The true wielder of the strings

by Bloodred739

Branch was different. No one had to tell him this. He had always known it. He didn't sing, he didn't dance, and he rarely smiled. But after an encounter with a group of trolls unlike an he'd ever seen, Branch discovers many things. Not just about other trolls, but also himself. He learned that beyond his village, there were things waiting for him. a home, a family, and a destiny.

2. Chapter 2: Harsh realities

Milton had never been so nervous in his life.

The village's veterinarian had spent the entire day getting everything ready in his pod. He had a bottle of strawberry juice that he'd made himself, and a tray of lemon lift cupcakes, Smidge's favorites, laying on his knee-high table. He also had a few fancy candles to top it all off.

Milton played the scenario in his head over and over again, making sure he hadn't missed a single detail. After the party tonight he'd invite Smidge to his pod, and they'd eat. Then he'd sing her one of his favorite ballads, tell her how much he loved her, then….

Milton gulped, and pulled something out from his jacket. As light as it was, it felt so heavy in his trembling fingers. This object he was holding could either lead to the greatest day of his life, or a day that'd twist his heart every time he thought about it.

It was a ring.

A silver band with a perfectly cut lemon-flavored rock candy in the center, made by Satin and Chenille. When Milton had made the request, Satin squealed, saying that it was about time. But should he truly do it now? Was a year and a half enough time to ask Smidge for this type of commitment? What if she said no, and their whole relationship was shaken up because of this? Milton didn't know if his heart could take something like that. They hadn't even been… "intimate" yet.

It wasn't that Milton didn't want Smidge in that way. Goodness knows he did. But Smidge was a follower of the teachings of Gah. The dwarf troll couldn't allow someone to bed her out of wedlock.

Now, there was that minor detail. Something he and Smidge just never agreed on. Gahmin.

While it was true that many trolls praised Gahmin as a god, Milton was not one of them. Despite Smidge's many attempts to get him to see otherwise, his thoughts on it never changed. Sure, Gahmin was a wonderful troll in life, and absolutely someone that trolls should aspire to, but that did not make him a god. But he tried not to get into this with Smidge. He hated arguing with her.

Milton thought for a second, what else could he try to make this go well? maybe he'd feel better if he rehearsed his words a little more. With this new idea, the purple troll walked to his couch and gathered a few pillows, three to be exact, and stacked them on top of each other. Ok, this stack of pillows was Smidge. Beautiful, strong, and passionate Smidge. He got on one knee, held out the ring, and took a deep breath.

"Smidge…" Milton said to the pillows. "I know this might be sudden but… I mean…ugh…"

Okay, try again. One, two, and..

"I love you Smidge.." He said to the pillow lookalike. "And I… I…. Wanted to ask you…aaahh!"

Milton hated it. His voice broke every time he tried to do this! It was so frustrating! If he couldn't muster the courage now, how would he do it when it was time for the real thing?

Milton looked out of his window and into the forest. The party to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the great escape would be starting any minute now. Smidge was likely there already, waiting for him. Wondering why he isn't there already.

Milton thought about Smidge. How strong she was. Her unwavering confidence, despite her size. How when she wanted something, nothing would ever stop her from getting it. If the roles were swapped, she'd bust into his pod, sweep him off his feet, and ask for his hand. Knowing all well he'd say yes.

And if she could be that brave, he could too.

With this newfound courage, Milton put the ring in his pocket, and walked out of his pod with a smile on his face. No matter the outcome, he would propose to Smidge today!

Happily walking on the trail to the village's center, Milton was pulled away from his happy thoughts by the sound of hushed voices.

"Guy, why would you not tell me?"

Milton stopped walking and saw Guy Diamond and Creek sitting on a fallen tree branch, Creek holding the sad-looking Glitter troll's hands in his own. Well, "sad-looking" may have been an understatement, as Guy Diamond looked to be on the verge of tears.

"I know I should've, I'm sorry." Guy said to Creek. "I just didn't want…"

"Want to what?" Creek asked. "Did you think I wouldn't put my duties as a yoga instructor aside for you, and a child?"

Milton's eyes went wide. Oh hair, he probably shouldn't be listening to this. As quietly as he could, the veterinarian stepped around them, and kept walking to the party.

"I know that's exactly what you'll do, Creek." Guy Diamond said with his head turned away, not wanting Creek to see his crying face. "That's why I was so hesitant to say anything. You didn't ask for this trolling. I didn't want you to have to put aside or even give up what you love doing to help me raise it. Not when your teachings help so many in the village. How could I take that from them?"

The yoga troll took Guy's face into his hand, and slowly turned his head to face him. The Glitter troll still looked away, his eyes glued to the ground. Creek smiled.

"Guy?" Creek said, his voice calm and even soothing to the ear. "Will you please look at me?"

