Branch was not hopeful about this quest. Some random troll that he'd never seen in the village shows up out of nowhere with the weirdest looking caterbus that Branch had ever seen. It was suspicious, and Branch was on guard. But the panic in his eyes was genuine. Branch knew that look well. He frequently used to see that same desperation in his own gaze. Whoever this guy was, he really did need help.
Branch was just worried about the stranger's brother. He seemed to be in danger of drowning, and Branch wasn't hopeful about preventing it. There weren't rivers nearby, so this guy had to have come a fair distance to get help. Traveling that far took time, even on a creature bus, and Branch thought that by the time they got to the river it would be too late. That they wouldn't find a drowning troll in the river, but a dead one.
That was why Branch had sent Poppy back to the village. If the worst happened, he didn't want Poppy to be exposed to that. She didn't need to see a body, or someone's grief. Branch would handle that stuff. Poppy would be more useful back in the village, finding somewhere private where a guest or two could recover, because no matter what the outcome was, somebody was going to need a place to unwind and heal.
As soon as Branch entered the creature bus the troll he was helping pushed a button and they went into a weird dimension. Branch thought that Pop Village was full of an overwhelming amount of colors. Whatever this world was, it made Pop Village look dull and calm in comparison.
The whole thing made his head hurt, but it ended as soon as it started. Branch felt dizzy and strangely giddy, but he wasn't given time to wrap his head around it. The creature bus was pulled to a stop and the other troll grabbed Branch's hand, yanking him out. He was frantic, and Branch couldn't blame him.
The guy ran to the edge of the water. Branch let himself be dragged along, eyeing their surroundings as it happened. He didn't see a troll in the water, trying desperately to stay afloat or clinging to a stray piece of driftwood. Nobody was here, and Branch felt his heart sink. What was he supposed to tell this guy?
The other troll dove into the water before Branch could say anything to him. His creature bus followed right behind. Branch stood there awkwardly on the shore, not knowing what he was supposed to do. A moment later the other troll came up for air, a broad smile on his face.
"He's down there." He said, and that terrified Branch. If this troll's brother had been underwater this whole time, there was no way he was alive. But then why would he be so happy? Was he so deep in denial of what surely had to have happened?
"I tried to lift him out earlier, but the water wouldn't let my hair get a grip." The other troll said. "You stay there, extend your hair to me, and I'll wrap it around the bottle. Then you can pull him out."
Branch didn't understand what was happening. What bottle? But he had come here to help, and he was going to do what he could. He did what he was asked, stretching his hair out towards the other troll. He grabbed it and dove back under. Branch just stood there, letting his hair stretch. He felt it being wrapped around something large that felt like glass. A minute later the other troll surfaced and gave him the thumbs up.
Branch retracted his hair, grunting at the unexpected resistance. Whatever he was holding onto started getting pulled towards the surface. He was soon able to pull it up out of the water and Branch saw what looked like a large gemstone with a troll inside. And the troll was moving.
Feeling hopeful for the first time since he'd agreed to this, Branch pulled the gemstone to the ground and put it on the ground a safe distance from the river. There was water in the gemstone, but the troll stuck inside had his head above the water, and that was what mattered.
"Floyd!" The other troll pulled himself out of the water and scrambled to the gemstone. He put his hands on the surface. "I'm sorry. Are you okay? I'm so sorry, I-"
"You left." Floyd said. Branch felt his chest tighten as he looked at the troll in the gemstone. Even though the purple gem made it hard to make out his color, Branch was fairly sure his hair was half pink. Pink like his Floyd's hair.
Floyd, who had promised to come back, and then never bothered to reach out.
Floyd, who had apparently almost drowned.
Branch pushed those thoughts back. He didn't want to think about it. It was just a coincidence. This wasn't his Floyd. This was someone else. It had to be.
The troll that Branch had come with, who had dark green hair that made him a little ill to look at, lifted the gem off the ground with his hair so water could slowly drain out of it.
"Floyd, I-" He started.
"You left." Floyd sounded close to tears, and it was getting harder and harder for Branch to tell himself that it wasn't his Floyd. "You were gone, and I was alone, and…" He burst into tears, pressing his hands against his face. "I was so scared, John."
The green-haired troll muttered more reassurances and apologies, but Branch was deaf to all of it. John. Floyd. It wasn't possible. Fate couldn't be this cruel. Except it could, and it frequently was, and Branch was usually one of its favorite victims.
Why did this have to happen? He waited twenty years for his brothers to come back. He'd convinced himself he was better off without them. And then they come waltzing back. John Dory, the one who left first, and Floyd, the one who left him alone.
