Gray is Not All Colorless

A/N: Sorry this took a little longer than normal to update. The end of my semester is coming soon, so I'm going to be pretty busy for a while, getting the rest of my assignments done and finals as well. And that's not gonna be fun.

Well, I'll try to get some work on some of my stories little by little. Until then, enjoy Chapter 3! Roll it!

Chapter 3

The Secret Side of Branch

A few hours later, Branch had returned to his bunker from another quick trip of collecting supplies. He was now looking through one of his many handmade notebooks, which had hundreds of spare drawings and designs in them. His eyes were glued to one particular invention.

It had a large barrel attached to a rope and wheel system that turned it around, and had a timer system that would alert him when it should be done. The purpose of it was to wash his clothes just by adding water and soap flakes, and then the turning of the barrel will create the suds, thereby washing them.

After making a couple more adjustments to his measurements, Branch soon took all of his supplies needed and headed over to the nearby lagoon to start building it, along with his dirty laundry and a bag of homemade soap flakes. Once he got there, he took some rope and coiled some of it around the wheel and then tied it into the inside of the open barrel, which was beginning to slowly fill up with water from some holes in the bottom. He then pulled some more rope around, tied it to the first, and then weaved it through a pulley system, having a timer tied at the end of it.

Branch then whistled sharply, and a blue flyer bug suddenly appeared in front of him. It nuzzled him, making him chuckle briefly at its affection. He took the other end of the rope and tied it around its body.

"Just wait for a second, bud." Branch said to it.

He then took out his laundry from another handheld sack that he brought with them and then threw them into the barrel, along with a handful of soap flakes. He then looked over at his flyer bug friend and spun his finger in the air once, signalling for it to start flying slowly around the lagoon in a large circle. He followed suit to see if there were suds beginning to form inside the barrel, and sure enough, there were soap bubbles after a couple of minutes.

Pleased with the results, Branch found a comfy spot near a little yellow rosebush and took out his scrapbook of "The Trollabian Nights" and began to read from where he left off. He could spare a minute or two to let his guard down.

When he was about to get into the story of "Aladdin and the Magic Lamp", which was his personal favorite out of all the stories written in the scrapbook, Branch's ear slightly twitched up when he heard something coming from above him. A high-pitched scream was coming from the large tree sapling that was near him. It was high above, but it was getting louder as someone continued to fall.

Instinctively, Branch closed his book, stuffed it in his hair and leaped over to the sapling just in time to see a little shape falling from one of the stronger branches. Quickly, Branch used to launch himself into the air and catch the small body before landing on his feet, knees bent to absorb the impact of the fall.

The trolling in his arms was quivering as he carefully held her in his arms. He recognized this particular little one. It was Suki's young niece, CJ Suki.

She looked a lot like her aunt, except her colors were different. She had bright blue hair, fuchsia pink skin with little freckles on her cheeks, and matching cyan blue eyes, with a green little gem on her navel. She wore a pale blue crop top, cream capri, and navy wristbands on both of her wrists. She also had matching navy and yellow headphones on her head, in respect to her aunt Suki, along with a purple and yellow bead collar necklace.

Her cyan blue eyes widened when she saw the gray Troll holding her in his arms. "You alright?" He asked her. She just nodded her head mutely as he gently placed her back on her feet.

Branch immediately saw the fear and confusion in the young trolling's eyes. He took a few steps away just so that she might feel more at ease. "Am I that scary?" He asked her.

CJ looked at him from the tips of his black hair to the ends of his toes. He looked like a normal Troll, despite his monotonous colors, and he did just save her. She had heard from the other kids at school that Branch was considered really weird and even mean. But he doesn't look scary, nor did he look very mean. He was just….different.

"No." She whispered, shaking her head. "I don't think you're scary at all."

Branch raised a brow, impressed by her answer. "I'll admit, that's something that no one else has ever said to me before." He said.

