Disclaimer:
Lone Concert Originally by Dawnbuneary
I own nothing. All rights to Trolls belong to Dreamworks and the original Lone Concert fanfic by Dawnbuneary. At least these first three chapters are theirs. Last time this fanfic has been updated was in 2017 after chapter 6 I absolutely love this fanfic and I do like writing fanfics about fanfics. I will make a few changes in the chapters to add my own flare but after chapter 3 it will be completely my own fanfic. I will take in suggestions from the replies on the original fanfic but I will be continuing the storyline. I do post fanfics about other fanfics I just love the writing so much that I couldn't help but contribute. But since this fanfic is most likely dead like Dr. Frankenstein I'm going to try and breath life back into it. I'm not stealing this fanfic I just couldn't leave it without an ending. Hope you enjoy.
Poppy led her friends, (Cooper, Smidge, Fuzzbert, Satin, Chenille, Biggie, DJ, and Guy Diamond) through the forest, holding an invitation in her hands. As she was skipping along, her friends didn't seem like they wanted to be there. Looking back at one another with weary eyes once again trying to convince her that this was a bad idea. "Why do you keep trying, Poppy?" Satin asked. "He's just going to say no again." Chenille added. "And he's going to ruin your hard work," Biggie told her, frowning sadly, Mr. Dinkles in his hand.
"Guys, please! I'm sure he has happiness inside him. He just needs our help! And tonight's party is going to do the trick!" Poppy encouraged the other trolls. "And who knows? Maybe he'll sing a song with us." She was so excited at the thought of finally having Branch with her at a party. Rather she would admit it or not but he was her best friend.
"As if. The guy hates it when other people sing," Suki said, thinking about his constant interruptions during songs. He was such a party-pooper. Poppy ignored her friends' negativity. "C'mon, guys! Just stay positive! Even if he might have a terrible voice, he needs to have fun!" She replied, not fazed. Poppy was used to Branch's pessimism so ignoring the Snack Pack's was easy. Soon enough they reached a large pile of boulders and Poppy knocked on the biggest one loudly. It had a "Go Away" mat on it. Of course, Poppy always ignored it.
"Branch! BRANCH! Are you in there? I have something for yoouuuu!" She called in a sing-song voice. There was no response. The Snack Pack, who usually didn't accompany her, looked at each other. Starting to feel a little uneasy. "Maybe he doesn't want us here." Biggie offered. Poppy pressed her ear to the mat, listening for anything. "Usually he replies, though. Sometimes, he tells me to go away, and occasionally he lets me come in if the weather's bad," Poppy replied, standing back up. They all looked at her like she had grown an extra head. "Branch lets you in?" Guy Diamond asked, surprised. Because as far as any troll knew Branch never let anyone into his bunker. Not even the King as far as they knew. Everyone thought the grey troll didn't care about her and just pushed her away, but maybe they were wrong. Poppy nodded, then hummed in thought.
"Hmm…maybe he's out getting more firewood or something!" Poppy said, racing back towards the forest. Luckily for her she knows his routine by heart. The Snack Pack were pretty much obliged to follow her and so they did. No matter how doubtful they were that Branch would accept her invitation. It started to rain. Did that stop the princess? Nope! However, as they scurried through the forest Poppy made an immediate halt. Everyone else paused. "What's wrong?" Suki asked in alarm, watching Poppy listening for something in the air. They all remained silent…then they heard it.
"You were my sun
You were my earth,
But you didn't know all the ways
I loved you, no…"
In the distance, they could hear the most angelic voice of a male singing, accompanied by music. Very depressing music, but music all the same. It intrigued Poppy, since she didn't recognise that singing. How? She knew everybody in the village and they're singing voices were nothing like this. It seemed to have intrigued the others too. "Who…is that?" Satin asked, curious and a little dreamily. Poppy didn't answer her directly, but she set off to follow the voice. She just had to know who this mystery singer was. "Come on." She whispered to them. She just had to know who it was and applaud them. Or sing along. Or something! She just really wanted to find the owner of that charming singing. She could give Branch his invitation later, but this was a real mystery.
"So you took a chance
And made other plans
I bet you didn't think
That they would come crashing down, no..."
