A/N: New chapter! Enjoy! We don't own Trolls.
Shortly the twins were making a bird costume for one unfortunate troll—Branch. They started by getting his measurements, wrapping a blue fabric around him to pin it where necessary.
"Remind me again why I'm the one getting stuffed in a bird costume?" he asked, irritated. He'd been banished because of birds, attacked by them while finding a new home, and just been ripped open by one today, now these guys were trying to dress him up as one. The stupid creatures seemed to be the bane of his existence.
"Because," Creek answered with a sly smile. "You're the only one of us brave enough to face off against it. And, besides, I've got my own part to play, isn't that right, gents?" He looked at Fuzzbert and Cooper, both hard at work crafting a fake troll out of clay Fuzzbert had been carrying around and some string Cooper had.
"Right, Creek! Soon as we get this thingy finished!" Cooper answered happily.
Branch sighed. He hated that answer. "Well, at least Cooper won't be with me," he muttered.
"Hold still, Branch!" Chenille said as he pulled his right arm away from her slightly. "Honestly, how are we supposed to get this fitted to you if you keep wiggling around?"
"I'm not used to being touched this much!" he answered. Then he jumped and cried, "Hey!" He looked at Satin on his left side and snapped, "Watch it!"
"Sorry," she apologized. Apparently she'd touched a sore spot. She proceeded with more care from there.
Poppy came up behind them, yawning and stretching. That nap did wonders for her. Neither her head nor her back hurt so bad now, and knowing that Branch was alright had helped her calm down enough to think rationally again. Or maybe that problem had been because of her hitting her head, too.
Either way, she was now fully aware that a kitty critter couldn't do that much damage to a troll on its own. They were more of an inconvenience than a truly lethal threat—not something to disregard entirely, but no cause for full-blown panic. For Branch to have been so badly hurt during an encounter with one, he had to have done something reckless, probably while trying to protect her. But that was way too much damage he'd caused himself! He knew better than that, and he needed a stern talking-to about watching out for himself while taking care of others. After all, that wasn't the first risky move he'd made this trip. Poppy could actually count five: attacking the growlbeasts, fighting Bridget, drawing a weapon when Chef found them, threatening the bergens when Gristle tried to eat her, and now this.
His protective side was sweet, sure, but it was making him way too reckless these days. He was going to give her a heart attack if he kept that up, so she knew it was time to put a stop to that behavior, one way or another.
"Man! Did I ever need that! Branch? In the future, could you try being more c—" She cut herself off, taking in the scene before her. She hadn't exactly expected to see Branch covered in blue fabric, although the bandages on his exposed left arm weren't a surprise.
Now Poppy had to wonder if the twins were making a new outfit for him. She supposed that explained the outfit she'd woken up in. The twins must have washed her up and used some of that fabric they'd brought from Bergen Town to make something for her to wear. That did beg the question of how bad Branch was. Were his clothes so torn up that he needed something new to wear, too? And, if so, why blue? Branch hated bright colors! They all knew that.
"Poppy!" the Snack Pack cheered happily.
"Poppy, you're awake! How are you feeling?" Biggie asked.
"Uh...fine...?" Mildly disturbed, she looked around for an explanation.
Cooper and Fuzzbert were crafting something out of clay, and DJ was nowhere to be seen. These two points clued her into the fact that the fabric probably wasn't meant for patching up Branch. They didn't, however, tell her what was going on.
"Anyway, what's all this about? Have you come up with a plan to rescue Smidge and Guy? And, uh," she said, looking at her new outfit and twisting around to get a better look, "thanks for the stylish new threads, girlfriends. That really helped a ton." She gave the twins an appreciative look. Sure, they'd stripped her down and washed her to do it, but at least they'd gotten Branch's blood off her before she had to wake up to that nightmare.
"Don't mention it, Poppy. You needed it," Chenille said.
Satin looked at her with sympathy and said, "I'm sorry, but your other dress was completely ruined... We couldn't do anything for it."
Well, that was unfortunate. She really liked that dress! Oh, well, she figured she could ask the twins to make her another one. If not identical, they could at least make her one that was similar. One of the perks of having two amazing fashionistas as friends.
"Right," Creek said, smiling at Poppy.
She was far too cute in her new outfit, which stirred a desire he had thought he had under control—the desire to win her back from Branch.
He closed his eyes and put a hand to his chest, looking proud, as he said, "Well, anyway, to answer your question, Poppet, I thought up—"
Satin and Chenille cleared their throats as Creek flirted with Poppy. Branch rolled his eyes and muttered, "Rainbow trolls."
Creek gave a start, his eyes wide. He'd almost forgotten that he was likely to be a father soon. Even worse, he'd forgotten about the whole "kill two birds with one stone" angle of his plan. Yes, his plan was to save Guy and Smidge, but the second goal of this plan was equally as important. He needed to get a grip on himself. Poppy's sense of style made her far too appealing at times.
"W-what I meant to say was...Branch has a plan to make sure we get them back!" He turned to Branch with a mischievous grin. Like it or not, the gray troll would be taking full credit for this plan.
Reluctantly Branch said, "At this point, it's more of a group project."
