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Chapter Text

Prologue

Branch was running. His little four year old feet were hitting the dirt of the tunnel fast and hard. He was begging his body to keep up with the other trolls sprinting down the freshly dug tunnel. He needed to stay with them.

His feet hurt. His lungs burned. Tears were building in his eyes from fear.  He could hear Bergen's rumbling voices from up above. The tunnel shook every time the giants attacked at the ground. Branch choked on dirt and dust. He quickly rubbed at his eyes, trying to keep the debris away, when he misstepped. He tripped over a small root. 

Branch fell hard on the ground. He tried to catch himself, sticking his hands out in front of him to brace his fall. He landed with a THUD. Pain shot up his arms. He bit back a sob when he saw the bloody scratches on his hands. He wobbly pulled himself up to his feet. He had to keep going.

He started to run again, but quickly realized that there were no other trolls in sight. He could hear a distant call of someone yelling, “No troll behind!”

Branch ran towards the voice. “Help!” He cried, his voice not much louder than a whisper. He couldn’t afford the troll eating giants to hear him. They couldn’t find him, because if they did he would end up just like--

His train of thought was cut off by a loud cry. It sounded like a trolling. He had heard them crying before at the daycare he had been placed in. He had been made to go there after his skin had changed. It had faded to gray and no one seemed to want him around anymore, so they stuck him in a daycare during the day and a group home during the night. He had to listen to crying babies during the day and at night he had to listen to tearful trollings miss their loved ones. 

The crying was getting louder and Branch could feel the Bergen footsteps moving closer to the sound, shaking the ground as it moved. He had to get the baby to stop crying! Branch ran towards the source of the sound and found a small pink blob on the ground. 

Branch was quick to scoop the baby up. He had seen the older trolls do this at daycare to quiet the screaming babies. “Shhh, please. You have to hush!” Branch hissed quietly. The pink baby struggled in his arms, and seemed to cry out more. 

“I think I heard something!” A voice boomed from up ahead. The ground shook and dirt was turned up as the Bergens started to dig into the tunnel to find the source of the noise. 

Branch panicked. They couldn't find him. He looked down at the crying pink baby. They couldn’t find them. He made a split second decision. He slapped a hand over the baby’s mouth and dug at the ground below him with his other hand. He scrambled to make an indent big enough for him to hide in before the Bergens could reach him. 

Debris from the giant’s digging was being tossed up everywhere and Branch’s lungs were begging him to cough. But he wouldn’t. He had to keep quiet. Suddenly the sky opened up and light poured into the tunnel. Branch threw himself and the baby into the hole he had dug and he stretched his hair up to cover them. He shifted the hue of his hair to match the ground around them, like he had seen so many older trolls do to hide in the Troll Tree.

He pressed his hand roughly against the baby’s mouth, praying that she would be silent. He could feel the giant’s breath enter the cracked open tunnel. Branch hoped that he had shifted correctly, he had never done it before. 

Branch squeezed his eyes shut and pulled the baby close. Please, please, please. He begged silently. Please go away!

“There’s nothing here.” The Bergen grumbled. “Chef is going to be so mad.” 

He held his breath until he was sure that the Bergen had stomped away in the other direction. He pulled his hair back down and released his hand from the baby and sighed in relief. The pink trolling screamed. 

“Sh! Please!” He whispered, pleading with the baby. The Bergen would come back if she wasn't quiet! Then he remembered how the trolls in the daycare would sooth the particularly fussy babies at the daycare. He knew his hair wasn’t as long as the other trolls, but he would have to make due. She was a small baby anyway.

Branch brought the baby up to his hair and instinctually the baby crawled inside. She didn’t stop crying, but his hair blocked out the sound quite a bit. Maybe that’s why the older trolls did this. 

He slowly stood up, not wanting to dislodge the baby from his hair. He had to find the rest of the trolls. He began running down what was left of the tunnel. The Bergens had really made a mess of it. 

When Branch finally reached the end of the tunnel, he saw a clearing. But no trolls. There was nothing but forest for miles. His ears twitched, searching for the sound of the rest of the trolls, but he heard nothing. His muscles tightened. Where was he supposed to go? 

His lower lip quivered. He didn’t know where to go. What was he supposed to do?

Rain started to fall in large drops, hitting the ground roughly beside him. It made him jump and must have jostled the baby because she let out a squeak. 

“Sorry,” He whispered. He had to find shelter for them. To his left, he spotted a large oak tree that had a small cut out in the front. He scurried over to it, narrowly avoiding each large raindrop. When he stepped inside the wooden cave, the sky boomed and rain came down in buckets.

The small form in his hair jumped at the sound and gripped tightly at his scalp. Branch grimaced at the sensation. It had hurt! He pulled the baby out of hair, having to fight with her fists as she had a strong grip on his hair. Once he dislodged her hands from him, he rubbed at his scalp. She was strong! 

The pink baby troll glared up at him, a tear rolling down her cheek. It was like she knew that she wasn’t supposed to be with him. 

“Hey,” Branch said in a hushed voice. He didn’t know if he could ever use his normal voice again. “I know you. You’re Princess Poppy.” He brought the baby close to his chest and she squawked as she was moved.

He ran a hand through her hair like he remembered his Grandma had done to comfort him. “It’s okay. Your dad is the King!” He looked out at the rain that crashed to the ground outside of their shelter. “He’ll come back for you.”

Poppy let out a squeal. Branch shushed her, looking around wildly. What if the Bergens were still around? “We have to be quiet, Poppy. Your dad will be back soon.” 

He nodded, trying to convince himself of this fact. “They’ll find us soon.”

Chapter Text

Eight years. It had been eight years since the trolls had escaped the Troll Tree. Eight years to the day. Princess Viva looked outside of her pod and saw that most trolls were excitedly decorating for tonight's celebration. They were hanging up banners, balloons and confetti cannons. Everyone seems to be thrilled for tonight’s party.

Everyone except for Viva, that was. Viva gave the trolls outside a small smile and waved. She tried to be upbeat for the trolls, she was their princess after all. But Viva struggled on this day. She couldn’t find it in her to cheer and be ecstatic. Today was also another anniversary. It was the day she had lost her sister.

Her baby sister, just barely a year old. Her father had her in his grasp the last time Viva had seen her, but when they arrived outside of the tunnels, Poppy was nowhere to be found. Her father made himself sick with grief, blaming himself for the loss of the baby princess. Viva knew better. The Bergens were to blame. They were the ones who had caused all this. 

The princess felt a sharp sensation in her palms. She looked down and saw that her nails were digging into them. She flexed her fingers. Viva missed her sister desperately. They had looked for Poppy for weeks on end, but after a while the King could take no more. Her father called off the hunt and declared the young princess dead.

Viva hated him for doing that. There wasn’t even a body. How could someone be dead without a body? 

The princess was pulled out of her thoughts by a knocking at her pod door. She opened it to find Clay. Probably the only other person who liked today as much as she did. Clay had lost his brother that night as well. They had looked for Clay’s brother, but with the princess being missing, the idea of searching for Clay’s brother was pushed to the side.

Viva had no idea how Clay didn’t resent her for that.

“We have a problem.” Clay stated, tugging the blond troll out of her home. 

“What is it? Is one of the glitter cannons jammed again?” Viva remembered that being a big issue last year, that ended with Clay getting smacked in the face with a pound of the sparkly stuff. 

Clay kept tugging her arm, leading her towards the edge of Troll Village. “No, Guy Diamond will have to explain it to you.”

Guy? What could possibly be wrong with Guy?

As it turned out, a lot was wrong with Guy. He was shaking from head to toe and tugging at his hair. When he saw Viva, he rushed to her. “Oh, Viva! It was just awful! Awful!” He moaned.

“What’s wrong? What happened?” She said, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. 

Guy Diamond gulped. “Well, I was in the woods scouting for the berries that we use to dye our pods--”

“Which you aren’t even allowed to dye your pod until the summer. It’s against regulation.” Clay butted in. Mr. Clay with all his rules. Viva rolled her eyes and motioned for Guy to continue.

“Well, I was walking when I heard a weird sound. Almost like a snapping sound. So I went over to see if anyone was breaking out a slam poetry session or new song--”

“Naturally,” Viva added.

“And when I came around the bend, I saw a trap with a critter in it! Someone had killed a critter!” Guy Diamond began to sob on the animal’s behalf. Viva patted his shoulder, knowing of his love for animals. “It’s okay, Guy. Some of the kids must have tried to catch a bug and it went south. It’ll be okay.”

Guy pushed his hands out frantically, “But that’s just it! It wasn’t a bug!”

Viva quirked up an eyebrow. “What was it?”

Guy looked to Clay, as if to say you tell her. Clay sighed and clasped his hands together. “It was a rabbit.”

*********************************

A rabbit was three to four times larger than a troll. Whatever trapped this thing had to be big. Viva knew why Guy and Clay had been so scared. They were all thinking the same thing. A Bergen. 

Had they found where the trolls were and were trying to lure them out into the woods? Viva didn’t know but she was going to find out. She snuck through the forested area, in the direction that Guy had pointed her in, in hopes to try to catch the Bergen undetected. 

Viva found the large dead rabbit right where Guy had said it was. The thing was huge, cementing in Viva’s mind that a Bergen had to be behind this. As she snuck closer to the rabbit, she examined the trap. It was made from vine and twigs. In fact it was a bit rudimentary in nature. She wondered if she was dealing with a younger Bergen rather than an adult. 

When she was about five steps from the dead critter when she saw the back leg vibrate. Was it still alive? Viva didn’t know if she had the heart to put it out of its misery. She needed to see if it still had a heart beat. She peeked up over its chest, intending on checking for a pulse, when she saw wild pink hair poking out from the side of the rabbit that was shaking.

The princess tiptoed closer and saw that the rabbit wasn’t alive. Its leg was just being sawed off by a little girl. A trolling about eight or nine years of age. Her hair was everywhere, spreading out on all sides of her head. Her clothes appeared to be sown from leaves to create a dress of sorts. The little girl was so focused on her sawing that she didn’t even notice Viva sneaking up behind her.

“Hello,” Viva spoke warmly as though to not spook the child. The girl jumped regardless. She spun around and upon seeing Viva she froze.

“It’s okay,” Viva held up her hands. “I don’t wanna hurt you.” The princess knelt down so she could be at eye level with the girl. “My name is Viva! What’s your name?”

The girl stared at her with wide eyes. She opened her mouth and instead of answering Viva’s question, she let out a noise from  her vocal cords. It almost sounded like a bird chirping or a mouse’s squeaking. 

Suddenly there was a shadow looming over Viva’s shoulder. Viva could tell by the way that the girl looked beyond Viva’s head that she had just summoned a friend. The princess raised her hands in innocence even higher. She slowly spun around, which was a hard thing to do while on her knees. 

She was expecting the trolling’s giant parent or worse, another large animal, but she was greeted by another child. This one appeared to be around twelve or thirteen and was not frozen in fear like his counterpart. He had a scowl etched into his face. What was worse was his skin. He was gray, from head to toe. 

“Hello,” Viva said, meekly this time. She felt silly being afraid of a child but there was something off about these kids. I mean for goodness sake, they took down a rabbit! Viva thought. 

Viva tried to stand up but the gray troll hissed at her. Actually hissed at her, like he was an animal. He then made a similar noise to the one the girl had released and the pink troll came slinking around to his side. She planted her feet behind him and peaked over his shoulder. At that moment, Viva couldn’t help but notice that even though there was a clear age difference between the two, the girl was only slightly smaller than him. 

“I don’t want any trouble,” Viva stated as she tried rising to her feet once more. This time the gray troll moved himself and the girl backwards while growling at the back of his throat.

There was something so familiar about that gray troll. She looked at his eyes. Even though his body was completely gray, his eyes were strikingly blue. She knew those eyes. She saw a pair just like them practically every day.

“Branch?” She felt herself ask. 

The gray troll stood frozen and the girl behind him squeaked in concern. Viva stepped forward, testing her luck. “Branch, is that you?”

The gray troll let out a sound that could only be described as a whine. Viva stepped even closer to the pair. She couldn’t believe this! She had found Clay’s brother. 

When the girl saw that her counterpart was in distress and no longer defending the pair, she decided to take up the mantle. She stepped out in front of Branch and hissed, showing her teeth widely. Viva had seen a kitten do this once while she was still at the Troll Tree. It sent a clear message: Stay away!

Branch grabbed her by the nape and pulled her backwards. He made a series of clicking noises at the girl and then pointed to Viva. The wild haired girl clicked back. They were communicating. Without words. The girl stepped back into Branch’s space, pressing herself into his side. 

“Branch, It’s me. Viva. I was in your brother Clay’s class. Do you remember?” Viva knew the odds of the gray troll remembering were slim to none as they met only a few times when he was young, but Viva had to get him to trust her. That way she could bring him back to the village. Oh, Clay would be so happy!

Branch nodded and then pointed to the girl. Viva smiled at the girl and the girl hid her face in Branch’s leaf clothing. “Who’s your friend, Branch?”

The gray troll maneuvered the girl in front of him and the girl let out a kitten-like cry, signaling that she did not want to be moved. She pressed her back against Branch. Branch patted her on the head and looked at Viva. He pointed from Viva to the girl.

Vive bit her lip in confusion, “I’m sorry Branch, but I don’t understand.”

Branch narrowed his eyes, quickly twitching his ears all around. The girl in front of him let out another squeak. The gray troll was quick to run a hand through her hair, soothing the girl. Again, Branch gestured from Viva to the girl but this time he followed it up with a whisper. 

“Poppy.”

*********************************

Poppy did not want to go to the troll village. That much was clear. She had clicked and clacked at Branch, but the gray troll just kept urging her to follow Viva. She stomped her foot on the ground and let out a defiant squawk. She seemed to hate the idea of going to the village as much as she had hated the hug Viva had tried to scoop her up into.

Viva hadn’t been able to control herself. Once she had figured out that her baby sister was alive and in front of her, Viva had rushed at Poppy, trying to gather her up in her arms. The young trolling had hissed and hid behind Branch. Viva tried to get to her once more, but Branch let out a warning growl that Viva had heard from animals before. The growl had clearly meant stop now before I make you stop. 

“Come on, Poppy! We’re so close to the village. Dad will be so excited to see you!” Viva encouraged her baby sister. Even though Poppy didn’t seem interested in coming to the village at all, Viva couldn’t wipe the smile she had off her face. Poppy was alive!

Poppy shook her head vigorously and plopped down on the ground defiantly. Branch sighed and chirped at Poppy telling her… something. Viva wished so desperately she could understand them. Why weren’t they using words? 

Poppy squeaked back at him, crossed her arms and raised her nose up in the air. Branch rolled his eyes. He stepped forward, and before Viva could blink he had her nape between his teeth.

“Oh!” Viva said, startled. “You don’t have to do that.” She moved forward and extended her arms to grab her sister, but Poppy growled and bit at the air near Viva’s hands. Viva jumped back, making sure her hands were at a safe distance. Branch looked at her as if to say, you got any better ideas? He waved his hand, urging her to keep walking towards the village so he could follow. 

Viva slowly walked to where she knew the forest would open up to the clearing that held the village, every so often looking behind her at the pair of wild trolls. She rubbed the back of her own neck. How did that not hurt? Did his teeth dig into her skin? When she glanced back to see if there was any pain on her sister’s face, all she could see was irritation.

Poppy squeaked again, much like the first time Viva had heard her ‘speak.’ The mix of a bird and a mouse. Branch let out a noise that was muffled by the scruff of her neck. 

Viva turned away from the trolls. Her sister and Branch had been found! But how was she going to explain their weird behavior to everyone else? Viva rubbed a hand over her face. Things never seemed to be easy for her.

Chapter Text

Thank Muses that Clay lived near the outskirts of town. Otherwise, Viva would have really struggled to get the wild children through the middle of town. 

“Stay right here.” Viva pointed to Clay's pod door. “I’ll go in and grab your brother.”

Branch seemed tense at the mention of his brother. A warning growl came from his throat. Poppy, who was once again pressed into Branch’s side, chirped anxiously. Viva ran a hand through her bangs. Muses, Clay was going to flip. 

Instead of knocking, Viva walked right on into her friend’s pod. Clay was reading a book on the couch, while taking notes for his ‘sad book club.’ He jumped when he noticed her presence. “Viva! You can’t just barge in here--”

She cut him off, “I know, I know. You value your privacy. Blah, blah, blah.” Viva stuck her tongue as she talked and moved her hand in a mocking motion. “But I have to show you something. Someone!” Even though Viva was nervous about how Clay would react to his brother’s state, she couldn’t seem to get rid of the smile on her face. 

“Someone?” Clay stood up in a panic. “Please don’t tell me you brought that rabbit into the village.”

Viva grabbed him by the arm and started pulling him toward the door. “No! I wouldn’t do that.” She would, but he didn’t need to worry about that right now. “Look!” She whipped open the door to reveal… no one. 

“Ha Ha, Viva, very funny and weird prank.” Clay said sarcastically. The princess drug him out onto his porch, looking all around for the wild children. 

“This isn’t a joke, Clay. Branch was here!”

Clay’s eyes widened. “Branch? Did you say Branch?”

“Yes!” Viva grabbed him by the shoulders. “And Poppy was with him! They were together and they took down that rabbit!”

Clay’s face scrunched up in disbelief. “The rabbit…? Viva, are you okay?” He was looking at her like she was crazy, she wasn’t crazy! They were just here!

“Branch! Poppy!” She called out looking around frantically. Her bangs kept falling into her face, blocking her view. Normally she didn’t mind this, but right now she wanted to take a pair of scissors to them. “Come back, we just want to help you!”

Clay grabbed her hand. “Viva, why don’t we go inside and you can lay down? I know you’ve been overworked. This is a hard day.” He gave her a sympathetic and caring look. 

Viva ripped her hand away. “I’m fine! They were just here. Branch! Poppy!” Where did they go? Had it really all been in her mind? She felt tears start to build up in her eyes. “They were here, Clay. I swear.” I’m not crazy! She screamed in her mind.

The lime haired troll opened his mouth to say something, when she heard it. A chirp. Viva’s eyes lit up. “There! Did you hear that?” She followed the noise, dragging Clay behind her as she went. Clay complained that she was hurting his arm, but she kept on tugging. She followed the chirping all the way to a nearby tree. In the shadows was a curtain of gray troll hair.

“Branch?” She called out. Slowly the hair receded back and revealed the two wild children. Poppy was peering behind her counterpart, glaring at the two trolls harshly. Branch twitched anxiously at the sight of his brother and Viva didn’t miss how the pink troll was holding him steady. 

“Oh my God,” Clay gasped. “Bitty B!” He rushed forward to reunite with his brother, his arms extending in the same way Viva had tried to greet her new found sister, but a pink blur came out from behind the gray toll and growled at Clay, low and loud. 

“Yeah,” Viva said awkwardly. “They don’t really like hugs.” Poppy clacked her teeth together and pressed herself and Branch back into the shadow of the tree. Branch allowed himself to be moved, as he appeared to be in a state of shock. Viva could only imagine what was going through his mind. He hadn’t seen his brother in eight years!

Then a thought hit her. Poppy didn’t know who she was. While it was clear that Branch recognized Clay, Poppy had no idea who Viva was. She was just a baby when she had gone missing all those years ago. This realization sat in Viva’s stomach like a rock. 

Clay couldn’t take his eyes off his scowling brother. “What happened to them?”

Viva shrugged. “I don’t know, but I was serious when I said they took down that rabbit. They must have been living in the woods for a long time.” Branch grunted in response, as if to confirm Viva’s statement. “They don’t talk,” Viva whispered.

“Huh?” Clay asked. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, they don’t talk. That chirping sound you heard before? That’s how they communicate.” Viva explained. Poppy eyed the princess nervously and pressed her back against Branch’s chest, as if he was something precious that she was protecting. 

“Why? I know that Branch can talk. I taught him how to say my name!” Clay stated, crossing his arms. 

Branch rolled his eyes and a low annoyed sound came from his throat. Poppy saw that her friend was irritated and bared her teeth at Clay, as if she was trying to ward him off. Clay stepped back at this, surprised at such an animal-like reaction. 

“He can talk,” Viva explained. “He said Poppy’s name earlier.” She inched forward, trying to join the wild children in the shadow of the tree. “Branch, you’re safe. Both of you are.” She tried to give the pair a reassuring smile. Poppy scrunched up her nose, unsure, and squeaked at the gray troll. 

Branch chirped back at her, not looking away from Clay and Viva. Poppy began tugging at Branch’s vest, urging him to move deeper into the shadows. She let out that bird and mouse-like call when she saw that Branch would not be moved. Viva suddenly realized that she was trying to get them to go back to the woods.

“No!” She shouted, reaching out and grasping her sister’s hand. She had lost her sister once, she was not going to let this happen again. Poppy squawked, like Viva’s touch had burned her and she began to twist her wrist, trying to wrench her arm away from the princess. 

This broke Branch from the nervous trance he was in, and he shifted back into that scary child that Viva had initially met in the forest. He hissed and shoved Viva away, hard.  She would have fallen to the ground, but Clay caught her. 

Branch growled and glared at the two brightly colored trolls. He tugged Poppy against him and the little trolling scrambled behind him. She climbed up his back and shoved her face deep in his hair. It reminded Viva of how baby trolls will nest in their parent’s hair to feel safe, but Poppy was much too old for this action. Viva’s jaw hung open, at a loss for words.

“We need to get your dad.” Clay said over Branch’s growling. 

*********************************

Clay was able to lure Branch back to his pod with the promise of food. Poppy had refused to come out from behind the gray troll’s hair even after Viva apologized profusely. Branch watched the princess wearily, as if he was worried she would try to snatch her sister away from him.

Viva and Clay had agreed that they needed to inform the King of the children, but that they needed to wait until tomorrow. The Bergen Free celebration had started in the middle of the town, and even though Clay’s pod was a decent way away, the sound of the party still boomed through the walls of the pod. Everytime a confetti cannon went off in the distance, Branch would flinch and Poppy would whine into his hair.

There was no way they could try to bring the children to her dad. At least not tonight. So, Clay suggested that they all sleep in his pod.

He offered his bed to Viva. “You and Poppy can sleep there. Branch and I can take the couch.” Branch looked up at the mention of his name. Viva had finally been able to convince him to sit down at the table and eat something from Clay’s cabinet. Poppy had crawled down from her perch when she smelled the food being pulled out. 

They both had crumbs all over their faces. It would have been cute if it had been any other situation. Branch let out a pained noise and looked away from his brother. Poppy rubbed her nose on her friend, a comforting gesture, but she kept her eye on the door. Viva made a mental note to lock it when she put Poppy to sleep. The little trolling seemed desperate to make a break for it. 

“What’s wrong, Branch?” Viva asked, concerned. Did he not like the food? Was it not settling well in his stomach? He had wolfed it down pretty quickly, as if he was afraid it would get up and walk away. 

Branch’s eyes slid over to the couch, looking at it pointedly. 

“Do you not want to sleep there?” The princess asked. She looked to Clay for assistance, but the lime haired troll just shrugged. Her normally over prepared friend seemed to be at a loss of what to do in this situation. 

Viva decided to mime as she spoke. Maybe it would be helpful? “You and Clay can sleep on the bed if you want. Poppy and I can take the couch.”

Poppy, who had been tracking Viva’s hands with severe concentration, suddenly squeaked. She shook her head rapidly, shaking some tears loose from her eyes. Branch was quick to wipe at the tears and chirp back to her. The pink troll just kept shaking her head while tears slipped down her cheeks.

Watching her sister cry was scary. She cried like a normal troll, but she made no noise. Her lip quivered and her mouth hung open, but no sound escaped. Just rough breaths of air. 

Clay grabbed at the first aid kit he kept snug in his hair. “What’s wrong? What’s wrong with her?”

“I don’t know.” Viva felt a lump grow in her throat as she watched her sister completely break down. She wanted to comfort her somehow. She reached out to stroke Poppy’s hair like she had seen Branch do earlier in the woods, but the little girl just hissed at her through her tears. She hid her face in the gray troll’s chest.

Viva looked at Branch desperately, wanting to know what she could do to help her sister. The gray troll stared back at her, a scowl ever present on his face. He pointed to Poppy and then to himself. Then he made a gesture that resembled breaking a stick and shook his head. Viva had no idea what any of that meant. Why wasn’t he using words? She knew he could talk!

“Oh,” Clay stepped forward and put a comforting hand on Viva’s shoulder. “They don’t want to be separated.” He looked at Branch, “Right?

Branch grunted with a nod. He chirped down at Poppy and continued to wipe her tears away. Slowly the strange silent crying came to a stop, but she still hid her face away from Viva. It broke the princess’ heart. 

*********************************

Viva sat in a chair against the front door, watching the wild children make their bed on the couch. They clicked and clacked at each other as they moved around the couch.

“Do you really need to block the door?” Clay had whispered while the kids were distracted. 

Viva scoffed, “You didn’t see how she was looking at it! I’m not gonna risk them running off in the night.”

Clay rolled his eyes and made his way over to his bedroom. He called over his shoulder, “Well, whenever you decide to stop being paranoid, come wake me up. I’ll let you take the bed.”

Viva ignored her friend. She wasn’t being paranoid. Poppy was itching to get out of here. But she wouldn’t leave Branch, that much was clear. So why didn’t he want to leave? 

The princess examined how the two wild trolls circled the piles of pillows they had created on the couch, before finally falling down into them. Branch laid flat on his back, his ears twitching every so often at the sound of the troll party still raging on in the distance. Poppy laid with her cheek pressed against the gray troll’s chest, allowing her hair to reach up and intertwine with his. 

Poppy’s eyes glared at Viva blocking the door. Viva crossed her arms and rested her chin on her hand. “You might as well close your eyes, because I’m not moving.”

The pink troll blinked at her, unable to understand what the blond had said. Branch squeaked down at the trolling on his chest and brought his hand up to her face, closing her eyes lightly for her. The pink troll grumbled, but kept her eyes shut. 

Viva bit at her lip. How was she going to help these two? Would her dad have any ideas? She leaned back in her chair. She felt like she was definitely in over her head. 

Chapter Text

Branch was knocked out on the couch. He looked so peaceful while he slept, his scowl fully relaxed. His worry lines were smoothed out. He even breathed with more ease than he did while he was awake. 

Viva couldn’t help but wonder if it was because he was indoors for the first time since he was a young child. Or if it was because he was back around other trolls. Or if it possibly had anything to do with the young pink troll who had her arm protectively over his chest while she listened to Clay read from his book.

The princess would have thought her sister was humming along to Clay’s story, but after a couple days of being around her, she knew that Poppy was purring. Viva doubted that she had any idea what Clay was saying while he read the children’s book, but he did silly voices as he read and made fun hand gestures. It was actually the first time Viva had seen her rigid friend let loose in a long time.

Viva hated to disturb it, but she was under the King’s orders. 

When she had brought Poppy and Branch to her father yesterday, one of the first things he pointed out was how dirty the pair were. In her father’s defense, she hadn’t introduced them yet. Once she revealed who they were her father fell apart in tears, trying to grab Poppy up into a hug. The young trolling hissed and growled at her father and tried to scurry up into Branch’s hair. Yeah, it hadn’t been a great first meeting. 

But her father was right. The two kids were filthy. Poppy’s hair was wild with sticks and leaves weaved into it. Branch had dirt coating almost every part of his body. And, as much as Viva hated to say it, they stunk . Something had to change, and not just because the village was throwing a celebration for the lost children’s return that night. 

“Poppy,” Viva whispered as to not wake up the sleeping gray troll. Poppy turned her head. Her sister might not understand much, but she was smart. She had quickly learned that Poppy was what people would say to refer to her. 

The princess held out a piece of candy. The pink haired troll’s eyes zeroed in on the treat. Another thing Viva learned about her sister was how food motivated she was. Viva slowly waved the candy around, watching as Poppy’s eyes followed it. Viva took a step back and waved her hand. “You want? Come follow me.”

Poppy looked down at the sleeping Branch and then up at Clay. A squeak left her vocal cords. Clay nodded as though he understood. “I’ll watch him.” He insisted. 

The pink troll turned back to the candy and slowly got up to follow Viva. Taking tiny steps, Viva led her sister into the bathroom. Once they were inside the bathroom, Viva extended the treat out to Poppy. The little girl snatched it up and immediately attacked it. 

While her sister was distracted, Viva shut the door behind them, closing them in. “Okay Poppy-girl. We’re going to take a bath, okay?” Viva tried to make her voice light and comforting. Her sister’s eyes widened when she realized that the door was shut. She let out a chirp. 

“It’s okay, we’re just gonna take a bath.” Viva reiterated cheerfully. She pointed at the bathtub that she had filled with warm water. Poppy made a whining noise at the back of her throat. Viva was quick to retrieve another piece of candy from her pocket. The whining stopped and Poppy grabbed at the treat. 

While her sister snacked away on the candy, Viva quickly grabbed the bottom of her leaf dress and ripped it up and off. The abrupt removal of her clothing caused Poppy to erupt in squeaks. She rushed forward, trying to escape the room, but Viva caught her by her waist. She hated that she had to do this, but her sister needed a bath. Poppy could get sick if she didn’t get clean. 

As Viva struggled to pull Poppy towards the bath water, the pink troll squealed. It was that same mouse and bird-like chirp, over and over. Viva lifted her sister above the water and three insane things happened all at once. 

One, Poppy bit her. She dug her sharp teeth down into Viva’s arm. Pain erupted from her bicep and ran up and down her arm. Viva tried to shake her off, but Poppy bit down harder. Viva let out a shriek.

Two, the bathroom door opened. Branch rushed in, hair wild and indents from the couch pressed into his face. Once he saw the two sisters, he slapped a hand over his eyes, shielding them from seeing anything indecent. 

And three, Viva dropped Poppy into the water. Her sister hit the water with a splash and the liquid poured over and out the side of the tub. Once Poppy’s body hit the water, she released Viva’s arm from her mouth. 

Viva gripped at her arm, it was bleeding, the little troll had made her bleed! Poppy repeated her squeaking, the same one from before. Branch kept his eyes covered, but chirped back.

Clay came tearing into the bathroom, his eyes wild. “What is it?” Branch pushed his brother out of the room, growling as he did so. 

“I’m giving Poppy a bath.” Viva explained, out of breath. She looked back at her arm. “She bit me.” She said, still shocked that it happened. Poppy saw that Viva was looking at the wound she had inflected and hissed, pressing her back in the furthest corner of the tub. 

“I’m going to pass you a bandage.” Clay called from around the corner. Viva hummed in response. Clay passed a bandage to Branch and he blindly felt around to pass it to Viva. Viva snatched the bandage and quickly went to wrapping up her wound.

Poppy must have seen that the princess was distracted, because she started scrambling to get out of the tub. Viva was quick to block her. “Oh, no! You’re staying in.”

Poppy growled at her. Viva finished tying off the bandage and ran a hand through her bangs. She pointed back at the water. “Sit down.” She demanded. 

Her little sister glared at her, unmoving. Branch clicked at her from behind Viva. Poppy frowned, but slowly lowered herself back into the water. 

Viva moved closer to the edge of the tub. She turned her head to see Branch settling down on the bathroom floor, facing away from the tub. “Thank you.” Viva breathed. Branch grunted in response and nodded his head. 

Rubbing her hands up with shampoo, Viva went to work on scrubbing up her sister’s hair. Poppy didn’t enjoy the scrubbing, but she allowed it to happen, keeping her squeaking to a minimum. Once her hair was sudsy and free of all sticks and leaves, Viva went to grab a cup full of the bath water. She was about to pour it over her sister's head, when the pink troll suddenly flinched. 

She shook her head, making that same squeaking noise from before and pointed at Branch. Viva turned and saw that Branch’s ears had twitched attentively. Was that… noise his name? Poppy made the sound again and pointed more aggressively. 

“Yeah, that’s Branch.” Viva stated. The princess could hear the gray troll snort from behind her. Whether he was laughing at the situation or at the fact that she had just put together that Poppy was calling for him, Viva didn’t know. 

Poppy pointed to the water cup and then again to Branch. Did she want Branch to rinse her hair? Viva shook her head. Not going to happen. It was strange enough that the two were practically attached at the hip, she was not going to allow them to help bathe each other. Poppy growled and pointed again. 

“No,” Viva said sternly and shook her head again. 

Poppy growled louder.

Viva growled back. She wasn’t about to be bossed around by her baby sister!

The pink troll’s eyes widened at Viva’s animal-like display. Branch let out another quiet laugh. Poppy clicked at him with an annoyed look on her face. Branch chirped back at her and slowly Poppy deflated, moving her head towards Viva. 

“Thank you,” Viva said and began to gently pour the water over her head, careful to not let water or soap run into her eyes. 

The rest of the bath was pretty uneventful. Except for the fact that instead of using a towel, Poppy chose to shake off all of the water onto her sister like an animal. It left Viva drenched and she didn’t miss the wicked grin her baby sister sent her. Once she was dry, Viva shoved some of her old clothes onto the little girl and then finally allowed her to escape. The two wild children ran from the room.

Viva sighed and leaned against the doorway. She would have to try to brush her later, before the celebration tonight. She glanced down and saw Clay propped up against the wall, his nose deep in a book. “You’re next.” She informed him.

“What?” Clay looked up from his book confused. “I took a shower this morning!”

“Not you!” Viva said exasperated. Goodness, she was exhausted from these kids. “I meant Branch! You’re going to have to give him a bath.”

Clay stared up at her in disbelief. “Seriously?”

“Seriously,” She said walking away. “Because if you think I’m going to do that again, you’re crazy.”

*********************************

The kids didn’t like noise. That much Viva knew even from their short time together. So forcing them to stand on a stage in front of the entire cheering village was probably not the best idea. But, King Peppy had insisted. He said that he wanted the whole village to see how the two trolls had bravely survived the wilderness by themselves.

Viva had suggested bringing up the rabbit they had taken down, but her father said that it was a bit dark to be sharing with the whole village. He reminded her that she needed to have good ‘bedside manner’ as the future Queen. Bringing up the rabbit would just scare the young trolls, like it had freaked out Guy Diamond. Viva figured that her dad was probably right. 

The princess hid her injured arm from her dad with a wrist band. She figured that if he thought killing the rabbit was dark, then he would really be upset by the teeth marks his youngest daughter left in her arm. 

So far, the celebration was not going well. Viva had Poppy’s wrist clutched in her hand as the little troll tried to pull away. She called out for Branch, using her signature squeak and reached out for him. Branch stood on the other side of the stage with his ears pointed downward, his wrist also caught in his older brother’s hand. However, the gray troll made no move to run away. He just looked down at the mushroom floor, refusing to look up at the audience. 

“Trolls! We are here to honor the return of Princess Poppy,” The crowd roared at this declaration. “And also the return of young Branch.” Viva noticed how the crowd cheered less for the gray troll. Many of the faces out in the audience were confused and young trollings pointed at him. His skin, Viva thought. They’re pointing to his skin.

The King continued his speech. “I have spent many restless nights staying awake wishing that this day would come and now that it is here…” Her father choked up. He turned to his youngest daughter. “I’m so glad you’re okay, Poppy.”

Poppy stared at him, blinking in uncertainty. He ran a hand through the pink troll’s hair and she flinched backwards, hiding behind Viva. Again, she chirped for Branch. Branch kept looking downwards, but he clicked quietly in response. 

King Peppy regarded his people once more. “These children have been through a horrific few years, so we need to all work together to help them feel at ease. Can I count on you to do this?” The audience cheered in response. Poppy kept trying to rip her hand out of her sister’s grasp but Viva was unmoving. 

She couldn’t tear her eyes away from the trolls in front of her. They were cheering, but their faces showed their true colors. Confusion. Disappointment. Pity. 

They saw Branch and Poppy as other. 

The thought punched Viva right in the gut.

Chapter Text

Viva hated relying on Branch to get Poppy to do something, but with this, she needed all the help she could get. 

School.

Poppy needed to go to school. She needed to socialize with other trolls and for goodness sake, learn to speak! But Poppy didn’t want to go. More specifically, she didn’t want to leave Branch. 

Viva tried to tell her sister that Branch would be going to school too, and that he would be in the pod right next door, but she didn’t want to listen. She would just shake her head and cry horribly, horribly silent. Viva tried to comfort her, but Poppy would shove her away and press herself into Branch’s embrace.

She had forced her sister into one of her old outfits. The yellow dress hung on her shoulders loosely. Poppy’s hair was pulled back in a matching yellow bow. Viva had to practically wrestle her sister to the ground to get the bow to contain her wild pink hair. Branch had watched on anxiously, growling at the princess, warning her to be careful. 

The gray troll didn’t seem to be excited about going to school for the first time in eight years either, but he put on a brave face for Poppy. He chirped at her and pointed in the direction of her classroom pod. The pink troll squawked and held Branch tight. 

“It’ll be fun, Poppy-girl! You’ll get to learn lots of new stuff. I know how smart you are, you will love it!” Viva cheered, hoping her positive tone would convey the message that she wasn’t trying to upset the girl. 

Poppy whined, long and soft into Branch’s chest. The gray troll ran a hand through her hair, trying to sooth the trolling. He chirped and lightly grabbed her chin, encouraging her to look up at him. Her watery eyes met his and he chirped again. Poppy moaned out her signature Branch cry before rubbing her snotty nose on his vest. He looked at it and made a face, but pat her reassuringly on the back.

Reluctantly, Poppy stuck her hand out to grab her sister’s. She grabbed her sister’s wrist, mimicking the way that Viva often had to hold the trolling. This simple movement tugged at Viva’s heartstrings. She wished they could hold hands comfortably, like other siblings did. 

Viva led her sister into the fourth grade pod, sparing a glance back at Branch. The gray troll had his hands shoved into his pockets as he anxiously rocked back and forth on his feet. Clay was supposed to be here soon to take his brother into his own pod. Viva figured that his safety meeting had run a tad bit over. 

She returned her attention to the pod in front of her. Taking a deep breath, she led Poppy inside to introduce her to new classmates and teacher. 

*********************************

Miss Honeysuckle seemed understanding of Poppy’s situation and spoke to the girl in a hushed tone. Poppy’s eyes lit up at it. It was as though someone had finally understood, they had to be quiet. 

The kids seemed nice enough too. They were a little handsy, but once Poppy gave a warning hiss, they backed off a bit. Viva was worried that this would scare the children into avoiding the young troll, but a girl with dreadlocks grinned widely and praised Poppy. “Dude, so cool!”

When Viva finally stepped outside the pod, she didn’t feel like she was leaving her baby sister to the wolves. School would be good for Poppy. 

The grin slowly faded when she saw a gray troll sitting twenty feet from the school pods. His face was pressed against his knees, effectively hiding it. Clay’s meeting must have run way late. Viva tiptoed up beside the young troll and sat in the grass beside him.

His ears twitched in acknowledgment. Viva squeezed the grass on the ground in between her fingers. She released them slowly and breathed out. “You know, I never said thank you.” Viva whispered.

Branch turned his head and peeked an eye out. Viva nodded, “You kept her alive. Thank you. So much.” She let out a shaky breath. “And you’re keeping her here now. I know if it wasn’t for you, she would have run off.”

The gray troll grunted in agreement. He sat up and spread his legs out on the grass, allowing the blades to tickle at his feet. Viva watched how the wind blew the blades back and forth around them. 

“Why, Branch? Why do you make her stay?” Viva gestured to her injured arm. “You both could overpower anyone you wanted. So why stay?”

Branch grunted and crossed his arms. He couldn’t speak to the princess in the same way he could with Poppy. He seemed to be at a loss for, well, for words. 

Viva hugged herself and pulled her knees up towards her chest. She laid her head on her kneecaps. She just wished she understood any of this. She desperately wanted to be able to communicate with her sister. 

“Poppy.” Branch’s rough whisper broke through Viva's thoughts. He pointed to the pod and then to Viva. “Poppy.” He repeated. 

The blond troll jaw hung open. “You--? You think Poppy needs me?”

The gray troll nodded. She scoffed and gripped at the grass again. “Yeah, right. You saw how she is with me. She thinks I’m the enemy.” Viva fell back on the grass behind her, the ground knocking some of the air out of her. “I am.” Viva tearfully realized. She was the enemy. She was the one shaking up Poppy’s life. Grabbing at her, forcing her to do things she didn’t want to. A tear slipped down her cheek.

Branch grunted. Oh great, Viva thought. He’s agreeing with me. 

Branch grunted again and poked at her side. She looked up at the gray troll to see him shaking his head. He pointed to the pod that Poppy resided in and then at her again. “Poppy.” He insisted.

A wet laugh escaped her lips. “If you insist.” She pulled herself up, wiping at her eyes. She stood up and held out her hand towards the gray troll. “Come on, I’ll take you to class.”

Branch looked at her hand wearily. Viva pulled it back and gave him the space to stand up on his own. Viva led him to his classroom pod without looking back, trusting that he was following her. 

Maybe that’s what she needed to do with Poppy. Trust her not to run.

*********************************

The kid’s bedtime routine was kind of wacky, if Viva was honest. Viva had to practically beg her sister to brush her teeth, while Clay had to basically shove his brother into the shower. By the time they were all ready for bed, Poppy had a grumpy expression on her face and Branch looked like a drowned rat. 

Viva ruffles the pillows that the wild children had meticulously laid out on Clay’s couch. “Okay, kiddos! Bedtime.”

Branch rolled his eyes at the nickname, but plopped down on the pillow pile. Poppy circled around the couch, sniffing and readjusting pillows as she went. She seemed keyed up. Anxious. Definitely not tired. But if Viva knew anything about kids, it was that they need routine. 

The gray troll’s eyes followed the pink troll as she inched around the couch, nervously moving pillows to be placed just so. A small smirk spread across his face. Abruptly, he leaned forward and grabbed Poppy’s nape by his teeth. He pulled her over the edge of the couch and into the pile of pillows. She squeaked as he tickled at her sides. Her whole body shook with laughter, but all that left her lips were tiny squeaks. 

“Alright, alright, you two,” Clay playfully fussed at them as he entered the living room. “Settle down so I can read the next chapter.”

Branch released Poppy from his teeth and the pink troll flipped over onto her belly, ready to watch Clay intently. She loved watching Clay read. The gray troll settled in next to her. 

“Okay, so in the last chapter, our hero had just sliced off the head of a cyclops and…” Viva smiled as she watched the children stare at Clay in awe. She lowered herself down the floor next to the couch. Maybe she could listen for a while. Just before she goes to bed. 

As Clay read, he did silly voices, hand movements and pulled reactions out from his audience. After a page or so, something sad happened and the princess let out an unhappy sigh. Suddenly, Viva felt something touch her hair. She looked up to see a small pink hand running through her blond hair. 

Poppy was trying to comfort her. 

Viva could hardly contain her excitement. She squealed internally. 

*********************************

The kids had been settling in quite nicely after several months of being in the village. Or, as nicely as two wild children could. Poppy had stopped crying for Branch every time they had to go to different classroom pods. Now she was down to crying for her companion only once or twice a week. Three times if it was a particularly bad week. 

Branch seemed to enjoy his class. Or, Viva thought he did. He never complained or hesitated from walking to his pod. When she asked Clay about it, he shrugged. “I dunno, Viva. He talks to me about as much as he talks to you.” Which was none. 

Which Viva just didn’t understand. Why wouldn’t Branch talk? He wasn’t like Poppy, he knew how to speak. He was just choosing not too. Poppy was going through severe speech classes while the gray troll just made no effort at all. It bothered Viva. Didn’t he want to set a good example for Poppy? 

If Branch continued to stay silent, would Poppy?

Worries tossed and turned inside the princess’s head as she went to pick up her sister from class. As soon as she entered the threshold of the pod, a pink blur rushed up to her. 

Her sister seemed to be in good spirits. She rocked back and forth on her heels, excitedly, swinging her arms as she went.

Viva laughed at her child-like movements. “What’s got you in a good mood? Did you have a good day?”

Poppy nodded and a light purr erupted from her throat. A blush came to Viva’s cheeks. She was happy her sister was happy, but Viva just wished she wouldn’t express it in such an animalistic way. 

Miss Honeysuckle came up to the two sisters with a huge grin on her face. “Princess Viva, I believe Princess Poppy has something she wants to show you.” Poppy nodded her head rapidly.

“Oh, you do? Let's see it!” Viva said with a smile. 

Suddenly, Poppy’s wide grin fell a little bit. She peered behind Viva, looking around for something. Someone. 

“Branch is already back at home, kiddo. Clay picked him up early.”  Viva wasn’t sure when Clay’s pod had turned into home.  She supposed it was around the time she realized that there was no way she could get Poppy comfortable in her or her dad’s pod after she had already settled into Clay’s pod. Besides, there was no way the pink troll was going to sleep anywhere the gray troll wasn’t. 

Her father wasn’t super happy with the arrangement, he had wanted the little troll to come home with him. Viva had to explain to him that there was no way that was going to happen. At least not for a while. She just felt bad for taking over Clay’s pod. The poor guy had been sleeping on the floor while the princess took up residence in his bed. 

Poppy stopped her excited rocking and let out her ‘Branch’ squeak and pointed to Viva. The princess had gotten pretty good at understanding her sister’s limited gestures. “You want to show me and Branch?” The princess asked.

The little troll nodded again. She turned to her teacher and waved ‘goodbye,’ a gesture that she had just learned last month. The pink troll loved waving at people. It reminded Viva of how babies would wave at others constantly. 

The sisters walked together back to Clay’s pod. Viva wished they could be hand and hand, but she knew better than to force Poppy into holding her hand. She didn’t want to go back to the wrist holding. Viva would settle for them walking side by side, trusting that they were next to each other. 

As they got closer to the pod, Viva heard a loud shout. It was like a bobcat, long and loud. The suddenness of it made her jump and she reached out to grab Poppy, but the pink trolls spirited off towards the sound. Viva had to sprint to keep up with her little sister. Muses, she was fast. 

The scream kept on, building louder and louder as they got close to the pod. The sisters ripped open the door to the pod. From the type of pained scream that was leaving Branch’s mouth, Viva assumed the worst. Had he broken something? Had something ruptured internally? 

The gray troll sat bawled up in the pile of pillows on the couch, with his hands over his ears, and shrieked like he was dying. Clay stood beside his brother, looking on in horror, unable to do anything.

“Clay!” Viva shouted over the pained screaming. “What’s wrong with him?”

Poppy scrambled over onto the pillow pile, reaching out for Branch. To Viva’s shock, the gray troll avoided her comfort, not pushing her away, but squirming out of her reach. Poppy whimpered and hugged at her sides. She looked at Viva with wide eyes.

“I don’t know!” Clay yelled back. “He was fine on the way home, but when we stepped inside, he started crying. When I checked him over for any injuries, he just started screaming!”

The princess slowly approached the panicking troll. “Branch? Honey, are you hurt?”

The gray troll coughed, cutting off his current shout and sputtered out a sob. He shook his head. Viva sat on the edge of the couch, giving the two wild children space. Poppy whined and reached out again for Branch, but he flinched away from her. The pink troll deflated. 

“Clay, can you get him some water?” Viva asked her lime friend. She could only imagine how sore his throat was from screaming.  Clay scurried off to the kitchen, happy to be able to actually accomplish something.

Viva racked her brain. They didn’t know what was bothering the gray troll. He wouldn’t accept comfort, not even from Poppy. Maybe they could distract him? “Poppy?” Viva called out. 

The pink troll turned to her with tears building in her eyes. Gosh, Viva needed to fix this now before she had two crying trolls on her hands. She continued, “Why don’t you show Branch what you learned today?” The princess hoped that whatever drawing or artwork her sister had created would bring the gray troll out of his crying fit.

