A/N: As of now, the plan is to write this story after I'm finished writing the current two. This was something I really wanted to write out, even though the full effect would be ruined if I included it in the actual story. When I start uploading that one, anyone will be able to see where this falls into it.

Birthday Bash 2022

20th Anniversary!

Prompt 7

Unexpected Crossover

xxXxx

A gorgeous white cat checked her numbers against the map sprawled over the table in a deep cave. "I think that about covers this month's 'donations'. We can start distributing tonight if you like."

"I don't see a reason not to," a tall tabby agreed as he bent over the map and nicked one of her pages to check her numbers. "I trust the band, but there are families going without food because of that scoundrel. If it takes us to keep the people alive, so be it."

"Humbert… you know we can't go on like this," his sister told him gently.

"Yes, yes, I know, Louise," he admitted before collapsing in the chair opposite her. "But whether we like it or not, the castle's too well-guarded for an attack, and we don't have enough forces, besides. But you wait, the window of opportunity will-"

"Humbert," she stated firmly while capping her ink. "It's not that I don't believe in our cause. I assure you that nothing would grant me more joy than to swear fealty to a cat worthy of the crown. But I hope you realize who the people will demand for a replacement, and what that would entail for you."

Her twin scowled. "I will aide in selecting a new king, but all I want out of this is our family castle and lands back. If he doesn't already have one, the new king will need a queen."

Louise saddened. "Brother. It's been eight years."

"Don't act like you're surprised," he growled at her before rising to his feet. 'I don't have the patience for this argument today.' "I do believe I made it clear that you should focus on your own marital status? Many times, if memory serves."

She sighed in exasperation. "How can I? While the idea of getting married in Sherwood Forest is lovely when I find the right one, I don't want to do it in the shadows. I'd want to be able to have it out in the open, and not have to continually shush everyone to keep the sheriff's men from finding us. I'm so tired, Humbert!"

"I assure you you're not alone," he promised, even though the actual heists were still plenty of fun.

But it wasn't like there were enough rich travelers coming through the forest to be constantly robbing former associates he never really liked. If his men weren't watching the country roads as well as the forest, their 'revenue' would have probably dried up by now.

He sighed tiredly. "But yes. The notion of relaxing in the open does ring better and better every day. But we still owe it to the kingdom to ensure that the day will come, if not for us."

Louise closed her eyes and covered her face with both paws. "Do you find me selfish for wanting that day to come for me?"

"No," Humbert assured her gently while covering one of her paws with his own. "That's why we're here, like this. You know that as well as I."

She nodded but couldn't find it in her to say more.

Without warning, the curtain covering the entrance to their cave was thrown out of the way by an extravagant gesture. "Guess who's here!" another tabby cat beamed as she strutted into the room with one paw outstretched in front of her. Unlike the other two's formal wear, she was dressed from head to toe in green for forest camouflage.

"Jerry!" Humbert exclaimed happily, since it was a welcome change of discussion. "News from the castle, I take it?"

The small brown mouse nodded worriedly before hopping out of the cat's open paw and onto the table. Even as he ran across the map toward Louise, she uncapped the ink and moved her notes out of the way so that he could get at her quill and fresh parchment.

"I'm here, too," the tabby feline sulked, making Humbert laugh and wrap an arm around her before licking her forehead.

"Sorry, Hiromi, it's not on purpose. Was it a quiet patrol other than Jerry's return?"

She nodded dejectedly. "Yep. It's been a boring day without the soldiers, so we'll see if our little friend knows why," the youngest Gikkingen sibling reported before rubbing her face against her brother's shoulder. "He seemed pretty agitated when he crossed paths with me."

Louise was already in position behind the mouse so that she could slowly read what he wrote. "I didn't overhear the actual conversation, but Duke Lucifer's bringing back a weapon from Equestria. I think it's a kidnapping, and I think it's a girl pony, probably a unicorn. Because King John was ordering servants to make his tallest tower into suitable chambers for a lady, but with bars on the windows despite the height. I overheard King John gloating to Sir Sylvester and Sir Thomas that Lucifer was bringing back 'the key to the Baron's destruction'. There was also talk about a type of collar that cancels out all magic, and synithe to 'keep her docile'."

"Synithe?!" Hiromi hissed angrily before looking up at her brother.

"I'll start brewing the antidote as soon as I hear details about when our new recruit will be delivered to us," Humbert promised before looking at Jerry, who nodded solemnly before furiously writing again.

