Torchhoofby zzuxonChaptersChapter 1: Basic BriefingChapter 2: A Tour of Pre-DutyChapter 3: Examination, Part 1PrologueChapter 1: Basic BriefingCHAPTER 1: Basic Briefing Twilight was in a remote corner of Sweet Apple Acres with the rest of the Elements of Harmony. “So you can tell us what you’ve been doing now?” “Yes, yes I can.” Twilight had a smile of relief on her face. “AWESOME!” “Well what is it Twilight? Does it have to do with candy?” “No Pinkie, it’s not about candy. Now, before I tell you this, you all have to promise, PINKIE promise, that you won’t tell anypony about this. You can’t tell Gummy, or Angel, the Cake babies. You can’t even tell a ROCK, because somepony may hear you. Understand?” The rest nodded, or said yes, than proceeded to chant “Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye,” and made the accompanying motions. “OK. I am an agent of Torchhoof. It is a top-secret investigative and intelligence agency. It’s run primarily by Princess Luna and Dr. Whooves. We investigate 2 main fields, threats to national security, and paranormal or extraterrestrial activity.” The other mares were silent for a moment. Then Rainbow Dash spoke up. “That. Is. AWESOME!!” “Well darling, how long have you been an agent of this… Torchhoof organization?” “Ever since Nightmare Moon. Interestingly, my family has a history of being Torchhoof agents, my older brother, both my parents, my uncle, and more. Anyway, my first assignment was taking care of that Dragon that was filling the air with smoke. In fact, a good deal of our adventures was secretly Torchhoof assignments. Remember The Great and Powerful Trixie?” “Of course.” said Applejack. “She was more than a braggart. You know about Hezbollama of course.” They all had heard of the radical terrorist organization based in Llamistan, mostly comprised of Camelids - Camels, Llamas and the like - though members from other species were not unheard of. “Trixie was a Hezbollama agent and sympathizer. She was secretly setting up magical bombs around Ponyville. If they detonated, they would have released compressed dragon flame and radiation. Luckily, a couple of agents here and I managed to disarm all of them. I didn’t apprehend her immediately in hopes I could get some info out of her. We had agents set up to cut her off when she ran off.” Fluttershy spoke up. “Do you have to be a Unicorn to be a Torchhoof agent?” “What? No, why would you think that Fluttershy?” “Well, you know, paranormal research. And Intelligence operations, you know espionage, working undercover things like that. They seem like things Unicorns would do.” “No, not at all, although unicorns do hold a slight majority. Last time I checked I believe that the distribution was approximately 45% Unicorns, 30% Earth Ponies, 20% Pegasi, and 5% other species, like Donkeys, Zebras, Griffons, Time Ponies, and Dragons.” Fluttershy inhaled sharply. Twilight wisely followed up with “It’s okay, they’re nice dragons.” “So, Twi’, why is Torchhoof such a secret?” “So our enemies don’t see us coming. That is part of our creed, everywhere, and nowhere. Applejack, your cousin Braeburn is an agent.” “You’re kidding me!” “Nope. So is Zecora, Ditzy Doo, Lyra and a few other Ponyvillians.” “Twilight, I’m afraid I won’t be able to call you an egghead anymore.” “Sure you will Dash. I know what you’re thinking, but I’m not usually a field agent, fighting bad guys and such. I work in the theory room. We research opponents and phenomena, and form theories on how to beat them. Then we relay the info to field agents.” Rainbow Dash started giggling. “So even when you have an awesome job, you’re still an egghead!” “Heh, yeah. Anyway, I know what some of you are thinking but are too polite to ask. ‘How does one become a Torchhoof agent?' Well, first you have to get an invitation from an active-duty or retired Torchhoof agent that is approved by no less than 3 active-duty agents and Princess Luna, Princess Celestia, or Dr. Whooves. Afterwords, you must take an entrance exam testing your mental faculties and loyalty to Equestria. If you pass, you’re an agent of Torchhoof. And, Princess Celestia just approved your invitations. You’ll be getting them soon. That is why I’m going to take you to local headquarters to meet some of my other friends there. It’ll help you make your decision. But first I’m going to introduce you to some of my friends from Torchhoof.” Twilight Sparkle lifted her mane and touched a spot on her forehead. Her eyes turned a solid blue, much to the shock of her friends. She experienced something completely different. Hello Agent Twilight Sparkle. What is your request? “Please give me the current off-duty roster for District 1. “Agent Shining Armor, Agent Frost Blossom, Agent Closed Case, Agent Triple Cross, Agent Ditzy Doo- Um, belay. Are Agents Atom Insight, Copernican Circuit, Queenside, Effect Reaction, or Live Wire on the list? “Copernican Circuit?!” exclaimed Applejack. Rainbow Dash leaned towards Fluttershy. “What is she doing?” “I think we’re hearing half a conversation.” All designated agents are on the list. “Excellent! Put me through to them. -_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_- Queenside was somberly sitting in his Manehatten apartment, eating. He was having a pretty good day, when an awful image popped into his head. He shuddered. But then, an all too familiar ring went off in his head. “Identify Caller.” Caller is Agent Twilight Sparkle. Queenside’s demeanor brightened somewhat, thankful for a distraction. “Put her Through.” -_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_- Live Wire was performing a delicate electrical operation. This wasn’t easy for him, considering his boundless energy. He didn’t mind though. He was OK using his own body as a conductor. He saw himself slip, before it actually caused an accident. “Oops!” he said giggling a bit, right before approximately 470 watts passed through his body. “HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!” He dropped the wires to recuperate. “Heh, whew, I love that.” He heard a ringing in his ear. At first he assumed it was an after-effect of the voltage, but then he recognized it for what it was. “Oooohhh! Identify Caller!” Caller is Agent Twilight Sparkle. “This’ll be good! Put her through!” -_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_- “Thanks for fixin’ our computer Ms. Circuit!” Copper saw Applebloom’s beaming face look up at her. “You’re welcome.” “Eeyup. We do appreciate you helpin’ us with our problems. 42 bits, right?” “Big Mac, you know you get half-price for customer loyalty. You’re one of my best customers.” Big Mac handed Copper 21 bits, and she walked out the door. She was flying back to Cloudsdale when she heard a ringing in her ear. “Identify Caller.” Caller is Agent Twilight Sparkle. “Put Her Through.” -_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_- Atom Insight had just left a lecture in Canterlot. It was a fascinating topic, a scientific explanation for cutie marks. It is one of the “hot topics” in biology, and Atom was pleased that his own theory (Cephalopod-like chromatophores in the flank receive a sub-conscious signal when the individual discovers their special talent. Explains the suddenness of the phenomenon as well as the seemingly intelligent design) was similar to the renowned Nucleus Oxyribo’s. He was about to begin researching other’s ideas when a familiar tone rang out in his head. “Identify Caller.” Caller is Agent Twilight Sparkle “Excellent. Put her Through.” -_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_- “What do you think, Detective Reaction? Looks like strangulation.” Effect Reaction looked at the unconscious body, then spoke up with a marked Trottingham accent. “No. DOCTOR! TAKE THIS STALLION TO THE ER! He couldn’t have survived a good hoof stomp, and the victim is alive. Besides, while the throat is slightly flattened, there is little external damage. There is merely less blood in circulation. He’s suffering from internal hemorrhaging and bleeding, likely magically induced.” He was about to go and see if he could get any more info from the crime scene, but received an irritating ring. “*sigh* Identify Caller.” [i'Caller is Agent Twilight Sparkle. “Hmm. Inspector Lead Strain! I’m going to have to temporarily leave this case!” Then, more quietly, “Put her through.” -_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_- Twilight’s vision was interrupted when 5 windows opened in front of her eyes. Each contained a friend and fellow Torchhoof agent. “Activate Conference call, with myself as the hub.” “Ah, hello Ms. Twilight. It seems we’re all here.” “Queenside, you outrank me. If anything, I should be calling you sir.” “Force of habit, I suppose.” “Hey Twilight why’ve you called us is it something fun does it have to do with getting SHOCKED?!?!” “Eh, not quite Live Wire.” “Twilight, I just attended an excellent lecture by Nucleus Oxyribo. It was on cutie mar-“ “Atom, while I would love to discuss the lecture, there is a more pressing matter at hand.” Effect Reaction’s eyes narrowed in concern. “Is it serious?” “No, not the way you think. You know my friends from my civilian life?” “The Elements of Harmony?” “Yes Copper. As you know, I’ve been lobbying for them to get an invitation to the entrance exam. Well, Princess Celestia just approved the invitations. She asked me to tell them about Torchhoof, introduce them to you guys, and show them District 1 HQ, to help them make their decision. I’ve already told them about Torchhoof, I want them to meet you before they see D1HQ. I’m sending you the location now. Please come.” Surprisingly, Effect was the first to speak. “Of course. I’d love to meet a few prospective agents.” "Excellent. Close conference call." Twilight's eyes returned to their original state. “Twilight, what did you just do?!” “Arcane-Mechanical implants, Rarity. I was communicating with some friends.” -_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_- Copernican Circuit and Live Wire were the first to arrive. Copernican Circuit flew down and landed, Live Wire sort of appeared at the end of a yellow blur. Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, Dash and Pinkie all looked the two ponies over. Copernican Circuit was a Pegasus. Her coat was lavender, close to the color of Twilight’s coat. Her mane was done up in a ponytail, a darker purple with blue stripes. Her tail was rather generic, also purple and blue, and her eyes were a light brown. Her cutie Mark was rather strange. It was a white circle inside a slightly bigger red circle. Inside the white circle was a rough silhouette of a pony holding a briefcase in his teeth. It was identifiable as the emblem of the Nerd Herd, the largest computer maintenance company in Equestria. Live Wire was an earth pony. His coat is bright yellow. His Mane starts neon green at the bottom, then changes to an electric blue at the top. His tail does too, except in the reverse order. His hair is also very large. Imagine a more masculine, spiky version of Pinkie Pie’s hair, and you should be pretty close. His eyes are the same blue as his mane, and his cutie mark is two wires, exposed and frayed at the ends. Blue sparks travel between the two. He also has abnormally small irises and pupils. Live Wire, despite being an earth pony, appeared to teleport between the 6 elements, as he shook hooves and introduced himself. Pinkie Pie hit it off with him immediately. “Oooohhh you’re fast! I like you!” “I’ve heard you’re pretty fast too Pinkie Pie!” “How’d you get so fast?!” “Well when you’re constantly getting shocked by high voltages of electricity the rest of the world just gets slower!” The two broke out in laughter in unison. Meanwhile, Copper was introducing herself in a markedly calmer manner. She was having a conversation with Applejack, one of her best customers, when Atom Insight arrived. Twilight addressed him. “Hi Atom. How’s Canterlot this time of year?” Rainbow Dash was shocked. “Canterlot?! How’d you get here so fast?” Atom explained: “Government officials such as Torchhoof agents use underground subways for rapid locomotion.” Atom Insight was a Unicorn. His coat was forest green, with peacock blue eyes. His mane was rather short cut, and blonde with blue streaks. His cutie mark was an atom coming out of a book. Twilight did a quick flash to get everyone’s attention. “When everypony gets here, I’ll have them introduce themselves to everypony at once. Is that OK?” There were nods of assent all around, except perhaps from Fluttershy. It was a few minutes later when Queenside and Effect Reaction joined the other nine ponies. Effect Reaction was an earth pony. His coat was a very dark navy, nearly black. His mane and tail were primarily white, with a bit of sea-green. His mane was cut very short by pony standards, in