If I had payed attention

Prolouge

a My little Pony Fan fiction

By CandyCorn Rainbow

A/N: Ugh why do I do this to myself? I mean I have I'm sorry to work on, but I couldn't resist this, it was such an amazing idea! I came up with it while listening to some night core and thinking if my favorite ship from MLP, Scootabelle! (Please don't throw the rocks at me!)

A cold wind slapped the face of the young white unicorn as she walked down the mossy cobblestone pathway up to an old school. Many ponies were keeling on the steps, crying out in agony. Most of them had other ponies with them, helping the poor, weak souls up the hard steps. The unicorn made a very depressed face and opened the heavy oaken doors. "I'm here!" She called out in a twinkling voice, riddled with hardship and depression.

"Finally! We need you!" A much older, tired looking alicorn with a soft purple coat ran up to her. She had deep bags under her eyes and looked as if every single problem on the planet rested onto her shoulders. The white mare felt plenty of empathy for the alicorn princess.

"Where?"

"She's advanced farther than we expected. If we let her continue without fighting, she'll take over easily." The alicorn led her to one of the classrooms, where blankets riddled the floor with a messy fashion. You don't have time to be neat in a war.

"How could I have let this happen?" The unicorn shook her head with a disappointment in herself burning in her stomach, making her curly, long violet and pink mane messier than it already was. "I'm so sorry!"

"It's not your fault, Sweetie Belle. It's Luna's. You've helped us all so much!" The princess said. She took a hoof and placed it on Sweetie's shoulder. "Without you, we may be dead!"

"But I was closest to her! How did I not see the signs? I want to just..." She let out a shuddered breath and lay down on the dust covered floor.

The alicorn gave her a look of concern. "I need you to train some recruits to the army. Most of our soldiers are on the other side, dead, or busy fighting as we speak. I'm not as advanced in combat magics as you are, and Applebloom was looking forewords to showing off in front of a bunch of other ponies, so you should try to keep her under check." With those instructions, the mare stood up and walked to the doorway, before stopping and looking back at the unicorn. "We will win, I promise my dear." she left.

Sweetie Belle was left staring at her messy hooves, mind racing with self-blame. She had failed them all... With another small head shake, she stood up and went out to the main room, by the doors she entered in. She scoped before spotting the yellow flank she was searching for. She ran over to her best friend. "Applebloom!"

"Yeah?" the yellow earth-pony turned around and beamed. "Ah! I was 'bout ta' come looking for ya'!" she drawled. "Twilight wants us to train some other ponies in the library!" she enthusiastically jumped, her red braids flying up.

"I know. I just talked to her. Let's get going!" She walked next to her friend with a forced smile, walking to the library. She opened another set of large doors. Inside the library, there were many ponies practicing battle, reading and planning, or talking quietly. In one corner, a few young children were wrestling, laughing and bragging about whom was better. Sweetie Belle felt a tug at her heart. These would be the ponies fighting for Celestia soon...

"Hey kids!" Applebloom shouted as they approached the corner. "You ready?" The little ponies scrambled into a strait line and nodded their heads enthusiastically.

Applebloom paced around them, examining each feature of the little ones. Sweetie Belle smiled at them, and began to explain their situation. "We are up against the greatest threat Equestria has ever seen. Nightmare Moon. She's back, and she's got all of our friends." Sweetie belle felt her throat close up a little. "She wants all of us to follow her, and force us into being night slaves, only allowed to move under the cover of darkness. But she also wants many of us dead. Princess Twilight and Princess Celestia are perfect examples. She will kill them without second thought. That is why we need you. Every soldier we've got!" She paced in front of them.

Applebloom bumped in. "We need ponies in the air. We need scouts and spies, and most importantly we need fighters! Castle guards will do nothing for us now!" she looked down at a black pony, with a mane of gold, that curled around her head and made her look very small. She had small wings, and Sweetie Belle saw a flash of sympathy sweep over Applebloom's deep gold hues. "Hey, kid. What's your name?"

The filly looked up at her with soft pink eyes. "I'm Flower Garden." She sat up straighter, trying to make herself taller.

Applebloom ruffled her mane with her hoof. "Heh. You look like a fighter, for sure." She moved on to talk to the other ponies.

Sweetie Belle took this time to explain the training. This wasn't the first time she had done this. She could do it in her sleep. "Okay. We need any ponies here who want to be scouts! Remember, having wings is the ideal position for the scout because they can move faster of pieces of land, and can see higher! You don't need to be able to fly yet to get in the group now!" a few ponies shuffled twords her. Most of them had wings, except for a silver male. He was an earth-pony. She noted that Flower Garden was not among them.

"Okay! You three stay here!" She moved to another area nearby. "All ponies who want to be actual fighters, come over here!" Most of the children were going over there, including Garden Flower. Sweetie Belle smiled at her. She reminded her of another pony, one she missed more than anything. She then made a third group. "Spies. This is a dangerous position. You risk getting thrown into Luna's group, killed by her, or dying fighting your own side." Only one filly stepped in. She held herself up high, and she had a light pink coat with a brown wavy mane and tail. She smiled.

"I think I can handle that!"

"And what is your name?" The filly reminded Sweetie of another pony from her childhood, one she hadn't expected to miss, but she did nonetheless.

"Winter Berry." She snapped. She sat down and looked expectantly at her. "So...?"

Sweetie grinned. "Apple, I think we found Diamond 2.0..." she laughed. "Hey can you go get the pins from Twi? I forgot them!"

Applebloom nodded. "Yeah!" She started to the doors. Sweetie Belle sat in front of the trainees. She examined each one. They weren't going to lose. No.

