Author's Note

This chapter has returned to NightmareMoon's PoV on the morning that Jayden is working.

I hope you all are liking the story so far. Please comment or message me any comments you have or questions. Your views are appreciated and your honest opinions are as well so speak up I will hear and respond to you.

X- Moon Got A Job?

Moon Got A Job?

*THUMP* *Groan*

"Stupid floor..." Moon knocked her hoof on the floor slightly annoyed. She cracked her neck and opening her eyes she looked around at the living room seeing it empty except for her she assumed Jayden had went to the bathroom or something. Stretching out and lifting herself off the floor she heard a slight argument going on in the kitchen between a deep stallions voice and Granny. She had only just woke up in the house and already ponies in the house were arguing, at least she wasn't the cause of it.

Upon walking into the kitchen the argument became clearer a brick red stallion was having practically a one word argument with Granny on whether or not he would make it to a event at AppleBloom's school.

"So, yer not goin' to AppleBloom's event?" Granny asked again.

"Eyup, work." The red stallion replied simply.

"Come now BigMacintosh, I'm sure ya have enough time to go to the event." Granny countered, "You work here on the farm, the school ain't that far down the road."

BigMacintosh once again shook his head no. "Nope." As if that was the end of the conversation he left the room after putting on a sweatband.

Moon couldn't help but realize the look of complicated struggle on Granny's face. Even though she had just met Granny just the other night it made her slightly saddened to see the old mare like that. "Granny?" The old mare looked to Moon and immediately the smile was back.

"Mornin' sweety, how'd ya sleep?" The old mare asked sitting in a chair.

Moon didn't want to press the fact she just saw the argument that just transpired but she couldn't ignore the fact that something was wrong. "Granny is there something going on that you can't make it to?" Granny's smile faded slightly and she nodded.

"These old bones ain't what they used to be. Even if Ah started there now I would get there by the time school was over. AppleBloom said she need to bring in someone from the house to school today fer history class. We are the oldest farm around in these parts so she thought that maybe one of us wouldda been able to make it. Ah see now that none of us is gunna make it..." Granny sighed softly. "Ah may as well get on o'er there... Ah may as well try to make it."

"Granny," Moon grabbed Granny's attention, "If you'd like I could go. I may not know what goes on to make an apple orchard run, but I know things that happed very long ago. I'm sure the children at AppleBloom's school would benefit from it..." Granny's smile returned and she nodded. "Only problem is I don't know where the school is..."

"Well, all ya got ta do is get on the path and stay to the left, ya'll get there eventually." Granny said making her way over to Moon and hugs her. "Thank ya kindly."

Moon nodded her head and slowly returns the hug with a few soft pats on the back. "Your welcome Granny. It's the least I could do since you took Jayden and myself in last night. Do you know when I should leave?"

"Well, I guess ya should leave as soon as ya can. Now would be yer safest bet." Granny replied releasing Moon from the hug. "Cause bein' the fillie AppleBloom is she didn't say a direct time ta be there."

"Alright, I'll be back soon then..." Moon left the kitchen and went out the door giving a glance at the grandfather clock in the corner reading 9:23. She made her way down the path following granny's directions. As she walked along the path her mind wondered around she began the think on different various things. First it was wondering how many laws were put in place since she was banished and the two years after she broke free. Next it wondered to the subject of school, when was the last time she saw a school? Must have been a thousand and five years ago. Of course back then all the classes were taught either outside or in a barn of sorts. Finally her mind drifted to thinking on how her life was going, what direction it was going to take. Would she really be able to live a normal life now? Would she get a job? Where would she live? She thought long and hard on these questions she even slowed her walking pace as she saw a little red building that has a school sign in front. She didn't stay on the subject long before thinking on how Jayden would fair. It soon shifted to whether or not Jayden would support her and if she would support him in the pursuit of a simple life.

Upon reaching the sign the bell rang and the children came out and started playing. Recess had started and Moon just watched as the children played. The way the children played with carefree looks on their faces Moon felt out of place. She was so used to seeing fear when she was around that it was like to sides negative sides of a magnet trying to connect when all they do is push away from one another. That was until a break in the happiness was found.