CJ looked over at him with curiosity in her eyes, no more fear present in them. Then, she saw the flyer bug flying around the lagoon, a rope tied around its body, dragging a spinning barrel full of soap bubbles. "What's that?" She asked him, pointing at it.

Branch felt the corner of his lips curl up slightly at the sight of his invention, and CJ caught sight of that. She thought that a gray Troll was supposed to never smile, but that small movement was probably the most emotion she had ever seen from him.

"It's just something I built to make laundry easier for me." Branch explained. "I do get tired from doing it by hand all the time."

CJ's eyes brightened in childlike wonder. "Cool!" She exclaimed. "That's smart!"

Branch continued to feel his lips slightly curl up in amusement. Normally, kids would just stare at him, wondering why he looked and acted so different while their parents got them to look the other way.

He then settled on the grass, next to the rosebush, and took out his scrapbook again and began to read. Curious, CJ took a couple of steps closer. "What are you reading?" She asked.

Branch looked up from his scrapbook and back up at CJ. "You sure you want to know?" He asked her. It wasn't because the stories were scary, it was more of the fact that a lot of the other Trolls weren't really interested in what he could be reading.

CJ blinked at him, and then slowly nodded. Branch raised up his brow again, once more impressed by her curiosity and bravery. He then gently patted the patch of grass next to him, silently asking her to come and sit down. The young trolling took a couple of cautious steps forward, but then her curiosity took control and she came running the rest of the way and sat down next to him, no longer wary.

Branch then showed her the page he was reading. CJ saw a little felt Troll holding up a strange-looking lamp in his hands. Then, when she saw a tab on the side of the page, she pulled it, and out of the lamp appeared a much bigger Troll, though the lower half of his body was surrounded by a cloud-like mist.

"What kind of Troll is that?" She asked Branch.

"That's a genie." Branch explained, pointing to the larger felt Troll. "According to these stories, genies are very powerful Trolls that have the power to grant three wishes to whoever owns their lamp."

"Why only three?" CJ asked. "Why not as many as they want?"

"Think of it like this." Branch said, closing the tab on the page. "This story could tell us that we must be careful what we wish for. Say that you would wish for an endless amount of-"

"Cupcakes!" CJ piped in.

Branch resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Of course. Why did he bother? "Okay, cupcakes. If that wish was granted to you, you might seem happy at first with all of those cupcakes. But then sooner or later, you might start to get a stomach ache if you eat too many cupcakes." He pointed to her stomach as he said that. "Do you think that there's a reason why your parents or your aunt say that too many cupcakes will make you feel like you don't want to party?"

CJ thought about it and then looked at her tummy. Then, she looked back up at Branch. "I haven't thought of it like that." She said.

Branch felt the corner of his lips slightly turn up. "Well, then that shows that you have to be careful of what you wish for." He explained. "Once you make a wish, it's hard to take it back. Having a limited number of wishes to start with in the beginning; in a way, that challenges us to think carefully."

"What would you wish for?" CJ asked.

Branch looked away from her and focused on the page. There was one thing that he would wish for, but since he had read the story of "Aladdin and the Magic Lamp" a hundred times before, he knew that even the powers of a genie have limitations, and that included bringing people back from the dead. Also, they can't kill or force anyone to love someone else.

"I don't know." He answered after a few long seconds. He looked over at the rosebush near him and briefly admired the warm yellow flowers. He stood up and took out some shears from his hair. He then cut one of the most beautiful ones and carefully twirled the flower in between his fingers, mindful of the little thorns on the stem.

CJ looked up at him with curious eyes. She thought that he would answer right away, saying that he would wish for happiness again. And judging from the look on his face as he stared at the yellow rose in his hand, maybe he does. "Would you ask….for your….colors to come back?" She asked cautiously, knowing that she had to be careful about what she was asking since she didn't want him to get mad at her.

Branch took notice of that as he carefully sat back down next to the young trolling, the pretty yellow rose still in his hand. "Well, if I ever do get my colors back, it would be because I found a real reason to try and happy again on my own." He said after a few tense seconds.

