A/N: Alright, here's the next chapter! There's only 2 or 3 more after this one, so enjoy! We don't own Trolls.
The crowd erupted when their queen kissed Branch. Unexpectedly, they were cheering, not rioting. Several members of the audience expressed the view that Branch Appreciation Day was only a thing because their queen loved the troll in question.
"I told you she liked him!" someone said excitedly.
"No, I told you!" his friend agreed happily.
Both of these trolls were acting like they had thought Poppy crushing on Branch was cute, which Poppy knew couldn't be farther from true. Everyone had been totally against the thought of her being in love with Branch. Many had called her crazy for it and accused her of having some kind of mental disorder. Where did these guys get off acting like they'd approved all along?
Despite that, the sense of victory was so great right now that Poppy just rolled her eyes, grinning in amusement. If they wanted to act like that rather than face the embarrassment of being wrong for so many years, who was she to complain?
Creek glared, looking jealous once again. It just wasn't fair that he couldn't be with the queen anymore. He didn't want to have two kids possibly on the way.
Satin and Chenille cleared their throats, hands on their hips, as they glared at the purple troll. Did the father of their unborn children have to be so open about his desire to abandon them in favor of a girl who had already moved on? After everything he'd been through, neither of them denied that Branch deserved Poppy's affections, and they both thought it was high time Creek lay off the gray troll.
Creek cleared his throat and looked away awkwardly. The twins' reactions to his jealousy only made things worse. Why did his two future wives have to be so frightening?
Branch looked at Poppy again. He could hardly believe this was happening. "Poppy..."
She smiled at him warmly before turning to the crowd and saying, "In addition, I hereby change that law from permanent banishment to temporary suspension from anything related to fun with other trolls! Time off for acts of great courage, extraordinary character, and true leadership! Starting today, no troll will ever be banished again for reckless endangerment of the royal family!" She threw her hands up over her head, beaming with excitement.
And, with their newfound understanding that banishment was akin to torture, the trolls of Troll Village cheered once more. Even Peppy was smiling as he watched his daughter and the former exile. Here he'd always told Poppy she'd understand things better when she had children, but now he saw that he was wrong. His fear of losing Poppy had come from years of losing loved ones to the bergens, especially the love of his life. Because of this deep, personal loss, he'd learned to treasure the one thing he had left—his daughter. She became his whole world, the greatest gift his late wife had given him.
But...looking at how much Poppy truly loved Branch, Peppy saw that there wasn't that much of a difference between losing a child and losing anyone else close to you. Yes, they were different kinds of loss, but both could be excruciatingly painful, especially since Poppy had indeed fallen in love with Branch. Peppy fully remembered what it felt like to lose the love of his life, and Poppy could relate to that now...all because of him and his overprotective side. No doubt about it. He had to make this up to them. Both of them.
Branch smiled. A warm feeling was spreading throughout his entire body, a feeling he hadn't felt in over 20 years. He was home. He was actually being welcomed home. Did he trust the other trolls? Not really. But he trusted Poppy, and her friends had all just stood up for him, too. He felt safer knowing that they were on his side. Even if the other trolls did decide that they didn't want him around, he knew he could count on the Snack Pack to help him out. They had his back, and it was such a relief to know that.
He didn't need the whole village to like him. The ten who did were good enough, especially since it gave him the chance to come home.
Right up there on stage, before the entire village, Branch transformed. Blue spread out from his feet, heading up his entire body until his skin was completely transformed. His black hair turned indigo and grew out. The village watched in awe as the gray troll regained his colors. Biggie and Cooper looked at each other, both stunned to silence.
Even Poppy couldn't help but stare. "...Branch..."
If she'd thought she liked him before, now he was visually appealing! That had to be the best color combination in the entire village! She was so glad she'd earned the right to make him hers. Everything she'd done the last hour or so could easily make up for all her mistakes with him, so they could easily be together now. All that was left was to tell him the truth, something she was sure he'd reciprocate because of how he acted toward her in Bergen Town. It wouldn't be long now.
As his colors finished returning, Branch looked at himself in amazement. He hadn't thought that this would ever happen. He'd lost his colors long ago when his grandma had been taken by the bergen in his place. As a teenager, he'd felt a twinge of happiness when spending time with Poppy and her friends (although he'd had little interest in pursuing it at the time). But that had gone away after the banishment, and he'd never thought he would feel anything positive ever again. Yet here he was, without even a hint of gray remaining.
Poppy was ecstatic. As a child, she'd sworn she would make Branch happy. In fact, that was the only reason she'd started spending so much time with the grouchy hermit. As princess of Troll Village, it was her duty to take care of her people, and Branch had been especially challenging. It wasn't fair that he was the only one not happy and having fun, so she'd made him her own personal project, hoping to cheer him up someday. Granted, she had started to like him over time, but she was 7 before she actually considered him a friend. Now, suddenly, here he was, fulfilling her goals.
She couldn't help herself. She ran over and hugged him in pure joy. There were so many reasons to be overjoyed right now. Branch was home and welcome, he was finally seen as a hero and he was happy, she'd made everything up to him... The list went on and on. "See, Branch!? I told you! I just knew everything would work out! Oh, Branch! I'm so happy for you—I...I..." She sniffled.
Branch laughed and, for the first time in his life, hugged her back. "Please don't ugly cry on me. We already talked about this," he teased.
His warning came too late, though, as Poppy's tears started coming down gently. She couldn't help it—he was finally happy, home, forgiven, and had friends, and she loved it.
Basking in her gentle, loving embrace, Branch was silent for a moment. Finally, he said, "Thank you, Poppy."
He owed her so much. Until this moment, he hadn't even realized how badly he needed this change. He had thought he was fine the way he was, gray and unhappy. He'd resisted her as a trolling, always telling her that he didn't do happy. He'd been so busy drowning in his own misery that he'd denied himself any chance to be happy.
Now, though, feeling this way for the first time since he was little, he realized that he'd been living in a fog for years. His pain had clouded everything, preventing him from seeing the caring trolls around him. His foster family had tried their best to cheer him up and be understanding of his situation, and he'd returned their efforts with hostility. The same was true of the trollings his age—they'd tried to be friendly, and he'd been mean enough to them that they all started avoiding him. It made sense, really, that the other trolls would have a negative opinion of him. He'd never given them any reason to see him in a good light, too lost in the darkness of his own broken heart.
