original

When the Falls Turn Amethyst

Tác giả: Lawlly

Chương 1: Chapter One

A singular bead of sweat trickled down Branch's nose and dripped. He swiped it away, frustrated, and furrowed his dark brows. It was impossible to concentrate on his cleaning task while a loud, pink troll scurried behind him babbling away about the next big, exciting party. All he had to do was dust the tunnels and take an inventory today.

Deep into the tunnels of Branch's Fear Bunker there was a soft breeze, scattering the dust and small bits of debris that he was collecting into piles. He unconsciously pondered the need to have air vents if it was just going to make his life more difficult. Unfortunately, air was a necessity underground.

Branch sighed heavily and scraped the bristles of his broom along the top of the ceiling to loosen the dust build-up, getting more irritated by the second when a pebble bouncedinto his forehead.

"The food, the music, the glitter! And everyone is going to be there, Branch! Even you, right?!" Poppy clapped her hands together and laughed. Branch quarter-turned and gave her an icy stare over his shoulder. Poppy's smile dropped quickly and she folded her hands to her chest.

"Poppy… you know I don't do parties." Branch set his broom against the wall and roughly patted his vest and pants down. "You ask me every party and every time I tell you NO. Do you even remember what happened last time you guys had a big party?"

Poppy tilted her head a bit and thought. "Hm... We were attacked by Bergens?"

"We were attacked by BERGENS!" Branch threw his arms out and looked at her credulously. "So are you actually serious right now?"

"Yeah, but – Branch, it's different now! The Bergens are our friends and we don't have to worry about that kind of thing anymore. Let's live a little, come on." Poppy pulled out a rainbow-colored, self-made fuzzy envelope from her hair and held the invitation out with both hands, smiling big at the grey troll. "It would do you good to have some fun, don't you think?"

Branch stared at the invitation with disdain, knowing full well how much glitter was packed into the contents of such a tiny device. "Poppy..." he started again.

"Say no more, say no more!" Poppy thrust the envelope into Branch's arms. "I'll give you some time to think on it. The party doesn't start for two more days so I hope you can muster up some of that lion's courage and come hang out with us trolls!"

Without another word, Poppy turned at the heel and trotted down the hall towards the main room. She was out of sight in an instant and on the lift to the upper hatch. Branch listened to the elevator mechanism and sighed heavily again when he knew that Poppy was gone from the bunker. With extreme carefulness, he lifted the tab of his felt invitation and opened the glittering card inside.

The Troll Tree was scrap booked and personalized with tiny cut-out troll friends, waving in unison around the tree. Another pop-up double rainbow revealed behind that, waving a giant banner with Branch's name written on it.

"BRANCH! BRANCH! LET'S CELEBRATE FRIENDSHIP WITH THE BERGENS! WHEEE!"

The sudden screech of Poppy's recorded voice made Branch stumble back, but he wasn't quick enough to dodge the fountain of holographic glitter that sprayed directly into his face.

Grinding his teeth together, he wiped most of the glitter away and tossed the card into the trash pile.

He wasn't going to that party and no one was going to make him go. Not Poppy, not King Peppy, and not any other troll who dared come ask him! There was nothing worth celebrating, in Branch's opinion. A Bergen-Troll Peace Treaty wasn't going to undo or erase the decades of fear and death that the monsters pushed on their society. Branch was never going to forgive them and parties like this are what give the Bergens the upper hand. It wasn't safe and no one was going to listen to his antics anyway, so there was no reason to bother with it.

Feeling satisfied with his mental defiance, Branch picked up his broom and strode through his bunker to start re-checking the inventory of his supplies. Only a few more days until this party was going to be full bloom so he had to use the peace and quiet the best he could. If he knew anything about outrageous troll parties it's that they could last for days and Branch wasn't looking forward to the headache. Perhaps it would be more bearable if he left the area and camped in the forest until it was over?

With a soft chuckle, he mused over the idea of running away for a few days. He knew of a nice place that no one ever visited. It would be the perfect getaway retreat. The shuffling of items on the shelves and the soft hum of the ventilation echoed through Branch's bunker. He loved his home with his entire being, but it wouldn't hurt to take a vacation while things got crazy above ground. Unfortunately, there was no doubt Poppy would be erratic about his disappearance. Though… It would be easy enough to just apologize to her when he returned after the party.

- - - - - - -

Troll Village was buzzing with excitement that couldn't be contained while preparations came to their conclusion for their new Bergen friendship celebration.

