[CENTER][h1][color=EB054D][b]RICO[/b][/color][/h1][/center][hr]“If it was a threat, then where are the demands?” “The king is hiding that, obviously. Oh, hey, isn’t that right, Prince Alliant?”

An uncharacteristic glare burned from the man’s typical reserved features. “No such thing has happened!” His casual stroll through the town had him passing by numerous folk buzzing about the mysterious fireworks last night, but this was the first time he was brought into the conversation, and through a mad conspiracy no less.

“If it’s not some kind of terrorism, then what happened to the merchant ship? Caught fire for no reason, did it?”

“…”

Moving on, Alliant was pushed down another train of thought in his mind where his body was going down its usual route. Stopping by his usual haunt, the restaurant owner had his breakfast ready within minutes: eggs (sunny side up), bacon, and a glass of milk.

A fair distance from the palace, it was well known that Alliant lived away from the rest of his family and servants. He visited multiple times a day, to the point that it would have made more sense to simply live there, but instead Alliant lived in town. His house wasn’t exactly destitute, so it wasn’t a statement regarding living amongst the people, but more of a declaration regarding his lack of interest in the throne. Prince Petre was the next rightful heir, and though Alliant had yet to find a significant other, Petre had fallen in love with his wife some years ago. They already had a daughter, with another child on the way. The succession was secured, and Alliant had no desire to upend that. More concerning was the recent news, all around. Grabbing his wandering mind, he looked down at his breakfast, incidentally arranged into a smiley face after he took the first slice of bacon. There was a man he had to see, one who rarely stopped smiling.[hr]Stooped outside of the Marshwiggle, a fierce debate raged.

[COLOR=EB054D]“They were pretty, weren’t they? And the loudness is part of the appeal! Booms to make the heart shake!”[/color]

“Yeah but Ropho peed on the floor and my mom got mad,” said a five year old boy.

[COLOR=EB054D]“Oh dang, was that your grandpa?”[/color]

“No he was my dog.”

Rico crossed his arms, closing his eyes in thought. [COLOR=EB054D]“Fireworks do scare animals, that’s right.”[/color] Holding a hand up, he said, [COLOR=EB054D]“Thanks for reminding me. I think there’s a reward in it for you, just behind your ear.”[/color] Rico reached over, only for a peppermint wheel to plop to the ground. [COLOR=EB054D]“Oh shit I dropped it. Oh crap I’m not supposed to swear in front of kids. Oh god dammit. Oh bitch! Oh-hey Puddle Prince man!”[/color]

“I’d prefer if you not swear in front of children, yes. Referring to God in vain is also not preferable. And please don’t call me Puddle Prince.”

[COLOR=EB054D]“But that’s what you are, right?”[/color] Rico looked to the five year old, who giggled in concurrence. Taking his candy, he took his leave, Rico standing to meet Alliant face to face. [COLOR=EB054D]“‘Sup?”[/color]

“I also wish to recieve less complaints about you. I know you’re stuck here for a little while longer, but you could stand to calm down. At least a smidge.”

[COLOR=EB054D]“Hmm? I think it’s been going pretty alright. The people here are kinda weird but it’s cool.”[/color]

“You sent children through a fence we have to keep wild boar out of the streets.”

[COLOR=EB054D]“Oh yeah! I couldn’t fit into the hole myself, so I asked someone to see where it went. I’d have gone myself if I could.”[/color]

“Around, perhaps?” Alliant said. Rico paused, a contemplative hand going to his chin as his eyes widened in realization. “You also knocked over Mrs. Agnes’ pie in your roughhousing.”

Rico became sullen. [COLOR=EB054D]“Yeah. I cried so much I think she felt bad.”[/color]

“You also burnt the sails of the ship meant to take you out of town, didn’t you?”

Rico stared. [COLOR=EB054D]“Oh, huh? I mean, I don’t mind staying, but that sucks for them, they’ve got shipments and stuff, right?”[/color]

Alliant flinched. He thought for sure that… Shaking his head, he rectified it. “Apologies for suspecting you. On second thought, it’s not as though you have a reason to stay.” He briefly thought back to when they last met, but now he could confidently dismiss it.

[COLOR=EB054D]“You’re good Al. Can I call you that?”[/color]

“You absolutely may not.” With a long sigh, he said, “Can you stop appearing so suspect, at the very least?”

[COLOR=EB054D]“I ain’t sus at all. I’m just passing out candy to kids, and starting small fires to watch them burn. The flames are really pretty!”[/color]

Alliant’s vision unfocused. [i]How can I feel too old for this? I’m only 24.[/i] “Under typical circumstances, I would not prefer to have you sit in the dungeons until you can go, but I will exercise my power to do it if I feel the need. And I [b]do[/b] have the right, outlaw.”

