Zecora sighed in pleasure as she slowly opened her eyes. Lying in the lavish bedding around her, the zebra began to stir from her rest as she lifted a hoof, moving it around the plush mattress beneath her. After a little bit of moving around, Zecora finally managed to feel Rarity, who was still sleeping soundly underneath the thick blankets. Smiling in her half-lidded daze, the zebra moved in towards her, cuddling with the unicorn as she began to settle herself back into rest.
Ever since the start of their hidden relationship, Zecora was surprised at how much Rarity had changed. Instead of being the overly panicked or work-focused pony she usually was, Rarity had been a lot less stressed about her career or deadlines, thus making her a lot more enjoyable to be around. Because of that, she had been a lot more cheerful and carefree, which, in turn, was making their relationship run a lot smoother.
Somewhat, at least.
On more than a couple occasions, Zecora had had to quickly sneak out of Rarity's home due to unexpected visitors, ranging from Rarity's parents, to the repeated "surprise" visits from Rainbow Dash.
After the shower incident with Rainbow Dash, Zecora had hoped that it would be a one-time occurrence. However, ever since that unfortunate event, she had to be more sneaky when coming and leaving Rarity's home, mostly due to the unicorn's insistence that their relationship shouldn't be known.
While it was understandable at first why Rarity would want to keep them a secret, it was slowly starting to get to Zecora, especially when it was clear that the unicorn's worries weren't that big of a deal. Even when they were caught in the worst possible way by Spike—someone who adored Rarity—his reaction was actually a lot less devastating than what Zecora would've predicted. Then again, she had thought that the dragon was going to go on a jealous rampage and destroy half of Equestria, so who knows?
And after Cheerilee discovered the two, it was clear to Zecora that nopony was really going to throw a fit about her and Rarity being a couple. However, whenever she even tried to start a conversation of that type with Rarity, the unicorn was quick to move it to something else—usually something physical—to distract Zecora for a while.
While it was certainly something she wasn't going to say no to, Zecora could only deal with Rarity donning increasingly seductive outfits for so long.
Still, Zecora didn't want to complain about being with Rarity like this. Along with being a lot less flustered, Rarity had also been a bit more generous to her friends, and especially more generous to her zebra-friend. While it may have not been noticed by most ponies who came to her hut for herbal ailments, Twilight Sparkle noticed Zecora's new bed, which the Princess just shrugged off as being "a little upgrade" from her previous cot.
Though Zecora was fairly surprised that Rarity would give her a bed this lavish for her simple home (which was barely able to fit in her room anyway), she immediately stopped caring as soon as she got into it. Aside from the fact that it gave Rarity an excuse to actually spend the night more often, the zebra couldn't deny that it was beyond comfortable.
For now, instead of thinking about Rarity's inability to discuss being open about their relationship, Zecora just savored the comfort she was feeling right now. Snuggling in closer with Rarity, she closed her eyes and bent in, nuzzling the unicorn's lavish mane.
Meanwhile, Rarity's muzzle twitched a little. Her mind began to stir with reeling images. Although she was locked in the zebra's warm embrace, all that Rarity was envisioning in her dreams were newspaper headlines.
She focused on each headline, unable to escape. Each article featured a photo of Rarity looking disgraced below the blaring headlines:
Prominent Fashionista Found with Zebra!
Rarity The Unicorn Is With Another Mare!
Interspecies Madness Within Carousel Boutique!
Before Zecora could fall back asleep, the unicorn shot up and gasped.
After her sudden awakening, Rarity breathed heavily and looked around, realizing that it was all just a dream. She was alone with Zecora within her hut. Nopony knew about them.
Good.
Despite some close calls in the past few weeks, nopony knew about them besides Spike and Cheerilee. While Rarity honestly thought that was two names too many, it was still comforting that no one else knew about them.
After Sweetie Belle's little book, she managed to get out of that situation by convincing the filly it was dangerous to reveal "top secret" zebra wrestling moves. While the excuse was beyond outrageous, it was good enough to get Sweetie to change the book before showing it to their parents.
All that was left was for Rarity to relax, despite the occasional nightmare here and there. As Rarity sighed in relief, not wanting to think about the horrors she had dreamt, Zecora slowly got back up, reawoken by her marefriend's sudden jolt.
"Rarity, are you okay?" mumbled the zebra as she tried to lift herself up. "Anything you need to say?"
"Oh, ummm…"
Looking over at Zecora, Rarity tried to hide her anxiety, unsure of what to say. Although she greatly enjoyed being in this relationship, Rarity's nightmares had became more frequent, plaguing her mind with increasingly vivid images of what would happen if others knew about the two.
