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 Fourteen

"Mm."

Frost turned from watching his brother sleeping from the doorway to the occupant in the room beginning to stir in the small bed. Creek sighed softly before his eyes blinked open as the King strode over to sit on a chair next to the bed. The smaller troll sighed again before gazing around the room, looking lost.

"M-my king?" Creek stuttered, blinking his eyes in confusion before it seemed as if reality crashed in on him while the troll gasped and tried to rise with no success, "Prince Branch!"

"Is resting," Frost soothed, still holding his large hand down on Creek's chest so he couldn't sit up, "He's been sleeping very deeply and Bhen says he's doing well. Do you sense anything from my brother?"

"No. He's still at peace," Creek murmured after having closed his eyes for a moment before looking back up at the ice troll, "I don't have to physically see your brother to sense him, but I need to be close. Why am I in here and why are you holding me down, my king?"

"You've done…no that is bad wording," Frost started before shaking his head, "I did a lot of damage to your already injured hip, Creek. Bhen has used a brace to help the healing, but you need to remain still for right now. You passed out when the injury flared up by moving in just the right way. Scared everyone very badly."

Creek blinked once again before trying to figure out how he felt. He felt all the pillows tucked around him to keep him level and the feel of the heavy brace around his hips and right leg, but no pain. In fact, he felt pretty loopy at the moment.

"Numbing medicine?" Creek asked as Frost nodded at him, "Feels funny. Feels floaty."

"Not a wonder, Lad," Frost sighed, "Your injury is pretty serious so Bhen numbed you up good. You'll need to use crutches so you will heal with no lasting damage once you are able to leave your bed. I'm sorry that I hurt you in my rage."

"I'm sorry that I scared you by taking your brother. It had to be done," Creek hummed sleepily as Frost stared at him in surprise, "You were so angry. Could tell when I was on the run even being so far away. You express anger loudly."

"That I do, don't I?" Frost chuckled as Creek's eyes drooped closed, "I was pretty upset that my baby brother was missing and then I found your sled prints. Knew that Branch hadn't left on his own free will. Your prints were there and another set that were wiped away with ice, meaning an ice troll helped you escape, but Branch's prints weren't there at all. I knew he'd been carried to that sled."

Creek's eyes flew open in a panic as the king regarded him sternly.

"I know Kiv helped you," Frost admitted as Creek gasped, "Calm yourself, Creek. I'm not angered. Kiv confessed everything to me while Bhen was seeing to you after your collapse. Neither you nor Kiv will be tried as traitors. You two were right. I am shamed by the actions my sister and I decided to do against our own flesh and blood. I fear the conversation with Branch once he is able to wake."

"He'll forgive you so fast that your head will spin," Creek urged as the larger troll regarded him with a raised eyebrow, "Branch is loyal to family, my king, and he loves you. He loves Queen Crystal too and he'll forgive you two. Please don't hold anything against Kiv. He too was only trying to protect the prince. I swear it, my king."

Frost snorted softly. On one hand, he wanted to choke this troll at times, but on the other hand, Creek meant well. He was trying so hard to do the right thing and Frost was finally calm enough and rational enough to allow himself to sense it.

"You are one annoying, troublesome bundle of complicated troll," Frost accused, flicking Creek's nose playfully as the troll watched him warily, "You have also shown loyalty, intelligence, caring, and a potential to be a pretty, good ice troll. I do not regret the day that we crossed paths, but you will regret that day if anything happens to my baby brother."

"Heard and understood," Creek agreed as his king smiled down at him, "Kiv is not to blame for anything, my lord. You ordered him to look out for your brother. He was doing what you wanted him to. Prince Branch needs to be with Queen Poppy with all his memories intact and Kiv knew it."

"I get that now," Frost breathed, looking down sadly for a moment, "I bear no ill will towards you or Kiv. Worry not for your fellow guard. He is one of my most loyal honor guards and only acted to protect and fix what my sister and I botched up. Creek, I need to ask you something very personal and want nothing, but honesty."

Creek locked eyes with the large troll as Frost stared him down.

