It was a Thursday. For Zecora, that meant it was market day. The townsponies were now accustomed to seeing her, but perhaps none more so than Ponyville’s resident party planner. This particular Thursday, however, Pinkie Pie hadn’t been standing at the edge of town waiting for Zecora like she normally did, so Zecora decided to see if Pinkie was at Sugarcube Corner. She opened the door and—

“Surprise!” Pinkie shouted. Zecora looked past the pink mare to see a Pinkie Pie party thrown in her honor. “Zecora, you didn’t think I’d forget about your birthday? If nopony threw you a party, then that’d be, like the worst day!” Zecora entered, but didn’t get far before Pinkie shouted, “Hey! I rhymed, didn’t I? Just like you, Zecora!”

Zecora froze, then whirled around and turned towards Pinkie.
“Pinkie, I don’t think you know what you’ve done!
An epic rhyme battle you have just begun!”

Pinkie smirked back at Zecora, then nodded at Vinyl Scratch. With a flick of her horn, Vinyl switched out the records and put on her headphones. Pinkie struck a pose and began rapping.
“If it’s a battle you want, then c’mon, Z, let’s go!
You can rhyme all you want, but I’ll still beat you, though!”

“I have been rhyming ever since I was just a little filly!
If you think that you can beat me, well Pinkie, that’s silly!”

“I’ve got focus so strong, I’ll outfocus you all!
Spent a whole day once staring straight at a wall!
And there’s nothing more boring than watching paint dry;
So I’ll outrhyme you, and that isn’t a lie!”

“Focused? [i]Focused?![/i] Focused, you say?
Yourself and ‘focused’ are like night and day!
Pinkie, you are as scatterbrained as they come!
When you’re not making clones, on your banjo you strum
While playing the tuba and the trumpet and more.
And sometimes in a candy-copter you soar!”

“While it’s true that I’m random, that can’t mean I’m not rapt!
But you, on the other hoof, aren’t as adept.
The only thing that you know better than rhyme
Is letting potion-making take up all your time!
You stay in the woods far away from us all,
If you’d come to my parties, maybe you’d have a ball!”

“Your [i]Ex Machina[/i] antics are off of the wall.
What’s worse is your Pinkie Sense. That one beats all!
And though in the kitchen you really can bake,
For me, winning this is a piece of cake!”
 
“Forget it, Zecora, ‘cuz I’ve already won!
Stick a fork in you! Do you know why? [i]You’re done![/i]
Any day of the week, any week of the month,
Pinkie Pie can rhyme, but you are just—um—uh—”

It was in this moment that Pinkie realized nothing rhymes with “month.” With a record scratch, the music stopped. All eyes turned to Pinkie Pie as great drops of sweat chased each other down her face. Zecora was the one smiling now.

“Why, thank you, dear Pinkie, for breaking that curse!
Though I am now better, I fear [i]you[/i] are…”

Zecora paused and leaned in for effect, “far worse off than I am now!”

Pinkie was shocked. Zecora said something that didn’t rhyme!

“Now hold on, Zecora, those lines didn’t rhyme!
I thought that you had to rhyme all of the—”

Pinkie gasped. [i]She was rhyming involuntarily.[/i] Hadn't Zecora said something about a curse? Was she doomed to rhyme forever? “—time,” Pinkie squeaked.

[hr]

After being delayed by her royal duties and arriving late to the party, Twilight greeted the guest of honor. “Happy birthday, Zecora. How are you?” Twilight asked.

“Why hello, Twilight! I’m doing great. How are you doing?”

“I’m glad to hear that. I’m doing just fine.” A small frown crossed Twilight's face. “I hope I didn’t cut you off. You didn’t rhyme ‘doing’ with anything.”

Zecora chuckled. “Oh, don’t worry about it, Twilight. The curse has been broken by our friend Pinkie Pie. I don’t have to rhyme anymore!”

“The curse?” A second later, Twilight felt something grab her leg. She looked down to see a distraught Pinkie Pie.

“Oh, Twilight, please help me; I’ve done it this time!
Now everything that I say is in rhyme!”