Notes:
So... there's a lot going on here. So nobody is lost, I'm just dropping by to remember that italics mean you're reading a memory.
Have fun!
Chapter Text
Hazy blue eyes focused on the equally blue sky. He could see some clouds and the sunlight breaking through the tree leaves. A beacon was warming his feet while the rest of his body shivered.
Did he end up sleeping on the ground? Outside the bunker and completely open space where a predator could have gotten him?
Branch groaned, testing his stiff muscles. His mind seemed to work in slow motion, trying to retrace his steps.
He had woken up the day before in his bed. He had a strange feeling about Poppy not showing up after leaving in a hurry the day before. Then Biggie had said she was ill.
A rush of adrenalin suddenly made his crunchy body sit up with a jolt. Oh, fudge! Poppy had gone exploring the multiverse. And Branch knew exactly what she was looking for. Mortified, he cursed his weakness. He should never have told her what had happened with Rock Poppy. It was a terrible event that he should have taken to his grave.
Poppy hadn't immediately forgiven him when he broke down, as he had naively believed. She was strong for him. She hugged and comforted him to give him support, but it was a foundationless wall that cracked once she was alone.
The wind brushed his skin softly carrying the familiar and sweet strawberry scent that worked as an antianxiety medicine. The delicious smell always made him bury his nose in the pillow next to his every morning.
He turned around and saw Poppy sitting a few feet away from him, on top of a hill, watching the clouds with hollow gray eyes.
Oh, Hair. No!
"Poppy!" Her name came out throaty, painfully. Branch pushed himself from the ground and rushed to her side. He refrained from trapping her in a hug, asking for forgiveness. He wasn't sure if it was appropriate touching her at the moment; if she was uncomfortable with him in any way. He knew he would be.
Poppy merely exhaled and patted the spot next to her. Branch felt his eyes starting to burn, but sat down, breathing deeply to gather all the courage he was going to need to go through the serious conversation they needed to have.
"I'm sorry…" Branch started speaking, but he couldn't continue. He clenched his teeth and silenced. A silence that remained for a minute or so, but extended to an excruciating infinity.
"No… I'm sorry." Poppy didn't look at him. She seemed to focus on the grass down the hill. "You went through something awful and I couldn't help."
His heart thundered in his ears. The drumming sound almost muffed out her voice.
"I'm sorry…" Poppy continued, getting his attention back to her. His eyes burned and Branch was sure they were already red and puffy. "When you needed me the most I could only think of how I wasn't enough to prevent you from... I was selfish and I'm sorry."
By all that is troll-y, so that's what it was about? She was unsure of herself because he had said he didn't hate the nightmares!
He had pushed her to her limit. Again!
It was shameful that he had made her sad a couple of times since they started dating. His fears and self-doubt shouldn't be an obstacle! They should have diminished with all the love she had poured down on him and not progressed to the point of making her feel the same lack of self-esteem.
"I thought I was stronger." A small painful side smile tucked her cheek upwards, but her eyes remained sad. "I thought I was unbreakable."
"You don't have to be strong." Branch kneeled up, putting both hands on her shoulders. It was disturbing how she wouldn't focus, but he still needed to make sure she listened to him. "I can't say how sorry I am… it's my fault for keeping it to myself." It was maddening. They were going to break up. He felt it coming.
They would fall apart.
"Hair…" Branch held the girl he loved as strongly as he could. He didn't wish for her to go. To disappear from his life. She wasn't there to say goodbye. No. No. It wasn't real. It just wasn't.
She didn't return his hug. Her arms remained down, limp, on her sides.
"I swear," her hair was so soft, and smelled so sweet. "If I could turn back time I would."
He felt her body tense. Her hand slowly raised between them and she pressed his chest, pulling him away from her gently.
She finally looked at him.
"Would you?"
Would he what?
"Poppy…" was she going insane? Was it too much for her?
"If you never walked into the Funk Spaceship," Poppy swallowed painfully before continuing, "we wouldn't have cuddled so many times… I wouldn't know my spot on your chest…" Branch's eyes narrowed, changing gears to understand what she was implying. "We wouldn't be making out."
