A/N: Okay, diving into another fandom, here's my first Trolls fanfiction! Collab with Shadgirl2. The original idea was hers, I just helped write it up. Future chapters won't be as long. I just had to get the whole prologue out of the way at once.
This story's an AU of the original Trolls movie, loosely inspired by a scene in Black Raider's story "Savin Me: A Holiday Quest." The central question here was basically "How far would King Peppy go to protect his daughter from someone he thinks tried to hurt her?" This story is the result! (Also we started writing this before TWT was released, but editing and the like meant it wasn't ready until now.)
Anyway, enjoy! We don't own Trolls. The song in this chapter is "Tik Tok" by Kesha.
It was just another day in Troll Village. The sun was shining, the birds were singing, and, of course, the trolls were having fun. Just the week before, they had celebrated 10 years of freedom from the bergens. Just a month ago, they had celebrated another special occasion—Princess Poppy's 11th birthday.
At 11, young trolls started turning into real party animals. Sure, all trolls loved to party, but the young ones often fell asleep sooner than the adults. Generally, the children took a nap halfway through the day and went to bed around 7 at night, regardless of how long the local parties went on. As they grew older, they were allowed to stay up later, and Poppy had been looking forward to the days when she could stay up all night partying. So much so that, after her 11th birthday, she started throwing her own parties...on a daily basis.
This day was no exception. The pink princess skipped happily through Troll Village, singing a happy song and carrying a basket filled with invitations for her closest friends. Being only 11, she wasn't allowed to throw huge, village-wide parties yet, but that didn't stop her from inviting her 10 friends out for the fun. It also didn't stop her from being happy that her "party curfew" (the time she had to be in bed on a party night) had gone up to midnight.
"Don't stop, make it pop. DJ blow my speakers up," the peppy young princess sang. "Tonight Imma fight 'til we see the sunlight!"
As she skipped up to Cooper's pod and knocked, she paused her singing. "Cooper!? You in!? Come on! Open up! It's me! Poppy!" she called rapidly.
Cooper poked his head out of the pod, smiling. "Poppy! Hey, dudette! What's up?"
She threw her arms up over her head and answered, "I'm having a party tonight to celebrate the new moon! Wanna come!?"
Each day this month, she had chosen something else she deemed worthy of celebrating. This was her latest excuse for a party.
"Do I!?" Cooper answered, excited at the idea of another party. "You know it!"
"Great! Here's your invitation!" Poppy handed him a small, blue, square card with a pink outline and silver glitter for stars. The words "You're invited!" were written inside in large pink letters when Cooper opened it up. "Can't wait to see you there, Coop! My dad's even gonna let us stay up an hour later than normal! You know. Since it's a new moon party and all." She grinned, her hands behind her back, as she rocked a bit.
"Really!? Awesome! Thanks, Poppy! I can't wait for your party! You always throw the best ones!"
Poppy blushed a bit at the compliment. "Aw... Thank you." She blinked, suddenly realizing that it was getting late and she had other places to be. "Oh! Look at the time! I gotta run, Cooper! I've still got more invitations to hand out!"
"Okay, Poppy! See you at the party!" he said, waving goodbye.
Poppy turned to leave, waving back with a bright smile. "Great! See ya th—"
Her Hug Time watch went off right then, cutting her off. She looked at it for a moment before turning back around to Cooper, arms open wide for a hug. "Hug Time!"
Cooper happily hugged her, and the two snuggled, enjoying the hug for a couple of minutes. After that, Poppy pulled away—she'd been enjoying the hug so much that she'd completely forgotten she still had other friends to visit.
"Oh! Right! I'm not done delivering these!" she said, looking at the basket on her arm. "Bye, Cooper! See ya tonight!" With that, she started running off, waving goodbye once again.
Her repetition wasn't quite as bad as Cooper, though. He waved once again, calling, "Okay, Poppy! See you at the party!" in exactly the same tone he had said it before.
Poppy ran through the village, giggling happily. She couldn't help but think of all the fun she was bound to have with all of her friends tonight and how happy everyone was going to be—yes, everyone.
"Whoo-hoo! This is gonna be fantastic! A whole extra hour for singing and dancing! And all because there's no moon tonight! I wonder if we'll be able to see the stars behind it?"
As she ran to find each of her friends, she resumed her song where she had left off, "Tik Tok on the clock, but the party don't stop, no. Whoa-oh oh oh. Whoa-oh oh oh!" She was so excited she could hardly contain herself. "Whoo-hoo! It's party night tonight!"
While the princess was preparing for an amazing party, another troll was out in the forest, preparing for the inevitable doom that was coming. At 15, Branch was still technically a child (trolls didn't fully mature until 19), but he was more mature and responsible than any other troll in the village, if you asked him. He'd been living on his own in his bunker for the past few years, spending his time stocking up on rations and fortifying the defenses—not just his bunker's defenses but also the village's defenses. Nobody else in the village had enough sense to prepare for an emergency, so he had made it his personal goal to prevent anything terrible from happening to the other trolls...not that they heeded his warnings, but they'd all see someday.
This particular day found the gray troll gathering supplies for the upcoming new moon. Sure, some thought that the full moon was dangerous because of its tendency to turn creatures savage (not that Branch believed in weretrolls), but this troll knew better. The new moon was just as treacherous since it was the one time when the moon was completely gone, taking its light with it. While less visibility could work to one's advantage in hiding from a predator, that same advantage could turn into a disadvantage if the predator hid from you instead! Branch wanted to be prepared in case anything tried to make a sneak attack on Troll Village.
"Nobody's getting eaten tonight," he said to himself as he walked through the forest on the outskirts of the village. "Not on my watch."
He came upon a couple of well-hidden traps just outside the village. He'd spent the last few days setting up these ones just for this occasion, but he needed to make sure they were perfect.
"Hmm..." He put a finger to his chin, inspecting a trap that would drop a heavy rock on whatever stepped on the switch. "Better adjust the spring mechanism in this one. I don't want it going off on accident and hitting one of the trolls."
He knelt down and started adjusting the switch, knowing full well the disaster that could unfold if a troll happened to wander out of town and step on this spot. He then turned his attention to the other trap hidden nearby and complained, "And this one's not sensitive enough!" as he started adjusting it to his liking. "It wouldn't go off if a bergen stomped on it! I have to fix that."
