Shadgirl2: As promised, updates are faster with this story!

Midna: Enjoy! I'm gonna go cry in a corner now... This chapter made me sad.

Disclaimer: We don't own Trolls. OCs belong to Shadgirl2.

WARNING: Character death

Unfortunately, neither Rosiepuff nor Polly lived long enough to accomplish their goal. Later that year, on the bergen holiday of Trollstice, they were both taken, along with many other trolls. The bergens were an unhappy race of giant creatures that had discovered the happy trolls years ago. One of them got the idea to eat a troll and see how that made him feel, and he'd discovered that it made him happy. The bergens had built a cage around the Troll Tree, trapping the trolls, and had taken to eaten them once a year ever since on Trollstice. It was a fact trolls usually tried to ignore—dwelling on it would cause them all to sink into depression or live in fear all day. And it was a fact that sometimes left children scarred and alone.

Once the bergens had left, apparently satisfied for another year, the surviving trolls checked the damages and looked for survivors, taking note of who they had lost this year. One poor soul had already found several trollings whose families were gone—he stupidly asked them where their parents were and was met with tears. Unfortunately, the worst was yet to come. As he walked along on the ground beneath the tree, he saw a small gray figure sitting alone.

The troll's eyes widened. "Oh, not another one..."

Even worse, this one had lost his colors. It happened sometimes—when a troll was left all alone in the world, they could become that miserable. Most of the time, however, they didn't last. They were usually taken during the same Trollstice in which they turned, their misery making them easy targets for the bergens.

The troll headed over to the small gray boy and gently asked, "Hey, little guy, are you hurt?"

The child didn't even lift his head. "...No," he answered quietly.

"That's good... Do you..." The troll paused, rethinking his choice of words. Don't be tactless, like the last five times! "...need me to take you to someone?"

There. Asking if he needed to be taken to someone opened up a world of possibilities—parents, aunts, uncles, grandparents, friends... That shouldn't trigger tears, the troll hoped.

The child was quiet for a moment before he shrugged. "Not like I have anyone left..."

That's what I was afraid of...

A troll didn't just turn gray from losing one loved one, or all of the trolls in the Troll Tree would have been gray by now. It was actually more likely for a gray troll to have nobody left...and that made dealing with a gray troll all the more difficult, especially since they'd never had one survive long enough for them to have to address the situation.

The older troll picked up the child, saying, "Why don't we fix that, huh?"

And he took the child off to find a new home. Gray trolls were a special challenge, and he knew he'd need to find someone who was up to the task. Hair knew he couldn't handle this! He'd made children who hadn't lost their colors cry today, after all.

Elsewhere, King Peppy tried to do a head count to find out who was missing so they could have a proper memorial service. However, given his own personal loss, he was finding it hard to concentrate.

The king sighed. "Report, Darius? Who all's been taken this time?" he asked his right-hand troll. I mean, besides my precious rose, Polly... Something has to be done before anyone else gets eaten. This has gone on for way too long, and one way or another, I'm putting a stop to it once and for all. I'm not letting what happened to Polly happen to Poppy, t—Wait... What did Darius just say...?

Jolted from his thoughts by the names he desperately hoped he hadn't heard, Peppy said, "I-I'm sorry, Darius. What were those last few names again? I didn't quite catch them."

"Oh!" Darius, a purple troll, responded. "Right, sire. They were Justin, Spring, and Rosiepuff. They're all missing from today's hair count, too."

Peppy's pupil's dilated. He felt like his heart had been ripped out. Not only his wife, but some of his closest friends, too? "...No..." He fell back against the tree behind him.

"K-King Peppy?" Darius asked, concerned. "W-what is..."

This can't be real! Even my closest—No. No, this can't be happening! Fate couldn't possibly be this cruel!

Darius put a hand on the king's shoulder and asked, "K-King Peppy?"

Peppy's eyes teared up, thinking of all he'd lost. "Rosie...Spring...Justin...Br—" His eyes widened suddenly as he realized something—he hadn't heard that last name. "Hold on! What about Branch!?" he demanded of Darius. "Tell me the child wasn't among the trolls that were lost! Please!"

Darius gave a start, looking even more concerned. "Branch?" He flipped through his list quickly. "Let's see..." He looked back at the king and answered, "Nope. No trolls by that name are on here, sire. Why?"

"Then there's no time to waste! I have to find him before anything happens!" Peppy said, and he ran off, determined to find the child. He'd temporarily forgotten about taking stock of their losses.