In almost all of her bad dreams, Rarity was found with Zecora, thus leading to her career being absolutely ruined. With words like "Filly-Fooler" and "Zebra-Lover" being thrown around, Rarity eventually lost all of her customers, as well as her reputation. And in some of her latest nightmares, she even lost her business and had to skip town to avoid all the slurs thrown at her.
Of course, Rarity never felt the need to tell Zecora any of this, thinking that it wasn't much of her concern.
Even at this moment, with Zecora staring at her with concern, Rarity still couldn't let herself tell her what was aching her conscience. Instead, she just sighed, taking a moment to calm herself down enough to speak. "I… I'm fine, Zecora. It's just… just a bad dream."
"Are you sure?" Zecora asked. "You woke up in quite a fright. Are you sure that everything is alright?"
"There's no need to worry," Rarity said, stretching out on the bed, "I just had an unpleasant dream. It's nothing to worry about."
Even with the insistent tone in Rarity's voice, Zecora could tell that her marefriend wasn't being completely honest. However, after a loud yawn, Zecora slumped back in her bed, not feeling energized enough to try going much further. Still feeling tired herself, Rarity sighed before crawling out of bed, making another quick stretch before heading to the kitchen.
Even though she wasn't tired enough to drift back to sleep, Zecora still felt nearly unable to move while nestled in the bed. However, the sound of clanking pots was enough to catch the zebra's attention. Looking up from the bed, Zecora saw that Rarity was starting to make coffee, gathering all the necessary ingredients from the cupboards she had grown to memorize since her previous visits.
Knowing she wouldn’t be able to get any rest, Zecora sighed before pulling herself out of bed. A tired smile on her muzzle, the zebra walked up behind Rarity, holding her sweetly from behind while the unicorn tried to get the coffee ready.
"Ooohhh… Zecora, I…" Rarity giggled a little and tried to adjust to the zebra's grip on her. "I gotta make… hehehe… the coffee!"
"Well," began Zecora in a sultry tone, "consider it a punishment for waking me. Until you make me happy, I'm not breaking you free."
A small blush appeared on Rarity’s cheeks as she giggled. "Well then… How do you suggest I get the coffee ready?"
With her hooves still around Rarity, Zecora gave a light shrug. "I dunno… maybe we can go into town for a cup? The Corner Market is good, and the walk would wake us up."
Rarity turned back to her, a confused look on her face. "You… you mean both of us? Together?"
Zecora's smile grew as she nodded, trying to appear optimistic at the prospect. Rarity’s expression was a bit torn. After a second, the unicorn's muzzle curled into a small, skeptical smirk.
"Oh, come on, surely you can't be serious!" Rarity turned back to the counter, not noticing Zecora's look of disappointment while she levitated the coffee essentials once more. "I mean, Rainbow Dash has been trailing me every chance she gets, and I don't want her to get any ideas. Besides, if ponies saw me out in public with you, well… I don't want to think what would happen!"
Hearing how Rarity placed emphasis on the word you, Zecora huffed under her breath before releasing her. Finally catching on to the zebra's change, Rarity looked back to her, seeing how upset she was getting.
"Ummm… Are you alright?"
"If ponies saw you out with me?" Carrying an especially upset scowl on her muzzle, Zecora's eyes narrowed on Rarity as she began to glare at her. "Is that the worst thing they could see?"
Realizing how her words may have sounded, Rarity’s eyes widened in surprise. "Oh, Zecora, I didn’t mean it like that!" She placed a hoof on the zebra's shoulder and said sincerely, "I'm being serious! Please don't be mad! I'm sorry if my words didn't come out as well I intended."
"It doesn't matter what words, I still hear them the same!" Zecora brushed Rarity's hoof off her shoulder before looking away. "I... I feel like you're hiding me because you feel shame."
"Ze… Zecora!" Now looking slightly offended, Rarity sighed and tried to clarify, "I assure you, that is NOT the case at all! I'm not keeping this secret out of… out of shame!"
Zecora then turned back to Rarity with an upset expression. "Then I want you to tell me why, because we never speak about it! You always change the subject before I could ask you a little bit!"
Closing her eyes in frustration, Rarity sighed and rubbed her temple with a hoof. "Oh, don't be so dramatic! I already told you—if ponies knew about us, then it might cause problems for me."
"How?" asked Zecora, annoyed. "How does it cause problems for you? Spike isn't freaked out! Cheerilee, too!"
