Chevaux Sans Frontieres - I

>You are Big Boss
>In what little time you had left, you reconciled with your "son," Solid Snake
>Or what you said
"Brother"
>You told him to put aside the gun and live
>No longer as a soldier, or a snake, but as a man
>After you have told him the cause of all this, you finally understand the meaning and truth behind his actions
>To respect the will of others while fighting for your own
>It is almost time for you to go
>The last ember of this fruitless war will finally be extinguished
>After sharing one final smoke with your son, you tell him
"This is good, isn't it?"
>And with your last breath, you return to zero.

>You feel warmth taking you over, ready to take you from this cold and dark world
>As your eyelids fall, the smooth Cuban cigar nestled loosely in between your fingers falls to the ground
>It is time
>You can finally see her face once again
>The Boss
>Reach out to her
>All you felt was this comforting and peaceful warmth, radiating through every fiber in your old and frail body
>Suddenly, it starts getting brighter
>This light
>This must be where The Boss is
>Open your eyes
>See her once again
>Your eyelids peel open
>You see a dense, dark forest, rich and lush with wildlife and nature, the sounds of animals permeating throughout the area
>You're lying down on the soft grass, wet with morning dew
>Was this the afterlife?
>You slowly pick yourself up, confused
>You were pretty sure that the afterlife would be a little more
>Pretty
>Seeing that no one was here, you call out
"Boss?"

>After you called out to the night, only the sounds of the forest responded
>Standing here, you realized that your voice was hard and gravelly, but youthful like old times
>You also notice that you were wearing tiger stripe fatigues
>This “afterlife” seems to have decided to put you in your prime
>Not that it was bad or anything
>Afterlife or not, all you knew now is that you’re stuck in the middle of a forest, with no codec, weapons, rations, and cigars
>Instinctively, you trek through the dense woods in search of food and possibly people
>This forest however, was unlike anything you’ve ever seen
>The plants didn’t seem familiar; they were exotic and strange in appearance
>The entire forest had this supernatural feel to it
>Ignoring the vibes it sends you, you continue your search for food
>You also make sure to be as sneaky as you usually are
>As you sneak through the forest, you hear what seems to be hoofsteps…
>You quickly dive into the bushes and utilize nature’s camouflage
>Carefully peeking out the bush, you see a short horse
>You muttered to yourself
“A pony?”
>It wasn’t any kind of pony, however
>Its coat was a smooth lavender, the mane streaked with pink and violet
>Was that even physically possible?
>You also noticed that this pony seems to have a horn protruding from its forehead, and a pair of wings folded on its body
>And a tattoo on her ass.
>Whatever it was, you were hungry
>And you were wondering how it tasted

>As the pony trotted forward, you silently stalk it, each and every movement slow, deliberate, powerful, but silent
>Unknowingly, your left foot snaps a twig
>You quickly drop down prone, not wanting to scare your lunch away
>The winged unicorn scans the area behind it, before continuing on
>Making sure that you won’t make that mistake again, you press forward
>Little by little, you come within range
>You reach for your knife, only to realize it isn’t there
>Not that you needed it to perform effectively, however
>You also make a note to yourself that weapons and equipment are OSP
>Deciding to rely on the basics of CQC, you lash out towards the horse, hands ready to snap some necks
>As you leapt out of seemingly nowhere, the purple horse turns her head and gasps, only to be interrupted by a heavy tackle
>You pick her up and prepare to slam her into the ground for good measure, but her horn begins to glow and she teleports out of your hands and behind you
“Ugh... It’s like Quiet all over again…”
>You quickly turn around and prepare to strike again, but the horse opens her mouth and starts…
>Talking?
>”I don’t know who or what you are, but I don’t have time for this!”
>As the mare shouts these words to you, her horn glows again, some kind of attack, you presume
>You realize that a pastel colored winged unicorn had just talked to you
>In a language you understand
>Intelligent life
>In the form of a pony, but intelligent life nonetheless
>In light of this, you stand down; no lives need to be lost right now
“Hold on, I’ve got questions!”

>You guess that she wasn’t the only one, and that there must be more of these tiny talking horses.
>And that they live in a world full of tiny talking horses.
>That being said, it may also be safe to say that they’ve never seen humans before
>Which was probably why that mare had a look on her face that said “I just made the greatest discovery!”
>Her horn stopped glowing and she slowly paced towards you.
“Sorry for the hostilities, but like I said, I need answers.”
>After the mare had a good look at you, her expression returns to what you think is normal for a horse.
>”Well, it’s alright, but seeing a real human here begs more questions, however I’ve got priorities right now. You can follow if you like; I’ll answer whatever questions you ask.”
>You follow the mare to wherever she was headed, and you weren’t exactly sure what she meant when she said “priorities.”
>It wouldn’t hurt to ask about it.
“Priorities? Like what?”
>”You’re not from around here, are you? Anyways, at this very moment, Equestria is at war.”
“Equestria?”
>”It’s the country we’re walking around in right now.”
>Figures. You knew this wasn’t Africa anyways.
“So you said this country was at war. Who are you fighting, exactly?”
>”I’ll have the books explain once we get to where we need to go.”
>The mare stops and looks at you in your one good eye
>”By the way, we haven’t introduced ourselves. I’m Twilight Sparkle.”
“Call me… Big Boss.”

