A platoon of Royal Equestrian Army soldiers returns from a distant mission. Hailed as heroes, the success of Gale Storm and his troops has inspired ponies all across the nation, including Rainbow Dash. In a time when disaster after disaster has eroded confidence in Equestria, with unrest on the rise, Rainbow wonders whether the time is now to enlist, and begin her journey on the road to being a Wonderbolt. Her friends have their doubts, however. With the way things are going in Equestria, a soldier's job is nowhere near as safe as it used to be. As Rainbow grapples with her decision, Twilight Sparkle finds herself drawn, as a representative of the Princess, into the shifting alliances and rivalries of the Equestrian political system. Given a mandate to try and encourage change, and reform among the backwards court of nobles, she meets more obstacles than she had prepared for. All the while, in the shadows, a new kind of enemy lurks, one which nopony in Equestria is truly prepared for...

Hearths Warming Eve celebrates the unification of the Pony Tribes into the harmonious nation of Equestria. The holiday has long been one of reconciliation, happiness, and unity. However, not all ponies revel in this celebration. There are some among each of the races that openly detest unification, and even go so far as to take up arms for their own independence. This year, in the wake of Discord's return and re-imprisonment, one of these groups sees the opportunity to make their name known to the world. Cobalt Crescent, a veteran agent of the Royal Inquiries Bureau, must leave the family he rarely sees to hunt down these terrorists, and stop a plot that threatens to shake the foundations of Equestrian society in more ways than one.

Celestia's guidance has long been the watchward of Harmony in Equestria, under her rule, the realm has never known war, civil strife, famine or plague, and its ponies have remained by and large, pure and morally upstanding. But recently, the world has begun to change. Equestria is drawn into peacekeeping efforts outside its borders, and for the first time in centuries ponies across the land see the coffins of soldiers return to grieving families. Ethnic and cultural tensions between constituent races resurface, and the cracks in this harmonious union of Equines have begun to show. As enemies begin to gather around Equestria, it becomes obvious that the old ways of peace are coming to an end. Sinister and benevolent forces alike gather both without and within, all determined to paint their own future on the canvas of Equestria. Ponies like Gale Storm, a young officer of the Royal Equestrian Army, will have to choose where their loyalties lie, and how far they are willing to go to see their visions of the future realized.
Rated teen for mature themes, violence, and coarse language.