This story began a bunch of years ago, before the Bergens discovered they loved eating Trolls.
Before the Trolls escaped from the Bergens. And before Poppy and Branch taught the Bergens they could be happy without eating Trolls.
Before all that stuff happened, there was a band of boy Trolls.
A band called BroZone.
BroZone was popular. SUPER popular. Trolls flocked to their live concerts. Collected their albums. Lined up to get their autographs.
Memorized the lyrics to their hit songs. Everyone loved their catchy tunes, their tight harmonies, their smooth dance moves. Trolls just couldn't get enough of BroZone!
On the day this story begins, the five members of BroZone (who also happened to be brothers) were about to kick off their Perfect Family Harmony Tour with a huge concert in the old Troll Tree's arena.
"BROZONE! BROZONE! BROZONE!" the massive crowd chanted, eager to see their favorite performers live onstage.
"Three minutes to showtime!" the stage manager announced.
A blue-haired baby Troll in a diaper-the youngest brother-nervously peeked out through the stage curtain.
John Dory, the oldest brother, paced behind him, going over the list of songs they'd sing that day, trying to pick the best order possible.
"All right, guys," said John Dory, pulling a pen out of his green hair. "We're gonna open with "Girl Baby Girl" and close with "Baby Baby Girl." Wait, no-that doesn't sound right. Oh, I got it! Open with "Baby Baby Girl" and close with "Baby Baby Girl Woman." Yes! We are going to make boy-band history tonight." He looked around. "Where are my brothers?" He hurried back into the dressing room to make sure they were all ready to go onstage.
Spruce, the heartthrob brother with purple hair, was doing sit-ups.
Clay, the funny brother with yellow hair, walked up to John Dory wearing a sparkly pair of underpants.
"Do I really have to keep wearing these things?" he complained.
"C'mon, Clay," John Dory said. "They're Funderdrawers! Underwear, but seventy-six percent more fun! Now let's see those dance moves!"
"Fine," Clay said with a sigh. He did a quick series of dance steps, naming them while executing them perfectly.
"Rusty robot into wiggle worm, and end on caliente puppet."
"Not bad," John Dory said, stroking his chin. "But your robot could be rustier. And your worm wigglier."
Clay looked annoyed. "Don't you want my puppet caliente-er?"
"I wasn't going to say it," John Dory said, "but yeah.
Definitely."
Floyd, the shy, sensitive brother, put the finishing touches on his magenta hair. "Bro," he told John Dory, "you look stressed. Breathe."
"Of course I'm stressed!" John Dory said, exasperated. "It's the first show of the tour. We have to hit the Perfect Family Harmony. We promised the fans!"
Floyd patted the air with both hands. "Calm down," he whispered. "You're making Baby Branch nervous."
Baby Branch was the youngest brother in BroZone, who would grow up to be the Troll known simply as Branch.
Back then, he was known to the fans as Baby Branch, aka the Baby.
John Dory looked over at Baby Branch, who was anxiously fiddling with the pink glasses he'd been given to wear onstage.
"He's not allowed to be nervous," John Dory said sternly. "He's gotta be perfect!"
Floyd shook his head. "Cut him some slack, John Dory. It's his first live show." He went over to his youngest brother and bent down. "Hey, Baby Branch. How you feelin'?"
Baby Branch clutched his stomach. "Like I'm gonna barf and pass out."
"You got the preshow jitters," Floyd said, patting him reassuringly. "It's totally normal. Everyone gets them. Know what I do when I get them?"
"Barf and pass out?" Baby Branch guessed.
Floyd chuckled. "I remember that I'm with my brothers, and that when we come together, there's nothing we can't do."
Clapping his hands, John Dory called his brothers to gather around. As the oldest, he'd long since taken the role of leader.
"All right, boys," he lectured. "Just remember: no matter what you do, follow my lead."
From out in the arena, they could hear the restless audience chanting, "PER-FECT! FA-MI-LY! HAR-MO-NY! PER-FECT! FA-MI-LY! HAR-MO-NY!!*
Clay gulped. "It's just so much pressure!"
The stage manager poked his head into the dressing room.
"Ten seconds!"
"If we can't hit the Perfect Family Harmony, we aren't perfect," John Dory insisted. "And if we aren't perfect, we're NOTHING! Being nothing is definitely not an option. So just follow my lead." He stuck his hand out, palm down. "Let's do this!"
Each of his brothers piled their hands on top of his. Together, John Dory, Spruce, Clay, Floyd, and Baby Branch shouted, "IT'S BRO TIME!"
A smooth-voiced announcer spoke through the arena's loudspeakers.
