The Perfect Symphony

All By Myself

Despite the ever-changing troll community, with new trolls being born and others succumbing to the Bergens, one constant remained - Harmony's unwavering dedication to Branch.

However, on a particularly bright and sunny day, the usually dutiful songwriter was conspicuously absent from her responsibilities. Harmony had become preoccupied with a more pressing matter, which had diverted her attention away from the lingering anguish she felt over Floyd's sudden disappearance.

Arriving at Rosiepuff's home, Harmony noticed the partially hung laundry, an unusual sight. Closer inspection revealed rose petals scattered across the tree limb cradling the pod.

Harmony's anxiety spiked as she rushed towards the fragile petals, dropping to her knees to gently caress them. Suddenly, a faint sound of crying reached her ears. "Branch?! Rosie?!" she called out, tracing the source down from the tree limb. There, her heart sank at the sight of Branch, fully grey, kneeling on the ground in tears.

Filled with concern, she approached Branch and asked, "What's wrong? What happened?" But Branch remained silent, his face streaked with tears as he sat in a near-catatonic state.

Understanding that she wouldn't get any answers from the unresponsive Branch, she carefully lifted him in her arms and brought him back to Rosie's pod. Once there, she tenderly laid him in his bed, determined to stay by his side throughout the entire night, unwilling to leave him alone when he needed her most.

It was only in the quiet of the night, as Branch began to recover from his shock, that she discovered the heartbreaking truth: a Bergen had taken Rosie because of Branch's singing. Her heart ached for him in that moment, and she wrapped her arms around him tightly, offering the comfort and support he so desperately needed.

In the wake of Rosie's unexpected death, Harmony found herself grappling with a whirlwind of challenges. She became the sole caretaker of Branch, a fragile and troubled young troll who had emotionally withdrawn from the world, including music, which had once brought him joy.

As Harmony navigated the demanding path of her burgeoning music career, she also faced the overwhelming responsibilities of raising a child who had suffered greatly. Each day was a delicate balancing act, with the pressures of performing and producing music weighing heavily on her shoulders. To make matters more complex, Harmony was forced to confront her own deep-seated feelings of abandonment, which resurfaced as memories of loss and longing intertwined with her new reality.

Undeterred by the daunting challenges that lay ahead, Harmony stood resolutely beside Branch, her loyalty unwavering as she supported him each day in their desperate bid for freedom. The air was thick with tension and anticipation as they awaited the momentous Trollstice, when the trolls would finally escape the iron grip of the ancient Troll Tree.

The narrow tunnel they had laboriously dug beneath the gnarled, towering roots of the tree was a treacherous path, fraught with peril. The walls, damp and grimy, closed in around them, making each breath feel heavy and constricted. As they maneuvered through the twisting, dark passage, the trolls squeezed together, their hearts pounding with a mix of hope and fear. Mischievous shadows danced along the walls, mimicking the flickering candlelight from above, while the distant sounds of their fellow trolls echoed ominously, heightening the sense of urgency.

Harmony's anxiety surged, flooding her with a mix of adrenaline and dread. She could feel the warmth of Branch's hand in hers, a grounding presence amid the chaos. As she grasped his hand tightly, she focused on guiding him through the maze of narrow walls, her mind racing with thoughts of the uncertainty that awaited them. The cacophony of whispers and shuffling feet surrounded them, a chorus of anxious trolls all clamoring for a way out. Despite the fear that gripped her heart, Harmony remained determined to lead Branch toward freedom, her spirit ignited by the hope of a new beginning beyond the confines of the Troll Tree.

The tunnels shook violently as the Bergens dug into the ground, desperate to find the hidden trolls. Harmony's heart raced as the ground rumbled beneath her feet. Before she could even comprehend what was happening, she felt a surge of movement around her. Other trolls, their eyes wide with fear, rushed past her and Branch, their panic infectious and urgent.

"Run! We need to get out of here!" one of them shouted, pushing past them. Harmony instinctively grabbed Branch's hand, and together they sprinted forward, narrowly avoiding being trampled by the throng of fleeing trolls.

As they burst from the dark confines of the tunnel, the blinding light of day assaulted their senses. Harmony and Branch stumbled into the open air, breathless and disoriented. All around them, trolls emerged in various states of disarray—hair matted, faces smeared with dirt, and eyes filled with terror as they surveyed their surroundings, searching for safety in a world that suddenly felt all too dangerous.

Once she finally caught her breath and managed to calm the racing of her heart, a wave of alarm washed over her. It struck her with unsettling clarity that Branch was no longer beside her, his warm hand no longer clasping hers. Panic surged through her as she called out, "Branch?! Where are you?" Her voice echoed down the dimly lit tunnel, but the silence that met her was deafening. Desperation clawed at her throat as she began to search frantically, scanning the shadows and calling his name over and over.

As worry gnawed at her insides, she feared the worst—that Branch might be trapped within the winding maze of the tunnels. With determination overriding her fear, she dashed back in the direction from which they had come. However, just as she reached the entrance, she came to an abrupt halt. Her heart dropped as she witnessed the tunnel collapsing behind the King and his daughter, Poppy, clouds of dust and debris swirling around them. The reality of the situation hit her like a cold wave; everything had changed in an instant.

Devastated, Harmony crumpled to her knees, tears streaming down her face as she stared into the dark, collapsed tunnels where Branch was likely trapped or worse. After what felt like an agonizing eternity, she steeled herself and rose, clinging to the hope that somehow Branch had escaped unharmed and would emerge from the rubble at any moment.

Crushed by overwhelming sorrow, Harmony sank to her knees on the cold, uneven ground, a cascade of tears streaming down her face. Her heart ached as she peered into the ominous chasm of the collapsed tunnels, shadows clawing at her vision where Branch might be trapped, lost, or worse—suffering in silence. The air around her felt thick and suffocating, filled with dust and despair, heightening the sense of dread that enveloped her like a heavy fog.

Time seemed to stretch and warp, each second an agonizing reminder of her helplessness. Memories of laughter and warmth flooded her mind, bittersweet flashes of the moments they shared, amplifying her fear. Just as despair threatened to swallow her whole, she took a shuddering breath, forcing herself to focus.

With great effort, she rose to her feet, her limbs trembling but driven by an unyielding resolve. Harmony's heart beat fiercely in her chest as she clung to the slender thread of hope that floated within her—a hope that Branch had found a way to escape, that he would push through the rubble, emerging as he so often did, bright-eyed and alive. She pictured him triumphantly breaking free from the dark confines, bringing light back into her world, reinvigorating her with the strength she needed to face the unknown.

As the vibrant sun dipped low on the horizon, casting a warm golden glow across the landscape, Harmony's eyes darted around, searching desperately for any sign of Branch. She lingered for a few moments longer, her heart racing with a mix of hope and worry, convinced he would soon appear. Yet, as the eerie silence settled, the faint sound of heavy footsteps grew closer—Bergens patrolling the area for any stray Trolls. With a heavy heart, she realized she had no choice but to leave. The thought of losing Branch, whom she had cherished like a little brother, crushed her spirit, leaving her feeling utterly alone, and severing her last connection to Floyd.

A/N

Hello, everyone! As promised I am going back through this story making changes, adjustments and overall tidying up some sentences of mistakes I missed. If you have any suggestions, comments, or notes for me, please feel free to comment! And as always, know you are all loved, beautiful, and strong!