You regain consciousness within a new secluded base, now retrofitted by the Front. As you pick yourself off from a stretcher, your hand/hoof muscles still grasped the powerful relic. Rainbow Dash trots over when you regain your posture. Twilight stood nearby the stretcher, analyzing your newly found alien object.
"Good! You're awake again. When you grabbed that relic around the Programmer's neck, You let loose some terrible secrets...." Dash informs you.
"What...kind of secrets?" You rub a bump on your head, while asking the blue Pegasus.
"Why don't you tell him, Twi?" Dash looks over to Twilight Sparkle.
"We've recovered fragments from the Programmer's crashed saucer. His database files indicate that the Order is worshipping an intelligent weapon. That weapon that you hold is called the Sigil..."
Dash discourteously interrupts Twilight, to tell your more information about the Sigil.
"The fragment that you have is one of five. It wields power that draws from the user's own life force. While you live, you control it's awesome power..."
Twilight butts into Dash's speech with more information.
"Ahem, as I was saying...The shock that made you unconscious was the Sigil piece tuning in to your body. It can read your brain waves, your heart rythm, and your bodily functions. You can wield it's awesome power, but only at a cost. It will..in simpler terms...drain you dry for every time you utilize it. One piece constitutes an extraordiary amount of power, but collecting all five pieces would be astronomically devastating. It would give the user control over Equestria, and the entire planet for that matter."
"As I was saying before egghead interrupted me, We have no idea where this weapon came from. We must find out if we're going to win this war. You've wrested one from the Order, but we must obtain all five. That's all the new information that we have so far. I'm assigning you to seek out the Oracle, and ask her for guidance to obtain all the pieces. Here's some gold for your hardships, visit Fluttershy and Applejack before heading out. Your dismissed! Move out!"
Twilight turns over to Dash with a slight arguement. You let the two settle their dispute as you explore the new Front base. As you look around your new settings, you figure out that the new front base is currently located near the Programmer's lair. You suddenly receive a transmission from Blackmare.
"The Oracle's temple is in the borderlands of the Everfree forest, located on the outskirts of Ponyville."
A useful transmisson for once. You trot around the base to look for the medical facilites first, with the intentions of healing the bump on your head and a new stamina upgrade from Fluttershy. A lone rebel points to the general direction of the medical facilities. You thank the rebel, and inhale a fresh breathe of air after stepping outside. As you gaze into the sky, you notice the entire cloud structure of the atmosphere was a crimson red. It was due to the absence of Wonderbolts for weather control. Also, not to metion how the comet drastically changed the normal weather cycles.
Fluttershy was inside her medical room, sanitizing the operation table with an alcohol soaked rag. She was whistling an unfamiliar tune while cleaning. You knock on the side of a wall to snap her out of her trance. She squeaked in surprise from the sudden noise. She looks over to you with a shy, embarrassed smile.
"Oh, you startled me. Um...ready for your new upgrade? I modified the medical bot with new code, and retuned the operational procedure to avoid any lucid nightmares now. The newly installed hard drive from Twilight has increased the peformance and operational time on my patients. Want to give it a go?"
"As long as I don't have any more nightmares. Sure, I'll give it a go." You tell her in return.
"Ok, I think you know the procedure by now. Here, I'll make you confortable as my assistant prepares the medical bot. Angel, Sweetie? Could you please assist mommy again?" She asks her white rabbit behind the counter.
Angel, with a disgruntled look, hops over to a terminal and presses a series of buttons. Fluttershy wheels a canister with an IV setup over to the table. She lays a pillow at the head of the operation table, and makes you as confortable as possible for the same procedure. At least this operation facility was well taken care of, due to the lack of bloodstains and lack of dreary patients from the previous base.
"Inhale slowly now, Sweetie......" Fluttershy holds the face mask over your nose/snout. You drift off into the realm of dreams.
Inside your dream, you appear on a green silk carpet, with an alignment of templars parallel on each side. The Oracle floats stationary at the end of the carpet way. She spoke with a distinctive native accent, that you could have sworn you heard from before. The dark figure communicates her message only through a puzzle of riddles.
"If you must find what you seek, you must look towards the finest peak. There you will find the truth....."
The dream abruptly ends before you could question the Oracle. You slowly regain consciousness back onto Fluttershy's operation table. She silently squeaks to herself in delight, due to the sucessful operation. Also for the fact that you didn't wake up in a cold sweat from another nightmare.
