And so, the world once again knew peace. The age of the princesses was ended by two great heroes: Discord, the spirit of Chaos, and Sombra, the King of Shadows, were able to free all of Equestria from their tyranny, and the whole world from their threat.
After the final battle of the war, The Battle of the Crystal Empire, the two led ponykind into a new era of hope. They became the official guardians of peace and prosperity in the world, protecting all creatures, pony or otherwise.
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King Sombra continued his rule in the Crystal Empire, where he was known as a just and fair ruler. He was both willing to deal out swift justice to any wrong-doers that dared to step foot in his domain, and able to show mercy and compassion for those that truly deserved it. Due to his dark magics, he was able to become seemingly immortal, and has watched over the Empire since his original appearance there.
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The king had, at one point, taken a wife from among the crystal ponies. She was said to be incredibly beautiful, and kind. But she did not wish to live out Sombra's endless existence, and chose to instead leave the world when her time naturally came. She died of old age, approximately fifty years after the princesses defeat; Sombra was reported to have been holding her hoof when she died, and has since re-established the Crystal Fair on her birthday, in her honor. While he was grief-stricken by her death, his rule has remained strong and fair.
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Discord, meanwhile, chose to rule in the south. He leads Equestria from Canterlot, a city that he created and attached to the side of a mountain. Despite his position, he refuses to take any formal titles as ruler, and is instead merely referred to as the Spirit of Chaos. He is known for both his eccentric ways, and his fun-loving nature. He rules mostly in name, keeping his citizens safe, yet allowing them the freedom to decide the course of their own lives.
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He is also responsible for raising the sun at dawn, and the moon before the night. While he usually keeps a relatively close schedule, rarely deviating more than an hour from the planned lengths of day and night, he typically switches between the two erratically during holidays. That is why it is all but required to go to sleep early the night before, and why the following 24 hours become so unpredictable.
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The two have kept a close alliance and friendship over the years, dating back to the final battle of the war; their respective countries were officially joined together by a stained-glass window, given as a gift from Sombra to Discord, depicting their battle against the sisters, and celebrating their victory.
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Out of the four races of ponykind, the earth-ponies once again began their ancient professions as farmers. A small town was founded near Canterlot as a result of one such family of farmers, and Ponyville has since grown into one of Equestria's most important settlements.
The crystal ponies also took up their old crafts, creating beautiful artwork and architecture, the likes of which no other creatures can make.
The pegasi became travelers and merchants in the south, no longer needed to control the weather under Discord's rule.
Unicorns, on the other hoof, have become diplomats and entrepreneurs, preferring to stay in more civilized locations.
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During The Battle of the Crystal Empire, the princesses used slaves from many of the other species, forcing them to fight against the crystal ponies. Most were freed after the battle, and returned to their respective homelands. Some, however, remained behind; many griffons settled in the empire, living in the north, and joining Sombra's Crystal Battalions. They formed the original Aerial Brigade, also commonly known as the "Talons."
Most of the other species chose to head for the more temperate lands of Equestria. The minotaurs enjoy being performers, and can work as hard as any earth-pony. The "diamond dogs," as they came to be called, collect and trade precious gems, and are legendary for the wealth hidden in their under-ground dwellings. The dragons, while sticking to their normal migration habits, now frequently head for Canterlot to meet and pay respect to its unusual ruler. There was even a hydra, reported to have settled in Froggy-Bottom Bog, near the Everfree forest, and Ponyville.
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So, the current lands of Equestria and the Crystal Empire came about, overseen by the two great beings...
"Yes, do you have a question?" The teacher, an older mare that was planning to retire in a few years, was referring to a earth-pony colt that had raised his hoof.
"What's a 'being'?" The curious colt had been the first to raise the question, despite not being the only pony to have it.
"Well, a being is kind of like... um... well..." The teacher trailed off, unable to come up with a suitable answer for her young students.
The teacher's assistant, Cheerilee, stepped forward, and explained, "A being is kind of like something that is alive, but not like us. Discord is a spirit, and Sombra is immortal, and a creature of shadows and magic. So while they're both 'alive', they don't fit into the same category as a normal pony does."
A collective "Oooohhhh..." rang from every young pony in the classroom, except for a vanilla colored pegasus filly that was named, ironically, Vanilla. She, rather than paying attention, was trying to sneak out through a window, being caught when the teacher noted her empty desk. She skittered back guiltily, already knowing she was in trouble before the teacher spoke.
"Do you have anything to say for yourself, young missy?"
"... I..." The filly's voice could barely be heard, she was so quiet.
"Yes?"
"... I..." A little bit louder this time, she wasn't whispering as much, and raised her head slightly more.
"Well? Anything else?"
"I NEED TO FLY!" Before the teacher could react, Vanilla had shot past her and out the door, no longer able to restrain herself. While the teacher chased after her, the rest of the students decided to make the most of her absence, crowding around Cheerilee, and asking her more questions about beings, and the two great guardians of their world.
While Vanilla had claimed to be giving in to a very basic pegasus need, she actually needed to escape from a splitting headache; not exactly a good sign, considering what it usually signified. But she wasn't going to be finding any relief, not with her teacher following so close behind. She received a random blast of luck, as a sudden explosion in the sky, followed by a bright rainbow, distracted her pursuer enough to make a get-away.
She would be sure to find whoever had caused the strange event, and thank them. But for now, first things came first, so she quickly darted into an alleyway while no one was looking...
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Big Macintosh saw a younger filly fly out of Ponyville's schoolhouse, chased by the town's current teacher. He moved aside, watching in amusement as the two went by, one in the air and the other on the ground.
Not long ago, he himself had gone to that same school. He had left the town's education system early, despite his excellent grades, so that he could start working sooner.
Well, calling Ponyville a 'town' wasn't exactly accurate. It had grown into a fairly large city over the years since his family had founded it. The ponies that lived their called it a town more out of habit than anything else, now.
Still, it had never managed to lose that small town charm, and most of the resident businesses still sold goods and food at a marketplace in the center of town. Macintosh was headed in that direction at this particular moment, looking to grab a quick bite to eat before heading off to work.
After a small meal, he was ready to go on his way. Well, it was small by his standards. Some ponies nearby were still staring at him and all the food that he had eaten, likely folk that hadn't been in town long enough to have heard about his family, and their famous appetites.
So, with a full belly, the young stallion trotted off in the direction of the Ponyville Train-Station, ready to go to Canterlot...