It was picturesque. Warm, calm, pleasant, inviting. It was life as the ponies of the Equestrian Empire knew it. The citizenry's concerns were trivial, the standard of living far beyond anything they'd ever known before. Life was easy, comfortable. All they knew was tranquility and dominance over the lesser species.

Far on the fringe of the known universe, however, lurked a threat to this tranquility. Amidst the pirates, slavers, and marauders stood a pony whose knowledge of the truth of Equestria's history would drive them to strike back, and hatch a plot so insidious it would one day bring war once again to the lands of the Empire.

Prequel to Midnight Rising. Contains spoilers for Midnight Rising.