Branch had wondered for years what he would feel if he ever saw them again. Anger. Relief. Guilt. Sadness. Resentment. Love. Abandonment. They all went through his head so quickly that he was left feeling a little dizzy, but he kept coming back to relief, because Floyd had almost drowned, but he was okay.
Branch hadn't realized that his breathing had started to pick up a little bit until he forced himself to take a few deep breaths. John Dory was still holding the gem, and Floyd was still crying, but he was also talking.
"I-it's okay." Floyd said between sobs. "I-I understand." And suddenly the anger came rushing back.
"Well, I don't." Branch growled. His brothers turned to look at him like they'd forgotten he was there. "I could never understand how anybody could leave their little brother behind when he needed them."
John Dory looked offended. "I didn't have a choice! I needed to go get help."
Floyd frowned slightly, looking at Branch carefully, his eyes lingering on the vest. Branch was glad that he was wearing it, but at the same time he wanted to rip it off.
"Branch?" Floyd said quietly. He sounded broken and hopeful. John Dory's eyes widened.
"Baby Branch?!" John Dory's face broke into a wide grin. He looked like he wanted to pull Branch into a hug and lift him up, just like he had when they were younger. He was held back because he was holding the gem, and Branch thanked the universe for small miracles.
"Do I look like a baby to you?" Branch crossed his arms. He wanted to start a fight and yell at them, telling them everything he'd been through since they'd left. Every horrible thing that he'd seen and done. He wanted to make them feel guilty. But he also didn't want to tell them anything, because they didn't have a right to know him or his life. They'd given that up.
Branch didn't know what he wanted, but he wasn't given too much of a choice. Floyd looked between his brothers, a resolved look in his eyes.
"John, do you think I can have a few minutes alone with Branch?" Floyd asked. Branch knew that tone and request. Even after twenty years he remembered it. John Dory seemed oblivious.
"Yeah, sure, just don't, uh, don't go for any more swims." John Dory said. He carefully set the gem down. The water now went up to Floyd's chest. "I'll go check on Rhonda." He left, and Branch was left with the brother that he had been most and least angry at. Knowing that he'd almost lost Floyd, he was definitely leaning more towards not being mad.
Branch sighed and his posture loosened. "I'm not going to yell at you." When he was younger he remembered his older brothers would ask to be alone with each other when they were about to start fighting. That was back when they cared about not letting Branch, or even Floyd, know that there was tension between them. Eventually they just stopped bothering.
Floyd just gave Branch a sad look. "You have every right to. I…we left you, and it wasn't fair. I'm sorry."
"I wasn't ever mad that you left." Branch said quietly. He stepped closer to Floyd, resting his hand on the gem. Floyd returned the gesture. "I was mad that you didn't come back." When Branch was little he'd just been hurt that he'd been left behind. As he grew older and started to have his own issues with crowds, he began to understand why sometimes being alone was better for everybody involved.
Floyd's face fell, and his ears seemed to droop a bit. "I wanted to. You have no idea how much I wanted to come back, but I…I couldn't."
Branch wanted to get mad at those words, but because he was standing so close to Floyd he could see how his appearance changed slightly. Even through the purple tint Branch could see the way that the pink in Floyd's hair got a shade darker, standing out more against the white, and his face became somewhat ashy, as though he was sick.
Or Gray.
Branch took in Floyd's appearance. In general he looked duller than before, but it wasn't uncommon for adults to lose a few tints in their coloring. But his ears were the biggest indicator. They were even more droopy than Branch's were. It wasn't exactly common knowledge that trolls that were Gray for too long had their ears become deformed as a result. Branch knew about it though, because he'd experienced it. So he recognized the symptom
For Floyd's ears to get this bad, he would have had to have been gray for a long time, and it would have had to be pretty bad.
Branch sighed, giving his own ear a small tug. "I'll tell you what happened to me if you tell me what happened to you."
Floyd looked nervous and very uncertain, but he nodded. Branch didn't need to specify that he was talking about going Gray. They both already knew.
So Branch told Floyd the story. He talked about their grandma, and the bergen. He talked about isolating himself for years, being too angry and afraid to get close to anybody else. But most importantly he talked about getting his colors back and starting the journey towards healing, thanks to Poppy.
Floyd listened attentively. Of all the brothers he'd always been the one that Branch felt like he could talk to. Floyd always knew when to say something, and when to sit and listen.
Eventually Branch finished his tale, and Floyd gave him a sad smile. "I'm glad you're doing okay. It sounds like you're doing good for yourself. Like you're happy."
