Find Me…I'm Lost

Okay. This is a unique take on Trolls. I wouldn't exactly call this an alternate universe, but it is a little different. Bear with me, but also tell me what you think…good or bad. This is a look into what could possibly be.

I own nothing. Nothing.

Chapter Eleven

"Do you really know what you are doing?" DJ Suki asked as Creek looked up at her, "I don't want you scrambling their minds up."

"Meditation has helped me learn methods to see auras and glimpses into others' minds before," Creek instructed, "I hope that I can reach and remove the blocks within my prince, but I think I need to do so through Poppy. Prince Branch is guarded, but she is open and he opens up to her and her alone. My prince, Poppy, I need you two to close your eyes and lean your foreheads against one another."

"That is…forward," Branch spat, blushing hot as Poppy giggled at him, "What?"

"We've done this before," Poppy grinned out, jerking Branch forward to rest her forehead against his, "We were like this when your eyes were as blue as blueberries and you sang to me on our last date. I've missed you so much, Branch, and I knew that I needed to find you. I knew you needed me. I want you to remember me because it hurts that you can't."

Branch gasped as a tear ran down Poppy's cheek. Her hurting made him angry. Very angry. He quickly released one of her hands to wipe the tear away before turning to glare at Creek.

"Do whatever it is you need to do to unlock my memories," Branch hissed before taking Poppy's hand again as he leaned his forehead against hers once more, "I'm ready."

"Both of you listen to me," Creek urged, sitting lotus style beside the two as he settled his hands on one of each of their shoulders, "Close your eyes and breathe. Empty your mind of all thoughts and simply feel one another breathing. Breathe together. That's it. Just breathe."

Branch peeked one eye open to look at Creek warily. The purple troll nodded at his prince and squeezed Branch's shoulder to offer some encouragement. Branch exhaled softly and allowed himself to relax as he slowed his breathing to match Poppy's. Bit by bit, both Poppy and Branch eased into a meditative state until…

"You done yet?"

Poppy and Branch both jumped and looked up as Creek hissed angrily at the loud culprit.

"No, Cooper, I haven't even started yet," Creek sighed, glaring at the troll in irritation, "All of you be silent. No sounds."

"Oops! My bad, Dudes," Cooper whispered as Creek sighed in exasperation, "Excuse me. Two dudes and a dudette."

"Yes, thank you, Coop," Poppy giggled out as even Branch cracked a small smile, "Be silent now so Creek can do what he needs to do."

Cooper pantomimed locking his mouth shut while the rest of the group snorted at the giraffe-like troll.

"Honestly," Branch huffed, placing a hand on one hip as he shook his head, "If I need to remember who I am, how is interrupting going to help things?"

"Our tribe is a little…wilder than ice trolls," Poppy snorted as Branch looked to her, "Coop just wants to see everything back to normal, Branch. He's a loud, but good friend to us both."

"Which Prince Branch will remember once we can finally get on with things," Creek huffed, wanting to get this finished prior to King Frost or Queen Crystal showing up before noticing the Snack Pack glaring at him, "He needs to remember you all as badly as he needs to remember Poppy. Be calm and let me do my job. It's going to be okay. I promise."

Everyone glanced at one another in surprise except for Thorn who remained stoic, but seemed to be watching Creek closely. Finally, everyone settled and nodded at the purple troll as the group relaxed.

"Alright then," Creek said, gesturing to Poppy and Branch to return to the way they had been before the interruption, "Breathe, my prince. Breathe with Poppy. Focus on her breathing. Focus on her closeness. Breathe deeply. That's it."

Creek made sure the two he watched over were calm as he continue to murmur soothing orders to get them to ease into a meditative state. Creek then eased into a meditative stare as well. He let go of his fears that the ice twins were coming. He allowed his stress over feeling the distrust from his old friends ease away. He pushed dark thoughts back that were too painful to focus on and allowed himself to smile when he opened his inner eye to see both his prince and Poppy. Poppy shown pink with joy and happiness within the astral plane, but Branch's light was riddled with inconsistencies. Blue and white fought within his being.

"The barriers," Creek gasped, watching the blue fight against the blocking and overwhelming white of the spell that held his true self back, "You never stopped fighting the spell, my prince. You have been chipping away at what you knew shouldn't be within your mind. Okay. Let me help."

Creek pulled every bit of his knowledge to the surface of his mind and reached to touch the openness of Poppy's mind. He met no resistance, but felt as Poppy, herself, pushed him to where all of her memories of Branch resided. This was more than just memories. This was where Poppy's soul link to Branch existed.

"Good girl," Creek praised as he felt Poppy's mind pulse happily at him, "Allow me, Poppy. Don't push at Prince Branch once we enter his mind. He'll shut down if we aren't careful. Just relax and you'll know what to do when the time comes."

