The Piebald diaries

As we walked back through the town, we noticed the eyes of everypony upon us. Surely at least some of them heard what had happened. Maybe some of them had even been told ahead of time what was going to happen so that no innocent ponies would be harmed. Interesting. Very interesting. But even if those were orders given by the princess, she had still killed to many innoscent ponies to cover up her sins. Doing the wrong things for right reasons was still the wrong thing. But even still, I remember in Twilights lessons that nopony who is evil ever thinks that they are evil. They usually still think that what they're doing is best. There are a million shades of grey, I was told. I dunno. But one thing was for sure: I would never betray Princess Luna. She would have tried to find another way. Even if it meant an actual war with the griffons, it would have been preferable. But then many lives would have been lost. What she did saved many lives, right? So was this more grey than dark for the lives saved? Or more dark than grey for the lives it cost? Would Luna and Celestia been able to easily repel the invasion together had the former been appreciated like she deserved? Questions riddled my mind about what was right and wrong. Maybe ordering no civilian casualties was just an act to make her look better. But if she wanted to be a full-fledged tyrant, she would have done it by now. These are not thoughts I want to have. But even if I did keep thinking them, I have but one goal: protect the princess. I then recalled Fancypants and how he had been brutally murdered by her majesty. Execution was one thing, but that? That was just sheer brutality. Regardless, she had to be brought to justice for the measures she took. But that is enough of those thoughts, I think. I probably ought to keep telling the actual story.

As we walked back through the camp, I saw Rarity caring meticulously, in true Rarity fashion, for the now unicorn Spike. Princess Luna was right next to her, making sure to keep him under constant watch. For nightmares, no doubt. I'd probably need the same if I were in his position. But if Luna were my nurse, then worse things could happen. Wow. My journal entries have started to get kinda flirty. I hope to the heavens that Scootaloo doesn't read them. Scootaloo. Hmm. I needed to tell her about me and Luna. She deserved to know. Anyway, as I walked back through, Luna was the first to notice me. She ran over to hug me, and my face turned kinda red. She had apparently been worried. "Spirit! We-I was so worried for you! Twilight Sparkle told me of the waiting trap soon after this morning had passed! She told me that there was a chance you might not have been saved!!" She began crying. It wasn't until now that I realized something: we had been traveling with each other for over two years, almost three now. I'd known her since I was just a foal. I knew she had become an irreplaceable part of my life, but I had no idea how important I'd become to her.
"It's alright Luna," I started off. I had to make her feel better now. It tore me apart to see her like this. "I volunteered and walked right into it. I should have been more careful an-"
"No!" She was really upset. I almost started crying too. Almost. "No, it is not alright! I had nearly gotten you killed because I did not think this through! And you might have been captured and become like Fancypants!" She was flat out sobbing now. "It was my fault!"
I couldn't say anything. It was just as much my fault as hers. I was there and didn't think of a discreet enough way to contact the pony we were to supposedly meet. But she didn't need somepony to tell her that she had been wrong. Right now, she just needed somepony to hold her and be there. And I was the somepony she wanted. So I obliged her. We held each other for what seemed like an eternity. It was at that moment that a tear fell from my own face. I have no idea what she saw in somepony, an earthpony of all things, like me, but I didn't question it. And then I realized something. Everypony was watching us. Even Scootaloo. As I turned to look at her, she was already flying away, crying. Bawling. I felt bad. Really bad. She didn't break up with me because she didn't like me anymore. She broke up with me because I wouldn't tell her why I was always going to Twilights house. Actually, I'm kinda curious as too how she got here.
"You must speak with her, Noble." It was Lunas idea. I smiled at her when she said that. She was kind, kinder than most ponies I've met. "She needs you right now."
"You're right, Luna." So we released each other from our embrace and began to run after her. Then turned back at Luna. "Thank you, for, well," I mimicked the final part of the oath she gave me upon leaving on my mission and kissed her on the cheek. "Being you." I didn't stick around after I did that, but I know she was blushing under her indigo coat. And so I ran after Scootaloo, prepared for whatever punishment she felt like doling out.