"Yay! Another successful operation! Oh...Sorry. I'm glad that you didn't experience another horrifying nightmare..."
As you rub the partially healed bump on your head, you express a look of discontent.
"Sweetie, what's wrong? Did everything go alright during the operational procedure?" She cocks her head with a look of concern.
"In my dream, I made contact with the Oracle. She told me to "to look towards the finest peak". I wonder what her message means?"
Fluttershy's widen with fright, due to you mentioning the Oracle. She starts to tremble with fear.
"Did...You say the Oracle? Oh my, guarded by those scary looking templars with hooks and....No! Please don't go to her! She might hurt you!" She silently starts to weep to herself. Her tearful eyes look up to you.
"I don't know what has gotten into Dash with her assignments. She's been extremely opressive with her orders, and she's been really mean to me lately. I fear that Applejack's is going to have a nervous breakdown soon. Everyone and everypony in the base is going through a lot of stress from her..." She jitters her teeth in anxiety, and starts to sob aloud.
"Flutters...Ugh, look. I'm sure everyone around here is stressed out to the breaking point. You see, this Sigil that I hold will change all of that. If I manage to collect all five pieces of the Sigil, I promise the world that we know will change for the better. I promise..." You tell her in attempt to alleviate her stress.
"Okay...If you promise...." She accepts your comforting hug before you head out.
The base contained the location of Applejack's small arms training room next to Fluttershy's medical facilities. You open the metal door to visit the small arms room. Big Macintosh, Applebloom, and Applejack wave you over towards the new counter with a warm Apple family greeting.
"Why howdy there! Ah heard you taken out that Programmer all by yerself! Well, congrats on yer accomplishment!" Applejack boasts aloud with pride.
"Eeeyup." Big Mac responds with a smile of satisfaction.
"Ah wish I was there wen' you took out that big bad Programmer! Maybe Ah could have found mah cutie mark!" Applebloom whines while crossing her forehooves.
"We need you down here from harms way, little sis'. Now, even though Dash has been cockin' up an additude with me lately, I was instructed to give y'all a few more tips for the battlefield. Ya ready to head over to the range Sugarcube?" Applejack offers her new training to you.
"I think we know the drill by now partner." You return to Applejack.
After extensive hours of training and drills on the range, you hug Applejack and leave the range to the small arms room. While Applejack lays her own custom assault rifle on the counter, you ask her a personal question about Rainbow Dash's new attitude.
"So Applejack, I know that the base has been overwhelmed with stress, but how is exactly Rainbow Dash treating everypony down here?" You begin to ask her.
The question makes her pause for a minute. She turns around to you, with a expression of disconfort and a sense of worry.
"Honestly Sugarcube, Ahm worried 'bout her. She's developed a frezy for power that Ah've never seen in her before. She ain't the same ever since that darn comet stuck Ponyville. It seems like she's more obsessed about collectin' them Sigil pieces than actually winning this war. Please be careful, Partner. I'll have to talk some sense back into her." Applejack hugs you before you leave the small arms room.
After finding a pathway out of the new rebel base, you walk back out of town and into the streets once again. Blackmare sends you a transmission with some intel about the Oracle.
"The Oracle is a supposably high priestess who operates outside of the Order. Follow the outskirts of town and travel into the Everfree forest."
Oh great, the Everfree Forest. You have heard countless rumors about the mystical creatures that used to thrive inside the Everfree Forest. Ever since the arrival of the Order, the Everfree Forest now lied in ruins, due to the firebombing and raids conducted by Acolytes. You guess they didn't want to deal with any external forces besides the Front. You disassemble and conceal your weapons, as you travel on a dirt path leading into the Everfree Forest. Acolytes march by you on patrol, as hovering Sentinels scan the skies from the horizon above. You avoid any detection by traveling off road to the path of the Oracle.
After navigating your way out from the Everfree Forest, you follow the dirt path into a indiscrete cavern. The entryway was lit with torches. You travel only in the shadows of the cavern, to avoid detection from the Order. A few Stalkers scan the interior of the cavern. You successfully trick the Stalkers by catapulting a torch away from your position. By doing so, it caused the brown spiders to investigate the disturbance. As you ventured deeper inside the caverns, you stuble towards a dead end rocky wall. A metallic door blocked the path to the Oracle. The door appeared to be locked with an electronic keycard. Two red uniformed Acolytes patrolled inside opposite guard posts from the door. They withheld the keycard necessary to open the large metallic door. You unsheathe your trustworthy punch dagger. Which guard will you decide to take out?
