excited to brag about his achievements. 

“That's incredible Bruce,” Branch said, his eyes falling back on the roaring waves in the distance. “I mean, hey, I needed somewhere for the kids to run around.” He chuckled as he pulled up his own chair to the table. “You have kids too?” Floyd's jaw dropped in shock. Branch perked up to the information with a light smile. “Yup! Thirteen to be exact…” Bruce chuckled lightly. Branch's face quickly joined Floyd's in one of shock.

“We've been married a long time. This is our life's work. It's really something.” Bruce smiled, staring at the large building behind him with a contented smile. “Heh.” Floyd smiled, but it quickly faded as his gaze followed Bruce's. “Your life's work, huh…” Floyd repeated to himself, listening to the loud music coming from the building within.

“Well! Everyone else is at the bar. Unless you're ready for that… I'd pretend you're still asleep.” Bruce turned back to face his brothers. Branch's ears perked up. “Even Poppy?” “Especially Poppy!” Bruce laughed. “She's out there doing karaoke with Clay and John. It's pretty hilarious, they're all blasted.” Bruce chuckled, his hands on his hips.

“Poppy doesn't drink,” Branch raised an eyebrow, the soup having woken him up a bit more and soothed his nerves. “We just barely learned what it was.” He blinked, remembering what had happened the last time they had drunk together. It was definitely a wild party, and a different experience altogether, having ended up with Branch holding Poppy's hair back as she threw up rainbows. 

He felt intrigued to see what she was like drunk in an environment like this, especially after the mentally and physically draining mission they had just returned from. “You can tell her I'm awake, if you want,” Branch said with a shrug. “Could… I get more?” Branch asked, holding out his bowl. Bruce smiled warmly. “Of course, Branch.” He picked up the empty bowl from his hands. 

“I'll let her know you’re awake.” He winked as he spun on his heel and walked back into the restaurant, tail upright in the air. “Feeling better?” Floyd asked, picking up his own bowl to drink the broth.

“Oh yea. The medicine definitely helps…” Branch glanced back at the menu, seeing if anything had changed on it. To his disbelief, he still couldn't see the writing. It was concerning, but he had to assume he was still concussed. He glanced back at Floyd, who seemed content eating his food.

He couldn't let them know. They were already worried enough, having given everyone probably the worst scare in their lives. It was just all too sudden for him. One day, he woke up after he thought he had died, and his entire family had returned. His wish had come true. He always thought maybe they'd trickle back one by one, but he would've never guessed they would assemble and now be all in the same place again.

It was… nice? But it also felt, wrong. Branch couldn't pinpoint it, the awkward hurt feeling still present. He glanced back towards Floyd, his poor brother, now most likely going to have issues for the rest of his life. That brought him back to himself, saying the same thing. Fuck, he might not ever walk again.

How could he do that to Poppy?

The thought was jarring, causing Branch to tense up. Then all of the harmful thoughts started flooding in. She didn't have time for this. He was just going to be a permanent hindrance. This certainly wasn't what Poppy wants in a partner, who was he kidding. He couldn't even help protect her like he used to, now he wouldn't be of any use to her. 

Branch physically covered his ears. He didn't want to hear anymore, telling himself to shut up. He didn't mean for it to slip audibly, hearing the words leave his mouth. Floyd stayed quiet, a bit confused about why he would just say that out of nowhere. He quietly observed Branch fight his inner demons, seeming to have no idea Floyd could see and hear anything. He shot up suddenly in his chair once he realized, causing Floyd to spook.

“Geez Branch,” Floyd said, wiping his hand off on a napkin. “Who are you talking to, bud…?” Branch groaned, covering his face. “I-I can't,” Branch started before shaking his head again, holding a hand on his temple. Branch was alerted out of his state once more by the sound of the door to the balcony opening.

“Branchifer!” Poppy’s cheery voice sounded, stealing Branch's full attention from his mental onslaught. Poppy hopped out onto the deck, tail perked upright in the air as she met eyes with her lover. 

“Hi baby!” She said excitedly, running up to him. She was careful to hug him, but he gratefully melted into it. Poppy's tail wagged happily, hugging Branch close. He needed her; she made everything better. 

Her familiar scent was now tainted, being replaced with a bitter, lingering, burning smell. Branch recognized it as the smell of alcohol, the profile being unique coming from Poppy. She was warm and cozy, everything about her presence being like heaven to Branch. He didn't want to let go. Poppy giggled, softly petting his hair. “How's he doin'?” She looked towards Floyd.

“Here and there,” Floyd said with a halfway sign. “He was able to eat some soup, but that's all. He keeps mumbling to himself a lot, I'm not sure if he's talking to me or…” Floyd shrugged. “Yea… that sounds pretty on brand,” Poppy said, her tail still wagging. “Oh my gosh, John Dory is so bad at karaoke, it's so funny.” Poppy just started talking, a drunk blush painting her face as she sat down at the table with them.

Her words fuzzed to Branch, just being warm and comforting as she held him in her arms. He never wanted to be in that damn prison again, or even have to think about it. Branch felt a cold rush wash over his body, so he in response hugged Poppy tighter.

Poppy let out a slight squeak, feeling Branch suddenly pull her tighter. She stopped her conversation with Floyd when she felt Branch’s claws dig into her sides. “Branch?” She said out loud, wincing slightly as she put her hands on his shoulders. Branch suddenly fell limp, causing Poppy to quickly fall back to catch him, falling out of the chair.

She landed hard, but thankfully had caught him. Floyd quickly stood up, running over to make sure they were okay. “D-Did he faint!?” He panicked. “Y-Yea,” Poppy said, hoisting her boyfriend up into her arms. Floyd helped her stay steady as she drunkenly paced on her feet, keeping her balance with Branch.

“I-I can take him, Poppy,” Floyd offered, worried as the Troll could barely stand. “Nah, I got it, I got it.” She waved Floyd off. “I'm gonna take him down, I needed to come lay down anyway.” She giggled, using a free hand to pat her forehead. “O-Oh, yeah… okay,” Floyd said, lowering his hand as he watched Poppy wave goodbye and head back down towards Rhonda, carrying Branch over her shoulder.

Floyd was left alone, the wind becoming all too loud for him. He nervously watched Poppy disappear into Rhonda, worried for Branch being under the supervision of someone so intoxicated. He took a shaky deep breath, glancing back at the plate of food in front of him. His ears folded back, the feeling of hunger disappearing along with Branch.

Chapter Text

Branch dizzily woke up to a cold cloth being applied to his face. “Shh,” He heard Poppy’s voice coax. “You're good, baby. You're good.” She reassured Branch as he came to consciousness, groaning in pain. “W-What…” He mumbled dizzily. “You passed out on me, sweetheart.” Poppy giggled, keeping the cool cloth on his forehead.

“And you're running a fever. You should stay in bed.” Branch felt the weight of the bed shift next to him, Poppy sitting down at his side. “I-I had to get up…” Branch mumbled dizzily, exhaling as he felt Poppy's presence was going to stay. “Nuh uh. You aren't passing out again, no way, no how.” Poppy shook her head with a giggle.

“Floyd wouldn't eat unless I went with him…” Branch mumbled, trying to explain to Poppy why he had pushed himself too far. Poppy frowned, petting his face in response. Drunk happy Poppy was very affectionate and giggily.

“Branch… that's very sweet of you, but worry about yourself right now. Imagine if I wasn't there. You could've hit the ground pretty hard.” She lied down next to him, inches away from his face. “I-I know…” Branch murmured. “They're just all worried about me and…” He exhaled heavily, not having the energy to ramble.

“Hey, shh,” Poppy said, softly squeezing his nose. “You don't have to explain anything to me.” Poppy purred, unable to prevent her tail from wagging excitedly as she stared at Branch.

She took a slight mental note that bothered her- his eyes. The color wasn't there anymore, all the blue having been forcibly taken away. She missed them, so vibrant and deep, but the heather gray hue they were now only reminded her of how he was gray before, and yet once again had his colors torn from him. Poppy would help him find them; she had done it before and would do it a million times over again if it meant waking up to his same beautiful blue eyes.

“Thank you Poppy,” Branch exhaled heavily, relieved someone finally understood his frustrations. Her pining was more than what he was used to, already being quite an affectionate lover. Branch was much more reserved, but after being locked away from his girlfriend for who knew how long, he couldn't help but relish in her touch. The affection was all he craved

Poppy planted a kiss on his nose, unable to hold back a happy, drunk grin. “I missed your cute little face so much,” Branch said, softly brushing her hair back with his hand. Poppy giggled lovingly, her tail smacking the mattress. It was adorable. “You're all I could think about.” She purred, nuzzling against his face. Branch practically purred himself, so happy to have Poppy back in his arms.

Poppy started to kiss his face, holding him as close as she could. Branch giggled, pushing her face back. “Stop,” He said while staring up at her, blushing. “No.” Poppy giggled in return, her tail instinctively starting to wrap around his.

This, however, caused a negative reaction, causing his face to fall in pain. “Hng,” He winced, gripping Poppy’s wrist. Poppy paused, noticing his discomfort, quickly looking back at their tails. “O-oh, shoot, I'm sorry, Branchifer…” She carefully pulled her tail off. “I-I was getting excited.” She giggled, wiping the blush on her face.

Branch exhaled softly, staring up at her with a similar blush. “Come here.” He beckoned her closer. She leaned in, thinking he needed to tell her something, not expecting him to gently grab her face and pull her into a deep kiss. He held her there for a long moment before letting go, exhaling heavily in relief. 

Poppy was in shock, her face completely red. Branch had never kissed her like THAT before. How have they never done THAT before?! “W-What was that?” Poppy sat on her knees, fanning her face. “I-I don't know.” Branch blushed, honestly unsure himself. “That was great.” Poppy giggled, covering her face. 

“Grr! Branch, I love you!” Poppy hugged him tightly, her tail whipping rapidly as she continued her onslaught of kisses and affection, fueled by her intoxication. “I love you too, Poppy.” Branch coaxed with a giggle. He genuinely did, and he wanted to make sure she knew it.

This time Poppy pulled him back into a kiss, attempting to copy his advances. Branch couldn't stop laughing as she tried, receiving an aggravated lick on the nose from Poppy. Branch giggled, assisting in taking the lead with kissing Poppy deeply once more. Her tail whipped rapidly, enjoying every second. She froze, feeling something brush up against her tail. 

She pulled away from the kiss to see Branch’s tail slightly shifting on its own, weakly echoing his excitement. “Branch! Your tail!” Poppy gasped, bringing his attention to it. “H-Huh?” Branch blinked, dazed as it stopped. “I-It was moving! You were happy and it was wagging like mine!” Poppy gasped excitedly. “R-Really?” Branch blinked, flustered.

“I have kissing magic!” Poppy giggled, flopping onto the bed with him, their arms tightly wrapped around each other. Branch chuckled tiredly, kissing the nape of Poppy’s neck as they cuddled. “Yes you do.” Branch purred with a hum. They curled up together, cuddling under the blanket, wrapped tightly together in a passionate hug. They decided to doze off together, the warmth of sleep welcoming them both.

Chapter Text

Floyd scratched at his neck, the lingering silence making his heart race. Negative anxious thoughts blinded Floyd’s ability to think straight, causing the Troll to thump his leg on the ground. His ears were completely pressed back, listening to the rampant, whispy wind around him.

“Relax, relax, he's fine, he's just sleeping with Poppy,” Floyd's trembling hands ran through his fur, attempting to soothe his nerves to no avail. He couldn't take it anymore, standing up to go check on Branch before the balcony door opened.

Laughter emitted from the door, freezing Floyd in his tracks. Bruce stepped back out onto the balcony, now joined by John Dory and Clay. Floyd's ears returned to their restrained state, seeing Bruce carry a bowl for Branch. He lost his smile upon seeing that Branch was no longer there.

“Everything alright?” Bruce asked, causing the other laughing brothers to quiet down and turn their attention towards Floyd. His eyes were wide, using the table to hold himself up. His tail was extended, and his ears were pressed back, making him look quite fearful and vulnerable. It was honestly the first time the brothers really got a good look at Floyd's state in the balcony light.

His fur was faded, having most likely experienced some extreme color loss. The color was completely scrubbed away from his arms and legs, leaving stripped, rough fur rather than the soft blue color on his face and torso. His hair had a similar fade, the color from the top being drained to white as the pink roots slowly faded back towards the center of his hair. His tail was almost identical. The tight bandage on his chest added to his frailness, causing him to slightly keel over and hunch his back.

“Branch fainted,” Floyd mumbled, glancing over his shoulder towards Rhonda. “Oh no,” Clay frowned. “Poppy took him to bed, I was gonna go check on them,” Floyd shakily attempted to push himself off the table, his body feeling weaker with the panic. “Hng, maybe not-” He quickly repressed his statement before sitting down again, clutching his chest in pain.

“Take it easy Floyd,” John spoke, pacing up to their brother. “I-I know,” Floyd whispered, the useless feeling returning. The brothers all joined him at the table, grabbing extra chairs as John took what was Branch's next to Floyd. 

He set what he was carrying down, revealing a glass cup filled with ice and some honey-colored substance. Floyd rubbed the stress away from his face before catching the cup out of the corner of his eye.

“Are you feeling any better from earlier? You guys slept a while.” Clay asked, striking up a conversation to move past the silence. “Yes,” Floyd nodded slowly, watching as Bruce started to clean up what was left uneaten by Floyd. He was still hungry, but the pit that filled his stomach wouldn't let him keep anything else down if he tried.

The brothers all noticed Floyd's awkward quietness, an intense nervousness surrounding the Troll. He only spoke in short sentence bursts, most likely due to his injury. He avoided eye contact with anyone, opting to keep his eyes focused on the table and on his hands.

“So uh… what were you up to in the last twenty years..?” John jokingly inquired, with genuine curiosity lacing the question. “Nothing,” Floyd quickly responded without thinking, a sad, solemn look falling over his face as he turned away from the brothers. “Wh- nothing? That's a lie. You couldn't have been doing 'nothing' for the last twenty years.” John Dory chuckled, but lost his smile upon seeing Floyd not reciprocate.

“N… Nothing important,” Floyd rephrased, his hand shooting upwards to check on the ring around the gold chain tied on his neck. Floyd clearly didn't want to discuss the topic, everything about it carrying significant emotional weight. Floyd looked back up towards his brothers to see them all focused on him, concerned over him. “S-Sorry,” He quickly stumbled over his words, realizing that maybe his brothers deserved a better explanation than “Nothing Important.”

“I just… recently got separated. So I'm kinda… yay…” Floyd facepalmed himself, feeling horrible about the situation, circumstances, and now having to explain all his failures to these Trolls he had barely just reconnected with and saved his life. He did owe them at least some sort of explanation.

“Like… divorce?” Clay asked, glancing at the ring around Floyd's neck. “Yea, sure, whatever,” Floyd grumbled, his ears folding back. Talking about his ex-partner left a bitter taste in his mouth, one he definitely didn't want to think about. His subtle emotions were slipping through to the surface quite drastically, the three brothers watching Floyd sleepily waver in place as anger overtook him.

“ Fuck him .” Floyd suddenly spat, his tail flicking in agitation. “Whoa there.” John Dory lightly chuckled, causing Floyd to regain his composure only slightly. “Sorry,” Floyd groaned, hiding his face in his hands. He felt miserable, and thinking about his husband wasn't helping. 

“It's a sensitive subject, it's alright.” John Dory reassured him. He watched Floyd eye his glass once more before returning to rub his temple. “Do you uh… want a drink, Floyd?” John Dory asked, offering him the cup. Floyd perked up slightly, glancing his direction. “...what is it?”

Floyd's nose twitched in curiosity, picking up the cup from John's hand. “Just some whiskey.” John lightly shrugged. “Do you drink?” Floyd's eyes met John's once more, a look of regret and sadness washing back over Floyd. “Yea… a lot.” Floyd took a shaky breath, staring at the cup in his hand. “I've been sober for a few months, though.”

The information was shocking to Bruce and Clay, having never thought to see their younger baby brother as an alcoholic. John shockingly didn't seem surprised. “Are you sure John? I mean, Floyd, you're supposed to be healing,” Bruce appeared hesitant to give Floyd any alcohol, unsure of how it would be beneficial. “Relax, Bruce, he's a grown Troll. If you don't think you should Floyd, that's up to you.” John turned back to Floyd, who clutched the cup in his hands. “We're just worried about you.”

Floyd took a shaky breath before nodding. “I-I get it. But if anything, it'll probably help me relax,” Floyd stared into the glass, his exhausted reflection staring right back at him from the surface of the liquid. “That makes sense.” John nodded softly, encouraging him to make his own decision. 

Floyd sighed shakily before taking a long sip of the glass. The sweet burning liquid slid down his throat and burned his nostrils. It reminded him of days long past, when he would spend endless nights pounding glasses of the stuff. Floyd took another long deep breath before taking his second sip, closing his eyes tightly.

“Well, I’ll have another one.” Clay spoke up with a smile. Bruce met his grin, nodding in agreement. “I'll grab us another round! Let me clear these plates.” Bruce hummed, cleaning up the table before walking back into the restaurant. Floyd drummed his fingers nervously along the surface of the table, impatiently waiting for the alcohol to take effect.

Clay and John struck up a conversation amongst themselves, keeping tabs on Floyd as they awaited their drinks. To John, everything about Floyd felt off. What he hadn't noticed before when they were with Branch was a cloud that seemed to follow Floyd wherever he went. They hadn’t reconnected for more than a few hours now, but the eldest brother could tell Floyd was having a hard time. He hoped it was just because of the circumstances of the mission and his injuries, but John felt like something else was creeping in the shadows.

John watched Floyd as he conversed with Clay, noticing the troll start to fall asleep. Floyd wavered in place, ears flicking as he quietly listened to their conversation. He adjusted to their presence while also monitoring the waves of pain that went through his body. Floyd settled in, resting his muzzle on his fist while holding the empty glass of whiskey. He had kept his eyes closed, not feeling his exhausted, recovering body drift off.

Before John could react, Floyd suddenly opened his eyes, his pupils slit as he slammed his hands down on the table, catching himself before he fell. His tail fluffed in fear as he wildly looked around, checking for Velvet or Veneer.

“Floyd,” John quickly stood up out of his chair, followed by Clay. Floyd ducked down as they stood, keeping his grip on the table tight. “Hey hey! Dude you're fine,” Clay spoke up worriedly, running towards him. Floyd pushed away from the table in a panicked state before losing his balance and falling out of the chair. He collided with the ground, neither Clay or John getting to him in time. John instead grabbed Clay’s arm, pulling him away from Floyd. “Let him wake up.”

Floyd groaned, sitting up slowly on the ground after landing on his back. He rubbed his face, the fall having shocked him from his state. “S-Sorry,” Floyd quickly apologized, looking up to see Clay and John standing above him.

“Are you okay?” Clay asked, kneeling down next to him as Floyd slowly sat up. “Y-Yea,” Floyd heavily sighed. “Sorry… I’m… that happens a lot.” He chuckled shallowly, his ears folding as pain rang through his head. “Mmph,” He huffed, holding his head in his hands. “Floyd, maybe you should go lay down…” John spoke up, nervousness seeping from his tone.

“I-I'm okay!” He quickly forced himself up, realizing they were getting worried over him. “Floyd…” John Dory’s nose twitched, his overprotective brotherly instincts making him regret giving him a drink. “I’m taking you to bed. Are you gonna fight me?” He asked, putting his hands on his hips. His tail twitched in slight agitation.

“... sounds like a challenge.” The injured, bloodied Floyd said with one eye open from the ground. Clay let out a snicker, covering his mouth as he grinned at John Dory. “You HAVE to kick his ass now.” Clay’s tail wagged, a nostalgic feel of playful brotherly tension overtaking them. John scoffed as he scooped up Floyd with ease, who did little to nothing to fight back.

John paused as Floyd spoke up with one last request. “Could I get another drink before bed?”

“What? No way.” John Dory scoffed in disbelief. Did he just seriously ask him that? “Aw, come on John.” Floyd pouted playfully. “You think one's gonna keep me asleep?” Floyd was practically falling asleep on John Dory’s shoulder. His speech was slurred and tired, his body fighting against his restlessness. “No. You’re going to bed.” John Dory asserted. “I'm not five anymore man, please,” Floyd asked one last time, this request sounding more like a plea.

“Floyd… no.” John said softly, more of a concerned tone to match his quieter one. Clay nervously watched over his shoulder as Floyd huffed, giving up as his ears stayed pressed back. “Okay.” He murmured dizzily. John glanced at Clay, who shrugged, biting his lip nervously. Floyd’s behavior was very off, but they silently agreed they’d let it slide for the night.

John carried Floyd into the restaurant, passing by Bruce who was on his way back out. “Everything okay?” Bruce asked, stopping to see what was wrong. “I'm just taking him to bed. He’s a little out of it.” John said as he glanced at Floyd resting his head on his shoulder, his ears still pinned. “Okay. Goodnight Floyd, get feeling better, okay?” Bruce said, softly tossing his hair. “Thanks…” Floyd murmured in response.