It was about six months ago when it happened, if he remembered correctly. Guy Diamond had come across him meditating by the stream, and asked to join him. When it looked like Guy was having difficulty clearing his mind, Creek walked behind him and rubbed his shoulders. After that, things just happened. Things that Creek would keep in his heart for the rest of his life.

Since that day, Creek was certain about his feelings. He had thought the reason Guy had distanced himself was possibly because maybe the Glitter troll wasn't certain about his own feelings. But now Creek knew why.

"I'd give up everything I held dear to me if it meant I had you, and more for our little one." Creek said. "And I'd do it in a heartbeat."

Creek slowly let go of Guy's hands, and then extended them again. Guy instinctively knew what it was that Creek wanted.

"May I?" He asked.

Guy Diamond hesitated for a moment. For trolls, even letting someone near their egg was a privilege to be earned, let alone allowing someone to touch it. But he trusted Creek. More than anyone else in the world. So after a silent moment, Guy reached into his hair and pulled out his egg. Their egg.

Creek could cry in this moment. The egg had Guy Diamond's beautiful silvery glitter, and his light-purple shading on the bottom. Gently, he took the egg into his hands. It was so small, so fragile. And it became more beautiful the more he looked at it.

"This is no burden, Guy Diamond…" Creek said, looking in his mate's eyes. "This is a gift. A gift greater than any I've ever received. And I want us to share this."

Guy smiled, so very happy to hear that from his mate. After he put the egg back into his hair, Creek took his right hand one more time, and placed it on his chest. He then placed his other hand on Guy's chest. "Do you feel it? Our hearts are synchronizing…"

"Together…" Guy Diamond said as tears fell from his eyes again.

"Together…" Creek said in return.

Holding hands, the two made their way to tonight's party, where they planned on announcing this for everyone to hear.

--

"And he just had the weapons sharpened and ready all the time? In case he had to kill you?"

"Yeah."

"Fuck bro, that's cold. I knew that old fuckbag hated us, but damn."

Branch and Jake sat across from each other while Jake fiddled with one of his drumsticks, lying down on the stitched up leather couch. Devan and Amber had left to another room about an hour ago. The two could still hear their grunts and moans from behind the closed door. Strangely, Branch seemed to be the only one bothered by it.

Branch looked out the window, at the clouds and many stars. Night had fallen, so the village party had to have started at this point. Poppy was probably having a lot of fun right now…

"Well you won't have to worry about that fucker ever again, bro." Jake said, throwing his drumstick over his head. "Rock trolls look out for each other. And your mom is the king's advisor. You're getting a pretty sweet deal!"

Branch was still unsure how to feel about his mom. If he wanted to be angry with her or happy. And he had so many questions for her. After more than 20 years, why now was she trying to bring him to her? Why did King Peppy despise her so much? And what was this lie that she supposedly spread about his father?

"So what's your king like?" Branch asked, wanting to save the other questions for Artina herself.

"OUR king, kid."

Branch turned to see Devan walking out of the other room, Amber close behind him. Their scents so heavily mixed together, that it was almost overwhelming. "You're one of us now."

Branch couldn't help but smile at that. He wasn't sure if that was true yet, but Devan and his group's open-arms attitude definitely didn't hurt.

As Amber floated past him, Devan smacked her rear, making her yelp. "Go get me a bag of jerky. One for him too."

Not skipping a beat, Amber went to an old carriage chest, and started rummaging through it. As she did so, Devan lied back on the couch next to Branch. "To answer your question kid, King Thrash is a rad old hermit. Always been for the people, even since I was a teenager. Like we told you, your mom's his advisor and friend. He's also got a daughter. Princess Barbara. She prefers Barb though."

"There are rumors going on right now though." Jake said. "He's been slugging down as of late. Getting tired real quick, forgetting where he is, he's even gotta walk with a cane now. Some are saying he's gonna step down soon, and the princess is gonna take his place."

"Yep." Devan sighed as Amber came back with two plastic bags of jerky, handing one to him, and the other to Branch. "Enjoy your early years, kid. Age is a bitch sometimes."

Branch opened this bag of "jerky", and looked at it for a moment. It definitely smelled different than what he was used to, but not bad. In fact, it smelled really good. He took a small piece of it and placed it in his mouth. His eyes flashed like lightning bugs. It was… like heaven. It wasn't sweet, like pretty much everything else he'd eaten in his life. It was salty, smokey, and a little spicy. And it was possibly the greatest thing he'd ever eaten. Where had this been all his life!?

Amber and Jake watched as Branch greedily devoured strip after strip, looking a little disturbed. Devan however, couldn't help but laugh.

After finishing the last piece, Branch looked away from the bag, and at the two trolls. Embarrassment setting in, he crumbled up the bag, wiped his mouth off, and looked away. "Um, thanks." He said, hoping to kill off this awkwardness. "So uh, what kind of fruit was that?"

