Unfamiliar Patterns 2: Clashing Colors

by TheVClaw

Rating: everyone
Tags: Comedy, Rarity, Other, Slice of Life, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Zecora, Alternate Universe, Sweetie Belle, Romance, Applejack
Length: 9974

Shortly after confiding with her friends about her new (and very surprising) relationship with Zecora, Rarity feels confident enough to come out to her family in private. Hopefully, things won't get too awkward during dinner at her home...

It's only been a couple weeks since Rarity found the courage to come out of the stable, and confess to her friends that she was currently in a loving relationship with Zecora. Fortunately, despite how surprising such a paring may have been, all of the Elements (and even Spike, shockingly enough) were all supportive of the fashionista and apothecary being together. However, now the unicorn has to face an even larger obstacle which has her fur standing on end:

Coming out to her family.

Sure, Zecora might not be feared by the citizens of Ponyville anymore. And Rarity highly doubted that her parents or sister would be too upset about Rarity having a girlfriend. But at the same time, the Element of Generosity could only hope that things would go smoothly when she invites them over for dinner...

Note: This story was commissioned by SOMBert on Discord, as well as my proofreader Double R. Forrest. If you want to help contribute to future stories, or see what else I have planned in upcoming months, please feel free to follow me on my Official Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/TheVClaw

Published 2021-07-23 13:50:02 UTC
Last updated 2021-07-23 13:50:02 UTC

Chapter One: A Dinner to Remember

“Jeeze Louise, Rare!” shouted Applejack in befuddlement. “How much cobbler do y’all need?!”

Rarity winced at her friend’s judgemental tone. Despite being preoccupied with her spices simmering in the heated pan, she turned around to find Applejack staring at the three large tins in disbelief. “Seriously, what gives? Isn’t this just supposed to be a dinner with yer family?”

Rarity kept her horn illuminated, using her magic to continue stirring her curry base with a wooden spoon. This way, she could keep her eyes on Applejack while speaking to her, as is proper. “Well, Sweetie Belle prefers strawberry cobbler, but my mother enjoys peach. And since my father likes blueberrycobbler, I figured it would be nice to have each of their favorites for dinner tonight.”

Applejack stared back at the pans, trying not to judge Rarity for the sheer size of the portions shed prepared. “Well, ya certainly made sure none of them’ll run out before gettin’ full.”

Rarity huffed and returned her attention to her mixture. “Yes, I know how it might look,” she admitted, floating an open can of coconut milk. “But right now, I just want to make sure everything goes as smoothly as possible. Since we’ve done so much for Equestria recently, it’s hard for me to recall the last time I actually had a real dinner with my family.”

Applejack sighed in understanding and pulled back her Stetson with a hoof. “Well, Ah suppose Ah can relate to that…'' As she glanced over at her friend, one of her brows raised in slight suspicion. “Although… somethin’ tells me there’s somethin’ else you were plannin’ for tonight.”

Rarity exhaled once more. She looked back at her friend with a worried expression. “Is it that obvious?”

“Well, a little. ‘Cause unless yer makin’ desserts for Pinkie Pie, there shouldn’t be a reason for that much if it’s just a normal dinner.”

With another strong sigh, Rarity nodded. “Well…” She returned to stirring her mixture as it thickened, but it was clear she mostly wanted to avoid her friend’s gaze. “You arecorrect, Applejack. This isn’t just a casual dinner with my family. I…”

Applejack narrowed her eyes curiously. Rarity took a deep breath, blushing hard. “I’m going to… tell them tonight.”

“Tell them?” she asked with a small hint of confusion. In an instant, however, her eyes widened in understanding. “Oh… Ya mean ‘bout you and, uhhh…”

Rarity brought her curry mix down to a simmer. After making sure the coconut milk wasn’t going to burn, she turned back towards her friend. “Y-yes,” she said, clearly nervous. “I… invited my partner to join us as well.”

Applejack grew a surprised, but very impressed smile on her muzzle. “Well, land sakes!” She went over to give her friend a much-deserved hug in support. “Ah’m proud of ya, Rare!”

“Oh…” Rarity tried not to tear up as she smiled and hugged Applejack back. “Thank you. I… I really needed that.”

After pulling back, Applejack kept her smile and added, “And Ah bet she’ll be happy to meet em’ all too. Ah mean, as a marefriend, that is.” The farmpony tapped her chin with a hoof. “Or, is it just girlfriend? Ah’m pretty sure sayin’ special somepony ain’t that fittin’, is it?”

Rarity rolled her eyes. “Honestly, I’m still not sure what the best term for her should be. Although, I’m fairly certain that she doesn’t have a specific preference.”

“Yeah, Ah wouldn’t see her bein’ too picky.” Applejack leaned over to get a look at Rarity’s creamy, off-brown mixture in the pot. The curry didn’t seem too appetizing, but the smell was enticing enough to keep her muzzle shut on the matter. “Hmmm… so, that’s Zebrican cookin’ there?”

“As a matter of fact, it is!” Rarity smiled proudly as she flipped a switch on her stove, turning on the oven light. She looked through the glass screen to inspect the potato samosas cooking inside. “I must say, it’s amazing how much variety there is when it comes to curry alone. It makes me wish I learned more about those spices sooner.”

“Well, you’re certainly learnin’ a lot from Zecora, that’s for sure~” Applejack leaned against the counter with a sly grin; an obvious display of playful sass. Rarity looked back at her with a warning glare. Unfortunately, that didn’t stop AJ from trying to ask, “Speakin’ of which, Ah was talkin’ with Rainbow Dash the other day, and I wa--”

“I already know what you’re going to say.” Rarity walked over to her fridge, and reached in to pull out a cold bottle of Appleloosan cider she had saved for tonight. “And the answer is NO, Applejack. Zecora’s tongue is not ‘three times longer’ than a pony’s. I don’t know why Rainbow would even assume such a thing.”

“Hey, Ah ain’t judgin’. That’s just what Dash told me she read about, that’s all.”

“Well, I wouldn’t consider ‘Daring Do and the Zebra’s Chalice’ to be noteworthy scientific data.”

Before Applejack could say anything in Rainbow’s defense, a new voice caught both of the mares’ attention.

“Quite on the contrary, just so you know. I read that story not too long ago…”

Rarity and Applejack looked over at the doorway, just as a familiar zebra strolled in with a smile on her muzzle. She had a large wicker basket carefully balanced on her back, which Rarity was quick to lift off with the aid of her magic. While Applejack helped to unpack the basket from the kitchen table, Zecora turned to the unicorn. “While there may have been somedetails exaggerated, Yearling’s knowledge of lore cannot be understated.”

Rarity pulled out another bottle of cider for Zecora, and hoofed it to her. The two shared a small, casual peck on the lips that left Rarity blushing giddily. Zecora used an effortless swipe of her hoof to flick the cap off the bottle, which flew right into the open trashcan nearby. She then glanced back at AJ to add cheekily, “And for your information, Miss Applejack… A tongue cannot be that long without some slack~”

Applejack nearly dropped the foil-lined platter in her hooves. Rarity was blushing twice as hard as her friend, and gave a warning nudge to the zebra’s side. “Zecora!” she said with a chiding hiss. “What did I tell you about making those kinds of comments tonight?!”