"No. Those things wouldn't have happened like that." Branch tucked her bangs from her eyes. Was she trying to make him see the bright side? "Still, I wish I hadn't gone on that trip."
Unthinkingly, Branch leaned forward. He was desperate for a kiss - something that would assure him that everything would be fine. His heart nearly stopped when she turned her face so he would kiss her on the cheek.
Were her lips forbidden?
He backed away, bashful. Poppy quietly stood up, dusting her dress.
"There's a way," her voice was so low that he barely heard it, "There's a time-travel gadget from R&B that will stop it all from happening."
Branch stood up as well. He could barely believe what he was hearing, but Poppy robotically continued.
"Everything will be different. And this conversation would never happen."
Branch panicked.
"Everything will be all right." The queen quietly nodded at him before turning around.
Her words echoed to him as she climbed down the hill.
Fear slowly crept over him. A chill ran down his spine. Realization dawned on him when he took in what Poppy had meant.
Was there really a way to change the past?
"Poppy!" Branch ran to her, catching her hand in his, shakingly, but firmly. "Is it… real?" His eyes focused on hers, searching deeply for any sigh of delirious fantasy that the sadness may have caused.
The queen seemed to close her eyes in slow motion. Her hair fell down her shoulders like a waterfall as her arms heavily wrapped around his shoulders. Her cold cheeks pressed against his warm ones. His hands slid firmly on her back, covering the length of her spine completely and providing heat and shelter from the chilly wind.
"We can talk this through without having to erase months of our lives, can't we?" Branch's voice was shaky. The sobs seemed to be winning the fight.
"I don't want to forget our cuddles. Not one single kiss." Poppy tightened her arms around him in that delicious and strong hug that was so her . "But there's no other way."
There was always another way. You don't have to jump over a big stone that is on your road and risk getting a concussion to get on the other side. Smart trolls walk their way around the obstacles, even if the path is longer. That's how they stay safe. That's what years of grayness made Branch crazy prepared for: to find logical ways out of a problem.
"You are linked with Rock Poppy." The queen sobbed. "How can we undo that, if not…?"
Her hug nearly choked him. Her fingers dug into his hair at the same time he felt wetness on his cheek.
Branch had absolutely no idea how to break a link with another universe. He had no idea interdimensional links were even possible. But he knew that if there was a way, Lownote Jones was the troll with the answer.
The strength of the hug faded, bringing Branch back to pay attention to the gray girl in his arms. Her face fell on his shoulder and her knees buckled, sending a red alarm to buzz in the survivalist's brain.
"Poppy?" He called gently at first, but when she didn't answer, he ended up screaming and shaking her. "Poppy! Wake up!"
His soul seemed to panic and leave his body for a moment. With his joints painfully tingling, Branch scooped his beloved girlfriend up, awkwardly holding her so he could sprint towards the Funk Spaceship, covering as much distance as the desperation took over him.
It confused him when the bubble transported him to the shining hall of the Funk Tribe's place without having to get their attention. It bewildered him when Branch met not only Lownote Jones but also R, B, and Val all worried sick and holding faces that made it clear they were expecting their visit.
"Are we late?" Val shrieked in panic, seeing her unconscious BFF. "How is she going to go back in time now?"
"So, you were expecting her?" Branch voiced in confusion. There was a whole team to assist Poppy in her mission. It meant it was urgent and… dangerous, right? How the HAIR was he the last one to know? "What the fudge is going on here?!" He yelled, forgetting manners and politeness when only agony seemed to run through his veins.
"We don't have much time, Branch…" Lownote took off his glasses, seeing how a distressed Branch gently placed his sleeping queen on the ground.
"I'm sick of your riddles!" Branch was furious and scared, bubbling up a dangerous combination.
"Her heart rate is low." B checked Poppy's pulse, explaining the situation to a crying Val. Branch couldn't help but overhear them.
"You have to go, Branch." R placed the skates in front of him. "You are the only one who knows the point when you made the decision that led to all of this."
"I don't know what you're talking about." An aquamarine finger pointed at a startled funk troll, "you fix Poppy so we can talk this through!"
