Shadgirl2: Hey, we're back! I guess it's pretty clear who's playing Rapunzel in this story, huh?
Midna Azusa: Glad it wasn't obvious from the start. I tried to make that summary as vague as I possibly could.
Shadgirl2: In other words, if you didn't know who'd be trapped in a tower, Midna achieved her goal.
Midna: Yep! And now we can get on to the fun! Enjoy!
Disclaimer: We don't own Trolls. The OCs in this chapter belong to Shadgirl2.
Right as Branch was giving up on ever finding a way out of this, teal hair latched onto the windowsill, and Branch heard someone climbing up from below. He jumped, looking at the window with suspicion. If that was who he thought it was, the creep might be coming to finish the job. Branch backed away, picking up one of the bricks he'd dug loose and readying himself for battle.
Creek poked his head up over the windowsill, a worried look on his face. "Branch! You o—"
Branch threw the brick and hit Creek in the head, cutting him off.
"Ow!" Creek rubbed his head with one hand, the other still holding the windowsill. "Aw, man. That's—"
"So you're working for the bergen that took you!?" Branch glared at Creek, reaching for another brick. "I should've known better than to trust you!"
Creek pulled himself up to sit on the windowsill and used his hair to hold on. "N-now, calm down a moment, mate!" he said with an awkward grin, holding his hands out in front of him as he tried to stop Branch from pelting him with more objects. "I-it's not w-what it looks like!"
"Really? Because it looks like you just lured me into a bergen's trap to save your own skin!" Branch yelled, pulling his arm back to throw a second brick.
"N-n-no, please! Y-you don't understand! Ch-Chef is an a-absolute monster!" Creek stammered, looking downright terrified at the topic of conversation. "A-a-and—"
Not only was he stammering so badly that he could barely speak, but he was trembling and covering his face with his hands, looking like he felt the need to shield himself from something other than the troll who'd thrown a brick at him. Branch wasn't stupid—he noticed how Creek was behaving.
His expression softened just a fraction. He relaxed his stance and asked, "What did she do to you?"
How had this bergen turned his best friend against him? What had Creek really been through the last four years?
Creek sighed, sliding off the windowsill. He turned and let Branch take a closer look at his back, saying, "This, for one thing. But it's far from all she did."
Branch hesitantly walked over, looking at Creek's back. For the first time, he noticed dark purple lines covering it. They blended in well enough that it probably would have taken Branch a little while to notice them on his own. He had a few burns on his back here and there, and some other wounds that looked like they weren't quite healed yet.
"Ever since the day Chef took me, she's been training me to obey her. Beating me up, burning me, refusing food unless I was good, and so much worse than t-that... O-oh... I tremble a-at the th-thought of h-her c-catching m-me here." He put his hands on his head, actually trembling. "B-b-but—"
Torture. Chef had been torturing Creek for four years. Suddenly it made sense that he'd do this. It didn't ease the pain Branch felt at the betrayal, but at least he had a reason why now. Given that they were only kids, it was understandable that such an experience would make Creek wary of crossing Chef.
Finally, Branch dropped the brick, the look in his eyes no longer saying he wanted to kill Creek. Softly, he asked, "Then why are you here?"
"Because!" Creek answered, turning to Branch with eyes wide with worry. "I can't just let her leave you out here for dead! I mean, what kind of a troll would I be if I had a hand in something as horrible as to fully betray a friend like that?" Looking horribly grieved at the thought, Creek added, "Oh, it's just too terrible to imagine!"
Branch took some comfort from the fact that his friend didn't plan to let him die here. Still, given how he had wound up in this mess, he was seriously wondering if he should even be thinking of Creek as a friend anymore. He stared at the guru troll for a moment, unsure whether he should trust anything Creek was saying right now. Finally, Branch asked, "So...if you're not leaving me here to die, what are you going to do?"
"I can't explain right now. Chef went to bed temporarily, but I know her schedule will have her up and about very shortly. And I'm currently supposed to be gathering evidence for your supposed 'death.' But don't worry. I'll come back tomorrow night so that Chef doesn't know I'm here, and I'll explain everything to you then," Creek said, climbing back out the window and stretching his hair out toward the ground.
Branch hurried over to the window and looked down at Creek, calling, "You're really coming back, right!?"