Rico’s back straightened. [COLOR=EB054D]“Y-yessir.”[/color] Alliant could finally let out a sigh of relief, waving the young man off as he went to his daily duties. And yet, as he worked throughout the day, he’d check back on the town from wherever he was, worried that every plume of smoke was a mark of a little fire-starter.[hr]Breastplate pigmented gold, short hair of bronze, circlet of silver, mount a brilliant white, even under the evening torchlight, the chiseled features and rugged goatee of Prince Petre shone in the night. Though he was vigilant, even in the droll of the palace barracks, the other knights on duty lounged about.

“You really think it’s gonna happen again, your highness?” asked one of the kingdom’s knights.

“Unlikely. We didn’t find any of weird places for gunpowder to be, except that kid Alliant picked up.”

“I thought they just wanted his candy?”

“Dogs don’t eat candy,” Petre suddenly spoke. “That boy may have been involved, but I agree: there’s no place on the island that such an amount of fireworks could be stored to do it again.”

“Then why the stiff upper lip? Er, your highness.”

The younger knight got a jab in the side. “Being rude doesn’t become excusable if you follow it up with ‘your highness’!”

Petre did answer. “There’s no reward in it for us knights, but my father offering capital for information leading to the capture of the culprit has already led to some of claims, as unsubstantiated as they were. Being ready to move is being ready to act. The lot of you could stand to sharpen your-”

Petre stopped his words as a distant sound struck through the air, one heard the night before. The rocket sliced through the night, once again sounding off, this time in a shower of red and blue. “The lake again!? Everyone, move out!” Petre ordered, the contingent dashing to their horses and streaking across the landscape. Petre had a number of reasons for not planting his men by the lake. In retrospect, a deterrent would have been to their benefit, but frankly, he hadn’t really expected this bizarre happening again. Streets far behind them, the people of the island did not cower this time. Though they were not without fear and anxiety, many took the time to watch the display. A handful of them had heard about these fireworks, a foreign invention, one that sounded absurd and wasteful. Even more had heard a bit about them today from a foreign lad who’d excitably shared their good points, curiosity hard to bury. In particular, he’d been rather adamant about their association with celebrations, particularly ‘festivals’.

Arriving at the lake, Petre’s troupe was well accustomed to the rolling hills of the island. In no time at all they’d made it, before the show reached its crescendo. There, in the middle of the lake, was a lone figure riding a rowboat, launching the fireworks from where he stood. “Halt, in the name of the Puddle Kingdom!” Petre called.

[COLOR=EB054D]“Ack, it’s the [i]man[/i]!”[/color] Rico coughed. The show wasn’t quite over, so the young man had the energy to drop down and start rowing off. Petre gave a whistle, his men circling the lake, stopping at equidistant points. By the time Rico got halfway to the coast, the lake was completely surrounded, more knights than usual bunching up near where he’d been headed.

“Don’t let your guard down, he’s a strange one! Wizard work if I ever saw it,” Petre called.

[COLOR=EB054D]“Doesn’t anybody read? They’re called Devil Fruit!”[/color] Rico grumbled, not altering his course. As he approached, a knight called, “It is that foreign boy! The hounds were right after all!”

The knights stood their ground, some with weapons, some ready to try and grab him. “Just come quietly.”

Rico grinned, his boat a few feet away. A couple of knights started forward, their boots hitting the water. [COLOR=EB054D]“Sorry guys, I don’t really do quiet.”[/color] Raising his hand, he flicked his wrist, a bulky firework popping out, a long, thin, wooden stand joined to its end. [COLOR=EB054D]“[b]Cowering Teng[/b]!”[/color] With a fizz, the rocket took off, Rico grabbing on to the wooden stand. Into the air he soared, sailing over the heads of his would be captors.

“G-get him!” Petre roared, his words snapping his men out of their awe, the lot of them riding after Rico’s fire lit trail.

[COLOR=EB054D]“You’ll never take me alive! Ahahahahaha!”[/color] Rico bragged, cackling like it was no one’s business, the rocket taking him higher and high into the air.

BOOOM

In a burst of white and purple, the firework in his hands exploded, blinding light and sizzling sparks filling the air. Horsed bucked and brayed, riders steeling themselves in their saddles. When the burst settled, spots faded from everyone’s eyes, Rico was nowhere to be seen.

“...Well, we didn’t take him alive,” snarked the younger knight.

“Find him! He has to be somewhere!” Prince Petre called, his men fanning out in their hunt, one that would remain fruitless. With the grace of a dying squirrel, Rico was currently unconscious a short distance away, tangled in tree branches well above hte eyes of the military men, having finally become too much for himself to handle.