But her sister didn’t reach in her pockets to bring out a drawing, nor did she reach for her hair. Instead the little pink troll nervously bit at her fingers and scooted closer to her friend. Branch tensed beside her, but he made no movement to scooch away. He just continued to sob and mindlessly wipe at his eyes.

At first, Viva thought that Poppy was just going to ignore her request. It wouldn’t be the first time that happened. Her receptive language skills were still developing after all. But what her sister chose to do shocked the princess to her very core. 

“Buh” Poppy stuttered, an unfamiliar sound leaving her lips. This stopped Branch’s cries in their tracks. He looked at the pink troll with wide eyes.

“ Branch,” Poppy forced out. The whole room fell into a dead silence. 

Viva’s face split into the biggest grin. “Oh my gosh!!” Her sister had spoken! This was way better than any piece of art. She could tell tears of happiness building in her eyes. 

She wasn’t the only one who was touched by this display. A final tear ran down Branch’s cheek. “ Poppy,” he whispered back. The gray troll slowly lifted his arms and her sister dove right into them, pressing her face into his chest.

At that moment, Clay came into the room, water cup in his hand and his jaw on the floor. “I’m sorry, but did I just hear a little princess speak? ” 

Poppy squeaked out a quiet giggle and looked at Clay bashfully. Branch tickled at her ribs, causing more quiet laughing squeaks to erupt from her sister. 

Viva might not understand the two wild children, but Muses, was she glad they understood each other.

Chapter Text

It had been a few days since Branch’s meltdown. They never were able to figure out what had made him so upset, but he had seemed to return to normal. Or as normal as Branch was. 

Viva was on her way to the school earlier than normal. She wanted to surprise Poppy at lunch with a special treat that her and Clay had whipped up together that morning. It was a molten lava cake. Poppy loved chocolate, so Viva thought it would be sweet to bring it to her. 

As she got closer to the school pods, she noticed that the older children were outside for recess. Colorful trolls ran everywhere, kicking soccer balls, playing jump rope and even swinging on each other’s hair. But one gray troll stood off to the side, alone.

Branch stood stoically on the opposite side of the playground, away from the other children, his hands listlessly at his sides. Viva’s heart broke at the sight. Didn’t he have any friends?  

Even with Poppy’s limited, but growing vocabulary, she had told her sister all about the friends she had made in class. She drew pictures of her friends and kept them safe in a school binder. When Poppy wanted to share something, she would grab her binder and point to the particular friend she was talking about. 

The most recent story had been about a boy named Biggie who had accidently tripped and fallen in class. Apparently, Poppy had been the big hero and got him a bandaid. Or at least that’s what Viva had understood it to have happened. It was hard to tell when the only actual words Poppy said were “Big” and “Ow.” The rest had been mimed out.

Viva walked closer to the play area. Maybe she could convince some of the other kids to include Branch? Then they would see how sweet the boy was! As she approached, she saw a group of trolls come over to where Branch was standing. Oh! Maybe they will ask if he would like to play soccer! Viva thought, cheerfully. 

The princess moved in a little closer, but stayed close to the nearby pods so as to not draw attention to herself. She didn’t want to ruin Branch’s chance of making friends!

A green haired troll moved into Branch’s space, poking a finger at him. “Hey! I heard that you were the one who killed that rabbit in the woods a couple of months ago.” The other trolls around him murmured in agreement. Yikes, Viva thought, I really thought we had kept that under wraps.

Branch didn’t acknowledge the other kid. He kept looking down at the ground, unresponsive. Another blue haired troll stepped forward, “Ey! He’s talkn’ to you!” 

Again, Branch said nothing. He just opened and closed his fists, anxiously. The first troll who spoke, the one with green hair, rolled his eyes. “It’s whatever. I bet he can’t even say rabbit. ” He looked at the gray troll mockingly. “Can you say it? Rabbit? Rab-bit” The troll spoke to Branch as though he was a baby. 

Viva could feel her blood boiling. How dare they talk to him like that? Like he’s stupid?! She had to put a stop to this. The princess began marching up to the huddle of children, when the blue haired troll shoved at Branch, pushing him to the ground. Again, Branch gave no reaction. He just sat on the ground where he fell. The blue troll snarled, “You should get out of here, you gray weirdo.”

“Hey!” The shout erupted from her throat. Viva was sure her face was blood red with rage. The huddle of children turned at the sound of her voice. She stomped up to the children, “You will not talk to him like that!” The children had the decency to look embarrassed at being caught red handed being cruel. 

At that exact moment, the smaller children were released outside. They swarmed the playground, going every which way. Unfortunately, Poppy immediately found her sister and Branch. Her bright smile immediately faded. She looked from Viva, her face all red with anger, to Branch, crestfallen and sitting in the dirt. 

And, well. Poppy was a smart kid. She put two and two together. 

She launched herself onto the troll nearest Branch, the blue haired one who had shoved him, slammed him to the ground and bit down on his arm, hard . His screams echoed through the village. 

When Poppy pulled away her mouth, blood dripped down her lips. 

*********************************

This might be the first time I have ever been in a principal’s office, Viva thought ridiculously. She sat in front of Principal Harp with Poppy and Branch on either side of her. They had been at this discussion for over an hour. 

“Obviously, we can’t have students biting others.” Principal Harp said and pinched her nose. 

Viva gripped at her seat, barely able to contain the rage that flowed through her body. “Well, obviously,” The princess sneered. “But you aren’t listening to me! Those boys were being cruel to Branch!”

“So they should have been bit?” The principal asked rhetorically. 

The princess stuttered. “Well--no. But--

“And we don’t even know what really happened.” Principal Harp insisted. 

Viva jumped to her feet. “We don’t know---? I’m telling you what happened!” Next to her, she saw Branch reach up and cover his ears. The princess ran a hand through her bangs. This whole situation was insane. 

Principal Harp pointed to the pink and gray troll on her either side. “Yes, but at this point, it’s your word versus the injured child’s. And your two witnesses won’t say anything.”

Viva saw red. She yanked Poppy up her wrist, causing a squeak to erupt from the child. She pushed a practically comatose Branch to his feet. The princess began pushing the children towards the door. They didn’t need to sit here and take this. 

“I hope you understand that Poppy will be suspended for a week.” The principal said as they tried to leave. 

Vive shot her a dirty look over her shoulder, “And I hope you understand that you’ll be hearing from my father.” With that she slammed the door behind her, and grabbed the two children’s hands. 

As she was dragging them away from their school and closer to Clay’s pod, she had a sudden realization. Branch was letting her hold his hand. He wasn’t tugging away. 

She looked at the gray troll and saw that he was staring off at the ground, not really paying attention to what was happening around him. Poppy chirped at him, trying to get his attention, but the gray troll remained silent. Viva’s heart clenched. 

When they reached the familiar pod, Viva released her sister’s hand. She nodded her head in the direction of the front door. “Go on, Poppy.”

Her sister’s eyes were focused on Branch. She let out a whine from her throat. Viva nodded her head again, “Go on, Poppy. We’ll be inside soon.”

Poppy stepped forward and rubbed her cheek on Branch’s shoulder, a comforting gesture, before reluctantly walking inside the pod. Viva didn’t miss the way the curtains shifted on the pod windows. Her little sister was definitely still watching, making sure that the gray troll was alright. 

Releasing Branch’s hand, the princess knelt down a bit to be at eye level with the gray troll. Even after several months of healthy eating, Branch was still short in stature. It was becoming clear to her and Clay that Poppy would soon pass the gray troll in height. 

She placed her hand under Branch’s chin and tilted it upward, forcing him to make eye contact with her. He bared his teeth and growled. 

“See? Why couldn’t you have done that?” Viva whispered, keeping her voice low so no pink trolls would overhear. “You let them push you. I saw it. Why?”

Branch gave her nothing. No movement of acknowledgment. Not even a twitch of an ear. She took a deep breath. “I know how strong you are. Next time, don’t let them. ” She hissed. 

The gray troll's eyes widened a bit. Viva continued, “I mean it. Don’t ever let anyone talk to you that way or push you around. You make them stop.” She rubbed his chin affectionately. “That’s royal orders, you hear?”

A moment passed, slowly Branch nodded. He pointed up at the pod. Viva turned around to see Poppy peeking through the window. The little troll ducked down when she saw that she had been noticed. The blond troll let out a chuckle. “She’s really worried about you, you know?”

A grumble and shrug came from Branch. Viva patted the gray troll on the back. “Hey, you’re worth worrying about.” She began to lead him towards the pod door. “Now, what are we going to tell your brother? Cause I’m sure he’s going to freak.”

Branch let out a puff of air, almost a laugh, but not quite. 

Viva nodded in agreement, “I know, he’s an even bigger worry-wort than Poppy!”

That got her an actual snort.

*********************************

“Do we really have to do this?” Clay whispered to Viva. She rolled her eyes and knocked on her father’s door. Yes, they had to do this. She had spent an hour begging Branch to put on a nice shirt and even longer combing Poppy’s wild hair into a nice blue bow. 

The kids squirmed at her and Clay’s sides as they waited for King Peppy to answer the door. They clicked back and forth at each other when the door suddenly opened to reveal the king.

“Oh, I am so glad you all could make it!” Her father gushed, and waved the four trolls inside. As Poppy entered, he leaned down to run a hand through her hair. Poppy grimaced at the action but didn’t flinch away. “I have something special for you, my dear.” Her dad said and reached into his hair, pulling out a large swirly sucker. 

The grimace fell from Poppy’s face as her eyes lit up at the treat. She stuck out her tongue and reached for the treat. The king laughed, passing it to her and she quickly shoved it into her mouth. “I figured you deserved a special treat for this special day.” Her dad chuckled.

The special day in question was Poppy’s birthday. She was turning ten today. Her father had originally wanted to throw his daughter a grandiose party, but Viva talked him down to a small dinner get together. King Peppy still didn’t quite understand how sensitive Poppy was to noise, A giant party would be the last thing she wanted. 

While the girl was distracted with her sucker, her dad placed a kiss on her forehead. She let out a growl at the action and backed up into Branch’s chest. The gray troll placed an arm around her protectively. 

“Dad,” Viva decided to intervene. “Why don’t we go sit down? I’m sure dinner will be delicious!”

The King clasped his hand together and led the trolls into the dining room. Clay shot her a nervous look. She shrugged awkwardly back at him. She had practically begged Clay to come with her. She didn’t know if she could mediate between her father and his feral daughter throughout the entire dinner without some support. 

Once the trolls were sat at the dinner table, the food was quickly served. It was, funnily enough, rabbit. Viva poked at the meat on her plate. This was not a meal that her dad would normally serve. She looked up at her father with uncertainty. “Dad? Uh…What's up with the meat?”

“Oh, I just thought that since it is Poppy’s birthday, we should eat something that she likes.” King Peppy said with a confident smile. 

“Uhhh…” Clay mumbled from his side of the table. “But didn’t they eat this when they were like… starving?”

A hush fell over the table and Clay immediately backtracked. “But--I mean, they love it! I mean look at them.” He pointed to the two wild children. Per usual, the kids were eating like it could be their last meal. Poppy had gravy smeared all over her face. 

“Yeah,” Viva agreed awkwardly. “They love it.” She brought the meat up to her lips and slipped it into her mouth. It was pretty gamey. It was not her favorite and she had to hide her grossed out expression behind her napkin. From the look on Clay’s face, he thought the same. 

“Well, Poppy. Do you think you will join the other kids in the choral performance tomorrow?” King Peppy asked when he saw that his youngest daughter had taken her last bite. Poppy looked nervously from Branch to Viva. Viva nodded at her, encouraging her to say something.

Poppy bit her lip and whispered, “No.”

King Peppy looked on in concern. “No? You don’t want to sing?”

The pink troll shook her head. “No.” She whispered again. Viva could have predicted that answer. Ever since she started talking, everyone around her begged her to sing. They wanted to hear her voice, but Poppy always refused. It didn’t surprise the blond troll. Poppy didn’t like loud noises, so it made sense that she didn’t want to sing.

“Are you sure?” The king pressed on. “It would be fun!”

She shook her head rapidly and then turned to Viva. She pointed to Branch. “Branch. Play?”

The blond troll saw that both of the children’s plates were empty, so she nodded. “Yes, you and Branch can go play.” The two kids scrambled away from the table, running off in the opposite direction. “Stay in the living room!” She called.

Her father hummed. “Her vocabulary has grown.”

“Oh yeah,” Viva agreed and inched to the edge of her seat. “School has helped a lot. And Clay reading to her and Branch each night helps too.” 

The lime haired troll blushed. “Well, I mean. It’s easy to do. She’s a good listener.”

Viva smiled at him. “You’re a good storyteller.” Clay flushed deeper. He opened his mouth to say something else, but her father interrupted his train of thought.

“How’s Branch doing?” 

Clay rubbed the back of his neck. “He’s fine. School has been better since you talked with the principal. Thank you for that.”

“It was no problem.” The King said with a dismissive wave. “I more so meant, how is he doing with talking? How has he progressed?”

Viva and Clay shared an uncomfortable look. “Dad…” Viva started. “Branch doesn’t talk. He doesn’t want to.”

A confused expression flashed upon King Peppy’s face. “Doesn’t want to?” He pushed his plate forward. “Well that can’t be a good example for Poppy.”

Clay crossed his arms. “Well I think---”

A crashing noise came from the living room. Viva leaned back in her seat to get a view of the living room. The two wild trolls were rolling on the ground, wrestling. Poppy had Branch’s nape in her mouth and Branch was silently laughing. His whole body shook as the pink troll tugged on his scruff. 

Clay sighed and stood up. “I’ll go make sure they don’t break anything.”

Once the lime haired troll was out of ear shot, her father turned to her with a concerned look. “Viva, I’m worried about those two.”

“Why?” Viva fidgeted with her fingers. “I mean, I’m worried about them too. But why are you?”

“They’re a bit… close.” Her father said delicately. 

A snort escaped Viva’s lips. “Well, duh. Of course they are.”

King Peppy raised an eyebrow. “And you don’t see anything wrong with that?”

Where was he going with this? “Uh… no?” She answered, confusion leaking into her voice. 

He pointed at the wild trolls that tumbled around in the next room. Clay was watching them and moved any furniture that they came close to. “Look at them. Look at him. He won’t be a boy for much longer.”

Was he implying…? No! No, Branch would never do anything like that to her sister. 

Viva stared at the two wild children as they rolled around each other. They were just kids. Just kids having fun. She shook her head. “It’s not like that, Dad. I swear.”

The King hummed under his breath and stood up. “Just keep an eye on him.” He said slowly.

Viva glared down at the rabbit on her plate. They weren’t too close… were they?

Chapter Text

Months passed like falling leaves. Each day Poppy’s vocabulary and understanding grew. It was if the young troll wanted to know everything and every word possible. For someone who had such a quiet past, she was turning into quite the social butterfly.

Right now, she was going through her question phase. Viva’s days were filled with questions, ranging from silly ones like “what do butterflies dream about” to more serious ones like “what happens after a critter dies.” It was exhausting. Especially since a lot of the questions Poppy was asking didn’t have clear cut answers.

Viva would try to be vague. “I’m not sure, Poppy-girl. Maybe they dream about eating flowers?” But then came the question she dreaded most. Poppy would look at her with her wide, cute, bright pink eyes and ask, “Why?”

Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why?

The princess simply could not escape the questions. The worst question she ever asked was at dinner one night in Clay’s pod.

Clay had prepared a pasta dish for the kids. He said he wanted to make more meals that encouraged the wild children to use utensils. The lime haired troll was constantly grossed out by their table manners. He swore to Viva that he would have them eating like civilized trolls before she knew it. Viva had just laughed and rolled her eyes at her friend.

“Okay, so with this pasta, you don’t use a spoon. You use a fork.” Clay explained and held up the appropriate utensil. “You dig into your pasta and twist and vola!” He demonstrated how to get a portion of the dish onto his fork.

Poppy stuck her tongue out in concentration and tried to replicate the older troll. Branch simply stabbed at the pasta and scooped it into his mouth. It was effective, but it got the sauce all over his face. Clay groaned at his brother’s actions and looked to Viva with an expression that read see? These kids are gross!

A giggle slipped out of her lips as she too dug into the meal, using her fork properly, in order to be a good example. The pasta was delicious, Clay had really outdone himself this time.

“Ummm,” Poppy said after a few bites. Viva internally groaned. This was how all the questions usually started. “What do--” She paused to correct herself, “Where do… babies come from?”

The pasta in Viva’s mouth shot out back onto the plate. So much for good table manners! “What? What-- why are you asking?” Viva asked incredulously.  

Poppy huffed, as if she was the one being inconvenienced with a crazy question. “I tried-- ask Branch. But no, he says!” Poppy spoke a little broken, but her message was still able to get across. 

Branch stared down at his food with wide eyes and shook his head. A giggle erupted from Clay and Viva kicked at him from underneath the table. She redirected her attention to the annoyed little girl across the table. “Well, Poppy, I think that’s a Dad question. Not a Viva or a Branch question.”

An uncomfortable expression grew on her sister’s face. “No dad. You!” Viva ran a hand through her bangs exasperatedly. She knew that Poppy didn’t really have any sort of connection with their father, but muses! She didn’t want to answer this question. 

“How about this? I’ll tell you when you’re older.” Viva suggested. Branch grunted in agreement. He seemed to be just as uncomfortable with this conversation as she did. Not his brother though. No, Clay was cracking up under his napkin.

“No. Now.” Poppy insisted and held up fingers, signaling her age. The princess put her face into her palm. Clearly, the kid wasn’t going to give up. 

“Okay.” She breathed deeply and started up the explanation. “When a girl troll and a boy troll love each other very much---”

“Oh my God,” Clay cut in, unable to contain his laughter. 

Viva glared at her friend, but continued, “They will spend time together and sometimes--”

“Egg.” A rough whisper entered the room. They all turned to a brightly violet faced Branch, who was still avoiding their eyes by staring at his pasta. He chirped a bit at Poppy and then repeated, “Egg.”

Understanding washed over her sister’s face. She squeaked back at Branch and he nodded, the violet blush creeping even higher up his face. Poppy turned to Viva and asked, “Babies… come from eggs?”

Well that was a lot more simple than her explanation. “Yeah. Yup. Babies come from eggs.” 

“Oh okay,” Poppy nodded and went back to shoving pasta into her mouth.

Viva shook her head in disbelief. She saw that Clay was still laughing under his breath out of the corner of her eye, so she kicked him. Extra hard, right in the shin. She hoped it bruised. 

*********************************

The kids looked flustered in their nice new clothes. Poppy was wearing a blue dress that had been made especially for her. It was her first outfit that wasn’t a hand-me-down. After Viva wrestled a matching bow into her hair, she couldn’t help but snap a ton of pictures. Her sister looked so cute, even with the incredibly grumpy look on her face. 

Branch was wearing new shorts, without patches and a nice vest. He rubbed the new material between his fingers in appreciation, but he too, wore an unhappy expression. 

It was no secret that the children didn’t want to go to the party tonight. Normally Viva and Clay wouldn’t make them go, but it was the anniversary of the day they escaped Bergentown. It was the first one where they wouldn’t be mourning the loss of the baby princess. Her father stated that it was crucial that the children were in attendance. 

“Now, Clay is going to be supervising the pyrotechnics tonight, so,” She ran a hand through Branch’s hair, smoothing out his cowlick. “Stick near me, okay?” 

Branch rolled his eyes, but nodded. Teenagers.

The three trolls came to the party just as King Peppy was starting up his annual speech. 

“Every year we gather here to celebrate our escape. We celebrate the day we were liberated from tyranny.” Her father spoke powerfully, reminding Viva of the very day he had been yelling “No troll left behind!” She looked down at her sister, who was clutching at Banch’s arm. She was aware of the irony.

“Escape?” Poppy repeated, confusion in her voice. Branch chirped at her and pulled the pink troll closer. He looked anxiously at King Peppy who continued with his speech.

“The Bergens can no longer torment us, threaten us or eat us. We celebrate our freedom from our horrific past, and look at the future full of hope. Now, let’s party!” The confetti cannons went off behind King Peppy to punctuate his exclamation. The bass dropped and music blared out of the speakers. 

The gray and pink children jumped at the sudden noise, their ears twitching every which way. “It’s okay,” Viva reassured. “They’re just playing music.”

While Poppy’s worried brow seemed to relax a bit at her sister’s words, anxiety continued to grow in Branch’s eyes. He stepped in closer to Viva and tugged on her dress. He clicked and clacked under his breath. Viva wrapped an arm around the gray troll. “It’s okay, Branch. I know it’s loud, but it can’t hurt you.”

Branch shook his head vigorously and moved Poppy to be pressed against his chest. The little troll yipped at the abrupt movement. When she saw the panic in her friend’s eyes, she began to squeak at him, rubbing her nose against his arms. 

Embarrassment flooded to Viva’s cheeks. Trolls were looking at the wild children huddled up to her, acting like animals. She waved awkwardly at the few trolls whose eyes lingered. They looked on in confusion and pity. It sent a wave of anger through her gut.

“Let’s get out of here guys. We showed up, that’s what matters.” Viva said, urging the children to move with her. As they walked back towards Clay’s pod, Branch’s breathing got shakier and louder. Eventually, Viva realized that he was saying something in between his breaths.

His eyes were wide with panic, his ear twitching all around, while he hissed, “Bergens, Bergens, Bergens!” 

Viva had to get him inside and fast. She practically threw open the door to the pod, ushering the kids inside. When she shut the door behind her, the sound of the nearby party dimmed a bit, but she could still feel the raging bass through the floorboard. 

Squeaking, Poppy nosed Branch over to their, Muses, she hated to say it, but after months of living with them, she had realized what the pillow pile was, nest on the couch. Branch was moved easily, allowing himself to be pushed down into the cushions. He raised shaky hands up to cover his ears, rocking a bit, back and forth. 

The little pink troll circled around him a bit, before snuggling down on the pillows in front of him. It reminded Viva of how animals sleep around their young to protect them. 

It was all wrong, Viva realized. She had been allowing them to act like this. To act like animals. This needed to stop. 

*********************************

The first thing that had to go was the nest of pillows. After the children woke up the next morning and went about getting ready for school, Viva disassembled the pillows. She began striping the pillow cases and placing them back where they belonged. The princess was nearly finished, when Poppy entered the living area with toothpaste smeared on her lips.

“What-- you doing?”Poppy choked out, pointing to where the nest had been. Viva forced a smile to her face. “Oh, hi Poppy. I was just--”

The little troll cut her off. “Hi Viva.” Her eyes frantically moved from the pillow in her hands to the absence of her nest on the couch.

“Hello,” Viva responded warmly, hoping she could distract the pink troll. 

Poppy pointed at her sister’s hands. “You have-- my pillows.” 

Viva looked down at the last pillow that remained in her hands. She smiled awkwardly. “Hello, my little lady.”

“Hello, Viva,” Poppy said more aggressively. She stepped forward reaching for the pillow, but Viva pulled it away from her grasp. She stomped her foot, “What-- doing with-- pillows?” She stuttered out.

Viva inched backwards, hiding the pillow behind her back. “I was just…” She took a deep breath. “Putting the pillows away. You need to sleep in a bed, Poppy.”

A growl erupted from her sister’s throat. She launched herself forward, trying to rip the pillow out of her sister’s hands. Viva held on tight. She would not allow her sister to be an animal! 

When Poppy saw that she couldn’t snatch the pillow back, she shoved her sister backwards. Viva often forgot how strong her sister was, but this reminded her. She was almost knocked off her feet. “Poppy! We don’t push!”

The pink troll glared at her with watery eyes and pointed a finger at the couch. “You. Took!” She shrieked. “Took!”

Viva sighed and ran a hand through her bangs. “Poppy, I’m sorry I took your nest, but you need to sleep in a real bed. I’m going to get you one today while you’re at school.”

Poppy gripped at her own sides, so tightly that Viva feared she might make herself bleed. The little troll looked anxiously at the couch and then at her sister. “Bed?”

“Yes, a bed. One just for you to sleep in!” The princess explained with a comforting smile. 

Her sister bit at her fingers. “With-- with Branch?”

Viva’s smile fell. “No. Not with Branch. He’ll have his own bed.” 

If looks could kill, the princess would be six feet under. Her pink face shifted to a dark red. “No.” She growled at Viva, stepping forward. She did this with such ferocity, then Viva stepped back out of pure instinct. “No, no, no!” Each time she spoke her voice escalated.

The brothers came tearing out of the bedroom. Clay’s hair a mess and Branch was without his signature vest. The gray troll moved towards his companion, clicking in concern. Poppy ignored him. She shook as she spoke, “You. Took. Pillows.-- Not. Branch.” 

Branch looked at the princess in confusion, but deferred to the pink troll. He chirped at her. Poppy squeaked back. Branch’s face darkened and he crossed his arms defensively. 

“Whaaaat is happening?” Clay asked, totally lost. 

Viva spoke in a hushed tone. “I took apart their nest. They can’t sleep it in anymore. It’s too much.”

Tears started leaking out of her sister’s eyes. “You-- can’t!” She tugged at her pink hair in frustration. “Can’t!”

“It’s really not that big of a deal, Poppy. You and Branch just need to have your own beds.” She gestured to Clay. “Like me and Clay. We don’t sleep together. We need our own space.”

Her reassurances did nothing. Poppy continued to tug at her own hair, tears fell as she cried silently. That horrible quiet silence rang in Viva’s ears as her sister’s face crumpled. But Viva couldn’t back down. Not about this. They couldn’t continue acting like this. 

The gray troll slowly pulled Poppy into his arms. She moved easily and pressed her face into his chest. Branch stroked her hair comfortingly, but his eyes weren’t on the pink troll. His eyes kept bouncing from Clay to Viva, a frown etching itself on his face. 

Viva met the lime green troll’s eyes. She hoped she conveyed the thought she was having. We have to fix this.

Chapter Text

The beds weren’t working. For one, the twin beds that Viva had shoved into Clay’s pod had totally taken over the living room. Clay was being a good sport about it, but Viva could tell that it was driving him crazy. He always liked to have his home just so, and now she was destroying it. Two, the whole point was to give Branch and Poppy some space from each other, allow them to act like normal trolls, but it wasn’t working.

Rubbing her eyes, Viva exited Clay’s bedroom. She hadn’t slept very well. Since she drug in the twin beds, she had insisted that she sleep on the floor instead of Clay. He put up quite a fight about it, but she was the princess, so she won in the end. The floor had been really uncomfortable, even with the palate her friend had laid out for her.

As she passed by the living area, she saw a rather large lump on the twin bed nearest the front door. Viva could hardly suppress the groan building up in her throat. 

Branch was passed out on the bed, snoring slightly, with his mouth wide open. Sprawled across his chest was Poppy. She had snuck into the gray troll’s bed in the night again. Her face was slack, completely relaxed and her wild haired curled up and intertwined with Branch’s.

How many times do I have to tell her to stay in bed? Viva thought as she angrily pulled out a coffee mug. She resisted from slamming it down on the counter. She felt like she was constantly having the same conversations with Poppy and they always went nowhere. The little princess always did what she wanted anyway.

“Hey,” Clay whispered as he tiptoed into the room. “Don’t break my mug.” He said in a hushed voice and nodded at the cup in Viva’s hands. She looked down to see that she was indeed squeezing the life out of the mug.

“Sorry,” She muttered. She turned on the coffee machine and waited for it to brew.  As it turned on, it let out a bubbling sound, which stirred the pink trolling a bit. She twitched and squeaked on top of the gray troll, but didn’t wake. Viva shook her head at the overfilled twin bed. 

“She moved over again, huh?” Clay asked, a bit redundantly. 

Viva began pouring herself and the lime green troll a cup of coffee. “Obviously.” The princess grumbled. “She never listens to me.”

Clay scratched at his wild hair. “I guess I just don’t see the issue.”

“Don’t see the issue--?” The princess hissed in disbelief. “Okay, let’s ignore the fact that they were literally nesting in your living room like animals--”

Clay flared his nose and objected, “Hey, now--”

But Viva railroaded him. “They shouldn’t be sleeping together!” She pointed to the pair. “Look at them!” 

The two wild trolls slept on, blissfully unaware of the tense conversation happening just to the left of them. Branch snored lightly and Poppy twitched a bit, but they rested easy. 

Clay brought up his hands in a questioning movement. “What? They’re sleeping. What does it matter?”

The princess wanted to rip her hair out. How did he not see this? How was he unable to notice how codependent the pair was? She tried to get Clay to see it from her point of view. “Clay. It’s not right, a boy and a girl clinging to each other like that.”

“They’re friends!” Clay hissed back, anger rushing to his cheeks. “Are you seriously going to take away the only friend that Branch has?”

“Of course not!” Viva bawled her fists. She had to get him to understand what she was saying. “Okay. They’re friends. We’re friends. You don’t see us cuddling up together in bed.”

Clay flushed at the comment. “What does that have to do with anything?”

“Everything!” Viva yelled in a whisper. “They should not be acting like that. They’re too--” She tripped up on her words. “They’re too close.” She whispered, echoing her father’s words from not too many months ago. Back then, she had been so sure that he was wrong. 

But now…

Poppy groaned and buried her nose deeper in the sleeping gray troll’s neck. 

They were too close.

*********************************

Clay wasn’t talking to her. He knew what Viva was planning, so he wasn’t talking to her. It had made a tense walk to school. Branch had looked back and forth between his brother and Viva nervously. It was like he could feel the tension rolling off of the older trolls. Poppy on the other hand, skipped carefree in between her sister and Branch.

The pink troll was humming. Viva couldn’t recognize the song, but the sound made her heart soar. It was the closest Viva thought her sister would ever get to singing. 

When they were about twenty feet from the classroom pods, Viva’s hug time watch tinged. Clay’s and Poppy’s went off immediately after. Her sister smiled down at the watch. She hadn’t had it for very long. It had been a gift from their dad. Viva thought that Poppy liked it because it was pretty and all of her friends had one. She never actually hugged during hug time. Well, Poppy never hugged anyone other than Branch.

Poppy ran an index finger over the hug time flower and then flung herself in Branch’s direction. Branch grunted as he caught Poppy in mid air. The pink troll wrapped her arms around her friend tightly. Branch rolled his eyes a bit.

The gray troll never really bought into ‘hug time.’ At least it made sense. He didn’t like normal affection, much less scheduled affection. That was, unless it was from Poppy.

Branch looked from his brother to the princess analytically, no doubt noticing that neither one of them was in a hugging mood. Viva shifted anxiously from foot to foot. “Okay, you two. Go on to class.”

Poppy shook her head, “No. Don’t want to.”

That was another thing. Viva thought they had mostly gotten over the separation anxiety when it came to school. Poppy knew that she would see Branch at recess and then again as soon as school let out. Viva thought they had gotten past this, but ever since they got the twin beds, the anxiety had started all over again.

The princess bit back a groan. “Come on, Poppy. You need to go to class. Don’t you want to see your friends?”

“No!” Poppy insisted, digging her face deeper into Branch’s chest. Well, now that’s just a lie. Poppy was constantly prattling on about her friends and using her drawing binder to refer to them. Recently, Viva had heard the story about DJ finding a lightning bug during recess about a million times.

Branch chirped encouragingly at her, but Poppy squealed back indignantly. Then as if to punctuate her point, she climbed up on Branch’s back and stuck her face in his hair, mimicking how babies would hide in their parent’s hair.

Several trolls who were walking to class, pointed, laughed or just stared. Viva could feel the embarrassment bubbling up inside of her. She shot Clay, who also looked uncomfortable with the childish action, a dirty look. 

Viva practically yanked Poppy off the Gray troll and drug her all the way to her classroom. The princess squeaked and yipped in displeasure, but Viva kept moving. She tried not to look back at the heartbroken gray troll she had left behind. 

She wasn’t trying to hurt them. Really, she wasn’t. They were just-- too close. 

*********************************

The princess had been psyching herself up for this conversation all day. Poppy was still in school and Viva had checked Branch out early. The gray troll trailed nervously behind the blond troll. Viva hadn’t explained anything to him, just that she was taking him home early.

Muses, give her strength. She hated that she had to do this alone. Clay really should have been here, but he still wasn’t talking to her. Apparently even after seeing the regressive behavior from her sister, it wasn’t enough to convince him that they two wild children really could benefit from time apart. It wouldn’t be forever, Viva reassured herself. Just for a little while. And really, the only thing that would change would be their living arrangements!

When the two trolls entered Clay’s pod, Branch’s eyes landed on the twin bed in the living room. The only bed. It had been a pain to move Poppy’s bed to her pod, especially since this time, she didn’t have any help from her lime haired friend. A whimper left Branch’s throat. He turned to Viva with questioning eyes.

“I wanted to talk to you first, before Poppy found out.” She wrung at her hand nervously. “We’re going to stay at my pod and you’re going to stay here with Clay.”

From an outsider’s perspective, Branch had no reaction, but Viva had gotten to know the gray troll fairly well after so long of living with him. His muscles tensed and his ears dropped downward. A shadow fell across his face. 

Viva trudged on, knowing that it was only going to get worse. “You can still hang out together, it just-- the sleeping together and being around each other all the time has to stop.” She looked down. Viva couldn’t bear to look at him as she said this next part. She didn’t want to say it! But it felt like everyone around her was tiptoeing around the facts. It had to be said. “You’re a teenage boy. She’s a little girl. It doesn’t look good.”

She heard a sharp breath enter the gray troll. The floorboards creaked underneath him as he took a more defensive stance. Viva didn’t dare look at his face. He was such a sweet kid, if she looked at him, she knew her resolve would melt away. 

“And she’s not going to listen to me.” Water rushed to Viva’s eyes. Poppy wouldn’t listen to her. She never did. She only listened to Branch. “So I’m going to have to ask you--- Don’t let Poppy in here. She needs to be able to grow and be independent. And she can’t do that if she’s hanging all over you all the time.”

The princess risked a glance up at Branch. He wasn’t looking at her. His eyes were cast down, and he was anxiously opening and closing his fists. His bottom lip was being torn apart by his top teeth. 

“You understand, don’t you?” Viva asked. “You’re smart, Branch. I know you understand things better than she does. You know how it looks.”

Branch banged his fists against his legs, still not looking up. The shadow across his face kept her from seeing his whole reaction. She was only mildly thankful for this. 

“So please,” Viva begged. “Don’t let her spend the night here. Don’t let her sneak in. Don’t let her crawl all over you.” She took a deep breath and prepared to ask him the most unfair question of all. She knew what she was doing was unfair, but she also knew it was for the best. For both of them. “I’m asking that you tell her no. Because she won’t listen to me.”

She quickly wiped at the tears threatening to run down her face. “Can you do that?”

The gray troll’s body shook slightly. His fists opening and closing. Grasping at something unattainable. After a moment he grunted. A sound of affirmation left his throat.

Viva gripped at her own sides, hating herself. Hating this whole situation. She really wanted Clay to be here. “I’m gonna need to hear you say it. I’m sorry, Branch, but I need to hear it.”

Branch’s eyes finally lifted to meet Viva’s. Tears were dripping down his nose. His eyes were bloodshot. Teeth bared. He simultaneously looked like the saddest and most scary thing Viva had ever seen. “Okay.” He hissed out through his teeth. 

*********************************

Viva had let Branch walk Poppy home from school. She needed to go get the last of whatever she wanted out of Clay’s pod. 

Truly, the princess thought the trolls would be gone for hours, soaking up the minutes they had together before bedtime in their respective pods. A small part of her worried that they would run off together. That little pink troll who so desperately wanted to run back to the woods lived in Viva’s mind. But the princess had to remind herself, Poppy had friends here. She wouldn’t just up and leave. Muses, she hoped Branch wouldn’t run off. She would never forgive herself if she took Clay’s brother away. 

What she didn’t expect was Poppy to slam the door open to her pod well before sunset. Her sister’s hair was wild and her face was stained with tears. Her eyes didn’t hold sadness though. No, they were filled with rage. 

“You!” Poppy screamed accusingly at her sister. “What--did-- you-- do?” Viva had never been outright afraid of her sister before, but now looking into her hate filled eyes, she could see how Poppy had been able to take down that rabbit. 

She raised her hands in defense. “Poppy, it’s going to be okay. You’re just going to sleep here in my pod now.”

“No!” The little princess bellowed. Viva took a hesitant step forward, “It’s alright. Really. Won’t it be nice to have your own space? It’ll be just us girls.” Viva really tried to make the best out of a horrible situation.

More tears streamed down Poppy’s face, but the little girl paid them no mind. “Branch,” She hissed.

“Branch is going to stay at Clay’s pod.” Viva informed her. “It’ll be good for the both of you to have space from each other.”

Poppy began to tug at her own hair. “No good!” She screamed. “Branch-- Won’t --” She choked back a sob, the first audible one Viva thinks she had ever heard come from her sister. “Branch won’t talk-- to-- me.” She wailed. The pink troll collapsed to the floor and sobs wracked her body. She wailed loudly, without care.

It scared Viva. She had never seen her sister act like this. Not even in the worst temper tantrum was she loud. Viva stepped towards the pile of her sister, reaching out a comforting hand, only for it to be smacked away. “Go away!” Her sister shrieked. “Away!”

Viva stumbled back, “Poppy…”

Her sister cried and cried. Tears poured from her eyes. Sobs echoed off the wall. “Away! I-- hate-- you!”

Hate me?  

Viva didn’t even know that her sister knew the word hate. It felt so dark. Her sister had yelled it like she meant it. Tears rushed to Viva’s eyes. She stepped backwards and hurried into her room. She fell into a bed she hadn’t slept in for months and cried. 

Silently. 

Chapter Text

Branch lasted about a week before he disappeared. 

Viva was helping some of the glitter trolls work on a banner for an upcoming troll holiday when Clay came rushing up to her. She was thankful for the distraction. She hated being alone with her thoughts right now. Anytime the princess was still, she was instantly taken back to the memory of Poppy crying loudly, screaming that she hated her. She needed a distraction. Viva didn’t want to be alone with herself. 

 Clay rushed into the room and grabbed her by the wrist, quickly pulling her to the side. Viva ripped her hand out of his. She never wanted to be held by the wrist again, not after the way she’s had to hold Poppy in place.

“What is it?” She demanded. Clay hadn’t talked to her since she moved out and now suddenly he was dragging her around? What was his problem?

Clay angrily grit his teeth. “I told you something like this would happen. I told you! But you just wouldn’t leave it alone.”

Oh. Branch. Viva’s ears wilted. Over the past few days, she had purposely avoided the gray troll, not wanting to see his downcast face. She couldn’t live with the decision she had been forced to make. “Is he okay? Has he not been going to school?”

“He’s gone!” Clay hissed.

The statement knocked the wind out of Viva, causing her to take a step back. “Gone? Gone where?”

Clay waved his hands wildly. “I don’t know! You think that if I knew, I would be talking to you?” That cut Viva deeply. They were friends, they used to talk all the time. Viva thought what she and Clay had was special. He understood her in a way no other troll did, not even her father. They had always been there for each other when they had mourned the loss of their siblings and now… Had she really ruined all of this? 

“He never came home last night.”

“Where could he have gone? Where would he go?”

Clay rubbed a hand over his face. “I don’t know. He won’t talk to me.” He narrowed his eyes at the princess. “But I know who might know where he went.”

Viva could tell where this was going. She shook her head rapidly. “No.”

“Viva.” Clay bawled his fists. “My brother is missing. You have to tell Poppy. She might know where he ran off to!”

“Or she might run off with him!” She shouted, accidentally gaining the attention of the glitter trolls. 

“Maybe she should! You’re making her miserable!” The lime haired troll shot back. Viva recoiled at that. 

Ever since Viva moved Poppy into her pod, Branch had stopped talking to her. She would try to approach the gray troll, but Branch would just ignore her. The little troll would squeak and nose at her friend, but he would just push her away, unresponsive. Poppy would glare at her sister with blaming eyes, spouting off words of hate towards her. Every night the little girl would sob in her twin bed, alone. Probably the first time she had ever been alone in her whole life. 

He was right. She was making her sister miserable. 

Viva had destroyed everything. 

The princess curled in on herself, her vision becoming cloudy with tears. “I don’t mean to make her miserable.”

“Viva…” Clay sighed.”We have to tell Poppy.”

*********************************

Viva led Clay to her father’s  pod, where she knew Poppy would be. The young princess had a scheduled hour with her father once a week. Usually, the two would play games or they would scrapbook together. King Peppy would use old photos, while Poppy would use her drawing. The little pink troll used to excitedly share her creations with her sister when the hour was up, but Viva doubts that she’ll want to do that anymore.

When the blond and lime troll entered the pod, they saw that the King and Poppy were deep in a game of connect four. King Peppy was humming in concentration, while Poppy doodled on a notepad in front of her.

“Should I move it here… or here?” Her father wondered aloud. Poppy shrugged and used a gray crayon on her paper. 

“Dad?” Viva interrupted, motioning for Clay to come close. “Is it alright if we steal Poppy?”

“Is our hour over already?” King Peppy asked, holding a game piece in his hand. His eyes wandered over to the board. Smirking, he plays the piece, effectively blocking his opponent. “There! Try and beat that, Miss Poppy.”

Poppy’s eyes lifted up from her drawing, grabbed a game piece and played it. “Four in a row.” She stated. “I win.” Then the pink troll looked back to her art. 

“No, your hour is not up.” Viva said, trying to get them back on track. “We just need to talk to Poppy.”

Poppy refused to look up at her sister. “I no want--”

“Don’t want, dear.” Peppy corrected.

“I don’t want to talk to you.” Poppy sneered and began coloring her drawing roughly. Viva ran her hand through her bangs, irritated. Why was everything always a fight with her sister?

“You’re going to want to hear this.” The blond troll insisted. 

Poppy bared her teeth and growled, still not looking up. “No. I hate you.”

Any fight that Viva had in her, instantly dissipated. She looked to her father, eyes begging him to help, but King Peppy pointedly avoided making eye contact with her. 

“Poppy,” Clay said, finally speaking up. The pink troll raised her eyes to look at him. Viva tried not to be hurt by the attention she was giving him. “It’s about Branch. He’s missing.”

Concern washed over her little pink face. “Missing?”

Clay nodded, “Yes. He didn’t come home last night. I’m really worried about him. Do you have any idea where he might have gone?”

Poppy’s little body shook like a leaf. “Gone? Branch gone?” Water rushed into her eyes, shining brightly in her pink eyes. 

“Do you know where he could be?” Viva asked.

Sharp breaths entered Poppy’s body, loud and shaky. She ignored her sister's question. “Branch--leave me?”

“Left, dear.” Peppy interjected.

Tears spilt over onto the pink troll’s cheeks. “Branch left me?” A sob slipped through her lips and she pressed her face into her notepad. 

“No, no, no!” Clay said frantically. He rushed to the little girl’s side. “I’m sure he just--he just wanted some alone time? He didn’t leave you.” He looked to Viva for assistance, but she just stood there, uselessly quiet.

Well . It’s not like she would have listened to Viva anyway. 

The lime troll looked back to the crying troll. “Poppy, we need to find him. Do you have any idea where he might be?”

Poppy looked down at her notepad, staring hard at it. “Yes. Idea.” She croaked out. When she stood up, she placed the drawing pad down on the table and Viva was finally able to see what her sister had been drawing. 

She shouldn’t have been surprised.

A little gray troll was drawn carefully in the center of the page. 

*********************************

A stray twig smacked Viva in the face. She felt like it was kind of karmic. 

They had been walking in the woods for over any hour looking for Branch. They were circling the same three areas that Poppy swore up and down was where they used to hunt. 

Clay was calling out for his brother, while Poppy chirped out his name. Viva felt… terrible. It was her fault they were in this situation. She never meant to run Branch off, she had just wanted the two trolls to have some space from each other. They were too close.  

The thought sat in her stomach like a rock. 

“Are you sure that he would come here?” Clay asked, desperation leaking into his voice. 

Poppy nodded vigorously. “Yes! Here.” She got low to the ground, sniffing around. She let out her Branch-squeak once more. Viva twitched her ears, expecting to hear Branch chirp back, but there was nothing. The little troll dug her fingernails into the ground. “Branch!” She suddenly screamed. 

Her sister’s scream shot a shiver down Viva’s spine. She remembered the time when her sister’s voice never went above a whisper. 

Viva could see her sister’s lip quivering. “Branch!” She wailed out. Poppy turned to her sister for what felt like the first time in days. “Why --is he no-- come?”

Resisting the urge to rub her sister’s shoulder, Viva bent down to Poppy’s level on the ground. “We’ll find him. I promise.” She swore. They would find Branch. They had to. A whimper left Poppy’s lips. 

“Hey!” Clay called from the other side of the clearing. “I think I found something!” 

Quick as lightning, Poppy shot up and ran over to the lime haired troll. Clay was pointing at the ground. When Viva approached, she could clearly see a troll’s footprint pressed into the mud. Poppy knelt next to the print. “Branch.” She confirmed. 

Quickly, the three trolls sprinted off in the direction that the prints were heading. It was taking them deeper into the woods. As they ran, Viva saw piles of dirt all along the trail. It was strange. Who would pile up dirt like this? And why? 

They followed the footprints until they suddenly stopped. There were no more. Clay spun around in a circle. “Where-- Where did they go?”

Poppy pointed a shaky finger to the runoff stream ahead. Oh. The water. “It’s been washed away.” Viva said in a hushed voice. 

A sob ripped through Poppy and echoed through the forest. “Branch!”

This was it. This was a dead end. Branch was gone. Viva couldn’t even look at Clay. She had done this. She had ruined everything. 

“Poppy?” A familiar horse voice cut through their devastated silence. 

The three trolls whipped around to see a gray troll. “Branch!” Poppy cried, running up to her friend and throwing her arms around him. The gray troll looked so surprised to see all of them out in the middle of the woods that he melted a bit into the pink troll’s hug. 

When Poppy pulled away, she had dirt smeared all over her dress. Branch was covered from head to toe in dirt and mud, but no one seemed to care. They were all just so happy to see him. 

Clay scooped his brother up in a hug. “Where did you go?! I was so scared!” Branch squirmed out of his brother’s grasp, looking a bit sheepish. He shrugged, not offering an explanation. Poppy chirped at him, with her hands on her hips, as if she was scolding him. Again, Clay pulled his brother into a hug. “Don’t ever do that again. I really thought I lost you.”

“Not gone long.” Branch whispered. He flushed a bit and took a step away from his brother. His body shook a bit, and dirt rained down off of him.

Clay’s jaw dropped. “You didn’t come home! I was worried sick!” He pointed to Poppy. “She was worried sick! We were really scared, Branch.”

He shrugged, dirt flying everywhere as he moved. “Didn’t think… you’d care.”

That. That. Broke Viva’s heart. This poor kid. Did he truly believe that no one would care if he was gone?

Poppy whined and squeaked, conveying a message that Viva couldn’t quite understand. She moved to press her face into Branch’s chest, but the older troll stepped back. He shook his head at the pink troll. A whimper escaped Poppy’s lip. Her chin dropped to her chest and her body trembled. 

This had to stop. Viva had to stop this. She couldn’t stand to see her sister miserable for one more second. 

“Branch,” Viva called out, finally speaking up. “I’m so sorry. I-- I was wrong.” She stepped forward, closer to the wild children. “I was trying to look out for you, both of you, but I messed up. I never meant to make you think we didn’t care about you.” She gestured to Poppy, “I didn’t mean to take you away from each other. I just--” She sighed, repeating the same thought she had been having for days. “I just wanted to give you guys some space to be independent from each other. So that you could grow and make friends. I know now, I did it wrong.” Viva looked down, ashamed. 

