I do not own Trolls.

This is a plot thought up by gaara king of the sand.

Chapter Two

The journey to Bergen Town was long and tiresome. Branch had had to endure scorching deserts, the blistering cold and strong winds. He didn't even want to think about the thorny trees and bushes that poked and prodded him in paces he didn't want to admit to. Feeling battered and worn from each treacherous section of the forest, he took a moment to sit down and rest, allowing himself a few moments to have a drink and regain some energy. Normally Branch would camp out for the night when travelling a distance such as this, but he decided against the break. He didn't want to leave himself open to predators. Being the size he was and being alone meant that he would have been a keen target for all things with teeth and beaks.

Branch sighed before taking a sip of his drink, the lukewarm water trudging down his throat leaving him to frown. It wasn't exactly a desirable beverage at this moment in time, but with his options limited he had to be grateful for whatever he had to spare. He stared out at the Town from where he was sat on top of a hill. He could see each dull house, battered roads and the odd Bergen wandering aimlessly. He hated having to enter their territory, but his pride and determination overrode any form of sense he had. He stared up at the sky to see the sun was barely breaking through the horizon, which meant that he had travelled all night and most of the day prior to get here.

Branch rubbed his hands over his face, feeling the exhaustion pulling at him. He took a breath before shoving his water bottle back into his bag, with one last stretch he slung the tatty bag over his shoulder and charged forward towards the town. It would have been easier if the tunnel had been available, he could have been in the Troll Tree then instead of entering the town in the open. He hated being unprotected from danger, he wished he could hide in the Tree and observe the Town from there, instead he was having to tackle it head first. He hated that.

Branch, with resent for the situation, charged towards the castle while being careful to stay out of sight of any Bergens. The last thing he wanted was to be someone's dinner. With the determination of staying undigested, he climbed along the dead vine on the side of the castle wall where it led him to an open window. Felling thankful for the easy entry, he jumped through the opening and landed on the floor with a roll. He looked around the area before scattering under a cabinet. He peered from underneath to see two Bergens walking along the corridor towards him.

"Your Majesty, I don't believe these little outings are a good idea anymore. The kingdom has begun to notice your absence," One Bergen tried to communicate to what Branch thought was Gristle.

"My absence? I am gone a couple hours at most. I am determined to find these Trolls. For the sake of my Kingdom if nothing else. My people understand that," Gristle snapped at his righthand man.

"But, trusting a Troll?"

"She is no ordinary Troll and you know it," Gristle told the other in a warning voice. He obviously wanted the subject to be let go of. Branch watched as the two wandered down the hall, still chatting away but Branch heard the main bit he needed. He heard Gristle going on a about Poppy being in his room. Branch nodded with understanding of what he needed to do before rushing through the caste, trying to jump from one hiding place to the next. Gristle had armed men doing their rounds around the corridors and Branch didn't want to be spotted.

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Poppy was sat down on the bedside table, staring at the cage that was on the other side of the room. She had spent many years in that cage, used as a hostage and a pet. The young King Gristle thought she was a prize and a keepsake and lacked all compassion. If she did wrong, he used to shake that cage which caused her many injuries. However, as the years went on Gristle began to understand Poppy, listen to her and her anger. She was infuriated at the life she had been dealt, she was angry at the Trolls for abandoning her. She was depressed at how she was worth nothing to them. Yet Gristle, after those first few treacherous years, had gone out of his way to make her feel welcome. He wanted his people to be happy and she wanted to help. Not just for revenge, but to help the Bergen who had offered her freedom to roam, who had listened to her agony over the situation she had been left in.

King Gristle had told her that Trolls can make Bergens happy, he said they made fabulous pets and entertainment. It made her almost smile knowing those who left her would be encaged like she was originally. She would be able to watch them suffer behind those bars. A prison. She thought the punishment fit their crime perfectly. Poppy, feeling more inspired to find the traitors, jumped off the bedside table where she walked towards the open door. However, as she rounded the corner she walked straight into someone. Before she could fall though she was caught by her hand and pulled forward where she tripped forward with the motion and straight into the stranger's arms.

"Whoa there," A male voice steadied her. She looked up to find a Troll holding her. His eyes were dark and mysterious, his skin grey like hers and his hair as black as the night sky. She stared at him for a minute out of shock more than anything before she shook herself back to reality. She pulled away from him.

"Who are you?" She demanded, her eyes piercing his.

"I'm Branch. I'm here to take you home," She raised an eyebrow at him. Poppy couldn't understand, she was home as far as she was concerned, but what confused her more was why this Troll was like her. She thought Trolls were these colourful happy creatures from what Gristle had told her. Yet, her first sight of one was far from what she had been imagining.

"I am home," She reminded him, crossing her arms defiantly.

"Poppy, these Bergens are not nice people. This is not your home, they are using you. I can take you back to the Troll Village where your father is waiting,"

"My father?" Poppy almost whispered, a pain stabbing her in her chest. She had always dreamed of having parents and feeling loved and cared for. It was something she had longed for for so long, however, that life didn't exist for her and it wasn't going to. That opportunity had long gone.

"Yes, your father," Branch spoke softly to her, holding his hand out for her to take. He wanted Poppy to come at her own free will, after all, a calm Troll was better than an anxious one. She stared at his hand before huffing and turning her head away, smacking his hand to the side. Branch narrowed his eyes at her. His dislike for her was starting to grow. He opened his mouth to speak but stopped when he heard large footsteps coming towards the room. He watched as Poppy gave him an evil smirk before going to rush out of the room, but Branch grabbed her hand, yanking her around and under the bed where he covered her mouth.

