Chapter 13

Zecora’s Cabin, Everfree Forest

It had only been a single day since we returned from Plage de Sable Blanc, yet I could not help but feel pensive. In essence, I had continuously lied to Macintosh about my ability to become pregnant. It all started when we went into the forest to hunt the mountain lion. At the time, I took an herbal supplement that suppressed the cycle of the Moon Blood so it would not attract any predators.

I always took it whenever I went hunting. It was a risk I did not wish to take whatsoever if I could help it. However, the supplement had a rather potent side effect. Not only did it lessen the intensity of the Moon Blood, but it acted as a powerful contraceptive as well. When we made love in the forest and every time thereafter, I allowed Macintosh to empty his seed into me because I knew that I could not get pregnant.

I felt terrible. I had lied to my husband about the nature of his responsibility. Even though our love-making had been entirely consensual, he likely believed that he had to marry me out of obligation to his potentially unborn child. I took a deep breath and tried to calm myself, despite the growing knot forming in my stomach. He deserved to know and I had to tell him as soon as possible.

I peeled back the covers and got out of bed as quietly as I could. It was still very early in the morning, if the clock on the wall was anything to go by. It read just a few minutes after six in the morning and the sun had barely begun to rise above the horizon. Even though it was morning, the weather remained hot and humid.

Before I could even entertain the thought of a discussion, I desperately needed to freshen up. Sleeping in the nude helped to cool both of our bodies down while we slept, but it did not stop either of us from accumulating sweat. Even though it was not quite the same as taking a full bath, I used a warm washcloth to wipe my entire body. It helped me to relax at least somewhat.

I walked over to the sink and placed my hands along the basin to support myself as I looked into the mirror. My eyes were completely bloodshot, no doubt due to my guilty conscience. But at least I did not have dark circles underneath them.

Over the past two weeks or so, I decided to cut off my braid and allow my hair to grow out. As of right now, it had grown into short bangs that stopped just shy of my neckline. Macintosh had commented earlier that he thought I looked even more beautiful with my hair that way. I suppose it was true then. Men really did find women with longer hair more appealing.

I was about to splash some water on my face when I felt Macintosh wrap his arms around my waist and kiss my neck. It surprised me a little bit, so I did flinch but I steadied myself shortly thereafter. I believe that he sensed how tense my muscles were because he began to softly fondle my left breast.

Under any other circumstances, I would have let him do as he pleased because he was, despite his appearance, very gentle and careful with his ministrations. It felt wonderful but I needed to focus on more important matters.

I moaned softly. “Macintosh, there is an important matter we must discuss…”

“Oh, sorry ah just thought—was ah doin’ it too hard?”

“N-no, it felt wonderful as always. I just do not think now is an appropriate time for that.”

Macintosh began to rub my shoulders. “Tell me what’s wrong, darlin’. You’re all tense.”

“Do you recall when we first made love in the forest?”

Macintosh smiled. “How could ah forget?”

“The truth is—I have not been entirely honest with you. When I suggested that you take responsibility…there was never any chance that I was going to become pregnant. I took a supplement before we started the hunt to dull the effects of the Moon Blood. I did not want to attract predators with my blood. However, the supplement also acts as a contraceptive.”

“Ah knew things weren’t addin’ up.”

My voice began to crack. “I am so sorry! It was never my intention to force you to take me as your wife simply out of obligation towards a yet-born child. I am not certain I am ready to bear a child. It scares me, Macintosh! That is why I have continued to take it ever since.”

“Shhh, it’s alright. Ya don’t have ta beat yourself up so much about it. Ah was bein’ just as foolish. It wasn’t anywhere near proper for me ta make love to ya without thinkin’ about the consequences.”

I sniffed. “So…you are not angry with me?”

“Oh, I’m angry that ya lied to me. But it’s somethin’ that ah don’t mind forgivin’ because we both deserve part of the blame. That’s what bein’ married is all about, Zecora. We’re gonna have rough spots but so long as we make up afterwards, it’ll be all right.”