Banners and rainbow colored balloons littered the area around the entire troll tree, woven straight into the leaves, courtesy of Poppy and Smidge's handiwork. There were long tables filled with assorted fruit pastries and cupcakes made by Cooper. High beam strobe lights were placed around the main venue to compliment the cascading glitter that had been tossed onto every object within reach by Guy Diamond and the other glitter trolls. All the pods hanging from the tree had been re-painted and decorated by Harper and Biggie. The Snack Pack crew was hard at work and loving every moment.

There was still an entire day before the actual celebration was supposed to begin but DJ Suki refused to resist the temptation any longer! "Who's ready for a party before the party?!" She yelled into her microphone at the top of her disc jockey grub bug and flipped up the amp on her records. Attention was grabbed immediately. All the trolls cried out in joy and the entire village was rocketed by a beat with deafening bass.

"Hair in the air, hair in the air! Put your hair in the air!" DJ sang to her audience, getting the crowd pumped and loud.

The small creatures raised their hands up and swayed their colorful stalks of hair into the air, chanting along to DJ's song. There wasn't a troll around that wasn't grinning ear to ear.

"Hair in the air, hair in the air!"

"I've got a fever coming on, and now it's beating on my bones!"

"I feel like diamonds or some gold, so DJ play it that's my song!

Go, go, go, go, go"

"Put your hair in the air! Come on baby, l et's go crazy!"

"We ain't never gonna stop! Hair up! "

Only meters away from the singing and shouting was a lavish, beautiful purple pod pin-striped with yellow trim and small crystal jewels. Inside was Creek, sitting cross legged on a yoga mat in his living room, trying to meditate.

Eyes closed tightly, Creek refused to acknowledge the sudden outburst of noise, but his ears twitched at every smash and bash coming from outside.

"Ahh-mmm..." he breathed slowly, relaxing more into his pose.

"GLITTER BOMB IN THE HOLE!" a trolling yelled from outside, followed by an excruciatingly loud crash right at Creek's front door. His entire pod rattled and Creek fell out of his position with a surprised squeak.

"You've got to be joking," Creek growled, getting off the ground and storming to his door. He flew it open and poked his head out to find the deviant responsible, only to duck under another dangerous orb of glitter being launched straight at his face. The ball whizzed into his house and exploded in a torrent of blue and white glitters all over his living area. Creek looked stricken at his ruined abode then gazed down from his pod at Poppy and her daycare group of trollings on the forest floor. They were catapulting glitter bombs with a huge slingshot into the crowds of dancing trolls and splashing them against trees, laughing and jumping with every launch.

Creek regained his composure, smoothed out the strands of his bright teal hair and cleared his throat before waving down to the group.

"Hello, Poppy! Hello small, adorable trollings!" The purple hued troll forced a wide smile and Poppy looked up at him, waving back frantically.

"Hi, Creek! ISN'T THIS PARTY AMAZING?" Poppy yelled while her group of children tossed more glitter into the air. They squealed in unison after every successful throw.

"Well, yes. Your parties are always the best, my dear Poppy. But isn't this a day too early? I thought that the party started tomorrow… you know, when the Bergens are actually here to participate since they are half of the Treaty?" Creek looked past her at the rest of the party scattered along the bottom of the Troll Tree. It was getting pretty heavy out there and it didn't look like it was going to stop any time soon.

"A day early isn't going to hurt anyone!" Poppy exclaimed.

"No, but…"

Creek's words were lost to Poppy as her distractions increased. Cooper trotted out of the sea of trolls and stuffed a cupcake into everyone's hands.

This conversation is a lost cause now, Creek thought to himself. His inner aura was restless and he wanted to meditate before all the shenanigans took place but it seems he was too late. There was a quiet spot in the forest that he loved to visit in times like this.

He turned back inside and shut the door behind him. After a few hours of dusting and sweeping up the glitter attack inside his pod, Creek took a quick shower and fixed himself toast with mixed berry spread before doing some much needed stretching before his journey. The trek into the forest would take the better part of the day but sleeping in peace under the stars in the middle of a refuge was worth the future ache in his legs.

- - - - - - -

The sun was fully set by the time Creek arrived at his secret retreat. He squeezed himself through a rather stubborn tangle of bushes surrounding the enclosure and sighed happily at the sight of his waterfall. The vertical drop was gentle, small, and quiet enough to be hidden away from prying eyes.