Now, though, he felt lighter than he had in years, and he actually felt like he could forgive the trolls for what they'd put him through...and forgive himself for his own part in it. He could finally heal.
Peppy pushed through the two before Poppy could respond to Branch. He suddenly had a brilliant idea, one that would allow them to honor Branch's bravery and make things up to his daughter at the same time! Besides that, this was hardly the time or place for what those two seemed to be planning to do. Their romance could wait for a more appropriate time and place.
Branch jumped back and assumed a defensive position. He may have been willing to forgive, but that didn't mean he trusted any of these guys. Poppy blinked, looking at her dad with curiosity.
"I'd say this calls for a celebration!" said the former king cheerily. "And what better way to celebrate the return of our great hero," he leaned toward Branch and Poppy, a hand to the side of his mouth, as he murmured, "and possibly future king—"
Poppy started, eyes wide. "Wha—Dad—" she protested quietly. She hadn't even told Branch she was actually crushing on him. She didn't need her dad saying things to make it awkward!
Branch went rigid, stiff as a board. His eyes widened at the implication. It was way too soon to consider the idea of being king of Troll Village, given that he and Poppy weren't even a couple.
Peppy raised his hands high above his head and addressed the crowd once again, "—than to celebrate one of our greatest holidays to date!? So, since Poppy and the others weren't here for it, happy Branch Appreciation Day, everyone!" He threw his head back, a huge smile on his face.
The entire village cheered, seemingly quite eager for this holiday.
Branch, however, had been hoping to avoid this absurdity. "W—" He sighed, cutting himself off. As if anyone would listen to him on this one, anyway.
Poppy moved up beside her dad, grinning awkwardly. "Uh, Dad?" She laughed a bit, feeling rather uncomfortable. This hardly seemed like the time or place to embarrass Branch further. He didn't like being the center of attention as it was, and this holiday was horribly embarrassing. They'd have him running for the hills, for sure, if they celebrated it. "I don't think—"
"And, since this is Branch we're all celebrating, I propose we do things a little differently this year! After all, we all remember how he feels about singing, dancing, and hugging!" Peppy said with a bright smile as he gestured to Branch.
The other trolls groaned, looking bored or uncomfortable. Suddenly this didn't feel like such a good idea.
"Therefore I propose we have a nice, fancy ball, like the Hair Ball, instead!"
And, more than satisfied with this plan, the trolls cheered once more.
Poppy grinned slightly, giving in. She supposed that was better than the uncomfortable ceremony she'd created. Branch wouldn't hate it as much, at least. "Alright. A ball, it is." She threw her hands up in the air and called, "Happy Branch Appreciation Day, everyone!"
"Happy Branch Appreciation Day, Queen Poppy!" the village called back happily.
That was a reaction she'd never let them forget.
As the crowd hurried off to prepare for this upcoming ball, Smidge started panicking. She knew full well what kind of things one normally did at a ball, and the main event spelled trouble for her. "A ball!? B-but that's a perfect atmosphere for—" She looked to her left frantically, eyes wide, and saw Guy heading her way, looking excited. On the right, Biggie was approaching as well.
"Oh, Smidgie-poo!" Guy called in a singsong voice. "I've got something to aaaaaaask yoooouuu!"
"Smidge, I'd like to ask you something, if that's alright!" Biggie called to her.
No. No, she wasn't doing this again. They'd just stopped fighting over her today! Eyes wide with worry, she bolted up, saying, "I gotta find a date ASAP!" Then she ran, screaming, into the crowd.
If she already had a date, neither of them could harass her for one. Before she could find a date, she needed to lose her two stalkers though. Why were they still acting like such lunatics, and when had they started crushing on her in the first place!?
Too stubborn to quit, they both gave chase. The only difference between this and the time in the tank was that they weren't fighting with each other, although that was a marked improvement.
Back on stage, Branch looked at Poppy and asked, "We're having a ball?"
She nodded happily. "Uh-huh!" She walked over to him and pat his shoulder reassuringly as she added, "And don't worry, Branch. Hair Balls are a ton of fun. There's dancing and refreshments, and everyone gets to dress up real fancy! Plus the music's a little more controlled at one, so..." She looked at him expectantly, a flirtatious and playful grin on her face.
She really hoped he'd attend this one. It would give her the perfect opportunity to tell him how she felt. Then he'd become her date for the evening (since it was obvious he was interested), and they'd have the time of their lives! Sure, she'd invited him to the Hair Ball before, but she hadn't had any romantic feelings toward him at the time. Besides, he'd refused, just like every other party she had invited him to attend. That hadn't stopped her from trying each and every year, though.
Branch looked at her for a moment before he smiled and joked, "I don't think I own anything fancy, especially not around here."
What use did an exile or hermit have for fancy clothes? And what he'd left behind would probably not fit him anymore, considering it had been ten years.
Poppy laughed, putting an arm around his shoulders. No duh, he wouldn't own anything like that. All he'd had before were brown and green overalls held up by just one strap over his shoulder, a common style in Troll Village. Nowadays he seemed to favor wearing leaves as a vest and patched-up shorts, and he'd left most of this wardrobe in the swamp. The only outfit he'd brought was now ruined, and he was currently running around shirtless with torn and bloody shorts. No way that was suitable for a ball. Fortunately, he seemed to be forgetting something important...
"Oh, don't worry, Branch. That's an easy fix." She snapped her fingers, summoning Satin and Chenille to her side. The twins were always around when you needed a quick fashion fix. Poppy crossed her arms and gave Branch a smug grin.
"Need something, Poppy?" Satin asked.
The queen pushed Branch toward the twins, a teasing smile on her face. "Yes. We still haven't welcomed Branch back properly. You know what to do."
"Oh, don't worry, Poppy," Chenille answered as she grabbed Branch's right arm. "We know exactly what you mean."
Satin gently took hold of his other arm, mindful of the wounds. "When we're done, you won't recognize him!"
Suddenly Branch was very uncomfortable. "Wait, what do you mean by all that? What's going on?"
"The Troll Village way of welcoming a troll home...is with a makeover," Satin answered, smirking mischievously.
"And, Branch? You need one," Chenille added. "You're covered in blood, for one thing."