a similar style to most humans. His cutie mark was 3 dominoes viewed from the side, the first 2 of which are in the process of toppling each other over. Queenside was a unicorn, and a fairly tall one. His coat was a light navy. His mane was, like Effect’s, very short. The difference is that, strangely, what exists of his mane is oriented forward meeting at a point. His mane and tail were primarily silver, with maroon streaks. His eyes were also silver, like his mane. His ears didn’t have tips, and his cutie mark was a black rook. He also had a slight limp, and smiled very little. “Excellent. Now we can introduce ourselves. Who wants to go first?” Live Wire was immediately next to Twilight. “Hey my name’s Live Wire I’m an electrician from Manehatten outside of Torchhoof except I shock myself a lot but that’s OK ‘cause it’s fun and it’s how I move so fast. That’s why I was asked to be a Torchhoof agent I think.” Copernican Circuit volunteered next. “Uh, Hi. My name’s Copernican Circuit, but you can call me Copper. As you can probably tell, my day job is as a computer maintenance specialist. It’s my special talent, and it’s what I do for Torchhoof. Many enemies have computers, and I can extract info, plant viruses, or sabotage their system.” “Hello, I’m Atom Insight. I’m a scientist. I work in Canterlot. My special talent is learning, pretty much. I can use magic to kind of… absorb information. I’ll focus on a topic, and suddenly, I’ll know some pertinent info. I can even read minds, but it tires me out. It’s very helpful in the theory room.” “My name is Queenside. I don’t have a day job, unlike my colleagues. I’m living on a military disability pension, and my Torchhoof salary of course. My talent is strategy. It doesn’t manifest magically for me though. Instead of some special ability, my standard magical abilities are just more powerful.” Rainbow Dash raised her hoof. “Why are you on a disability pension?” This got her an Applejack shoulder to the ribs. “Don’t ask ‘im that!” “No, it’s okay. Come up and touch my front left leg, young mare.” Rainbow obliged, and gasped. “It’s… plastic.” “Yes, yes it is.” Effect Reaction then stepped up. “Hello. I am Effect Reaction. I am a detective, and I work in Manehatten, though I come from Trottingham, as you can likely tell. My talent is deduction. It started as an ability to see the complex web of cause and effect at a higher level than most. I’ve developed it into an innate eye for the smallest details, and knowing what they imply. It’s given me the highest success rate in the MPD. It’s also what attracted the attentions of Torchhoof.” The Elements of Harmony introduced themselves too, but you know about them, so we’ll skip that part. Twilight concluded. “Alright, now that we’ve all introduced ourselves, lets get some rest. Tomorrow, we’re heading to district 1 headquarters.” AUTHORS NOTES: Please comment. Constructive criticism is appreciated. Also, please say who your favorite OC is: Atom Insight, Queenside, Copernican Circuit, Effect Reaction, or Live Wire? Chapter 2: A Tour of Pre-DutyCHAPTER 2: Tour of Pre-Duty “So, you’re taking us to Torchhoof headquarters now?” “Yes Pinkie. Well, actually we’re taking you to District 1 HQ. Torchhoof splits Equestria into several districts. District 1 contains Canterlot, Manehatten, Cloudsdale, and Ponyville. The location of general HQ is classified, so I can’t tell you where it is.” It was around this time that the 11 ponies rounded a hill and saw a large building, out of place in the surrounding empty fields. “Headquarters!” Said Live Wire. “Headquarters.” Said Queenside “Headquarters!” Said Copper. “It’s only a model.’ Said Pinkie. “What?!” “Nothing Twilight.” When they arrived at the door, Twilight inserted an ID card from her saddlebag into a slot next to the door. She then spoke into a microphone. “Agent Twilight Sparkle, with guests. ID serial POU 6474-1-3.” A voice emanated from the speaker. “Require Confirmation for guests.” Atom, Copper, and Effect stepped up. “Agent Atom Insight confirming guests. ID serial CAU 7143-1-4.” “Agent Copernican Circuit confirming guests. ID serial CLP 3062-1-4.” “Agent Effect Reaction confirming guests. ID serial MAE 2212-1-3” “Guests accepted.” Queenside, Copper, Effect, Atom, and Live Wire all inserted their cards and they entered the building. The front desk was manned by a Pegasus mare, with a red coat and gray mane. Her cutie mark was a simple mask. “Hello Ms. Façade.” “Hello Mr. Queenside. I see you have guests.” “Yes, they are friends of Ms. Sparkle. Their invitations have been approved; Twilight is showing them around to help them make their decision.” “Well that’s lovely. I can tell you that being a Torchhoof agent has been one of the single most rewarding experiences of my life. If you think you’re up to it, I recommend it.” ”Thank you for your recommendation Ms. Façade.” Said Applejack. The guests then went on a short tour of the base. They saw several interesting things. Fluttershy was particularly interested in the section of Research & Development that was looking into how animals could be recruited to covertly gather intelligence. They also saw several familiar faces, including Lyra Heartstrings, Ditzy Doo, and even Cranky Doodle Donkey. “Ooohh! Hi Cranky!” “Hi Pinkie. You’re an agent of Torchhoof too?” “Not yet. I’m just taking a preview tour!” “Well, I wish you all luck on your entrance exam.” At one point, the tour had to be interrupted. The services of the theory room were required, and Twilight, Atom, and Effect needed to research a hitman working for a large tranquilizer cartel. After they finished that and left the theory room, Live Wire had an idea. “Twilight! Queenside! Come over here!” Live Wire whispered something in their ear. Queenside nodded in approval, Twilight said “Good idea, Live Wire. Now, Torchhoof agents need to maintain their physical condition and combat skills. You fight other ponies very frequently. So, agents have to train. To hone our magical skills, Queenside and I often spar in a magical duel. Would you like to watch?” “Oh dear, will either of you get… hurt?” “Fluttershy, we take precautions not to hurt each other. It’s friendly training!” “Well, I’d like to see it, it sounds cool,” said Rainbow Dash. Atom Insight confirmed her suspicions. “Oh, I assure you, it is.” On their way to the training room, the group recognized another familiar face. “Zecora?” “Dear Rarity, and your friends, how good it is to meet again.” Fluttershy was ini surprised at this occurrence, but soon realized how much sense it made. “So you’re an agent of Torchhoof too?” “An agent of Torchhoof I am indeed, I watch the forests of Everfree.” The 11 arrived at the sparring chamber. Queenside directed the spectators to a viewing area, and after he left, Rarity became concerned. “Queenside has a prosthetic limb! How’s he going to engage in a duel?” “He has something figured out.” Copper smiled knowingly. The sparring room was, for the most part, a large empty room, but with interesting architecture on the ceiling. The only other object of interest were some lockers. Twilight went over to one, and pulled out a book. Rainbow Dash practically fell over laughing. “I thought you liked reading now Dashie.” “I do, but reading during a battle is just ridiculous.” The spectators could hear what was being said in the room. “Queenside, have you animated your leg yet?” “Not quite, but I’m about to.” Queenside began casting a spell, and the Elements saw something that surprised them. Queenside had the strangest horn aura they had ever seen. It was black, but somehow luminous at the same time. They couldn’t quite describe it. A stream of magical energy streamed to the bottom of his synthetic leg, and suddenly electricity visibly surged from the leg to his head. He then bent his prosthetic leg. “Ohmigosh! He just got his leg back! I’m going to throw him a “Get your leg back” party!” Atom had to break some unfortunate news. “Pinkie, he didn’t actually get his leg back,he just animated it with magic.” “Well, that’s as good as a real leg, isn’t it?” “It’s very magically taxing, so he only does it when he needs to.” “Hey! I think they’re about to start!” “You’re right Applejack.” Queenside began to project his voice across the room. “Five, four, three, two, one, BEGIN!” Twilight immediately raised a force field, and began reading. A skilled speed-reader, she turned a page every 3 or 4 seconds. And every time she turned a page, magical energy erupted from the open book and into her horn. “Heh, I love that book.” She turned towards Queenside and her horn began glowing brightly. A disc formed of magical energy was fired at him. He deftly avoided it, and returned with a wave of telekinetic force. She cancelled it with force of her own. She then fired two missiles at Queenside, who dodged both. However, when he looked up Twilight was pointing the open book at him. A powerful beam of magical energy blasted out of the book. Queenside managed to erect a force field, but even so the sheer force of the attack pushed him and the shield into a wall. He recovered quickly, and created above him what appeared to be a huge writhing ribbon of magical force. It began to spin in a circle, and in doing so fired several magic missiles at Twilight. She narrowly dodged most of them, but took 2 direct hits. Twilight was briefly stunned by the 2 missiles she had just taken, and Queenside took advantage of the brief opportunity afforded him. He simultaneously moved the ribbon above Twilight, and teleported into the air far above her. As he began to fall, he brought the ribbon down on top of Twilight in an impressive arcane assault.The magical energy de-stabilized as it hit Twilight, causing a powerful wave of concussive force that knocked Twilight back a good deal. Queenside magically broke his descent. At this point, the two combatants were a significant distance from each other.Queenside smiled, and created a magical construct that resembled a european broadsword. Twilight formed a construct that resembled a rapier. Both ponies rushed at each other and their “swords” clashed, generating several sparks. A short sword fight then ensued. Each fighter used a style true to their weapon, Queenside with slower, heavier attacks, and Twilight with quick flurries. The two seemed very well matched for the majority of the time, but then Twilight managed to deliver a powerful piercing blow. Queenside’s sword dissipated, indicating that he was stunned. Twilight followed up with a devastating assault of rapid stabs. She then pulled her blade back. it began to glow with magical energy, indicating that Twilight was preparing to deliver a finishing blow. To aid in concentration, she closed her eyes. And this was her greatest mistake. She thrust her empowered blade forward, hearing the sound of a large energy release. She was briefly believed she had won the match, until she realized she never felt the tell-tale magical feedback of a hit. She opened her eyes and saw Queenside with a club-like construct rushing towards her. She felt a mighty impact and she flew through the air as a result of the club attack. You see, Queenside wasn’t actually stunned that badly from her attack. He merely feigned his condition to get Twilight, then swiftly dodged the final attack by jumping back, then creating the club, catching Twilight by surprise. Then, in mid-air, something astonishing happened. Twilight began levitating. Levitating is very difficult for Unicorns, it takes large amounts of skill, power, and force of will. Needless to say, her friends (specifically the other elements) were more than a bit surprised. Effect Reaction knew what was about to happen, and simply said “Oh Dear.” Twilight opened her eyes, but they were glowing a solid purple. Purple energy the same color as her horn aura, or perhaps slightly lighter, burst from her body. This had happened a few times in the past, the first time having catalysed Twilight’s cutie mark. That time, she had accidentally turned her father into a cactus. Now she had much more (though not complete)control. She focused the aura into a semi-cohesive beam, which was aimed at Queenside. Queenside quickly returned with an intimidating looking beam of his own. The two blasts met at the middle and, concurrent to arcane dynamics, rather than pass through each other as most energy would, they collided at the middle, Godzilla-style. And like matter, with extra force the meeting point can be pushed. With increased willpower and arcane power, the 2 unicorns pushed the place where both beams met, knowing that if they could get the focal point to the opposing duelist, that they would be the victor. While Queenside fought well, he simply could not compete with one of Twilight’s “partially controlled magical spasms”. She managed to push the focal point