There was a moment of silence. And then--- “No.” 

Viva looked up to see the gray troll shaking his head. “No.” He repeated in a hushed voice. “You were right.”

Chapter Text

The next couple years moved slowly. They were filled with tears and awkward silences. Branch would disappear for hours at a time and then always return covered in filth. Viva had wanted to follow him, to find out what he was doing so deep in the woods, but Clay had stopped her.

“If you care about him at all, you’re going to let him have this. Let him have this secret.” Clay had crossed his arms, glaring at his friend. “We’ve taken away everything else.”

So the princess let it lie. It wasn’t like he was hurting anyone, except maybe himself. Branch barely attended school anymore. He would be dropped off by Clay at the school pods, but by recess, the gray troll would sneak off. It was like no one could contain him anymore. It was driving Clay insane. 

The lime haired troll liked control and order. He enjoyed rules and regulations. So, being challenged with reigning in his silent and avoidant brother was difficult for him. Especially since the kid wouldn’t talk to him. 

Viva and Clay were walking in the market when her friend confided in her. “I really don’t know how John Dory did it. He had to watch all four of us. I can’t keep control of one kid!”

The pair walked so close together that their knuckles would brush together every so often. Viva still thinks Clay forgave her too easily, but he claims that her speech in the woods two years ago really moved him. He claimed that he could see how her choices were eating her alive and that he didn’t want to punish her anymore than she was already punishing herself. “I’m your friend.” He had insisted. “I don’t want to be the cause of your pain.”

Viva on the other hand, thought she deserved all the pain.

“Yeah, wasn’t he like sixteen when he was watching you guys?” Viva asked, brushing her bangs out of her face.

Clay, her twenty five year old friend, groaned. “You’re not helping!” She let a giggle slip between her lips. Clay continued on. “I mean, I guess I’m just happy that Branch is coming home at all. Except!”

“Except?” Viva prompted.

“He gets the floor all muddy when he comes home! I’m serious, Viv’s, it’s driving me crazy. I’m constantly cleaning up dirt.”

The princess playfully poked at him. “You sure you don’t want to know what he’s doing? How’s he’s getting that dirty?”

Clay shook his head rapidly. “If he doesn’t want to tell me, I don’t want to know.”

Viva looked at her friend in awe. “How do you do that? I could never-- I feel like I’m constantly checking up on Poppy, seeing how she’s doing in school or how things are with her friends.”

“Yeah, well,” He winked at her. “What you do is called spying.”

A blush rose to her cheeks. It was true. Not that Poppy was very big on sharing prior to Viva splitting up the wild children, but she definitely wasn’t now. She hardly talked to her sister. If Poppy did, it was always backhanded. In fact, weirdly, Poppy’s relationship with her father had gotten better the worse her relationship with Viva got. 

Her weekly hour with her father was quickly turning into an hour a day. She would stay with their dad and play games or scrapbook. Viva tried not to be jealous of their growing relationship. He was Poppy’s father after all. 

He’s my dad too, she thought bitterly. And yet she hardly ever saw her father. She had royal duties after all. 

The only way for Viva to know anything about her sister was through spying or asking around. The princess was constantly getting updates from her teachers and certain trustworthy trolls. Viva also knew her sister’s schedule like the back of her hand. For example , she thought to herself, Poppy was at Smidge’s house right now working on a school project.

She scoffed. “Well! I gotta do what I gotta do.”

Clay smirked at her. “Sure, Viv’s.”

She pushed at him playfully and he pretended to stumble. The blond troll giggled, “You’re ridiculous.”

*********************************

When Viva came home, long after her and Clay had finished shopping in the market, she found Poppy at her kitchen table.  

Her little sister was attacking something with a pair of scissors, paper flying everywhere. Glitter was sprinkled all over the table and the floor beneath it. Viva groaned internally. She could never seem to get the glitter off her surfaces, especially not with Poppy always sprinkling it around. One time, Viva swore there was a fleck of glitter in her shampoo. 

Approaching her sister gently, Viva asked, “What are you up to? Making an invitation?”

Poppy’s eyes slid over to her sharply and she let out a sigh. She dropped her hands from her current project. “How am I ‘upposed to answer to that? You asked. Then you answered it yourself.”

“Sorry,” Viva said meekly. She felt like she was always messing things up with the pink troll. Every interaction was like walking on eggshells. “Who are you making the invitation for?”

Her sister went back to her cutting. “Branch,” She said plainly. 

Viva could have guessed that one. Ever since that dreaded day that Branch ran off, the two wild children were never the same. Branch wouldn’t talk with Poppy, not even in their own secret way. Or if they did, Viva could tell it was surface conversation; nothing that really mattered. Because of this, Poppy had made it her personal mission to get her friend back.

She pestered him at hug time. She made him invitations to random troll holidays or parties that she would throw. She would trail behind him, talking at him while he didn’t respond. 

The lack of response was wearing on Poppy, Viva could tell.

The blond troll pulled up a chair next to her sister. She tried to ignore the way her heart sank at the way her sister inched away from her. “Poppy,” Viva started, gently. “You know Branch doesn’t really like parties.”

Poppy smacked down her scissors. “I know that!” She picked up a glitter pack and began pouring it into the invitation’s secret compartment. “But this one-- he has to come to it.”

This one? Viva’s raised an eyebrow in confusion. What could be so different about one of Poppy’s silly parties than the rest of them? She doubted that Branch would have a different reaction than he did all the rest of the times Poppy hopefully passed an invitation his way. The gray troll was always unresponsive. Not mean. Just wouldn’t say anything. No facial reaction. 

Her sister saw Viva’s confusion and if it was possible, her frown at her sister deepened. “You forgot, didn’t you?”

The princess’ hands twitched. “I’m sorry.” She felt like she was the one being scolded by an older sibling. “What did I forget?”

“Branch’s birthday. Clay said we could have a small get together at his pod.” Now that she said it, Viva did have a vague memory of this discussion from a month ago. She just figured that it wouldn’t happen considering how much the gray troll despised get-togethers. 

Poppy stood up abruptly, her chair screeching on the wood floor behind her. “You never remember anything important to me.” The pink troll accused. 

“That’s not true--” Viva tried to defend herself, Poppy cut her off.

“I know you don’t care about him, but I thought you at least cared about me .” 

The young princess stomped away, slamming a door distantly in the pod, leaving Viva alone at the table.  

Eggshells.

Viva’s bottom lip quivered.

*********************************

The princess trailed close behind Clay like a caterbug to it’s mother. She really didn’t know what to do with herself at this party. If you wanted to call it that. 

It was just Poppy, who wasn’t talking to her sister, Branch, who wasn’t talking to anyone, Clay who was attempting to make everything seem normal, and herself. 

Yeah, what a rager. Viva thought sarcastically.

Poppy was sat on the floor in front of the couch Branch was perched on, his knees pulled up to his chest. The pink troll was trying to share her drawing binder with him, but Branch made no movement to show that he was listening to her. Poppy wasn’t deterred though, she kept on trying to engage with him.

Pointing at a drawing of Biggie, she said, “And then Bigge saw that the lightning bug was actually friendly!”

Clay, ever the multi-tasker, handed Viva a spoon and motioned for her to start whisking the cake mix in the bowl in front of her. She did so numbly, while her friend tried to engage with her sister. 

“Ohh. So he wasn’t scared anymore.”

Poppy smiled at him brightly, “Nope! In fact, I don’t think he’s scared of bugs anymore. I told him he didn’t have to be. I’m not.” She said this matter of factly, and a thoughtful look washed over her face. “I used to eat bugs, you know.”

It wasn’t often Poppy or Branch mentioned their time alone in the woods, so when she said this everyone took a bit of a pause. Even Branch’s ears twitched. Clay and Viva shared an anxious look. “Oh?” Clay prompted.

“Yeah.” Poppy nodded. “They didn’t taste bad. Right, Branch?”

The gray troll did not respond. 

Poppy squeaked at him hopefully. Perhaps, reiterating her question to him in their own language.

Again, nothing.

The pink troll wilted. Viva stirred the mix nervously, spilling powder onto the counter. She cleared her throat, “Uh, Poppy? What about that drawing you were doing today? Who was that?”

Poppy sneered a bit at her sister, as if she was annoyed that Viva had even been listening into their very public conversation. “A new kid.” She said roughly and then flipped to the page that contained the picture Viva had seen earlier that day.

It was of a purple troll with aquamarine hair that seemed to shift hues at the top. She had never seen that kid before. Where had her sister met him? Viva was going to have to have another conversation with Poppy’s teacher. 

“A new kid? In your class?” Clay asked as he took the mix from Viva and poured it into a pan. 

Poppy nodded and smiled down at her art. “His name is Creek. He got moved up a grade to my class. He says it’s ‘cause he’s so smart.” She giggled, remembering something funny. “His voice is weird.” 

Clay chuckled a bit and set a timer on the oven. “Weird how?”

“Like this,” Poppy rose to her feet dramatically. “ Good day, love, chop chop.” 

Laughter escaped Viva’s lips and Clay joined in with her. They laughed boisterously and the pink troll grinned widely. “What?” She asked. “It’s true!” She plopped back down on the floor and pointed to her drawing of Creek. “He held open a door for me today.”

“What a gentleman.” Viva cooed. 

Poppy nodded, “He’s really nice! And funny. He made me and my friends laugh a lot today. I really like him.”

“Sounds like someone has a crush,” Clay stage whispered, teasingly. Viva hid a smile behind her hand. Poppy, who definitely heard the lime haired troll, blushed bright red, hiding her grin behind her drawing binder.

The gray troll on the couch suddenly stood up. He jutted a thumb at the door. “Go?” He asked his brother.

Concern grew on Clay’s face. “Go? You wanna--go?”

“Yeah.” Branch said plainly, crossing his arms. 

“Branch, we’re making a cake for you!” Clay insisted. “It’s your birthday! You only turn sixteen once.”

Again, Branch gave away no reaction. “Go?” He asked again. 

Clay threw his hands up into the air exasperatedly. “Sure! Whatever, it’s your day.” Bitterness bled into her friend’s voice. Viva could relate to how he was feeling. She too was constantly fighting with how to handle her younger sibling. 

Branch was quick to rush out the front door of the pod. Poppy slammed her binder shut, stomping to her feet. “Wait-- Branch!” She called and chased the gray troll out of the pod. 

Clay groaned once they were alone, rubbing a hand through his disheveled hair. “Well, great. We made a cake for literally no one to eat.”

“We could eat it.” Viva suggested. She licked at the mix that had gotten on her fingers from her poor stirring skills. She melted a bit at the taste. “Is this red velvet? That’s my favorite! I didn’t know Branch liked it too.”

“Yeah, I know.” Clay rubbed his neck awkwardly. “I actually-- have no idea what flavor Branch likes. Or Poppy. You know how they just shove everything in their faces.”

Viva playfully threw some of the powder from the counter at his nose. “You’re mean.” She teased. 

“Well!” He cried indignantly. “They do! So I just… made the cake I knew you would like.” He rolled his eyes and slumped onto the counter. “And now you get the whole thing.”

There was a silent moment. Viva brushed her hands off on Clay’s apron he had on, causing the green haired troll to smack her hands away, stating that he was not a napkin. “Where do you think he goes?” Viva found herself asking again. 

“I don’t know. Somewhere nice, I hope.”

Yeah, Viva thought. Me too.

Chapter Text

The picnic holiday party was going smoothly. Viva had set up about twenty large picnic blankets for the village to come to congregate on. Trolls brought sweets, savory snacks and songs with them. This was Viva’s favorite troll holiday.

It had been invented after they had escaped the troll tree. Her dad said it would be a nice treat for the village to enjoy being outside without the worry of the Bergens being around. Laying on the checkered blanket as a kid was the only time where she could let go of her grief of her sister and just be. She would stare up at the clouds and try to find shapes. The wind would blow through her pointed fingers. She felt free.

But now. Viva sat on her blanket dealing with her less than enthused sister. “Poppy,” She begged. “You have to eat something.”

The pink troll shook her head and crossed her arms. Since Branch’s birthday fiasco, she found her sister eating less and less. It was weird, Poppy used to be so food motivated. 

Viva held up a treat, knowing how her sister had a sweet tooth. “Come on, don’t you want to give something a try?”

“No.” She said stubbornly, looking around for an absent gray troll. Clay had tried to convince Branch to come to the holiday. He told the gray troll that it was the most relaxing celebration that they had, there wasn’t any loud music or anything. However, Branch merely scoffed and went off to wherever he goes to in the forest. 

“Hey, Poppy!” A yellow troll that Viva recognized as Smidge came running up to the princesses, the rest of her friends trailing behind her. “Do you want to sing with us? We’re about to sing that song from chorus class.”

Poppy turned sheepish, looking left and right. “Oh. I uh-- I can’t. Thanks though.” 

A purple troll who Viva recognized from Poppy’s binder stepped forward. “You can’t? Why?”

Fidgeting with her fingers, the pink troll mumbled, “It’s too loud. Something could hear us.”

All of Poppy’s friends looked at each other. “Something?” Biggie prompted.

“You know,” Poppy whispered, leaning in. Her ears twitched all around, listening for any unusual sounds. “ A Bergen.”

Viva hated that her sister was still haunted by the giants. Even though she was just a baby at the time, she had grown up hiding from all danger. Poppy seemed to always be teetering between fight or flight. The pink troll almost always chose fight. Viva had the bit marks to prove it. 

A chuckle ripped through Creek. “A Bergen? No one had seen one of them in like, twelve years.” He snorted, “Only babies are afraid of them.”

“I’m not a baby!” Poppy said hotly, rising to her feet. 

“I know,” Creek insisted. “Which is why you should sing with us.”

Poppy nervously bit at her lip.

Okay, Viva thought. Time to step in. The princess rose to feet as well, brushing crumbs off her lap. “Okay guys. Run along. She doesn’t have to sing if she doesn’t want to.”

“I want to!” Poppy suddenly blurted. 

The blond troll looked at her sister in shock. In all of the years she had lived with Viva she had  not uttered a single note. Sure, Poppy hummed. But she never sang. 

The pink troll her arms and glared at her sister. “I’m not a baby. I can sing a song.”

The group of her friends quickly tugged her away from the blanket and towards the stage that Clay and the rest of the safety committee had set up. This isn’t going to end well. Viva’s stomach churned uncomfortably. Poppy was still really sensitive to noise. She hoped that the pink troll wouldn't get overstimulated up there. 

Viva wandered closer to the stage and saw Clay fiddling with the speaker wires. She greeted him and he grunted in response. “These wires were everywhere!” He exclaimed. “Someone could trip. I told Seamus to bundle them up.” He groaned and then straightened his back. “What are you doing over here?”

“Poppy’s going to sing.”

His eyebrows rose,” A song?”

Viva nodded, rocking back and forth on her feet. Clay looked up at the young trolls gathering together on the stage. “How do we think that’s going to go?” He asked, staring at the pink trolls who nervously fidgeted with her hands. 

“Who knows,” Viva replied. She would stay close to the stage, in case her sister needed her. 

On the stage, Poppy started to bite at her nails, a sure sign of her anxiety. One of the young trolls, DJ, Viva thought, came forward and spoke into the mic, introducing the group. She told them that the group would be singing a song they had learned in school. 

As they began to sing, Viva couldn’t take her eyes off her sister. Poppy stood in the middle of her friends, slightly moving her lips along to the words in the song. Viva thought the song was about a meadow or something, but she wasn’t really paying attention. She just watched as the pink troll’s eyes shifted back and forth frantically. Poppy’s knees began to wobble a bit, knocking into each other. 

The purple troll, Creek, suddenly reached his hand up and tapped the young princess on the nose. Poppy blinked and reared back, baring her teeth. Creek laughed and gestured for Poppy to join in on the song. Her sister suddenly seemed frozen on the stage, eyes wild with panic.

“Oh no,” Viva muttered under her breath. 

Suddenly there was a crashing sound coming from the woods behind Clay and Viva. Bursting forth from the woods, covered in dirt and muck, Branch appeared looking as wild as the day she had found him. His eyes were bulging and he rushed over to Clay, tugging at his arm.

“Too loud, too loud!” The gray troll hissed, gesturing to the speaker system. 

“Branch, it’s okay. They’re just singing.” Clay said, pointing to the young trolls. Branch shook his head, repeating his words. He reached forward, yanking out all of the cables to the sound system, effectively cutting them off. 

“Hey!” Smidge complained from being cut off mid solo. 

Poppy’s eyes brightened at the sight of the gray troll. She sprinted over to him. “Branch!” She called out. 

Viva returned her attention to the brothers, who were tussling over the wires. “Branch, did the music scare you?” She tried not to sound condescending. 

He shot her an annoyed look. “No. Too loud.” 

The princess looked over the teenage troll in front of her. He was dirty, like he usually was after his trip into the woods. Did he really hear the music all the way out in the woods? 

“Branch!” Poppy smiled as she stopped in front of the gray troll. “You made it!”

Seeing that his brother was distracted, Clay yanked the cables back his way and hid them in his wild hair. Branch ignored the pink troll and turned back to his brother. He stood in front of the speaker, trying to block it. “Too loud.” He reiterated. “ Bergens.” 

“Bergens?” Poppy’s friends had wandered over to the commotion, no doubt wondering what was going on. Viva had to wonder it herself, what had gotten Branch so worked up? They played music all the time. Yeah, Branch never liked it, but he was never this frazzled. At least not since his first Bergen free anniversary. 

Creek rolled his eyes. “What is with all the Bergen talk? We really should focus on something more positive.” All of his friends murmured in agreement. Poppy eyes shifted from Branch to her school friends.

She stood in front of the gray troll. “Well… I mean, he’s right. We are kind of loud. What if a Bergen did show up?”

“Psh. Don’t you think if they were looking for us, they would have found us by now? Use your brain, Poppy.” Creek said, crossing his arms. 

The pink troll’s ears dropped. “Hey!” Viva felt herself speak up. Branch growled from somewhere behind her. The princess stepped towards the purple child. “Those are not kind words--” She was cut off by Poppy shoving her aside.

“I do use my brain.” She said hotly. Then she hesitated, opening and closing her fists. Poppy glanced back to Branch, who was in a defensive stance, ready to pounce. “Maybe… you have a point.”

A whimper left Branch’s throat, making eye contact with Poppy for what felt like the first time in months. Poppy bit at her nails. “Maybe he’s right, Branch. I mean, it makes sense. Maybe we have nothing to worry about?”

Branch shook his head rapidly. “Too loud, Poppy” He whispered. 

Discomfort flashed across her sister’s face. Viva could only imagine what she was thinking. Who was right? Her friends or Branch, someone she had followed and listened to practically her whole life? 

Clay stepped forward, sensing the tension and put a hand on Branch’s shoulder. “Come on, Branch. Let’s go back to the pod. They were just finishing up here anyway.” The gray troll allowed himself to be moved away from the group, but his gaze lingered on Poppy. A hint of betrayal could be seen in his eyes, even from where Viva was standing. 

“What’s with all the dirt all over him?” Biggie asked Poppy. Her sister shrugged and mumbled something about him digging, while staring at the ground. 

Digging? What could he be digging deep out in the woods? 

*********************************

Viva had just about had it with the secrets. She was tired of covering for Branch, giving excuses as to why he was cutting class when she had no idea what he was even doing. Where was all the dirt coming from? What was he digging? She had to know. 

She banged her fist down over and over on Clay’s pod door. The lime haired troll answered the door, his hair looking more untamed than normal. “What?” He demanded.

She put her hands on her hips. “Well. Looks like someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed.”

“It’s five in the morning!” He whispered incredulously. Viva shrugged. She hadn’t had a wink of sleep all night anyway. She had been too keyed up, worrying over her sister, Branch, the digging , all of it. She figured the only way to make herself feel any better was to confront the issue head on.

“I’m going to find out what Branch’s digging. Wanna come?”

Clay’s jaw dropped in confusion. “Wha-- You come here, wake me up, disturb my peace, to invade my brother’s privacy?”

“Uh huh,” She nodded. The princess peered behind her friend, looking for any sign of the gray troll. “He’s still sleeping right?”

“Well, yeah.” Clay gulped. “But that doesn’t mean I think you should do this!”

Viva tucked her bangs behind her ear. “That’s fine. But I’m going. There’s nothing that you can do to change my mind.” She looked up to her slightly taller friend with daring eyes. “So, you coming?”

*********************************

“I just want to make it clear that I don’t condone this!” Clay hissed.

Viva waved him off, following the dirt piles that were littered around the forest trail floor. “Okay, whatever.”

They followed muddy footprints and dirt piled until they reached a boulder. A dead end. Viva left out a ‘humph’. She looked at Clay with questioning eyes. “You got any idea? Where would he go next?”

“Oh no,” Clay said, waving his arms in dismissal. “If I answer that, I’m an accomplice.”

Viva rolled her eyes, “You’re already an accomplice.”

“No, I’m a witness.”

“How is that better?”

“I don’t know!” Clay stomped his foot to punctuate his point, but the ground underneath him broke open. The lime green troll fell through the ground with a shriek.

“Clay!” Viva shouted and rushed over to the fresh hole in the ground. She looked down to see that Clay landed on his rear about seven feet below ground. It looked like he was laying in a big hollow room. It resembled a bunny burrow that Viva had found once as a girl. 

“I’m okay,” Clay assured her, rising to his feet, rubbing his rear end. 

“What’s down there?” The blond troll whispered down to him.

Clay looked around, squinting through the dust that he had stirred up with his fall. “It looks like tunnels.”

Tunnels? Had this been what Branch had been digging?

“I’m coming down.” She announced.

“Wait!” Clay shouted with wide eyes. “We might still need someone up top--”

But it was too late. Viva had already jumped feet first into the whole. She crash landed right into her friend, knocking him to the ground with her on top of him. She looked up to find them nose to nose. Awkwardly laughing, she rolled off of Clay and held her hand out to help him up. “Heh, sorry.”

Clay used her hand to pull himself up. “I just hope that Branch made a second exit.” He looked up to the hole above them. “I don’t know if we can go back out that way.”

Viva glanced around her, taking in the view of the tunnels. Honestly, it was more like a giant room with extended hallways. What was Branch making down here? Was he using it as a storage place of sorts? The princess tugged at her friend, urging him down one of the hallways. 

“What is he doing down here?” She wondered aloud, running her fingertips along the dirt walls. 

Clay shrugged, “I don’t know. It’s weird, I almost recognize--”

Clay was cut off by the sound of something landing hard in the tunnel behind them, near the entrance. Viva slammed a hand over her friend’s mouth and pulled him into a nearby alcove. She was worried that a critter had snuck its way down into the tunnels. The princess looked around for any weapons she could use to defend herself and Clay, but she found nothing. Her muscles tightened. They would just have to be quiet; wait the animal out.

The creature that landed in the tunnel started to make a familiar squeaking sound. One that sounded like a mouse and a bird mixed together. Poppy.

It had to be Poppy calling out for Branch. Viva would know that cry anywhere. She lowered her hand from Clay’s mouth, but motioned for him to stay quiet. He stared back at her with wide eyes.

Poppy chirped out again, but this time it was followed by a voice. 

“Poppy, stop.”

Branch. Viva gulped. She knew that he would kill them when he found them in his secret tunnels. She refused to look at Clay. She didn’t want to hear I told you so. 

“Branch, come on, talk to me.” Poppy begged. Viva’s ears twitched to catch all of their conversation. “Why can’t we talk like we used to?”

“Because things aren’t the same!” He hissed. “You need to go home. You shouldn’t be here.” Viva’s mind was reeling. This was the most that she had ever heard the gray troll speak. I thought he didn’t speak? She felt herself wonder. Maybe… Maybe he just didn’t talk to us?  Poppy didn’t seem all that surprised by his vocabulary. 

“I want to be with you!” Poppy insisted. Viva could practically hear the water flooding her eyes. 

“Well you shouldn’t. We aren’t--- we can’t be friends anymore Poppy.”

“Is this about Viva? And what she said?” The princess could feel the rage in her sister’s voice. It permeated the air. Wow, she really does hate me. 

“This doesn’t have anything to do with her. But…” There was a pause. “She was right. We were too close. It’s weird.”

“You think I’m weird?” Poppy's voice shook. It broke Viva’s heart.

“No! I think… I’m weird. And I don’t want you to be.” Branch sounded so hollow, so empty. It was like he had nothing left to give Poppy. No friendship, nothing. Viva reached for Clay’s hand and squeezed it tight, looking for comfort. 

“Branch, please.”

“You need to go, Poppy. I can’t-- talk to you anymore.”

Poppy squeaked and chirped.

“I can’t do that anymore. I’m sorry.” Another pause. “Please leave. Please.” The gray troll was practically begging. 

Viva could hear a sob echo off the walls of the tunnel as her sister left. The princess also could hear the gray troll break down after he was sure Poppy was out of ear shot. She felt the misery that radiated off of Clay. She knew the guilt that expanded in her chest.

It was all her fault. 

Chapter Text

Cries bounced off the walls and traveled down to the alcove that Clay and Viva were hidden in. They were desperate and loud. Deep down here in the dark, Branch didn’t need to be quiet. Maybe that’s why he’s digging. Viva thought suddenly. He wants to escape… us. All of the other trolls.

“We need to go.” Viva whispered. They could not get caught here. Who knows how Branch would react to finding out that they had heard him totally break down?

The princess began to inch forward, but Clay tugged her back into the shadows. “We can’t leave him like this!” He hissed. 

Viva stared at him with disbelieving eyes. “He doesn’t even know that we are here! We need to go.” She gripped his shirt and pulled him forward. The pair began tiptoeing towards they hole in the ground that they had come through. The cries seemed to be coming from the farther end of the tunnel, so Viva didn’t think she would run into the gray troll. 

The light from above poured into the tunnels from the hole above, placing a spotlight on a step-stool that sat beneath it. For some reason, this gripped at Viva’s heart. Branch had gotten Poppy a stool so that she could leave with ease. Even though he was ending their friendship, he still cared enough to make sure the pink troll got out of the tunnels safely. 

Why had he done it anyway? Why was he pushing Poppy away? Was it Viva’s harsh words from all those years ago like Poppy suggested? Or did it have to do with Poppy’s newfound Bergen policy? 

“Maybe we have nothing to worry about?” She had said. Maybe Branch hadn’t cared for the way Poppy, the person that had hid  in fear for so long with him, had suddenly changed her mind about the deadly threat all because a friend said something. 

Viva pondered all this as she helped Clay step up and use his hair to swing outside the hole. He turned around when he reached the top and held out his hand for her. She swung her hair up next to him and grabbed his hand for support. They helped each other back to their feet and looked down into the hole. Branch’s sobs could still be heard, but they were slightly muffled now.

It was like the hole was calling out to them. Daring them to jump back in. To save Branch. That hole represented all the fear that Viva was feeling. About having to take care of a sister that hates her. About having to interact with a gray troll who Viva owed her sister’s life. About… how her relationship with her father was melting into nothing. 

“Come on.” Clay whispered. “We can’t have him find us.”

Viva worried at her lip, but ripped her eyes from the hole. The pair trudged down the trail surrounded by the dirt hills. Clay kicked one over, bitterly. “I can’t believe you talked me into doing that. That was a total invasion of his privacy!” 

“I didn’t make you do anything!” Viva spit, waving her hands around. “You’re a grown man, you could have gone home anytime you wanted.”

Clay glared at her. “You’re kidding. You came to my house, woke me up insanely early, talking about how you were going to go find whatever Branch was doing with or without me. I had to go! I couldn’t risk you doing something stupid like before.”

A lump grew in the blond’s throat. She knew what he meant. Her own words echoed in her mind. “You’re a teenage boy. She’s a little girl. It doesn’t look good.”

“Then why didn’t you wake him up?” She challenged, ignoring the way her head pounded at the memory of her conversation with Branch. “You could have just woken him up and he would have stopped me.” The princess started to march away. “Don’t blame me for your choices. You wanted to know what he was doing as much as I did.”

Clay stomped behind her. He was quiet for a while, letting Viva’s word sink in. When they were close to the village he finally spoke up. “We didn’t even figure out what he was doing. Digging tunnels? For what?”

“I don’t think they were tunnels.” Viva said, tucking her bangs behind her ear. “They were almost like rooms. Underground rooms.” 

Clay’s eyebrows rose. “So what? He’s making an underground house?” Suddenly the lime green troll gasped. “ The hideout.”

“The what?”

Her friend paced in a circle in front of her as he explained. “It was this thing that Branch and Floyd wanted to build. They talked about it all the time. I think Branch even drew a blueprint.”

“As a baby?” Viva was very well aware of when the brothers had split up. Baby Branch would have been nowhere near old enough to draw blueprints. 

Clay shrugged, “Well, they were pretty rudimentary.” 

“Right. Well, why would he building that now? After all this time?” It didn’t make any sense to Viva. Floyd wasn’t even around anymore. Last she had heard was he escaped from the Troll Tree and never looked back. 

“I don’t know.” Clay looked at her helplessly. “I don’t know. Maybe he misses them?” Viva decided that he must have been referring to his brothers. 

The princess poked at her friend. “You’re here. If he misses them, you need to be here for him. You’ve got to help him, Clay.” Without Poppy, who knows how far Branch would recede inside of himself. 

“He won’t talk to me!” He insisted.

“Then make him!” Viva gestured back towards where the hideout was located. “You heard him. He can talk, he just doesn’t want to. Make him want to.”

Clay shot her a desperate look. “How? How am I supposed to do that?” 

She shrugged. “He’s your brother. You’ll figure it out.”

*********************************

Viva only felt slightly ridiculous telling Clay that he would figure out a way to communicate with his brother when she couldn’t even have a civil conversation with her sister. She could hear her sister crying from outside their pod. Viva braced herself for the worst and opened the door. 

Poppy was spread out on the couch, face down, her tears soaking the couch cushion. Sobs wracked her body and snot was pooling under her nose. Viva approached her slowly and sat down on the couch by her feet. “Poppy… what’s wrong?” The princess felt incredibly guilty about pretending she hadn’t heard the fallout of the wild children’s friendship. 

“Branch,” Poppy choked back a cry. “He doesn’t want anything to do with me anymore. It’s so much worse than before.” She sat up, pulling her knees to her chest. Her body trembled. “He doesn’t want to be around me at all.”

Viva rubbed a hand on her sister’s back. “Maybe he’s just going through something right now. Teenagers can be pretty emotional. He might change his mind after a while.”

The pink troll shook her head devastatingly. “No. This is different. He means it.” 

The princess wrapped her arms around her sister’s shoulders and squeezed. She truly felt horrible for her little sister. Poppy had gone through so much at the young age of twelve. “I’m so sorry, Poppy-girl.”

Suddenly her sister tensed. She glared at Viva. “Everything was fine until you found us.” The pink troll shot to her feet. “We were fine! And you had to ruin everything!”

The air had been knocked out of the blond troll’s lungs. Was Poppy really suggesting that they were better off in the woods living like animals? Better off with her entire family thinking she was dead? Heat rose to Viva’s cheeks and she grit her teeth. “ Fine? You were fine eating bugs, scavenging for food, wearing leaves as clothes, and living in filth? That’s fine to you?”

“It was better than living with you!” Poppy spat. “We had each other and now—“ Her bottom lip quivered. “Now he won’t— he won’t—“ The pink troll let out a chirp that could have meant anything. More sobs were stirred up, leaving the young princess loudly. 

“Poppy…” Viva stood up, reaching out to her sister to try to comfort her. 

Poppy stepped away, squeaking and chirping frantically. It was like she was calling out for someone she knew wouldn’t answer. Finally, she coughed and spit out words. “I don’t want to live with you anymore.”

“What?” Viva felt like she was getting whiplash. What was her sister saying?! 

“I want to live with dad,” The pink troll cried, hugging herself. “I wanna live with dad.” Large tears rolled down Poppy’s cheeks and she stepped even further away from Viva. 

Viva looked at her with disbelief. With dad? Not with her? “Why?” She asked in a whisper.

“Because he didn’t push away the only person who matters to me!” Poppy shrieked. “I don’t care what he says, I know it’s because of you. He would never tell me what you said that day, but I know it had to be awful.” Poppy sunk her nails into her arms. It looked painful and Viva momentarily worried she would make herself bleed. “He was never the same. You said something.”

The pink troll suddenly moved to the door of the pod. “I hate you for what you did to him.” Poppy slammed the door behind her leaving Viva feeling like she had been shot. 

Did she… was she really the reason that Branch was rejecting Poppy so extremely? An uncomfortable feeling began brewing in her stomach. She had never meant for any of this to happen. She had just wanted to help her sister.

In the end, all Viva seemed to be able to do was hurt Poppy. 

*********************************

Viva found herself in front of her dad’s pod. She had debated even going, but she figured she needed to make sure that Poppy had actually run off to their father’s home. She lightly knocked on the door, wishing she was anywhere else. 

King Peppy answered the door with a knowing look in his eyes. “Hey kiddo.” It had been a long time since Viva was a ‘kiddo.’ She was the crown princess, she had lots of responsibilities. Hearing her father refer to her as such brought a sob to her lips. “Is Poppy here?” She asked, her voice thick with tears.

Her father pulled her close, wrapping her in a hug. Viva held him tightly. She desperately needed this hug. She could smell her father’s cologne. It reminded her of when she used to live with her dad and they would do everything together. Other trolls often called Viva her father’s shadow when she was a kid. “Yeah, she’s here.” King Peppy confirmed. “She is pretty upset.”

“She wants to move in with you.” Viva let tears run off her cheeks and onto her father’s shoulders. “She thinks I ruined her life.”

Peppy pulled back and held his daughter by her shoulders. “You didn’t ruin her life, Viva. She’s young. She is being a little over dramatic.”

“She wishes that I had never found her!” Viva whispered this confession, like she didn’t even want to believe it. “She wants to go back to living in the woods with Branch.”

“Viva,” Her dad placed a hand on her chin, redirecting her eyes. “You did the right thing. What Poppy and Branch had was special. But it was out of necessity. As hard and awful as it was, you gave them an opportunity to be independent and not rely only on each other.”

Another sob slipped through her lips. “If it was the right thing, then why does it feel so awful ?”

“Because doing the right thing hurts sometimes.” King Peppy squeezed her shoulders. “Why do you think I called off the search for Poppy all those years ago? It hurt, but it was the right thing to do. I couldn’t let the village wallow in despair anymore.” He ran a hand through her hair. “It’s a hard lesson to learn, but you’ll need to know how to make these hard choices when you’re Queen one day.”

Viva pressed her face into her dad’s chest and let more tears fall. Sobs kept leaking out of her lips without her permission. She couldn’t stop crying even if she wanted to. 

“I have faith in you, kiddo. It’ll be hard, but you’ll continue to make the right choices.” He hugged his daughter close. “It’ll get easier.”

Muses, she hopes so. 

Chapter Text

Years strung out like molasses. Viva found herself having to make those hard decisions more and more often. Her dad was beginning to take a step back from commanding the trolls. He said it was because they were getting closer and closer to Viva’s coronation age. Viva knew the real reason why. King Peppy was enjoying spending time with a daughter who’s childhood he had missed entirely. 

Which wasn’t inherently a bad thing, except that Viva found herself being brushed to the side. Instead of helping Viva with the hard choices, her father would just insist that she would learn on the job. She felt blown off. It also didn’t help that she was still having to reign in her sister.

Poppy had grown up a lot in past years. She no longer let her hair fly wildly. No, she placed her hair in a meticulous blue hair tie each morning, allowing for the rest of her hair to billow out of the top of the ponytail like a waterfall. Poppy no longer wore dirty clothes or had to be forced to be in clean ones. She had the desire to look good.  Viva tried to remember when she started caring about how she looked, and she supposed that she had been around Poppy’s age. 

Teenagers, Viva mentally rolled her eyes. Poppy was deep into her teenage years and it showed. She was constantly getting into trouble with her friends and Viva was constantly trying to get her out of it. Most recently, they had set off a glitter bomb in the middle of class. Viva had a hard time talking her way out of that one. She had tried to explain to Poppy she could have damaged furniture or really hurt someone, but the pink troll hadn’t wanted to hear it.

“You need to apologize.” Viva insisted. “Someone could have really gotten hurt.”

Poppy scoffed, “But no one did. And you’re not my boss.”

The pink troll did end up apologizing, but when Viva wasn’t around. The blond troll heard through the grapevine that the young princess had made her teacher an apology card with no glitter.  

Now, Viva was having a coffee at the very coffee shop she knew Poppy and her friends would visit each day after school. It had kind of become a ritual for Viva. Come in, grab a coffee, sit on the patio in the shadows and wait for her sister to arrive. She was well aware that she had taken her spying to a new level. Actually spying. 

When she was about halfway finished with her latte, her sister and her friends strolled up. It was only the girls with Poppy today. Weird, she thought. That Creek kid was normally attached to her sister at the hip. 

The girls entered the shop, got their coffees and then settled outside on the far corner of the patio. Viva shifted deeper in the shadows. 

One of the twins groaned. “I can’t believe we have to write two whole pages for Mr. Honey.”

The other twin nodded in agreement. “I can taste my F right now. I hate writing papers.”

“I dunno, they're not so bad,” Poppy said while sipping on her drink. Viva had it on good authority that Poppy had already turned in this particular paper and had received an A.

Smidge giggled. “That’s because you’re like, the smartest person in the class.”

Poppy blushed deeply. “Oh, I don’t think so. Creek is way smarter than me.” All her friends shook their heads at this, and Viva couldn’t help but agree. She had heard that kid talk before at a community meeting. Most of the time Creek talked out of his ass. Viva did not understand her sister’s infatuation with the purple troll. She could really do much better.

“Come on, Poppy!” DJ elbowed her friend. “Take the compliment.” She teased. 

“Yeah, Poppy.” One of the twins echoed with a smile.

“Take it!” Said the other. Jeez, Viva really needed a way to tell these two girls apart.

Suddenly, Smidge let out a long and low whistle. “Look,” Smidge said and pointed in the direction of the forest’s edge.

Out of the woods emerged Branch and Clay. They were both covered in dirt. Viva had to bite a laugh back. Clay’s big idea of how to get his brother to talk to him was to help him dig his hideout. Clay had told Poppy that they didn’t talk much, mostly they just dug or transferred dirt, but he could tell that Branch appreciated the help. The gray troll had even corrected Clay and informed him that it was not a hideout, but in fact it was a bunker. A fortified survival bunker.

Viva hadn’t been inside since she had snuck in, but Clay said that it had changed a lot since then and was almost ready to be furnished. 

At the wood’s edge, the brothers began to brush the dirt and mud off of each other. Smidge let out another whistle. “Not really tall, but definitely dark and handsome.” She said, staring at the gray troll with heart eyes. 

The other girls hummed in agreement. Poppy shot them a confused look and Viva almost spat out her drink. She laughed silently. Her sister clearly had no idea that her friends found her former wild counterpart attractive.

“Are you talking— Branch?” Poppy asked incredulously.

Smidge nodded, “Oh yeah.” She propped her elbow up on the table and laid her cheek on her hand. “I’m really into the brooding thing. And you gotta admit, he is smokin’”

Poppy’s cheeks lit on fire, redness even moving down to her neck. “No, I don’t!”

“Oh come on, Poppy.” Satin, Viva thought, tugged at her friend. “You've really never noticed how cute he is? Gray or not, he’s very handsome.”

Chenille clapped her hands together. “And whatever he’s doing out in those woods is really helping with his muscle definition.” Both of the twins swooned as the gray troll in the distance flexed his arm to try and get the dirt out of his hair.

“Yeah. Even I’ve got to admit that he’s good looking.” DJ Suki stated. “Although, I am usually not into older guys.”

The confusion on Poppy’s face was suddenly washed away and replaced with a defensive one. “Well, he’s not that much older than us.”

Smidge leaned forward. “So, do you see?” She gestured to the gray troll.

“I guess, I just never thought about it.” Her sister found herself staring in the direction of her former friend. It was like Poppy couldn’t tear her eyes away from him. “I-- I see it.”

All of the girls broke into giggles. Poppy blushed even more deeply, while Viva tried not to let her own giggles escape.

*********************************

Viva had settled in for the night. She was cuddled up on the couch with a romance novel she had just borrowed from the library. As she read, she would slip a caramel candy into her mouth. Reading sweet moments really went well with a sweet treat, she thought. In her book, the lead character, a strong willed woman, was being forced to be around an old high school rival. Viva giggled into the pages. She just loved reading enemies to lovers stories. 

Just as her novel was starting to get good, there was a knock at her door. It was quick and frantic. Just behind her door she could hear someone attempting to whisper poorly. “Sh!! She’ll--bluh, uh. She’ll--She will hear youuuuu.”

Another voice followed as Viva approached the door. “That’s the point.”

It was late at night. Who would be at her pod? She opened her door, and her sister spilled in. Literally. She tripped forward and landed flat on her back just inside of Viva’s pod.

“Surprise!” She shouted and waved her hands around. Poppy made no movement to get up. Gray hands were quick to scoop the pink troll back on her feet. Viva moved aside to let Branch lead Poppy to the couch. Poppy stumbled as she walked, like it was taking all of her energy to move. So many questions were running through the princess’s mind. Why was Branch here? She thought they weren’t speaking? But the most pertinent question on her mind was:

“Are you drunk?” Viva practically shrieked. 

Poppy had her eyes closed as she waved her finger around sluggishly in correction. “I am not drunk! First of all, how dare you. I am not drunk, I am literally not dr--bluh---drunk.”

“She is.” Branch stated. “Water?” 

Viva was quick to move to the kitchen to pour her sister a glass, but could not hold her tongue while she did so. “What were you thinking?! You’re sixteen! You’re not old enough to drink.”

“Well,” Poppy said, slinging her head over to one side. “I did.” She waved her hands around in a wave-like motion. “Everything-- thing feels sooo funny. Silly!”

Viva passed the water cup to Branch, who brought it to Poppy’s lips. She downed the drink quickly, like it was a shot. She smacked her lips when she was done. “Thanks Bra-- bluh-- Branch.”

Watching her sister almost gag in between sentences made her nervous. How much had she had to drink exactly? Viva drug the kitchen trash can over to where her sister was spread out on the couch. Branch was making quick work of taking off Poppy’s jacket, attempting to make her more comfortable. 

“Where did you get the alcohol? Who did you get it from?” Viva had to know. She couldn’t have underage trolls drinking around the village! It set a bad precedent. 

Poppy looked at her sister with bleary eyes. “Party,” She mumbled. Great, Viva thought. Very descriptive. 

The blond troll turned to Branch. “Were you at the party?” It seemed unlikely, especially with Branch’s distaste for loud music, but why else would he be here right now?

The gray troll shook his head and Poppy grabbed his arm, tugging him closer to her. “Branch saved--” She hiccuped. “Branch saved me. I was walking-- and I tripped. He found me on the ground.”

Branch stood firm, not allowing the pink troll to pull him down on the couch, although she was trying. He looked to Viva, “Couldn’t. Take her to Peppy.”

“No!” Poppy shouted. “Dad can’t know I drank! He’d be so disappointed.”

Viva narrowed her eyes. “ I’m disappointed.”

Poppy waved at her dismissively. “Who cares?” Then the pink troll tugged on Branch’s arm once more. She gave him a sweet smile and batted her eyelashes. “Thank you for saving me, Branch.”

Looking a tad uncomfortable, the gray troll handed the cup back to Viva, silently asking her to fill it up with more water. As she went back to the kitchen, she could hear Branch whisper, “You’re welcome.”

“You’re like--” A hiccup was released. “You’re like my hero.”

Branch stuttered at that. Viva brought the cup back filled to the brim with water and handed it off to Poppy. “Drink up.” She commanded. What had her sister been thinking? She was a princess, she was setting a bad example for the other young trolls in the village. Who all was at this party? Really, Viva was going to have to do something about this. 

The pink troll downed the glass as fast as she had with the first one. However, when Branch took the cup from her, her face crumpled a bit. A sheen of tears appeared in Poppy’s eyes. Viva grabbed the trash can and thrust it forward. “Are you okay? Throw up in here.”

Poppy pushed the bin away. “No.” A tear rolled down her cheek. “It was awful.” The young princess looked down at her lap and more tears fell. “People always say how magical it was supposed to be, but it was awful.”

A chill ran through Viva’s body. What had happened at this party? If someone took advantage of my sister, I’ll kill them. Branch stiffened next to the pink troll, most likely a similar thought running through his mind. 

“ What?” He asked roughly. 

Poppy pressed her palms against her eyes. “It was terrible. Tongue everywhere.”

“ What?!” Viva shouted, grabbing her sister’s face, looking her over for injury. Poppy allowed herself to be moved and jutted her lip out. “Clay always read those stories where kisses were so magical. But-- but tonight,” She hiccuped. “Tonight I had my first kiss and it was awful!”

The relief that ran through Viva’s body was immense. She could almost collapse from the adrenaline leaving her body. Half a chuckle left her. “Oh, Poppy. You scared me!” She ran a hand through the pink troll’s hair. “Everyone’s first kiss is bad. No one knows what they’re doing.”

Branch’s muscles had relaxed an inch, but not by much. He flexed his fists open and closed, a sign that he was still keyed up. Poppy leaned drunkenly into him. “Is that true, Branch? Is it supposed to be bad?”

The gray troll looked like a caterbug in a headlight; totally frozen. He stuttered uncomfortably and continued to fidget with his hands. Poppy ran a finger up his arm, looking at him with wide, drunken eyes. “Was it bad for you?” She asked.

“Okay,” Viva said, pushing Poppy back into the couch. This had to stop. Whatever this was.  She looked at the extremely uncomfortable gray troll. She nodded her head to the door, “You can go. I’ll make sure she doesn’t choke on her own vomit.”

Branch bit his lip and looked back and forth between the two sisters before nodding. He exited Viva’s pod swiftly. 

The princess looked back to her sister, who was scowling at the door. “Why did you do that?” Viva demanded nodding her head in the direction of where Branch had left. 

Poppy rolled her eyes. “I didn’t--bluh, I didn’t do nothing.” She said swaying in her seat.

Viva crossed her arms. “You were making him uncomfortable.”

Poppy mirrored her sister. “Smidge thinks he’s hot.”

Viva shot her a confused look. What did that have to do with anything? “Okay? And?”

“She can’t think that.”

“Why not?”

“Cause Branch isn’t hers.”

Viva’s mind reeled at that statement, trying to ignore who it implied that Branch belonged to. She shook her head and reached for Poppy’s hand. “You need to go to bed. The best thing you can do is sleep this off.” 

Poppy let herself be drug into Viva’s room and tucked into bed. Viva placed the trash can by her bedside and a water cup on the nightstand. Just as she was about to turn off the light, Poppy whispered to her. “You promise it’s supposed to be bad?”

Viva looked at her younger sister, who was snuggled under blankets. At that moment, Poppy looked a lot younger than sixteen. She looked like a little girl who was in need of her big sister’s reassurance. Viva nodded. “Kissing? Yes, your first time is always bad. No one knows what they’re doing.”

“So it won’t always be like that?” The pink troll wore a concerned look on her face and brought the covers up to her mouth. Poppy bit at the blanket a little, a childhood habit that apparently had not been broken since she had moved in with their dad. 

Viva shook her head. “No, I promise. Kissing is fun. Especially when the other person knows what they are doing.”

Poppy let out a sigh of relief. “Good. I was worried. If that was what kissing was always going to be like, I’m not sure if I could have done it again.”

