Of Friendships and Warships

With the lights on now, Atlantis could see the facility’s floors, walls and ceilings were made of a pristine white tile-type material. The fireteam entered the facility proper. Words reading ‘Welcome to Research Station A01’ appeared on the wall as they entered. A blood red line appeared with the words follow.

“There is a specimen that may interest you, Fireteam Atlantis,” the security system notified them.

“Specimen?” McKay asked not expecting an answer.

“Been here since this morning,” the security system replied.

“Who built this facility?” Carter asked hoping it would answer.

“I am not at liberty to reveal this information,” the security system said.

“Of course not,” Jackson said having expected it not to answer.

“Well, let’s stop standing around. We’ve got a line to follow,” Sheppard said, “We can always walk and talk. Talking is a free action after all.”

“What could the specimen be?” McKay asked the security system.

“Native. Earth pony. Female. Name: unknown. Age: three-zero-point-nine-nine-five,” the security system responded.

“Okay, that was too much information, but okay,” McKay said worried that the security system was being too liberal with information.

“I am not being too liberal with information, McKay,” the security system said.

“Now it knows my name,” McKay complained.

“I know all your names,” the security system replied. “You are approaching your destination.”

Atlantis entered the lab the line led them to. Inside one of the cages was a pony with three candies as a cutie mark. The other cages were empty.

“What is your name?” the security system questioned the pony.

“Bon Bon,” the pony replied.

“Liar,” the security system replied, red lights flashing as it said that.

“I am not telling you anything!” the pony yelled at the security system.

“Unacceptable. Fireteam Atlantis needs to know your name, pony,” the security system said.

=== ===

“They found the facility,” a dark figure said to Chrysalis, “The Spirit of Fire must not leave. See to that.”

“They also translated the ponies’ language,” another dark figure said, “Use this against them.”

“I’ll have an army waiting for that team,” Chyrsalis said, “This I’ll get that meddling marines, and their gunship.”

“You must see to it,” said a third figure, “What they might discover here where universes intersect will drastically shift the power balance.”

=== ===

“Fine, I’ll tell you my name,” the pony said to the security system.

“We’re waiting,” the system replied.

“Danny, can you get that cage open?” Sheppard asked intent on freeing the pony.

“Maybe, I’ll need a look at it,” Carter replied.

“The console here seems to have a schematic of some sort. I’ll try to download it, forward the information to the Spirit of Fire. If they can make heads or tails of it, we can get to Earth,” Jackson said working to interface a data that was part his kit to the console.

“Your name, pony,” the system prompted.

“Sweetie Drops,” the pony said, and the cage opened on its own.

“Got the files,” Jackson said as alarms started going off.

“Someone grab the pony, we are leaving!” Sheppard ordered, and then the team ran back to the entrance.

=== ===

“Have you fired those missiles?” one bridge officer asked.

“Something disabled all our weapons, we’re defenseless,” another replied.

=== ===

The team reached the surface, and right into another Changeling horde. “Right now, I wish the Pelican were here,” McKay said, raising his shotgun.

“Foxtrot-247, Raven 1-1. Asked for big bombs?” a pilot asked over the commlink.

“Affirmative,” Woolsey answered.

A trio of Shortsword bombers, large fast moving craft with a triangular shape, flashed by overhead of the squad. The bombs landed within the horde vastly thinning it out.

“Now it’s merely impossible to get through, not whatever is harder than impossible. This will be a long couple of minutes,” Sheppard said raising his rifle.

=== ===

Zecora was hiding in a bush from changelings when multiple big explosions happened. She peaked out to see Atlantis open fire on what was left of the horde. The four marines and one pony started moving away, guns be fired the whole way. Zecora, seeing her chance to escape, ran around the horde to her home.

=== ===

“One of these Pinkies are not real,” said Kinsano drooping one of the cupcakes a Pinkie brought.
The red liquid that came out of it was like paint.

“So, nothing came out the mirror?” Twilight asked.

“It would seem so,” Anders said.

“Seems Fireteam Atlantis found something in that facility, their en route. Seems we get another war,” Cutter said as he walked back into the room.

“War?” Twilight nervously asked, “We can’t handle a war!”

“We will fight this one, it is the only way we might get home,” Cutter said. “We’ll have to go up to the Spirit of Fire, though.”

“Can we come?” Applejack asked.

“I’m not sure,” Cutter replied.

=== ===

“Foxtrot-247, redirect to Spirit of Fire,” the pilot of Echo-418 said.

“Affirmative. We’ll take off as soon as Atlantis is on board,” the copilot said.

“Everyone, get on board,” Sheppard said as he turned and fired several bursts into the horde. Not stopping to see the results, he turned and jumped into the Pelican. “Pilot, get us out of here!”

=== ===

“This place could use a lot more color,” Rarity said upon seeing the steel gray corridors of the Spirit of Fire.

“What are the walls made of?” Rainbow asked, “They must be light to be this high up. And how fast does this go?”

“The speed of this ship is nonrelevant. You think Pelicans are fast, you don’t want know how fast the Spirit can go,” an engineer on the way to his post said as he passed by.

“I challenge the Spirit to a race! The first to go one kilometer wins,” Rainbow said.

“You’ve just lost that race,” Cutter said before leaving them, “I’ll be on the bridge.”

“This has a bridge?” Pinkie asked, “Now I throw a bridge crossing party.”

“Pinkie, the bridge of a ship is its center of command,” Twilight explained.

“Pelican Foxtrot-247 inbound. Captain Cutter report to the starboard hangar bay,” a crewman reported.