Disclaimer: We don't own Trolls.

Warning: Lots of angst this chapter.

"This is a true story, not some silly urban legend, like Smidge or Guy had," Branch started.

The Snack Pack looked interested and even a bit curious now. "Oooh..."

"Do tell," Guy said with an eager smile. He loved a good scary story.

Lowering his voice, Branch said, "This happened to a troll who wandered way too far from Troll Village...and found himself in a dark and foggy swamp. The fog in this swamp was so thick, you couldn't see two feet in front of your face."

"Dang," Cooper said. "Sounds like a great place for a scary story!"

Everyone else shushed him so that Branch could continue. Many leaned toward him with fingers to their mouths.

Once again, Branch chose to ignore Cooper. "As the troll wandered through the swamp, he kept hearing eerie noises all around him... At first, he was uneasy, but he soon realized that nothing out here was going to hurt him. At least, that's what he thought..."

Biggie held Mr. Dinkles a little tighter, bracing for the scary part of the story.

"As he walked virtually blindly through the fog, the troll saw something weird ahead, a giant dome about as high as an alligator. He thought it was just a hill, but then he realized that didn't make any sense...the rest of the swamp was flat. He approached cautiously, wanting to investigate."

Everyone else leaned forward then, eyes wide with anticipation and curiosity.

"That's when he made his mistake—He stepped on a twig, snapping it in two. The sound echoed through the eerie swamp, sounding ten times louder than normal. And the hill moved...revealing that it wasn't a hill at all! It was a hideous swamp monster!"

The Snack Packs' eyes all widened in shock. This was definitely shaping up to be the scariest tale of the night.

Creek started trembling. He stammered, "R-r-really...?"

Satin and Chenille cried out, covering their mouths in fear.

Poppy leaned closer to Branch, curious and concerned. She had noticed that this tale seemed to take place in the swamp Branch currently called home. "What did it look like?" she asked.

"Think of the ugliest, most disgusting creature you've ever seen, and multiply that by ten. That's what it looked like."

Everyone grimaced, leaning away slightly, shivering some at the thought. Creek and DJ hugged themselves. Guy, Smidge, and the twins held their hands, clenched into fists, to their chests.

Branch chose to give their imaginations some more nightmare fuel as he continued, "Anyway, the creature lifted its giant, brown head and looked at the troll with red, reptilian eyes that seemed to glow in the swamp's mist. Apparently it could see better than the troll because it opened its huge mouth and let out a roar, revealing teeth as long and sharp as a bergen's knife!"

The others gasped, hugging each other and trembling. Biggie and Smidge hugged each other, and Guy grabbed onto them both from Smidge's other side. DJ and Cooper hugged. Creek and Poppy clung to each other for solace. The twins held each other tight, and Fuzzbert pushed up against Chenille.

"Oh, no!" Satin cried.

"W-what happened next?" Chenille asked, not sure she wanted to know.

"The troll turned to run, but the creature was faster," Branch continued. "It lashed out with its tongue, shooting it out like a frog, and would have caught the troll if he didn't jump out of the way in time. Standing up, the creature was huge—Its shadow loomed over the troll, blocking out what little sunlight reached this deep into the swamp. Its entire body was covered in murky brown scales, dripping with the muck and grime of the swamp water it had been sleeping in. Its four legs were long, its body agile. This thing was a hunter, and the troll knew it from one look. The creature could easily impale three trolls with just one claw."

The trolls grew more and more scared as Branch continued describing this horrendous beast. DJ, Creek, Poppy, Satin and Biggie slammed their eyes shut, squeezing their hug partners tighter. Smidge, Guy, and Chenille clenched their teeth, trying not to freak out, but still clung more tightly. All were sweating from fear now.

"Its tail was covered in spikes, making this thing just as dangerous from behind as it was from the front. The troll ran, the creature giving chase. It lashed out with its tongue again and again, and the troll barely dodged each strike. Tired of this game, the creature lunged, swatting at the troll with its massive, clawed foot! It caught the troll in the side, sending him flying and tearing a deep hole in his left side," Branch continued, his voice intense enough to match his tale.

The trolls gasped loudly, eyes bugging out of their heads now. Creek and Biggie showed the ultimate sign of fear—their hair turned pure white.

"O-oh, the horror!" Creek cried. "H-h-hold m-me, l-love!" He buried his face in Poppy's side, crying out repeatedly in terror.

Poppy just sat there, horrified herself for a different reason. A true story...? N-no way... H-he's gotta—

Was there a scar on Branch's left side, hidden under that vest, perhaps? A wound as bad as he'd just described would leave a scar. And how had he survived the ordeal, come to think of it? In this story, he was still in danger, and a wound that bad could kill in a variety of ways. For one, a troll could bleed out from that, or a vital organ could be damaged and either kill instantly or kill slowly. This could have left him disabled in some way or other, depending on what got hit. From what he was describing, Branch had gotten extremely lucky. Physically he seemed perfectly healthy...unless there was something going on inside that he just wasn't telling them, which was entirely possible. Was that the true price you paid for a "crime" such as his? That was too horrible for words!

Biggie stammered, "Oh, my! P-please don't tell me that's—"

With no care for their sensitivities, Branch continued relentlessly, "Bleeding profusely, the troll knew he couldn't outrun this creature, and he couldn't fight it, either. There was only one option: hide. As the creature lunged again, fangs bared, the troll looked around desperately for a place to hide."

Poppy couldn't take much more of this. Bleeding profusely? And he still couldn't take the time to stop it? How was he still alive?

Smidge, Guy, Poppy, DJ, Biggie, and Cooper all started biting their nails in fear—or, in Poppy's case, anxious anticipation. She needed an answer. He'd nearly died on her that day, and she hadn't even known it. Satin kept her hands over her mouth, her eyes wide. Chenille's hands were pressed against her mouth, clenched into tight fists.

"Seeing nothing close enough that he could get there in his current condition, he threw his hair out as a dome, trying to blend in with his surroundings."

And still unable to stop the bleeding, Poppy noted fretfully.

