Disclaimer: "Happy Tree Friends" is a copyright of Mondo Media. The original songs used are copyright of Vocaloid (or their rightful owners); credit also goes to those who made the English covers – I only made a few changes.

[Note: All characters are in human form; the story is based in Medieval times.]

Happy Tree Friends: Brothers Of Pride

Chapter 01 – Hero Of Evil

[Splendid] "Heh heh heh heh heh heh… shall we start?"

Prince Splendid sat atop his throne, one leg casually crossed over the other as he smirked at his subjects before him. Then, giving a simple nod to Splendont – a loyal servant and twin brother – his red-haired counterpart slowly drew an imaginary line across his neck signaling the command, "Execute."

"No!" a lowly peasant who went by the name 'Cuddles' pleaded, "I've done nothing wrong! Spare me!" The blue-haired prince only let out a snicker as he watched the peasant get dragged away. His cerulean eyes then glanced towards a pink-haired young lady who was sobbing in the corner. "Giggles, I presume? Come hither," he commanded.

Once upon a time, deep in another place

An evil kingdom stood there that no one would dare to face

Watched over and ruled by a man who was so mean

A handsome blue-haired Prince of only age nineteen!

Elegance and luxury littered his abode

Along with one lone servant whose likeness surely showed

Along with the "Super Squad", his personal guards were named*

Pursuing all the riches of the world that he had claimed

"Please…just let me go…" she pleaded, "I have nothing to offer and I promise I'll pay the tax by the end of this week." Prince Splendid pretended to think while silently looking her over – her tunic was slightly torn in places and she had some dirt caked in some parts of her skin.

"You wish to live?" he finally asked, earning a nervous nod, "Then you shall work here as one of my maids until the day you've earned enough to pay your share and leave." Snapping his fingers, Splendont called for the guards and instructed them to have Giggles cleaned and given a uniform; she is to work immediately.

Oh, you say you're poor – well that's not such a fearful thing

Just take it from those whose lives you dangle on a string

And to all of you intent on cutting short my reign

Drop down to your knees and scrub the floor~!

"Your Highness, it's time for your speech," Splendont reminded. The blue-haired prince nodded and stood, his royal-blue cape flowing behind him as he strolled towards the balcony. He then stared down at the villagers, uncaring as most glared back. Ever since the start of his reign some villagers had tried to overthrow him – all had failed miserably.

While the prince dutifully announced his 'words of enlightenment' to the audience, Splendont's mind had drifted off to the past as he reminisced what he and his brother used to do before pride and power had changed him mentally. His train of thought was abruptly cut off as Prince Splendid yelled out his favourite words.

[Splendid]"Now, bow down to me!"

The blue-haired prince watched in satisfaction as they obeyed, his smirk nearly reaching his ears. "It's magnificent being of royal blood, don't you think?" he asked, snickering as his red-haired servant-brother nodded in approval. "Nothing and nobody can stop you, Your Highness," he added, showing a ghost of a smile as he followed his blue-haired brother towards his personal chambers.

The stars of royalty shine so daintily

Vividly colored with an array of doom

But to all the weeds who feel that here's where they belong

Soon they will realize just how much they were truly wrong

The following day, Prince Splendid decided to take a walk through the village to 'investigate' the villagers' lives (as well as get some fresh air while at it). Donning a simple cloak to hide his princely features, he ventured out of the palace and strolled down the cobbled streets. 'Is this how these commoners go about their daily lives? How pathetic,' he thought, studying everything from the peasants' daily activities to the ragged clothes they wore.

Cerulean orbs then eyed a young woman who was far from looking like all the others around him. 'Is that Princess Moonlight?' he thought, his lips forming a small smile as he watched his lifelong-crush assist one of the begging peasants. Prince Splendid was about to walk up to her when a noble man glad in green appeared; he immediately recognized him – Prince Flippy, a renowned soldier and Moonlight's non-identical twin brother.

"Sister, we must go now – our ship will leave in a while," the soldier-prince reminded, gently taking the part-albino's hand into his before heading towards the neighboring docks. Prince Splendid felt his blood boil in anger and jealousy. 'It's not fair…' he mentally growled, clenching his fists, 'She always acts as though I'm not even here. Am I not good enough?'

