The Legend of the Six

Ponyville, the year 207, A.D.* Over 200 years have passed since the Six Wielders defeated the Darkness. The world is grey and dim; the sun provides little warmth during these dark times. Ponies go about their daily lives, plying their skills, and having what fun they can in their confined lives. None dare go outside the barrier, for many fear that doing so will result in death, be it by the dead lands or the creatures roaming them.

Morning rises as a young colt enters his tree-home, hoping to find some solace in the many books that litter the place. The place was abandoned years ago for long-forgotten reasons, so it makes a perfect place to find solace and knowledge. Dusk Fades floats a book to himself, reading from it as his horn glows a purple color, indicating he’s utilizing his magic. It was thanks to these books that Dusk was able to begin to understand what his horn did, and how to control the potential inside him.

Magic is a forgotten art, often shunned by Earth Ponies.  Their hardy lifestyle and builds allowed them to persevere in these trying times, where Unicorns and Pegasi were unable to survive well. Any Unicorns that remain live in the Capitol, trained to keep the city safe, should the barriers fail. Being the only Unicorn in Ponyville makes Dusk a rarity, misunderstood, and feared.

He was orphaned as a child, left on the doorstep of the abandoned building. Ever since, he has lived here, reading, learning, and practicing. Having no money, no job, and no friends, he was forced to resort to petty thievery just to survive. Discovering magic has made life much easier, but he yearns for a better life, like the one found in his books.

“Hmm, this is interesting,” Dusk muttered aloud. Seeing as no one else lived here, it didn’t matter. He continued, “Apparently, at one time there were more ponies like me around. Ponies actually liked them, and were friends with them. This ‘Star Swirl the Bearded’ was once revered for his magical accomplishments, and there’s even a sector of the Royal Library dedicated to him!” Using his magic, he brought another book to himself, switching over to reading it. “And here is some of the lore of this land…Oh wow!” He exclaimed as he pored over the details of this tome. “So, there are stained glass windows in the Royal Palace that visually tell some of these legends. That’s so cool!”

His dark red eyes scanned furiously over the pages, soaking in every detail. Dusk’s concentration was so focused that he failed to notice the plank fall from a nearby wall. His Dark Purple coat shivered a little as a breeze flowed through the window he broke to get into this place. His lamp flickered, finally getting him to notice that the covering had failed, again.

“Argh! Man, I wish I could just get a new window.” Taking a breath, and focusing, Dusk moved the piece of wood back up and onto the window, magically sealing the hole. With a quick look around the tree, Dusk nodded, and returned to his reading. Books were strewn everywhere from his constant reading, but at least the place was livable. With time and clever repairing, it almost felt like a home. Power was restored with Dusk’s newfound magical capabilities, but only on the inside.

Checking his makeshift watch, Dusk noticed it was near dawn; time for bed. No need to arouse suspicion in the neighbors. “Eh, I think I have enough time to finish this book. I only have a few pages left.”

That was all about a month ago, ever since that day he decided to stay up later than he should have. Since then, Dusk has been thrust into a quest to save Equestria. Alongside him are 5 other ponies: Foren Pix, Barry, Storm Chaser, Soren Wings, and Alura. Feron and Barry are Earth Ponies, while Storm and Soren are Pegasi. Alura is a unicorn like Dusk. How this rag-tag group of ponies managed to even get out of town, let alone travel together, is a tale in and of itself.

It all started with that book Dusk was too interested in to notice how much time had passed.

*Note: A.D. stands for After the Darkness.