“Well, your parents aren’t here yet, so there’s no need to worry.” Zecora tried to alleviate her marefriend’s nervousness by giving her a caring nuzzle. Rarity sighed softly at the touch, but her blush remained heavy across her cheeks. When Zecora pulled back and noticed the simmering dinner, her muzzle wrinkled at the smell. “Nnnghhh… So, I… take it that you tried to recreate my curry?”

“Yes I have!” Rarity practically skipped over to the stove, putting down her bottle of cider before picking up a spoon with her magic. She test-tasted the curry herself, and smacked her lips briefly before smiling in approval. However, Applejack saw the zebra look at her for a split-second with a concerned, almost pleading expression on her face. She then tried to force a smile when Rarity floated a spoon towards her lips. “Don’t worry, I’m completely open to critique. If you have any suggestions, please let me know.”

Zecora was slightly grateful for that assurance, and nodded before taking a taste of her girlfriend’s attempt at Zebrican cooking. Unfortunately, her smile quickly morphed into a grimace the instant she swallowed that first spoonful. Applejack sucked some air through her teeth, and took a couple steps away. Meanwhile, Rarity’s optimistic expression dampened quite a bit upon seeing Zecora’s reaction. “Oh, dear… Is it that bad?”

“Mmph! N-No! No, it’s not that at all, I assure you…” Whatever small amount of genuity Zecora had in those words, she still couldn’t help shuddering at the taste. Regardless, the zebra was quick to reach up to the counter above the stove, and pull out a couple choice spices to include in the mix. Rarity watched worriedly from the side while Zecora added said seasonings, ones that she had gifted her mate a while back. “It’s still a… decent foundation to the brew…”

Applejack had to roll her eyes and scoff. “Jeeze, and Ah thought Ah was a bad liar.”

Rarity pursed her muzzle tightly shut to keep from snapping at her friend. After taking a second to calm herself down, she sighed with a soft, defeated whinny. “Ugh… and I tried following that recipe to the lettertoo.”

“Hmm?” Zecora looked over at the recipe placed beside the stove, which was written down on a single sheet of folded paper. Her eyes narrowed curiously on the listed ingredients, which appeared to be partially correct from her own perspective. However, it was a closer inspection of the paper that prompted Zecora to scoff with a more forgiving smile. “Oh, that’s what was wrong with the curry you made!”

Rarity’s ears perked up, and she glanced back at her girlfriend. Zecora shot back a coy smirk as she held the page up. “You should really unfold the paper when laid.”

Like some sort of cheap magic trick, a folded piece of the paper revealed itself while Zecora held it upright. As soon as the segment unfolded into view, which happened to list several more ingredients and instructions that Rarity missed, the unicorn face-hoofed in embarrassment. “Oh, for heaven’s sake! How did I miss that?! I wrote down the recipe myself, I should’ve realized I’d forgotten a few steps!”

“Hey, it’s no problem,” assured Zecora, nuzzling Rarity sweetly. “I’ve made that same mistake. I’ll have this fixed in five minutes, give or take.”

“Well, as long as it’s not anything toostrenuous…” Rarity looked a little uncertain about abandoning her attempt at dinner, despite Zecora’s insistence. However, since the rice was currently cooking in the other burner, and Applejack was inspecting the food Zecora brought along, it wasn’t like that curry was the onlything she could focus on. Not to mention, her three massive baking dishes of cobbler would’ve likely served as a meal itself if she’d screwed up the curry badly enough.

Zecora was quick to notice the foil-covered dishes from the corner of her eye, which made her scoff playfully. “Did you really make that much dessert for tonight? This party was only meant for five of us, right?”

Before Rarity could give an explanation herself, she was interrupted by Applejack. “Yeah, Ah was just gettin’ at her about that. Ah think she’s just worried ‘bout coming out to her folks.”

Rarity stared at her friend with a flat, unenthused glare. Applejack didn’t notice it, however, since she was more focused on tasting one of the appetizers Zecora brought over. “Gat dang, that’s tasty! What was that, a jalapeno popper or somethin?”

Zecora huffed with a pleased smile of her own. “It’s a habaneropopper, to be more specific. From what I heard, her father’s sense of spice is prolific.”

“Hoo-wee! Now ya tell me!” Applejack was already fanning her tongue with a hoof as she frantically went back to her cider. She guzzled it down in an attempt to get the spiciness off her tongue. Zecora chuckled while returning her focus to the curry. Her marefriend had to cover her muzzle with a hoof to keep from snickering. After a lengthy gargle and swallow, Applejack shuddered strongly. “Gat, dang! Ah hope Magnum has a steel tongue or somethin’.”

“Oh, pish-posh!” Rarity waved her hoof in dismissal. “Have you metmy father? I’ve seen that stallion eat hayburgers with ghost peppers in them! If that dish is reallythat spicy, he’ll absolutely love them.”

Zecora beamed with pride. The unicorn sighed wistfully as she looked between all the food that had been prepared. “Hmmm… Hopefully this isn’t toomuch preparation for such a reveal.”

“Oh, don’t get yer girdle tied up in a bunch,” said AJ, giving her friend a reassuring smile. “Trust me, yer folks might be a lot of things, but they ain’thomophobes. You’ve seen how friendly they were with Scootlaloo’s Aunts a while back, right? And they visit Lyra and Bon-Bon’s sweet shop all the time!”

“Well, I’m not trying to claim otherwise,” retorted Rarity strongly. “But this is still a big deal for me! I mean, my parents always saw me being interested in stallions all my life. Prince Blueblood, Trender Hoof, Shining Armor… The idea of telling them I’m with a female, let alone a zebra, will probably shock them tremendously!”

Applejack looked like she wanted to say something back, but her muzzle remained open as she drew a brief blank. Despite how silly her friend’s worrying may have been, she couldn’t deny that this would likely be a stunning revelation for Rarity’s parents. Just then, Zecora spoke up “Wait a minute, you had a thing for Twilight Sparkle’s brother?”

Rarity froze up with her eyes wide-open, right around the same time Applejack tilted her head in realization. The zebra didn’t seem too offended though. “I mean, I do notblame you~ I just would’ve guessed another.”

Rarity covered her face with a hoof, although it did nothing to hide her heavy blush. Luckily, Applejack seemed equally as accepting of that slip-up as Zecora did. “Don’t worry, Ah ain’t sayin’ nuthin‘bout that to Twilight. Just as long as you’re stillnot gushin’ over a married stallion like that.”

“Oh! Of coursenot!” Rarity exclaimed. “That was back before I even knew he was her brother. Besides, it’s not like I have many stallions on my mind as of recently.”