After a couple more hours of preparation, including setting up dozens of unlit torches that he'd be lighting this evening to provide light for everyone's safety, Branch headed back to his bunker to keep watch. The traps would, no doubt, keep any predators from reaching Troll Village (like always), but one could never be too careful.
By this time, Poppy had just delivered her next to last invitation to Creek and was now looking at a very special invitation as she made her way across the village.
Most of her invitations were one-size-fits-all, so to speak. She crafted duplicates for everyone, knowing they'd come regardless. However, one of her friends was...a little stubborn, to put it lightly. He had never come to any of her parties, not even the ones her dad had thrown for her. That didn't stop Poppy from inviting him—she could get him to do other things, like go camping with her and the others or attend a painting class (even if he did act like he wanted to be anywhere but every time), so it was just a matter of time before she'd get him at a party.
Her invitations for him were always personalized in an attempt to show just how awesome the party was going to be and how badly she wanted him to come. This particular one was larger and yellow, shaped like a star. Inside was a little green troll, smiling and dancing. She used glitter in all colors of the rainbow to make the card shine brighter and added a couple of shooting stars into the picture inside. Above the troll's head, the words "New Moon Party" were written in pink with a blue outline. This entire scene popped up when the card was opened.
Poppy headed toward the forest a little uncertainly. The gray troll wasn't exactly known for being kind to her (or anyone, for that matter), and she didn't even have a clue where he lived. That wasn't going to stop her from trying, though!
"Uh... Let's see now... Branch wasn't in Troll Village today, so he's probably hiding out in the woods somewhere. Now if I could just figure out where."
She started walking through the forest, calling his name. If there was one thing she knew about this troll after 7 years, it was that he'd pop up eventually if she just made a lot of noise outside of the village.
The troll in question was peering out his periscope, training it on Troll Village as he waited anxiously for this night to be over. Sure, it was only 5 in the afternoon, but he wasn't letting down his guard anyway.
That was his intention. But loud, obnoxious distractions tend to get in the way of even the best laid plans.
"Branch!? Hey, Branch!? You out here somewhere, or am I just talking to myself!?" he heard Poppy—too well, considering how deep underground he was. She had to be screaming at the top of her lungs for him to hear her that well.
"Ugh, she's going to draw everything that eats trolls right to her!" Branch moaned, frustrated with his ridiculous princess. He headed for the elevator so he could go out and tell her to quiet down.
Poppy walked past a huge boulder, her hands cupped around her mouth as she called, "BRANCH!? COME ON! YOU DON'T NEED TO HIDE FROM ME! I'M ONLY TRYING T—"
On the other side of the boulder, Branch popped out of the unwelcome mat and covered his ears. He made his way around to the other side of the boulder, closing the door behind him, and cut her off, "Do you have to be so loud!?"
Poppy jumped, eyes wide with shock. "What!?" Turning, she saw Branch standing right behind her, hands over his ears and a scowl on his face (no surprise; scowling seemed to be Branch's default facial expression).
"What are you out here yelling for, anyway? You're going to draw the bergens right to my bunker!" he complained, lowering his hands.
Poppy waved a hand through the air dismissively, grinning. "Oh, please, Branch. There's no bergens out here!" she said in grammatically incorrect language that only a child such as herself would use. "Daddy made us safe, remember?"
"You don't know that, Poppy! I'm sure—"
Ignoring the fact that he was talking, Poppy got up in his face then, looking excited (and, in Branch's opinion, crazy). His eyes widened and he took a step back as she said, "Aaand speaking of! I'm having a party tonight, and you're invited, too!"
She quickly opened her final invitation in the gray troll's face, causing the felt Branch (green, as always) to pop up with the words "New Moon Party" over his head. The card, in typical Poppy fashion, sang out, "Celebrate the new moon and stars! Whoo-hoo!" Then, also typical for Poppy, it shot glitter into the invitee's face.
Branch stared at it for a moment, irritated. How many parties can one girl throw? Every day, she's celebrating something!
Where was she getting the time to make all these invitations for him? And why did she keep bothering with it? He'd shot her down every day this month. Couldn't she take a hint? Everyone else had given up on dragging him to social events a long time ago, but Poppy kept insisting on pestering him about it!
"Poppy, there's nothing party-worthy about the new moon. It's dangerous. You won't be able to see anything without the moon lighting up the sky!"
Poppy grinned brightly, giggling as she asked, "What are you talking about?" She threw her arms up in excitement, the invitation still in hand. "Of course, you can! Daddy said there's no clouds tonight!"
"Clouds aren't the problem, Poppy! This better be a slumber party because, otherwise, your friends are going to get lost on their way home."
Poppy's friends ranged in age from 11 to 14, and even the oldest weren't very responsible. Branch didn't want to think about those guys wandering around alone at night with all the danger in this forest.
Poppy stared at Branch lamely, seeming confused. "Uh, Branch? There's plenty of light in the village." She threw her arms up again, beaming and waving around some in her excitement as she added, "And besides! With the moon, gone, we'll be able to see all the stars in the sky!" She crouched down. "So it will be even..." suddenly she sprung up, arms and legs spread wide to form a star shape, "brighter than before!"
That's not how that works, Branch thought. How could she think the biggest light in the night sky being gone meant it would be brighter? Had she ever been awake during a new moon?
Poppy held her hands up in a pleading manner, clutching the now closed invitation in one, as she begged, "Won't you please come? We're gonna have singing," she started swaying from side to side, both hands on her cheeks and the invitation still somehow held in her hand, continuing her list with, "and dancing, and star gazing!" She threw her arms up again, beaming even brighter, if that were somehow possible. "And we even get to stay up an extra hour! It'll be just like a real party for a change! What do you say?" She held the invitation out, smiling.
Honestly, Branch couldn't care less about her bed time. He didn't have a family telling him what to do, and he'd long since ditched the trolls who were supposed to be filling that role. He was safer without them, and they were happier without him, after all, so it was a win-win situation. He certainly hadn't heard them complaining.
He looked at Poppy for a moment. Then, smiling faintly, he took the invitation...and threw it over his shoulder. "We've been over this every day for the past month! I'm not going to your party. I'm not going to the one you throw tomorrow, or the one after that, or the one after that, or the one after that! I don't sing, I don't dance, and I don't want you coming out here and bothering me all the time!"
Seriously, couldn't she take a hint?
