//------------------------------// // The Grand Tour // Story: Mayhem On The Mountain // by Bluecatcinema //------------------------------// The quartet of agents were led to the dining area, a large room with hoof-carved stone tables and pillows for chairs. “This is the dining room. Please, help yourselves." Mantra declared. "We don't have much in the way of a menu, but what the mountain provides us, it does so in abundance." "Food, glorious food..." Caboose salivated. "I am so hungry right now." "Says the guy who didn't take a single step up this mountain." Fury scowled, still sore over being made into an impromptu steed by his teammate. “After that long walk, I could eat poison oak, and still ask for seconds." Survival declared. "Thank you for your hospitality." Fletcher said gratefully. "It's our pleasure." Mantra smiled. "We get so few visitors, so it's only right that we give those souls bold enough to brave the journey a warm welcome. We’ll leave you to eat. Let us know when you’re ready to continue the tour." “Thank you, sir.” Fletcher gave a small bow. Mantra and his fellow monks leave the room. The quartet took their seats, and almost on cue, more monks came in, and set plates filled with plants and flowers, some grown in the monastery's greenhouse, and others found on the outside. Cups of yam tea were also provided. "Not what I'm used to, but it'll work." Fury grimaced, struggling to swallow some snapdragons. "Mmm." Caboose took a swig of the yam tea. "Where have you been all my life?" “Let’s be careful, guys.” Survival declared, “While we do want to appear grateful, we also don’t want to come off as uncultured slobs.” “And who the hell are you calling a slob?” Fury grunted, beak full of flowers, “They made us walk all the way up here. I think I’m allowed to pig out.” “I wasn’t meaning to offend.” Survival stepped back, “I’m just saying we should be mindful. As studies go, those who live in isolation are often wary of outsiders. These monks are probably not used to getting visitors, and they will most likely not appreciate any creature causing problems. No doubt, any slip-up and they’ll probably boot us off the mountain.” “Hmph, I like to see them try.” Fury grumbled. “While I’m not certain about that, Survival, you do have a point.” Fletcher admitted, taking a sip, “The Wise Lotus from my understanding don’t usually invite ponies who aren’t looking to join up here. If we want to make use of that fountain, we have to be on our best behavior…” He glanced at Fury, “That means less bellyaching about the stairs.” “Yeah, yeah.” Fury scoffed. "I guess that means asking for seconds is out, then?" Caboose pouted. "I wouldn't go that far." Survival shrugged. "But it would help to watch your table manners." "Will do, Dr. new guy." Caboose nodded, slowing down his consumption (slightly). All too soon, the four cleared their plates, and again, almost on cue, Mantra comes in. “Hello again.” Manta nodded, “I take it that you enjoyed your meals?” "It was delicious." Survival smiled. "I couldn't eat another bite." Fletcher added. "But I wouldn't say 'no' to some more of that tea..." Caboose grinned. “It was alright.” Fury shrugged. “Very good. Now that you have been sufficiently sated, perhaps you would like for us to show you all around?" Mantra declared. "Sounds like a plan." Fury nodded as he stood up. "Lead the way." Mantra and his fellow monks guided the foursome out of the dining room and into the hallway outside. “Hmm, more walking?” Fletcher frowned, “Not the most enticing prospect for those who walked up about a thousand steps..." “What happened to no bellyaching?” Fury sneered. “I said less bellyaching.” Fletcher rolled his eyes, “Besides, I was simply making an observation.” "Hey, Fury..." Caboose started. "Don't even think about it, dead weight." Fury scowled. "You're doing your own walking this time." "Party-pooper..." Caboose pouted. “Well, I for one think it will be illuminating.” Survival smiled, “It never hurts to learn about another’s culture.” At the same time, circling above the group, Armory, Black and Sterling were observing the monastery though the Red Rio drone. As Armory said he would, the feed was now being displayed in the comms room. "Seems like quite the homestead those monks have." Armory noted. "Really stood the test of time..." "No kidding." Sterling agreed. "It kind of reminds me of how the Infinity's built... minus all the labs, of course." "Maybe they hired the same contruction outfit." Black joked. On the screen, Fletcher's group emerged from the dining hall oto an outside path. "There's our guys." Sterling smiled. "Looks like they got a pretty warm welcome." Armory took note of their smiles. "So far, so good..." Black nodded. Moments later, the group entered one of the other structures in the monastery, the Red Rio was unfortunately not able to follow. “Crap, we lost visuals.... again!” Black grunted, as the screen circled the stone roof, “Can’t we fly this thing any lower?!” “That would be ill-advised.” Armory shook his head, “The Wise Lotus have zero tolerance for ‘militaristic technology’ in their monastery. If anypony finds out that this random bird is anything but, we’ll be in hot water with several countries.” “What? This bird doesn’t have x-ray vision? Heat-vision? Any kind of vision?” Sterling frowned. “Sadly, no.” Armory shook his head, “Damn budget cuts.” “Well, what do we do now?” Sterling asked, “It looks like the show’s over.” "Maybe not." Black mused. "Meaning...?" Sterling urged. "Maybe we can use this gizmo to take a good look around the place." Black suggested. "You know, find out more about the structure, where all the paths in and out are, what points may seem like the easiest to invade or infiltrate. Maybe if we’re lucky, we might find something that will lead us to whoever is sending those letters.” “...And then we can pass it on to our guys as soon as possible." Sterling realized, “But what about what Armory just said about not getting caught?” “Well, we won’t if I’m flying the thing.” Armory boasted, “Let’s just turn off the auto-pilot and then we’ll get to work.” With the tap of the button, the Red Rio stopped circling and descended towards the monastery... Meanwhile, Mantra and the monks continued leading the foursome down the halls, stopping at one point to show them a room full of monks performing slow, measured movements. "Hey, who turned on the slo-mo?" Caboose asked. "They're not in slow motion, Caboose." Fletcher rolled his eyes. "They're practicing the ancient art of Tai Chi." "Good