He didn't know what to do. Everything was dark, everything was dim, everything was silent as Branch watched each of the trolls turn slowly grey in the giant bowl they were in.

No. No, please. They can't lose hope, they can't end up like me..! He thought as he was now standing in a crowd full of grey trolls.

They all had hopelessness in their eyes, depression, misery. Branch looked at the princess who was kneeling in the centre, all her happiness and faith drained out. H-how...? She was the happiest and most sweetest troll of all...that's why he loved her. She was everything he wasn't. And now it looks like she lost hope in living. They all felt that way.

No...please...don't turn grey, Poppy. You were our last chance...I don't know what to do...

"And I can't wait to see the look on your face when you realise the world isn't all cupcakes and rainbows."

Branch remembered saying that. He takes it back. He wish he could take it back. He hates the way her eyes don't shine anymore, hates the way her head is hung in defeat, hates the way she believes that death is inevitable, he hates the way she is reminding him of himself.

But Branch doesn't know what to do. Sing? What good will that do...? Maybe it will work...

No words came out. He was thinking them! Why couldn't he sing them? Years of fearing singing, years of thinking that singing does nothing good...that makes him hesitate.

Instead, Branch slowly dispatched from the crowed and made his way over to Poppy. As he sat next to her, she didn't look up from the ground. Sing. Do it.

Branch cupped her face with one hand and gently guided it to look at him. He was so close. But he saw her eyes. So...sad. That wasn't his Poppy...

Sing. Now.

As he was about to let the words loose, he stopped himself. Memories of what happened with his grandma called back to him. No, no not again. His voice killed her. His voice won't do anything for Poppy, will it? What is singing going to do? Besides, Branch can't do it. Not after he spent years avoiding it. But Poppy needs it...but he can't...! Ugh, he's useless! He's always felt useless, and this was proof.

The male gave Poppy a soft look, not talking or singing. Poppy merely went back to staring at the floor. She couldn't face him right now. She didn't want him to see her like this. But it was more than obvious that she had accepted her fate.

A familiar ding sound filled the silent bowl. Poppy's hug time bracelet had lit up. Perfect. This should do it.

Branch extended in his arms in a hug gesture. Poppy looked at him, her eyes filled with sorrow, and turned her gaze down again. She didn't want to hug. Poppy...

All the other hug time bracelets atarted going off as well. None made a movement to hug. Now wasn't the time. Although it seems like the perfect time for one. He doesn't understand. There's nothing he can do...

Meanwhile, Bridget was pushing the bowl to the castle's dining room. Her life turned into an even bigger mess. She couldn't attend Trollstice as Lady Glitter Sparkles without the Trolls, so she has to leave Gristle alone...she'll never have a chance with him...not to mention, her only friends were the Trolls. And here she was, pushing them to their doom. They don't deserve this...they're so sweet.

But she couldn't free them. Chef would kill her...she's watching Bridget's every move. If Chef saw the trolls escape, she could easily catch them again and have Bridget terribly punished. She could hear the sound of their bracelets going off. But she heard no announcement of hug time like Poppy had once said before.

"I'm sorry..." the skullery maid whispered to the bowl, sadly. She was unsure of whether or not they had heard her.

They hadn't.

In the bowl, Branch was still trying to find something to say...but he was losing faith too. This was it. There was no way out. They were all silent as the bowl was pushed into the dining room, where plenty of hungry Bergens were waiting excitedly.

King Gristle saw the bowl roll into the room, pushed by the maid.

"Wait, Chef! Shouldn't we wait for Lady Glitter Sparkles...?"

"Oh of course, sire," Chef said, kindly. She cleared her throat.

"Everyone, there will be no trolls until the King's guest arrives," she announced to the room of Bergens. There was an outrage of reactions to this. They were getting restless. Gristle was their King...and a King must care for his people. He sighed. Lady Glitter Sparkles wasn't coming, was she..? Gristle got blown off. He can't just wait for her to show...

"Y-yeah, maybe we should start..."

His people cheered when he said this. Gristle didn't pay much attention, though. Why...why wasn't he good enough for her? Why did he think she actually liked him?

The maid brought the bowl of trolls closer to him. This was it.

