Ruining Harmony 2: Pillars of Harmony

Applejack stared out of the window as the train sped towards its destination, outside she could still see the other strongholds and the clouds at the top indicating that Ulysses hadn’t yet lost. But the lack of change to them gave her no clue how bad or good the situation was now.
And then there was the dream. Was it really her friends, calling out to her from where ever they were? And the three alicorns, just who was that third? Discord, Sunshine Blaze and Gilda had made no mention of Ulysses taking a third alicorn, and as far as she knew, the princess of love was still around somewhere.

She sighed, Discord being quiet hadn’t helped either. The draconequis had remained that way since they argued at the top of the stronghold of loyalty, and she was depending on him breaking first so she could get some answers. Looking ahead of the train, she saw another stronghold looming in the distance and getting closer. It would be another hour before it passed the train on the left side and disappear amongst the tall buildings she recalled Manehatten had. It was somewhat comforting to see the city had been unaffected, unlike the Ponyville she recalled when she had last seen it.
She shivered. Sixty years since she had last seen her home. How different was it now? It clearly hadn’t been important enough for a stronghold, otherwise Discord no doubt would have sent her there by now.

The train came to a stop and she trotted off, looking around. The station and streets of Manehatten looked the same, but there was something not quite right. Ponies, Griffons and other species all walked around, talking to each other, and other creatures. Some had birds, cats, dogs or even rabbits upon their backs. Applejack shook her head. The Manehatten she knew would have abhorred such things, the ponies preferring fashion above all else. But rather than ask anypony for answers, she headed to the information booth, and located, rather quickly, an information brochure on the stronghold itself. Sitting down, she turned the first page, and gasped. The sight before her was impossible, surely. But yet it still was. The face of Forest Breeze looked back up at her.

The walk to the stronghold itself wasn’t difficult, and the closer she got, the more she saw that the creatures with ponies changed to fairies and flutterponies. She recalled the last time she had seen Forest Breeze, he was under a curse by Discord, held at bay by a fairy that had stuck with him to keep said curse from killing him. But now he was helping Discord, was that still there? The stronghold itself, the Lighthouse of Kindness it was named, loomed overhead and the streets around it were full of activity and ponies heading away. Once or twice she was stopped by police, who took a few minutes to realize who she was, and simply let her continue in awe that she was even alive. There was an evacuation, she realized, as the stronghold was made safe.

“Okay, that’s everypony out of the lighthouse,” Forest Breeze muttered, “now, Vax, what are you seeing in there?” he asked.
There was silence as around him, guards waited for the fairy to reply. Vax soon flew toward Forest Breeze and made sounds that were alike to small bells as it spoke. Whatever Vax said, Forest Breeze looked concerned.
“Really? All the plants and trees are liquefying on the ground? How is that even possible? Just what is up there?” he cast his gaze to the cloud at the top of the stronghold.
“Sir, I still say we should call in an airstrike.” one guard stated.
“You forget Ulysses hates pegasi, whatever that thing is, I have no doubt it was created to cause as much harm to any that get close. Beside, an airstrike might damage the pillar and the element, we can’t afford to lose either. Just what to do.”
He hummed, barely registering the hoofsteps approaching on the empty street. By his command, a five block radius of the stronghold now stood empty, there remained just himself, Vax and six guards.
“Ma’am, you can’t be here, this is temporarily a restricted area!” another guard said, turning to the hoofsteps.
Curious, Forest Breeze turned to look at who had remained behind, and blinked. Vax fluttered over to the orange mare, as if examining, before fluttering back and speaking.
“Really now? Applejack? One of the heroes Ulysses defeated sixty years ago and was spared by Discord?”
“Yeah yeah, rub it in ya womanizer, just how the hay are ya still around?” Applejack grinned.
“You remember that huh? Come, I suspect we both have stuff to discuss.” Forest Breeze grinned back.

