Poppy entered Pop Village. If she was going to do this, she could at least get help from some friends she could trust to keep secrets, and maybe just know Branch well. Some of Branch's brothers are in the village, but she's not quite sure who, or even if they still are. They have their own lives to live after all. Plus, Bruce has kids, which Poppy thinks are super cute, even if the last time she saw them, they had pink eye.
"Heya, Poppy!" Demo exclaimed, walking up to her. "What're you up to?"
"Oh, I was just helping someone with something," Poppy replied.
"Oh sweet!" Demo said. "Anything I can do to help?"
"Um..." Poppy hesitated. Demo is a very trustworthy Troll, surprisingly so for a Rock Troll. Plus, he has a sensitive side, which he's quite attached to. "Actually, yeah! Do you mind walking with me for a minute while I find someone else?"
"Sure!" Demo exclaimed. "Why not?"
"Thanks, Demo," Poppy said She led him along for a little bit until she started talking. "Have you met any of Branch's brothers yet?"
"I met three of them," Demo said. "I don't know how many he has."
"There's four, five including Branch," Poppy replied enthusiastically.
"Oh nice!" Demo said. "I always wanted a sibling!"
"I did too and then I found Viva!" Poppy exclaimed. "Anyway, have you met John Dory yet? The Old One?"
"Yeah I met John, but I don't think he likes 'the Old One,'" Demo replied.
"Is he still here?" Poppy asked, ignoring the second half of Demo's statement.
"Uh...I think so?" Demo said. "Why don't you-oh look! There he is!" Demo pointed ahead to where John Dory stands under a large tree, looking up at it. Poppy cocked her head. "What is he doing?"
Demo followed Poppy to John. "John?" Poppy asked. "What are you doing?"
"Oh, hi Poppy," John said. "I was watching a butterfly. It's gone now though," he said, looking back up at the tree. Poppy stared at him for a moment before shaking it off, physically. "Well, anyway, John, I need to talk to you and Demo."
"Demo?" John asked, excited. "Hey, man!" John high fived Demo. "How ya doing?"
"I'm good!" Demo replied. "You?"
"Great!" Poppy smiled at their pleasantries. "Looks like you know each other well enough already! Anyway, I have something SUPER important to talk about so we'll go into these plants and talk." Poppy grabbed Demo and John's wrists and led them into the purple-ish leaves sticking out of the ground.
"Okay, so what's the news, Queen P?" Demo asked.
"Well, today is Branch's grandma's birthday," Poppy started.
"It's grandma's birthday?" John repeated. "Oh my gosh! I didn't know!"
"Yeah, well," Poppy said, cringing, "Branch isn't taking it too well. Twenty years by yourself does a number on your mental health and his grandma was the only Troll Branch has actually...loved...before she got eaten alive." Poppy tapped her hands together. "Eaten alive?" Demo asked.
"Yeah, we used to get eaten by the Bergens because it made them happy," John explained, "so they set up an annual holiday they called Trollstice, where they ate Trolls and were happy for a day."
"That's horrible!" Demo cried.
"It was rough," Poppy said. "But that's not the point!" Poppy raised her hands into the air. "The point is that Branch wants to celebrate his grandma's birthday but I think he's making it worse, and then he told me that he was trying to remake her cloak that she always had on her but he couldn't get it right, so then he started looking for it in the Troll Tree, Bergen Town and the old Escape Tunnels but couldn't find it and went back to making it again before he gave up and started being miserable and-"
"English, please, Poppy?" Demo asked. "That's too much info at once."
"Right, sorry," Poppy apologized. "Got a little carried away there. What I was trying to say is that Branch wants to find his grandma's cloak to remember her by and I offered to help him. I kind of want to help him because he's super miserable right now and I don't want him to be sad."
"You mean grandma's old heart cloak?" John asked. "She still has-err-had that?"
"Yeah, apparently," Poppy said. "Branch was trying to find it. I found something else for him once so I don't see why I can't help him with this!"
"Why tell us?" Demo asked. "Why not make something for it?"
"Because I don't want all of Pop Village to bombard Branch with comforting 'cause that'll just make things worse for everybody," Poppy replied. "Plus, Branch was crying and I said I wouldn't tell anyone. You guys are the Trolls I can trust to keep a secret."
"Me too?" John asked, pointing at himself.
"Yes, John," Poppy said. "You're his brother so I figured you know what's best for him."
"This is a lot of trust, Poppy," John said uncertainly.
"Can I trust you two to keep a secret and help me find it?" Poppy asked hopefully.
"You can count on me!" Demo said, raising a fist. They both looked at John. "I mean, I don't want to bother Branch too much," John said, rubbing the back of his neck. "I mean, I did push him out of my life for twenty years. He is still mad at me and all." They stayed silent as John Dory thought aloud to himself. "But maybe this will be how I show Baby Branch how much he means to me and how sorry I am...okay!" John exclaimed. "I'll do it!"
"Thank you both, so much!" Poppy cheered. "This really means a lot!"
"Any time, Poppy!" Demo exclaimed.
"My first thought is to check inside his grandma's pod but I don't exactly remember which one that was..."
"Don't worry," John said. "I got this. Follow me."