I gently squeezed his hand. “Thank you. I was expecting you to be more upset with me. This does much to ease my heart and mind.”

“Well, ah think it’s probably a good thing that ya kept takin’ that supplement. Ah ain’t ready to be a daddy just yet either. Ah want ta get settled down a bit more before we make that decision. N-not that I wouldn’t want to have kids, mind ya.”

I nodded. “That is a sound plan. Childbirth in my homeland is often a dangerous prospect. We lack the sanitary conditions and modern equipment that you Equestrians have. It is not uncommon for mothers to have a miscarriage or simply die outright.”

“That’s really a shame. It’s no wonder you were so scared. But don’t ya worry! Ponyville’s got a great hospital. In fact, it’s one of the best in the entire country. So when we do decide ta have a kid, you’ll be in good hands.”

I turned around and pressed my lips against his. “I cannot express how much I love you right now, my dearest husband. What did I ever do to deserve you?”

“About what ya said earlier: ah didn’t marry ya ‘cause of the whole pregnancy thing. Ah would have put a ring on your finger regardless of all that. You’re one hell of a woman, Zecora. And ah love ya because of it.”

I was so overjoyed that I felt as though my heart was going to burst out of my chest. With the strength and ferocity of a tiger, I tackled Macintosh onto the bed and began to pepper his body with kisses. In response, he laughed and did the same to me.

Things only became more intense from that point forward. Even though it was only six thirty in the morning, we found ourselves suddenly in the mood for a passionate session of love-making. I smiled when I noticed the throbbing erection my husband now sported. It was still funny to me how sheepish he looked despite how many times we had explored each other’s bodies at this point.

I normally would have enjoyed pleasuring him with my mouth first, but I needed him inside of me too much to bother. As luck would have it, I was already aroused enough that his penis would have no trouble fitting inside. I kept him pinned down on the bed with my other hand.

I turned around so that Macintosh could watch my buttocks as I made love to him. He would often tell me that was one of his favorite parts of my body. Who was I to argue? His admiration sparked a certain amount of womanly pride in my chest when he said that. I was desirable to him and it made me feel beautiful.

After giving him a sultry grin, I guided his head towards my moistened lips and slowly lowered myself down onto his shaft. It still took me a few moments to get used to his girth. That was always the case, no matter how many times we made love.

I never spoke to him about my discomfort directly. It would have been far too embarrassing of an admission on my part. However, on some level, I think he understood just how difficult it was for me to accommodate the girth of his penis. He always patiently waited for me to begin. It showed how much he cared about my comfort.

I moved my hips at a moderate, but steady pace. Partially because my loins were not quite wet enough to offer sufficient lubrication to move any faster and I simply wanted to enjoy the feeling of him inside of me for as long as I could.

In response, Macintosh sighed with pleasure while taking the opportunity to run his fingers across my legs. I giggled while he did it. My legs…were actually quite ticklish sometimes. I imagine he enjoyed doing that as a way to tease me.

Well, two can play at this game! I decided to do some teasing of my own by cupping his balls in my palm and play around with them. He gasped in surprise, but did not make any effort to stop me. After a while, I decided to tease him a bit more by pressing my finger just below the base of his balls.

Macintosh whimpered. “T-That ain’t fair!”

“It serves you right. You know how sensitive my legs are!”

Rather than respond verbally, my husband decided to grab me around the torso and hoist the both of us out of bed. It was times like this that I forgot just how strong he was. With the greatest of ease, he carried me in his arms towards the backyard of my cabin. I was far too surprised to offer any kind of resistance, so I simply went along with whatever he had planned.

We had sex many times during the course of our vacation, but he had never been this wantonly aggressive before. For a brief moment, fear gripped my heart. Had I upset him too much with my teasing? Was he exacting his retribution by thoughtlessly rutting me like an animal?

