> Unfamiliar Patterns
>  by TheVClaw
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Prologue: Where Do I Start?
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Libraries are usually supposed to be quiet.

Heck, most ponies wouldn't go to one if it wasn't a quiet space. However, at this time of night, the Ponyville Library stood still within the town for an unexpected reason. Even though nothing seemed out of the ordinary outside the large hollowed-out tree, with no noises or odd occurrences to disturb anypony nearby, the inside of the library was far less than ordinary.

Within the large tree, five ponies sat in silence as they looked on at the sixth across from them, each one carrying a different look of surprise as they stared.

Twilight Sparkle, the lavender Alicorn and recent new Princess of Equestria, could barely keep her eyes open as she repeatedly blinked in confusion. Even though her mouth was slightly open, nothing was coming out of her muzzle.

Applejack, the orange Earth Pony next to Twilight, carried an almost opposite look than her friend. Her eyes were wide open and unable to blink at all. Along with the look of surprise on her face, Applejack's mouth was clenched shut, not wanting to say anything off the top of her head and offend the pony across from her.

Next to her sat Fluttershy, the buttercream-colored Pegasus with a flowing light-pink mane. She kept her head hung low in an attempt to look away. However, her blue eyes still looked ahead of her while she tried to cover her shock, blinking a couple times as she tried to comprehend the sight in front of her.

The other Pegasus, Rainbow Dash, who sported a cyan coat and technicolor mane, could barely keep herself from cracking up as she sat next to Fluttershy. Staring at the pony in front of her, Rainbow's magenta eyes were as wide-open as her muzzle, which was slightly smirking as she tried to keep her rapid breathing from becoming full-blown laughter.

And at the end of the line of ponies sat Pinkie Pie, whose look was probably the most predictable of the five. Keeping a huge grin on her bright pink muzzle, the poofy-maned mare was starting to look antsy as her body bobbed up and down in excitement. Hearing what her good friend just told them, Pinkie was just about to burst out from her pillow on the floor at any moment, wanting to immediately celebrate Rarity's big announcement.

Feeling the five pairs of eyes on her, Rarity felt less than stellar as she sat across from them on the couch. Even though she felt extremely glad to finally come clean about this, the white unicorn felt a new fear sweep through her as she realized nopony had said anything for about a minute now.

Before the unicorn could start hyperventilating in panic, Rarity felt a warm hoof gently rest on her shoulder, making her feel slightly better as she breathed out deeply. While her heart was still thundering in her chest, Rarity felt more than grateful that she wasn't alone for this moment, causing her to blush as she felt the warmth of the one next to her.

Looking at the two across from her, Applejack finally closed her eyes, keeping them clenched shut as she lifted a hoof up to rub her temple. Even though she had no idea what to say right now, Applejack knew she had to break the awkward silence if nopony else was going to.

Slowly opening her eyes, Applejack readjusted the worn-down Stetson resting on her head before breathing in, sighing slightly as she began to speak.

"Rare, wha—”

"WHOOOOPEEEEEE!!!!!!" shouted Pinkie Pie as she suddenly shot up from her pillow.

Surprised by the sudden instance of noise in the deathly silent space, the other four ponies flinched away from Pinkie as she started hopping around everypony like a freshly caffeinated bunny.

"Ohmigoshohmigoshohmigoshohmigoshohmigosh!!!"

Jumping around the library in glee, Pinkie didn’t seem to notice how embarrassed Rarity was while she kept leaping around the hardwood floors, making an audible (and, somehow physically possible) “boing” noise with each hop as she kept speaking in an overjoyed tone.

"I can’t believe it! I mean, I should've known something was up with how weird you were acting but I just thought you were busy with a new dress design or something but I never thought it would be something like this, oh my gosh!!! I can't believe it finally happened!! After all this time trying to find somepony you finally did it, you finally found your special somepony!!!"

Hearing that word, Rarity couldn't hold back her embarrassment anymore as her head slumped down, making the unicorn rest her face in her well-manicured hooves before she heard the distinctive voice of Rainbow Dash starting to crack up.

Even though she didn’t want to offend Rarity and her new… partner, Rainbow Dash wasn't able to keep herself from cracking up any longer. She bent over, almost falling on the floor as she started laughing loudly.

"Oh, man!" Dash shouted as she tried to keep herself sitting upright on her pillow. "Wow, I mean, just… WOW!!! I knew you were having trouble finding a stallion, but I didn’t expect you to do this!"

Rarity's head shot back up as she heard that last statement, outraged as she glared at the Pegasus. Despite knowing how unusual this may have looked to her friends, Rarity certainly didn’t want any of them to think she did this out of anything like desperation or lack of options.

Before Rarity could open her muzzle and deliver a verbal onslaught to the laughing mare, Twilight was quick to start speaking first.

"Rainbow!" Twilight shouted as she looked at the Pegasus trying to keep herself off the floor. "You shouldn't make any rude assumptions like that! She's our friend, and doesn’t deserve to be laughed at!"

Feeling the alicorn's stare on her, Rainbow Dash tried to withdraw her laughter and started breathing heavily on her pillow. Grateful that her friend was able to stand up for her like this, Rarity felt a weak smile grow on her muzzle as the Princess continued to speak.

"Rarity was willing to inform us about something this important happening in her life, and the last thing that she needs is to hear any ridicule about it! I really think that, right now, we should show our support for Rarity and her…."

Looking back to the two on the couch across from her, Twilight's voice died out as she looked at them, thinking a little bit before she looked back to her friends with a skewed eyebrow.

"Wait," Twilight said in confusion, "what would the proper term for this be? I mean, is 'special somepony' really appropriate?"

Hearing how the Princess placed emphasis on the word 'pony' in her question, Pinkie Pie's hopping stopped in midair. Pinkie pondered the question for a few seconds before she dropped back down to the floor.

Realizing the point Twilight was trying to make, Pinkie looked back to the two on the couch with her head turned sideways, trying to figure the question out while Fluttershy began to fidget in her spot.

Almost unnoticed by everypony in the room, Fluttershy kept her feeble stance on her pillow as she opened her muzzle, luckily able to catch the attention of the other mares as her voice came out in a meager tone.

"I… I'm not really sure,” said Fluttershy as she looked over to Twilight. "I… I mean, technically, they are both equines, but..."

Even though she figured she brought up a valid point, Fluttershy's voice died back down as her head sunk back downwards in a feeble position, staring back at Rarity as she sat nervously on the couch.

Hoping to actually get her question out this time, Applejack raised a hoof in an attempt to silence her friends. As the others turned their attention back to her, Applejack breathed in again and looked at Rarity, keeping her eyes on her as she spoke in a tone of slight disbelief.

"So, let me get this straight, Rare. Are you seriously tellin’ us that you..."

Applejack pointed a hoof at the unicorn, making Rarity fidget a little on the couch as she noticed how surprised Applejack still looked.

“... You...” continued Applejack in a staggered tone of voice, "are really in a relationship with...

“ … Her?!"

Applejack then directed her hoof towards the one sitting next to Rarity on the couch, making the unicorn wince a bit as she looked over to her side.

While it was obvious Rarity still felt a tad disheveled about all of this, none of this seemed to bother Zecora one bit as she sat beside her. Even with the eyes of everypony else now upon her, the zebra kept her cool as she looked back at them, keeping a collected smile on her face as she lifted one of her forelegs and held Rarity closer.

Knowing that she'd kept herself silent up to this point, Zecora cleared her throat while keeping a hoof on Rarity's shoulder, hoping to answer for the unicorn as she addressed Applejack.

"Applejack… while this news might seem odd, and out of the blue…
I should assure all of you, that her words are indeed true."

Despite being glad that the zebra was standing up for her, Rarity still blushed deeply as her head hung slightly lower, not wanting to see the looks of surprise and confusion from her friends sitting across from her and Zecora. While she couldn't blame her friends one bit for acting this way, knowing how surprising it had to be to find out something like this, Rarity was still afraid of what her new relationship would mean to her friends.

Before either of them could speak up regarding this news, the sound of Rainbow Dash's muffled snickering made everypony else turn their attention to her. Before any of the mares could say anything to make her stop, Rainbow kept her head hung low as she shook her hoof, trying to breathe normally before speaking in a tone of disbelief.

"I'm seriously trying not to laugh right now… I mean, good for you, I guess, but… this is probably the weirdest thing I've ever seen!"

Rarity huffed a little and turned away from Rainbow Dash, keeping an obvious pout on her muzzle as she avoided looking at Pegasus's poor attempts to stifle her laughter.

Even though she wanted to lecture Rainbow at that instant for acting so insensitive about this, Twilight Sparkle knew that the mare's actions weren't exactly without reason. After hearing what Rarity said, the Princess had to slightly agree with Rainbow Dash; even with everything they've all been through, seeing one of their friends in a relationship like this really was weird.

Before the discussion could get any more awkward—as if it couldn't be any worse—Twilight cleared her throat and turned her attention back to Rarity and Zecora. Noticing how the two were sitting closely to each other, Twilight bit her lip for a second as she tried to think of the right words, taking a breath before she started her question.

"So… Rarity… you're with… a zebra..."

Despite her mental restraints wanting to keep her from continuing like this, Rarity slowly turned back toward her friends as she looked at Twilight, breathing in deeply before she answered in a meek tone.

"Well… yes… I… I am."

Rarity sighed in relief as she finally said that, glad that she was able to finally be open about this. Zecora moved her foreleg further out and rested it around Rarity, a smile growing on her muzzle as she held the unicorn in warm pride. Before the zebra could say or do anything to show how happy she was for Rarity, Pinkie Pie's head popped out from between then, startling them both as she peered from behind the couch and started chattering again while looking at the two.

"Oh my gosh, tell us everything!! I want to know every little, bitty witty, cutesy-wootsie little detail about you two!! How did you meet, when did you get together, have you kissed, when did you kiss, how many times did you kiss, how much was with tongue, did it taste really weird, I mean ohmigosh!!!! I'm soooooooo excited!!! You found a special some… whatever, and we're the very first ones to find out about it!!!"

Despite how overjoyed Pinkie looked as she stared between them, Rarity suddenly looked more guilty as she struggled to keep a smile on her muzzle. Hearing Pinkie's last statement, the unicorn now looked even worse as she felt everypony's eyes on her. She started to sweat as she realized what she had to admit.

"Umm..." Rarity scooted a few inches from Pinkie Pie's gleeful face and tried to get some space, feeling herself start to blush as she looked over at her friends and began to speak in slight shame.

"Actually, I…”

Quickly realizing what Rarity was trying to muster out, the other mares' eyes widened in shock as they looked at the embarrassed unicorn.

"Wait a gosh-darn minute,” said Applejack in a slightly aggravated tone as she eyed down Rarity from her pillow. "Are ya sayin' that we ain't the first ones ya told about this?!"

Biting her lip, Rarity turned away from her friends and avoided their gazes, waiting a moment before she slowly nodded. As she heard the mares gasp, Rarity cringed a little before Rainbow Dash spoke up.

"No way!" Dash said in a more upbeat tone than Applejack's as she stared at Rarity, wide-eyed. "Who else knows about this? Sweetie Belle? Lyra? Those spa ladies you're always hanging out with?"

Even with her blush growing deeper against her white coat, Rarity was still able to shake her head at her friend's guesses before trying to speak sheepishly.

"N.. n-no…”

Before any more words could come from the unicorn's muzzle, Zecora's foreleg held onto the mare's shoulders slightly tighter, making Rarity stop speaking as the zebra spoke for her.

"Although I do feel it is right to say who…"

Zecora's gaze then slowly went past the mares in front of her and looked over to the stairway behind them, making her grow a slight grin as she finished her rhyme.

"It might be better if he said it to you…"

The other five ponies suddenly turned their heads to the stairway with wide-open eyes and stared at the purple dragon, who had been standing away from them the whole time. Seeing the five pairs of shocked eyes on him, the baby dragon's body shook a little as he tried to say anything, even though no words were coming out of his open mouth.

Realizing why Spike wasn't acting as shocked about Rarity's announcement as the rest of them, Twilight Sparkle's eyes narrowed on her assistant as her gaze turned from surprise to slight anger.

"Spike…” Twilight asked in a deep, brooding tone, "Did you know about this?"

Spike gulped as he saw how upset Twilight was getting, making him even more worried as he tried to back away a couple steps. Seeing how the other four mares were now looking at him with a mix of surprise and disbelief from this revelation, Spike bit his lip and stood in silence for a few seconds.

Realizing what he had to say, Spike took a deep breath as he looked at the ponies staring at him. Hoping he could deal with this safely, Spike looked around the library for a moment before he suddenly looked up to the roof and pointed in shock.

"Look,” shouted the dragon, "a robot!"

Unfortunately, only Pinkie Pie looked up to the roof, while the others kept their eyes on Spike as he tried to quickly run away.

Despite what he thought would be a good plan, Spike was only able to run away two steps before he became enveloped in Twilight's aura. Keeping a tight magical grip on her assistant, Twilight dragged the dragon back to the middle of the room between everypony, making Spike start shaking even more as the other mares kept their annoyed glares on him.

The only pony who wasn't staring at the terrified dragon was Applejack, who had her attention on Pinkie Pie with a look of bemused astonishment.

"Pinkie,” said Applejack in a deadpan tone, "did ya seriously fall for that?"

Pinkie only blinked a couple times as she looked back at Applejack with a confused look on her face. “What?" she asked in a more oblivious tone of voice. "What if there was a robot?"

Shaking her head as she just groaned in response, Applejack turned her attention back to Spike, who was standing frozen in his spot as he tried to speak.

"I… I…"

Despite not wanting to get in any more trouble than he was probably already in, Spike shook with fear as he tried to muster out any legitimate response. While he really didn't want to be here right now, the dragon knew what he was getting into the moment he found about all this a long time ago. Taking a deep breath, Spike clenched his eyes shut, gripping his claws into fists before he blurted out his admission.

"Alright, alright! I knew about it, okay?! I knew about Rarity and Zecora! I knew about it the whole time! When I walked in on them, Rarity made me Pinkie Promise not to say anything, so I've been covering for them! Okay?!"

Opening his eyes after his confession, Spike started breathing loudly as he looked around, seeing Twilight and the others staring at him in wide-eyed shock. Noticing how flustered Spike looked at saying that, Rarity looked away from everypony in guilt, feeling horrible about making him keep this a secret.

Before Twilight could say anything or overcome her stunned silence, Spike looked up to her with guilty eyes. He stood in front of everypony, breathing in one more time before he spoke faintly.

"I'm… I'm sorry, Twilight. I'm really sorry about keeping this from you."

Realizing how ashamed the baby dragon looked about this, Twilight quickly lunged forward toward Spike, hugging him tightly before he could start tearing up.

"It's alright, Spike,” said Twilight as she closed her eyes, keeping her hooves around him as she spoke in a warm tone of voice. "I'm not mad at you, I swear."

Still leaning on the back of the couch during all this, Pinkie Pie quickly spoke up towards Spike as she added her input.

"I'm not mad either!” said Pinkie in a happy tone. "You were just keeping a Pinkie Promise, so I understand completely!"

As Spike pulled back from Twilight's caring hug, he saw that the other three weren't upset about it either.

"Yeah, don't cha worry none, Spike,” said Applejack with a smile on her freckled face. "You were just helpin' out a friend."

While Fluttershy just nodded in agreement, Rainbow Dash spoke up as she gave a slight smirk to the dragon.

"Yeah, it's fine, dude,” Dash said in a carefree tone. "I mean, I wish I knew about this sooner, but I can respect you for helping out Rarity like that."

Hearing their praises, Spike grew a smile on his blushing face and tried not to cry in front of them. With Rarity sitting behind him with a warm smile of gratitude of her own, Spike quickly wiped his eyes dry with a forearm as he spoke graciously.

"Th-thanks, guys. I… I was really worried about how you would all act about this." Looking back up to see how alright the mares looked, Spike kept his smile as he blushed a little more. "Seriously, you have no idea how freaked out I was getting the past couple of months because of thi—”

"WHAT?!?!” all five shouted in unison.

Realizing what he’d accidentally blurted, Spike ran away to the side of the sofa. Fortunately, Twilight didn't try to pull him back in this time, as her attention focused on Rarity with the rest of the mares.

"MONTHS?!” shouted Twilight with a mix of anger and shock. "You had Spike keep this a secret for months?!"

"Well,” said Rarity as she tried not to wince at her friends' looks of shock, "technically, it was more like a month and a half, but—"

"How long were you going to keep this up?!" Twilight said in a more distressed tone of voice. "How long has this been going on? Why did you keep this a secret for so long?"

While Twilight kept her confused glare on Rarity, Rainbow Dash's stare amounted to just a skewed eyebrow as she intervened.

"Wait a minute,” Dash said curiously, "is that why Spike was hanging out at the Boutique so much?"

Applejack's ears perked up as she realized how much was going on, making her include her own question before Rarity could answer Rainbow's.

"Was that why you were always walkin' past my farm to the Everfree Forest?"

Pinkie quickly added a question of her own as she looked down at Rarity from the top of the sofa.

"Or why you were walking really funny that one day?"

"Of course not!" Rarity blurted as she looked up at Pinkie, wanting to clear up that answer first before anypony got any ideas. "I told you, I sprained my hindlegs after slipping on the bathroom floor!"

Rarity then turned back to the others, who were now staring at her with blushes on their faces, before she tried to confirm her statement. "I really wasn't lying about that, I swear! That had nothing to do with Zecora!"

"Oh Rarity, oh my…” Zecora said as a surly grin came up on her muzzle, "You really shouldn't lie—"

"Don't you dare say that!" snapped Rarity as she pointed a hoof to the grinning zebra in frustrated annoyance. "I don't want my friends to think anything like that is going on!"

Hearing that, Rainbow Dash tried not to giggle as she spoke up. "Yeah, that ship already sailed a while ago, Rare."

As Rarity turned back to the Pegasus to give her a particularly nasty glare, none of the ponies noticed Fluttershy try to reposition herself on the pillow, trembling a little as she opened her muzzle and attempted to speak.

"Umm… Rarity?"

Despite still wanting to give a stern stare-down to Rainbow Dash, Rarity breathed in to calm herself down before looking over to Fluttershy and asking in a more collected tone, "Yes?"

"Was… was that…" Fluttershy began blushing as she tried to muster out her question, shaking a little before she finally completed it in a sheepish tone.

"Was that why… why you had that hickie on your neck the other day?"

Rarity's hooves shot up to cover her face, which was quickly blushing to a deep red as she felt the stares of everypony now on her in shock and curiosity.

"I KNEW IT!!” shouted Rainbow Dash as she bolted up from her pillow and pointed straight at Rarity with a smug grin on her face. "I knew you were lying about that! There was no way that Swee—”

"Alright, alright already!" Rarity yelled, trying to interrupt Dash’s bragging.

Looking to her friends, Rarity started breathing hard as she realized what had to be done. After looking back to Spike, who was standing next to her beside the sofa, Rarity closed her eyes and turned back to the others, taking a breath before she spoke in a calm tone of voice.

"Okay, I understand that there are a lot of things that need to be cleared up about this."

Opening her eyes, Rarity looked around to everypony before she repositioned herself on the couch, making herself more comfortable with Zecora by her side before she continued, "I'll tell you girls as much as I can. I'll tell you about how this all started, but I greatly wish that you keep all your questions to yourselves until after I'm done."

Looking around, Rarity was pleased to see all her friends nod in agreement, making the unicorn smile a little before she rested her back against the couch. She took another calming breath before she continued to speak.

"Now… I'm not sure where the best place to start would be, but I think I have a good idea of when it all began…”

> Three Months Prior
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Three Months Prior…

Rarity sighed in bliss as she sat alone in front of her sewing machine. While most days in the spring season were fairly gratifying to the mare, mostly since it was the perfect time to premiere her favorite sundresses and shades for ponies all around to see, this particular day was especially nice. Since a storm was scheduled by Rainbow Dash and her Weather Crew for the next day, Rarity was able to appreciate a cool spring's day during her morning errands, not feeling the slightest burn of Celestia's sun as it became covered by the first layer of stratus clouds that were laid out across the skies.

And since the spring months usually brought forth the excitement of every young filly and colt who wanted to enjoy the new season without wearing multiple layers of clothing, most of her younger sister's time was spent outside with her friends, leaving Rarity to appreciate the rare feeling of serenity within her own home.

As the unicorn lit up her horn, Rarity beamed with delight as she levitated the newest roll of dark-blue velvet her direction, her eyes fixated on how smooth and flawless the material looked under the cool morning light. Even with the massive amount of work she managed to accomplish over the years, Rarity was usually a bit disgruntled that her number of clients wasn't as high as she expected it to be. However, as she admired the texture of the floating velvet in front of her with a hoof, Rarity sighed in relief, grateful that her slow work day would grant her the ability to actually appreciate a peaceful moment like this.

Just as Rarity lowered the roll onto her table to make the appropriate cuts and measures, a knock at the door caught her attention, making her beam as she remembered what today was supposed to be.

As the knocking continued a few more times, Rarity happily trotted through her Boutique and reached the door. Lighting up her horn, Rarity kept a smile on her face as she used her magic to wrap a blue aura around the door handle and open the door. As the door opened to reveal her expected guest, Rarity carried a warm smile on her muzzle as she gave her usual greeting.

"Well, good morning, Zecora!"

Smiling back at the unicorn, Zecora happily nodded as Rarity stepped back and extended her hoof to allow her inside.

"Such a pleasure to see you,” said the zebra as the walked inside the Carousel Boutique. "And good morning to you, too."

After her aura of magic closed the door behind them, Rarity happily trotted back through her home towards her kitchen, smiling as she heard the kitchen timer go off just as she predicted.

"Ah, perfect timing!" said Rarity as she looked back to Zecora, who was placing her large cloak on the coat rack near the door. While the zebra began to readjust the saddlebags resting on her striped back, Rarity went into the kitchen to collect what was in the oven.

As her magic turned off the oven and opened the door of the stove, Rarity smiled in satisfaction as she saw the perfectly golden pieces of pastry resting on the baking sheet. While she may have not been as good of a baker as Pinkie Pie or Applejack—or even Fluttershy, surprisingly enough—Rarity still took pride in what cooking skills she did possess, including making absolutely divine cinnamon rolls for this fabulous morning.

While her aura picked up the baking sheet and carefully placed it on top of the stove, Rarity's gaze went towards her fridge as a separate aura opened the door, before it gripped a large plastic bowl that was cooling inside. By the time she got out a mixing spoon for the frosting inside, Zecora smiled and walked into the kitchen with her supplies.

"Even from the front door, I could tell…" began the zebra as her hooves stood on the tiled floors, "what you've made, from that familiar smell."

"Well, the smell of baked goods always makes a home more inviting, don't you think?" As Rarity spoke cheerfully, she used her magic to carefully apply a spoonful of creamy icing to each roll, giving the kitchen an even stronger aroma as the sugary mixture began to melt on the still-hot pastries.

"Besides,” Rarity continued, "this morning felt just absolutely perfect for making cinnamon rolls."

As Rarity turned back to the zebra with a grin, Zecora returned a smile before she turned to her saddlebags. While the cinnamon rolls cooled, Zecora opened a flap on her saddlebag. Her muzzle went inside one of the pockets, fidgeting a little as she grasped what she was looking for with her mouth. After getting what she wanted, the zebra walked over to the kitchen counter before she placed a large glass bottle on top.

"Here's your order, just like I said,” said Zecora as Rarity walked over, beaming in delight. "Conditioner, for tail and head."

"Oh, thank you so much, Zecora!" praised the unicorn as her horn lit up. "I really do appreciate you delivering it over here like this."

Before Zecora could say anything to indicate there was no problem with coming to Ponyville for a delivery, she watched as Rarity's magic quickly levitated over a small bag of bits.

"Here's your payment,” Rarity said cheerfully as she floated the brown bag inside one of the pockets of Zecora's saddlebag. "And I included a little extra to show my appreciation."

Despite the mare's generosity, Zecora sighed as she looked back at the open pocket, already seeing just from the size of the change bag inside that Rarity's idea of “a little extra” was at least a 50-percent tip.

"Now Rarity, I told you before,” stated Zecora as she turned back to the mare with an insistent look on her face, "there is no reason to pay me more."

"But I insist,” Rarity said. "I know it's a rather long walk to get here from the Everfree Forest, so to add a tip for your troubles is the least I can do."

Before Zecora protest further, Rarity brought her hoof up and pressed it against the zebra's muzzle.

"And I am not going to be flexible about this,” Rarity said sternly, keeping a smile on her muzzle before she dropped her foreleg back down. Even though she wanted to say something about Rarity's insistence, Zecora only stood silent for another moment before her shoulders slumped down and she sighed in defeat.

"Now,” continued the mare as she turned back to the cinnamon rolls, "I do believe these have cooled down enough by now. And I know that Twilight is planning on coming over for a small brunch shortly."

Rarity then turned back to the zebra, keeping a warm smile as she asked, "Zecora, would you like to join us for brunch?"

Despite appreciating her offer, Zecora only sighed once more before she replied, "While a brunch with the Princess does sound rather nice, I've been asked by the spa mares for herbal advice."

Rarity only nodded in understanding before turning back to the cooling cinnamon rolls. Ever since Zecora stopped being seen as a threat in Ponyville, Aloe and Lotus at the Ponyville Spa had been especially insistent on learning the zebra's herbal remedies. Knowing how important Zecora's knowledge was for the mares over there, Rarity knew that there was no use trying to keep her at the Boutique any longer than necessary.

Lighting up her horn once more, Rarity pulled out a white paper bag from one of the drawers before carefully placing several of the rolls inside. "Well,” she began, trying not to sound disappointed, "I guess I can't argue with that, then. I know how much Aloe and Lotus appreciate your help, so I won't hold you back from that if you're needed."

Before Zecora could say anything regarding Rarity's tone of voice, the unicorn turned back to her with a more carefree grin on her face, smiling as she levitated the small bag in front of the zebra.

"But before you go,” Rarity said cheerfully, "here's a few cinnamon rolls to show my appreciation."

A new smile came up on Zecora's muzzle at seeing the bag, grateful that Rarity was gracious enough to make some for her. While she wasn't necessarily a large fan of getting extra tips since she was well-off enough, Zecora still appreciated Rarity's cinnamon rolls—something she'd come to enjoy whenever she came by to drop off an order.

Nodding happily to the unicorn, Zecora picked up the bag from Rarity's aura with her mouth before carefully placing it in her saddlebag. As she looked back up, Zecora kept a warm smile of her own as she addressed the unicorn.

"Thank you for the treats. They are quite a delight."

Before she could finish her statement, Zecora noticed the pony behind her. She then turned back to Rarity and completed her rhyme.

"And now, I'll leave you to your brunch with Twilight."

As Zecora turned to leave the kitchen, she gave a kind nod to the lavender alicorn as she walked past her. Keeping a smile on her muzzle, the Princess gave a nod back before speaking to her.

"Always a pleasure to see you again, Zecora."

"And it's great to see you,” said Zecora as she spoke to Twilight Sparkle, smiling before turning back to Rarity one last time.

"And Miss Rarity, too."

With that, Zecora gave her final nods before heading back to the front door, taking her cloak as she left Rarity to have her brunch with Twilight. While the zebra made her way out the front door to head towards the spa, Twilight Sparkle kept her attention on Rarity in the kitchen, grinning as she smelled the baked goods lingering in the air.

"Well,” Twilight began, "I don't think I need to ask what you made for brunch today."

Hearing pleased tone in her voice, Rarity kept a light smirk on her muzzle before picking up two plates from the cabinet with her magic.

"Well, cinnamon rolls sounded like an excellent treat to make this morning.” Rarity placed two rolls on both plates, being careful not to drip any excess icing on the cleaned countertops. "Besides, it makes a divine fragrance for the Boutique when I make them. I might have to see if anypony makes a scented candle of that variety."

Twilight nodded in agreement at Rarity's idea, noting how amazing the fragrance of cinnamon and icing made the entire home smell right now. Carrying the two plates in her aura, Rarity headed towards the kitchen table with the Princess in tow, placing the cinnamon rolls on the table before she went back to get two glasses.

While Rarity got the refreshments ready, Twilight sat down at the table before she spoke to the unicorn.

"Rarity,” Twilight said as Rarity levitated a pitcher of milk out of the fridge, "can I ask you something?"

"Well, of course, dear,” Rarity replied as she looked back to Twilight with a smile. "What is it?"

"Well…” 

As Rarity began pouring milk into the two glasses through her magic, Twilight felt a slight hesitation regarding the question she was about to ask. Even though she didn't feel like it was her place to intrude on a pony's personal life (despite being a Princess now), Twilight still felt the question nagging at her as it stayed in her mind.

Putting caution to the wind, Twilight tried not to show any discomfort as she said carefully, "I was just curious as to why you made cinnamon rolls today. Because I noticed that whenever you make them, it's always at the same time Zecora comes over."

As she finished pouring the milk, Rarity turned back to Twilight with a confused look on her face, surprised that Twilight would make a connection like that.

"Well that's not necessarily true,” Rarity retorted as she brought the glasses to the table. "I make cinnamon rolls all the time. I find it to be a nice thing to make for special occasions."

"That might be true,” Twilight said as she watched Rarity sit across from her, waiting until she got comfortable before she lifted one of her cinnamon rolls and continued to speak. "But it seems that, whenever Zecora comes over, you always have cinnamon rolls made beforehoof."

Even though Rarity tried to appear skeptical regarding Twilight's claim, the Alicorn still noticed a very brief cringe on Rarity's face for less than a second, giving the Princess a better incentive to keep going as she spoke.

"Rarity, is there a specific reason for that? I mean, I know that making cinnamon rolls can be a tricky thing to do, so I know there has to be a reason for you to act like this."

As she waited for a reply, Twilight noticed how Rarity was looking away from her, biting her lip as she tried to avoid eye contact. Noticing how her face scrunched up at this confrontation, as well as the slight pink hue developing on her white cheeks, Twilight's eyes widened in surprise as she came to the revelation.

Looking back to the Princess with worry in her eyes, Rarity noticed how Twilight had a more intense look on her, narrowing her eyes before she spoke.

"Wait a minute…” Twilight put her cinnamon roll back on her plate. "I… I think I know what this is about…”

Rarity groaned a little and looked away from Twilight, not wanting to deal with whatever uncouth assumption her friend might be thinking right now. Rarity tried not to hear what her friend was going to say and avoided Twilight's stare as she kept speaking.

"I might not be a psychologist or therapist, but I've seen that face before, Rarity. I've seen you act like this for ponies before, and I know exactly what it is you're feeling."

Rarity pursed her lips shut at hearing that, not wanting to make any replies at the moment. She began to feel more uncomfortable in front of her friend. Before Rarity could calm down enough to say something in response, Twilight kept speaking as her tone became more confident.

"Rarity, you don't have to be ashamed for feeling like this. However, I think you should know what it is you're feeling, since I don't think you realize it yourself."

Rarity's eyes widened as she looked back at her, shocked that Twilight would actually be acting like this right now. Not wanting Twilight to assume anything as crazy as what she thought she was saying, Rarity threw up her hooves in protest and tried to stop her from continuing.

"Wait just a minute, Twilight Sparkle! I haven't the slightest idea what it is you're assuming, but I can assure you that you're wrong!"

Twilight just kept a skewed eyebrow as she stared at her friend with a light smirk, giving an obvious look of skepticism at Rarity's reply. Displeased at seeing Twilight act so confident about something like this, Rarity huffed a little before the kept speaking, a more irritated tone in her voice as she tried to stop Twilight's guessing.

"I mean it! I don't know what you think is going on, but this isn't because of anything like… like, unresolved feelings! What exactly do you think I'm feeling for Zecora, anyway?"

Keeping her smirk, Twilight crossed her forelegs across her chest before giving her answer.

"Guilt."

Of all the answers she was expecting, Rarity wasn't predicting that one at all. Staring at her friend with wide eyes, Rarity blinked a few times and tried to comprehend what Twilight just said, leaving her speechless for a moment. Her cinnamon rolls began to get cold. Shaking her head clear, Rarity managed to muster up her ability to speak again as she kept her eyes on Twilight.

"Gu… guilt?! You… you think I'm doing this out of guilt? Twilight, why in Equestria would you think something like that?"

"Well, you tell me,” said Twilight as she uncrossed her hooves and lifted her cinnamon roll again with her magic. She kept staring at Rarity as she continued in a convinced tone of voice, "Whenever you feel guilty about something, you go out of your way for anypony you feel you wronged. You use your generous nature to help ponies in need, but you become especially generous to them when you feel guilty about something."

"Oh, come on, Twilight!" 

While Rarity could see from her smirk that Twilight was convinced of her theory—who still looked confident despite chewing a muzzle full of frosted pastry right now—she didn't want her to think she was right about this.

"Zecora is a good friend who happens to make absolutely divine hair products! What do I have to feel guilty about? In fact…"

Rarity propped her hooves on the table as she leaned in toward the Princess across from her, narrowing her eyes as she tried to falsify Twilight's claims.

"Tell me one time that I acted unnecessarily generous to somepony because of guilt."

Twilight shrugged at the unicorn's question, waiting until she swallowed her muzzle-full of cinnamon roll before she replied.

"Alright,” Twilight said in a more matter-of-fact tone of voice, "remember when you took a bite out of Mister and Misses Cake's Marzipan Mascarpone Meringue Madness, and then you volunteered to work at Sugar Cube Corner for two weeks straight afterward?"

Rarity tried not to wince at hearing that, looking away from Twilight before she replied, "Oh, come on, Twilight! That shouldn't count! Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy helped work that off as well."

“Yes,” Twilight said, "but you were the first one to offer your assistance to pay off the damages, AND you started before the two even knew what all happened!"

Sitting in silence, Rarity kept her gaze away from her friend as she realized her point. Remembering how disappointed the couple looked when they found out what happened to their cake, Rarity didn't even wait for Pinkie to tell them the full story before she grabbed an apron and began helping out at their shop. While the Cakes managed to forgive her and the other two ponies for almost ruining their chances of winning that contest, Rarity still felt bad about what happened, feeling rather stupid that she let her midnight cravings do something like that.

"Also,” Twilight said as she grabbed Rarity's attention again, "there was that time you felt so bad about that jealousy bit you had with Fluttershy that you got her that ridiculously expensive necklace for her birthday."

"Oh, please,” Rarity objected as she looked away from Twilight, "that wasn't that expensive."

"Or…" Twilight paused for a moment, breathing in deeply before she brought up her final point. "Remember after the Royal Wedding?"

Despite trying to keep her composure, Rarity openly cringed and turned away from Twilight, not needing to be told what she was referring to.

"Twilight, you really don't have to bring that up."

"I'm just trying to bring up a point,” Twilight said as she kept going. "You didn't sleep for six days straight the moment we got back to Ponyville, and you made me so many dresses that I had to build a separate closet to hold all of them!"

Seeing how distraught Rarity looked, Twilight sighed before she put out a hoof and rested it on the unicorn's shoulder. She took a breath before speaking sincerely.

"Rarity, you know I don't have any hard feelings about all that happened. I already forgave you and everypony else for what happened at the Wedding Rehearsal before the Royal Wedding even began."

"But..."

Despite knowing that Twilight was speaking truthfully, Rarity still sighed before she turned back to Twilight, looking saddened as she spoke in an ashamed tone.

"But you could've been killed, Twilight! We all left you alone with that… that thing, and we easily could've lost you right then!"

"Rarity, nopony knew it was Chrysalis. Heck, even I didn't know! I just thought Cadance turned evil or something, and I acted like a total foal when I barged in at the rehearsal like that. I should've had more evidence before I started acting like that, or at least talked to Celestia about my presumptions beforehoof. I don't blame you guys at all for not listening to me."

"But I should've said something!" Rarity protested in an insistent tone as she kept venting. "I mean, I watched your brother say all those things to you, and I… I didn’t even try to console you! You may have been acting crazy, but leaving you like that wasn't right."

"Rarity,” said Twilight in a warm tone as she kept her hoof on her shoulder, "you're still a great friend. You helped me out and fought those Changelings the instant you and the others realized what was going on, and you've been a great friend ever since. I already forgave you a long time ago, and there's no reason for you to still act guilty about it."

Even though she could tell that Twilight meant every single word of her statement, it still took a moment before Rarity sighed, waiting a little before she looked back to her and gave a light smile.

"Th-thanks, Twilight."

"No problem,” said Twilight as she put her hoof back down and rested in her chair again. "You really shouldn't let your guilt take over you like this. And feeling guilty certainly shouldn't be an incentive to be more generous towards others."

As Rarity took in her friend's words, Twilight lifted the second cinnamon roll from her plate before she finished her statement.

"Just like how you don't have to keep making cinnamon rolls whenever Zecora comes over."

Even though Rarity nodded in agreement, Twilight could still see how upset she was. Before Twilight could say anything, Rarity lifted her head back from her sullen state and spoke up.

"It's just that…” Rarity looked down to her hooves, fidgeting them a little before she continued, "It's just that Zecora was living here for years before you came along! And to think that I just kept ignoring her whenever she came by, despite how nice she really is!"

Rarity then closed her eyes and sighed, pausing for a moment before she continued.

"All… all because she looked different."

Realizing how much this was getting to her friend, Twilight put down her cinnamon roll before she put a hoof out to Rarity. "Rarity, it's alri—"

"No it's not!" shouted Rarity as she looked back up at Twilight. "My mother always taught me that I should never, ever judge somepony by their appearance! And what did I do? I did that exact thing!"

Taking a moment while Rarity breathed heavily across from her, Twilight waited until she was calm enough before she replied, "Rarity, you know that Zecora already forgave everypony a long time ago. She's not upset about that kind of thing anymore, so you really shouldn't be like this."

"I know,” Rarity said meekly, breathing in again before she added, "I just… I just want to do something to make up for all those wasted years."

As she felt Twilight's hoof on her shoulder again, Rarity kept her gaze downward at the table, looking at their plates for a moment before she completed her statement.

"I want to do something to make up for that. Something… something better than cinnamon rolls."

After another moment of silence between the two, Twilight Sparkle managed to help calm down Rarity enough before they went back to their brunch.

While the two got to talk about more pleasant things and make Rarity smile once more, neither of them noticed how the kitchen window beside them was open the whole time. Standing outside Rarity's Boutique, Zecora kept a surprised look on her face as she stood beside the window. The zebra was speechless for a moment from hearing their conversation, standing wide-eyed as she let Rarity's words sink in.

After standing in that space for a while, Zecora managed to shake her mind back awake before heading off to the spa. Thinking about Rarity's guilt, Zecora felt rather surprised that the unicorn still felt so bad about that. Even though she really didn't have any hard feelings about being seen differently by ponies all those years ago, Zecora was still surprised that some ponies still felt bad about their actions.

Looking back to her saddlebag as she walked, Zecora took note of the tip and rolls inside, sighing as she realized the truth behind those offerings. Knowing something had to be done, the zebra looked forward and continued to walk as her conscience began to concoct a plan.


> Stripes and Scratches
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Zecora kept her head held high as she walked along the paths through the Everfree Forest, keeping her senses keen as she trotted along the lines of trees and fauna. Between the thick trunks of various brown and dark-green trees, she was able to hear every single instance of a branch breaking or bug chirping through the overhanging leaves.

While most ponies would've thought of the dark forests of the Everfree as just being a dangerous and unforgiving place for whoever entered—although that description wasn't necessarily false—Zecora was still able to appreciate the serene beauty within the space as she walked. Even through the overhanging branches and thick foliage, which gave the space a dark and brooding ambience, the simplicity and mystery of the forest always captivated Zecora's interest, reminding her of why she decided to come to Eques—

"GAAAHHH!!! Zecora, I think I stained my brand-new hooficure!"

Zecora groaned to herself as she heard Rarity's wailing, a noise that the zebra had come to quickly dislike within minutes of walking down the trails. While she was glad to figure out a plan regarding Rarity less than a week after hearing her conversation with Twilight, Zecora didn't bring into account the unicorn's personality when she thought of bringing her along for a harvest.

In less than fifteen minutes, Zecora's patience began to grow thinner and thinner as the two walked through the forest. Zecora had to endure Rarity's complaints about every single detail of their hike. Whether it was worrying about her coat getting stained, complaining about her hoof almost getting chipped, and even shrieking out when she saw a bug—not even a big one, either, just an innocent beetle resting on a leaf—every shrill whine from the unicorn was wearing down Zecora's good will very quickly.

Although they were only halfway to their destination, Zecora was beginning to reconsider her plan before she heard Rarity's whining voice behind her.

"Zecoraaaaa…"

Gritting her teeth, Zecora managed to suppress the urge to snap at the mare before she breathed in deeply, calming herself down as she responded to Rarity.

"Yes… Rarity. What may it be?"

"Well…” Rarity walked behind Zecora, not being able to see how irritated the zebra was getting as she continued in a more curious tone of voice, "I was just wondering… why exactly did you need my assistance?"

Grateful that Rarity finally asked a notable question instead of complaining about something, Zecora cleared her throat before she looked back to her, managing to keep a smile on her muzzle as she spoke honestly.

"For what I'm searching for, my dear… Your special skill can help me here."

"Alright, then,” said Rarity as she spoke to the zebra with a more inquisitive tone of voice. "Now I'm curious. What is it that you're needing my help with? Jewels?"

"Actually, your assumption is right,” said Zecora in a more cheerful tone of voice. "Without you, this task would take all night."

"Oh really? What exactly is it you're looking for?"

As Rarity's voice came out in a more interested tone instead of a shrill whine, Zecora's irritancy began to vanish as she responded, glad that the unicorn was able to ignore her previous worries as she listened to the zebra's explanation.

"There is a swamp a distance ahead, with many blue jewels beneath the bed. The gems are needed for a certain brew, a medicine which is tricky to do. It is hard to find myself, since the water is so muddy. But with your gem-finding spell…" Zecora then gave a warm smile to the unicorn, showing her graciousness as she completed her rhyme. "You'll be a real helpful buddy."

Rarity gave a warm smile back to the zebra in understanding, glad that she was able to assist Zecora like this. While she usually would never be caught dead walking through a forest like this on her own, Rarity kept her stride as she followed Zecora's lead, feeling a lot better about agreeing to help as she realized the zebra's reason.

With the image of blue gems dancing around the back of her mind, Rarity managed to keep herself from noticing the forest around her as she walked along the trails, keeping her eyes locked on Zecora, who was leading the way. While she attempted to stop herself from noticing more disgusting bugs or anything that could stain her immaculate coat, the unicorn's attention went to the black stripes that went along the grey fur of Zecora's backside.

While she used to think of the stripes as just being a gaudy design element, Rarity eventually learned to ignore her past ignorance as soon as she realized that it was something Zecora was born with. Now as she followed the zebra through the forest, Rarity began to become more intrigued by the stripes as they stood in front of her while walking, unsure of what she really thought of them as she stared.

On one hoof, the stripes could just be seen as a random assortment of jagged lines that went along the zebra's coat, looking almost like ripped tears along Zecora's body; on the other hoof, while the stripes were each different in size and shape, each unique line seemed to move along the others in harmony along the zebra's body, blending alongside each other in an odd arrangement that was difficult to explain.

In some odd way, Zecora's striped body made Rarity think about organized chaos.

As her train of thought started to derail more and more with each passing step, Rarity almost bumped into Zecora when she finally stopped. Shaking her head clear, Rarity was able to stumble back into reality as she looked around, realizing where the zebra had lead her.

With the trail behind them, all that was in front of the two was a large mass of murky green water, stretching out a considerable distance among the lines of looming trees. In the middle of the pond of stagnant water, a single tree stood triumphantly above the reflective, green water, thick branches of green vines overhanging as they flowed back down to the swamp below. While Rarity never saw a type of tree like this before, the unicorn could still recognize it as being similar to that of a weeping willow, a sight which was fairly surprising, considering how out of place it was amongst everything else.

Noticing her surprise, Zecora smirked a little as she looked back to the swamp in front of them, feeling a lot better about asking for Rarity's assistance as she spoke.

"The tree that lies in the swamp ahead, has jewels on the roots in the swamp bed. I cannot see them beneath the slime, so your spell will save me lots of time."

Rarity grew a particularly big grin on her muzzle as she turned back to Zecora, looking fairly happy as she saw how simple this task was going to be for her.

"Well then,” said Rarity as her horn lit up in excitement, "let's get those gems!"

Zecora grinned and nodded back to Rarity before she reached back to her saddlebags to get her supplies. As the zebra shuffled through the contents of her bag with her muzzle, Rarity turned her attention back to the swamp and kept her horn lit, focusing her attention on the murky water as her aura searched for any gems underneath.

By the time Zecora got her net out of the bag and extended it with the rest of the handles screwed in, Rarity's horn managed to light up half of the swamp, showing several lines of glowing blue dots among the stagnant green water.

"Wow, Rarity!" said Zecora as she noticed how the gems now stood out in the large swamp. "What an impressive power! Now this will take me no more than an hour."

Glad to be able to save the zebra so much time, Rarity smiled. Zecora picked up her net, keeping it in her muzzle before she walked into the water. While Rarity was both surprised and slightly appalled that anyone would even consider walking into that murky mixture, her composure was slightly less dampened as she noticed how shallow the water was, only reaching up to the zebra's knees as she walked up to the first line of gems. With a confident smile on her muzzle, Zecora held the net in her mouth, bent down, and scooped up the first batch of gems underneath the water, grateful that she was finally able to get these jewels without searching for them blindly.

While the zebra began collecting the gems in her net, Rarity kept her horn lit as she watched from the dry ground, smiling as she saw how helpful she was to her today. However, as she watched the Zecora wade through the water and pick up more of the lit gems, Rarity's focus faltered a little as her snout picked up a particularly foul smell. With a nasty odor violating her nostrils, Rarity put a hoof up to cover her muzzle while she tried not to gag.

"Ugh!" Rarity was barely able to muster any words through her mouth as she tried keeping her nostrils shut, calling out to Zecora as she tried to keep her horn lit, "Zecora, what is that terrible smell?! Is that from the swamp or something?"

"I'm not aware of what you ar—"

Zecora gasped and looked back at Rarity, dropping her net as she looked at the unicorn in wide-eyed horror. Before the zebra could run back to dry land to help, Rarity slowly began to realize what Zecora saw as she heard a low growl from behind her.

Remembering what happened with Applejack and Spike a while ago, Rarity's heart suddenly felt like a cannonball in her chest as she stopped breathing, staying frozen as she felt the hot breath hit from behind her.

Shaking in pure terror, Rarity slowly turned her head around and confirmed what was standing before her, making her heart stop beating completely as she looked into the glowing eyes of a Timberwolf.

"RARITY, RUN!!!"

The unicorn immediately listened to Zecora and bolted away from the wood-covered beast, not even looking back as she tried to run as fast as her hooves could let her. Galloping as fast as she could on the soft forest soil, the sound of the Timberwolf's wooden paws running toward her made Rarity's heart start beating faster than she ever imagined, making her wish more than anything to have learned that teleportation spell from Twilight.

With the roar from the monster behind her coming closer, Rarity was fueled by pure adrenaline and fear as she tried to run faster, seriously feeling like she was going to get killed at any moment within this Celestia-forsaken forest.

As Rarity galloped through the forest in terror, a protruding root in the ground caught onto the unicorn's hoof, making her trip over as she fell face-down into the soft earth. Skidding a couple feet in the dirt, Rarity didn’t even care about her stained coat as she tried to get back up, making her heart stop as two forelegs stomped in front of her thunderously.

Shaking in fear, Rarity looked up, wide-eyed as she saw the glowing green beast in front of her, glaring at her as its fangs (or whatever twigs were supposed to make up its fangs) opened up and snarled at her. With tears beginning to come down her face, the unicorn clenched her eyes shut  and tried covering her face with her hooves, not wanting to face the terror before her as its fangs came closer.

Because of its attention on the unicorn below, the Timberwolf didn't notice Zecora as she busted out from behind it, holding a large stick in her hooves as she swung hard at the beast's body. With a loud CRACK! Zecora's swing managed to break the Timberwolf's body apart completely, sending the fragments of its body shooting out in all directions like an explosion of wood and branches. As Rarity opened her eyes again to see the zebra before her, Zecora took no time and put out a hoof to the unicorn.

"We need to get back to my place!" shouted Zecora as she began to pull Rarity up. "A Timberwolf ca—"

Before she could finish her statement, the Timberwolf managed to reform itself quicker than expected and tackled Zecora to the ground. Still holding the stick in her hooves, Zecora managed to use it as a shield against the creature's mouth, holding it within its open muzzle as it tried to gnaw and thrash at her.

Seeing how much trouble the zebra was in, Rarity became enraged as she saw the wolf holding Zecora on her back, fueling her with pure fury as she charged at it.

"Let go of her, you monster!"

Lighting her horn, Rarity aimed straight at the Timberwolf as she fired several shots of magic, keeping her eyes on the creature as she made sure every shot hit it directly. With burst after burst of Rarity's blue magic shooting straight at the Timberwolf, the creature tried to falter back before it was shot with intense blasts of the unicorn's aura, making its wooden features disintegrate into ash before it fell over.

Screaming out in almost a roar, Rarity kept firing at the Timberwolf with her magic, leaving Zecora lying nearby in a stunned state as she watched piece after piece become ash. By the time the Timberwolf's body became nothing more than a pile of dark grey ashes (with a few charred sticks here and there), Rarity was breathing heavily.

She tried to keep herself upright, not expecting to have used so much of her magic like that. Noticing how shocked Zecora looked, Rarity caught her breath a couple more times before she turned to her, a worried look on her face as she spoke between pants.

"Zecora… are… you… okay?"

Even though it took the zebra a moment to overcome her stunned state, Zecora slowly nodded and exhaled shakily. While the Timberwolf itself wasn't much of a threat to her, Zecora was shocked to see such a dainty unicorn like Rarity act like that. While she was both terrified and impressed at how Rarity handled herself, Zecora tried to keep her cool as she lifted herself up and spoke up.

"For helping me, I am very glad…" Zecora looked back at the ash pile in front of them as she got back on her hooves, staring for a moment before she turned back to the mare and spoke honestly.

"Remind me to never make you mad."

Rarity managed to giggle a little at Zecora's response. Zecora was glad to see the unicorn acting happy again. Before she could walk over to Rarity to make sure she was alright, Zecora didn't notice the green mist begin to reappear from the ash.

Before Zecora could make a single step forward, a single claw from the remnants of the charred branches rushed out from the pile of ash, throwing both of them off-guard as it swiped at the unicorn.

With a loud smack, the floating claw managed to not only hit Rarity hard enough to make her shoot back several feet against a tree, but the jagged ends of its charred branches tore against the unicorn as it struck her, making some of the hairs of her coat shave off in a mist before Zecora lunged forward.

Not even using her stick, Zecora held out both hooves as she stomped down on the Timberwolf's charred claw, pinning it to the ground before she repeatedly stomped down on the branches to break them as much as she could.

After what felt like an eternity of stomping—although it was probably no more than a minute at most—Zecora managed to step on the claw enough to turn it into a pile of something close to toothpicks. Breathing heavily, Zecora managed to look back at Rarity before her eyes went wide in fear. Lying motionless at the base of a tree, Rarity's body was limp as she laid unconscious.

Running over to her, Zecora's worry grew even stronger as she saw several large scratches along the unicorn's back, making the unicorn's white coat slowly begin to stain with a dark red. With more blood coming from Rarity's forehead from her impact on the tree, Zecora knew time was of the essence as she quickly lifted the unicorn onto her back.

Seeing that it was going to be close to dusk by the time she reached back to her hut, Zecora didn't waste any time as she ran back through the Everfree Forest, hoping more than anything that Rarity was going to be alright.

> The Unexpected and Understandings
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Clenching her eyes shut in an attempt to subdue the throbbing pain in her skull, Rarity didn't try to move an inch while lying down, thinking that the slightest twitch could make her new headache even worse. As the unicorn slowly began to bring herself back into consciousness, she realized that her head wasn't the only part of her body which was aching. She felt a sharp pain shoot through her back. Even though she wanted to keep her eyes closed, Rarity still opened them slowly as she tried to process what was going on, beginning to realize that she wasn't in her bedroom.

Instead of feeling the lavish satin blankets or exotic pillows made from Gryphon feathers, Rarity felt like she was lying on a rather rough-feeling blanket on the ground, which gave off the oddest aroma of something either spicy or almost chemical. As she opened her eyes, Rarity was grateful that she wasn't assaulted by any harsh bright lights. She was instead welcomed to a pleasantly darkened room.

Rarity lifted her head as she looked around the room, taking a moment for her eyes to adjust to the darkness before she could make out the odd shapes along the carved walls. After about a minute of lying in worried confusion, Rarity's memories began to slowly come back to her, making her realize whose place she must have been at. Remembering what she had agreed to do, Rarity began to piece everything together as she recognized the exotic artifacts and decorations along the walls, figuring they all must have belonged to Zecora.

Even though she was still hurting, Rarity was no longer that worried anymore. She lifted herself off the bedding underneath her, remembering how the two of them dealt with a Timberwolf earlier. Even though she thought she handled that beast rather swiftly after seeing Zecora get attacked, the new bandages along Rarity's back were enough proof for her that she could've been more profound with her defenses.

Before the unicorn could worry about any long-lasting scars or wonder how long she was out, the sound of something bubbling from the other room caught her attention. Curious, she tried to lift herself onto her hooves. Right as Rarity was able to stand upright against the bedding underneath her, the nearby door opened. Zecora entered, a worried look on her face as she saw the now-awake unicorn.

"Rarity, you should not be standing,” insisted Zecora as she walked up to Rarity. "You might be concussed from that landing."

Lifting a hoof to her head, Rarity grimaced as she felt a sharp pain from underneath the bandage along her forehead. Realizing why she had such a strong headache, Rarity could only nod to Zecora before sitting back on the bedding.

Closing her eyes, Rarity felt the bandage along her head again and tried to remember what happened. Despite trying her best to recall anything, all that Rarity could remember was a flash of brown and green before everything went dark. Knowing how dangerous and strong a Timberwolf could be, Rarity was glad that she was even alive after dealing with one up close. Seeing how the unicorn was trying to deal with her pain while sitting, Zecora looked outside the room for a moment before turning back to Rarity.

"I have a medicine brewing as we speak. But don't try to get up. You might still be weak."

While she didn't want Zecora to think her assumption was correct, Rarity couldn't argue as she settled on the bedding, realizing that the very act of standing wiped her out quite a bit. Knowing she was in no condition to argue, Rarity only nodded and looked up to Zecora with a weak smile on her muzzle.

Grateful to see the unicorn in somewhat higher spirits, Zecora gave a smile back before she began to leave the room. Before she could close the door behind her and tend to her brew, Rarity called out faintly from the bed, making Zecora pause as she heard the unicorn speak.

"Th… thank you, Zecora. Thank you for saving me."

Sighing in a mix of relief and gratitude, Zecora looked back at Rarity with a warm smile on her face, pausing for a moment before responding to her.

"There's no need to thank me. You saved me first. I'm just glad it didn't turn for the worst."

Remembering how she used a large part of her magic to fight off the Timberwolf, Rarity knew that the zebra had a fair point. Despite trying to remember who saved who first, Rarity knew that she really helped Zecora out, and that the zebra was now returning the favor. Keeping a smile on her muzzle, Rarity was grateful that both of them were alright—at least, alright enough.

"I mean it, though. You… you really helped me out, Zecora. Thank you."

"You're welcome, my dear. It's the least I could do." Zecora then looked back to the cauldron back in the main room before smiling in satisfaction, feeling more confident as she looked back to Rarity and finished her rhyme. "And the remedy's almost ready for you."

With that, Rarity nodded before Zecora closed the door again, leaving the unicorn to rest some more as she went back to the bubbling pot before her. Looking into the steaming mixture of swirling green and blue, Zecora was glad to see that her measurements were correct for this potion, noting how the liquid was bubbling correctly.

Picking up a large mixing spoon in her mouth, Zecora carefully dipped it into the pot before she began stirring, holding it in her hooves as she thought back to Rarity's response to the Timberwolf. Even though the unicorn was starting to get on her nerves earlier that day with her incessant complaining and refusal to get anything dirty, Zecora was surprised to see how quickly Rarity's composure changed the instant she saw her in danger. While the creature could've been easy enough to subdue on her own with her staff, Zecora was impressed by how much Rarity helped her out.

With the image of Rarity's enraged face burned in her mind, Zecora chuckled to herself a little as she stirred the brew, wondering how such a petite mare like her could act so differently in the face of danger.

Of course, Zecora couldn't necessarily say that Rarity never acted like that before, remembering how many Changelings the unicorn and her friends managed to fight off during the Royal Wedding. Even though Rarity was definitely a more dainty mare, it was interesting for Zecora to see how quickly she was able to handle herself in a situation like that. Although she still felt horrible about leading Rarity into such a dangerous scenario, Zecora was still glad the unicorn was alright, and that she was able to get her back to her hut before nightfall.

Despite the recipe taking a while to get completed, time went surprisingly quickly for Zecora as she kept stirring while she thought about Rarity and her boldness.

Meanwhile, Rarity was unable to fall back asleep, despite feeling extremely tired. Still feeling a tad dizzy from her concussion, most of Rarity's attempts to think were short-lived. She wasn't really able to focus on much before her mind drifted to something else. Throughout the countless incomplete thoughts that raced through the unicorn's head, Rarity's mind couldn't stop picturing changing colors within her conscience, swirling around as they tried to form various shapes and patterns.

Among the colorful images going through her mind, some of which could actually be good inspirations for future clothing styles, the one pattern that couldn't stop going through Rarity's head were stripes. Not normal stripes, like something a pony would expect to wear on a eloquent summer dress or practical sun hat for spring; the stripes Rarity kept picturing were all unique in their own way, blending with one another as they formed a strangely harmonic image of wild exuberance.