"...the fuck is a fruit?" Jake asked, looking genuinely confused.

"Oh shit, that's right." Amber said. "Pop trolls don't eat meat, do they?"

Branch twitched like he'd just been hit by a lightning bolt. "That was meat?"

"Mostly everything Rock trolls eat is meat, kid." Devan said with a mouthful of jerky. "We don't ingest fruits and other crap correctly like Pop trolls. There's no shame in it. Circle of life, and all that shit."

"Maybe that's the reason that you're gray." Amber said as she cuddled up under Devan's arm. "You've been eating like a Pop troll, and not a Rock troll."

Ignoring her insensitive comment, Branch calmed down a little. Well, if all Rock trolls did it, it couldn't have been too bad, right? Plus, he couldn't deny how much he enjoyed the snack. Maybe it was time to read those books that he took from Peppy, just to see if there was anything else about Rock troll behavior that the three trolls before him failed to mention.

With that, the survivalist pulled one of the books out from his backpack, and got started. If they weren't going to be at Rock volcano city until morning, that gave him at least 8 to 10 hours to memorize this book. Shouldn't be too difficult.

"Seriously though, what's a fruit?" Jake asked again.

--

If Poppy had ever believed that she had known fear before this moment, she could never have been more wrong.

The princess, her father, and Cooper were all standing on top of one of the flat-top mushrooms in the center of the party, above all of her subjects. The music and singing temporarily tuned down so Poppy could make her announcement to praise her father for his great deed 20 years ago.

But through the forest, something approached. The ground shaking with each footstep, getting louder and louder. Until finally, it stood before them. A creature larger than any she had ever seen before. It's mouth full of sharp, protruding yellow teeth. It's clothes worn and tattered. Its claws sharp and black. But what scared her the most was its eyes. Almost completely black, soulless, and glued to her's. Poppy knew what it was that she was looking at. Her, King Peppy, and all of the other deathly quiet trolls.

It was a bergen.

Poppy couldn't explain it. Maybe it was nature or instinct, but she knew, KNEW that the second she broke eye-contact with the creature in front of her, something terrible would happen. Her heart raced, and her blood was running cold. But she… she had to act.

"R…RUN!!" She yelled to the crowd as she and her father jumped down and did just that.

In that moment of screaming and fleeing trolls, the bergen attacked, bringing it's left claw down, and slashing at the crowds, and using it's right claw to grab Cooper, not even giving him the chance to run. It unzipped the bag it was wearing around its waist, and stuffed Cooper in it before ripping through the lights and the pods, and making its way further in.

Poppy, not knowing what else to do, looked around, searching for anyone who might need her help.

"Look out, Smidge!"

The sound of her friend's name being called was followed by a shriek of pain. Poppy turned to see Milton, who had pushed Smidge out of the way of the bergen's claws, getting slashed from behind. On his hands and knees, two large claws marks on his back, blood seeping through his torn coat.

"Milton!" Smidge cried, catching him before he fell over. Dragging him by the arm, she kept running, trying to get as much distance from the bergen as possible.

"Blend in! BLEND IN!" Poppy yelled to them, and anyone who hadn't already.

Some did as she said, but most of the other trolls just kept fleeing deeper into the forest. Never properly being trained for this type of encounter, they relied on the most basic survival instinct. Running away.

"Mr dinkles! Has anyone seen Mr dinkles?" Biggie yelled, looking for his small companion, not knowing that it was lying on his back. Not paying attention, the bergen grabbed the panicking blue troll, and slowly raised him to its hideous face.

"And what's a few trolls, just for me?" It said.

The bergen raised Biggie above its mouth, and dropped him in, the blue troll screaming all the way. But in what Biggie thought were his very last moments, Mr Dinkles shot out his tongue, latching it onto a tree branch above them, and swung like a rope. Much to the bergen's dismay, they landed up in the trees, where they could no longer be seen.

"Ugh.. forget it. I'll need to collect as many as I can anyway." It said.

Now only interested in capturing them, the monster continued. Before Poppy could yell for him, the bergen grabbed Fuzzbert next, throwing him into its bag without a second guess. Then it went after Satin and Chenille.

Grabbing them by their shared hair, it quickly stuffed them into its bag. But just before it could zip the bag shut again, Satin slipped out, her and Chenille's hair getting caught in between the zipper. Inside, Satin could hear her sister screaming. Calling for her. She looked up, and saw that the bergen had noticed her attempted escape.

For Satin, everything slowed down. The very few seconds passing like moments. She looked at their hair. If she didn't do something now, she'd get captured along with her friends. She didn't want that. She didn't want to be taken to wherever the bergen was going. To be cooked and eaten. But to free herself, there was only one thing that she could do.

