Chapter Twenty-One

Running wildly with flailing blue arms, Cloud Guy made a bee line through the Fall Festival shrieking at the top of his lungs. The surrounding trolls stopped what they were doing, staring at the mad cloud while he bolted around the clumpy crowds at a breakneck pace, unapologetically smashing and bumping into anyone that was in his path. The trolls jumped out of his way and looked at one another, utterly confused on what all the fuss was about.

"POPPY! Where's Poppy!?" Cloud Guy snatched the nearest troll and shook him roughly, trying to spill the answer from his very being.

The bright orange troll blubbered and looked around himself, then quickly pointed over at the funnel cake cart, "Over there!"

Cloud Guy unceremoniously tossed the troll aside and jogged over to the princess. She was stuffing her face with the glazed pastries, looking somewhat distraught. Her wounds on her feelings were still fresh after the bout with Branch. When she glanced up at Cloud Guy, her mood lit up exponentially and the princess swallowed the rest of the cake down, waving him over.

"Hey!" she exclaimed. "Just the cloud I've been wanting to see. How goes the mission?"

Guy panted and put his skinny hands on his knees, then held up one finger to pause, catching his breath. "I need to work out more," he wheezed. After a moment, he resumed his frantic deposition and pulled on the fluffy bits that would be his cheeks. "I have good news, and bad news," he started. "What do ya want first?"

"Let's go with the good news?" Poppy asked, watching him with more concern now.

"Creek and Branch. In the forest. Together." His eyes bulged, portraying all the seriousness he could muster.

"Yeah?!" Poppy urged him on. She was scared and hopeful, knowing that Branch had escaped her as an unstoppable tornado of fury and she honestly feared for Creek's safety, but if Guy had good news, the two of them could have made up on their own.

"Well, honestly. You know that bit where I was supposed to keep watch over our lover boys then report back to you with all the dirty details on their progress?"

"What do you have to report?! Tell me!" Poppy cried out. "I can't take the suspense."

The cloud's demeanor changed rapidly, his face going from frantic to blushing. His entire body shaded a soft hue of pink and he inched closer to the princess, holding his hand up to shield his mouth. "There are some dirty details," Cloud Guy whispered to her secretly, his lips puckering. She tilted her head in confusion and he cleared his throat. With an idle whistle, Cloud Guy made an erotic gesture with his fingers to signify such dirty details, making Poppy blush harder than she ever had in her entire life. She slapped his hands down, being sure no other innocent troll saw what she just did.

"Are you flippin' serious?! You saw this?"

"If seeing it through closed eyelids is a thing. I have some decency to give Branchy-poo a little privacy for his first romp in the leaves. I would've picked a better location, honestly. I can't imagine how uncomfortable that was. It was drab and dark, literally in the middle of nowhere and –"

Poppy quickly fanned the heat from her face with both hands while Cloud Guy rambled on about the bits and pieces of what he saw. She bounced in place, a grin splitting from ear to ear. "I can't believe it, this is incredible," she said, "and here I thought that everything was going to fall through after I made Branch so angry! I can't wait to ask Creek about what he did to change everything around."

Cloud Guy was bouncing happily with her, and then stopped abruptly at the mention of Creek's name. "Oh."

The pink troll stopped as well and quirked her brow. "Oh? Is there something else?"

"The bad news," he affirmed, crossing his arms. "Creek's been trollnapped by a couple of nasty looking Bergens. Branch should be on their trail by now but I don't know what one gloomy guy can do against those kinda odds. He's not exactly the heroic type."

Poppy's jaw dropped and she stared at the puff of cumulus, all of her excited feelings vanishing in an instant. "You should have started with that!"

- - - -

Trudging through the woods at a slow walk, Chef and Kevin made their way back towards the edging of the enclosure, away from troll village, for the next part of their plan. With her new prize in hand, it was only a matter of time before Chef could taste the sweet riches that would come with her kingship over the Bergen race. They had one troll, but they needed one more to make them reproduce. Instead of finding and ransacking the trolls' party this night, Chef was opting to return to their hideout and await another day to steal their second troll. Staying incognito was the only bet to her success. Although, another problem began to rise while the two Bergens traveled together, specifically coming from her quiet, musing counterpart.

