Chapter 6

As Nightmare flew away Rainbow looked to Pinki Pie.

"Nightmare Darkness… he's kinda scary looking and all. But might not be a bad pony." She set to flying just a few feet of the ground as she looked at Twilight leading the rest.

"What happened? We saw you chasing something into the Everfree forest what was it?" She asked

"A pony, well a pegasus pony goes by the name Nightmare Darkness. He helped Pinki and me get out of a tight spot with timber wolves…" she said rasing her hoof. Twilight looked concerned for a moment.

"Nightmare Darkness… sounds like trouble." She reasoned.

"Did yall say Nightmare Darkness. I had a run in with that pony at Apple Blooms club house. They were making him a member of their cutie mark crusaders, and surprisingly he didn't have a cutie mark. Oddest thing." She said looking perplexed.

"Yea and he talked all weird like Zecora. Rhyming and stuff…" Rainbow dash said. Fluttershy walked up to Twilight.

"I think I saw him just after I got my delivery for medicine from Zecora. He was really fast and going into the Everfree forest." She shuttered looking at the forest.

"He was nice and I think we should have a very pinki pie party inviting him!" Pinki put in. Rarity looked concerned as Sweety belle must have met this Nightmare character.

"Let's talk to the girls and get their story on him and see if we can get to the bottom of this." Rarity asked. Twilight nodded.

"Rarity, Apple Jack, and Rainbow dash go get the girls and meet us back at my tree." She ordered. Rainbow gave a salute with her hoof and went to find Scotaloo. Rarity and Apple Jack nodded at the same time and went to get Apple Bloom and Sweety Belle.

In Twilights tree she was pacing left and right as she considered all the information about this Nightmare Darkness.

"Spike." She said as he hopped up from sitting on the stairs.

"Yes Twilight?" he asked grabbing a scroll and quill.

"Make a Note to Princess Celestia. Dear Celestia we have had a new pony appear in ponyville who resides in the Everfree forest but is not Zecora if there is anything you might know about such a pony living there please let me know. Your faithful student Twilight Sparkle." She finished.

"Faithful student…Twilight Sparkle." He finished it and rolled it up and held it up and exhaled a jet of green flame sending the message directly to the Princess. Fluttershy was tending to Angel the bunny as she was asking it if he wanted a carrot. Pinki Pie was stuffing her face with a cupcake then looked to both of them

"Here have a cupcake." She said smiling.

"No th." Twilight was silenced with a cupcake and she chewed and wiped the extra icing from her face. Fluttershy shook her head.

"I…I can't I'm full thanks." She said timidly.

"Oh suit yourself." she said presenting a cake and devouring it in one bite and smiled licking her lips then her tummy rumbled.

"AH Supper time!" she said pulling out more pastries.

"Pinki it's in the afternoon." Twilight pointed out.

"That's exactly whi I need supper now and I'll have a late snack later." She pointed. Twilight rolled her eyes as she shook her head. That's Pinki pie for you. There was a knock on her door and spike answered it letting in Rarity, Apple Jack, Rainbow Dash followed by the three crusaders who looked like they were ready for a lecture.

"Girls we need to ask you a few questions about your newest…member." Twilight asked as softly as she could. Scotaloo and Sweety Belle looked at Apple Bloom and she frowned.

"We don't know anythin… And even if we did we wouldn't betray a fellow Crusader." She said stubbornly only to be met with the glare of her older sister as well as all of their eyes staring at them. Scotaloo was sweating under the pressure then her eyes began to dart around.

"HesapegasusthatislivingintheforestthathasbeentherelongerthenZecora, 'sbecausehewasreallyweakforsomereasonandwesawthathedidn'thaveacutiemarksoweinvitedhimtocometojoinourclubandthenafterthatwegavetheinitiationtohavehimbecomeacutie mark crusader!" She finished breathing heavily to gain back her breath after spilling it all. Rainbow dash looked at her.