Glad the attention was off him for now and back where he'd wanted it, Creek walked off to see how the others were doing with their parts. Additionally he needed to head to the stream and see if he could get something that smelled strongly enough of fish. He figured the local fish would be able to help him out, one way or another.
Poppy's face lit up. She ran over and hugged Branch again, too proud to hold it in. "Oh, Branch! I'm so proud of you! You're finally letting us back in! I'm so happy, I could ugly cry!"
If he was making plans that included getting help from others, he clearly didn't hate or distrust them anymore, which brought them one step closer to bringing him home. Everyone was finally starting to get along! This was the happiest day of her life.
As she started to wail, Branch cried, "Poppy! Tears! Salt! No!"
A gentle hug was one thing, but those bandages covering half his body weren't for show. Not only would tears get them wet, but the salt from her tears could be potentially painful. Sure, it wasn't that big of a deal, but he wasn't in the habit of purposely hurting himself.
Poppy pulled back, giving him an awkward smile. She clasped her hands in front of her. "Sorry."
"Okay, Branch, hold out your arms," Satin said.
Branch sighed and did as instructed, and Satin stretched her measuring tape out, measuring from wrist to shoulder, then wrist to wrist.
Poppy stared at him, concerned. The more she thought about it, the less sense it made for those wounds to be caused by a kitty critter. Unless something had happened while he was trying to dodge it, he shouldn't have been so badly hurt.
She said, "Seriously, Branch. How'd that happen to you in the first place? Kitty critters are bad, but not that bad." She paused, thinking of something else, then added, "And why were we up a tree? Did you abandon the others just to save me?" She crossed her arms with a smug grin. Maybe this was a simple accident, Branch getting himself scratched up on some branches while trying to carry her to safety. In that case, there was only one word to describe it. "Talk about obsessed. You sure you don't want back in—"
"No, Poppy," he cut her off. He honestly didn't want to hear that right now. "After the kitty critter knocked you out, it took off with Guy and Smidge. I would have left you to Creek and Biggie's tender love and care and gone after it, but some birds in the area had a different plan."
Her eyes widened in horror. "No...you don't mean—" She cut herself off.
Those injuries were caused by birds? What was Branch's problem with those? Was he cursed or something? That was twice now they'd done something awful to him!
"The three babies apparently really wanted a taste of troll. I managed to drive two off. The third one did this to me."
Poppy jumped, covering her mouth in horror now. "No... You mean it was the—"
That was a coincidence she didn't need. What were the odds that the same birds that had started this whole thing ten years ago would show up and try to end it? Too bad for the birds, they'd failed. She and Branch were both still alive.
The birds, on the other hand... She hadn't missed the fact that Branch said he drove two off and was attacked by the third. She had no illusions that the last one was still alive, but she honestly didn't care about that as much as she did the fact that Branch had almost died yet again.
"Wait, it was the birds that tried to eat Poppy before?" Biggie asked, stunned.
"As in 10 years before?" Satin added.
"Correct."
Satin and Biggie stared in silent amazement. Poppy couldn't blame them. Those birds were directly responsible for all of this. But...Branch had apparently saved her from them by getting hurt himself. And, from the sound of it, everyone saw him do it. Did that mean they'd finally learned what she had known all along? Could they see that he had fought birds once to save her, that she hadn't been making the whole thing up? That would be a dream come true. Her friends would finally, finally, believe her when she said that Branch was a hero!
Chenille, meanwhile, had more important concerns. She looked at Branch's neck, one hand to her chin and the other on her hip, as she analyzed the wisdom of this coming task. She could start with something a little easier, but he might think she was trying to tie him up, so that wouldn't really be easier for anyone. If she handled this situation wrong, she'd get attacked. Given everything Branch had been through, she couldn't really blame him for it, especially since she knew about his trust issues. But that didn't mean she was eager to set him off.
It was better to be safe than sorry. No need to trigger Branch's defensive instincts. "Branch, I need to get a measurement around your neck and wrists," she said. "Is that okay? If you want, I can ask Poppy to do it."
After all, he trusted Poppy. She wouldn't get attacked for trying something like that, Chenille was sure.
"Around my neck? Seriously?"
"We just need to make sure the outfit we're making for you fits, Branch. Would you rather I do it instead of Chenille?" Satin offered—he'd accepted her apology, so she hoped he was less wary of her.
Branch didn't answer right away. After a moment, he sighed and said, "Go ahead."
So Satin and Chenille removed their project from Branch, and Satin wrapped her measuring tape around Branch's neck carefully.
Poppy watched this, feeling bad about what had happened. With the fabric gone, she could see the damage more clearly. The bandages on his legs stretched from his ankles all the way up, disappearing under his pants. His left arm was wrapped up from shoulder to the middle of his forearm, and his lack of a shirt was scarcely noticeable as the bandages covered him almost completely. The fact that he wasn't wearing his vest anymore also told her that it, at least, had been ruined. Looking at his pants, they weren't much better. They were torn in the backs of the legs and stained with his blood. She could see where the twins had snipped off some loose fabric and made rudimentary attempts to patch them up, but there was only so much they could do while he was wearing those pants. He'd clearly need a new outfit once the danger was past.
