Long, long before Equestria, ponies in that land lived in a number of smaller kingdoms. Princess Essenta, the first daughter of the Dale, sets out to prove herself when her father, the king, sends her on a poorly conceived "suicide mission".
An Earth pony colt grows up taking care of his younger sisters, a Pegasus and a unicorn. As he matures, he learns his worth and gains the best friend he could ever hope to have.
Twilight Sparkle meets a pony by the name of Nova Shine who occupies a position as Princess Luna's Night Apprentice. While fighting a shadowy enemy that wants them both dead, they also have to deal with something much worse than that: each other.
It can be said that what Tempest’s old friends did was cruel. Contemplating everything, Tempest is left wondering if she’s really any better, and if it’s time to return home.