There she was, her orange coat blending in with the sunset flawlessly and sitting on the face of a cliff. She was still crying. As I walked up to her, a twig snapped and she noticed me immediatley. She didn't turn though. I think she just wanted to sit there and be alone, but that wasn't going to happen. We needed at least some closure. "What do you want, Noble?" She sighed as she asked me. I've seen her angry before when she didn't want to be moved. This wasn't it. She would usually throw things when she wanted to be left alone. "You come to rub your princess in my face?"
"Not at all, Scooter," She had always hated when I called her that. But she could never be annoyed and angry at the same time. "I just wanted to sit and talk, if you're alright with that."
"Do what you want, you're 18."
"Scootaloo, what happened with us?"
She just gazed blankly at the sunset. "You found yourself a princess to replace me with was what." She took a pause then continued. "Isn't it that obvious?"
"Scootaloo, you know that's now how it happened." We were both looking at the sunset now. "We both know that you broke up with me."
"It's not like I wanted to, Noble. But you didn't tell me why you kept going to see the princess. And now I know why!"
"She was injured, Scooter. You know that as well as I do."
"But you could have told me!" She wasn't yelling to the sunset anymore, but to my face. "You could have trusted me!"
"I couldn't take that chance, Scooter. We needed to keep that information as secret as we possibly could."
"Hmph. Whatever." her face retreated into her arms. "So why aren't you talking with your princess now?"
"Because I'm talking to you." I stared into the glorious gold and orange that pained the clouds. "Scootaloo, I didn't have time to be in mourning over our break up. We had to move fast and I couldn't have you hurt. You still meant a lot to me then. You still do now. I didn't want you hurt. Besides, I need to be there for Luna. You saw how she acted when I came back to camp. And I would have felt the same way about her in that situation. I have to be there, as her knight in shining armour."
"But you were MY knight first!"
"I know I was, Scooter. But now I'm hers. And I'm sorry, but that's it."
"Figures. With everypony else having somepony to miss or have a shoulder to sleep on nearby. Applejack has Soarin'."
"Who?"
"He's the blue pegasus. Wonder Bolt. Apparently, soon after Princess Cadances wedding, AJ and him started doing long distance. They've been secretly married for seven years."
"What the hay?!"
"Yes. AJ married a wonder bolt. When we asked she never said, she just said "Y'all never asked" And then gave some answer about Soarin' not wanting her harassed by the ponyrazzi." She took a breath and continued. "Between them, Big Mag missing his, ugh, 'Flutterpie', Rainbow being upset and worried about Braeburn, Twilight and Thunder Striker finding out they were meant for each other, then getting married on a whim because they "didn't know how much longer they each had left in this world together"".
"Wait, what?"
"Apparently Thunder is the exact same pony as Twilight only not a unicorn and with scary looking bat-wings. Both are nerds, he's just a more active one."
"Huh, that seems really out of character for Twilight to do."
"I know. We all said the same thing." She stared back at the sun set, now turning a deep violet, showing it was almost finished. "And then I find out that Spike has somehow gotten himself turned into a unicorn. Still working that one out. And now him and Rarity are gonna be all up in everyponies face about it. And now? Now the only reason I joined you guys has gotten himself a princess to replace me with!"
"Scootaloo, you know I still care about you. But I'm Lunas now."
"But you were mine first! And I still love you!" Tears welled up in her eyes as she made a confession she had, not once, made when we were together. "And to be so close to you and not be able to have you?" She was gasping for air now. "It just sucks, you know?!"
I took her in my arms as she said that. She needed a hug more than ever now, so I gave her one. "I know it does. And believe me when I say that I would never want to hurt you. But all I can say is that I'm sorry. I really, truly am."
"I'm sorry too!" she accepted my embrace and wouldn't let go. She knew I was off limits now, but she would heal. I never realized it hurt her that much when she ended us. I guess I wasn't as good at reading the ponies I cared about as I thought. As she let go, she looked up into my eyes with hers full of regret and of sorry and of forgiveness. "Okay, well, I'm gonna go say hey to everypony and tell them I'm alright."
I just smiled as she flew off. She'll be okay. Now, I thought, time to go figure out everything that had happened while me and the others were seperated from the rest of the herd.