>”Big Boss? Not the kind of name I’d expect, but alright.”
>You continue to follow the mare throughout the forest, until you reach a drawbridge that led to a ruined castle.
“A castle?”
>”It’s the Castle of the Two Sisters, I’ll explain later.”
>The mare gaits towards the castle, beckoning you to follow.
>You are still curious about this war that this country was stuck in.
“About the war… Who are you fighting?”
>”Well, to the east of Equestria is the Griffon’s country. Unfortunately, Equestrians have never been in friendly terms with them,” she says with a tinge of regret.
“Griffons? Just when I thought I’ve seen enough with colorful horses…”
>”This world *is* diverse in its species after all.”
>The two of you reach the abandoned castle, and Twilight trots inside at a brisk pace.
>You follow suit, and soon enough the two of you reached what Twilight said was “the royal sisters’ personal reading room.”
>”Read this, it’ll tell you a lot of the things you need to know,” she tells you as she levitates a book to your hands.
>An encyclopedia.
>You rapidly flip through the pages, picking up bits and pieces of information.
“Ponies, dragons, minotaurs… This isn’t really my kind of world.”
>”Well get used to it, because as far as I know you’re going to be stuck here for a pretty long time.”
>You find a page that illustrates an animal with the head, wings, and talons of an eagle, supported by the body of a lion.
“So, this must be one of the griffons you’re talking about, right?”
>Twilight had her eyes glued to another book, looking like she was searching for something important.
“Twilight!”
>Hearing your raised tone, she immediately perks her head up from the book.
>”Oh! Yes, that is indeed a griffon.”
“Why are you ponies at war with them?”
>After you asked her that, she gives a small sigh.
>”Well, a lot of it goes into really deep political stuff…”

"Political mumbo-jumbo? That's just great."
>"You asked. Stop complaining."
"Right... Go on."
>"Anyways, everything about Equestria just doesn't sit well with Griffons; ideals, government, societies, and it even goes as far as our diets."
"Sounds to me like the ideals and government are the real culprits here."
>"Well, you're not wrong. Equestria has been the type to preserve peace and order."
"What about the Griffons?"
>"That's where the problem is. They're extremely warlike, claiming that war provides a boost to their economy."
"Boost their economy? How?"
>"Jobs, technology, a common purpose... Because of their high demand for that, they won't accept any diplomacy."
"With the way you said that, it looks like they're just playing you all like damn fiddles."
>"Can't argue with that. They also want this war so they can turn the entire world into a place where every living being can fight their own wars..."
"Fight their own wars, huh?"
>"They desire a world ruled by strength and actions, even though words and wisdom can be just as strong!"
"Listen, Twilight. Wars aren't won by handshakes or treaties. Wars are won by soldiers. I understand that you're trying to take the higher road here, but sometimes, the world calls for wet-work, and luckily for you, I'm here to answer.

>Twilight is left without words after what you said, shortly before giving you a reassuring look.
>”I’m glad to have you here then, Big Boss. Honestly, we could use all the help we can, and even if it has to be from the other side of the universe, so be it.”
“Alright. Now, that book you were reading. It looked like you were looking for something important. What was it?”
>Twilight slowly paces near you, while levitating a book. She presents the book to you.
>”I’m assuming you know the general schpiel of unicorns, channeling magic and whatnot into spells.”
“Yeah? So what’s in the book?”
>”Magic can also be used to fight. What I’m searching for here is a weapon. A weapon to surpass what the Griffons have. Another thing I haven’t told you is that the Griffons are surprisingly well-developed in technology, almost even more so than Equestria.”
“Twilight, it’s not the tech that matters, it’s the soldier that uses it. None of their contraptions will mean a thing when I’m helping you.”
>”Out of curiosity, Big Boss, but what can you give to us?”
“If you’ll allow me to train your soldiers, they’ll be more refined in combat. What I can give them is way ahead of this time. Now what about the thing in the book you’re trying to tell me about?”
>”We can discuss this later. I need to take you to Princess Celestia.”
“Am I going to have to ride horseback or something?”
>”Not trying to call you fat or anything, but you look a little bit heavy for me to lift. We’ll take the Ponyville train to Canterlot.”
“Right…”

>The mare packs her materials into her saddlebag as you stand by the doorway, waiting to leave with her.
>”Well then, shall we?”
>You nod as you follow her out from the ruined castle.
>Some time later, the two of you exited the Everfree Forest and into the outskirts of Ponyville.
>While the two of you are walking into the town, a loud grumble surfaces from your stomach.
>You've been rather hungry since you got here.
"Eeugh... Twilight... Do you know any good places where I can get some lunch?"
>"We'll, I think you'd enjoy Sugarcube Corner. Everypony I know loves the food that comes from there."
“Sounds good, as long as I can get something for my stamina.”
>As you and Twilight walk through the streets of Ponyville, awkward stares are given by its citizens.
>”You shouldn’t be too surprised that you’re getting stared at right?”
“It’s kind of a problem if they’re trying to drill holes in me with their eyes.”
>”Don’t mind them. They’ll get used to you soon enough.”
>You finally reach Sugarcube Corner, and your first impression is that it looks like a giant gingerbread house.
>You stand still and take a whiff, taking in the scent of sweets and confections.
>That was probably the best smelling food you’ve ever smelled in your life.
>You’re entranced by the smell until Twilight snaps you back into pastel-pony reality.
>”Well? What are you waiting for? Come in!”

