Neightingham was quiet. The small kingdom was filled with sleeping ponies. The king’s castle towered over the sleepy town where the subjects lived. Most of the ponies in the entire kingdom were sleeping….most of them. Sure, the Royal Neightingham Guards were awake and guarding the castle, but there was also another pony up. One of the windows high up from the ground was opened, and a pony stood on a balcony, looking out at the town. It wasn’t just any pony. It was an alicorn. Obviously, it was a royal figure. The alicorn spread out red wings, and began to lower himself from the balcony to the ground below. He was in the Royal Garden. The alicorn trotted across the quiet garden, to a collection of bushes near a castle wall. He attempted to stay in the shadows, as spotlights from guard ponies dotted the ground, and he had no wish to be spotted. He dove into the bushes, and crouched down beside a large mound of dirt. His heavy hoof dug at the dirt, removing it and revealing a deep hole. The alicorn went in, and entered a tunnel when he reached the bottom. His horn emitted a light brown glow, lighting the tunnel. The alicorn went on, and came upon an upward turn in the tunnel. Up he went, the tip of his horn poking a hard surface. The alicorn used a levitation spell to remove the barrier, which was a stone from the floor of a room in the castle. The alicorn poked his head into the room and saw mountains of golden bits. He levitated a sack from his neck and began stuffing coins into it.
CREEEEAAAAAAAAKKKKK!!!!!!!
The door of the room began to open. The alicorn quickly made his head back down into the hole, placing the cover back, and going back the way he came. He found himself back in the bushes and he covered the entrance hole. His heart pounded. That was close. The alicorn went back up to the balcony, and into a magnificent bedroom. The alicorn trotted to a large closet and retrieved a cloak that would cover his whole body, but had holes for him to stick out his wings and fly. He flew away, far from the castle, and into town. He used his magic to divide the bits evenly. He wanted to separate as many groups of as many bits as he could. He galloped through the town, coming to a random home, setting some bits down. This was something he had done a few times before. That foolish king couldn’t possibly tell that some bits were gone. The subjects needed it more. They were grateful, but they never knew who was doing such a deed. Anyway, he repeated this method multiple times, until he had one group of coins left. He arrived at a rundown toy store. He knew that the toymaker who worked there also lived there. He set the bits down, but as he turned to leave, he found that a unicorn stallion staring up at him in awe.
“You…” the unicorn whispered. “You’re the one…”
The alicorn backed away. He couldn’t let his identity be revealed. But his hind legs stepped on the hem of his cloak, and he fell on his rump. The hood on the cloak fell off his head, exposing his face. The unicorn gasped.
“Prince Splattercoat?” said the unicorn. “You’ve been doing this? The whole time?”
“Yes, my subject,” the prince sighed, knowing that denying it wasn’t an option. “You’re Ragdoll, right?”
“Yes, Your Highness,” the unicorn, Ragdoll replied, bowing.
“Arise, Ragdoll,” Prince Splattercoat said.
Ragdoll stood up, awkwardly fiddling with his hooves.
“What are you doing out, anyway?” asked the prince.
“I was at my sister’s house,” Ragdoll explained. “Her husband was sick, so I dropped off some noodle soup for him to eat.”
“How nice of you, Ragdoll,” Prince Splattercoat said, smiling gently. “Is he feeling any better?”
Ragdoll sighed.
“He’s not doing so good,” said the unicorn. “He’s trying to scrap up enough money to pay the king’s taxes, that he hardly can afford medicine. I worry he may…” He trailed off.
Splattercoat listened to his subject’s story, feeling pain for him. He also felt anger. His wretched, greedy father was the cause of this. He was going to kill the Neightingham ponies eventually. He wanted to help further. But since Ragdoll knew who he was, the unicorn would have to be silenced.
“Promise me something, Ragdoll.”
“Anything, my lord.”
“Say nothing about this to anyone. If news spreads that I’m the one doing this, my father will find out.”
“I promise not to tell.”
“Thank you, Ragdoll.”
With that, the alicorn prince turned, replacing the hood on his head, spreading his wings, and flying back to the castle. He went into the bedroom he left, and put away the cloak. He lied on the bed, tired. The tip of his hoof rubbed his temple. He relished the peace of the night.
The next morning was cold, like a fall morning should feel. Inside the prince’s bedroom, a light fire roared. Prince Splattercoat was sitting before it, watching it with heavy concentration. Sleep didn’t come to him much last night. He had a lot on his mind. Ragdoll knew his secret, and he was almost caught. This whole “robin hood” act was getting risky.
A knock on the bedroom door caught his attention.
“Your Highness?” a deep voice called.
Prince Splattercoat’s horn glowed, and the door opened. A honey-colored Pegasus stood there, dressed in his royal armor. The prince smiled weakly.
“Morning, Matthias,” Prince Splattercoat greeted.
“Good morning, Your Majesty,” Matthias replied. “It’s time for breakfast.”
“Alright. Will you walk with me?”
“As you wish, Your Majesty.”