Poppy deflated a bit. "Aw... But, Branch...you're missing out on all the fun being out here all alone all the time. Why can't you just—"
"You call it 'fun,' I call it 'trying to lure in the bergens so we can all be eaten," he cut her off, crossing his arms.
Poppy threw her hands up over her head again and protested, "But, Branch! All trolls love singing, dancing, and hugging! It makes everyone happy!" She leaned toward him with a smug grin, flicking a finger at him as she continued, "So you've just gotta come so you can have fun, too!" She threw her arms up once more, smiling, then put a hand on her hip as she gave him an amused grin. "There's no bergens out here anyway!"
"Not happening. And not all trolls love singing, dancing, and hugging. Congratulations. You've just found one who doesn't."
Poppy waved a hand dismissively, her grin a bit smug now. "Aw, Branch. I know you don't mean th—"
He didn't want to go over this again. This was a conversation they'd had on the regular since he had just turned 9 and the energetic 4-year-old girl got caught in one of his net traps. She'd been too distracted by the cupcake she was eating to notice it, so who knew how long she'd been hanging there, crying her eyes out, before he finally found her. When he let her out of the net, she didn't know how to get home, either, so Branch had been forced to walk her back to her pod. She'd been harassing him about how he needed to sing, dance, hug, party, scrapbook, and every other troll activity ever since. And he was tired of it.
"We're not having this discussion again, Poppy! Go home!"
She deflated, her arms falling to her sides. The disappointed frown on her face almost made Branch want to apologize. Almost.
"But—"
Branch turned and headed back for his bunker, ignoring her now.
Poppy didn't understand. Why was Branch like this? Couldn't he be nice just once? She knew he had it in him! She'd seen him be kind to other trolls before, even if he always tried to seem disinterested and uncaring while doing it!
She ran after him, holding out a hand. If he disappeared now, she wouldn't see him again for the rest of the day, and she knew it. "Branch, wait! Why do you always act like this!? You'd be a lot happier if you'd just—"
"I'm good, thanks, Poppy. Not all of us want to celebrate Cooper's new hat or Mr. Dinkles's first 'meep,'" Branch cut her off as he kept walking, naming two of her ridiculous parties she'd thrown this month.
"Aw...but Braaannch...!" she whined.
The last thing Branch needed was this girl knowing where he lived—she'd never leave him alone if she found his bunker. "Stop following me," he said, trying to sound threatening now (even though the worst he was likely to do was keep saying cruel things until she ran off in tears). "Go home. I'm not going to say it again."
Unbeknownst to either of them, Cooper came through the bushes, happily playing his harmonica as he strolled through the forest aimlessly. He wasn't really paying a lot of attention to where he was going, eyes closed, just being a kid. He was only 12, after all.
Poppy stopped and stared at Branch sadly. "But, Branch. I'm just trying to be nice."
He stopped and whirled around, glaring at her, as he yelled, "You want to be nice? Then do what I ask you to and LEAVE ME ALONE!"
Cooper blinked his eyes open as he stopped walking and playing his harmonica. "Huh!? What was that?" He moved a little closer and took in the scene before him finally—Poppy and Branch, standing by a large rock, with Branch glaring viciously at Poppy.
Poppy's eyes filled with fear at this verbal assault. "Branch..."
That's when disaster struck. Branch, being the paranoid survivalist he was, heard flapping wings heading for them and panicked. He did not want to become a meal for a hungry bird, so he quickly ducked back into his bunker, temporarily forgetting about the princess. His fear of birds was all-consuming at the moment, as it had been ever since an unfortunate experience with them a few months before he'd first met Poppy.
Poppy's eyes widened as she watched an unfamiliar brown mat that read "Go away" slide aside, allowing the blue-gray troll to pop into a hole beneath. She held a hand out, calling in surprise as it slid shut, "Hey, Branch!? So is that where you live!?"
He didn't answer. Whether he'd even heard her was a topic that could be debated. His fear of birds was such that his mind flipped over to survival mode—fight or flight being all he was capable of, just keeping himself alive.
Suddenly a massive black bird with green-tipped wings and a green beak and feet swooped in from nowhere, scooping up the unsuspecting princess in its talons.
"W-what!? Aaahh! P-put me d-down, you m-mean old b-bird!" Poppy cried as it flew away with her.
Inside the bunker, Branch's brain was slowly shifting back to rational thinking now that he was safe. As he started coming around, he barely registered the screams.
Cooper, on the other hand, panicked, seeing a monster of a bird taking off with his friend. Even worse, Branch hadn't even tried to warn her or help her! The giraffe troll knew he couldn't do anything for Poppy on his own, and the obvious answer for help (Branch) had just shown he didn't have any intention of helping her.
"Oh, no! Poppy! This is real bad, I gotta get help! Ain't no way I can take that thing on by myself!" he cried, running for the village. Yeah, it was about a 15 minute walk, but he was the fastest of the trollings. He could probably make it in 8 or 9 minutes. He just hoped that would be fast enough to get help for Poppy.
By this point, however, Branch was fully back in reality. And just in time to hear someone panicking about Poppy being in trouble.
"Wait, Poppy!?" He opened his bunker, poking out to take a look around. He hoped she was okay, hoped he'd heard wrong. However, looking up, he saw a familiar-looking bird flying off with the tiny pink princess.
"Aaaahhh! S-somebody! Heeeelllp!" she cried.
"Poppy!" Branch cried, horrified. I left her out there with it! Why did I leave her out there with it!?
He couldn't believe he'd forgotten about her. Now she was going to be eaten by a bird, and it was all his fault! Why did he keep getting the people he cared about killed!? Could he do anything right!?
The beast was too high for Branch to reach it, but he thought he saw where it was going—a cliff off in the distance. He quickly climbed out of his bunker, racing after the bird.
"Hold on, Poppy! I'm coming!"
No time to grab anything—he'd lose the bird if he didn't hurry. It wasn't like he didn't have anything on him, anyway.
The bird flew Poppy all the way to the top of the cliff and dropped her in its nest, where three large eggs were just beginning to hatch.
Poppy looked around, her eyes wide in confusion and worry. "Huh!?"
As she watched, the eggs started cracking more and more. Soon three black heads poked out of the eggs, screeching with hunger. One had a green star-shaped birthmark around its left eye.
Poppy jumped a bit, wide-eyed with fear. "Aaaaahhh!" She tried to back away from the chicks only to bump into something large. "Oop!" Slowly she turned around.
