Breakthrough
Hearing the faint grunts from her big brother over the hills, Applejack grinned in satisfaction as she knew Big Macintosh wasn't slacking off today. After getting the last of the trees from the east orchard bucked, Applejack felt pretty happy with herself for completing her day's work. However, just as she was about to strap herself in the cart and move the collected apples over to the barn, a new sound caught her attention from nearby: snoring.
Walking over a hilltop, Applejack's eyes widened when she saw the source of the noise. Still on her hooves, Zecora was leaned against one of the apple trees as she slept while standing. Approaching her, Applejack was surprised to see how disheveled the zebra looked, as dark bags hung underneath her closed eyes.
Before she could say anything or try to wake her up, Zecora's snoring stopped momentarily as she moaned a little. A smile crept up on the zebra's muzzle as she muttered some words under her breath. The only word that Applejack was really able to catch was "cutie,” for whatever reason.
Before Zecora could utter any more words to indicate what kind of dream she was currently having, Applejack reached out a hoof and gently poked the zebra's side. In a sudden jolt, Zecora jumped at the touch as her eyes shot open. Since she was halfway through her unconscious mutterings, Zecora's words came out slightly louder as she woke herself up in front of Applejack.
"Wha, pa—PANTIES!"
Applejack jolted back a little from Zecora's sudden outburst, staring at her confused as she tried to figure out what the hay she was going on about. "Uhhh… what was that?"
Shaking herself awake, Zecora realized where she was as she stood in front of Applejack, wide-eyed. Not wanting to deal with explaining herself, Zecora stammered a little and stepped back, looking around worriedly before she spoke in a panicked manner.
"Sorry, but I have to go! Ummm… Something that rhymes with go!"
With Applejack standing in a bewildered state, Zecora ran off from Sweet Apple Acres and headed into Ponyville. As the zebra began to run out of sight, Applejack could only blink a few times as she tried to comprehend why Zecora was acting this way. Never seeing her like this before, Applejack shook her head a little before she muttered a comment to herself.
"Ah swear, that zebra's actin' nuttier than a peanut butter factory!"
Before she could think any more about Zecora's odd behavior, Apple Bloom's voice could be heard as she called out to her sister.
"Applejack! Granny's teeth fell in the applesauce again!"
Hearing that, Applejack groaned as she face-hoofed. "Ugh! Ah swear, that mare's just doin' that on purpose now!"
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As Zecora ran down the road into Ponyville, she tried as hard as she could not to think about her recent sleeping problems, or the vivid dreams that came with them. Ever since that first dream about Rarity several days ago, the zebra was unable to get any decent sleep without it happening over and over again.
Despite how much she tried not to sleep, the dreams about that blasted unicorn kept creeping into her mind when she least expected it. And worst of all, every time Zecora slept—or, in recent cases, passed out—her dreams about Rarity became more and more perverse. Zecora quickly tried to shake her head clear, desperately trying to avoid the lewd image of what she imagined Rarity wearing in her latest dream.
As she saw the town limit of Ponyville in her sights, Zecora almost considered not going through with this. However, she knew that this day was when she usually brought her hair products for Rarity to buy. If she didn’t come into town today, she was afraid Rarity would think something was wrong.
And even though she figured things would still be awkward between them since their last encounter, Zecora knew she couldn't let that affect her. Besides, maybe they could clear the air about that kiss, and let themselves get past it for both their benefit.
Meanwhile, Rarity was looking more than uneasy as she looked through her garments. For the first time since she returned back home, Opal was sitting on Rarity's bed instead of hiding under it. Despite having much shorter fur along her torso, her head and tail were still as fluffy as before, hiding her inattentive face from the unicorn. As Rarity kept floating dresses around to find the right one, she looked back to Opal as she focused on a classy red cocktail dress.
"What do you think?" asked the unicorn in a slightly worrisome tone. "Does this look alright?"
Opal's eyes rolled before the cat rolled over to its side, ignoring her question. Huffing in frustration, Rarity turned back to the mirror and looked over her other outfits. While it wasn't unusual for Opalescence to ignore her at times like this, Rarity was hoping that her cat would be a little more enthusiastic since leaving its hiding spot. Despite her frustration, the mare decided to just focus on what she had planned for tonight as she looked through her dresses once more.