eye." Mantra smiled. "That is indeed what they are practicing. Tai Chi revolves around personal fitness, and grants the user a way to center themselves. It is an excellent way to maintain physical and mental health." "Fascinating." Survival smiled. "Maybe we should try that while we're here." "You guys can." Fury scoffed derisively. "Me, I prefer something slightly more enjoyable... like say, having a buffalo take a diarrhea dump in my ear.” “Hmm, strange, you strike me as the type that would rather eat the rotten asshole of a road killed skunk and down it with beer.” Caboose shook his head, once again missing the point. “My, you sound like the angriest griffon I’ve ever heard.” A monk tutted. “More like the angry Neightendo bird.” Another frowned. “I was thinking angry Segallop bird.” Yet another monk chimed in. “No, sillies, he’s the ‘Angry Video Game Bird’...” Caboose corrected, singing the last phrase with the strum of a soft acoustic guitar he suddenly had. Fury, without bothering to look at him, gave his face a solid backhand of his talon. “Ow! Jerk!” Caboose glared, clutching his cheek. “...Where did you get that guitar?” Survival gaped, having observed the interaction. “Where did I get what guitar?” Caboose frowned, the guitar suddenly gone. “Wha- what?! You- you were just-” Survival stammered. “Don’t bother, Fiev. You’ll only hurt your head.” Fury walked past him, slightly more annoyed. “Come along, now." Mantra called, having missed most of their conversation. "There is still much to see." The foursome followed Mantra out of the room… well, three of them at least. “Come on, Caboose!” Fletcher called back. “Hey, I’m trying! My body is doing that Tie Dye thing!” Caboose pouted, visibly struggling as his body moved in slow-motion, “I’m slow-mo-ing!” “But it’s not-” Survival shot back. “Fievel.” Fury grunted. “I know, but still!” Survival protested. The next room contained a group of monks sitting cross-legged on their floor, their eyes shut tight in concentration. Caboose, his body no longer imitating the Tai Chi practitioners, caught up with the group and looked at the crowd. "Let me guess... nap room?" Caboose offered, “Doesn’t look comfy, though.” “It’s not a nap room.” Mantra said curtly, "This is one of many of our meditation rooms. Where members of our order can calm their minds, and possibly achieve true enlightenment." "I think Napoleon had it right the first time..." Fury rolled his eyes. “I wouldn’t be too quick to dismiss it, Fury.” Survival declared, “Meditation has been proven to help alleviate anxiety and depression. I’ve seen many patients back in Brightdale practice it in their free time.” “He’s right. I’ve even done some myself back at the Norhayan Academy.” Fletcher declared, “Really helped me calm down on nights before my exams.” “Well, if you so wish, you are all welcome to join our brethren.” Mantra smiled. "That's a very generous offer." Survival smiled. "Maybe we'll take you up on it after our work is done." Fletcher added. "Or maybe never." Fury scoffed. "As you wish." Mantra nodded. "Now, let us move on..." "Don't suppose I could book a spot to nap- I mean, meditate?" Caboose asked. "I don't think that's how it works, Caboose." Fletcher rolled. "Okay, then remind me to ask the maitre'd about that." Caboose declared. "Here, we have the library." Mantra announced, leading the group into a large room, with bookcases lining every wall, each one packed with books. "Whoa, that's a lot of reading material." Survival noted. "We may be far from civilization, but we're not savages." Mantra declared. "A little reading does wonders for the soul." "At least they're actually doing something." Fury noted. "Even if that something is just picking up books and turning pages." "Some of these are easily hundreds of moons old." Mantra noted. "And in pristine condition." "So well-preserved..." Fletcher whistled appreciatively. "I don't suppose I could be issued a library card?" "There's no need." Mantra declared. "All of us are welcome to pick and read any book they wish... So long as it is returned by the end of the day." "Interesting system." Survival mused. "That must save you guys a fortune in late fees." Caboose noted. "Yeah, this is all really fascinating." Fury said, obviously bored. "But I'm sure we've got lots more to see. Right, Mantra?" "Of course." Mantra nodded, seemingly blind to Fury's sarcasm. "Right this way..." The foursome were led through more corridors, than to an outside area. The area was taken up by a large patch of sand, with rocks scattered within. A few monks were present, using rakes to create furrows in the sand. "This is our zen garden." Mantra declared. "Garden?" Caboose frowned. "Looks more like a big ol' sandbox to me." "I've read about these." Fletcher noted. "They're meant to imitate nature." "Are they raking the sand?" Fury asked incredulously. "Yes." Mantra nodded. "To create facsimiles of ripples in water. It creates quite a picture of serenity." "That's one way of looking at it." Fury shook his head. "I think it’s quite artistic, in a way." Fletcher declared. "Like the graffiti kids used to put on my locker in high school." Caboose added. "They used to leave such gems like 'Hoof-for-brains' and 'Bite my flank, Napoleon' and ‘Kill yourself, Caboose’... man, Slot was such a kidder, way back when." “Okay…” Mantra said awkwardly, “On that note, we really should get back to the tour. We only have one more stop before I take you to your sleeping quarters, so let's get to it..." The group continued onward, the others casting odd looks at Caboose as they did. "Have fun biting each others' flanks!" Caboose waved to the monks just before going inside, instilling horrified expressions from them. The penultimate stop on the tour was the greenhouse Mantra often worked in. "This is the greenhouse." Mantra announced. "It is where we grow most of our vegetables... but mostly decorative flowers." "So... these aren't after-dinner snacks?" Caboose asked, moments away from eating one of the roses. "We can't have just one?" "I'd prefer you didn't." Mantra said testily. “Come on, please?” Caboose pleaded, “They look so good.” “Caboose, no. You just had dinner.” Fletcher chided. “Hmph.” Caboose pouted, crossing his hooves. “I think it’s best we move on, before you try and eat the magnolias.” Mantra said drily, “Now if you will-” Suddenly, the door opened as Relic entered the greenhouse, toting a very-full burlap sack, seemingly in a rush. “Oh.” Mantra stopped, a bit taken aback. “Relic, there you are. I was wondering where you