John Dory promptly took him into the room they had set up in the restaurant for the brothers. He gently set him down in the makeshift bed, letting him adjust. “How do you feel? Do you need anything?” John handed him a blanket. Floyd curled up beneath the cloth, attempting to settle into the bed. “Bad, and I don't know.” Floyd grumbled.

John exhaled lightly. “Okay well… I’ll leave you be, okay?” John gave him a thumbs-up. “Get some rest bud.” Floyd perked up about the mention of him leaving. “O-Okay,” He responded quietly, watching as John walked towards the door. Alone? Was he going to be in here alone?

“Goodnight Floyd,” John said before shutting the door. Floyd flinched as the room fell silent, the hard closing of the wooden door echoing throughout the hollow bedroom. He swallowed hard, eyes darting around the large troll-sized room made to accommodate his additional brothers and Poppy. The room was dark and quiet, the only light being the stars out the window. Floyd violently trembled in bed, feeling extremely vulnerable being left alone, even if he was in a safe room. He tightly gripped the pillow, hiding under the blanket as he tried to force himself to sleep.

Chapter Text

The trolls woke up to a slow morning. Poppy was left to care for Branch, finding the task simple enough as they dozed. They had slowly awoke together, exchanging gentle words and kisses before Poppy forced herself up. It was so relieving to wake up next to Branch this time.

She stretched, shooting a glance towards the sunrise out over on the horizon. A small smile fell on her face as she let out a gentle sigh, but a gasp quickly suppressed it. She looked downwards towards the bed to observe Branch, only to see that the blankets were covered in blood.

“H-Huh?” She hadn't seen it or even felt it the night prior, lifting up the sheets. It was a combination of both Floyd's and Branch's injuries. The bandages around Branch's tail had started to unravel from all of the shifting and friction. She took a deep breath, looking around to fetch the first aid kit. 

…

“Branch, it's okay, just relax…” Poppy tried to coax, watching as the blue troll silently trembled. His claws dug into the pillow he held in his arms as Poppy attempted to clean and rewrap his injuries. She was tantalizingly slow and careful, while Clay, in comparison, was quick and efficient, albeit a bit more painful, but it was over much faster. “P-Poppy, just hurry please,” Branch pleaded, not sure how much longer he could take.

Poppy carefully tied off the end in a little bow, making sure everything was secure before setting his tail back down. Branch exhaled in relief as he curled back up, hiding his aching tail under himself. Poppy smiled softly as she leaned over to gently rub one of his ears. “There. See? That wasn't so bad.” She soothed him. Branch just let out a tired rumble, his ear flicking in response to the affection. “Now let me do mine while you recover.”

Branch's ear perked back up upon hearing her words. Hers..? Did she get hurt? Branch felt his heart skip in his chest, quickly looking back towards Poppy. Sure enough, her entire right arm from her shoulder to elbow was tightly wrapped in a bandage. “W-What happened to you?” Branch asked, his concern growing.

Poppy looked up, confused by what he meant. She glanced back at where his gaze was as she unwrapped the injury. “Oh, this was when I fell out of Rhonda and hit the road. It's okay, Clay already looked at it.” She hummed. The skin was raw and red underneath her fur. Branch silently watched as she applied medicine to the area and wrapped it with a fresh bandage. His ears folded back. He hated seeing Poppy hurt, especially so badly.

Branch paused as he realized that she probably felt exactly the same way about his condition. “Branch sweetheart, I'm fine,” Poppy reassured, noticing his worried gaze. “It's nothing. I can barely feel it.” She came back over and sat on the bed next to him. “If you say so…” Branch sighed, the guilt feeling staying to linger. 

“So… what do you feel up for..?” Poppy asked him. Branch hesitated to answer. “I-I don't know.” This place was foreign to him. “Well, I'm all yours.” She smiled, softly taking his hands. “If you just need to recover more, that's okay too. Don't push yourself.” Poppy sat on her knees in front of the bed, inches away from Branch's face. “Thank you, Popifier.” Branch smiled, receiving a kiss on the nose in return from her.

“Do you want to try and eat something for breakfast?” She suggested. Branch pondered for a minute, listening to whether or not his body would disagree. “I'm down to try… I could use some fresh air anyway.” He mumbled, smoothing his hair back. Poppy smiled. “Of course. You gotta see this place, it's really pretty. “ Poppy said as she scooted to the edge of the bed. 

“Give me just two seconds.” She hummed, hopping up and grabbing her backpack, stepping out to change. Branch was left to his devices, and for the first time in over a week, his head didn't feel cloudy.

The pain radiating from his tail certainly wasn't going to stop anytime soon, but it had become more bearable as long as he didn't move it. He observed his body in the mirror that sat across the bed from Branch- realizing why John Dory of all people would have a reflection of himself watching him sleep. 

Branch rolled his eyes before looking back at his body, doing damage control since he was finally able to see in the approaching sunlight. The only thing that threw him off was that everything in his vision was fuzzy and... colorless. He didn't know why, but it made it difficult to see the faded patches in his fur.

His paws and feet were practically white. The faded blue-gray of his skin had been stripped of his natural fur tone, now reflecting a permanent white. It looked like he had dipped his hands and feet in a gradient of paint. His hair wasn't much to comment on either, the deep blue now being a whittled gray with a gradient to white. All color from his body was gone- yet again. A large white patch circled his eye under his cheek.

The worst part was that it didn't feel like what he had felt when he turned gray. It was so much worse. It was like everything had been drained from him. Parts of his personality, memories, talents, everything. He felt like the husk of a person- just the remainder of the physical pieces that weren't taken from him . But was it even worth having..?

He glanced away from the mirror to see Poppy re-enter Rhonda, donning an adorable summer dress with a sunflower scrunchie holding back her hair. She lit him up like fire, reminding him of why he was still here. For Poppy, of course. And she would help him get better. He would get his colors back. 

“Tada!” She did a small spin on her heels. “I made it yesterday while I was helping out Brandy with the kitchen. We're out of clothes- I didn't pack to stay.” Poppy began to ramble as Branch watched her lovingly, taking a shaky breath as he glanced back at the mirror in front of him. He seemed to get pulled back into his thoughts, no matter if he thought Poppy's presence changed anything. 

Poppy softly put her hands on his shoulders, causing him to flinch as he hadn't heard her come over. “Hey.” She said, her tone softer than before. “What?” He said, unsure of what he had done this time to prompt her concern. He looked around at himself, confused, before looking up at her. “You okay?”

“Yes, I'm fine.” Branch huffed, the constant prompting of concern was starting to get on his nerves. “Are you sure..?” She asked, insisting even more that there was an issue. “What? I wasn't-” He huffed before she touched his face, suddenly wiping a wetness that hadn't been there before. “Why are you crying, Branch?”

“Wh,” Branch seemed completely confused at this information, quickly touching his face. Sure enough, there had been quite a few tears he hadn't even noticed falling from his eyes. His ears folded back. “It's okay, baby, tell me what's wrong,” Poppy knelt in front of him, concerned. “N-Nothing,” Branch exhaled, letting Poppy softly take his hands. “You can tell me Branch,” Poppy reassured. Branch shook his head. “N-No, that's the problem, it's nothing. I-I don't know why I'm crying.” Branch mumbled, trying to sound as sincere as possible.

“Well… what are you feeling?” She asked, softly rubbing his hands in hers. Branch exhaled heavily, not in the mood to delve into his feelings. “I don't know Poppy.” He pulled his hands away from her to hold his head, covering his face. She frowned, having thought they had previously breached this emotional barrier of communication. She pondered on what she could do to help him; clearly, the barrage of questions wasn't helpful.

“What do you want me to do?” She tried a different approach, something less demanding of an answer and instead a suggestion. “Stay,” Branch hadn't even intended to say it, but fully heartedly knew it was what he meant. “I'm not going anywhere, Branch, I promise.” She reassured him, sitting next to him. “I would never leave.” 

Branch kept his ears folded back; now the tears intentionally started to fall. “Poppy, I-I…” He couldn't get it out of his throat, just a hurricane of emotions flooding his heart. He had no idea why. He was so overwhelmed, in pain, and felt completely useless to the grand scheme of things- especially to Poppy. “You're allowed to cry, Branch.”

It was the phrase that Poppy uttered that broke something inside of him. He had been trying too hard to be calm and collected about everything that happened, being too weak to really reflect on how he felt about it all. It was the heaviest weight on his shoulders he had ever felt. He had almost died and was in complete denial about it. It shocked Poppy how hard he broke down, having to practically catch Branch before he fell over.

“Branch…” Poppy coaxed him, wrapping him up in one of the soft blankets, supporting him while he cried. She had never heard him cry like this before, so full of pain and hurt. It broke her heart; she couldn't stop herself from shedding a few tears of her own. She had him back, and she was more grateful than anything else in the universe. Her tail wrapped tightly around her lover, gently petting through his hair.

“I want to help you through this, Branch… I'm here for whatever you need.” Poppy coaxed after a while, feeling him start to calm down. It concerned her that the first thing he would say would be “stay.” While she understood his brothers, it wasn't something that had ever crossed her mind. Branch's issues were deeply rooted in his subconscious, barely even able to speak, yet so clearly able to feel intense emotions. He most likely was keeping it under wraps, unwilling to let his brothers- even Floyd- see him in this position. 

“I love you, Poppy.” That was all Branch could mumble, his face hidden by the blanket. Poppy smiled, her tail swaying slightly. “If you need me to take you home even, let me know.” She said, the question seemingly coming out of nowhere. “It'll be a trek, but I could ask Bridgette to take us on their way back. Or we're gonna be here until you can walk back on your own. I don't want to be sitting ducks in the woods again…” Poppy started to talk plans, hoping to get Branch derailed and onto a different conversation if he was needing to go home to process all of this.

She looked back down at Branch after realizing he didn't answer, curled against her in her arms. Poppy smiled at him, hugging him tightly. “Doing any better?”

“Mhm…” Poppy could hear him exhale, the breakdown taking a lot of energy for what little he had left. “Just needed your girlfriend?” Poppy joked, emitting a small chuckle from Branch. “Sure.” He humored her, pulling away from the blanket with a heavy breath. Poppy helped wipe his tears and clean up his face.

“I want to help, but you're going to have to talk to me eventually, mister.” She said, patting his cheek with the blanket. He sighed heavily. “I know… I will. I promise.” He and Poppy exchanged a quick kiss. “You have all the time in the world.” She reassured him before standing up from her spot in the bed. “Now… let's get your clothes changed.”

Chapter Text

“Sorry I'm such a hassle,” Branch mumbled as Poppy helped him finish putting on a shirt. It was a bit big on him, being an old band shirt John Dory had tucked away somewhere, ironically being an old faded “BroZone” tee-shirt. Poppy grinned, helping adjust it so it sat nicely on his shoulders. “You're not a hassle. Hush.” Poppy booped his nose. “It's just practice for when I'm gonna be a mom. It's no biggie.” 

Branch practically flushed at her saying that, as if the concept was foreign to him. “A Mom?” He repeated with a blink. Poppy grinned. “Well, yeah duh. Come on, Branch.” She giggled. “It's not gonna be forever.” As she turned around, she brushed her tail up across his face playfully. “W-Well,” He couldn't believe she was even thinking about that right now, starting to fiddle with his thumbs.

“Anyway,” She derailed the conversation, leaving Branch flustered. “I'm starving. You?” She pulled out an old jacket, digging through John Dory’s box of clothes for Branch. “I could eat,” Branch said as she dressed him up. The clothes smelt old and dated, probably being in storage for who knew how long. She helped Branch put on the jacket, making sure he was bundled up before sitting on the edge of the bed. “Alright. Ready?”

Branch was thankful his girlfriend was strong and confident, able to carry Branch on her back without so much as breaking a sweat. She held onto his legs as they both thanked Rhonda, who was peacefully resting outside the balcony. The couple waltzed into the kitchen, exchanging a wave with Brandy before making their way out into the troll-area of the bar.

“He lives!” They both heard a voice announce from across the room. They both perked up as John Dory came running over. “Baby Branch! It's only been what, two entire days?” John Dory laughed. “Really..?” Branch blinked, looking down at Poppy. She giggled with a slight shrug. “Come on! We got a nice setup and everything.” John Dory beckoned them over. Bruce had managed to put together a nice little table for his family. Clay welcomed them with a wave. 

“This is nice,” Branch blinked, watching as Poppy pulled up a different chair for him. This one was mostly plush and had a large dip in the center, allowing him to sit comfortably at the table. He exhaled heavily as Poppy set him down before taking her own seat next to him.

“I know, right? Aw man, I've been having a blast.” Clay chuckled, shuffling a deck of cards in his hands. “I needed a break from all my leadership duties.” Clay hummed. “Huh?” Branch perked up in interest, looking towards him. “Oh yeah!” Clay chuckled, realizing Branch literally had no idea about any of their lives yet, and had barely woken up. “Man, I got so much to catch you up on.” Poppy giggled, covering her mouth.

Branch picked up one of Bruce's menus that had been left on the table. “Bruce is hosting his complimentary breakfast thing in the lounge; it happens every morning. Floyd’s still sleeping, poor kid.” John Dory shook his head. 

“What's wrong with Floyd?” Branch asked, looking up from the paper in his hands. “He just couldn't get to sleep. He looked paranoid beyond all hell and tried to have a few drinks after we told him to stop,” Clay shrugged with a sigh.

“Mmm,” Branch frowned, having no idea how Floyd could even manage to keep a drink down in this condition. The smell was off-putting enough to Branch, but was tolerable. “He was up all night until he basically fainted like you.” John Dory said, emitting an embarrassed blush from Branch. He rolled his eyes with a sigh, getting over it quickly. “Right, right.”

“But. Hey, today's looking better, right? At least you're up,” Clay smiled. Branch could feel everyone's eyes burning into his skin, causing him to look down at his hands. They also looked so different and irregular. He just felt… out of place.

It's not like his brothers even knew anything about him, anyway. They all had preemptive conclusions about who he was from Poppy and their knowledge of him as a young child, but that was their extent. He never even had a genuine connection with most of them, except Floyd, from what he could remember. 

Why did it take almost dying for the rest of them to show up?

“Right… Branch?” Clay spoke up again, having gotten no response as the troll stared at the paper in front of him. “H-Hm? Yeah,” Branch mumbled a quick response, unsure of what Clay had even asked. 

Poppy interrupted the conversation, putting her hands on the table. “I made his tail wag last night! I saw it!” Poppy interjected as she took Branch's hand in hers. “Really!? That's great!” John Dory smiled, looking back at Branch.

He was staring at the menu, concentrating harder than he should be. Branch was studying it hard, still unable to read the words. He noticed the table fell silent around him, looking up to see yet again- everyone staring at him. His lips pressed together, feeling his frustration spill over. Branch set the menu down, putting his hands on the table. “What.”

Nobody spoke up, just watching him, confusion painting their faces. He slyly glanced at Poppy as he wiped his cheek, checking if he had randomly started crying again. His face was dry, leaving him more frustrated. 

“What!?” He spoke up again, his ears folding back. He was already upset that he couldn't read. “Nobody said anything, Branch,” Poppy mumbled, softly touching his hand.

“T-Then why is everyone looking at me like something's wrong!?” His voice was breaking, not meaning to, but he had close to no control. “Branch, what's going on, honey? You can talk to us.” Poppy stood up from her chair. “I CAN'T FUCKING READ.” He slammed his fists down on the table.

Everyone appeared to get spooked by Branch's sudden outburst, especially himself. He started to panic even more, quickly apologizing. “N-No, I'm sorry I-I-, I didn't mean-” His ears were completely pinned, fueling his panic. Poppy grabbed his wrist tightly. “I-I'm sorry, I'm sorry,” He pleaded before Poppy suddenly yanked him under the tablecloth. 

The room became dark and quiet, making it easier for Branch to focus and regulate. “Hey, hey, relax,” Poppy coaxed, watching him heave and catch his breath. John Dory and Clay ducked down with them, concerned for their brother. “You're okay, Branch,” Poppy said as he shook off his panic like a dog, a shiver running down his spine.

“S-Sorry, Sorry.” Branch said shakily, sitting on his knees and wiping the tears from his face. “What do you mean you can't read?” Poppy asked, softly squeezing his hand. “T-the menu,” He clarified with a sniffle. “I-I couldn't see it. It was making me so mad,” He looked at Poppy, then glanced at his other brothers who watched his freakout. Guilt bubbled in his chest. He felt like a wild animal.

“It was hurting my head.” He mumbled, touching his temple. “Just take it easy, dude, communicate. Just like this, it's perfect.” Clay reassured him. Branch nodded sharply. “O-Okay. Okay, I know.” He clutched the jacket he wore as Poppy gently pulled him back up from under the table, setting him down in the chair. Poppy had a permanent look of worry on her face, keeping her eyes on Branch as she grabbed a menu for him.

They just had to keep reassuring Branch everything was fine, right? They had all seen the panic in his eyes before it had happened. It was pretty easy to tell. His eyes would go wide, his face would pale, and he would become unresponsive. Expectantly, emotional reactions were beginning to trigger, in Branch’s case, mainly due to inability.

Branch's inability to read, however, only seemed to make concern grow- just as he had predicted earlier. To Clay, he feared whether or not Branch was still concussed, which could lead to further medical problems. John Dory had it more stuck in his mind that there could be potential brain damage, after all, none of them really understood what “talent draining” meant, and feared the worst for their baby brother.

“Well, forget the menu,” Poppy said, tossing it to the side. “Just think about anything you're hungry for. We have a whole kitchen at our expense, Branch.” Poppy tried to help him solve the problem, getting a bit stressed herself. Branch sighed, the same problem from the night prior arising. “Alright, alright… I think, just some jam and toast. We can try.” He mumbled, just saying the first thing that came to mind. Poppy smiled, patting his arm. “Okay! That sounds good. Let's try.” She took her own turn to look at the menu, leaving Branch to his devices to take a silent breath.

“Where'd you pull those out from?” John Dory spoke up, looking at the clothes Branch was wearing. “Mm?” Branch looked down at his outfit. “Oh, Rhonda. Poppy found it.” He said, rubbing his neck. “There's kinda… blood everywhere.” He bit his lip. John Dory just chuckled in response. “No worries. All that stuff is washable.” He shrugged it off. “How's your tail?” 

“Poppy rewrapped it,” He said, looking at Poppy for her guess of the condition of his tail. Her ears folded slightly as she glanced at Clay and John Dory before back at Branch. 

“Yeah, it's healing good.” She reassured, but Branch could taste the hint of doubt in her voice. “Yea…” He said, his ears folding slightly as he studied her reaction. It only hit the bell for him once more, the pang of guilt in his chest returning to linger. They both looked away from each other, Branch silently tapping the table.

“Floyd!” John Dory called, seeing the pink-haired troll approach the group. Branch turned around and saw his brother walking towards the group, seeming a lot more comfortable on his feet.

Finally, Branch was able to observe his condition in the light. He had a similar gradient to his skin like Branch, the lighter blue fading to a ghost-like white. His entire torso was wrapped up, the bandages stained red from the dribble of blood that he occasionally coughed up. The black and blue bruise crept out from under the bandages, covering over half of his body where the impact was. His hair had a similar damaged fade, scruffy and unkempt from restless sleep.

Branch felt a sudden rush of relief wash over him once Floyd arrived, like his anxiety from before vanished now that his brother was here. Floyd approached the group and pulled up a chair next to Branch. He seemed to feel the same sense of relief seeing his brother safe, his tail swishing up against Branch’s. “Morning.” He said, exhaustion dripping from his voice.

“Damn Floyd! Did you even sleep?” John Dory blinked, seeing how strained Floyd looked. “Nope.” Floyd shrugged. “It's fine, I didn't want to. I'm practically nocturnal.” He hummed as he swayed in his seat. 

He picked up a menu, tapping the table expectantly. Branch pulled himself back upright on his chair, looking over Floyd’s shoulder in an attempt to read the menu yet again. Floyd glanced at him before sharing the paper.

“What looks good?” The two conversed amongst the group, the main conversation louder than theirs. “I-I can't… see it, Floyd.” Branch admitted, barely able to see the photos. Floyd let out a soft chuckle. “Shh… me either.” Floyd giggled to himself, tapping the menu. 

“I was hoping you could help me, but it looks like we’re both screwed.” He snickered lightly. Branch’s ears flattened. “Just tell Poppy jam and toast… hopefully they'll get the message.” Branch sighed softly. Floyd nodded, tapping the table. “That does sound good.”

The intensity of the room seemed to lessen once Floyd came out, appearing to calm all of Branch’s nerves instantly. It was interesting to see how Floyd got him encapsulated in a conversation amongst themselves, having barely been able to speak up before. Poppy shared a small smile with the others, thankful Floyd seemed to know what he was doing with Branch’s fragile stability.

“Good morning, familia!” Bruce exclaimed, entering the room from the side door. “Bruceee.” John Dory announced, waving him over. “Everyone's awake! Sweet!” He said, out of breath from scampering around the restaurant all morning. “And how are you two doing?” Bruce leaned on the table, looking over at Branch and Floyd.

“Good.” Floyd nodded, while Branch gave a simple thumbs-up. “Get any rest, Floyd..?” Bruce inquired, seeing the pink-haired troll’s tired eyes. “Not really.” Floyd shrugged, looking back down at the menu. “Was anything wrong?” “Nope. Just couldn't.” Floyd scratched his chin. The elder brothers exchanged glances with each other. “Alright… are you guys hungry?”