Rarity groaned. "Y-yes, that is true. But! I'm not going to just come out with it after two positive reactions! I still have my clients to worry about, remember?"
"Oh really?" Zecora kept an unconvinced stare on the unicorn. "Sapphire Shores thought we were close, but that didn't stop her from buying your clothes."
Rarity opened her muzzle to retort, but nothing came out. After a couple seconds of silence, Rarity pursed her lips shut again and looked away, not wanting to admit that Zecora made a valid point.
"I'm just saying," continued the zebra in an insistent tone, "that there's no reason to have doubt. Nothing would be ruined if you were to come out."
"Zecora…" Rarity gritted her teeth in growing frustration. "I do not want to have this discussion. Just because you don't think it would happen, doesn't mean it won't."
"Can't we at least talk about this?! Have a discussion one time? Because I'm sick of your fears makin—"
"I SAID NO!!!"
Zecora pulled back a little in surprise, not expecting a dainty mare like Rarity to snap at her like that. Closing her eyes, Rarity took a deep breath before speaking in a less brash, but still uncompromising tone.
"Zecora, I am not going to have this open for discussion. I am not going to risk my career, OR my reputation because of this. Despite what you think, ponies will judge me for this, and I did not come this far to let my name get tarnished now."
Blinking a few times, Zecora's mouth hung slightly open in shock. "You… your reputation?! Are you kidding me!?! Do you seriously think that, Rarity?!"
Rarity sighed deeply, avoiding Zecora’s gaze as she abandoned her plans in the kitchen and began to head off. "I really don't need this right now. I'm planning on visiting Fluttershy at the spa today, and the last thing I need is you thinking like you know more about this than I do."
Dumbfounded, Zecora shook her head in an attempt to get out any of the nonsense that could've leaked into her ears. "WHAT?! You really don't think this is something I get?!"
Rarity paused for a moment, then continued to make her way to the door without looking back.
Fed up with Rarity's unwillingness to actually talk like a couple, Zecora spoke up before her marefriend could leave. "I'm really sick of being treated like a pet!!!"
Rarity stopped and immediately looked back at Zecora, legitimately surprised that she just said that. Seeing that Zecora was now full-blown angry at her, Rarity took down her stoic attitude for a moment and sighed. Knowing that she wasn't able to leave now without causing some damage between them, she decided to try something to help them out a little.
"Zecora," began Rarity in a much calmer tone, "I am sorry. I'm sorry if I offended you, and I want this to work, I swear." She then put up a hoof before continuing, "However, this is not up for discussion. I don't want ponies to know about me doing this, and all I ask is that you respect that."
Zecora's eyes narrowed, realizing what she just said. Rarity usually said that she didn’t want ponies knowing about them; just now, she said she didn’t want ponies knowing about her.
Just her. Like Zecora wasn't even worth noting anymore.
"You can try to put this discussion up on the shelf," Zecora said coldly, "but it seems that you are more worried about yourself."
Still trying to keep an understanding look on her face, Rarity gritted her teeth a little before replying, "I… am not saying that… I am just thinking about my career. I do not want to risk my business after everything I've done."
"So…" Zecora's glare became stronger as she eyed her. "You're saying it would be ruined by me? Your clients would hate you if it's us they see?"
Knowing that Zecora was trying to set her up for a trap, Rarity just bit her lip and avoided eye contact. After a moment of silence, Zecora groaned, closed her eyes, and looked away.
Hoping to end this conversation smoothly enough to leave without worry, Rarity decided to move in towards her. "How about this…"
Rarity's voice became more seductive as she moved in closer to the frustrated Zecora. "If you let this go, I might be able to talk about it with you after my appointment, okay?"
Hearing the word "might" in her statement, Zecora looked back at her in irritation, knowing that she was full of it.
"And in return," continued Rarity with a grin and a growing lust in her voice, "when I get back to you in my Boutique, I'll do something especially nice for you… Just to show you how much I care."
Rarity then moved her muzzle up to Zecora's ear. "For example, I'll…"
Rarity then cupped a hoof over the zebra's ear, making sure she whispered her plans as detailed and sensually as possible. Although Zecora didn’t want to Rarity to think she was alright with the way she was being treated, the growing blush on her still-scowling face was enough to satisfy the unicorn, who pulled back.
"So… What do you think?" asked Rarity with a lustful smirk. "If I do that, will you keep this going a little longer?"
Zecora only looked away from Rarity again, not giving an answer. Rarity was sure that she won, seeing how much the zebra blushed as soon as she mentioned the socks.
With a satisfied smirk, Rarity didn’t wait for an audible reply and kissed Zecora on the cheek. "I'll just take that as a yes."
