Equestrian Epoch: Final Hope

by Michael_Ravencroft

Third Sign: Part 9

Stars for the Fallen

***5 Hours Later, Airship Docks***

Royal Guard and Knight Corp. airships occupied every dock in the port. Soldiers flooded the area, taking charge, assessing the damage, and providing medical help where needed. According to the captains of the fleet, Peina's earlier Rotting World had created a vicious storm that acted like a corrosive barrier, much to their disappointment, five other ships found that out the hard way. One of the ships docked in the final available port and released their gangplank. Twilight, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Bright Blade stormed off of the ship and immediately went to work finding out the fate of their friends.

Luckily one of the citizens, a mare by the name of Upper Crust, directed them to where Spike and the Knights of Generosity, Kindness, and Laughter were residing, the morgue. The moment they heard that dreaded word, all four of them zoomed off, almost barreling through the crowd. As they made their way through some tents towards the morgue, Rainbow Dash spotted a familiar mare trotting out of a tent.

"FLUTTERSHY!!!" Rainbow shouted.

The prismatic mare quickly grabbed her longtime friend and hugged her fiercely; Fluttershy was taken by surprise and nearly punched Rainbow Dash on instinct, but stopped when she realized who it was.

"Rainbow Dash, everypony, you made it," said Fluttershy.

"Yer alive!" Applejack shouted happily.

"Of course I am."

"But what about Rarity, Spike, and Pinkie Pie," asked Twilight.

"They're fine."

"So wait, I don't get it, why did that mare say you guys were in the morgue when you aren't even dead," said Bright Blade confused.

The others seemed to share in his confusion, Fluttershy sighed heavily, this was not going to be a pleasant conversation.

"Follow me, I'll tell you along the way."

As the group trotted along Fluttershy regaled them with the story of what had transpired during their stay in Manelan. She started with the light stuff, in a way she was cushioning them for the blow. That's when she spoke about their run in with Peina, the Spirit of Famine, and how she took control of Spike. There was a noticeable vein popping on Twilight's forehead, no doubt angry beyond all reason that somepony hurt her surrogate little brother/son. But once Fluttershy got to the part about Ballista and Broadside, well, that's when the conversation got really heavy. The end of Fluttershy's story brought them to the end of their journey to where Pinkie, Spike, and Rarity were.

Rarity was lying on a cot, while Spike sat next to her, cradling a pegasus foal in his arms. Pinkie Pie was sitting next to Spike, making baby noises and funny faces. The foal happily giggled at the merrymaking of the pink party pony, oblivious to the arrival of the other Knights.

"Is that…?" Bright Blade asked.

"It's Gale Force, Ballista's daughter. Apparently Ballista had Upper Crust take her to this facility; she kept watch over Gale till we arrived. And now…"

"Now we're her family," said Spike.

"Ballista asked Spike and I to raise Gale as our own, she said…she was happy knowing that her daughter would be surrounded by good ponies who cared about her," said Rarity sadly.

All the Knights gathered round their battle weary friends comforting them. Rarity and Spike's eyes glanced at a saddle bag in the corner of the tent, a bag which contained Broadside's notes about the power of Exceed Limit. They then glanced to Gale Force, a gift and responsibility to the two of them. One legacy from a father, and another from a daughter, the future for both was uncertain, as was all of their, but for now, they had each other, and that's what they needed the most, their friendship.

---

***Canterlot, 2 Days Later***

Many had gathered from different parts of Equestria, for today was a solemn day. Today was the funeral service for General Broadside StrongLance and Captain Ballista Arrowcrest. Soldiers who were under their command during the War of Darkness came to attend the funeral. It was a rather unusual funeral, for one thing, it was taking place at sunset, and secondly there were torches that lit the way to the departed's final resting place. Apparently Princess Luna got wind of their death and proposed that she would be in charge of the funeral, many ponies thought that the Princess of the Night was going to give them an old fashioned warrior's send off. Nobody minded, they thought it befitting fallen heroes.

The Knights of Harmony were in attendance, along with the Valkeries, Spike, Shining Armor, Princess Cadance, and Princess Celestia of course. Friends and family showed up as well, some were war buddies, soldiers who respected and cared about them or just those who hadn't been under their command and were there to show that they too wished to grieve with the rest.