They ended up getting a buffet for the table, laying out more than a few options for the boys to try out. Poppy hopped up to assist Bruce in transporting everything from the main dining hall to troll-portioned sizes. 

Branch could barely focus on the conversation ongoing at the table, too wrapped up in the fact that he wasn't dreaming. It was so surreal staring at John Dory- a man whom Branch only faintly remembered from his dreams. He had become so frustrated with the thought that everyone had abandoned him, blaming John Dory for being the sole contributor to the idea.

His eyes wavered to Bruce, smiling and adding onto John Dory's statements. Clay laughed in response. Branch glanced beside him as Floyd piped up to join in, the group sharing a laugh together. None of the words were audible to Branch, his audio processing abilities out the door.

“You should tell them.” Floyd’s voice dipped down to a whisper, leaning in to shake Branch from his state. Branch's ears flicked as he came to, realizing Floyd was talking to him. His nose scrunched, appearing confused about what he was referring to, meeting Floyd’s eyes for confirmation. Floyd leaned in and whispered into Branch’s ear.

“About Grandma.”

Branch froze up. His ears folded back, eyes darting back to John Dory. John raised an eyebrow at the sudden change in behavior and what Floyd could have possibly said to him, keen and observant. “No.” Branch quickly said, inhaling sharply. “Can I..?” Floyd asked, a bit confused, but didn't want to press. Branch had informed him about Grandma's passing in the diamond, and felt it was only fair to mention it to the brothers.

“N-No.” Branch said, a bit more firmly this time. He looked at Floyd with pleading eyes. He couldn't do that right now. If he had to mention Grandma, then he had to mention that he turned gray and spent all those years without anyone-

They were already so worried about him. He didn't want to guilt them any more than he already felt he was doing. “What..?” John Dory asked, now concerned. “Nothing.” Branch shook his head. “I’ll explain later,” Floyd said, dismissing the conversation upon seeing Branch become increasingly uncomfortable.

Floyd helped him make up a plate first, and Branch thankfully was able to stomach some of the home-cooked food. “Alright! This looks awesome!” Bruce grinned, proud of his arrangement. Poppy took her seat back next to Branch, eager and hungry. Branch watched as Floyd nervously tapped the table, his eyes locked on Bruce as he contemplated requesting something.

“Bruce… could I get a whiskey?” Floyd asked pensively. Bruce blinked, not expecting a request like that over a breakfast spread. “Uh, sure, Floyd, don't you think it’s a little early?” Bruce suggested, trying to offer something else for his sick brother. “Oh, I know. I want to get knocked out after this.” Floyd lightly shrugged.

Branch glanced at his exhausted brother with complete confusion. “You think that’ll work?” Bruce asked. Floyd nodded with a smile. “It’s worked before.” Bruce gave up fighting it, abiding by his request and fetched him a whiskey on the rocks. “Thank you.” Floyd hummed as he drank it down before eating his breakfast.

The group broke bread together, sharing lighthearted stories and jokes, basking in the sun for the rest of the early morning. Branch was surprisingly able to eat most of what he was offered, feeling better after getting the different kinds of nutrients his body needed to continue healing. 

Floyd had his tail silently wrapped around Branch’s, feeling the slight movement occasionally as they enjoyed the presence of their family. Floyd ended up getting a second drink, much to Bruce’s disapproval, but trusted his judgment.

This gave Floyd a much more physical effect of being drunk now, occasionally swaying in his seat. He giggled a lot more at John Dory's poor jokes, and his words began to slur. “B-Bruce, can I have a third?” Floyd spoke up. “No.” Bruce asserted this time. “I don't want you to throw up.” 

Floyd exhaled heavily, rubbing his face. “Damn, Floyd. I thought I was the drinker. Two whiskies at breakfast? Wanting a third?” John Dory half chuckled, humor reflecting his concern. “I-I'm trying, okay?” Floyd exhaled in a desperate tone, his tail flicking slightly. 

“Hey, no harm, no foul. We’re just worried, dude.” Clay said lightheartedly. “I'm just tired,” Floyd shook his head, chewing on his fork without anything on it. His plate had been empty for the last five minutes, yet he still continued to chew on his fork. Branch had been the only one to notice, now also watching Floyd with concern.

“Me too,” Branch exhaled, forcing a yawn. He wasn't tired, quite the opposite in fact, but he had a gut feeling he should probably go lie back down. Poppy perked up. “But, we just slept like 8 hours.” She giggled. “Yeah but… recovery is all eat, sleep, and sleep again.” Branch joked, unable to prevent himself from staring at Floyd. 

“There isn't much I can do if I can't walk.” He shrugged. Bruce grinned. “Not true! I know lots of folks who are perfectly capable who use wheelchairs.” Branch bit his lip. “Yea,h but… I want to walk again.” He was dead set on it, and if it meant sleeping for a week straight, so be it.

“I'm going to try and fix Rhonda today.” John Dory said, taking a gulp of orange juice. “So you both might have to sleep somewhere else.” “That's okay,” Floyd said with a wave of his hand. “Bruce made us a little room,” Floyd said to Branch. “Oh! Thank you, Bruce.” Branch smiled. Bruce nodded softly. “Anytime, boys.” He sat up with a slow inhale, and the boys all stopped their conversations as it looked like Bruce had something to say.

“So uh… Brandy’s leaving for her yoga retreat this month.” He folded his hands together. “I was hoping maybe, while we were waiting for Floyd and Branch to get a bit better, that you guys wouldn't mind helping me out a bit? Just here and there, I still want you all to have a good time.” Bruce asked lightly. “Of course, Bruce!” Poppy perked up with a grin. “You're letting us stay here for free. It's the least we can do.” Clay chuckled. “Hey, I mean, I'm not gonna charge my family now, come on.” He chuckled with a nod.

“Thank you, Bruce, it means everything.” Branch nodded fullheartedly. He had no idea how he would have been able to do this back home, all of their friends harboring them for the story, Poppy having to go back to doing queen duties while he was left in the cold, dark bunker, unable to do anything for himself; it could be so much worse. 

“Of course.” Bruce nodded with a sympathetic smile. “Hell, I’d do the same thing if I were in you're guys’ positions,” Clay said. Floyd and Branch exchanged a sad glance. “Yeah,” “Haha yeah…” It was hard to think about any of their other brothers going through that; if anything, they got lucky.

Hell, if it were John Dory and he didn't keep his mouth shut, Velvet would’ve killed him the first chance she got to get away with it. Clay well, he would know how to get away, but would most likely be trapped in the diamond for the rest of his life because he would have had no way to contact all of their brothers, and the thing was pretty much impossible for a troll to open on the outside or inside. Bruce’s entire family would be in shambles, and it would leave poor Brandy, a single mother, and his kids without an explanation of where their father went. They only got lucky because of Poppy.

Branch’s gaze shifted over to her. She was his little luck charm. She had managed to successfully find all of Branch’s brothers, along with rescuing Branch and Floyd before their time ran out. Amazing couldn't describe her. And here she was, cheery as ever, as if her own life and significant other hadn’t been tested just days prior. 

How she did it, he would never understand. She was the perfect person, flaws and all. A fit of laughter erupted from the table, causing Poppy to look at Branch, who saw her face flush. She rolled her eyes and giggled. “Yes, Branch?” She said, a sudden lull to her voice. “Hm?” He perked up, noticing yet again that everyone’s eyes were on him.

“You seemed like you wanted to say something.” Poppy giggled, having not caught the beginning of the conversation. Even Floyd was snickering at him. “N-No?” Branch blinked, bewildered. “Then why were you staring at me?” She couldn't hold back her laugh. 

“U-Uh,” He flushed, realizing he had just been randomly admiring Poppy, absent from all the other eyes that were around him. Poppy erupted in laughter. “Oh my fluff, you're so cute.” She fanned the blush on her face.

“You were totally doll-eyeing her, dude.” Clay laughed, shaking his head. “Oh my stars-” Branch covered his face in embarrassment, causing more laughter to come over the table. Poppy pulled him into a hug and kissed his nose. “You are the sweetest.” She giggled, her tail whipping. “I-I was just thinking about how awesome you are.” Branch chuckled in response, kissing her back. 

“Get a pod!” John Dory laughed, receiving a light punch from Bruce. Poppy held his hand as she sat back down in her chair, her tail unable to stop whipping excitedly.

Chapter Text

The conversation droned on, the group listening to John Dory and Bruce banter back and forth. Floyd appeared to be wavering more and more in his chair, now calling the attention of Branch and Poppy. He gripped the side of his chair, holding it to keep himself upright. Branch softly touched his arm, causing Floyd's eyes to dart away from the conversation and to Branch instead. “You okay..?” 

Floyd just shook his head. “I'm good, I'm good.” He reassured, patting his hand softly. “You look like you're gonna fall over.” Branch insisted, causing Floyd's tail to wag. “Y-Yea, that was the point, Branch.” Floyd insisted, looking at his brother with a “I'm fine dude, relax” glance. It didn't ease Branch's nerves, disliking his concern being dismissed so suddenly.

Floyd was trying anything he could. He was seeing different colors he had never seen before, but still could not get his brain to shut up. He feared any minute their two captors could come back to finish the job. He could just imagine how resentful Velvet could get, especially if it took that small amount of effort from her to come so close to killing a tiny Troll. The mental torment was something else, on top of all the pre-established pain from his injury.

“Alright, Floyd,” Bruce spoke up, noticing their brother's state. “I think it's time that you should go lie down.” His concern was growing, seeing his brother pale. “Okay,” Floyd said shakily, dismissing Branch’s concern but immediately validating Bruce's without hesitation. Floyd carefully stood up from his chair, feeling the world warble around him. He steadied himself as he gripped the edge of the table. 

“Need help, bud..?”John Dory offered, only to receive a head shake from him in return. “Nope. I got it.” Once he steadied himself, he stood upright. Although off balance and pale less than two seconds ago, Floyd now walked around with ease. “Whew! That feels better.” He said, a sense of relief in his voice. 

Most of the other brothers were confused, having just watched the troll down two glasses of whiskey, and now he was practically doing stretches and looked completely sober, aside from the prominent dark circles under his eyes. Floyd set his dining ware together before making his leave. “Okay, round two.” He seemed to be hyping himself up before leaving the room, leaving the four brothers completely bewildered. “Er… I think someone should watch him.”

Branch felt a feeling arise in his stomach after Floyd left, telling him that something was going to go wrong. As soon as he couldn't see Floyd anymore, the anxious feeling came right back. It was strange, but he was no longer content where he was sitting. Everything suddenly became too loud and too bright, and he swore he could hear his ears start to ring. “I can.” Branch spoke up, offering to watch Floyd, a tone of desperation in his voice.

“I can't do anything else anyway.” He quickly recovered as he masked the desperate tone. “Are you sure, Branch? What if you need help?” Poppy asked, unsure about the offer. “I won't. I'll be fine.” Branch smiled at her. She seemed to hesitate, but gave in to his request.

Poppy helped carry Branch into the room Bruce had set up for everyone. It was a spacious little area, perfect for any kind of Troll party. There were makeshift beds of any kind of varying comfort levels, most of them having been claimed by the members of the family already. 

Branch felt his anxiety leave once more as they walked into the room, seeing Floyd sitting on the windowsill. He perked up as the door opened. “Hey! Branch said he was tired. Wanted to hang out with you.” Poppy giggled. “Oh, no worries,” Floyd said as she gently set Branch down on one of the beds. 

“Okay, Branchifer… holler if you need me, okay?” She said with a hum. “I will. Thank you, Poppifur.” Branch smiled as they exchanged a quick kiss. Poppy let out a little goodbye wave towards Floyd and then took her leave, letting the two brothers have a moment alone.

Branch let out a heavy exhale once Poppy left, lying down on his back. His spine hurt from sitting for so long, the pressure building up from his broken tail. “You okay..?” Floyd asked, hearing his discomfort. “Yeah. Just hurts.” Branch mumbled, putting a hand on his hip. Floyd stared at him before hopping up from his spot on the windowsill. “... can I look?” 

Branch hesitated, glancing at Floyd. He stood in front of him with concern, squeezing his hands together anxiously. “... yeah. But you have to let me look at yours.” Branch said, his eyes shifting down to the large bruise on Floyd's chest. 

“Fine. As if it were a competition.” Floyd joked, walking over to Branch. He helped him shakily sit back up and observed his tail hanging off the edge of the bed. “Poppy just re-wrapped it. Be careful.” Branch mumbled.

Floyd carefully observed the damage, seeing the discoloration and exaggerated irregular joints that jutted out against the skin. It was sickening to say the least, a few fresh blood spots on the bandage from the exposed flesh. Branch was shaking, even just the slightest irregular moment causing stinging pain. 

Floyd's ears folded back; it didn't seem very realistic at this point that Branch would be able to keep his tail. The damage looked irreversible. Even if it healed correctly, it would never function like it had before. If they somehow could manage to get the best surgeon in all of Trollstopia, it still wouldn't guarantee his tail would be salvageable.

“I know Poppy won't tell me. Hell, I know you might not tell me either.” Branch mumbled, taking a heavy sigh. “But… how bad is it? Like, genuinely. Just be honest with me, Floyd.” Branch had the question lingering in his mind for a long while before he was finally able to say it. He was desperate; he needed to know the reality of his situation. 

“I think you're going to lose your tail, Branch.”

The words hurt more than they should've. He definitely expected it, but hearing Floyd actually say it made it sting differently. He hadn't expected it to be so direct either. There it was, a fact from Floyd's own eyes laid right out in front of him. He couldn't prevent his ears from folding back as a reaction to the new information. 

“... Yea. I thought so.” Branch forced out a response. He hadn't heard Floyd stand up, but felt the troll's arms softly wrap around him. “I'm so sorry, Branch.” Floyd coaxed, knowing the information might've been hard to hear. Branch's throat went dry as he tried to force back tears, not needing another reason to cry today. “It's okay, thank you, Floyd.” He was able to choke out.

Floyd gently let go of him. “Yknow, it's not super bad. Tons of trolls don't have tails.” Floyd tried to help make him feel better, sitting on the bed next to him. “Like Hard Rock Trolls. For some reason, the males don't have tails.” Floyd shrugged. “Really?” Branch blinked. “I never… noticed that before.” He pondered aloud. 

“When I… lived in the Hard Rock City,” Floyd started speaking slowly, reminiscing as he began to talk about Hard Rock Trolls. “I couldn't hide my tail very well. Hard Rock Trolls are mean and vicious. I had to… change how I presented to the world. Hide who I was.” Floyd cleared his throat as his hand shot up to his sternum. He began fiddling with the ring around his neck nervously. He wanted to help Branch cope, but was reluctant to give him information. 

Branch leaned in curiosity, Floyd's fragile words speaking of delicate topics. “Why'd you have to hide?” Branch asked, tilting his head to the side. “Oh… well, I was a Pop Troll.” Floyd shrugged. Branch felt his question was still unanswered, so he asked again. 

“No, but… why? Who cared if you were a Pop Troll?” Branch asked. Floyd paused, suddenly becoming lost for words. “Um… Branch, the Rockpocolypse?” Floyd appeared confused, bewildered that he didn't know this information. “Hard Rock Trolls HATE Pop Trolls.” “Oh…” Branch blinked, dismissing that he had not pieced that together. 

“So… what happened?” Branch asked, interested in the full story. Floyd's ears folded slightly, pausing to recall past events. Branch noticed a cloud of weariness fall over him, his eyes falling as he recalled his time with the Hard Rock Trolls. “I mean, like, do they hate us even after Poppy and I?” He noticed the question sounded heavy to Floyd, so he tried to go in a lighter direction.

“I'm not sure. I wasn't there when the Rockpocolypse actually came…” Floyd trailed off, his gaze falling down at his tail. Branch frowned, noticing his offness, but stood quiet to let Floyd process his emotions. Floyd sharply inhaled, forcing an end to his story. “That's when I came to find you.” Branch slowly nodded, piecing the parts of his story together.

“It's… fine. That all doesn't matter anymore.” Floyd crossed his legs, holding his tail in his lap as he silently started to groom the hair on the end. 

“Are you going to go back..?” Branch had not expected to ask that question of Floyd, but curiosity got hold of him. He looked up at Branch with a hesitant reaction before he responded. “No. I'm not going back.” He clarified. “I don't belong there,” Floyd added under his breath.

“Well,” Branch attempted to help, noticing his brother's distress. “It's okay, Branch, really. I… I don't need to be there. I don't want to be there.” Floyd quietly admitted, turning away towards the window. The boys were left in lingering silence.

Floyd suddenly spoke up with an intrusive thought. “Think Bruce will kill me if I steal a bottle? I feel like I'm going crazy.”

Branch pondered his question and the morality behind it. Floyd obviously needed it, incredibly active but also incredibly exhausted. It seemed like it was his last resort, next to being asked to be punched in the face. 

“Go for it Floyd,” Branch said with a nod. Floyd seemed to light up with the permission, quickly hopping off the bed. He quietly snuck out without another word, slinking off to get some more booze.

Branch was left with Floyd's bloody bandages, the red-haired Troll having not even noticed they were taken off. Most of the blood was from Floyd coughing, regurgitating what his lungs kept filling with. He seemed to be healing okay, aside from the expanding bruise on his chest.

Floyd snuck back into the room, a bottle of whiskey wrapped around his tail. He quietly shut the door before grabbing the bottle in excitement. “Ah! Sweet release,” He ripped open the cap. “Jackie take me away~” He hummed before downing half of the bottle then and there. Branch could only watch in shock, barely able to stomach one drink on the regular himself.

“Geez Floyd, still be careful of yourself,” Branch said as Floyd shook his head, the taste of alcohol burning his face. He coughed harshly before stomaching it, taking a seat back onto the bed. “That'll do it.” Floyd nodded, confident in his ability. “Okay, now sit still before you pass out,” Branch said, putting his hands on Floyd's shoulders to steady him. He continued to observe Floyd's expanding bruise, the impact being deep and harmful.

“How's your breathing?” He asked, pulling a spare wrapping of bandages from Floyd's bedside. Even though he was injured, he still wanted to assist his brother. “Spotty. Still coughing blood.” Floyd mumbled. “Is that the only place she got you?” Branch asked, pulling an appropriate amount of length from the roll before tearing it with his teeth.

“Aside from my canines hurting, yeah.” Floyd said, rubbing his jaw. “Wh- you bit her?” Branch blinked. Floyd let out a laugh. “Yeah! I latched onto her good. Fucking hurt!” He touched the pointy teeth in his mouth. “Good for you.” Branch nodded with a smile.

Floyd's look of confidence quickly faltered. “If I had carried you, we could've gotten out… your tail wouldn't be broken,” Floyd said, guilt puddling in his throat.

“Hey, Floyd, we're alive now. That's all that matters.” Branch shook his head with a chuckle. “No matter the damage we come out with. At least we're still alive.” Floyd practically welled up with tears, pulling him back into a hug. “You're right, you're right, I'm sorry,” He mumbled as Branch hugged him tightly. They sat there for a long moment before pulling away.

“I'm still coming to terms with it. Every day I wake up and think we're still stuck.” Floyd sniffled, admitting a fear that had been bothering him. “I keep dreaming of Poppy getting taken instead of me… and there's always this rush of anxiety after I wake up,” Branch admitted in addition to Floyd's statement. 

“It… goes away when I see you,” Branch mumbled his observation, looking to Floyd for his reaction. “... me too,” Floyd mumbled, surprised Branch had described the feeling he had been wavering on for the past few days.

Floyd covered his mouth. Branch let out a snicker. “It's because we were locked up together. That makes so much sense.” Branch exhaled. “I can't sleep until I know you're safe… and the same goes for you.”

Floyd exhaled in relief, glad they had found the solution to their problem. It was true, the two brothers being together eased both of their nerves. Branch noticed Floyd start to waver, this time knowing he wasn't acting. 

“Do you want to try? To sleep?” Branch said, offering him a blanket. “O-Okay.” The dizzy troll mumbled in agreement before lying down next to Branch, wrapping himself up in the cloth.

It didn't take long for Floyd’s liquor to kick in, Branch watching in silent shock as the troll went from being in pain to practically purring like a kitten. His tail swished happily as he curled in a ball under the blanket, enjoying the silence and calming presence of Branch. Branch had snatched a nearby pad of paper, deciding to experiment while he was still awake.

It didn't take long for Floyd’s presence to drag Branch in, causing him to fall tired as well. The notebook almost fell out of his hand as he drifted on and off. After the third time, he gave up and decided to lie down with Floyd. 

Floyd sleepily welcomed him with a drunken hug. The two brothers huddled together in the darkness of the room, finding their presence enough to finally rest their eyes and let sleep take over their recovering bodies.

Chapter Text

Floyd couldn't breathe. He felt the strong, heavy hands of a Troll tightly grip his throat, preventing air from entering his lungs. Floyd struggled to fight the larger figure off of him, coughing and gagging harshly as his face turned blue. The figure appeared to be yelling, all the words incomprehensible as Floyd struggled to breathe. 