"The creature stopped, staring at the place the troll was hiding, as if it thought he had disappeared. It approached slowly, lowering its monstrous head to the swamp floor, and sniffed at the troll hair hiding its prey. The troll held his breath, hoping the creature would fall for this trick. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the creature lifted its head and turned away, stomping off into the swamp."

Poppy was surprised Branch didn't mention any signs of anemia. If that wound was still bleeding badly, he should have been lightheaded or something.

"The troll waited until its footsteps were just a distant rumble, then quickly patched himself up—"

Poppy silently wondered how long that took or how it was even possible without a doctor.

"—and ran as far and fast as he could—"

How did he have the strength to run?

"—vowing to never return to that place again," Branch finished.

The looks of terror on everyone's faces actually made that worth the retelling, he thought. Biggie, Cooper, DJ, Fuzzbert, Smidge, and Guy were trembling, even, clinging tighter to their hug partners; and the twins had grabbed onto each other again. Creek was shaking something awful and looked seconds away from bolting.

Poppy stared at Branch, her eyes as wide as they could get. She was trembling, and she felt faint. That story was just too much—too violent, too gruesome, and too true. How was Branch still alive after everything he'd been through? That sort of thing would've killed any other troll! How in the name of all that was trolly had he survived? The severe blood loss was bad enough, but he hadn't even been able to treat himself until a long time later? How did he have any blood left in him by then, with that in mind? And she still wasn't sure how he "patched himself up" and stopped the bleeding on his own. Even if he hadn't already lost so much blood, to have a hope of surviving something as serious as that, it sounded like he'd need stitches or something, maybe even surgery, depending on what happened to his internal organs, muscles, and bones. And he definitely should have needed a blood transfusion.

Yet, somehow, miraculously, he'd managed to put himself back together. Had he needed surgery—performed it on himself? Or did he just sew up his wound and hope for the best?

Even worse, this was just one story from his ten-year banishment. One day, a few hours at most. She didn't want to think about how bad the rest of it had been.

Ooh, that's so awful. Branch was probably on his last leg when he had to do that! Most likely lying there, desperately reaching for his—No, that's too horrible to even think about! And it all happened because we banished him? That means banishment's not just torture, it's a death sentence, too! My family's made up of a bunch of murderers, and we don't even know it!

While Poppy debated the full picture of just how horrible her family really was, the others were still thinking it was just a normal story.

Smidge took a moment to recover before nervously asking, "S-so what h-happened? I-is the b-beast still o-out th-there?"

"Oh, yeah," Branch answered eerily. "It's still somewhere in the swamp, waiting for its next unsuspecting victim to wander into its clutches...so it can finish them off!"

At his loud finish, all of the Snack Pack had their hair turn white as most shot up, screaming, and started running in a blind panic. Poppy's hair turned white, too, but she remained seated, curling into a tight ball and leaning away from Branch. She covered her eyes in fear and horror, trembling something awful.

After the initial shock wore off, she uncurled slowly and looked at Branch, eyes wide with concern more than fear. "Branch... Did that really—" She cut herself off. She wasn't sure she wanted an answer.

Branch just watched the others panic. He finally looked amused. It seemed scaring her friends was the highlight of his day. So he either enjoyed scaring people for fun, or it was just his way of paying them back for everything. She couldn't really blame him, if that was his reason for this savage enjoyment. After all, her friends had been unbelievably cruel all week, and he'd been through the ringer during the last ten years.

She didn't need to ask. He didn't need to answer. She knew, from the way he acted, the fierce fighter he'd turned into, that his life hadn't been easy in the least since the banishment. She wouldn't be surprised to learn that there were many other near-death experiences in his past. Before, she had hoped that the scars on his body were from harmless accidents, like cutting himself while cooking dinner or falling down a cliff. Now, she feared most had more sinister origins—something attacking him, something trying to kill him.

She almost wanted to check his left side. But she wasn't sure she could stand the sight of it.

All of that happened because her family favored banishing a troll for reckless endangerment or murder. They had no right to judge, as far as she was concerned—they were murderers, too, sending trolls to their impending deaths. Many were probably gruesome and traumatic, like Branch's encounter with that swamp monster. And no one ever even knew it happened.

Now Poppy understood Branch's need to kill predators. "It's them or us," he'd said. "It's called 'survival.'" Out in the wilderness, away from the safety of home, it was a literal battle for survival, where the strong killed off anything weaker than them. And the only way a weaker creature that many considered prey could make it was to kill their enemies. Kill or be killed. That was the motto Branch had been forced to adapt.

And it was her family's fault—her fault. She hadn't tried hard enough to bring him back. She could've threatened to run away if Branch wasn't given another chance, but she'd only done that for her stupid, obsessive holiday when her dad threatened to shut it down for good when she was 15! That threat worked so well to get Branch Appreciation Day allowed, so why hadn't she tried that to get him to bring Branch home? She was just lucky he was still alive. She'd nearly killed him herself because she didn't do everything in her power to bring him home! What kind of a friend would do that?

Poppy wrapped her arms around Branch, tearing up a bit, as her hair returned to its normal shade of pink. She didn't deserve Branch's friendship, not with that in mind. Everyone else was huddled together, disguised as rocks or grass—trembling rocks and grass.

Branch looked at Poppy, exasperated, and asked, "What are you doing?"

"I'm so sorry, Branch... My family's dumb idea of a punishment nearly got you killed! And everyone called you the murderer! We're no better than the bergens were!" She sniffled, miserable at the thought of the torture Branch had gone through at the hands of her dad...and her.

Maybe Creek was a better match for someone like her, after all. Hairballs knew Branch was out of her league. He was too caring and heroic—too good for a wicked leader like her any day. As princess and future queen, she was supposed to take care of her people, yet she'd left Branch alone to die out there.

Branch looked at her. He hadn't expected that answer, but he wasn't eager for another Poppy meltdown. He put a hand on her back in an uncharacteristically gentle manner and quietly said, "It's not your fault, Poppy. Don't worry about it."

It wasn't like she was the one who banished him. That distinction was her dad's, and she clearly didn't agree with it.