I clenched my eyes shut and prepared for the worst. My mind was quickly put at ease when he gently lowered me onto the cool grass. He still did not say anything but I felt him run his fingers through my hair and kiss my neck.

“My love, why have you brought us here? Have I upset you somehow?”

“Eenope. Ah just wanted us ta watch the sun rise. That and ermm…ah kinda developed a taste for havin’ sex outside. Ya know…like when we did it on the beach that one afternoon?”

I felt my cheeks become red. “That was…exhilarating, I admit. But you could have at least had the decency to explain your intentions. I thought you carried me out here to ravish me!”

“What?! I’d never do that! Even if ah was angry, there’s no way in hell I’d resort to usin’ violence. That’s just disgustin’ and wrong. Men who do that sort of thing are scum in mah book.”

I rested my head against his arm. “I apologize for ever doubting you. My father was often a violent man and what you did—stirred up some unpleasant memories. But that was in the past. Let us enjoy ourselves and greet the day properly, shall we?”

Macintosh did not waste any time reinserting himself inside of me. I actually gasped when he buried himself to the hilt…because I was not expecting it to happen so easily. He lifted up my leg and began to thrust at a slightly faster pace than before, which was fortunate because I had been very close to climaxing just before he carried us outside.

Sure enough, the familiar tingle of heat spread through my belly as he continued to increase the pace of his thrusts. I was glad that we were alone and in a fairly secluded area. The rhythmic sound of our flesh slapping together was…surprisingly loud. I imagine the both of us would have died of embarrassment had anyone been around to hear it.

I could tell that Macintosh was beginning to reach his limit. His thrusts were becoming increasingly more erratic and sloppy. That was just fine with me. I was getting close to my own climax as well. I moaned loudly as a powerful orgasm made my body contort with unimaginable pleasure just a few seconds later.

Macintosh quickly followed suit. I was honestly not surprised. He had mentioned many times that I would—ehem—clench his penis rather tightly whenever I reached my climax. What was the phrase he used? It was like gettin’ chomped on by soft, velvety, crocodile jaws! I was absolutely mortified when he said that. Especially considering that I was well aware of just how strong an actual crocodile’s jaws were!

We both collapsed in a sweaty, quivering heap on top of one another. Neither of us had gathered quite enough strength to move yet, so we remained joined together. I nestled my head against his chest and took the opportunity to run my fingers across his exquisitely muscled abdomen.

It brought a smile to my face when I heard him laugh. If anyone had told me that such a man as Macintosh was ticklish, I would have immediately called them a liar. But as with many things in life, truth is often stranger than our wildest imaginings. Ever since I discovered that he was, in fact, extremely ticklish, I took every opportunity I could to tease him over his supposed “weakness.”

I sighed. “I suppose we should start getting ready for the day.”

“Eeyup.”

“However, that may prove to be a difficult task at the moment.”

Macintosh furrowed his brow in confusion. “Why’s that?”

“You have… yet to become flaccid.”

“Oh—ermm—well, sorry.”

I giggled. “I believe this the first time in recorded history that a man has apologized for his stamina in the bedroom. Relax, my love. I relish the feeling of us being joined together.”

“Ah do too. Just uh… go on and tell me if it gets too uncomfortable.”

I tenderly massaged his balls. “It is astonishing how much of your seed you always manage pump into me, despite how frequently we make love. Such a thing is unnatural for a mere man. Are you certain you are not the living avatar of Waata’nuru?”
“Do ah even want to know what that is?”

“Waata’nuru is the great, orange-maned lion. More specifically, he is the spirit that embodies male virility. You cannot mean to tell me that you do not recognize the similarities between the both of you.”

Macintosh blushed heavily. “C’mon Zecora, d-don’t be silly! Ah ain’t some fertility god or whatever. I just—happen to recover a might quicker than most fellas. It’s nothin’ to get all riled up over.”

I just laughed and gave him another long, passionate kiss on the lips. This was one of the many reasons I loved him so much. My husband was an incredibly humble man. He would often become bashful if anyone praised him, particularly if it had to do with love-making.