"How much of what you told my sister and I was the truth when you stood up to us after we cleansed Branch? Were you manipulating us all along?"

"All of it was the truth, Mate," Creek whispered, staring up at the ceiling as he shuddered, "I…I did a horrible thing to my tribe because of being a coward and then I was so alone after. Poppy and Branch saved everyone and made peace with the Bergens, but I had nearly got everyone killed because of my selfish actions. I knew I'd never be allowed back so I ran far away. Shame and loneliness drove me here. Warm climate trolls cannot exist alone. I was beginning to lose my colors."

"How so?" Frost demanded, "You had them when we met."

"It was only my ability to meditate and slow down my system that helped me slow the loss," Creek admitted, glancing to the king, "Then you gave me a hope that I could start again so my colors didn't fade, but I made another horrible decision. I kidnapped your brother. It was destiny because you and the queen were meant to find out about Prince Branch, but what I did was another betrayal. I just keep repeating the same patterns and I swear I don't mean to."

"Oh, no," Frost breathed as Creek teared up finally as emotions welled, "Now, now. You are part of my tribe now. You are ice troll. We don't cry. Hush now."

"I promised myself to help your brother get home and then I'd disappear where I can't hurt anyone ever again," Creek whimpered, covering his face with his hands, "My plans are all to ruin now. Prince Branch needs me, but what if I'm a curse, my king? I can't hurt others again! I can't. Maybe I can train someone like Kiv to see what I do so a better troll than I can look after your little brother."

Larger hands reached to take each of Creek's hands as Frost sighed softly. Here was more of the strain that the king had sensed in the smaller troll. This was more than just strain through. This was pain. Real pain. The poor lad was filled with medicines that were bypassing Creek's usual shields to hold himself together. This was raw emotions showing without the usual filters.

"You are not a curse," Frost insisted, squeezing Creek's hands gently as the troll tearfully looked up at him, looking small and scared from his pillow, "Look. My sister and I told you before that you were woefully untrained to deal with the stress of facing death. Stress like that can cause a troll to make foolish mistakes. You were desperate to live both in surviving the Bergens and surviving your loneliness. Decisions were made that cannot be changed, but you can learn from those mistakes. I think you have learned a very hard lesson, Creek. It is time to start over again and stop repeating old patterns. I told you before, you are of my tribe now, Lad. Ice trolls survive. You can do that, right? You will survive and protect your prince."

Creek breathed in a shuddering breath before finally nodding at his king.

"I will live only to serve my prince," Creek vowed, "I swear it, King Frost. I'll keep your brother safe and…and I'll never repeat old patterns. I promise. I do, my king."

"I believe you, Ice Wart," Frost teased as Creek flashed a brief, watery smile, "To be a good guard, one must let go of the past. History cannot be changed for either of us. You and I must focus on the present. Focus on our duties. As king, I must look after my family and my people. As a guard, you must protect. You will protect my brother's health and be his loyal bodyguard. That is your duties. So no more tears or doubts. Today starts a new chapter, Creek, but for now, you need rest. You have to heal and do your duties, right?"

Creek nodded once again and closed his eyes as the king wiped away the tears from his cheeks. It felt good to feel even a little trust from someone. It had been so long since he'd felt needed or even wanted. The guilt stabbed at him as Creek remembered why this was so while he fisted his hands painfully tight.

"No more fretting," Frost soothed, stroking a finger down the troll's forehead to help smooth out the worry lines between Creek's brows, "Focus on the present. No more worrying, Creek. Just relax and sleep."

Frost looked up at Branch's doorway once Creek had fallen back asleep. Poppy leaned against the frame looking troubled.

"I've been so angry at him that I had no idea that he'd been suffering so long," Poppy sighed as the king nodded, "I don't think I've ever seen Creek so emotional before."

