A tour guide led a group of ponies through a forest.
“Stay close everypony, there are dangerous things ahoof here,” The tour guide said as the thirteen ponies followed behind him.
“When do we get there?” A filly whined.
“Don’t worry, the temple is over there,” The tour guide pointed his hoof at the large temple, it was big and like a pyramid but it had some old decor.
“What is it?” A stallion asked.
“The temple of the three monkeys said to be cursed by the souls of three monkey spirits, BOO!” The stallion leered at the tour group scaring all but one of them, a red and yellow mare who simply glowered.
“Why are we heading into a cursed temple?!” A colt cried.
“Easy now, the curse is mainly just a superstition, but we can still make our way through and admire the scenery, we’ve done this many times and no curse has descended on us,” The unicorn stallion tour guide said before resuming his trot towards the temple.
As they entered and looked around they saw the multiple statues and wall hangings of three monkeys.
“Wow,” The ponies said as they trotted around and looked at the museum-like area.
“Here there were many a ceremony held, including sacrificial, but since there are children here I’ll avoid that topic for now,” The tour guide said.
“Is it true that they were worshipped in ancient times?” The red and yellow mare asked casually approaching him.
“Ah, somepony who knows their stuff, yes as a matter of fact they were, they were known as Ek, Ak and Uk, and the ponies of old thought they brought good harvest and-”
"Thanks,” The mare trotted away.
“...Ooook,” The tour guide said as he saw her approach three big statues, even going past the barricades.
“Um, mam, we’re not allowed to go over there!” The tour guide said trotting after her but she ignored him and trotted up to the statues and reached into her saddlebag.
“Mam, there’s a barricade for a reason, please come back over here!” The tour guide went over to her.
“I’ve searched long and hard for them, now my revenge can begin…” The mare cackled.
“Um… mam?” The tour guide asked nervously before she spun and blasted him away, startling the other ponies in the area.
“I will not be interfered with!” The mare said before she was consumed in green flames and she emerged as Chrysalis.
“Changeling!” The other ponies panicked as she turned and chanted “Ek, Ak, Uk, answer this call, I've come to speak with you!” Chrysalis held up a stone that had pictures of three monkeys and it glowed and so did the eyes of the three statues and a purple beam shot from their eyes into the stone and Chrysalis gasped as she felt the power surround her. And then… everything froze.
“Hmm?” Chrysalis looked around and saw the other ponies frozen mid-panic.
“Ah ah ah! Finally, after so many years, somepony… or I suppose some ling, finally came to talk with us,” A deep voice chittered and Chrysalis turned and was face to face with a purple glowing astral monkey covering his ears.
“Tch,” Chrysalis hissed as she stepped back a little.
“Jumpy aren’t you? Hello, my name is Ek,” The monkey covering his ears introduced himself as two more joined him.
“I’m Ak,” The second said, this one covering his eyes.
“And I’m Uk, and who are you pretty?” The monkey covering his mouth said before hooting loudly with laughter.
“My name is-”
‘Chrysalis, yeah I knew, just thought I’d be polite, ah ah ah!” The monkey chittered mockingly and Chrysalis sighed.
“Forgive my annoying brother, he hasn’t had anypony to tease for centuries besides us,” The monkey covering his eyes said.
“Ironic that he’s supposed to represent lack of voice, and he talks non-stop, am I right?” Ak said.
“ENOUGH!” Chrysalis said catching their attention “I have come to make an offer,” Chrysalis said.
‘Such disrespect, we were gods back in the day to the ponies…” Ak said.
“What is your offer?” Ek asked.
“I stole this stone from a museum and trekked all the way over here so that I may have aid in my revenge, I wish to have your powers and in return, I will help you escape this place,” Chrysalis said.
“Ok,” The three said.
“...That easily?... No, consequences to talk of?” Chrysalis asked.
“Oh there are consequences, but we’d hate to dissuade you, let’s just say our help comes at a price, are you willing to-” Ek said before Chrysalis interrupted.