"I am, mate!" Creek called back up from the ground, offering a reassuring look. "I promise!"
He ran to his flyer bug, which had some kind of critter strapped to its back. The creature was mutilated, unrecognizable, and covered in blood. Branch assumed it had something to do with what Creek had said about gathering evidence of Branch's death. Creek climbed aboard his bug and flew off.
Branch just watched him go for a moment, fear still boiling inside him. I hope he means that...
He headed over to his backpack and dug around inside. He pulled out a blanket he'd grabbed from his bunker—he'd made it himself. It was scratchy and not quite as warm as the one his mom had made him, but it was all he had. Given that it was chilly out here in this stone tower, he wrapped it around his shoulders. Then he glanced back at the window to make sure nobody was there before reaching back into the bag and pulling out Croco.
"If Creek doesn't come back...I won't last long," Branch said. He sat down on the cold floor, his knees to his chest, and squeezed the stuffed gator. "I want to go home... King Peppy'd have an answer..."
Branch just hugged Croco tight, wishing he'd told Peppy about Creek's strange behavior instead of running away. It was amazing how quickly he'd gone from hating the royal pod to thinking of it as home.
Creek, meanwhile, returned to Troll Village, which was already in an uproar about the lost prince. In fact, they'd been worried for quite some time. After Chef brought Creek back, he'd found Peppy already looking for Branch. Creek had volunteered to go look for him. He'd figured he could kill two birds with one stone. For one, he could finish Chef's plan and find a way to fake evidence that Branch was dead, as she instructed. For another, it would give him the chance to go back and talk to Branch so his friend didn't spend an entire day thinking he'd been left to perish.
Luckily for Creek, he'd succeeded on both parts, and somehow he'd gotten away with only a single bump on the head. Now, however, was the difficult part—telling the king that Branch was dead. He presented Peppy with a bug carcass he'd found in the forest. The poor thing was mutilated beyond recognition, so it was easy to pass it off as the unhappy troll, given the similar color of whatever bug this had once been. Creek said he'd found shredded fabric in the area, using that to explain why he thought this was Branch.
Peppy was deeply grieved. Branch was gone, and there was no denying he was dead, from the look of his body. He felt terrible—he was supposed to take care of the boy. And just when he'd thought he'd had a breakthrough, too. Things had been looking up for the boy. Creek was home, which put a spark of happiness in Branch's eyes; he hadn't pushed Peppy away when he hugged him, as the boy so often did the last few years; and Branch had even agreed to try getting to know Poppy. Granted, looking back on it, Peppy knew that Branch hadn't meant that. If he had, he wouldn't have run away.
Not only had he failed to honor his wife's and friends' dying wishes, he'd failed to even keep Branch alive.
Given the poor state of the body, Peppy had a coffin made immediately. He didn't want to risk having any of the children, especially those who had once been close to Branch, seeing what had become of him. He hardly wanted any of the adults seeing what had happened. That very day, they had a funeral for the boy. Peppy decided that it would be kindest to bury Branch with the rest of his family under the Troll Tree, so the trolls headed to Bergen Town, where the boy was laid to rest beside his parents and grandmother. The entire village turned up to mourn him, and some of the bergens joined them, as well.
King Gristle and his son, Gristle Jr., were among those who came to mourn Branch. The two had known Branch well, given how often Peppy had brought him over to visit, and the younger one had liked Branch quite a bit. He'd thought Branch fit in well in Bergen Town and would make a good friend. Given that Branch had always been jumpy around the bergen royals, Prince Gristle hadn't really pushed the matter, so they weren't friends. Losing his only possible real friend was too much for the bergen prince. It would take quite a while for him to recover—he cried harder than anyone as the funeral occurred.
Biggie and Cooper were both in tears, as well, and they were among the most unhappy of the trolls at this event. Peppy was hardly surprised—they had been friends with Branch a few years ago, but he'd driven them away. Now they were probably wondering if they could have stopped him from leaving if they'd kept trying to help him. Nobody would blame them for Branch's death, of course, but Peppy would need to check in with them later to make sure neither of the boys blamed themselves for it. After all, if anyone could be blamed for Branch's untimely end, it was he, King Peppy. He'd failed as Branch's caretaker.