"I am." Branch said honestly. "It took me a while to get there, but I am happy." He looked at Floyd, who did look happy for him, but there was still a deep sadness in his eyes. "What about you? I mean, you don't have to talk about it if you don't want to, but I've kinda figured out that talking helps…a lot."
Floyd chuckled slightly and sat down. The water had slowly been draining even more as Branch had told his story, and it was low enough now that Floyd could sit. "I think it was fifteen years ago or something. I had been traveling around, trying to find myself, but it's a little hard to find anything when you don't know just what it is. I wasn't getting anywhere, and I missed home. When I heard about a village that the pop trolls had moved to, I tried to go there to find you." Floyd's smile fell away and his ears drooped again. Branch frowned at his wording.
"What do you mean you tried?" Branch asked. "You said you couldn't come back. Was something stopping you?" If it turned out that Floyd had been kept from him against his will, Branch was going to throw hands. Or a hatchet. Or some glass. Really, he'd be up for throwing anything.
Floyd seemed to shrink back slightly. Branch hadn't noticed before just how small he looked.
"I found the village, but I-I wasn't allowed in." Floyd said hesitantly. "I wasn't even allowed to write a letter for you."
"What?!" Branch was confused and frustrated. "Why not?"
Floyd shrugged, gesturing at himself. "I wasn't really pop enough for them anymore, I guess." Floyd drew his legs to his chest. "I don't know if you know, but there are other types of trolls out there. Different types of music. And they don't like to mix."
Branch knew that. He remembered his own uncertainties about the different genres of music, and King Peppy's secrecy about them.
"I wanted to go home." Floyd said, his voice cracking with longing. "I wanted to be with you, but I guess I changed too much, and the only pop stuff I knew was what I did with you guys. Without my brothers, I didn't really know how to be pop, so I couldn't even fake it. I'm sorry."
Branch gave his brother a weird look. "Why are you apologizing? You didn't do anything wrong!"
"I left." Floyd said.
"But you tried to come back." Branch insisted. He didn't want to be mad anymore, and he definitely didn't want Floyd to wallow in guilt and grief. He'd gone Gray. It was obvious just how bad he felt about being forced to break his promise. Branch didn't want him to punish himself more for something he couldn't really help.
"You're not the one I'm mad at." Branch swore that he was going to have some very intense words with Peppy.
Floyd didn't look reassured. "I know you're probably upset with John Dory, but please don't yell at him."
Branch had been so busy being mad at Peppy and the trolls that had kept Floyd from coming home that he forgot about John Dory. Now he was remembering his frustration with his oldest brother.
"Why are you defending him?" Branch asked. "He left you just as much as he left me." Floyd couldn't claim that he wasn't bothered by it. If he really didn't have a problem with it, he wouldn't have gotten so upset about John Dory leaving him in the river to get help. Floyd had left, just like the others had, but he'd been left behind too.
Floyd grimaced and rubbed his feet. "Do you remember how young he was when he left?"
That was a weird way to phrase the question. Why wasn't Floyd talking about how old he had been? Trolls didn't talk about age in terms of being young. Not unless they were talking about kids who were too young to do something.
"He was seventeen." Floyd said, and Branch blinked. That…that was young. He'd known how old all of his brothers had been, but he'd never really thought about it. Some days Branch felt ancient. Other times though he realized just how young he still was. He had his whole life ahead of him still. He was just in his mid twenties. The thought of being older now than his oldest brother had been when he'd left was a weird one.
Branch had taken care of himself his whole life, but he hadn't had others to be responsible for. Sometimes he and Poppy helped babysit Tiny Diamond, but Branch was paranoid the whole time about something terrible happening. What if the kid hurt himself, or something happened to him that scarred him for life while he was under their care? There were so many variables.
Branch thought that maybe someday he might want to be a father, but not for a while. Not until he had figured himself out a bit more.
John Dory hadn't been their father, but Branch remembered that when he was really young he had thought he was. He could remember his grandma taking care of him, but those memories were all from after his brothers had left. When he remembered his brothers, and being taken care of, it was always John Dory doing everything.
He was the one that Branch went to when he was hungry. He was the one whose bed Branch would crawl into after he had a nightmare. He was the one that read them stories, and played games with them.
When Branch was younger, he'd thought it was all normal. That was just the kind of thing that older brothers were supposed to do. Only now that he thought about it did he realize that those were parenting things.
Branch couldn't imagine being responsible for any children, let alone four of them. He felt like he was going to lose his sanity when he and Poppy watched Tiny Diamond for more than two hours.
