Chapter Text
Ablaze had been helping out with the rebellion for most of his life. His mother, Primrose, having been the right hand of the leader, Valencio.
So, as the other trollings in the capital were raised on toys, education, food. He was raised on death, weapons, and starvation. His mother tried her best to teach him the basics, how to read, how to solve math problems. Anything that would come of use later on in life.
And he listened and learned. Not just from his mom, from everybody. He learned how to hunt, how to make the perfect cuts, how to defend himself, how to kill.
It came in handy all right. Especially now that they were on the run as the capitals guards had started to attack the rebels. President Peppy's voice ringed through his head.
"The first warning....was your last warning."
He had to get the others out of there.
Late at night, he snuck through the forest, helping the others run through the fences, all while his mother helped the ones who were falling behind.
"Go ahead mom, I can help them. Valencio needs you beside him."
His mom nodded and instructed him to make sure the elderly and young are okay for the travel. He waves as she quickly runs ahead, towards Valencio.
From there he made sure every troll was helped. "No Troll left behind" was Valencio's motto, and it became something more. It became a small hope to them, others couldn't see it. But to Ablaze, it meant that no matter what would happen, they weren't going to be abandoned. Even if his body had been bruised and bloody, someone would patch him up and run with him to safety. Even if he fell and was ran over, he would be slung over a shoulder and carried out. Even if....even if his last moments were that of watching the stars, someone would carry him and give him a proper burial.
He helps the last family...before noticing a figure in the distance. They wore a hooded coat and was stumbling. Ablaze kept himself senses opened, watching as he realized something. The figure had a small bundle held against their chest. Just small enough to be considered as a sack of necessities.
"Or a bomb." Ablaze thought, now that got him more alerted.
"Stop right there." He pulled out his machete, letting the blade gently hit the small pebbles that decorated the forest floor. The figure in front of his stopped, still holding the bundle.
"Who are you?"
The figure mumbled and swayed a bit. But Ablaze wasn't naive. This could be a trick for all he knows.
"I won't ask again," he pulled his machete up, pointing the end towards the figure, "Who are you?"
The figure stood still, before slowly raising their hand and gently pulling down their hood. It was a troll with purple skin, and...
Light turquoise hair. There was only one troll with those traits. "YOU!" Ablaze growled.
Rosiepuff. Guardian of BroZone, AKA, President Peppy's inner circle of bootlickers. Also the whole reason why they were leaving their home, why he had to leave his friends.
If she was here then-
"I come here....for a favor." Rosiepuff said, her voice quiet with a hint of urgency.
He scoffed, "The Guardian of the four devils, asking me, a "traitor" for a favor? Likely story." He walked a bit closer to Rosiepuff, "Why are you here. Are you here to trail us? Just so your sons could hunt us down like animals."
Rosiepuff said nothing as she gently shook her head. "No. I....I wanted to ask, if the place you and your family are going to is....safe. And is away from the prying eyes of the Capital."
Ablaze was taken a back by the question, especially with the tone. She sounded so...tired and.....scared. He looked her over, noticing a few things. Her hood was dirty, even a few threads were coming undone. Her hair was a mess and.....a bit dull. Scratch that she looked a bit duller than the last time he saw her.
Her colors were.....dulling.
"It is....why?"
Rosiepuff sighed, "Because," she walked a bit forward, minding the blade that was still pointed to her and opened the small bundle she was carrying. "I....I need you to take him."
Ablaze was wide eyed, his mouth opened as he saw the trolling in the wrapped hood. It wasn't just any trolling, it was Branch. The suppose fifth member of BroZone. Ablaze shook his head before stabbing his machete into the ground, his hands fumbled to cover the trolling up, since he was a vibrate blue and was still asleep.
"ARE YOU CRAZY!" He looked behind him and to the sides, making sure no one saw. "We...we can't. We can't take him."
"What...no, no, no, no. Please! You have to take him with you. Please-"
"If I take him, it's practically putting a target on our backs! I've heard the rumors! BroZone was excited to have this kid! What do you think they are going to do to us when they find out about this! No actually, what do you think they are going to do to you!"
The two stay quiet, before Rosiepuff started to sniffle, "Y-you're right.....I...I don't know what they are going to do to me. But...I know what they are going to do with Branch when he gets older. I...I tried to stop it from happening to Floyd but....I couldn't. So please," she extended Branch over to Ablaze, "Don't let them taint my daughter and son in laws last gift....please."