>You walk into the bakery, noticing the candy-themed decor and the assortment of baked goods.
>As you observe the scenery, you hear a high-pitched and bubbly voice ring through the building.
>”Hey Twlight! Who’s your new friend? Why is he looking around everywhere? Why is he standing on two legs?”
>You look to the counter and see a pink pony that reminds you of cotton candy.
>You walk towards Twilight as she introduces you to the other pony.
>”Pinkie, this is Big Boss. Big Boss, Pinkie Pie.”
>”Bigby is really tall! Guess that’s why they call him BIG Boss, right?”
>”We’ll save the formalities for later. Big Boss is famished right now.”
>Pinkie tosses you a chocolate cupcake donned with white frosting, topped by an apple slice.
>”This one’s on me, new best friend! Eat up!”
“About time. I thought I was going to starve to death here.”
>You bite into the morsel, your teeth going through the smooth frosting and penetrating the soft chocolate cake.
>You chew the piece thoroughly, taking in every bit of flavor and sweetness.
>You swear you could feel your stamina rising as you ate.
>The pink pony asks, “So, what do you think?”
“This is…”
>Pinkie stares at you, wide-eyed and mouth agape.
“INCREDIBLE!”
>You down the rest of the cupcake in mere seconds.
“Pinkie… Do you have more?”
>”Of course we do! We wouldn’t be the very best-est bakery in the whole wide world if we didn’t have more!”
>She pulls out a tray filled with an assortment of sweets of all kinds, ready to fall victim to your hunger.
>You waste no time getting your hands on them and into your mouth.
>Cakes, brownies, strudels, cream puffs, pies, croissants, and more are being eaten away by the second.
>You ravage through the pastries, enjoying each and every bite.
>Twilight was actually intimidated by the storage capacity of your stomach.
>”I didn’t think humans can eat so much…”
>”Wow! I think Bigby might be better than me at eating!”

>Twilight, realizing that she needs to get you to Celestia, cuts your meal short.
>"The two of you can have an eating contest later. I've got to get him to Celestia."
>You saw Pinkie's mane deflate a little.
>And you wondered for a second if actual horses' manes could deflate.
>"It's about that war, isn't it?"
>"Sorry, Pinkie. We can't have the world as we'd like."
"Twilight, before we go, can I get a bag so I can take these snacks with me?"
>"Uh... Sure thing."
>"Bye Bigby! Let's have a feast together sometime!"
"Thanks for the snacks. They're pretty good!"
>You and Twilight walk out of the bakery, bag full of sweets and snacks in your hand.
>"You know, you probably just ate half of the food supply of Sugarcube Corner."
"What can I say? I was hungry."
>"Anyways, let's catch the Canterlot train. Don't want to be late now."
>You follow Twilight to the train station and she pays for the tickets.
>You board the train, only to find that the seats aren't exactly tailored to humans.
>Twilight looks to you and informs you, "I don't know how you're going to do it, but get comfortable. The ride to Canterlot is going to take a bit."
>You considered lying down on a seat but you figured that you were too tall to fit,
>Taking that into mind, you just sit down like you would on any seat.
>This ride was going to take a while, and it was bad that you didn't have your Phantom Cigar to pass the time.
>As you ponder ways to pass the time, Twilight decides now is the time to talk to you about you.
>"Since we've got nothing better to do, I'd like to know more about you."

>Looking into her curious violet eyes, you reply,
“Alright. Go ahead and ask.”
>”Boss, I know you’ve come here from another world. What was it like back at your home?”
>Home.
>Funny way to say hell.
>You recall those memories.
>Everything that happened because of a bunch of old fools.
>Her betrayal, and her death by your hands.
>Fighting for some girl’s fake campaign of peace.
>The destruction of your home.
>The loss of your comrades.
>Your idiotic desire for a world for soldiers.
>The futile battles against your son.
>Everything that happened because of your sons.
>The fact that he took it all in stride, fixing the mess his brothers and his foolish father made.
>The fact that he fought against the world to save it; to let it be.
“Home was… Horrible.”
>Twilight, shocked by your answer, asked, “What? Why?”
“Humans… Have always been people of conflict. Of war. We as a species are willing to attack and kill each other anything we disagree with: nations, ethnicities, ideologies. It’s in our nature to fight. Because of this, we’ve worked to advance our weapons, our methods of bringing death to our enemies. I’ve only lived in a world of war. Peace was an unattainable luxury. I’m just a weapon. I was made to fight.”
>Twilight looks at you, eyes filled with pity and sorrow, “I-I’m sorry. I didn’t think you’d have it that bad…”
“Look, at least you’ve got someone who can help you with this war. When I’m done here, I’ll be gone.”
>”You don’t have to go, Boss. You can stay with us. Have the peace you never had!”
>You open your mouth to reply, but the train finally makes it stop at Canterlot.
“We can talk about this later. Now, didn’t you want me to meet your princess?”
>Twilight nods her head, and you follow her out of the train and into the regal city of Canterlot.

