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 Twelve
"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."
A blast from behind made Creek's eyes fly open as ice caught the king's spikes. Creek turned and saw Branch running up with his mouth set in a grim line as his ice fought his brother's. The purple troll gasped as his prince used his hair to leap over the heap of rocks and position himself in front of the downed guard.
"Stop, Frost," Branch ordered, continuing to try and shield Creek, "This is wrong. Everything that has been happening is wrong, Brother."
"Baby Brother, you simply do not understand. You are so wrong, Little One," Crystal denied, reaching for her necklace before gasping as pink hair shot out and snatched the gem from around her neck, "What is this?"
Creek blinked as Poppy stepped up with the queen's necklace held tight in her hand from beside the rock pile he lay by. The rest of the Snack Pack looked like they were eager to help as well, but were being shielded by Thorn. They should have been far away by now. Bergen dung!
"Who are you?!" Crystal bit out as Poppy drew herself up proudly.
"My name is Poppy and you will never erase my soulmate's memories again," Poppy denied with a glare before her gaze softened, "There is no reason that we all need to fight. You don't need this magicky-memory erasing necklace, Queen Crystal. You and your brothers can start over again. Branch needs his family to support him and not control him. He's needed a family for so long. You have no idea how much he needs you two. Don't ruin your chance of really knowing who your younger brother is for real. Branch is amazing."
"He will be when fully trained," Frost barked, trying to get around his brother's ice to hurt Creek and not Branch, but his younger brother wasn't having it as he kept the king at bay.
"He is now without any silly training!" Poppy snapped, using her hair to ward off Crystal as the queen tried to get her opal back, "Not on your life, Lady! No one is messing with my Branch's mind again."
Creek shook his head at what was happening. Branch and Poppy were strong, but Frost and Crystal were trained and more capable at the moment. This needed to end before an innocent got hurt.
"Stop this," Creek huffed, pulling himself painfully to his feet as Frost snarled at him, "I give up, my king. I turn myself over to your judgement, but don't hurt these trolls. You'd hurt your brother in doing so, but I'm a traitor through and through. To them and to you. Do what you want with me, but don't ruin the relationship you could have with Prince Branch. You'd lose out on really knowing him. He's a fine example of both ice and warm-climate troll."
"My sister and I already know that!" Frost spat as Branch blinked at him, "Everything is all your fault, Creek. I should have gone with my first feelings about you and tossed you out to freeze in that last howler."
"No one is doing anything to Creek," Branch insisted, looking strained as he fought his brother's ice, "This is wrong, Brother. Stop this and let's talk."
"We will talk as soon as that lying creature is dealt with," Frost growled, "Then your sister and I can talk reason into you, Little Brother."
"No, my king. I'll let you do whatever you want to me as long as you don't cleanse your brother again," Creek begged as King Frost and Queen Crystal looked at one another for a moment in surprise, "Do what you will with me, but keep everyone else out of this."
"You make no sense," Frost huffed, shaking his head as his ice began to lessen in strength, "Why should I believe anything you have to say?"
"Because I want you three to be a real family!" Creek pushed, making Frost gasp in what looked like shock.
Frost's ice died away for a moment as Branch relaxed before a great wave built and charged at Creek. The troll sighed as he watched death coming for him once more. He'd meet it bravely this time, but one had other plans. Branch's ice met his brother's with the same amount of force that continued to grow stronger as the prince grunted at the effort. Creek turned when he felt it. A shift in Branch's aura. The sharp ice in Branch's soul was bright and hot to sense. Something wasn't right.
"Prince Branch?" Creek questioned as the troll paled before coughing as droplets of blood dribbled from his lips and hit the snow by the prince's boots when Branch looked down suddenly, "My prince!"
Creek threw himself forward to cushion Branch's fall as the troll's knees gave out and he collapsed. Branch's ice disappeared as Frost tossed his far away to keep from hitting his little brother. The blue troll groaned in pain as Poppy reached his side.
"What's happened?" Poppy gasped, sliding up to reach for her lad, "Creek, what's wrong with him?"
"I don't know," Creek hissed as Branch arched and cried out in pain right as the twin rulers reached their brother, "King Frost, what is happening? The ice inside of him feels hot."
"Hot? That shouldn't be possible," Frost choked, reaching to get his brother off of the cold snow to cradle him close as Branch began to shake in what looked like agony, "Sister, what do you feel?"
Crystal stilled as she laid a hand on her brother's chest while Branch panted in obvious pain before he cried out again while Creek used his glove to wipe the blood droplets from his prince's lips. Thorn and the Snack Pack were gathered around looking unsure.
"Something is terribly wrong and I can't figure out what," Crystal admitted a second later as her worried eyes locked with her twin's, "It's like his ice is turning on him. Perhaps the broken spell caused some damage and he can't control the ice. He needs Bhen."