“Well, it’s delightful to know I make such a good distraction~” Zecora perked her brows a couple times at Rarity, ensuring that the unicorn’s blush wouldn’t dissipate too soon. She lowered the burner to a light simmer, and then went up to her marefriend to finish her rhyme more sultrily. “I can’t think of a stallion who beats yoursatisfaction~”

Despite how inappropriate that comment may have been, all that Rarity could do was giggle sheepishly. The zebra leaned in to boop the tip of her snout against Rarity’s, which turned into a loving nuzzle between them. The couple didn’t seem to notice Applejack’s presence, who was watching them from across the kitchen with a touched smile. It wasn’t until she cleared her throat that the two suddenly pulled back, just in time to hear her say, “Jeeze, Ah swear, y’all are cuter than Apple Bloom in a bunny suit!”

“Ugh! Applejack…” Rarity groaned. “While I appreciate the compliment, don’t you think that’s prying a littletoo much?”

“Oh, let her be polite! It’s perfectly alright.” Unlike the unicorn, Zecora gave AJ an appreciative nod to that statement. When Rarity turned back towards her, the zebra shrugged. “Have you seenApple Bloom in a bunny suit? That is a ridiculous amount of cute!”

“Well, Ah suppose Ah’ll be headin’ out now…” Since Applejack had delivered her goods for tonight’s dinner, she didn’t have much of an excuse to continue hanging around before Rarity’s family arrived. After giving Zecora and Rarity some friendly hugs, she made sure to add assuredly, “But just remember, your parents have alwaysbeen there for ya, Rare. And after everything you’ve done for them andEquestria, Ah really doubt that love’ll ever change.”

Such an honest remark was all Rarity needed to feel just a bit better. She smiled and said, “I… I’ll be sure to remember that, Applejack. Thank you.”

AJ gave a kind tip of her Stetson, and then made her leave. As soon as they heard the back door closing behind AJ, Rarity exhaled sharply with a hoof over her face. “Ugh, my goodness… I really need to stop worrying about this.”

Zecora’s muzzle tightened a little, but she kept herself silent. Instead, she wrapped a foreleg around her marefriend’s back and gave a caring peck on her cheek. “You know… I’ve had to deal with bad parents before.” She paused briefly, giving Rarity the time to close her eyes and remember that fateful conversation. Zecora then held her hoof to the side of Rarity’s face, and pulled her head around so she could see her comforting smile. “But with you… your family loves you somuch more.”

Rarity’s smile trembled a little as she gazed at the zebra lovingly. She hugged Zecora tightly, and dearly. “Oh, Zecora… you say the sweetest things.”

“I also say the things most true. You know I wouldn’t lie, don’t you?”

“Well, of course I do!” Rarity nuzzled her before walking towards the appetizers. She lit her horn to make herself a glass of milk with her magic, as well as pick up one of the fried peppers to taste. “And for the record, I’m not expecting them to react poorly to me coming out. You saw how supportive my friends were when we told them…”

As soon as she took that first bite, Rarity nearly dropped the pepper in her hoof when she gasped loudly. Zecora chuckled while watching her girlfriend quickly down her glass of milk, and took the remainder of that fried pepper to eat herself. As she chewed on her beautifully-breaded goodness, Zecora smiled in recollection over how well that evening went between them and Rarity’s friends. Not only were they all completely on-board with Rarity and Zecora being a couple, but there wasn’t a single shred of discomfort regarding the unusual pairing either. In fact, Rainbow Dash even promised that if any ponies mistreated them in town, she would make them, ‘pick up their teeth from the ground with two broken hooves.’ The statement may have been a little harsh, but Zecora appreciated the sentiment nonetheless.

“Whoo!” Rarity was still fanning her tongue after finishing her glass. “That… That will definitelybe something Dad would love.”

Zecora looked especially happy with that critique, even if Rarity’s face was redder than that one night they spent in the hot-tub. By that point, it seemed that the curry had been repaired well enough as it simmered in the pot, for it now enveloped the kitchen in a savory, spicy aroma that smelled wonderful. While Zecora went back to give the thick and darkened mixture a final whisk, Rarity’s ears perked up when she overheard some knocking from the front door.

‘Knock, Knock, Knock, Knock’

“Ohmigosh!” Rarity’s nervousness instantly reemerged. She froze up on the spot, and her blush went pale. Zecora glanced back at her cautiously, and was just about to step over to console her. Thankfully, all the unicorn needed was a brief moment to close her eyes, and take a couple calming breaths while muttering to herself. “Alright, alright… They won’t freak out, they won’t freak out, they won’t freak out--”

“What do you mean?” asked Sweetie Belle, seemingly coming out of nowhere to stand before her big sister. “Is something wrong?”

“GAAAAHHHH!!”

Rarity yelped and jumped away from the filly, nearly bumping into Zecora’s backside. The zebra was equally as surprised by Sweetie Belle’s instantaneous entrance. Meanwhile, the filly just stood there in confusion, staring between her sister and her sister’s friend. Rarity needed a second to pull herself together. “S-Sweetie Belle?! How… H-How long have you been here?!”

“Uhhh… I just came in?” Sweetie pointed a hoof towards the side door. Rarity face-hoofed with a strong wince. Both her and Zecora found it rather jarring that Sweetie could just trot in without them noticing. Sweetie Belle had her eyes narrowed on her sister suspiciously. “So, ummm… what’s going on?”

‘Knock, Knock, Knock’

“What the?” Rarity’s head whipped back towards the front of her shop, and she huffed in exasperation before storming off. “Why did you come in through the back and leave our parents outside?!”

“I had to go to the bathroom!” Sweetie’s body locked up in instant realization. “Oh! That’s right!”

The filly scurried out of the kitchen, and ran straight into the downstairs bathroom nearby. Zecora shook her head with a chuckle. Just outside the kitchen, she could overhear Rarity opening the door to greet her parents. “Oh, it’s so great to see you! Please, come on in!”

Zecora paused for a moment, unsure of what to do next. Would it be better to greet Rarity’s parents herself? Should she pretend to be cooking and show she was actively involved with tonight’s dinner? Or would that make things confusing for the family?

Now Zecora was the one who felt awkward. She could overhear Pearl and Magnum’s voices from the main showroom of Rarity’s shop, both sounding rather pleased while chatting with Rarity. Zecora walked back towards the counter to finish off her cider. Just as she took the last swig, she heard Rarity’s Dad’s come into the kitchen.

“Ooh, I knew I smelled something good!” The mustached white unicorn made a beeline right for Zecora’s platter, and used his magic to slip out a habanero popper in his aura. Zecora watched him quietly from the side as he popped the snack into his mouth. His face quickly lit up in excitement. “MmmMMMMmmm!! Who on Earth made this? There’s no wayyou made something this spicy!”

Rarity was now standing in the kitchen doorway, her face soured right up in offense. Even though her Dad wasn’t wrong, per se, it still hurt that he made that claim so effortlessly. When she looked over at Zecora, her glare intensified at her prideful smirk. She changed her expression when her Mother, a plump mare with a pink coat and poofy purple mane, showed up to see what caught her husband’s interest. “Now, honey,” she said with a firm and warning tone that contrasted her smile. “You could at least waituntil dinner is ready, ya know.”