"I didn't realize he was just a kid himself." Branch muttered.
"Neither did I." Floyd said. "It wasn't fair that he left, but I don't think it was fair that he was wholly responsible for us in the first place."
"No, I guess it wasn't." Branch rubbed his arm.
"You don't have to forgive him." Floyd said. "But can you just try to give him a chance?"
"I'll try." Branch said, though he didn't feel too sure. He would have to talk to John Dory himself about it. And actually try to listen.
Floyd gave him a proud smile, and it should not have made Branch feel as warm inside as it did. He'd been away from his brothers for twenty years. They shouldn't be able to get under his skin this quickly.
"How'd you guys find each other anyway?" Branch asked.
Floyd's smile didn't fall, but it became a little strained. "He found me. I-I got myself into some trouble. John Dory somehow found me, and he got me out…mostly. He couldn't get me out of the bottle. It's made of diamond, and there's only one thing that can shatter diamond."
Branch's chest tightened. "The Perfect Family Harmony."
Floyd nodded. "I know it's probably the last thing you guys want to think about, but John Dory's determined to at least try."
Branch had conflicted feelings. He didn't know if he wanted to see his brothers. It would be too much too quickly. But at the same time he desperately missed them. He didn't want to even think about the Perfect Family Harmony. But if it meant getting Floyd out of his prison and helping him, Branch would do what he could to help him.
"I'm here for whatever you need." Branch said. "And I'll try to keep the fighting to a minimum."
"Are you sure?" Floyd asked quietly, almost hesitantly. "I-I appreciate it, but I know this is a lot to ask. Especially since I don't even know if it will work."
Branch gave Floyd an odd look. "Since when do you have doubts about this?" Besides John Dory, Floyd was probably the only one who had full confidence in their abilities and relationship.
Floyd grimaced and shrugged. He rubbed his arms, a pained look in his eyes. Something was wrong.
"Are you okay?" Branch asked.
"...You mentioned that you stopped singing after…you know." Floyd said. "And you didn't sing for a long time."
"Yeah." Branch said slowly, not knowing where Floyd was going with this.
"You had to be so out of practice." Floyd said. He gave Branch an almost shy look. "What was your voice like when you started singing again?"
Branch thought he understood. To trolls, music was everything. Singing was a part of who they were. Branch had seen trolls get downright depressed if they got sick and had a sore throat and couldn't sing for a week or so. It could destroy a troll's sense of self to not be able to sing, or even if they were to sing, but not be as good as they felt they should be. Floyd was probably worried that Branch had started spiraling again because his voice had gone underused for so long.
Branch gave his brother a small smile. "It was as angelic as it was when I was a baby. At least, that's what Poppy tells me." She didn't know what he sounded like as a child, but she was a big fan of his voice now. Branch chuckled slightly. "I guess that's what natural talent does." He didn't want Floyd to worry about him. Branch was fine, and his brother had enough to worry about as it was.
He had been trying to be reassuring, but a look of pain flashed across Floyd's face. His eyes filled with tears. But before Branch could even wonder what he had done wrong Floyd gave him a sincere but shaky smile.
"T-that's great." Floyd said. "I'm so happy for you." He sounded like he meant it, but Branch knew there was something more. Something was bothering Floyd, and Branch felt like in his attempt to make things better he'd just made things worse.
"Hey, guys!" John Dory called. He poked his head out of his creature bus, Rhonda. "We've gotta figure out a plan of where to go from here. The sooner we can find the bros, the sooner we can put this disaster behind us."
Branch wanted to talk more with Floyd and figure out what was going on with him, but he was starting to close himself off. Maybe Floyd just needed a little space. And after almost drowning he probably needed some time to pull himself together.
Branch put his hand against the diamond. "I'll talk to John Dory. We can put a plan together going forward. Just take a few minutes and join us when you're ready."
Floyd didn't really answer. He was lost in his thoughts. Branch gave him a sad look before going to meet with John Dory. His oldest brother was watching them with a serious but sincere look in his eyes.
"Are you guys okay?" John Dory asked. It was the most serious Branch had heard him be without yelling.
"I think so." Branch said. He knew something was wrong with Floyd, but he felt fine about their relationship. He'd never really not felt fine about things with Floyd, even when he'd second-guessed everything with his other brothers.
John Dory nodded, satisfied. "Okay. So, let's get to work at figuring out where Spruce and Clay are. We've gotta get Floyd outta that diamond."
"What kind of trouble did he even get in to end up in a practically unbreakable prison?" Branch asked. John Dory's gaze darkened.
