//------------------------------//
// History Lesson 
// Story: Moon Time 
// by flutterspin 
//------------------------------//

	I was locked away with my friends inside the dungeon. The least I could is take the time to gather my thoughts.

I said, "Time must have been altered before Nightmare Moon arrived. If I could figure out when, I may still be able to find a way to fix the timeline."

Applejack said, "How are ya' going to do that?"

I looked at all the ponies in the cell. "By taking a history lesson. I want all of you to tell me your life story. Applejack, you can go first."

Applejack stepped up. "Ok then. The earliest I can remember is when my parents dropped me off at Sweet Apple Acres with Granny Smith and my brother, Big Macintosh. I didn't want to grow up on that farm, so I decided to move in with my Aunt n' Uncle Orange in Manehattan. I never felt so homesick in all my days as I did right then. I gathered up the courage to return home. That was when I got my cutie mark.

"I continued living on the farm and help take care of Applebloom, that was until the Flim Flam brothers came along. They showed off their fancy machine and boasted how much quicker they could make cider than us. Granny Smith was foal enough to accept that challenge. The competition was a disaster.

"We lost the rights to sell cider in Ponyville and soon after lost the apple-selling business. We had to leave Ponyville. That was when we met up with Cherry Jubilee in Dodge Junction. She gave us a place to call home in exchange for selling her cherries."

I said, "Well that explains why you were selling cherries. What about you Rarity?"

Rarity stepped up. "I began my work as a fashionista very early in my years. I even helped out with the costumes in the school play. I tried my best to make them spectacular, but nothing seemed to work. I went out of my way in search for that special pizzazz.

"In my search, I found an abandoned baby dragon. The poor thing was crying his little heart out. I figured if the dragon was hungry, I could just find something to feed him. I tried giving him hay, grass, flowers, but he didn't like any of it. That was when my magic took over, and I discovered my hidden ability to find gems. I picked up one of the gems and gave it to the baby dragon. I was amazed to see him eat it right in front of my eyes. I instantly fell in love. I took him home and named him Spike."

I asked, "You raised Spike?"

Rarity said, "I'm not finished!"

"Sorry."

Rarity continued, "Yes, I raised Spike. He was such a big help at the Carousel Boutique, but my business slowed down when Nightmare Moon arrived. That was when I commissioned my new line of work as a whitesmith. I renamed my place the Hearth and Home and worked on any suit of armor that was sent my way."

"Is that it?" I asked.

"Pretty much."

After I gave Rarity a couple seconds in case she had more to say, I said, "That can't be right. Twilight was the one that raised Spike. She was the one that hatched the egg."

Twilight corrected, "I never did hatch that egg."

I asked, "Then what happened?"

Twilight stepped up. "My parents enrolled me in Princess Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns, but I never was able to pass that entrance exam. I didn't give up. I continued exerting effort in learning more about magic. I had a lot of encouragement from my parents, my brother Shining Armor, and also Cadance.

"One day I became distraught. The ponies in school never appreciated me. That was when I found a new best friend I could talk to. I named him Smarty Pants. I eventually gained my cutie mark and continued to press on in learning more about magic."

I asked, "So you never became Celestia's protege?"

Twilight responded, "Princess Celestia's protege? No. I wasn't that good."

Pinkie Pie started jumping up and down with her hoof in the air.

I asked, "Pinkie Pie, do you want to go next?"

Pinkie Pie stepped up. "It's a great story. Once upon a time, long before the peaceful rule of Celestia, and before ponies discovered our beautiful land of Equestria, ponies did not know harmony. It was a strange and dark time. A time when ponies were torn apart, by hatred."

I interrupted, "Pinkie, can you skip to the part where you came onto the scene?"

"Oh yeah, that. That's the good part. My sisters and I were raised on a rock farm outside of Ponyville. We spent our days working the fields. There was no talking. There was no smiling. There were only rocks. We were in the south field, preparing to rotate the rocks to the east field when all of a sudden I heard an explosion. I went to investigate.

