A/N: Hi! For those who think this looks familiar, it IS a rewrite.

Robin appeared in those banners in the circus, and that is about all we see. Wonder what happened to him? How he got in the circus, and why Galleth was found there later?

Here's what happened...

Prolgue: Saying Good-bye

Robin's POV

Every story's ending sets the stage for a new beginning. Some roles are forever changed while others continue on to their destiny. For me, my legend had reached its end. Robin Hood was no longer needed by the people. The raccoon who stole from the rich and gave to the poor no longer needed to hide and sling arrows at foes. Even if I am hailed as a hero, when the story is done, where am I to go? Justice had been dealt to my cause, but what of others? There had to be at least one other like myself. There is no shortage of over-taxing officials and greedy monarchs. Thus, I saw reason to set out on my quest.

I have never before questioned what I desire for myself. Selfish temptations have oft haunted me at the days end. But my mission has long overshadowed whatever needs I needed beyond grasping my revenge. Who I truly am, who fate declared me to be… What I am known for is the identity of another. Of one who was dear to me in his life. Robin, I declared my name at his death, and it is as Robin I will continue to live on. I challenged fate, I can live with the consequences. This is what I wanted as I left Nottingham behind.

With Nottingham no longer having need for a hero, I set my sights on the horizon and headed off. I lived as I did in the last year, enjoying what bounty the forest brought to me. I awoke to the smells and sights of the lush trees, ate the fruits which came with the reasons, and occasionally found aid with fellow travelers. Sometimes aiding those travelers or derailing nobles, but ever doing what I promised I'd do to uphold justice. But when the eighth sunrise had passed from the day I left my home, three figure came through my forest. These were wolves, lower class and having little in distinction from each other. I eyed them as I rest amid the high, green branches, my high ground. Where my arrows my fly to whichever target I choose. The wolves were running with each of them carrying a sack that rang with the sound of coins. "Ill-gotten, no doubt." I whisper to the wind. Their lapping tongues and saggy garments suggest thieving is their trade, and the obvious dullness in their eyes suggest these creatures are incredibly dull.

My logic leads me to that the only place they could have gotten that much gold must be from a noble in the area. Yes, I detest greedy animals and so redistribute their wealth among the less fortunate, but in this case my intervention may not be necessary. Thus I return to my lunch of a red apple I found in a tree some days ago.

"Halt! Halt!" A voice rings out from a distance. Something compels me to return my eyes to the forest road. There I see, running after the wolves, three more… and quite odd creatures. One is a bear of great girth carrying wooden club, wheezing as he runs to catch up, the other looks to be a white rabbit in a clad in a farmer's clothes, and leading the charge… is a raccoon knight? Hm… perhaps I should see who is friend and who is foe in this merry chase. Bow and arrow on my back, I leap branch to branch silently within earshot of the company.

After a long and, presumably, tiring chase, the wolves turned and snarled at their pursuers.

"You vile, thieving scoundrels!" The raccoon declared pointing a hooked lance in their direction. "Unhand Sir Hucklebee's gold and we shall be merciful!"

"He is quite bellower is he not?" I observe. The knight is quite a handsome example of our kind, yet he does not come across as one with great wit.

"Le Paradox says when it's time to pay up, and how much he has to pay up!" One of the wolves said, "Tis you who shall rot in the dungeons, Galleth."

Ah, so that is the reason for this chasing about! Again wolf is foe and raccoon is friend, but why are these lowly creature working for a noble against a knight?

"Nay, yee flee-ridden beasts!" the knight, called Galleth declares. "Tis unjustified taxation! Le Paradox may take what he is owed, but nothing more. What need of he who has so much already?"

"Who doth sayth thy gold is for Lord Le Paradox?" Replies the wolf, "Tis gold to fund his banquet for the king. He requires new clothes, new furnishings, new jewelry, new plates and grand food to entertain royalty for the day."

"My year's work for just a day of his frolicking?" The rabbit cried out angrily. "Thy master is a demon of greed and self-importance! Taking what is not his and using it to gain himself a high position, is there no honor in him?"

I agree with thee, Master Rabbit. Twas greed and selfish nobles that earned me my pursuit of justice today. I ready my arrows and bow, should these fellow animals require an unseen ally.

"Mayhap nobility is not so noble, Hucklebee. But honor among thieves there is!" Galleth placed the hooked sword behind his back and replaced it with a proper straight and sharpened one. "I, Sir Galleth Cooper, will show them the valor of the righteous outlaw!"

