John Dory got very surprised to see his youngest brother there, but, thinking he was there to vent even more of his frustrations, he said, while keeping on walking and passing by Branch:
"If you're here to tell me how much of a failure I am as a big brother, I'll spare you the effort. I got the message loud and clear."
As he kept on going, he got surprised with what Branch said next:
"I wanted to... apologize."
That made John Dory to stop and then turn to his younger brother, asking:
"What?"
"I said... I wanted to apologize" Branch said, with a remorseful look. "The things I told you... I shouldn't have said them in that way..."
"Why not?" John Dory asked, crossing his arms. "Weren't they real?"
"Yeah, they were..." Branch admitted. "But I shouldn't have said them with anger. Despite everything... you are still my big brother."
There was a pause and then Branch took out his baby scrapbook from his hair and said:
"I have to admit... excluding your lattest entries... this is not that bad."
"You're just saying that..." John Dory told, still with a frown look.
"No, I am not..." Branch said, opening the scrapbook. "These photos... Looking at them... I got to remember all of our happy moments. They made me... return to those days... And when that happened, I realized... how much I missed my brothers during all these years... the good and the bad. I missed how Floyd and I would play together and how he used to comfort me whenever I felt sad or nervous..."
"You two were really cute together..." John Dory said, making a slight smile. "I always loved watching you getting along so well..."
"I miss all the fun with Clay, all the pranks we pulled together..." Branch continued.
"They were funny to you two..." John Dory replied, while bringing his hand to his hair. "I still have a feeling I have some of that peanut butter you guys used on that bucket prank of yours, no matter how many times I wash it and comb it."
That caused Branch to drop a laugh before continuing:
"I also remember how I would always try to follow Bruce to some of his dates..."
"Yeah... the look on his face was always hilarious to see..." John Dory chuckled. "He would made that frown he does when he gets really angry..."
"And then he would get really red..." Branch added.
"I always feared he would pass out, whenever he did that" John Dory revealed.
The two brothers shared a laugh together, before Branch continuing:
"But... above all... I remember how much of a great and caring big brother you were... to all of us. I guess... out of you guys... I got more upset with you... because you were the first to leave... and then Bruce and Clay... even Floyd... they followed your lead. I always kept on thinking that, if you haven't decided to leave, we could have fixed everything and keep on being a family."
There was a pause, where John Dory made a regretful look, hearing those words from Branch. He then said, while dropping his backpack and sitting down, followed by Branch who sat next to him:
"I regretted what I did immediately... After it hit me, all I wanted was to get back... But I realized that what Bruce and Clay said about me wanting to control everything... including them... was true. If we hadn't split up back then... I feared things would only escalate until... nothing could be salvaged from our brotherhood. That's why... I went on with my plan to hike the Neverglade Trail, hoping I could free myself from my obsession. I just... wanted to become a better brother... one that could deserve the best younger brothers one big brother can have... But of course... it took me too long for that... When I got back, hoping to find at least you and grandma... all I could find was an abandoned pod..."
Branch had already listened that part when John Dory tried to justify his absence when they reunited. But, at that time, he was too much angry to even think about it.
"It must have been tough..." Branch commented, with sadness in his voice. "I can't imagine what went through your mind... thinking that I could be dead..."
"Well... you had it worst..." John Dory said. "I can't imagine what you felt when grandma... you know... And you spent a long time living in fear..."
There was a pause and then John Dory continued:
"You can't imagine the amount of regret I felt when I didn't find anyone at the Troll Tree. I think... that's why I collected as many mementos I could from our pod, so I could remember all of you guys: your baby stuff... our photos... our BroZone merchandise and memorabilia..."
"Including Clay's funderdrawers?" Branch asked, with a raised eyebrow.
"Yeah... I admit it was quite strange to keep those..." John Dory replied, awkwardly. "But, hey, at least they served to find Clay... Even if I ended up with a terrible taste in my mouth..."
That made the two brothers laugh for a few moments. After that, John Dory adopted his sad look and continued:
"It's funny... I lived so many years in isolation, having only Rhonda as a company... even if she was the best companion ever... and only having all those things to remind me of you guys... However, if I had decided to try to reconnect with our brothers... or at least had't lost touch with society... maybe I would have learned about the Pop trolls' relocation and discover that you were alive... and then we could have fixed everything... and we wouldn't almost have lost Floyd... I guess I was too ashamed to do that... being me the reason why we got separated. Worse... being possibly the reason why you and grandma..."
As he heard his oldest brother make those confessions, Branch couldn't help but realizing that, even if he had it rough growing up alone and living in fear in a bunker for a decade, John Dory's life during those two decades wasn't much better, if he had to live with so much grief, guilt and shame... In fact, it almost sounded exactly the way he lived, since he also felt guilty and ashamed for his grandma's death. With that, Branch was able to truly understand what John Dory endured...