Kevin said few words but it was obvious the cogs in his mind were ticking and reeling with something of his own. Creek's entire body was beginning to feel numb from being crushed in his grip. He squirmed uselessly, utterly defeated, and his head hung low and bobbed like a lifeless doll to the tempo of the Bergen's pace. The troll racked his brain for a solution, literally anything that might help him get free, but he couldn't think of a bloody thing. Every so often, the Bergens bantered back and forth in hushed voices and Creek's ears perked to eavesdrop. From the bits of conversation he could safely assume they weren't going to eat him, at least not immediately. Unfortunately, there are worse things in the world than sudden death and Creek was drenched in a cold sweat, uncertain of the Bergens' true intentions.

Kevin kept looking down at his captive, glancing at him then darting his eyes around the area before settling on Chef's back while following her through the dark forest. He seemed to be nervous as well but for an entirely different reason than just being caught red-handed.

"Are you sure this is the right way back?" Chef questioned irritably, smacking a loose draping of vegetation and hung in the way of her face.

"Just keep going," Kevin replied tensely, his yellow eyes dilating icily while he stared into the Bergen's dingy white uniform.

Chef whipped around and jabbed a finger at him, "Don't get smart with me," she said with her teeth bared, "You're due to remember who controls this operation."

"Oh, I know exactly who's in control."

A shiver pelt through Creek's spine and he ducked his face down instinctively, ears flattening in defense to the surging aura that emanated off the male Bergen. He glanced up carefully between the two giants, judging the darkening appearance of Kevin's features. They matched perfectly with his cruel energy and Creek swallowed nervously. The scales tipped in Kevin's favor, making Creek more afraid of him than of Chef.

It seemed ages since Branch and Creek were separated and the troll quietly cried to himself for the dozenth time, wondering if Branch was doing alright despite his own circumstances. He could feel the faint connection between them. The other end of the invisible line was sporadic, emotions flickering like a dying flame. Branch must be losing his mind and Creek wanted nothing more than to be free of these monsters and go back to the grey troll. Creek's fear for his own safety was overbearing but not so much that he didn't want to save Branch from the taunting demons that were, without a doubt, sinking their claws into straight into his heart. He could only imagine what kind of turmoil Branch was experiencing right now, considering his past.

Chef looked back at her prized troll, then stopped walking to turn and give him a good once over. Creek sniffled his tears away and turned his cheek to the other side, closing his weary eyes and tightening his lip. He couldn't stand being gawked at by the likes of her.

"He looks pale," she commented, and Kevin raised a questioning brow. "Don't squeeze the troll so hard, you'll kill it before we get back to Bergen Town."

The male Bergen scoffed and rattled the troll in his fist, making Creek dizzy and nauseous in the process. "Are you joking; do you want him to have a chance at getting away? We might as well be dead if he managed to alert Gristle of our attempt. He's probably just wishing we eat him now rather than later."

Newfound rage blared from Chef and she held out her hand, "Give it to me. I'm taking the troll the rest of the way."

Kevin stared at the outstretched palm, eyeing her overgrown claws and the warts that littered her knuckles. After a contemplative moment, his features slackened and Kevin looked up at her coolly. "I think not," he replied. The Bergen had been walking a thin line between obedience and selfishness, but now he'd finally made a decision.

Chef blinked, completely taken aback by his refusal. "Excuse me, what did you say?" she growled, stepping closer with deathly glare. "You'll give me my troll. NOW."

"I do apologize," Kevin said, reaching into the side of his coat with his free hand, "but the troll is mine."

Chef roared angrily and moved forward to both snatch Creek and clobber Kevin upside the head, but the male Bergen withdrew a long-nosed baretta pistol and pointed it between Chef's eyes. She froze in her tracks and gawked cross-eyed at the silver gun.

"W-Wha – Wait!" she exclaimed, holding up her hands and backing up from the tip of the muzzle. "I'm sorry," she said quickly with a nervous laugh. "Don't be so hasty, Kyle, I was just kidding!"

Kevin looked bored, his face devoid of emotions. His arm outstretched towards the female Bergen, he clocked the hammer with a harsh click that seemed to echo through the night. "I really did like you," he explained, "if only a little bit. But honestly, Chef, your stupidity outweighs your charm. I can't have that holding me down."

"Is your cut on our kingdom not enough," she tried to reason with him. Her eyes bulged with fear, the Bergen shivering and cowering beneath the weapon. "I'll give you anything you want! Anything! I swear it! How can you betray me like this?"

A maniacal grin split across his face and he chuckled, "You look beautiful when you're begging," he commented. "But really, Chef, I betrayed my own king after an entire life's service. What ever made you think you were a cut above that?"

