Ancient Metropolis · 4:45am Feb 14th, 2018
When Discord was defeated and forced to retreat, so was the world. A wave of destruction plowed across the land. Most civilization was wiped out. Some was not.
The city sits in a large caldera. The sides curve up and away too steeply for any pony to climb. Buildings of glass and wood, grown out of trees made for the purpose sit carved out and empty, marvels of earthen magic. The more massive structures sway in the wind that blows above, dead and dry. Without moisture, the husks do not rot, but calcify. Winding roads of packed sand and clay still stand out against the surrounding ground, the leaves that had provided shade now just dust.
All paths lead to the center of the city. A circle of stained tiles makes up a mosaic of an ancient purple alicorn, her eyes half-lidded in concentration. Sand has blown across the courtyard uninterrupted for years, slowly peeling away specific features. Still, a small crown—more a tiara, really—can be made out atop her head.
The runes that had been carved into the edges of the old work of art have not escaped the consequences of erosion either. The few that remain are sunken and distorted, no longer capable of harnessing the vast power of life that had once been so abundant in the city. Its ability to teleport entire crowds across continents is gone, and any circles capable of receiving such a spell are just as broken.
Five more such spots are located throughout the city, equidistant to each other. Each is one-sixth the size of the one in the center of the city, and each depicts a different image. One is a white unicorn with an alluring expression. Another holds the likeness of an orange earth pony in a position of well-deserved rest. The next is a yellow pegasus with a mysterious smile, and after that another earth pony, this one pink, seeming to radiate an irrepressible energy even from cracked and faded tiles. The last such courtyard is broken and charred black. The damage was done by the inhabitants of the city, before the end of the world.
This short piece came out of an attempt to force myself to write description. I gave myself the title, then wrote what came to mind.
