Song Defies Color

A/N: Wow! I'm actually surprised that so many people like this already. Well, sorry for taking a little longer on this, but I hope this will be worth it. Let's get on with Chapter 2. Roll it!

Chapter 2

The Only Friends in the World

The next day, Branch was cleaning the crystal chandelier that was hanging from the high ceiling in the main foyer of Guffin's manor while balancing precariously on top of a tall wooden ladder, a feather duster in his hand. Glitz was outside, wanting to be let in, but Branch had to reluctantly shoo him away because Guffin was still inside the manor.

Just then, the sorceress Troll in question appeared, standing a few feet away from the ladder. "Branch." She said sharply, making Branch almost lose his balance and his feather duster, but he quickly recomposed himself before he could fall off. 

"I'll be back very late tonight, so don't bother waiting for me. Though I would like some bread and fruit for me while I make my trip."

"Yes, madam." Branch answered.

"And don't forget those other chores that I have assigned for you today." Guffin said. "Make all the beds, sweep upstairs, weed the garden."

"Yes, madam." Branch replied, but Guffin wasn't finished.

"Also, beat the carpets that are in the hallways, wax the dining table, polish all the silver, and do the draperies." She said.

Branch looked down at her from the top step of the ladder, his eyes wide. "But I just did the draperies two days ago." He said.

Guffin only glared at him and formed a green ball of energy in her palm. Then, she fired it at the ladder that Branch was standing on. On impact, it blew the ladder apart into hundreds of splinters and Branch fell onto the ground with a short yell, landing hard on his side. He could've used his hair to catch himself, but the last time he did that, she fired another blast at him, yelling at him to not let his "disgusting black hair" touch anything.

"Do the draperies again, and clean up this mess." She said firmly while gesturing over towards the broken pieces of the ladder around the foyer. 

Branch glanced over at them and then back over at Guffin as he slowly stood up. "Yes, madam." He said obediently, not meeting her eyes.

Guffin smiled rather cruelly at Branch. "Now that's a good Troll." She said, coming over to him and patting him on the head rather hard. "Once you're done with all of that, then you are free for the rest of the evening."

With that, she donned her cheery disguise with an ironic wall of green flame briefly enveloping her and then left the manor, haughtily stepping around the mess of splinters in the foyer. Branch looked up at the sparkling chandelier and sighed.

"Well, I was just about done with that anyway." He muttered to himself before he got to work on cleaning up the mess of the broken ladder.

***********************************

Later that afternoon, Branch was weeding the large vegetable garden after he had finished all of his other chores that had been done inside the manor. He was lucky that hardly anyone came to see Guffin, even though she was a well-respected member of the village, so being outside around her manor or cottage didn't worry him so much.

Glitz was out there with him, buzzing insistently around his head, trying to convince him to play by tugging on a strand of his hair, making him chuckle lightly. 

"Not now, Glitz." Branch said to the insistent glow bug. "I'm almost done with weeding the garden, and then, we can play."

"Come on, Grouchy McGee." A deep and almost intimidating voice suddenly said. "You really oughta lighten up."

Branch and Glitz both shot up at the voice. Branch held his weeder out in front of him as some sort of a weapon. 

"Who said that?" The gray Troll asked.

"It was...." After a few seconds of scanning the area, a cloud with a goofy and almost dopey-looking face appeared from out of the sky. "...me." 

Then, dark purple arms and legs clad in white socks appeared out of the cloud, and it walked over to Branch and Glitz. "Hey, guys. How's it going?"

Branch rolled his eyes with a scoff as he turned his attention back to the garden. "What do you want, Cloud Guy?" He asked him in annoyance.

Normally, he wouldn't exactly mind the presence of the anthropomorphic cloud, but he does get on his nerves a lot. Let's just say that the first time they met wasn't exactly ideal. But apparently, chasing clouds around with sharp sticks was an odd way of making a new friend.

