//------------------------------//
// Chapter 1: The Vanished Manuscript 
// Story: Rarity Belle and the missing manuscript 
// by Reily 
//------------------------------//

"Hi Rarity!" 

Sweetie Belle shouted beside me, just as I was about to finally finish this garment. 

Neither heavy rain, nor shine, nor the presence of a little sister shall hinder me finishing a project on time. 

"Sweetie Belle?!  Don't you know you shouldn't bother me while I'm in the middle of a stitch?" 

I sighed. 

"Anyway what's up?" 

Sweetie Belle gave me a quick hug. 

"Just here to tell my favorite sister I love her." 

I turned my head towards her and wrapped my front hooves around her. 

As obnoxious as it is being interrupted,  I love these moments with my little Sweetie Belle. And I'm more than grateful that Mother and Father sent her to me. She really does brighten a room. 

Actually it did seem a little brighter for some reason. I suddenly heard some heavy fabric knocking to the floor. 

"Bye Rarity! Got to run. Crusader Business!" 

Just as soon as she finished saying that, Sweetie Belle pulled my hooves off of her. Then proceeded to make a beeline straight towards the door. 

That was a little strange. At least Sweetie promised she wouldn't get in trouble while working on getting her cutie mark. So much for that promise. Knowing my luck, there would be property damage. Again. Regardless I guess I could use a break. 

I put the fabric back down and took a look in the inspiration room. All the luxurious rolls of fabrics seemed right where I left them; though there were some rather small muddy hoofprints on the floor leading further into the room and a few uneven clumpy dirt lines draping the walls like horrible off-color beige curtains.

I’ll have to spend hours scrubbing the floor and the walls if I want things to look good as new. And ideally, maybe I should add some primer to finish this time around. But something isn’t right here. I have come back to see Sweetie Belle coming in after a long rain, but she’s always thoroughly wiped her hooves every time. The filthy scoundrel is going to get a firm talking-to,for sure, but what else could they have done here.

Feeling unnerved, I trotted into the inspiration room. Nothing major seemed out of place, barring the placemat covering my secret safe. My eyes widened in disbelief. My secret safe was completely exposed. After rushing over , I saw it was open and the keypad was covered in a thick layer of some sort of colorful rainbow dust shimmering like prismatic shards. Lingering in the air was a thin hint of vanilla, but it’s more than possible that Sweetie Belle got into my perfume earlier. 

The place where I keep my lesser secrets; things I'd love to talk about when it won't embarrass me. Tales of my love-life, fashion ideas I’d never think about ever unleashing upon the public right now, and stories that I’m too embarrassed to share with the world.   Ransacked by some ruffian, and having it leaked to the press. I’ll be branded as an outcast, a laughing stock, I’d be lucky to keep the Carousel Boutique and be forced to move back in with Mother and Father. Oh the horror!

My poor heart raced a mile a minute. I lit up my horn and dug the stack of papers out clutching my chest begging for nothing to be missing.

Let's see, my Shadow Spade story should be in here somewhere, at the top if I recall correctly. The color changing dress sketch, not it. My sketches for a future retro look, not it. My list of potential admirers, I was looking for that earlier. There were rumors of a fancy stallion coming to town from Canterlot, perhaps he might be the sort of gentlecolt that’d be interested in moi.
 
I flipped back and forth in the stack, but despite my best efforts it is just gone. Most ponies wouldn't know this at a glance, but I am extremely organized. Everything has a place in my system, but no system is perfect. 

I need to find my manuscript as soon as possible,though. The literary world will discard anything that isn't 110% quality. I'd never be able to forgive myself if something I made and shared wasn't perfect.