She might have been nervous, but that didn’t mean she shouldn't look nice for her date with Thunderlane.
After several more minutes of debating to herself, Rarity sighed and chose her dress, smiling slightly as she held it in her aura. While she was happy with what she was going to wear, it didn’t stop the unicorn from still feeling a bit off about this date.
While this new plan certainly helped to relieve her tensions regarding Zecora, that kiss still lingered in her memories, gnawing at her conscience like some tenacious parasprite. However, Rarity's focus suddenly changed when she heard a knock at her door.
Walking downstairs to the front of her Boutique, Rarity was unsure of who was supposed to arrive. Nopony was scheduled to pick up their orders today, and Thunderlane wasn't supposed to arrive until seven. However, Rarity's eyes widened as she opened the door, surprised to see Zecora standing in front of her.
"He-hello, Rarity," said the zebra in a somewhat cheerful tone as she mustered out a smile, "I hope you are doing well." With the saddlebag on her back, Zecora quickly pulled out the bottle of conditioner with a hoof before turning back to Rarity. "I just came by with the conditioner to sell."
With all the embarrassment and denial the mare went through the past few days, Rarity almost completely forgot that Zecora usually came by today with her hair products. "Oh! Oh yes," replied the mare as she quickly lit her horn to lift her purse nearby, "I… I honestly didn’t realize what day it was."
As the unicorn opened her purse and retrieved her payment, she kept a slightly shameful look on her face as she looked up at Zecora. Hoping to clear the air, Rarity breathed in before she spoke in a guilty tone.
"Zecora, I… I'm really sorry about last week! I mean, I would nev—"
"It's alright, Rarity," said the zebra quickly as she put up a hoof, "you do not have to explain." Seeing the bits floating in Rarity's aura, Zecora waited until she took her payment (which still included a generous tip) before she continued, "It was a simple mistake, and will not cause disdain."
Even after hearing Zecora's words, Rarity still bit her lip in embarrassment and looked away. Seeing this, Zecora sighed a little as she noticed how bashful the unicorn looked, not realizing that she was slightly blushing. Even though Rarity usually acted a lot more confident and lustful in her dreams, Zecora had to admit that seeing her timid like this was quite allur—
The zebra quickly shook her head clear, feeling increasingly aggravated at herself for thinking about that right now. Of course, in regards to how her dreams have been getting recently, Zecora was grateful she wasn't imagining the mare in any saucy outfits right now. Hoping to avoid suddenly thinking that, Zecora tried catching Rarity's attention as she spoke in a more convincing tone.
"I know you feel guilty, but you really should not. We all make mistakes; some a little, some a lot."
Hearing that, Rarity slowly turned back to Zecora with a less saddened look on her face. Happy to see this was helping her a little, Zecora put caution to the wind and put a hoof to the unicorn's shoulder. Keeping a warm smile on her face, Zecora's blush was no longer present as she finished her rhyming assurance to Rarity.
"You should not let guilt astray you that far. Doing that hides the great pony you are."
Despite not wanting to say anything that could be seen as too close or overly implicated, Zecora still kept her smile as she saw Rarity grow her own. Looking legitimately happy to hear the zebra's words, Rarity nodded with a caring smile before she opened her muzzle.
"Well… thank you. Thank you for telling me that, Zecora."
"It is not a problem. To help friends is a noble task." As Zecora put her hoof back down, she finally noticed that the unicorn had a different shade of mascara on than usual. While most ponies wouldn't bat an eye to the tiny change of black around the unicorn's eyelashes, Zecora's keen senses managed to pick it up surprisingly quick. Curious to this change in makeup, Zecora looked around before she spoke in a curious manner. "So… what's going on right now? If it is alright to ask."
"Oh, umm…" Slightly embarrassed at the idea of telling Zecora about her date, the unicorn's hooves readjusted under her weight before she breathed in. Unsure of what to say to the zebra that she kissed last week, Rarity's blush grew before she replied sheepishly, "Well, umm… actually, I'm… getting ready. Ready for… a date."
Zecora's eyes widened a little, worrying Rarity before the zebra quickly tried to look less surprised. Despite feeling a weight in her stomach after Rarity's statement, Zecora managed to hide her discomfort as she spoke.