A) Take out the Guard inside the post to the Right.
B) Take out the Guard inside the post to the Left.
A) You decide to take out the guard to the right. While soundlessly sprinting up to the right of the post, you duck underneath the view post, and cling to the wall with your body. Carefully placing every step to the rear door of the post, you fail to locate a puddle just outside of the door. You clumsily slip on the puddle while wielding your punch dagger. It skids out of visibility from behind you. You crash onto the stone floor, with a loud thud that alerted both of the Acolytes. They open the post doors, and spot you lying on the floor. With little time to respond to the threats, they aim their assault rifles and discharge a three round burst directly at you. The rounds penetrate your vital organs, as you bleed out to death on the cold floor. Read option B to continue on with the story.
B) You decide to take out the guard to the left. While soundlessly sprinting up to the right of the post, you duck underneath the view post, and cling to the wall with your body. Carefully placing every step to the rear door of the post, you gently push the door with one hand/hoof with the Acolyte unaware of your presence. You proceed to stand up behind the Acolyte, and you quickly grab his helmet from behind. You muffle his scream with your left hand/hoof, and thrust the punch dagger with your right. The Acolyte bleeds out, and tumbles into your arms unconsciously. You lower his body to the floor and search his satchel bag for the missing key. You find the key, and proceed to open the large metallic door without detection.
The large metallic door seeps into the ground. You carefully trot inside the next room, only to be caught by a few Stalkers. With little time to engage the threats, you sprint inside the lighted interior of the caverns. The sounds of clanking metallic legs stalk you from behind. You locate a smaller metallic door, for only a new kind of threat to emerge out of it. It was the feared Templar. The Templar matches the same exact holographic depiction back from the presentation. It raises it's right arm towards you, to aim it's experimental prototype mauler weapon. You drop to the floor, as it discharges its positive array of particles over your prone figure. The particles strike the Stalkers from behind. They vaporize into a pile of smoking ash.
You briskly pick yourself up from the floor, and sprint behind the doorway of the Templar. It was too slow to react towards your sudden movements. You manage to lock the metal door, as you can hear the metallic claws from the Templar furiously dent the door from behind you. With your stamina implant pumping blood on overdrive, you dart inside the Oracle's underground temple. A few more Templars stand motionless once you were inside. However, they showed no intentions of hostility. One of the Templars walked up to you for identification. You had no choice but to submit to the scan.
It analyzes you as a Sigil holder. The Templar proceeds to speak in a sketchy robotic voice.
"Welcome. Please follow me to the Oracle. All units standby." The Templar broadcasts over the underground speakers.
You pace behind the Templar, with a million questions in your mind. The Templar leads you into an underground lair
embellished with Order influence. After a good ten minutes of following the Templar, it directs you to a velvet red carpet with gold trimmings. The Templar travels back towards the entrance, from where it stood on patrol. You cautiously stride forward on the carpet. Hooded figures kneeled on parallel sides of the carpet. They were humming a robotic chant unfamiliar to you, that echoed throughout the stone masonry of the temple. With your Sigil piece at hand, you traveled and the end chamber to meet Zecora. She was patiently anticipating for your arrival. Four shrouded Order cultist bowed towards her hovering figure.
She lectures you to step closer to her. The same mysterious alien hieroglyphics, emits a ambient green glow from behind Zecora. You step onto a short staircase from which she floated behind. She thrusts her arms outwards, to cease the chanting inside the temple. She bellows a authoritative voice throughout the chambers.
"What is the wisdom that you seek? My knowledge is only for the brave, but not the meek." She casts aloud.
"I seek guidance for the Sigil pieces of the one god." You return to her.
"I sense a great source of power that resonates from within you. Travel the path of the crimson and obsidian tower that will guide the bold adventurer through. There you shall find the Bishop who holds the second piece. Return to me after you have slain the beast. Take this token to the Keymaster. Follow his symbols of power, for your delay is crucial by every hour. "
As you step off the mount from where Zecora hovered, She casts a portal for you to leave the temple. With no other choice in mind, you step into the portal. It materializes you back near the guard posts. You recieve a message from Blackmare.
"Crimson and Obsidian? Why can't she say red and black?"