The mother (Poppy assumed), the very bird that had brought her here, was towering over her, giving a wicked glare. The mother lifted one foot and slammed it down on top of her, holding her in place, as the chicks kept fighting their way out of their eggs.
Poppy screamed, scared for her life. "Aaaahh! N-no! L-let me g-go!" She squirmed, trying to pull free, but she couldn't get loose from the mother's grip.
As the final chick emerged, all three made their way toward the meal their mother was providing. The other two had green lines across the middle of their wings.
Poppy's eyes widened in terror, and she closed them tight as she started to scream again. "AAAAAAAHHH! H-h-help me! D-Daaaaaddyyyyy!"
She was going to die. If she ever needed her father, now was the time.
On a ledge just below (and a little to the right), Branch stopped climbing. Using his hair, he'd grappled his way up the cliff, quickly ascending it. From what he saw, he wasn't here a moment too soon. The bird had Poppy pinned down, and three chicks were closing in on her. Trapped by the mother, she couldn't move.
Branch gasped slightly, worried. "Poppy!" he cried out, somehow managing to keep his voice down in spite of his fear for the girl's safety.
Thinking quickly, he reached into his hair and pulled out a knife. While he usually tried not to hurt other creatures, he was prepared to do it when necessary...and he always aimed for non-lethal shots, anyway. He threw the knife at the mother, aiming to knock her off of Poppy. It landed in the right side of the bird's chest, causing the creature to wail in pain and fall backwards out of its nest, freeing Poppy.
The troll princess's eyes widened in shock. "W-what!?"
She was about to look in the direction that unknown item had come from, but the baby birds all screeched, closing in from the front and sides. Behind her was just air—she'd fall to her death if she tried to leave that way, assuming the mother didn't get her first. Seeing her impending demise coming at her, Poppy screamed once again, covering her head with her hands. She wrapped her hair around herself, forming a dome for protection.
Branch grabbed the edge of the nest with his hair and swung up, landing in front of Poppy. He lashed out at the baby birds with his hair, whipping it at each in turn, to drive them back. While he did that, he slowly made his way back to the ball of pink hair that was Poppy.
Attention still focused on the birds that wobbled around, trying to avoid his attacks, he called, "Poppy! Get out here!"
She quickly retracted her hair, eyes wide. "B-Br-Branch!? W-wha—"
"I'm getting you out of here!" he cut her off, holding a hand out for her to grab. He wasn't taking his attention off the threats before him—no reason to risk getting attacked while his back was turned.
Poppy nodded, her eyes still wide, and quickly grabbed Branch's hand. She held on for dear life.
Branch kept backing toward the edge of the nest and away from the babies, saying, "They're too young to fly, so we get out of this nest, we get away from them."
Poppy nodded frantically and started moving closer to Branch, who helped by pulling her closer and wrapping an arm around her. He needed to keep her close right now for her own safety. So perilous was the situation that he didn't even complain when she started clinging tight to his side. Just the opposite, actually—he encouraged it.
"Hold on tight, Poppy!" Branch said. Then, with no other warning, he jumped from the nest and stretched his hair out for a ledge a little farther over. Since the babies couldn't fly yet, getting a little horizontal distance on them would be immensely helpful. Poppy cried out in shock as their feet left the ground, clinging even tighter to her rescuer, but she quieted when they landed safely on their new perch.
Branch, on the other hand, was still listening for trouble, and the sound of flapping slowly approaching from below was that exactly. As he set Poppy's feet on the ledge, he knew the stunned mother was on her way back up.
"W-what was t-that?" Poppy asked.
Whether she was asking about the seemingly mad jump or the noise, Branch didn't have time to ask. The mother appeared before them then, knife sitting in her chest. The wound wasn't deep for a bird that size, and it clearly hadn't hit anything vital, or she wouldn't have come back.
Poppy freaked out, leaping into the air with both hands on her face. "Aah! Branch! It's the—" she started, backing toward the cliff wall behind them.
Branch pushed Poppy behind him, stopping her scared movements and shielding her from the predator. He lashed out at the bird with his hair, hoping to keep it at bay and drive it off. The bird, however, dodged his attack and snapped at him, trying to grab his hair in retaliation.
Okay, bad idea, Branch decided.
Poppy, clinging to Branch again, just watched, her eyes wide with fear. She wasn't used to this kind of excitement in her life—it had actually been pretty sheltered up until this point. "Branch!"
The gray troll pulled out a slingshot and some stones then, causing Poppy to let go as she looked at him in wonder. What!? Branch has a— She cut herself off, taking a closer look at the bird's chest, and her eyes widened in awe instead of fear. Oh, my trolls! A-a knife, too!?
Branch, meanwhile, had decided his slingshot was probably a safer option than giving that bird a chance to grab him, so he launched a stone at the creature. He aimed between the eyes, hoping, again, to drive the thing off. At the same time, however, the bird flew toward them at full speed, barely dodging his attack.
Poppy gasped, eyes widening. That bird was coming right for them. "Branch! Watch out!"
This situation called for split-second decision-making, and he knew it. Branch dropped the slingshot, glancing behind him at the terrified princess...and saw the wall of solid rock. Quickly he wrapped his arms around Poppy and jumped to the side, taking her with him. With them out of the way and no time to stop, the bird slammed beak-first into the cliff.
Branch, seeing the creature was dazed, tightened his grip on Poppy and braced himself. This wasn't going to be pleasant, and he'd probably get Poppy screaming in his ear while he did it. But it was the best option.
"Hold on to me, Poppy! We gotta get out of here!"
She nodded, wrapping her arms around him tight. Satisfied that she was secure, Branch jumped off the cliff. Happily, Poppy didn't start screaming before he could turn his hair into a parachute, gliding them gently down.
Poppy smiled, rubbing her head against Branch's side, and said, "You did it, Branch! I thought I was a goner for sure!"
With one arm holding Poppy and the other hand holding the end of his hair-chute, Branch looked back up. The mother was shaking off her daze. This wasn't good.
"We're not out of the woods yet," he told Poppy.
She looked up, both curious and concerned.
The bird lunged at them once again, aiming its talons for them. Branch looked around quickly, trying to come up with an escape plan. Then he saw it—a knothole in a tree trunk, too small for the bird to get in. Sure, if the hole didn't go deep enough into the trunk, it might still be able to peck at them, but it was their best bet. There was a branch from that tree that he thought he could reach with his hair. The only problem was that it was too far down for him to reach just yet.