Viva leaned against the door and giggled. It must have been a pretty bad kiss. Too much tongue, Poppy had said. Who goes and tries to make out with someone as their first kiss? A first kiss should be a peck, at the most. “Who did you kiss?” Viva was dying to know.

“Creek.” 

Damn, Viva should have seen that one coming. 

Chapter Text

Viva was pouring a cup of coffee when she finally heard Poppy rouse. A groan came from down the hall and Poppy stumbled into the kitchen holding her head. Viva had to stifle her laughter. Serves the kid right. You can’t drink that much without consequences, Viva thought. 

“Coffee?” Viva offered. 

Poppy moaned and shook her head. “You don’t--” She gagged a little. “You don’t put enough sugar.”

Viva rolled her eyes and pushed and empty bowl towards her sister. Just in case. “Think about all of the alcohol you consumed last night. You’ve had plenty of sugar. You need something to settle your stomach.”

“There’s sugar in alcohol?” Poppy asked as she sat at the counter. She tried to wipe the sleep from her eyes while simultaneously holding her forehead. 

“Yes.” Viva deadpanned. If her sister didn’t know there was sugar in alcohol, then she definitely didn’t need to be drinking it.

“What about something for my head?”

The princess shoved a bottle of pain medicine in her direction. She figured that Poppy would be pretty hungover considering how drunk she was last night. As the pink troll threw back a pill into her mouth, Viva leaned forward on the counter. “So. How much do you remember last night?”

Poppy gave her a confused look. “What do you mean? I remember it all.”

“Even kissing Creek?” Viva teased.

The young princess stuck her tongue out in disgust. “Yeah. Even that.”

“So I take it that Creek is off the list of potential boyfriends, huh?” Viva hid her smile in her coffee mug. Muses, she really did not like that purple troll. He was such a know-it-all. He was constantly asking condescending questions at their town hall meetings. She thought back to last meeting where she had suggested adding a fence around the playground, in order to keep the young trolls safely inside. Creek had asked her if she “really wanted to enclose young minds in such a way?”  Viva hoped Poppy kicked him to the curb. 

However, Poppy raised an eyebrow in confusion. “Why would I do that?”

“You said he was a bad kisser.” Viva reminded her.

“You said everyone is their first time.”

Viva nodded her head around. “Yes. But was it his first kiss? People don’t really go in with tongue when it’s their first kiss.”

“I don’t know!” The pink troll crossed her arms, offended. “I’m not his keeper. You’re the one who said that it gets better.” She looked down at her arms, running her nails over them. Viva wondered if her sister had noticed that her nails were a lot more blunt than they used to be when they first met in the woods. “Maybe I just need more practice.”

“Or,” Viva suggested. “Maybe it just needs to be with the right person.”

Before Poppy could open her mouth with a defensive remark. There was a knock at the pod door. Gosh, Viva thought. I sure am popular lately. 

She answered the door to find Branch at her doorstep yet again. Viva was getting whiplash. She would go days without seeing the gray troll and now here he was at her door two days in a row. Branch, for his part, looked nervous. He extended his arm towards Viva, holding a box of crackers. “For Poppy.” He stated. “Stomach.”

Viva took the box in her hands and opened the door fully, allowing her sister to see Branch at the doorstep. The pink troll’s eyes brightened. “Branch!” She cheered. “What are you doing here?”

The princess passed the box over to her sister. “He brought you something to settle your stomach.”

Poppy grinned down at the box and pulled it close to her chest. “Look at you,” She said sweetly. She looked up at the gray troll with a blush dusting her cheeks and nose. “Coming to my rescue once again.”

There was something so flirtatious about the way the pink troll spoke to Branch. Viva felt awkward standing in her own living room, as though she was intruding on something. She felt like she should interrupt. Her father would want her to interrupt. Her father’s voice rang in her ears, “ They are too close.”

She should listen to that voice.

But.

Damn it. She couldn’t be responsible for another issue between the gray and pink trolls. She didn’t think her heart could handle it. They’re getting older anyway, Viva thought. If Branch was really uncomfortable, he would say so, right? He wouldn’t let Poppy cross into inappropriate territory. Besides, Viva thought these two needed to have some semblance of a relationship. You can’t go living with someone and spending every waking second with them for eight years and then quit cold turkey. They needed some sort of friendship.

An almost violet coloring rose to the gray troll’s cheeks. His eyes flicked from Poppy to Viva. Poppy’s eyes slid over to her sister. “Can you go get me some more medicine?” The young princess shook the pain pill bottle in her hand. “I don’t think this stuff is gonna cut it.”

“Uh…” Viva felt herself hesitate. She knew what Poppy was trying to do. Poppy thought if she could get Viva away, Branch would talk to her freely. “Okay, I’ll be right back.”

Viva headed down the hall and rounded the corner into her bathroom. As soon as she was out of sight, she heard Poppy sigh. “I really owe you one. Last night was kind of embarrassing.”

“I’m surprised you even remember it.” Branch’s voice was rough, as though he had gone days without using it. Which was probably true. Viva decided that a conversation between the two former friends was probably well overdue. She took her sweet time looking for the extra medicine bottle. 

Poppy giggled. “Oh, how could I forget? The way I tripped over my own two feet was insane.” There was movement. “Look how bruised my knees are!”

There was a pause. Viva picked up a bottle and shook it, trying to imitate the noises of a person searching for a pill bottle. 

“You shouldn’t have drank that much. You could have gotten really hurt. Or sick.” Branch’s voice was almost a hushed whisper. The sincerity in his tone made Viva’s heart swell. Even after everything those kids had been through, he was still looking after her.

“I was fine.” Poppy said dismissively. “Besides, you were there to pick me up when I fell.” Viva could hear the smile in her sister’s voice. “You were like my knight in shining armor.” Viva shook the pill bottle again, hoping the noise traveled down the hall and into the kitchen. Too far, Poppy. 

Branch stammered in response, a little flustered, but Poppy kept on. “And you were so strong, the way you lifted me up.” Viva could practically hear the way her sister would be leaning towards the gray troll.

“I, uh. I--”

“All that digging really paid off, huh?” Viva couldn’t help but notice how this statement echoed one that Smidge had made days earlier. What was Poppy’s game here? 

“I guess? I don’t know what you mean.”

“I mean,” There was a pause. “Look at your muscles. They’re so---”

Viva had decided that this conversation had strayed into a very not friendly territory. Or maybe too friendly. “Okay!” She yelled out as she headed out of the bathroom and back down the hall. “I found it!”

When she entered the kitchen, she saw a very anxious looking Branch with his arm trapped in a very determined looking Poppy’s grasp. Viva shook the bottle and tossed it at her sister. “Here you go.”

Poppy dropped Branch’s arm to catch the bottle. “Thanks.” She deadpanned. She turned her bright eyes to the gray troll. “And thank you for coming to check on me. It was very sweet.”

Branch bit his lip and nodded. He pointed to the box of crackers that had moved to the counter. The pink troll giggled. “Yes, I’ll make sure to eat some.”

He nodded again, then waved to the sisters before exiting. 

Viva leaned her back against the counter and crossed her arms. “What’s your game?”

“What are you talking about?” Poppy asked innocently, as she began to open the box of crackers. She reached in and popped one into her mouth. 

“That, just now.” Viva mock swooned, “ Oh Branch, you’re so strong!”

The pink troll bared her teeth at Viva. “Knock it off.”

“No, you knock it off.” Viva insisted. “You’re like-- being weird.” She scoffed and threw out a ridiculous suggestion. “What? Is Branch going to make the list of Potential Boyfriends?” So ridiculous, Viva mentally rolled her eyes.

Poppy threw another cracker into her mouth. “Maybe.”

She might as well have sucker punched the blonde troll. “Poppy.”

“ Viva.” The pink troll mimicked back. 

Viva tucked her bangs behind her ear, anxiously. “You can’t be serious.”

Poppy rolled her eyes. “And why not?”

“Because he’s Branch! He’s--”

The pink troll cut her off, “He’s not that much older than me, so don’t even bring that up.”

Viva thrust her arms out dramatically. “Poppy that isn’t the point, I mean, it doesn’t help, but it is not the point!” She hissed.

“Then what is the point?” Poppy demanded, accidentally crushing the cracker in her hand. Crumbs spilled all over the floor. 

“He’s like your brother. He practically raised you for the first eight years of your life!”

Poppy snapped to her feet, crushing the crumbs of the cracker into dust. “Don’t be gross.” There was a fire lit in the pink troll’s eyes. “I can’t---” She grunted and snarled, reminding Viva of how animal-like her sister used to be. “I can’t even look at you.” She quickly grabbed the box of crackers and hurried out the pod door.

Viva was left with the tension they had created and the dust of crackers on her floor.

*********************************

At this point, Viva should be given some sort of prize for her excellent spying. That or a restraining order. She had been trailing behind Creek and Poppy for quite a while without gaining either of their attention. Viva just needed to make sure that Poppy wasn’t doing anything crazy. Those weird comments she made in her kitchen… they really unsettled the blond troll. 

Viva might not like the purple troll, but at least he was an appropriate choice for her sister. Poppy would laugh at Creek’s jokes and hang onto every pseudo-intellectual thing he’d spout. Honestly, it made Viva a little sick. Puppy love, she groaned internally. 

The two younger trolls were walking side by side, their knuckles brushing against each other every so often. The princess wondered why the purple troll didn’t just bite the bullet and hold her hand. Suddenly, Creek stopped on the path they were on and brushed an eyelash from Poppy’s cheek. He held it out for the pink troll to blow on. “Make a wish.”

Poppy blushed and blew with her eyes squeezed shut. 

The whole thing was kind of nauseating to watch. Viva stood a good ways back and hid herself in the shadows of the pods that hung over head. 

Creek leaned in, presumably to plant a kiss on the young princess’s cheek, but Poppy flinched backwards. She laughed awkwardly and instead placed her hand in his. Clearly, their last shared kiss still lingered in her mind. Viva could relate. Her first kiss had been awful, she hadn’t lied about that.

She had been talked into playing seven minutes in heaven with other trolls in her class. She was shoved in a closet, along with a boy who was slightly older than her. He had immediately latched onto her lips and attacked her fiercely. It had made Viva widely uncomfortable and she escaped the closet long before the seven minutes were over. 

An abrupt snapping of twigs could be heard coming from the edge of the village, shaking Viva out of her memories. It was Branch. He was snapping twigs and created a small bundle of firewood. Apparently, the gray troll’s movements also caught the attention of her sister.

Poppy quickly pushed Creek away. “Okay, well. I’ll see you tomorrow!”

Creek’s face fell. “But I thought we were going to that yoga class together?”

“Oh. That.” The pink troll fake yawned. “You know, I’m feeling pretty tired. I think I’m going to have to raincheck you.” Poppy started pushing Creek back in the direction of his pod, away from the gray troll. Once she was sure that Creek was far enough away, Poppy moved to approach Branch.

This can only lead to trouble. Viva moved closer to the former wild children, but stayed in the shadows of the pods. She felt like she needed to stay close, just in case. In case of what, Viva wasn’t sure. 

“Hey, Branch!” Poppy said cheekily. The gray troll spun around in her voice and fumbled with the sticks in his hands. He rapidly looked around, trying to see if anyone was around, before whispering, “Hey, Poppy.”

Poppy smiled even wider. “What are you doing with those?” She gestured to the sticks. 

Branch picked up the twigs that he had dropped. “I uh, I’m stocking up. For my bunker.”

Poppy nodded in understanding, but then a strange expression flicked across her face. It was like discomfort mixed with desperation. Branch shot her a knowing look. “What is it?” He asked.

“You’re not my brother,” She blurted out. Viva groaned under her breath. Clearly she had been holding onto that even since it spilled out of Viva’s mouth. 

The sticks once again fumbled out of Branch’s hands as he stepped backwards. A repulsed expression was etched into the gray troll’s face. “No. I’m not. Why would you say that?”

Poppy groaned and tugged at her hair. “I don’t know. It was something Viva said.”

Branch stiffened at the mention of the princess. “What did she say?” 

He’s afraid, Viva thought. He’s afraid of what I might have said. Viva felt shame rush through her. He was afraid of what she had already said. “You’re a teenage boy. She’s a little girl. It doesn’t look good.”

“Something stupid. What else?” Poppy grumbled. She paused and then looked at the gray troll. Viva couldn’t help but notice that the pink troll was just a hair taller than her former counterpart. “Hey, I was wondering if we could hang out sometime?”

“Uh--” Branch stuttered. “I uh, I dunno--”

Poppy cut him off and grabbed at his hands. “Listen, I get why we couldn’t be around each other when we were younger. You were right, it was weird. But we’re not kids anymore--”

Branch ripped his hand away. “You still are a kid.”

“No, I’m not.” Poppy said, her nostrils flaring. “And if I am, then you are too.”

“No, Poppy. I’m not.” Branch shook his head and bent over to pick his sticks up. Unease was all over the gray troll’s face. “Just because I don’t want you to get hurt or be sick doesn’t mean that I think we should be friends.”

Poppy’s face fell, completely wounded. “ Why not?” She looked desperate for a real answer. She had been asking this question for years. Viva never knew how to answer her. Apparently, neither did Branch.

Branch held the sticks tightly to his chest, like they were protecting him from the girl in front of him. “Because I’m not good for you, Poppy. Because you’re just a kid.”

Poppy hissed at him. It was like they were back in the woods together. Her muscles were tense as though she was facing off an opponent. “ Please,” She said sarcastically. “You’re nineteen , Branch. You’re hardly an adult.”

Frustration grew on the gray troll’s face. “I’m adult enough to move out.”

“Move where? Your bunker?” Poppy rolled her eyes. She answered with Branch’s silent stare, confirming to her and Viva, that yes, he would be moving into the underground bunker. Water started to build in Poppy’s eyes. Her voice shook as she spoke. “You’re--You’re moving back out there without me?”

“You need to be here, Poppy.” Branch gripped onto the sticks tighter, as if he was trying to convince himself of this statement as well. 

“I need to be with you.” She declared meanly. A tear ran down her face, but the pink troll didn’t even bother to wipe it away. 

The gray troll shook his head. “No, you don’t.”

Chapter Text

Poppy gripped at the gray troll’s arm. “Why not?” She pleaded. “Why can’t it be like it used to?”

Again, Branch had to wrench his hand away from the pink troll. “Because it can’t!” He flexed his fists open and closed, his whole body seeming to vibrate. “I don’t know what you want from me, but I can’t give it to you.”

“I want to be friends!” Poppy blurted, looking desperate. 

“This,” Branch motioned between himself and the younger troll. “Isn’t how you treat your friend! I may not have any, but I do know that.”

Poppy wrung her hands tightly. Nervousness spilling out of her like suds in a bathtub. “I would do anything to make it like it used to be.”

Anything. That word hit Viva like a truck. Anything. The flirting. The touching. The grabbing. Anything. Viva had to bring her hand up to her mouth to cover her own gasp. She thought she had still let it out because a loud gasp permeated the area. However, this noise came from the gray troll. 

“Poppy,” He stuttered, stepping backwards, at a complete loss for words. “I- what?”

Tears started falling down the pink’s troll face in rivers. “I just thought--” She sniffled. “Smidge said--” A sob wracked through her sister. It took everything Viva’s body not to rush out from her hiding place and wrap her up in a hug. “And at the party everyone was--” Another sob leaked out.

Branch took a hesitant step forward, unable to see Poppy cry so sincerely. “What was everyone doing?”

“Touching. Smiling.” She sobbed. “They were friends.” She reached out for Branch again, grabbing at his forearms. “I just want my friend back. No one--” She choked. “No one gets that. No one gets me.”

The gray troll delicately pulled her hands off him. “Poppy, you have lots of friends. I just--” He stuttered a bit. “I just saw you with Creek. He’s your friend.”

She shook her head rapidly. “No, no. Not the same.” She looked up at him with bright eyes. “If you’re going to live in the bunker, take me with you.”

Branch bit his lip. “I can’t do that.” He shifted anxiously on his feet, as if this had been something he had thought about but had decided against it.

“Please.” Poppy begged. “It could be just like— just like it used to! Please, I'll do anything.”

A brief flicker of disgust ghosted over Branch’s. Her sister’s statement sank like a rock in Viva’s stomach. Maybe her sister hadn’t been settling into the village as nicely as everyone thought. Viva thought back to the little girl who tugged at her protector, pleading for them to return to the forest. Maybe that desire had never left. 

Branch frowned deeply and shook his head. “No, Poppy.” His voice broke at her name and Viva could see the mist springing to his eyes. “I don’t want it to be like it used to.” He balled his fists, steeling himself for something. “You’re-- You’re annoying. I don’t want you around.”

Poppy trembled and inched away from the gray troll. “I could be better. I could change.” She suggested, wiping away the fresh flood of tears that poured out. 

“No. Poppy, it’s not that we can’t be friends.” Branch shook as he spoke, as though his body was fighting against the words he was spitting out. “It’s that I don’t want to be friends.”

Viva washed in horror as all of the color faded from her sister’s face. Tears poured out at a faster rate. “Oh.” The pink troll said. “Oh. I didn’t--” Poppy hugged herself tightly. “I’m sorry for bothering you.” 

Nodding stiffly, water still lingering in his eyes, Branch took his sticks and headed back out in the direction of the bunker. A loud cry left Poppy’s lips and Viva couldn’t stand it one more second. She understood suddenly, how Clay had wanted to reveal their hiding place in the bunker. It hurt to watch a sibling break down. 

Not caring that it would reveal that she had been spying, Viva rushed to her sister’s side. She extended her arms, offering a place for her sister to hide in and Poppy went so willingly. Poppy sobbed into the blond troll’s dress, allowing the material to soak up her snot and tears. Viva whispered reassurances, but they fell upon deaf ears. 

“He-- He doesn’t want-- He doesn’t want--” Poppy kept repeating this mantra and practically screaming into her sister’s arms.  Viva ran a hand through her hair, trying to sooth her, but there seemed to be no end to the young princess’s cries. 

“I want-- I wanna go home.” Poppy wailed. 

And, well. There had only been one place in the village that Poppy had ever called home. 

*********************************

Viva knew that Clay had to have heard them approaching long before they ever knocked on his pod door. Poppy was whimpering and sobbing profusely, with no sign of stopping. Viva gently directed her in front of the door and lightly knocked at the pod. Clay opened the door within seconds. 

The lime haired troll zero’d in the crying girl in front of him immediately. “Oh goodness. Poppy, what happened?”

Poppy tugged at her hair, an old habit from childhood returning. “I wanna--” She coughed out and leaned onto Viva, still gripping at her own hair. “I wanna go home.”

The two older trolls made eye contact, sharing worried expressions. “Well, come on in, kiddo.” Clay said, opening the door all the way. 

“I’m not a kid!” Poppy wailed and ran over to the couch. She quickly began tearing at the cushions, rearranging them into a comfortable pile. Viva watched on anxiously as her sister went about organizing the pillows while crying.

Clay placed a hand on the blond’s shoulder, getting her attention. “What happened? I haven’t seen her this upset in years.”

“Too much,” Viva explained. She pulled her eyes away from her distraught sister. “Did you know Branch was moving out?”

“Oh, that’s what this is about,” Clay nodded in understanding. “Yeah, he told me about it this morning.”

Viva bit at her nails and stared at the pink troll as she paced around the pillow pile. The nest. Poppy went about moving and readjusting the pillows, making them all ‘just so’ and while sniffling. “I think it’s more than that.” She whispered to Clay. “I think… I think we all thought she was adjusting so well but…” Viva trailed off and gestured to the pink troll who had finally collapsed onto the pillows.

Poppy looked exhausted, but she kept trying to snuggle down in the nest, as if she was looking for comfort that wasn’t there. She whined and blinked back more tears. Poppy looked up at her sister with wide eyes. “Viva,” She croaked. “Lay with me?”

Viva’s heart was flooded with affection. Her sister wanted her comfort. How could she say no?

Viva  was quick to enter the nest of pillows and pull her sister in for a hug. Her sister rubbed her nose along the blond troll’s arm, trying to comfort herself. Snot was getting everywhere, but the blond troll couldn’t find it in herself to be mad. Poppy had actually wanted Viva’s help. 

“Do you know what I miss about you guys living with me?” Clay asked as he settled down on the floor in front of the sisters.

“What?” Poppy asked, her voice muffled by Viva’s arm. 

Clay pulled a book out from under the coffee table. He held it up dramatically and Viva smiled. That had been the first book Clay had ever read to the wild children. Viva remembered how he would read and Poppy would just stare at him, absorbing every word he said without even knowing what they meant. The young pink troll would stare at his hand movements and laugh when his voice rose at the intense parts. 

“I miss you reading to you. You were always my best audience.” Clay said with a smile.

Poppy snuck a peek at the lime green troll. “Really?” She sniffed and the princess ran a hand through her hair. Poppy shuffled in closer to Viva, burrowing her face deeper into the blond’s elbow. 

“Really,” Clay confirmed. He shook the book a little. “Would you want to humor me? Be a great audience once again?” 

Poppy let out a small chirp, which startled Viva a bit. She hadn’t heard such an animal-like noise come from her sister in years. “Yes,” Poppy mumbled, still buried in Viva’s arms. 

The lime haired troll read for about twenty minutes, before the young princess fell limp in Viva’s arms. Viva gently placed her sister down in the pillow nest and lowered herself to the floor next to Clay. She leaned her head onto her friend's shoulder and stared up at her sleeping sister. There were still tear tracks on her face. 

“It’s bad, Clay.” Viva whispered. “It’s really bad.”

“What all happened?” Clay asked, wrapping his arm around her comfortingly.

Viva brushed back her bangs. “I knew she had been acting out lately, but I just thought it was because she was angry with me. But after her fight with Branch…”

“She fought with Branch?” Clay asked, his eyes wide.

“Yeah, about an hour ago.” She sat up a little and faced the lime haired troll. “She was offering…” Viva trailed off, but then suddenly shook her head in dismissal. “I don’t even think she knew what she was offering. But, Clay.” She grabbed her friend’s hand. “She doesn’t want to be here. I don’t think she’s wanted to be here for a long time.”

Clay’s eyes flickered to the sleeping teen. Poppy’s face was slack and a bit of droll hung out of her mouth. She snuggled deeper into the nest with a groan. “She has friends here.” Clay argued weakly.

Viva shook her head. Everything was becoming so clear now. Her sister hadn’t really been living these past few years. Not since she had lost her companion. Things hadn’t been the same for Poppy. Viva nodded in the direction of the woods outside. “Out there, she was a survivor. She did what she had to in order to live. She ate bugs, killed rabbits and didn’t speak. In the village…” Viva let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding. 

“She’s smart. She’s surviving.”

*********************************

It wasn’t shocking to Viva when Poppy arose and placed all the pillows back where they belonged. It wasn’t shocking to Viva that Poppy tightened her hair back into her meticulous ponytail. It wasn’t shocking to Viva that Poppy blew her and Clay off and left the pod as quickly as she had entered it. Poppy was surviving. She was going through the motions of her life. 

And so, it shouldn’t have been surprising to see Poppy holding hands with Creek again. It wasn’t surprising, but it did make Viva’s stomach roll. 

Viva stood with Clay off on the side of the stage, helping him with the sound system for the festival of lights. The festival of lights is one of the most popular troll holidays. The festival is a time for trolls to come together and celebrate the past year. 

She spotted Poppy on the stage with her father, with the purple troll holding her hand. The pink troll rocked back and forth on her feet anxiously. Viva grumbled under her breath. She didn’t understand why Creek was part of Poppy’s survival. It didn’t make any sense.

King Peppy approached the mic. Viva figured that her father would drone on with the same boring old speech as he always did. We are so thankful for this past year, blah, blah, blah. I hope you can look back on it fondly, blah, blah, blah. One thing Viva was going to do when she was crowned Queen would be to spice up the speeches. She always found that they ran on for so long!

However, her dad didn’t go the usual blah, blah, blah route. “Hello, my good trolls!” The kind greeted his people and they cheered back at him. “I have a special announcement for all of you. Today, in honor of the festival of lights, my daughter has decided to bless us with a song.”

Viva rolled her eyes. I did not agree to that, she thought. But she figured she could ‘wing’ a fun song about the year’s past. She moved towards the stage when Clay’s hand snapped up and held her back. She turned to him, ready to question his tugging when she saw him pointing to the stage. She followed his finger with her eyes and saw Poppy approach the mic.

His daughter… Poppy was going to sing?! Viva bit at her nails nervously. This could only end badly. Her sister wasn’t ready to sing! This wasn’t part of surviving! 

Or was it?

All of the other trolls sang.

Everyone except Branch.

Poppy coughed nervously into the mic, breaking Viva away from her frantic thoughts. 

“You’ve got this!” Creek whispered into Poppy’s ear, but the mic allowed the sound to travel. It made the princess want to pull out all of the wires from the sound system. The purple troll pecked Poppy on the cheek and this time she didn’t flinch. It burned Viva up inside.

The music started. It was slow and a bit sappy. Poppy opened her mouth and sang for the first time in her life. 

Chapter Text

The dead look in her eyes as she smiled was unnerving. Poppy was very good at smiling wide, her freckles shining in the sunlight, dimples popping out and all the while looking empty inside. 

“So what do you think, Poppy?” King Peppy asked.

The pink troll looked down at the plans in front of her. The plans entailed details for a very large birthday party. There would be cotton candy machines, karaoke, glitter cannons and dancing. It would be anyone’s dream eighteenth birthday. Anyone, Viva thought, except for Poppy. 

Pushing the plans away from her, the young princess plastered on a signature dead-eyed smile. “It looks great. I bet everyone will have a great time.”

“What about you? What do you think, do you think you’ll have fun?” Viva pressed, hoping that her sister would say what was really on her mind. Poppy was never for big gatherings so the older sister didn’t know why her dad always insisted on trying to pressure her into having a big, wild party. 

Poppy shrugged. “I’m sure I’ll have as much fun as the next troll.”

King Peppy’s eyes twinkled. “Really? We can go forward with the plans?”

“Sure,” The pink troll said with a shining smile. “We can do it, dad.”

Their father clapped his hands in excitement and began gathering up the plans on the table. He gushed about all of the errands he would have to run, but he promised his youngest daughter that this would be her best birthday yet. Viva wasn’t so sure. Poppy’s favorite birthday party was probably her tenth, when things were still somewhat normal for the young troll.

Once King Peppy exited the room, the grin melted off of her sister’s face. A sigh left her lips. Viva ran a hand through her hair. “You don’t have to tell him yes, you know. We could just have a small dinner, like normal.”

Poppy sunk deeper into her chair. “You saw how happy he was. He wants to do this.”

Viva began twisting her sister’s hair, forming a loose braid. The pink troll leaned back, allowing the blond to have more access to her hair. “Yeah, but he’s only happy because he thinks that you are.”

“I am happy.” She mumbled.

Viva sighed. “Okay,” She said, raking her hands over Poppy’s scalp. “Just know, say the word, and I can call this whole party thing off.”

Fiddling with her nail beds, picking at the edges, Poppy nodded. Viva couldn’t help but notice that her sister’ nails were looking gnarly. The nails were chewed down to the nub and the skin around them was frayed. It hurt just to look at them. “I thought we were going to work on the nail biting thing.”

“Hey, I’m almost eighteen.” Poppy snarked. “I can destroy my nails if I want to.” She stood up, and shook the loose braid out of her ponytail. “I’ve gotta go. I’m meeting with Satin and Chenille to decide on a birthday outfit.”

The princess bit her lip and watched as Poppy walked through the door. Her sister was floating through life, that much Viva was sure of. It used to be much harder to spot, but over the past few years, Poppy would get this glossy look in her eyes and just let moments pass by. It scared Viva. It was like her sister wasn’t even living. She is just surviving, Viva thought.

What kind of life was that?

*********************************

Clay was starting to get funnier. That, or Viva’s sense of humor had completely gone downhill. She snorted as they walked along the edge of the village. Their hands were inches from each other’s and Viva found that she just wanted to snatch his up. 

“---And then I said , you can’t do that without a permit!” Clay exclaimed. His eyebrows were raised dramatically, as if he was really reliving the moment that he had to tell Mr. Mink that he could no longer plant his seeds in the middle of a pathway.

Viva bit back another laugh. “And what did he do?”

“He gave me a paper that said I do what I want. Like what?!” The lime haired troll waved his hands in frustration. “Muses! That guy gets under my skin.”

The princess bumped her shoulder against Clay’s and giggled. She gave him a wide smile and opened her mouth to tell him that she thought he was a pain in the butt too, when she saw a blur of pink rushing towards the woods. 

It was Poppy. She was determinedly walking towards the woods, as though she were on a mission. Towards the woods…

A chill grabbed at Viva’s heart. Was this it? Was her sister finally leaving? She had wanted to return to the forest since the moment Viva had found her hacking up that rabbit. “Poppy!” Viva blurted out.

Poppy whipped her head around and gave Clay and Viva a sheepish wave. She approached them much slower than she was previously moving. “Hey, guy.” Her sister had that horrible smile on her face. Her eyes were glassy. It was like no one was home.

“Hey, Poppy-girl.” Viva gave a small sympathetic smile. “Where-- uh, where are you going?”

The pink troll’s eyes shifted between the two older trolls. She shrugged. “No where, really.”

“Really?” Clay asked. “You looked like you were in quite the hurry.”

Poppy blushed and rubbed her face. “It’s stupid.” She reached up to her hair and pulled out a card. It was yellow with pink stitching around the edges. The cover was written in loopy handwriting that Viva recognized as her sister’s. It read:

Poppy’s 18th Birthday 

An invitation. Viva felt a slight bit better knowing that her sister was not in fact taking off, but she knew who this card was for. And Viva knew that he would never come.

“Poppy…” Viva said, worried.

Her sister slipped the invitation back into her hair. “See? I told you it’s stupid.”

Clay wrung his hands. “I don’t think Branch wants visitors, Poppy.” Which wasn’t that the understatement of the year. Branch never wanted visitors at his bunker, but he did allow Clay to come by once a week to help him stock up on supplies. Supplies for what, Viva wasn’t sure. Clay said it was like his brother was preparing for the end of the world down there. However, Clay said it gave him an opportunity to talk with his brother; or more-so, talk at his brother. 

“I know,” Poppy said, her eyes growing a little wild. “I wasn’t going to try-- I was just going to leave it on his door mat.”

Clay rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably. “Well, you know how he---”

Viva cut him off. “I think that would be a great idea!” She gave her sister a big encouraging grin. “I think you should leave it for him to find.” 

Poppy’s eyes brightened a bit. A small, real smile creeped up on her face. “Really?”

“I don’t know if that’s--”

Viva pinched at her friend’s side, causing a yelp to erupt from him. “I really do.” Viva conformed. “You should go leave it on his door mat.”

“Okay,” An excited blush dusted the pink troll’s cheeks and nose. “I’ll go right now!” Poppy rushed off into the woods with twice the determination she had initially had. 

Clay spun around to the blond troll. “What are you thinking?”

“I’m thinking that,” Viva pointed to where her sister had run off to. “Was the first time I have seen her look even a smidgen happy in months.” It was true. For a moment, talking about giving that invitation to Branch, she saw the fog leave Poppy’s eyes. 

“What about Branch?” Clay crossed his arms looking at her with an eyebrow raised. 

Viva ran a hand through her bangs. “If you’re so concerned, go steal the invitation off the mat when she leaves.” She rolled her eyes. “I’m sure he can handle receiving an invite to a party he has no intentions of going to.”

Clay hummed in disapproval. The princess grabbed her friend by the shoulders and shook him earnestly. “Clay. Poppy needs this. Let her have this. Please.”

The lime haired troll rolled his head around as though he was rolling around the thought in his mind. “Alright, fine.” Then he swiftly pinched the skin of her arm.

“Ow! Why did you do that?!”

He grinned at her, “Now we’re even-steven.”

*********************************

The party went off without a hitch. The cotton candy machine made the most delicious cotton candy. The snack cart had a line that was a mile long due to how delicious the treats were. The music that blared in the background was catchy and fun. The glitter cannon was up and running perfectly, raining glitter down every so often. It was the perfect party.

So why did the birthday girl look so miserable?

On the outside, if one didn’t know Poppy well, one would think she was having a blast. She sang and danced. She downed cotton candy like it was going out of style. But her smile never reached her eyes. The fog in her pink eyes made it impossible to do so.

What was worse, was how Poppy would turn her head every so often, as if she was looking for something. Someone. Viva sighed. Poppy knew that he wouldn’t come and yet she still had gotten her hopes up. It pained Viva to watch. 

The blond troll gripped the present in her hands. She couldn’t stand to see her sister so miserable anymore. She couldn’t stand to look in her dead eyes as she grinned, pretending everything was okay. Poppy might have everyone else fooled, but Viva knew better. 

“Happy Birthday, Poppy.” Viva said with a sad smile. She thrust out the gift in her hands. She knew if she didn’t get it out of her hands soon, she may never have the courage to give it to her sister again. 

The pink troll sat the package on the picnic table in front of her. “Thanks, Viva.” The fog was still there in her iris, taunting the princess. Viva looked around quickly, making sure everyone else at the party was distracted. She nodded to the gift. “You should open it now.”

Poppy didn’t need to be told twice. She quickly ripped into the gift, tearing off the wrapping paper. When all of the paper had fallen to the ground, Poppy was left with a backpack in her hands. She looked at her sister skeptically. 

“It’s a survival pack.” Viva explained and began unzipping all of the pockets. “It has a first aid kit, a thermal blanket, snacks, and a sleeping bag.” And as much as Viva has wanted to get the bag in bright pink, she purchased the more practical forest green one. 

Poppy held onto the bag loosely, confusion written all over her face. “What-- I mean, thank you, but-- why?”

Viva zipped all the pockets back up, making sure the items inside were snug again. “I know, Poppy.” She looked at her sister, trying to see through the fog there. Trying to reach her deep within her own mind. “I know.”

“Know what?” Poppy chuckled nervously.

“I know you want to leave. You haven’t wanted to be here for a long time.” Viva squeezed her sister’s shoulder. “You’re an adult now. You can do what you want. You can do what makes you happy.”

The pink troll stared down at the bag in her hands and slowly sat it down on the table. “I am happy.”

“No, you’re not.”

Poppy looked to sister, really looked at her, the glassiness having vanished for a moment. “Viva… even if I left, what I want isn’t out there.” She shrugged. “It’s gone. So it doesn’t matter if I’m out there or I’m right here.” Poppy hugged at her own sides. “I’m all alone.”

Viva pulled her sister into her arms and whispered fiercely into her ear. “You’re not alone. You have me. And Clay. And Dad.”

Shaking her head, the pink troll pulled back. “It’s not the same.” She patted the bag. “Thanks for the gift Viv’s. Maybe I’ll use it one day.”

Suddenly, Poppy’s name was being called from across the meadow. Poppy jutted her thumb out in the direction of the voice and painted a grin on her face. “Duty calls.” She said sweetly and took off towards the voice. 

The bag sat on the table mocking the princess. The sinking feeling of failure sat in her gut and her stomach rolled. The image of Poppy’s dead eyes wouldn’t leave her mind even as she went to bed that night. 

*********************************

It was starting to get chilly in the evenings again. The breeze twirled Viva’s hair around as she walked back to her pod. She had to tuck her bangs behind her ears several times throughout the walk. I wonder if I need a haircut, Viva thought.

She used her hair to swing up to her hanging pod, carefully holding tight to the flowers that Clay had given her. He said that the village florist had “accidently cut too many of the pansies,” but Viva knew the florist well. She would have never cut more flowers than she had to. Viva smiled down at the purple and yellow flowers, breathing them in. He had gotten them for her just because. It made the princess blush.

Viva opened the door and turned on the light, ready to take the flowers over to the kitchen and prepare a vase when a yelp came from her couch. Viva screamed at the sound and then shrieked at what she saw on her couch.

A purple body pressed against her sister’s smaller frame. 

A fire ignited inside of the blond troll. “Get out!” She shouted and threw the flowers at the guy. Even before he turned bashfully towards her, she knew it was Creek.

“Sorry, sorry!” He apologized rapidly and shoved his vest back on.

Poppy waved coyly from the couch as Creek made his quick exit. “See you later Creek~”

The pink troll wore only a skimpy little top and skirt. She stared at her sister, unimpressed. Viva’s jaw just hung open. She couldn’t believe what was going on. “What-- What are you doing?”

Poppy shrugged and sat forward. “I dunno. Having fun? Until you came home.”

“This is my home! You don’t even live here anymore!” Viva objected.

“Would you have rathered I’d done that at dad’s pod?”

Viva tugged at her hair in exasperation. “I’d rather you not have done it at all!”

When Poppy crossed her arm in annoyance, Viva could make out bruises all along her neck. Love bites. It made Viva want to hurl. She gestured wildly to Poppy’s outfit. “What are you wearing? What is that shirt?!” Then a thought crossed her mind. “Please tell me that’s a shirt.” The idea of Creek taking off a piece of her sister’s clothing had her reeling. 

“I don’t know why you’re so freaked out. I’m an adult. I’m going to do adult things.”

“I know that!” Viva exclaimed. “I would just rather not see them! Or have them happen on my couch. Or you know, have it be with someone you actually like!”

Poppy rose to her feet, placing herself in front of Viva. They were finally equal in height after all these years. It didn’t feel right. 

“I do like him.” She argued.

Viva rolled her eyes. “Yeah, whatever.”

“I do.” Poppy insisted. “He’s my boyfriend.”

Chapter Text

Branch came into the village about once a month, stocking up on items that he couldn’t gather in the wilderness. Viva had seen him a couple times since he had moved into the bunker full time. Every time was the same. The gray troll would anxiously look over his shoulder everywhere he went. Small children would point and stare at his gray skin. Branch would skirt around other members of the village to avoid conversation. 

Viva had tried to corner him once. She had just wanted to check up on him. She was worried about him being all alone out there in his bunker. However, the gray troll was sneaky. When Viva approached him, Branch had pointed behind her and said, “Clay.” The princess had immediately turned around, but Clay was nowhere to be found. When she turned back around, Branch was gone.

Okay, maybe he wasn’t sneaky. Maybe she was just gullible. 

It was a small village. Everyone knew everyone else. So Poppy and Branch were bound to run into each other. Viva just didn’t think they would do so literally. 

Viva had been shopping in the market for some new trimmers. She wanted to see if she could cut her bangs at more of an angle, so that they weren’ constantly falling into her face. She help up the trimmers, weighing the decision in her mind when she heard a familiar obnoxious voice.

“You know, you should really leave your hair out of that hair tie more often. It would allow your hair to breathe.”

The princess rolled her eyes to see Creek and Poppy walking through the market, hand in hand. Poppy’s nose twitched at the remark. “I dunno, I always have my hair up. It keeps it neat and nice looking.”

Creek reached across his body and ‘booped’ his girlfriend on the nose. Viva didn’t miss the way that Poppy immediately flared her upper lip, displaying her canines. Creek laughed, “Exactly! Your hair is a tool of your body, you know. You need to allow it to breathe.”

“Your hair is a tool.” Viva mocked under her breath, sticking out her tongue in disgust. That purple troll was really starting to grind her gears. 

Poppy turned and began walking backwards. “Trust me, I know it’s a tool. I just think—“

The pink troll backed straight into another troll that had been walking along the market pathway. It happened so fast, Viva barely had time to register that the troll her sister had plowed into was Branch. Poppy tripped after bumping into the gray troll and almost hit the ground, but gray hands held her steady.

“Woah! Sorry, I wasn’t looking…” Poppy trailed off when she realized whose hands were bringing her back to her feet. Abruptly, she shied away from his touch in a way that Viva had never seen before. 

Creek locked his hand with Poppy’s and sent a grin the gray troll’s way. “Thanks mate! She almost took a nasty tumble.”

“Yeah, thanks.” Poppy mumbled, bringing her free hand to her lips. Viva had no doubt that the pink troll was ripping at the skin there with her teeth. 

To his credit, Branch didn’t instantly run away, like he was often known for doing. His eyes flickered to the troll's hands and saw how they were intertwined. He nodded absentmindedly, his gaze still on their grasp. 

“What brings you to this neck of the village, Branch?” Creek asked, pulling Poppy closer into his side. The pink troll moved stiffly. 

Branch scrunched up his nose and bit the inside of his cheek. He held up the empty sack that had been slung over his shoulder. “Supplies.”

Creek nodded in understanding. “I see.” He elbowed at his girlfriend as though they were sharing a little joke. “A troll of many words, huh?”

The pink troll said nothing. She stood frozen, staring at her former friend. It made Viva wonder, how long had it been since her sister had seen Branch? Had it been since his rejection at the edge of the woods? 

Growling, the gray troll motioned towards the couple. “You?” 

Creek pointed to himself as though he was trying to figure out what Branch meant. “Oh, us? What’re we doing?” The purple troll wrapped his arm around Poppy’s shoulder. “We’re out on a date. We’re heading for the meditation class in the village square.” 

At the mention of the word date, Poppy slunk away from the purple troll. “It’s not much of a date. It’s just a class we always take together.” She back tracked, analyzing Branch’s face. The gray troll let no emotion come forward on his face, but his body was in a tense stance. 

Like a bobcat, Viva thought. They got really tense and then they pounced. Viva had seen what Branch could do when he pounced. 

Not long after Poppy had gotten suspended for biting another student, Branch came home with a black eye and bruised knuckles. He had been silent and awkward about it when Viva had questioned him, but Poppy was not. Poppy had gushed about how Branch had knocked out a kid who had called him a “gray waste of space.” 

“Blood everywhere!” Poppy had exclaimed. “Coolest thing ever!”

The princess had honestly never been more proud of the gray troll. 

So she knew very well how much damage the former wild child could do. Creek was treading in dangerous waters. Viva sat down the clippers and mentally prepared herself to intervene. She wasn’t strong enough to pull the gray troll off of anyone, but she figured she could get in between any fighting that broke out. 

“Maybe you’re right.” Creek agreed. He sent Poppy a cheeky grin and tugged her back to his side. Branch watched them rigidly. The purple troll seemed to be completely unaware of the tension that rolled off of the older troll. “Maybe we can turn it into a date afterwards~” He wiggled his eyebrows slightly to punctuate his sentence.

Okay, so maybe I just let Branch knock him unconscious and then I intervene, Viva thought.

The scowl on Branch’s face deepened and his fists closed tightly. His teeth ground together and his brow was furrowed. 

Poppy laughed awkwardly and loud. “Oh, you mean at Biggie’s party?” She seemed to be skirting around her boyfriend’s insinuation and trying to change the subject. “Oh yeah, that’s going to be so much fun!” Her sister coated the sentence with such fake enthusiasm that Viva almost believed her. 

Creek shot her a confused look, “Well, yeah, but I was more talking about—-“

Poppy cut him off with a forced grin. “Oh it’s going to be so great! Probably the loudest and craziest party yet.”

“Loud?” Branch’s ears dropped in concern. His fists fell open and loose at his sides. 

The pink troll nodded, an uncomfortable smile still plastered on her face. Branch shook his head and stepped closer to her. “Can’t be loud.” He whispered sincerely. 

Creek rolled his eyes and sighed obnoxiously. “Oh no, don’t tell me you’re still worried about all that Bergen nonsense.” Poppy’s hand returned to her mouth and she began to bite at her nails anxiously.  Her eyes flicked between her boyfriend and the brooding gray troll. 

Sneering at the purple troll, Branch reiterated his warning. “Poppy— not too loud.” 

Poppy bit at her lip and looked down at her feet stubbornly. She refused to make eye contact with her former companion. “Why do you care anyway? It’s not like you’re going to be in town to hear it.”

Hurt spread across Branch’s face. His hands twitched, as if he longed to reach out to her. Creek hummed in agreement with his girlfriend. “Welp! We’d better head off. We don’t wanna miss our class.”

Nodding stiffly, a familiar dead eyed expression returned to the pink troll’s face as she allowed herself to be led away. 

Branch stood frozen in place, as though the interaction had left him helpless and at a loss of what to do. 

Viva’s heart went out to him. She moved, planning to try and comfort the gray troll, but when she got close, the gray troll did what he did best.

He ran.

*********************************

It wasn’t a date. It wasn’t, Viva told herself. It was just two friends hanging out, under the stars, sharing dessert. 

Clay gave her a sweet smile and passed her a slice of pie he had baked himself earlier that day. Butterflies erupted in her stomach as she accepted the plate.

It was a date. 

The princess looked down and smiled to herself, resisting the urge to giggle and kick her feet. She tucked her freshly cut bangs behind her ear. “So, does it take long to bake a pie?”

“Oh no,” Clay said, leaning back and resting his weight on his arms. The picnic blanket she had chosen was just big enough for the trolls to sit comfortably side by side. “It only takes like one to two hours. It depends on the pie.”

She picked up her fork to dissect the treat. Black and purple sweetness oozed out and onto her plate. “Blackberries? Where did you get these?” Viva hadn’t seen any for sale in the market. If she had, she definitely would have purchased some. They were her favorite type of berry. 

“I picked them myself!” Clay said proudly. “Branch found a bush the other day while he was out looking for items to restock the bunker with. I told him that I wanted to bake something for you and he showed me the bush. He remembered that you liked them.”

Viva hummed. “He has a good memory.” She took a big bite of the pie and the sweet, tangy flavor exploded in her mouth. “Oh, Clay!” She gushed. “This is amazing!”

The lime haired troll blushed. “I’m glad you like it.” He rubbed the back of his neck rather sheepishly. “I actually made a bunch of pies in order to get it just right. Branch was my guinea pig.”

She giggled. “That’s not a bad job to have! Just sitting around and judging pies all day.” That was the type of job Viva could get down with. It seemed much less stressful than being the future queen. A nervous feeling ran through Viva’s stomach, but she tried to shake it off. If this was a date, then she wanted to enjoy it, not have to worry about other things. 

“Yeah, he actually ranked them for me and he deemed that one to be the best.” Clay pointed at the pie Viva was scarfing down. A thoughtful expression crossed his face. “It was really funny, he was very serious about how he ranked them. He got out a chalkboard and everything.”

Viva tried to picture it, Branch carefully deciding between the pies. She wondered what scale he ranked them on. Taste? Texture? Presentation? Know the gray troll, it was probably a combination of all three. 

“It seems like you two have been getting along really well lately.” Viva pointed out and took a bite of her treat. 

Clay grinned. “Yeah. It’s been pretty great.” He quickly sat forward. “Oh! Did I tell you, he asked me for a favor?”

Viva leaned forward in shock. “What?”

It was no secret that the gray troll was fiercely independent and liked doing things on his own and in his own way. He never accepted help from others, even when it didn’t make sense. So the fact that he asked Clay for help was truly shocking. 

The lime haired troll nodded excitedly. “I know! I couldn’t believe it either.”

“What favor did he ask?” Viva asked curiously.

“He wanted to know if I could bring some supplies from the market to the bunker each week when I visit.” He explained.

Viva’s stomach sank. “When… when did he ask you this?”

Clay looked at her with concern, picking up on her tone. “This afternoon. Why?”

How did she even go about explaining why Branch wanted to avoid the market? She breathed deeply, “He ran into Poppy at the market today. It was… awkward.”

Nodding in understanding, Clay shifted and opened his mouth to respond, when a voice was heard screaming from across the meadow. 

“MR.CLAY!”

“Mr. Clay!”

It was Biggie and DJ Suki, Poppy’s friends. Viva looked at the trolls running up to them in confusion. She thought there was some party they were supposed to be at. Now that she thought about it, the music that had been thumping in the distance at the beginning of their date was suddenly absent. How long had it been quiet?

The young trolls looked frantic. “Mr. Clay!” Biggie called once more. “You’ve got to come quick!”