I admit that it amused me to see him become so flustered. How could I not be? He was so adorable when his cheeks turned red. Therefore, I always complimented the caliber of his manliness whenever the opportunity presented itself. And even though my words were playful in nature, I meant everything I said wholeheartedly.

After we broke our kiss, Macintosh decided to extract himself from inside of me. Thankfully, he did so slowly as not to cause either of us any discomfort. I took a few moments to compose myself while he padded over towards the cabin in order to take a shower.

I suppose… if we had bathed together it would have been a bit more efficient. But I did not wish to become temped again. I was content to wait my turn. He usually did not take long to bathe anyway. Instead, I rolled over in the grass and watched a plethora of songbirds flitter amongst the trees.

In that moment of serenity, I took the opportunity to gaze upon my wedding ring. It looked just as beautiful as it did the night Macintosh gave it to me. To me, we were already husband and wife. But I knew that in the coming days, the rest of our friends and family would need to be informed of our decision to wed.

While I was not a fan of lavish ceremonies and dresses, I would endure it for the sake of my husband’s traditions. I chuckled to myself. There were two particular friends of mine who I needed to pay a visit today. Hopefully, neither of them would overreact…

Carousel Boutique, Ponyville

It was difficult trying to motivate myself to wear clothing again. After going an entire week without them, it felt… odd to put on a black t-shirt and white shorts. The combination I currently wore was one that Pinkie had selected during our shopping excursion. She claimed that it looked “cute” on me. I was no fashion expert, so I essentially took her word for it. It certainly helped that my husband said he thought I looked beautiful in it as well.

Had Macintosh not pointed it out, I would have walked into town barefoot. Footwear, in general, was an article of attire that was even more difficult for me to adjust to. Zebricans typically had no need for such things, and I did not like the fact that shoes tended to dull the sensations I could feel with my feet.

But… then again, Ponyville had paved roads. Walking on such a hard and bumpy surface was unpleasant to say the least. I quickly slipped on a pair of sandals before I left. They were reasonably comfortable even though walking in them was still somewhat awkward. I then made my way to my first destination: Rarity’s abode.

Despite all our morning—activities—it was still relatively early. When I left the cabin, it was only slightly past eight o’ clock. By my own reckoning, it had only taken me fifteen minutes to reach the center of the town. After taking a deep breath, I knocked on Rarity’s door.

The fashionista stood before me and smiled. “Good morning, Zecora. To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?”

“I apologize for coming to see you so early in the morning, but I am afraid that I am in need of a wedding dress. Would you be able to make me one?”

Rarity’s eyes widened when she spotted my ring. “MY WORD! Macintosh proposed to you, didn’t he? *Squee* Oh, this is just the best possible thing! I would be delighted to make you a dress, darling. Please, come in!”

I was surprised at how quickly Rarity darted around the kitchen to retrieve me a cup of tea. She did not seem to be the type of woman who enjoyed exercise. Yet… her body was lithe and in decent shape. Perhaps later, I would inquire about it. I accepted the tea without hesitation, noting that it was accented with honey and orange. I took a sip and sighed.

“I take it your vacation with Macintosh was memorable?”

“Ah, yes it was. We both enjoyed ourselves immensely.”

“Yes, I imagine that is quite the understatement. Oh well, such is the way of young couples in love.”

I blushed. “I-I well… we did make love fairly often.”

“There’s no need to be embarrassed, darling. Your husband is a handsome man. I’m certain that I wouldn’t have been able to keep my hands off of him either had I been in the same situation.”

I cleared my throat. “Speaking of bodies, how do you keep yourself so fit? Not to be rude, but you do not strike me as the type of woman who enjoys exercising.”

“I was once part of the gymnastics team during my childhood. While I don’t do that anymore, I suppose that physical activity sort of grew on me. Nowadays, Fluttershy and I practice yoga sets at her house on a weekly basis. It does wonders trimming away any excess fat.”

