Upset at the state of his beloved country, an earth pony by the name of Deciduous decides to fight fire with a hotter, angrier fire. By his reasoning, evil only responds to either a strong-willed good or a far more intimidating evil. All his life Deciduous hasn't been all that great at being good. He has, however, always excelled at trickery and deceit. Such skills are looked down upon in Equestrian society. As gangs, corruption, and dark magic rise in Equestria, Deciduous decides that he is tired of his neighbors living in fear.

He sets out with a mission in mind: be bigger, scarier, and more devious than any other in Equestria. Cow his enemies, earn the wary respect of the government, and get a slice of the pie for himself along the way.

And maybe–just maybe–he'll make some friends along that way.