AN: Hiya, guys! I'm back with another chapter! This one will have the interaction I've always wanted to happen. But! The real action will begin from the next chapter I guess! Anyway, Hype and Ablaze being the mother and father of the group is just Chef's kiss.

Anyway, reviews are always appreciated, enjoyyyy!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Not yet a home

In the hushed whispers of the forest, Branch, the once vibrant troll, now a shadow of his former self, roamed with a purpose. His colors, once a brilliant tapestry of life's exuberance, had faded, leaving him in a monochrome world. Yet, life in the wilds waits for no one, and survival beckoned with the urgency of the setting sun.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Not yet a home

As Branch gathered what he could, his mind wandered to the days of laughter and song, a stark contrast to the silence that now followed him like a shadow. The weight of his task was heavy, but his resolve was heavier still, for he knew that hope, like the rarest of flowers, sometimes blooms in the darkest of places. And so, with a heart both heavy and hopeful, Branch continued his quest, a solitary figure against the vast canvas of the wild, hoping to survive.

Till he spotted another figure in his territory.

Careful, slow steps, you shouldn't be seen, he told himself. It was blue, Branch guessed, but he was… shinning? Glitter? The figure was yelling, his or her body positioned in a karate pose, yet he was shaking ever so slightly. Branch squinted, he knew that voice. He took a step closer, then his eyes lost the tension.

"What are you doing here?"

A yelp escaped the Troll Branch recognized from before, and he flinched at the sudden loud noise. What the heck was he doing here?

"What are you doing here?" he repeated. His words were sharp, almost accusing.

Hype, with a mix of concern and determination etched on his face, approached the gray troll. "Hey there, little one," he began, his voice gentle, trying not to startle what he believed to be just a lost kid. "Are you okay? You seem a bit far from the village."

Branch raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Little one? I'm not sure what you're talking about," he replied, his tone a blend of amusement and annoyance. "I'm not lost, and this," he gestured to the trees around him, "is where I live."

Hype looked around. "Where…?"

"Why should I tell you?" Drop it. The glitter troll looked at him, still craving more answers.

Branch, oblivious to the undercurrent of Hype's emotions, continued in a matter-of-fact tone, "I'm still working on it, It's not much now, but it'll be a fortress when I'm done." His hands gestured to the modest pile of leaves and twigs that he had amassed, a testament to his dedication to self-reliance.

Hype watched as the younger Troll's hands moved with purpose, each dig weaker than the last. Why was he digging the ground? And why was he going so deep? There was a method to Branch's madness, a plan that Hype had no idea what was slowly taking shape before his eyes.

The gray troll didn't need words of pity or looks of sympathy; he had his own vision of safety and comfort. To Branch, the soon-to-be bunker was more than a physical structure; it was a manifestation of his inner strength, a shield against the dangers of the outside world.

"Wh-Where do you sleep?"

Branch didn't even bother to face him. "None of your business."

It was then that Hype noticed the pile of leaves on the ground. There was a larger one hanging above them from a small distance, almost like a roof. Roof…

Hype's eyes widened. "This... this is where you live?" he asked, his voice a mixture of disbelief and a rising tide of sorrow.

Branch looked up from his work, his expression unreadable. "Yes, this is it. My home," he replied, with a nonchalance that belied the starkness of his surroundings.

"But... it's just a leaf. And the ground," Hype stammered, the words catching in his throat as the full impact of the young troll's isolation hit him. He had imagined him in a place that mirrored the vibrancy and warmth of Troll Village, not this... this semblance of a shelter.

"It's enough for me," Branch said simply, turning back to his task.

Hype felt a lump form in his throat. How could this child be content with so little? The realization that he had been here all alone, without the comfort of friends or the joy of community, was heartbreaking.

"I had no idea," Hype managed to say, his voice barely above a whisper.

Branch paused, looking at Hype with a hint of curiosity. "What did you expect?"

"I don't know... something more like home," Hype admitted, the image of Branch's gray form against the dull brown of the forest floor etched into his mind.

Branch was starting to get tired. "The village is this way," he said, pointing to a direction that Hype didn't even bother to look at.

"But, what about you-?"

"Leave me alone, thanks for your concern," Branch interrupted, end of discussion.

"You can live with me and my bros, they'll love you so much!" Hype insisted. "We're like a found family!"

Now to the younger, the thought sounded tempting that he pondered for a second. Laughter, family… company… outside… danger. "No, thanks."

"You can't live here like this-"

"I've been doing so for the past months and I'm fine." Branch was getting sick at this point. "Leave me alone."

Hype hesitated. He looked around, and with a small, "Okay then," he was making his way back to the village, taking one last glance at the gray troll as he dug in the ground.

—--

"Bro, good thing you're back." Ablaze was the first one to meet him, not wasting a second in offering a smile. "They say there's a storm about to attack the village, it's good that you made it here in time."

The older one only gave a little, "Hm." He pushed past his brother, walking to the couch before dramatically collapsing onto it.

"Hype is back?!"

"Where's the candy?" Boom asked eagerly, a toothy grin plastered across his face.

Hype's face rose from the fabric. "What candy?"

"Ablaze said you'll come back with chocolate and gummy bears and-"

"Ablaze, what the heck, man?!"

The Troll in mention raised his hands in front of him in a defensive manner. "They wanted to go after you, I had to do something! Don't blame me!"

"Alright, we'll see about the candy thing tomorrow," the blue troll said, his tone full of annoyance. He didn't mean to be rude. "Now go play in your room or something…"

And Ablaze didn't need to hear anymore. "Guys, can you give us a second?" A beat. "How about you prepare a movie for tonight?" Smiles and nods was his response, and once the youngsters were out of sight, he turned to the oldest.

"Didn't find him?"

"I did…"

Ablaze's eyes lit up. "Well, that's good, we can visit him-"

"He's homeless…" Hype said, his voice muffled by the pillow.