It has been 18 years since Celestia and Luna departed from this world for the next, leaving Twilight Sparkle in charge of Equestria. An old threat has reared it's ugly head, and now she must rise up to stop it.

The problem? She can't. She hates to admit it, Scratch, the Eternal Warden of Tartarus, is right. The Elements of Harmony have left her and her friends, and are ready to pass on to new blood. But who?

Meanwhile, Twilight's niece, Flurry Heart, has been sent to a little town called Ponyville to "Do herself some good" they said. On the train she meets a rather lazy colt who starts to show her around town.

Ponies have been getting more and more violent... They'll jump more quickly to anger than they used to...

And the summer has been unusually cold.