"Who's that? How can we help?" Poppy demanded, reaching for the hand Branch was holding out to her, "Tell me what to do. I'll do anything!"
"I-I don't…" Frost babbled, watching his brother whimper in pain while Creek literally saw the panic building in the queen's and king's auras, "What has happened? This shouldn't be happening!"
"Do you have one of your sleds?" Creek pushed as the panicked twins looked at him, "Snap out of it! Your brother needs you two the most!"
"Right," Crystal agreed, letting out a piercing whistle as a white fox appeared with a large sled while Frost stood quickly, cradling Branch carefully, "Get on with your friends, little pink troll. You too, Master Thorn. There isn't time for more quarreling. Branch needs to be seen by the royal healer. Hurry!"
Creek swallowed as he watched the twins settle Branch among the furs and Thorn offer to drive so the siblings could watch over their brother. He knew he wasn't going. He hadn't been invited on the sled. He was being left here to die in the cold. Sighing, he leaned against a rock to watch the sled leave. Branch whimpered softly, but tugged with weakened urgency at his brother's hair. Frost leaned to listen as the prince whispered something too softly to be heard.
"Get on the sled, Wart," Frost ordered, covering Branch up more as Creek blinked at the king in shock, "He won't leave without you so get on the ice bucking sled, Creek! We've got to go now!"
"Yes, my king," Creek agreed, scrambling over before grunting as Biggie grabbed him up to help him over, "Thank you. I'm here, my prince. We can go now so relax, Mate. Try to breathe and relax."
Branch couldn't seem to relax as he curled against his older brother and gasped in softly in agonizing pants of what sounded like tortured pain. Crystal and Poppy were doing everything they could to help the ill troll as Creek watched the ice in Branch's aura grow hotter.
"What do you see?" Crystal suddenly voiced as Creek jumped, "You are seeing something. I can tell by your eyes. What do you see?"
"I'm not sure," Creek admitted, searching with his inner eye, "Feels almost like hot ice. Sharp, cold, but hot. It's tearing through Prince Branch like shards of glass. Started during that last wave of ice he was using to ward off the attack, Queen Crystal. His whole aura shifted like nothing I've felt before."
"I've never seen anything like this either," Crystal spat as Branch arched and bit his lip in pain while Frost held his brother's hand tightly in his to offer some comfort, "Thorn, faster! Push the beast as hard as Foxlen can go! He's tough so he can handle the speed!"
Thorn snapped the reins while Creek noticed Grittle racing after the sled and felt a bit better. He'd been worried about the ferret, but he was even more worried for Branch. The ice trolls were using their ice to speed the trip along so it was easier travel than when Creek was on the run. They made good time. He'd never been so glad to see the ice palace again as Frost raced straight in with Branch while the rest followed. He limped as best he could after the group and was more than happy to have Kiv scoop him up and run to catch up. Everyone remained tense once Healer Bhen threw the monarchy from the room to see to their brother.
"This would never have happened if you hadn't stolen our brother away," Frost snarled suddenly holding a dagger to Creek's neck as the others gasped around the hallway they all waited within, "I'll kill you now, Traitor."
"As my king wishes," Creek spoke, staring without hesitation into the enraged troll's eyes.
"No way!" Poppy snarled as she stepped forward, but it was another who defused the situation.
"No, Brother," Crystal sighed, placing a calming hand on the king as Frost released his hold on Creek, "I have a bad feeling that this would have happened with or without Creek being here or doing what he has done."
"How so?" Frost pushed, re-sheathing his dagger as his twin sighed again.
"I think that what Creek is sensing in our brother is ice that is too powerful for Branch's tinier frame," Crystal admitted as Frost gaped at her, "I…I think we did this to Branch when we awakened a power in him that his system can't handle. I might be wrong and we never meant for this to happen or even knew it could, but I think we are at fault, Brother. I also think that Creek is right in saying that we made decisions for Branch that wasn't ours to make."
"I disagree," Frost denied, crossing his arms angrily across his chest, "We are his elder siblings. What we say goes."
"Is that so?" Crystal bit back as Frost blinked at her, "You are my elder too, Brother. Frost, would you control me like that as well?"
"Of course not," Frost growled before stilling, "Control? I'd not try to…oh."
"'Oh' is right. We made the mistake in trying to control our little one's life, Brother," Crystal continued, "We thought we were protecting our brother, but it has been Creek that has been the true troll looking out for our little one. I think Creek was right to try and get Branch back to his old tribe."
"But he lost his colors with them," Frost insisted, looking desperate as many started seeing a frustrated older brother instead of a cold king, "The other tribe did not protect him or keep him safe. We can and teach him how to defend himself too. We can just figure out a way to calm his ice and everything will be fine, I'm sure…I hope."
"Brother, would you really keep our brother from his friends and his soulmate?" Crystal pushed as her brother stilled, "Who are you, Little Missy?"