"Well, Captain No-Slappy," Cloud Guy said, "Archer and I were wondering what you were doing today that didn't involve you working yourself to the ground."

Just then, a goblin-like creature appeared next to Cloud Guy, looking about a teenage age, having olive green skin, a grape purple mohawk fin on his head, and matching olive eyes. He had small pointed ears, a dark triangular nose, a tail trailing behind him, and tiny fangs in his mouth. He wore a green shirt under a purple vest with a high collar, baggy gray pants with a rip at the right knee, black wristbands and black biker boots.

"Come on, Cloud Guy." Archer Pastry said. "Apparently, Branch is just too busy to hang out." 

A playful smirk then formed on his face. "He thinks he's too good for us now."

Branch narrowed his eyes at him, a similar smirk appearing on his own face. "Oh, very funny." He said. "Just wait around for a minute. I'm almost done."

The story of how Branch met Archer was an interesting one. When Guffin was out one day, Branch had been cleaning the manor's library when Archer broke in, disguised as a red glitter Troll with dark purple hair. Branch had tried staying out of sight like Guffin had ordered him to do if someone came by when she was out on her errands, but there was something about the visiting Troll that just didn't seem right to him. So Branch eventually took the offensive. 

After a short tumbling match between the two of them, Branch accidentally ripped off the dark purple wig that Archer had been wearing, revealing his true identity as a Party Crasher and not a Troll. Branch quickly subdued him, taking off the rest of his disguise and tying him to a chair with his hair. 

Archer was surprised to see a Troll like the one before him, having pretty dull and monotonous colors unlike the other ones he had seen in the village. That got Branch's interest, and the two actually bonded over their lonely and abusive lives. They had been friends ever since.

Archer and Cloud Guy did as he asked, and soon, Branch lived up to his promise. He put away the gardening tools and grabbed the bag of pulled weeds, swinging it over his shoulder. 

"Can you guys help me get rid of these?" He asked. 

"Whatever you say, Stormy." Archer teased, making the gray Troll roll his eyes again, a little smirk plastered on his face.

*****************************

A minute later, the weeds were burned and the three of them were walking through the forest as Branch began to collect some more sticks, with Glitz following close behind them.

"So Branch, are you excited for this year's Hero's Return Festival?" Cloud Guy asked him. "It's only a week away."

Branch lightly smiled at the mention of the impending holiday. The Hero's Return Festival was one of the best days of the year, and one of his favorite holidays that he had kept track of, and the highlight of it was the main reason he looked forward to it every year. 

There was of course, lots of fun music, dancing, and fun activities from what Branch could hear in the distance, but his favorite part of the festival was when the moon rose, glowing lanterns would softly fly up into the sky in honor of not just those who did come home after being gone for so long, but also for those who didn't, including deceased family members they never got to see again. It was the only part of the festival that he could see from his bunker.

But then, the smile disappeared. "Well, it's not like I'm going to attend the festival." He said. "If I did, Guffin would whip me."

Archer clenched his fist. "I still wish that the old hag would get what's coming to her." He said. "My offer to break into her house again and steal some of her most valuable books of whatever hocus-pocus she knows how to do is still open."

Branch shook his head while rolling his eyes with a smile. "Thanks, Archer, but no thanks." He said. "Can't give her any more reason to blame me for something that goes wrong."

"Point taken." Archer said.

"Why don't you leave?" Cloud Guy asked. "Leave this place and start over somewhere new?"

Branch bit his lip as he sat down on a rock. "I can't." He answered. "The main reason being that Guffin wouldn't allow me, but the second reason is that....I promised my grandma." 

He took a breath as he held his arms. "I promised her that I would cherish and protect the place I came from, and that I will one day do my part to keep everyone safe. Even if they don't know who I am, or that I even exist."

"But if watching is all you're gonna do, then you're gonna watch your life go by without you." Cloud Guy said. 

Branch and Archer both looked at the walking cloud with wide eyes. "What?" He asked. 

