Twilight watched the sky with growing anxiety and curiosity.

It was already five days into winter, and there was no snow whatsoever. Not even as single flake was granted to the ponies far below, their eager hopes put on ice that would never come.

The lavender unicorn turned away from her window, and looked at her five friends: Spike, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Applejack. Rainbow Dash was helping the other Pegasi organize the snow storm, and couldn't make it to the Winter Snow Welcome that they had made up themselves.

Which had begun five days ago.

Pinkie Pie stopped pacing and directed her glare to Twilight.

"What's taking so long!? I wanna play in the snow!"

Twilight sighed, and walked down the steps, stopping in front of her five disappointed friends.

"I'm afraid," she began with a sigh, "that the snow won't be here this year."

Everypony gasp, and Pinkie Pie pointed a hoof towards the open window.

A cyan Pegasus, her image reduced to a blur as she flew, crashed right through the window, and into the bookshelf at the far end of the library, books and scrolls piling up on the ground near the point of impact.

Twilight cantered over, and magically levitated the pony. She opened her mouth to speak, but soon noticed that Rainbow Dash's coat was singed, and, more importantly, the weather Pegasus was unconscious.

Gulping, she placed her friend on the vacant bed upstairs, examining her various bruises and scrapes. Everypony rushed up the stairs, and Spike jumped on the bed, poking Rainbow Dash in worry.

Pinkie Pie followed suit, effectively splintering the bed's supports as she bounced on it.

"Ohmgoshitygosh! Dashie! She's all cut up! What happened!?"

Twilight shook her head. "I don't know. We'll have to wait until she wakes up..."

Pinkie Pie jumped off, and Rarity applied an embroidered quilt to her friend's unconscious body. "We can't have a friend unconscious without a bit of style...and comfort..." The elegant white unicorn patted her on the shoulder, a feeling of dread heavy on her heart.

Applejack rolled her eyes. "She's fine. She was probably just slackin' off, and just failed a Sonic Rainboom..."

Fluttershy jumped about a centimeter in the air. "Hush, girls! She's waking up!"

Everypony hushed up, Spike crossing his arms at the unfair generalization, but hushing nonetheless. He forgot his qualms as Rainbow Dash released a small grunt, her red eyes slowly opening. Twilight immediately barraged her with questions.

"Rainbow Dash, are you okay!? What happened, where's all the snow!? And why can't you actually land in my bucking library for once!?"

Fluttershy held a hoof up to the unicorn's mouth, and Rainbow Dash managed to squeeze out a staggered sentence.

"It's...horrible...out of...snowflake...designs..."

She immediately sagged back, eyes closed as she went unconscious

Everypony exchanged glances, unsure what to make of the strange news.

Twilight turned to ask Fluttershy an obvious question. "Fluttershy, do you know..."

Her question trailed off, as she was met with silence, and a profound lack of Fluttershy.