Chapter Seven: To the Moon Island!

"I'm so excited!" Poppy said for the third time because in the previous two her boyfriend didn't reply. She felt her feet bumping with a burst of energy that made her bend her knees several times like a stationary run. Branch somehow remained quiet, with his nose buried in the map in front of him and pretending she wasn't making all that noise, in the middle of the forest, with several potentially hazardous critters watching them as they passed by. "Why are you not talking to me?"

"Because!" He replied, feeling a lot like their first adventure together to save their friends. He was annoyed. He was angry that she had proved her point, that the part of the scrapbook about her mother was made up by her father. At least the part about his dad was true, but, still… he felt frustrated that a lot was left out. They ended up leaving without telling her father about their plans to visit the Moon Island and the regret made him even bitter.

They just couldn't trust their King!

"I thought you were happy we were going on another adventure together…" Poppy said quietly, watching the way his backpack slightly bounced as he walked, still with the map opened in front of him. She mindlessly pulled the straps of her own bag when, again, he didn't respond. "I think you would have been a great King."

That got a reaction. She heard the map ripping, but it was clear that the surprise was brief enough not to completely tear it apart. His head bent down and his shoulders raised and fell as if he needed to refresh his lungs to prepare to face her. He had tried not to think about that part of the scrapbook.

"You're so smart, so loyal…" She continued. "I bet our village would be so well prepared, with all defenses, that Barb couldn't have invaded in the first place." Branch turned around to fix his eyes on her and the reverie that had consumed her speech died on her lips. He looked sad and angry at the same time, because he knew that even if in that hypothetical scenario, it would mean never getting to know her. He couldn't bear that thought.

"You shouldn't joke about it." His voice was just above a whisper and Poppy felt completely lost at how she should conduct the conversation. Lucky for her, his next comment helped a lot. "I can't think of a different life. You are an amazing queen. You were born to do it."

"No, I was raised to do it." The lightness was back and she waited until he folded the map and placed it in his pocket.

"What do you mean?"

"You know," She shrugged, clasping her hands behind her back and walking around him with that adorable attitude that completely dismissed the seriousness of the subject. "When I was a child I just wanted to play tag… I couldn't understand why if I hid behind a leaf everyone else would go there and hide, too. Then, as I grew a little and everything I did either was praised or scorned, I understood I was a public matter."

"I didn't know that." He frowned, watching her carefree smile. The heaviness lingering in the air was just felt on his part. She seemed light as the wind.

"Nah, nobody does. It got easier with time, controlling, restraining… thinking about how it will look in others' eyes if I did something I wasn't supposed to… Now it's natural and I love it. Really."

He did remember when he was in her skin once, - in an absurd event involving a magical gemstone that caused him and Poppy to switch bodies - he felt completely crushed by attention. Everybody came to her from everywhere, they begged for a glimpse, for a hug, for the small fraction of her time. Did she even have privacy? At all? And finally, going back to the subject that started that small random conversation, he imagined if he had ever been king, he would be the most miserable one.

They exchanged a smile, both coming to an agreement that the journey was going to be pleasant, as he had previously thought it was going to be. Still, there was still one thing he had to ask before he completely cleared the air.

"Poppy, seriously, aren't you worried that your dad is lying?"

"He's not lying, he's suppressing the part that I don't really have a mom, so I won't be broken hearted. It's kind of cute how much he worries about me."

"You can't be that naive…"

And there it was again. That smile and her most deadly weapon: a hug. She stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him warmly and softly. In her mind, she answered him because she didn't dare to voice what was really going on, 'I may be naive… or maybe I have a bad feeling about this.'

"Can we go now?" She offered him her hand and he gladly took it.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

"You can't go now. You'll miss the ending!" Creek said in her ear as Poppy stood up from her chair; a few eyes turned from the play to pay attention to her.

"It's Romeo and Juliet, everybody knows the ending." Poppy giggled quietly so she wouldn't disturb the audience. "I have something I must do." She gave him a hug and excused herself, walking up the steps out of the mushroom theater.

"Is it him, again?" Creek followed her and took her hands, making her stop. She had already picked a small wrapped gift from her hair and blushed when he saw it. "Will you ever accept that Branch is an outcast? He doesn't care about anybody else. He doesn't want to come out of the bunker."