"That was kind of deep, coming from you." Archer said. "Who knew you can be serious for once?"

"I am a lot of things, young Party Crasher." Cloud Guy said, pretending to sound wise.

"Yeah." Branch said. "But I never thought 'wise' would actually be one of them." Branch said, crossing his arms.

"You two shouldn't underestimate my many talents." Cloud Guy teased, playfully nudging Branch with his elbow.

Both Branch and Archer just snickered at the cloud before the smile quickly vanished from the gray Troll's face. "Thanks for the attempt of encouragement, guys, but still. Guffin would never let me go anywhere or go near anyone."

"You're a Troll, aren't you?" Archer asked him. "So what if your colors aren't as.... colorful as everyone else's? You still look like a Troll."

Branch lightly scoffed. "Try telling that to Guffin." He muttered as he walked away, deeper into the forest, Glitz zipping after him, sometimes flying around him. Cloud Guy tried to follow him, but Archer held him back.

"I think he needs to lament for a little bit." He whispered.

Cloud Guy shrugged. "Fine." He said. "But let's not lose him." 

He pulled away from Archer's grip and began to follow Branch from a fair distance. Archer just rolled his eyes and followed suit.

****************************

As Branch walked deeper into the forest, he felt his heart getting heavier and heavier. As much as he was grateful that he had friends, even ones such as Cloud Guy who really got on his nerves sometimes with his endless pranks and annoying jokes, he still wished that he could be around other Trolls. But then, how would they react when they saw him? They had never seen someone like him before, someone so.... colorless. Of course they would be suspicious as to why.

Years of observing from afar not only taught him about the good things about the people that he was isolated from for so long, but he also learned about the little flaws that they have. They are not only a bit small-minded when it comes to certain things, but they also have a serious problem with prejudice and with understanding things they have not yet cracked. It was obvious that they see only what they want to see unless there is no bright side.

On one hand, that might be a bit handy. But in other cases, it can also seriously hurt someone's feelings. Who's to say that anyone might give him a chance if he just walked in the village and started to explore? The chances were very unlikely.

Finally, Branch came to a little clearing that was encircled by large mushrooms, at least to Troll measurements. It was the one place outdoors where he can be himself, away from either curious or disapproving eyes.

Glitz landed on his right shoulder and gently nuzzled his cheek. Branch's lips slightly lifted up at the corners, and he carefully petted the little glow bug. Glitz buzzed happily before he flew off and spun tight little circles around the gray Troll.

However, Branch's smile didn't last as he looked around the calm area, looking up at the shady trees that surrounded him. He knew that Trolls were biologically small, but as memories of his life for the past twenty years came flooding in his head, Branch never felt so small. He could never amount to very much in his guardian's eyes, even if he tried his best. He never will.

Feeling those swirling emotions of pain and turmoil swirling inside him, Branch took a deep breath. Then, he softly began to sing.

Branch: I can hold my breath.
I can bite my tongue.
I can stay awake for days
If that's what you want,
Be your number one.

Archer and Cloud Guy had arrived at the spot, but they soon saw that Branch was lamenting in song. Cloud Guy opened his mouth to speak, but Archer quickly slapped his hand over it, keeping him quiet. 

Normally, the teenage Party Crasher would be annoyed since all of the songs that were sung in the village were so annoyingly happy. But for some reason, Branch's voice had so much more raw emotion, having felt so much longing and hope, yet he could sense that those hopes of his were slowly getting dashed as the days went by, and they were being replaced by sadness, hurt, and loneliness.

Branch slowly began to get louder as pure emotion rang in his voice. Archer removed his hand from Cloud Guy's mouth when he saw that the walking cloud wasn't getting to speak.

I can do it.
I can do it.
I can do it.

