Chapter Text
King Peppy had been standing in the top of the troll tree hidden in the leaves that’s where the entrance to the escape tunnel was. He had been guiding his subjects to it he needed to get them out and quickly it was already Trollstice.
Luckily they seemed to be getting out pretty quickly, if they kept up the pace then they could probably escape before the king of Bergens woke up.
That was until..
“King Peppy!”
The king looked to see a red headed green troll running at him her name was Robin and she seemed to need to tell him something urgent.
“What’s wrong?”
He asked worry crept in his head. Was he wrong? Were the Bergens right outside? Were some of his subjects about to be eaten?
“It’s Branch, he refuses to leave!”
The worry in Peppy transformed into sadness. He knew how hard Branch was taking his grandmother’s death from last trollstice, the poor trolling was only six and the incident made him turn grey. He had no one else since his brothers left when he was only a year old and now he refuses to leave.
King Peppy could only imagine why.
“Get everyone you can up here I’ll take care of Branch.” Peppy instructed Robin nodded and took the kings place by the hole.
As the old troll used his hair to swing through the trees he finally found Branch standing in front of Rosiepuff‘s pod holding a brozone record case. King Peppy quickly swung down and landed in front of the trolling who immediately looked up at him with anger.
“I’m. Not. Leaving. And you can’t make me!”
Branch declared backing up as he glared at the king. Peppy sighed sadly as he stayed where he was and started speaking.
“Branch my motto is ‘no troll left behind,’ ever. So I’m not leaving you here.”
King Peppy expected the trolling to yell, scream throw a tantrum. But instead, he sniffled tears welling up in his eyes as he clutched the record case closer to his chest.(so hard in fact he cut his finger on the corner his blood staining it.)
The king got on one knee looking at Branch with sympathy as he saw the grey trolling’s eyes go to the leaf vest he was wearing. “Oh, Branch..”
“Why…w-why did he lie..he promised he’d come back..”
Branch’s eyes suddenly shifted to anger as he broke the brozone record in half and threw it away with an angry yell.
“ I hate you Floyd! I hate all of you!”
The anger quickly shifted back to sadness as Branch began to sob clutching his leaf vest that Peppy knew belonged to Floyd. Suddenly he heard giant footsteps and chanting getting closer he quickly turned back to Branch who looked in the distance with fear.
“Branch I'm sorry but we have to go.”
The king gave Branch his hand the trolling stared at it for a moment before he took it and let Peppy lead him to the top of the tree and to the escape tunnels.
After checking with Robin that everyone made it out all three of them jumped in and Peppy began to lead the tribe to freedom. Though he couldn’t help but look back every once in a while and frown at Branch who was looking sad and betrayed the entire time.
It wasn’t until his youngest daughter Poppy was handed to him that his mind went elsewhere.
———
John Dory had no idea why he was sneaking back to Bergen town. He barley got out unnoticed when he left years ago. He had a whole battle with himself about coming back or not after he got a big brother feeling something just wasn’t right this trollstice
Well technically he got that feeling last trollstice but this year it was even stronger, and he couldn’t help but feel like something happened with Branch.
Then a thought crossed his mind.
‘Would branch even want to see me?’
He sighed, of course he would why wouldn’t Branch want to see one of his big bros?
Suddenly the memory hit him.
The memory of fighting with his brothers then he decided to leave and go solo not even saying goodbye to Branch who was just forced to watch the whole thing.
John shook his head, it was already to late to turn back he made it to the caged up troll tree. The green haired troll used his grappling hook to latch on to one of the iron bars and pull himself into the leafs.
Once there he immediately noticed something.
All the pods were empty.
He looked around being careful not to be too loud as he said.
“Hello?”
No answer.
Wait.
If no one’s here then..
John turned his head towards the direction he knew his grandmother’s pod was.
“Branch..”
The green haired troll quickly ran and used his hair to swing from twig to twig. Finally he arrived at his grandmother’s pod, quickly he opened the door and looked inside.
It was empty.
John immediately checked every room.
But those were empty to.
Finally he got to what seemed to be Branch’s room on the bed was a stack of papers. Going over to the stack John saw the first one had the words ‘read me’ on them written with black crayon.
John picked up the stack of papers and began to look at them, at first they were just drawings. But soon they became letters, all of them intended for each one of the bros most of them were for Floyd.
John recognized the messy hand writing that was done with a blue crayon.
It was Branch’s hand writing, he wrote them letters.
John decided to read only the ones that were written for him which turned out to be only three. Which seemed a little harsh to the green haired troll since Clay seemed to have nine, Spruce had ten, and Floyd had half the stack.
He decided to not let it bother him and just read.
Maybe the letters could tell him where his baby brother was.
Dear John
I’m soooo sorry for ruining the show, I didn’t mean to not let us make the perfect family harmony. And make you all leave, anyways I don’t wanna bother you too much because I know your mad at me. Anyways talk soon!
Love Branch!
Okay that was short.
And kinda sad.
Branch blamed himself? And thought John hated him?
John reached for the next one.