>As you exit the train, you notice that the passengers who have exited before you are waiting at a security checkpoint, where ponies and other species were closely inspected by armed guards.
>And a giant bubble encasing the city, probably a shield of some sort.
>Gotta do everything they can to keep peace in these grounds.
>You head to the inspection area, where the guards took notice of a certain 6'3" soldier.
>They quickly gallop to your place and start throwing questions and pointing their weapons at you.
>"You! What are you? What are you here for?"
>”Don’t try anything funny!”
>”Are we going to throw him in the prison or what?”
>As they continue clamoring on about what they should do with you, Twilight finally makes a royal intervention.
>”Enough! He’s with me. I’m taking him to Princess Celestia.”
>One of the guards responds, “Princess Twilight! Apologies for bothering your companion. But if it’s not too much trouble, we need to inspect him before you can continue your escort.”
>Twilight rolls her eyes before motioning the guards to go ahead.
>Two of the guards pat you down with their hooves, searching for anything that could count as a weapon.
>Might as well have them confiscate you.
>After a full-body hoof-massage, the guards nod to each other.
>”He’s clean. You may go.”
>The guards finally lay off of you and go back to inspecting other ponies.
>You walk towards Twilight as she apologizes to you, “Sorry about that, but I’m sure you understand the necessity of this.”
“It’s fine. Actually it’s a good thing. Thoroughness is valuable in war.”
>”Well, now that it’s over with, let’s go.”
>With a nod, you follow the purple princess into the town.

>While you stroll through the town, you see stallions and mares lined up for a draft.
>You felt pity, knowing that they might have just signed their lives away.
>Twilight notices the look of bitter sympathy on your face.
>”I know it’s not how any of us would want it, but we have to do everything we can to win this war.”
“Right.”
>You reach the royal castle, only to find its outside was lined with guards from left to right.
>One of the guards calls out to Twilight, “Princess Twilight! What is that? Is it a spy?!”
>Twilight responds, “He’s not. He’s with me, and I’m taking him to Celestia.”
>The guards positioned at the gate lift their spears, granting you passage.
>You enter the castle, seeing more of the guards, their gaze fixed forwards and unfaltering.
“So, where’s the princess?”
>”Princess-*es*. And they’re in the command center.”
>You nod and continue heading towards your destination.
>You see a large double-door, with two guards placed on the sides.
>”Your highness, have you come to see Princess Celestia?”
>”Yes. Let us through, please.”
>The guards push the doors open, revealing a spacious room with a large round table stationed in the middle, with a map of this world laid on the table, complete with small colored figures scattered in groups throughout the map.
>The room is decorated with desks, hosting officers as they perform their military duties.
>Standing at the round table are two larger alicorns, one of them evoking an image of the sun, complemented by the darker, night-like tones of the other.
>They look up, and the white one flashes a smile to Twilight.
>”Twilight. Good to see you. I see you’ve brought a friend.”

>Twilight nods and paces towards Celestia while pulling out the book she was reading a while ago.
>“Princess Celestia, I believe I have found something that could be integral to our success in this war.”
>Twilight opens the book to Celestia, and she begins to scan through the pages.
>“This is a good find, Twilight, but I’m afraid we currently do not have the resources to build this.”
>A sunken face takes over Twilight’s features.
>But her face lights up again as Celestia tells her, “No need to be sad Twilight, because I feel that what you brought with you seems like he could make the difference here.”
>You haven’t moved from your spot since you entered the command center.
>There was something about this Celestia.
>Something familiar.
>The way she carried herself.
>She acted so caring and motherly.
>By impulse, you blurted out,
“Boss?!”
>The tall white pony gives a small chuckle, “Well, I am the boss around here.”
>She approaches you calmly, not wanting to alarm you.
>She looks into your eyes and asks, “You haven’t introduced yourself yet. What’s your name?”
“Big Boss. I’m a human. I’m not from around here, and like you said: I can make a difference in this war.”
>“That’s quite the name. I want to see if you can live up to that.”
“How do you suppose I prove myself then?”
>“We’re going to be launching an operation soon. Come to the table for briefing.”

>You walk to the table, seeing a map of the world with small figures strewn in strategic areas around the table.
>Celestia states, “In case you haven’t figured it out yet, the blue figures are our forces, and the red ones are the Griffons.”
“A lot of the Griffons seem to be focused around the southwest area, specifically this San Palomino Desert. What are they doing in your territory?”
>“That’s what we’ve been trying to find out. A week ago, we sent a pegasi recon team to scout out what they were doing. We expected a report within three days, and that report never came. We believe that team may have been compromised.”
“Compromised? Have you confirmed any survivors?”
>She looks down on the table with grief, “No, and I’d hate to assume that they’ve been killed.”
“In the case that they’re still alive, what do you think the Griffons are doing to them?”
>“Not even I know what’s happening there.”
>Black site. Nice.
>Celestia looks you dead in the eye, and says with a firm tone, “Boss, I know I’m asking a lot from you, but you have to go in there. If you find any survivors, bring them back.”
>Think about this carefully.
>Do you want to do this?
>Pick up the gun once again, throw yourself into war, and possibly take the lives of many?
>You would be fighting for Equestria.
>Just a nation trying to keep everything as is.
>To let the world be.
>After careful consideration, you look up to Celestia and ask her,
“Alright then. What’s the mission?”

