Robin Hood: A Legend in Equestria

(Robin POV)

I had entered the eerie forest near midday, but now I could see the sun was slowly beginning to go down. This dark and foreboding forest was sending shivers down my whole body, a feeling I hadn’t felt since the time I spent a night in the savannas of Africa, where I could hear hyenas and lions roaring in the distance. I had my bow out and an arrow notched for good measure as I walked deeper in. At times, I could have sworn I saw glowing eyes peering out of bushes looking right at me, but whenever I turned to face them, they would disappear.

Any normal person would be panicking and running for the hills. However, from a young age, I was trained and put into similar situations so that I could remain calm, even under intense pressure. I kept walking while also making sure I wasn’t being followed by anyone or anything. I had no idea what creatures dwell within this new world. As far as I know, there are anthro talking ponies, so nothing is outside the realm of possibilities. Being calm aside, I knew I wasn’t gonna spend the night in the middle of this forest and sleep.

But that may not be an issue as I find myself following some kind of trail that cuts through the forest. Sure enough, in the distance, I see what could only be described as the ruins of a long-forgotten castle, surrounded by a moat. The only thing connecting the two sides was a very old and rickety bridge. “I swear if I reach the other side and find a giant pink female dragon, I’m gonna lose my shit,” I joked as I carefully made my way across the bridge, breaking two of the wooden planks and nearly falling down each time.

When I had finally reached the other end, I took a moment to catch my breath and survey my surroundings. I hadn’t seen any trace that there could have been any other bridges aside from the one I had just used, which tells me that no large animal could have crossed it without falling inside, meaning that I could very well be the only one around. Well, that’s what I’m hoping for at the very least.

Once I was close enough to the ruins, I saw that there wasn’t much of this castle left standing, barely a roof to shield me should it ever rain, but beggars can’t be choosers. I searched the perimeter a few times to make sure that I was the only one inside this broken-down castle, but also to see if there were any rooms with at least four walls and a door. Fortunately, there was one room that did fit the bill, a massive room with tower-high shelves filled with books: the library.

After closing the door behind me, I saw that this room seemed to be the most intact. There were a few windows that had some pieces of glass missing, but the holes weren’t big enough for anything large to slip through. Something odd that I did see there were some pillows that looked fairly new in comparison to everything else inside. It was possible that someone had visited this place some time ago, but not recently since there was a good amount of dust built up on the pillows. Still, a good dusting and they were as good as new.

“This place should be as good of enough spot as any to get some shut eye.” After picking a perfect spot to get some rest, I lay my head down on the pillow and let all the events that had transpired finally catch up. And just like that, I slipped into slumber.

When my eyes opened up, I saw a familiar place. I was sitting inside a large lobby and had my feet hanging from the chair as I kicked them back and forth. I was sitting, waiting for my father while he was in the middle of a business conference with some people with a well-known company in Mexico. I knew this memory all too well. I was just five years old when dad decided to take me with him on his business trip.

My father was a wealthy man, who made money by negotiating with big companies and helping spread the word of their brand and business. He also helped make small investments in businesses that he deemed worth his time, in exchange for a share of their profits once they were able to make a good profit.

Though I was five, I was home schooled by my parents, and they often hired experienced tutors for things such as learning new languages or subjects my parents didn’t know. Because of this, I was a well-behaved child and never caused problems for my parents. Even now, as I sat in this rather boring and quiet waiting room, I behaved myself, remaining quiet and waited patiently for my father to finish with his meeting.

The building we were in was very modern, with clean white walls, ceiling and tiles. There were a few televisions showing stuff from TV shows from soap operas to the local news in Mexico. However, outside of the building was a different story. I was sitting next to a window and saw the city outside. Unlike the building I was in that made it seem modern and somewhat cheerful, the outside was the complete opposite.

The buildings outside were tattered, run down, and almost devoid of colors besides gray, brown and beige, some of which were almost falling apart. The people were no different as some of those who walked by the building looked as though they hadn’t been happy in decades. Some were dirty and wore torn and damaged clothing and looked ill. There were some who tried to maintain a happy face, but it looked more like they were trying their best not to break down crying. There were children that looked like they hadn’t eaten in days, and almost seemed devoid of life.

