//------------------------------//
// Forty-one 
// Story: Freedom Through Harmony: Book II 
// by Electricut 
//------------------------------//

Chapter in color

Forty-one

Leeroy shakes his head, recovering from the sudden jolt. His room has seen better days; in the transition, a good portion of the cloud was shaken loose, and he can tell that it will need to be rebuilt before the building can be built further up.

It wasn’t just his room that was transported, though. Chunks of the trainee wing came with him, and it seems as though there are several other abandoned rooms still connected. Leeroy decides to check them for supplies later, once the area is secured.

“The whole chunk of Cloudsdale moved…” the Battle Master mused. “And Celestia-knows where we ended up… Right. Leeroy, we’re doing recon. Explain everything you know about the situation while we walk.”

Leeroy nods, and the two exited the damaged trainee wing. It is night in this land, but a cloudless and starry night. Nearby, waves lap at the shore, reflecting the starlight brightly. The Battle Master takes the lead, Leeroy just behind, and the two move in the opposite direction of the water. A distance ahead, they could see a mountain rising to the sky, tall enough that passing it would be difficult, if not simply impractical. But on all other sides seemed to be water. Leeroy guesses that the only way to get to the rest of the land will be to use the Gates.

“Heads up, Leeroy. I saw some movement near that tree just now.”

Leeroy nods, equips his sword, and the two stalk forward towards the tree. Could be one of those imps that have been laying siege to Derpy’s and Doc’s houses. Leeroy sees a split second of movement as well- something in the bushes- but it seems to sense them coming and freeze.

“Come out and show yourself, if you value your life!”

There was a bit more rustling in the bushes, then finally “Alright, I surrender!” The creature that steps out into the open is far from what Leeroy expected. It looks like a large green lizard- around as tall as Leeroy- but it does not look dangerous. It mostly seems to just be afraid of the two swords before it. “I just got lost. I don’t want any trouble.”

Leeroy looks around curiously. “But, the only way here is through that mountain. You got that far off track?”

“Well, I mean… There are little tunnels in it, but… yeah, I’m not clever.”

“Tunnels? Could we get through that way?”

“Doubt it. They’re pretty small. More like cracks, really. Geckos like me can slip through, but, no offense, I don’t think you’d fit.”

The Battle Master looks back towards the trainee wing. “Guess we’ll need to travel by sea then.”

Leeroy gives her a confused look. “What’s stopping us from flying around the mountain?”

“Have you tried using your wings since we got here?” Curious still, and growing concerned, Leeroy attempts to raise himself off the ground. His wings don’t respond. "I don’t know where we are, but there’s some strong magic in this place. We’re robbed of our best tactical advantage, so we’ll just have to make do.”

Leeroy nods. “Right. Though I think there’s another way. See those things far above the building? If what I’ve been told is correct, those are portals, and at least the first one will take us somewhere else in this land.”

She frowns for a moment, then nods slowly. “Alright. I still need that explanation, by the way. First, who else is a part of this?”

“Quick Fix and her dad, as well as four of our mutual friends. There may be others, but I’m not certain.”

“These other four. How good are they? Can they be trusted?”

“They can all be trusted, absolutely. The guy who is looking out for us, Fancy Pants, is the absolute best there is. The others don’t have as much experience, but they’ll pull through.”

The two continue to scout around the area, Leeroy explaining what he knew about the game so far. He doesn’t hide the fact that he and his friends first thought Sgraze was a simple game, until all this began, and especially after Celestia made a solid statement about it. The strange talking gecko follows the two, but at a comfortable distance. He doesn’t seem like he’s trying to snoop; it seems more that he doesn’t really know what else to do.

The three finally end up back at the trainee wing, and Leeroy quickly moves to his computer to contact his server.

guardianGuitarist began chatting with gamingAvarice at 5:01 P.M.

