• Published 27th Mar 2012
  • 803 Views, 10 Comments

Stardust - ComeAlongPonds



Space is a vast frontier that can change many ponies- perhaps not for better, but always for good.

  • ...
0
 10
 803

Welcome to Torchhoof

“Copper?” Chrono lagged along behind the lavender mare just a bit, trotting behind as he pulled his head forward in an attempt to make eye-to-eye contact. “Copernican Circuit? Are you listening?”

“No.”

“Ah, yes, but—well, dear, it’s important, can’t you pay attention?”

“We are late for a meeting. No, actually.” Copper suddenly halted, the golden mare behind her smacking head-first into her. “I am late for a meeting. You’re not even a bloody member. Can I please just get to the debriefing?”

“I am an honorary agent, might I remind you!” Chrono retorted, snorting. “I have every right to be at that debriefing. Now, chop chop! Move a long, dear. The Head’s not going to wait forever.”

“Why do you call him that?” Copper asked, beginning to walk once more.

“Because he’s yet to earn his title, in my eyes. He’s the head of Torchhoof. What else has he done? He can be called The Head.”

“You haven’t got a title.”

“I do, in fact.”

The conversation went out of earshot at that point. Star pulled her head from around the corner, into the Canterlot alleyway.
“Did you hear all that?” she breathed, staring Atom right in the eyes. His blue orbs shifted uneasily while her amber ones stared intently, widely.

“Yes,” Atom finally answered. “Yes I did. I have a feeling they’re not going to a Nerd Herd meeting.”

“What’s Torchhoof? Who’s the Head? Why would Chrono have a ‘title’?” Star began pacing, eyebrows furrowed in concentration. “Ugh, it’s all so exciting!”

“Alright, let’s think reasonably for a moment. Surely Copper would have told us about it if it were important. I mean, important for us to know,” the green stallion began. “So we’re obviously not going to get it out of her by waiting around. Why not… casually bring it up? It could work. If all else fails, we could always stay in town until they have another meeting and follow them.” He looked at Star, who had long since stopped pacing and simply sat watching him. “What do you say?”

“I say… let’s do it! For adventure!”

Atom laughed. “Alright. That sounds good. I suppose all we can do is wait for lunch. Meet them at the Nerd Herd?”

“Meet them at the Nerd Herd.”
---

Star paced impatiently in front of Copper’s designated counter, Atom sitting idly by while the mare stomped about in frustration.

“Ooh, where are they?” She growled, looking about.

“Relax, we’re a bit early.”

“But I hate waiting!” She sighed, whining childishly and reluctantly sat by her companion. A few minutes of awkward silence and idle waiting passed before Copper sauntered in, her companion—or rather, who it seemed may have been her mentor by how he carried himself—right behind.

“There they are!” Star grinned excitedly, jumping to her feet and trotting over. Atom followed behind tentatively, if not a bit exasperatedly.

“Hello, you two,” Copper greeted, a slight chime in her voice. Chrono gave a respectful nod in salutation to the both of them.

“Hiya!” Star grinned, leaning her head a bit down only slightly in a manner of happiness.

“Hey Copper,” Atom hailed politely, a small smile gracing his features. “So, where do you want to eat?”

“How about the Canter Barrel?” Chrono suggested. Copper glanced over at him, Star smiling at the suggestion.

“Ooh, I’ve never eaten there before. Let’s do it!”

“Alright, alright,” Atom agreed. “Sound good. I suppose a good question is—who foots the bill?”

---

“This is nice,” the green stallion commented, Atom glancing around at the ponies and foods around him. He ran a hoof through his messy blue-and-blond mane, hardly straightening it as was his intention.

“Yeah, it’s a good restaurant. One of my favorites,” Copper replied. “Chrono and I come here often. Sometimes the Nerd Herd holds company meetings here.” It was only for a moment and hardly noticeable, but at one point Atom was sure he caught Copper falter in giving her own company’s title.

“Oh yeah, the Nerd Herd. We’ve been meaning to ask you a question,” Star began, obviously picking up on the error herself. This was where the interrogation began.

“You see, we were wondering if maybe you had a second job.” Atom asked, trying to remain confident though he was certain his bottom jaw trembled slightly. “Just for reference. We sort of heard of this agency called Torchhoof? And—“

“How could you have heard about Torchhoof?” Chrono snapped, his tone slightly bitter with a bit of defensiveness.

“So it does exist!” Star grinned manically, the look in her eye almost accusing.

“What have you been told?!” Copper growled, glaring. This was not looking good. Atom considered standing and bolting for the door.

“We haven’t been told anything, I swear!” He cried, a bit defensively. “We just- we sort of- we may or may not have overheard a conversation!”

“Jesus Christ. I was hoping this wouldn't happen…” Copper rubbed her face with her hooves, sighing with deep exasperation. “We’ll tell you when other ponies are out of earshot, since obviously it’s too late to deny anything. You may be in a lot of trouble. Just… let’s try to enjoy the meal for now, alright?”