>The darker pony briefs, “Since we haven’t seen any Griffon activity from the southwest, we assumed they have created a base there, and they may be taking prisoners.”
>Twilight walks to the table and begins talking, “You’ll have to enter the San Palomino Desert, and find the compound. If there are survivors, bring them back.”
“And if there aren’t?”
>She says with a small, but noticeable hint of anger, “You’ll have to neutralize everyone in the base. How you do it is up to you.”
“Alright. How long is it going to take to get there?”
>Celestia confirms your method of transportation and time, “You’ll be inserted via flying chariot. It’ll take an hour to confirm a flight path. Use this hour to prepare.”
>You nod and leave the room, and Twilight follows.
>“Boss, there’s something you need to know,” she says with an urgent tone.
“Yeah? What is it?”
>“One of the pegasi in that recon team is one of my best friends. She’s a tough one, but I’m not sure if she could last any longer. I haven’t told my other friends because I don’t want to worry them. I need you to save her.”
“I’ll do what I can, but I can’t make any guarantees. Where’s your armory?”
>Twilight points one of her hooves to a gate leading outside, “The armory is in a small building in the training grounds. Take whatever you need.”
>You walk towards and open the gates to the training grounds.
>You look around the area to see ponies performing exercises, galloping around a dirt track, practicing their accuracy and whatnot.
>It was almost like home, except it wasn’t a bunch of horses doing military exercises.
>Twilight walks with you to the armory and mentions, “You’ll find that our soldiers are well-trained, but I know you’ll be able to make them better.”
“You think I could call on them for assistance if need be?”
>“Not for this mission. You’ll be going in solo.”
“Good. I like some alone time every now and then.”

>Opening the door to the armory, you are greeted by the sight of weapons lined up on both walls.
>You trudge through, looking for something that might catch your eye.
>You find what looks like a combat knife. For horses.
>A bit oversized for humans, but usable for CQC nonetheless.
>You continue searching through the weapons for a pistol to go with your knife.
>That’s when you finally come across something that caught your eye.
>You reach your hand over and grasp it.
>A pistol.
>You examine the pistol carefully.
>On one side, “Browneigh .45” was carved on the slide.
>It wasn’t the custom M1911 that you cherished, but it’ll do.
>Maybe you’ll have someone customize it to your liking later.
>You also take a suppressor for good measure.
>You walk towards Twilight and she asks, “Got everything you need?”
>You nod and exit the armory with her.
>You go back to the command center and decide to examine the round table.
>The entire southern section of Equestria was plagued with red figures.
>There were a few blue figures situated here and there, but it wouldn’t be enough to fight them off of Equestria’s soil.
>Even with their drafting, they couldn’t conjure the numbers large enough to fight the Griffons off.
>And there was only one way you could amass those numbers.
>As you think about your go-to method of bringing in soldiers, you are caught by surprise as Celestia says, “We’re in quite the rough spot right now. At this point we’d accept help from anywhere.”
“That’s what I’m here for.”
>“Well, you can start now. We were able to determine a flight path earlier than we anticipated. Head to the deployment area and you’ll be taking off.”
>After reaching the deployment area, you reach your designated chariot, and you take a seat with Twilight.
>As you take off, Twilight warns you, “You’re heading into the lion’s den, Boss. Make sure you and anypony you find comes back one piece.”

>The flying chariot soars through the skies, giving you a breathtaking view of Equestria.
>Your gazing is interrupted by Twilight as she informs you, “We’re going to go over the mission details again.”
“I heard it once, Twilight. Don’t you think once is enough?”
>“It doesn’t hurt to review. Anyways, your mission is to head into the San Palomino area and infiltrate the Griffons’ compound. Dispatch of all hostiles and clear the base for our own use, and rescue any prisoners you find.”
“Simple enough. Anything else you want to tell me?”
>“I also brought a few tools you may need along the way. This bag carries some food and equipment.”
>You take the bag and open it, and you pull out a pair of binoculars.
“Hmm. Not bad.”
>“The San Palomino Desert is a big place. I expect you to get used to those binoculars. We’ll be placing you approximately 200 meters northwest from the supposed location of the base.”
>After a while, the chariot finally touches down into the dry, white sands of the desert.
>You climb out of your ride, and your feet plants down onto the floor.
>The audible crunching of sand and rocks can be heard as you take a few steps forward.
>Twilight also climbs out of the chariot and calls to you,
>“We’ll be maintaining contact through codec. Now go! Best of luck to you!”
>She climbs back into the chariot, and it takes off.
>You look through the binoculars, scanning for any vague shape of a base.
>While you couldn’t find any impression of an outpost, you decide to continue towards your objective.
>You sprint into the heat of the desert.
>Once again, Snake heads into battle…
>Alone.

>The desert is decorated by a cleared dirt path, accented by ruined and worn down buildings of those who may have lived before it.
>Probably murdered by griffons, no less.
>You rummage through the bag and find a radio with an earpiece hooked up to it.
>It’s a little bit big, but you’ll have to work with it.
>You slip it on and proceed..
>As you sprint down the path, you look to the distance and notice two griffons patrolling the skies, heading in your direction.
>Your radio’s frequency was already tuned to Twilight’s, and she warns you, “Eyes open, Boss!”
>They approach closer with every second, and you quickly search your area for a place to hide.
>You detect a large bush, perfect for you to hide in.
>Taking that into account, you immediately dive into the bush.
>The griffons pass without noticing anything, and you move out of the bush.
>You continue treading to the outpost, before noticing an abandoned little house ahead with a trio of griffons standing in front.
>You bring your pace down to a crawl, and you inch towards a broken piece of wall and use it as cover.
>Carefully, you peek from the side, noting the location of each griffon.
>Two of them you could see, and you assumed the last one was on the other side of your wall.
>You lightly knock on the wall to get his attention.
>“Huh? What was that noise?”
>He approaches from your left, and in bizarre speeds, you restrain him into a headlock.
>The other two griffons were too far away, and if you moved from your position, they’d catch you.
>Your only alternative was to get your captive to call his friends.
>In a harsh voice, you whisper,
“Call ’em.”
>“S-somebody get over here!”