If she'd just listened to him about the kitty critter earlier, Poppy knew, the birds might not have found them. He'd been attacked by birds because she was too reckless. Would she ever learn?
"Branch, I am so sorry," Poppy said. "I didn't mean—"
"Poppy, it's not your fault," Chenille cut her off.
"None of us tried to help, either," Satin added, sounding a bit guilty.
"I'm glad you didn't," Branch told Satin. "No offense. And, Poppy, Chenille's right, so don't start."
"B-but, Branch—"
Branch was spared from telling her to stop by Cooper saying, "Okay, we're done!"
And he and Fuzzbert held up their project—a clay doll in the shape of a troll with string for hair. Said troll was wearing patched-up shorts, a leaf vest, and a scowl on its face. The troll had been painted gray, and the hair was black. Everyone looked at it, catching the resemblance quite easily.
Branch scowled at the thing. What had possessed those two to make a cat toy that looked like him? "What is that?"
"It's you!" Cooper answered, apparently pleased with himself. "I figured since I didn't exactly apologize at Branch Appreciation Day, I'd make a tribute instead!"
Branch looked at him, disturbed. On the one hand, that was actually kind of thoughtful. On the other hand... "...Cooper, that 'tribute' is about to become a kitty critter plaything."
Cooper stared at him for a moment, apparently thinking about that for the first time. "Ohhh. Whoops, my bad!" And he laughed.
Branch just stared at the lunatic for a bit. He wasn't sure if Cooper was actually trying to make nice or if that was a veiled threat. Given how Cooper usually was, he was thinking it was the first one. That didn't make it any less freaky, though.
The twins moved away from Branch, taking their work in progress with them. They'd gotten all the measurements they needed and could have this costume finished quickly now. As they got to work on that, Creek came back over, with DJ beside him. She had a boom box in hand, having finished with her assignment for this plan, as well.
"Alright, then. Then I suppose it's time for the final ingredient," Creek said, holding up a jar of some liquid that reeked of salmon.
Poppy covered her nose, disgusted. "Aah! What is that for? It smells totally awful!" she cried, dancing around uncomfortably.
Creek hadn't even opened the jar, so that was a good indicator of how strong that scent was. Branch considered that a good thing if the goal was to attract the kitty critter.
As Creek opened the jar and started dumping it all over the fake Branch, he said, "Ask Branch. It's his plan, after all."
Creek had his reasons for insisting that Branch had planned all of this. He knew how badly Branch wanted to be accepted by everyone. Sure, the gray troll tried to hide it and pretend that he didn't care, but it had been apparent to Creek back when they were still children that Branch wanted something. Why the gray troll denied himself happiness and friendship had always been a mystery to Creek until recently, but it was one he hadn't stressed himself out over. He'd let Poppy worry about Branch and had, occasionally, encouraged her to stop trying so hard to make someone happy who said he didn't want it. That was probably his only offense against the gray troll, really. Well, until recently.
Now that his jealousy was finally starting to settle down, Creek felt terrible for the way he'd been treating Branch lately. It really wasn't Branch's fault. Going into his relationship with Poppy, Creek had always known that it was doomed. When Poppy became queen, he knew, she'd seek out Branch and bring him home, and it would only be a matter of time before she broke up with Creek and started spending all her time with Branch. It wasn't fair to blame Branch for something no one could control.
Thus, given these two points, Creek felt that giving Branch all the credit for a plan like this was the best way to make up for his recent behavior. All those who were here knew that the plan was Creek's, sure, but they also were more accepting of Branch by this point than the two missing members. If Guy and Smidge thought it was Branch's plan, then they would finally come around fully, just like the others were doing. He could improve Branch's reputation and save Guy and Smidge with one move. Surely the others wouldn't have any issue with giving Branch credit for this, especially if he managed to convince them that this was actually Branch's plan, too.
Meanwhile Branch didn't want credit for this plan. It still seemed risky to him. He was worried someone else would get hurt. If he got hurt, oh, well. He could handle it, and he was technically the hired muscle for this trip. If he were doing his part right, then only he should be in any real danger. The idea of involving the others in this rescue plan seemed risky since he was here to protect them. If this whole thing blew up in their faces, he wasn't taking the blame for it!
"I don't know what you're doing!" Branch snapped. "This isn't my plan!"
"Sorry? Say something, mate?" Creek asked with a smug grin as he put the lid back on the jar.
Whether Branch liked it or not, Creek intended to give him credit for this. It was the least he could do. For Creek, this was also amusing—Branch's reactions brought back so many fond memories. He was just so easy to tease.
Branch groaned. "You're so annoying!"
Yep. Just like old times. Creek had heard those words on many occasions.
Poppy just stared at the both of them, completely lost. She didn't understand why Branch was being so shy about this plan. It couldn't be that terrible, could it?
"We're going to use that to lure the kitty critter away so we can escape," Satin informed her.
"After we've rescued Guy and Smidge, of course."
"And that's where Bird Branch comes in!" Cooper added.
