A/N: My first proper Trolls fanfic! Sort of... I had a few ideas for different ways the Trolls film could have gone, I enjoy speculating different outcomes so this is one of them. Sorry if it's a bit lazy, I'm just writing this for a bit of fun and an excuse to write Broppy! It probably won't be too long unless I get other inspiration, perhaps 3-4 chapters of a decent length. Couldn't for the life of me think of a name for it either! Oh well, I hope you enjoy it!

Taken

Chapter 1

"Come on! Yeah!" Poppy bounced energetically along to the booming music, waving her arms at the crowd below her as the lights flashed and sparkled giddily. Hair in every colour of the rainbow was swinging to the beat, and glitter bombs were erupting from every direction. Poppy fervently showed off her moves from her mushroom platform, totally lost in the atmosphere. The party was going exactly to plan, and every troll seemed to be having the time of their lives.

But not a troll present could have predicted what was going to happen next. One second they were celebrating twenty years of freedom like there was no tomorrow, and the next they were staring death in the face.

The bergen chef's feet pounded through the forest, crushing vegetation and troll homes without a care. The clearing fell silent, and Poppy's blood turned to ice when those malevolent red and yellow eyes focused on her. The moment seem to stretch out painfully long. This just couldn'tbe happening, this wasn't real right?

In the next instant panic erupted and the village descended into chaos. Poppy desperately scanned the swarming mass of panicking trolls below for her friends. Her heart nearly stopped when she saw Chef's gnarly claws reaching down towards Guy Diamond and Biggie.

Before she even knew what she was doing she had thrown her hair out towards Chef's arm and wrapped it tightly around the bergen's wrist, using it to swing down from her platform. It pulled Chef's reach away just in time for her friends to dive beneath a nearby mushroom, much to the bergen's frustration. Poppy didn't give Chef time to think about what had just happened, releasing her hair and deftly falling into a roll, hitting the ground running.

"Run! Blend in! Blend in!" She yelled as loud as she could as she pushed through the crowd. Her bravery had stunned Chef for just long enough that many of the trolls were starting to use their heads rather than just running blindly, using their hair to pull themselves up into the branches or to camouflage into nearby foliage. She was just in time to drag Cooper and a group of children into some nearby grass, quickly pulling Cooper's head down so that he was hidden.

For the briefest of moments she felt relief. She was pretty sure Chef hadn't managed to catch anyone yet, but the Bergen was getting more irate by the second, and she hadn't given up yet.

"Everyone, minimise your auras!" Her heart plummeted as she heard a familiar voice calling out, drawing the bergen's attention.

"No Creek!" She burst from her hiding place without the slightest hesitation, diving fearlessly towards him.

The last thing she saw were huge, mauve fingers closing towards them as she lunged at Creek, pushing him back with all of the force she could muster. Her heart beat fiercely as she felt the hand close too tightly around her, struggling to catch her breath as her pulse grew more panicked. The air was close and too warm inside the bergen's clutches, and the smell of her skin was not pleasant.

Poppy fought with all her might to push her head out from between the fingers, gasping desperately for fresh air. She didn't know how to feel when she looked down and saw that all the trolls were now hidden. She was glad of course that she was the only one that had been captured, but her stomach lurched sickeningly with fear. The scene below her was something from her worst nightmares. Broken homes and decorations littered the ground, the vivid lights and colours long gone. Had they really been partying only minutes ago?

Suddenly movement caught her eye. Just when she thought things couldn't possibly get worse… oh boy was she wrong.

"Poppy? No! POPPY!" Her father yelled, beginning to run out from his cover and into the open.

"NO! Someone stop him!" Poppy yelled desperately, before Chef abruptly silenced her by stuffing the troll into her waist pouch. Poppy didn't know if someone had pulled her father out of sight, but she felt Chef lurch forward and then stop, before crying out angrily in frustration. After a couple more tense moments Chef pulled the zipper closed on the pouch, sealing Poppy inside.

"Oh thank God…" She sighed, letting out a shuddering breath – he must have got away. Her moment of relief was brief as the reality of her situation struck her like a blow to the stomach.

This was it, she was going to be eaten. She'd never see her home again. Her friends, her father… even if some miracle occurred and she managed to escape she knew they would have to relocate now. She'd never find them again. Tears began to escape down her glittery cheeks, and she hugged herself tightly as though it might hold her together.

"Come on Poppy, think positive," She chastised herself through her sobs, trying to hold the tears at bay, "You got everyone out. They're all safe and that's what matters."

Her thoughts drifted to Branch's words from earlier. This was her fault. He'd been right all along and if she'd just listened to his warnings none of this would have happened. She felt so stupid, and so horribly guilty. Perhaps they were better off without her – Branch had been right about that too, she would have made a terrible queen.