I'll save you. We'll win the war and I'll end your slavery. I promise Scootaloo, we'll win. Please wait for me.

A/N: OH SNAPPLE! Yeah, cliffhangers on the PROLOUGE? I am so evil! I hope you enjoyed. I think it's going to turn out nice. Also, yes, I ship Scoots and Sweetie, and I have no idea why! Also, notice my subtle reference to Applebloom seeing Scoot in Flower Garden? It was epic! Please review if you think this is going to be an interesting series or not!

If I had payed attention

Chapter one

An MLP fanfiction

By CandyCorn Rainbow

A/N: Chapter one! Yeah! I'm really into this now and don't think I will stop! I have lost my creativity for I'm sorry and may not post chapters for that in a while, sorry! I want to, but I don't know what to do with that or where it's going!

Sweetie belle opened her eyes and glared at the harsh brightness that was the sun peeking through her window. She stood up and pushed aside the light violet drapes and pushed the window open. She gazed upon Ponyville with a small bubble of happiness growing in her stomach. With one big breath of air, she walked over to her vanity. She had gotten it from Rarity for Hearthswarming eve last year, and she loved it, even though the pink stood out in her violet and white themed room. She picked up her comb in a green aura of unicorn magic and brushed her mane out, making sure it curled like it usually did. She had been letting her mane grow out, and was quite proud of how long it was.

She hopped down the stairs of her and Rarity's house and smiled at her sister, who was sipping coffee at the table, a large mess of papers in front of her. Sweetie poured herself her own cup of coffee and added a ton of sugar before walking over to her sister and looking at what Rarity was focused on. "I would put a bow here." She pointed at a part of the dress plan her sister was staring at. Rarity stared at the sport for a moment before nodding.

"I see. The dress is blue. What color?"

"Violet. Or sea foam green." She sat at the other end of the table and began to down the coffee.

"I'm going down to Manehattan to buy some supplies. Want to come with?" Rarity began to pack her things into a large white saddlebag. Sweetie belle shook her head.

"As much as I love shopping with you, I have plans today..." She grinned into her sugary concoction.

Rarity put her saddlebag on and jabbed her in the side lightly. "With Scootaloo?" She grinned like an older sibling does when teasing their brother or sister.

"Maybeeee..." She laughed. Her sister seemed to think that her and Scootaloo were the best couple, although most ponies didn't like the idea. She stood up and put her coffee mug in the sink. She rinsed it out and walked to the door, where she picked up her own bag. "I'm off!"

"Have fun!"

"I plan on it!" Sweetie Belle walked outside into the crisp morning air. It stung her lungs, but was so exhilarating she couldn't help but take in a deep breath. She walked down the path to the library. Her and Scootaloo had a study day planned. She smiled to herself, and went around the bend. Then she stopped in her tracks.

Smoke. She saw the smoke before the acrid tang hit her nose and made her eyes water. She saw ponies screaming, and crying. A young mare was helping a filly who looked similar to her run, but the child was limping. Wet blood followed in a trail behind her, and Sweetie Belle felt the bile rise in her throat. She ran to help.

Before she could reach the two, something flew behind them. Another pony. The young child was thrown across the sky in a flash of silvery blue. She hit a building and sank to the ground, unmoving. Sweetie Belle craned her neck to so the attacker, and felt another wave of sickness.

Scootaloo. She hovered there on wings that worked, a sickening sight. Blood dripped from her front hooves. It splashed onto the ground in a dancing red, thick and metallic. Her eyes were dark, and her long magenta mane was a mess. She grinned. "Look at me! I can fly!" She swooped down until her face was inches from the white unicorn's, who was frozen in fear. "Why couldn't your magic do this?" she hissed.

"S-Scoot... What's going on?" Sweetie tried to back away, but her fear held her tight. She could smell the blood on Scootaloo. It made her sick.

"I can fly. All I needed was some magic. You have magic..." Scootaloo flew behind her and pressed a hoof on her back, pressing the white mare to the ground. "Why the fuck couldn't you help me?!" She shouted into Sweetie's ear. The unicorn cringed.

"I d-didn't know you could do that!" She yelled back, struggling. The blood on her friends hooves leaked down her back. It made her struggle harder.

A loud beating sound came from above, like large wings. "Scootaloo! We don't have time for this. We need to get moving!" A loud voice demanded. The entire area fell silent. Sweetie Belle recognized this voice, but it had a menacing crackle to it. Bitterly twisted. Nightmare Moon.

Scootaloo lifted upwards, to the sky. Sweetie Belle spun herself around to see Scootaloo and Nightmare Moon hovering above her. Both were glaring, and a drop of blood on Scootaloo's hoof landed on Sweetie's nose. She shook as the two mares flew south. She couldn't move from shock. What had happened to Scoot? Since when did she... she shook her head. She had to report this to Twilight. She began running to the castle, Kicking up dust as she moved as fast as she could. Many ponies were running in the opposite direction, to the burning library.

She ran up the glittering steps and banged on the doors with her hooves as loudly as possible. The doors opened and a small green and purple dragon looked up at her. "Spike!" She cried. "I need to see Twilight, it's an emergency!"

The dragon looked her up and down with his green eyes filled to the brim with concern. "O-Okay!" he ran off in a rush. A few minutes later he came back with a tall alicorn. Her deep blue hair, with purple and magenta streaks, was in a ponytail, and her eyes were narrowed with worry and loss of sleep.

"Sweetie Belle? What's going on?"

"S-Scootaloo... Nightmare moon! S-She's back. Then library... on fire." She swallowed. "A-Attacked me... I think Nightmare Moon gave her wings! T-That work..." She couldn't talk. Her mind was racing and her head began to spin and her vision blacked out. "Go h-help!" She collapsed.