Poppy whirled on the giraffe troll, looking disturbed and a bit worried. It suddenly made sense that Branch was trying to pass this plan off on someone else. That really was a bad idea. "...Bird Branch? Uh, you guys aren't forgetting the way those things attack birds, are you? And Branch is totally scared of them anyhow, otherwise he wouldn't have—"
"Poppy," Branch cut her off flatly. "I'm not so scared of birds that I'll freak out if I'm disguised as one."
Seriously, how pathetic did she think he was? Being dressed up as a bird wasn't going to make him panic!
Poppy may not have known much about those furry, over-sized kittens, but she did know some things, things that made this plan seem dumb and reckless, like many other things Branch had done this past week. Why did he always have to do things the hard and dangerous way?
She threw her arms up over her head, frantic. "But, Branch! Kitty critters eat birds! And you're hurt enough as it is! Do you really think I wanna see you get yourself killed, too!?" She wagged a finger at him in a scolding manner. "Branch, that's the last—"
"Done!" the twins said in unison, cutting Poppy's lecture short. They held up a bright blue bird costume—a long hoodie that would likely go all the way down to Branch's knees. The fabric had feathers coating it, making it look more realistic. The yellow beak was split between the neckline of the outfit and the hood, which had black eyes on it.
Branch found it rather ironic that the costume was close to the shade of his true colors. It wasn't like the girls had ever seen him anything other than gray.
"Wow! Great costume! I wish I could wear it!" Cooper said.
"Well, why don't you just ask for one of your own?" Branch suggested sarcastically as he took the costume from the twins.
"Great idea, Branch! Why didn't I think of that?"
Branch smacked himself in the face. Honestly, Cooper was such an idiot.
Poppy ran up, desperation in her eyes. She really didn't want him to do this. He should be taking it easy, not running from a kitty critter! This should be Cooper's job, or Creek's. Shoot, she would take this job! Anyone but Branch!
"Branch, seriously! You don't have to do this! We can find a safer way to rescue Guy and Smidge. I'm sure there's plen—"
"Relax, Poppy. I can handle myself. Besides, the longer we take trying to save your friends, the less likely we'll be able to find your people. I'm not hurt so badly I can't do this."
Poppy couldn't relax. She didn't want him to die to save her friends. This was her fault in the first place!
"But, Branch! I don't—"
"Right! So is everyone prepared, then?" Creek asked.
"Oh, ya bet we are! I've even got those bird calls ya wanted, Creek!" DJ answered excitedly, holding up the boom box and hitting play. The cacophony that emitted from the machine sounded terrible to the trolls, but probably not to a kitty critter.
"Fine work, my friend! Now we can stage a rescue! Branch? Any ideas where we can begin our search?" Creek asked calmly.
"The critter took off to the west, so we might as well follow its trail."
"Well, you heard him, pals. Let's hit the trails!"
The others agreed happily as they set off after the kitty critter, Branch leading the way.
No, Poppy wasn't going to accept this. She ran up and grabbed his right shoulder, the only part of his torso that was visible under all the bandages. "Branch! I mean it! This is dangerous! You, of all trolls, should know better than this! Or do you want to get yourself killed?" she demanded, a bit annoyed with him at this point. 'Cause, if that's what you're after, I'm gonna slap you so hard, your great grandkids will feel it!
It was one thing for Branch to die at the hands of a predator, fighting for his life, because of the banishment. But there was no way she was going to allow him to kill himself because of it, especially since she was planning on bringing him home, one way or another. If he hadn't been able to redeem himself, she'd have waited until she was queen, then pardoned him of all wrongdoing. She'd have gone looking for him to tell him he was cleared of all charges and could come home. That law needed a serious rewrite, anyway. After all, every other offense could be fixed by undoing the damages caused by them, and he'd already done that. It wasn't a fair law at all, so he would be coming home, regardless, if Poppy had any say in it. There was no way she'd let him commit suicide, not in a million years.
"Poppy, it's fine," he assured her. "Look, I'm just supposed to lure the kitty critter out of its den and lead it to Creek and the twins. They're taking it from there."
"But, Branch, I..." Poppy said, looking down, upset, "...don't wanna lose you again... You're my friend, and I love you." She lifted her head and looked him in the eye, her worry and sadness showing clearly. She may not have been worthy of his love, but she didn't want to see him die. She loved him too much.
Branch looked at her. "...Poppy..." He wasn't known for anything even remotely close to happiness, but he gave her a slight smile and said, "Trust me, Poppy, it's going to take more than one kitty critter to take me out. I know my limits. Okay?"
Poppy thought about it for a bit. It did make some sense. Branch was stronger than he looked. If he thought he'd be okay, he probably would be. At least he still had the will to live, so she didn't need to worry about that. He'd be okay. The others would see to that.
"If you say so," she said, smiling slightly herself.
"Uh, hello?" Chenille asked, hands on her hips. "Can you two fall even deeper in love later? We need to find a certain furry friend who ran off with two of our less furry friends."
"And Branch is the only one who knows what we're looking for," Satin added. "We need to hurry and find them!"