were.” “Sorry, master.” Relic panted, “I would had been with you to greet our visitors…” He then glanced at Fletcher and the others, “Had I known the visitors had already arrived.” “Hmm, that’s strange.” Manta frowned, “I did tell Ube to inform you when the visitors draw near so you could properly prepare for their arrival.” “It must have slipped his mind.” Relic glared. “Maybe... but no matter, you are here now.” Mantra shrugged. “Fletcher and company, this here is Relic Mystic, one of our elder monks within the monastery.” “Elder? That’s rude.” Caboose frowned in disapproval, “This young lad’s still in his 20s.” “Not that kind of elder, Caboose.” Survival sighed, as he faced Relic, “I assume he means you have been part of the monastery longer than most of the current monks, right?” “That would be correct. I've been here since I was practically a foal.” Relic nodded, before giving a small bow, “No words can express how relieved I am that you all have finally come.” “Huh? Why? Were you waiting for us?” Fletcher asked, confused. “You could say that.” Mantra declared. “You see, normally, we do not reach out to outsiders, but it was by Relic’s insistence that we sent that letter out to the RDL, which brings you all here to us today.” “Really? So you’re the reason we had to walk up all those steps?” Fury glared at him. “Fury.” Fletcher hissed silently. “I do apologize.” Relic said glumly, “But I have a duty to this monastery, especially when it is being threatened by someone who wishes to do it and the ponies inside harm.” “You know, that does remind me: we still have to discuss the problem at hoof.” Fletcher realized, as he turned to Mantra, “The letter mentioned that the monastery has been receiving threatening correspondences?” “Well, yes, you could say we have received a few-” Mantra began humbly. “One hundred, to be exact.” Relic corrected. “One hundred?!” Fletcher, Survival, and Fury gaped at once. “Holy guacamole!” Caboose gaped. “Yes, thanks, Relic.” Mantra cast a stink eye at the younger pony, “Over the last couple of years, we have received no less than ‘one hundred’ death threats, towards me and the ponies in the monastery. All by carrier pigeons no less. They just fly right in for one of us to capture.” “I actually took the time to collect all the letters we received. That’s why it took me so long to catch up with you all.” Relic explained, as he used his magic to pull out a scroll. “This is the one we just received days ago.” He unfurled the scroll. “It reads as such:” 'Dear Master Mantra, I wanted to send you this friendly little letter to inform you of your imminent demise. If you’re curious about the frequency of which I’ve sent these letters, it is merely to instill as much fear as I can. As if basting a turkey. Which I will proceed to have sex wtih. That’s right. I’m going to BUCK the ‘fear’ turkey. Enjoy your last days. Gobble-gobble.’ As Relic finished reading, Fletcher, Fury, Survival, and Caboose were all aghast, with Mantra standing aside, frowning in disapproval. “Lauren Faust!” Fury gaped. “That is ghastly.” Fletcher grimaced. “Yeah, that poor turkey! This guy really is evil!” Caboose yelled. “Um, Caboose, the turkey was a metaphor.” Survival frowned. “So the turkey made some bad life choices, so what?!” Caboose glared, missing the point. “Nice to see we’re all agreed that it’s pretty messed up.” Relic nodded, “All the other 99 letters have been written like this, threatening Mantra or other ponies within the temple. This is honestly the worst one yet.” “So hold on, you’ve been getting these kinds of letters for a while now?” Fury asked, a bit confused, “Then why didn’t you contact the authorities sooner?” “It’s as I just said, we don’t usually contact outsiders.” Mantra grimaced, “In fact, we really don’t like involving them in matters pertaining to this monastery.” “Well, I’ll have to say, it’s probably a good thing you involve us now.” Fletcher declared, “Death threats aren’t something to be taken lightly, especially ones that are… ‘creative’.” “He’s right. If it’s alright, may I take a look at the letter?” Survival asked. “Go right ahead.” Relic passed him the letter. “Hmm…” Survival glanced at it, “...Well, at first glance, it’s highly likely that whoever wrote this is not a Unicorn.” “What?” Mantra frowned, “What makes you say that?” “It’s in the hoofwriting.” Survival gestured to the letter. “Note how jittery and messy the words are. Unicorns tend to write their letters with magic and unless the sender was inexperienced or under duress, their writing wouldn’t be this sloppy. And we can rule out any of the other species with claw-like or cloven appendages. The sender has to be an Earth Pony or a Pegasus with a subpar grasp on writing.” “Whoa, you got all that from just that letter?” Relic gaped, amazed. “Survival here is quite an expert in psychology.” Fletcher gave the young doctor an approving nod, “If anypony can figure out how a creature works, it would be him.” “Be that as it may, that doesn’t really narrow it down.” Mantra frowned, “There’s lots of non-Unicorns out there… and that’s if Mr. Horror here isn’t wrong in his ‘guesswork’.” “With all due respect, sir, it’s not guesswork.” Survival said firmly, a bit offended, “I simply made a reasonable deduction based on the sender’s hoofwriting.” “Well, I guess I’d take your word for it.” Manta scoffed, “Still doesn’t tell us who’s sending these letters.” “Then how about you give us some ideas?” Fury glared, “Is there anypony you know who’d go to all this trouble to threaten you guys? Maybe somepony who didn’t like climbing up all those steps?” “No, not that I am aware.” Mantra shook his head. “Take a moment to think.” Fletcher urged, “Were there anypony who may have been slighted by this monastery? Maybe like an ex-disciple out for revenge, or a businesspony who wants to build something on this mountain?” “Sorry, no, any pony who had left this monastery either did so of their accord or passed away. And honestly, nopony is clamoring to make a business on this mountain. This peak is not what you would call ‘accessible to customers’.” Mantra shook his head, “What about the fountain?” Fletcher pressed on, “Do you think who sent it might be after it?” “...Oh.” Mantra glanced at Fletcher, “So you are aware of the Fountain of Eternal Wisdom?” “We have read up on it, yes.” Survival nodded, “A fountain that grants those who drink from it unlimited knowledge. Guarded by the ‘Wise Lotus’. It does make me wonder… How did this place come to be? "Ah, now that's quite a story." Relic smiled, stepping