AN: I apologize for the shitty quality of this chapter. I had complications and I just had a hell of a time all around writing this. I hope you still enjoy it.

The night went well with little to no complications. The only issue was the occasional howl of a timberwolf that sounded incredibly close by. Nightmare assured Derek that they usually never come close to the castle which did little to calm his nerves. When Derek was little, he went camping and came across a wolf that definitely did not like him. The wolf was on him in seconds and had him pinned. If he wasn't with his uncle, Carlos, who decided it would be best to bring a gun, He could without a doubt be dead. Ever since that day, he was always scared of wolves.

Derek was finally able to slowly fall asleep once the howling dimmed down. He was glad to fall asleep since he knew it was going to be a big day today. He was going home for a bit and never returning. The thought of staying in a world of horses, away from humanity, no tech or anything he grew accustom to was troubling. He wasn't going to lie, he was scared of living in a new world that he knew absolutely nothing about. He knew that if he made himself known, he would more than likely be shunned from society.

What about Nightmare? What happens when she doesn't need him anymore? In less than twenty-four hours they became pretty decent friends. The last thing he wanted was for her to abandon him.

He clenched his hand, attempting to hold back any tears that may form. Derek felt Nightmare shift to look at him. As he looked up, he noticed a look of worry on her face.

"Is everything alright?" He put on my best facade of a look that says 'I'm fine'.

"Yeah of course I am, why do you ask?"

"Because you're squeezing my leg. Quite hard actually." He followed her gaze as she looked at his hand that was clasped around her foreleg. He quickly pulled away and got out of bed.

"Sorry 'bout that. Just a little nervous I guess. I suppose I'm just a little skeptical about leaving everything behind." She got out of the bed and walked up to him. Placing a hoof on his shoulder, she let out a sigh that was heavy with disappointment.

"After all this is over..." She paused to find the courage to say the words. She hoped that if she told him that he would turn down the offer. "I will send you back if that is what you want." Derek looked at her with a surprised look plastered on his face. He figured that it's going to take quite a bit of work to accomplish what she wants, and after all that... he could just go home?

"Thanks but I..." She held her breath in hope he would turn down the offer of a lifetime. He took a deep breath before releasing a long sigh. "Thank you Nightmare." His tone sounded serious. She couldn't figure out if he accepted or not. Guess she will have to wait until it's all done.

"So are you ready, Derek?" He gave a nod and looked at the doorway. Nightmare powered her horn and shot her spell at the doorway, making a portal. "All you have to do is think about where you want to go," She said as she pulled out a box from under the bed. "Take this gem. When you are ready to come back, smash the gem at your feet and you will come back through the portal." He hesitated before taking the crystal. It looked similar to the inside of an amethyst. It looked just like the night sky. Dark blue with several sparkles scattered on it. To him it was alluring, almost hypnotic. It had a strong resemblance to her mane. Hell, even the stone swirled just like it.

He turned around and stared at the portal before him that swirled like a whirlpool. The portal was filled with different shades of purples, blues and even a little pink. He slowly put one foot in front of the other as he crept towards it.

The closer he got, the more he could feel it pulling him in.

"Here goes nothing!" He yelled as he decided to get it over with and sprinted at it.

He exited the portal, landing on his futon. Looking around, he smiled after realizing he was actually home. He splayed out on his bed and looked up at his ceiling. God how he missed his blank ceiling, his futon that tried to take his fingers as he moved it in, and his rather small room. As he lied there, he thought about whether he would have to go back. The thought bothered him but he didn't want to have her abandon him and end up being hurt, but the other way around might be different. There was a slight pang in his chest as he thought about it. He rubbed his head trying to make the now developing headache go away. His gaze drifted to his closet where he had duffle bags stored on the top shelf. He chewed on his bottom lip, contemplating what is the right choice.

"Ah shit." He sighed in defeat as he got up. That was one thing he didn't like about himself; He couldn't up and abandon someone. Even if they weren't human, there was no excuse for something like that.