“Mmmph! Honey, you gotta try one of these!” Magnum floated another popper towards Pearl. Rarity tried to stop him, but winced when she saw her Mother take it without care. As soon as Zecora overheard Pearl letting out a pleased “Mmmmm!!”, she felt confident enough to introduce herself. Rarity took notice of her girlfriend’s appearance, and tried to motion towards her.

“Oh! Mom, Dad,” she said. When Zecora stepped forward, Magnum was pleasantly surprised to see their new guest. Meanwhile, Pearl jolted in surprise, her muzzle still full. “I hope you don’t mind, but I wanted Zecora to join us toni--”

“H-HACK!!”

Pearl tried to cover her mouth, but such an action was pretty much fruitless as she violently coughed up in front of everyone. “A’hem! A’hem! A’hem! A’hem!”

“MOM!!” Rarity and Magnum looked concerned for the mare. For Rarity, the feeling became much worse when she turned back to Zecora, who was standing frozen and wide-eyed. Multiple bits of chewed up breading and pepper were splattered across the zebra’s face, including a sizable chunk resting right atop the bridge of her muzzle. Rarity gasped with both hooves over her mouth, and she lit up her horn immediately. “Ohmigosh, Zecora!”

“Oh, jeeze!” Pearl lit up her horn as well. This meant two different dish towels were now floating to help clean up the zebra’s face. “Heaven’s ta’betsy, I’m sosorry! I wasn’t expecting that pepper to pack such a punch, ya know?”

Pearl’s apology was clearly nothing short of sincere, but Rarity had to keep from grimacing while getting her girlfriend’s fur cleaned. Magnum was clutching the side of the kitchen table while covering his face, not wanting to be caught laughing at his wife’s mishap. Zecora looked more than a little uncomfortable, even with two unicorns cleaning her face at the same time. Luckily for both of their sakes, Zecora was able to smile weakly and accept her apology. “It’s… q-quite alright, I cannot be that mad… I promise, the curry isn’t that bad.”

“Oh, it’s not bad! It was just reallyspicy, that’s all.” Pearl giggled a little as she floated the dishrag towards the sink. She then took notice of the simmering pots on the stove, as well as the cobbler dishes. “Oooh!~ Did you make all of this, Zecora?”

“Well, technically I made the curry and the desserts,” said Rarity. She wrapped a hoof around the zebra’s back, and smiled proudly beside her. “But she helped out tremendouslyfor tonight’s dinner.”

Zecora’s head hung down slightly in embarrassment, but her blush didn’t hide the gracious smile on her muzzle. Magnum and Pearl looked pleased with the spread, and didn’t seem suspicious at all about them being side-by-side. Magnum huffed with an impressed nod before taking another popper with his magic. “Well, I gotta admit, these are reallygood, Zecora! It’s so hard to find good Equestrian food that has that kick, you know what I mean?”

“Well, you can at leastsave some room for dinner, Pooky-kins~” Pearl nuzzled her husband teasingly, while Rarity tried not to gag at the overly corny exchange she had to hear.

Zecora simply chuckled at the display, and said, “Well, unless our host has anything else planned for tonight, I think we can move to the dining room to set things right~”

Both of Rarity’s parents nodded with chipper smiles, and quickly used their auras to pick up the various food items. When Zecora glanced back at Rarity, the mare was giving her a strong, wide-eyed glare with her lips pursed shut. It took the zebra a moment to figure out what got her so miffed. However, she was quick to motion back towards the food, hoping to clue Rarity in that Zecora wasn’t planning on springing that out before dinner.

Just then, the bathroom door could be heard opening nearby. Sweetie Belle trotted out with a spring in her step, and was smiling giddily when she returned to the kitchen. “Alright, I’m back! So Rarity, what were you worried they would freak out about?”

Rarity nearly dropped to her knees. Zecora quickly reeled back, both from shock and the unintentional humor. Both parents had overheard Sweetie, which made them turn around and stare back at Rarity with raised brows. In that moment, Rarity was left absolutely frozen, her muzzle partially agape and her blush even deeper than before. “Uhhhhhh… I…”

“I think I know exactlywhat Sweetie Belle is referring to…”

Everypony turned their attention towards Zecora, who had recomposed herself and was standing confidently. While Rarity’s parents looked at her with their puzzled eyes, their daughter appeared petrified. Rarity tried to subtly shake her head, silently pleading for her not to say what she thought she would. Zecora leaned her head down, and shot Sweetie Belle an unblinking smile.

“Rarity was freaked out that you didn’t wash your hooves yet, did you?”

Sweetie Belle’s jaw nearly dropped to the floor. Both parents turned towards her with stern, knowing looks of their own, which gave Rarity just enough time to cover her face and sigh in relief. Meanwhile, Zecora just kept her confident stare on the filly, waiting patiently for Sweetie to respond. After a few seconds of silence, Sweetie was blushing harder than her sister in guilt.

“Ummmmm… W-Well, I mean…”

Sweetie’s mind turned blank. As soon as Zecora tilted her head, the filly ran off to the bathroom to wash her hooves. Pearl groaned and face-hoofed, while Magnum shook his head with a light snicker. Once the parents went back to the dining room with all the food, Rarity gave Zecora with a very unamused glare. She hissed through her gritted teeth, “That was not funny!”

Zecora walked up to her girlfriend and planted a proper kiss on her lips, fully aware that her parents were out of the room. She pulled back to gaze at Rarity in a blushed and wide-eyed stupor, and then leaned in to whisper into her ear, “I’m really sorry that I made you worry. I promise you that I won’t make you hurry.”

With that, Zecora pulled back with a warm smile, and left Rarity to grab the pot of rice left on the stovetop. The unicorn took her time to calm her nerves and appreciate the apology. By the time she was calm again, she heard Sweetie Belle reemerge from the bathroom with her hooves freshly cleaned. The filly walked past her sister with a bitter scowl on her face. She kept her head low as she grumbled to herself, “How the heck did she figure that out? Next thing I know, she’ll tell I didn’t flush…”

“EXCUSE ME?!”

“EEP!!” In a flash of regret, Sweetie ran back to the bathroom for a third time.

Despite the awkwardness from earlier, the night became much more pleasant as the five enjoyed a lovely dinner of Equestrian/Zebrican fusion cuisine. Everypony loved the curry that Rarity prepared, although the unicorn was gracious enough to confess that Zecora helped with most of the seasoning. Fortunately for her, her potato samosas proved to be a big hit with everyone. Even Zecora praised her for her accuracy with the recipe. Zecora and Magnum ended up eating most of the fried habaneros themselves, since all the mares had to drink a lot of milk to handle just one of them. Of course, given how dramatically Rarity and Sweetie Belle had to fight over the milk pitcher to refill their glasses, Zecora didn’t have much regret about her choice of appetizer. Not to mention, there was more than enough of the main course to satisfy everypony before dessert could be served.