Poppy's mind pulsed again as Creek felt her understanding. Slowly, the yogi reached out to Branch and groaned at finding a thick shield keeping him out.

"Drat it!" Creek cursed softly as he pushed at the unmoving barrier, "You are so closed off, my prince. Always have been…let's see here."

Creek extended his senses as far as he could to try and feel what lay behind this unusually strong shield. He gasped as he brushed against something unexpected behind the shield within the prince's mind.

"Ah!" Creek gasped, realizing the truth, "That is you that I sense. The real you. You've protected what is left of who you are from your sister's spell. You've holed yourself within your own mind. Clever, my prince. How to get around this barrier?"

Creek hummed in thought before beginning to grin when he felt Poppy's light pulse around him. There was the answer. He should have thought of this before. How stupid could he be to not know the way? Grinning, Creek went a different route and reached out to touch Branch's heart through his soul bond to Poppy. Using Poppy's light to lead the way, Creek felt as the inner heart of the troll opened without hesitation at sensing his soul match. Creek created a connection between Poppy's memories and Branch's before any barriers could slide in place to hinder his tampering. Creek felt as the prince stiffened as the onslaught of memories poured into the troll.

"Steady, Prince Branch," Creek voiced within the troll's mind as he watched the prince's mind race as shield after shield shimmered into visible existence before rippling apart into glittering, dust bits, "Just breathe and allow the memories to flow around you. Poppy is your anchor. Feel her hands and hold tight."

"I'm here, Love," Poppy called, flowing around her frightened soul match as Branch's lights shimmered wildly in rippling shifts of blue versus white.

"Too…too much," Branch whimpered as Creek came back to himself and watched anxiously while Branch trembled before violently ripping his hands away from Poppy's and scuttling backwards as he cried out in pain, "No, no! Too much!"

Poppy came awake at the shout and gasped loudly. Creek grimaced at his prince's plight, but held his arms out to stop any of the others trolls from moving from their spots. The rest was all on Branch and his need for Poppy.

"Branch!" Poppy yelled, crawling after the prince as her lad doubled over, holding his head in his hands with his eyes screwed tightly shut, "Branch, I'm here. Calm down."

"Too much," Branch whimpered as Poppy reached to try and offer comfort.

"I'm here, Love. I'm here," Poppy cooed, rubbing at her lad's back, "Creek, do something! Help my Branch."

Creek grimaced again at the plea, not knowing what to do to help when Branch shuddered as he sat up to lean into Poppy's hugging arms. Slowly, the prince's panted breathes grew calmer as Poppy hugged him close and gently swayed her lad to and fro to help him soothe. No one spoke as they gathered close and watched the two soulmates lean into one another. Creek had no idea if his attempt to help had worked.

"My prince?" Creek pushed, mentally crossing his fingers, "Prince Branch?"

The prince sighed softly from Poppy's arms before slowly sitting back on his heels. Finally, Branch's eyes fluttered open and Creek gasped as blue began to flood throughout the orbs of silver until the silver was no more. Blue eyes stared into hopeful pink.

"Poppy?" Branch gasped, looking up into her anxious face, "I have never been so glad to see a troll in all my life, Pop."

"You…you remember me?" Poppy pushed as Branch nodded as he hugged her against him again as a wide grin began to spread on his face, "And your eyes are blue again! I've missed you. Thank you, Creek, and now you die."

Creek sighed as he dodged another attack of Poppy's hair before tripping over a rock and falling over with a cry of pain when he landed on his healing hip. Groaning, he went limp as he accepted the pink queen's anger in his heart. He'd be angry at someone who'd done what Creek had done too. This was his punishment. It was Branch that surprised him.

"Stop, Poppy, he's hurt," Branch spoke as he stood with help from his lass, "I remember everything. My memories from before and what happened to me under the care of my siblings. Creek…well, he made a lot of mistakes, but he moved mountains to try and fix everything too."

"He shouldn't have taken you," Poppy hissed before quieting as Branch pulled her closer.

"No, you are right, but he's admitted that himself," Branch pointed out, "This is all a hot mess at the moment, but Creek did his best to fix things. My memories are back because of his efforts, Pop, so calm yourself. I need to talk with my siblings. They had no right to do what they did or place me or Creek into the situation we find ourselves in."

"It would be best if you do that in warmer climates, my prince" Thorn advised, kneeling once again in reverence of who Branch was while Biggie helped Creek to stand back up, "Your siblings are stubborn and will use the ice opal to block your memories again. Out of the cold, the opal will be weaker and the two can calm down enough so you three can talk it all out."

"Will they come though and will they see reason?" Branch asked, shaking his head, "I don't wish to remain here."

"Kiv was instructed to bring the twins to you once I got you home, Mate," Creek panted as he limped over while Branch brightened, "He is a loyal, ice troll, but he also saw that it was wrong what was done to you, my prince. You have real family, Prince Branch, and they love you. Don't forget that when you speak with them. They meant no harm."

