Hello, dear readers!
Thank you for clicking on this story!
For those picking up from "Becoming a Brother- John Dory," welcome back. Yeah, it's been quite a while since I posted that story and mentioned I would have the rest of the brothers' sides of this series up. Finished up my last semester of college in May, started full time at a job, and have been working on various other general adult things. Life is great :D
Anywho, I have finished up Spruce's side and will be posting the rest as I review and clean up some stuff. A lot of this section was actually written not too long after I finished up John Dory's section, but I didn't want to post anything until I finished so the story would be more cohesive. Whether that worked out or not… well, I'm sure some of y'all will tell me once this is all posted.
Until then, hope you enjoy this first chapter!
Disclaimer: I don't own Trolls or anything dealing with its long history. DreamWorks own the franchise rights, and I'm just a simple writer who enjoys creating fanfiction.
For Spruce, growing up with an older brother leaned heavily toward the extremely positive side. While he couldn't remember his really early months, Spruce knew they mostly involved spending time with John Dory based on the stories and scrapbooks their parents made. It was always weird talking with the other Trollings in his class about his older brother as most of them were only children, save for two whose siblings were much older than them and didn't spend a lot of time with each other as they were off doing their own thing. He couldn't imagine not having John Dory around, especially since they lived pretty far from the rest of the Trolls.
Having a brother meant having a friend for life, and Spruce loved that aspect the most.
Sure, John Dory could be a bit bossy sometimes and interrupted Spruce when they were talking about the same things, but the younger Trolling knew the older one didn't mean anything by it. A big frown, a crossed arm 'huff,' and a tear or two if things got really bad were all that Spruce needed to keep John Dory from completely walking over him. Those physical displays of Spruce's dissatisfaction always made John Dory feel bad and make him rethink his behavior. They also tended to cause John Dory to be really down for a while, so Spruce made sure he only implemented those actions if his older brother was being especially mean or bossy because he couldn't bear to see the other in a negative mood either.
Spruce also knew how happy it made their parents that the pair got along so well. Reed and Aster were busy Trolls that never missed an opportunity to spend time with their children. Playtime, bath time, Trolly Tales and lullabies never failed to be some of the biggest highlights of Spruce's day. But, like other adult Trolls, his parents had their own responsibilities to do that often involved them being away from their home.
He often thought about asking John Dory how he survived not having anyone to play with whenever their parents were off scouting, but he never could quite figure out how to ask that question. John Dory didn't seem to remember much since he was young himself, even if he acted like he was much older most of the time. And Spruce didn't want his question to come out wrong and make his parents upset.
So, he simply pushed that sort of stuff out of his mind and focused on the present. His days were filled with songs, games, dance, toys, and love, which left very little room for most types of worries. The one and only worry he ever dealt with involved Bergens and their taste for Troll.
Even then, Spruce never truly feared being snatched by them. His parents were the most careful, prepared, and smartest Trolls in the Troll Tree (at least according to his admittedly small list) that could spot danger miles away. And John Dory was the most stubborn, hardheaded, loving brother ever and he would never do anything to let Spruce down.
With parents and an older brother like that, Spruce really had nothing to fear.
XXX
The morning after his first Trollstice, Spruce was adamant about bundling all those terrifying thoughts and images into the smallest ball possible and tossing it into the nearest volcano. He didn't remember specifics despite it only being a day later, but the overwhelming emotions were enough to tell him he didn't really want to know anyway.
The memories he conjured were relatively mild. Being carried by his mom, transferred to his brother's arms in the tree knot, and hearing the scary noises from the Bergens as they prowled around his home. There wasn't much to see while they cowered in their little spot lit only by a very, very dim glowing hair from his dad, so that whole day very well could have passed as a dream if he wasn't already aware of the Bergens who live outside their gated Troll Tree.
However, there was one part of the day he eagerly clutched and locked into his heart.
He loved his parents as much as any baby Troll did. They were sweet, kind, great singers and dancers, encouraging, smart, involved when they could manage the time, pretty much everything any little troll could want in a parent. As the monsters walked outside their safe spot that day, Spruce could practically feel them mustering as much calm and safe energy as they could to keep him from freaking out. It was a comforting notion that kept him mostly okay, but it still didn't seem quite enough to calm him.
The moment was terrifying, nerve racking, overwhelming, panic inducing, and most of all, "Scary."
He hadn't realized he had actually said the last word out loud until he heard his parents whispering, "It will be alright, Spruce" and "Mom and dad are here."