“Mmm! My goodness!” Magnum wiped his mustache with a napkin after cleaning his plate, and let out a deep sigh with a hoof over his stomach. “Girls, that dinner was absolutely fantastic! I can’t believe I never ate Zebrican food before.”

“Yeah, it was all so good!” Pearl seemed equally as happy with her plate nearly empty. She looked back at her daughter and Zecora with a pleased smile. “Not to mention, it’s wonderfulto see you two becoming such good friends.”

Such sentiment was enough to make the unicorn and zebra smile back with thankful nods; however, the two couldn’t help blushing a little from the mention of them just being ‘friends.’ Rarity struggled not to wince. “W-Well, you know… in recent months, I’ve really come to know a lot about Zecora. A-And after a while, it just…”

Rarity took a brief moment to marvel at the zebra beside her. Zecora did the same, giving her marefriend a warm smile that made Rarity’s heart flutter. The moment lasted for only a second, but it was more than enough to make Rarity sigh softly to herself in contentment. “... it just felt right~”

Zecora’s smile almost trembled, but she was able to turn away before getting too emotional. Rarity did the same, turning back to her parents to see their reaction. Pearl looked more than satisfied with that response, and she nodded proudly at her daughter. “Well, we really are happy to see you two getting along so well. And to think, it doesn’t feel too long ago that most of us were afraid of Zecora whenever she--”

“Honey!” Magnum quickly interrupted her before she could say much else, but it was too late. The mention of Zecora’s past made Rarity’s ears slump. Sweetie Belle, who was busy licking her plate clean, paused briefly with a muffled “Hm?” She looked over to see her older sister upset, as well as Zecora. Magnum saw it as well, and cringed. “W-We’re sosorry, Zecora. I swear, that wasn’t meant to--”

“I-It’s alright, Mister Magnum,” assured Zecora. “I take no offense. In retrospect, I... supposethe response makes sense…”

The zebra seemed a little uncomfortable as she readjusted herself in her seat, her pause quickly becoming an awkward silence. Rarity was just about to speak up when Zecora spoke up again. “I mean, my presence in Ponyville was somewhatunfounded. I can’t say I blame you ponies for being so confounded.”

“W-Well, it was still no excuse,” stated Pearl insistently. “Zecora, I really… really wish I was able to know you sooner than we did. And I’m willing to bet that most of the ponies in town feel the exact same.”

“I swear, it’s perfectly fine. There’s no need to apologize. I have made a lot of friends since then who have come to realize. And in the case of your daughter, who is an amazing friend, her sincerity is one I know cannot be done in pretend.”

The zebra gave her girlfriend a sly wink, making Rarity slump in her chair with a pronounced blush. Meanwhile, Sweetie Belle had finally finished her dinner, and was looking rather curiously at their special guest. “So, uhhh… Zecora? Would it be alright if I asked something?”

Rarity gazed at her little sister worriedly, not wanting her to ask something too uncomfortable or foretelling before she could unveil the dessert. Zecora, however, nodded to the filly with an appreciative smile. “Of course you can, Sweetie Belle. Whatever you ask, I’ll tell.”

“Well… I was wanting to ask this for a while, but uhhh…” Sweetie squirmed a little in her seat, looking a tad uncomfortable. Her parents, and especially Rarity, all tried not to appear too wary about what the filly might say. When Sweetie finally found the courage to speak, she had a brow raised with intrigue. “Why is it that you rhyme all the time, Zecora? Is that, like… something that’s more common back in Zebrica?”

Rarity face-hoofed. Hard. Her parents seemed just as awkward, and looked at Zecora to make sure she wasn’t offended. Thankfully, Zecora chuckled with a pleased grin and shrugged her head. “You know, I’m surprised it took so long for somepony to ask. I was worried such a question would be a tedioustask...

“But to answer your question, I suppose my rhyming is... unique. Back in my homeland, I didn’t need to rhyme so often to speak. But when I moved to Equestria, learning Ponish was quite tough. I tried to raise bits for textbooks, but I could never have enough. So instead, I learned Ponish through music records and poetry. By the time I learned enough, rhyming was second nature to me.”

Sweetie Belle looked a bit surprised by Zecora’s answer, but accepted it easily with a chipper nod. “Oh, okay!”

“Wait, that was how you learned Ponish?!” Despite how deeply Rarity and Zecora had gotten to know one another, the unicorn was downright flooredby this new information. In response, Zecora just looked back at her with a cocky smirk. “Wait, h… How does that even work?!”

“I can actually understand that,” said Magnum. “I mean, I don’t know a lickof Gryphonian, but I can still sing along to some of the metal songs I have in my record collection.”

“Gryphonian metal, you say?” It was Zecora’s turn to be surprised. She looked the middle-aged stallion up and down, but couldn’t find a trace of evidence pointing to Magnum being a metalhead. Still, she nodded in acceptance “I didn’t know you went that way.”

That was when Pearl decided to chime in. “You know who elselikes metal? Fluttershy! I was at her cottage a while back to pick up Opal, and she had a massivecollection of Talon Ripper records!”

That detail prompted Zecora to glance back at Rarity with wide eyes. The unicorn shrugged with an embarrassed blush. “Uhhh… Y-Yeah, I… I only learned about that recently. In the case of my fatherthough, I believe he had a goth phase back in college.”

“Pbbt! No I didn’t!” Magnum scoffed in dismissal. “I was into punk, not goth. I still have the holes in my ears to prove it.” The stallion leaned in to show the top of his left ear, which had a sizable hole in the lobe from an old gauge.

“Ooh, that’s quite an impressive feat!” Zecora showed off the multiple piercings that lined her ears. “But I’m afraid I have you beat~”

“Not if I still had my tongue piercing, you wouldn’t.” The stallion chuckled to himself, but his smile quickly morphed to an uncomfortable grimace as he looked away from her. “Although, uhhh… I had to take it out after chipping twoof my teeth in less than a week.”

Everyone else had a good laugh from that last part, causing Magnum to roll his eyes with a sheepish blush. After their giggling died down, Zecora leaned in with an elbow against the table and said cheekily, “Speaking from experience, I don’t blame you. I had a tongue piercing which was removed too~”

“Oh, reallynow?” Rarity found herself intrigued. “My goodness, I’m learning a lot about you~”

Zecora shared a sultry smirk with Rarity, clearly thinking the same thing the unicorn did. Of course, when Rarity took notice of the confused stares her parents were giving her, she stammered. “I-I mean! Uhhhh… I’m just surprised, that’s all. Heh, heh, heh…”

Rarity tried to look away with a worrisome wince. Zecora brought the attention back to herself for the sake of her mate. “S-So anyway… that was how I learned the Ponish word. Although I’ll admit that it’s different from what you’ve heard.”

“Honestly, it sounds like you picked up one heck of a talent!” Pearl giggled with an impressed smile. “You could make a killingif you decided to be a poet.”

“Or a songwriter,” added Magnum matter-of-factly. “You have the rhyme andthe meter nailed down.”