I nodded. “I have heard of yoga, but I only practice Engolo stances. Perhaps… we could exercise together someday? I think I might enjoy that.”

“Yes, that sounds lovely. But for now, we have far more pressing concerns!”

“Indeed. We must discuss what kind of dress I am to wear. Forgive me, but I fear that I am not entirely familiar with Equestrian wedding customs. Do you know if—”

Rarity put her hand on my shoulder. “The dress will come later; I already have a few ideas bouncing around in my mind. The first order of business should be getting you set up for a mani-pedi.”

“Excuse me? What in the name of the spirits is a mani-pedi? Is it some sort of Equestrian ritual blessing?”

Rarity chortled. “Oh heavens no, darling! We’re simply going to have your fingernails and toenails professionally cleaned and trimmed.”

“But I trim them myself. There is no need to—”

Rarity clicked her tongue. “That is where you are entirely incorrect, my dear. I will admit that you have lovely hands and feet. However, I can tell that you don’t take care of your nails as well as you should. It is imperative that you look your best on your wedding day.”

I took a quick glance at my fingernails. Yes, they were trimmed. But… they were also somewhat dull looking. I began to frown slightly when I noticed that my toenails were quite worn on the tips as well. Rarity was correct, I suppose. Just so long as she did not insist that I have them painted.

“Will I need to paint them as well? And what of cosmetics?”

Rarity sipped her tea. “It would be the most heinous of crimes to mar your natural beauty with a heavy application of make-up. We are only going to enhance what’s already there. Nothing more, I assure you.”

“Very well. I am willing to accept whatever treatments you deem necessary. After all, I want to look as beautiful for my husband as I possibly can. But would you be willing to accompany me? I would rather not go through it alone…”

“Of course I will, darling! What are friends for? Besides… I am far past overdue for a good mani-pedi. If nothing else, our trip to the spa will allow me to discuss some dress ideas with you.”

Honestly, all of these procedures and customs concerning Equestrian wedding ceremonies were irksome to me. In my own heart, I knew that Macintosh and I were already husband and wife. Why did all of this need to be so complicated and elaborate? In any case, if it made him happy all of the effort would be well worth the aggravation.

It was amusing to me, seeing Rarity’s white-furred cat slink over towards the chair I was sitting on. If I remembered correctly, the creature’s name was Opal. And I could immediately tell she was a cunning little thing. For a moment, the two of us stared at one another, sizing each other up.

I patted my leg and was surprised at how quickly she hopped onto my lap. In no time at all she allowed me to pet her and purred in response. As a reward for her willingness to accept me, I scratched the feline behind her ears.

“Can you keep a secret, my furry little friend?”

Opal cocked her head and let out a soft meow.

“Your mistress is a kind and generous woman, but I admit that she can be rather forceful with her suggestions on occasion. But… I am certain you already know that.”

Much to my astonishment, the feline seemed to nod her head in agreement. After that, she curled up into a ball and started to sleep in my lap. With nothing better to do than listen to Rarity, I allowed Opal to sleep while gently stroking her fur.

Rarity’s eyes widened in surprise. “I’ve never seen Opal warm up to someone so quickly before. She’s usually quite standoffish with other people. Whatever did you do to get to her like you so much?”

“I imagine it is because we are kindred spirits.”

“Hmm. Well, as I was saying: I really think we should use more aquamarine in the flower arrangement. It would make your eyes stand out more.”

I hoped that I too would not succumb to sleep’s sweet embrace. Discussing clothing and fashion bored me to my wit’s end. Mostly because I would have preferred to just enact the entire wedding in the nude instead.

It would have been far more comfortable and less bothersome since I would have had no need to pick out a dress of any sort! I just had to keep reminding myself that all of this was for a cause greater than my own personal preferences.

Author's Note

Here it is after much delay. I'm sorry if there isn't anything real major going on in this one, as it is meant to be a transition chapter into the "Equestrian" version of Mac and Zecora's wedding.