The few tourists who walked down the streets all gave disgusted looks whenever they were approached by some poor person begging for money, even when that person was a child. They just shooed them away or threatened them till they walked off.

I had clenched my chest as I felt a twang of pain grip my heart, and tears had started to roll down my cheeks without me even knowing. I had never felt like this before, and I hated it. This was a feeling I didn’t ever encounter before in my life so far.

My eyes caught a glimpse of a woman holding her child’s hand as she walked around, begging any tourist who passed for money or food for their child. One of the male tourists shouted and shoved the woman and child away into an alley, both of whom fell down, and he then walked away. The mother looked hurt, but not badly injured, while the child hugged her to make sure she was alright.

I felt a slight pain in my hands and looked down to see I had them clenched tightly into fists, and they were shaking. I could also feel my heartbeat racing and a sense of anger that I, at the time, didn’t understand why I felt like this.

There were no thoughts when I had jumped up onto my feet and walked over to my father’s suitcase. Before entering the meeting, I remember us visiting a bank and saw my father withdraw a huge stack of bills that he then stuffed into his wallet. I also saw him slip his wallet into the pocket of his suitcase. I looked for that pocket until I spotted the zipper and opened it. Inside was the wallet, and it wasn’t even able to close because of how many bills were stuffed inside.

I glanced around to make sure my dad wasn’t looking and was still in his meeting. I could have grabbed just a few bills, enough that my dad wouldn’t have noticed should they go missing. But there was something inside of me that just spoke out, a voice that told me to take it all to those who really needed it most. And against my better judgment, I grabbed the wallet and quickly ran for the exit, careful not to lose any money and kept it hidden.

When I got outside, I looked around desperately for the mother and child I saw from before. And to my excitement, I saw that they were still sitting down in the alleyway. I walked up to them and spoke as clearly as possible. “Perdóneme.” I called out in Spanish. She turned to face me, and I could see more clearly that she had been neglecting herself. She looked like she was in her mid-thirties, but her face looked pale, and her cheeks were sunken in. Her arms and legs looked like they had atrophied, as though she hadn't eaten in who knows how long. I pulled a thick stack of bills from the wallet and held it out for her. “Por favor tome esta.”

The woman looked at the money with wide eyes, her mouth open in shock as she struggled to raise a hand to gently take the bills out of my hand. She looked down at them and then back to me. “Niño donde conseguiste esto. No puedo aceptar esto.”

She tried to give it back, but I gently pushed her hand back and smiled at her. “Por favor. Necesitas esto más que yo o mi padre. No lo necesitamos tanto.” And then I heard both her and her child’s stomach growl, as if they wanted to chime in. “Toma el dinero. Ve a comprar comida para ti y tu hijo. Deja de descuidarte.”

The woman began to cry. She held the money and her son close to her chest and cried. Before I knew it, she reached out and pulled me into the hug. “¡Gracias Dios! ¡Gracias por este milagro en la forma de este chico amable!” She sobbed and held me close, her son hugging me too and thanking me.

After she had finally calmed down, the two slowly got up to go and find a place to eat. But before they left, the son walked up to me. He was a little older than me, possibly seven years old. He reached into his shirt and pulled out a rosary from around his neck, and carefully moved it over my head and around my neck. “Que siempre seas bendecido por Dios.”I had no words and watched them both walk away, as though they had been given new life.

My act of generosity hadn’t gone unnoticed as more poor people slowly came up to me, some asking for the same kindness. I had no hesitation as I began to pass out money to those in need. I felt an overwhelming sense of happiness and joy as I watched their faces light up, and heard some of them wishing me good fortune and blessing me.

I had finished giving the last of the money to thankfully the very last person and watched them leave for the closest food vender. But no sooner after giving that money away did I feel a hand clasp my shoulder. Looking back, I saw my father looking down at me with a stern expression on his face. He guided me into the alley, and in my mind, I felt as though I was about to receive a very harsh punishment.

Once we were far back enough, he stopped in front of me and kept his back turned to me. “Son, did you steal the money from my wallet, and went and gave it to all those poor people?” I felt my voice catching in my throat as I let out a weak yes. “Would you care to explain to me why you did that before I do what comes next?”

