//------------------------------// // Epilogue // Story: Out of the Sky // by ThatGirl2147 //------------------------------// The next day, at noon, the six mares and two dragons led a procession that went through the main streets of Canterlot. Everypony there was wearing black, including the four Royal Unicorn Guards who were in their dress uniforms, carrying an open casket of the finest cherry wood available on their backs. Inside the casket lay Tech Specs, wearing the Gala dress so generously and expertly crafted for her by Rarity. Ponies on the sidewalks watched the procession, removing hats and lowering their heads in respect. After a slow twenty minutes of going through the city, the procession came up a hill to a set of gloomy, black steel gates and fence, which contrasted immensely with the platinum city below. In lettering integrated into the steel gate was “Canterlot Heights,” and past the fence was a small dirt path, as well as tombstones of all shapes and sizes. A few metres down the main path, and to the left side was an empty space, reserved for the mare and her casket. A rectangular hole was dug out and ready, and a small stage with a podium was occupied by Bass Beat, Floyd Rose, Humm Bucker, and Mosh Pit, all of whom were wearing black, and had percussion drums strapped to them. Also on the stage were the Princesses, Celestia and Luna. Princess Luna looked much like her sister, except her coat was a deep blue, and her mane and tail looked as though it contained the entire night sky. All six ponies atop the stage had their heads bowed with respect as the four guards carrying Tech set her casket atop a platform just above the dug out space. Twilight Sparkle and her friends gathered on the stage behind the Princesses, just beside the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Everypony else in the procession stood in rows, beginning a metre or two away from the casket. Once everypony was situated, Princess Celestia approached the podium and spoke. “It is with a heavy heart that I have gathered you here today,” said the princess, “to both mourn and honour one of my little ponies recently fallen. Her name is Emer.. umm.. Tech Specs, and she gave her life in aid for one of her friends, one of my friends, and one of the heroes who saved Equestria by defeating Nightmare Moon and Discord. She now has the floor.” She then stepped back from the podium and motioned for Rainbow Dash to approach it, which she did. The blue pegasus took a deep breath and began, “it was only a few months ago that Tech Specs was some random pony with a wacky invention who fell from the sky into our lives. We had no idea who she was, and vice versa. But she showed us courtesy, kindness, and an honourable personality which surpasses almost everypony I’ve met.” She then cringed as she gathered her thoughts to continue. “Two days ago, I was in a terrible lightning storm which destroyed my wings, but Tech, with the help of our closest friends, sprung into action to help me, and save me. She used a spell so powerful that it drained her very life force just to assure that I could fly again, and for that I am eternally grateful. For, without my wings, I doubt I would be able to carry on living.” By that point, she teared up and lost control, shamelessly bawling her eyes out. “I owe her my life for just trying, and she gave me hers!” cried she, tears flowing freely. Princess Luna then approached Rainbow and put her wing around her to comfort her. Leading the crying mare back to her friends, the Princess motioned for Bass Beat to take the floor. The yellow musician pegasus stood at the podium, her drum still strapped to her, and said, “I wasn’t there to see her save Rainbow Dash, which makes me feel horrible as her friend. But, Tech always knew what would come from whatever she did. I guarantee that she kew what she had to do to help Rainbow, and didn’t hesitate to do it, anyway. That determination and selflessness is something that you don’t see every day, but something that I saw everyday that I saw Tech. I love you, Sweetie.” Bass’ eyes teared up slowly as she took her drumsticks and played the Funeral March, with the other three musicians joining in. As they played, Princess Celestia’s horn glowed magenta, as did the lid to Tech’s casket as it closed slowly. With the lid closed, the casket began to slowly lower into its resting place, with everypony throwing roses into the hole with the casket. The drummers ceased to play as the casket came to rest at the bottom of the hole, and the guests departed at word from the Princesses. After the main ceremony, Twilight Sparkle, her five friends, Spike, Blades, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers stood on the stage, talking