"R-really? A date? Well…"
After all those sleepless nights of imagining the unicorn before her in many unmentionable scenarios (as well as unmentionable outfits), Zecora never imagined that Rarity would actually be going on a date after their kiss. However, after all the things she just said to assure the mare that her kiss was just a mistake, Zecora didn’t want to do a single thing to imply anything otherwise.
Knowing she had to give a positive response, Zecora mustered out a quick smile as she finished her statement.
"That… is great!"
"Y-yes. Yes it is." Even though she still felt very uncomfortable with the idea of dating right now, Rarity still forced a genuine-looking smile of her own. "I'm… going out with Thunderlane tonight."
"Thunderlane?" said Zecora in a staggered tone, not expecting a Pegasus like him would be in Rarity's league. "Is that so? I…"
Thinking it over, Zecora was finding it harder with each passing second to hide how upset she was feeling. Even with all the constant reassurances she tried giving herself that Rarity's actions last week weren't of any merit, Zecora still couldn't explain how heavy her chest felt at the mention of her dating somepony else. Knowing she couldn't stick around and alert the unicorn of her discomfort, Zecora looked around before she uttered out a completion to her rhyme.
"… I… think I should go."
As the zebra began to walk away from the Boutique, Rarity stood in a confused manner for a second before quickly calling out to her. "Wait, Zecora! Is… is there something wro—"
"Nothing is wrong!" retorted Zecora as she looked back to Rarity. "I am really quite fine."
Knowing that she couldn't just leave it at that, Zecora bit her lip and tried to think of anything else to say. Helping to alleviate the unicorn's nerves, Zecora thought for a moment before she suddenly thought of something to tell her. Looking at the unicorn, Zecora gave a more carefree smile as she spoke in a more playful tone.
"Just remember to not drink too much wine."
Hearing the zebra's innocent little jeer, Rarity huffed and tried to cover her smile. Not wanting to show that a jab like that cheered her up a little, the unicorn looked away with a blush as she spoke sarcastically. "Oh, ha ha ha, Miss Zecora. Very funny."
Chuckling at seeing Rarity like this, Zecora carried a more natural smile on her face as she nodded to her. Before walking away, Zecora waited until Rarity turned back to her before she said one final thing.
"I really hope that you have a good night. Just don’t get drunk, and go with what feels right."
"Oh, believe me," replied Rarity with a smirk, "I plan to stay sober tonight, thank you very much!"
After giggling at seeing the unicorn's improved mood, Zecora gave a quick wave before walking off. As she made her way from the Carousel Boutique, Zecora's smile slowly began to fade as soon as she heard Rarity close the door.
Letting Rarity's news enter her mind, all the zebra could feel was a strange numbness in her conscience, which didn't mix well with the growing discomfort she was feeling in her chest. Looking up to the flawless blue skies above Ponyville, Zecora sighed as she stopped, appreciating the silence for a moment before she muttered to herself.
"This is good, you know,” muttered the zebra as she attempted to cover her disappointed tone, "this is very good. Perhaps this change will help improve my mood."
Closing her eyes, Zecora sighed again and sunk her head back to the ground. Before she could really think about why she was feeling so off, a loud gurgle from her stomach caught her senses. Realizing that she'd been skipping a meal or two the past few days, the zebra opened her eyes again and looked around.
Seeing Sugar Cube Corner in the distance, Zecora changed her slumped stance as she began to walk again. Keeping her head held high, the zebra hoped that maybe something to fill her stomach would also fill her confusion.
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With the sun beginning to set at the border of Ponyville, the cool evening air was already beginning to show itself as ponies began to head back to their homes. Landing several yards from the Carousel Boutique, a dark-grey Pegasus shivered a little as he looked around, immediately starting to regret only wearing a thin sport-jacket tonight.
As he saw the front door to the Boutique in front of him, the stallion's shivering disappeared, only to be replaced by a new form of shaking, caused by nervousness. However, before he could let his worried nature take over, he huffed his chest out before walking up to the door. Despite how nervous he was, he didn’t want that to mess with his date.