"I don't think you'll have time to brew it beforehand. I heard from King John himself that they were going to take the Southern Road and try to slip through the Insanity Pass at night to avoid detection from your people. They're already on their way back, but they have to be careful because the ponies are looking for the stolen one. We'd better hurry," Louise urged after Jerry was finished 'speaking'. "Pony or not; this doesn't sound like anyone we want that sorry excuse of royal reject to get his paws on."

Her brother nodded as he rushed out of the cave to rally his band. "Attention, everyone!" he called as he entered a much larger cave.

Even after all this time, it still warmed his heart to see every soul his cause had gathered as they stopped with the usual fight between Muta and Toto to look over at him. Literally everything from old family retainers to tired and hungry peasants were here, leading him to wonder how many more would come if they only knew where to look.

"Our sorry excuse of a king has once again proven his unworthiness by resorting to kidnapping a resident of Equestria he thinks can defeat me. But I think we can persuade her to join us with a perfectly timed rescue, don't you?" the baron asked with a cocky grin.

As he suspected, his merry band wasted no time roaring their agreement.

"So who is it?" Tweety asked as he flew closer to the leader of the resistance, who could only shake his head at the question.

"Jerry didn't hear a name but he's fairly certain it's a unicorn. Toto, you've visited Equestria; will we need a stretcher to carry a drugged pony?"

The large crow laughed disdainfully. "There's a reason we call them 'little ponies'. Any cat worth his catnip could carry a standard pony, and the lardball-"

"Hey!" Muta roared, but Toto continued as if he didn't hear him.

"-can carry our new recruit if she's on the bigger side."

Baron nodded with a small smile. "Then let's get started. From what Jerry's told me, this is someone we don't want King John getting his paws on."

ooOoo

It wasn't hard to differentiate the carriage they wanted over any other travelers trying to bypass the Baron's 'territory'. Duke Lucifer was riding upfront with the coachcat instead of inside the completely enclosed carriage, for one thing. His green eyes were trying to be watchful and alert, but he kept flinching with every bump of the road.

Since he had never been fond of the duke, Humbert couldn't resist a smile of satisfaction that the cause for the flinching probably came from his arm in an obviously slipshod sling. "Get ready," he whispered to Tweety, who nodded and flew above the trees without his usual green cap or tunic to avoid rousing suspicion.

Duke Lucifer did look at him, but sniffed and kept looking elsewhere, likely for signs of hostile cats. Humbert kept his own eyes on Tweety, who had no trouble surveying the entire black carriage. After a while, he landed on the back of it and began using his tiny wings to signal Baron.

Locked up tight. No sound from within. We'll have to take the carriage itself.

Then Tweety flew off in a different direction, since he was one of the secrets to the band's success and couldn't join on the assault.

Baron frowned, since he really liked the idea of stealing the occupant and letting the duke find out long after the fact that his little prize got away, but there was no help for it. "Plan C," he whispered to Hiromi and Toto.

The large crow made the accompanying bird call while Baron readied his bow with the slight digits of his paws. He had already switched out his favorite suit to green livery that helped him blend in with the surrounding trees.

Tweety had been annoyed that he wasn't allowed to help with 'transactions', but even he was forced to concede that it just wasn't safe to bring any attention to himself. It simply wouldn't do if every heist talked about a canary singing at the same time as a 'forced donation.'

In the duke's defense, he did have twenty soldiers marching in front, on the sides, and around the carriage, none of which thought that a tiny bird stretching its wings was worthy of note.

But that was why Humbert had come with fifty.

A rain of arrows further tipped the scales in his favor, though his band knew to leave the large black hares pulling the carriage unharmed.

The hares screamed in fright before running even faster for the Insanity Pass, but that didn't stop the coachcat from whipping them as Lucifer started screaming.

"Faster, you idiot! You know what's at stake!"

Of course, that only encouraged Humbert as he handed his bow and quiver to his sister, who had always been handier with a sword. Toto rose from his place behind the young lord and grabbed the paw that was being offered to the sky before flying after the carriage.

"A one, and a two, and a three!" Toto couldn't resist mocking as he caught up and nearly threw his friend at the driver's seat.

As always, the crow's aim was true. Humbert kicked the coachcat out of his seat and just managed to grab the reins as they flew loose from a surprised grasp.

"Baron, no!" the duke howled, raising his good paw to punch the outlaw. "You can't have- Augh!" he screamed in agony as the younger cat took a cruel grip on what he soon found was a broken arm.

