//------------------------------//
// Chapter 12: Precaution 
// Story: Under Loyalty's Flag 
// by Gapeagle 
//------------------------------//

"You think the Assassins are here?"

"Well yeah! Captain, I think one was right behind me!"

Rainbow squeaked unintentionally as she tried to recount the tale of finding the mysterious footprints that followed her to the ship. Caramel did not seem skeptical of her story but instead nodded as if he knew it already. With a shrug, he tapped his desk and stood up from his chair before making his way across the captain's quarters.

"Bout time they got here." He mumbled.

"You knew they were coming?" Rainbow gasped.

"Naw, just expected it. It ain't the first time."

Caramel nudged passed her and picked up his sword that was leaning on the only mirror in the room. He gave it a valiant swing in the air before looking at Rainbow with utter seriousness. 

"Lass, keep ya wits about you. We ain't leaving until we're ready. Also, I would rather curse my father than leave my home with Assassins crawling over it. The Brotherhood is here, but we can't see nor find them. They got a habit of getting sloppy though, so we'll wait. Then we'll smoke 'em out."

"Uhh...how exactly?"

He shrugged again. "I'll find out when the time comes."

Rainbow was oddly satisfied with the answer. She gave him a short nod of understanding. He was the experienced captain and she wasn't. Even though it was clear he had no plan, she knew it was better than whatever she could come up with. 

"Hey, Captain, may I ask about Sunny?"

"What about her? I've seen better." He answered casually.

"No, not her looks, just...her. Do ya know anything about her? She's so...odd."

He stretched his back slowly in way to display his reluctance to answer. However, with a stroke of his beard, he began to speak. "She's gifted, I'll say that. The lass knows how to deal and when to deal. Have ya ever played a game o' cards?"

"Yeah."

"Well, she's like the person in the corner that never smiles or anything. Subtle, yet ya know she's the best at the table. She's kinda like that."

Rainbow nodded in understanding or, at least, she thought she understood. Caramel was obviously being secretive, which was unusual for him. She felt like pushing the questions, but she knew it would be hopeless.

Caramel cleared his throat nervously. "The lass is by the bow, last time I saw 'er. Ya can go ask her yaself. Be careful though, she may be a cunning one, but I feel she ain't got all her mind together."

Rainbow bowed curtly and walked out of the Captain's Quarters. The sun struck her unadjusted eyes, making her squint at the opposite end of the ship. Even from there she could see Sunny casually sitting on the bow's railing, her black cloak flowing under her. She was reading from a small book. The young pirate silently encouraged herself to walk on.

"So, what did ol' Caramel say?" Neo asked when Rainbow barely made it passed the main mast.

"He thinks we should smoke 'em out." Rainbow answered. "He doesn't have a plan, ya know how he is."

"Of course. Well, we should be safe on the Ragnarok for now. Assassins wouldn't just sneak in on us when we are expecting them."

"I hope ya right, Neo." Rainbow said. "I've had enough of those guys for awhile now."

"What makes you keep looking at her?" Neon noticed Rainbow's constant attention changes.

"Sunny? Well, why wouldn't I? That girl ain't right. Something's different 'bout her."

"I know, but that doesn't mean staring at a lady is polite."

Rainbow pushed the second mate away and started to march over to the cloaked woman. Sunny smiled back at her with a devious grin. She was writing in a journal with a quill, but once she saw the young pirate's approach, she closed it and placed the quill gently on the leather cover. 

"Hello, Dash, what brings you over here?" She asked.

"Ummm..." Rainbow awkwardly began. "I...Uhh...I wanted to ask you some questions. Cap'n's orders, ya know."

She raised a brow. "Really? Well, the man is across the ship, why did he not ask me them himself?"

"Cause he doesn't work like that." Rainbow lied. "He's a hard one to understand, ya know?"

"Perhaps. First, I would like to ask you a question before we start this interview. Is that alright?"

Rainbow nodded quickly. "Yup, why not? So, uh, what's ya question?"

"Why you are trying to hide your own intentions as the intentions of your captain? Him and I have already spoken together."

Rainbow sighed and dropped the terrible act. "Well, that's the thing, it's how ya two spoke. Captain Caramel ain't never like that with someone. He jus' suddenly thought you were a'ight and all. Why?"

"I guess even a pirate can see reason once in a while." Sunny mused. "I'm sure he finally understood my reasons for finding my lost friend. I haven't seen her in so long and I went as far as out here to find her. I now know she's not in these Isles, so I must return to the mainland and continue my search there. Your captain saw this and that is why I am now on your little ship."

"It's jus' unlike him..."

"Well, you told me he can 'do you for a loop' or something along those lines. I assume that is what happened here. Hopefully he does not go back on his offer because of it. Every day in this squalor is a day of torture."

"Well, then I guess I should get back to work. Still don't really understand it all, but I'm starting to lose care."

"Until next time, Rainbow Dash." Sunny casually waved goodbye.

With a grumble, Rainbow turned around and picked up some rope to appear like she was working. She looked back over her shoulder. Sunny had returned to reading whatever it was that she was reading. Rainbow was not happy that there was some secret going on between the Canterlotian and Caramel. 