Her thoughts lingered on the grey troll. She hoped that he wouldn't be forgotten and that someone would go and tell him what had happened. Poppy knew she was the only one that ever really tried to include him. He might not be the friendliest of trolls but he still deserved to find his happiness. She'd always imagined that one day she'd finally get through to him, and she'd be rewarded with seeing his true colours. A fresh wave of grief swept over her as she realised that now she'd never know. She couldn't bear the thought of him being left all alone in that gloomy bunker, thinking that they had abandoned him. Or worse still, that if the bergens returned to that spot that he would walk right into them unawares.

Feeling more full of misery and regret than she ever had in her life, she curled herself up into a ball and awaited her fate.

...

As the bergen's footsteps receded into the distance trolls cautiously began to creep out from their hiding places, gathering in the clearing once more. They simply looked at each other in silence - no one could quite believe their princess was gone.

King Peppy sat in the middle, his sobbing the only sound to be heard. As trolls grew closer they gasped in horror as their eyes fell on him; Peppy's skin was no longer a vibrant orange, but a dull shadow of his former colours. Guy Diamond and Suki were comforting him, though their own cheeks glistened with moisture. They'd managed to pull him out of Chef's grasp in the nick of time, but they still felt horrible that they hadn't been able to help Poppy. How could their king lose his colours? What were they supposed to do now? Despair washed through the village.

Creek stepped into the centre of the crowd, his mind turning as he looked from the grey Peppy to the distraught villagers surrounding him. He could see the panic setting in as the situation dawned on them. They needed leadership and fast, or they would all surely turn to grey.

"Come now everyone! We mustn't waste any time, we have to leave! We have to find a new home before the bergens come back!" He announced calmly and loudly. Everyone looked to him with a slightly puzzled expression, but they seemed to accept his leadership and began nodding and muttering in agreement. They needed a strong voice now, and he could be that voice. He buried the notion that said he had longed to be that voice for some time, having to shake the image of himself wearing a crown from his mind.

"Shouldn't we try to rescue her?" Suki spoke up.

"But how are we supposed to face up to a bergen?" Creek asked her pointedly. She opened her mouth to respond, but had no answer. He nodded knowingly. "It's just not possible. We shouldn't endanger the rest of the village for the sake of one single troll, it just isn't fair. For all we know she has already been eaten." Suki and several other trolls flinched at his harsh words, but they had no retort. They all knew that as terrible as it sounded his words were the truth. Besides, they all had family and loved ones that they wanted to protect too.

"Now, we really should move. We don't know how quick they will be returning." Creek began to usher people along.

"Creek wait," King Peppy finally found his voice as Suki and Guy Diamond helped him to his feet. "Could someone please go and tell Branch that we're going? We can't leave him behind." The trolls looked at Peppy with mild surprise, feeling a little ashamed that they had forgotten the grumpy outsider. Creek simply rolled his eyes.

"I'm sure Branch will be perfectly happy staying by himself in his 'survival bunker'," he said the words mockingly.

"He still deserves to know what happened. I'll go." Suki said resolutely, hurrying off towards the bunker before Creek could say anymore.

...

Branch gazed longingly at the invitation before him. He'd managed to sneak back out to rescue it whilst everyone was at the party, before reconstructing it with great care once he was safely back in the privacy of his bunker. He'd been so worried it wouldn't be there, that someone might have thrown it out or that it might have blown away. But to his relief, there it still rested in a crumpled heap. Why did he have to be quite so mean as to throw it on the floor and stomp on it in front of her? He inwardly groaned at himself.

This party really had been the last straw. He'd been trying to tell her all week to keep it sensible, but the plans had just gotten more and more out of control. More glitter, more lights, more noise… He'd just finally snapped when she had presented him with his invitation. He didn't mean to upset her and he really did appreciate how incredible it was that she kept on inviting him, even when he acted so horribly. He certainly didn't deserve her attention, but she never gave up on him.

Branch glanced to his right, at the shelves that were so filled with invitations that they threatened to spill out. Every single one of them was from her. No one else would bother, but for reasons that eluded him completely she still seemed to care. His cheeks warmed at the thought of her beaming like the sun as she presented him with each one.

He was knocked out of his daydream by the sound of knocking at his door. His heart jolted with embarrassment at the mere thought of someone seeing his collection of invitations. He raced to hide them but in his haste ended up dropping the whole collection all over the floor. His pulse quickened as he shushed the triggered sound effects and clumsily stuffed the papers back into their hiding place.

He breathed a sigh of relief once they were hidden, taking a moment to calm his nerves until he heard the sound of banging once more. He scowled as he made his way up. He had half expected Poppy to try and drag him out to the party at some stage. Dare he say he'd even hoped for it? It wasn't like he would go, but he still felt a familiar flutter in his stomach. His expression changed though as a different voice reached his ears.

