Tales of the Falls

I OWN AND REGRET NOTHING!

...

ANNOUNCEMENT!

I'M GETTING A BOOK PUBLISHED!

SUMMARY:
On the 13th day of the 13th month of the 13th year...magic will return to the world...and the streets will run red with the blood of the (semi)innocent...unless the world is saved by the most unlikely of hero's...baking cupcakes?!

The title is '13/13/13' and it'll be coming to a bookstore or E-Book site near you! Xilbris is the publisher, also available at Amazon, Inkitt and BarnesandNoble.

...responses...

...

This response naturally stunned everyone. "Wha- Discord, why would you want to- Began Fluttershy before Discord interrupted, "Or send me to Tarturus...or the moon! I don't care where you send or imprison me JUST GET ME OFF THIS DOOMED, FORSAKEN ROCK!"

"Discord! Please! Calm yourself! Why has this Slenderman got you so frightened?" Asked Celestia concerned.

Discord sighed, "Look we creatures of chaos...were not really into the whole 'organization', 'ranks', or 'hierarchy' thing. Sorta counterproductive to what we do really...but IF we were to have a position for 'god'-

"He's the god of chaos?!" Interrupted Twilight horrified.

"No, he'd be the guy who'd KILL the god of chaos! That's how dangerous he is! And don't even think of using the elements of harmony on him, you'd be better off just throwing a bucket of water on him, at least he'd get pruney then. Which is more damage then your trinkets would cause!"

Suddenly he got thoughtful, "In fact..." He takes some spectacles and puts them on to better examine everything. "Looks like he's gone and put a new coat of retcon all over reality...makes me wonder if this 'Horizon Zero Dawn' even existed a couple hours ago or he just rewrote the past with a snap of his finger...wouldn't be the first time."

"I'm sorry, what was that lat part!?" Demanded Celestia.

Before Discord could respond-

"Discord! Stop breaking the fourth wall! On top of everything we don't need ponies going emo from an existential crisis!" Shouted Pinkie to everyone's confusion.

Discord shuddered, "Quite right Pinkie, priorities!...petrify me immediately!"

Before anyone could say anything-

CRASH!

Everyone saw a THING crash on to the floor...it looked like someone had torn a pony inside-out, twisted them until they burst, then used a blow torch to weld the pieces back together...it gurgled out blood and flapped it's arms around for a bit as it struggled to breathe...then it just laid down and died...

All the ponies looked on in horror...

"We'll that's a relief," Said Discord happily.

Everypony looked at him like he was insane...well, more insane then usual. "EXCUSE, me!?" Barked Rarity aghast.

Discord shrugged as he pointed to the corpse-like thing, "Roughly translated in chaos 'speak' that means: 'Chill Discord. I've already set things in motion, and I'm sitting things out for the rest of the adventure to watch the 'fireworks'.'"

"Wait, so every time a 'thing' like that hits the floor-

"Of course not EVERY time, it only means that when the orange becomes Tuesday, but not before the apricot turns the Orion, but also only AFTER the elephant becomes to spaghetti what cars are to dollies! DUH!" Shouts Discord with his eye's rolling.

"Makes sense to me!" Shouts Pinkie Pie before her baffled friends could say anything.

Celestia coughed nervously, "Right, for the sake of everyone's sanity...let's just move on."

She then explains how Jack Harper told them that many years after Cerberus had 'taken over' the project from the alpha's Slenderman had attacked the bunker and overpowered them...the next thing Harper knew...it was millennia later and he was in the Astral realm with Celestia with nothing but the clothes on his back, a laptop, and a challenge from Slenderman.

"Apparently, Slenderman speed up the process of propagating the world with life, magic and ponies...then erased all memory of the facilities- Including APOLLO - from our ancestors minds and culture. He then shut them down...until now."

She shows them the message:

Greetings hero's!

Terribly sorry about not being their to celebrate your ascension.

So instead I give you the greatest gift a band of hero's can get...an epic quest that decides the fate of their world!

"How is that a gift?" Demanded Rainbow Dash.

"Come now Rainbow, was it not an 'epic quest' that ensured your friendship? How is that not a gift?" Asked Discord slyly.

