//------------------------------//
// Chapter 1: Manehatten Life 
// Story: Under Loyalty's Flag 
// by Gapeagle 
//------------------------------//

	People cheered and clapped at the sight before them. A young woman was walking on her hands and spinning wildly. Small torches were tied to her feet and as they spun around, created an awe-inspiring effect. The scene was a contrast to the surroundings. The massive city of Manehatten was dull and plain. The unimaginative architecture comprised of small square structures built on top of each other. It was so because of the hundreds of thousands of people who lived on the small island. This gave the city a layered appearance. The spinning woman quarreled against the city's repetitiveness. 

The dancer finally slowed down. Her flaming boots flew off her flying feet. Some folk had to dodge the blazing projectiles. This was part of the young woman's show. She panted as she returned to a human's proper pose. Her bare feet touched the wet stone. People clapped and threw some bitpieces into the overturned hat next to the performer. She bowed to thank the citizens. They soon departed and made on with their lives.

The performer picked up the hat. 17 bits, she thought. It was a little less than usual. She sighed and ran a hand through her multi-colored hair. She had been dancing all day. With a frustrated grunt, she pocketed the bits and threw the hat aside. It was old and worn. She needed a new one. The city bustled around her. It was twilight on the east coast of the Equestria Empire. She was done performing for the day. Her boots had melted due to the torches. She shrugged at this and left them. They were stolen anyway.

She walked up to a building and started to climb it. A woman of her agility didn't need to walk on the boring streets. The square structures made the rooftops easy to navigate, but many refused to use them as proper routes. Once she was on the roof, she looked around expectantly.

"Hmph, I guess Berry went home." The woman thought aloud.

Home, yeah, that's where she's at, the woman thought. The sun was going down. She had to get there quick. Luckily, she was great at making up lost time. The woman took a deep breath and set herself in a sprinter's starting position. She loved to pretend that she was in a race like those they had in the arenas. She looked at the area in front of her, marking any and all points that she could use in her run.

"Go!"

The woman sprinted along the roofs. Jumping over the streets, swinging on lines, and climbing over roof-fences. She heard people below gasp at her feats. Just the way she liked it. The woman rolled under a table. Manehatten folk often placed furniture on their rooftops. The rooftops acted as their "yard" or "land" and they adorned them with anything to make them stand out above the rest. To the woman, this was only a nuisance. Her time in Manehatten had made her accustomed to dodging such things. And she was actually glad for this, as being quick and nimble meant more bits in her pockets.

She continued her way to her home. As she swung on a beam to another building, some Equestrian Royal Guards noticed her. They yelled at her for being unsafe. She simply rolled her eyes and carried on. The Royal Guards were much more common than what they were when she first arrived in Manehatten. Folk said that it was due to privateers on the sea or white robed terrorists that plagued the Empire. She didn't believe either of these things. In her mind, the Empire was simply a bully and the Guards were underlings.

She climbed a tall structure. Once on top, she stopped and looked out in the Bay. The Grand Statue of Celestia was still out in the Bay, being its magnificent self. Empress Celestia and Empress Luna, the Two Sisters that ruled over the Empire. The young woman did not think highly of them. They probably had never lived with no money, they did not know rough life. Why should they rule if they were pampered? Yeah, they had been ruling for centuries, but that made the whole situation even more aggravating to her.

She hopped down off the building and slid down a slanted roof. She could not stop herself from falling off the roof and landed on the wet ground. She didn't mind, she was home. She looked at a tavern sign in front of her that said "The Laughing Siren." She smiled at the familiar sign and walked in the alley behind the tavern. A woman sat on the ground holding a large cider bottle. The drinking woman had thick, curly purple hair and sleepy eyes. The performer rolled her eyes.

"Berry, have you been spending our bits again?"

"Oh, Rainbow, nice to see ya. Had to get some cider."

"You gotta save what I earn. If we keep spending, we'll never find a home. All we got is this alley."

