As the group started walking through the Frozen North, it was freezing out but the group felt at least some warmth since they were all in warm clothes. The snow under their hooves was about a foot deep and a chilly wind blew in their faces. Twilight did her best to read the map as they walked. They all agreed it would be best to stay together as a group since none of them knew this area well and they no clue what creatures may be out here. Rarity adjusted her scarf as she was walking by Applejack who was trying to not lose her hat as the wind kept almost blowing it off.
Applejack put her hoof on her hat to hold it still. "How much longer do we have to walk Twilight?"
Fluttershy shivered a little. "I hope not long. We have been walking for awhile it will be night soon."
Twilight looked up from the map. "There should be a cave somewhere."
Pinkie pie pulls out a pair of pink binoculars and looks around, seeing nothing but snow that was blowing. "I don't see anything yet."
Rainbow dash sighed. "I could fly ahead and see if I can see it."
Twilight shook her head. "That would be a bad idea. We wouldn't want to get separated."
Spike nodded. He had spent their whole time walking not saying much. He looked at the white crystal then looked at his friends. "Twilight's right. If we get separated then we would be wasting time. Let's just stay together. "
Rainbow dash nods. "Ok."
Rarity adjusted her scarf once more. "I say once we find that cave we try to get warm. Its freezing out here."
"Its colder than a ice cream cone in a freezer." Applejack added.
Twilight nods. "Thats right for sure. Pinkie do you see a cave yet. There should one around here if I'm reading the map right."
Pinkie pie bounces around in circles as she looks through her binoculars once more. She sees a grey cave that seemed big enough to hold them all. "I see it girls. " She points her hoof at it.
"Yay!" Fluttershy cheered.
"Good job Pinkie." Spike said.
Pinkie gave a salute. "Just doing my job."
The group headed to the cave. Once they got in they saw that it was a big cave with a high ceiling and the ground was cold. They all started to unpack their things. Twilight unpacked a few of the scrolls that contained Sarah's journals. Pinkie pie unpacked a cake and ate it. Rarity was setting up her tent because she refused to sleep on the ground in case it was dirty. Applejack unrolled a sleeping bag and pulled out a blanket telling her drama queen of a friend that a little dirt never hurt no pony. Fluttershy didn't unpack her bags as she saw an ice blue colored bat and was quietly talking to it.
"Why hello my friend. What's your name?" Fluttershy said quietly.
The bat made a sort of chirping and beeping sound and Fluttershy nodded.
"Thats a nice name. It's great to meet you Echo. Have you lived here often?" The yellow pegasus
asked.
Echo the bat nodded and made several more chirping and beeping sounds.
Fluttershy nodded once more. "All your life you say. That must be interesting. "
Echo chirped once more.
Rainbow dash looked over at Fluttershy. "Who are you talking to Fluttershy?"
"A ice bat. His name is Echo." Fluttershy said.
"A BAT!!! Don't yet it come near me. I could get rabies. " Rarity cried.
"I'll protect you Miss Rarity, if that bat comes near you I'll be here." Spike said.
Rarity smiled at her dragon friend. "If you could do that for me dear you would be a real hero for me."
Spike nodded. "Yeah..I'll be your hero..." He looked at the white crystal thinking about how Sarah acted as his hero.
Echo made several noises then waved his ice blue wing at Fluttershy before he flew out of the cave.
Fluttershy smiled. "Don't worry. Echo said he was going to leave and search for some food. I hope he finds some. "
"If he stays far away from me then I'll be fine." Rarity said as she went inside her tent.
Twilight was reading the journals not paying attention to what her friends where doing. She found them very interesting. Twilight knew that Sarah was kept alive with the help of Sombra's magic but reading the journal entry about it opened her eyes to the dragon Sarah was. She really never wanted to go along with Sombra's plan at all. As she read the journal entry it made her wonder why her egg was left in the snow. Why wasn't it in a cave? Did Sarah have anypony searching for her egg. Once she finished she saw Pinkie pie sitting in a snow chair she made with a bubble pipe in her mouth. It made Twilight chuckle and then she went back to her reading.
The group soon fell asleep some time later but Spike was still up. As the wind blew, he looked outside the cave seeing only white. Spike had headed outside but knew he shouldn't. He didn't why but he had this strange feeling that something was calling him. He thought maybe it was Sarah. He walked out into the snow and after several minutes he rubbed his eyes as he thought he saw a beautiful mare. She looked even more beautiful than his lady Rarity who he loved dear to his heart. The mare looked like she had very pale white coat. Spike thought that it might have even looked transparent. The mare's mane was long and black as she wore a simple white robe that looked as if it could barely keep her warm. "Who is that beauty? She must be cold. Is she lost? Hey you!"
The mare turned to him. "Hello"
Spike looked at her. "Are you cold? Its freezing out here. " He held out the scarf he wore.
