Chapter 2
Pidge, Shiro and Keith were walking in the woods, just talking, laughing back and forth at what the other ones had to stay. They had been together for years. Pidge's hair was now short and she was wearing glasses. Keith had a mullet and Shiro's hair was white in the middle. Keith seemed fond of it. All three were dressed in their usual attire with their hats, shirts and of course blades (in Pidge's case bow) at the ready. They were strolling around, never ever thinking there was danger in the water. Pidge got thirsty and they stopped by a river. She bent down to take a sip when she stopped. She looked up a bit as she proceeded to bend down again and drank some water, feeling that something was wrong. That's when it happened. She rolled back as an arrow was aimed for the spot she was in. Keith's and Shiro's eyes widened. Pidge, Keith and Shiro started running through the forest: jumping fences, dodging trees and trying to get away as they contemplated nothing but escaping and finally making it with Shiro's muscles' help. He lifted all three of them up in a tree. They sighed in relief as the guards passed them and adventured deeper in the forest. Keith let his head fall backwards in relief and Shiro groaned.
"You know something, Pidge? You're taking too many chances." Shiro said in his fatherly overprotective tone.
"Chances? You must be joking. That was just a bit of a lark, Shiro." Pidge responded. Keith scoffed.
"Yeah? That was fun? Take a look at your hat. That's not a candle on a cake, Pidge." Pidge looked up and blinked in surprise.
"Hello~" Pidge said as she took off her hat and took out the arrow sticking out of it. Shiro took out an arrow from his shirt. Pidge played with the arrow, twirling it around her fingers.
"This one almost had my name on it, didn't it? They're getting better, you know? You've got to admit it, they're getting better." Pidge said, smirking. Keith and Shiro frowned.
"Huh, yeah. The next time that sheriff'll probably have a rope around our necks. Pretty hard to laugh hanging there, Pidge." Shiro said, annoyed. Keith pretended to choke himself. Shiro pointed at Keith to emphasis his point.
"Ha! The sheriff and his whole posse couldn't lift you two off the ground! You eat like animals- En garde!" Pidge threw the arrow through Keith's hat. Keith snarled and Shiro took the arrow out of the tree's bark and out of his friend's hat.
"Hey, watch it, Pidge! That's the only hat I've got." Keith said, annoyed as he put it back on his head. Pidge chuckled as she pushed her glasses up.
"Oh, come along. You two worry too much, boys. What would Momma say about it?" Keith crossed his arms and rolled his eyes. Shiro frowned.
"You know something, you two? I was just wondering. Are we good guys or bad guys? You know. I mean, uh, our robbing the rich to feed the poor." Pidge and Keith both frowned.
""Rob"? That's a naughty word. We never rob. We just... sort of borrow a bit from those who can afford it." Keith said. Pidge snorted and Keith threw the arrow from Shiro's hand at her. She dodged and it hit the tree-bark behind her. They both laughed. Shiro rolled his eyes.
"Borrow? Huh. Boy, are we in debt." He said sarcastically. All three started laughing. Pidge opened her mouth to say something when trumpets started playing. Pidge's eyes widened. She smirked.
"Oh ho hooo~" She said as she rubbed her arms together as she looked through the branches of the tree they were in. Keith smirked.
"That sounds like another collection day for the poor. Eh, guys?" Keith said. Shiro hummed.
"Yeah. Sweet charity~" Shiro said. They all watched the guards walking by a coach. They were playing the trumpets and drums. Keith scoffed.
"Now what about that for luck? It's only a circus. A peanut operation." Pidge snorted.
""Peanuts"? Why, you dunce. That's the royal coach. It's Prince Lotor himself!!" Pidge said. Shiro frowned.
"The prince? Wait a minute. There's a law against robbing royalty. I'll catch you later." Shiro said, trying to leave. Keith caught him.
"What? And miss this chance to perform before royalty?" Keith asked. Pidge scoffed.
"Rubbish! Come on!" She said as she climbed down first. Shiro sighed as Keith followed after her.