"Hold on!" he commanded Poppy before letting his hair go, allowing them to fall freely again. He wrapped both arms around the princess to ensure he didn't drop her.
Poppy's eyes widened, and she clung even tighter to Branch, screaming. There was the scream he was expecting!
The bird stopped for a second, stunned, then dove at the trolls once more, full-speed.
As the branch came into reach, Branch reached out with his hair and grabbed it. He swung himself and Poppy over, letting her feet hit the ground, before releasing her (save her left arm clasped in his right hand) and dragging her at a run along the branch toward the knothole that was their only hope.
They made it inside just in time—the bird nearly caught up with them. It was close enough that Branch felt the wind ruffle his hair as they ducked into the hole. He felt a moment's relief before he realized a crucial problem with this plan—the tree was, apparently, hollow. He found himself free-falling with Poppy again.
Immediately Branch pulled Poppy to him, wrapping both arms around her protectively as he shifted his hair into more of an umbrella-shape to slow their fall.
And that was it. The danger was passed. Soon the two landed safely in the bottom of the tree.
Poppy, resilient as always, let go of Branch and pulled away. He didn't try to stop her, and she was soon jumping around excitedly. "Ooohh, Branch, that was totally awesome! I mean—a-and you were like—and then—"
She was too excited for words. Great. Branch knew he wouldn't be hearing the end of this adventure any time soon. This was, quite possibly, worse than that time he'd gone with her to Satin and Chenille's fashion show. There was a lot more physical contact involved in this story, after all.
Branch didn't worry too much about that right now, though. Looking around, he recognized this tree, and he was at least part of the reason it was hollow in here. He'd spent last year digging emergency evacuation tunnels in case he needed to get out of the bunker quickly. One just happened to come out right in this tree. Directly under their feet, covered in moss (like the rest of this hollow tree floor) was an entrance into his bunker.
"Later, Poppy," he cut her off, although she likely would have done that again herself in a second. "Right now, I need you to move."
She stopped jumping. "Huh?" She looked around in confusion. To Branch's frustration, she didn't move. "Huh? Why? What's—"
He had already been out of his comfort zone with this girl enough for one day. Sure, she was the only person alive who cared enough about him to keep coming back, no matter how cruel he was to her, but he didn't need that. He needed this girl to stop messing with his head, his heart, and emotions that he didn't want to feel anymore. He needed her to leave him alone, like everyone else. She'd be better off if she did, anyway.
So, his patience already gone, he pushed her back about three steps, making sure she moved with him so she didn't end up on the ground. Then, with her out of the way, he stepped off the hidden door himself and lifted it up to open it. Poppy gaped at it.
"I dug this tunnel last year as an emergency evacuation route," he told her, feeling no need to mention any other hidden exits from his home. "It'll take us straight back to my bunker, which means we can avoid that beast outside."
"Uuuh...okay...?" Poppy seemed rather disturbed, which Branch figured was a good sign—maybe she'd leave him alone if she thought he was mental.
That was a good thing, so why did the idea hurt?
Why does he even need that? Poppy wondered to herself, now even more concerned for this troll she called a friend.
"Follow me," Branch said, ducking into the hole.
"Coming!" Poppy called as she jumped in after him.
As they walked along, Branch had to endure the endless stream of excited chatter leaving Poppy's mouth. She recounted their adventure in inaccurate yet intense detail, "And then it was all like, 'Scree, scree, scree!' And you were like, 'Get back, you filthy monster!'"
Funny, he didn't remember saying anything like that.
"And you were all whack, and it was all, 'Aaahh!' And—Oh, my sugar cookies, where'd you learn to fight like that!? That was totally awesome!"
She was hyper the entire time until she finally paused for a millisecond, throwing her arms up into the air, smiling with glee.
For his part, other than snarky thoughts about her ridiculous reenactment, Branch wasn't really interested in hearing about the adventure she'd just had because of him. He was currently trying not to drown in his own guilt. After all, he had known there was a predator in the area, yet he didn't bring her into his home or even try to warn her, too scared for his own life to think about that! As if causing one troll's death with his carelessness wasn't bad enough. Why was it always the ones closest to him, too?
"It was nothing, Poppy. I mean, since I let you get into that mess, it made sense I should get you out of it."
Poppy stopped walking then, eyes widening. "What do you mean, Branch? You just saved me from a—"
He cut her off, not wanting to hear any nonsense about him being heroic—he was the reason she'd needed a hero. "I knew that thing was coming, and I left you to deal with it on your own."
Poppy looked at her friend sadly. "...Branch..."
She started walking again. Branch hadn't stopped, so she needed to move if she was going to keep up.
Wrestling with his own self-hatred right now, Branch just knew that no sane person would still like him after that. But...he didn't want Poppy to hate him. Sure, she was annoying, but she'd been so much a part of his life since they'd met that he didn't know how he'd adjust to being completely alone and unloved. Besides, although he'd never admit it to her, he kind of liked her. She wasn't so bad in small doses, as long as she stayed quiet. A rare occurrence, sure, but it happened sometimes.
He doubted his words would change anything, but, after a moment's hesitation, he said, "I'm sorry, Poppy."
Poppy could see how torn up her friend was about this. His soft side, which most trolls didn't even believe he had, was showing, as it sometimes did around her. She looked at him sympathetically for a moment before she answered, "Aw, it's cool, Branch," waving a hand through the air dismissively. Her smile was as warm as it ever was. "I know you didn't mean it."
That wasn't what Branch expected. He looked at her over his shoulder, slightly startled, before turning to open the secure door that led into his actual bunker. Is she serious?
With the door open, Poppy stepped inside and looked around in awe. The room she'd just entered was filled with jars of various substances, most of which she couldn't identify. There were some fresh fruits and vegetables, cubbies on the far wall filled with various items, a table and a single chair indicating how lonely the inhabitant of this place usually was. There were doors leading off to either other rooms or other exits, Poppy wasn't sure which. But worst of all was the writing on the walls in red, black, and white. Things like "Run," "Hide," and "Eat us" covered the walls near what appeared to be an elevator shaft in scribbles that looked to have been done by someone in severe distress.
"Whoa... What is this place?" she asked, looking around.
"My bunker," Branch answered simply. "Heavily fortified, bergen-proof, fully stocked with enough supplies to last me at least a few years."
