//------------------------------//
// No More Excuses... 
// Story: Excuses... Excuses... 
// by pertelote345 
//------------------------------//

"It's not a bad idea." I said, letting the steam bath wash over me, "But you should realize that once you do this there's no going back."

Applejack shrugged, leaning back and resting her head on Twilight's lap. "Honestly, I'm just trying to have a bit of say in the inevitable... Well, I don't like that word much. I just don't want to spend the energy dealing with this forever you know?"

I nodded. "Your thinking is sound, and I doubt there will be any major consequences. But I can't make any promises."

She let out a breath, "I reckon that's true of most things." She looked up at her mare friend. "What about you Twi? If you're uncomfortable with this at all..."

She leaned down and gave Applejack a smooch on her forehead... It was the most adorable thing I'd ever seen.

I'll admit it, there was a tear in my eye. My student was all grown up!

"Applejack," Twilight said. "I'm with you all the way."

The orange mare blushed. 

I smirked. "Very well, I'll have Cadence make the arrangements."

AJ smiled up at me. "Thank ya kindly princess!"

I smiled back, "You're more than welcome. Oh, and Applejack?" I added. 

She blinked up at me. "Yes?"

"If you ever hurt Twilight, I will grow your testicles back."

Her face was a study.


#


"Rarity! Rarity! Rarity!" A pink blur shouted from my door.

I was only two sips into my morning tea, so I couldn't say I was overly enthused by the interruption. Nevertheless, I cracked the door open and put on the best smile I could manage. "Pinkie, what can I-"

The overly energetic party pony shoved a newspaper in my face. "Twilight and AJ! Twilight and AJ! They could have such cute babies!!!"

I blinked, then looked down at the paper, already turned to the celebrity gossip section.




Princess Twilight and the Element of Honesty Headed to the Altar?


Recently the buzz around the new Castle of Friendship has been all about yet another royal couple. Princess Twilight Sparkle (who no one even knew was interested in mares) has been seen courting her long time friend, the Element of Honesty, Applejack.

"If there was ever a couple of ponies that cared about commitment, it would be them." Stated local Animal Rehabilitator and Element of Kindness Fluttershy. She then excused herself, saying she may have said too much. 

This has led to all kinds of speculation that wedding bells are in the near future! Even more exciting is the prospect of the start of a new royal family with another royal heir to the Throne of Friendship! 

But, don't get too excited about interviewing to be a sire folks. Applejack (who agreed to answer a few of our viewer's questions) is openly transgender and cryopreserved semen samples before her transition.

Of course that means that we could soon be welcoming into the world the biological offspring of two Elements of Harmony! Our scientific consultants have speculated that having so much magic packed together would produce what's known as a "super alicorn", the details of which are... 



And the rest of the article was pseudoscience drivel.

I was in shock. Applejack had come out of stealth? And then masterfully distracted the press by making the real story about her potential offspring? It was... It was...

I laughed. Pinkie bounced around me with glee. Oh Applejack, we'll make an aristocrat of you yet!


#


I sighed, mailing off one more letter. "Well... There goes our vacation."

My wife pulled me tight, her pink wings wrapped around me. "This was worth more than a day on the beach."

I sighed. It wasn't honestly that big a deal, but the whole mess had left a bad taste in my mouth... And now I wouldn't hear from Twily for a month. I never thought I'd miss all those journal articles she sent me.

I idly leafed through my mail, wishing there was a dog-eared Scientific Equestrian in the stack, when I noticed a letter from Princess Luna.

It hadn't come through the official system so I opened it, curious. 

Dear Luna,

First of all I wanted to thank you for what you did. I still don't think you did it in the right way, but I realize now that you were trying to help us. I just wanted you to know that I appreciated what you did. I want you to know that that one missed spa date was the only punishment or revenge I was planning. You're a good pony, and I'm incredibly lucky to have someone like you in my life.

Just try and remember that those of us who haven't lived a thousand years are still ponies that can decide things on their own, okay? You don't need tricks to help me.

And, completely hypothetically, as I'm not talking to him, but if this letter somehow managed to make its way into his hooves... I'd like Shining to know basically the same thing. That the part that really hurt me was that he never bothered to talk to us about this when we could have given him a solid answer from the start.

I can already see his justifications about the two of us being biased, but... I'm starting to learn that when you're in a relationship, you have a right to be biased. You have a right to take a pony for who they are and love them all the same. I'm the one who gets to choose what kind of relationship I'm in. And if I trusted Applejack to have some secrets then he needs to trust my trust.

Sorry, that got a bit layered, but I hope, hypothetically, he would understand.