"Ah! B—King Peppy! You haven't finished inventorying the dead yet!" Darius called after him, waving the list in the air. "Hey!"

Peppy didn't care. From what he'd just heard, Branch was still alive. But he'd lost everyone in his family in a single day. That boy needed someone to take him in, and Peppy intended to do that.

Hold on, child! I'm coming! Peppy thought as he ran through the village, searching for the boy.

He knew every troll who chose to take on foster children, and he started searching all of their homes. In time, he found the boy—gray and quiet, highly unusual for the usually energetic trolling. Peppy had already planned to take the boy in himself, but he knew then that he definitely couldn't leave Branch in someone else's care. The poor boy had lost too much today. He'd need someone who knew him to help him through this.

He took the child home with him, but he didn't realize when he made this decision how difficult it would be to take care of this little one now.

A few nights, a memorial service, and some silent mourning time later, Poppy didn't seem bothered by the event anymore. This wasn't a surprise, given that she was only a baby. She woke up, crying for food, at 3 am.

Her wailing was loud enough to wake the dead, and she frequently woke up crying. When it had just been her in the room, it was fine. However, a few days ago, her dad had brought home Branch and put him in the same room as the baby girl.

Branch groaned and pulled his pillow over his head.

"I'm coming, I'm coming, sweetie!" Peppy called, running in with a bottle in hand and dark circles under his eyes. "Hold your horses!"

Poppy cried, "Whaaaaa!"

"Does she ever stop!?" Branch complained, the pillow still over his head.

Peppy picked her up and rocked her a bit. "Ah, sh, sh, there, there. Daddy's here now, and everything's okay." He gave Poppy her bottle, and she calmed down as she drank her milk. "Yes, that's it, Princess. Drink as much as you want. That's a good girl." He smiled gently at his daughter.

Unseen, Branch teared up at the word "daddy." He missed his dad. To keep himself from thinking too much about that, he asked, "Are babies always this annoying?"

"Now, Branch. That's not a nice thing to say," Peppy chided lightly. "She's just hungry is all. She'll grow out of it when she's older. Trust me."

Muttering, Branch asked, "Do I have to sleep with her? She's a siren."

"There, there," Peppy said to his daughter, rocking her. "It's okay."

That was the final straw for Branch. He tossed his pillow off his head and shot to his feet. "What's okay!? Her mom's dead! My whole family's dead! And who knows when the rest of us are gonna die!?" Tears burned in his eyes as he remembered everything he'd lost. "Nothing's okay! Stop lying!"

They were still trapped at the mercy of the bergens, and their population was dwindling year after year. Kids died before they even reached their first birthday. What was Peppy playing at, saying anything was okay?

Peppy looked at Branch. He wanted to address the situation, but he wasn't sure what he should say. Before he could decide, Poppy spit the bottle out and started crying for a different reason, one that was becoming too common: Branch scared her.

"WHAAAAA!"

Needing to quiet his baby, Peppy's attention turned back to her. "Op, no, no, sweetie. Shh... It's okay. Sh, sh, sh... Daddy's got you. You're safe with me, sweetheart. Daddy'll protect you. Daddy will always be there for you," he said, rocking her again.

The tears finally spilled over when Branch heard those words. "You can't protect anyone!" he cried, and then he ran out.

"Branch! Wait!" Peppy called after him, reaching with one hand. He wanted to go after the boy, but there wasn't anyone else who could calm Poppy. He looked back at the baby and tried to soothe her first so that he could go after Branch without worrying about Poppy.

Branch, meanwhile, left the royal pod, looking for somewhere he could be alone. Given that it was the middle of the night, it wasn't hard. Nobody was awake. He made his way out onto one of the branches of the Troll Tree and sat down, pulling his knees up to his chest as he looked up at the cage surrounding the tree.

He'd never paid much attention to the cage before. It didn't seem like it bothered anybody, and his parents had told him it was nothing to worry about the one time he had noticed it. Now, however, he knew better. That cage surrounded the Troll Tree, trapping them all, and razor wire wrapped around parts of it made escape even harder. Beyond the bars sat Bergen Town. It seemed the tree was in the center of town, which meant that the trolls wouldn't be able to escape even if they could get out of the tree.

This entire time, he'd been trapped, with predators right outside, and he hadn't even realized how dangerous the situation was. The bergens were so much bigger than them, and there wasn't anywhere they could hide that the bergens couldn't find someone. What was Peppy playing at, saying he'd protect Poppy? He hadn't been able to protect Polly, or Branch's parents, or his grandma... She'd died trying to protect him, and there was still a high chance he'd die next year or the year after. It just seemed so useless.

