This story begins many years ago in a place called Troll Village; it was a few months after the Great Escape. While the events in the past were dark, Trolls as a species were naturally happy and looked on the bright side. In just a few weeks most of them seemed to revert to their usual happy lives, keyword being most.
In Troll Village there was one Troll who was too stricken with grief to recover, this was a five-year-old named Branch. in honesty, tragedy had seemed to follow him throughout life. he lost his father in the great escape, he had no clue about his mother, his older brothers left him and were probably living the high life, and his grandmother; she died as a result of his actions.
It is true that Branch was not the only Trolling to lose his family and most of the other orphaned Trollings managed to get adopted into loving families who treated them as their own. again, Branch was not of these, his grey coloring was off-putting, his behavior could not be considered Trolly at all, he would not sing or dance. even the few Trolls who took trying to raise him as a challenge gave up.
Without a permanent home, the village's King, Peppy agreed to let the young Branch stay with him and his daughter for the time being. Branch's late father Oaken was a dark green Troll, with a blue beard, Peppy's personal advisor and one of his closest friends so Peppy felt he owed it to his late friend to help raise his son until he was old enough to take care of himself.
Peppy also had an ulterior motive for letting Branch live in the Royal pod. Since Branch's family was gone, he was one of the few Trolls who knew the truth, about what Branch Really was; and it was a Truth he did not want the village to know.
In Reality Branch's Mother was a Rock Troll named Eclipsa, she had purplish skin and blond hair, wearing an outfit made brown leather; Peppy had no idea how she ended up at the Troll Tree but he could not just turn a Troll away in front of his people, The rest of the Village were taken aback by the subtle differences Eclipsa displayed but never thought anything of it. Peppy only knew the truth because his Parents told him about the other five Tribes.
Despite Eclipsa being a Rock Troll, she and Oaken fell in love, even after Oaken discovered the Truth, it did not change his feeling. he had actually found it a bit ironic they were both advisors to their respective Kings. Eclipsa know she could not stay with the Pop Tribe as her own kingdom needed her, and she wasn't going to ask Oaken to Leave.
There was just one hiccup with this plan, during their time together they had a child, Oaken had already had 4 kids but those were with a different woman and not hers despite how much Eclipsa wanted to stay, she knew she could not. One their last night together the three of them were laying in the parents' bed. The older boys went to sleep already as Oaken and Eclipsa were laying with the young Branch. Eclipsa hiding her eyes with her hands, revealing them as the baby giggled.
Oaken wanted her to stay but knew she had obligations, knowing this would be their last night together. Eclipsa looked down at Branch who was cuddling a stuffed crocodile, explaining that she would be going away. Branch of course was too young to understand this as Oaken told her He'd explain everything when Branch was older, watching the purple Troll, walk out of the pod and never to be seen again.
Back in present time, Peppy was watching the five-year-old laying on the sofa, wearing green overalls looking up the ceiling, Poppy was wearing a light blue onesie laying belly down on the floor, coloring a picture, she was humming a melody, about 2 years old but trolls were pretty smart at young age. Poppy held up her drawing.
"What do you think?" the pink princess asked as she held up a sloppy drawing of a grey face smiling. Peppy just smiled saying it was adorable as Branch just huffed, saying it looked nice, he wasn't going insult a two-years-olds drawing. Peppy pinned the drawing to a wall in the pod, among others, most of them featuring Her, Peppy and Branch, who she considered a brother.
"Alright Sweetie, it's time for your nap, you too Branch" Peppy said, scooping up the pink Troll as Branch walked alongside him.
"But King Peppy, I'm not even tired" Branch rebutted as Peppy responded the Branch would tire himself out, as Poppy giggled, commented that he spent all his time, not doing anything.
The two were set in the bed, Branch's a small blue bed and Poppy inside a carved wooden crib, the two were beside each other and Peppy actually admired how cute the scene was. Branch knew that Peppy was the king and would not openly disobey him.
Peppy left to go on his walk, leaving the pod as Branch shot up, getting out of the bed, telling the Princess while the King was gone, he was in charge and would protect Poppy with his life, picking up a foam baseball bat, walking back and forth like a guard as Poppy giggled. she found it amusing the way Branch acted, protective of the Pink Troll.
In Branch's mind he had already lost his family was could not risk losing Poppy too, she commented about she thought of him as her knight in shining armor, gray was the color of metal, so she made that comparison.