Tears already forming, Satin pulled a pair of scissors out from her side of the hair. Scissors that were meant for cutting fabric and paper mache. For good things. Not for what she was about to do. She didn't want to do this. Sometimes Satin would just say that she did when she and Chenille argued, but she never meant it. But now it was her only chance to escape the monster.

"I'M SORRY, CHENILLE!" Satin wailed as she grabbed her side of the hair as tight as she could, and in one loud snip, she cut their hair, separating herself from Chenille. Her sister. Her best friend.

As Satin fell to the ground in ran, she could already feel the effects of what she had done. Not just to herself, but to Chenille as well. She tried to shoot her hair forward, to grab onto the trees above her, but found she couldn't. So instead, she just kept running.

Frustrated now at the loss of two trolls, the bergen pressed harder, looking for more of them to capture.

"Help! SOMEONE!"

Poppy looked over at the plea for help and saw an extremely panic-heavy Creek sitting over Guy Diamond who was… oh no…

There was a large opened wound across Guy's chest, clearly caused by the bergen. There was blood everywhere. He was losing it so quickly, even with Creek trying to slow it down with a leaf he'd found.

"Look at me, Guy! LOOK AT ME!" Creek yelled. "Don't close your eyes! Everything's going to be ok!"

Guy Diamond, with tears coming down, mixing with the blood on his face, reached into his hair, and pulled out their egg, and held it out to Creek. "Take…. Him… Run…"

In that moment, the very last of Guy's strength gave out, and as his hand fell limp, Creek grabbed their egg before it hit the ground. "Guy? GUY!? GUY, NO!"

The light in Guy Diamond's eyes faded as he stopped moving. He was breathing, but it was so faint, that Creek and Poppy could barely notice. Creek cried as he begged and begged for him to wake up. To stay with him.

Poppy wanted to cry. She wanted to fall down right there and cry with her friend as he watched her stick his egg into his hair. But she couldn't. Not yet. Trying her best to ignore the large amount of blood, Poppy helped Creek wrap the leaf around Guy Diamond's chest, quickly but carefully. It slowed the bleeding, but also got a loud scream from the injured glitter troll.

Satisfied with the work for now, she and Creek both took one of Guy's arms and tried to move as fast as they could. But the bergen had heard all the commotion, and was coming their way. Before they could get any distance, the monster reached out and grabbed Creek in its giant hands, almost making Poppy fall over. As it pulled him away, Poppy quickly sat Guy down, and threw her hair out to Creek, trying to pull him out of its grasp as he called for her. But she wasn't strong enough, and the bergen pulled him away, stuffing him into its bag with the others.

With no other options, Poppy grabbed her unconscious friend, ran under a mushroom in the distance, and hid. Changing her hair's color to match the rocks around them. She held her breath when the bergen looked under the mushroom, hoping that this worked. After a few seconds, the creature looked away, and out at the now empty village, a disgusting smile on its face.

"Thank you…" it said. "For throwing the biggest… loudest… craziest party ever…"

With a laugh, the creature walked out of the village, into the dark forest.

After a few minutes, when it seemed the bergen was truly gone, Poppy let out the breath she was holding, and uncloaked herself. As she walked from under the mushroom, she looked around. So much destroyed, so many pods damaged. But right now, what mattered was Guy Diamond. She had to get help for him.

Poppy started looking around, realizing that in all of this, she'd forgotten about her father. "Dad! DAD!"

"I am here, Poppy." King Peppy yelled from above her. Looking up, Poppy saw him slowly descend from a tree, many scared trolls behind him. The princess ran to her father and hugged him. "Guy needs help, dad! He needs help now! Where's Dr Moonbloom?"

"I'm over here, Princess Poppy!"

Even from a distance, Poppy could hear the distress in the doctor's voice. She was with Milton and Smidge. She had taken off Milton's jacket and shirt, and used the little bit of leaf gauze she had on his grievous wounds. It didn't fully stop the bleeding, but it slowed it down. Smidge could only watch, growing more and more worried.

"Smidge…" Milton said in a deathly low voice, blinking in and out of consciousness.

"It's ok Milton, I'm here!" Smidge said, taking his hand. She had never been so worried in her entire life. "Don't you even think about dying, you hear me!?"

After a few moments, when all of the trolls in the village started coming back, the panic started again. "What do we do, King Peppy?" One of the trolls asked.

"The village is in pieces. What do we do?"

"Where do we stay?"

"What if the bergen comes back?

"What if it brings more bergens back here?

"What do we do!?"

As the yelling and panicking got higher, King Peppy looked out at his people, but had no answers. He was certain that this forest was secure. Free from anything that might threaten him or his people. As much shame as it brought him, he didn't know what to do. He looked out at his people, most now homeless, thanks to the bergen's destruction.

Poppy looked to the outskirts of the village. She knew what could help her people. Who could help them.

"Everyone!" The princess yelled, getting her people's attention. "I know a place where we can go! But first, are there any more injured?"

