The Kiss of Immortal Love

~ V ~

Saved or Spared

All he had to do was see Twilight Sparkle screaming as she was lifted into the air to push himself into danger. In a world slowing to the erratic beating of his heat, the dragon watched her body twirled, mane scattered in great volume in a giant spread through the air.

Her hoof reached toward him, and his phantom claw to her, the two touching and connecting. Nothing came from it in the millisecond after. Twilight's body slammed into the rope holding the bridge, its fatal snap echoing into everything.

Spike leapt into the air as his tail, undone from her dash forward, shooting its spade toward her. Her hooves barely hugged around it as she clung to the mass of his tail, fighting to climb over it. Winds held them vertical and pushed them sideways as his claw fetched the whipping remains of the rope. His chest and abdomen clenched upon the pleasure currently tearing into their middles.

For a brief passage, they held on, the mare rocked vertically while hugging further across his tail. Spike clenched his body while holding to the rope, grinding his fangs upon attempting to pull himself up to it—to zero chance and inevitable pain.

"S-Spike! Please! Don't let go!"

He glanced over his body to see her frame clung around his tail like a body pillow. All four limbs locked around it, entire body pressed into it, not caring for the spines that jutted across it. Looking at her mortified expression didn't help. It only killed him more on the inside.

But his eyes narrowed on something behind her. Rectangle carved into the spreading wall of the cliff. Countless were littered on both sides, and in the valley below... there must have been innumerable collections of fallen bridges.

Spike shook his head.

"W-What! You're going to let go! D-Don't do that!"

He shook his head.

"But we'll die!"

He shook his head.

"M-My gift doesn't work if we're both dead!"

He shook his head.

"We... w-we won't die?"

He nodded his head.

She gulped as tears streaked from the corners of her eyes. "Y-You promise?"

Her lips turned up into a pout that formed into an expression that broke his heart. But in choosing to nod again, the mare swallowed her sobs and coughed away her tears, shaking her head, but in a way that meant yes.

And then Spike let go of the rope.

The winds failed to carry their weighs as they fell through the air, slowed from the force of the currents—enough for their bodies to glide across the open slot. Spike's claws lengthen and sharped as they imaged into the rock, the bones within cracking to horrible pops, a travelling of fissures spouting from the spot to across the wall.

Spike groaned as his chest tensed to pull them in, the tension lighter but still significant, evoking a screaming cry from the husk of his form. Behind him, however, hooves searched across his body as pure fluff crawled vertically across it.

"J-Just hold on! The winds will keep for a few seconds longer!" Twilight screamed over the cuts of howling winds. She passed over his front, reaching a hoof to wall they hung outside from. After a few swats, her hoof brushed across it. Pulling herself close, the other hoof met it and, with a push—she threw herself into the frame. "Ah... ah! O-Okay! All is okay."

Spike gave another cry as the tearing of muscle warmed across his arm, compounding in his shoulder.

“All is n-not okay! That's what I meant to say!"

Twilight poked her head out from the black veil of the cavity, mane blown forward and whipping with the winds. Securing barrel against the wall, she pulled on his arm, with all her might as he did the same.

Harsh slices of dusty thunder quaked the air.

"There's no time! The storm will rip you off!" Twilight threw her head back and grit her teeth as she pulled and pulled with every fibre of her muscles. The harsh slap of the developing tornado surged toward him and, knowing the cost, the dragon gave his greatest pull most horrible popping sound. "Y-You're there! C'mon!"

Spike threw himself into the frame and entered a roll, his body crashing into hers as the two spun across the grounding while, behind them, the frame displayed the blowing steam of brown. It became nearly impossible to see outside as suction still pulled on them.

"D-Don't worry! I-I'm... not the greatest with magic, yet, but there's a spell that can help us!" Twilight had been splayed over him, pushing scattered hooves against his chest—much to his groans and aching spine—and bounded to the entrance. "Shield, pretty please, will you appear?"

Spike rolled onto his front and laid flatly on the ground, his arm twisted and limp behind and to his side, fighting to lift his chin on something like cement. He gazed up to the back of the alicorn, frame covered in the long robes, mane scattered beautifully across its back. Her horn, ever so high, ignited with a lavender glow of utter brightness.