"You can't imagine my happiness and relief when I learned you were alive" John Dory said, expressing then a big smile. "It was like a great weight was taken from my shoulders. Trust me, there's nothing I wanted more than come meet you... But I kept on delaying that... until I learn about Floyd being imprisoned."
"Yeah... I understand that..." Branch said.
After a small silence between them, as the two of them looked up to the sky and then John Dory said:
"You know... I am really sorry for making you feel bad. That really was not my intension."
"Yeah, I know..." Branch replied.
"No... it's more than you think" John Dory said. "Believe it or not, I had a reason for that... and it was a little selfish."
He took Branch's baby scrapbook and opened it on the page with the embarrassing photos from the present.
"This book... is more than a display of memories" the older brother said. "It's like... a family tradition. Grandma made mine, you know. And then I helped her make Bruce's... After that, I did it all by myself... Clay's... Floyd's... and then yours... this one. Each of our scrapbooks... they are a chronicle of our beginnings... Grandma always said that, if we wanted to better face the future, we shouldn't forget our origins."
"Yeah, that's something she would say..." Branch commented.
"That's why these scrapbooks are so important. I filled each of our bros' scrapbooks with so many memories... from the moment they hatched, until the scrapbook was full. I got to experience so many things with them. However, with you... Well, you can see there are some blank pages. I never expected that all our bros would leave after me... much less that grandma... Well, you know. I lost so much of your life, Branch. You became... a very fine young man. The thing is... you also became someone I don't know anymore. The only way I found to deal with that was to try to relive what we had when you were a baby."
"You mean... all those things... you making me baby food..."
"You always loved the food I would cook for you" John Dory replied. "And make it mashed up, not only made it easy to swallow, but also made it the perfect munition for food fights."
"You combing my hair..."
"That was always a special moment between us" John Dory said. "I always said you inherited the same strong hair as me... and I was right."
"You always trying to protect..." Branch said. "All that... was just you trying to relive our past and... finish the scrapbook?"
"I know... it sounds cheesy..."
"Yeah, a little bit..."
"But I just wanted to enjoy spending just a little more time with the baby troll I used to know... before getting to know this amazing grown-up troll before me" John Dory continued. "You are so great, Branch... I mean... despite all the adversities, you got to become someone worthy of admiration. You helped Poppy to save Trollkind... twice. And it was thanks to you that we managed to save Floyd. I couldn't be prouder of being your big brother."
Those words made Branch to smile at his big brother and then he went to hug him. John Dory got surprised by that, but he hugged him back.
"Thanks, John Dory" Branch said.
"You're welcome..." John Dory replied.
The two ended the hug and then John Dory said:
"You know what? This camping trip wasn't that much of a disaster, if at least we managed to sort things out between us."
"Yeah..." Branch said. "I mean, aside from you doing everything for me, I think it went well..."
That made John Dory do a confused look.
"What?" he asked.
"You know... you setting up my tent... and lighting up the fire..." Branch replied. "Things that I was doing and..."
"Wait, wait, wait..." John Dory asked. "I didn't do those? You did."
"No, I didn't..." Branch said. "Whenever I was about to do it, they were already done."
"Well... I didn't do it" John Dory replied. "Honestly, I thought that was all you. The main reason I came was so I could fully detach myself from my memories of you as a baby and accept who you are now. How I would do that by doing things for you?"
Branch started to think more about those moments and, in fact, seeing it in retrospect, the way John Dory acted and the words he used... They were more gestures of congratulation than self-praising.
"But... if I didn't do those... and neither did you... who did?" Branch asked.
The two brothers returned to the campsite where they find, sitting by the campfire enjoying the s'mores John Dory had done...
"Cloud Guy?!" both Branch and John Dory asked.
It was really him... Cloud Guy.
"Oh, look who they are... my favorite brotherly duo" he said.
"What are you doing here?!" Branch and John Dory asked at the same time, before turning to each other. "Wait, you know him? Yeah, I know him. He is the most annoying cloud I ever met and that is always making my life a living mayhem."
"Wow, that was mighty impressive..." Cloud Guy said, still making that smile that was a mix of taunting and indifference. "Did you two planned that?"
"Okay, okay, okay... let's go one step at the time..." Branch said to his brother. "How do you know Cloud Guy."
"I know him, because he has been messing with me in the last years... always causing Rhonda to get soaking wet and dirty... and trading things out of place... not to mention how he would constantly taunt me with BroZone songs while I was trying to sleep."
