A Feeling Of

by Nuke

A Feeling of Resolve - 1

Speck groaned as she rolled out of the large, plush bed. Blinking sleep from her eyes, she found herself surrounded by complete darkness; the sun hadn't even risen. Her eyes struggled to adjust to the darkness, but she could just barely make out her friend's sleeping form. Her heart sank, and her stomach tightened as she looked at him, though she didn't know why.

Maybe a walk under the stars would clear her mind. It would do more good than rolling around in the bed, unable to fall back asleep.

She smiled to herself as she started out of the room. That smile quickly disappeared as she bumped into a table, chair, and finally, the door. It had been a long while since she had to navigate in the dark.

All of her problems were solved as she opened the door and clicked her tongue.

"There we go," she muttered to herself, as the corridor mapped itself out in her mind as the sound-waves caught her ears.

The castle was eerily quiet. Speck tried to hum some soft tune to take her mind away from it, but quickly stopped as it echoed back to her, a tune strangled and mangled by some monster in the shadows. Somehow, even the echoes of her hoofsteps sounded like something was tearing the sound apart.

She tried to ignore it as she trotted as quietly as possible through the castle corridors. She scaled up and down stairs, found herself sneaking through service hallways, and pushing through doors, until finally, she emerged outside.

Yawning, she looked up at the sky. Little white stars dotted the sky. The moon looked close enough to touch. It looked like it could all fall out of the sky at any minute!

Speck looked around for something that could tell her where she was. A little sign told her just what she wanted to know.

"Garden of the Fallen Stars.' This place again?" How strange! She had no destination in mind when she had left the guest bedroom.

Rather than make her way back to the castle, she continued into the garden. It was an enormous garden; she and her friend had only ventured a little ways past the ivory monument, but there was much more to see, and she was rather inquisitive.

Every time her hooves touched to the walkway, it shimmered softly. It was quite enchanting. As she walked, the path opened up into a larger circle crafted from the same kind of brick.

She watched the ground glistened beneath her as she continued walking, but bumped into something in the middle of the circle.

Looking up, she found a tall tower. It shimmered just like the walkway, but in a weirder way. The tower was transparent, almost invisible, save for the waves of rainbow colors that spread over it every few seconds.

Speck looked back the way she came. She could see the ivory monument in the distance. The tower should have been visible from over there.

It rippled again as she tapped a hoof against it. It dissipated at her touch, but quickly formed back together and glittered. She trotted around the tower, looking it up and down. She came across a door on the other side. She stopped and stared at it, her breath being stolen from her throat.

She felt afraid. Terrified, even. Like something scary hid behind the door, and it would pop out at any minute and grab her up.

Surprising herself, Speck started to reach for the door. A soft tune being carried through the air caused her to immediately retract it. She looked around and twitched her ears, trying to find the source of the sound. Its volume increased as its performer drew nearer. The tune stopped as hooves clicked to a halt on the walkway.

"Speck?" The familiar voice of the little bat-pony's favorite princess called out.

Speck turned with a bit of a start to find Princess Luna standing at the edge of the large circular plaza.

"Princess!"

"Hello, little one. What has you up and about, so late in the night?" She offered a quick smile before glancing past Speck.

"I couldn't sleep," Speck said, turning back to look up at the tower.

"I suppose you can see that, too?"

"It scares me."

"Have you tried the door?"

"No, it... doesn't feel safe." Speck shook her head softly. Princess Luna approached her and sat to her right.

"It scares Sister and I, too. It has been here just over a year, and we have yet to find anything about it in our history books." Princess Luna looked up toward the top of the tower. "It is strange. During the day, it is completely invisible, but at night, it shimmers brilliantly."

"Do you think he'd know anything about it? If he's been here just as long as the tower, maybe it has something to do with him?"

"Sister and I have toyed with the idea, but if there is a connection, we would prefer not to risk anything that could pose a threat to our world. We have kept it a secret from everyone since its appearance. This must sound selfish."

"It is. If it's a way back to his world, don't you think he deserves to know about it?"

"Would you let him go if he decided to?"

Speck furrowed her brow in thought. It was hard to know if she really would let him go. It would be a painful affair, of course, but she wanted him to be happy, whether it was with or without her. As much as she loves him, she would let him go.

"Yes."

"You're lying."

"Of course I am. I'd beg him to stay, or take me with him."

"Then you shouldn't tell him about this."

"Princess. I have to. I don't want to wake up every morning to his face, only to know that I kept him from going home. I couldn't live with that."