Almost like the ones on Zecora's body.

Even though she still felt exhausted, Rarity's ears still perked up as she heard the door open once more. Lifting her head, Rarity's eyes slowly opened as she watched Zecora enter the room, smiling as she carried a small black cauldron on a handle in her muzzle. Happy to see that Rarity was still alright, Zecora lowered the cauldron down on the ground in front of the bedding and looked back up to the unicorn.

"Well, good evening, sleepy-head. Are you alright on the bed?"

Rubbing her eyes with a hoof, Rarity nodded before replying in a groggy tone, "I… I guess so. To be honest, I don't think I actually went back to sleep."

"Well, that's alright,” said Zecora in a warm tone as she picked up a towel from behind her. "As long as you are calm. I need you still when I put on the balm."

After she dipped the cloth inside the cauldron, Zecora bent forward as she motioned for Rarity to sit upright before she began removing the bandages from Rarity's back. Gripping the canvas in her teeth, Zecora was careful not to cause any pain to the unicorn as she slowly pulled the bandages away.

Looking with worry, Rarity's eyes widened as she saw layer after layer pull away from her torso, watching as the beige cloth slowly turned to a darker and deeper shade of red. When the last of the bloodied bandage was removed, Rarity winced as she felt the cloth pull at her fur a little, sticking to her dried blood like a morbid adhesive. Seeing what was underneath, Rarity looked away in agony when she saw the state of her back, trying not to cry when she saw her scratches.

Despite how much worse it could've been, it still didn't help Rarity's composure as she saw how deep the Timberwolf's scratches were against her back. Formally an impeccably pure white, her fur was now matted in a sickly tone of red along the four gashes on her back, sticking out against the rest of her body more than the three purple diamonds on her flank.

Noticing how upset Rarity was about her scratches, Zecora felt even worse as she recalled asking her to help out in the first place, not expecting anything like this to happen to them today. Before her guilt could overtake her any more, Zecora took a deep breath before turning back to the cauldron, checking on the cloth inside before she spoke.

"I'm grateful the injuries only went this far. And I assure you, this will not leave any scar."

Hearing that, Rarity breathed out heavily and felt a huge wave of relief flow through her. "Oh thank Celestia!" said the mare as she head lowered in reprieve. "You have no idea how happy I am to hear that!"

"That's good to hear,” said Zecora as she used a small stick to stir the cloth inside the cauldron. "Because the fix is an easy thing." Before she could take the soaked cloth out of the pot for this process, Zecora turned back to Rarity with a more stern look on her face. "You might need to be prepared, because this part can sting."

While she was worried at hearing that, Rarity still nodded to the zebra before she clenched her eyes shut, not wanting to witness this next part as Zecora pulled the cloth out of the pot. Glowing a bluish-green hue within the darkened room, Zecora kept the cloth held in her muzzle as she turned back toward Rarity. Being careful, Zecora slowly positioned herself behind Rarity's back before she placed the cloth between her front hooves, making sure it was fully open before she quickly laid it against her back.

"Gaaaahhhhh!!!!" Rarity screamed when she felt the burning against her scratched back, clenching her eyes even more as Zecora used her hooves to hold the cloth tightly against her wounds. Even though she knew the zebra wasn't kidding when she said it would sting, Rarity didn't expect it to be this painful. She struggled to sit upright, trying not to cry as the burning sensation kept running throughout her back.

Hearing the unicorn's breathing come out in painful gasps, Zecora kept her hooves planted on Rarity's back as she watched the cloth glow brighter in the room. Before Rarity could think the pain was going to become unbearable, the burning slowly began to subside as the cloth began to glow dimmer. Keeping her hooves on Rarity's back, Zecora cleared her throat before she spoke.

"The healing will be finished in a moment or two." As she watched Rarity try to breathe normally through her pain, Zecora grimaced a little and looked away, feeling terrible that she tried to let the unicorn help her with a project like this. Even though she knew that Timberwolves normally never came through that region of the Everfree Forest, Zecora still felt increasingly guilty.

"I'm so terribly sorry for what happened to you."

Hearing the sincerity in the zebra's voice, Rarity sighed as the pain began to lessen even more, pausing a moment before she replied, "Oh, it's not your fault, Zecora. I knew what I was getting into when I agreed to come with you. I mean, it is the Everfree Forest, after all."

"But still,” continued Zecora as she tried to lessen her growing guilt, "I should've been more careful today. It's a mistake of mine, despite what you say."

Even though Rarity wanted to make a quick retort to alleviate Zecora's guilt a light gasp escaped the unicorn's muzzle as a sudden rush of cold quickly went across her back. Due to the slight shock of a new feeling like that, Rarity was silent for a moment as a new smile came up on Zecora's face, satisfied to see that reaction from her. With that rush of cooling from the cloth, the glowing slowly dissipated completely, making the zebra grateful again as she removed it from Rarity's back.

"Here we go, Rarity. Your back is good as new!" As Zecora stepped back from the bedding, Rarity slowly turned her head to see her healed back, beaming when she saw that the scratches were completely gone. Seeing the huge grin on Rarity's face, Zecora waited a moment before she continued her diagnosis. "And the bump on your head will begin to heal too."

Suddenly remembering her back wasn't the only injury she sustained, Rarity's hoof went back up to the bandage on her head. The unicorn grimaced once more at feeling the bandage still there. Zecora cleared her throat before she kept speaking.

"Your head wounds will be cleared in a day or two." Noticing the dimming light outside from a window, Zecora sighed as she realized what that meant. "But for now, it's too late to travel for you."

"What?!" Rarity gasped as she quickly turned back to the window. Noticing how the light from the forest was already beginning to grow to dusk, Rarity's eyes widened as she realized what Zecora meant. The Everfree Forest was way too dangerous to venture at night for a skilled zebra, so for an injured unicorn to go out now would be borderline suicide.

Even though she didn't want to spend the night in a hut in the Everfree Forest, Rarity just sighed and sat back on the bedding, knowing that she would have to wait until morning despite her own worries.

"Well,” Rarity said as she looked around the room, noting all the zebra artifacts on the wall before she continued, "at least I sent Opal over to Fluttershy's before I left. I'd hate to think of her missing dinner tonight."

While she was glad to see that Rarity wasn't going to miss anything huge by staying the night, Zecora still tried not to cringe as she recalled that demon cat. Despite how often Rarity tried to be a good host for her, Zecora was sure that cat had a vendetta against her, especially after the third time it tried to trip her over. However, Zecora managed to hide her distaste for Opal before she turned back to Rarity, keeping a light smile on her face as she caught her attention.

"Speaking of dinner, I'll get some made." As Zecora headed out of the room again, she turned back to Rarity before she could get out of the bed. "You just stay here and keep that head laid."

Despite wanting to protest and help Zecora prepare dinner (and also know what kind of food the zebra had to make), Rarity's legs were apathetic enough to make her keep her spot on the bedding. Knowing she wouldn't be much help at the moment, Rarity merely nodded to Zecora's advice before she laid back down.

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In less than twenty minutes, Zecora was able to make a meal for the both of them, which was more than enough time to make Rarity feel more relaxed before joining her in the main room. With the moonlight and candles illuminating the humble space, Zecora's rather filling dish of rice and vegetables was enough to make Rarity not worry about starving tonight. After clearing her plate quickly (still maintaining a somewhat proper manner of eating while holding a wooden spoon in her aura), Rarity wiped her muzzle clean with a napkin before she gave her compliments.

"Well, Zecora, I must say! You make quite a delightful meal."

"Well, thank you, my dear. It's nice to eat with company." As she finished her bowl, Zecora kept a warm smile as she finished her statement. "Besides, it's the least I can do after you helped me."

"Well…” Rarity looked away from Zecora, attempting to hide the growing guilt on her face as she corrected, "I can’t really say I helped much." Looking away from the zebra, Rarity didn’t notice Zecora's eyebrows raise in surprise as the unicorn kept going.

"I nearly got killed by a Timberwolf, which lead you to almost get killed as well. You had to drag me all the way back here just so you can patch me up. And to make things worse, I made you lose your net before you could get a single gem."

Seeing how upset Rarity was looking as she spoke with guilt, Zecora's tone became more stern as she began to correct her in return.

"Don’t you dare say that! You still helped me out! I wasn't alert when we were about. I have plenty of nets, so it's not a large loss. And as for the gems, I didn’t get them for costs."

Confused by the zebra's last statement, Rarity looked back to Zecora as she replied curiously, "Wait, what do you mean? I thought you needed them for a brew or something."

"Well…" Tapping her hooves together, Zecora seemed hesitant to explain; however, the unicorn's insistent stare got the best of her, making her sigh as she began to continue. "It is for a brew. For a project I do."

As Rarity kept her attention on the zebra, Zecora continued, "With those gems outside, I make a brew that can be made to a pill. When the doctors make it, it's used to treat the terminally ill."

Seeing how Rarity's eyes widened at that, Zecora felt a little better about her deed as she kept speaking.

"While getting the gems is a dangerous mission, it's for a good cause, so I don’t ask commission."

"Really?" Rarity asked, looking at Zecora with intrigue. "If it's such a dangerous task, then why do you do it without payment or compensation?"

"It's usually a pricy cost to make it from the gem,” replied Zecora. "However, if the doctors don't pay me, they can’t charge them."

Realizing what it was Zecora was saying, Rarity was almost speechless as she saw what Zecora was trying to do. "You… you mean—”

"Yes, Rarity,” Zecora finished, a new smile appearing on her striped muzzle. "It's my own kind of charity. I work pro-bono, so patients get it for free."

As the hut began to grow silent, Rarity was at a complete loss for words when she heard the reason for Zecora's pilgrimage to the swamp. Even though she herself was the Element of Generosity, Rarity was still rather floored as she sat across from the zebra now, unsure of how to react to hearing of Zecora's extremely well-intentioned deeds.

"... That…"

Although Rarity was finding it difficult to keep her composure at that moment, the unicorn was still able to muster out a few words as she looked at Zecora, keeping a grateful look on her face as she managed to say something to the zebra's story.

"That… is absolutely amazing, Zecora."

Seeing how Rarity was looking at her, Zecora blushed and looked away, not expecting her to be so impressed with her actions before she tried to respond.

"It's not much, really. I jus—"

“Don’t you dare say that!" Surprised by the unicorn's quick interruption, Zecora stayed silent as the mare continued to speak.

"Zecora, that is, hooves-down, one of the nicest acts I've ever heard about! You go out of your way and risk your own life, just so you can help complete strangers without any compensation of your own. I… I’m..."

A warm smile on her muzzle, Rarity tried not to well up as she looked at Zecora, taking a moment before she finished her statement.

"I'm really grateful to know you do that, Zecora. And… I'm really glad you asked me to help you today."

Zecora smiled as she heard the sincerity in Rarity's words, feeling a lot better at admitting what she was doing. However, before she could thank Rarity for her kind words, the unicorn became slightly confused as she spoke once more.

"It's just…” Unsure of what Rarity was going to say, Zecora kept a slightly worried expression on her face as the unicorn asked, "Why didn’t you tell me this before? I mean, why were you so hesitant in telling me you were collecting gems for this?"

Remembering why she decided to keep Rarity in the dark before they trekked into the forest in the first place, Zecora sighed in relief before she responded in a more light tone.

"I wanted it to be a surprise, for you to see first-rate. And I knew it would be something that you would appreciate."

Hearing her explanation, Rarity kept her smile as she let Zecora's words sink in. Even though she would've liked to have known about the zebra's plans before they went out to the Everfree Forest, Rarity was still happy about it after knowing it was meant to be a surprise. Rarity was also pleased at knowing Zecora would understand her like that, knowing that she definitely would've appreciated doing something that generous for others.

And now knowing what Zecora did, Rarity knew that the zebra's heart was in the best possible place when she went with her for those gems, making the unicorn feel even better that she was asked to help out in the first place.

"Well..." Despite preferring to have been told upfront about why Zecora needed those gems, Rarity was still in higher spirits as she spoke to her. "I really do appreciate what you wanted to do, Zecora. And…"

Even with the bandage still on her head, Rarity only felt a slight hesitation as she thought of what to say. After a few seconds, Rarity looked at Zecora with more confidence as she spoke honestly.

“And I would love to help you out with getting those gems again."

Zecora's eyes widened, surprised to think that Rarity would be so willing to try something like that again.

"Re… really?" muttered the zebra as she tried to comprehend what was going through Rarity's bandaged head. "After all that you went through? Are you sure that's what you want to do?"

"Well, yes!" Despite her near-brush with death, Rarity now looked more determined than ever as she continued, "I know it's dangerous, and I'm sure we would have to make better preparations if we were to try that again. But if you're really willing to do something so generous for ponies in need, well… it would be a shame to not assist you! You said yourself that it takes you a long time to find the gems by yourself, so by helping you out with this, you would be able to save time and help more ponies."

Even though she was surprised to see Rarity act this forward with her plan, Zecora's shock slowly went away as she realized who she was talking with. Despite her high-class tastes and dainty attitude, Rarity was still known as being one of the most giving ponies around Ponyville. Zecora started to feel better about the unicorn's offer as she realized how helpful she could be. Even with the looming thought of another Timberwolf dormant in the back of her mind, Zecora knew that Rarity had a fair point; it would take a lot less time if the unicorn used her spells again, which would mean less of a chance to get attacked again.

After taking a moment to process Rarity's words, Zecora smirked as she looked back to the unicorn before her. As Rarity noticed the zebra's change in tone and gave a smirk back, Zecora bent in closer and spoke in a more positive tone of voice.

"So, you'd help out? Without a doubt?"

Without hesitation, Rarity nodded and gave a kind smile to Zecora. "Well, of course! You're doing a noble cause, so why shouldn’t I contribute?"

Keeping her optimistic grin, Zecora put out a hoof as she kept her gaze on her.

"Well, if your help is something you're willing to lend…."

Rarity then placed her hoof out as it reached Zecora's, clutching it as the zebra completed her rhyme.

"Then I would be honored if you'd help me….

“My friend."

With that, the two shook hooves, smiling at each other within the darkened hut as they established their new arrangement.


> Drawing Out Plans
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rarity struggled to lie down comfortably as she sat within the darkened room of Zecora's hut. Even though she was grateful that the zebra was insistent on letting her sleep in her cot for the night, Rarity was finding it increasingly harder not to let the discomfort get to her. Used to lying in her own king-sized bed for most of her nights, it just didn't feel right, though she tried to readjust herself on the old mattress on the floor.

Despite how badly she wanted to improve her sleeping situation and get her well-deserved beauty sleep, Rarity knew there would be no use in complaining in the middle of the night. Even if she did try to talk to Zecora, who was sleeping in the main living space in the hut soundlessly, she knew that the zebra wouldn't be able to do much, since going out into the Everfree Forest after dark would be extremely dangerous.

How in Equestria can she possibly sleep like this? thought the mare as she tossed herself on the mattress for the twelfth time. That poor zebra's back must be hard as a rock from this kind of bedding!

Through a mix of defeat and exhaustion, Rarity slumped back down on the bedding and sighed, knowing that she wasn't going to get much sleep tonight. As she looked around the room, her gaze was drawn to all the various decorations and artifacts Zecora had strewn about her walls. Even though she used to think the zebra's décor was creepy to say the least, Rarity had come to understand how rude it would be to say something like that. Besides, despite how odd some of the items looked—especially that mask by the doorway, which she could swear was staring at her—she had to admit that all of the decorations seemed to make a consistent theme around the bedroom. Zecora may have had unusual tastes, but the unicorn could still tell good taste was there.

Eventually, Rarity's gaze went back to the bedside table, peering in closer as she tried to discern what was there in the darkness. Looking closer, Rarity was able to see only a few small items on the table by her cot: some small bottles for potions, a small figurine of something, a worn-looking rag, a very antique-looking alarm clock…

And also, a couple of quills.

Looking at the writing utensils, Rarity's eyes opened as she got a new idea. Looking back to her saddlebag by the foot of the bed—something she almost forgot she had—the unicorn used her magic to open the front flap, using the light illuminated by her magic to find what she was looking for. Happily, Rarity was quickly able to find the sketch pad stashed at the bottom, making her feel a little better about her situation as she pulled it towards her.

Well, if I can't sleep tonight, she thought as she readjusted herself on the bed, sitting upright on the wall as she pulled a quill from the table, then I can at least try to keep my mind occupied with something else.

Despite being in the middle of the Everfree Forest, Rarity knew that she had nothing to really worry about. Knowing how long Zecora had lived out here, she felt more than alright to trust the zebra in regards to her safety.

As she flipped the sketch pad open to a clean page, all she could think about was what she had envisioned earlier that day. Remembering how out of it she was when she was slowly coming back to consciousness (and back when the bed was actually comfortable to her), Rarity recalled all the odd swirls of colors and stripes she imagined in her drowsy state.

Even though she still felt a bit uncomfortable sitting on a mattress on the floor like this, the last thing Rarity wanted was to forget those images before morning. If there was one quality a dressmaker needed to possess in her line of work, it was the ability to get her ideas written on the spot. And with the moonlight illuminating the darkened room, along with the added light from her horn, Rarity made a few quick lines on the sheet and started to draw the basic outline of her new creation.

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As the morning light began to shine through into the hut, Zecora laid still as she dozed. Usually awakened by her clock, the zebra had come to adjust her sleeping habits to become more tuned-in with the forest. With all the noises outside this hut, Zecora had learned to sleep through pretty much everything, only to wake up when her alarm went off next to her bed. However, as the zebra slept on her blanket on the floor, her muzzle began to twitch as she felt one of her senses start to stir awake.

Due to learning to ignore outside noises while asleep, Zecora's other senses weren't as well-trained when it came to keeping her asleep. Clenching her eyes shut, Zecora slowly began to become aware of her surroundings as she breathed in, catching what was lingering in the air. After another moment, Zecora opened her eyes and breathed in again, slightly confused as she realized what she was smelling this early in the morning.

Coffee.

"Well good morning, Zecora!"

Hearing the cheerful tone of the mare's posh voice, Zecora closed her eyes again as she stretched, slowly remembering that Rarity was still here. As the zebra got to her hooves, her eyes reopened as she looked forward to the kitchen, making her eyebrows raise in surprise as she saw what was happening.

Standing next to her stove was Rarity, who carried a surprisingly cheerful look on her face as she levitated a metal coffee pot over the flames. While one wave of her magic aura held onto the pot as it boiled the coffee inside, another one was levitating a bowl while a spoon mixed within it. While Zecora was confused as to why Rarity was so cheerful this early in the morning, the unicorn didn't notice her groggy state as she spoke while mixing.

"I hope you don't mind, but I simply cannot get anything done in the morning without a latte." Rarity then looked in the bowl for a second, smiling in satisfaction before she focused her attention on the steaming pot. "I have to admit it was a tad difficult to get this prepared differently from my usual routine, but I think I managed to make the mocha just right."

Even though she wanted to ask something and wake herself up, Zecora didn’t say much as she walked toward the mare, looking in surprise as she saw what was in the mixing bowl. Using several of her cocoa beans and other sweeteners in her pantry, Zecora realized that Rarity really did manage to make a chocolate syrup mixture for her coffee. While Zecora preferred her coffee straight black, she had to admit how impressive it was for Rarity to get everything prepared like this.

"Well Rarity,” began Zecora as she spoke in an attempt to wake herself up, "I have to say, you sure know how to start the day."

"Well,” Rarity said as she levitated two cups from the cupboard behind her, "I wanted to show my appreciation for helping me so much yesterday." Rarity then placed the two cups on the counter before pouring the coffee into each one, waiting a moment before she levitated the bowl of mocha back into her grasp.

"Besides,” continued the unicorn as she began adding the mocha into one of the cups, "if we want to get those gems, we have to be at tip-top shape."

"Wait, what?!" Rarity almost lost her focus on her aura at Zecora's sudden outburst, making her look back to the zebra as she continued, "You want to go today? Even though you were almost prey?"

"Well..." Even though she understood Zecora's hesitation completely, Rarity only waited a brief moment before she replied, keeping an insistent tone in her voice while pulling a jug of milk from the zebra's fridge. "I know how utterly absurd it sounds, but I can’t really think of a better time for me to help. I have several clients to make garments for in the next few weeks, and I know my schedule will be too cluttered to try anything outside of work."

Putting the mixing bowl aside, Rarity then poured a splash of milk into the mocha-added cup of coffee as she continued, "And before you say anything, I think I have an idea about how to make this work for both of us…"

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Zecora sighed as she stood alone by the edge of the swamp. Even though she understood Rarity's plan enough to know it was probably the best option, the zebra still didn't like how she was barely doing much in comparison to yesterday. Instead of being out in the swamp and picking up the gems through a net like yesterday, Zecora was now merely acting as lookout while Rarity did most of the work.

Standing at another part of the swamp in a pair of stylish shades and a sunhat, Rarity's horn was shining brightly as she lifted gem after gem from the murky water with her magic. Confident that they would avoid any danger with Zecora acting as security, the mare kept a smirk on her muzzle as her aura collected as many gems as she could see through her magic.

Looking over to the large burlap sack next to Rarity, Zecora was shocked to see how many the mare managed to get in less than twenty minutes. In what usually would've taken Zecora hours to do with only her net and no magical assistance, Rarity managed to not only collect over half the swamp's worth of gems, but also found the net she lost yesterday. Seeing how full the bag was getting, Zecora managed to smile again before she spoke up to Rarity.

"Well, I must say, your plan worked very well!" Hearing the zebra's praise, Rarity turned to Zecora with a smile as she kept going. "I think I have enough gems from your spell."

"Well, that's a relief!" Rarity levitated the last of the gems in her grasp over to the bag, placing them inside before releasing her magic aura. "I was getting worried about my coat being stained from being out here so long."

Hearing that, Zecora sighed as she remembered who she was dealing with. Despite her generous nature and excited manner when it came to assisting her, Zecora almost forgot about how high maintenance Rarity could really be. However, after seeing how many jewels were inside the sack, Zecora couldn't really complain at the moment as she pulled it onto her back. 

While Rarity walked at a somewhat careful pace to protect her hooficure, Zecora kept the same speed as she trotted beside her, keeping a smile on her muzzle as she realized how much work she could manage to complete from getting everything gathered so quickly.

Before she could say something to show her appreciation, Zecora heard the sound of several voices in the distance. Realizing they were coming from her hut, Zecora picked up the pace as she realized who it had to have been.

"Raaaaaarrrrrityyyyyy!!!!" shouted Rainbow Dash as she tried to peer in through the windows of Zecora's hut, looking even more irritated as she saw the inside was empty.

While the other four mares walked around the hut in an attempt to notice anything, the cyan Pegasus became even more aggravated as she banged on the front door once more. "HEY! Zecora, you better not be napping in there!"

"Rainbow!" Hearing her voice, Rainbow Dash turned to Twilight Sparkle, who was trying to keep a stern look on her face despite the worried tone in her voice. "It's obvious that Zecora isn't inside."

"Well, where is she, then?!" Dash trotted towards her with an upset look on her face. "Rarity was supposed to be here yesterday, and now neither of them are around!"

"I know! Just… let me think!" Not wanting her worries to overtake her, Twilight Sparkle turned away from Dash and paced in front of Zecora's hut with unease. In an attempt to calm herself down, the Princess breathed in a few times before she turned towards Fluttershy, who was keeping a nervous look on her face as well.

"Fluttershy,” Twilight asked, "are you sure Rarity said she was supposed to be here?"

"Y-yes, she did." Despite her concern over her friend, Fluttershy’s voice still came out rather timidly as she tried to clarify, "She said that Zecora was wanting her help, and that she would be back before nightfall, but..."

Before any more words could come out of her muzzle, Fluttershy grew silent and looked down to the ground, looking extremely guilty as she tried to avoid thinking of anything bad that may have happened. Just as Twilight was about to try to get more information out of her, Applejack spoke up as she looked around some the trees nearby the hut.

"Girls, Ah'm sure that there's a perfectly fine reason for all this happenin’." Even though she was just as worried as the others, Applejack managed to keep her composure as she looked at some of the eerily grey trees. "Rare's not the kinda mare ta go out here alone. If she's somewhere out here, then Zecora's probably wit' her."

"But..." Despite knowing that Applejack was probably right, Twilight still didn't feel right as she failed to see either one around. Even though Zecora was experienced out in these woods, the idea of either of them being in trouble still plagued the Alicorn's mind. "But what if they're hurt? What if something like a Cockatrice got to one of them?"

"Or a timberwolf?" added Fluttershy as she turned to Applejack with a scared look on her face.

"Or one of those four-headed dragon things?" said Rainbow Dash as she tried to peer in the windows of the hut again.

Before Applejack could try to calm them down, Pinkie Pie's head popped out from inside a hole in one of the trees next to the mare, scaring her while the pink pony added her own input.

"Or maybe some intergalactic spider-thing disguised as a super creepy clown, who tries to lure them to their doom by offering them floating balloons?!"

"Pinkie, Ah'm su—" Applejack's train of thought veered off as she turned to Pinkie Pie with a baffled look on her face, trying to figure out what it was the pink pony just suggested. "How… where the hay did you come up wi..."

Despite her confusion at Pinkie's theory, Applejack shook her head clear before she started talking again. "Ah'm sure that Rarity and Zecora are fine! That zebra's been out here in these woods for a long time, so Ah have no doubt Rarity's in capable hooves."

"And I must say,” said Rarity in a happy tone as she came into view from the trail, "you are absolutely right!"

Once they saw Rarity, the other five mares didn't hesitate at all as they all ran toward her, almost tackling her as they held her in a group hug. Even though she felt slightly suffocated at the massive squeezing around her, Rarity didn't falter as she hugged them back, holding her friends tightly while Zecora showed up from the trail. Knowing this was probably a personal moment for Rarity and her friends, Zecora stayed silent in the distance while Twilight spoke in a relieved tone.

"Oh Rarity,” said Twilight before she let go of the mare, "we're so glad to see you're alright!"

Of all five ponies who were gathered around Rarity, Fluttershy looked more guilty than relieved as she spoke in a worried rant. "And we're really sorry we couldn't get to you sooner! I mean, by the time I realized you were late in picking up Opal, it was already too dark to go into the Everfree Forest! And the—"

"It's quite alright,” Rarity said, putting a hoof up to calm Fluttershy. "Luckily, I was fortunate enough to have Zecora help me out." Looking back to the zebra, Rarity kept a grateful smile on her face, making Zecora feel especially happy as she heard the mare continue.

"Honestly,” said Rarity as she turned back to the other five ponies, "I have to admit I was in a fairly bad scuttle involving a Timberwolf, bu—"

The five mares immediately gasped at hearing that, making Rarity hesitate a little before she kept speaking.

"… But Zecora managed to treat my injuries amazingly well, and I couldn't be more grateful for that."

Hearing her statement, Zecora grew a warm smile on her muzzle, really appreciating how thankful the unicorn was as she stared back at her. Before the zebra could say anything, Twilight stepped up to her with a smile and spoke in a caring tone.

"Zecora,” Twilight began as she put out a hoof to the zebra, "thank you so much for helping out. We couldn't be more grateful to have a friend like you."

Zecora merely nodded and smiled as she shook the Princess's hoof, waiting a moment before she replied, "Well, Rarity has been quite a good friend to me. And how she handled that beast was something to see."

Pinkie Pie immediately jumped up to Zecora in her usual energetic state, noting the sack of jewels on the zebra's back as she spoke gleefully.

"Ooh, ooh, ooh! What did she do to the Timberwolf? Did she take all the gems it had after whining enough to make it run away?"

Hearing that, Rarity groaned and face-hoofed, struggling to believe she would actually say something like that. Looking back at the unicorn, Pinkie kept a quizzical look on her face as she continued, "What? That was what you did when you got those jewels from the Diamond Dogs."

"That… might be true,” Rarity said as she tried to explain the sack Zecora was carrying, "but—"

"And you needed a bunch of jewels and stuff for Sapphire Shores, right?"

"Well, yes I did, bu—" Rarity's head bent back a little as she looked at Pinkie Pie in confusion, taking a few seconds before she tried to comprehend the mare's words. "What… what does Sapphire Shores have to do with this?"

Applejack peered in on the conversation as she spoke to the unicorn. "Whaddya mean? Ah thought ya had an appointment wit' her today. At least that's what Ah thought when Ah saw her at yer Boutique today."

Rarity froze in place after Applejack's statement, her eyes becoming as wide as Frisbees before she slowly turned towards her. Now slightly shaking from shock, Rarity's voice came out in a very faint whimper as she tried to clarify Applejack’s words.

“.... What?"

"Ah said that Sapphire Shores was wantin' ta talk wit' ya about a new ou—"

"WHAT!?!" Rarity grabbed Applejack by the shoulders. "SAPPHIRE SHORES IS AT MY HOUSE RIGHT NOW?!?!"

"Ah… Ah thought ya knew!" Applejack managed to get the panicked unicorn off her before she continued, "We told her we was just about to look for ya, and she said she would wait if—"

Rarity gasped as she put her hooves up to her face, trying to hide her shocked state as she tried to muster out a statement.

"Are… are you telling me that a world-famous pop star is at my house, and you made her wait there alone for me?!”

Not wanting to deal with an enraged breakdown, Rainbow Dash stepped forward as she spoke to her. "Rare, are you seriously mad at us right now?! We were freaking out all night because we thought you were Timberwolf-chow, and all you're worried about is some namby-pamby pop star at your place?!"

Before Rarity could snap at the Pegasus for describing Sapphire Shores like that, Pinkie Pie intervened and put a hoof around Rarity’s shoulder. Not noticing how upset Rarity was getting, Pinkie Pie spoke up in a chipper tone and tried to calm her down.

"Dontcha worry, Rarity! She's not waiting there alone! Your Mom and Dad wanted to ask you for something, so they're waiting at your place with her right now keeping her company! Isn’t that great?"

Rarity's head zipped over to Pinkie Pie so fast, there was an audible crack heard from her neck. Staring at the cluelessly happy mare with a look of pure terror, Rarity's face started twitching like crazy before she spoke shakily.

"My… my parents… are alone with the Pony of Pop… at my house?!"

"Uh-huh!" said Pinkie cheerfully as she nodded, not noticing how mortified the unicorn was getting as she kept talking. "We asked them to keep her company while we looked for you, so they got out this big album of your baby photos to sho—"

"AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!"

That terrified scream was the last notable noise any of them were able to hear before Rarity shot out of the forest, running faster than she did when she was being chased by the Timberwolf. In less than a second, the unicorn left all of them in a cloud of dust outside Zecora's place as she zoomed back home, leaving everyone speechless for a moment as they tried to comprehend what just happened.

Finding her ability to speak first, Applejack turned her attention to Pinkie Pie as she spoke in an upset tone. "Pinkie… did ya have to tell her that?"

Pinkie Pie only blinked a few time in silence before she answered, “Why? Was that bad?"

> Arrangements and Afflictions
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rarity was usually seen as the most dainty mare in Ponyville, and somepony that would never be seen actively trying to sweat or wear down her hooves. However, as the citizens of Ponyville went about their daily routines, nopony expected to see the white unicorn run through town like Chrysalis was on her tail.

Running past ponies without giving the slightest notice of anything around her, Rarity was running at top speed toward her Boutique, moving at a pace that even Rainbow Dash would be impressed to see. However, despite how close the mare was to leaving a trail of fire to her home, Rarity's heart still skipped in pure dread as she heard laughter from inside.

Most notably, laughter from her mother.

The door to the Carousel Boutique blew open with the force of a thousand suns as Rarity bolted into her home, looking like she just dealt with Discord on a good day. Her formally flawless purple mane was now badly tangled from her high-speed run, which matched her white fur, which was now matted with sweat.

Panting heavily, Rarity stood at the entrance of her living room with wide-open eyes, staring in horror as she saw who was on her couch. Rarity's mother—a slightly plump unicorn with a pink coat and poofy purple mane—was sitting with the tan pop-pony Sapphire Shores as they looked at photos from Rarity’s days in grade school.

And seeing which page the album was opened to, Rarity almost had a heart-attack as she realized a world-famous singer was looking through her "nudist" phase.

"And this was from another kooky phase from her foalhood, when my little marshmallow would put on lots of fancy clothes, just so she would take them right off in front of compa—"

"Mom…" Gritting her teeth, Rarity's voice came out in a surprisingly cold tone as she addressed her Mother. "… Whyyyyyy?"

"Oh, there you are, Pumpkin!" Not realizing how close her daughter was to strangling her, the jolly mare hopped right off the couch and trotted up to her. Keeping a cheeky smile on her face, the unicorn quickly pulled her daughter in for a tight hug, squeezing her as she kept talking in an upbeat tone.

"It's so nice to see you again! You have to write us more often! You know I don't like it when you're out doing Celestia-knows what, leaving us all worried!"

Despite still feeling furious about her showing Sapphire Shores her baby photos (who was still browsing through them on the couch with a muffled snicker), Rarity's anger faltered a little bit as she felt her mother's warm hug. Knowing she couldn't possibly say anything that bad at the moment because of her Mom’s sweetness—as well as having a celebrity in the room she didn’t want to make uncomfortable—Rarity sighed deeply before she hugged her Mom back. However, Rarity only hugged for about a second before she backed up, managing to give a strong glare to her mother as she spoke.

"Mother, why in Equestria did you have to bring out that photo album?! You know how hard I try to upkeep myself for my clients!"

"Which is why I helped!" Just as quickly as Rarity went back to her upset state, the pink unicorn now had a more stern look on her face as she said, "You should be lucky that your Father and I came by! If we weren't around to entertain this charming young mare…"

Rarity's mother looked back to the pop-star on the couch, who gave a warm smile back to her before she turned back to her daughter.

"... Then she probably would've been bored senseless before you came back home! And where exactly have you been, by the way? Your friends looked worried sick!"

Even though she wished her parents didn’t try to interfere with her life like this, Rarity could still tell that they were merely trying to help her out. Before the mare could explain her predicament—and risk giving her Mom a heart-attack at the mention of a Timberwolf attack—Rarity was interrupted when she heard her Father come in from the kitchen.

"Alrighty, Miss Shores, hope you like OJ!"

Despite the large straw hat covering his horn, the white unicorn with a thick brown moustache was still able to carry a large tray with several glasses of orange juice in his white aura. As the cheerful stallion carefully placed the tray on the coffee table in front of Sapphire Shores, he noticed his daughter at the doorway before a large smile came up on his face.

"There you are, sugar-bumpkin!" Carrying a grin as noticeable as his tacky floral shirt, it was obvious the stallion was happy to see Rarity as he trotted up and hugged her. "I hope you don't mind us raiding your kitchen a little for your client. Sweetie Belle is back there right now getting the cookies rea—"

Before her father could finish his statement, the loud blare of the smoke alarm could be heard from the kitchen before a young filly's voice cried out from inside.

"Daddyyyyy!!! I burnt the ice again!"

"Oh, geez!" said the stallion as he face-hoofed with a smile still on his face. "I swear, that filly needs some more cooking lessons."

Hearing that, Rarity's Mom chimed in as she looked at the stallion with a smirk on her muzzle, "Well, she still has better cooking skills than you, Mister 'Managed to Set Fire to Cereal'!"

The stallion's smile finally went away as he looked back to his wife, glaring slightly as he replied to her little quip, "That only happened once."

"Excuse me,” Rarity said with a worried look as the alarm still went off from the kitchen, "could somepony please make sure my kitchen isn't completely on fire yet?"

Realizing there was now white smoke coming from the kitchen, both unicorns immediately came back to their senses before Rarity's Dad spoke up. "Oh, of course! Actually, we'll both head back there so you can chat with your gal-pal over there."

Despite having the urge to groan at her father's use of the word 'gal-pal', Rarity was still rather grateful as the two trotted back to the kitchen. Before the two could disappear from the space, Sapphire Shores was quick to speak up to them in a happy tone. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Pearl! You too, Magnum!"

The two unicorns gave one last smile back to Sapphire Shores before they went back to the increasingly smoking kitchen. Meanwhile, Rarity snatched the album with her aura away from Sapphire Shores, tossing it aside before she quickly tried to recompose herself.

"Go-good morning, Sapphire Shores!" Hoping to hide her discomfort over her baby photos being shown like that, Rarity forced a smile on her muzzle before she tried to alleviate her situation. "I'm terribly sorry for making you wait like this, and I can assure you, this was an unavoidable circumst—"

"Oh, it's alright, Miss Rarity,” said Sapphire as she put a hoof up to silence the unicorn. Waiting until Rarity closed her muzzle, Sapphire Shores brushed her powder-blue mane back a little before she spoke in an upbeat tone. "Actually, I really enjoyed talking with your folks! It's always nice to actually talk with ponies without them feeling pressured by me or anything."

Seeing how cheerful the mare really looked, Rarity sighed and smiled once more. Despite wanting to have a stern talk with them about using her baby photos like that, Rarity was still glad that her family helped out like this. Remembering that she had a huge returning client in front of her right now, Rarity cleared her throat before she spoke in a more elegant tone.

"Well, now that I'm here, I'm more than happy to assist with whatever you need. So, what is it that you need my expertise on?"

"Well…" With a more excited look on her face, Sapphire Shores stood up from her spot on the couch as she spoke with pride in her booming voice. "I'm sure you've already heard, but I'm just about to start another world-wide tour! And this time, I'm finally going to be doing shows in both Saddle Arabia AND the Gryphon Kingdom for the first time!"

Rarity's eyes widened in surprise at hearing that, knowing how difficult it was to just get passports to either of those places. "Wow, congratulations! I'm sure you'll be a huge hit over there!"

"Oh, I know I will!" said Sapphire in a matter-of-fact tone of voice. "And because of that, I need to have a sen-sational look to carry myself! Something that says wild! That says untamed! That says… exotic!"

Hearing that last word, Rarity's ears perked up in excitement as a huge smile came up on her face. Even though she didn't expect it to be made for somepony like Sapphire Shores, Rarity still beamed with enthusiasm as she realized her latest idea could be the perfect look for the pop-star.

"I am so, so happy that you said that,” Rarity said as she tried to keep herself from hopping around the room like Pinkie Pie, "because I happen to have just the thing for…"

Before she could continue her raving, Rarity's eyes widened in shock as went to reach for her saddle bag, realizing in horror that it wasn't there. Looking back to her flank, Rarity looked mortified as she saw that her bag (which contained her sketch book) wasn't on her like she originally thought. Remembering how she practically flew here from the Everfree Forest as soon as she found out what was going on, Rarity tried not to hyperventilate as she realized she didn't have anything to show to her client.

"Ummm…" Afraid of losing one of her most profitable clients because of her own mistake, Rarity began to shake as she slowly turned back to Sapphire Shores with a sorrowful look on her face. "Sa-Sapphire… I… I don't…"

Before the unicorn could finish her statement, the front door quickly opened again as Zecora rushed in, carrying Rarity's saddlebag in her mouth as she trotted over to her.

"Rarity, you forgot your stuff!" said the zebra while the strap was in her mouth. "You shouldn't try to run off rough."

Seeing the saddlebag in front of her, Rarity immediately ran toward the zebra as she lit her horn, pulling it from Zecora's muzzle as she showed the largest grin of gratitude on her muzzle.

"Oh, thank you SO much, Zecora!" Happy to see her sketch book was inside the saddlebag, Rarity quickly lunged forward and hugged the zebra, not caring about the surprised reactions from both her and Sapphire Shores as she continued, "You have no idea how happy I am that you brought me this!"

"Oh, it was… no problem at all,” muttered Zecora as she tried to contemplate how warm the mare's hug was. Breathing heavily, the zebra tried to quickly compose herself as she spoke through Rarity's hug. "I knew its importance was tall."

After giving one last (and surprisingly hard) squeeze while hugging Zecora, Rarity didn't notice the zebra's deep blush when she finally let go, instead focusing her attention on the sketch book inside. With a satisfied smile on her face, Rarity levitated the book out of her bag and flipped it to her latest drawing, looking happy at the end result as she carried it in front of Sapphire Shores.

"As you can see,” began Rarity in a confident tone, not noticing how surprised the pop-star still looked by her sudden affection towards the zebra next to them, "I was inspired by this piece last night while I was out in the Everfree Forest. The very description I had in my head while drawing this was 'exotic,’ which is exactly what you were looking for!"

Looking at the sketch, Sapphire's eyes widened in interest as she scanned the drawing, skewing her head a little before she looked back at the mare. While Rarity kept a smile on her face in an attempt to look less nervous about her most appealing (and only) suggestion, Sapphire looked between her and the zebra behind her, smirking a little before she turned her attention back to the sketch book. Keeping her grin, Sapphire cleared her throat before she spoke triumphantly.

"This… is EXACTLY what I was looking for!"

Despite not wanting to act overly prideful about just a drawing, Rarity still uttered a quick "Yes!" to herself while she tried not to pump her hoof in self-congratulation. Seeing how the unicorn was acting, Zecora didn’t utter a word and excused herself from the space, walking back to the kitchen while Rarity listened to Sapphire.

"In fact,” continued Sapphire as she picked up the sketch book and held it in her hooves, "I can definitely see myself wearing an entire line of costumes like this!"

Even though she still wanted to cheer in delight about Sapphire Shores's approval, Rarity’s smile faltered a little bit at hearing that last part. Remembering how much trouble she went through the last time she made several dresses for this mare, Rarity felt a tad hesitant about doing anything of that sort again. However, the last thing the unicorn wanted to do was deny a job this large, making her swallow her worries a little before she spoke in a more professional tone.

"Oh, well… I think I can manage something like that. Just tell me how many dresses you would need, and how much time would be necessary."

"Oh, honey I'm glad you said that,” said Sapphire as she kept a smirk on her muzzle. "I actually have to start my tour next week, so I need to have five of these made by then."

"F-five?!"

Even though she didn't want to be seen as somepony who wasn't up for this task, Rarity was still shocked that the mare would make a request like that. While it wasn't nearly the largest challenge she'd tackled in her career, making several high-quality garments in less than a week was still quite a tough task to complete.

Not noticing how stunned the unicorn was looking, Sapphire Shores looked around the parlor a little before she noticed a line of mannequins along the shop window, each one wearing a dress of a different color. Looking at them, she smiled before she turned back to Rarity with a more insistent tone.

“And if you could make them in the colors like those dresses over there, that would be fan-tastic!"

Even though she was still slightly speechless about this sudden order thrust upon her, Rarity still took notice of the dresses Sapphire was referring to before nodding back to her. Right as she was about to confirm her agreement with Sapphire Shores, Rarity was interrupted when she heard the door to the kitchen open once more. While Rarity's father Magnum carried a plate of cookies under his aura, his wife Pearl was trotting alongside Zecora as she chatted with the zebra happily.

“And that was how we finally managed to get Rarity to stop wetting the bed!"

"MOM!"

Despite how red the white mare's face suddenly got, it didn’t stop Pearl and Zecora (as well as Sapphire Shores) from laughing as a plate of chocolate chip cookies were brought in. As soon as the plate was lowered onto the coffee table next to the glasses of orange juice, a small, white filly ran out from the kitchen with a huge grin on her face. Expecting the young unicorn to pounce on her like a mountain lion, Rarity anticipated the worst before she heard her sister speak.

"Hey Rare!"

Focused on the cookies in front of her, the pink-and-purple-maned filly only gave a slight notice to Rarity as she ran past her. Although Rarity felt a tad offended that her own sister barely acknowledged her, she had to admit those cookies smelled absolutely delightful. Knowing how hard it could be for a mare her age to think of anything else in the presence of sweets, Rarity let it slide before lighting her horn up. Picking up a smaller cookie from the middle of the plate, Rarity spoke up as she looked at her sister.

"Well, good morning, Sweetie Belle. I take it you had a good time helping out in the kitchen?"

Sweetie Belle turned back to Rarity with a smile on her muzzle, although it was hard to tell because it was already stuffed with at least three cookies. Even though her mouth was overstuffed, the filly still nodded cheerfully as she tried to reply, "Ummmph-hummmph!"

Seeing how much was stuffed in the little unicorn's muzzle, Pearl's face became slightly agitated as she spoke to her in a stern tone of voice. "Now Sweetie, I told you that you could have two cookies! And I know that's more than two, missy!"

"Oh come on, Honey,” said Magnum in a more caring tone as he put a hoof on his wife's shoulder, "she worked really hard to help make those cookies. I think she deserves a little extra."

Despite seeing how happy Sweetie Belle looked as she chewed the cookies—making crumbs drop out onto her sister's immaculately clean carpeting—Pearl still groaned before she turned back to Mangum with a glare in her eyes. "Well, when she loses her appetite before lunch, I'm blaming you."

Not wanting to deal with her parents' bickering, Rarity sighed as she ate her cookie and turned her attention back to Sapphire Shores, who was already enjoying one of the cookies while holding a glass of orange juice in one hoof. After taking a quick sip, the pop-star cleared her throat before she spoke to Rarity.

"Well, Miss Rarity, I take it that you're up for the job?"

Even with the bad memories of Diamond Dogs in her mind, Rarity only thought about Sapphire Shores's proposal for a second before swallowing her cookie and nodding with a smile. "Well, of course, Miss Shores! I'll be sure to get your order complete before your tour."

Just as Sapphire smiled in gratitude, two large Pegasus stallions in sunglasses ran in through the door of the Boutique, noticing Sapphire Shores before they spoke in a bold tone to her.

"Miss Shores! Your five o' clock is needing to reschedule to three today!"

Hearing that, Sapphire Shores's eyes widened before she groaned in frustration. "Uggggh! I thought I told them… oh, never mind!"

Looking disappointed at this news, Sapphire looked back at Rarity's parents with a remorseful tone as she spoke with a shade of guilt in her voice. "I'm really, really sorry, but I gotta make this meeting in Canterlot A.S.A.P!"

Holding up her hoof in understanding, Pearl kept a warm smile on her muzzle as she addressed Sapphire. "Oh, it's alright, Miss Shores! You have a big career, so I know you have big plans."

While Sapphire gave a warm smile to the mare in gratitude, Magnum levitated several of the cookies into a paper bag before floating it to her. "Here you go, Miss Shores,” said the stallion in a kind tone. "Something for the road."

"Oh, thank you so much!" After giving Magnum a quick hug, Sapphire Shores trotted over to the two Pegasus ponies as they made their way out of the Boutique. Before she could head off to Canterlot, the mare looked back to Rarity and clarified their arrangement. "So I'll get those dresses at the end of the week?"

“Well, of course!" said Rarity in a confident tone. "My word is my bond. I promise to have it completed by the time you come back."

Nodding, Sapphire gave a quick “Thank you,” before leaving the Boutique, leaving Rarity rather fulfilled with her morning before she turned back to her family. Before she could help herself to one of the cookies, Pearl kept an impressed smirk on her muzzle as she spoke to Rarity.

"Well, Rarity,” Pearl said cheerfully, "good for you! That Sapphire Shores is such a nice gal. So, what dress are you making for her?"

"Actually,” began Rarity in an excited tone as she looked to her mother happily, "I'm making five dresses for her!"

“Five? Really?" Pearl asked as her face grew a slight shade of worry.

Not noticing her mother's change, Rarity kept her own smile as she continued, “Yes! Although I do admit that this is quite sudden, I don't have many other large orders for this week, so I think I can manage it."

"... Oh." Biting her lip, Pearl looked back to her husband with a worried look on her face. Noticing this, Rarity's smile dropped slightly as she looked at her parents with a disquieted look on her face.

"Why? Is something wrong?"

“... Well…”

Before Pearl could respond, Magnum stepped forward and spoke with Sweetie Belle next to him. "Actually, we were kinda hoping that you would look after Sweetie Belle this week."

"What?!" Rarity looked at her Dad in shock. "I thought she was going with you two to Baltimare!"

"Well, we were,” began the stallion as he rubbed the back of his neck, "but the game was rescheduled to be held in Fillydelphia. And… well… I think you remember the last time we brought her there…"

Hoping to hide her cringe, Rarity closed her eyes and sighed. "Oh, right. You mean that whole… relish incident?"

Magnum only nodded as Sweetie Belle looked away from both of them in guilt. While Zecora stood nearby with a confused look on her face, Rarity and the others didn't need to say anything to remind themselves of that day. Remembering how badly things went, it was nothing short of a miracle that only Sweetie Belle was banned from that stadium for life. Not wanting to go any further with the topic, Rarity cleared her throat before she spoke to both her parents.

"Guys, I'm really, really sorry. You know how much I enjoy having Sweetie Belle around in my free time, but I don't think I can watch her this week." Seeing the upset look on Sweetie Belle's face, Rarity winced as she looked away, keeping her attention on her parents as she spoke in a guilty tone of voice. "I really don't think I can look after Sweetie Belle and finish Sapphire Shores's order at the same time."

Biting her lip, Rarity could tell how upset her parents looked by the way their ears drooped down. Despite wanting to say something against this, both of Rarity's parents knew how important their daughter's career was, which just made them feel even worse as Pearl tried to reason with Rarity about it.

"But… do you think there's any way you could try to look after her this week? I mean, I know you have a big order to fill, but we really don't have anypony else to foalsit her."

Rarity's cringe was apparent as she looked away from her mother, not wanting to face her guilt-inducing stare as she tried to reply, "I really, really don't think I can do that, Mom! I'm sorry, I truly am, but—"

"Ummm… excuse me? Miss Rarity?"

Rarity and her family turned to Zecora, who was standing in a corner of the room. Although she didn’t want to get herself involved in family affairs that weren't her business, the zebra couldn't help but feel bad for Rarity's predicament. After seeing how much the unicorn helped her this morning, Zecora hoped to return the favor.

"I can help with the filly, if you do not mind. It's the least I can do, for you being so kind."

Blinking a few times, Rarity was speechless for a moment as she tried to comprehend Zecora's words. Realizing what she was proposing, Rarity held her hoof up in defiance and tried to speak against Zecora's offer. "Oh, Zecora you shouldn't! You've already been so helpful, and I know you have to work on that medicine an—"

"I assure you, it would be alright,” said the zebra as she spoke with a raised hoof of her own. Keeping an insistent look on her face, Zecora waited until Rarity stopped speaking before she continued, "Besides, I work on that brew at night. While you work on the dresses, I can watch the filly. I won't take no for an answer, so don't be silly."

Before Rarity could say anything to oppose to the zebra's insistent attitude, the unicorn closed her eyes and breathed in. Taking a moment to let this sink in, Rarity bit her lip as she realized how helpful this would be. Even though she really didn't want to impose on Zecora like this, she couldn't deny that this was probably one of the best options for everypony. Looking back at Zecora, Rarity sighed before she responded in a slightly defeated tone.

"I… I guess I could use some help during the day…"

Before Zecora could grin to herself in satisfaction, Pearl carried the biggest smile on her face as she gave a quick hug to the zebra. "Oh, thank you so much for helping out!" After letting go of her, Pearl looked back to her husband as he spoke with a gracious tone to Zecora.

"This is really a big help for us, so we really appreciate it, Miss Zecora."

“Oh, it really is no problem at all,” assured the zebra as she looked to Magnum with a smile. "I like to help with problems big and small."

Seeing how happy her parents looked at Zecora's help, Rarity could only sigh before she spoke with a faint smile on her muzzle. "Well… I guess if everypony is alright with this…"

Looking over to Zecora, Rarity kept her smile as she saw how genuine Zecora was, making her feel better about this before she finished her statement. "Then I'm more than grateful for your assistance. Thank you, Zecora."

As the zebra nodded to Rarity with a warm smile, Pearl turned her attention to Sweetie Belle before speaking. "Now Sweetie, you should go get your things to bring in here, alright?"

Sweetie Belle happily nodded before trotting out of the Boutique with her father close behind, leaving Pearl to head back into the kitchen while Rarity spoke to Zecora.

"I really can't believe you're willing to be this helpful after everything, bu—"

"Please, Rarity, you don't need to explain." Knowing how grateful Rarity was already, Zecora didn't feel the need to hear any more thank-you's. "I don't want to see your work in disdain."

As Rarity closed her muzzle again and smiled, Zecora looked back to the kitchen for a moment, contemplating what to ask before she looked back to the unicorn with a quizzical look on her face.

"So, Rarity, I usually don't want to bring stories out… But what was that relish thing that you guys were talking about?"

> Sticky Situation
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

For the next week, things went surprisingly well over at Rarity's Carousel Boutique. Even though she felt rather swamped with getting her dresses completed, Rarity still had enough time in her schedule to at least get breakfast ready for her sister before walking with her to the schoolhouse. 

Around the time Sweetie Belle finished classes, Zecora would already be at the Boutique, mostly to make sure Sweetie Belle wouldn't bother Rarity for a large part of the day. Fortunately, due to the filly's insistence to spend most of her time with Apple Bloom and Scootaloo, Zecora spent a surprisingly low amount of time really doing anything. Aside from making sure there were no fires or fillies screaming out "stranger danger,” Zecora had a fairly relaxing week while at Rarity's, which made her brew workings back at her hut that much easier to complete at night.

By the time the week was over, Rarity was pleased at how quickly she managed to get everything completed. Even with having to make breakfast and dinner for Sweetie Belle between the times Zecora would be around, the unicorn was still able to get Sapphire Shores's orders finished earlier than expected.

After looking over the dresses one last time, Rarity sighed in relief and collapsed on her bed, finally savoring a moment of peace as she lost herself to the comforts of her bedding. After taking a deep sigh of relief, Rarity opened her deep blue eyes once more as she admired her work from her bed, smiling as she saw how amazing her new designs really were. Even though she never would've expected to make something like this a week ago, her time over at the Everfree Forest really helped to fuel the fire to the unicorn's creative abilities.

Realizing what helped to inspire her latest creation, Rarity took a quick mental note before closing her eyes again, hoping to remember to do something especially nice for Zecora later.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"So… what do you think?"

Despite the booming confidence she had in her dresses earlier, Rarity still felt like a jackhammer was rattling in her chest as she stood before Sapphire Shores now. With all five of the requested garments out on display, the unicorn kept on an anxious smile to cover her worry while Sapphire stood before them. Looking at the dresses with unbridled fascination, the pop-star's eyes widened in excitement as she saw the final product, making her grin especially wide before she turned back to Rarity cheerfully.

"I absolutely LOVE it, baby! These look perfect!"

"YES!" shouted Rarity, not realizing until too late that she had hoof-pumped herself in self-celebration. Looking back to Sapphire Shores (who kept an amused smirk on her muzzle), the unicorn blushed and looked away with a sheepish smile. "Um… sorry about that."

"Oh, don't worry,” said Sapphire in a confident tone as she looked back to the dresses, "if I made something that nice, I'd be cheering for myself as well!"

Rarity giggled as she looked back to her dresses, smiling in satisfaction before she replied, "Well, I can’t say that it was easy. I had to make all of these while looking after my little sister this week."

"Ooh, really?" said Sapphire Shores with a look of surprise and light cringe as she looked back at the unicorn. "If I'd known that, I would've asked for them a little longer than a week."

"Oh, don't apologize!" assured Rarity as she put up a hoof in solidarity. "I agreed to look after her after taking the job, so if anything, any fault that could've occurred would have to be from myself. Plus, I had some very helpful assistance this week."

“Oh? You mean the zebra at the corner?"

"Why yes, the ze—" Realizing what was just said, Rarity's head zipped over to the stairway of the Boutique, looking wide-eyed in surprise as she saw Zecora at the bottom steps. Looking with surprise herself, the zebra's eyes were glued on the dresses made for Sapphire Shores, seeing for the first time what it was the unicorn made for the pop-star.

All five dresses were of the same style, boasting heavy seam lines that made wild zig-zag patterns along the length of the body. Each dress carried two different colors, all of them very bright, neon shades, which shone against the white walls of the Boutique like sirens. With all the wild hues of pink, yellow, blue and other colors, it was no doubt that Rarity wanted to give an "untamed" feeling with her design.

However, despite how out-there the dresses looked, it didn't take Zecora a second to see what kind of pattern was used for these garments: while each dress had different types of zig-zag patterns along the bodies of the mannequins, it was apparent they weren't just made for aesthetic looks or a randomized idea brought to life.

Those were quite obviously zebra stripes.

Seeing how stunned the zebra looked at seeing the dresses, Sapphire Shores kept her smirk as she looked between her and the dresses. Catching the pattern as well, Sapphire looked back over to Rarity as she spoke in a more sassy tone.  "Well, I guess I don't need to ask where you got this idea."

Quickly realizing what she was referring to, Rarity's blush grew even deeper as she tried to stammer out a statement between Sapphire Shores and Zecora. "Oh! Well, I… I-I just got an idea to make something with… well… stripes…"

Embarrassed, Rarity looked away from both Sapphire and Zecora as she tried to hide how red her face was getting. Chuckling a little under her breath, Sapphire turned her attention back to Zecora as she spoke. "So, I'm guessing this is your first time seeing these?"

Realizing she was being spoken to, Zecora stirred herself back to reality as she looked away from the dresses. "Oh, well… yes. This is the first time I've seen these."

Taking one more look at the dresses, a faint smile appeared on the zebra’s muzzle as she noted how nice the dresses really looked. Hoping to alleviate Rarity's embarrassment a little, Zecora turned over to the unicorn as she spoke graciously. "And I gotta say, you sure know how to please!"

Hearing the zebra's praises, Rarity slowly turned back towards Zecora, looking with surprise as she continued, "I don't normally rave over dresses and such, but I have to admit I like them very much!"

Looking over at Zecora, Rarity saw nothing but pure sincerity when she looked at the zebra's warm smile towards her. Seeing how she really meant those words about her work, Rarity gave a caring smile back towards Zecora. While she didn’t realize it at the time, Rarity still had a light blush on her cheeks as she kept her smile on the zebra for a few seconds more. 

However, that feeling quickly went away as soon as Sapphire Shores spoke up, helping Rarity shoot back into reality as she immediately listened.

