Sweetie Belle, in her boredom, discovers a truckload of cards that were played long ago in a popular trading card game, Skirmish Creatures. Can the Cutie Mark Crusaders find their special talent in... a children's card game???

Nightmare Moon was but an old mare's tale, simple childhood hogwash, and with it the fact that Equestria had once had two princesses. Celestia thinks back on Luna and her eventual descent into madness, descent into a Nightmare.

All is tranquil in Ponyville, until one certain yellow pegasus finally snaps.

Applebloom has always been extremely dedicated to the Cutie Mark Crusaders and always tried the hardest to get her mark, but what's she to do when a retry at an early Cutie Mark attempt lands the filly in the Everfree Forest?  All the while an ancient evil awakens and hides away, plotting his return, before running into a certain earth pony...