Zecora grit her teeth to hold herself back; she was getting sick of this. Instead of actually getting a say in this discussion, Rarity once again cut her off, blinding her with sexy promises just to keep their relationship a secret. While she knew Rarity had her reasons, none of them were good enough to warrant keeping her in the dark like this.
In a moment of aggravation, Zecora found herself too fed-up to keep still. Acting out of impulse, she moved in before Rarity could open the door, wrapping her hooves around the mare before sensually kissing her neck.
"Ooh!” Rarity gasped as she felt the zebra's lips caress the side of her neck. Blushing over her white coat, the unicorn giggled a little, not noticing how Zecora's smooches were becoming harder.
"Zecora, come on! I… I have to—oh my! I have to go to my appoi—ow! My appointment!"
After another kiss, Zecora pulled back, making an audible pop with her lips as they broke free from her neck. Rarity, still blushing heavily, now had a more cheerful smile when she looked back at her.
"Well…" Happy to see Zecora do something like that, Rarity lightly pecked her on the lips. "I'll definitely be sure to add a little something else when I get back. Alright?"
With a grin on her muzzle, Zecora's eyes narrowed as she nodded slowly. "Well, that's good to know. So, I'll let you go."
"Great." Rarity gave one more kiss to the zebra before heading off, carrying a new spring in her step as she happily trotted away from Zecora's hut. "See you later!"
Zecora didn't say anything while she waved from the door of her hut. Unnoticed by Rarity, Zecora still had her devilish grin as she waved goodbye.
"Have fun, Rarity… bye…"
Zecora was now speaking to herself, for Rarity was already out of earshot. That didn’t stop her smirk from growing with each passing second.
"Say hi to Fluttershy…"
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Sitting behind her counter, the blue mare with the pink mane kept to herself as she flipped through her magazine. While business at the spa wasn't exactly as busy as she or her sister would've hoped, they still got enough customers to get by comfortably.
At hearing the distinct "ding" from the front door opening, Lotus quickly put down her magazine and stood to attention.
"Why, hello, Rarity," Lotus said in her exotic voice, staying cheerful as she welcomed one of her favorite customers. "Fluttershy is already in the back, so you can just head back there…"
As she glanced at Rarity, Lotus's words began to slowly drift away. Not noticing the odd look on the spa pony's face, Rarity smiled gratefully and nodded to her.
"Well, thank you, Lotus," said the unicorn in a cheerful tone as she made her way to the back. Before passing the counter, Rarity levitated a bag of bits from her bag and placed it down on the counter. "And here's my payment, as usual."
"Ummm… yes." Keeping a nervous smile on her muzzle, Lotus nodded, unable to look away from Rarity's neck. "Thank you very much."
"You're welcome."
With that, Rarity trotted to the backroom to get herself ready, passing Aloe as she walked inside. Before she could reach her sister, Aloe did a double-take and looked back, her eyes widening as she noticed the unicorn's neck as well.
While Rarity got her towel ready and prepared to head into the pool with Fluttershy, the sounds of Aloe and Lotus muttering in their native tongues could be heard from the front. Rarity didn’t pay much attention to their words, knowing that they did that sometimes.
If she was listening, Rarity would've heard them use the word "hickey" several times in their foreign mutterings.
Rarity kept a smile on her muzzle as she headed to the pool. Fluttershy was already inside, lying in a relaxed state in the water with her eyes closed. When she felt the water ripple around her, the Pegasus opened her eyes, smiling as she saw Rarity enter the pool.
"Oh, hi, Rarity," said Fluttershy in a faint and happy voice. "I hope you didn't mind that I showed up…"
Looking at the unicorn, Fluttershy's words began to trail off. Her eyes widened when she saw the same thing the two spa ponies had noticed. Before she could say anything about it, Rarity looked back at her, making the Pegasus quickly stammer and finish her statement.
"… E-earlier than… usual."
"Oh, it's quite alright," said Rarity as she began to relax, sighing in pleasure as she let the water get up to her shoulders.
Conversely, Fluttershy appeared more nervous as she looked at her friend. The unicorn's head and neck were now the only visible parts of her above the water.
"To be honest, I've been dealing with a lot recently, so being able to unwind like this is absolutely perfect!"
"Ummm… yes…"
Noticing how Fluttershy's response came out more nervously than usual, Rarity reopened her eyes and peered at her friend. Seeing how wide-eyed the Pegasus looked while staring at her, her eyebrows skewed in confusion.
"Fluttershy, is something wrong?"
