Hello! I have returned with chapter 3! Let me just pause a minute to admire the comedy of this very event. I, Autumn, am submitting a new chapter to a winter fic, on the cusp of summer though it's still technically spring. Ridiculous, right?

Really really sorry it took me so long, several awful bouts of sickness and lack of a working computer have been the culprit. Please forgive the extreme lateness, and enjoy!

Chapter 3 Clouded Perspective

Branch was not, in any way, shape, or form, a prideful troll; that title was already claimed by a few other inhabitants of the village. But if there was anything he did take pride in, it was his observant nature. He was always able to learn so much simply through watching and listening. And in the short amount of time he'd served as her skating coach, he learned a great deal about Poppy and how she ticked.

She was impatient, for starters, but enthusiastic. Impulsive but perseverant. Someone who, though confident, flourished from affirmation like a dancing flame in the night.

He watched the way her hands trembled and the gleaming smile that broke out across her face whenever he complimented a clean landing she'd make after a small jump. It was almost too adorable for words. How could someone be so damn cute? It was maddening!

And her determination stopped at nothing when she wanted something badly enough. Of course, he'd learned that long before the arrival of the snowy season. There was a time he found it exasperating, but now it was something he found himself admiring about her. No matter how hard the task she was faced with happened to be, under his guidance, she would confront it with her 'bring it on' attitude and keep failing until her efforts brought about success at last.

And then she'd keep going. Keep trying, keep doing, ready for the next jump, the next step sequence, the next spin. Until she was too tired to stand.

But even then, she'd always manage to get back up again.

"How's my grapevine?" she shouted across the small lake to her coach.

"Better," he shouted back. "Very smooth."

She flashed a warm smile, ending the freestyle move with a slow spin. "Come on, come do it with me!"

Branch heaved a tired chuckle as he propped himself up against a tree stump. "You're wearing me out, Poppy."

She stopped, inertia causing her to edge a few inches forward. "What? Seriously? You can help an entire group of giant creatures see the light and change their ways and escape a crazed knife-wielding chef in the process, but you can't keep up with me on the ice?" She gave him a playful smirk and clicked her tongue, producing the all too familiar tsk-tsk-tsk sound. "That's a shame, Branch."

He grinned and shook his head, stepping back onto the ice and skating right towards her. "I never said that!"

"Yea?!" she shot back, excited laughter coating her voice. "Well then prove it! Let's make this single grapevine a double!"

He skated over to her side and held his hand out. "Alright. See if you can stay in step with me."

Poppy held tight to Branch's hand as the pair moved in a continuous string of criss-crossing steps and slides. And when they reached the edge, Branch spun around, holding tight to Poppy as he did so.

Poppy gasped in a comical combination of alarm and delight. Her blades lightly dug into the ice while she clutched at him.

"You haven't taught me this!" she shrieked, laughing.

"I'm improvising," he replied, giving an impish little grin.

"Straying from the plan? Someone's venturing from their comfort zone. I like that."

He gently twirled her around, her nose brushing his when she stopped and faced him once more.

"Know what I like?"

"Hmm?" Poppy hummed, eyes wondrous and wide. A true vision of beauty.

"Spending time with you," he murmured, letting a fingertip trail against her jawline.

He could feel her relax against his frame, could hear her sighing as she smiled. "Feeling's mutual, Branch."

If the practical part of his mind wasn't such a controlling stick in the mud, he would throw all his caution to the wind and prove that he really meant what he said. But the echoing cackles of fear bounced around in his ears, and the urge was ignored yet again.

But that didn't mean they couldn't still have a bit of innocent fun, right?

"Hey…you wanna try a lift?"

Poppy quirked a brow at him. "What's that? Is it hard?"

"Not really. Just takes a little bit of trust. Think you can handle that?"

She grinned, her nose crinkling. "Try me."

"Okay. First we start facing each other, and one of us skates forward, the other one skates back." When Poppy's eyes widened, it made him chuckle. "I'll let you skate forward, if that would be easier."