"Well, he was more emotionally vulnerable thanks to all the medicine Bhen has him doped up with," Frost pointed out, glancing to the sleeping troll, "I think Creek's been hurting inside for a long time. He knew he'd burnt bridges he thought he'd never rebuild with your tribe and then was turned away by my sister and I in his last ditch effort to find a new home. Creek was desperate to belong somewhere which is how he stole away Branch to begin the situation that we find ourselves in now. Can you forgive him, Queen Poppy? Creek needs that. He needs a second chance and I'm not just saying that so he can watch over my brother. I'm saying that because he's my subject and I don't want to see him hurting like he is any longer."

"As a king, you look after your people, huh?" Poppy chuckled as Frost grinned at her, "My heart wants to forgive Creek, but I need to speak with Branch first. Branch and I discuss all decisions we make together and when I know my soulmate is okay with everything, I can offer Creek my full forgiveness."

"But you forget that Branch has no choice, but to have Creek near and Creek cannot do his duties well if he is hurting," Frost reminded as Poppy turned pensive, "Creek is the only one that can 'see' Branch's ice. He did say something about training another though."

"Which would probably take years and years and needs a special type of troll," Poppy snorted softly, "Creek trained under an older troll who called herself a yogi. Cybil had other students, but I remember my father saying that she was so excited when she met Creek as a babe because his inner eye was keen from early on. Cybil passed away a season ago from old age so Creek is the only fully trained yogi now, I guess. I don't think that just any troll can learn to sense what Creek can. He's unique."

"My sister could probably learn, but there is no time for the training. Creek is Branch's only chance of living a normal life," Frost pointed out as Poppy nodded her agreement, "I think Creek's dedication to Branch was his way of trying to fix his past mistakes. He's trying so hard to be a better troll and you saw the rawness of his feelings. Creek is hurting inside to the point he's hurting himself."

Poppy gasped when Frost showed her the fresh, scabbing nail marks on each of Creek's palms. The king had smelt the bit of blood earlier.

"You have two ill trolls to look after, Queen Poppy," Frost advised, reaching to take a salve from the bedside table to clean up Creek's hands, "Branch will heal up good as new as long as his ice is kept at a manageable level, but Creek is more than just physically injured. He's heartsick, my lady. He's punishing himself more severely than any of your tribe would do to him. He needs your forgiveness so he can forgive himself. If not, I fear he will wither away and his death will lead to Branch's eventual passing since none would be able to sense my brother's ice flaring. Without Creek, you will lose your soulmate."

Poppy glared at the king angrily as she stomped up to the bed and tucked Creek under the covers while Frost stared at the angry lass in confusion.

"I don't need to be guilt-ed into looked after Creek," Poppy hissed, "My tribe's motto is 'no troll left behind.' I'd have forgiven Creek if he'd come back to the tribe, but he didn't. He ran away. I thought he was showing how selfish he really was when he couldn't even admit his mistakes. I just never realized that he was scared and tearing himself up inside. The Creek I grew up with was always calm and never lost his cool. I…I guess I forgot that one troll's reaction to a situation is not another troll's same reaction. We are not battle-trained trolls and there is not a handbook that gives all the answers."

"No, there isn't," Frost agreed, leading Poppy from the room so the two could give Creek some peace, "If there was, then maybe Crystal and I would have handled finding our brother a little better."

"And I would have sent a search party out to find Creek and bring him home as Cybil asked me to do several times," Poppy sighed before hopping up on a chair to peck Branch's cheek as the troll slept on, "I'll be back soon, Branch. You rest up so we can go home while I go talk to our friends. There is a lot that I need to catch you up on once you are awake and strong enough to listen. Sleep well, Love."

Poppy nodded at the amused king as she hurried from the room. It wasn't hard to find the Snack Pack since the group stuck close to Thorn. The ice-white troll was brusk, but always kind to the smaller trolls. Satin and Chenille had taken a special liking to the trader since he often glittered their outfits with ice elements. Sure enough, the group was in Thorn's room, but the ice troll was nowhere to be found.

"With Queen Crystal, discussing trading routes," Guy Diamond explained, admiring himself in a mirror since the warm room made it so he could strip down to his glittered buff for a moment, "Firelight brings out the gorgeous in glitter, doesn't it?"

