Gray Is Not All Colorless

A/N: I know that people want me to write more on some my other stories, particularly "Catch a Rising Star" and surprisingly "Song Defies Color." I'll get to them soon, but I want to give a little more on this story, because like I said, this is based off "Beauty and the Beast", which is my favorite fairy tale ever, but there are a few twists. It will kind of follow the movie as well, but there are some differences.

So, let's get on with Chapter 1 of this story! Roll it!

Chapter 1

Branch

It had been twenty years since the day the Trolls had escaped Bergen Town and finally became free. Everyone was getting excited for the giant party that was being held that night to celebrate. Well, everyone that is, except for one Troll.

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A couple of miles away from the colorful village was an underground bunker. A small hatch opened up from the ground, and out came a gray Troll with coal black hair and sky blue eyes; the only bright color he had left in him. He wore a dull green leafy vest and brown shorts with multiple patches on them. Despite his mostly monotonous colors, he was thought to be quite handsome, not that he even cared. It didn't matter to him. He was gray, and that's all the Trolls ever really see in him.

The Troll got out of the bunker holding a basket of food on his left arm, having homemade brownies and rolls in them, along with a dark red scrapbook tucked under his other arm. As he carefully stepped out into the warm sunlight, putting the scrapbook into his hair, he slowly took a deep breath and smelled the fresh morning air.

A little content smile appeared on his face, feeling much more at peace. He was going to enjoy this moment before he stepped into a chaotic world of loud singing, crazy dancing, too much hugging to notice the lack of personal space, and lots of glitter.

As he exhaled and began walking towards the silent village, he began counting in his head. Three....two....one.....

Just like that, the entire Troll Village exploded into song as they began their morning routine.

Morning!
Morning!
Morning!
Morning!
Morning!

Branch rolled his eyes as he began to walk through the village. It wasn't so much he hated the Trolls, nor did they hate him, but they had very different understandings of life. He never quite would get how they can be so happy when there is a chance that if they're not careful, the Bergens would easily find them. However, he learned to hold his tongue a long time ago, since they already think he's weird enough.

But there are some Trolls in the village who are pretty friendly to him. Even though Branch didn't want to really establish friendships because of what he did, he would try his best to be as courteous as he can to them. He could do that much at least. But he will admit, to him, every day is practically the same, and it was kind of getting a little boring.

"Morning, Branch!" A female Troll who was a bit older than him greeted him as she stepped out of the pink, white and yellow bakery pod.

She had pale orange skin with slight glitter freckles on her cheeks, bold ocean blue colored hair pulled up into a messy bun and purple eyes. She wore a pale blue dress with a white apron over it, and she was holding a tray of cupcakes that looked freshly decorated with cream cheese frosting and a red cherry on each one, her hands gloved with bright blue oven mitts.

Branch managed to give her a brief smile. At least she was one of the few Trolls that was courteous to him, so he in turn was courteous to her.

"Hey, Bluebell." He said.

"Off to see the King again?" She asked.

Branch nodded. "And the library." He said, reaching into his coal black hair and pulling out the dark red scrapbook.

There was one place in the entire village that Branch actually liked to visit, and it was the Troll Village Library. Not only was it the only place in the village that was quiet, but in there, he could learn more about the dangers that were out there and how to stop and/or avoid them by taking notes of what he learned and putting them into some of the spare journals that he had in his bunker for future reference. Though the only way to get inside wasn't exactly his favorite thing in the world. Other than that, with the notes, he learned how to build his bunker through experimentation, teaching himself.

"What were you reading this time?" Bluebell asked him.

"Do you really want to know?" Branch asked back. Sometimes, the things that he would read weren't particularly what other Trolls would be interested in.

Bluebell opened her mouth to answer him, but then there was a cheerful ding coming from inside the pod. "I guess maybe another time." She said with an apologetic smile.

"I got more pastries to bake for the party tonight. Later, Branch!" She then went back inside the bakery pod.

Branch just huffed, knowing that he called it, as he put the scrapbook away in his hair and continued on his way.