His ears rang loudly, preventing any other sound from tuning into his ears. He could feel himself start to lose consciousness, crying out the Troll's name. “Vince, Please!” Floyd pleaded as he coughed, the pressure on his esophagus not letting up. Once he had cried out, he felt another pair of hands wrap around his waist tightly. The grip seemed to pull Floyd back to the present and out of his dream.

...

Floyd inhaled sharply as he awoke from his terrifying dream, his breath hitched in his throat. He quickly let out the bubble, regaining control as he could finally breathe. He felt the phantom hands around his neck replaced with his own, but the hands around his waist stayed. Floyd glanced over his shoulder once he had regained his composure, silently panting.

Branch had not awoken in Floyd's panic, but had simply hugged his brother around his waist once his sleep had started to disturb him. Floyd exhaled in relief, coming to terms with the notion that his dream wasn't real. He silently touched the spot on his neck where his claws had dug in, phantom pain radiating from the area. Branch's ears flicked in his sleep. The comfort worked, soothing Floyd's aggressive wakeup.

He let out a heavy sigh as his tail silently curled tighter around Branch's, all of the memories flooding back to him the moment he fully awoke. The pain and emotions all returned, and lastly, the guilt. Floyd silently gripped one of Branch's hands that was around his waist. The poor kid didn't let up his grip, keeping his brother close.

Floyd didn't blame him, still feeling the weariness of intoxication, too dizzy to stand up regardless. He definitely slept better in Branch's presence, being able to monitor whether or not the small troll was still alive even while unconscious. The fear never left. Floyd was convinced he could drop dead at any moment. Sadly, it was an all-too-familiar feeling for Floyd.

It brought up past fears and feelings he hadn't thought about in months. He tried to shake them off, reasserting himself in the present. Together, the Trolls felt safe, guarded in a room hidden inside the restaurant where no one could harm them. Floyd imagined they would be living with these aggressive dreams and harmful fears for years. Floyd could barely even step outside without feeling as if his life was in danger- seeing firsthand how easily a larger being could miss the small body of a troll.

Poor Branch was facing the brunt end of it. Having been crushed, thrown around and pushed to the brink of death- he was miraculously still here. He appeared to be improving quite drastically, the large amount of rest giving his body time to recover from the blunt trauma. Floyd could barely face the thought of his baby brother never being able to walk again, something that would devastate their entire family.

Floyd carefully changed positions on the bed to curl around Branch protectively. It was what they had done the most while trapped, the feeling all too familiar. Floyd's heart felt heavy as he silently listened to Branch breathe. Floyd's thoughts started to shift once more, digging through possible alternative outcomes that could've made this situation better.

He shouldn't have let Branch go on his own. That was his biggest mistake. He should've shoved Branch out of the way when they were running from Velvet in the woods, not grabbing him, thinking he couldn't escape. Such a simple yet catastrophic decision had altered their lives forever. He started to doubt his own choices, reflecting on his life thus far.

Maybe if he hadn't stayed so long in Hard Rock City. Maybe if he had actually put more effort into finding his family, they wouldn't have been in the wrong place at the wrong time. Maybe if he didn't stay with Vince for all those years-

“Floyd, ease up…” Floyd heard Branch mumble, unsure if he was still asleep or not. Floyd then realized he was clutching Branch tighter than he probably should, his excessively sharp claws having caused the troll to wake up. Floyd quickly released his grip. “S-Sorry,” He whispered apologetically, gently letting go of Branch. Branch sleepily stretched before rolling over to the other side of the bed, taking a moment to wake up.

“I didn't mean to wake you up,” Floyd mumbled, sitting up from his spot on the bed. “It's fine…” Branch mumbled, their tails still intertwined. Floyd felt his anxiety take over, anxiously checking to make sure he hadn't scratched Branch anywhere with his claws. Branch sighed heavily, forcing himself to sit up. “I'm up, I'm up.” He rubbed his eyes. “S-Sorry,” Floyd apologized again, his ears flat.

Branch yawned sleepily, smoothing out his ruffled hair. “It's good, dude, it's good…” Branch glanced over towards the window, attempting to check what time of day it was. Floyd followed his gaze, seeing the blue sky shimmer in the bright sun. The sky was darker than it would normally be for the morning, so it was safe to assume it was around 2 pm.

“Did you finally get some sleep?” Branch asked, his eyes shifting back to Floyd. “I mean… yeah, it feels like it,” Floyd mumbled, rubbing the sleep away from his eyes. He noticed his face was wet with tears, something he hadn't felt fall from his eyes. He and Branch seemed to notice at the same moment.

“You okay..?” Branch asked gently. “O-oh, yea. Huh. Weird.” Floyd tried to play it off, much similar to how he had been earlier. Branch frowned before insisting with a potentially intrusive question.

“So… who's Vince?”

Floyd froze up upon hearing the name leave Branch's lips, his ears instantly folding back. “W-What? Where!?”

Branch fell silent, watching Floyd's sudden startled reaction as he hopped up from the bed, ready to jump into action. Floyd stared at Branch for a moment before realizing his reaction might've been confusing to poor Branch. 

“I-I mean…” His ears folded flat against his skull, glancing over his shoulder to see that his tail had completely poofed up.

“Floyd… who is Vince?” Branch repeated, now with concern in his voice as he sat up from his spot on the bed. “You kept saying his name while you were sleeping… he's not here.” Branch clarified where he knew the name from. “Ah, oh, haha. Wow.” Floyd said, his face red in embarrassment. 

“That's silly. It's just my husband.” Floyd paused for a moment before quickly adding the last part of his sentence. “Ex-husband,” Floyd tried to play off his reaction, glancing towards the window and away from Branch. 

“Oh,” Branch mumbled, pondering if that was a legitimate reaction to hearing your brother talk about an ex you had barely mentioned before. “Is that why you were crying..?” Branch felt unsure, but something about Floyd's reaction didn't sit right with him. 

“Probably. I mean, who knows, right?” Floyd mumbled with a forced chuckle. “It could've been a million things.” Floyd stood from the bed, starting to fix his hair with his hands.

“Are you okay, Floyd?” Branch asked sincerely, seeing his brother start to spiral. “I'm fine! Am I not fine? I feel fine! I-I was just-” He started to ramble, attempting to overexplain his actions to his concerned younger brother. His lip started to quiver, staring at the small Troll who had so many other things to worry about than him. “I-I'm perfectly fine, Branch.” He tried to force, but felt his voice break.

“Alright, Floyd.” Branch huffed, a sudden bubble of irritation arising. “You're terrible at lying.” Branch attempted to be light, but it only sent Floyd further into an apologizing spiral that surprised Branch. Floyd started talking too fast for him to keep up, while simultaneously starting to cry again, which made his words inaudible.

“Floyd… Floyd, FLOYD!” Branch had to say his name repeatedly to get him to stop, causing Floyd's breath to hitch in his throat as he paused. The sudden yell had triggered something in him, his pupils small. 

“Come here, Floyd.” Branch lowered his voice, recognizing the fear in his brother. Floyd felt bad for the sudden anxiety spike, listening to his direction and returned to the bed next to Branch. Branch gently brought his brother back into a hug, reassuring him without words that everything was okay. 

Floyd's tail silently curled around him, clutching Branch tight. “I'm so sorry, Branch, this should've never happened, I-I'm just taking it really hard,” Floyd mumbled, letting tears loosely fall from his face. “Yeah… me too. It's okay.” Branch mumbled reassuringly. Floyd sniffled, gently pulling back to look at Branch.

Even though he had slept most of the day, he still looked exhausted. The pained expression never went away, and stress lines looked permanent on his face. “I feel like I'm going crazy,” Branch mumbled, holding his head. Floyd softly returned to the hug, letting Branch rest his head against Floyd's shoulder.

“Don't let me stress you out, okay?” Floyd whispered. Branch let out a slight chuckle. “No, Floyd. We get to do it together.” Branch reassured, softly gripping his hand.

Floyd felt himself well up with tears again, Branch insisting to him that he refused to let this recovery operation be fully about him. “You were stuck in there just as long as me,” Branch said, unable to hide the pain in his voice. Floyd held him close, stuffing back a sob. 

“Don't let me stress you out. I'm fine.” Branch kept reassuring, wanting to make sure his older brother was okay. He was strong; he would be able to pull through, whether Floyd believed him or not. “The attention is honestly overwhelming.”

“Yea..?” Floyd mumbled, slightly loosening his grip in realizing that he might be being too attentive to Branch. Branch's arms suddenly tightened around him. “N-No. Not from you.” He said quickly. Floyd's ears perked up, staring down at his brother. “... what do you mean?” He asked. Branch hesitated to answer, but had to mention the elephant in the room.

“When I can't see you, it's like… well, it's more like, no…” Branch struggled to describe his emotions. “Like… I'm not going to see you again, and like you're going to be dead if I can't…” Floyd mumbled, putting his own mirrored feelings into words. Branch’s ears folded completely, knowing Floyd understood every single word he was trying to say.

“Yeah… that.”

They both sat in each other's arms for a long moment of silence, listening to the seagulls call outside the window. Floyd eventually took a long, deep breath. “Well, we can go crazy from this together.” He joked, emitting a laugh from Branch. “Yeah. I'm fine with that.” He exhaled, closing his eyes tightly, listening to the atmosphere surrounding them.

Branch's eyes popped back open, getting an idea after a long moment of silence. “Hey, Floyd,” Branch mumbled, receiving an ear flick from Floyd. “Can you spot me while I try to stand up?” Branch asked, turning to look up at Floyd’s tinted eyes. 

They mirrored his faded gray, but maintained a small tint of color. Floyd hesitated to answer. “Branch, maybe you should take longer to heal before you try to start walking,” Floyd mumbled, recalling the last time Branch had tried to get up by himself.

“I want to try. Please? Statistics show that the more you work on the injury, the faster it'll heal.” Branch tried to convince him, but Floyd looked conflicted. He eventually caved. Who was he to tell Branch he couldn't try to walk? “Okay.” Floyd let go of him as he stood up off the bed. He turned around to face Branch. “Try to get up from the bed.” He held out his hands for support.

Branch swung his legs over the edge of the mattress, having no bed frame, it was already quite close to the floor. Branch took a shaky breath before setting his feet onto the ground. It was cold and threatening, as if telling him this was a bad idea. Branch committed, grabbing Floyd's hands as he attempted to pull himself up to his feet. His only thoughts were on being able to walk for Poppy. He had to, no matter what it took.

The pain was excruciating and certainly not what Branch had expected. He couldn't even feel how far apart his feet were, only able to feel the temperature of the ground. The entire lower half of his body felt numb as soon as the pain started. It felt like someone had grabbed his tail and started pulling it with all of their strength to rip it off his body. “Gh-”

Branch dug his claws into Floyd's arms, suddenly feeling like he was going to fall back onto his tail, and did not want to experience that pain. Floyd swiftly swooped the smaller Troll up before he stumbled back. Branch gasped, the intense pain releasing once he was off his feet. Branch panted and groaned, immediately becoming dizzy and sickly. “Branch, are you okay?” Floyd asked, panic washing over him.

His heart was racing, having not been racing only seconds prior. Branch started to whimper in pain, having not expected the intensity with which his body would react. “Hey, hey…” Floyd coaxed him. It took Branch well over a minute to regain his composure, sweat dripping down his forehead. “Relax, Branch, please… I'm getting scared,” Floyd whispered, worried something had broken on poor Branch.

“I-I'm okay,” Branch managed to mumble out, emitting a sigh of relief from Floyd. Branch's ears stayed completely flat, slowing his panicked breathing. “Did it hurt?” Floyd asked. Branch had looked like every ounce of energy had been torn from him, focused only on his breathing. “You turned pale and stopped talking,” Floyd mumbled, his tail unconsciously curling around Branch protectively. 

“Y-Yes,” Branch managed to get out, clearing his throat as he slowly exhaled. “It hurts,” He winced, still clearly in pain. “U-Um, what do you need, Branch?” Floyd's ears flattened, unsure of what he could do to relieve his suffering. It had been a horrible idea to let him try, possibly putting his body back into shock.

Branch was holding onto him too tightly for him to let go to fetch help. Floyd was in a cold sweat, giving up trying to communicate with Branch as he went nonverbal. He fled out of the room, looking for help while holding Branch on his shoulder. 

Upon standing up, Floyd's intoxication hit quickly. He had completely forgotten he had just drunk half a bottle of whiskey only a few hours prior.

Floyd quickly made his way to the kitchen, only to find it empty due to his poor luck. This brought him out to the restaurant, where, to his surprise, it was also unusually empty. “Bruce?” Floyd called, his ears perking up as he heard a loud cheer from outside. 

Floyd walked over to the balcony and peeked out the window to see the commotion. There was a large crowd gathered decently far from the restaurant, watching what looked like a volleyball tournament. 

“Of course…” Floyd folded his ears back. His ears returned upright as he heard Poppy's laughter, his gaze shifting down to the space below the balcony where Rhonda resided. John Dory and Poppy were having a conversation, overviewing the tournament from their spot on the balcony. “Hold tight Branch,” Floyd said, securing him tightly in his arms before slipping out onto the balcony.

Chapter Text

Both Trolls heard the door open as Floyd stepped out. “Morning!” John Dory called out, watching as Floyd carried Branch down the stairs. The look of urgency Floyd had caused John to stand up. “Everything okay?” “No,” Floyd said, his ears folded. Poppy quickly stood from her spot as well. “He tried to stand up, it looked like it really hurt him, he went pale, and” Floyd tried to explain as Poppy gently picked him up from Floyd's arms. 

“Why'd he do that?” John Dory frowned, watching as Branch groaned in pain from the transfer. “I-I don't know if he went back into shock or something,” Floyd anxiously scratched his wrist, nervous that he had made them upset by letting him try to stand.

“He's out of it,” Poppy mumbled, full of worry as she checked over Branch. “He started breathing really hard and just kept saying it hurt… I-I,” Floyd had already been overwhelmed, and now he was worried he had just hurt Branch more.

“Floyd, it's okay,” John Dory spoke up, noticing his distress. “I-I don't know why I let him try! H-He said he needed to, I didn't think he would get hurt-” Floyd started to ramble, defending his actions.

“Floyd! Relax! It's fine, he'll be okay.” John Dory said, raising his voice over Floyd’s panic. “Hnn,” Floyd pulled at his hair. Everything seemed to be going wrong. John Dory's change in attitude triggered something in Floyd, causing him to suddenly lash out. “I WASN'T TRYING TO HURT HIM, OKAY!?” 

Both Trolls were bewildered by Floyd's strong reaction, falling silent in shock. John Dory didn't quite know how to respond, watching as Floyd became genuinely angry out of nowhere. Floyd could see his reaction was out of place, unable to prevent tears from spilling down his face, before he quickly ran back into the restaurant. “Floyd, wait!” John Dory said, but it went ignored.

“What the hell is going on with these damn kids?” John Dory mumbled, his gaze shifting over to Poppy and Branch. She had set him down in one of the nicer plush beach chairs with a blanket, carefully going over his injuries to make sure nothing else had broken. Branch was dazed and barely conscious, focused on Poppy's touch and where the pain was, unfazed by Floyd's outburst.

“You got him?” John Dory asked, deciding to go after Floyd. “Yeah… we're alright.” Poppy nodded, giving him the go-ahead to proceed. “Be gentle with him, please,” Poppy said, referring to Floyd as she stared at John Dory. “I know, I know,” John Dory mumbled, sighing as he went up the steps and back into the restaurant. 

He made his way along the interior of the restaurant, assuming Floyd had run back to their room. He approached the door, now shut in the darkness of the hallway. He made sure his footsteps were audible before gently knocking on the door. This felt all too familiar: Floyd breaking down and crying and fleeing to their bedroom to hide. Only now they were adults, it felt just as strange to John Dory. “Floyd? I'm coming in.”

Not hearing a retort, John Dory pushed through the door. It seemed to startle Floyd, causing his tail to fluff as he dropped what he was holding. John Dory winced as the empty bottle of whiskey fell to the ground, creating a loud clanging sound, but thankfully did not shatter. 

“F-Floyd!” John Dory announced in shock, seeing the empty bottle. “Did you just down that!?” He pointed to the discarded bottle on the floor.

“I-I just need it, okay!?” Floyd said through his tears, tail flicking in anger. “Not while you're sick, Floyd! It can kill you!” John Dory argued back, the two beginning to bicker. The feeling was way too much for Floyd, triggering him further and further into a place he didn't want to be. “Where did you even get it- did you steal this from Spruce!?” He picked up the discarded bottle from the floor.

“Stop! Stop!” Floyd cried, cowering on the floor in front of the troll. He was sobbing uncontrollably, covering his ears as he started to plead with John Dory to stop. “I won't do it again, I'm sorry I didn't mean to, I-I can't-” He started to ramble again until John Dory suddenly grabbed his tail.

Floyd's breath caught in his throat as the reaction felt different, shaking him out of his state. It was something John Dory would do to them as kids when they were fighting, causing them to stop what they were doing and listen. 

“Floyd… It's okay, calm down. Nobody's going to hurt you.” John Dory spoke slowly and cautiously as if he were talking to a scared kitten. Floyd's breathing was harsh and ragged, with his panic had only worsened dramatically. He was heaving, having a hard time regaining control of himself, as it became painful due to his injury. 

“I-I-I,” He choked out, unable to speak. “Okay, I have to grab you or you're going to pass out. Ready?” John Dory said, not waiting for permission as he helped Floyd regulate his breathing and calm down by holding his muzzle shut, forcing him to breathe through his less painful nose. 

He eventually was able to come down, partially due to the rest of the alcohol beginning to take effect. John Dory softly released his grip on the younger troll as he sat on his knees in front of him. “Better?” He asked quietly. Floyd nodded, wiping his tear-stained face as he coughed. “You can't be throwing yourself into panic fits like that. It's dangerous.” John Dory began to lecture, which caused Floyd to hold his head in his hands. 

John Dory backed down slightly, remembering what Poppy had said about being gentler. “I'm just worried about you, Floyd.” John Dory said with genuine concern in his tone. “I'm sorry,” Floyd said, his voice hoarse. “Don't apologize,” John Dory reassured, but let his brother continue. 

“I'm the whole reason he's hurt, it's my fault,” Floyd stuffed back a sob, his tail curling around his legs like a young troll in trouble. “No, Floyd-” John Dory started, but Floyd continued. “I let him go on his own when we were trying to escape. I knew he was disoriented; it's all my fault,” Floyd sobbed, genuine pain in his voice.

“Floyd.” John Dory said, wrapping an arm around his younger brother. “It was a freak accident. You can't seriously blame yourself for him getting stepped on. Floyd… that's not your fault, I promise, buddy…” John Dory tried to reassure him, but Floyd was only met with more grief. “I'm a walking curse…” He held his head, none of John Dory’s words getting through to the younger troll. 

They sat in silence for a long while, Floyd dizzily rocking back and forth as John Dory brought him into a hug. Floyd didn't object; his breathing pained as he strained to cough up blood. “You're not a walking curse, Floyd. You brought everyone together.” John Dory mumbled, attempting to comfort his younger brother. “I…” Floyd trailed off, failing to see how it all connected.

“You finding Branch and getting taken would've never led Poppy to finding us. So… yeah. You did technically spark the fire.” John Dory said with a smile. “Otherwise I'd still be out in the woods…”

“Yeah…” Floyd mumbled, dizzily resting his head against John Dory. “And you're the only reason Branch is alive. I promise.” John Dory said, patting his shoulder. Floyd sniffled, holding a hand on his head. “I didn't want to hurt him…” Floyd mumbled quietly, pleading drunkenly to John Dory. “Do you really think he thinks you hurt him?” John Dory asked, finally triggering Floyd to ponder a question. “N-No…” He mumbled, his ears folded completely. 

“So then why are you worrying..? We're all here, Floyd. Nobody thinks you hurt him, so I don't know why you do.” John Dory softly patted his shoulder. 

“I don't feel in control of my body,” Floyd mumbled, his ears staying flat. John Dory fell quiet to listen. “I-I can't control what I say, how I feel, it's all just all over the place, and I have no idea what's going on,” Floyd hiccuped, wiping the tears that spilled from his eyes. “S-Sorry. This is stupid.” Just as Floyd started to open up, he appeared to immediately shut down on himself.

“Floyd, you were just put through literal hell and back. Why are you apologizing so much..? I don't think any of us are expecting you to be happy and cheerful…” John Dory said, tightening his hug slightly as he rethought about the traumatic experience his brothers had just suffered through. “We're here to make sure you can process it healthily.” He picked up the bottle. “This… is not healthy.”

“I know…” Floyd mumbled, guilt bubbling in his throat. “... I'm an alcoholic JD.” Floyd hated to admit it, especially to his eldest brother whom he couldn't help but think highly of. John Dory’s ears flattened slightly, but his kind nature didn't falter. “Me too, Floyd.” He mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck. Floyd looked up at him with tear-filled eyes. “Really..?” He frowned, having never envisioned his brother taking such a path.

“Yeah. I'm not proud of it either.” He sighed slowly. “But you can't be stealing from Spruce, okay? He's more than happy to help, but with your broken ribs, you shouldn't be drinking.” John Dory rephrased his concerns; regardless of his previous habits, he shouldn't be taking away from the ability of his body to recover. 