"And you can't wear that to a ball."
"You really shouldn't be wearing it at all."
Okay, that was uncalled for. "Hey..." he warned.
"But we'll let you get away with it...except tonight," Chenille added.
"That's right! Tonight, we're going to work our magic!" Satin said as she and her sister guided Branch away.
"Consider us your Trolly Godmothers, Trollerella."
"This isn't a trolly tale! Stop that!"
Poppy watched them go, smiling. She doubted Branch would attend the party, but at least he was going to get a proper welcome home. She'd just have to track him down and drag him to the ball, most likely kicking and screaming, later. And maybe, with a little luck, if she asked him to it as her date, there'd be less kicking and screaming and more willingness to attend. She doubted it, but it could happen.
"Right! Now to go get things set up!" Humming happily, she walked off to help prepare for the celebratory ball. This party was bound to be the best one they'd ever had, even if Branch didn't want to be there.
Troll Village spent the rest of the day getting ready for the special version of Branch Appreciation Day. Peppy and Poppy got everything set up with the aid of Sky Toronto's entire staff from the party factory, along with a few of Poppy's less busy friends, like Cooper, Biggie, DJ, and Creek. When they finally had everything set up, the party planners headed home to get ready themselves.
Branch, meanwhile, spent the rest of the afternoon with Satin and Chenille as the two created a new outfit for him. They also insisted that he bathe, so he was forced into their bathroom while they worked on his new outfit. The twins then got themselves and Branch ready for the big party. Part of this involved changing his bandages since they were now soaking wet. He told them he could take care of it himself, but they insisted on helping, at least with his torso.
This, of course, led to a scream when Satin saw the scar on his side.
Satin backed away, looking horrified. "W-what is that!?"
Branch glanced down at the scar and sighed as Chenille moved to look at it as well. Her eyes widened, and she looked askance at Branch.
Th-that's the...place the troll in his story was—That wasn't made up! He...he actually... Now Chenille really felt bad about how she'd treated Branch. No troll should have to go through something that painful and terrifying, especially considering that they'd all been wrong about him in the first place.
Branch groaned. He'd wanted to scare them last night when he'd told that story, but his feelings about them had changed a fair bit since then. Now he was wishing he hadn't told the tale. If it was just another of the many scars covering his body, then they wouldn't have cared as much. Sure, it looked worse than the others, but knowing where it came from probably bothered them more than the scar itself.
"Don't worry about it," he finally said. "Let's just get this over with, okay?"
The twins exchanged a glance, both looking highly upset. Then Chenille shrugged, and she and Satin got back to changing Branch's bandages.
Come evening, Branch took one look in their mirror and didn't even recognize himself. Not only were his colors back (which was a dramatic enough change itself), but he wore a new dark blue suit and tie, his hair neatly groomed. The transformation was intense.
"Wow, Branch, you clean up nice!" Chenille said, rather surprised. She wore a sparkly, purple, floor-length dress, a yellow headband with a pink gem on it, and a matching bracelet and earrings. Her bangs were curled for the evening.
"Agreed. I wasn't sure even we could pull this one off! But, now that you're not gray anymore, this color looks great on you." Satin had a knee-length dress, sparkly and purple like her sister's, but a darker shade. She had a yellow band on her arm with a purple gem and two pairs of matching earrings.
"I doubt Poppy will even be able to recognize you. Which is a good thing! The guest of honor should look his best, after all."
Branch wasn't sure if that was meant as a compliment or an insult. "Uh...thanks."
"I really am sorry, Branch," Chenille said sincerely. "I should have treated you better. After all, being unhappy doesn't mean you're dangerous. You're a good guy at heart."
He'd come to save them, even though he hated them and knew they felt the same. He'd jumped into action to save Poppy from a variety of threats, shielded them from potential harm, and even gone so far as to bring them all the way home. Branch really wasn't what she had thought, and now she was seriously regretting being so harsh with him these last few days.
Branch looked at her, analyzing her apology. "...Thanks, Chenille," he said with a smile.
"Okay! Enough talk!" Satin said, clapping her hands together. "We need to get to the ball! After all, it wouldn't be right for the guest of honor to be late to his own party!"
And, knowing Branch's history of avoiding parties, the twins escorted him to the ball.
By the time Satin, Chenille, and Branch arrived at the ball, it was already in full swing. Everyone seemed to be having fun, even though the music was a little quieter and less crazy in honor of Branch. There was a banner hanging in the back with the title "Hero's Ball" written on it in bright blue letters. Blue, green, and purple decorations and balloons hung from the trees, and the refreshments included some fruits and vegetables that trolls actually didn't hate. DJ was on stage in the back with her wooferbug, playing the music. There was plenty of room for other performers, though, and the stage seemed to be set up with others in mind. A keyboard was set up off to the side, and a microphone stand was in the center.
"Wow, this is definitely not your average troll party," Branch said.
And then things got weird. Cooper came over dressed not for a ball, but for a costume party. He was wearing a blue bird costume, very reminiscent of the one Branch had tossed in the forest. The major difference was that Cooper's wings were held up by wire and attached to his sides, likely because he had four legs and no arms. "You're telling me! I mean, I guess it makes sense, though. You're not an average troll."
Branch looked at him questioningly. Did he really want to know what the costume was about?
Cooper sweat, suddenly remembering that Branch hated him more than anyone else in the world. "Uh...am I too close?"
Surprisingly Branch smiled a bit. "Not yet. But no hugging."
Cooper looked both relieved and happy again. It seemed Branch had chosen to forgive him. "Got it, Branch!" he said cheerily.
"Cooper, what are you wearing?" Chenille asked, exasperated. "This is a fancy party! Not a costume party!"
"Well, since Branch was dressed like a bird to help save us, I figured I could dress like a bird to honor him!"
"And where'd you get a bird costume?" Branch asked, feeling definitely disturbed. Could Cooper get any weirder?
"Oh, I just had Nova Swift whip something up for me! When I said it was in your honor, she got her intern on it right away!"
Satin's hands flew to her face, eyes sparkling, as she cried, "Shocked gasp! Nova Swift designed a bird outfit for you!?" She squealed in excitement.
"I can't believe it! Nova Swift!" Chenille shrieked, looking much the same as her sister.
Branch blinked at the twins, stunned. I guess they're fans.