There was a long pause... "Yeeeaaahhhh, that ain't gonna fly." Said Applejack as they went back to reading the message-

Okay, fair enough Applejack-

"What!?" Shouted the fairly creeped out girls, "Yeah, he dose that a lot." Explained Discord with a sigh as they continued to read...

Indeed I do Discord.

In any case, how about a REAL gift then? Attached to this message are all the locations of the Horizon Zero Dawn facilities; each one filled with enough knowledge, technology and industrial resources to send Equestria several hundred years forward tech-wise-

Twilight squealed in delight...the promptly flustered in embarrassment as everyone stared at her...she coughed awkwardly and continued to read...

Yes, squeal away Twilight.

"Huh, this message makes a lot more sense when read the second time." Admits Luna just as creeped out as everypony else...

And all you have to do to get them is:

1: use two alicorns to unlock my seal on each facility

2: defeat each facility guardian, their minions, and traps.

3: Purge the facility A.I. of corruption(for the sake of sportsmanship I've allowed your Elements to work on them)

4: do all this before the activated and now rouge facilities destroy Equestria.

"WHAT!?" Screams everypony.

The message then goes on to explain how slenderman had corrupted each facility and reprogramed them to destroy the planet in their own way. The first one would activate at the time of their ascension and as time went in not only would more activate, but their power would increase.

Also there were rules:

1: it will take no less then TWO alicorns to unlock each seal

2: only one Mane Six Alicorn per facility is allowed to unlock the seal

3. Once an alicorn is used to unlock a seal, that same alicorn is barred from unlocking any other seals

4. Celestia and Luna are barred from this.

5. only the alicorn's that unlock the seal are allowed to enter the facility to fight the guardian, everyone else is barred until it's defeated.

Twilight frowned, she ran the numbers in her head... "Wait, their are 10 facilities in all! With these rules, their's no way we can possibly do this! there's too few of us!"

Celestia coughed, "Uh...that's not quite true."

...several hours ago...

Outside the Illusive man's cell the sisters were beginning to panic having just read the message and the data on the laptop. "How can we protect our people under these conditions!? Even with our newest additions we do not have enough!" Exclaimed Luna.

Celestia nodded, "Indeed, Alicorns don't grow on trees!"

"Uh, excuse me?" Asked the human from inside the cell.

The sisters glared at him, "What do you want?" Asked Celestia sourly.

"If I might inquire...why not just use this 'Starswirl's spell' again? To make more alicorns I mean?"

Both Celestia and Luna just looked at him dumbstruck...then face-hoofed themselves for their obliviousness...

...

"Huh, wow...that actually is kinda obvious." Admitted Twilight awkwardly.

"Oh, don't beat yourself over it. If not for that, that spell would've been completely forgotten about and never mentioned again by ANYpony." Said Discord dismissively.

Pinkie nodded sadly, "Yeah I can see that happening...what a waste of a perfectly good plot point!"

Again, they all looked at the two confused...Celestia coughs again, "Riiiiight...moving on. It is imperative we find more alicorns. Me and Luna did some quick research and although the spell CAN make more alicorns...but it can't be any pony...it has to be SPECIAL ponies, ponies who have proven themselves through trial and tribulation like you six have..."

"Well, how in tarnation are we supposed to find them? Especially when clearly were on deadline!" Asked Applejack concerned.

Celestia and luna used their magic to levitate some maps, charts and other documents forward. "First, things first...were going to send a contingent of guards to every marked location on this map to test to see if there is another way to get in beside the one indicated by Slenderman-

"Stop saying his name! It gives him power!" Shouts Discord.

Everyone looked at him in horror...until he get's a thoughtful look on his face, "At least...that's what he says...he could be just messing with everypony though...he dose that a LOT...but better safe then sorry with that guy." He admitted fearfully.

Celestia gave him a weird look...but continues on. "Anyway, if...You-Know-Who -Discord mouths 'thank you' in her direction -is being honest, we'll keep the contingent there on standby in case anything happens at the site."