"Branch…" Lownote took a deep breath and spoke as clearly as he could with the little time he had. "I can't undo bounds with other universes."
"I can live with it. I'm not talking about the nightmares, I'm talking about Poppy!" Branch insisted, but relentlessly, Lownote ignored his point.
"Bounds are powerful enough to attract universes towards each other. Two dimensions could clash because of one single link, let alone two." An unconscious gray Poppy could be seen over his shoulder. "We are running out of time."
"It's not fair." The suffocating lump in his throat seemed to raise, stronger than ever, and sobs broke through the surface as hopelessness seemed to settle in. There wasn't another choice.
Branch caught a glimpse of the shining ground surface. His own colors were fading like the brightness of life was slowly being taken away from him.
"Poppy," reluctantly, the queen's boyfriend approached, kneeling beside her on the floor. Her skin was still cold and her slightly parted lips with slow breathing showed him she was somewhere unreachable. "I promise you we'll make even better memories," her lips looked dry and pale, "we're going to have sweeter kisses and even warmer hugs."
R gave him the skates and Branch stepped back. B looked down at Poppy, monitoring her pulse. Val sobbed uncontrollably, but the loud panicking sounds that seemed to be heard all over Trollstopia couldn't be heard by a boyfriend who had just put on the time turning gadgets on his feet.
But at which point in time was Branch supposed to land? How did he choose that? Probably Poppy had a different moment in her mind. Knowing her, the survivalist was sure that she was going to fix something that would spare him as much as possible.
Guided by instinct only. The skates turned on and the speed nearly knocked him forward, noticing that they were going backward at a dizzyingly fast pace. Colors danced in front of his eyes as if Branch had jumped on a tube of mirrors. The sickening sensation caused him to close his eyes tightly and hold his stomach like it would prevent him from puking.
He seemed to settle down and confused blue eyes opened a second time that day to see a place he was familiar with.
It seemed he hadn't left the Funk Spaceship. The dark ground and metallic walls indicated he had barely moved from the spot. There were no other trolls around and the place where Poppy had been lying down was empty.
Branch wondered if the skates had worked and got interrupted by a clicking sound and a familiar breeze that the wormhole vortex provided. Walking around the control panels, Branch carefully approached, avoiding making any sounds. He held his breath when he saw himself standing with the portal shifter in his hands and studying it.
He still hadn't seen anything.
Was he supposed to reveal himself? Would his past self be too shocked if he did?
"Wait," Branch decided that whatever would be the reaction, the risk was too great to avoid having a straightforward conversation.
It was the weirdest thing having himself looking back at him.
"Oh…" Branch looked back at the portal shifter in his hands, "I thought this thing would work differently."
"It does… work differently." Branch took a step forward and his past self looked at him again, "It will sound weird, but I'm you."
"I know, from another dimension. You should get back to where you came from, by the way,"
"No, I'm you… from the future." And again, their eyes connected with a heavy understanding. "Look, this trip will be amazing." there wasn't another word to describe it. "The things you'll see will encourage you to be bolder, with Poppy. I mean."
Past Branch blushed. Red painted his cheeks and spoke more than the sealed lips ever would.
"But there will also have some miscalculated routes that will boomerang right back to us… and Poppy is the one who will take a blow." Seeing his past self's shoulders go down, Branch knew that whatever happened from that point on, the future would be different as soon as he returned. "It doesn't matter how other trolls see us. Poppy's love is the greatest gift we will ever have and it's solid. She's not going to change her mind even if we have a couple of bad moments."
"So I'm not going to let her down?" past Branch asked, still uncertain. His eyes quickly glanced at the vortex that had cleared and showed Poppy and Branch kissing and cuddling.
"Hug her." Branch took another step forward and the skates ignited again. "Kiss her. Invite her over at any chance you get."
The impact was strong and straight to his chest. The mixing colors engulfed the sight of his past self, looking confused at him while still holding the shifter in his hands.
No! He still had so much to say, to explain to his past self. The skates shouldn't have turned on!
His past self had to know what he had learned from that trip, right? Because if he had never walked into the spaceship, Branch wouldn't have kissed Poppy in the daisy field. It was a sweet memory he treasured.
