Ruining Harmony 2: Pillars of Harmony

by Artaelian

Chapter Fourteen: A Time to Relax

Applejack and Gilda were still atop the stronghold of loyalty. Whatever the green flame was, it had done something besides be there. The other strongholds noticeably lightened up, not enough to match the one they were on or the Bloodpact, but enough to know something had changed. They looked at each other.
“I wish I had answers, but I’m just as much in the dark as you are.” Gilda shrugged, turning to lead Applejack back down.
“Only Discord could know then,” Applejack responded, “Ah need to talk to him.”
“Follow me then, we all had rooms for direct conversation.”

The room wasn’t large, and barely fit both Applejack and Gilda inside. On one wall, facing a chair, was a picture of Discord, but what surprised Applejack was the fact it was simple. He wasn’t dressed like a king or emperor, it was just him, as he was. And the frame was just a brown wood, there didn’t even appear to be nails, and certainly there was no decorations. It just felt wrong that Discord, who could do what he wished, had opted for something so simple. She raised an eyebrow at this, but Gilda didn’t notice. Instead she sat on the chair.
“Stronghold of Loyalty to Discord, are you there?” Gilda asked.
There was a moment of silence, as if he wouldn’t answer, or couldn’t.
“I’m here, well done on recovering the Element, to both of you,” Discord’s picture began to move and blink within the frame, making Applejack gasp, “and whatever happened at the base of the seal has bought us a lot of time to sort this mess out.”
“Don’t play dumb, Discord, Ah know yer not saying what you know.” Applejack replied.
The picture Discord looked hurt, then sighed.
“Oh of course I do, I know a lot, but like Celestia, I have to choose what you all know as well, because sometimes, ignorance is bliss, but what I can hide from Ulysses is a tool to strike him and the time corruption down.”
“Start explaining.” Applejack narrowed her eyes.
“I can’t. Because it’s going to save a life if you remain ignorant of what it was you saw or why we have seven days to stop Ulysses.”

Applejack lay on a bed. It had been too long it felt since she had just relaxed, and not ran about, watching waking memories of her friends or fighting whatever tricks Ulysses conjured to bring down the strongholds she had helped save. And it had been hours since she yelled at Discord, stating he hadn’t changed, he was just the same evil working to be the only one in town.
A part of her felt bad. Discord hadn’t risen to her or shouted back, instead he had looked hurt and remained silent, even letting her storm out in her anger. In the hours, she had thought over his last words careful. It would save a life to remain ignorant of what she had seen. And what if he was right? Whoever he had at the very front of the seal had bought her the time to relax like she was, so maybe it was best she didn’t know yet.
And yet, there was something she couldn’t shake.
“Ah need to know.” she stated.
But do you? She thought. What if by going and finding out, it causes Ulysses to bring down the strongholds? You know he will stop at nothing to see it happen.
She hated how honest her thoughts could get sometimes, but she yawned and rolled to her side. Before she knew it, she was asleep.

“Other strongholds, report in.” Gilda spoke, still in the room. She had been trying for hours now to get through to the other strongholds that hadn’t been freed by Applejack, with no success. Only stubborn pride kept her trying.
She was again met by silence. And then a chuckle. She froze as she recognised it.
“Ulysses!”
“Hello griffon. Don’t worry, that trick with the green fire Discord pulled off had kept me trapped, I can’t sadly kill you where you are.” Ulysses hissed in a mocking chuckle.
“What do you want?” she asked.
“Simple, I’m offering a trade. Bring down that stronghold yourself, I’ll give all Griffons and Rainbow Dash immunity. Not a single worthless feather will be harmed on any of you as the rest of this world burns.”
Gilda shivered. She had learnt from Discord that Ulysses had many tricks, like striking deals, or offering not to cause harm to those who would help him. She shook her head.
“Really? Genius, if the world is burning, we’ll burn even if you give us immunity from the destruction you want.”
Ulysses sighed.
“Your mother was a proud griffon, wasn’t she? How did she die now? Oh that’s right, she wanted you to live in a world where the sun and moon were back on their normal path, like the old days, so she came to fight and kill me.”
“I’m not listening.”
“Don’t kid yourself, you have ears you can’t plug up featherbrain. And she died, I tore every bone out of her wings, strung her up on the walls of my castle, and left her. You would see all griffons suffer that fate?” Ulysses hissed.
“If I side with you, we would burn as this world burned regardless. You offer me a slow death or a slow death as I feel every feather and tuft of fur melt and my skin boil. Go crawl back into the abyss you monster.” Gilda spat.
Ulysses continued to hiss as his influence left the room. Gilda gasped for breath for a few moments as the dark pressure he exerted left.
“Discord, come in.” she muttered.

She saw a swirling mess of obsidian stone, torn banners, ripped carpet, smashed statues and full body armor, all floating around a blackness. It wasn’t clear what it was she was seeing.

Applejack!
The voice was lost among the malstrom of raw time energy. Was she dreaming? Or was this real? She hit herself in the leg, and felt nothing. A dream then.

Applejack!
It was a familiar voice, and she could picture the prismatic blur, but it was different to the one that first called her. Looking around, she felt as if multiple sets of eyes stared at her.

APPLEJACK!
They cried as one, and she knew them. Twilight, Dash, Pinkie, Fluttershy and Rarity. Where were they? She looked around ever more frantic.

Look ahead, Applejack, please, Twilight Sparkle stated, look at the vortex, can you see what we’re seeing?
She narrowed her eyes, and in the very center of the dark energy, she saw three points of light, each an alicorn. Two were familiar.
“Ah see Celestia and Luna, but Ah don’t know who the third is.”

Applejack jolted awake, as the door to the room she was sleeping in was opened. Gilda stood there, looking weary, as if she hadn’t rested for many hours.
“Lansakes! Ya look like death!” Applejack hopped off the bed.
“You need to go to Manehatten, we may have gained seven days, but that doesn’t mean Ulysses is resting. There’s a train leaving in the hour, you’ll be on it, in a sleeper car. Rest while you head there, but you need to be in Manehatten by sunrise tomorrow.”
Applejack wanted to question why there, and ask so many more questions, but Gilda looked in no state to answer or entertain having the plans she had set delayed. Applejack nodded slowly.
“Just show me where the station is.”

The station was on the outskirts of the ground level of Cloudsdale, and unlike the train station of Ponyville she remembered, this one had multiple lines, each heading a different way. One, to the Crystal Empire, was listed as out of service. She didn’t know why this was, but the question she wanted to ask, if Ponyville still existed, was answered by the time table board. It was listed on the route to Canterlot. She trotted with her ticket to the platform that would take her to Manehatten, where in silence, the staff got her on board and directed to a sleeper car.
“Wish Ah could see Ponyville. Wonder how Mac and Bloom are doing.” she smiled, this quickly turned into a sniff as she fought back sudden tears.
“Ah wish Ah could’ve seen Granny Smith one more time too.”