all the way to Queenside, at which point it generated a small shockwave, and Queenside conceded the match. Rainbow Dash decided to provide her thoughts on the duel. “That was AWESOME!” A few minutes later, the spectators and the duelists met in a hallway.They heard a familiar voice from behind, Ditzy Doo’s. She is a valuable agent. Her lazy eye makes her subconsciously unassuming, and unlikely to raise suspicions. She’s also the official mailmare of Torchhoof in district 1, and when you’re a mailmare, you see a lot. Fluttershy was the first to turn towards her. “Hi Derpy.” Ditzy “Derpy” Doo grinned. “Hi Fluttershy. I have 5 letters here that I need to deliver.” The current Torchhoof agents exchanged knowing smiles. They all remembered where they were and what they were doing when they received their invitations. Hello Applejack/Fluttershy/Pinkie Pie/Rarity/Rainbow Dash, You have been identified as a skilled and loyal citizen of Equestria. We are offering you an opportunity to serve your nation. It is dangerous, but there will be great reward. If you are interested, show this letter to the mare at the front desk. You will be informed exactly what this duty would be, and given the opportunity to attempt an entrance exam. This letter is enchanted and will evaporate if you decide against this opportunity. Every letter remained coherent, even Fluttershy’s. “What do you say we get to that front desk?” Said Copper. AUTHORS NOTE: If somebody had told me three years ago that in only a couple of years that I would be writing a My Little Pony fanfic, I would have laughed in their face. Funny how things work out. Anyway, I've split What was planned to be chapter 2 into 2 chapters. Now, this is important. After chapter 3, this fic will have "episodes", some of the main cast of 11 characters, maybe with a guest character, having a stand-alone, self-contaned adventure. I may accept Ideas from my readers, If they're good. I will credit you, and I would really appreciate Ideas. So, If you have an idea, message me or comment. I may just do it! Chapter 3: Examination, Part 1(Authors Note: I have made an executive decision to edit the appearance of a few characters. Atom's cutie mark is now an atom on the cover of a book. Effect Reaction's mane and tail are now pure white. Queenside's Cutie mark is now a Rook, knight, and bishop from chess in a triangle. They won't appear in this chapter, but It is significant. For all intents and purposes, they never looked any different.) CHAPTER 3: Examination “Hello Ms. Façade!” “Hi, Rarity is it?” “Yes, it is.” “So, what brings you here again?” Rarity smiled and levitated 5 letters in front of Façade. Smiling, she pulled out a stamp and stamped all five. CONFIRMED. “Come with me.” Façade took to the air, and flew down a hallway. The other 11 followed her. Eventually, she stopped at a door and knocked. A Unicorn stallion came out. “Hello! I am the crazy mad scientist, TIIIIIIImesGATE! How may I help you?”(Authors Note: That is merely a pronunciation guide, his name is Timesgate) Timesgate was a Unicorn stallion. His coat was a grayish yellow, and his mane and tail were purple. His mane was short, but fairly poofy. His eyes were blue, and he was also quite tall. He appeared to constantly wear a manic grin. But by far his strangest feature was his Cutie mark. The largest feature was an angle, approximately 45 degrees.The 2 line segments were, at the end, connected at the end. You could see 2 partially obscured gears behind the arc. Inside the wedge were several squares and circles, some of which were inside of each other and/or partially shaded. “These 5 mares have been authorized to take the entrance exam.” Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie, Rarity, and Dash stepped forward. “Ooohh! EXCELLENT!” Timesgate leaned over and whispered something in Facade’s ear. Facade whispered something to Twilight, who then whispered to Timesgate. “OK, good.” Timesgate gestured towards the Elements of Harmony. “You six are close friends. correct?” He was met by a small chorus of affirmation. “In that case come with me.” The 7 ponies began walking down a separate hall, and introduced themselves. “This exam will consist of 2 phases. Phase 1 will function like this: 1 of you will sit right here.” Queenside indicated a chair. “ The other 5 will discuss with me what they think their friend could contribute to Torchhoof. What talents and skills they have that would be useful, and such. After you feel that you have said all that needs to be said, the pony in question will switch. Any questions?” No-one did. Timesgate pointed at Rarity. “You will stay outside first.” Rarity sat in the chair, while the other six entered the room... RARITY “So, what talents does Rarity have?” Pinkie immediately raised her hoof. “Ooohh! Ooooh, Oohhh! Pick me!” “I do not need to call on you. You may speak at will.” “She’s REALLY good at making clothes, especially dresses.” Twilight giggled. “Pinkie, you need to tell him what skills Rarity has that would be good for a secret agent.” “Rarity’s a skilled charmer.” “Fluttershy’s right. Rarity can wrap stallions around her hooves, and frankly more often than I’d like. It’s dishonest.” “Yeah! She could be a lot like Janus Bond, infiltrating high-class social events, investigating corporate corruption, stuff like that.” Fluttershy had a look of surprise and happiness.”You read Janus Bond books too Dash?” “Yeah! He’s almost as awesome as Daring-Do.” Applejack began talking. “Also, Rarity’s a fairly good fighter. She can do some impressive stuff, combining close-range magic and physical attacks. Mostly magic though.” The 5 elements agreed. They thought back to their secret combat training they received, due to being the Elements of Harmony. Twilight thought of something else as well. “Rarity is actually very cunning. Remember the Diamond Dogs?” Timesgate was writing furiously. Finally he stopped. “Is there anything else you wish to say?” “Other than that she’s an element of harmony?” “Yes.” Twilight looked around. No one had anything to say. “Alrighty then. Who’ll stay outside next?” PINKIE PIE Twilight immediately began talking. “Pinkie Pie exhibits bizarre abilities that can’t be described as any way other than magical, despite being an Earth Pony. These abilities include but are not limited to a form of Precognition and spatial warping. She also claims to be able to view and even communicate with aliens who periodically observe significant points in our lives.” Timesgate was taking notes knowingly, but Dash was thoroughly confused. “In equestrian please.” Applejack said: “She means her Pinkie Sense, and also how she seems like she can be in all sorts of places very quickly.” “Well what about the alien thing?” “That’s the ‘4th Wall’ Pinkie talks about some times.” Timesgate finished writing. “Anything else?” Rarity knew something else. “This is of course a difficult job, the pressure of serving your country must wear on you. Do agents suffer from stress frequently?” “I NEVER tire of this career! However this cannot be said of all agents.” “Well, I have one word for you: Morale!” Rainbow Dash nodded emphatically. “Oh yeah! Throwing parties is how she got her cutie mark, and she loves cheering ponies up.” “Interesting. Anything else that warrants mention?” said Timesgate. “I don’t think so.” RAINBOW DASH “Well, her element speaks for itself.” “It does indeed.” (Timesgate is aware of which elements are used by who). Rarity nodded. “Absolutely. She’d have to undergo torture to have a chance of betraying anypony.” Pinkie shuddered, and quietly whimpered. Applejack was sitting next to her, and was the only one that heard. “What’s wrong sugarcube?” “Nothing. Just reminded me of a nightmare I had once. Anyway, Dashie calls herself the fastest flyer in Equestria for a reason.” “Is she the fastest flyer in Equestria?” “I’m not sure, but she’d almost certainly be in the top 10.” The 5 ponies who knew her best all agreed on this point. “Her... trails look like a setback to stealth tactics. Is this a problem?” Inquired Timesgate. “No, not at all,” said Fluttershy. “she can control when those happen.” FLUTTERSHY “Fluttershy has an apparent Telepathic connection with animals. She can communicate with them in what appears to be a very literal sense. I’m honestly surprised she isn’t an Earth Pony, as such abilities would usually manifest in an Earth Pony, and a powerful one too.” Twilight contributed. “How is that a useful talent?” Applejack saw where Twilight was going. “How often do you investigate a crime of some sort with no known witnesses? Chance are, some sort of animal saw.” “Hmm, be that as it may, do you think Fluttershy is capable of handling this duty?” Rarity looked irritated. “Appearances can be deceiving. Fluttershy can be very brave when it comes to it. She once faced down a dragon 30 times her size, while suffering from severe Dracophobia. She also despises evildoers, even moreso than most decent ponies. She would be a very valuable agent.” “...Okay.” said Timesgate. “Oh, also, don’t forget about The Stare.” Added Rainbow Dash. “The Stare?” “The Stare is a bizarre ability Fluttershy has...” APPLEJACK “Oooh! Applejack is super-duper strong! She’s the 2nd strongest pony I know!” Said Pinkie. Rainbow Dash grinned. “Behind me?” “No, behind Big Mac.” “Hey! I am totally stronger than Applejack.” Twilight spoke up. “While you certainly have better developed wing muscles than most of Applejack’s muscles, Applejack is more muscular in a general sense. She is also a more skilled fighter.” “How do you know Twilight?” “I have collected extensive data on all of you.” A brief awkward silence ensued. Twilight started talking again. “In addition, Applejack is a natural leader. She’s an inspirational speaker and highly charismatic.” Another silence ensued, as the other 5 elements realized that she was exactly right, but it had never occurred to them. “She’s right, actually.” Observed Fluttershy. “Is there anything else you mares wish to say?” The 5 mares in question exchanged glances. “I don’t believe so.” “In that case, Phase 1 is concluded.” -_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_- “Now, it is time for Phase 2.” “Kindly tell us what that is.” Said Rarity, not in a malicious way, but a genuinely inquisitive way. “Certainly Ma’am. Phase 2 is a written exam. It will test your knowledge and opinions of politics in Equestrian history.” This concerned Applejack. “Will our opinions affect our score?” “Only if they’re so radically anti-Equestria as to be construed as lack of loyalty. Ah, here is the correct room.” Timesgate led Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rarity and Rainbow Dash into one room. Twilight and the other 5 Torchhoof operatives went into an adjacent door. The room the 5 prospective Torchhoof agents (and Timesgate) entered was simple. 5 metal walls, one of which had the upper half replaced by a mirror. Several security cameras, and in the center, a large rectangular table with several chairs. The table was equipped with Quills and inkwells for unicorns, and pencils for Earth Ponies and Pegasi. And of course, several packets. Timesgate promptly sat in one of the chairs. “I will watch you take the test.” He magically distributed the tests. The test was as advertised, primarily about Equestria, though some of the questions reminded Pinkie of the “psychology” tests Twilight had had her take. The whole ordeal was uneventful, until when all 5 testees were approximately halfway through the test. Timesgate’s horn began glowing a bright green. Fluttershy was the first to notice. “Um, excuse me, but, what are you doing with your magic?” “Only scratching my back Fluttershy.” But then, Timesgate’s eyes suddenly turned a solid blue. A very bright flash emanated from his horn, blinding the test takers for a few seconds. When they regained their vision, Timesgate was gone. Fluttershy nearly began hyperventilating. Rarity went over to the door. It was locked. She almost panicked too, but then another flash occurred. A scroll fell on the table. Fluttershy picked it up. “It’s from Twilight!” Rainbow Dash zoomed over to Fluttershy and grabbed the letter. Applejack or Rarity would have scolded Dash normally, but under the circumstances, they didn’t really mind. Rainbow Dash began reading aloud. “My dear Friends, Headquarters are in crisis. We’ve suffered a huge magical attack. Many Torchhoof agents are under magical influence, causing them to try and do a hostile takeover of the base. I, as well as a few others, managed to repel it’s influence, but we had to teleport out of the headquarters. You were not affected, since you aren’t yet Torchhoof agents the spell “missed” you. We have a contingency plan for such situations, but all the agents manning the device are under the influence.I have included