"Branch? Hello? BRANCH!" That wasn't Poppy's voice. He frowned in confusion as he approached the door. No one other than Poppy ever came to his bunker. He didn't even think anyone else knew where it was. He opened the flap in his 'go away' mat to find a familiar red troll with distinctive orange dreadlocks.

"Suki?" He was so surprised to see her standing on his doorstep that he forgot to act grumpy about the party. That was when he registered the look of distress on her face. She wrung her hands together anxiously, and her face was scrunched up with sadness – it even looked as though she had been crying. His pulse quickening, Branch quickly opened the trap door and climbed out to face her. "Suki what on earth is going on? Are you ok?" He wasn't sure he wanted to hear the answer. He had a horrible feeling about this.

"No Branch… it's just awful. It's…" Suki had to choke back a sob before answering. "We were just attacked by a Bergen!"

"WHAT!?" Branch leapt back, immediately turning to retreat back into his bunker, his eyes darting wildly about the forest and his senses instantly on high alert for any threats.

"Branch wait!" Suki grabbed his arm before he could disappear.

"What?" Branch snapped angrily, fear pulsing through his veins. Suki hesitated before continuing.

"We all have to leave, King Peppy told me to come and tell you so that you wouldn't get left behind."

That was weird, why would Poppy not come? He quickly scolded himself for that thought. She must be busy helping everyone, it's not like he was special.

"I'll be perfectly safe in my bunker. I have supplies to last me ten years!" Branch folded his arms stubbornly. Suki shuffled awkwardly, fidgeting with her hands. Was there something she wasn't telling him? Branch's scowl eased when she sniffled, some of the tension leaving his shoulders. "Is… is there something else?" Suki nodded without meeting his eyes. His stomach churned. Now he knew he didn't want to hear this. He let out a breath of air, mentally preparing himself. "Well, let's hear it." Suki was quiet a moment longer before she finally opened her mouth.

"It's… Poppy." Branch's blood ran cold. "The Bergen… it t-took her!" Suki sobbed.

Branch staggered backwards, suddenly finding the world horribly unstable under his feet. He felt like someone had punched him in the stomach, and he had to lean against the boulder for support as his vision swam. This couldn't be real, not her. Out of everyone why did it have to be her? The only troll that cared about him in the whole village. But it wasn't just that. It was… Poppy. So maybe sometimes he found her too loud or too silly, but he just couldn't imagine troll village without her.

"She sacrificed herself for us. She pushed Creek out of the way and it took her instead!" Suki's voice suddenly dragged him back into the real world. Of course that was why it had taken her. It was because she was being Poppy, putting everyone else before herself. But the fact that she had done it to save Creek made his blood boil. That purple swine didn't deserve her attention.

"Why didn't he help her?" Branch spat angrily, fuelling his emotions into rage at Creek. It was far easier to be angry than sad.

"Th-there was no time…" Suki was taken aback, recoiling a little.

For the first time Branch wished he'd been there. He would have protected her. He should have been there to protect her. Like he needed any more guilt in his life. How could this be happening again? He'd had twenty years to prepare and he still hadn't been able to save the one troll he cared about most. He felt as though stones had been dropped into his stomach, the weight of it threatening to crush him. He balled his fists so tightly that they hurt.

"Where is he?" Branch asked in a low and dangerous voice.

"Everyone's preparing to leave, he's organising things." Branch let out a sharp, sarcastic huff at the idea of Creek taking charge, the opportunistic rat. That was when something else occurred to him.

"…Peppy?" Branch asked softly, the anger draining from his face. His heart grew even heavier when he thought of what Poppy's father must be feeling right now. Suki simply shook her head, dropping her eyes in sorrow.

"Take me to them."

Suki led him back towards the main clearing, where trolls were anxiously gathering possessions they didn't want to leave behind, whilst Creek stood in the centre on a mushroom, barking orders.

"Make sure we have enough food! We don't know how far we need to go yet." He called out to the crowds. Branch hunched his shoulders at the sight of him. Creek didn't look at all remorseful about what had happened. In fact Branch could have sworn he even looked a little gleeful bossing everyone around.

"Where's Peppy?" Branch asked Suki. He didn't want to have anything to do with Creek right now, he didn't feel like he could be held responsible for his actions.

"Over here." Suki led him over to the spot where Peppy still sat hunched over, his face in his hands as the surrounding trolls tried to comfort him. "King Peppy, I brought Branch." Suki announced.

As they grew closer Branch stopped dead in his tracks. The king's once vibrantly orange skin had turned a dull grey, his pink hair now charcoal with silvery threads. The sight made everything feel more real, it was almost too much for Branch to bear. He'd never seen another troll other than himself turn grey, and it was heart wrenching. Peppy lifted his head as they approached, his woeful eyes meeting Branch's.