Clay reached up into his hair and pulled out his trusty first aid kit. “What is it? What’s wrong?”

“It’s Branch!” DJ exclaimed. “We were having fun at Biggie’s party and then Branch showed up.”

“I actually thought it was pretty cool that he came,” Biggie butted in. “But then he started freaking out!”

“Freaking out?” Viva questioned and rose to her feet, pie forgotten on the blanket. Clay was quick to follow her. “What do you mean?” He asked.

DJ and Biggie shared a look. “He’s yelling about Bergens.” DJ explained.

Chapter Text

“The Bergens are coming!”

Despite the gray troll having a complete meltdown, Viva couldn’t help but notice that this was probably the longest sentence had ever said to anyone in the village other than Poppy.

Branch was gripping at his ears and shouting repeatedly that the Bergens were coming to eat them. The party was at a standstill. Everyone in attendance stood around the gray troll, staring at him in confusion, concern and annoyance. 

When Clay and Viva had rushed into the outdoor amphitheater, where the party was being held, Branch was screaming louder than she had ever heard him. His yells bounced off the curved ground and echoed into the night. Branch was grasping at his ears so fiercely it looked painful. Poppy stood at his side, whispering something to him, but Viva couldn’t hear anything over the shouting.

Clay rushed to his brother, placing a calming hand on his back, rubbing circles there and trying to quiet the troll. Viva went to work getting rid of the party guests. “Alright, everyone. You all should head home. Party’s over.”

A few grumbles could be heard as the crowd dissipated. Mentions of how the gray troll ruined everything floated in the air.  It made Viva grind her teeth. Couldn’t they see that Branch was troubled? He wasn’t like every other troll. He was… gray.

She turned back to the three remaining trolls and saw that Poppy had removed herself from Branch’s side. She stood off, a little ways away from him, biting and tearing at her fingers anxiously. Clay had gotten Branch to bring his volume down to a horrible whisper. 

“ Bergens, Bergens. They’re coming!” The gray troll was rocking back and forth between his brother’s arms. Clay a hand through Branch’s hair, trying to sooth him.

“Hey, B. It’s okay. Nothing’s coming.” Clay reassured him.

“ They are!” His brother hissed back. Clay shot Viva a look, asking desperately for help. She stepped closer to the gray troll and placed a hand on his shoulder. Branch flinched away and Viva quickly removed her hand.

She cleared her throat, ignoring how hurt she was by his sudden movement. “Branch, I promise it’s okay. No Bergens are coming. Not tonight.” She might not be able to cure the kid’s fear of the Troll Eating Giants, but she could at least promise that none were around for the moment. 

“What were you even doing out here, bud?” Clay’s voice was low and soft, using a tone that one would use with a trolling. Viva grimaced. She hoped that Branch wouldn’t perceive it as condescending. 

However, the gray trolls seemed to take no issue with his brother’s tone, he just shook his head and continued to rock.

“He was coming to check up on me.” Poppy whispered, finally speaking up from her spot off to the side. Her thumb nail was jammed in between her teeth and Viva could see a hint of red glinting off of it. “He didn’t want the party to be too loud.”

A shiver wracked the gray troll as he slowly lowered his hands down to his sides, hugging at himself. The princess wondered when the last time he had been hugged was. The last time Viva had a hug was at the beginning of her and Clay’s Not Date , right at Hug Time. She couldn’t imagine going without hugs as long as Branch had. 

“Too loud,” Branch whispered. 

Poppy stepped closer, talking directly to Branch now. “It was a party. You knew it was going to be loud. They always are.”

The gray troll’s eyes flickered up to meet Poppy’s pink ones. Viva could feel the tension rolling off of the former friends. There was so much they wanted to say, so much they needed to say, but couldn’t. “Where’s Creek?” Branch asked, his rocking finally ceasing. 

Clay and Viva shared nervous glances. This conversation could only go so many ways and none of them ended well.

The pink troll narrowed her eyes at the question and crossed her arms. “I guess you scared him off.”

A growl emitted from the gray troll’s throat. “Supposed to be watching you.”

Poppy bared her teeth, leaning forward. “I don’t need anyone to watch me.”

It was like watching two critters gear up to attack. Viva didn’t want to wait around to see who would pounce first. She stepped between the younger trolls who were glaring daggers at each other. “Okay, like I said, the party's over. We should all go home.”

Tugging her sister away from the amphitheater, Viva mouthed to Clay, “Raincheck!” He smiled back at her as he ran in the direction Branch was stomping off to. 

 A blush dusted her cheeks. Viva could feel how warm they were. She had a date. 

*********************************

Viva opened the door to Clay’s pod without knocking. She had stopped doing that after their third date, so when Viva barged in, Clay didn’t even look up from his book. 

“So, I was thinking--” 

Clay held up a finger without looking up from his book, pausing Viva’s words. She playfully rolled her eyes and plopped down on the couch beside the lime haired troll. Viva watched his eyes as they tracked back and forth, reading and absorbing the words on the page in front of him. When he came to a stopping place, he pressed a bookmark in between the pages and closed his book.

“Okay, I’m ready.” Clay said with a smile. 

Viva snorted and kicked her feet. “I was thinking~ that maybe you could help me out with a little problem I’m having.”

“A problem? I thought Mrs. Perfect Princess of the Trolls didn’t have problems?” He teased as he rested his arm around her shoulder. She melted into the touch and moved in closer to his side. 

“Psh, yeah right. I screw up left and right.” Viva pinched his side and the lime green troll let out a small yelp. “Anyway, I need help because I’ve been so busy planning the Harvest Moon Dance that I completely forgot to get something.”

Ever the helper, Clay’s ears perked up. No doubt he was trying to figure out what he could do to help the princess get anything she needed for the event. “What is it?”

“Someone to dance with.” Viva blushed, a little embarrassed. She wanted to go to the dance with Clay. She planned the night to be really magical and special. There was going to be sweet, sappy music, fancy foods, games and so much more. She wanted to share that with him more than anyone else. 

Clay grinned widely, a violet tint rushing to his cheeks. “Oh yeah? Got anyone in mind?”

“Maybe,” She replied coyly. She snuggled in closer to his side. “There is this one troll who has really caught my eye recently.”

The taller troll leaned in closer to her. They were practically nose to nose. Viva’s heart was pounding in anticipation. This was like one of the stories that Clay used to tell the kids. This was that magical moment. 

“Who?” He asked with a cheeky grin.

“Fuzzbert.”

The shocked look on his face was enough to leave Viva in stitches. She snorted at him and hid her smile behind her hand. He poked at her side and shook his head. “You’re not funny.”

“I’m very funny.” The blond troll disagreed. 

Suddenly the sound of running water came from the back of his pod. A shower had been turned on. She quirked up an eyebrow. “Who is here?”

“Branch. Apparently his plumbing in the bunker is acting weird.”

Viva anxiously rubbed her hands together. She knew how the gray troll actively avoided her in public. She doubted that he would want to see her around a place that he deemed safe. “Should I go?” She asked.

Clay smiled and shook his head. He twirled a finger through her bangs and tucked the strand behind her ear. “Nah, he knows you’re here all the time.”

“Not all the time.” Viva lied. She was there more often than not as of late. 

There was an abrupt banging on Clay’s door. The beating was loud and urgent. “Come in!” Clay called and shrugged at the princess. 

Viva’s little sister came rushing inside, flinging the door open behind her. “Clay! It’s one of your--” She paused and waved at her sister. “Oh, hey Viva.” She redirected her attention to the lime troll. “Clay! It’s one of your fire extinguishers! It's exploding all of that white stuff.”

Clay shot to his feet, knocking Viva to the side a little. “The sodium bicarbonate foam?”

“I guess?” Poppy said with confusion spreading over face. “The sodi-foam stuff is getting everywhere.”

“Oh muses, that’s not good. If someone breathes it in for too long, they could pass out.” Clay turned to Viva, “I’ve got to go fix that, I’ll be back, yeah?”

Viva nodded in understanding. Clay was the reason that their village was as safe as it was. He was very proud of his work and took it very seriously. The lime haired troll smiled at her and bent down to press a kiss to her cheek. 

Her face ignited in flames. She could barely mutter a goodbye before the troll ran out the door. Poppy giggled at her sister’s expression and Viva opened her mouth to protest, when Clay came running back in the pod.

He shot Viva a finger gun. “And by the way, yes, I’ll go to the dance with you.” He winked and dashed back out the door.

The princess dropped her face into her hands and resisted the urge to squeal and kick her feet. He was really too much. And I love it, She thought.

“You two are disgustingly cute, you know that?” Poppy asked with a smirk. 

Viva waved at her dismissively. They weren’t that bad. Viva regained her composure and gave her sister an inquisitive look. “So. That fire extinguisher. Do I want to know how it was accidentally set off?”

Poppy laughed nervously and rubbed her arm, “Heh, well. Let’s just say, it should not be used as a sled substitute.”

“Poppy,” Viva groaned and threw her hands up. If she were to guess, Poppy was one of the first trolls to use the fire extinguisher as a sled. She tried not to be too aggravated. At least her sister seemed to be having a smidgen of fun. The veil that normally covered the pink troll’s eyes was only barely visible today. 

Poppy shrugged awkwardly. “Oh well. Too late to change things now. I should probably go help Clay clean everything up, but,” She pointed to the bathroom down the hall. “I’m going to use the restroom first.

“Okay,” Viva said, rubbing her face. Poppy was always putting herself in the most dangerous and stupid situations. It was like the pink troll was a magnet pulling them in. 

Suddenly the running water that Viva had blocked out as background noise went off. 

The shower. 

“Wait!” Viva shouted.

Two things happened simultaneously. 

One, the shower curtain opened. Viva should hear the familiar slide of the rings on the rod being pushed. She could only assume that Branch stepped out of the shower.

Two, Poppy opened the bathroom door. 

Viva flinched and grimaced at the shrieking that followed. 

“Get out! Get out!”

“I am!”

“What are you even doing here?!”

“ I didn’t know you were in here!”

Poppy sped down the hallway of the pod, covering her eyes with her forearm. When she reached the living area, she blindly pointed in the direction of the couch that Viva sat on. “You’re twisted!” She accused and quickly ran out of the pod. 

Viva’s jaw hung open. How could her sister think that she had set that up on purpose? She would never do that! She sat on the couch, mind reeling, when Branch entered the room fuming.

“Clay! What the hell, you can’t just let her--” Branch froze, realizing that he was not, in fact, talking to Clay. Viva awkwardly waved at the gray troll, pointedly ignoring the fact that he was only wearing a towel. He waved uncomfortably back and cleared his throat. “Clay?”

“He had to go fix a fire extinguisher emergency.” Viva explained. She fidgeted with her fingers. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to send Poppy in there. I forgot that Clay said you were taking a shower.”

The gray troll bit his cheek and nodded in understanding. His black hair seemed even more midnight when it was wet, Viva realized. What color had it been before? Viva had tried to remember. She had seen the famous Bitty B a few times as a child, but for the life of her, Viva couldn’t remember what shade his hair was. It couldn’t have been light like Clay’s, she decided. No, it had to have been darker.

Pointing in the direction of the bedroom, Branch awkwardly left Viva alone on the couch. She picked at the loose thread coming from the bottom of her dress. She couldn’t help but wonder about the rest of Brozone. Where were they now? Clay didn’t ever really mention his other brothers, or if he did, he mostly talked about John Dory. His older brother may have been a pain in his butt, but Clay had come to respect what John had done for their family. Clay only had to take care of one of his brothers, John Dory had been placed in charge of four of them.

Viva didn’t know what had happened to Clay’s parents. She knew that his Grandma had been around, but he never spoke of his parents. It was sort of this taboo thing. Viva knew better than to bring it up. However, she couldn’t help but wonder. Had Branch even met his parents?

Branch re-entered the living room, this time fully clothed. His hair was still wet. He stopped at the edge of the living area, and anxiously rubbed his wrist. Viva had assumed that the gray troll would have run out of the pod as soon as he could, like he always did, but it seemed like that he had something on his mind. 

It hit her all at once: He wanted to talk to Viva. She had to fight the smile that threatened to crawl up her face. It had been forever since Branch had wanted to talk to the blond troll. The fact that he wasn’t running in the opposite direction of her made her giddy.

“What’s up?” She asked, trying to sound casual and not insanely excited. She wasn’t sure if she succeeded. 

Branch bit his lip, as if he was debating over what to say. “Question.”

Viva brought her legs up underneath her lap and sat up. She leaned forward. “Answer.”

“Poppy… dating Creek?”

Viva rolled her eyes and the most obnoxious groan came forth from her throat. It was almost involuntary. “Don’t even get me started on those two. They’re probably the worst couple I have ever seen.”

A puff of air slipped through the gray troll’s lips. A laugh. Almost. “No. You and Clay.”

Teasing. He was teasing her! She raised an eyebrow and wagged a finger in his direction. “You’re funny. But seriously!” She waved her arms wildly. “Creek is like the worst guy for Poppy. He’s so condescending, annoying and entitled and think---”

“Thinks he knows everything.” Branch finished her sentence. He crossed his arms and leaned against the back of the couch. “He sucks.”

Viva nodded vigorously. “He does! I honestly can’t stand him. His voice makes my skin crawl.”

Another puff of air came out of the gray troll. He raised an eyebrow at her. “What’re you gonna do?”

The princess shot him a confused look. “Me? Branch, I can’t do anything.” She ran her hand through her bangs, retucking them behind her ear. They had come loose from her outburst. “She’s an adult. She has to make her own mistakes.”

Branch looked uncomfortable at that notion. Whether he didn’t like the idea of Poppy making mistakes or dating Creek, she couldn’t tell. It was probably both. 

Viva tried to comfort the gray troll. “You’ve got to think about it. It’s Poppy. I couldn’t have stopped her from dating anyone, even when she was younger. She does what she wants.”

She didn’t know why that comment made Branch look even more unsettled than he had before.

Chapter Text

Viva figured she should go apologize to her sister. If Poppy really thought that she would send her in to see Branch… Viva shook her head. She would never do that!

She spotted her sister sitting at the coffee shop that she used to frequent as a high schooler. She was surrounded by DJ, Smidge, Satin and Chenille, who were giggling wildly. Poppy’s face was the most expressive Viva had seen in months, the fog that normally haunted her eyes was completely absent. 

As Viva got closer to the girls, her sister’s animated voice got louder and clearer. 

“...And I mean, it was good. Nice I mean. Good size and everything. Everything looked great.”

Confusion washed over the blond troll’s face. What on Earth was her sister going on about? It seemed to have the girls giggling in excitement. 

“Just remember, it’s not how it looks. It’s how you use it.” Smidge winked and nudged Poppy. The pink troll blushed, deeply magenta. 

Satin held out her hands in front of her. She pressed them together and slowly moved them apart. “Okay, just tell me when.” Chenille laughed and pushed her sister playfully. 

Nausea overwhelmed Viva. They were talking about that? Viva internally groaned. She did not want to hear about this. “Okay, okay. If you’re going to talk about Creek’s penis, you’re going to have to do it more discreetly.” Viva interrupted. She couldn’t believe that they were talking so openly about Poppy’s boyfriend. They were in public, for crying out loud! She didn’t even know the two were having sex. She knew they were doing things, but hearing that her baby sister was having sex, describing her boyfriend’s dick to her friends, it made Viva extremely uncomfortable.

DJ choked on her drink at Viva’s comment. She cleared her throat, “Oh, we weren’t talking about--”

Poppy cut her off. “Yes! Creek!” Her face was blood red, the blush running down her neck. “How embarrassing that you heard me talking about Creek.” She shot her friends an aggressive look and they all quickly mumbled in agreement.

“Okay…” Viva raised an eyebrow at them. They were acting weird. “Well, I just wanted to apologize for before.” The blond mimed the opening of a door. “I would never have sent you in there on purpose.”

“No, no, it’s fine.” Poppy brushed her bangs back out of her face, nervously. “I thought about it on my walk back. I overreacted. I know you wouldn’t have done that on purpose.”

“But we are so glad you did it on accident.” Smidge muttered under her breath. Poppy pushed her friend off the bench and the yellow troll fell laughing. Viva just stared at the girls bewildered. Maybe this was how kids their age joked around? Viva didn’t know for sure.

One thing she was sure of, her sister looking a lot more herself in that moment. She wasn’t drowning in a sea of what everyone else wanted for her, she seemed to be focused on herself.

*********************************

The Harvest Moon Dance was going off without a hitch. Which was good, because Viva was seriously starting to worry about it. There was a rumor going around that some teenagers were going to set off a glitter bomb, so Viva had guards posted at every entrance looking for suspicious activity. This was a fancy event! She couldn’t afford having a glitter bomb going off. 

Viva was just honestly thankful that for once, Poppy seemed to have nothing to do with it. She glanced at her sister, who was standing near the punch bowl with some friends. Poppy had on a lovely blue dress and for once wasn’t wearing her hair in a tight ponytail. She appeared to be having fun, or her body language made it look like she was. Viva was scared to look at her eyes. She was afraid of what she might find there. 

“You know, usually at these types of things, people actually dance.” Clay said from behind her. 

She turned her head slightly, not taking her eyes off of her sister. “People are dancing.” She argued. They were. Couples were swirling all around the dance floor. 

Clay placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. “Yeah, I meant you. Look at you, you’re all stressed out. You did great Viv’s. Really. Everyone is having a good time.”

Creek approached Poppy and placed a hand out to her sister. The pink troll accepted his hand and he led her out the dance floor. As they got closer, Viva could see that sickly smiles plastered on Poppy’s face along with the matching dead eyes. Not everyone, she thought.

Where did Poppy go in her mind when she got like that? Did she think about better times? Like when she, Clay, Viva and Branch all lived under one pod roof? Or did she think back even further, to when it was just her and her only companion? That look on her face frightened Viva. 

Clay poked her side a bit, getting her attention. “Hello, Earth to Viva? Are you okay?”

The princess shook her head. “Not really.” She placed her hand in his. “It’s okay. We can dance now.”

“Hey,” Concern spread across Clay’s face. “What’s going on?”

Viva sighed. How did she even go about explaining the horrific smile on her sister’s face? To everyone she looked fine. Happy, even. But Viva knew it had been years since her sister was truly happy.  “It’s just--”

“Pst! Pst!”

A whisper cut through Viva’s thought. 

The two trolls turned to see Branch at the edge of the gathering, waving them over. Viva shot Clay a confused look, but they both walked over to where the gray troll was. Branch appeared to be a little on edge. He rocked on his feet and rubbed at his right arm. Viva was shocked to see him at the Harvest Moon Dance. This definitely didn’t seem like his kind of thing, even with the low swing music playing instead of normally loud poppy music. However, Branch was dressed as he always was, not in any fancy attire, like the rest of the trolls in attendance. So maybe it was a last minute decision.

Clay was not one to beat around the bush. “What’s up? What’re you doing here?”

Viva smacked his shoulder. He was making it seem like he didn't want his brother here, which Viva knew was the furthest thing from the truth. Clay was desperate for Branch to communicate with others and practically exploded in excitement when She shared how she and Branch spoke the other day in his pod. Even if it was only a few words exchanged, Clay insisted that it was a huge step in the right direction.

Branch scoffed. “Thought you said. Gonna dance.”

Viva chuckled at how Branch teased his brother. Clearly, the two had discussed how she had asked Clay to the dance. 

“Did you just come all the way out here to make fun of me?” Clay whined, which spurred on more giggles from the blond troll.

Branch shrugged. “Not just.” He reached down into the bag that was slung across his shoulder. He pulled out a glittery ball the size of a melon. Viva’s jaw dropped.

“The glitter bomb!” She cheered in realization. She looked at the gray troll in amazement. “You found it?”

He nodded, looking a bit smug. “Under the food table.”

Clay slapped his forehead in frustration. “The food table! I can’t believe I didn’t check there.” 

“I thought you said you checked everywhere.” Viv teased and bumped his shoulder with hers. 

“I thought I did.”

Suddenly, the sound of a microphone turning on filled the speakers. Branch flinched at the noise and took a step back into the shadows. Guy Diamond’s voice could be heard over the speakers, using his best announcer voice. “Okay, ladies and gentlemen. Now it’s time to slow things down a bit.”

Guy had mentioned that he might throw in a few slow songs for trolls to dance to, but Viva didn’t figure he would so quickly. It felt like the evening had just begun. Viva’s eyes wandered out to the dance floor to see how the trolls were enjoying themselves. She spotted Poppy almost instantly.

Her sister was resting her cheek on Creek’s shoulder as the purple troll spun them around slowly. They were dancing so closely, chest to chest. Creek’s hands were on her waist and were twitching lower. A scowl grew on Viva’s face.

“That’s the guy we don’t like, right?” Clay asked. He must have seen where Viva’s eyes were glaring daggers. 

“Yes,” Branch and Viva said in unison. 

Clay crossed his arms. “That guy is kind of a prick. He once told me that my safety plan wasn’t mellow enough.” Clay waved dramatically at Viva. “There’s nothing mellow about safety!”

The gray troll glared at Creek’s back as the two young trolls shared a kiss. It made Viva’s stomach roll. She could barely watch. 

“Don’t get it.” Branch growled.

Clay shrugged. “I dunno. Sometimes we accept the love we think we deserve.”

And that thought. 

Well, that scared Viva.

*********************************

The morning after the Harvest Moon Dance, Viva woke up feeling refreshed. She had slept like a baby last night knowing how well the event she had been put in charge of had gone off. She was also feeling extremely giddy. Her and Clay had ended up dancing the whole rest of the night after Branch had left. 

They danced close together during the slow songs. They jumped and laughed during the fast ones. By the end of the night, her heart was pounding as he leaned in to give her a hug at Hug Time. She always knew that their friendship was special, but now. Everything was next level. 

Viva smiled down at her feet.  Now they were special in a different way. 

Truthfully, she hadn’t wanted the evening to be over. She drug her feet the whole walk home. The idea of leaving Clay’s side made her a little heartsick. However, the kiss that he gave her at her pod door, more than made up for it.

She ran a finger over her lips. She could still feel the tingles of the peck he had given her. It was short and sweet and perfect. Everything that a first kiss with someone should be. Way better than her real first kiss in the closet. 

Walking out her bedroom, Viva hummed, feeling very happy and satisfied with the event. There wasn’t one thing she would have changed.

A slight snore came from the couch behind her. Poppy laid strung out on her sofa, dead asleep. Her hair laid wildly, her mouth hung open and drool was sliding down her cheek. Someone had a rough night, Viva thought. She rolled her eyes and went to the kitchen to make coffee.

Poppy must have been drinking, Viva deduced. That must have been why she was here. The pink troll would have never gone back to their dad’s pod drunk. Viva snuck a peek at her sister as she poured some coffee. She hoped that Poppy hadn’t done anything she would regret. 

Viva was halfway through her drink when there was a light knock on the door. It was a rhythmic knock that she recognized. A grin split on her face. Clay. 

She rushed to the door and whipped it open. Sure enough, Clay stood on the other side of the pod’s threshold with flowers in his hands. “Hi,” She said breathlessly.

“Hi,” He whispered back, smiling like a dope. “Can I come in?”

Viva nodded, “Sure. We’ll just have to be quiet. Sleeping beauty decided to to crash on my couch.” She pointed to her snoring sister on the sofa as Clay walked in holding back a laugh. The blond troll quietly shut the door behind her.

“What’s she doing here?” He chuckled.

Viva rolled her eyes and motioned for him to come sit at the kitchen table. “Who knows? I think she got drunk or something.”

Clay set the flowers down on the table and pulled out a chair to sit in. Viva couldn’t help but grin at the flowers. They were red, pink and white. All of Viva’s favorite colors. “She didn’t seem drunk last night.” Clay pointed out.

“Yeah, but who knows what kind of trouble she got into after the dance. There was probably an after party or something with her friends.” Viva sat down in the chair next to the lime haired troll. She reached out her hand and intertwined in with his, squeezing it tight. “Thank you for the flowers.” The pink ones perfectly matched her complexion. She wondered if Clayhad planned that or if it was just a happy coincidence. 

Clay gave her a teasing grin. “How do you know those are for you? I could have gotten them for someone else.” He poked at her side with his free hand. She giggled at his touch and playfully squirmed away.

“Who else would they be for?” She asked with a knowing smirk.

“Fuzzbert.”

She pinched the skin of his arm and laughed. “Oh come on!”

Clay laughed and rubbed at the spot she had pinched. “Stop pinching me! You’re always doing that.”

“And you’re always saying stupid stuff.” She said playfully. She leaned forward and squeezed his hand again. She wanted to pour all the happiness he was giving her right back into him. She wanted him to feel how insanely happy he made her. 

Clay forward as well. “I am not always saying stupid stuff.” They were practically nose to nose. Anticipation rushed through Viva’s body and left her tingling. This was it. They were going to kiss again. 

“Uhg, can you guys get a room?” Poppy complained, resting her chin on the edge of the couch. The pink troll looked as grouchy as she sounded. Viva was right about her hair being wild, it was practically a rat’s nest. 

Viva placed a hand on her hip. “What about you? Where’s your room? ‘Cause last I checked, this was my living room.” 

Clay bit back a laugh behind his hand and Poppy rolled her eyes. She shifted her head on the arm of the couch, squishing her cheek into it. “I didn’t wanna go home.” She mumbled.

“Because you were drunk~” Viva sang teasingly. Clay’s laughter encouraged her even more. Her eyes twinkled mischievously. “You didn’t even change clothes before you fell asleep.” She gestured to the blue gown that hung off of her sister’s shoulders as if it was more proof of her intoxication. 

A groan of protest left Poppy’s throat. She grimaced and shut her eyes tightly. It reminded Viva of how the pink troll had looked as a kid when she had to eat green beans even though she detested them. “I wasn’t drunk.”

A snort left Viva’s lips and she elbowed Clay. “Tipsy, then.” She compromised. 

Poppy’s eyes shot open, a fire lit behind them. “I wasn’t drinking! I just had a bad night! And I thought,” She sat up on the couch and crossed her arms. “That I could come here. I guess I was wrong.” 

Worry ran through Viva’s mind. “A bad night?” She questioned. “What happened?”

The pink troll ran a hand through her ratted hair. “Nothing. It was-- nothing.”

Viva moved to her sister, sitting on the edge of the couch. “Poppy, come on. You can tell me anything.”

Her sister’s eyes flicked between her and Clay. Her fingertips came up slowly to her mouth and she began to rip into the skin there. Up close, Viva could see how mangled her sister’s nails were. The nail beds were red with irritation and skin around it was torn. Viva flexed her arms, trying to soothe her own phantom pain. 

“Clay?” Viva asked, turning to the lime haired troll. “Do you think you give up a moment? This is sister stuff.” She had a feeling that whatever Poppy was worrying about, she didn’t feel comfortable sharing in front of him. 

Rising to his feet, Clay nodded. “Of course. And Poppy,” He snatched a pink flower from the bundle on the table. “This one is for you. I hate that you had a bad night.” He offered the flower to the younger troll and she accepted it, taking it into her hands. She twirled the flower around a bit, making a blush pink spiral. 

“Thank you,” She mumbled. 

Clay went to exit, mouthing see you later to Viva with a wink. The princess tried to ignore the butterflies that fluttered in her stomach. She had to focus on her sister.

When the door closed, she turned to Poppy, running another hand through her hair. “What’s going on, Poppy-girl?”

Poppy kept looking down at the flower, not waiting to meet the blond troll’s eyes. “I just had a bad time.” She mumbled.

“Last night?” Viva questioned.

Her sister nodded. “Yeah.” She stopped twirling the flower and shyly looked up at her sister. “I want to ask you something, but I don’t want you to judge me.”

“Poppy, I would never judge you.” She said, clasping the pink troll’s hands in hers in sincerity. 

Poppy rolled her eyes and snorted. “Okay, fine. Promise you won’t go all Viva on me.”

The princess didn’t quite know what that meant and she didn’t really appreciate her name being used as a verb, but she promised. She would not go all Viva. 

Taking a deep breath, Poppy pulled her hands back to her chest, holding the flower there. “Sex. Is it supposed to hurt?”

Hurt? Who hurt her? If that purple creep laid one hand my baby sister I’m going to kill----- Viva tried to calm herself. She had promised. “Um, Well.” She spoke shakily, trying to hold back the rage that was brewing inside of her. “It can hurt, but if you are with the right partner, you can communicate with them and they can adjust things to make it better for you. It should be an enjoyable experience.”

Teeth tore into Poppy’s nail bed. Viva had to resist pulling her sister’s hand away from her mouth. “So, no?” Her little sister asked.

Viva shook her head. “No, not a lot.”

“Oh.” Poppy deflated like a popped party balloon. “Oh. I was hoping--” Her voice was choked up, not allowing her to speak anymore. Tears were building in her sister’s eyes. Viva pulled her sister close and wrapped her arms around her. Viva whispered reassurances into her ear.

Poppy wept silently, like she had all though years ago. Tears fell and her face crumpled, but no sound came forth. 

The blond troll couldn’t control the fire that was brewing inside of her. “What did he do? Tell me now.”

The pink troll shook her head. “He didn’t do anything. Creek was sweet and kind.” Poppy looked into her sister’s eyes and Viva could tell that she was being truthful. “He constantly checked up on me, making sure I was okay. And I was.” She forced a smile on her face, tears still falling. “I’m okay, really. It just hurt a little more than I expected.”

The bond troll’s heart broke. Why was she forcing this on herself? Why was Poppy constantly trying to convince others, her friends, her boyfriend, her family, herself, that she was happy? What was making her sister act like this? 

Viva wiped her sister’s tears from her cheeks. “Poppy… You’re not okay. And that’s okay. You don’t need to be happy all the time.”

“Yes I do.” Poppy said, looking down at the flower cradled in her hand. Viva looked down at the flower as well, now really looking at it.

The same flower that was the exact shade as Viva's complexion was vastly brighter than her sister’s. 

Poppy's skin was muted. 

Chapter Text

Poppy wasn’t gray. No, she was still pink, but she was just so desaturated. Viva couldn’t believe it had taken looking at a random pink flower to realize that her sister’s colors had drastically faded. How hadn’t she noticed? 

It must have been a slow fade, over the course of years, because really no one had noticed. Viva had wondered if Poppy even realized. 

Now it was all Viva could see. 

The muted pink troll sat across from her at the dinner table, forcibly smiling and nodding along to something their dad said. It pained Viva to see Poppy like this. She was just a shell of who she used to be. How long would it be until she faded completely gray? Branch was gray, Viva reminded herself. Maybe I could ask him about this?

But Poppy wasn’t gray. She was muted. Faded. Faint. 

Poppy said she had to be happy. Had to. 

Was this why? Was her fake act of happiness, the strained smiles, the painful interactions all that was keeping her from going gray? Did Poppy even realize this?

“And what do you think, Viva?” 

Her father snapped her out of her thoughts and she dropped her fork. It clattered down on the plate in front of her. “Oh, uh. What?”

King Peppy chuckled. “Poppy is going to plan the anniversary of the trolls escaping the Troll Tree this year.” He reached over and ruffled his youngest daughter’s hair. “It’s time that she takes up some real responsibility.”

“Oh. Yeah, that sounds great.” Viva agreed. She stared at her sister, looking for an inch of discomfort or unease with the idea, but Poppy kept up her smiling mask. 

“Then it is settled.” King Peppy smiled. “You’re going to plan your first big event, kiddo.”

Poppy’s smile fell a little at that. “Not a kid.” She turned to her sister. “Do you think Clay could run the sound system for the celebration?”

Viva nodded. That sound system was one of the lime haired troll’s pride and joys. He had poured blood, sweat and tears into setting up that system and always offered to run it at big events. King Peppy ran a thoughtful hand under his chin. “That Clay has always been very helpful at parties.”

“He’s Viva’s boyfriend.” Poppy teased, a real grin creeping up on her face. 

Viva swiftly kicked her sister under the table. The kick should have yielded a shout of pain, but Poppy just sat still as if it had no effect. “They’ve been dating for a while.” The younger troll continued.

“He’s not like-- My boyfriend, boyfriend. ” Viva corrected, trying to regain some control in the conversation. “I mean, yes, we’ve been dating for a while, but he’s not my boyfriend.”

“He hasn’t asked you?” Poppy asked, a bit of concern leaking into her voice. Viva shot her sister a glare from across the table. She would do anything to change the subject. She didn’t like talking about her love life in front of her dad. It was weird. Also, Viva was pretty sure Clay thought they were too old for labels like boyfriend and girlfriend. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to be her boyfriend. Right?

King Peppy hummed. “Well, if he does, I think he will make a fine suitor for the King consort.”

If Viva had been drinking her water, she would have sprayed it all over the table in front of her. “What?” She managed, mind still reeling over the words King Consort.

“Well,” Her dad leaned back in his chair. “You’ve got to start thinking about things like this, Viva. Your coronation is coming up next year.”

Actually, Viva had been actively trying not to think about being crowned as Queen. She didn’t feel ready. Everything was happening so fast. She didn’t want to be the sole one responsible for the whole village. She wasn’t ready. Hell, do I even want to be Queen?

Poppy quirked up an eyebrow. “What’s a King Consort?”

“It is the Queen’s husband.” King Peppy explained. “It is a title given to the husband of the direct line to the throne.”

“So,” Poppy started, looking a bit curious. “When I get married. What would my husband be called? Prince Consort?”

Their father laughed like Poppy was making a silly little joke. The faint pink troll grit her teeth a bit at this. “No, Poppy.” King Peppy laughed. “They would just be your husband. You wouldn’t have a consort as a princess. However, your boyfriend seems to be a good match for you.”

Viva had to hold herself back from groaning at the mention of Creek. The idea of him marrying her little sister made her skin crawl. 

Poppy laughed a bit awkwardly. “Yeah, I guess so.”

.

*********************************

She really didn’t want to do this. Viva knew how much the gray troll valued his privacy, and how he didn’t like unexpected visitors at his bunker. But. She had to talk to him about Poppy. Something was seriously wrong with her. 

Hopefully, Branch wouldn’t be too upset at her sudden arrival. They had been talking a bit more with each other ever since the Harvest Moon Dance. Well, not really talking, Viva thought. She would talk and Branch would listen or chime in with a few thoughts. 

He had really helped her a few months back when there had been spiders threatening to invade the village. Branch had the brilliant idea to build a trench along the far side of the village, where the spiders seemed to be coming from. He and Clay had dug the giant hole and filled it with sap. Now any time a spider wandered too close, they got stuck in Branch’s sticky trap. The gray troll was really quite resourceful. It made sense how he was able to keep himself and Poppy safe all those years out in the forest. 

Reluctantly, Viva knocked on the boulder by the Go Away mat. It had been so long since she had been out here that she was thankful for the rude greeting mat. She didn’t know if she would have been able to find it otherwise. 

“Branch?” Viva called out. “I uh-- need your help. Please?”

Silence answered the princess. Maybe he wasn’t home. Clay told Viva often about how he was always gathering things to stock up his bunker. Maybe he was out on an errand? Or maybe, he just doesn’t want to talk to you because you showed up unannounced. She sighed. Maybe she could ask some of the elders in the village if they knew anything about faded colors versus gray colors. 

Suddenly, the doormat swung open like a hatch. Viva held back a scream from the abrupt movement, but her body jumped. A gray troll’s face popped up out of the hatch.

“Viva?” Branch asked. 

Placing a hand over her chest, Viva tried to calm her racing heart. “Branch, hey!” She gulped and rolled at the worries around in her head. How did she even go about starting this conversation? “Can-- Can I talk to you?”

Branch raised an eyebrow in confusion, but pulled himself out of the bunker entrance. He moved his hand, gesturing for Viva to speak. 

Viva decided just to rip off the bandaid. “How did you go gray?” The princess assumed something must have happened out in the wilderness, because when she asked Clay, he seemed to not have a clue. 

“I’m scared to ask him,” Clay had said. “Something really awful must have happened for him to stay gray for so long.”

Branch stepped back like he had been shot. He slowly shook his head, refusing to speak. His eyes flicked down to the hatch opening, eyeing his escape. 

Viva put her hands up to show that she meant no harm. She needed to be delicate about this. She had to ease him into her questions. Viva didn’t want to spook the gray troll.  “No, no. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have-- I am just wondering because I need to know how long it takes for someone to go gray. Does it take a long time?” 

The gray troll eyed her skeptically, opening and closing his fists in nervousness. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply. When he opened them again, he looked an inch less scared. “Not long. Fast.”

“Like… in a week?” Viva asked, worrying her lip.

“Instantly.” Branch corrected.

Gray in an instant. So what was happening with Poppy? Why was her fading happening so slowly? She opened her mouth to ask if he knew anything about slow fading, when she heard a sudden rustling in the bushes near the bunker entrance. 

Branch grabbed her arm and tugged her down into the hatch and slammed the door shut. She landed with a thud and dirt was kicked up everywhere. She coughed and looked at the gray troll blearily. “Branch, what the---”

He cut her off with a quick shh! He was frozen in a defensive stance, his ears twitching in all directions. Whatever was moving in those bushes must have frightened the gray troll enough to put him on edge. Viva looked up around at the bunker, taking in all of her surroundings. Not a lot had changed since she was last here. Everything was pretty barren and dirty except for a branch sticking up out of the ground near Branch’s left. Well that’s kind of disappointing. Viva had always pictured the inside of the bunker as some kind of fortress. 

The blond troll looked up at the hatch door, following Branch’s stare. A little bit of light shone in through the cracks. “What do you think is up there?” Viva whispered.

Branch’s eyes moved rapidly from her to the hatch. “I think--”

“So this is really where you lived?” An accented voice could be heard somewhere near the hatch. Viva and Branch shared an annoyed look. It was just Creek. She rolled her eyes. At least it wasn’t a critter. She moved to exit the hatch but Branch caught her hand and brought his own finger to lips and pointed up to the hatch.

He wanted to eavesdrop. 

She knew she liked this kid.

Viva grinned and brought a finger to her lips as well. 

“Well, sort of. Not in this area. But it did look like this.” Poppy’s voice could be heard from above. What were the two of them doing all the way out here? Viva was under the impression that Creek didn’t enjoy the forest. He always made comments about the unruly critters that lurked around in the woods. 

“Hm. That must have been pretty challenging.” Creek commented, not sounding all that interested.

“It wasn’t really.” Poppy said, not providing any further explanation. Viva could hear shuffling from up above. She would kill to actually see what the two trolls were doing. 

“What are we doing all the way out here again?” Creek asked, a whine leaking into his voice. My question exactly, Viva thought. 

“I told you, I wanted to leave Branch an invitation for the Anniversary of the Troll Tree escape.” 

Viva peeked a glance at the gray troll next to her. Even in the darkness of the bunker, only being lit up by the light pouring in from the cracks in the hatch, she could see the violet blush dusting his cheeks. The princess knew that Poppy always gave invitations to the gray troll, regardless of the fact that they weren’t talking. Viva had always wanted to see how Branch reacted to these invitations, knowing that he would never attend any troll party or holiday. Apparently, he seemed… endeared by the invitations. Viva smiled to herself. 

“Poppy,” Creek groaned from up above. “Seriously? You know he never comes. Why do you insist on inviting him?”

The princess sneered at Creek’s harsh words. Branch’s face was unreadable, but his teeth set on edge. 

“Because,” Poppy explained, annoyance clear in her voice. “Everyone is invited. I want to make sure he knows that he is a part of everyone.” There was a slight shuffling above the hatch, as though someone was shifting on their feet. “Even if he lives way out here, he’s still a troll.” The faint pink troll mumbled. 

“Barely.” Creek corrected. “But, any time he does end up coming around, he always freaks out and ruins everything.”

Branch anxiously started opening and closing his fists. Viva suddenly wished they hadn’t decided to listen in. The gray troll didn’t need to hear this. 

“He doesn’t ruin everything. He’s just… concerned.” Poppy defended weakly. 

“Yeah, but his concern is misplaced. Come on, Poppy. You know that.” 

There was a pause. Viva internally pleaded for her sister to disagree. Say it’s not true, She thought. Say that he had every right to be afraid. Say he was alone for so long, having to take care of a loud screaming baby and he has every right to be a little paranoid. 

Finally, Poppy spoke. “Yeah, I guess you’re right.” Her voice sounded defeated. Viva couldn’t bring herself to look over at Branch. She didn’t want to see the disappointment, the hurt, in his eyes. 

“I always am.” Creek said smugly. “You know, while we’re out here, we could…” He trailed off, insinuating something. Viva held back a gag. If the two young trolls were even to kiss above the bunker, she thinks she would have to leap out and reveal herself. She wouldn’t be able to listen to it. 

Poppy laughed uncomfortably. “Not here!” She protested. 

“No, not here . We wouldn’t want your wild brother to hear us.”

“He’s not my brother.” Poppy hissed, probably using more emotion than she had in days. 

At that, Viva couldn’t help herself. She glanced over at Branch. The gray troll was balling his first, no longer out of anxiety, no there was a different emotion there. Fury. Branch’s face was pulled in a deep, angry scowl. 

“I love it when you get all animalistic. It’s really sexy.”

This time, Viva really did gag. Branch slapped a hand over her mouth to block the noise. He stared at her with wild eyes. She wanted to gag again. How could Creek find Poppy’s animal instincts from being raised in the wilderness, like an animal, out of necessity, attractive? From the look on Branch’s face, she could tell that he was as disgusted as she was. 

Again, Poppy forced out another awkward laugh. “I guess. Let’s get out of here.” The two trolls wandered away, leaving Branch and Viva listening to the sound of their fading footsteps.

Branch pulled away his hand from Viva’s face. “Don’t say anything.” He whispered.

And she knew what he meant. He didn’t mean that he didn’t want her to speak in case the trolls above were still around. No. 

He meant they were taking what they had heard to their graves. 

 *********************************

Viva smiled as she saw Clay and Branch emerge from the edge of the woods carrying bundles of sticks. It was really nice how the two brothers got along now. Viva waved at Clay and his eyes lit up at the sight of the blond. He tried to wave back, but fumbled with the sticks in his hands, causing them all to fall to the ground. Branch snickered and kicked the sticks that fell near him back in his brother’s direction. 

She had not been able to finish the conversation that she had wanted to have with Branch yesterday and she was hoping she could find a time to talk with him now. 

As Clay went about picking up the spilt sticks, Viva skipped towards them. “Hey guys!” She greeted them. 

Branch nodded, his version of a hello and Clay stood back up, the sticks snug in his arms. “Hey Viva,” He said with a grin. 

She brushed her untucked bangs behind her ear. “What are you boys up to today?”

“Stocking,” Branch said simply. He was always stocking. Did he run out of things quickly or was he just acquiring a mass amount of everything? Viva looked at the sticks. She remembered that Clay had told her Branch collected sticks in case of cave-ins down in the bunker. Apparently, they could be used to help support the tunnels. 

Viva poked at Clay’s side, tickling him a bit. Clay laughed and squirmed away. “Are you actually helping him or are you just throwing his stuff around?” Viva teased with a wide smile. 

The limed haired troll was about to make a retort when loud music could be heard from the other side of the village. A familiar voice sang, “Everybody, move your hair and feel united!”

Poppy must have started up one of her many daily songs. It was weird how her sister went from having an aversion to singing, to suddenly singing all the time. Viva loved to sing, but even she thought her sister’s singing was a bit much.

A groan slipped out of Branch’s lips. Clay laughed, “Yep! There she goes again.”

The gray troll shook his head. “Too loud.” He hissed. Viva bit at her lip. She hoped the music wouldn't get much louder. The last thing Branch needed was another Bergens Are Coming meltdown. 

The song carried on for another minute and it seemed the whole village was getting involved. Normally, Viva would have joined in as well, as she was the future queen, but something told her she needed to stick by the brothers' sides. 

The trolls that were singing created an elaborate, tall formation using their bodies and froze dramatically when they finished their final note. The formation was actually quite impressive. She wondered if they had rehearsed it, or if it had just happened naturally like it sometimes did in the village. 

A sarcastic slow clap came from Branch. He rolled his eyes at the formation. Viva and Clay shared a look and held back a giggle. The gray troll was always so grouchy. Only recently did the princess realize how funny Branch could be, even if he was complaining about the noise volume in the village. 

Poppy hopped down from the formation and landed in front of the three trolls. Her friends huddled behind her. She shot Branch an annoyed look. “You got something to say, Branch?”

“Too loud,” He reiterated, hugging the sticks close to his chest. 

She rolled her eyes. “We weren’t that loud.”

“Uh, you kind of were.” Clay said uncomfortably. “We could hear you from like a mile away.” 

Viva nodded in agreement. Again, Poppy rolled her eyes as if they were being dramatic. There might not be any actual danger from being loud, but couldn’t Poppy and her friends see that it upset Branch? Did they not care about his feelings? She looked at her sister and tried not to focus on the muted pink skin. She remembered how Poppy would practically scratch out the eyes of anyone who dared hurt her companion, but now… 

Poppy was doing the hurting. 

“Too loud.” Branch insisted again. His voice shook, like was trying to convince Poppy of something. “Bergens!”

“Oh, boy.” Cooper spoke up, exasperated. “Here we go again.”

“Oh, Branch…” Biggie said sympathetically. 

“You always ruin everything.” Chenille said harshly.

“Warning us about the Bergens.” Satin added.

A fire spurred up in Viva’s chest. How dare they all just gang up on him like that? “No, he doesn’t.” She stated. And even if he did, She thought. It was only because they were being obscenely loud.

Poppy bit at her fingers, uncomfortably. Discomfort spread across her face. “Guys, stop.” She said and waved them off. She stepped forward and reached into her hair, pulling out an decorated card. She held it out for Branch. “I wanted to invite you to the party tonight, Branch.” Poppy smiled a real sincere smile. One that was hard to come by these days. 

Her friends chimed in from over her shoulder.

“It’s going to be the biggest!”

“The loudest!”

“The craziest party ever!”

Branch took the invitation in his hands, looking at it blankly. Viva didn’t know if he was thinking over the conversation they had overheard or if he was merely focused on the accusations just thrown at him, but Branch took the invitation and stomped it under his foot. He glared at Poppy, who stared back in hurt shock. 

Suddenly, Poppy’s face morphed into a rage filled expression. She bared her teeth at the gray troll, but Branch held his ground. A low growl could be heard coming forth from the back of his throat. 

Sensing the tension, Poppy's friends took a big step back. Viva wondered if they even were aware of just how… feral Branch and Poppy had been at one point. The looks on their faces led the princess to believe that no, they were not.

Clay grabbed Branch’s arm with his stick-free hand. “Come on, let’s go Branch.” The lime haired troll shot Viva a concerned look. She knew that her expression mirrored his. 

The gray troll allowed himself to be pulled away, but not before he grabbed the ruined card and shoved it into his hair. What Branch wanted to do with a destroyed invitation, Viva didn’t know.

All she did know was, the former wild children were not doing okay.

Chapter Text

Despite it being the very first celebration Poppy had ever thrown for the whole village, it was going very well. Everyone was dancing and having a good time. DJ Suki was dj-ing. Creek was running the glitter cannons. Clay was running the sound system. Everything seemed to be going smoothly. 

Everything except for Poppy.

Poppy was acting a little strange. Well, stranger than normal. Viva watched from the sound booth as her sister demanded for the volume to be turned up louder. It was strange. She remembered how Poppy used to hate loud sounds and now, here she was, begging for it.

It was definitely becoming the loudest party that had ever been held in the village. Viva was glad that Branch was safe down in the bunker away from the thumping. The volume would have thrown him over the edge. 