The place that Broadside and Ballista were to be buried was near the castle grounds, a graveyard where ponies of long ago who proved themselves valiant and courageous, or who have helped equinekind in some way that changed society or lives. Many were buried here. Such noted names like Star Swirl the Bearded, Clover the Clever, Princess Platinum, Chancellor Pudding Head, Smart Cookie, Commander Hurricane, Private Pansy, and many more. This got some of the Knights of Harmony thinking, would they too someday be buried here in this grave site, along with these and many other great ponies of the past. The thought was both exciting and saddening at the same time.

The crowd's whispers turned to murmurs, and murmurs into silence. The sun had set beyond the horizon and gave way to the night. Princess Luna's moon slowly rose in place of the sun, shining fully down upon funeral, bathing all in its serene light. At the same time the torches all sprang to life, lighting the way to the marble carved tomes that the caskets would be placed in and then sealed. The crowd turned around and watched as they approached.

Princess Celestia and Luna were at the head of the procession. Their expressions were of a practiced sadness, one to show in public, breaking down in front of everypony was not something a Princess should do, and they needed to be the shoulder to cry on for their little ponies. The alicorns of day and night knew everypony would die eventually, it was the nature of things, but still, these two had fought for them, by the ones who's friendships they cherished, and through it all had earned a peaceful life only to have it taken away from them. Even to an immortal, it was still unfair.

Behind them was a regiment of Knight Corp. Paladins carrying the ceremonial flags, one was made with Broadside's cutie mark and another's with Ballista's. Both flags flapped in the in air as they walked on. Behind the regiment, two groups of four Royal Guard unicorns. Their horns were aglow as their telekinetic grip took hold of each of the four palls. What everpony didn't expect to see behind them was a group of ponies that weren't military. Those who were from Ponyville recognized these two; it was Octavia and Lyra, along with the rest of their band in tow.

Once they had arrived, the Princesses parted and created an opening. "Company halt!" The Knight Corp. Paladins stopped and parted to the each side, eight on one side and eight on the other. "First Company, right face!" The Paladins on the left turned to the right. "Second Company, left face!" The Paladins on the right turned to the left. "Present arms!" The first two stood on their hind legs and held out their flags, crossing them so that they formed an X. The other fourteen raised their right hooves and saluted.

The pallbearer Royal Guards passed by the saluting Knight Corp. Paladins and through the draping flags, first Broadside's casket, followed by Ballista's. When the pallbearers reached the specified caskets, they lowered the coffins into the tomes. "Order arms!" The Paladins lowered their forelegs back to the ground. "Left face! Right face!" The two companies switched back to their original positions, now facing the front. The two Paladins carrying the flags detached them from their poles and folded them neatly. Being the caretakers of Ballista's child, Spike and Rarity automatically fell under the tradition of accepting the flags. Spike did so with care, nodding in gratitude to the two stallions.

Many were already crying, Rarity stayed strong, as long as she could, she had to, for Gale. Soon Octavia's and Lyra's band filed through and went offside where their instruments were already set up, each of them taking their places as they awaited their cue. Princess Celestia and Luna stepped back to the center with the marble tomes on either side of them.

"Today, my subjects, we come here with heavy hearts. Tonight, we mourn the loss of two of Equestria's finest soldiers, Captain Ballista Arrowcrest and General Broadside StrongLance. These two who, at great personal risk to themselves, stood up to a foe whose evil was not of this world. Through this, they saved the lives of four of Equestria's heroes, at the cost of their own. And so, in honor of their sacrifice and heroism during the War of Darkness, we enshrine these two ponies, that future generations will know what they have done for all time," spoke Princess Celestia.

Princess Celesita nodded towards the Royal Guards near the marble tomes. The four guards at each tome used their combined telekinesis to lift two marble slabs into the air; they then gently placed them atop both tomes. Princess Celestia stepped forward, and with her sun-yellow aura, sealed the tops of the tomes. This next part came from the use of the rows of wrought iron lamps. Princess Celestia used her magic to collect the flames from all the lamps, one hundred in all. The flames culminated into a giant fireball that floated towards their position. With a wave of her horn, Celestia willed two streams of flames to shoot forth from the burning sphere.

At the front flat surface of the two tomes, the flames etched something into the tomes, slowly, carefully. When the fireball used up its flames the marks were seared into the marble tomes. On Ballista's tome was engraved her cutie mark, and on Broadside's tome his own cutie mark shown proudly like his daughter's. Princess Celestia's horn shined once more, casting a slew of protective wards on the tomes. It was a habit that she started taking two thousands of years ago, though she doubted something like this would occur nowadays, but thousands of years ago, there were ponies known to grave rob such places, especially high profile gravesites like this one. So the Princess took to placing wards on those buried here, so that they're bodies would not be disturbed and their spirits would know peace.