a map of the facility. I have placed an X over the device you must activate to disable the spell, and a circle around where you are now. This base contains very sensitive info. If it was given to our enemies, the results would be disastrous. You must activate the device. Your mission is to make your way to the device, fighting if necessary, and activate it, which will de-activate the spell. Good luck. Your Friend, Twilight Sparkle.” Fluttershy was visibly nervous. “How are we supposed to defeat trained Torchhoof agents? We can’t do this.” Rarity also adopted a worried expression. Noticing that what Fluttershy was saying was causing unrest, Applejack stepped up onto the table. “Now everypony listen Here! Twilight trusts us! We cannot let her, or Equestria down by not tryin’! Maybe we can’t beat these agents, but I have a theory. If these agents are under control of this spell, their brains are likely muddled up, not at their best. Even if that’s not the case, at least we can say that we tried. We have to try!” Rainbow Dash took to the air after a brief silence. “Well let’s go then!” The other 3 mares were inspired by Applejack’s speech, but they didn’t wish to leave immediately. “Not quite yet Rainbow,” said Rarity. “We need to have a plan first, or else we’d be ‘flying blind’, pardon the pun.” Applejack nodded. “I agree with Rarity. We have a map, let’s use it to come up with a plan. It’ll help in the long run, I’m sure.” Rainbow Dash reluctantly agreed, and began to formulate a plan with Applejack, Fluttershy, and Rarity. Pinkie, on the other hand, had different ideas. She walked over to one of the corners, and strangely, began to whisper to the wall. “Hi, readers! Well, I assume this is a fan-fic, considering the adventury-ness, and the fact that Queenside has a fake leg! Anyway it’s really great that all you nice people are writing fun stories about me and my friends! This is probably the... thirty-fourth fan-fic I’ve been in? My theory is that there’s one regular universe, and then fan-fics make branch offs! And I am the only pony who can remember other fan-fic universes! Also, there are many Pinkies, each of which live different fan-fics. It was pretty cool talking to you, I can’t do this in episodes! I’m gonna go check on My other friends now.” Pinkie turned around and began bouncing towards her friends. Rarity let out an exuberant sigh. “Well, looks like we have a plan. You want to look at this Pinkie?” “No, I trust the author.” Thanks Pinkie. “You’re welcome.” Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow. Fluttershy giggled. “Pinkie being Pinkie I suppose.” “Well, let’s start then.” said Applejack. She turned to face the grate elemental to their escape, luckily just big enough for a pony to fit through. She tried to pull it out, but failed. “That’s stuck pretty tough. Suppose I’ve only got one option then.” Applejack walked to the other side of the room, then began running towards the grate. At the last second she turned and kicked the grate. A cacophony from a combination of rending metal and cracking keratin ensued. “AAARRGGGGHHH!!!!! Ow ow ow ow ow, NNNNNGG!” She lifted her head and pivoted towards the gate, which was now off it’s hinges and heavily dented. Applejack tried to get to her hooves, but moaned and fell to her feet. Fluttershy walked over. “What’s the matter? Bucking appletrees never hurt you like this.” “Tree’s are softer, and one solid object. Those bars forced all the pressure on small areas. Busted the crap outta my hooves.” Rarity walked over as well. “It’s alright. Twilight taught me a few healing spells. I think this one’s called ‘Cure Moderate Wounds’.” Rarity’s horn began to glow, and three streams of energy sprouted out. They flew to Applejack’s injured hooves and entered them. The previously bleeding and fractured hooves rapidly turned into mostly normal and slightly bruised ones. “Thanks a bundle.” Applejack said as she got to her hooves. “Now let’s go.” Applejack, Pinkie, and Rarity immediately began crawling through. Fluttershy was about to go through as well, but she noticed Rainbow Dash’s hesitation. “Claustrophobia?” “Yeah...” Claustrophobia (the fear of enclosed spaces) is a very prevalent condition among pegasi, especially devoted flyers such as Rainbow Dash. “Just close your eyes. It helps, or so I’ve heard. Go In front of me, and I’ll tell you where to go.” The two pegasi heard Rarity’s voice calling them. “What’s the problem?” Rainbow Dash called back. “We’re coming.” Rainbow closed her eyes, and went into the vent. Eventually, she reached the other side.About a minute prior to that however, Applejack, Pinkie and Rarity had gotten there. -_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_- Applejack was the first to reach the other side and get into the adjoining room. She saw Timesgate using magic in some way on the wall. Applejack cleared her throat. “Hey! Can you help us out?” Timesgate turned towards them, then ran away. Pinkie and Rarity had already witnessed this event. Applejack sighed. “Ah, crap. Timesgate has been attacked by the spell Twilight talked about.” Pinkie mustered a determined expression. “I’m gonna go get him then!” Pinkie started running down the hall before Applejack and Rarity could stop her. She pranced a few steps forward but then her tail began to twitch. Something is about to fall Pinkie sidestepped as a block of metal fell from the ceiling. She moved forward a bit more, and her left back hoof began to itch. Jump immediately Pinkie jumped as high as she could (Which is a considerable height) as spikes emerged from the floor, before retracting. The metal block floated back into the ceiling as well, and fused with it. She landed in front of the spiky area. Her intestines began grumbling. Incoming laser fire “Oh COME on!” Pinkie broke into a cartwheel, as several intense beams flew in different directions. Her molars ached. Duck “Huh?” Pinkie was unsure what ducks had to do with anything. A large hammer emerged from the wall and swung towards her. She ducked instinctively. “Oh, THAT kind of duck.” Pinkie jumped forward, but no Pinkie Sense signal manifested. “I think I’m on the other side of these traps!” she cried to her friends on the other side of the hall, which by this time included Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy. Rarity looked thoughtful. “Timesgate must have set up some magical booby traps.” Fluttershy was confused.What does Timesgate have to do with this?” Applejack explained what had occurred before Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy arrived. Rarity was visibly nervous. “How are the rest of us going to get across without a Pinkie-sense?” “Well, If the Pinkie sense had time to activate, there must be a delay. Which means I can go across just by being fast.” Rainbow crouched to the ground, preparing to spring off, when Rarity placed her hoof on Dash’s shoulder. “Take me with you. I may be able to disarm the magical traps.” “Alright. Put your head down. Don’t want to accidentally disembowel myself on your horn.” Rarity stepped forward a few steps and lowered her head. Rainbow Dash sprang off the ground and began flying forward at as high a speed as she could manage. She grabbed Rarity and continued through the trap laden hallway. She managed to escape all the traps, simply by getting past before they activate. At the other end, Rarity closed her eyes and began to cast a spell. She opened her eyes and walked over to a wall. “Here’s the focal point.” Rarity mumbled under her breath. Her horn began to glow again. She touched to a point on the wall and it began to glow brighter. Rarity quietly groaned. “This is well set... Ah! There we go.” She turned towards Applejack and Fluttershy. “Come across! It’s safe now.” They obliged. All 5 went through the door. It was a room they had visited during their tour, the one researching animals. The door connecting this room and their next location was, as Rainbow Dash discovered, locked. No-one knew what to do, but then Fluttershy walked over to a frog. She leaned over and looked at it. Then, she said: “Thank you,” and walked over to a different wall, where she pushed in a panel. A portion of the wall opened up to a hidden pathway. “Come on.” said Fluttershy. They eventually got to a room with 5 doors. The 5 were debating where to go next when a bright flash occurred Another letter from Twilight fell. Fluttershy picked it up, and began reading. “My dear friends, All five of these rooms lead to the room containing the Arcane Override Mechanism. To access the room, a button must be pressed in all five rooms. Each room will almost certainly be guarded by a Torchhoof operative being affected by the spell. You will have to subdue them. There are cameras monitoring every room, and each are feeding footage into the other 4 rooms. When all of you have dispatched your opponent, press the large blue button within 45 seconds of each other. This will allow you to access the final room, containing the AOM. Activate it by pulling an orange lever, and your mission will be success. Good luck. Your Friend, Twilight Sparkle. I suppose we have to split up.” Each one went through a different door. (Less urgent authors note: I was behind in updating, so I've decided, once again, to split chapter 3 into 2 chapters.) ProloguePROLOGUE My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic is the property of Hasbro, Lauren Faust, and the Hub. I am making absolutely no money off of this, and it is for the entertainment of myself and my fellow bronies. The character Queenside was inspired by Bastion from the fimfic Night's Rook by Ardite. The character Live Wire was inspired by Kilowatt Hour from the fimfic Shipping and Handling by Pegasus Rescue Brigade. ____________________________________________________________________________________________ Twilight Sparkle was distraught. It was not often that she felt threatened by her best friends, and it was never a pleasant experience. She was cornered in her own library. “Twi’, what do you keep doing, runnin’ off like that, not coming back for a week or more, and not tellin’ us where you’re goin’?” “Applejack, I’ve told you I CAN’T tell you all where I’m going.” “Well, could you tell us why you can’t tell us? You know, if that’s possible.” “I’m sorry Fluttershy, but I can’t tell you why I can’t tell you.” “Twilight, losing a friends trust-“ “-Is the fastest way to lose a friend forever, I know Pinkie.” “Darling, you can trust us!” “I DO Rarity! If I could tell you all, I would.” “Well who’s keeping you from telling us?” “I can’t tell you that either Dash, but… I will ask her for permission to tell you, tonight. But first I need you all to leave.” “No, I-“ “Let her be Dash, let’s go, Twi’ needs some time.” Hearing the door close, Spike began walking down the stairs. “Hey Twilight! Need me to take a note?” “No, I’ll write it myself. I’ll need you to send it though.” A purple aura engulfed a nearby quill. It lifted into the air and towards a blank parchment. Dear Princess Celestia, I am in need of help. As you know, I’ve been having many assignments recently. My friends are becoming suspicious, and they think I don’t trust them enough to tell them what I’m doing. As Pinkie Pie says: “Losing a friend’s trust is the best way to lose a friend, FOR-E-VER.” If you want this friendship, and our research, to continue, I need your permission to tell them. As you know, I’ve been lobbying for them to get invitations to take the entrance exam. I believe that they all have skills that would make them valuable agents, even aside from being the Elements of Harmony. So please tell me, can I tell them about Torchhoof? Your Faithful Student, Twilight Sparkle. Twilight rolled up the letter, and floated it to Spike, who incinerated it. The ashes promptly flew out an open window. A few minutes later, Spike doubled over clutching his abdomen, and belched. A letter quickly materialized from the flames. Twilight grabbed it telekineticly in mid-air, and pulled it to her. "Oh please, Oh please, Oh please." She unfurled it. Dear Twilight Sparkle, In short, yes. I have approved your requests for Fluttershy, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash to receive the applicant exam to become Torchhoof agents. As this may be an excellent opportunity to get a first hand look at the job, not only do I give you permission to tell them, I want you to take them to District 1 HQ, and introduce them to your friends there. This will help them make their decision when offered the entrance exam. “YES!” Twilight ran outside. She saw Rainbow Dash flying over head. Her horn began to glow, and she shown a magical beam at Rainbow Dash to get her attention. “HEY DASH! COLLECT EVERYPONY! I’VE GOT SOMETHING TO TELL THEM!” AUTHORS NOTES: This is my first fanfic. Also, this is much shorter than what my actual chapters will be. Tell Me what you think!