Unable to stand much more of this, he turned on his heel and stomped back to the palace; slammed doors and muttered curses along the way. Madness had then flooded his mind and strode towards a certain room.

Entering it, he nodded a greeting towards a dark blue-haired general who was locked within a cage. Why, you may wonder? Splendid had hired him due to his outstanding rank, yet due to his unorthodox killing methods the young prince had him locked behind bars for [mostly] his safety. "How may I serve you, Your Highness?" General Tiger asked, standing and bowing before him. "Are you in the mood to start a war?" Prince Splendid replied, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.

There was a sole maiden who captured the Prince's heart

A part-albino princess who was soon to depart

However, as she left she had another man with her

A prince of green – a soldier who's also her brother!

Of course, the Prince knew this and then he was filled with rage

So much he called that man that he had locked inside a cage

Whispered in a quiet voice so he would not be heard,

[Splendid]"Calamity and terror, make sure his country is stirred"

'If I can't have her, then nobody else will!' he thought, snickering as his army marched towards the neighboring country where Prince Flippy and Princess Moonlight resided.

Meanwhile – Prince Flippy valiantly fought off the approaching soldiers but was unable to do a proper job as the attack was sudden and his own army was unprepared. The neighboring village was up in flames and the death toll is already steadily rising.

"Run, Sister! Save yourself!" he ordered, momentarily watching her flee towards the castle's garden maze their parents had specially created for them. He was in the middle of battle when a feminine scream cut through the air. "Sister!" he screamed; quickly beheaded his opponent before rushing towards the darkened maze…

…only to find his sister lying motionless on the grass, the spot under her stained with her own blood. A knife was sticking out of her chest and her skin had become as white as her hair.

Prince Flippy knew at once who was responsible for this. 'He will pay…' he growled, emerald-green eyes flashing to golden orbs as revenge burned through the darkest corners of his mind.

Houses of the peasants were burned right down to the ground

Silenced, many voices would no longer make a sound

Suffering and grief had filled up the entire town

But our blue Prince didn't even bat an eye~!

Back in Prince Splendid's castle, said blue-haired royalty was happily enjoying a view of his kingdom from the castle balcony. He was too absorbed in his army's victory that he didn't hear Splendont calling out his name. The smell of freshly-baked bread topped with butter reached his nostrils; turned to find his servant-brother preparing his seat at the table.

[Splendid]"Oh, it's tea time!"

"Just the way you like it – crust removed, buttered on both sides and toasted to perfection," Splendont announced, mirroring his blue-haired brother's smile despite the troubles that's slowly been bothering him.

'It won't be long before this situation turns against us…'

The stars of royalty shine so daintily

Painted bloody red under the night sky

Its beauty was unlike another, unrivaled it shone

But it was ensnared in evil that its thorns had surely spawned

Prince Flippy's sanity had completely drained itself since Moonlight's untimely death and in his place stood his altered personality. "I won't let my sister's death be in vain!" Prince Flipqy roared, angrily stabbing his dagger into the oak table. "Sire, as much as you want to avenge her we need a plan," a young scarlet-haired woman piped up, "Prince Splendid wouldn't step down that easily and his army is a force to be reckoned with."

The golden-eyed prince eyed the red-clad warrior silently. "You're right, Commander Flaky…" he muttered, "We might as well get started." Regaining his composure, he ordered her to gather as many troops as possible and have them trained for whatever lies ahead.

'The time has come for your reign to end, Prince Splendid…' he vowed.

Cutting short his reign, well that was no easy task

But the people reached their limit, no longer could they be masked

They formed a mob and then to the castle they were lead

By a young woman armoured all in scarlet red!

All the anger and the hate built up over the years

Was their strongest weapon as they tread on without fear

But still battered and still weak from the green country's war

Retaining them had proven more than just a simple chore

"Your Highness! We're under attack!" one of the soldiers screamed as he ran towards Prince Splendid. The blue-haired prince remained silent as he watched from his treasured balcony, cerulean eyes never leaving the sight before him. "Run while you still can – we're outnumbered anyway," he finally replied, his back still turned to the soldier as he heard him run out of the room.

