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// Praise the Sun 
// Story: Praise the Sun 
// by GreyTheGriffon 
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Ten years ago, the horror known as Nightmare Moon defeated Princess Celestia and banished her to the moon, the light of the sun banished alongside her. For those ten years, creatures of every creed struggled together under the weight of starvation, militaristic leadership, and universal tyranny. 

It is needless to say that we were all eager for an end to the night.

Today, through the window of my home in Ponyville, I saw the sun rising from the horizon line for the first time in too long. My eyes were stung with tears; whether from sheer joy or the brightness, I could not say. 

“Bonnie!” I remember shouting at the top of my lungs, though I knew she’d still most likely be asleep, “Bonnie, you need to look out of the window right now!” I shook her as I spoke, possibly with more force than I meant to.

Her voice stirred with a grumble, her hooves starting to pull her blanket back over herself, until a ray of sunlight hit her eye. “Mmm— wha?” Was all she managed before her jaw fell to the floor.

I held her hoof in mine, both of us now shaking. We stayed that way together for a few minutes, neither of us able to say anything else. After a while, our faces, painted by a single streak of tears, turned to each other. I tackle-hugged her and we fell onto the bed, our schoolfilly laughter unrestrained.

After some time, we collected ourselves as much as we could and rushed to the door together to bask in the light; a tentative hoofstep outside delayed only by our thought that this might be a dream was met with warm grass and pleasantly cool dew upon the blades.

Other ponies from around the town were poking their heads out by now, looks of disbelief on every face; every set of eyes making contact leading to more giddy laughter.

We met Vinyl and Octavia by the hooves as soon as we saw them, and we shared a hug together. Our tears stained each other’s fur, and the grass tickled our legs. Sensations we would savor for as long as we could.

Eventually, the four of us parted; a spontaneous decision between the four of us having been made that couples should spend this first day in a decade together. Bonnie and I ran through the town together, rolled down a grassy hill in the park, and basked in the warmth and light we had missed for so long. It was beautiful.

Hoof in hoof, surrounded by warmth not just in the air, but in the temperament of our peers, we celebrated. We drank spare cider that Applejack had in the cellar in case of such a wondrous day as today, and we gorged ourselves on pastries and sweets that Mr. and Mrs. Cake were once again eager to bake; all our festivities underscored by the wonderful light of the sun, alongside a simple, shared motto:

“Praise to The Sun! Praise to our Princess Celestia!”