Guy and Biggie came over then, both looking rather frantic. Biggie wore a dark purple tuxedo and Guy had a white bow tie and some white shirt cuffs on, making him slightly less naked than usual.
"Oh! There you are, Brraaaaanch!" Guy said with relief. "Thank spaaaaaaarkle eyes! I thought you might've skipped out on this like you nooooormally do!"
"Can you help us?" Biggie asked, looking around with worry. "We can't find Smidge anywhere!"
She's probably avoiding them, Branch thought. But he decided not to tell them this hurtful piece of information. "Really?"
"Yeah, see, that's the thiiing. We were both hoping you'd be here due to your excellent tracking skills. I mean, you did find us both when that kiiiitty critter had us."
"Why don't you find her?" Cooper asked the two, unsure why this was suddenly Branch's job. It wasn't like the newly blue troll owed Guy any favors, after all.
Guy looked at Cooper for a second, eyes wide and stunned. He blinked, then shook it off. Biggie raised an eyebrow at his friend's bizarre outfit. This had to be the most unusual one yet.
"You know what, I'm not even going to ask!" Guy said, waving his arms through the air and sounding about as disturbed as he looked. Then he turned to Branch, hands cupped pleadingly, and put on a hopeful smile. "Anyway, Branch, about finding Smidge?"
"This is a party for Branch," Chenille said, putting her hands on her hips. "Go find someone else to help you bother Smidge!"
"That's right! Besides, Branch has done enough for you for one day, Guy," Satin added.
Honestly, both girls couldn't help but wonder why Guy had to annoy people about Smidge at every possible opportunity. He should just let Branch enjoy his party. There would be plenty of time for stalking Smidge later.
"Aw, come on!" he complained, throwing his arms up in the air in annoyance.
"Hey, guys? What's all the fuss about?" Smidge said from behind them, effectively ending this conversation.
Biggie whirled around with a huge smile on his face, saying, "Smidge! There you are!"
Guy whirled around as well, beaming. He held his arms high above his head in elation. "Thank gliiiiiitter stars, Smidge! We thought you were—" He cut off, eyes widening in shock, as he noticed the handsome purple troll with orange hair standing beside Smidge...holding her hand.
Smidge was wearing a sparkly pink dress with matching earrings. She had her hair pulled down to her left side. Her date wore a light blue tuxedo with coattails, a red bow tie, and a white corsage.
"Hi! My name's Milton," he said with a smile. "So you're friends with Smidge? Well, I'm very pleased to meet you. Smidge has told me so much about you."
Guy stared at this somewhat familiar troll, stunned. "Uh..."
Who was this guy? And why was he holding Smidge's hand!? That was one of the ultimate signs of affection for trolls! Well, that and kissing. But that was reserved for a more serious relationship. Branch and Poppy had more rights to that than this clown did.
"Milton! When did you meet Smidge?" Biggie asked.
Milton Moss was the critternarian. Biggie took Mr. Dinkles to see him for checkups and any time the worm seemed under the weather. He was well acquainted with Smidge's new friend.
Satin and Chenille grinned at each other. They thought they could see where this was going.
"It looks like she found someone new, you two," Chenille said.
"That's too bad," Satin said, but she didn't sound sorry about it.
"Oh," Milton said with a sheepish grin. "Well, it's kind of a funny story. You see, Smidge was desperately looking for a date to tonight's ball, so she dropped by my clinic and asked me out. I was going to refuse at first, but then she said she'd already asked everyone else in town, and they'd all said no." He looked sympathetic as he finished that.
"So this is a pity date?" Chenille asked.
"Oh, no, no, no, no, you guys!" Smidge protested, smiling happily...and still holding the guy's hand. This was looking more serious to Guy the longer he watched. "I mean, it was at first, but then the tarantapuffs attacked!" She could hardly keep the excitement off her face as her eyes widened. Finally letting go of her date's hand, she threw her arms up over her head dramatically.
Guy gasped, covering his face. His eyes widened, worried about what had happened. "Really?"
"Tarantapuffs?" Biggie asked.
"How did you get away?" Satin worried.
"Well, we almost didn't," Milton answered with a frown. "At first, my main concern was everyone's safety. So I asked Smidge to take all the critters and find a safe place to hide while I tried talking to the tarantapuffs."
"So I ran around letting critters out of their cages and gathered them all up in my hair! Then I ran and hid them all behind a large rock!" she said, getting as dramatic as she could.
"Oh, my!" Biggie covered his mouth.
"What happened next?" the twins asked, fully engrossed in the story.
"Well, next, I thought the tarantapuffs might just be cranky. So I tried giving them both a hug!" He smiled, holding his arms wide as if offering a hug. Then he blinked, eyes widening as he realized he had left some details out. He lowered his arms slowly and gave a sheepish grin, holding up two fingers, and asked, "Uh, did I mention that there were only two of them?"
Smidge narrowed her eyes darkly.
"Yeah, but it turned out they weren't. They attacked Milton and tossed him all around!" she said, throwing her arms up with a look of panic on her face.
Guy gasped, slapping his hands to his face. "Oh, that's hooooorrible!"
Branch, meanwhile, was appalled at the sheer stupidity. "You tried hugging tarantapuffs?"
Milton smiled calmly at him. "Yes. But don't worry! I knew everything would be okay by sundown because tarantapuffs go to sleep then!" His smile grew more confident.
"So he told me to take the critters far away to safety! So I did!" Smidge continued with a smug grin.
"But, Smidge, why!?" Biggie asked.
"Yeah. I mean, anytime I asked you guys to leave, you ignored me," Branch said, mildly irritated at this fact. Did these guys listen to people as long as they weren't him?
She frowned in concern and answered, "Because, you guys! I couldn't let anything happen to all those innocent critters, could I?"
Milton gave a proud and affectionate smile to Smidge. Guy's fears were growing stronger as he took note of the affection in that look.
"She did an excellent job, too. She took them to Ginger Jo, the critter babysitter, who promised to look after them for a bit." Once again he seemed to realize he'd left something out, then gave a sheepish grin and said, "Uh, Smidge told me this part."
"Anyway, after the critters were safe and sound with Ginger, I went back to where the tarantapuffs were and attacked them!"
Milton smiled in amusement. "I tried to warn her it was dangerous, but she wouldn't listen," he said with a shake of his head.