"I believe that Guy Diamond and Milton got the worst of it." Dr Moonbloom said, going over the leaf that had been wrapped around Guy's chest. "Poppy, wherever this hiding place is that you're talking about, we need to go there now! My pod was smashed when that thing attacked, and that gauze was all I had left. These two won't survive at this rate."

Poppy remembered. Branch did have medical supplies, and lots of them! He kept them in one of the storages he made.

The pink troll yelled out to the other trolls to follow her. Another troll helped Smidge carry Milton, and as fast as they all could, the village followed her, making their way to the outskirts. It wasn't long before they made it to their destination. Branch's bunker. She noticed that the secret door was still broken. He hadn't fixed it yet?

"Branch? Branch!" Poppy yelled down the hole.

There was no response. Poppy looked back at her people. They looked so scared. So helpless. Some of the trollings were still crying. They needed help. And it was Poppy's duty as their princess to help them.

Poppy jumped down into the hole. If Branch was down here, she hoped that he would forgive her for this. "Follow me, everyone!"

Poppy switched the lever on the elevator, her people dropping down as it descended. Filling the passage down like bugs in a hollow tree trunk. When they made it to the bottom, the trolls flooded Branch's base. It put a small smile on her face to hear some talk about how impressive it was. But there would be time for praise later. She needed to find Branch. She had every intention of rescuing her friends, and if anyone could help her, it was him.

The second that Smidge and Milton made it down, she dragged Dr Moonbloom to where she knew Branch kept all of his supplies. Two other trolls carrying Guy Diamond. "Hurry up, let's go!"

"I'm coming as fast as I can, Smidge!"

"Branch? Branch, are you down here?" Poppy yelled. Surely he heard all the commotion going on. He wouldn't be out gathering supplies. Not at this hour. Where was he? "Branch!"

"Poppy?"

The princess turned to her friend Suki, the village's DJ. She was holding out a piece of scrap paper with her name on it. "I think he left this for you."

Taking the note from Suki, Poppy straightened it out and read it. Lots of parts were scratched out, but what she could make out was;

Dear Poppy,

If you're reading this, then that means I'm gone. I won't tell you where I went, because I know you'll try to find me. But I want you to know that I'm glad that you invited me to every party you threw, even when I never went to them.

That I always enjoyed when you brought me cake and cupcakes. They were always good.

That you always tried so hard to be my friend. I know I didn't make it easy.

I don't know when or even if I'm coming back.

But until I do, this bunker is yours. I left the secret door broken so you could get in. If something happens, there are beds, supplies, and enough food to last the village two weeks at most. I've even left instructions on how to make weapons if you need to.

Thank you, Poppy. For everything. I wish I could've said goodbye in person. But I didn't want to risk my last memory of you being sad.

I hope that I'll be a better troll if we see each other again.

-Branch.

As Poppy held the note in her now trembling hands, her emotions were once again torn down the middle. Branch was gone, and according to this, she might never see him again. Right now, when her people could've used his help the most. This weighed heavy on her already distraught heart.

But at the same time, it brought Poppy some comfort to know that Branch did care for her. That her efforts to befriend him were never in vain. Even now, he was doing more for her people than she ever had. More than he knew. In this bunker, away from the eyes of any bergens that may return, her people would be safe. And she had him to thank for that. She only wished that she could have thanked him in person.

--

"So he's gonna make it?"

"For the fifth time Smidge, yes."

An hour had passed since they arrived. After tending to Guy Diamond's more serious wounds, Dr Moonbloom redressed, stitched, and covered up Milton's injuries. He would be in pain for a few weeks, but he would survive.

The doctor looked around at this room they were in again, thoroughly impressed. Leaf gauze, homemade body creams, healing sap, spider-silk stitching material, even coldberries for numbing pain. More than she'd ever seen in her life. All of this, gathered and made by a single troll? It just didn't seem possible.

Smidge looked down at her sleeping mate, laying on one of the beds that they had brought in from the other room. He looked so peaceful. She wanted so much to get in the bed and cuddle with him, but the doctor had already told her that wouldn't be a good idea at the moment. Maybe when he was awake.

She also looked at her friend, Guy Diamond. He was a bit worse for wear. His bandages were much heavier, and while his bleeding had stopped, Dr Moonbloom said it would take him a good bit longer to fully recover. He still looked to be in pain. But she and Poppy were just glad to see that he'd made it through.

"You should go now, Smidge." The doctor said. "He needs to rest. I promise I'll send word for you when he wakes up."

Smidge sighed. She didn't want to go, but Moonbloom knew what was best. So giving the unconscious Milton a small peck on the lips, she made her way out, thanking Gah for not taking her mate today.

She opened the door, and walked down the hallway, passing a few trolls who were either sleeping, or comforting each other. When she got to the bunker center, she was met with the unwelcome sight of Poppy and King Peppy arguing about something.