He started packing clothes and other necessities for a long stay.Taking a look at his watch, he deciding he had time for a run to the store.

Rummaging through the top drawer of his dresser, he pulled out a coffee can that was filled with cash that he saved up for emergencies. After some thought, he decided to take all the money.

With a pocket filled five hundred dollars, he decided to get some groceries since he almost felt bad for having Moony kill that squirrel. After groceries, a quick stop to a gun store for some ammunition for his gun.

As it began to snow, he looked up at the dark sky and as much as he hated to admit it he was going to miss Minnesota.

"I guess what they say is true, you never know what you have until it's gone." After getting some bullets, he still had about two hundred dollars left and figured a carton or two of smokes would be good. With all the shopping done, he decided now would be a good time to go back.

Racing home to gather his clothes he clutched the bags and the stone in his hands. He continued to ask himself if he was really leaving for good.

The run home was cold and pretty much boring. His bags of clothes were right where he left them on his futon. Throwing the stone on the floor about a foot or two away from him, a portal similar to the one he used to come home appeared in the center of his room. He began tossing his bags through one by one. Reaching under his bed, he grabbed his gun. It was a simple glock, nothing really special. Taking a deep breath, he jumped in. Just before going through, he realized the portal he went through was vertical and this one is horizontal.

As Nightmare Moon looked at his bags, a loud yell echoed from the portal. Seconds after said yell, Derek launched through, parallel to the ground. Land on his back with a loud thud and letting out a groan in pain.

"Derek!" She yelled as she rushed over to him. "Are you okay?" He only nodded with his lips pursed. He slowly got up and rubbed his back. Word to the wise, landing on a gun directly on your spine hurts like a bitch.

"Well, I finally have everything I need I think." He pulled the gun out of the waistband of his pants and tossed it on the bed. "Please remind me to never do that shit again. I hate teleporting with a burning passion that rivals the depths of hell now." She rolled her eyes at him and looked at his bags. To her it seemed like he was practically moving in for good, but she new better than to jump to conclusions.

"So I was hoping that either tonight or tomorrow we can get started on our objective. Patience is definitely not a virtue I posses and we have wasted enough time as is," Nightmare said as she paced around the room, clearly frustrated with how slow everything is going. She was in high hopes that things would be quick and simple.

Derek nodded in approval to advance. He wasn't sure what exactly he would be doing but it wouldn't be hard... right?

"So what will our first move be exactly?"

"It would be foolish to rush in with no course of action correct?" She asked, getting another nod of approval. "What you need to do is recon. To defeat thy enemies, one must know thy enemies," Derek shrugged his shoulders as an understanding. He couldn't argue with that logic, it made perfect sense. "You have a total of six ponies you need to observe. Two pegasi, two unicorns, and two earth ponies. The only one you would have major complications with is the pegasus who lives in the clouds. From my understanding, their names are Twilight Sparkle, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Pinkie pie, and Applejack." Derek mentally noted each of their names. Nightmare went on describing who they are exactly. He found the name Elements of Harmony to be a strange yet funny name.

Once she finished her lesson on what she knew they were capable of, which she didn't know much, she said it would best to begin tonight to get the task at hand out of the way.

Standing up and stretching, he decided it would be best to wear more quiet and loose fitting clothes to allow better movement. He rummaged through his bags to find the best options. He pulled out a pair of black sweat pants and a black muscle shirt. Without caring, he stripped down in front of her. She turned as fast as her body would let her, not only out of embarrassment and common courtesy, but to hide the blush that pierced through her dark coat.

"Should we invest in a changing room of some sort?" He whispered in her ear in a more seductive way than he intended, sending chills of somewhat pleasure up her spine.

"Perhaps we should. You know... Just so we can at least keep some sort of decency around here." He chuckled at how she tried to act calm about it.