Chapter 1: Basic BriefingCHAPTER 1: Basic Briefing Twilight was in a remote corner of Sweet Apple Acres with the rest of the Elements of Harmony. “So you can tell us what you’ve been doing now?” “Yes, yes I can.” Twilight had a smile of relief on her face. “AWESOME!” “Well what is it Twilight? Does it have to do with candy?” “No Pinkie, it’s not about candy. Now, before I tell you this, you all have to promise, PINKIE promise, that you won’t tell anypony about this. You can’t tell Gummy, or Angel, the Cake babies. You can’t even tell a ROCK, because somepony may hear you. Understand?” The rest nodded, or said yes, than proceeded to chant “Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye,” and made the accompanying motions. “OK. I am an agent of Torchhoof. It is a top-secret investigative and intelligence agency. It’s run primarily by Princess Luna and Dr. Whooves. We investigate 2 main fields, threats to national security, and paranormal or extraterrestrial activity.” The other mares were silent for a moment. Then Rainbow Dash spoke up. “That. Is. AWESOME!!” “Well darling, how long have you been an agent of this… Torchhoof organization?” “Ever since Nightmare Moon. Interestingly, my family has a history of being Torchhoof agents, my older brother, both my parents, my uncle, and more. Anyway, my first assignment was taking care of that Dragon that was filling the air with smoke. In fact, a good deal of our adventures was secretly Torchhoof assignments. Remember The Great and Powerful Trixie?” “Of course.” said Applejack. “She was more than a braggart. You know about Hezbollama of course.” They all had heard of the radical terrorist organization based in Llamistan, mostly comprised of Camelids - Camels, Llamas and the like - though members from other species were not unheard of. “Trixie was a Hezbollama agent and sympathizer. She was secretly setting up magical bombs around Ponyville. If they detonated, they would have released compressed dragon flame and radiation. Luckily, a couple of agents here and I managed to disarm all of them. I didn’t apprehend her immediately in hopes I could get some info out of her. We had agents set up to cut her off when she ran off.” Fluttershy spoke up. “Do you have to be a Unicorn to be a Torchhoof agent?” “What? No, why would you think that Fluttershy?” “Well, you know, paranormal research. And Intelligence operations, you know espionage, working undercover things like that. They seem like things Unicorns would do.” “No, not at all, although unicorns do hold a slight majority. Last time I checked I believe that the distribution was approximately 45% Unicorns, 30% Earth Ponies, 20% Pegasi, and 5% other species, like Donkeys, Zebras, Griffons, Time Ponies, and Dragons.” Fluttershy inhaled sharply. Twilight wisely followed up with “It’s okay, they’re nice dragons.” “So, Twi’, why is Torchhoof such a secret?” “So our enemies don’t see us coming. That is part of our creed, everywhere, and nowhere. Applejack, your cousin Braeburn is an agent.” “You’re kidding me!” “Nope. So is Zecora, Ditzy Doo, Lyra and a few other Ponyvillians.” “Twilight, I’m afraid I won’t be able to call you an egghead anymore.” “Sure you will Dash. I know what you’re thinking, but I’m not usually a field agent, fighting bad guys and such. I work in the theory room. We research opponents and phenomena, and form theories on how to beat them. Then we relay the info to field agents.” Rainbow Dash started giggling. “So even when you have an awesome job, you’re still an egghead!” “Heh, yeah. Anyway, I know what some of you are thinking but are too polite to ask. ‘How does one become a Torchhoof agent?' Well, first you have to get an invitation from an active-duty or retired Torchhoof agent that is approved by no less than 3 active-duty agents and Princess Luna, Princess Celestia, or Dr. Whooves. Afterwords, you must take an entrance exam testing your mental faculties and loyalty to Equestria. If you pass, you’re an agent of Torchhoof. And, Princess Celestia just approved your invitations. You’ll be getting them soon. That is why I’m going to take you to local headquarters to meet some of my other friends there. It’ll help you make your decision. But first I’m going to introduce you to some of my friends from Torchhoof.” Twilight Sparkle lifted her mane and touched a spot on her forehead. Her eyes turned a solid blue, much to the shock of her friends. She experienced something completely different. Hello Agent Twilight Sparkle. What is your request? “Please give me the current off-duty roster for District 1. “Agent Shining Armor, Agent Frost Blossom, Agent Closed Case, Agent Triple Cross, Agent Ditzy Doo- Um, belay. Are Agents Atom Insight, Copernican Circuit, Queenside, Effect Reaction, or Live Wire on the list? “Copernican Circuit?!” exclaimed Applejack. Rainbow Dash leaned towards Fluttershy. “What is she doing?” “I think we’re hearing half a conversation.” All designated agents are on the list. “Excellent! Put me through to them. -_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_- Queenside was somberly sitting in his Manehatten apartment, eating. He was having a pretty good day, when an awful image popped into his head. He shuddered. But then, an all too familiar ring went off in his head. “Identify Caller.” Caller is Agent Twilight Sparkle. Queenside’s demeanor brightened somewhat, thankful for a distraction. “Put her Through.” -_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_- Live Wire was performing a delicate electrical operation. This wasn’t easy for him, considering his boundless energy. He didn’t mind though. He was OK using his own body as a conductor. He saw himself slip, before it actually caused an accident. “Oops!” he said giggling a bit, right before approximately 470 watts passed through his body. “HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!” He dropped the wires to recuperate. “Heh, whew, I love that.” He heard a ringing in his ear. At first he assumed it was an after-effect of the voltage, but then he recognized it for what it was. “Oooohhh! Identify Caller!” Caller is Agent Twilight Sparkle. “This’ll be good! Put her through!” -_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_- “Thanks for fixin’ our computer Ms. Circuit!” Copper saw Applebloom’s beaming face look up at her. “You’re welcome.” “Eeyup. We do appreciate you helpin’ us with our problems. 42 bits, right?” “Big Mac, you know you get half-price for customer loyalty. You’re one of my best customers.” Big Mac handed Copper 21 bits, and she walked out the door. She was flying back to Cloudsdale when she heard a ringing in her ear. “Identify Caller.” Caller is Agent Twilight Sparkle. “Put Her Through.” -_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_- Atom Insight had just left a lecture in Canterlot. It was a fascinating topic, a scientific explanation for cutie marks. It is one of the “hot topics” in biology, and Atom was pleased that his own theory (Cephalopod-like chromatophores in the flank receive a sub-conscious signal when the individual discovers their special talent. Explains the suddenness of the phenomenon as well as the seemingly intelligent design) was similar to the renowned Nucleus Oxyribo’s. He was about to begin researching other’s ideas when a familiar tone rang out in his head. “Identify Caller.” Caller is Agent Twilight Sparkle “Excellent. Put her Through.” -_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_- “What do you think, Detective Reaction? Looks like strangulation.” Effect Reaction looked at the unconscious body, then spoke up with a marked Trottingham accent. “No. DOCTOR! TAKE THIS STALLION TO THE ER! He couldn’t have survived a good hoof stomp, and the victim is alive. Besides, while the throat is slightly flattened, there is little external damage. There is merely less blood in circulation. He’s suffering from internal hemorrhaging and bleeding, likely magically induced.” He was about to go and see if he could get any more info from the crime scene, but received an irritating ring. “*sigh* Identify Caller.” [i'Caller is Agent Twilight Sparkle. “Hmm. Inspector Lead Strain! I’m going to have to temporarily leave this case!” Then, more quietly, “Put her through.” -_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_- Twilight’s vision was interrupted when 5 windows opened in front of her eyes. Each contained a friend and fellow Torchhoof agent. “Activate Conference call, with myself as the hub.” “Ah, hello Ms. Twilight. It seems we’re all here.” “Queenside, you outrank me. If anything, I should be calling you sir.” “Force of habit, I suppose.” “Hey Twilight why’ve you called us is it something fun does it have to do with getting SHOCKED?!?!” “Eh, not quite Live Wire.” “Twilight, I just attended an excellent lecture by Nucleus Oxyribo. It was on cutie mar-“ “Atom, while I would love to discuss the lecture, there is a more pressing matter at hand.” Effect Reaction’s eyes narrowed in concern. “Is it serious?” “No, not the way you think. You know my friends from my civilian life?” “The Elements of Harmony?” “Yes Copper. As you know, I’ve been lobbying for them to get an invitation to the entrance exam. Well, Princess Celestia just approved the invitations. She asked me to tell them about Torchhoof, introduce them to you guys, and show them District 1 HQ, to help them make their decision. I’ve already told them about Torchhoof, I want them to meet you before they see D1HQ. I’m sending you the location now. Please come.” Surprisingly, Effect was the first to speak. “Of course. I’d love to meet a few prospective agents.” "Excellent. Close conference call." Twilight's eyes returned to their original state. “Twilight, what did you just do?!” “Arcane-Mechanical implants, Rarity. I was communicating with some friends.” -_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_- Copernican Circuit and Live Wire were the first to arrive. Copernican Circuit flew down and landed, Live Wire sort of appeared at the end of a yellow blur. Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, Dash and Pinkie all looked the two ponies over. Copernican Circuit was a Pegasus. Her coat was lavender, close to the color of Twilight’s coat. Her mane was done up in a ponytail, a darker purple with blue stripes. Her tail was rather generic, also purple and blue, and her eyes were a light brown. Her cutie Mark was rather strange. It was a white circle inside a slightly bigger red circle. Inside the white circle was a rough silhouette of a pony holding a briefcase in his teeth. It was identifiable as the emblem of the Nerd Herd, the largest computer maintenance company in Equestria. Live Wire was an earth pony. His coat is bright yellow. His Mane starts neon green at the bottom, then changes to an electric blue at the top. His tail does too, except in the reverse order. His hair is also very large. Imagine a more masculine, spiky version of Pinkie Pie’s hair, and you should be pretty close. His eyes are the same blue as his mane, and his cutie mark is two wires, exposed and frayed at the ends. Blue sparks travel between the two. He also has abnormally small irises and pupils. Live Wire, despite being an earth pony, appeared to teleport between the 6 elements, as he shook hooves and introduced himself. Pinkie Pie hit it off with him immediately. “Oooohhh you’re fast! I like you!” “I’ve heard you’re pretty fast too Pinkie Pie!” “How’d you get so fast?!” “Well when you’re constantly getting shocked by high voltages of electricity the rest of the world just gets slower!” The two broke out in laughter in unison. Meanwhile, Copper was introducing herself in a markedly calmer manner. She was having a conversation with Applejack, one of her best customers, when Atom Insight arrived. Twilight addressed him. “Hi Atom. How’s Canterlot this time of year?” Rainbow Dash was shocked. “Canterlot?! How’d you get here so fast?” Atom explained: “Government officials such as Torchhoof agents use underground subways for rapid locomotion.” Atom Insight was a Unicorn. His coat was forest green, with peacock blue eyes. His mane was rather short cut, and blonde with blue streaks. His cutie mark was an atom coming out of a book. Twilight did a quick flash to get everyone’s attention. “When everypony gets here, I’ll have them introduce themselves to everypony at once. Is that OK?” There were nods of assent all around, except perhaps from Fluttershy. It was a few minutes later when Queenside and Effect Reaction joined the other nine ponies. Effect Reaction was an earth pony. His coat was a very dark navy, nearly black. His mane and tail were primarily white, with a bit of sea-green. His mane was cut very short by pony standards, in a similar style to most humans. His cutie mark was 3 dominoes