It was slow and unsteady at first, but then as Poppy fell into a nicer flow, they began to move as one, Poppy maneuvering forward as Branch would glide back. When Branch felt that she had gotten the hang of the difference in direction, he went on.

"Now, put one hand one my shoulder, and I'm going to put mine on your waist. And as we circle, bend one knee and lift the other one up and out, and I'll do the rest. But take it slow, don't rush yourself."

She nodded, following his lead. For a fleeting moment, he wondered if she was enjoying being held as much as he enjoyed holding her.

"Like this?" she asked, bending one knee, stretching the other out and pointing her toe.

"Just like that," he answered, gradually lowering them both. Beneath her bended knee, he kept one palm anchored to secure her, encouraging her to hold her other arm out to keep balance.

Then, gradually, he pulled them both into a graceful spin, holding Poppy up in the air. The world around them became a blur, wind grazing their arms and whipping at tendrils of hair, her dress and his cloak billowing out around them as they spun. But the only thing Poppy and Branch could see clearly was the other's gaze as their eyes locked.

"It feels like flying," Poppy whispered excitedly.

"Kinda does, doesn't it?" Smile wide and warm, he kept that same secure grip on her until their spinning slowed completely.

"That was so cool!" Poppy cheered as they faced each other again. "Could we do another one?"

"We might should start working on piecing together your routine—"

"What if I added one of these to my routine?"

Branch frowned. "But it's a routine for one."

She held her hands behind her back in the most sweetly unassuming way. "So then, let's make it a pairs routine."

"What?"

"That's a thing…right?"

"I mean, sure, but—"

"Then let's do it!"

"Whoa whoa whoa, stop." He held up a palm to her. "This is about you and your family tradition you're bringing back. I don't really think I should get involved."

Poppy scoffed in jest, the sound lighthearted as she placed a hand on her hip. "You're my coach, you're already involved."

He bit his lip, head already beginning to shake. "Yea but not like that…I just don't wanna take the focus off of you. This is your time to shine. Not mine."

"I've gotten plenty of those times already, Branch. I don't mind sharing the spotlight. In fact, I think it would be really fun."

Unease grabbed Branch right by the gut. Helping Poppy learn how to skate was one thing, but skating with her in front of hundreds of other trolls? Taking part in a sacred royal tradition? That was on a whole other level. What would the others say or think?

"Okay look," said Poppy, easily picking up on his hesitation. "You don't have to say yes, but before you say no, just keep it in mind, think it over? Yes, it's my family tradition but I'm the one bringing it back, so I think I should be able to decide who can be part of it, don't you?"

Branch didn't answer.

"Alright alright, no pressure. Just…promise me you'll at least think about it?"

He was silent for several long moments, but finally nodded. "Okay, I can do that."

She bestowed him with another of her blindingly gorgeous smiles. "Perfect! Now, show me another one of those lifts?" she pleaded.

He mulled it over for another moment or so, pretty quick to give in, all things considered. "Guess I shouldn't be in the business of trying to refuse the Queen, mm?"

"Stop," she giggled, nudging his arm, but her expression quickly became serious. "Don't think you have to do anything for me just because I'm the queen. I don't ever want you to feel like that."

"Alright then, I'll do it for you, not because you're the queen. But because I love to see you smile."

In the time it took Poppy to stop blushing, Branch had skated to the far end of the lake. "You skate to the other end," he called over his shoulder.

"Think I can handle that," she called in return.

Once they had both reached their respective sides, Branch skated forward. "Now, when I start forward, you meet me in the center, and once you're close enough, I'll lift you. But you have to move fast, because momentum is your secret weapon with this move."

She nodded, prepping herself.

"Ready?"

"Ready!"

"Go!" Like a vibrant bolt of blue lightning, he zipped right down the center of the ice.

Poppy took off as well, feet overlapping as she tried to build up speed. She raced ahead to reach Branch at the center of the ice, but as she got closer, Branch could see fear start to pool across her features. Uh oh…

"Don't slow down," he ordered, already bracing for the impact.