Poppy gave him a humorless smile. She knew that, but she wasn't asking him to come out, she merely wanted to give him a birthday gift, a card and once again, to offer him her friendship. Everyone needed someone to talk to and he didn't have anyone…

Her lips silently moved, not having the right words to deny or to contest what her friend was telling her. They stood there for a while, under a cloudy sky and chilly wind. The theater's door opened and Gia walked outside with her arms hooked with Aspen's. Her radiant smile and her stunningly red dress made Poppy's vibe shift from shame to intense dislike. Creek immediately caught the atmosphere and let go of her hands.

"All right." He said, making Poppy's attention turn to himself. "If it pleases you to go after Branch then I won't stop you. Just keep in your mind that he doesn't like you."

"Thank you for understanding!" She hugged her friend, who returned the gesture and gave her a small pat on the back. Without another word, she happily made her way to the bunker.

She knocked on the trapdoor, but of course, he didn't answer her. Not even a 'go away' was shouted this time. Maybe he was expecting her yearly intrusion so he left… Oh well, it's not like she was expecting him to open the door and welcome her inside, right? He had never let anyone see how he lived.

Poppy arranged the card and the gift on the floor, one on top of the other, so the wind wouldn't send it flying away. Sighing, she sat down and waited for a while, hoping to see him.

"Why, thank you Poppy, you're a great friend." She tried to mimic his voice, foolishly. "Oh, you're welcome Branch. I've always wanted to be your friend!" She said back in her normal voice. "I've always wanted to be your friend, too!" "Yay!"

She ended up laughing at herself, lying down on the floor and holding her belly that started hurting from the fit of giggles. The wind blew her bang in her eyes and she brushed them away. The dark clouds passed in the dark sky. The last hug time tinkled and she sat up, waiting for the trapdoor to open just in time for her to forcefully hug him.

But, of course it didn't. Everything remained exactly the way it was: dark and silent. When hug time was over, she stood up and straightened her dress back in place. Another birthday when she didn't see him, but she'd never give up. Less enthusiastically, she turned around and returned to her pod.

Poppy didn't see that as soon as she was out of sight, the trapdoor opened and Branch stepped outside, taking the gift in his hands with a small smile. Once again, he looked at the bush she had disappeared to before opening it. His heart leaped in an unfamiliar and quick burst of joy. It was a book about traps and hazardous critters. He was completely taken aback by it. Once again, she had nailed the gift and, feeling positive, he opened the card… and he completely forgot to shield himself from the glitter explosion.

"Oh, Gia, thank goodness I found you!" Creek caught up with the glitter troll before she made it to the childcare pod that morning.

"Good morning." She smiled in her sweet and caring way, which was rare those days when the babies started teething all at the same time. "Can I help you?"

"Yes, baby Violet is missing! Her mother is worried sick."

"Oh my goodness… poor Violet." The rose glitter troll looked frightened at the thought of a lost baby. Perfect.

"I was told she comes out when she hears you, could you help us find her?"

"Of course!" Gia turned her back to the childcare pod, knowing that the other girls would be fine on their own with dozens of babies. "Where was she last seen?"

"That's the problem. We figure she might have fallen into one of the bunker's entrances."

Creek didn't think himself as a bad guy at all, but he knew he had the power to correct things that weren't going as they were supposed to. King Peppy himself had trusted him with the task of disciplining the princess's interests. He saw himself as a tutor, a guru and he also hoped to be looked as more than a friend one day.

And that could be the first step he needed to take in that direction.

It was Taco Tuesday and, as she did weekly, Poppy would be walking down to the bunker with an invitation not long after breakfast. So Creek waited for the right time to act. He led Gia to the bunker and, with her different kind of knock, Branch peeked outside and saw the stressed girl begging for him to let her in.

"You can come inside, but I assure you if a baby had fallen in here I would have seen it." Branch said as she gingerly went inside, surprised to see the display of civility coming from the grumpy troll. Of course, Creek waited in the nearest bush to see how things would play out.

An excited whistle came from a bush from behind the rock next to the trapdoor. Poppy came out with her usual happy attitude and placed the invitation on the ground, like she strategically would so Branch wouldn't miss it when opening the door. Only, this time, as she bent down, the trap door opened and her smile seemed to widen itself in slow motion. Her heart leaped in anticipation but it came to a halt the moment later. The light bubblegum pink hair that came out of the bunker was immediately recognized and Poppy felt her knees hitting the floor.

