You release one deep breathe of air, and charge into the security complex with your assault rifle. Two Acolytes from down the hall raise to aim their assault rifles. You dive to the floor in a prone position and discharge your assault rifle, striking the Acolytes just below the waist line.
You pick youself up from the ground and sprint down the hallway. A Sentinel emits a robotic shriek from down the hall. It slowly opens it's metallic chassis, leaving you time to align your sights to it's internals. After the sentinel remains nothing but a smoldering pile of electronics, you enter a doorway down the hall to pull on a throw switch. After you leave the room, Blackmare sends you another useless transmission. Her recent transmissions hinted a sign of personal delirium.
"We've been down many hallways before....but I think these walls are moving as we pass."
"She must be going completely insane being underground..." You think to yourself. Retracing your footsteps, you encounter two parallel staircases ascending upwards into a hallway. What staircase should you travel up first? Risk going up the right staircase, or go into the left?
A) See what's ahead by traveling up the left staircase.
B) See what's ahead by traveling up the right staircase.
A) Your instincts naturally dictate to go left in most of these situations. With your assault rifle pointing up into the unknown direction of the staircase, you reach the top with no visible enemies to encounter. There are two solid metal bars that block you from progressing further into the second floor. You turn away from the metal bars and attempt to travel back down the staircase. With your guard intentionally let down, you fail to spot a lone Sentinel from the other side of the bars. The Sentinel exposes it's computer internals with a loud shriek. You whip around with your assault rifle, but unfortunately you were too late. A steady stream of elongated lazers strike you dead center in the chest. You drop your assault rifle, due to the precise shot placement of lasers that struck your chest. You fall to the floor, dead from a lone Sentinel. Continue on with option B to continue the story.
B) You stick to your repulsive gut feeling to go up the right staircase, after debating with your sub conscience to go left. You travel up the staircase and bypass a curved corridor. Down the hall, a single Sentinel screams opon your arrival. You unload half of your magazine in short, controlled bursts aimed at the Sentinel. The Sentinel erupts in a firey ball of electronic debris. Another pull switch awaits you down the hallway. While charging down the hallway to activate the switch, your eye catches something unusual from an exposed opening in the left wall. You could have sworn you saw a translucent Acolyte pass by, but you couldn't be sure for certain. You pull the switch downwards at the dead end of the hall. Two walls adjacent from the switch lower down, revealing two hidden passageways. The wall behind you slams firm into the ground, leaving you trapped with yet another decision to make.
A) Explore the right passageway inside the security complex.
B) Explore the left passageway inside the security complex.
A) You decide to venture onward inside the right hidden passageway of the security complex. While turning to the right corner, you meet face to face with a lone Acolyte. The Acolyte broadcasts a high priority message inside his headset, which sounded like inaudible gibberish to your ears. You raise your assault rifle in a 'offhand position', learned from Applejack on the firing range. You expel the last of your magazine, and head onwards into the dimly lit corridors of the security complex.
B) You decide to venture onward inside the left hidden passageway of the security complex. With low visibility inside the left passageway, you make a head on collision with the same translucent Acolyte that you spotted from before. He shoves you off with constraint, which in return makes you fall on your back. Your assault rifle skids out of reach from behind you. You attempt to crawl after it, but unfortunately you were too late. The Acolyte unleases a hail of lead directly into your body. You can feel the blistering hot rounds penetrate with each strike. You have experienced a slow but arduous death. Go back to part A to continue onward with the story.
The sounds of metallic feet clash inside the facilities, accompanied by the familiar skittish metallic spider legs from your previous missions. You stash away your assault rifle inside your backpack, and briskly assemble your rocket launcher. It was risky discharging your rocket launcher in such close quarters, but you had no other choice after identifying the footsteps to be Templars inside the facility. You nearly stumble into a hydralic press, while bypassing a few sharp corners inside the hidden passageway. An idea appears inside your sub conscience, as you look over the mechanical press slamming into the conveyor belt floor. Your cleaver instincts dictate that you should create a diversion by discharging a few micro missiles. You'd figure that it will lure a few Templars into the press. There were three visible entryways inside the machine. From a safe distance, you discharge two missiles towards the ceiling to create an impassable pile of rubble. There was now only one visible pathway into the hydralic press. You would have to use yourself for bait as a drawback.
The plan worked perfectly. The disturbance caused by the rocket explosions, forced the Templars to investigate the commotion. You exposed your head at the opposite end of the hydralic press. The Templars from the entryway of the press spot you, and attempted to discharge a spread of searing particles. You dart behind the wall of the press, and await to hear the sounds of machinery crush the Templars. The Templars, without any intuition or awareness of the mechanical press, mindlessly march into the trap. The screeching sound of crumpling metal and shattering glass, halt the other Templars from progressing forward. This was your time to escape. You locate another pathway from your position, and travel down to locate another transporter. The transporter materializes you back into the same room; From which you've pulled the first throw switch.