"But I don't—wait I-I—agghh!" She suddenly screamed, losing her footing. She would've run smack into him, but, being proactive, he shot both arms out to catch her. And instead of what would have most surely been a very painful collision, they slipped and slid until finally tumbling and falling over. In an effort to keep her from getting hurt, Branch pulled Poppy against him so that he ended up lying on his back and she halfway on her side and halfway on his chest.

The two both groaned, Poppy the first to react. She gasped and leaned down. "Gah, Branch I'm so sorry! I just got scared that I was going to run into you and hurt you!" Her ears dropped in remorse. "Looks like I hurt you anyway. I'm sorry, are you okay?"

Chuckling, he looked up at her. "I'm fine. Relax, I'm not made of glass."

"Are you sure? Like, totally sure?"

"Totally," he answered in a jokingly flat tone. "My hip broke the fall. All good, promise. And I've got my trusty salve if bruises pop up later. But I'm fine."

She didn't look completely convinced but her words did calm him back down. "Well, that was a total crash and burn." She grinned down at him sheepishly.

That had him laughing again, the sound fading as everything was brought into focus a little more. There he lay, on the freezing cold ice, the beautiful pink troll leaning over him in worried concern, one delicate hand resting on his collarbone, her soft breath intermingling with his.

Kiss her, damn it. Kiss her! You're an idiot if you don't kiss her right now! his mind bellowed.

"There they are! Hey Poppy! Branch!"

The two looked up to see their friends descending the hill and heading straight for the lake.

Well, that was the end of that moment. Probably for the best, all this laying on the ice was hypothermia waiting to happen.

Idiot idiot IDIOT!

Branch quieted his mind's own cruel rant long enough to get back to his feet and then help Poppy up.

She skated over to the bank, throwing out a little wave. "Hey guys!"

Guy Diamond led the group, his normally bare body covered in warm pieces of clothing, including a puffy red coat, plaid scarf, gloves and boots. The twins, DJ, Smidge, Biggie, and Fuzzbert followed. And trailing behind, as he had gotten distracted by listening to two birds serenade each other on a snow-covered tree limb, strolled Cooper.

"We wanted to see how the routine was coming along," said Smidge, smirking at the two. "But that didn't exactly look like skating to me."

"We were skating," Branch quickly assured. "We just…we fell."

Smidge's smirk only grew as she narrowed her eyes. "Mhm."

Poppy smiled and rolled her eyes, taking off her skates and approaching her glitter troll friend. "Guy, you're looking super warm and cozy today! I love your coat, red's such a good color on you!"

"Thanks," he answered in an almost falter, displaying a close-lipped smile that lacked his usual exuberance as he looked down at himself. "It…feels weird. Having to wear clothes. But it's better than freezing to death I suppose."

"Don't worry," Poppy answered with a sweet smile of understanding. "Soon the snow will melt and the warm weather will come back and then you can go back to baring all!"

"I sort of like the winter weather, actually," Biggie offered. "True it might be cold outside, but there's so much to do in the snow that you can't do the rest of the year. Like building snowtrolls or going sledding!"

"Yea!" DJ jumped in. "And when it snows I love to take my board out and hit the hills!"

"Or have a snowball fight of truly epic proportions!" Smidge shouted, pumping her tiny fists in the air.

Fuzzbert nodded to show that he concurred.

Chenille smirked, a hand resting on a slender popped hip. "And the colder weather gives us the opportunity to try out new fashion for other trolls to flaunt. We've come up with some pretty stylish creations this year."

Satin nodded fervently at her sister's side. "My favorite is the new custom scarf line! Made with real puffalo wool, so they're really soft, and each one is embroidered with an applique of your choice!"

Biggie put a finger to his lip with the free hand that wasn't holding Mr. Dinkles protectively. "It doesn't hurt them when you take their wool, does it?"

"Oh no! Not at all," Chenille assured. "We get it from the local puffalo herder. He collects the wool by shearing it; he told us they actually enjoy it. And they always leave plenty of wool for each one to stay warm."

Cooper leaned down and rubbed his cheek against the wool. "Ooooh, they are really soft! I want one!"