Fluttershy's gaze went back up to meet Rarity’s eyes, making the unicorn realize that her friend had been staring at something else. Before she could ask what was catching her attention, the Pegasus's voice came out in a faint whimper as she tried to speak.
"Ummm… Rarity?"
"Y-yes?" Rarity asked, concerned. "What is it?"
"Ummmm…" Wincing a little in embarrassment, Fluttershy slowly lifted a hoof out from under the water, pointing at her friend as she stared at her.
"Is… is that…"
Unsure of what Fluttershy was getting at, Rarity lit her horn to grab a small mirror from the nearby table. Floating the mirror over to her, the unicorn's eyes began to widen as she looked at herself.
Immediately noticing the large, red blotch on the side of her neck—which was in exactly the same spot Zecora had kissed her earlier today—Rarity gasped in horror. Fluttershy still reluctantly finished her question.
"Is that… a hickey?"
Rarity quickly covered the spot on her neck with a hoof, then looked back at Fluttershy with a terrified stare.
"I-I-I… I didn't… It…"
Before she could attempt to muster out a clear answer, Rarity shot back out of the pool, not caring how dripping wet she was as she made her way out of the spa.
Quickly drying herself off with a towel and taking a purple cloth to cover her neck (while leaving a bag of bits to pay for it), the unicorn bolted out of the shop, blushing furiously.
Before Rarity could get a block away from the shop, Fluttershy rushed out and tried to catch up to her.
"Rarity!" Fluttershy shouted as she tried to reach her friend. "Rarity, it's okay!"
"NO IT'S NOT!" shouted Rarity as she turned back to her, putting up a hoof to make sure she didn't try to say anything else. "It's not a hickey! I swear to Celestia, it is not a hickey!!"
"Okay," assured Fluttershy as she tried to calm her friend down, "I believe you, I promise."
Rarity groaned and lit her horn, floating a fainting couch behind her before slumping down on it. "Oh, I just don't know what to do!" Throwing a foreleg over her eyes, the disheveled unicorn sighed painfully, making sure her makeshift scarf was covering her hickey before looking back at Fluttershy. "Rainbow Dash has already been bugging me recently, and I just know she won't live it down if she saw this!"
"Well…" Hoping to alleviate the mare's tensions, Fluttershy looked around, noticing Rainbow Dash in the distance before looking back at Rarity with an optimistic look. "Rainbow Dash looks to be about a mile away right now, so I don't think she'll see it."
"Oh, good…"
Sighing in relief, Rarity loosened her scarf, readjusting it around her neck while the hickey stood out for a couple seconds. "I just hope Aloe and Lotus aren't mad I took this without asking. I left some bits to pay for it, but I don't know what something like this would co—AAAHHHH!!!!"
In the few seconds that Rarity left her hickey exposed, she didn't notice that Rainbow Dash was now directly in front of her.
Surprising both Rarity and Fluttershy, Dash stared at her with an extremely huge grin and pointed at her neck.
"Hickey."
"N-n-n… NO!!!" Rarity quickly fumbled the scarf back over her neck. "It is NOT a hickey, Rainbow Dash!"
"Oh, come on!" Keeping her unconvinced smirk, the Pegasus narrowed her eyes. "You can't tell me that's NOT a hickey! The jig is up, so just admit it!"
Applejack, who was walking by with a cart full of apples, stopped as she saw how petrified Rarity looked. "Rainbow, what the hay are ya doin'? What's all this commotion about?"
"Nothing!" Rarity snapped as she looked over at Applejack. "I have absolutely nothing to—"
"Well, Applejack," Rainbow said with a devilish grin, "it seems that our good friend Rarity has a certain somepony she isn't telling us about."
"I AM NOT!" Rarity exclaimed in a new rush of anger. "I do not have any pony with me, nopony was in the shower with me that day, and THIS IS NOT A HICKEY!"
"Alright, alright!" Not wanting to see her friends go into a full-blown fight in the middle of town, Applejack took the cart off her back before trying to diffuse the situation. "Now, Rainbow, it's pretty clear that yer aggravatin' Rarity, so you should back off a little bit."
Even though she knew something was going on, Rainbow Dash sighed before reluctantly stepping back.
"Thank you." Applejack then glanced at Rarity, a curious look on her face as she asked, "Alright, now what's all this Ah'm hearin' about a hickey?"
Groaning under her breath, Rarity looked away for a second, not wanting to escalate this any further. However, knowing that it was the only way she could get out of this quickly, Rarity slowly removed the scarf from her neck, exposing her hickey.
