Hello dear reader! And Happy New Year!

So, I was working on a couple of other stories when I remembered "Gem Day" is one of my favorite T:TBGO episodes. I thought "hm, is there a way I can add more depth to that episode with the context of T:BT?" And this (meant to be) little story is that answer to myself.

Part of my thinking came along in the final scene, when the gang all offer their Troll Gems to Branch which causes him to have that great burst of joy. Well, the beginning of the episode said a gem only glows when its owner sings, even if it's just a recording (side note: "Forgive Me" is such a banger song, too bad it's tied to Creek (that little #?*!)). Which then made me overthink the ending as now I'm thinking "hang on, Branch wouldn't be able to make any of their gems glow." Yeah, the gem glowing in the ceremony seems more of an afterthought as the recognition of a gem appears to be the main focus, but it still would be a bummer break from tradition.

However, I also loved seeing Branch look so happy when Poppy gave him his gem at the end that I didn't want to completely commit to a change in the ending. And the overall message of being loved so much your friends would give you metaphorically a piece of themselves is soooo heartwarming.

Long story short, I decided to break this idea into two parts. The backstory based off what was revealed in T:BT meshes that with how the episode goes in this part. The next part will then be me putting Branch through more of the emotional ringer and will deviate from "Gem Day." A kind of choosing between a happier ending and then a less than happy ending. Good news first, as the Trolls seem to go when faced with those kinds of choices.

Anywho, with that I'll let you carry on reading the actual story.

Disclaimer: I don't own Trolls or anything dealing with its long history. DreamWorks own the franchise rights, and I'm just a simple writer who enjoys creating fanfiction.

"… and once the Troll receives their Troll Gem, they start singing and the Troll Gem starts glowing. Then, everyone else brings out their own Gems and joins in, bathing the whole area in light and song. Thus, the Troll is fully initiated into the Tribe."

"Wow," baby Branch muttered, resting his tiny hand on the picture of the event displayed in the scrapbook. He turned his head up toward his brother with a large smile. "Do you remember that day, Floyd?"

"Yes, I do, Branch," the older brother replied, carefully closing the scrapbook over both of their laps. Baby Branch quickly turned his head back down and swung his legs over until they dangled over top of Floyd's knees as he waited for the other to elaborate, careful not to accidently kick the other's legs. "I was about, four? Maybe closer to five, actually, and a few days before the ceremony, I was super nervous when they told me my Gem finished growing."

"Nervous? Why?"

"Well, because my brothers had already gotten their Troll Gems and I was a bit older than they were when they received them. I was worried that meant I wasn't as much as a Troll as they were. But when mom and dad told us the news, they were so genuinely happy and excited for me that I realized I had been worrying for nothing. Just because it took me just a bit longer to grow my Troll Gem didn't mean I wasn't already accepted by some of the Tribe. Namely and mostly importantly, my family.'

"I remember walking up on the small stage in my robes with everyone was already standing there with large smiles on their faces and receiving my Gem. When I sang out those first few notes and my Gem started glowing, I saw my brothers take out their own Gems and do the same. Even as everyone else joined in, I remained focused on them and how brightly our Gems glowed.'

"It's one of the happiest days of my life, and there's been only a few other times that I've ever been so joyful."

"Really?" Branch wondered, tilting his head in confusion. "What can possibly be better than getting your Troll Gem? It seems like a great thing!"

Floyd merely smiled, placing a gentle hand on the Trollings back and running his fingers through Branch's hair. The younger brother giggled, leaning back a bit. Bending his head down and whispering as if imparting a great secret, Floyd responded, "Yes, I was very happy on my Gem Day, but I was also very happy the day you hatched, baby Branch. And when we gathered around to cut your first hair. And when we all started singing together."

He placed his other hand over his heart, eyes misting a bit. Branch worried for a moment that he was making his brother sad, but then Floyd said, "What made my Gem Day so great was having my family there, and knowing they made sure my life was filled with joy and happiness so I could get to that moment. They helped me grow my gem, and for the rest of my life, my gem will be a physical reminder of all the great memories and moments I made with them."

