Chapter 7

The six looked at him stunned. He walked into the door and closed it with a kick of his rear hoof. It slammed making them come to their senses Fluttershy hid behind all of them covering her eyes quivering. It was Apple Jack who first said something.

"Ok…Twi we found him now what?" she looked to Twilight. Who blinked then stepped forward.

"I am." She started saying.

"Twilight sparkle I know of you as well as Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Rarity, Pinki Pie, and Apple jack of course I have known you ever since you walked into this dangerous wood." He said folding his wings behind his back making himself seem less threatening. His height was as tall if not just a slight bit taller than big mac his eyes bore into Twilights and for once she was at loss for words. His presence unnerved them and he was used to it. Pinki Pie was next to him, under him, behind him, then in front of him rubbing her hoof under her chin squinting at him then her eyes became round as she smiled and slapped a party hat on his head making his pupils shrink in shock.

"He's fine!" she said throwing up confetti in the air blowing a party favor loudly making his one eye twitch and his teeth grind and she began to hop around and genuinely go full out Pinki. His head pulled back but it was too late and Pinki had pushed a party favor into his mouth and he sighed making a high pitch squeal from the favor. Zecora burst into laughter.

"Nightmare I have known you a long time, and never have I seen you so surprised." She continued to laugh. He spit out the favor and just left the hat on hoping not to attract more of Pinki's attention. The other 4 giggled slightly as Fluttershy began to become more ok with the atmosphere of the hut. He tried to regain even a small amount of his former composure.

"If you come here telling me never to come to town again, I will never step near ponyville again." He said regaining their attention away from Pinki who was simply now background noise of mayhem that was pink. Twilight looked from Pinki back to him.

"No Nightmare it's me who should apologise we…or I didn't know anything about you so I assumed the worst." She said in conclusion.

"Yea and I just jumped down your throat an all I am really sorry bout that just a bit protective is all." Apple Jack said.

"You made me lie on you! You could have said it was your cloud!" Rainbow Dash specified as she crossed her front hooves just flapping above the floor. He looked at them all, ever since his run in with Discord his normal routine had been thrown all awry could he have had something to do with it he wondered. Nightmare sighed inwardly and refocused himself.

"Your apologies are not needed Twilight sparkle, and Apple Jack you are well to defend your sister from unknown attack, and to Rainbow Dash I meant no disrespect but I was hiding from sight because I cause unrest." He said calmly as he could. His unease with such a full room was shown on his face as he looked disgruntled. Rainbow simply turned away from him with a loud sharp breath. Zecora walked between Nightmare and the six.

"He is no treat to you unless you plan on causing harm to those around you." She said the girls looked at each other uneasily.

"How have you lived so long in the forest and why not just come to ponyville?" Rarity finally said walking forward upturning her left hoof to emphasize the question. Nightmare looked to her and smiled slightly.

"I remember little of how I came to be, I awoke beside a shining tree." He said frowing trying to think back to such a time. Many things had happened since seeming to awake in this forest as a young colt. He looked back to them.

"I do not have the answers you all seek for I know not mush about whom I be." He said looking perplexed then continued.

"I knew not of language and reading before I met my mentor, I was simply a mass of darkness in a forest of dark demeanor." He explained.

"Your saying you awoke under a shining tree? Where is this tree?" Twilight said intrigued. At this question Nightmare frowned.

"It has been long since I've been to my birthplace, but I now know not where it's resting place." He said. He didn't like to lie but he would not tell where the tree was. He did not trust them or anypony for that matter with such information. Zecora looked at him with a side glance measuring him but didn't say anything only venturing that if he refused to say it was for a good reason. The main six all looked at each other, and then looked to him.

"You sure you don't know…" Twilight pressed. Nightmare glared at her,

"My word you will have to take, for its all of this conversation I'm willing to partake." He said stiffly making for sure that the subject was not to be discussed. The air of the hut became very tense, but he relaxed looking to the entire group.

"Rarity, Apple Jack if it's your wish me not in Apple Blooms, and Sweety Belle's club, please simply tell me and I will not be seen." He asked them. They looked at each other and came to an understanding.

"Well as much I find you a freighting looking pony I do not think you an evil one. But if one thing happens to my sister I will hunt you down and do the most horrible thing I can imagine to you…got that." She said walking forward and putting a hoof against his chest which didn't budge as his muscles tensed.

"Double goes for me." Apple Jack said walking beside Rarity. He nodded thinking probably they didn't even realize how many times he has watched their backs from predators in these woods. He looked out into the gloom of the forest and understood the time was soon to be dusk.

"It is getting late for you, I will escort you from the forest gloom." He said turning around and opening the door walling out of it.

"We don't need your help getting back to ponyville." Rainbow said with confidence. He looked over his shoulder and laughed out loud making her statement sound like a joke.

"The fact you feel you think I have never escorted you before tell me that I have done well, for you see every time you have entered here I have watched over thee." He began into a trot as they began to follow him now slightly unnerved more than when they first met him.

"What…wait. You're tellin me that you have watched over us from afar in this here forest?" Apple Jack asked coming up just on his left flank as Zecora waved them goodbye closing the door to the hut. Nightmare was now alert but turned to answer Apple Jack and saw they all were looking at him strangely.

"Yes, I have watched you all from the shadows, your discovery of the elements as well as any other time any of you have come making sure you returned without any aliments." He explained.

"Then where were you when we got poisoned by the poison Joke!" Rainbow Dash pointed a accusing hoof. He simply chuckled.

"Zecora was there and warned you all of the poison joke, but you all still were running around think it no less harmless then poison oak." He chuckled.

"Oh ya…" she crossed her hooves in midair unhappy she was proven wrong. They walked in solitude before Fluttershy of all ponies came up just behind him with her head down nervously.

"I…I would like to thank you for getting the medicine for Mr Rooster this morning." She said her voice was just above a whisper. He smiled looking over his shoulder.

"A simple errand for Zecora, I like the trips to your home because it has many flora." He said as he looked ahead again. Twilight pulled Rarity back just out of ear shot of Nightmare.

"What do you think Rarity?" twilight asked. Rarity looked him over again then to her.

"he seems like a very regel stallion whom has not a lot of social experience…but he has something off about him I can't tell what…it's like the same feeling of…"

"Nightmare Moon." Twilight finished with Rarity. They both looked at each other understanding that this Stallion must be linked to Nightmare Moon somehow if at all or maybe it was simply their imagination running off with them. They reached the edge of the forest and the lights of ponyville lit the way for them.

"There you all are, I will see you all no doubt for now that my secret is out." He said as he turned around walking towards the forest.

"Do you really like living in Everfree forest." Twilight asked turned voicing the groups stopped and chuckled. Then remembered his party hat, removing it he gave it back to Pinki who looked at him oddly.

"You all have a home here, just like yours I feel at home here though it's not the most first of choice, living anywhere else seems like living without a voice." He said though trying to relay his feeling through speech of how he felt towards the Everfree forest it was hard to explain. The ponies looked at him worriedly as he walking into the wood and the blackness engulfed him. The ponies went back to their homes and slept on their encounter with the odd any slightly mysterious Pony Named Nightmare Darkness.