A Crusader shrieks at the other end of the hallway, to greet you with a trio of rockets. You run for cover behind a wall, and blindly fire from around the corner with your micro missle launcher. The remnants of the crusader trigger two more staircases inside the complex to be revealed. You trust your sub conscience this time around, and travel up the left staircase. Another Crusader from up the stairs attempts to engulf you with flaming hot napalm. You jog backwards to avoid the stream of napalm, and patiently anticipate for the Crusader at the end of the staircase. Crusaders were not designed to travel staircases due to their sheer bulk. You discharge six carefully aimed rockets at the clumsy Crusader attempting to lower itself down the staircase. The Crusader tumbles down the staircase in a flaming inferno. You activate another pull switch, and hear a new section inside the facility shift within itself.
You investigate the source of the noise inside the facility, and discover yet another revealed hidden section inside the security complex. This section was much larger from the previous hidden hallways that contained the hydralic press. You dart into the corridors, only to be ambushed by a squad of Acolytes and a lone Templar who managed to escape the rubble. Your stamina implant works on overdrive, as you charge forward discharging a hale of rockets towards the threats. Rounds fly your silhouette while the discharged particles collided with a few rockets in mid air. Gunsmoke from the assault rifles, with a combination of the rocket shockwaves emitting dust inside the tight quarters, it was nearly impossible to gain any sight of your targets. You use the low visibility inside the room to your advantage. As you leave the room, you feel a sudden sharp pain in your left arm.
One of the rounds from the short skirmish has striken your left arm/forehoove. Due to your adenaline pumping and your stamina implant working on overdrive, the pain was unnoticeable until now. You kneel down inside the next room behind cover, and proceed to open your field operational surgery kit from your backpack. The little pre-programmed drone from the kit treats your wound, as you grimace in pain from the procedure. After wrapping a tight banage over the wound, the little bot shuts down in self destruction, which renders the kit now useless. The haze of smoke dissipates into the exposed skylight of the previous room. The Templar, with the addition of it's Acolyte allies, scan the interior of the room for any traces of you. It was time to move on.
This newfound room from which you hid contained holograpic projectors, two dimensional maps of the geographical features of Ponyville, and another electronic throw switch. A new piece of military hardware lied in front of the switch. It was the experimental mauler weapon from the Order. Why it was sitting in front of this switch was a mystery to you. However, you repack your rocket launcher and analyze the new weapon. It was constructed of a light metal alloy, extrinsic to any metals you were aware of at the time. It was fed by a single energy pod canister, commonly found on Crusaders after defeat. The muzzle of the weapon contained a viewing window, which emitted a green glow of visible chain reaction molecules that spun around in a circular motion. The weapon contained a left handle bar for support, and a right trigger system with two modes of fire. The stock of the weapon housed an 'accordion styled' recoil pad, which you supported you body into when firing the weapon. You locate the settings of the mauler, to switch to the Templar's dispersion pattern, and continue into the facilities central computer core.
While inside the control room, it was impossible to conceal your new weapon. Your best bet was to stay out of the eye of the Order during this time. The shadows were your friend in this situation. You've managed to sneak around inside the darkened corners of the facility, while locating a few more pull switches. Traveling deeper into the facilities, you remain covert until you were stifled by a lone Reaver on patrol. The situation presented the chance to test out your new mauler weapon. You pull the trigger by pressing the right lever of the weapon, not knowing what to expect. An array of green particles dispersed from the muzzle of the weapon, striking the Reaver with direct contact. The chain reaction of green particles dissolved the metal armor of the Reaver, and caused a chain reaction until nothing remained but a smoldering pile of ash. The gun was relatively light in recoil to your discovery.
After finally activating a few more pull switches, you locate a small armory with a key for access into the computer's central main core. This was it, your chance to permanently cripple the Order's military infrastructure. You switch to the second firing mode of the mauler weapon. The mauler's green particle circular pattern, fuzes into one massive particle inside the viewport. With Acolyte gunfire erupting from behind you, you had to act fast. You venture inside the central computer core room, only to witness a large glowing green orb in the middle of the room. Two human civilians were on parallel sides of the Orb, analyzing two terminals to keep track of the temperature core. They cower in the sight of you wielding the mauler, and sprint out of the room from behind you.
"What you see in front of you is the computer's central core. Take it out quick and let's get the heck out of here!" Blackmare transmits to you in a hurry.