A fire quickly built up on the base of his stomach when he tasted her tongue for the first time. Poppy was the sweetest of kinds of honey and she moved like liquid fire, touching and urging him to do the same. Through their previous shy explorations, Branch indeed wondered how it would feel like to go further, to invade her mouth with his love until they both had jaw cramps.
He tentatively ran his palm down her arms. He wanted to rest his hands on her legs but stopped himself when he felt her skin rising with goosebumps. It was growing too cold to be outside in their light clothes.
So, with a burning heart, he broke them apart and waited until she fluttered her eyes open to understand that they were done with the brief make-out.
"You're cold." He explained before she could voice her indignation. "We should go somewhere warmer before you get sick."
"Branch…" She whispered after standing up. He got her hand in his before they slowly walked towards the village.
"Yes…?"
"I wish you'd kiss me like that from now on."
And then there was the following night when he dared to touch her more.
His palm went down her arm as he watched her smile grow in approval, loving to feel what he was doing to her. He dared to stop on her waist and the stillness of the moment made her hold her breath, waiting for what he was going to do next.
There was an advantage of being the one with open eyes, he could see when she parted her lips in anticipation.
Daring to continue, Branch slid his hand down, even more, feeling the waistband of her shorts, and the light fabric of her pajamas and found the warm skin of her thighs. Poppy didn't move and he didn't take his eyes from her face. She was laying on her side and stiffened a little when he found the back of her knee, touching the sensitive flesh and causing a flush on her cheeks.
Then…
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
… the following moments seemed to go blank.
Branch stopped, startled.
When did he kiss her, again?
He touched her skin, he made her flush…
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
…did he touch her? When did they even share the same bed so intimately?
Oh, fudge! His memories were starting to fail him. His precious memories were going away!
ooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
"Did it work?" R asked Lownote Jones who had just entered the Funk Troll spaceship with the pair of skates in his hands.
"Like magic, baby." The funk troll nodded. "Everyone is where they should be."
"What worked?" B asked, looking confused.
Lownote looked at R, who was staring at her sister, looking as confused as she did.
Their memories changed right in front of him. In a blink.
Lownote sighed. Of course, he realized, R&B, wouldn't remember helping Branch to fix the past once the past had been modified. They had created a time paradox where their memories were wiped.
After all, they had never been asked for help in the first place.
Perhaps being the guardian of the multiverse also made him a guardian of the truth. Lownote was sure his memories wouldn't be affected, but it was just another secret he would need to keep for himself.
Looking down at the skates in his hands, Lownote decided to hurry and do one last thing.
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
It was late at night and Branch realized Poppy had stood him up. She completely forgot about their dinner and he felt annoyed to think that a party had been so interesting that it would make her forget a private date.
The dinner was important. Since the gift swap, he meant to try talking to Poppy about the public display of affection that they were postponing.
He was finally ready. Since everyone knew they were together, he could hold her hand around other trolls. No problem there. He was brave enough to take that step.
So Branch decided the conversation had to happen that night. Dinner or not, he had to find Poppy.
She wasn't in her pod, so Branch walked to the only place where she'd stay out late enjoying a jam section.
Hard Rock Hollow was the furthest neighborhood, but he didn't mind walking. It gave him time to rehearse his words.
"Poppy, I think we can hold hands in public now." He said out loud, testing the sound of his voice.
"I have no idea how this happened."
Branch stopped in his tracks when he heard his girlfriend's voice. She was down the road with Val helping her to hop on one foot.
"You're never careful, Poppy. That's what happened."
"I hope Branch won't be mad that I'm late for dinner."
"Poppy, honestly," Val growled. "You will need stitches. Forget the freaking dinner."
"Maybe we could stop at the bunker before going to the hospital." Poppy suggested.
"Whatever." Val growled, "you do NOT walk over a smashed guitar, ok?"
"Poppy!" Branch ran towards the girls. Worried, he nearly panicked at the sight of the wound. "It's all muddy! You'll get an infection!"
