Hoofington is, to most ponies, a fine place to live. A decent-sized city, with rural and urban areas; all sorts of businesses to provide whatever its citizens could desire; top-notch weather control, despite being located so close to the dangerous and unstable Everfree Forest; and a penchant for welcoming ponies with open arms.

But, for some ponies of Hoofington, those open arms are only for their idea of a "pony". And those perceptions are a bit more specific than some would prefer. Some, indeed, who have decided to group together and fight back, earning the respect never given to them simply because of one of many things they could not control. However, when their actions earn them titles such as "back alley gang" and "teenage ruffians", it's hard to tell who the real good guys are…

Caught in the crossfire between all this is Autumn Equinox, a young unicorn mare still in school. The arrival of a new, exotic student in her class begins to unravel a bit of a problem for her; suspicious connections come to light between this "gang activity" and the ponies she tries to call friends. Whose side will she be on? And whatever her decision is, how will it affect her life?