Trolls Fanfiction: Iris

Chapter 24

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀< ❈Pine's POV❈ >

Pine watched the other Trolls around her, smirking slightly at their enthusiasm at finally being released from their imprisonment. "Don't make too much noise," she warned. "Creek might hear. And then you're screwed."

They all faced her, nodding agreement.

"Now let's go," the gray female told them. "But we have to keep quiet and be careful. Please, no dumb singing and hug time! Now is not the time!" She snorted irritably and turned towards the exit door, stalking towards it.

"She acts just like you once did," Poppy snickered to Branch.

Branch laughed softly in response, and Pine swallowed back the rage welling up inside her like fire. Whatever. I'm sure they'd shut up if they saw what I went through... She flung the thoughts aside. She wasn't about to let herself be drug down into that dark hole again. Instead, she opened the door, slowly stepping out into the night. Crickets chirped, the breeze was soft, and stars sparkled brightly overhead in the dark sky overhead. It all just seemed like a normal, peaceful night.

"We don't really have a plan for what we're going to do," Branch muttered, coming to Pine's side. She noticed he was limping just slightly, but didn't question it right away. That's weird, she thought. I'll ask him about it later...

"I didn't say we're going to Creek right now, genius," Pine chuckled. Branch was the only Troll she felt comfortable letting some of her old personality reveal itself to. He had seen plenty of it when they were kids...when she'd had her original colors. Now she was grayer that a storm cloud, looking depressed and angry all the time. "We do need a plan."

"Will it all work in the end?" DJ Suki suddenly rushed over, her eyes sparkling with worry. "I don't want to lose Blossom. I need to apologize to her..."

Pine couldn't help but pity the musician, which was rare for her. She usually held no sympathy for another Troll but she could tell these guys had been through a lot in the past week. I must look like some superhero to them. Dang it, I hope they don't insist I take over as Queen now. Because I am not doing that for anything!

DJ's eyes became more expectant as she waited for an answer, her head lifted hopefully. Pine just shrugged. "I'm not gonna lie to you. I honestly can't say either until we've devised a plan so please, keep calm and wait." She turned and walked on, knowing a little place she could take the other Trolls. Before she'd found Creek's "not-so-secret" secret hideaway, she had discovered a strange underground tunnel that was probably an old abandoned place from when the Trolls had escaped Trollstice all those decades ago, when King Peppy had been in charge.

Pine was aware of Branch still walking at her side, his gaze fixed on his feet and looking a little confused. "Pine, can I talk to you when we get to...wherever you're taking us?" he asked in a low voice, clearly not wanting anyone else to hear.

The gray female shrugged. "I don't see why you couldn't," she answered. "Aren't you physically capable?" She snickered teasingly, seeing him roll his eyes.

"Last time I checked, yes," he told her, sighing and stepping back to walk beside Poppy instead of her.

She felt a small flash of disappointment. She hadn't seen Branch in sixteen years and to finally be reunited with him was a little refreshing. No, she was not in love with the King. She had already cleared up her thoughts of her sexual orientation and none of it went towards males. He was practically her best friend. Maybe not so much anymore, but at one time, it had been like that. We didn't interact as much after bringing happiness back to Bergen Town. He was too head-over-heels to remember that I still existed. She suppressed a longing sigh. She would just have to put up with it.