viewed from the side, the first 2 of which are in the process of toppling each other over. Queenside was a unicorn, and a fairly tall one. His coat was a light navy. His mane was, like Effect’s, very short. The difference is that, strangely, what exists of his mane is oriented forward meeting at a point. His mane and tail were primarily silver, with maroon streaks. His eyes were also silver, like his mane. His ears didn’t have tips, and his cutie mark was a black rook. He also had a slight limp, and smiled very little. “Excellent. Now we can introduce ourselves. Who wants to go first?” Live Wire was immediately next to Twilight. “Hey my name’s Live Wire I’m an electrician from Manehatten outside of Torchhoof except I shock myself a lot but that’s OK ‘cause it’s fun and it’s how I move so fast. That’s why I was asked to be a Torchhoof agent I think.” Copernican Circuit volunteered next. “Uh, Hi. My name’s Copernican Circuit, but you can call me Copper. As you can probably tell, my day job is as a computer maintenance specialist. It’s my special talent, and it’s what I do for Torchhoof. Many enemies have computers, and I can extract info, plant viruses, or sabotage their system.” “Hello, I’m Atom Insight. I’m a scientist. I work in Canterlot. My special talent is learning, pretty much. I can use magic to kind of… absorb information. I’ll focus on a topic, and suddenly, I’ll know some pertinent info. I can even read minds, but it tires me out. It’s very helpful in the theory room.” “My name is Queenside. I don’t have a day job, unlike my colleagues. I’m living on a military disability pension, and my Torchhoof salary of course. My talent is strategy. It doesn’t manifest magically for me though. Instead of some special ability, my standard magical abilities are just more powerful.” Rainbow Dash raised her hoof. “Why are you on a disability pension?” This got her an Applejack shoulder to the ribs. “Don’t ask ‘im that!” “No, it’s okay. Come up and touch my front left leg, young mare.” Rainbow obliged, and gasped. “It’s… plastic.” “Yes, yes it is.” Effect Reaction then stepped up. “Hello. I am Effect Reaction. I am a detective, and I work in Manehatten, though I come from Trottingham, as you can likely tell. My talent is deduction. It started as an ability to see the complex web of cause and effect at a higher level than most. I’ve developed it into an innate eye for the smallest details, and knowing what they imply. It’s given me the highest success rate in the MPD. It’s also what attracted the attentions of Torchhoof.” The Elements of Harmony introduced themselves too, but you know about them, so we’ll skip that part. Twilight concluded. “Alright, now that we’ve all introduced ourselves, lets get some rest. Tomorrow, we’re heading to district 1 headquarters.” AUTHORS NOTES: Please comment. Constructive criticism is appreciated. Also, please say who your favorite OC is: Atom Insight, Queenside, Copernican Circuit, Effect Reaction, or Live Wire?
Chapter 2: A Tour of Pre-DutyCHAPTER 2: Tour of Pre-Duty “So, you’re taking us to Torchhoof headquarters now?” “Yes Pinkie. Well, actually we’re taking you to District 1 HQ. Torchhoof splits Equestria into several districts. District 1 contains Canterlot, Manehatten, Cloudsdale, and Ponyville. The location of general HQ is classified, so I can’t tell you where it is.” It was around this time that the 11 ponies rounded a hill and saw a large building, out of place in the surrounding empty fields. “Headquarters!” Said Live Wire. “Headquarters.” Said Queenside “Headquarters!” Said Copper. “It’s only a model.’ Said Pinkie. “What?!” “Nothing Twilight.” When they arrived at the door, Twilight inserted an ID card from her saddlebag into a slot next to the door. She then spoke into a microphone. “Agent Twilight Sparkle, with guests. ID serial POU 6474-1-3.” A voice emanated from the speaker. “Require Confirmation for guests.” Atom, Copper, and Effect stepped up. “Agent Atom Insight confirming guests. ID serial CAU 7143-1-4.” “Agent Copernican Circuit confirming guests. ID serial CLP 3062-1-4.” “Agent Effect Reaction confirming guests. ID serial MAE 2212-1-3” “Guests accepted.” Queenside, Copper, Effect, Atom, and Live Wire all inserted their cards and they entered the building. The front desk was manned by a Pegasus mare, with a red coat and gray mane. Her cutie mark was a simple mask. “Hello Ms. Façade.” “Hello Mr. Queenside. I see you have guests.” “Yes, they are friends of Ms. Sparkle. Their invitations have been approved; Twilight is showing them around to help them make their decision.” “Well that’s lovely. I can tell you that being a Torchhoof agent has been one of the single most rewarding experiences of my life. If you think you’re up to it, I recommend it.” ”Thank you for your recommendation Ms. Façade.” Said Applejack. The guests then went on a short tour of the base. They saw several interesting things. Fluttershy was particularly interested in the section of Research & Development that was looking into how animals could be recruited to covertly gather intelligence. They also saw several familiar faces, including Lyra Heartstrings, Ditzy Doo, and even Cranky Doodle Donkey. “Ooohh! Hi Cranky!” “Hi Pinkie. You’re an agent of Torchhoof too?” “Not yet. I’m just taking a preview tour!” “Well, I wish you all luck on your entrance exam.” At one point, the tour had to be interrupted. The services of the theory room were required, and Twilight, Atom, and Effect needed to research a hitman working for a large tranquilizer cartel. After they finished that and left the theory room, Live Wire had an idea. “Twilight! Queenside! Come over here!” Live Wire whispered something in their ear. Queenside nodded in approval, Twilight said “Good idea, Live Wire. Now, Torchhoof agents need to maintain their physical condition and combat skills. You fight other ponies very frequently. So, agents have to train. To hone our magical skills, Queenside and I often spar in a magical duel. Would you like to watch?” “Oh dear, will either of you get… hurt?” “Fluttershy, we take precautions not to hurt each other. It’s friendly training!” “Well, I’d like to see it, it sounds cool,” said Rainbow Dash. Atom Insight confirmed her suspicions. “Oh, I assure you, it is.” On their way to the training room, the group recognized another familiar face. “Zecora?” “Dear Rarity, and your friends, how good it is to meet again.” Fluttershy was ini surprised at this occurrence, but soon realized how much sense it made. “So you’re an agent of Torchhoof too?” “An agent of Torchhoof I am indeed, I watch the forests of Everfree.” The 11 arrived at the sparring chamber. Queenside directed the spectators to a viewing area, and after he left, Rarity became concerned. “Queenside has a prosthetic limb! How’s he going to engage in a duel?” “He has something figured out.” Copper smiled knowingly. The sparring room was, for the most part, a large empty room, but with interesting architecture on the ceiling. The only other object of interest were some lockers. Twilight went over to one, and pulled out a book. Rainbow Dash practically fell over laughing. “I thought you liked reading now Dashie.” “I do, but reading during a battle is just ridiculous.” The spectators could hear what was being said in the room. “Queenside, have you animated your leg yet?” “Not quite, but I’m about to.” Queenside began casting a spell, and the Elements saw something that surprised them. Queenside had the strangest horn aura they had ever seen. It was black, but somehow luminous at the same time. They couldn’t quite describe it. A stream of magical energy streamed to the bottom of his synthetic leg, and suddenly electricity visibly surged from the leg to his head. He then bent his prosthetic leg. “Ohmigosh! He just got his leg back! I’m going to throw him a “Get your leg back” party!” Atom had to break some unfortunate news. “Pinkie, he didn’t actually get his leg back,he just animated it with magic.” “Well, that’s as good as a real leg, isn’t it?” “It’s very magically taxing, so he only does it when he needs to.” “Hey! I think they’re about to start!” “You’re right Applejack.” Queenside began to project his voice across the room. “Five, four, three, two, one, BEGIN!” Twilight immediately raised a force field, and began reading. A skilled speed-reader, she turned a page every 3 or 4 seconds. And every time she turned a page, magical energy erupted from the open book and into her horn. “Heh, I love that book.” She turned towards Queenside and her horn began glowing brightly. A disc formed of magical energy was fired at him. He deftly avoided it, and returned with a wave of telekinetic force. She cancelled it with force of her own. She then fired two missiles at Queenside, who dodged both. However, when he looked up Twilight was pointing the open book at him. A powerful beam of magical energy blasted out of the book. Queenside managed to erect a force field, but even so the sheer force of the attack pushed him and the shield into a wall. He recovered quickly, and created above him what appeared to be a huge writhing ribbon of magical force. It began to spin in a circle, and in doing so fired several magic missiles at Twilight. She narrowly dodged most of them, but took 2 direct hits. Twilight was briefly stunned by the 2 missiles she had just taken, and Queenside took advantage of the brief opportunity afforded him. He simultaneously moved the ribbon above Twilight, and teleported into the air far above her. As he began to fall, he brought the ribbon down on top of Twilight in an impressive arcane assault.The magical energy de-stabilized as it hit Twilight, causing a powerful wave of concussive force that knocked Twilight back a good deal. Queenside magically broke his descent. At this point, the two combatants were a significant distance from each other.Queenside smiled, and created a magical construct that resembled a european broadsword. Twilight formed a construct that resembled a rapier. Both ponies rushed at each other and their “swords” clashed, generating several sparks. A short sword fight then ensued. Each fighter used a style true to their weapon, Queenside with slower, heavier attacks, and Twilight with quick flurries. The two seemed very well matched for the majority of the time, but then Twilight managed to deliver a powerful piercing blow. Queenside’s sword dissipated, indicating that he was stunned. Twilight followed up with a devastating assault of rapid stabs. She then pulled her blade back. it began to glow with magical energy, indicating that Twilight was preparing to deliver a finishing blow. To aid in concentration, she closed her eyes. And this was her greatest mistake. She thrust her empowered blade forward, hearing the sound of a large energy release. She was briefly believed she had won the match, until she realized she never felt the tell-tale magical feedback of a hit. She opened her eyes and saw Queenside with a club-like construct rushing towards her. She felt a mighty impact and she flew through the air as a result of the club attack. You see, Queenside wasn’t actually stunned that badly from her attack. He merely feigned his condition to get Twilight, then swiftly dodged the final attack by jumping back, then creating the club, catching Twilight by surprise. Then, in mid-air, something astonishing happened. Twilight began levitating. Levitating is very difficult for Unicorns, it takes large amounts of skill, power, and force of will. Needless to say, her friends (specifically the other elements) were more than a bit surprised. Effect Reaction knew what was about to happen, and simply said “Oh Dear.” Twilight opened her eyes, but they were glowing a solid purple. Purple energy the same color as her horn aura, or perhaps slightly lighter, burst from her body. This had happened a few times in the past, the first time having catalysed Twilight’s cutie mark. That time, she had accidentally turned her father into a cactus. Now she had much more (though not complete)control. She focused the aura into a semi-cohesive beam, which was aimed at Queenside. Queenside quickly returned with an intimidating looking beam of his own. The two blasts met at the middle and, concurrent to arcane dynamics, rather than pass through each other as most energy would, they collided at the middle, Godzilla-style. And like matter, with extra force the meeting point can be pushed. With increased willpower and arcane power, the 2 unicorns pushed the place where both beams met, knowing that if they could get the focal point to the opposing duelist, that they would be the victor. While Queenside fought well, he simply could not compete with one of Twilight’s “partially controlled magical spasms”. She managed to push the focal point all the way to Queenside, at which point it generated a