Hearing the knocking from the front door, Rarity's heart skipped a beat as she jolted herself upright. Still feeling uneasy about agreeing to do this, the unicorn bit her lip as she walked over to the door, making sure to take one more look at herself from the mirror on the wall.
Despite feeling like she was giving off a bashful vibe reserved for Fluttershy, Rarity was pleasantly surprised to see how elegant she still looked while walking to the door. With her mane done in a long, wavy style to match her flowing blue dress, the unicorn had to stop for a moment to appreciate how she looked.
Standing at the doorway, Thunderlane almost considered knocking the door again after waiting a while. However, just as he was about to raise his hoof to knock once more, the door to the Boutique opened to reveal his date.
Seeing how well-dressed the mare looked, Thunderlane bit his lips in an attempt to keep his jaw from dropping to the ground. Keeping a smile on his face, the stallion started growing a deep blush as he looked at Rarity, hoping to any Princess listening that his appearance wasn't too casual for a mare like her.
Looking at her date, Rarity was fairly surprised at how different Thunderlane looked tonight. His Mohawk, which was usually stuck straight up with two different shades of pale blue, was now slicked down, combed along the back of his head to make him look more presentable. Still shaking a little, Thunderlane managed to keep his wings from moving that much as they stayed covered in his light blue jacket.
Looking at his choice in appearance, Rarity had to admit that the Pegasus looked decent for tonight; while he definitely could've worn a more fitting jacket—and perhaps maybe a tie to go with his golden eyes—the style he chose still matched his mane surprisingly well. Seeing how nervous the stallion looked, Rarity stood surprised for a second speaking sheepishly.
"H-hello, Thunderlane."
Realizing the mare was talking to him, Thunderlane's blush grew even deeper as he stood still like a frozen sculpture. Hoping his wings wouldn’t shoot out, the Pegasus stammered a little before he managed to sputter out some legible words.
"He… hel… HELLO RARITY YOU LOOK VERY NICE!"
Taken aback by Thunderlane's sudden outburst, Rarity stepped back a little and tried to think of how to respond. Hoping he didn’t freak-out his date, Thunderlane immediately put up a hoof as he tried to alleviate his nervousness.
"SORRY! I… I mean… I'm sorry! Jus—it's just…"
Still feeling like he was going to have a heart attack at any moment, Thunderlane looked away from Rarity and bit his lip. Seeing how freaked-out he was looking, the unicorn started to wonder whether this was really the same Thunderlane who was friends with Rainbow Dash, or Fluttershy wearing a very convincing Thunderlane disguise. As sweat started to appear at his forehead, the Pegasus took a deep breath before he looked back at Rarity and opened his muzzle.
"Ididn'tmeantofreakyououtit'sjustthatIwasreallynervousabouttonightandIdidn'twanttodoanythingtomessitupbecauseIreallywantedtohangoutwithyoubutIdidn'tknowwhattodobecauseIneverreallywentonadatebeforesopleasedon'tbeweirded-outbyme!"
After his extremely rushed statement, Thunderlane took a deep breath and tried to get air back in his lungs.
Surprised to see the stallion act like this, Rarity only blinked a few times, wide-eyed as she tried to comprehend his words. Even though it was hard to hear much through his stammered words, Rarity was still able to catch parts of what he said, including the fact that he never really went on a date before.
Realizing why he was acting so unusually worrisome, the unicorn's own nervousness started to go away as she looked at him. Only meeting him one other time back at the Wonderbolt Academy, Rarity was nothing short of stunned at how different he acted now, which helped her to see him in a new light. Hoping to calm him down, Rarity lifted a hoof and rested it on his shoulder.
Before Thunderlane could jolt in surprise at being touched by a girl, Rarity held a reassuring smile as she spoke to him. "It… it's alright, Thunderlane. Just breathe, okay?"
Nodding quickly to the mare, Thunderlane closed his eyes and tried to breathe heavily through his nostrils. Seeing him in this manner, Rarity tried not to snicker, suddenly realizing that a stallion like him might actually be good company tonight. After a moment to collect himself, Thunderlane reopened his eyes as he stared at Rarity, still blushing heavily as he mustered out a shaky smile.