"I don't know where you found this mare,” said the pop-star in a joyful tone as she looked at Zecora, "but she definitely knows good taste when she sees it!" Looking back to the dresses, Sapphire smirked again as she took note of the pattern before continuing, "I never would've thought of using stripes like this, but it's gonna look perfect for my tour! You should be lucky to have a girlfriend like her to inspire you."

"Well, the inspiration was merel—WHAT?!"

Catching what Sapphire Shores said, Rarity's heart shot up to her throat as she tried to comprehend how she could assume something like that. Looking back over to Zecora in a panicked manner, Rarity saw that the zebra looked just as surprised as she was, making them both put their hooves up to Sapphire Shores as the unicorn tried to set the manner straight.

"No, no, nonononono! Miss Shores, Zecora isn't my… I mean… she's just…"

Seeing the light panic she caused, Sapphire Shores's blush started to stick out against her powder-blue mane while she carried a look of slight embarrassment. Before she could muster out an apology, Zecora opened her muzzle and spoke to the pop-star.

"I was just foal-sitting for her sister this week. There is nothing between us for which I can speak."

Not wanting to insult either mare from her little comment, Sapphire cringed a little and looked away. "I'm… I'm really sorry,” muttered the mare in a guilty tone, "I shouldn't have said that. I just thought—"

"It's quite alright,” assured Rarity as she put up a hoof, "we all make mistakes, and I won’t hold it against you. She really is just foal-sitting Sweetie Belle for me."

Thinking of her response a little, Rarity turned back to Zecora when she realized she hadn't heard much from her sister. "Zecora, where is Sweetie Belle? Is she with her friends or something?"

"Actually, the girls have been upstairs all day. They haven't made much noise, so I let them play."

Blinking a few times, Rarity stayed silent as she let Zecora's words sink in. Looking up to her ceiling, Rarity's eyes widened as she realized how eerily silent her sister had been with her friends. Knowing how much trouble Sweetie and her friends usually get into, Rarity was usually a lot more comfortable when she can actually hear what they're doing.

While she wasn't a mother herself, Rarity still knew that silence was usually a bad sign in regards to a filly, making her especially worried as she turned back to Zecora slowly. "Are you telling me… that those three fillies… haven't made any noise… all day?"

Not catching Rarity's growing dread over what might be happening upstairs, Zecora kept a cool tone as she replied, "Well yeah, the three have been pretty quiet. It's not like the—"

Zecora's eyes shot open when she realized what Rarity was getting at, making her immediately stop her rhyme as she rushed back upstairs. With Sapphire looking up to the ceiling in curiosity and Rarity looking up the stairs in fear, only the sound of Zecora's thundering hooves could be heard above them. It wasn't until the two heard a door open upstairs that they heard the zebra cry out in the Boutique.

"SWEET CELESTIA, WHAT DID YOU GIRLS DO?! AND WHERE ON EARTH DID YOU GET SO MUCH GLUE?!"

Quickly looking back at Sapphire Shores, Rarity's wide-eyed stare was more than enough to show her discomfort as she tried to speak.

"I…" began the unicorn as she tried to speak in a “totally-not-freaking-out” tone of voice, "I think I should check on them."

"Yeah,” uttered Sapphire as she slowly nodded, keeping her attention on the ceiling above her. "Go right ahead."

Rarity immediately zoomed up the stairs fast enough to nearly leave a fire trail. With the pop-star downstairs, the entire Boutique erupted in a loud shriek as Rarity cried out in pure terror.

"OPAL!!!!"

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

With all the commotion that occurred within the Boutique, Sapphire Shores was quick to leave with her garments after leaving her payment, allowing Rarity to focus her attention on the latest actions of Sweetie Belle and her friends.

Sitting alongside each other in the living room of the boutique, the three fillies looked down to the floor in shame as they anticipated their punishment. Of the three members of the Cutie Mark Crusaders sitting on the couch, Apple Bloom seemed the most worried as she heard her older sister in the other room. As Rarity's voice could be faintly heard from the kitchen explaining their latest antics, Apple Bloom cringed as she heard Applejack's voice cry out.

"They did what with the cat?!"

The sound of hoofsteps could be heard as Applejack quickly walked into the room, carrying a look of confusion and disappointment as she stared at Apple Bloom. With Rarity behind her, Applejack had no idea what to say to Apple Bloom or her friends.

Knowing they screwed up big-time with their latest idea, the three fillies kept their gazes to the ground before they said in unified guilt, "We're sorry."

Knowing that they were legitimately shameful for their actions, Applejack groaned and tried to think of what to say to the three. Keeping her attention on Apple Bloom, she readjusted the Stetson on her head for a second before she spoke in a bewildered tone of voice.

"Apple Bloom, wha… what… what the heck were you girls thinkin’?!"

Despite noticing the upset tone in her sister's voice, Apple Bloom still managed to reply—albeit in a faint and ashamed tone—as she kept her gaze to the floor. "Well… we thought that maybe we could get our cutie marks in glue testin'."

"But the cat?!" Applejack exclaimed, not noticing how angry Rarity was as she looked away from them. "What made ya think that was a bright idea?!"

Before Apple Bloom could respond to her sister, Sweetie Belle looked up to the mares as she tried to explain. "Well, we wanted something that could wiggle, so we would know if the glue could really hold something to the ceiling."

At the end of the couch, Scootaloo perked her head up, looking to the other two as she spoke in a more optimistic tone. "And considering the cat's still up there, I think we can say it worked really we—"

"Scoot!" snapped Applejack as she pointed a hoof at the filly. "Now is not the time!" Looking back to Rarity, who was still fuming at what the fillies did to her cat, Applejack winced a little before she tried to calm her down. "Rare, Ah'm really sorry about this, Ah really am. And you can believe me when Ah say that Apple Bloom's gonna be in big, big trouble when she gets home."

Looking back to the frightened filly on the couch, Applejack's quick glare at her sister was enough for Apple Bloom to know that her statement was one-hundred-percent genuine. However, Rarity still kept her gaze away from the fillies, not wanting to even look at them before she replied sternly to Applejack.

"Applejack, I greatly appreciate that, but right now I don’t want to think of anything except how to get my Opal down from the ceiling."

While Applejack looked away from the unicorn, seeing how upset she was about all this, the sound of hoofsteps could be heard from the stairs, which caught their attention. Carrying a large mop and bucket in her pink aura, Rarity's mother carried an exhausted look on her sweating face as she spoke to her daughter. "Well, I think I got most of the glue cleaned from the floor and walls. Your Dad and Zecora almost got the ceiling taken care of, so hopefully Opal will—"

Before she could complete her statement, Pearl was interrupted as the sound of loud ripping could be heard from upstairs, quickly followed by another noise.

RRRRRROOOOOWRRRRRR!!!!

"GOT IT!" shouted Magnum from upstairs. "We got your cat down, Rare!"

Looking back upstairs, Pearl kept a slightly relieved look on her face before putting down the mop and bucket. Taking a second to catch her breath, Pearl picked up the nearby cat-carrier with her aura before she spoke to her daughter. "I'm gonna be sure to get your kitty to the pet salon first thing in the morning, I promise. After she gets groomed and pampered, you won’t even notice any of her missing fur!"

Despite still wanting to strangle the fillies on the couch in front of her, Rarity managed to calm herself down enough to only make a light sigh before looking up to her mother with a faint smile. "Thank you, Mother, I… I really appreciate that."

With a warm smile on her face, Pearl kissed her daughter's cheek before walking back upstairs with the pet carrier. Feeling slightly better, Rarity took a deep breath before turning back to Applejack, who was just about to leave with her sister and Scootaloo.

"Ah'm pretty sure you're still awful sore about everything,” said Applejack as she looked back to Rarity, "so Ah'm just gonna get these two back home so you can calm yourself down a bit, okay?"

"Alright,” muttered the unicorn as she tried to keep her attention on Applejack and not the fillies next to her. "That might be best. Thank you."

With a quick nod in approval, Applejack trotted off with her sister and Scootaloo as they left the Carousel Boutique. Now sitting alone on the couch, Sweetie Belle looked even guiltier as she looked away from her sister. Before Rarity could look over to see how shameful the filly looked, Sweetie Belle's voice came out faintly as she spoke with remorse.

"I'm really sorry, Rarity."

Hearing her sister's genuinely saddened voice, Rarity sighed before she looked at her on the couch. Still looking away, Sweetie Belle kept her eyes to the floor as she added, "I promise I'll never glue the cat to the ceiling again."

"You shouldn't glue the cat to anything!"

Growing frustrated, Rarity closed her eyes and rubbed her temples with a hoof in an attempt to calm herself down again. Before she could say anything to her sister, Rarity heard the sound of several hoofsteps as her parents walked down the stairs with the cat carrier in their aura. 

Despite the fact that both their magical grips were holding the pet carrier in place, it still shook around violently as Opal's paws clawed out from the caged front, slashing at anything that came near her. Despite not wanting to get scratched, Rarity still walked over cautiously to the cat carrier before speaking faintly. "Oh, Opalescence, I am so sor—"

RRROOOWWWRRR!!!!

With a quick slash from her claws, Opal made sure that Rarity took several steps back from her cage. Realizing that any efforts to calm down her furious (and partially hairless) cat would be fruitless, Rarity sighed before she spoke to her parents. "Thank you so much for helping out like this."

"Oh, don't mention it,” assured Magnum with a smirk on his mustached face. "This isn't the worst thing we’ve dealt with, remember?"

Knowing how much trouble Sweetie Belle had made over the past few years, Rarity could only nod as she mustered a weak smile. Hoping to alleviate the situation, Pearl pulled her daughter in for a quick hug before speaking in a more optimistic tone. "Now Rare, you just gotta think positive, alright? Opal's gonna be alright, no permanent damage was made to the house, you just finished your big order for Sapphire Shores…"

Looking over to a corner of the room, Pearl smiled as something caught her attention, making her tone more cheerful as she finished her statement to Rarity. "And it looks like she gave you a little gift for your troubles!"

Looking over to the end table at a corner of the room, Rarity's eyes widened in surprise as she saw her mother was indeed right. Sitting next to the particularly large bag of bits from Sapphire Shores on the table was a tall box wrapped in bright pink wrapping paper, which made Rarity feel slightly better while her parents made their way out.

"We're gonna get out of your mane for now,” said Magnum as they made their way out with Sweetie Belle. "And we'll be sure to get the cat back here by tomorrow, okay?"

Looking over to her parents, Rarity merely nodded as she gave a small smile. With their shameful filly in tow, the unicorns gave a warm smile back before they left the Boutique. Waiting until they closed the door behind them, Rarity sighed in relief before she turned her attention to the payment and gift left by Sapphire Shores.

Walking over to the box, Rarity lit her horn as she removed the wrapping paper, barely noticing the hoofsteps behind her as Zecora finally came down the stairs. With her striped fur slightly matted with sweat, the zebra looked fairly exhausted as she made her way down to the ground floor, stopping at the base of the steps as she noticed what Rarity was holding.

Seeing what it was that Sapphire Shores left for her as a gift, Rarity was fairly surprised that the pop-star would give her something like this. Within her aura, Rarity was sure to be careful as she held the large bottle of champagne in her magical grasp, holding it up as she read the labeling. Looking at the brand, the unicorn knew that this was a very expensive bottle of strawberry champagne, and one she never actually had the chance to get before.

Before the mare could decide whether or not to keep this bottle for later, she noticed a small note that was tied to the neck of the bottle. Lifting it up with her aura, Rarity groaned a little as she read what Sapphire Shores wrote for her.

Rarity,

Here's a little something for you and your—

The next word was quickly scratched away with an ink pen, with a quick addition added over the blotch before the rest of the statement on the card.

FRIEND, to enjoy for the evening. Have fun!

Sincerely,
Sapphire Shores

After everything else that happened today, Rarity almost forgot about how Sapphire Shores thought she and Zecora were marefriends. And considering how ludicrous that idea sounded, the unicorn almost would've found it funny right now if it weren't for the Cutie Mark Crusaders' little glue adventure. However, despite that little misunderstanding, Rarity was still able to chuckle under her breath before hearing Zecora speak behind her.

"I think we got most of the glue scrubbed away."

Looking over to the zebra, Rarity gave a faint smile to show her appreciation. Before she could thank her for helping get the room cleaned, Rarity wasn't able to open her muzzle before Zecora finished her rhyme in a more morose tone.

"And I'm so sorry for everything today."

Hearing that, Rarity's eyes widened in surprise, not expecting the zebra to say something like that. "Wha… what are you talking about, Zecora?"

"I should've paid attention! I should have known something was wrong." Looking to the ground, Zecora kept a guilty look on her face as she avoided the unicorn's surprised gaze. "But I didn't, and that cat was up there for who knows how long."

"Oh Zecora,” began the mare as she started to look more saddened by Zecora's shameful attitude, "you shouldn't blame yourself! Believe me, Sweetie and her friends have done a lot of bad things before, so this was sort of unavoidable."

Zecora looked back up to Rarity with a skeptical look on her face, not really believing her usage of the word "unavoidable" in regards to Opal being stuck to the ceiling like a giant booger. However, Rarity still kept her insistent attitude as she kept speaking in an assuring manner to the zebra. "And just so you know, those girls were a LOT less of a nuisance this week than they usually are, which I greatly appreciate."

Looking away from Rarity for a second, Zecora's eyebrows rose as she realized Rarity had a fair point. Aside from today, Sweetie Belle and her friends really did behave alright for most of the week.

"And because of you,” continued Rarity as a smile came up on her face, "I was able to finish that order for Sapphire Shores, and get a rather nice bottle of champagne out of it!" Holding the bottle up with her magic for the zebra to see, Rarity kept a smirk on her face as she saw Zecora look less guilty for everything today.

Looking at the bottle, Zecora slowly grew a faint smile on her own as she saw how cheerful Rarity was looking. After a quick ponder, Rarity shrugged her past plans regarding this bottle as she looked to Zecora and spoke.

"Well, I don't know about you, but all I want to do right now is sit down and have a drink." Walking over to the couch, Rarity kept the bottle in her grasp before looking back to Zecora with a light smile. "Would you like a glass?"

"Oh…" With the strong memory of Sapphire Shores's assumption still on her mind, Zecora was slightly hesitant as she realized Rarity was offering her to stay for a drink. Despite knowing this was just something innocent, Zecora still seemed uncertain as she looked away from the unicorn. "… Gee, I don't know. I think I'll just go."

"Oh, come on,” Rarity pleaded as she sat down on the couch, "I just dealt with a stressful week making several dresses, which I have you to thank for…"

Remembering those stripe patterns, Zecora smiled a little as she looked back at Rarity, not noticing that she had a slight blush under her cheeks.

"Also,” continued the unicorn, "you were a really helpful foalsitter, despite that whole glue thing, and it would be rude of me not to offer you a drink after this week!"

Biting her lip, Zecora looked away again and pondered her answer. Even though she wouldn't mind having a drink after cleaning off all that glue and cat hair, she was still unsure of what to think about drinking with Rarity. As the zebra stayed lost in thought, Rarity sighed before she added to her offer.

"Zecora, come on! I just had to deal with my pet being used like an arts and crafts project, so I really need a drink right now! And I really don't want to drink alone, so I would greatly appreciate your company."

Thinking about it, Zecora breathed in as she realized Rarity had a good point. Not wanting to see somepony like Rarity drink alone, the zebra sighed before she finally responded, "You know, my week will be awfully busy…"

Seeing how Rarity was pouting like Sweetie Belle when she was denied a cookie, Zecora gave a light smile before she finished her rhyme.

"Oh, what the heck! I'll have some of the fizzy."

"Fabulous!"

With a new smile on her face, Rarity made room on the couch as Zecora sat beside her, keeping a smile of her own as the unicorn used her magic to pop open the bottle.

> Accidental Circumstances
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

As Ponyville slowly moved from Celestia's sun into Luna's enchanted night time, the Carousel Boutique stood still as the outside began to stir silent. Meanwhile, the inside of the Boutique was fairly active, as laughter from Rarity and Zecora could be heard while they sat on the couch. While Rarity poured herself yet another glass of the strawberry champagne, Zecora was content with the two she already had while she sat comfortably.

As the bottle between them slowly began to become more empty—mostly due to Rarity—the unicorn and zebra were becoming more relaxed as they chatted happily. And with a growing blush from her face due to her massive alcohol consumption, Rarity was barely able to keep herself from cackling loudly as she listened to Zecora finish her story.

"… And that was when I got kicked out of the bar!"

Clenching her eyes shut, Rarity almost spilled the glass of champagne in her aura as she cracked up laughing. While the unicorn had been known to have an occasional drink or two, downing more than half a bottle of champagne in a couple of hours was something she wasn't prone to doing.

However, despite Rarity's tipsy nature, Zecora didn’t say a word about it, knowing that the mare probably needed to unwind a little after everything that happened today. When she finally managed to stop laughing out loud, Rarity repositioned herself on the couch before noticing how little was left in the bottle.

"Oooohhhh, nnnooooo…" slurred the mare as she used her magic to place the bottle back on the coffee table, "I… am really going to regret drinking this much tomorrow morning."

Chuckling to herself, Zecora looked away to hide her grin from the unicorn, glad that she didn't drink nearly as much. While she was still fairly buzzed, the zebra was still able to sit upright without feeling like the entire room was spinning. Even though she could've taken this chance to tease the mare a little, Zecora decided against it and merely gave a light reply.

"Oh, you shouldn't worry. At least you are feeling well. I think you needed to unwind after Sweetie Belle."

Hearing that name, Rarity groaned as her head slumped over the back of the couch. Remembering why she decided to drink so much in the first place, the unicorn's frustration was apparent as she recalled what her sister did to her cat.

"Uuuggghhhhh…” Rarity groaned in her slurred state. "I still can't believe that filly! I mean, I love her, I really do, but sometimes I wonder what goes through her little head."

"You shouldn't blame her for being uncouth,” responded Zecora in an assuring manner, "it is merely a consequence of youth."

"Mmmmmm… maybe…" Moving her body weight back forward on the couch, Rarity almost fell over before she responded to Zecora's claim. "I mean, you—you're right, I guess, but… but she does the weirdest things! I mean, I told you about that relish thing, right?"

Remembering Rarity's story, Zecora struggled not to laugh as she nodded. Even though she felt bad for all those ponies who were at the stadium that day, the zebra still thought it was hilarious that Sweetie Belle was able to cause that much mayhem with just a radish, a balloon, and a cart full of pickles. Seeing Zecora's reaction, Rarity hiccupped a little before she continued to speak.

"Well, I actually don't think that's the worst thing she's done! I mean, technically it should be, but it's not the worst thing she did to me…"

With Zecora now looking at her with great interest, Rarity made sure she wasn't going to fall off the couch before she went on.

"I remember, when I first bought this place, I got a lot of business in the first month. Because of that, one of the first big purchases I made was my bed upstairs. Nice bed, king-sized with really nice sheets made of Saddle Arabian cotton, and really, really fluffy blankets…"

Rarity giggled to herself as she thought about her bedding, not realizing that she was starting to lose focus. After a quick cough from the zebra to catch her attention, Rarity shook her head clear before she continued her story.

"Oh! Any—anyways, I… I was asked by Mom and Dad to look after Sweetie Belle for the afternoon, and this was back when she was a little, itty-bitty filly. Like, she was still getting used to walking and talking, and just finished potty training. And I figured, hey, how bad could it be?"

Remembering what happened, Rarity's gaze went to the floor as she kept talking in a slurred state.

"Well, they were going to be gone for a while, so I decided to make spaghetti for her. And all while I was getting it ready, she was whining about me not letting her help, saying to me, 'I wanna help, I wanna help!' and I kept telling her that she can help later. Well, I ended up getting the noodles and sauce done, and I figured I would just let her stir it together to say she helped. Well… I had them on the counter before I went to get the garlic bread from the oven, and when I came back, they were gone!"

Seeing where this story was heading, Zecora tried not to snicker as she listened. Groaning at the incident in her head, Rarity looked to the zebra before she kept going.

"I had no idea where they went, and I knew I put them right there! I looked all over the kitchen, and couldn't find them anywhere! I thought I went crazy or something! But then, I heard my sister upstairs…"

Closing her eyes, Rarity struggled not to laugh before she went on.

"I heard her… jumping on my bed… and I… I thought that was all she was doing. But… when I went upstairs, I noticed a few drops of spaghetti sauce on the floor leading to my bedroom…"

Zecora put a hoof to her mouth to muffle her laughter, realizing what Rarity was saying her little sister did. "Oh, no no nooooo…" muttered the zebra, "where does this go?"

"Well…" began Rarity again as she tried not to laugh herself, "when I opened the door, I saw spaghetti sauce EVERYWHERE in my bedroom! I mean, that filly took the dinner I made, poured it all over my bed, and then proceeded to jump up and down on it like a trampoline!"

No longer able to hold it in, Zecora almost fell off the couch as she cracked up laughing. Not waiting for the zebra's laughter to subside, Rarity kept going as she struggled not to laugh along as well.

"And—and that's not the best part! I mean, she got it everywhere in my room! On the walls, on the floor, all over my blankets, even on the ceiling! And I was so mad, and I was screaming at her like, 'What are you doing?!' And she just looked at me with the biggest smile on her face and said, 'I'm cooking!'"

At that last part, Zecora finally fell off the couch, laughing her head off as she laid on the floor. Laughing along with her, Rarity's head slumped down on the coffee table before she finished her tale.

"And the worst part, was that my vacuum cleaner was broken, so I had to get the broom and sweep off little bits of spaghetti from my bed for over an hour!"

Still lying on the floor, Zecora's eyes were clenched shut as she put up her hoof, motioning for Rarity to stop so she could take a moment to breathe. After a few seconds of uncontrolled laughter from both of them, Rarity took a breath before she completed her story.

"Well anyways, the mattress was still good, but I had to get all new bedding. I also had to repaint my walls and shampoo my carpet, and Mom and Dad promised I wouldn't have to look after Sweetie Belle for a while."

Finally able to breathe normally, Zecora managed to get herself back on the couch with Rarity. Waiting until the zebra sat herself down, Rarity repositioned herself before she lifted the bottle of champagne back up with her magic. "Of course, that was back when she was almost a foal, so she doesn’t even remember doing that. Eventually I got around to foalsitting her again, but things like that still happen from time to time."

After finally getting to a point where she could actually speak, Zecora took a deep breath before she replied cheerfully, "Well, it's good to know that you keep a high spirit. You care for your sister, and I'm glad to hear it."

"Yeah…" Even with that story to lift herself up a bit, Rarity's face slowly became more morose as her gaze went back to the floor away from Zecora. Thinking of the zebra's response, Rarity sighed before she spoke in a more faint and unhappy tone of voice.

"It's actually nice to know that I can feel that way sometimes."

The room started to become silent as Zecora looked at the unicorn with a surprised look on her face. After how happy Rarity was looking a moment ago, she didn't expect her to say something like that. Just as she was about to open her muzzle and ask what the heck she meant, Zecora wasn't able to get a word out before Rarity spoke again.

"I mean… sometimes… sometimes I just feel like… like maybe I'm too disconnected from ponies to appreciate the little things."

Shocked to hear that, Zecora didn't wait for Rarity to continue before she quickly intervened. "Rarity, why the heck are you speaking this way? Are you not listening to the words that you say?"

“Yes, I am!" said the unicorn quickly as she kept venting. "I mean, I know I'm a good mare and all, but… but sometimes I just feel like I'm too focused on myself to appreciate others!"

"But you're the Element of Generosity!" shouted Zecora, not wanting to see her friend act this sullen while drunk off her flank. "Why are you carrying this animosity?!"

"Because sometimes I don't think I deserve that title!"  

Scrunching her face in, Rarity struggled not to tear up as she sat next to Zecora on the couch. As the room began to get silent again, Rarity sniffed a little before she kept going in a slightly slurred voice.

"There are so many times where I just acted so… so selfish! Like, a few months ago when I was looking after Sweetie Belle, I yelled at her all day for all these little things, even though all she was trying to do was help me out! After how nasty I acted, she tried to say that Applejack was a better sister to her than me!"

Struggling not to cry, Rarity took a deep breath and shut her eyes before she went on. "Luckily, I… I managed to fix things between us, but… but I still think about that…"

Seeing how much this was getting to her, Zecora reached toward her and put a hoof on her shoulder. Despite appreciating the zebra's reassuring touch, Rarity still spoke in a saddened state as she went on. "Also, I constantly think of that… that stupid wedding!"

Looking at the unicorn, Zecora started to grow worried as she saw how much angrier Rarity was looking at saying that last part. Clenching her hooves on the couch, Rarity kept her eyes on the floor as she kept speaking.

"Before that whole invasion thing… Twilight… she was the only one who knew something was off! She tried to warn us several times beforehoof, but… but we all thought she was just upset because she was told about her brother's wedding so late. And when… when she finally tried to confront that bug thing in front of us, we… we…"

A tear finally came from the unicorn's eyes as she kept away from Zecora.

"We completely ignored her! All of us! Her brother didn't want her at the wedding, and… and I was more concerned with my bucking dresses than my own friend's well-being!"

Hearing Rarity sniff a few times, Zecora took action and wrapped her hooves around her, pulling her in for a tight hug. Feeling the zebra's warmth, the drunken mare wept softly as she kept speaking woefully. "I… I never thought she would forgive me for that. Luckily she didn't hate us, but… it was still one of the most selfish things I ever did!"

Keeping the bottle of champagne in her grasp, Rarity kept her moistened eyes shut as she felt Zecora hold her. While the zebra hugged her tightly, Rarity savored her warmth for a moment before sighing deeply. Opening her eyes, Rarity thought for a moment before looking at the bottle in her aura, grimacing before she added to her building guilt. "And then… and then there's Blueblood…"

Unsure of what Rarity meant by that, Zecora slowly let go of her as she saw how much angrier the mare was looking. Groaning in frustration, Rarity leaned back on the couch before she spoke in an upset tone. "That STUPID Prince Blueblood!"

While Zecora wasn't that aware of Equestrian politics—although she did try to keep up with current events—she was unsure of what the Prince had to do with Rarity's livid attitude. Shaking her head, Rarity sighed before she continued her increasingly slurring rant.

"You know how many stallions I rejected over the years?! For so long, I… I ignored so many nice guys! Dozens! Heck, maybe hundreds! And why?! All because I wanted that stupid buttface Blueblood!"

Despite being slightly surprised to hear such a dainty mare like Rarity say the word "buttface,” Zecora didn't reply as she kept her attention on the unicorn's venting. Before she could keep going, Rarity glanced at her bottle before she pulled it to her face, tipping her head back as she downed the rest of the champagne in front of the surprised zebra. Not caring about how uncouth it was to drink straight from the bottle, Rarity tossed it aside before she spoke angrily.

"I was so convinced I was going to be Misses Blueblood! 'I'm gonna marry Blueblood!' 'I'm going to be a Princess!' 'I'm going to live in a frilly castle!' But then… I actually met that jerk! And now… now all I can think about is how much time I wasted, because my standards were too high, and I focused so much time wanting to be with a Prince! I could've… I could've been with a really nice stallion by now if it wasn't for my stupid standards!"

Realizing why Rarity looked so upset, Zecora sighed before she put a hoof to her shoulder again. Waiting until Rarity looked back towards her, whose blushing cheeks were slightly matted with tears, Zecora only held a warm smile as she spoke in a caring tone towards the mare.

"Rarity, you are not selfish at all. We all make mistakes, some big and some small. Despite what you think, you have a big heart. And you're so kind, I don’t know where to start."

Hearing her words, Rarity mustered a weak smile under her blushing face, struggling not to tear up as she looked into the zebra's eyes. Staying silent, Rarity's blush began to grow deeper as she noticed how unique the shade of blue was in Zecora's eyes. Carrying a slightly duller tone than the unicorn's, the deep blue hue of Zecora's eyes still held such depth, really extenuating the years of wisdom and knowledge that were behind them. While her drunken state couldn't remember what that exact shade of blue was called, Rarity still admired them as they stared back at her.

Before anything could happen, Rarity fell back a bit before she regained her balance, making herself dizzier in the process. "Oop!" muttered the mare as she tried to sit upright on the couch. "I… I'm fine. I'm fine, really."

"Are you sure you're okay?" asked Zecora with a slightly worried look. "You had a lot today."

"S' alright, I'm good,” slurred the mare, taking a second before she turned to Zecora and pointed a hoof to her chest. "And YOU'RE good, too! I mean it, you… you are a good friend, Zecora!"

Before the zebra could reply, Rarity lunged forward and hugged her chest tightly. With the drunken mare clinging onto her, Zecora began to blush a little as she kept hearing Rarity's voice muffled through her chest. "You are a VERY good lady…"

Slightly uncomfortable from how close the unicorn was acting, Zecora tried to move back as she replied, "Well… I don’t know. If you say so…"

"If I say so?!" Rarity quickly let go of Zecora as she sat back upright on the couch. Looking at the zebra, Rarity's face kept a look of confusion and light anger as she tried to comprehend Zecora's words. "Zecora, you… you are the nicest zebra EVER! Why would you… why… tell me one pony or zebra who would try to say otherwise!"

At that moment, Zecora sighed and looked away from Rarity's gaze. Biting her lip, the zebra contemplated whether or not to reply to Rarity's question. After a second of thought, Zecora breathed in before she responded faintly,"Despite the kind words you have about me…"

Closing her eyes, the zebra sighed as her head bent down to the floor. "It is not the same with my family."

Looking at the saddened zebra, Rarity's eyes widened in shock before she replied loudly, "WHAT?! I… I mean… what do you mean?!"

Taking a moment, Zecora breathed in again before she began to explain.

"Back in my homeland, we did not have much. We were not rich, but we got by and such. Well, a rich man asked me to be his bride. I refused, but my parents took his side. They said that I should comply and say yes. They were just greedy, from what I could guess…"

With Rarity listening intently, Zecora kept her gaze away from her as she continued.

"They said to refuse his hoof would be rude. But the man was lousy, boorish, and crude. They then tried to force me to go their way! So I packed my things. I just couldn't stay. I left for Equestria, just like that…"

Taking a deep breath, Zecora bit her lip slightly before she added her final rhyme in a much sadder tone.

"The last thing they said…'You're a selfish brat.’"

Exhaling deeply, Zecora managed to keep herself from tearing up at that last line. However, the zebra was only able to have one second of silence before Rarity quickly hugged her again. Keeping a death grip on her, Rarity squeezed as tightly as she could while speaking in a slurred tone of sincerity.

"You are NOT a brat!" shouted the mare as she nearly choked Zecora. "You are the greatest zebra I ever met! I mean, you're the only zebra I've met, but still! You make medicine for the sick! You're always so nice, and don't you dare say otherwise!"

Letting go of her, Rarity still kept her hooves on the zebra's shoulders as she looked her dead in the eyes. Keeping a serious (although slightly blushing) look on her face, the drunken unicorn used a hoof to poke at Zecora's chest as she kept speaking honestly.

"Zecora, you are good. You are the most generous, caring, sweetest, smartest, cutest, honest, and dependable zebra to ever exist! And if your parents can’t see that, then they're… they're buttheads! Just like Blueblood!"

With that, Rarity slumped forward and buried her head into Zecora's chest. With the unicorn clinging to her, Zecora's blush was even heavier as she took in Rarity's words. Even with all the kind things she was just told, Zecora was barely able to process most of it as she recalled what Rarity said in her drunken state. Putting caution to the wind, Zecora decided to speak up in an effort to clarify one thing she heard.

"Rarity, I know that I should stay mute…"

Hearing only a light "Hmm?" from the mare, Zecora breathed in before she asked her question. 

"But… did you really just say that I'm cute?"

Rarity's eyes shot wide open, thinking for a second as she tried to recall what she said a minute ago. Realizing she was still hugging the zebra, Rarity quickly let go as she shot back to the other side of the couch. With her face blushing a lot deeper, Rarity tried looking away from Zecora as she replied quickly. "Wha—I mean no! No I didn't! I just…"

Thinking about it, Rarity was barely able to remember a single word she said. In fact, the unicorn was barely even able to sit upright anymore as her body began to sway on the couch next to Zecora. Noticing her state, the zebra decided to stop trying to press the matter. Knowing that this mare was probably more than a little wasted, Zecora sighed before she spoke.

"You know what? Forget what I have stated. It seems that you're quite intoxicated."

"I'm not drunk!" Rarity shot back as she turned to Zecora with an insistent look on her face. "I… am a lady. And a lady… does not get drunk!"

Even though the slurred words of the mare did little to verify her claims, Zecora just chuckled a little before replying, "Alright my lady, whatever you say…"

Looking over at the clock on the wall, Zecora was surprised to see how late it had gotten. Even though she couldn't exactly go back to her hut since it was past dark, she still figured she should call it a night. Looking back at the tipsy mare, Zecora cleared her throat before she spoke. "I think it's best that we call it a day."

Looking over at the clock as well, Rarity only nodded a little before she tried to get herself off the couch. Since she was barely able to sit upright, let alone stand, Zecora was quick to hold onto her. Even with the room spinning in her vision, Rarity was still able to get up the stairs—although at a fairly slow pace—as Zecora helped her to her bedroom. Hoping that the unicorn wasn't going to be much of a nuisance, Zecora figured she could just sleep on the couch downstairs until morning.

Before Rarity could get to her bed, she stopped moving her hooves as they reached the entryway to her bedroom. Still unable to stand still, Rarity still kept a smile on her blushing face as she looked up to Zecora. Looking at the concerned zebra, Rarity stared at her for a moment before replying again in a slurred voice.

"Zecora… you are so nice to me…"

Not noticing how the zebra's blush was slowly coming back on her cheeks, Rarity's gaze instead focused on a small drop of champagne, which was sitting unnoticed on the side of Zecora's muzzle. Giggling a little, Rarity pointed a hoof up to her as she spoke.

"You… you have a little something…"

Before Zecora could respond, Rarity picked herself up and placed both forehooves around the back of Zecora's neck, making her stand on her hindlegs as she kept her eyes on the zebra. 

"Don't worry…" whispered the mare as she bent her head in closer to the increasingly blushing face of Zecora's. "…I'll get it."

With that, Rarity closed her eyes as her lips touched the side of Zecora's muzzle, lightly pressing against the zebra's soft fur as she gently sucked the drop of champagne away. Frozen at the spot, Zecora was unable to move an inch, slightly shaking as she felt Rarity's lips on her. 

As the suck slowly began to turn into something close to a kiss, Rarity kept her lips on her for another couple seconds before slowly backing away. Feeling the zebra's warm, shuddering breath slightly brush against her white fur, Rarity was still less than an inch from Zecora before she bent in again. Closing her eyes again, Rarity's lips now touched the tip of Zecora's snout, making the zebra's heart thunder in her chest as she felt the unicorn's gentle kiss.

Only keeping her light peck for a second, Rarity opened her eyes halfway as she slowly backed away again. Looking into Zecora's wide-open eyes, Rarity was still less than half an inch from the zebra as she looked at her drunkenly. Smelling the faint aroma of strawberry champagne from the zebra's hot breath, Rarity smiled faintly as she blushed even deeper than before. Closing her eyes one last time, the unicorn savored the feeling of Zecora's breath against her fur before she bent in once more.

Like some mystical spell, Zecora felt completely paralyzed, unable to make a single movement herself as she felt Rarity's soft lips press against her own. Keeping her hooves wrapped around Zecora's head, Rarity kept her eyes shut as she savored the taste of the zebra's lips, both warm and wet as they stayed pressed against her gently. For that one moment, not a single thought went through the unicorn's once-troubled mind as she kept her kiss on Zecora, only letting her racing heart and blushing face speak for itself as her lips pressed harder.

All that Rarity could think about was how amazing Zecora's lips felt. Her warmth. Her taste. Her gentleness. Nothing felt off or unusual at all, as she kissed the zebra known as Zeco—

Rarity quickly pulled away as she stood in front of Zecora, immediately realizing what she was doing. Looking at the wide-eyed zebra, Rarity's own eyes were completely open as well as she stood in a stunned state.

Breathing heavily, Rarity only blinked and stayed silent for a few seconds. Looking increasingly worried about what she just did, Rarity's blush was now at a shade of red close to Big Macintosh's fur before she quickly uttered out a statement.

"I'm drunk."

Blinking a few times, Zecora tried to comprehend Rarity's comment as she slowly tried to regain movement. Biting her lip a little, the zebra then opened her muzzle before she tried to reply. "But… you said that a lady—"

“I'M DRUNK!" Rarity quickly shouted before she began to hurriedly ramble to herself while backing up into her bedroom. "I'm drunk! I am drunk, I am very, VERY drunk! I have had way too much to drink, and now I need to go to bed GOODNIGHT!"

With that, Rarity immediately slammed her bedroom door, leaving Zecora to stand out in the hallway with a bewildered look on her face. Standing in silence, the zebra was in a stunned state as she tried to comprehend what Rarity just did.

Putting up a hoof, Zecora felt her lips for a second, trying to ascertain whether or not that kiss just happened. Feeling the faint moistness against her hoof, Zecora's blush was apparent as she stood there, frozen.

Taking a deep breath to calm herself down, Zecora only stood in front of Rarity's door for another moment before slowly backing away. As she made her way back downstairs to the couch, all the zebra could think about was what she should do.

Knowing that Rarity was clearly drunk, Zecora was unsure what the next step should be. Should she talk with her about it in the morning? Should she just forget in hopes that Rarity will forget as well? Did that kiss even mean anything?

With that last thought floating in her mind, Zecora sighed and laid on the couch. Knowing she probably wasn't going to get much sleep until morning, the zebra tried to relax as she laid in the darkened room, her head still reeling as she tried to doze off with unease.
> The Errors of Denial
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Clenching her eyes completely shut, Rarity's head felt like a throbbing orb of fire as she buried her face against the pillow. As the morning light shone in faintly through her curtains, the unicorn still felt it like it was brighter than the surface of the sun, making her groan even more under her blankets. Rarity almost felt like she was going to cry as she realized how severe her headache felt, making her desperately hide from the light as she tried to figure out what the buck she did. Still tasting the faint aroma of champagne and strawberries on her breath, Rarity almost threw up right there as she immediately remembered that blasted bottle.

Because of her heavy drinking from the previous night, Rarity could barely move in her bed without her head burning or her stomach churning. Feeling like her head or her stomach contents were both going to burst (although it was unclear which one would happen first), Rarity considered just staying in bed for the rest of the day, letting her pain take over while she tried to overcome this feeling of near-death. However, since she knew that her parents were planning to come back today to return Opal, the mare groaned even more before she stirred in her bed.

After managing to stumble out of bed and into the bathroom without opening her eyes, Rarity was only able to make five steps in before heaving in the toilet. Luckily, her sickness didn’t last nearly as long as she expected. She managed to clean herself off and look somewhat presentable after a warm shower with much-needed steam. Even though her head was still throbbing, her stomach was at least in a good enough state to hold something down, which made the unicorn sigh before she slowly make her way downstairs to the kitchen.

Rarity's reddened eyes slowly looked around the empty living room as she walked through her Boutique, stopping as she noticed the bottle lying by the couch. Since she knew her severe headache would make her horn almost completely useless at the moment, Rarity kept a tired and angry look on her face as she picked up the bottle with a hoof.

Seeing how there was barely a drop left, the unicorn groaned once more before tossing it in a nearby trash bin. Although she would never even think to drink this early in the morning (even though it was almost noon), the throbbing pain in the unicorn's skull made the idea of a mimosa sound very alluring right now.

Though she had a cheaper bottle of champagne in the cabinet, Rarity avoided it and settled for just a small glass of orange juice, groaning under her breath as she struggled to use her hooves in replacement for her horn. After several minutes of preparation and managing to get a bowl of oats ready, the unicorn almost didn’t notice the note at the kitchen table.

Rarity finally noticed it as she ate her first bite of oats, making her chew slowly as she picked up the paper and read.

Rarity,

I hope you are feeling better today,
But I didn’t want to forego my stay.
I left some pills in a glass by the sink
That will help your head after your big drink.

-Zecora

Looking at the pencil markings on the paper, Rarity noticed that something had been erased after Zecora's signature, like a P.S. or something. However, it was erased too much for her to really make out any type of statement.

Despite feeling uneasy about what Zecora may have wanted to say, Rarity shrugged that thought away and looked to the sink, noticing the glass the zebra wrote about. As she got out of her seat and walked over, Rarity tried to figure out what all she did last night as she picked up the glass with two dark green pills inside. The unicorn quickly swallowed the two pills after downing a full glass of water with it, making her feel much better as her memory began to improve.

By the time she got back to her seat to finish her breakfast, Rarity's head no longer felt like Pinkie Pie was bouncing around in it with steel-toed boots. Instead, her previously throbbing pain was slowly turning to a more gentle numbness as she rested at her table.

However, as the unicorn began to grow less hung over, her mind then became plagued with a new wave of guilt as she remembered how uncouth she acted the previous night. Just as she was about to pick her spoon back up to have another bite of oats, Rarity dropped it as her eyes grew wide, realizing what she did as she covered her mouth with a hoof.

"Ooooohhhhhh… nnnnoooooooo…"

Rarity's memories slowly began to come back to her, making the unicorn sink her head in shame and rest it on the table.

"No, no, no, no nnnnnoooooo…"

Groaning in guilt, Rarity could barely keep herself upright at the table, feeling like she was going to fall off and curl into a fetal position on the floor. Knowing what she did, the unicorn's head hit the table a couple times before she finally spoke to herself.

"I can't believe I… I…

"I called Zecora cute!"

The groan that came from the mare was something most ponies would've thought came from a dying manticore. Resting at the table with a horribly shameful look on her face, Rarity sat silent for several minutes and tried to think. Even though those pills certainly fixed her previously terrible headache, Rarity was still in no shape to think that hard as she moaned in slight pain. Recalling her words—and Zecora's reaction to them—Rarity knew she had to make it up to the zebra the next time she saw her.

"This is baaaaaaaad…" Rarity sat at the table in silence for another moment before she shook her head clear. Knowing she wasn't going to get anywhere moaning about it now, the unicorn ate the rest of her breakfast in peace and tried to avoid thinking about her actions from last night.

By the time she finished her bowl and orange juice, her horn was strong enough to actually pick things up again. Keeping her dirty dishes in her aura, Rarity slowly got out of the table as she spoke to herself.

"Don’t worry, Rarity. You can fix this. She knew you were not in a sound state of mind, so she'll surely understand your little…"

Rarity stopped as she thought of the right word for a second.

"… Misrepresentation. Yeah, that's it. You only said one little word, and it wasn't even that bad."

While she walked over to the sink, Rarity started to feel slightly better as she tried to reassure herself. Slowly growing a smile on her muzzle again, Rarity tried to keep her head up as she kept speaking.

"This will not be a problem at all! All I did was say she's 'cute,’ and that's not a big deal. Of all the things that could've occurred, I should consider myself lucky to just do something like that! I mean, at least I didn't do anything completely outrageous!"

Now with a smug grin of confidence, Rarity started to look much better as she walked through her kitchen. However, due to the hangover pills she took, Rarity's memories still kept coming back to her.

Rarity stopped dead in her tracks when she was less than two feet from the sink, her eyes growing as wide as Frisbees. Rarity's horn immediately stopped holding the bowl and glass, making them drop and shatter on the floor.

Rarity didn't even notice the broken glass under her hooves as she finally recalled what else she did, making her face slowly turn to a look of pure terror. Breathing heavily, the unicorn started shaking in horror as she lifted a hoof, raising it as she slowly touched her lips in dread.

Outside the Carousel Boutique, Rainbow Dash was flying above town as she checked for any wayward clouds in the area. Even though she was over a hundred yards from the Boutique, the Pegasus still heard a loud blood-curdling scream come from the shop.

Looking over to Rarity's place, Rainbow Dash hovered still for a moment, taking a second before she sighed in frustration.

"Uuuuuhhhhh…" Dash muttered, "Rarity ripped another dress again."

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Zecora shook her head clear as she stood over her cauldron, hoping those energy pills she took would kick in relatively soon. As she placed the rest of the blue gems in the mixture to finish her last needed batch, the Zebra tried to feel grateful that she had something to occupy her troubled mind.

After waking up early and leaving some hangover pills for Rarity, Zecora quickly made her way back to her hut as soon as the sun was up again. And now, after several hours of dedicated brew making, Zecora was starting to run out of batches to make as the day started to turn from morning to afternoon.

Despite her constant working and mental reassurances, the zebra still couldn't get Rarity's kiss out of her head. Remembering every second of the unicorn's drunken kiss on her lips, Zecora was still trying to figure out why the mare would even try something like that. Rarity may have been drunker than a group of mares at a bachelorette party last night, but even Zecora knew that the unicorn wouldn’t do something like that without reason.

Thinking back to Sapphire Shores's comment the previous day, Zecora started to worry whether or not she was onto something. However, before the zebra could think any more about it, a loud barrage of knocks came at the door of her hut.

Zecora walked over to her front door as the loud knocks stopped just as quickly as they began. By the time the zebra opened her door, nopony was there to greet her. Instead, all Zecora was able to see was a flash of white running back through the line of trees out of the Everfree Forest. Before she could think she was imagining things, the smell of cinnamon caught Zecora's senses as she looked down to the ground.

At the base of Zecora's doorstep was a large cardboard box, which was stuffed to the brim with freshly-baked cinnamon rolls. While the pastries stood in front of the confused zebra, it didn't take long before she noticed the note taped to the side of the box. Picking it up, Zecora could tell from the elegant (although still very hastily written) hoofwriting who left this for her.

I'm really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really, REALLY sorry!

Please don’t be mad.

-Rarity

Putting down the note, Zecora sighed and looked back down to the box of pastries. Keeping a slightly embarrassed look on her face, the zebra was unsure how to feel about Rarity's form of apologizing.

"Well…" Zecora said in a slightly sarcastic tone, "She may have remembered, if I have a hunch…"

With the overpowering scent of cinnamon and frosting filling her senses, the zebra's stomach rumbled slightly before she sighed again.

"Oh well," said Zecora in a more optimistic tone, "at least I won't have to make myself lunch."

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Even with the constant humming of the sewing machine, Rarity was barely able to focus on any of her tasks as she sat in her workshop. It had only been three days since she remembered what she did to Zecora, but it felt like an eternity of embarrassment and despair for the unicorn mare. Despite trying to occupy her mind with various clothing jobs in an attempt to forget that night, all it did was make Rarity constantly mess up her sewing projects. As the mare kept her utmost focus on the seam line to make sure it didn't go off the fabric (again), she didn't hear the front door of her Boutique as it opened.

Walking into Carousel Boutique, Rainbow Dash carried her saddlebag over her back as she looked around. Because of the headphones she had on, Rainbow was unable to hear Rarity upstairs, as her ears were currently being bombarded with the latest single from Sapphire Shores playing from her walkman.

Within the seemingly empty showroom, the cyan mare was surprised at how less organized this space looked. Despite it still looking miles better than her own place, the Pegasus could still tell from the off-center mannequins and fabric lying on the floor that something was off. Figuring Rarity had to be upstairs, Rainbow walked up the steps as she hummed along to the pop-star's song.

By the time she reached the top of the steps, Rainbow Dash didn't realize she was faintly singing along to the song. Keeping along with the lyrics at a slightly off-key range, she barely heard Rarity's sewing machine as she opened the door to her workshop.

"… Hhhmmm, hhhmmm, hhhmmm… I kissed a mare, and I liked it—"

"NOIDIDNOT!!!"

Shooting out of her chair, Rarity's panicked reaction was barely heard by Rainbow Dash as she took off her headphones.

"Sorry, what was that?"

"Oh! Ummmm…" Realizing her friend was now in her workspace, Rarity tried to think of a reason as to why she blurted out like that. Quickly breathing in, Rarity recomposed herself before she opened her muzzle. "… Oh, nothing. Nothing at all! How can I help you, Rainbow?"

Despite wanting to know what Rarity had said, Rainbow merely shrugged before she replied, "Well, I was needing you to fix the strap to my bag again."

Rarity groaned as she looked at the bag, noticing a new slash along one of the straps. "Ugh, Rainbow! Didn't I just fix your bag last week because of that very same problem?"

"Hey, it's not my fault!" Dash said in a more irritated tone. "Tank's propellers got too close to the bag again! You know he's still getting used to flying around in that thing!"

"But still," began Rarity in an insistent tone as she levitated the bag off Rainbow's back with her magic, "you could at least try to use duller propellers or something. I'd hate to think how many more times this can happen before your bag can become too damaged to fix."

"Ugh! I told you already, Tank can't stay in the air with the dull blades! I tried it before, and he could barely stay up in my place without falling through the clouds."

Barely paying much attention to the Pegasus's excuse once more, Rarity huffed to herself as she floated the bag over to the sewing machine. As she cleared her station to begin the quick fix, Rainbow Dash looked around the workspace with a slightly concerned look on her face.

"Umm… Rare? Are you… are you feelin' alright?"

"Well… well of course," Rarity said uneasily. Even though she didn't want to lie to her friend, she really didn't want to bring up why she had been feeling so uneasy the past few days. Since she hadn't even tried to speak to Zecora after dropping off the cinnamon rolls, the last thing Rarity wanted to do was bring up her recent drunken escapade to a mare like Rainbow Dash.

Knowing how quickly the Pegasus would mess with her about it if she knew, the unicorn shook away her growing tension and looked back at her. "I'm doing just fine, Rainbow. Why do you ask?"

"Well…" Looking around the workspace, the amount of misplaced fabrics and unorganized tools was starting to become a large indicator something was indeed wrong. Looking back to Rarity, Rainbow Dash kept her slightly worried look as she replied, "It's just that…"

"Just what?" Rarity asked, confused and keeping a skewed eyebrow on the Pegasus.

"It's just… this room is way cleaner than it usually is!"

Surprised at hearing Rainbow Dash's reaction, Rarity's eyes widened as she looked around the room. Finally noticing her workspace, Rarity was slightly shocked to see that her space was indeed much more organized than usual. Instead of a large plethora of cloth and items strewn about the room in "organized chaos,” the room was now only slightly misplaced.

In fact, other than a couple pieces of fabric on the floor and one off-center mannequin in the corner, Rarity's workspace was actually in a better state than her showroom downstairs. Taking a few seconds to let Rainbow's observation sink in, Rarity cleared her throat before she responded.

"Huh… well… maybe I wasn't gaining inspiration from my mess like usual."

"Oh… kaaaayyyyy…" Looking back around the room, Rainbow didn't need to be a mind-reader to tell the unicorn was lying. However, she decided to keep her muzzle shut as Rarity went back to fixing her strap.

After a quick minute to stitch up her bag, Rarity floated it back to the Pegasus before she noticed her face. Seeing how she was looking at her with a skeptical brow, Rarity sighed as she realized Rainbow was catching on to her behavior.

"So…" Even though she knew better than to irritate a pony like Rarity, Rainbow Dash put caution to the wind and tried to press more out of her. "… Did… did something happen a couple days ag—"

"No!" Rarity insisted as she cut her friend off. "Nothing happened, I… I just…" While she didn't want to tell Rainbow about the incident, Rarity knew she had to say something to sate her curiosity. Biting her lip slightly, Rarity looked away for a moment before she thought of something.

"I… I just needed to unwind a little after making all those dresses for Sapphire Shores. Along with getting that done, AND dealing with Sweetie Belle's latest antic…"

Rainbow Dash tried not to snicker as she looked away, already knowing about what that filly did to her cat.

"I… I guess I just needed to do something different."

Thinking about her statement, Rarity cringed inside as she realized how truthful that comment would still be if she told Rainbow about what happened with Zecora. Remembering how she sloppily kissed the zebra on the mouth like some harlot, Rarity hated to think that she did something so unlike her. However, as soon as that memory came up in her mind again, the unicorn quickly tried to avoid it as she shook her head. Even though she didn't want to alert Rainbow Dash of any discomfort, she didn’t want to think about that blasted kiss anymore than she already had.

"But anyway,” Rarity said as she tried to keep her friend from asking anything else about her, "I'm perfectly fine, so there's nothing to worry about."

Hearing Rarity's obviously fake tone of confidence, Rainbow Dash looked around the room again before she replied, "Ummm… you ever think of getting a hobby or something?"

"Oh, Rainbow," began Rarity in a more annoyed tone, "I told you, I'm fine!"

"Yeah, but…" Still looking concerned for her friend, Rainbow turned back to Rarity. "If your inspiration stuff is wearing off right now, maybe you should try doing something new. Like… besides dressmaking."

Rarity groaned a little at the Pegasus's suggestion. "Oh really? What exactly would you suggest I try doing?"

Biting her lip, Rainbow Dash's hooves moved around a little on the floor as she tried to respond. Remembering what she was wanting to talk with the unicorn about, Rainbow looked away for a second before bringing her attention back to Rarity.

"Well… Do you remember my friend Thunderlane?"

Rarity blinked a couple times as she pondered her question, slowly recalling that name. "Umm… You mean one of the Pegasus ponies on your weather team?"

"Yeah," replied Dash. "You remember: grey coat, has a mohawk, his little brother hangs out with Sweetie Belle sometimes?"

"Oh yes, I think I remember," said Rarity with more certainty. Remembering the stallion faintly, Rarity was able to recall where she last met him. "Wasn't he the one who caught me after that whole tornado incident from Lightning Dust?"

Rainbow Dash became a little more upset at hearing that pony's name again. However, she still nodded at Rarity's question. "Yeah, that's the one. Anyway, I was talking with him a few days ago…"

Recalling what he said to her, Rainbow fidgeted a little before she kept talking to Rarity. "He… kinda asked me if… well…"

"Well, what?"

Even though she knew asking would be pretty fruitless towards a pony like Rarity, Rainbow still decided to speak honestly.

"He asked me if… you were available."

Rarity's eyes widened as she looked back at her friend with surprise. "R-really?"

"Yeah," said the Pegasus with a more embarrassed look on her face, "I didn't really say 'yes' or 'no,’ but he was hoping you would go on a date with him."

Standing silent for a moment, Rarity was unsure how to respond to her friend's information. While she may have given the stallion a fairly large hug for saving her at the Wonderbolt Academy, she seriously didn't think that Thunderlane would want to meet her again like that. Looking away from Rainbow sheepishly, Rarity began to shake her head as she spoke in a more doubtful tone.

"Oh, Rainbow Dash, come on! Do you really think I'm the kind of mare to just agree to a date like that? I barely know him!"

"Well, duh," replied Rainbow Dash in a condescending tone, "that's what dates are for! To know ponies better!"

With a new wave of insistence, the Pegasus wanted to keep going as she looked at her friend. Seeing that something was getting to the unicorn, she didn’t want her to just say no. Hoping to convince her, Rainbow spoke with a more hopeful tone. "Rare, I know Thunderlane, and he's actually a pretty cool guy. You just said you wanted to try something new, so why not go out with him?"

Rarity huffed a little and tried to defend herself. "Rainbow, I just don't know if that's a great idea."

"Why not?!" Now looking slightly aggravated, Rainbow kept Rarity in her sights as she continued, "I mean, I know you try to keep yourself 'reserved' or whatever, but do you really want to keep yourself from finding a decent guy because of some dumb standards or whatever?"

"Rainbow, I—"

Rarity quickly cut herself off as she took in her friend's words. Recalling all the things she told Zecora in her drunken state, she was surprised to hear the Pegasus in front of her say something almost identical to her own words. Before she could try to reply, Rainbow spoke up again.

"Like, the only guy I've ever seen you go after was that Blueblood dork, and that didn't go over well at all! Maybe it wouldn't kill you to look at other options once in a while."

Even though she didn't want to confirm Rainbow Dash's suggestion, Rarity knew that she was right. And ever since that disastrous night with Blueblood, Rarity hadn't exactly been open to looking at other ponies. However, before she could accept defeat, Rarity heard Rainbow Dash's voice as she unfortunately decided to kept talking.

"I mean, heck! I haven't seen you look at any stallions at all! Seriously, if it wasn't for Blueblood, I would probably think you wanted to be with a mare or something!"

"Rainbow!" shouted the unicorn as she immediately became more aggravated. Not wanting to give any evidence that Rainbow's last statement had some validity—and consequently give away what she did with Zecora—Rarity held up a hoof to silence her friend as she spoke.

"Just because I have high standards should not mean for you to make any unbiased assumptions!"

"I'm not! I'm seriously not!" assured Rainbow as she held up her hooves. "Whatever floats your boat doesn’t affect me!"

Rarity groaned and looked away, barely phasing Rainbow as she tried to alleviate the situation. "But! You just said you have high standards, right? Maybe that's why you haven't found anypony yet."

Closing her eyes, Rarity sighed as she realized her friend had a valid point. As she slowly turned back to the Pegasus, Rarity waited with a stern look as Rainbow Dash spoke.

"Come on, it's just a date, Rare. Maybe… maybe it would be good for you to do this. Maybe it'd clear your head a little."

Thinking about it, Rarity stayed silent as she weighed her options. If she didn't necessarily feel like going on a date with Thunderlane, what would that really mean? While she wouldn't consider herself to be interested in females by any stretch of the imagination (especially from all the nights she fantasized about Blueblood back in high school), her interaction with Zecora, combined with Rainbow's statement, was seriously starting to worry her.

Did she just not like Thunderlane because he was a stallion? If she said no, would that mean she actually liked Zecora? And if she said yes, would she just be agreeing out of denial?

Biting her lip, Rarity brushed all those thoughts away before she turned back to Rainbow Dash. Seeing the curious look on the Pegasus's face, Rarity breathed in before she sighed. With that stupid drunken kiss on the back of the mind, Rarity knew she couldn't let that control how she thought. That kiss was just a drunken escapade that went way too far, and didn't mean a single thing. And thinking about Rainbow's words, the unicorn knew that her friend was actually giving some decent advice.

"Alright, fine."

"Seriously, I know this sounds kinda nuts, bu—wait, what?" Expecting the unicorn to say something else, Rainbow was pretty surprised when she realized what Rarity just said.

