This is the story of Everchange, passed down by... well, someone!
Keep in mind not all might be accurate, as it's a tale passed for centuries from word of mouth.
The world started as a lonely planet, lacking anything of merit or worth to differentiate it from the other lifeless and cold planets floating in space. It just was, and had been for thousands and thousands of uncalculatable years, fated for absolutely nothing.
Until it appeared.
The rift in time and space arrived without a warning, splitting the very fabric of space in the blink of an eye and depositing her. She, who had come from somewhere far away and untethered to the universe she found herself in. A small alicorn found herself alone on this planet, so she did what any new stranger does when they find themselves in a mysterious land; she walked.
She walked and walked and walked and walked and walked and walked. Until she couldn't anymore. Until the years had turned into decades and the decades turned into centuries. Until she found herself ragged and worn and laid down for a sleep she had more than earned, hoping that, perhaps, she'd wake from this nightmare and finally find a soul or friend to brighten the cold nights.
She did not wake again.
Instead, something else happened. From where she laid a tree sprouted, glittering like a thousand stars as it coiled tightly around her, shielding the sleeping alicorn from the vast emptiness surrounding her. As the tree sprouted so did grass, and with grass came a warmth the planet had never felt before as light erupted across the sky. Slowly, over the course of years, the planet welcomed growth, and still she slept, blissfully unaware of what blossomed around her. The very world she had longed for began to flourish, yet she was encased within a kingdom of crystal that had birthed from her tree, peacefully locked within a dream only she could know.
And those dreams birthed so much more. Oceans, mountains, deserts, plains; they appeared as unexpectedly as she once had, designed right out of a storybook. Her dreams created a planet bursting with opportunity, but it lacked someone to enjoy it. Her dreams began to shift, and with that came the animals. Birds, deer, mice -- the planet populated with creatures of all kinds. It was almost perfect. Almost complete.
And then the earth ponies arrived.
The same rift that had dropped the sleeping alicorn arrived yet again upon the planet it had changed forever, dropping a hundred adult earth ponies at the foot of her crystal kingdom. Defenseless, confused, and without a memory of their own of who they were or where they had come from, they set out in the world and began civilization.
The world was an everchanging one, constantly shuffling and throwing its inhabitants into new trials and challenges as her dreams warped the planet around her. Her dreams could erase towns, create monsters, change the very logic of reality -- the world was at the mercy of her fantasies, threatened by the dreams of a lonely alicorn who had no understanding of what she had created.
She dreamed of stability and it came. Four alicorns woke beside her, each feeling a deep power within them she did not possess. One was the alicorn of Winter, who ran off into the north, where the world grew bitter cold and snow could be found wherever one stepped. Another was the alicorn of Summer, who left to the south, where the warmth of the sun could be best felt. A third was the alicorn of Spring, who took to the east, residing in a land of plants and rain. Lastly, the final one was the alicorn of Fall, who settled in the west, where the trees bore many colors and a crisp wind rattled through the land.
Lesser alicorns were born next, left at the foot of the kingdom like their earthly brethren. Gifted with domains that anchored the concepts of the world into reality, they tethered the world in place, resisting most of the dreams of its creator. Unicorns and pegasus' found themselves born shortly after, and with them came a great leap in technology and civilization. Ponies began to explore the world and conquer it as their Four Queens ensured their safety, even if some didn't quite enjoy the task they had been given.
Ponies of various and unique breeds began appearing over time, also deposited right at the foot of the crystal kingdom but welcomed by generations of those with experience. The Four Alicorns named their lands similar to themselves; Winter's Breath, Summer's Touch, Spring's Rain, and Fall's Harvest. Eventually, they named their world Everchange.
Centuries have passed and Everchange still grows. Named The Dreamer by her grateful subjects, the sleeping alicorn remains protected within her castle, never seen or disturbed.
The Four Alicorns, a name they use to refer to the original seasonal alicorns who rule Everchange, govern their respective lands and work as a unit. Everchange has five major sections to the world; Winter's Breath, Summer's Touch, Spring's Rain, Fall's Harvest, and Dream Valley. Each location has various towns, cities, and notable places within them.
The four seasonally named locations are perpetually in their respective weather for that season, although as the months pass each region's weather wax and wane in intensity. The fifth region, Dream Valley, is a neutral territory with seasons that adjusts depending on the month (which follows the Northern Hemisphere schedule on Earth). All regions can be freely traveled and are in good standing with one another currently, despite which ruler the region belongs to.
All ponies are born with a natural seasonal alignment that doesn't have to be the same as their parents. It's completely random what a child will end up having. The second they are born their seasonal alignment is assigned. Below are the alignments:
Winter: When within a territory where winter is present, they will feel stronger, have an easier time with magic, and are healthier. They grow naturally uncomfortable in places ruled by summer. Winter ponies have a harder time feeling cold, however, they get warm quicker than others. Those born under the winter alignment often give off a colder temperature.
Summer: When within a territory where summer is present, they will feel stronger, have an easier time with magic, and are healthier. Summer ponies grow naturally uncomfortable when placed in locations ruled by winter. Those born under the summer alignment often give off a warmer temperature.
Spring: When within a territory where spring is present, they will feel stronger, have an easier time with magic, and are healthier. Spring ponies naturally grow uncomfortable when placed in locations with harsher climates.
Fall: When within a territory where fall is present, they will feel stronger, have an easier time with magic, and are healthier. Fall ponies naturally grow uncomfortable when placed in locations with harsher climates.