The mare shook her head. "No I am fine. You know you shouldn't be out in the Frozen North alone. It is quite dangerous."
Spike nodded. "I know. I'm searching for somepony. Why are you here?"
"I guess you can say I'm searching for somepony as well." The mare grinned.
Meanwhile back in the cave. Applejack woke up not seeing anywhere. "Where did that dragon head off to this time. I hope he didn't have to head to the little dragons room. " She started to wake the others getting them up only took a minute or two.
When they got up Fluttershy said. "I hope he is alright."
Twilight nods. "I hope so too, we better go out to look for him."
"Lets hope we don't get lost." Rainbow dash said.
They all nod and soon everypony was back out in the freezing cold. They started their search calling Spike's name. Twilight wondered why Spike went out. He knew how dangerous this place is.
Back with Spike and the mysterious mare they were still talking to each other as if they had know each other for awhile.
"Really who are you looking for? "Spike asked the mare.
The mare moved her hoof through her long black mane. "You.." As she spoke her breath looked blue and it started to slowly coat Spike.
"Me..." Spike said as he started to shiver and suddenly the white crystal dimly glowed but Spike didn't seem to notice as he was to distracted be the beautiful mare. As it glowed Sarah's voice seemed to quitely speak in his mind. Spike run... Before he could run or even wonder if that was really Sarah's voice, the mare spoke once more.
The mare smiled. "Yes, you.." Her icy breath soon froze him solid.
In the skies Echo the ice bat Fluttershy had made friends with had just eaten and was heading back to the cave. He saw what was happening and recognized Spike. He quickly flew to the mane six to tell them. He soon found them. Echo sat on Fluttershy's shoulder and started to make his chirping beeping sounds telling her what he saw.
Fluttershy gasped hearing what the bat was telling her. "Spike's in trouble. Echo said that a beautiful mare had frozen him. We must hurry."
"A MARE! She is going to get it for freezing our Spike. " Rarity said.
Applejack nodded. "Lets go y'all."
They nodded and with Echo leading them. They soon ended up by Spike and the mare. Spike looked like a popsicle.
Twilight looked angry. "Get away from Spike. " Her horn glowed as she was ready to use all of her alicorn powers on this mare.
The mare frowned and looked at the group. Her eyes struck fear into them.
Rainbow dash shook off the feeling and glared. "You mess with our friend so that means we are going to get you."
Fluttershy nodded. "If thats ok with you that is..."
Pinkie pie randomly pulled out a pie ready to throw it.
Rarity glared at the mare. "You messed with the wrong ponies now leave."
The mare felt threaten and disappeared into a cloud of mist.
Twilight used her magic to levitate the frozen Spike. She looked around at the ground only seeing Spike's claw tracks and the groups own hoof prints. "Hmm it seems like she has no hoof prints."
"How strange." said Fluttershy.
Applejack nodded. "Lets get back to the cave and defrost our dragon."
Twilight nodded and they soon headed back to the cave. On the way back Rainbow dash looked at Fluttershy. "I guess making friends with that bat really did help us."
Fluttershy nodded and pet Echo. "It sure did."
Rarity nodded and looked at the ice bat. "I suppose I was wrong about you."
Echo flew to Rarity and smiled.
When they got back to the cave, Twilight used her magic to teleport some wood and started a fire. She set Spike down and the others brought over the blankets and covered him up to help melt the ice melt faster. Pinkie went straight to her snow chair and tried to keep it together as it was melting. "NOOOO!!!" The group chuckled.
After a few minutes the ice was all melted and Spike was awake telling the girls what have happened. "And then I swear I heard Sarah's voice but before I could do anything the mare spoke and I guess I was frozen..."
"I wonder who that mare was." Fluttershy said.
"Me too." Applejack said with a nod.
Twilight thought for a minute, hearing Spike tell his tale. "I think you just met somepony called a Yuki-onna. In the legends I read they spoke of a beautiful mare who appears to travelers trapped in snowstorms, and uses her icy breath to leave them as frost-coated corpses. Other legends I have read say she leads them astray so they simply die of exposure. "
"I can see why this place is so dangerous now." Spike said. "I had no idea that somepony like that could live here." He shivered for a minute.
Twilight nods. "Yes that is why we must stay together. If we continue to do that and follow the map we are bound to find Sarah."
Spike smiles. "Yeah your right. I guess some how Sarah was trying to warn me.."
"Im sure of it Spike. Lets get some sleep." Rarity said.
Spike nods looking at the white crystal. "Yeah good night."
Soon everypony were wrapped up in blankets, sleeping bags and laying in tents if they felt like it was needed. Spike was covered up feeling cozy letting the warmth of the fire warm up the rest of his chills and soon he was drifting into sleep.