Glitz began glowing softly as he seemed to float in the air like a dandelion puff around Branch as he continued to sing, adding a mystical and mysterious glow to the scene. Archer and Cloud Guy just watched the gray Troll sing out with his heart. Then, more glow bugs began to appear, moving around just as slowly as Glitz, adding more to the ethereal effect of the little performance.

But I'm only human,
And I bleed when I fall down.
I'm only human,
And I crash and I break down.

Your words in my head, knives in my heart.
You build me up, and then I fall apart
'Cause I'm only human, yeah.

Branch panted a little, feeling a bit breathless from the amount of raw emotion he poured into the chorus, and how the weight that he could feel on his shoulders was beginning to press down on him even harder than before. He slowly walked over to sit under one of the largest mushrooms in the clearing as the glow bugs, except for Glitz, left the scene, greatly diminishing the mystical light that had been surrounding the gray Troll, making him appear as dark as a shadow.

I can take so much
Until I've had enough.

The gray Troll then slowly sat down under the giant fungus, hiding his trembling face as he brought his legs up to his chest. Archer and Cloud Guy slowly came over to their friend and sat down beside him, giving him a few inches of personal space, not saying a word to him. Cloud Guy was going to, but he was quickly silenced again by a fierce glare from Archer. Glitz just cuddled next to Branch's feet and buzzed sadly as he looked up at his friend.

Branch could feel the tears beginning to swell up in his chest, starting to burn his throat, but he swallowed the bubbling hot liquid before they could show. He wasn't going to cry. Not in front of his friends, not in front of anyone. 

A gray Troll was supposed to be devoid of any emotion, including negative ones, according to what Guffin had said. If that was what the world would ever see in him, then there's no point in trying to be anything else, no matter how much it was hurting him from the inside.

Suddenly feeling exhausted, Branch slowly leaned against the stem of the mushroom and closed his eyes, trying to even out his breathing from him swallowing hot tears earlier. A nap will probably do him some good. After all, he had been working non-stop all day, and he hardly would get a moment's rest when he was done because he forced himself to remain busy to distract him from his grief. 

Well, look where that belief got him. He still missed his grandmother greatly, but now, it was like he was forbidden to try and be happy again.

As he slowly drifted off into the realm of sleep, he thought he heard a voice whispering in his ears. One that sounded so wonderfully familiar to him; for it was one that he hadn't heard in years, but he could never forget it.

Don't give up hope, my little angel. It said to him. Soon, your secret dreams of regaining happiness will come true. Just remember to listen with your heart, for it will never lead you astray.

At first, Branch thought that it was just Cloud Guy playing another prank on him, but then he remembered that as much as that walking, talking bundle of water vapor enjoyed teasing him and pulling practical jokes, he knew that he wouldn't dare stoop that low. It had to be her.

I'll try, Grandma. He thought to himself, as if he was answering the voice. For you. But still, I don't know how much longer I can hold onto whatever faith I have left.

Be patient. And be brave and kind. She said gently. And then let fate do the rest. Where there is kindness, there is goodness. And when there is goodness, there is magic. I'll always be there to help guide you, but it is your choice whether or not you push forward past whatever challenge that you might face and get back up. True power lies within you.

A/N: Yeah. Poor Branch, but don't give up hope yet. Things will soon start to change.

I added Cloud Guy and Archer Pastry in there. I would like to think that if Branch met Archer when he was still gray, maybe those two would've gained a mutual respect since they hated parties, and that they did have tough lives. But I know that Cloud Guy will be hard to write, since he also gets on my nerves just as much as he does on Branch's. But I can bet that their interactions will cause a few laughs.

The song that I used is called, "Human." It was originally sung by Christina Perri, but I found a cover of it sung by this guy named Austin Percario, who definitely has one heck of a voice. Check it out if you want, but I don't own any part of it. All credit goes to the rightful owners.

Until next time! See y'all! Please leave a comment about what you think, and remember to stay healthy! Also, please check out my other "Trolls" stories, "Catch a Rising Star" and "Gray is Not All Colorless."

Got to fly! ;)