"...What's the point?" he asked himself. "We're all gonna die here... There's no point trying to protect anyone..." He buried his face in his arms, perched atop his knees, and just cried.

He wasn't alone long before he heard Peppy calling, "Branch! Hey! Where are you, child!? Come on out! Hello!?"

Branch's breath hitched, and he lifted his head slightly, looking off toward the king's voice. He saw the orange troll looking around, searching for the gray child in the dark night. Peppy's eyes wandered over the spot where Branch sat, missing him briefly, before he looked back and saw him.

He headed over, knowing the child needed some attention. He'd lost his entire family in a single day, just a few days ago. "Branch..."

Branch rested his chin on his knees, looking down again. He didn't want to talk right now.

Peppy sat down beside Branch and pulled the child into his arms, hugging him and stroking his hair. "I know, child... I know..."

Branch closed his eyes, refusing the hug for a moment. He didn't want to let anyone else get close to him. He didn't want to lose anyone else he loved. But he hugged the king after just a moment and started crying again. Peppy just held the boy, stroking his hair as he tried to soothe. He knew words would be meaningless here.

Several weeks later, Poppy was singing wordlessly, but whatever it was sounded happy. Branch seemed to take anything that related to happiness as a personal insult because everything trolls liked to do that made them smile was suddenly something the boy detested with a passion. He'd lost interest in all of it and rarely even left the pod.

Of course, this meant that he was there while Poppy was singing, and it was getting on his nerves.

Branch growled, shaking slightly. He whirled on the baby that he'd once considered a friend and snapped, "Will you stop already!?"

Poppy stopped singing, but her eyes started watering. "...Wha... Whaa..."

She looked scared, and that could only mean one thing: She was about to start crying again. Branch groaned and covered his ears.

"WHAAAAAA!" Poppy cried loudly.

Peppy came running, worried for his child. "What!? What!? What happened!?" he asked urgently. Looking around, he didn't see any signs of trouble, so he picked up Poppy with a caring look.

Branch, knowing he'd likely be in trouble for scaring the baby again, started slowly sneaking out of the room.

"Shh, shh... There, there. It's okay," Peppy soothed, rocking his baby.

Yeah, right, Branch thought, still inching his way out of the room.

Poppy stopped crying as her dad bounced her a bit and gently bopped her nose.

"Yes, that's it, Princess. There's my good girl," Peppy soothed. Then, with the baby calmed, he turned his attention to the most likely culprit, placing a hand on his hip. "Branch," he said firmly.

Branch stopped, tensing slightly. He turned around slowly. "Yeah?"

"What happened this time? Don't tell me you were mean to her again. We've been over this."

"Yeah, well, she's getting on my nerves!"

"Branch. She's not doing anything but having fun and being a kid! You don't treat babies like that just because you're not in the mood!"

Branch crossed his arms, looking away. This was all too common of an occurrence these days. Branch snapped at just about everybody now. Even his best friend, Creek, wasn't safe from this boy's outbursts.

"Ugh..." Peppy put a hand to his head. This is a waste of time... Clearly, I've lost him, too... Aloud, he said, "Branch, I think it's time we found you a home of your own. It's pretty obvious this isn't going to work out."

"Yeah, okay," Branch said, not really taking Peppy seriously at the moment.

"Pack your bags, son. You're moving out."

"Fine!" Branch snapped. Storming off, he added, "I didn't want to be here, anyway!"

"I can see that," Peppy said, then he sighed.

He had hoped that he'd be able to help Branch through the loss of his family. However, the boy was inconsolable. He'd spent the days immediately after Trollstice in silence, crying if left alone but ignoring anyone who tried to comfort him. As time passed, he cried less and snapped more. He was sarcastic when Creek asked if he was feeling better. He was rude when Biggie brought him some cupcakes. He was mean when Cooper invited him to play. As Branch's friends, they hadn't given up on him, of course, but they were hardly getting a better response from him than anyone else.

He'd been nicer to them than he was being to Poppy, though. At the rate the boy was going, she'd grow up to hate him, and Peppy could hardly say he'd blame her. As much as he wanted to help Branch, it didn't seem like he could. All he was going to do by trying was hurt his daughter.