“I can’t hear you!” Poppy taunted the audience of party goers, daring them to cheer even louder. The crowd complied. The blond troll had to resist the urge to cover her ears. It was getting to be too much for even her. 

She grimaced at the music, flinching as the music bounced through the ground beneath her. Yeah, I’m definitely glad Branch isn’t here, Viva thought. 

Suddenly, something was brought down over Viva’s ears, placing the whole village on mute. Viva reached up and found headphones had been placed there. Clay gave her a thumbs up and pointed to the matching pair on his own ears. Noise canceling headphones. 

Butterflies exploded in the princess’s stomach. She returned a thumbs up to the lime haired troll. Viva shifted her eyes back on her sister, who was dancing wildly on stage. Poppy was acting unhinged. She kept lifting her hands, encouraging the crowd to scream and shout. She even motioned for Clay to turn up the volume on the speakers. He smiled and gave her the ‘ok’ sign, but turned to Viva and shook his head frantically. He reached forward and turned down the speakers a smidge. 

Viva giggled. “She’d kill you!” She shouted over the music.

Clay shrugged and yelled something back but she couldn’t hear him through the music and the headphones. She grinned at him, shrugging in confusion. He playfully rolled his eyes and pulled her into his side. An electric shock ran through her as he placed a hand on her hip. She smiled so widely, her cheeks hurt. Feeling a bit brave, she stood up on tip toes and pressed a kiss onto his cheek. A violet blush quickly rose to his blue skin. She giggled again at his reaction.

He leaned closer to her and pulled one of the headphones away from her ear. “You missed!” He said loudly. 

“Huh?” She laughed. She hadn’t missed, she had kissed him exactly where she had planned to. He tucked her bangs behind her ear, and placed his other hand on the back of her neck. Oh sugar, She thought. 

Clay pulled her in close and planted a kiss firmly on her lips. It was unlike their previous kisses, which had been short and sweet. This one was strong and long. It left Viva feeling light headed when she pulled away. They grinned at each other dopily. She reached for his hand and clasped it in her hand. She squeezed it tightly, hoping that she could pour all of the love she was feeling directly into Clay. 

Suddenly, the music that was shaking the ground stopped abruptly. Clay motioned for Viva to take off the headphones and pointed to the stage. Poppy had brought their father up on stage and seemed to be speaking to the whole village. Viva quickly pulled off the noise canceling headphones. 

“... take a second to celebrate our king.” Poppy smiled and gestured to their dad who stood behind her. “My father. Twenty years ago this night, he attempted to do something that no troll had before. He tried to save every troll from the Bergens.” Poppy reached for her dad and grabbed his hand. “And while he was unable to save all of the trolls, he did save most of us.” 

Viva tried to ignore the way her sister’s voice broke on the last statement. Viva had never thought about how this holiday had made Poppy feel. Their father had saved every troll except for his own daughter and Branch. It suddenly hit Viva like a ton of bricks. This holiday must be horrible for Poppy. To know that every year they celebrated escaping the Troll Tree and leaving her and Branch behind. 

Why had dad put her in charge of this event? It feels so cruel…

Poppy cleared her throat and used her free hand to wipe at her eyes. “Uhg, why am I crying? This is a happy day!” That dreaded fake smile crept up on her sister’s face. Her eyes faded a little bit into the fog that always lingered there. “Thank you, Dad. Thank you for saving us from the dreaded---”

The earth suddenly shook. It wasn’t like when the music was playing earlier. No, that was a small vibration. Now the whole world shook. Clay’s sound system clattered to the ground, but he couldn’t be bothered to look at it. All he could do was look up at the thing moving towards them.

“Gotcha.” Now that the beast was in the center of the village Viva could see it for what it really was. 

A Bergen.

Viva felt her whole body lock up. She couldn’t move. She couldn’t breathe. She could only think back to when she was a child. She remembered the horrible giant hands that would reach into their pods and feel around for their tiny bodies or their wispy hair. She remembered seeing friends and loved ones snatched up and eaten whole as the giants laughed, feeling joy for the first time. 

Suddenly, the giant purple beast was moving, reaching out with its ugly, bumpy hand, grabbing at helpless trolls. Viva knew that she should run. That she should hide. That she should help her people. But she was just frozen. Stuck.

“Blend in, blend in!” She heard her sister call distantly. Viva didn’t think she could shift hues even if she wanted to. She didn’t think she could even move. Abruptly, she was being grabbed at. Blue hands tugged at her arm, pulling her towards the shadows. Viva’s eyes followed the arms and found that they were attached to Clay. 

“Viva, you have to move!” He screamed in horror. But she couldn’t. Her legs wouldn’t move. So Clay pulled her stiffly towards the nearby grass, shifting his hue to blend in. Viva tried to shift, but she just couldn’t. She couldn’t even breathe!

“Clay!” She choked. 

He looked back to her, but as he did, a shadow loomed over them. His eyes widened in terror. “Viva, get down!” He shoved her with all his might and she landed on the ground roughly. The fall knocked her out of her stupor. She felt like she could shift hues now. She could hide now! She looked up, ready to run, when she saw Clay being lifted into the sky.

“Clay!” She shrieked. The Bergen had Clay. It had Clay . “CLAY!”

Clay wrestled in the monster’s grip, but screamed down at her, “Run! Run!” The monster ignored the troll’s screams and shoved the lime haired troll into a bag that wrapped around its waist. 

Viva stumbled to her feet. “Clay,” She mumbled and moved towards the creature. It had Clay. She had to get to Clay. The blond troll saw her father at the foot of the beast, hitting at it. Her dad always knew what to do. She would just-- She would just go to her dad. 

The princess moved like she was being controlled by someone else. She grabbed a stray rock and began to hit at the monster’s foot as well. Somewhere behind her, she thought she heard her sister yelling for Creek. Poppy will be fine, Viva thought. She is brave. Viva felt like she was floating out of her own body. She slammed the rock down even harder on the beast’s foot. “Clay!” She screamed. 

Suddenly, someone was yet again tugging at her arm and pulling her into the shadows. Viva looked up, hoping to find Clay there, but this time it had been Poppy who had grabbed her. Poppy used her hair and covered herself, Viva and their father. She shifted hues masterfully. She blended right in with the rocks behind them. Absent-mindedly, she wondered if she had ever seen Poppy shift hues before. She didn’t think she had. 

“Clay,” Viva pleaded. They had to save Clay. Poppy slapped a hand over her mouth and nervously looked up where the beast was standing. 

“Thanks for throwing the biggest... The loudest... The craziest party ever.” The Bergen said with a smile. Slowly, the Bergen turned away and stomped off. Viva ached to rush out, to go to Clay, but Poppy held her in place. 

When the monster was finally a good distance away, the remaining trolls that hadn’t been taken came carefully out of their hiding places. Poppy receded her hair and the three of them moved out into the clearing. Viva stared into the direction the creature had gone off. 

“Is it going to come back?” A trolling asked somewhere behind her.

“What are we going to do now?” Another troll asked.

Everyone turned to King Peppy. The older troll stood shakily in place. “We have to find a new home. Everyone, hurry. We have to leave before the Bergens come back.” He started urging the trolls to move back into the shadows.

Poppy moved forward, her faint pink skin glowing in the moonlight. “We need to rescue them!” She declared. 

King Peppy shook his head. “No, Poppy, we have to run. Now, let's go, everyone. Come on!”

“What happened to No Troll Left Behind?” Poppy asked, her voice laced with bitterness. A shiver ran up Viva’s spine. Would Clay be left behind? 

Their father had the decency to look ashamed. “I'm sorry, Poppy. That was a long time ago. And I'm not the king I once was.”

Poppy balled her fists. “Then I’ll go. I know these woods better than anyone else. I’ll save them.” 

“No, Poppy. It's too dangerous.” King Peppy tried to throw some authority into his voice, but he knew as well as Viva did that it wouldn’t help. Poppy never did what she was told. 

“Clay,” Viva mumbled. Clay was in danger. Clay was going to be eaten. 

Poppy looked between her father and her sister, completely grief stricken. “I have to at least try.”

“No. You can’t go. It’s impossible.”

In Viva's mind, she was already running away.

*********************************

“You have to knock on the boulder,” Viva instructed numbly. Everything about this felt like a bad dream. 

Poppy began pounding on the rock. “Branch! Branch! Branch! Branch, are you in there?” She screamed in exasperation. 

A slot in the doormat slid open. Gray eyes peeked out. “I’m not going to your party.” He spoke roughly, but in a complete sentence. Figuring that the gray troll couldn’t see her, she moved next to her sister. Branch’s eyes widened. What she looked like, Viva didn’t want to know, but she figured if she scared Branch, it had to be pretty bad. 

The hatch flew open and his head popped out. “Viva?” He asked, concerned. 

“Branch, the party is over. We got attacked by a Bergen!” Poppy exclaimed, her voice rising frantically. The gray troll froze a bit, but quickly grabbed the sisters by their wrists and drug them inside the bunker. They landed on the dirt floor with a THUD. 

Poppy was quicker to recover. She immediately got her feet again, while Viva gripped at the dirt ground, looking for something to support her. It felt like her world had been turned upside down. Branch grabbed her by the elbow and helped her up. “I knew. I told!” The gray troll growled. 

The muted pink troll let out a crazy laugh. “Is this really the time for I told you so?”  

Rolling his eyes, he gripped the branch sticking out the ground and pulled it downward. Now Viva’s world was really moving. It’s an elevator, She realized. Viva had initially been disappointed by how empty the bunker was, but now as they were lowered down more and more, she realized that Branch had the bunker stocked to nines. Food and water was everywhere, along with medical supplies, traps and weapons. 

“Could still. Be out there.” Branch said gruffly as the platform stopped on the bottom level. He stepped off of the disk and walked towards the center of the level. Poppy was quick to follow him.

“No, it left! And it took Cooper, and Smidge, and Fuzzbert and Satin, and Chenille, and Biggie, and Guy Diamond, and Creek!” Poppy exclaimed. It took all of her friends. It had taken them to be eaten . 

Slowly Viva stepped off of the platform, looking around at the walls. All over the dirt wall were paranoid, hopeless scrawlings. 

Run.

Eat us.

Bergens.

Fear clutched at Viva’s heart. They were all going to be eaten. “Clay,” She whispered. 

Branch’s head turned sharply in her direction. She couldn't look at him, she avoided his eyes. Not when his brother was going to be eaten by that monster. No, she couldn’t bear to see his face. She didn’t want his reaction. Viva had failed the gray troll too many times.

“What?” Branch demanded.

“It took Clay,” She said, water leaking into her eyes. The tears had finally decided to come. She had been worried that she didn’t have any tears to give for Clay. She was almost thankful when big drops fell down off of her cheeks. 

A low growl grew from the back of Branch’s throat as he turned slowly toward the faint pink troll. “ I told you it was too loud!” He bit out. “Look at what you’ve done!” Viva heard a loud BUMP and turned her head to see the two former wild children gripping at each other aggressively. 

Poppy bared her teeth and hissed, while Branch was unmoving. He let out another growl and shook the young princess a bit. “I told you!” This time, his voice shook a bit. It wavered and wobbled up and down.

Letting her defensive mask fall, Poppy dropped her head. “I’m sorry. You were right.” She released his arms. “I just--- You were right.”

Seeing the two suddenly get physical in a way that Viva had never seen before brought her back to reality. She was the oldest. She was going to be Queen. She had to do something. 

“Branch, I’m going to go after them.” Viva said, trying to sound a lot more strong than she felt. “Will you come with me? I need your help, you know more about the woods than anyone.”

Stepping away from the faded pink troll, Branch shook his head. She could see the water that was threatening to fall from his eyes. “No. Eaten.”

Viva wrung her hands, trying to get her body to wake up. It still felt like she was stuck frozen in front of that horrible beast. “We don’t know that they’re,” She choked over the next word. “ Eaten. You remember, Branch. I know you do. They like to make a spectacle out of it. They wouldn’t have eaten them already.”

The gray troll continued to shake his head and back away from the sisters. Hope leaked out of the princess. There was no way she could convince the paranoid troll to come with her, even if it was to save his brother. Branch was trembling at the idea of going after the kidnapped trolls and he hadn’t even seen the Bergen. 

She sighed and turned her head towards Poppy. “I’m leaving you in charge. Help Dad hide the trolls somewhere safe.”

“What?” Her sister asked angrily. “If you think I’m not coming, you’re crazy.” She choked back a sob. “It’s my fault that they’re gone.

Viva shook her head. “You have to stay. Dad was right, it’s too dangerous.”

“You’re going!” Poppy accused, a tear slipping down her face. 

All of the emotions that Viva was holding in her head and heart came spilling out. It was like she couldn’t keep them inside anymore. “ I’m not letting Clay be left behind!” She shouted. “I couldn’t stand it when you were lost, I can’t do it again!” Her confession hung out in the air, echoing off of the bunker dirt walls. She ran a hand over her face, wiping stray tears. “Besides, if I don’t---If I don’t,” She swallowed thickly. “If I don’t come back, they will need a leader.”

“Viva,” Poppy whispered. Her eyes were now two pink pools of tears. “You’re-- You’re coming back. Everyone is.” She balled her fists. “And there is no way I’m letting you go without me. I have to fix this.”

“No fixing.” Branch argued with a trembling voice. 

Viva tried to ignore his negative thinking. She had to focus on facts. The Bergens always held a celebration when feasting on trolls. It was a two day’s walk to Bergen town for a troll, so it must take a Bergen a little less than a day to get back to their territory. Then they would have to gather up the whole town for the feast. Viva had time to save Clay, she just needed to act fast.

Biting her lip, she realized she didn’t have time to try to convince Poppy to stay. Poppy always did what she wanted to anyway.

“We need to leave now.”

Chapter Text

Poppy was finally making good use of the survival pack she had gotten three years. She had it slung on her shoulders tightly and her tight ponytail bobbed a bit as she navigated through the woods. 

Viva tried to keep her eyes on her sister’s bag. If she could just focus on one thing, she could keep moving. If she could just keep her eyes on the bag, she wouldn’t let herself drown in grief. If she could just keep looking forward, she wouldn’t hear Branch’s warnings ringing in her ears.

“ Eaten.”

Stepping lightly, Poppy moved like a squirrel. She bounced from one foot to another methodically. Her ears twitched as she made her way through the brush, listening for any incoming threats. 

If Viva was honest, she was having trouble keeping up with her sister. The faded pink troll moved swiftly and Viva was still carrying her grief with her. It was heavy, like lead and made her feet feel like rocks. Twice, Poppy had urged her to hurry and to keep up with her. 

As she stared at the bag on her sister’s back and marched quickly to keep up, her mind wandered a bit. She hoped Clay was warm wherever he was. The lime green troll always ran cold and often complained about freezing fingers. Last Lunar New Year, Viva had given him a sweater romper. She had smiled and acted like her present was no big deal, knowing that the romper had taken her three months to knit and had even given her several hand cramps. 

She must have been thinking too deeply, because the next thing Viva knew, she ran face first into the survival bag. She rubbed at her nose. “Poppy,” She complained. “What are you doing?” Why had she suddenly stopped?

Poppy's nose was up in the air, sniffing at something. Her ears were moving wildly, and her eyes were wild. Panic rose up in Viva’s chest. “A Bergen?” Viva whispered in a terrified voice.

“No,” She shook her head. The muted pink troll narrowed her eyes. “We’re being followed.”

Followed? Viva’s eyes bulged. Who was following them? A shiver ran up her spine as she thought about all the horror stories she used to hear about the woods growing up. Who was following them?

“Follow my lead,” Poppy said in a hush. She began to hum and started walking a bit carelessly, completely unlike how she had been prior. Viva stumbled closely behind her and forced a whistle out of her lips, attempting to seem casual. 

Skipping along, Poppy started to sing a bit. “Cause if you knock, knock me over I will get back up again.” 

Although it seemed that Poppy was moving about like a carefree butterfly, Viva could see that her sister was zoning in on a certain bush near to the left of them. The younger troll’s voice increased in volume as she approached the bush. “Get back up again!” She twirled around girlishly and then at the last second, she snapped. Her body rigidly reached into the bush and hauled something out by her teeth, pressing it into the ground aggressively. 

“Oh Muses!” Viva exclaimed. In between Poppy’s teeth was the nape of a familiar looking gray troll.

Poppy released his scruff and tilted her head. “Branch?”

The gray troll struggled against her grasp, his face resisting being pressed into the mossy ground. “Off!” He demanded.

“I thought you weren’t coming.” Poppy said, with an eyebrow raised, still not getting up. Viva tugged her by the arm, forcing her sister to get off the gray troll. 

Growling, Branch rose to feet, dusting the dirt off of his vest. “Wasn’t going to.” He glared daggers at the younger princess. She returned a similar look to him in kind.

The tension that the former wild children had created sat like sheets of ice on Viva’s skin. She needed them to stop, she needed this feeling to go away. “I’m glad you’re here, Branch.” She tried to give him a warm smile. It barely reached her eyes in light of their current situation. “What made you change your mind?”

The gray troll didn’t answer for a moment. He allowed the silence to sit with them for a bit. Viva was surprised that Poppy didn’t take issue with this, as most things about Branch seemed to set her on edge now. However, Viva should have known better. Poppy had never rushed or pushed Branch to speak, no matter how bad things were between them. 

Branch looked down at his feet and spoke quietly. So quietly that if Viva hadn't been paying attention, she would not have been able to hear him. “Don’t want Clay to be left behind, either.”

Taking a hesitant step forward, Poppy reached out for Branch, but then she changed her mind and pulled her arm back to her side. “That’s not going to happen Branch,” Poppy spoke with confidence, as though she knew that every word she said was true. “No one is going to be left behind this time. We’re going to save him. All of them.”

*********************************

It took an embarrassingly long amount of time before Viva realized that the two younger trolls were basically corralling her as if she were a toddling trolling. Poppy took the lead and kept watch for anything ahead of them. Branch was at the rear, keeping an eye out for anything that could sneak up behind them. That left Viva in the middle to do… nothing.

She resisted the urge to sigh audibly. Branch had already scolded her on her volume when she hummed for a bit while they were walking. Viva had expected Poppy to come to her defense and argue that humming was fine, but the faded troll was oddly silent. 

Viva’s feet hurt from all the walking. She figured that this was probably the most walking she had ever done in one sitting. She glanced back at Branch, who was marching close behind her. His ears were perked up, twisting at any slight noise. He didn’t seem to be in any discomfort from their journey, if anything, he looked to be more in his element. 

Up head, Poppy paused and kicked at the dirt. She bent down and sniffed at the soil. Her nose wrinkled and her eyes slid in Branch’s direction. She held the dirt out for him. Branch, eyeing the soil carefully, crept over and took a whiff as well. They were being so methodical about this, but what the heck was going on? 

“What is it?” Viva asked. 

Poppy shot her a worried glance. “Spider. One came through here.” She looked to Branch for confirmation and he nodded. He scoped the dirt from her hand and rubbed it between his fingers, studying it further. Poppy bit her lip, but then looked at Viva confidently. “It’s probably old. It could have come through here days ago.”

“It won’t bother us out here, right? We’re not like, it’s natural prey.” Viva said, concern bleeding into her voice.

The former feral children shared a nervous look. Poppy forced out a quiet laugh. “No, we’ll be okay.” She looked around anxiously. “We should probably keep moving.”

I’m not about to argue with that!

Every second that went by was another second that Clay was closer to being eaten. They proceeded to get into their formation and started marching along again. Viva peeked behind her to look at Branch, knowing that he wouldn’t be able to hide any worries he had. Sure enough, the gray troll looked keyed up, frantically looking left to right for any sign of danger. 

Viva wondered how much of this rescue mission Branch actually believed in. It didn’t seem like he thought the trolls would be alive. He was convinced that the second they were taken they would be eaten. But he had said that didn’t want to leave Clay behind , Viva had to remind herself. He had to have some sort of hope. 

They had been walking for so long in silence, that when Branch spoke up, it caused her to jump out of her skin. 

“Plan?”

Ahead of Viva, Poppy mumbled something incoherent under her breath. She turned and walked backwards to face them. Even walking backwards, Poppy was expertly able to hop around and avoid stones and debris on the ground. “I have a plan.” She stated, looking directly at Branch. She didn’t stare at him meanly, but there was a bit of an edge to her gaze. Like she was daring him to challenge her. 

“Which is?” Branch was never one to back down from Poppy. 

Poppy rolled her eyes a bit at his tone and Viva noticed how she picked up her pace. The blond troll had to speed up a smidge to keep her place in the pack. 

Pack .

Pack. Was that what they were, before? A pack of two? Two wild animals with no one but each other? A pack that trusted each other implicitly, no matter what, to take care of each other? Viva wondered where the trust had gone. 

“The plan is to rescue everyone and make it home safely.” Poppy stated.

Branch scoffed darkly, “Not a plan.”

“More of a wishlist.” Viva pipped in unhelpfully. As much as she wanted the plan to be that simple, she knew they had to be sensitive in this situation. They had to find a way to save the other trolls, save Clay, without getting them or themselves eaten. It wouldn’t be as easy as Poppy was making it out to be. 

Poppy huffed and stopped her backwards walk. “Okay then, Viva, Queen of plans, what do you suppose we do?”

Fear curled in on her. The sarcastic remark cut in on her. She wasn’t Queen of anything. She barely even knew what she was doing. What was she doing? Why was she out here with the very children she swore to protect from the wilderness? What was she doing?

“Tunnels.” Branch whispered, coming to Viva’s rescue. 

The tunnels. 

The very tunnels that they used to escape the Troll Tree. Viva remembered when those tunnels had been dug. She remembered seeing the male trolls covered in dirt constantly from all the debris that they had to transport and carry. She remembered the injuries that trolls received from cave-ins and poor air quality.

They would use the tunnels. 

*********************************

Now that they seemed to have a semblance of a plan, they moved much faster. Or at least, it seemed that way to Viva. Before she knew it, the sun was starting to set. Viva blinked, trying to get the orange sun out of her head. 

“We’re going to need to set up camp.” Poppy declared and started pulling her backpack off her shoulders. She rummaged through it until her hand landed on what she wanted. A water bottle. She took a small sip before handing it out to Viva. The princess took it thankfully and went about gulping it down. She was so thirsty! Who knew that walking so much could get her to crave a liquid other than soda. 

A warning sound came from her sister. Poppy jutted her thumb to Branch, motioning for her to pass on the bottle. Viva did so histantly, she was still so thirsty! The gray troll took a small sip from the bottle, matching Poppy. 

Viva took in her surroundings. They were surrounded by brush and trees, but they seemed to be in a clearing of sorts. “Should we set it up here?”

A small snort left the gray trolls’s lips and he shook his head. 

“We wouldn’t set it up here,” Poppy explained, somehow without explaining anything at all. 

Again, Viva looked around, but this time in confusion. What was wrong with sleeping here? “Why not?” She asked.

The younger trolls shared a knowing look. Branch waved his hand forward. “Keep going.” He urged. 

Poppy slung her bag back on her shoulders and went back to leading the way. A groan left Viva. These two think they’re sooo smart with their… survival skills. She really just wanted to sit down for a minute. She didn’t know how much more of this her feet could take. 

They walked for about another ten or so much, when suddenly Poppy’s gait changed drastically. She began weaving through the grass and dirt, like she was running to a finish line. Surely, they weren’t already at the tunnels. Viva distinctly remembered that the tunnels were two days away from the village. 

“Poppy?” Branch called out cautiously. He too was moving faster and was now walking practically side by side with the blond troll.

The faded troll whipped her head around, a true smile appearing on her face. “Branch. Look!” She pointed towards an oak tree a few yards in front of them. 

Branch stumbled a bit at the sight of it, bumping into Viva. His eyebrows were drawn up in surprise, like the tree was the last thing he had ever expected to see. Viva scrubbed at her eyes a bit. Maybe there was something special about the tree that she wasn’t seeing. 

The former wild children rushed forward, forcing the princess to run in order to stay up with them. Poppy let out a happy yip as she approached the tree’s base excitedly. Even as they got closer, Viva still couldn’t see what was getting the younger trolls so worked up. It was just a regular oak tree with a large moss covered base. 

Poppy fingered at the moss on the tree’s bark, searching for something. “Come on, where is it?” She muttered as her sister stared dumbfounded. What was she looking for?

The gray troll came behind Poppy and reached to the left of her. With a shaky hand, he pulled something and the bark from the tree peeled back like a door.

It was a door, Viva suddenly realized. Her sister was quick to help Branch pull the bark back the rest of the way. The dirt on the ground fought against the makeshift door, causing the trolls to grunt from their efforts. They pulled with all their might and created thick scraps on the dirt below. 

Viva didn’t know what she expected to see when the door was opened, but a domestic home was not on her list of options. The oak tree had been carved out to create a burrow of sorts. The burrow was small, but homey. There was a small table in the center of the room, drawings on the walls, and bedding in the corner. 

Poppy was quick to run inside, touching and analyzing everything. Branch took a small step inside and stared down at the table. There was a deck of handmade cards laying there, as if someone had left in the middle of the game. Branch reached out and pushed a card forward. 

“Everything is so much smaller than I remember,” Poppy observed in a whispered awe. She brought a straw doll to her chest and stroked its brittle hair. 

Viva felt at a loss for words. She reached out and touched the inside walls of the burrow. They were smooth, as if someone had carefully scraped and carved this hole into the tree’s base. They were carved so delicately that Viva didn’t think she could have gotten a splitter from them even if she tried. “Is this--” She stuttered. “Your home?”

“Was.” Branch corrected, not looking up from the playing cards.

Poppy placed the doll back down on the bedding. She wrinkled her nose up at her sister. “You didn’t think we just ran wild out there did you? Of course we had a home.”

To be honest, Viva hadn’t thought about their wild years much at all. She didn’t want to picture the kind of miserable life they had lived. However, now it appeared to the blond troll that their wild years had been anything but miserable. It had been comfortable. 

A sniffle suddenly entered the burrow. Viva and Branch’s heads snapped to the faded troll. Poppy sniffled again and wiped at her nose. “We were supposed to be right back.” She raised her head up to meet Branch’s eyes. “Remember? We were playing a game… what was the name? I don’t think I ever knew. You used to love it.”

“Rummy,” Branch mumbled, barely able to keep the intense eye contact her sister was trying to hold. 

“Rummy,” Poppy sniffled again. “We were tied. Or you were winning. Something. We were supposed to go out and check the traps and be right back.” 

The gray troll opened and closed his fists nervously. He dropped his eyes back down to the table. Viva stepped forward, really trying to enter the burrow now, when she tripped over something. She caught herself before she fell and looked down to get rid of the tripping hazard. Clay hated tripping hazards. He carried that caution tape with him everywhere…

Carries. 

Not carried. 

He still had it.

He was still alive. 

Viva picked up the hazard, a woven basket about the size of her head. She sat it on the table, careful not to disturb the cards. 

“ Oh,” Branch whispered, his voice sounding gutted. 

Viva slowly opened the thickly woven basket, half expecting to find rotting rabbit meat or something else horrible that would cause Branch to react in such a way. 

All that was inside was bedding and a small blanket woven out of dried grass. Viva eyebrows scrunched up in confusion. It couldn’t have been a bed, who would have been small enough----

Her thoughts came to a stop. Suddenly, the thick weaving on the basket and the abundance of bedding made sense. It had been for Poppy, when she was a baby.

Poor baby Poppy, who had been abandoned by her family and forced into the care of a scared, gray, four year old. 

Young Branch had created a bassinet for the baby to cry without being heard. 

They hated noise. Viva remembered how the wild children had acted.

 They hated noise. 

They had to be quiet. 

QUIET.

Poppy slowly grabbed the grass blanket and brought it close to her face. Tears began to pool in her eyes, but none dared to fall. She gripped at the blanket tightly, a scowl watching onto her face.   As fast as a hummingbird, the muted troll tore at the blanket, ripping into two pieces. She let the pieces fall to the ground, like falling leaves.

“Poppy,” Viva whispered. She didn’t know what to say, but she knew she needed to say something. She couldn’t stand the quiet .

Her sister swiftly reached out and knocked the bassinet to the ground. With a grunt, She slammed her foot on top of the basket, trying to break through the weaving. She did this several times, grunting louder and louder, until she was screaming, when the basket broke with a snap .

She shrieked and dropped to her knees, tearing and ripping at the remaining pieces of the bassinet. Viva stepped backwards at the sheer volume leaving her sister’s lungs. Twings, grass and bedding flew everywhere as Poppy destroyed her baby basket. Even when pieces of it had been shredded, Poppy kept screaming, as if she was trying to make up for all of the times she had to be QUIET. 

Viva trembled, unsure of how to help her. How to stop her. How to fix her. Poppy was broken. She was faded. Muted. Faint. Not quite gray, but definitely not bright. Her screaming numbed Viva’s brain. 

A whimper cut through the sound of the shrieking, gaining the blond’s attention. Shaking, Branch covered his ears with rough hands and bit at his lip. His eyes were wide in fear, gazing at his former companion. Another whimper left his throat and he shook his head frantically, panic fully setting in. 

She had to stop screaming, Viva thought. “Poppy,” She called out. “Poppy!” The muted troll choked back a sob, before winding up on another one. Her fingers raked through the mess she had created. 

“Poppy.” Viva tried again, reaching down for her sister. Poppy flinched at her touch and hugged at her own arms. “Poppy, look at Branch.” Viva gestured to the gray troll, who was rocking back and forth. “You’re scaring him.”

Poppy’s eyes snapped up to the gray troll and her screams immediately ceased. Tears still came pouring down, but they did so now silently. Her mouth wobbled. “Sorry, Branch.” Poppy's voice wobbled over another silent sob.

Branch’s rocking slowed, but he still shook and kept his ears covered. His eyes never left Poppy’s. 

And then, because the universe had great timing, Viva and Poppy’s hug time bracelets went off with a ding. Viva tried to hold back a sob, but it turned into a laugh halfway out. “Hug Time,” She observed. She tried to not think about who she had last hugged at hug time. 

I hope Clay can hug the other trolls. I hope he stays warm. I hope he doesn’t give up hope. 

Uninterested in Hug Time, Poppy shook her head, allowing more tears to roll out on her cheeks. Her fingers dug into the debris she had created. The once nicely woven basket now sat in a shredded pile on the dirt floor. 

A chirp entered the burrow. For a second, Viva worried that a bird had cornered them in the tree’s base and that they were going to have a whole new problem. But the chirp was too close to be a bird waiting outside to snack on their yummy troll bodies. 

Viva’s eyes slid to where the sound had come from and found that Branch had stopped shaking. He slowly dropped his arms and extended them loosely at the faded troll. 

Hug Time.

Poppy practically ran into his arms.

Chapter Text

They ended up camping outside of the burrow. No one wanted to stay inside and sleep with the ghost of what had been. 

Viva laid awake, staring at the stars above. She wondered if Clay could see the stars from where he was. She wondered if he knew that she was coming for him. He had to know. She would never be able to just stand around and allow him to be eaten.

She hadn’t wanted to fall asleep. She was the oldest, she needed to stay away and keep watch. However, their journey had exhausted her. The second she laid her head down on her sleeping bag, her eyelids began to drop. She could hear the rhythmic breathing of the trolls next to her. 

Branch was the furthest from her, laying on a sleeping bag in front of the moss covered door in the tree. Viva didn’t think he was sleeping yet either, but he breathed easy. Poppy snoozed contently in between the two trolls. The blond troll could see a trail of drool slipping out of her mouth. 

She hadn’t wanted to fall asleep, but she could feel herself drifting in and out of consciousness. After a while of jerking her head up, trying to keep herself awake, she finally gave in and closed her eyes. 

“...I’m telling you it’s weird.” 

Viva scrunched up her face. She must have been asleep for at least a little while, because there were crusties in the corners of her eyes. It was still pitch dark outside, so it couldn’t have been morning. Who the heck was talking?

“You know that they’re not dating.” Poppy’s voice whispered. Who? Who was she talking about?

There was a twisting sound, like someone was shifting inside their sleeping bag. “Yes, they are. I’ve seen them kiss.” Branch’s voice whispered back.

Viva’s face heated up. Oh. They were talking about her and Clay.

“I’ve seen them kiss, too. But that doesn’t matter. You don’t have to date in order to kiss.”

Branch exhaled in frustration. “No, I’ve seen them on dates. I helped Clay get some of them ready.”

“Okay,” Poppy shifted, perhaps sitting up in her sleeping bag. “They’re dating then. But they’re not boyfriend and girlfriend. Viva told me, he hasn’t asked.”

“Do you have to ask?”

Viva could practically hear Poppy’s eyes rolling into the back of her head. “ Of course you have to ask!”

There was a pause. Good, Viva thought. Maybe now I can go back to sleep for a couple hours before the sun rises. The spot that Branch and Poppy had picked in the woods to live seemed like a relatively safe one, considering that nothing had attacked them in the night. Besides, even if something had, she would have been too tired to care. Her feet ached and she wanted to stay off of them as long as possible. 

“Did Creek ask?” Branch asked so quietly that Viva almost didn’t hear his vulnerable question.

Poppy hummed light in response. “Yes. But…” She trailed off.

“But what?”

“He asked me in front of my friends.” Poppy let out a long sigh. “I guess he just assumed I would say yes. Which I wanted to!” She rushed to add on the last part. “I just wish it hadn’t been so… public.”

“Those things should be private.” Branch agreed. 

Viva risked a peek at the trolls. They were so into their own conversation, they didn’t notice the blond troll’s movement. Branch was laying on his back, his arm stretched up and under his head. Poppy sat up and had her knees tucked against her chest. They weren’t looking at each other, pointedly avoiding eye contact. 

The muted troll let out a puff of air. “Yeah.” 

Branch turned his head, rolling it to face Poppy. He still wouldn’t look at her face, instead focusing on her knees that she bumped together. “He doesn’t really get you.” He stated. Not a question, no, he was stating a fact. Creek did not understand Poppy. 

Biting at her lip, Poppy dared to look at the gray troll. Their eyes met. “No, he doesn’t.”

Viva was suddenly reminded of a conversation that she had once overheard. 

“I just want my friend back. No one--” She choked. “No one gets that. No one gets me .”

Did Branch realize that Poppy thought that the only person that truly understood her was him? Did he realize that despite all of the stupid mistakes and arguments that Poppy had with the gray troll, she still held him up on a pedestal? 

Branch sat up, leaning towards the faded troll, their eye contact never breaking. “Then why?” 

The princess knew what he was asking. Why be with someone who doesn’t get you? Why not be with someone who did----

Viva’s mind froze at that thought.

The only person who understood Poppy was Branch.

Did he…? Did they want to…?

Could there something more to their relationship than just their friendship of circumstance?

Poppy bit at her thumb nail and tore at the skin there. Her eyes dropped down to her now bloody finger. She quickly wiped the blood off and onto her dress, smearing it with red. 

“He was there.” She said plainly.

*********************************

Viva must have fallen back asleep at some point, because before she knew it, the rising sun was shining down on her face. She sat up, yawning and rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. Her feet still ached, but she was glad that her body was able to get some rest. They still had a lot of ground to cover. She got up and went about rolling up her sleeping bag, when a strange sight caught her eye. 

Branch was sitting up on his sleeping bag while he looked down at the bundle of light pink hair in his lap. Poppy’s face was pressed into his leg and she snored lightly. The gray troll delicately ran his hand through her hair, twirling it a bit between his fingers. 

“Branch,” Viva whispered, getting the gray troll’s attention. His head snapped up and his hands froze in place. A fearful expression spread over his face, like he had been caught doing something wrong. Viva shook her head. “I get it. She’s a stage four clinger in her sleep.”

She had heard about the many times that Poppy’s friends had woken up at a sleepover to find the young princess wrapped around them. Viva thought back to the bedding in the burrow and how the wild children had slept together in a pillow nest on Clay’s couch. Poppy was probably raised to always have someone at her side while she slept. 

Fingers twitching, Branch pulled his hand away from the light pink hair. Guilt flashed through Viva’s chest. She had ruined the moment. Biting her lip, she nodded to the sun. “We’d better get moving.” This sun would soon be out in full force. They needed to get going, they only had a limited amount of time before the Bergens were going to eat the captured trolls. 

Branch shook his leg, lightly bumping into Poppy’s cheek. She groaned and gripped at his leg, trying to hold it steady. A blotchy violet blush rushed to the gray troll’s face. “Poppy,” He said, shaking his leg again. 

“Five more minutes.” Poppy moaned and nuzzled into skin. Viva rolled her eyes. She was done with whatever these two were doing. They were on a serious mission. Clay’s life depended on them! 

She grabbed the bottom of her sister’s sleeping bag and yanked it away from her. Poppy’s eyes shot open and she snapped up, hissing as she went. 

“We need to go,” Viva reiterated. 

They packed all of the supplies relatively fast. The only thing that was holding them up was the way that Poppy’s eye lingered on the burrow. Viva recognized the look in her eyes; longing. Was this where Poppy went to when her eyes glazed over? Did she return back to her burrow, where it had just been her and Branch playing games and living?

Branch placed a hand on her shoulder. He gave Poppy a sympathetic look, “Came back.”

She sighed, looking down at her feet. “Yeah. We came back. Just… didn’t think it would be like this.”

How had Poppy pictured it? Definitely not while on a mission to rescue trolls she had put in danger with her loud party, that Viva knew. 

*********************************

Viva didn’t know it was possibly for her feet to hurt as badly as they did. She was dragged behind and she knew that Poppy holding her hand had nothing to do with comfort. The faded troll had to keep pulling her along, forcing her to keep walking.

“You’re being so dramatic, Viva.” Poppy whispered over her shoulder. Now that they were back to tracking the Bergen’s footsteps and heading for the tunnels, the quiet had returned. 

The blond troll squeezed her sister’s hand painfully. “I’m not!” She hissed. “They just hurt .”

Poppy scoffed. “Me and Branch used to walk for miles every day. This is nothing.” The aforementioned troll stayed silent at the back of their three troll pack. However, when Viva glanced back, she could have sworn that she saw a small smirk on his face. 

“It’s something to me.” She grumbled under her breath. “Can we take a quick break? Please?”

The former wild children exchanged a look before surveying the area. Branch sniffed the air and then nodded at Poppy. “Okay, fine.” The faded troll said, reaching into her pack. She pulled out the water bottle and Viva practically ripped it out of her hands. She sucked down the liquid like she was fish out of water.

“Not too much!” Poppy exclaimed with wide eyes. She snatched the bottle back, holding it against her chest. “We need to conserve it, in case we need it.” She held the bottle towards the gray troll.

Viva rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. “Yeah, giving it to Branch is definitely conserving it.” She complained. She needed to get to Bergentown today, but her feet were killing her and her sister was with-holding water and damn it, she needed to see Clay!

Branch, who had pressed the top of the bottle to his lips, froze. He looked at her with worried eyes and lowered it away from his mouth. 

Poppy furrowed her eyebrows at the blond troll. “He hasn’t had anything to drink for hours. He needs something.” She pointed a commanding finger towards the gray troll. “Drink.” She demanded. 

Reluctantly, Branch brought the bottle back up to his lips and took a small sip. He quickly handed it back to Poppy. “You.” He urged. 

Sighing a bit, the faint pink troll took a tiny sip before screwing the top back on, tightly. “Branch,” Poppy said, glaring at her sister. “Take the lead. I’ll watch the rear.”

Sensing the tension between the sister, Branch hopped forward and started walking ahead. Huffing, Viva turned to follow him, but Poppy grabbed her wrist. She pulled Viva back, so that her mouth was at the blond’s ear. “Don’t do that again.” She hissed. “He’s always going to put us in front of him. I have--- We have to make sure he takes care of himself, too.”

Viva sneered, anger, guilt and other painful emotions gnawed at her stomach. “Whatever.” They just needed to move. Clay and the other trolls needed them. 

Poppy squeezed tighter at her wrist. “I’m serious. Think about it, Viva. He doesn’t even think Clay is alive.”

A horrible image of Clay being thrown down a Bergen’s throat flashed in her mind. “He is alive.” She forced out through clenched teeth. He was. He had to be. 

A sympathetic look grew on the faded troll’s face. “I know he is. I hope he is. But Branch doesn’t. He is here for us. ” She nodded in the direction of the gray troll. Branch was a few feet ahead, sniffing at the ground and rubbing dirt in between his fingers. A scowl rested on his face. 

“He’s protecting us.” Poppy said with a small genuine smile. 

*********************************

She had forgotten how large the tunnels had been. Trolls had dug these out over the course of years, she knew this for a fact, but looking at them now, it seemed unfathomable. Not to mention the amount of tunnels there were!

“Why are there so many?” Poppy asked, her voice echoing off of the tunnel she had leaned into. 

Viva nervously gripped at her sides. A cold breeze blew through the tunnel in front of them. The darkness called out to them. “They uh,” She mumbled, trying to shake off the memories of running for her life the last time she was here. “They wanted it to be confusing for the Bergens. In case they followed us.”

“Which one leads to the troll tree?” The youngest troll looked at the older trolls. Viva shrugged. She had only been ten when they had escaped that night. She didn’t remember which tunnel her father had led her down. Branch looked similarly unsure. After all, he had only been four at the time. 

“Choose a hole wisely! For one will lead to Bergen Town... And the others, to certain death .” A deep voice called out. Viva jumped and spun around. Her eyes flitted all around. Where had that come from?

Branch stood defensively in front of Poppy, while she bared her teeth. 

“Who said that?” Viva called out. She had to be brave. She was the oldest, she was going to be Queen, she had to be brave now. 

The voice bellowed out again, “ It was... Me. ” A cloud… guy? Definitely not a troll. A cloud guy stepped out from his hiding place. He wore a dopey smile on his face and his teeth hung over his bottom lip. He wore socks that hung loosely to his legs. Viva relaxed. This guy seemed harmless.

Branch however was less than convinced. If anything, at the sight of another creature, he tensed up further.

The cloud guy stepped forward. “Hey, guys, how's it going? Welcome to the root tunnels.” He gestured to the tunnels behind them. “I just wanted to warn you. One of these tunnels leads to the Troll tree... And the others to certain death, death, death, death…” He repeated himself dramatically and waved his hands. 

A snort left Viva’s lips. This guy was kind of ridiculous. Clay would have loved him. 

Poppy ignored her sister’s laughter. “Do you think you can tell us which is the right one?”

“You bet!” The cloud guy shot her some finger guns. The silly action made Poppy loosen up some. She let her arms fall safely to her sides, no longer on high alert. 

“Great!” Poppy cheered.

Branch shook his head and backed up, moving Poppy back with him. “No thanks.” He hissed. 

“Branch,” Viva said, trying to hold back her laughter. How could the gray troll, who was strong enough to take on a wild animal alone, be afraid of this silly little cloud guy? “He’s trying to help us.”

He shook his head. Poppy’s eyes flickered between her sister and the gray troll in front of her.  She bit her lip. “He does look strange.” She whispered. “I mean, who wears socks with no shoes?”

Branch nodded vigorously and pointed to Poppy as if to say See???

Waving dismissively at the two former feral children, Viva let out a puff of air. “He looks fine. And he seems to know what he's talking about.”

The two younger trolls shared an anxious look. “Okay,” Poppy relented. The three trolls turned back to the cloud guy, who stood with a goofy smile. 

“Which way do we go?” Poppy asked.

“First, you have to give me a high five. Then I'll tell you.” The cloud guy explained, holding up his hand. 

Viva jumped up and down. Finally! Something she could help with! Sure, she wasn’t much of a survivalist, but she could give one heck of a high-five. “I love high fives. I'll do it.”

“Oh, I know you'll do it. But will he?” Cloud guy pointed to the gray troll. Branch looked back at him with wide eyes. He shook his head. 

Cloud guy moved closer, still holding up his hand. “All right, dumpy diapers, up high!”

“No.” Branch gritted out. 

Cloud guy moved closer once more. “Slap it, boss.” 

“ No.” 

Smiling wide, cloud guy brought his hand up to Branch’s face. “Party on the top floor!”

A faded hand shot out and smacked the hand away from Branch’s face. Placing herself in front of the gray troll, Poppy bared her teeth at the cloud guy and growled. “He said no.” She hissed. She shoved him back, once again reminding Viva of how strong her sister was. 

“Now are you going to show us the way or not?” Poppy demanded.

Chapter Text

Cloud guy was quick to assist them after that. He led the pack through a tunnel, making sure to keep a safe distance from Viva’s growling sister. The blond rolled her eyes. The cloud guy couldn’t hurt a fly, she thought that Poppy was completely overreacting. 

When they reached the end of the tunnel, cloud guy turned around dramatically, waving at the blue sky above them. “Ta-da! We're here! You guys are a lot of fun.” He laughed and winked at Poppy. She snapped her jaw at him, biting at the air. The cloud jumped, “You know, I gotta go. Got some cloud stuff to take care of. Catch you on the way back? Unless... You die. ” As quick as the cloud had appeared, he vanished down another tunnel.

Branch let out a sigh of relief when the cloud guy disappeared from view. Viva couldn’t help the giggle that escaped her lips. He really had been freaked out by the silly cloud. The gray troll shot her an annoyed glare, so she hid the rest of her laugh behind her mouth. 

“The Troll Tree,” Poppy said in awe and she stepped across the top of the decrepit tree. It was completely withered away. Viva moved toward the edge of the branches. A shiver ran down her spine. She could see exactly where their old pod had been. It now laid on the ground, smashed into a thousand pieces. 

If they were caught… She gulped. They would end up worse off than her old home. 

Viva raised her eyes to look out on Bergentown. The Bergens walked about morosely, stumbling and hitting others and themselves. Viva felt her body locking up again, like it had when Clay had been taken. She took a peek at Branch, who had moved to her side. His expression was one of anxiety and he flexed his hands. 

“Bergentown.” Branch confirmed with a shaky voice. 

The unhappy Bergens scowled as they walked through town, not a smile to be seen. The absence of their grins shook a memory loose in Viva’s head

She remembered playing in the grass under the Troll Tree. Her and her friends were playing hide and seek and Viva was the best at it. She could make herself really small and hid between the blades of grass.

She covered her mouth, holding back the giggles that would reveal her location to her friends. She focused and shifted her hair color to match the grass. They would never find her here! 

What Viva hadn’t realized at the time was how dangerously close she had gotten to the cage bars while trying to hide. She was so focused on hiding that when a Bergen walked by, stomping and shaking the ground, it startled her badly. She jumped, letting out a yelp.

The bergen that was passing by turned at the sudden noise. It glared down at her with its beady eyes and slowly licked its lips. “Only a few days, little troll. Only a few days.” The Bergen mumbled hungrily. 

Viva’s bones melted at the ground, forcing her to sink to the ground. It was like she was trapped in the monster’s gaze.

She was later told that she passed out and had to be carried back to her dad’s pod. She never strayed close to the cage bars again. 

“Wow.” Poppy said in horror, looking down at the monsters. “They’re miserable.” Her sister was right. As much as Viva did not sympathize with the creature, she could recognize that they were indeed miserable. They moped as they walked, no one wore a smile and they lived in filth. 

They were almost as miserable as Poppy was, with her scary fake smiles. 

“Whichhh,” Poppy drug out, spinning on her heels to face the other two trolls. “Means that they haven't eaten a Troll yet! Now, come on. Let's go save our friends.” She started to climb over the edge of the tree trunk, using her hair to lower herself down. 

“ Your friends.” Branch grumbled in correction. But he too jumped over the edge and lowered himself to the ground.

Viva gulped. She could do this. She had to do this.

For Clay.

*********************************

Sneaking into the castle was a lot easier said than done. 

For one, they constantly had to sneak around the Bergen who stomped around carelessly. She didn’t want to think about the number of times that Branch pulled her out of the shadow of a shoe coming down just in the knick of time. 

