"To answer your question, no, they are in critical condition. Despite our best efforts, we expect that in less than forty-eight hours their body temperature will drop to a level that’s incompatible with life."

After Sunny Starscout and her friends restored magic and united the pony tribes once more, roads were built between the cities and a treaty was signed proclaiming a union between the three tribes, granting the right to all ponies to freely move and live in whichever part of the fledgling Equestrian Union they wanted.

The resulting economic and population boom forced the newly-forged nation to glance outwards at the massive stretches of unclaimed land that laid at their hooves. Soon teams of pegasus pioneers ventured outside the borders to broaden their horizons.

All seemed well, until one day a team arrived home in distress from their northward journey. Their rapidly-weakening bodies were covered in frost that didn't seem to melt, even though it was the middle of summer. None of them could give a good explanation what happened, other than that they experienced something terrible up north. Fearing the worst, the government decided that further investigation is necessary into this concerning phenomenon and there is only one group of ponies, who can fulfill this task.