“To see Equestria burn, yes,” Chrysalis said.
“You didn’t even hear the-”
“Let us get on with it,” Uk said with a nudge.
“...Very well, your funeral, this pact is set, our power is yours, feel free to test it on the ponies in here,” Ak, said.
“Yeah, I’m sure it’ll, BUG them, ahahahahahahaha!” Uk chittered.
“I’m not going to like him…” Chrysalis said.
“We don’t either…” Ek said.
“Oh deep down you all love me,” Uk mocked before the three vanished into the stone and Chrysalis felt herself being filled with their power.
With a shout of triumph time resumed and she turned now glowing purple.
“Let’s get out of-’ A pony cried before Chrysalis pointed at him.
“Silence!” Chrysalis ordered.
“Ack!....” The pony tried to continue shouting but it was as though his voice disappeared.
“Heheheh… I cannot hear you,” Chrysalis said and several ponies suddenly paused.
“Huh? What did you say?.... I can’t hear anything?!” The pony panicked.
“See what I mean?” Chrysalis said and the tour guide who tried to crawl away suddenly was struck with an invisible magic and his eyes lost color.
“Huh?! What the?! I-I can’t see! Where did everypony go?!” The tour guide shouted.
“Ah yes… the power to rob ponies of their senses, now… I have what I need… I’m coming for you Starlight! You and all your friends too! AHAHAHAHA!” Chrysalis laughed as she left the disoriented ponies behind.
“Ninety-eight, ninety-nine, one hundred!” RD said as she was playing with a paddle ball.
“Rainbow! Focus!” Starlight called as she trotted past Rainbow who was distracted.
“On what? What does magic theory have to do with me, I’m a pegasus,” Rainbow said casually.
“Ah don’t see why ah’m here either, ah don’t exactly have a horn,” AJ said, and the other girls were present as well, minus Twilight.
“Because all kinds of ponies have magic, not just unicorns, and I feel you could benefit from a little education on pegasus and earth pony magic,” Starlight said.
“Why isn’t egghead here then?” Rainbow asked.
“She’s gone over this multiple times, she’s done her work,” Starlight said.
“Yeah right, I’ll be she had a hall pass to this,” Rainbow sighed.
“Now now Rainbow, we should listen to Starlight,” Fluttershy said.
“Fine,” Rainbow sighed.
“Pegasi can sense weather magic and attune it to their senses, so say your vision is impaired or something, you can use the wind to track your position,” Starlight said.
“Oh yeah, like that’ll happen,” Rainbow said.
“And Earth Ponies can sense things through the earth, that’s what sets them apart from unicorns who rely on their magical connection,” Starlight said.
“Neato!” Pinkie said writing this down.
“Glad somepony here is enthusiastic about studying,” Starlight said as she trotted over… and saw Pinkie was drawing a bunny… “Never mind…” Starlight said trotting back over to the board.
“Ok, can anypony tell me what the third law of magic is?” Starlight asked.
“....” Everypony looked confused.
“Ugh, it’s about staying attuned to your magic to increase efficiency,” Starlight said getting tired of this, before she could voice it however Twilight came downstairs with Spike on her back.
“Girls drop everything, we have a mission,” Twilight said.
“Thank Celestia!” Rainbow cheered and she flew over to Twilight.
“What’s wrong?” Fluttershy asked as she approached as well.
“The Cutie Map is broadcasting something, we need to investigate,” Twilight said leading them upstairs to the Cutie Map.
“This is a little sudden right? Ah have work to do after this,” Applejack said.
“And I have dresses to make, can we do this another day?” Rarity asked.
“No girls, we have a problem we fix it,” Twilight said as they entered the map room and Twilight activated it and it showed the map of Equestria, and the map suddenly shifted to the outside of Canterlot bounds, in a place called Equidor.
“Hey, I was planning on visiting Equidor this year! Yay!” Pinkie cheered, now wearing camping gear.
“We’re not going for a vacation Pinkie, we need to find out the problem,” Starlight said.