As she listened to the lyrics, she realized it wasn't the most happy song. That didn't stop her, though. It was still beautiful. They approached the voice quickly and quietly. Silently they found a clearing surrounded by bushes by the river. The clearing had a giant mushroom (by Troll standards) much like the one in the middle of the village. Rain dropped down into the river and onto the mushroom. Under the fungus, there was a figure. Holding sticks. His vest….his hair…his grey skin tone…Oh.
They all gasped very loudly. Branch paused his singing and looked at them, but he saw nothing. Just in time, Poppy had used her hair to camouflage them all with the bushes. They watched through her strands of hair at the grey troll. Branch looked around once more to make sure no one was there, then leaned against the mushroom's stem again, clutching all the firewood tightly. He took a deep breath humming the part he had already sung to himself again. The others couldn't hear him. He looked up at the rain seeing that it wasn't going to stop anytime soon. It took a while, but the music continued. No one was sure where it came from, but since when did they question it?
"You don't have to say
What you did
I already know
I found out from him!"
He sang, stepping out of his shelter and into the rain a bit. It certainly looked dramatic. Strange creatures around him started joining in, such as critters and flowers, but he paid them no mind. "He can sing!" Poppy exclaimed, whispering, jumping in place, careful not to let her hair move. She couldn't help but beam. He's going to be the life of the party! "Wow. Who knew?" Cooper commented very surprised. As were everyone else who would have thought that the village grump was the best singer they've ever heard.
"Now there's just no chance,
For you and me,
We'll never be
And don't that make you sad about it?"
Branch sang to himself, stepping more into the rain. His song was sad…but, they still wanted to listen. I mean, the grumpiest troll in the village could sing! And he could sing really well! What did he have to hide?
"You told me you love me,
Why did you leave me,
All alone?
Then you tell me you need me
When you call me
On the phone…
Girl, I refuse
You must have me confused
With some other guy…
Your bridges were burned and now it's your turn,
To cry…"
Yup. That was definitely Branch. Ignoring the weather and lost in song, Branch used his hair to climb on top of the mushroom, dropping his sticks on the ground. But at the moment he couldn't help himself. He was still a troll after all.
"Cry me a river,
Cry me a river,
Cry me a river,
Cry me a river-er, yeah yeah…"
Poppy had the biggest urge to sing along, but she kept her mouth shut for now. Biting her tongue to keep noise from coming out. The others seemed to have been thinking the same thing.
"I know that they say
Some things are better left unsaid,
It wasn't like you only talked to him and you know it
Don't act like you don't know it!
All of these things people tell me
Keep messing with my head…"
"(Messing with my head…)"
The Snack Pack all echoed quietly. Poppy could only stare at the grey troll and admire his singing. He had talent. He knew when to go high or low, and his delivery was amazing. She was so lost in him music she missed the twins giving her a knowing look.
"You should've picked honesty,
Then you may not have blown it…
You don't have to say
What you did
I already know
I found out from him!"
He started subtly and smoothly dancing atop the mushroom. It wasn't crazy dancing, it was just enough to fit the music.
"Now there's just no chance,
For you and me,
We'll never be
And don't that make you sad about it?
You told me you love me,
Why did you leave me,
All alone?
Then you tell me you need me
When you call me
On the phone…
Girl, I refuse
You must have me confused
With some other guy…
Your bridges were burned and now it's your turn,
To cry…"
The rain started clearing up. Branch looked towards the sky while proceeding to climb down the mushroom. All of the singing critters continued with him.