GG: Bro.
GA: welcome back, man.
GA: i see you made a friend.
GG: Yeah, I was going to ask about him.
GG: I hadn’t heard from anyone about something like him before. By the sounds of it, he’s far from the only one.
GA: i hadn’t heard about him either. maybe they live on your land?
GA: nobody’s been able to explore their land yet, but derpy is getting really close.
GA: so if there are peaceful residents of our lands, we wouldn’t know yet.
GG: Makes sense.
GG: By the way, how are you holding up?
GG: Half of Equestria must be in cinders by now.
GA: it is.
GA: man…
GA: i think it’s for the best that you aren’t here to see this.
GA: it’s… painful to see.
GA: celestia’s last message was twenty minutes ago. she broadcasted from the canterlot bunker.
GA: she’s safe, but… the signal relays are down.
GA: it’s probably a miracle that the server house me and cheerilee are connected to hasn’t been hit yet.
GA: but it doesn’t have long.
GA: that storm is moving closer.
GG: Well, don’t let yourself get caught in it.
GA: i know.
GA: we were waiting for derpy to be in a position to get cheerilee in.
GA: should be good to go now.
GA: it’s gonna be tricky for all of us to be juggling serving and adventuring on our own, but i’m sure we’ll figure it out.
GA: speaking of which, you should probably use what time you have to build up your sister’s house, before the imps show up at yours.
GG: Has she had to fight already?
GA: sounds like it. she didn’t seem injured though, and should have grist to blow.
GG: Right. I’ll check on her.
GG: Get yourself to safety, man. Can’t have my wingman exploding, can I?
GA: no sir!
GA: oh, by the way, i got some codes for you to try when you get some grist.
GA: should be able to upgrade your sword with them.
GG: Alright, let’s have ‘em.
GA: 485KFLCI
GA: that’s for the energy sword.
GA: 4KFIV867
GA: and that’s for the master sword.
GA: that will probably be more expensive.
GG: Alright. Thanks bro.
GA: no prob. seeya on the other side!

gamingAvarice ceased chatting with guardianGuitarist at 5:10 P.M.

“By Skaia’s light! I have never seen such a perfect piece of headwear! I sure hope I can get it home though…”

Leeroy gives a curious glance out into the hallway, where the Battle Master stands, observing the gecko. “Our friend got into one of the other trainees’ rooms, and found a rusty old knight helmet. He seems to love it.”

Leeroy chuckles slightly and returns to the chat client.

guardianGuitarist began chatting with techTitan at 5:11 P.M.

GG: Hey sis.
TT: oh, sup man
GG: Not much. Got a houseguest.
GG: A very confused gecko. I can only assume that there are more, and they live here.
TT: really?
TT: thats cool
GG: So I hear you had to do some fighting.
TT: yeah, but we’re fine
TT: I totally thrashed em
TT: got a bunch of pretty gem things
TT: I guess thats the grist stuff Doc kept talking about
GG: Must be.
GG: Anyway, I’m going to start expanding your house.
GG: Next stop, First Gate.
TT: sweet
TT: you talked to Fancy Pants lately?
GG: Just got done, actually. He says he’ll have Cheerilee get him into the game, and we’ll get Derpy to do the same for her before she enters her First Gate.
TT: okay, good
TT: thats what I was worried about
GG: It sounds like they’ve got some time left anyway, so no need to worry.
TT: need, maybe not
TT: but Im gonna anyway
TT: until shes safe
TT: well, they
TT: but
TT: you know what I mean
GG: Yeah, I gotcha.
GG: I’m sure she’d like to hear that, too.
TT: I know, but
TT: its not as easy as just saying stuff like that
GG: Yeah, I guess.
TT: oh, hey
TT: I want to try to make an item
GG: Alright.
GG: … Sweet Celestia, this thing is expensive.
GG: We can’t make it yet.
TT: man
TT: FP sent me that code
TT: I dunno where he dug it up but it looks like its gonna make the most badass wrench ever
TT: once we grind for grist for a while though
GG: Yeah, he gave me some sword codes, too.
GG: He’s pretty excited.
GG: I can only imagine how much he’s going to show us up when he gets in.
GG: When it comes to video games, he’s just the best there is.
TT: yeah, well
TT: when it comes to straight up kicking ass, its just you and me bro
TT: well give him a run for his money, you just watch
GG: Hah, sounds like a plan.
TT: so, how close do you think we can get to the first gate at this point
GG: Exactly two floors closer.
GG: I’ve been building this whole time.
TT: man, you dont waste time
GG: Neither do you, this is a really good amount of grist we’re working with already.
TT: those imps just cant wait to get a piece of us
TT: dads old brush gun is working real well, too
TT: he always kept that thing in good shape, even if guns were totally illegal
TT: his little secret artifact
TT: and now hes kicking ten kinds of ass with it
GG: Good to hear.
GG: As far as I can tell, these are lawless lands. Those weapons might have been banned in Equestria, but it was because they were unnecessary. Caused more problems than they possibly could have solved.
GG: But out here, they might just keep us alive.
TT: yup
TT: anyway, lets get back to the ‘game’ shall we
GG: Agreed. Derpy, Cheerilee and Fancy Pants will be able to handle themselves. Now, we focus on killing imps and stockpiling grist.