“Okay.” Floyd nodded with a sniffle. “Now, talk to me, dude… what's going to help stop episodes like this?” John Dory said, letting him out of the hug. Floyd wiped his face shakily. “Don't… don't yell, or raise your voice or whatever you call it, please please don't,” Floyd's ears folded as he covered his face, painful memories forcing their way back to the surface. “You're right, you just scared me, that's my bad.” John Dory nodded slowly. 

It piqued Floyd's interest that John Dory seemed to genuinely care about figuring out how to solve these problems, instead of being easily dismissive like in his youth. “I appreciate you talking to me, JD.” Floyd mumbled after he felt like he had mostly calmed down. “You seemed pretty scared back there.” John Dory mumbled. “I know you're worried about Branch, but that probably scared him, too. Let's work through stuff a bit slower, yeah?” John Dory smiled reassuringly. 

Floyd almost reciprocated a smile, but felt a wave of sadness wash over him. “Yeah… that sounds good,” Floyd mumbled, holding his knees up to his chest. The two felt the silence loom over them before John Dory spoke up again. 

“I'm not going to leave again, if that's what you're both so worried about,” John whispered, uncovering the hard bandage to rip off. Floyd glanced back at his brother to see him staring at his singular gloved hand. “Nobody will. Not while you're like this,”

Floyd exhaled heavily, the conversation now difficult to keep up with. “That was never the point, John,” Floyd mumbled, unable to keep his head upright any longer as he rested it on the edge of the bed. “Well, it's just that, when you guys need help-”

Floyd didn't like where this conversation was going; not ready to uncover why he was frustrated at John Dory for leaving. “Who said I didn't need help for the last twenty years? Don't even try to pull that card, because when I was out on the street-” Floyd started, but quickly shut himself down as his ears returned to their pinned position. He wasn't ready for this conversation. 

“W-Well, Floyd… I didn't know,” John Dory frowned. “If I knew, of course I would've tried to help, I'm… out on the street?” He pressed, causing Floyd to turn away. “Were you homeless?”

Floyd fell silent, starting to tremble where he was. John Dory fell silent, staring at his younger brother as thoughts started to arise. Clearly, Floyd's issues were bubbling from even before they were captured, leading up to extreme frustration as it was clear as day that something was really, really bothering Floyd. 

“Floyd… maybe,” John Dory pondered on how to help, unable to do much unless he knew the source of the issue.

“Yes, okay?” Floyd said, his voice returning to its breaking point. “I was homeless up until I found Branch.” John Dory's ears folded. “How long..?” He watched Floyd's face fall as he tried to count the days on his hands. “Two months? Four months? I…” Floyd had started to cry again, sensitive to the subject. 

“It's all blurry. I would just get drunk every day…wait for Vincent to come find me…” He started to ramble, John Dory having to grab him by the arm before he fell over. Floyd was out of his mind now that he was fully intoxicated. “Easy, Floyd,” John Dory decided to pick the younger troll up so he wouldn't fall over.

“Who's Vincent?” He asked, before it sent Floyd into an angry mumbling rage. “Fucking asshole, I'm going to kill him, what a piece of shit, I hate him, fuck him-” Floyd pulled at his hair, the name following negative connotations.

“Okay Floyd, calm down,” John Dory said, realizing that the question had sparked another tangent. He decided a distraction might be the better course of action as he carefully carried Floyd out of the bedroom. 

“Let's go chill on the beach, huh? Get our minds off things. Come on.” Floyd didn't have much of a retort, exhausted from all the intense emotions, and now was incredibly intoxicated. John Dory was able to carry him like a cat with ease, Floyd's tail flicking silently as they walked.

Chapter Text

Floyd and Branch had curled back up together in Poppy's makeshift beach chair, the two becoming inseparable after Floyd insisted he needed to stay with Branch. Branch had also insisted he needed Floyd to Poppy, which had honestly surprised her. The two were barely sharing a full consciousness between them, but relished in the lively atmosphere instead of the dead silence of the bedroom. It was better and reminded them less of being trapped.

“You two are so cute.” Poppy giggled, fluffing up the blanket she placed over them. Floyd was pretty much out of it at that point, sleepily watching the waves crash along the shore. Branch lifted his head to share a quick nose kiss with Poppy before lying it back down. 

“Not trying to be.” Branch snickered softly. “Are you hungry or anything? Anything I can get you?” Her tail swayed. “No, I'm fine, love.” Branch reassured her with a small smile. “Okay.” Poppy smiled as she sat down next to Branch and softly took his hand.

The two watched the intense volleyball game from afar, Poppy's tail swishing in excitement as she anticipated a potential winner. Eventually, they saw John Dory reapproaching the trio with Clay and Bruce in tow. “Evening fellas!” Bruce said, looking exhausted. “Phew! It's been a long day. I was going to close early.” He rubbed the exhaustion away from his eye, stuffing the notepad in the belt of his pants. 

“I was talking about a bonfire. Does that sound fun?” John Dory brought up his earlier suggestion. Branch's ears perked up in interest. “Sure! I mean, that sounds like a pretty doable activity,” Branch said, emitting a grin from Poppy. “And we can make smores!” She hopped up excitedly. Branch smiled, watching his girlfriend come to life. 

He glanced over his shoulder towards Floyd, who had stayed curled up on his side of the makeshift bed. “Are you up for it Floyd..?” Branch asked, softly touching his brother's arm. “Mhm…” Floyd mumbled, his tail swaying in response, not bothering to lift his head.

“Sorry, he's drunk.” John Dory whispered to Bruce, who put his hands on his hips with a sigh. “From what?” He asked, confused as a hush came over their voices. John Dory leaned over to whisper, only causing Floyd's ears to fold back. Branch silently watched the conversation between the two before glancing back at Floyd. He stayed unwavered, looking like all the life had been drained out of him.

“Floyd,” Bruce spoke up, causing the younger troll's curled tail to tuck back into the bed, fearing a confrontation. Bruce paced over to the bed, everyone staring at Floyd in concern. “How are you feeling?” Bruce asked. Floyd wasn't able to drum up an answer, his ears pinned against his skull.

“Come on Floyd…” Branch mumbled, becoming worried. “I'm sorry,” Floyd whispered, his voice barely audible. “I don't care, Floyd. I'm more worried about you.” Bruce said as he softly ran a hand across his forehead, feeling for any signs of sickness. 

“Are you just drunk..?” Floyd took a second to ponder before nodding. “Let us know if you need to throw up, okay?” Bruce said, softly pulling the blanket back over Floyd's shoulder. “Okay.” He whispered before hiding his face under the cover.

John Dory pressed his lips together, folding his hands across his chest as he stared at Bruce, the two meeting eye contact. Everyone watched as the two began to argue with their eyes, using a few hand gestures while referring to Floyd and Branch. They kept silent so Floyd couldn't hear their argument. Poppy bit her lip, exchanging a worried glance with Branch.

Bruce rolled his eyes and pointed at Floyd, then pointed at John Dory in a “it's YOUR job to watch him” notion. John Dory's tail flicked, not liking being told what to do by his younger brother, but he knew he was the only one who could prevent Floyd from drinking as much as possible. Bruce knew it too. “Fine.” John Dory said aloud, ending their silent argument. 

“Well!” Clay interjected, having been watching everything unfold. “Poppy, would you like to grab some firewood with me?” Clay offered with a smile. Poppy smiled with hesitation, checking with Branch before letting go of his hand. He nodded softly with a smile. “Sure!” She perked up, hopping over to Clay. Branch watched as the two excitedly paced on their feet. 

“3… 2… 1… Go!” Poppy started as they raced down the stairs, running across the beach in an attempt to make it there first. Branch smiled as he watched the two scamper along the water on all fours, running to fetch wood for the fire. His ears folded as he was painfully reminded that he would probably never be able to do that with Poppy, ever again.

Depression hit him instantly as his light disappeared with Poppy. The pain also returned, causing him to inhale sharply. He glanced towards his brothers, who had now started to move furniture down to the beach for the bonfire. Branch was useless to help in anything, his depression intensifying as he looked back towards the waves crashing to the shore. He felt Floyd's tail softly sway on the exterior of the bed, the wind gently throwing both of their hair around.

He refused to look at his own tail in comparison, instead opting to lie down next to his brother. Branch could feel the intense flurry of emotions they were both experiencing, having been on a rollercoaster all day. Branch silently wrapped his arms around Floyd in comfort, pulling the older troll close. Floyd shakily inhaled, reaching up to hold onto one of Branch's arms in response.

It was easier, knowing the other was right there and wasn't going anywhere. Branch could feel Floyd trembling, assuming it must've been from the alcohol. The two stayed there in silence, not needing to say a word to understand perfectly what the other was feeling. Floyd started to tremble more before he shakily forced himself to sit up, pulling away from Branch. “Floyd?” Branch spoke up, watching as he suddenly needed to scramble out of the bed.

He fell hard onto the floor, landing on his face. “Floyd!” Branch called out, starting to panic as he looked around for anyone who could come and assist with Floyd. He quickly recovered before Branch had a chance to notify anyone and attempted to dart away on all fours. 

He failed miserably and ran straight into a folded chair he didn't see below his eyeline. The commotion caused Bruce and John Dory to come darting up the stairs. Floyd couldn't hold it back any longer as he threw up into the nearby bushes, his leg still stuck in the beach chair he had tripped over. He quickly collapsed onto the ground after the burst of panic had ripped away his stamina.

Branch folded his ears and covered his face as the two older trolls ran over to help. “Hold on Floyd, hold on,” John Dory said, quickly picking him up. This, however, sent Floyd into more of a fit, crying out in pain and clawing at the chair that was stuck to him. “Stop John! He's stuck!” Bruce said, attempting to grab the chair. The two started yelling, causing Branch to cover his ears and Floyd to kick John Dory square in the chest in his panic.

This sent both of them falling to the floor, Floyd landing hard on his back as the chair fell off of him. He gasped as the wind was knocked out of his lungs. John Dory recoiled, folding over himself and clutching his chest. “Ah, Fuck, Floyd-” John Dory winced.

“Everyone stop.” Bruce said, quickly taking control of the situation. He threw the chair away from the group and quickly grabbed Floyd by the scruff of his neck, pulled him back up to a sitting position over the balcony. 

John Dory was able to recover from the impact, coughing as Floyd continued to eject his insides. Bruce, being the father of the group, let his instincts take control in helping his younger brother.

“He's bleeding,” Branch announced, bringing attention to the injury now on Floyd's ankle from getting caught in the chair. Once John Dory had picked him up, it had cut into his shin and was now bleeding down his leg. Having just been thrown around in addition to falling on his face, Floyd was completely out of it and bruised up. “John, grab me the first aid kit please,” Bruce mumbled, pulling Floyd back to the ground and releasing his scruff after he was done vomiting.

Floyd wavered, completely oblivious to what had just happened, only feeling the pain radiating from his face, chest, and now leg. The aggressive vomiting caused his injury to flare up, and he was unable to stop himself from coughing up blood. This startled Bruce, who was starting to get extremely concerned, but kept his cool. “You're good, Floyd, you're gonna be fine,” Bruce reassured the poor Troll, still in a state of panic as he struggled to breathe.

John Dory ran back out with the first aid kit and paper towels. There had been so much panic and emotions today that Floyd just cried out when he could finally breathe. He heaved as Bruce helped hold him back around the waist, keeping his position consistent to make sure Floyd was breathing. He hung his head dizzily as John Dory helped clean him up.

Floyd eventually regained his composure, coming down from his sobbing and fear as Bruce wouldn't let go of his grip until he did so. He groaned in pain as John Dory held his bleeding leg. “Yea, you cut yourself pretty bad, bud.” John Dory said, attempting to speak calmly, but couldn't bury the strain in his voice. “It hurts,” Floyd mumbled dizzily, wincing as John Dory carefully cleaned the spilled blood from the wound. “I told you to tell me, Floyd,” Bruce sighed heavily, frustration dripping from his voice.

Floyd's ears stayed pinned back in humiliation as he watched John Dory wrap his cut. He was unable to stop trembling, feeling pale and lightheaded. “I-I'm sorry,” Was all Floyd could plead. Branch watched his brother struggle, unable to communicate clearly, and was a bit shocked at how much more aggressive his two older brothers were in comparison to how they treated Branch in his panic.

Bruce glanced up towards Branch to make sure he was alright. “Did he hurt you?” Bruce asked. Branch's face paled. “W-What? No!” Branch shook his head. “He just needed to puke…” 

“You're pale-” “Yea! Because he just threw up!” Branch was getting frustrated, unable to help his brother. “Can you guys be nicer to him!? Holy shit, no wonder he's freaking out.” Branch suddenly snapped.

Bruce and John Dory exchanged glances before looking down at Floyd. Bruce loosened his grip slightly, allowing Floyd to sit up on his own. Floyd exhaled heavily, slowly but surely regaining his composure. “Sorry.” John Dory apologized, adjusting the glove on his hand before he finished patching up Floyd's cut. “Are you alright now Floyd? Can you breathe?” Bruce asked, softly patting the Trolls shoulder. “Mhm,” He nodded shakily, his hand covering his mouth.

“Are you going to throw up again?” Bruce knelt next to him. Floyd shook his head, putting his hands on the floor to steady himself. “No, I'm good now. I'm good.” He mumbled. Bruce and John Dory exchanged another glance. 

“It probably would've been better if we didn't try to help, huh.” John Dory mumbled. “You think?” Branch answered. “Alright, are you two good for two seconds so we can set up the chairs?” Bruce said, his ears folding back as he was clearly peeved, putting his hands on his hips.

Both Trolls felt guilt rise in their throats. It was one thing for John Dory to be upset, but it was another when Bruce was getting frustrated. Both of them had been testing everyone's limits and stressing them out beyond belief, and it was clear it was more than Bruce was going to be able to handle. “Yes…” Both Trolls said in unison, like they had just gotten in trouble with their father.

“Thank you,” Bruce said with a sigh, scooping up Floyd and helping him crawl back into the chair with Branch. “Come on, John.” Bruce beckoned him away without another word. Branch and Floyd watched them leave, being left to their own devices. “Are you sure you're okay now?” Branch asked, looking at Floyd with solemn eyes.

“I'm sorry, yea. I'm okay.” Floyd sniffled, wiping his face as he touched the bandage around his foot. “Why'd you freak out like that?” Branch whispered, offering him the blanket back. He accepted, wrapping it around his shoulders. 

“I didn't want to throw up on you,” Floyd said with a sigh. “Oh, yeah… thanks for that,” Branch mumbled, but they both heard John Dory and Bruce start to quietly argue in the distance. Both trolls perked their ears up, falling silent to listen to the conversation. 

“You were the one being rough with him,” Bruce quietly snapped. “I was trying to get the chair off. I didn't think his leg was wrapped around it.” John Dory huffed while throwing open a beach chair. “Well, you spooked both of them again.” Bruce didn't seem to let up, causing John Dory to grumble. 

“Yeah, as if you know the correct way to handle this. Stop acting like you know everything just because you have kids. They AREN'T kids.” John Dory huffed. “Oh! Since when did that matter to you, John!?” The two were beginning to yell, causing both younger brothers' ears to fold against their skulls. It was a deep trigger, their two oldest brothers fighting.

“We were ALL kids when you wouldn't stop pressuring us, even when we were sick. It's probably your stupid “perfect” issue that made Branch think he needs to start walking right away, and Floyd apologizing so much. You make them both feel like shit, John.” Bruce snapped, genuine repressed anger bubbling from his gut. 

“Who even said that!? Where the hell did you pull that from!?” John Dory argued back, the quiet fight now quickly spiraling out of control as all the mixed pressures and emotions had built up to a bursting point between the family.

“I did EVERYTHING for us!” John Dory pounded a fist on his chest. “We wouldn't have even known the Perfect Family Harmony without me!” John immediately retorted, causing Bruce to quiet down before whirling right back up. “We also would've never separated BECAUSE OF IT! Then NONE of this would have even happened. Then we would all be fine. You're the problem, John. I'm sick of pretending like those years of problems just suddenly mean nothing to you now.”

The conversation fell silent after Bruce's words, both Floyd and Branch no longer hearing a word. Everything felt a million times heavier. Branch felt like he had become a burden to his brothers, something they hadn't needed in their lives, and now were suddenly a part of it because of a familial obligation. 

None of them wanted this. All it had done was reopen old wounds and tear their family further apart. Now, everyone was starting to lash out, patience and tolerance having worn off days ago.

They watched as John Dory appeared from the steps, making direct eye contact with them. His eyes held tears, but none had spilled down his face. They silently exchanged glances before he turned without another word, walking into the restaurant. They heard Bruce quickly come up the stairs, attempting to catch John before he went inside. “John, I didn't-” He paused, looking over to see the other two trolls staring at him.

“...” His tail fell to the ground, realizing they had heard the entire conversation. “Hey, don't, it wasn't, fuck.” Bruce tried to explain, but realized everything was too late. “John, wait!” He gave up, deciding to follow after John Dory, leaving the two boys alone. 

“... I should've died in that fucking crystal.” Branch suddenly mumbled under his breath before flopping back down on the bed.

Floyd's ears folded back completely, turning to say that Branch shouldn't say things like that, but failed to speak the words. Instead, he felt his lip quiver and jaw clench shut. Floyd turned away from Branch, hesitating before standing up out of the bed and leaving. Branch shifted to see where Floyd had gone, but by the time he had looked up, he had disappeared.

Branch hesitated, caught in his thoughts before remembering that Floyd was severely intoxicated. He quickly sat up and looked around for the Troll, but he had waited too long, and Floyd had vanished completely out of sight. Branch felt an overwhelming amount of grief, unable to do anything to see where Floyd had gone, chase after JD and Bruce, or even help Poppy and Clay get firewood. He was stuck immobile. Useless. 

“Floyd,” Branch called out, now starting to get scared. The anxiety returned, causing his heart to race. “Floyd!?” Branch was met with no answer. He leaned forward as much as he could, trying to see if he had just walked down the stairs to the beach. 

He caused the weight in the bed to shift, causing him to yelp and spill over onto the floor. “Oh no,” He mumbled, forcing himself to sit up with a groan. He tried to crawl, but even the attempt to use his back legs caused pain. He lay there, helpless to do anything until someone came for help. He started to cry out of frustration, pulling at his hair as he curled up in a ball. Everything that could've gone wrong had definitely gone wrong.

Chapter Text

Once Poppy and Clay had returned, they found the bonfire spot eerily empty and unfinished. “Bruce? John Dory?” Clay called out, dumping the firewood into the middle of the area. “Where'd everyone go?” Poppy asked, following suit by dumping her bundle on top of Clay's. They both exchanged a worried glance before bolting towards the stairs. 

“Branch!” Poppy cried out, her gut feeling being true as she skidded to a stop at the top of the stairs. “What happened!?” Clay said, the two quickly running over to the toppled Branch. He had been on the floor for quite a while, helpless to do anything. 

Poppy carefully scooped him up off the ground. “I-I just fell. I'm fine.” Branch tried to play it off, his face still wet from his tears. “You've been down a while.” Poppy said, a tone of anger in her voice that Branch didn't recognize. “Where is everyone..?” Clay asked, concerned about why Branch could have possibly been left alone.

Poppy flipped the bed back over and set Branch down. He shakily wiped his face with a sniffle. “They started fighting, then left… Then Floyd took off. I was trying to see where he went,” He mumbled, his ears completely folded. Poppy frowned before giving him a hug. 

“Fighting…” Clay mumbled, exchanging another glance with Poppy. Poppy huffed, mad Branch was left to fend for himself on the ground. “Are you kidding me!? They-” Branch grabbed Poppy's arm, causing her to pause and turn her attention back to her partner. 

“Poppy… I just want to go home. Please.” He pleaded.

Poppy's ears folded back, along with Clay's. “Branch… what happened?” She said, seeing the pain in his eyes. She silently pulled him into another hug as he buried his face into her shoulder. She held him for a long moment, contemplating her decisions for the time being. He was still way too delicate to travel, and they couldn't just up and leave everyone. Especially after he had just hurt himself more in an attempt to walk.

She turned to Clay. “You'd better figure out what happened before I never let them see him again.” He said, her tone suddenly possessive but assertive. Clay tensed up before nodding and saluting Poppy. “On it.” He turned away from the couple and walked inside, searching for his brothers to help resolve the issue.

Poppy crawled up into the bed next to Branch, sitting at his side where Floyd had been previously. “Hey, talk to me. What's going on?” She petted his hair softly. “Why do you want to go home?” 

Branch took a shaky inhale before speaking, Poppy being the one person he would be able to speak his true emotions to. “I can't do this…” He mumbled, holding his head in his hands. “The family drama… there's too much of it. It took me years to get over it, and now I'm just throwing everyone back in again,” He tried not to break down, but felt his chest start to tighten. Poppy coaxed him, softly holding his hand to let him know that it was alright and she was there.

“Nobody actually wants me here,” His words started to get angrier, letting go of Poppy's hand as he clenched his fists. “It's just an obligation because I'm genetically related to them. They don't care- I'm making them so frustrated and fight,” Branch mumbled, Poppy staying silent to listen. He kept his face covered, hiding his tears in the blanket.