Satin giggled and reached into her hair. "I don't have a custom one for you yet, but I do have one made here that you can try for now." She took Cooper's excited gasp as approval of the idea and proceeded to wrap the fuchsia scarf around his long neck.

He stamped his feet in delight. "Yaaay! Fuzzy neck noodles! Mmmm, I feel all nice and toasty like a marshmallow! Thanks Satin!" He craned his neck and struck a pose to show off the garment, poking his lips out in a dramatic pout.

A chorus of laughter rang throughout the group of friends.

Smidge stepped forward. "Sooo, how is the skating going?" she asked, eyebrows wiggling knowingly, glance sweeping over to settle on a very unassuming Branch.

"It's going great!" Poppy answered. "Branch was kind enough to take me through an entire crash course! We started with the basics and went from there. I had no idea there was so much involved in learning how to skate. I mean, you know, the way my mom used to."

"Branch, I didn't know you could skate!" said Guy.

"Oh...yea, it's not that big of a deal." He shrugged.

"You don't have to be modest," said Chenille. "Sounds pretty cool if you ask me. Not that you'll ever catch me out there."

"Aww come on Sis," her twin attempted, eyes already sparkling as she looked out at the ice, standing up on the tiptoes of her glittery coral-colored snow boots. "It looks really fun!"

"You don't even know how though," Chenille laughed. "Besides, we'd need skates, like theirs."

"Oh…that's true." Satin hummed thoughtfully. "I wonder how hard they are to make…"

"Not very," said Branch, eyes popping wide as he rushed forward and caught Poppy before that precious balance of hers was lost again. An appreciative giddy little giggle fell off her lips as she gazed up at him, and Branch's heartbeat took off again, thumping to an unsteady metronome all its own. He could feel himself grinning back at her, not looking at Satin as he gave her the rest of the answer he still owed. "Just some iron and heat and some properly sized moldings. And all the other footwear necessities."

The twins exchanged glances but said nothing more.

"Well, don't just stand there," sad Guy. "Show us how it's done, Master Skater."

"I'm really not that—"

"Show us! Show us, show us, show us!" Smidge chanted, and the others were boarding the chant train as if purely by reflex, chanting loudly right along with her.

He looked to the excitable bunch and then to Poppy, who shrugged with that ever present bubbly little smile of hers.

"Don't feel pressured," she told him. "You don't have to, but you are a really impressive skater. So if it's lack of confidence holding you back, please don't let it."

He then turned back to the group and held his hands up. "Alright alright, guess I can show you a few things."

The others watched in rapt interest as Branch started a graceful trek around the frozen lake. Even Poppy planted herself on the sidelines for a better view.

He'd skate forward a few paces, and then kick one of his feet up and perform a spin in midair, landing cleanly on his other foot before circling back around and executing another jump.

After another maneuver in mid-air, he skated backwards in continuous loops, eventually circling around to stop in front of the gathered trolls. "All there is to it," he stated plainly.

He was met with a clamor of amazed voices, cheering and applause.

"Man that was killer!" exclaimed DJ.

"You make it look so easy!" Biggie remarked in a stunned tone.

"Those were some wild moves you pulled off in your funny-lookin' shoes, Branch!" noted Cooper. "Respect!"

"They're skates, actually, but thank you."

"Okay okay hold on," said Guy. "So, if I find a pair of shoes like yours—"

"Skates," Branch corrected again.

"Right, skates, got it. If I can get my hands on a pair, could you teach me how to do that?"

"I could teach you if you like," another voice offered.

They all looked up to see Aspen Heitz jogging down the hillside. By the time he'd stopped, he was out of breath. He placed both hands on his knees, giving himself a few moments to catch said breath. "I…" he panted. "I overheard a few trolls saying you all were going to the lake to meet up with Branch and Poppy." He panted again. "To see them skate. And I wanted in!" He held a finger up, to let them know he needed another moment. Then he stood back up straight. "But I outgrew my old pair of skates years ago…Branch, do you think you could let me borrow yours? I didn't know anyone still even had skates. Seeing you out there gave me the itch to do it again, and it's positively unbearable. Please? Just for a lap or two."