"I… I said yes." Even though her heart felt like it just sunk into her stomach, Rarity kept her composure as she confirmed her statement. Looking at her friend with a forced look of confidence, Rarity took a breath before she opened her muzzle. "I… I will go on a date with Thunderlane."

"Really? I-I mean cool!" Looking both surprised and pleased with Rarity's answer, Rainbow Dash looked at the window nearby before she turned back to her. "You mind if I tell him that?"

"Umm… sure," said the unicorn in a slightly defeated tone of voice. Knowing how her friend was when things went her way, Rarity knew she couldn't back out now.

However, before Rarity could let what she just agreed to sink in, Rainbow Dash walked over to the window and opened it. Before Rarity could ask what she was doing, the Pegasus stuck her head out of the window and screamed outside.

"HEY THUNDERLANE!!! RARITY SAID SHE'LL GO ON A DATE WITH YOU!!!"

Rarity's jaw dropped, looking absolutely shocked that her friend would do something so impersonal like that. Before she could tell her how rude that was, the faint voice of a stallion could be heard from outside.

"Awesome! Thanks, Rainbow!"

As the Pegasus closed the window and turned back toward her friend, her confident smirk slowly turned to a confused stare as she saw how infuriated Rarity looked. Oblivious to how she pretty much informed the whole town of Rarity's new date, Rainbow kept a skewed eyebrow as she spoke.

"What? He was working nearby."

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Deep in the darkness of the evening, much of the Everfree Forest was alive with the countless sounds of the mysterious creatures within the trees. However, none of this jarred Zecora one bit as she tended to her latest potion. As the contents of the cauldron bubbled and gave off a warm purple hue around the hut, the zebra barely noticed the sound of branches outside. Keeping her attention on the brew as she stirred carefully with her spoon, the sounds of twigs brushing against the hut didn't give her the slightest inkling something was off.

Suddenly, the front door to Zecora's hut broke open as five huge Timberwolves bursted inside with murderous looks in their eyes. With their ghastly green stares on the zebra, Zecora stepped back as she saw how their jaws were gnashing at the sight of her.

As she tried to grab her staff, Zecora's eyes widened in terror as she saw it wasn't where she usually put it. Hearing a loud "crack" in front of her, Zecora saw that her trusty staff was broken in half as it was held in the wooden mandibles of the Timberwolf in front of her.

Breathing hard, Zecora realized that she was trapped, with nowhere to turn without a Timberwolf in her way. Before she could try to fight back, the zebra's vision was blinded as a bright white light flashed in the room. In less than in instant, all five Timberwolves were vaporized by more flashes of white light, leaving only several piles of black dust before Zecora saw the source.

With a smile on her face, Rarity stood in the middle of her hut with her horn glowing, still managing to keep an absolutely stunning pose after taking care of Zecora's foes. Blinking a few times in a stunned state, the zebra had no idea how to respond. Noticing the broken staff, Rarity smiled as she lifted it with her magic, fixing it in an instant before floating it back to her. After slowly grabbing her staff back with a hoof, Zecora looked back at the unicorn before her.

Keeping a sultry smirk on her muzzle, Rarity slowly walked over to Zecora, her eyes showing nothing but pure desire. With her heart racing, Zecora tried to step back before she stumbled and fell on her back. Before she could try to get up, Rarity was already standing above her, giving a warm grin as she gently placed a hoof on the zebra's chest.

"Hello, Zecora," said Rarity in a lustful tone, "I wanted to show you how much I cared for you. I wanted to see you since our… last encounter, so I decided to take care of those pesky beasts."

Panting heavily, Zecora stammered a bit before she mustered out a reply. "But, Rarity! What on Earth do you mean? You were drunk that night! Your senses weren't keen!"

"Oh, Zecora," said Rarity in a more sensual tone as her head bent down to the zebra, "we both know that was more than a drunken kiss. I would never do that if I was just drunk… I… I just…"

Rarity's face was now inches from Zecora's, who was still lying on the floor in a paralyzed state.

"I just really wanted to show my appreciation. You've been such a good friend, that I… gave in to what I was really wanting…"

Looking into the unicorn's dark-blue eyes, Zecora was starting to feel hypnotized by her stare. Feeling her hot breath against her fur, Zecora could barely move in inch as she took in Rarity's words.

"I want you, Zecora… I wanted to kiss you that night…and…

"I want to give you a real kiss now."

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Zecora gasped and shot herself up from her bed. Sweating heavily, the zebra's breathing was quick and heavy as she sat alone in her bedroom. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, Zecora sighed deeply with relief, realizing that she was just having a dream. However, Zecora's heart still beat rapidly with her dream still vivid in her mind, as her relief suddenly went away at the realization of what she was dreaming of.

Looking down to her bedding, Zecora could barely think of anything, except why in Equestria she was even having a dream like that in the first place. Even though that kiss certainly messed with her since it happened a few nights ago, she thought she'd gotten past it by now. However, as her breathing slowly began to settle, Zecora's eyes closed in frustration as she realized she was in trouble.

"Oh… oh buck… just my luck."

All the previous days in her hut since that night, one of the most frequent thoughts that went into her mind was in regards to Rarity. Even when she was working on those potions, the zebra could barely focus on anything as she constantly tried to chant the same three words into her head: she was drunk.

Still being able to taste the strong aroma of strawberry champagne on the unicorn's breath, Zecora knew that Rarity was beyond wasted that night. However, she also knew Rarity long enough to know that she would never, ever try something like that for no reason, with or without alcohol.

Falling back onto her bedding, Zecora painfully sighed and tried to calm herself down. Despite knowing she was probably going to get little sleep, Zecora still tried to make herself comfortable while avoiding her thoughts about Rarity. Clenching her eyes shut, Zecora's voice came out in an aggravated and tired tone as she spoke out loud.

"Please stop thinking about that night! It didn't mean anything…"

However, Zecora's mind still kept replaying that moment like it was brand new: Rarity's lustful eyes, the taste of her lips, the way she held her like that…

Turning over to her side, Zecora became more worried as she started to feel warmer at the thought of that unicorn. Even with all the constant reminders that Rarity was drunk, Zecora knew she couldn't stop what she was feeling. Thinking about what she just said, the zebra's eyes opened slightly as she looked out the window.

"… Right?"

> 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."
> What Feels Right (Part 1)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rarity couldn't stop smiling while she listened to her date during dinner. Even though Thunderlane was a nervous wreck back when he first picked up Rarity, he slowly became easier to talk to by the time they reached the restaurant.

With the elegant décor and decadent (albeit very expensive) dining, Rarity was feeling a lot better about making this decision in the first place. And since the beginning of their conversation, neither one of them could stop laughing as they kept sharing stories about a shared interest:

How insane their younger siblings were.

Rarity was barely able to hold down her glass of ginger ale without laughing as she listened to Thunderlane's current tale about Rumble. Even though she barely knew the little colt who sometimes played with Sweetie Belle, Rarity had no idea that he would be such a rascal for somepony like Thunderlane. Since he was used to talking with Rarity by now, Thunderlane was a lot more energetic as he spoke from his side of the table, really selling his tale while he tried not to laugh himself.

"I mean, it was everywhere! On the walls, on the carpet, all over the furniture! Heck, that kid even managed to get chocolate syrup up on the ceiling! He wasn't even able to fly then, so I still have no idea how he did that!"

Clenching her eyes shut, Rarity could barely contain her giggling as Thunderlane continued, "But, that's not the crazy part! I managed to get upstairs, where I saw the trail of chocolate go straight to his room. Even though I was glad he didn’t touch my room, I was still beyond mad by then. Anyway, I go up, open the door, and… his bedroom was completely clean!"

Rarity's eyes widened as she looked at Thunderlane. "Really?!"

"Yeah!" exclaimed Thunderlane, not noticing he was catching the attention of the diners next to him as he kept speaking to his date. "There wasn't a single drop of chocolate syrup in his room, except right in the middle where he was! And… oh man! I mean, he was absolutely covered in it! I almost thought a different colt was there for a moment!"

Thunderlane took another sip from his glass of root beer (something he was glad didn’t throw off Rarity) before he continued his story. "I was just… speechless! I literally couldn’t think of a single thing to say, and he was just sitting there on the floor, looking at me with the biggest stupid grin on his face. And before I could say anything to him, Rumble just held up the empty bottle of chocolate syrup and said, 'I want more!'"

Rarity struggled not to laugh too loudly as she kept her eyes closed. After cracking up for a few moments, Rarity finally managed to calm herself down enough to speak coherently. "Oh, wow! I would hate to think how your parents reacted to that mess!"

"Well," began Thunderlane, who was trying not to chuckle again at the memory of that day, "Mom screamed for like, five minutes straight when she saw the place. Of course, she calmed down when she realized the brown stains were just chocolate!"

Rarity almost hit her head on the table as she tried not to crack up loudly in the restaurant. With Thunderlane joining in on Rarity's cheerful laughter, neither of them noticed at first when the waiter arrived with their entrées.

While Thunderlane's laughter and smile slowly went away when he looked at his surprisingly small plate of… something, Rarity looked fairly pleased with her equally small plate of intricately arranged leaves.

"Oh my," Rarity said in a happy tone as she levitated her fork up with her magic, "I'm already impressed with this place! It's always difficult for some ponies to appreciate the more stylistic elements of fine dining."

"Ummm… sure." Even though Thunderlane wasn't as impressed with his own plate of arranged vegetables, one look at Rarity's smile was enough for him to keep his muzzle shut about any negatives. Instead, he waited until Rarity began eating her salad before he spoke. "To be honest, I've never really eaten in a place like this before. But I have to admit it's pretty comfortable."

Rarity waited until she finished chewing her salad before replying, "Well, atmosphere is essential for places like this. And I have to say, I was quite surprised you would take me here for this date."

Thunderlane's eyebrow skewed a little before replying in a more suspicious tone, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Oh, nothing!" assured the mare, noticing the slight change in Thunderlane's tone. "Nothing at all! It's just that… well… I was kind of worried about a mare like Rainbow Dash setting me up with a stallion from her weather team."

Thunderlane stayed silent for a few seconds, thinking about Rarity's response a little before replying in a more understanding tone of voice, "Oh, well… I guess that makes sense. Rainbow Dash is a bit of a tomcolt. Honestly, it's kinda surprising that you're friends with her."

"Well," Rarity said in a more upbeat tone while Thunderlane ate some of his meal, "I have to admit that we might not share a lot of common interests. But Rainbow Dash is still an amazing friend, and one of the most dependable ponies I know. There's a reason she's called the Element of Loyalty!"

"Yeah, that's true," said Thunderlane after swallowing his bites of food. "Dash was even nice enough to lend me some gel to hold down my mane."

"Which looks very nice, by the way!"

Thunderlane started blushing deeply and looked away from Rarity with a smile. Despite being able to talk with Rarity normally, the Pegasus was still obviously bashful around her. Still pleasantly surprised to see the stallion like this, Rarity held her genuine smile as she added, "Although, I have to admit, the Mohawk style is starting to grow on me a little."

Surprised by her remark, Thunderlane looked back to Rarity with a slightly skewed expression. "Really?"

"Well…" Rarity took another sip of her ginger ale before she said, "I'm not saying it's good on everypony, but I think it fits rather well for you."

"Oh, well… thank you." Still blushing, Thunderlane touched his slicked-back mane a little bit.

"I'm… not sure what it is," continued the mare as she looked up to the ceiling in thought, "but I've gotten a lot more used to the concept. Maybe it's all the time I've spent with Zecora latel—"

Rarity immediately stopped speaking as soon as she mentioned that zebra's name. Even with all her mental reassurances that everything was alright, the unicorn still felt a slight twinge at the very mention of her. With her lips pursed shut, Rarity quickly shook her head clear and looked back to her date. Not noticing her obvious blush or unease, Thunderlane kept a smile on his face in understanding.

"Yeah, that zebra really rocks that look! I mean, I never thought a chick could pull off a Mohawk, but Zecora makes it work!"

Rarity quickly nodded and forced a light smile. Not wanting to be reminded of anything that could mess with her date—like that one stupid kiss with Zecora—Rarity wanted to say something to change the subject. However, Thunderlane spoke first and carried a new, curious tone.

"What's she like, by the way? I mean, I only met her once or twice, but I never really spoke to her."

"Oh, well…" Even with her growing tensions, the question was enough to make Rarity think it over and look slightly less uneasy.  

"She… she's really nice. I mean… I used to be afraid of her like everypony else, but… She's honestly one of the nicest friends I've ever met."

Thinking it over, Rarity's smile started to become more natural as she spoke, no longer feeling uncomfortable at the mention of Zecora's name.

"I… I don't think I've ever met anypony as selfless or helpful as her. I mean, she's intelligent, funny, caring, and…"

Rarity bit her lips together for a second, pausing as she felt the pressure from her teeth. Feeling how her lips were being pressed together for that brief moment, Rarity began to slightly blush before opening her muzzle once more.

"And… she's really understanding."

As Rarity looked down to the table with her mind still ticking, Thunderlane barely noticed the unicorn's changed attitude while he finished his plate. Before the Pegasus could reply cheerfully, Rarity finished her statement and looked back up to Thunderlane with a warm smile.

"I'm… really glad to have a friend like her."

"Hmmm…" Thunderlane waited until he swallowed before saying with a smile, "That's really nice, Rarity. She really does sound pretty cool."

Rarity only nodded as she returned a smile to him. Sitting across from her date, Rarity started to feel a lot different as she tried to reset her focus on Thunderlane. Looking at the stallion, Rarity still felt rather happy to be talking with him; however, the unicorn couldn't shake a faint feeling that something was off. Unsure of what it could be, Rarity tried to think of something to say to break the silence.

Fortunately, Thunderlane was first to regain conversation between them. He held a cucumber slice from his plate on his hoof. "Hey Rarity, pickles are cucumbers, right?"

Not expecting the Pegasus to say something like that, Rarity sat in a slightly confused state for a few seconds. However, despite how odd Thunderlane's new topic was, Rarity didn't falter for that long before she replied, "Umm… I believe so, yes."

"Yeah, that was what I thought." Still holding the cucumber slice in his hoof, Thunderlane stared at it curiously while Rarity sat with a dumbfounded look on her face. Before Rarity could ask what brought this up, Thunderlane said, "Because I always noticed that pickles are way smaller than most cucumbers. You think they shrink when they're pickled?"

Blinking a couple times, Rarity was now really confused. Not sure of what was going through Thunderlane's head to prompt this kind of discussion, the mare looked around for a second to make sure there wasn't something funny in the air. However, before Thunderlane looked back to Rarity with a curious look on his face, the unicorn turned back to him before attempting to answer his question.

"I… I really don’t know, Thunderlane. Honestly, I can barely even think about pickles without becoming queasy."

"Really?" asked Thunderlane quizzically. "Why?"

"Well, I…" Rarity's eyebrows raised up as she thought of her response, realizing how she could easily move to a less unusual topic. Realizing she hasn’t brought up the Relish Incident with Thunderlane yet—something she was actually surprised she hadn’t done—Rarity started to smile again before starting her story.

"Okay, I think you might like this story. You see, my father is a sports announcer for professional hoofball games, so he travels around Equestria all the time with my mother. Well, one day, he decided to bring me and Sweetie Belle along for a game in Fillydelphia…"

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Zecora started to shiver as she sat on the cold ground. Looking up to the dark evening skies, the zebra sighed as she stared at the stars above, taking a moment as she marveled at the vast array of constellations and arrangements within Luna's night. Breathing in, Zecora tried to settle down her building confusion as she closed her eyes.

Even though she was somewhat grateful that she realized the reason for her tensions over the past week, Zecora was now overcome with a new wave of unease as she sat outside with worry. Despite knowing there wasn't anything she could do regarding Rarity right now, it didn’t stop the zebra from thinking about the unicorn and her current date.

It also didn’t stop her from waiting outside Rarity's home.

Looking around, Zecora made sure that nopony noticed her as she sat against the side of the Carousel Boutique. Groaning under her breath, the zebra cursed herself for doing something this impulsively stupid, knowing very well how insane all of this may look to anypony walking by. Readjusting the cloak she had on to keep her warm, Zecora really hoped that she didn't look like some crazy stalker like this. Shuddering from the evening cold, the zebra huddled a little more as she sat alone.

Thinking everything over, Zecora couldn't think of a single logical reason why she was out here right now. Even though she realized that she had a light crush on Rarity (something she really hated admitting to herself), it certainly wasn't a valid excuse to not head back home before dark. Now with Ponyville stirring still within the nighttime, Zecora knew that she couldn't be able to head back to her hut if she wanted to. Knowing she was pretty much homeless until morning, the zebra felt even stupider about her split-second decision, still not sure of what the buck she was going to do tonight.

Zecora couldn't head back to the Everfree Forest right now, so she was pretty much forced to be here; however, it wasn't like she even had anything planned. If Rarity was having a good time with that Thunderlane fellow, than Zecora would have no reason or excuse to intervene. And if Rarity wasn't having a good time, than what then? What the buck could she do if that happened?

Breathing out in a low sigh, Zecora noticed a faint puff of steam escape her muzzle as her hot breath clashed with the chilly evening air. Seeing this, the zebra groaned before she muttered to herself, "What's wrong with you, Zecora? This is the worst thing you could start!"

Looking around, Zecora made sure she was still alone right now. Even though she knew barely any ponies walked around Ponyville after dark, the zebra wanted to make sure she wasn't noticed by anypony who might be walking by or looking through their windows. Not catching any pairs of eyes on her, Zecora sighed once more and readjusted her seating by the Boutique. Closing her eyes, Zecora buried herself in her cloak and she tried to keep herself warm, still shivering slightly as the night grew colder.

"Oh, curse you, Rarity," mumbled the zebra. "Why did you have to tear me apart?"

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Despite the chilly night air, Rarity and Thunderlane were in high spirits as they walked side-by-side along the barren streets of Ponyville. All throughout their dinner, the two had been rather lively in their conversation, both bringing up many great stories and topics that were discussed with great appreciation.

Keeping her smile, Rarity couldn't believe that she could've gone on a date that went this well. Thunderlane, on the other hoof, was starting to grow nervous again as he walked her back home. However, the Pegasus managed to keep his composure in check as he listened to his cheerful date.

"… Luckily, I wasn't blacklisted or anything due to that incident, but that was when I realized how much of a buffoon Prince Blueblood really was."

Chuckling under his breath, Thunderlane breathed a little easier as he replied, "You know, I heard something like that happened at the Gala, but I didn’t think it was you who threw cake on him."

Rarity tried not to cringe as she blushed and looked away from Thunderlane. However, the Pegasus kept grinning as he continued, "Seriously, though, I don't blame you for doing that. I always had an inkling that guy was a jerk."

”Oh, he was!" Rarity looked back to her date with a new tone of annoyance in her voice. "I mean, you would think that being in royalty would allow for higher standards than that, but he was the most un-gentlecoltly pain I ever met!"

"It sure sounds like it,"  said Thunderlane with an understanding smile.

Before the two could continue, Rarity and Thunderlane stopped in their tracks when they saw a large puddle in the middle of the road. Under the moonlight, the puddle took up the entire width of the street and formed a large pool that was at least twelve feet long.

"Oh, no," said Rarity with a disheartened tone, "When did this happen?"

"I dunno," replied the stallion as he looked around, noticing a garden hose unrolled by the base of the puddle. Seeing that somepony forgot to completely turn off the valve connected to it, Thunderlane opened his wings and flew towards the source. With Rarity watching curiously, the Pegasus quickly turned off the valve while he hovered before he turned back to the mare with an optimistic smile.

"Well…" Rarity said as she looked back to the large puddle in their path, "I suppose that solves the problem for ponies later, but how on Earth are we supposed to—"

Before Rarity could finish, Thunderlane didn’t wait for permission and hovered over to the unicorn. Gasping in surprise, Rarity's eyes shot wide-open as she felt Thunderlane's hooves wrap around her back. In a matter of seconds, Thunderlane lifted the mare over the puddle, only flying a few feet off the ground before gently placing her on the dry ground on the other side. Stunned by the stallion's actions, Rarity was speechless as she was placed back on her hooves.

As Thunderlane landed back in front of her, he noticed how disheveled Rarity looked, making him suddenly grow worried again. "Umm… I… I'm sorry. I just… I just thought…"

While the Pegasus fumbled his words about in an attempt to find a fitting apology, Rarity breathed in for a moment before replying, "It… it's alright. I… I just didn’t expect you to do that so… suddenly."

"I know," muttered Thunderlane as he looked away from Rarity in guilt, "I should've asked first. I'm sorry. It's just… I figured that would be something a gentlecolt would do…"

Looking back to the puddle, Rarity realized what Thunderlane meant. Seeing how massive the puddle was, there was no way the unicorn would've went across without ruining her blue dress—unless she tried a water freezing spell of some sort, but even then things still could've went badly. Seeing what Thunderlane had tried to do for her, Rarity sighed and turned back to him with a calmer smile.

Thunderlane, still looking away from the unicorn bashfully, tried to alleviate the tension as he said, "I mean… I would've done the whole 'place the jacket over the puddle' thing, but I don’t think it would've done any good…"

Rarity giggled a little at his reply, making Thunderlane quickly look back at her with a surprised look on his face. Seeing that Rarity wasn't mad, the Pegasus started to look a little more relaxed and gave a light smile. Waiting until she made sure he wasn't looking guilty anymore, Rarity cleared her throat before saying, "It's alright, Thunderlane. I understand."

Rarity took a second to check on her dress before she continued, "Even though I would've preferred that you asked permission first…"

Thunderlane tried not to cringe at that part. Rarity kept her smile as she saw that no wrinkles or tears appeared on her dress, making her relieved as she looked back to Thunderlane. "That was still a very courteous thing to do. Thank you."

"You… you're welcome," stammered Thunderlane as he attempted to give a weak smile. However, before he could say anything else, Thunderlane suddenly noticed a carriage. Two stallions pulling it galloped at high speed down the road . Seeing what was going to occur, the Pegasus instinctively pulled Rarity back, keeping her behind him as he stood out protectively.

The carriage shot its way down the road, running over the puddle and sending a huge wave of stagnant water everywhere. However, while Rarity cowered from the oncoming splash in fear for her dress, Thunderlane's wings shot open as he faced the torrent.

After a loud splash, Rarity flinched for a moment before realizing she didn’t feel any moisture on herself at all. Slowly opening her eyes, Rarity realized that she was completely dry; instead, Thunderlane was completely soaked, and now slightly shivering as his jacket and wings started dripping heavily.

"Oh… Thunderlane!" Rarity quickly used her magic to pull off Thunderlane's jacket. "I can’t believe you did that! You're going to catch a cold!"

"Oh, it… it's a-alright, Ra- Rarity…" With his teeth chattering, Thunderlane was barely able to muster out a statement as he kept shivering. "I… I'm p-perfectly—"

With a loud 'sproing', the Pegasus's mane shot up in front of Rarity. Because he was soaking wet, the mane gel was no longer able to hold his Mohawk down, making it shoot up faster than a teenage Pegasus's wings during cheerleading practice. While Rarity stared at the sudden manestyle change with wide-open eyes, Thunderlane's warmth was slowly returning. All of it was going directly to his face as he blushed heavily.

Before the stallion could say anything to alleviate the situation, Rarity struggled to keep her muzzle shut before she clenched her eyes and began cracking up. As the unicorn started laughing loudly, Thunderlane's blush grew even heavier before Rarity replied, "I'm sorry, but… oh, wow!"

Rarity took another moment to finish laughing, holding her hoof up in case Thunderlane tried to say anything. When she finally managed to calm herself down enough to breathe, Rarity looked back at Thunderlane before giving a warm smile. "I'm sorry, but I couldn’t hold that back. But still…"

With Thunderlane's jacket still in her aura, Rarity lit her horn before enveloping the garment in a bright, blue glow. After a few seconds, Rarity dimmed her horn again before floating the jacket back to Thunderlane. Holding it in his hooves, Thunderlane was shocked to discover that his jacket was now completely dry again.

"It's the least I can do right now," said Rarity in a caring tone. "You didn’t have to sacrifice your health for me, but thank you very much."

"Oh, ummm… you're welcome," said Thunderlane as he put his dried jacket back on, making sure his wings were dried before fastening the buttons. Looking in the direction that the carriage went off to, the Pegasus glared a little before he muttered to himself, "I can’t believe those guys just ran off like that!"

"Oh, don't worry about that," said Rarity. "It's just a little water, and nothing to get too upset about." Rarity then pointed at Thunderlane's jacket before adding, "And I can get you a great discount at the dry cleaners, so you won’t have to worry about your jacket."

"Oh, umm… thanks, Rarity." Despite his wet fur matting his features, Thunderlane still gave a warm smile to Rarity before holding out one of his wings. "Well, shall we continue?"

Rarity smiled back and nodded. "Yes, Thunderlane. I would be happy to."

With that, Thunderlane wrapped his wing around the mare, holding her in a warm grasp before they walked off together.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Even though the nighttime was getting colder, Rarity barely noticed it as she walked alongside Thunderlane. Despite only wearing a thin blue dress (not thinking to bring a jacket with her), the warmth she felt from under the Pegasus's wing was more than enough to make her feel warm. As she walked within his grasp, Rarity felt absolutely secure with herself, leaving her to appreciate the silence as she looked around the darkened streets of Ponyville.

Underneath Luna's evening skies, Ponyville was absolutely still, with only the illuminations from the streetlights giving any semblance of life to the slumbering town. As Rarity and Thunderlane trotted in silence, the unicorn noticed their shadows as they walked underneath the various street lamps above them. Seeing the moving figures that were growing from beneath their hooves, Rarity smiled as she noticed the shapes they took against the streets and buildings. While her own figure was easy to discern from the moving shadows, Rarity's attention was focused on the figure beside hers. Looking at the black shapes that contrasted with the white and yellow lights above them, the unicorn smiled as she appreciated the figure next to her own shadow: a tall, slender build with a simple Mohawk.

Soon enough, Rarity almost didn’t notice when the two finally made it to the block where her Boutique was. Focusing most of her sights on the shadows next to them, Rarity didn’t realize she was heavily blushing when she finally turned back to Thunderlane. Standing in front of her with a now mostly-dried coat, the Pegasus was now looking more nervous again as he attempted to speak.

"Well, umm… w-we… we're here…"

Seeing that her home was within seeing distance from them, Rarity smiled as she nodded to him.

"I…" Slightly shaking from nervousness and building anticipation, Thunderlane bit his lip for a second as he tried to say the right words. "I… I really had a great time tonight, Rarity…"

"Yes…" Rarity looked back to him with an equally nervous smile. Even with the warmth she previously felt from looking at the shadows, her unease was now coming back as she looked at the source. Even though Thunderlane proved to be a fantastic stallion (and quite a gentlecolt), Rarity couldn’t shake the feeling that something wasn't right. But what? What could it be that would make her feel unsure now?

Not wanting to get too lost in thought, Rarity shook her discomfort aside before focusing her attention on Thunderlane. "I… I had a really nice time too, Thunderlane…"

When an awkward silence began to rear its ugly head, Thunderlane looked around sheepishly before he broke it nervously, saying, "I… I would really like to… you know… maybe do this again…"

Blinking a few times, Rarity looked down to the ground and struggled to reply. Even with how great of a date this had been, Rarity still felt confused on what to say. Thunderlane turned out to be an amazing stallion, and definitely should warrant seeing again. Thinking it over, Rarity knew that this Pegasus really fit the bill for what she wanted in a stallion: caring, kind, funny, and very dependable…

However…

Looking back at the stallion, Rarity still felt like something was missing. Something obvious, yet something she couldn’t place her hoof on if her life depended on it. With her confusion building, the unicorn felt like she was dealing with one of those odd hidden-picture paintings, where the answer was obvious if she looked at it in a certain way.

However, despite whatever theory she could ponder, nothing was clear or concise enough to explain her feelings of unease regarding Thunderlane. Knowing how much time she'd wasted before because of her high standards, the last thing Rarity wanted to do was let anything else keep her from ruining her chances of finding a good partner now.

Taking a deep breath, Rarity managed to smile again before replying feebly, "Well… I… may have to look at my schedule, but…"

Looking into the stallion's golden eyes, Rarity felt her heart tense up even more. The mare still exhaled calmly before she finished her statement.

"I… wouldn't mind seeing you again."

As Thunderlane's face lit up with an ecstatic smile, Rarity tried to keep up her own. However, it didn't change Rarity's tensions; in fact, saying that only made them feel even worse. But despite her growing apprehension, Rarity didn’t want to ruin this moment. Knowing how well this date had gone, she still stood her ground in front of Thunderlane, taking only a moment before she looked into his eyes again.

Slowly, Thunderlane's eyes started to narrow on the unicorn's, looking at her nervously as he began to move in. Seeing his eyes slowly close in front of her, Rarity hesitated slightly at the realization of what was going to happen.

Rarity tried not to falter as she closed her eyes as well. Lifting a hoof, Rarity used it to reach out to the stallion, taking a moment before it touched his upright mane. Feeling the surprisingly soft Mohawk in her hoof, Rarity felt calmer as she bent her head in some more, keeping her eyes closed as she began to feel Thunderlane's breath against her muzzle. With her heart thumping furiously, she detected the faint scent of the Pegasus's musky breath. Rarity's eyelids twitched a little before she began to reopen her eyes.

Before her vision could completely come back through her opening eyelids, the sight in front of Rarity wasn't what she predicted to see. While the Mohawk in her hoof could still be felt, she no longer envisioned the stallion before her as the one in possession of it. Instead, Rarity's heart shot up in her throat as she saw what was in front of her:

Zecora.

Rarity quickly shot back and gasped, startling Thunderlane as he quickly reopened his eyes. Even though his lips were mere inches from touching hers, the Pegasus didn’t know how to react as he noticed how frightened the mare looked at that moment. Slamming her eyes shut and trying not to see that once again, Rarity shook her head violently as she tried to discern what the buck she was just thinking about.

Meanwhile, Zecora, who was asleep at the side of the Carousel Boutique up to this moment, quickly reawakened when she heard Rarity's gasp. Getting back onto her hooves, Zecora looked from the side of the Boutique to see Rarity in the distance, who was looking rather disheveled as she stood in front of a motionless Thunderlane.

After several seconds of panicked apprehension, Rarity reopened her eyes, making herself look guilty again as she saw how confused Thunderlane looked. Looking at the wide-eyed gaze from her date, Rarity exhaled deeply before she attempted to calm herself down.

"I'm… I'm really sorry, I just…"

Just what?! thought Rarity as she tried to think of a decent answer. Just what the buck was going through your head, Rarity?! You need to say something! Anything! NOW!!!

"I… thought I saw something…"

Zecora's head quickly shot back behind the Boutique, frantically hoping that Rarity wasn't referring to her. However, while Zecora's assumption was technically only half-right, Rarity breathed in once more as she felt her heartbeat begin to resettle. Looking at Thunderlane, Rarity bit her lip before speaking, "Sorry, I… didn’t mean to ruin the moment or…"

Thunderlane only gave a warm smile as he looked at Rarity. Slowly, Rarity began to regain her composure as she stared at the stallion, feeling slightly happier before keeping a warmer stare on him. Keeping her eyes open this time, Rarity waited until Thunderlane began to move in once more, lifting a hoof as he gently placed it on Rarity's shoulder.

Meanwhile, Zecora's eyes widened as she watched from the side of the Boutique again. Seeing what was going to happen, Zecora winced and shut her eyes, not wanting to see what was about to happen between Thunderlane and the mare she liked.

As Thunderlane's head came closer, Rarity began to close her eyes again; however, her heartbeat wasn't thumping rapidly like it did the first time. In fact, Rarity didn’t feel nearly as much warmth from within her than she did the first time.

With Thunderlane still in her line of vision, the unicorn felt a new wave of tension hit her like bag of bricks. As Thunderlane's muzzle came inches from her lips, Rarity couldn't take it anymore and turned her head away from him.

Once again, Thunderlane looked confused as he reopened his eyes again. With the unicorn looking down to the ground with uncertainty on her face, the stallion took a breath before asking, "Wha… what's wrong, Rarity?"

Hearing that, Zecora reopened her eyes again, surprised to see that the two hadn't kissed yet. Keeping her attention on the two—though it added to how much of a creepy stalker she looked right now—the zebra's eyes narrowed as she focused her hearing on the two ponies, twitching her ears as she heard Rarity's voice.

"I…" muttered the mare as she kept her eyes away from him. Still feeling hesitant about what she should say, Rarity had no idea what she was supposed to do. Even with everything else that happened this evening, the unicorn couldn't picture herself kissing Thunderlane right now. However, since she knew she couldn’t say something that harsh to somepony who was this nice to her, Rarity took a second and another breath before she continued.

"I… I just don't feel… alright… right now…"

Even though he still felt a little unsure of what to say, Thunderlane knew better than to question her. Instead, Thunderlane cleared his throat before replying, "It's… alright. I mean, we don't… we don't need to… kiss right now, or…"

"Oh, yes, I know," Rarity quickly responded as she kept her eyes on Thunderlane. Not wanting him to think he did anything wrong, Rarity kept an insistent tone as she added, "And believe me, this was an amazing date, I swear! I mean, I don't think I've ever had a night this nice with a stallion."

Thunderlane's eyes widened a little at that statement, making him both surprised and grateful (albeit, still confused) as Rarity kept going.

"I just…" Biting her lip, Rarity looked down at the ground between them, now feeling bad about dampening what should've been a very nice evening. However, the tensions in her heart just wouldn’t go away, making Rarity stick her ground as she looked back to Thunderlane with a more guilt-ridden tone in her voice.

"I just think I need to… think some things over right now…"

Hearing that, Thunderlane only nodded before mustering a weak smile. "It's alright," he said in a calm tone of voice. "I completely understand."

Hearing that, Rarity managed to give a natural smile to the stallion. Even though she was glad that he wasn't going to pry on the reason, or attempt to kiss her again, Rarity still felt bad for letting him off like this. Knowing she had to do at least something before their date ended, Rarity placed a hoof on Thunderlane's shoulder before bending in and kissing his cheek.

While Zecora stared from the side of Rarity's home, wide-eyed and unsure of that that meant, Thunderlane's face turned to a deep red from his instant blush. As Rarity pulled back, one glance of his reddened state made the mare giggle a little before she spoke with a smile.

"Really, Thunderlane. I had a great time tonight. And you're quite the gentlecolt."

With that, the two shared a light hug, which Rarity had to admit felt very nice. After letting go, and giving him one more light kiss on the cheek, the two made their goodbyes before Thunderlane headed off. As Thunderlane's figure began to disappear against the night skies, Rarity's smile quickly faded away as she looked down to the ground in confusion. Still not knowing what the buck to think right now, the unicorn grimaced a little before trotting back to her home.

Zecora quickly darted out of sight behind the Boutique while Rarity took out her house key and opened the door. Stepping inside her darkened home, Rarity didn't even bother turning on the lights as she closed the door behind her.

Still feeling a weight in her gut over all that happened, the unicorn had trouble focusing on anything. Even the simple task of taking off her dress with her magic was proving to be difficult for the mare, leaving her to slump down on her couch after finally getting it off.

As she laid in the darkness, a billion different thoughts shot through Rarity's head, each one coming through crystal clear as the mare buried her head in one of the throw pillows.

Why couldn't I kiss Thunderlane?

Why did I feel so uneasy about being with him?

Why couldn't I appreciate the first date I've ever had that was with a decent stallion?

Why…

Why the buck did I think of Zecora?!

Rarity loudly groaned and shoved the pillow deeper in her face. As she desperately tried thinking too much about that last question, Rarity didn’t notice the sounds of rustling from Zecora outside.

Standing outside Rarity's home, Zecora had no idea how to move forward. Even though she didn't want to alert herself in Rarity's presence—especially since she's supposed to be back in the Everfree Forest right now—the zebra really didn't want to leave her alone like this. After seeing how awkwardly that date ended, Zecora honestly felt obligated to do something.

Taking a deep breath, the zebra closed her eyes as she thought her options over, not thinking of anything else as she stood alone outside Rarity's Boutique.

After making her decision, Zecora opened her eyes and breathed out slowly. Knowing what she had to do, Zecora took a moment before she turned to Rarity's front door. Despite her heart thundering in her chest like tribal drums, the zebra tried her hardest not to show any hesitation as she lifted her hoof.

Hoping that Rarity is good enough to at least answer, Zecora took caution to the wind and knocked.


> What Feels Right (Part 2)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hearing the knocks from her front door, Rarity's head shot up from her pillow as she laid on the couch. Looking over to the direction of the knocking, the unicorn couldn't think of the slightest reason why anypony would be answering at this time of night. After their date (which ended differently than she originally expected), Thunderlane looked fine enough to not warrant any more interaction with her tonight. And despite the potential for an emergency, Rarity couldn't possibly think of any occurrence that would be in need of her assistance right now.

However, Rarity's mind was already too cluttered to think that hard about who was at the front door. With the memory of her faltered kiss—or actually, kisses—at the end of her date with Thunderlane, Rarity had no idea of what to think about everything.

Remembering how uneasy she felt when she was about to kiss him the second time, Rarity had no idea why she could've felt that way. Given how pleasant their date was, there couldn't have been any logical reason for her to become so hesitant.

Of course, unless she thought about what happened on the first kiss attempt.

Despite her hardest efforts, the unicorn couldn't exactly deny what happened: she was about to kiss Thunderlane, opened her eyes right before, and accidentally saw Zecora in his place. But why? Why, in that moment in time, would Rarity picture that zebra instead of her date as she was about to kiss him? Was it just stress? Did feeling his Mohawk like that remind her of Zecora's manestyle?

Did… did she actually… want to kiss her?

Rarity quickly shook her head again and walked to the door, not wanting to be this flustered right now. Even with all these questions looming over her head like some blasted raincloud prank from Rainbow Dash, the unicorn didn’t want them to affect her this badly.

As soon as she opened the door, Rarity felt a huge weight in her chest when she saw who it was. Because of all the confusion that occurred in less than an hour, the last thing that Rarity wanted was to be reminded of any instance of her failed kiss.

And yet, that didn't stop Zecora from standing at her door with a concerned look on her face.

"Rarity, are you feeling alright?" said Zecora as she tried to keep a calm tone. "I thought I saw—"

"Ze… Zecora?!" shouted Rarity, who was more aggravated than surprised at seeing the zebra right now. "Wha… what on Earth are you doing here?!"

Zecora tried not to wince as she breathed in through her teeth. Seeing how overstressed Rarity looked right now, Zecora realized that maybe this wasn't a great time to talk with her. "I…"

"Why… why are you here?!" Rarity continued to shout, "Why aren’t you in the Everfree Forest?! How long were you outside like that?! How…"

Realizing how much of a disturbance she may have been making from her yelling, Rarity closed her eyes and stopped talking. While Zecora stood in front of her with a worried look, Rarity attempted to calm herself down by breathing in slowly.

Taking a moment so she wouldn’t she wake up half the neighborhood, Rarity exhaled slowly before reopening her eyes. With her sights on Zecora, Rarity sighed before she spoke faintly. 

"I'm… I'm sorry, I… I just had a stressful night. I didn’t mean to yell at you."

"Oh, it's fine," assured Zecora as she replied, "you don't have to explain." Looking behind her to the street, Zecora looked around before turning back to the unicorn. "I thought I saw you with Thunderlane."

Rarity bit her lip and nodded. "Ye… yeah… I…"

Remembering what happened to cause her to act so oddly towards Thunderlane in the first place, Rarity looked away from Zecora, knowing that even her face was enough to remind her of her building confusion. However, Rarity sighed before she stepped back and held out her hoof, motioning for Zecora to come inside. "Well, since you're here and not at home, I can’t let you sleep outside, now can I?"

Even though she felt guilty for putting Rarity on the spot like this, Zecora still nodded bashfully before walking inside. While she was glad that the unicorn was nice enough to let her in—especially after she saw what happened at the end of her date—Zecora still felt bad about it, knowing that the only reason she was here was because of her impulsive feelings towards the mare. However, the zebra kept her muzzle shut about it as she entered Rarity's living room.

Although she didn't want to think about what happened regarding Zecora just recently, let alone speak with her about it, Rarity knew better than to shun her right now. If she was here instead of the Everfree Forest, it meant that she wouldn’t be able to return back home until morning. Sighing to herself quietly, Rarity waited until Zecora took a seat on the couch before walking up to her.

"I'm sorry if I look a little disheveled right now," said the unicorn, waiting a moment before she sat on the couch beside Zecora. "I've just… I don’t exactly feel so great at the moment."

"I'm sorry to hear that. I don’t mean to dwell." Hearing Zecora's statement, Rarity nodded as she kept her face away from her. Breathing in, Zecora felt like she should say something more, not wanting to seem unappreciative right now. "I honestly hoped that your date would go well."

Saying that, Zecora surprised herself as she realized how truthfully those words came out. Thinking it over, the zebra really didn’t want to see the unicorn's night get sabotaged or dampened for her own sake. She might have a crush on her, but that didn’t mean she wanted to see Rarity look upset like this. Realizing that she really did want the best for her, Zecora sighed softly in slight relief, feeling glad that her affliction over Rarity hasn’t gone too far.

However, Zecora's comment was immediately followed by Rarity voice, as she spoke in a surprised tone, "Actually, the date really did!"

Remembering what she saw earlier, when Rarity basically refused to kiss Thunderlane on the lips, Zecora turned back to Rarity with a surprised look on her face. Not expecting the unicorn to say that sort of thing, Zecora waited as Rarity continued.

"I mean, I really had an amazing time tonight! Thunderlane was… he was a great date! He was funny, energetic, kind, surprisingly shy…" Remembering how flustered the stallion was when he first showed up at her doorstep, Rarity smiled a little as she kept going. "And… I don’t think I ever met anypony who was such a gentlecolt before…"

When she saw the warm smile on Rarity's muzzle, Zecora tried to smile back in understanding. However, the unicorn began to frown once more as she kept her gaze away from Zecora. Biting her lip, Rarity didn’t want to think about how it all went wrong, or even admit it to anypony else; however, she knew she couldn’t just leave it at that without saying anything else to the zebra. Breathing in, Rarity sighed before she continued to explain.

"But… but at the end of the night… I… I just couldn’t kiss him. I… I couldn’t bring myself to do it."

Zecora waited a moment as the living room became engulfed in silence. Clearing her throat, she caught Rarity's attention before she replied, "If you don't mind me asking, do you know the reason why? I mean, why didn’t you kiss him if he's such a nice guy?"

Rarity blinked a few times as she processed Zecora's question. Thinking it over, Rarity took a breath slowly in an attempt to conjure the right words. Not wanting to say something like "Oh, I just pictured kissing you instead of him, want some tea?" the unicorn took a second before she sighed deeply.

"I… honestly don’t know what happened! I… I really liked him, and… and I really thought I felt something…"

Rarity closed her eyes and sighed again, feeling more resentful towards herself for how weak her reasons were.

"But…but when I was actually about to… to kiss him…"

Rarity clenched her eyes even tighter, wanting to keep them shut as she opened her muzzle.

"I… I didn’t feel anything!"

Opening her eyes again, Rarity breathed hard as she said that, realizing how truthful her statement actually was. Even with how nice and courteous he was during their night, Rarity honestly didn't feel much when Thunderlane was about to kiss her.

Remembering how uninterested she felt when she actually tried to kiss him after getting Zecora out of her mind, all that the unicorn could think about was why it didn’t feel the same. What made it so different? Why couldn’t she feel that way about him? Why changed so drastically the second time they tried to kiss?

Blinking a few times in confusion, Rarity's face scrunched in as she tried to avoid Zecora's gaze. With every passing second, Rarity started to feel even worse about not feeling much for Thunderlane, especially after everything he did for her. Feeling both guilt and uncertainty in her conscience about how everything ended up, Rarity lurched forward and threw her head in her hooves, trying her hardest not to sob out loud.

"Urrrrrgh!!!" The mare groaned in frustration. "What the buck is wrong with me?!"

"Rarity, there is nothing wrong!" assured the zebra as she tried to put a hoof to her shoulder. "Sometimes things just don—"

"THEN WHY COULDN’T I FEEL ANYTHING WITH HIM?!!"

With that, Rarity finally began to break down. She buried her head in her hooves and began to cry. Looking at the sobbing mare beside her, Zecora's heart ached as she saw how distraught Rarity looked about this.

"I-I mean…" began the unicorn between her sobs, "I… I liked being with him… he… he was great… But I… I couldn’t even appreciate it!!!"

Another groan escaped the mare between several sobs, leaving Zecora to just sit next to her in silence. Not sure of how to alleviate the unicorn's woes, Zecora could only keep a hoof on Rarity's shoulder, hoping that even something as small as that could help a little bit.

"Am… am I really that unattached now?!" Rarity lowered her hooves, but still kept her head hung low as she spoke in a devastated tone. "Am I really… really so distant nowadays, that I can’t even like a decent stallion when he comes along?! Are my expectations just too bucking high now, that I can't even accept the standards I wanted before?!?!"

Zecora held the unicorn in closer, putting her foreleg around Rarity's shoulder as she pulled her head in. With her head resting against Zecora's chest, Rarity's tears still kept coming out as she clenched her eyes shut. Feeling the zebra's gentle warmth from her chest as she rested against it, Rarity tried to breathe in deeply to settle her hiccupping sobs. After a moment of trying to calm herself down a little, Rarity finally tried to speak again, resting her head against Zecora as her voice came out close to a faint whisper.

"I… I feel like I'm just destined to be alone…like I'm too broken to love anypony but myself."

Hearing that, Zecora couldn't stay silent anymore. Grabbing Rarity's shoulders by the hooves, Zecora quickly pulled the unicorn from her chest before making her stare her dead in the eyes.

"Rarity, don't you say that you're broken! I never heard less truth from words spoken! Just because you didn't feel love, doesn't mean it's not there! And I don't believe for a second you're a broken mare!"

Surprised from the sudden burst of insistent anger from the zebra, Rarity almost felt like she was going to start crying again out of fear. However, Zecora kept her strong glare on the unicorn as she kept going. After everything she'd been feeling the past week because of this mare, the last thing Zecora wanted was to see Rarity act this low about herself.

"Rarity, you… you're the best pony I know…I've never known a friend with so much to show…"

Even though she wanted to sound stern in order to get this to Rarity's head, Zecora's voice began to come out more feebly as she continued.

"Just because you didn't kiss him, doesn't mean it's love you lack…"

Zecora then placed a hoof on Rarity's cheek and wiped a tear from the unicorn's face. Looking at Rarity's glistening face, which still looked stunning despite the dim lights and matted fur from her tears, Zecora knew what she wanted to say. Holding her in her grasp, Zecora gave a warm smile before finishing her rhyme.

"With all the love you give, I know that someone will love you back."

For the first time, Rarity began to smile again. Looking into the warm shade of blue that made up the zebra's eyes, Rarity's tears stopped flowing as she began to feel better. Keeping a weak smile on her muzzle, which was just as warm and genuine as the one on Zecora's, Rarity slowly lifted a hoof and placed it on Zecora's cheek.

"Th-thank you…" muttered the mare in a faint tone.

For almost a full minute, neither one said a single word, or made a single sound to break the silence between them. Looking into each other's eyes, Rarity and Zecora didn't move an inch as they stared, neither wanting to break this moment of pure serenity. Keeping her focus on the unique shade of blue in Zecora's eyes, Rarity didn't realize how much either of them were blushing.

She also didn't realize how her head was slowly moving forward toward the zebra's.

As the unicorn slowly inched her head in, Zecora realized what was going to occur. However, unlike the last time, when she was caught off-guard, she didn't falter for a moment; instead, Zecora slowly began to move forward as well, and her eyes began to close.

Rarity, whose body was now in pure control apart from her brain, began to close her eyes as well. Slowly, the mare's hoof moved up to the top of Zecora's head as she gently brushed against the zebra's soft mane. Once again, the mare felt light breeze of warm breath press against her muzzle; unlike the musky scent she noticed with Thunderlane, Rarity instead detected a sweeter aroma, which reminded her of the zebra's bedding when she slept over that night.

Before her lips could feel anything more than Zecora's breath, Rarity slowly reopened her eyes. Much like her attempted first kiss with Thunderlane, Rarity's eyes envisioned the face of Zecora in front of her, just inches from her face as she began to close in.

However, Rarity realized that this was real.

In a panic, Rarity gasped before she shot back from the zebra. Clutching her muzzle with her hooves, Rarity quickly jumped to the other side of the couch, her eyes wide-open in shock as she realized what was going to happen.

As the unicorn's breathing came out rapidly and heavily, Zecora was frozen in her spot as she looked at the shaking mare. Unable to move, the zebra could only sit in frozen fear as she heard Rarity begin to babble out some words.

"Wha—um… bu—bu… hng, what wa… what was… what was I…"

Keeping her hooves over her lips as she kept whimpering like a panicked puppy, Rarity's shaking became more vibrant as she tried to say something, anything.

"I… wha… what… WHAT WAS I—"

Not wanting to see Rarity break down again, Zecora broke free from her self-constraints and quickly moved toward the unicorn. "Rarity, it's alri—"

"NO!!!!" Rarity yelled as she tried to jump off the couch. However, the unicorn's footing didn’t necessarily agree with her. She instead slumped to the floor like a fish out of water. Before she could get back on her hooves and run away, Rarity felt Zecora's hoof on her shoulder as she tried to keep her still.

"Rarity, listen! I'm no—"

"I CAN'T!!!"

Rarity quickly broke free from Zecora's grasp and lunged forward. However, because of the direction she was heading, Rarity only ended up at one of the corners of the living room. Feeling trapped, Rarity turned around before seeing Zecora with a panicked look on her face, making her quickly dart backwards against the corner.

With her back against the wall and Zecora in front of her, Rarity's breathing came out more rapidly as she sat on the floor in shock. Realizing what just happened, Rarity's breathing came out shakily, knowing that this situation couldn’t be forgotten like last time.

Clenching her eyes shut, Rarity tried to avoid looking at the zebra, who was now standing in front of her with a worried look. With her heavy breathing coming out close to gasps, the unicorn knew this couldn't be blamed on anything else. Neither of them were drunk. Rarity wasn't too inebriated to say she didn’t intend what was going to happen. She did it on her own. She was about to kiss Zecora.

She… wanted to kiss her.

Rarity began to cower and lowered her head to her hooves again, her voice coming out in a whimpered creak as she struggled not to cry.

Though she didn’t want to risk getting attacked, Zecora took caution to the wind as she came forward, taking a deep breath before she lifted a hoof to Rarity's shoulder. Rarity jolted at the sudden touch, making her sit upright again as she tried to keep some distance between her and the zebra. Looking into Rarity's welling eyes, Zecora bit her lip in worry, not wanting everything to go wrong so soon.

"Rarity…" said Zecora in a hushed tone, waiting a moment to make sure that Rarity wouldn’t try to run away again. Seeing that the unicorn was going to stay still—at least for now—Zecora took a deep breath before she continued.

"Please… please don't be afraid…There are no mistakes that have been made…"

"But—" Rarity sputtered as she sat with a fearful look on her face, "But… but I…"

Even though she wanted to say something at that moment, Zecora kept her muzzle shut as she sat down, lowering herself at eye-level with Rarity. Waiting to see what the unicorn would say, Zecora sat patiently and kept a warm look on her face.

"I…" muttered the mare as her breathing started to become less shaky, "I… I think… I…"

Taking a deep (and fairly shaky) breath, Rarity closed her eyes, keeping them clenched shut as she tried to collect herself. Realizing what she was about to do, the unicorn could barely keep herself upright as she thought about everything.

Remembering her drunken kiss, and her broken moment with Thunderlane, and everything else that had happened over the past couple weeks, Rarity knew that she couldn't keep ignoring everything. With all the facts in front of her, staring at her just as clearly as Zecora was right now, Rarity slowly exhaled before she made her faint admission.

"I... think… I wanted to… kiss you…"

Hearing that, Zecora's heart skipped a beat for a moment, almost making her break her stern gaze on the unicorn in front of her. However, the zebra kept her composure as she took a deep breath, taking a moment before she spoke calmly.

"You should not worry… this is not bad…There's no reason for you to feel sad."

"But!" Rarity said in a quick burst, looking back at Zecora again before she tried to add, "but I… I never… I never even thought of doing that kind of thing befo—"

Zecora quickly silenced Rarity's ramblings with a hoof against her lips. As she gently held her hoof up to quiet the mare, Zecora kept a faint smile on her face as she spoke.

"Sometimes, we do things we never have thought. While some are done badly, others are not…"

Zecora slowly removed her hoof from Rarity's muzzle, instead placing it on her cheek before she continued in a slow and soothing tone.

"Remember what I said, earlier tonight?"

Keeping herself silent, Rarity only nodded a little as she stared at the zebra, wide-eyed.

"What I said, is that you should do what feels right…"

Hearing that, Rarity closed her mouth and swallowed some excess saliva. Closing her eyes, Rarity tried to clear her mind as she breathed in, not wanting anything to distract her right now. 

As Zecora sat in front of her in silence, waiting to see how she would react, Rarity clenched her eyes shut as she breathed deeply. Thinking about Zecora's words, the unicorn didn't say anything as she focused on her thoughts, barely giving the zebra any evidence of what she was thinking about besides some faint twitches from her muzzle.

After almost a minute of reflection, Rarity reopened her mouth slightly, letting herself breathe in deeper than before. Slowly, the mare reopened her eyes, letting herself look straight at the face of the zebra in front of her.

Looking into her deep blue eyes, full of more wisdom and mystery than she ever thought was possible, Rarity's mind felt a lot clearer as she slowly exhaled. Unlike earlier, Rarity's breath came out smoothly, with no shaking or evidence of any hesitation whatsoever.

After a second of silence, Rarity quickly moved her head forward, catching Zecora off-guard as the unicorn lunged in and kissed her on the lips. Clenching her eyes shut, Rarity only focused on what she was feeling as she pressed her lips against the zebra's, taking this moment to its advantage as she felt that familiar warmth once more.

Feeling the unicorn's soft lips against her, Zecora didn't budge one inch from her spot. Instead, the zebra's eyes began to falter as her wide-eyed stance slowly turned to a half-closed gaze. As her lips tasted Rarity again, Zecora savored this moment and closed her eyes, her heart fluttering as she realized this was really happening.

After all the countless times she spent recalling the first time they kissed, Zecora couldn't be happier about it happening again, which made her push her muzzle in as she kissed back.

Feeling the zebra's kiss on her lips, Rarity's mind became clear for the first time. With all the past confusion and tensions brushed aside, all that the unicorn felt now was an amazing warmth flowing through her body, tingling every sense in ways she’d never imagined before. Tasting the zebra's lips as her hot breath brushed against her muzzle, Rarity knew that she never felt this kind of euphoric pleasure in her entire life; the warmth, the scent, the taste, all of it came together in a beautiful combination, leaving only a single moment that the unicorn could say felt perfect.

After a moment of pure bliss, Rarity slowly pulled back, letting her lips escape Zecora's before she slowly opened her eyes. Looking at the blushing zebra before her, the unicorn knew that Zecora was right: she was able to feel that sort of way for another.

Much like their first kiss, Rarity felt no regrets. No hesitation. No form of displeasure or remorse at all. Instead, all that the unicorn could feel was pure, unbridled joy. A warm joy in her heart, which was growing through the rest of her body. And the best part was, not a single drop of alcohol was involved this time.

After several seconds of heavy breathing between the two as they stared at each other's eyes, Rarity didn’t need to say anything as she began to smile. And in less than an instant, their lips came together once more.

> Discoveries (Part 1)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

As Luna's magnificent night began to disappear beyond the horizon, Celestia's sun started to rise from the east, illuminating the quiet town of Ponyville with its first rays of sunlight. While ponies began to wake themselves and prepare to go about their days, the Carousel Boutique laid completely still. Inside the Boutique, not a single sound could be heard from the showroom. However, up the stairs on the second floor, the faint sounds of light breathing could be heard from Rarity's bedroom.

Resting on her luxurious, king-sized bed, Rarity was resting in utter bliss underneath her massive lavender covers. Because of the thick curtains covering the windows, the unicorn didn’t even need to place a blind over her eyes to get a peaceful rest. As her breathing came out faintly, Rarity rested as she held onto the other figure in the bed.

With her hooves wrapped around the warm mass next to her, Rarity didn't show a single sign of unease or hesitation as she snuggled closer to the source. Slowly, the hooves from the other figure wrapped themselves around Rarity, hugging her tightly as they both slept.

Zecora, who was resting better than she ever could've imagined, was also laying soundlessly as she held onto Rarity. Keeping her hooves around the unicorn, Zecora's head moved in closer as she breathed in Rarity's mane. Smelling the faint aroma of lavender and perfume, the zebra sighed in bliss, smiling through her unconscious state as she slept.

As Zecora's warm breath slowly escaped her muzzle, it gently brushed against Rarity's soft fur, making the unicorn begin to stir awake. Twitching her muzzle, she tried to reposition herself in the bed while still hugging the sleeping zebra. After making herself more comfortable, Rarity's tired blue eyes slowly began to open. As soon as she adjusted to the darkness, the unicorn's eyes shot wide open when she saw who was next to her.

Even though part of her wanted to shoot off the bed at that instant, Rarity was frozen at the spot while she laid next to Zecora. Blinking a few times, the gears in her head began to turn as she thought about the previous night.

Slowly, Rarity began to remember what exactly happened after her date with Thunderlane, and how that escalated to her now being in bed with another mare. Remembering that first sober kiss she shared with Zecora, Rarity's heart began to beat faster with each second of recollection.

After she made her spur-of-the-moment decision to kiss Zecora, Rarity didn’t really stop. For most of the night after that, the two just kept going, kissing deeper and more passionately with each passing minute. Eventually, Rarity and Zecora made their way back to the unicorn's bedroom, but that didn’t really stop them from intertwining their muzzles every chance they had.