small shockwave, and Queenside conceded the match. Rainbow Dash decided to provide her thoughts on the duel. “That was AWESOME!” A few minutes later, the spectators and the duelists met in a hallway.They heard a familiar voice from behind, Ditzy Doo’s. She is a valuable agent. Her lazy eye makes her subconsciously unassuming, and unlikely to raise suspicions. She’s also the official mailmare of Torchhoof in district 1, and when you’re a mailmare, you see a lot. Fluttershy was the first to turn towards her. “Hi Derpy.” Ditzy “Derpy” Doo grinned. “Hi Fluttershy. I have 5 letters here that I need to deliver.” The current Torchhoof agents exchanged knowing smiles. They all remembered where they were and what they were doing when they received their invitations. Hello Applejack/Fluttershy/Pinkie Pie/Rarity/Rainbow Dash, You have been identified as a skilled and loyal citizen of Equestria. We are offering you an opportunity to serve your nation. It is dangerous, but there will be great reward. If you are interested, show this letter to the mare at the front desk. You will be informed exactly what this duty would be, and given the opportunity to attempt an entrance exam. This letter is enchanted and will evaporate if you decide against this opportunity. Every letter remained coherent, even Fluttershy’s. “What do you say we get to that front desk?” Said Copper. AUTHORS NOTE: If somebody had told me three years ago that in only a couple of years that I would be writing a My Little Pony fanfic, I would have laughed in their face. Funny how things work out. Anyway, I've split What was planned to be chapter 2 into 2 chapters. Now, this is important. After chapter 3, this fic will have "episodes", some of the main cast of 11 characters, maybe with a guest character, having a stand-alone, self-contaned adventure. I may accept Ideas from my readers, If they're good. I will credit you, and I would really appreciate Ideas. So, If you have an idea, message me or comment. I may just do it!
Chapter 3: Examination, Part 1(Authors Note: I have made an executive decision to edit the appearance of a few characters. Atom's cutie mark is now an atom on the cover of a book. Effect Reaction's mane and tail are now pure white. Queenside's Cutie mark is now a Rook, knight, and bishop from chess in a triangle. They won't appear in this chapter, but It is significant. For all intents and purposes, they never looked any different.) CHAPTER 3: Examination “Hello Ms. Façade!” “Hi, Rarity is it?” “Yes, it is.” “So, what brings you here again?” Rarity smiled and levitated 5 letters in front of Façade. Smiling, she pulled out a stamp and stamped all five. CONFIRMED. “Come with me.” Façade took to the air, and flew down a hallway. The other 11 followed her. Eventually, she stopped at a door and knocked. A Unicorn stallion came out. “Hello! I am the crazy mad scientist, TIIIIIIImesGATE! How may I help you?”(Authors Note: That is merely a pronunciation guide, his name is Timesgate) Timesgate was a Unicorn stallion. His coat was a grayish yellow, and his mane and tail were purple. His mane was short, but fairly poofy. His eyes were blue, and he was also quite tall. He appeared to constantly wear a manic grin. But by far his strangest feature was his Cutie mark. The largest feature was an angle, approximately 45 degrees.The 2 line segments were, at the end, connected at the end. You could see 2 partially obscured gears behind the arc. Inside the wedge were several squares and circles, some of which were inside of each other and/or partially shaded. “These 5 mares have been authorized to take the entrance exam.” Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie, Rarity, and Dash stepped forward. “Ooohh! EXCELLENT!” Timesgate leaned over and whispered something in Facade’s ear. Facade whispered something to Twilight, who then whispered to Timesgate. “OK, good.” Timesgate gestured towards the Elements of Harmony. “You six are close friends. correct?” He was met by a small chorus of affirmation. “In that case come with me.” The 7 ponies began walking down a separate hall, and introduced themselves. “This exam will consist of 2 phases. Phase 1 will function like this: 1 of you will sit right here.” Queenside indicated a chair. “ The other 5 will discuss with me what they think their friend could contribute to Torchhoof. What talents and skills they have that would be useful, and such. After you feel that you have said all that needs to be said, the pony in question will switch. Any questions?” No-one did. Timesgate pointed at Rarity. “You will stay outside first.” Rarity sat in the chair, while the other six entered the room... RARITY “So, what talents does Rarity have?” Pinkie immediately raised her hoof. “Ooohh! Ooooh, Oohhh! Pick me!” “I do not need to call on you. You may speak at will.” “She’s REALLY good at making clothes, especially dresses.” Twilight giggled. “Pinkie, you need to tell him what skills Rarity has that would be good for a secret agent.” “Rarity’s a skilled charmer.” “Fluttershy’s right. Rarity can wrap stallions around her hooves, and frankly more often than I’d like. It’s dishonest.” “Yeah! She could be a lot like Janus Bond, infiltrating high-class social events, investigating corporate corruption, stuff like that.” Fluttershy had a look of surprise and happiness.”You read Janus Bond books too Dash?” “Yeah! He’s almost as awesome as Daring-Do.” Applejack began talking. “Also, Rarity’s a fairly good fighter. She can do some impressive stuff, combining close-range magic and physical attacks. Mostly magic though.” The 5 elements agreed. They thought back to their secret combat training they received, due to being the Elements of Harmony. Twilight thought of something else as well. “Rarity is actually very cunning. Remember the Diamond Dogs?” Timesgate was writing furiously. Finally he stopped. “Is there anything else you wish to say?” “Other than that she’s an element of harmony?” “Yes.” Twilight looked around. No one had anything to say. “Alrighty then. Who’ll stay outside next?” PINKIE PIE Twilight immediately began talking. “Pinkie Pie exhibits bizarre abilities that can’t be described as any way other than magical, despite being an Earth Pony. These abilities include but are not limited to a form of Precognition and spatial warping. She also claims to be able to view and even communicate with aliens who periodically observe significant points in our lives.” Timesgate was taking notes knowingly, but Dash was thoroughly confused. “In equestrian please.” Applejack said: “She means her Pinkie Sense, and also how she seems like she can be in all sorts of places very quickly.” “Well what about the alien thing?” “That’s the ‘4th Wall’ Pinkie talks about some times.” Timesgate finished writing. “Anything else?” Rarity knew something else. “This is of course a difficult job, the pressure of serving your country must wear on you. Do agents suffer from stress frequently?” “I NEVER tire of this career! However this cannot be said of all agents.” “Well, I have one word for you: Morale!” Rainbow Dash nodded emphatically. “Oh yeah! Throwing parties is how she got her cutie mark, and she loves cheering ponies up.” “Interesting. Anything else that warrants mention?” said Timesgate. “I don’t think so.” RAINBOW DASH “Well, her element speaks for itself.” “It does indeed.” (Timesgate is aware of which elements are used by who). Rarity nodded. “Absolutely. She’d have to undergo torture to have a chance of betraying anypony.” Pinkie shuddered, and quietly whimpered. Applejack was sitting next to her, and was the only one that heard. “What’s wrong sugarcube?” “Nothing. Just reminded me of a nightmare I had once. Anyway, Dashie calls herself the fastest flyer in Equestria for a reason.” “Is she the fastest flyer in Equestria?” “I’m not sure, but she’d almost certainly be in the top 10.” The 5 ponies who knew her best all agreed on this point. “Her... trails look like a setback to stealth tactics. Is this a problem?” Inquired Timesgate. “No, not at all,” said Fluttershy. “she can control when those happen.” FLUTTERSHY “Fluttershy has an apparent Telepathic connection with animals. She can communicate with them in what appears to be a very literal sense. I’m honestly surprised she isn’t an Earth Pony, as such abilities would usually manifest in an Earth Pony, and a powerful one too.” Twilight contributed. “How is that a useful talent?” Applejack saw where Twilight was going. “How often do you investigate a crime of some sort with no known witnesses? Chance are, some sort of animal saw.” “Hmm, be that as it may, do you think Fluttershy is capable of handling this duty?” Rarity looked irritated. “Appearances can be deceiving. Fluttershy can be very brave when it comes to it. She once faced down a dragon 30 times her size, while suffering from severe Dracophobia. She also despises evildoers, even moreso than most decent ponies. She would be a very valuable agent.” “...Okay.” said Timesgate. “Oh, also, don’t forget about The Stare.” Added Rainbow Dash. “The Stare?” “The Stare is a bizarre ability Fluttershy has...” APPLEJACK “Oooh! Applejack is super-duper strong! She’s the 2nd strongest pony I know!” Said Pinkie. Rainbow Dash grinned. “Behind me?” “No, behind Big Mac.” “Hey! I am totally stronger than Applejack.” Twilight spoke up. “While you certainly have better developed wing muscles than most of Applejack’s muscles, Applejack is more muscular in a general sense. She is also a more skilled fighter.” “How do you know Twilight?” “I have collected extensive data on all of you.” A brief awkward silence ensued. Twilight started talking again. “In addition, Applejack is a natural leader. She’s an inspirational speaker and highly charismatic.” Another silence ensued, as the other 5 elements realized that she was exactly right, but it had never occurred to them. “She’s right, actually.” Observed Fluttershy. “Is there anything else you mares wish to say?” The 5 mares in question exchanged glances. “I don’t believe so.” “In that case, Phase 1 is concluded.” -_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_- “Now, it is time for Phase 2.” “Kindly tell us what that is.” Said Rarity, not in a malicious way, but a genuinely inquisitive way. “Certainly Ma’am. Phase 2 is a written exam. It will test your knowledge and opinions of politics in Equestrian history.” This concerned Applejack. “Will our opinions affect our score?” “Only if they’re so radically anti-Equestria as to be construed as lack of loyalty. Ah, here is the correct room.” Timesgate led Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rarity and Rainbow Dash into one room. Twilight and the other 5 Torchhoof operatives went into an adjacent door. The room the 5 prospective Torchhoof agents (and Timesgate) entered was simple. 5 metal walls, one of which had the upper half replaced by a mirror. Several security cameras, and in the center, a large rectangular table with several chairs. The table was equipped with Quills and inkwells for unicorns, and pencils for Earth Ponies and Pegasi. And of course, several packets. Timesgate promptly sat in one of the chairs. “I will watch you take the test.” He magically distributed the tests. The test was as advertised, primarily about Equestria, though some of the questions reminded Pinkie of the “psychology” tests Twilight had had her take. The whole ordeal was uneventful, until when all 5 testees were approximately halfway through the test. Timesgate’s horn began glowing a bright green. Fluttershy was the first to notice. “Um, excuse me, but, what are you doing with your magic?” “Only scratching my back Fluttershy.” But then, Timesgate’s eyes suddenly turned a solid blue. A very bright flash emanated from his horn, blinding the test takers for a few seconds. When they regained their vision, Timesgate was gone. Fluttershy nearly began hyperventilating. Rarity went over to the door. It was locked. She almost panicked too, but then another flash occurred. A scroll fell on the table. Fluttershy picked it up. “It’s from Twilight!” Rainbow Dash zoomed over to Fluttershy and grabbed the letter. Applejack or Rarity would have scolded Dash normally, but under the circumstances, they didn’t really mind. Rainbow Dash began reading aloud. “My dear Friends, Headquarters are in crisis. We’ve suffered a huge magical attack. Many Torchhoof agents are under magical influence, causing them to try and do a hostile takeover of the base. I, as well as a few others, managed to repel it’s influence, but we had to teleport out of the headquarters. You were not affected, since you aren’t yet Torchhoof agents the spell “missed” you. We have a contingency plan for such situations, but all the agents manning the device are under the influence.I have included a map of the facility. I have placed an X over the device