Poppy's ears perked in interest, eyes wide. "Wai-wai-wai-wait. You skate too, Aspen?"

"Oh I used to all the time! I might've been just a little pipsqueak, but I could tear up the ice like no one's business!" His gaze drifted from Poppy back to Branch then, eyes filled with hope. "Please?" he asked once more.

Branch only shrugged. "I don't see why not. I can't promise they'll fit, but you can try. Just be careful with them. They belonged to my dad."

Aspen nodded vigorously, practically bouncing up and down as the blue troll handed over his prized possessions. "Thank you!" Aspen cried as he laced up one skate, then the other. "I didn't even know anyone still skated! This is just so crazy!" They fit a little loosely, but they'd do the trick!

The gathered group watched as Aspen took to the ice like a fish to water. He leapt and whirled at astonishing speed. Granted, his movements were somewhat rigid and forceful, but that didn't detract from how much of a natural he was at the sport.

Of course, athleticism had always been an undeniable strength and passion of his.

A flip here, an axel there, and then a double toe loop, one right after the other. He ended with a rather dangerous-looking spin involving several revolutions in the air. When he touched down, he threw both his hands up victoriously. The ice had definitely took a beating, as he'd given the top layer a thorough shave with all his daredevil stunts.

His friends cheered, the group crowding around Aspen when he made it back onto the snowy bank.

"Whoa Aspen! You brought that icy house down!"

"That was truly incredible!"

"Meep!"

"How do you do all of that?! I can't even stand on ice without my boots on, it's so slippery!"

"I had no idea we had so much talent in the village! First Branch, now you, Aspen." Poppy shook her head in delighted disbelief. "You guys are just full of surprises!"

Were he to say the wasp of jealousy hadn't stung him right then and there, Branch would be the biggest liar in Troll Village. It was immature and childish, and he knew that, so he hid the ache for everything he was worth. But ache it did, and deeply. To have the one thing he thought may make him stand out in, for once, a good way, and see someone else outshine him so quickly.

After wiping sweat from his brow with his forearm, he unfastened Branch's skates and walked over to him. "Branch, thank you so much. I forgot what it felt like, to fly on the ice. I…feel like myself again!" He laughed aloud, shimmering eyes displaying undeniable gratitude.

"Uh…yea, no problem," Branch answered, gingerly taking the skates. Seconds later, he was already at work brushing the bits of ice off them and discreetly looking them over for damage.

Then Branch suddenly hatched an idea that was one part thoughtful and generous and one part clandestinely selfish. "You know, it wouldn't be that hard to make you a new pair, Aspen."

"Oh Branch that would be amazing if you could!" The orange troll shrugged and shook his head back and forth. "I've never worked with iron a day in my life, I wouldn't even know where to begin."

"You don't need iron, per se, you just need some sort of stone or material strong enough to cover your feet while you skate."

"Mine are made of a rare kind of crystal my dad found in a cave somewhere beyond the forest," Poppy explained.

"Yours are so beautiful, Poppy!" Chenille gushed. "I'd love to get my hands on gems like that, we could make pretty skates like that for other trolls."

Satin gasped, looking at her sister. "We could even make skates for—"

"—the whole village!" the siblings finished concurrently.

"Eeee, come on Sis!" Chenille cheered. "It's time to brainstorm some designs! To the studio!" She hip bumped Satin, and both waved to their friends. Then they raced back up the hill and out of sight.

"Poppy, you don't know how stoked this makes me," Aspen said, still practically bouncing from his previous adrenaline burst. "To think skating might actually make a comeback! This just makes winter that much more exciting! Now I can tear up the ice, and the dance floor!"

Poppy adjusted her boots and smoothed her bangs back into place. "Guess that means we'll be seeing you at the big Winter Welcoming party."

"Wouldn't miss it for all the skitterboards in the world! All I need is a dance partner." He strolled right over to her and dipped her with a suave grin. "You wouldn't happen to have anyone in mind, would you?"