When she woke up, Sweetie Belle was in a bed. Somepony was talking but she couldn't make out what they were saying. She felt something sharp and painful in her arm and with great difficulty she turned her head to see that it was an IV. She groaned. Was she in a hospital? It smelled like it. A mix of chemicals and generic laundry detergent. On her other arm there was a white paper strip with her name and room number on it.

"Can I see her?" she heard a familiar voice on the other end of the room, outside the door. Rarity.

"If she's awake." A male voice said quietly as the door opened. A brown colt walked in, with her sister next to him. Sweetie forced a smile.

"Hey." She croaked. Rarity ran to her side and burst into tears. She placed a hoof atop Sweetie Belle's.

"Had I not gone to Manhattan... I could have known there was something wrong and come faster! Are you hurt?"

"It's okay. I wasn't hurt. I saw a filly..." She swallowed. "I saw Scootaloo attack a filly... She was flying, Rarity! How was she flying?"

Rarity took her other hoof and stroked her sister's hair. "I don't know, Sweetie, I don't." She let a few tears fall onto the bedsheets. The sunk in and left little dark circles. "Had you been in the library any earlier... No I don't want to think about losing you in a fire, too..." she was referring to how their parents had died about two years earlier. They were returning home from a trip, and Sweetie Belle had just started collage. The train crashed and was set on fire. Both parents had died. After that her and Sweetie never took a train anywhere ever again.

Sweetie Belle felt her own tears rising into her crisp green eyes. She bit her lip. Throughout this exchange the doctor had stayed silent, but he then spoke up. "Miss Belle. You were sent in because Miss Princess Twilight was concerned for your health. According to her, you hit your head on a pillar as you slipped into unconsciousness." he looked at his clipboard. "You should be fine, if you are awake so soon. Let me just have a look at your eyes and we'll be good to go."

Rarity moved out of the way as the doctor came over to her and leaned in to see her eyes. He watched them and shined lights in them for a little while before nodding and scribbling something on the clipboard. "Just take this slip and have her wear a wristband that the nurse will give you and she should be fine." He handed Rarity a doctor's note and set his clipboard on the shiny metal counter. "Come on then." He helped her out of the bed and let her lean on Rarity as they went back to the front desk. Sweetie Belle felt dizzy, and still sick to her stomach.

They went up to the granite counter, where a deep purple mare sat, typing away at the keyboard in front of her. She looked up at Rarity. "Watcha need, Sugar?" she asked in a thick voice.

"The doctor said we needed to get her a wristband...?" Rarity looked awkwardly around.

"Ya got a note?"

Rarity handed her the note in a blue magical aura. The lady looked at it, handed it back to Rarity, and stood up. "Gimme two minutes." She went to the back area and returned with a pink wristband. It had some words Sweetie didn't bother to read on it. "You show this to your teachers, and that note, so that they know you may go unconscious in classes, m'kay?" She smiled.

Sweetie Belle nodded woozily and let her sister lead her down to the bus stop. She was still leaning on her when she felt sick. "I-I'm gonna be sick." Rarity led her to a bush and looked awkwardly as Sweetie Belle let her stomach into the bushes. An acidic tang was left behind that was uncomfortable. The bus pulled up to the stop and Rarity led her aboard, purchasing their tickets. The driver gave them a concerned look and began the bus. There were only three other ponies on the whole bus. Rarity sat her down and looked at her. "Are you hungry?"

Sweetie Belle felt her stomach tug. "Y-yeah but I don't know if I can keep anything down right now." Her stomach was whirling, and her vision was still pretty fuzzy. Her mane was disheveled and all she wanted was something to eat and a bath.

"Do you want some vegetable soup?" Rarity asked, rubbing her back.

Sweetie could only nod meekly. She couldn't open her mouth for fear of being sick on the bus. She was too shocked. Scootaloo... what had happened to her? What was with Nightmare Moon? She felt her stomach to another twist.

When they got to the stop, Rarity pulled the stop string and helped Sweetie Belle up. The white unicorn staggered and moaned in pain as they walked up the front steps to the house. She was led to the soft plush couch, and she gratefully rested her head on the cool couch pillow. Rarity went off and got her a bucket from the utility closet that she could be sick in. Rarity smiled at her reassuringly. "I'll make you some soup. Here, watch the television. It'll distract you. I'll call Applebloom and see if she can bring you some ginger ale. She must be worried sick, and I have a feeling she might want to know about what happened."

Rarity walked off to call the Apple family and Sweetie Belle was left with a bucket and the television remote. She flipped to the news station. A gray colt was reading off a piece of paper, and a picture was next to his head. It was of a burnt down library. Sweetie Belle felt another wave of nausea. She vomited into the bucket.

She then turned her attention back to the colt. "Witnesses say they saw Nightmare Moon, an enemy Equestria had thought it got rid of many years ago. Here are some witnesses of the event." The screen changed to a powder pink pony whom had a very grave face.

"Thank you, Mic. Ponies are calling this event many different things. The main one is that this is an attack in hate of Celestia. The Solar Library, a fund-raised library donated to Ponyville by Princesses Twilight sparkle and Celestia, was made to celebrate the togetherness of everypony in Equestria. To set a fire in this building, and then attack the ponies within, well, that's one thing. But to have all the witnesses claim seeing Nightmare moon within the library only moments before... That's no coincidence. I have a few witnesses here to talk about what they saw."

Another screen change. The mare was now with three other ponies. Two of them Sweetie Belle recognized. The filly and her sister, and then another she didn't.

