//------------------------------//
// Chapter 3: Examination, Part 1 
// Story: Torchhoof 
// by zzuxon 
//------------------------------//

(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.)