The prince stood up, and went out of the room. He stood beside Matthias. With a nod, they both began walking down a long corridor. Their walk was silent, neither of them wanting to waste time talking, as there wasn’t really much to talk about. Their journey ended in a spacious room. A long wooden table rested in the middle of the room. On the table, was a large collection of food, such as waffles, eggs, oatmeal, and even pancakes. Prince Splattercoat didn’t feel very hungry, but he really needed to eat. He sat at one end of the table. At the other end was a chartreuse colored alicorn. He wore a golden crown, and a plush red robe. This was the king, and Splattercoat’s father, King Strongwave. He was already eating buttered toast and using a quail pen write laws on some parchment. Prince Splattercoat did not look at him, or start a conversation. This caused King Strongwave to look up.
“Good morning, son,” he said.
“Father,” Prince Splattercoat muttered, levitating a fork and picking at some scrambled eggs with it.
“Good lad. Communication is the best way to rule a kingdom. Remember that.”
“It’s not like you know how to rule a kingdom,” the prince thought to himself. “Ponies are starving and dying because of your selfishness.”
“Yes, Father,” Splattercoat said aloud.
“Son, I need to tell you something,” the king began.
“You’re dying?” asked Splattercoat.
Strongwave laughed, thinking he was joking. In reality, Splattercoat wasn’t.
“No son,” King Strongwave said. He then grew serious. “I think somepony tried to sneak into my Treasury last night.”
Prince Splattercoat felt his heart skip a beat.
“I was walking into my Treasury to count my gold, and I saw that a section of the floor moved, as if somepony came from beneath it. I was worried it was a thief, so I recounted my bits, and found a few hundred missing.”
Splattercoat couldn’t believe it. Strongwave actually counted every bit of his money!? Now, all his plans were ruined!
“I believe that one of our subjects is a traitor,” King Strongwave continued. “I shall go in town and find them out.”
Splattercoat was worried. His subjects were in danger for something he did. He wasn’t going to allow it.
“Father,” he started. “How can you be sure that it was a subject who did it? Maybe there was a thief from outside the kingdom.”
“He’ll most likely take shelter here in order to return again.”
The king stood up.
“I shall go now, and make my announcement to the subjects. My guards will be sure to make whoever the culprit is talk.”
“But, Father—“
“That is my final word,” said the king in a firm voice, shutting his son up.
Splattercoat looked down, feeling a bit embarrassed that he allowed his father to get the better of him.
The alicorn king smiled smugly, and left to get some guards and to prepare his chariot. Splattercoat stayed in his seat, not sure whether to go after him or not. Matthias, who had been watching from afar, came to his prince’s side.
“My lord,” he whispered. “Are you alright?”
“No, I’m not,” Splattercoat sighed. “Well, I guess I have to fix this now. Matthias, you’re a good friend. I have to tell you something. I was the one who stole the money.”
“What!?” Matthias exclaimed.
“Yes,” said Prince Splattercoat. “I just couldn’t see my subjects suffer under Father’s laws. Now, I have to tell everyone what I’ve done.”
“I understand that,” Matthias said, still a bit in shock from the confession. “ And please don’t take this the wrong way, but you know what King Strongwind does to lawbreakers! What if he hangs you out of anger!?”
“He won’t,” Splattercoat reassured. “I’ll see to it he doesn’t.”
Splattercoat stood up.
“Matthias, I have to go, and stand up to my father. You return to your daily duties.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
The prince took off, away from the castle, and into town. As he soared through the clouds, he searched, and eventually spotted a gathering of ponies in the middle of the town of Neightingham. King Strongwave, who was accompanied by his own group of guards, stood tall and proud over the fearful ponies. He was currently bellowing his anger at them, while they cowered in fear.Immediately, the stallion flew down to the gathering, and landed near the back of the crowd. The ponies in the crowd noticed the prince, and stood out of his way, as if they knew he needed to get to his father.
“Father, wait,” he said when he reached his father.
“Silence,” demanded Strongwave.
“No, Father, you listen to me,” Splattercoat said with stern voice.
The subjects gasped in fear. No one spoke to the king like that, even if Splattercoat was the prince. Something like that could get you killed, and the ponies of Neightingham knew this from experience. Executions were something they were no stranger to.
Anyway, King Strongwave glared at his son, and towered over him.
“You dare to disrespect me, son?” said Strongwave in a growling voice.
“I’m trying to protect my ponies, something you don’t seem to understand!”
“One of them is a traitorous thief who stole my money! For that, the culprit must be found and punished.”
“No, Father.”
Prince Splattercoat turned, and faced the throng of ponies. His eyes wandered, spotting a pair of familiar blue eyes. It was Ragdoll, and the unicorn stared up at him in terror. But Splattercoat gave him a reassuring glance.
“Everypony,” announced the prince. “You all know that there has been a series of deliveries to your homes. A pony has been visiting houses and placing money on the doorsteps.”
The ponies nodded in agreement.
“Well, that pony is me. I was the one who gave out the money. I was the one who stole from the king.”