>You could hear the other two devising a strategy.
>“You check over there for any hostiles. I’ll fly over and look.”
>Smart. You'll have to use your weapon for this.
>To put your captive into unconsciousness, you choke him out until he's down.
>Your hand grasps the .45 and whips it out.
>Poising your gun upwards, you anticipate the flyer to reach first.
>As soon as you see a hint of a wing, you quickly take aim at it and shoot.
>He screams in pain and careens to the ground.
>When he slammed into the dirt, the other griffon yelps in surprise and turns towards him.
>Before he even began moving back, you quickly move out of you cover and point your gun to him.
“Freeze!”
>The griffon drops his weapon, and you decide to uncover some information.
“Where is your base?”
>“Just keep moving down that road... It's on the left side."
“Where are you keeping your prisoners?”
>"I-I don't know anything else! That's all I got!"
>You groan in frustration, and you holster your weapon.
>It wasn't worth killing him, so you slam him into the ground headfirst.
>With that done and over with, you continue moving down the dirt road.
>Twilight contacts, “So all we have to go by is a road? Try looking for more information regarding the possible prisoners.”
“Got it.”

>Trudging through this path isn't getting any easier.
>Your codec opens again and you're greeted by Twilight.
>“Boss, we're expecting some heavy winds. Be careful.”
>Duststorm. Just what you needed.
>In light of this, you speed up your pace to a sprint.
>You can make out what looks like a compound just up ahead.
>Luckily, you also detect a vantage point.
>You immediately decide to head up to higher ground, to get a good scope of the base.
>As you reach the base of the hill, you begin to hear the swirling of wind.
>That storm's coming in fast.
>“Watch out, Boss! Don't let that stop you!”
>The hot wind blowing sand into your eyes miffs you as continue your upwards trek.
>You won't let it throw you off.
>Your left foot slips and you nearly fall, but you quickly regain your grip.
>Just when you were starting to think this climb was endless, your hand finally reaches the top.
“Ugh, about time.”
>Just as you bring yourself to the top, the duststorm settles as quickly as it came.
>You focus your gaze to large group of buildings that loomed ahead.
>Twilight opens contact again, “That must be the base. Use your binoculars. Try to find something.”
>You slip the binoculars on and scan through the base, searching for any places of interest.
>“What do you see?”
“Lots of griffons, that's for sure. Wait...”
>“What is it?”
“There's a heavily guarded building to my right. The prisoners might be there."

>You continue looking through the base, all the while you formulate a strategy.
>There were griffons moving in and out of the base at a rapid pace.
>You need something.
>Something that could be used a stealth tool.
>The success of this mission depends on its presence.
>Could you find it?
>Your searching effort finally finds reward, as you discover what you need.
>A cardboard box.
>It was placed on the roof of one of the less-guarded buildings, closer to the edge of the base.
>Your first priority is to procure the box.
>By using it, you could be able to sneak to where the hostages may be held.
>The box is on a two story building, so you’ll need to be more careful there.
>You take your binoculars off and you climb down.
>After reaching the ground, you start towards the box.
>The usual routine was back; hiding and sneaking.
>You reach the building that the box rested upon and slowly opened the door.
>With your gun at ready, you quickly scan the room for any possible threats.
>After making sure the coast was clear, you slowly head up the stairs.
>You search for the way that could lead to the roof, but you halt at the sound of idle chatter.
>“It’s almost time for my shift at the prison area. With that escaped prisoner.”
>“Oh yeah, her. I heard she’s one of the Elements.”
>“I don’t know how many times she’s tried, but our captain got sick of it real quick.”
>“What happened?”
>“Her wings… Gods, I was there. Ripped out of her body; just ain’t right, man.”
>“Damn… Must’ve been rough.”
>“There’s this look in her eyes; you can tell she’s begging for revenge.”
>“Look, let’s just drop this, okay?”
>“...Yeah.”
>The griffon with prison duty paces out of the room, only to receive a silent knockout.
“Twilight… did you get all that?”
>“I-I can’t believe someone would do that… Find her, Boss!”