"Oh, my sugar-coated donuts. You really do need help," Poppy said, now both stunned at the elaborate space and worried about this troll's mental state. The (literal) writing on the walls spoke of a problem more serious than she had ever imagined.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Branch answered, irritated. He rescued her, brought her into his own home, and she was insulting him? Talk about ungrateful!
Poppy shuffled a foot, brushing off her concerns with a sly smile. "Oh...nothing." She giggled then and ran over to grab Branch in a hug, one he couldn't stop even if he tried. Eyes closed, she held him close and said, "Thanks again for saving me. You were so brave back there..."
That tone was a little weird in Branch's opinion. That gratitude sounded an awful lot like...deeper feelings. Feelings he didn't want to contemplate, and not just because she was only 11 years old (although that already made it all seem wrong somehow). She sounded more affectionate than usual, and Branch wasn't sure if it was his imagination, but he was sure she was flirting with him. And he wasn't comfortable with it.
"Hey, hold on, what are you doing?" he asked, trying to sound annoyed and not unnerved.
Poppy just hummed a bit, nuzzling into his side with a smile on her face. Oh, and she tightened her grip.
Branch would be lying if he said he hated this, but he didn't exactly like it, either. That didn't make a lot of sense, but there were complicated reasons behind it that he wasn't going to take the time to evaluate right now. The more pressing concern was getting back into his comfort zone. He pulled away from Poppy, trying to get out of her hug, and said, "Okay, Poppy, you need to get home. I think somebody in the village saw you get caught by that bird. They'll be worried sick."
"Ewww... Rright... I should go now," she answered. She fully agreed there would be mass hysteria if she didn't show everyone she was okay soon. She started backing toward the creepy walls, where she thought the exit must be. "Catch ya later, Branch! Bye!"
She turned and ran for the switch on the floor, waving happily at Branch, then flipped the lever. She was a bit startled when the ground beneath her started rising, carried up through a hole along a curved pole. As she rode up higher and higher, she watched in amazement as she passed things both unusual and concerning—more jars of what she took to be water and food, weapons of all sorts, medical supplies, more fresh foods...
Whoa! Branch sure has a lot of weird-looking things... I wonder what that thing with the two long, bendy sticks and the sharp, pointy one in the middle was?
It would be awhile before she'd learn that object's name. She'd never have the chance to ask Branch.
The elevator stopped in a room with a bunch of bear traps and mouse traps set up everywhere. Stepping literally anywhere but the elevator platform itself would result in, at the least, a pinched toe, and a lost limb at the worst. But she didn't spend much time worrying about that—the sounds of what could only be trolls shouting and pounding on something reached her ears, concerning her because they didn't sound happy. At all.
"Huh? What's going on out there?"
Another child might have changed their mind and gone back down the elevator to get their older friend before facing whatever was out there, but Poppy wasn't known for fear or caution. Besides, she knew the trolls would never hurt her. That's why she opened the door...and found herself facing a crowd of angry trolls. The crowd all stared at her, their eyes wide, as if they hadn't expected to find her here.
Suddenly feeling uncomfortable, she ducked down a bit. "Uhhhh... Hi?"
One troll threw his arms up in excitement, crying, "It's the princess! She's safe after all!"
Everyone started cheering loudly, and the earlier signs of anger were gone. Poppy was so stunned, she barely noticed when her father, King Peppy, suddenly burst through the crowd and scooped her up.
"Poppy! Oh, my sugar cakes! I'm so glad you're alright! I thought for sure I'd lost you after hearing what happened!" he exclaimed as he held her close, tears of joy running down his cheeks.
Poppy hugged him back, smiling warmly. "Oh, Daddy. I'm so glad you're here. It was so scary, but don't worry! Branch came along and saved the day!" She let go of her father, smiling brightly, as she threw her arms up over her head.
Somehow this didn't have the response she'd expected. Everyone gasped, seemingly shocked and horrified. The crowd started mumbling among themselves, but Poppy couldn't make out a word of it.
Her father's reaction was just as strange—he narrowed his eyes, looking angry. King Peppy rarely got angry. "Oh, he did, did he...?"
Poppy blinked and looked around. From the looks of everyone, something was clearly the matter, and she was out of the loop. "Hey, what's going on, Dad? Is there something wrong with Branch?" she asked, concern for her friend growing again.
Peppy's eyes stayed narrowed for a few more seconds, making Poppy worry more. Then, suddenly, he brightened, giving her a warm smile that seemed more appropriate on his face. "No! Nothing's wrong, sweetie! We're all just so happy to have you home safely!"
The crowd started smiling in agreement as they talked more pleasantly about Poppy's safe return. Clearly word of the bird incident had reached their ears, but what had they heard? Poppy stared blankly at everyone, her confusion only growing.
"Well, anyway, run along now, princess," Peppy said to his daughter as he gently set her down on the ground. "You've had a long day, and you'll need your rest for your party tonight."
Poppy smiled back. "Okay, Daddy! I'll do that!" She hugged her father just as their Hug Time watches all went off. Peppy hugged her back as the surrounding trolls all engaged in Hug Time.
"Night night, Daddy! I love you!"
"I love you, too, princess. See you when I get back."
The king and princess released each other, and Poppy happily ran for home, all concern for Branch forgotten.
Peppy waved goodbye to his daughter, that warm, kind smile still on his face. Then his demeanor changed entirely as he put his hands on his hips and glared down at the unwelcome mat, saying, "Right! Now onto business! Branch!? This is King Peppy speaking! You better come out here this instant, or so help me, you won't like what I'll do!"
Down below, Branch heard the king calling and headed out. Hermit or not, one doesn't simply ignore the king of one's people.
He'd regret that choice.
He opened the bunker and came about halfway out of the hole, curious about the presence of not just the king but also what appeared to be most of the adult trolls in the village. "King Peppy? What do you want?" the teen asked.
Peppy glared at the boy, hands still on his hips. The rest of the trolls gathered advanced on him as well, looking...threatening? "Trolls" and "threatening" were two words that didn't belong in the same sentence. Did they?
Branch looked around, growing concerned. The word "mob" ran through his head to describe this crowd, and he didn't like it. "Hey, what's going on?"
"Branch!" King Peppy said. "It has been brought to my attention that you nearly got Princess Poppy killed today! Oh, of all the untrolly things to do! How could you do such a thing to her!? You clearly knew about the danger, but you still let that bird take her away!?"