Derpy

Derpy cranes her head skyward, a grin on her face. The First Gate is nearly within reach. She and Doc have been working tirelessly, slaying imps, collecting grist, and building further and further skyward. And now, at last, the rest of the Land of Rifts and Steel was nearly hers for the exploring.

Her phone releases a tone, and she first thinks that Doc is messaging her again, but she sees that it is Fancy Pants.

gamingAvarice began chatting with cross-eyedAngel at 5:11 P.M.

GA: hey derpy!
GA: you feeling ready to go?
CA: yeah! the first gate is just ahead!
CA: i’m so excited! i wonder what the rest of my land will be like…
GA: ah! well that’s good to hear.
GA: but, there’s one other thing you should do first, before you leave.
CA: what’s that? :0
GA: cheerilee and i are still in equestria.
GA: she’s going to be my server and get me in… but somepony still has to help her in.
GA: and you’re the last one in the chain.
CA: oh yeah! doc told me about that.
CA: so i guess i’ll head down and do that… but what about when we’re exploring?
CA: how will we build then?
GA: hrm…
GA: i wonder if you can combine your computer with something else and make a smaller computer.
GA: a portable one.
CA: worth a try! good idea.

Derpy makes her way back downstairs, a slow process. Her room is in a state of disorder, as- despite her best efforts- the imps have run through and left the house a mess. No time for that now though. Derpy makes her way to her computer, and pops the Sgraze server disc inside. It takes a little while to install, but once it does, Derpy sets to work right away in deploying the machines and items in Cheerilee’s house.

Fancy Pants

At the same time, Fancy Pants’ house is quickly undergoing preparation to leave what’s left of Equestria. predictably, he moves to his game shelf, decides on which to use, and throws it into the Kernelsprite. The light fades to reveal the HEAVYSPRITE, ammo belts for a gun it doesn’t have slung over its shoulder, and a fabulous hat atop its head. Fancy Pants figures that this will cause the imps to begin acquiring traits based on the nine classes of TF2, which should give them some variety. And also hats. Hats for everyone. That is important.

He moves over to the Alchemiter, and sees his artifact on its surface. It seems to be a torch, and there is a flint and steel lying next to it. He nods, and quickly lights the object. A bright light envelops his room, and he knows that he is finally bound for the game. Time to show these newbies how it’s done.

He rushes to his window to view his land, and he isn’t disappointed. Hills of blue roll across his view, and every so often, he sees a stone fortress standing sentinel. Some are broken, while some are in pretty good shape.

