(I can't believe this is the end of this book. Thank you so much to everyone that's read it and loved it and left me such wonderful, amazing comments this past year 🥺 This book has been my cent book, every time I was in a dark place, I would vent my sad or frustrated emotions into this. It was originally a cuddly Broppy date story, then a Branch [alone] camping story, and it became this. I'm so glad people loved this as much as I loved writing it and cried somewhat as much as I BALLED my eyes out writing it. It's so hard to put into words how grateful I am people enjoy this. Thank you 🥺)

Also the last paragraph barely makes sense? I don't know how to sound smart.)

Three days had passed since the Trolls had returned to the village. The beauty was returning to the forest as pods were regrown and fallen trees were cleared. Things almost felt normal once again. Almost..

Rather than patients in the pod hanging above a twenty foot drop with strong winds risking it breaking, a small shelter was hidden underneath a willow tree with piles of leaves and pillows from the bunker for trolls to lay on.

Only Branch was still in recovery, for obvious reasons. He hadn't woken up yet, some of the trolls were losing hope in him ever waking up. He was still alive, he was still breathing, just unconscious.

His friends and parents stood around him, anxiously waiting for him to do something.

"He should've woken up by now." Cooper sat on the ground, looking sadly like a puppy.

Guy hugged himself and made a whimper-like sound, "What if he doesn't? What if he.." He couldn't bear to lose another best friend.

"No! He'll wake up! He's going to be fine!" Poppy gripped on to Branch's hand and gently shook him, "Please wake up!"

Branch briefly showed an expression of discomfort from the cut being touched, but he didn't have the energy to even make facial expressions. He'd been asleep for days, but he had no energy.

"Sorry," Poppy rubbed his wrist and gently smiled. "See? He's alive... ish."

Branch was shirtless, he only wore his shorts (boxers underneath of course) which were pulled slightly higher than usual. He had a bandage wrapped around the leg wound and one around his waist. The cuts were stitched already and hopefully healing. They couldn't do anything with his arm until he was conscious for a while and healthy. It was out of place, bandages wouldn't help at all, it would have to be surgically positioned, then he'd have to wear a cast for a while. Even after he would go through all that, he would still have to cope with his new depression, and if he relapsed he might end up in this situation once again.

"Barely." Chenille added with a sigh.

Satin gasped and hugged her sister, "Positive thinking."

"I can't imagine how different things would be without Branch." DJ took off her headphones and held them in her hands.

"If they'd gone literally any other day this wouldn't have happened." Smidge rolled her eyes, sarcastic, but correct.

"He has to make it, he just came back in our lives, we can't lose him now." Verdana squeezed Acorn's arm, sobbing into his shoulder.

Creek walked toward Branch, his head down, "I'm sorry.." He was somewhat sorry, but not as much as he used to be. His darker side was exposed now, he didn't bother hiding it anymore.

"I'm gonna get Creep out of here for you guys." Archer laughed and grabbed Creek by his pants to drag him away.

Poppy waved at them, giggling, "Okay, bye!" She sighed and looked at Branch's face, "I love you."

Branch took a deep breath, but choked on it and coughed several times. Again, the situation looked hopeless.

Poppy sat Branch up and smacked her hand against his back, "No!" She sighed again and looked away. "I thought he was doing better.

"He is, but he's lost a lot of blood this week, he'll need a lot of time to feel better." Ash reminded her, "We should leave you two alone. Just call if he gets worse, okay?" She shooed all the trolls away.

"Bye.." Poppy laid Branch back down and kept looking at his face, stroking his wrist, "Please don't die. I-I can't live my life without you. You've gotten me through so much! You've changed my life. I know, I've made a ton of mistakes, and you've corrected me. You can't die, please." She managed to get that all out before she burst into tears. "P-Please, I-I-" She let go of his hand and covered her messy face, "I-I love you." Her face turned red. "A lot." She looked away and sighed.

She felt something touch her hand— something cold. It seemed to have fingers too and tried to hold her hand.

"What the-" She looked down at her hand to see someone's pale blue-green hand trying to hold hers, struggling. Branch's pale blue-green hand. She looked to Branch to see his eyes opening, looking determined to get his hand into hers.

"BRANCH!" She screamed, grinning ear to ear. She was frozen in shock.

"Yes.. that's my name?" Branch joked and reached out fo hug her. "Am I alive..?"

Poppy giggled and sat him up to hug him, "Yes! You are!" Her cheeks streamed with tears of joy.

Branch held her tight, "I love you too," He kissed her nose.

Her face turned bright red, "You heard that?"

"I've heard everything. It almost felt like I was in a coma, but I wasn't, I think." Branch shrugged, "It was weird." He hugged her and kept her close, feeling safer in her warmth, "Don't let go, please."

"Never." Poppy smooshed her cheek against his and leaned in for a kiss.

"BRANCH!" All of the others (besides Creek) ran back over and joined the hug. Critz and Dagger squeezed between Poppy and Branch, waiting for them to get some love too.

"I told you he would make it!" Peppy smiled at Poppy and hugged from Branch's other side.

"I knew it the entire time!" Poppy stuck her tongue out and cuddled Critz.

Poppy's shoulder angel and devil popped up and elbowed her, clearing their throats.

Branch's shoulder angel and devils hopped on his face, "Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it!"

They both fanned the figments of their imaginations away and took deep breaths.

"Will you go on a date with me?" The two asked each other at the same time.

"AAAAWWWW!" Mandy and Peppy squealed, shaking Verdana and Acorn back and forth.

Poppy and Branch stared at each other for several seconds and burst into laughter, "Yes!"

Both Poppy and Branch's angels and devils gave each other fist bumps before disappearing for good.

Peppy and Mandy screamed, squeezing each other's hands, "YES!"

Verdana and Acorn covered their ears, "We get it!" They laughed lightly then kissed each other on the lips.

Mandy kissed Peppy's cheek, "Love you!"

Peppy giggled creepily, his face bright red.

"Eh," Ash rolled her eyes and kissed Rose's cheek for a few seconds.

"Woah." Rose raised her eyebrow at Ash, smirking, "Why'd ya do that?"

Ash covered Rose's mouth, "Shush."

(they have that white josh-darryl kind of relationship idk)

Branch saw all of the others kissing each other and grinned. He embraced Poppy and gave her a big kiss on the lips, "I love you, Queen Poppy."

Poppy shyly smiled, "I love you, Branch." She gave him a long kiss back.

They were all happy again, things felt normal, and most importantly, love was in the air. Other trolls gathered around, smiling gratefully. A few animals even sat nearby, happy their princess was woken by his true love. It was a perfect fairytale ending.

But this isn't a fairy tale.

A bird perched on a tree and chirped loudly at Princess Branch.

Branch pulled from he and Poppy's kiss and glared at it, "HEY! SHUT UP!" The bird refused and chirped much louder.

Now that's the way this book should end. Not with a true love's kiss or a happily ever after, no, we're not about that here. We end with the princess of nature yelling at nature, that's the kind of ending we go for here.

On one side, there's a rumbling storm, nothing calm, nothing goes right, it's dark, the world is cold. But on the other side, it's always more peaceful and friendly and welcoming, but of course it has it's bad sides. No matter how bad things may get over there, it's still better than the other end. On the other side of the storm.