The Dark Defender

by Lord King Cocoon

Chapter 2

“So, Dax, where are you from?” Scootaloo asked Dax curiously.

“I was originally from Fillydelphia,” Dax replied, “But then Princess Tia took me to Canterlot to live with her in the castle.”

“Princess Tia?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“Princess Celstia,” Dax replied, mispronouncing Celestia's name.

“Don'cha mean 'Celestia'?” Apple Bloom asked.

“That's what I said. Celstia,” Dax said.

Twilight couldn't help but giggle at Dax's inability to pronounce 'Celestia', “Why don't the four of you go play a game,” Twilight suggested with a smile.

“Hey Dax, do you know how to play hide-and-seek?!” Scootaloo exclaimed.

“That was one of my favorite games to play with princess Tia and princess Luny!” Dax replied equally as excited. The four fillies then ran off to play their game.

As Twilight watched the fillies have fun, her mind went back to what princess Celestia had told her about Dax...

"Come on in here, Daxelia!" princess Celestia called out the door she came in through. On command, a pony came in...but it wasn't somepony that Twilight was expecting. It was the little unicorn filly, Daxelia. Her left eye was a light blue color, but her right eye was silver.

Twilight could sense something special about Daxelia's right eye. But she couldn't quite explain what it was that she was sensing. But before she questioned what she sensed, she went back to her original topic.

"Excuse me, princess. But where is the social coach you said you'd be bringing?" Twilight inquired.

"If you remember, I said I'd be bringing somepony to help you be more social," princess Celestia said, "But I never said anything about bringing a social coach." Celestia gave a sly grin. She may have been the ruler of all of Equestria, but she always enjoyed seeing Twilight's reaction to her cryptic letters.

"But...How is this filly supposed to help me be more social?" Twilight asked, now getting slightly frustrated.

“Twilight, would you come with me?” Celestia asked only to Twilight, “I need to speak to you about little Daxelia.” Twilight nodded and Celestia took Twilight outside to speak with her.

“Is everything okay? Is something bothering you?” Twilight asked.

“Well, I'm alright. But I've been worried about my sister,” Celestia said, “Every night, she...well...let's just say that she's having trouble letting go of the past. I need to make sure that she's alright and doesn't try something stupid. But I can't do that and look after Daxelia as well. And that combined with ruling Equestria isn't as easy as I make it appear.”

“But, Daxelia's parents can take care of her, can't they?” Twilight asked curiously.

“Actually, that's what I wanted to speak to you about,” Celestia sighed, “Daxelia...is an orphan. On one of my trips to western Fillydelphia, where one of our friends were born and raised, I came across an old playground. Our friend spent most of his days there. In the jungle gym, I almost overlooked a young silver filly.”

“Daxelia?” Twilight asked.

“Correct. I saw her just sitting there, crying,” Celestia continued, “I also noticed that she was very dirty and malnourished. When I asked her where her parents were, she just cried even more. I offered to get her something to eat. She accepted without hesitation. After she was fed, she was feeling better and was able to tell me that her parents died in an accident nearly a year earlier.”

“That's horrible!” Twilight said.

“She was also in need of medical attention,” Celestia said, “I took her to the Canterlot hospital. If I haven't have come when I did, Daxelia may not have made it. She had a temperature of 106. When she was better, I offered for her to stay with me.”

“Poor filly,” Twilight said, “But why did you bring her to me?”

“There are a couple of reasons for that,” Celestia said, “I already told you that with all I have to do, taking care of Daxelia would be too much for me to handle. But I also think that this will help you be more responsible.”

“But I thought that you thought that I was responsible,” Twilight said.

“Well, there are different types of responsibility,” Celestia said, “I see you as being responsible in the sense of being organized. But you don't know about the responsibility of caring for a living being.”

“But what about Spike?” Twilight asked, “I raised him, and I take care of him.”

“Well, that's only partly true,” Celestia said, “You raised Spike with my help. And now he's able to take care of himself, so you don't really have to do much. But have you ever had to protect someone like an older sibling would protect their younger sibling?”

“Well...no. I'm the youngest in the family,” Twilight said.

“But haven't you ever wanted to know what it was like to have a little sister?” Celestia said, making Twilight think, “Think of it like this. This will be like a study of what it's like to have a little sister.”

Almost instantaneously, Twilight said, “I'LL DO IT!!!”

“One more thing I should mention,” Celestia said, “Daxelia has never been able to say my name right. She kept saying Celstia whenever she tried saying my name. So she has gotten used to calling me Tia. And she also calls Luna 'Luny'. I'm not sure if it's a speech impediment, or just one of those little filly traits. She may grow out of it though.”

“I think she may grow out of it,” Twilight smiled, “Between you and me, I used to call milk 'malk'.”

“I think you were still saying 'malk' when I took you in as my protege,” Celestia grinned, “But try not to bring up the subject of Dax's parents around her though. It's still a sensitive subject for her.”

“Alright,” Twilight nodded.

"I'm sure that little Daxelia's story about Fluttershy's mother staring down princess Celestia herself was over-exaggerated though," the two ponies heard Rarity say as they were heading back in, "Who told you such an outrageous story?"

"I did," Celestia said as she walked in with Twilight, causing everypony's jaws to drop.

As Twilight watched the fillies play, her thoughts were interrupted by Spike, “Hey, Twilight, you okay?” Spike asked, “You seem distracted.”

“Oh, it's nothing,” Twilight said, shaking her thoughts out of her head, “I was just thinking back on what Celstia told me.” Suddenly, Spike covered his muzzle as he tried not to laugh, “What's so funny?!”