The sound of the gunshot was deafening, rushing like a violent breeze through the forest. A flock of birds scattered out of the canopy above them, spooked by the sound. Gun in one hand and Creek in the other, Kevin left her there, continuing his path out of the thicket of trees with zero qualms. He reached the open expanse of fields, grass brightened by the night's moon. Towards the Cliffs of Laurel, he'd follow the path back to his self-made sanctuary that was stationed on the East side of the plateau. Kevin had already abandoned his post so there was no point in going back to Bergen Town, that's why he'd previously prepared a hideaway that no one but him knew about.

Kevin just made it on the dirt path winding through the fields when he heard a rumbling, pattering sound coming from behind him. He turned and looked over his shoulder, spotting a tiny wave of bright colors headed fast in his direction. Their dozens of feet smashed through the grassland, disrupting the quiet fortitude of the darkness.

"I've been found out," he sighed. "That's sooner than expected."

Poppy had gathered her friends and other brave trolls from their festival. As soon as word got out that Creek was in trouble, many rushed to the pink princess and insisted that they go after the Bergen. Their determination was a breath of fresh air. Normally the trolls were meek and mindful on keeping themselves out of trouble, but not right now. Each one of them knew of Creek and loved him unconditionally, giving them all the more reason to jump into action. The group chanted King Peppy's historic vow, 'No troll left behind!'.

Each second was critical, so Poppy didn't have time to alert Bridget or Gristle and get the Bergen's help to deal with such a large threat. She brainstormed how they were going to deal with a giant who had nothing to lose, but each option seemed worse than the last. Despite the odds, she had to try. Using Cloud Guy's navigation in the sky, the trolls caught up to Kevin's location, tenacious to stop his track and retrieve Creek before more harm could come to the purple troll.

Branch had emerged into the fields as well, having followed the Bergen's footprints laid in the ground with his own agenda to complete. The sight of Chef's body had unnerved him, but he was fast to ignore it. One Bergen down, one to go, he told himself.

Kevin's jaw tightened and he backed up from group closing in on his position. There were too many creatures for him to handle and it wouldn't be smart to try and take them all at once. He could be overrun by just their numbers, so the Bergen turned and rushed to the brink of the cliff behind him. He jumped over the wooden safety fence that surrounded the entire area and stopped a few feet from the edge. Kevin breathed heavily and searched around himself, looking for a safe way down. It would be faster this route than using a wide-opened path. There had to be a way to slip out of sight. He needed to hide, lose their trail, and get back to his base.

The side rock was steep with very few platforms. There was nothing that could even pass off as a pathway throughout the entire seven hundred drop. Kevin grunted in irritation, turning around to face the horde of tiny colorful creatures that had backed him up with no escape. The wave of colors surrounded him and encroached on his space. Kevin took a careful step backwards, the heel of his boot touching the border between land and sky.

Poppy was at the front of the crowds, her pink hair bristled and ready. She chewed her lip slightly and looked to Creek, who was still clamped tight in the Bergen's fist. He was slouched in pain, trying to breathe steadily while his meager room was stolen by the nervous squeezing from Kevin's hand.

"This is the end of the line. Let him go!" Poppy yelled, her brows furrowed. "You're outnumbered with nowhere to run."

"Outnumbered?" Kevin barked a short laugh that startled many of the trolls, including the princess. "You're just trolls; You're nothing. I'll capture all of you if that's your wish."

"Then why are you running?" Poppy countered, seeing through the nervous bluff.

Kevin held his ground and glared at her, then ejected the empty magazine from his pistol and tossed the parts to the side like a broken toy. He'd only managed to steal one bullet from the castle armory, but he didn't regret using it on Chef. He only wished there was a better way to deal with unexpected defiance from the troll village, trying to act brave just for the sake of one.

Behind the mass of murmuring trolls, Branch shoved his way past individuals in an attempt to get closer. Half the village was here! He didn't know how Poppy had found out about their situation but he was grateful that she acted fast. Then, Branch's eyes locked on Creek's form. His chest felt tight and his legs were wobbly like fresh jello, but he had to reach him. He needed to save Creek. He couldn't handle seeing him wrapped up in the Bergen's fingers, the digits squeezing the very life out of his small body. He was so utterly afraid for Creek that he couldn't think of anything else. He'd already lost his mother, father, and his grandmother, to the monsters' clutches. He wasn't about to let them take Creek, too!

Moving around a familiar silver troll, suddenly his shoulder was grabbed and Branch cried out and whipped around to instinctively punch the troll in the face, but his fist smacked the palm of Guy Diamond's hand. The glitter troll's reflex was fast, his concerning frown rattling Branch back into his present mind.