"Branch, thank goodness. We need to leave." His voice was soft and drained of energy, and Branch felt his heart lurch when Peppy still managed to find it in him to be concerned for Branch. Peppy had always looked out for him when he was younger, a task he had seemingly passed on to Poppy as they both got older.

Branch opened his mouth to say something, but he just couldn't find his tongue. He wanted to express some sort of reassurance or comfort, but what could he possibly say that would help right now? He was no good at this kind of stuff at the best of times. Instead they simply held each other's gaze, silent understanding passing between them.

"Branch! Great, now that everyone is here we can finally set off." Creek strode over boldly, clapping his hands together in a business-like fashion. Branch felt himself tense up again and whirled around to face the smug purple troll.

"You! This is your fault! What are you gonna do about Poppy?" Branch rounded on him, advancing menacingly.

"Me? I fail to see how any of this is my fault." Creek sounded scandalised. He withdrew as Branch came towards him threateningly, retreating until he was backed into a corner.

"She's gone because of you!" Branch yelled in his face.

"It's hardly my fault our gracious princess was the way she was. It was just in her nature to be so selfless. I didn't ask her to save me." His temper was about to blow a fuse at Creek's choice of words. Hearing him use past tense when referring to Poppy made Branch feel sick. Had Creek given up on her already?

"So go after her!"

"I hardly think that would be wise," Creek scoffed, "The Bergen is probably miles away already, and besides – someone has to lead this lot to safety." Branch scowled at him. Coward, he thought bitterly, like I'd trust you with her life anyway.

"Fine, then I'll go." The words had tumbled out of his mouth before he had even realised what he was doing. He shocked himself at his sudden willingness to put himself at risk, but at the same time he knew he was always going to go. He wasn't ready to admit that she might already be gone. No matter how unlike him it was not to assume the worst outcome, it just wasn't an option in his head. It was too much to deal with.

Everyone in hearing distance stopped what they were doing to stare at him, and a heavy silence hung in the air for an intense moment.

"You?" Creek mocked, stifling a laugh. "Aren't you just going to go back and hide in your bunker?"

"No. I'm going to save her." Branch stared at Creek with a determined glare, not rising to his ridicule. Creek's smug grin fell as he realised Branch wasn't bluffing.

"Branch, are you sure? It's so dangerous," Peppy rose and took a few steps towards Branch.

"I am. I'll do my best King Peppy." Branch replied, his heart racing as he felt all eyes on him.

A small, hopeful smile spread across Peppy's face, and before Branch knew what was going on he had wrapped his arms around the younger troll and pulled him in close.

"Thank you Branch. If anyone can do it it's you." Branch felt a glow in his cheeks at Peppy's kind words. He stood awkwardly while the king hugged him, though he couldn't find the will to hug him back. This was getting too emotional for him, he just wanted to be alone and on his way. He didn't want to crack in front of everyone.

"Everyone can hide in my bunker until I get back," Branch announced, coughing awkwardly as the king released him from the embrace. "There's enough supplies to last everyone at least a couple of weeks. If I'm not back by then…" Branch trailed off.

"We have faith in you." Peppy smiled at him encouragingly. That makes one of us, Branch thought to himself sarcastically. It was a blur as he walked away from the cheering crowd. He barely noticed when they shouted encouragement and wished him luck as he passed through them, they all seemed so distant.

Nothing else mattered now. He had to do this.

A/N: I hope that was reasonably in character! I like to think that Poppy being the one that was taken would change everything for Branch. I hope I'm not wrong. Also regarding who's turned grey and who hasn't – I think Peppy would turn grey because he's old now, and Poppy is his everything. I think he would just be too heartbroken if he lost her. As for Poppy herself, I think she would be able to cling on to her colours even in this situation. She has the knowledge that everyone else is safe, and that's more important to her – hence why she did what she did. In the film she only turns grey when she realises that's the end for everyone, and there is literally nothing at all to live for anymore.

I love the idea that Branch has a good relationship with Peppy, I can just see him doing odd jobs for him about town to help out. I like to think that he helped look out for Branch when he was a kid, but they lost touch in the last few years as Peppy became a bit elderly. Maybe it was Peppy's influence that kept Poppy going back (it kind of makes sense) but I like to think she would have done anyway of course XD

I hope people are ok with my representation of Creek. It's another headcanon of mine that he only attaches himself to Poppy because he'd like to be in power/she'd be the best catch of the village sort of thing rather than him actually having any kind of feelings for her. Suki I found tricky to write, as she doesn't say much in the film so I hope she's ok too.

Whew enough rambling about headcanons. Thanks for reading :)