Poppy looked at him with tears in her eyes. "But, Branch. My family's the ones who—"

Satin gasped suddenly, tugging on Chenille's arm. Branch's attention snapped toward the sound, and he sweat. The pink twin was looking at them. She'd noticed Poppy's distress—and, more likely than not, the attention Branch was giving her. Poppy looked as well, curious but still crying.

Satin and Chenille shifted their hair back to normal and came over. Satin asked, "Poppy, are you okay?"

"I know, that story was really scary, wasn't it?" Chenille said with sympathy. "But you asked Branch to tell a story, remember?"

"That's right. Besides, it was just a story, right?"

Satin looked at Branch, and he could tell she needed this reassurance herself just as much as she thought Poppy needed it. Apparently they hadn't heard the conversation at all. They didn't know what was really bothering Poppy.

"That's right," Branch lied. "Just a story. There aren't any swamp monsters to worry about, especially not around here."

Poppy blinked, looking at him with uncertainty. Was he saying that story was made up? The scars on his body didn't seem to agree. They had to have come from somewhere.

Smidge, Guy, and Cooper all came over then, looking relieved.

"Oh, my ga!" Smidge said, smiling with relief. "Good one, Branch! You really had us going there!"

"Yeah," Guy agreed as he wiped some sweat from his brow. "I was so sure that creature was real, all things consiiidered!"

"Boy, am I glad it's not real!"

The others were drawn out of hiding and back to the campfire as this conversation continued.

"Ssheesh!" Creek said, sounding shaken. He was still hugging himself and trembling a bit. "W-way to scare us a-all half to d-d-death there, m-mate! I th-thought w-we were all g-goners for sure!"

Fuzzbert grunted out his agreement, but he also said that he thought the story was good, regardless.

"I wasn't scared for a moment," Biggie lied, trying to be strong for Mr. Dinkles. "I-it wasn't that bad. But Mr. Dinkles was terrified."

"Meep!" the worm said, calling his bluff and pointing out that he was fine.

Biggie decided not to respond to that one. There were times when he was grateful that not all of his friends spoke worm, and this was one of them.

Branch rubbed Poppy's back a bit as she sniffled and wiped her eyes, trying to stop the tears. "See? Everything's fine. There's nothing to be afraid of." Then, figuring he'd scared everyone enough for one night, he whispered in her ear, "And I'm fine, Poppy. That thing wasn't the first creature to almost kill me, after all."

He'd been on his own for months before he'd wound up in the swamp. He'd been attacked by birds in the valley, barely dodged the bergens in Borget, been cornered by some dog-like creature on the edge of the quicksand field, and run for his life when the land he'd originally chosen for his new home flooded quickly and without warning. His arms and legs bore scars from the birds' talons and beaks; and his back had been torn open by that dog-like creature, leaving him with three scars from its claws. The scar on his side was the worst, sure, and he'd barely survived that swamp beast's blow, but it was by no means the first—or the last.

Poppy looked even sadder than before. He'd just confirmed that the story was true. Her pity for him showed clearly in her eyes. "Branch..."

She had no doubts—she didn't deserve to be queen of the trolls, and she didn't deserve someone as good and caring as Branch. She didn't even deserve his friendship, let alone his love. Branch just didn't get it. She might not have been the one who banished him, but she was the one who barely did anything to reverse it. She could've even threatened to kill herself if he wasn't brought home to safety. That would have gotten her the results she wanted in a heartbeat.

Besides, she owed her life to Branch—he was the only reason she'd lived to the age of 21. It would've been right, honorable, to put her life on the line for him. He'd do the same for her, had done the same for her. But she was too selfish to think about that.

Branch had every right to kill her. Back in the swamp, if he'd gone through with it, he'd have been within his rights. He'd given up everything to save her life, so he technically had the right to take it. Looking back at everything they'd been through this week, she could easily justify just about everything Branch had done. Now she knew the full truth, and the bergen idea of "eye for an eye" suddenly made sense to her. If someone gets killed, the murderer should have to pay with their life. No, she didn't mean Branch should pay for accidentally getting her in trouble—he'd saved her. No, she thought that the one who killed him should pay the price.

If Branch died, it would only be fair that she die as well. Without him, she wouldn't even be here. Why should she get to live at his expense?

Her thoughts were growing dangerously darker. She looked down, going numb. The tears stopped, but that was just because she felt dead inside. Her color started to fade to a dusty pink as she contemplated whether her life was worth saving.

Maybe she should just banish herself next. That should make up for everything Branch had been through, especially since saving her life had cost him everything. It wasn't fair that he had to die for saving her life.

The twins, thinking Poppy could use a hug, came over to give it to her. Of course, since she was still hugging Branch, this meant that he was being hugged by the twins as well.

"It's okay, Poppy," Satin assured her.

"That's right. It was just a story. None of that really happened to anyone."

Poppy knew that wasn't true. Branch had admitted it to her, even if he was trying to keep it from her friends. Still, she hugged them back and put on a fake smile, not wanting to scare them again. She'd worry about whether she should be put to death by exile later, once she figured out if this mess could even be fixed. If Branch's life could be saved, then she didn't need to banish herself. If he wound up dead after he'd saved her, it was only fair that she die, too.

"Thanks, guys. I needed that." She was an amazing actress, so she had no problem pretending to calm down. No one needed to know what was going on right now, anyway. They'd never understand.

She didn't want to die, but she couldn't live with herself anymore if Branch died because of her.

Uncomfortable though he was being in the middle of a group hug with a couple of trolls who didn't like him—and one he still was certain he didn't like, even if he was on the fence about her sister—Branch didn't even bother trying to get out of this one. Poppy needed calmed down, and him asking them to let him go wouldn't help with that. So he decided to just put up with it, hoping it wouldn't last too long.

Creek, meanwhile, had been meditating to finish calming himself down. He took this time to stop, grinning awkwardly and feeling much calmer now. He clapped his hands together loudly as he sprang to his feet, saying, "Well! Now that that scare fest is over, what say you all if we engage ourselves in a riveting round of Troll, Troll, Bergen to take our minds off it all for awhile?" He cast an awkward look around at the others.