As he finished up, Floyd lowered his hand and placed a finger over Branch's heart. "And I promise to do the same for you. Because nothing means more to me in this world than making sure you also have the joy and happiness I was fortunate enough to receive."

Branch placed his hands on either side of Floyd's wrist, saying, "You already make me very happy, Floyd. And Spruce, and Clay, and John Dory, too. I can't wait to share my Gem Day with all of you."

"I can't wait either, Branch," Floyd admitted as he replaced his hand back to his side.

Branch swayed for a minute, opened his mouth, closed it, and then re-opened it to ask, "Can I see your gem, Floyd?"

"Of course," the older responded.

Floyd reached into his hair, dug around for a moment, and then carefully pulled his arm out and lowered his closed fist down on his lap. Branch bounced in excitement as Floyd slowly opened his hand to reveal his Troll Gem, a magenta hued item that fit perfectly in Floyd's palm. The shape was circular overall with dark lines rippling out the same way a still water's surface did when a single drop fell in the center.

"Whoa," Branch muttered in awe, lifting up a hand to touch it before quickly pulling it back, staring up at Floyd apologetically.

Floyd merely tilted the gem toward Branch, encouraging him with a nod. Smiling, Branch placed his hand over the stone and carefully traced the ripple lines. "Every Gem is different and unique to each Troll. You don't know what it will be until it finishes growing. Mine is known as Clarity Calcspar."

As Branch concluded his observations, he suddenly scrunched up his face in thought.

Before Floyd could ask what his brother was thinking about, Branch suddenly let out a few, harmonious notes that never ceased to amaze Floyd for their pleasantness. The youngest definitely had the greatest amount of raw talent out of the five of them when it came to singing, hence why they were excited when baby Branch wanted to start singing with them. 'Voice of an angel,' Grandma Rosiepuff had said the first time her youngest grandson sang out his first tune.

When the notes faded and Branch looked back down at the Troll Gem with an adorable pout, Floyd could only chuckle as he realized what Branch had tried to do. "Sorry, little brother, but like the scrapbook says, a Troll's Troll Gem only glows when it hears its owner singing. No one else can make it glow."

"I know that's what the scrapbook sayyyyys," Branch whined, and it took all of Floyd's self-control to not start cooing at him. "But I thought since we were family it would at least do something."

"Nope, family or not, that's not how Troll Gems work." Floyd let his brother frown for another second and then sang out a few notes.

Instantly, the Troll Gem glowed and from his close view, Branch noticed the dark lines shone more as a dark blue against the now bright magenta background and seemed to sway in movement as the background glow slightly fluctuated with Floyd's changing pitch. His frown instantly lifted to a grin, and he watched the little show even when Floyd's final notes faded out and the glow slowly dimmed down to nothing a few moments later.

"Don't worry, baby Branch," Floyd started, waiting until blue eyes bounced up to meet his own purple ones. "Your Gem will be just as wonderful and bright as mine, as all of ours were. And I'm sure I also speak for John Dory, Spruce, and Clay when I say that we can't wait to greet you on stage when you receive your Troll Gem."

"But what if there's a concert or something scheduled, and you guys can't make it?"

"Branch, there's no way any of us would miss your Gem Day. We'll be there, I promise."

'We'll be there, I promise.'

Branch let out a quiet sigh as he stared past the curtain toward the empty stage. Crowds of Trolls were gathered outside, excitedly chattering about the occasion and probably recounting their own stories about this night. Trollings and babies were also present as they waited for an event that they themselves would get to experience in their own time. Probably within the next few or so years rather than the over 20-ish it took Branch.

He shook his head, willing those depressing thoughts away. No, this night was meant to be a celebration. A huge milestone for a Troll! The cumulation of a hope Branch was sure had been severely cracked when his brothers left, and then absolutely shattered when his grandma went away.