forth, “As the story goes, way back when during the whole Windigo incident, a small group of ponies, wishing to separate themselves from the squabbling and warring of the three tribes, came to this very mountain, hoping to find peace and enlightenment. However, they had come to find something far more valuable...” “...Megan?” Caboose suggested. “...No.” Relic deadpanned. “They found a mountain spring. At first glance, it seemed like a typical body of water, but when one of the ponies drank from it… well, the scriptures weren’t clear but it was said that just a sip of the fountain's water granted the drinker the spontaneous ability to write wondrous symphony, or solve scientific conundrums that had evaded many great minds over the years.. It was made clear that the spring had some mystical property that granted the drinker wisdom.” “Really? A random mountain spring in the middle of butt-buck nowhere?” Fury said, incredulous. “I know it sounds hard to believe.” Relic admitted, “In fact, to this day, we don’t even know why the spring had this power. Countless nights have we theorized on the origins. One suggested that it was blessed by a Great Alicorn. Another suggested that there was something in the water. But regardless, when they discovered the truth of the spring, they realized that they had discovered something that could potentially change the world…” “...Or destroy it.” Survival added knowingly. “That would be right.” Relic agreed, “Off the bat, the ponies who discovered the spring knew that such a mystical place would be a magnet for the wicked. Were someone of evil intent to imbibe the water, the world would be in great peril. So it was decided there and then that they would protect this spring and keep it hidden from the world. And thus, the Wise Lotus was born that day. Over time, they built this monastery around it, and eventually converted the spring into a beautiful ornate fountain. Soon, they began reaching out and inviting other ponies to the monastery, so that the original monks could pass, knowing that their legacy and duty would carry on. And to this day, the Wise Lotus continues to guard the fountain, all the while helping the fellow creature find inner peace and enlightenment…” “Wow… that’s quite the history.” Survival whistled, “You know your stuff, Relic.” “Well, I do consider myself a bit of a history buff.” Relic said humbly, “I dedicated myself to learning everything there was to know about our sacred home.” “Do you suppose we could see this fountain for ourselves?” Fletcher asked. “But of course.” Mantra declared, “After all, you did come all the way here to help us… as your feathered friend likes to point out.” "Repeatedly." Fury said tersely. “How about the rest of you return to your duties?” Mantra turned to the other monks, “Me and Relic will see to showing our guests the fountain.” “Yes, master.” The extra monks bowed as they left the greenhouse. “Now then, follow us.” Mantra declared, “The fountain is at the far end of the monastery.” "Oh, joy, more walking..." Fury scowled. Meanwhile, the Red Rio continued exploring the outside of the monastery. with Black and Sterling taking in the sights. "It's quite a view, isn't it?" Black smiled. "Yeah." Sterling agreed. "Nice and peaceful. That mountainside looks like it could on forever." "Sorry to interrupt the show, but I need to land the Rio." Armory spoke up. "The landscape is so wide and spacious that I need to get and get my bearings back." "Just when I was starting to get chilled." Sterling sighed. Armory directed his drone into landing on the branch of a nearby tree. "So, aside from some truly stunning vistas, what have we actually found so far?" Black asked. "Not much." Armory shrugged. "Aside from the basic layout of the monastery." "On the plus side, there doesn't seem to be any places for the Forefathers to sneak into." Sterling shrugged. "Which just means we have nothing to report to the others." Black scowled. "Nonethless, I think we should find Fletcher and the others." Armory suggested. "They at least need to know that there aren't any apparant danger spots in the structure..." "You're the guy with the remote." Black declared. Just as Armory was about to make the drone depart, spreading its’ wings, Sterling noticed an innocuous button that seemed out of place on the controller. “Hey, Armory, what does that button do?” Sterling made to press it. “Hey, don’t touch-!” Armory yelled, but it was too late, as Sterling pressed it. Suddenly, the drone stopped in place, as it suddenly lifted it's head and its speaker telescoped out… ’All birds of the feather!’ It sang, as suddenly, it began swinging its wings in a swaying motion. ’Do what they love most of all!’ “Whoa, what the hell?!” Sterling gaped, taken aback by the sudden music, and the shaking of the screen, “Are we… are we dancing?!” “Not only that, we’re singing!” Black gasped, as he glanced at Armory, “Why is the drone singing?!” 'Everypony here loves samba!' The bird squawked. “I got bored!” Armory said defensively, “So I might have programmed a dance routine I seen birds perform back in Brayzil into the drone… for testing purposes!” “But this is samba!” Sterling deadpanned, “Birds can’t do sambas!” “Yes they can, I saw them do it, multiple times… well, before the poachers took them all.” Armory grimaced. “Was this before or after you did things with Wilson?” Black challenged, bringing up Armory’s volleyball companion from way back when. “Black, I told you that in confidence!” Armory snarled. “Um, guys, we should shut this bird up before someone spots us!” Sterling urged, wary of the monks that were starting to hear something. “I’m on it!” Armory scoffed, as he pressed the button again. 'You won't find it anywhere el-' The drone abrubtly cut off the song as it took off. Two monks approached the area moments after. "I swear I could hear somepony singing." The first frowned. "It was probably just a bird calling its fellows." The other shrugged. The trio let out a collective sigh of relief. “Next time, Sterling, don’t push random buttons.” Armory chided him gruffly, “For all you know, I could have put a nuke in there and that mountain would have been levelled!” “Okay, sheesh!” Sterling frowned. "Now, while we wait for the others to come back into sight, perhaps we should map the area." Armory suggested. "Then we would have a comprehensive layout of things, one that we could even pass on to the others." "Good thinking, Armory." Sterling smiled. "Of course, we'll need paper and quills for that..." "And since I'm the only guy who can walk on his own/needs to operate the bird, I guess it's up to me to get them." Black sighed. "Be right back..." As Black left the room, Sterling turned to Armory. "So, how is Wilson, these day?" He suddenly asked. "Does that Natascha chick know about him?" "Verdammt..." Armory fumed in Germane. Once more, Fletcher and co. were being led through the corridors of the monastery, and as they reached the far northern side of the monastery, they descended several stone staircases, which were carved into the side of the mountain. 