A week has passed, and the plan is working marvels. The hole has almost been completed, the decoys have almost all been made, and the bergens have been thoroughly fooled by the playful antics of the trolls. With only another six days, seven hours and twenty three minutes until the opening ceremony, hearts began to race.
Branch had reluctantly agreed to watch over Joy and Poppy, but with her condition rapidly deteriorating over the past couple of days, making Joy completely bedridden, he'd taken to taking Poppy out with him on walks. He would take her to the distraction group to play with other younger trolls.
He didn't have to see his own mother suffer, but watching Joy made his heart hurt and his colors fade. Ever since his grandma had been eaten the previous year, she had acted as his guardian, along with Peppy, so Branch couldn't help but feel an attachment to the queen, which made his heart hurt even more.
Today, Joy was having a large coughing fit, so Branch took Poppy away, and sent for the doctor, who came quickly. He asked Branch to take Poppy out on a walk today, with a kindness that Branch couldn't refuse.
So, he want to the flattest branch of the Troll tree, where large amounts of moss create a small park for the young trolls to play tag and other fun games. Branch slowly approached a crowd of five or six small trolls, ranging from only half a year old to four,, all playing simple games.
The mothers of the young trolls, sitting a ways away, stand in alert as Branch approaches with the small Poppy in his arms. He looks at them, and releases one hand off her in a surrendering manner, telling them he's going to drop her off, then retreat.
He sets down the pink princess next to a small yellow troll with green hair. The small troll looks to the princess and babbles happily, then looks to Branch. With a little less excitement, but still with a large smile and babbling, the troll reaches up, wanting to be carried by Branch, which causes the mothers to gasp.
"No, sorry." Branch says, pushing Poppy closer to the little one, causing the Princess to hug the yellow troll.
Branch quickly retreats to the edge of the moss, and sits under the shade of a leaf, watching the princess get along with the trolls. It may be the first time she's meeting these trolls, but she still manages to make friends in no time, a skill Branch is a bit envious of.
They play a small game of tag, patty cake, then sing and dance their own small dances, laughing so loudly Branch feels like he's right next to them. A smile appears on his face, watching the princess makes him feel as though nothing's wrong in the world, like the bergens weren't going to take away more trolls he cared about if this plan doesn't work out.
"Hello!" A voice says, making Branch jump. He was so lost in his own world of thought that he didn't even notice the small purple troll, that was previously playing with Poppy, approach him.
"H...hello?" Branch asks in a heavily confused manner.
"Mommy says I shouldn't hang around you because I'll catch the grayness, is that true?" the troll asks, reaching out to touch Branch's nose. Branch slinks away a bit and sighs.
"No, a troll becomes gray when there's no happiness left in it." Branch says looking at the ground," It's not contagious, but it's heavily frowned upon."
"Then it's fine if I play with you, right?" the troll asks with a smile, extending his hand," I'd like to play with everyone. I don't like seeing others on the sidelines."
"Would your mom approve of you touching me?" Branch asks with heavy sadness in his voice," I don't want to play. I'm fine watching you guys, you really don't have to worry about me."
"Nonsense, everyone wants to play!" the troll says grabbing Branch's hand and dragging him to the circle.
The mothers gasp and begin whispering angrily, while staring Branch. Once they reach the circle of the small trolls, Branch sees a mother troll start to approach quickly. Branch flinches with every step, knowing he's going to get yelled at again for being close to the children.
"Creek, what are you doing?" The mom asks angrily reaching for Branch.
The small purple troll stands between Branch and the older Blue troll with seafoam green hair. Then a rounder blue troll stands next to him with his arms outstretched. Then Poppy and the small yellow troll climb on top of Branch's lap, cooing and laughing.
"He's allowed to play as much as we are." the purple troll says before blowing a raspberry.
"Just cuz he's different doesn't mean he isn't a troll." the blue child says crossing his arms.