CJ briefly looked over at his gray skin and then at his short black hair. But then, she noticed that the only color left in him was his steel blue eyes, which were actually a pretty intriguing shade of blue. And if she was looking close at his ears, she could see that in the sunlight, the tips of them looked turquoise instead of just plain gray. If there were these little splashes of color left in him, then maybe sooner or later, he would find that reason he was looking for.

She smiled up at him and then wrapped her little arms around him. Branch stiffened for a few seconds. "There's always hope." She said. "And I know that you'll find it."

Branch slightly began to relax when he heard her words. No one other than Peppy and Amber had ever said that to him. And to hear it from a kid, it was something different about it. Yes, sometimes kids might have blind faith in almost everything, but at the same time, that kind of faith is….inspiring.

Soon, CJ removed her arms from around his torso, knowing that Branch had a very short limit on being touchy-feely. "So how does the story go?" She asked, changing the subject and looking back at the scrapbook.

Before Branch could speak, another voice rang out. "CJ!" Both of them turned to the side and saw DJ Suki looking around, calling for her niece.

"Over here, Aunt Suki!" CJ called out to her.

Suki soon saw her niece and was about to run over towards her when she saw who she was sitting next to. Branch began to feel a little self-conscious about the way that she was looking at him, and then scooted a few inches away, almost touching the rosebush. CJ noticed it and looked over at her new friend with innocent confusion. When she saw her aunt looking at him with wary eyes, she then knew right away why Branch was moving away. A lot of people think that he's odd, which is not really a compliment to him, including her aunt.

Suki then came over to CJ and picked her up, holding her tightly in her arms. "Where were you?" She asked her. "I thought I said that you can't go too far."

"Sorry, Aunt Suki." CJ apologized. "I was up in the tree-"

"CJ." Suki said sternly.

"I know, I know." The young trolling said. "I wasn't supposed to, but I wanted to see if I could touch a cloud. I fell from one of the larger twigs, but then Branch caught me." She then turned over to Branch, whose eyes were widened with surprise at the thought of her mentioning him.

Suki's own eyes were widened a bit as she looked over at the Troll in question. Branch saved her? Then, when she saw CJ beaming at him, she could've sworn that there was a brief flicker of a smile on the gray Troll's own face as he looked back at the young fuschia-colored Troll. Branch, the village grump, actually has a soft spot for trollings? That was actually….kind of cute.

She gave him a brief grateful smile. "Thank you." She said to him. She decided against saying anything else, not really sure if she is willing to push past his boundaries yet.

Branch merely gave her a curt nod. She nodded back and then took CJ by the hand. "Come on, CJ. Let's get some lunch."

CJ nodded, and then looked back over at Branch. He nodded at her, and then gently handed the rose he was holding out to her. CJ's eyes brightened at the little gift, and carefully took it; wary of the thorns, admiring every little detail of the yellow flower. She then smiled brightly at the gray Troll. He wasn't that mean after all.

"Bye, Branch!" She said with a cheerful smile and a wave. Branch just raised his own hand briefly at her, another ghost of a smile on his own face. Suki had to admit, for someone who was supposed to be grumpy all the time, he actually has a really nice smile. Then, she and CJ headed back towards the village.

Branch silently watched them as they left the lagoon. That actually went better than he thought it would. He knew that Suki was a little more mellow and scatter-brained than most other Trolls, but he knew that she had a good heart, upon seeing the interaction between her and her niece.

Just then, the flyer bug came back to him, and Branch inspected the barrel. It was filled with soap bubbles and water. His clothes must be ready for drying. He then gently patted his flyer bug friend on the side. "Thanks, pal." He said.

"He did WHAT?!" The other members of the Snack Pack exclaimed. Suki nearly flinched at how loud they said that, and she quickly shushed them.

"He saved CJ?" Biggie asked again, this time a bit more quiet.

Suki nodded. "Yeah." She said. "And CJ actually seemed to like his company. She was sitting pretty close to him when I found her. He even gave her a pretty yellow flower."