Even though I was terrified of my punishment, a part of me told me I should be scared, but proud of what I did. Without any real thought into what I was gonna say, I answered. “Because they needed it!” My father looked over his shoulder as I shouted. “You have so much money, but they don't even have enough to buy food! I couldn’t sit there knowing I could have done something!” I kept shouting, I never once shouted at either of my parents, nor have I ever felt this angry. There was a fire burning in my chest that could not be quelled. “We live with so many luxuries, that I didn’t know until I saw that mother and her son. She was denying herself food so her son wouldn’t starve to death! I’ve never been that hungry and I know that I’m lucky for it.” Tears began to well up in my eyes, because in the back of my mind, I knew that what I did hadn’t solved the problem. “But I was able to bring a smile on their faces by taking from the rich and giving to the poor. And I’d do it again even if it means you hate me!!”

After that last shout, my heart was racing. I knew that I was about to receive a painful punishment, but I didn’t care. I spoke the truth and stood by it. Even when I saw my father turn to face me and raise his hand up, my resolve did not falter. I closed my eyes and braced for the hit.

But after a few seconds, all I felt was a hand gently caressing my head. When I opened my eyes, I saw that he was kneeling down on one knee, and he had this smile that I had never seen before. My father, for as long as I had known him for the five years I was alive, never smiled the way he was right now. He wasn’t a cold man in that he never smiled at his own son, but that it was a simple smile, one of approval of a task you were expected to do. However, this smile put all of those to shame. He was smiling ear to ear and showing his white teeth, and I could see that his eyes mirrored that joy, he looked like he was on the verge of tears. “I’m so proud of you, son.” Even his voice, which was neutral, sounded vastly different. “You truly are a Loxley.”

He stood back up and held out his hand for me to hold. He guided me back out of the alley and held my hand gently as he spoke. “Son, did you notice anything about the bills you took out of my wallet?” The question threw me off a bit. I hadn’t the foggiest idea what he meant by that. I tried to think back on the bills I was handing out, but couldn’t think of what it had to do with his question. He must have figured out that he had me stumped and continued. “The money I withdrew was all Mexican currency, because there are some places around this country that don’t usually take US currency.”

Then it finally hit me. “You wanted me to take the money to give to the people here?” I asked, now beyond curiosity as to what my father was thinking.

He smiled and nodded. “Yes, son. That was a test.” A test? What kind of test would have their child steal money from them, and so much? “Son, I'm willing to bet that there was a part of you that just told you to take that money and give it to the poor, despite the repercussions that would have come after.” How did he know? “I think it’s about time I tell you a little bit more about our family’s origin, and the real work I do that no one knows about.”

That day, I took the first of many steps into learning who I was, and the destiny that would forever intertwine with my life.

CREEAAK

The sound of the wood doors creaking snapped me out of my dream, and immediately, I reached for my bow and drew an arrow from my quiver. From atop the tallest bookshelf where I was sleeping, I turned my eyes to the doors. I needed time for my eyes to adjust since it was still dark outside. I couldn’t have been asleep for more than two hours at best. I could vaguely make out two figures moving through the room, and soon enough, I could hear their voices.

“Are ya sure he came this way, RD?” I heard a rather familiar southern accent, female if I was right.

“Look, he ran into the Everfree, and this is the only place anypony could spend the night without getting jumped by any monsters.” I then heard a very familiar raspy voice. It was Rainbow Dash from the pub.

After a few seconds, I saw what looked like a torch being lit, and then watched the flame move across the room. Soon, other torches began to be ignited and the room became more illuminated. I didn’t need to worry about these two being a threat and placed both my bow and arrow back before jumping down.

When I touched down on the ground, there was a loud thud that made both ponies jump and yelp before turning in my direction to see what had made the sound. “I wasn’t expecting to have guests over. Had I known, I would have tidied up a bit,” I joked as I strolled up to them.

“For Faust’s sake, don’t do that, dude!” Rainbow Dash held her chest as she and her friend caught their breaths. “What were you even doing up there anyway?”