“Aww,” Pinkie said.
“Now let’s get moving, Celestia already suggested a helper, and I think she’ll be perfect for the job,” Twilight said.
The door opened after the fifth knock and Zecora walked out.
“Ah. hello my friends, what brings you around these ends?” Zecora asked.
“Hello Zecora, I’m certain you got the note Spike sent to you?” Twilight asked.
“Ah yes, your message was received, this adventure to Equidor will be more fun than I first perceived,”
“Indeed, let us hurry, and just to be on the safe side I brought bug repellent, and sunhats,” Rarity said showing off her sunhats.
“And I brought picnic supplies!” Pinkie said.
“Again not a vacation Pinkie,” Twilight said.
“I know, but maybe we can still do some river rafting afterward!” Pinkie said.
“We’ll see,” Starlight said
“Let’s get moving,” Twilight said.
“Very well my friends, follow me, it begins!” Zecora cheered and she trotted away with Twi and the gang in tow.
“I better not have to fight giant mosquitos like in Daring Do edition eighty nine, or I’m done,” Rainbow said.
“I’m fairly certain mosquitos don’t get that big,” Twilight said.
“You never know,” Rainbow said.
As the girls were on the train heading to Equidor, Twilight scooted closer to Zecora.
“Pardon me Zecora?” Twilight asked.
“Yes?” Zecora said.
“Is it true you lived in Equidor for a little bit before coming here?” Twilight asked.
“Yes indeed, the ponies there housed me when I was in need,” Zecora said.
“Then you’ll know the lay of the land,” Twilight nodded.
“Indeed,” Zecora said.
Are there any pools there? Or bakeries? Or bakeries stationed at a pool?!” Pinkie chirped.
“She perpetually thinks this is a vacation,” Twilight sighed.
“Nono pink one, but I assure you there are other ways to have fun,” Zecora said.
“Yay!” Pinkie said looking forward to this.
The train stopped at the station and the group got off and headed into town.
“Ok, we need to locate a local so we can find out if anything-” Twilight suddenly bumped into somepony and she glanced forward to see it was pegasus who turned towards her.
“Um, sorry, I didn’t see you-” Twilight began to say but the local cut her off.
“What?!” The local said.
“I said sorry, I didn’t-”
“What did you say?!” The local said rather loudly.
“I said-”
“I seriously can’t hear you, in fact I can’t hear at all lately,” The pegasus said still loudly.
“For pete’s sake, SHE SAID SHE-” Rainbow was about to snap at the pony but Rarity held a hoof in front of her.
“I do believe he is deaf,” Rarity said curtly.
“What? How can ya tell?” AJ asked.
Suddenly Rarity clapped loudly next to him and he didn’t respond.
“That’s how,” Rarity said.
“Oook, let’s find somepony else then,” Rainbow turned and trotted over to a mare who was setting up a basket of fruit.
“Excuse me!” Rainbow called.
“?” The mare turned and looked at her.
“We need you to tell us if anything happened here lately,” Rainbow said.
The mare shook her head.
“Why not?” Rainbow asked.
She pointed at her mouth and then shook her hoof.
“Oh… Oooooh, sorry, I didn’t know,” Rainbow said before trotting over to a stallion sitting on a bench.
“Excuse me-” Rainbow poked his shoulder and he jumped.
“AH! Who’s there!?” The stallion turned and looked around, his eyes were pale in color.
“Uhm, sorry?” Rainbow backed up to the group “A deaf guy a mute mare and a blind dude, What are the odds?” Rainbow said.
“Actually… it seems the odds are pretty good…” Twilight pointed further in town and saw multiple ponies stumbling around and making hoof gestures without speaking and even ignoring others.
“What the?” Starlight said as she saw a couple of blind ponies run into eachother and fall down.
“Either Discord is doing this or something else weird happened here,” Rainbow said.
“Everypony is missing their sight, hearing, or voice… what happened I am sure it wasn’t their choice,” Zecora said with determination before heading off.
The rest of the group followed her.