with the Princesses. “After I sent Tech away that night,” informed Princess Celestia, “my sister began discussing the matter with me.” Princess Luna nodded, adding, “yes. Although I wasn’t there to see what happened so many years ago, I thought that my sister was far too harsh on the little pony. She insisted that it was fair, and told me the story.” Completing the story, Celestia said, “when I was done with the story, you four showed up, telling me to read that letter from Twilight.” She then closed her eyes and held her head down as she said, “I.. I felt horrible. That, combined with the discussion I had with my sister, was too much. I wanted to ask Tech to forgive me, and I still do. Nevertheless, I can’t; I missed my chance.” “Your Highness,” said Humm Bucker tenderly, “I’m one hundred percent certain that Tech forgives you. I’ve never known her to hold anything against anypony, let alone the Princess herself.” “Yeah,” agreed Bass Beat, “I doubt that she ever even had to forgive you. Like Hummy said, she’d never hold anything against anypony.” Everypony joined in a group hug, and the Princesses departed to the Palace to prepare for the Gala, which was only three days away by that point. Following their example, the ten ponies left as well. They walked down the streets in a group, for where the two groups were heading were very close together. Bass Beat looked to Twilight Sparkle and asked her, “Tech never told you what happened to Uhrwerk, did she?” The purple mare shook her head slowly and answered, “she told us about him, to the point when he told you two that he was going to give Tech his shop when he was gone.” “So,” continued Bass, “she didn’t tell you about what we learned a few weeks after?” Twilight shook her head again. “Well, then. I think you lot should know.” ************************************************************************************************* Only four weeks after Tech Specs learned about what Uhrwerk was going to leave to her, she and Bass Beat were cleaning up the old stallion’s house. When they reached his bedroom, they came across a large wooden wardrobe. “Think we should mothball his closet?” asked Bass. Tech nodded. “Yeah,” said she, “he’s probably got some expensive suits in there. But, we should check if there are mothballs already.” The fillies then opened the wardrobe and saw what they had expected: very proper and classy suits, ties, hats, and boots, as well as something else. There was a pair of long black boots, a pair of deep blue trousers which bore an odd-looking cross-like symbol on the flanks, a white undershirt, and a deep blue overcoat which bore stripes on the sleeves, a patch depicting a hawk carrying a circular symbol on one side, and a few ribbons and medals on the other side. Both the undershirt and overcoat had a pair of patches with matching colours stitched on the back. And finally, there was a deep blue cap with a shiny black brim, and a hawk like the one on the coat on the front of it. “What is this?” asked Bass, to nopony in particular. “It is my uniform,” answered Uhrwerk. Both fillies jumped and turned to see the stallion looking nonchalantly at them. Tech and Bass lowered their heads in shame. “We’re sorry for going through your things, Uhrwerk,” apologised Tech, “but we were going to put mothballs in your wardrobe, you know, to help you out.” “It is quite alright, Little Fillies,” assured the brown stallion, still as calm as ever. “I knew it was going to come up eventually. I think it is time you learned a bit more about your mentor.” He then motioned to his bed and said, “please, sit.” The fillies obeyed, and Uhrwerk took all parts of the uniform and lay them out across his floor. “You see, many years ago, I lived in Germaney, which borders Equestria. Back then, a war broke out between Germaney and Zebrica on one side, and Equestria, the former Hooviet Union, which was made up of Eastern Equestria, and the Ibex Empire on the other side. I was young then, and naive. Like a fool, I signed up for the Germane Military, specifically the Air Force, the Luftwaffe.” “I remember reading about that war,” said Tech, “but I thought only Pegasus Ponies served in Germaney’s air force, or any air force, for that matter.” She bore an expression of confusion as she looked to the stallion, who appeared to be an Earth Stallion. Uhrwerk simply nodded and replied, “that is why there are patches in my uniform; I am a Pegasus Pony, or at least I was before the War.” Bass Beat’s eyes widened in shock and fear as she asked, “what happened?” “My unit was shipped to Stalliongrad, in the Hooviet Union, to take the city. Like the calm before the storm, the city was quiet when we flew in. Before long, we were under attack by every