Quickly a pink and purple troll pair of hair conjoined twins jump up in front of the two boys and clench their hands, and glare at the angry mother. Finally a small red troll with orange hair jumps up at whips up her hair to cover everyone, changing it to the color of the moss below the group.
"If we stay still she'll go away." The red troll says with a smile.
With a huff, the mother troll stomps her foot and then walks away to sit with the other mothers, who just looks haughtily in the direction of the group, before going into their own conversations.
Branch really can't comprehend what's just happened in the past couple of minutes. Normally trolls his age avoid him, but these few were actively defending him for some reason. He's never really had a chance to talk to any trolls younger than him, since the pod he'd been staying in was on the very outskirts of the troll tree, far away from the protected center where families of younger trolls were allowed to stay. Unfair seeing as he himself was a young troll, but he accepted that fact long ago.
"What's your name?" the blue troll with silvery hair asks with a smile," I'm Biggie. I like to sing and dance."
"Everyone does, Biggie." The light blue female attached to the pink troll says with a laugh," I'm Chenille, this is my sister Satin."
"Hello!" the pink troll says excitedly," I'm Satin. Let's see, I really like glitter, sparkles and my sister!"
"I love my sister too!" Chenille says as excited, hugging the pink troll as hard as she can.
"The little one on your left leg is called Smidge." Biggie says pointing to the yellow troll," She's really kind, and she loves clinging to others. She's kind of ridiculously strong though."
"I'm Suki!" The red troll says jumping on top of Branch's head," I'm a year old, but mama says I'm developing real quick. My hair skills have no match!"
"And with that, I'm Creek." The purpose troll with teal hair says with a grin as he lifts Suki into the air," I'm four. I've wanted to play with you for a while. So what's your name?"
"I'm…" Branch says, moving his right hand to grab his left arm, when Poppy reaches out and intercepts it giving it a hug.
"Branch!" She says with a laugh, and everyone takes a breath.
'Great, her first words are dedicated to the troll despised by many' Branch thinks to himself, turning a grip on his arm to a facepalm,' Another tally in the screw-up book.'
"No, Poppy, you should be asking for Peppy or Joy, not Branch." Branch says with a sigh and sad smile," Say Dada."
"Dada!" Poppy says with a laugh.
"Anyways, yes, I'm Branch. I'm five, nearly six, just two more months." Branch says, reaching his hand out for Creek to grasp.
Creek pulls Branch to his feet. Branch catches Poppy as she's about to fall off of him. Branch and Creek look into each other's eyes. A silent bond forming between the two. Small smiles appear on both their faces, before the group begins to play.
First it's tag. Branch is it for a long time, but Biggie let's Branch tag him, and the game goes on for a long while. When everyone's done running around, then fall to the ground, and begin to sing. Branch remains silent, listening to them belt their hearts out. A warm feeling expands in his chest, it must be happiness.
The feeling soon fades, when the group of mothers, the royal guard, the doctor and king Peppy rush towards the children. Each parent scoops their child into their arms, even PEppy only picks up Poppy and squeezes her tightly. Branch wonders only for a minute what's happening before the doctor collapses to his knees and squeezes Branch so tightly he thinks his eyes might pop out of his skull.
He's gotten this hug before, and his heart sank so far, he thought his skin turned black from sadness. Pushing the doctor off Branch sprints off to the kings pod, no one standing in his way, but letting him pass as they look at him with only pity.
He runs into the main bedroom, shoving aside distraught guards, only to see her. Queen joy, her pink color faded to an off pink, but not gray. Her purple hair, flat against her head, with no lively bounce. Her eyes closed, but a smile upon her face. Branch runs to her side and touches her skin, ice cold.
Unable to think, he just falls to the ground, tears starting to fill his eyes. He rubs them before they can fall, but his heart feels like it's ripped to shreds. He forces a smile and looks to the corpse. He knew she loved his smile. Before his granny died, she would often visit with Peppy and comment on how much she loved his smile. Tears flow from his eyes across his cheeks.