I guess this mare wasn't aware of Zecora's colorful speech patterns; Full of rhymes and riddles. With the Sigil now grasped in your hand/hoof, it was now time to retrack back into the borderlands of Ponyville. While doing so, Blackmare sends you another message with information on the Bishop.
"The Bishop is the Order's military leader. He plots their tactics, runs their spies, and is in charge of controlling 'us'. If we eliminate him, the Order will lose all military control..."
You wonder what surprises the Bishop would throw at you. While traveling on the dirt path exterior of Ponyville, you come across a cloaked human rebel. He directs you to the direction of the Keymaster. He states that you can find him inside Canterlot, where "he frequently lurks around the Commons area." After traveling on foot/hooves for a few hours, you finally arrive on the outskirts of Canterlot. You locate an architectural medieval styled building with a sign labeled 'Commons'. Inside the Commons area, the Keymaster gazes towards the outside from a window. Boredom plagued his mind, as his only duty was to guard one key. His attention diverts over to you, after you close the door from behind.
"A lot of people would say that this is a thankless and insignificant job. But it's not! In fact...." He goes off in a random tangent.
"Look, I know who you are. Just give me the key to the Bishop..." You tell him, annoyed from his boastfulness.
"Ok...here you go! Just remember, I'm the keymaster....." He boasts with self pride.
"You really need to get out more..." You cock an eyebrow up at him.
The Keymaster was puzzled by your comment. You leave the Commons area, and explore the new reformation of Canterlot. It was overtaken by heavy Order influence. Templars and Acolytes marched in the streets. They patrolled for any signs of unusual activity, or attempted to capture any rebel spy clusmy enough to stumble into town. While pacing inside the streets and asking for guidance, you come across a once wealthy stallion who was now a beggar. His once luxurious tuxedo is now tattered and musty. His mane was filthy due to the lack of water, and other limited hygenic resources the Order failed to provide the citizens. The Order foresaw no need for the wealthy residents of Canterlot, so they ravaged the town and placed their military headquaters there. Some residents where lucky enough to bribe the Order with money, while others were spared by betraying the Front. Fancy Pant's refusal to help the Order has made him dirt poor.
He leads you towards the location of the military headquarters, by acessing a few secluded alleyways only traveled by beggars just like him. As you traveled inside the malodorous alleyways, you ask him why Fleur-De-Lis wasn't present with him. He paused for a minute. Before leaving, he requests only one thing for his beloved companion Fleur-De-Lis.
"Please, seek revenge for my beloved Fleur-De-Lis. I've watched the Order demolish my home, mercilessly pillage Canterlot, and ruthlessly drag Fleur-De-Lis by her very own mane. This injustice has to cease before more innocent lives are lost...." Fancy Pants breaks down in tears in front of you.
"I will put an end to this, Fancy Pants. Your beloved Fleur-De-Lis will be avenged..."
You help Fancy Pants up, and generously hand over a bag of coins. The offer renewed his spirits, and he thanks you before departing. You jog over to the military castle's main gates, where two Templar guards on the outside gate stood on patrol. You swipe the locked gates with your keycard, given to you by the Keymaster. Once inside the castle, another biological scanner stops you from making further progress. You have no other choice, but to enter through the scanner. While doing so, the facility goes on lockdown with alarms blaring through your skull. You withdraw your concealed assault rifle, and continue through the corridors.
A message from Blackmare rings through your Inter-Com with a helpful suggestion.
"Since you activated all the alarms inside the facility....why don't we swap uniforms and blend in?"
This piece of advice would later save your life inside the facility. While darting through a few halls, and returning fire to a few alerted Acolytes, you stumble into a command point. You gun down two Acolytes that were preoccupied with a few terminals. Inside the locker room of the command point, you locate a black Acolyte uniform that fits your figure (If your were a stallion, there was a nearby Templar suit). After suited in your new disguise, you loot the Acolyte bodies for fresh magazines. You come across an Order keycard in the process.
Your disguise was put to the test, when a squad of Acolytes infiltrated the room. They pay little attention to you, as they search the room for the intruder. You march out from the command point, and search the facilities for further evidence of the Bishop. A map of the building was projected on a holographic screen from a lone computer monitor. You located and pinpoint the Bishop inside the facilities, but unfortunately you've discovered that you would have to pass another screening checkpoint. You release a nervous sweat before leaving the monitor. You travel down the corridors once more, to locate the second screening check point.