Eager for more fun and fewer scares, the Snack Pack agreed.

Poppy let go of Satin and Chenille, who also released her and Branch. Unlike her friends, the princess didn't seem so interested. "I guess..."

She went to sit around the fire, looking about as amused as Branch. In the dim lighting, nobody noticed that her pink coloring had dimmed a bit. Even the twins missed it by the light of the fire. But one troll noticed—Branch, being gray himself, was more perceptive to negative emotions. While the others probably wouldn't notice a problem until Poppy lost all color, he caught it quickly. He wasn't sure when she had changed colors—probably during that hug, when he hadn't been able to see her that well—but he noticed it now.

While the others were getting hyped for their game, Branch looked at Poppy in concern. Oh, not again, Poppy... I guess I don't have a choice—I'm playing Troll, Troll, Bergen. He could only think of one way to cheer her up. "Sure, sounds good to me," he said, earning shocked looks from everyone.

Biggie stared at him as though waiting for him to say it was a joke. "Branch, are you serious?"

"Yeah, I am."

Even Poppy was staring at him in confusion. They all seemed to think something was wrong with him, from the looks on their faces.

"...Oh, my ga..."

Branch gave all of them a lame look before he got up, saying, "I'll go first since everyone else seems to have forgotten what they're doing."

Seriously. Was the idea of him playing this dumb game with them voluntarily really so shocking? Okay, yeah, never mind. He could see why they were struggling with this one. Maybe there was something wrong with him. But he didn't want Poppy turning out like him, so he needed to do something to cheer her up, and he couldn't think of anything that would be more likely to perk her up than him "having fun" with her and her friends. So play time it was, whether he liked it or not.

He started around the circle, playing the game without anyone having to tell him what the rules were. Sure, it had been awhile since he'd last played, but he vaguely remembered how this game went. He came to Guy first.

"Troll, troll," he said, tapping Guy and DJ before coming to Cooper. Pushing down harder than necessary, he growled, "Troll!"

Cooper's eyes widened a bit as his head was forced down. But he wasn't the bergen, so he stayed seated.

As the initial shock wore off, Poppy stopped paying attention to the game. She was back to contemplating her sad situation. If Branch died as a result of the banishment, then she wasn't sure she deserved to live.

The next two were Biggie and Smidge, then Branch would reach his target. "Troll, troll... Bergen!"

Poppy's eyes widened again, and she snapped her head around to look at him. "Wait a second, what?" she asked, staring at him in confused disbelief.

He'd just stopped on her. Not only was he playing, but he'd stopped on her. Why was he doing that? Couldn't he see she wasn't in the mood? And why was he playing this game in the first place? He'd only played with them once before, and he'd had reasons for it. The full story was in her book as reason 75 why Branch was a hero and not a traitor—"Strong Parental Instincts," she'd called that chapter. But everything was perfectly fine right now. Nobody needed that behavior right now.

"Come on! Get up! Or have you never played this game before? Because I have, and that's bad!" Branch taunted when she didn't start chasing him.

Poppy stared at him in shock a moment longer before she asked, "You have, Branch? When?"

She knew it wasn't the time he'd played with them. They hadn't played Troll, Troll, Bergen that night. He'd never been to any kids' parties, where the game was a favorite.

The others looked at him, just as shocked as she was. Even Biggie and Cooper, the oldest ones here, didn't have a clue when he'd played this game.

Branch gave her a lame look. That wasn't exactly the result he'd hoped to get from his taunt. "...I dunno, I think I was 4? Anyway, are you playing or not!? Unless you're scared of losing to a guy who hasn't played in 21 years!"

She stared at him for a bit more, blinking a couple of times. Her, scared of an amateur like him? She was an expert at this game, so what sense would that make? Finally she got into a playful pouncing position, a nasty look in her eyes. "Oh, you did not just call me an amateur, Branch! I'll show you!"

She had to prove that one wrong. He was going to regret those words by the time she was done with him.

Her mood improved quite a bit from this simple action. This game was a favorite of hers (most games were), and Branch's challenge had her overflowing with excitement. This was going to be a ton of fun, and she was going after Branch. To see him engaged in anything without some hidden motive and seemingly enjoying himself was a dream come true. Maybe she could salvage this and keep living.

The thought of Branch coming home and maybe even becoming happy was so great that her doubts all melted away then and there. Branch was making an effort to fit in at long last, so everyone was bound to see his true colors now. She couldn't let him down by being boring herself! If he wanted to play this badly, she'd be sure to make it interesting and fun for him, get him wanting more, make sure he enjoyed himself. And she was going to start by kicking his butt at this challenge of his.

She'd show him she wasn't scared. He was going to eat those words.

Finally she got up to chase him. Her color returned to normal, much to Branch's relief—if she'd stayed upset when he was doing something this stupid just to cheer her up, he'd kill her. But, thankfully, she was greatly cheered up by the fact that Branch was the one she was currently playing with. He knew that would work.

Branch ran around the circle of trolls, with Poppy hot on his heels, grabbing for him.

She pounced with a nasty grin, saying, "I'm gonna get ya, you—Whoa!"

Branch slid into her abandoned spot, dodging her at the last second. She landed on her stomach behind him and pounded the ground with her fist. The others watched on, stunned and amazed.

"Does anyone have a clue what just happened?" Guy asked, amazed. Not only had Branch started up a game of Troll, Troll, Bergen, but he'd just beaten one of their best players with ease! And he hadn't played in years!

"No idea," DJ answered. She looked absolutely lost and amazed. "But it looks like Branch really wanted to mess with Poppy, for some reason." Why that was, she didn't know. Branch could be tough to figure out sometimes.

"The question is why," Biggie said, echoing DJ's thoughts.

"Yeah, but who's got the answer?" Cooper asked, looking around at everyone.

Poppy sat up, growling in frustration. She got to her feet. "Arrhh! You've gotta be kidding me! I lost to a complete amateur like you!? No fair!" She stomped her foot in irritation. She'd been playing this game for years, and he had the gall to beat her at it? Who did he think he was? He'd only played as a tiny trolling, for sugar's sake!