The one she didn't was a red colt, with a short purple mane. "Hello, you say you saw the arsonist?"

The older sister nodded her orange head, pink mane falling in and out of it's crisp bob cut. "She was an orange Pegasus. A-About as tall as us. She had really tiny wings, but then s-she talked to Nightmare Moon in the corner of the library... and her wings grew. They saw us and attacked. She kicked us about and we managed to get out..." The mare gripped her younger sister's shaking body, as if afraid she may be attacked again. "T-then Nightmare shouted at her, saying there was no time. She used her horn to start a fire, and they flew out, closing the doors behind them. Then the pony attacked up again. She kicked my sister at a wall, where she pretended to go unconscious. I saw the pony attack a white unicorn... she was coming to help us. She knew the pony..." The two ponies were shaking so much that another reporter came over and led them away, trying to soothe them.

The colt nodded. "I know the Pegasus. She was asking how to use the printer a few minutes before it happened. She was waiting for her girlfriend..." The colt shook his head. "I don't know, she seemed so sweet. She had a good sense of humor. I guess some ponies are what they seem to be..."

the reporter nodded. She then turned to the screen. "If you know anything about who these ponies are or where they may be, please call this number..." Sweetie Belle stopped watching the news and let out a heavy breath. She should call in. She made a mental note of the number and stood up on shaky legs. She walked over to the phone and picked it up, pressing the numbers into the keypad. It rang three times, and a husky male voice greeted her.

"Hello?"

"Yes... I-I know who the arsonist is..." Sweetie Belle's legs shook.

"You do? C-can we put this conversation on the news? It's pretty important..."

"Yes, that's fine..." She swallowed. She was turning Scootaloo in. The line beeped.

"Okay, you are on air! Who is it. Tell us everything you know!"

She took a deep breath and began. " I was going to the library to meet up with her. We were going to be studying for collage exams. Her name is Scootaloo. I was going there when I saw the smoke. I panicked, afraid she was in there. M-my parents died in a fire, and I wanted to make sure she was okay. I saw two ponies struggling, and as I was going to help them, Scoot attacked them. I was too scared to move. I didn't get hurt, but as she was leaving, I saw Nightmare Moon and her leaving. It has to be Nightmare's fault! Scoot had a disability! She couldn't fly..." She started to feel hot wet tears run down her face.

It was quiet before the man spoke again. "Thank you miss, this really helps. I-I'm sorry..."

"Thank you..." She hung up and went back to the couch, where she was sick again into the bucket. She sighed and rolled onto her side and closed her eyes.

She woke up a little bit later to somepony shaking her side. "Hey, sunshine..." Applebloom was hovering above her, eyes turning with worry. "I heard what happened. Y'okay?"

"No..." Sweetie Belle sat up. Applebloom handed her something. A bottle of ginger ale. "Thanks." She used her magic to unscrew the cap and take a swig. Her head felt better.

"Rarity made you some soup, but she went to bed. She was up all day talking to the police with me. Apparently, Scoot ain't nowhere to be found." Applebloom stood up. "Want a bowl?"

Sweetie Belle nodded and took another swig of the ginger ale. The bubbles tickled her tongue. Applebloom came back with two bowls of soup, and set one on a fold out table by the couch. "Here." She handed her a spoon.

"T-thanks." Sweetie realized how hungry she was and took a bite. It was thick, and had bits of carrots, celery, and potato in it. She took another bite.

"Ya' know, I'm not surprised..."

"At what?" Sweetie looked up.

"That Scoot did it. Think about it. A Pegasus who can't fly is promised the one thing she's always wanted in exchange for service. Plus that with evil magical juju and you get just what happened." Applebloom explained. Sweetie Belle was taken back. She was right. Scootaloo had always wanted to fly, and was never able to because of her disability... she sighed.

"Then it's our fault... Or at least mine. I never noticed..."

"It's not your fault. None of us could stop it!"

"But had I known she was so upset by it.. and I tried to find a spell to fix it... then..." She bit back the words she wanted to spit. She remembered what Scootaloo had said, and how right she was... "I can fly. All I needed was some magic. You have magic...Why the fuck couldn't you help me?!" She cringed. "I could have helped her, Applebloom, but I didn't why couldn't I have seen it sooner!" She let out a pained cry, the tears she had held back throughout the day let themselves break the barrier.

A/N: Holy shit I wrote this in one day! I amaze myself! I hope you liked this! Please review and tell me what you think!

If I had payed attention

Chapter two

an MLP fanfiction

By CandyCorn Rainbow

A/N: A CHAPTER TWO SO SOON? I am having, like, a creativity burst! It's amazing.

Sweetie Belle lay back down and let the tears slid onto the pillow below her head. "Sometimes I wish I could do something to control my life, but maybe I can't..." She looked back at Applebloom, who was looking at her, concern flashing in her eyes. She tried to force a smile.

"You're a terribly lier, Applebloom." Sweetie Belle sat back up and began to finish her lukewarm soup. "I'm gonna finish this and go take a bath."

"That's what happens when you're the sister of honesty! Yeah, okay." Applebloom grinned.

"I assume you plan to stay the night?" Sweetie asked as she picked up her now empty dish and walked to the kitchen.

"Yeah! I brought my stuff."

"Then just head up to my room now, and I'll meet you there." She set her bowl in the sink and walked up the stairs, Applebloom on her tail.

"K!" She turned to the bathroom across the hall from her room. She could hear Rarity snoring peacefully in her room. Sweetie chuckled and locked the bathroom door behind her. She walked over the the red marble bath. She wanted a blue tile one, but Rarity refused. She turned the knobs and ran the water.