The doors from behind you open with the arrival of two Acolytes. With little time to react, you squeeze the trigger of the mauler. A faint distinctive hum emits from the weapon with a brief pause. All of a sudden, a blinding flash of green energy discharges in front of you. The recoil from the weapon knocks all breathe from out of you, as you skid backwards onto the cold metallic floor. A circular stream of green plasma disperses from a main energy ball, after it makes direct contact with the core. A shockwave of plasma disintegrates the Acolytes from behind you. The main core now lies in shambles. You pick yourself up from the ground, and retrace your steps until you are finally out of the security complex. You make your way out into the courtyard.
You next dilemma was concealing your mauler weapon. With the panicked decadence scurrying like mice inside the courtyard, and the military ranks of the Order scrambling outside for an intruder, you hide behind a stone pillar and remove your cape from your armor. You wrap the cape around your mauler, and strap it to the back of your backpack. Even though the protrusion from your back looked suspicious, the chaos from outside the facilities was far more plentiful for anyone/anypony to take notice of you.
With the translucent barrier now gone, the Bishop's castle was now exposed for infiltration. You enter undetected through the front gates of castle, with a transmission from Blackmare before you'd entered inside the keep.
"Wait! The Oracle said that we would know him by his symbol of power....Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"
You pause for a moment, to think out what the Bishop's symbol of power would be. It dawned on you that she was referring to the second Sigil piece! You heart beats rapidly inside your chest. You remove the cape shrouding your mauler, and prepare for the second conflict of your life. You switch back to the dispersion settings on your mauler weapon. Two Acolyte guards from outside the keep, withdraw their assault rifles from your entrance. You dispose of the threats with two quick dispersions. Suddenly, the speaker system of the castle broadcasts the Bishop's looming robotic voice. You could hear another ominous croaking voice, that followed his speech patterns during his broadcast.
"Who dares to defy me and enter my fortress? A worthless human/stallion? Your head will be priceless in my collection. Face me and suffer a slow death."
His speech was a threating attempt of physiological warfare. However, you remained unphased by his impending message. The pain and suffering experienced by Ponyville's citizens would be far greater for the Bishop. You managed to open the front gates of the fortress, after engaging in a small skirmish with a few templars. Once you've breached the main fortress gates, a trio of missiles cast by your head. A lone Crusader aimed it's missile laucher directly towards you, while it cleverly anticipated for your arrival. You take down the threat with a few bursts of green particles from the mauler. The Bishop's private military force attemtped to stop you, while you jogged from switch to switch. You activate the sequences of switches inside the fortress, with a comment from Blackmare after doing so.
"The Bishop is certainly paranoid of outsiders. It explains all of the heavy resistance that your facing inside here."
After activating the sequential order of switches, and taking down the hordes of Order ranks that stood in your way, you stumble into an unusual sight before progressing to the Bishop. An enormous humanoid skeleton display. The enormous skeleton was interlinked with cables. After studying the structure for a brief moment, you press your hand/hoof over the skull. The empty sockets of the skull radiate a blinding light, with a hidden speaker inside the jaw of the skeleton.
"The presentation of this skeleton is what I'm going to do to you, human/stallion! Your rotting corpse will be mounted on display at the entrance of my fortress. This battle shall be a presentation of why you can't stifle the power of the Order! Our conflict shall be broadcasted for the entire world to see! Let it instill fear into the Front..."
The Bishop bellows with laughter from the speaker before cutting off. You released a cold sweat, before pacing into the arena of the Bishop. From around you, you could see video recorders embedded inside the walls. The arena was also a recording studio of sorts, where you guessed the Bishop conducted his propaganda videos. You find the charred remains of the blindfolded rebels, witnessed by the entire world from the Crusader propaganda demonstration. This is where the rebels were executed for public broadcast.
Back inside the rebel base, the Front anxiously waits for the impending battle that was about to unfold. The whole world crowds around any television monitors to watch the event. The gates from which the Bishop stood behind, slowly lowered into the ground. Electronic shrieks rattle from the Bishop's cybernetic legs. The Bishop towered from about 10 feet above you. He wore a black armored visor around his head, boasted a muscular pale upper body, wielded a long ranged heat seaking missile launcher, and contained the second golden Sigil piece around his neck. He launches a single missile that snaps you out of your trance from the intimidating appearance.
You sprint behind the walls from which he emerged from. With your heart pounding inside your chest, you attempted to control your trembling from the sight of the towering figure. You had to make a decision before the Bishop could locate you. With two available firing modes for the mauler, and the Sigil inside your bag, how will you decide to combat the Bishop?
A) Engage the Bishop with your mauler. Use the dispersion pattern setting.