"A wheel came off of a unicorn's cart. I offered to help, but she wanted to fix it all on her own. That was when I found a bag full of all sorts of balloons and stuff. I was so excited. The pony put the wheel on and introduced herself as Trixie. She invited me to come with her and be her jester.

"During my first show, I didn't know what to expect. Trixie introduced me and I jumped on stage. I did whatever came to my mind. The crowd loved me! That was when Trixie enlisted me to be part of her act, and we have been making ponies laugh and be amazed all over. And that's how Equestria was made."

I said, "What? No, you never went with Trixie."

"Sure I did."

"No, you told me you got your cutie mark from seeing the sonic rainboom."

Pinkie Pie questioned, "The what?"

I said, "The sonic rainboom! You mean you never saw it?"

Twilight Sparkle said, "I have never seen one."

Rarity said, "Neither have I."

I asked, "Rainbow Dash, didn't you do a sonic rainboom when you were a filly?"

"Sonic rainboom? That's only an old mare's tail."

I said, "Alright, then tell me your story."

Rainbow Dash stepped up. "I lived with the other pegasi up in Cloudsdale. It was during a race at Summer Flight Camp that I discovered something special. I found out what it felt like to fly with the wind in my mane and the adrenaline rushing through my body. That is what I liked, flying fast and winning.

"I always dreamed to be part of the Wonderbolts, but never expected things to go like the way they did. It wasn't too much longer after Nightmare Moon appeared at the Summer Sun Festival that the Wonderbolts disbanded. I was surprised when Spitfire approached me and asked me to be her partner in a sky team for Ponyville, the Shadowbolts. I accepted and have been with them ever since."

I asked, "What about Fluttershy?"

"What about her?"

"You never defended her honor?"

Rainbow Dash said, "Defend Fluttershy? I don't remember her being in trouble."

I asked, "Fluttershy?"

Fluttershy stepped up. "Oh my. Well I was there at the Summer Flight School with Rainbow Dash, but she never needed to defend me. I had the sweetest trainer. She made sure nothing bad happen to me."

I asked, "Was she gray with a green mane, like the painting at Wrek's place?"

"I don't know. Her cap was always covering up her face. She was always in uniform. I wasn't really paying attention. She might have not ever come up to me, but I knew how much she cared."

I said, "That had to be when the timeline was altered."

Rarity asked, "So that one event changed everything?"

I replied, "Yes, Rarity."

Twilight said, "All this seems far-fetched. One of the rules of time travel is that there is a single fixed history that is unchangeable. Even if you traveled into the past, there would be no way they could alter the future."

I said, "Yes Twilight, but what if it is possible for some pony to retain their very being when the timeline is altered. They would break the rule and be immune to the aftermath. What troubles me is if the timeline really was altered, why wasn't I affected?"

"You must have used magic," Twilight said.

"Magic?" I asked.

Twilight explained, "Science and mathematics may always follow a set number of rules, but we have yet to understand the full potentiality of magic. Instead of asking why it happened, perhaps we should ask how it happened."

I said, "I agree. A unicorn might be able to use the time scroll and travel to the past, but Sumica is a pegasus. How was she able to travel back through time? There must be more to this."

Our conversation came to an abrupt halt when we heard commotion outside the dungeon. Night Star and Princess Luna were arguing.

Night Star said, "But Nightmare Moon, Moonlight was inside the Canterlot Archives."

Luna said, "He was there because I sent him there. You had no grounds to throw him into the dungeon."

"He refused to tell us-"

"I don't care!"

The guard opened the door. Princess Luna walked in ahead of Night Star.

Luna said, "Now if you would excuse us, Night Star, I would like to be alone with Moonlight."

Night Star moaned, snapped his wings out, and shot out of the room. The guards shut the door behind him.

Rainbow Dash asked, "What do you want Nightmare Moon?"

I said, "Easy, Rainbow Dash. She's a friend."

Luna smiled and transformed from the image of Nightmare Moon to her former self.

Twilight Sparkle pulled herself up to the bars. "Can it be?"

Pinkie Pie said, "That's a neat trick! Can you teach me how to do that?"