"Uhhh…" Hoping to say something to prove he didn’t bump his head before coming here, the Pegasus paused for a second before he spoke in a less flustered tone. "Goo-good evening, Rarity. I… I-I wanted to… ummm…"
Now feeling a lot calmer about the nervous stallion in front of her, Rarity just gave a warm smile as she waited patiently. Seeing that she wasn't going to leave or ridicule him, Thunderlane's smile slowly became more natural as he continued.
"I… I got us a reservation at… at that new restaurant downtown."
Rarity smiled at hearing that, already knowing what place he was talking about. Hearing good reviews from the place already, the unicorn was happy to hear that Thunderlane got them a table there. "Well, that sounds quite nice, Thunderlane."
"Oh!" Remembering what else he had planned, the Pegasus bent his head back as he peered his muzzle inside his jacket. As Rarity stood confused for a moment, Thunderlane's face came back out as he held a small bouquet in his mouth. Still looking nervous, the stallion bent his head in as he presented the slightly smashed arrangement of lilies to Rarity.
"Umph… Eeth…eeth fleurs ur fur oo."
"Oh, that's so sweet!" Despite the less-than-stellar presentation, Rarity really appreciated the Pegasus's kind gesture and picked up the bouquet with her aura. Marveling at the lilies for a moment, Rarity smiled before placing them in a nearby vase.
"Well, Thunderlane," began the unicorn as she turned back to her date with a pleased smile, "I think we should get going if we want to make our table, don't you think?"
“Oh, oh yeah!" Looking a lot happier at seeing Rarity like this, Thunderlane held out a hoof and let Rarity lead the way. After closing the door behind her, Rarity started feeling a lot better about taking her friend's advice and doing this. Despite how uncomfortable she previously felt about dating somepony like Thunderlane, Rarity was pleased with how much of a gentlecolt the stallion was being already.
As the two began to walk side-by-side along the streets of Ponyville, Thunderlane's nervous behavior slowly began to dissipate as he chatted with the mare beside him.
"I… I'm really glad I got to do this," said the stallion as he looked over at Rarity, "I never really did anything like this before."
"Neither have I," replied the unicorn in a warm tone. "I've usually been too busy with my business to even think about dating. Plus, it's hard to focus on a lot of things because of my younger sister."
"Oh yeah. Sweetie Belle, right?" Feeling more comfortable with talking to Rarity, Thunderlane continued the discussion as he slowly stopped becoming so jittery. "I can understand that kind of thing. You wouldn’t believe some of the crazy stuff my brother Rumble tried doing!"
"Oh yeah?" Looking over at Thunderlane, Rarity kept a skewed eyebrow as her tone became more carefree. "Has your brother ever glued a pet of yours to the ceiling?"
Thunderlane tried to muffle a snicker as he looked away. "Oh, man! Rainbow told me about that during work, but I honestly didn’t believe her!"
Rarity sighed as she tried not to giggle as well. "Yes, that actually did happen. Opal's alright, but I think it's going to be a while before she can trust anypony besides me."
Thunderlane turned back to Rarity as they walked, keeping a smile on his face as he replied, "Well, that's one of the dangers of being an older sibling, I guess."
“Yes, that is indeed true. Although…" Looking at the smiling stallion, Rarity no longer felt any discomfort as she talked with him. Feeling a lot better about their date, the unicorn decided to keep going on their topic regarding their siblings. As they walked toward the restaurant along the growing evening night, Rarity cleared her throat before she continued.
"If you want to hear a really outrageous story, I have quite a few involving Sweetie Belle! I remember one time, I was foalsitting her while my parents were gone, so I decided to make some spaghetti…"
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As the last of the cupcakes finished baking, the powder-blue mare was quick to hold the oven-mitts in her mouth as she took them out of the oven. Looking out to the front of her bakery, Misses Cake was secretly happy to see that Sugar Cube Corner wasn't nearly as busy as usual; after cleaning up the large mess Pinkie Pie caused from her prototype "Frosting Squirt Guns,” the baker didn’t want to deal with a huge dinner rush alone.
By the time she finished frosting the cupcakes and placed them in the display tray out front, the sound of hoofsteps from behind made her smile as she saw her husband come down the stairs.