He was not about to let this happy occasion be tainted by his usual melancholy slant. While his family couldn't (and didn't want to) be here, Branch knew that he wasn't alone. Poppy may have to be here as Queen, but she definitely considered this more of an occasion to support a great friend. Branch had seen glimpses of what she requested from Sky Toronto to honor his achievement earlier, and knew she had a lot more planned for after the ceremony. Some usual public regale of course for the Village, but there was no doubt in Branch's mind she also had a smaller, more private celebration planned for their friend group afterwards.

And knowing his friends would also be here tonight filled some of the hole in Branch's heart as his eyes kept wandering to the empty stage and quiet waiting area.

Having lost his parents within a month of his hatching, Branch never imagined them standing by him on his Gem Day except in spirit even when he was little. Instead, he fantasized about his four brothers, maybe his grandma as well if she wanted to, standing beside him with matching expressions of pride and joy. He would accept his Gem, start singing, and then watch his brothers' gems start glowing as they joined his, their lights leading the rest of the Tribe. Afterwards, they would go back to their pod, laughing and regaling stories late into the night and making their Troll Gems glow by singing all sorts of songs and tunes. They would compare gems, point out whose was better and why, mock argue about why the other was right or wrong, and then agree it didn't matter because each of them was great and special in their own way.

Well, Branch knew that wasn't going to happen tonight, nor did he even entertain the idea that it ever would. And he wasn't sure how Poppy and the Snack Pack acted after receiving their own gems. He had been invited to some Gem Day after parties in the past, those particular invitations by Poppy snipped and glued with a level of care matching the momentous occasion. But of course he never went because it wasn't safe to sing and have glowing things around when Bergens could find them, he didn't enjoy parties or general cheer, he didn't have any friends that would genuinely welcome him, he didn't want to be reminded that there was something he would never have, and he didn't want to acknowledge the fact that he would be alone if he ever got his gem and that promises were not enough to make people come back. No matter how important and joyous the occasion should be.

"Bad, Branch!" he muttered to himself for the thousandth time, shaking his head as he ducked his head away from the opening. "Things aren't perfect, of course, but they're not all bad. You finally grew your Troll Gem, Poppy and the Snack Pack will be here, and things are finally settling in. This is… This is… this is all… okay."

Okay was enough for Branch right now. Okay meant things were not terrible or hopeless. Okay entailed that the journey ahead was still long and rough, but significant progress had been and will continue to be made.

Breathing in and out, Branch felt the tension leave his body once again as he fully pushed away the dark thoughts. For now at least. He didn't want to mare the ceremony with his usual frown lines.

He looked around the holding area, brow furrowed in concern when he still had yet to see anybody come join him. Wondering if he may have misunderstood something (which was doubtful), he poked his head out once again and spared a quick glance at the stage. Seeing it still empty, he immediately dropped his gaze and scanned the crowd for any familiar and close faces.

Coming up empty, he retreated once again and looked at his watch. Biting his lip as he registered the time, he dropped his arm and looked around.

"Where are they?" he asked out loud, hoping for a response.

When one didn't come, he sighed again and allowed himself to fall back onto a mushroom seat, doing his best to keep the mental dark thoughts away.

Seconds later, a streak of pink and a greeting of "Branch!" caused him to immediately stand up as Poppy, dressed in her own ceremonial garb, walked over with Smidge and Cooper following behind. He let some of his worry lace his tone as he asked her, "Poppy, where have you been?"

Poppy merely took his outstretched hand in her own and spun them around, replying, "Putting on my ceremonial garb, just like you."

At the sight of her bright, excited smile and the company of some of his other friends, Branch felt relief wash over him as he smiled back at her. This was meant to be a joyous occasion after all.

His smile instantly vanished however when Poppy pulled out a camera from her hair and gestured for him to scoot back. "We have got to get a picture of you, by the way."