"Right," Branch said. "But, Chenille, we're not falling deeper in love. Because we're not in love in the first place!"
He'd nearly gotten her killed, and he'd nearly killed her himself recently. Branch knew full well that he wasn't any good for her.
The twins smirked at each other. Poppy glared at them, annoyed. She could feel a blush on her face, as well. Why did they have to be right? She wasn't any good for him, and she knew it!
"Speaking of, where do you want the dummy?" Cooper asked, pointing to the toy held by the fuzzling. "Fuzzbert wants to know."
Creek put a hand to his chin, thinking about that. "Hmm... If I had to guess, I'd say he wants it someplace high up so it can be used as a teaser toy, correct?" Creek looked at Branch, actually serious this time.
"Yes. You and the twins can use it to play with the kitty critter until we get the signal," Branch answered. "After that, you throw that thing as far away as you can, and we head in the other direction."
"Wait, signal? What signal? What's the plan, anyway?" Poppy asked.
Creek gave a mischievous smirk and said, "Ask Branch. He knows."
"Will you cut that out? You know what my plan was!"
Yes, Creek knew. But that plan had been far too risky and wouldn't have looked as good. This one required Branch to get up close and personal with a dangerous beast, risking his very life for the sake of the others. At the same time, though, it kept him much more safe than his own plan because he'd have a team there to help him out. This would prove he could work with others and wasn't just a hate-filled loner after all. The fact that he'd have to enter the critter's layer meant that Smidge and Guy would see this act of bravery and sacrifice, too. If a guy who was scared of birds was suddenly willing to dress as one while risking his life to save someone, he couldn't be all bad. It would be impossible to doubt his heroic nature, proving Poppy right once and for all.
Branch was taking credit for this if it killed him. It was for his own good, after all.
"Branch?" Poppy asked, growing a bit annoyed again. Honestly, what was his problem? How risky was his plan? He kept telling her he'd be okay, but he wasn't acting like it!
Branch sighed and turned to her. "Okay, so the group plan goes like this."
And he explained the plan. To his surprise, Poppy beamed in excitement when he finished.
"Now that's a plan! Well done, Branch! And I can go along and lead the rescue team!"
This sounded like a great plan. It wasn't nearly as dangerous as Branch's behavior had implied. A group plan with many trolls involved was a step in the right direction, even. It showed he could work with others, making it easier to believe he could get along with them. And the brave act would show he wasn't a selfish coward, either. To top it off, with everyone working together, the job would be easier and safer. It was bound to work.
Now the question remained: With such a great and caring plan, why wouldn't Branch acknowledge that he'd come up with it?
"Not my plan," Branch countered, crossing his arms. (Poppy rested her case—he wouldn't take credit for his own ingenious idea.) "And I guess you might as well, since you're awake."
Poppy shook her head at him, grinning with amusement. Branch could be so stubborn sometimes. Then she turned to the crowd and raised a fist, a look of determination on her face. "Okay, people! Let's move it!" she called.
The others, all equally as excited as she now, answered with a mix of, "Right!" and, "Okay!" and, "Got it!"
"Great," Branch said, still not excited about this. "Then let's start by figuring out where this thing even lives."
And they set off in search, following the trail the critter had left behind.
Meanwhile the kitty critter had taken the trolls back to its den, where it played with them until it grew tired. It fell asleep, holding the trolls in its paws tightly. Smidge struggled to free herself but found it impossible.
"Agh... it's no use, Guy. If only I'd have been more careful, none of this would've happened." She looked at him sadly, guilt showing in her eyes.
Guy returned the guilty look as he answered, "No, Smidge. It's all my fault. If I hadn't leaped up onto that rock and tried something better, I could have helped Poppy and Branch." Guy sighed, looking down sadly. "Biggie's right... I am selfish."
He'd been so focused on saving Smidge, he'd completely forgotten about Poppy and hadn't listened to Branch. That, of course, had gotten Poppy hurt, and who knew what happened to Branch? Guy figured he could probably be charged with reckless endangerment himself after a stunt like that, depending on how bad off Poppy was now. He no longer had any right to judge Branch, with that in mind. They'd both ignored Poppy in a dangerous situation for selfish reasons, after all.
Smidge gave him a caring look and shook her head. How could he say that about himself when he'd just risked his life to save her? "No, you're not, Guy. If you were, then you wouldn't be here with me. You risked everything for my sake. That's the most selfless thing anyone's ever done!" She smiled at him.
Guy looked at her uncertainly, still thinking of how he'd abandoned Poppy. Then again, he'd done it to save a life that was already in danger, so did that really count? "You really thiiink so?"
Smidge nodded, smiling at him slightly.
"Hmm..." He thought about it some more. He thought about how Smidge was in danger when he'd made his move but Poppy had been safe and out of the way—with Branch, no less. He thought about how Poppy had put herself in danger to save both him and Smidge. In this case, it was Poppy who had endangered herself. This wasn't a case of reckless endangerment, after all, just a battle that he and his friends probably shouldn't have joined. He hadn't been selfish in abandoning anyone.
But that didn't make him innocent. There were other ways he had been acting selfishly lately, as Branch had already pointed out.
