Excuses... Excuses...

by pertelote345

Complications

My wife somehow managed to be adorable while marking up tax legislation. It helped that she was using me as a pillow.

"Oh Shining, just think!" She said, highlighting important sections with her magic. "I'm just so happy for Twilight! I wonder if I'll get to be best mare at the wedding..."

I rolled my eyes, snuggling into the bed with her. "Probably, though I'm pretty sure they'll be dating for a while before that."

I stroked her mane with my hoof. Yeah... Twilight was finally getting out there... This was... Great...

"Ow! Shining!" Cadence sat up, rubbing at her head.

I blushed. "Sorry Cadence."

She shook her mane out. "It's okay Shining, just try not to brush so hard." She tilted her head. "Shining, you're usually pretty good at that. Is something wrong?"

I winced. "It's nothing... I mean..."

Cadence was looking at me with those sweet concerned eyes of hers... She could have replaced all of my interrogators. "It's just... Do you remember when we hid a scavenger hunt clue on Applejack's birth certificate?"

"Of course," She smirked, "you're not telling me that you think your sister's robbing the cradle are you?"

I scratched the back of my head. "No... I mean, it was surprising to learn she was younger than Twily, but they're both grown mares." Even if it was hard to see them that way... But that wasn't the point. "It was the certificate itself that bothered me."

My wife was lost. "Shining, why in Equestria would a birth certificate bother you?"

"The dates," I said finally, "The issue date didn't match her birth day."

There was a pause.

My wife blinked. "Huh... That's weird I'll admit, but it's probably just a clerical error. Or it could have been destroyed and replaced. Celestia knows Ponyville's town hall has seen its share of hardship."

I looked down. "It's not just the paperwork though, she seemed sort of... Distant, when we last met her. Kind of like she was hiding something."

Cadence put on her 'processing' look, and put a hoof to her chin. "I'll admit, she seemed a little nervous, but that could have been about anything. She was on a double date with an expectant married couple."

She had a point, but I shook my head. "That was definitely part of it... But I'm certain it wasn't all of it."

Cadence sighed, plopping back down on the bed spread. "You know... I hate to say it sweetie, but this seems like one of those situations where your cop instincts could be overridden by your big brother instincts."

I bit my lip. "You think I should drop it?" I asked.

Cadence shook her head. "Not if it's really bothering you... Look, if you really think there's something fishy about Applejack, feel free to do the paper trail thing. Most of the stuff you're worried about is in the public record right?"

I nodded. "I guess so... You don't think that would be prying too much?"

Cadence rolled her eyes. "Shining, they're public records. You can do what you want. But if all you've got is a birth certificate with a clerical error on it and a weird vibe, then I think you should give your sister's judgement the benefit of the doubt, especially considering the whole 'Elements of Harmony' magical seal of goodness thingy."

I raised an eyebrow. "Is that the technical term?"

She turned a page. "Pretty much."

I smiled, rubbing her mane more gently... Skies above I loved this mare.

A thought occurred to me. "Cady... Are you just trying to burn out all my crazy over-protective brother instincts?"

Cadence just smiled.

#

There were tears in my eyes.

The stallion with the woven beard played his ballad on and on, singing about the time his lover had been abducted by the fae and he charged into the enchanted wilds to save him. His partner sat next to him, singing of how he fiddled his way to escape so he could get back home to his love

It was a chaotic story, filled with desperate love and fearsome perils as lovers charged back together from both sides of the cosmos... And the music... Oh the music! I'd never heard anything like it.

It ended with a flurry of conflict and twanging lutes before the music softened and the lovers reunited in a passionate embrace, curled up next to each other by the fire. The music faded out and a tingle of magic stood in the air. Something far greater than anything I'd ever touched.

The applause was uproarious. The bards gave a bow and the stage manager called for an intermission.

Applejack and I joined the crowd of ponies wandering out of the outdoor theater to get a snack and mingle, I didn't know what she was getting, but there was a soft pretzel with my name it!

I nuzzled into Applejack's dress. "Thank you for all this!" I'd never expected her to want to go somewhere that required us to dress up.

She blushed. It was adorable, but I suppose that makes sense because she's always adorable. Her little vermilion dress just added to it.

She shrugged. "No problem Twi, Honestly I'm just glad you like folk music."

I giggled. "To be fair I didn't know if I liked it or not. I'd never really heard it before."

"Whaaat?!!" Came a voice from behind us. Of all ponies, Octavia Melody was standing in line, staring at us in shock. Her DJ roommate gave us an uneasy smile, as though apologizing for the coming rant.

I scratched at my mane. "Um... Hi, Octavia! Vinyl Scratch, how are you?"

The DJ smirked and gave me a shrug. I suddenly felt quite bad about not picking up more blank speech... Not that Vinyl was very fond of using it.

Octavia was unfazed. "I'm sorry Princess, but I'm shocked, how could you not have heard folk music before? I'm sorry if it's overly familiar of me to point this out, but you're dating a folk musician."

I blinked. "Huh?"

Applejack looked flustered. "I'd hardly call myself a musician... I just picked up a bit of fiddle and some banjo back in the day... Heck, I've barely touched the stuff in years."

Applejack played? Thinking back I vaguely remembered her pulling out a violin at Cadence and Shining Armor's wedding. My face lit up "Oh yeah! I've heard you play before! You're really good."

AJ looked away, embarrassed. "I mean, maybe I can carry a tune, but that ain't the same as being a musician. I ain't never performed for pay before."

Vinyl gave Applejack a "come hither" gesture and pantomimed spinning records at her turn table.

