Faded Rainbows

One door closes

Trollex hovered just outside of the room in which Sheo, Vespa, and Myla were being cared for. He held Fluffy, the Guardians smaller form, gently in his arms. He ran his fingers through Fluffy's soft fur, staring out the window across the hall from them.

He had wanted to be inside, but Lily had insisted that he wait outside. He had to admire her determination though. She couldn't even stand on her own right now, instead taking up Barb's offer to give her a wheel chair and have one of the staff help her about.

He perked up when he heard footsteps coming down the hall, and he glanced over. It was Branch! "Branch? What are you doing over here?" He watched as the king of Pop sat on the bench across the hall from him, Fluffy leaping out of his arms and running to Branch, rubbing against his leg.

Branch chuckled softly, patting his lap to invite Fluffy up, which they happily did. "Not allowed to visit my friend? Trollex I know you're used to being up here, but you really should get checked out! It's been a week; your body would still have problems with the transition."

Trollex did feel terrible, and had been spacing out a lot since he returned. He felt lethargic and cold, but he didn't really think it was worth checking into. He waved a hand to dismiss Branch's worries. "I'll be fine, Branch." He grinned mischievously. "After all, I did punch the big bad guy in the face."

He went silent for a moment, his hand stilling in Fluffy's fur. "You... did what to the who now?"

The king of Techno chuckled, and began to tell Branch the story of what happened between the Abyss and the surface. As expected, Branch was on the edge of his seat, listening with rapt attention. Once Trollex concluded, Branch leaned back in his seat, staring at the floor between them as he sorted through the story in his mind.

He was willing to give Branch time to think, but as silence spread longer and longer between them, Trollex couldn't help but break the silence. "Something on your mind, Branch?"

A small nod was the only response for a few more moments, before Branch lifted his head and looked at Trollex. "What do you think it meant? When it said 'you don't know a trolls voice'? You said it looked a little like a troll, but skeletal... Was it a troll before, do you think?"

He perked up a bit at the thought. "I... honestly hadn't put much thought into that... But I think whatever it was; it was definitely a troll before..." He hugged his arms, shivering a bit. "At one point, when it was getting into my head and under my scales, I... I had a moment where I thought 'the same as him'..." He looked away. "I just thought it was my mind playing tricks on me..."

Branch hummed in thought. "I don't think so... but I think I might have an idea... it's just an idea, mind, so I wouldn't put TO much stock into it..." At the curious look Trollex gave him, he continued. "Well... we know that whatever the Darkness was, it was connected to you, and to the Rainbow troll in the story... Do you think that maybe, that WAS the troll from the story...?"

"I... actually think you're right, Branch. I can't really explain it, but... that feels right." He glanced at the green crystal at the tip of the staff. "It would explain a lot about the Dark Ambient trolls, and why they were singled out and sealed. The rainbow troll from the story was a part of their tribe, and angered the clouds. They sealed him, or... I guess used HIM to seal their race...?"

Trollex and Branch nearly leapt out of their skin when the door opened to the room, and Lily was wheeled out by a rock troll. She looked back at the troll, and gave a small bow of her head. "Thank you, leave me here and go take a break." The rock troll nodded, smiling as she made her way to the nearest break room.

Lily looked between the two royals. "You're not entirely wrong. But there is a bit missing." She looked at Trollex. "Do you remember the eruption that broke the continent? I'm sure King Sheo told you." He gave a small nod, and she continued. "That was caused to destroy the Dark Ambient trolls, to punish the rainbow ancestor. He sacrificed himself to protect the rest, but it was a warped punishment... he became the darkness that sealed us, and so for generations, we hated him." She sighed and shook her head. "It drove him mad... and he sought to punish other rainbow trolls as he had been."