Guy smiled, feeling a bit better now. He looked at Smidge and said, "Yes. I suppose you're right! Sorry for causing you so much trooouuble the past few days. Bygones?"
He'd been acting like some kind of crazy stalker who couldn't take a hint and fighting with a friend, calling him names, because of his jealousy. He had to fix that one. That was no way for friends to behave.
Smidge smiled gently at him, glad he'd finally realized his real mistake, and answered, "Bygones."
Guy smiled back.
Suddenly the sound of cooing filled the air.
"W-what is thaaaaat?" Guy asked, his eyes wide with worry. As if they didn't have enough trouble.
Worried herself, Smidge started, "Don't know, but—"
The kitty critter stirred, an ear twitching. It looked toward the door, curious. "Mew?"
Then they heard that sound again. The cat got up, now standing on the trolls rather than holding them. It looked toward the entrance. "Mew?"
And then the most unexpected thing happened. A gray troll dressed as a blue bird leaped into the entryway.
Guy and Smidge both stared, eyes wide, in confusion and awe. "Branch?"
"Oh, my ga! What is he wearing!?" Smidge couldn't think of anything more bizarre than seeing Branch dressed up as a bird.
The kitty critter's ears perked up in excitement. It crouched in a pouncing position, looking at Branch with hunger.
"Come on, kitty kitty!" Branch taunted, waving his feather-coated arms. "Come and get it!"
Branch ran off then, and the kitty critter lunged after him. Smidge and Guy, now free, stared after the pair for a moment, stunned.
"Did I just see what I think I saw?" Guy asked.
Branch coming to save them was one thing. He'd been doing that a lot the last few days (which really made Guy look like a jerk, come to think of it), but Branch coming to save them in a bird costume? There was nothing right about that at all.
"Oh, my ga..."
Just then Poppy poked her head in, looking cautiously around the den. Biggie, Cooper, and Fuzzbert were right behind her. Seeing her two missing friends sitting there, looking stunned but unharmed, she beamed, waving them over. "Guys! Over here!"
Guy and Smidge turned to her, and their expressions lit up. "Poppy!"
"Boy, are we glad to see you!" Smidge said as she got to her feet.
Guy leaped up, beaming, a finger in the air. "I second that motion!" Guy agreed. "I thought we were gooooners for suuuuuuure!"
As Guy and Smidge approached, Poppy threw her arms up in excitement and said, "Well, of course, we'd come for you! We're your friends! Right, guys?" Poppy turned a bright smile to the others.
"You got that right!" Cooper answered.
"Absolutely! We couldn't leave you here!" Biggie said. Then he looked at Guy and added, "Guy, I'm sorry about how I've been acting these past few days. And, Smidge, I owe you an apology as well. I've been a terrible friend. Can you ever forgive me?"
Smidge grinned, touched that both of her crazed would-be boyfriends were finally willing to back off. She blushed slightly. "Aw... Heh, heh." The blush faded as she calmed down. "Of course I can, Biggie. We're friends, aren't we?" she answered with a smile.
Guy knew apologies were in order. He knew he owed one to Biggie, but this just wasn't a good time for it. Unless he was very much mistaken, they were still in a kitty critter's den while the beast in question pursued Branch, who was currently dressed as a kitty critter's favorite meal. Branch would, likely, be highly annoyed with them if they lingered while he was in that position. Besides that, Guy didn't really want tossed around by a kitty critter anymore, nor did he want his friends joining him and Smidge as chew toys.
So he walked over, waving his hands in mock celebration with a slightly annoyed air about him. "Yeah, yeah, yeah. Hooray for friendship and all that jazz," Guy said. "Now can we please get out of here? No offense, but I'd rather not have that critter toss us around like a basketball anymore, if it's all the same to you." He put his hands on his hips, glaring at them all.
"Right! Come on, you guys!" Poppy said, waving the others after her with a look of determination. "We've got some friends to help!"
"Okay!" answered some of her friends while others said, "Alright!"
Branch, meanwhile, ran toward the others, the kitty critter hot on his heels. It was seconds away from catching him as he neared the twins, Creek, and DJ.
"NOW!" he shouted to the others.
In a tree up above, DJ hit play on her boom box, letting loose with her bird track. The kitty critter stopped, curious. Then Creek and the twins lowered the fake troll—now tied to a rope, compliments of Branch—down in front of the critter. The kitty critter sniffed at it hungrily.
"That's it, friend," Creek said nervously, holding the rope tightly in his hair. The twins held the rope as well, helping him support the weight. "Take our bait..."
The kitty critter swatted at the toy troll. Creek and the twins kept pulling the toy up out of the way, trying to keep this game interesting for the critter while preventing it from catching its "prey" too soon.
While they dealt with that, Branch ducked out of sight and worked on catching his breath while he slipped the bird costume off. There was no way he intended to keep running around like that. It was bad enough that he'd been wearing it in the first place. He'd sooner go around naked. Lucky for him, that wasn't necessary.
As he tossed the thing aside, he heard a whistle—that was the sign that Smidge and Guy were okay.