"Wait, Branch!" The gray Troll turned back and saw that Bluebell came back out of the bakery pod, her hands no longer clad in oven mitts, and holding two of the cupcakes that were likely from the tray she was carrying earlier.

She then carefully placed them in his own basket of treats. "Just a little something to brighten your day, and the King's." She said with a smile.

Branch wanted to smile at her, but he did his best to hide it. But Bluebell did see the corner of his lips slightly curl up in appreciation. She knew that he was different from the other Trolls, and that he was the village grump, but at least she was going to make an effort to be courteous to him. After all, he was technically the village's only warrior, so of course he would try his best to protect the other Trolls, even if he sometimes doesn't like them.

"Thanks." He said. "I guess."

Bluebell just shook her head at him with a little smile on her face, knowing that his indifferent and cold nature didn't fool her this time. Then she headed back in the bakery pod as Branch continued on his way.

All the while, he pretended not to hear what other Trolls were saying about him when they would see him walk by. Or rather in this case, singing. He was used to them talking behind his back, saying how weird and grumpy and paranoid he was; not singing, not dancing, and not having fun. He had better things to do with his time than to listen to them gossip.

Look, there he goes,
That guy is strange, no question.
Dazed and distracted, in a trance.

Never part of any crowd,
'Cause his head's stuck in a stormy cloud.
No denying, he's a funny guy, that Branch.

Morning! Good day!
How is your family?
Morning! Good day!
How is your wife?

I need some cakes!
That's too expensive.

Branch rolled his eyes as he thought about if there was ever more out there than this annoyingly happy but provincial life. Even if the parties are always different, in his mind, they're all the same as the routine continues day after day.

Soon, he had arrived at the Troll Village Library. He went over to the control panel that was on the side of the building and punched in the code. After waiting a couple of seconds, he took a medium-sized rock out of his hair, and then quickly stepped away to the side right as the ground that was beneath him suddenly opened up.

He dropped the rock down the hole before the ground closed up again. After about another minute, a mine cart appeared from the sky and landed in front of the library.

Branch smirked. "Not this time." He said as he climbed in the cart.

When he went to visit the library for the first time, that was the scariest moment of his life, riding some kind of a roller coaster underground before heading back above ground and landing back in front of the library, and he had to relive it a few more times before he finally came up with a countermeasure.

The doors to the library opened up, and the cart slowly rolled inside. Once it came to a full stop, Branch got out of the cart and admired the many bookshelves reaching all the way to the ceiling. At least there, it's nice and quiet, and hardly anyone is around to judge him.

"Branch!" Someone called out to him quietly.

He turned in the direction it came from and there was a female Troll about his age with pale yellow skin, fiery red hair tied up in a ponytail with a small braided fringe, and contrasting bright blue eyes. She wore a dark purple tank top with navy blue shorts and a gold medallion necklace around her neck. In her hands was a warm green scrapbook.

"Hey, Amber." Branch greeted her politely.

Amber was the village librarian, even though she doesn't look like it, so she would often see him when he came to visit. He was on a bit more friendlier terms with her, but he still kind of kept her at a distance.

"The only other bookworm in the village besides me." Amber teased with a smile, which made Branch roll his eyes at her with mock disdain.

He was nowhere near the bookworm that she herself was, since she practically lived in the library, and that would be the only place that he would see her. At least the biggest thing they have in common is that they preferred quiet places rather than the loud parties the village would hold almost every day.

"What can I do for you today?" She asked him, placing her scrapbook onto a nearby table.

"Here to return this." Branch answered, handing her the red scrapbook from his hair. "And to see if there's anything new."

"Sorry, Branch. Nothing new came in for the past few days." Amber said to him as she took a look at the cover of the book.

"'Strange Beasts and Where to Find Them?'" She asked. "Do you only read survival guides?"

Branch rolled his eyes. "I do read some other things." He retorted as he placed his basket of treats on a nearby table and then started to climb up a ladder.

"Really?" Amber asked as she put the scrapbook back on another shelf. "Like what?"