“I was sleeping. I learned how to sleep just about anywhere. Comes in handy when there isn’t a bed for miles.” This was one of many skills I had to learn to make the best of a bad situation. “Now I have a question: what are you two doing here?”

“We came to see if we can find you. We kinda freaked out when you ran straight into the Everfree Forest.” Dash had moved to take a seat over on a nearby table along with her friend. Dash had told me about this forest, that, by pony standards, it was an oddity because everything here grew and lived without the aid of the ponies. But to me, that just sounded like back home.

“Yeah, well, it was someplace that seemed like a good place to hide out for a bit.” I glanced around the walls of the place, and despite its less than ideal conditions, it did have something alluring to it. Like being in this castle felt almost natural. I snapped myself from admiring the castle and looked at the pony that tagged along with Dash. “You’re Applejack, right?” She looked at me and nodded. I could tell she was still shaken up about earlier, and I couldn’t blame her. She and her siblings nearly died, but cheated death only by chance. “I understand if you are still on edge from before, but did you do what I asked before I left?”

She nodded weakly and took deep breaths to calm herself down. “We did. Actually, before Granny was killed.” I saw Dash wince a bit and almost looked worried for her friend. “She had us start building a secret cellar deep in the orchard, with an exit that leads into the White Tail Woods. We’ve been stowing whatever we could when no pony was looking.” Tears had begun to well up in her eyes, and I pulled out a handkerchief from my shirt pocket out for her. She happily took it and dabbed her eyes before handing it back. “Thanks, sugarcube, ah really appreciate it.”

While I wanted to feel bad for this poor girl, I couldn’t for the life of me ignore the fact that, despite this being a world meant to be set in the Middle Ages, she was talking with a western accent. Come to think of it, the people here talk like they’re from my time. Dash even said “dude”. I feel like the book of logic might have been thrown out the window in this world.

“Anyway, after you left, me and mah siblings got to work harvesting as many apples as we could to put in the cellar, and some of our belongings from our home. We’re trying to get as much as possible before they come back to finish the job.” She wept again and I gave her my hankie to keep. I felt like she needed it more than me.

“Well, they wouldn’t be coming back if you had just killed that last guard.” Dash turned her attention to me, and she seemed to have an attitude now. “Why didn’t you kill him? If you did, he wouldn’t be off running back to Blueblood to get help.”

“He would have sent more soldiers regardless of whether I had killed that last guard or not.” Both ponies looked like they didn’t understand what I meant. “They were sent out to do a job that would have taken but a few hours to do and should have been back with a report by the end of the day’s end. Had they not returned, they most definitely would have sent some more to see as to why.” Both Applejack and Rainbow Dash went silent as they both came to the same conclusion and couldn’t really argue with my logic. “Anyway, we have a more pressing matter to deal with.”

“What would that be?” both girls asked.

“Since someone did stop them, they are bound to retaliate. The only thing we need to know is how long we have before that happens.” I leaned back in my chair, thankful it wasn’t old enough to break just from my weight alone. I tried to imagine how long till reinforcements would arrive. “Between here and your capital, how long would you say it would take for someone on foot to get there?”

Both girls looked at one another before Applejack spoke up. “Well, when ah did it, it took me nearly a whole day to get there, and that was when I was in peak condition. Given that feller was a unicorn, I’d say it could take him as long, if not a bit longer?”

So, one day so far, which meant that we might have two days if the trip back takes as long. In theory it should, since a mark of enemies tends to move slower than one running at full speed. But “if” isn’t good enough. “Let's assume they wanted to come back; is there a faster way they can do so in less time?”

“Well, they could take a train.” Rainbow said, making me look at her in disbelief.

“Did you say a train?” She nodded and I pinched the bridge between my nose. ‘So this world is set in a medieval era, yet they have people here who speak like the modern era from home, people with southern accents, and trains……Where the fuck am I?’

Giving myself a moment to finally understand that I’m in a world where magic and pastel colored anthro ponies exist, I decided to just let it go. “Alright, so assuming they decided to come back via train, how long would that take at best?”