"Branch," he said in a hushed voice. "Get a hold of yourself. You can't run out there yet."

"C-Creek," he stuttered slightly, then growled in frustration over the trip in his tongue. "Creek needs me! Don't get in my fucking way!" Sparks of anger scattered over his emotions and he broke away from the glitter troll.

Guy Diamond quickly latched onto Branch's upper arm to keep him still, "Creek will get even more hurt if we rush in without a plan! Poppy will handle this, trust in the princess," he whispered frantically. "We don't know what this Bergen is like. He's dangerous."

As much as he knew Guy Diamond was right, he didn't want to listen. Branch looked back to his helpless mate, ripped between logic and instinct. Creek's eyes were squinted shut and his head lolled, a flash of pain striking across his face. Branch sucked in a sharp breath and ripped out of Guy's clutch, ignoring the glitter troll's protests, and he dashed through to the front of the pack. He ended up at Poppy's side and she side glanced at him in alarm but said nothing. Kevin's yellow gaze moved to the grey troll and his eyes dug into him like sharp hooks. Branch felt frozen then, his fear of Bergens getting the better of his motions for a second time that night. Those yellow eyes clawed straight into his resolve and tore it to tiny pieces. The Bergen smirked at him, almost mockingly, like he knew. The glimmering of his sharp teeth threw sheets of ice into Branch's blood.

"It seems Chef was wrong, they did listen to you," Kevin said lightly. "I knew that I shouldn't have let you get away, another mistake on my part."

Branch grit his teeth and ground them together, clenching his sweaty palms. This guy wasn't even phased. The way he held his posture, the words that he spoke; it's like he was taunting them. The Bergen was daring them to do something. It was Branch's own fault that Creek was in this mess because he couldn't overcome his shackles. They could have easily gotten away if Branch hadn't been a useless sack. It was killing him inside and he wanted to take on the Bergen's challenge.

Poppy placed her hand on Branch's shoulder and it made him flinch, but his lungs opened so he could breathe again.

"There's no reason for you to want to eat a troll," Poppy said to Kevin, her stance strong and resolute. "There is happiness inside everyone… Eating Creek won't help you attain true happiness. We've already proven it, just look at Bergen Town! We made a peace and friendship treaty with all Bergens, including you." The pink troll clasped her hands together hopefully, "Please let him go," she pleaded. "There has to be something else we can do for you. It doesn't have to be like this."

"There are bigger and better things out there," Kevin explained. "I'm not the only Bergen that craves the taste of a sweet troll. I am not the first, and I won't be the last. This one little troll..." Kevin gestured to Creek with a gentle smile that sent an unnerving chill through the crowd, "will guarantee a high ranking status that only breeding trolls can achieve. I seek more... If you come with me, I guarantee your safety, so long as you produce results."

The group of trolls gasped in unison and covered their mouths. Poppy looked unbelievably stricken at the offer.

"Breeding?!" Branch yelled suddenly.

"No, stop!" Poppy tried to grab Branch's hand but he was already out of her reach, stalking towards the enemy with his anger flaming violently in his eyes.

"I'll be damned if I let you get away with that bullshit!" The grey troll drove forward, extending his hair up and grappling around Kevin's wrist.

He was going to fight, even if it killed him. All his life he'd been preparing to save his own skin from a Bergen attack, mentally steeling himself to be alone for the ten or eleven years that his bunker would keep him safe. Over a decade of his life was spent dedicated and paranoid, and now he was throwing it all away if it meant Creek could be free of this demented monster.

Branch launched himself up onto the Bergen's arm and ran up his shoulder. Kevin looked repulsed and went to slap his palm on the pest, but the troll managed to dodge quickly enough. Using his black hair like a smart whip, he slashed across the giant's vision.

"Argh! You shitty nuisance!" Kevin growled and hunched over, rubbing his free hand over his injured right eye.

Using the temporary blindness, Branch lept to the Bergen's fist that was clutching his mate. Creek teared up at the sight of his rescue and began the struggle again, using everything he could to try and worm his way free.

"I've got you, Creek!" Branch yelled, digging his hands around Kevin's index finger and pulling hard with a grunt. The purple troll managed to get one arm free and used it to help push, gasping and twisting as much as he could.

On the ground below, Poppy was just about to join in on the fray. It was too dangerous to let the rest of the village try and help, but many of the trolls were clenching their teeth, taking steps forward with their hands raising. Branch was acting in reckless abandon but what else could they do? Then, she saw Kevin's left eye snap open in rage.

"Branch, watch out!" she screamed.