you must activate to disable the spell, and a circle around where you are now. This base contains very sensitive info. If it was given to our enemies, the results would be disastrous. You must activate the device. Your mission is to make your way to the device, fighting if necessary, and activate it, which will de-activate the spell. Good luck. Your Friend, Twilight Sparkle.” Fluttershy was visibly nervous. “How are we supposed to defeat trained Torchhoof agents? We can’t do this.” Rarity also adopted a worried expression. Noticing that what Fluttershy was saying was causing unrest, Applejack stepped up onto the table. “Now everypony listen Here! Twilight trusts us! We cannot let her, or Equestria down by not tryin’! Maybe we can’t beat these agents, but I have a theory. If these agents are under control of this spell, their brains are likely muddled up, not at their best. Even if that’s not the case, at least we can say that we tried. We have to try!” Rainbow Dash took to the air after a brief silence. “Well let’s go then!” The other 3 mares were inspired by Applejack’s speech, but they didn’t wish to leave immediately. “Not quite yet Rainbow,” said Rarity. “We need to have a plan first, or else we’d be ‘flying blind’, pardon the pun.” Applejack nodded. “I agree with Rarity. We have a map, let’s use it to come up with a plan. It’ll help in the long run, I’m sure.” Rainbow Dash reluctantly agreed, and began to formulate a plan with Applejack, Fluttershy, and Rarity. Pinkie, on the other hand, had different ideas. She walked over to one of the corners, and strangely, began to whisper to the wall. “Hi, readers! Well, I assume this is a fan-fic, considering the adventury-ness, and the fact that Queenside has a fake leg! Anyway it’s really great that all you nice people are writing fun stories about me and my friends! This is probably the... thirty-fourth fan-fic I’ve been in? My theory is that there’s one regular universe, and then fan-fics make branch offs! And I am the only pony who can remember other fan-fic universes! Also, there are many Pinkies, each of which live different fan-fics. It was pretty cool talking to you, I can’t do this in episodes! I’m gonna go check on My other friends now.” Pinkie turned around and began bouncing towards her friends. Rarity let out an exuberant sigh. “Well, looks like we have a plan. You want to look at this Pinkie?” “No, I trust the author.” Thanks Pinkie. “You’re welcome.” Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow. Fluttershy giggled. “Pinkie being Pinkie I suppose.” “Well, let’s start then.” said Applejack. She turned to face the grate elemental to their escape, luckily just big enough for a pony to fit through. She tried to pull it out, but failed. “That’s stuck pretty tough. Suppose I’ve only got one option then.” Applejack walked to the other side of the room, then began running towards the grate. At the last second she turned and kicked the grate. A cacophony from a combination of rending metal and cracking keratin ensued. “AAARRGGGGHHH!!!!! Ow ow ow ow ow, NNNNNGG!” She lifted her head and pivoted towards the gate, which was now off it’s hinges and heavily dented. Applejack tried to get to her hooves, but moaned and fell to her feet. Fluttershy walked over. “What’s the matter? Bucking appletrees never hurt you like this.” “Tree’s are softer, and one solid object. Those bars forced all the pressure on small areas. Busted the crap outta my hooves.” Rarity walked over as well. “It’s alright. Twilight taught me a few healing spells. I think this one’s called ‘Cure Moderate Wounds’.” Rarity’s horn began to glow, and three streams of energy sprouted out. They flew to Applejack’s injured hooves and entered them. The previously bleeding and fractured hooves rapidly turned into mostly normal and slightly bruised ones. “Thanks a bundle.” Applejack said as she got to her hooves. “Now let’s go.” Applejack, Pinkie, and Rarity immediately began crawling through. Fluttershy was about to go through as well, but she noticed Rainbow Dash’s hesitation. “Claustrophobia?” “Yeah...” Claustrophobia (the fear of enclosed spaces) is a very prevalent condition among pegasi, especially devoted flyers such as Rainbow Dash. “Just close your eyes. It helps, or so I’ve heard. Go In front of me, and I’ll tell you where to go.” The two pegasi heard Rarity’s voice calling them. “What’s the problem?” Rainbow Dash called back. “We’re coming.” Rainbow closed her eyes, and went into the vent. Eventually, she reached the other side.About a minute prior to that however, Applejack, Pinkie and Rarity had gotten there. -_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_- Applejack was the first to reach the other side and get into the adjoining room. She saw Timesgate using magic in some way on the wall. Applejack cleared her throat. “Hey! Can you help us out?” Timesgate turned towards them, then ran away. Pinkie and Rarity had already witnessed this event. Applejack sighed. “Ah, crap. Timesgate has been attacked by the spell Twilight talked about.” Pinkie mustered a determined expression. “I’m gonna go get him then!” Pinkie started running down the hall before Applejack and Rarity could stop her. She pranced a few steps forward but then her tail began to twitch. Something is about to fall Pinkie sidestepped as a block of metal fell from the ceiling. She moved forward a bit more, and her left back hoof began to itch. Jump immediately Pinkie jumped as high as she could (Which is a considerable height) as spikes emerged from the floor, before retracting. The metal block floated back into the ceiling as well, and fused with it. She landed in front of the spiky area. Her intestines began grumbling. Incoming laser fire “Oh COME on!” Pinkie broke into a cartwheel, as several intense beams flew in different directions. Her molars ached. Duck “Huh?” Pinkie was unsure what ducks had to do with anything. A large hammer emerged from the wall and swung towards her. She ducked instinctively. “Oh, THAT kind of duck.” Pinkie jumped forward, but no Pinkie Sense signal manifested. “I think I’m on the other side of these traps!” she cried to her friends on the other side of the hall, which by this time included Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy. Rarity looked thoughtful. “Timesgate must have set up some magical booby traps.” Fluttershy was confused.What does Timesgate have to do with this?” Applejack explained what had occurred before Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy arrived. Rarity was visibly nervous. “How are the rest of us going to get across without a Pinkie-sense?” “Well, If the Pinkie sense had time to activate, there must be a delay. Which means I can go across just by being fast.” Rainbow crouched to the ground, preparing to spring off, when Rarity placed her hoof on Dash’s shoulder. “Take me with you. I may be able to disarm the magical traps.” “Alright. Put your head down. Don’t want to accidentally disembowel myself on your horn.” Rarity stepped forward a few steps and lowered her head. Rainbow Dash sprang off the ground and began flying forward at as high a speed as she could manage. She grabbed Rarity and continued through the trap laden hallway. She managed to escape all the traps, simply by getting past before they activate. At the other end, Rarity closed her eyes and began to cast a spell. She opened her eyes and walked over to a wall. “Here’s the focal point.” Rarity mumbled under her breath. Her horn began to glow again. She touched to a point on the wall and it began to glow brighter. Rarity quietly groaned. “This is well set... Ah! There we go.” She turned towards Applejack and Fluttershy. “Come across! It’s safe now.” They obliged. All 5 went through the door. It was a room they had visited during their tour, the one researching animals. The door connecting this room and their next location was, as Rainbow Dash discovered, locked. No-one knew what to do, but then Fluttershy walked over to a frog. She leaned over and looked at it. Then, she said: “Thank you,” and walked over to a different wall, where she pushed in a panel. A portion of the wall opened up to a hidden pathway. “Come on.” said Fluttershy. They eventually got to a room with 5 doors. The 5 were debating where to go next when a bright flash occurred Another letter from Twilight fell. Fluttershy picked it up, and began reading. “My dear friends, All five of these rooms lead to the room containing the Arcane Override Mechanism. To access the room, a button must be pressed in all five rooms. Each room will almost certainly be guarded by a Torchhoof operative being affected by the spell. You will have to subdue them. There are cameras monitoring every room, and each are feeding footage into the other 4 rooms. When all of you have dispatched your opponent, press the large blue button within 45 seconds of each other. This will allow you to access the final room, containing the AOM. Activate it by pulling an orange lever, and your mission will be success. Good luck. Your Friend, Twilight Sparkle. I suppose we have to split up.” Each one went through a different door. (Less urgent authors note: I was behind in updating, so I've decided, once again, to split chapter 3 into 2 chapters.)
ProloguePROLOGUE My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic is the property of Hasbro, Lauren Faust, and the Hub. I am making absolutely no money off of this, and it is for the entertainment of myself and my fellow bronies. The character Queenside was inspired by Bastion from the fimfic Night's Rook by Ardite. The character Live Wire was inspired by Kilowatt Hour from the fimfic Shipping and Handling by Pegasus Rescue Brigade. ____________________________________________________________________________________________ Twilight Sparkle was distraught. It was not often that she felt threatened by her best friends, and it was never a pleasant experience. She was cornered in her own library. “Twi’, what do you keep doing, runnin’ off like that, not coming back for a week or more, and not tellin’ us where you’re goin’?” “Applejack, I’ve told you I CAN’T tell you all where I’m going.” “Well, could you tell us why you can’t tell us? You know, if that’s possible.” “I’m sorry Fluttershy, but I can’t tell you why I can’t tell you.” “Twilight, losing a friends trust-“ “-Is the fastest way to lose a friend forever, I know Pinkie.” “Darling, you can trust us!” “I DO Rarity! If I could tell you all, I would.” “Well who’s keeping you from telling us?” “I can’t tell you that either Dash, but… I will ask her for permission to tell you, tonight. But first I need you all to leave.” “No, I-“ “Let her be Dash, let’s go, Twi’ needs some time.” Hearing the door close, Spike began walking down the stairs. “Hey Twilight! Need me to take a note?” “No, I’ll write it myself. I’ll need you to send it though.” A purple aura engulfed a nearby quill. It lifted into the air and towards a blank parchment. Dear Princess Celestia, I am in need of help. As you know, I’ve been having many assignments recently. My friends are becoming suspicious, and they think I don’t trust them enough to tell them what I’m doing. As Pinkie Pie says: “Losing a friend’s trust is the best way to lose a friend, FOR-E-VER.” If you want this friendship, and our research, to continue, I need your permission to tell them. As you know, I’ve been lobbying for them to get invitations to take the entrance exam. I believe that they all have skills that would make them valuable agents, even aside from being the Elements of Harmony. So please tell me, can I tell them about Torchhoof? Your Faithful Student, Twilight Sparkle. Twilight rolled up the letter, and floated it to Spike, who incinerated it. The ashes promptly flew out an open window. A few minutes later, Spike doubled over clutching his abdomen, and belched. A letter quickly materialized from the flames. Twilight grabbed it telekineticly in mid-air, and pulled it to her. "Oh please, Oh please, Oh please." She unfurled it. Dear Twilight Sparkle, In short, yes. I have approved your requests for Fluttershy, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash to receive the applicant exam to become Torchhoof agents. As this may be an excellent opportunity to get a first hand look at the job, not only do I give you permission to tell them, I want you to take them to District 1 HQ, and introduce them to your friends there. This will help them make their decision when offered the entrance exam. “YES!” Twilight ran outside. She saw Rainbow Dash flying over head. Her horn began to glow, and she shown a magical beam at Rainbow Dash to get her attention. “HEY DASH! COLLECT EVERYPONY! I’VE GOT SOMETHING TO TELL THEM!” AUTHORS NOTES: This is my first fanfic. Also, this is much shorter than what my actual chapters will be. Tell Me what you think!