"Poppy, that single bergen destroyed our entire village. We can't risk it."

"What about "No troll left behind", dad? That bergen has my friends! Creek has an unborn child with him! We can't let that monster have them!"

Smidge, caught in her own relief, had forgotten about their friends. Cooper, Creek, Fuzzbert, and Satin had all been captured by that monster. Wait, a child?

"I'm going to save them, dad." Poppy said to the king. "Even if I have to go alone."

"I'll come with you, Poppy." Suki said, walking through the crowd of trolls surrounding them. "They're my friends too. And I know they'd do the same for us."

"Me and Mr. Dinkles are coming too, Poppy!" Biggie said, also stepping up. "I'm with you all the way!"

"I'm coming." Satin said, as she walked to the princess as well, her makeup running, and her hair a mess. "That bergen has my sister. I'll do whatever it takes to get her back."

Smidge smiled, the combined loyalty of her friends fanning the flames of her determination. "Poppy, if you're leaving, I'm coming too. As your bodyguard, it wouldn't be right if I stayed." She said.

Poppy looked at her friends, so happy to have them. So happy that she wouldn't have to do this alone. "No troll left behind." She said.

"No troll left behind!" Her friends repeated.

Poppy ordered them all to rest up. In the morning, they'd gather the supplies they needed, and set off. King Peppy watched, and smiled. 20 years ago, when his legs and back worked better, he'd have happily joined his daughter in this rescue. He knew that he would never have been able to convince Poppy not to do this, as she had too much of him in her. All he could do now was wish her luck.

King Peppy also watched as his people explored Branch's bunker. Drinking up his water, eating the fruit and acorns he kept stashed all around the place. The fear he sensed before all but gone. He supposed he had Branch to thank for this.

No matter how tainted his blood was with Rock.

--

"Kid, WAKE UP!"

Branch snapped up from the book he was lying his head on, and looked around. He saw Devan, Jake, and Amber all gathering at the anglerbus' open jaw, waiting for him it looked like. As he rubbed his eyes, the memories of yesterday gradually came back. Discovering the truth, leaving Pop village, going to meet his mother.

"We're here." Jake said, stretching his limbs.

Now wide awake, Branch stepped out with the three Rock trolls, and took everything in.

This place, their kingdom, was massive. Stretching farther than Branch could see. Homes and other structures made of stone and glass, bridges over the many currents of lava. The sky was filled with dark clouds swirling around an enormous volcano with some sort of statue built into it. A statue of what looked like a troll with its arms extended upwards, performing some sort of hand gesture that Branch had never seen before.

"That's King Thrash's castle." Amber said before performing the same gesture that the statue was making. "That's where the royals and advisor Artina live."

Branch felt like all of this should scare him. Horrify him. Just seeing it should make him want to step back onto the anglerbus and demand that Devan take him back to Pop village.

But no. Branch closed his eyes, and took in a long breath. The warm air, the smell of brimstone, the dark soil between his toes, the heat he felt coming from the lava. All of it, every bit of it only brought him a strange and unfamiliar feeling of comfort.

"Let's not keep your mommy waiting, eh?" Devan said, placing his hand on Branch's shoulder. "Follow me."

The gray troll nodded and followed Devan. As they made their way to the castle, he continued to observe his surroundings. There were Rock trolls everywhere. Some of them were halfbreeds, like the book he read mentioned. There were some who bore resemblances to the Classical trolls, Country trolls, and even a few who looked to be half Funk troll.

This brought Branch's thoughts to Cooper. One of Poppy's friends. Was he a halfbreed like Branch? And if he was, did he know? Or had King Peppy kept it a secret from him as well?

His curiosity still growing, Branch continued to observe the trolls around him. Some were walking around, talking, or sitting by the lava. There were some playing IN the lava. There were anglerbuses all over the sky, and smaller ones moving along the streets.

Branch wondered, if they could swim in lava, could he as well? He wasn't sure if he was brave enough to try. He'd also like to know about the anglerbuses and how they were made. What materials were they made of? How did they fly?

When they approached the gates of the castle, two large and muscular trolls stepped aside, allowing Devan and the others entry. When the large doors closed behind them, the intense heat from outside that Branch was feeling was replaced by a still coolness. The four walked down the red carpet hallway, along the wall were stained glass windows, and large paintings of trolls Branch obviously couldn't recognize. Perhaps they were older generations of royalty. He was taken away from his thoughts by Devan calling him.

They had stopped at a door. A door with Branch's mother's name labeled on it in gold.

"She's right in here, kid." Devan said.

The survivalist looked at the door. He had prepared for many things in his life, but not for this. He tried to walk forward, but his toes wouldn't even move. His hands were no better either, as he couldn't get them to even touch the doorknob. He still didn't know what to say to her, or what to do afterwards.