"I'm dressed now, you can turn around." As she turned, her eyes fixated on the man before her. His muscle shirt clung to his well toned torso. He didn't have a six pack, but there was definitely some muscle tone there. His exposed arms showed off the results of constant upper body work. His sweat pants didn't show anything but she could infer that they were more than likely toned as well. To finish his ensemble, he sported a pair of fingerless gloves that had skulls on the back of them and a holster that held his gun.

Nightmare gaped at his body. She couldn't believe that she was actually attracted to his looks. It was so alien to her, yet she couldn't get her mind out of the gutter. Thoughts of him doing things she didn't really imagine to her raced through her mind.

"Hey Moony?" He snapped her out of her trance by calling her by her pet name that she didn't really mind too much, and snapping his fingers in front of her face. When he finally had her attention, he turned in place to show his clothes of choice off to her. "Is this good enough?"

"...Very..." She mumbled under her breath. Shaking her head clear of the images, she gave him a clear answer. "I suppose that could work. At least you will blend into the night perfectly." 'Perfect is right'.

"That's good. Give me a direction and I will be on my way," He said with a smile. She walked him outside and pointed in the direction of Ponyville.

"It will take about two to three hours to get there walking."

"Well then, it's a good thing I prefer running," He said before taking off in a sprint.

He was out of sight in a matter of seconds as he ran through the tree line. As the distance between them increase, so did the loneliness inside of her. The thing she found strange was that it wasn't just an emotional feeling, but physical as well. Deciding it was probably nothing, she set to work on restoring her castle to it's former glory. After all, can't be queen living in such a mess right?

As Derek ran through the forest, he got an annoying empty feeling inside that screamed at him to turn back. He ignored it and pressed on to his objective at hand. Because of his ability to maneuver through obstacles easily, he made it to the outskirts of town in about an hour to an hour and a half. He was out of breath and needed a rest after sprinting most of the time. Every now and then he had to slow his pace on the way there just so he wasn't so exhausted when he arrived. As he sat on the hill, he gazed up at the night sky. The stars shined brilliantly down upon him and the town. Strangely enough, he felt at home in a sense. It was like this was where he belonged. There was only one place before that made him feel this way, and he loved the feeling, the feeling of belonging.

After catching his breath, he stood up and looked at his destination. "Whelp, lets get this done.

Cleaning up went without a hitch... sort of. With in about two hours she was able to clean up most of the bedroom. Stones that were unable to be used again were placed near the cliff, while ones that could be used again were right outside the castle.

Looking at the bed, she thought about attempting to sew it back together herself but decided against it in case she ruined it even more. She wondered if Derek knew how to sew. She looked back at the wood pile and noticed it running quite low.

"I'm sure I have time to make a run out and get some more." She figured she still had enough magic left in her to fend off any creatures that dare underestimate her.

She stepped out into the cold night air, breathing in the scent of nature around her. She could sense that autumn was almost here. Giving a smile, she walked towards the bridge. She began feeling giddy about autumn being just around the corner. It happened to be her favorite season since it wasn't too hot or cold and it made night all the more beautiful.

The bridge creaked beneath her hooves with each step she took. She would have just turned into smoke if it weren't for the fact that it would drain her magic immensely.

The silent night began to wake as howls echoed through the forest. Chills ran through her body as fear began to set in. Usually the timberwolves would be staying clear of the vicinity of the castle, but it appeared that they were becoming desperate.

After some time of searching, she found a fallen tree that seemed not as rotten as the others. She began breaking off the larger branches and held them up with her magic.

Once she had as much as she could carry, she began her trek back home. The further she went, the more ominous her surroundings became. Every now and them she could see gold orbs peering at her from the tree line. Her fear began to increase once she heard growling from behind her. She turned slowly and saw three of the wolves staring at her with their mouths dripping with green saliva. Her breath caught in her throat as one began to step towards her.

She snapped herself out of her fear trance and swung the branches at it, knocking it back a few feet.