"Well," began the thin, yellow stallion as he trotted back into the kitchen slowly, "I finally got the twins down for a nap, so hopefully Pinkie won't wake them up again."
"Don't worry about that," said Misses Cake as she checked on the pastries on display. "I had Pinkie go out for an errand, so she probably won’t be back unti—"
"I'M BACK!"
Startling both of the ponies, Mister and Misses Cake looked legitimately surprised when they saw Pinkie Pie in front of them. Holding the five bags of flour on her back, Pinkie didn't look held-down at all as she hopped into the kitchen with the supplies. "I know it usually takes me an hour or two to get all of these back here, but I almost forgot I bought some extra bags I was storing nearby in case there was ever a flour emergency, so I picked them up so I can be back faster!"
Despite not wanting their employee/tenant to be back so soon and risk waking up their kids, neither of the Cakes said anything in protest to Pinkie's early arrival. Even though Sugar Cube Corner was almost empty right now, they still appreciated having a mare like Pinkie to help out whenever she could. Bouncing back out from the kitchen with a chipper smile on her face, Pinkie's eyes noted one of the only customers in the shop at the moment, leaving her to look over to the Cakes as she spoke.
"Hey guys," said Pinkie with a quizzical look, "why does Zecora look so gloomy right now?"
Noting Pinkie's observation, neither Mister or Misses Cake could argue with what she said. Sitting at a table in the far corner, the zebra carried a half-focused daze as she sat in front of her half-eaten plate of cobbler.
"She's actually been here for a couple of hours now," said Misses Cake, pointing out the small pile of empty plates next to Zecora to prove her statement. "She hasn’t really said much, but she insisted she was fine."
Seeing how Pinkie was looking over at the zebra with a crooked eyebrow, Mister Cake spoke up in an attempt to keep the mare from messing with her. "Maybe she's just tired or something. I don’t think it's any reason to bother her right now."
Crooking her head to the side, Pinkie kept her stare on Zecora as she saw how defeated she looked. Not noticing anything or anypony around her, the zebra just sighed as her head rested on the table in front of her plate. Pausing for a moment, Pinkie's focus on Zecora became more intense as she scanned her from the counter. Knowing how Pinkie can get when she sees a pony look upset, the Cakes hoped that she wouldn't do anything stupid to one of the only customers in right now.
Seeing how the zebra was acting, Pinkie Pie's eyes widened as she was able to catch what was making her look so down. Before either of the Cakes could try to say or do anything to hold Pinkie back, the mare hopped up on the counter before she yelled across Sugar Cube Corner to the zebra.
"HEY ZECORA, DO YOU HAVE A CRUSH ON SOMEPONY?!"
Zecora's eyes widened in surprise as she looked and backed away from the source of the sudden outburst. Mister and Misses Cake immediately pulled Pinkie away from the counter and pushed her into the kitchen. Despite the couple struggling to hold Pinkie back, her voice still called out to the stunned zebra from the kitchen.
"BECAUSE IF SO, I'LL MAKE YOU A 'DON'T FEEL SO HEARTBROKEN' CUPCAKE IF YOU WANT!"
After a couple more seconds of things thrashing around, Pinkie's voice was muffled by something while she was out of sight in the kitchen. Still sitting in a perplexed state, Zecora almost didn’t notice Misses Cake as she trotted up to her table with an embarrassed look on her face.
"I'm so sorry about that, Miss Zecora!" Hoping to alleviate the situation, she handed a red velvet cupcake to the zebra before speaking again. "Here you go. On the house."
"Oh, that's quite alright. No apology needed." Even though she wasn't that hungry, the enticing smell of cream-cheese frosting caught her senses enough to reluctantly accept Misses Cake's offering. "Pinkie Pie's antics are what I should've heeded."
"But still," began the embarrassed mare as she looked back to the kitchen, where Pinkie Pie was being held back by Mister Cake, "I've never seen her act like that before! The only time I saw her act that off was when she got drunk off rum cake!"
While she could understand Misses Cake's confusion, Zecora knew Pinkie Pie long enough to know that her insistent behavior was nothing new. However, the zebra's focus on Pinkie's question faltered when she looked back to the mare with a confused look.
"Wait, Pinkie actually got drunk from rum cake? Doesn't the alcohol burn out when you bake?"