By the time they finally got into Rarity's bed, the rest of the night just melded together into a blur of passion and ecstasy as the zebra and unicorn continued to kiss while holding each other tightly.

But now, with the veil of Luna's night gone and the reality of morning setting in, Rarity's mind was completely blank on what to do now. Even though she couldn't really say she regretted anything that happened the previous night, Rarity still felt a huge weight in her chest as she let everything set in. Less than a month ago, the unicorn never would've even imagined doing something as unusual or scandalous as taking a female zebra to bed. But now, with Zecora resting next to her silently, Rarity could only lie beside her and try to think of a sound decision.

However, before she could try to get out of bed, the unicorn felt Zecora's breath gently brush against her coat again. Feeling the faint warmth against her skin and fur, Rarity paused  and savored the moment. Her heart began to beat even faster when she realized that she couldn't bring herself to leave if she tried.

Thinking back to how the night had gone, Rarity seriously couldn’t deny how amazing everything felt. After all these years of chasing after the perfect stallion, and realizing how fruitless her efforts turned out to be, Rarity was now at a crossroads as she looked at the zebra beside her. No other experience from any other pony ever made her feel as warm or as special as her moment with Zecora.

After about a minute of deep thought, Rarity slowly closed her eyes again, letting this good feeling set in as she moved in closer.

As the morning light tried to come in through the thick curtains, Rarity didn’t give any thought to the upcoming day as she rested beside the zebra. Feeling Zecora's warmth, Rarity smiled to herself as she settled in beside her, realizing how great this really felt right now.

Pushing any insecurities or worries aside, Rarity began to let herself settle back into slumber, wanting nothing more than for this moment to never en—

"HEY RARITY!" shouted Sweetie Belle as she kicked the door open and trotted into the room with an excited grin.

Shocked by the sudden intrusion, Rarity screamed herself back awake and shot up from the bed. Almost instinctively, Rarity threw the covers up over herself and Zecora. Despite the zebra also being jolted awake in confusion, Rarity quickly covered her whole body underneath the blanket.

Now sitting upright with the blanket over her chest, there was a full-blown red blush on Rarity’s face while she glared at her little sister.

"Sw-Sweetie Belle!!" Rarity shouted, completely flustered, "What have I told you about barging into my room like that?!"

"Ummm…" Sweetie Belle put a hoof up to her muzzle and looked down to the floor, pondering the answer. After a few seconds, the filly looked back up to Rarity as she remembered and gave her response:

"Don’t come in if I hear buzzing?"

"N-NO!!!" shouted Rarity, her blush growing even deeper in embarrassment.

Despite the thick blanket over her, Zecora heard Sweetie Belle's answer clear enough to try not to laugh. While the zebra covered her mouth with her hooves to keep any snickers from escaping, Rarity sputtered a bit before she scolded her sister.

"N-not that! Sweetie Belle, I told you that you need to knock before entering a lady's bedroom!"

Sweetie Belle's eyes widened in clarity as she remembered. "Ohhhhh… that's right!"

Sweetie Belle then quickly exited Rarity's room, closing the door behind her. After a second of silence, the filly knocked on the door, making Rarity groan and put her head in her hooves.

"Urrrrrghhhhh… what is it?"

"Can I come in now?" asked Sweetie Belle from the other side of the door.

"Sure, fine. Go ahead."

Due to experiencing frustration so early in her day, Rarity said that with her head in her hooves, almost forgetting that Zecora was still under her covers. Realizing her mistake, Rarity's eyes widened in fear as she threw her hooves up to take back her statement.

However, she was too late. Sweetie Belle reopened the door and walked back in.

Keeping a hoof over the lump in the blanket where the zebra was, Rarity had a worried look on her face as she looked at her sister.

"So, Rarity…" began the filly in a more cautious tone than before, "Mom wants to know if she could borrow one of your luggage bags."

Rarity blinked a few times and let her sister's question sink in. Grateful that was the only question the filly had for her, she sighed in relief before pointing a hoof to the closet. "S-sure, Sweetie. I have some in the closet over there."

"Thanks," said Sweetie Belle with a smile as she trotted over to the closet. After taking a large, pink suitcase by the handle in her muzzle, Sweetie began to walk back out of Rarity's bedroom. 

However, before she left the room, Sweetie Belle put down the suitcase in front of the door. With a curious look on her face, the filly looked back to her sister with a skewed eyebrow before noticing the striped tail hanging outside of the blankets.

"Hey, sis?"

"Y-yes, Sweetie Belle?" asked Rarity in a worried tone.

"Why is Zecora in your bed?"

Rarity's heart almost shot up in her throat. With her eyes as wide as dinner plates, the unicorn began to sweat bullets. Although Rarity wanted to say something, anything to make an explanation, nothing came out of her open mouth.

Slowly, the blankets beside Rarity began to move. Zecora came into view with an embarrassed look on her face.

"Hhhhhellooooo… Sweetie Belle…" said the zebra in a faint and bashful tone as she kept the blanket held against her chest. "Are… you feeling well?"

"Ummm… I guess so." Keeping her confused stare on her older sister, Sweetie Belle looked between the two on her bed as she waited for an answer.

Blinking a few times in petrified silence, Rarity looked over at Zecora, hoping that she had something to say. Seeing that the zebra looking back at her was just as lost for words as she was, Rarity looked back at her sister and bit her lip.

"Well, Sweetie Belle, you see…" Rarity began in a shaky tone, "Zecora…"

Since she was drawing a complete blank, the unicorn took another second before opening her muzzle, blurting out the first thing that came to her head.

"Zecora was helping me make the bed."

With Zecora staring at her like she just said the stupidest thing imaginable, Rarity forced a large smile on her face as she looked at the confused filly. Blinking a couple times, Sweetie Belle looked at the bed and Zecora before turning back to her sister.

"But… you're still in it. And so is she."

"… Yes…" Rarity kept her fake smile up, even though it was becoming creepier with each passing second due to how panicked she was getting. Before she could worry Sweetie Belle with her odd behavior, Rarity slowly turned her head over to the zebra beside her. Looking at Zecora—who was now staring back at her with an equally confused look on her face—Rarity desperately tried to think of a suitable follow-up to her sister's rebuttal.

In an instant, Rarity felt like a light bulb turned on above her head. She quickly changed her expression to one of annoyance and stared at the zebra.

"I… I told you, Zecora!" Rarity pointed a hoof at the zebra with an upset look on her face. "I… I need to be out of the bed… before you can make it!"

Despite how unsure she sounded as she made her fake complaint towards Zecora, Rarity hoped that it was convincing enough for the filly staring at her. Nevertheless, despite how dumbfounded she was by how stupid Rarity's excuse was, Zecora knew she had to play along. 

With an annoyed and deadpan stare back at the unicorn, Zecora replied in a low and unenthusiastic tone, "Oh… so that's how it should be…" Zecora narrowed her eyes on Rarity as she added, "How very silly of me."

Despite Rarity's worried tone and the zebra's glare, Sweetie Belle didn't seem to notice either as she replied cheerfully, "Don't worry, Zecora! I tried doing that, too. It doesn't work."

Zecora sighed to herself before she looked back at Sweetie Belle, quickly putting up a smile of her own as she said cheerfully, "Well, since you have the bag, you should be on your way."

Sweetie Belle's eyes widened as she remembered the suitcase next to her. "Oh yeah! I almost forgot!"

The filly quickly grabbed the handle by her mouth before she made her way to the door. "Thee ya, Rar-ee!" muttered Sweetie Belle through her muffled muzzle. "Bye, Thecora!"

"Farewell, Sweetie Belle," added Zecora with a more chipper tone, "and have a wonderful day."

Sweetie Belle closed the door behind her before making her way downstairs. Before Zecora could turn back to Rarity and question what she was thinking, the filly's voice could still be heard from the hallway faintly.

"Oh, hey Opal—"

RRROOOWWWRRRR!!!

"AAAAAHHHHHH!!!"

The sound of small hoofsteps thundering away from the cat's loud hissing before the front door opened and quickly slammed shut could be heard. After a moment of silence to ensure that Sweetie Belle was really gone, Zecora stared at Rarity with a disdainful look on her face.

"I was here to make your bed?" muttered the zebra in a deadpan tone, making Rarity blush and look away in guilt. "Did you get bumped in the head?"

"I'm sorry!" said Rarity with sincere shame. "I just didn’t know what to say!" Rarity took a second before she looked back to Zecora and spoke with a more insistent tone of voice. "And I didn’t want to tell Sweetie Belle what really happened! I really doubt that she would understand that well!"

Zecora looked away for a moment and thought it over. Knowing how young Rarity's sister was, it made sense to not tell her the truth like that. Closing her eyes, Zecora sighed before she looked back at Rarity. "I guess that makes sense…"

Before Rarity could say anything more, Zecora pointed a hoof at her as she added, "But your excuse was really phony. And I seriously doubt that she bought that bologna."

"Well, it got her out of our manes, didn’t it?" said Rarity flatly. "Besides, Sweetie Belle might be adorable, but she's still rather gullible for a filly her age."

Rarity hopped off the bed, leaving Zecora staring at her in a perplexed state as she began her morning stretches.

"I remember for the longest time," began the unicorn as she stretched her hindlegs out, "Sweetie Belle was convinced that carrots were magical, because she couldn’t figure out how they survived in the wild without eyes."

While Zecora sat in the bed, trying to figure out the logistics of what was just said, Rarity did some more light stretches before yawning softly. "Besides," she continued, "if I told her what really happened, she would probably tell my parents about it, and I would hate to think what they would have to say…"

While Rarity shuddered to herself about that idea, Zecora blinked a few times before she replied, "So… you know that she still saw us together, didn't you?" Even though Rarity's back was to her, the sudden twitch from the unicorn was enough to let Zecora know she didn't think that through. "So if they asked, she could still say I was in bed with you."

Rarity gritted her teeth to avoid wincing as she let that realization sink in, which lead Zecora to grow more worried about what might happen. Even though the sudden wake-up from Sweetie Belle was quite a distraction, Zecora still couldn't help but remember how everything went the previous night.

Recalling every second the two shared in embrace, the last thing that the zebra wanted was for it to be seen as some mistake to Rarity. Hopeful that this wasn't some one-night-stand or "experimental phase,” Zecora cleared her throat before she spoke faintly.

"Rarity, this… this wasn't a mistake, was it? Because I don’t want this to end from a small fit."

"Zecora, wha…" Though the fact that she spent the night with Zecora was still a shocking turn of events for her, Rarity was even more surprised at the zebra's statement. Not wanting her to think that she thought that sort of thing, the unicorn put up a hoof and tried to protest. "Zecora, I… I don't think what we did was… a mistake! I mean…"

Rarity paused and took a moment to reflect. Despite still being unsure about how to feel about this, Rarity was certainly not feeling much regret about it. Confusion? Yes. Surprise? Definitely. A looming uncertainty about how her life would change due to being with a zebra? Well, of course.

But regret? Shame? Calling it a mistake? Certainly not.

"I mean… yes… This… certainly wasn't what I expected to happen, but…"

Rarity bit her lip for a second, thinking it over before she spoke to Zecora.

"But I certainly don't want to call it a mistake. I mean… if I thought that, then… I probably would've stopped a lot sooner, wouldn’t I?"

Zecora looked away from her bashfully, pausing for a moment before she slowly nodded. Remembering how passionate the unicorn was just a few hours ago, Zecora knew that anything else would've been a lie. However, before the zebra could say anything, she noticed Rarity's look of hesitance as she continued to think everything over.

"I… I suppose that… I might need a bit of time to let all of this sink in." Zecora slowly looked back to Rarity, who was looking down to the floor as she continued, "I mean… to say that what happened was unexpected would be a bit of an understatement, wouldn't it? I… I never would've even attempted to think that one day, I…"

Rarity bit her lip as she paused. She took another deep breath before she resumed speaking.

"I mean… I always imagined myself with a stallion! Ever since I was a filly, that was what I wanted for myself! But.. but now I'm here and… well…"

Knowing what Rarity was trying to say, Zecora sighed in agreement. While she wasn't biased over alternative relationships at all, the zebra never would've thought she would be in a situation where she would be in one herself. However, before Zecora could utter a reply, Rarity's voice came out in a faint and whimpered tone as she looked to the ground in worried realization.

"I… I never thought that there was even a chance that I'd be a… a… "

Seeing how uncomfortable the unicorn was looking, Zecora put up a hoof as she finally managed to speak up. "Rarity, it's alright to feel unease over something new. I mean…"

Looking around every inch of the bedroom that didn’t include Rarity, Zecora breathed in as she thought it over. Realizing how drastically things changed for both her and Rarity over the past few weeks, Zecora knew that she was definitely in an unexpected spot.

However, the zebra also knew she couldn't let her own worries affect the unicorn, making her sigh as she replied honestly, "… I'd be lying if I said I wasn't surprised, too."

Hearing the sincerity in Zecora's voice of reason, Rarity slowly nodded and kept her eyes away from her. Looking at the floor, Rarity still felt a wave of different feelings regarding all that happened.

However, she knew she couldn't avoid how she was feeling about everything. Behind the veil of doubt and worry in her conscience, which was dissipating with each passing second as she thought it over, Rarity couldn’t deny that she enjoyed her night with Zecora. Knowing what this meant about herself, the unicorn wanted to at least say that one nagging word out loud.

Although she felt more than slightly uncomfortable about actually saying it, Rarity knew it was at least fitting for her situation. Taking a deep breath, Rarity pursed her lips for a moment, pushing her uncertainties aside as she uttered in a low and weak tone of voice.

"… Lesbian."

A quick and deep breath escaped Rarity as she heard herself say that out loud. While it felt like a weight had been lifted off her back, she still felt a growing tension in her chest at actually saying that, knowing that it was technically right for the moment.

Zecora tried to say something before Rarity spoke up in a more surprised tone, "Wow! I… I'm definitely going to need some time to adjust to that word!"

"Rarity…" Hoping to alleviate any distress Rarity might be feeling, Zecora waited until she looked back to her before she spoke sincerely, "I never wanted to give you any unrest. And… "

Despite wanting to speak openly about this in an attempt to nullify any leftover tensions, Zecora couldn't help but feel uneasy herself. After realizing how she felt, Zecora knew what she wanted. Even though it was a rather sudden thing to even think about, let alone ask for, the zebra knew it was something she wanted to at least try.

Looking down to the bedding underneath her, Zecora's head slumped down as she finished her rhyme in a more morose tone, expecting that Rarity would say no. "I'll understand if a relationship isn’t the best."

Rarity's eyes widened as she looked at Zecora, realizing what she was suggesting. While she was still a bit mixed-up about everything that happened in the past twelve hours, Rarity didn’t even consider what this would mean in the long run.

But now, with Zecora looking away from her in guilt, Rarity was speechless for a moment as she realized what she was being asked for: a relationship.

Looking down to the carpet underneath her hooves, Rarity blinked a few times and thought Zecora's statement over. While this was the first time she even considered the option, the idea of being in a relationship with Zecora was creating even more conflicting feelings.

On one hoof, she had no idea what this sort of thing would mean in relation to her friends and clients. Rarity also knew that, behind how worrying the concept felt, there was another feeling that Rarity couldn’t steer away from.

Curiosity.

"Zecora, you…" Wanting to clarify that the zebra was really suggesting what she thought she was, Rarity looked back to Zecora before she said, "Are you really asking for us to be in… a relationship? Together?"

Even though she looked even more worried at hearing Rarity's response like that, Zecora breathed in slowly before she nodded. While Zecora looked away from Rarity, the unicorn sighed softly before she spoke again.

"Well, I… I never thought about that…" At saying that, Rarity could see that Zecora looked more disheartened, despite trying to keep herself away from the unicorn's gaze.

"But!" Rarity said she tried to keep the zebra's attention, "I… I don't really want to say that I… well… oppose the idea."

Zecora's eyes widened in surprise before she slowly looked back over to Rarity. "Really? Your words are true?"

Despite feeling her heart thundering in her chest, Rarity took a breath and nodded to Zecora. Keeping a cautious, albeit more uplifted tone, Zecora wanted to make sure this was something Rarity really meant.

"This… doesn't worry you?"

"Well…" Rarity said she looked away from Zecora, "Of course it worries me, Zecora!"

Before Zecora could react, Rarity quickly turned back to her before she clarified, "But! It… it's not necessarily a… bad… form of worry."

Zecora's eyebrow skewed in slight confusion, making Rarity sigh again as she explained further, "What I mean is… I get worried about things all the time… When I get a new dress made for a picky client… When I'm working on a big fashion show to get more positive attention… When I'm around ponies of high class or reputation in Canterlot or Manehatten …"

Seeing that she had Zecora's attention, Rarity paused for a moment before she continued.

"But… All of those worries were good in their own way. I was unsure about how things would end up, and I was always worried about the worst happening… but it was a good kind of worry… It was the kind of feeling that I wanted to continue with, because it was something that always had a lot of potential."

Realizing what Rarity was getting at, Zecora looked more hopeful and sat upright on the bed. Knowing what she had to say, Rarity looked away from Zecora when she became more nervous. The unicorn began to blush as she thought about her words, knowing what she had to say as she finished her statement.

"And… I can see some potential here as well… I don’t know what to think about being in a relationship, but…"

With that, Rarity looked back to Zecora, keeping a clear, yet faint smile on her muzzle as she gave her answer.

"I'm… I'm willing to give it a shot."

Hearing that, a smile grew on Zecora's muzzle as well, making Rarity feel better about her decision. Taking a deep breath, Rarity walked back over to the bed before she placed her forelegs on the mattress. Lifting herself on the bed so she was at eye level with Zecora, Rarity kept a nervous smile behind her blushing face as she moved her head in.

Even though Zecora was blushing heavily as well, neither of the two faltered as they bent in, closing their eyes as they shared a tender kiss together on the bed.

Feeling the zebra's soft, warm lips against her own, Rarity blush grew deeper as she realized how nice this felt. Despite it coming from someone she never would've imagined, she knew that this didn’t feel wrong in any way, shape or form. Keeping her in embrace for another warm moment, Rarity knew that this would definitely be something difficult to get used to; it was also something she was excited to try, knowing that there definitely might be something good that could come from this.

After finally pulling her lips away from the zebra's, Rarity's eyes opened in a half-lidded gaze and looked into Zecora's as she spoke softly. "So… you want some breakfast?"

Zecora merely nodded in approval before moving in again, kissing Rarity for another moment before letting her pull back. With a heavier blush against her white coat, Rarity giggled a little before she began to step off the bed toward the bedroom door.

"Oh, one more thing…"

Hearing Zecora's voice, Rarity paused as she looked back at the zebra, who now had a more devilish smirk on her muzzle.

"There was a question that I wanted to ask you for later…" Narrowing her eyes on the unicorn, Zecora's grin became more mischievous as she asked her question. "But when Sweetie said that thing about buzzing…"

Rarity's eyes widened in panic. She froze, immediately remembering what Sweetie Belle said when she first came in. Looking like she was seconds from having a light heart attack, the unicorn was close to physically shaking in embarrassment while Zecora finished her rhyme in a playful tone.

"…Was that about a v—"

"AN ELECTRIC TOOTHBRUSH!!!" Rarity shouted as her blush grew to a shade deeper than Big Macintosh's coat. "I… I have an electric toothbrush!"

Zecora narrowed her eyes on Rarity for another moment before she hopped off the bed and walked over to the bathroom with a smirk.

"I mean it!" continued the unicorn in a more insistent tone. "My… my toothbrush is very loud sometimes, and… sometimes I cannot hear when…"

Rarity trailed off as Zecora walked back into the bedroom. With her eyes now as wide as when Sweetie Belle first walked in, Rarity was unable to utter a word as she stood frozen in a panic. Zecora, on the other hoof, kept a cheeky grin as she stood with Rarity's toothbrush in her hoof.

A normal, red, non-electric toothbrush.

"… Um… Which… is being repaired right now!" With her right eye twitching a little, Rarity attempted to make her claim seem somewhat truthful as she stood before the smirking zebra. 

Struggling not to laugh, Zecora took another moment before she went back to the bathroom and put the toothbrush back. Without saying a word, Zecora walked past Rarity with a sultry smirk as she left the bedroom, waiting until she was out of sight before she bursted out laughing.

"Great," muttered Rarity under her breath as she stood in her room alone, "now I need to get an electric toothbrush."
> Discoveries (Part 2)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Are you sure the book hasn’t come in yet?"

"I told you, Rarity," said Twilight as she looked through the list at her desk. "this library only has one copy of Sewing Machine Repairs, and it hasn't been returned today."

Despite how upset she felt about the book not being returned yet (even though it was supposed to be in today), Rarity merely sighed before she looked away. "Oh well. I suppose I can wait another day."

"Don’t worry too much about it," said Twilight as she floated the return list back onto the desk. "I'm sure it'll turn in soon enough. And I'll be sure to let Spike send it over to you when it does."

"Thank you, Twilight," said Rarity with gratitude as she looked back to her with a smile. "I really appreciate that."

"No problem," said the Princess before she walked over to a shelf of books behind her.

While Twilight began levitating her cart of returned books into their proper places on the shelf, Rarity couldn’t help but appreciate her friend's humility. Despite being a Princess of Equestria, Twilight Sparkle still didn’t let that stop her from maintaining the Ponyville Library like nothing ever happened.

Even though she wanted to ask her about it, Rarity already knew that her love for books and learning was the reason. And despite wanting her friend to embrace her Royalty a bit more, she could understand Twilight's mindset. If she became an alicorn herself, Rarity knew she would still love to make dresses in her free time.

"Well, Twilight," began Rarity as she looked around a bit more, "I still have some errands to attend to, so I'll let you finish your librarian duties."

"Alright," replied Twilight as she kept floating books into the shelves, "thanks for stopping by, Rarity."

Rarity nodded to her friend before beginning to make her leave. However, the unicorn was only able to make a few steps before she heard Twilight speak up. "Wait!"

Rarity paused as she looked back to her friend. "Yes, Twilight?"

Twilight floated her last book onto the shelf before she looked back at Rarity. Staring at the unicorn, Twilight kept a curious tone on her face as her eyes narrowed on her. "Is something going on?"

Rarity's heart skipped a beat and she stepped back in surprise. With her eyes widening in uncertainty and slight worry, Rarity mustered a quick smile in an attempt to nullify any visible tensions. "What… what ever do you mean?"

"Well," began Twilight as she spoke in a more logical and academic tone of voice, "I remember the last time you broke your sewing machine, you practically pulled your hair out because you were so stressed about it. But now, you don’t really seem as worried about the repair book not being in."

"Ummm…" Rarity looked away from Twilight's gaze, realizing that the alicorn had a valid point. Even though the fact that her machine broke again was enough to make her fairly fearful about her future orders, Rarity certainly didn’t show as much stress about it now. "Well, I… I can't really get anywhere with my designs if I act flustered about it now, would I? It didn't do any good for me last time, so I know it won't help me if I acted that way again."

Twilight's eyebrows rose at Rarity's statement, looking both surprised and impressed at the unicorn's mature response. "Oh, well… good for you," she said with a smile. "It's nice to see that kind of attitude. Those new treatments at the spa must really be working out for you!"

"Why, yes they have!" Rarity said with a more upbeat tone of voice. "Aloe and Lotus developed this new form of steam therapy for their saunas which is just divine Twilight! You have to try it sometime!"

"You know," said Twilight with a more carefree smile on her muzzle, "I think I might take you up on that."

Rarity gave a quick nod before noticing the time on the grandfather clock at the corner. "Oh… I'm sorry, Twilight, but I have to get back home soon."

Twilight noticed the time as well, seeing that it was getting close to seven. "Oh, alright," said the Princess before turning back to her friend. "I guess I'll see you later. Have a nice night, Rarity."

"You too." With that, Rarity gave her a warm smile before she made her way out of the library.

Though she was rather irritated about not having the repair book she needed, the unicorn certainly didn't feel the need to be as hysterical about as she usually was. In the past few weeks, Rarity realized that she was certainly feeling a lot less stressed in her life.

While she was worried that her friends were taking notice of her new attitude as well, Rarity knew that there wasn't much to worry about. Even though she didn't like being dishonest, she knew that her statement to Twilight wasn't necessarily a lie. The new spa treatments really were amazing, so it wasn't like they didn't help with her new calm demeanor.

However, Rarity didn’t feel the need to mention to her friend how Zecora was helping much, much more.

It had been two weeks since Rarity decided to begin a relationship with Zecora. While they both agreed to keep it a secret, mostly due to neither of them wanting any drama from other ponies, it was clear that the both of them were certainly feeling a lot better about it as the days went by. 

Although it was still taking Rarity a while to get used to being with another mare like this, she had to admit that Zecora was more enjoyable than any stallion she ever met. Along with being a really good friend and great conversationalist, the zebra proved to be an amazing match for Rarity when it came to their more private affairs.

And with the combination of being with a great marefriend (or was it zebrafriend?), as well as the taboo of keeping it a secret, Rarity was quite pleased with how nice everything felt for her.

However, as she walked through the streets of Ponyville before the sun could set completely, Rarity's carefree stroll was interrupted when she heard Rainbow Dash call out for her.

"Hey, Rare!" Hearing the Pegasus, Rarity stopped her trot as she looked back, seeing Dash fly over to her with an upset look on her face. "Listen, I need to talk to you."

"Oh, umm… okay." While she was slightly confused, Rarity felt a weight in her chest as Rainbow Dash landed and walked up to her. Seeing the look of displeasure on her face, Rarity had a pretty good idea about what her friend wanted to talk to her about.

"What the hay happened with Thunderlane? I mean, when I asked him about it, he told me that you pretty much blew him off!"

Rarity cringed a little and looked away from Rainbow Dash, not wanting to face Dash’s upset stare. "I… I didn't blow him off, Rainbow! I just—"

"Rare, he was really looking forward to that date! He was really nervous about going out with you, and I didn't want you to mess with him or anything. But then when I heard that you pretty much dumped him—"

"Rainbow Dash," said Rarity in a more stern tone of voice as she turned back to her insistently, "I assure you, I did not want to dump Thunderlane. It was only one date, and…"

Rarity paused and took a moment to breathe. Even though she did feel rather bad about not accepting a second date from Thunderlane—despite how great of a stallion he really was—Rarity knew she had to explain the situation in a more understanding way for Rainbow Dash. Even though she couldn't exactly tell the whole truth as to why she wasn't seeing Thunderlane anymore, Rarity still wanted to make sure her friend didn’t see her as some heart-breaking wench for not seeing her co-worker anymore.

"… And I would be lying if I said that wasn't a great night. Thunderlane was an amazing date, and I really had a great time with him. And I'm sure that he mentioned that to you when I told him that last week."

Rainbow Dash groaned a little as she looked away. Even though she didn't like that Rarity wasn't giving Thunderlane a second chance, she knew that she did talk with him about it. "Y-yeah…. He did say how much you appreciated the date."

"And I wasn't lying," continued Rarity in a tenacious manner. "Thunderlane was nothing but a gentlecolt to me that night, and I want to thank you for setting me up with him."

Not expecting her to say that, Rainbow looked back to her before replying with a skewed eyebrow, "Really?"

"Yes," said the unicorn with a genuine smile, "it was a great night, and I'm glad that you convinced me to do it." Seeing how the Pegasus looked a little better at hearing that, Rarity kept her smile for another moment before continuing. "However… even with how great the date was, I…"

Rarity bit her lip as she thought about her answer. The last thing she wanted to do was lie to one of her friends about why she wouldn’t see Thunderlane anymore; however, she also knew that telling Rainbow Dash about Zecora wouldn't be a great decision either.

Thinking about it, Rarity expected that her friend would either: A) Freak out that her friend was suddenly a lesbian, or;  B) laugh her flank off and never let her live it down.

And knowing how the second outcome was probably more likely, Rarity cleared her throat before she spoke semi-honestly.

"I… I honestly don't really think I'm ready for a relationship with a stallion right now. I mean, I have a lot of other responsibilities to tend to, what with my business and all. And because of that, I don't think having a coltfriend is the greatest idea at the moment."

Rarity breathed in and looked at her friend, hoping that her excuse was good enough for her. Rainbow, who was keeping a skeptical stare on her friend for a moment, looked back at Carousel Boutique.

Thinking it over, Rainbow Dash closed her eyes before sighing in defeat. "Uuuuuh… fine. I… I guess that makes sense…"

Rarity softly sighed in relief while the Pegasus wasn't looking directly at her. "I mean…" continued Rainbow Dash in a more understanding—yet still sullen—tone, "I guess you are pretty busy a lot."

"I am," said Rarity insistently, "and while I had a nice time with Thunderlane, I don’t think I'm able to focus on a coltfriend right now."

Rainbow Dash turned back to the unicorn as exhaled and nodded. "Well… okay. I mean, I'm glad you had a nice night with him. And plus, you do look a lot less stressed out after that date, so at least I helped out a little."

Though she knew that Thunderlane wasn't exactly the reason why she was much less stressed, Rarity kept her muzzle shut about it and nodded. "And you did help me out, Rainbow Dash, so thank you very much for that."

Hearing the sincerity in Rarity's statement, the Pegasus finally managed to muster a faint smile. "Yeah, well… you're welcome."

Glad that she was able to change her friend's attitude like that, Rarity gave a quick hug to Rainbow Dash. After Rainbow Dash hugged back a little, Rarity let go before speaking more insistently. "Alright, I think I need to head back home now, so I'll talk to you later, alright?"

Rainbow Dash merely nodded with a light smirk. "Alright. Sure thing, Rare."

Rarity then began to walk back towards her home as she looked back to the Pegasus. "And say hi to Thunderlane to me, okay?"

"You got it," said Rainbow Dash as she began to fly up in the air. "See ya later!"

With that, Rainbow Dash and Rarity went their separate ways, making the unicorn feel a lot better about she handled that situation. With a satisfied smile on her face, Rarity trotted with a new spring in her step as she reached closer to her house.

Before she could levitate out her key to open the door, Rarity saw that the door was already unlocked, making her feel secretly happier as she realized who was already here.

Walking up to her bedroom, Rarity's smile slowly turned to a more sensual smirk as she saw her door wide open. Waking into her darkened bedroom, Rarity was happy to see who was on her bed from the illumination of the bedside lamp.

Zecora, who was carrying a grin as lustful as the unicorn's, was lying on her back as she rested on top of Rarity's lush bedding.

"Why hello, my little mare," said the zebra in a deep tone as her eyes narrowed on her. "Are you glad I'm in your lair?"

"Well…" Rarity kept a cheeky smirk on her muzzle as she hopped onto the bed with her. "Even though I'd rather you wait until I made sure nopony was watching…"

Rarity then crawled up to the zebra before giving her a quick kiss on the lips. "… I would be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy walking home to this."

"Well, that is very nice to know…" Zecora wrapped a hoof around the back of Rarity's head as she bent in. Gently stroking the unicorn's luscious, purple mane, Zecora took her time as she kissed her deeply.

As Rarity's eyes became half-lidded and began to roll to the back of her head, she was almost thrown off when Zecora released her lips from their warm embrace. "There's plenty more I want to show…"

Feeling half-intoxicated by passion, Rarity could only giggle a little before she began nuzzling the zebra. "Well, aren't you a lot more active than usual!"

"I cannot help it," said Zecora as she nuzzled her back. "This day was a long one. And keeping this secret makes it much more fun."

Hearing that, Rarity pulled back a little a little, making Zecora pause her advances as she looked at her curiously.

"Yeah…" said Rarity as she attempted to  speak clearly through her growing libido. "I'm starting to think ponies are getting suspicious."

"Oh, you think so?" asked the zebra. "How do you know?"

"Well…" Despite wanting to talk with Zecora somewhat seriously right now, that didn’t stop her from nuzzling the zebra's neck some more. "Twilight… noticed that I was a lot less stressed lately… Rainbow Dash too…"

No longer able to continue without giving in, Rarity started kissing the side of Zecora's muzzle. The zebra quickly turned her head towards her, making the two begin to kiss intensely for another moment.

Although she wanted to keep going like this all night, the unicorn broke off the kiss again as she tried to speak between deep breaths. "Zecora, am… am I good at keeping secrets?"

Even in her half-open gaze, Zecora was able to quickly nod to the mare before replying, "Well of course you are, my dear… Nopony knows that I'm here…"

Rarity tried to giggle, but it came out more in almost a hiccupped moan before she took Zecora in again. Kissing passionately, Rarity quickly took hold of the zebra, throwing her down on the other end of the bed before she laid on top of her.

With their tongues intertwining in thoughtless ecstasy, Rarity started to take more control as she kept Zecora pinned down on the mattress. With her hooves firmly planted on the zebra's shoulders, Rarity slowly began to pull back from her muzzle, making a faint line of saliva connect between their lips for a moment before breaking apart.

"Now…" Rarity said in a lustful tone as she pulled back and sat on top of Zecora's chest. Keeping her deep stare on the zebra, Rarity breathed in heavily as she tried to speak in a deep moan.

"Zecora… I have a lot planned for the two of us toni—HHHUUUUHHHH!!!!"

Rarity's eyes suddenly changed from a half-lidded gaze on the zebra to a wide-eyed stare in terror on something else.

Looking away from Zecora, Rarity was frozen in fear as she sat on top of the zebra. Noticing how drastically the unicorn changed, Zecora started to grow worried as she noticed where Rarity was looking. Knowing they were on the opposite end of the bed, she knew that from where Rarity was sitting that she was looking directly at the still-open doorway.

Slowly, Zecora tried to turn her head so she could see what Rarity was looking at. Crooking her neck, Zecora was barely able to notice much at first from her angle. However, the first thing the zebra noticed was a book lying near the doorway.

Looking closer, Zecora realized it was the one Rarity said she was planning to get from the library. However, Zecora's focus immediately changed as she saw who was next to it, making her become wide-eyed in shock as well.

Spike, who came by to give Rarity her book, was standing at the doorway of her bedroom in stunned silence. With his mouth hung open as wide as his welling eyes, the dragon wasn't able to make a single sound or movement at that moment.

Instead, the only thing that Spike was able to do was stand still, frozen at the spot while Rarity looked back at him, completely mortified.

"Sp… Spikey…"


> Dreams of a Dragon
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

No one was sure how long that moment of looming silence lasted within Rarity's bedroom. Aside from the faint sounds of heavy breathing and pounding heartbeats, not a single soul moved from their position. Seeing Zecora on the bed with Rarity on top of her, Spike wasn't able to utter a single word. Instead, the baby dragon's mouth merely hung open in shock, his unblinking eyes staring straight at the worried unicorn looking back at him.

"No…" muttered Rarity in a faint tone of pure dread. Knowing how much Spike cared about her, the unicorn couldn't think of a single other friend that would've been a worse choice to walk in on her like this. "… No… no no no no no no…"

Rarity tried to lift herself up from her stance on top of Zecora; however, Spike took a step back as soon as Rarity lifted a hoof. Meanwhile, the dragon's emerald eyes never peered away from the mare. Instead, they started to well up with tears.

"Spike…" Worried about how the dragon's well-being could change from seeing her like this (as well as what would happen if he ran off now to tell everypony), Rarity made her movements as faint as possible as she tried to talk to him. "Spike, please… let me expla—"

Spike's face clenched in for a second before he darted off, making Rarity shoot out of her bed like Nightmare Moon was on her tail. "SPIKE!!!"

By the time Zecora jumped off the bed, Rarity was already running down the hallway at top-speed. She managed to catch up to Spike before he could reach the stairs. Lighting her horn, the unicorn tried to get a magical grip around Spike; however, the baby dragon managed to break free from the aura before Rarity could reach him with her hooves.

"SPIKE, PLEASE!!!" yelled Rarity in a panic as she tried to lunge at him.

Instead, Rarity only stumbled to the floor after Spike dodged her. With tears coming from his eyes, the dragon tried running down the stairs as fast as he could. However, Zecora managed to make an impressive acrobatic jump down the length of Rarity's stairway, landing on her hooves at the base of the stairs in front of Spike.

Spike stopped at the middle of the stairway, Rarity and Zecora standing at both ends with fretful looks on their faces. Darting his head back and forth to look for an escape point, several tears flung from his eyes as he looked around frantically. As Rarity tried to rush down the stairs toward him, Spike gritted his teeth before he jumped over the hoof-rail, making him fall several feet from the side of the stairs to the floor of Carousel Boutique.

With a loud whump! Spike hit the floor surprisingly hard; that didn’t stop the dragon at all as he quickly rose to his feet. Seeing both Rarity and Zecora trying to get to him from the stairs, Spike started to lose all logical focus, his eyes becoming more blinded by tears. Not wanting to face anything right now, Spike ran to the first door he could see, slamming it behind him as hard as he could.

Breathing heavily, Rarity and Zecora reached the door, slowing down tremendously as they saw which one it was. Even though they were both worried about Spike more than anything, neither of them believed anything that bad could happen right now. With Spike now locked in her closet, Rarity tried to breathe normally before she attempted to speak through the door.

"Sp… Spike?" Rarity tried to slowly open her closet door. The door wouldn't move when she tried to press it with her hoof, despite the fact that it didn’t have a lock. Knowing that Spike probably propped up something against it (or was leaning against it so nopony could get in), Rarity pulled her hoof back from the door before speaking again. "Spike… Spike, please… open the door…"

Only silence came from the other side, which worried Rarity even more. Even though she always brushed it off as a simple crush, Rarity still knew that Spike was rather infatuated with her. Now, all Rarity could think about was how heartbreaking that sight must've been for him, which made her feel even worse about everything.

Clenching her eyes shut, Rarity leaned against the door and tried not to cry out of guilt. "Spike, please… I'm so sorry… I am so, so sorry… I did not want it to happen like this…"

A faint sniffle could be heard from the other side of the door, which made Rarity feel even worse. While she was grateful to hear something from him, the fact that he was crying just made her heart weep in regret. In the years Spike lived in Ponyville, it wasn't hard to tell how strongly he felt about Rarity. So with the realization that she was not only with someone else, but with Zecora, Rarity couldn’t imagine how damaging this could be to him.

"Spike," pleaded Rarity in a whimpered tone as she stayed in front of the door, hoping more than anything that he would listen to her, "I know you can hear me… You have to believe me, the last thing I ever want to do is hurt you… Please, Spike… please open the door…"

The door didn’t budge. Instead, a more audible sob could be heard from inside the closet, which made Rarity feel like her heart was being hacked by an ice pick. Wincing from hearing one of her friends react like this, Rarity backed away and tried not to cry.

Zecora, who at this point was standing away from the door with a worried look on her face, decided to attempt to intervene. Walking up to the door, the zebra lifted a hoof and knocked a couple of times.

"Spike," began Zecora in a low and soft tone of voice, "I know that thi—"

"GO AWAY!!!" shouted Spike from the other side of the door.

Zecora flinched a little and backed off from the closet door. Afraid of what could happen with a dragon acting like this, Zecora hoped that he wouldn't turn into something nasty because of her. Remembering how he could turn when he was greedy, the zebra put the utmost caution in her movements as she tried to speak again.

"Spike… I'm re—"

"I SAID GO AWAAAAAAAAAAY!!!"

Now, even louder sobs could be heard from Spike in the closet. Rarity quickly pulled Zecora back with her magic, dragging her by her hooves to the other side of the room. Keeping her voice as quiet as possible, Rarity pulled Zecora in and tried to keep Spike from hearing.

"Zecora, right now, I think I need to talk with him myself. I don't want him to react badly if he hears you, so it might be best if you let me be alone with him for a while."

With a worried look still on her face, Zecora slowly nodded to the unicorn's plan. The zebra opened her muzzle, planning to say something; however, Spike's poor reaction to her very voice was enough to make her rethink doing anything. Instead, Zecora looked over at the closet for another moment before she reclosed her muzzle, keeping herself silent for Spike's sake.

"Hello?"

The sound of a filly's voice made the two look over to the front of Rarity's shop. The front doors opened, bringing in Sweetie Belle with the pink suitcase she had borrowed earlier. "I brought back the bag, Rarity!" said Sweetie in a happy tone as she dragged it towards her. "Mom says thanks for letting her use it."

"Oh, um…" Despite being in the middle of a rather unsettling situation, Rarity didn’t want her little sister to catch wind of anything being amiss. So, she kept a faux smile on her muzzle as she took the suitcase with her magic. "Thank you very much, Sweetie Belle."

"You're welco—" Sweetie Belle's voice was cut off when another sob could be heard from the closet. Rarity's heart shot up to her throat when she saw the filly look at the closet with a skewed eyebrow. "Wait, what's that?"

"Oh, that. Ummm…" Feeling extremely worried about Spike doing or saying anything to make Sweetie Belle suspicious, Rarity moved herself between her sister and the closet door as she tried to get her away. "Listen, Sweetie. Maybe now isn’t the best time to—"

Another whimper came from the closet, making Sweetie Belle look past Rarity curiously. "Wait a minute… is that Spike?"

Rarity then pushed Sweetie Belle back several feet from the door, hoping to keep her from hearing anything Spike may or may not say. "Sweetie Belle, this is nothing to worry abou—"

"What the heck is going on?" asked Sweetie in a more insistent tone of voice.

Rarity tried not to cringe as she looked away from her sister, knowing that she couldn’t just brush this past the filly. Taking a deep breath, Rarity turned back to Sweetie Belle before she spoke in a more stern tone. "Sweetie, Spike's been having some troubles, and he's in the closet right now. Because of that, I need to talk with him alone, alright?"

Sweetie Belle blinked a couple times as she looked first at her sister, then over at the closet door. "Really? He's in the closet?"

"Yes," said Rarity as she tried to keep Sweetie in her focus. The filly looked slightly more confused as she looked between her sister and the closet. After a couple seconds of silence, Sweetie Belle looked back up at her sister before making a reply.

"But… I thought Spike had a crush on you."

Rarity winced and looked back at the closet, hoping that Spike didn’t hear that. Of course, before she could check on the dragon, Rarity immediately looked back at her sister in confusion. 

Realizing what Sweetie just said, Rarity tried to figure out what to ask first: how her sister knew about Spike's crush on her (even though it was fairly obvious), or why she even said that in the first place. Realizing what made her sister say that, Rarity shook her head as she tried to clarify, "No, Sweetie Belle! Spike is literally in the closet!"

"Ohhhh…" With her eyebrows raised in revelation, Sweetie Belle merely nodded to Rarity's answer.

Before she could face-hoof at what was going on, Rarity groaned in frustration before lighting her horn. Levitating several bits from her desk in the showroom, Rarity floated them over to Zecora before speaking to Sweetie Belle. "Sweetie, I need to talk with him right now, so how about you go with Zecora and get some ice cream, alright?"

Sweetie Belle's face brightened up immediately, almost as if she instantly forgot about Spike at the mention of ice cream. "Sure!"

Glad to see the filly respond like that, Rarity turned over to Zecora, nodding at her to make sure she understood. The zebra nodded back at Rarity and took the bits in her hoof, looking back at the closet one last time before she began to walk off with Sweetie. After the two made their way out of Carousel Boutique, Rarity waited a moment to make sure she was really alone.

Letting the silence sink in, Rarity took a deep breath before she went back to the closet door.

"Spike…" Slowly, Rarity pressed a hoof up to the door, holding it there while she spoke in a soft tone. "Spike, nopony else is here right now. I promise you, I'm the only one here…"

Rarity closed her eyes again. Leaning against the door, she pressed her head against the wood while she took a moment. Since she knew Spike was still very young—especially for a dragon—Rarity wanted to choose her words wisely with him. While she didn’t want to sugar-coat her new relationship to him, she really didn't want to break his heart anymore than she already had.

"Spike, I… I can even begin to imagine how you must feel about this… And… I am so sorry if I hurt you…"

Rarity kept her eyes clenched shut as she breathed in, knowing what she had to say. Spike was a baby dragon, but she knew he was still mature enough to deserve the truth.

"But… I… I am with her… It… it is real…"

Another whimper could be heard from the other side of the door, which made Rarity wince in pure guilt. "And…" Despite knowing how bad it had to be for Spike to hear this, Rarity knew she had to be upfront about this to him. "And… it's not something that I want to end…"

Before another sob could resonate from inside the closet, Rarity reopened her wettened eyes before she spoke more insistently. "But! Spike… I just want you to know, and I mean this with all my heart… Nothing is more important to me than my friends… And that includes you…"

Rarity looked down to the floor and breathed in. Even though she was unsure of what to say, she knew that she couldn't lose Spike like this. Remembering what all the dragon had done for her over the years, the last thing Rarity wanted to do was make him think she didn’t appreciate him.

"Spike," began the mare as she looked back up to the door, "you are one of the closest friends I've ever had… I really, truly do care about you, Spike… So please don't think that I don't…"

Rarity's breath came out slowly, in almost a shudder as she tried to muster the right words out. With each statement that came from her muzzle, Rarity was grateful to know she meant every single word to him. But even then, actually speaking this honestly was a big step forward. Before continuing, Rarity breathed in once more.

"Spike," began the unicorn, "You've always been one of the most loyal and caring friends I've ever had, and I don't want to even think about that changing between us… I…"

Rarity clenched her eyes shut again. Even though she hated to say this, she knew it had to be done.

"I… I know that you… that you've had feelings for me… And that just makes this so much harder…"

Rarity slowly opened her eyes again, her building tensions finally starting to show. A single tear, built up from her words before, finally began to run down her cheek.

"But, Spike…" Rarity struggled not to have her voice break at this point. "I want you to know, and I mean this more than anything… You hold a place so close to my heart, that I can’t stand to even imagine that going away…"

Rarity took a deep breath before she kept going. Despite how much emotion was coming from her, she didn’t feel a shred of hesitation or dishonesty as she spoke. Keeping her hoof pressed against the door, Rarity felt a faint smile appear on her muzzle when she realized what she wanted to say to her friend.

"Because… because that's how I feel about the friends I care about… and…

"That's how I feel about those that I love."

Rarity wasn't able to look through the door to see Spike (another spell she really wished she learned from Twilight right now), but she didn't need to at that moment. Despite the silence not changing a bit from before, Rarity could still tell that Spike heard that. A quick breath came out of Rarity's muzzle and her smile became clearer before she spoke softly again.

"I… I do love you, Spike. And that is never… ever, going to change."

After another bout of silence, Rarity finally lowered her hoof from the door.

"Spike, I'm asking you as one of my dearest friends, to please open the door. I promise you, I'll answer any questions that you have, and I'll tell you as much as you want… I just want you to understand… And I want to keep you as my friend…"

The seconds passed by as Rarity waited patiently in silence. Despite the looming tension, Rarity kept her poise as she stood in front of the door. Even though Spike was just a kid, the unicorn was confident that he would make the right decision.

After what felt like an eternity, Rarity saw the doorknob turn slowly.

With a loud creak, the closet door reopened, revealing Spike standing at the doorway. With the dragon's green eyes reddened, and his cheeks soaked with tears, Rarity's heart almost broke in two at seeing him look like that. However, Spike didn’t look like he was crying at that moment; instead, his face carried a more understanding expression as he looked up at Rarity.

Before Spike could utter any words, Rarity lunged forward at him and wrapped her hooves around him tightly. Hugging him as tightly as she could, Rarity clenched her eyes shut in an attempt to hide her tears. But, despite her efforts, a couple more drops escaped from her eyes, wetting the fur on her cheeks as she felt Spike hug back.

Spike closed his eyes as he returned Rarity's hug. Even though he certainly had a lot to ask Rarity, he didn’t utter a single word in that moment. Instead, he just let the silence sink in, enveloping the two as they held each other within Carousel Boutique.

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Zecora kept a steady pace as she trotted along the streets of Ponyville. Along the way, most of the ponies that walked by gave a kind wave or greeting to her, which made the zebra feel slightly more comfortable. However, even with all the nice replies and waves she gave back, Zecora still felt a looming discomfort inside of her with each passing step. Getting closer to the Ponyville Library, the zebra's heart grew much heavier as the tree started to come into view in the distance.

It'd only been a few days since Zecora's unfortunate incident with Spike, when he’d seen her with Rarity. Ever since that day, she hadn't seen the dragon; although, the fact that she hadn’t left her hut that much since then was probably the biggest reason for that.

Despite Rarity's assurances that Spike was alright to talk, Zecora wasn't looking forward to this. However, even though her worries about facing the dragon rivaled the feelings of knights who fought the creatures in old fables, the zebra knew that she had to talk with him. If she wanted to keep this relationship with Rarity going well, there couldn’t be any issues that could get in the way.

And that included something as small as a baby dragon.

Reaching the Ponyville Library, Zecora took a deep breath before lifting her hoof. With the weight in her saddlebags nearly matching the weight in her gut, the zebra exhaled slowly before opening the door. Since it was a library, it was normal to expect the place to be quiet.

As Zecora made her way inside the massive tree, the silence enveloping the space wasn't the normal kind of quiet. Instead, the space almost felt muted, which made the stillness of the books and scrolls along the walls feel that much more eerie. And with each step from her hooves, Zecora's careful steps still felt like deafening stomps along the hardwood floors.

Before she could cringe from how loud she thought her hoofsteps sounded, another pair could be heard from upstairs. With a curious look on her face, Twilight Sparkle came out into view, holding several books in her aura as she reached the stairs.

"Oh, good afternoon, Zecora!" Twilight said with a smile as she trotted down the stairs. "How can I help you today?"

Despite the growing feeling of worry in the back of her mind, Zecora showed no tension on her face as she spoke clearly. "Well you see, Miss Sparkle, there's something I must do. I'm needing to work on a special type of brew."

"Oh?" Twilight kept a curious look on her face as she smiled. "What kind of brew?"

"Well," began the zebra, readjusting the saddlebag on her back before she went on, "I found a recipe which I really wish to claim."

Zecora then took a glance up the stairs, hoping that this idea would work. "But in order for it to work, I need a dragon's flame."

"Ooh! I heard about this sort of thing!" Now with an excited look in her eyes, the Princess quickly rushed over to one of the walls of books. "Are you needing the flame for its magical qualities, or for its specific heat signatures? Because I've learned about how effective either one can be for specific medicines or spel—"

"Twilight, please." Holding a hoof up, Zecora waited until the alicorn was silent again before she continued, "I was needing the flame for the power it can hone." Zecora then took another glance up the balcony, knowing that Spike was probably upstairs right now. "But for the process to work right, I need to speak with him alone."

Twilight's eyebrows raised in surprise at Zecora's last statement. "Oh," she said as she looked up to the balcony as well, "I… I guess that would be alright… But…"

Zecora noticed how Twilight looked a little more unsure in her stance. Fidgeting a little, the alicorn bit her lip as she looked back to Zecora, a more worried look on her face.

"Just so you know," said Twilight in a more upset tone, "Spike's been acting a little distant the past couple of days."

Zecora gritted her teeth a little and averted her eyes from the alicorn, hoping that she didn’t notice her light cringe. "Oh, is that so? That's… bad to know."

"Well…" continued the Princess as she looked back up to her bedroom, "I tried to talk with him, but he seems a little upset about something. I'm not sure what, though."

Zecora pursed her lips shut for a moment, then looked back to Twilight with a more strong-minded stance. "If you may allow, I could talk with the drake. I already need him, for the potion's sake."

Even though Twilight looked hesitant regarding Zecora's proposal, she only pondered it for a moment as she kept her eyes on the balcony. After thinking it over with her hoof under her chin, Twilight looked back to Zecora with an optimistic smile. "Well, if you think you're up for it, by all means, go ahead."

Zecora gave a light nod to Twilight and headed up the stairs. Reaching the doorway to the bedroom, Zecora took a quick glance behind her, making sure that Twilight wouldn't intervene. Seeing that the alicorn was busy reorganizing the books along the shelves, the zebra breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that the Princess would be too preoccupied with that to focus on anything else. With that, Zecora looked back to the door, taking a deep breath before knocking gently.

"Spike?" asked the zebra in a clear and low tone of voice. "It's me. I… was wanting to talk with you."

No reply or sound could be heard from the other side of the door. While it definitely made sense considering their last encounter, it still worried Zecora a tad as she continued her rhyme. "I… really think this is something we should do."

Again, no noise came from the other side of the door. Standing in a worried manner, Zecora waited for any kind of response. However, after what felt like an eternity, Zecora sighed in defeat, realizing that this was likely to happen. Closing her eyes, the zebra huffed a little under her breath before she began to walk away.

"Z-Zecora?"

The sound of the dragon's faint voice paused Zecora's movements. Realizing that he was responding to her, the zebra reopened her eyes and looked back at the door. After another brief moment of silence, Spike's voice could be heard again, albeit in a more defeated tone.

"Umm… fine. Come… come on in."

Even though she wasn't that hopeful about the dragon's attitude, considering how sullen he sounded, Zecora was still glad that he was at least willing to see her again. Breathing in, Zecora lifted a hoof to open the door, then walked inside.

Entering the bedroom of Twilight Sparkle and her assistant, Zecora was surprised at how humble the space was. While her own living spaces weren't exactly lavish by any means, the zebra was astounded at how minimal the Princess's living space looked. Other than a few framed photos on the nightstand and a large trunk at the base of her bed, barely any large decorations or setups were found here.

In fact, if it wasn't for the dragon's small bed next to hers, which had a nice, purple blanket and a few small toys, Zecora would've guessed that this was just a regular guest bedroom.

However, Zecora's attention quickly shifted when she noticed Spike. The baby dragon, who was sitting on Twilight's bed, was looking away from the zebra. He instead looked out the large window.

Before she could think that he wasn't in a good state to speak to her, Zecora noticed a reflection of Spike's face from the window. From her perspective, Zecora didn't notice any tears, or even reddened eyes. Hoping that was a good sign, Zecora closed the door behind her and reached into her saddlebag.

Spike's ears perked up as he heard the familiar jingle from Zecora's bag. Turning his head around to face her, Spike's eyes widened as he saw what Zecora was holding in her hoof. In a large burlap bag, Zecora collected enough gems from a nearby field to fill it completely, making it noticeably heavy as she plopped it onto the mattress.

Placing the large sack between them, the zebra hoped her offering was good enough to make Spike more willing to talk. However, as Zecora looked up to the dragon with a hopeful smile, she didn’t see Spike react as she expected; instead of him drooling over the gems or looking like he won the lottery, Spike looked more worried than anything else.

"Ummm… Zecora?" Lifting a claw, Spike kept a troubled stare on the zebra as he tried to clarify something. "Just so you know, I already Pinkie-Promised Rarity I wouldn't say anything about you two. And… I'm not going to break that, okay? You really don’t have to bribe me or anything."

Zecora's eyes widened in shock at Spike's statement, making her throw her hooves up in innocence. "Whoa, Spike! This isn’t a bribe, I swear!"

The zebra backed away from the bed a couple steps, hoping to prove her sincerity as she kept a hoof raised to him. Noticing Spike's skewed eyebrow, Zecora took a moment before she tried to continue. "I just wanted us to… clear the air."

Zecora started to look more embarrassed with herself and averted her eyes from the dragon. Realizing how her bag of gems would probably lead Spike to assume something like that, Zecora silently cursed herself for doing something so stupid. However, she also didn’t want to mess anything up right now.

Knowing that Spike was willing to talk (as well as stay silent about her and Rarity), Zecora regained her composure enough to face him again. Before she could begin to speak, Spike looked away from her again before sighing under his breath.

"I… I'm sorry, Zecora."

Zecora's half-open muzzle closed again, and her eyebrow skewed in confusion. After what Spike caught her doing with his crush, Zecora was expecting herself to be the one to apologize. However, Spike continued after taking a deep breath, "I… I'm sorry that I yelled at you the other day. I mean… I was mad, but… that doesn’t excuse me acting like that."

Spike then turned back to the zebra. "Seriously, I… I'm really sorry."

Seeing how genuine the dragon looked as he said that, Zecora almost felt her heart melt from gratitude. "Oh Spike, it… it's quite alright."

The zebra almost thought about placing her hoof on his shoulder, or even hugging him at that moment; however, she knew she had to keep her distance for the time being. Despite his apology, that didn’t mean there weren't things to bring up. Feeling bad about how things went, Zecora looked down to the floor in embarrassment as she continued, "A… a lot happened that night."

Spike could only nod in agreement. Zecora looked back up at him, keeping a worried tone on her face as she said, "Listen, I first want to apologize, for seeing us in that… way."

Spike face blushed a little as he looked away from Zecora, making the zebra feel more embarrassed as well. Knowing how strongly he felt about Rarity, Zecora knew that he probably didn't have the best opinion of her right now. Taking a deep breath, Zecora closed her eyes as she continued in a more morose tone. "I'm sorry if I hurt you, but… if you hate me, I know there's not much to—"

"Whoa!" shouted Spike in a more insistent tone as he brought up both claws to stop the zebra's rhyme. "No, Zecora, no! I… I don’t hate you…"

Zecora's eyes reopened in surprise, not expecting that kind of response. Keeping an insistent look on his face, Spike didn't wait for a reply from Zecora as he turned toward her and kept going.

"Seriously, Zecora, I… I really don’t hate you or anything! I mean…" Spike looked away from Zecora for a moment as he thought things over, looking slightly more guilty as he said, "I mean, yeah… I… I may have been mad about seeing you with Rarity… And… I may have disliked you for that…"

Zecora gritted her teeth to hide how she was wincing. However, Spike immediately turned back to her and tried to make himself clear.

"But… I'm not mad anymore! Really!" Keeping his claw raised, Spike waited until Zecora was no longer upset before he continued in a calmer tone. "I mean… after you left, Rarity talked with me about it, and… she said a lot of nice things about you…"

Zecora's eyebrows rose at hearing that. When she talked with the unicorn about what was said to Spike, Zecora didn’t remember any mention about that sort of thing. Rarity said that she explained it enough to make Spike understand and not tell anypony, but she didn’t mention to Zecora that she said nice things about her to him.