Peppy looked at his cheery little girl again. A determined look in his eyes, he made up his mind—he'd protect her. He'd protect everyone who remained. They would never lose another troll to Trollstice if he had any say in it.

"Don't worry, my Princess. You're not going to have to go through what I've been through. I promise you. One way or another, I'm getting us out of this. Just you wait and see." He tickled her a bit, causing her to laugh, then turned his attention back to the other trolling. "Branch!?" he called. "You about ready, child!?"

Branch came back into the room, a single bag in hand that contained all of his worldly possessions.

"Very good. Then let's go find you someone to stay with," Peppy said, placing his daughter safely in his hair. Preferably with someone who doesn't have any children to worry about.

Branch needed more one-on-one attention, so he'd be better off with a couple that didn't have children of their own. Peppy figured that, if he kept telling himself that, he'd eventually stop feeling guilty about being unable to help his friends' last living relative. As Peppy headed out of the pod, Branch followed in silence, which didn't do anything to help Peppy feel better about this decision to give him up.

It didn't take Peppy long to find a couple of trolls who were willing and able to take Branch in. They didn't have any trollings of their own, so Branch wouldn't have to worry about "annoying" foster siblings anymore. Branch didn't improve under their care, but that was hardly a surprise. Peppy had given up on the idea that the boy would improve. He was too far gone for that.

This realization only strengthened Peppy's resolve to save everyone. One orphaned gray troll was bad enough. He wasn't going to let that happen to anyone else, especially given everything he, himself, had lost that same year—his wife; his friends Rosiepuff, Justin, and Spring; and, to a degree, Branch. Yes, the boy was alive, but he wasn't himself anymore, and Peppy doubted that he ever would be again. All he really had left was his daughter, and he could lose her, too, thanks to the bergens.

He wasn't going to let that happen again.

So he started construction. He took as many trolls as he could and started digging—or, rather, carving—a hole down into the Troll Tree, starting at the top, where the bergens wouldn't see it. If they couldn't leave through town, they'd just have to go under it. Once they got through the tree itself, which took a couple of months of round-the-clock work, they started digging an escape tunnel, going farther and farther, knowing they had to get out of town and put some distance between themselves and the bergens before coming above ground again.

Finally, after almost a year, a troll came running up to Peppy, looking excited. "King Peppy! We finished digging the escape tunnel!"

"You did!?" Peppy cried, turning his own excitement on the messenger.

If so, they'd be able to escape before anyone else was eaten. Trollstice was right around the corner, after all.

"Uh-huh! We're ready to move whenever you give the word, King Peppy!"

"That's wonderful! Then tell everyone to—"

"Alright! That's what I'm talking about! We totally won that one! No one can beat our teamwork!" said a passing bergen, sounding distinctly...happy?

"What the—" Peppy cut himself off. "That sounds like..." He headed that way, curious. Bergens couldn't be happy without eating trolls.

Could they?

Peppy got to the edge of the cage and saw two bergens in the square, wearing sports gear and carrying rackets. "Aw, yeah!" one said, holding a hand up. "Slap me some!"

"Heh heh! Yeah!" said the other, and he gave his friend a high five.

"Why, I...I don't believe it..." Peppy said, staring at the smiling bergens with awe.

"Man, that felt good!" one said.

"DID IT, NOW!?" Peppy shouted, hoping to get a bergen's attention. "ARE YOU TWO AWARE JUST HOW HAPPY YOU BOTH LOOK!? I THOUGHT BERGENS COULDN'T BE HAPPY WITHOUT EATING TROLLS!"

The bergens looked around, and one asked, "What!? Who said that!?"

"Uh..." said the other. He caught sight of Peppy by the cage and pointed. "Was it him?"

"No way, man! Trolls don't talk!"

"That's where you're wrong, my friends!" Peppy said, looking at the bergens with happiness rather than fear for once. "We're really quite good at making conversation! And you, sir, looked extremely happy just now! What's the occasion?"

"What are you talking about? We haven't eaten any trolls! It's not Trollstice yet!"

"Yeah! What he said! You have to eat a troll to be happy! Everyone knows that!"

"Oh, you do, do you? Hmm... That's odd, because you sure sounded happy to me. Something about winning a game or something?"

The one who said trolls don't talk laughed a bit, grinning. "Yeah. We totally killed it at bergen ball just now!"

"You know it!" his friend said, looking equally as joyful.

"Hmm... I see, I see. So, gentlemen, may I ask you, what does happiness feel like on Trollstice? Does it feel anything like winning a bergen ball game?"

