Thirty-four
A bored and tired looking young pegasus-stallion stands in his dorm in the early hours of the morning. He has been awake for quite some time already, and probably won't go back to sleep any time soon. This stallion has been awaiting the game his friend has been hyped about, but without much extra enthusiasm. He has just been excused for his morning break, and has a small amount of time to waste on various shenanigans. What will his name be?
Hey, I don't have to put up with your crap, citizen. You really think it's a good idea to be screwing around with the guy with a sword?
His name is LEEROY WINGKINS. He is an aerial knight in training in the city of Cloudsdale, and has just returned from a scheduled morning sparring session with the school's BATTLE MASTER. He has known the Battle Master since he was little, and often interest was expressed in training him in the school. Without parents, he often looks up to the Battle Master as sort of a parental figure, but that sure doesn't mean either of the two go easy on each other.
His username is guardianGuitarist.
His dorm is rather tidy, though mostly for the reason that he doesn't have much to put in it. A computer, somewhat aged, sits on the desk in the corner, right beside his bed. On its other side is his GUITAR, one of the only two objects worth bringing from his old home, the other being his customized SMARTY PANTS doll which he recently gifted to another friend. In the opposite corner is a wooden TRAINING DUMMY, which shows signs of being gradually thrashed to pieces like its many predecessors.
In the adjoining corner is all his data storage stuff. His inventory, the POWER LEVELING modus, is at the forefront. To retrieve anything from it, he must first dispatch a simulated enemy, the strength of which varies depending on the value of its guarded treasure. He uses this to constantly improve and keep sharp his combat skills, as do many other knights and trainees. His Strife portfolio sits underneath, containing two specibi: GUITARKIND, which he almost never uses anymore, and BLADEKIND, the fabled Strife deck that only knights are allowed to possess.
In the final corner is a COFFEE TABLE, upon which sits a POT OF COFFEE. After all, what else would be on a coffee table?
He yawns, and decides to make use of the coffee. He downs the entire pot in a few gulps, and soon feels much better. Could have used a bit of honey, but it did the job. He then decides to access his computer and see who's online, and shortly starts up a chat with Doc.
guardianGuitarist began chatting with agelessTraveler at 9:30 A.M.
GG: Bro.
GG: What's up?
AT: Ah, I was expecting a message from you, my friend.
GG: Why, because of all your time travel nonsense?
AT: No, merely because you always contact me at this time of day. I can only deduce this is your break time.
Continued previously
He closes one chat window and opens another. Nopony has received their copy of the game yet, which doesn't actually concern him too heavily. However, if only to keep his friends off his back, he feigns interest anyway. Leeroy’s never been much of a gamer.
guardianGuitarist began pestering techTitan at 9:41 A.M.
GG: Sis.
TT: bro.
TT: youre pretty lucky Im even awake right now
GG: I guess so, huh? You're usually asleep for a few more hours.
GG: /How I envy you./
GG: So what's the occasion?
TT: just woke up from a really weird dream
GG: Nightmare?
TT: nah, I wouldn't say it was a BAD dream
TT: just weird
TT: still feels really real even now
GG: What happened in it?
TT: well...
TT: Cheerilee or Derpy ever tell you about the ones with the golden planet and the two-leg things?
GG: Bits and pieces, yes.
TT: it was kinda like that, but different
TT: it was much darker, with the colors and the whole feeling of the city
TT: I learned so much and yet so little at the same time
TT: didnt really have time to do much before I woke up though
GG: Still, it's definitely strange. Perhaps you ought to ask one of the girls about it yourself so you can piece things together.
TT: i guess so
GG: Oh, wait, before you go.
GG: Doc wanted me to ask you if you'd received your copy of his game yet.
TT: nah, not yet
TT: wait a second what was that
GG: What?
TT: something outside
TT: hang on, Im gonna go investigate
TT: ttyl
techTitan ceased chatting with guardianGuitarist at 9:49 A.M.
Well that was kind of odd. Anyway, his break is almost over, so he figures he should get going. He moves over to the corner and equips his modus and strife deck, as well as equipping his standard issue AERO BLADE between his teeth. It is much the same as any sword, but intricately carved to resemble a chain of feathers, and unusually lightweight. He never knows when the Battle Master will attack or where it will come from, so it's best to be safe.
Leeroy cracks open the door and emerges into the normal cloudy interior of the trainee ward. The rooms are a bit more reinforced, as much as they can be without falling through the cloud cover, but enough to afford a comfortable level of privacy. He doesn't see any sign of the Battle Master- only a few other trainees returning from their own breaks- but he knows that doesn't necessarily mean a thing. He quickly makes his way back through the halls, ever-vigilant.
Leeroy continues through the cloudy halls for a time, constantly alert, eyes darting around each new corner. He soon comes to the exit of the ward, outside of which lies a short courtyard that separates this building and the training hall. The coast seeming clear, he takes a step outside. He had almost lowered his guard when he feels something behind him, the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end, and he slowly turns around.
Atop the roof of the cloud building stands the BATTLE MASTER, her hair and feathers whipping about gently in the breeze, along with the blue scarf wrapped around her neck. Her eyes are locked on Leeroy, and an Aero Blade of her own is held between her teeth. She needs not say anything, as the communication between warriors is clear. The sparring session earlier meant nothing. This is the day's real test.
She leaps down from her perch and barrels towards him. He pivots on his heels and twists his head, so that when she approaches, his blade parries hers. Her hooves touch ground, but only for a moment. They both take to the air, swords clashing and filling the otherwise dull morning with the din of metal meeting metal. Many other pupils, and a few teachers, gather in the courtyard to lay witness to this battle, as all-out combat between Leeroy and the Battle Master are usually something to see.