The area was dark now, but Luna's full moon shined brightly down upon them, illuminating everything with its soft blue light. Princess Celestia, having completed her wards, turned back to face the crowd of mourners.

"Now my little ponies, my sister, Princess Luna, would like to honor these two warriors in her own way. Luna."

The Princess of the Night nodded towards her older sister, Princess Celestia took a few steps back and allowed Princess Luna to take center stage.

"As you may have noticed my subjects, this isn't exactly a traditional burial. Before any of you were born, when our mother Epona was still with us, our brother, Prince Arion, was the keeper of the stars." Luna raised her hoof towards the sky, indeed it was filled with thousands of twinkling stars. "When I was a little filly, my brother taught me how to move the stars, guiding them by an ethereal energy that only magic and music could bring. There were many he taught me, one of which was a song to create constellations. You see them, not right now, but they are there, constellations that I created to honor the ponies buried here, and tonight will be no different."

Princess Luna's horn glowed with her azure aura, the iron lamps ignited once more, but instead of the orange and yellow flames from before, they were filled with a mystifying blue and white flame that released sparkles of light. It washed the area in an eerie, yet beautiful light that only served to make this event more magical. The band took the lighting of the lamps as their cue to play.

It was a soft, yet powerful beat, carried upon the wind to the ears of the ponies around, and even to the stars above. The stars seemed to respond to the music, as unknown constellations came into view. Of course, being the scholar that she was, Twilight was mesmerized by this, knowing that there were constellations hidden in the night sky, it was something that one only saw once in a lifetime, and she, along with her friends, the gathered ponies, and the little foal Gale, would never forget.

The stars up above started to zip through the night sky, Luna's horn glowed with greater intensity. It was a wondrous sight, the stars themselves were moving to different positions, many hundreds of stars aligning to create two new images in the heavens above.

The stars had moved to their places in the sky, each one began to shine brightly, releasing a beam of light that traced out the image, each one connecting to one star after the other tracing out the forms of the ones they were dedicated to. Once the lines were complete the sky shined a brightly as if it were day time.

The song had ended, the music faded, the light from the sky dimmed to allow the normal dark of night to take its place. All those gathered gasped at what they saw in the sky. The first constellation was of a pegasus mare, wings flared, standing proudly, with blades on her either side of her forelegs. The second was of a stallion standing on his hind legs, a spear clutched in the crook of his right hoof, gazing out as if searching for any threat that might come to harm their home. The other constellations thrummed with power, and they responded in kind, announcing the welcome of the two newest images in the night sky. And with that, they vanished, seemingly melding into the background, they were still there, watching over the ponies bellow.

"Behold…Duos Militum," announced Princess Luna.

Spike and Rarity smiled at the sight, the white unicorn used her hoof to rub the side of Gales face, and then she used the same hoof to point towards the sky where newest constellations were.

"Look Gale, now your mother and grandfather will always be watching over you," said Rarity, trying to hold back her own tears.

The little filly's eyes looked up into the night sky, in awe at the sight. Something happened; it was quick, but noticeable to those who knew what it meant. A twinkle of light flashed in the star that was the constellation Ballista's eye, same was seen in the Broadside constellation, his right star eye twinkling briefly. Gale giggled happily, her mother and grandfather would always be watching over her, whether in the day or in the dark of night, they would always be there, keeping a watchful eye over Equestria, from now until forever.

End Third Sign Arc…

Comments

[Sharky]

It might be the lack of sleep talking but i think this is an awsome funeral and nice touch with the constelations im guessing the idea came from dragon heart an awsome old movie i definatly think they earned their place amoung the dragons of old draco would be proud also looking forward to the next arc just try not to sucker punch me in the feeles as much this time aaw who am i kidding even the sucker punches are great its like fighting a monkey who knows karate you dont know how you got there or whats going to happen next but you know its going to be awsome

[stardust flare]

you sir have the worst timeing you know that sometimes i really hate you ........ just as i read a feel heavy story you drop this on me......... i normally have some criticism or something to add to most of your chapters i mean hey its what i do but this time i can legit say there is nothing wrong with this chapter i dont give a rats ass if there's some spelling mistake or some grammar error this chapter was beautiful i might walk into my other room and put on my hat so i can take it off to you sir! a perfect sendoff for 2 of my favorite characters if you ever tarnish their memory in any form so help me god........ but il just leave it at that shall i i shalt miss them but hey they will watch over us all right this i can live with along with all these damn feels i need to hold thanks to you!

PS. Dinkie FTW!