Octavia balked. "Vinyl! You can't possibly be thinking of grinding Applejack's violin talents into powder in one of your remixes; she'd be much better suited for a symphony."

Vinyl rolled her eyes and pantomimed grinding away at some sort of churning machine.

Octavia narrowed her eyes. "You know very well the symphony has plenty of original compositions! Classical is a style, not a list of songs. Quite frankly, just because you and your dance party hooligans can't remember how to spell Tchaitrotsky doesn't..."

AJ pulled us back a bit and Octavia's voice faded into the crowd. I raised an eyebrow at my retreating girlfriend.

She gave me an uneasy chuckle. "Yeah... I know I said I wanted to try some new things, but I think I'm gonna wait on asking them for a recording session... At least until they're done bickering."

I smirked. "Fair. Although I have to say it's worth looking into. You really do make beautiful music Applejack."

AJ turned back to the line, blushing like a school filly. "Ain't you the encouraging girlfriend... I'll look into it, but right now all I want is a bag of popcorn."

I nodded. I couldn't help but look back at the pair of musicians though. I couldn't make out Octavia, but the gestures said it all. The argument was animated and... Oddly personal.

"Are they... Together?" I asked.

Applejack grunted. "If they're not they should be."

#

After several more ballads, a delicious dinner out and an argument where I'd had to use graph theory to prove mathematically that AJ was the prettiest mare in the relationship we stumbled giggling back into my library where we could barely keep our hooves off each other.

Applejack's tongue was searching deep inside my lips, wrestling with mine. We fell onto my couch, holding each tight as our warm bodies practically melded together.

We fell back onto the couch with a pillowy thump and I felt my mind go blank as her hooves wrapped me tight, rubbing my back all over.

I slid my hooves down her back as well, glorying in the sensation of touching and being touched. It was incredible. I was on fire inside! I grew more adventurous, gripping at her flank...

And suddenly I was alone on the couch. I blinked my eyes open and saw Applejack standing over me... She was shivering.

She took a step back. She looked... Broken...Terrified.

"S-sorry Twi." She mumbled, backing to the door. "I... I need to go!"

She bolted. I'd never seen her run that fast...

I stared after her, frozen and utterly lost.

I felt a tear streak down my face.

What... What happened?

Author's Note:

So... Yeah.

I have to warn you that the chapter after next is going to have to be a separate story with an MA tag. There's something rather important I need to talk about that I can't really delve into in detail at a teen rating.

Still, never fear! What happens in that story (which I may expand with some other chapters later on) will not necessarily be required for you to understand the plot, but it may give you some important insight.

Comments

[Aatxe360]

Not sure I can buy that AJ is younger than Twi even with a 'faked' birth certificate. Talent to be recognized by two more famous musicians in other subgenres isn't something that happens so easily even if it was 'years ago.' There's been enough time for no one else to recognize her time in the limelight. I wonder what's going on?

[pertelote345]

6554582

AJ still plays at town gatherings and such, she's just not very serious about it.

As for her being younger... That's a bit more complex.

It's easy to picture AJ as the oldest of the Mane 6, but honestly? I've always seen her as someone who had to mature very fast and didn't get much time to have a childhood. I could easily see her spending her childhood years picking up Applebloom from soccer practice instead of going there herself.

[Aatxe360]

6554645

I see that as well, but Granny Smith has pretty much passed the responsibilities to Applejack and she runs the farm. Much like Rarity runs her own boutique. I see Rarity as the oldest and Applejack not far behind. The other two have their own jobs/places, etc. Twi the youngest as she was granted most of her responsibilities and has the least experience with living on her own.

[pertelote345]

6554671

I can definitely see what you're saying.

The show hasn't really touched on it honestly, except that we know that Fluttershy is older than Pinkie Pie.

But... I'll admit it, part of the reason I like the idea of Applejack being the youngest of the Mane 6 is it's just so deliciously tragic.

Think about it. Think about her mannerisms and sense of personal responsibility. On an older mare those mannerisms would seem sensible and wise, but on a young mare? If Applejack's the youngest, it means that she just didn't get to have a childhood. She didn't get to have the adjustment period and careful guidance that others had. She's hardened, but brittle... And there's some spark of childish joy that she never quite got to touch.

Basically I'm saying that I see AJ as the youngest because she would be the most tragic pony to be the youngest and I am a massive sadist.

[Aatxe360]

6554729

It's worse if she's older. More years where she has had to repress doing things for herself. Time that can't be given back. Years she does everything she can to make sure Applebloom doesn't go through the same thing. If she were younger, she wouldn't have been able to hold the farm as long as she has and even Granny Smith wouldn't have been able to keep the farm even with Mac's help.

While she did have to grow leaps and bounds at a younger age, she holds all that a little more comfortably now being older.

Even if you keep her young, Twi seems a lot younger and inexperienced than Applejack.

[Ggunsailor]

Uh-oh...trouble in paradise already.

[Ms_Fruit_Bat]

6554729 Applejack's story is tragedy of a lost childhood...

[Eclipse Moonshine]

Why is this in a raritwi friend-shipping folder? There was one rarity and twilight scene and it was with applejack. I iz confused.

[Atom Smash]

"It's just... Do you remember when we hid a scavenger hunt clue on Applejack's birth certificate?"

Nice one, I had totally forgotten about that.

[Atom Smash]

My wife blinked. "Huh... That's weird I'll admit, but it's probably just a clerical error. Or it could have been destroyed and replaced. Celestia knows Ponyville's town hall has seen its share of hardship."

"I just don't know what went wrong."