“I don't want to tear apart what little they have in common because Floyd and I are too much to handle. I want to go home.” Branch sniffled, looking at Poppy as a way for her to know he was ready to let her respond. She stared at Branch, contemplating what to say next, her eyes sad and sympathetic. “Well, what's making you think they don't want you here?” She started slowly.

“Just… the way they are.” Branch sighed heavily. “I think you made that up in your head, Branch… Your brothers care so much about you.” She softly took his hand again. “Why do you think they're so stressed? Branch, we’re all worried you're gonna die,” Her grip slightly tightened. Branch's ears folded back. “But I'm not.” He frowned.

“None of us know that. Not even you. Clay was even talking about how an infection could easily kill you-” Poppy shook off the feeling creeping up her neck, moving onto a lighter subject. “But, Branch. They do, I can promise you that much. Do you even know how many times John Dory kept checking on you two?” She frowned, her tail softly brushing Branch’s leg. 

“No… I didn't hear him.” Branch frowned. “Okay… maybe I just feel like they don't want me here.” Branch squeezed his hands together. “That's okay. I want to make sure you know you're not a burden, Branch.” Poppy brushed his hair out of his face gently. “I know you usually feel like you are… but you aren't. Not to anyone.” She reassured, seeming to be speaking directly to his internal fears, even if he hadn't even mentioned the extent of them.

“Thank you, Poppy.” Branch sadly smiled. “You need to think about how it's affecting you.” Poppy scooted forward. “And communicate that to your brothers. They want to help… but can't if they don't even know what's wrong, Branch.” She mumbled as he stared at her, confused about what she was insisting. She sighed softly. “You need to tell them you went gray, Branch.”

His ears instantly folded. “N-No, absolutely not.” He shook his head. “That would just freak them out more!” He definitely wasn't ready for that bag of worms. “But it’ll also help them understand more…” Poppy frowned, seeing how reluctant he was. “Understand what?” He shook his head, failing to see how telling them he had turned gray could possibly be beneficial right now. “They need to know how much you're hurting, Branch.”

Branch’s ears stayed completely folded, refusing to acknowledge any benefits of telling his family his secret. “What, so I can just give them everything they need to hurt me again?” Poppy fell silent, blinking rapidly at Branch. “You're bad at this.” She said, half joking. Branch groaned, wiping the stress away from his face. “How is that giving them tools to hurt you?”

Branch hated to admit it, looking away from Poppy. “Complete vulnerability.” He mumbled quietly. “I don't think you can get much more vulnerable, sweetheart…” She whispered, biting her lip. 

Branch hated that she was right. If they wanted to kick him while he was down, they quite easily could and probably would have by now. Everything thus far had just been a buildup of intense and difficult emotions, something of which not a single person in his family knew how to handle, and it was abundantly clear to Poppy.

“I think we need to have the family meeting of the century.” Poppy hopped up. “Clear the air, get everything out on the table.” “Poppy, no,” Branch said, his assertiveness forcing its way through his gentle tone. “Okay, Branch.” Poppy put her hands on her hips. “We can go home, and you can continue to run from these problems for the rest of your life, and sit in your bunker in your misery, wishing you didn't fix it right now. For years.” Branch fell silent, her overpowering sternness not being something he saw regularly. It oftentimes only happened when she was flirting with him, but this was genuine.

Poppy held her hands out in a “well?” fashion, wanting to know if Branch still genuinely wanted to leave. Branch’s ears stayed folded, being forced between a rock and a hard place. Poppy dropped her hands as he became unresponsive. “Branch…” She said, her gentle tone returning. “This is me just trying to help you. Because I know how lock and key you are. Maybe these are the people you need to be vulnerable with right now.” Poppy gestured to the door.

“You can keep fighting if you want… but I know you're exhausted. You’ve already been fighting for so long… why do you want to keep struggling? Just so you can keep some stupid old pieces of yourself that don't even matter anymore? Doesn't that hurt?” Poppy’s tone was soft, comforting, and genuine. She had officially stumped Branch, never being able to successfully do so before. He would keep denying, denying, and denying, but he was listening this time.

+

“Okay.” Branch eventually whispered, unable to look at her as tears started to spill down his face. His lip was quivering as he nodded. “I’ll tell them.”

“Oh Branch,” Poppy said, her heart heavy as she quickly ran up and gave him a hug. He hugged her back tightly, stuffing back a sob as she squeezed him. “I love you. I know you're holding onto so much… even the stress will kill you. Please, please let us in, let us help you, Branch.” She kissed his forehead. “I love you, Poppy…” Branch said as she planted kisses on his damp cheeks. “You’ll feel so much better when it's over.”

Poppy sat with him, coaxing him down from his hysteria and talking through how he was going to bring up such a difficult subject. They waited until Clay announced his arrival, opening the door to the balcony. They both looked up, seeing Clay and Bruce step out. 

“Everything okay?” Bruce walked down the steps. Branch folded his ears. “No. Where the hell were you?” He huffed. Poppy tugged his arm. “Branch.” Her tail flicked.

“Branch was on the floor. Why was he left alone?” Clay said, putting his hands on his hips. “Where’d Floyd go?” Bruce blinked. “He took off…” Branch mumbled, remembering that he had no idea where Floyd had run off to. 

“I was going after John Dory,” Bruce murmured as he rubbed the back of his neck. “Why John?” Clay raised an eyebrow. Bruce sighed heavily, his tail falling to the ground. “We were fighting. I was being aggressive. Pissed him off,” Bruce mumbled. “The boys heard it all too. It wasn't very cool of me.” Bruce admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. “Now, why the hell would you do something like that, Bruce? And then leave them alone? He was on the ground!” Clay scolded.

“I know I know, I'm sorry.” Bruce hung his head. Clay's tail flicked as his ears perked up, pausing as his nose twitched. “... Were you drinking?” Clay got up in Bruce's face, able to smell the pungent scent in the air. “Yeah, I had a drink. I'm freaking the fuck out Clay, sorry I’m trying to calm my nerves.” Bruce huffed, his tail flicking as it mirrored Clay's. 

“BOYS!” Poppy snapped, causing them both to flinch and turn towards the pink Troll.

“Stop all this fighting! It's hurting Branch and Floyd! You don't think they heard enough of this from Velvet and Veneer? There's no point in bickering right now.” She pushed the two of them apart. Both trolls looked back at Branch, seeing his ears folded and eyes weary as they fought. “S-Sorry Branch,” Bruce quickly apologized. “I'm off my rocker today.”

“Can we please just find Floyd? He ran off.” Branch’s ears stayed folded. “So did John Dory,” Bruce said, glancing out towards the water. 

“Grr, great.” Branch cursed. “The one thing I can't do.” He pouted, crossing his arms as he flopped back onto the bed. Poppy sighed softly, turning back to the brothers. “Go find them, please, it's dangerous for Floyd to be alone.” Poppy folded her hands together. 

“I don't know Poppy, maybe we should call it here for tonight. Everyone's stressed and frazzled. I think we need space right now.” Bruce rubbed the back of his neck. “No. We’re going to have this bonfire and address these problems tonight.” Poppy asserted, pointing at the ground.

“Poppy, it's not the best idea.” Bruce tried to talk her down lightly, but she wasn't going to take no for an answer. “It's better than another day of this.” She threw up her hands. Bruce huffed. “Poppy… are you sure? He does have a point; maybe it’s too much for everyone tonight.” Clay stepped up. “We do it tonight, or I'm taking Branch home in the morning.” Poppy folded her arms stubbornly.

“Wh- Poppy, you can't be serious. He’s in no condition to travel.” Clay retorted. “Too bad. I’ll figure it out. He wants to leave. If it's too much for him, I have to do what's best for Branch right now.” Her tail flicked as she turned around. 

“He, wants to leave..?” Bruce mumbled, a pang of guilt in his chest. Branch’s ears folded more as they made eye contact. He wanted to run away, Poppy’s head-on approach being a bit too aggressive for this type of situation. “Yes. He said he felt like you all were pushing him out.”

“Poppy…” Branch started, not quite ready for the emotional onslaught, having told Poppy those things in confidence. Bruce and Clay looked over at Branch as he spoke up. All eyes turned to him, demanding an explanation of Poppy’s words. Branch wavered, unable to respond to the eyes as his jaw locked shut. 

“Branch, I'm not trying to push you out of here…” Bruce said, clearly having taken what Poppy had translated seriously. “N-No Bruce, I-I…” He mumbled, but didn't have an explanation since it was closely accurate to what he was feeling. He just couldn't verbalize it to anyone aside from Poppy, his body locking up at the confrontation.

“Breathe Branch,” Poppy reminded calmly with a nod, reassuring him that he could do it. Branch took a shaky breath before finally being able to verbalize his feelings to his older brothers. “I just…  feel like you’re forcing yourselves to be here, for me.” Branch started, his eyes falling to the floor. “And Floyd, of course, but…” He closed his eyes tightly. “You all hate each other, and it's just going to get hard, it’ll be better if we all just leave like before-”

“Whoa whoa, Branch,” Clay said, quickly approaching him next to Bruce. “We don't hate each other, Branch…” Bruce frowned. “Yeah! Not at all.” Clay nodded. Branch stared at them with a furrowed brow, unbelieving of their words. 

“But you hate John Dory, Bruce…” Branch mumbled. Bruce sighed heavily. “No, Branch… not even John Dory. We have our differences… and he makes me really frustrated sometimes. But I don't hate him.” Bruce folded his ears.

“And they're not going to leave,” Poppy added in, folding her arms across her chest. “I can promise you that.” She said with a grin. Bruce smiled slightly at Poppy before looking back at Branch. “But, genuinely, Branch… nobody’s forcing themselves to be here. It's… really nice to have everyone back together again, actually.” Bruce admitted, emitting a smile from Clay. “Yeah. I agree. It's been awesome- minus the obstacles of course,” Clay bit his lip.

“... Okay, I believe you,” Branch said with a quiet nod. “Just… stop fighting with John Dory. With everyone, please. It…” Branch exhaled shakily. Bruce knew what he meant, not needing Branch to finish. “I will. I'm sorry, Branch.” He put a hand on his shoulder. Branch pulled him into a hug. Clay smiled, joining in and hugging his other two brothers, tail starting to wag. 

“See? Wasn’t that easier than letting it fester for weeks?” Poppy giggled, sitting down next to Branch. “Yeah,” Branch rolled his eyes with a gentle sigh as the hug dispersed. “I almost saw your tail wag! Uh Oh!” She giggled, softly brushing the whitish gray hair at his tail tip. “Oh, hush.” Branch puffed. “You two.” Bruce chuckled, shaking his head back and forth with a pleased sigh.

Chapter Text

John Dory silently dragged his tail along the sand. He wiped his face, leaving no remnants of tears on his cheeks. He angrily kicked a rock through the sand. He replayed the fight with him and Bruce repeatedly in his head, trying to figure out where he got the nerve to say some of the things he did. 

He angrily reeled back his foot and kicked the rock, sending it flying into the air, before it then plummeted back down to the earth. It tumbled through the sand before landing in front of a pair of imprint marks. John Dory’s ears perked up, walking over to inspect the markings.

His eyes trailed it back to the rear of the balcony, which he had decided to take a walk away from. “Floyd…” John Dory mumbled, insisting it had to have been the only troll that could walk that was near the area at that time. John Dory decided to follow the tracks, watching as they started as bipedal before transitioning to quadrupedal. He followed the tracks into the nearby woods, seeing an indent from Floyd sliding down a sandbank.

John Dory traveled for a good minute, humming the tune of "Perfect" under his breath as he traversed the tidepools of the sand bank along the beach. He simply followed the freshly made tracks, set on finding Floyd quite quickly.

He eventually made his way past the tidepools and into an embankment. The tracks came to a halt, causing John Dory to stop in his trek. 

“Hm…” He looked around for any sign of movement before a bright red and white gradient tail caught his eye above him. Up in the mossy blanket of the trees, he could see Floyd’s tail hanging off the side of a moss-made hammock.

“Hah! Point JD.” John Dory snickered to himself. “That must be a record for a search and rescue mission, huh?” He put his hands on his hips, but received no response from Floyd. John Dory exhaled, adjusting his vest before hauling himself up onto the tree. 

He wasn't as slim or agile as Floyd, but was able to make his way up the trunk to greet him. “Phew!” He panted, out of breath. “Not as spry as a few years ago,” He groaned, pulling himself up into the sturdy moss of the trees. “Cool spot!”

Floyd continued to be unresponsive and refused to look at John Dory. “It's alright, I'll wait till you're ready.” John Dory said before pulling the bottle of booze from his pocket. “But I brought a bottle if you want any.” 

This caused Floyd's tail to shift, but still didn't bother lifting his head. “I'm not here to scold you, Floyd. Just watching ya.” John Dory reassured, carefully popping the cork out of the bottle. It popped with a loud release, John slowly slipping it out of the neck of the bottle.

Floyd shakily sat up, his overwhelmed mind figuring some more liquor might help, not caring if it forced his body to throw up again. “There he is!” John Dory joked with a snicker. Floyd was a bit suspicious about why John Dory was reluctant to let him drink only a few hours prior, but now seemed not to care. He took a swig of the bottle, shaking it off with little to no reaction before passing it to Floyd. 

He accepted, taking a smaller and more gradual drink, also having little to no recoil. “There. That'll chill you out, huh?” John Dory just kept talking, unable to let silence simply exist. “Sure,” Floyd mumbled, staring at the bottle. “Or it'll just make me hurt Branch again.”

John Dory sighed, his ears folding slightly. “You didn't hurt Branch, Floyd. I'm sorry I reacted like that.” John Dory coaxed. “It's fine… it's not like it's ever been any different…” Floyd's voice was quiet and painful. 

He was so exhausted, having been fighting for his life the past few months nonstop. “Well, I want to try and be different. That's what I mean.” John Dory said, causing Floyd's gaze to fall back on him. “It's… kinda obvious you all resent me.” He was no longer looking at Floyd, staring out towards the tidepools down below. 

Little critters skittered around, ducking between the water and the banks, grabbing up food between the dense dry sand. John Dory kept his eyes trained on a small crab, struggling to flip itself over, stuck on his back. “I don't resent you, John Dory…” Floyd mumbled. “I'm just as guilty for not coming back either…”

John Dory let out a soft but sad chuckle. “I mean, I tried. The tree was abandoned. I couldn't do anything about it.” He mumbled, taking another swig of the liquor. “I would've never found you all without Poppy. We got lucky.” He passed the bottle back to Floyd, who had sat up to join the conversation.

“Yeah. I wouldn't have found Branch without Poppy either…” Floyd admitted, staring at the bottle in his hands. “She's something.” John Dory snickered in response. “Yeah, she is…” He sighed, glancing back down the beach. “Why'd you ditch Branch and come out here..?” He turned back to face Floyd. His ears folded as he sighed.

“He said he wished he had died when we got captured, after you two were done fighting…” Both of their ears folded completely, Floyd from restating it, and John Dory from hearing it for the first time. 

“... and I couldn't bring myself to say that I agreed… that we probably should've just died.” His voice fell hoarse and pained, causing Floyd's hands to start to shake. He took another drink from the bottle before handing it back to John Dory. He then brought his knees up to his chest.

“Well…” John Dory mumbled, trying to think of the proper way to approach the situation. “I don't… think that,” John Dory's tail swayed. “I'd be heartbroken to learn you guys died…”

Floyd looked up at John with tears in his eyes. John Dory took a slow breath before taking another drink and capping the cork back into the bottle. He set it aside before offering his arms to Floyd. “C’mere.”

Floyd gratefully accepted as he was pulled into his eldest brother's arms in a hug. He held onto him tightly, tail curled up around his legs as he pressed them to his chest. “I'm sorry Bruce started fighting with you. What he said pissed me off.” Floyd mumbled into his shoulder. John Dory chuckled slightly. 

“Ah, don't worry about it. He's just as overwhelmed as you two right now. Who's the only person he can take his shit out on and get away with it? Me.” John Dory played it off with a small chuckle. “I can't imagine thirteen kids and two brothers who have constant panic attacks all day is very easy to manage- on top of an entire resort.”

Floyd's ears folded. “Whoa, really..?” He had no idea Bruce was taking on so much, definitely having more on his plate than any of them could handle. “I'll talk to him about it later. But I'm fine.” John Dory reassured him. “We can say things in stressful situations that we don't mean. But… I'm here for it. It's all fine.” John Dory nodded. Floyd sniffled. “You're so strong, John Dory…” Floyd mumbled.

“Ah, I mean… it takes years and years to finally realize some of this stuff.” John Dory half chuckled. “Realize… what?” Floyd blinked, a bit confused. John Dory sighed heavily, covering his mouth as he spoke. “That, maybe I do actually kind of want to be around my family.” He glanced at Floyd, biting his lip.

“Oh John, God damn it,” Floyd covered his mouth. His ears folded back completely, causing tears to come back to the surface. John Dory hugged him tightly. “Yeah that's right. Surprise, I'm not a hard ass anymore.” John Dory chuckled with a snicker. “Yes, you are.” Floyd snickered through his tears. John Dory rolled his eyes with a chuckle as Floyd sat up away from the hug.

“Does that mean you're going to stay around us?” Floyd asked. “There's nothing out there in the woods for me.” He shook his head slowly. “I'm getting old… I should probably stop living like I'm twenty. I'm almost forty, and my back hurts.” He joked. “Yea… that makes sense…” Floyd mumbled. 

“Were you planning on staying? I mean, it probably won't be specifically here, but… with the family,” John Dory asked. Floyd nodded slowly.

“I don't have anywhere else to go.” He quietly admitted. “That's right…” John Dory mumbled, recalling their conversation from earlier. “It's okay, brother.” John Dory patted his shoulder. “Should we rejoin the group?” He suggested. Floyd suddenly gasped.

“I LEFT BRANCH ALONE.”

Both trolls exchanged eye contact with each other before quickly scrambling down from the tree, realizing Branch had most likely been forgotten about in the flurry of emotions. “Shit shit shit-” Floyd took off on all fours, splashing across the tide pools. John Dory followed, not before flipping the crab he had seen tipped over with his tail. He followed Floyd, albeit at a slower pace.

Chapter Text

Floyd and John Dory came approaching from a distance, catching Clay's watchful eye. “Good. He found him.” Clay exhaled in relief. The rest of the group turned their attention towards the approaching Trolls. Floyd slowed down his romp, eventually picking back up to his feet as he approached the group. The chairs and makeshift bed for Branch had been brought downstairs and set up nicely around the fire pit.

“Floyd,” Branch exhaled in relief, seeing his brother alright. Floyd quickly b-lined towards Branch. “I'm sorry, I didn't mean to leave you by yourself-” Branch just softly shook his head. “It's alright, Floyd. I just didn't see where you went.” Branch said, offering the Troll a hug, which he quickly returned. “Let's not do that again, please,” Poppy said, standing up and offering Floyd his spot back. 

“Thank you, Poppy,” Floyd said with a sigh, dusting the sand off of him as he sat back next to Branch. He seemed surprised as Branch took his hand, squeezing it tightly. His nerves were getting the best of him, not well prepared for what was going to come next. 

“Great, should we get this fire started?” John Dory asked. “Hold on, John,” Bruce spoke up, causing John Dory's ears to perk and turn towards his brother.

“I'm sorry for picking a fight with you,” Bruce spoke up in an apology. “Oh,” John Dory said, his tail falling to the ground. He had not necessarily expected it, especially now in front of everyone. “It's alright, Bruce.” John Dory appeared to shrug it off, starting to stack the firewood into a triangular shape. 

“No, it's not okay. I didn't mean a few things that I said, and I'm sorry.” Bruce seemed confused, not taking his acceptance seriously. “Bruce, it's fine…” John Dory looked up at him. “I know you're stressed out. Why do you think I walked away?” John Dory shrugged.

Bruce let out a heavy sigh before John Dory approached him. “Here.” He took the bottle of bourbon out of his pocket. Bruce glared at John Dory before taking it from his hand. “Thanks for my own liquor, John.” Bruce rolled his eyes as he let a small snicker slip. “Have some! Let's just chill tonight. I'm done with all the stress.” John Dory said, turning back to the woodpile. 

Bruce stared at the bottle in his hand before unscrewing the cap, taking a drink for himself. Poppy smiled. “I think that's a great idea. Chill everyone out, yeah?” Poppy said, glancing towards Branch. “Yea…” He mumbled, slowly nodding to her statement. 

She took it as an okay to go ahead with her plan. “Let's get a round of drinks going!” She said as she hopped up from her chair. “I got it,” Bruce said with a chuckle. “Nope, you're going to sit down and relax,” Poppy said, her hand on her hip as she instructed Bruce to sit down. 

“It's alright, Poppy, I can do it,” Bruce insisted, but her control was stronger. “Nope! Come on, Clay.” She beckoned her helper, who hopped right up to the task. “Righto!” The two bolted up the stairs together, headed into the kitchen.

Floyd silently settled down next to Branch, and after allowing more alcohol into his system, his intoxication was reignited. “I didn't mean it, Floyd. I'm sorry if I scared you.” Branch spoke up quietly. “I know.” Floyd quietly responded, still clutching his hand. “It's okay.” He sighed slowly. “So… why'd you leave then?” Branch's ears folded. Floyd fell silent, locking his eyes with Branch as he tried to think of an answer.

