Moon Time

by flutterspin

Harmonic Distortion

I strolled through Canterlot, searching for my next destination. I wasn't able to see much during the middle of the night, but I did see Night Star flying away from Canterlot. I quickened my pace to try and catch up, but I ran straight into another pony.

The pony shouted, "I'm so sorry!"

"Twilight Sparkle?" I asked.

The collision made Twilight spill her papers all over the ground. A dusty book also landed right next to me. Twilight had a small bag attached over her back.

Twilight looked at me. "Moonlight! What are you doing here?"

"I could be asking you the same thing."

Twilight opened the bag and levitated her papers inside.

I picked up the book next to me. "What is this?"

Twilight quickly levitated the book out of my hooves and into the bag. "Just another book for my research."

I remembered Twilight being on the checklist. "So what have you been up to."

Twilight said, "Just working on the lab experiment for Nightmare Moon. I don't think I can finish it."

"Why not?"

Twilight finished arranging the papers in her bag and closed it. "It be best if I showed you."

I followed Twilight Sparkle to the library tower. We walked up the steps and entered inside. Twilight opened the door for me.

"I have been doing my best, but it just isn't good enough. I've been working diligently on a way to stop a pegasus from flying like Nightmare Moon requested, but it has been hard without gaining access to the books inside the Canterlot Archives."

When I entered inside, Twilight closed the door. I followed her up the stairs to the second level. Shelves with books filled the left side of the room. An hourglass stood near the window on the far side of the room. An abandoned bookshelf collected dust on the right side of the room. In the middle stood a large table with various vials and beakers filled with different colored liquids.

"Finding the right ingredients is the hardest part. Simple ingredients, like sugar and spice, just aren't potent enough. I need special kinds of herbs found only in the Everfree Forest. If Nightmare Moon would allow me access in there, I may discover the right mixture for the potion."

I looked outside the window and noticed the archway of the ballroom down below. This was definitely the spot where the light came from.

I asked, "Twilight, have you seen anything unusual here in the past few hours?"

"Nothing out of the ordinary."

If Princess Luna and I could remember what happened before the event, then maybe it would be possible for Twilight as well. I decided to try and jog Twilight's memory.

"What do you know about me?"

"You are Moonlight Sonata, Nightmare Moon's advisor. You arrived here just months ago."

"Have we done anything together?"

"I don't believe I understand the question, sir."

"Do you know the book Predictions and Prophecies?"

Twilight Sparkle toyed with a vial on the table. "You and I both know that book is banned."

"How about the Elements of Harmony?"

Twilight dropped the vial on the table and placed her hoof on my mouth. "Not so loud!"

The vial rolled off the table and broke on the ground.

Twilight asked, "How do you know about the Elements of Harmony?"

When she retracted her hoof, I whispered, "I am your friend, Twilight. You can tell me."

"I don't believe you."

"Twilight! You can trust me. Think. What do you know of the Elements of Harmony?"

Twilight explained, "When Nightmare Moon arrived, ponies searched high and low for a way to put a stop to her. She was too strong and nothing seemed to work. Rumors spread through Ponyville of the so-called Elements of Harmony, powerful enough to defeat Nightmare Moon."

"You mean to tell me that you never found the Elements of Harmony?"

"That is correct. To this day, Nightmare Moon still rules over Equestria."

"That can't be true."

Twilight moped around and levitated the pieces of the broken vial over to a container. "It is too bad. I never thought that day would be the last day ponies joined together for the Summer Sun Celebration. What I would do just to see Princess Celestia raise the sun once more."

What Twilight told me reflected what I saw. Ponies seem to worship Nightmare Moon and Twilight acts as if she never found the Elements of Harmony.

In my frustration, I ran up and pounded on the hourglass. "It just can't be true!"

I triggered something when I hit the hourglass. An energy shockwave, just as Luna described, came out from under my hoof. I fell backwards onto the floor. The library was rearranged. The table was gone and the shelves were stocked full of books. There was no sign of Twilight Sparkle.

I arose to the sound of ponies chattering. I walked pass the hourglass and looked outside the window. Ponies were leaving the ballroom with smiles on their faces. I saw all my friends talking with each other in the garden with Princess Celestia.

The moment felt like a dream. It didn't last long. A gust of wind encircled around me as everything I saw returned back as before.

I pounded my hoof on the hourglass. "No! Take me back."

Twilight asked, "What is it, Moonlight?"