He couldn't stop looking back at the last conversation he'd had with Branch and seeing all of the warning signs he shouldn't have ignored. When he'd told Branch he was at risk of driving everyone away, the boy had said everyone might be better off without him. He'd shown his sadness instead of covering it up. He'd let Peppy hug him. He'd been generally cooperative and respectful.
At the time, it had seemed like Peppy had finally started getting through to Branch. Looking back, the king felt like an idiot for leaving that boy alone after all of that.
When the trolls returned to their village, they were quieter than usual as they mourned the death of their young prince. It was true that most of them hadn't really known or liked Branch, but the way he died was too tragic. He'd been only ten.
Creek took advantage of the mournful atmosphere and went to check on Biggie and Cooper. While visiting Biggie, he assured the bigger troll that Branch's demise wasn't his fault. He then spent some time with his friend, insisting on baking some tasty treats because Biggie loved baking, before moving on to see Cooper. Cooper seemed to be feeling just as bad as Biggie, but he perked up easier when Creek talked to him.
Once night came, Creek waited until everyone was sound asleep. That didn't take long—given the day's events, there weren't even any parties that night. Once the coast was clear, Creek gathered up some food and blankets and took off for the tower, using his flyer bug to make the trip quicker.
Branch sat alone in the tower all day, alternating between fear that Creek would abandon him and fear that something else would come in and eat him before Creek could abandon him. He held Croco close, needing the comfort. He nibbled at the rations he'd packed, intent on making them last as long as possible but knowing he needed to eat something. At some point, exhausted, he fell asleep. When he woke again, the sun was setting. As night fell and the temperature dropped, the tower, which had already been relatively cool all day, became much colder. Even with his blanket wrapped around him, Branch still felt cold. He was just starting to worry that he'd freeze to death when he heard the flapping of wings.
Hoping it was Creek and not something else, Branch snapped his attention to the window. He saw Creek sitting there on his bug, a picnic basket in one hand and a few blankets draped over his bug.
"Hey, there, old friend," Creek said with a slight smile. He hoped to lighten the mood some. One look at Branch, and he could tell his friend was scared and miserable. "Did you miss me?" He leaped off his bug into the tower.
More than you realize, Branch thought. He realized it was ironic for him to miss the very troll who had put him in this position, but Creek had come back, like he'd promised. Maybe he wasn't a complete traitor. "I'd be lying if I said no. But I've got another question for you now."
"But of course," Creek said as he reached out the window and took three blankets off his flyer bug. "Ask away, my friend."
Branch got up and took a step closer to Creek, holding his own blanket around himself. He gestured at Creek with his free hand, which wasn't actually free—Croco was still clutched in it. "How are you still...colorful?"
Creek looked down at himself and sighed. "Well, it hasn't been an easy ride, to say the least," he said, putting the blankets down. "But, thankfully, I had my Hindu training to help me cope. It kept me sane and helped me look at the positives in life. Like how I wasn't actually dead yet. Or how fortunate it was that it was me and not one of my friends. And, as for now, it's shown me that I've still got a lot to live for since I learned that both Cooper and Biggie are still right as rain and all."
Speaking of, he knelt down, reached into the basket, and pulled out a pineapple upside-down cake that looked like it had been made in a kid's toy oven.
"Borrowed an Easy Bake from Biggie," Creek said with a smile, confirming that it had been made in a kid's toy oven. "I hope you don't mind."
Given that he hadn't had anything to eat all day other than the few rations he'd packed for emergencies, Branch wouldn't have minded if Creek had handed him mayonnaise and anchovy pizza. He let go of the blanket and took the food Creek offered. "Thanks." He ate the pastry. It wasn't the best thing he'd ever eaten, but it was food, and that was what mattered.
"Now, I've baked enough for you to last through both dinner and lunch. Unfortunately Biggie grew suspicious of me about then, so you'll have to ration them if you want any breakfast." He reached back into the basket and pulled out a thermos, which he'd filled with juice. "And that's from Cooper," he said, holding it out. "He uh...thought I wanted to go camping with him, though, so I'll need it back for a while in a week, alright?" Creek asked, sweating slightly.
How Cooper reached these conclusions was a mystery. Apparently, he thought that Creek wanted it because he didn't have one of his own for camping trips, so Cooper had decided they were going camping without Creek ever saying a word about camping. Still, at least he didn't have to return this thing—Cooper had given it to him as a gift.