“Ooh! OOH!” Sweetie Belle raised her hoof. “Zecora, Zecora! Can you find a rhyme for orange?”

“Sweetie!” scolded Rarity. “It’s not a party trick!”

“It’s alright, Rarity. It’s no offense to me.” Zecora put on a confident grin, and picked up the glass of water beside her plate. “I can’t say it’s easy to find a rhyme for Orange…”

The zebra took a long drink, emphasizing that she just began her first verse. Sweetie and the others all stared at Zecora with great interest, realizing that she already had a possible rhyme up her sleeve. She left the family waiting in anticipation for a moment, then put down her glass.

“However… I wouldn’t say that the word has No Range~”

“Aaaaahhh…” Sweetie and her parents all clapped their hooves. “Bravo!” shouted Magnum, satisfied. “That’s reallyimpressive!”

Zecora beamed proudly, trying not to giggle too giddily. Rarity looked a little embarrassed, but she didn’t let it show when she saw how happy her girlfriend was. Instead, the unicorn took that moment to get out of her seat, and trot back to the kitchen. “Well, since everypony’s in a good mood, I’ll get the dessert!”

“OOH! Yes!!” Sweetie Belle clapped her hooves enthusiastically. “I knewI smelled cobbler earlier!”

“Yes, I certainly have! I hope you all are ready!”

For Rarity’s sister and parents, that comment merely alluded to be a truly scrumptious dessert. But for Zecora, it meant something else, another thing entirely to be ‘ready’ for. She tried her best to be optimistic, but her rising anxiety couldn’t be quelled by the time Rarity returned.

“Alright, everyone!” Rarity smiled triumphantly while holding all three dessert pans in her blue aura. She also had a large bucket of vanilla ice cream that she’d kept hidden in the freezer. “I have all the cobbler ready~”

“Oh my goodness!” Pearl was gobsmacked by the sheer amount of sweets her daughter made. A single pan of cobbler would’ve been enough for the whole family, but three, alongside ice cream! Magnum was also stunned by the sheer onslaught of sugar laid before them. To him, this would’ve been too much for even Pinkie Pie to handle. Sweetie Belle, on the other hoof, had a clean plate held out excitedly to get the first serving.

“Alright, alright! Just a moment, Sweetie…” Rarity made sure to scoop out a large portion of the strawberry cobbler for her sister, as well as a scoop of ice cream to make the filly lick her lips hungrily. Zecora decided to get a little of each flavor with a spoon of her own, since it was hard to choose just one. After giving Sweetie Belle her plate, Rarity turned to her parents. “Alright, I have peach and blueberry flavors for both of…”

Rarity’s words trailed off when she saw the flat, suspicious stares that Magnum and Pearl were giving her. Unlike Sweetie Belle, who was already digging in greedily, Zecora took notice also, and thus refrained from eating. Rarity froze up in worry, struggling not to cringe. After a few seconds, Pearl spoke up.

“Rarity… What’s going on?”

Rarity could catch the slight hint of concern in her mother’s voice. Magnum narrowed his eyes and tightened up his lips. Rarity tried to force a wide and unassuming smile. Tried to, at least. “Uhhh… Heh heh heh… W-W-What do you mean, Mom?”

“Don’t give me that, Missy,” replied Pearl sternly. “You might be the Element of Generosity, but you don’t usually make thismuch dessert unless something is up.”

“Oh, come on, Mom! That… That isn’t true…” She looked at Zecora for help, but all the zebra could do was give a light shrug in agreement. Rarity’s eyes widened in great offense.

“I hate to say it, but… that’s a trait I’ve been able to see.” Zecora felt guilty for saying that out loud. “Like, for example… all the cinnamon rolls you made for me?”

“Ugh! Seriously, will you ever let that go?!”

“I’m not trying to be mean, I swear! I’m just saying the habit’s still there!”

“And it’s not just the cobbler, honey,” added Magnum. He grabbed the serving spoon out of Rarity’s aura, and began to serve himself a large helping of blueberry cobbler. “Do you remember back when you made that massive‘ice-cream soiree’ for us, right before asking us for a loan?”

“Dad, that’s not fair! That was yearsago! And might I remind you, I paid back that loan in full over a year sooner than I originally expected.”

Magnum shrugged in acceptance. Pearl didn’t say anything, still looked rather suspicious. Zecora appeared befuddled, clearly not knowing anything about these loans. Rarity was quick to clarify for her sake. “And just to clarify, the loan was to purchase this property and renovate it as my shop. For the longest time, it used to be an actualcarousel attraction before it shut down.”

“Hmm?!” Sweetie Belle’s head perked up, her mouth full of cobbler. “Wai, rewwy?!”

“Sweetie, you could at least swallowfirst!” Rarity sighed and shook her head in disappointment. “But, uhhh… yes, it technically wasa carousel before being refurbished as a home and personal business. Although… that was before the incident…”

The three adult ponies shuddered uncomfortably. Magnum shook his head in deep sorrow. “Ugh, that poor kid…”

Zecora raised a hoof to ask what they were referring to, but then stopped herself. She probably didn’t want to hear any specific details during dessert. Instead, she started eating her cobbler. Sweetie, although confused herself, followed the zebra’s lead.

“B-But anyway,” resumed Rarity, “the fact of the matter is that this offering isn’t for anything like that! I simply wanted to do a nice gesture for my family, since I know my schedule has been quite busy recently. I felt bad for not showing up for dinner as often as usual, so this cobbler was to show my appreciation.”

Magnum and Pearl’s suspicion lessened considerably. Rarity tried to hide her shame, knowing that their suspicion wasn’t far off at all. In an attempt to quell her conflicting feelings, Rarity took the liberty of preparing her Mom’s peach cobbler. “Although… with that being said… I suppose there’s alsoa lot of things I should catch you up on…”

Zecora’s chewing slowed down immensely.

“I-In fact, ummm…” Rarity sat herself more upright, taking a breath while blushing. She rubbed one of her forelegs, although it did very little to ease her nervousness. Zecora put down her fork, and rubbed the unicorn’s back in silent support. When Rarity looked at her girlfriend and saw that warm, confident smile on her muzzle, it was just what she needed. “Ever since a few months ago, I… I’ve had a lot of big things happen in my life.”

“Ooh!” shouted Sweetie, making sure to swallow first. “You mean like that costume deal you had with Sapphire Shores?”

“Uhhh…Well, I dohave some future plans to make some designs for an upcoming music video of hers.”

“Oh, way to go!” Magnum encouraged. “That’s wonderful, Pumpkin!”

“Ooh, yeah! And she was sucha lovely mare as well.” Pearl looked delighted as well, which made Rarity blush some more. “I gotta say, I wouldn’t be surprised if that job gets you even more opportunities in the future!”