"Cry me a river,
Cry me a river…
Cry me a river…
Cry me a river-er, yeah…"
Branch sang as he gathered his sticks and headed towards the direction of his bunker. He passed by the Snack Pack, who were still hidden by Poppy's bush camouflage. They watched him leave, speechless. As he walked away, the music died down and the creatures all stopped singing and resumed their normal lives. Once the grey survivalist was gone, Poppy retracted her hair, staring in the direction of where he went. "Wow…" Chenille whispered, amazed dramatically fanning herself with her hand. The others were speechless, too. They always thought Branch couldn't sing and that's why he didn't like joining them. But on the contrary…
"That pooper can actually sing!" Cooper exclaimed, beaming. They all talked excitedly about it. It was only Poppy (And Fuzzbert) who was still speechless. "We gotta tell everyone!" Cooper shouted. "No. Don't tell anyone…for Branch's sake. He probably doesn't want anyone to know. It can be our little secret," Poppy said, not looking at them. Her expression was…dreamy? "Poppy, are you okay?" Smidge asked, poking her arm to get her attention. Poppy blinked and then smiled. "Yeah, yeah. I'm fine. Let's just go plan the party," She said, turning in the direction of the village. The twins are giggling to themselves as they know what was "wrong" with Poppy. "Okay, so we won't tell anyone. Can we at least tell Creek?" Cooper asked like a little child. He wanted at least for Creek to know, since he didn't accompany them. "Yeah, sure!" Poppy said, happily skipping to the village. She was so distracted that she completely forgot about the invitation. The princess was just so excited to hear him sing again…
As soon as the Snack Pack had made it back to the village they started to shout for Creek. Poppy on the other hand was a few passes behind them still lost in thought, thinking of nothing but Branch and his singing. The zen troll was sitting enjoying a little peace and quiet right before he was attacked by his group of very loud friends. "Whoa where's the fire my friends?" Creek asked the group who looked like they had just stumbled on the biggest secret ever. DJ Suki whispered into Creeks ear what they had just found out and to say he was shocked would be an understatement.
"He what?" Creek said, surprised. The Snack Pack had gone back to the village after they had gone to that...performance. Poppy was currently too busy planning a party, so her friends took the liberty of informing the purple troll of what they witnessed. "Yeah! He actually sang!" Smidge exclaimed, hopping in place. "And he actually sang well!" DJ Suki told him, astonished herself. The others nodded in agreement. The twins were still a little breathless from hearing him sing.
"If you don't believe it, ask Poppy. She seems to have enjoyed it the most," Guy Diamond said, grinning not being shy of teasing their royal friend about her little infatuation. They were all still surprised at the grey troll's hidden talent. They always assumed he couldn't sing to save his life and that's the only reason why he refused to go to their parties. What does he have to hide? Oh, that's right. He's still paranoid of Bergens finding them or whatever. Pfft, he'd be the life of the party if he weren't so scared.
"Well, that was unexpected. His aura always just screamed that he was not the type. Although, a troll is a troll and it is part of our nature to have rhythm," Creek said, wisely. The sound of Poppy's voice could be heard in the distance. They all saw her talking with another troll about party decorations, way too distracted to notice them. "Oh, and Poppy wants us to keep it a secret." Satin told him. Creek just looked at Poppy confused. "I would have assumed that she would have wanted Branch to share his performances with the whole village." Creek admitted. Poppy was always the type to help anyone showcase their talents. Why did she want to keep it a secret?
"Yeah, we don't get it either, but she said it's for Branch's sake. He only seems to sing when he thinks no one is around. And he sang a sad kind of song. " Chenille said, shrugging. They all saw Poppy walking towards them, a bounce in each step. "Hey, guys! The party's going to be awesome tomorrow!" She told them, beaming. "So Branch can sing, apparently?" Creek asked her for clarification. Poppy giggled and sighed. Still thinking of his song. Strange Creek thought. He had never seen her act like this before.
"Hehe, yeah! And he's got a really nice voice too! Who would've guessed? I knew Branch had it in him!" She said, barely containing her excitement. The village grump could sing really well! How can she not be excited? "Maybe one day, I'll even get to sing along! Imagine that!" Poppy said with a dreamy smile. "I'd pay to hear that!" Cooper said, smiling. Poppy was the best female singer in the village. Everyone had agreed on that. And judging by that one performance, Branch had an equally good voice...maybe even the best male singer? Who knows? But it's no question that they were both good singers. It is such a shame that Branch detests singing with anyone else, though. He's got pipes.
"It is rather hypocritical that he scolds us for singing when he does it himself," Creek said honestly, crossing his arms. Poppy brushed it off, grinning. "Hey, it's fine. It's probably because we're a little too loud to him." She admitted with an innocent look. Did she just admit to being too loud? Poppy of all people? Before Creek could even comment on what Poppy had just said she interrupted him. "Creek, you have to come with us next time!" Poppy told him, hopping excitedly. The others looked surprised. "Next time?"