Branch set Croco down on the floor and took the thermos, saying, "Here's a thought. Why don't you tell King Peppy what's going on when Chef's asleep? It'd be a lot easier than trying to keep me alive on your own."
Creek slammed his eyes shut, looking terrified, and shook his head fiercely. "Oh, no, no, no, no, no, no! I can't do anything as reckless as that! What if Chef finds out!? She'd have my head for it!" He grabbed his head again as he trembled, eyes wide in terror.
Branch threw his hands out, saying, "Creek, this is reckless, too! Think about it. If you have to keep coming out here, there's more chance she'll find out about this than if you spend one night telling someone the truth!"
"No, there isn't, because she'd never see what you do during the day!" Creek answered, making Branch wonder if this bergen was just perpetually watching Troll Village now if she wasn't asleep. "B-but if a-all th-the trolls s-s-suddenly st-started a-acting funny, I-I'd be—"
"I'm not saying tell everyone, just King Peppy," Branch said, trying to be more gentle. It was difficult for him, given how frustrated he was. "He can help you, Creek!"
Branch thought about the two possible solutions here. Creek's idea was to keep coming out here every night, apparently, and feed Branch. The problems with that were simple: First, when would Creek sleep? Second, what if someone saw him leaving? Third, how long would it be before people wondered why Creek was never available for any nighttime activities? And those were just a few problems.
On the other hand, with Branch's own idea, Creek would just go to Peppy at night after he knew Chef would be asleep, explain the situation, and beg the king to find some way to deal with the problem without Chef finding out that he knew. Peppy would probably contact King Gristle about the issue and otherwise act as if nothing was wrong. He wouldn't tell anyone else, and he wouldn't take any precautions against Creek. He might provide Creek with more supplies for Branch at night, but that would be it. Peppy wasn't an idiot—he could help. King Gristle would find and arrest Chef, and Creek would be safe. It wouldn't get Branch out of this mess, but at least he wouldn't have to worry about the others being eaten or about being left here to die. Peppy wouldn't let either of those happen.
"T-t-that's okay, Branch! T-this is way s-safer! A-and n-n-no o-offense, but I-I'd very m-much l-like to keep m-my internal o-organs o-on the inside, i-if it's a-all the s-same t-to you," Creek said, hugging his stomach tight. His eyes were still wide.
Branch lost his patience completely then. "Creek, Chef wants to feed everyone to the bergens, and not only are you going to let her, you're helping her!" he cried, throwing his hands up.
Creek got up then and headed for the window. He'd had more than enough of this conversation. Both he and Branch were getting upset by it, and Branch didn't seem likely to drop this any time soon. It might be better if they just avoid talking much from now on. "I'm sorry, Branch. It's the only way." He leaped back onto his flyer bug and took off before Branch could argue with him anymore.
Branch tossed his head. "Ugh! Wow, didn't know Creek was that much of a coward... This is going to take a while. Good thing Poppy's only 5. Apparently he's supposed to marry her...which reminds me, he promised me an explanation." Now kicking himself for scaring Creek off before he could get that explanation, Branch set the thermos down and headed over to the blankets, picking one up and looking at it.
"...This is mine," he said, recognizing the blanket. It was the orange one his mom had made for him. At least he'd gotten that back, he supposed. One of the other two looked familiar, too, but he wasn't too worried about that. Branch sighed. "Just yesterday, I was trying to run away. Now I'd give anything to hear Poppy's annoying voice telling me to stop being mean."
He wrapped the orange blanket around himself. It was definitely warmer than the one he'd brought with him. He headed back over to where he'd left Croco and picked the toy up, thinking about what just happened with Creek.
"Guess I pushed him too hard," he said to himself as he sat back down. "He's clearly been through a lot, so it makes sense he'd be afraid of that bergen. I still don't like them, and I wasn't tortured by one. But, one way or another, I'm gonna find a way out of this—for all of us."
Optimism wasn't Branch's usual outlook on life, but he had to believe that he could solve this. If he didn't, he'd probably give up on life. If Chef's plan succeeded, then all of Troll Village would be eaten and Branch would be left alone to die. He and Creek were the only ones who knew about it, and Creek obviously didn't have any intention of saving anyone but himself.