Her bones just kept locking up, forcing her to walk awkward and slow. Poppy had to urge her to keep moving, shoving and pulling her along. Viva didn’t know what was wrong with her. She knew that she had to keep moving, had to get to Clay, but it was like her body wouldn’t cooperate.  

For two, there was a long, steep staircase that led up to the castle. Viva looked up at the stairs and swallowed. It would take them all day to get up these giant stairs! The weight of the daunting task sat heavy in her gut.

Branch shifted from foot to foot, looking around anxiously for any Bergens. “You sure?”

“Yes,” Poppy nodded, looking up at the stairs with determination. It was like in her mind, she had already climbed them. That was how confident she was. “Viva said that the Bergen would have taken the trolls to the King.” She turned to the blond. “Right?”

Viva nodded. “Yeah. The Bergen-- Chef. She would have brought them here. The King always gets to eat the first troll.” Viva remembered that much from her childhood at the tree. A special troll was always picked and given to the King first as a way to honor him. The king always got to be happy first. 

The blond troll tried not to think about how Poppy was going to be the first troll devoured on the day of the escape.

Poppy grimaced at Viva’s verbiage. “Well, he’s not going to eat any trolls today.” She swung her hair up and pulled herself up onto the first step. She turned to Branch and Viva, waving her hand at them. “Come on! Let’s get going.”

The older trolls shared a look. Neither one of them could share in the faded troll’s positive attitude. Not with the giant troll eating monsters lurking around. It kept the older troll in a state of unease. 

Sighing, the gray troll gestured for the princess to go first, so that he would be at the back of the pack. Viva swung her hair up, squeezing her eyes shut as she did. She needed to power through the exhaustion and the grief. She would save them. She just had to keep moving. 

*********************************

Tears pricked at Viva’s eyes when they reached the final step. 

She was so tired from the journey up the stairs, it had sucked all of the energy out of her. While Branch and Poppy only seemed mildly winded, she felt like she was dying. Not to mention, the anxiety she had felt after Clay had been taken had returned in full force. It was like her body was too tired to keep itself from trembling. 

“Viva?” Poppy asked in concern. Her eyes were wide as Viva shook. 

The blond troll looked up at the Bergen sized door in their way. How were they going to get inside? How were they going to stop Clay from being eaten? How were they going to do any of this?

She started taking in shaky breaths. “I don’t think I can do this.” She squeaked. She couldn’t go up against a Bergen. They would eat her whole, swallow her down in one piece. Like they had probably already done to Clay. 

“Hey, don’t say that!” Poppy said encouragingly. “You can do this! We’re doing it together.” She placed a comforting hand on Viva’s shoulder, but the touch did nothing to calm her fears. 

They were going to be eaten. Caught and eaten. Branch was right, Clay is probably already dead. What was I thinking? Why did I think I could do this? How did I drag these two kids into this mess with me?

Branch tugged the muted troll away from Viva, pulling her aside. “Poppy. You need--” His eyes flickered over to Viva, who was still trying to control her breathing. Viva felt like she could barely hear anything over her shaky breaths. The gray troll lowered his voice to a whisper, “You need to prepare yourself. They could…all be gone.”

Despite Branch’s best efforts to keep himself from being heard, Viva had heard what he had said loud and clear.

Gone.

Branch thought that Clay was gone.

Was Clay gone?

Crossing her arm, Poppy frowned at the gray troll. “Could you try to be positive? Just once. Do it for Viva, she’s shaking like a leaf.”

Branch rolled his eyes a bit at how Poppy refused to take him seriously. “Okay. I'm sure they're not only alive... But about to be delivered to us on a silver platter.” He mumbled to the faded troll, sarcasm thick in his voice. 

A sob finally fell from the blond’s lips. “Do you really think he’s gone?” Clay couldn’t be gone. He couldn’t. She had come all this way! She was literally on the Bergen King’s doorstep. Clay couldn’t be dead.

The gray troll’s eyes widened. Whether it was over the fact that he had been overheard, or because of how quickly Viva had fallen apart, she didn’t know. “I--I--” Branch stumbled over his words. 

“He’s not gone.” Poppy declared and grasped her sister’s hand. She squeezed it reassuringly. “None of them are. We’re going to save them. You’re going to save Clay.”

“I am?” Viva sobbed.

Her sister nodded, looking as confident as a senior troll. “Yes, you are.”

Viva took a deep breath, trying to reign in her tears. She could do this. She had to do this. Clay would never give up on her, even if he did think she was gone. He would do everything he could to get her back. 

A whistle got the sister’s attention. Branch found a hole in the door, just at the right size for a troll to sneak inside. 

This is it. The point of no return.

Clutching her sister’s hand, the princess stepped through the hole, following the gray troll. 

*********************************

Viva didn’t let go of her sister’s hand as they snuck through the castle, not even when they were swinging from the sconces on the walls. She thought if she could keep their hands together, maybe Viva could absorb some of Poppy’s bravery. 

Two Bergens rounded the corner of a hall that they were on, causing Branch and Viva to duck down. Poppy crouched, but made her hair move and shift in color to resemble a flame that would fit right in on the sconce. The Bergen guards didn’t even blink in their direction. Viva let out a breath that she didn’t even know she was holding. 

Branch’s ears flickered in all directions. His eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “Where now?”

Poppy bit her lip. “I’m not sure.” She looked to Viva, but the blond troll shrugged. She had no idea where the trolls would be. This castle was turning out to be ginormous!

Suddenly, Viva and Poppy’s Hug Time bracelets went off with a TING! The princess sighed. She really wasn’t in the hugging mood. She didn’t know if she would ever be in the hugging mood again if she never saw Clay again. A thought suddenly hit Viva; Was this how gray trolls felt? 

So miserable, so sad, that they never wanted to sing, or dance, or hug or shine brightly. Her eyes slid over to Branch. Was this how Branch felt? 

The muted troll stared down at her bracelet and whispered, “Hug Time.”

Branch groaned a bit, “Wrong time.”

“No! Listen!” Poppy’s ears twitched in all directions, trying to pick up a sound. Branch’s ears began moving in tandem with hers. 

All of the sudden, Viva’s ears were filled with a quiet series of chimes.

Ting

TING

Ting

Viva’s eyes grew in realization. The other trolls! The trolls were nearby! Viva had to hold back a squeal of excitement that was building in her throat. Without thinking, Viva swung her hair out to the next wall lantern, trying to find where all of the trolls could be. Branch and Poppy were swinging closely behind her. 

Before she knew it, she had swung all the way into a banquet hall. It was filled to the brim with fancy tables and chairs. Many Bergen walked around, seemingly working on tasks of great importance. They rushed around like they were on a life or death mission.

Viva gulped and placed a hand on her throat. It was kind of a life or death mission, Viva thought. It just wasn’t their life or death. 

Down below, a loud familiar voice boomed. “Tomorrow is Trollstice, everyone. And it must be perfect!”

The trembling returned to Viva’s body. She knew that voice. It was the voice of the Bergen that haunted her dreams, her memories, her fears. It was the voice of the Bergen who had taken her--- Clay. She had taken Clay. 

It was Chef.

Chapter Text

Chef walked casually next to the shorter Bergen, who Viva assumed was the king, spouting off about how this Trollstice would be grander than any other. Viva trembled at the mention of the holiday. It haunted her every nightmare. Trollstice.

Viva remembered how she used to stay up late, crying in her bed, worrying herself to death over who would be eaten the next day during the holiday. She had lost too many friends, too many family members to the bloodthirsty Bergens. When Poppy had hatched, Viva recognized that she should have been ecstatic, but all she could feel was fear. Fear for the trolling in her dad’s arms. Fear that she could end up in a Bergen’s stomach. 

She had the sudden urge to bend over and hurl. She shook so much that the chandelier they were perched on swayed slightly side to side. Branch grabbed her arm, forcing her to be still, but he too had a haunted look in eyes. 

“Look!” Poppy exclaimed in a whisper. She pointed down to a silver cage that was being pushed alongside Chef.

Was that…? Viva’s eyes shone with fresh tears. She would know that green hair anywhere. 

“Clay?” Branch rasped in disbelief. His arms feel listlessly to his sides. 

Poppy vibrated up and down, clearly wishing she could jump for joy. “They’re alive!” She turned to Branch with a genuine smile. “And on a silver platter, too. We were both right.” She whispered.

It was true, the trolls were alive, but they looked terrified in the cage. The twins shook in terror while the rest of Poppy’s friends cowered in fear when Chef would reference the troll eating holiday. Viva knew it probably wasn’t right, considering she was the future Queen, but the only troll she focused on was Clay. 

The lime troll’s face was pinched up in anger rather than fear. If he was going down, Clay was going down fighting. He didn’t tremble an inch, not even when Chef leaned down and examined them closely. When faced in a fearful situation, Clay was always quick to turn to anger as a defense. It was a quality that Viva was extremely jealous of at the moment. She so wished she could be angry, rather than locked frozen in fear. 

“How do we get to them?” Viva whispered, not taking her eyes off of the green troll. 

Branch shook his head. He discreetly wiped his eyes, smearing away mist that had appeared. “No. We wait.”

“He’s right,” Poppy said in a hushed voice. “We’ll have to wait until they leave them alone.”

Suddenly, there was commotion down by the cage. The king pointed an accusing finger at the trolls. Poppy’s friends hid behind one another, while Clay looked like he might take a move out of Poppy’s handbook and take a bite at the king’s digit. 

“Chef, this isn't enough yummy heads to feed all of Bergen Town. How are we supposed to have Trollstice if there's not enough Trolls?” The king demanded to know while crossing his arms. 

Chef’s face shifted to display a slight panic. However, she swallowed and her confidence quickly returned. “There's plenty more where that came from, sire.”

“Are you sure?” The king asked, leaning in close to the cage. Clay banged against the bars with his fist, creating a loud clanging sound. The king jumped back. He quickly adjusted his shirt, regaining his composure, as if the tiny troll hadn’t startled him at all. “Because I promised everyone a Troll.”

Everyone? Viva’s eyes widened in fear. Everyone would get a troll? That would take out their entire village! Were they not going to try to keep the majority of the trolls alive so that they could have another Trollstice next year? That was what they had always done in the past. Her breath sharpened and she held tight to the light fixture they stood on. They were going to erase the trolls from existence. 

Chef waved her hand dismissively. “No, no, no, sire! Everything will be fine. If I were truly worried... Would I be willing to do this?” Quick as a hummingbird, Chef drove her hand into the cage and snatched a troll. 

The immediate relief that Viva felt when she saw it had not been Clay that Chef had grabbed, but Creek, was quickly replaced by horror. She didn’t like that purple little twerp, but she didn’t want him to die. 

“Creek!” Poppy blurted out in terror. Branch was quick to cover her mouth and pull her down away from Chef’s eyesight. The muted troll peeked over the light fixture again, shaking her head and mumbling, “No, no, no.”

Viva could see how Creek twisted in fear, trying to escape the Bergen’s grasp, but it was of no use. Chef held out the purple troll to the king. “Go on, eat, King Gristle. Enjoy a taste of true happiness.”

The king’s eyes lit up in excitement. Viva’s eyes widened in fearful anticipation. She was going to watch Creek get eaten. There was no avoiding it. There was nothing they could do.

“But,” King Gristle suddenly turned hesitant. “Shouldn't we wait for Trollstice?”

Chef handed Creek off to the king. The purple troll cried out for help and Poppy gripped at the light fixture so hard that Viva was sure she would break it. Branch was at her side now, an arm on her shoulder. Whether it was for comfort or to restrain her, the blond didn’t know. 

“Sire, every day is Trollstice when you have Trolls.” Chef said with a sickly sweet smile. 

King Gristle brought Creek forward, dangling the troll in front of his mouth. Viva couldn’t watch. She didn’t dare look away. It was like all of the Trollstices from years past were flashing in her mind. Troll after troll thrown back in a giant’s mouth, all so they absorb their happiness. 

Abruptly the king stopped, pulling Creek away from his mouth. “But my dad said the first time should be special.” 

An audible sigh came from all of the trolls in the room. Maybe there was still a chance that Creek could survive this. Viva tore her eyes away from the giants and looked down at Clay. 

His eyebrows were furrows together and a frown was ingrained deeply into his face. She desperately wanted to cry out to him, letting home know that she was there. But Branch was right. They needed to wait. They couldn’t save anyone if they ended up locked in that cage too.

Chef sighed, “Well, you're the king now.”

King Gristle smiled to himself. “Yeah, I am the king.” He lifted Creek back up to his lips. The trolls in the cage trembled in fear as they watched, unable to look away. Poppy muttered pleas under her breath. 

Suddenly stopping again, the king said with a smile, “ But I think I should share this moment with all the kingdom.” He said this with such pride,  Viva figured that this was a big deal to the king. Her stomach turned at the thought of the trolls just being a silly little appetizer on the Bergen’s journey to happiness. 

Clearly frustrated with King Gristles indecisiveness, Chef wrapped her hands around the king’s and shoved the troll into his mouth. The king moaned in ecstasy.

“No!” Poppy cried out, unable to hold herself back. 

Viva fell to her knees. It was all happening again. She thought it was over, but here they are again being eaten by giants. The blond’s hands felt numb as she tried to run them through her bangs. It wouldn’t be long before they picked up Clay. Then it would only be a matter of time before they found the rest of the village. 

Chef snapped her fingers and a younger Bergen appeared. Chef order the younger Bergen to take the remaining trolls and guard them with her life. Then Chef and the king exited the room, leaving it with one less troll. 

Poppy looked to Viva with wild, desperate eyes. She gripped at her hair, tugging it anxiously, a childhood habit that had never been broken. “We have to save him!”

“From what?” Branch asked incredulously. His eyes were tracking the cage holding his brother. His fingers twitched as though he was itching to jump down to the cage. “His stomach?” 

“We didn’t see him chew!” Panic was leaking into Poppy’s now. “We didn’t see him swallow!”

If Viva were a better sister or had more energy, she would have gone to comfort her. But instead she stayed as she was. A lump of despair on her knees. 

The gray troll shook his head. He raised his eyes up to the muted troll and leaned in close to her. “Face it, Poppy.” He whispered and his eyes kept flickering to Viva as though he didn’t like the idea of her overhearing him.  “Sometimes people go into other people's mouths... And they don't come out. If we go after Creek now, we're going to get eaten. I'm sorry... But it's too late for him.”

And it would be too late for Clay if they didn’t get a move on. The cage was being rolled out of the room. If they lost sight of it, who knew how long it would take for them to find it again?

Viva knew she had to move. She staggered to her feet and pointed at the cage. “We can’t lose it.”

Poppy’s eyes narrowed. “We won’t.” Without a moment of hesitation, she launched herself off of the light fixture. 

“Poppy!” Branch cried out. His eyes frantically watched the faded troll as she flipped and moved as gracefully as a gazelle all the way down to the banquet table. From there she dashed forward, jumping onto the young Bergen’s dress. 

Not wanting to be separated, Viva jumped down as well, however she did it much less gracefully. She tripped twice and managed to just barely grab hold of the girl’s gown before she walked out of reach of the table. Viva would have liked to have blamed her missteps on her exhaustion, but honestly she wasn’t sure if she could have even done it fully rested. How had Poppy made it look so easy?

Before Viva could even have a moment to worry about Branch, he appeared behind her, grabbing hold of the loop on the girl’s apron. His ears twitched wildly and his eyes moved all about, searching for potential threats. Viva prayed that other Bergens would not see them. Poppy looked straight ahead, keeping her eyes on the trolls. 

Her sister was determined to save all of them.

*********************************

 Viva was going to slip. She was going to fall and give away their whole rescue mission. She gripped as fiercely as she could to the dress, but it was like her fingers were failing her. 

She let go.

The princess had expected to hit the ground with a devastating SMACK, but instead, a hand encircled her wrist roughly. She dangled for a minute and all she could do was look down at the staircase that the Bergen they were hitching a ride on was descending. If she fell from this height would she die?

She gulped.

Probably. Would that be less painful than being eaten alive? 

After what felt like eternity, she was pulled up and placed on the other loop on the apron. Branch looked at her, concern flooding his face. “Are you okay?”

She opened her mouth to speak, but Poppy shot her a warning look. They needed to be quiet. They couldn’t risk being caught now. Not after they were so close. 

Finally, the Bergen girl reached the final step. She opened up a small room that only contained a sink and a bed. Her living quarters, Viva decided. 

The three trolls jumped down from their perch and hid under a nearby table. The Bergen placed the cage on her night stand and sighed. 

How could they distract her long enough to get alone with the other trolls? They needed to think this through. There would be no room for error on this mission. Not when it was life or death. 

Suddenly a rumbling came from up above. Dozens of plates, cups and silverware came crashing down on the Bergen. Chef’s voice bellowed, “Scullery maid! Wash these pots and pans for Trollstice. The king’s inviting everyone. Except you.”

This declaration caused the Bergen girl to burst into tears. She wailed and picked up a nearby magazine that had the king’s face on it. She stroked it fondly. Sniffing, she cut out the image and pasted it to a collage behind her bed. It reminded Viva a bit of how Poppy tended to scrapbook when she was upset or stressed. 

“Oh,” Poppy gushed. A small smile appeared on her faded face. “She’s in love with the king!”

Viva’s face scrunched in disgust. The gray troll had a similar expression. “What are you talking about?” The blond asked. “Bergen’s don’t have feelings.” They couldn’t have feelings. How else were they so callously able to take away life? 

Poppy huffed and gestured to the girl hugging a pillow with King Gristle’s face. “Well maybe you don’t know everything about them!” 

She knew more than Poppy, that was for sure. The muted troll didn’t even know what they truly looked like until a couple of days ago. 

The Bergen girl eventually tuckered herself out and fell into her bed. She was out cold within seconds.

This was the time to move. 

Time to rescue Clay.

Chapter Text

As soon as the girl Bergen started snoring, Viva bolted out from under the table. She needed to get up to the cage now. She heard footsteps following close behind her, so she knew that Branch and Poppy were on her tail. They were so close to getting Clay out. They could do this.

Using her hair, she swung up on the nightstand, only stumbling a bit when she landed. Her body was still shaky from fear and anticipation. 

The lime troll was fiddling with the lock on the cage, trying to use his hair to break the lock. The rest of the trolls huddled around him, silently cheering him on. Cooper’s eyes lifted up and saw the princess. He let out an audible gasp. “Princess Viva!”

Clay’s head snapped up. “Viva?” He asked in shock. He stared at her as if she weren’t real, merely a mirage made out of desperation. 

Rushing forward, Viva grabbed his hands through the cage. She gripped him fiercely. Tears poured down from her eyes and something inside of her broke. “Clay,” She sobbed. She had traveled so far and he was finally within her reach, just these stupid bars keeping them apart. She needed to get him out. 

He ran a hand through her hair, tucking her loose bangs behind her ear. “Hey, shh” Clay said, his eyes flickering up to the sleeping Bergen. “It’s okay. I’m right here.” 

Figures that Clay would be comforting her while he stood trapped inside a cage. 

A soft thud could be heard from behind the crying princess, signaling that Branch and Poppy had made it atop the nightstand. 

“ Branch ?” Surprise was evident in Clay’s voice.

“Poppy!” All of the other trolls called out. 

Poppy greeted her friends with a relieved grin. Branch reached into the faded troll’s hair and pulled out a pair of her scrapbooking scissors. He quickly moved forward and started attacking the lock, trying to pick at the mechanism inside.

The trolls in the cage started to sing in excitement. “ Celebrate good times, come on!”

“It’s a celebration!” Poppy sang back in a whisper. Viva couldn't help but notice how her smile was shifting. The blond had gotten so used to seeing the real smiles when they were traveling that she almost didn’t recognize the mask that Poppy was slowly putting on. 

Branch’s eyebrows were scrunched in frustration as he worked on the lock. “Sh!” He shot Poppy a warning look. 

The trolls in the cage paused for a moment, but then resumed singing at a hushed volume. “ There's a party going on right here! ”

Clay wiped at Viva’s teary face through the bars. “No! There is not a party going on right here.” He snapped harshly. He turned to his brother. “Do you have it, Branch?”

The lock snapped off. “Got it.” The gray troll handed the destroyed scissors back to Poppy and opened the cage door. Branch was quick to snatch his brother, pulling him out of the cage. As the other trolls poured out of their entrapment, Clay gathered his brother into a tight hug. 

“You came.” Clay observed, his voice a little thick and wobbly. 

Branch buried his face into his brother’s shoulder, not bothering to speak. Viva could see how the gray troll’s shoulders shook a bit. She wondered if Clay realized that Branch hadn’t expected to see him again. 

The princess peeked over her shoulder at the sleeping Bergen. “We need to get you guys out of here.” She wiped away the last of her tears. She needed to focus. Their mission was only half over. Now they needed to get everyone home safely. “The sooner we do--”

Poppy cut her off. “The sooner we can save Creek!”

“What?” Branch shrieked, pulling away from his brother. His eyes were red and his nose twitched a bit.

“Hello?” The Bergen girl called out, suddenly sitting up. All of the trolls froze in terror. 

This was it, Viva thought. This would be the moment where they all got eaten. She looked to Clay and grabbed at his hand. At least she got to see him one last time. 

But as quickly as the girl had sat up, she fell back down on her bed, snoring once again. Biggie let out a sigh of relief and held his pet, Mr. Dinkles, close to his chest. 

“Come on, Branch.” Poppy whispered, stepping closer to the gray troll. “We can’t leave him behind.”

From where Viva was standing, there was nothing left to leave behind. Creek was gone. She looked to Clay and from his expression, she could tell that he was thinking the same thing. He squeezed the blond’s hand. 

Branch looked at Poppy with wild eyes, his mouth opening and closing, like he desperately wanted to say something. His eyes kept moving around, looking from the small audience that had gathered around to the muted troll in front of him. Poppy followed his gaze, realizing that everyone was listening in. She grabbed the gray troll’s hand and pulled him over to the edge of the nightstand, away from everyone else. They were all still within listening distance, but it gave the semblance of privacy.

“We have to save him.” Poppy reiterated.

Viva had to strain to hear Branch’s response. He spoke lowly, “I know you're looking for the cupcakes and rainbows here... But let's face it, Creek's been eaten .”

Apparently, the blond wasn’t the only one purposely listening in. “They ate him whole!” Biggie cried out. 

Branch snapped his mouth shut in response from being overheard, the other trolls added onto Biggie’s point.

“It was horrible!” Cooper cried out.

Guy Diamond looked at the young princess in sympathy. “I’m sorry, Poppy. Creek’s gone.”

“Poppy,” Clay stepped forward, fingers still locked between Viva’s. “How could you possibly think Creek's still alive?” They had all seen him be thrown down the king’s throat. Branch had been right. When someone goes into something else’s mouth, they don't come out. Viva knew this all too well. Poppy needed to come to terms that Creek was never coming back. He was…dead. 

The muted troll’s lip quivered. “I don't think he's alive. I hope he's alive, and that's enough.”

Abruptly, a light was shined down on the trolls. “Hey! Where do you think you're going?” The Bergen Girl reached out to grab at them. 

“Scatter!” Clay screamed as he pulled Viva along. She held to him tightly. She wasn’t going to let go this time. They hopped down from the nightstand and she could hear the other trolls screaming and scrambling around. A lump grew in her throat. It was happening again!

Her knees locked up, slowly her run. She couldn’t get her body to cooperate. She squeezed Clay's hand so tightly that her hand felt numb. Viva’s throat was closing in on itself. She was going to die. Going to die. 

Clay looked back to see why the blond was slowing them down to find Viva’s face pulled in a panicked expression. He dropped her hand and Viva’s heart fell to her stomach. Was he going to leave her?  

No, she should have known that he would never do something like that. Instead, he wrapped his arm around her waist and hoisted her up. Clay began to sprint towards the table in the center of the room all while holding the princess bridal style. When they reached the shadow of the table, effectively hiding them from the giant girl who was swatting at the twins on the nightstand, Clay sat her down on her feet.

“Are you okay?” He looked her over frantically, searching for an injury that would have caused her panic. She didn’t have the heart to tell him that it was just her body that was failing her. She shook her head. 

“No! Get back in your cage!” The girl yelled. “Chef's gonna be so mad! No!” She picked up a nearby ruler and started smacking it down at the trolls, as if they were bugs that needed to be squashed. 

Clay’s breath suddenly sharped. “Branch!” He cried out. Viva followed his gaze and saw that Branch was standing in front of Poppy's friends defensively. He had a giant fork in his hands and thrust it forward at the girl, showing that he was willing to use it. He growled and hissed, causing the Bergen to flinch back. She squeezed her eyes shut and went to slam the ruler down again, this time on top of Branch. 

“Bridget!” A voice screamed, causing the girl to freeze just before she squished the gray troll. Poppy stood bravely on the Bergen’s bed, hands on her hips and pointed at the girl. “Bridget, stop! You're in love with King Gristle.”

Air caught in Viva’s lungs. It felt like she would never breathe again. She held on desperately to Clay’s arms. If anything happened to Poppy, she didn’t know what she would do with herself. She should have never allowed her baby sister to come on this journey. 

The girl, Bridget, suddenly turned sheepish. She dropped the ruler and crossed her arms. “Uhhh, I don't know what you're talking about.” Bridget denied. 

Poppy gave her an unimpressed and jutted a thumb up at the collage above the Bergen’s bed. Bridget shook her head and stepped towards the muted troll. “That’s not mine!” 

Sighing, the young princess climbed up the bed’s headboard and pulled back at a curtain that was hiding part of the collage. There, written in loopy letters,‘Gristle + Bridget’ was revealed. 

“What does it matter?” Bridget asked morosely. She plopped down on the bed, her ears pointing downwards. “It's not like he even knows I'm alive.” 

Seeing the giant so close to her sister gave Viva heart palpitations. She needed to make sure Poppy was safe. They needed to get out of here. 

Poppy’s eyes sparkled. “Bridget, I can help you! What if there was a way we could both get what we want?”

Hearing their friend negotiating with the Bergen must have relaxed the other trolls a bit as they moved out from their hiding places. Clay went to move as well, but Viva held him still. They needed to stay hidden. She wasn’t going to lose him again. Branch lowered his fork, but didn’t drop it. His gray eyes were locked on the faded troll. 

Bridget’s eyebrows went up in confusion. “You love Gristle, too? You'd better back off, girlfriend!” The giant proceeded to scratch at the air and produce the lamest sounding hiss Viva had ever heard. 

Poppy must have thought the same because she giggled. “No. Bridget, no.” She pulled a scrapbook out from her hair and opened it up to a page that had been dedicated to her boyfriend. Viva knew it was in poor taste, considering he had just been eaten, but she still squirmed at the thought of him dating her sister.

Well, I guess there is one good thing about Creek being eaten. 

“That troll King Gristle put in his mouth, that's Creek.” The young princess pointed to the cut out of her boyfriend. “And I would do anything to save him. The only problem is... We can't get anywhere near the king without him eating us.” She closed her scrapbook and placed it safely back into her hair. She looked up at the Bergen brightly. “But... You can. You can walk right up to him and tell him how you feel.”

Bridget looked sick at that idea. “As if. I can't just walk right up to the king. His royal awesomeness would never talk to a scullery maid like me.”

Poppy’s friends climbed up on the bed to support the young princess. They all smiled at the faded troll, urging her to keep talking with Bridget. Poppy hummed and put a hand on her hip. Then she snapped. “What if he didn't know you were a scullery maid? What if he thought you were this total babe?”

“What kind of total babe would be dressed like a scullery maid?” Bridget pulled at her homely clothes. “I smell like gravy.” 

Satin and Chenille skipped forward to get closer to the Bergen. “What if we made you a new outfit?” Satin suggested.

“I’m thinking…” Chenille turned to sister with a wide grin.

“Jumpsuit!” They cheered in tandem. 

Bridget sighed and crossed her arms. “What's the point of a jumping suit if I still have this hair?” She asked, pulling at her light purple hair.

“We can fix that!” Poppy declared. Viva inched forward some, daring to step outside of the table’s shadow, bringing Clay with her. Her sister’s face was… weird. The mask was up for sure. The fake, cheery smile was back in full force, but her eyes didn’t look so dead. In fact, they looked rather determined. 

Balling her fists uselessly, Bridget fidgeted uncomfortably. “What's the point of a new outfit and new hair... If I don't even know what a total babe would ever say?”

“Then you fake it!” Poppy insisted. “If you fake something long enough, it becomes true.” The dead eyes returned. “ Trust me.”

Fake it? Was that what Poppy had been doing? Faking it? The smiling, laughing, dating someone she didn’t even like that much, was that all so she could brainwash herself into liking those things? 

Branch dropped his fork and crept closer to the bed. He began climbing up the giant covers, heading straight for the muted troll.

Biting her lip, the Bergen turned to Poppy. “What if I can’t fake it?

“We can help you!”

Bridget’s eyes shone in awe. “Really?”

“What do you say, Bridget?” The young princess held her hand out. “You get us Creek, and we'll get you a date with the king.”

“Let’s do it?” Bridget hesitantly agreed and shook Poppy’s hand with one giant finger. 

The other trolls sprung into action, breaking out into song and gathering supplies to beautify the Bergen. Clay began to tug Viva towards the bed and helped her climb up the side. She did so numbly, still thinking over the fact that her sister was more than just floating through life, she was faking it. 

When they reached the top, the lime haired troll ushered her over to his brother’s side. Branch was perched on the headboard, watching Poppy carefully. Poppy smiled at her friends, while her eyes were glazed over. Viva wondered if she was back at their burrow in her mind. 

“Wait!” Bridget suddenly stopped the trolls from singing. She pointed to Branch. “Why isn’t this one singing?”

Viva didn’t understand why the Bergen had singled out the gray troll. Clay and her hadn’t been singing either. Then she wanted to smack herself. He was the only gray troll in a room full of (mostly) brightly colored trolls. No wonder he stuck out.

The faded troll stiffened and was quick to place herself in front of Bridget’s accusing finger. “Oh. Branch doesn’t sing. He doesn’t even really talk to anyone.” She flexed her jaw a bit, flashing her teeth momentarily. It was like she was daring anyone to try to say something. She narrowed her eyes. “He doesn’t have to.” 

“Oh.” Bridget shrugged. “Okay.” The other trolls went back to getting the Bergen ready for her big encounter with the King. 

“Poppy,” The gray troll whispered. “Need to go.”

Poppy scrunched her eyebrows. “What are you talking about? We need to find Creek. This is going to work!”

Branch gestured to Viva and Clay, who were resting on the headboard. Viva had her head in between her knees while Clay rubbed at her back. She couldn’t believe that her sister was still going on about Creek. Maybe she really had loved him? Viva knew that if Clay had been the one who had been eaten, she wouldn’t have been able to leave. 

“Need to get them home.” Branch said through his teeth.

Poppy shook her head. “Not without Creek! We have to save him!”

The gray troll ran a frustrated hand through his hair. “What are you--” He looked around for any eavesdroppers. He found that Poppy’s friends were busy painting the Bergen nails, so continued at a lower volume. Again, Viva found herself straining to hear him. “What are you saying? He’s gone. He’s dead. You saw it.”

“I don’t know what I saw.” The muted troll said, her confidence shaking. “I just have a feeling---”

“Do you love him?” Branch asked incredulously.

Poppy’s face scrunched up in disgust. “ No. But I don’t have to love him to not want him to be dead.” Her hands trembled as she tugged at her hair. “He can’t be dead. Not when-- not when it would be my fault.” 

“Poppy,” Branch whispered, his eyes growing wide. “It isn’t your fault.”

“It is!” The muted troll cried, tears collecting in her eyes. “You told me not to make the party so loud and I did anyway! I didn’t listen, I should have listened...” A sob cut off her thoughts.

So that was what this was all about. Viva gripped at her arms. Her sister wanted to make up for her mistake. She didn’t just want everyone to make it home safely, she needed for everyone to get home safely. Clay hummed under his breath and rubbed circles into her back, trying to sooth the princess.

“...It was my fault too.” Branch whispered.

Poppy laughed sarcastically. “Sure it was, Branch. Your constant warning of the very real danger was definitely what led to Creek getting captured” Viva couldn’t help but notice how she still was unable to say that the purple troll had been eaten. 

“No,” Branch shook his head. “Not this. I mean, it was my fault someone got eaten once.” He looked up, his eyes meeting her pink ones. “Before the escape.”

Confusion washed over Poppy’s face. Clearly this was not a story she had heard before. Clay stiffened behind the blond troll. Did he know what his brother was talking about?

Branch sniffed. “My grandma. After my br-- Clay moved out. I lived alone with my grandma.” He flexed his fists open and closed anxiously. “One day, a couple days before Trollstice, I was singing. You know,” He shrugged. “Goofing around and dancing. And I was-- I was so lost in song... I didn't hear my grandma trying to warn me.”

“Warn you about what?” Poppy said, stepping closer to the gray troll. Concern was all over the muted troll’s face. 

Viva looked up to the lime haired troll. Guilt was evident in his eyes. She barely knew Clay before they had moved into the village. “Did you really leave him with his Grandma? Didn’t she die?” 

“Yeah,” Clay choked. He looked away. “You don’t-- It was complicated.”

It didn’t feel complicated. It felt like Clay had abandoned his baby brother. Why had Clay moved out? He would have been ten around the time of the troll escape. Why would a ten year old be living alone? None of this made sense. 

“From a Bergen,” Branch rasped. “It was reaching for me, but she pushed me out of the way. I saw her-- saw her get--” The gray troll began to lose his voice. Tears lined the edges of his eyelids. Poppy pulled him into a hug, clutching at him tightly. Branch melted into her grasp. 

“That wasn’t your fault.” Poppy whispered.

“It was.” Branch said, his voice watery. 

The muted troll pulled back and held his face in her hands. “It wasn’t. She chose to save your life. If you had been eaten, then what--” She gulped. “What would have happened to me?” Tears sparkled in her eyes. “You saved me. Without you, I wouldn’t even be alive right now.”

“I don’t want to think about that.”

Poppy wiped at the single tear that had managed to escape Branch’s eye. “Then let’s not think about it together.”

Viva almost wanted to laugh. Another super coping mechanism, Poppy-girl.

Branch sighed and looked down at his feet. After a moment, he looked up, seeming a bit more composed. “Okay. Let’s go get Creek.”

“Really?” Poppy’s face broke out into a real grin.

The gray troll nodded. “I mean, no troll left behind, right?”

Chapter Text

Standing on top of Bridget’s head was only mildly unsettling. Her hair kind of felt like grass under Viva’s feet if she closed her eyes and pretended. Poppy stood in front, closest to the Bergen’s face. Eating range.

Viva shook away that thought.

It didn’t seem like Bridget was the eating type. And if Branch, who was more afraid of Bergens than anyone she had met, could sit atop the Bergen’s purple hair, then Viva could do this. 

“Okay, people. Hair we go!” Poppy cheered as she extended her hair upwards, shifting the hue to be a multi-colored rainbow. Her friends quickly followed suit, stretching their hair and changing their hair color. Clay shrugged his shoulders and gave the princess a if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em look. He quickly joined the other trolls in creating a beautiful wig for Bridget.

The Bergen gushed at the color of the weave that they had created. She quickly strapped on her boots that went nicely with the jumpsuit that Satin and Chenille had thrown together. The sudden movement caused Viva to wobble a bit. Clay grabbed her waist and held her steady. 

From the uh--ground?--hair??--- scalp???--- Branch gave the blond a concerned look. He patted the spot next to him, inviting her to sit down. She couldn’t sit. Everyone else was helping out with the plan. She was going to be their future Queen! She had to be helpful. 

She tried to stretch her hair, but it felt like her body was still so locked up. It was like when she was trying to run and her legs had simply stopped working. Viva huffed. Fine, she thought. I’ll just add to the coloring. The princess went to shift the hue of her hair, but nothing happened. She bawled her fists. Why wasn’t it working?

Poppy glanced back and saw that her sister hadn’t joined her. “Viva? Are you okay?” She whispered, not wanting any other Bergens that Bridget was walking past to hear her.

Viva waved her off dismissively. She could do this. Again, she clenched and tried to shift hues once more. Nothing. She let out a breath she didn’t realize she was holding. What was wrong with her? A sting began to nip at her eyes. 

“Maybe you should sit down?” Clay suggested with a light push.  

Melting to the hair beneath her, Viva pulled her knees to her chest. Why couldn’t she use her hair? All trolls could use their hair. She had always been able to use it up until Chef attacked. What was going on with her? Her eyes flicked over to Branch, who was gripped at the purple hair. She knew that the gray troll could use his hair, but he could not shift hues. Not unless he wanted to make a gray rainbow, She thought darkly. 

She looked up to her sister, who was confidently leading the other trolls and Bridget in a song. Even though Poppy was faded, not brightly colored at all, she was still able to use her hair like trolls were supposed to. Viva looked down at her own hands. Was she as bright as she had been before or was there something wrong with her coloring? Was that what was impeding her hair use?

“You’re fine.”

Viva startled at Branch’s sudden whispering. He was staring at her hands. He extended a gray hand and placed it next to hers. The difference was stark. Viva was as bright as she had always been. “See?” Branch whispered.

“Then why…?” Viva gestured to her hair. 

The gray troll shrugged. “Don’t know.”

The blond sighed. This entire journey she has felt completely useless. Branch or Poppy were constantly having to save her skin or take charge. It was like the princess couldn’t do anything right. 

Abruptly, Bridget stopped, causing Viva to slide forward. Clay caught her by the shoulder and pulled her safely back in front of him. She suddenly understood why Branch had gripped Bergen’s purple hair. 

Poppy peeked through a small hole in the combined troll hair. She turned back to the other trolls. “She found the king!” She cheered in a hush. Poppy’s friends gave the muted troll a thumbs up. 

“Oh, he's so beautiful.” Bridget’s voice rumbled beneath them like an amplified speaker. 

Poppy peeked her head back out. “And so are you!” She said sincerely. Viva wrinkled her nose. A Bergen couldn’t be beautiful. Yeah, Bridget wasn’t ugly, not like some of the Bergens the princess had seen. But beautiful? She didn’t think so. 

“He'll know that I'm just a scullery maid.” Bridget began to tremble. “I gotta get out of here.” The shaking caused Viva to wobble in her seat. She leaned back and braced herself against the lime haired troll. Clay ran a soothing hand through her hair. She resisted the urge to cuddle into him even more. I wanna get out of here too, Bridget.

Poppy patted the giant on the forehead. “I'll be right here for you, Bridget. We all will.” 

Bridget shifted, causing the trolls to move slightly. Viva gripped even tighter to the purple hair. “You'll tell me what to say, right?” The Bergen asked, a slight tremble in her voice. 

“Of course I will.” Poppy said confidently.

“ Of course I will.” Bridget repeated in a lower voice. Viva winced. She thought the giant meant to sound sexy. 

The muted troll pinched up her face in discomfort. “Just uh-- wait until we get inside.”

Bridget nodded and slowly moved towards the door of the store that the King was shopping in. Viva could hear King Gristle fussing at the Bergen employee. The hair on her neck stood up. If this was how he treated another Bergen, who knew how he would react if he caught a small group of trolls atop of his scullery maid’s head.

Poppy whispered something down to Bridget, but she did so softy that Viva missed what she said. However, Bridget had been instructed to repeat anything that muted troll said, so Viva quickly found out.

“I think you look fat.” Bridget stated. 

What????? Viva stared at her sister with wide, shocked eyes. Was she trying to get them killed along with the purple haired Bergen? What was she thinking?

Clay gripped at her shoulders protectively. “Where is she going with this?” The blond shook her head, she had no idea. 

“P-H phat! And then strike that pose.” Poppy instructed. What pose she was talking about, Viva didn’t know, but Bridget must have understood because she repeated the troll and then moved suddenly. Even though he was holding on tightly, Branch was tossed around a bit and knocked into Viva. He shot her an apologetic look. 

Considering there wasn’t immediate yelling, the king must have been endeared by the comment. “Hot lunch!” King Gristle exclaimed. “Total honesty from a total babe. And who might you be?”

A panicked expression flashed on Poppy’s face. Clearly she hadn’t thought about who Bridget would be pretending to be. “Your name is…” She faltered.

“Lady!” Biggie suggested. 

“Glitter?” Guy pitched.

“Sparkles!” Smidge offered.

“Seriously?” Branch whispered incredulously. 

Bridget dutifully repeated the trolls. “My name is Lady Glitter Sparkles Seriously.”

Viva smacked a hand down on her forehead. They were going to get eaten for sure. And all of this was to rescue a troll that she had seen get digested. How much denial was Poppy in? There was no way Creek could be alive. 

“Well, my Lady Gittersparkles.” Even though Viva could not see the king’s face, there was a warmth to his voice and would bet money that he was smiling. He had genuinely been charmed by Mrs. Glitter Sparkles. “Would you care to join me for an evening... At Captain Starfunkle's Roller Rink and Arcade?”

Bridget shook her head rapidly and all the trolls stumbled about. “Would I!” Bridget paused and under her breath asked Poppy, “Would I?”

“Yes! You’d be delighted.” Poppy said with a cheery voice. 

“Yes, you’d be delighted.” The purple haired Bergen repeated. Viva shook her head in disbelief. The fact that they hadn’t been caught yet was astounding. 

“Indeed I would.” King Gristle responded, endeared as ever. 

*********************************

The two Bergens sat at a booth in a cheesy looking combo arcade and diner. An ideal place for a first date, Viva thought sarcastically. The giants munched on the pizza in front of them, making small talk. Poppy stood at the front of the wig they had created, ready to help Bridget at any moment. 

A sigh came from the gray troll sitting beside Viva. He rolled his eyes and stood up, approaching the faded troll. “Ask about Creek.” Branch urged Poppy. Viva nodded in agreement. The sooner they could confirm the purple troll’s death, the sooner they could get out of there. 

“We have to warm him up first.” Poppy gestured to the king that could be seen through a slit in the troll hair. “Don't you know anything about romance?” The young princess placed a hand on her hip. 

The perpetually single gray troll gave her a deadpan stare. Poppy laughed uncomfortably. “Heh, I guess not. Well, I do. So trust me!” She winked at Branch. “I know how to woo and be wooed.”

Viva’s nose scrunched up in discomfort. What did that mean? She had a hard time picturing Creek with any sincere charisma. 

“I don’t know how true that is.” Clay whispered from behind the blond. Viva smiled to herself. It was nice to know that most of the time the two of them were on the same page. 

“You are fantastic! ” King Gristle’s voice cut through the troll’s conversations. Viva shifted from her spot so that she could see the king’s reaction. He looked at ‘Lady Glitter Sparkles’ with heart eyes. Perhaps Poppy was right, maybe this plan could work. 

Poppy jumped in place. “Bridget! Compliment him back!”

“I like your back,” Bridget said in a sultry voice.

Branch groaned and Poppy winced. “No,” the muted corrected. “I meant--- say something nice about him!”

“But I do like his back.” Bridget explained under her breath. 

Confusion washed over King Gristle’s. “Huh?” He asked. Viva gulped. Oh Muses, this was it. Bridget was totally going to give them away.

Clay could sense how Viva tensed up in front of him. He shot the muted troll a panicked look. “Poppy, help her!” He nodded to the slit in the troll hair. 

“Your eyes…” Poppy tried to conjure up a compliment for the King, but her face scrunched up in disgust. “They’re…” She gagged a bit and tried again. “Your ears…?”

So much for knowing how to woo someone. Viva rolled her eyes. She had only seen Poppy flirt successfully with one troll---

Viva stopped that thought. Her eyes flickered up to the gray troll who was looking through another gap in the hair. He rubbed his hands together anxiously. She knew that she and her dad had always worried about Branch being too close to Poppy when they were younger, but now… was there a connection between the two? Something… more than friends?

Well, he would be a thousand times better for her than Creek. 

Viva’s jaw dropped at her own thought. What was she thinking? She shook her head. She needed to stay focused on the task at hand. Not being eaten. 

“Your eyes… ears…” Bridget repeated, sounding as confused as Viva felt.

Poppy’s friends chimed in with more suggestions for the purple haired Bergen.

“Nose?”

“Skin!”

“Neck!”

Bridget shifted uncomfortably. “Skin, neck, ears... Nose, face!” She rambled on like a crazy person.

Discomfort was clear on the king’s face. Oh, shit. If they didn’t fix this soon, the king might leave totally creeped out, without even telling them any information on Creek. “Are you okay?” King Gristle asked.

“TEeeTHHH!” Guy sang using his auto tuned voice. Clay elbowed him in the shoulder. The lime haired troll gave Guy Diamond a dirty look, one that said knock it off!

“TEeeTHHH!” Bridget repeated, doing her best impression of the glitter troll. 

King Gristle tossed down his napkin and crossed his arms. “What's going on? Are you making fun of me?”

Widening her eyes in fear, Viva looked to her sister. They had to do something now! Poppy bit her lip and turned back to the opening in the hair. She opened her mouth, presumably to pull something out of her ass, when all of the sudden a light whispering could be heard from the other side of the wig. 

“Your eyes!” Bridget shot up in her seat, justling the trolls around. Viva shut her eyes and prepared to hear another round of stupid strung together compliments. “They're like... Two pools, so deep... I fear if I dive in…”

“I might never come up for air.” Branch finished, his voice low, but still audible. He had his hands up by his eyes, as if he was blocking out the rest of the world. Bridget repeated the troll. Viva’s eyes slid over to the king. His eyes sparkled as though he was being enamored by Bridget’s words. 

Branch gulped and continued. His hands shook slightly. “And your smile... your real smile-- The sun itself turns jealous. And refuses to come out from behind the clouds...” The gray troll twitched a bit, lowering his right hand slightly so he could catch a glimpse of the young princess. “Knowing it cannot shine half as bright.”

Poppy looked at the gray troll breathlessly. Her jaw hung open a bit. Viva didn’t know what was hitting her sister harder, the words that Branch was saying or the fact that he was actually speaking out where others could hear him. 

“I kinda do have a nice smile, don't I?” King Gristle said with a small grin. 

Branch held the muted troll’s stare, blocking everyone else out. “Yes. You do.”

Leaning back against Clay’s legs, Viva was hit with a sudden realization. These two meant so much more to each other, more than she had ever imagined. 

There was something there. 

Chapter Text

“You can talk?” Cooper asked dumbly.

Poppy bared her teeth at her friend. “Shut up!” She hissed. Her friends jumped backwards at the animalistic action.

“I can’t believe I’m about to say this…” Bridget trailed off, fidgeting with her fingers. 

Clay tensed up behind the princess. “Uh oh. She’s going rogue.”

“But being here with you today…” Bridget tilted her head to the side, causing Viva to slip forward. Clay caught her by the shoulder and held her steady. “Makes me realize that true happiness is possible.” The Bergen said sincerely. 

Poppy looked outside of the hair in awe. “Woah…” She breathed. 

No kidding, woah. I didn’t know Bergens could be happy! Viv had always been taught the only way for a Bergen to experience happiness was by eating a troll. And from listening to Bridget speak, it seemed like she had been under the same impression.

“It is!” The king nodded and moved in closer to Bridget in the booth. “True happiness is a lot closer than you think. It's right here.” He held the gem that kept his royal robe around his neck. It looked like an emerald to Viva. Nothing really that special. 

Thinking the same, Bridget floundered. “Oh, uh. That’s pretty, I guess.”

It was nice to know that boys were just as stupid in all species. Viva groaned and placed her face in her hands. They needed to get out of here! Poppy had to ask about Creek now.

