This prequel is generally a spin-off of chapter 2. This story tells what really happened to make Celestia take Dax in.

I am really proud of this story. I put allot of hard work into this. I think it has a good combination of happiness, sadness, dark, and still have enough comedy in it to keep it lighthearted. And Pinkie Pie even decided to shatter the fourth wall and make an appearance. But can anybody tell me how she managed to infiltrate the Author's Notes?

I was hoping to do more with Celestia and Daxelia at the end. But I couldn't think of anything more to add for them. Perhaps I'll make a spinoff at some point about Daxelia's time living in the castle. I am asking my readers, what do you think?

However, it seems that there are more unanswered questions. Like who was that strange pony that murdered Daxelia's parents? Who is that dark pony that took Daxelia away? What did exactly happen to Celestia's friend 1,146 years ago? (I used the time frame of My Little Pony: The Dark Defender, rather than this flashback as the time analogue.) Those questions will be answered in later chapter of The Dark Defender, or perhaps in another backstory.

I'd like to thank Cynder fan on FFN for letting me use his character, High Vault. I'm pretty sure he wasn't expecting to see him as a child. But he did say that the age was up to me. I didn't use him as the murderer because I felt that he was more of a friend to Daxelia than a villain. I'd also like to give a shout out to GIGA-XISBASS. He had a great idea for a murderer. But his idea just wasn't fitting for who I wanted as the murderer.

P.S. The time frame for The Dark Defender takes place after season 3. I used season 3 as a default because even though season 3 hasn't even premiered yet, there is a confirmation for season 3, but not of season 4. So I'm going by the assumption that there will be no season 4 (even though I really hope there will be). And just so you know, princess Celestia took Daxelia in about a month before the Summer Sun Celebration that was the premier of season 1.

P.P.S. Can anyone spot the references I made? (Because I can only remember one of them.) But the one that I remember is actually related to my “West Fillydelphia, born and raised” reference in chapter 2.

Also, if anyone out there wants to make artwork for this fic, they're welcome to do so.