The little unicorn filly was trembling in fear as she reached the statue of Nightmare Moon, the only feature of the clearing in the wall of trees.
She had white coat, bright red eyes and deep purple curly mane.
She looked in horror at the statue in front of her, and then noticed a smaller one at its feet depicting a pony holding something round shaped in its forehoofs.
She stood there, in the darkened Everfree forest, her eyes fixed on the smaller statue, until curiosity bested fear.
She drawled near the smaller statue and made out more particulars: it was a pegasus stallion, its coat of dark blue degrading to black towards its hooves, its mane pure white, much like the dots on his flank that made out a starry moonless sky; it was holding a stone bowl in which rested a silver necklace with a teardrop-like diamond pendant.
She thought it was strange that such a pretty necklace was in that dreadful place, so she tried to take it.
The pegasus' eyes darted open and fixed in the filly's. They were green and reptile-like, but more importantly full of spite, hatred and sadness.
The filly reared under that gaze, trying to run away from the stallion, but she stumbled and fell.

"Please, let me go" begged the terrified filly, eyes tightly shut.

"Sure, why should I keep you there?" asked a calm, deep voice in front of her.

She dared to look, and found out the pegasus, now much less statue-like, was smiling, only sadness and kindness now in his eyes. She found that smile strangely reassuring, despite the clearly visible fangs.

"Aren't you mad?" asked shyly the unicorn sitting up.

"No, not with you little miss. I thought you were someone else"

"May I ask why are you sleeping in such a place? I thought you were a statue"

"What a curious filly you are, uh? Well, here I have so many memories, here is where I live, waiting" said the pegasus sounding extremely tired.

"Waiting?" asked the curious filly.

"Yes"

"Who are you waiting for?"

"I'm waiting for... Well, let's say an old friend"

"You talk in a funny way mister. May I ask you name?" giggled the filly, much more at ease.

"My name is Northern Sky, but you can call me Sky if you want, and your name?"

"I'm called Rare Belle" said the filly with a slight bow.

"You are her daughter!" roared the stallion jumping on his hoofs and flaring his wings "You are the daughter of Generosity!"

The filly jumped back and tried to run away from the angered pegasus, but she tumbled again. She started cowering in fear, saying she didn't know what he meant.

"You're not Rarity's daughter?" said Sky frowning.

"R-rarity? As in princess Rarity?" asked the trembling filly.

The pegasus reached for her and gently caressed her head with his right wing.

"Sorry little Rare, I didn't mean to scare you"

The filly nodded and sat up, while the pegasus returned to the statue.

"You said princess? Well, that was to be expected: after what we did..." a sad smile crept on Sky's muzzle as he said those words.

"You know auntie?" asked Rare, fearing another outburst.

"Auntie? Are you Sweetie Belle's daughter?"

"Granddaughter"

"Wow, to think I slept that much... Anyway yes, I know Rarity and the other bearers"

"You know the other princesses as well? You must be an important pony!"

"Pony? I'm not a pony..."

"You're obviously a pegasus, so you are a pony, no?"

"Tell me, do you know what happened to princess Celestia and princess Luna?" asked Sky with a sly smile.

"They fought Nightmare Moon and died three hundreds years ago, when auntie and her friends became alicorns and the new princesses"

"Is that the official version? What a shame" he said shaking his head slowly.

"What do you mean?"

"They lied!" said Sky flaring his wings once again.

"Ya better stand back, monster!" shouted a voice above them.

A orange alicorn landed between the two of them and glared at him. She had green eyes and a flowing mane of pure gold flames.

"Oh, good night, miss Applejack, or should I say princess?" said Sky with a sly smile.

"Ya are all right, Rare?" asked the newcomer keeping her eyes on the stallion.

"Yes, I'm fine: mister Sky kept me company"

At those words Applejack's eye widened.

"Ya hypnotized her?" inquired the mare.

"What? No! It's you who has the horn between us!"

"Fine, now go back to your slumber before I decide that your life is not worth to be spared"

"Oh, you threaten me? That's so fun! You know that even without magic I'm too much for you to take"

"Ah'm stronger than three centuries ago"

"Yes, and judging by your mane you rise the sun, right? It's a moonless night, my domain! You came for the foal, take her and go away: what I do with my eternity is not up to you to decide" said the nightmare, sounding once again extremely tired.

"Applejack, why does he live here?" asked the filly.

"Because there's no place for me in your auntie's world, little miss" answered Sky sitting at the base of the statue.

"'cause he's a dangerous monster" replied the alicorn.

"I never sentenced anypony to death for his or her race!" shouted back Northern Sky.

"Still ya killed the princesses!"

"What? Why, Sky?" asked the unicorn.

"They tried to kill me and my beloved one, I had to"

"Ya're lyin'!" shouted Applejack.

"No, dear princess, and you know this right? That is because you six never came after me, because you know that I am not the murder you want me to be!"

"Applejack, why did the princesses do something so bad?" asked the filly, confusion in her eyes.

"Because I revived Nightmare Moon"

"But Nightmare Moon is evil! Why would you revive her?"

Tears started flowing out of the stallion's eye.

"Because we loved each other" he whispered.

Silence fell on the opening, broken only by the sound of the tears falling down to earth.

"Ah reckon it's time we go, Rare" said the mare, putting a hoof on the filly's shoulder.

"Little miss, before you go, take the necklace"

"No! That's what made ya a nightmare!" roared the alicorn.

"Don't spout nonsense, Applejack: the tear is just a diamond! I'm like this because Nightmare Moon cast a spell on me. But if you don't believe me, bring it to Twilight, she will tell you the same thing"

"Fine, but if she becomes like ya -" started saying the princess.

"I said don't threaten me, Applejack, I don't like killing royalties, but I'm good at it. If what your paranoia fathoms happen, then I will teach you how to 'cure' her, if that's what she desires"

The alicorn levitated the necklace off the ground where it had fallen and then the filly on her back.

"Good bye princess of the sun, good bye little Rare. Don't forget me" he said waving a hoof at the duo, in particular to the sad looking filly, who waved back at him.

A second later, there was a flash of light and they were gone, leaving the pegasus alone once again, sitting where he had been for the past three centuries.
He sighed and returned to his dreamless slumber.

Author's Note

I was feeling pretty down yesterday and this come out... I personally like where this is going, so I thought to upload it.

Let me now what you think, please.