Atom swallowed hard, he and Star remaining nearly silent for the rest of the meal.

---

Four sets of hooves trotted down the halls. The first pair stomped confidently, most certainly on business. And the last two scurried along hesitantly, nervously. The four sets soon came to a large glass door, which it appeared opened automatically since it did so as they approached it, and promptly entered.

“Welcome to Torchhoof,” Copper introduced, stepping into the room. It was littered with computers, a few ponies working on them while others wrote on boards and doing what other jobs they had to do. One pony was working with electricity, another scribbling on a board and debating a counterpart of his.

Atom watched in awe; it was like a huge lab.

“Where… this is Torchhoof..?”

“Yeah. Welcome to the theory room.” Copper suddenly turned to another pony, the one with the electricity. “Oi! Wire! Did you get Clockwork on the line?”

“Not quite, but I did you one better!” The yellow pony hopped over to a small staircase, leading up to a platform with some sort of control panel. He flipped on the large, overhead screen that sat above it on the wall. For a moment, what Atom assumed to be the Torchhoof logo appeared on the screen- A large T, backed by a metallic grey, with “Torchhoof” scrawled neatly at the bottom was the first thing to great them. The motto “Everywhere and nowhere” was displayed as well. Copper approached the platform, Chrono flanking her and Star and Atom following cautiously behind. Suddenly, the screen fizzled, the Torchhoof logo and all that surrounded it wavering, and static cut into a video transmission.

A lovely white alicorn with a rainbow colored mane in the hues of the rainbow sat on the screen before them, her violet eyes soft and intent. Everyone in the room bowed before the screen, though Star looked around nervously for a moment before clumsily bowing; she obviously didn’t know that this was Princess Celestia.

“Your Highness,” Copper said finally. “To what do we owe this honor?”

“Your own head of the agency could not be bothered for a video conference, sadly. He’s very busy, after all,” Celestia replied, nodding respectfully. “You needed something, however?”

“Uh, yes! Yes we did!” Copper looked around, and motioned quickly with her head for Star and Atom to join her at the forefront. “These two friends of mine seem to have stumbled across the existence of Torchhoof,” she explained. “What do you suggest? Should we take them in to the agency, or…?”

“Should they wish to join, I certainly permit you to give them the option. But you two—what are your names?”

“Y-Your Highness, I’m Atom. Atom Insight. And I assure you, this is the greatest honor.” Atom bowed again respectfully, and Star’s eyes darted about nervously.

“Uh—I’m Star Chaser. Hi?”

“Bow, Star,” Atom growled anxiously through gritted teeth.

“Oh, right!” Quickly, Star bowed, her jaw knocking into the floor in her haste. She bit back the pain rather than voice it.
“The pleasure’s mine, Star and Atom. You can rise now.”

Tentatively, the two ponies returned to their normal standing positions.

“I will be needing to swear you to secrecy. You don’t have to join if you don’t want to, but you must promise not to breathe a word of this organizations existence. Can you do that?”

“Yes ma’am! Of course!” Atom nodded eagerly, tossing a glance at Star.

“Uh, yeah. I can do that. Who would I tell anyways?”

“Tell me, Star,” Celestia began. “What do you do for a living? Certainly you’re not from Cloudsdale. Your accent is too reminiscent of Ponyville.”

“Uh, well—I travel, ma’am. That’s about it.”

“How do you sustain yourself?”

Star shrugged, abashed, and stared off to the side for a moment.

“I’ve never really needed to, ma’am,” she replied. “I usually just… leech off of someone else, I suppose. Never very long, and never very consequentially, but… You know…”

“A wayward vagabond. I see.” Celestia thought for a moment. “Copernican, why don’t you have her assist you on case number 413? I’m certain she and her companion would be quite a bit of help.”

“Are you kidding me? They’re practically children in comparison to the whole of Torchhoof! I’d sooner have Queenside help me than them!” Copper rebutted, completely taken aback by Celestia’s words.

“Calm yourself, Copernican. You and Chronology could use all the help you can get. Take them on to the case, or I shall obtain Clockwork’s opinion on the matter. And he will most certainly agree with me.”

“Yes, your highness,” Copper grumbled, looking away resentfully.

“Good. I fully expect you to debrief them on the matter, or you will be dropped from the case.”

Copper opened her mouth to protest, but was quickly cut off.

“Thank you for your time. Carry on.” The transmission cut, and the ponies in the room went about their business like a chance to talk to the princess was nothing. Scornfully, Copper put on her best glare face and turned to Star and Atom. The ginger pony jumped back slightly at the agent’s expression, settling only when the expression disappeared as Chrono was by Copper’s side to calm her.

“Alright, listen here. If you’re going to help me on this, you’re going to do it right.”