Poppy straightened when she saw it was her Crystal was referring to.
"I am Queen Poppy of the warm climate trolls," Poppy answered as the two monarchs regarded her in surprise, "I've come for my soulmate and I'm none too happy that you were trying to take what is mine."
The king bristled in anger as Creek hid a groan. Typical Frost.
"He is our brother, the prince to these lands, and does not belong to you! He belongs to my sister and I!"
"He is Branch," Creek spoke up as Frost subsided, "He is the prince to these lands, the baby brother to King Frost and Queen Crystal, and the soulmate and assuredly soon to be king to Queen Poppy. He doesn't belong to anyone. Prince Branch belongs to himself and will make his own decisions. I swear I won't allow him to be manipulated any longer. Not by me or anyone else so back off!"
"You will keep a civil tongue," Frost growled before whimpering as Crystal slapped him upside the head, "Ow!"
"Stop this," Crystal spat, tugging on her brother's leather shirt to draw him nearer, "Our almighty authority has led to all of this, Frost. Creek is right. Branch is his own person and we didn't respect his rights. Father expected absolute control over everything when Mother disappeared. Remember how we chafed when we were younger and had no choice, but to listen to Father?"
"That was different," Frost sniffed before wincing as Crystal reaching and twisted one of his ears, "Ow, ow, Sister! Let go!"
"You sounded so much like Father just now," Crystal growled as her brother stilled after his ear was released, "Don't you see, Brother? We've repeated the same pattern Father enforced on us with Branch by mistake and Creek saw it all for what it was…a bad decision. One that is having repercussions that we never expected…how would we even know to worry about something like this? In all ice troll history, this has never happened before. Stop trying to place blame on others. This is our fault, Frost. We did this."
"I-I just wanted to keep him safe," Frost whimpered as Crystal's and Poppy's faces softened at hearing the upset in the large troll's voice, "He's so young and so…so small. I can hold him in my arms so easily. I wanted to shield him."
"You'll tell him that," Poppy spoke up as she wrapped her arms as best she could around the startled siblings, "Branch will understand. You three are family and families always understand one another the best. I think you three need to get to know one another more and then you'll see that Branch is more than capable of caring for himself. I think I understand you more, King Frost. You didn't see a grown troll in your brother, did you? You saw a child because my tribe people are so much smaller than yours, right?"
"Right," Frost agreed, patting Poppy gently on her shoulder as he sighed sadly, "I did see a child in my baby brother and the thought of that made me make terrible decisions in hopes of keeping this…this surprising treasure of mine kept safe. I always wanted a younger brother. Oh, Sister! What if we lose Branch or he pulls through and never forgives us?"
"Never happen," Cooper chirped, trotting up to the King and Queen, "Branch forgave us when we weren't too nice to him so he'll do the same for his siblings."
"Forgave you?" Crystal repeated, pulling away from Poppy to regard the troll, "What happened that Branch needed to forgive you?"
"We didn't know why Branch went grey," Cooper began, scratching one leg against another in embarrassment, "He became like real paranoid and a party-pooper to the maximum poop."
"Gross, Coop," DJ Suki snorted before looking back to the ice twins, "Branch withdrew into himself and used a shield of sarcasm to keep everyone away so he couldn't be hurt again. None of us knew about the death of his grandmother since we were too small and had been sheltered from the truth. All we saw was a troll who ignored and rebuffed every attempt we made to befriend him so we kind of…turned our backs on Branch."
"All except Poppy," Creek pointed out as the Snack Pack nodded around him as he limped over with Kiv's help, "Poppy was the one troll that never gave up on your brother. She and he were a good team from the beginning. The two had other adventures when they were younger, much to Prince Branch's chagrin every time. You can't say no to Poppy. She pulls you in without trying and without her interventions, your brother would never have regained his colors. The two complete one another. That is why cleansing Prince Branch was one of the worst ideas ever since he needs Poppy."
"And I need him," Poppy whispered before taking a deep breath, "My friends all begged Branch to forgive them when they learned the truth of his self-exile. He admitted he was at fault as well and we've all been together ever since. Branch doesn't hold grudges and will forgive you two. I know it."
"And Poppy's feelings are always right," Biggie grinned out before sobering, "Let's just hope your Bean can help Branch so he can forgive you."
"Bhen," Frost corrected softly as Biggie blushed, "What is that thing you hold?"
"My pet glowworm, Mr. Dinkles," Biggie said, holding up his swaddled pet, "This weather makes him sleepy."
"Ah. Odd little thing, but not without it's charm," Frost muttered, glancing at the sleeping worm as Biggie puffed up proudly at the praise before everyone jumped as the door to Branch's room flew open, "Bhen?!"
"Get in here, my king," the old healer ordered urgently, "The prince's ice is out of control and yours is the closest match to help Prince Branch suppress his powers. You come too, my queen. Hurry!"
To be continued…