"Oh I just might," she sang, the two sharing a laugh. The kind trolls in on a secret might share.

Branch quietly watched them interact and could feel a knot forming deep in his stomach. He didn't know whether to be hurt or angry or neither. Of course someone else would be after the chance to take Poppy for a whirl around the dance floor. She was the queen for crying out loud.

"Branch are you going?" DJ asked.

"To the party?" He shrugged. "I haven't really decided yet."

"You should definitely check it out. I've got lots of new tracks I'll be debuting for it! I'll be giving a little demo after the concert tomorrow night."

"Speaking of the concert, it's almost time for rehearsal," Biggie spoke up. "We should probably be heading back to get ready, I always like to get a full vocal warm-up in beforehand."

"I gotta go help set up the instruments," Smidge added.

Poppy turned to Branch. "I promised Biggie and Smidge that I would watch their rehearsal tonight and give them feedback on it. It's the first one they're having with the band. But, could we meet up, say tomorrow, after lunch?"

"Yea, that sounds great."

"Awesome! And you're welcome to tag along tonight, if you'd like."

"Nah, I wanna preserve the magic when I see it the night of. Besides I got a few chores I need to see to tonight." He offered them a small smile. "But uh, have fun. Hope rehearsal goes smoothly."

They thanked him and left the lake the way they'd come, Poppy falling into step with her friends, chattering happily all the way.

Soon, everyone was gone and he was all alone again.

To keep himself from dwelling on his newfound troubles, Branch threw himself right into those chores. And the first one on the list was to gather firewood.

He worked until nightfall, both inside the bunker and out, busying his worried mind with restocking, rearranging, and cleaning.

Ordinarily, he'd be ready for bed about this time. But tonight, his pesky mind didn't crave sleep nearly as much as it craved answers. He tried reading, drinking tea, and showering. Nothing worked. He was completely wired.

He sat up in bed with a scowl, staring at his skates across the room, where they lay by the door.

…what would it hurt? It was worth a try.

Eventually, he answered his own soul's siren song and found himself right back out on the lake. It was time to stop avoiding his thoughts and address them. And while he skated around the lake, alone, in the dark of night, that's exactly what he did.

What am I supposed to do? he asked himself. If I go to the party, I have to take part in formal partner dancing. And mingling, and I'm not all that good at either. But if I don't go, then I risk the possibility of Poppy ending up dancing the night away in someone else's arms…

He wasn't sure he was willing to risk that.

But then, what if made his feelings known, and she brushed him off? Then he would've taken a giant leap of faith only to fall down into the chasm of devastation. Was unearthing the truth worth the hurt that could be waiting on the other side?

Who was he, to consider himself even worthy of having her hand? After the way he'd treated her during their first adventure to rescue their friends. Memories had him cringing as he remember the scathing tone he used to constantly rain on her parade.

Maybe she was better off without him.

Then again…when all was said and done, it was he and he alone who had helped restore her color and the color of every single troll that had been captured and thrown into a giant cooking pot. Was such a deed enough to redeem him, to make him worthy of having Poppy's heart?

Over and over and over, he reviewed this dilemma in his mind, all the while skating lap after lap around the lake.

Eventually he started getting tired and began losing traction. After the third near slip and fall, he growled loudly in frustration.

"What do I do?" he muttered helplessly to the sky.

"First of all, if you're trying to get the moon to answer you, it's not going to happen. That's not how he communicates."

Upon hearing the all too familiar voice, Branch spun around. Sure enough, there on the lake, stood Cloud Guy. He was wearing his own set of skates that seemed to be made of an intricate blend of cloud and ice.

Cloud Guy wiggled his fingers. "He signs."

Branch blinked in annoyed disbelief.

"Cloud Guy? How did you—how are you even here right now? Clouds don't come out at night…" His brow furrowed like a startled caterpillar. "…do they?"

