The Sun will shine on us again

Brambleberry couldn't sleep. She didn't know how many days she hadn't been able to sleep properly, and how would she know when the only time of day outside the window was night? She had never known anyone else.

Tomorrow, she and the other mature griffixes would get their first armor, new and shiny, because they was old enough to join the combined army of the two kingdoms. For the past several hundred years the griffix Queen Eclipsa and pony Queen Nightmare Moon jointly ruled these lands. An old book she found in the library says that for the sake of her people, Queen Eclipsa brought her people out of the shadows and made an alliance with the queen of ponies. Nightmare Moon had an army of magic and flight, armed with sharp fangs and claws, many times better than ponies, and the griffixes had food in abundance, medicine, and knowledge. She had no idea what had happened before, and there was nothing in any history book about the time before the two Queens.

"They don't just erase an entire epoch from history for nothing", Brambleberry mused.

Every night she thought about what would have happened if eternal night had never come... What happened before? Why no one talk about it? No, she didn't complain, she had everything to live for. She was torn between curiosity and a desire to know more, which she possibly shouldn't know at all.

No one living now knows anything about the past. No one but the queens and the beautiful griffix princess Selenara. Just looking at her made Brambleberry's breath catch and her chest grow hot, making her feel self-conscious... She would like to get rid of this feeling, so firmly lodged in her heart.

Selenara lives almost as long as the Queen Eclipsa, everyone knew that, but even she would not answer all the questions that tormented young Brambleberry, because she is mute. Sweet Selenara was as richly decorated as the Queen Eclipsa, but they were distinguished by the tight collar around the neck of the silent princess. It was as if the collar, encrusted with lace and gems, was almost suffocating poor Selenara. Someone started a rumor that there is a spell on this collar that does not allow the princess to talk and do what she wants, and that is why no one has ever heard her voice and that is why she is always near the queen. Some also say that if the queen had not become attached to her, she would have killed her for fear of being dethroned.. Selenara always had sad and wet eyes and looked like a bird in captivity. Blackberry was very sorry for the unfortunate Princess and just looking at her, she felt like crying, wanted to free her and protect her for the rest of her life...

Crickets were singing outside the window. This sound and the fresh air entering her bedroom through the open window soothed her. The light translucent curtains swayed in the breeze that rustled the leaves outside. If it weren't for the wild magic of the Everfree Forest, which has grown for miles around over the past thousand years and isn't even going to stop, then all the plants would probably die.

Brambleberryshould finally sleep, because tomorrow is an important day for her and she does not want to look like a living dead among beautiful and stately peers. She think a few hours of sleep will not actually remove her dark circles under her eyes, but at least she will be able to stand firmly on her paws. Trying not to think about anything else, she closed her eyes. Relaxing, she rolled over to the window and her mind was already in a dream world when she heard the floorboard creak and someone lay down at her side.

Startled, she barely opened her eyes and raised her head. She breathed a sigh of relief when she smelled the familiar smell and met her brother's round eyes.

"I'm sorry! I didn't want to wake you", Moonflower said hoarsely in an undertone.

"It's okay, I still haven't fallen asleep", she mumbled sleepily.

Her restless brother turned to her and looked at her guiltily from under his brows. Lately, he had been having frequent nightmares about the dead, the dark, and evil ponies. Every time it was time to sleep, Brambleberry offered to spend the night with her, but her brother always refused, saying that he was old enough to sleep alone, but in the end, Moonflower sneaked into her room, thinking that she was sleeping, and then left. Moonflower did not like, when his sister was sad and always tried to cheer her up: bring caught frogs, wove her a crowns for her out of the only flowers that could bloom in such darkness (although he called it a girl's occupation, he didn't want to admit that he liked it), asked to take him to the town of pony, in short, did everything to distract her sister from the sad thoughts. He did it, but not for long, and she had to force a smile just to avoid upsetting her brother.

"I... I had a nightmare... I was scared and I came to you"

"Oh.. poor thing... come here", Brambleberrythrew back the covers and patted her paw invitingly next to her. Moonflower, without thinking, dived under the wing of his sister and buried his face in her neck, pressing his whole body against her. Brambleberrycovered them both with a blanket and laid her head next to the top of her brother's head. His rapid breathing tickled the skin of her neck. He must still be scared, she guessed. To calm her brother, Brambleberrybegan to run her tongue over her brother's head and ears. Soon the warm gesture affected him, and she felt his muscles relax.

