A Fall, Unnoticed

The lone mare makes her way through the ancient road, now overgrown with vines and thorny bushes. There is no birdsong so deep in the woods, only silence and the weight of memories. In the dim light of a small and waxing moon, her unblemished white coat seems to darken and take on the shades of blue and green reflected off of the surrounding desolate scenery.

She has walked the same path many times, her hooves carrying her to her destination without conscious effort. Every once in a while, a wispy, long-extinguished ember glows somewhere in the ruins. She ignores them; they’re not really there and haven’t been for centuries. Nopony aside from her remembers the flames anymore.

The mare decides that’s alright. It’s not like she’ll forget them.

Since her last visit, an aged tree has fallen and destroyed the roof of yet another house. Some things were not made to last. The forest is reclaiming the town, striking it from the map just as she struck it from ponykind’s memory. Soon enough, only the towering castle will remain.

And that would also be alright. After all, it’s never been about the city, has it?

In other places and occasions, she’d be Celestia, the Princess of Equestria, the ruler of the most influential kingdom in the world. Maybe she could also be Celestia, the Dawnbringer, who makes the Sun rise every morning. But here, she was neither of those things. She was just an old mare taking a walk.