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// Prologue 
// Story: Twilight's Kingdom of Steam 
// by Darthvalgaav 
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Far to the south of Equestria, there is a chain of mountains that are nestled close to those that house Griffinstone. The territory that these mountains occupy is a vast expanse, almost equal to an entire country unto themselves. Many creatures, both pony and non-pony alike, have mapped them over for as long as can be remembered and have estimated that the area is 280,000 square miles. It is an area that, at many points in history, has grabbed the attention of all races who know of its existence. Stories and rumors have been told about what these mountains could be hiding away from the rest of the world. Many explorers dream of ancient cities waiting to be explored and to have their names cemented in the history books for their findings. Some creatures who are more greedy agree that there could be ancient cities hidden on these peaks only made of solid gold just waiting to be pillaged. From there the stories become more varied. A treasure trove of ancient magical artifacts that were considered too powerful for the rest of the world. A massive hoard of a now dead dragon whose bones rest on top a pile of gems and gold. The home of dark creatures who were banished there, waiting for some fool to set them free. Rocks. Yet to this day, this area of the world remains unexplored.


These mountains are far from calm by any standard. For as long as there has been documented reports within the region, this mountain range has had an eternal storm raging around it. Dark clouds surround its numerous peaks as lightning dances in the air. The high winds, hail, and snow make it impossible for any creature with wings to fly through. Many have, sadly, tried to do just that either in an effort to discover what lies within or as a badge of honor. Griffons and Wonderbolts have tried countless times over the last thousand years or more only to never be heard from again. A few times a greedy dragon has attempted this as well only to be seen falling to the elements.


There have been a few who have thought to try and fly above the storm only to achieve the same results. The last one to try was a pegasus within the proud ranks of the Wonderbolts. Like many before her, she had flown next to the dark mass of clouds ready to make a ninety degree turn once she had reached its peak. However, when she was nearing such a point the air began to grow dangerously thin while noticing frost appearing on her feathers. Still she pressed on until these extreme conditions caused her to pass out and fall down to the earth below. It was only a miracle that she came to at the last moment or else she would have been unable to tell a soul how pointless it was.


Even the Diamond Dogs have tried their own method. For months on end they dug into the earth, hoping this would be easier. However the rocks were far too hard for their paws and not enough of their precious gems along the way for it to be considered worth it. In the end, they abandoned their attempts having only scratched the surface. Perhaps this makes them the smartest out of all.


There is only one other way to get in, deceptively simple while being the most dangerous. There is a pass, a straight line a mile wide that goes into the valley and into what looks like a plain nestled within the mountain range. This too was a death sentence, for it is the most heavily area bombarded by lightning strikes. There, the ground remains forever scorched and singed. Not even the bones of those fools who have tried to enter remain. Unicorns have tried their shield spells and teleportation only to be met with failure. On record there has been only one reported survivor; Princess Celestia from one thousand years ago. Yet not even her mighty shield was powerful enough to allow her to reach a tenth of the way towards the valley on the other side.


As time went by, a small Equestrian town was built near this pass. This town holds an historic inn which has chronicled all of the visitors who have tried to enter the mountain range. Thankfully, those fools have grown smaller in number as time has marched on, and now serves as a place for the tourists who wish to see it instead. Those that live there full time have grown used to the sound of constant thunder in the background.


Recently, however, things have changed. According to those living in that small town, the storm has grown weaker. The strikes of lightning have visibly diminished along the pass. What is even more shocking is how suddenly this has happened. One would expect that the storm would grow weaker over time, noticeable only when you looked at a chart or the like. However, to those living in the town, they could see it happening before their eyes over the course of a few years.


Then one night, two years before the return of Nightmare Moon, something came out of the pass. It was spotted by a young couple on a late night stroll. The figure looked almost like a pegasus carrying something in its forehooves. But that was all they could see in the light of the full moon before it flew off into the distance towards Canterlot. After that, the couple ran to tell everypony they could about what they had seen which gained a mixture of responses. Most scoffed at the idea that anything could come out of the pass. Those that didn’t saw this as a dark omen for what was to come in the future.


Time passed on. As the storm began to grow weaker, those who dwelt in that tiny village heard about things happening all over the country. They heard about the return of Nightmare Moon and of Princess Luna. The newspaper printed how the nation had become the grand central station of chaos due to the release of Discord followed swiftly by his defeat. News of a royal wedding and near invasion of Canterlot turned many heads, but not as much as the news of a new kingdom appearing out of nowhere in the frozen north. Then, shortly after the celebrations had died down after the crowning of Equestria’s newest princess, something else came out of the pass.