King Gristle smirked and leaned in even closer. A shiver ran up the blond’s back. What if he could see through the wig at this angle? Viva reached back, grabbing Clay’s leg, trying to ground herself. King Gristle opened the gem, revealing that it was like a locket. From inside the locket a distressed looking purple troll popped forward, gasping. “What do you think now?”

“ Creek?” Viva shrieked and then immediately slapped a hand over her mouth. The Bergen’s didn’t seem to have heard her as they continued to stare down at the panicked troll. How was he alive?! I had seen him get eaten!

“I knew he was alive!” Poppy gushed in a hush. She looked at Creek with hope in her eyes, her mission was not for nothing. She could save every troll that had been taken!

Creek seemed to be choking on his own breaths. The locket must not have allowed for much breathing room. “Help! Mercy!” He squeaked, his normal bravado completely absent.

Snapping the gem shut, the king grabbed Bridget’s hand. “Tell me, my lady, will I be seeing you at the Trollstice feast?” Viva’s heart raced as she pictured the purple troll trapped in the dark windowless jewel. Her throat started closing up as she imagined Creek struggling to conserve his limited air. 

“We have to save him,” She rasped, struggling to bring air into her lungs as well. Clay knelt down by her, placing a hand on her shoulder. His eyes rapidly tracked her panicked breaths and concern washed over his face.

Bridget sighed, “Well, duh. I’ll be working.”

Catching slip up, Poppy blurted out, “It! Working it!” The Bergen was quick to correct her mistake, even doing a couple of dance moves to prove her point. The sudden movement did nothing to help Viva catch her breath. If anything, her breathing got more ragged. It was becoming an audible wheeze. 

“Viva, come on.” Clay whispered, rubbing circles into her back. “Take a deep breath.”

She shook her head rapidly. “I-- can’t.” She croaked. Her breathing became sharper and louder, her lungs screamed at her to bring in more air. She clawed at her chest, as if she could rip it open and get oxygen in that way. 

Clay grabbed at her hands, tearing them away from her skin. When he pulled them back, she could see red under her nails. A groan escaped her lips. A black ring was surrounding her vision. Distantly, she thought could hear her sister calling for her, but all she could really hear was the loud, shaky breaths coming out of her mouth. 

More hands were suddenly on her, trolls surrounding her at all points. The walls were closing, she couldn’t breath. Creek wasn’t in that locket, it was her. 

One of the hands reached up and covered one of her nostrils, This caused her jerk back, but the hand held her firm. This pressure on her nose forced her to close her mouth and try to breathe out of her nose. She was surprised to find that it wasn’t as difficult to breathe through her nose. At least she wasn’t hyperventilating. She instead took in long, stuttered breaths.

“Okay, it’s okay.” Clay soothed as ran a hand through her bangs, tucking them out of the way. Branch, who was suddenly at her side, when had that happened?, let out a whistle. Clay nodded. “Good idea. Viva, try to purse your lips like you’re whistling. And just breathe. Don’t focus on anything other than breathing.”

Viva wanted to saractially quip that all she had been doing was trying to breathe, but all of the energy had been sapped out of her. She curled her lips like she was going to whistle and breathed. It was surprisingly easier than she thought. 

After a few moments, her breathing returned to normal and the blackness faded from her view. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see her sister facing her friends. Her stance was defensive, and her hands were spread apart like she was willing to scratch anyone who got too close.

“We didn’t mean to overwhelm her, Poppy.” Satin explained.

Chenille nodded in agreement. “Yeah, we were just worried about her.”

“She was breathing all crazy.” Copper added. 

Poppy growled and bawled her fist. “Just…” She looked down, as if she was disappointed in herself. “Just give Viva some space.”

Viva looked at her sister in confusion. “What happened?” She whispered to the limed haired troll at her side. 

“What? Besides you almost passing out from a panic attack?” Clay half-laughed, tears pricking at the corners of his eyes. “She practically jumped them. She said that they were getting too close to you.”

“Protecting you.” Branch explained in a hush. He stared at the muted troll as she walked back to her spot on Bridget’s head. He watched her like he was amazed with every step she took. 

Groaning, Viva laid her head on Clay’s shoulder. She felt like all of the energy and strength that she had in body was suddenly gone. “I’m tired. Where are we going?”

“To a roller rink or something. Poppy wants to see if she can get Creek away from the king long enough to save him.”

Creek.

She may not like the purple troll, but if he was experiencing anything like what she just had, they needed to save him. No one should feel like that.

*********************************

All of the roller skating was making Viva feel kind of nauseous. Bridget and King Gristle seemed to have really hit it off. They spun round and round, twirling about carelessly. 

“I’m gonna be sick.” Clay burped. His hair was straining upwards. Viva wondered if this was the longest that he had ever had it extended this high. The other trolls also looked a little out of breath. Upkeeping the color and length must have been exhausting. The only one who didn’t seem to be straining was Poppy. She kept a determined look on her face.

She turned to the other trolls. “We need to get King Gristle away from the jewel. Then we can get to it and let Creek out.”

Smidge hesitantly stepped forward, like she was afraid of how the young princess would react. “But, how are we going to do that exactly? We haven’t seen him without it this whole time.”

This caused Poppy to falter. “I -- I don’t know.” Her arms fell listlessly by her sides. Viva tried to rack her brain. How could they convince the king to take it off? Or moreso, how could they get Lady Glitter Sparkles to convince him? 

A cough came from the other side of Bridget’s head. The gray troll fidgeted with his hands. “He---” Branch cleared his throat and looked down, still not wanting to meet the eyes of the other trolls. “Have to change.”

Viva noticed that while he had been brave enough to save their skin earlier with the passionate poem, he still didn’t want to speak in full sentences. He wasn’t comfortable. Viva didn’t know if he would ever be. 

“Romantic,” Chenille winked.

“And smart.” Satin snapped. 

Branch instantly looked uncomfortable and stepped backwards. Poppy rolled her eyes and growled. “Okay, yes. Good idea.” The faded troll agreed. 

All the sudden, the music that was playing in the background stopped and Bridget halted her stride. The trolls went flying forward at the abrupt stop in motion. Bridget’s hair flew forward on her face. Poppy was quick to urge everyone to their feet and get back in position. 

A shadow loomed over the purple haired Bergen. “Your majesty.” Chef's voice rumbled in Viva’s ears. “You seem to be having... Fun.” The taller Bergen seemed disgusted by this. 

King Gristle nodded with a grin. “Oh, I am! Meet the lovely Lady Glittersparkles.” King Gristle pointed to the lady who was shaking in her boots. She wasn’t alone, the trolls shivered in fear as well. If Chef caught them, they would be as good as eaten. 

Chef’s eyes raked over the king’s date. “You remind me of someone.”

“She’s going to be my plus one” The king bragged.

Clay reached out for the faded troll. “Poppy, we need to get out of here.” He glanced back at the other trolls, who looked like they could lose their lunch. “We can’t be caught again.”

“We won’t.” Poppy declared with furrowed eyebrows. She leaned towards the slit in the troll hair. “Bridget!” She hissed. “Get us out of here!”

The Bergen took off so fast that Viva was pretty sure she left a skate behind.

*********************************

They landed on Bridget’s bed with a creak. The trolls sighed in relief when they pulled their hair back to normal size and color. Clay rubbed at his scalp, attempting to sooth the burn that was there. 

“I think the king really likes us!” Cooper gushed.

Biggie turned to him with a large grin. “I know right?”

Rolling her eyes, Viva stood to her feet, happy to find the ground was solid and not fleshy. The giant bed under her feet felt soft. She looked up to find all of the other trolls grinning, happy at the accomplishment of their mission. They had found Creek. Now all they had to do was save him. 

“That was the greatest day of my life!” Bridget cheered and rolled over to face the trolls. She wore a wide smile, something that Viva thought was impossible for a Bergen to do. “Thanks, Poppy. Thanks to all of you! Even you, I guess.” She nodded to Branch. The gray troll crossed his arms and sighed. Viva looked at the Bergen incredulously. Without him, they would have been dead meat. Literally.

Bridget continued with jazz hands flying. “I just never thought something like that could happen to me. And it just did! I'm so excited I could just scream.” The Bergen let out an awkwardly hushed shout.

Flapping her arms, Poppy chirped and jumped. “I could scream too! Creek is alive!” All of Poppy's friends cheered. Even Clay and Viva joined in. It was nice to be happy about something going their way. They could do this. They had already saved the other trolls, what was one more?

Branch cracked a smile at the faded trolls and she quickly returned it. Viva was suddenly hit with the realization that Poppy’s mask was down. It had been down for a while, in fact. The fake smile wasn’t out and flashing. Only a small real, genuine smile was left on her sister’s face. 

“Okay guys.” Poppy said, addressing everyone. “Let’s go save Creek!”

The trolls jumped off the bed and rushed towards the door. They needed to find where the king’s quarters were and wait for him to remove the robe. 

There was a loud thumping and Bridget was suddenly in their way, blocking the door. “No! No! You can't leave. Lady Glittersparkles is gonna be the king's plus one at dinner.”

“The dinner where they're serving Troll?” Viva asked, disgust clear in her voice.

Clay rolled his eyes and clasped the blond’s hand in his. “Yeah, I think we're gonna have to skip that one.” He replied sarcastically. A snicker came from Branch, who stood off to the side.

Poppy gave the giant a sympathetic look. “Bridget, you don't need us anymore. You’ve got this.”

A worried expression flashed on the purple haired Bergen’s face. “But--- But what if I can’t fake it without you?”

“Bridget,” Poppy sighed and rubbed her arms. “You don’t need to fake it. He likes you, I can tell. You and the king can make each other happy!”

Tears welled up in the Bergen’s eyes and she bawled her fists. “That's impossible! Only eating a Troll can make you happy. Everyone knows that!” She stomped over to her bed and tore down the collage that she had carefully pieced together. She ripped it up into a million pieces. Viva was suddenly reminded of how Poppy had shredded the bassinet in a fit of complex emotions. 

“I wish I'd never gone on this stupid date!” Bridget continued to wail.

“Bridget…” Poppy said softly. Her eyes were wide and wanting, as if she wanted to say more, but didn’t know how. 

“Just go! Get out of my room. Leave me alone.” The Bergen cried. Distantly, Chef could be heard hollering for the scullery maid. Hearing her voice shot fear into Viva’s heart. She tugged on Poppy’s arm.

“We need to go.” She urged her sister.

Poppy gave Bridget one last remorseful look, before leading the trolls out of the room.

Chapter Text

Viva thought they would have to wait until the evening to see if the king would take off his robe, but apparently the date had gone so well that King Gristle wanted to work out in order to impress Lady Glitter Sparkles at Trollstice.

While the king was singing loudly and off pitch, the trolls snuck through his bedroom door. They rushed over to the bed where they saw the robe was laying. Biggie and Clay worked together to hoist everyone up onto the bed. Well, everyone except for Viva.

Clay held out his hand. “Your turn.” He whispered.

She shook her head. “No way. I’m gonna stay on solid ground, thanks.”

“Okay,” He turned to give Smidge, who had been helping the trolls land softly on the bed from up above, a thumbs up. “Then I’ll stay with you.”

The blond bit at her lip. “Shouldn’t you stick with Branch? To make sure that he is alright?”

“He’s a big boy, I think he’ll be alright.” Clay winked. Viva was suddenly reminded of his guilty expression from earlier. Had he really left Branch alone with his elderly grandmother? And what about after his grandma died? He seemed to be aware of the incident. Did he go back for Branch then? What happened in those few years before she really got to know the lime haired troll in front of her? 

Viva’s eyes flicked over to the Bergen who was running the treadmill. She lowered her voice. “Clay. What happened with Branch? After your grandma…”

The guilt returned to his eyes and he swiftly looked away. “I--I… Viva it’s complicated.” He gestured to himself. “All of my family stuff is complicated.” 

“And you don’t think I would understand?” She looked at him with wide eyes. Complicated families, she understood. Her dad was more interested in her younger sister and Poppy was more interested in speaking with literally anyone other than Viva. She understood complicated families. He knew this. Did he not trust her?

The lime haired troll bit his lip. “No, it’s not that. It’s---”

Clay’s voice was cut off by a growling sound. The growling was much louder than any noise the feral children could create, so Viva looked up at the bed in a panic. The king’s pet was on the bed, eyeing the trolls who were trying to get the locket. 

“Run!” Poppy shrieked. She headed for the edge of the bed where Viva could see her more clearly. Poppy and Branch were holding the jewel together, balancing it between their hands. Cooper pushed a roller skate towards the two trolls.

All of Poppy’s friends were already loaded in the shoe. Smidge motioned for Branch and Poppy to jump in. “Get in!” Copper hollered. 

Fearlessly, the two trolls jumped in and Fuzzbert ran on the wheel, propelling the skate down to the floor. Poppy extended her hair out and snatched Viva and Clay from the ground. Viva’s head spun as the skate whizzed along the castle floor. Fuzzbert was really fast!. 

Clay wobbled next to Viva in the shoe. She held tight to his hand as Satin and Chenille worked together to help them turn a corner in the hallway. Everyone tilted as they slid across the carpeted floor. Poppy stood up on the tongue of the shoe and pointed commandingly at Guy Diamond. “Glitter him!” 

Wasting no time, Guy went about spraying glitter all over the king’s pet that was chasing them. It gagged and seemed to be temporarily blinded, but it did nothing to slow the creature down. It ran after the trolls like his life depended on it. Viva’s heart raced. She figured that she would get eaten by a Bergen, not by their pet!

“Uhhh, Poppy?!” Clay shouted over the chaos. He pointed at a slippery when wet sign that sat on the floor. The very sign that they were headed straight towards.

“Hold on!” Poppy ordered and she braced for impact. All of the trolls screamed when they slammed into the sign. Surprisingly, they didn’t crash. Fortunately, they were shot upward and flying out of the nearby window, away from the creature. Unfortunately, Branch and Poppy were jostled by the movement and the jewel that held the purple troll was knocked out of their hands. 

“Creek!” Poppy screamed frantically.

The jewel flew backward away from the skate, and landed in the back of the creature’s throat. Air choked Viva. All of that for him to just be eaten anyway? Her eyes bulged as she watched the pet chew on the locket. No. Not chew. Choke. It was choking on the locket. 

The pet ran at full speed into the window seal, causing the jewel to be dislodged and launched back toward the trolls.  Poppy dove from the skate to the flying locket, wrapping her arms securely around it. “Branch!” The muted troll extended outwards and Branch immediately shot his hair out in her direction, intertwining their hair, and pulled the young princess safely back into the shoe.

Well, as safe as she could be in a freefalling roller skate.

They slammed through more windows on the other side of the castle. Viva shrieked and held tight to Clay. He matched her screams and pulled her close into his chest.

Crashing to the cobblestone walkway below the castle, they landed with a THUD. Viva felt like her teeth were going to fall out from how hard she was grinding them together. 

“Is everyone okay?” DJ asked, looking over Smidge. The smaller troll spun in circles after she stepped out of the shoe. The blond had to look away from her, she was making her sick. All the spinning and motion was really starting to get to her stomach. 

Biggie’s pet worm let out a meow. “We’re okay! Just a little shaken.” Biggie confirmed. 

The princess turned to her sister, to make sure she was alright, but the muted troll was busy setting the locket down on the ground. Branch nodded at her and together they ripped open the lid.

Viva had to admit it. She was excited to set the purple troll free. He was obnoxious and annoying, but he was a troll. He was one of their people. 

So when the locket swung open and revealed an empty compartment, her heart fell to her stomach like a rock. 

Shaking, Poppy backed up. Her hands went up to her face, covering her mouth. “No. No. He can’t--” She gulped. “He can’t be gone.”

Branch looked at her, sympathy shining in his eyes. He reached out, touching her arm lightly. “I’m sorry, Poppy.”

She shook him off, stepping away from the gray troll. “No! He was supposed to be here!” The muted troll began pacing around the jewel, lifting and adjusting it as she went. It was as if Poppy believed if she touched the locket just right, Creek would appear. 

“We’re too late.” Clay muttered, casting his gaze downward. 

The blond shook her head, disbelief on the tip of her tongue. As much as she thought they would probably get eaten, she also thought if anyone could save all of the trolls, it would be Poppy. She was so confident, brave, so sure that she could do it. Viva had believed her. 

A shadow suddenly loomed over all of the trolls.

“Actually, you’re right on time!”

Chef slammed a cage down over all of the trolls, capturing them swiftly. 

*********************************

Her body buzzed and her eyes stung. She had no more tears left to give. It was like her body had decided to give up on her. The only thing keeping Viva standing upright was Clay’s protective arm around her waist. 

Biggie was crying somewhere behind her, while the rest of Poppy’s friends cowered behind Clay and the princess. Branch stood at the front of the cage, ripping and tearing at the lock on the bars, growling viciously. Poppy paced up and down the front of the cage, hissing and biting the air. A fire had ignited in her eyes. 

“Oh you might as well leave that alone.” Chef’s voice floated into the room. She came into view holding a kitchen knife. “That is quite lock proof, you’ll find. I didn’t realize you would be smart enough to pick it.” She reached forward and flicked Branch’s chest with her fat fingers, knocking him backwards. He landed roughly on the floor of the cage. Branch’s eyes narrowed and he bared his teeth. 

Chef chuckled. “A wild one, huh?” She smiled wickedly. “You don’t see that too often. I wonder if they still taste the same.” She spoke about the gray troll as if wasn’t present, as though he was a thing. 

“You’re not eating anyone!” Poppy hissed and gripped the bars of the cage. Her hair flew wildly and Viva was suddenly reminded of the protective little girl she had found in the woods. 

The Bergen tilted her head as though she thought the muted troll was being cute. Suddenly a spark of recognition came to the Bergen’s eyes. “Wait, you’re Princess Poppy. Aren’t you?”

The faded troll face scrunched up in disgusted confusion. “Yes. Why?”

Waving the knife around, Chef barked out a laugh. “Oh this is just perfect, just perfect. It started with you and it shall end with you.” Chef’s eyes sparkled. “You know, you were supposed to be the first one eaten at the last Trollstice. If you had just died then, like you were supposed to, none of your friends would even be here.”

Grief washed over Poppy’s face. Her hands slipped from the bars and fell to her sides. She stepped back from the front of the cage, a tremble entering her body. Viva wanted to reach out and tell her that it wasn’t true. None of them wanted Poppy to have been eaten. But the blond couldn’t move. Her body was rejecting her. Now it wasn’t just her hair that wasn’t responding, it was all of her limbs. She figured if breathing wasn’t automatic, she would have stopped doing that as well. 

Branch stumbled to his feet and rushed to the young princess’ side. He went to wrap his arms around her, but she shook him off, biting at her lip angrily. The gray troll stepped back, allowing Poppy some space, but his face was filled with concern. 

“Anyway…” Chef stuck the knife down sharply into the cutting board the cage sat on. “Sorry, but I can't have you leaving before tomorrow's dinner. A dinner to which you are all invited. And when I say all... I mean every Troll in Troll Village.”

“You’ll never find them.” Poppy’s voice shook. “Not where they’re hiding.”

Hiding? They were hiding? What was Poppy talking about? Branch shot Viva a confused look, but the princess was incapable of responding to him in any way. 

Chef chuckled. “You're right. I couldn't find them. But I could with someone they know. Someone they trust.” She reached down into the bag that sat around her waist. “Someone... Like this guy.”

She pulled out a tuft of aquamarine hair, followed by a familiar purple haired troll. 

“Creek!” Poppy shouted, racing to the font of the cage. She reached out her arms towards her boyfriend. “You’re alive!”

Viva left out a breath of air she hadn’t realized she had been holding. She really had thought that Creek had been turned into a pre-Trollstice snack. She was desperately thankful that he was alive and okay and right in front of them. And he wasn’t captured! He could---

Wait. Why wasn’t he captured?

Realization washed over Branch’s face. “He’s selling us out!” He hissed, rapidly shooting his hair out towards the purple troll and wrapped his locks around Creek’s neck. He squeezed tightly and lifted the purple troll slightly off the ground. Branch’s face was locked in determination.

“Branch!” Clay yelled in shock. Poppy grabbed at the gray troll’s arms and tugged at them, urging him to stop. Creek gagged and choked in Branch’s grasp. 

Understanding filled Viva’s brain. Creek had sold them out. He was the one who was going to tell Chef where the rest of their village was. 

Finish it, Branch.

“Branch, please!” Poppy begged. “I'm sure there's a reasonable explanation. At least give him a chance!”

Relently at the faded troll’s cries, Branch released his hold. Creek dropped to the cutting board, grabbing at his neck and coughing. The gray troll stared at him in disgust. Chef laughed at the interaction and crossed her arms. 

She was enjoying this, Viva realized. 

Wobbling, Creek stood to his feet. He held his neck, rubbing soothing circles into it. He gazed at his girlfriend. “ Thank you, Poppy.” He said earnestly. His expression dropped. “I’m selling you out.”

Light pink hair shot out like lightning around the purple troll’s neck. It picked him up and tossed him around, side to side. His body smacked against the cutting board loudly. Then Creek was pulled in close to the cage. His hands flailed wildly, trying to block Poppy’s fists, but his left hand got too close to the former feral girl’s mouth. Poppy’s teeth sunk down on the Purple troll’s hand sharply. Creek let out a scream that echoed sharply in Viva’s ears.

When Poppy pulled away, blood dripped down her lips. She spit, sending two purple fingers flying to Creek’s feet. 

Chapter Text

“You bitch!” Creek cried as he cradled his injured hand to his chest. Poppy hissed and lunged at him from behind the bars. Clay grabbed at her sister, trying to calm her down, while Branch looked on at the purple troll smugly. 

Blood spewed from the muted troll’s mouth. “You better explain yourself, Creek!” The fire in her eyes flickered angrily. 

“I’m not explaining anything!” Creek pulled his hand back and looked on in horror at the two missing fingers. He pointedly avoided looking at where the detached ones laid on the ground. “You bit my fuckin’ fingers off!”

Nearby, Chef turned on a burner. The smell of the flame wafted into Viva’s nostrils. A shiver ran down her spin. What was she going to do to them? She always figured that she would be swallowed whole, but the princess had seen the paintings in the castle on the way in. The paintings of trolls being cooked into dishes, used as ingredients for happiness. Would Chef boil them alive? Fry them? There were suddenly so many ways that Viva realized she would be cooked. 

Sticking the kitchen knife into the flame, Chef scoffed. “Relax. It’s not like you need them all. Not for what you’ll be doing.” When the knife burned red, she picked up the wailing troll and forced his hand out. Viva turned her head away as Chef brought the tip of the knife to Creek’s open wound. She heard his high pitch squeal and smelled the burning flesh of the cauterized skin. Did Chef enjoy the smell? Did they smell as good as they tasted?

Chef placed the purple troll down on the cutting board and regarded the trolls in the cage. “It’s pretty simple really. He didn’t want to die and I needed information on where the rest of the trolls were. It was an easy trade.”

“Too bad he doesn’t know where they are.” Poppy growled, blood still dripping down her lips. “They’re hidden. He’ll never find them.”

There it was again. Hidden. Had Poppy really told the trolls to hide somewhere or was she bluffing? The look of hatred on Poppy’s face made it hard to decipher. 

A wicked smile grew on the Bergen’s lips. “Oh, Creek here promised that it wouldn’t be a problem.”

“If you think I’m going anywhere near her, you’re nuts!” Creek shrieked, holding his injured hand close to his chest. From this angle, Viva was finally able to see it properly. Poppy had managed to bite off the purple troll’s middle and index finger, leaving him with a thumb and a pinkie. It sort of looked like a disfigured crab claw. 

Viva’s eyes wandered around the cage, taking in the reactions of the other trolls. Clay was still close to the faded troll, ready to reel her in at any point, if she were to get too violent again. Viva didn’t know why he had tried to stop Poppy. Creek had everything coming to him and more. He was going to be the reason that all of their people were going to be eaten!

The gray troll stood at Poppy’s side, glaring at Creek menacingly. If the bars of the cage were not there to separate the two trolls, Viva was sure that Branch would have already taken the purple troll down to the ground. 

As for the other trolls, they had never really seen Poppy be so… herself. So wild. They stood in shock and several of them looked like they wanted to hurl at the sight of the blood dripping from the young princess’s mouth. Cooper stared at the mangled fingers on the ground and couldn’t seem to look away. Smidge, who Viva would consider to be the most hardcore of the bunch, looked on at Poppy in horror. Viva figured they all had a similar thought going through their heads. 

Who was this girl, really?

“If you want to honor our deal, then you will.” Chef threatened. Creek quivered under the Bergen’s glare and took a hesitant step towards the cage. Poppy bit at the aire by the cage, warning him to stay back. 

“Get away from us!” She hissed. “I would never help you!”

Creek’s two remaining fingers on his injured hand twitched. “I need your cowbell, Poppy.” The purple troll ground out. He wobbled, like he might fall over at any instant from the trauma of losing his fingers. “You need to give it to me.”

The cowbell. If the troll really were hiding, they would come out if they heard Poppy’s cowbell. It was her signature instrument and what she used during most of her village songs. 

Poppy sneered. “As if I would give it to you. Newsflash, you betraying your entire kind means that we’re broken up. I will never do anything to help you again.”

“No shit, we’re not together.” Creek laughed darkly. He held up his claw-like hand. “You bit off my fucking fingers!”

Hissing, the muted troll lunged her hands through the bars. “And I’d do it again!” Clay was quick to pull Viva’s sister back into the cage, trying to keep her away from the giant leering Bergen. Branch growled as the Bergen suddenly leaned forward, casting a shadow down upon them. 

Chef hummed as though she was amused. “You two were together, huh? I always wondered how that worked between trolls.” She stroked her chin. “You know… if we are going to have as big of a feast as the king wants, that is going to require a lot of trolls. Almost all of them.” She smiled like the cat who ate the canary. “Of course, we can’t eat them all. We’ll need to save a few for repopulation. That way we will have more trolls next year.

Repopulation? Did she mean---? Viva’s widened in realization a half a second too late. The cage door was already opening, much too quick for anyone to try to make an escape. Fortunately, Clay and Branch were much quicker, much smarter than the princess. They dove, pulling Poppy out of the way of the large, bumpy Bergen hand. 

Viva let out a sigh of relief. Poppy wouldn’t be used to help reproduce more trolls for future Trollstice. But, why wasn’t the hand stopping? Why was it still moving? And why was it headed straight for her? 

A shriek, so loud and piercing, escaped Viva’s throat involuntarily as she was pulled from the cage. She twisted against the beast’s grip and she heard the cage door slam shut. 

“Viva!” Clay shouted in desperation. Viva tried to look back toward him but Chef kept waving her around like she was a plaything. The bergen’s grip on her was tight and she felt she would pop like a pimple. 

Chef laughed. “You are so ridiculous. You really think I would have chosen her to help repopulate the trolls?” She gestured to Poppy and sneered. “She’s practically colorless. I wouldn’t want to pass that on to the future gene pool. Besides,” Chef poked at Creek’s chest, causing him to topple over. “I’m already having to deal with one disfigured troll. I can’t have two.”

The giant bumpy hand brought the blond troll up to the blood red eyes of the Bergen. Viva could see how the veins pulsed around her pupils manically. Once again she fell frozen under the presence of the bloodthirsty Bergen. Her body shut down. Viva’s whole being would not respond. She could only shiver in terror. 

“You’re the one that wouldn’t run.” Chef observed. “You’ll make a fine specimen to keep around for repopulation.”

A fierce growl came from the cage below. Viva didn’t have to look to know it was from Branch. Chef laughed as though she thought the gray troll’s growls were cute. She took Viv and quickly stuffed her into a glass jar that was sitting atop a nearby spice shelf. The Bergen tightened the lid and used a toothpick to poke holes into it so Viva would be allowed air flow. 

The princess fell to her knees. Distantly, she heard Clay and the other trolls screaming for her, but it barely registered in her mind. She was trapped. Like a bug. No worse. She was going to be used like cattle to create more trolls for future slaughter.

She was being held like an animal . 

“Give me the cowbell, Poppy.” Creek demanded. His voice was desperate and pleading. Even without looking, she knew that the purple troll would not dare get close to Poppy again. 

Viva brought shaking hands to her face, trying to push her bangs out of her eyes, but they kept falling in the way. Her sister hissed from inside the cage, “Over my dead body!”

Suddenly the jar was picked up and shook about. Viva’s body failed and smacked into the glass walls repeatedly, like she was in a pinball machine. A large knife was bright into view in front of the glass. “How about, over her dead body?” Chef asked sardonically. 

“Poppy, please!” Clay sounded like he was crying, Viva couldn’t bear to look at him to confirm it. It was her fault she was in this situation. If she had just run, if she just been able to move, to breathe, none of this would have happened. Her body had failed her and it had been her downfall. 

Feeling bruised and broken, Viva watched helplessly as Poppy silently threw the cowbell to Creek’s feet.

*********************************

They had been shouting at her for a while. 

The other trolls, that is.

Creek and Chef had left a while ago to get the rest of the village, leaving them alone in their respective cages in the kitchen.

Viva couldn’t look at the other trolls. Not when she had failed so miserably. 

She brought her knees close to her chest, trying to make her body as small as possible. She laid her head down on her kneecaps and tried to think of nothing. She was just a ball in a glass jar. Nothing more, nothing less. 

“Viva, please. Answer me! I need to know you’re okay.” Clay begged from across the room. They were placed on different counters in the kitchen, but it felt like they were lightyears away from each other. 

The princess couldn’t look up.

She heard a huffing. “Of course she’s not okay. She’s going to have to watch all of us die.” Poppy remarked darkly.

“Poppy,” Branch said softly, a warning tone clear in his voice. 

“Don’t say that,” Clay pleaded. “Viva!” He called out again. “It’s going to be okay! We’re going to get you out of there, I promise. Just please, can you let me know that you’re okay? I need to know if you’re hurt!”

Typical Clay. Promising to save her from her enclosure while he himself was trapped. He never worried about himself. No, he was always too busy worrying about others. Were there enough fire exits in the building that was just constructed? Had Viva liked the dinner? Did the school renew all of the epipens in their stock in case of an emergency? Was Viva happy with how their date went? Was anyone at the last party injured or hungover? All of his thoughts went like this. He never seemed to worry about himself. Not even, apparently, when faced with death. 

“She’s not going to answer. Not when all of us are as good as dead.” Poppy muttered, kicking at the cage bars. It created a banging sound that echoed through the Bergenless kitchen.

“But,” Biggie started, his voice sounding a little watery. “You said none of us were going to be eaten. You said that we would be alright.”

“Yeah, well, I was wrong !” Poppy exploded. “I was wrong, Biggie. I thought I could do this-- I thought I could fix this, but I was wrong. ”

There was a pause and for a second, Viva wanted to look up, but she thought better of it. She couldn’t look into their saddened eyes. 

“I thought I had outgrown all that--” Poppy spat. “But it turns out, I’m just the same troll I always was. I’m never going to be anything other than an animal to everyone. That’s all I am! And I am so sick of trying to hide it!” There was a loud thud. “Look at me! I’m practically gray! I have been fading for years trying to force myself to fit in and be what everyone else wanted me to be. And I was good at it!” Poppy breathed deeply. “But I guess my body knew better.”

There was a moment where no one spoke, no one breathed. And then--- “Poppy,” Copper started, his voice gentle. “We never wanted you to be anyone but yourself.”

“Yeah,” Chenille said.

“We like you, Poppy.” Satin added on.

“For who you are.” Smidge stated confidently. 

Poppy huffed. “I don’t even know who that is anymore.”

Chapter Text

The sun was going down. The setting rays were shooting through the window and hitting the glass jar directly. Beads of sweat gathered at Viva’s brow. She wiped them away quickly. Can’t the sun go down any faster? Viva felt like she was being baked alive. She quickly shook off that thought. 

Across the room, on the other kitchen counter, Branch had managed to snatch a cooking knife with his hair and was using it to try and saw at the lock. He grunted as he moved the knife up and down rapidly. Even as far away as she was, Viva could tell that the gray troll was making no progress. It all felt sort of helpless.

Poppy’s friends had resigned to sitting in a huddle and playing a game that Smidge had stuffed in her hair. Viva thought they were playing go fish, but honestly, she couldn’t be sure. They could have been playing poker for all she knew. 

Sighing, Viva wiped more sweat away from her forehead. She felt exhausted. She wasn’t even doing anything and yet she felt so tired. She snuck a quick peek at Clay, who was sitting at the cage’s edge, sticking his arms outside of the bar towards the blond troll. Viva gulped, holding back the words she wanted to say to the lime haired troll. She should just keep her mouth shut. She couldn’t have her words failing her like her body was. 

Her eyes flitted over to the young princess who was pacing in the center of the cage. Her fists were balled up and a light growl could be heard emanating from her throat. Biggie and DJ flinched slightly at the sound. Poppy’s ears twitched every which way, showing her agitation and stress. 

“Why don’t you sit down, Poppy?” Guy asked, trying to help. “There’s no point in wasting your energy. We might need it if we escape.”

Poppy kicked at the metal floor of the cage. “We’re not escaping,” She muttered. “We had our chance and we blew it. I blew it.”

“Don’t say that, Poppy.” Clay mumbled as he rested his head against the cage bars. “You were trying to do the right thing. That’s never wrong.”

Huffing, the muted troll crossed her arms. “Lot of good it did me.”

A clanging sound could be heard as Branch fumbled with the knife. His rapid sawing motion must have caused him to slip, sending the knife crashing down to the cutting board on the table. He groaned in frustration and jingled the lock haphazardly. He mumbled under his breath and flexed his aching hands. Branch narrowed his eyes, looking around the room once more, searching for another way to escape. 

Viva knew it was useless. They shouldn’t have been able to escape the first time. A second time would be impossible. Chef would have learned from her mistakes. 

Gray eyes landed on the jar, meeting with the blond troll’s. “Viva,” Branch whispered. The princess cocked her head slightly. What was he thinking? 

Clay’s head popped up at the mention of the princess’s name. He saw that Viva had uncurled from her tight ball formation. “Hey, Viv’s.” Clay’s voice wobbled. “You’re gonna be okay.”

Biting her lip, Viva wanted to shake her head. No. She wasn’t going to be okay. She was going to be used to create more trolls for future Trollstice. And with Creek of all people, to mate with. The thought alone made her stomach roll. 

Another scary thought crept up on the blond. If her body wouldn’t even allow her to run when she wanted, how would it give her an egg? What would Chef do if she couldn’t grow an egg? Viva gulped. She would probably be next on the menu.

“Viva,” Branch said, waving his hands to get the princess’s attention. She scooted closer to the edge of the grass jar wall. She wanted to see what was getting the gray troll all worked up. He hadn’t called for her this whole time. No, it had been Clay, who she was currently trying to block out. She didn’t want to hear that it would be okay when she knew that it wouldn’t.

Using his hands, Branch dramatically mimed pushing something. Viva’s nose wrinkled in confusion. Her eyes glanced around. What was he trying to push?

“Push,” Branch explained and pointed at her glass cage and then pointed toward the floor of the kitchen. Viva’s eyes widened in shock. Was he--- did he mean what she thought he meant?

Clay must have been thinking the same thing. “Branch? You can’t be suggesting--- Are you trying to get her to push the jar onto the ground?” His voice was loud and frantic.

The gray troll nodded calmly. 

“No! Are you insane? That could kill her! The glass would shatter and could cut her all up!” Clay shouted, waving his hands all around. 

Branch let out a frustrated breath. “Might not.”

“But it could. Most likely would! I’m not going to risk her life.” Clay stated defiantly. His eyes were wild with fear and anger. 

Branch shook the lock that he had yet to break through. “Running out of options!” He hissed. His eyes were slitted in determination. It hit Viva suddenly that Branch was as much of a survivor as Poppy was. He had no intention of dying here. He had not stopped moving since he had been placed in the cage. No. The whole time he had been working hard on their escape. He wasn’t like Poppy’s friends who seemed to have come to a sort of melancholy acceptance. No. Branch was a survivor and he would get out.

And he was asking for her help.

For the first time, Branch was asking Viva for help. 

She felt herself rise to her feet. She needed to help the gray troll escape. She would break the glass of her trap and break open the cage. Branch Branch would save Poppy and Clay and the other trolls. He would get them out of there. He could do it. 

Backing up to the backside of the jar, Viva pressed her back against the glass. It felt cool on her sweaty skin. She took a deep breath. I can do this, she thought. I can run. 

With all the strength left in her pink body, she sprinted across the small jar and slammed her body against the glass. Her shoulder burned at the sudden smack, but it had given Viva her intended result. The jar had shifted a few centimeters. It wobbled a bit and settled back down quickly. 

“Viva, don’t!” Clay cried. He gripped at the bars of the cage so tightly his knuckles looked pale. “You’ll hurt yourself!”

The princess backed up again, pushing her bangs out of her way. “I have to do this.” She spat out and ran for the opposite wall. This time when she slammed her shoulder against the clear wall, her muscles screamed in protest. The jar slid forward a few centimeters more. She looked out at the edge of the counter. She figured only about three more pushes and she would be at the edge. 

“Please don’t. Please!” Clay begged. Viva tried to catch her breath as she looked over at the other trolls. Poppy’s friends stared on in horror and the princess was seemingly trying to push herself off the edge to plummet to her death. No, no. She wouldn't die. She couldn’t. Branch needed her to survive the crash and help them break open the cage from the outside. 

Her sister stood behind the gray troll, watching Viva with an analytical eye. If Viva were guessing, she was probably figuring out the exact amount of strength Viva would need to finish pushing the jar over the edge. 

Branch looked at her with determined eyes. He moved his hands again, miming pushing the jar once more. The princess threw herself against the wall once more, sending the container a few steps closer to the edge of the counter. 

Breathing deeply, Viva glanced over to the cage and saw the lime haired troll shoving at his brother. “Stop! Make her stop!” Clay screamed, his voice thick with emotion. Branch moved away from Clay’s hands, his brow furrowed. 

“She’ll be fine.” Branch insisted. 

Tears gathered in Clay’s eyes. “No, no. She won’t be fine.” He turned to Viva, shaking his head rapidly. “You won’t be fine, Viva! You could--” He choked. “The glass could cut you. Kill you. Don’t do it.”

“I have to do it.” Viva explained, backing up once more. “I have to. I can’t let you get eaten! I have to try something.”

“Then try anything else!” The lime haired troll shrieked. He turned to Branch and shook him by the shoulders. “Try something else. Anything else!”

Branch shoved his brother’s hands away. A frown etched itself onto the gray troll’s face. “What else?” He leaned forward, throwing up a hand on the left side of his face. It took a second for Viva to realize he was doing this to block out the other trolls from his vision. “She has two choices. Do this,” Branch hissed and pointed to the jar. “Or be the only troll left.”

Clay’s jaw hung open and he shook his head slightly. He seemed to be at a total loss for words. His hands came up to hug at his sides tightly. 

“Which is better?” Branch continued, his eyes darkening. His left hand shook against his face. “To be left behind or to try to do something to stop this whole thing?”

Closing his mouth, Clay looked to Viva with desperate eyes. “I just-- don’t want you to get hurt.”

Viva’s mouth wobbled as she sank to her knees. She couldn’t do this to Clay. Couldn’t break his heart like this. She had to, but she couldn’t. Not to Clay. She wiped at her watery eyes. “And I can’t watch you get eaten.”

“We’ll figure something else out. I promise.”

She prayed that he was right.

*********************************

The night gave her no relief. She laid on the glass bottom of the jar, suddenly missing the sun beating down on her. Her body shivered. It was freezing. She curled in on herself trying to retain body heat.

From where she was laying, she could see the other trolls perfectly. Clay laid against the bars, his hands still out stretched towards the jar. Poppy’s friends were huddled together, snuggling for warmth. Branch laid facing the door. From the angle Viva was laying at, she could see how his eye laid open, blinking every so often. He stared at the kitchen door like it was prey. Something that needed to be watched. Poppy was at the gray troll’s back, one hand buried deep in his hair, while the other was in her mouth as she picked and pulled at her nails. 

No one was asleep. No one could pretend they were comfortable enough to rest their eyes. The quiet left a lot of time for thoughts to float through Viva’s head. One thought in particular kept repeating itself in her mind. 

“Where are they?” Viva felt herself ask. She wasn’t sure if anyone had heard her, until Clay hummed a questioning note. “The rest of the village. Where are they, Poppy?” She had to know, did the young princess really hide everyone or was she that good at bluffing? 

The muted troll shifted and pulled her hand out of Branch’s hair. The gray troll grumbled at the removal of her hand. Poppy sat up, facing the direction of her sister. The light from the oven’s internal coils lit the room lightly. Viva could see a nervous expression flicker over her sister’s face. “Oh. Uh.” Poppy glanced down at the gray troll beside her. “I actually… told them… to hide…” She took a deep breath and spoke quickly. “ InBranch’sBunker.”

Branch sat up straight, “ What ?”

Poppy winced. “I thought it was a good idea at the time. I remembered how you said you had enough supplies to last ten years.”

“To last me---- ” Branch was suddenly aware of all of the eyes on him. Every troll in the room had turned towards the gray troll due to his sudden outburst. He snapped his mouth shut and shook his head in disapproval at the muted troll. 

“I’m sorry,” Poppy apologized sincerely. She hugged herself tightly and looked across the kitchen at her sister. “Do you think Creek will find them?”

Tracing a circle on the glass floor, Viva sighed. “I don’t know. Probably. He has your cowbell. Dad would come out if he heard that.”

The muted troll melted at that. She sunk back down to her spot on the cage’s metal floor. Branch fidgeted. He looked like he wanted to say something, but held himself back from speaking freely. He ran a frustrated hand over his face before he laid back down. Poppy was quick to stick her hand back in the gray troll’s hair. 

That left Viva with one more question. One more thought that wouldn’t leave her brain. Or at least, it wouldn’t leave her brain until it was answered. “Clay,” She called out, speaking to him directly for the first time in hours. 

“Yeah?” Clay whispered. He didn’t lift his head or make any movement. The only reason Viva even knew he responded to her was because she was always hyper aware of the lime troll’s voice. She figured that came from listening to Brozone’s music and training her ear to listen for her friend’s harmony. 

She gulped, preparing herself to ask an uncomfortable question. She brought her knees closer to her chest. “Where did you live? Before the escape from the Troll Tree?”

Branch stiffened at Viva’s questioning. Poppy placed her other hand in his hair as well, stroking his dark locks softly. 

Coughing, Clay fidgeted in discomfort. “You know. With friends.”

“Why not with your grandma? With Branch?” Viva pressed. She knew she was whispering, but her voice still felt so loud. It felt like it took up so much space. 

Clay breathed deeply. “Viva, it’s complicated---”

The princess sat up roughly. “You keep saying that, what does that even mean?”

“ It means I don’t want to talk about it!” Clay shouted, his body stiff and rigid. He was so tense Viva felt like if she could reach him, could touch him, he would break. “Especially not if I’m going to die tomorrow.” He swallowed thickly. “I just want to think about the happy memories.” Clay’s voice shook, like if Viva pressed him more he would shatter and break.

No, Viva thought. The only thing that will be shattering is this jar. 

Tomorrow. She would do it tomorrow. 

Chapter Text

She woke up to the sound of Biggie snoring. Blearily, Viva opened one eye, checking to see if anyone else was awake. No one in the cage across the room moved an inch. It was time to strike.

Sitting up, Viva mentally prepared herself. She would have to make herself as loose as possible when she hit the ground, she couldn’t lock her muscles or she risked breaking a bone. She would also want to avoid the glass shattering and slicing her open, but she didn’t figure there was any way to prepare for that. 

Pulling herself to her feet, she shook out her arms and legs, trying to warm them up. She couldn’t afford to have them freezing up on her this time. She peeked again down at the other trolls. Clay lay sound asleep with his forearm covering his eyes. She needed to do this before he woke up. Viva couldn’t bear to watch him panic again.

She judged the distance from the jar to the edge of the counter. Two good pushes, she thought. Two good pushes and then…. She would fall. And the glass would shatter. And she would save her family and friends. Somehow.

Her legs buzzed as she pressed her back against the glass. She took a deep breath. She held the air in her lungs and slowly released it. She stared at the other side of the jar determinedly, narrowing her eyes. She rushed for the other side, throwing her body against the glass with all her might. The jar slid forward. Loudly. 

Clay shot up, immediately awoken from his sleep. He looked around frantically, his wild eyes landing on Viva, who was preparing to push once more. “Stop!” He screamed. “Don’t!”

If the other trolls hadn’t woken up from her movements, they were definitely awake now. She heard several cries of her name, but she blocked them out. Only one more push She thought.

Charging with all the strength left in her body, Viva slammed against the other side of the glass. The jar seemed to move in slow motion. Viva stared in horror at the glass floor of the jar while it slid across the black marble. As she reached the edge, Clay’s cries got louder and more frantic. Viva tried to loosen her body, preparing for the inevitable fall. 

The jar tipped over the edge of the counter and she----

She didn’t fall. 

A horrible purple bumpy hand caught the jar at the last second. The jar was lifted up to red veiny eyes that glared intently at the blind troll. “Oh goodness,” Chef said in mock concern. “You almost took quite a tumble.”

Viva’s heart plummeted to her stomach, landing hard. She had failed. Again. She squirmed backwards, trying to get as far away as she could from Chef’s watchful eyes. A small involuntary whimper left her throat. Cracking a smile, Chef rotated her wrist around, causing the jar to shift. Viva’s body slid all over the glass floor, but she couldn’t look away from the Bergen’s blood red eyes. 

“I can’t have you missing the main event, you know.” She placed the jar in a nearby pan. Viva noted that the pan had high walls. High enough that she certainly couldn’t try her pushing trick again with any success. 

I’m sorry, Branch.

Smirking, Chef picked up the cage and shook them around. Poppy and Branch hissed as they were tossed about, while the other trolls squealed and tried to hold on for dear life. She held them over a pot that had appeared in the middle of the kitchen. The large pot sat on a rolling cart and it seemed to have latches on either side of the container, where handles should have been. 

Viva’s heart raced as Chef unlocked the cage and shook the trolls out and into the pot. Poppy’s friends were quick to fall in, but Clay, Branch and Poppy held onto the bars dearly. The Bergen’s shaking got more intense. It was clear she didn’t enjoy being made a fool by three little trolls. 

“Viva!” Clay cried as he gripped slipped and he fell down into the pot with a SMACK.

“Clay!” She screamed, unable to hold back her reaction. She couldn’t see him get eaten. He couldn’t get eaten! Her breath started to quicken. The very thing that she went out to stop from happening was now happening anyway. Clay was going to be eaten. And so was Poppy. And her friends. And Branch. They were as good as gone. 

With one last aggressive shake, the two feral children tumbled down into the nearly empty pot. There was a scrambling and scratching noises that followed their landing. Viva could practically picture them going at the walls of the containers, trying to figure a way out. They were both such survivors. If anyone could get out of this situation, it was them. 

Maybe I should just wait for Branch and Poppy to do something?

But she was the future Queen! She had to be the leader. The hero. She had to be the savior. 

I don’t want to be Queen.

It was strange how that thought was becoming so clear as she witnessed her people being poured out of the bags that the Bergens wore around their waists. She didn’t want to be their Queen. She couldn’t do it. She wouldn't be any good at it. She gripped her arms and suppressed a shiver as she watched children, elder trolls and her friends be poured into the pot that held Clay, Branch and Poppy. 

The trolls screamed and yelped as they fell. She had allowed this to happen. If she had just been smarter, braver, faster. Maybe she could have done something. 

Viva’s breathing turned ragged. They became loud and sharp. Her eyes widened. No, not again. Not without Clay!