Prince Flipqy's army had easily taken down his own; even his own people had turned against him and were assisting the enemy. "I always knew this day would eventually come…" he muttered dejectedly. "Brother…" Splendont sighed, sympathetically placing a hand on his shoulder.

Shot down time and time again, they continued to rise

Servants fled the castle without even their goodbyes

The blue Prince simply stood there, not even posing a fight

As he was dragged out into the night~!

Prince Flipqy made it up to Prince Splendid's chambers, longsword drawn and covered in a thick coat of blood that dripped to the floor. "I assume you're here to see to my demise…" the blue-haired prince spoke as he turned, exposing his tear-stained face.

"I would kill you right here on the spot, but I have a better idea," the green-haired soldier-prince replied, golden eyes flashing with victory. Prince Splendid scowled and allowed himself to be taken prisoner, neither raising a hand against nor attempting to escape in any way.

[Splendid]"Your disrespect disgusts me."

As they stepped out into the cool night air, Prince Splendid kept his head hung down as he listened to the cheers of the victorious soldiers and the all-too-happy peasants the moment they realized he had been taken prisoner. He then felt himself get shoved into rough hands, barely registering where he's being taken as guilt blocked out everything around him.

The stars of royalty shine so daintily

Drowned within a blood-red of vanity

How ironic that the paradise he built himself

Was what put this broken doll right back up on the wooden shelf

Sitting alone in a dark and dank dungeon, Prince Splendid lazily stared out the lone window as sunlight peeped in through the cobwebs. The sound of rusty hinges creaking then drew his attention to his cell door. "Well, it's about time. I'm growing tired of this place…" he mumbled sarcastically.

Once upon a time, deep in another place

An evil kingdom stood there that no one would dare to face

Watched over and ruled by a man who was so mean

A handsome blue-haired Prince of only age nineteen!

When the bells would chime was when his life would soon come to

A simple end, befitting of one who was loved by few

Our fallen Prince, once a person of the royalty

Locked in jail without even any loyalty

Commander Flaky was silent as she shackled his wrists behind his back and proceeded to direct him to the guillotine. The blue-haired prince didn't dare raise his head, but he could feel thousands of eyes watching him as he stepped up and had his head placed in position under the sharpened blade.

Ding…dong…ding…dong…

As the bells resounded through our small and humble town

All that he could think of was the lameness of their sound

Without a thought or even a small look into the crowd

A single tear was all that he allowed~!

'This is it…' he thought, still averting his eyes away from the crows as they watched in anticipation. His ears then picked up a quiet sob that was directly in front of him – he knew exactly who it was, even though the figure was enshrouded in a dark cloak. A single tear seeped out from one of his eyes as he thought of this one person forcing himself to watch the execution.

[Splendid]"Oh, it's tea time!"

...those were his final words.

SHINK! …thud…

Commander Flaky then held up the tyrant prince's severed head for all to see, smirking as the crowd cheered and shouted joyful cries. Prince Flipqy felt his original self's sanity return; golden eyes changed back into emerald greens as he blinked.

"Prince Splendid is no more," the red-clad warrior announced, "As the law states – this kingdom will now be ruled under a different authority." She then held her hand towards Prince Flippy, who confidently stepped up to stand before the crowd. "I now present to you our new leader!" she added.

The crowd cheered louder and a spontaneous celebration erupted through the entire country.

The stars of royalty shine so daintily

Vividly coloured with an array of doom

Now the people speak of him without a second thought

The young Prince had only received what he had truly sought

While the villagers celebrated their well-earned victory, one wasn't joining in and instead hid himself in the shadows. Depression stabbed at his heart and it felt heavier than the dark cloak that hid his true identity to the world.

…tears streaked down his face as he tried to contain his sobs…

'Brother…' he thought miserably.

*[According to Wikipedia, four characters appeared in the near the end of the Ka-Pow! episode "Mirror, Mirror"

* A female fox with the powers to create "phantom hands"

* A female spider with multiple eyes and several bows on her head

* A robot with a bowler hat and multiple limbs

* A jellyfish (or a Portuguese Man o' War) in a jar of water]