Great. Now they were teasing each other about the dumb things they did to protect each other. This was looking more and more like a serious couple to Guy, and he didn't like it at all. He saw her first!
This, at last, sounded accurate to Branch. Give these guys a warning about danger, and they don't listen. At least that was consistent.
"You should have seen me, guys!" Smidge said proudly. "I gave those nasty tarantapuffs a beating they won't ever forget!"
Guy couldn't help but notice that Milton was still smiling at her affectionately.
"Well, I hope they do in time," Milton said, now looking both worried and sympathetic. "All that stress isn't any good for a critter. But, anyway, as I was saying, Smidge did such a good job chasing them off that I decided to ask her out for real."
The newly formed couple looked at each other with love as they both said, "Then our eyes met...our hearts started pounding...and...and then..."
Guy gaped, stunned and upset. "...Oh..."
That was the look of a serious couple, and it was next to impossible to compete with that. Creek was proof enough of just how hopeless this situation was. He'd tried to break up a serious couple but couldn't win back the girl, no matter how hard he tried. This wasn't fair at all. Smidge should be with him!
Biggie, feeling much the same as Guy, said, "Well...I'm happy for you, Smidge."
Smidge giggled, looking love-struck and holding Milton's hand again. "Yeah."
"So that's where you were all afternoon? Falling in love?" Satin asked.
The fact that they were both dressed for the ball, with Smidge's hair being done, told Branch that they'd also had the time to get ready for this party, a feat that had taken the twins all afternoon. "How'd you have time for that adventure?" Branch asked. It seemed an especially good question, considering that the two seemed seriously attracted to each other so soon after meeting.
Smidge shrugged, closing her eyes.
Milton smiled at him and answered, "No clue. But isn't it great?" He turned back to Smidge, taking both her hands in his. "I mean, if my life hadn't been in danger, then I'd never have gotten to know this..." he paused, leaning toward Smidge as he gazed lovingly into her eyes, "...beautiful friend of yours." He looked back at the crowd. "Smidge is truly one of a kind. In so many wonderful ways." He turned back to stare longingly into Smidge's eyes, and she did the same to him.
Smidge giggled, blushing a bit. "Oh, stop it. You're making me blush."
And the two kissed, lips locking right there in front of everyone. That was it—the ultimate sign that Guy's life was over. This really was a serious relationship, a sign of love at first sight. Smidge and Milton were clearly meant for each other, and there was nothing Guy could do about it!
Satin and Chenille sighed, cupping their hands against their cheeks. Biggie, meanwhile, thought he was about to cry, and not from joy. Branch didn't know how to react to this, so he chose not to. He was just uncomfortable bearing witness to the new romance between these two.
Cooper raised an eyebrow at the scene, but his hug watch went off then. Nobody else's went off, though. It was just his. "Whoops! I gotta go!" he said. "Those fireworks aren't gonna launch themselves! Cooper, out!" And he ran off.
It seemed he had programmed his watch to alert him to go off and prepare for the party, but Branch had bigger concerns than that. "Wait, fireworks? Please tell me they're not custom made!"
Nobody answered, too busy watching Smidge and Milton, who were still going.
Guy looked really awkward. Even if he could, it was extremely untrolly to attempt to break up true love like that. If he tried it now, everyone in the village would hate him. There was only one thing he could do now.
"Uh, heh heh. Well! I'm glad to see you're both so happy together! Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll be over there." He slumped, arms hanging freely at his arms, as he threw his head back. "Crrrrying my eyes ooooouuuuutt!" he wailed as he took off, tears falling freely. He tossed an arm over his face as he went.
"Yes, I think I'll join him," Biggie said as he quickly walked off. The tears started falling as he caught up with Guy and walked beside him. "Well, that was..." he said to his former rival, sniffling.
Guy let his arm fall down as he walked. "Whaaaa! P-Poppy was r-r-right all aloooong!" he wailed, head thrown back. "We r-really did dr-drive her o-off!"
If only he'd done things right, maybe Smidge would have chosen him instead. It wasn't fair! Why did Milton get her in the end? He was more Smidge's opposite than Branch was Poppy's! Why were opposites so attractive to each other around here? It wasn't fair at all.
"At least she's h-happy now!" Biggie wailed, Guy's tears feeding into his own sorrow. Biggie had actually had Smidge as his own for a while. For him, this wasn't just a rejection—it was a break-up.
"Y-yeah..." Guy sniffled.
Biggie had a point. They should be happy for their friend. After all, it wasn't every day someone found their true love. But the way she'd found it did remind Guy of something else he still needed to do...something he should have done a long time ago. But, with how today had gone, there just hadn't been enough time for it.
He had plenty of time now, though.
Turning to Biggie, Guy tried to get a grip on himself (unsuccessfully) and said, "I-I-I'm sorry, B-Biggie... I-I've been a r-real jerk to y-you both... C-can you e-ever f-forgive me?" He held out a hand, still sniffling some.
Biggie took Guy's hand for a handshake as he answered, "O-of course, G-Guy. I haven't b-been acting any b-better."
"N-n-next time, we need to do a b-better job r-reeeespecting our friend's f-f-feelings! N-now, i-if you'll e-excuse me, I'm gonna go d-drown my sooorrrrows in cupcakes and fuuuuudge!"
With that, Guy headed to the refreshments. He'd do better next time. A gentleman should really treat a lady with respect, not run around chasing them. If he behaved more appropriately next time, maybe the girl would choose him instead. A guy could hope, at least.
"Th-think I'll j-j-join you..." Biggie stammered as he headed over there as well.
And so two pals, their friendship restored, set off to drown their sorrows together.
Meanwhile, back with the new couple, Satin and Chenille watched the two leave. That was rather uncomfortable.
After a moment, Chenille said, "Well, that was awkward.
"I hope they'll be okay," Satin said.
Poppy came over then seemingly from nowhere. She looked excited, wearing a white party dress and a matching headband. The headband had a gem and a star on the right side. "Guys! Glad you could make it! And I see you've brought a strapping young gentletroll along for the ride." She giggled, giving them a teasing grin. "Is he with you, Satin, or you, Chenille?" Her eyes widened as she suddenly remembered something, and she asked, "And where's Creek, now that I think of it? I thought he was with both of you now?" She looked at them with confusion and concern.