Branch pulled out a dark purple scrapbook. "Like this one." He said. The title of it was, "100 Construction Tips for the Self-Taught."

Amber just rolled her eyes playfully. "What about actual stories?" She asked as she took the scrapbook and went to check it out for him.

Branch just lightly scoffed at her in a similar playful manner. "Well, this is actually one of my favorites." He said, grabbing a deep blue scrapbook from the shelf and slid down the ladder.

Amber went over to him and looked at the cover. The title said, "The Trollabian Nights."

"Oh." She said, somewhat surprised by his choice. "That is actually one of the greatest collections of stories ever written."

"I know, right?" Branch asked as Amber took the scrapbook to check it out for him and he went to grab his basket of treats.

"Huh. What do you know? You really do have an imagination." Amber teased him with a smile as she handed him his new books.

"Very funny." Branch muttered.

Amber lightly laughed. "Just joking." She said. "I'll see you around, Branch."

Branch rolled his eyes and left the library, a hint of a smile on his face. He put the dark purple scrapbook in his hair and opened up the dark blue one as he began reading it while he still ignored the gossips and whispers of the other Trolls.

Look, there he goes,
That guy is so peculiar.
Do you think he'll give happiness
A chance?

With a stormy, far-off look,
And his nose, stuck in a book.
What a puzzle to the rest of us
Is Branch.

Branch stopped to rest under a mushroom that was outside of the village. He put his basket of treats down as he continued to read his book.

Reading did always clear up his mind whenever he wanted to not think about what kind of death-trap party the Trolls might have planned for the day, or what kind of supplies he'll need to stock up on. A good book will take him away from the world he lived in and he would wonder about what the heroes in stories would do when they are faced with their challenges. Well, they're most likely coping with them a lot better than he is with his own problems.

After about five minutes of true peace and quiet and upon getting to the third chapter, Branch got back up from his spot and continued on his way, still reading his scrapbook. As he once more started to ignore the Trolls talking behind his back, he didn't notice that not all of what they were saying when he's not paying attention to him wasn't exactly negative.

Now, it's no wonder
That he's such a mystery.
His looks actually make him
Quite a catch.

But behind that fair façade,
I'm afraid he's rather odd,
Very different from the rest of us.

He's nothing like the rest of us,
Yes, different from the rest of us is Branch.

Meanwhile, from one part of the village near the plaza, there was a group of Trolls who were looking at Branch as he walked by them.

There was a big, chubby dark blue Troll with pale blue hair named Biggie, who was holding a yellow glow worm in his arms, a silvery glitter Troll with white hair and no clothes named Guy Diamond, a red Troll with orange hair named DJ Suki, twin Trolls with conjoined pink and blue hair named Satin and Chenille, a giraffe-like Troll with pink fur and blue dreadlocks named Cooper, a little yellow Troll with teal hair named Smidge, a little Troll covered with light green hair named Fuzzbert, and finally, a purple Troll with teal hair named Creek.

"Hey. Is that Branch?" Smidge asked, pointing to the gray Troll in the distance.

"Yep, that's him." Guy Diamond said. "The guy sticks out like a sore thumb in the village."

"He doesn't like to do anything fun." Suki added. "All he does is collect supplies, read books, collect more supplies, and read some more."

"Though I'll admit, he is a bit easy on the eyes." Satin pointed out.

"But he does need a wardrobe change from time to time." Chenille added. "Who wants to wear something like that all the time?"

"And that party pooper doesn't like to sing at all." Cooper said. "Who doesn't like to sing?"

"Now, now." Creek said, trying to calm them down like the "good friend" he is. "One day, he might change his gray ways and join in on the fun. But until then, it's probably for the best that we give him some space."

"I suppose you do have a point." Biggie said. "Though on the other hand, I guess Branch has been a little helpful around town in his own way a few times. I mean, he did warn me once about those clapper bugs, and it was a good thing that I listened that time, or else I might've gone blind."

"Good point." Suki said.

