Please enjoy!

OoOoOo

Branch felt numb.

He was vaguely aware of Viva's panicking and Floyd's gentle words, but they were muffled. It was like he was underwater, like he was drowning. He had felt like this before: when his brothers left, when Grandma died. But this... this was Poppy. Obviously, she was his girlfriend and he loved her, but she was more. She was his best friend, his everything, his-

His light. And without her, everything felt... dark.

"Branch." Floyd's soft voice cut through the flurry of thoughts whirling around in his mind. His brother was looking at him with thinly veiled concern, but tried to hide it with a smile. "Hey buddy, you still with me?"

"Y-Yeah," Branch forced out, practically choking on the words. "Of course I am. Why wouldn't I be?"

Floyd and Viva shared a look- one he wasn't quite sure he liked- but didn't say anything more about it. "We should... We should tell my dad," the pink troll decided. "He'll have to take over while we look for Poppy."

Sounded reasonable. Though, Branch wasn't looking forward to facing King Peppy. He was supposed to be the one keeping Poppy safe, and he had lost her. She was gone and it was his fault.

Viva led the way to King Peppy's pod, the brothers trailing behind her. She was murmuring nervously to herself, words even his adept hearing couldn't distinguish. "She's not taking this well," Branch observed. Not that he could blame her. They had convinced her Pop Village was safe, only for the sister she had lost before to go missing.

Floyd peered at him. "I don't think she's the only one."

Branch staggered a bit. "What, um, what do you mean?" he asked.

But Floyd knew him. It almost like he could peer into his mind; their twenty years apart had done little to change that. "Branch," he urged. "You don't have to pretend in front of me. I know you're worried. Poppy means a lot to you."

That was an understatement. "I mean, yeah, of course she does." Branch chuckled nervously, trying to brush off the topic. But his brother wasn't faltering. "I, uh, had a hard time after Grandma got eaten. I was always angry, I pushed everyone away. Poppy... she was the only one who never gave up on me."

That wasn't the full story, not even close. But he couldn't bring himself to tell Floyd everything. He couldn't admit that he had... that he had turned gray. That he had been an outcast, a freak for twenty years. That Poppy had been the only one who bothered to give him the time of day. What would Floyd think of him then?

He wanted to believe that his brother wouldn't judge him, that Floyd would understand. But he couldn't trust that. Even before Poppy disappeared, he hadn't wanted his brothers- any of them- to know. He was embarrassed, he was ashamed, but most of all, he was angry.

Whenever he thought of his brothers walking out on him, leaving him alone for over two decades, rage bubbled up in his stomach. No matter how hard he tried to hide it. All those years he had spent miserable and gray while his brothers were out living their dreams, perfectly content without him never left his mind.

He tried to tamp down that anger, that hurt, but it was hard sometimes. Usually, Poppy was there for him to talk to, to offer words of comfort and encouragement or simply her presence. But she wasn't here. And Branch wasn't sure he could hide handle these feelings without her.

A hint of something- maybe sadness, maybe guilt- crossed his brother's face. "She's really been there for you, huh?"

"More than you know," answered Branch. More than Poppy herself probably even understood; she had saved him. When he'd been miserable and isolated, when he'd hated himself, she had gone out of her way to be kind to him. When all the other trolls wouldn't spare him a second glance, to her he was worth talking to.

He had been stubborn back then, refusing to admit that he craved her attention. That he had basked in her presence as if it was the sun itself. He had snapped at her to leave him alone constantly, but really? She had been- and still was- his lifeline.

Branch wouldn't be able to survive losing her. He was surer of that than anything else in the world.

When they got to King Peppy's pod, coincidentally, Clay was there. He was talking to the old king, gesturing around to the pod wildly. If Branch had to guess, his brother was probably nitpicking the construct.

It was the sight of her father that caused Viva to breakdown. "Dad!" she cried, throwing herself at the old man. If it had been anyone other than Peppy, she might have knocked them over. But even in his old age, he was King Peppy (and probably who the princesses got their freakish strength from) and easily caught his eldest.

"Viva," he gasped in surprise and alarm. "Muses, whatever is the matter?"

"It's Poppy, Daddy," she sobbed softly. "Poppy's gone and we can't find her."

Time seemed to slow down as understanding dawned on the former king. Peppy looked from the crying daughter in his arms, then locked onto Branch. His eyes seemed to beg Branch to tell him it wasn't true, that he hadn't lost his daughter so soon after finally finding his older one.

Branch could do nothing more than shake his head in affirmation.

Peppy's face broke, but he still held Viva firmly in his arms. "I see," he murmured. But his face sobered and he took the guise of a leader once more. "Do we have any leads?"

Branch stepped forward. "Just her hug time bracelet," he answered, holding it out. He had refused to let go of it since finding it. It was the only tangible clue he had to finding her. "It was found in the east wood."

The king considered it for a moment. "We'll have to form a search party," he decided. "I'll get every troll available to search the woods. We should notify the other kingdoms as well."

"I'll call Bruce and tell him to keep an eye out on Vacay Island," Clay chimed in. Branch had forgotten he was standing there if he was being honest. His other brother kept glancing at Viva with a mix of apprehension and worry.

But the princess wiped her face, a fierce look of determination crossing her features. It reminded him painstakingly of Poppy. "We need a field team," she stated firmly, leaving no room for argument. "For all we know, Poppy is a million miles away. We need to get out there."

Branch wholeheartedly agreed. But the problem was their lack of leads. They had no idea where Poppy could be, they didn't even know where she had been when she was taken. All they had was her stupid hug time bracelet and-

Wait.

As if thinking the same thing he was, his brothers met his eyes. They couldn't do anything with the bracelet, but they definitely knew someone who could.

OoOoOo

"Say what?!" exclaimed their eldest brother around an hour later.

Branch breathed sharply through his nose, not wanting to explain this again. "John," he stressed, grasping onto what little patience he had left.

To his credit, John Dory seemed to get himself together. "Right, right, right, no time to panic," he murmured, smacking his own cheek. "Pop-star could be in real trouble." He smiled reassuringly, patting Branch on the shoulder. "Don't worry, baby bro. Rhonda'll find her in no time. Poppy will be back here before you know it!"

He hated that it was actually a little comforting. But Branch knew better than to get his hopes up; John Dory didn't have a great track record with promises.

Viva gave Rhonda a gentle pat, holding up Poppy's bracelet. "This is Poppy's," she said softly, as if the sentient caravan could understand her. "Do you think you can find her?"

Rhonda sniffed curiously, then her eyes lit up as she gave a yip of affirmation. "She's got the scent!" John Dory translated. "Everyone on!" Him, Viva, and Clay all filed in, but Branch was surprised to see Floyd following after them.

"Floyd, hang on a second," he intervened. "Are you sure that's a good idea? You're still recovering." He was recovering well, of course, but still. The doctors told him to take it easy.

Floyd smiled at him. "Poppy didn't hesitate to help save me, right?" No, she didn't. It was her who convinced Branch to. "I owe her a lot, you know. She's the reason I was able to see you again. The least I can do is return the favor."

He had a point. Branch sighed. "Just be careful, okay? I just got you back."

His older brother nodded. "Of course, Branch," he agreed, then climbed aboard.

Branch stepped onto Rhonda's stairs, looking back at Pop Village; Poppy's kingdom that she loved so much. "I'm coming," he promised, hoping that somehow his words reached her. "Just hang on a little longer, okay?"

OoOoOo

I like John Dory a lot... Idk why.