He looked toward that sound and saw Poppy and the others under a nearby bush, safely out of sight and range of the kitty critter. Poppy had her fingers in her mouth as she let out another whistle.
"The signal!" Turning to the others, he could tell that they hadn't heard it. He shouted up into the tree, "Hey! They're here! Get rid of that thing and let's go!"
Satin, at least, heard Branch. "Chenille, Creek!"
As they'd been getting rather tired of playing with the critter, Creek nodded, and he and the twins pulled the toy up out of the critter's reach. DJ turned off her boom box and moved out of the way, hopping over to a different branch.
The kitty critter stopped jumping, looking up at the toy curiously. "Mew?"
Just as Creek had hoped, the strong smell of fish kept the critter's attention on the toy and off the retreating DJ. Thank goodness those fish had been so willing to aid him in his quest to save his friends. They had provided him with the scent he'd needed.
Creek placed the toy between the twins' hair and pulled it back as far as it would go. He aimed in the direction of Bergen Town, a serious look on his face. He stuck out his tongue in concentration as he closed one eye, taking careful aim. "Ready... Steady... FIRE!"
And he let go, launching the toy troll with the twins' hair. The kitty critter chased after it, attracted by the scent.
All of the trolls turned their attention to Branch, waiting for direction.
"This way! Come on!" he called, running off in the other direction.
Everyone followed him, the twins, Creek and DJ quickly jumping out of the tree. They ran until he told them to stop, making sure they got away from that kitty critter.
By the time Branch decided it was safe to slow down, they were only about a mile away from Troll Village.
"Great job, everyone!" Poppy said after she'd caught her breath. "Everyone made it out of there safely!" She jumped, spreading her arms out over her head, as she beamed at them all.
Everyone cheered in celebration, pumping their fists, dancing around, or leaping into the air. Well, everyone except for Branch, that is.
"Man, did ya guys see that? That cat must have really liked our toy 'cause it was sure havin' fun swattin' it around!" DJ said.
"I think it's because it was Branch!" Cooper said. "I mean, he did try to play with it earlier, so maybe it just likes him!"
"I'm just glad everyone's safe," Biggie said.
"Me, too," Guy agreed, smiling with relief. "And, speaking of, Branch. What was that back there?" Looking concerned and a little out of the loop, he turned to the gray troll.
Smidge turned to Branch with much the same expression and added, "Yeah. I thought you hated birds. What were you doing dressed like one?"
Then both Smidge and Guy's eyes widened a bit as they realized something else.
Smidge pointed at Branch and added, "And why are you covered in bandages? Don't tell us it roughed you up that bad."
"Oh, no, that was the birds," Branch answered with no concern for the lack of understanding either of them would have. "And, speaking of, dressing me like one was Creek's idea."
Smidge and Guy exchanged looks of intermingled confusion and worry. "...Birds?"
"What birds?" Smidge asked. "I didn't see any—"
Creek cut her off with a mischievous grin, "Me?" He put a hand to his chest. Branch was making this all too fun for him, but Creek had no intention of losing. He closed his eyes and shook his head, holding up his hands in a questioning manner. "And why would I want to do a silly think like that?" Creek asked with a mischievous grin as he looked at Branch. "You know how dangerous and reckless that plan was. Why, just think. If that dummy hadn't worked, then you wouldn't be here right now!"
"Boy, Branch, you're really brave," Cooper said, apparently growing convinced that the whole thing was Branch's idea. (Creek was, quite honestly, thrilled that his plan had even managed to convince Cooper that Branch had orchestrated the whole thing. Hopefully the others would start believing that, too, if he kept insisting it was true.) "But I don't think Poppy'd like it if you sacrifice yourself to save everybody. I mean, I'm pretty sure she likes having you around.
Poppy fully agreed with Cooper and Creek on that one. That sounded like a Branch plan. Why he kept trying to give Creek, credit, she could only guess. Maybe he was embarrassed to admit he'd chosen to wear a bird costume, or maybe he wasn't comfortable with the idea of working with the others yet. Either way, he needed to get over himself. That plan had been a huge success, and everyone was really starting to appreciate him for it. Not that she expected him to ever admit to it—Branch had too much pride for that.
"Cooper, that wasn't my plan."
And Poppy rested her case on the pride thing.
Smidge put her hands to her cheeks, staring at Branch in awe. "Oh, my ga! You were willing to sacrifice yourself for us?" She was slightly touched that he'd been willing to risk his life for them like that. Maybe Poppy was right about him after all.
Maybe Branch really was a hero.
Looking at them, Branch saw that she and Guy both looked almost touched at the idea. Creek stood back, looking smug, with his arms crossed. His plan was working perfectly.
Poppy just watched, grinning at Branch with affection. Her friends were finally starting to see Branch for the troll he really was. Not only that, but they were finally letting him know that they saw him in a different light. Her plan to bring them all together and get them to get along seemed to be working, courtesy of a kitty critter and bird attack. Branch was finally able to show everyone that he wasn't a bad guy and got to see how much the others cared, all at the same time. By saving her from those birds, he had redeemed himself in the eyes of her friends, and they could finally forgive him now. They could see the good in him that she'd seen all along. Now that he was seeing this change of attitude, too, bringing him home would be not only easy, but also something he'd feel comfortable about.