Applejack whistled. "Got-dang, Rare! That's a biggun!"
"I know!" Rainbow Dash said with a smirk, which just made Rarity groan again.
"I swear," Rarity muttered under her breath as she looked away from her friends, not realizing that she was speaking out loud, "as soon as I get my hooves on her—"
"HER?!" her friends shouted in unison.
Rarity immediately turned back at them with a shocked look on her face, covering her hoof as she realized what she had just said. "N-no! I… I mean.."
"No… way…" Rainbow Dash's grin grew bigger as she stared at the unicorn, wide-eyed. "Who is it?"
"N-NOPONY!" Rarity jolted back a couple steps.
Rainbow Dash kept equal distance as she walked up to her. "C'mon, Rare! You already said it, so just give us a name!"
"Uh! Buh! Er!"
Unable to make any intelligible words in her distressed state, Rarity's brain shut off for a moment. Then, she just said the very first thing that could come to her muzzle.
"Sw… Sweetie Belle!"
It was at that moment that Rarity's mind turned back on, making her stand wide-eyed at the realization of what she just said. Looking back at the three in front of her, who were all staring at her with wide eyes as well, she had no idea how to get out of her new lie.
Applejack put up a hoof slowly. "Alright," she began with a concerned tone, “you really need to clarify that before Ah start assumin' some bad things."
"… Uuuuhhhhhh…"
Afraid of what might happen if she just left it at that, Rarity stammered a bit while she tried to think of something, anything to say. With her muzzle twitching in fear and desperation, she began to think out loud, just letting the first words she could think of out of her mouth.
"Well… last night, I… I was looking after Sweetie Belle… and... she… was sleepwalking…"
Applejack just carried a more confused look on her face. "Sleepwalkin'?"
"Y-yes!" Rarity now tried to speak in a more convincing tone as she continued, knowing she had to try to be more convincing. "You see, she… She sleepwalks sometimes, and… she… was dreaming… and… Sweetie was… dreaming that she was a leech."
While the perplexed stares from the three certainly gave off varying looks of confusion, none of them looked unconvinced so far. Rarity thought for a second before finishing her lie.
"So… Because Sweetie Belle was dreaming… that she was a leech… while sleepwalking… she… walked into my room… and tried to suck my blood."
Pursing her lips shut, Rarity blinked a few times and looked at her friends. Before she could try to add anything more to her excuse, Fluttershy was the first to speak up.
"So… you… got a hickey from your little sister?"
Rainbow Dash tried not to snicker and looked away from the blushing unicorn. Cringing on the inside, Rarity tried to smile before confirming.
"Well… I wouldn't call it a hickey, but… yes. This… this was because of Sweetie Belle."
Rainbow Dash finally couldn't hold it in and started laughing out loud while looking away from Rarity. Applejack, who couldn't help but crack a smile as well, turned to Rarity as she spoke. "Well, Ah ain't gonna lie, that's a weird one, but Ah get it. You wouldn't believe some of the crazy things Granny does in her sleep!"
Happy to see that nopony was denying her story, Rarity sighed in relief before speaking more calmly. "Alright. Well… Now, if you girls excuse me, I have to deal with this right now."
"Alright," said Applejack in an understanding tone while Rainbow Dash kept laughing. "Ah understand."
With that, Rarity nodded to the three before heading off, managing to hide her distress as she walked away.
When Rainbow Dash was finally able to speak again, Applejack looked over to her as she asked, "Well, Rainbow? Are ya satisfied now?"
"You know what?" Dash said as she tried not to laugh again, "I don’t even care if that was a lie! That was too funny!"
Meanwhile, Rarity couldn't stop thinking to herself as she trotted away with the scarf secure around her neck. After everything she just went through, all she wanted to do was confront Zecora for what she did.
I can't believe it! Rarity thought, trying to keep her distance from everypony as she headed through town. How could that have happened?! I was always careful! It wasn't like Zecora ever kissed me like that befo—
Rarity froze. Only a couple blocks from the spa, her eyes grew wide at the realization of what had happened. Thinking back to how Zecora acted, her face began to change, slowly moving from an expression of terror to one of immeasurable rage.
"Oooohhhhhh…" Rarity gritted her teeth, exhaling through her nostrils like an enraged bull. "She… she did that…
"ON PURPOSE!!!"
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Now angry enough to take down the entire Changeling army herself, Rarity banged on the door of Zecora's hut.
"ZECORA!!! ZECORA, OPEN THIS DOOR RIGHT NOW!!!"