Creek had "mated" with both of them and most likely gotten them pregnant because of it. By troll law, he now had to marry them both, but he was nowhere to be found, and in his place was a troll Poppy had never seen before. She didn't know what to make of this. Sure, the guy was very attractive, but this sort of thing was illegal! Since when did her friends purposely choose to break the law?
"Well, this gentletroll isn't with us," Satin answered.
"But you can have him," Chenille added, and she and her sister gently pushed Branch over, mindful of his wounds.
Looking a bit startled, Branch glanced over his shoulder and saw the two were grinning, teasing him and Poppy.
Poppy blinked, confused. "Uuh...why?"
Why would she be interested in some random troll she didn't even know? Had they forgotten she was in love with Branch? They'd been teasing her about it just this morning!
"Uh, hi, Poppy," Branch said awkwardly.
The twins just waited, looking amused. Surely she'd figure it out soon.
Poppy gaped, stunned temporarily. Her arms fell limp to her sides. That voice was familiar, even if the troll who had it wasn't. "...Branch? ...But..." she started, looking between him and the direction of the Fear Bunker, "...I thought you'd..." She trailed off, thinking, You mean I don't have to run off and drag you here for once!? How'd that happen?
Branch hated parties. He'd never wanted to go to any of them before, no matter what kind. HE also hated being the center of attention and did everything he could to avoid that, too, like giving Creek or the entire Snack Pack credit for his plan or sticking to the far back of the crowd at important announcements. Now here he was, willingly attending a party where he was the guest of honor! What was going on here? This made no sense.
Even better, it happened when he probably still didn't like the rest of Troll Village's inhabitants all that much. How did that happen?
Smidge and Milton finally pulled apart then, glancing at the scene. "Uh, did we miss something?" Milton asked, looking a bit confused.
"Looks like it," Smidge answered with a shrug. "Come on. We should give these guys some time alone." She laughed a bit mischievously.
"Alright," Milton agreed, and the two left to enjoy the party, holding hands and smiling lovingly at each other. "And by the way, Smidge? Has anyone ever told you you have the most beautiful turquoise eyes?" he asked as they moved out of earshot.
Looking exhausted, Creek came running over, saying, "Sorry I'm late, ladies! Took a tad bit longer than I'd hoped to get ready after all that work I did helping set things up." He looked a bit sly as he approached his two dates. He'd donned a mint suit and lavender tie for the occasion. "Were you waiting long?" He smiled slyly at them, straightening his tie a bit.
"Hold up you guys. Are you telling me you were actually able to convince Branch to come to his own party?" Poppy gestured at him with both hands, shocked that he was even here. "How'd you pull that one off?" she asked, genuinely curious. Her expression was a bit lame now, too.
Branch returned the expression as he asked, "Really, Poppy? You remember you handed me over to them in the first place, right?"
"It really wasn't hard to convince him to come. He hasn't complained at all," Satin answered.
Poppy found that hard to believe. Branch always complained when someone forced him into something he didn't want to do.
"Well, he complained a little, but I was making adjustments to the left side of his outfit, so that might have been because of the bird..." Chenille corrected. "And, Creek, we've been waiting long enough to hear about Smidge's afternoon and see Cooper talk to Branch without getting in trouble."
That second one sounded like it would take a long time. Creek's eyes widened slightly, and he looked at them apologetically. He didn't think it had taken him that long to change, but it seemed he was mistaken. "Oh, really? Sorry about that, loves. But I was pretty busy with tonight's festivities. You have no idea just how difficult it was to find some decent copper chloride on such short notice. And no one but Branch can access the Fear Bunker, and—"
"Fear Bunker?" Branch cut him off, raising an eyebrow.
Feeling awkward, Poppy said, "Yeah... That's...kinda my doing since you used it to hide all day and all."
"...Huh." He closed his eyes and shrugged as he said, "Eh, checks out."
"You're not mad about that?" Chenille asked.
"No. I mean, I can see several reasons that name fits."
Satin looked at him questioningly. She couldn't believe how easily he accepted this renaming of his survival bunker.
Suddenly Peppy joined DJ up on stage, halting the music as he bopped a microphone. "Eh-hem! May I have your attention, please!? Tonight we celebrate one of Troll Village's greatest heroes to date!" He smiled brightly, bouncing a bit, as he gestured toward the troll in question out in the crowd.
Seemingly out of nowhere, a purple spotlight shone down on Branch. Poppy blinked, eyes widening for a second, then smiled proudly and moved back a step so she wouldn't be in the way. Branch gave a start, feeling very uncomfortable all of a sudden.
"Branch! Because of his great courage and selflessness, we all get to live and sing another day without needing to move from Troll Village! Let's hear it for him!"
The party-goers cheered loudly, clapping and dancing around or cupping their hands to their mouths to cheer louder. The Snack Pack joined in as well.
From village traitor to village hero. Branch, honestly, wasn't sure how he felt about that. On the one hand, it was good not to be hated again. On the other, he wasn't at all comfortable being the center of attention. He blinked, looked around, and rubbed his arm. Poppy just stood back, letting all attention be on him. She had a proud grin on her face.
"Well, don't just stand there, my boy!" Peppy called, smiling eagerly at him. "Get up here and say something!" he waved an arm encouraging, signaling for Branch to come up on stage.
The surrounding trolls started encouraging him with excitement.
"W-what?" Branch asked, eyes wide. If he'd known he'd be expected to give a speech, he would have found a way to duck out.
"Well, go on, mate," Creek said with a teasing smirk. Branch's reaction to things like this was always fun to watch, especially when he didn't have a choice. "You heard the former king, after all."
"Go on, Branch!" Satin encouraged.
Chenille said, "Don't keep us all waiting!"
The three of them kept going, speaking over each other as they tried to get Branch up on stage.
Branch held a hand up in front of him, backing away, and said, "Oh, no, that's okay. I'm good."
Not taking that for an answer, Creek pushed him forward a bit, grinning in amusement. He was enjoying every moment of this. "Aw, don't be such a spoilsport. Get up there already."
"No, really, I'd rather not."
"Well, we're not worried about what you'd rather not do," Chenille said bluntly. "You're the guest of honor, so you need to get up there."
