The Kiss of Immortal Love

~ IV ~

False Harmony

The couple had walked into the brightness to discover the dim sunlight, the paths of rock paved, up and down, leading to the surface or down to the valley, water rushing in a river below, accompanied by lands of stone.

And on the platform waiting for them was the huddled body of a giant spider.

"Rarity!" Twilight beamed once feeling the breeze and broke into a dash toward her. "I was worried I was never going to see you!" She leapt into the cradled legs of black, falling into the hold of the monster. "But you're outside! Don't you hate sunlight?"

"Now now! Just a second! Did you really think I'd let you out of my life so easily? Nice try, missy—but a spider is harder to shake off than that!" The white pony leaned out from the massive body, coming to their cheeks together. "And sunlight is good for the skin and body! Its how you get the coat to glow, y' know."

Twilight reclined into the cradle of legs as her eyes lowered on the spider's body. "Your wound hasn't healed from helping us. You sure that doesn't need to be healed?"

"Over time, it will, my darling, though now is not the time for it." The bundle of legs pressed to the ground, allowing Twilight to step out and back from it. Spike approached beside her as they stared at Rarity. "For now it'll serve as a reminder of our memory together. It's quite a good pain—like a healthy burn—that needs to be trained deeply into my psyche."

Spike dropped out from the chatter of the mares, the world losing colour and sound, his heartbeat increasing to feelings of sickness. Glancing around with his eyes, the underside of a bridge loomed to ahead on the next mountain. Towering pillars of stone in a gate, one paved across the land far below.

And there was the sense of being watched.

"You feel it too, don't you, darling?"

Spike glanced over at Rarity. The head of the spider pressed against the ground as the white pony leaned over it, coming to point a forehoof across the bridge. "The Great Bridge Between Lands. It marks the ending of this mountain range and itself spans over a ravine worthy of many valleys. You can hear it if silent."

Rarity paused and held her forelegs up. Far beyond the range of the next mountain, it could be heard, the faint crashing of waves. Particles of water permeated the air.

At least it was a nice change of pace.

Dirty and dust and dark, their appeals lost, even to a dragon.

"On the other side is where the rest of my kind thrive—others like me—perhaps where the true mothers of the children here rest." Rarity waved her hoof on seeing Twilight's mouth open. "Yes yes. Afraid there hasn't been another I've craved to create a hive with." Rarity grinned. "And your dragon friend is already taken, yes?"

Twilight blushed profusely at the statement.

"But enough of that." Rarity gave a fine sway of her foreleg to the bridge. "This very bridge saw use spanning hundreds of years, ponies and griffons and zebras, a kind of harmony growing outward. Ponies never dared to venture out so far. In the sacred forest from whence I came, zebras came to make their peace. They'd exchange trinkets composed of nature for a share of our wood."

Rarity lowered her head and sighed. "It was because of them that the special ones dared to venture out so far. Horrid ponies and dragons came. Perhaps there was a plan set about, for the whole of communications was slaughtered within that period."

Twilight sauntered over to the curved edge of the platform, the wind blowing in her mane, exposing her wide eyes to the might of the bridge. Looming atop the pillars was a pony reared on its hind legs and, on the other, a griffon matching the form. On the middle between them, a zebra was sculpted, seated, mediating.

"T-That's... not right." Twilight said with a shake of her head. "I've seen countless photos and drawing of the Great Bridge! Harmony! Three different species, working together, for a mutual desire!" Her head dropped to her chest, viewing all the waste looming below. "No matter our differences, we all wanted to make the world better, the same desire."

Twilight squeezed her eyes. "Exploring new lands and opening paths of travel! Working together to deepen our connect and evoke trade between our kinds! This bridge was the starting of so much goodness and greatness! It was noble."

"And yet you ponies... no." Rarity shook her head and placed a forehoof on her chest. "Yet ponies enslaved the zebras, due to this passivity, to excavate the interior of these mountains to build the path. Countless died in horrid conditions. Not even the surprise assistance from the spiders within changed the strain of such an order."

The breeze blew.

"Who gave the order?"

The breeze whispered.

"The only pony who could. Princess Celestia. You should know that."

The breeze whimpered.