"And he does give us some practicality advice when it comes to our clothes." Satin added. "Though sometimes, it was a bit rude."

"At least it prevented quite a few fashion disasters." Chenille said. "I can't believe what we were thinking of having that shade of brown for the entire outfit when it was much better having it as accents."

"And the dude actually does know some fancy footwork." Cooper added. "It may not be dancing, but have you seen him move when he's on high alert? I even picked up a few things and made them into sweet dance moves!"

The others, except Creek, all nodded in agreement as they began to sing.

Snack Pack: Right from the moment
When we met him, saw him,
We weren't sure if he's worth
The chance.

Here in town, it's only he
Who we can help everyone see
That there is so much more
To that Branch.

Now Creek was feeling a little peeved that his friends were at first criticizing Branch, and now it seemed like they were almost complimenting him. But he was above jealousy, and he wasn't going to let that bother him. As he stepped away from them to quickly push away all negative thoughts from his mind, an idea suddenly struck him.

If he could actually manage to befriend Branch, then he would be the talk of the town because of the impossible feat he did of becoming friends with the grumpiest Troll in the village. It would certainly be a big boost to his status, and since King Peppy still hasn't announced who will eventually take the throne when he passes or retires, that could really make Creek an even more preferable candidate for it.

Just then, he snapped out of his little daydream when he saw Branch heading into the plaza, his nose still buried in that scrapbook that he still hasn't looked up from.

Creek: Look, there he goes.
Definitely try to smile.
For I am Creek,
The best Zen ever!

Come on, it's not hard.
It's just the village grump
Who will help me show
That I deserve better!

Creek was about to walk over to him, when suddenly, the entire plaza came to life as Trolls went about the starts to their daily lives, dancing along to the rhythm of their song, while Branch managed to nimbly and smoothly dodge every Troll that was about to come his way or block his way without even looking up from his book, while Creek had gotten stuck in the crowd as he tried to catch up to the gray Troll.

Morning!
Pardon!
Hey sir, you call these biscuits?
What lovely grapes!

Some cakes!
Ten yards!
Excuse me!
I'll get the knife.
Please let me through!

This bread.
Those fruits!
It's stale!
They smell!

Madame's mistaken.
Well, maybe so!

Branch was trying his best to not join the other Trolls in song. As a Troll, he of course does feel the desire to sing. But singing brings back a lot of painful memories for him. When he could escape from suspicious eyes, when the urge to sing gets too strong, he would find a secluded area a couple of miles away from the village where he would sing until he felt the desire to sing no more.

At least he won't be accused of being a hypocrite and that there won't be anyone around to see or hear him almost break down in tears when those memories came back to haunt him. He didn't want the Trolls to accuse him or to feel sorry about him when it was something that he didn't want to share.

The pain was too much to bear, but Branch learned to deal with it, busying himself with everything and anything he can think of, secretly making sure that no one else will ever deal with the pain of a lost loved one by the hands of a monster ever again. That desire only grew after the Trolls had escaped, but sadly, not everyone made it out.

Right now, at least the desire to sing along with them wasn't that bad, so Branch managed to bite back his tongue as he continued to walk through the village while still reading his scrapbook. As he lost himself back in the world of "The Trollabian Nights", he wondered to himself, "Is there more out there than this provincial life?"

Creek: Just watch,
I'll soon free Branch from his strife!

Townsfolk: Look, there he goes,
The guy is strange, still no doubt.
Not looking for any sort of match.

It's a pity and a sin,
He doesn't quite fit in,
'Cause he really is a funny guy;

Good-looking, but a funny guy,
He really is a funny guy,
That Branch!

Right as the Trolls ended their musical number and went back to their daily lives, Creek finally managed to catch up to Branch. "Good morning, mate!" He greeted him cheerfully.

Branch lifted his eyes from his book to see Creek approaching him from behind. He rolled his eyes as he focused back on the page he was reading.

Here we go again. He thought with disdain.