Needing to shift gears before these thoughts drove him insane, Branch looked at the ceiling lamely and said, "In the meantime, I guess I'll just sit in this tower, trapped like Rapunzel. Talk about backward! This is the sort of role Poppy'd be dopey enough to play! Why am I the one who suddenly turned into Rapunzel overnight!?"
He hugged Croco to his chest, needing any comfort he could get right then, and tried to keep his thoughts annoyed as he focused on the fact that his life was suddenly a fairy tale.
Creek moved in with a new troll, who became his foster mother. He wasn't sure what happened to his own family, but he also wasn't sure he wanted to know. They'd probably gone looking for him and never returned. As the days passed, he sneaked out from time to time to gather food from the parties in town and even some wood that Branch could use to build furniture. He made his nightly visits as short as possible so he wouldn't have to talk to Branch anymore about the insane idea he had to tell someone about Chef.
At first, Branch didn't care. He figured he'd let Creek settle down and the guy would eventually stop avoiding him. However, after a few days, he couldn't take the loneliness anymore. He spent the entire day alone and only saw Creek for about 30 seconds each night. He had no one to talk to but himself. Besides that, he still wanted answers about Chef's plan. Why was Chef even doing this?
To top it all off, he had more than enough time to reflect on everything Peppy had ever said to him about how he'd wind up alone one day.
It's funny. I always told King Peppy I wanted to be alone. Now that I am, all I want is someone to talk to, Branch thought three days after his last conversation with Creek.
He hugged his knees to his chest, then reached into his backpack and pulled out his picture. "Mom, Dad, Grandma... I wish you guys were here. I need you. I can't do this alone. W-why did you have to—" He choked up then, tears spilling over and cutting off any words he might have wanted to say.
It took him a little while to get control of himself again. When he did, he wiped his eyes and put the picture away. Like always, thinking of them hurt, but he didn't have anything here to distract him when his mind dragged him down that dark path. He picked up Croco, which was always near him these days, and hugged the toy to his chest as he looked out the window, longing for freedom.
A single star glistened brightly, as if responding to his cries. For a brief second, Branch even thought he saw a troll's face form in the sky. It looked like his grandmother, a sad expression on her face.
...Grandma... He was probably just hallucinating, but the image did get him thinking of Creek again—he was the only troll Branch saw anymore. "...I should apologize to Creek. Talking to myself is getting really old. Besides, how am I going to find out what Chef's planning or get Creek out of her hands if I don't know what's going on?"
"No one can help you if you don't let them, Branch," he heard Peppy's voice in his head. "Sooner or later, you'll need to trust in someone, or this hurt you feel inside will consume you."
Branch looked down, thinking about those words. "...He wasn't wrong, though I don't think he ever expected me to be physically trapped because of my own misery."
"Branch, I know losing your family like that really hurt you, but you can't keep doing stuff like that. Sooner or later, you'll end up upsetting everyone so much that you'll drive them all away, like you did with Biggie and Cooper."
Immediately after that one, Branch heard, "You can't keep wallowing in self-pity like this forever. If you do, you'll wind up missing out on the important things in life, like having a real childhood or making friends with others. The way you're acting, you're likely to lose both, and you won't like it if you do."
Why did that guy always have to be right?
"...If I'm going to get out of here, I need Creek's help. We were friends when we were little. Maybe... Instead of messing it up like I did with Biggie and Cooper, maybe I should take King Peppy's advice and...let Creek in. I mean, being happy's the only way I'll ever get out of here... Maybe he can help. Then I can help him deal with Chef, and everyone will be safe." Of course, giving Creek a chance after he'd lured him into a trap seemed akin to giving a rabid hyena a chance, but what choice did Branch really have? After a moment, he thought back on what he'd said and put his hands to his head, shaking his head. "Oh, man, I must really miss Poppy! I'm starting to spout off optimistic ideas!"
Just then, Branch heard the flapping of wings and knew Creek was here. As usual, he didn't get off his flyer bug, simply tossing in a basket as he said, "Here you go, mate! Enjo—"
"Creek, wait!" Branch cried desperately, scrambling to his feet and running over with Croco still in hand. He grabbed the windowsill with one hand and said, "I'm sorry. I should've left you alone the other day. You're right, I don't know exactly what's going on, so I shouldn't be telling you what to do."
