“So, what is it that you wanted to know, dear?” Velvet asked with a sideways glance as the two mares stood in the kitchen, preparing some food for later in the evening.

“Huh?” Applejack looked up from mixing the batter. She'd been so caught up in worrying about how to approach the subject that she hadn't even thought about exactly what she wanted to ask. “Oh, well. Ah was just thinking that ah didn't really know anything about Spike's life before he moved to Ponyville.”

“Then I'm the right pony to ask. I don't mean to brag, but I probably know him the best, except for Twilight perhaps. I practically raised him.”

Applejack nodded. It wasn't really that important, but it had been a question that she'd never really gotten a satisfactory answer to before. So it seemed like a good place to start. “Then, can ya tell me where his obsession with Pony Trek comes from?”

Velvet blushed. “Oh, I suppose I'm to blame for that, truth be told.”

“How's that?”

“Because I wrote for the show.”

Applejack nodded, then did a double take. “Wait, what!? Ya wrote for Pony Trek? Ah thought the thing was sixty years old!”

“Well, I didn't write for the original series, of course. I'm not that old, you know.”

“Uh … oh … ah just meant that … ah wasn't implying … Shoot!”

Velvet chuckled. “I'm just teasing, dear. Anyway, I was a freelance writer on one of the later shows, Deep Star Nine.” The unicorn thoughtfully tapped the mixing spoon against her chin, thinking back several years. “I suppose I'll have to start at the beginning, don't I? Are you at all familiar with how Spike came to stay with us?”

The farmpony nodded. “Yeah, Twilight told me. It was part of her entrance exam for Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns, wasn't it? It's how she got her cutie mark.”

Velvet nodded. “It was a fairly turbulent time for Twilight. She was just getting started with her studies and far too young to look after Spike all on her own. So I was usually the one to watch after him, since I work from home. … Don't put the vanilla essence in just yet, dear. Let the batter settle first.”

“Sorry,” AJ replied, setting the ingredient down. “Actually mah brother once told me that the writing on that particular show was among the best.”

Velvet beamed. “Oh, is he a Niner then?”

“A what?”

“A Niner. It's a term for those fans who prefer Deep Star Nine the most out of all the shows.”

“Ah don't think so. Ah think he prefers, uh, what's it called? Ya know, the one with the bald captain.”

“The Next Iteration,” Velvet supplied helpfully.

“Right, that one. But he's still seen all the episodes of Deep Star Nine. Never mentioned your name, though.”

The unicorn chuckled. “Oh, that's quite understandable. My name never showed up in the credits, since I used a pseudonym.”

“Why's that?”

“My publisher's idea. Something about brand recognition. As far as my novels go, I'm not really known for Science Fiction.”

“Right, that makes sense. How does all this relate to Spike then?”

“Well, when I got the offer to work freelance on the show, I had to familiarize myself with the original Pony Trek series. Actually, it wasn't mandatory, but I felt that it was necessary to produce good scripts. So every afternoon, after Spike's nap and before Twilight came home from school, I put on an old episode to watch. And Spike was watching from my lap as I took notes.”

“Huh, so that's what it was.”

Velvet nodded as she slid the cake into the oven, her eyes far away. “I think Pony Trek helped him a lot when he was younger.”

“Helped him?”

“Eventually Spike came to that age where he realized that he was different from everypony else around him, starting to ask those difficult questions. There's a character named Mr. Block on the original series, the science officer, who is half dragon and half pony.”

Applejack was listening intently. Was there such a character on the show? She'd only ever seen a couple of episodes.

“I think seeing that character, who was a different species from the rest of the main cast, going on adventures with them week after week, it gave him somepony to identify with, helping him to come to terms and be at peace with his own dual nature, just like the character himself.”

“Ah see,” Applejack uttered in amazement. “Ah never knew Pony Trek had such a meaning to his life. Ah always thought of it as just another hobby.”

Velvet chuckled. “Well, this is just my take on the matter as somepony who has known Spike since he just hatched. I doubt he's ever thought about it that deeply himself.”

“Maybe not. But it feels like ah understand him just a little bit better now. Thanks for telling me this story, Velvet.”

“Of course, dear,” she replied happily. “Now, what should we make as a side dish for tonight?”

* * *

As evening settled on Ponyville, the two mares had just finished setting the table in the living room. When they heard the door open, they stood ready to greet the rest of their family.

Spike and Night Light were the first to enter, and they looked utterly exhausted. Didn't seem at all like they came with happy news.

“Spike?” Applejack asked carefully. “Are you alright? It's not the end of the world if ya failed.”

He looked at her. “Huh? Oh, no. I passed. Full-fledged librarian.”

Night Light gave him a pat on the shoulder. “And with a perfect score, too. Trial by fire, so to speak.”

Applejack raised an eyebrow. “Trial by fire? At the library?”

The dragon scratched his cheek. “Yeah, we do have one casualty.”

The two of them stepped aside to let in Shining Armor, who was carrying a frazzled looking Twilight on his back.

“Twilight!” Velvet's voice was just an octave higher than usual as she rushed towards her daughter. “What happened?”