True, Creek seems to go a lot out of his way to try and include Branch in some of the activities within the village, but there was just something about him that Branch didn't like at all, like there was something rotten hidden behind that mask of disgustingly perfect positivity. Though he was probably the only one who even cared to notice.

Creek panted a little bit to regain his breath before finding a good conversation opener. "Oh, nice book you have there." He said.

Branch stopped reading, looked over at the cover for a second, and then back up at Creek with a raised brow.

"Have you read it?" He asked him, trying to be polite while resisting the urge to throttle him with his hair.

"Well, not that one in particular." Creek admitted with a little shrug. "But you know, books. Marvellous things they are."

Branch narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "What do you want, Creek?" He asked him.

"Oh, just wondering if you're coming to the party tonight." Creek said with a wide smile while the rest of his group of friends slowly came over to see the interaction between them.

Branch glared at him, shutting his book firmly in his hands. "I've never attended one of the village's parties before." He said. "What makes you think I'll come to this one?"

"Well, it's to celebrate the twentieth anniversary of our liberation from the Bergens." Creek explained, like it was obvious, which it was actually supposed to be. "It's meant to be a joyous time for everyone, including you."

"Did you guys forget that not everyone made it out of Bergen Town alive?" Branch asked all of them accusingly. The other Trolls all fell silent as they remembered their little princess, who was only a toddler when she was lost in the escape, most likely gone forever.

"Because of that loss, the king hasn't exactly been the same ever since he lost his only child." Branch added with a harsh snipe in his voice.

Biggie took that as a cue to try and speak up. "Well, at least you're there for him, Branch." He said gently.

The gray Troll's expression softened slightly at the large, dark blue Troll's words as he contemplated what was said. "He seems to be much better when you're there to help him. You seem to be the only one that keeps him going."

Branch knew why, even though they didn't. He had made a promise to his grandmother that he would watch over him, since he was his godfather. He was grateful that Peppy had taken him under his protection and made sure that he was educated and healthy as he grew up. Branch never really found the urge to push him out of his life, even when he moved away from the village to build his bunker.

"Come on, mate." Creek continued to goad him, and Branch's face quickly hardened again. "For everyone else here."

"I wouldn't be caught dead at one of those parties." Branch said. "Every time, you guys make them bigger and bigger, and if you're not careful, you'll lead the Bergens right to us."

"Please, Branch." Creek said. "The Bergens haven't found us after twenty years. What makes you think they're still looking for us?"

"They are." Branch said, narrowing his eyes. "They're out there somewhere, and I don't know about you guys, but I don't want to get eaten. And since the king hasn't announced an official heir to take the throne, I hope that whoever he chooses will want to be ready for it when they do find us."

With that, Branch continued off, putting his scrapbook in his hair. The Snack Pack looked at him as he headed over to the king's pod before they continued on their separate ways to start getting the party ready for that night.

Creek took a slow and deep breath as he focused on Branch's gray form, trying to dispel all possible frustration from him. Why must he be so difficult? He was definitely considered an oddball in the village, due to him hating parties and music, but he briefly remembered when he wasn't like that.

True, it was such a long time ago, but that was just it. Whatever happened to him that caused him to turn gray, he has to let that go and try to be happy again. But obviously, Branch doesn't want to let go, so he just wallows in those negative feelings.

But Creek wasn't one to give up. He will eventually befriend Branch and get through his tough shell. Then, he'll have the village in the palm of his hand, and Peppy will just have to choose him to be the heir. No one else will be better for the throne and lead the other Trolls than him.

A/N: Yeah, so things are a little different. And in Branch's case, it's similar to in "Song Defies Color" where he only sings when he's alone. However, it might not last very long, where some people will learn of his little secret, but they respect his wishes. To some degree for a certain character, who's gonna be a pain in the butt to write due to his annoying wackiness.

So does this kind of clear things up? Let me know, because I really want your opinions on this. I don't own the song used here, from the original Disney movie of "Beauty and the Beast." I couldn't resist using it.

Until next time! See y'all! Please leave a comment about what you think. They are highly appreciated. And remember to stay healthy!

Got to fly! ;)