Applejack said, "Uh, Nightmare Moon?"

"For now, you can call me Princess Luna," she responded.

I asked Luna, "Where did you go?"

Princess Luna explained, "I'm sorry if I caused you any alarm, Moonlight. I refused to stand by and wait around. I had to see things for myself."

"I was worried. You were gone a very long time. I feared the worst. What happened, Luna?"

"I was delayed. Nightmare Moon kept the guards on a tight leash. Everything was in order. Shining Armor was assigned to train the new recruits, the Night Brigade were ordered to watch over the dungeon and the Canterlot Archives, and the rest were given various duties within Canterlot."

I said, "What about Night Star?"

"I found out that Night Star and you were Nightmare Moon's eyes and ears in Equestria. Night Star's primary role was watching over the Night Brigade. When questioning the guards of his whereabouts, I was informed he went missing just after the party ended.

"I went up to the observatory and searched for him. He was flying away from Canterlot, towards Ponyville. I followed him as far as I could. I lost him in the Everfree Forest."

Fluttershy said, "The Everfree Forest? Why would he go there?"

Luna replied, "I'm not sure and I'm afraid to find out. Do you know what is out there?"

Fluttershy said, "Trees?"

Applejack said, "Timberwolves?"

Twilight said, "The Elements of Harmony?"

Pinkie Pie said, "Cake?"

I said in a sturn voice, "Ordain."

Rarity asked, "Who is that?"

I asked Rarity, "You mean you never heard of him?"

"No."

"Has any pony heard of him?"

All the ponies shook their head.

I explained, "In our timeline, there was a fellow by the name of Ordain that reeked havoc in Equestria. He was originally trapped inside the Canterlot Archives by Starswirl the Bearded. When I arrived in Ponyville, Ordain lured us into a trap and broke free. We chased him back into the Everfree Forest and put a stop to him."

Luna interjected, "Or so we thought. Do you think he is still trapped in the Canterlot Archives in this timeline?"

I said, "I just came from there. There was no seal, and the hourglass was moved."

Luna said, "Night Star was upset to find you in there. What were you doing?"

"I figured I could use a time scroll and reverse the effects."

Luna said, "Let me guess, it didn't work?"

"No."

Twilight asked, "Luna, may I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"I've heard why these ponies were arrested and thrown in here, but what about me? Why am I in here?"

I responded, "No pony told you?"

Twilight shook her head. "No."

I said, "The guard told me that you were holding onto some books you weren't supposed to have."

"You mean the prohibited books decreed by Nightmare Moon?"

"I don't think they had any proof. They were tearing the place apart when you left."

Twilight plopped down in relief. "That means they didn't find them."

I said, "You mean you do have some? Did you keep them in the library?"

Twilight explained, "I studied a lot of books and came by old blueprints of Canterlot. It showed all the different passageways that were built within the city. It even showed an underground cave.

"That was when I discovered a small crevace in the side of the mountain. I followed the stairs up to a small balcony looking over the city. I looked at the designs and tried to find a way inside the mountain. I moved a picture frame and went inside. The place looked abandoned, and I figured it was the best place to hide my stash."

Princess Luna said, "That sounds like my place."

I said, "You should check it out."

Luna said, "No doubt Night Star will be watching me closely here on out. I think you should come with me."

Rainbow Dash asked, "What about the rest of us?"

Applejack said, "You two go on ahead."

"Applejack!" Rainbow Dash shouted.

Applejack said, "We barely set our hooves out there from the start and looked where we ended up. We can survive in here a little while longer until Luna gives the all clear."

Rarity said, "Oh but please hurry back. I don't want my mane to get anymore dirty than it already has."

Luna nodded. "Guard!"

I quickly said, "Luna, your disguise."

Luna changed her form back to Nightmare Moon. "Thanks, Moonlight."

The guard opened the door and walked in.

Luna said, "I want Moonlight released into my custody."

"Yes ma'am."

The guard took out his key and opened the cell door for me. We left the dungeon and made our way to the passageway inside the mountain.