The battle ensued. Sir Galleth and his allies each took it upon himself to fight each wolf individually while I spied, unseen, above. The bear used his strength and his club, the rabbit was swift afoot, and the grey raccoon charged in headfirst and screaming like an idiot!

I groaned, rolling my eyes. "Pity to the king who hath such fools to protect his kingdom." Yet in truth, the three seemed to be handling the wolves quite well. Galleth was an obvious swordsman if a little too forward in his technique, and the others played to their species strengths to overcome their enemies. I almost lowered my weapons and turned to go, if the unnatural snapping of branches had not caught my ear. Straining my head to see over my shoulder and below, I could see that the three scoundrel wolves were not alone in stealing the money. A band of six more waited behind the trees, teeth gleaming in preparation for a surprise attack on the trio.

A surprise attack! The three fighting now were merely the bait, meant to tire potential pursuers and then the rest attack once victory is merely seemingly assured. Surprisingly strategic thinking for ones I first thought to be numbskulls. And the knight's company didn't seem to have any other assistance on the way for his comrades and himself. "Apparently, I shall indeed be the Deus Ex Machina to these unschooled gentlemen."

The two sides were now facing each other. Hucklebee, the rabbit; Sir Galleth, the raccoon; and the unnamed bear stood lined up ready to deliver the final blow against the three wolves. "I shall give you one last chance." Sir Galleth was breathing heavily, if the long run had not tired him out, the combat just now surely must have. "Surrender the gold and you will not taste my blade!"

The wolves chuckled darkly. Galleth and his company looked on in confusion. I pulled back my arrow to the edge of my smile.

"Take a look around, Galleth."

I took aim as the wolf spoke.

"We hath-"

I released. The arrow struck an ally of the wolf from behind the tree. The beast gave out a yelp as he fell to the ground. The wolf's fall made all down on the ground turn and look out from their hiding places.

"What?" I heard from the company of the good men.

Smirking and in quick succession, I struck down every one of the wolves that had been hiding behind the trees and fallen logs. Terrified the three original crooks turned and faced the only company they could see. The men below me all looked at the wolves in equal confusion.

"Retreat!" The head-wolf cried. Dropping the bags, the three wolves ran until even I could not see them. I sent an arrow at their tails for good measure.

"Right ho!" cheered the grey raccoon in great confidence. "Rejoice my friends, another glorious victory! Sir Galleth is the most unmatched knight in all the land!"

This knight is obviously a delusional one. I sigh and readied myself to leap away from the travelers now that they had what was rightfully theirs. I have the lifestyle of a lonely man and have found prosperity in that way. "New allies!" his voice echoed up to my perch though he turned all around, trying to guess my location. "Reveal thyselves! To whom do we owe our gratitude?" He takes the credit for himself then offers gratitude?

I did not come down. Yet I also did no leave.

My curiosity kept me in place to see which of these seemingly unclever fellows may guess my location.

"Are we aided by God this day? Or by beast? Pray! You hath proven yourself, friend, now show to us whom we owe this day."

I have been without companions for some time. A brief time of talking will not do much harm. I drop down in front of the three men, my green hood hiding all but my eyes. The men gasped upon seeing me, I bowed at the waist upon seeing them. "I am the archer which stopped and took down these wolves. Who art thou who enters this forest?"

They stare. I know not why. My apparel is no stranger among the current company. I wear the bearings of a poor man: pants that reach to the tops of my boots, a white (though dirtied) shirt beneath a tunic of green to match the green forests I wander.

The knight recovers first. He coughs to clear his throat and extends his hand forwards. "We are in your debt, good sir. To whom do we owe our gratitude?"

I suppose this is a fair invitation to reveal my face. I pull back my hood and shake the offered hand. "I am Robin formerly of Sherwood Forest."

The first to recover was the raccoon knight. "Excellent display of marksmanship, good lad." He then pauses and stares fixed upon my face. I do not shrink from his gaze, but stare squarely back at him, oddly. He pulls back, releasing my hand. "Twas only you that fired those arrows? Are we truly in the presence of the Robin Hood? The Legendary Chivalrous Outlaw of Nottingham?"

I nodded once in an air of pride. "Indeed, tis I. And I know of none other by my name of Nottingham." Nor did I know that I was a legend.

"This… not… Nottingham…" said the bear.

