This is the tale of King Sombra's rise to power, as told from the viewpoints of the ponies closest to him.

After watching their daughter struggle at school in Canterlot, Shining Armor and Cadence send their daughter to live with her aunt's family in Ponyville.

When meek and soft-spoken Gracie-Lee Swallow is put in charge of reforming former criminal Seth Entropy, sparks fly. Of course, that's probably because Seth tends to make random things spontaneously combust.