The Princess of Friendship had that twitch in her left eye, but she didn't answer right away.

“Shell shock,” Shining Armor informed his mother gravely. “I've seen a lot of it in the army.”

“Shell shock? From what?”

“You remember how she said that some of the guards have to camp out in the library?” Spike started to explain. “Well, there's this really fierce rivalry between the Royal Guard and the Crystal Guard for some reason. They actually built book forts on either end. It was fine as long as they kept to themselves. But things got heated when they started making fun of each others structures. Before we knew it, the history section had turned into a front line, with books and pillows serving as ammunition.”

Twilight shuddered at the memory, clinging to her BBBFF in fear. “Torn pages … bent spines … turned-down corners … It was … horrible,” she whimpered.

“Shh, it's alright, Twily,” Shining said soothingly, carrying his sister towards the kitchen while Velvet gently stroked her mane. “Big brother is gonna make you a nice, hot cup of valerian tea.”

“Anyway,” Night Light picked up the story, “that's when super dragon here stepped up to the plate. He got right in between them, stood up tall and said: 'Hey! Do you know who I am? I am the librarian here! This is my hoard of knowledge. Do you know what happens to ponies who mess with a dragon's hoard?' And then he bellowed a huge ball of flame just for good measure. The fighting stopped instantly, and then he actually declared the history section a demilitarized zone. And thus the Great Ponyville Library War of 2015 was ended.”

Spike just stood there blushing. “Cut it out, Uncle. The way you're telling it, it's embarrassing.”

Applejack couldn't help but chuckle. “Well, ah'm glad y'all made it out of the war zone safely.” Then she gave Spike a naughty look. “So where's mah chocolates and nylons, soldier boy?”

“Applejack! Don't you get into this war narrative, too. I thought you had more sense than that,” Spike grumbled.

Night Light broke into a fit of laughter. “You picked yourself a feisty one, son. Reminds of when Velvet and I started dating.”

“Anyway, have a seat,” Applejack said, closing the door behind them. “Ain't Cadence coming?”

“No,” Spike replied, taking a seat on the couch. “She and Celestia are giving their guards a stern talking to right now. Woah! Is that Sapphire and Saffron Cake?”

“Eyup, and yer aunt taught me the recipe. So ah can make it whenever ya want from now on,” Applejack declared proudly.

Resisting the urge to dive face first into the cake, the dragon turned to his wife and gave her a kiss. “Thanks, honey. I love you.”

“I love you, too.” Those three words, which had seemed so awkward at first to both of them, came much more easily now. “And congratulations on yer promotion.”

Once Twilight had overcome her trauma of the day's events, the family gathered around the table and dug in. Of course, Spike had his favorite food all to himself, since the ponies opted for something a little more digestible than gemstones.

“Hey, what's that?” Shining asked at some point, pointing at the box sitting on the edge of the table.

“Hm? Oh, that's Princess Luna's gift from this morning. Ah totally forgot about that,” Applejack answered his question.

Spike stopped in the process of getting himself another slice of cake. “You didn't open it?”

“Nah. Ah was waiting for ya to come home, so we could open it together,” she admitted with a slight blush.

Spike looked at his wife, then at the two slices of cake in either claw. He shrugged, stuffed them both into his mouth and picked up the present.

“Spike!” Velvet chided him gently for his bad manners.

“What?” he asked before swallowing the food in one gulp. Applejack held the box in her hooves while Spike untied the ribbon. “Whoa! Sweet!” He held up the gift with a smile. It was a collection of VHS tapes, entitled Pony Trek Feature Collection – The Best Two-Parters from the Original Show, the Next Iteration, Deep Star Nine and Voyages.

Applejack looked over the episode titles on the box with mild interest. “Velvet, does this have any of the episodes you wrote?”

“Let me see,” her mother-in-law replied.

“Huh? Auntie, you told her about that?” Spike asked, handing her the box set. “I thought this was supposed to be a secret.”

“Don't be silly, Spike. Applejack is part of the family now. Of course I'm not gonna keep secrets from her.”

“'Bout that,” AJ asked. “Ya think it'd be alright to let mah brother in on the secret, too? Ah bet he'd have tons of questions for ya. And ya can trust him not to run his mouth. Ah can vouch for that.”

“Of course, dear. I'd be happy to answer his questions.”

Then a thought occurred to the farmpony. “Say, how come this collection only has four shows on it? Ah could swear that there was a fifth Pony Trek show that came out. What was it called? Ent...”

The whole Sparkle family suddenly went deadly silent, and Spike grabbed his wife by the shoulders, looking at her with a serious expression. “Applejack, listen to me very carefully. Our marriage could depend on it.”

“Er, okay?” she replied, weirded out by the sudden change in atmosphere.

“There is no fifth Pony Trek show. We do not speak its name. Trust me on this, I'm only trying to protect you. You must never ask about THAT show which killed modern Pony Trek.”

Night Light sighed, taking a sip of coffee. “Now look who is sinking into melodrama mode.”

Spike looked at him, actual tears standing in his eyes. “Don't mock me, Uncle. This is serious! The wound is still fresh in my heart. Week after week, I could only helplessly watch as the greatest franchise in history descended into mediocrity and worse.”