Creek spent many nights here in wonderful solitude, allowing himself to drown in the white noise of the falls. The banks of the river were littered with opalescent stones and speckled with spring wildflowers. Blue fireflies buzzed around the flowers and looped through the forest trees in a lazy dance. Their color mimic the water, reflecting the deep night sky. It certainly wasn't the grandest waterfall ever to grace Mother Nature, but it was Creek's favorite nonetheless. No one knew about the location and nothing was ever disturbed. Small wild creatures came and went, leaving the area completely untouched and forever beautiful. It was like this place was made specifically for him.

Stepping lightly through the grass, Creek felt renewed with fresh energy. The mist of the waterfall drifted to him and he breathed in the positive vibes. The purple troll eyed some of the perfect tree roots to rest in before a group of fireflies shot through his path, giving him a start. They were headed towards the other side of the river, looking oddly excited. Creek's curiosity peaked and he changed direction to chase them. There might be sweet sap or ripened berries nearby which would be a pleasant addition to his evening.

Following the bugs' glow trail led him to the northern bend in the river. Creek's breath caught in his throat from what he saw crouched on the other side just a couple yards away. The darkness of the night couldn't hide the shadowy grey troll with coal black hair.

Branch was still, sitting on his haunches, hands on his knees, staring into the rippling water before him. His eyes were heavily lidded and it looked like he was drifting away in sleep if not for his lips moving. The once pursued fireflies settled into a slow, circular dance around Branch's figure.

"The complex ray shifting light... they skim cross my eyes and into the night... I'm swept away and my heart ensnared."

Creek dipped backwards behind the nearest tree to hide without nearly as much grace as his normal self had. His heart pounded in his chest and he tried to calm his chills with deep breathing. It wasn't like Creek to let Branch stun him but the fact that the miserable grey troll was in his secret sanctuary could mean so many different things. How did he find this place?

And… was Branch just singing? Disbelieving, Creek peeked around the corner and was immediately awestruck. His jaw dropped slightly and his ears strained to hear the tune pouring from Branch's mouth.

"I was alone when you found me there... My troubling soul was too much to bear.

Slipping in and out of time..."

Branch was definitely singing. His voice was soft and cooed over the wind like a floating silk feather. His eyes were dark and looked sullen while he gazed at his own reflection in the moonlit river water. Creek could hardly trust his own ears. The angelic notes would have floored him if he hadn't been clinging to the tree he hid behind.

"It's hard to find.. peace of mind." Branch sang, reaching out and brushing a small caress over one of the fireflies dancing quietly around him. It chirped in happiness and buzzed near Branch's cheek, nuzzling him. They were enchanted with his voice as much as Creek was.

"You were storm and I a sail, caught in the middle of you.

I was a fool and my heart... it fell, in and around you.

Trembling there in the midst of truth I… would have lost myself in your waves."

The purple troll's heart was wrenching with the pain of guilt and adoration. All this time Branch was hiding such an incredible singing voice but still endured the teasing and backlash from the entirety of Troll Village. It didn't make any sense. The lyrics of the song felt like a hidden message and the sound was awfully depressing. Creek didn't recognize the song at all and it churned him inside to listen.

"Slipped from my hands not a warning made, like steps in the sand they were taken away…

With the tide of the ocean's rise.

You ran away to another land, and I chose to stay and wait for your return.

The time has come to pass us by."

How long was he planning on hiding here in the brush? Creek didn't have any idea on how to react on the situation forced upon him. The only thing that felt reasonable was to pretend that he hasn't seen or heard anything and approach Branch with the same distasteful banter that they always seemed have.

Gathering up his inner strength and shaking his body loose of nerves, Creek dusted his khaki slacks then strode purposely out of his hiding spot and towards the river. He took no care in making himself quiet, letting the crushing foliage beneath his feet alert Branch of his oncoming presence.

Branch's ears twitched from the sounds closing in and he shut his mouth tight, standing up quickly and looking out towards the forest with suspecting eyes. His firefly friends startled and scattered away, splitting their separate ways.

"Who's there?" he called out. Branch slowly reached for his backpack behind him where he kept his hunting knife.

"It's me, Branch," Creek called out and stepped into the moonlight towards the opposite edge of the river bank, arms crossed. The grey troll grimaced at the ironic encounter but held his ground, folding his arms in return. Whatever this was going to be, he didn't feel like getting pushed around tonight. His feelings were a confusing, jumbled mess. Any sign of weakness in himself and things could come crashing down around him.