Through all that, his eyes had found John Dory, who up until then had held Spruce in a pretty uncomfortably tight grip. Normally he would have brushed his brother's action away and maybe let out a huff to let him know how dissatisfied he was. But Spruce strangely did not let John Dory know how uncomfortable the hold was. In fact, it seemed to be the only thing that grounded the littlest Troll in the tree.
His parents' whispers of assurance slowly tethered Spruce, but the words which struck the steaks fully into the ground and calmed him down for the rest of the day was John Dory, smiling the softest and most brotherly smile Spruce had ever seen even as his eyes mirrored Spruce's worried ones, whispered, "Yeah, I know. But don't worry. None of those mean old Bergens are gonna get ya. I promise."
The absolute wave of comfort and ease that washed over Spruce was indescribable. Yes, he knew his parents would guard and protect him to their last breaths. But something about that sentiment being shared by his older brother made it easier to trust that things would indeed be okay.
So, Spruce merely burrowed his tiny head against his brother's chest and closed his eyes, focusing on the touch of his loved ones and their steady breaths to drown out the cruel laughter and screaming erupting outside their safe haven.
He didn't open his eyes again until he felt sunlight brush against his face, causing him to scrunch his face in slight discomfort. Someone chuckled at his expense, probably John Dory since the sound was coming from right above him. There was a change of hands at some point and once Spruce no longer shied away from the light, they left the tree knot and returned home to their quaint, colorful pod.
The rest of the evening blurred a bit for Spruce since it didn't differ from his normal evenings, safe that John Dory let Spruce pick all the games to play and was more encouraging than usual. Spruce almost wanted to frown at his brother's break from character, but then he remembered that tight, protective embrace in the tree and concluded John Dory needed some time to get back on track himself.
Since John Dory was (mostly) patient with Spruce, then Spruce would (try to) be patient with John Dory as well. That's what brothers did, after all.
XXX
A brother was coming. A little brother was coming. Spruce was going to be a big brother! Sure, John Dory would still be the bigger brother, but Spruce didn't mind just being a big brother.
He still wasn't quite sure how his parents got his new brother (because it obviously had to be a brother since that's what he and John Dory were) given that they lived far from the rest of the other Trolls and his parents were out scouting a lot of the time. The only time he had ever seen them bartering for things was when they visited the Tree Market Center not too long ago, and he didn't see them pick up a Troll egg or anything. They just traded for some trinkets for the boys to play with, visited the picnic area for lunch, and spent time Dr. Suncrest's office pod on the way back. Maybe his mom or dad had snuck away when Spruce wasn't looking?
Either way, it didn't matter so much HOW he got his little brother than it did that he was going to HAVE a little brother. Even if mom kept insisting he could be having a little sister instead. But she was being silly, and he made sure to tell her he thought she was being silly because that was the truth, and his parents always said to tell the truth.
He didn't quite understand why that made his dad laugh for five minutes straight while his mom covered her mouth even as her cheeks flushed out like she was being blown up like a balloon. Grownups were hard to understand sometimes.
Hence why Spruce obviously had to go to John Dory to figure out what being a big brother was about. Afterall, John Dory already was one and soon he would have two reasons for it, which meant he would know a lot more than Spruce would.
The two boys were sitting around coloring at Grandma Rosiepuff's pod, waiting for their parents to come get them, when Spruce asked, "How do you be a good big brother?"
"Well," John Dory started, puffing out his chest and trying to make himself look taller. It didn't work at all, but Spruce was more interested in the answer anyway. "A good big brother watches over their little brother. Plays with him so he doesn't feel sad or lonely. Sings and dances a lot so his little brother picks up on those things much quicker, which speeds up the amount of fun you can have. There's also holding hands when traveling along the branches or when away from the pod so no one falls off or gets lost. Shares some of their dessert because your little brother drops some of it on the floor and he's very sad that he did so. Help put his toys away because he doesn't know where everything goes just yet. And when something bad or scary happens, give him a bit hug and tell him everything is okay or get mom and dad to kiss the really, really bad stuff away."
"… So, being a good big brother means just doing what you do, JD?" Spruce questioned, tilting his head as he attempted to wrap his head around the response.
John Dory simply shrugged his shoulders, deflating back down to a more relaxed position. "I mean, that is what I do for you all the time and it seems to be going okay. But you can't be exactly like me, Spruce, because you're Spruce and I'm John Dory. That will confuse our little brother if we both acted the same. But I've also never been a little brother before, so I don't know how different it may be. What do you like about me as an older brother?"