Two ponies approached a group of three and the group of three when from happy to extremely tense and unhappy. Moon didn't like that the happiness she was seeing was being disrupted. This made her rather, vengeful. Seeing words being shot back and forth between the two groups she opened her wings and with a single flap she lifted off the ground and landed behind the group of two with a loud impact and frown clear her face. There was now a indention where her hooves had landed but Moon cared not.

The sight made the group of three immediately silence themselves and cower a bit. One of the group of two who Moon had landed behind wearing a tiara got a look of confusion before slowly turning around and upon seeing a set of 4 dark black hooves instead of her teachers dark pink ones made her look up slowly into a look Moon never thought she would ever make. The look of pure undivided judgment with a matching frown. The grey pony with a silverspoon as her cutiemark immediately fled in terror of the look but the one in the tiara did not. She getting the full blunt force of the look could only cower in fear and lay stomach on the ground and cover her head with her forehooves. The look continued until a unfamiliar voice called out.

"Excuse me, Miss?" Moon looked away from the little pony and turned her head almost all the way around to see a dark pink pony with sunflowers as her cutiemark. "May I ask why you are frightening my students?" Moon looked around a bit and all the other students were hiding and the grey pony from before is hiding behind the dark pink mare.

Moon quickly thinking on her question turned fully towards her. Little did Moon know that her presence was now known by the entire town. "I-I was here in the stead of the Apple family. They unfortunately have too much to do today to attend any events today." She cleared her throat and began the next part of her explanation. "As for my current action, I was watching the children here play when this pony and the one behind you decided it right to disturb the peaceful banter with I assume to be harsh words or accusations. I understand whatever it was to be is not my business yet I didn't like to see frowns on these children's once happy faces." The dark pink pony's face immediately turned from unhappiness to strict disappointment and it wasn't directed at Moon it was directed at the two ponies whom started to disturb the peace. The one who was cowering glanced up at Moon and dashed behind her teacher thinking she'd be safe but little did she know she was out of the frying pan and into the oven.

"DiamondTiara and SilverSpoon you both will come with me inside where you will wait for recess to be over after school we will be having a talk with your parents. Miss Moon will you keep an eye on the children while I get in contact with the parents?" Moon simply nodded and sat down in the grass. "If anypony askes I asked you to watch them."

"Pardon my ignorance but I don't know your name." Moon said watching the teacher mare heading towards the schoolhouse.

"Cheerlie. I understand that you are NightmareMoon? Can I trust you to watch the children while I'm busy?" Cheerlie askes slowing down.

"I assure you they will not leave my sight, not for a single second. You have my word." Moon replied with an affirmative nod. Cheerlie smiled a nodded her head but the second her head turned to the children she was leading inside it turned less than friendly. The two fillies followed Cheerile inside the school house and the door closed quietly behind them.

Moon looked about the school yard to see the children slowly gathering around her. Looking at each fillie and colt as they approached she noticed there were fewer than she realized. One was quite smaller than the others and was white with a brown spot covering one eye, his flank, and on his back left hoof. She decided that it would be best if she started small so why not start with the smallest of the bunch.

"Hello there little colt." Moon craned her neck down to be eye level with him. "May I ask your name?" The little colt nodded a smile growing on his face. "Well then, what is your name?"

"The name is Pip, your highness." Moon was taken back at what the little colt said. "Don't you remember we met at Nightmare Night?" Pip continued, "Did ya forget?" The rest of the children snickered at the little colts expense. "What so funny? Isn't it Princess Luna?" The rest of the children except the group of three started laughing a bit louder.

Moon saw that Pip didn't know that there was a difference between herself and Princess Luna, and because of that he is getting ridiculed. "Actually Pip, I am not Princess Luna. My name is NightmareMoon. He knows now you may now silence your laughter, I don't think any of you would appreciate it if you were being laughed at because you mistook who somepony was." The laughter almost completely silenced when she turned her attention to the other children. "Now I would like to make all of your acquaintances one at a time with name and age please."

