a Rifle, a Hat, and a Wrench

Longshot's eyes slowly opened to the sound of shouting and blaring alarms. This however did not cause him to rush. Instead Longshot slowly climbed out of his dusty cot and placed some water over some coals from last nights fire. He then went on to make himself decent. First dawning his Uniform over his black coat. Then settling a a red beret over his light and dark green hair. After doing this Longshot took the kettle off the fire and poured the near boiling water into a tin cup.

While placing a mint tea bag in the cup, Longshot opened the flap of his officer's tent to see soldiers rushing to the perimeter of the military compound. The Fairly large outpost with the name of Crimson Moon Command center, was covered with a deep purplish fog. Clearly alarmed, the commander of the outpost had ordered most of the compound's soldiers to defensive positions all around the military encampment. Clearly unimpressed Longshot slowly trotted to the sandbag wall while taking sips from his cup.

"What do you think it is LS?" asked a fellow officer, clearly full of worry as he joined Longshot at the sandbags.

As Longshot turned to look at the pony, he noticed he was wearing a gas mask.

"Well its not gas, if it was me and you would both be dead." exclaimed Longshot.

"But I'm wearing a mask..." The very confused officer tired to explain.

"You forgot to put a filter in."

Clearly ashamed of his mistake the officer blushed and took off his mask. While the officer was fumbling trying to explain himself Longshot noticed he could see a good extra 10 feet through the fog.

"Its starting to clear"

The officer who had given up on explaining himself also looked into the fog and noticed the same thing happening. As quickly as it arrived, the fog disappeared. With full viewing range of the landscape Longshot could see a curled up pony about 150 meters away from the wall. Longshot pulling out his radio while not looking away from the pony.

"THERE IS A PONY OUTSIDE FROM THE SOUTH WALL, IS IT ONE OF OURS?"

After two seconds of static a reply came in.

"NEGATIVE ALL PERSONNEL ACCOUNTED FOR."

"PERMISSION TO APPROACH?" Questioned Longshot hopefully.

After 20 more seconds of static the radio gave a response using Longshot's Favorite word.

"GRANTED."

Longshot Gracefully flew over to the pony taking in more details. It was a light blue pony with dark blue hair. He had a cutie mark that resembled a DNA helix. And the strangest part was the smoke curling off its body. Drawing his sidearm Longshot landed 5 feet away from the strange pony.

"Identify yourself!" Longshot ordered without a response.

After waiting about 10 seconds Longshot started to shuffle toward the pony in till he was so close that he could touch him. The thought that this was a trap briefly crossed his mind and he cursed himself for being reckless and not sending the bomb squad first.

"Meh I've been blown up before." Said Longshot as he reached with his hoof and gently poked the Stallions side.

Immediately after touching the pony its eyes shot open as it got up on two hooves, instantly falling on to his side.

"Calm down, i'm not here to hurt you." Explained Longshot to the mental pony.

"Ok its just I can't stand, I think I need a hospi----  YOUR A TALKING HORSE!" Panicked the now very mental pony as he pointed at longshot. While doing this his eyes drifted toward his hooves. "WHAT HAPPENED TO MY FINGERS"

Hearing the word finger sent Longshot into a panic as he thought about his options. He went with the violent one. As the pony was screaming and examining his new body Longshot clocked the pony in the side of the head sending him back to the ground.

"WHAT THE F&@# DUDE?" screamed the pony as he started to get back up.

"Sorry that was supposed to knock you out." exclaimed Longshot as his hoof made contact with the ponies face yet again.

This time the pony hit the ground and showed no more intentions of getting back up. Longshot poked the pony a few times to confirm he had lost consciousness.

"That, that could have gone better" said longshot while in the process of lifting the pony onto his back.

"WHATS GOING ON DOWN THERE?" Screeched the radio.

"YEA ITS JUST...." Answered longshot as he fumbled for the words. "JUST A PEDESTRIAN, HES INJURED WITH BLUNT FORCE TRAUMA TO THE HEAD."

"WONDER HOW THAT CAME TO BE."

"HELL IF I KNOW."

"WELL DROP HIM OFF AT THE MEDICAL TENT AND WE WILL SEE WHAT WE CAN DO."

"ROGER."