Which for some reason was in black crayon.
Dear John
Hey I know I haven’t written to you a lot but that’s because..I was scared to..anyways none of that matters now something happened..and it’s all my fault again.
All I wanted to do was sing practice a song for when you came back..but I forgot it was trollstice..and a Bergen came and I..didn’t see it but grandma did. She pushed me out of the way and now..she’s dead and it’s all my stupid fault!
But that’s not all that happened..I..I lost my color..literally..I’m grey now. King Peppy says that’s what happens when a troll gets so sad they can’t ever be happy again..but I don’t want to be sad forever! I want to be happy with you and Spruce and Clay and..Floyd.
But do you know what the worst part is? Nobody wants anything to do with me..I mean king Peppy comes to check on me every now and then but he’s the king that’s his job..I’m all alone..and I’m writing to you about this cause..well I haven’t written to you in a while and I feel bad but I also just really miss you.
Please please John Dory I’m scared..please come back
From Love Branch.
John just stared at the letter like he’d never seen paper before.
Grandma got eaten?
It was supposed to be Branch?
Branch turned..grey..?
But that was last trollstice.
John remembered the feeling he had.
His eyes went to the last letter that was also in black crayon.
He was scared to read, but he had to know what happened yesterday.
Because trollstice was yesterday and no one was here.
Dear John
We finally found a way to escape from the Bergens! But..you guys haven’t come back yet..and Floyd promised he’d be back so I can’t leave I just can’t! And I know it sounds stupid but I’m staying here I’ll hide they won’t find me I’ll stay here till you all come back! Anyways everyone is starting to leave so I need to go and make sure they know I’m staying.
Love Branch!
Oh no.
No no no.
He stayed!?
The green haired troll began frantically looking through every drawer giving a quick glance at the other letter to see if they had anything about escaping the Bergens.
But there was nothing, nothing that could give him a clue to what happened next. Suddenly an image of Branch getting taken and shoved into a Bergens mouth clouded John’s thoughts.
He shook his head.
No.
Branch wasn’t dead.
He couldn’t be!
He said he would be hiding!
That’s right!
All he had to do was let Branch know it was him.
John stuffed all the letters(including the ones for his other little bros) and ran out of the empty pod and out into the open and began to search every nook and cranny that he thought Branch could be hiding in. At the same time the green haired troll had been calling out to Branch not caring if a Bergen heard him or not.
“Branch! Bitty B, it’s me! John Dory, I’m here!”
He finished searching the trees finding the big hole all the other trolls must’ve escaped from at the very top. He then went searching the ground.
“Look bitty B I don’t care if your grey. I just want to make sure your safe okay?”
He called out again.
No answer.
John was about to yell again when he stepped on something that cracked. He looked down his eyes widened as he saw it was a Brozone record torn in half before it was even taken out of the case.
The green haired troll frowned as the cover was the photo of when Branch had his frosted tips. Expect now since it was cut in half Branch was split in two John and Clay on one side while Spruce and Floyd were on the other.
It was like the universe was mocking him by showing him his worst fear. John grumbled as he clutched the record hard his fist turned white as he stared intensely at it.
The more he did the more he noticed something on right corner that seemed to almost take up the whole side. It looked red and dried up but still fresh meaning it hadn’t been on there very long.
Suddenly it hit him like a truck.
It was blood.
But who’s blood..
I’m staying here.
No..it..it couldn’t be..his blood.
A Bergen came and I..didn’t see it but grandma did. She pushed me out of the way..
It was supposed to be him.
“Branch! Please..answer me..”
But there was no reply.
Not even a gust of wind or something like that.
Tears welled up in John’s eyes as he looked back at the record case falling to his knees.
He looked at the blood.
There was no more denying the facts.
But that didn’t mean it didn’t hurt.
The green haired troll let out a yell full of anguish as he hugged the record close.
“My baby!..my sweet sweet baby..”
This was all his fault.
Why did he care so much about being perfect?
He let out another yet quieter powerful yell.
“Please..no..no!..Branch!”
There wasn’t an answer so he continued to sob for what felt like hours.
Finally John got a hold of himself and stood up record still in hand. He went over to the middle of the small grass area where the tree stood and sighed a small hole.
He placed the record inside the hole and buried it. He then found a red flower and placed it on top, John felt his eyes water again.
The green haired troll sniffled as he looked down at the mini grave he made.
“I’m so sorry..I love you so much baby Branch.”
He took one last look before he used his hair to get him to the top of the tree so he could use the underground tunnels to get out. After using a pick he had in his bag to destroy all caved in dirt he finally managed to make it out.
John went to move his arm to place his pick back when a bunch of papers fell out of his jacket pocket. John’s eyes widened as he looked at all the letters Branch had write for their brother but never got to give because he was..
John shook his head.
He picked up the papers.
If their was any way he was going to make it up to Branch for leaving and being the reason why he was..not alive.
It would be to deliver these letters.
He needed to find the rest of his little brothers.
Especially Floyd.
So, that’s what he was going to do.
For Branch.