"Did you foals honestly think you would be able to take me so easily?" She raised the branches above her her head, ready to swing again. She heard something drop behind her and turned around. Her magic was drained and was rendered powerless. Looking back at her attackers, she smiled sheepishly and slowly began to back away.

The wolves roared ferociously as they charged at her. Nightmare turned as fast as she could and took off as fast as her legs could take her.

Her legs burned as she ran faster than she has before. Only one thing was on her mind and it screamed. "Help me Derek!".

She was terrified as she heard them catching up to her, She could almost feel them breathing on her neck. Before she could do anything, she felt her hooves leave the ground. Her body collided with with cold hard ground with her assailant on top of her. When her attacker did hurt her, she hesitantly opened her eyes and saw the one pony she needed most. Derek lied on top of her with a strange look in his eyes. His iris went from being hazel to a crystal-like dark blue that glittered like the stars of her night. He panted hard as if he ran none stop to get to her.

He quickly pushed himself up and stared at the wolves who were chasing her. He clenched his exposed teeth as he sprinted at them.

Nightmare noticed something off about him. His hands and feet resonated with an aura that resembled her mane flawlessly. She gaped at his display of speed and strength as he leveled them out.

No matter how many he fended off, more came after him. Deciding it was hopeless, he turned, ran towards her and picked her up. He ran faster than she did even while he carried her. The bridge soon came into view as they ran for what seemed like only seconds. As he crossed, the bridge creaked more than when she crossed. As they reached the center, the boards beneath them snapped in half, causing them to plummet towards the abyss below. She watched as the river came closer. Time seemed to slow as her impending death approached within seconds. She closed her eyes, not wanting to see it coming... only it didn't. She felt pressure around her arm before she stopped abruptly. She slammed against the wall with her wing taking most of the pressure. She heard and felt the crack as her wing broke from the sudden impact. She held back the scream of pain as she tried to drown out the pain.

Curiosity got the best of her, making her look up and see what caught her. She looked up to see Derek and noticed his hand clasped around her leg while his other held on to the rope firmly.

Derek looked around for a way up. His eyes followed the river and after assessing their situation, he sighed.

"Get ready to take a deep breath, Nightmare." Before she could respond to him, he let go.

The rapids below came closer at an alarming speed. Within moments, she was engulf in water. She emerged out of the water with Derek holding on to her tightly. As they went down stream, he took all the damage from the rocks. He stifled pained grunts as best as he could, but allowed a few yells of pain to escape his lips.

The onslaught continued for some time until they stopped moving. Derek grabbed on to a tree that fell into the water and was held in place by a few boulders. Mustering up all the strength he could, he pulled her up on to the tree and followed after.

Nightmare sat underneath a blanket next to the fire pit while Derek began lighting a fire with their remaining wood. The fire roared to life after striking the piece of flint a few times. He walked, limped actually, to where she was. He grunted as he sat down next to her where they sat in silence for some time.

When the silence became too much for her, she tossed the blanket over him and pulled him close. She nuzzled his neck before giving him a kiss on the cheek.

"Thank you so much for saving me. You don't know how grateful I am." She whispered as she held back tears. He put an arm around her and pulled her close to him. He kissed her cheek as well and rested his head against hers.

"I think I actually do know. I don't know how to explain it but I knew you were in trouble. I heard you call for me."

Derek thought about what happened before he came to her rescue. He remembered standing outside of a cottage before his surroundings went from a cottage to running through a forest calling for him.

"I felt your fear. I'm not sure how, but I did and I knew you needed help."

Nightmare looked at him. She wasn't sure if it was just the heat of the moment, but she felt what she believed was love. She looked him in his eyes, which were back to normal, and slowly leaned in.

Derek felt compelled to lean in as well. She felt his lips brush against hers before they closed the remaining distance between them.

Author's Note

Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Sorry it took so long to write, I'm doing a couple things at once and I'm horrible with time management.

On to a more important note. If any of you could link or tell me an extremely gory fic, it would be very much appreciated.