Runaway Sweetie

Sweetie Belle's eyes snapped open.

She rubbed her blurry eyes to get her vision, and smiled. She walked over to her bedroom window and yawned, looking out at the beautiful world. The sunrise, casting orange and yellow across the sky, seemed more vibrant than usual.

She saw a small robin roosting on a nearby tree. She studied it carefully.

Everything seemed perfect, friendly.

Then Sweetie Belle remembered something. Something important.

Quick as a flash, the snow-white filly dashed towards her calender. She galloped fast, and could barely see what was in front of her.

She tripped on one of her many pony action figures and landed on the ground with a loud thump. The landing was quite hard, and left a small bruise. Tears welled up in the pained filly's eyes, but she wiped them away. She picked up her purple quill and crossed out February 12th on her calender. It was now, February 13th, the day before February 14th...

Hearts And Hooves Day.

"Hearts And Hooves Day is tomorrow?!" Sweetie Belle shrieked, "I have to get something for Rarity! But... WHY TOMORROW?!"
"What is all of this noise about?" Rarity groaned, walking into Sweetie Belle's room in her violet dressing gown. Her hair was messy and matted, some brushed across her left eye. Sweetie Belle on any other day would have laughed, but she was panicking too much then to do so.

"Oh, nothing!" she replied quickly, blushing.

"It didn't sound like nothing to me! What was it?" Rarity asked firmly.

There was silence.

Rarity sighed. She checked Sweetie Belle's pink wall clock.

"Go back to bed, darling! It's only six in the morning!"

"But it's already bright outside!" the foal whined.

"Ugh, fine. Just keep your noise level down. I'm trying to get some beauty sleep."

Rarity walked out, sighing for a second time.

Sweetie Belle pulled a very worried face.

"What should I get her?!"

At eight sharp in the morning, Sweetie Belle set out with her pocket money to buy something special for Rarity.

"I have 10 bits," Sweetie Belle looked down into her purple purse, "what can I get with 10 bits?"

Sweetie Belle stopped in her tracks and thought for a moment. It suddenly came to her.

"I have it! I can buy some fabrics for her at the local tailor!"

Sweetie Belle set off for the tailor.

"Now... which way is it again?"

Sweetie Belle felt stupid. She'd been dragged there by her sister constantly to spend hours choosing a perfect fabric, yet she couldn't even remember what direction it was in.

It took forever, but she finally made it to the tailor. However, she then noticed a sign pinned on the door.

'CLOSED DUE TO STAFF ABSENCE.'

Sweetie Belle shouted angrily, suddenly realising every pony was now staring at her. She blushed for a second time and trotted off.

The rest of the day was spent looking for a present to purchase for Rarity. Unfortunately, all of the other shops were out of stock when it came to Hearts And Hooves Day things.

Sweetie Belle felt even more stupid. She should have remembered days earlier, and maybe then they'd at least be a few things left to choose from.

It had been a long day for the filly. Her hooves were aching from all the walking (and rapid galloping) she had done. She stormed into her room, flung herself onto her bed and whined, frustrated with herself. At least it felt nice that she could now rest her aching hooves.

"I need something noooooooow!" she complained.

However, suddenly, the filly had an idea. She jolted up and smiled, hopeful.

"I can make something for Rarity! It will be more thoughtful and won't cost me a bit!" Sweetie Belle grinned at her still full purse.

She sat there, pondering what to create. She wondered about making her big sister a card with paper and crayons, but she later thought it would be too bland and wouldn't be special enough.

'Hmm... Well, Rarity has a lot of dresses that are very dull... Especially her favourite one. I'm surprised that it's her favourite actually...'

Sweetie Belle gasped and grinned from ear to ear.

'I HAVE IT! I'll make it better! Just for Rarity!'

Sweetie Belle jumped up in delight. The plan was perfect.

That night, while Rarity was sound asleep in her bedroom, Sweetie Belle crept inside. She opened up Rarity's wardrobe and carefully took out her big sister's favourite dress.

It had rubys, sapphires and emeralds on it. However, it was nowhere near as sparkly or glamorous as the others, the filly thought.

She crept out of the room with the dress and snuck downstairs. She turned the kitchen lamp on as she lay the dress on the dining table.

"I know what it needs!" Sweetie Belle grinned, "It needs more gems!"

Sweetie Belle vanished and soon came back with a box of assorted gems and some glue. She sprayed glue all over the dress and stuck gems in random places all over it, making it look sloppy.

"That violet colour looks boring too. It needs covering up!"

Sweetie Belle walked away for a second time and came back with a pot of bright pink paint and a paint brush. She dipped the brush into the paint and spread a thick layer of it everywhere on the dress, making it look very messy indeed. Sweetie Belle stood back and admired her work.

It looked a mess. The wet paint was dripping onto the table and some of the gems were slipping off. It looked more like a squished cake than a dress!

Of course, Sweetie Belle didn't think this. She dragged the now wet and heavy dress up the stairs, leaving a trail of pink paint and gems behind. She placed the dress back on it's hanger and some of the paint started to drip onto the wardrobe floor.

Sweetie Belle closed the wardrobe carefully and went back to her room, not making a sound. Snuggling up in her warm bed covers and feeling relieved, she closed her eyes.

"Happy Hearts And Hooves Day, Sweetie Belle!"

It was February 14th at last. Sweetie Belle and Rarity were in the filly's room. Rarity held a small present for Sweetie Belle. It was wrapped in purple paper. She levitated it to Sweetie Belle, who grabbed and opened it. It was a small, violet teddy bear.

"I love it!" Sweetie Belle squealed with delight and cuddled Rarity, "Thank you! I have a present for you too!"

"Oh, good. I was starting to think that you had forgotten about me!" Rarity joked, adding a short laugh.

Sweetie Belle put her new teddy on her back, blindfolded Rarity with her pillow case and walked her sister back into her own room.

Sweetie Belle opened the wardrobe.

The paint that had fallen off the dress was all dried up at the bottom of the wardrobe. Sweetie Belle took the dress off the hanger and placed it on Rarity's bed...

Then Sweetie Belle took the pillow case off Rarity's eyes...

Rarity glanced at the dress and screamed in shock.

"My dress! My beautiful dress!" Rarity picked up the ruined dress and tears welled up in her eyes.

"Do you love it?!" Sweetie Belle asked hopefully.

Rarity turned to Sweetie Belle. Her face was red, her face twisted into a glare, which gave Sweetie Belle the answer before Rarity began talking.

"NO! I DO NOT LOVE IT! THIS IS AN OUTRAGE!" Rarity burst out, "LOOK WHAT YOU DID TO MY MASTER PIECE!"

"I thought it would make you happy." Sweetie Belle squeaked and stepped back a little.

"HAPPY? WHAT, COMPLETELY RUINING IT? TURNING IT INTO A DRIPPING WRECK? LITRALLY!" Rarity just noticed the paint on the wardrobe floor and she pointed at it.

"I'm... sorry... Rarity..." Sweetie Belle felt pricks of tears in her eyes.

"SORRY?! SORRRRY?! GAAAAAAAAAAAAH! YOU SHOULD FEEL MORE THAN SORRY MISSY! RUINING MY DRESS WITHOUT MY PERMISSION!"

Sweetie Belle began weeping. Rarity stomped out of the room. Doing so, she snatched the teddy bear off Sweetie Belle's back and took it with her. Sweetie Belle ran into her room and slammed the door.

"AHHHHH! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO THE STAIRS, SWEETIE BELLE?!"