"Ladies and gentlemen! Here they are!" Throngs of fans cheered, clapped, and stomped their feet.
"The Heartthrob!" the announcer said, introducing Spruce.
Spruce walked onstage blowing kisses. Pop Trolls fans squealed with delight. Spruce was so dreamy!
"The Fun Boy!" said the announcer, and clay popped out through the curtains doing his dance moves.
The audience laughed and applauded. They thought he was hilarious no matter what he did.
"The Sensitive One!" Floyd entered slowly with both hands pressed against his heart.
The Trolls closest to the stage sighed, wishing they could take care of him and protect him from all the harsh things in the world.
"The Leader!" said the announcer. John Dory strode onstage, full of confidence and determination.
The audience cheered, ready to follow him wherever he wanted to take them.
"And making his first live appearance, the Baby!" Glitter burst over the stage, revealing Branch suspended on a wire.
"Awwww!" the whole audience said, charmed by the adorable sight.
BroZone rolled right into their first song. Cool, calm, and collected, John Dory danced up a storm.
Spruce blew another kiss, and the fans went wild. Clay added little goofy touches to the dance steps, getting lots of laughs. Floyd shed a single tear as he sang.
And Branch flipped down off his wire, sticking the landing perfectly, nailing every move and every note as the five brothers came together.
They were in perfect sync, moving and singing as if they were one person.
Everyone in the audience sensed that something very special was happening on the stage that night. They felt lucky to be there to witness it.
The five brothers hit a chord and held it. Offstage, a water glass broke.
KSHHH! Overhead, a light bulb shattered. SHHINKI The brothers looked at each other. It was happening! They were achieving the PERFECT FAMILY HARMONY!
"It's working!" John Dory hissed. "Come on, guys! Follow my lead!"
But when they realized how close they were to perfection, the brothers got excited and tried way too hard, pushing their singing till it was out of tune.
Their harmonies were off. They messed up the rhythms. And then their moves went out of whack.
They bumped into each other, they tripped, they got tangled up in a vine and swung into the air, banging into each other and finally bringing the whole set down. CRASH! Stunned, the audience went silent.
Only branch was the only one that didn't get tangled up, he turns staring at the crowd.
The stage manager crept into view. "Ladies and gentlemen," he said to the crowd, "please stand by. We are experiencing"-he looked around, unsure how to describe the disaster that had just taken place-"some stuff," he concluded.
Moments later, the members of BroZone stormed into their dressing room. "See what happens when you don't follow my lead?" John Dory said accusingly.
"Dude!" Spruce said sharply. "That is EXACTLY what happens when we follow your lead!"
Branch looked up at his older brothers anxiously. He didn't like it when they fought.
"Oh, so this whole mess is MY fault?" John Dory asked. "Is that what you're saying? I know we can reach the Perfect Family Harmony-"
"What if we don't want to?" Spruce interrupted.
Clay stepped next to Spruce. "Yeah, dude. Brozone used to be about fun. Now it's all about being perfect."
John Dory winced. That stung.
"You know what?" Spruce said, suddenly making up his mind.
"I'm done playing the heartthrob. My exquisitely chiseled, rock-hard abs and I quit!"
"I quit, too," Clay said. "And you can keep these!" He tossed the sparkly Funderdrawers right in John Dory's face.
"I'm more than just the fun one. I'm in a sad-book club! I'm gonna go find Trolls who take me seriously."
"Fine!" John Dory shouted, tossing the Funderdrawers on the floor. "I don't need this. I'm out, too. I'm done. I'm gonna go hike the Neverglade Trail. By myself. Bro-lone. Yeah, that's right. Bro-bro goin' solo!" He grabbed his backpack and climbing gear and swung his leg over the sill of the dressing room window, ready to rappel down to the ground. "Goodbye forever!"
"Fine by me!" Clay said, stomping out of the room.
"Good riddance!" Spruce said as he exited.
"Guys!" Floyd called after them in his gentle voice.
"Please, guys! Come on!" But his pleas were too late. John Dory, Clay, and Spruce were gone.
Branch looked like he was going to cry. "It's my fault," he said. "I ruined everything.
Floyd crouched down and put a comforting hand on his baby brother's shoulder.
"Branch, this is not your fault." He stood up and turned to go.
"Floyd!" Branch protested, "You're not leaving, too?"
Floyd turned back and smiled gently. "Not forever. I'll be back, I promise. But right now, I have to follow my heart. It's telling me it's time to start a solo career."
Branch looked stricken. "But what am I gonna do?" he said, his voice breaking.
"Branch, you're going to do the most important thing of all," Floyd assured him. "You're going to take care of Grandma."
