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// Rhyming Minuette (June 7th, Friday evening.) (Secret No More. Romance Galore. Crossover.) 
// Story: Time To Model 
// by Jhoira 
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Pinkie pointed her hoof at a very well dressed pair of ponies. "Ooh! Ooh! There's Rarity and Minuette! Let's go tell them!"

Zecora smiled at Pinkie Pie. "Ahh, I missed them at first pass. Lead on to the pompous..."

"Zecora!"

Zecora leveled a gaze as Pinkie. "...Lass."

Pinkie flushed, though it couldn't be seen under the paint, and stuck her tongue out at Zecora. "Well, you still shouldn't call her pompous."

"I mean it in fun. My beloved one."

Pinkie giggled a bit and hopped over to Minuette and Rarity, waving at them wildly to grab their attention. Though Rarity stared at her previously pink friend Minuette had no such reservations. Throwing her forelegs around Pinkie in a greeting hug. While Rarity continued to gape Minuette smiled. "So what's this all about Pinkie Pie?"

Pinkie began to hop happily, grinning at her two friends. "Oh, me and Zecora are courting!"

Minuette nodded like this was the most reasonable explanation she'd ever heard, but Rarity blurted out. "Courting!? But you're not even dating!"

"Au contraire. One who is rare. Long have we been together. We just told no other," Zecora said as she walked out of the slowly forming crowd. "Goodness, I must say. I hope they have enough hay."

Pinkie nodded happily. "I know! Coco invited a third of Ponyville!" Rarity and Zecora looked at Pinkie questioningly and she just grinned. "Special talent!"

Minuette took a sip of her drink, the drink she hadn't had a moment ago. "Really you'd think that you two would be used to Pinkie by now."

Zecora blinked in surprise, taken aback by the fact that Minuette had somehow gotten her hands on a drink. "Pray tell friend of blue. Who got that drink for you?"

Minuette grinned, inordinately proud of herself. "Special talent." Causing Pinkie to burst into giggles.

Rarity had to groan. "Don't encourage her darling! She will just start showing off." 

Zecora grinned. "Showing off is it? Could she take a rhyming bet?"

Minuette grinned widely and passed Rarity her drink, rubbing her hooves together as Rarity sighed in resignation, taking a sip of Minuette's cider as she watched the events transpire. Pinkie slid over next to Rarity and grinned. "Isn't Minuette fun?"

Rarity sighed and nodded. "Oh yes, a little too fun at times."

Pinkie gasped loudly and grabbed Rarity by the cheeks, pulling her muzzle over to press against hers. "You two are having trouble!? Tell me! I'll help you fix it!"

Rarity pushed Pinkie off of her, scowling at her friend for a moment before smiling. "No worries dear we're fine. Just she likes to show off a bit."

Pinkie giggled and nodded. "Definitely!"

Rarity and Pinkie returned their attention back to their mare friends, who seemed to have struck some deal while they were talking. "The deal is struck! Talking like this I am stuck!" Minuette said as she grinned proudly at Zecora.

"Indeed, if you can do this all night. I will get you that... bug," Zecora said.

"And if I do unable. I bring you an edible. You be careful there. You escaped by a hair," Minuette grinned, she'd almost won the bet in the first second.

Rarity let out a loud groan. "Zecora, Minuette! What is this going to prove?"

Minuette looked at her and grinned. "That Minuette can do anything! I have never felt failure's sting!"

Zecora smiled and shrugged. "My ego is not that size. I just seek the... winnings."

Pinkie snickered and hopped around the two. "Ooh! Ooh! I like this competition! Do we get to ask you questions and you have to answer them properly?"

Minuette smiled. "That would speed this up. I will take that cup."

Zecora gave Minuette an appraising look. "You are better at this than I thought. Perhaps those bugs will get... Captured."

Pinkie giggled while Rarity just shook her head, then stood up, speaking first. "Alright, then you two. What is your favorite color?"

Minuette looked at Zecora. "If it pleases you. I shall say blue."

Zecora smiled. "I would have to say pink. Just like my... Love."

Minuette snickered a little. "Well, this doesn't seem fair. All she must do it not pair."

Zecora smiled a bit. "Well, you who wished to fight. It is not my fault your challenge is... Hard."

Minuette snickered and looked at Pinkie. "Well, I shall have to win. Pinkie slip the next question in."

This contest stretched out to ten minutes until Rarity let out a loud exasperated sigh. "Okay, okay, I have a challenge for both of you!" The two raised their eyebrows but nodded. "I challenge you both to remaining silent for the next minute!" Two nods again, eyeing Rarity suspiciously.

"But tell me my mare. What do we get for this dare?" Minuette smiled, still proud of her rhyming skills.

"Well, I'll make Zecora and Pinkie new dresses if she remains silent. And your reward will be a cake." Minuette nodded, she liked cake, and Zecora nodded, she wasn't hugely into dresses but Pinkie liked cute things. "However! If you make noise, you not only lose our bet, but you lose each other's bets, got it?" 

Zecora nodded. "Agreed on that rule. When shall we start this... Challenge."

Rarity smiled. "Right now darling." Both the challenged mares nodded while Pinkie watched on curiously. Rarity first smiled at Zecora. "Do forgive me darling but watching you two compete was not exactly what I had in mind for my party experience." Zecora raised an eyebrow when her eyes widened and she felt her own tailed being raised up and tickling her belly, only able to fight it a few moments Zecora burst into laughter, causing Rarity to grin. "I noticed that when I measured you last time darling." 

Minuette, on the other hand, grinned as Rarity defiantly, despite Rarity's best efforts she'd found out that Minuette wasn't ticklish. Rarity, however, had a different plan for her marefriend, sashaying over to and leaning up to Minuette's ear she whispered something for only her ears that caused Minuette to grin wide and say without thinking. "You bet Rarity!... Gah! Dang it! You tricked me!"

Rarity smiled and trotted back over to sit next to Pinkie. "Well, darling that's what happens when you promise to be serious Minuette and start that little contest."

Minuette sighed and walked over to Rarity, giving her a kiss on the cheek. "Fine, you're right, my apologies my lady."

Zecora laughed gently. "Then our bet is done. We both have won. I will catch what you wanted. Bring to me the dessert so vaunted."

Minuette nodded, smiling as Rarity gave her a small nuzzle in return for the apology. "Sure thing, it'll be probably Tuesday evening, that good with you?"

"It is indeed my friend." Zecora looked over to Pinkie, now that the game was over they could see her bouncing and looking expectantly at where Fluttershy and Twilight were chatting. "Shall we call this to an end? Pinkie and I have news to spread. We should pick up our tread."

Rarity nodded in return. "Of course darling, you have a good party."

"YAY!" Came Pinkie's outburst. "I'll talk to you girls later! I gotta go tell Twilight and Fluttershy!" And with that, she shot out towards her two friends with Zecora following her at her own pace.

"Well, they're cute together," Minuette observed, grinning at Rarity. "Not as cute as us though."

"Heh, well, shall we talk to more ponies? That game took a while."

"I'm still holding you to that offer." 

"Darling you can't have seriously thought..."

"So you lied?"

"Uh... Well..."

Minuette grinned widely. "So you're not going to break your word."

Rarity groaned slightly. "We can talk about it later Minuette."

Minuette nodded, getting serious. "Very well, I won't hold you to it. But if you don't then you can't legitimately say you won, because that'd be cheating."

"Well that will require some careful consideration then darling, now won't it?"