"Scotaloo!" Apple Bloom and Sweety belle said simultaneously.

"Girls now it's not good to lie to your older sisters and friends." Rarity scolding them. Twilight looked at Rarity and nodded.

"Girls we just want to know if he's Dangerous or Not. We don't know anything about him." She explained.

"ND would never hurt us he would protect us." Scotaloo said defending him. The girls agreed.

"He's an honorary cutie mark crusader!" Apple Bloom argued. Twilight sighed putting her hoof to her forehead then looked at them.

"You all know we don't just hunt down anypony we don't know anything about him so we want to know him and understand his intentions." She said. The crusaders looked at each other and came to an agreement.

"Nightmare is a pony who has lived in the forest for years, or so he said and Zecora taught him to speak and so he speaks like Zecora, He doesn't have a cutie mark and well he seems nice…" Sweety Belle concluded. Twilight nodded.

"We should go see Zecora and get the full story." She summarized looking to the ponies. They went to leave as the crusaders began to follow.

"Hey where do you think yur goin?" Apple jack asked them.

"With you of course he's our friend to y'know." Apple Bloom retorted.

"Oh no you aint all you go back home and wait the Everfree forest aint no place for fillis like you. I'm going to tell Big Macintosh about you goin to see Zecora in the first place so you just march your little hooves back to the farm missy." Apple Jack ordered. Apple Bloom puffed out her cheeks in frustration and turned to go back to the farm Sweety Belle and Scotaloo followed her going back to their homes. As The others followed Twilight heading to Zecora's.

Nightmare was back in the woods now weaving amongst the trees as he saw the six begin to approach the forest. He could only imagine that they are on their way must be to see Zecora. He landed and began to follow them from a distance as they walked and talked about him?

"We have to tread lightly here ponies, we don't know anything about this Nightmare Darkness." Twilight said again.

"Im just sayin that when he was with Apple Bloom he looked imposin but he didn't threaten me more like was itchen to get away from me, afraid of me or somthin I dun know." Apple Jack said. As a bird squawked loudly startling her.

"Hate this place it's just not natural, things growin themselves." She said looking around the forest.

"This place is just too scary and the animals look after themselves." Fluttershy said in quiet horror.

"Yea he helped Pinki Pie and me get out of the forest when we were being attacked by timber wolves." Rainbow put in as she beat her wings just flying above the group. Pinki was bouncing up and down along with the group with a party hat on in full party mode. Zecora's hut came into view as the came into the small clearing and the group stopped at the door and Twilight knocked. Zecora opened the door and registered her guests.

"Welcome Twilight and friends to my home, Please come in here, and tell me the reason for coming this Zebra mare?" She said inviting them all in.

"sorry to barge in you like this Zecora." Twilight began to say.

"You did not barge in to my abode, you must have a reason for thinking yourself to bold." She said closing the door. Nightmare went to the side of Zecoras tree hut and looked In through the window listening to the conversation just keeping out of sight of the light.

"Zecora, we've had dealing with a pony who calls himself Nightmare Darkness. It seems you know him." Twilight asked.

"Yea, Apple Bloom said somthin about you knowin him really well." Apple Jack confermed.

"Ahh I know of whom you speak for I have known him for a very long time you see." she said.

"What do you know about him and what." She began to ask then Zecora put up her hoof stopping her in mid-sentence.

"I understand why you come asking questions about Nightmare Darkness but if you want answers for they are not mine, you will have to ask him in his time." She said.

"How do we speak to him." Twilight raised her eyebrow in suspicion.

"Oh I think you will be surprised at just who's eyes may be watching you beyond these walls of mine." Zecora said. Nightmare smiled then thought his secret identity was out, he flew around and opened the door to Zecora's Hut and opened the door drawing looks of everypony there.

"If you want to speak to talk to me, one must simply ask nicely." He said as his black wings spread out with his Lavender eyes cutting into their eyes as they gazed upon him. He had finally revealed himself to them.