"May blessings rain down on whoever gave that to you!" Humbert responded cheerfully before kicking him off the driver's seat as well. 'Why is he wearing the collar? He doesn't have magic.'

The duke shrieked with pain as well as chagrin as he landed and rolled on the dirt road after the carriage. Normally, Humbert would have felt terrible for taking advantage of such an injury, but the duke's list of sins against the common people of the kingdom was nearly as long as King John's.

Now firmly in control of the runaway carriage, Baron was able to easily take the hares through the Insanity Pass, so named thanks to the many crossing points of dubious safety over a deep ravine. But as luck had it, he not only was familiar with this pass by now but had even located a good cave that was excellent for hiding in until the search either calmed down or the cover of night would grant him the safety needed to escape after the soldiers finally caught up to the pass.

Louise was already in the cave, as well as Muta in case the hares needed a firm hand to calm down.

"There, there, my lovelies," Louise cooed since she'd always had a special place in her heart for rabbits, sentient or not. "You're with better cats now, see the wonderful things we have to offer?" She emphasized the question by holding up a head of lettuce.

Both hares almost immediately calmed down enough to start tearing huge leaves from it with their buck teeth.

Muta pouted that he wasn't needed with them after all. "One day you will meet a hare you can't tame."

"We'll see," Louise smirked as she petted the closer one on the head.

Her brother hopped down from the driver's seat and inspected the heavy lock on the carriage door. "Miss? Are you coherent enough to answer?" Humbert called carefully since he didn't want to run the chance of his voice echoing out of the cave.

There was still only silence from within the little prison.

Humbert sighed and pulled out a small leather pouch, which he opened to reveal his lockpicking supplies. "We'll have an easier time sneaking out after dark without the carriage, and there's no telling the last time she had water, at least."

"Ready," Muta assured him while holding up a waterskin.

Humbert made quick work of the lock, since leading the rebellion had given him plenty of opportunities to dissect any lock 'the king' or his people could come up with. The large latch clicked easily and fell open enough to fall off the door with one turn of his paw.

"Wouldn't it be something if it was Princess Twilight?" Louise giggled.

"If it is, I rather imagine that having the entire pony nation join our cause will end things with King John within the week," her brother retorted cheerfully as he turned the knob and poked his head into the carriage to look the occupant.

He immediately pulled back and slammed the door. His large green eyes struggled to blink, and his brain seemed to turn off as a thousand and one memories crashed down on him all at once.

Wrestling matches in the library despite protests from the old librarian or tutor.

Sword fights with sticks in the garden before they graduated to real swords.

Making faces at each other when they thought adults weren't paying attention.

Screaming contests. Oh, the screaming contests!

The arrow that ended it all.

Last words that were still ringing in his ears.

"Humbert?" Louise asked, bringing him back to the present as she placed a hand on his shoulder. "What's wrong?"

The young lord's mouth moved without words, and he forced himself to take his sister's hand off before opening the door again just enough to poke his head in, examine the prisoner through the darkness and sniff the air.

It was unmistakable. It was impossible, even though there were tiny things different about her scent that he couldn't name.

But this couldn't be! He knew better than anyone that out of all the beings that roamed this world, the last thing he'd have suspected was lying unconscious a mere few feet from him!

"Hey, Humbert? You're scaring us," Muta said a little worriedly. "Is it Princess Twilight or what?"

He closed the door and leaned against it as he covered his mouth with both paws as he began to cry. He began shaking his head as he realized just how right King John was.

If anyone could have led him to destruction, it was the sleeping figure within that carriage.

"Baron Humbert von Gikkingen, just tell us what's in there or I'll push you out of the way!" Louise commanded, clearly a bit frightened at how her brother was taking what he had seen.

At that, Humbert forced himself to calm down, take in a few cleansing breaths, and open the carriage door wider. Not leaving enough time for his sister to poke her nose in, he immediately stepped into the carriage and pulled out his lockpicking tools again. "It's not a pony."

Louise tried to see around him, but all she could detect was a flowing lavender skirt spilling over the mattress inside, and a slippered back paw that was sticking out from the silken folds. "A cat? What was a cat doing in Equestria? Humbert, do you know her?"

He finished undoing the manacles at her wrists and gently took the brown feline in his arms. "We all know her," he stated with a dead certainty as he slowly backed out of the carriage and turned to face his sister and friend.

Both of them took one look at that sleeping face and gasped in shock.

Their dear childhood friend was back from the dead.