“He didn't want to agree with you.” John Dory spoke up for him, not turning around from his firewood task. “Huh?” Branch blinked, confused. “No-” Floyd shifted, turning to face Branch completely. “I told John that I didn't want to agree with you.” He silently adjusted his tail so he was a bit more comfortable, letting it hang out the edge of the basket. “Because I was thinking, yes. We should have died.” Branch's ears folded upon realizing the clarification. “Floyd, I didn't mean-”

“But we didn't,” Floyd continued, causing Branch to pause. “We didn't die. We fought tooth and nail to get out of there alive. Here we are.” Floyd took a shaky breath, looking around at his brothers. John Dory shared a solemn smile with him. “We should… be a bit more grateful for that.” He looked at Branch with folded ears. He was trying not to cry again, hearing Floyd's words were genuine. 

“You're right.” He sniffled before Floyd pulled him back into a hug. “Especially you,” Floyd whispered. “Stop, I'm gonna cry for like the millionth time today,” Branch said, covering his mouth. “Too bad. I'll keep making you cry it out.” Floyd giggled, squeezing Branch tightly as his tail started to wag.

Bruce smiled at his brother's reconciliation before looking back at John Dory. He finished setting up the firewood in a proper formation, dusting off his hands from the sand. “Alright, lighter lighter… hm…” John Dory pondered before his tail perked up off the sand. “Rhonda probably has one,” He glanced around for the beast, deciding to leave the group in search of a fire starter. Poppy and Clay game back out swiftly, carrying bottles and cups, along with a couple of bags.

“Alright! Let's get this party started.” Poppy smiled. They proceeded to make drinks for the group, mingling enthusiastically. The only one who remained silent was Branch, dreading the confrontation that was going to come from tonight. He had promised Poppy, but he wasn't at all ready. 

John Dory rounded the corner, holding up a piece of flint and a piece of metal debris in his hand, tail perked up off the ground. “Ignite!” He ran it under the wood, waiting until the wood sparked. The wood burst to life in a tiny flame. John Dory knelt down and started to blow at the base, causing the fire to grow larger.

The group mingled happily, conversing while sipping cups of liquor. Branch's nerves were slowly creeping up his spine, the thought of spilling his guts to his brothers making him want to vomit.

“... can I try one?” Branch eventually spoke up as Floyd's ears perked. “A drink..?” Floyd clarified, receiving a nod from Branch.

The group exchanged glances of hesitation, everyone sharing the thought that maybe that wasn't such a good idea. Especially for a troll who didn't know his limit. “I don't think that's a good idea, Branch.” John Dory was the one to speak up. “Please, just a small one.” Branch insisted, his gaze shifting to Poppy. Her ears folded, also feeling her gut reject the idea, but she knew Branch was stressing the most out of anyone here.

“Just a small one?” She asked after hesitating. “No, come on, Poppy. That's a horrible idea.” Bruce interjected. “He's way too sick to tolerate it.” He stayed assertive, looking to the other Trolls for input. “I don't want you to get worse, Branch,” Clay spoke up, sharing Bruce and John Dory's concern. Poppy silently grabbed a glass from the picnic table. 

“It's fine.” Poppy said, pushing her authority over everyone else's. “One drink won't hurt.” Bruce huffed at his concerns being dismissed. “No, Poppy. I know you two just barely discovered what this stuff is, but Branch has no need for it right now. Floyd doesn't either, but he's grown.”

“And I'm not?” Branch interjected. “... Uh.” Bruce paused, glancing back at Branch. “... no, that's not what I meant.” Branch and Poppy's ears collectively folded. “Hey, come on now Bruce.” She said, her hand on her hip. “He's 26.”

“And you're 22!” Bruce shook his head. “Bruce,” Branch spoke up again, forcing Bruce's attention to return to him. “I appreciate your concern, but with what I want to be able to discuss tonight, I need a damn drink.” His tone became low and angry, upset by Bruce having called him a child. Bruce's ears folded. “H-Huh? What?”

Poppy walked back over to Branch, handing him a drink she had made. It was mostly filled with juice to suppress the taste. “Thank you, love,” Branch said as they exchanged a quick nose boop. “Sorry. I don't mean to be aggressive. But, it's a lot.” Branch mumbled, slowly taking a sip of the drink.

“Branch… what's going on?” Floyd whispered, confused about how quickly the situation had changed. Branch hesitated to answer, but knew it was now inevitable. 

Thankfully, he had already told Floyd a majority of what had happened, preparing him for what was to come. “... I have to tell them what happened to Grandma,” Branch said, his voice audible enough for everyone to hear.

The entire group fell silent, shocked looks appearing on each of the brothers' faces. “Oh…” Floyd folded his ears. “Okay…” He whispered, looking back towards the firepit. The flames flickered to life, dancing in the silent wind that fell over the group. The flames reflected off of Branch's eyes as he stared into the fire. Branch swirled the drink around slowly in his hand before taking another long sip.

Chapter Text

“Branch… what happened to Grandma..?” Clay spoke up for everyone as the fire crackled in the silence. Branch took a shaky breath, ready to spill his guts to the entire family. “I've been too nervous to tell anyone,” Branch mumbled, feeling the ice clink against the side of the glass in his hand as he spun it slowly. “But I guess it's cruel to keep it a secret from everyone.”

“Grandma got eaten,” Branch said, his ears folding and eyes falling towards the ground. He felt Poppy softly brush his arm, putting her hand on top of his. “Got… eaten? By what?” John Dory asked, tension thick in the air. “By a Bergen,” Branch sighed heavily.

“When..?” Clay frowned, the group leaning in to listen to their youngest brother tell his story. Branch bit his lip, avoiding the question for a moment while he took a slow sip of his drink. “When I was eight,” Branch mumbled, his voice quiet. 

“Whoa, what..?” Floyd said, sitting up. “Branch, that's… You didn't say that before…” Branch stared at Floyd, tears breaching his eyes. “I barely told you anything, Floyd…” He looked away guiltily. Floyd sat up, now necessary to the conversation. “You were eight..? Only two years after we left?”

Branch fell silent, the pain bubbling right back up into his chest. It put pressure on his lungs, old painful buried feelings cutting their way to the surface. Poppy made her way into the chair next to him and Floyd, wrapping her tail around him for support. She gently held his arm, squeezing it tightly. “It's okay, Branch. You can tell them.” She coaxed, seeing he was beginning to lock up. Branch shakily nodded before continuing after a deep breath.

“And it was my fault.” Branch shakily admitted, holding his head in his hands. “I was just being a stupid kid… I didn't bother to check my surroundings when I was singing. Grandma saved me, but at the cost of her own life.” He shook his head, the memory still clearly tormenting him. 

“I-I… I don't know why or what I possibly did to deserve everything to go wrong,” He couldn't prevent the tears from spilling out of his eyes, keeping his hand over his face. “But I lost everything.” He stared down at the empty cup in his hands, having consumed the entirety of the drink, and was now looking at his own solem,n pained expression in the ice cubes. “... and then my colors disappeared.” He uttered the last part, barely able to let the words escape his lips.

Horror and grief fell over all of the brothers, staring heartbroken at their baby brother. But it would only continue to get worse. “And I was on my own for years. I had to escape the troll tree alone. I spent those years digging that damn bunker. Paranoid, terrified with no one to tell me that a Bergen wasn't going to kill me in my sleep.” Branch pressed his knees to his chest, starting to tremble. 

Poppy had started to cry herself, taking the glass from him. “Branch…” Her voice broke, heartbroken over his story. “I just hoped, someday, someone would come back for me… but it never happened.” He shakily gripped his hair, stuffing down a sob as Poppy tightly hugged him.

They sat there for a long moment of silence, watching as Branch struggled to regain his composure. They didn't blame him; years and years of trauma were resurfaced instantly. Floyd’s ears were completely folded, guilt eating him alive from the inside out as he learned Branch’s true history. 

Poppy kissed his forehead, comforting him as she stared at his watery gray eyes. Even if his colors still appeared gone, she would do everything in her power to bring them back again. That's when she saw Branch’s face change into a smile. “And then Poppy saved me.”

“Stop.” Poppy started to cry more, falling into Branch’s arms. She hugged him tightly, curling up in his hug as her tail wrapped around him securely. Branch kissed her cheek affectionately as she cried into his shoulder. “She got my colors back.” He mused, but his eyes shifted down to his hands and turned sad once more. 

“So this isn't the first time I've been gray. Now they're really gone,” Branch sighed sadly, holding the back of Poppy’s head. The colors on his hands were pale, fading all the way up to his forearm in a sharp light gray. His talent was stolen, burned, his body discarded, and left for him to die.

“So… I just wanted to make sure you guys understood,” Branch mumbled, trying to find a roundabout way of finishing the dreadful conversation. “How much it affects me when stuff like this happens… and… how much it means to me that you did all… come to save us…” Branch’s ears stayed completely folded as he welled up with emotion once more.

“Branch…” Floyd said, joining the hug from the spot next to him. All of the trolls had tears in their eyes. The weight in the air was so heavy, it felt like a fog over everyone's heads. “I'm sorry, Branch.” John Dory was the first to speak up. Branch just silently shook his head. “No… don't be sorry. It's not something I want you guys to apologize for.” He sniffled. “I just… want you to understand.”

“Well… we understand, Branch…” Bruce said, wiping his tears. “About Grandma… your colors… I'm so sorry, Branch, you've been through so much.” Clay held a hand to his chest. “And here we were fighting, making everything worse. Geez. We suck.” Bruce sadly chuckled. 

“Yknow, it's actually not that different to how mom died.”

The entire group fell silent as John Dory spoke. His ears immediately folded back, realizing he had said his thoughts out loud. “Ah… um,” John Dory looked back at the fire. He sulked in his beach chair, the air now twice as heavy. The boys rarely spoke about their parents, especially John Dory, and especially about their deaths. 

“Really..?” Branch asked, having morbid curiosity about the topic. “Yeah… she got eaten too, from what I remember,” Bruce mumbled quietly. The group fell eerily silent, grieving over their lost family. “I'm sorry for all the loss you've had to endure…” Poppy said to the group. “It's just life, Poppy… It's okay.” Branch softly squeezed her in a hug.

“I appreciate you telling us.” Clay said, eliciting agreement from the group. Branch looked around at his family, happy to have all of them here. They all seemed to understand his issues fine. What had he even been so worried about? They loved him, no matter who he was.

“I love you guys,” Branch said, attempting to hold back tears. The rest of the brothers joined in the hug, reassuring Branch that yes, everything was going to be fine, and they loved him.

Chapter Text

The rest of the night went off without a hitch. John Dory seemed to tear his secretive veil off, telling a few stories from his nights out in the alpines. The alcohol had calmed Branch down significantly, resting his head in Poppy’s lap as she gently groomed his hair. The emotional onslaught had cost most of his energy, teetering between consciousness, occasionally contributing to the conversation.

Floyd was in a similar state, taking a chair to offer Poppy and Branch some couples space. He was curled up with a blanket, sleepily resting his head on the armchair, accompanied by a pillow. It was peaceful. The air was clear, and gentle waves were crashing on the shore, creating the perfect ambience for the starlit night. 

John Dory took a slow, lasting breath, his eyes on the sky above. “You've found a really good place here, Bruce.” John Dory said, hands folded together and resting behind his head. “Yeah. I'm very thankful for it.” Bruce said with a slow nod, sipping his drink. “Brandy leaves tomorrow in the morning, I’ll be up to see her off with the kids. But, that means we're the only thing separating the kids from chaos… so, it might get a little hectic around here.” Bruce kept his eyes on the water. “That's alright.” John Dory shrugged. “Enjoy the calm while it lasts.” He mused.

“I hate to be a buzzkill…” Clay eventually spoke up. Poppy, Bruce, and John Dory turned their attentions to him. He seemed hesitant, but needed to say what was on his mind. 

“I need to get back to Viva. At least let her know what's going on. As far as she knows, I could be gone. I don't want to worry her.” Clay ran his finger around the edge of the glass. “Well… Yea. I suppose that's a good concern.” Bruce mumbled, sitting up in his chair. “But, what about you, Poppy? Aren't you Queen? Aren't there people waiting on you to come home, too?” Clay asked. 

“Uh,” Poppy folded her ears slightly. “Yeah. I guess you're right.” She glanced down at Branch. She had no idea how she would possibly be able to manage her queenly duties while also having to upkeep with Branch. “Branch is in no condition to travel, though. It's a miracle we even made it here.” She shrugged.

“We could just put him in Rhonda again!” John Dory smiled, not seeming to take Poppy’s hint. “I'll make sure she goes slow.” “Right, um…” Poppy looked back down at Branch, who was curled up asleep with his head on her lap. “I’ll think about it.” She said, softly running her hand through Branch’s hair once more. “Poppy, I was kinda wanting to leave sooner than later. We’ll stay to help out Bruce probably for the rest of the week, but I want to start making my way back there. My community needs me. I'm their leader.” Clay said with a heavy sigh.

“I know you understand how much I want to stay and help, but… I can't abandon my responsibilities, but I don't want…” He glanced at Branch and Floyd before continuing. “Them, and… You guys, of course, to feel abandoned in exchange.” He pondered his quarrel aloud before looking back at Poppy. Poppy’s ears had folded, sharing the same internal battle with Clay. 

“No, I understand, Clay. Just…” She looked at Floyd this time, many questions arising in her mind. She didn't want to expand on them, needing to hold onto the quiet evening as much as possible. Branch was at peace, and that was the only thing she wanted on her mind at the moment.

“Just give me a few days. I’ll get us ready.” She mumbled with a nod. “Thank you, Poppy.” Clay smiled, glad he was able to be heard out. Poppy took a slow breath, the group falling silent as the flames continued to whip around the collapsing wood. “So… who would be coming home with us?” Poppy asked. Both Clay and Bruce pondered the question, while John Dory shrugged. “I ain't got nowhere else to be. Might as well help out.”

“I’d probably have to be on visitor status, I mean… I'll come by, but I imagine you guys live far,” Bruce said. Poppy nodded slowly. “Yeah. It's a trip.” Poppy sighed, unsure of how well Branch was going to handle a trek like that. 

“Yea… it’d have to be the same for me. I mean, I have our whole colony to look after. I know you explained the Bergens are not a problem anymore, but poor Viva, she's petrified. I’ll take me a century to get her to leave the underground.” Clay sighed. “And she's harping on me for an egg… I just don't have that kind of time,” Clay held his head in his hands. “... Maybe it’s good I’m getting a little break, I never take time off like this.” Clay quickly recovered from his emotional grief.

“An egg?” Poppy spoke up. “Viva and you? Aw that's so cute! You guys would make an adorable egg.” She smiled, her eyes shifting down to Branch as her mind began to wander. “Is… it a lot to have an egg?” The mention piqued her interest. “Er, well, yeah I’d assume,” Clay said, looking towards Bruce, figuring a father would know a bit more about the difficulty an egg would be. “Doesn't it just sit there?” Poppy blinked.

“Hah! You think it's that easy?” Bruce laughed. But quickly quieted down as it woke Floyd up from his sleep. His head shot up, tail fluffing up in response to the noise. The sound hadn't been that alarming, so Floyd’s reaction was much more dramatic than anyone had expected. “Whoa, sorry, Floyd.” Bruce apologized. Floyd seemed dazed, taking about ten seconds to evaluate his surroundings before his tail reduced in size. “Huh?”

“Uh, I laughed, and it woke you up.” Bruce blinked, confused by his reaction. “Oh, oh. It didn't.” Floyd mumbled under his breath. “... w-what?” They all stared bewildered at Floyd, who appeared just as confused. 

“...Okay,” He just silently turned around in his chair, facing away from the group and flopped back down. His tail fell out and onto the sandy ground. The group exchanged glances before John Dory spoke up. “You can sleep inside Floyd if that's better; you don't have to be out here with us.”

“No, No. It's better this way.” Floyd shook his head, his tail swaying. “Better?” Poppy raised an eyebrow. “I can't do the silence. It's fine.” He was still tired, but had woken up a bit more from talking. He sat there for a long moment before returning to his sitting position, his eyes heavy with dark circles. He couldn't admit that his heart was racing, having woken up from a pretty brutal dream. “I'm up…”

“Is that why you haven't been able to sleep? I know it's pretty quiet in there.” Bruce scratched his chin. “Mm, yeah, sure…” Floyd said sleepily, not exactly processing the words as he leaned on the armrest of the beach chair. He closed his eyes again, having trouble staying asleep, but still tried to force his body to do so. “Floyd, I would take advantage of the tiredness while you have it,” Clay mumbled, seeing the troll waver in place.

“It's not, it's not…” He shook his head, keeping his legs tucked as he closed his eyes tightly. “Just stop badgering me… I’m not that drunk…” He said through his teeth, his tail flicking in agitation. 

The alcohol mixed with his deprived tiredness, in combination with the aggressive dreams that had just tested his mind, made Floyd unsure of where he even was. The drunkness took over, causing him to say things he didn't exactly mean. “Turn your stereo down…” His tail flicked, pulling the blanket over his shoulder.

“... Is he even awake?” Poppy whispered. The three brothers stared in confusion as Floyd appeared to drift right back off as soon as his head regained contact with the pillow. “... I'm going to say no,” Bruce mumbled, standing up. “Maybe a little..?” John Dory sat up in his chair to better study his brother. 

Floyd’s ear flicked as he settled back down, the exhaustion being too much to keep at bay, body fighting with mind. “Poor kids,” John Dory mumbled, shaking his head slowly. “They both seem like they're tormented by demons now…” “I know…” Poppy’s ears folded, her eyes shifting down to Branch. 

John Dory stared at Floyd, making sure he was asleep before speaking up. “He uh… he said he’s been homeless.” John Dory said quietly. “What?” Bruce said, his ears folding back. “When..? And how long?” Clay frowned. “A couple of months..? He was blasted. I don't even know if he was making it up or not, but it seemed genuine.” John Dory spoke, grabbing a stick to push the cinder logs around in the roaring fire.

“Geez.” Clay glanced back at Floyd, whose dream seemed to intensify. He had a strained look on his face, ears folded back against his head. “He said it was the only reason he came to find Branch.” John Dory sat back in his chair as they all watched Floyd fight his dream. Poppy started to get concerned, noticing he had his claws out. “Hey, is he-”

“Don't touch me.” Floyd suddenly pleaded quietly to no one, sweat dripping down his forehead. The four trolls had heard it over the silence, their concern now urgent. Floyd's tail had extended, fluffing up in distress. 

“Wake him up,” Bruce said as John Dory stood. Floyd started to claw into the pillow, clutching it tightly to his face. John Dory grabbed a nearby water bottle, uncapping it to pour onto Floyd. The shock woke him up, but not without startling him out of his chair. 

To everyone's surprise, Floyd took off before he had even fully woken up, darting away from the group on all fours.

The brothers stared in shock as Floyd eventually slowed down and stopped to look at his surroundings. He sat down on the ground, panting heavily as his ears folded back. It took him a long while to recover before he slowly made his way back to the group, flush with embarrassment. “... Sorry.” He mumbled as he approached, holding his shoulder while biting his lip. 

“Dude… that was bad.” John Dory said, straight and to the point. “I have sleep problems,” Floyd shrugged, shaking the water off his body like a cat. “That was definitely more than sleep problems,” Bruce mumbled, a bit nervous to even let Floyd sleep at this point. Everyone's eyes were on him, causing Floyd to nervously swallow.

“What did I do..?” Floyd asked innocently, having no self-awareness of the incident. “First of all… how did you instantly take off running as soon as I splashed you with water? That was unnatural.” John Dory blinked, still in shock. “Oh, haha…  Um.” Floyd’s tail tucked as he wavered, the drunk blush prominent on his face. 

“When we did that in the band, it meant I was about to get crushed,” Floyd said, recalling why he could possibly have that skill, unfiltered and blasted. Bruce nervously glanced at John Dory. “Holy shit, how much has he had to drink!?” He mouthed. “C-Crushed!?” Clay blinked.

“Oh yeah!” Floyd drunkenly laughed. “They would dump juice on you, or alcohol, mostly alcohol, fluids, and you would have ten seconds to wake up and move, or everyone would jump on you. It was from when you fell asleep at parties! Which I did a lot, aha.” Floyd giggled, his tail swaying as he recalled the memory. 

He paused as he heard no laughter to follow what he said, the group silent in shock. “Ahh, uh, pft. Shit.” He covered his face in embarrassment, flopping back down in the chair as he was quickly reminded he was with the wrong crowd for that kind of stuff.

“Holy shit, Floyd.” John Dory had a small grin, but let it fall as Bruce glared at him. “Okay, okay, we’re getting off topic,” Bruce said, trying to control the direction of the conversation. “Floyd, you were saying some pretty concerning stuff in your sleep,” Bruce said, bringing them back to the initial concern of waking Floyd up. 

Floyd stared blankly at Bruce, touching his fingers together. “Yeah. I sleep talk. Trust me, I know.” He grumbled under his breath, rolling his eyes as he was reminded. “Floyd, what was it about?”

Floyd shrugged dismissively, unable to recall the dream now anyway. Bruce sighed heavily, falling back in his chair. “Good job, John.” He glared. “What?” He raised his hands in offense. Floyd sat back down in the chair, bringing his knees up to his chest as he stared at the fire in front of them. 

