And here we are, at the end, finally. This is truly it. We finally reached the moment we've all been waiting for.
Before we end this story, I'd like to thank a few people. I'd like to thank darkgirl11 for being my motivation for keeping me going. I'd also like to thank V Elemecha V for the reviews. And thanks to you all who joined me on this journey. ^_^
This is the epilogue to this fanfiction. This epilogue shows what's going on in 9's world, and it looks like things in his world turned for the better. :)
The idea of the town came from a long-ago fanfiction that is no longer on the web. But it was mostly my own plot.
But here we are at the end, ready to see how it all pans out. This is the greatest moment I've been waiting for.
Enjoy the epilogue, everyone. =)
9 stood on a rock, watching the golden sunset, while being surrounded by a sea of greenery. The forest was vast, compact, and verdant. Its canopy was eclipsed by willow, oak, and pine, their leaves and branches allowed for just enough light to pass down for dispersed saplings to dominate the soft, rich soils below.
Curving vines grasped many a tree, and an array of flowers, which grew dispersed and sparingly, stood out against the otherwise monotone landscape.
A discord of beastly sounds, most of which were rummaging critters, resonated through the air, and overpowered the splashing of fish in a nearby lake.
Powerful wingbeats could be heard overhead. 9 glanced up and saw a great falcon perched on a tree branch. Its wings and back were a slate grey with a distinct darker barring. The wingtips were black. The tail, like the back, was long, narrow, and rounded at the end with a black tip. The cheeks were black, contrasting sharply with it the pale sides of its neck and white throat. Its yellow eyes scanned the ground, the trees and the skies.
A thin rope tied around the falcon's neck were held by a pair of tiny metal and wooden hands. Its rider lifted her bird skull from her face, turning to greet 9.
"Hey," said 7.
"Hey, 7," said 9.
Aside from her skull for a helmet, her spear was safely tucked into her rope. She wore feathers sewn together to look like a skirt; little teeth from dead animals completed the look.
"Are they coming?," asked 9.
"They're on their way," said 7, bobbing her head to the side, indicating that company still had yet to arrive.
Snapping of twigs echoed from within the forest, prompting 9 to look over his shoulder. They were here.
He saw a group of human men, about five, holding rifles, approaching. All of them dressed in drab colors complete with armor, hiking boots, and helmets. One of them walked ahead of the group, bending over to take 9 into his palm and placed him on his shoulder.
"Anything new?," asked 9.
"All clear," replied the man.
One of the men, the tallest, with clear green eyes, held out his gloved hand and whistled to the falcon. The bird fluttered over to his master and landed on his gloved hand, talons digging into the leather.
"Let's head back home," he said.
7 smiled.
Something rustled within one of the men's coat pocket. The man looked down and sighed.
"All right," he said, removing his black sunglasses, "you can come out."
He unbuttoned his pocket and a head popped out. The stitchpunk blinked his optics in confusion. He surveyed his surroundings, locking eyes on 7, who was sitting on the falcon's back.
"You okay there, Rayne?," asked 9.
Rayne snapped his head to him, blinking.
"Uh...," he said, "I'm fine." His voice was low and melodic.
Rayne was two heads taller than 9. He has made of a soft but durable fabric, the color a shade of brown hitting it close to tawny. His optics were silver-rimmed while his pupils were circular. His hands were made of wood; his fingers: alloy. His feet were made of copper and painted black.
The journey home was unexciting than the time before it. The serenity of the forest invigorated the travelers further. The golden sky tinged with pink and orange added to the insouciant atmosphere. The open path was flanked by tall grasses blowing in the breeze. The forest was far behind them as they were coming into the outskirts of a town. The shadows were cast in the road from the sun that was slowly making its descend like a dying ember.
"Hey," said 7, turning to look at 9, "we should probably get you a falcon, too. Take 6 with you on flights."
9 chuckled. "I don't think he'd want to."
7 looked over at Rayne. "How about you?," she asked.
Rayne skittishly peeked over the pocket. "Nggnn," he muttered, "I, uh, I...um..." He paused. "I don't know," he uttered.
"Come on," said 7. The falcon preened his feathers vigorously.
"It's okay," said the soldier, "you don't have to do anything you don't like."
"Thanks, Devon," said Rayne.
"Solus is in our midst," said one of the men, specifically the one holding the falcon.
"I see it, Vince," said Devon.
The falcon let out a sharp chirp. He bat his wings.
"Okay, Orioch," said Vince, "go on."
"See you guys at the library," said 7.
Orioch the falcon took one wingbeat and took to the sky. He let out a caw.
"I think I need to work on my punches," mused Vince.
"Yeah?," said Devon. "You don't need to train, you were practically born fighting."
"Nah, really," quipped Vince, "I've been getting kind of sloppy."
"We can train as soon as we get home," said another man, one with umber hair and clear blue eyes.
"Great," said Vince.
