After hearing about the new land, with the strange lizard folk and jungle fortresses, I dreamed of one day seeing them for myself. I returned to the hideout, and while we waited for Chip to return from buying the days bread, I told all the gang about what I heard from the sailor in the tavern. They all shared my amazement, though they laughed when I revealed my desire to see them for myself. Then when Chip returned we are stumbled over one another to tell him about it, when we noticed something was off.

"What is it Chip?" I asked

" The Buckwater street gang has issued a challenge for the mid-town market." Chip answered. See the way things worked on the streets where as such; Each gang had their territory in which they could beg, steal, and make ends meet in. To cross into another gangs territory and take their bits, was an act of war. If one gang thought that they had more right to a place than the gang that currently had it, they issued a challenge, a fight would take place and the winning gang got the territory. A Very diplomatic and reasonable system.

Now, the mid-town market was a prime piece of real-estate, it was actually the only profitable territory we owned. We had mid-town market, and the factory graveyard where our hideout was, so if we lost the market we lost our food supply.

"I talked to the Bridge-way gang, they can't help us cuz half their gang is sick with whatever new plague is coming down the river. Seein' as how we still ain't on good relations with the Maggot crew, we have this fight to ourselfs." Chip continued, head down, thinking of the coming fight. The Buckwater gang was a good ten ponies larger then our little group, half of them as big and strong as Hunter. The whole gang was quiet, all thoughts of jungle lizards gone from our minds, then an idea struck me.

"We might have a chance!" I declared. "They'll be expectin' us to come at them from the ground, like gangs always do, but if we hit them from above it just might give us the chance we need!" Chip mulled it over.

"Ya' know, that just might work Peanut. The fight is tomorrow at noon, if we get enough rocks and other such weapons up on the roof; You, Lemon, and Puff could pelt them from above. While me, Tot, Hunter, and Green hold them off from the ground. It is just crazy enough to work!"

So the preparations started, all through the evening we worked, grabbing every stone, bottle, discarded picture frame, or china plate we could find and hauling them up to the roof of the Mid-town Market. By the time the sun had set, we had enough garbage up there to cover the whole city of Trottingham. Well, we'd like to think so. We all stumbled back to the hideout under the light of the full moon, tiredly awaiting the fight the next day.

"Hey Peanut?" Lemon whispered as I was drifting off to sleep.

"Yeah Lemon?" I yawned back.

"Do you really think we have a chance tomorrow? The Buckwater gang is twice our size…"

"Well, Chip will probably try his Scare-them-with-sickness tactic first, if that don't work he will go to his knife with Hunter, Tot, and Green as backup with hoofs of furry. All we need to do is toss stuff of the roof-tops. Chip and the others can hold their own, especially if we keep 'em distracted by dropping rocks on their heads like it was rainin'. So, yeah, I think we do stand a chance."

"Good, *yawn* I'm glad one of us has ho*yawn*ope. I for one am scared silly."

"That's because you are good, kind, and loveable. Not a hurtful bone in your body, your less scared of losing the market than you are of anypony getting hurt."

"Well, the Buckwater gang can go eat moldy puddin' for all I care. If it means keeping our gang safe, let's rain the whole city dump on 'em" Lemon finished with shy confidence that made us both giggle and laugh uproariously before saying goodnight and snuggling down to a nights rest.

In the morning, we stole a quick breakfast from a bakers market stall before getting ready for the Buckwater gang. Hunter flew me, Lemon, and Puff onto the roofs. I did a quick run around the roofs, to make sure our stock was still there, and oh boy it was. The rocks and rubble practically gleaming in the early sun-shine, begging to crack open a Buckwater melon.

As the morning drew on, I began to think back on the two years I had spent with the gang. The time Puff got sick that first winter, and we all thought she was a goner, but she pulled threw and soon returned to her energetic ways. The penny whistle songs, the begging for bits, dodging coppers in the alleys, that one time Green stole a whole pie from somepony's window sill. The good memories all bonded together in my brain, into a resolve that no matter what it takes I would not let the Buckwater gang take our territory. With a new passion I double checked our supply.

