"Alex the Dragon was made the official guardian of Canterlot and furthermore granted the title of Protector of Equestria. His many exploits having saved Equestria more than just once, he quickly rose to a position of public worship. He continues to aid anypony in need and resides in Canterlot to this day. The End."
Applejack closed the book in her hooves and put it aside. Her daughter, Applepunch, was jumping up and down in front of her.
"That was a great story, ma!" She said, jumping around like the hyperactive filly she was. "Ah wish ah could meet him too! Ya've told me so many stories 'bout him already! Ah wanna meet him, mommy!"
Applejack quickly leapt down from her sofa and caught her little pogo-filly, nuzzling her belly and blowing a raspberry on it, causing the young filly to laugh frantically.
"Ya know... Yer Birthday is next week, so if ya behave like a good filly, Ah' might have a special gift for you." Applejack told her daughter with a motherly smirk.
The filly immediately squee'd and resumed jumping around.
"Hehe, now be a good filly and go to bed."
The filly stopped in her tracks and with a short and enthusiastic "Okay, mommy", she was gone, leaving only a cloud of dust behind.
A week later, Applepunch's birthday came around and Applejack was due to fulfill her promise. Before they went to the train station, however, they made a short detour to the castle's library to hand in some books, first.
Applejack knocked against the door, which opened after just a few seconds of waiting.
"Howdy, Luna!" Applejack greeted the former Lunar princess, who was now inhabiting the Library together with her Coltfriend and her Sister.
"Good day, Applejack. What brings you here today?"
Applejack took the books out of her sadddlebag and hoofed them to Luna, who took them with her Magic.
"Oh, Ah'm just 'ere tah bring ya these books, before we go t' Canterlot."
Luna quirked an eyebrow. "Oh? May I as, what's the occasion?"
Applepunch started jumping around Applejack again. "It's mah Birthday and mommy promised to show me Alex the Dragon!"
Luna smirked at Applejack and levitated Applepunch up to her face.
"Oh, really? You better watch out then. After all, he is a big, scary Dragon!" Luna cooed. The litle filly giggled as Luna set her back onto the ground.
Applejack ruffled her daughter's mane and waved a hoof in the pony-version of the 'follow me!' - gesture. "Alrighty then, Ah'ma get goin, see ya, Luna!"
"Wait a moment please, Applejack!"
Applejack turned back around and looked at Luna with a question visible in her face.
"May we accompany you to Canterlot?"
"Uh, sure, why?" Applejack answered.
Luna looked over her shoulder and levitated a pair of saddlebags out in front of her. The bags were filled to the brim with books and the like and bore Twilight's Cutie Mark.
"We found these, when we were cleaning up a little and this would be the perfect opportunity to bring them back, don't you think?"
Applejack let her head drop forward, smiled and chuckled over Twilight's good old forgetfulness. "Yeah, Ah'm pretty sure she already lost half her mane in search for these."
Luna gave a slight chuckle, before turning back inside and shouting into one of the corridors. "Sweetheart, Do you want to come along to Canterlot with us?"
After a few moments, a young stallion's voice replied: "Yeah sure, wait a second, I'm coming!"
A minute later, a grey thestral stallion came into view. He had a dark purple mane and his yellow, slitted eyes glinted in the morning sun.
Seeing that everypony was ready, Applejack now turned around, again, and began her walk towards the station. The train ride didn't take long. Mostly because she was in the good company of the former princess and her coltfriend, who were happily chatting with her, while Applepunch sat beside her and drew little paintings.
They got off the train and made their way towards central plaza. They didn't stop there to go into one of the shops, though. Instead, they crossed it straight and walked into a large road that led directly toward the mountain. In the distance, one could already see a set of giant doors leading into a cave in the mountain.
Applejack picked her daughter up and put he on her back. She then pointed a hoof forward and said: "See that? That's where we're goin'."
Applepunch squeed happily in eager anticipation.
You know, I always wanted to be famous and such, but this? This is too much!
"...and then she took all MY bits and left with our foals!"
"Oh, YOUR bits?! Excuse me, it's only right that you pay me foal support with every bit you make!"
"Oh yeah? And what should I live off of?!"
"I don't know? You're the one that always knows everything! Why don't YOU think about it?"
Did you catch, how that all started?
"I think she caught him cheating or something. I don't know, I have stopped listening after two words or so."
Nah, not that. I mean, when did I become the local family therapist? Seriously, they've got a literal PRINCESS of love and they ask ME about their little family problems? Geez, give me a break.
They completely ignored my obvious annoyance and continued on battering and insulting each other and in the end, all they managed to do, is to annoy me even more.