"And…" continued Spike as he kept his attention on Zecora, "I get it. Well… I don’t get it, get it, but… I get it enough, you know?"

Zecora stayed silent, unsure of what statement she could make in response to Spike's words. Spike slowly lowered his claw, letting it rest beside him as he sat on the bed in front of the zebra.

"I… I don't understand it completely, but… I'm not mad about it." Spike then pointed a claw at Zecora as he re-clarified, "And I really don’t hate you! I mean, seriously…"

Spike lowered his claw again, but he kept both palms open as he looked down at them. "I… I honestly can’t say that I hate anyone. I mean, that's not my thing. I… I don't really see the point in that, you know?"

Looking at the dragon, Zecora kept a surprised look of amusement and gratitude on her face. While she knew Spike to be mature for his age (despite his occasional bout of greed or stupidity here and there), she seriously didn’t expect him to have such an adult manner about her and Rarity. And after hearing that last statement, Zecora was rather impressed with how Spike was—

"Wait."

Spike held up a claw and kept his eyes down at the bedding. Unsure of what else the dragon had to say right now, Zecora kept silent as she stood in front of him. After a few seconds of contemplation, Spike's face turned more bitter as he kept his gaze away from the zebra.

"Chrysalis."

Zecora's eyes narrowed on Spike in confusion, not sure of why he said that.

"I… I really hate her."

Spike then looked back up at the zebra as he explained, "You know, that Changeling Queen thing? The one that almost wrecked the Royal Wedding?"

Zecora's eyebrows rose back up in understanding, realizing what Spike meant. After hearing Rarity's recollection of what happened before that wedding, Zecora knew how much that bug-creature compromised Twilight's relationship with everyone. Nodding to the dragon to show understanding, Zecora stayed silent, noticing how Spike was getting angrier at just the mention of her name.

"I…" Spike squeezed his eyes shut as he tried to control his anger. "I… REALLY hate her!"

The dragon clenched the blanket underneath him as he bit his tongue, worrying Zecora enough to make her step back a few steps. Spike took a few seconds while he gripped the bedding underneath him, breathing hard enough to make a couple plumes of ash shoot from his nostrils. However, the dragon's seething anger began to subside after a few deep breaths.

Zecora's eyes were widened with worry at seeing Spike act like that. While it was certainly understandable from Spike's perspective to feel that way about a manipulating figure like Chrysalis (especially considering how close he was with Twilight), seeing him almost shoot out flame about it wasn't what Zecora expected. Before the zebra could try to talk him down, or try to reassure him he did nothing wrong, Spike's eyes reopened slowly.

"That… that's probably the only thing I can say I actually hate. But… nothing else…" Spike then looked back at Zecora before he spoke more calmly. "And certainly not you."

Despite still being in light shock at a dragon almost losing control in front of her, Zecora was alright enough to nod to Spike. Noticing how she was looking at him, Spike looked down at himself, realizing that there was a light dusting of ash on himself and the bed. "Ooh, man… I… I'm sorry about that. It's just… it gets to me sometimes…"

"It's alright, Spike," assured the zebra as she walked back toward him and placed a cautious hoof on his shoulder. "It's normal to let these things out. But you shouldn’t feel bad from that moment of doubt."

"I know," said Spike as he looked away from her, "Twilight talked with me about it after everything. She said she's alright, but it still… Wait, wait!"

Spike quickly shook his head clear, realizing he was getting off topic. "That… that's not why you're here!" Spike then looked back at Zecora. "You're… you're here to talk with me about Rarity, right?"

Zecora quickly remembered why she was here, making her recollect her thoughts and remove her hoof from Spike's shoulder. "Oh yes, that… that is true."

Zecora looked down to the ground and thought it over, trying to recall what Spike said about Rarity. Realizing what he said earlier about Rarity talking with him about it, Zecora kept a curious look on her face as she faced him. "So… what did she tell you?"

"Well…" Spike looked down to the bedding again as he thought it over, running a claw along the blanket as he spoke. "She told me that you two have been together for a couple weeks… And… She said it started after her date with Thunderlane…"

Zecora cringed a little at hearing that. After how he reacted to seeing her with Rarity, she hated to think how he did at hearing about a stallion dating her. However, Spike seemed more indifferent than anything else as he continued to recall, "She… she told me that nothing happened then… and… that she was already thinking about you…"

Zecora's eyes widened in genuine surprise. Even though she already figured that Rarity was developing feelings before that first kiss between them, she was never told upfront about it like that. Looking at Spike with legitimate curiosity, Zecora stayed silent while she patiently listened to the dragon.

"She… also mentioned that she didn't predict any of this to happen." A light chuckle escaped Spike's mouth as he kept his eyes down to the bed. "I… I guess I can’t blame her for that…"

Spike wasn't looking at Zecora, so he didn't notice how the zebra was nodding in agreement. Slowly, the dragon's light smile lessened as he kept moving his claws along the blanket. "Well… Rarity also told me that… while she didn't expect to be with anyone… especially a girl… that… it was something she was glad she did."

Spike looked a little more saddened saying that, which Zecora could understand completely. Since the dragon had such a big crush on her, it would only make sense that he would feel crushed at the realization that she was in a relationship with someone else. And with the added notion that she was also in a relationship with someone of the same gender, it would be hard to tell how someone like Spike would react to that.

However, before Zecora could try to speak up and try to cheer him up, the dragon kept talking in a more subsided tone of voice.

"And she said that… she hasn't been this happy in a long time."

Even after everything else that Spike said, that fact surprised Zecora the most. Despite how close the two had gotten in the past couple of weeks, she didn’t expect to hear that she was making such a profound impact on Rarity like that. Looking down to the floor, Zecora tried to think it over herself, hoping to recall anything that would've hinted that.

Thinking it over, Zecora wasn't sure what specifically would make Rarity say she was so happy with her; however, it certainly made sense on an overall scale. Remembering how Rarity was before they got together, Zecora could recall that the unicorn always seemed stressed or overworked about something. Whether it was about an order deadline, something involving her friends, or some disastrous incident caused by her little sister, Rarity always seemed like she was dealing with something to make her on edge.

Ever since she started her (sort of) secret relationship with Zecora, Rarity had been far less overwhelmed with her work or personal life to become unnecessarily stressed. And as she remembered how Rarity looked in the past few weeks, Zecora could definitely say one thing that couldn’t be denied by anypony: Rarity looked a lot happier.

"And…"

Spike's voice made Zecora look back at him.

"You know what?" A strange smirk came up on Spike’s face, as if he was trying to cover the fact he was so weirded out by everything. "I… I kinda agree. I mean… I've been friends with her for a while, but… I don’t think I've ever seen her act this happy, for this long at a time. I… I was actually thinking something happened recently, but…"

Spike gave a light sigh as he kept his eyes locked down to his feet. Slowly, the dragon looked back up to Zecora, staring at her with a mix of uncertainty and attempted understanding. Looking at the zebra, Spike took a few seconds as he let his own recollections sink in. After a moment of silence, Spike breathed out deeply before finishing his statement.

"I… I really didn’t expect her to be happy because of you."

Zecora managed to muster out a faint smile as she nodded. Even though she was still surprised to find that out, she couldn't think of anything to say in an attempt to deny Spike's claim. "Well…" began the zebra in a weak tone, "to be honest, neither did I… But… I guess I can’t say that's a lie…"

Zecora's eyes went away from Spike for a moment as she thought some more. Biting her lip, Zecora began to think more about what this relationship has done for her. Looking back, the zebra realized that she'd been rather happy about how things went as well. Besides being caught by a baby dragon, Zecora couldn’t say she had many regrets regarding her new relationship with Rarity. After a faint smile grew some more on her face, Zecora looked back up to Spike.

"To be perfectly honest… I'm quite happy too." Zecora kept her smile as Spike nodded to her; however, her smile went away a little before she added, "But I am still truly sorry if I hurt you."

"It-It's alright," Spike said quickly, raising a claw in assurance. "Seriously, I mean…" Spike blinked a few times as he bit his lip, then sighed under his breath. "I… I don’t know how to react to this, but…"

Spike looked down to the bed once more as he continued, "I guess I can't really be that upset about it. Like… it's not like I can make her straight or anything…" He chuckled nervously again before his smile fell and he continued in a more honest tone, "But Rarity is my friend, and… if she says she's happy about this, then… I'm not going to mess with it…"

Spike took another deep breath before looking back up to Zecora. However, his face carried a more determined tone as he finished, "I already promised Rarity I wouldn’t say anything, and I meant that."

Zecora nodded in understanding. However, there was still one thing she wanted to clarify before anything could be done. Despite how mature Spike was acting, there was still a chance he was feeling a little animosity towards her right now. Putting caution to the wind, Zecora cleared her throat before she spoke honestly.

"I'm glad that you told me that, and I don’t want to sound like a fool…" Zecora exhaled deeply before she continued, "But… just to be clear… are the two of us, as you might say… well… cool?"

Spike's eyebrows rose a little at Zecora's question, but he didn't look skeptical or disapproving. Instead, the dragon looked away for a couple seconds, breathing in deeply before looking back at her.

"Well… I still might need some time to let all this sink in…"

Zecora bit her lip and nodded.

"But…" Spike sighed once more before a more understanding smile spread across his face. "Yeah… I think we'll be alright…"

Spike then put out his claw for the zebra to shake. Seeing it, Zecora started to smile again as she put out her hoof, shaking Spike's claw.

However, before Zecora could pull back, Spike's grip tightened surprisingly hard around her hoof. In an instant, Spike's smile vanished completely, as a new, stern look came up on his face. Before Zecora could react, the dragon pulled her hoof in, making it so his face was just a few inches from hers.

"But I swear, Zecora…" Spike's voice was now at a low and venomous growl as stared her down, making the zebra legitimately worry when she saw how intense he looked. "If you ever… and I mean EVER… hurt Rarity in ANY way…"

"Spike," Zecora said in an insistent tone as she lifted her other hoof. Despite how worried she was getting with Spike acting like this, Zecora managed to keep her cool enough to speak clearly. "I assure you, that will never occur. The last thing that I want to do is hurt her."

Spike's grip and stare didn’t change a bit as he held her in close. Knowing she had to say something more, Zecora kept her hoof raised as she spoke sincerely. "I promise you, with my heart and with my pride. I will never hurt her while she's by my side."

Again, Spike didn't change his glare on her. Though, the dragon's free claw started to rise from his side. Holding his claw out, Spike slowly extended out his pinkie appendage. Keeping a death stare on the zebra, Spike's glare became even stronger as his eyes narrowed on her.

"Pinkie Promise."

Zecora almost giggled at how seriously Spike said that, but she was fortunate enough to not let any sign of that show in her expression. Sighing in relief, Zecora used her free hoof to make the gestures, and recite the familiar oath with a smile on her face.

"Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye."

Spike's grip only stayed for another moment before he finally let go.

"Okay," said the dragon as he let her back off. "Sorry about that, but… I have to make sure, you know?"

"It's alright," assured the zebra with a warm smile, "I understand your concern." Looking around the room, Zecora chuckled to herself as she realized how easily this conversation went. "I'm just grateful that our bridge didn’t burn."

Spike sighed with a smile before replying, "Yeah, don’t worry about that. As long as you don’t do anything worse than Chrysalis, I think we'll be cool."

"Well, that's good to know," said Zecora with a grin before she began to head off, "so I'll let you go." However, the zebra paused before she reached the doorway.

Looking back, Zecora pointed at the large bag of gems on the bed before looking at Spike with a firm stare. "You better not eat all those in one sitting. To have Twilight on me would not be fitting."

Spike chuckled as he grabbed the bag with a claw. "Yeah, sure. I'll only eat half the bag today."

Zecora chuckled herself as she shook her head at Spike's sarcasm (at least, what she hoped was sarcasm). After seeing that Spike really was alright, Zecora kept her warm smile as she exited the room.

Even though she was still worried about Spike, hearing him act like that was more than a little comforting. With a confident smile on her face, Zecora hoped to catch Rarity before nightfall and tell her the good news.

Meanwhile, Spike lugged the bag of gems on the ground beside his own bed. Plopping himself onto the soft bedding, Spike grabbed a clawful of gems as he laid back on his pillow.

"So…" muttered the dragon under his breath, "girls eat chocolate or ice cream to deal with this sort of thing, and I'm eating gems…"

Spike sighed before he stuffed his mouth with the gems. Chewing the various jewels in his mouth, he looked up to the ceiling as he thought it over. After a moment of contemplation, Spike merely shrugged.

"Oh well," he murmured with a mouth full of gems, "I gueth thingth could be worth."



> Sidetracks in Secrecy
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Spike didn't say much as he walked down the familiar Ponyville streets. Although he made his usual greetings to ponies as he walked past them, he was more preoccupied than usual. Due to recent events, Spike was definitely thinking differently as he made his way to the Carousel Boutique.

Before, Spike would take every chance he could get to head there, just to catch a glimpse of the stunning unicorn inside; now, with the recent discovery of Rarity being with Zecora, Spike could only hope he wouldn't be unlucky enough to walk in on them like that again.

It had been just over a week since he’d found out about the two being a couple. Spike managed to handle it somewhat well. Even though he was still beyond weirded-out by the whole thing, he knew that there wasn't much he could do. If Rarity was showing interest in another female, Spike knew that going after her would be kinda pointless—unless she turned out to like both genders, but even then it would be a bit of a stretch.

Besides, if Rarity and Zecora were happy, then he knew he had no right to mess with it. Rarity was still his friend, and despite how he may have felt for her, he knew that she deserved to be happy, no matter what.

However, before he could get within twenty feet of the Boutique, Spike heard Rarity's voice from inside the Boutique as she cried out in a shrieking bellow:

"SWEETIEEEE!!!"

Spike immediately ran to the shop, knowing that whatever happened had to have been bad. And since he was the only one to know about Rarity and her new partner, the dragon was certainly fearful of what would happen if Sweetie Belle caught wind of what was going on.

He hated to admit it, but depending on the scenario that could've provoked that reaction from Rarity, Spike was hoping that it was just Opal getting glued to something again.

Spike ran inside and reached the bottom of the stairway just in time to see Sweetie Belle get tossed through Rarity's magic down the hallway. Landing on her flank at the top of the steps and making an audible squeak, Sweetie huffed a little as a pout came up on her lips.

"What's the big deal?!" Sweetie Belle cried as she yelled back to her sister, "I just wanted to ask about something!"

The sound of Rarity's voice could be heard from out of sight, along with a lot of things rustling. "Sweetie Belle, I told you not to come into my bedroom without knocking first!"

Sweetie Belle rolled her eyes before getting back onto her hooves. "Ugh, fine. I'll just wait downstairs."

The little unicorn began to make her way down the stairs, smiling when she noticed Spike standing at the bottom.

"Oh hey, Spike!" Sweetie said in a cheerful tone. "What's going on?"

"Uhh…" Although he was afraid of whatever Rarity was doing upstairs to make her act like that, Spike managed to regain his composure enough to make a quick reply. "Oh! I… I was coming by to see if Rarity was done with her book. It's due back at the library today."

Spike pulled out the copy of the date tag for the book, showing that it was indeed due today. As the filly looked at the tag, Spike glanced up the stairs once more before deciding to ask about it. "So… what are you doing here?"

"Well…" Sweetie Belle shuffled her hooves a little before looking back up at the dragon. "I wanted to ask Rarity about borrowing some of her fabric for a new project, but…"

Sweetie looked back up the stairway again, noting that the sound of things rustling around could still be heard, as if somepony was cleaning up in a panic. Sweetie Belle looked back to Spike before continuing, "Hey, Spike, do zebras usually roll around with ponies like that?"

Hearing that, Spike's eyes shot wide-open and he tried not to openly cringe. Though he didn’t want to give away that something off-putting was going on, the deep blush coming across the dragon's face may have already done that. With the filly's confused stare on him, combined with the fact that Rarity and Zecora were doing gross stuff upstairs—Seriously? Spike thought to himself. It’s not even noon!—Spike was speechless for a moment. He tried frantically to think of anything to say. 

However, before Sweetie Belle could say anything else, Spike blinked a few times before saying casually, "Ummm… Well… Zecora must be giving wrestling lessons."

Sweetie raised an eyebrow and cocked her head to the side. "Really?"

"Y-yeah!" Nodding to add to the validity of his statement, Spike mustered a sincere-looking smile as added, "I mean… Zebras are really good at… wrestling… I think there's a book or two in the library about it."

This part was actually true. Since he’d started helping out with arranging books in the library (and not just reading comic books behind Twilight's back), Spike was able to know quite a bit about the books they had in stock. And after the whole Zecora and Poison Joke incident, Spike managed to find a couple good books regarding zebra culture. While the wrestling part may be a bit of a fib, since that was mostly practiced among male zebras, Spike knew Sweetie Belle wasn't likely to check up on that.

"Ohhhhhh! That makes sense!" Sweetie Belle looked fairly convinced by Spike's answer, her eyebrows raised in understanding.

Happy to give a decent-sounding answer, Spike breathed out a little and tried not to obviously sigh in relief. Before he could try to add anything else (or wonder how he was able to lie so well on the spot like that), Rarity's hoof-steps could be heard as she finally made her way to the stairs.

"Seriously, Sweetie Belle!" The unicorn gave an especially strong glare at her younger sister as she came into view. "A proper lady always respects another lady's privacy! You don't see me barging into your room whenever I—oh, Spike!"

Noticing the baby dragon staring at her with Sweetie Belle next to him, Rarity paused her ranting for a moment to take a breath. Not wanting to look this irritated in front of him, she closed her eyes and sighed, hoping to relax herself enough before her tirade went too over-the-top.

"I…" Rarity breathed out deeply before reopening her eyes and giving a faint smile. "I didn’t expect to see you here, Spike. What seems to be the problem?"

"Well…" Spike pulled up the date tag for the sewing machine book Rarity checked out. "I came by to get the copy of Sewing Machine Repairs you checked out. It's due back today."

Rarity's eyebrows rose as she suddenly remembered still having that. "Oh! Of course! How could I have forgotten that?"

While Rarity trotted back to her sewing room to collect the book, Spike decided to speak up for her to hear. After the excuse he gave Sweetie Belle regarding what she may or may not have seen upstairs, the dragon wanted to make sure Rarity would be smart enough to play along.

"Also, Sweetie Belle was telling me about how you and Zecora were wrestling upstairs. Right?"

"What?! I…" Rarity's panicked voice cut off a little while she was out of sight.

After a brief moment of silence, the unicorn walked back to the stairs again with the book held in her aura and looked at Spike with a wide-eyed stare, as if he’d just said something unexpectedly brilliant.

Seeing Rarity's surprised reaction, Spike just gave a light smirk back, motioning for her to speak up. Rarity looked over to her slightly confused sister, then blinked a couple times before replying with a relieved smile on her muzzle.

"Yes! I… was getting wrestling lessons from Zecora! That… is exactly correct, Spike!"

Rarity gave a grateful smile back to the dragon, who blushed a little as he looked away. Even though he wasn't that happy to lie like that, he was still more than a bit elated to see how pleased Rarity looked at that moment. Rarity began to head down the steps toward Sweetie Belle, just as Zecora came into view from the hallway upstairs with a confused look on her face.

"You see, Sweetie Belle… Zecora is highly trained in many zebra fighting skills, and since a lady should always learn the basics of self-defense, I asked for her to teach me a few moves." Rarity then glanced back at the zebra, raising her eyebrows as she hoped to emphasize how important it was for her to agree. "Right, Zecora?"

The zebra stood silent for a couple seconds, trying to process what she was supposed to say. Quickly realizing what she needed to do, Zecora perked up and said to Sweetie Belle, "Why yes! That is indeed true. Hope I did not worry you."

"Oh, nah…" Sweetie Belle shrugged and looked away from her sister and Zecora. Slowly, the filly's eyes narrowed while she kept her head turned away, like she was lost in thought. Suddenly, her eyes shot open, almost like a light bulb had turned on above her head. "I got it!"

Before any of them could ask anything, the now-excited filly zoomed out of the shop with a big smile on her face. "Wait!" Spike exclaimed. "What about the fabric you said you wanted?"

"I changed my mind!" said Sweetie Belle in a chipper tone when she looked back to him. "I have an even better idea for getting my cutie mark!"

With a determined grin on her muzzle, the little unicorn looked ahead while she stood by the front door of Carousel Boutique.

"Cutie Mark Crusader Zebra Wrestlers!"

Before Rarity or Zecora could say anything to keep Sweetie Belle from doing what they knew she would do, the filly gave an enthusiastic "YAY!" to herself before running off.

Spike, who was left a bit dumbfounded at what he indirectly caused, looked back to Rarity and Zecora and tried to make himself look innocent. "Umm… heh heh…" Spike bit his lip a little and gave a light-hearted smile to the two. "Well… at least she believed it."

Rarity sighed and closed her eyes, rubbing her temple with a hoof and hoping that this wouldn’t end too badly. "I… suppose that's true."

Rarity reopened her eyes and looked at Spike, who was looking back at her and Zecora with a skewed eyebrow. Realizing how effectively the dragon helped them out like that, Rarity grew a grateful smile again, quickly hugging Spike. "Oh, Spikey! Thank you so much for doing that!"

"Errr… yeah." Although he was glad to help out his friend, Spike still wasn't a fan of all that was going on. Aside from the fact that he just lied to a kid, Spike was especially uncomfortable with the fact that he basically just covered for the two of them doing Celestia-knows what upstairs.

When Rarity let go of him, the dragon brushed his shoulders off a little before replying, "It's alright. She didn't seem to think anything else was happening. You two were just wrestling."

"Well, thank you very much." Keeping her relieved smile, Rarity looked back to Zecora as she continued in a flustered tone, "Honestly, I was worried about what she saw! I mean, the way we were positioned, I was—"

"Rare..." Spike put up a claw and spoke with a more stern tone of voice, an annoyed look on his face. "You two were wrestling. That was what was going on, and I really don’t want to hear anything different. Alright?"

Noting how firm the dragon was acting, Rarity dropped her smile and nodded.  "Of course, Spike. That's exactly what happened." Noticing how Spike bit his lip in an unsettled manner when he looked away from her, Rarity's face scrunched slightly in from guilt. "I… I really hope you're not upset, darling."

"I'm fine," assured the dragon when he looked back at her. "Seriously, I don't mind. Just… I'd rather not think about what the two of you were doing before I came here, alright?"

Understanding Spike's concern, Zecora gave a warm smile as she replied, "Well, do not worry. We won’t cause you distress." Zecora then turned to Rarity, her eyes narrowing on her teasingly. "Although, your schedule may have caused this mess."

Rarity huffed a little and eyed the zebra down. "Oh, don’t you dare try to pin this on me! I'm not the one living in a place I can't come by at night, remember?"

Zecora rolled her eyes and looked away. Though Rarity made a fair point regarding her hut, the fact that most of their encounters were held at Rarity's home wasn’t helping them keep their relationship hidden from other ponies. And trying to sneak in a moment in the middle of the day certainly didn't improve their situation much either.

"But still," Zecora chided, "when you work all day and can’t come by at night, it just shows that there's something that is not working right."

Rarity pouted a little at hearing that. Although she hated to verify Zecora's claim, she knew that she had a valid point. Between her tight work schedule and the zebra's dangerous living conditions, there wasn't much time for Rarity to really do anything special with her.

However, as she remembered the excuse Spike gave her sister, Rarity grew a sly grin while she looked away in contemplation. Thinking of a convenient idea that could really help her and Zecora, the unicorn glanced back at Spike as she spoke with a light smirk.

"Spikey… how much work would you say you have at the library with Twilight?"

Spike shrugged and looked down to the ground half-heartedly. "Eh, not much. Honestly, I have like, half an hour's worth of actual work, but I usually act like I have a lot more so Twi wouldn't bother me about it."

"Hmmm…" Rarity looked rather pleased at that answer. Her grin became slightly wider. "So… how would you feel about having a part-time job here?"

Both Spike and Zecora looked at the unicorn with uncertainly. However, while Spike was just looking confused as to why Rarity would ask him that, Zecora looked more uneasy. Since she was able to tell why Rarity would want Spike nearby, she didn't like to think about the reason she was going to give him.

"A job?" asked Spike. "Like… working for you?"

"Why yes," said the unicorn in a confident manner as she walked over to some of her mannequins. "I've received quite the plethora of new clients recently, and having an extra pair of hooves—or, I guess in your case, claws—would be quite helpful."

Zecora's eyes narrowed on the unicorn, taken aback that Rarity just gave an excuse like that. Nonetheless, Spike was also able to read between the lines of what Rarity was really asking, which made his eyes widen before he shook his head.

"Ohhh... No, no, no, no! No way!" Spike threw his claws up in protest. "I know what you're wanting, and I'm not doing it! If you're just looking for a lookout so you can make out with Zecora some more, then count me out!"

"No, Spike! That isn’t the case!" Looking slightly offended by Spike's assumption, Rarity placed her library book by her desk before she picked up a large binder with her aura. With an upset look on her face, the unicorn opened up the binder before levitating it over to Spike.

"I have over a dozen different clients to attend to this month, as well as a dozen more next month! My schedule has been absolutely packed, so I've been considering employing some small-time help around here."

Spike looked through the pages and glanced through Rarity's schedule. Seeing all the names and design orders that had to be done each week, the dragon's eyes widened as he saw how much really had to be done. Even with Rarity's magic, he could tell that she had a lot on her plate at the moment indeed.

"And since you have experience with organization," continued Rarity in an insistent tone, "as well as an open schedule, I figured that hiring you would be a better choice than some random pony."

Thinking it over, Spike bit his lip in guilt when he looked back up at her. Realizing that Rarity really was asking for something important from him like this, the dragon began to feel bad about his assumption.

Zecora, on the other hoof, still looked a bit unconvinced and took the binder from Spike's claws. While the zebra looked through Rarity's schedule attentively, the dragon looked a bit more shameful and stared down at his feet.

"Ummm…" Spike avoided Rarity's stare as he kept his claws behind his back. "I… I didn’t mean to assume anything… I'm sorry."

Rarity sighed before replying, "It's alright, Spike. There's no need to apologize."

Spike glanced up at Rarity as she continued with a more optimistic look on her face, "But I really do need some help here at the Boutique. And the fact that you already know about Zecora and myself would help us to avoid any conflicts from other ponies. So… do you think you could help out?"

Spike looked a little uneasy as he looked away from Rarity. "Well… I have to talk about it with Twilight."

"Well, of course. Her approval is essential," Rarity said, putting up a hoof in understanding. "But if you were able to work here, would you?"

Spike pursed his lips a bit and thought it over. Despite knowing the unicorn had a valid excuse to need his assistance, he was still unsure of how much help he would really offer. Nevertheless, he also still knew that he shouldn't make any assumptions again, which made him look back to her and nod reluctantly.

"Ye… yeah. I… I guess so."

"Excellent!" Rarity grabbed her library book from the desk with her aura before levitating it to Spike. "Thank you very much, Spike! I mean it! You're really being a big help for me!"

"Yeah… I guess," said Spike with slight unease as he grabbed the book. Wanting to make sure he really wasn't going to just be some patsy to Rarity's relationship, Spike put up a claw and pointed at her authoritatively. "But you better not have me just be a lookout for you two! Seriously, that's not cool!"

"Oh, Spike!" Rarity groaned in annoyance and rolled her eyes. "Do you really think I would do that to you?"

"I just want to make sure!" Noticing Spike's insistent attitude, Rarity lit her horn as the dragon continued, "I don’t want to be just waiting around the front desk while you two are doing Celestia-knows-what somewhere else! If I'm going to be spending my time here—"

A large pouch of gems landed on top of the book in Spike's claws.

"I'll start Monday."

With that, Spike darted out of the Boutique with the book and his bounty, making Rarity quite pleased with herself.

"Well," Rarity began in a cheerful tone as she turned back to Zecora, "that worked out a lot better than I would've imagi—"

Rarity stopped her statement when she noticed Zecora's irritated stare on her. With the binder held beside one of her forelegs, the zebra's strong glare on Rarity was fairly apparent.

"I know that you feel keeping this secret is a must," began Zecora in a stern tone, "but you shouldn't take advantage of a dragon's trust."

Rarity merely sighed before pulling her binder from Zecora's grasp with her magic. "Oh, Zecora," she said in a more casual tone, "it's just a little assistance. I think it would be great to have some helping hoo—I mean, claws around here."

"Oh really?" Zecora raised an eyebrow while keeping her eyes on the unicorn. "Forgive me if I am being unwise, but it seems like you're not needing extra hooves, but eyes."

"Ugh, you too?" Rarity glanced back at her partner as she placed the binder back at her desk. "You saw my schedule, so you should know that I really do need help around the shop."

"Your days are just as busy as three months past," said Zecora with a disapproving tone, "so do not believe that your excuse will last."

Rarity pursed her lips and looked back to her binder. Although Spike didn’t bother checking her previous months, Zecora did. In the past few months, Rarity really hadn't been any busier than she was this month. Because of this, Rarity knew that Zecora was going to be more difficult about why she enlisted Spike to help out around her place.

"I know that you can’t come to my hut at night, but using Spike like that is really not right!"

"I am not…" Rarity paused for a second to close her eyes and breathe. Hoping to convince her marefriend otherwise, Rarity exhaled slowly before looking at her and saying in a professional tone, "Zecora, I am not using Spike like that. He is my friend, and I would never take advantage of him in that way."

Zecora kept her unconvinced stare on her, prompting Rarity to continue to speak. "While my work quota isn’t that different from previous months, it's still a fairly busy one. And since it's apparent how difficult it is to keep up with work, AND continue our relationship without interruption…"

Zecora looked away from the unicorn after that last statement. While she could've made a fair retort, the fact that Sweetie Belle almost caught them in an… unusual position… was more than enough proof for the zebra to stay silent and let Rarity continue.

"… I feel that having Spike help with my dressmaking would be more than beneficial for the both of us."

Zecora took a moment to think it over, then sighed in slight understanding. However, she still kept a skewed eyebrow on Rarity. 

Able to read facial cues fairly easily, the unicorn huffed a little before adding, "Oh, alright! I might admit that having someone keeping an eye out would be helpful as well. But!" Rarity raised a hoof up to Zecora before adding, "I do not plan to have him do anything like that! I want to keep my work life and my personal life separate, thank you very much!"

Hearing the sincerity in her voice, Zecora slowly nodded when she saw how much Rarity meant that. After just getting on good terms with Spike again, the zebra didn’t want anything to mess up what had been going on.

However, when she thought about how much stress had been building up for the both of them from sneaking around like this, Zecora looked away before thinking honestly. Given how difficult it was to maintain a secretive relationship, was it really that bad to just be honest to others about it?

Thinking it over, Zecora looked back to Rarity with hopeful eyes. "Rarity, do you… think that because of all we're going through… That it would really be that bad if ponies actually… knew?"

Rarity's head turned back to Zecora so quickly, it could've easily caused whiplash. "W-what?!"

"I'm just saying," began the zebra as she tried to speak through her fear of Rarity having a panic attack, "Spike doesn’t seem to be freaked-out. Do you think others would if they saw us about?"

"Yes! They would!" Looking at Zecora like she just suggested something as crazy as adding Discord to their relationship (something she didn’t even want to think about, on the off-chance that he could read minds), Rarity kept her dumbfounded stare on the zebra as she continued, "Seriously, Zecora! Could you imagine the looks we would get if ponies knew about this?! I mean, I don't even want to think about the uproar from my clients if they knew I was with a zebra!"

"And what is THAT supposed to mean?" asked Zecora in a condescending tone. "Little Miss, 'I'm So Squeaky Clean'?"

"I didn’t mean it like that!" Rarity assured. "I just meant that things would get rath..."

Rarity looked back to Zecora quizzically as she realized what she had just been called. "… ‘Squeaky Clean’?"

"What I mean is," said Zecora in a more honest tone, "your worries about this seem a bit too high. And it feels like you're the one more concerned about this than I."

"Well, of course I…" Again, Rarity clenched her eyes shut and took a deep breath. Not wanting to start an argument, she calmed herself down before reopening her eyes.

"Zecora," Rarity began, "I just don't want ponies to know about this yet. I'm not saying this should be a secret forever, but I do feel it should be kept to ourselves for the moment, in order to avoid any issues that could arise from other ponies."

Zecora sighed and looked away from Rarity with an upset look on her face.

"Listen," continued the unicorn in a more caring tone as she walked up to her, "I know this might be a tad difficult, but I think things are alright the way they are. I swear—this won't be a secret for too long, but I just don't want to deal with that sort of thing right now."

After a couple seconds, Zecora looked back to Rarity, who was staring at her with an adorable pair of puppy-dog eyes.

"Pleeeeeease?" asked Rarity with a light pout, which just made Zecora look away with a deep blush. While she wasn't too happy with Rarity's insistence, that face was just too Celestia-damn cute to ignore. And knowing her, the zebra seriously doubted she was the first one she used that face on.

"Alright, fine!" said Zecora with a light scowl. "I'll let things be, just… get that away from me!"

"Fabulous!" Rarity dropped her fake pout and put up a cheerful grin, before bending in to give Zecora a caring nuzzle. "I'm really glad we talked this over."

"Yeah," grumbled the zebra, "me too." Even though she wanted to stay upset at Rarity for this, the feel of her nuzzle was becoming too pleasing, which made her striped coat start to redden a little. Realizing that they were alone again, Zecora looked at the unicorn with more sensual eyes and motioned upstairs. "So… do you…"

Realizing what Zecora was implying, Rarity giggled a little before adding a rebuttal. "Actually… didn’t you say you just got a new bottle of conditioner made back at your place?"

Zecora blinked a couple times before slowly nodding in slight confusion.

"Well…" began the unicorn as she moved in closer to her, “how about we take a little trip back to your hut? And when we're out of the way from everypony, I'll do something especially nice for you. Like…"

Rarity then moved her muzzle up to Zecora's ear, whispering into it as she held her close. Zecora, whose was already blushing a bit before, was now beet-red as she stood there, wide-eyed, taking in every detail of the unicorn's plans.

"So…" Rarity pulled her head back and eyed her lustfully. "What do you say to that? If you head out first, I'll get myself ready, and I'll meet you at your place in ten—"

Zecora turned to a cloud of dust and shot out of the Boutique in a flash.

Standing slightly surprised at how quickly her partner would head back to her hut like that, Rarity just stood in silence for a moment before finishing her statement.

"… Minutes."


> Wrestling with Excuses
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Despite the fact that it was the middle of the afternoon on a Wednesday, Carousel Boutique was completely empty when Rainbow Dash walked in. Looking around the lifeless space, Dash saw that the showroom was now in pristine condition. While there wasn't any evidence that anypony was present this day, the Boutique certainly looked better than it did before Rarity went on that date with Thunderlane. While the Pegasus secretly wished her friend had more than one date with him, she was at least glad that Rarity had taken some initiative.

"Rare?" asked Rainbow as she entered the shop. "Are you around here? Spike?"

Looking over at the small desk and office chair by the front door, Rainbow Dash noticed that Spike wasn't sitting by it like usual. For the past few weeks, Spike had started helping out at the Boutique a lot more, usually just for afternoons after getting everything done at the library. Even though it was surprising that Rarity would ask for him to help this much, Dash knew that her friend’s schedule probably needed some extra help every once in a while. And considering how much Spike crushed over her (which was kinda cute and sad at the same time), she was sure that the dragon didn’t mind one bit.

However, since Spike was busy helping out Twilight today, Dash was left alone inside Rarity's showroom. Before she could call out for Rarity again, a loud gurgle came from the mare's stomach. Looking around a little, Rainbow peered over to the kitchen. Looking behind her to make sure Rarity wasn't watching, Rainbow shrugged to herself before walking over to the fridge.

"Oh well," Dash muttered, "I might as well have a snack."

Meanwhile, unnoticed by the mare downstairs, the door to Rarity's bathroom was closed and locked. A light mist of steam could be seen escaping from the gap at the bottom.

Opalescence, who was finally getting used to walking around the house freely again, walked down the hallway as she moved past the door. Pausing her movements, the cat carried an uneasy look on her face as she heard her owner's voice from inside of the running shower.

"Hehehe… Zecora, stop it! I have to leave this shampoo to set in my mane for five—ooh! He he… minutes!"

"Oh, don’t be such a Negative Nancy! You know your mane will always look fancy."

Opal shuddered a little at hearing that zebra's voice. Even with her best efforts to keep that striped figure away from the house (and away from her precious toys), the cat was thwarted at every turn, leaving her to accept that she was going to be around often.

But still, from the way Zecora stared her down, Opal was sure the zebra was trying to curse her sometimes. Nevertheless, the sound of somepony downstairs caught the feline's attention, making her move very cautiously to the stairs to investigate.

Meanwhile, Rarity could still be heard from the shower as she tried to speak sternly through her giggles.

"Zecora, I'm serious! I… hmhmhmhm… I have a certain set of things I need to do while I'm showering, and I can’t have that be… hehehehe… interrupted!"

"Well, Rarity, it seems you're being quite fickle… Perhaps what you need is a well-deserved tickle…"

A gasp could be heard in the bathroom. "Don't you da—AH! HA HA HA HA HA HA!!!"

With Rarity's uncontrollable laughter combined with the zebra's amused giggles, Rainbow Dash was finally able to hear something from down in the kitchen.

"Hulluh?" Since her muzzle was filled with half a banana, Dash’s voice sounded slightly muffled when she heard her friend upstairs. Realizing that Rarity was, in fact, here, Rainbow Dash swallowed her banana before heading for the steps.

"Rarity?" Dash asked when she reached the bottom of the steps. Opal immediately ran off to the safety of Rarity's bedroom, which went unnoticed by the mare while she walked to the top of the stairs.

"Hey, Rarity! You up here?"

"EEP!" At hearing her friend's voice from outside the bathroom, Rarity quickly tried to move past Zecora and scramble out of the shower. "Don’t come in! I'll be right ou—OOMP!"

Since she was still soaked and covered in soap suds, the unicorn immediately slipped on her hooves as soon as she touched the linoleum floor of the bathroom.

Rainbow Dash's ears perked up when she heard a loud whump! from inside the bathroom, followed by Rarity's voice.

"AAAAAARRRRRRRMMMMMM!!!"

"Rare?!" Rainbow darted to the door of the bathroom. "What happened?!"

"Oooowwww…" Rarity moaned from the other side of the door. "… My legs…"

Knowing that something bad had happened, Rainbow Dash didn't falter for a second and positioned herself in front of the door. "Step back, Rare! I'm coming in!"

Rarity gasped, unable to raise a single word against it before the Pegasus burst into the bathroom. Zecora, who was trying to assist Rarity on the floor, quickly ran into the bathtub again as the door was beaten down.

In a loud crash, Rainbow Dash managed to break the bathroom door open with one well-placed kick. Not caring about the broken door, the mare quickly made her way to her friend's aid, only pausing as she saw Rarity on the floor.

In an instant, Rainbow Dash's expression turned from worried fear of her friend's safety, to a muffled smile, trying her hardest not to crack up. "Mmmmph… ppph… You… BWAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Unable to hold back any more, Rainbow fell to the floor, closing her eyes as she started laughing uncontrollably. Despite the state her friend was in, the Pegasus couldn’t control herself when she saw what happened.

Rarity, who still in quite a bit of pain, had her hindlegs split apart on the bathroom floor. With her backside making a perfect split, Rarity's front half was just looking more aggravated with each passing second, while Rainbow Dash kept laughing.

"Rain… Bow…" grunted the unicorn through her teeth in a mix of pain and intense anger. "Stop… laughing…"

"I… I CAN'T! HAHAHAHA!!!" Banging on the floor a couple times with her hoof, Rainbow tried her hardest to subside her laughter, which just made Rarity even angrier.

Zecora, who was huddled in the bathtub with the shower still running, was having a hard time keeping herself from laughing as well. While she was concerned about the unicorn, Rainbow's cackling was certainly contagious.

Eventually, Dash was able to stop laughing long enough to wipe her eyes of any tears, taking a moment before she spoke to Rarity. "Sorry, Rare… I didn’t mean to laugh, but… Wow!"

"Rainbow…" Rarity growled through her clenched teeth. "Please, just… help me up."

"Oh, yeah." Still smiling a bit, Rainbow quickly got back to her hooves before walking over to Rarity. Realizing the shower was still running, she paused for a second before looking over to the bathtub.

With the curtain still closed (hiding the zebra who was still inside), Dash stuck her head inside to turn off the shower. Even though Rarity was fairly terrified of Rainbow Dash catching Zecora inside, she didn’t see or hear any indication that had been the case as Dash turned off the faucet.

Rainbow's head was less than a foot above Zecora, who was hunched as low as possible inside the tub. However, in the time it took her to turn off the faucet and stop the shower, she never noticed the zebra when she stuck her head back out.

Walking back over to the unicorn, Rainbow didn't realize how freaked-out she looked as she laid on the floor. Instead, she just positioned herself behind Rarity and lifted her up.

"Alright, here we go!" In one swift motion, Rainbow Dash lifted Rarity's backside up from the floor, managing to get her legs back to a parallel position. Rarity winced a little as she felt her sore joints get moved so quickly, which Dash noticed while she tried to keep her calm.

"I know, I know," assured Rainbow as she slowly led the still-soaked Rarity out of the bathroom. "I know it hurts. Believe me, you're not the first pony to accidentally do the splits like that."

Rainbow tried not to snicker again, which, luckily, went unnoticed by Rarity as she hobbled into the hallway. Levitating a towel from the bathroom with her magic, Rarity wrapped it around herself to make sure she didn’t soak her carpet too badly. Even with Rainbow making sure she didn’t take any steps big enough to make her pain even worse, the unicorn still grunted a couple times in pain.

"Don't worry," said Rainbow as she walked with her down the hallway, "we'll get you some ice packs and a sports drink, and you'll be alright."

"Th-thanks, Rainbow." Even though she was still a bit upset at how her friend acted in the bathroom, Rarity was quite glad that she was being so helpful right now.

"No problem." By the time they reached the top of the stairs, Rainbow Dash took a moment and scanned the steps, trying to think of the best way to get her friend down to the kitchen.

"Hey Rare," asked Dash, looking over at her curiously, "I was wondering… When you were in the shower, what the hay were you laughing so hard about?"

A heavy blush immediately spread across Rarity's face. Remembering that Zecora was still in the bathroom, the unicorn looked away from her friend and tried to stammer out a believable response. "Oh, I… I was… You see, Rainb—"

SLAM!

The sound of the bathroom window being thrown open was heard. Rainbow Dash noticed immediately. Letting go of her friend, the Pegasus barely noticed Rarity slumping onto the floor as she flew into the bathroom.

Throwing the shower curtain open, Rainbow saw that the window inside was wide-open. She knew it wasn't like that when she left. Sticking her head out the window, Rainbow looked down to the ground just in time to catch a figure run out of sight behind a few houses. With her eyes widening in realization, Rainbow Dash's jaw dropped so quickly that many ponies would've guessed it could've fallen right off.

Rarity, who was still in quite a bit of pain, struggled to get back on her hooves. However, when she looked over to the open door of the bathroom, the unicorn's eyes widened in terror as she saw Rainbow Dash reappear at the doorway. Dash—who was now carrying a huge grin—was wide-eyed as well as she stared at Rarity.

"Rare…" Blinking a few times as she kept her eyes locked on the unicorn, Rainbow kept her cheeky grin as she spoke. "… Was somepony in the shower with you?"

Rarity pursed her lips shut and her blush grew even deeper. Looking away from the mare, Rarity hoped to all that was holy that her friend didn’t see who it was. "Of… of course not, Rainbow! I… I don't know what you're talking about!"

Not believing her obvious lie, Dash ran right up to her, keeping her eyes pinned on hers as she tried to pry some more with a Cheshire-sized grin. "Rarity… Tell me who it is. Right. Now."

"NOPONY!" Rarity struggled to get on her hooves again. "I don't know what got into you, Rainbow Dash, but I certainly don’t need this kind of—ow!" Rarity clenched her eyes shut as she felt a new twinge of pain come from the joints in her hindlegs.

Despite wanting to know more about Rarity's secret lovepony, Rainbow was wise enough to know her limits. Seeing that her friend still needed some help with her legs, she sighed a little before deciding to drop the interrogation. "Alright, alright. Let's just get you to the kitchen."

"Thank you," grumbled Rarity under her breath as Rainbow Dash lifted her up again.

"But!" Glancing over at her friend, Rainbow kept an insistent tone in her voice as she added, "I'm going to find out who that was!"

Rarity just groaned before the Pegasus began to help her down the stairs. Knowing how arrogant the mare could be when she put her mind to something, Rarity knew that dealing with Rainbow Dash was going to be a difficult task indeed. However, with the burning pain still throbbing in her joints, all that Rarity could think about right now was where she kept her icepacks.

Meanwhile, at Sugar Cube Corner, Misses Cake was busy tending to the last of her customers from the lunch rush. After getting the last of her patrons taken care of, she was quite pleased with how much she managed to sell today. With a confident smile and a wave of relief, the cheerful mare sighed to herself as she wiped off the front counter with a clean rag.

However, the sound of what appeared to be wet hoofsteps caught Misses Cake's attention. She looked back up from the counter in time to see Zecora enter.

The zebra, who was completely soaked from head to hooves, didn’t seem to notice how wet she was and walked in casually. With a faint (albeit slightly embarrassed) smile on her muzzle, Zecora watched her steps as she walked up the counter, making sure not to get the floor too wet as she spoke to the confused Misses Cake.

"Good afternoon. I hope you don’t mind if I peruse." Dripping a little on the floor, Zecora kept her smile as she finished her rhyme. "But first, do you happen to have a towel I could use?"

"Uhhhhhh…" Looking at the sopping-wet zebra, Misses Cake was momentarily at a loss for words. However, that didn’t stop her from nodding. "S-sure, Zecora, I'll… I'll get you a towel." Walking back to the kitchen, the mare looked back to Zecora for a second before adding, "You know what, I'll get you two."

"That would be nice, thank you," said the zebra before Misses Cake walked into the kitchen. "I'll buy a cookie, too."

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Sighing under her breath, Rarity tried to keep her focus on the book in her hooves as she read. The fact that Rainbow Dash had been hounding her the past few days hadn't helped her complete her dress orders any faster. So, with the worry of the Pegasus bursting into her home at any moment to "catch her in the act", Rarity had resorted to going to the library to do research, just so she could gain more inspiration for a Vanhoover-style dress in peace.

Twilight, who knew that her friend had been under some duress lately, was glad to let her stay to do her work. However, the alicorn was still curious as to why Rarity had been under stress again; she thought that having Spike helping her would fix that. Putting caution to the wind, the Princess cleared her throat before catching Rarity's attention.

"So, Rarity… Would you mind if I asked what happened?"

Closing her eyes, Rarity sighed before putting her book down. "Oh, it's nothing. I just…" Growing more irritated at what had driven her from her very own business and made Spike stay out front, Rarity groaned under her breath before rubbing her temple with a hoof.

"It's just that Rainbow Dash got it into her head that I'm seeing a stallion, which I am not!" Rarity glanced back at her friend, the stern tone on her face showing that she wasn't lying before she continued, "And now she's been berating me every chance she could get over who I'm seeing!"

Twilight's eyebrows rose a bit at hearing Rarity's sudden rant, not expecting her to act this provoked by her question. "Wow. Um… Alright. I wasn't expecting that."

Rarity sighed again before glancing back at her book. Even though Twilight didn’t want to make Rarity talk about anything she wasn't comfortable with, her curiosity was getting the best of her as she asked, "So… is there a certain reason why Rainbow believes you're with somepony?"

"Well…" Even though she wasn't exactly in the best mood to continue this conversation, actually speaking about it out loud was helping Rarity a bit. Looking over to Twilight, Rarity made sure she wasn't interrupting any of the mare's book organizing before going on.

"You see, a few days ago I was taking a shower. While I was cleansing myself, I was thinking of a funny joke I heard from Pinkie Pie, which caused me to start laughing."

Rarity bit her lip for a second and looked away, hating that she was basically lying to Twilight. However, since she was giving the same story to her that she did to Rainbow Dash, Rarity knew she had to be consistent, even if that meant being slightly dishonest for the time being.

"Anyway, Rainbow was downstairs and heard me, which caused her to come upstairs and ask what was going on. I didn’t expect her to be at my place at that time, so I was a bit startled. I ran out of the shower, but I slipped on the floor and… hurt myself a bit."

Twilight blushed and looked away from Rarity, hoping to hide any laughter that struggled to escape her muzzle. "Yeah, I… I heard about that. The split thing?"

"Yes," Rarity said in a more exhausted tone, "but back to the point. When Rainbow Dash helped me up and took me downstairs, I guess the wind opened my bathroom window. She heard it open, ran over to the bathroom, and assumed that somepony was in the shower with me! So now, she's been trying to figure out which nonexistent stallion I may or may not be dating, which has been keeping me from doing any actual work in my shop!"

Glad to get that last bit out, Rarity exhaled heavily and slumped beside her book. Twilight, who didn’t know that much about Rarity's building stress, aside from what Spike had mentioned to her, wasn't expecting a story like that. Nevertheless, the Princess could tell that what Rainbow Dash was doing was certainly affecting her friend negatively.

Keeping a warm smile on her muzzle, Twilight placed a hoof on Rarity's shoulder as she said calmly, "Rarity, it's okay. If you want, I can talk about this with Rainbow Dash, so she can stop messing with you about it."

Looking back up to her friend, Rarity replied with slight surprise, "R-really?"

"Of course I would. That's what friends do. Besides, she has a book due back tomorrow, so I can probably speak with her about it then."

Noting the sincerity in her friend's assurance, Rarity smiled warmly before closing her book. "Well, thank you very much, Twilight."

"No proble—"

Before Twilight could finish her statement, the front door to the library slammed open. Applejack, who had the Cutie Mark Crusaders in tow with worried looks on their faces, was looking rather irate herself as she looked around.

"But, Sis!" Apple Bloom shouted with confusion, "We didn’t do nuthin' wrong! We were just tryin' ta get our cutie marks in zebra wrasslin’!"

Rarity's eyes widened in shock when she heard that. Remembering what her little sister wanted to try after walking in on her and Zecora, the unicorn instantly realized what could've arisen to cause the Applejack to look this angry.

"Zebra or not," replied Applejack as she looked down at her sister, "that didn’t look like any wrasslin' Ah've ever seen!"

Looking over to see Twilight and Rarity standing nearby, Applejack's eyes narrowed on them before she spoke up. "Twi, do you happen to have books on zebra wrasslin?"

While Twilight put a hoof to her chin and pondered Applejack's question, Rarity slowly tried to distance herself and looked away from them.

"Actually," began Twilight as she walked over to one of her bookshelves, "I believe we have a couple books on Zebra combat techniques." Lifting two different books from the shelf with her magic, Twilight brought them down before looking back at her friend. "Why do you ask?"

"Ah was wantin' ta check somethin!" Applejack walked over to Twilight and snatched one of the books from her hooves. Quickly skimming through the pages with her hooves, the mare spoke back to the three fillies while she tried to look for any good illustrations.

"Now, Ah want y’all to tell me exactly what kind of fancy 'zebra' moves you girls were tryin’!"

Apple Bloom groaned in frustration. "Ah told you! We didn't look in no books!"

"Yeah!" Scootaloo pointed a hoof over at Sweetie Belle. "Sweetie Belle was the one who told us about it!"

Knowing what was going to happen,  Rarity tried her hardest to sneak out of the library without being noticed by anypony. However, she wasn't able to get out of sight before Applejack spoke to Sweetie Belle.

"Alright Sweetie, where'd ya learn that kinda hootenanny from?"

"I was just trying to do what I saw Rarity doing with Zecora!"

Standing just a few feet from the library door, Rarity paused and slumped her head down. Knowing she couldn’t get away, Rarity could only breathe in before looking back at everypony. While the Cutie Mark Crusaders were waiting with a mix of curiosity and annoyance, Twilight just looked at her with confusion and Applejack stared at her, wide-eyed and slightly worried.

"Rare… Ya mind clarifyin' what the hay is goin' on?"

Gritting her teeth as she tried to breathe in, Rarity mustered up a nervous smile and turned to face everypony. Knowing that every second wasted could potentially expose what was really going on between her and Zecora, Rarity attempted to clarify what her younger sister may have told Applejack.

"Well… You see, Applejack, I… I wanted to learn some new forms of self-defense, so… I asked Zecora to teach me some… wrestling moves."

Rarity kept her smile in an attempt to make her excuse seem more valid. Applejack, who just kept her confused stare on the unicorn, blinked a couple times while she tried to come up with a reply.

"So… You and Zecora were… wrasslin’?"

Rarity looked between Applejack and Twilight, who was staring at her with skewed eyebrows while they waited for an answer. Breathing in, Rarity nodded to Applejack before she continued to speak.

"Y-yes…. Yes I was. You see, after that Timberwolf incident, I… realized that it wouldn’t be a bad idea to gain more hoof-to-hoof fighting skills. And… since I saw that Zecora was so skilled with her staff, I asked her for a lesson or two. She agreed to teach me some wrestling moves she learned from her homeland, and…"

Rarity then looked over to her little sister for a second before finishing, "Sweetie Belle walked in on what was going on, and decided to try it herself."

Applejack glanced back at Sweetie Belle as well, who nodded at Rarity's answer. Pondering the unicorn's explanation for a moment, the mare looked back to her and tried to clarify something. "Really? Because when Ah walked in on the three in their clubhouse, Sweetie Belle's head was—"

Applejack quickly pursed her lips shut, unable to really go into details regarding what she saw. She shook her head before continuing, "Anyway, what Ah saw definitely didn’t look like no wrasslin’!"

Rarity tried not to cringe too hard, not needing to hear the rest of Applejack's unspoken comment to know what the scene may have looked like. While the idea of her younger sister doing something like that was beyond repulsive, she knew that Sweetie was just trying to wrestle in that position—at least, she seriously hoped so—which made her swallow her discomfort and try to explain.

"Well... Sweetie… may have walked in when Zecora was in the middle of an… odd re-positioning. So, they may have just been trying to learn it from what she saw, and not from any actual texts."

Applejack began to pout a little and stared at her, obviously pondering Rarity's words as seriously as she could. "Hmmm…" Thinking it over, Applejack looked down to the floor for a moment, keeping herself silent before looking back up to the unicorn. "Ah… Ah guess that makes a bit of sense."

"That's right," assured Rarity as she spoke to both her and Twilight, "and you can ask Zecora about it as well. She'll verify everything I told you."

Applejack looked back over to Twilight, who shrugged a little before adding, "You know, that actually makes a lot of sense."

"Hmmm… Ah suppose…" Glancing back at the three fillies, Applejack sighed before speaking to them. "Alright, girls. Y'all can run off now. But first…"

Applejack took the second zebra book that Twilight had, waiting for the approving nod from the alicorn before she turned back to the Cutie Mark Crusaders. "If y'all are gonna try somethin' like that, you should learn it proper, ya hear?"

Passing the two books to her sister, Applejack grinned when she saw how happy Apple Bloom was about how this turned out. "Thanks!" said all three fillies in unison, before they trotted out of the library with their books.

Looking away from Rarity, Applejack chuckled a little to herself before turning back to her. "Ya know, Ah'm really glad ya told me that, Rare! Ah mean, Ah didn’t want to say anythin’ to trouble ya or nuthin', but when Ah walked in on them, Ah thought the three were doin' the hanky-panky!"

Applejack laughed to herself, which prompted Rarity to pretend to laugh a little as well. While she was glad that the three fillies didn’t try anything other than "wrestling,” she was at least glad that they now had a credible source.

"Yes, that… that must have been an odd thing to see…"

Before Applejack could agree, Sweetie Belle ran back into the library to her sister. "Hey, Rarity!"

Rarity turned her attention to Sweetie Belle, noticing that the filly had a slightly nervous look on her face. "Umm… I almost forgot to tell you… Cheerilee wanted to talk with you around four today."

Rarity's eyebrows skewed a bit in confusion. "Cheerilee? You mean your teacher?" Sweetie Belle simply nodded, which just made Rarity look even more puzzled. "But… why would she want to talk with me about?"

Sweetie shrugged. "I dunno, but she said she wanted to ask you about something."

Closing her eyes in exhaustion, Rarity sighed before looking over at a clock on the wall. Seeing that it was about half an hour until four, Rarity almost wanted to say something to her sister about telling her about it so suddenly. However, since she didn’t have anything happening in her schedule at four, she simply grunted a little before looking back to her sister.

"Oh, alright," said Rarity in a slightly annoyed tone, "I'll go talk with her."

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Cheerilee was just about finished grading the last of her papers when she heard the door to her classroom open. Looking up from her work, the mare was happy to see Rarity enter the room, noting that she came in five minutes early.

"Why hello, Rarity," said Cheerilee as she put away her papers.

"Hello, Cheerilee." Looking around the large classroom, Rarity noticed just how small all the desks were as she walked past them. Aside from the large oak desk that Cheerilee was sitting behind, everything else in the classroom looked like miniatures to the unicorn. Thinking it over, Rarity smiled as she noted herself in comparison to the furniture, almost feeling like a giant within the space.

However, Rarity regained focus as she approached Cheerilee's desk. Seeing a normal-sized chair brought out for her, the unicorn felt fairly grateful, not wanting to imagine herself sitting in one of the tiny chairs placed around the room.

Sitting in the chair after being motioned to do so by the teacher, Rarity waited patiently while Cheerilee opened a drawer in her desk. Making sure she had everything ready, Cheerilee took a moment before looking back up to Rarity with a light smile.

"Well," began the mare as she readjusted herself in her seat, "I guess you're probably wondering why I asked you to come by today."

"Umm… yes. I actually am." Glancing around the room once more, Rarity was starting to feel rather isolated in the space after realizing that she and Cheerilee were the only ponies in the large room. Looking back to the teacher, Rarity asked in a puzzled tone, "Is this about Sweetie Belle? Because if it is, maybe her parents would be a better adult to talk to than myself."

