Infiltrate

by Nevermore

Chapter 5

Scootaloo

Have you ever felt pain? I'm sure most of us have. But have you experienced extreme pain, like losing a loved one? Or losing a limb?

The latter was what I was experiencing. I had been stabbed by some unearthly ice. I could feel my skin moving, rippling every time it encountered warmth. It was just as uncomfortable as I was.

At some point in our trek to find our friend, Twilight had levitated me on to her back.

I yelped as my foreleg touched Twilights coat. The warmth of her body seared my flesh.

We were thundering down a riverbank in the direction that we thought Applejack to be. Most of what happened on the train was a blur to me. My mind could only focus on the pain. I vaguely remember being lifted out of a train car, and I remember snips of a fight between sompony and Applejack. The rest is just a blur.

We continued trotting. Each bump set fire to my leg. I yelped when they came. Every bump made me hang on to Twilight that much tighter. Eventually, Twilight had to make me let go to prevent me from choking her.

I writhed as my skin burned. I fell off of Twilights back to the ground. I saw Applebloom and Sweetie Belle run to me. They said something I couldn’t understand, as my vision faded.

I awoke beside a campfire. I could see nopony, partially because it was night. Even though the fire gave light, it was as if the night was swallowing the light up. I curled up in my blanket.

Wait.... A blanket? When did we get a blanket?

I turned to the sound of clopping hooves. I saw Twilight and Applejack and...... Zecora?

I jumped up, only to be thrust down by the ever present pain in my leg.

"Stay still little one." Zecora said."The pain you've endured is second to none."

"W-w-what?" I stammered." How did we get here? When did we find you? Where are the others?" I pointed a hoof at AJ.

"We discovered her shortly after you passed out." Twilight said. "She carried you here. Your friends are back in Ponyville."

"Whoa..... How long have I been out?" I asked.

"For just a few hours." Twilight replied. "As soon as we found Applejack, we rushed here. We explained to Zecora what happend, and we took the others home while Zecora did her work. But the good news is, your leg has started to heal." she continued.

"The nasty bite you recived, at first I could not belive." Zecora said in her rhymy way. ''A creature I thought long vanquished, has caused you this anguish. "

"Come again?" I said. I was still groggy from being asleep for so long.

"We know whos attackin' Equestria." AJ said, a steely look on her face.

"Are you farmiliar with the Hearth's Warming Eve tale?" Twiight asked me, turning toward the fire.

I nodded. "We go to it every year."

"Well what may have sounded like a story, is actually true. A visious tribe of pegasi from our native land are invading." She began to pace. "When we found AJ, she had the pegasus she chased tied to a tree. I used a Truth spell on him, and he confessed."

She paused, then looked at me. "How is your leg?" She asked.

'What did she use for rope...?Wait....What?' I thought. Talk about out of the blue.

"It still hurts." I pulled up the blanket to see my leg for the first time.

There was a massive red scar where the blue had been. Parts of my skin were scabbed over, leaving a really nasty wound.

My head reeled.

"What was it?" I asked.

"Hmm..... How do I say this nice?" Zecora said." A reaction to the ice. The frost of the hail, would have surely made your body, and heart, fail."

"What she's tryin to say sugar-cube," AJ said, stepping forward." When the shards of ice peirced your skin, liquid ice was injected inta your system, causing your skin to writhe, and move. When y'all encountered warmth, the frozen skin would melt, sendin’ all kinds of pain signals to your brain."

"So... It would’ve slowly frozen my body?" I asked. I didnt realize how close I was to dying.

"Eventually, yes. And if you encountered any warmth at all, your body wouldve liquified, leaving nothing." Twilight said.

"I managed to slow the pain, but I fear you will not receive gain." Zecora said.

"Zecora's right." Twilight replied." We need to get you to Canterlot Hospital as quickly as possible."

"What’s wrong with Ponyville General?" I asked, confused.

"We aren’t just going to Canterlot for the hospital," Twilight said with a smile," We are going to see the Princesses as well."

"Why would they want to see us?" I asked in confusion.

"We were there." Twilight stated." At Fillydelphia I mean." She turned to face me.

"You are the only pony living who has felt the ice." She said with a grim look.

I felt a lump in my throat.

"How many...?" I asked,voicing my thoughts. My voice shook.

"About a quarter of the population of Fillydelphia.." Twilight said with obvious strain." Equestria has been at peace for so long, they didn't know what to do..."

"Thats enough of that!" AJ said, stepping up." There is no need to scare the poor filly!" She gave me a kind look. "Y'all just get some sleep naow. We'll head for Canterlot in the morning." She gave me a warm smile.

That made me feel better. I just had one question.

"Twilight?" I asked timidly.

She stopped, and turned.

"Yes?"

"Do you think..... you could take me home to my family? I'll bet they are worried."

Her eyes widened.

"You mean..." She started."..... teleportation?" I nodded.

"I don't know.. ..That's a long ways away..."

"If you don't want to... that's ok." I said with a dejected tone.

She smiled at me. her horn started to glow, and a bubble started developing around us. I shut my eyes in the instant before it happened. With a bright flash, we were gone.