The person he looked up to, his guardian, the person closest to an aunt he'd ever experienced. She'd been there for all of his hard times, but now he didn't know who was going to comfort him. He was so confused, hurt and upset at the same time, that his head couldn't process anything. He got so stressed, he fainted. Right there, the last thing he saw before the world faded to black was the cold pink hand that he knew he'd never see again.
Peppy burst in just in time to catch the fainting Branch before his head hit the ground. He gently picked up the child, his face soaked with tears and a frozen expression of true despair on his face. Peppy whimpers slightly as he wipes the tears off the grey troll, then looks to his wife on the bed.
"I'm sorry Joy." Peppy says with a choked tone," I didn't get him here in time for you to say goodbye."
Peppy exits the room and faces the doctor and several of his subjects. He breaths deeply and looks at them all with a proud stance, and shakes his head slightly.
"She...she's really gone?" A glittery gold troll asks with her hand to her mouth.
"No way." The older blue troll from before says as she hugs Creek to her side.
"We'll...we'll hold the ceremony tomorrow on the ground." Peppy says, trying his best to not cry himself," Spread the news that...Queen Joy has passed on."
The trolls quietly bow and sob as they leave the pod. The doctor remains, holding baby Poppy in his arms. He approaches the distraught King and leads him into the kitchen, where there would be privacy. The guards dismiss themselves outside, also holding back tears for their fallen queen.
"Pep, you can let it out." The doctor says with a heavy tone, patting his friend on the back.
Peppy looks at the troll. A deep green body, with white hair streaked with glittering silver strands. He's in his thirties, a year or two older than the king himself. He'd been studying under Rosiepuff, to become a doctor the village could count on. His brother was also skilled in the trade, so the village knew they would be safe if any harm had befallen the village. He's the kings best friend, and trusted confidant.
"I can't help but feel I let her down, Doc." Peppy says," She wanted to see Branch and Poppy one more time. If only I was faster."
"Trollberculosis is a horribly unpredictable disease Pep. Even she couldn't tell if she would be there for another two hours or two minutes." Doc says," We did what she could. She even said how thankful she was that she could live to see Poppy blooming so beautifully. The only thing we can do is make sure these children grow up strong and healthy."
"I mean, raising Poppy alone is going to be difficult, and I...I don't know if I can care for this little one…" Peppy says gently stroking Branch's head while the troll sleeps in his lap.
"I'll care for him." Doc says with a smile," I should've been the one to do it in the first place. He's my teachers precious grandchild, but since Ash and Plum hadn't finished their training yet, I was the only one who could treat the trolls. I'll regret that for a long time to come, but I'm ready to take care of him now."
"He can take care of himself." Peppy says reluctantly," Even though Rosiepuff was Joy's godmother, and Blossom was her best friend, she wanted to take care of Branch like family. But Branch didn't open himself to us. He refused to take permanent residence with us, choosing to instead live in the pod that used to belong to his father, Bush. He might not take to kindly to you trying to take him, especially after this."
An eerie silence engulfs the room. Doc sits and rubs his eyes with a free hand, Peppy stares at the ceiling, as if to memorize it.
"We are going to escape." Peppy says to break the silence," I'm not going to lose a single troll to those Bergen anymore. Nor to the horrid conditions they leave us in. Tomorrow we'll break into the tunnels, we've already found land thanks to a brave scout who returned a few days ago. we're leaving in three days."
"Shall I inform the others?" Doc asks.
"No, I'll tell then during the ceremony tomorrow. " Peppy sighs as he looks in the direction of his bedroom," Poppy will not learn of the sadness that has befallen us here. No child will."
the two nod to each other. they then go to the guest room and pit Branch and Poppy to rest on the bed. Doc days his goodnight and leaves. Peppy sighs and sits on a stool in the center of the pod. Unable to get over the sadness, he sits until the sun rises on his face.
A new day has come, only two days until freedom.