Spruce tapped his finger against his mouth for a moment, thinking hard about the question. Finally, he snapped his fingers and answered, "I like that you're always around and make me smile. That you keep us out of trouble, even though we know we should be in it. That you listen to me and play with me. I guess I like that my older brother is also my best friend!"
Much to Spruce's surprise, John Dory started crying a bit and he worried that he had got everything wrong and made the other very sad. But then, the green haired Troll wrapped Spruce in a huge hug and said, "I like having my younger brother as my best friend, too!"
Returning the hug, Spruce stated confidently, "I guess that's it then. A good big brother is about being a best friend." He felt John Dory nod and then the two broke apart. With a teasing smile, Spruce added, "Don't worry though, even though my little brother will be my best friend, you will always be my best-est friend, John Dory!"
"Same here, Spruce!" John Dory concurred, holding out a clenched fist.
Spruce bumped his own fist against it and the two pulled away with a soft 'boom,' laughing as they went back to coloring and chatting away about what they would do with their new brother.
XXX
For several months, Spruce kept a closer eye on what his brother did and how he acted. Not in a way that he hoped was noticeable to the elder as he didn't want to make John Dory feel uncomfortable or cause him to change anything he did. Spruce merely wanted to observe what a big brother actually did and since there weren't a lot of those he could study, John Dory was the only one he could focus on.
Fortunately, John Dory had always been a carefree Trolling who didn't mind being the center of someone's attention, so Spruce was pretty sure he was observing his genuine self.
Just as the older had mentioned earlier, Spruce noticed that John Dory did indeed keep a good eye on him, especially when their parents or grandma were not around. He helped Spruce whenever the young Trolling asked, and even when he didn't ask which bugged Spruce at the time but then in hindsight was probably for the best since it saved him a lot of time and energy later. Whenever Spruce had a question about something, John Dory answered the best he could or took them to Reed and Aster for more information. Spruce never had to worry about being alone at the pod or at day care, because John Dory was always around and eager to jump in on whatever Spruce was doing.
Having an older brother really was like having a best friend that always went home with you and hung around so much that they might as well be tied at the hair ends. Not that Spruce ever wanted to be that close with John Dory though. He loved his brother and all, but it would be really hard to plan surprises and generally function if two Trolls were conjoined by their hair forever.
Overall, Spruce found himself learning a lot from watching John Dory, a lot of good things but also some less than good things.
Like how sometimes John Dory would decide what the pair should do without asking Spruce first. He still had fun with the activity, but sometimes he really wanted to do something else and would have appreciated being asked about his opinion. So, Spruce wrote a little note to himself in his journal that he would ask his younger brother if there was something he would prefer to do at least once every three times. At least when his little brother was small and didn't know all the fun and interesting things they could do just yet. Once they got older, Spruce would review those terms and go from there.
There was also a small issue that John Dory sometimes made things too complicated, making it difficult to follow along with him. They would start off a simple game that would end up leaving Spruce confused by the end because of extra rules, pieces, points, whatever that were added mid-game. John Dory seemed to think he was making things more fun, but Spruce found himself pretty frustrated when they concluded. So, Spruce would make sure he didn't add anything too difficult for his younger brother to understand because he knew how frustrating it could be trying to keep up with someone who wouldn't slow down.
Then there were minor things, like how John Dory sometimes moved the toys and scrapbooks around because he didn't like the way they were organized. Or he would insist a dance move had to be done a specific way because he thought it flowed better. Or would take a bit more space on the pillow, claiming he needed a bit more because his head was bigger.
Little things that Spruce brushed off because they weren't that bad. John Dory was still his awesome older brother at the end of the day and Spruce wouldn't have it any other way.
XXX
"What are you guys doing in here?" Spruce asked from the doorway, watching his parents as they moved around the playroom.
His dad didn't look up from where he was setting up shelves, face scrunched up in concentration as he carefully drilled nails in. His mom, who was organizing craft supplies into neat piles that were then being put into boxes, smiled over at him from her seat. The egg had grown quite a bit and showed a bump through her hair, making Spruce wonder how she kept her head level enough that the egg didn't just roll out.
"Organizing the room so we can add some extra stuff in here," she responded, packing away a few more items before tucking the box away. "Like a bed and a dresser."
"Why?"
