All that is known about the time before is that the world was a much different place. There were no Unicorns or Pegasi. Only two sentient races lived in the time before, Equines (ancestors of modern day earth ponies) and Lycans (believed to be the ancestors of diamond dogs).
The Equines were very similar to the common day earth pony. They had fairly bland earth like colors and ragged manes, they did not have cutie marks. (It is believed that cutie marks appeared after the creation of the other races) Equines were very muscular and well built, (some modern day earth ponies still hold this trait), they had much difficulty utilizing tools due to primitive movement and hooves and relied heavily on the Lycans for complected tasks.
However despite the inability to use tools the Equines had immense strength and could overcome obstacles more than twice their size. The Equine government was a form of monarchy, members of a blood line would have absolute control of the herds actions, though good relations with the Lycans was a priority and the Lycans often abused this to manipulate the Equine.
The Lycans were a fearsome race of bipedal canines resembling wolves though research has shown they are more related to modern day diamond dogs. Lycans had specialized appendages that allowed them to use tools and complete tasks that would be impossible for even a modern day earth pony.
These appendages protruding from the paws dubbed "thumbs" are a common argument for the existence of humans. "If they had thumbs who's to say that some thing with hands couldn't exist."- A.T.S.H.(Association of The Study of Humans) activist Lyra Heartstrings.
The Lycans had a system of government similar to the buffalo tribes and is considered to even be the inspiration of it. They used their evolutionary advantages to threaten and manipulate the Equine who would be left helpless to the elements with out the ability to build shelters or apply medical assistance.
Both species worked hard to survive in this strange world. With out magic weather was uncontrollable, storms, tornadoes, floods, and other natural disasters wrecked havoc across the world. But worse of all was the disorder of night and day.
It is not known how the Alicorns came to this world or even where they came from. They appeared as if from no where, 82 in all, but not as the Alicorns you know now.
They appeared as clouds of magical energy , they could take a loose shapes of animals, ponies, and even creatures the Equines and Lycans had never heard of. The two leaders of the alicorns,Solaris and Nebulis, requested that one of the races give them 82 of their dead so that they may take physical form and in exchange they would use their powers to sustain the world and make it a more inhabitable place.
The Lycans being suspicious of the alicorns and their strange ways refused,but the equines being the worse off of the two races were tired of depending on the Lycans and agreed. Infusing themselves with the bodies of the Equine the alicorns took a form similar to their hosts but much larger and with horns and wings, keeping their promises the alicorns from then on used their powers to control the weather and day cycles. Life was brought to the world, crops grew and animals thrived, but not all was peaceful.