"I told you so…" Branch came right behind Gia with a softer voice than the princess was used to hearing. The world seemed to spin around her.

"Hey, Poppy, didn't see you there." Gia offered her a hand and she took it - why did she take it? - and stood up on wobbly legs. "See you around."

And the next moments seemed to pass in a blur. Branch saw her growing paler and breaking down in cold sweat. He actually stepped out of the bunker to check if she had a sudden drop of blood pressure, but she took a step back, raising her arms as if preventing him from having any kind of contact with her.

"I'm great." She took another step when she couldn't recognize her own voice. It was raspy and shocked and squeaky at the same time. He saw the invitation on the floor and reached for it. The confused princess took that moment to flee, not knowing how tears came down so quickly or why she had a frozen smile on her face, like it was the best mask she could wear to prevent herself from falling apart completely.

"I see you had a lady in your bunker, Branch." Creek couldn't resist the teasing. They had a long history of bickering since school. The guru was proud to know he had played his part in the grumpy troll's dropout. He saved his classmates from the nuisance of bad vibes.

"I don't owe you an explanation." Branch frowned in his usual way, then pushed down the lever, taking the invitation with him down to his secure and solitary lair.

The guru wasted no time in finding the princess. He knew she was in her pod, scrapbooking, sniffing, feeling rejected and holding all the confusion inside like a bubble that was ready to burst any minute. He really admired the job he had done then. She looked completely peaceful when he entered the door. She was scrapbooking, like the good stress-reliever it was, but it was obvious she was concentrating on the bright side and turning off the bad feelings.

"Hello." He pretended he didn't know what was going on. "I came to check on you."

"I'm fine." She replied with a frozen smile. The only sign that she wasn't as great as she claimed was the slight tremble in her hands while she used the scissors to cut down a character. "Actually, more than fine." He saw the shaking getting worse, "I've just realized that… I may not be able to help everyone around the village."

"Oh, I thought that was your goal." He indulged her to keep talking and sat down next to her, quietly watching.

"Well, yes, it is." She continued with her eyes completely refusing to make contact with him. "I really think everyone deserves a chance to be happy."

'This is why I'll keep inviting Branch to every event around the village.' she added mentally. "...and sometimes they just need someone to help them see the happiness inside." It wasn't the answer Creek wanted, "Even if that someone isn't me."

There, he did it. Poppy was completely letting go. Now he could concentrate in helping her with what really mattered: being a better version of herself… and…

"You've taken another step into enlightenment." He smiled and boop-ed her nose, making her give him a small smile and boop him back.

It was only a couple of years later that Creek would understand that he couldn't make someone fall in love. He was the bestest of friends, he was present all the time, he helped her, he looked after her, but all he could accomplish was to sparkle a tepid bubble of admiration, of friendship and loyalty. Perhaps the feeling was a bit more intense than the one she shared with her friends, but it couldn't scratch the undying love she felt for Branch - even if she didn't realize what it was.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Branch sat down and studied the marks in red and all the possible turns he could take that would guide them to a safer path. It was lunch time and he and Poppy had just eaten their first wrapped meal and were taking a few minutes to rest before resuming their walk.

It was a big problem that they didn't use critters back in the days they travelled. They had to be discreet because of the Bergens and the whole trip was made on foot. The King and his loyal general had marked the path to the Moon Island by carving arrows in trees and so, if they wanted to make sure they didn't go the wrong way, they had to make the journey on foot as well. The trip was going to take longer than it was necessary.

He turned his eyes to his girlfriend. She was laying on the grass with her ankles crossed and her hands behind her head, enjoying the sun and the feeling of the grass against her skin. She looked so incredibly peaceful that he felt an uncontrollable urge to join her.

There were days he couldn't believe he was dating her. Her pink skin was so flawless and he felt like touching it all the time. He laid on his side, watching her while she breathed softly with her eyes closed. He couldn't tell if she was awake or sleeping. But he didn't care for a moment; he lifted his hand and traced the long line from her shoulders to her hand, going up with a light touch of the tip of his finger and resumed his exploration from her forehead, down to her nose, to her cheeks and stopping at her lips, watching closely as they beautifully stretched under his finger, opening a bright and lazy smile.

"If you're trying to tickle me, that's not how it's done." She opened her eyes and turned to her side so she was facing him.

"I'm memorizing you." Branch said and her smile faltered a little. He kissed her hand before explaining himself. "It's just that sometimes I think this is all a dream."