"Huh? What do you..." The bergen stopped, thinking about it a bit.

His friend thought about it, too, and his eyes widened after a moment. "Hey...now that you mention it..."

"He...he's right..." The bergen looked at his friend, his eyes wide in shock.

"So...?" Peppy asked, grinning with amusement.

"Yeah... I-I guess we are happy!"

The other bergen turned and called to all those within earshot, "H-hey, everyone! Check out what this troll's gone and done!"

Prompted by those two, the entire town had soon gathered to hear what Peppy, the troll king, had to say about happiness. It wasn't long before a huge celebration was held between trolls and bergens. The trolls had taught the bergens how to be happy year-round, not just one day a year. Grateful, they let their new friends go, and Peppy didn't have to use the escape tunnel he'd dug. The trolls packed up, and Peppy led them all off to find a less nerve-wracking location for their new home. Most of the trolls, after all, still didn't trust that the bergens weren't going to change their minds.

However, there was one bergen who wasn't too happy about this development. She went from Minister of Happiness and Keeper of the Trolls to just...Chef. She swore revenge on the trolls and came up with a plot to get back at them. As the trolls were making their escape, she snatched up one troll, a small purple child with blue, teal, and green hair. He'd been lagging behind a bit, so nobody noticed when she took the tiny creature.

That was the last day anyone saw Creek.

Peppy found an area that had fresh air, clean water, great acoustics, and was far enough from Bergen Town for everyone to feel safe, and they started rebuilding their civilization there. Before long, they'd constructed pods to live in and started filling them with their possessions from the Troll Tree.

As Peppy was unloading a box of mementos of his wife, he found an unusual letter with his name on the envelope in Polly's handwriting.

"Huh? What's this?" he asked.

He pulled it out and read:

Peppy,

If you're reading this, then I was taken during a Trollstice feast. I know this must be hard on you and Poppy, but know that I'm just glad that it was me instead of you. Please take good care of our little angel and her future fiance, Branch. Rosiepuff and I fully agree that the two deserve each other. I know this might sound like a difficult task, but please do whatever it takes to bring those two together for us. They have more in common with each other than they'll ever know.

I love you always, my Cheer Maestro. Never lose your smile and laughter.

Your precious rose,

Polly

P.S. If either of the children are gone, please ignore this message. I hope you'll be alright now that you've lost so many of those close to you.

Peppy's eyes watered, and he held the letter tight. "Oh, Polly..."

He sat there for a bit, remembering what he'd lost just a year ago.

Before long, Peppy had gathered all of the trolls for a special announcement. One very confused family had been called up onto the stage, where the child was called forward. Peppy informed everyone that it was his wife's dying wish for their daughter to marry a certain troll in the village and said he had decided to arrange for their marriage. When the two were old enough, they would be wed.

"So, in conclusion, everyone, I'd like you all to meet your new crown prince of the trolls," Peppy said, smiling as he picked up the gray child and held him up for all to see, "Branch!"

"What!?" Branch asked, startled. Since when do you even want me?

Everyone cheered excitedly. If this was their queen's dying wish, then this was something they approved. Peppy put the 6-year-old down and placed a crown atop his head, then waved at the other trolls. Poppy sat on her dad's head, happily playing a cowbell.

Branch glowered up at the king and asked, "So we're trying that again? You know me living with you didn't work before, and it's not gonna work any better now!"

"Hush, child. You'll thank me for this one day," Peppy said as he continued happily waving at his people. I hope...

Branch crossed his arms, irritation on his face.

"Smile for the crowd, my boy. They're expecting a happy prince," Peppy said.

"I don't do happy."

Despite Branch's attitude, Peppy remembered how the two had been before that devastating day. He had to hope that Branch could be like that again—that he could laugh and play and just be happy again, even after everything he'd lost. Now that they were all free and safe, there was no reason he couldn't recover in time. The dead's last wishes were, as far as Peppy was concerned, more important than the miserable boy's wishes right now. He'd liked Poppy before losing his family. Surely he would, eventually, come to love her.

So, from that day on, Branch was raised as a prince and taught everything he needed to know to help Poppy rule the trolls one day, much to his annoyance. As he grew, he kept sneaking out from time to time, teaching himself survival skills. The others may have thought the bergens weren't a threat anymore, but Branch still didn't trust them. As time went on, he became more and more of a survivalist...and grew tired of being the prince of the happiest creatures in the forest.

Like he said that day, he didn't do happy.