The Bergen's clawed hand came fast and sharp, smacking the grey troll off his arm. Branch was hurled to the ground and was about to hit the grass, but he recovered and wrapped his hair around Kevin's other wrist as an anchor, swinging himself back up.

"You're dead," Kevin said furiously, trying to shake him off. "I'm going to kill you like an annoying roach!"

In the flurry of movements, Branch attempted to lash his other eye but Kevin managed to move his head backwards out of reach. With that, though, he lost his footing and the back of his boot slipped. His eyes went wide and the Bergen struck his arms out, trying to regain balance but it wasn't enough. Kevin wobbled at the edge and silently dropped over it.

"HELP THEM!" Poppy yelled, and the horde of trolls rushed to the cliff, jumping one by one in a line into the canyon. They grabbed each other by their feet and their hair, creating a troll-made rope with Smidge and Biggie using their superior strength to anchor the line at the top with the help of a nearby boulder. The troll princess was at the end, reaching out quickly and wrapping her hair around Branch's legs. Kevin was dangling helplessly just a few feet down, one arm tangled in a side-growing plant and his fist pressed into the rock wall. He scuffled his boots into the side, searching for a foothold.

Branch stretched his hair down as far as he could and captured Creek's teal strands. A surge of energy flowed between the two trolls and Branch panted in relief at the feeling. He pulled up hard to try and dislodge the purple troll from Kevin's fist.

"Branch," Creek cried out to him, looking down to the restless waves of the lake hundreds of meters below them.

"Don't look down!" Poppy yelled from behind them. "We'll get you out!"

"LET HIM GO!" Branch growled at Kevin, pulling harder. He wrapped his fist in his black hair for more leverage and power.

"I'd rather die," Kevin hissed stubbornly, his muscles straining from trying to keep himself from falling down the canyon. Suddenly, a root pulled itself from the dirt and everyone screamed when the entire troll line jerked downward from the force.

Creek stared up at the dark troll trying so hard to yank him free. His hair follicles burned painfully, threatening to tear away themselves. Rubble cascaded from the cliff side, the Bergen's anchor slowly but surely ripping lose of the dirt. Time seemed to stand still as he watched the rocks tumble and the roots pull, fragments loosening and releasing one by one.

"Branch, let go," Creek said hurriedly, his stomach twisting upon itself.

"No." He responded fast, refusing such stupid request. "We're going home," Branch said tightly. "I'm taking you home!"

"Let go!" Creek repeated and squinted his eyes shut momentarily when the plant jerked again, more dirt showering around him.

"Shut up, SHUT UP! SHUT UP!" Branch was hysterical, clenched teeth bared while the veins in his forearms bulged out from the effort. He twisted his fists a second and third time through his black hair, refusing to give in to the incredible weight. Poppy and the trolls behind her had the same look, everyone desperate and clinging to each other's feet with all their strength, but it wasn't going to be enough.

"Branch," he said softly then, a bittersweet smile touching his lips. Creek's gaze was full of longing, regret, and Branch couldn't look away while the moonlight reflected beautifully from the depths of his eyes. "I love you," he called up to him.

Heavy tears sprouted from Branch's eyes, a couple of droplets making their way down. They splashed lightly on his pale cheeks. He couldn't respond, a knowing dread burying the words he so desperately wanted to return.

Reaching into his outstretched hair with his only free arm, Creek quickly pulled a bejeweled dagger from its depths, the same one that Branch had given him in case he ever needed protection from a Bergen. He'd use it, but to protect Branch instead. In one fluid movement, he shucked the casing and slashed a cut across his own teal strands, severing the bond and practically catapulting the string of trolls holding Branch's feet upwards like a slingshot, all the way back to the cliff top. Just as that happened, the weakened plant pulled completely by the Bergen's weight, both Kevin and Creek plummeting to the bottom of the canyon and into the mass of water below.

"CREEK!" Branch screamed and rushed back to the edge of the plateau on his knees, almost diving over it again if not for King Peppy grabbing him around the middle. The dark troll struggled against Peppy, searching over the crashing waves in a frenzy. There was nothing that could be seen in the black water. It was almost like nothing had happened.

Poppy helped her father pull Branch away from the cliff, the grey troll becoming wild and unruly while he tried to fight them off. "I have to – Don't, please – He's right there!" Branch sobbed, trying to reach back to where Creek fell. The troll king grasped his hand tightly and pulled it back it, his face darkened and quiet.

"Get him back to his bunker," Poppy commanded quickly, her own tears filling her eyes. "He can't help like this. We'll set up parties and search the lakeside."