He did as she requested, but that didn't stop him from questioning her unusual sense of weird timing. True she normally functioned on her own timetable, though normally she exhibited better appropriateness than this. "You really want to do this now? We're supposed to start the ceremony."

She just brushed off his worries, intent on focusing the camera as he stood next to the bushes. Realizing he was not about to get a straight answer anytime soon, Branch flashed her his normal frown. "Yeah, it's OK, Branch. Just smile for the camera."

Between her loud insistence on him smiling and his intent to not out of principle, he was starting to wonder if there was some weird pre-ceremony thing Poppy had started at some point and didn't tell him about so it would be a surprise. Wouldn't be the first time she did something like that.

His thoughts were interrupted by a sudden, sharp pain on his head.

"Yow!" he cried, rubbing his head and looking around. "What was that?"

"Branch, cheese!" was his only warning as the camera flashed and his vision went white for a while.

Once his vision was no longer spotty, he let himself calm down under the assumption Poppy was finally getting whatever it was out of her system. For the next several minutes, however, he found himself on the front end of Poppy's usual antics that were being backed up by Smidge and Cooper. And a cute baby and puppy that definitely hadn't been around earlier. Though he preferred that over the barrage of feathers they subjected him to.

Pushing away the feathers, he raised his voice over them, saying, "OK, enough!" Smiling to show he wasn't mad at them, he shrugged his shoulders in good nature. "Guys, please! I'll admit that was delightful, but now is not the time. Why are you acting so weird?" None of them would look him in the eye as he frowned once again.

One would start saying something before stopping, and then another would repeat the same thing. His friends' behavior fell within their usual range of entropy and while he had developed a pretty high tolerance at this point, he was getting really impatient to start the ceremony. The sooner the ceremony started, the sooner he could stop wishing the stage wasn't so empty and go spend time with his small, crazy cluster of friends.

Thankfully, Poppy finally let out a sigh and Branch waited for her to explain. "We are acting weird, and it's because…"

An uneasy feeling settled in Branch's gut as he saw Poppy struggle for what to say, shoulders crouching a bit and rubbing awkwardly at her arm. That was a sure sign that Poppy felt really bad about something and wasn't sure how to fix it. It was a sight Branch never liked seeing on her even if the mess she made was something he tried warning her about. Friendly gloating and teasing were one thing, but kicking a Troll drowning in self-guilt was a completely different thing.

"I lost your gem."

"You lost, my gem?" That was not anything close to what Branch expected to hear and he couldn't hold back his shock!

Then Smidge and Cooper took him on a rollercoaster ride of emotions as they summarized what happened. When Poppy took back over, expression growing more and more guilty as the words spilled out of her, Branch found himself slowly losing focus.

His long awaited, long desired Gem, the one grown from his first hair strain and planted where his brothers' hairs had been, the hair strain his parents lovingly cut and personally planted, the hair strain that Floyd (his favorite, beloved (lying) brother) had handled in some way, was destroyed. Broken. Shattered into millions of pieces with no way to put them back together again.

This wasn't like one of the puzzles his grandma and him worked on back when she was alive nor the ones he worked on now. This wasn't something he could glue and screw back together until it was good as new. This wasn't something that could easily fixed by simply recreating everything with his parents and brothers and pretend nothing bad had ever happened.

This was his reality.

His Troll Gem was gone. Just like his parents, just like his grandma, and just like his brothers. As much as he wanted it to be untrue, the fact of the matter stands that he no longer had a Troll Gem to celebrate his Gem Day with.

And he probably never would, at least not anytime soon.

As that thought fully settled in, he heard Poppy say, "-and you can't have a Gem Day without a gem, so…" She didn't hesitate to reach into her hair and pull out her gem, a beautiful pink heart that glittered in the soft light and seemed to shine even without its owner's voice singing to it. "Take mine."

"What?" Branch gasped, a warm feeling spreading through him at seeing his best friend (and crush, during the times he was being honest with himself) offer her heart-shaped gem to him.