"Guess I'll have to wait 'til it comes out." She sighed.





"Well ain't this a surprise?" Caramel huffed sarcastically.

Rainbow was snoring on a pair of barrels on the docks. The late afternoon sun glistened off the drool that hung from her open mouth. Caramel tapped his foot on the wooden planks impatiently, his arms cross and his brows tight. He never liked finding his crew sleeping on the job. Never.

"Now what will I do with ya?" He asked her. "What will I need to do ya lazy arse to make it unlazy?"

The only reply from the sleeping pirate was another loud snore.

"Well, you asked for it."

Caramel grabbed Rainbow by the shoulders and picked her small body right up from the barrels. Rainbow was startled awake by the attack and squirmed. 

"What are ya doing, Cap'n?" She panicked.

"Giving ya a warnin' lass!"

He forcefully chucked her off the docks and into the water. After the pitiful splash she made, she surfaced, blowing salt water out of her mouth. He loomed over her with his arms cross while she grumbled a curse.

"C'mon! I need my sleep!" She yelled.

"Yeah, but not when ya suppose to be working!" He shot back. "Now get out of there! This isn't time to be swimming, Miss Dash. I want this ship's cargo fully moved onto land. It's time we start getting our business here done."

"Why haven't we done that already?"

"It pays not to rush into things, Miss Dash. While you napped like a milk drinker, I decided to delay the transaction because of the Assassins. We can't start moving out 'til we make sure we can handle any ambush they throw at us."

Rainbow nodded in understanding and swam back to shore. Upon arriving on the sand beach, she shook herself dry like a dog. It was not as effective as she hoped and disappointingly walked back to the ship soaking wet. Caramel gave a chuckle at her before gesturing her to follow.

"Don't be like that lass. I only mean to improve ya. I like to find weaknesses in my crew and exploit them until they get rid of said weakness."

"What's my weakness?" Rainbow asked.

"Easy, ya like to sleep, lass. Ya and Berry both. If it wasn't for ya pure talent, I would say you'd be dead by now. Ya feel like you've already reached ya potential and thus don't strive to improve. So ya sleep instead of work. Kid, I know full well you ain't even scratched the surface of your abilities."

"Huh?"

He turned around and was about to put a hand on her shoulder but retracted it when he remembered how wet she was. "I don't like to give out compliments like this, but ya got talent and skill that I've never seen. Ya a bloody natural at everything I throw at you. As Captain, I'm tryin' to make all you guys captains for the future. I have no doubt you'd be the best captain outta all of them."

"Wow! Than-"

"But not a damn word to anyone else 'bout this, alright?" He lowered his voice. "These words are for ya, not for the others."

"Yes, Cap'n!"

He chuckled. "Good. Now, Miss Dash, the real reason I woke ya so urgently is because I have a mission for ya. Come to my quarters."





Rainbow shrugged. "We're gonna smoke them out, right?"

Caramel looked out the window of his quarters and gave an affirmative grunt. "Aye lass. They's here for our loot from the Royal Convey. We need to make a transaction with my partner on this island. It's most likely the Assassins will come out of hiding when we do that."

"It's time for a trick of the eye, so that we have a chance to survive." Zecora added.

"Indeed." Caramel nodded. "Ya gonna act like we're makin' the transaction tonight, but we'll have an empty box. They will spring a useless trap on us and once they reveal themselves, we give them our own ambush. Ya see, Assassins ain't too bright when the tables turn. They are so used to being the ones with smoke and shadows that they don't expect others to do it to them. Miss Dash, that's why I have you here. You are by far the most athletic sailor here and will be the best at giving death from above."

"You want me to spring the ambush?"

"Precisely. You will have a squad with you, led by Mr. Lights, whom I've already informed. Since the Assassins would grow suspicious if I or Zecora were not the ones with the shard box, we are forced to be the bait. My partner is being told of this plan right now as I sent a deckhand to go tell him. He has good men, ready to fight anything. Since it's rare for Assassins to outnumber their prey, we expect to be able to overrun them."

"I understand, sir." Rainbow said. "But how will my squad get close to the Assassins?"

"Well, there are quite a lot of trees around the area. Ya gonna have to use those running and climbing skills of yours. Neon will guide ya guys. Also, the Assassins will use any dirty method to gain an advantage, so take this."

He took a thick cloth and a pair of ugly goggles out and handed them to the young pirate. "They will use smoke bombs. These odd things are what some use to block out the smoke. I don't have many of them, this pair being the last one. So make sure when they throw down the smoke that ya are ready."

"Take care, young sailor, for we will see you much later." Zecora said before departing.

"Like she said, take care. Miss Dash, you are a vital part in this mission, I hope ya do well for our sake. Once the Assassins are taken care of, then we get back to business."

"Ya can count on me!" Rainbow saluted. "I won't leave ya guys hanging!"

"Oh, I hope it never comes to hanging..." Caramel grumbled.

She ignored his odd comment. "Don't ya worry! Neon and I will show the Assassins how the Ragnarok gets it done."

"That's the spirit, lass. Go give them hell."


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