Splattercoat turned to his father.
“Don’t punish them, father,” he said. “I’m the one you’re mad at.”
Strongwave glared into his son’s eyes. He was silent. All of the subjects held their breath simultaneously in suspicion. Ragdoll was the most worried for his prince. Finally, the king spoke.
“You wouldn’t dare do such a thing,” he hissed. “You speak lies!”
“I assure you, I’m not.”
Everyone was silent once again as King Strongwave processed what the prince said. But when he finally did, his face twisted into a face of pure rage. He lunged at Splattercoat with his long, pointed horn. Prince Splattercoat immediately returned the gesture. Their horns collided, and they glared into each other’s eyes.
“You traitorous foal!” Strongwave spat. “You don’t deserve to have royal blood!”
“And you don’t deserve to have alicorn blood!” Splattercoat roared. “Your miserly ways are going to kill our subjects!”
Suddenly, all hell broke loose.
King Strongwave reared onto his hind legs, lashing his heavy hooves at Prince Splattercoat. He caught his son once in the eye, causing a collective cry to rise from the crowd. Splattercoat’s horn began glowing, catching Strongwave’s hoof, and pushing him back. But the older alicorn merely shot himself into the air with his wings, and shot a ray of golden flame at Splattercoat from his horn. Splattercoat defended himself with his own ray of flame, his ray being an light brown color. The rays hit each other, pushing at each other. The townsfolk watched in horror.
“Gah!”Splattercoat grunted, being less powerful. His father’s ray of sunlight came closer to him, and landed a blow on his forehead. He flew back with a scream of pain, and his forehead was singed. The prince fell onto his side, his crown flying off his head.
There was a collective gasp in horror. Ragdoll whinnied in fear.
“Prince Splattercoat!” he cried in terror.
The prince felt so weak, so powerless, and his eyes looked up with hatred at his father. The king stood over him with a sly grin. Then he turned to his subjects, and spotted Ragdoll.
“Oh, look there,” he said in a sinister voice. He suddenly levitated Ragdoll up to his face. “The prince has a friend.”
Ragdoll shivered, his eyes wide and begging.
“Leave….Ragdoll…alone.”
The king glared down at his fallen son.
“Oh,I won’t hurt him…I'll just hang a noose around his neck….or chop off his head…or maybe roast him alive…”
The prince struggled to his hooves, wanting desperately to save his subject.
“Don’t!” he cried, his eyes moistening.
“What are you going to do about it, traitor?”
“N-Nothing…just please….”
Strongwave continued to glare at Splattercoat, but regardless, he dropped Ragdoll (rather harshly) back on the ground. Prince Splattercoat glanced at the unicorn. Ragdoll looked at his prince, and quickly mouthed the words, “Thank you, my prince.”
The prince smiled weakly at Ragdoll, before glaring at his father. His father glared back.
“This meeting is over,” said Splattercoat, as he flew off, back to the castle.
The subjects began to go home, the day’s events branded into their minds.
Hours passed into the night. Splattercoat was locked in his room. He had forbid Matthias to let his father in. He needed to rest…he needed to sob. He felt that he had failed his ponies. He had to do something…anything to save the small kingdom from his tyrant father. Then the thought came to him.
King Strongwind needed to die.
So late in the night, the prince went out of his room. Matthias didn’t question him; he knew the prince had serious business to attend to. Splattercoat went to the Royal Infirmary, where special herbs and medicines were stored. Quietly, he snuck in, grabbing all sorts of herbs that could kill if they were all taken at large sums. He then snuck into the Royal Kitchen, filling his father’s personal tea leaf supply with the herbs, mashing them up so that they couldn’t be seen. The deed was done. The prince returned to bed.
Only Strongwave came to breakfast the next morning, greedily stuffing himself with fine food. He was still pretty mad at Splattercoat for his betrayal…his own son! He would have to be punished…and what better punishment than banishing him to the land of the Volcanoes in the South for 1000 years? The king drank his tea while he considered it. Hmm…it tasted a little funny. He continued to sip. The funny taste lingered in his mouth. He felt a little weird too. Then, he felt strangely tired. He decided that maybe he needed a nap, so he returned to his bed. He fell asleep quickly.
He never woke up.
The crown of a king rested upon Splattercoat’s head now. He stood before his subjects, now the only ruler of Neightingham. The day seemed to be brighter than ever.
“Subjects,” announced Prince Splattercoat. “I wish to announce that my father is no longer able to rule this kingdom. That role belongs to me now.”
There were murmurs in the throng. The prince smiled slightly.
“It’s alright,” he said. “You may cheer.”
It was then that there was the tapping of hooves and the cheering in excitement of their new found freedom.
“My subjects,” the prince said after the cheering died down. “Please, don’t refer to me as a king. I am, and always will be, your Neightingham prince. And I promise I will make things better.”
The cheers went on late into the night, and a party was held to celebrate the new ruler. Only time would tell if the kingdom became better, but rest assured, the kingdom had finally found freedom from its tyrant. And that’s what really mattered.