Aster gestured him over, which he did without hesitation. When he stood a foot away from her, she stopped her organizing and explained. "With your new sibling coming, your father and I realized how much you and JD are growing. Since we can't all sleep in the same bed forever and because you boys will want your own space, we're getting the room ready for JD since he's getting old enough to sleep on his own."
Spruce frowned at the idea. "But what if JD feels lonely being in here on his own while the rest of us are sleeping together? Can't you just put his bed in your room?"
"No can do, Spruce," Reed interrupted, carefully setting his tools aside and spinning around to look at the soon to be middle child. "Our room is already a bit small so we wouldn't have any place to put another bed. And like your mother said, you boys are getting old enough that you'll start wanting to have your own space to hang out and put your stuff in. John Dory especially since he's the oldest."
Spruce bit his lip and looked down, seeing his parents point but still finding the change unsettling. He and John Dory always shared a bed, whether here at the pod when his parents were home or at Grandma Rosiepuff's when she was babysitting them. The thought of no longer doing so because of an addition of another brother made him wonder if he even wanted one now.
Seeing their son deep in thought, Reed and Aster gave each other a quick look before the male Troll got up and walked over to them. He bent down and rested a hand on his son's shoulder, waiting until the small Troll made eye contact before saying, "I know change can be a bit scary, Spruce. But that's a part of life. We already talked to John Dory about this, and he said he would be okay sleeping on his own. That's actually why he and Grandma Rosiepuff went to Troll Market Center today, so he could pick out sheets and covers for his bed."
"I'm still worried that he's gonna get lonely in here," Spruce admitted.
Aster regarded him for a long moment, looking between her husband and son. After a few seconds of thought, she asked, "Then do you want us to go ahead and get this room set up for you as well? Your father and I were thinking you would want to spend another few months sleeping with us once the new baby hatched, but if you really want to keep JD company then we can set up the second part of the bunk bed and the extra dressers right away."
The thought of not sleeping with his parents was weird to Spruce, but not sleeping near his brother was even weirder. His parents would have a new baby to keep them company at night, but John Dory wouldn't have anyone if Spruce wasn't around.
So, it came as a no-brainer when he told them, "You can go ahead and add my stuff in here, too. I'll miss you guys, but at least we'll all have someone with us when we go to bed."
"Alright, we'll do that then," Reed confirmed with a nod. Then he let out a small groan that Spruce instantly knew as his joking groan. "But now that means I have a bit more work to do to get the room ready. How ever will I be able to get it all done?"
Giggling, Spruce raised his hand and said, "I'll help you out, daddy! If we both work hard then we'll be done twice as quick."
His dad ruffled his hair, eliciting another giggle. "Indeed we should, Spruce. Now why don't you come over and help me finish the shelf. I need someone to hold it in place while I drill through."
"Okay!"
The next few hours passed away in a fun blur as Spruce helped his dad finish building and organizing the new shelves. The trio passed the time with easy conversation and singing, the spell broken by a long complaint from Aster when she accidently released a glitter tab when handling some of the scrapbooks. Reed made sure to hide his laughter with a cough while Spruce complimented how pretty the glitter looked on her.
That elicited a huge grin from her, and she swept Spruce in her arms, shaking her head over him so some of the glitter also fell on him. "Mom!" he whined through his chuckling, playfully throwing his hands up like he was fighting off invisible bugs. "I don't want to steal all your prettiness!"
"Oh, I don't mind sharing with you, my sweet little Spruce," she cooed, bopping him on the nose. "Besides, there's no need since you're already the handsomest Troll I've ever seen."
A pointed cough interrupted the mother and son, with the father smirking from his kneeled position. "Thanks, dear. Guess it was my wonderful personality that drew you in."
Aster flashed him a mock shock face, holding a laughing Spruce under his armpits towards the other. "Oh, Reed, can you really blame me? Just look at OUR precious little boy. How could I not get swept away by his charming little face?!"
Before the brown-haired Troll could say anything, a mischievous grin spread across Spruce's face. He turned his head over to his mom, saying, "Maybe we can share some of your prettiness with him, momma?"
"That's a great idea, Spruce!"
"Oh, no, no, no, no," Reed protested as he comedically waved his arms at them. He regarded the matching grins his wife and second son sent him, marking them as definitely being related. "I'm okay with my non-pretty features, thank you very much!"
"Catch!" Aster called out and (carefully) tossed Spruce over.
