When Spike was still a baby dragon, Celestia confronted a deadly disease. Desperate to find a cure, Twilight did some horrible things. More than one thousand years later, Spike is still having illusions and nightmares about Twilight.
Philomena lived with Princess Celestia for as long as she can remember. Equestria changed over thousands of years, all of the generations, all the new inventions... but Philomena also saw Equestria decay as fast as it developed.
Two days after the Changeling attack on Canterlot, Blossom Heart has been experiencing nightmares every night. She is filled with guilt for the death of her Dad during the siege, and only Luna and her mom can bring Blossom Heart back to sanity.
A fearless blizzard arrived in Equestria during the summer, catching everypony off guard. The only safe locations are the cities, but some ponies didn’t make it in time. Ponyville sends out the first search party to look for survivors.