Alright, hello again, everyone... I'm the author PokeDigiManiac, also known
by many other names, or variants on that same name. For those few of you
that happened to read my other story, "Screensaver Problems," this one will
be decidedly different.
After reading the "The Dark is Rising" sequence way back in 5th grade (my
reading group read "The Dark is Rising", and that got me started.),
admittedly out of order... The actual order I read them in the first time
was: "The Dark is Rising", "Silver on the Tree", "Greenwitch", "The Grey
King", and "Over Sea, Under Stone." But even though I knew how it all ended
after the second book I read, I still loved the story nonetheless.
However, one of the best parts of the story (for me) was the many
prophecies and verses in the sequence. I had the biggest and longest one
fully memorized by 6th grade. It goes as follows:
When the Dark comes rising, six shall turn it back; Three from the circle, three from the track; Wood, bronze, iron; water, fire, stone; Five will return, and one go alone.
Iron for the birthday, bronze carried long; Wood from the burning, stone out of song; Fire in the candle-ring, water from the thaw; Six Signs the circle, and the grail gone before.
Fire on the mountain shall find the harp of gold Played to wake the Sleepers, oldest of the old; Power from the green witch, lost beneath the sea; All shall find the light at last, silver on the tree.
On the day of the dead, when the year too dies, Must the youngest open the oldest hills Through the door of the birds, where the breeze breaks. There fire shall fly from the raven boy, And the silver eyes that see the wind, And the Light shall have the harp of gold.
By the pleasant lake the Sleepers lie, On Cadfan's Way where the kestrels call; Though grim from the Grey King shadows fall, Yet singing the golden harp shall guide To break their sleep and bid them ride.
When light from the lost land shall return, Six Sleepers shall ride, six Signs shall burn, And where the midsummer tree grows tall By Pendragon's sword the Dark shall fall.
The first three verses were discovered during the first book in the sequence, "The Dark is Rising." The next three were discovered during the third book in the sequence, "Greenwitch." (Note: Although the book "Over Sea, Under Stone" actually happens, timewise, before "The Dark is Rising," I consider it to be the second book, because "The Dark is Rising" always must be the first in the series. Hence, though "Greenwitch" happens directly after "The Dark is Rising," it is the third book in the series.) Anyhow, recently I was looking at this prophecy/poem/song yet again (actually, I was singing it in the backyard while playing fetch with my dog), and realized something interesting. I could write a "parallel universe" sort of story, that draws on the same settings, somewhat, and some of the same occurrences that happen in the original book. However, this time, where in the books, the story focuses on Will Stanton and three children, Barnabas "Barney" Drew, Jane Drew, and Simon Drew, and with a Welsh boy named Bran and a old man named Merriman Lyons rounding out "the Six," (Note: This is a really bad summary of the main characters. Read the books for yourself to find out more about them!) I could write the Six as being something totally different; namely, six children all around the same age that each found or were given a Sign (to be explained later in the story) and thrust into the last and greatest quest of the Light, to stop the last and most powerful rising of the Dark. So this is the story that I have chosen to write. As you read this story, if it interests you enough, I would suggest at least reading the first story in the sequence, "The Dark is Rising," to see what the original is like. Also, if you have read the books, you will notice many more subtleties and "inside jokes" that only people with knowledge of the books would notice. So I strongly recommend reading them, not only for all those reasons, but because they are excellent books on their own.
Now, follow me as we begin our journey into the lands and time of the Six, and their great quest begins...
~PokeDigiManiac Iron Bronze Wood Stone Fire Water
When the Dark comes rising, six shall turn it back; Three from the circle, three from the track; Wood, bronze, iron; water, fire, stone; Five will return, and one go alone.
Iron for the birthday, bronze carried long; Wood from the burning, stone out of song; Fire in the candle-ring, water from the thaw; Six Signs the circle, and the grail gone before.
Fire on the mountain shall find the harp of gold Played to wake the Sleepers, oldest of the old; Power from the green witch, lost beneath the sea; All shall find the light at last, silver on the tree.
On the day of the dead, when the year too dies, Must the youngest open the oldest hills Through the door of the birds, where the breeze breaks. There fire shall fly from the raven boy, And the silver eyes that see the wind, And the Light shall have the harp of gold.
By the pleasant lake the Sleepers lie, On Cadfan's Way where the kestrels call; Though grim from the Grey King shadows fall, Yet singing the golden harp shall guide To break their sleep and bid them ride.
When light from the lost land shall return, Six Sleepers shall ride, six Signs shall burn, And where the midsummer tree grows tall By Pendragon's sword the Dark shall fall.
The first three verses were discovered during the first book in the sequence, "The Dark is Rising." The next three were discovered during the third book in the sequence, "Greenwitch." (Note: Although the book "Over Sea, Under Stone" actually happens, timewise, before "The Dark is Rising," I consider it to be the second book, because "The Dark is Rising" always must be the first in the series. Hence, though "Greenwitch" happens directly after "The Dark is Rising," it is the third book in the series.) Anyhow, recently I was looking at this prophecy/poem/song yet again (actually, I was singing it in the backyard while playing fetch with my dog), and realized something interesting. I could write a "parallel universe" sort of story, that draws on the same settings, somewhat, and some of the same occurrences that happen in the original book. However, this time, where in the books, the story focuses on Will Stanton and three children, Barnabas "Barney" Drew, Jane Drew, and Simon Drew, and with a Welsh boy named Bran and a old man named Merriman Lyons rounding out "the Six," (Note: This is a really bad summary of the main characters. Read the books for yourself to find out more about them!) I could write the Six as being something totally different; namely, six children all around the same age that each found or were given a Sign (to be explained later in the story) and thrust into the last and greatest quest of the Light, to stop the last and most powerful rising of the Dark. So this is the story that I have chosen to write. As you read this story, if it interests you enough, I would suggest at least reading the first story in the sequence, "The Dark is Rising," to see what the original is like. Also, if you have read the books, you will notice many more subtleties and "inside jokes" that only people with knowledge of the books would notice. So I strongly recommend reading them, not only for all those reasons, but because they are excellent books on their own.
Now, follow me as we begin our journey into the lands and time of the Six, and their great quest begins...
~PokeDigiManiac Iron Bronze Wood Stone Fire Water