The air in Trollstopia was alive with excitement, the vibrancy of the town reflecting the joy of the impending wedding. Floyd and Hickory's wedding was just around the corner, and the village had gone into full prep mode. From shimmering banners to elaborate floral arrangements, every corner seemed to be buzzing with activity. Music filled the air as townsfolk rehearsed songs, tasting various wedding cakes, and fine-tuning every detail for the big day. The topic of the wedding's entertainment was hotly debated, and in the midst of it all, Barb had made her own arrangements.

She'd decided to stay in Trollstopia until the wedding, and as always, Branch had been a good friend, offering her a place to stay. A few weeks ago, he'd built a room in his bunker—a haven for anyone who needed a quiet retreat. It was a soundproof, spacious space, complete with a mini-stage for impromptu jam sessions. The practicality of the room had impressed Barb, but when she saw it, her lips curled into a teasing grin. "Branch, you're getting soft," she teased, but her voice betrayed a hint of genuine appreciation for the thoughtful gesture.

The preparations for the wedding continued into the evening as Floyd and Hickory sat under the grand willow tree, its drooping branches providing a comfortable shade from the afternoon sun. The atmosphere around them was a flurry of activity. The wedding plans had already been drawn up, yet there was still one big decision to make—the music. Hickory sat with his hand on his chin, tapping it thoughtfully, while Floyd leaned against the tree, his eyes scanning the area.

"So... live band or DJ?" Hickory asked, his voice thoughtful yet unsure.

Floyd scratched the back of his head, his brow furrowing. "I dunno... a DJ would be cool, but a live band could really bring the energy."

Poppy, who had been bouncing around with her usual infectious enthusiasm, overheard and chimed in instantly. "Why not hire Kismet?" She grinned, excitement practically radiating off her. "They're the hottest boy band in Trollstopia right now! Everyone loves them!"

Floyd blinked in confusion. "Kismet? Never heard of them."

Barb's jaw dropped dramatically, eyes wide in disbelief. "What?! You've never heard of Kismet? They're everywhere! They're like if Rock, Pop, and Funk had a ridiculously catchy love child."

Synth, lounging nearby, nodded in agreement. "Their music slaps, bro. Trust me."

Floyd raised an eyebrow, his curiosity piqued. "I don't know what's more shocking, that there's a second boyband that Poppy is obsessed with or the fact that Barb here is a fan of a pop boyband."

"Hey. Popsqueak here got me into them. I have to admit that they are good." Barb stated.

Floyd chuckled at Barb's statement then his gaze shifted to Branch, who had been unnervingly quiet throughout the conversation. His friend was sitting slightly off to the side, his usual sharp focus replaced by a strange tension. Floyd studied him for a moment, noticing the slight twitch of his fingers. "Branch," Floyd said, his tone casual but probing. "You know anything about this band?"

Branch let out a sigh, his shoulders stiffening. "Uh... yeah. They're good."

"That's it?" Barb raised an eyebrow. "You don't have an opinion?"

Branch's face remained blank, but there was an edge to his voice. "Nope. Just... good band. Talented. You should totally book them."

Floyd may not have been in Branch's life the last twenty years but he did know when his little brother was acting out. And something didn't add up. This wasn't the first time Floyd had seen Branch acting weird. He caught him sneaking out late from the bunker, Branch was tired and distracted, and even Synth was worried when he saw Branch talking to another male troll in the market today and they were getting too close. Floyd exchanged a glance with Barb and Synth. The three of them silently agreed to investigate further.

Later that night, their curiosity led them down a different path; one that would reveal a side of Branch they never expected. The moon hung high in the sky, casting a silvery glow over the landscape. A cool breeze rustled the leaves as Branch, unaware of the shadows trailing behind him, crept out of his bunker. Floyd, Barb, and Synth had quietly followed, their footsteps light against the soft earth. "Where is he even going?" Barb whispered, her voice barely audible as she crouched behind a cluster of bushes.

"No clue, but he was acting super weird earlier," Floyd muttered in response, his eyes narrowing in suspicion.