Leeroy spins through the air to dizzy her and strikes when she can't keep up, but she sees through it and vaults over him. He spins forward another few meters before coming to a halt, much dizzier than his opponent. He only recovers just in time to block her next attack. He isn't prepared enough for her following move, an overhead strike from both of her front hooves. They smash into his head and send him rocketing to the ground, too stunned to move.
With an audible PUFF, he falls through the cloud layer and falls several more meters before regaining his senses and catching himself. He shakes his head vigorously and looks up. The hole in Cloudsdale is already healing itself, and the Battle Master isn't waiting for him. He sighs, begrudgingly accepting defeat, and takes a look at the underbelly of the floating city.
On the other side of the structure, Leeroy notices a rather heavy rainfall pouring from the factory district, turning the dirt far below into slush. He groans audibly and face-hoofs, then stows his sword and flies over.
"What the hell, guys?" He demands once some workers are within earshot. It seems they are just as concerned about this unscheduled downpour as he is. "How long has this been going? And who caused it?" A worker tells him that it has been going all morning and that they have only just found the source and started to shut it off. Nopony had been able to find the culprit- intentional or otherwise- either.
Leeroy sticks around for a few minutes to make sure the flow is stopped, and soon the sky below returns to normal. A worker mentions that somepony should check the surface below for damage, and Leeroy replies with a sigh that he'll do it. These other pegasi should focus their full efforts on finding who did this, as it probably caused a lot of damage, plus screwing over the scheduled rain for the next few days. The other teachers at the battle school will understand.
He glides gently to the ground and furls his wings once he touches down, and takes a few moments to get back his land-legs. He then walks through the area of effect, searching for anything damaged further than getting a little muddy. He scans the ground several times to make sure he hasn't missed anything, taking up at least an hour, but the damp ground seems otherwise clear. At least, until his eye catches the slight gleam of something metal a few feet away.
He walks over to it and look down, frowning slightly. It appears to be a round metal plate, bigger around than he is, with an odd symbol imprinted upon its surface. He has never seen it before, but thinks he has a friend who could tell him more. He moves to retrieve his phone, and a holographic goblin with a hand axe is summoned from his sylladex. Leeroy promptly bucks his face in and retrieves his cellular device.
guardianGuitarist began chatting with gamingAvarice at 11:05 A.M.
GG: Bro.
GG: Got a question for you.
GA: hey man! been a while, huh?
GA: well, fire away.
GG: That temple thing near your place. Didn't you say there were a ton of weird symbols all over it?
GA: yeah, tons. three or four main ones. why?
GG: Describe the main ones. I need to know if one of them matches a thing I just found.
GA: alright, well... one of them looked a lot like the logo for doc's game.
GA: lots of frogs, that's the main one of the whole temple.
GA: one looked kinda like a fork. group of three triangles forming a fourth between them.
GA: couple of spirographs here and there.
GG: Spirograph. What's that look like?
GA: uh... kind of like a circle, but with a bunch of wavelengths. dunno how else to describe it.
GG: No, yeah, that'll do. I think that's what I'm looking at.
GA: what even is it?
GG: Like a round metal plate in the ground. Looks like it's been buried. A big huge rainfall just now washed the dirt covering it up away.
GG: I'm going to try to dig the rest of it up so I could show you later.
Leeroy grits his teeth and tries to lock his hooves around the edges, then pulls with all his might to dislodge the object. It doesn't budge. With everything still wet, he soon loses his grip on it and falls back, the impact of his body hitting the metal causing an odd noise. He frowns and knocks the edge of his hoof against it experimentally.
GG: Hang on, I think there's something underneath.
GG: Or rather, nothing underneath.
GG: What I mean is that I think it's hollow. Like it's a lid for something.
GA: ...
GA: you have to open it.
GG: I know.
GA: maybe take some pictures and send them to me?
GG: You know how old my phone is. I don't have a camera.
GA: right, right. guess i'll have to swing by one of these days and check it out myself.
GA: don't stop updating me though. this is much more exciting than level grinding on this game i have going.
He takes another look at the plate, imprinted with a spirograph. If he couldn't budge it before, he probably still can't now. If only he had something to pry it open... Suddenly, Leeroy remembers having confiscated a crowbar from a citizen a few days ago, and wonders if that’s still in his sylladex. He looks into it, and nods when he sees the crowbar. An imp-archer is summoned, and Leeroy quickly out-maneuvers it and slays the hologram. He then positions the crowbar between the ground and the lid, then slams his whole weight against it. He ends up slipping to the ground with the metal device, but he definitely heard something crack.
He tries again, then a third time, and the lid finally gives way and swings open. Peering below, he sees a narrow tunnel that leads into darkness, but a ladder is affixed to one side, and it is wide enough for him to climb down.
GG: Oh shit, this just got real.
GA: what? what happened?
GG: There's an access hatch under the plate.
GG: Dark tunnels and forgotten facilities all up in this bitch.
GA: oh man, i'm so jealous right now. i wanna explore that!
GG: You got the frog temple thing. Give me this.
GG: Battle school can seriously wait. If I don't explore this now, somepony else might beat me to it.
GA: i guess you're right. still, once you get a camera, you need to take some pics and let me see this thing.
GG: You know it.
Leeroy takes another look down the hatch, and then grips his phone between his teeth. Using the screen as a light for lack of anything better, he begins his descent.