Reed automatically threw out his arms and caught his son midair, who merely squealed in excitement at the rush. The older male Troll had just enough time to confirm their son was fine and having a good time before a puff of glitter caught his eye.
He managed to avoid a direct hit, crying out dramatically, "Aster, my dear love, think of the children, and my wonderfully plain features!"
"You gotta help mommy pretty up daddy, Spruce!"
"Will do!" the trolling replied, waving his arms up toward his dad and watching some of the glitter be flung off his arm onto his dad's face.
Reed looked down, face scrunching in playful betrayal as he groaned. "My own son, a traitor." Aster used his distraction to step closer and managed to splash a small fist of glitter on his jacket, laughing her head off which set off the other two.
When John Dory walked through the front door in front of his grandma, he heard the loud laughing and ran toward the source of the noise. Seeing his parents and brother standing in the middle of his soon to be new room covered in glitter, John Dory tilted his head in confusion.
"What are you guys doing? I thought you were getting my room ready. And why is there an extra dresser in here?"
Through her laughter, Aster explained, "Just got a bit sidetracked with mommy spreading her pretty sparkles, JD. As for the extra stuff: Spruce wants to move in with you."
"Really?!" John Dory asked, face brightening as he looked at his sparkling little brother dangling in his dad's arms. "I love that idea, Spruce! This can be the 'awesome older bro room!' But…" he scrunched his face a bit, though unable to hide his smile. "I'm not sure I could handle having a glittery roommate."
Spruce stuck his tongue out. "It's not my fault you're not as good looking at me, JD. Although, I can fix that!"
Reading his mind, Reed quickly placed Spruce back on the ground and watched him run toward his older brother with outspread arms.
"No, no, no!" John Dory cried as he overextended his steps back to avoid Spruce's initial hug attack. "Not the glitter!" The smaller Troll managed to just miss his older brother's arm, laughing.
"Yes, the glitter!" Spruce called out and leaped toward the other. Not wanting to risk Spruce hurting himself, John Dory let his younger brother fall into his arms and cried out as he felt a pair of arms and legs wrap around him like a giggling jellyfish.
Spruce shook his head rapidly, eyes sparkling as the glitter floated in the air before landing on John Dory. "Become part of the glitter family, JD!"
"Gah, it's too much!" Making sure Spruce was safely cushioned in his arms, John Dory wrapped his arms around Spruce and fell on his back. "I don't want to accidentally become a Glitter Troll, Spruce!"
The boys rolled around on the floor, laughing their heads as their parents watched them happily.
XXX
Harshly, but not too harshly, Spruce shook the shoulder of his older brother to rouse him from sleep. It took a few seconds as the oldest was a pretty heavy sleeper, but eventually familiar blue eyes groggily blinked open.
"Huh?" John Dory muttered, sitting up a bit and causing his shoulders to rise out of Spruce's reach. "Wha…"
"JD," Spruce whispered, withdrawing his arm and twisting his hands together nervously in front of him.
Hearing his brother's voice, John Dory instantly looked down with a much more alert look. He scanned over the other where he stood on the floor, shifting from one foot to the other. "Spruce, you okay?"
Spruce opened his mouth, closed it, opened it again, looked around, and then promptly closed it with a shake of his head.
John Dory was about to ask again when both of them picked up the sound of crashing outside. Late night noises weren't too unusual, caused either from Trolls moving around the Tree or insomniac Bergens shuffling outside the cage with loud groans of complaints. However, the crashing noise repeated and more shouts erupted, a signature gruffness to the voices that only Bergens could produce. Neither of the boys could understand the words themselves, but the tone implied the Bergens were less happy than usual about something. Strange as the Bergens' mood had been particularly high after last Trollstice and had lasted a bit longer than usual, but maybe those specific Bergens had been out of town and missed it. That, or they were very grouchy and miserable, and the "happiness" had already made its way out of their system.
Doing his best to tune it out, as the noise wasn't close to the Tree and no Bergens besides Chef picked Trolls off outside of Trollstice under fear of that female's wrath, John Dory looked down at his little brother in sympathy. "Did the mean old Bergens wake you up, Spruce?"
Biting his lip, Spruce nodded and took a deep, calming breath. "Yeah. I know they won't come in and grab anybody right now, but…."
Smiling softly, John Dory scooted over, lifted his blanket, and patted the spot next to him.