"ENOUGH!!" I shouted. Both of them immediately were silent. I turned to the mare and began talking. "Firstly.: You can't just take all his bits and leave without a word. Not only is this theft, but just taking the foals might just be considered foalnapping." I rose high over them and stated my sentence. "You are to repay his bits and let him see his foals again. As for your family situation: you shall seek judgement from a court or even directly ask the princess for guidance. This verdict is final, now begone!"
Both of them bowed and left the hall. Just as they passed the gates, four other ponies entered.
Oh great, more subjects seeking guidance from the almighty Dragon god... wait, I think I know them...
I squinted my eyes, as I tried to see against the invading light from outside. The gates closed again, holding the bright light outside and leaving us in the light of the torches on the walls. Now, I could clearly see the orange fur, blonde mane and stetson hat of a certain farmmare, as well as the dark figure of a certain princess. Seeing them immediately made my pent-up tension fade and I immediately dropped my 'wise Dragon' - attitude.
"My, it's good to see ya again, Applejack and Luna!"
Both mares stepped forward and I could see a little filly hiding behind Applejack. I knew that Applejack had a daughter, but I never saw her before, as she normally only visited for larger events or when Friendship council was meeting again.
"And hello to you, little bugger. What'cha hidin' for?" I asked with a benevolent smile and a tilted head. The filly slowly crept from behind her mother and made a few tentative steps toward me.
Applejack chuckled at her daughter's antics and looked up to me. "That's mah daughter, Applepunch. It's her birthday and she wanted to see ya."
"Oh, I feel honoured that such a fine filly wanted to see me." I reached a claw down to her and petted her head. "Happy birthday to you, little Applepunch. As my birthday gift, lt me give you some good advice from the almighty Dragon god: Do what your mother tells you. Sometimes it may seem nonsensical, but I can assure you that she always knows, what's best for you."
"For someone who never had kids, you are pretty fatherly, you know?"
Oh shut up!
The little filly giggled and I turned to Luna. "Now, what might the occasion be for you? Because judging by the saddlebags you are carrying, I am not the one you wanted to go to, am I?" I looked back to her companion, who was shaking his head with a smile. Now that I had a better look on him , he did look familiar...
Luna took a hoof up to her muzzle and gasped. "Oh, I almost forgot..." She turned around to her companion. "Fruitbite, would you please take those to Twilight?" She asked, as she levitated the saddlebags over to him.
Fruitbite? I KNOW THIS STALLION!
"Yo, little bugger! Long time no see, eh?"
The Stallion smiled up at me, supposedly happy that I remembered him. "Hey, Alex, it's been a while."
Luna gave us alternating looks of confusion. "You two know eachother?"
"Yeah, he found me in the everfree, back when I wasn't the almighty Dragon just yet."
Luna's face scrunched up and she gave me an incredulous look. "That's impossible! He must have been a foal back then!"
"See? I told you, I was already brave back then!" Fruitbite quipped.
"I might prefer stupid..." Luna countered. Fruitbite smiled and, with a short chuckle, hung his head in defeat.
I gave a short laugh, before turning to Fruitbite again. "Well, good to see that ya haven't given up on yer goal of becoming her personal guard."
As a response, Fruitbite gave Luna a flirty smile, who in return blushed and quickly looked away. I put two and two together and gave a short, but wholehearted laugh. "Ha! It seems you'd only settle for the most personal of guards, eh?"
"Heh, sure! Always aim as high as one can get, that's what you told me back then! Now, I should really get going, see you later!"
He ran off through the doors and turned directly towards the castle. While he was gone, Applejack, Luna and I took our time in catching up on what everyone else was doing. After all, I hadn't seen Luna in a while and I didn't see Applejack all too often either. Suddenly, the doors opened again and a certain purple Alicorn stepped through, accomanied by Fruitbite and a set of guards.
She turned around and spoke to them: "You may wait outside, I believe Alex the protector will be enough to guarantee my safety." She said in a way that strongly reminded me of Celestia when I saw her last... Now that I think about it: she had even grown to look like Celestia, apart from her colour scheme.
The Guards saluted and trotted off, while Twilight made her way towards us. As soon as the Guards were gone, though, she immediately dropped the princess-facade and embraced both, Luna and Applejack, in a tight hug.
"I'm so happy to see you girls again!" She said, as she loosened her hug.
"Ah would be very offended if ya weren't!" Applejack quipped with a smile. The engaged in a happy chatter, leaving Applepunch, Fruitbite and me to ourselves. I must say, the time here truly went by like it was nothing. One day I was hit by a Truck and brought into this world, only a few hours later, I was already having my first fight, protecting those little buggers. Then, a few days later I successfully defended Ponyville from a rogue Wyvern, only to repeat the same thing in Canterlot, this time against a Dragon. Shortly after that, I became their official protector, the duty of which I'm carrying to this day.. and only a few years later, Twilight became princess already and now we're here. But hey, no time yet to drift through the past, there's still a LOT ahead of me. After all, Life...
... Life just goes on.