Ablaze looked at the small bundle. Branch was still sound asleep, or he was as he was now looking up at him. His big blue eyes...they weren't like his brothers who's filled with ice and coolness. While this one was filled with innocence and.....hope. Ablaze rubbed his eyes, before groaning into his hands.
"Wait here. I need to talk to my leader."
— — —
Rosiepuff sat in the middle of Branch's room crying. The cradle was smashed and so were the books and toys that filled the room. Her wrists were bruised, her hair was in a even more messier as she sobbed.
Soon the front door opened, and following was the boys voices, filled with excitement. "I think we showed those traitors what we're made of!"
"JD...we only hosed them, that's nothing compared to what the other guards were doing."
"Yeah! They actually got to do some action! Meanwhile me and Floyd were only put in charge of turning the water on and off."
"But Clay, you two did it so well! I think King Peppy-"
Rosiepuff flinched when the door opened, letting the light from the hallway spill in. "Grandma...."
She looked up, Floyd. Her sweet little rosebud was wearing parts of a guard uniform. He slowly walked towards her. "W-where's Branch?"
Rosiepuff looked away from him to see the others start to walk into the room. She sobbed once more, pulling her hands close to her chest, Floyd and Spruce were quick to rush to her side.
"Grandma, where's Branch?!" Spruce was starting to freak out, he could hear his heart beat in his ears, a familiar taste of bile was starting to rise in his throat.
"T-they took him! I-I tried to hold them off! I begged them not to!" Rosie sobbed as she held out her wrists, the purple started to turn an even darker shade. "I-I couldn't protect him! I-" she continued to cry, her head started to hurt, no doubt a bruise was going to form. With the last ounce of her voice-
"They took our Branch!"
As soon as those words left Rosiepuff's mouth, all hell broke loose. Floyd was sobbing as he tried to get more information about the kidnapers while also trying to tend to his Grandma's wrists. Spruce got up and was starting to throw things, hoping that maybe Branch was hiding and that this was all one big prank. Clay started to cry as he took out his walkie talkie, calling to a friend of his in the Capital. And John....was quiet.
And he stayed quiet as he observed the events unfolding in front of him while his Grandma's words sunk in.
"They took our Branch!"
He noticed something flutter in the corner of his eye, the window. The window was still open, he quickly ran over.
"They took our Branch!"
He threw himself onto the window sill and started to look around. His eyes were starting to burn, his throat felt like it was closing in on itself. The lights of the Capital were starting to turn into a blurry mess.
"They took our-"
"BRANCH!!!!"
— — —
Ablaze looked back behind him, the lights of the Capital had become small dots in the distance. A small bundle wiggled in front of him.
"Sorry lil man, thought I heard something." Ablaze said as he continued to walk, Branch was strapped to his chest and was looking straight at him, or above him. The stars were out after all, you could see some of the constellations.
Ablaze's mom snuck up beside him, "How are you feeling sweetie?"
"....I don't know. Do....do you think we did the right thing?" Ablaze had a pit forming at the bottom of his stomach, while they were basically given guardianship of Branch.....it still felt like they kidnapped him.
Primrose hummed as she looked down at the trolling, "Yes....he doesn't deserve that kind of life." She wiggled her finger in front of Branch's face, and giggled as he tried to bite her. Ablaze clicked his tongue as he waved a finger in Branch's face, "Hey, no, no, no."
"He reminds me a lot like you where you were a baby."
"Really- HEY!" He looked down to see Branch had bit his finger before the little trolling let go and started to giggle. "Oh, a wise guy huh? Think you can bite me and get away with it? Well, when you're older..." Ablaze's voice trailed off as he walked a bit further, holding a small conversation with the trolling.
Primrose smiled, "Yes....he does." She looked back to the Capital, the one place she called home, even when it became a nightmare. She closed her eyes, and sent a small prayer to Rosiepuff.
"See you later." She continued onwards.
They had a home to build.
And a war to win.
— — —
Many years later-
John Dory slammed the table.
“HOW DID YOU LET A CRIMINAL SNEAK IN THE FIRST PLACE?!”
The two guards flinched, one of them took of his helmet, bowing his head, “Sir, we….we didn't know-”
“DIDN'T KNOW?!” He walked over behind his desk and pulled out a wanted poster, slamming it on top of the desk. “So…. you're telling me he didn't look familiar?”
The poster had a picture of a troll with purple skin, his hair was a fade of three colors, red, magenta and orange. His eyes were purple.