"Sure, Guy," Poppy chuckled as the troll looked over his shoulder at her with a grin, "We all need to talk. I need all of your help."

The Snack Pack gathered quickly as Poppy told all about the conversation she'd overheard from Creek and what King Frost had said.

"His palms were just torn up," Poppy groaned, pointing to her own palm, "Creek's heart is really sick from all of this. I should have brought him home after we made peace with the Bergens."

"Poppy, don't go blaming yourself for things. Creek is a grown troll," DJ Suki pointed out, "Shouldn't he have come home to apologize and make up for what he did?"

"Some trolls can't," Biggie stated as surprised eyes turned to the larger troll as he rocked his wrapped up pet, "Branch couldn't talk about his problems for a long time and hid from the tribe after his grandma's death. Even after he regained his colors, Branch struggled with his feelings and how to interact with everyone, remember? Creek might just be the same. I think Creek and Branch have a lot more in common than we all thought."

"It is kind of a similar situation to how people view us sometimes," Satin spoke up as she gestured to her and her twin, "Chenille and I always have to be fashionable, right? We're the fashion divas, but what about if we don't happen to feel well. I don't care about fashion then, but no one would get that if I went outside unfashionable. Creek was always looked at as being calm and collected, but what if he was upset? What if he was scared and needed someone to look out for him? Did he ever have anyone to go to during the times he needed comfort?"

The whole group shrugged at one another since each of them had never had Creek come to them for any form of comfort.

"We are the best of friends," Poppy began as the group all looked to her, "We understand one another the most, but I don't think we did that for Creek now that I look back on things. I think we relied on Creek to be that cool, collected troll we needed him to be and he became what we expected out of him. Or at least, he was on the outside, but he had the same emotions within him that is in us all. Creek was positive, but he had times of being unsure and scared like everyone else. He reacted badly to nearly being eaten. That was wrong what he did, but what would we have done in that situation? Do any of us really know how we would react faced with really dying?"

The trolls all looked at each other uncomfortably in silence. One always hoped to be brave, but sometimes…sometimes you just weren't brave and you were scared.

"My Branch needs Creek so much, but I don't want you all to think I only want Creek getting a second chance because of my lad, "Poppy continued, "No troll left behind, remember? We left Creek behind a lot earlier than when he hid away from the tribe after his betrayal. We expected a lot out of Creek early on and he became our rock, but he had no rock of his own. He supported us, but Creek hid when he felt conflicted and unsure. When we felt that way, we developed ways of handling our emotions, but I now feel that Creek repressed his feelings because he thought a 'cool, collected troll' can handle any situation. We all know that no one is perfect."

"So Creek was driven into a corner when he was almost eaten and reacted out of fear?" DJ Suki groaned as Poppy nodded, "I never thought about it like that. Creek was always Creek and we all went to him when we felt troubled. How many times have we all gotten the 'Positivity' speech, huh?"

"A lot," Biggie sighed, "I feel really bad that I relied so much on Creek and didn't extend the same to him when he might have needed me. I forgive Creek and I want him to come home."

"Us too," the twins chorused.

"Me too," Guy agreed.

"Surely do too, Dudette," Cooper added.

"You said you needed our help," DJ Suki mentioned as Poppy nodded, "How so? I forgive Creek too and want him home. What do we need to do?"

"Help me with the tribe," Poppy explained as her friends nodded firmly, "We failed to be there for Creek when he was younger because we expected too much out of him very early. Creek needs to emotionally heal so he can't handle much more. I need you all to help me convince our people that Creek deserves this second chance. We need to be the buffer between Creek and any naysayers. He is too emotionally damaged right now to handle more negativity. No troll should hurt so bad that he or she harms themselves. That should never happen."

"And we won't allow it to happen again," Guy nodded out as Poppy flashed him a smile, "I have an idea."

To be continued…

I had a PM asking me if I was going to drag this on forever. Not at all. The story is completely done and I work to edit each chapter one by one. There are a few more chapters, but we are seeing the end coming so don't worry about a never ending story. I promise that things are wrapping up.

Let me know what you think!

TTFN