"You sure he didn't brainwash her?" Guy Diamond asked suspiciously, crossing his arms.

Suki narrowed her eyes at him and slapped his arm, making him yelp. "Come on, Guy." She said. "We know that Branch is a little….on the grumpy side, but he's not that mean."

Guy rubbed his arm. "Yeah, good point." He admitted.

Cooper then spoke up. "So what happened when you found her with him?"

"He looked like a swampkin that had been caught by a grossum." Suki said. "He actually looked a little...afraid. Like I was going to be angry that he was so close to CJ. He even moved away from her just so that I can come closer."

"Maybe he's just….shy?" Satin suggested.

"Or maybe because he knows what a lot of the village thinks of him." Chenille said. "Like we think he's some sort of….savage."

Suki turned over to the twins. "Would a so-called 'savage' save a little girl from falling from a tree and likely breaking a couple of bones?"

The twins looked down for a few seconds, both of them lost in thought, before looking back up and shaking their heads.

"Maybe we have been a little hard on the guy." Smidge said. "Maybe the next time we see him, we can cut him some slack."

Suki nodded. "Yeah." She said. "But best take it slow. He's still….well, Branch."

The others all nodded in agreement, except Creek, who was lost in thought. So the gray Troll does have other emotions besides the usual negative ones, but he just doesn't let others get under his skin so easily. Well, children are understandable because of their curiosity and naivety of a lot of things. Branch would know better than to scold a trolling just because they wanted to know more about him. But yet, when it comes to the adults, it must be easier for him to hide his emotions. How could Creek get under his skin and break open that shell of his?

A few seconds later, an idea did come to him. If he could just get some time alone with him, maybe he too can get through to him. He just hoped that Branch would cooperate this time.

Minutes later, he found the gray Troll waving goodbye to a blue flyer bug, carrying a pretty large barrel in his arms and having some rope coiled and placed around his shoulder. Then, he began the short walk back over to his bunker. Creek ran over to him.

"Hey there, mate!" He greeted him. Branch looked over at him, and a flash of annoyance appeared on his face. He rolled his eyes with a little scoff before continuing to walk, his back facing Creek. "I heard that you saved CJ Suki. That's quite nice of you."

"I wasn't going to let a trolling fall to her death, Creek." Branch answered back coldly. "I had to do something."

"You know, sometimes, that makes me wonder." Creek said, pretending to be in thought. "I think that if it was possible, you might be a great father one day, judging from what I've heard."

Branch froze in his tracks, a light blush on his face along with a look of discomfort. This unwanted conversation was not where he thought would head. He turned to face Creek behind him with a look of suspicion before steeling his expression into plaintivity again.

"I'm….not ready for kids of my own." He said before turning back around.

Creek tried his best to hide a victorious smile. Now they were getting somewhere. Guy friends sometimes talk about girls; it was natural; so this could be a good start. "Well, maybe you haven't met the right girl yet." He suggested.

"It's a small village, Creek." Branch answered. "I've seen them all, and none of them caught my eye. Plus, who in their right mind would want someone like me?" He gestured to himself and his gray appearance.

Creek looked over at him briefly and realized that he did have a point. Who would want a grump, gray Troll for a husband? But then he tried to give him some reassurance, as if he was trying to be a good friend to him. "Well, despite your….gloomy colors, it's not like you're that much different than the rest of us." He said.

Branch lightly clenched his teeth in frustration before he spun around to face Creek again. Luckily, he had made it to his bunker. "Creek. I somewhat appreciate the gesture, but this isn't really helping anything. I know I'm different; very different than everyone else in the village. No one would even think of looking in my direction."

Creek looked around nervously. This wasn't going according to plan. "Well, how would you know if you don't get out more often?" He asked. "Come to the party tonight, and we'll see if there may be someone who is interested in you."

