Once upon a time, in a little village called Ponyville, there lived a young dragon, called Spike. He lived with one of the Princesses, and in him she instilled all kinds of lessons, but first and foremost she gave him a love of literature. As the drake grew alongside his pony friends, and his princess caretaker, they had many adventures together.
But then one day, one of his pony friends left the world, starting the next great journey, and he grieved for a friend lost. And one by one, each of the dragon’s friends left the mortal coil, transcending the need for mortal flesh and bone, and joining each other in the Great Field above. And each time, the dragon grieved and remembered.
After the last of his friends passed on, the drake retreated into himself for a while, leaving Ponyville and travelling all over Equestria. While out on the road, he met many a mare and stallion, of all walks of life. He conversed with the high nobility, rubbed shoulders with the rich and famous, and chatted with the farmers, and helped the poor where he could. During this time, he came across an old acquaintance.
Trixie Lulamoon. The mare who had once been so arrogant, so proud, was now permanently bedridden, but yet her mind was still as sharp as ever, trapped in a failing body. She, of all ponies, gave the dragon a piece of advice. ‘Do not cry for those that you have lost, young dragon,’ she had told him, ‘Instead, celebrate what they gave you everyday, and make use of it. To do anything less is to demean their memory.’ The dragon considered these words, thanked Trixie, and left as the mare’s heart finally gave up its fight to keep the former showmare alive.
From that day, Spike the Dragon, now fully deserving of that name, set about his task. He returned to Ponyville, and drove out the old dragon living in the Everfree Forest, and then, using his great claws and wings, carved a path through the forest to the cave. In here, he gathered old and rare tomes, preserving them for future generations. He catalogued history, etching it out in stone through pictures and words. He cared for the animals around his home, leaving them food. He made sure that everypony in Ponyville knew that they were always welcome in his cave, and he made his collection available to anypony who had need of it.
Over time, as ponies passed on, and bequeathed him their worldly possessions, and his collection grew, he began to be known by a new name, the one we know him as today: The Caretaker, who looks after the ponies, helps them where he can, and is always welcoming. Today we celebrate the Caretaker, and the ponies who inspired him to rise above his own nature, and live for others.