>You make your way to the roof and you see the box.
>Twilight hesitantly asks, “It’s… a box. How is that going to help?”
“Cardboard boxes are an important tool for any mission. It’s great for stealth.”
>“If you say so.”
>You procure the box and slip under it.
>It felt right to be in it.
>Like you were destined to be under this box.
>“Are you sure no one is going to be suspicious of a box sitting in a random area on their compound?”
“It worked back at home, no reason it wouldn’t work here.”
>“What?! Are you telling me that other humans were actually fooled by cardboard boxes?!”
“Complain about it later, I’ve got a mission to do.”
>With the cover of the box, you move back inside the building and out into the base.
>The box you found proves to be just as useful as the other times you used it.
>No one seems to have any suspicions of a box sitting in their base.
>Your cover is nearly blown just when you saw that a soldier just noticed a moving box.
>You immediately stop and let the box rest.
>The curious griffon flies over to your box, and cautiously looks around it.
>Her talons grip the box by its sides, only to be very shocked by seeing the top pop open by a battle-hardened soldier inside who delivered a powerful jab to her beak.
>She’ll be remembering that punch for a while.
>You close the box and continue to the building, but you stop when you see two griffons posted by the door.
>Time to think about your strategies.
>You can take them down and go through the front, but you’d have to hide their bodies.
>Or you could find a way up and enter through the roof and neutralize the hostiles from inside out, but you’d have to ditch the box.
>It’d be better off to keep the box.

>You and your box were prepped up against the side of another building placed in front of the building containing their hostage.
>A drum can with some tins placed on its top was at the building's left side.
>Shooting the tin would make a sound distraction and open those two up for attack.
>You slowly open the top of the box, take aim, and you shoot the cans.
>The cans clank and fall and make a small ruckus.
>You hastily retreat to the box.
>The griffons look to the cans, then around them for whoever took the shot.
>In confusion, they slowly move to the cans, still alert.
>Using this opportunity, you close your distance to the griffon in the back, before quickly and quietly taking off your box and you execute a chokehold on him.
>You then point your gun at the other griffon and say in a harsh but muted voice,
“Don't move!”
>He halts in his tracks, and puts his weapon down.
>In his vulnerable state, you interrogate him.
“How many guards are in there?”
>“There’s two on the first floor inside, three on the second floor, and five on the third,” He stammers.
“The hostage is in the third floor?”
>“Yes.”
“Where’s your captain?”
>“She’s not here right now…”
>You choke out the griffon in your arms before you slam the griffon you interrogated into the ground headfirst.
>You peek through an open window to scout out the supposed guards on the first floor.
>One of them was checking over his weapon.
>The other one was at the corner, smoking a cigarette.
>Now that you thought about it, you could use some tobacco yourself.
>No way you could take them out non-lethally without alerting everyone in the building; the guards were too far apart, and opening the front door would get you detected.
>Silenced pistol in hand, you take aim and fire.
>Two shots.
>Two down.
>With them out of the way, you don your box and silently move into the building.

>The door opens without any loud creaking.
>You check the corpses of the hostiles you shot to make sure they were really done for.
>Twilight whispers into the codec, “Watch your corners, Boss.”
>You move up the stairs and into the second floor's hallway.
>You see a pile of boxes on the left side of the hall and set yourself down there.
>One of the griffons exits their room and starts toward downstairs.
>You can't let them see those bodies.
>As he walks past you, you slowly lift the box off and creep towards him.
>You knock him out and put him into one of the other boxes.
>Those other griffons have to be neutralized as well, but you’d have to do it quietly as to not alert anyone on the third floor.
>You enter one of the rooms to find that one of them was napping during his shift.
>Don’t need to deal with him.
>In silence, you exit the room and entered another.
>The last griffon was gazing out the window, and you hold him up.
“Freeze!”
>He gasps, and you motion him to lie down.
>He complies, and you suffocate him into unconsciousness.
>After neutralization of the second floor’s soldiers, you continue up to the third floor.
>The third floor was a more spacious room, with a cage in the farthest right corner.
>Only one pony was chained up inside.
>The room was eerily silent until one of the guards piped up, “Hey, where’s the guy who was supposed to be here? His shift started five minutes ago.”
>“I don’t know, why don’t you go find him and ask him yourself?”
>You couldn’t approach from the stairs, but maybe if you took a different path, you could get them by surprise.
>The “windows” had no windows at all-- they were just open spaces in the walls.
>You could climb out of one in the second floor and approach into the third.
>You quickly retreat to the second floor and into one of the rooms and its window.
>You bring a foot up to the ledge, and you scan the outside of the building.
>The rough surfaces could provide a sufficient climb.

>You survey the area to make sure no one would find you before you began climbing.
>You bring yourself up to the outer walls of the building, your hands searching for cracks in the walls to latch on to.
>You successfully grip a crack in the wall with your left hand, and you exit the window and you start climbing the walls.
>A ladder would have been nice, but this will have to do.
>After a quick climb, you hang below the sill of one of the windows in the third floor.
>You carefully bring your head upwards and peek for a better view of the room.
>The cage was at your farthest left corner.
>One of the guards was facing the cage.
>A perfect setup for an ambush.
>You climb up to the right of the window and you draw your gun.
>You get down on the window sill and dive inside, hitting the guard facing the cage.
>“What the?! Hostile!”
>In a surprised panic, they aim their weapons and begin firing off shots.
>“Make sure you don’t hurt the hostage!”
>You quickly roll off the first guard and pelt shots into another.
>You tried to shoot another, but your gun was empty.
>In quick response, you maneuver to another guard and procure his gun, and you shoot him down just after.
>The fourth guard was approaching you from behind, combat knife in hand.
>You turn around and catch his arm while pulling out your own and stabbing him in the throat.
>You pull your knife out and survey the room.
>There was supposed to be five guards.
>You pick up faint speech from the first floor.
>“HQ! HQ! Enemy sighted, it’s attacking us! Send reinforcements!”
>“Acknowledged, all units, move to combat positions!”
>You’ll have to deal with them soon, but the hostage takes first priority.
>You grab a key from one of the corpses, and use it to unlock the cage.
>You walk towards the pony, and kneel down.
>You cut the restraints with your knife, before putting it back and using your hands to check her pulse.
>She’s still alive.

