Trolls Fanfiction: Iris

Chapter 17

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀< ❈Branch's POV❈ >

Branch groaned as he was roused from his slumber. The coldness of the metal cage floor seeped into his blue skin, chilling him to the bone. The only warmth surrounding him was Poppy. She was snuggled up against him, her face buried into his chest and her breathing coming in slow movements of her flanks.

Branch groaned slightly as he moved his injured, pained, but healing broken leg out of the way and shakily lifted himself up to his feet.

The King glanced over to where Iris was standing, but to his surprise, she was gone. He frowned and looked down at Poppy who began to stir, yawning and stretching and blinking her weary magenta eyes up at him.

"Branch?" she grumbled in a rather hoarse octave.

Branch bent down, grabbing the Queen's delicate pink hand in his blue one and carefully lifting her to her feet. "Yes, Poppy, what is it?" he asked gently, pulling her against him and breathing in the sweet, sugary aroma of her soft rosy hair.

"Is this actually happening? You know, the situation with Iris? Or am I dreaming?" The shimmering droplets of tears welled up in the pink female's eyes as she stared at her husband, despair and hopelessness filling her tired visage. "Please...let this be a dream."

The bright blue Troll hugged Poppy close to him, rocking her back and forth and ignoring the small stings that coursed through his injured leg. All that mattered right now was comforting Poppy. But he wasn't so sure he could do that just now. He was feeling her exact pain, hoping everything they'd gone through had all been some terrible, surreal nightmare that they'd all wake up confused from. But that was not the case. No, not at all. This was legit whether they wanted it to be or not.

He pulled back abruptly, staring down at his wife with an affectionate gaze and cupping her face in his strong blue hands. "Poppy, I wish it was," he told her honestly. "But it's...it's not. It's all happening..." His voice trailed off in an emotional crack, burning tears filling his bright optics and spilling down his cheeks. He held Poppy closer to him as she too began to weep, her face finding a comforting home in the safeness of his warm, muscular chest. Her wet, salty tears stained soaked his leafy vest as her breathing and whimpers became stronger and louder, distress filling each noise that escaped her parted lips.

"Blossom? Where is she? She's gone!"

Branch and Poppy both froze, Poppy still sniffling wildly and a few more droplets slipping from her tear ducts as she turned her head towards the source of the voice.

Branch saw DJ Suki looking around frantically, Guy Diamond and Titian just behind her. The red-skinned musician's eyes were full of nothing but pure dread and panic.

The rest of the Snack Pack was awakening, staring at Suki with an alarmed gaze.

Biggie and Cooper exchanged glances before searching around the cage. Since they were the tallest Trolls, they could see over everything better and perhaps spot out the pink and white-haired Troll better. But not even they were successful in the search.

"Looking for me?"

Every Troll in the cage turned as a painfully familiar voice spoke just right outside their imprisonment, her bright blue eyes dark and somewhat triumphant.

What on earth?? Branch thought, his heart speeding up in his chest. He pulled Poppy against him once again but she was watching the pink-skinned Troll just outside the cage with a shocked look on her expression.

"Blossom, what are you doing out there?" Guy Diamond called.

"Did Creek hurt you?" Titian came to stand next to Guy Diamond, staring at his little sister with concern. "Is that why you're out there?"

"Yeah, and where's Iris?" Poppy shouted, her voice heavily rung with anger.

Branch brushed his hand through her silky pink hair in attempt to calm her. She pressed her head against his chest once again, sighing in agitation.

"Iris is fine and no, Creek has not harmed me in any way at all," Blossom replied. "In fact, Creek has been nothing but kind to me. He let me join him, just what I wanted. This is all that I've ever wanted, actually! You're all just...criminals. And criminals deserve to be locked up." The sparkly-cheeked Troll scoffed and turned away, her arms crossed.

Guy Diamond, DJ Suki, and Titian all exchanged shocked, mournful gazes.

"Oh, not again!" Satin and Chenille both said in unison, Satin face-palming and Chenille glancing down at her feet.

"Who else wants to betray us?" Smidge growled, crackling her strong knuckles. The little yellow Troll appeared threatening and scary like she usually did in these situations, but her bright blue eyes were also heavily laced in sorrow. She was sharing everyone else's anger and grief from what had happened.

Poppy moved her face closer to Branch's, the warmth of her breath softly tickling his sensitive pointy ear. "Branch, Iris didn't betray us because she wanted to," the Queen murmured quietly. "Creek did something. That's not our little girl. She wouldn't do that. He...he hurt her. He messed her up."

She broke away from his protective grasp and gazed over at Blossom who still had her back turned to the whole Snack Pack. "He messed with her brain. He jacked up her personality. Medicine? Experiments? What could he have used?"

Branch noticed Poppy's voice was trailing off until she was just mumbling things under her breath. But the King saw reasoning and sense in her words. It was true that Iris was no traitor and she would never do anything like this. Creek had to have done something.

Iris was usually so sweet, shy, introverted, and such a crazy, adventurous, fun-loving tomboy who loved her family and friends. She liked reading and watching nature just as Branch did, and she enjoyed having conversations and getting crafty just like Poppy. She was both of her parents' combined into one, make her, well, her. There was no way, and Branch was sure of it, that the real Iris would ever do such a cruel things as this. She was the Princess of Troll Tree, after all. A Princess, or any Royal Troll really, did not harm her people. That was not how it had ever been and now how it was ever about to be.

Whatever you did to my baby, Creek, you'll regret it. I'm gonna show you just how painful that flank wound was you gave me all those years ago. I'm gonna show you how much fear you put me through when you tried to kill Poppy. My daughter is not your little toy. She's young and innocent, sixteen years old and still needs to learn so much more about life. Branch sighed, closing his eyes and clenching his jaw. Somehow, he would fine a way to put an end to these tragedies.

Every Troll in Troll Tree would respect their King and Queen once again and the Princess would be healed. Yes, that was a good plan. It sound so easy. Oh, so easy. But Branch knew it would probably be the hardest thing he'd ever done in his life...

Aww that's all for now, kids >~<

Thanks for reading and don't forget to vote!