Creek paused, a log in one hand, and looked at Branch with curiosity.
Branch just stared at him for a moment before he sighed, letting go of the window, and looked down. "I don't want to be alone..."
Creek gave Branch a sympathetic look—he could understand that. He'd spent the last four years alone himself. He smiled gently and hopped off his bug, holding three logs as he landed inside the tower. The bug flew down to wait on the ground. "Aw, that's alright, mate. No harm done." He set the logs down gently, saying, "So I'm not quite sure what you can do with these, but you did imply you have hidden survival skills, so..." He closed his eyes and shrugged, letting that sentence hang.
Branch looked at the logs. Honestly, he was having a hard time believing Creek was still here. "...Yeah, with the right tools, I can make some furniture since it looks like I'm going to be here a while. Luckily I brought most of what I need when we left Troll Village."
"Oh, really? And what all do you still require? Perhaps I can find some tools for you if you tell me what to bring."
"Could use some nails..." Branch said. He didn't have a lot of those, and there were some other things he'd need, but there was something else he needed to talk about first. "...Creek, there's something I don't get. What's that bergen up to, anyway? I thought King Peppy made peace with the bergens years ago."
Creek sighed, opening the basket and taking out some berries he'd picked earlier. "Well, the truth is, Branch, he did. But Chef didn't like getting demoted, so she...took me and took off. She went to a different town far from here, where bergens still don't know how to be happy. I've lived with her there ever since as she plotted her revenge with me as the instrument for it." He pulled out some finger sandwiches he'd taken from a party in town and a bottle of juice, both of which he handed to Branch with a gentle smile, saying, "Here, mate. Complements of everything good back in Troll Village."
Branch looked at Creek before he smiled hesitantly, set the toy down, and took what Creek was offering. "Thanks, Creek."
"Don't mention it." He sighed, miserable. "Oh, if only there were a way out of this. But it's just too risky for me at this point." He looked down and sighed again.
"I'm sorry, Creek," Branch said, choosing not to start that argument again. "I wish I could help."
"Hmm... Well, perhaps you can," Creek answered, giving Branch a look of hope.
Branch raised an eyebrow. He was trapped in a tower far from Troll Village, and everyone thought he was dead. "How?" he asked, setting the food and juice down.
"Well, think about it a second," Creek said, suddenly becoming more eager. "If you were to suddenly become happy on your own, then you could return to Troll Village and warn everyone yourself! You already know what Chef plans to do to us all—force me to marry Princess Poppy so I can make everyone move to Crumsville and start Trollstice back up there. But, since Chef told you, thinking you'd be dead, it would raise far less suspicion for you to return alive than it would for me to suddenly decide to turn on her, yes?"
Branch wasn't so sure about this idea. It depended on his ability to be happy, but it was the only idea Creek seemed willing to try. Also, apparently, the name of Chef's new hometown was Crumsville, which just seemed typical for bergens.
"I guess..." Branch said, sounding unsure.
Creek nodded, looking glad that Branch agreed to this. "Alright, then that's what we'll do! This should be a breeze, with you being a troll yourself! So!" He clapped his hands together, looking right at Branch. "What can we do that'd make you happy, mate?"
Branch thought about it. Bring his family back to life? Impossible, and Creek wouldn't let them know he was alive even if they could do that. Make up with Cooper and Biggie? No, Creek wouldn't let them anywhere near here. Go back to Peppy's pod and let Poppy annoy him? He couldn't leave.
Every idea he had involved not being trapped in a tower. Apparently, the only thing he really wanted (besides the impossible action of reviving his family from the dead) was to leave the tower.
Well, other than getting out of here, I can't really think of anything... I don't even remember what it's like to be happy...
He hadn't realized until then how bad it was that he'd forgotten what happiness felt like.
Branch shrugged and, sounding depressed, said, "I don't know, Creek."
Creek deflated. "Oh..."
"I mean, I haven't been happy in five years. I don't really remember what it feels like to be happy...and the only thing I can think of that I want is to go home, which isn't something we can do right now."
"Oh... Well, being happy's an easy thing to do, Branch! I mean, I did it, despite the circumstances! We'll just need to find out what it takes for you to perk up, too!" Creek said, offering an optimistic look. However, Branch saw a hint of uncertainty there.