I heard the front door swing open. Twinkleshine, Lyra Heartstrings, and Minuette walked inside.

Twinkleshine said, "There you are, Twilight! Moondancer is having a little get-together in the west castle courtyard. You wanna' come?"

Twilight Sparkle said, "Oh, sorry, girls... I've got a lot of research to catch up on."

Twinkleshine said, "Well alright. We will be in the training room if you change your mind."

They closed the door on their way out.

Twilight used her magic and picked up the beaker on the table. "I'm sorry, Moonlight. I wish I could help, but I have to get back to my work."

I grunted and rushed down the stairs to the door. "If you aren't going to tell me, then I'll find out all on my own."

I opened the door and passed by the unicorns. I ran into the ballroom.

"Nightmare Moon! Nightmare Moon!" I shouted.

One of the guards responded, "Nightmare Moon had an important matter come up."

"And the guests?"

"They have been allowed to return home."

I said, "Then tell me where Night Star is."

"He is currently away," the guard replied.

I waved my hooves around in the air. "What am I supposed to do now?"

The guard replied, "If you are ready, the pegasi have been waiting patiently for you in the garden area."

"Pegasi?"

"They were told you wanted a chariot to travel down into Ponyville."

"Ponyville? Oh yes, Ponyville. You said the garden area?"

The guard pointed behind me. I walked outside and came across the pegasi with the chariot. They were laying around playing with the grass.

One of the pegasi stood up. "Moonlight! Are you ready to go?"

"Yes."

I stepped inside the cart. "We are heading down to Ponyville, right?"

The other pegasi asked, "Isn't that where you wanted us to take you, directly to the Hearth and Home?"

"Yes, take me there."

* * *

The pegasi descended down into Ponyville. They landed by a building that looked similar to the Carousel Boutique, except for one thing. There was smoke rising out of a stone chimney on the roof.

As I stepped off the cart, one of the pegasi said, "We will remain here until you return."

"Thank you kindly," I responded.

I walked up to the door and knocked.

A pony responded, "Come on in!"

I opened the door and saw Rarity moving items around the room. She was engrossed with another one of her projects. There was a small forge located to the left of the room. To the right, a suit of armor rested on top of a mannequin. The armor had small holes where the wings of a pegasus would fit through. Nightmare Moon's emblem was embroidered on the chest.

Rarity observed a small dent in the armor. "I'm going to be needing a hammer. Oh Spikey Wikey!"

Spike ran down the stairs. "I got it!"

When Spike made it down the stairs, he tripped and caused the hammer to fly through the air. Before the hammer could hit me, Rarity grabbed hold of it with her magic.

"Spike, you need to be more careful!"

"Sorry."

"Please excuse Spike. He can be clumsy sometimes."

I watched Rarity lift up the armor. "Rarity, what are you doing?"

"I'm trying to fix up this armor. Why are you here, anyways? I wasn't expecting you to arrive until tomorrow. Did Night Star send you?"

"Not that I know of."

"Well, you can tell him to come by tomorrow and pick it up then. By the way, did Nightmare Moon ever approve of my designs?"

"Not that I know of."

Rarity said, "For being Nightmare Moon's advisor, you sure don't know a whole lot. Pity, I was hoping to hear back from her. Spike, can you be a doll and fetch me more tin from upstairs?"

"I'm on it."

Spike rushed up the stairs.

I asked, "Rarity, how long have you been working here?"

"Almost my entire life. Why do you ask?"

"No, I mean how long have you been working for Nightmare Moon?"

"Working for Nightmare Moon? What gave you that silly idea? Oh, the designs? I simply wanted to make something special for the Canterlot guards."

I could smell something burning. It was coming from the forge.

Rarity shouted, "Spike! I need you back down here!"

Spike was running down the stairs with a couple bricks of tin. "Coming!"

I asked, "Rarity, how long have you been a blacksmith?"

"Moonlight, I am not a blacksmith. Here at the Hearth and Home, I like to be properly referred as a whitesmith."

Spike layed down the tin by Rarity and started attending the forge.

"I didn't know whitesmiths use a forge."

"I don't. I refuse to get my hooves dirty. That is why I'm happy to have Spike use Tom."

"Tom?"

"My precious hearth. I wouldn't be able to get anywhere without him. Now before you go, was there anything else you needed?"

"No, I'll be on my way."

Rarity said, "See you tomorrow."

I opened the door and left.