While on a field trip at an Equestrian military landmark, Twilight comes across some strange substance scattered amongst the tower debris, and goes to tell the Princess about it. There she is told by Celestia that the substance has to do with a war that has been covered up by the rulers of Equestria so nopony would know of such a dark past. Twilight desperately wants to know, so Celestia gives her all the records needed to learn about the "War of the Equestrian First Reign"...