//------------------------------//
// Painting Zecora (June 7th, Friday morning.) 
// Story: Secret No More. Romance Galore. 
// by Jhoira 
//------------------------------//

Pinkie hopped up to get her own brush and grabbed the pink paint and ink. "Wait my excited tart. Just one at the start." Pinkie nodded and put down the ink dye, hopping over with the large pink vat and putting it down next to Zecora, starting to paint her with Pinkie style of flying paint and whipping brush, though somehow all of it got onto Zecora and none onto the interior of her house.

"How long will this paint last for Zecora?'

"Oh, it will come off with the next rinse... So for you when you become a prince."

Pinkie giggled and was about to lean in for a nuzzle but backed away as she remembered the wet paint, it dried quickly, but not instantly. She smiled, continuing her painting. "Aww, but I want to look like you for longer! I'm adorable like this!"

Zecora grinned. "You always are. The most by far. If you wish to look like this again. I can brew some paint that will last rain. But this batch had to be exact. Tradition had to be tracked."

Pinkie smiled and finished painting Zecora a lot faster than Zecora had taken to paint Pinkie, but that made sense since Pinkie was just completely pink, no symbols or stripes to paint. Pinkie then pulled out the ink to start dyeing the other mare's mane. "Hehe, I can't wait to see everyone be confused when we show up! Do you think they'll confuse us at first?"

"Only at a distance. We're different in our stance."

Pinkie nodded. "You're right, I mean, that's why I couldn't wear your necklace and everything!" Pinkie finished up with the other mare's mane and tail, bouncing happily.

"You forgot one piece my lark. I still need your cutie mark."

"Oopsie!" Pinkie giggled and pulled out the small pots of paint that Zecora had made for her, dipping the small brushes in and starting to paint her three balloons on Zecora's flank. She bounced around Zecora, grinning at the pink zebra. "You look even cuter as me than I look as you!"

"Thank you my mare in gray. You have made my day. But I am concerned. Will our party hosts feel spurned?"

Pinkie had to stop for a moment, she had gotten used to translating Zecora but this one was a little harder to parse out than usual. "OH! Do you mean will Coco and Applejack be sour we announced our thing at their party?" Zecora nodded, smiling, coming from anyone else calling their courting a 'thing' would likely be downplaying it, but from Pinkie, it was just Pinkie. "Nah! They'll be happy for us no doubt! Applejack'd never want us to put it off!" She giggled. "She sure as heck didn't."

Zecora grinned and nodded. "Indeed, a month alone. My people could never condone." Zecora saw Pinkie starting to frown and raised a hoof to waylay her. "Peace under this steeple. I am not my people."

Pinkie blinked in confusion. "Good! But why then did we need to do the secret dating thing?"

"I was raised with these things in mind. But to expect others to obey would be unkind."

Pinkie grinned again and nodded. "Ah! So since I'm dating you I do need to obey your traditions. But..." Pinkie burst into a small fit of giggles before continuing. "Since Applejack and Coco aren't dating us you don't expect them to follow your traditions. Makes sense."

Zecora grinned and gave an elegant shrug, she would have some fun with her marefriend. "Well if you wished to invite them in. I would not mind having Applejack for kin."

Pinkie flushed brightly so that it could even be seen under the grey paint now layering her face. "Y-You mean... Uh... Zecora... Er... I mean... I... I might... If you really wanted... But I dunno..."

Zecora chuckled, taking pity on her flustered companion. "Peace there my mare of the red cheek. That is not a tradition of which I seek."

Pinkie sighed in relief. "Hehe, that was mean Zecora!"

"Tit for tat my cutie. You did call me stripsey."

Pinkie let out a bark of laughter, grinning again. "Okay! Okay! You win!" She giggled and looked around, now curious since it wasn't directly involving her. "But... You said that's not a tradition you want... Does that mean...?"

"Among my people, it is not forbidden. But it is not undertaken with abandon. Like with yours it is hard to find. But for it you will not be fined."

"Hey, isn't that cheating?"

"The words are not the same. It does not detract my fame."

Pinkie giggled and shook her head. "I still say it's cheating Zecora!"

Zecora gave a mock hard look to Pinkie. "Be careful there Pinkie. Lest I send you to the party without me."

Pinkie grinned and pulled a bent arrow toy out of... Somewhere. Placing it over her heart she fell backward dramatically. "Oh, my love! You have wounded me so! I cannot go on without you! Please forgive me!"

Zecora gave Pinkie a measuring gaze. "If I let you die... I will get the entire pie..."

Pinkie gasped loudly, placing her hoof over her mouth. "You would let me die for pie! I knew you were just going out with me for my baked goods."

"What you say is true... Though the future will hold more if I save you..." Zecora put in a dramatic pause for effect then nodded. "Very well my mate. In this party I will participate."

Pinkie grinned, standing up and tossing the bent arrow away, wiping fake sweat from her brow. "Whooo! That was a close one! Well, I guess I had better bring you some pie right quick before you change your mind!" She grinned and grabbed the pie from the side table, putting it on the main table before looking around for plates.

"Allow me to get the plates." Zecora grimaced slightly. "Last time I almost lost you to pirates."

"They weren't pirates! They were treasure hunters!"