The entrance to Solus was a grand bridge over a trench. True to what Hogarth told him years ago, 9 and the others banded with the surviving humans who were held captive by Kent Mansley. Together the humans and the nine stitchpunks rebuilt the town to what it once was. With vegetation returning, the earth was beginning to come back to life after years of stagnation.
After much searching, the survivors convinced others in hiding to come out and help with the refurbishing of the town. Some were unsure, but went ahead in the hopes that contributing would bring something better. It surely wouldn't lead to what they didn't expect.
With much thought 9 talked to the humans about creating their own stitchpunks. He concluded that not all of them could handle the work themselves, and after much thought, the humans, after 9 brought them the Scientist's note and blueprints, got to work with creating new stitchpunks. Using the talisman the Scientist created, they rebuilt another newer transferring device in their hideout. It began with ten volunteers. After that became a success, more humans, men and women alike, stepped up to create their own. Now the town of Solus was a city balanced with humans and stitchpunks hand in hand.
It proved useful to have a stitchpunk. It was handy to have one to help them with affairs the humans couldn't do.
When animals were spotted roaming the forest outside the city, the humans took to training the ones they had caught: falcons, horses, deer; some even resorted to training squirrels and rabbits, even rats.
Solus has a healthy economy. When Premier Stiles, one of the soldiers who had been kidnapped by Mansley, stepped up and took the mantle of leader, he launched an economy that would secure the future of its people and military function in a modernized world. The economy being flourished by crafting, trading and fletching. But their biggest strengths are a strong defence and, most notably, alchemy.
Despite its strengths and weaknesses, Solus is most likely headed towards an affluent future under the leadership of Premier Stiles. But this remains to be seen.
Devon traipsed through the streets after bidding his friends farewell. He made his way toward the main path to the library.
"I wish Hogarth were here to see this," said 9.
"Hogarth?," said Devon.
"A friend of mine," replied 9, "he would've love to see this."
Devon nodded.
"Hey Rayne," said 9, looking down at Devon's pocket.
Rayne, who had been silent the whole trip home, blinked his optics and looked up. It was apparent that he had fallen asleep. Or perhaps half-asleep.
"Huh?," muttered Rayne.
9 chuckled. "Nothing."
Rayne settled back into Devon's pocket, watching the townsfolk mill about.
The library was the second biggest attraction in Solus, being the home to the first nine stitchpunks. They were well-known in the town. Stopping the Fabrication Machine wasn't something to sniff at. People came and went to the library, looking for the stitchpunks for advice. The nine were more than willing to offer help, as well as them being counseled as well. Its teeming garden was the centerpiece that gartered a multitude of attention. Outside its stone wall, marigolds line the edge in a straight line. The library was on par with the palace that rested in the center of Solus.
"We're home," said Devon.
9 scanned the courtyard and spotted 5 and 6 sitting by the rosebushes. Devon stooped down and let 9 and Rayne off, watching them stroll up toward the other two.
"Hey," said 5, hugging Rayne.
"Hi, 5," replied Rayne, smiling.
"Hi, 6," said 9, flinging his arms around him.
The striped stitchpunk returned the hug. "9...," he uttered.
Up in the trees, 7 leaped off a branch, somersaulting and rising to her feet with finesse. She looked back up at the tree, where Orioch nestled in a branch.
"You made it," she said.
"You had a head start," retorted 9.
7 smirked.
"I'll see you two inside," said Devon as he walked past them.
"Alright," said 5, waving to him.
Devon walked up the stone stairs. Once he was inside, the four resorted to conversation.
"We really did it," mused 9, sitting down on a brick beside the rose garden. 6 sidled up to him, and took a seat beside him. He nuzzled against his shoulder and turned to watch the sunset.
"We sure did," mused 7, raising her skull helmet.
Rayne stood by 5, an arm encircled around the one-eyed stitchpunk. The smile on his face showed he was content with seeing the glorious sunset but also excited for tomorrow.
"2 was right about what he said," said 7, "about the Giant."
Rayne, who seemed to want to say something, chose to remain silent and turned to look at the sunset. Although he was the newest member, Rayne knew about their exploits in the other world. The world where they met Hogarth and his friend, the Giant. The machine made of metal and who, as 2 put it, was a friend to all.
"Yes, well," said 9, "even though we can't see them anymore, I know he's doing alright."
"And the Giant, too," said 5.
6 nodded.
"Yeah," said 7, "we're alright now."
They stayed outside to catch the last trace of gold disappear into the night. What promised them next was more sunsets to see, more places to see and more people to meet.
Now that we're at the end, I'd like to get a few things across to you.
First of all, I'd like to thank everyone for joining me from the beginning and to the end. Second of all, I never expected this fanfiction to reach twenty chapters. just like "When Angels Falls." I didn't plan it to be twenty chapters. I always thought it be longer than that. And third of all, writing this story really allowed an outlet for something I wasn't sure would become something.
Thank you all for being there for me. Another great masterpiece to join the rest of my creations.
Until next time.