The sun slowly rose into the sky, and at high noon we heard a ruckus come down the street. Lemon, Puff, and I ducked down so we would not be seen. I peaked over the edge to get a good view of what was happening in the street. The leader of the Buckwater gang strode up to Chip, towering over him by a good two feet. I strained my ears to hear what words where exchanged.

" Afternoon, Pale Mane." Chip greeted, with a cough. He was going to try the sickness scare, just like I predicted.

"Where’s tha rest o' yer crew Chup?" Pale growled.

"Back in the hideout, caught some plague from a body we looted. *cough* I figured it would be unreasonable to deny you a decent fight. I hope you don't feel bad about fightin' with sick ponies."

"I know yer tricks Chup. Yous jus' tryin ta scare us off. Where are they?"

"*Sigh* Well if you must know, They are currently right behind you." As soon as Chip said this Pale and the rest of the Buckwaters whipped their head around. Chip reached into his vest and pulled out his secret weapon, his trusty knife, and slashed at Pale, cutting the side of his head. Pale countered with a hoof into Chips gut, while Hunter, Tot, and Green leaped at other Buckwater members. I signaled Lemon and Puff, and we began a barrage of rubble and litter. I myself, was whooping with delight as our flying trash storm pelted down on the trespassers, scaring several of them off. But my excitement was short lived. I looked down to check on Chip, and noticed with sudden dread that he had lost his knife and Pale was bucking him back into a wall. I ran down the roof towards Chip, tossing trash down aimlessly as I ran. As I got closer I jumped down onto a market stall, down onto some barrels and boxes next to it, and landed in the street at a full gallop. I ran up behind Pale, jumped towards him, and slammed full force into his head. I rolled into the street, stars swimming in my eyes from the impact. My vision clear just in time for Pale to spin around a buck me full on in the face, and I went spinning backwards down the street. After skidding to a stop on my back, I painfully rolled over and tried to haul myself up onto my hoofs. The jolt of pain my spine and head gave me when I tried to move quickly made me collapse, banging my already throbbing head on the hard stone street. I watched through one blurred eye as Pale turned his attention back to Chip, who was thankfully back on his hoofs. The two squared off, Chip obviously worse off than his opponent. Pale lunged at Chip, who ducked and rolled out of the way, countering with a quick downward chop, that bounced harmlessly off the stallions flank. Chip was to focused on recovering to see what hit him next, Pale spun around rapidly, grabbed Chip by the horn, and slammed his face into the ground. I hid my face, not wanting to see what else Pale was going to do. I heard Chip anguished cry, then suddenly I head Pale roar out in pain himself. I looked up and saw a broken roof shingle sticking out of the side of his torso, and more sharp rubble flying in for an encore. Pale dodged most of the onslaught, but caught a few spines in his hoofs, legs, and flank. He limped away as fast as he could down the street, in the direction the few remaining consciences members of his gang fled.

I groaned, and dragged myself up onto my hoofs. My head spun and throbbed, and my spine expressed its discomfort loudly as I shuffled down the road towards Chip. I took a quick, one-eyed look at the aftermath of the battle, there was no clear winner of the fight. Puff and Lemon were fine up on the roof, but Green lay behind a market stall, his legs up in the air. Hunter was covered in scratches and quickly forming bruises, but he could at least walk. Tot was tossing cookies off to the side, nursing a black eye. Lemon jumped down, and ran over to help Tot, I limped my way hurriedly to Chip. When I reached him, I rolled him over and immediately regretted it. His face was a bloody mess, his nose, jaw, skull, where obviously broken. His horns tip had been broken off, and he was missing several teeth. If he did survive, he would certainly not look the same.
"Chip?" I asked, shaking him gently. no answer. "Chip!" I tried again, cradling his head in my hoofs. I was on the verge of tears when he coughed and opened his eyes.

"Did….we…win?" He asked weakly.

"Yeah Chip, we did. We won, they're gone. Buckwater won't be bothering us for a while."

"Glad ta hear it….How's… every…pony else?"

"A few cuts and bruises, Tot won't be tasting anything the same for a while but we'll live."

"Oh lord!...They…cut out… his tongue?" Chip eyes bugged out as he tried to get up.