He looked back at Devan and his gang again, only to see that they were all walking away. "W-where are you guys going?" He said.

"Our part in this is done, bro." Jake said. "We were told to bring you here, and we did."

"Don't worry, kid." Devan said. "Word's already got to her. She's expecting you."

"Good luck." Amber said, playfully blowing a kiss to him.

With that, the three exited through the doors that they came in, leaving Branch alone.

Branch looked at the door again, and weighed his choices. He could either stand here and wait until his mother walked out of the room, or he could toughen up, and do the thing he set out to do when he left the village.

Finally finding the strength, Branch grabbed the doorknob and opened it, revealing a dark office with red curtains. There were a few paintings on the walls, and a furnished worktable with a cartoonishly large amount of paperwork on it.

And now, standing up from the table, and looking at him, was a woman.

She was wearing a coal-black leather jacket with spikes and shoulder pads. Her fur was a familiar light green, and her hair was a dark blue, pulled down into a ponytail.

Branch recognized her colors because they were the ones he used to have. This was her. His mother Artina.

For a moment that felt like an eternity, the two trolls looked at each other. When Artina's eyes started to fill with tears, that's when Branch noticed that their eyes were also the same. A dark shaded blue.

Slowly, Artina stepped forward, holding her hand out, as if approaching an untrained animal, not wanting to scare it.

"...Branch?" She finally whispered.

"...Yeah." he said.

With that confirmation, Artina threw her arms around and cried louder than he'd ever heard anyone cry, dragging both of them down to their knees. Branch was never one for hugs. Any Pop troll could tell you that. But in this case, he let it happen. Welcoming it even.

Pulling herself away a little, Artina took her son's face into her hands, and looked at him. "You're gray…"

"I know." Branch said, unsure of how else to respond. "I've been like this for a while."

Tears starting up again, Artina pulled Branch back into the hug. "I'm so sorry, Branch. You never should've been this way. You should've been here with us."

"So then tell me, why wasn't I?" Branch said, not able to hold in the questions that had been haunting him since yesterday. "Why now did you decide to come find me? After almost 20 years? Why not when my grandmother died? Why not when I was living alone in a hole at 5 years old?!"

"Branch, I swear to the old gods, I wanted to take you with me." Artina said. "The day I was cast out of the troll tree, I made my way back to Rock City, planning on coming back with a new anglerbus. But I'm the king's advisor, and I had already been gone for almost a year. The city's defenses had faltered, magma spiders and other predators were attacking the people, and King Thrash grieving about the loss of his wife didn't help the people's confidence. I had to step up. It was my duty."

Branch listened, still so unsure of how to feel, but still willing to listen to his mother's side of this story.

"It took over 5 years, but with my help, the kingdom was back on its feet again." Artina continued. "And with the king's say-so, I was permitted to focus my time on getting you here. As quickly as we could, we came back with my personal anglerbus, ready to blast Bergen Town apart if we had to. But when me and your aunt made it to the troll tree, it was completely abandoned. You and the rest of the Pop trolls were gone without a trace."

"The great escape.." Branch pieced it together.

"It was 15 years of searching, but we finally found the forest where the Pop trolls were hiding. This was about a month ago." Artina's expression darkened. "But even after all this time, the laws still dictated that we couldn't enter Pop troll territory without King Peppy's permission, which he wouldn't give us, or any other tribe. I sent him letters through our carrier bats, demanding he tell me where you were, but eventually he just stopped responding."

Branch thought on this. It didn't sound like King Peppy, but then he remembered the less-than-friendly greeting that he gave to Devan and his group when they showed up at the village outskirts. "So you sent those three to find me."

"Yes." Artina said. "They're bounty hunters, and personal friends of mine. While they weren't allowed to enter the village, I knew that if they made enough noise, even if it was just from the outskirts, it would've eventually drawn the attention of the Pop trolls, and you. A way of finding you without breaking the laws. And I would've kept sending them back until Peppy gave into my demands."

"That old bastard has always hated us."

Branch turned around to see two trolls in the doorway. The older one looked to be around the same age as Artina, with matching fur, and light purple hair. She wore a blood-red leather jacket with rolled sleeves, and a belly shirt.

The troll behind her was about his age, wearing fishnet stockings, a cheetah-pattern shirt, and a black sleeveless leather jacket. She looked both bored and distracted as she filled her mouth with the sprayed cheese that she was holding.

"It's too bad that Timber didn't make it too." The older one said. "I really wanted to put that sick son of a bitch down myself."

"Cindy!" Artina yelled at her. "Not now."

Branch was a little taken back by this, but the mention of his father reminded him of something. He still had one more question for his mother. "Mom, King Peppy told me you tried to spread a lie about my father when he found out you were a Rock troll. But he wouldn't tell me what it was."