Their grandmother sat at a table in the dressing room, dealing cards. "Come on, Branch," she urged. "Let's play some rummy! But I won't let you win, because I play for the money."
"when you miss me," Floyd said, "you can wear this." He took off his green vest and handed it to Branch. "t'll be like I'm right here with you."
Baby Branch ran to his dressing room mirror and grabbed a drawing he'd made. He handed it to Floyd. "And when you come back, we'll make our hideout."
Studying the drawing of a hideout with rooms for each brother, Floyd smiled. It had a kitchen, a lounge, and special closets for all their costumes. "Definitely. Is that a ten-story waterslide?"
Branch nodded proudly. "Yeah, that's how we'll shower."
*Well, then, we'd better put this plan in a safe place," Floyd said, folding up the drawing and putting it in the inner pocket of the vest he'd just given him. He hugged his brother and said, "TIl see you soon, Baby Branch."
He walked to the door, turned to his brother, and waved goodbye.
"Bye," Branch said, waving back.
"See you later."
But in that alternative moment, Braun he was getting anxious with fear and anxiety, he wasn't gonna let his brothers leave like their parents so...
Branch ran with his drawing hoping to get his brothers together, but through the crowd he couldn't find any of them, not even Floyd.
"Floyd? John? Spruce? Clay?"
He gets scared by the crowd but suddenly a troll house fell down, everyone screamed as it came falling hard.
It got all four boys: John Dory floyd spruce and clay's attention when they see the troll house heading towards baby branch.
"BRANCH!" Floyd was the first to see and ran to him, then John Dory.
"AH! BABY BRANCH!"
"Bitty b!" Then spruce and clay panicked.
Branch heard his brothers then he looked up to see the troll house coming down. He gasped and covered himself then Floyd leaped and grabbed him then the other three brothers gathered around them.
"Everyone form a haircaide around them" John shouts and they used their hair as a shield to protect them from the falling house and as it burst in half form the hair shield, the let go and they turned to see Floyd hugging branch who was still scared.
"Branch are you ok" Floyd asked but the baby looked at his brother with puppy eye, he was how his brothers came to his aid.
"Yeah...I'm ok"
Then John grabbed branch who seemed to let go of his bossy self to care for his baby brother.
"Branch are you ok....what were you thinking? You could've gotten hurt!"
"I'm sorry John, are you mad at me?" Branch asked as he twiddled with his fingers, he was scared that he would get yelled at.
But instead John looks at him with concern and caring.
"No, I'm not mad branch, I was just worried that's all, I'm just so glad you are ok" he hugs his head.
"Guys, what were we thinking?" Floyd says as he touched branch's head, "we can't leave not even for branch, he's just a baby, he needs us"
The truth hit the broths like a tornado, they realized they couldn't abandon their little brother even if they weren't perfect, they just needed each other, John passed branch to clay who plants kisses on his forehead.
"Floyd's right, we can't leave not even for branch, he's just a baby, he needs us, we got to stay together...for branch"
"Even though I don't agree with you bossing us around, I care about branch and I would never abandon him" spruce touch branch's hair.
"Me too" clay says as he brushed branch's hair back.
"Is that mean you guys are staying together" branch let's go and turns towards his brothers.
he bends down to branch cupping his shoulders.
"For you branch...yes, as long as you promise, you won't scare us like that again"
"I'm sorry John, I was scared of you guys leaving, I thought I-"
"I know, I'm sorry branch, I was so focused on us being the perfect family, I lost sight of what was really important being a big protective brother, well I vow I'm going to be a better brother from now on, I promise"
"I'm sorry too branch" spruce says.
"Me too" clay added.
"Ok forget the perfect family harmony, it's not harmony, it just breaks families apart"
"We don't need to be perfect John, he just need to be here for each other" branch grabs his hand which made John smiled.
"You right branch, I think we should take a break from brozone for a awhile"
Each brother looked at each other and nodded in agreement.
"So what are we gonna do for awhile?" Spruce asked.
"Well, we could make make branch's hideout he told me about"
"A hideout? Let me see" John walks up to branch, he was nervous but shows his brother the drawing.
"I love it branch" John smiled and the other gathered around and agreed.
"I draw the 10foot water slide so we can use it to shower"
"Well I think it's great, that's what we'll do, we're gonna help branch build his hideout"
The four brothers cheered, then branch ran to spruce, he picks up the baby troll tosses him in the air and catches him.
"As long as we're a family and we stick together, that's ok with me" floyd says.
"Come on guys let's go home" John and his brothers along with branch hugging spruce walked back to their house to grandmas.
Branch looks at the broken troll house that nearly killed him had brought his brothers together, this brings a new story.
The story of the brozone staying together.