The two spoke among each other and I could hear some bickering, no doubt trying to argue the right time. After about a minute or so, Dash turned to me. “At best, eight hours.”

“And is that with them making pit stops to drop off passengers along the tracks?” I figured that the trains here must go around the whole kingdom.

Applejack shook her head. “Nah, that's coming straight from Canterlot to here. See, ever since that varmint Blueblood took over, he’s forbidden anypony who isn’t either a member of the guard or a noble from riding on the trains.” Applejack sighed and shook her head. “Ah tell you what, it was hard as is when he raised taxes, but making it so even us working ponies can’t use the train made it harder to make a living. Hell, no other merchants even bother coming this far out anymore, and those who do shoot up their prices. Makes it harder for us to even get the bare minimum to make food or rebuild our homes.”

“Tell me about it. I have to haggle to buy a single barrel of beer for the bar. I’d be lucky if I can get four without having to sell my wings,” Dash added, looking just as defeated as Applejack.

Taking in all this information, I began to do the math. ‘So, one full day till that soldier reaches the castle. Plus, the eight hour long train ride. Assuming they need to also gather the manpower needed to wipe out a town, as well as prepare the train for travel, that's about maybe another day at best.’ After factoring in all the variables and possible ways the math could be off, I came to a reasonable idea when they’ll be back. “We got less than two days before they come back.”

“Two days? Isn’t that a bit too soon?” Applejack asked, seeming surprised by my rough estimate. “Ah mean, ah would think they would take a bit longer, don’t ya think?”

I shook my head and stood up from my chair to pace around the room. “I highly doubt it. Odds are the king will see this as an insult to his rule. Rulers like this Blueblood are all the same. If there is any sign that his reign is tarnished or besmirched, he will act in aggression. The one thing that can topple a tyrant’s reign is not weapons or power.” I turned back to see the girls now hanging off my every word. “It’s hope.”

“Hope?” both mares asked simultaneously.

I nodded and continued. “That’s right. You see, it takes only for a single spark of hope to grab the attention of a nation. Every cruel ruler knows that a single glimmer of hope can spell disaster for their rule. Because at the end of the day, there are more ponies being oppressed and enslaved than there are guards and nobles in that capital. A cruel ruler knows that a spark of hope has the potential to ignite the fuse that can spark a kingdom into rising up and fighting back. So it’s only natural that the ones desperate to cling to their power will do all that it takes to stamp out that flame before it can grow.”

As I spoke of sparks, I could almost see some in both Applejack and Rainbow Dash’s eyes. As though they only now just began to realize what today’s action truly meant. However, to keep that feeling alive, I needed to come up with a plan to ensure not only the safety of the whole town, but keep the king from breathing down our necks once it’s over.

Over the years as Robin Hood, I’ve used a great many plans to fool my enemies and trick them into leaving innocent people alone. I just needed to think of one that I could do in a short amount of time. I normally would have weeks to plan out my tactics, but after being thrust into a new world and having a short time span, I was in a real pickle.

While passing the library, watching the light made by the many torches flicker and dance around the library, I stopped to look at some sheets of paper along the floor. “Paper?” Something about paper started to nag my mind and was telling me that this was the key.

After a few more seconds, it finally clicked. “I think I have a plan. If it works, not only will Applejack and her siblings be saved, but if we’re lucky, the whole town might be able to get the king and his taxes off our backs for a good while.”

“No joking? That's awesome! What’s the plan?” Dash, who sounded excited, stood up, her wings fluttering.

“Yeah, partner, don’t keep us in suspense. Tell us.” Applejack seemed just as eager, if not sounding more hopeful.

With a smile on my face, I drew one of my arrows and examined the tip to make sure it was sharp enough. “It’s actually very simple, really. You two, as well as everyone in that town, must die.”

(2 days later 3rd POV)

“Sheriff…Sheriff.” A stallion guard called out to another as they slept in their seat.

The second stallion grumbled and opened his eyes, albeit reluctantly. “Oh, what now? I had just gotten comfortable,” he whined as his mind began to stir awake.

“We’re almost at our destination. I think now would be a good time to prepare for our mission,” the first stallion said as he left to go prepare.