“A-Actually, I’m doing quitea lot as it is…” Rarity took one last breath for confidence, then held her head high and began to list off her accomplishments. “For example…

“After I make Sapphire Shores’ costumes, I plan to consult with another musician, Countess Coloratura, about a possible deal in accordance with her album cover. I also have three different magazine shoots I have planned later this year, including ‘Cosmare’ and ‘High-Class Equestrian Quarterly,’ which will be veryinfluential for my work. I also have appointments with Hoity Toity and Fancy Pants to design their suits for an upcoming award ceremony where they’re bothnominated. Zecora is my girlfriend and we’re in a committed relationship, and at the end of the year I’ll have an positively stunninggown made for Princess Cadance for the Crystal Empire Winter Formal! Would anypony like more cobbler?”

“Ooh! Me!” Sweetie Belle beld up her plate instantly.

“Me too!” said Magnum.

“Excellent!” Rarity was smiling wide as she refilled their plates, looking like a thief who just performed the perfect heist. Zecora was gawking at her, unamused. Meanwhile, Pearl was still enjoying her first helping of cobbler and ice cream with a sweet and satisfied hum…

…That was, until the mare dropped her fork exactly three seconds later. “Wait, WHAT!?!”

Pearl stared at Rarity and Zecora with her eyes bulging out. Magnum and Sweetie stopped eating for a moment, looking over at Pearl confusedly. Rarity winced hard with her eyes clenched shut, not feeling as brave as she did mere seconds ago. Zecora sucked air through her teeth, and averted her eyes from Pearl. When Rarity finally found the courage to reopen her eyes, she gave her Mother the most timid smile imaginable. “Uhhh… heh heh heh… I-Is something wrong?”

From Pearl’s reaction, it would’ve been assumed that Rarity replaced her horn with her ‘electric toothbrush’ upstairs. That said, nothing about it seemed negative from Rarity’s perspective. If anything, her bafflement seemed to convey just blankness. “R… Rarity, what did you just say?”

“Ehhhhhhh…” Rarity’s smile became less stable as she slumped down in her seat, her eyes darting back and forth frantically. “Y-You mean the Winter Formal? It-It’s an event they hold in the Crystal Empire every year to--”

“No! N-Not that… I… I meant the one before that…”

The unicorn felt completely helpless. The zebra avoided the puzzled gazes that Magnum and Sweetie Belle were giving them. Before her girlfriend could confirm or deny anything, she heard Pearl ask weakly, “Did… Did you just say that you… and Zecora…”

Magnum’s bushy brows rose way up. He shared his wife’s gawking stare. Sweetie Belle was the only pony who wasn’t paying attention, so she just looked confused.

Just as Rarity was about to open her muzzle, she felt Zecora’s foreleg wrapping around her back. The unicorn smiled, and closed her eyes tightly before speaking.

“Y… Y-Yes, Mom… I… I brought Zecora over because she’s… she’s my girlfriend.”

Zecora tried her best to keep a chipper, albeit very forced, smile. She hoped that her close proximity to Rarity wasn’t too upfront, but she couldn’t gauge what Pearl and Magnum were thinking at that moment. Both of them sat still in their seats, their eyes unblinking. Even Sweetie Belle had her mouth wide open in shock.

Rarity felt like she was stuck in that long, awkward limbo of silence for hours, but in actuality, only a few seconds had passed. It took the unicorn a long, tense moment before she could reopen her eyes ever so slightly. The last thing she wanted to see was any hint of disappointment or betrayal on her parents’ faces. When she finally saw their stunned looks, it took everything in her to not assume the absolute worst.

The parents slowly looked at one another, leaving Rarity sitting on pins and needles with Zecora by her side. Pearl seemed rather taken aback by this revelation. Magnum slowly lifted up one of his forelegs, pointing a hoof towards his speechless wife. It was then that Rarity and Zecora witnessed a wide and cocky grin slowly emerge from beneath his thick mustache.

“Pay up!”

Pearl’s jaw dropped like a steel weight. “EXCUSE ME?!”

“WHAT?!” shouted Rarity and Zecora simultaneously.

“You heard me! Ha. ha, ha, ha, HAAAAA!!!” Magnum reeled his head back with a jaunty cackle. Rarity stared at him in a mixture of confoundment and great offense. Sweetie Belle went back to being confused about the adults. Pearl covered her face with a hoof in embarrassment. “Jeeze Louise, I can’t believe I calledit!! I toldyou that she wasn’t seeing any stallions for a reason!”

“Oh my gosh…” Pearl slumped her head down with both hooves covering her face. It was unclear whether she was more upset by her spouse’s immaturity, or how offended Rarity looked.

“Hmm?” When Magnum finally glanced back at Rarity, and saw her expression for himself, he quickly said, “N-Not that I’m against it or anything! S-Seriously, I’m one hundredpercent onboard with you having a marefriend! Or, uhhh… Girlfriend, I suppose. Heh heh…”

His daughter’s glare persisted. Zecora couldn’t think to say anything just yet, but she smiled sheepishly and gave Magnum a thankful nod. When Pearl looked up, her eyes widened from seeing Rarity’s expression as well. Meanwhile, Sweetie Belle tilted her head and asked, “Wait a minute, you guys knew they were a couple? Since when?!”

“W-We didn’t know about this!” blurted Pearl. “We’re just as surprised as you! Especially with the fact that she’s seeing Zecora! Uhhh… no offense, dearie.”

“Oh, I take no offense,” assured Zecora kindly. “Your surprise doesmake sense.”

“Oh, you say that you’re surprised now,” jeered Rarity, looking angrier by the second. “But you guys were apparently able to make a bet about it?!”

“N-Not a bet!” said Magnum insistently, squirming in his chair. “I-It was more of a… friendly wager, that’s all.”

Pearl rolled her eyes and groaned. Even Sweetie Belle had her eyes narrowed this time. Zecora didn’t seem too offended, but she didn’t darelet it show while her marefriend was so hostile. Rarity’s eyes switched between her Mom and Dad while her muzzle tried to hide her gritted teeth.

“Y-You see, honey,” began Pearl. “We, errr… W-We both talked in private about how you never… seemed to pursue many stallions growing up. And after a while, we may have… had our assumptions?”

“Assumptions?!” Rarity was shocked. “Wait, what do you mean?! I’ve dated stallions before! I specifically told you about Thunderlane, Mom!”

Zecora sucked some air through her teeth. The unicorn took notice. “I mean… is that a fair example to state? You kissed me both before and afterthat date.”

“WHOA!” Sweetie Belle looked surprised. “You kissed Zecora andThunderlane on the same night?!”

“N-No I didn’t! I never kissed Thunderlane once!”

“Ohh…” Sweetie nodded; and then a second later, winced. “Oof… poor guy.”

“Oh, don’t be like that! I’ve made amends with him since then!” Rarity addressed her parents again. “And since when would that even hint at my orientation anyways?! You’ve seen how many posters I had of Blueblood and Trender Hoof growing up!”

“Well, yeah, that’s true,” responded Magnum. “But you never really showed much interest in any localstallions. It was kinda like… when I talk about wanting to go sky-diving, you know? I mean, I wouldn’t say no if it was offered, but it doesn’t mean I really saw much of a chance of it happening.”

