Equestria's beloved ruler, Princess Celestia, Goddess of the Sun and Monarch of the Day begins to look on all that she has created. Together with her loving sister Luna, she created a boundless paradise that united ponies of all kinds under a glorious and prosperous society.
However, during an unexpected and unprovoked attack on the Palace, a single pony stood between the Sun Goddess and her would-be assassin, a Changeling infiltrator. The lowly guard pony gave his life to protect his queen, and it was then that Celestia realised the price of life, and how very precious it is. Unable to bear the guilt of the guard's sacrifice, Celestia finds solice in the only pony she knew the guard best, and one who she knows would understand her - her guard captain, Shining Armour.

Long ago, when the world was still young, Discord ruled the land that would become Equestria. Into the world the Creators placed two regal sisters, Celestia and Luna, to banish the lord of chaos and bring harmony and balance to the land. But there was one other who the Creators placed in with the two alicorns, one who was banished from Equestria and locked beneath the fiery earth to rule over Tartarus.
This is the tale of his dark revenge against those who he believes have wronged him, his two sisters...Celestia and Luna. This is the story of the return of the princesses' dispossesed brother...Novus, alicorn of the stars.