"No Chip, they just stole his lunch. Took it right out of his stomach. He'll be fine, you on the otherhoof, need to rest." I knew he was hurt more than he looked, Chip was not one to jump to such conclusions.

"Pea…nut?"

"Yeah Chip?"

"Did the sun set?"

"No Chip, it…it's right there up in the sky."

"Funny….it's….so dark. Any chance… you could find me… a blanket? I think…Tot took mine again, and I'm getting cold."

"No Chip, don't say that! Your gonna be fine! It's nice and warm, the sun is shining, and we still have the market! Now you just rest, you'll be fine." If I wasn't crying before, I sure was now. I had heard stallions that my father took care of, talking in the same way right before they died. I would not, could not, let that happen to Chip.

"Peanut… why….did the sun go away? It was…just there….a moment…ago. Did you… get the… left-hoofed smoke shifter? We need…. that for the BBQ. The one….on the island."

"No no no, Chip stop talking. Just rest." Chip slowly babbled senselessly on, quieter and quieter, until his head rested down limply in my hoofs, and I felt the life leave his body. He was gone.

I sat in the hideout, staring blankly at the wall. We had pulled ourselves out of the wreckage of the fight, taken Chip's body to the river and set him off in the most respectful way possible. After a restless night, we all sat around the hideout with no idea where to go from there. The buckwaters weren’t goning to stay away, and there was no means of keeping them back, now that they knew about the roof.

"Peanut?"

"Yeah Lemon?"

"What are we going to do now?"

"I don't know, we won the fight. But the gang is lost, the buckwaters are too strong. We could join another gang, but few gangs will take us since we don't have any property to offer." It was then that I had a thought, the one way I could change things for the better, for me at least.

"I know of one thing. The navy is always looking for ships colts, we are able bodied, hard workers, we could even see the world!" A faint light of hope forming in my mind.

"That will never work." Green called from the corner. "The navy only takes colts. There is some superstition about fillies and mares bringing bad luck to the ships. Plus with the pirate war at such high tensions it would be suicide to join a battle ship."

"Well it's the only option I can see, I'm not cut out for factory work. The merchants wont higher street rats like us, the navy is the only hope I have."

"But, would you really leave us Peanut?" Lemon pleaded, distress obvious in her voice and a pleading look that begged for nothing else to change.

"I… no I just…. I don’t know Lemon!" My mind was reeling now, unsure what I could do. All the other gang could find some less-than-two-bit factory to work in. Puff was still young enough to charm her was into an orphanage, but I was too small for the factories. I could do it, very slowly, but the factory managers never let me try. "I don't want to leave but… it's my only option. Maybe I could find a fishing boat…"

"No they need strong stallions to haul in the nets."

"Green, you are not helping."

"No, he's right Lemon. No ship is going to take in Peanut, the tiny filly. But Peanut the young and eager colt!"

"Peanut! Are you suggesting what I think you are?"

"Yes Lemon, I am going to have to disguise myself as a colt."

"Do you have any idea what the navy will do to you if they find out that you…"

"Green!"

"Sorry. I'm just sayin."

"It's worth the risk! I need to do this. I'll miss you, I promise to come back in one piece."

"Well, if you won't have your mind changed there is nothing we can do about it." With Green's statement the choice was made. I gathered my few possessions, hugged the gang goodbye, and headed towards the port.

"Wait!"
"
Lemon I told you, I am going, don't make this harder than it already-" I stopped mid-sentence, Lemon handed me a folded, once red vest with a small knife resting on it. "Chip's… why?" I asked stunned, tears welling up in my eyes.

"Something to remember us by, while you're off at sea. Tell the lizards I said hello." I hugged Lemon tightly, she was too sweet for the life fate handed her. I took the vest and put it on over my rags and slipped Chip's knife into the make-shift sheath he had on the inside. With one last look at the gang that had been my family for the past two years, I set out for my new life. I had no idea what I was about to sign myself up for.

Author's Note

Hey, I would love to get community feedback on this story. So give me your comments, criticisms, etc. etc. anything to let me know what you think. Thank you!