One thing was sure, he wasn't bringing the pony to the medical ward. Too many secrets that need to be kept for that, but what should he do there is not really anyone to help him here, yet. Longshots Mind starting working in overdrive as he tried to remember what Bluesand had told him. Then it hit him, Blue had said something about a block, he said the block contained help.

Hell if he knew what it meant, but he did know that block he was talking about. As he hurtled the sandbag and ran toward his tent he tried to think of what the saying could mean. Maybe the cube was a distress signal or some kind of beacon. Maybe it contained supplies or some kind of super weapon. Longshot loved the idea of a super weapon, but he doubted it would help him in this situation.

As he arrived at his tent he rushed though the flaps and tossed the not so much a pony onto his cot. He then went into his drawers and pulled out a solid black cube and threw it down on his desk. Now how to get it to work.

"Activate?" tried Longshot

"Open, start, go, on , animate, fire up, mobilize, rouse, spur, impell? guessed Longshot "You know what F&$@ it"

Longshot brought his elbow down on the cube immediately sending a jolt of pain up Longshot's leg as he stumbled backward.

"F&#@ m---." As Longshot looked up he saw the cube was giving off a blinding light. As he stumbled back it started to give off the sound of similar to a dog whistle. At this point the light engulfed Longshot blinding him, this sent sent him to a panic.

"Am i dead?" questioned Longshot

"Far from it my friend" Answered a surprisingly familiar voice.

"Blue? Is that you?"

"It would seem so." the now identified voice answered

As Longshot started to regain his sight he could see the white unicorn looking very annoyed with is actions staring at him with those grey eyes. Longshot knew the pony had black and blue hair but it was currently covered by a fedora that seemed to radiate unnatural energy. Dismissing that for another time he looked to the left of the annoyed pony to see a bright orange pegasus laying on his back looking at the top of the tent while holding a wrench in his hooves. He guessed before he had hit that box that the pony was working on some kind of car from underneath.

"Hardwired its been a long time"

"Time is hardly relevant" Bluesand added

"might I ask why i'm in a tent" Questioned Hardwired Hooves as he got up and brushed off his Black and light brownish hair.

"I need help with something..."

"With the human am i right?" said Bluesand

"How... How did you..." stuttered Longshot

"That pony on the bed is far from normal" Said Bluesand matter of factly "my hat told me so." Finished Blue with a smile

"What? You know what never mind can you guys help?"

"Well we could take him to the lab" Said Hardwired

"The lab is gone Hardwired,  that was 200 years ago..."

"Or was it Yesterday?" Said Bluesand "I can take us there."

"Let me guess the hat?"

"Ah LS this is hardly a hat!"

"Last time you tried to explain one of your little items my brain almost turned to mush, Lets avoid you telling more about it."

"Is anypony else hungry? because i'm starving." butted in Hardwired

"Honestly I don't have much here just military rations, its been a long war." Said Longshot

"Speaking of war, who is the enemy?" asked Bluesand

"Changlings, thats as far as i'm going to say"

"Fine I don't need to know anyway"

"Well i'm still really hungry, is there anything else to eat around here"

"Duck." firmly said Bluesand with glassy eyes

"Ok one Bluesand we don't have any duck, two we are herbivores..."

"DUCK" said Bluesand as he tackled Longshot to the floor.

The same instant he Tackled Longshot a artillery shell ripped though his tent and making contact with the ground a few more tents down. Longshots ears were ringing as he made out the sound of followup rounds impacting the outpost. Longshot looked up to see a soldier open up what was left of the entrance to his tent while talking in a extremely worried tone

"SIR ARE YOU OKA----" He stopped mid sentence staring at the pony who had just tackled a military officer

Drawing the gun he aimed for Bluesand's head.

"Time to go!" yelled Bluesand as he hit the side of his hat.

The First thing that happened was complete silence and stillness of the room, followed by the loss of color from the world around them. Panicking the soldier dropped his gun and started screaming. The side of the tent started to open into a black circle that slowly gathered suction as Bluesand and Hardwired jumped into it. Before Following them Longshot went to grab his rifle and in his panic also grabbed a pack of tea bags. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the soldier start to fly into  the hole with his friends. Grabbing his back they both plunged into the void.