Synth held up a hand, signaling for them to be quiet. They had reached a small clearing, a hidden meadow bathed in soft moonlight. The air felt charged, and the hum of distant music reached their ears; a smooth, hypnotic harmony that felt almost surreal in the night. It was unlike anything they had heard before. Floyd and the others edged closer, peeking through the thick foliage. What they saw made their eyes widen in shock. "Oh, my cupcakes," Floyd whispered

Branch stood on a makeshift stage, completely different from the cautious, reserved friend they all knew. Gone was the usual hesitation, replaced by a confident, magnetic presence. He moved fluidly, his every motion in sync with the rhythm, his voice rich and commanding. The moonlight glinted off his sleek midnight-blue outfit, and a mask covered his face, adding to the mystery of the performance. Floyd, Barb, and Synth were watching in shock seeing Branch singing and dancing along with four other trolls. Floyd had never seen Branch this passionate about dancing since their days in Brozone.

Surrounding him were four other Trolls, each equally captivating in their own right. Hype, a shimmering Glitter Troll, stood to one side, his electric-blue skin reflecting the soft lights as he swayed with the music. Trickee, with his signature goggles perched atop his forehead, drummed on his thighs with perfect precision, his movements rapid and sharp. Ablaze, with his fiery red hair blowing in the breeze, strummed his guitar with passionate intensity. Boom, ever the showman, grinned widely, his rainbow-colored hair swaying to the beat, his body rocking in time with the music.

The music swelled, and Branch's voice rang out, the familiar lyrics to one of Kismet's song filling the meadow:

"I know that I can't take no more,

It ain't no lie,

I wanna see you out that door,

Baby, bye, bye, bye (Bye, bye)"

The other band members harmonized seamlessly as they dove into the chorus, and Floyd, Barb, and Synth's jaws dropped as they heard the lyrics ring through the night:

"Don't wanna be a fool for you,

Just another player in your game for two,

You may hate me, but it ain't no lie,

Baby, bye, bye, bye (Bye, bye),

Don't really wanna make it tough,

I just wanna tell you that I had enough (Ooh, ooh),

Might sound crazy, but it ain't no lie,

Baby, bye, bye, bye"

The three of them swayed and danced, their bodies caught in the irresistible rhythm. Floyd stood frozen, his eyes wide, watching in awe as Branch, the man who had always been the steady and unshakable rock of their group, moved like he was born for this stage. His performance was electric—each step, each note he sang, commanded attention, and it was clear that this was a side of Branch they had never seen before. As the song reached its peak, the band erupted into the final chorus, and Branch spun on the stage, his movements effortlessly flowing in perfect synchronization with his bandmates.

"Baby, bye, bye, bye..."

When the final chorus ended, the band held their last note, letting it fade into the crisp night air. The meadow, once serene and untouched, now felt alive with their lingering energy. As the music faded, the band laughed amongst themselves, exchanging fist bumps and easy-going chatter. Branch tugged his mask off, wiping sweat from his brow. "Alright, guys, that was solid," he said, his voice still slightly breathless from the performance. "We're definitely set for the next gig."

"Psh, like we weren't already," Trickee said with a smirk, "We're Kismet, baby. We're always solid."

Boom chuckled, his rainbow-colored hair shimmering under the moonlight. "Can't argue with that. You killed it out there, Branch."

Hype nodded in agreement. "Yeah, lil' bro, you were on fire tonight."

Floyd, Barb, and Synth exchanged glances from behind the trees where they were hiding. Their cover was blown—there was no way they could stay quiet after what they'd just witnessed.

Barb, never one for subtlety, shoved past the bushes and stomped into the clearing. "Alright, that's it!" she declared. "Branch, what the actual shred is going on here?!"

Branch's entire body tensed, his ears perking up in alarm. His turquoise eyes darted toward the source of the voice, widening when he saw Floyd, Barb, and Synth stepping into the moonlit meadow. His stomach dropped; Branch froze like a deer caught in headlights, the color draining from his face as the other band members looked between them, slowly coming to the realization that they weren't alone. Branch sighed, his shoulders sagging. There was no getting out of it now. "Branch," Floyd said, his voice level but filled with curiosity, "you wanna tell me what's going on?"

Branch swallowed hard, running a hand through his already messy hair. He glanced at his bandmates, but they gave him no escape—only expectant stares, waiting for him to come clean. There was no point in dodging it now. With a resigned sigh, he plopped onto a nearby rock, rubbing his temples. "Alright. Fine. You caught me." He looked up at Floyd. "I'm the lead singer of Kismet."

Floyd blinked. "You?!"