"What!?" Branch cried, startled. "Who said—?"
A purple troll named Darius, King Peppy's right-hand troll, pointed viciously at the boy and said, "Go get him, guys! Grab that traitor!"
The other trolls in the crowd—mob—crowded around the gray troll, glaring viciously as they grabbed him and pulled him roughly from his home. Branch couldn't believe it. The peaceful, hug-loving trolls had formed an actual angry mob, just like bergens did. What did they think he'd done?
Peppy did nothing to stop his people. Rather, he seemed to accept this behavior, standing with the same dangerous look in his own eyes.
"Whoa, wait! Traitor!? What are you talking about!?" Branch cried, growing scared at the change in the normally friendly people of Troll Village.
The angry mob dragged Branch through town, where two dragged him up in front of the mushroom stage where all announcements were made. The two trolls in question held Branch's arms firmly, like he was a prisoner. It suddenly occurred to him that was exactly what he was. Peppy stepped up on the stage in front of the teenager, glaring at him sternly. It was hard to believe this was the same king who had tried to comfort Branch after the last of his family had been taken from him.
"Branch, you are hereby charged with willingly allowing the princess to be assaulted by a predator! How do you plea!?" the king said.
Wait, that's a crime now!? Since when does Troll Village have crimes that get this kind of treatment!? As far as Branch knew, anything a troll did wrong was always fixed by a lecture and correcting the wrong. For example, any troll who vandalized had to clean it up. Besides, there was one word in there that bothered him immensely. "Not guilty! I didn't willingly let anything attack her!"
"So! You're claiming that you didn't run and hide after hearing a bird approaching, leaving Princess Poppy alone and completely exposed to it?"
Branch opened his mouth to argue but stopped, realizing that was an accurate summary of events. Sure, his reason for it was left out, but...
Recovering, he gathered his wits and tried to explain himself. He knew they'd understand if he could just tell them what had happened. Sure, he didn't want to tell all of Troll Village that he had a crippling fear of birds, but the alternative was facing their anger...and they seemed capable of many terrible things right now. "No, that...that did happen, but it wasn't like that!"
"Ah! So you admit your guilt!" Peppy said.
"No! I wasn't trying to get Poppy attacked! I-I just—"
"Traitor!" a troll in the back yelled.
"He nearly killed Princess Poppy!"
"I knew he was no good!"
The mob continued yelling similar things, shouting over each other. Branch couldn't have explained himself even if he hadn't just been left speechless by this treatment. He looked around, totally at a loss. Why was this even happening? He knew people thought he was crazy, paranoid, and mean. He didn't know they thought he was capable of murder, which was essentially the charge he faced.
Before the young troll could recover his wits enough to explain, the king silenced everyone by saying, "So!? You have nothing more to say!? Then enough said! I, King Peppy, hereby find you guilty of reckless endangerment of the princess and sentence you...to be banished from Troll Village from now on!"
The two trolls holding Branch started dragging him away while he was trying, horrified, to process this.
"What!? Hold on! That's not what happened! You can't do this!" he cried, struggling against the mob that was now grabbing at him, dragging him toward the edge of the village. "It was an accident! I went after her as soon as I realized what happened! I'm sorry! Please! Don't do this!"
His pleas fell on deaf ears. King Peppy either didn't hear him or chose to ignore him. The troll mob tossed Branch out of town, where he landed in a small mud puddle. (Is there a reason his life so resembled a bergen tragedy film?) He grunted as he hit the ground, then looked back at the other trolls in disbelief. They all humphed, grunted, or patted their hands as they walked away, clearly glad to be shot of him. The trolls entered their pods, lights going out one by one.
This made no sense. Banished? But...that means...
Banishment was a punishment. Punishment wasn't a troll thing. Nothing any troll had ever done had resulted in such harsh treatment. Why now? Why him? It seemed so wrong, so out of character. This had to be a bad dream, right? The trolls were all friendly and forgiving creatures. They'd at least give him the chance to explain, and his reason would lead to a sympathetic group hug he wouldn't want and promises that they would help him get over his fear (whether he wanted their help or not).
Then why was he still living this nightmare?
Slowly, still processing the fact that he was the first troll punished in known memory, Branch got to his feet. Did Poppy tell them? But she told me it was okay! She thanked me for saving her! Why would she do this!? Didn't know she was 2-faced!
And, to think, he considered her a friend.
He headed back to his bunker to pack, knowing he couldn't stay there anymore. Sure, it was technically outside of the village, but the trolls didn't want him anywhere nearby. Besides, if that was how they saw him, he'd be safer farther away from them, anyway.
While Branch was being put on trial, Poppy was trying to decide what dress to wear for her party. Standing in her underwear, she'd narrowed it down to two choices by this point, but she was having a hard time choosing between the two.
"Uhh... Okay. Should I wear the one with the blue stars and teal and lavender tie dye? Or the pink one with the yellow crescent moon on the front? Oh! Maybe I could try the—"
She cut off, hearing loud, angry voices outside. Poppy blinked and ran to the window, looking out in concern. What in the name of all that's trolly's going on tonight? That's the second time I've heard everyone mad!
Trolls didn't get mad easily, so having them in a fury twice in one day was a concern. When she looked out the window, her eyes widened. For some reason, all the adults were hurrying toward the edge of the village, looking furious. Poppy leaned out the window, trying to see exactly what had them all riled up, but she couldn't make out anything else.
"...Okay. New plan! Get dressed quickly and go find out what that's all about. Something really bad's going on out there."
Since she didn't want to run around town in her underwear, Poppy grabbed the closest dress—the tie dye one—and ran outside. Seeing everyone heading home from Branch's side of the woods, she paused, growing a little worried.
"O-kay... That's the second time everyone's run out there. I really hope Branch is okay."
She needed to know for sure. Glad she'd finally found out where he lived, she made her way out to his bunker to check on him.
Back in the bunker, Branch was packing up his few valuables and some necessary supplies, still thinking of why this was happening in the first place. The prospect of heading out into the world on his own and starting from scratch—again, alone—wasn't appealing, but he didn't have a choice. This had to be the most painful experience of his life. It was even worse than the day he'd lost his grandmother, and that was hard to beat.
