//------------------------------//
// Chapter 1: Humble Beginnings 
// Story: The Protectors of the Light 
// by EverlightHelios 
//------------------------------//

It was a day like any other. I, being the humble writer that I am, was enjoying a bright and sunny summer's day, gently writing on some story about whatever at a local café in Ponyville. 
When all of a sudden a most peculiar winged pony came up to me, dressed up in the royal Canterlot guard uniform, save for the fact that the known blue colors were red instead. 
This peculiar pony said to me "You're that writer, right? Scurbel Wroter, or something? Ugh.. You're pretty well known throughout Equestria, right?" 
"Well, if you must know..." I replied, obviously taking notes about the peculiar pony, as I always do "My name is indeed Scribble Writer and I am indeed quite known as a writer of tales and a writer for the Equestrian Tides, yes. But why would you want to know, if I might ask? And maybe stating your own name wouldn't be too much of a problem either?" 

Before I could do anything, the bloke suddenly grabbed me with a hoof around my neck and started to drag me towards Celestia knows where, walking forward on his two hind-legs even! He replied with a voice sounding like he stated a fact "The name's Sergeant Alucard and you need to come with me!" Of course, the severe strength of the hoof around my neck disabled me from asking any further question and all I really could do was just hang on, trying not to be choked and see where this rough and tough Sergeant pony will bring me. Taking notes along the way of course, as I always do. While we're at it, why not put a small description of me and this pony right here?

My name is Scribble Writer and what I do most of the time when you see me is indeed implied by my name, writing scribbles. Small notes that I could use later for in my books that I have written, or maybe to be put into my journal I write in everyday or whatever I feel like writing at the moment. I am a unicorn, but most magic I use is for the levitation of my pen, quill and notebook. I'm not really trained in any other kind of magic, to be frank.
Anyhoof, my fur is a light-tanned brownish color, my mane is like a feather quill, pure white all over with only a few spots of black at the ends. I wouldn't count myself as a big stallion, but I'm not small either, you could say average size, I guess. 
Furthermore am I a gentle stallion, not one to pick fights all that quickly and enjoying a cup of tea every now and then whilst writing whatever I can think of at that moment.
Now for the rude pony that suddenly managed to grab me and drag me along, his name would be Sergeant Alucard it seems. Dressed, as I already told you, in the royal Canterlot guard outfit, save for the red colors instead of blue. His fur seems to be full white and through his armor I could see mane and tail colored a bright orange, maybe even some streaks of yellow. I couldn't see anything past that, but who knows what other mysteries that armor of his might conceal?

Now that that's out of the way, let's continue our story...
So there I was, being dragged along by a, to me, unfamiliar pony seemingly walking on his two hind-legs with no effort whatsoever, a feat that even to me is quite a surprise to be honest. As we walked along the streets of Ponyville, I soon enough came to know our destination, Ponyville Hospital.
We arrived inside and this Alucard pony asked the mare behind the desk for the room where one 'Miss Helios' was residing, to which the mare replied with a saddened look, a quick standing up and a telling for us to follow her. Before I could even utter a word of protest, I got dragged along once again by the big and strong stallion locking his hoof around my neck.
We arrived at what seemed like an empty hospital room, except for the one occupied bed standing against one of the four walls surrounding it and the two other ponies standing on the opposite side of where I and my captor would stop walking and stand still. He released my neck from the lock of his hoof and stood on his own four hooves again before I lifted my head up and stared straight into the eyes of what seemed like a gravely wounded and rather small-sized pony. 
I quickly broke the eye-contact moving my sight up and down the seemingly frail body that lay before me on the hospital bed. I looked down and noticed her fur had a very light buttery-yellow color and I could just barely see a pair of wings pointing out from under the sheets that concealed the rest of her body. 
I looked up towards her head again and looked upon what one might call an interesting set of hairs on her head. It was completely white-colored, except for the occasional candy-caramel colored streaks of orange molded into her hair. Before I started questioning myself if this could be her own natural hair color, I suddenly noticed something pointy protruding her head, right around the beginning of her hairline. And at the same moment my mind made a link between that pointy thing and her wings and my mouth starting to say "You're a..." She looked at me and spoke with a voice that was sweeter and kinder than anything I've heard before...

"Yes, I am indeed an alicorn, my dear. Please, you may call me Everlight, Everlight Helios." She looked around the bed and turned towards the brute that dragged me here "I see you've gathered the ponies I've asked for, thank you for that." The brute nodded fiercely before she continued "Well then, why don't we introduce ourselves to each other... Please state your name and profession, if you will."
The first pony to reply was the one standing on the opposite side of the bed, in the same position as me. She looked joyfully towards the others and said with a smile "Well, my name is Spirit Crystal and I'm the grave keeper of the Ponyville graveyard! Or as I'd rather call myself, the caretaker of the spirits of Ponyville... Nice to meet you all!" I immediately sensed that the strange unicorn standing before me had a strange aura surrounding her. And her mild grayish fur and black with white streaks filled mane were only adding to that aura of mystery as I watched her smile. 
Maybe even as if the words that she just spoke were not just words, even though I know how preposterous that may sound, I mean, nopony can talk to dead ponies, right?
Right, the next one to introduce himself was the pony standing next to her, a pony with a light-brown, maybe more like dark-caramel colored fur and an almost gold colored mane with slivers of silver. "Greetin's, I guess, the name's Iron Merch and I'm a blacksmith extra-ordinair, if ya need somethin' fixed, I'm the pony ya'll should go to, ya hear?" He ends his sayings with a small chuckle before looking concerned towards the small pony laying in front of us again.
Next in line was of course the big and strong stallion standing next to me, stating his name as if we're in the army itself "Full Name: Sergeant Alucard Ponytail, profession: Sergeant of the Equestrian Royal Guard, Ma'am!" I snickered a little bit at the mention of his full name but a quick angry look from him made me stop immediately and quickly say my name and profession "My name is Scribble Writer and my profession is being a writer, Miss! And could somepony now please explain what's going on here?! And are you allright, miss? You don't look too good..."

This made her chuckle gently and softly, as if her weakened body just barely could manage the effort "Hihihi, oh don't worry, I'll be fine Scribble... I just need some rest... My name is Everlight, Everlight Helios and as for an explanation, I'll start with the fact that I am one of the last known living members of The Protectors of The Light..."