GA: alright cheerilee, what’s the name of this land?
GA: this land that i’ll soon become the hero of. >:D
AA: Let’s see…
AA: Ah, here it is.
AA: Welcome to the Land of Forts and Sidequests!
GA: are you
GA: are you serious
GA: sidequests
GA: HELL
GA: YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
GA: i am going to have so much fun you have no idea.
AA: Maybe not, but I can imagine~.
AA: Anyway, I need to leave you to your own devices for a moment. It’s my time to leave this place.
GA: right. good luck! hope you get a land at least half as awesome as mine.

CA: alright, are you ready cheerilee?
AA: Yes. I’ve said my last goodbyes to Equestria. It’s time to go.
CA: right.
CA: okay, let’s see…
CA: i’ll expand your room to make space for the machines…
CA: boop, boop, boop… that should be all of em!
AA: Alright, now what?
CA: you have to put something in the sprite thingy.
CA: something that will give you a good guide, but be careful, because it changes how the monsters act, too!
AA: I see…
AA: Then I think this should do. The stuffed cat that’s been sitting in my room for some time.
AA: It shouldn’t make the imps too much stronger.
CA: yeah, sounds good!
CA: okay, next you should take that card I gave you and put it in this machine…
CA: then take the thing that came out of the Cruxtruder and put that in the machine too.
CA: now take that thing and put it in the alchemiter.
AA: It made a flag.
AA: But it won’t stay up, the tip is too narrow and pointy.
AA: I think it’s the pointiest thing I’ve ever seen, if I’m being honest.
CA: i think you should plant it.
CA: mark your land. stake out new land! be a rallying point for everypony!
AA: That sounds good! But…
AA: Just stab it into my floor?
AA: I suppose it’s that, or get a much bigger hole in my roof…

Derpy watches her bring the flag up above her head, and then drive it into the ground. The familiar flash of light envelops her house, but this time, it is much bigger. When it fades, Derpy sees that half of the mountain her house was perched on had come with her.

A title fades in across the screen: Land of Pools and Frogs. Derpy scrunches her face; she’s glad SHE didn’t get stuck with the frog land. Nevertheless, she tells Cheerilee the name of her land in a positive manner, then switches windows, as Doc is contacting her.

AT: Are you ready, Derpy?
AT: Your house is tall enough. The First Gate is within reach.
CA: yeah, just a sec!
CA: i need to combine my computer with something so i can have it with me.
AT: Ah, yes. Excellent idea.
CA: hrm…
CA: i guess i could just combine the computer and the phone?
AT: Worth a try.
AT: … Yes, that will make something closely resembling a tablet.
CA: yep, that should work.
CA: alright, i’m heading upstairs, to the first gate!
CA: wish me luck!
AT: I wish you all the luck in the world.
CA: <3

cross-eyedAngel ceased chatting with agelessTraveler at 5:21 P.M.

Derpy leaves her computer, and her room. Her mother-sprite is waiting for her on the other side of the door.

MOMSPRITE: I see you’re ready to explore your land!
DERPY: yeah! come on, let’s head up to the first gate! it’s going to be so much fun!
MOMSPRITE: Hee hee, I’m sure it will. But I’m afraid I can’t go with you, Derpy. Not yet.
DERPY: huh? why not?
MOMSPRITE: My nature as a sprite means that I’m bound to this house. At least, for now.
MOMSPRITE: Later on, you will unlock the ability for me to leave. But for now, I must remain here.
MOMSPRITE: We will still be able to talk, though, and I can provide you with advice.
MOMSPRITE: As your sprite, I have a telepathic link to you.
DERPY: ahh, i see! i think.
DERPY: i guess this is goodbye for now though, right?
MOMSPRITE: Yes…

The two embrace in a long hug, before Derpy nods happily and swiftly makes her way back up the stairs. When she finally reaches the top, the First Gate is in the center of the new room, easily reachable. She takes a deep breath, and steps through.

End of Act 1