"It's not as good as having yours, but at least you'll always have a reminder of all you've accomplished." She insistently held her gem out to him even as he shook her head at her.

"Poppy, no. This is too important to you." He gently pushed her hand back, the pink heart increasing in distance from him and decreasing back to its owner. When it didn't appear that she would reach out again, he tucked his hands on his chest. "You can't give me your gem." 'Every Gem is different and unique to each Troll.'

There was additional chatter surrounding him as he heard his friends follow Poppy's lead and DJ Suki, holding a pot with what was most probably his hair (which explained the weird pain from his head earlier), emerge from the bushes to join them. They started chattering about why he should take their gems, ignoring all the protest he put up, and just kept insisting that he more than deserved to take part in the ceremony.

For a moment, Branch believed that everything could be savaged and corrected like it always did as his four friends surrounded him. Each offering their own, unique gems out to him so he could still take part in the ceremony. The ceremony meant to honor the Troll who embraced their joy and happiness, and would likewise be fully embraced as a member of the Tribe.

And the most heartwarming part was the reminder that even if it had taken him a long time to open up to them, they patiently waited for him to mesh himself within their group. Even when he caused issues, messed up, and pushed them in ways they didn't want, they still grew to accept him. It didn't matter if technically he still wasn't part of the Tribe, he was definitely a part of their friend group, and they were not shy in showing him just how much they cared.

He started feeling drops of joy ripple through his heart and for a brief moment, he didn't attempt to fight it. Barely able to hold back tears, he smiled sadly at them all as he rambled, "I… I can't believe this. It makes me feel so much… so much…"

A bright light shone past his closed eyes accompanied by Smidge's signature 'Oh, my Guh!'

Snapping his eyes open, he watched in awe as the hair, his hair, from the pot was bathed in an aura of light. Everyone watched as the thin strand grew into a thick stalk, a flower bulb sprouted from the top, and then bloomed to reveal a shining, smooth, bluish hued gem that looked just like the candy from earlier.

Only this was definitely not candy as they had all seen Branch's new Troll Gem grow right before their eyes. He looked up at Poppy's matching expression of awe and joy, for once everyone too stunned in silence to say anything.

The light eventually ceased, but no one moved for another moment as they stared at Branch's new Troll Gem. Branch's new Troll Gem! A Gem Day miracle if there ever was one.

"I-I-I… I can't believe…" Branch stuttered and didn't feel the least bit embarrassed about it.

Without thinking, he threw his arms around Poppy and gave her the biggest, tightest hug he could. She only let herself be thrown for less than a blink before returning the gesture just as passionately. "I-I-I… I can't believe it either!"

The other three quickly joined in on the hug as well, DJ only using one arm as she kept the other tucked around the pot. They continued hugging for several more seconds before they all pulled back, Poppy and Branch taking the longest to do so.

Swaying from side to side in happiness, Poppy's words ran together as she rambled. "Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh. I am so, so, so happy again for you, Branch. This is definitely one for the scrapbooks. Which I will totally do later tonight after the ceremony because- gah! We so gotta start the ceremony now because I'm tired of waiting another second for this great moment! Are you ready, Branch?"

Shaking his head at her energy, Branch responded joyfully, "Yes, Poppy. I am very much ready."

With that, Poppy quickly and VERY carefully took the pot from DJ and rushed out to get the stage set up. The other four watched her go, amused smiles across their faces.

Smidge then looked at Branch, saying much more calmly, "It's your time now, Branch."

"Yeah," Cooper added, wrapping an arm around the shorter Troll's shoulder. "Even if this is now happening a bit later than expected, I'm still excited to be here."

"We're all excited to be here," DJ corrected softly, patting a spot on Branch's shoulder where Cooper's arm didn't block it. "Just look for us down on the front row, because we aren't gonna miss a second of this."