able-bodied pony in that city; it was an ambush. Arrows, bombs, magical bursts, you name it; the defenders of Stalliongrad attacked us with it. Many of the stallions in my unit didn’t survive, and I would have been one of them were it not for two of my comrades, Luftzeit and Kohlfeld. My wings were hit by magical bolts, and were broken and all but destroyed. My comrades carried me to a medical outpost outside of the city. The medics were pressed for time due to the advancing Hooviet Army, and thus didn’t have time to properly save my wings.” The stallion then removed his vest and lifted up the back of his undershirt, revealing two dark brown scars on his upper back where a pegasus’ wings would be. The fillies cringed at the sight, and Bass Beat almost fainted. “That.. that must have been awful,” stuttered the yellow filly, still feeling lightheaded. Uhrwerk drew a heavy sigh and replied, “it still pains me to think about the day. But, it brings joy to my heart when I think about my comrades, and what we gave for each other. I feel sorry for you, fillies. War is practically extinct, and you will never experience the feeling of comradery.” “What exactly is a ‘comrade,’ Uhrwerk?” asked Tech. Without missing a beat, Uhrwerk explained, “a comrade is like a friend, but far stronger a bond. You see, friends make the choice to be friends, and associate with and trust each other at will. Comrades, on the other hoof, are basically forced into trusting each other. A bond so strongly forged can never be broken.” He then looked out the window and said, “the bond of comrades can even transcend the border between life and death.” As Uhrwerk explained, Tech was thinking deeply and said to her mentor, “you’re wrong.” The stallion looked at the blue filly in surprise, to which she said, “when I first met Bass Beat, I had a baby dragon to care for and not a bit to my name, and she had just been thrown out on the street by her employer with fifty bits to live off of.” “She’s right,” concurred Bass. “I physically couldn’t leave her and her dragon by themselves; my conscience wouldn’t let me. We took care of each other for a couple weeks until we came across you, willing to hire us.” “I see,” remarked the brown stallion, “and, do you pair trust each other?” The fillies looked at each other, and simultaneously replied, “with my life.” At that answer, Uhrwerk smiled larger than the fillies had ever seen him smile, and he told them, “that is the greatest thing I have heard in many, many years, Little Fillies. Let that comradely trust thrive between you.” ************************************************************************************************* “I take it the two of you really loved Uhrwerk, yeah?” asked Twilight Sparkle. Bass Beat nodded, smiling at the fond memories. “Yeah,” said she, “he was the father Tech’s father and my father never were.” “What happened after you learned about his military service, Bass?” asked Applejack, curious as to what became of the old stallion. With that, Bass’ expression became heavy, and she replied with honesty, “two weeks after that, he lay down for a nap, and never woke up.” “It’s alright, Bass,” assured Mosh Pit, his hoof around the yellow mare’s shoulder. “Now, Tech and Uhrwerk have each other to keep each other company.” “And Shred,” added Floyd, smiling as she thought about their former bandmate. “Yeah, and Shred,” confirmed Mosh. “Well,” began he, looking to the hotel in which they were staying, “I guess this is where we part ways for now.” Everypony nodded. “Indeed,” agreed Rarity, “we will see you in a couple days at the Gala, Dears.” “Right,” agreed Humm Bucker, “we could chill at the Gala, yeah?” The white mare smiled at the pegasus’ offer. “That would be delightful, Hummy,” said she, batting her eyes at the stallion. “Calm down, Rarity,” said Applejack sternly, getting between the white mare and Hummy. “Fine,” huffed rarity in return. She then looked around her orange friend to the Chili Peppers and told them, “we would love to meet you then and ‘chill.’” From Fluttershy’s back, Blades sheepishly asked, “umm, hey, Twilight?” “What is it, Blades?” asked the purple unicorn in return. “Umm, would it be alright if I stayed with the Chili Peppers today?” His eyes darted about nervously. “Of course,” replied Twilight with a loving smile. At that, Bass Beat picked Blades up from the other yellow pegasus’ back and onto her own. Bass Beat gave the dragon a kiss before telling the mares, “thank you lot for watching Blades during this time. I’m sure he needed it.” “It is no trouble at all, Darling,” assured Rarity, her friends agreeing with her. “We’ll see you later, Blades,” said she to the orange dragon, giving him a hug. “And, we’ll see you lot at the Gala.”