And the three kept speaking words of encouragement to him, Creek partially teasing and partially encouraging. Branch was definitely wishing he'd avoided this party somehow. He'd avoided people for long enough that he was definitely not comfortable with being in the spotlight, and speaking in front of the entire village? Yeah, that was a definite no.
He still looked unsure when Poppy held out a hand. "Branch." She gave him a gentle and reassuring smile.
She'd known this was coming. Her dad had warned her, at least. Heroes were often expected to give speeches at times like this, so it wasn't anything too unusual. But for Branch, she knew it would be as uncomfortable as her crazier version of Branch Appreciation Day was. She had suspected he might need a helping hand with this from the beginning, and she'd been right. He couldn't do this on his own, but he probably could if she went with him. At least, she hoped he could.
Branch looked at her hand for a second before he reached out and took it.
Poppy gave him a proud smile. "Come on. We'll go up there together."
Branch sighed. "If I have to."
So Poppy took him up to the stage, where Peppy handed the microphone over to him, saying, "The floor's all yours, my boy..."
And the former king and the queen both stepped back, waiting. Poppy tried to look as supportive as possible, giving him an encouraging and reassuring smile. She'd gotten him up here by acting as his support beam, so it should help him give his speech, too.
Branch took a deep breath and decided to get this over with. "Okay, well... I'll be totally honest. When Poppy showed up at my new home, this was the last possible outcome I expected. I figured, best-case scenario, we'd save her friends and get them home, then I'd be back on my own. And I knew I deserved it. I mean, in a moment of panic, I nearly got Poppy killed. It didn't matter that I'd saved her—she wouldn't have been in that mess if not for me, so it didn't count."
He'd been hating himself for that ever since. He figured he hated himself for it more than anyone in the village did. He'd spent this entire time acting like he was angry at the other trolls, but the one he was the angriest at was himself. But he couldn't live with the guilt, so he'd locked it away and pretended that the only ones he was mad at were the people of Troll Village. It seemed safe to admit to the truth now, though—he shouldn't keep hating himself if everyone else forgave him for it, should he?
Poppy couldn't believe what he was saying. This entire time, she'd thought he'd gotten over that. After all, he'd apologized all those years ago, and she'd accepted it. Hadn't that been good enough, or had her dad's unnecessary actions canceled everything they'd discussed? And how long had he been hiding this one from her? This entire time, he'd been acting like he agreed with her but knew no one else did, like he was mad and hurt by them all judging him. Now here he was confessing to feelings of self-hatred instead? And what did he mean he deserved it? No troll in the history of the world did!
She needed to talk to him about this later. Clearly, he was as messed up in the head as everyone else was.
Guy looked at Biggie in surprise as he dried his eyes. "Did you know he felt like that?" he asked. He felt awful now. This whole time, he'd been judging a guy, claiming he didn't care, when secretly that uncaring troll had hated himself all along. Why hadn't Branch said anything to anyone sooner or tried to apologize to them all? Even Poppy hadn't known this, or they'd have all heard it by now!
"No, I had no idea. Now I feel terrible!" Biggie answered, drying his eyes from crying over Smidge. Not that it did him a lot of good—he was crying over Branch's predicament now. "Oh, Mr. Dinkles!" He hugged his worm. "We were so horrible to him!"
"Meep!" Mr. Dinkles said, denying any part in hating Branch and claiming that it was all Biggie.
Biggie pulled the worm away, insulted. "I beg your pardon? It wasn't just me, you know!" He looked at his watch and gave a start. "Oh, my! I'm sorry, Guy, but I have to run. I have a cake to prepare!"
"Yes. You do that..." Guy sniffled, crying still—partly because of Smidge and partly over Branch's words.
If someone was going around hating himself for his mistakes, Guy didn't think it was fair to judge him for them. Trolls were supposed to forgive those kinds of things, not hold a grudge. If someone's sorry, they're sorry. The troll thing to do was to forgive and forget. Since he hadn't done that, he owed Branch an apology now, and he wasn't the only one, either. Anyone else who hadn't apologized yet really needed to. After all, it wasn't just his grandmother's death he felt guilty over. He hated what he'd done to Poppy, too. It was time to let it go. It was an accident, after all.
Biggie hurried off to prepare the cake while Guy continued to weep in shame. He'd be apologizing to Branch before the night was out, for sure.
While they were having this little conversation, Branch continued his speech, "Then I spent the next ten years convincing myself I didn't care, making myself think there wasn't anything in Troll Village worth caring about."
Satin and Chenille looked at each other, both feeling guilty again. Creek nodded in understanding. If Branch hated himself, it figured he'd try convincing himself that everyone else was in the wrong as a means of self-preservation.
"And then Poppy showed up," Branch said. "And she was so different from what I'd convinced myself other trolls were like that I couldn't stop myself from caring. No matter how I treated her, she was always kind, always trying to make things up to me. She cared about me when no one else did...even though I didn't deserve it."
He remembered he'd been waiting for her to show her "true colors" and admit that she hated him. But she never did. She was showing her true colors the entire time.
Poppy really wished he'd stop saying that about himself. Sure, he wasn't always the friendliest troll around, but that kind of made sense after everything he'd been through. Besides, even a grouchy old hermit didn't deserve to be completely alone and unloved. Everyone deserved at least one person who cared, or this life wasn't worth living. Branch really needed to get a clue before she dragged him off and made him.
Smidge smiled warmly, holding Milton's hand. Boy, did she know how Poppy cared for Branch. Not only was it the same way she now felt about Milton, but she'd angered Poppy so much over the years that she'd been forced to celebrate partial Branch Appreciation Days on the spot just to shut her up. Her big mouth and dislike of the holiday had caused her more trouble than most. Now, however, she finally understood Poppy's feelings and felt she'd have done the same if it had been Milton. Being forced to celebrate a hated holiday that taught you the truth about your friend's love as a punishment suddenly didn't seem so bad, even if it didn't work and the experience was repeated regularly.
On that note, that was the very definition of crazy: doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. They say people do crazy things when they're in love, and Smidge now knew how it felt to be in love. She could understand why the crazy ceremony had started and why she'd been forced to celebrate more than anyone. Most would think she was crazy for accepting this, but she'd deserved it, anyway, if what Branch had just said was true.