She lit a few candles and turned the radio on. As the tub filled she got her first look at herself since that morning. Her mane was a disheveled mess, and her eyes had bags underneath them. She could see the splash of blood on her nose still, and she only had to move a little see the splotches on her back. She felt a tear slip down her cheek, and only had to look in the mirror to see a pitiful face looking back at her. She swallowed and turned her attention back to the bath. Turning the water off, she climbed in and let out a breath.

Sweetie Belle dipped her head into the water and rubbed her nose to wash the blood off. She raised her head and breathed some air in. Turning to the side, she picked up some shampoo with her magic and washed her mane, trying to focus on anything but what had happened. She dipped her head back and rinsed the shampoo. The warm water soaked into her skin and soothed her a little, but not by much. She sighed. Her shoulders were tense and heavy.

She rubbed some body wash on herself, and realized she was using the one Scoot had left at her house. She swallowed and let out a silent cry, choked up with so many emotions pouring around in her head. She finished washing herself and soaked in the bath for a few more minutes before draining it and getting out. She brushed her mane in front of the mirror.

Her mane was matted to her flank, and she was dripping. She stared at the face on the other side as she dried. She looked a little better. When she was done, Sweetie Belle went back to her room, a fluffy blue towel wrapped around her neck.

Applebloom was laying on her back playing with some clay. Applebloom always had some clay with her. It helped her focus, she said. Sweetie smiled and hoppped onto her bed. "Been a while since you slept over!" She commented as she reached to her bedside table for her laptop. She opened it and was greeted with the light purple screen saver she had. With a few taps she was logged in, and she stopped.

Sweetie Belle had forgotten what her desktop background was. Her and Scootaloo on Nightmare Night. She felt her throat close up in emotion as her eyes flashed over every inch of that image. The costumes, the friends in the background, the way Scoot was flashing a gaint grin at the camera. Her eyes stung as the ever firmiliar tears fell.

"Sweetie?" Applebloom looked up from her clay and at her friends crestfallen face. "Y'Okay?"

"A- Applebloom... You never know what you have until it's gone..." Sweetie Belle let out a shuddering breath and closed the computer. She had forgotten why she even needed it. She set it aside and lay down on the comforting pillow top mattress with a large sigh. "I wonder what's going on. Oh Applebloom I'm so confused! Why the library? Why did Nightmare target Scootaloo for... whatever her evil plan was?"

Applebloom looked at her with an expression of pity and empathy. She climed onto the bed and sat next to Sweetie Belle, resting a hoof on her shoulder. "Yeah, I'm confused too. But we both know why Nightmare Moon targeted Scootaloo and the library. She needed someone to control who would do anything to get what they wanted, and Scoot wanted those wings so badly. She would kill for them. That library was a special place to many ponies, including all the princesses. You want to send out a message with a bang? Burn an important monument to the ground!" Applebloom was shaking. Sweetie Belle knew why she was so angry. Applebloom had poured her heart and soul into helping that bukding get built. She stayed up all night nailing board upon board together and painting shelve upon shelve. To have that all burnt down in one second... well it was probably infuriating.

Sweetie Belle let out a sob and sat up, sniffling. Applebloom herself had a few tears running down her golden cheeks. Hopping off the bed, the white unicorn looked at her vanity. She was obsessed with picture frames, and almost every single one she had held Scootaloo. She felt more tears drip on the the smooth pink surface as she used her magic to pick up one. It was of her, Scoot, and Applebloom at Sugarcube corner, and it was in her favorite frame, one Applebloom had made just for her, with purple wooden carves lilies and a white outline. It was so beautiful she put her most important memory in it.. She felt her knees shake and she set the picture down. She couldn't look at it. She turned back to Applebloom, who was staring at the clay as if it were her math test. Sweetie Belle suppressed a laugh.

She watched Applebloom make the clay into three seperate balls and begin carving each one. Applebloom's hooves rolled, pressed, and removed the clay until she had three seperate, small buttons. "What are they?" Sweetie Belle asked, looking closer.

"I made each of us... I don't know... Pins? Go get some safety pins." Applebloom stared at her creation as if searching for a flaw.

Sweetie Belle walked over to her dresser and pulled out her sewing kit. Her and Rarity had decided to run the dressmaking business together, and she had given Sweetie her own sewing kit. She pulled out her tiny packet of golden safety pins and handed them to Applebloom, who pressed them into the gray clay and made them little badges. "Now can I see what they are?" she peered at them.

"I made you, Scoot, and I some badges. Kinda saying this is who we are." She showed her the pins. "The music note with the sewing needle in it is you, the pair of wings is Scoot..." Applebloom swallowed. "And the apple with a hammer is me... Maybe when we find Scoot we can give her her's..." She set it on Sweetie's vanity. "Fer now, you hold on to it." She then put her own pin on her bag and handed Sweetie her's. "I want you to give it to her." With that Applebloom yawned. "Ahm tired. Night." She went over to her sleeping bag, which was already rolled out on the floor. Crawling in, she smiled sleepily up at her best friend. "What ever's goin' on, We'll get through it. Ah' promise."

"Yeah..." Sweetie Belle climbed into her own bed and closed her eyes sleepily. She felt a wave of exaustion run through her bones and she welcomed the pillow.

After a night of tossing and turning, Sweetie was too scared to fall asleep. In the cover of the darkness, she sat up and peered at Applebloom over the edge of the bed. She was shocked when the golden eyes stared back at her in the shade of the room. Applebloom wasn't asleep either. "A- Applebloom I can't fall asleep. Come up here with me?" She whispered her words, as if scared that the night demons would hear her and jump from the darkness. Applebloom flashed her a smile.