Branch wasn't alone anymore. He had friends who cared about him—her friends. He had a place to belong at last. All because of what she had done. Maybe, Poppy decided, she wasn't such a bad princess after all. Maybe they could be together.
"Not only that, but he almost sacrificed himself to save Poppy earlier!" Satin said.
Guy tapped his chin with a finger, looking curious and said, "Hmm... I see... So is thaaat where those birds that he mentioned before come in?"
"Yes," Chenille answered. "We'd have come for you sooner, but a flock of birds attacked right after the kitty critter left. Branch had to fight them off and protect Poppy. Since the kitty critter knocked her out, she wasn't going to do anything for herself."
"It was terrifying yet inspiring," Biggie said. "Just like Branch protecting all of us from the kitty critter earlier. I mean, we haven't exactly been very nice to him, yet he tried to protect us."
"Right? And then saving Smidge and Guy from the kitty critter and Poppy from the birds and all of us from the bergens... Branch really is a hero!" Cooper said.
Everyone started talking all at once, praising Branch instead of abusing or belittling him. It was the last thing Branch expected. They were acting as if they liked him.
Poppy walked over to Branch, a smug smile on her face and her arms crossed over her chest. He'd told her over and over again that nothing he did would change anything, and here he was, being proven wrong.
He looked at her as the others kept going and asked, "This is a joke, right?"
It had to be. They didn't like him. It was a fact of life. He just wasn't likable.
"What do you think?" she asked smugly. The words "I told you so" were written all over her face.
"It was fantastic, dudes! Ya should've seen the way he swatted that bird back with that tree branch!" and excited DJ said, rather ironically—it wasn't like she had seen it. "It was—"
"DJ, you weren't watching," Chenille reminded her. "Remember? I told you about that!"
DJ simmered down, looking a bit awkward. "Ohhhh. Riiiight. My bad." She giggled a bit, apparently unconcerned.
Branch still couldn't believe his ears. "...There's no way they're serious right now."
"Course there is. You're a hero, Branch. And now they all know it, too," Poppy said, giving him an affectionate smile as her friends continued singing his praises and growing more excited about it.
Branch still couldn't believe this was happening. Maybe he was asleep. This could just be a dream.
"I think this calls for a celebration!" Biggie said at last. "I know Branch Appreciation Day has already passed, but we didn't celebrate it correctly at all!"
Oh, no. No, he did not want to see another of those crazy ceremonies!
"Wait, wait!" Branch protested, waving his hands in front of him. "I was there! You celebrated Branch Appreciation Day!"
"Technically that was not Branch Appreciation Day," Chenille corrected. "That was two days after what you saw."
"So, what, celebrating two days early means you have to do it again?"
"Why not!?" Guy answered, throwing his arms out to the sides. For once, he was actually eager to celebrate Branch. "Let's get this party starrrrrted!"
"Yeah!" everyone agreed.
And that's when things got really weird. The Snack Pack started a slow, relaxing dance party instead of their usual loud and obnoxious kind. Even Poppy was confused now.
With a start, Poppy blinked. "Uh, guys?" She laughed awkwardly. "This isn't how we normally celebrate."
Not that she really wanted to celebrate their usual way, but...
"Maybe not, but, yesterday, Branch seemed to prefer slower music," Satin told her. "He took over while you two were dancing."
Did they have to keep bringing that up? It was a bit embarrassing that everyone had seen that unusual dance she'd had with him. It had started out looking like she was dancing with a child, teaching him to dance. Then he'd suddenly become a pro, and he seemed to have a crush on his "teacher." That was just too much weirdness for her.
"If it's Branch Appreciation Day, we should be throwing a party more like what he would want, shouldn't we?" Chenille asked.
Okay, admittedly, that made sense. This was a party meant for Branch, but why was everyone so into the idea all of a sudden? It couldn't just be because they saw him as a hero worth celebrating, could it?
As much as Branch was enjoying this bizarre turn of events where the Snack Pack suddenly not only cared about him but actually knew a thing or two about him, this was hardly the time or place for a random dance party. He said, "Then how about this? I'd rather not party in the middle of nowhere."
Poppy said nothing, too stunned to form words. This whole thing was completely weird and random. Trolls weren't usually fond of quiet parties, yet her friends were eager to have one in Branch's honor?
"Fair enough, mate. We really should be getting to a safer location first. After all, we wouldn't want anyone else getting snatched up by anymore predators, now, would we?"
Remembering his earlier conversation with Branch, Biggie said, "Oh, definitely not! I don't think Branch is up for another fight right now. Don't you agree, Mr. Dinkles?"
"Meep!"
"Let's get one thing straight, Biggie," Branch countered. "If there's danger, I'm always up for a fight."
He just might not survive the fight, that was all.
"Then let's make sure he doesn't need to be," Satin amended.
"Agreed," said her sister.
And all but Poppy and Branch started for the village nearby. Once they found it, they could have their celebration. Then, when they'd properly honored Branch, they could get back to looking for the rest of the village.