//------------------------------//
// An Unexpected Find 
// Story: The Wish of a Filly 
// by BronyDad 
//------------------------------//


Chapter 1


An Unexpected Find


Sweetie Belle hummed happily to herself as she pranced through the nearly deserted marketplace, her eyes glued to the Carousel Boutique just across the bridge.  

She glanced up at the clock tower as she stopped to readjust her saddlebag which was filled with everything that she would need for her sleepover at Rarity's.  She was going to arrive right on time.  When it came to plans with her sister, Sweetie Belle always tried to be punctual, as she knew that Rarity appreciated it. 

She had been looking forward to this night for the last two weeks.  A night alone with the best sister ever.  Imagining the games that they would play together, and hoping that Rarity might even let her help with one of her dresses, Sweetie Belle entered the shop.

Immediately, Sweetie Belle's gaze landed on the mannequins on the far side of the room, still wearing their featured outfits, and then shifted to the racks of clothing toward the back.  Usually at this time in the evening, Rarity was carefully storing away the clothes and tidying up the shop.  Where was she?

Confused, Sweetie Belle climbed the stairs and found Rarity in her bedroom.  Her older sister was deep in concentration as a floating needle sewed the hem of a dress that was draped over a mannequin.  

"Rarity?" Sweetie Belle said uncertainly.

With a start, Rarity spun around as the needle fell to the floor.  "Oh, Sweetie Belle, you frightened me."  The needle began to glow with a blue light as it rose back into the air and returned to its work on the hem.  

Rarity spared her sister a quick glance.  "Whatever are you doing here at this hour?"   		     

Sweetie Belle felt her heart sink.  "Uh...I'm spending the night with you...remember?"

"Oh my stars!" Rarity gasped, rounding on her.  "Was that tonight?!"

"Yeah."  Sweetie Belle sighed, already knowing what was coming.

"Oh, Sweetie, I'm so sorry!" Rarity said despairingly as her little sister's ears drooped sadly.  "I've just been so busy...I thought your visit was next week!"  

Devastated, Sweetie Belle fought back her tears.  "But...but I've been looking forward to this for two weeks!"

"I know, Sweetie," Rarity stated, looking thoroughly miserable, "but I have no time.  I have five more outfits to make after this one, and they're all scheduled to be picked up tomorrow morning."

"It's not FAIR!" Sweetie Belle squeaked in anger.  "You never make time for me!"

"Oh come now, that's not true.  I-"

"You always put your stupid shop ahead of me!" Sweetie Belle sobbed.  Then she fled the room, bounded down the stairs, and crashed through the front door.  

As she reached the bridge, she slowed to a halt and leaned over the edge to gaze at the river below.  Watching a small group of ducks dunking themselves and quacking merrily, Sweetie Belle struggled to gain control of her tears.  

She hated it when her sister cancelled their plans.  Rarity was always taking on more work than she could handle, and Sweetie Belle was always the one that paid for it.  How could she do this to her?  Did she really think that little of her?  

With her head hanging low and ears drooping, Sweetie Belle shuffled dejectedly back home. 

It just isn't fair, Sweetie Belle thought to herself.  Why doesn't Rarity ever make any time for me?  She always makes time for her stupid clients.  Does she really think that they're more important than I am?

She paused in front of her home and stared at the door for a moment, and then with a miserable sigh, she stepped inside.

"Sweetie Belle?"  Her mother blinked in surprise.  "What are you doing here?"

She opened her mouth to speak, but suddenly found a lump in her throat as her eyes brimmed with tears.

"She was too busy, wasn't she," her father stated as he rose from his armchair and crossed the room to her.

Sweetie Belle nodded sadly as she accepted her father's hug.  Clutching him tightly, Sweetie Belle sniffled.  "Why does she always do this?"

"Rarity has a very demanding job, honey," her father answered.  "Some of her clients are very important ponies, and they expect a lot out of her."

"I know it doesn't seem fair, dear," her mother added as she joined in the hug, "but you've got to understand.  This is what your sister has always dreamed of.  She'll make time for you later.  She always does, you know that."

"I know..." Sweetie Belle agreed despondently.  "I just wish she could have made time for me tonight."

After her parents released her, she announced that she was going to bed and trudged up the stairs.  

Sweetie Belle let her saddlebag fall to the floor and climbed into bed.  She pulled the covers up to her chin and stared at the ceiling for a long time before finally drifting off to sleep.

Without warning, a knock at her bedroom door abruptly woke her.  Sitting up with a start, she could see the first rays of morning light stretching across the floor.  

Sweetie Belle yawned as she rolled out of bed and opened the door, but then froze with her mouth still wide open.

Smiling sweetly, Rarity said, "Good morning, Sweetie Belle."

"W-what are you doing here?" Sweetie Belle stammered, shocked at finding her sister here so early.

"Well, my client just picked up her outfits and since I had a little bit of free time, I thought that we might share some breakfast."

"Breakfast?" Sweetie Belle repeated, still feeling a bit overwhelmed.  Then, finally realizing that she was going to be spending the day with her sister, she began hopping up and down excitedly.  "Oh, yes, yes, that would be so cool!"

Rarity giggled as she led the way down the stairs and into the living room.  With a wink and a smile at her parents, she lifted a large wicker basket with her magic and lowered it onto Sweetie Belle's back.  "Won't you carry this?"

"Of course!" Sweetie Belle answered enthusiastically.  Turning to her parents, she called, "Bye mom, bye dad, love you!"

"Love you too!" they both echoed as she pranced out of the house behind her sister.  

As Rarity turned and began to lead the way in the opposite direction of the park, Sweetie Belle cocked an eyebrow.  "Where are we going?"