After several more bangs, it was clear that Zecora wasn't home, which meant she had to be at Rarity's shop. Groaning loudly, the unicorn turned around to make her way out of the Everfree Forest.
Just as she turned, the unicorn's eyes widened when she saw what was in her way.
Half a dozen Timberwolves surrounded Rarity in several directions. Before she could even react, the mare found herself face-to-face with the largest one. The alpha glared at her with its glowing green eyes as it snarled its tee—
ZAP!
Rarity didn't even hesitate and used her magic blast to disintegrate it. Before the other Timberwolves could even flinch, Rarity blasted three more instantly, making her even more enraged as she screamed out with all her fury.
"I AM NOT IN THE MOOD FOR THIS TODAY!!!"
The remaining Timberwolves scattered off, a couple of them whimpering as they disappeared into the forest.
Rarity, not even thinking about what she just accomplished by herself, kept her focus on Zecora as she made her way down the trail, hoping to make it back to her shop as soon as possible.
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Rarity slammed her front door open, waking Spike and jolting him from his desk. "AAH! Uh… Hi, Rarit—"
"Spike…" Rarity didn’t even look at the dragon as she walked past him, heading straight for the stairs. "I want you to go home tonight."
Hearing the intense coldness in her voice, Spike started to become worried. "Why? Is… is something wro—"
Still not looking at him, Rarity levitated a large bag of jewels over to Spike's desk.
"Alright, see you later!"
Spike quickly made his leave, taking his pay, not wanting to mess with Rarity.
Meanwhile, Rarity was fuming as she made her way up the stairs. Throwing the bedroom door open, the unicorn glared at Zecora, who sat on the bed, waiting for her.
"Zecora…" Rarity took off her scarf, exposing the zebra's handiwork while she kept her venomous stare on her. "Why did you do this?"
"Why, what do you mean?" Zecora kept a faux-smile on her muzzle and tried to play innocent. "Do you blame me for this? All that I wanted was to give you a kiss."
Now snarling like a rabid Rottweiler, Rarity’s glare became even more furious as she said coldly, "You… knew I was going to visit my friends… You knew I was running late, and wouldn't notice… And you KNEW that was going to leave a hickey! DIDN'T YOU?!"
Even though her last outburst was a bit surprising, Zecora didn't flinch. "All that I wanted was for us to discuss. But whenever I try, you just cause a fuss."
Rarity's right eye twitched violently as she gritted her teeth. "So… THAT'S what you try to do?! You try to humiliate me in front of my friends?!"
Zecora waited a second before replying in a calm, yet stern tone. "Let me ask you a question before you strike me down. Did your career get destroyed as you walked around town?"
Now within realms of rage she didn’t even know existed, Rarity had to hold back every shred of fury to stop herself from attacking the zebra right then and there. "Do you have… ANY IDEA… what I went through because of that?!"
"Oh yes, tell me, please. I want to hear what is true. I want to know if I'm such a problem to you."
Rarity stormed up to Zecora, getting in her face as she yelled, "I had to deal with the Spa Ponies, Fluttershy, Applejack, AND Rainbow Dash, and Celestia knows who else, because of your… STUPID form of revenge!!"
Seeing that the zebra wasn't budging, Rarity walked away again to keep herself from doing anything physical. "Because of you, I… I actually had to LIE to my friends, AGAIN, and tell them that I got this from Sweetie Belle!"
Zecora pursed her lips together and tried not to snicker, "Are you seri—"
"SHUT UP!" Rarity glared at her again. "And after doing all that, I nearly got killed by a pack of Timberwolves when I went back to your hut, so thanks a LOT for that!"
For the first time, Zecora's eyes widened in surprise. "Wait, what did yo—"
"After everything I did for you, and how generous I've been, you just had to go and… and do something that bucking SELFISH!"
"SELFISH?!?"
Zecora shot off the bed, getting up in the mare's face as she finally got legitimately angry. "You're calling ME selfish?! Are you sick in the head?! I wanted us to talk, and you ignored all that I said!"
"And you think that gives you the excuse to try something like THIS—" Rarity pointed to her neck and glared at Zecora—"JUST so you could try to get back at me?!"
"I tried to discuss this, but you never let me speak! And I'm real sick of sneaking around week after week!"
"Zecora…" Rarity was no longer yelling. Instead, her voice was coming out in a cold malice, each word coming out as brooding as the last as she spoke. "This… is the lowest thing you could've possibly done, especially for you. You know that I have a reputation to protect, and I do not want that to become damaged by ponies knowing about us."
"Would it really damage it? Could you tell me how? Because it hasn't caused any problems ‘till now!"