"Okay, anyway, what were we talking about before he...?” Bruce asked.

“Poppy asked you if an egg would be difficult,” Clay said with a small smile. Floyd audibly gasped, turning to Poppy. “You have an egg!?” “What-” Poppy flushed red, waving her hands at Floyd. “No no Floyd shh-” She couldn't believe he had just said that, now afraid to wake Branch up by accident during THIS conversation out of anything. 

“O-Oh. Sorry.” Floyd said, his tail flicking as he covered his mouth in embarrassment. “I don't have an egg.” She clarified, her face staying red. “Do you want one?” Floyd asked, letting his curiosity get the best of him. 

“Floyd!” Clay and John Dory said, watching as the drunk troll continued to make Poppy’s entire body red with embarrassment. She couldn't help but admit it was hilarious. “No, Floyd shh!” Poppy started to giggle, putting her finger over her mouth. “You're going to wake up Branch.”

“Oh! Oh-” Floyd quickly covered his mouth. Poppy had to hold back her laughter, watching as Clay grabbed his shoulder. “You can't just ask her that, dude!” Floyd looked bewildered, confused about why such a question would be wrong. “It's okay, guys.” Poppy giggled, waving her hand, blush painting her face. 

“Maybe.” She answered Floyd’s question, softly taking Branch’s hand. “Oh boy, he would be dying if he were awake.” John Dory snickered, covering his mouth to stay quiet.

“Back to what I was saying,” Bruce started after being cut off for the second time. “No, Poppy. An egg is anything but easy. It needs time, attention, and care. Temperature regulation, parental trading, and it's also a ton of work on the husband's side of things. Egg care, I mean.” Bruce shot another glare at John Dory as he held back a snicker. 

“Really? I get that, but… mm…” Her eyes returned to Branch in her lap, growing solemn. “It's okay, Poppy,” Bruce said with a nod. “Take your time with it. He’s not going anywhere.” He winked. Poppy giggled softly before sighing. “No, that's not what I'm worried about.” She mumbled, softly continuing to run her hands through Branch’s hair.

“What are you worried about then?” John Dory asked, folding his hands together. Poppy inhaled slowly, digging through her thoughts for the right thing to say. “Everything…” She mumbled quietly, her ears folding back. “I'm scared for him.” She quietly admitted, gently petting him as his ear twitched in his sleep. 

“It’ll be okay, Poppy. He’ll pull through.” Bruce reassured her with a smile. Floyd had fallen eerily quiet for having been blabbing just a minute ago, causing Poppy’s eyes to shift back to him. His ears were folded as he silently stared into the flickering flames. “Floyd,” Poppy spoke up. It took more than a few moments to pull him out of his trance in the fire. “... yea?” He looked up at her.

“Do you remember exactly what happened to Branch? In the diamond?” Poppy asked quietly. Floyd blinked, his ears folding right back to his skull. “... yes.” He mumbled, looking down at his hands. “Poppy, maybe let's not,” John Dory mumbled, not wanting to send the intoxicated troll spiraling again. 

“Oh, yeah… No, Floyd, you don't have to tell me now.” Poppy reassured him. “I don't care,” Floyd mumbled, surprising the group yet again. “Veneer stepped on him. I bit Velvet's hand when she grabbed me, and he made a run for it.” His speech was no longer slurred or spotty, retelling the events strangely matter-of-factly. “Crash, boom, I woke up with three broken ribs separated from him, that's that.” He shrugged, standing up from the chair. “Wh, Floyd…” Poppy mumbled, confused.

“Of course, I just thought he was dead.” He continued. “I mean, shit. After you hear a scream like that…” Floyd shook his head before falling silent, his back turned to the group. Poppy folded her ears, turning around to stare at Floyd. His tail slowly fell to the ground as he replayed the event in his head. He seemed to shake it off, shivering before grabbing the bottle of whiskey off the picnic table. “Whoa, Floyd!” Bruce stood.

“No, dude. You're cut off.” Bruce said, walking over to the faded-pink-haired troll. Floyd just seemed to snicker, uncapping the bottle anyway. “Nonono. I'm okay.” He proceeded to completely ignore Bruce, only appearing to make the purple-haired troll livid. “Hey, Bruce, guys, come on,” John Dory said, grabbing Bruce’s arm before he could go after Floyd. 

Poppy started to get nervous, worried another fight was about to break out. “Floyd.” John Dory snapped his fingers, causing Floyd to stop mid-pour. He lifted the bottle up, the drink having been filled only halfway.

“You're cut off. You have to listen to Bruce. Come on, dude. You know you've had too much.” John Dory coaxed with a gentler approach. “Did you hear it?” Floyd asked, causing John Dory to pause.

“... Hear what?” He asked, confused as he raised an eyebrow.

“Did you hear it?” Floyd said, an angrier baritone in his voice. His tail flicked.

“Floyd, I don't-”

“Did you hear the sound he made when that monster stepped on his tail? I thought he crushed him to death, John. Squish, splat, there's my brother on the floor. Why? All because my, my DUMBASS couldn't carry him!?” Floyd was starting to lose it, very prominent as he started to yell. Poppy feared he would wake Branch up, quickly covering his ears with the blanket.

John Dory stared in shock as Floyd capped the bottle of whiskey. “No. So I'm going to have one more drink before I have to remember again.” Floyd spat through his wavering, grabbing the glass. Everyone watched as he drank the entire thing before putting the glass on the picnic table upside down. He proceeded to walk away from the group, only for John Dory to grab his arm tightly to prevent him from leaving.

“Oh no you don't. Not again, Floyd.” He said firmly, causing Floyd to tense up and freeze. The action had triggered him, the tight grip directly on an old bruise that John Dory had not seen. 

It seemed to instantly suck all the fire out of Floyd, being arrogant and demanding, to suddenly cowering in front of John Dory. “Floyd, you're off the walls. What's going on, man?” John Dory tried to coax, only to see Floyd turn around pale. “S-Stop, Stop.” He said quickly, panic laced in his voice as he tried to pull away from John.

However, John Dory didn't recognize that his panic was from the hold on his arm, and only proceeded to hold him tighter so he wouldn't run off. “Floyd, I can't let you leave again. You need to calm down.” John Dory said, watching as Floyd tried to pry his hand off of his arm drunkenly to no avail. He held it up, letting Floyd know he wasn't going to let go. 

“Stop, Stop,” Floyd kept pleading, collapsing his body weight to the floor and almost sending John Dory falling over. “Floyd, stop!” John Dory yelled, not wanting to fall on top of him. “Don't hurt me!” He suddenly pleaded, his voice desperate and full of panic. 

“H-Huh!?” John Dory panicked, quickly letting Floyd go as he collapsed fully to the floor, in fear that he was hurting him. He took two steps back, watching as Floyd curled up into a trembling ball on the floor. Whatever had happened had triggered him horribly, sending him into a sobbing fit as his tail fluffed up completely. 

“John, what did you do!?” Bruce ran over in a panic. “N-Nothing, I just grabbed his arm,” John Dory said, disturbed by the scene in front of him.

Floyd was in shambles, looking to be fearing for his life. He covered as much of his exposed body as possible, protecting himself from an onslaught that never came. It was obvious something similar had happened before with the way he was bracing himself, trembling with his eyes closed tightly.

“Floyd,” Bruce whispered, kneeling next to his petrified brother. “Hey, hey, it's okay, you're having a panic attack.” He coaxed, careful not to touch him anymore than he already didn't want to be. Bruce was able to coax him down, not without weary eyes from the other brothers. 

“I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to send him into a fit-” John Dory apologized, extremely concerned for Floyd’s well-being as he seized on the floor. Everything had continued to do a number on him, sending his emotions spiraling. Bruce slowly coaxed him down as Clay started to gather up the alcohol bottles from the picnic table. All Poppy could do was watch in horror as Floyd’s episode concluded slowly, leaving the troll limp on the ground next to Bruce.

“Can you breathe now?” He asked, receiving a weak nod from Floyd. “Slow. Just relax, buddy.” Bruce softly patted his shoulder. “I'm sorry,” Floyd mumbled shakily, tears continuing to flow out of his eyes. 

“Floyd, I need to know what's going on with you in order to help you. These episodes are getting dangerous. I need you to tell us what's going on with you.” Bruce said, stern but caringly. Whatever had its grip on Floyd was slowly killing him mentally from the inside out. Floyd refused to answer, his ears folded against his skull.

“... who hurt you, Floyd?” John Dory spoke up from over Bruce's shoulder, causing Floyd’s eyes to widen. John Dory folded his ears, Floyd’s fearful reaction confirming his suspicions. Poppy covered her mouth, her tail wrapping around Branch as this whole thing unfolded. 

Clay walked over and knelt next to Floyd on the ground, wanting to help his brother. “You can trust us, Floyd,” Clay helped him sit up off the ground, holding his younger brother up as he continued to tremble. “I-I do.” His broken voice whispered, his breath coming in spurts. “I-I just…” He had no strength to find the words, holding his head on Clay's shoulder drunkenly.

“I can't tell you,” Floyd mumbled, blood dripping down his lip from his mouth. His breathing was pained, the panic attack having flared up his broken ribs and the surrounding muscles. The brothers were getting scared of his condition worsening, having turned pale in his panic. 

“Why not?” John Dory asked, concern dripping from his voice. “Because...” Floyd mumbled quietly, his voice trailing off. His ears were pressed against his skull, tears flooding from his eyes as he finally admitted the internal battle he had been having with himself. 

“I hate him,” He started to sob, shaking his head. “I hate him so much, but I can't, I just can't,” He sobbed, breaking down in Clay’s arms.

“... Vincent?” John Dory made a wild guess. “... Heh.” Floyd started to snicker through his tears. His snicker fell into a laugh, which quickly turned back into more sobbing. “Holy shit, Floyd…” Clay said, clutching his brother close. He started to plead poorly, trembling as more blood spilled from his mouth and onto the sand. 

“I can't do this, I can't,” Floyd's words were barely audible through his breakdown as it flared up again, only to be picked up by John Dory as he stood. Floyd stayed limply drunk in his arms, too heavy in the throws of emotion and intoxication to care. 

“I'm taking him inside where it's safer. To bed.” John Dory mumbled, not receiving a retort from either of the brothers. “Be careful, please,” Bruce said, his aggressive attitude having vanished. John Dory quietly nodded, carrying the disoriented troll up the stairs as he sobbed painfully.

The rest of the trolls were left in eerie silence. Poppy felt disturbed, having learned more than she was able to handle in the moment. She felt so bad for Floyd, clearly in the throes of some intense psychological battle on top of everything that had happened, suffering so much to the point of a detrimental explosion that John and the family had to be the brunt end of. 

Each troll felt put off and conflicted on what to do next. “... I think I'm gonna call it a night,” Bruce whispered. “I need to have a long conversation with Brandy.”

Poppy just slowly nodded, her hands trembling. “U-Um, Yeah.” Her ears stayed folded as she looked down at Branch, who had miraculously stayed asleep through the entire event of Floyd’s hysteria. “Yeah… me too. I'm familed out.” Clay whispered, both trolls overwhelmed to every end.

“Get some good rest… let's try again tomorrow?” Poppy tried to sound encouraging, but only received a few quiet nods from the remaining lingering brothers. “Have a good night, you two.” Bruce smiled solemnly before heading back up into the restaurant without another word.

Clay took a moment to set a bucket of water next to the fire pit. “Put it out when you go in, alright?” Clay smiled. “I will. Thank you Clay.” Poppy smiled with a nod. Clay lingered for a moment, staring at the two of them before speaking again. 

“Thanks for getting everyone back together. Even if a few of us haven't had it so well.” Clay smiled. “Of course, Clay. You guys are amazing brothers.” Poppy nodded in return. Clay smiled, a wash of relief rushing over him as he felt confident things might work themselves out. “Night.” He waved before walking up the stairs, leaving Poppy and Branch alone in front of the bonfire.

Once the brothers had gone out of sight, Poppy let her strained face fall. She sighed heavily, dread washing over her body. “This is so much…” She said, wiping the stress from her face. She could feel the dark circles starting to form under her eyes, the constant worrying, stress, and fear starting to make an impact on Poppy’s physical appearance. 

How in all of Trollstopia was she going to be able to do this!? Branch’s entire family was a giant bundle of mess and stress, even after what Poppy assumed Branch’s confrontation would be the “resolution” to all their problems. Of course, she was being too naive. Things were way more complex than that. She silently stared into the fire in front of her, trying to think of ways she could help poor Floyd.

She felt Branch’s frail body slowly inhale, glancing down as the troll cuddling her shifted. He sleepily switched to a different position. He rolled onto his back, letting out a heavy exhale as he nuzzled back into the mattress. Poppy smiled at how adorable he was, gently twirling a piece of his hair on her finger. 

Branch shifted, letting out a heavy exhale as he settled into the new position. “Branchifer…” Poppy cooed, deciding she should probably take the troll up to bed somewhere. “Mm…” Branch responded sleepily, his ear flicking. Poppy reached over and gently petted his head to wake him up slowly.

“Do you want to go find a bed?” She asked quietly, lying down next to Branch to watch his tired eyes open. “No.” He mumbled, wavering sleepily. “No?” She asked with a giggle. “Do you want to sleep outside?” She smiled. “It's cozy…” Branch mumbled, letting out a purr that Poppy had not expected. “Are you flirting with me!?” She gasped.

“Shh,” Branch whispered, pulling himself up to crawl next to her. “Hello, mister~” Poppy mused as he flopped against her like a cat. She happily wrapped her arms around him in a hug, her tail wagging as she cuddled him close. “You woke up happy.” Poppy mused with a purr. “I did,” Branch said sleepily in response, happily cuddling his girlfriend. 

Poppy had to assume he was out of it, but absolutely did not mind the affection bomb. “Because I woke up next to the most beautiful troll in the world.” He purred happily. She gasped in response, a blush making its way across her face.

She happily kissed his perfect face, eliciting soft giggles from him for only her to hear. “Oh, hush you.” She softly kissed his nose. Her tail was whipping wildly, Branch making her worries wash right away. It sadly wouldn't last as long as Poppy would have liked, but she understood he was tired as he fell right back asleep while cuddling her. He was always so gentle and sweet to Poppy as she softly cradled his head close to her chest.

They stayed there intertwined for a long while, before Poppy had to remind herself to put out the fire before she fell asleep. She sleepily pulled away from Branch’s affectionate hold, standing up to fetch and use the water bucket to put the fire out. She let out a tired yawn, retreating right back into bed with Branch. She squeezed back into his arms, getting as close as possible to the troll she claimed was her lover. She kissed his sleeping chin, curling up happily in his embrace before letting sleep take her away.

Chapter Text

John Dory gently set a glass of water down on the bedside table, holding a stack of blankets under his other arm. “Here.” He said to the small red-haired troll who had still not been able to stop trembling, no matter what he did to calm his nerves. “Thank you.” Floyd weakly whispered, picking up the water and drinking it down. 

“These are all I could find. Is this enough?” He set the stack of blankets down. “Um, probably..?” Floyd started to grab them one by one, arranging them on the bed in a strange way. He used extra pillows, fluffy blankets, and spare jackets to make a large nest-like bedding area. John Dory seemed confused, watching him act like a cat preparing its bed. “Are you sure this is going to work…” He seemed skeptical.

“I don't know John, but it's my last resort,” Floyd grumbled. “Otherwise, my sleep deprivation is going to kill someone.” Floyd flopped down in his makeshift bed, curling around the center before trying to make himself as comfortable as possible. John Dory assisted in making sure everything stayed even, then put the final blanket up and over Floyd, tucking him in.

“How is this even supposed to help? It's just nesting, it's not like you have an egg.” John Dory mumbled, making sure Floyd was securely covered, his tail poking out the bottom. “I don't know, but it's worked before,” Floyd mumbled, feeling humiliated as he set his head down on the pillow. “I hope.” He trailed off with a heavy sigh. 

“Hey, it's okay, Floyd. If it's worked before, that's a good sign…” John Dory mumbled, trying to stay positive for him. Floyd’s ears stayed folded, staring towards the ground. “... I'm so sorry you had to see me like that.” He whispered.

“Dude, it's seriously fine. I think we’ve all had our low points…” John Dory mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck. “Yeah… low point,” Floyd mumbled, not sounding too convinced. “I don't think it could get any lower.” Floyd kept his ears folded, looking away from John Dory. 

John momentarily stared at the red-haired troll, observing that he looked permanently exhausted and strained thin. His body was covered in old faded scars, none of which were very prominent through his fur. “... Floyd, can I ask?” John Dory started, nervously swaying his tail. 

“When you said you were homeless, were you actually… hiding?” He said quietly, looking back at Floyd. Floyd's eyes quickly darted back to John Dory. He fell quiet, the silence lingering more as an answer than anything he needed to say. 

John Dory didn't like it, feeling a bitter taste in his mouth. “... are you safe?” His ears folded, now concerned someone was out there trying to hurt his brother more than he already had been.

“Yes,” Floyd said quietly, glancing towards the window. “He doesn't know where I am,” Floyd mumbled, his tail swaying in thought. “Vince? Is he looking for you?” John Dory grabbed a chair and sat down next to Floyd’s bed. 

Floyd pondered the question, staring at the wall drunkenly. “Probably. Probably not.” He mumbled, readjusting his position just slightly. “I won't lie. He tried to kill me.” Floyd's voice was full of emotional pain, but was quiet and wavering due to the effects of his tone.

“Kill you..?” John Dory frowned, his concern only growing. “It was my fault, really,” Floyd mumbled, ear flicking tiredly as he finally felt comfortable enough to relax into the bed, even if he was talking about his traumatic past experiences. “No, don't say anything like that, Floyd. Come on.”

“I'd want to kill myself too,” Floyd mumbled sadly with a dismissive shrug, not exactly meaning to say it, but still continued to speak unfiltered. “You were scared for your life back there. All I did was grab your arm…” By the sound of things, John Dory had grown too concerned to leave Floyd alone, probably for the rest of the time they were going to be together. He was irrationally violent, fighting constantly with his own demons and fears as they interchanged with reality from his lack of sleep, causing an intense emotional fallout. 

“I'm sorry.” Floyd started, but John Dory shook his head. “No, Floyd, stop apologizing. I'm sorry for grabbing your arm like that. I won't do it again, but you have no reason to be apologizing to me.” Floyd exhaled heavily as John started to scold him. “What do you want me to say, John? Thanks for not punching my face?!” Floyd suddenly snapped, his tail whipping angrily across the bed. 

Floyd's ears perked up before folding again. He groaned in annoyance as his head fell face-first right back into the pillow. “I'm sorry, I'm sorry I didn't mean, fuck… I'm so tired,” Floyd mumbled, irritable and sensitive. “It's okay, Floyd… just relax.” John Dory softly patted his head.

“... in your face?” He said quietly, lifting up his hand. Floyd let out a small retort, but only seemed to prove John Dory correct again. “What kind of monster does shit like that..?”

“My husband,” Floyd grumbled, his tail flicking in agitation. “Floyd, your Ex. Right..?” Concern spilled like fountains from John Dory over and over. “John, while I appreciate you caring about me so much, He's actually the one who took care of me for the last twenty years.” Floyd sat up, his claws digging into the blanket. “So, yeah. I'm still working through some attachment issues.” His tail flicked. 

John Dory felt guilty, slowly exhaling as he sat back in the chair. “No, you're right. My bad.” He mumbled, backing down from Floyd as he was clearly still irritable. Floyd sadly stared towards the window, a wave of heartbreak disrupting his comfort. “... you guys did more in five days than he ever did in twenty years.” He quietly admitted, pained and broken. 

John Dory stared at him solemnly, unsure if his presence was bothering Floyd. “I'm sorry Floyd, you didn't have to deal with that for so long.” He whispered in response. Floyd started to tremble again, causing John Dory to pull another blanket up over his shoulder. “I couldn't leave.” He continued, shakily wiping his tears. “Oh…” John Dory frowned, his eyes hollow.

“It's over. It's over now.” Floyd shakily exhaled as John Dory stayed at his side. “Then let's stop thinking about it for now… yeah?” John Dory suggested, his tone slow and compassionate. “Okay,” Floyd whispered, happy to detour the conversation. “What's going to help you fall asleep?” John Dory fiddled with his fingers, eager to help his brother by any means necessary. 

“Music,” Floyd mumbled. “It was always loud… maybe that's why. I don't know.” He sighed softly. “I'm sure there's a radio somewhere.” John Dory pondered, standing up from the chair. Floyd watched as he walked over to the closet in the room, starting to look for anything that could potentially play music for sound. Floyd silently watched John Dory fumble with the closet, his eyes growing heavy as silence lingered over the room.

“Hm, I'm not seeing much… Maybe we could find a TV or something,” John Dory stepped back out of the closet after accepting a full loss. He glanced back at Floyd, but paused as he saw the Troll's eyes were closed. “... Floyd?” He whispered quietly, checking to see if the troll was awake. 

Sure enough, to John Dory's bliss, Floyd was finally asleep. He sighed in relief, checking over him a few times before settling into another bed in the room. He kept his eyes on Floyd for the better part of the next hour before exhaustion came for him as well.