The metallic doors open before you. You take one brave step forward inside the screening, and auspiciously pass with flying colors. You could've sworn the amount of weapons carried inside your backpack would trigger some suspicion. A red uniformed Acolyte signals you to draw closer to him. Maybe the Order detected the weapons stashed inside your pack? You had no choice but to submit.
"I.D. Check?"
The red Acolyte bellows robotically. You relieve a sigh, and pass over the Order keycard. The Acolyte scans it
profoundly and allows you to progress further into the facilities. You find a door that leads you into another section of Canterlot. You appeared to be inside an outside courtyard of the fortress. A transmission from Blackmare rattles your Inter-Com once again.
"I just recieved word from HQ that Rarity has sucessfully infiltrated the fortress! Let's head to what's called the 'hospital'. More like a butcher shop to the Order."
Inside the courtyard of the fortress, you witnessed the remaining decadence of Canterlot. High class ponies who've decided to betray the Front and assist the Order, gathered timidly inside the confinement area. Their selfish and greedy demenor forms antipathy inside you, as they laugh while attending to a game of croquet on the grassy knoll. You are forced to set aside your emotions, and continue on with your mission. After trekking across the field, you locate the hospital inside an elegantly chiseled building. You remove and discard your disguise, and look for any traces of Rarity. In a neaby corner of the hospital's entryway, Sweetie Belle emerges from hiding.
"Do you think by me helping the Front will help me get my cutie mark?" She grins while looking up to you. You follow her down the hallway to the location of Rarity.
"Perhaps Sweetie Belle. Only time will tell by this point." You tell her in return.
She opens the receptionist doorway, where you find Rarity as a disguised nurse inside the facilities. Sweetie Belle locks the door from behind you, and directs her attention at the door like a guard dog.
"Darling! Can you just believe those traitors in the courtyard? I have thoroughly agreed to participate in their activities, but I cannot simply comprehend how they could turn to the Order for protection. Prince Blueblood must be responsible for bribing the Order with such atrocities...." Rarity vividly remembers her date with Prince Blueblood.
"He's responsible for the conformity of those cowards?" You head flares up in anger.
"Not only that Darling, but he sold out some of the most kind hearted ponies like Fancy Pants. I can only hope that he is safe..."
"I ran into him while I was in Canterlot, Rarity. He was in pretty bad shape. They pillaged his home and dragged Fleur-De-Lis before his eyes..."
"That's horrible! Oh Celestia, Prince Blueblood will not escape his indespicable actions this time." Rarity stomps her hoof to the ground. She exhales a loud snort that was unfeminine of her nature. After realizing her emotions got to the best of her, she blushes and expresses an embarrassed smile.
"Sorry Darling. Well, you're probably wondering about the 'whereabouts' of the Bishop. If you simply look behind you, you will find the citadel in which he is contained. I was unable to bypass the force field of the entryway. It only opens for applicable visitors I suppose."
"So how to I get in?" You ask Rarity.
"I'm afraid that you'll have to fight your way through the security complex. Use the teleporter once you're inside. Destory the computer in the central administration. I would do it myself Darling, but I'd rather have a strong brave hero do it for me. I might chip my hoof in the process!" Rarity whines in a dramatic tone.
"Alright Rarity, anything for you. Is there anything else that I need to know?" You ask her politely.
"There's an advantage to destorying the main central computer. From hacking the terminals from outside of the citadel, I found out that's where the Order's plans are kept. It will double the advantage for the Front if you happen to be successful. I have unfinished business that I must conduct with Blueblood afterwards. Also, I received word from a few rebel scouts, that the Baily's warehouse has received a new shipment. Called the 'Mauler' if I recount correctly. That's all I have for now Darling."
Sweetie Belle trots over to open the door for you. You hug Rarity before leaving the receptionist room. You playfully brush Sweetie Belle's mane before leaving the medical complex. You enter back out into the courtyard.
You locate the building labeled "Security Complex" while pacing around the inner area of the courtyard. Once inside the complex entrance, you withdraw your assault rifle from concealment. An elevated platform was present in front of you. You relieve a personal sigh, and step onto it. Just as you leave the elevator, another bio scanner was presented inside the Security Complex. You load a fresh magazine into the mag well of your assault rifle, and prepare for the upcoming conflict with the Bishop.....