Luna continues, "As for finding other alicorns, me and Celestia are going to bring the best and brightest to canterlot under the guise of a 'meeting of the minds' so that they can secretly partake the ritual to see if there WORTHY. I trust that we don't need to explain how imperative it is that we keep this quiet to avoid a panic?"

The Mane Six nods, "However, since simply the 'official' best and brightest might not be enough...we'll have to send you to search Equestria for the 'unofficial' best that Equestria can offer."

Twilight frowned at this, "But how do we- "Slender- You-Know-Who." corrects Luna quickly. -Has already pointed out potential spots to find them...along with this note:

Now I know what your thinking...this must be a trap...

Well of course it is! No, DUH!

Is it my fault that all the places for potential Alicorn will soon be rife with carnage and intrigue?

...oh, wait it totally is.

Well, too bad for you!

Try not to die too quickly, I want to squeeze a few more story arcs out of this crazy ride! (insert maniacal laughter)

The assembled ponies just groaned at this. "The sad thing is...we don't have a choice. We have no other leads, and we don't really have the luxury of time to look for others." Admitted Celestia.

"And even if it is a goose chase...most of these areas are greatly populated, we can't afford to turn a blind eye to a potential threat that this mad man might have caused!" Pointed out Luna.

It's a reluctant Mane 6 that view their options...although many, 6 locations in particular catch their eyes:

Canterlot Museum of natural history

Cloudsdale

Prance

Eden's gate

Oddtown

The Rotten Apple

"I CALL PRANCE, NO TAKE BACKS!" Screams Rarity, Twilight rolls her eyes. "Rarity, remember that you'd be there on BUSINESS." "But of course darling! I'll search the whole city for potential alicorns, I'll leave no shop unturned!"

Before Twilight can say anything-

"I'm calling Cloudsdale of course! It's my hometown, I know the lay of the land!" Twilight gives her a skeptical look, "And the fact that the next Wonderbolt airshow just happens to be shown there?"

Rainbow jack chuckled nervously, "Oh...is it? Completely slipped my mind", she lied lamely.

"Um, could I go to Eden's gate? It's famous for it's nature preserves." Asked Fluttershy nervously.

"And The Rotten Apple is one of the greatest, wildest party destinations in Equestria! CAN I GO!? CAN I!?" Pleads Pinkie Pie.

"Uh...while were at it...Oddtown is famous for it's top of the line agricultural equipment and products...I've been wanting to see it for awhile now." Admits Applejack awkwardly.

Twilight throws up her hooves in resignation, "And OF COURSE the Canterlot Museum is chosen as a destination right before the opening of it's 'Pre-three tribes Exhibit' that I've been looking forward to for months! Surprise! Surprise!" She snarks sarcastically.

"Indeed, all those locations being dream destinations for you lot CAN'T be a coincidence."

Twilight sighs, "Oh, what the hay? If were going to spring a trap we might as well do it doing what we love!" She said in a 'mock-cheer/resignation/reluctant excitement' attitude.

"That's the spirit!" Shouts Rainbow Dash.

Celestia nods and is about to go make preparations when she remembers something, "Oh, before I forget. It's imperative you keep your elements with you at all times, their a needed component in Starswirls spell(Both for the amount of power it has to fuel it and it's connection to the harmony magic of Equestria to help sync an ascending alicorn to said magic). I believe that as alicorns you'll eventually embody those elements where you won't need them anymore...but until then we'll need the actual elements."

Twilight frowns, "Wait, But we'll be scattered across Equestria- "I'm making a spell that should allow you to unite the elements magic even at great distances." Explained Luna. "I'm confident I'll have it finished before you depart, never mind that now. Just focus on your mission and keeping the elements safe, and no matter WHAT happens or disaster comes our way do NOT in ANY circumstances relinquish the elements! Or Equestria is doomed!"

...

Meanwhile...deep beneath the Everfree forest...ancient seedlings...filled with malevolence and dark magic...begin to GROW...and fulfill their thousand year purpose...

...…...

TO BE CONTINUED?

AN: Want me to continue this? I'm willing to take Bribes! Publish a chapter of my 'Shake up the Falls' Challenge before anyone else and I'll update the next chapter this plus two other stories!

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