'Not more stairs...' Fury silently groaned as they began the descent. "Is it just me, or is it getting chilly in here?" Survival asked. "It's the winds." Mantra declared. "Watch your step. They can get a little strong sometimes." "I know I should've brought my kite along..." Caboose pouted. Soon enough, they came down to a landing, positioned a couple of feet lower on the mountain from the monastery. It provided them a fantastic view of the Frozen North. “Whoa, what a view!” Survival gaped. “Yeah, I think I can see the Crystal Empire from here! Oh, and I think I can see Echo Alchemy too!” Caboose lit up, “Yo! Yo Echo! Over here!” Miles away, at the Crystal Palace... Echo and Sunset Shimmer were reading books in the library. Echo suddenly turned his head in the direction of the mountains. "Did you hear something?" He asked. Back at the monastery... “Well, the view may be nice, but you might want to redirect your attention inwards.” Mantra explained, gesturing to a set of doors within the mountain. Fletcher and Caboose opened the doors, revealing a room with a beautiful ornate fountain in its center. Lit candles were placed around the room, and the golden fountain was filled to the brim with clear, sparkling water. "So this is it." Fletcher said with awe. "The Fountain of Eternal Wisdom." "Somehow, I expected something more impressive." Fury said dismissively. "Looks can be deceiving." Survival pointed out. "Just look at Caboose, for example." "Yeah, look at me!" Caboose grinned. "Look at me!!" "Do I have to?" Fury scowled. “It truly is a spectacle.” Relic smiled, “I was amazed when I first saw it.” “And I think that’s good and all, but does it actually work?” Fury glared at him suspiciously. “Of course it does.” Relic frowned. “I've heard many a tale about ponies who became smart and successful after drinking from these waters.” “Wait, you heard?” Survival asked, “You never drank from the fountain yourself?” “Well, no, but the thing is-” Relic tried to explain. “What Relic is trying to explain is that it is strictly forbidden for the Wise Lotus to drink from the Fountain of Eternal Wisdom.” Mantra declared. “Hold on, so the lot of you have to sit on this rock and guard this fountain that could turn you into the world’s biggest egghead, and you aren’t allowed to drink from it?” Fury grimaced. “Yeah, that’s not fair!” Caboose growled. “It’s the way of the Wise Lotus, I’m afraid.” Mantra shrugged, “Sadly, over the many generations the Wise Lotus has watched over the fountain, we had a few ponies who went a little mad with power when they drank from it. So it was decreed that to prevent darkness from corrupting the Wise Lotus from within, we do not allow any monks to partake from the fountain. We guard a treasure which we cannot possess.” “It’s rough, but it’s an understandable course of action.” Fletcher noticed, “A wicked soul could do a lot of damage if they had infinite wisdom under their belt.” “Exactly. Which is why we are very particular in regards to our laws and rules.” Mantra agreed, “Many creatures of shapes and sizes have come to this mountain, hearing of the fountain, and demanding that we allow them to drink from it. Some creatures don’t even bother asking, and try to get in by force. It prompted us to become very selective about who we allow to even glimpse upon this fountain, let alone drink from it.” "Y'hear that?" Caboose nudged Fury. "V.I.P.'s right here, pal!" "Yay..." Fury rolled his eyes. “Well, with that in mind, there is something I wish to ask of you. A request.” Fletcher announced. "A request?" Mantra narrowed his eyes. Relic looked on in confusion. “Yes. First off, I would like to begin by stating that we are here firstmost to help you and this monastery.” Fletcher declared, “As a member of the RDL, and the Alpha Force Squad, it is our duty. And that will not change should you refuse our request.” “Hmm, that’s assuring and all.” Mantra said, bemused, “But what is it that you want? Some sort of remuneration for your services?” “You could say that.” Fletcher said humbly, “I cannot divulge much, as it’s classified, but we are seeking one of these machines that could lead us to bringing down an evil organization… however, we do not know where these machines are, let alone how to find one…” “And you wish to drink from the fountain so that you could find these ‘machines’, correct?” Mantra finished knowingly. “That is correct.” Fletcher agreed, “It’s our leader’s hope, as well as ours, that in return for helping you deal with this malefactor, that you could allow at least one of us to use the fountain to at least gain the knowledge as to the whereabouts of the machines, and how to use them…” He then bowed his head, “However, I know how protective you are of this fountain, and we will understand if you say no.” “We will?” Fury glared, “After all that walk-” “Shh!” Survival nudged him. "If I may interject?" Relic spoke up. "You may." Mantra nodded. "I'm not so sure about allowing our guests to imbibe the fountain's water." Relic said nervously. "I can understand their plight, but this is quite a bit to ask." "Oh, thanks a lot." Fury scowled. "It's nothing personal." Relic retorted. "But like I said, the effects of the fountain's waters can sometimes turn out more bad then good. That's a risk we shouldn't take lightly." "Some risks are worth taking." Fletcher countered. "Especially if it helps defeat a threat to the entire world." Relic turned to his superior. "Mantra, what are your thoughts on this?" He asked. Mantra mused quietly for a moment. "Oh boy, silence is never a good response." Survival frowned. "He's gonna say 'no', just watch." Fury shook his head. "Or maybe 'we'll see'." Caboose added. "That always means 'no'." “...Master?” Relic frowned. “...Very well.” Mantra shrugged, “After your work is done here, we shall permit one of you to drink from the fountain.” "You will?" Fletcher smiled. "Really?" “Really?!” Caboose smirked. “Really?” Fury was a bit taken aback. “Really?” Survival was even