 The series follows a unicorn pony named Twilight Sparkle as her mentor Celestia guides her to learn about friendship in Ponyville . Twilight becomes close friends with five other ponies : Applejack , Rarity , Fluttershy , Rainbow Dash , and Pinkie Pie . In the first part of the episode , a draconequus named Discord escapes from his stone prison and Twilight and her best friends discover that the Elements of Harmony have been stolen . They must retrieve them in order to save Equestria from eternal chaos , but they have to contend with Discord 's mind games first . In part two , Twilight is determined to find the Elements of Harmony after her best friends are hypnotically brainwashed by Discord and all of Equestria begins to fall into disarray . 
