//------------------------------//
// Chapter 3 - Headquarters 
// Story: Pinkie Pie - Secret Agent 314 
// by ZapAppleBloom 
//------------------------------//

	Pinkie Pie stumbled off the chariot and barely made it to a trash can before throwing up. Midnight Moonbeam followed her with a slight chuckle. "A little airsick, eh, Miss Pie?"

"Yep," Pinkie muttered, before leaning over the trash can and barfing again.

"It's natural. That was a long trip. You'll be fine soon," Midnight commented. "In the meantime, we're due at Headquarters in..." Midnight glanced at a watch on his hoof that Pinkie was pretty sure hadn't been there five seconds ago. "Oh, shoot! C'mon, Pinkie! We're due in five minutes, and it takes at least fifteen minutes to get across town!" Midnight immediately ran toward the big Canterlot street to attempt to get a taxi.

Pinkie, done barfing for the time being, trotted over to Midnight. "Um... you're a unicorn. Can't you just... hmm, I dunno... maybe teleport?"

Midnight rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Huh. Good point. Thing is. I'm not exactly Celestia when it comes to using magic. Magic is... a bit of a struggle for me. But I guess I can try." Midnight closed his eyes and concentrated. His horn began to glow golden, the same shade as his eyes. Pinkie blinked, and in that moment, she and Midnight were transported outside a huge skyscraper.

Pinkie stared at the enormous building. "Most of it is underground," remarked Midnight. Pinkie followed Midnight into the building. A tan unicorn mare with a long red mane approached them. "I'm sorry, nopony is allowed inside without identification." Midnight pulled out a small card and showed it to the mare, who nodded and allowed them to pass.

Midnight led Pinkie through a maze of hallways and elevators till they reached the top floor. They stood outside an office, in front of two polished wooden doors with an elaborate sun design carved on them. Midnight took a step forward and turned to face Pinkie. "Now you get to meet Celestia," he said, and pushed the doors open.

Pinkie trotted into the office and spun in a complete circle, looking at everything. "Whooooah." She thought that the doors had been elaborate, even for Canterlot. They were nothing compared to the office. And right in front of her, sitting behind a desk that must have cost at least a million bits, sat Princess Celestia herself.

"So, Midnight. This is the new recruit, I take it." Midnight trotted in after Pinkie, closing the door quietly. He cleared his throat. "Yes, ma'am, this is the new recruit."

Celestia placed her hooves together on the desk and looked at Pinkie. "So, kid. What's your name?"

Pinkie turned her head a full 45 degrees to the side in confusion. "Princess Celestia, you know me! Pinkamena Diane Pie, Element of Laughter!" She hopped around Celestia's desk. "Oh, I've done sooo much stuff for you! I'm surprised you don't remember me. Like that time you forgot Luna's birthday and I had to bake about a bajillion cupcakes amd then they were all gone after the first five minutes of the party and I had to spend the rest of the party baking! And I missed pin the tail on the Cranky Doodle Donkey! You mean you don't remember that?"

Celestia rubbed her forehead. "Pinkie, I have over a million royal subjects. I'm bound to forget one now and then. So, how much has Midnight told you about your mission?"

Pinkie pulled out a notepad and flipped through the pages. "Hmm... something about a super dangerous mission and being chosen in particular out of all the ponies in Equestria. That's all I got." She shrugged and put the notebad behind her back.

"Well, then, Pinkie, you've got a lot of listening to do," Celestia said. She pressed a red button on the underside of her desk and soundproof glass panels slammed shut across the office door and windows.

"Gaah!" Pinkie jumped and clung to the ceiling, startled. She quickly pulled out horseshoes with plunger heads on them, which she quickly put on her hooves. Pinkie then cautiously crept down the wall until she was on the ground again. "What the — why is there glass covering every possible escape route?"

Celestia chuckled. "Soundprood glass. Confidential information. Can't have everypony blabbing about it. Anyway, your mission is as follows. A group of ponies in Germaneigh have been devising plans for a new nuclear weapon that could wipe Equestria off of the map once it's completed. We've lost many of our top agents on this very mission. None have been successful. Your task, as an agent, is to infiltrate the compound and destroy the weapon. I personally have lots of confidence that you can do it, Pinkie."

Pinkie grinned. "Sounds great! When do I get secretly transported overseas to start this amazingfully exciting mission?" She hopped in excitement.

Celestia frowned. "Ah... about that. You can't begin a mission without training. And you can only be trained by an experienced agent. And most of our best agents are out on missions right now."

Pinkie tilted her head in confusion. "An experienced agent? You mean I get to meet a real agent?!" Pinkie jumped around the office like a kangaroo on a sugar high. "So, when does my training begin?"

Celestia stood up and pressed the red button again, retracting the soundproof glass. "To meet your new trainer, we have to go underground — to base." She trotted over to the office doors and led Pinkie and Midnight through another maze of hallways and elevators until they reached an underground facility bustling with ponies.

Pinkie gaped at all the ponies rushing to and fro, researching data for various missions. "Whoaaa. Are these all agents?" She turned in circles, taking in every detail.

Midnight rushed around helping out and keeping ponies in order. He stopped running for a moment to answer Pinkie's question. "Ah, nope. Most of them research information to assist missions. A few of them are agents, but this is just mission control."

Celestia left Midnight to handle mission control and led Pinkie down another hallway. They emerged into another bustling room. Instead of being lined with computers, the walls were lined with lots of high-tech equipment. "Pinkie Pie, welcome to the training base. One of these agents here is going to train you to be one of the best agents we've ever had." Celestia walked over to a microphone, which was connected to the training base's intercom. "Senior agents, report to the conference room immediately."

Pinkie hopped around, looking at everything. "Ooh! Senior agents! Exciting!" She followed as Celestia led the way to the conference room. They were soon joined by five other ponies.

"Senior agents, this is our new recruit, Pinkie Pie." Pinkie sat down beside Celestia and looked around the table at all of the other agents. She was surprised that she recognized all of them. The senior agents were Vinyl Scratch, Spitfire, Lyra, and —

"Omigoshomigoshomigosh!" Pinkie hopped around to the other side of the table and wrapped her hooves around the other two agents... her very own sisters. "Inkie! Blinkie! What're you guys doing in Canterlot? After I left the rock farm and moved to Ponyville, I thought I'd never ever see you guys again! You have absolutely NO idea how much I missed you!"

Inkie laughed nervously. "Yeah, Pinkie, uh... we... we missed you too."

Celestia smiled. "Well, Pinkie. I guess we know what agents are going to train you."