"True!" said the rabbit, known as Hucklebee. "The borders of the great city are a many mile off. Why would its protector be here?"

I remove my green hood attached upon my tunic to better reveal my face in honesty. My hair is cut short, better to keep my hearing at its sharpest as well as my true identity unknown. "The tyrant of Nottingham is no more. Thus, neither is the protector needed. I do not pretend to be the only justice, but I keep a weathered eye, and good ear about should my home need of me again."

"Well spoken!" declared Sir Galleth. He walked right to my side and placed an armored glove upon my shoulders. I tried to pull away. "Good sir, you are just the kind of man I have been searching for!" At that I managed to free myself. Instantly my trusty bow and loyal arrows are readily aimed.

"What? Do you mean to tell me you look to have me arrested? Receive the reward placed upon my head?" Even if the sheriff was no more, I should have known he had allies outside of even my arrow's range.

The raccoon put up his hands in defense. "Return thy arrow, Good Robin! I seek not rewards, but the honor of knighthood. And I mean to seek thy company as a member of my Order."

"Order?" I lower my weapons. "Of what Order do thy speak?"

"The Knights Cooper Order." Answered Sir Hucklebee. "Sir Galleth speaks of his own Order, though it is only in the making."

I noted that Sir Galleth rubbed the back of his head in some kind of embarrassment at the rabbit's words. If these men mean no harm to me, I will be of no harm to them. I return my bow and arrow to their place upon my back.

"Hm… What is the nature of your Order, Sir Galleth?" I ask.

The knight resumed his look of confidence and shouted to the sky with his fist raised. "The Knights Cooper Order… Tis the beacon of light in these dark times! Tis the rising dawn in the endless night of chaos! Tis the resounding song in the silence of oppression! A brotherhood of honor and chivalry, a heralding of justice, a stronghold of fearless hearts, a-"

"Us." The bear said.

Galleth's shoulders fell. "Yes… Little John speaks true. The Order is but in its beginnings. But we are looking to advance our numbers."

My first impression of Galleth: he is a fool. Proclaiming to the heavens that you are the greatest at a mere number of three is a lowly boast. Indeed, he is a fool. Yet, he is a fool with a brave heart.

I smile at the chest-fallen knight. "And what is your cause?"

"Steal from rich… give to poor…" Little John said.

"A-Actually!" Sir Galleth corrected him, "We only take unjustly from the corrupt nobility and give it back to the people."

"Ah." Just as I have been doing. Apparently my plan was not so originally. But to be thought up by one such as Galleth… perhaps I should rethink my plans. "Well, I commend you on such a worthy cause to you Sir Galleth, Hucklebee and Little John. With how the nobility has been behaving lately I am sure that allies will come flocking your way. A good day to you all." I bowed I pulled up my hood once again over my face.

"Wait!" The knight had caught me by the left shoulder. "Sir Robin, do you mean to refuse our offer?"

I turned back to address the man. "Tis an offer of great adventure and rewarding results. But an adventure of such I have already taken. I wish you success, but I cannot accept."

"Why?" asked Hucklebee.

"My abilities are…" How should I explain it? "Best done alone. I have saved and entire city that way, I do not think cooperation with an entire band would best suit me." And if I travel with such a number as this great bombastic raccoon wishes to gain, my secret will be that much harder to cover.

"He speaks some truth, Galleth." Hucklebee spoke to his companion. "Just now he saved us from an ambush of at least ten wolves. Clearly, Robin Hood is of no mere standard of bowman."

"Which all the more makes him most suited to the Order!" Galleth insisted. "With the Legendary Robin Hood, the Cooper Order will surely gain a great many noble hearts who wish to follow in his example."

So this knight wishes to benefit from my reputation. He becomes more a fool by the minute. "Another obstacle," I tell the men, "is my own name. To use it is also to invite enemies which may cut down your Order before it even rises."

"True." Galleth consented. Perhaps he is not completely beyond reason. "Then a new name you shall be known by!" Or perhaps not…

Galleth joyfully clapped me on the back and hooked his arm about both my shoulders. "Under The Knight of the Cooper Order, Sir Robin Hood shall henceforth be known as… Robin Greensleeves! That should conceal thy true identity."

"Well, I-"

"Welcome to our number Sir Robin!"

And thus I was pulled down the road with hearty welcomes.

I only own this OC of Robin Hood. The rest belongs to their rightful owners.