TIED UP || Broppy / Trolls Story

~ Chapter 16 ~

- BRANCH! Poppy screamed, not hesitating to grab her cloak and rush out to join him.

The storm wind hit her full force, knocking her against the side of the ship. Grumbling, she got up and, despite the strong wind, began to run towards the source of the barking and the rustling of insects:

- POPPY WAIT ! Trollex screamed behind her, Quick ! Go hide the egg and be prepare for battle ! Trollex said to the group.

- I'M COMING BRANCH ! I'M COMING !! She screamed in the rage of the storm.

Finally, she noticed it; the gray troll who was in position of attack, a rock behind him prevented him from running away, in front of the troll rocks which approached him. Anger invades the pink troll; this troll who had protected her, this troll who had not abandoned her and who slept by her side every night to keep her warm ... these two rock trolls scared him, these trolls were going to hurt him ... these trolls had already hurt him, and they would do it again ... Anger boiling, she screamed loudly;

- LEAVE HIM ALONE !

Then, with a clear message punch, she hit the face of one of the two trolls who let out a cry of pain. Reflexively, the other troll moved away; he didn't want to taste the queen of pop's rage. Branch let out a cry and snuggled up against Poppy who stroked his black hair back to reassure him; but that did not last long, because already five other trolls arrived in front of them, provided with electric guitars this time.

- GET HER ! Yelled a voice.

The Trolls obeyed; with a guitar riff, strings of lightning wrapped around her. The pink troll cried out; since when could they could this ? Frightened by the lightning, Branch whimpered, not daring to approach.

- BRANCH CATCH ! She screamed.

But still whimpering in fear, Branch didn't move, staring at the guitars the trolls were holding, what was going on with him right now ? ...

- Branch ?! ... Poppy whispered, confused

But the troll did not move, metting her gaze, ashamed ... Then footsteps approached in the snow, laughter rising in the wind; Poppy turned her gaze to the approaching familiar figure, ears down when she recognized the face of the Queen of Rock Trolls herself.

- He won't help you, Barb laughed, we train him well, right Armado? She asked him, pointing the guitar she was holding towards him.

In response Branch squealed in fear ... or was it in shame? ...

- Sit, Barb ordered the puppy troll.

And in front of the horrified gaze of the queen of pop trolls, Branch obeyed.

No ... No it was impossible, it was impossible ! She couldn't believe it ... Branch was ... Branch ...

Then their meeting in the forest came back to them; the necklace, his costume ... Then the destroyed camp...

And she understood.

- No ... No I don't believe it ! Branch attack, please !

But the trolls around her all laughed, and Barb smiled at her;

- So you didn't understand? She laughed, it was all a trap, and you fell in very easily !

Poppy still didn't seem to understand... Then, pointing to the wild troll, QueenBarb spoke those words;

- Armado is a hunter, and his job was to capture you.

The whole world had just collapsed on the pink troll, Branch ... Branch was a hunter, he ...

He had never loved her, all of this was a trap.

Frozen tears began to stream down her cheeks, gritting her teeth as she stared at her old friend, who was still sitting, shaking in fear. But Poppy no longer saw it; all she saw now was the hunter, one of Queen Barb's terrible and heartless hunters.

- You ... you did this ... Poppy managed to pronounce, her voice cracking among her sobs.

Branch turned his frightening gaze to her, confused; but Poppy no longer listened to him;

- THIS IS YOUR FAULT! She screamed in rage as two rock trolls grabbed her shoulders and dragged her to the ship.

Branch tried to follow her, but the sight of other rock trolls holding guitars made him whimper in fear again, Poppy was crying, screaming her rage;

- YOU'RE A BAD BOY ! A VERY BAD BOY !

Immediately, Branch felt his heart break in thousand pieces, and he turned his gaze back to the queen, slowly walking back as something wet began to trickle down his cheeks;

- How could you? ... I WAS TRUSTING YOU WITH MY LIFE ! Her vision was blurred with tears and snowflakes ... so much that she did not see Branch's tears ...

Feeling the familiar warmth of the troll against her leg, she struggled, hitting his face as he squealed in pain; she felt horrible, but the anger was bigger; he had betrayed her, she had trusted him and from the start he had been manipulating her !

- NO GO AWAY! GO AWAY FROM ME ! She ordered him, I NEVER WANNA SEE YOU AGAIN !!!

Branch obeyed, his heart breaking and he vanished in the storm .... running, blinded by tears, he ends up rushing into Barb. He looked up at her, his heart panicking; the dull lilac troll smiled, and pointed at the mountains;

- Good job, she laughed, you are free ... thing promised and done.

Branch did not waste a second to run away in the snow, frightening. Riff came up behind the queen, telling her that he had captured the remains of the trolls ... seeing Branch go off into the snow, he asked;

- D-Do we capture h-him too ?

But a smile spreads across Barb's face;

- He won't survive long in the mountains, let's go back home.

Poppy was dragged into the ship, then locked in a cage ... seeing her friends being captured too, she closed her eyes; it was her fault, she had trusted Branch and he had led them into the trap ...

Worst of all ?

She loved Branch.

The pain of the truth was only bigger.