"Ah! Here we go again..." Shiro mumbled to himself as he climbed down after them. Meanwhile in the coach, Lotor and his servant: Morvok, were laughing.
"Taxes! Taxes! Beautiful, lovely taxes!" Lotor said as he ran his fingers through the gold.
"Sire, you have an absolute skill... for encouraging contributions from the poor." Morvok said. Lotor chuckled.
"To coin a phrase, my dear counselor, rob the poor to feed the rich. Am I right-? Tell me, what is the next stop, Morvok?" The tiny galran nodded as he opened a papyrus.
"Uh, let me see. Uh, I-- Oh! Yes. The next stop is Nottingham, sire!!" Morvok said. Lotor laughed.
"Oh! The richest plum of them all. Nothing--ham." Morvok chuckled at the prince's joke. Lotor put his crown on and Morvok held the mirror for him.
"A perfect fit, sire. Most becoming. You look regal, dignified, sincere, masterful, noble, chival--" Morvok said. Lotor raised his hand and stopped him.
"Uh, uh, don't, don't overdo it, Morvok. There. That, I believe, does it. This crown gives me a feeling of power! Power! Power. Hmm" Lotor said as he admired himself and his long hair.
"And how well King Alfor's crown sits on your noble brow." Morvok added.
"Doesn't it--? Uh, King Alfor? I've told you never to mention that man's name!?!" Lotor said as he lowered the mirror to look at his servant.
"A-A mere slip of the tongue, Your Majesty. We're in this plot together, if you don't mind my saying so. And remember, it was your father's idea I hypnotized him and—"
"I know. And sent him off on that crazy crusade!" They both laughed at that. It was a great plan made by his father and mother. Their brilliant minds always had great plans. If only the people were more loyal. But it's better to be feared than loved.
"Much to the sorrow of the Queen Mother..." Morvok said. Lotor frowned.
"Yes! Mother. Mother always did like Alfor best...But she still married father..." Lotor said, pouting.
"Yes and--"
"Now look here. One more word out of you, Morvok, and you are walking to Nottingham!" Morvok grumbled.
Outside of the coach, in the bushes, Shiro, Keith and Pidge were hiding. They changed clothes to look like fortune tellers. Pidge was adjusting her hair and tying it up. Keith smirked as he saw the coach.
"Would you look at that~" Keith said. Shiro chuckled and Pidge gesture for them to come out. They all got out of the bushes in the road.
"Oo-de-lally! Oo-de-lally!
Fortune-tellers!
Fortunes forecast! Lucky charms!
Get the dope with your horoscope~" Pidge said. Keith snorted at the last part. Shiro looked at Keith unimpressed.
"Fortune-tellers! How droll. Uh, stop the coach!" Lotor said. Morvok gasped.
"Sire, sire, they may be bandits!!" Morvok said, shaking Lotor. Lotor pushed him off.
"Oh, poppycock. Female bandits? What next? Rubbish!" The three bandits looked at each other with a knowing look. They approached the coach and Lotor greeted them at the door.
"Um, um, my dear ladies, you have my permission to kiss the royal hands. Whichever you like, first." Pidge giggled.
"Mmm! Oh! How gracious! And generous~." She mumbled the last part as she kissed the hand. Using her teeth she took out the gems from Lotor's rings. Morvok gasped as he noticed her. Pidge winked.
"Sire! Sire! Did you see what they--" Lotor growled at him.
"Not a word!" Shiro and Keith stole the rest of the jewels. Morvok gasped.
"Sire- did you see- did you see--" Lotor growled again and picked Morvok up and shoved him in a big chest.
"Oh, you've spoken your last words!!" Lotor said, sitting on the chest. Pidge went in and smiled.
"Masterfully done, Your Excellency!" She closed the curtains and Shiro and Keith walked on the other side.
"Now close your eyes... and concentrate. Close your eyes. Tight shut. No peeking, sire." Pidge said in the sweetest voice. Lotor purred a bit. Pidge stuck her tongue out in disgust at that.