more shocked. “Really?” Relic shared Survival’s sentiment. “Well, it’s only fair.” Mantra smiled, “After all, you came all the way up here, almost immediately upon receiving our letter even. And you have nothing but good intentions for the fountain. While we may walk different threads of life, we both wish to do good for the world. Far be it from me or the Lotus to stand in the way of protecting the world.” "Thank you sir." Fletcher smiled, “You won’t regret it.” Relic nodded, clearly uncomfortable, but kept quiet. Survival took note of his facial expression, but said nothing. “Now, how about we head back upstairs?” Mantra nodded, “It is getting late.” With that, the group made their way back up the stone stairs. As Mantra and Relic trailed ahead, the four heroes hanged back. “Well, that went better than expected!” Caboose smiled. “I’ll say.” Fury agreed, “I was half ready to kick his ass if he said no.” “And you would have been gravely wrong to do so.” Fletcher glared, before softening, “But it is a relief that Mantra agreed to our request. All that we have to do now is deal with this nuisance and we’ll be able to finally put a stop to the Forefathers once and for all.” “And without having to go through several stories and character arcs!” Caboose added cheerfully. “I’ll settle for just taking those rats down.” Fury scoffed. Survival had been quiet for quite some time, lost in his own thoughts. The others had been engrossed in their conversation, but Fletcher managed to finally notice. "Is something wrong, Survival?" He asked. "You've been awfully quiet. What's on your mind?" “It’s just… don’t any of you guys find this a little odd?” Survival asked. "Come again?" Fury frowned. “Odd? What’s odd? This is what we wanted.” Caboose pointed out, “We help the monks, drink the smart water, find the tunnel portal thingies and how to turn them on, go in, kick Father’s butt, roll credits! We got this pretty much in the bag!” “Yeah, I get that but… I feel Mantra gave in to Fletcher’s request a little too easily.” Survival grimaced, “I mean, this fountain is the Wise Lotus’ most sacred treasure. Mantra even explained how not even they are not allowed to drink from this fountain. Yet, to just say yes to a pony he just met that day, let alone a member of a military organization? Even after one of his own fellows argued against it?” “I’m not seeing the problem.” Fury frowned. “Yeah, Fletcher just has one of those faces.” Caboose smiled, “I bet the moment Mantra set sight on Fletcher’s handsome face, he would let him do anything… and I do mean anything.” “I’m just saying, the Wise Lotus have been guarding this fountain for eons.” Survival declared, a bit disturbed by Caboose’s wording, “I’m having trouble believing that they would just let us drink from it, just like that.” “Hey, it’s not like they’re letting us in for free.” Fury grunted, “We’re doing them a favor in helping them with that letter-sending asshole.” “Fury is right.” Fletcher agreed, “Most likely, they’re just desperate for help. They don’t know who it is that’s sending this letter or what they’re capable of, and considering how long this pony has been sending these awful letters, I’d assume they would pay any price to have peace of mind.” "Sounds just like the small businesses my grandpa got protection money from." Caboose chuckled nostalgically. "Yep, ol' Pop-Pop just loved helpin' ponies..." “That is a fair point, but…” Survival started. “Look, they already said yes. I’m not about to look a gift Arimaspi in the mouth.” Fury summarized gruffly, “Let’s just take the win and get this over with!” “But… ugh, you’re right. Sorry.” Survival nodded in defeat. Soon after, they arrived back in the main part of a monastery. “And that concludes the tour.” Mantra declared, “You all must be tired after such a long day, so I will see you all to your quarters.” Mantra declared, as he turned to Relic, “Relic, you are dismissed.” “Yes, master.” Relic nodded, as he then passed the sack he had to Survival. “Here. This sack contains all the death threats. I pray it will help lead you to whoever is sending them.” “Thank you.” Survival smiled, taking it, “I’m certain it will help.” “I hope so.” Relic began, his smile fading, before shaking his head, “Well, good night. I will see you all tomorrow.” Relic darted off, leaving Survival a bit confused. “Now, allow me to guide you to the guest quarters.” Mantra declared as he made to leave. “Hold on, Mantra. May I ask you one more question?” Fletcher asked, “There was something else I wanted to ask you about.” "Very well." Mantra sighed. "What do you want to know?" “You see… our boss gave me another task while we were up here.” Fletcher explained, “Is it true that this monastery practices aura?” “Aura?” Mantra repeated, shock on his face, turning to face him, “What in Equestria would you be asking about that?” “It’s classified.” Fletcher declared curtly, “All that can be said is that the RDL is currently combatting a formidable threat, and it was our hope that we could find somepony here who knows how to use it and maybe ask for his or her help in defeating him.” “I see… and this threat… does he have any relations to that evil organization from earlier?” Mantra asked, a brow raised. “Yes, actually.” Fletcher nodded, “Again, I can’t say much, but this monster put two of our friends in traction and hurt many of our fellow agents. I don’t mean to overstep my bounds, but if we could recruit a fellow monk to our cause-” “Well, I’m afraid that won’t be possible.” Mantra shook his head, “Yes, it is true that the Wise Lotus did once practice the art of using aura. But when I assumed the role of master, I had seen to it the practice of using aura be retired.” "You did?" Fletcher frowned. "Indeed we did." Mantra nodded. "You see, as with the fountain, we had seen some of our numbers use aura for their own selfish gains. In fact, I knew a user who brought nothing but shame on the Wise Lotus’ name, a blight that shouldn’t have never been allowed near aura let alone use it… when the Wise Lotus discovered aura, they intended that it be used to help protect the world… but nowadays, the world is violent enough as it is, and I simply cannot allow us to contribute to that cycle of violence any longer.” “So you just stopped using it?” Fury grimaced, “Then how the hell do you guys defend yourself when trouble shows up?” “We do teach self-defense here, Fury.” Mantra scoffed. “Besides… I didn’t want to say this in front of Relic but honestly… you all wasted your time coming here.” “...Excuse me?” Fletcher