The Magic of Harmony

Floyd

It was starting to become mid evening. The sun had just now touched the horizon and the sky filled with the bright reds and oranges of sunset. Soon they will morph to the softer shades of pinks and violets before becoming the deep soothing colors of violet and blues. Slowly drifting into the darkness of night.

Poppy thought this as she drove down the open stretch, Tiny on her lap now, with Viva looking on, wide eyed by her side. Viva had never seen the world before. She was hatched in the Troll Tree while it was still caged. The closest she had gotten was when they escaped through the tunnels and they collapsed, leading her and the Put Puts off the path. Still, a night filled with fear and running for their lives hardly counted as seeing the world.

Poppy glanced at Viva, eyes taking in her awed expression before quickly turning back to the road. A bittersweet feeling in her chest. On one hand she was thrilled to be out exploring the world with her sister. She loved that she was with her for her first time out. That she would be here for each first for her sister and the world.

On the other hand, Viva was a teenager when they were separated. Her sister was much older than her, though she didn’t act like it. Her sister had years on her and yet Poppy was the one with more worldly experience. Poppy would have to be the one to teach her everything about the world. To show her it’s not as scary and dangerous as it used to be.

Even though at the moment it kind of is, but they were on their way to fix that part.

While Poppy, Viva, and Tiny took in the sights up front, the bros stood in the back. They stood around Branch's clue board, trying to think of any clues. Secretly Branch was pleased that they were using the thing he made. It made him happy for reasons he wasn’t ready to acknowledge yet, but he still let himself feel. So he stood with them in thought.

“I know we didn’t really talk to each other for twenty years, but can anyone think of anything Floyd may have said before we split up?” John asked his brothers. There was no hint for them on the clue board, but it still provided a point of focus for them.

“I can’t think of anything.” Clay shook his head, racking his brain for anything his immediate younger brother may have said or done.

“Yea, me neither man.” Bruce let out a sigh and leaned against the wall. He shook his head, disappointed mostly in himself. “We were all pretty focused on ourselves and the band at the time. It was like we never had any time for each other at the time.”

“Yeah.” John agreed, regret hinting in his voice.

Branch spared his older brothers a glance, a flash of sympathy in his eyes. He turned to the board, looking through the pictures and magazine clippings again. He let his gaze wander over the clues he had been staring at all day. He noticed that one of the clipings with a picture of Floyd was partly covered underneath another one. He lifted the top to read the writings next to it.

‘The youngest member of Brozone shares with his fans a song written by him. Though not widely popular, it seemed to strike a cord with some of the fans his age.’

A ringing hint of a memory echoes in Branch's head. Like he knew something, but needed a hint to remember. “Hey, what was this about?” He asked his brothers, pointing to the cliping in question.

The three older brothers stopped their thinking to look at what Branch was referring too. Equal looks of fondness and remembrance spread across their face. Though John had traces of remorse and guilt.

“Oh, I remember that.” Bruce chuckled as he took the cliping off the board. He held it in his hand fondly. “It was before you joined the band. I think you were about two? Well, Floyd had been writing songs for years, but he kept them to himself.”