Branch smirked at her. "Just because I haven't played in 21 years doesn't mean I can't outrun you."

Poppy gave him a look that was one part annoyed and one part lame. The look in her eyes was a challenge. She intended to beat him at this game, one way or another. Branch just raised an eyebrow, still smirking. The message was clear, at least to Poppy: He accepted her challenge.

Everyone else still looked stunned.

"I never imagined I'd see Branch playing anything," Chenille said, and Satin nodded in agreement.

"Oh, my ga!" Smidge agreed with the twins completely, gaping wide-eyed at the scene. What was going on here?

Poppy clenched her hands into fists at her sides. They shook as she glared at Branch, frustrated. "Ooh. You're gonna pay for that, mister!" She pointed at him and added, "Just you wait!" She started with Branch, continuing the game, "Troll, troll, troll..."

The game continued, with Poppy tagging Biggie as the bergen next. She escaped, which left him to turn Cooper into the bergen. However, Cooper caught Biggie during the chase, so Biggie had to go another round. He made DJ the bergen, then took her seat. DJ got Creek. Creek, curious, tagged Poppy as the bergen.

Poppy gaped at how quick Creek was as he settled himself into her former position in the circle. Like Branch, he'd barely escaped her at the last second. Unlike Branch, she hadn't been trying to jump on Creek. He wasn't as annoying as Branch, after all. But, still, that was the second time she'd been the bergen this game.

"Well? Don't just stand there, love," Creek said with a sly grin. "It's your turn now."

She stared a bit longer, seeing an opportunity here. She put a hand to her chin, seemingly thinking. "Hmm..." She grinned broadly. "Well, okay! If you insist!" And she started her way around the circle with a big, goofy smile on her face, going from Creek to DJ to Guy to Smidge to Biggie...until she reached her target.

"Troll, troll, troll, troll, troll..." Her smiled turned to a mischievous grin, and she playfully slapped her target on the head. "Bergen! Just you try and catch me!" she said, running away from Branch.

Creek watched with an amused grin, arms crossed. I knew it.

Branch, however, was more than up to the challenge. He shot up and took off after her like a rocket. Even better, he didn't play gently—like Poppy had pounced when trying to grab him earlier, he pounced on her. The difference, however, was he caught her. She only made it halfway around the circle before she found herself slammed to the ground, with Branch on top of her.

"Oof!" Poppy cried out as she hit the ground.

Branch smirked, still on top of her. "You were saying?" he asked.

Poppy hit the ground with her fist, frustrated once again. How did he keep doing that?

"Whoa, he's fast!" Cooper said. He found that rather impressive.

Smidge and Guy stared in amazement.

As he got off Poppy, Branch said, "I think this means you're still the bergen. How about trying Satin or Chenille? They'll probably trip each other up by accident."

"Hey! We will not!" the twins answered indignantly. Chenille crossed her arms, and Satin put her hands on her hips.

Poppy got up off the ground, glaring at Branch in annoyance. Her hands were clenched into fists at her sides. He had some nerve, beating her twice. She and Cooper were the best at this game, but Branch was here, making her look like a newbie.

Branch just smirked, raised an eyebrow, and headed back to his seat.

Poppy growled. "Branch, you're such a-a—"

"I know, right?" he said, still looking highly amused. "But, anyway, Poppy, you're holding up the game!"

Poppy stared at him for a moment, her frustration only growing. Ohh, he is so annoying! Keep laughing, buddy! 'Cause, one of these days, I am going to pay you back for this! Just you wait! She growled again. "Fine. Troll, troll, troll..."

She tagged Smidge next and managed to outrun the smaller troll.

"Ha! Nice try, Smidge, but nobody beats me at this game!" Poppy said as she sat down, feeling overly confident. Remembering the few times tonight someone had beat her, she amended, "...Without having an adrenaline rush, that is." She gave Branch a teasing look, seemingly saying he'd won by dumb luck.

Admittedly that wasn't true—Cooper had beaten her on numerous occasions because he was just so fast. But he was usually the only one who beat her. How Creek had managed to do it was a mystery to her. He was usually easy to catch.

"Right, that explains both times I was faster than you," Branch answered sarcastically. "Face it, Poppy, you're not the best at everything!"

He actually was enjoying himself right now. Messing with Poppy was fun. Especially since she kept giving him that same lame look she was giving right now.

Guy gasped a little, growing concerned. "Oh, my star trails. Would you look at that? Now they're both having fun meeeeeessing with each other! Anyone but me feeling concerned by that?" He looked around at the others, highly concerned about this tragic drama that Poppy was living. Everyone knew it would end in disaster for them both, even if it wasn't fair.

"Yep!" Cooper answered, nodding vigorously. "Totally!"

Biggie looked uneasy and said, "Admittedly..."

Chenille leaned over and whispered in Satin's ear, "This is unhealthy for both of them! He can't stay with her, and he knows it!"

Satin whispered back, "I feel really bad for them both... Poppy's actually got Branch laughing and having fun for a change, and he's going to lose it all again."

None of them really thought he deserved what he'd gotten now. But they weren't in any position to change it.

Branch glanced at the twins out of the corner of his eye. They covered their mouths, hoping he hadn't heard them. Not only did they not want to make him mad, but they didn't want to be the buzzkill for everyone's fun.

Smidge stretched her arms over her head, then rubbed her hands together with a wicked smile. "Well, anyway, Branch ain't the only undefeated troll here, so..." Smidge started around the circle, "Troll, troll, troll...bergen! Come and get me, speedy!" She took off, laughing maniacally and making faces at Cooper as she went.

"Oh, there is no waaaaay she's dodging him!" Guy said. "Cooper's had more practice running arooooound than Branch has!"

Cooper spent a great deal of time running around like a lunatic, doing crazy things. Chasing puffaloes and running from them, running off on some crazy adventure and coming back with the wildest stories. On the rare occasion something dangerous, like a lightning storm or a glitter shortage, happened, he'd run in circles in a blind panic, possibly for hours. Basically, Guy was certain Smidge wasn't going to beat him.

Cooper got up and ran after Smidge, laughing the whole time.