"I understand. But what if it opens a door to his world that cannot be closed? He is a kind and peaceful creature, but what if the rest of his kind is not the same?" The princess spread a wing over Speck and covered her from a cold breeze.

"It's his choice, Princess. If he leaves, I'll support him. I love him, and I want him to be happy."

"Fair enough. Would you sit with me and talk before going to find him?" Speck nodded and huddled under Princess Luna's wing.

~~~

I sit at the edge of the bed, staring out the window. It overlooks most of the castle's exterior. Or rather, it should.

A tall brick tower looms in the distance. It's always been there, watching and waiting. I've never made any record of it here, in this journal. I've never seen any reason to. It scares me. I wish I could confide in the princesses, but I don't know if they know about it. They never made any mention of it, and any time it was in view from a window, neither of the princesses had ever looked at it.

Speck woke me up earlier when she was crawling out of bed. I thought she had to use the bathroom, but... that was thirty or forty minutes ago.

Two months ago, I would have just rolled over and went back to sleep. Speck is definitely doing something to me. A good kind of something.

I decide to go look for her and make sure she's doing okay.

Grabbing my journal and plucking one of the magic candles off the wall, I leave the room, no destination in mind. The candle lights my way as I walk through the dark corridors.

The tower shimmers and pulsates with its weird, reflective light as I pass by a window. It looks almost like someone is touching it, or trying to break into it. My walk turns into a run as I feel myself being called, out into the Garden of the Fallen Stars.

As I run out into the open air of the garden, I stop. The tower looms in the distance, taunting me.

I run past the ivory monument and follow the brick walkway all the way to the tower. The candle illuminates part of the wall as I approach it. Its weird rainbow light pulsates as I place a hand on it. I start to walk around it, my hand dragging over the brick as I mutter to myself.

"Imposing. Terrifying. Unwelcome."

I come upon the door and hold the candle up. It glows upon the degrading wood, and reflects off of the impeccably polished golden knob.

Just as I place my hand on it, a hoof reaches up and touches me. A little whine accompanies the hoof.

I look down to find Speck staring up at me. She frowns as I kneel down and hug her with my free arm.

"Hey there. I've been looking all over for you." She nuzzles into my shoulder and sighs.

"I was coming back to bed. You could've waited." I kiss her cheek lightly before standing up.

"I wanted to make sure you were okay. Never know what might be lurking around in the dark."

She blushes and looks away. I follow her gaze to find Princess Luna sitting by the grass. She has an uncharacteristically stern look on her face. Almost condescending, like I've done something horrible. Or that I'll do something to hurt someone.

"I'm fine. Can we go back? I'm really sleepy." Luna's glare bores into me as I scratch Speck's ear.

"Of course. Just give me a minute. I want to look at the stars."

"I can wait."

"No, just go on ahead. I'll be right behind you."

Speck starts to leave, but stops a short way away. She turns back to me. Her eyes glisten in the moonlight, and in them, I see nothing but concern.

"Come say goodbye if you decide to leave, okay Anon?" She turns and trots off before I can say anything.

Once she's out of sight, I turn back to Luna and approach her. She still has that stern look. The kind of look a mother gives someone that could potentially hurt her child.

"What did you say to her?"

"Nothing." Her eyes shift slightly to my left and focus something that isn't too far behind me. They quickly shift back to me.

"What's with the tower, Luna?" Her eyes widen in shock, and she hesitates to answer.

"It is just as much a mystery to me as it is to you. I only know that it instills a deep fear within those that know of it."

"How long have you known about it?" She hesitates again and adopts a more sheepish grin.

"A little while before you arrived in Equestria."

I turn from her and approach the tower, but she intercepts me.

"Anonymous, please! I highly advise that you do not open that door!"

"You've known about it the entire time I've been in Equestria, and not once did you ever think that maybe it could have been my way home? You and Celestia had never once thought to bring me out here and see what it was. I bet you've never even bothered to open the door." Frustrated and cloudy-minded, I push Luna out of the way and reach for the doorknob.

"Anonymous, think of Speck!" I stop, my hand mere inches from the doorknob. "If we had ever told you about this, and if it really was a way for you to get home, would you have gone?"

"Of course I would have."

"And now. Would you still leave?"

"No."

"Then don't open that door."

"I'd love to carry on with my life, forgetting that this thing even exists. But I can't." There was always something familiar about it, but I can't place it. It might be the door; it's much more terrifying and unwelcoming than the doors in Equestria. It looks like it hides something dangerous. It scares me. "If it scares Speck, then I can't stand by and let her feel unsafe."

"Anonymous, please. Just... Just wait a little while." The princess runs off, leaving me alone with the tower.