“And just what is that supposed to mean?!” Rarity huffed. “What are you guys trying to say!? That I was intentionally setting my standards so high with stallions as some… some subconscious means of trying to repress my true feelings on who I wanted to be with?!”

Neither of her parents could really say much in response to that, although that was mostly due to how confused they were by Rarity’s overly detailedself-assessment. Even Zecora had to speak up. “I highly doubt that’s what they were trying to say. At least… not in such a highly specific way.”

“Thank you, Zecora!” Magnum seemed happy with the zebra’s defense. “And we’re not trying to claim we knew or assumed anything! I just sorta… had a fatherly hunch, that’s all.”

“A fatherly hunch, huh?” Rarity repeated flatly.

“Hey, at least I’m being supportivehere! We’re perfectly happy with you and Zecora being a couple! Honest!”

Rarity, although still rightfully peeved, sighed at her Dad’s genuity. Her Mom, however, still appeared a little apprehensive. The older mare, upon noticing her being observed, spoke up. “I-I completely agree with your Father, dearie! I promise you, nothing will everchange how much we love you or Sweetie Belle. I always just figured that, well…”

“You… You figured that what?” asked Rarity worriedly.

“Oh, it’s nothing big, I swear. I just figured that… Well, maybe… Maybe you were just Bisexual.”

Rarity looked like she was about to fall out of her chair. Sweetie Belle was just as confused. “Wait a minute… why would you think Rarity would wanna date a bicycle?”

“T-That’s not what that means, Sweetie Belle! But Mother, why would you think I was Bi?!”

“Well, I figured if thatwas the case, there was a chance you’d be able to give me some grandfoals someday!” Unlike Magnum, Pearl was more blunt about her reasoning. Blunt enough to leave Rarity dumbfounded. “Oh, and don’t give me that look, young lady! You spend nearly allof your spare time with other mares, you never took any of my advice on stallions you should ask out in town, and your secretive nature as of recently was a big hint that something was up.”

Pearl took a look at Zecora, and shrugged awkwardly. “Although I have to admit, I’m pleasantly surprised at how much you exceeded our expectations.”

Rarity and Zecora’s eyes widened. “Ummm… what was that?” asked the fashionista.

“Well, I just mean… Ever since you became the Element of Generosity, the two of us sorta… Well, we expected that you wouldn’t be trying to date anypony at all until you guys retired.”

“And since we had no idea when thatwould be,” added Magnum, “all we could do was hope that… well… maybe having those Element friends of yours would help you be more honestabout yourself. Heck, part of me wouldn’t have been surprised if you ended up with one of them instead.”

“Oh, EWWW!” Rarity had to push her plate away. “Dad, they’re like my sisters!”

“I know, I know! I’m sorry, I’m not saying I wantedthat to happen! Just that, well… it wouldn’t have been too much of a shock, y’know?”

Rarity shuddered uncomfortably, causing her Father’s ears to slump down in guilt. Pearl spoke on his behalf with a reassuring smile. “What we’re trying to say is… For a long time, your father and I were worried that you’d spend the prime years of your life alone. And before you say anything, we wouldn’t have been upset at allif that turned out to be the case.”

Magnum nodded. “That’s right! Given all you’ve been doing for your fashion empire, not to mention saving Equestria every other month, there’s no doubt that you would’ve made us proud regardless of how you lived your life.”

Rarity grew a slight, uneasy smile. Magnum motioned back towards his wife. “And yeah, we… We mayhave noticed enough signs growing up to guess what might happen later on. But at the same time, I can speak for bothof us when we say… We couldn’t be happier that you’re being so true to yourself.”

Rarity’s smile suddenly became natural. At that moment, Magnum reached out to take his daughter’s hooves and hold them tightly. “Honey, I swear to you, that whole ‘wager’ thing was just a silly little thing between your Mother and me. I never intended to make you feel like we knew you more than you, or that our love for you would be conditional in any way. Even if you ended up with a stallion, I’d be just as happy for you as I am right now.”

“And we really are happy for you and Zecora,” said Pearl. “It’s certainly unexpected, that’s for sure! But compared to some of the other couples in town, I doubt you two will stand out thatbadly.”

“Hmph~” Zecora couldn’t help smirking. “I have a feeling we’ll still turn a few heads, I must say. Similar to that gryphon with the artist fiancè.”

Pearl rolled her eyes and nodded reluctantly. “Well, alright. You have a fair point there. B-But anyway, I’m just saying that no matter what we may have thought before, you’ve always been the type to surprise us and exceed our expectations. When I was your age, I was struggling just to keep my mane straight while caring for you as a foal. Whereas for you, you’re now a highly successful designer with a legacy that I know will end up in history books someday. And to see you with someone like Zecora, it just…”

She took a moment to stare at both of them with a warm, approving smile before sighing to herself. “Well, what can I say? I would’ve never expected something like thisto happen, but… that just proves how well you know yourself and be true to what’s best for you. And for that, I couldn’t be happier for bothof you.”

Rarity and Zecora both smiled warmly. The zebra pulled the unicorn in even closer. Rarity looked like she was about to cry out of joy. Magnum eventually let go of her hooves, and looked back at his wife to say, “Uhhh… you know what? I think it’s safe to say that the wager is off. After all, she didn’t technicallyend up with a mare. Ummm… Wait, that’s not offensive, is it?”

Zecora rolled her eyes and put her hoof on Rarity’s shoulder. “If you want to put this issue to bed, you should pay that wager to herinstead~”

Everyone shared a good laugh together. Even Rarity felt a lot less upset about how her ‘coming out’ played out. Much less upsetting than what she expected. “W-Well, I don’t know what to say right now. I mean… I’m so grateful that both of you are so accepting of us, it’s just… It’s a lot to process right now.”

“Honey, take all thetime you need,” consoled Magnum. “Just know that no matter what, we’ll support you and Zecora with whatever happens in the future.”

“And might I add,” said Pearl, extending her hoof out to Zecora. “It’s a pleasure to meet you like this, Zecora.”

“Oh, believe me, the pleasure is all mine.” Zecora shook Pearl’s hoof, and Magnum’s right after. “I’m just glad that everything turned out fine.”

“Yeah, me too!” chirped Sweetie Belle. She went back to devouring more of her strawberry cobbler without much thought. Rarity rolled her eyes, secretly thankful that Sweetie didn’t stir too much conflict. Unfortunately, right as Magnum and Pearl were about to resume with their dinner, Sweetie’s head perked back up. “Oh, WAIT!! I just remembered something!

“So… if you two are girlfriends and stuff, does that mean that you weren’t‘wrestling’ when I walked in on you two the other day?”

Rarity nearly choked on her fork. Both she and her girlfriend gawked at Sweetie Belle, unable to respond. Meanwhile, Magnum and Pearl were staring right at them, equally baffled.

Beads of sweat began to appear across Rarity’s forehead. Her horn lit up, and her serving spoon floated up by her side. “Okay, who wants more cobbler?!”

The End