Sheriff Swindle groaned and yawned as he stretched his arms and legs out while still sitting. As he woke up, he could hear and feel the train chugging along the tracks. The train car he was resting so comfortably on mere moments ago swayed and bobbed, making it almost impossible for him to not fall back asleep.

The pony sheriff was a slightly overweight unicorn stallion with light gray fur and a greasy black mane. He had yellow eyes and a poorly trimmed five o’clock shadow.

Despite his rank and name being sheriff, Swindle held a very high rank in his majesty’s court. He was also awarded the title of tax collector and commanded a very good portion of the king’s army. This was in part due to his quick adjustment to the sudden change in rulers. Swindle was an opportunist, and a very cunning one at that. The moment the princesses went missing and there wasn’t any sign of them coming back, he was the first to approach the new king and pledge his undying loyalty.

The fact he was a unicorn himself played in his favor. He brownnosed the king so much, he was awarded his title that was far superior to what the princesses had him stationed; a lonely guard placed in a market looking out for purse snatchers and helping lost crying foals find their parents.

Thankfully, he was also decent at magic. The king had stated that only unicorns with high levels of magical aptitude were allowed in his royal army. However, seeing as the king barely knew any beyond lifting objects as heavy as a sword as a qualification, any unicorn who would actually apply to enroll in the king’s army would pass no problem. If the king had been smart, he would have used his secretary as a good point of reference, as she was extremely skilled in magic. But Blueblood was too prideful to let anypony, let alone a mare, outdo him, such as the way of a fool.

The king was a fool, this much Swindle knew, and if he played his cards right, he could brownnose his way to a cushy life. Of course, that’s something he already has a bit of now.

Being in the king’s army came with so many benefits, you’d have to be a fool not to join if you can make the cut. Good pay, free drinks wherever there is a bar, and looking down at all the annoying peasants that he was charged to look out for. So what if he needed to bloody his hands a little? So what if he abuses his power to bully the poor? So long as he collects those taxes, he’s doing his job.

And this job wouldn’t be any problem. All they had to do was go in, slaughter some dumb townsfolk, and make it seem like they had been attacked by bandits.

While Sheriff Swindle was thinking about his master plan, he picked up on a rather unpleasant smell. He sniffed the air and fanned his hand near his nose. “Ugh, what smells like somethin’ is burnin’?”

Not a moment after asking his question did the first stallion come barging into the cabin. “Sheriff, half the town has been set ablaze!”

“What!?” Swindle shouted before moving his head near the closest window and poked his head out. Sure enough, in the distance about a mile away, he could make out the small town of Ponyville, as well as towers of black smoke and burning buildings. And ignoring the rushing wind blowing in his ear, he could hear the sound of ponies crying and screaming in pain.

Within ten minutes, the train docked at the station and all aboard the train rushed out toward the town. Plumes of black smoke began to build as they saw three to four houses set ablaze. When the Sheriff and his posse reached the outskirts of town, they saw the horror that befell the townsfolk.

Bodies littered the ground, some crushed beneath broken rubble, others with two to three arrows in their bodies, blood staining their clothes where the arrows pierced their bodies. Near a collapsed building, a mother and child could be seen lying on the ground, their hands held with arrows lodged deep in their backs.

“What in tarnation is going on here?!” Swindle called out, turning to look at his soldiers. “We were supposed to be the only ones coming out here, right?”

“Somepony help!!” a raspy voice called out from the town. When the group of unicorn soldiers turned to look back at the town, they saw two figures hobbling toward them. Both of them were mares, one was an earth pony who had blood dripping down her body, cuts and bruises and an arrow in her back. Said mare was being dragged by a pegasus with a rainbow mane, and she didn’t look like she was faring any better. “He’s going to kill us. Please stop him before…”

There was a sudden swishing sound and the mare let out a muted gasp before collapsing to the ground with her friend. The moment her body hit the ground, the soldiers could see an arrow had been shot into her back. They all saw blood staining her shirt where the arrow had struck. “Well well, lookie what we have here.” Everyone turned their heads to where they heard a voice and saw a hooded figure standing atop one of the burning buildings, bow and arrows in hand. “More moving targets for me to play with.”