The mention of this seemed to make the one called Cindy angry. "Oh of fucking course that's what he told you. That orange piece of shit better hope he never has to leave that happy little wonderland that his people live in, because if I ever catch him, I'll-"

"Cindy, knock it off!" Artina yelled.

Branch looked back to Artina. He could tell that the mention of Timber had made her incredibly uneasy as well. She was shaking, and her breathing became a little uneasy. It almost made the survivalist want to drop the subject. But he couldn't do that. He had come this far, he wanted as many answers as Artina could give.

"...It was a few months after we met." Artina started. "My injuries had healed, and at that point, we'd even moved in together. He made me so happy at first. I thought he loved me. But… then I finally told him the truth about what I am. He was furious, calling me an animal…. And then he hit me.. he just kept hitting me…"

Branch's heart dropped, feeling like he knew where this was going, but hoping that he was wrong.

"I begged him to stop…" She said, her voice breaking. "But it was like he wasn't even the troll I knew anymore. He knocked me down, ripped away my dress… and then…."

"But… but that…" Branch was having difficulty weaving a single sentence together, unable to process this story he was being told. "But grandma told me…"

"Rosiepuff was one of the only trolls I told about it." Artina said. "Her, King Peppy, and the village doctor. Rosiepuff didn't believe me at first, until I showed her this."

Moving her jacket aside, Branch flinched as Artina showed him her greatest shame. A scar. Teeth marks so deep into her flesh, that it was still clear, even after all this time. Branch felt like he was about to present the jerky he'd eaten last night.

"When I showed it to the doctor, and King Peppy, Timber had somehow convinced both of them that I wanted this." Artina said through her teeth. "That I liked it because I was a Rock troll. It wasn't long before I found out I was pregnant."

Branch kept looking at her scar. He didn't want to believe this. It couldn't have been the truth. It went against everything that Rosiepuff had ever told him about Timber.

But then he thought harder about it. Thought more on his memories of his grandmother, and the things they talked about. It hadn't occurred to him until now, but his grandmother never much cared for talking about his father. With Artina, Rosiepuff always seemed happy to talk about her. But with her own son Timber, it was as if she wanted to pretend he didn't exist at all.

Branch was only a trolling at the time. Of course his grandmother would've rather given him a sweet lie than a horrible truth.

What child would want to live with the fact that their father was a rapist?

"In all of my time in that damn tree, you and Rosiepuff were the only good things that came out of it." Artina said. "As cruel as it sounds, I wasn't unhappy when Trollstice took him. I was only upset that it took me away from you."

"But none of that matters anymore." Cindy said, comforting Artina with a hug. "You're home now. And so are you, Branch."

Wiping away her tears, Artina smiled. "Branch, this is your aunt Cindy, and your cousin Carol."

"It's good to meet you, Branch." Cindy said. "Only wish it had been a lot sooner."

When it seemed that Carol was too preoccupied with her sprayed cheese to greet Branch, Cindy smacked the younger troll in the back of her head, getting her attention.

"Ow!" Carol said as she dropped her can of cheese on the floor. "What the fuck- oh, right. Yeah, hey cuz."

"Don't mind her, Branch." His aunt said. "She gets a little distracted sometimes."

"Please Branch, tell me. What happened to Rosiepuff?" Artina asked. "Did age catch up with her?"

"No." Branch said in a low voice, always hating to have to willingly relive this. "It was a bergen."

"Dear gods…." His mother said, realizing that Branch truly had grown up all alone. Rosiepuff was one of the only Pop trolls that knew what she was, but was still kind to her anyway. "Branch, my son, I don't expect your forgiveness. I could never deserve it. But I want you to know that I'm prepared to do whatever it takes to make it up to you. If you want to leave, to go back to the Pop village, I can send you back today."

Artina grabbed her son's shoulders, their eyes locked together. "But if you choose to stay, you will live here with us, your family. Here, you'll never know hunger or discomfort ever again, and I'll do everything in my power to see you happy. "

Bringing him into another hug, Branch thought about her offer. He thought about the life he could have here with her. With them. Just the idea sparked something inside of his heart. Something he hadn't felt in so long, that it felt like a memory. But he could never forget this feeling. It was a feeling that every troll had built into their souls, no matter how much they looked away from it. It was happiness.

Finally, Branch returned the hug, startling Artina a little. "I forgive you, mom." He said. "I don't want to leave… I want to stay here."

"Whoa. Mom, check it out." Carol said.

Branch looked at himself. His fur was glowing faintly, the light slowly crawling over his body. When it stopped, the survivalist troll's previously completely gray skin was now a lighter green. Not entirely restored, but a start.

Overjoyed, Artina stood up, pulling the stunned Branch back up to his feet as well. "Welcome home, Branch."

Branch smiled. A truly genuine smile. Yes, that's where he was now, and where he planned to stay.

Home.