~~~

Princess Luna stopped Speck in the middle of the corridor as the little bat-pony trotted back to her guest chamber. The princess stamped her hooves impatiently as she quickly tried to explain to Speck what was happening, but was off before anything was really said.

All she had really caught was something about her friend and the tower, and with Princess Luna acting so hurried, she decided to go back.

There was yelling behind her as the princess shouted at a guard to go find Princess Celestia.

Speck ran as fast as she could, hoping she wasn't too late.

~~~

I assume Luna has already returned when I hear hoofsteps hurrying along the brick pathway. My assumption is found wrong as I brace myself to catch one highly upset bat-pony.

"Back so soon?" I ask as I stroke her mane. She hugs me as tight as she ever has.

"Princess Luna caught me and was shouting something about you, so I came back. Are you leaving?" I sit down with her in my arms.

"Of course not. I'm gonna stay right here with you, but I need to see what's inside this tower. I don't know why. I just know that the tower scares the princesses. It scares me, too, but most importantly, it scares you." She presses closer to me.

"But, the princesses can do something about it. They can destroy it, or teleport it somewhere!"

I scratch her ear and sigh. She leans against my hand.

"I think they would've already done that, if they could. Besides, I think the tower has something to do with me."

"It doesn't feel safe, Anon. Please don't go." She buries her face into my chest.

We sit in silence for a little while. I suppose I await Luna's return, or maybe I'm just biding my time with Speck, in case something happens.

The sound of hooves clicking against brick echoes through the garden. Speck and I stand as Luna approaches us.

"I have sent for Celestia. She should be here momentarily."

"And Twilight?"

"She left for the Crystal Empire shortly after the banquet." We stand around awkwardly for a second, before Luna perks up as if she had just remembered something. "I almost forgot!" She shoves a sword and shield at me. I almost drop them out of surprise.

"What am I going to do with these? I don't think there's going to be a dragon in there."

"Just in case. A hero is brave when they face a challenge, but a fool when they go in unprotected."

Speck stands on her hind legs and presses her hooves against me.

"Can we just go back to Ponyville? Please?"

"I can't, Speck. If this tower is here because of me, I'm obligated to check it out. Come on. I'll be your hero, alright?" I kneel down and hug her tight. She kisses me on the lips before letting go. "I love you. I'm gonna protect you, and keep you safe, alright? I made a promise, and I'm going to keep it."

She nods as another set of hooves click against the brick. Looking up, I find Celestia standing beside her sister. Speck gives her a pleading look, like she wants them to convince me not to go, even though I won't be leaving this world. If there's something in this tower that can take me there, I'll destroy it to keep from being tempted.

"There is nothing we can do to keep him from doing this, Speck. All we can do is wish him luck and pray for his safe return." She smiles at me as I approach the door. "After all, the Angels will protect those that need it most."

I open the door and step inside, leaving Equestria behind.

Author's Note:

New OCs:
None

OC Count:
16

Comments

[ThePinkDerpFace]

Dosent feel very resolving......

[GreyNimbus]

Whoa. So Anon might not be in Equestria anymore. I wonder what awaits him on the other side...

[BeastialMoon]

Ooooh! Dark Tower-y!

You will probably do a better ending - it's your story, after all - but I wanted to write a quick 2 paragraph ending here.

'A deep hum built up in Anon's mind, throbbing and pulsing as days and months were lost from his memory. A tear shed as Speck was removed from his life; and in an instant, he wondered why he was crying.

The tower door shimmered behind Anon, disappearing from view in the now vibrant daylight. A white Alicorn stared at him in surprise.

"What are you, creature?" She asked. '

-Ka is a Wheel.-

[user123]

5403820
that's too dark...

[rikusorasephiroth]

I get a vibe like the tower I forget the name of from Soul Calibur IV. Oppenheim, or something.

[Dan]

How about a blood libel trigger warning in the description?

I adore batponies and If you're going to be spreading those cruel lies, I damn well want to know before I start reading. People who get mad about "anonymous" are bizarre.

[Nuke]

5403750
>Resolve - 1
>Still 8 more chapters in the pastebin
Shh. It isn't even close to being over.

5403983
There's no blood. Speck's a fruitbat.

5403767
It's a pocket dimension that links one world to another. The prequel goes into more detail.

5403820
That's, uh... Pretty much the opposite of what happens.