The dragon turned his head, hissing in primal dismay, waiting for the brightness to go away. Upon turning his head back, a faint glimmer rippled across the entrance, keeping the streams tinged in orange outside. Its low roar whistled in their ears.

And nothing more.

The mare stood panting before her accomplishment, satisfied if the giggles between her breaths meant anything. As for the dragon, he rolled onto his side, sitting up, bruised back against the uneven wall of rocks.

"Did. You. See. That!" Twilight tittered in place before jumping in place, clapping her forehooves in the air, the pair stumbling upon barely returning to the ground at time. "We survived all that! Worked together to prove something of ourselves." She glanced over her shoulder but without really looking. "What do you think Princess Celestia would think of me now? Or even my brother? Me, covered in adventure clothes, dirtied from a tiresome journey, using my wits to appear powerful? All of this is so cooool!”

Spike laid limp against the wall, looking at his arm, its numbness faintly tingly to the mind. His phantom arm emerged, far more kind to himself, caressing digits over the broken shoulder. After a few seconds, its palm settled against the mass—beating into it.

"O-Oh my gosh... y-your shoulder! Augh!" Twilight turned around and beat toward him, the coat floating behind her, another 'coolness,' gone ignored due to her concern. She settled next to him. "I'm such a stupid filly; I'm such a stupid filly."

Her muzzle hovered before his mask and, for the first time, she tried peering into ti. Searching for a read or anything. Nothing was her reward. Her gaze flicked onto the wrist, tentatively running a hoof across it. It jerked and she as so backward—braving to caress it seconds later.

"It... it doesn't feel like a complete break." Twilight swallowed, blinking, not because of dust. "A-All that pressure was too much of a strain against it. Popped it out from its lock. I... I should be to fix it into place... b-but..."

Spike nodded with a heavy exhale.

"Heh... d-did you... did you sigh? Thinks it's the first time I've heard a verbal reaction from you." Her hooves reached down to his wrist, fixing it to the side and then straight, the other placed on his shoulder. She leaned over it, blowing dust from the wall behind, finding a flat section. "Okay. So you might more than sigh at this one. If you must—" she inhaled deeply "—feel free to scream."

Outside, the storm continued to flow, pebbles pelting and sliding across the shield, its existence seen by flickers. Nothing was heard beyond the storm. Whipping winds and raining rocks comprised the afternoon.

Inside... Spike slammed the back of his head into the wall, not caring for the pain, the horrible feeling divert from his arm. Allowing it to hang for a few seconds more, he panted, lifting the claw to his face. Every digit curled, and the hand even clenched. Soreness encompassed it. But that was one for the usual.

He started to push up.

"W-Wait now! We just survived all that! We're already on the other side!" Twilight attempted to tower before his standing form but, after his weak struggled to stand, shook her head and quickly took to his side. "H-Hey! Watch your claws! Don't try to bat me—I'm only trying to help."

Spike shook his head upon reaching his feet, stumbling forward and away from her aid, finding himself aching. Orange light shone across the ground ahead, dimming in every foot, darkening only a few steps in. They were lower and deeper within the cordillera... but being inside wasn't necessarily safer than outside.

The dragon stumbled into the darkness, narrowing the slits of his eyes, fighting for their focus. Wobbly vision caused darkness to blur in black streaks. Shaking his head cause the stripes to linger, like marks appearing upon staring into the light for too long.

A light appeared next to him.

"I'm not completely useless, y' know." Twilight Sparkle strode in confidence ahead of him, feeling proud in her coat, the glow of her horn illuminating the area. That jacket gave her a feeling of something more. Spike wanted to do something about it... but not when his own coat inflicted similar courage upon him. "We should be able to pass through the cordillera and reach the Great Bridge from there. We're probably in an abandoned mining expedition now." She looked gazed around the mined walls. "For how long... I have no clue."

Spike limped behind her, trusting more in his left leg than right, resting his claw on his hilt. In passing through the dark passages, coming sides of the walls were mined through, never really far, wooden beams strewed across everything.

An opening loomed ahead, one that Twilight slowed and then stopped before.

"I... thank you." Twilight held her head tall and proud, speaking with strength on words weakening her. She never glanced back at him during this dichotomy. No truthful expression found. "Freaked out back there. A princess like me shouldn't have. Been more of a... child than consort."

She nodded and began forward.

"And I hope to change that from here on out."