Branch narrowed his eyes as he placed his laundry barrel down, no more water and soap in it; only having washed clothes in it. "Do I look like I want to join a dating service?" He asked. "I wouldn't be caught dead at that party, or at any party. I'm sorry, Creek, but I need you to get that in your head because my answer is still 'no'."

With that, Branch pushed down on the lever and then headed down into his bunker, the trapdoor immediately shutting behind him. Creek lightly gritted his teeth at Branch's stubbornness. Why must he always make things so difficult?

He took a couple of deep breaths and then left the vicinity of the bunker, humming a little tune under his breath to further calm himself. Well, when he becomes the heir to the throne later that night, Branch will eventually learn to respect him. After all, one day, he will be king.

Right after Creek left, a large periscope appeared from the ground. It stared at Creek's retreating form until he vanished from sight. From underground, Branch had his eyes narrowed in disgust and annoyance as he removed his face from the periscope and shut it down.

"Please tell me he's gone." He muttered under his breath. That annoying purple Troll was really starting to get on his nerves. His blood was beginning to boil, so he decided to get some air.

Branch headed back up on the elevator until he reached the top level and got out of his bunker. He briefly glared in the direction where Creek went off into. "Unbelievable." He muttered. "He thinks that he can suddenly become best friends with me like that?" He snapped his fingers to further emphasize his point.

As he headed in the opposite direction, away from his bunker and further away from the village, Branch felt that annoying urge to burst into song. But at least this time, he doesn't have to bite his tongue to repress himself. He's far enough from prying eyes and listening ears where no one can hear him.

He opened his mouth and began to sing. For such a grump, he actually had an incredible voice; the sweet sound ringing from his throat and into the open air.

Branch: Seriously,
I can't imagine.
That someone like him
Wants me as a friend.

He groaned in frustration as he broke a stick nearby in half and then threw them at a nearby target he made. Both of them hit a bullseye.

No sir, not me!
I guarantee it!
I want much more
Than this provincial life!

Feeling the wind beginning to calm him down, Branch began running towards a nearby hill that had some dandelion puffs on it. The wind blowing through his hair was doing wonders to his conscience as his blood began to calm again as he reached the top. He looked back in the direction before looking ahead of him again.

Yes, he was a little paranoid as to what was out there in the world beyond the village, but being stuck in where he was at this point in his life wasn't exactly his idea of living a life either. As much as he tried to convince himself that there was nothing out there except danger, Branch couldn't help but feel drawn towards the great world out there. There had to be so much more out there.

I want adventure
In the great wide somewhere!
I want it more
Than I can tell.

It was hard for him to explain to anyone, but Branch could feel like there was a part of him out there. Maybe that could be what he was looking for; that piece of him that can help him learn to be happy again.

He then sat down on the grass, looking at the dandelion puffs around him. He then picked one, looking at the fluffy white seeds arranged into a perfect puff ball on the top of the stem.

And for once, it might be grand
To have someone understand.
I want so much more
Than they've got planned.

He took off a couple of seeds and let them float away from his palm and into the wind. The rest of them followed suit. Branch watched the seeds as they flew away. Then he remembered what Peppy had said to him earlier; about him becoming the heir.

Well, maybe he should give it a shot. Peppy had expressed a lot of confidence in him. And maybe it could be a chance for him to show the village that there is much more to him than meets the eye. CJ saw it, so it was a good step forward. It was going to be a long process, but at least he had someone else that has faith in him and in his abilities.

A/N: Yeah, so that reveals a little more about Branch. He does have a nicer side if you try to get to know him without pushing his limits. Plus, he does sing, but only when he's alone. I think that no one can push away music out of their lives entirely. I know that personally, I can't live in a world without any music. When I sing or dance along to music, I feel free. What about you guys?

All philosophical things aside, I hope y'all enjoyed this chapter. Of course I used the reprise of "Belle". But I don't know it in any way or form. Credit goes to their respective owners.

I'll see you guys next time! Please leave a review about what you think! They are highly appreciated. And remember to stay healthy and safe.

Got to fly! ;)