“You just called Celestia 'Celstia'!” Spike snickered before he burst out laughing. Twilight just grinned sheepishly, a bright crimson hue on her cheeks.

After a few hours of playing, it was finally time for the Cutie Mark Crusaders to go home. And it was good timing too, seeing as they all were exhausted, “Alright, it's time for you all to go home,” Twilight said.

“AWWWW!” the four fillies whined.

“I'm sorry, but I told the others I'd have you back by dinner time,” Twilight said, “And it's almost that time. I'll walk you home. That way, Daxelia can come so you can at least spend a little more time with her.”

The fillies nodded in defeat and they all headed out of the library. But before they left, Twilight asked Spike to make a bed for Dax with one of his older beds. Once he agreed, Twilight then left.

The first to be dropped off was Sweetie Belle, since the Carousel Boutique was the closest. After saying their good byes, they headed off to Sugar Cube Corner, where Rainbow Dash picked up Scootaloo. Afterwords, they finally headed to Sweet Apple Acres to drop off Apple Bloom.

“Hey there, Twi,” Applejack greeted, “Ah hope 'dat mah lil' sis and the others didn' cause too much trouble fer ya.”
“No, of course not,” Twilight smiled, “I think they were having to much fun to actually cause any trouble. Your sister and the others get along great with Daxelia.”

Twilight and Applejack noticed Apple Bloom yawning, “Well it looks like you had an exitin' day,” Applejack said, “An' it looks like mah lil' sis and the others really did a number on lil' Dax.” Apple Bloom looked at Dax and giggled.

Twilight looked down at Dax, who had just fallen asleep. She then used her magic to lift up the sleeping filly and set her on Twilight's back, “I'd better be on my way then,” Twilight said in a softer tone as to not wake the sleeping filly, “I have to put Daxelia to bed.”

“Well alright,” Applejack said, also in a quieter tone, “Ah'll see ya'll later then.” Applejack and Apple Bloom then headed inside while Twilight, with Dax on her back, headed back to the library.

Once they reached the library, Twilight went in and used her magic to set Dax into the bed that Spike had set up. Then with her magic, she covered the little filly with a blue blanket.

“Hey Twilight?” Spike asked in a soft voice as to not wake up Dax, “Now that you have Dax to take care of, does that make me kinda like a 'big brother'?”

“I suppose you can look at it like that,” Twilight replied, “But you do know that being a big brother means being responsible, right? You'll have to protect her from harm and be a good role model.”

“Well then...I'll be the best big brother ever!” Spike said confidently while giving a salute.

Twilight and Spike were distracted when they noticed Dax was beginning to stir, “...mommy...” Dax mumbled in her sleep. Twilight couldn't hold back a tear from escaping her eye. She knew about her mother, and wanted to comfort the little filly. But she didn't know how.

Twilight couldn't help but feel that it was strange how she has only known Dax for a few hours, and yet she already had started a bond with her. Perhaps it was just knowing that she was an orphan that affected her. Nopony should ever have to see their parents die.

“Good evening, Luna,” Celestia said as she walked up to her little sister, “Have you had any luck in your search?”

“To be honest, I have not started my search tonight,” Luna admitted. She wanted desperately to continue searching. But regardless, she has come to the realization that she wasn't going to find him. Not in this way anyway. “What are you still doing up?”

“I couldn't sleep,” Celestia said with a yawn.

“You miss her already, don't you?” Luna said, turning toward Celestia, “You miss her sleeping next to you in your bed.”

“Well, you would too,” Celestia said matter-of-factly, “But I think remembering how I found her is bothering me.”

“Did you tell Twilight Sparkle about her parents?” Luna asked.

“Well, I didn't tell her everything I know,” Celestia said, “I think she'd be worried about her enough with just the knowledge of her being an orphan. I don't think she needs to know...” The solar princess stopped in mid-sentence, unable to finish. Tears were beginning to roll down her cheeks.

“I understand, sister,” Luna said, trying to comfort her sister, “But you have to remember, it's not your fault. You couldn't have done anything.”

“But I watched them get murdered, and I didn't even do anything to try to stop it!” Celestia sobbed, her face in her hooves. Luna then nuzzled her big sister to try to comfort her.

“You couldn't have gotten to them in time,” Luna said to try to reassure her sister, “Besides, you left her in good hooves. Twilight may not know it, but she has a motherly aura. She is very nurturing. You couldn't have left her with any of the others. Fluttershy is kind, but she's better with animals than with fillies. Applejack and the rest of the Apple family would be an adequate choice, but they would expect Daxelia to do work that she may not be able to do. Rarity would generously take her in, but with her job, she might not give her the attention that she needs. Rainbow Dash might be an adequate choice as well, but she's barely able to afford to take care of herself and Scootaloo, so somepony else to take care of is out of the question. And Pinkie Pie...well...she's Pinkie Pie.”

That last comment managed to encourage a giggle from Celestia, “I guess you're right, Luna,” Celestia said, “And I am doing this for Twilight just as much as for Daxelia.”

“That's the smile I like to see...Tia,” Luna said with a smile, calling her sister by her nickname.

At the Carousel Boutique, upstairs in one of the bedrooms, Sweetie Belle was in her bed sleeping. But she wasn't sleeping peacefully. She was tossing and turning as she appeared to be having a nightmare of some sort.

Author's Note: Check out the prequel relating to this chapter. The Dark Defender: Dax's Despair.