Without wasting a second, Spruce climbed up on the bed and pressed himself against John Dory. The older brother carefully spread the blanket over them, wrapping an arm around the younger and pulling him into a side hug as he leaned them back against the headboard. The shouts were still audible, but thankfully less intense than they were before.
After a few moments, Spruce asked, "JD, do you think Bergens have siblings?"
The green haired Trolled tilted his head in thought, a low hum escaping his lips. With a small shrug, he replied, "Well, they definitely have parents, so it's possible they could have siblings. Why?"
"Because they are always unhappy, and I never see them be nice to anyone. Even the babies are mean to their parents. So, they probably don't have any friends because they don't like being around each other. But if they had siblings, then they should be at least a little happy, right? Because then that means they would have at least one friend in the world."
For a long while, John Dory just stared at Spruce as he processed the younger Trolling's words. Spruce understood why the other would be confused at the idea. Yes, Trolls were naturally happy and preppy creatures, but they were that times one hundred when they were with close friends and family.
Spruce and his brother had their friends from daycare, their parents had their scout and older friends, Grandma always met up at least twice a week with her card buddies, and there were the occasional group parties in the Tree. However, they were all normally happiest when they were together, whether it was sharing a meal and relaxing in the living area or exploring on more safe days. And soon, the family will have another member to add on the happiness with.
He was drawn out of his musings when John Dory finally answered his question. "Yeah, having a sibling can make someone very happy. After all, I'm happy having you as my brother, and am looking forward to our new brother as well. Although someone doesn't have to have a sibling to be happy. Just ask mom. She didn't have any siblings, just cousins but they are still friends and happy with each other."
"True… but cousins come from the siblings parents have, which means someone has to have siblings at some point. So, does that mean Bergens only have moms, dads, and just one kid, maybe grandparents? Is that why they are unhappy all the time, because they are lonely?"
Once again, John Dory appeared thrown off by Spruce's questioning, though he wasn't sure if because the questions themselves were tough to answer or because it was late and his brother was tired. A stifled yawn from John Dory seemed to imply the latter, though he replied anyway.
"I never thought of that, but it does make a lot of sense. A lot of Trolls live near each other in the main trunk, the Scouts never go off on missions on their own, everyone has at least one other Troll helping them in their stalls and jobs, we see other Trollings at school, and we have each other out here. If Bergens don't have siblings and don't have friends because they are mean to each other, then yeah, maybe they are lonely and that loneliness makes them meaner and grumpier."
"That all sounds so sad," Spruce commented, letting out a loud yawn and finding himself sinking down into the bed. "I wonder why none of them try something else to make them happy. We do different things to make us happy all the time."
John Dory started combing his hand through Spruce's hair, the gentle sensation causing Spruce's eyelids to grow heavier even as he strained himself to stay awake a bit longer.
A soft chuckle was the response to his efforts, followed by, "Probably because no one besides that mean old Chef seems to care about anything. And she's so scary that I think even the Bergen King and Queen don't like standing up to her. Until another Bergen comes around and shows the other Bergens another way to be happy, I don't think they'll ever know what it's like to be happy."
"Since they don't have siblings to fill the gap, maybe one of us Trolls should try becoming their friend," Spruce joked as he let his eyes close and felt John Dory settle beside him.
He caught the faint vibrations of his brother laughing at the idea. "Yeah, Trolls and Bergens being friends is about as likely as Trolls having four legs or being able to fly, or both. Someti-" a huge yawn interrupted the sentence. "-imes, you can be quite silly, Spruce."
The Trolling just hummed, letting sleep overtake him as he drifted off with his brother's comforting arms around him.
And that wraps up this first part! Thank you for making it this far.
Few notes: With the brothers, I imagine JD and Spruce were close since they only had each other at first, which the addition of Clay, Floyd, and much later Branch messing with the dynamics a bit. JD was an only child but then became an older brother, while Spruce went from youngest to upper middle in about the same amount of time. So I can see him having a bit more difficulty settling into his roles. But that's something I'll be showing with Clay later.
Once again, I have a whole bunch of background head cannons about Reed and Aster even though they aren't official characters in either the movie/special or cartoon cannons. But hey, that's what fanfiction is for. I like the idea of them being Scouts who know how to safely leave and return to the Troll Tree, which provides an explanation for how Brozone (at least three of them) managed to head out without getting captured or eaten by Bergens. That's something I may explore later if I 1) have the time to write it out or 2) keep that motivation when I do get the opportunity to write.
Anywho, thank you once again for reading this first chapter and can't wait to see y'all in the next one!