Run.

Running was all he could do.

Running until he lose his breath, running until he couldn't feel all four of his limbs anymore, run until he collapse with fatigue in the snow and no longer be able to get up ... Run, Branch had to run.

His vision was blurry, blurred by his frozen tears. His heart ached, boom boom was gone, it was just a pain that tore his chest, that prevented him from breathing normally. Each breath of cold air entered his lungs like hundreds of tiny knives, he whimpered in pain, in despair. He was cold, it so was cold.

He stumbled and collapsed in the snow ... then he couldn't stand it anymore, covering his face with both hands, shaking with sobs. He was lost, alone. He had lost her; Poppy had chased him away, he had been a bad boy, he hadn't protected her like he had promised himself. He had failed.

The snow was falling so quickly that it was soon covered in snow, his sobs was all you could hear in the dead of night.

.

When he opened his eyes again, the storm was over.

Branch stood up, shaking himself off the snow; it was dawn, but the sky was gray, as gray as his colorless skin. His chest still ached; with the back of his hand, he brushed the snow away from his closed blue eyes, then looked at the landscape he was in. The mountains, nothing else around.

- Friends ? He called

But Branch was alone.

Looking for nothing in particular, he began to sniff the ground; there a familiar trail ... the scent of Maya, a distinct scent of mashmallows, cloud and vanilla ... the shelter !

- Friends ! He exclaimed when he saw the shelter camouflaged by the snow.

Without even thinking, he rushed towards the little house, pushing open the door effortlessly and stepping inside, shaking himself.

- Trollex !? Mayaaaa ! Mister worm? Branch called out his friends' names

But no one was there.

Branch sighed; they had all been captured ... The rocks Trolls had all captured them, he was alone. He had failed. Still, letting run down tears, Branch walked around the shelter, searching, hoping that, turning around he would find Hickory eating berries, or else Darnell cradling the egg in his arms ...

Or Poppy, who would stroke his hair and hug him tight agaisnt her.

His heart broke a little more at this thought ... and the words of the queen came back to haunt his mind ... He had not wanted to abandon her ... but fear, fear had frozen him, those trolls attacking them, he was all holding this object ...

- ARMADO HERE! The voice screamed, hitting him with that object again.

Branch squealed in fear at the memory, went to the bedroom to continue his research.

When he entered the bedroom, the gray troll's first reflex was to get into the bed he shared with the pink troll ... of course she wasn't there, Branch let out a horrible sound and let himself fall there, letting the last traces of her scent to console and torture him at the same time.

- P-Poppy... He whispered, crying uncontrollably.

He rested his chin on the pillow, and something troubled him. With a curious sound, he pushed the pillow aside and found a scrapbooking book. He stared at it for a moment, the tears on his cheeks still flowing, but more slowly. He pushed them away with the back of his hand, then with that incredible tool that was his thumbs, began to turn the pages.

Branch was amazed; on each page were collages as incredible as the others, representing parties, landscapes ... it was a scrapbooking of memories before the war began that Poppy made.

- Poppy, Branch pointed to the image of the pink troll.

Then, smiling a little, he pointed to other images to represent, a tree ... a cupcake ...

And finally, this image.

It was Poppy, holding a heart in her hands and showing it to other trolls. Above the picture, there was a word. Branch frowned ... He grabbed the book in his mouth and went outside, into the snow, there he put the book down and looked around;

- Hello ? Trolls ? He called.

This word, this word he had already seen it somewhere ... but where? He opened the book again and let his fingers trail over the page ... letters, he could read.

- An L, Branch recognized the letter.

He let his fingers trail along the word, an O, and V and an E ... He was sure, he had seen that word before.

- Lo ... Love, he finally said.

Finally saying it, he felt his heart double in speed; he remembered, he had finally found the word ! A laugh escaped his lips as his thumb rested on the image of Poppy, stroking the page.

- Love Poppy, Branch love Poppy ... He smiles

But his smile quickly faded away... Poppy thought he was a bad boy now ... he was alone ...

Then, the words came out of his mouth, lining up perfectly as he began to sing;

From the very first moment I met you
I was yours
Every part of me knew it
I'd never felt like that before

While singing, Branch brought his hand to his chest; never had his heart beat like that for someone ... He really loved the queen ... was it so bad ? ...

To the edge of the world I would go
If you'd only ask me to
And I wish you would
I wish that you would

But you can't love me like I want you to
And I don't want to face the truth...

The memories of the pink troll pushing him away made him whimpers in pain; he stood up on all fours as he started screaming over his melody;

Loving you is like dancing without music
Loving you no I don't know why I do it
Loving you is so hard it leaves me with bruises
Loving you is like dancing without music
Dancing without music~

A wind breeze carried the snow, making it whirl around the gray troll: in the beauty of the thing, he thought he saw the silhouette of Poppy ... all happy, he began to run towards her;

And there nothing that I wouldn't do
To truly be yours
When you touch me I swear it's like heaven
But I'm left at the doors...

The gray troll had just attempted to jump on the snow Poppy to hug her, but she was gone ... He looked down and turned around, walking slowly towards the point of the mountain, jumping on some of the rocks of the mountain, trying not to fall down the snowy wall;

And there's nothing I can do or say
To change your mind or numb the pain
I know you'll never feel the way that I do
And I'm getting tired of night like this
Spinning on the precipice
'Cause you can't love me like I wish you would

Oh oh ooooh

He had just reached the top of the mountain, continuing to sing

Loving you is like dancing without music
Loving you, no, I don't know why I do it
Loving you is so hard, it leaves me with bruises
Loving you is like dancing without music
Dancing without...

Then it was a howl, mixed between that of a wolf and his melody. The pain of his song echoing in the mountains and still no one was listening to it. He looked at the horizon, his ears dropping down;

But you can't love me like I want you to
And I don't want to face the truth

He sighed, and in his soft angel voice, finished the last notes of his song;

Loving you is like dancing without music
Loving you no I don't know why I do it
Loving you is so hard, it leaves me with bruises
Loving you is like dancing without muuuuusic....

Then he fell silent, ears down as he gazed at the horizon ... The rock trolls' bugs weren't visible anymore... all of those horrible things they did to him... what else would they be capable of ?... There was no way anyone would hurt his friends and Poppy.

He had promised to protect her, and he would keep his promise

Branch stood up, growling, and grabbing the book in the process, rushed towards Rock Volcano City.