Another wave of exhilaration flooded through Branch as he sniffled a bit and tried not to cry. These tears were the good kind of course, but he still needed to look presentable when he accepted his Troll Gem. His Troll Gem that definitely wouldn't be here if he didn't have such wonderful friends.

Tapping Cooper's arm, Branch stated, "Thank you, guys. Seriously. I don't know what to say."

"Well technically," Cooper started, taking his arm away and looking at Branch with his trademark, goofy smile. "You don't have to say anything. Just walk up there, get your gem, and start singing. And we won't have to say anything either, because we'll be singing with you."

As Branch mulled over the other's words, Smidge hissed at them. "Poppy is waving that it's time to go, guys. Congrats again, Branch!" With that, the trio exited the room through a side curtain and made their way up front.

The Troll of the hour stood in front of the main exit, letting the last few minutes settle in his mind for a moment. Finding out one's gem got destroyed would be hard enough for any Troll to grasp, and he was no exception.

This whole night could have ended in disaster, a giant mess, a dark spot marring a glorious occasion. He could have ended up leaving here with nothing, hands empty and grasping for that joyful reminder he had been looking forward to all day. The memories of tonight would have involved a lot of disappointment, broken hopes, and a reminder that things do not often go Branch's way as he tried to figure out how to pick up the pieces and keep moving on with his life.

However, he didn't have to face that reality tonight.

His friends, the cause of the problem, refused to let him be disappointed because of their mistakes. When things went south and they broke his gem, they immediately jumped into action to help him get a new one. When that seemed hopeless and the mess remained, they offered their own gems, a valuable piece of themselves, to him because they truly believed he was worth something special. They stuck around to help him pick up the pieces when he was ready to wallow in the aftermath, because they cared about him and wanted to make sure his life was filled with joy.

Catching Poppy's nod to start, Branch took a deep breath, let out a genuine smile, and walked forward toward the stage. He passed by vaguely familiar faces, spared a quick glance to his friends who stood right where they said they would, and took the stage where Poppy happily awaited him.

There should be other figures standing near her, but in that moment Branch didn't care. The ones who mattered, who helped him re-discover genuine joy, were all here. They helped him form this gem and even if Branch would later mourn the loss of his first, he can't say he didn't mind the memories that would be attached with this one.

As he stepped fully onto the stage, Poppy regally began. "Branch, it is my honor as your queen-" she mock whispered at him. "And as your friend-" She resumed her royal character. "To present to you your gem. May it always shine as bright as your joyful spirit."

Branch picked up the gem, hearing an old voice echoing across his mind with "Your Gem will be just as wonderful and bright as mine, as all of ours were."

I guess you'll never know for sure, Floyd, my brothers, Branch thought as he smiled back at Poppy as he held up his gem in her direction.

At her small nod, he turned to the crowd and started vocalizing, voice clear and full. The gem immediately started glowing, shining as brightly as it did when it rapidly grew before his eyes not more than a few minutes ago.

He heard Poppy join in and caught a soft pink glow from the corner of his eyes. Then he saw his friends below him pull out their gems and join them, and the process repeating rapidly through the crowd until the area was filled with glowing gems and a beautiful harmony.

In that moment, Branch never felt more at peace and connected to what mattered most.

And thus concludes the cannon ending. I had originally planned cut off at "… makes me feel so much… so much…" but I guess I felt obligated to write out til the end so, yay! A bit of a bonus for the reader.

The beginning of the chapter is of course completely made up from my end. Since the movies and shows aren't that cannon with one another, I highly doubt Floyd has an official Troll Gem so I made one up for him. I have a vague idea of what I want the other brothers' gems to be, but that will eventually be finalized and revealed in my "Becoming a Brother" series at some point.

So, this concludes the 'happy' "Gem Day" rewrite. Hopefully you found this to be a good read and you'll come back for the 'less happy' rewrite. That will be posted as a second chapter in a few days as I go through and clean it up.

Thank you again for reading and see you next time!