>She was breathing, but it was rough and ragged.
>You take a closer look at the pony.
>Her body was battered and bruised, with visible sockets from where her wings used to be.
>Beneath all that blood and bruises, you could make out a trace of her cerulean coat.
>Her messy mane was a wide spectrum of color and hue.
>You lift her off the ground and carry her on your back.
>The empty pistol in your hand was reloaded soon after.
“Twilight, I’ve got your friend. I need a pickup soon, the griffons are moving to combat positions.”
>“We’ll try to get there as fast as we can, about a hundred meters north of the base. Find a vehicle, don’t waste time on foot!”
>Wih those orders, you pick up one of the griffons’ rifles and make haste.

>It's so dark
>Everything hurts all over
>I can’t feel them
>Why did they take them away from me
>What’s going on
>Who is that
>What is it here for
>Is it going to save me

>You reach the first floor and bust open the door in a mad sprint.
>Find a vehicle.
>Don’t let them take the hostage back.
>As you run in search of a vehicle, griffons pop up from unexpected corners and places, only to be dispatched by a few shots.
>Griffons in the air pursue you without hesitation, shooting the ground near you.
>Hot on your heels and merciless, the griffons continue their relentless assault.
>Just when you were starting to think that you’d be running forever, you finally come across what looked like a jeep.
>You lightly put the pony in the backseat and you hop into the driver’s seat.
“All right, keys!”

>The vehicle grumbles to life, and you slam the gas pedal right after.
>The jeep was equipped with a turret in the backseat, but you’d need another person to use it.
>You turn into the dirt road and book it to north.
>“HQ! Enemy has taken a vehicle. It's escaping with the prisoner!”
>“Don’t let ’em get away! Use any means necessary to stop it!”
>You continue driving towards the end of the base, only to see an entire blockade of griffons coming into view.
>How the hell are you going to get out of this one?!

>Your head is throbbing.
>All you remember is that you were taken out of your cell and carried around.
>Gods, this is a bumpy ride.
>Who the hell is driving, anyway?
>You muster the strength to get up and take a look.
>Some... thing was driving you out of this hellhole and towards a bunch of griffons.
>If it's trying to help you get out of there, might as well lend a hoof.
>You wrap your hooves around the turret’s triggers, and take aim and fire.

>As you try to assess a plan, you hear the turret firing.
>The griffons blocking the exit are either shot or scattered.
>You look back to find that the pony had woken up and started helping you.
>She nods at you and you continue your wild ride out.
>You check the rear view mirror and find that more hostiles are coming in hot with vehicles of their own.
“Hey! Enemies behind us!”
>She turns the turret and lays lead down to your pursuers.
>The bullets hit them and make them spin out of control.
>You scan around and see flyers above.
“Watch out, they’re above us!”
>The turret aims upward and griffons fall from the skies, their wings and bodies shot.
>Twilight shouts, “Boss! Arriving at landing zone shortly! Hurry!”
>You keep the gas pedal firmly pressed down, hoping that you’d lose them.
>The mare doesn’t seem like she’s going to stop shooting anytime soon.
>In the distance, you see a flying chariot landing on a nearby hill.
>You turn the wheel and head towards your pickup.

>Your final stretch is interrupted when an incredible blasts sounds throughout the desert.
>You look to your right to be greeted by a giant metal behemoth.
>The blue mare in the back shouts, “A tank? What the hell are we gonna do?!”
“We’re going to outrun it.”
>Seconds after you said that, the tank shell barely whiffs you.
“Shit!”
>It was bad, but at least it wasn’t a Shagohod.
>Was there anyway you could take this down besides firing an RPG at it?
>Wait.
>You think about your plan carefully.
>Would this work?
>You go over your plan while dodging multiple tank shots, with sand and dirt flying everywhere with every shell.
>Your right hand grasps the pistol in its holster, and you pull it out.
>With your one good eye, you look down the pistol’s sights and aim inside the tank’s main gun.
>After a few seconds that felt like minutes, you pull the trigger and the bullet flies across the air, and into the tank’s gun.
>Seconds after, the tank’s top explodes and flies right off.
>With a confident smirk on your face, you drive off to your pickup.
>The look on your passenger’s face was priceless, to say the least.
>“HQ, enemy has escaped with the prisoner, we don’t have the means to pursue them.”
>“Escaped?! Who the hell was behind this breakout?”
>The rest of the drive was quiet until you reached your pickup.
>Twilight climbs out of the chariot, waiting.
>You stop the car and get out.
>The cerulean pony climbs down from the vehicle, and looks to Twilight.
>“Twilight... I never thought I’d see you again...”
>”It’s alright, Rainbow, you’re safe now.”
>The two friends clutch each other tightly, breaking down into sobs.
>In tears, Twilight looks to you and smiles.
>You nod your head in acknowledgement.
>The reunited friends trudge into the chariot with you, and you all take off.
>Mission accomplished.