"But still... I outrank you silly" Poppy counted, Branch mentioned that he was older, and Poppy played the Princess card which made Branch fold, knowing he wasn't officially a member of the Royal family.
"Yeah, I guess you do" Branch replied, reflecting that the pink girl in diapers technically outranked him. Branch simply watched as the Pink Troll slept, cuddling her pillow. Branch could not help but admit how cute it looked, almost dropping his 'shining knight' facade.
Branch looked at one of Poppy's pictures showing a pink troll and grey Troll, Branch colored with a metallic marker, making it look like armor as he chuckled at the idea of being a shining knight. It was true he wanted to protect her, but he was not a knight.
Branch knew the only reason he was in the Royal pod was Because Peppy knew Branch would not openly disobey him, even questioning if Peppy would just throw him out when he got older.
on the edge of the woods, Peppy was walking, sniffing the fresh air, enjoying a hike at the place he calmed home. it wasn't until he heard a noise getting his attention that he froze up, Peppy followed the foreign sound that sounded vaguely familiar; it wasn't until he closes that he identified it, Rock Music.
Peppy followed the music, wondering what Rock Trolls would dare trespass on Pop land, hearing the chunkiness of the rock bass groove Peppy followed the music, finding the culprit.
Peppy was in shock, standing on the edge of the woods, was Eclipsa, Branch's mother who disappeared years ago. Peppy was speechless as she was strumming her bass, stopping as she Noticed Peppy watching her from the bushed.
"Peppy, been a while, how have you been?" Eclipsa asked as the Pop King was more confused than anything, she just disappeared than shows up out of the blue, his first instinct was to ask where she had been.
"Well for the past few days' I've been camping outside the Village hoping to get your attention" she replied as Peppy noticed, saying she shouldn't have been playing her bass that loud. "What if the villagers heard you?" Peppy asked as Eclipsa cracked open a small can taking a sip.
"How else was I supposed to get your attention, Pop Law forbids contacts with the other tribes I couldn't just walk in a request to see you" she smugly replied as Peppy looked at her. the rocker pulled him into a hug.
"I'm kidding, you" she replied, knowing they were personal friends, but Eclipsa turned the topic towards the reason she came, asking if it was true about Oaken, explaining she heard through the grapevine that he passed.
Peppy questioned how Eclipsa knew this but considering the relationship between Oaken and Eclipsa Peppy was honest about how Oaken sacrificed himself to save Branch from the Bergens. Eclipsa bowed her head in a moment of silence for her late lover but was glad to hear Branch had survived.
"I needed to Know Peppy, I was wondering about Branch; I mean not a day goes by when I don't remember him and Oaken, I know this is a big stretch but since Oaken is... in the Great Afterparty can I have Branch, I mean he IS my son" Eclipsa requested as Peppy nodded, seeing why she was here.
"So, you're here because you want Branch. correct me if I'm wrong but you abandoned him and Oaken, and bolted back to Volcano Rock, and now you come back, thinking you can claim him" Peppy responded. Eclipsa pouted. The reason she left him behind was because Oaken and Rosiepuff were alive, and she did not want to separate the family.
"If they're both dead I have a valid claim to him" Eclipsa countered as he looked at her. the Rock Troll took a deep breath, asking Peppy to hear her out.
"I'm not here as a Rock Troll but as a mother, who only wants to be with her child. can you imagine the pain of having a child and not being able to see them grow up, especially when said child is all alone" Eclipsa replied.
"He's not alone, He's living with me and my daughter, Oaken was my best friend, we knew each other since or trolling years, and I promised on his grave I would look after his son" Peppy rebutted as Eclipsa sobbed.
Peppy was now started to bad, being the cause for tearing a family apart, Peppy knew that Branch vaguely remembered her.
"At least let me see him, present my case" Eclipsa begged as Peppy thought about, technically she did have a point; Eclipsa was Branch's parent. on top of that he knew that Branch was not adjusting to the village, still gray and thought maybe his real family would help him.
"I'll tell you what Eclipsa I'll let you meet Branch, and make your case for taking him back with you to Volcano Rock, but ultimately the choice is up to him, not me, not you; does this sound fair?" Peppy offered making the best deal he could for his friend as she pulled Peppy into another hug, needing to see her son, to hold him.
(A/N: This is a what if regarding my 'Branch the Rock Troll Series, I'd recommend reading that first)