B) Engage the Bishop with your mauler. Use the plasma blast setting.
C) Discard your mauler and use the Sigil.
A) Your best bet was to use dispersion setting on your mauler to fight the Bishop. In such close quaters inside the arena, and the harsh recoil from the second mode of fire, your instincts choose this setting for this reason. The mauler's setting was locked into dispersion with a flick of a switch. You sprint from behind cover, as the sounds of the Bishop's cybernetic legs march closer to your position. You expose yourself towards the Bishop and fire off a volley of electonic particles. You watch as the charged particles inefficaciously bounce from the reinforced robotic legs of the monstrocity. You drop your mauler and freeze in horror, as the Bishop stomps closer towards your stature The Bishop bellows a maniacal laugh, before speaking aloud on the speakers.
"Here is your hero, world! I'm afraid that our bold adventurer's journey will have to cease today. I expected a better battle that this! You should have known that I was prepared for your stolen experimental mauler weapon. I cannot kill in such close proximities, so I will crush you like a cockroach. Pity, I wanted your body as a trophy in my collection."
The Bishop lifts it's mechanical right leg directly over your head. He slams it into the ground with diligent force. The only thing that you could recount before dying instantly, is the sound of your bones splintering in a loud audiable crunch. The live event of your death, is what instilled fear throughout the whole world to this very day. The cult broadcasted one single message in mind: The Order was here to stay. Try another option to continue onward.
B) You decide that your best bet, was to use the plasma blast from your mauler to fight the Bishop. With a flick of a switch and a deep exhale, you were ready to encounter the Bishop. You expose yourself while squeezing the trigger, and anticipate for the harsh recoil from the blast. The Bishop fails to spot you from cover, until the giveaway from the Mauler's low hum attracts his attention. Before he could lock onto you with his rocket launcher, the blast from the mauler sends you recoiling backwards inside the arena. The large plasma ball makes contact with his bare, exposed chest. It causes a chain reaction of molecules to eat away his exposed flesh. The Bishop shrieks in robotic pain, as a vile green fluid disperses from a stub of his right arm. His body disintegrates into the ground, where an unusual cloud formation rises from the remnants of his corpse. You discard your mauler after it runs dry, and quickly and withdrew your Sigil.
A stream of lighting singes the threads of your armor, casted from a supernatural cloud Spectre. You were fortinate enough to react quickly before the lighting made contact. You point the Sigil, and attempt to channel a flow of energy from within you. The Sigil casts a shower of lighting just above the gaseous monstrosity. The Spectre locks into mid air, as the lighting pool strikes the floating abomination in repetition. The monster starts to radiate with light, as you cast more showers of lighting above the Spectre. Your body suddenly presents a overwhelming sense of fatigue and exhaustion. The Spectre erupts into a blinding white light, where you were forced to shroud your eyes from the bright intensity. It releases the second Sigil piece before violently exploding. You are victorious! You trample over to the second sigil piece that rests on the ground. The second piece snaps into the first, to make a complete ring formation. A transmission from Blackmare proudly echoes throughout the empty arena.
"You did it! HQ is going wild with cheers from your victory! The Order is now in disarray with no military guidance. Let's head back to the Oracle now..."
C) You decide to discard your mauler, and use your Sigil for the battle against the Bishop. The mauler skids away from you on the floor. You withdraw your Sigil and expose yourself from cover. You attempt to channel your energy though the Sigil piece, but fail to react to a rocket that was homing towards you. The rocket collides into a nearby stone structure, which causes you to loses your focus on the Bishop. The Sigil casts a shower of lighting at the wrong intented target; A nearby Order stand constructed of pure gold. The Bishop, without hesistation, locks onto your frame with his rocket launcher.
Dizzy from the concussive force from the rocket, you fail to dodge the next rocket homing towards the center of your chest. The rocket penetrates your armor but fails to detonate. The rocket lodges far into your chest, and it disrupts your vital organs. You bleed internally from the concussive force, and die within an instant. The Bishops carefully deactivates the rocket lodged inside your chest. He drags your body to be proudly presented in front of his fortress, for everyone and everypony to witness. Your body displays a beaconing message; A display for anyone who is foolish enough to appose the Order. Go back and choose another option to continue on.
The machines inside the fortress turn rouge, due to the lack of military Order leadership. They scan and miscalculate each other as threats, and attempt to destory each other. You carefully bypass through the rouge machines, to make your way out of Canterlot for good. You travel back onto the dirt roads. You retrace your pathway back into the temple of the Oracle. Zecora anxiously awaits for you. Before you can announce the victory to her, she bellows a final ultimatum for you to decide....