"Not today, Princess," He whispered in her ear as he peered from under the bed, watching Gristle enter the room, look around then shrug.

"Guess Poppy isn't in here. I bet she's wreaking havoc in the kitchen again," Gristle practically seethed as he disappeared out of the room. Branch let out a breath he hadn't realised he was holding, but soon shouted out when Poppy bit his hand. He threw his hand away and Poppy broke free of his grip where she turned and slapped him. He rubbed his cheek, a glare emanating from him as he narrowed his eyes at her with fury.

"Nobody teach you how to treat a lady?" She practically spat at him.

"Nope," Branch shrugged as he grabbed Poppy, slinging her over his shoulder. She yelled at him, punching him in his back but he ignored her as he made his way to the window. It was time for him to deliver the goods.

XoXoXoXoXoX

The journey back towards Troll Village was strenuous when it came to Poppy. She put up a lot of resistance and got on Branch's last nerve. She was irritating and on a couple of occasions Branch debated whether to just return her back to the Bergens. However, after she decided she had no power, she settled down and instead began to ask sensible questions such as why he wanted to take her to Troll Village.

"Poppy, twenty years ago we escaped from the Bergens. Our King, King Peppy, who is your father, lead us to freedom. When he realised you had gone missing he went to go back for you, but the tunnel caved in, leaving you missing. We had no way to get to you, we didn't even know if you survived the cave in. So, when I saw you in the forest I had to bring you back to where you belonged," Branch informed her. Poppy sat and nodded, listening to his words carefully. It was a lot for her to process, but she felt keen to see what the Troll side to the story was.

"How come no one tired to find me after?"

"King Peppy had to think of the other Trolls. They could have stayed there and spent days digging through the dirt, but then they were left at risk of being captured again by the Bergens. He couldn't risk it and the pain from it never left him…" Branch admitted to Poppy. She nodded, letting the information settle in. She could understand the reasonings behind it, but there was one thing she didn't understand. She couldn't understand why they were trying to escape the Bergens? Maybe they were fed up of being entertainment mules.

"Branch, why are you grey?" That question took Branch by surprise. He sat up a bit straighter, a nervous feeling bubbling up inside of him as he practically shut down. It was a topic he didn't want to indulge in, but he felt like he needed to. He hoped that maybe it would help her.

"When I was younger, maybe five, I was singing. I got so lost in the song that I didn't hear my Grandma trying to call me. She had to run to push me out of the way of a Bergen's grasping hand, but it meant she got taken instead. The knowledge of what was going to happen to her, to know it was my fault, made me feel depressed. I felt sad, lost, guilty. That guilt eats at me every day," Branch's voice was nothing more than a murmur by the time he reached the end. He hadn't intended to reveal so much, but once his mouth opened the agony just poured from him. After all, it was something he had not spoken about to anyone before.

Poppy wanted to ask Branch why he didn't just go visit his Grandma, after all, she would only have been a pet or used for shows to keep the Bergens happy, then she realised. His Grandma had probably passed away by now and at the age he was at the time, he wouldn't have had opportunity to see her or join her. She realised that he had turned grey because he knew he wouldn't get the chance to see her again. She sighed softly, deciding she needed to change topics.

"What was it like being happy?" Poppy had to ask the question. She couldn't remember ever being colourful, she couldn't remember any forms of happiness in her life. She only felt lost, angry and confused. She wanted desperately to know what it was like to be happy. It was an emotion she desired more than anything.

"It's… pretty wonderful. Everything appears differently. When you're happy you notice the birds tweeting in the sky, you enjoy the sun on your skin and the songs that spread through the village. You wake up feeling… at peace," Branch nodded, feeling happy with his description. It had been many years, but it was a feeling he would never forget. He hated anything to do with joy now and couldn't bear the thought of being happy again. He didn't deserve that feeling.

Poppy had watched Branch speak about his previous life of happiness, and while she felt jealous of never having that opportunity or memory, she also felt sympathy for him. She could see his agony and inner turmoil. She could see the war going off inside of him. He was so lost in darkness that she thought he'd probably forgotten what light looks like. She felt like she could relate to that.

"I find being grey hard some days. It's a bundle of dark emotions that feed on you, tearing away at you, it's like a vicious friend you can't help but hang on to…" Poppy opened up to Branch. Although she hated the Trolls for what they did to her, she couldn't blame Branch. He was in the same situation as her, and from what she could tell there was only one person to blame for her abandonment and that was her father. He had the choice to find her or leave her, the decision was his as King, yet he left her. She knew why, but that didn't make it hurt any less for her.

"Poppy, I want to take you to the Village and I want you to meet the Trolls. I understand your anger and frustration, but please just meet them and talk to them. They aren't bad Trolls," Branch tried to persuade her. He wanted her full cooperation in this because he didn't think he had the strength to carry her the rest of the way home kicking and screaming. He didn't want to fight her.

"Okay," Poppy agreed after a few moments thought. She still felt weary of the Trolls and definitely didn't trust them enough to follow every word fed to her by Branch about them. She needed to see it for herself, but she knew what she wanted out of this. She wanted revenge on the King for leaving her. She decided there and then the best way to get to the King was to take his people from him. Gristle would be pleased with her if she returned with the Trolls in hand.