"Yeah... those were fun moments..." Cloud Guy said, while chuckling. "You can't imagine my surprise when I got to know that you and Branch were brothers. I mean, when I saw you crushing Gristle and Bridget's wedding, I almost knocked my socks off."
"Wait... you were at that wedding?" John Dory asked.
"You mean you didn't notice him there?" Branch asked back.
"To be fair, a lot was happening back then" John Dory replied.
It was then that Cloud Guy appeared between them, all while putting his arms around them and pulling them into a forced hug, saying:
"But it's all fine now... Because now we can all have fun... and it's going to remain in the family."
"Wait a minute... so you are the one that set up my tent and lighted up the fire?" Branch asked.
"Of course I did!" Cloud Guy replied, tauntly. "What kind of friend would I be if I didn't help a friend struggling... even if that friend was doing everything to prove to his big brother that he was not a baby anymore... By the way, I appreciate all the drama... the all camping thing was getting a little boring."
Branch was starting to lose his patience with Cloud Guy... as he usually did, but John Dory was keeping his cool and then said to Branch, with a little smile:
"You know, Branch, I may not be that much of a book-smart kind of troll like Clay... But if there's one thing I know... is that clouds are made of water. And we do have a great campfire that our friend Cloud Guy so kindly provided to us..."
Despite he didn't get it at first, Branch eventually realized what John Dory was trying to tell him and he nodded to him, with a naughty smile:
"Oh, I get it..."
"You get what?" Cloud Guy asked, looking to both brothers.
He regretted asking that, as Branch and John Dory were able to tie him up to a pole of wood and then placed him over the campfire.
"Uh, okay, guys... you made your point..." he said nervously, as he started to sweat a lot. "Now... could you please untie me? I'm feeling already evaporating..."
"Sure... after we finish these delicious s'mores" Branch said, as he and John Dory ate some more s'mores that the latter had done, sitting side by side. "Don't worry, we still have time..."
"That is just cold, Branch" Cloud Guy replied. "Real cold... What is ironic, since it's as hot as an oven here..."
As he ate the s'more, Branch said to John Dory:
"You know, John, I am so happy that, of all the things we have in common, the disdain for Cloud Guy is one of them."
"I am just glad I have someone to talk about how much of menace that cloud is" John Dory replied.
"Hey, I am still here!" the cloud said, despite being ignored.
"You can have more, if you want to" Branch said. "Turns out Cloud Guy bothers at least one troll from each tribe... and they all live in Trollstopia. We have this group where we talk about all the things Cloud Guy ever did to us. You can join in."
"That sounds nice..." John Dory replied. "Can't wait to go to one of those meetings."
"Well, what about celebrate your entry with some of these?" Branch asked, as he took out from his hair the gift box his brother had given him and taking two of the Eighth-Note Biscuits there.
"Hey... you opened the gift..." John Dory said, as he took one of the biscuits.
"Well, what better moment to make our new start than this?" Branch asked.
"I couldn't agree more" John Dory replied, as he took his camera from his hair.
The two brothers took a selfie together, as they toasted with their biscuits, having their flags touch one another. After that, the picture came out and, after the image got revealed, Branch went to get the folding frame his brother gave him and put it on the vacant spot.
"And now the gift is complete" John Dory told.
"Indeed it is..." Branch said.
They then went to take a bite on their biscuits and they had one great surprise when they were invaded by a great sense of joy, mixed with other intense flavors that, curiously, made the two brothers to remember all their moments, both good and bad, something that made them contemplate the strong bond they had.
"Wow... Dante was not kidding" Branch commented.
"Yeah..." John Dory said. "We should totally do this with our bros. I can only imagine the taste they can get if we add them to the mix."
"Totally" Branch agreed, asking then after a pause. "Hey, John Dory... later on, do you want to comb my hair?"
"Only if you comb my afterwards" John Dory replied. "You can see if I still really have peanut butter on my hair."
"As long you take all those embarrassing pictures from my scrapbook and replace them for something better" Branch added.
"That's a deal" John Dory agreed.
And they started laughing together.
"Uh, guys, you know I am still here, right?" Cloud Guy told them.
Not so far away, Poppy and Floyd were observing Branch and John Dory with binoculars.
"See, I told you everything would go smoothly" Poppy said.
"Well, not as smoothly as planned" Floyd commented. "It almost went south..."
"Yeah, but it worked and that's what matters" Poppy replied.
"Do you think your cloud friend is going to be okay?" Floyd asked.
"Well, he knew what he was getting himself into" Poppy answered. "Don't worry, he'll be fine. Branch is just going to tease him a little more... I think. But then again, would you want to spoil such a brotherly bond in the making like that one?"
Floyd had to admit that Poppy was right. Seeing his brothers finally getting along was everything he could ever wish for...