That didn't seem to bode well for him. His only hope of getting out of here lay with Creek finding out how to help him be happy, but Creek didn't look like he thought he could do it. How was Branch supposed to believe this would work?
Still, there was no other option. Creek would just leave again and probably never talk to Branch again if he suggested telling King Peppy or even King Gristle what was going on. Besides, that wouldn't get Branch out of the tower. Sure, it would save everyone else, but Branch himself would still be trapped far from home.
Branch nodded. "Right."
"Right!" Creek said, glad to have a plan. "So? Where do we start?"
They spent a bit of time discussing their options that night, but Branch still didn't have any ideas. Creek would need to come up with something himself, he soon realized.
When he left that night, he ended up taking several baskets with him. In hindsight, maybe bringing a different basket each night and just leaving them there hadn't been a good idea. He probably should have asked Branch to give back the one he'd left the night before. There were only so many times Creek could run off with somebody's basket before trolls began to wonder where they were going, after all.
Meanwhile, back in Troll Village, Peppy was trying to get his daughter to sleep. Since Branch's death, she'd been highly upset, and getting her to bed at night had become very difficult. Tonight, he tried reading her a bedtime story—Cinderella. Normally she'd fall asleep before he even finished the story. Lately, however, she was awake through the whole thing.
Tonight was no exception.
"And when Cinderella put the shoe on, the prince knew she was the one he'd been looking for. So he took her back to the palace and married her, and the two lived happily ever after. The end." He closed the book.
The truth was, Peppy was trying hard to stay strong for his daughter. He wasn't feeling much better himself, but this was his daughter's first time losing someone she loved. Ironically, she was the same age Branch had been when he'd experienced loss for the first time. Peppy had learned how different mourning could be when you had a child who was old enough to grieve, thanks to those weeks with Branch. Fortunately, his daughter hadn't lost her colors from the grief, but she certainly wasn't her usual happy self.
Poppy sat up in her bed, giving her dad a sad look, and asked, "Daddy? Why do people die? Cinderella lost her mommy and daddy, and we lost Mommy and Brother. It's not fair at all..." She hugged her favorite stuffed unicorn, looking down.
Peppy sighed sadly and put an arm around her shoulders. "I know, Honey. But that's how things go sometimes. We don't like it, of course, but we can't let it bring us down. Your mother and Branch would want us to be happy," he said, knowing it was true. Miserable as that boy had been, he never wanted everyone else to be just as unhappy as him. "To keep living for them as if they were still here. They'd be real sad if we didn't."
Looking back, Peppy thought he should have told Branch the same thing. He'd told Branch that trolls became stars when they die, but Branch hadn't believed him and had gotten mad at him for the lie, telling him it was nonsense and nobody was up there. Peppy had been so busy trying to calm the boy down after that, he'd completely forgotten to mention how Branch's parents and grandmother would feel if they could see him. It might have helped him recover if Peppy had pointed out how being miserable would upset Branch's relatives. But it was too late for that now.
Poppy, eyes full of tears for the fourth night in a row, protested, "But, Daddy. How would they know if we weren't?"
Peppy pointed at the sky outside and answered, "Look out there, Princess. See all those stars in the sky? My dad once told me they're our lost loved ones, watching over us from afar. And even during the day, they still shine. We just can't see them because it's too bright outside. So, whenever you're feeling lonely, just look up at the stars. They'll always be there, watching over you."
Poppy looked out the window, curious. "Mommy and Brother turned into stars?" She smiled slightly, thinking about that. "That's sort of cool!"
Peppy nodded at her with a solemn smile. "Yes. It is, my princess..." He got up then, saying, "You should get to bed now. It's later than usual because of that game of War we played that just wouldn't end. And we have a lot to do tomorrow for Polly and Branch. Let's make them both happy by being happy, too."
That game had been part of Peppy's plan to get their minds off of their loss, and it had worked too well. They'd lost track of time and been up until 3 in the morning playing it. Given how miserable Poppy had been the last few days, she wasn't all that tired, anyway.
Poppy nodded in agreement and said, "Okay, Daddy."
Peppy gave her a gentle smile as he headed out of her room. "Good night, my Princess. See you tomorrow."