"Scared?" Applebloom stood and climbed up next to Sweetie Belle. She nodded.

"I'm utterly terrified, Applebloom. What if Nightmare decides to come and take you away from me too? What if she kills Scoot, or you? Or me? What if she kills the princesses like we think she will. What if she buries Equestria in another eternal darkness?" She shook. Squeezing her eyes shut, she willed the tears trying to burst into the world back in, to little avail. Something wrapped itself around her. Applebloom's arms. She let out a few shuddering sobs as she was rocked back and forth in a soothing pattern. Her sobs lessend.

"Look, nothing bad is going to happen, I promise. We just gotta tough it out! Tomorrow we'll go visit Twi and get some answers, m'kay?"

"O- okay..." Sweetie Belle rested her head on Applebloom's chest and let her eyes fall closed. She was still scared, but she knew Applebloom and her would inevitably be fine, so why stress herself out?

When they woke up the next morning, the room was very dim. Sweetie Belle rolled her head to the side and gasped in surprise. The drapes were open, too. She peered at the sky as her eyes adjusted to the light. Thick, fluffy gray clouds floated in the sky, covering all the firmiliar blues of the sky. Perfect weather for the mood, she guessed.

Applebloom was snoring on the end of the bed next to her, and Sweetie Belle decided to go downstairs and have some coffee before she got ready. She hopped off the bed and walked down the steps slowly. If Rarity was still asleep she didn't want to wake her. At the foot of the stairs, she started walking normally to the kitchen. It was empty, and the bowls from last night were still in the sink. She started the coffee maker and went to wash the dishes. She rinsed out the bowls and was drying them when Applebloom walked in, yawning.

"Mornin'."

"Hey Sleepy head!" Sweetie Belle grinned at her and went back to washing the dishes. When she was done she pulled two mugs from the wooden cupboards and poured some coffee. She put her usual collasol amount of sugar in hers and handed Applebloom her cup of black. "I have no idea how you drink that stuff black!" She laughed as she sat across from her at the coffee table in the living room.

"I have no idea how you drink that much sugar without exploding!" Applebloom retorted. She took a deep swig of her coffee and let out a contented sigh. "When do you wanna go see Twi?" She finished off her cup.

Sweetie Belle took a soft sip of her own drink. "Let me brush my mane and get ready and we can go. Did you bring a toothbrush?"

Applebloom nodded. She stood up and placed her cup in the sink. Sweetie Belle made a mental note to tell everyone to stop doing that. She finished her coffee and placed it in the sink as well, which made her laugh. She went upstairs and took her brush to the bathroom, where Applebloom was already brushing her teeth. Sweetie Belle brushed her mane, less carefully than yesterday, and began to brush her teeth. It was a dull process. When her and Applebloom were ready to go, she wrote a note and put it on the bathroom mirror, because she knew Rarity would perfect herself before eating.

She met Applebloom at the front door and put her scarf on. They then left the house and hopped down the icy cold steps into the brisk air of Ponyville. They walked down to the center, where Twilight's castle had been built around since the popuation had begun to grow.

Applebloom and Sweetie Belle walked up the steps of crystal and knocked on the doors. Yet again Spike came to the door. He greeted them with a wave of worried questions. After he was assured, he led them to Twilight, who was sitting in her study staring at something with such furosity it was scary.

"Twilight? What is it?" Applebloom asked as the two mares walked in. They sat across from her at the desk and looked at her with worry.

"Hello girls. This." She used her magic to show the two a letter. In thick black lettering there were three words. 'You should evacuate'. "Question is, Is it legit?"

Sweetie Belle sat there thinking. Applebloom was the one to say anything. "I don't think we should take this lightly. If this is a prank, then oh well, but better safe than sorry. With yesterdays events, I would evacuate."

Twilight nodded. "But what do we evacuate? We don't want to panic anyone any more than they already are!" She tossed the letter on her desk with a frusturated grunt.

"Maybe they mean the castle." Sweetie Belle added quietly. "Think about it. The library is an important place to the princesses. The only other place in Ponyville like that is this castle..." she looked at her hooves. "Or you should evacuate the town... I don't want anypony to get hurt..." she smiled meekly at the princess, who looked lost in thought.

"You may be right..." she was getting up to call Spike when they heard it. An explosion.

"Sweetie Belle?" Applebloom called after her as she stood up and ran to the door.

"Twilight! Where do you keep the wepons! I'm not letting Nightmare get away this time!" She looked behind her at the Princess.

"No need." With a magical aura, Twilight handed her a sword that had been hanging on the wall. "Let's go fuck up some moon."

A/N: Ah, my infamous SHIT ENDING! I really wanted to get this out today! So sorry it's short and a little crap at the end, but I tried! :3 Twilight you so badass!

If I had payed attention

An MLP fanfiction

chapter two

By CandyCorn Rainbow

A/N: I started this chapter LITERALLY three minutes after I finished chapter two!

Sweetie Belle took the sword in her own magic. It was heavy, and put a little strain on her magic, but she ignored it. With a nod, her and Twilight started to the doors at a running pace, Applebloom only a few inches from their heels. They ran over the glittering floors and burst outside. They couldn't see the explosion had come from. "Twilight! Fly up and tell us where it is!" At her demand, though a little surprised by her authority, the alicorn princess flew up.

"It's coming from Sugarcube Corner!" she shouted down at them. She began to fly in the direction, and the two mares ran beneath her. The pushed past a crowd of ponies into the heart of the destruction. The once beautiful bakery was in shambles. The cream walls were charred black, and bits of the building that were blown away scattered the ash covered ground. In the middle of the burning building, glaring down on two young children, was Scootaloo. She was snapping in the face of Pumpkin and Pound cake, the children of the Sugarcube corner owners. Next to her was Nightmare Moon, who was standing there, silent.