Applejack had spoken first, telling him of what had happened in Irvest and the two strongholds she had been to so far. Forest Breeze and the guards seemed to have their moods lifted by her tale that the Bloodpact Stronghold and Stronghold of Loyalty were safe.
“And I hope by your arrival, the Lighthouse of Kindness is the next to stand firm. But now, for your questions.” Forest Breeze smiled, awaiting the first.
“How are ya still paired to Vax? Didn’t Discord remove the curse?” Applejack asked.
“He tried. But I approached to aid him, even though we were enemies, far after he became Harmony aligned over Chaos. He can’t remove it, but he’s promise to try if the order of the world is returned to harmony, he had no more interest in causing harm to the world.” Forest Breeze answered.
Applejack didn’t believe that for a second.
“How are ya still so young? It's been sixty years!”
“A side effect of being partnered to Vax. Many ponies are taking up partnering with fairies now, it grants a small dose of immortality. Not true immortality, but well, I’m a hundred years old now, and have the body of a twenty year old. Who knows how long I’ll live, but Vax assures me even if Discord removes the curse, I’ll still have this crazy long life. And being near immortal has made me realize, trying to be, well, a sleeze to mares, isn’t something I want to be remembered by.”
“Ah see. So, tell me what made you put aside yer differences with Discord. And don’t say it's to stop Ulysses, Ah ain’t falling for it.”
Forest Breeze blinked, then sighed. He shook his head and looked around.
“I’m a hero from a time long forgotten, Applejack. So forgotten all anypony knows is Celestia and Luna stopped Discord long ago. But a hero always looks for the next wrong to right, the oppressed to free. I couldn’t give a rat’s flank about Discord and if he’s changed or not. Right now, he’s fighting the same evil I want to stop too. And that’s the truth, if Discord wasn’t trying to stop Ulysses for good, I would still be trying anyway.”
Applejack watched Forest Breeze for a moment, the fairy Vax circled around his head slowly. She nodded.
“What can ya tell me about the stronghold itself?”

She was shown a plan, much like how she had seen the others so far. Unlike the Stronghold of Loyalty, the Lighthouse of Kindness was more of an exhibit to celebrate Manehatten’s most recent unity to the nature that the city had long ago pushed out in favor of concrete and fashion. It also only had one way to ascend the stronghold, a single set of stairs from the bottom to the top, where the pillar was protected, in lighthouse style, from the nearby coast and the all too common storms that rolled in from the sea. What Applejack realized, this would put her in close confines to the beast placed there.
“Vax went in, as you probably saw. This beast, whatever it is, has decayed and destroyed everything inside. At the twentieth floor, Vax had to abandon the observation as the decay became too strong even for him. We have no idea how to get up there or what form this beast takes.” Forest Breeze sighed.
“Ah’d put all my bits on it being a twisted parody of Fluttershy, it is the element of Kindness up there right?” Applejack asked.
“Indeed. So what are you planning to do?”
“Ah need some way ta get through all that and face the beast of the stronghold.”
“You’ll never make it alive.” Forest Breeze quickly retorted.
“Vax,” Applejack glanced at the fairy, still idly floating around Forest Breeze, “is there anything you or the fairies can do to help?”
Vax fell still, Applejack wasn’t sure if the fairy was looking at her or not. There was the sound of a bell and Vax flew off, returning with two others and speaking in a near jingling chime.
“Vax says these two are twins, unbound to any pony. One fairy isn’t enough to combat the effects of the decay, but there may be a chance if you bind yourself with them.” Forest Breeze translated.
“So Ah’d be like you?” Applejack asked.
“It’s be like me, or let this stronghold fall.”
She thought.
“And they’d have ta be with me forever?”
“They have some freedom, but yes, once bound, your lives are connect, they’ll live only as long as you do, and die with the same final breath as you. Its sad, but hey, your crazy idea may see all three of you live to be three hundred years old or more. It's a risk worth taking all things considered.”

Applejack had agreed. She had expected the binding process to take ages. Instead, both twin fairies flew through her. It felt hot and her barrel still felt as if it burned slightly. But the twin fairies now flew around her, slightly orange in colour. She had then learnt they would only state their names to her when they felt she had really earned the right to hear them. Forest Breeze had only learnt Vax’s name, he said, so early because he had faced Discord and lost, making him worthy to know it right from bonding, but there were many fairy-bound ponies who still didn’t know their fairy’s names.
With tentative steps, Applejack and her fairies entered the lower floor of the stronghold, into the least worst zone of decay. She breathed the rotting smell of plants and gagged, but found nothing else happened.
“Alright, seems we’re good to go,” she glanced at the stairs, “lead the way.” she grinned.