"You are a smooth talker." She giggled and he smiled in return. She pushed herself off the ground and sat up, looking around to the big and tall trees that sheltered them.

They were planning to stay on the road for a week. Three days to get to the Moon Island, two days to explore the place and two days to get back home. She was worried about the amount of time she'd be away from the village, especially with the new arrangements between the tribes with the exchange students.

The events of Barb's world tour were still too recent for her to leave, but it was important to Branch. She had wanted him to count on her for such a long time that there was no way she was going to refuse to help him with this.

"Hey." He sat next to her and this time he looked serious. "You should have told me."

"About what?" She shook her head in confusion. She should have told him so many things and at the same time she felt like keeping them all in secret because they weren't relevant anymore.

"About the pill." They matched each other in redness. Their cheeks colored at the same time and their eyes avoided each other for a moment.

"I was planning to. I'm sorry I didn't." What else could she say that wouldn't make her die of embarrassment?

"I didn't know you were… considering it…" This was an awkward conversation and somehow it wasn't supposed to be.

"Branch, look…" She took his hands, "... I'm just playing safe. I don't want to rush things."

"Right…" His answer was quiet, followed by a few mental nods and a long search in her eyes for reassurance of her words. "We better go."

Poppy felt like she had explained it the wrong way, but there wasn't a more honest truth. She had to follow what was expected: as soon as the Queen starts a relationship, there must be precautions; it was written on chapter two, item twenty eight of her Medical Protocol. She couldn't show up with an egg - as her father put it - without being married.

Her things were neatly arranged inside her backpack and she refilled her canteen from the small river they were following. It was so magnificently refreshing knowing it was coming down straight from the mountains.

"Give me your canteen so I can refill it." She called, but her boyfriend remained silent, looking at a tall tree right in front of him. "Branch?" Poppy called again, walking closer so she would lightly touch his arm to reassure him that everything was fine.

His eyes were fixed on the bark with his hand feeling its texture. Poppy was about to ask if he was feeling okay, when she noticed a small mark next to his fingers. It was a carved arrow with the letter P next to it. The letter had no similarities at all to her father's handwriting so she could only assume…

"Pine…"

"My dad was here…"

It occurred to him, when he was grabbing his tools and safety gizmos to put in his bag that he was going to come across things about his father, and he would see and stand in places the old man had seen and stood. He felt incredibly close to his origin, like he wasn't adrift in the open sea, like he could actually find a port and anchor.

And now that he was actually facing something that had been written many years ago, it felt real. He felt Poppy's hand on his shoulder. It felt warm, familiar… and the way she was smiling at him, he saw nothing but a supportive and understanding girlfriend who was now on a journey against her better judgement just to give him love.

He was crossing a bridge between past and future. She was there with him.

An overwhelming joy flew past him when her strawberry scent was breathed in. She had the power to make him mindless since they were younger. He was so grateful that she was there - that she had always been there - right by his side that he had to show her just how much it meant to him.

With a quick movement, he leaned forward and crushed his lips on hers in a fiery kiss. She was surprised at first, but he felt her eyes closing by the way her eyelashes brushed his skin. He felt her exhaling through her nose and held her cheeks in a gentle caress.

As he explored the softness and the taste of her lips, he was aware that she tensed up, feeling her arms go stiff as if she didn't know what to do with them. He continued to slide his mouth over hers, wanting to deepen the kiss like the books described it, but he clearly had to stop because she wasn't comfortable.

"Let's go." He gave her one final quick kiss before standing back and marching in front of her. "I think we can make it to the river before it gets dark."

If he was disappointed that she didn't return the kiss, he didn't show it. He was too much of a gentletroll to press the subject, but she knew eventually she had to battle the ghost of her past experiences so she could open the way to have new ones. She had to remind herself that she was too young then, that she didn't want to kiss Creek in the first place, she barely knew him and she was pressured by her friends.

With Branch it would be different… She was there by choice. She loved him dearly and she had fantasized about kissing him like in the fairy tales so many times that there was no way it would be disappointing.

With a quiet giggle, she ran after him, grabbing his hand and intertwining their fingers in a loving display of trust. He looked down at her with a funny look, but she didn't have to answer; all she had to do was to hold his arm against her so they could walk together as close as possible.

Notes:

Let's unleash the smooches! Thank you everyone for reading and commenting. It has been a crazy week and I'm grateful for all the love 3