A volcano of rage erupted inside Sweetie Belle. She ran past the circle and with Applebloom on her right and Twilight above her, she shouted at them. "Scootaloo!"

The orange Pegasus turned from yelling at the young ponies to look at her with a hideously twisted face. "Ugh! You again." Arrows of pain jabbed Sweetie Belle's heart, but she kept her cool on the outside. Scootaloo examined her party. "Oh you brought some friends, did you. How funny, we were about to come looking for you, your majesty!" With those poisonous words Scootaloo flew up, with Nightmare Moon behind her, and was eye level with Princess Twilight.

"Want to fight, do we?" The crackling voice of Nightmare Moon slithered its way into the ponies ears, whom all cringed and shook with fear. She sounded so powerful. "Well then, you can have a fight. You can have a war. We've already gotten your so called Princess of then sun in out grasp. She can make the sun rise and fall every day if she wants to. Right now its draining her power. She'll be unable to stop us soon. And when we have you all shivering in your skins, I'll kill her. In front of you all!" Nightmare Moon laughed a laugh so cold and brittle. It was silent for a few minutes before Scootaloo spoke up.

"Can we go now? We've killed them already and I'm bored!" She lowered herself to the ground and examined Sweetie Belle, who was shaking so much, with her heart trying to desperately remove itself from her chest, and her mouth struggling to say words. She laughed. "You came with a weapon this time, my little fool?" she leaned in, so close that every detail of her eyes was visible to Sweetie Belle. She swallowed. "Do you know how to use it?"

Every ounce of courage Sweetie Belle had at that point melted into the ground and just out of grasp. Before she could muster any more, Scootaloo had turned around and bucked her in the jaw, sending her flying. She hid the ground and bounced again with a loud thud, rolling over the pavement. She felt blood dribble from her mouth. Coughing, she stood up, sword at the ready. She did know how to use one. She just didn't want to use it against her lover. With a sigh she realized she would have to.

"Pfft. Come at me. I bet you couldn't swing it if you tried! After all, you couldn't fix my wings!" Scootaloo hissed, taunting her. Every animalistic instinct in her was pulled out and in one fling of fury, she ran foreword and sliced the sword along Scootaloo's face. Her beautiful, beautiful face. Petrified, she stood there with her body shaking. Her horn stopped glowing and the weapon dropped in front of her, blood splattering her front legs. She shook.

"I- I..." She couldn't speak. Turning to Applebloom, instead of seeing her glare at her in shock, she saw the golden pony growling at Scootaloo. She picked the sword up again in case she was attacked and ran in front of the earth pony. "Scootaloo! What happened to you?" She was sobbing, a stream of hot tears falling into the dust beneath her. She stared into the lifeless violet eyes, and thought she saw them shake a little, but passed it off as her own.

"I got what I deserved. And now I'm helping you get what you deserve." Sweetie Belle thought she heard the faint sound of unicorn magic fighting, but she could only focus on Scootaloo. She raised her sword shakily, staring at the blood pouring off of Scootaloo's face and down her chest. She didn't want to hurt her, she didn't.

Scootaloo flew down and kicked her yet again across the face. A searing pain hit her face, and in self defense and instinct she threw the sword up and sliced her chest, blood splattering onto her face and chest as she made a deep cut.

Scootaloo cried in pain and flew up, blood pouring down to the ground, onto Sweetie Belle. She cried out in disgust as the warm liquid ran fluidly over her. The orange mare flew up to Nightmare Moon, who was preparing to hit Twilight. "Let's go!" She turned south and as she opened her wings, Sweetie Belle yelled after her in a shaky voice.

"I still love you!"

She saw the Pegasus turn her head slightly and look at her, and something wet hit her forehead. Not blood. She placed her hoof on it and looked. A tear. Her gut twisted with a mixture of sadness and pain. With that, the two mares flew south, far from the ponies, all still standing there in shock. It then came to Sweetie Belle's attention what Scootaloo had said. "What did she mean they already killed them?!" She spun around to the crowd. A few of them muttered awkwardly before looking among themselves.

"Who was killed?!" She began to panic.

"M- Mommy and Daddy..." A little tug at her tail made her turn around. Pumpkin Cake was looking at her with round eyes. "They came in and k-killed them. W- We tried to stop them..." She burst into tears, clinging tightly to Sweetie Belle's tail. She sat down and wrapped her arms around the filly. She knew what it was like to lose both of your parents at once. She swallowed and let the pony go. Her home was in flames.

"Come on. You and Pound are going to Twilight's, okay?" She looked at Twilight, who had Pound Cake on her back. She nodded at her and went back to comforting him. Sweetie Belle helped the filly stand up and led her to Applebloom, who was standing there in shock. "Stay here and calm the crowd down. We need to get all of Ponyville at the square so we can discuss evacuating. It's not safe here anymore."

She turned once Applebloom had nodded and walked next to Twilight to the castle. The children sobbed the whole time. When they got there Spike led them away to go get some food in them, leaving Sweetie Belle to talk with the princess. "Applebloom is rounding up everypony up at the town square. We're discussing evacuation." she looked at the alicorn for any surprise.

Instead, she nodded. "Understood. Where to?"

"If what Nightmare Moon says is true, and she had Celestia, then the palace isn't safe, and neither is Canterlot. We need someplace under the radar..."

"Pinkie Pie!"

"Twilight... you can't fit 20'000 ponies inside Pinkie Pie..."