And also, hypothetically, if Shining got this note and passed it on to Cadence... I would ask her to please not encourage my brother in his worrying. Us Sparkles have a bad enough habit as it is. I'd also like her to know that this experience has helped me see her as a real pony, not some shining example on a pedestal. And once I've gotten over how royally pissed off at her I am for rifling around in my girlfriend's trash I think we'll be just fine.

I'd want them to know that I still love them both. Even if I am a bit ticked right now.

Say hi to Celestia for me and be sure to thank her for the vacation tips!

Love,

Twilight Sparkle.

We just sat there for a moment, staring at the paper.

"Whatever we did to deserve her it couldn't be enough." I said finally.

My wife just smiled.

And then we proceeded to do a large number of things I'm not going to tell you about.


#


"And here's a shovel.... We'll need that for planting the trees... Oh! And Big Mac pulls the big cart, but if you and Apple Bloom work together I reckon y'all wouldn't have too much trouble with the little one."

I sighed. "Um... Granny Smith?" I said, balancing a rather large amount of farm equipment in my claws. "Are you sure this is a good idea? I mean, I'm fine with pitching in a bit, but last time I tried to help with the farm work it didn't go so well..."

Granny nodded. "Eyup, ain't gonna lie, y'all were right terrible. That's why I reckon y'all could use a refresher course. Don't worry. You should have seen Big Macintosh the first time he put on a plow... Why I remember it like it was yesterday..." She scratched at her chin. "Huh... What was I doin' yesterday?"

I sighed, "I guess Apple Family hospitality doesn't extend to baby dragons..." I muttered.

Granny Smith narrowed her eyes. "My hearin' ain't that bad, youngun'." To my surprise, she shrugged. "I reckon ya'll have a point though. If y'all was a guest we'd have filled ya full to burstin' with pie and let ya sleep through the afternoon."

Then she leaned down and put a hoof under my chin. She looked at me with a soft smile I didn't even know how to describe. "But family does chores."

My eyes went wide. Granny just lifted herself back up and put a basket on her back. "Now c'mon young'n the sooner we fill these baskets the sooner we can get to that pie!"

I hopped to it. "Yes Ma'am!"


#


When you've just publicly come out in the papers, it helps to vanish for a little bit so reporters don't knock down your door.

Fortunately, we knew a royal couple with tickets to Horsealulu.

"This place is amazing! Look at all these unique specimens..." Twilight said, laying out her seashells by species. 

I giggled. "They're right pretty Twi, but do y'all want to actually get your hooves wet? I know everyone does the beach differently, but..."

Twi blushed. "Sorry, they're just so fascinating. Look! You can hear the ocean in this one!" She said, holding up a conch.

I raised an eyebrow. "Twi, we're already hearing the ocean... And ain't that just the noise from the environment resonating in the shell?"

She snorted, then kissed me.

"What was that for?" I asked, blushing.

"I just find it adorable that I'm rubbing off on you." 

I shot her a smirk. "The things I could do with that phrase..."

We fell into a fit of giggles. Eventually we calmed down and just looked out at the sky and the cool ocean waves. The rolling expanse of sea was breathtaking and warm and I'd never seen a sky so blue.

I curled up with my marefriend. We were the only couple on the beach so I didn't mind getting a little cuddly.

"Applejack..." Twilight began. "Are you sure you're okay? With being out I mean."

I nuzzled myself into that flowing purple mane. "You bet sugar cube. Honestly... I don't think I've ever felt so relieved.

She tilted her head, confused. "Why's that?"

I smiled. "Because I'm not letting it force me into hiding anymore... I know it sounds all kinds of melodramatic, but ever since I transitioned it's felt like I couldn't ever get too close, never be too open, at least not with who I was... I always felt like I had to be tough to survive, to never let anyone in on what's really bothering me or tell anyone how much I cared."

I gazed out at the sea. "But now? Now I don't get to use hiding as an excuse. I've been making excuses for so long I feel like I've missed out on living. But not anymore."

I took off my hat, letting my hair flow in the ocean breeze. "Now, I'm going to go out there and see the world. I'm going to try things, make mistakes, have dreams, love and be loved... I don't know what the future holds, but now I know... I ain't gonna  miss it. Not for the world."

Twilight wrapped her wings around me. I think there were tears in her eyes, but she was smiling. "I'm so proud of you."

I smiled. "Thanks sugarcube." That said I leaned in and kissed her, long and loving and deep, filling myself with her taste and her scent. When I came up for air, I made sure the first breath was from her mane.

"So..." Twilight said. "The future seems pretty amazing. Want to see it together?"

I looked at the mare I loved and smiled, "I wouldn't have it any other way."

Then I held on to her tight, and never let her go.


THE BEGINNING