He stood, staring down at the open chest before him. The contents were all neatly organized, but clearly hadn't been touched in years. He wasn't sure why he even still had the chest. Folded cleanly on the left side, with its medals still boldly displayed, was the shirt of his dress uniform, its dull gray color starkly contrasted with the bold crimson of the lining, and the brilliant gleam of the brass buttons. Under it were other dress shirts, but the red-and-gray was the last one he'd worn, all those years ago.
On the right were things that were more personal. Photos. Souvenirs. His friends, his comrades, himself, all in the photos. There were other photos, too. Photos of landmarks. Of breathtaking landscapes. Beautiful trees, rolling hills.
The craters.
Spanner Wrench reached down and gathered up the photos of the ponies he once knew, and slipped them into the pocket of the plain dress shirt he was wearing. For years he'd been trying to get out of the habit of wearing clothes, but found it was rather difficult to do. There were other habits, too, he'd like to shed. Stronger habits.
With the photos safely tucked away Spanner looked down again at the open chest, and briefly wondered if there was anything else he should take out. Beyond the uniforms and the photos, there were just the souvenirs. Tins of foreign soil, a few compact tools, a particular souvenir that he really shouldn't have taken, a compass, but not much else.
Satisfied with just the photos Spanner eased shut the lid of the chest and locked it back up. Part of him told him to leave it all behind, photos included, but he couldn't help himself. It was his punishment. But maybe, he hoped, there would one day come an end to this punishment.
He smiled and picked up the shovel. As the first heap of soil dropped onto the chest, covering the bold golden eagle on its surface, Spanner hummed an old tune he'd first heard half-a-decade ago, on the last day. Its lively tone a stark contrast with that day's events.
Tomorrow would be a new beginning. He promised himself that.