"It's cozy..."

"No it's not. All the cushions we steal become soggy and moldy. We need a roof."

"C'mon Dash, have a drink."

Berry threw the cider bottle at Rainbow. Rainbow glared at her friend before chugging down the sweet liquid. Once done, she threw the bottle on the ground. Berry gave her a meek smile.

"So, how much did ya earn?"

"17 bits."

"Wow, that'll get ya a..."

Rainbow sighed. "Some more booze, yeah I know."

"What's wrong with that? C'mon, the tavern's open. Let's have a drink tonight. We can drink, wrangle some men, all that sort of thing."

"No man's gonna go for you."

"Maybe not, but certainly a face like yours. You'll get me a man."

Rainbow chuckled. "Fine. Just tonight though. You'll save our money from here on, alright?"

Berry lazily nodded. "Alright."

Rainbow helped her almost drunk friend up. Berry had a hard time keeping balance, but Rainbow supported her. They walked through the alley to the tavern's door. Berry tried to open the door, but her fingers couldn't coordinate. Rainbow sighed and opened it for her. Upon entry, the joyous sounds of reveling could be heard.

As Rainbow and Berry made their way to the bar, the tavern surrounded them in merriment. Mercenaries and sailors cheered as they downed their ciders. Men lounged around with giggling women on their laps. Some Royal Guards told stories of their heroics to their companions. A group of gamblers played with dice on their table. The Rainbow and her friend sat on a pair of  vacated stools at the bar. The bartender walked over to them.

"The usual, ladies?" He asked.

Rainbow nodded. "Yeah."

"Alright, two Ponyville ciders comin' up."

The bartender crouched and grabbed two cider bottles. He was well accustomed to serving Rainbow and Berry as they practically made their home behind his tavern. He didn't mind them, but that was probably due to them being regular customers. They were guarantees for business. He handed them the bottles after he had opened them. 

"Cheers." He said.

Berry and Rainbow responded in unison. "Cheers."

The women sipped the cider. Rainbow always enjoyed the sweet taste of cider, especially cider from Sweet Apple Acres in Ponyville. She didn't know why, but their cider was always the best. She looked over at Berry. The purple haired woman chugged her cider down with vigor. It was not long before she finished the bottle. Rainbow shook her head.

"I'm not buying ya another."

"Fair enough." Berry moaned.

"What? Did I jus' hear you say "enough?" Wow, what's with you tonight?"

She blinked slowly. "Oh nothing. I just understand."

Rainbow was about to reply when a man sat in the stool next to her. This usually didn't bother her, but the man's quickness had startled her. She turned to look at him. The man was in dirty white sailor robes. They were not like any sailor robes she had seen before, as they were long and fine. His robes were torn quite a bit though, especially in the sleeves and a bit in the trousers. His boots were leather and his wrists had thick leather gauntlets that did not go over his hands. The most peculiar part of him was his thin silk hood which had a faint outline of an odd triangular symbol on it.

The man leaned on the bar. One could tell that he had been in the tavern before. As the bartender approached him, he smiled and removed his hood. The man had thick brown hair and a thin beard. His hair was long enough that it was tied in a short ponytail in the back. His eyes were a light blue. His smile revealed crooked yellow teeth. Rainbow cringed as this ruined his general handsome appearance.

"Ah captain, back in Manehatten I see?" The bartender asked.

The man nodded. "So I be. Had to stop here. Two of my crew got scurvy. Couldn't keep their bodies on board."

The man's voice was not as gruff as Rainbow had expected. Despite his rugged impression, he sounded quite sophisticated. Her attention turned to the bartender as he shook his head.

"That's tough to hear. Sometimes, I think Posion Joke is better way to go than scurvy."

"Aye. Well, that is until ya see Joke's effects on a man. Those sights don't leave ya."

"Hmph. So how is she?"