"I dreamed that King Umbra crawled out of the ground and wanted to take me to the Abyss...", Moonflower whispered in a frightened voice, as if he was afraid that the mad king, who had returned from the dead, was wandering nearby and might hear him.

"Abyss...", a terrible and dark place where all the dead fall, as the old griffix say, it is so dark that even the light of the stars and the moon can not cut through the darkness and there is only the howling and moaning of the dead...

"Abyss does not exist", she lied. Brambleberrywasn't sure what she was saying, and she wanted to believe that she was right. She didn't want her precious brother to be afraid.

"Really?.. "

"Yes. This is all made up to make us afraid"

Moonflower paused. He stuck his nose out and breathed in the air of the street. Cold drifted across the floor, but under the blanket was warm and cozy. Brambleberrywatched her brother's expression for a moment, until he sighed contentedly and closed his eyes. The sight of the sleeping cub made her feel better and her anxiety disappeared, and she hoped that it would not torment her for a long time. After giving her brother a final lick on the nose, she also lowered her head in a relaxed manner, hoping that she and her brother would sleep calmly.

"You know, I saw the Sun too..."

Another time, she would have howled in agony and ordered her brother to sleep, but at the mention of the forgotten luminary, her eyes snapped open "What? You're not lying?"

More than anything, perhaps, she wanted to see the Sun. Feel its warmth and how it fill their lands with life. But just as with the past, the sun is not mentioned anywhere, not even what it looks like.

"Yes! It was so big and hot, it shone brighter than the moon, I thought I'd go blind!", Moonflower said excitedly. Brambleberrycould only sigh in agony. She envied her brother, but mostly she was happy for him. She gave him a warm smile and rubbed her nose lazily against his.

"How nice...", she murmured wearily "I hope you'll see the Sun again"

"Don't be sad, plea-a-ase!", he rubbed his head against her reassuringly and even purred like a small kitten.

"Okay, let's sleep now, you also have an important day tomorrow, you'll become a squire, after all"

"Yeah, I know", Moonflower chuckled softly.

He was able to fall asleep quickly, but she thought about everything for a long time before exhausted by insomnia, she fell into darkness...

⌿ ✰ ╼─────── ☼ – •• – ☽ ───────╾ ✰ ⍀

Brambleberry didn't see anything. She blinked quickly, trying to make out something in the absolute blackness, and even for a moment she was afraid that she was in Abyss, crawling with corpses and worms, but soon a fire appeared on the horizon. Foreshadowing something good, she hurried toward the source of the light. She didn't know what or who was waiting for her there, but something told her that it was only good.

"Hey, wait for me!", Moonflower appeared from somewhere to the side and just as quickly flew close to her.

"Moonflower?!", Brambleberry shouted. She didn't know why, but she wanted to laugh and cry at the same time, and her heart wanted to sing, her voice trembled with excitement "Has someone built a fire there?!"

"You'll see for yourself!", he shouted cheerfully.

The wind ruffled their manes mercilessly, and soon she felt extremely light, as if they were falling from a high star. She liked the feeling.

In the distance, she could already see the yellowing ears of grain, and the fire grew larger and larger. The closer they got to the field, the slower their 'fall' became, and when they finally stopped, all four feet on the ground, sinking into the corn, Moonflower ran somewhere ahead and stopped, looked at her, wagging his tail excitedly. She didn't need to be told twice.

Her heart began to beat faster and seemed about to jump out of her chest, running to her brother, she caught her breath with delight: the earth was falling down, where there was nothing but dark clouds, but as if shining from within.

Like an all-consuming fire, a gigantic luminary burst through this impenetrable veil, searing the muzzle with its heat. The hot Sun almost blinded her, a creature that had lived all her life in the darkness of night, it shone as if it wanted to give all its light to the world before the clouds of night swallowed it up again. She wanted to narrow her eyes, but she forced herself to look through the tears that were either from happiness or from such a bright light, to remember what she see. The flames touched her muzzle and paws, but they did not burn, it was more like the tongue of her mother, who so gently licked her fur, once upon a time...

The sun had finally risen, and she sensed that a great change was coming.