"But where could she have gone? We searched all of Canterlot already!" half cried the white alicorn on the brink of tears.

Her deep purple mane waved furiously like a torrent in spring instead of her normal calm flow.

"She's the only family I have after her parents died in that train accident. What will I do if she's... ?" she said as sobs cut her breath and sentence.

"Calm down, Rarity, we'll find her for sure" said Twilight hugging her with both her forelegs and her wings.

Her mane kept a calm flow resembling a purple and pink fog bank dotted with stars.
While her friend wore none of the regalia she used wearing during the day, the lavender alicorn wore silver horseshoe and breastplate, plus the tiara with the element of magic, since she was technically holding court.
She kept comforting her crying friend until she heard hoofsteps in the hallway.
The massive oaken doors of the throne room opened quietly to reveal the princess of the sun, a bright smile on her face.

"Oh, Applejack! I hope that this smile comes with good news" said Twilight without letting go of Rarity.

"Sure as hay they are!" she said levitating the little unicorn from her back down to the floor in front of the duo.

"Rare Belle!" said Rarity wrapping her forehooves around her niece, as tears kept on flowing down her cheeks and her mane calmed down.

"Aren't you mad, auntie?" asked the confused filly.

"Of course I am, and a lot! But right now I'm just happy you're safe" answered the white alicorn in a dramatic tone.

"Your aunt was really worried Rare, we all were" said Twilight in a motherly tone.

"Sorry auntie, sorry princesses" said the filly hanging her head.

"Twi, Ah reckon we've gotta leave 'hem alone, and Ah've somethin' Ah want to ask ya" said the orange mare.

The lavender one nodded.

"Rarity, it was a nerve wracking day: why don't you take your niece and go to sleep?" suggested Twilight with a sweet smile.

"That's a good idea dear. See you tomorrow" answered the exhausted mare with a smile before levitating the white filly on her back and saying "Let's go Rare, this night you'll sleep with me".

Later the same night, when also the other three princesses had returned and took their leave to their chambers after Twilight and Applejack had assured them that they could held court in their place, the duo stood in the silent throne room.
It hadn't changed much in the last three hundred years: it was the same long room, with high stained glass windows telling the tales from the past history of Equestria and dark purple tapestries bordered in silver and bearing the crest of the night court and of equestrian hexarchy; the main difference was that, in the wall far from the door, at the end of the now black velvety carpet, stood three onyx thrones.
The moon princess sat in the central one, while the sun hexarch sat to her right, turning her seating into white alabaster.

"Before we start, thank you for finding the little one" said Twilight with a smile.

"It was a nice diversion and it brought me back to the good ol' times when Apple Bloom went crusadin'..." said Applejack waving a hoof in a dismissive manner.

"I know how you miss her AJ, I'm sorry" said the lavender mare hugging her friend.

"Let's not talk 'bout that, ok?" simply replied the orange one returning the embrace.

"Sure. So, what is it that needs all this secrecy?"

"It's 'bout the filly: Ah found her in the Everfree, near Nightmare Moon's statue"

"Did he hurt her?" asked Twilight fixing her eyes on the other's.

"'Course not, Ah would have told Rarity otherwise! The problem is that he gave to lil' Rare his necklace: Ah want to 'now if it's safe for her" she answered levitating the pendant in front of her friend.

"Only that?" asked the lavender alicorn relaxing a bit while she observed the drop-shaped diamond.

"Unluckily no" sighed the orange one "They talked 'bout that night"

"I don't really see the problem there" commented Twilight scanning the jewel with her magic.

"What if she goes around sayin' that Celestia and Luna murdered Nightmare Moon? Ah don't think Ah can explain what a preventive strike is to a seven years old filly..."

The moon princess stopped poking the necklace with a hoof and looked to her friend.

"Aj, I think you're overreacting: nopony will ever believe a filly babbling about Nightmare Moon being good and the late princesses being murderers. Yet, I think that having her promise not to talk about him would prove necessary to avoid a horde of foals getting themselves killed by manticores and timberwolves" she said placing a silver clad hoof on her friend shoulder.

"And Ah thought ya would overreact as ya usually do" said Applejack giggling.

"I promised Spike to behave while he tends to the dragon migration" answered the other sticking her tongue out.

After sharing a warm laugh, the orange mare said:

"Ya 'now Twi, if your court is always this lively, I'm happy to held the day one"

Twilight stepped wearily towards her quarters, her hooves clicking on the marble stairs, as the first rays of sunshine filtered from the windows.
She approached the birch doors of her room and pushed them open with her magic.
She almost jumped when she heard a quiet voice addressing her from her hoofs:

"Uhm, Twilight?" asked the white unicorn filly.

"Rare Belle! I didn't see you! What are you doing here?"

"I'm sorry, but I have a question and I cannot ask auntie because Applejack made me promise not to"

"I guess it's about this night then, right?"

The filly nodded, the mare sighed but gestured her into the room.
It was round, mostly occupied by the circular bed; the carpet, the curtains and the bed sheets were a light shade of purple, the walls of black marble were almost covered by birch bookshelves.
In a smaller bed, near Twilight's, was currently sleeping Spike.
It was surprising how in three hundred years he had grown only slightly and was just a bit less chubby; the main difference was that he now had a pair of leather wings.
The alicorn removed her regalia and set them of the nightstand, then she sat on the bed and levitated the filly next to her.

"Let me guess, it's about something Northern Sky said to you?" guessed the lavender mare making herself comfortable.

"Yes: he said that Nightmare Moon wasn't evil and that the princesses killed her anyway. Is that true?"

Twilight mind returned to her talk with Applejack hours ago and smiled bitterly for a second before sighing and saying:
"Yes and no"

"What does that mean?" asked the filly corking her head.

"You know who Nightmare Moon was, right? Then you know that she was fueled by hatred and jealousy and that she wanted to bring the eternal night upon Equestria. The last time she returned we, the elements and the princesses, acted guessing she was still like that. Now, we know we were wrong: she just wanted a peaceful life with her coltfriend, Northern sky, but we didn't believe her. The rest of the story is history..."

"And why does Sky lives in the forest?" asked Rare noticing that Twilight didn't like the previous subject.

"After we became the new princesses, he came and asked to be given the death sentence"

"Death sentence? What is it?" interrupted the confused unicorn.

"To put it simple, he wanted to die" explained Twilight, with a weary tone "Of course we denied it, but we couldn't simply let him go. So we exiled him. Needless to say he never left Equestria"

"That's a very sad story... Thank you Twilight, I'll let you rest now. Sleep well!" said Rare jumping down from the bed and leaving the room.

Author's Note

So, a pair of days ago I was stuck to wait for a pair of hours in the train station and so I decided to write a bit...

To all those who like this story, thank you for the support!