"Ever heard of noctilucence, my aqua amigo?" Without waiting for an answer, Cloud Guy skated by and whirled around in swift, fluid circles. "Granted, noctilucent clouds aren't so much actual clouds as they are large clusters of ice crystals, but it's the same principle."

"How…how is it the same at all?"

"Because ice, water, and vapor? All three in the same, just differing forms." Cloud Guy lifted one leg and propelled himself forward, spinning on the front edge of his blade. "It's kind of like love. You can love your best friend, or someone you want to be with romantically. Different states with different guidelines, but at the core, still love."

Branch scowled. "That's a weird comparison to settle on."

"Is it now? I think it's pretty fitting, considering your 'situation'."

The scowl on his face darkened. "What are you talking about? I'm just skating."

"I'm talking about how you're battling against your feelings for Poppy. You can deny it if you want to, but your walls aren't as reinforced as they once were. I'm guessing you've got her to thank for that, eh?"

He glared back as Cloud Guy kicked one of his feet up and executed a flawless triple lutz.

"I'm just helping her skate," Branch insisted. "That's it. This is important to her and she came to me for help, so I'm helping her because I'm…I'm…"

"Her friend? Who really wants to dive further, see how deep this water really runs?"

"NO!" Branch nearly snarled, teeth gritted.

Cloud Guy simply smiled, hands clasped as performed an upright spin, following it with a graceful arabesque. "Stress not, my conflicted compadre. You don't have to plead your case to me. Actions speak so much louder than words. I've already seen the truth play out before my very eyes."

In silent frustration, Branch could only watch as Cloud Guy took off across the ice, pulling off an impressive series of jumps and spins before looping back around. "Why do you fight it so hard? It's obvious she's taken with you and you with her. What's the problem?"

"The problem is…" Branch sighed. "Is that we're as impossibly different as we can be. Poppy, she's…she's so warm and sweet and bright. Ready to take on anything the world dishes out, and she does it with the most blindingly beautiful smile. She's sunny and cheerful and has more heart inside her than she knows what to do with. And I'm…not. And I don't." His pointed ears dropped, eyes cast down to the snowy ground. "I'm…withdrawn and slow to trust and like spending time by myself in the quiet. She likes to party, I like to read. I like to have a plan for things, she wants to skip right by the planning and just go for it. We each look at the world through a completely different set of eyes. And as much as I care about her…" His eyes slipped closed, a tormented frown pulling at his jaw. "I think she deserves to be with someone who sees the world the same way she does."

"Ah but two different viewpoints coming together means getting to show the other what they might be missing out on. Opposites aren't a bad thing, Branch. Our world is run by opposing forces, they keep each other in check. The land is there to show the ocean how far to come. Flowers need sun and rain to stay alive but too much or not enough of either and they would die. Opposites help to achieve a sense of harmony. And harmony isn't about staying one way all the time; it's about finding balance and appreciating the push and pull that comes with the role you choose to play in it all."

Branch stood there, dumbfounded, wondering if he'd just dreamt up this bizarre yet profound encounter. But the chilling wind tousling his hair and stinging his nose told him otherwise.

"What?" asked a very unassuming cloud on skates.

"Nothing…I just…that's pretty insightful…"

Cloud Guy shrugged, legs twirling almost boredly as he flipped in the air and landed on one blade. "Not really. I just pay attention. But in a different way than you do. And if you would stop paying attention to the wrong things and focus on the right ones, it could help open up those troubled eyes of yours, Mr. High Five Denied. But, then again, what do I know? I am, after all, just a cloud." Reaching the lake's edge, he removed his literal ice skates, tying them together and setting them across his shoulders as he retrieved his socks from where he'd draped them over a rock. He casually put one sock on, then the other, turning to face Branch with one of his trademark relaxed smirks. "Well, I hope you figure everything out. Just keep in mind, a tango for two may be the way to sweep a lady off her feet, but if you don't follow the music, someone else may ask her to dance first. And you may not be promised a second song."

Without waiting for a response from the dumbfounded troll, he padded down the trail, disappearing around the base of a large snowy hill in the distance.

And like a vapor in the wind, he was gone.