"Creek! I sense you, Ice Wart! Show yourself, now! Show yourself to your king!"

Everyone froze at the booming call as Creek groaned at the timing. Frost couldn't get a hold of his brother again. Branch had to be protected. Creek's role was as bodyguard.

"Thorn, is there a way out of this cave besides the entrance we used?" Creek questioned as the ice troll glanced at him.

"Yes, straight to another tunnel that comes out near my bunker," Thorn admitted before frowning as he pieced together Creek's plan, "No!"

"It has to be," Creek spat as the other trolls looked over at the two in confusion, "Everyone, follow Thorn and then go home. Go home as fast as you can and expect a visit from the ice twins very soon. Go!"

"What are…," Branch began before stopping as it dawned on him, "No, Creek! You are not sacrificing yourself."

"It'll be fine as long as you survive. Ice trolls have abilities that are unstoppable and will hurt Poppy and the others," Creek pointed out as Branch stilled, "Your siblings will not see reason. Not with how I've angered them. I can buy you all time. It is the only way, my prince."

"Creek, I'm not a true prince," Branch denied before stilling as Creek chuckled at him.

"You are," Creek grinned out, "I am an honor guard in training that vowed to protect and guard my prince. That is my duty and one that I do with pride. I've done so many shameful things…so many, give me this moment, Prince Branch. The one time that I did something for the right reasons, Mate. Goodbye."

Branch grunted as Creek struck him in the side of the head as he fell to the ground.

"Creek!" Poppy growled before stilling as the ground shook at whatever it was the ice siblings were doing, "That must be Branch's siblings. Why did you just do that, Creek?"

"I had to do that, Poppy. We all know that Prince Branch wouldn't have allowed me to do my duties," Creek spoke as Thorn lifted the young Prince to lay back in the sled, "Thorn will get you all home. I know he will. Keep the prince safe and please…please tell him how sorry I am."

"But you'll get hurt or possibly die if you go out to face the ice trolls," Satin said as her twin nodded, "I thought you didn't want to die."

"I don't, but I need to do what is needed for my prince," Creek breathed, looking down before glancing up as determination filled his face, "I'm not dead yet so go. I can do this. I'm quicker on my feet than the larger trolls even with my hip acting up. I'll follow you all as soon as I can. Just go."

"I won't allow this!" Poppy cried before gasping as Thorn used his ice technique to take off with the sled and the rest of the trolls, "No! Creek!"

Creek closed his eyes for a second before stepping to the cave entrance. Thorn had removed a bit of the ice for Creek to slip outside. Thorn understood the need to face a fight. Sometimes, there was no other options. The purple troll didn't bother disguising his colors as he tried to put as much distance between him and the cave as possible. It was Crystal that found him first, but he'd at least put a lot of distance between him and the others.

"You! I trusted you!" Crystal spat as Creek barely avoided a wave of ice flung his way, "Where is my brother, Traitor?!"

"Safe," Creek grunted before sliding to the right as a spear was launched at his person, "I had to take him, my queen. Prince Branch deserved to remember who he is. He is not happy about what you and your twin did to him now that his memories are restored."

"You…you broke my spell?" Crystal gasped before ducking as a great wave of snow and ice raced straight towards Creek, "Get him, Frost!"

"Ugh!" Creek groaned as the wave shoved him up against rock and held him hard in place.

"Where is he?!" Frost demanded as he marched up to the captive troll, "Where is our brother, Wart?"

"He…uhn," Creek groaned, "He is safe. Prince Branch remembers who he is and who he loves, his family and his soulmate. You stole those memories from him."

"It was necessary," Frost hissed as the ice tightened its hold around Creek while the smaller troll cried out in pain, "Crystal and I have a responsibility to keep our baby brother safe. It was our decision to give him a fresh start and you have undermined our decisions, Traitor."

"Only because your decisions were wrong," Creek gasped out, twisting to try and break free, "How can your brother love you two when you've taken his rights from him? I told you he's smart. He'd have eventually discovered the truth and your family would be broken, King Frost."

"Lies!" Frost sniffed, flinging Creek against a rock pile with his ice by a flick of his wrist as Creek held in a scream of agony, "Tell me where he is!"

"Just kill the traitor," Crystal snapped, stepping up to Frost while Creek struggled to sit up against a boulder he'd slid down, "Branch is obviously headed to his old tribe. We need to find the little one soon so I can re-cleanse our lad."

Frost grinned and several spikes of Ice formed and raced forward as Creek watched helplessly. His hip had given out on him when he'd hit the ground. There was no escape now. Creek closed his eyes as the spikes swarmed towards him.

"I did my best, my prince," Creek whispered, feeling death coming, "Be safe."

To be continued…