Branch, meanwhile, wasn't paying any attention to the game at the moment. Satin and Chenille had tried to keep it down, but Branch had heard enough of what they were saying to know they'd been talking about his banishment again. Somehow, sitting here around a campfire, being forced into camping activities with them, made that harder to think about.

This was a blast from the past. When Poppy had been little, she'd often found creative ways to talk Branch into joining them on their adventures. She'd say something like, "I need your help with something, and it's really important," or, "We're all going camping! Just me and my friends, and not a single adult around! Wanna come?" And every time, even though he knew what she was up to, he fell for it. Sure, it had taken her a few years to figure out that trick worked, and Branch doubted it would have worked if she'd done it early on, but it still led to a lot of situations where he was forced to spend time with her and her friends.

The last big thing she'd tricked him into was a camping trip, just months before that stupid New Moon Party. Like always, she told him they'd be alone in the woods without any adults. Since some of her friends were closer to his age, she added on the irresponsible things they all planned to do, just to really convince him to come to keep them out of trouble. They'd wound up losing Smidge and Cooper, forcing Branch to go find them. Poppy had gone, too, not wanting to violate the "buddy system" her dad had them using. They'd found Smidge and Cooper, with the latter buried up to his neck in mud, and spent a great deal of time getting the scared troll out. When they finally made it back to camp, Branch had actually agreed to do some of their camping activities just so they'd calm down. Being stuck in the woods with a bunch of scared kids hadn't seemed like an appealing option. Besides, it wasn't the worst way he could have spent his night.

Maybe I'll get lucky and won't find their people, Branch thought. If we can't find the rest of the trolls, they can't go back!

They'd been the closest thing he had to a family or friends. He told himself he didn't want them. He didn't think he deserved them, thought they'd all be better off without him in their lives. Besides that, he couldn't lose anyone else if he didn't let them in. But deep down, he'd always wanted someone in his life who cared, someone who accepted him for who he was. Most of the time, he didn't think he'd ever have that, and he told himself he didn't care. It was easy not to care after awhile.

But, on those rare occasions when Poppy's friends actually included him in their group...his resolve wavered. It was why he resisted so much back then. It was bad enough that he'd started letting Poppy in after a few years. He didn't need her friends getting through his walls, too.

Yet, somehow, they had. He didn't like them that much and certainly wouldn't have called them his friends, but most grew on him over time.

DJ was naive but friendly. After Poppy, she was the first one he started to tolerate. She didn't try to force much on him, but she still acted like she wanted him around.

Biggie often teased him, along with Creek and Cooper, but he was genuinely concerned about Branch's well-being other than that. Branch returned the favor by not being too snippy with the bigger troll.

Satin and Chenille were both rather blunt, but they were also both rather sweet in their own ways. They'd once forced him to be their model for a fashion show they put on for their friends. Upon realizing he wasn't comfortable in the clothes they'd designed, they created a whole new line just for him—one which took his style into consideration.

Fuzzbert didn't say much, and Branch didn't bother trying to interpret his gestures often. However, some were pretty obvious, like when the fuzzling would bump him into the middle of a group hug at Hug Time. Much as Branch hated that, he figured out quickly that it was Fuzzbert's way of showing he cared.

Guy Diamond sometimes tried to engage Branch in conversation, even when it was obvious the topic was of little interest to the flashy show-off. Despite how irritating the glitter troll could be with his ego and his teasing, the effort was appreciated.

He'd never liked the others much—Cooper had a few screws loose, Creek always teased Branch relentlessly, and Smidge was just Poppy's little shadow who also tended to tease him. But, still, by the time he was banished, he'd started to like six of Poppy's friends. This—here, now—was bringing back those memories and feelings. Nobody was acting like they hated him right now. This almost felt right.

These thoughts took seconds. As Cooper ran behind him, laughing as he chased Smidge, Branch thought, What am I thinking? I don't want to spend the rest of my life with Cooper!

He'd have to be an idiot to want that.

Smidge stunned everyone by making it around the circle and back to Cooper's seat. Just when it looked like he would catch her, she somersaulted out of his way.

Jealous, Poppy protested, "Hey! That's not—"

How in Troll Village had anyone pulled that off? Cooper was undefeated at this game, so that was definitely a record.

"Awright! I got one of 'em!" Smidge cheered, pleased with herself. She danced around with her arms over her head, celebrating.

"Wow! Good one, Smidge! I thought I had you for sure!" Cooper said.

Guy clapped his hands, eyes sparkling with delight. "Wow, Smidge! That was aaaamaaaaazing! You deserve an awaaaard for outrunning one of our faster trolls!" He snatched one of Biggie's sparkle melon s'mores and handed it to Smidge with a loving look. "Here. Consider it a gift from me with love..."

Smidge took it eagerly. "Thanks, Guy!" she said before she started chowing down.

Biggie opened his mouth to say something, eyed Branch, and closed his mouth again. Self-preservation made him change his mind about saying anything.

Poppy just gaped at Smidge, eyes wide and her head hanging to the side. She was jealous, she'd admit it. How could Smidge have beat Cooper? Poppy just couldn't get over that. It was so unfair. She growled internally. No fair, no fair, no fair! How come she could catch Cooper, one of Troll Village's fastest trolls, but I couldn't even catch Branch!? Oh, someone's gonna pay for that, and I know just how to do it. A hint of mischief in her eyes, she cheerily clapped her hands together as she stood up and said, "Well, guys! This has been fun, but am I the only one wondering who'd win in a race?"

Branch raised an eyebrow at her. Satin, Chenille, and Biggie all looked curious as well.

"Ah... Well, I think it would have to be Branch or Cooper," Biggie said.

"My money's on Cooper," Chenille said.

"Branch," Satin said.

"Smidge!" Cooper said happily.

"No, I think she just got lucky, no offense," Guy argued. "I mean, she did somersault out of the way at the end there."

"Oh, it has to be Cooper, hands down!" DJ said with a sly smile as she waved an arm dismissively. "He's won the 100 meter dash at the Troll Games four years in a row!"