"Next time we go to hear Branch sing! If we're lucky, he might do it again! We just gotta stay hidden. Don't tell me you guys don't want to hear it again." Her friends all looked at each other and then smiled. Yeah! Hearing the grey troll sing couldn't hurt. His voice was nice to listen to, anyways. Creek was the only one who didn't smile immediately. Poppy seemed way too enthusiastic to hear Branch sing. What was the big deal? Creek could sing. However, Creek agreed to accompany them for next time. His mind was telling him that the fact that Branch could sing was wonderful, so he should not be having negative emotions about it. He had no reason to. He was above jealousy. Besides, Branch's voice would be good. That was standard for a troll, wasn't it? He shall not be negative about a troll embracing their inner party animal. Even if it was Branch. Besides, Poppy was just excited about hearing the pessimist's vocal talents for once. It was natural, as Branch told them that he specifically did not sing.
"So I assume he refused to join the party again?" Creek asked. Such a shame. Suddenly, Poppy's face fell as she slapped her forehead. "Oh god, I forgot to give Branch his invitation..!" she said in realization. Maybe he would...but he wouldn't...but maybe now that he...no...yes. Maybe he would accept this time. "Well, I mean...what's the point?" Satin asked, genuinely confused. "Becaaause, one of these times he'll eventually have to say yes. And if he is comfortable with singing by himself, then maybe he's comfortable with joining the party!" Poppy twirled in anticipation of when that day could be when he actually does come to one of their parties. "You really think he'd go this time?" Suki asked. Poppy grinned. "I'm hoping! Now, come on. Let's go give it to him again!" She said, skipping towards the direction of the bunker once again that day. The others shrugged, then followed in her direction. They wanted to see where this would go.
As they reached the bunker, Poppy bounced over to the rocks and knocked on it. Unlike last time, this triggered a response. The "Go Away" mat on the floor opened up a little, revealing a familiar pair of blue eyes. "What are you doing here?" Branch asked angrily. Why must she always bother him? "Well, I just wanted to give your invitation to tomorrow's party! We're celebrating DJ's new beats! What better way to use them than for a party?" Poppy took the invitation out of her hair and presented it to Branch. Before she could even open it, Branch rolled his eyes and closed the mat. "No." The answer was so simple. There was no way she couldn't understand. "You'll have fun!"
Apparently he was wrong. Branch sighed and exited his bunker completely, now standing in front of the princess. She beamed, but his face remained uninterested. "And what makes you think that?" he asked in a bored voice. "There will be lots of dancing and singing~" she said temptingly, emphasizing the word "singing". She opened up the pop up invitation. It featured a small felt figure of DJ Suki spinning some turntables with music notes around her. Large letters spelt "YOU'RE INVITED!" on the card itself.
"Put yo' hair in the air!" it sang. Branch didn't even change his unamused expression when glitter spurted out of the card and into his face. Not even a blink. He accepted the invitation, but threw it over his shoulder like trash. "In case you have forgotten, I don't sing," he said, angrily wiping the glitter off his face and body. The Snack pack had to hide their smirks. "Pfft." Poppy chuckled. Of course, he wasn't fooling anyone. Branch looked at her, slightly confused and suspicious. Once Poppy saw this, she cleared her throat and darted her eyes away. He can't know that they saw him.
"So...you're not going?" Poppy asked after a minute of awkward silence. "What do you think?" Branch replied, sarcastically. "That...you'll come and have fun for once?" Poppy offered, hopefully. Branch scoffed, rolled his eyes and retreated back into his bunker. The princess's expression fell slightly. She felt a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Don't fret, Poppy. It will take time, but he may come around one day." Creek told her kindly, no matter how doubtful he was. No matter how doubtful they all were. Poppy smiled, blushing slightly. "Yeah. I just need to take baby steps."
So I am a fan of this fanfic and I thought that I would add my own spin and finally give this story an ending. It's been dead since 2017 and frost three chapters got to the original writer. But after ch3 if my work. I hope y'all do enjoy. And check out my other stuff.