"Two talentless teenagers held him captive to suck his talent out of him." John Dory growled. Branch blinked. For a troll, stealing talent was as absurd and torturous sounding as getting their soul sucked out. No wonder Floyd wasn't okay.
Branch felt a shiver go down his spine as he thought about what John Dory had just said. When something was sucked away from someone, that implied that it was stolen from them, so they didn't have access to it anymore.
"Did he get his talent back?" Branch asked. John Dory didn't seem to understand the question, and he just moved on as though Branch hadn't said anything.
"So, I got a postcard from Bruce a few years ago." John Dory said. Branch looked over his shoulder towards Floyd one more time before following his big brother. Branch hadn't had the chance to really take in the interior when they'd rushed here, but now everywhere he looked he saw Brozone memorabilia. It was almost dizzying how many posters, albums, and pictures there were.
John Dory dug through his pictures before pulling out a postcard. "See? Tell me that's not from Spruce."
Branch raised an eyebrow, snatching away the postcard. It looked like something that John Dory had accidentally bought himself, and he either forgot about it completely, or he was so desperate to talk to his brothers that he projected that longing onto the postcard. There was no writing. No name. Nothing. It was completely blank.
"This is useless." Branch tossed it back at John Dory. "We need a real plan, not a wild goose chase. If we don't even know where to find the others, maybe we should just go to Pop Village. Floyd needs a break." Poppy could help them. She knew a lot of people. Maybe she knew somebody who knew where Spruce or Clay had gone.
"We don't have time for that." John Dory said. He went back to digging through his photos. Same old John Dory. He'd never really listened to anybody's opinion that wasn't his own. Branch wanted to put up a fight, but Floyd had asked him to give John Dory a chance. Branch rolled his eyes, shook his head, and started going through another box of pictures. He guessed that he was doing things John Dory's way, at least for right now. When Floyd joined them maybe he'd be able to talk some sense into John Dory. He probably knew how to talk to him without starting a fight.
Branch and John Dory searched on their own for more than an hour, not really talking to each other. Branch was able to start to put together a clue board of where they could find the others. He felt like he was close, but not quite there. He needed another opinion, but he didn't want to ask John Dory. Branch sighed and left Rhonda. He needed some fresh air, and he hoped that Floyd would be able to give him some much needed insight.
Branch went outside and stopped in his tracks when he didn't see Floyd. The gemstone was gone.
Floyd was gone. Again. Because Branch just couldn't keep nice things.
"Floyd!" Branch ran out and looked around. He went to the spot where he had left Floyd. He knelt on the ground and felt at an indent in the dirt. After surviving on his own for years, He was good at tracking. It was all too easy to find some tracks made by the diamond. Fortunately, the tracks didn't lead to the water. Unfortunately, they lead away. And it didn't look like the diamond had been dragged. It had been rolled.
Floyd had left.
Branch had thought his first reaction would be anger and abandonment. Maybe if John Dory had left it would be. But this was Floyd. The brother who had a very good reason for staying away. The brother who was hurting so much right now.
The brother who looked hurt when Branch talked about how good his singing was, even after twenty years of neglecting it. The brother who had his talent stolen away, and was now being asked to sing a Perfect Family Harmony.
All those years ago, Floyd had left because he was looking for his voice. Maybe he was doing the same thing now. Even if there was some other reason why he had disappeared, Branch was sure it had to be a good reason. He'd had a good reason for being gone for twenty years. There had to be something more behind his sudden disappearance.
Whatever problems he was having, Branch wasn't going to let him go through it alone. They were brothers, and they were supposed to help each other. Floyd may be used to doing things alone, just like Branch and probably John Dory were, but they were a family. And they were going to do it better this time around.
"John!" Branch called out. He ran back to Rhonda, who was sleeping. "John Dory, Floyd is gone."
"He's what?!" John Dory finally looked away from his pictures. He poked his head out the door. He looked around. "Where'd he go?"
Branch pointed at the tracks the diamond left behind. "We're going after him."
"Of course we are." John Dory looked at Rhonda, giving her a pat. "She's out. She's done too much in one day, and I can't ask more of her." He hopped down the steps, adjusting his vest. "Which means we're going by foot."
Going on a hike one-on-one with John Dory wasn't high on Branch's priority list, but finding and helping Floyd was. Branch could tolerate his presence for a while. And they might have a bit of a walk ahead of them. Maybe this would be his chance to actually talk to John Dory properly instead of talking through each other.
Branch wasn't too optimistic about this, but he tried to have at least a little bit of hope. It was what Floyd would want.