"I already told you!” Rarity scolded. "I have very, and I mean VERY judgmental clients! If they knew what I was doin—"
"Is that REALLY the excuse that you're giving me?! Because, if so, you're really becoming crazy!"
"Oh, I'M crazy?! At least I don't go out of my way to sabotage your life, just to try justifying a pointless discussion!"
Hearing that, Zecora was done trying to discuss this civilly. After all that she tried to say to her, hearing Rarity call her suggestion as being "pointless" was too much. Fed up with her arrogance, the zebra glared back at Rarity as she spoke maliciously.
"If wanting to be seen as an equal is considered 'pointless' to you, then I don't think you deserve that Element of Generosity, too."
Rarity's jaw dropped. Knowing how sensitive she was about her Element, Zecora knew that would get to her.
Zecora didn't wait for a reply and walked to the door.
Rarity, now completely enraged, pointed at her with a hoof and a bloodthirsty glare.
"GET. OUT."
"Oh, gladly! Rarity!" snapped the zebra as she reached the door.
However, before Zecora could open the door and exit her bedroom, Rarity spoke up, wanting to add her own jab before she could leave.
"I asked you to do one thing! ONE! THING! And you had to refuse, didn’t you?! You couldn't even consider the fact that this could affect me, so you just tried to buck it up for me for your own accord!"
Zecora just sighed and opened the door, making Rarity narrow her eyes as she finished her statement.
"You really are a selfish brat."
Zecora froze, gripping the doorknob hard enough to make her hoof turn white. If it was anyone else, she would've turned right back and beat them to a bloody pulp.
Zecora didn’t move for a moment. Instead, all that she did was turn her head back, shooting Rarity a death glare while she added her final reply.
"To call me selfish is quite a thing to address, from a mare who ditched her friend for a wedding dress."
Before Rarity could react, Zecora left the room, slamming the door shut just as the unicorn threw a potted plant at her. In her enraged state, Rarity didn't even care about her vase of roses when she threw it, making it shatter loudly against the door.
Panting heavily, Rarity wanted nothing more than to storm out and give that zebra a piece of her mind. Instead, all that she did was stand still until she heard the front door of her Boutique slam shut.
After ensuring that Zecora was really gone, Rarity lit her horn, using it to select a pillow from her bed and float it over to her face. Gripping it with her hooves, Rarity screamed out loud into the pillow, muffling herself enough so that no one else could hear her.
After that, Rarity gasped and released the pillow from her face, sighing before throwing it back onto her bed. Opal, who was hiding under the bed the entire time, slowly made her way out as she looked up at Rarity. Seeing how she looked, Opal's eyes widened a little, which didn’t phase the unicorn, who finally noticed her.
"Oh, there you are, Opal," said Rarity as she mustered a smile on her muzzle. "I didn’t know you were there."
The cat didn’t give much of a reply. Instead, she lifted up a paw to the side of her own face.
"Well…" Rarity sighed as she looked around her room. "I guess it's easy to say that Zecora and I are over, so you won't have to worry about her anymore."
Not noticing Opal's concerned face, Rarity trotted over to her closet as she continued, "This is probably for the best. I mean, if she couldn't understand why I can't let anypony know about it, then it was bound to end sooner or later. Besides, keeping this up was a lot more strenuous than I thought."
Feeling more confident about her decision, Rarity tried to make her smile feel more genuine as she looked back at Opal.
"You know what? I think this will be just fine! I mean, it was fun while it lasted, but now I can actually focus on my—"
Plip.
Hearing the light tap on the ground, Rarity looked down to the carpet. With her keen eyes, Rarity quickly noticed a small dot in the carpeting, like a drop of water or something tha—
Plip.
Another drop appeared, making Rarity's eyes widen as she realized what it was. Raising her head slowly, the unicorn turned over to her mirror, finally seeing herself after all that had happened.
On both sides of her face, tears streamed down the mare's cheeks.
Opal, seeing that Rarity finally saw it herself, put down her paw and watched cautiously.
Looking at herself in the mirror, Rarity could no longer keep up her fake confidence. Instead, more tears fell from her blue eyes as she began to realize how much she was hurting right now. Feeling like her heart was being pressed in a vice, her face began to scrunch in when she realized how wrong things went.
Breathing heavily, Rarity ran over to the bed, throwing herself face-first into the pillows to avoid looking at anything else. Gripping a pillow against her face as tightly as possible, there was nothing else she could do but cry.
Realizing how horribly the two of them acted, Rarity could only curl up in her bed, wanting nothing else but to take everything back as she began to sob.