"Guess that serves me right!" he complained as he packed in a rage. It hurt less to be angry than any other emotion that was trying to come up. "I mean, I am the crazy one, so it just makes sense they'd finally decide to punish someone and pick me. They've probably been looking for a good enough excuse ever since we escaped from the Troll Tree! Never should have bothered with Poppy. Nobody knew I lived here before that. If I'd just left her alone, she wouldn't've been swept up by that bird, and nobody would have been able to blame me for it if she was because I wouldn't have been there!"
So much for friendship. He'd known all along that she couldn't really care about him. He wasn't likable. He was just trouble. Nobody cared about him, and they never would. And he didn't care! He didn't need them. He didn't like them. He didn't care about them.
If he kept telling himself that, he knew he'd start to believe it eventually.
A ruckus above scared him before he recognized the voice calling his name repeatedly and realized it was just Poppy beating on the rock above. He headed up the elevator to tell her to beat it.
"Branch, Branch, Branch, Branch! Branch, you better be okay! Or so help me, I'll—"
Branch slid open the viewer in his "Go Away" mat, not wanting to risk letting anyone in, and that included little pink traitors. "Can't you read!? Get lost!"
"But, Branch!" Poppy protested, leaning over the mat with a worried look in her eyes. "I just saw the whole village heading this way! And—"
"Well, you can tell them they don't need to worry. I'm leaving just as soon as I've got some supplies ready."
Thought it wouldn't surprise him if they expected him to leave with nothing. Letting him go die at the hands of nature seemed like their kind of execution. They wouldn't need to see it, after all.
Poppy's eyes widened in shock. "What are you talking about!? You can't leave! I'm sure—"
"Oh, not only can I leave, Princess Poppy, but I don't have a choice!"
Poppy froze. She gave Branch a completely lost look. "What? Why would you—" While speaking, her mind was on a different question. D-did he just use my title!? Why!? What's going on here!?
Her closest friends rarely, if ever, called her princess. Branch hadn't used her title since she was 8. Why now?
"I've been banished!" Branch answered her spoken question. "Or did nobody tell you that's apparently what happens when you 'recklessly endanger' the princess?"
Poppy felt like her eyes were going to pop out of their sockets from the shock of that one. "WWHAAAT!? Who in Troll Village told my dad that!?"
"Three guesses," Branch answered before sliding the viewer shut.
He obviously thought it was her. But Poppy couldn't have been more horrified to hear this if she tried. It took her a moment to recover her voice at all, and even then she couldn't stop stammering as she said, "B-b-but—you can't go, Branch! T-t-this is just one big m-m-m-misunderstanding! J-just let me talk to my dad f-for you, and—" She started off for the village, certain she could fix this. But this was still horrible. Since when did her dad banish anyone?
"Yeah, you go ahead and do that!" Branch called out. "Meanwhile I'll be here, packing! Come back soon enough, maybe you can see me off!" His voice was oozing with sarcasm—he obviously didn't think she'd succeed.
She heard what she assumed was the elevator and knew Branch had gone back down into his bunker—soon to be former bunker if she didn't do something quick. She stood there, stunned, for a bit before she started dancing around frantically, hands to her head.
"Oh oh oh oh! I've gotta find Daddy and make this right!" she cried, running off as fast as her little legs could carry her.
Down in the bunker, Branch checked his bag—a few mementos of his lost family, some tools he'd need to build himself a new home, food, and water in case he couldn't find anything safe to eat or drink for a long period of time.
He looked over at a cubby hidden behind some curtains, debating taking the items concealed there. He'd calmed down; he had the time to be reasonable now. And that made him slightly regret being so short with Poppy—that was probably the last time he'd ever see her, after all.
That's extra weight, but it's not as if they're all that heavy...but they do take up space... he thought of the items concealed there. Poppy seemed really upset about this whole thing. I don't see how she could have done it. But who else—Of course. Somebody else saw her get taken. That's the only reason I knew anything about it. They probably ran off to tell the village.
That made more sense than the idea that Poppy would lie to his face and say everything was okay, then go tell on him. After all, she was the only person in the village who cared about him. In other words, everyone else would gladly ruin his life before Poppy would even consider it.
Branch stared at the cubby for another moment before going and pushing the curtains aside. Every invitation Poppy had ever given him was tucked away here, a reminder of the fact that somebody cared about him enough to go out of their way to try to make him happy, whether he deserved their affection or not. Well, one wasn't here, but he'd find it before he left.
He took the invitations out of the cubby and packed them up carefully, being sure not to bend or crinkle them and double checking to make sure they'd be safe where he had them. Then, satisfied, he slung the pack over his back.
"Guess this is it..." He headed for the elevator, wishing more and more that this wasn't real. But, then again, what was there to miss here? "Goodbye...Poppy."
Right. Her. He'd miss her more than anything.
Regardless, he had to leave—and he could never come back. He left his bunker for the final time, tracked down Poppy's New Moon Party invitation and tucked it into his hair, before leaving Troll Village...forever.
Back at the royal pod, Poppy's luck wasn't much better. Her dad just wouldn't listen to a word she was saying. He was convinced that he'd done the right thing, and nothing she said mattered. That wouldn't stop her from trying, though.
"But, Dad! It was an accident! Branch didn't mean to leave me out there! And he saved me afterwards to make up for it!"
Why couldn't he see that he was wrong? This wasn't fair! He'd always told her to accept apologies and forgive, especially if the troll in question was sincere. As the leaders of the trolls, they had to set an example and forgive, no matter how hard it was.
Peppy looked at his daughter sadly and said, "I'm sorry, Poppy. But my mind's made up. What he did was unforgivable, no matter how much he apologizes! I nearly lost you today, sweetheart. I can't risk that happening again."
"But he apologized to me for it, too! He's really sorry, Dad, so I'm sure he won't do it again! Just give him one more chance, and—"
"No, Poppy! I'm afraid I can't do that. When you're a parent someday, you'll understand."
"But, Dad, he's not a—"
"This discussion is over, Poppy! Now go on!" he said, pointing off. "You have a party to attend to, where your real friends are waiting!"
Poppy's shoulders slumped. How could her dad be so unreasonable? She frowned, grumbling under her breath, "Branch is a real friend..." But, seeing that arguing wasn't going to do her any good, she headed out for a clearing on the edge of the village, to the party she no longer felt like throwing.
Peppy watched her go, sighing. He looked out the window sadly. "I'm sorry, Poppy. It was the only way..."
He stared out at the stars a bit longer, thinking of Poppy's mother. He'd already lost the love of his life. He couldn't lose their only child, too.