"Well…" Cheerilee's smile dropped slightly as a light shade of unease came up in her expression. "You see, Rarity, I sort of feel like, in regards to this, that I should talk to you instead of your parents."

"Well, what do you mean?" By now, Rarity was even more concerned as she heard the insistence in Cheerilee's words. "Did… did Sweetie Belle do something bad?"

"Not… exactly…" At that moment, Cheerilee went back to the open drawer in her desk. She took out a large bundle of construction paper, which was bound together on one end with yarn, and placed it on the desk between them.

"You see," Cheerilee began, "Sweetie Belle and her classmates recently did a project in class, during which they made their own picture books. All of the students did great jobs on their books, including your sister, who decided to make one about her family."

"Awww." Feeling a bit touched and honored to find out something like that, Rarity smiled. "That's really sweet."

"It is," said Cheerilee in an equally happy voice, although she looked a little uncomfortable when she passed the book over to Rarity. "But… I just wanted you to see a few pages she made…"

Picking up the book in her aura, Rarity smiled and looked at the front cover of her sister's picture book.



"Awww." Grinning in delight, Rarity giggled a little as she glanced at the front of the book. "This is really sweet thing for her to do! I must say, I'm rather happy to see—"



Noticing what was in the back of the drawing, Rarity's smile quickly changed, turning into a focused stare as she peered in closer. Seeing that Rarity was beginning to catch on, Cheerilee took a breath before catching the unicorn's attention.

"Ummm… She starts talking about you on page four."

Even though she didn’t want to think anything was ominous in that statement, Rarity started to look a little worried when she looked back up at Cheerilee. Seeing the look of discomfort on her face, Rarity became more fearful when she looked back to the book. Noting the inclusion of Zecora in the background once more, Rarity bit her lip in unease, taking a moment before she opened the book to page four.



"Well…" After making sure that nothing was off with this picture, Rarity began to smile again as she looked at her sister's work. "I have to hand it to Sweetie Belle. She really knows how to get all the little details in. I mean, she really seems quite observant of my shop."

Rarity then turned the page, her eyes immediately widening when she saw what was drawn.



Blinking a few times , Rarity's smile became much more skewed as she saw what her sister wrote.

"Oh… Well…" Keeping her smile—which was just making her look slightly creepy—Rarity looked back up at Cheerilee and tried to explain.

"Well, you see… Zecora makes a lot of different ailments, and she just so happens to make a fantastic conditioner, which is far better than anything I've ever used!" Knowing that this was in fact true, Rarity started to feel slightly less flustered as she explained further. "And since she comes by my shop at around the same time Sweetie Belle visits after school, I'm guessing that she guessed there was a bit of a connection, and…"

Noticing how Cheerilee was biting her lip, Rarity slowly stopped her explanation. Waiting until she was silent again, Cheerilee breathed out slowly before reopening her muzzle.

"Ummm… There's… there's more…"

Even with her forced smile, Rarity's eyes gave off nothing but pure fear as she heard that statement. "R… really?

Cheerilee could only nod, leaving Rarity to look even more disheveled when she looked back to the book. Worried about what was on the next page, Rarity bit her lip and turned the page. At seeing what was on the next page, Rarity gasped and put a hoof up to her mouth.



"Ummmm… Ahhhhh…"

Now breathing heavily, Rarity looked back up at Cheerilee, seeing that she was looking a lot more uneasy as she sat across from her.

Hoping to alleviate the situation, Rarity forced a nervous laugh. "Ummm… well… That's actually kind of a funny story! I… I was needing to… get my sheets fixed, and… well… Zecora was… she was…"

Rarity's growing dread was becoming more apparent when she saw how Cheerilee was looking. Biting her lip again, Cheerilee just looked down to the book in Rarity's hooves with worry in her eyes. Even though she knew what Cheerilee was trying to tell her, Rarity was utterly afraid of it being true.

"Please don't tell me there's more."

"Just one more," said Cheerilee in an embarrassed tone.

Rarity whimpered a little and looked down at her sister's creation. Although she didn’t want to think of what else Sweetie Belle drew of them, Rarity already figured that it wasn't anything good. Holding her breath, Rarity closed her eyes and quickly turned it to the next page. After exhaling deeply, Rarity looked away for a moment before slowly reopening her eyes.

It was at that moment that Rarity screamed.



"Noooooooo!" Rarity moaned as she hunched down in her chair, burying her face in her hooves while she attempted to hide her shame. Knowing that there was no way she could talk her way out of that drawing, Rarity just shook her head and kept muttering to herself. "No, no, no, no, NOOOOOOO!!!"

Though she knew that this discussion was going to be awkward for both of them, Cheerilee still wanted to keep Rarity from having a nervous breakdown in her classroom. "Ummm… Rarity? It… it's alright. I'm not goi—"

"Who else knows?!" Rarity shot back up and stared at the teacher. "Who else saw this?!"

"No one!" Cheerilee insisted, keeping her hooves out to separate herself from Rarity. "Seriously, nopony else has seen this! And that's not why I brought you here!"

"Is it about money?!" By now, Rarity's stare on Cheerilee was even more severe. "Is that it?! Do you really think you can get away with that sort of thing?! Because if this is some sort of sick blackmail, I swear to Celestia—"

"NO!" Cheerilee threw her hooves up and tried to calm Rarity down. "Rarity, I am not going to do anything, so please calm down THIS INSTANT!"

Due to her many years of experience in controlling fillies, Cheerilee's tone was enough to shut Rarity up in an instant. Sitting back in her chair properly, Rarity sat silently while Cheerilee stared her down.

Waiting until she was sure that Rarity wouldn’t act out like that again, Cheerilee took a deep breath before sitting back in her chair. Closing her eyes, Cheerilee sighed before reopening them and speaking in a calmer manner.

"Now, I know that this is an uncomfortable moment for both of us, and I apologize for bringing you here like this. However, considering what it is your sister drew, I'm guessing that what may or may not be going on isn’t exactly… common knowledge."

Biting her lip in guilt, Rarity was barely able to maintain eye contact with Cheerilee. She nodded slowly. "Y-yes, I… I'm not exactly willing to let this come out…"

"Alright then." Putting her hoof out for the book, Cheerilee waited until Rarity passed it back before she placed it back on the desk.

Keeping the book between them, Cheerilee  kept a more understanding smile on her face while she continued, "Now, I'm not going to ask what’s going on. It's none of my business, and I'm not going to judge you. In fact, considering how long I've been doing this job, the drawings that Sweetie made don't even make my top ten most shocking discoveries!"

Rarity's eyebrows rose in surprise at hearing that. "Really?"

"Oh, yeah," said Cheerilee with a more cheeky smile. "Seriously, I've looked at enough drawings from fillies and colts to gather quite a bit of surprising info about ponies in town. I've seen enough drawings of parents 'wrestling,’ Mommies’ 'toy rocket ships,’ and special bags of 'oregano' to fill a rather large book! So believe me, Rarity, whatever you may or may not be doing probably wouldn’t shock me that much."

Taking this new information in, Rarity blinked a few times in stunned silence. "W-wow." Surprised to be hearing something like this from a schoolteacher, Rarity was honestly unsure of how to respond. "I… really don’t know what to say right now."

"It's alright," assured Cheerilee as her smile became more natural. "I just figured that, because of this, it might be a good idea to talk with your sister."

"Ohhhh, yeah," Rarity began in a more aggravated tone as she looked down at the book, “believe me, I'm definitely going to talk with her about this!"

"Rarity," said Cheerilee more sternly as she held out a hoof and tried to catch her attention, "listen to me. I haven't punished Sweetie Belle for this, and I'm not planning to, either. She didn’t do anything wrong, and judging from her drawings, I really don’t think she intended to do anything wrong. So, if you're going to speak with her, I don’t think it would be best to make her feel like she did."

Staring at the book for another moment, Rarity thought it over before slumping back in her chair. Knowing that Cheerilee had a point, Rarity sighed in defeat. Even though she certainly didn’t like what her sister did, she knew that Sweetie was just drawing what she had seen. Keeping her gaze away from Cheerilee, Rarity looked back at the book on the desk.

"Well… I guess you have a point, Miss Cheerilee.  I mean… I guess this isn’t nearly as bad as some of the other things she's done lately."

Cheerilee tried not to snicker. "You mean like when she glued your cat to the ceiling?"

"Yeah, like tha—how do you know about that?" Rarity asked, looking back up at her.

Cheerilee pointed at the book in front of them before giggling a little. "It's on page twelve."

Hearing that, Rarity chuckled a little under her breath. Glad to have the unicorn smiling again, Cheerilee gave a kind smile back before saying, "It you want my advice, I'd just talk with her privately about it. If you're not comfortable with telling her anything right now, you could still try to talk with her about the book. Maybe you could convince her to draw something else in place of those pages. But please, don't make her feel like she did anything wrong, okay?"

Looking down at the floor, Rarity slowly nodded as she thought it over. While she certainly wasn't ready to tell the whole truth to her sister about this, she knew she could at least come up with something in regards to that book. Hopeful that she could solve this issue before her parents could find out, Rarity looked back up to Cheerilee and gave her a grateful smile.

"Th… thank you, Cheerilee. Really, this… this was very helpful."

"You're welcome," Cheerilee said, "and I'm glad you were able to handle this so well."

"Well…" Now feeling slightly embarrassed about how she first acted, Rarity blushed a little and looked away from her. "To be fair, I wish I handled it better."

"It's alright. At least you're comfortable now." Looking around the classroom, Cheerilee made sure they were alone before moving in closer to her. "Although," asked the teacher with a more cheeky smile, "just between you and me, I'm sort of curious… Are you and Zecora…"

Wincing a little in embarrassment, Rarity kept her eyes away from the mare as her blush grew even deeper. "Well… I can’t really convince you that we were just wrestling, could I?"

A sassy grin on her muzzle, Cheerilee just giggled a little before looking away from her. "Wow… I'm not judging or anything, but… Wow!"

Rarity, who was still getting used to Spike knowing about her relationship, was certainly not used to talking with Cheerilee like this, prompting her to want to leave as soon as possible.

However, Cheerilee, who was now blushing a little, looked back at her as she spoke more inquisitively. "So, Rarity… what's it like?"

"Goodbye!" Rarity quickly grabbed Sweetie Belle's book and left the classroom, leaving Cheerilee to at her desk, slightly dumbfounded.

"Yeesh! I was just asking…"

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Spike, who was nearly asleep at his desk in the Boutique, bolted out of his seat when he heard the door open.

"Ah! We-welcome to Rarity's Carousel Bou—oh, hey, Rare." Realizing it was just Rarity entering the shop, the dragon slumped back in his seat.

"Hello, Spike," said Rarity in a more defeated tone. "Anything I should know?"

Spike picked up a notepad, browsing it as he spoke. "Ummm… not really… Rainbow Dash came by again, but that's about it. It's been pretty slow this afternoon."

"Well, good!" Rarity slumped down on the couch and rested her eyes. "Quite honestly, I think I needed a break after what I dealt with."

"What do you mean?" asked Spike as he walked up to her. "What happened?"

Not wanting to go into details, Rarity simply lifted up Sweetie Belle's book in her hoof and handed it to Spike.

"Page seven."

Keeping her eyes shut, Rarity could hear Spike flip through the pages. When he reached the section she was talking about, there was a brief moment of silence before she heard him again.

"BWAAAAA, HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!"

Spike ran up the stairs with the book and called out, "Hey, Zecora! You gotta see this!"

When she heard the sounds of both Spike and Zecora cracking up from upstairs, Rarity simply groaned before reopening her eyes.

"I swear," Rarity muttered as she looked at the ceiling, "a secret relationship is NOT how romance novels make it out to be."


> Tearing Through the Seams
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

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!!!"

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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.

> Stitching it Together
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

By the time Zecora reached the Everfree Forest, the sky was already starting to grow dark. Since Rainbow Dash and her crew were planning on organizing another large storm before the summer season could really begin, the skies around Ponyville were shrouded by a thick blanket of clouds in preparation.

Just as the zebra walked away from the dark shade of the upcoming storm clouds, she was greeted by an even darker array of shadows from the looming trees now surrounding her. Despite the fact that the storm had yet to begin, Zecora's fur was still matted around her cheeks. 

Shortly after storming off in pure anger, Zecora's conscience began to kick in by the time she reached the town limits. Thinking back to everything that was done and said, her guilt started to build up tremendously the more she thought on it.

While she didn't realize it until she was halfway to the border of the Everfree Forest, she was beginning to cry by the time she made it to the edge of town.

Luckily enough, due to the scheduled storm, most ponies were already indoors, so Zecora didn’t have to pass anyone on her way home; that just made her isolation that much more apparent with each regretful step. After all that had happened, she knew that a lot of mistakes were made, and that her chances of redemption were extremely low, if even possible.

Zecora was mad about Rarity not talking with her, there was no doubt about that. But, after thinking it over, she knew that she shouldn't have done something that irresponsible.

Despite how upset she was about Rarity’s inability to discuss their relationship, purposely trying to expose them as a couple was juvenile at best. All that she wanted to do was prove a point to Rarity by showing that nopony would care. Given how foolish her plan was (which just amounted to giving the unicorn a hickie), Zecora couldn't blame her one bit for being so angry at her.

Many things were said, most of which was extremely harsh from both sides. Even with how upset she felt during their heated argument, Zecora knew that she should've never said some of those things, even after Rarity's cold insults.

In the end, there was only one thing Zecora couldn't deny: neither of them won.

Both of them lost, not just in that fight, but each other as well.

With that last painful truth fogging her mind, more tears streamed down Zecora’s cheeks as she reached her hut. Unwilling to face anyone else, Zecora clenched her eyes shut as she stepped inside her home, slammed the door shut, and secluded herself in the darkness.

Through her pained, poorly concealed sobs, Zecora, who was too distracted by her own woes to think about anything, tried to seek salvation in her plush bedding.

She didn’t notice the dozens of glowing eyes peering around the outside of her hut, waiting for the right moment to strike.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Spike was careful as he reentered Carousel Boutique in the evening hours. Knowing what kind of stuff he might be walking into, the drake made sure to stay quiet as he reached his desk. Although Twilight tried to warn him about the storm coming up, Spike told her that he forgot his backpack, which prompted her to allow him to leave. In all honesty, Spike wasn't lying about that; he really did forget his backpack, which had a lot of his comic books and quills he didn’t want to leave here for the night.

But that wasn't the real reason he came back.

When he originally left the Boutique earlier that day, he was solely focused on the gems Rarity gave to him. However, after thinking it over, Spike knew that something was off with how she was acting. Instead of looking cheerful or relaxed, Rarity looked really, really mad. And not the normal kind of mad either, like when she caught Spike going through her stash of rubies that one day.

No, her anger was a lot more… contained, like she was holding it back to use on her real target. He remembered seeing that same form of anger from her before when she helped save him from those teenage dragons.

Now, Spike wanted to make sure of two things: one, that Rarity was okay; and, two, that no one was killed or vaporized since he’d left.

After finding his backpack and placing it by the door, Spike refocused his attention on looking for Rarity, hoping that she was really alright. When he saw that no one was downstairs, the dragon slowly made his way up to the second floor, hoping not to hear any screaming (or moaning, which would honestly be worse to hear).

By the time he reached the top of the steps, Spike heard something else coming very faintly beyond the closed door of Rarity's bedroom.

Sobbing.

No longer worried about interrupting anything, he quickly rushed over to the door and knocked loudly, eliciting a muffled "Eep!" from inside.

"Rarity! Rarity, are you okay?"

"Oh, Spike! Spike, I…" 

A long pause followed. After a brief moment of nothing, the bedroom door opened slightly. Spike could see Rarity’s head through the crack as she looked down.

"It… it's alright, Spikey…"

Rarity paused, attempting to breathe normally. Despite her attempts to sound fine, Spike could see from her unkempt mane and reddened eyes that she was anything but.

"I just… I'd rather be alone right now, alright?"

Seeing how distressed Rarity looked, Spike was growing more concerned with each passing second. Knowing that only Zecora was here before he left, his voice came out more sternly as he looked up at her. "What happened?"

"It's nothing to worry about, Spike. Okay?" Rarity tried to wipe the matted fur under her eyes. "You don't need to—"

"What. Happened?" Spike's nostrils began to flare.

Seeing how intensely the drake was staring at her through the door, the unicorn grew slightly afraid, unsure of what might happen. "S-Spike? Please… please don't look at me like that."

Spike didn’t move a muscle, keeping his stare on the worried unicorn.

Realizing she wasn't going to just brush him off like before, Rarity tried to look away from him and hoped he'd do the same. Unfortunately, after another moment, Rarity looked back to see that he was still staring at her, waiting for an answer.

"Tell me."

Rarity sighed painfully as she tried to avoid the dragon's eyes. "Spike, it's not… It's not like that! I…"

Rarity slumped her head down and looked at the floor. "Zecora… Zecora and I may… may have gotten into a fight, an—"

Spike's face reddened with pure, unbridled anger. He immediately ran toward the stairs again. 

Rarity threw the door open, intent on stopping him before he did something horrible in a fit of rage. "SPIKE!"

Rarity lit her horn, using her magic to grab the drake before he was out of sight. Despite his small size and limited strength, the dragon's violent thrashing was making it difficult for Rarity to keep him in her aura.

"Spike, stop this right now!"

"LET ME GO!!!" His voice was much deeper than usual, which alarmed Rarity even more as she strengthened her aura. "SHE'S MINE!!!"

"SPIKE!"

Even though the last she wanted to do was hurt Spike, she knew she had to do something to stop him from going on a murderous rampage.

Rarity threw Spike to his back against the wall, pinning him tightly with her magic so he wouldn’t break free. While the dragon kept thrashing, Rarity didn’t waste any time and got right in his face.

"SPIKE!!!"

Spike paused for a moment as he stared right at Rarity with intense anger. Remembering what Zecora told her about her discussion with Spike, Rarity knew why he was acting this way. Though she was still mad at the zebra, she wasn't nearly angry enough to consider sending a bloodthirsty dragon after her.

Not wanting to lose Spike to his own rage, Rarity put her muzzle up against his as she spoke with intense authority and austerity.

"Spike, I am going to say this once, and ONLY once! Zecora did NOT hurt me! Do you hear me?! She did NOT hurt me! Not like that!"

Still panting in anger and frustration, Spike tried to squirm and break through Rarity's magic. Luckily, Rarity kept her grip on him as she continued, "Zecora did not hurt me, Spike! I swear that to you! So, say that to me!"

Spike clenched his lips shut, unwilling to say something he didn’t believe was true. However, with the unicorn's insistent stare on him, he slowly realized that she wasn't lying.

After a moment of silence, the drake slowly reopened his lips, and said in a reluctantly faint and bitter tone, "She… she didn’t hurt you…"

"That's right," Rarity said firmly, still maintaining her grip with her magic. "It was just an argument, and nothing physical. Do you understand?"

Spike's breathing came out slightly less forced, though he was still resistant enough to stay silent. This prompted Rarity to lean in closer. 

"Do. You. Understand, Spike?"

After a few seconds, Spike exhaled heavily and slowly nodded.

As she continued to keep close to him, Rarity narrowed her eyes and continued, "Now, I am not going to let you go until you promise me that you will not go after her. Alright?"

Spike pursed his lips shut again and tried to look away. "Bu… but—"

"But nothing!" Rarity exclaimed. "I am not going to risk losing you because of you doing something foolish, so look at me!"

Slowly, the dragon's green eyes peered back at the mare, who was staring at him intensely.

"Pinkie Promise me, Spike. I want you to Pinkie Promise that you will not go after Zecora if I let you go."

Spike's face scrunched in. He didn’t want to agree to something like that after seeing his good friend crying because of that zebra. Due to the unicorn's unrelenting stare on him—which could honestly rival Fluttershy's Stare right now—Spike's lips trembled for a moment before he took another breath.

"C… cr… crossmyheart—"

"Say it, like you mean it," Rarity ordered.

Closing his eyes, the dragon sighed through his teeth, hating that he had to do this. Nevertheless, after another bout of silence, Spike finally reopened his eyes, and spoke with great reluctance.

"Fine… Cr… Cross my heart, hope to fly… stick a cupcake in my eye… I promise."

Rarity's eyes narrowed further. "You promise what?"

Spike groaned in frustration, only faltering for a second as he hung his head. "I… promise I… I won't go after Zecora…"

Rarity didn’t move a muscle for a moment, staring at the dragon for any sign of insincerity. Fortunately, after several seconds of silence, Rarity nodded before lowering her magic grip. "Alright… I believe you."

Rarity then placed Spike on the floor once more, releasing her aura. Spike immediately looked over at the front door, which was just at the bottom of the stairs. Knowing he could easily escape now, the drake's eyes narrowed on the exit for a moment, weighing his options while the unicorn stared at him.

At remembering what he said, he knew he couldn't break what he promised, and sighed before turning back to her.

"See?" Spike put his claws out, standing before Rarity while speaking sincerely. "I'm not going to go after her. Alright?"

Rarity gave a light smile to the dragon and nodded, glad that her friend would keep to his word. "Good. Thank you, Spike."

"But!" Spike pointed a claw at her and added, "If I'm not going after Zecora, I want to know what happened!"

Rarity's eyes widened in surprise, not expecting him to make a demand like that. Remembering how the whole debacle started, the last thing she wanted was to bring up some of those details to him.

"Oh, Spike…" Rarity tried to look away from him as said, "I really don't think it's something you should hear abou—"

"I don’t care!" Spike kept his insistent tone as he continued, "If this is something that made you cry, then I want to know why! I promised I would be there for you when I first found out about you two, so the least you can do is talk to me about it maturely!"

Rarity turned back to him to make a rebuttal, pausing as she processed his words. Thinking it over, she realized that he was right; Spike really had been fairly mature about this whole thing, and had been able to handle a lot up to this point. Plus, considering how helpful he'd been lately, maybe talking with him wouldn’t hurt.

"Besides," Spike continued, "aside from Cheerilee, there really isn't anyone else you can talk to about this, right? So, it's either you talk to me, or you keep this bottled in. Which one do you want?"

Rarity's eyebrows rose in astonishment. She had a slight difficulty grasping Spike's level of logic right now. Though she knew he was surprisingly adult for his age, she wouldn't have expected him to say something like that.

Nevertheless, Rarity knew he was right. She sighed before nodding faintly.

"I… I suppose so…"

Spike smiled slightly and nodded back, glad to see Rarity agree to talk.

Soon, the two were back in Rarity's bedroom. Spike sat on the bed. Looking back at her patiently, Spike kept a look of concern on his face as he began, "So… what happened?"

"Well…"

Looking away sheepishly, Rarity knew that, even with Spike's insistence, saying how it started would probably put him off. After taking a deep breath, Rarity turned away and showed the side of her neck to the dragon. "Earlier today, Zecora did this."

"Ugh!" Spike shut his eyes and looked away from the hickey. "Come on! I don't need to see that!"

"I'm just trying to prove a point!" Rarity turned back to him as she said bitterly, "This morning, before I went for my weekly spa visit with Fluttershy, Zecora and I got into an argument, and she did this to me on purpose, just to try exposing our relationship to my friends!"

Spike's eyes widened in surprise. "Really? But… but why? That seems kinda odd for her to do."

"Because," Rarity said as she looked away from him and began to pace around the bedroom, "I kept on trying to tell her how we should keep our relationship a secret, but she was insistent on trying to convince me otherwise.

“Despite what I tried saying to her, she didn’t think anything would happen if ponies knew! I knew the conversation wasn't going to go anywhere, but she wouldn’t stop prodding me about it! She wasn't able to understand how important it was for me to keep this hidden, and thought that I was acting irrationally, so she did THIS!"

Spike's eyes began to narrow. "Wait… what?"

"I mean, is it really that difficult to understand? Can she really not grasp how much my career would get jeopardized if ponies were to discover I was with a zebra? Or a mare, for that matter?! I mean, my reputation would be completely ruined! And what does she do?! She deliberately tried to expose me, JUST to try proving something that's completely pointless!"

"Umm…" Spike blinked a few times, trying to process Rarity's rant, though his face gave off a clear look of even deeper confusion. "So… Why didn't you just talk with her?"

Rarity quickly turned back to him, appearing shocked to hear that suggestion. "What?! Are you serious, Spike?!"

"Well, why not?" Spike asked. "I mean, yeah, it's weird, but do you really think it would hurt your career?"

"YES, Spike!" Rarity deadpanned, "of COURSE it would! You know how judgmental my clients are! I've seen designers get shunned from Canterlot ponies for things lesser than a relationship like this! How do you think I would compare!? They would take one look at me and Zecora, and immediately blacklist me! Do you really think I want that?!"

Spike's mouth was slightly open as he narrowed his eyes on the unicorn. "So… let me get this straight… The reason you didn't talk with Zecora about this… was because you think your relationship with her… would mess up your reputation?"

"Yes!"

Hoping that he saw her point, Rarity continued to pace around the room as she spoke with more infliction.

"Spike, you have to understand—when you work with high-class ponies, any little thing could break you for good! If they knew I was with a zebra, or that I was a… lesbian…"

Rarity still had a slight problem saying that word, wincing a little before continuing, "I would lose every ounce of respect I earned since I started! Nopony would want to use my designs, and I would never be able to sell a dress again! I would be completely forgotten, and I do NOT want that to happen!"

Rarity looked back at him, seeing that the dragon was staring at her with a completely dumbfounded look on his face.

"Please say something, Spike! Surely, you have to understand what I'm saying!"

After blinking again in silence, he put up a claw, halting Rarity's ramblings long enough for him to speak. "Do you… do you really want to know what I think?"

"Why… yes, Spike," said Rarity, looking slightly surprised. "I want to hear your opinion about this."

"You're not gonna like it.”

Rarity merely huffed before replying, "Oh, come now, Spikey! I'm an adult! I think I can handle whatever it is you have to say."

Spike looked away and took a deep breath. "Well… okay… if you say so…"

"Alright," Rarity said, looking at Spike with interest. "So, do you understand what I'm saying?"

Reluctantly, Spike looked back at Rarity with an unsure look on his face. After exhaling slowly, he looked more stern as he began, "Rarity…

"That's the stupidest thing I ever heard."

Rarity's jaw dropped. Absolutely shocked at what Spike had just said, her muzzle started to twitch and turn red from confusion and anger. "W-W-WHAT?!?"

Spike put up a claw. "Just hear me ou—"

"HOW DARE YOU!!!" Rarity declared with fury, "HOW COULD YOU SAY THAT TO ME?! After all I've done for you, and all that I said, you actually go and call me STUPID?!?"

"I'm not calling YOU stupid!" Spike deflected. "I'm saying that your excuse is stupid!"

"It's the same thing!" Rarity yelled back. "I can't believe that you would actually say that to me! Do you not realize how insulting that is?!"

"Do YOU not realize what you're saying?!"

Spike's concern had completely shifted. He looked at Rarity in bewilderment. "I mean, if you were just saying you're worried about this relationship because of your friends or your family finding out, then I would understand a little! But to actually say you need to hide it because of your career is just… DUMB! I'm sorry, Rarity, I really am, but it really is dumb!"

Rarity scowled as she looked away from him. It didn’t stop him from continuing, "Do you really, and I mean really think that your reputation would be ruined just because you're with Zecora?!"

"Yes!" Rarity glared back at him."If my clients knew, they would immediately turn on me and look for somepony else!"

Spike's look of disbelief intensified, his jaw dropping lower with each passing word from the mare. Fed up, Spike hopped off the bed and stood on his feet while looking straight at her. "You really think that ponies would stop respecting you?"

"Yes!" Rarity insisted.

"You?!"

"Yes!"

"You," Spike pointed a claw at her, "Rarity?"

"YES! Me, Rarity!"

Spike put his claw down, resting it at his hip as he kept his stare on her. "The mare who helped save Equestria, like, five different times?"

"YE—"

Rarity’s mouth hung open. The unicorn was silent for a moment, which gave Spike enough time to put his claws back up and look at Rarity, wide-eyed.

"Element of Generosity?!? HELLO?!? You're one of the Elements of Harmony, for crying out loud! Do you seriously think ponies will forget that?!"

"I… I…"

Rarity was barely able to make any more words escape her muzzle. Spike, knowing he had her attention, didn't pause as he kept going.

"Rarity, how many lives do you think you helped save in the past few years?! You helped stop Nightmare Moon! You helped take down Discord! You helped save the Crystal Empire!"

"THAT was YOU!" Rarity snapped, pointing a hoof at him.

"But YOU still helped!" Spike snapped back, pointing a claw at her. "Just like you helped stop those vine things around that Harmony Tree, AND when you helped stop that Changeling invasion!"

Rarity looked away from Spike sheepishly, unsure of how to respond. Though she tried to scowl, she was having a hard time denying what Spike was saying.

"Speaking of which," he continued, "do you seriously think that any pony in Canterlot would turn on you after all the Changeling butt you kicked that day?! I mean, I'm surprised that most of the ponies there aren't kissing your hooves whenever you walk into the room after that!"

"Spike! I…"

Rarity tried to turn back to him and defend herself. Yet, she wasn't able to think of anything to contradict him. Even though she didn't want to admit it—especially given Spike's brutally honest attitude right now—she knew that he was starting to make a valid point.

Slowly, Rarity closed her muzzle and looked down to the ground while she tried to collect her thoughts.

"Rarity," Spike explained, "I know you're worried about how ponies would think of you, but you have to think this over. After everything you've done, and after all that you helped to accomplish, do you honestly think that ponies are gonna look at you and say, 'Oh, thanks for saving all our lives several times over, but we don’t want you anymore because you're gay?!' I mean, come on! You could be with five zebras and a Diamond Dog and they wouldn't say anything!"

"SPIKE!" Rarity tried to give him a strong scowl, but that didn’t change the persistent look on his face as he stared back at her.

"Rare, you are a national hero! You're on several of the stained-glass windows in Canterlot Castle! You are friends with a Princess! With Royalty! And, technically speaking, ever since the wedding, you're Royalty, too!"

When Rarity's scowl began to soften, Spike tried to look more sympathetic as he added, "Do you seriously think that anypony would look at all that and be stupid enough to still disrespect you? Just because you're with Zecora?"

Biting her lip, Rarity's looked down at the floor and thought his words over. Though she tried to be adamant, the unicorn couldn't deny what Spike was saying. She really had done a lot for Equestria in the past few years, and knew that none of her efforts would be forgotten anytime soon.

In fact, given her title as the Element of Generosity, she wouldn't be surprised if she and her friends ended up living on for centuries in countless history books. Still, that didn't change how apprehensive she felt about what would happen if she was discovered with Zecora.

Spike, noticing the look on Rarity's face, kept a stern expression on his own as he said, "Try to tell me that I'm wrong about this."

Rarity looked back at Spike in surprise.

Spike repeated his request. "Seriously, Rarity, I want you to look me in the eyes and say that I'm wrong. Do you really think ponies will stop respecting you just because of this?"

Rarity blinked, unsure of what to say. As she looked at the dragon before her, she knew that she couldn't lie to his face. Seeing the look of sincerity in his emerald eyes, Rarity winced a little and tried to look away.

"I… I suppose…" Rarity sighed under her breath before finishing, "I suppose… you might be right…"

"Might?" Spike asked condescendingly.

"ALRIGHT!" Rarity shouted, looking back at him. "Alright, already! You're right! Okay?! You're right, Spike! You're absolutely right!"

The unicorn walked away a couple steps and tried to contain her anger. "I… I probably… wouldn't be dismissed by ponies so easily due to my status. It… might seem rather foolish to assume that, wouldn't it?"

"Thank you!" Spike said, relieved.

"BUT!" Rarity snapped as she turned back to him, "I am not worried about my reputation as a hero! I know that won’t go away!"

Spike began to look confused again as Rarity continued, "What I'm worried about is my reputation as a designer! Do you know how delicate it is to maintain my status well enough to keep the clients I have?"

Spike groaned in frustration and rubbed his temples with a claw. "Rarity, are you serious?"

"I most certainly am! Spike, do you have any idea how quickly a designer can lose their reputation for one small thing? I've seen many designers, some more renowned than myself, lose everything for the smallest issues: bad-talking a client, promoting summer colors while it was still spring, marrying their second cousin…"

Spike's eyebrows skewed a little. "A second cousin?"

"What? It happens sometimes." Rarity kept her tone as she began to pace around once more. "And most of those were fairly minor in comparison to me!

“Spike, even if I'm to be remembered as a hero, I know there will still be ponies who will lose respect in me as a fashionista, just because of how controversial interspecies relationships can be! I mean, sure, I might not lose all my clients, and I still might be able to make a dress or two, but I won't be looked at the same! I just know some other, more 'desirable' designer will take my place, and the moment I'm out of the room and away from earshot, I know that they'll start talking badly about me, saying things like, 'Can you believe that Filly-Fooling Zebra-Lover?!' Ugh, just the thought of that is enough to make me develop a grey hair!"

Noting how stressed Rarity was looking, Spike tried to put up a claw and talk her down. "Rarity, it's no—"

"Tell me I'm wrong!" Rarity snapped, turning back to him with an upset look on her face. "Come on, Spike! Let's see how you like it! I want you to look me in the eye and try telling me that I won't be looked down on as a dressmaker!"

Spike stayed silent for a moment, looking at Rarity as he thought it over. After a few seconds of contemplation, Spike breathed in before staring back at her. "Fine."

Spike then turned around and sat back on the bed. When he got to a comfortable position, he faced Rarity again before crossing his arms.

"Tell me about your competitors."

Rarity furrowed her brow. "What?"

"You heard me," Spike said with more authority as he sat patiently. "I want you to tell me about some of the other designers and what they've done. Who do you think will take your place? Because, quite frankly, I can’t really think of any."

Realizing what he was getting at, Rarity raised her eyebrows for a moment before sighing in agreement. "Fine. Well, where do I start?"

Rarity began to walk around the bedroom, thinking about her competition while Spike sat on the bed. Not noticing his eyes following her, Rarity looked down at her carpet as she spoke.

"Well, I know that Coco Pommel has been doing fairly well since she helped make all the costumes for that show. She's still a bit young, but I feel like she'd be rather big someday…"

"Okay," said Spike, his tone indicating that he was waiting for more.

"There's also Limelight up in Vanhoover. She managed to get the attention of Photo Finish with her designs, which was something even I wasn't able to do at first. She also made some great clothing, which was featured in Ponies Weekly, including an impressive dress that was worn by Citrus Blossom for the front cover!"

Spike shrugged his shoulders a little. "Alright…"

"There's also Sandy Tino, who impressed a lot of the Canterlot Elite with his tailored works. Although, I heard he also got in a light scuffle with Hoity Toity when he was being caught impersonating him among some friends, but I heard that settled a little bit."

Spike shrugged again, but didn't interrupt Rarity as she continued to speak.

"And then there's countless others who I constantly have to compete with every year for the attention of new clients and buyers. Styles and trends always change, and I feel that sometimes I get by more often by luck than I do with just skill. I've seen ponies become a smash success one day and be immediately forgotten the next! There are dozens of ponies who I can name off the top of my hoof who are big now, but what about next week? Or next year? It's always something I have to look out for, and it's hard enough to keep my success up without any controversies exposed in my life! This is my dream, Spike, and I can't even pretend to imagine it slipping away from me."

Rarity then looked back at Spike, who was still keeping a contemplative look on his face. Before Rarity could try to add more, Spike saw that she said what was needed to be said, and began to make his rebuttal.

"So… If I'm hearing this right, your biggest rivals include Coco, who made a bunch of costumes for a show, as well as some pony who made some dresses for a magazine, a guy who makes suits, and a bunch of competing newcomers?"

From the way Spike listed everything, sounding like nothing that impressive, Rarity had to contain her contempt as she replied, "Yes, Spike… And all of those tasks are very difficult to accomplish, so I don’t appreciate you taking them so lightly."

Spike shrugged again as he took in Rarity's defense. "Okay."

He jumped off the bed, brushing himself off before taking a deep breath. After cracking his neck, Spike looked up at Rarity before asking, "So… those are the biggest accomplishments those ponies made?"

"Yes," Rarity said firmly.

"Alright… Meanwhile…" Spike pointed a claw up at Rarity, looking at her sternly as he began to make his case.

"YOU managed to make all the costumes for the world tour of Sapphire Shores, one of the biggest pop stars in the world!" Spike then put up a second claw. "TWICE!"

Rarity bit her lip and tried to look away.

"You also impressed Hoity Toity AND Fancy Pants, two of the biggest names in Canterlot, with your dresses! And you STILL do business with both of them! Am I wrong?"

"N…no…" Rarity whimpered as she tried to avoid eye contact.

"And then there was the Manehattan Fashion Week you did, which you managed to win using only materials from your hotel room! I mean, do you think anypony else could pull that off?! You also constantly get work with dozens of other Canterlot clients, and were featured in how many magazines?! Seriously, how many times have you had to do interviews with ponies over your dresses?"

"I… well…" Rarity began to blush while she thought about it, realizing that she actually may have lost count.

"Oh, and do I even NEED to mention the Royal Wedding?!"

Rarity looked back at Spike, who was staring at her, wide-eyed.

"HELLO?! Rare, that was like, a once-in-a-century event! They could've gotten ANYpony to make Princess Cadence's wedding dress, and Celestia chose YOU! And how long did it take you to make that dress, anyway? Like, a day?! Maybe two?! Doesn't that kind of thing take like, YEARS to make?!"

Observing how Rarity was blushing, Spike didn't wait for an answer to his rhetorical question and just kept going.

"And YOU not only managed to make that dress perfectly in less than a couple of days, but you made all the bridesmaids’ dresses as well! BOTH times! For BOTH weddings! Rarity, do you honestly, and I mean HONESTLY think any of those other ponies could've accomplished all that?!"

Rarity looked down at the floor, unable to open her muzzle. Her wide-eyed gaze at her hooves was more than enough for Spike to know that she wasn't going to claim otherwise.

"I mean, think about it! Any of those things would've been good enough for a designer to do! Heck, most of those ponies would've probably killed to do just one of those things in their lifetime! But YOU! You managed to do ALL of that! And it only took you a couple of years!"

Noting how this was all starting to get to her, Spike slowly walked up closer to her. Placing a claw on her shoulder, he caught Rarity's attention and got her to look back at him. Keeping a look of utmost sincerity on his face, Spike kept his eyes on the unsure mare as he made his point.

"Rarity, there is absolutely, positively, no way anypony could ever match up to you. You… YOU… are the best designer… Period."

Rarity's eyes widened at hearing that, realizing that Spike said that with the purest form of truth.

"And I'm not just saying that because you're my friend, Rarity. I really mean it. You are the best designer… EVER. And I know I'm not the only one who thinks that."

Overcome by the dragon's honesty, Rarity looked away and tried not to cry. "Oh, Spike I… I don—"

"Don’t what?" asked the drake as he kept his eyes on her. "Don’t think it's true? Do you honestly think any other pony would actually be able to pull off as much as you have in that short an amount of time?"

Thinking it over, Rarity had to bite her lip to keep her smile from growing too wide. Knowing that her friend was absolutely right, Rarity turned back to him.

"I know you're worried about your image, and I get it. But you shouldn’t be afraid that your dreams are going to go away. Rarity, you… you already reached them! You've managed to do more with your life than most ponies could ever dream of, as a hero AND as a designer! And there's no reason you should act like any of that is ever going to go away."

With a faint smile, Spike placed a claw up to the side of her face, catching a stray tear that was rolling down her cheek.

"You know there's nothing to be afraid of, right? You already made your dreams come true, so you shouldn’t worry about it going away. Especially because of Zecora."

Rarity tried to muster up a grateful smile. However, that last mention of the zebra was enough to make her smile drop again as she started to look more confused.

"W-what?" Spike asked, noticing Rarity’s change.

The unicorn looked down to the floor between them, thinking it over before she looked back at him with a puzzled glance.

"Why… why are you helping me?"

"What do you mean?" Spike asked in a confused tone. "I can’t help out a friend?"

"No! I mean…" Rarity pulled Spike's claw from her face before looking at him more perplexedly. "Why… why are you helping me in my relationship with Zecora? Are… are you… wanting us to get back together?"

"Well… " Spike looked away for a moment. Thinking it over, Spike sighed before looking back to her. "M-maybe… I mean, it's not like you're breaking up with her for a valid reason. I… I really don’t see why you couldn't work this out."

"Spike, I…"

Thinking back to all that occurred before Spike came back, Rarity's heart sank when she recalled all that was said. Remembering how coldly she acted, and for something that she could now see wasn't fairly justified, the unicorn winced as she looked away from the dragon.

"I really… really don’t think she'll want to talk to me. I… I said some horrible things to her… Things I really shouldn’t have said."

"It's alright," Spike assured. "I'm sure she'll understand. Just apologize and talk it out. It sounds like that was what she wanted anyway."

"Spike, you…" Rarity looked at him in an even more confused state as she realized what he was trying to do. "You really want me to stay with her?"

"Well…" Spike bit his lip and looked down, then nodded before looking back up. "Yeah. I mean… Isn’t that what you want?"

"But…"

Rarity pursed her lips as she thought about his question. In her mind, she couldn’t deny his claim. She really did want to get back with Zecora. After all that was said and done, she knew that she didn’t want to lose her, especially for the reasons she originally had. She wanted to talk it out and make amends, but that still didn’t explain how someone who was infatuated with her wanted her to go ahead with it.

"But what about you?" Rarity asked, turning to him with concern. "I… I can’t even begin to imagine how you might feel about this! I mean…"

Rarity bit her lip in worry. Of all the time they spent as friends, she knew that Spike cared about her as more than that. Even after his discovery and becoming used to the idea of her with Zecora, Rarity wasn’t sure whether or not he still had feelings for her.

Confused as to why he wanted to help her out now, Rarity tried to speak with the utmost caution.

"I know you've always had feelings for me, so… I really didn't expect you to react this way. I mean…I wasn't sure if you still felt that way… Honestly, I thought you would be absolutely elated at the idea of me being single again! I… I thought you would be happy about this…"

"Well, I'm not happy.”

"But… but why?"

"Because you're not happy."

Rarity's eyes widened, unsure of what to say to that.

"Rare," began the dragon as he began to speak in a sincere tone, "I know that I wasn't exactly happy when I first found out about all this, and… yeah. It still feels off, but…"

Spike looked down to the ground as he thought it over, trying to gather the right words.

"Honestly, I… I've been friends with you for a long time, and… and I don’t think I've ever seen you act this way for anyone else before."

"Spike," Rarity began to correct him, "I don't think what I have for Zecora is—"

"Please," Spike said in a stern tone as he put up a claw, attempting to hold back the faint look of pain in his face. "Just… just let me say this, alright?"

Spike glanced down at the floor and took a breath, knowing what he had to say in order to help his friend when she needed him.

"I… I really do care about you, Rarity. You… you're one of the most caring and generous friends I've ever known… And… I'm pretty sure that's why I've cared about you for so long…"

Spike bit his lip as he took another deep breath, his heart thumping faster from a mix of fear and worry.

"I… I still do care about you, though… You… you're not wrong. I… I know there's a part of me that would love to see you single again… because I… I still do love you…"

Rarity just stared at him in shock, never having expected him to actually say that one word out loud. Spike slowly looked back up at Rarity, his eyes slightly welling as he spoke with the purest honesty.

"I… I love you, Rarity. And… and I know that's never going to change…"

Spike then closed his eyes again and breathed in deeply, wanting to keep himself strong before he continued.

"But… if there's one thing I learned from you, it's that I shouldn’t let my own feelings get in the way of somepony else's happiness… and… Nothing makes me feel better than when I see you happy. And I've seen you happy for a lot of different reasons…"

Rarity was still stunned silent by Spike's earlier admission, but she didn’t interrupt him as he kept speaking. The drake looked back to her with an optimistic smile.

"Like… I remember how happy you were when you were chosen to make the dresses for the Royal Wedding… How proud you were of Twilight when she became a Princess… How much you laughed when Rainbow Dash accidentally tipped over the outhouse with Applejack inside..."

Rarity tried not to snicker as she turned her head away. "I… I wasn't laughing about that, Spike!"

"Well…" Even though he could tell she was lying, Spike didn't bring it up, and instead continued to make his point.

“Anyways, I… I've seen you happy for a lot of stuff, but… honestly, I don’t think I've seen you as happy about anything… as you are when you’re with her."

Rarity turned back at him with a surprised look on her face. Spike, knowing what he had to say, kept his genuine smile as he finished.

"Rarity, I… I know you said you were worried, but… I really do think Zecora has made you happier than anything else… I mean, I don’t think I've ever seen you act this happy for such a long amount of time. Like… when I've been working for you the past month, I don't think I've ever seen you smile so much, despite how much work you had. You had a lot on your plate, but… it was pretty clear that she made everything go a lot better for you."

Rarity placed a hoof over her chest, feeling like her heart was becoming warmer with his each passing word. While she began to grow a gracious smile on her muzzle, Rarity kept listening.

"I… I honestly can’t remember ever seeing you act this happy before. And when I came in to check in on you, I don’t think I've ever seen you look this sad about something before. And… it's pretty clear that Zecora is the reason for both those things, right?"

Looking down at the hoof on her chest, Rarity silently nodded. Remembering how heartbroken she was about Zecora leaving, she couldn’t deny anything that Spike was saying. She really did feel happy when she was with her, which just made her feel worse when she left. Thinking it over, Rarity's breathing began to come out heavier as she realized what she was feeling.

"Rarity, I…"

Spike exhaled slowly, making sure his voice wasn't coming out shakily as he told her the truth. "All that I really want is to see you happy. And… I really don’t want to see you give up on something like this… Not when it's obvious how much it really means to you… And not for the reasons you had…"

Rarity looked down to the floor and nodded. Now in full realization of what she was really feeling about Zecora, she knew that she couldn’t let this slip away so easily. She wasn't going to let it end like this, and she certainly wasn't going to let this pass because of the worries she used to carry with her.

When she looked back up to Spike with a gracious smile on her muzzle, Rarity was just about to say something before he put a claw on her shoulder. Keeping her silent for a moment,  he kept his caring smile as he finished his statement.

"I really do want you to be happy, Rare. I mean… after everything else that you've done… do you really want to give up on this?"

Rarity's lips trembled a little as she kept her smile and shook her head, struggling to keep herself from tearing up in front of her friend. Seeing how Spike was smiling back at her, Rarity closed her eyes and hugged him, holding him as tightly and warmly as she possibly could.

"Th… thank you, Spike," Rarity whispered as she clung to him, savoring how the dragon hugged her back. "I really mean it… Thank you so much… You… you really are the perfect gentledrake…"

"It's alright," said Spike in return as he continued hugging her. "All that matters is that you're better, because you’re my friend… And that's all I really want."

Rarity kept her embrace on the dragon for another moment before slowly pulling back to smile at him. "Spike, I…"

Thinking it over, Rarity knew what she had to do. Even though it was getting dark, she couldn’t care less; she had to talk with Zecora before it's too late. "I… really need to do something, Spike…"

"It's okay," said Spike with the purest tone of understanding as he smiled back, "I get it."

Rarity then bent in, kissing Spike sweetly on the cheek before pulling back. Looking at the blushing dragon, her smile turned slightly worried as she asked, "Are… are you sure you'll be alright about this?"

"Yeah, Rare," Spike said with a smile. "I already told you, I'm pretty mature for my age. I'll be fine, I promise."

Happy at his answer, Rarity gave him one more affectionate hug before heading off. Knowing what needed to be done, the unicorn hoped that she could make it to the Everfree Forest before nightfall.

You're one of the most caring and generous friends I've ever known.

Her movements began to slow as she reached the stairs, and she recalled all the things Spike said to her.

Nothing makes me feel better than when I see you happy.

Before she could reach the bottom of the stairs, Rarity stopped completely and stayed silent, realizing how significant her friend's words really were.

I love you, Rarity. And… and I know that's never going to change…

Blinking a couple times, Rarity looked back up the stairs, realizing how hard it must have been for him to admit all of that, especially since it was in regards to him basically letting her go. With all of his words coming together in her conscience, Rarity took a moment before making a decision, knowing what she needed to do.

Rarity headed back up the stairs, taking a deep breath as she reached her bedroom. Standing in the same spot he was before, Spike was silent as he looked around the room, probably waiting until she left before he would make his leave.

Not realizing that she was still here, Spike was slightly surprised when she heard her voice.

"Spike…"

Spike turned around to face her, looking slightly confused as he saw the warm smile on her face.

"Rare, what… what are you still doing he—"

"Spike," Rarity said as she walked up to him, "I… I just need to do something before I go, so…"

Rarity sat down in front of him, keeping her face at level with his as she kept her gracious smile. "Before I go," she said in a caring tone as she kept her eyes on his, "I want you to close your eyes."

"Huh?" Spike asked, "Why do yo—"

"Shhh…" Rarity covered his mouth with a hoof. "Just… just do this for me, alright?"

After a second, Spike reluctantly complied, nodding and closing his eyes. Keeping her hoof over his lips, Rarity slowly moved it to the side of his face before speaking sweetly.

"Spike… You really are the most caring friend I've ever had the pleasure to know… And I want you to know… that I really do love you back…"

With that, Rarity closed her eyes and slowly bent in. After all he had done to help her, she knew exactly what she needed to do to show her appreciation, which helped to take away any sign of hesitation.

Holding the dragon in her grasp, Rarity gently pressed her lips against his, making Spike's eyes shoot wide-open as he realized what was happening.

After a second of brief shock, Spike's eyes became half-lidded as he felt the mare's lips on him, making him slowly close his eyes and kiss her back.

Even though the kiss itself lasted no more than five seconds, it felt almost infinite to the dragon, who was blushing heavily by the time Rarity finally pulled back. Seeing how overwhelmed he was by her kiss, Rarity tried not to giggle while she kept her smile on him.

"There you go," said Rarity in a caring tone. "A token of my appreciation, Spike. Because you earned it."

"Uhhhh… appaaaa…."

Blushing deeply enough to almost forget that he was supposed to be purple instead of red, Spike was barely able to utter a single comprehensible word. After a couple seconds of overwhelming shock, Spike was able to muster up a crooked smile on his lips as he struggled to stand upright. "Th… thank you…"

"No problem…"

With that, Rarity stood back up on her hooves, then bent down to give the dragon another quick peck on the lips before leaving.

Before she could reach the doorway, Rarity heard a loud whump! from behind her, making her giggle when she turned around to see the blushing dragon passed out on her floor.

Knowing that he would be fine, Rarity went back to the hallway to make her leave, feeling much better that she did something like that for a friend who deserved it the most.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Zecora struggled to lay comfortably in her bed, despite how lush the mattress and blankets were. Of course, considering who it was who gave her this bedding, it wouldn’t be difficult so consider why she felt so downtrodden about laying in it in the first place.

The tears had stopped flowing from her eyes some time ago, but that didn’t mean she wasn't still overcome with tremendous grief about everything that happened. And as she pushed her head in against the soft pillows, their faint lavender scent only made Zecora's pain even worse; she couldn't stop thinking about Rarity.

Clenching her eyes shut, the zebra tried to bury her face in the pillows and shut out everything around her. Nonetheless, her heart still ached deeply from all that happened earlier that day. With every venomous word and reply replaying in her head, Zecora was barely able to think of anything else in her state, let alone notice anything happening outside.

Ponyville was currently going under a strong downpour under Luna's night, but the Everfree Forest laid within its own weather, and was surprisingly dry tonight.

Within the looming darkness, the glowing eyes began to move in closer around Zecora's hut. Slowly, the shadows emerged from the trees, revealing the Timberwolves, who returned to strike. Stepping past the charred remains of the ones Rarity destroyed earlier, none of them felt any hesitation or caution, feeling only the coldest malice towards the one inside.

Knowing that she wouldn’t be able to just sleep her troubles away, Zecora lumbered off her bed, hoping to find a different form of distraction in her kitchen. As she made her way through her hut, it wasn't until she reached her fridge that she noticed the eerie glow outside her windows.

Before she could turn to see what was outside, the front door crashed open, revealing a large Timberwolf standing at the entranceway with a murderous stare in its glowing green eyes.

Zecora tried to run to her staff by the wall, but the Timberwolf quickly lunged, keeping itself in front of it before she could grab it. Half a dozen more Timberwolves entered her home, surrounding the zebra who stood defenseless.

While this wasn't the first time she dealt with a pack of Timberwolves before, the zebra never saw them look this brooding or bloodthirsty before. Seeing the intense look of anger and wickedness in their glowing orbs, Zecora could tell they weren't in attack mode for their territory or food like usual.

They were out for blood, and had Zecora right where they wanted her.

Zecora tried to step back, but one quick glance around her hut proved that she was cornered. Trapped without a single weapon or viable escape, the zebra started to breathe heavier, realizing that she was starting to feel legitimate fear for the first time in a very long time.

Even after all the time she had spent in these woods, and all the years she had lived in seclusion, this was one of the first moments that Zecora actually felt helpless.

And, after everything else that happened today, Zecora never felt so alone.

The main Timberwolf stepped forward, keeping its murderous stare on the zebra as she began to shake in her hooves. Zecora tried to keep her distance, but felt the purest form of fear envelop her as her backside touched the wall. She was trapped.

Snarling its jagged teeth, which were made from the toughest preserved bark against its wooden body, the Timberwolf narrowed its eyes on its prey, anxious to finally receive revenge for the fallen brethren outside.

With the other Timberwolves walking up closer as well, Zecora knew there wasn't any way out of this. With nothing but fear and regret flowing through her mind, the zebra slowly closed her eyes, only hoping that her end would be painless.

Suddenly, a bright flash of white light enveloped the room. A blast of magic shot across the room and hit the main Timberwolf directly.

In one strike, the beast was immediately vanquished, leaving the other Timberwolves stunned in surprise as they searched for the source.

Standing at the doorway of Zecora's hut, Rarity was panting loudly from near exhaustion as she kept her horn lit. Not seeming to notice how matted her fur or mane were from the rainfall, the muddied unicorn stared down her foes with bloodthirsty fury.

"GET AWAY FROM HER, YOU BRUTES!" shouted the mare, not giving them a chance to react before she unleashed her magic against them.

The moment Rarity yelled out, Zecora reopened her eyes in surprise, just in time to see every single Timberwolf get struck down and cremated by her.

After using the last of her magic to close the door behind her, Rarity slumped down on the floor of Zecora's hut, feeling like she was going to pass out after all her running and magic. Zecora quickly ran up to the mare, hoping that she wasn't seriously hurt.

"Rarity!" Zecora exclaimed, not expecting to ever see her again after their fight. "Are you alr—"

Rarity gathered enough strength to wrap her hooves around her and give a deep kiss to the zebra's muzzle. Slowly, Zecora's eyes began to close in pleasant surprise as she felt the unicorn's lips on her own, not wanting this moment to end anytime soon. The zebra wrapped her hooves around Rarity, holding her tightly as she kissed back.

After a long moment of deep embrace, Rarity finally pulled her head back and looked into Zecora's eyes with desperate longing and guilt. "Zecora, I… I'm so sorry! I should've never acted so worried abo—MMPH!"

Zecora didn’t pay much heed to the mare's apology, kissing her once more. Wanting to keep her like this as long as she could, she held onto her tightly when she finally broke her kiss and said between pants,  "Rarity, I'm sorry too… I never meant to hurt you."

"Don't apologize," Rarity said faintly, making sure to keep kissing her muzzle while she spoke. "I was wrong… I… I shouldn’t have ignored what you had to say… I don't want to keep hiding this… Not if it's hurting you."

"I was the one who acted badly!" Zecora insisted. "I just wa—"

"I know!" Rarity held the zebra in a tight hug, closing her eyes. "I know you were sick of hiding, and I get it now! I shouldn’t be worrying about my future, or my career. I shouldn't have acted like you would make me lose my dreams. I… I realized…"

Rarity then pulled back, staring into Zecora's welling eyes as she spoke with a smile on her muzzle.

"I already reached the dreams I had… And, now, I have you to reach the dreams I still want."

Zecora didn’t need to say anything to show her gratitude, just reciprocating the feeling with an even tighter hug. "Oh, Rarity! You don't know how happy you made me!"

Remembering all that was said earlier, Zecora started to feel guilty again as she closed her eyes. Knowing what had to be said, she slowly pulled back and stared into the unicorn's eyes. "And… I wish I could take back what I said… I'm sorry."

"Oh, Zecora! I'm sorry, too!"  Overcome by what she recalled saying to Zecora, Rarity clung to her as she tried not to tear up. "I'm so sorry! I should've never said any of that to you! You're not a brat, I swear! I was just mad at you, but… I feel awful!"

Hearing the sincerity in her sobbing voice, Zecora held her close to her chest, knowing that she wasn't being dishonest at all. Rarity sniffed a little before pulling her head up, managing to keep herself steady as she looked at her.

"Zecora, you… You're one of the greatest things to ever happen to me… You've made me happier than anything else in my life… I… I don't want to lose you…"

With tears beginning to appear in her eyes, Zecora could only smile back at her, knowing that she felt the exact same way. Even after all that happened, she knew that Rarity was too important to her to give up now.

They may have been hurt, but nothing could've been lost forever—not after every tender moment they shared, or every minute they became closer. They may have just been friends, or even just acquaintances when this all started; but now, within the zebra's hut and in each other's hooves, neither one could deny how much closer they really were.

And now, as she looked at the sopping-wet mare, Zecora could tell exactly how she felt. Looking at Rarity, the dainty unicorn who ran through a thunderstorm and the Everfree Forest at night just to reach her, Zecora knew just how important she really was to her.

So, with a warm smile on her muzzle, Zecora put a hoof up to the mare's face, keeping it against her cheek while Rarity held it beside her.

"Zecora…"

Staring into Zecora’s deep azul eyes, Rarity knew exactly what she needed to say. After all they experienced, she knew she could never feel this way about anyone else, and that she never wanted to let this go.