“I-I mean- he slipped right past us!”
“THEN WHAT'S THE POINT OF HAVING YOU TWO BE GUARDS IF YOU COULDN'T HANDLE ONE TROLL FROM SNEAKING INTO THE CAPITAL!” John kicked over his chair, sending it towards the ground, the paper simply flew off his desk. The two guards flinched as he pulled out his gun. “I think you two would be more useful for-”
“John Dory!”
He whipped his head towards the door. There was a troll, with long purple hair that went down his back. He had on a suit, hues of purple with gold lining.
He was staring John down. It went on for a few seconds before John scoffed and put his gun away. “You two leave. Don't make me see you again.”
The guards quickly scrambled to leave, the two silently thanking Bruce with a nod. Once they left, he slowly closed the door, sending a glare to John as it shut behind him.
“So…Spruce.” He picked up his chair and sat in it, scooting towards his desk. “How may I help you?”
Bruce huffed, “It's Bruce, John.” He sat down across from him, hands in his lap. “And I need to know what the hell is going on?”
John hummed, “Well, right now we are having a conversation.” He smiled. Bruce inhaled and exhaled, trying to calm himself. “No shit. I mean about earlier today! You had guards come running into me and my wife's restaurant! You had them drag a poor guy away! You caused a scene! And you scared my kids!”
He got up and slammed a hand onto the table, “So I would like to know. What. The. Hell. Is going on?” The two stared at each other again before John nodded. “First, I would like to apologize if my men had made your establishment hostile.” He looked away, “And for scaring your wife and kids….I didn't want that to happen.”
Bruce looked him over before sighing, he slowly sat back down. “I…I know. It's just, after you left we had to close up early because Brandy and the kids were spooked.” He rubbed his temple, the gold band sparkled a bit. John nodded before standing up. “And I'm sorry for that. But!”
He picked up the poster that landed on the floor. “You had a criminal in your establishment.” He pointed to the picture. Bruce looked it over, realizing that they did see him- oh muses he was the one the guards dragged away. They served him.
John must have sensed the unease on his face because he was suddenly brought back by a hand placed on his shoulder. “Worry not, I let President Peppy know you had no idea who it was. I told him you weren't really into the news.” He patted his shoulder before going back to his chair.
Bruce swallowed thickly, “Thank you John.” He looked over the features of the troll, noticing a few differences. The one in the picture looked a bit brighter than the one he served today. The clothing was different, and not to talk about the eyes. The one he served looked older, while the one in the picture looked like a kid.
“Anytime brother.” He smiled, before smirking. “What are you wearing?”
“What?”
John laughed, “I..I don't I've ever seen you wear something so formal.” He wheezed. Bruce glared at him before swapping the paper away. “You'd think they would let me in here if I was wearing what I usually wear? Hm?”.
John's laugh slowed and died down. “No, no I think so.” Bruce nodded and folded his arms, “Thought so.”
Before John could say anything else, a soldier ran into the room, his helmet off as he panted.
“SIR!”
John growled, “What?! CAN'T YOU SEE I'M BUSY RN!!!”
“My apologies sir, but when Lieutenant Clay was questioning the prisoner….his….his protege came to save him.”
John groaned as he rubbed his eyes, “Well, arrest them, question them, CHARGE THEM WITH A CRIME FOR ALL I CARE!!” He slammed his hand down onto the table, making both Bruce and the guard flinch.
The guard stammered, “W-we did arrest him. But….sir,” he walked a bit closer to the two, “When we took his mask off….. it's him.”
Bruce tilted his head, “Who?” John slowly got up from his seat, “What are you talking about?”
“It's your brother.”
Both John and Bruce looked at each other shocked.
“It’s Branch.”
— — —
Branch sighed as he pulled his wrist one more time, the leathery restraints not giving away. He huffs, leaning his head back onto the pillow. Here he lays, in a bed with the light shining blindly on top of him. He snuck into the building in hopes to free his da…..to free Ablaze and he got caught.
“Within the first fifteen minutes, my god, he's gonna scold me later on.” Branch grumbled.
Suddenly he heard heavy footsteps running towards his cell, the door swinging open, the first troll he instantly recognized and let out a small growl. The troll in question didn't mind and smiled at him.
“Branch….is that you?”
“General John Dory.” Branch seethed, gripping at the bed sheets.
The man who took Ablaze away.
And he was within throat ripping distance.