gaped. “Say what?” Caboose gasped. “The truth of the matter is, I do not believe that whoever is sending these letters is some malcontent seeking to do harm to any of us.” Mantra declared firmly, “Just a prankster who is going a little too far in his harassment campaign. I honestly didn’t want to involve the RDL, but Relic wouldn’t take no for an answer. And for that I am sorry. But make no mistake, should this turn out to be a waste of time, we will still allow you to partake of the fountain.” “How… thoughtful.” Survival frowned. “I don’t know, dude. That guy said he was going to fornicate a turkey." Caboose frowned. "I don't think ponies would joke about that." "Caboose, again, the turkey was a-ugh, forget it." Survival groaned. “Well, whether you think it’s real or not, the RDL has a duty to treat it as real.” Fletcher said firmly, “So, I don’t suppose there’s anypony who might still know aura from before?” “Sadly, no.” Mantra shook his head, “When it came to aura, the only remaining monks who had any actual proficiency were yours truly and our former master, Chakra.” “Alrighty, if you can’t help us, maybe he can.” Fury crossed his talons, “Know where we find the guy?” "You don't." Mantra replied. "Ooh, is he invisible?" Caboose looked around. "No." Mantra scowled slightly. "I'm afraid Master Chakra suffered a terrible accident a few years ago." “Accident?” Fletcher frowned, “What kind of accident?” “Faust, it was awful…” Mantra bowed his head. “He went down to the fountain one morning. You saw how strong the winds were on the way up here. Well, on this day in particular, the winds were very strong, and when he was down at that viewpoint outside the fountain… the winds blew him right off the side of the mountain. All that was left was a scrap of his clothing that caught when he fell over the railing.” “Ooh, that’s horrible.” Survival grimaced, “I’m sorry to hear that.” “Yes, it was a dark day for all of us.” Manta continued, rubbing his eyes, “Chakra was a good stallion. He was wise, kind, and generous. He taught me everything he knew. And to lose him just like that… well, the pain was immeasurable… but alas, life had to go on. And as Chakra’s star pupil, I felt it was up to me to take his place as leader and keep the legacy of the Wise Lotus alive… though I would never dare think myself his equal.” "It must be difficult, following in the hoofsteps of a great leader." Fletcher noted. "It is." Mantra nodded. "All I can do is just do the best I can, and pursue what I think is best for this monastery and those dwell within it." "Yeah, that's pretty much what we're all doing." Fury noted, giving a empathetic look. "Now then." Mantra sighed deeply. "That really must be the last of the questions for today. It's getting late, and we could all use some rest, so we can better face what tomorrow brings." "The stallion makes a good point." Survival nodded. "We should get some sleep while we can." "Then you should have let us stay in the napping room." Caboose pouted. "Just point us in the right direction." Fletcher told Mantra. "Thankfully, it's not far from here." Mantra declared. Mantra led them down some more corners and corridors, finally stopping inbetween two of several doors. “And here are the quest quarters, each room is fit for two, so-” Mantra began. Ube approached the group. He glared darkly at the four newcomers. "Whoa, there's a big one." Caboose noticed. "Seen bigger." Fury shrugged. "I don't like the look of him." Survival frowned. "Be polite." Fletcher hushed them. "He's also one of our hosts." “Ah, Ube. What brings you here?” Mantra asked, a bit confused. “There were some matters I wanted to discuss with you. The others told me you were about done showing the ‘outsiders’ around.” Ube declared gruffly, as he seethed at the four. “And these must be them.” “You would be correct.” Mantra nodded, “Gentlecreatures, this here is Ube. He’s my advisor and second-in-command. He helps me to make sure that this monastery is run properly.” "Hello, Ube." Fletcher stepped forward. "I'm Fletcher Ulysses. This is Caboose Napoleon, Fury Xaldin and Survival Horror." "Hey" Caboose nodded. "Hmm." Fury growled. "Hello." Survival said politely. "Yes, yes, hello." Ube said bluntly. "Whatever business you have here, please not to make a mess of our own. We prefer it to be kept pristine." "...Well, we'll certainly true." Fletcher said awkwardly. "And if that's not possible, I know a good cleaning service." Caboose added. "Pretty sure I can get you a discount, too." "Oh, goody, more outsiders." Ube shook his head. "Just what this place needs..." He then turned to his compatriot. "Mantra, may I speak with you in private?" “Ugh, very well.” Mantra sighed, “So, the rooms are only fit for two, so go ahead and divide yourselves up. I’ll see you all in the morning.” As Mantra departed with Ube, Fury weighed his options, and quickly reached a decision. "Horror, you're bunking with me." He said flatly. "I am?" Survival frowned. "When my other choices are a screwball and a guy with a spear up his flank? Definitely." Fury nodded. "Trying not to be offended by that..." Fletcher muttered. "Heh... 'Screwball'." Caboose chuckled. "Wish somepony had written that on my locker back in the day..." “Well, I guess I see no problem with that.” Survival shrugged, holding up the sack with the letters inside. “Might give me some quiet time to read these letters, get a better idea of who’s writing them.” “Whatever. Just don’t keep me up. That’s all I ask.” Fury huffed. "Looks like we're roommates again, huh, Fletcher?" Caboose grinned. "As usual." Fletcher nodded. "Dibs on the top bunk!" Caboose rushed through the door. "As usual..." Fletcher repeated. He turned to Survival and Fury. "See you guys in the morning." "Yep." Fury nodded. "Night." Survival smiled. The remaining members of the team entered the rooms, eager to rest after such a long day. Little did they know that the following days would seem so much longer… At the same time, Mantra and Ube were walking through the corridors, Mantra clearly not happy with Ube. "You fool." Mantra seethed. "What did I do?" Ube asked. "You weren't exactly the most hospitable pony back there." Mantra clarified. "With good reason." Ube said flatly. “Gee, with how you acted, they might get an inkling that you don’t like them.” Mantra spat, ripe with sarcasm. “I cannot help it, Mantra.” Ube snarled, “Those RDL fools are too close. If they snoop around, even a little-” “Look, I told you before. If we keep our noses clean and keep calm, things will be