Branch nodded, his voice quieter now. "It started a long time ago. Back when we were kids, I met these guys—Hype, Trickee, Ablaze, and Boom. They were my first real friends. We made music together all the time, but after... well..." His voice faltered. "After I lost my grandma, I stopped performing. I stopped everything."

Floyd finally realized why the four of them were so familiar; they used to come over to their pod all the time back at the tree when they were kids. They always treated Branch like their own little brother. Hype sat down next to Branch, resting an arm on his shoulder. "We tried to get him to come back to it," he said. "Took a long time, but eventually... he found his voice again."

Boom grinned. "And once he did? There was no stopping him."

Branch scoffed. "Not helping."

Trickee smirked. "Nah, but we are telling the truth, little bro."

Barb looked confused, "Wait... 'little bro'? Please don't tell me that branch has another set of older brothers I don't know about."

Floyd chuckled, "No. I know these guys. They used to come over all the time to our pod back at the tree."

Floyd's expression softened as he looked between them. Branch took a deep breath. "Yeah... They kinda adopted me back when I was just a kid. After I lost grandma, they were the only ones who looked out for me." His voice held something raw now—something unspoken that Floyd suddenly understood.

Boom playfully ruffled Branch's hair. "And now look at him—our little dude is a rock star."

Branch scowled, swatting Boom's hand away. "C'mon, man, not in front of them."

Barb cackled. "Oh, this is gold."

Synth grinned. "Dude, this is actually awesome. You got a whole boy band and big brothers to back you up."

Branch sighed, shaking his head, but a small smile tugged at his lips. "Yeah... I guess I do."

Synth then looked over at Boom and realized that he was the troll that Branch was talking to in the market. "Wait, so you and Branch aren't..."

"No, no. Little B and I were just catching up. Besides, I'm his older brother so I wanted to know about the famous Techno troll he was seeing and I can tell that B here is in good hands." Boom explained.

Floyd's gaze shifted between Branch and the others, his expression softening slightly. He'd known about their friendship, but hearing it put like that... it struck him harder than he expected. The realization that Branch had found such a tight-knit, supportive family outside of him tugged at his heart. But that wasn't enough to get Floyd to back down. "You could've told me, Branch," he said, his voice now a little gentler, but still holding that edge of concern. "I'm your brother. You don't need to hide this from me."

Branch lowered his head, shame creeping into his voice. "I wasn't sure how you'd react. I've always been the quiet, brooding one. I thought if I told you... you'd think I was just playing some game or that I wasn't serious about the family we built together. About everything we've been through."

Floyd shook his head. "Branch, you don't get it. You're my little brother. No matter what you're doing—whether you're up here singing your heart out or back in the bunker keeping us all safe—it doesn't change anything. You don't have to be 'the quiet one' all the time. Hell, we all need a little more fun in our lives." He stepped closer, his voice softening. "You're not disappointing me, kid. But hiding something this big? That's a different story."

Branch blinked, surprised by the weight of Floyd's words. It wasn't what he expected, but it was exactly what he needed to hear. "I didn't want to mess things up," Branch whispered, almost to himself. "I didn't want to lose you, Floyd. You've always been there for me, even when I didn't deserve it. I didn't know how to balance both sides of myself—this guy up here and the one who just wants to be part of something bigger."

Floyd's face softened as he stepped forward and pulled his younger brother into a hug. "You're not losing me, Branch," he said, his voice warm and sincere. "I'm proud of you. I always will be. I just want you to know you don't have to hide anymore. I'm here. All of us are."

Branch's heart lifted, the weight he'd carried for so long finally beginning to ease. Ablaze, Trickee, Boom and Hype came forward, grinning. "See? Told you he wouldn't be mad," Trickee teased, giving Floyd a light punch on the arm. "You know your brother better than anyone, Floyd."

Barb grinned too, crossing her arms. "Guess we're all part of this band now, huh?"

Boom raised his hand dramatically. "Group hug, anyone?"

Laughter filled the air as Floyd let go of Branch, ruffling his hair. "Alright, alright. Let's get this band together for real. But you, Branch? You're on performance duty for the wedding. No backing out now."

Branch chuckled, rolling his eyes. "Guess I don't have a choice now, huh?"

Floyd smiled, his eyes soft. "Nope. Besides, I want my little brother to be the one singing at my wedding."