"Oh, really? Wanna test that?" Poppy asked, putting her hands on her hips. "Why don't we have the two of them have a little race, right here and now? We can all bet s'mores on who wins, even!" She threw her arms up over her head, beaming with excitement at her idea.

Chenille grabbed two s'mores off the plate and said, "I've got two s'mores on Cooper!"

Satin grabbed two as well and said, "I've got two on Branch!"

"Wait a second, what!?" Branch said. This was definitely not what he'd signed up for. "Poppy, it's dark out, and you want Cooper and me running around? Are you serious?"

Somebody would get hurt. Cooper'd trip and break his neck, or someone's foot would snag in a tree root, or there'd be a low-hanging vine that would hang one of them. This idea was completely unsafe, to say nothing of the fact that Branch just plain didn't want to do it.

"What's wrong, Branch? Don't think you can outrun...your sworn enemy?" Poppy asked with a mischievous smirk. She gestured at Cooper playfully, her tone dramatic.

"Yes, well, you all go ahead and do that," Creek said uncomfortably as he got up. "Gambling's not my thing, I'm afraid. So, if you need me, I'll be here, meditating." He walked a short distance away and sat down, crossing his legs, and closed his eyes to begin his meditation.

Eager, Guy snatched three s'mores and said, "Three s'mores says Cooper wins without a fuuuuuss!"

DJ took five and said, "No, way! Five says he does!" She held them over her head, confident.

Both of them were very excited about this. They were sure they'd win.

Fuzzbert took one and bet it on Cooper, who once again translated (unnecessarily), "Fuzzbert's betting on me!"

The fuzzling nodded in agreement, not even complaining about Cooper's continuing desire to translate him.

Smidge took one, giving a confident smile. "I'm voting on Branch. He never lost a round, whether he was chasing or being chased!"

Biggie thought about that and took one s'more from the plate. Hesitant, he said, "One s'more on Branch to win?"

"Seriously?" Branch asked, looking at all of them lamely. Were they actually thinking he'd lose to Cooper? "Fine! I'll race Cooper!"

He had to prove them wrong. He wasn't about to lose to that stupid giraffe troll. Not now, not ever!

"Great! Then how's this sound? One lap around that big tree over there!" Poppy said, pointing toward a very old tree with a thick trunk. "First troll to make it back to the campsite wins!" She threw her hands up over her head again, ready for this to begin.

"Okay!" Cooper agreed eagerly.

"Fine," his opponent agreed reluctantly.

"Great! Then get in positions!" Poppy's mischievous grin returned as she held up a finger, moving slowly toward the s'mores plate. "And, uh..." She quickly grabbed an armful of s'mores, beaming once again, and said, "Seven s'mores says Branch makes it back first! If for no other reason, to prove me wrong that Cooper's faster than him!" She gave him a mischievous grin—she was egging him on, and he knew it.

And, yet, it still worked. "Oh, I'll make it back first, alright," he muttered. "You'll see."

The two of them got into position, waiting for the starting signal.

Poppy moved to stand beside them, her seven s'mores cradled in one arm. She raised the other arm over her head. "Racers ready!? Set!? And GO!" she said, waving her arm down to signal the start of the race.

Branch and Cooper both took off. Cooper was leading the race and reached the tree before Branch.

"Looks like Cooper's winning," Biggie said. He was disappointed but not particularly surprised. Cooper was very fast, after all.

"I told you," Chenille said, a hand on her hip and a smug grin on her face.

"It's just getting started, Chenille!" Satin protested, although she was rather worried. "Branch could still turn this around!"

"Psh! Aw, please!" Guy said, waving a hand dismissively. He crossed his arms, a sly grin on his face. "As if my man Cooper's gonna—"

"Hold that thought, Guy!" Biggie said. He pointed toward the tree. "Look!"

Guy relaxed his pose and looked toward the tree, frowning in confusion. What was he looking at? Cooper was still winning, wasn't he?

Everyone's eyes widened in surprise. Some gasped and grew worried. Others rejoiced, cheering.

Cooper was moving slower as the two reappeared on the other side of the tree. Meanwhile, Branch seemed to have sped up. The two were neck and neck as they came around the tree, and Branch started pulling ahead on the way back.

Guy and DJ slumped over and stared, stunned.

"You were saying?" Poppy asked with a smug grin, arms crossed.

Guy stared for a moment longer before raising a fist above his head and calling, "Come on, Cooper! You can do it!"

"You can't lose to Branch!" Chenille added.

"You can do this, Branch!" Satin countered, cupping her hands around her mouth.

Chenille glared at her sister.

"Yeah, boy! Go get him!" Smidge cheered as she shook a fist over her head in triumph.

Cooper's eyes widened as Branch passed him. He sped up a bit, and the two were now neck and neck again.

"That's it! Come on, Cooper!" DJ cheered him on with a hand cupped to her mouth. "Ya can do it!"

"Almost there, Branch!" Biggie called. "Oh, this is going to be a close one!"

"Come on, come on!" Satin said, hands to her face.

"Hurry, Cooper!" Chenille cried.

Within the final few yards, Branch put on a sudden burst of speed, sprinting forward and finishing just a second before Cooper. Those who had been rooting for Branch cheered with excitement.

"Branch won! Branch won!" Biggie cheered, jumping up and down. "Oh, congratulations, Branch!"

"Meep!" said the worm, excited. He was smiling, even.

Branch looked at Biggie, surprised. He actually cheered me on? ...And so did Satin. He looked at her next.

These guys were acting a lot more comfortable around him right now, more like the old days. More like they didn't hate him.

"Okay, Branch wins!" Satin said with a smile. She held out a hand and added, "Now someone give me two s'mores!"

Branch rolled his eyes, but, for once, he wasn't annoyed with them—he was amused. Trolls and their snacks.

Thoroughly irritated, Chenille handed her two s'mores to her sister.

Poppy leaped into the air, pumping a fist in excitement. "Yyes! Pay up, guys! Someone owes me seven s'mores!" Poppy said, holding out her free hand with a proud smile.

The losers groaned and started handing over s'mores to the winners. Fuzzbert gave his to Biggie. Smidge took one from Guy, now wishing she'd bet more.

