Above a Scorched Land
Prologue – Predictions and Prophecies
In the ancient days, back when ponies still roamed the land below, there were two regal sisters who ruled together and created harmony for all the land. To do this, the eldest sister used her magical power to raise the sun and bring about the day, and the younger sister used her own power to raise the moon and paint the firmaments to bring about the night. Thus, the two sisters maintained balance for their kingdom and their subjects, all the different kinds of ponies.
But as time went on, the older sister became jealous. The ponies always praised her sister for the work and artistry she put into her night sky, but never valued her work in stopping the scorching sun from falling down on them. One fateful day, the older sister was consumed by her anger and decided to show the ponies what would happen without her.
She let the Sun fall.
The younger sister tried to reason with her, but the wrath of the elder had transformed her into a mare of unyielding fire: Daybreaker.
She vowed that she would not stop the sun, and burn the land to the ground. Reluctantly, the younger sister harnessed the most powerful magic known to ponydom: the Elements of Harmony. She defeated her elder sister and banished her permanently to the sun that burned with her wrath.
The younger sister took up responsibility for both sun and moon, but her power alone could only stop the sun from falling, not return it to its rightful place. And so the land began to heat up. To save themselves, ponies severed mountaintops, converting them into the floating islands that now dot the sky.
The most powerful mages of the time enchanted them to make sure they would never fall.
Over decades of work, the rivers and lakes that once crossed through the land, were moved below the ground, where the scorching heat of the day could not touch them.
Canterlot, located atop a tall mountain, the only surface city to remain habitable, became the new capital.
The pegasi shared the secret of flight with those that now shared their skies, great mages and inventors adapted it, and so the first airships were built.
As ponies got to know their changed world, they learned first how to survive, and then how to strive.
Harmony was lost, but then found again...