The light seeped into the dark bowl as the lid was taken off. Branch, who had been unsuccessful in cheering Poppy up, looked skywards. He gasped in horror as Chef's ugly face appeared, grinning evilly.

"My King, this is your second chance. Let's try it again, shall we? You deserve to be happy, King Gristle. So go ahead, choose your pick."

King Gristle's hand sadly reached into the bowl. Branch tried holding on to Poppy as the king's hand grabbed her small figure gently and pulled her from out of the bowl. Branch fell back, horrified. No. Not Poppy. Please.

The princess showed no signs of struggling to be released. She just closed her eyes and hung her head lower. She was gonna be the first to go.

"Ah, Princess Poppy! A lovely choice, sire," Chef exclaimed, her grin growing wider. Gristle looked at Poppy. She was so grey...she looked depressed...he felt bad...but he must do what he needs to be happy.

Bridget looked in horror as Gristle held Poppy in his hand.

"Please, make me happy, Princess Poppy..." he murmured as he slowly placed the troll in his mouth and closed it. He didn't chew nor swallow. She didn't taste like happiness. She tasted like misery.

She's rotten...

"NO!" Gristle heard a voice cry. Branch had pure sorrow and vengeance in his eyes. He had just seen Poppy get eaten. His Poppy.

Branch used his hair to latch on to the edge of the bowl and climbed out swiftly and angrily-no, furiously. He didn't even think as he jumped at Gristle, he just wanted to kill him. He ate Poppy. He was not getting away with it. Branch wanted nothing more than to cause some sort of damage to the king, but a large hand grabbed him before he could reach Gristle. He struggled in Chef's hand.

"LET ME GO!"

"Now, now. You best behave or you'll get a fate worse than being eaten," Chef threatened, grabbing Branch's hair to prevent him from extending it. Branch still struggled in her hand. Creek peered from Chef's fanny pack and looked at Branch's expression. Shame. But Branch has to accept fate.

"Eat up, everyone!" Chef announced as servants have each Bergen a grey troll. They all cheered happily and quickly devoured the small creatures. Branch was watching a nightmare. He saw the Bergens gulp. No...

Soon, the Bergens expressions changed. But not to happiness, to negative emotions like depression, misery, anger.

"Hey! What the hell is wrong with these trolls?! They just made me feel worse!" A Bergen cried as the crowd went into another outrage. Gristle still hadn't swallowed.

Chef looked astonished.

"What?!"

"You promised us Trollstice! And this is what we get?!"

They got angrier and angrier. Chef didn't understand. Eating a troll was supposed to be happy. Chef glared down at the troll in her hands.

"Go ahead. Eat me. See what good it does you," Branch spat. Poppy was gone...everyone was gone...his last chance of happiness was gone...what was the point? And if eating him would cause Chef misery, then good. Chef sneered and put Branch in her mouth without hesitation. She devoured him swiftly. It didn't take long for Chef to start feeling the effects of the grey troll. At least 20 years of misery was bottled up in that troll and seeing Poppy potentially die made it worse. Chef started feeling so terrible. She was all depressed, angry, stressed, and scared all at once.

"I don't understand!"

"YOU BOTH PROMISED TROLLSTICE. A GOOD ONE! NOW WE CAN'T BE HAPPY!" The Bergens all yelled complaints.

Gristle looked down, still with his mouth full. It wasn't worth it. His father was right. He would never ever never ever be happy. Never. He shouldn't have trusted Chef in the first place. It didn't take long for the Bergens to kick Chef out of town once again and for the Bergens to completely turn against the King. Without saying a word, Gristle left the castle and headed towards the forest alone. Once he was in a secluded spot, he spat the pink troll out. Poppy stood up from the floor, covered in saliva, but she was surprised. She looked around at where they were. In a forest. No other trolls and Bergens were with them, and Gristle didn't eat her...

"...Where are my friends...?"

I am going to end it there, because I'm not sure if I wanna extend it too much. But this is basically a bad ending to trolls, also because I wanted to try my hand at angst! This turned out lighter than I expected, but oh well! At least I am trying new stuff! Please remember, this is a bad ending au. It wasn't supposed to end happily. Uh, if you liked it, tell me what you think!

Hope you...enjoyed!

Bye!