The dragon sighed as the rest of his family shifted between suppressed chuckles and sympathetic looks. “I wish we could put on The Best of Two Worlds right now, so I could wash away the sad memories.”

Velvet and Applejack exchanged a knowing smile. “Why don't we?” AJ asked, hopping down from the sofa and walking around the table. With a smile, she grabbed the white sheet that covered the surprise and pulled it back, revealing the brand-new TV set to her husband. “Ta-da!”

Spike simply looked at it in astonishment, his mouth hanging open. “When did you...?”

“Earlier today. Ya can thank yer aunt. It's her wedding gift to us.”

Spike looked at the unicorn mare, the bitter tears of regret turning to tears of joy. “Auntie!”

Velvet smiled back at him and stood up. “Looks like this has just turned into family movie night. I'll go make some popcorn while you kids decide which episode to watch first.”

* * *

Spike stirred slightly in the darkness, turning around under the bed sheets. He stretched out his arm and felt only a cold emptiness on the other side of the bed. Groggily, he sat up, realizing that he was alone in the bedroom.

Wondering if there was something wrong, he went to the staircase. He could see the shimmer of the television from the top of the stairs, and heard the all too familiar sound effect of proton torpedoes being fired.

Twilight and Shining Armor had returned to the castle earlier that night. Velvet and Night Light, exhausted from the trip and a long day, had withdrawn to the guestroom soon thereafter.

So Spike knew before he entered the living room that the last pony standing, or rather sitting on the couch, had to be his wife. “Honey, aren't you coming to bed?” he asked.

“In a minute, sugarcube,” she replied, her eyes glued to the screen and an untouched bowl of popcorn sitting in front of her. “Ah just wanna finish this episode. Captain Maneway just set off in the Alpha Flyer to rescue Seven of Eight.”

Sitting down next to her, he glanced at the clock. “It's 4 a.m. Have you been watching all night?”

“Huh? Is it that late already? Ah didn't even notice. Why didn't anypony tell me that there could be this much action in a Pony Trek show?”

Spike gave her a sideways glance. “Don't tell me Voyages is your favorite show among the ones we've seen tonight.”

“And why not? It's a good show.”

“Well, it's got some good ideas and characters. But I bet you're just saying that because Captain Maneway is the first mare to be a captain.”

AJ gave him a deadpan look. “Uh-huh. And ah bet yer infatuation with Seven of Eight is purely based on her personality and character arc, and it has nothing to do with the skin-tight outfits she wears on a regular basis.”

Spike blushed, scratching his cheek. “Hey, I was fourteen when the show first aired. Cut me some slack. At least the fan service isn't Braywatch levels of ridiculous.”

“Tell me ya didn't watch that stupid show when ya were younger.”

“No.”

She narrowed her eyes at him, quite the effective tactic when she felt there was something he wasn't telling her, as she'd found out over the past couple of weeks.

“I didn't!” he maintained. “Now Shining Armor on the other hoof ...”

She grinned at that. “Now that ah can believe. Must be something about mares in bathing suits that has an effect on older brothers.”

Spike's eyes widened. “Wait, don't tell me Big Mac ...”

“Eyup, with posters and everything. Last time ah checked, he's still got a framed autograph from Pamela Anderhoof sitting on his nightstand.”

They looked at each other and then burst out laughing. Wrapping a claw around his wife's shoulder, Spike settled in to watch the rest of the episode with her. Even if he had been still sleepy at that point, he was wide awake when Applejack started gently running her hoof along his thigh.

* * *

Early the next morning, Crafty Crate from the Ponyville Electronics Store made a house call.

“Is that all that's wrong with it?” Velvet asked him after the stallion had examined the TV set.

“Yep,” he replied, trying to sound especially friendly after yesterday's events. “It's just the extension cord. Don't worry, I'll get you a new one.”

Applejack breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank goodness he got better at aiming.”

“Huh?” Velvet raised an eyebrow at that. “What was that, dear?”

“Nuthin',” AJ replied, her eyes darting around the room.

“It's strange, though,” Crafty said. “I've seen plenty of fried cables in my time due to insulation failure. But this one was new. And it kinda looks like it was scorched from the outside, rather than some kind of short circuit from the inside. Anyway, it's covered by the warranty.”

“Uh, no,” Applejack told him decisively. “Ah'll pay for it. Thanks for coming over on such short notice.”

“If you insist.”

“Well, I'm glad he doesn't seem to be one to hold grudges,” Velvet said after the extension cord had been replaced, and Crafty had left. She gave Applejack a meaningful look. “So, you and Spike had a little love session on the sofa last night, did you?”

Applejack lowered her head, blushing. “How did ya know?”

“Even if I hadn't heard you, the fire damage is a dead giveaway,” the unicorn said flatly.

“So, ya know about his little … quirk.”

Velvet sighed, turning towards the kitchen. “Let's have a cup of tea, dear. I'll tell you the story of how Spike hit puberty. We became very good friends with the Canterlot Fire Department that summer.”

Author's Note

This chapter is dedicated to the memory of Leonard Nimoy (1931-2015).