"Okay. Night night, Daddy."
Peppy turned the light out as he left.
Poppy yawned, stretching a bit. Finally, her mind was relaxed enough to sleep. She looked out the window again and said, "Night night, Mommy. Big Brother. Take care." She snuggled down into bed, closing her eyes.
A second later, she shot up, remembering something important. "Oh! Right! Big Brother's new to being a star, so he don't know what to do!" She looked out the window again at the stars and said, "Mommy? Can you look after Big Brother Branch, please? Teach him how to be happy as a star. He might like it better than he liked being a troll..."
It might have been Poppy's imagination, but the stars seemed to move a bit after she made that request. Poppy's eyes widened for a moment. She blinked, watching as the stars appeared to form the face of a troll, smiling at her. The image looked like the pictures her dad had of her mom.
Being so young, Poppy took this to mean that her mom had heard her. She smiled, happy. "Thank you, Mommy! See you tomorrow!" She lay back down then to sleep, happier now that she knew her missing loved ones were still watching over her.
She had pleasant dreams of becoming a star herself one day and joining her lost family. Her dad and her friends, DJ Suki and Smidge, were with her, and everyone was happy and having fun. Even Branch.
Trolls passed that idea, that dead trolls became stars, on to any child who lost a loved one. It helped soften the blow until they were old enough to face the reality that their loved one was just gone for good. Peppy had heard that from his dad after his own mom had been taken for Trollstice, and he'd believed it until he'd grown old enough to realize how impractical that idea was.
Unbeknownst to any of them, it wasn't so impractical, after all. High up in the heavens, two trolls stood face to face, looking at each other as they processed what was happening to the children they cared for down below. Two others stood by, watching as well and worried for their son.
The pink troll, Polly, said, "Well, my dear Poppy has as big a heart as ever. If only she knew the power such a wish could grant a star if combined with the right amount of faith."
Rosiepuff nodded in agreement. "I couldn't agree more. If only the trolls knew the secrets only granted to star spirits. Then Branch would know he could have his wish granted, too..."
Her poor grandson had been through more than enough, yet his torment seemed to be nowhere near over.
Rosiepuff and Polly looked at each other curiously. Then Polly smiled as an idea came to her. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"
Rosiepuff looked at her for a moment longer before saying, "I may be. ...But...do you think it could work? It's never even been done before. At least, not successfully, I mean."
"I'm sure it could if we time it right. Those two have enough in common to pull it off eventually. All we'd have to do is wait, and I'm sure everything will all work out."
Rosiepuff looked at her friend for a moment longer before she shrugged. "Sure. Why not? It's not like we have anything to lose, I suppose."
After all, if nothing was done, the children would both die young.
Polly nodded, smiling gently. She held out her hand, which started glowing brightly with the power of Poppy's wish. Rosiepuff reached out and touched Polly's hand, and the two turned into bright light and sped off into the deepest parts of space to wait for the right moment to act.
Spring and Justin watched on, anxious. Their son's fate was hanging in the balance.
"Oh... I hope those two know what they're doing," Spring said. She looked at her husband, worried, and continued, "The odds are stacked against them, all things considered."
Branch hadn't believed in anything magical since they had died, and he certainly didn't believe in happy endings. Why would he ever think that his wishes could come true?
"I'm sure they do, my Flower," Justin assured her. "Mom...wouldn't have agreed to this if she didn't think it'd work."
Spring sighed, lowering her head and closing her eyes. "I hope you're right, my love. For everyone's sake."
Justin nodded, looking a bit unsure himself. But he planned to act confident for his wife's sake. Concerned, they both looked down at their son, who was sleeping in that horrible tower he'd been trapped in.
That night, a new star was born. Trolls and bergens alike took notice of it, but it wasn't like it was unusual. New stars formed sometimes and old stars died. It was just a fact.
A/N: The idea of trolls becoming stars when they die was inspired by two things: The Lion King and the song "Holes in the Floor of Heaven" by Steve Wariner. Additionally, I know I said this is a Trolls version of "Rapunzel," but we mixed in elements from other fairy tales, too. I guess I'm just saying to expect the unexpected. This AU can have almost anything happen. Props to anyone who can guess what other stories we reference! They could be actual fairy tales or kids' movies, to be fair.