Breathing in, Rarity wrapped her hooves around the back of Zecora's neck, and gave a caring smile as she moved her head in closer. "I… I…"

Before she could utter the words she knew she wanted to say, Rarity kissed her lips once more, letting her taste fill her senses and remind her of what she really wanted. She couldn’t care less about her snooty clients, or her immovable reputation right now. All that she wanted now, what she wanted from now on, was right in front of her, staring back her with pure intensity and desire. 

The moment she released her lips from Zecora’s, Rarity took a deep breath, feeling no hesitation or second thoughts as she opened her muzzle.

"I… I love you…"

Zecora's eyes widened, looking straight at Rarity, who was giving her a look of complete honesty.

"You… really do?"

Rarity's smile grew a little bigger as she only needed to nod. Feeling the warmth blooming in her chest, Rarity knew that she really felt that way now.

It might not have been a dashing Prince or traveling writer, but Rarity didn’t care. She was in love.

And that feeling only grew stronger as she saw Zecora's smile widen as well.

Holding her close, Zecora only said one last thing as she bent in closer.

"I love you, too…"

With that, the two closed their eyes and joined their lips in tight embrace.

Holding each other tightly within the darkness of the Everfree Forest, both of them knew that this moment couldn't have felt more perfect. With their hearts beating in synchronicity, and their lips united in warm embrace, Rarity and Zecora knew that their bond could never be broken. Even after all their words and fears, all that mattered now was each other, leaving them to savor this unbreakable moment for what it truly was:

Love.
> Finale: Back to the Start
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

With a smile on her muzzle, Twilight Sparkle kept a casual pace as she trotted over to Rarity's home. Along the way, she made sure to wave to anypony who walked past, happy to see them give a courteous wave back instead of some groveling bow.

Though she was a Princess, Twilight's status didn't seem to seriously affect how the citizens of Ponyville viewed her (except for a lot of the star-struck schoolfillies). She may be a national hero, a member of Royalty, and one of the most powerful spellcasters in all of Equestria, but she was still seen as the humble librarian that everypony had grown to know and love. And, quite frankly, Twilight couldn't have been happier about that.

After having a lovely chat with Roseluck at her stand, Twilight finally reached Carousel Boutique just as Zecora began to exit.

"Oh, hello Zecora," said Twilight with a warm smile as she walked up to her. "Another delivery for Rarity?"

The zebra looked over at Twilight with a smile of her own, looking particularly happy this morning. "Why yes, Princess. There was something I needed to do."

While she hoped it didn't show, Zecora knew that she had a light blush on her cheeks. It had only been a few days since that eventful night between her and Rarity, but she couldn't have felt happier.

Despite the madness from their fight beforehoof, Zecora couldn’t deny that, in the end, they couldn't have gotten closer as a couple. After both of them said those three perfect words to each other, they spent the next couple days to themselves, mending any wounds between them and actually talking to one another like a couple.

Zecora was especially elated as she left Rarity's Boutique. If everything went like her marefriend promised, than this would be the last time she would ever have to leave under false pretenses again.

For now, however, in order to keep Twilight from becoming suspicious about her chipper mood, Zecora held up a white paper bag in her hoof, which made the alicorn even happier as she caught the familiar scent inside.

"And her cinnamon rolls were a good incentive, too."

Twilight beamed at hearing that, seeming especially excited in anticipation of what would be served at their brunch. "Oh, great! Thanks for informing me, Zecora!"

"Not a problem, Princess," Zecora said, stepping aside from the doorway, "but I should not digress. I have many more errands today, so I must be going on my way."

"Oh, alright," Twilight said with an understanding nod. "Then I won't try to hold you back. Have a great day!"

"Thank you. Hopefully it will be."

With that, Zecora began to take her leave, but stopped before Twilight could head inside. Looking back to her, she gave Twilight a kind smile before finishing her rhyme. "Have a nice brunch with Rarity."

"I'm sure I will," Twilight said with a smile as Zecora headed off.

With the alluring promise of cinnamon rolls lingering in her mind, Twilight smelled the pleasing scent as soon as she entered the shop. Happily trotting through the Boutique, the aroma of cinnamon, pastry, and frosting was enough to make her start to salivate before she could even reach the kitchen.

"Hello, Rarity," Twilight said cheerfully as she joined her friend in the kitchen. "Cinnamon rolls again?"

Looking over at her friend, Rarity gave a light giggle before lifting up two prepared plates with her magic. "Why, of course! I'm guessing you already caught that the moment you walked in, didn’t you?"

Twilight shrugged before taking one of the plates with her own aura. "I suppose so. Plus, I happened to catch that you made a few for Zecora again."

Before Twilight could give her a coy grin, Rarity put up a hoof. "Just so you know, I talked with Zecora about everything some time ago, and there are no hard feelings from either side. I did NOT make these out of guilt. I was simply in the mood for cinnamon rolls this morning."

Noticing Rarity’s insistent stare, Twilight could tell that there was no sign of insincerity in her tone, and didn’t say a word about it. Even though Rarity did feel a slight tinge of guilt—mostly due to her heated argument with Zecora a few days ago—that really wasn't the reason for her pastries. She simply had a craving for them, and knew Zecora wouldn’t object to having a couple for the day.

Soon, the two had their usual brunch, chatting happily while they ate. Since Twilight wasn't aware of the hickey incident that occurred (something Rarity would've expected Rainbow Dash to bring up), no uncomfortable discussion interrupted their pleasantries.

When their rolls were almost finished, Twilight wiped her muzzle clean with a napkin before looking at Rarity somewhat quizzically. "Say, Rarity, would you mind if I asked you something?"

"Umm… sure." Rarity put down her cup of tea before looking back at her friend. "What is it?"

"Well…" Twilight bit her lip and looked away, waiting to think of the right words before looking back at her. "A couple days ago, Spike went by your place before that storm to get his backpack, and…"

Twilight’s expression skewed a slight bit, confusing Rarity a bit as she finished, "Did… did anything happen while he was here?"

Rarity's eyebrows rose in surprise. She began to blush in fear that Twilight discovered what had happened. "I… I don’t think so… Why do you ask?"

Twilight sighed before looking down at her plate. "Well, when he came back later that night, I think he may have caught something. I thought at first that maybe it was because of the rain, since it was coming down by the time he returned, but he really wasn't that wet. But he still had a really, and I mean really high fever!"

Rarity bit her lip and turned away, hiding her face from Twilight. "R-really?"

"Yeah," Twilight continued, "he was burning up when he came back to the library, and his face was redder than I've ever seen it! He was also incredibly dizzy when he headed straight to his bed. I tried to ask if he was alright, but he assured me he was fine. "

Hearing the description of the drake's symptoms, Rarity tried not to smile under her blush in front of Twilight. While Twilight might have been worried, Rarity knew that it was just the end result of a love-stricken dragon receiving his crush’s kiss.

In an attempt to alleviate Twilight’s worries (and also to keep her from going ballistic if she knew Rarity actually kissed him like that), Rarity kept herself from smiling too widely as she turned back to her.

"Well, I can't say that anything happened while he was at my place to cause that. We just had a friendly chat before he left. I'm sure that it's nothing to get too fretful about, darling."

While Rarity sipped at her tea, Twilight sighed and looked down at her hooves. "I certainly hope so. The poor guy went through three whole boxes of tissues that night!"

Rarity violently spat out her tea, which would've soaked her friend if she hadn’t put up a force-field spell out of reflex. Dropping her cup, the unicorn coughed a few times before blurting,  "WH-WHAT?!"

"I know!" Twilight replied in an equally surprised tone as she put her shield back down, "I was surprised too! I didn’t even know a nosebleed could get that bad!"

Rarity blinked a couple times, frozen in her seat. After a second, she loudly sighed in relief, relaxed, and closed her eyes. "Ohhhh! Thank goodness! Er—I mean…'"

Catching the confused look Twilight was giving her, Rarity changed her tone to something more sympathetic. "I mean... poor Spikey Wikey. I… I hope he's feeling better."

Rarity avoided eye contact with Twilight and pursed her lips together, hoping her embarrassment wasn’t as obvious as it felt.

Despite feeling a little confused, Twilight just sighed before shrugging her friend's reaction aside. "Oh, he's alright now. I was just curious since he came to visit you, that's all."

"Well, I'm sure it's nothing."

After breathing out calmly to settle herself, Rarity looked back at her friend with a more unsure feeling in her gut. Knowing what she had promised Zecora, her heart began to beat a little faster, secretly dreading actually going through with this. Even though she knew it was for the best for everypony, Rarity still felt more than a tad nervous. Her voice came out a little shakily as she spoke.

"Ummm… Twilight?"

"Hmm?" Twilight chewed the last of her cinnamon roll before answering, "Yes?"

"I…" Taking a deep breath, Rarity knew what she needed to do.

"Twilight, I was wondering… Do you know if anything important is happening tonight? Because… There's something I want to talk with you and the girls about."

"Really?" Twilight inquired, "What is it?"

"I…" Biting her lips shut, Rarity stammered a little before replying, "I, well… I think that… Maybe it would be best if I told all of you at once…"

Twilight started to grow a bit fretful herself. "Is it something bad? Because you know that whatever it is—"

"No." Rarity put up a hoof. "It’s nothing like that, I swear. I… I just needed to talk with you and the others… Preferably tonight, if that's possible."

Rarity looked down to her hooves and rubbed them together, feeling guilty for asking something like that out of the blue.

Only a moment later, Rarity was surprised to feel a hoof gently touch her own. She glanced up to see her friend looking at her with an understanding smile on her muzzle.

"That would be perfectly fine, Rarity. If this is important, then I'll be sure to tell the girls to meet up tonight."

Rarity gave her a grateful smile. "Th… thank you."

"No problem," Twilight said, moving back into her seat. "And I don't know of anything that could prevent any of the girls from showing up, so I think we'll be fine. Would the library be alright to speak?"

"Umm… yes," Rarity said, nodding. "The library would be an excellent place. Would eight be a good time?"

Twilight nodded back and smiled. "Eight sounds fine."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

After their brunch, Twilight was careful not to pry about what Rarity wanted to tell them tonight. If it was something important to her friend, then she wasn't going to press any more than necessary.

After helping clean up and put away the dishes, Twilight left to find her other friends, hoping to learn their schedules for the day while patiently waiting for eight o'clock and Rarity's announcement.

Sighing in relief, Rarity smiled to herself after Twilight left, glad that things were going well so far. Although she didn’t want to ruin her figure, she figured that another cinnamon roll wouldn't hurt her. Knowing she still had a couple left, Rarity happily trotted over to the kitchen.

As soon as she reached the kitchen, the unicorn shrieked when she saw Rainbow Dash standing by the counter.

"Hey, Rare!" Dash greeted with a smirk, though her voice came out slightly muffled due to a large amount of frosted pastry stuffed in her muzzle.

"R-Rainbow?! How long have you been here?!"

Rainbow shrugged before taking another bite. "Like, ten minutes." After swallowing, she gave her an impressed smile and pointed at her half-eaten pastry. "These are really good, by the way!" She then popped the rest into her mouth before licking her hooves clean.

"Ten minutes?! Where were you?!"

"Outside your window," Dash said casually, pointing to the kitchen window.

Realizing that she had left it wide-open, Rarity groaned and face-hoofed, knowing that Dash must have heard what she just said to Twilight.

"Oh, and before you ask, I don't have any plans tonight either, so you won't have to worry about me not being there when you admit your secret relationship."

Rarity just sighed and rubbed her temple. "Well, thank you for telling me that bu—WHAT?!"

Rarity stared back at her friend, wide-eyed. Dash still held her disinterested gaze.

Nevertheless, a small smirk grew on the Pegasus's muzzle as she saw how flustered her friend was getting. "Oh, come on! Whaddya think I was gonna say?"

"I…Bu…I di…" Rarity tried to reply, but was barely able to muster out anything other than a couple inaudible stammers.

"Rare," Dash began in a more direct tone, "I've figured out there was someone for a while, so don't try to tell me your big announcement is anything different."

"I… I…"

Trying to keep herself from lashing out at her friend, Rarity closed her eyes and took a deep breath, waiting until she exhaled slowly before reopening her eyes. "Rainbow Dash, I really don't want to deal with this sort of thing right now, and I would appreciate it if you didn’t try to make assumptions about my personal life."

Fed-up with the unicorn's attitude, Rainbow groaned and rubbed her closed eyes with a hoof. "Listen, Rare, I… I kinda…"

Pursing her lips shut, Rainbow looked back at her with a slightly guilty look on her face. Fearing how Rarity would react, she put caution to the wind as she exhaled, hoping her friend wouldn't get too upset before opening her muzzle.

"The other day, after that whole… hickey thing…"

Rarity groaned painfully and closed her eyes. Dash continued speaking in a more ashamed tone.

"I… I kinda came by to see how you were doing, and…"

Rarity opened her eyes at hearing that, staring intently at her friend.

"I… I sorta saw your argument."

An audible gasp escaped Rarity before she covered her muzzle with a hoof. Shocked that she hadn’t been alone during that regretful fight, Rarity was absolutely horrified that Dash saw her act that way, let alone in a position where there was no way to deny what was going on.

"You… you WHAT?!"

"I didn’t mean to!" Rainbow Dash assured as she threw up her forehooves. "I just saw you from the window, and I didn’t hear anything you two said, I swear! But…"

Rainbow Dash lowered her head before sighing in shame. "Yeah, I… I know who you're with…"

Clenching her eyes shut, Rarity just groaned and looked away, not wanting to face her friend like this.

"But Rare," Dash began insistently as she looked back up, "I just want to say, I get why you've been keeping this a secret, alright? I mean… this IS really weird, even for me! But…but I get it, and… I'm sorry for how I've been acting."

Quickly opening her eyes in surprise, Rarity looked back at her friend and blinked a couple times. "W-what?"

"I… I'm sorry, okay?"

With an honest tone usually reserved for Applejack, Dash locked eyes with Rarity as she continued, "I… I know I shouldn’t have been so intrusive on your life. I just… I just wanted to know who you were with. I… wanted to make sure you weren't with some scumbag or anything."

Rarity huffed, slightly insulted. "Oh, and what's that supposed to mean? You don’t trust my judgment?"

"I didn’t say that," Dash said sternly. "I just wanted to know, since I figured that there had to be a reason you were so secretive about it."

Thinking it over, Dash shrugged her shoulders in new understanding. "And you know what? It totally makes sense now."

Even though she didn’t want to admit to anything, the fact that her friend witnessed her fight was good enough proof that the cat was out of the bag.

Rarity looked down to the floor between her and Rainbow Dash as she said feebly, "I… I'm sorry I didn’t tell you… I really hated lying to you and the others…"

"It’s alright," Dash assured in an understanding tone. "I'm not mad at you or anything. I swear."

After a second of silence, Rainbow chuckled a little under her breath before adding, "And... technically speaking, I guess you weren't really lying, were you? I mean, you always said you weren't with anypony, and… that was kinda true, since it really wasn't a pony, huh?"

Slumping her shoulders, Rarity looked back at her in defeat. Despite Rainbow Dash’s efforts to make her feel better, she still felt bad for hiding this so long.

"And, Rarity," Dash continued, laying a hoof on Rarity's shoulder as she gave her a sincere smile, "I'm not judging you one bit about who you're with. I mean… it's really weird, but whatever. As long as you're happy, I won't mess with you about it. You're still my friend, alright?"

Rarity gave a large smile in response before hugging her tightly. "Oh, Rainbow Dash!" The unicorn struggled not to cry in relief as she held onto her friend. "I'm really glad you told me that!"

With a warm smile on her face, Rainbow hugged her back before replying, "It’s alright. I get it."

After a moment, the two let go of each other and stood back on their own hooves. While Rarity used a hoof to wipe any stray tears from her face, Rainbow kept a more chipper grin as she added, "In fact, I was kinda hoping you two would get together!"

"Wait, what?" Rarity looked at her with a skewed eyebrow.

"I mean, I'm not saying I expected it, but I'm glad you went through with it! I was thinking it would take a while for you to do anything, you know, because of the whole age difference thing, but I really think you and Spike make a cute co—"

"WHOAH!" Rarity threw her hooves up in immediate protest to halt her friend's misguided praise. "NOOOO! No, no, no, no, no, no, no, NO, Rainbow! You have it all wrong! Spike and I are NOT together!"

Rainbow scoffed a little, surprised that Rarity was still denying this. "Oh, come on! Seriously?! I saw you two arguing! Heck, I saw you two KISS, for crying out loud!"

"Oooohhh…"

Realizing which argument Dash had really witnessed, Rarity groaned and rubbed her eyes shut. While she could see where Dash got that idea, she was still painfully shocked that her friend actually thought that was what had been going on. "Dash, I… I am really… REALLY… not with Spike, alright?"

Dash blew a skeptical raspberry before replying in a snide, sarcastic tone, "Oh, right, Rare. You just kiss baby dragons on the lips all the time, huh?"

Now becoming legitimately angry, Rarity walked right up to the Pegasus, looking her dead in the eyes as she said in a very firm tone, "Rainbow Dash, I am not lying one bit. Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye, I am not in a relationship with Spike."

Rarity stared into Dash’s narrowed eyes, refusing to blink as she stood defiantly in front of her. 

Slowly, Rainbow Dash's expression began to soften as she saw how serious the unicorn was acting about this. After almost a minute of silence, Rainbow backed away from her friend, realizing that she was, in fact, not lying.

"Oh… um… Alright… I believe you…"

Happy to hear that, Rarity finally closed her eyes before sighing in relief. "Good."

Before Rarity could say anything more, Rainbow grew an even more confused look on her face, realizing something was amiss. "Wait a minute! If it's not Spike, then who?! And why the buck did you kiss him?!"

"Dash…" Exasperated, Rarity pointed a hoof at her and said sternly, "I'm really at my nerve's end right now, so I highly suggest that you wait until tonight, alright?! I will tell you and the others then!"

Though she was sick of waiting, the glare Rarity was giving her was enough to indicate that she shouldn’t push this.

Not wanting to say or do anything to warrant getting a pan thrown at her, or being forcefully clothed in a frilly dress, Dash just sighed before walking away. "Ugh, fine! I'll wait until tonight!"

Before she could make her exit, Rainbow Dash looked back at Rarity from the doorway. "Eight, right? At the library?"

Glad to see she was going along with this, Rarity smiled faintly and nodded. "That is correct."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The skies above Ponyville began to darken, as Celestia's sun started to make its descent into the horizon in the west. The blue skies were starting to shift into the familiar warm shade of orange and pink, signifying the return of Luna's glorious night.

Despite the beauty of the upcoming dusk, Rarity was focused on something else. While Zecora walked side-by-side with her, the unicorn had a faint smile on her muzzle as she briefly explained tonight's plans.

"… And I just received the confirmation from Twilight that they'll all be able to make it. So, hopefully, this evening will move along smoothly."

Or at least, as smooth as I could expect, Rarity thought worriedly.

Zecora, seeming especially pleased about Rarity's news, carried a smile of her own. "I'm sure that they'll be happy for us, and I doubt that they will cause much fuss."

"I hope so," Rarity said with a worried sigh. "I want to stay optimistic, especially after what Rainbow Dash said earlier today, but this is still a big thing for me to admit to them."

Zecora struggled not to giggle under her breath. "Well, if your friend was alright about you with Spike, then I'm sure this is something she will also like."

"Mmmm… Maybe…"

Though she felt that Zecora's assurances were more than just wishful thinking, Rarity was still worried about how her friends would react overall. The other Elements of Harmony might be her best friends, but there was a chance that things could go awry regardless.

Before she could let her worries envelop her any more than they already had, the sight of several Pegasus ponies in the clouds nearby shook Rarity from her thoughts. Thinking back to when she and Zecora first got together, she knew that she had to do something else before her big announcement tonight. 

Rarity glanced over at Zecora and said in an insistent tone, "Zecora, I think I need to talk with somepony else before heading to the library. Could you wait here for a moment?"

Noting the tone of her marefriend's voice, Zecora knew that this was probably important. With an understanding smile, the zebra nodded before watching Rarity walk off. And as soon as she saw who the mare was heading towards, Zecora's brow rose in surprise and happy realization.

"Ohhhhh… Sooooo…"

True to her word, Zecora stayed out of sight and stood nearby one of the shops, watching as Rarity called down the Pegasus stallion she dated a couple months ago.

After the two exchanged some friendly chatter out of the zebra's earshot, Rarity led Thunderlane to an empty table outside a restaurant to talk. Although she wouldn’t be able to hear them from here, Zecora didn’t need to read lips to know what Rarity was going to tell him.

A few more minutes of happy chatter and smiling faces passed. Then, Zecora watched as her marefriend began to seem more nervous as she spoke.

At first, Thunderlane seemed to look skeptical, keeping a slight smirk on his muzzle, like he was being told some weird joke. However, as Rarity continued speaking, Thunderlane's grin slowly began to fade, and his face began to grow to a shade of confusion.

Eventually, all that Zecora could see was Thunderlane staring at Rarity, his jaw slightly agape and his eyebrows raised in obvious surprise.

Meanwhile, Rarity bit her lip as she finished, both nervous and relieved that she finally admitted everything she had to say to him. After the night the two of them shared, she knew that he deserved to know the truth before anypony else.

However, Rarity began to grow worried as she saw how perplexed the stallion looked in the silence. Unable to close his mouth completely, Thunderlane just stared at the mare for a while, blinking repeatedly while he tried to determine whether or not she was just pulling his leg.

"You… wha?"

Rarity winced a little and looked away from him, hoping that this wouldn't lead to a reaction too negative or over the top. Thunderlane just stayed in his seat in near silence, taking another moment before clarifying.

"So… Zecora?"

Biting her lip, Rarity slowly nodded before looking back at him. "Y-yes."

Thunderlane looked down at his hooves on the table, blinking a couple more times to process what he had heard. "Uhhh… Wow…"

"Yeah..." Rarity sighed before looking down at the table as well. "I… I started seeing her after our date…"

Unsure of what he could say, Thunderlane used a foreleg to prop his head upright as he leaned forward. "Well… I certainly can’t say I was expecting that to happen."

"Neither did I…" Thinking it over, Rarity chuckled under her breath as she smiled to herself nervously. "Honestly, I don't think anypony is more surprised about this whole thing than I am."

After giving a weak laugh in an attempt to lighten the mood, Rarity looked back up to Thunderlane and bit her lip. "I… I seriously never thought that this would happen."

"Yeah, I…" Thunderlane put his hoof back down before speaking in a more bewildered tone of voice. "I can kinda believe that."

Thunderlane laughed nervously, then thought it over before looking back up at Rarity. "So… Nothing happened… before we went out?"

Rarity opened her muzzle, but paused as she thought it over. Though she didn’t want to say that anything had happened before her date with Thunderlane, she knew that wouldn’t exactly be true. Even if she didn’t count that drunken kiss she shared with Zecora, Rarity knew that there was still something about the zebra that intrigued her around that same time.

Knowing she couldn't lie, Rarity sighed and admitted, "I… I think… there may have…"

Before Thunderlane could slump in disappointment, Rarity quickly added, "But! I really didn't think anything was amiss when I went out with you. I mean… it may have been… subconscious or something…"

The unicorn cringed internally before shaking that feeling aside. "But I really didn't want any of that to affect me when I went out with you. I mean… It wasn't like I went out with you to try lying to myself or anything!"

Hearing the honesty in her tone, Thunderlane slowly nodded before looking back down. "Umm… sure…"

Rarity laid a hoof over his, not wanting to see him this downtrodden over something that wasn't his fault. "Thunderlane, I want you to know—and I mean this with every fiber of my being—that I had an amazing time with you that night."

Thunderlane looked back up at the mare, seeing that she was looking at him with the utmost sincerity.

"I can honestly say that you were an amazing date, Thunderlane. You're kind, courteous, funny, interesting to talk to…" A smile spreading across her muzzle, Rarity moved her hoof up so it was touching his cheek. "… And you were the perfect example of a gentlecolt."

The stallion began to smile as a heavy blush grew against his dark coat. Happy to see him starting to feel better, Rarity kept her smile as she added, "And, quite honestly, I wish there were more stallions like you."

Grateful to hear those words, Thunderlane brought up a hoof to touch hers on his cheek, holding it there as he smiled back at her. "Th… thanks, Rarity."

"No problem." Rarity then released her hoof and sat back down in her seat. "And I really didn’t start anything with Zecora until after our date, alright?"

Like, less than an hour after that date, Rarity thought to herself in shame. However, she didn’t let that show when she saw him nod in understanding.

"So…” Thunderlane tapped the table with his hoof a couple of times before he asked, "Was it because of my mane?"

"Huh?"

"My mane. You know, my mohawk? Was… was that why you went out with me? Because I'm like, the only other pony who has one aside from her."

Rarity scoffed and smiled. "Oh, come now, Thunderlane! Do you really think…”

Looking up at the stallion's mohawk, Rarity blinked a couple times in realization, now seeing that his mane really did look a lot like Zecora's. However, she shook her head before looking back at him and assuring, "No, I didn’t go out with you because of your mane! Seriously, that's just a… a slight coincidence, that's all."

"Uh-huh…" From the sly smirk on his muzzle, it was apparent that Thunderlane wasn't buying it; nevertheless, that didn't keep him from looking disappointed or even upset about this new information regarding his former date.

"I'm being serious," Rarity insisted. "You were a great date, and Zecora didn't have any effect on that. It really isn't you, Thunderlane. It's me."

Rarity's eyebrows rose as she realized what she had just said. "Wow, that was a rather clichéd statement, wasn't it?"

Both Thunderlane and Rarity laughed a little from that, the two looking a little more at ease after everything that was said.

After a moment, the stallion looked at Rarity with a more gracious smile. "Just so you know, you don't have to apologize. I mean, I have a couple gay friends, and I know something like that wasn't really a choice. You were just finding what made you happy, and I could never be upset about that. Promise."

Rarity smiled gratefully at him. "Well, thank you."

"In fact," Thunderlane continued, trying not to chuckle out loud, "thinking it over, I… I should probably be thanking you for cutting me loose."

"Thanking me? Whatever for?"

Thunderlane started to blush as his smile became more bashful. "Well… After you said you didn’t feel like going on another date, I… I was kinda sad about it…"

"Oh, Thunderlane," Rarity said, frowning, "I'm sorr—"

"Don’t be!" the stallion exclaimed with a more notable smile on his muzzle. "Seriously, after I talked with some of my coworkers about it, they took me out for some drinks to cheer me up, and…"

With his blush growing even deeper, Thunderlane looked down at his hooves, fidgeting as he declared with nervous glee, "I… I'm not single anymore…"

Rarity immediately beamed at hearing that. "Really? Well, good for you!" She gave the stallion a light slap on the shoulder to show her support, especially when she saw how happy he seemed about it. "I mean it, Thunderlane. I'm really happy that you found somepony. So… who is it?"

While Rarity waited for his answer, Thunderlane looked back at her with a cheeky smile. Even though he didn’t say anything, his eyes darted up above them. She followed his gaze curiously.

On one of the clouds above Ponyville, two identical mares with light purple coats and light blue manes were sitting side-by-side as they watched the sunset.

Rarity's eyes widened in peasant surprise before looking back at Thunderlane with a smile. "Really? You’re with one of them?"

Biting his lip, Thunderlane turned away slightly as his blush grew deeper. "Well… kinda…"

"Well, congratulations!" Rarity said with a sincere smile. "I'm really glad that you're with somepony special."

Taking another glance up at the cloud, Rarity saw the two smile and wave down at Thunderlane, who enthusiastically waved back at them with a cheeky grin.

Growing a curious smirk on her muzzle, Rarity turned back to him. "So, if you don’t mind me asking, which one of the twins are you with? Is it Flitter or Cloud Chaser?"

Even with his unmoving smile, Thunderlane appeared more nervous as he looked away from her. "Ummm…well…"

"Oh, come on," Rarity insisted as she leaned in towards him, "I'm curious! Which one is it?"

After a moment of nervous silence, the stallion glanced back at her, his face now a really deep shade of crimson. Taking a deep breath, Thunderlane exhaled slowly before he spoke in a faint tone of voice.

"Ummm… Say, Rarity… Have you ever hear of this thing, called… Polyamory?"

Although she kept smiling, Rarity's eyes widened a little. "Huh?"

"Ummm… yeah…" Rubbing the back of his neck, Thunderlane looked away sheepishly as he continued with a goofy grin, "I'm… I'm with both of them…"

Rarity's jaw slowly began to fall agape, much like Thunderlane’s had when she told him about Zecora.

As her smile fell, her eyebrows began to raise when she saw he wasn't joking. "... HUH?"

With a cheerful smile on his muzzle, Thunderlane became more giddy as he continued, "Yeah, like… The two took me out to dinner, and… They were telling me about how close they were, and… They started talking about how much they like to share…"

Unable to hold it in, the stallion began to giggle to himself like a little schoolcolt, sounding like a colt who was gushing over an awesome toy he received for his birthday. All the while, Rarity began to grow more and more shocked with each passing word from the stallion.

"And it's so… so… SO awesome! I mean, it's like Hearth's Warming Morning every day! They're so sweet, and fun to talk to, and… well…"

Thunderlane sunk his head into his hooves as he began to giggle again, obviously a bit embarrassed to talk about much more. "It's just… It's a friggin' dream come true!"

Rarity could only sit there, wide-eyed, her jaw now fully dropped as she saw how her former date was acting. Before she could ask whether or not this was just some elaborate ruse, Thunderlane looked back up at the two in their cloud and waved at them again. "Hey girls!"

Rarity peered up at the cloud again, seeing that the two were waving back at him. The twin mares now had much, MUCH more sultry expressions on their muzzles as they smiled down at the stallion, both of them very obviously looking at him with lustful intent.

Utterly stunned at seeing something like that, Rarity looked back at Thunderlane, blinking a couple times before finally making a reply. "Sweet Mother of Celestia, you're not joking."

"Hehehe… I know!" Thunderlane exclaimed with overwhelming joy, looking like he was going to jump out of his chair. "It's like, the greatest thing to ever happen to me! And…"

Closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, Thunderlane settled back down in his chair before looking at Rarity with the most grateful smile.

"Thank you, Rarity." Thunderlane held her hooves in pure gratitude. "Thank you, so… SO much!"

"Ummmm…" Unsure of how to respond to this change of events, Rarity blinked at him a couple times before reopening her muzzle. "You're… you're welcome?"

Realizing how overly excited he was getting, Thunderlane quickly let go of her hooves before looking away sheepishly. "I mean, I know this might be a little surprising to find out—"

"MIGHT be?!”

Rarity just stared at him while she tried to process what he had just told her. "A LITTLE surprising?! Thunderlane, are you aware how utterly shocking that sort of thing is?!"

Rarity expected him to catch on to her reaction and possibly apologize for his behavior. Instead, Thunderlane gave a sly smirk to her and raised a brow.

"What? Being in an alternative relationship? Because that's kinda hypocritical, coming from a mare who turned lesbian for a zebra."

Rarity gasped. "How DARE yo—"

Before she could finish, Rarity stopped herself. Blinking a couple times in recollection, she let Thunderlane's comment sink in, realizing that he had a point.

As the stallion kept his smirk on her, Rarity took a moment before sighing in defeat. She slumped back in her chair while keeping an annoyed stare on him.

"Touché."

Thunderlane just chuckled as he settled in his seat, looking rather pleased with himself.

"Alright," Rarity said with a sigh before adding in a more calm and rational tone, "well, I… I guess I shouldn’t be judging you, should I? I mean… you do look a lot happier."

"Yeah," Thunderlane replied with a cheeky grin, "believe me, I am!"

Before Rarity could involuntarily shudder at hearing that, Thunderlane brought out a hoof, placing it on hers again as he added, "And, just so you know, I'm really happy for you, too. Seriously, I mean… I wasn't expecting this, but… It's nice to see you found someone, Rarity."

Hearing the sincerity in his voice, Rarity looked up to see his warm smile. Feeling a bit better about all this, Rarity gave a kind smile back. "Th-thank you, Thunderlane."

Before she could say much more, Rarity glanced at the clock tower nearby, which indicated that it was getting close to 7:30. Rarity quickly let go of Thunderlane's hoof before getting out of her seat.

"Oh! I'm sorry, Thunderlane, but I have to see my friends tonight! I'm… sort of telling them about this, too."

Noting the worried blush on her face, Thunderlane only nodded in understanding before getting out of his seat as well. "Alright. I guess I shouldn't drag this out, then."

Before the two could depart, Thunderlane looked at her with a smile before adding, "Seriously, though. I'm really happy for you two."

Rarity gave pleased grin back at him, then replied with slight unease, "As do I, for… You… three…"

Even with the obvious look of unease on her face, Thunderlane chuckled a little. "Alright. See you later then!"

With that, Thunderlane shot up to the skies, taking a relaxed pace in flight while Flitter and Cloud Chaser followed alongside him.

As she watched the three fly off into the distance (with the twins each putting a hoof around Thunderlane's flank, much to her own discomfort), Rarity almost didn’t notice when Zecora walked back up to her with an optimistic smile.

"Sounds like you had a lot to tell," said the zebra as she noticed Rarity's distressed state. "Did Thunderlane not take it well?"

"Oh, he was fine…" Rarity looked down at the ground and let everything sink in, still confused as to how she should react right now. "I just…"

"What is it, Rarity? You know you can tell me."

After taking a second, Rarity sighed before saying in a bewildered tone, "After I told him I was in a relationship with you, I found out that Thunderlane is now in a… polyamorous relationship with two… hopefully not incestuous twins."

Zecora's eyes widened in surprise, though she looked far less shocked or mortified than Rarity had been. After realizing that Rarity wasn't kidding, the zebra gave an impressed grin and looked up to the skies.

"You mean he's with Cloud Chaser and Flitter?" Thinking it over, Zecora chuckled under her breath and shrugged. "At least you know he's no longer bitter!"

Rarity groaned. "Are you serious, Zecora? Hearing that doesn’t shock you a little?!"

"Hey," Zecora said with a smirk, "it's not as surprising as you being with me."

Rarity paused for a moment before giving a meager shrug, which prompted Zecora to smile and continue, "Besides, now he's living out every colt's fantasy!

Rarity rolled her eyes in reluctant understanding. "Ugh, I… I guess so."

"That's right…" Zecora then turned to her marefriend, giving a loving smile as she stepped in closer. "You should not worry what is going on above. He is happy, just like you, the unicorn that I love."

When she heard the last part of that rhyme, Rarity turned to the zebra with a caring smile as her heart began to melt. "Oh, Zecora… I love you, too."

Zecora then bent in to kiss the mare. Rarity quickly stepped back and held out a hoof to stop her. 

"Ah, ah, ah," Rarity said authoritatively as she motioned to the open space around her. "We're in public, you know."

Zecora's loving gaze quickly shifted to an annoyed glare, prompting Rarity to try to give a smile in retaliation. "I already told you, Zecora. I wanted to tell my friends first before anypony else, alright?"

Though she knew Rarity was right, and that she had even agreed to it, it still irked Zecora enough to keep her annoyed stare from dissipating.

Rarity bent in and whispered with a sultry smirk, "How about this… If you agree to let this slide, I'll promise to make you feel better when we're alone tonight."

Despite hating having to hide like this, Zecora knew this was hopefully the last time she would have to deal with it. So, as she gave a sly grin back to the mare, Zecora bent in and replied, "Oh, I think you know how to make me feel better…"

Zecora pressed her muzzle against the unicorn's ear as she added in a lustful whisper,  "I want to see you in that Pony Tones sweater."

Rarity gave an exasperated sigh, pulled back, and stared at her. "Are you kidding me? Again? I spend all that money on expensive lingerie, and you keep asking to see me in that!"

"I can’t help it. You look like such a cutie!" Zecora pulled her head in toward Rarity's again as she added, "Plus, it really helps show off your cute bootie."

Rarity looked away with a deep blush, only to catch Cheerilee walking up to them with a chipper smile.

Wanting to stop the zebra's flirting before Cheerilee could overhear them, Rarity shot Zecora a quick glare before looking back at the teacher. "Why, hello, Cheerilee!"

"Hello, Rarity," Cheerilee said with a smile before glancing at Zecora. "Hello, Zecora."

Reading the growing smile the teacher was giving her, Zecora didn’t need to be told why she was acting so cheerful around the two of them. "Why good evening, Miss Cheerilee." Her eyes narrowed on the mare as she added, "Did Sweetie write more about me?"

"N-nooo…" Cheerilee looked away from the zebra with a light blush, pausing for a second before turning back to Rarity. "Speaking of which, I received the… revised version of her book today."

Rarity bit her lip in unease and avoided eye contact, which made Cheerilee's smirk turn more unrelenting. "I take it that you haven't been that open about your… wrestling activities?"

Rarity sighed in defeat before looking back at her. "Actually," she began in an insistent tone, "just so you know, I'm planning to talk with my friends tonight about it."

"Oh, really?" Cheerilee asked. 

"That's right," Rarity answered matter-of-factly, "it turns out that my… er… lessons… are becoming a little more serious than I thought previously. So, I… figured my friends should be aware of it."

Able to read between the lines, Cheerilee's smirk grew as she nodded in understanding. "Oh, I see what you mean, Rarity. And if you don't mind me saying, it seems like you're really enjoying your…" She looked over at the zebra and finished, "Wrestling lessons."

Rarity tried not to giggle, blushing furiously against her white coat. "Well, I… suppose I am…" She looked back over at Zecora, giving a loving smile to her as she spoke more graciously. "She's a great partner."

Zecora couldn't help but beam back at her tenderly. Knowing better than to interrupt them any longer, Cheerilee decided to make her leave. "Well, I suppose the two of you have other plans, so I'll just leave you be."

"Thank you, Cheerilee," Rarity said. "You've really been a great help."

Cheerilee merely rolled her eyes and dismissed the unicorn's statement with a hoof. "Oh, it's nothing. I told you, this really isn't a huge deal. In fact…"

Despite her magenta coat, Cheerilee's blush was still beginning to show as she looked away from the two. "To be perfectly honest, I… I'm a little jealous of you, Rarity…"

Rarity's brow raised in surprise. Before she could ask what she meant, Cheerilee looked back at Zecora before asking bashfully, "Say Zecora, do you… happen to know of any other zebras around here?"

Zecora pulled back a little, taken aback by the teacher's statement. Fortunately, after only a second of awkward silence, Zecora managed to shake her head while she tried not to blush. "N-no, I… I do not believe so… I'm the only zebra I know."

"Oh, ummm… okay…"

Cheerilee's ears slumped a little as she looked away, seeming a bit disheartened at Zecora's answer. The teacher managed to drop her sullen state enough to look back to the two, giving a kind smile and nod to them before walking off. "Well, I was just curious. Have a good night!"

Despite being a little weirded-out by the mare's question, Rarity and Zecora both smiled and waved to her as they watched her leave.

After she got out of earshot, Rarity turned back to the zebra with a surprised look on her face. "Well… that was unexpected."

"Why yes," Zecora replied in bewilderment, "I agree, and I don’t know what to think. I didn't know Cheerilee had a zebra kink."

Rarity chuckled a little, shrugging before giving a cheekier smile to Zecora. "Of course, it's not like I can’t understand why she would want a zebra like you."

While Zecora giggled a little at the unicorn's remark, Rarity looked around for a second before giving her a quick nuzzle. Happy to see her marefriend show that kind of affection, the zebra was lucky to return Rarity's nuzzle before she pulled back.

"Also," Rarity continued, trying not to laugh, "I'm glad she was wanting to find another zebra. For a moment there, I thought she was going to ask for something similar to Thunderlane's situation!"

One of Zecora's eyebrows rose in surprise. "Oh really? You think that's something she would do?"

Rarity just laughed a little and looked away, which made Zecora's look on her turn more mischievous as she continued, "I'm not that surprised to hear that come from you."

Rarity quickly stopped giggling as she looked back at Zecora. "And what exactly does THAT mean?"

Zecora just smirked. "I just know you can be kinky. It doesn’t surprise me much…"

Before Rarity could retort, the zebra bent in and whispered, "Oh, and by the way, you sly little mare… I found your 'toothbrush'…"

Rarity gasped in horror, which prompted Zecora to start laughing as she walked away.

While the zebra headed toward the library as planned, Rarity was left frozen for a moment before she quickly began running after her.

"Tha—that... THAT'S NOT MINE! I… I got it as a gift! It was a gag-gift from Fluttershy, I swear!"

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Per her marefriend’s request, Zecora waited patiently outside the library, making sure not to look noticeable as she idled nearby. Meanwhile, inside the hollowed-out tree, Twilight Sparkle carried a puzzled look on her face when she heard Rarity's request.

"Wait," Twilight asked, confused, "why would you need to talk with Spike alone?"

While she knew that Rarity’s announcement was supposed to be important, Twilight wasn't sure what to think of her friend’s sudden request. Knowing that the others weren't expected to arrive for another fifteen minutes, she wondered why the unicorn would want to speak with him in private.

"Well," Rarity began, looking around worriedly, "I… I really feel like I should speak with him privately. Just for a couple of minutes."

Even with the insistent look Rarity was giving her, Twilight still seemed a bit unsure about why this was necessary. "Is this about what you're going to tell us? Because it seems a little odd to want to talk with Spike first."

Rarity groaned a little and rubbed her temple with a hoof. "Twi! I…"

Closing her eyes, Rarity took a deep breath to calm herself down. Despite the fact that she really didn't want to go into much detail, she had known Twilight long enough to know this wasn't something she couldn’t just brush past her. Sighing deeply, she reopened her eyes before looking back up at her friend.

"Twilight, I… I wanted to speak with Spike alone because… because I…" Taking another breath, Rarity leaned in before finishing faintly, "I'm seeing someone right now."

Twilight's eyes widened in shock. "Really?! You mean Rainbo—"

"No." Rarity raised a hoof and said firmly, "Whatever that mare is thinking, I can assure you that it is not the case. However…"

Rarity put her hoof back down and exhaled slowly. "I… I am in a relationship, and… I really feel like I should explain this to him before the others arrive."

"Oh…" Immediately realizing why her friend wanted to do this, Twilight nodded quickly before stepping back. "Of course, Rarity, I… I understand completely. I'm sorry if I pressed you for details."

"It's alright," Rarity said with a sincere smile. "It's not a big deal. I just… need a couple minutes in private with him."

"Sure thing." Twilight made her way out of the room. “Spike is in the kitchen, so I'll just wait in there while you talk to him."

"That would be great. Thank you."

Rarity gave her an appreciative smile. However, it began to lessen when she saw Twilight stop and give her a worried look.

"Ummm… Rarity?"

"Yes?" 

"Just… Be careful, alright? I… I don’t want to see him get hurt…"

Now realizing why her friend was looking so worried, Rarity sighed before giving her a reassuring smile. "Twilight, I swear to you, the last thing I ever want to do is hurt him. I'm going to be as gentle as I can about this, I promise."

Keeping her smile, Rarity hoped that Twilight saw she was being honest. Though she felt a little bad for not being completely truthful about why she wanted to see Spike alone, she knew that none of her words were false. She really was gentle when she first talked with him about her relationship, and she made sure that he wasn't that badly hurt by any of it.

Despite some feelings that might be lingering around, Spike had really taken everything quite well. Consequently, Rarity hoped that, after this, there was no more deception or lying in her near future.

"Well… okay," Twilight said after a relieved sigh. "I'll get Spike."

After a moment of silence, Spike emerged from the kitchen after a purple wall of magic came up from the doorway, meant to keep the Princess from listening in on them. Happy to see that Twilight wasn't going to be eavesdropping, Rarity grew a rather large smile as she looked at Spike.

"So…" Spike, surprisingly enough, seemed happy himself. "I guess you're going to tell them? Like… about Zecora?"

Rarity nodded quickly, feeling better than ever about actually speaking about this with someone who already knew. "Yes, Spike. I'm going to tell my friends. But first…"

Zecora was leaning against the side of the large tree as she waited, wondering why this was taking so long. However, the sound of the door opening caught her attention. She saw Spike motion her to come inside.

With Twilight still waiting patiently in the kitchen, Zecora was led to the door beneath the stairway that lead into the basement.

Spike, who was holding the door open for her to enter, kept a smile on his face as he said, "Just wait by the door, alright? I'll open it when Rarity says to."

Zecora nodded, glad to see how well this was going. But before she could step inside to wait behind the door, the zebra walked up to Spike with a gracious smile.

"Spike, I… don't know what to say for all that you've done…"

While Spike looked away sheepishly, Zecora tried not to tear up before bending in and hugging him.

"Thank you so much! You're… really an amazing one!"

Closing his eyes, Spike hugged Zecora back tightly, happy about how well everything had turned out for them. "It's no problem, Zecora. Seriously, I'm just glad that you two worked it out."

Zecora finally pulled back after a few moments and glanced at the dragon, seeing an honest smile on his face.

"C'mon," Spike said, motioning to the open door, "it'll only be for a little bit."

Zecora nodded in understanding before going through the doorway. When she was fully inside the stairway, Spike closed the door before turning back to Rarity.

Looking at Spike, Rarity couldn't help but sigh in relief, still feeling a little bewildered about all of this. In the past couple months, the baby dragon in front of her had proven himself to be more mature than most full-grown stallions.

Rarity gave him a warm smile as she bent down and spoke to him with the utmost sincerity.

"Spike, I can’t tell you enough how grateful I am to have a friend like you. You've been so understanding and grown-up about all of this, and… I'm eternally grateful for all the help you've given me…"

Spike looked away, blushing bashfully. Rarity giggled a little at seeing him like that before continuing, "And I want you to know, and I mean this with all my heart… That I know… I know… that there's someone out there for you, Spike."

Spike looked back up at Rarity, an obvious look of skepticism growing over his light smile.

"I mean it, Spikey," Rarity said. "You are such a kind and caring soul, that I have no doubt that you'll find someone. And when you do, you're going to make them so… so happy. They're going to love you so dearly… and you'll love them back just as much… Even more than you do for me…"

While he was unsure if that would ever happen, Spike could tell from the reassuring look on Rarity's face that she truly believed what she said.

After a deep sigh, the dragon's smile grew a little bigger before he asked, "R-really? You… you really think so?"

"Spike, I know so."

Rarity then pulled Spike in for a tight hug, holding him dearly for a moment before letting go and adding, "You just have to look for yourself, that's all."

As she thought it over, Rarity tried not to chuckle out loud. "I mean, sometimes it happens when you least expect it. Believe me, it happens."

Hearing that, Spike stifled a chuckle as well, understanding her point of view more than a little bit. "Yeah, I… I guess…"

The two shared another light bit of laughter, both of them looking a lot more at ease about everything between them.

After a moment, Rarity kept her grin and asked, "So, do you have any ideas, Spike? Surely there has to be someone you've been looking for besides me."

The drake shrugged, looking down as he pondered her question. "Eh… not really… Although..."

Shuffling his feet, Spike looked back up at Rarity with a hopeful smile and added, "I did get a couple of free movie tickets from a raffle, so I was thinking of maybe using those with somepony."

"Oh, really?" Rarity asked with a pleased smirk. "So, you're thinking of seeing a romantic movie with somepony special?"

"Nah…" Spike brushed Rarity's assumption aside with a claw as he corrected her, "I was planning on using the tickets so Sweetie Belle and I could see that new Sharkcano movie!"

Rarity's smile immediately dropped. "What?"

"I mean, I know it doesn't sound like that great of a movie for a first date, but I don’t think she would mind that much. I mean, come on! It's sharks in a volcano! How could an idea like that NOT be totally awesome?!"

"Spike," Rarity began, speaking through gritted teeth as she glared at the dragon with pure intensity, "you better hope for your safety that you are joking."

Spike took one look at Rarity's enraged glare and scrunched his face in to keep himself from cracking up. Looking away, the drake let a couple laughs escape from his pursed lips before putting up a claw. "Wow, Rare! I can’t believe you fell for that!"

At seeing him crack up in front of her, Rarity let out a relieved sigh, grateful that he was just pulling her leg. Despite wanting to scold him for making a joke that crude, she knew it was all in good spirits.

"Alright, very funny, Spike," Rarity said sarcastically. "You had your big laugh, okay?"

"Hehe… yeah…" Spike looked back up at her with a cheeky grin, looking rather pleased with himself.

Fortunately enough, that did help Rarity feel a lot less stressed. At the sound of several knocks at the front door, she jolted in surprise, not expecting her friends to arrive so early.

"Oh! Well…" Rarity glanced once more back at Spike with a nervous smile. "I… I guess this is it!"

"Yeah,” Spike said with an anxious smile of his own.

After giving him one last hug, Rarity made her way to the kitchen to get Twilight and inform her everything was ready. "Wish me luck, Spike! And remember…"

She glanced back at him and declared honestly, "You're a great dragon, Spike. And I know you'll find somepony."

Spike gave her a warm smile back, happy to hear that from her.

However, before she could turn around, Rarity put up a hoof and added sternly, "NOT Sweetie Belle!”

Spike just sighed and insisted with a smirk, "Rare, come on, I was joking!" He then put up a claw and vowed, "I'm not going to date Sweetie Belle, alright? Dragon's Honor."

Knowing how strongly Spike followed his personal code, Rarity nodded with a satisfied smirk before heading to the kitchen.

At seeing her leave, Spike began to grow a devilish grin, happy that she didn’t notice he had his other set of claws behind his back…

… With two claws crossed.

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After turning off her spell and making sure Spike was really alright, Twilight let in the rest of her friends to hear about Rarity's big news. Since there wasn't enough chairs for all of them in the main room, she arranged several pillows on the floor opposite a large couch.

Eventually, Twilight and the others took their seats on the floor, all of them facing the nervous unicorn who sat alone on the couch.

Taking a deep breath, Rarity closed her eyes before slowly exhaling, hoping that this wasn't going to be a disaster. However, after calming herself down, the mare reopened her eyes to see all of her friends looking back at her with caring smiles.

"A-alright…" After taking another breath, Rarity made sure she was comfortable before she began, "Well… I'm sure most of you are wondering why I wanted to talk with you tonight."

Aside from Twilight and Rainbow Dash, all of the mares simply nodded while Rarity continued, "Well, the truth of the matter is… I…"

Rarity closed her eyes, gathering her courage before she opened her muzzle. "I'm… in a relationship…"

Rarity then reopened her eyes, only to look down at her hooves to avoid seeing her friends’ surprised expressions.

After a couple seconds of silence, Rarity slowly looked back up at them. "I've… been seeing someone for the past couple of months, in secret. While it's fairly surprising—especially for myself—I'm quite happy with who I'm with. I've really felt a lot more at ease, I feel a lot more special, and—Rainbow Dash, wipe that smirk off your face!"

Despite Rarity's glare, Rainbow Dash just made her cocky grin even more obvious. "Can I at least say it?"

"NO."

"Well… I'm gonna say it anyway!"

Before she could object, Rainbow Dash jumped up, stood on top of her pillow, pointed at Rarity, and shouted triumphantly:

"I… TOTALLY CALLED IT!"

Rarity groaned and face-hoofed, trying her hardest not to smack Dash upside the head.

Luckily, before she could start doing a victory dance, Rainbow was pulled back onto her pillow by Twilight's magic halfway through her victory song.

"I totally calllllllled it! I totally calllllllllllled it! I tot—"

Umf!

Dash huffed as she looked over at Twilight, who was giving her a condescending glare before scolding, "Rainbow Dash, what have I told you about gloating?!"

"Oh, come on!" Rainbow pointed a hoof at the annoyed unicorn. "I kept on saying that I knew something was up! I think this calls for a little gloating!"

Twilight simply groaned in frustration. Although she wanted to bring up several instances where she herself could have gloated about something, but decided not to (starting with the Royal Wedding, which was hooves-down the most tempting), the alicorn wasn't able to open her muzzle before Rarity snapped at her friend.

"Rainbow, one of the biggest reasons I kept this a secret for so long was because of your attitude about it! I've always respected the privacy of my friends, including yours, so I don't think it's too much to ask that you do the same! Including now!"

Looking over at the Rarity, Dash could see that she really seemed upset about this. And after knowing her for as long as she did, Rainbow knew better than to try pushing it.

After a reluctant sigh, Rainbow Dash settled back on her pillow, muttering a feeble "Sorry,” as she looked away from Rarity.

"Thank you," Rarity said, starting to relax again. "Now, first off, before I tel—PINKIE! Do you have to put up that banner NOW?!"

All of them looked up to see Pinkie Pie standing on a ladder near the ceiling, halfway done hanging up a huge banner that read "Rarity Has A Special Somepony!"

Pinkie looked down at Rarity with a disappointed look on her face. "Awwww!!! But I made this banner years ago!"

"Can you at least wait until I tell you who it is?!"

"Ooh! Oh yeah! I have some space to write in a name, too!" Pinkie beamed and hopped off the ladder, looking as excited as if she had been given a huge present to unwrap. "So who is it Rare?! Whoisitwhoisitwhoisitwhoisit!?"

Before Rarity could answer, Pinkie hopped over and popped her head in from behind the couch. "Is it Caramel? Pokey Pierce? Braeburn? Thunderlane? OOOOOHHHHH…."

Pinkie then squished Rarity's cheeks together with her hooves as she turned towards Applejack. "Maybe it's BIG MAC!"

"It better NOT be!" Applejack snapped with instant anger.

"It—"

Unable to get any words out of her mouth while Pinkie squeezed her face shut, Rarity pulled the mare's hooves off her before looking back at Applejack. "It's not Big Macintosh, I swear!"

Seeing and hearing Rarity’s sincerity, Applejack sighed and gave a relieved smile. "Oh, thank goodness! No offense, Rare, but…"

Thinking it over, Applejack shuddered a little at the idea of her brother with one of friends. "Nuh-uh. Ain't happenin'."

"You don't have to worry."

After making sure that Applejack wasn’t acting suspicious about it, Rarity looked back at Pinkie and pointed to the pillow. While the party pony walked over to her spot, Rarity recomposed herself she spoke up again.

“Now, before I say who it is, I just want to reiterate that this wasn't something that I planned to happen. It was… Well… quite frankly, it has to be one of the most unexpected things I've ever done!"

Rarity looked down at her hooves and laughed nervously, not wanting to look at her friends as she continued, "But… it… it is someone you all know. Someone… someone I've really grown to care about… someone I'm really glad I let into my life…"

Hearing Rarity’s words through the door, Zecora tried not to tear up and smiled in the darkness.

"And… because of that… I want you all to know who it is. 

“However…"

Rarity then looked back at her friends, who were all looking at her with mixed looks of anticipation and curiosity. Nevertheless, all of them looked happy for her, which made Rarity feel even better about what she was planning to do.

"I have a feeling that if I just told you girls who it was, that… that you probably wouldn't believe me. So…

"I think it would be better if you saw who it was for yourselves."

The five mares gasped in surprise.

Pinkie Pie bolted off her pillow, hopping around the library as she looked around. "You mean he's HERE?! WHOOPEE! Where? Where? Where? Where? Where? Where? Where? Where? Where? Where? Where? Where? Whe—"

"Pinkie!" Twilight shouted, yanking her back onto the pillow with her magic.

After giving Pinkie a stare to silently suggest that she should stay still, Twilight watched the party pony give a sad pout before slumping back on her pillow. She then looked back at Rarity with a reassuring smile. "Alright, Rarity. You can continue."

"Thank you," Rarity said before taking a deep breath.

"Now, before I show you who I'm seeing, I would really appreciate it if you all allowed me to collect myself first, so… I want all of you to close your eyes."

"Ugh!" Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes in annoyance. "Oh, come on! Are you serious?"

"Yes I am," Rarity said sternly, looking at her friend with an irritated stare. "I want this to be done right, so all that I'm asking is for you girls to let me get this ready."

Rainbow Dash wanted to protest further, but stopped herself when she the other four nod in agreement. Reluctantly, the Pegasus groaned under her breath before muttering "Fine," and crossing her hooves in disdain.

The five ponies, Rainbow Dash included, then closed their eyes.

Before Rarity could motion to Spike, Rainbow muttered, "I swear, if it turns out to be a body pillow with some guy's face taped onto it, I'm leaving."

"Rainbow!" Twilight snapped, keeping her eyes shut.

Dash just sighed before becoming silent once more.

After making sure nopony else would interrupt, Rarity looked back at Spike, who was already by the door. She gave him an approving nod, and he gave back a thumbs-up and an optimistic smile.

While the five mares sat patiently, the door opened behind them, and Zecora slowly walked out into the main room of the library. At the sound of her hoofsteps against the hardwood floor, all of the ponies' ears perked up at the new sound, anxious to discover who Rarity's special somepony was.

"No peeking!" Rarity barked, pointing a hoof at them.

Before she could reach the couch, Zecora heard a faint "Aaaawwww!" from Pinkie Pie.

The zebra then sat on the couch before looking over at her marefriend, a warm smile on her muzzle. Rarity gave a caring smile back to her.

Spike, knowing that this was probably going to get messy, walked over to the stairway leading upstairs, hoping to be out of the way and allow Rarity to handle this herself.

As her friends continued to wait, Rarity closed her eyes and took a deep breath, feeling her heart racing faster than it ever had before. Of all the daunting tasks she's had to confront before, the unicorn felt both surprised and anxious about this, realizing that she's never felt this nervous about anything in her life.

Rarity jolted when she felt Zecora's hoof rest against her back, gently holding her to show that it would be alright.

After taking another glance at Zecora, the zebra she cared more about than anything, Rarity gave a nervous smile back before relaxing herself.

As she faced her friends again, Rarity kept her eyes closed and exhaled, letting all her worries and troubles flow out of her with the air in her lungs.

With a satisfied smile, Rarity began to open her eyes and speak.

"… O—"

"Oh, hey, Zecora! What'cha doin’ on the couch next to Rarity?"

"PINKIE!!!"


The End