An Earth pony colt grows up taking care of his younger sisters, a Pegasus and a unicorn. As he matures, he learns his worth and gains the best friend he could ever hope to have.
Long, long before Equestria, ponies in that land lived in a number of smaller kingdoms. Princess Essenta, the first daughter of the Dale, sets out to prove herself when her father, the king, sends her on a poorly conceived "suicide mission".