"That was what I thought," said Misses Cake in an equally surprised tone, "but she apparently had enough to get her tipsy. She almost destroyed a statue because she was getting upset at it not smiling for her."
Zecora snickered a little and looked away, making the baker look a little happier at seeing the zebra smile again. After making sure she was alright, Misses Cake went back to the kitchen in time for Pinkie Pie to be calmed down.
As she sat alone at her table again, all Zecora could think about was what Pinkie assumed was her problem. Thinking it over, Zecora tried chuckling to herself in an attempt to nullify the party pony's claim.
"She thinks I have a crush? Oh, yeah right." Muttering to herself, Zecora took a bite out of her new cupcake before she kept going. "That's not why I feel so down toni—"
Realizing what she said, Zecora's head perked up in surprise. Despite not wanting to let Pinkie Pie's words sink in, the zebra took a moment as she realized what she uttered under her breath. Thinking it over, Zecora sighed and looked back down to her cupcake, realizing that she was feeling rather depressed right now. Not wanting to think as to the reason why she was feeling that way, the zebra shook her head clear before she turned her attention to the window.
Looking out to the streets of Ponyville, Zecora's eyes widened as she realized it was almost getting dark. Knowing that she couldn't get back to her place if it got too dim to enter the Everfree Forest, Zecora quickly finished her cupcake before starting to get off her seat.
However, before she could leave the bakery and make her way back home, the zebra's eyes caught two figures as they walked past the window of the shop. Walking side-by-side with smiles on their faces, Rarity and Thunderlane were laughing happily as they continued to chat.
Noticing their smiling faces, Zecora immediately felt her heart sink as she noticed Rarity's carefree grin. Seeing how Rarity looked with the stallion next to her, the zebra's face immediately became more morose as they walked past the window.
Standing in stunned silence, all Zecora could do was stay still for a moment, worrying Misses Cake as she stood by the counter. However, before the baker could check to see if Zecora was alright, the zebra shook herself clear again before she walked over to her and paid her bill in silence.
Walking out into the near-twilight of Ponyville's streets, Zecora sighed as she stood alone in front of Sugar Cube Corner. Despite feeling something close to a bowling ball in her chest, Zecora didn’t let that stop her as she quickly began to head back home before dark.
With each passing step she made, the zebra's stance became more and more slumped over as she tried to overcome her sadness. Thinking about Pinkie Pie's outburst back at the bakery, Zecora gritted her teeth and tried to avoid letting it get to her.
By the time she arrived at the treeline of the Everfree Forest, the zebra couldn't hold back her frustration and stopped walking.
"Urgh!" Zecora grunted as she yelled at herself, "Zecora! You're starting to turn into mush!"
Despite usually not letting anger get the best of her, Zecora quickly threw up her hoof and punched a dead tree. After a loud "whump" and the sound of dead bark cracking under her hoof, Zecora stood silent as she leaned against the tree.
Clenching her eyes shut, the zebra couldn't think about anything but that blasted unicorn, invading her thoughts like some hungry parasprite. After a few more seconds of silence, Zecora sighed and slowly reopened her eyes. Looking down to her hooves, the zebra groaned before she muttered to herself.
"Oh no… I think Pinkie's right…
"I do have a crush."
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"Rarity and Zecora really need to get into gear an bang already."-Cloud Kicker
Thunderlane shouting at Rarity out of nervousness was absolutely hilarious.
And Zecora finally realizes it!
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He was following the Shining Armor guide to flirting.
i.imgur.com/j9Vzm61.jpg
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Zecora needs to go to an expert of love: Princess Cadence.
i.imgur.com/efAM9MF.gif
This looks awesome and coming from someone who doesn't usually go for Rarity Stories, that's saying something.
I will have to wait till it is complete though
I hope to eventually work on reading Brushed Away. Gilda has spoiled the griffin race and I really want to read that and this one.
P.S. When I do get around to reading this and the other one, expect a more in-depth review
I have to say, I really enjoy the way you write Pinkie Pie. Capturing her essence is tricky, and throughout your stories you have balanced her cute yet creepy, and blunt but trying to help personality perfectly.
Why did I imagine Pinkie as an Inkling just now?