"Ragnarok? Well, she's as fine as a Hearth's Warming gift. I say it's never been a better time to sail her."

"Been any good cargo lately?"

The man leaned back. "Not as much as I had hoped. However, we are going to transport something that'll rack in the bits."

Rainbow's ears pricked at this. Bits? She liked the sound of that. She almost said something to the man before she stopped herself. She didn't want to interrupt their conversation. To her luck, the bartender walked off to serve another reveler. This left the man to his thoughts. Rainbow noticed that he didn't order any drinks. She found her way to talk to him. She handed him her cider. 

"Here, on me." She said.

The man took the cider. "Thank ya m'lady. Why the act of kindness?"

Rainbow's eyes looked to the ceiling. "Oh, I was just listening to your conversation. Are you a captain?"

"Aye. Captain Caramel of the Ragnarok. Finest brig in the seas."

Rainbow nudged closer to the captain. "And you do cargo? Like goods?"

"Aye. That be how we make our living."

"And you said you were down two crewmen?"

Caramel raised a brow. "What's make ya think I'll offer you a job, m'lady?"

"Well, I don't know. It's just that..."

"Ya need money? Yeah, that's what most say." He grumbled.

"Please, we don't have a home. We need to get some bits."

"Have you ever been on a ship?"

Rainbow looked away. "Well, no..."

"Well then."

She pouted at him. "Please?"

The captain chuckled. "Really? Ya think I'll fall for that? Several gals have done better."

Rainbow gritted her teeth. "Why not?"

"Well let's see. You have no experience, you have no sea legs, and I don't think you can last. Besides, you're short."

If there was one thing Rainbow couldn't stand, it was being called short. She had always been short, she knew it too. She had always physically looked up at people. She didn't need others remarking about her height. Rainbow's jaw tightened. Her eyebrows knotted themselves. The captain instantly noticed her mood change. He gave her a confused look.

"Don't you ever call me short!" She shouted.

Rainbow sprung from her stool and tackled the captain. Caramel was quick to recover and flipped himself upright. Rainbow was shocked by his agility. She was used to being the only one that could pull that off. The captain taunted her.

"Ya want a fight eh? Come at me!"

"Fine!"

Rainbow jumped in the air and kicked at him. He effortlessly blocked her attack. She spun and kicked at him again with similar results. The bar was up and watching them. Some remarked on it not being a fair fight. Rainbow was used to people doubting her, so this was only background noise. Caramel was chuckling as he blocked all her attacks. He was merely toying with her.

"Fight back!"Rainbow yelled at him.

"Oh, you don't want that, m'lady. I could hurt ya."

"UGH!"

She punched at him with all her might. He sidestepped away. She swung at him again and again. Finally, he caught one of her flying fists. She squirmed to escape his grasp, but in vain. Caramel started to laugh. 

"Such heart! Such tenacity! I could use one like yourself on my ship. Ya got it."

"You basta....Wait what?"

"Ya got the job." He repeated.

All of the woman's previous anger was gone. "Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! Thank you! Thank you!"

He released her. "Be at the docks at dawn tomorrow."

Rainbow was speechless in her excitement. In truth, she did not expect to actually get the job. Caramel patted her on the shoulder before leaving the tavern. It seemed like that was his only purpose for having been in the tavern in the first place. Rainbow started to giggle loudly. The entire tavern watched her with various emotions. Berry Punch walked over to her in her lazy way.

"What happened?"

Rainbow quickly turned to face her."Oh Berry, we're sailors! We're gonna see adventure! We're gonna get bits!"

"Uhh.....I'm going along too?"

Rainbow patted her friend on the back. "Yup! I can't leave you in this state. I'm Loyal to friends. The money I get is your money."

Berry blinked in confusion. "Thanks?"

"No problem. Quit drinking for tonight. We gotta be sober at dawn. A new life begins tomorrow!"

Berry glanced at her empty bottle with melancholy "Sounds fun..."


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