"No! Her family has a rock farm in the country! We can hide there!" Twilight looked ecstatic.

"Okay, where's Pinkie Pie?"

"Probably with everypony else!" Twilight took off out the door, and Sweetie Belle followed her. They ran to the town square as quickly as their hooves would allow.

"We should ask them if anypony else has a good spot!"

"But my idea is so much better!" Twilight laughed at her ow humor. The pushed pass the gaggle of ponies asking what was wrong and stood in the front of the group. Applebloom was already sitting there, playing with her long braided red tail.

"Finally! They're getting restless!" she stood up and moved aside.

Sweetie Belle spoke up before the princess could. "Ponyville! Many of you may have heard of Nightmare Moon being back since yesterday! It's true! She's killed enough of us already! We are evacuating!" She looked at Twilight, who looked like she was screaming at her in her head. She suppressed a chuckle. "Pinkie Pie!"

"Yeeees?" A blob of pink bounced in front of her.

"You're family owns a rock farm, yes? Could we hide there?"

"I have a better idea! Our family has a rock farm next to an abandoned school! You could hide there!" Pinkie Pie bounced a little. She was very positive, after having her friends die. Sweetie Belle assumed nobody had told her yet.

"Fabulous!" Twilight Sparkle interjected. "We'll head off for that place immediately! Or, at sunset..." she looked around at the crowd. "Pack your bags now! Get everything together! We are leaving Ponyville where it will be safe! We can not suffer from any more casualties!"

Many ponies shouted their agreements and began to go off, running to get their things together. Sweetie Belle herself was walking off when somepony tapped her on the shoulder. She turned around. "Yeah, Applebloom?"

"I need to go help. L- Leaving the farm is gonna be hard on Applejack... so soon after Granny Smith died..." She let out a sob.

"I understand." She turned and walked back to her own home. She had seen Rarity in the crowd, so she knew what was going on.

She walked through the doors to see rarity frantically throwing things into suitcases. "Sweetie, thank goodness! Hurry up and pack all the essentials. I would pack my fancy things but I'm sure they'll be here when I get back!" She forced a smile. Sweetie Belle could see the look in her eyes. It was screaming at her.

All she did was nod and walk upstairs to her own room. She used her magic to take a suitcase from the corner of her bedroom and file through her drawers. She packed a blanket, her favorite stuffed doll, and a scarf. She looked around her room. What would she need? What would everypony else need? She went over to her vanity and packed her hairbrush. She then moved on to photographs. She didn't know how long they would be away, so she decided to pack a few.

She scanned the vanity for the most important ones. She eventually decided to bring the one of Applebloom, Scootaloo, and her at Sugarcube corner, and a picture of Rarity. She pulled them out of their frames and carefully placed them in a small pocket on the front. She realized she had forgotten the one of her parents and walked over to her bed, lifting a fluffy blue pillow and pulling it from beneath. The photograph was faded and slightly wrinkled, warped on the ends. She used to cling to it every night after her parents died.

Sweetie Belle looked around. Money, maybe. She could run down to the shop... She grabbed her saddlebag and rummaged around, pulling out her small wallet. It was light violet, and was clasped together with two buttons. Rarity had sewn a little bee on in, when she was obsessed with them.

Peering inside, Sweetie Belle rummaged through her bits, counting them. Twenty two would be enough for a while. She placed it in between her blanket and the suitcase wall and looked around. Maybe a few books. She looked at her tall white bookshelf, pushing aside snow globes and other memorabilia to find her favorite titles. "Arcane Magics... The Witch and The Firefly..." She muttered her titles aloud as to not forget them. She stacked the books next to her, and sorted through to pick her favorites of her favorites. Those she placed in the suitcase, and put the rest back on the shelf. No matter what, she had to be tidy. When Sweetie Belle was done with her room, she moved on to the bathroom.

She looked around. In a plastic bag from under the counter, she placed a toothbrush, toothpaste tube, shampoo bottle and body bar. When she was done with that she placed it in the case and looked around. What else would she need? Sewing kit!

When she was content with her bag, she zipped it up and placed a pillow atop it, as to not forget one. She went downstairs, where Rarity was filling a basket with bread. She looked up. "Ah, darling! I was making a food basket so we can eat on the way there. Maybe we should tell everyone to do that and we can save some money?" She looked back at her bag as she placed three oranges within. She was preparing for more than just a trip.

"Rarity, do you think we'll have to take a train there?" Sweetie Belle walked to the door, but looked back at her sister.

"I hope not, but if we do, it's better than dying..." Sweetie Belle just nodded and walked back outside, and down the icy cold steps. She breathed in the once sweet air, that was tainted with an aura of smoke and sadness. She noticed ponies running about and talking fast to each other. This was a big change, but it was for the greater good. With a heavy sigh, she began twords the Apple farm.

The farm was very busy, with Big Mac and Applejack both bucking at the trees like nuts. When she approached, and sweat covered Applebloom approached her. "Hey! We're bucking apples to use as food while we're out! I was helpin' out, and we're almost done. How about you?"

"I finished a while ago. Hey I was wondering, do you have any wagons we could use? To make moving stuff easier?"

"I assumed we were taking the train" Applebloom looked up at her with a questionable look.

"I..." She sighed. "Yeah, we are..." she looked around. "It's happening so fast, it hurts."

A/N: Noooo my creativity is DYING! Another shorter chapter! Please review with what you think of the story! Funny thing, I know how the prologue is going to go, but nothing else! Ahh and another shit ending, I'm so sorry! JDHSLSKDHLK

Also, if you have any plot ideas let me know, I'm dying here!