fine.” Mantra growled, “That includes you not being an utter ass. I’ve enough on my plate as it is!” “You?! What about me?!” Ube snapped back. “The others heard about these visitors and are getting restless. Took me forever to get them to calm down! And if that wasn’t enough, some of the other monks were going on about samba music being played in the courtyard earlier today!” “Sounds like they dabbled a little too much.” Mantra declared coldly. “Watch it, Mantra. Don’t think because you’re the head of the temple now that you’re better than me.” Ube threatened, “Your hooves are just as filthy as mine.” “That’s subjective.” Mantra scoffed, “I know why you came here to this monastery all those years ago.” “Yet here we are, in the same bed.” Ube shot back, “Good ol’ Chalky would be so proud.” “Shut. It.” Mantra seethed, glaring hatefully at him, “If we want to get through this little mishap unscathed, I’m gonna need you to be on your best behavior… that means no more of that crap you pulled with Relic.” “I’m not going to make promises. Especially for that little rat.” Ube growled. “You know he’s going to talk.” “Not if we have something to say about it.” Mantra declared, “Look, I just need time to figure out this whole mess. Hopefully, if we’re lucky, our letter sender won’t dare make his move, and we can send those agents packing.” “Oh, and what about the fountain? I heard you promised them a drink in return for their services.” Ube challenged, “What are you going to do about that?” “You let me handle that, Ube.” Mantra said darkly, “While I keep our guests comfortable... and out of trouble...” Meanwhile, somewhere deep within the mountains… In a small cavern (with a hole in the side showing the night outside), a scrawny Earth Pony, one of his legs chained to the wall sat on the cave floor, trying to sleep. His attempts to rest were interrupted when he heard the echo of hoofsteps. The prisoner wearily looked up to see the cloaked pony who had observed the arrival of Fletcher's group enter the cavern. “Up and at ‘em, sunshine.” The cloaked pony sneered, one of his hooves feeling the wall, and a lantern in his other front hoof. “Oh, Faust, what do you want?” The prisoner groaned. “It’s late.” “I know. But I require your charitable service once again.” The cloaked pony smarmed, approaching him. “Again? Dude, please, I’m still trying to get over that last letter you made me write.” The prisoner whimpered. “Screw you, that turkey line was a classic.” The cloaked pony shot back, “Unless you would have prefered the other idea regarding making holes in good ol’ Mantra for me to-” “Ugh, no, no! That one was unconscionable!” The prisoner panicked, “But why do you need me again?! The letter had only been sent nearly a week ago!” “Well, I got good news for you.” The cloaked pony smiled, “All those years of you writing letters for me have finally paid off.” “Wait, you mean somepony actually came?” The prisoner gasped. “Yup. Took a lot longer than it should have, but that flowerhead Mantra finally cracked.” The cloaked pony chuckled evilly, “With those new guys here, I will finally exact my vengeance on that asshole and his followers.” “So where does that leave me?” The prisoner challenged, “You finally got what you wanted, you don’t need me anymore!” “Oh-ho, but I do.” The cloaked pony set down the lantern, and then pulled out a parchment of paper, along with a quill and an inkwell, “I will need you to write out one last letter for me.” “But these new guys are here, aren’t they? What good would sending another letter do?” The prisoner challenged. “You’re not sending it to the monastery, dumbass.” The cloaked pony corrected, “You see, I’ve been listening in on your friends, and rumors have it, there’s a little hidey-hole for our neighborhood terrorist group, the Forefathers, not far from here.” “The Forefathers? What the hell you wanna be doing with them?” The prisoner gasped. “Well, you’re going to find out soon enough.” The cloaked pony set the parchment, quill, and inkwell down in front of him, “So best get your writing hoof ready.” “No way, pal!” The prisoner backed up against the wall he was chained to. “Excuse me?” The cloaked pony hissed, “I don’t recall giving you a choice on the matter.” “It’s one thing to kidnap me and make me send out death threats to the monastery for these past few years!” The prisoner protested, “But I’m not getting involved with those monsters! I heard they tried to bring back Nightmare Moon for Faust’s sake!” “Really? Well considering that the night isn’t lasting forever, I think that didn’t pan out well for them.” The cloaked pony rolled his eyes, “Besides, it’s not like I’m making you sign your name. It’ll be fine!” “Screw you!” The prisoner spat, “I’m done with this crap! I just wanna get off this stupid mountain and go home!” “What home? Last I checked, you were a junkie desperate for your next escape. Let’s be real, pal, me taking you prisoner was the closest thing you have to an actual normal life.” The cloaked pony said matter-of-factly. “These past few years have been nothing but hell!” The prisoner roared, “If I wasn’t chained to this wall, I’d kill you!” “Oh, really? After all the fun times we had together?” The cloaked pony pouted, “I honestly thought we were making a connection. You were the Ginger Roots to my Fred Asparagus.” “...What?!” The prisoner gaped. “Seriously? A historically great dancing pair?” The cloaked pony suggested, “What, have you been living under a-” He glanced around, “...Huh, right.” He shook his head, “Now, about that letter-” “If you want it written so badly, why don’t you do it?! You’re the one with the beef!” The prisoner snarled. “...Really?” The cloaked pony deadpanned, as he then pulled down his hood. The moment he did, the prisoner’s bravado faded. “Oh… right.” The prisoner murmured. “That’s right.” The now unhooded pony sneered, not the least bit happy, “Now, I know I can be an ass sometimes, but if you don’t start writing what I want written right now, I will show you how big of an ass I can truly be. And I promise you this, no one is gonna miss some poor deadbeat druggie who went missing in this mountain. Now, I’m not going to ask this again… Write.” The prisoner opened his mouth, set on replying, only for the response to sputter out. "...Okay..." He bowed his head in defeat. “That’s a good little prisoner.” The pony slipped on his hood, though he had a bit of difficulty. “Ugh, stupid ears.” He pulled on it more, “There we go.” He then turned to the prisoner. “Let’s begin… ‘Dear Borefathers...’”