The Twilight Kingdom

by Nygell The Glutius

This is the Dead Land

This is the land of ashes and dust. Of barren trees protruding from the famished soil and bleached bones hiding within miniature dunes of sand. Of endless horizons stretching to a forgotten end and unstable monuments towering over ancient ruins. Sounds only of vacuous winds flowed through the land, flinging clouds of sand about into the sky. The constant despondence of drab colors filtered by the foul air was only broken by the vibrant hues of mysterious and resilient cacti persisting in this wasteland, but even they began to succumb to the starving earth. Their dried carcusses dotted the ground over outstretched distances. For every lively cactus, one would see a graveyard of its gaunt and hollow relatives nearby, their needles brittled and skin rotting. This land is their hallowed resting place. A place once belonging to creatures of all kinds, now gone to other kingdoms.

This is the land of the cactus. Of the waning breath.

Princess Twilight Sparkle, ruling alicorn of all Equestria, gazed upon this land from the top of a crag. She focused on a singular point in the landscape; a large collection of ruined homesteads and factories. Railways cut swathes through the settlement and snaked off to unseen destinations and the numerous streets and paths of the town lead her eyes to its heart. She could see the skeletal remains of merchant shops, banks, markets, guilds, and taverns. At the center of this commercial district stood a statue, rusted and immemorial, of a pony and a buffalo sharing a pie. Near it, an extinguished campfire still smoldered and let plumes of smoke into the sky, its maker long gone.

Twilight sighed.

Though her reign had lasted for millennia, the past year seemed to have dragged on for hundreds of times longer. Everywhere she looked, she saw reflections of this town. She had hoped that other ponies or creatures remained, but even as she scoured through the first few portions of Equestria, Twilight knew that those hopes were misplaced. It was then, not now, that she found the one truth of the world. What was left of it.

With a flap of her wings, Twilight soared over the rubble and the empty expanse. While she flew, the desert followed. Where once it would give way to different environments, it now embedded itself throughout the lands. Even the great Everfree Forest, notorious for its wild abandon, was indistinguishable from any other place or its former self in this vast wasteland. There was a time when it consumed a majority of the archaic metropolises of the past, but, in these consequential, begotten days, Equestria’s decrepit and grandiose cities boasted branches more numerous and roots that stretched farther than that antediluvian woodland.

Twilight closed her eyes to shield them from the dust as she breached the hanging clouds of dirt. Although the cities of her kingdom were gone, one remained defiant of the desert’s influence. Canterlot’s ruins shone like a star, clean and vivid. Right under the bluff city was a blanket of dusty smog, acting as the ground’s new sky, that appeared to mirror the desert below it. However, no plants or creatures, alive or otherwise, existed in this vast, floating wasteland. Few mountains peaked through it, and Canterlot lorded over these desolate sierras. The alicorn descended into the Royal Capital.

The clopping of hooves echoed through the vacant streets. Each step taken unsettled the pavement and disturbed the dilapidated buildings. A mirthless smile crept on Twilight’s face as she recalled memories of her little ponies crowding around her whenever she travelled through the city. Some would prostrate, others would bump hooves with her, but regardless of how they demonstrated their affection, they all felt indebted to her, the protector of Equestria, the bulwark that allowed them to thrive in an idealistic fantasy of peace and prosperity. And after she greeted her subjects, the many foals would often lead her to the Garden, where she would regale them the tales of her adventures long ago, while the statues of her friends listened quietly.

No voices carried through the streets anymore. Nopony rushed to greet her. No foals were left to inspire.

The Garden still remained.

Twilight entered the sanctuary. The plants and flora were as lively as they were centuries ago despite their loneliness. A majestic gazebo housing the statues of heroes greeted the entrance and had paths that lead from it to the depths of the Garden. The alicorn trotted onto the platform and levitated from hidden tool-sheds a myriad of watering cans filled with magically summoned water. She guided the waters of life with practiced grace, nourishing the plants in record time.

Satisfied with her work, Twilight lounged in the shade of the gazebo, the cool breeze of the Garden, and the comforting gaze of her friends. Today was a special day now that she knew the fate of her homeland. The mare had no reason to leave for places that no longer existed in the present or future. She sighed a breath that carried on from the past. Her mind wandered onto familiar, scattered memories branded with failed attempts as dreams manifested.

Comments

[Mr Unidentified]

Why is this story not more known amongst FimFic?

This is a testament of what Sturgeon's Law is: 90% of everything on this site is not good, but there is that golden 10% that shines through.

This fic is like a lighthouse in a sea of tar.