"I thought we'd eat out by the lake," Rarity answered.  "The water is always so gorgeous this time of the morning."

Sweetie Belle couldn't stop grinning as she followed her sister out of town and down to the lake.  How could she have thought those awful things of her sister last night?  She should have known that Rarity would make it up to her.  She was the best sister ever after all.

Once they had reached the shore, Rarity's horn began to glow with a bluish light as the basket on Sweetie Belle's back opened and a neatly folded blanket floated out.  It hovered three feet in the air as it unfolded itself and then spread itself out over the ground.  

Rarity took several moments to gently tug at the edges until every last crease had been straightened out, then sat on the blanket as the wicker basket landed lightly beside her.  

"I made us some of my cucumber sandwiches," Rarity stated happily as a large platter of sandwiches rose into the air and came to rest on the center of the blanket.  

"Mmm, that sounds delicious!" Sweetie Belle exclaimed, eyeing the sandwiches hungrily.

"Would you like some tea?"  

In the most sophisticated voice that she could muster, Sweetie Belle answered, "I would be delighted!"         

With a laugh, Rarity poured the tea and the two sisters began their breakfast.  

Looking out over the lake while she ate, Sweetie Belle understood what Rarity had meant.  The crystal clear water reflected the beautiful orange and red sky as flawlessly as a mirror, and the end result was stunning.  It looked as though they were seeing the sunrise both in the air and on the ground.    

"You were right, Rarity," Sweetie Belle told her.  "The lake is gorgeous."

Rarity smiled pleasantly.  "Yes.  It is beauty such as this that inspires my work.  I often come here when I have a difficult order to devise new concepts."

"Do you have any more orders now that you've finished the one from last night?"  

Rarity nodded.  "I'm making several dresses for a photo shoot that Photo Finish will be hosting in Canterlot in three days.  All the major celebrities will be attending, such as Hoity Toity, Sapphire Shores, Trenderhoof, and I've even heard tell that Princesses Luna and Celestia may be there!"

"Wow!" Sweetie Belle's eyes were wide with awe.  "That's amazing!  Your dresses could be all over Canterlot if you pulled this off!"

"I know!  This is such a momentous opportunity for me!"  Stomping her hooves in excitement, she continued, "That's why I've got to get home as soon as possible and get to work!"

Sweetie Belle's face fell.  "Oh...so you'll be working all day today?"

Rarity frowned at the change of tone in her little sister's voice.  "Yes, Sweetie, that's why I decided to share breakfast with you.  I'm going to be too busy to spend any time with you later, so I wanted us to have a nice morning together before I got started."

"I...I just thought that we could...spend the day together..."

"Oh, Sweetie Belle," Rarity said as her ears drooped regretfully.  "I told you in your room that it was just a breakfast."

"I know," Sweetie Belle sighed.  "It's just...we were supposed to spend a whole night together, and now all I get is just a stupid breakfast."

Rarity flinched at her words, but remained silent as she watched her little sister stand up.  As Sweetie Belle started away, she quickly called, "Sweetie Belle...don't you want to finish your sandwiches?"

Sweetie Belle hung her head gloomily.  "No thanks, I'm not hungry anymore."

She ignored Rarity as she continued to call after her, and quickly made her way toward the nearby tree line.  Fighting back tears, she trotted among the trees until she could no longer hear her sister, and then flopped down on the soft grass and started to cry.  

Suddenly, she caught scent of a wonderfully sweet smell.  

With the scent to guide her, Sweetie Belle made her way toward a large rock that sat beneath a huge oak tree.  As she drew near, her eyes landed on a small space between the rock and tree and kneeling down, she found the most beautiful flower growing in complete shadow.

Without hesitation, Sweetie Belle reached a hoof into the small space and pulled the flower from its hiding place.  As the sunlight hit its petals, she gasped in wonder.  The flower was a light golden color, and in the direct sunlight, it seemed to sparkle like a gem.  

"Wow!  What a find!" exclaimed an excited voice from behind her.

With a cry, Sweetie Belle whipped around to find Twilight standing right behind her.

"Oh, sorry, I didn't mean to startle you," she said with a sheepish grin.  "I was on my way to Zecora's and happened to notice you over here.  I was wondering why you were reaching under a rock."  Staring at the flower in awe, she asked, "Do you have any idea what that is?"

Sweetie Belle glanced between Twilight and the flower in her hoof, then shook her head.

"That's a Wishing Flower, it's incredibly rare," Twilight explained.  "Legend has it that if you make a wish, then blow on the petals, your wish will come true."  Suddenly growing excited once more, she demanded, "You found it, make a wish!  I want to see this for myself!"

"Uh..." Sweetie Belle thought for a moment, but then realized that she already knew what to wish for.  With all her might, she wished that Rarity could have more time to spend with her.

Sweetie Belle concentrated hard on her wish as she blew on the golden petals, and was shocked to see them break away from the stem and soar high into the sky.  They spun fiercely in the air before abruptly exploding into a cloud of golden dust, and then the wind swept it off in the direction of Ponyville.

"That was incredible!" Twilight declared.  "It was just like my book described!  I can't wait to get back home and write to Princess Celestia!  She's not going to believe this!"

Unsure what to think, Sweetie Belle asked, "Will my wish come true then?"

"If the legend is true, then it should."  Waving a hoof, Twilight said, "See you later, Sweetie Belle, and thanks for the amazing experience."

As Twilight trotted away with a huge smile on her face, Sweetie Belle mumbled, "Well, at least it made her day."

Feeling marginally better about the whole situation with Rarity, Sweetie Belle headed back to town, unaware that the cloud of golden dust was even now settling over the Carousel Boutique.