"Branch," Poppy replied, startled, "I'm sorry I'm late for dinner…"
"Hair, Poppy." Branch growled, helping her to climb on his back. "Dinner can wait."
"Told ya he'd understand." Val crossed her arms, feelings victorious.
"Thanks, Val. I'll take her from here." Branch said.
"Fine. The dismissal was received. Whatever." Val raised her 'rock on' fingers before leaving the couple behind.
"Bye, Val!" Poppy said and she winced once again when Branch adjusted to her weight. "I'm sorry."
"Poppy, please. Don't mention dinner again." Branch replied, too worried and too focused on her bleeding foot to think about food. He helped a protesting Poppy to stay still on his back and firmly held her in place before going toward the Hospital.
The hospital was about twenty minutes away and he walked as fast as he could. The blood dripping from the queen's pink foot made him change his focus from the road several times.
He nearly lost his balance when Poppy wrapped her arms around him. His breath caught in his throat and a sudden will to cry took over him.
Gratitude, love, and relief mixed in the perfect combination to make Branch uncharacteristically teary.
He was so glad for some inexplicable reason.
"How did you get hurt?" Branch asked, trying to fill the silence before he embarrassed himself by crying out of the blue.
"I tried to smash a guitar." Poppy groaned when he accidentally adjusted her weight again and brushed her foot. "But I stepped on the one Val had smashed before and I think there was some sharp point there."
"You are never careful." Branch pondered out loud.
"Funny thing. Val said the same," the pink girl replied tightening her arms around his neck in some sort of hug
"Poppy…" Branch's slowed down a little, "... you're too important to all of us to be this reckless." He lowered his voice to continue, "I don't know what I would do if you ..."
"Branchfer, Branchfer…" Poppy giggled, trying to keep a good mood despite the pain, "you're getting old ."
"Yeah," he hesitantly joined her laughter. The unwelcomed tears threatened to fall.
Suddenly he felt so hallow.
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
"I love you," Branch whispered to Poppy that night once he helped her to bed after a quick shower.
"I love you, too." Poppy smiled shyly.
He sat down next to her and held her hands. Funny how he had a feeling her fingers were going to feel cold, instead of burning warm. In a blink, his brain seemed to want to play tricks on him and a gray Poppy flashed in his mind.
"Branch…" Poppy whispered, causing him to lean close to listen to her better. But she didn't want to say anything.
Instead, Poppy carefully moved forward, touching their lips lightly.
Branch sighed against her, moving his arms to hold her close.
"If you need painkillers, call me." He gave her a playfully annoying look after parting their quick liplock. Poppy rolled her eyes at him. "Seriously! No hopping around!"
"Fine," she blew him a kiss when he was on his way out. "I'll be a good girl."
"Night, Poppy."
"Night, Branch,"
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
The red and dusty background came to view as soon as the wormhole swirled open. Lownote stepped into the devastated pop village, looking at both sides. He adjusted his glasses, focusing on the tombstone where he usually found who he was looking for.
"Hey," Lownote Jones said, approaching his friend from behind. He could see that Branch had a firm grip on his cane, but he didn't look back. "Don't be so dramatic. It worked, baby."
Hearing that, Branch spun around. Unbelievingly, he felt an odd feeling on his face and a sudden lightness that seemed to push the weight on his chest away.
The skates were being held in front of him.
"The only sample in all multiverse," Lownote grinned, giving the magical pair of skates to an overwhelmed troll.
"Is Poppy fine?" Branch dropped the cane on the ground, already putting the pair on his feet.
"Fine and very happy." Lownote flashed him a grin. "My mistake was corrected and my promise was kept."
"Thank you. You're a great friend." Branch stood up, trying to balance himself.
"Nah, I did nothing but put the entire multiverse at risk of an unimaginable collapse to save a great girl. What can I say? I'm a helpless romantic, baby." Lownote Jones joked… or maybe it was kind of true. "Now, it's your turn."
"Right." Branch held his hand firmly. An emotional wave almost gave their teasing tone a dramatic turn. Once it was done, they wouldn't know each other.
"Branch," Lownote called before the survivalist could ignite the skates.
"Just open that trapdoor."