She held Branch's hand as she ran, not looking back where Viva once was, not looking for her father, not checking to see if Creek was following.
She had to get Branch out of here.
And if it was the last thing she ever did?
She would be perfectly fine with that.
As she was running, Branch got lighter and she became concerned, looking back and not able to see anything as she was also scooped up.
She looked up and saw Creek carrying both her and Branch.
She looked at Branch who was silently crying, his skin dark grey and his hair a pitch black.
And his eyes...
Even while grey they had been a beautiful blue, but now?
They're grey..
His little ears were even more droopy.
Her heart broke and she grabbed his hand.
He glanced at her and she tried not to cry at the look on his face.
Not only could she tell that he blamed himself, but she could see, guilt, terror, heart break, and sadness.
His face looked like it was trying to pick one feeling but couldn't, so it tried to fit them all as he cried.
Creek ran as fast as he could while carrying his younger siblings.
His heart is broken, Viva was gone.
He could never blame Branch though.
Branch is only four, this is the stupid bergens fault.
But never Branch's fault.
Creek looked down when he felt Poppy wiggle around, he looked ahead and saw the exit.
He ran faster, holding them both even tighter.
Once they made it out he set them down.
Poppy grabbed Branch and held him close.
Creek watched as his youngest sibling clung to Poppy.
Creek grabbed one of Poppy's hands as Branch clung to the other one.
The three of them were at the front of the group as a troll, Darius, walked up to the hole.
"I...I don't think King Peppy made it.." Darius said, turning to the younger children and kneeling down.
Creek began to cry and fell to his knees, pulling Poppy and Branch into a tight hug as the three of them cried.
First they lost Viva, and now their father?!
Darius watched them sadly as he knelt down to them, gently shushing them.
But then a voice came from the tunnel, and the tears of sadness turned into tears of relief.
"When I say, 'No troll left behind!' I mean, NO TROLL LEFT BEHIND!" He yelled.
Branch sobbed even harder and clung to Poppy even more.
Poppy was a bit shocked herself, had Viva escaped? Was she okay? Where is Viva?
Creek hugged the younger two even tighter.
Darius smiled at them and pat their heads as he walked away to go find his family.
Branch watched Darius walk away sadly.
King Peppy hurried over to his remaining children.
Creek stood up, holding Poppy's hand while she hugged Branch with her other arm.
"Daddy, where's Viva?" Poppy asked.
Branch looked up at him with wide, hopeful eyes.
King Peppy's heart broke and he knelt down.
"Viva...she's..Viva..." he thought for a moment before coming up with a lie, he didn't want Branch to feel guilty about this as well, "Viva said she needed to go around and that she, and the other trolls will be back in a few years..."
Branch seemed to relax a bit, and while King Peppy was ashamed he lied, he couldn't deny that this one felt like a good one.
Because now Branch was much more relaxed as he cuddled up to Poppy.
He could live with this lie.