"Aw, man! And here I thought that was a risky move!" she said, looking at her two s'mores sadly.

Poppy took hers from Guy and DJ, grinning smugly at Smidge. She said, "Makes ya wish you'd had more faith in him, huh?" She started dancing around, happy at this turn of events. "Oh, yeah! I won! Branch is better! I lost to the best! Smidge lost to the rest! Oooe-oooe!"

The thought of losing to Branch at Troll, Troll, Bergen didn't seem so bad now—he'd just proven he was faster than Cooper, after all, and she lost to Cooper on the regular.

"Oh, ha, ha, funny!" Smidge said, glaring at Poppy in annoyance. Did she really have to rub it in?

Poppy just gave her a triumphant grin.

Branch rolled his eyes and said, "I don't think you need that much sugar, Poppy. Have you considered sharing your spoils with someone? Anyone?"

He really didn't want to see her loaded up on 14 s'mores.

She pouted. "Well... If you insist..." And she turned to Branch with a mischievous grin, shoving seven of them into his hands. "You won the race, Branch, so it's only fair," she said.

She had him now. She knew she could finally get him to eat something sweet. The way she saw it, the more times she got him desiring the things of Troll Village, the easier it would be to convince him to come back. She'd have no need to go out and get herself killed if he got home safely, after all.

Branch blinked, startled, then gave her a lame look. "...You're going to eat all of them if I don't eat these, aren't you?"

Poppy simply narrowed her eyes, that same grin on her face. Her "what do you think" expression answered his question better than words ever could.

"That was a good race, Cooper," Biggie said. "Maybe you'll have better luck next time."

"Yeah. But, boy, is Branch fast! I mean, he just came outta nowhere!" Cooper said, impressed. Nobody had ever beaten him in a race, after all.

"Don't remind me," Chenille said as she enviously watched her sister eat.

"Well, look on the bright side, love," Creek said, walking over and putting a comforting hand on her shoulder. "At least you only lost two. Now do you see why gambling's such a bad idea?"

Fuzzbert looked down in shame, and Chenille sighed. He had a point, after all.

Branch, meanwhile, had been analyzing his options. He knew that Poppy wouldn't let him give them to someone else—even if he wanted to—and he also knew she wouldn't let him dispose of them. Since he didn't want her eating all of them, he saw no other choice.

Branch took a bite out of one of the seven s'mores he now had. Everyone looked toward him, gasping. Branch, eating sweets?

"Whoa..." Cooper said, awestruck.

Biggie said, "Branch is..."

"Oh, my ga!"

Smidge had never seen him do that. Was he that bothered by the idea of Poppy eating all of them? What did he think she'd do, run around like some sugar-crazed beast and get them all killed? What a paranoid lunatic he was.

Poppy just watched him eat, happy. "Well?" she asked, waiting eagerly to see what he thought of it.

He didn't want to say. He really didn't want to say. "...Okay, I'll admit, it tastes pretty good," Branch said reluctantly.

"See? You like sweets just as much as any troll does." She munched on one herself, feeling smug.

Branch rolled his eyes but kept eating them.

"Branch is eating s'mores," Satin observed.

"I guess he isn't allergic," her sister said.

"Huh. Who knew?" Guy said. His thoughts were along the same line as Smidge—Branch must have been afraid that Poppy would run wild and attract dangerous predators or something. He'd once read a story about a spy who babysat three trollings, and the elder two had hyped their younger sister up with so much sugar, she was bouncing off the walls for hours.*

Everyone else was still speechless. Seeing Branch eating s'mores was just weird. It almost made him seem like a normal troll...and made it harder to view him as an outcast.

"So! Now that we all know Smidge beating Cooper was nothing after all, who's up for some more fun camp songs!?" Poppy asked, cheerful as always.

Her friends recovered from their shock and cheered, eager.

Branch, on the other hand, wasn't so eager. If she planned to force him into that, he'd kill her. "I don't sing, Poppy! And you know why!"

Poppy grabbed his hand again, smiling. "I know, Branch," she assured him. "But that doesn't mean you can't listen in!" She quickly and roughly pulled him down to sit with her.

This earned her a groan from the gray troll. "What if I don't want to?" he asked.

Poppy ignored him and said, "Okay, everyone! Who's got a good song in mind!?"

"Ooh, ooh!" DJ answered, waving an arm eagerly. "How about..."

Branch tuned them out. He didn't care what they were singing or what they said. All he cared about was the fact that he was still stuck here. He still needed to finish those stupid s'mores. And Poppy's hand was still wrapped around his own. That last one made his heart flutter, which made him irritated. He knew it was never going to work out.

Fighting down any romantic feelings for Poppy, he rolled his eyes and ate the other six s'mores. He wasn't about to let Poppy have them. I've been forced to tell scary stories, play games, eat s'mores, and sit here while they sing, he thought. I mean, it's not the worst day of my life, but I don't want to be here! Seriously, they don't want me around, she knows it, and acting like I belong is just going to make it that much harder to leave!

Sure, the others had been friendly to him all night, but he wasn't going to read too much into that. They'd been friendly to him as children, too, and he knew where that had ended up. None of them wanted anything to do with him. They just wanted to make sure Poppy was satisfied.

He didn't have any friends here. He was sure of it. And he needed to keep that in mind so he didn't do anything stupid, like offer them a place to stay when they couldn't find their people. After all, they deserved what was coming to them—he was sure they'd never find the others. And these guys might know how he felt if they were suddenly in a similar situation, on their own and expected to survive without help. He told himself that was what he wanted, for them to suffer like he had.

But, deep down, he just didn't want to be alone anymore.

A/N: The idea for Poppy dragging Branch around came from the graphic novels, where Branch is moody and (possibly?) gray but still gets dragged around by Poppy sometimes. The idea that the twins used Branch as a model comes from the book Satin and Chenille and the Fashion Show Disaster. Also, Poppy's idea that she should die if Branch does is based on the custom a lot of ancient cultures had pertaining to honorable deaths.

*If you've ever seen the movie The Spy Next Door with Jackie Chan, that's where this scene comes from.