Like Guy, she felt terrible about the way she'd been treating Branch. She'd been unbelievably cruel to a troll who already hated himself. How was that fair?
But, for now, she was on a date. She'd worry about Branch later. Milton, feeling happy for Branch and Poppy, wiped a tear from his eye. Love was a truly beautiful thing, especially when it all worked out.
"And her selfless desire to protect her friends...reminded me of when I lived in Troll Village," Branch continued. He wasn't sure if he should imply he'd ever been selfless, but he hadn't just been trying to protect himself, whether anyone believed it or not. "I didn't want anyone getting hurt then, and she was exactly the same way."
Poppy smiled at this, a hint of affection in her eyes. It was good to finally hear him say that, especially since the whole village was here to hear it. Peppy glanced at his daughter with a slight grin before turning his focus back to Branch and his speech. One issue at a time, after all. He had to make things right with Branch first.
"So, even though I knew they probably hated me, I had to go with her, had to help her save the others. If nothing else, I knew I could keep her alive. And, though it was rough, she and her friends—my friends—showed me that I was wrong about other trolls."
He'd called the Snack Pack his friends. Creek smiled warmly at this turn of events. Fuzzbert felt touched. Guy wiped another tear from his eye, feeling the love. He was definitely apologizing now if Branch was calling him a friend, too. Friends shouldn't hold grudges. Smidge smirked with amusement, unconcerned about apologizing. She'd already done it, even if Branch hadn't accepted it at the time. DJ smiled at Branch, although he couldn't see it since she was on the stage behind him with her wooferbug. Satin and Chenille smiled and nodded at him encouragingly. Backstage working on last-minute party preparations, Biggie and Cooper looked at each other. Biggie wiped a tear from his eye while Cooper just stared, stunned that he was called a friend by Branch. He thought that maybe he should talk to Branch later and really make sure they were good. After all, it was his fault Branch had been banished in the first place, and he'd been acting like a real jerk about it this whole time.
"I'm glad that Poppy came and found me, and I'm glad she convinced me to help. I'm glad that...I'm finally home. And, now that I've finally made it back, I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure nothing bad happens to anyone. No matter what."
There. He'd just bared his soul to Troll Village, even if he had left out the distrust he still held for most of them. He didn't need to like or trust these guys to want to keep them safe, as Poppy had demonstrated when she'd talked him into saving her friends. He'd hated them, yet he went with her to save them because it was what she wanted.
She had him wrapped around her finger.
The trolls cheered loudly again, apparently very happy to hear this. Nobody was upset, which Branch hadn't expected. He looked around a bit, then smiled in relief. Eager to get the attention off him, he handed the microphone back to Peppy.
Poppy walked up to Branch and took his hands in hers, smiling proudly at him. "Great speech, Branch. I thought I was gonna break down and cry there at the end."
A great speech or not, she still intended to have a serious talk with him about the self-hate later. She was, at least, glad he was starting to see a few good things in himself, and him admitting that he had friends now made her super happy, too. She could worry about showing him how wrong he was about himself later, even if it took years to change his mind. Now that he was finally home and happy, there was plenty of time to work on his self-esteem. No one said change happened overnight. They'd have to take it one step at a time. Years of emotional damage would take time to heal, and Branch had a ton of it to work through.
His lack of trust for the other trolls—yes, she was sure that was still a problem, given his reaction to her dad getting close earlier—and the trolly traits he seemed to have lost—through things like resorting to killing in order to stay alive—would need attention, too. She'd just have to work extra hard with him until he recovered. She'd gotten him to be happy again, so she knew she could eventually fix all of this, too. It was only a matter of time.
"Thanks, Poppy."
"Thank you, Branch!" Peppy said into the microphone with a cheerful smile. "That was wonderful! But what's a celebration without a cake and fireworks!? Bring out the dessert of honor!"
He gestured to a spot just off to the side of the stage and held his pose, as several trolls, including Cooper and Biggie, wheeled out a huge blue cake with indigo frosting and brown sprinkles. The words "Thank you, Branch!" were written on the top in green. Everyone cheered once again.
"Happy Branch Appreciation Day! Thank you, Branch, for all you have done!" Peppy said as he threw his arms up in celebration once more. One down, and one to go. Now to make things right with Poppy. And what better opener than the surprise I've hidden in those fireworks? She'll never know what hit her. He laughed silently, a mischievous grin appearing on his face, as he made his way over to the cake.
His daughter was in for the biggest surprise of her young life, and he couldn't wait to see it.
"Yeah! Thank you!" called the trolls as they lined up to get some cake.
Branch stared at the cake, getting a really bad feeling about it. He remembered something everyone had complained about back in the breeding tank...
He looked at Poppy and uncomfortably asked, "Branch Cake?"
Poppy nodded with a smug smile. "Yeah. We had to make some minor changes, buuut..." She took Branch's hand and pulled him off the stage toward the cake, grinning with amusement. He was getting a piece of that delectable dessert if it killed her.
Obviously, they had to make some changes. It couldn't be gray and black when the guy it honored was blue, now, could it?
Branch just stared at her. Great. Branch Cake. And it doesn't have everyone's favorite frosting to make it "taste better" anymore. Ugh, Poppy! A disgusting cake isn't exactly my idea of a good time!
Peppy walked up to Branch, smiling proudly and holding a knife. "Branch?" he asked, holding it out carefully. "Would you do the honors?"
Everyone looked at him expectantly. Branch looked at Peppy for a second before taking the knife and approaching the ridiculous cake. Everyone moved aside to let him through.
Biggie and Cooper looked at each other, feeling proud of their introverted friend. Smidge gave Milton a loving look, leaning her head on his arm with a sigh. He returned the gesture. DJ leaned on her wooferbug's turntables and enjoyed Branch's reintegration into society. Guy wiped a tear of joy from his eye. The twins smiled at each other, Satin looking like she was on the verge of tears. Even Creek smiled slightly, standing in front of the twins.
As Branch reached him, Biggie handed over an empty plate and said, "Here you are, Branch."
"Thanks, Biggie." Branch took the plate and cut the cake, and everyone cheered again as he, Biggie, and Cooper started serving cake to everyone.
Poppy made a mental note to make sure Branch actually ate some of that cake this time, no matter what. There was no better way to celebrate a guy like him than to enjoy some high-class dining, after all, and that cake qualified.