One at a time the kids filed in line until the last three came up. Moon had placed the children's names into her memory but these three were the most memorable. "Hiya, Miss Moon my name is AppleBloom and these are my friends." As AppleBloom points at each of them and they say their names accordingly. Pointing at the white unicorn with light pink and light purple hair she spoke up, "SweetieBelle." She then gestured to a pegasus with fuschia pink hair and an orange pelt to which replied, "Scootaloo," Then together they shouted at the top of their lungs, "AND WE ARE THE CUTIEMARK CUSADERS!!!"

Moon thought hard on what they just said and remembered the crusades of her day. So much discovery during those times. "So, you three are after your cutie marks?" The three nodded as Moon continued. "I would tell you how I got mine but it is a saddening story, but enough of me I'm glad to meet you all. I assume that..."

*DING DONG*

"I suppose that means you must go inside?" The children nodded with a few groans and began to head inside. Moon followed the children inside to find Cheerlie waiting for them.

"Thank you, Moon. I appreciate you keeping an eye on them." Cheerlie smiled and took attendance. "Moon, you are here for our history day correct?" Moon nodded and listened as Cheerlie continued. "I'm afraid that that event is tomorrow at noon... but I assume you could give your presentation today."

"Was I supposed to have a presentation prepared?" Moon asked to which Cheerlie nodded her head. "Unfortunately I'm not prepared in the least, but I will tell you a few old stories... Maybe some that haven't been heard in hundreds of years."

"What stories are they? I must know if they are age appropriate." Cheerlie interrupted voicing her concern.

"I was going to tell the story of how discord came to be..." As Moon said this Cheerlie's face went from skeptical to curious. Not even Cheerlie knew how discord came to be. "Is the subject alright?" Moon looked to Cheerlie for affirmation and got a nod in return. "Alright... It all started 3,000 years ago long before the reign of Celestia and Luna. Ponies were happy they traded and bardered for what they needed from one another, but one fateful day a pony named Draquise Cordious was traveling through uncharted land at the time. This uncharted land is now modern day Canterlot... Draquise being a curious pony did all he could to discover as much as he could about this new land before him. He sckowered the mountains and when he found nothing he decided to dig into the mountain." All the children and Cheerlie were listening closely as the story pressed on as Moon took a breath to continue. "Draquise, began to drill into the side of the mountain but unbeknownst to him this mountain was filled with ancient magic far greater than any had ever seen in that time. There inside the mountain lived an alicorn, the name of which has long since forgotten before the story has been told, greeted Draquise with hospitality. Draquise accepted the hospitality but he was full of greed... When the alicorn asked Draquise what he wanted for setting him free Draquise replied, "I wish to be a being like you." Draquise did not know that the alicorn was a being that is judged by his or her heart. The alicorn granted Draquise's wish in a flash of light all the greed resting in his heart mixed with all the magic that the alicorn had used in a very bad way... so bad that it was concidered to be chaotic. Draquise had become a Draconis what Discord is today... The alicorn was saddened by what his magic had done so to save Draquise from learning what he had become he turned him to stone. He sadly left Draquise where he stood as a stone statue hoping he would never be released, and that is how Discord came to be." The entire room was dead silent not a peep was heard until Cheerlie broke the silence.

"NightmareMoon, is that a true story?" She asked as the whole class stared at her awaiting the answer.

"Yes, it is 100% true..."

"Nightmare, would you mind coming here every once in a while to tell us more stories about the past? I'll pay you for coming each time. Just be sure to contact me so I can check my schedule so I can give you a date and time to come in."

"Are you offering me a job?" Cheerlie nodded with a smile on her face. "Well thank you Cheerlie, I appreciate it."

*DING DONG*

The school bell rang once again signaling the end of school and the children hurried our of the building all except for DiamondTiara and SilverSpoon. All the rest left with smiles and we're talking about the story they just heard. Moon took her time leaving walking slowly to overhear some of what the children were saying. All she heard was good things about her and her story. Moon walked back to the apple farm with a smile on her face and a spring in her step. She had such good news to tell Jayden.