"From the mists of time, come forth, spirits. Yoo-hoo!" Pidge said as she wiggled her arms around and coughed. Shiro took out a crystal ball with fire-flies in it and tied it to a stick.
"Okay, little fireflies. Glow, babies, glow." Shiro said as he dropped the globe in. Pidge gasped.
"We're waiting-- Ah, oh! Look, sire. Look!" Lotor opened his eyes.
"Oh! Incredible. Floating spirits~" He tried to touch the globe. Pidge gasped and hit his hand. Shit-
"Ah, oh! Naughty, naughty. You mustn't touch, young man~ Maybe later." Pidge said, trying to sound flirty. Keith snorted as he heard her and Shiro was muffling his laughter. Lotor purred.
"Oh my~" Pidge hid her disgust with a fake smile. She pulled the globe down and Shiro cut the rope and left from next to the coach.
"Shh, now! You'll break the spell. Just gaze into the crystal ball. Oo-de-lally! Oo-de-lal-- Oh! A face appears.- A crown is on his noble brow!!" Pidge said as she rubbed the ball. Lotor smiled and puffed his chest.
"Oo-de-lally! A crown! How exciting~!" Pidge peeked outside to see Keith as he was picking the solid-gold hubcaps of the coach and Shiro was using a knife to cut a hole in a chest carried by the guards and slipping the coins in his clothes, mostly his shirt, making it look like he had a huge chest. Pidge smirked and got back to her own stealing.
"His face is handsome, regal, majestic, loveable, a cuddly face~" Pidge said as she carefully slipped near him and rubbed circles with her thumb on his hand, slipping a ring off.
"Handsome, regal, oh! Majestic. Loveable. Yes, yes. Cuddly. Oh, that's me to a "T." It really is. Yes. - I-- - Now what?" Pidge blinked in surprise. Shit- She needed more time.
"I, uh -- I see, um, your illustrious name!!" She said. Lotor was growing impatient. The flirting was failing.
"I know my name! Get on with it!!" Pidge used her foot to slip a bag of money outside. Keith caught it. Morvok gasped as he saw her.
"Your name will go down, down, down, in history, of course!" Lotor gasped.
"Yes! I knew it! I knew it! Do you hear that, Morvok? Oh, you-- He's in the chest. Don't forget it...Hah..." Pidge smiled.
"Now we're talking." Shiro mumbled as finally the last coins left the chest and he started walking away. One of the guards looked after Shiro as he was walking, holding his newfound chest. He swung his hips a bit and a guard whistled. Shiro smiled tensely and wiggled his fingers at him, batting his lashes. Pidge, Keith and Shiro all three dolted and managed to bump into each other, dropping some of the coins. Pidge was also wearing Lotor's fur coat and had a bag of money. They all started gathering the coins quickly and they ran. Lotor exited the coach only to see the three running and Pidge waving at him, sticking her tongue out. Lotor gasped and looked at himself. His coat was missing!
"ROBBED! I'VE BEEN ROBBED!! MORVOK!" The little galran got out of the giant chest.
"You're never around when I need you--! Oh. Ahem. I've been robbed." Morvok looked unimpressed.
"Of course you've been robbed!!" Morvok said.
"Oo-de-lally, oo-de-lally!" Keith sing-sang as they ran.
"Fortunes forecast. Lucky charms~!" Shiro said, waving at the guard that whistled at him as the three bandits were still running.
"After them, you fools!" But without the cuffs, the wheels of the coach fell and they couldn't run after them. Lotor screamed.
"No, no, no, no! Mommy!" He said as he curled up in a ball. Morvok watched the scene and sighed, patting the prince's back.
Pidge, Keith and Shiro laughed as they were running towards their camp.
"Ohhh boyyyy~ Mom will surely be happy!" Keith said. Pidge laughed and cheered. Shiro whistled and they all started singing. This was a good day.