As we walked through the mountains, I was sure to remember to ask everypony what happened while the group was split. Scootaloo, who didn't join the team until after we seperated, eventually set out to find us maybe six months ago. Since she learned to use her wings for things other than flight when she was younger, like propelling her scooter or running faster, she was able to travel much faster over land than Celestias guards. She said it took forever to track us, though. I guess we covered our tracks better than we thought. Although it might have helped that we tried to avoid taking the roads. As for Applejack and Soarin' getting married, that was a story that ought to get turned into movie after all this chaos with Celestia has been taken care of. Turns out, they met the first time Twilight and all of her friends went to the Grand Galloping Gala together. He ate one of her apple pies and it was, as he said, "love at first bite". He would have made a move on her at Princess Cadances wedding, but then Rainbow Dash grabbed him by the wing and made him dance with her. He didn't get another chance to see her again until the next gala. And when he saw her again? He tried his best to make sure he got to spend the whole evening with her. He even worked to make sure that all of her apple products got sold. Within the first hour of the gala. That's what you call persistence. As they walked together that evening, they spoke together, and that was when she fell for him. He knew he wasn't the shiniest apple in the barrel, but he really turned on the charm that evening. And, as AJ said, he plum forgot to turn it off ever since. They became pen pals after that, and AJ did her best to have her "business meetings" match up with the wonder bolts tour schedule. And when he proposed? He waited until the next gala and spent most of his money on a solid. gold. apple. He handed it to her and to her and she read the engraving. "I'm sorry that I can't give you the world, so I'll just have to make you mine". He asked her to marry him and she shrieked yes. And Applejack does not shriek that often. They made their marriage a small, private ceremony in Manehatten. Ponies didn't really recognize him without his flight suit, so they were left alone for the most part. The only ponies each of them invited was Granny Smith, who desperately wanted to see her granddaughter married before she died, Luna rest her soul, Big Mac, who didn't talk much, Spitfire, the wonder bolts team captain, and his own grandfather, Glides. After they told me that story, it totally explained where Applejack went on those four day "business trips" every month. I had to admit, the gold and blue couple did look great together. Besides, after I thought about seeing Rainbow Dash and Braeburn together, I realized it wasn't that wierd. Rainbow and AJ were basically the same pony given different circumstances to live with. If you gave AJ a set of wings when she was born and put her in Cloudsdale she would have been exactly like Rainbow. And take away Rainbows wings and put her on a farm? You've got yourself an AJ. As for what our next move was, that something that was going to be very difficult to pull off. As it turns out, Fler de Lis was Fancypants' replacement contact, should things have gone awry. Twilight and the others found her camping out in the woods, waiting for the night of the meeting. I should have done that. What she said rocked the whole camp. What she said could mean the end to all this running once and for all. Her husband had a source within Celestias inner circle of friends. It was somepony who knew for years what had been going on but couldn’t do anything until all the pieces were in place for a successful coup. She knew not the name of the contact nor even whether or not it was a pegasus, earthpony, or unicorn. All she knew was that she went by her contact name: Singing Sword. The contact told Fler that Princess Celestia was going to a routine military inspection of the Royal Guard base in Maredrid. She also told her that Lunas guards had been successfully rallying support behind the scenes. Amazing. The buffalo in Appaloosa were also informed of the coming battle were preparing for the engagement. Altogether, it was a force of nearly three thousand collective buffalo, pegasi, earthponies, and unicorns. It would be more than enough to overwhelm the garrison there. Hopefully with minor casualties to both sides. But Maredrid wasn't going to be an easy fight, that was for sure. It was the sight of one of the biggest and baddest pegasus bases back before all three pony races rallied under one flag. It was especially known for the Sky Spire, at one time tallest structures in Equestria. It had once been home to the high command of the pegasus nation. Now it was used as a secondary palace for when impotant diplomats or nobles were in the area. It was also where the princess was staying for her duration there. It all seemed too good to be true. To get there, we had to pass Mount Killmarejaro in the north. Finally. It would finally be over soon. We would draw battle plans once we got there into the general area and rendezvous with the Buffalo Chief, Little Strong Heart. The operation was under his command until we arrived. But until then, we still had a mountain to cross over.

"I hate this!!" We were crossing the mountain pass as I said this. It was freezing cold. And windy. And it was a blizzard. I am currently writing this entry from a cave called "Blizzards Haven". "I really, REALLY hate this." My complaint fell on deaf ears, no doubt because everypony else felt the same way. Still, it made me feel better to say it outloud. Besides, the wind was so loud, I doubted anypony else could here me. As our intrepid party of thirteen crossed through the frozen over Tartouros, I couldn't resist stopping to think about how far we've come from Ponyville. I was now a full grown colt, Scootaloo and I had finally let the past go and become best friends. She still feels a little bit of a grudge against Luna, I think, but I don't think it's anything to bad. She knows what's at stake here. I think I'm finally able to tell how Spike became a full grown unicorn as a oppose to his comparable dragons age. Since he was raised by ponies, he grew up more mature than mst dragns, since they grow up slower and all. When he was still a baby dragon, he was smarter than the cutie mark crusaders. He must have been only 15-17 in dragons years when all of this happened. As for how he got to be full grown, I think it was because he was inducing growth out of an engineered greed to protect Rarity. I'm gonna go ahead and guess that he aged himself to about his mid-twenties in dragon age before Celestia turned him, and since he was that old biologically when she turned him, it must have translated. I was helping to lead the herd, such as it was, through the path right alongside Princess Luna. It was bitter work, especially considering that I was carrying maybe a third of the supplies, along with Big Mac and AJ, but it was worth it. I was the youngest, after all, and I hardly thought that I had proven my worth to the team at large. I mean, everypony else on the team was known for doing something amazing. I mean, we had two royal guards, the best unicorn wizard in Equestria, two super strong work horses that could basically bench press most of the team if they worked together, the master of the legendary sonic rainboom, a kick flank pegasus scout, a wonder bolt, a pony that predict short range disasters, a-
"Look out!" Pinkie Pie shouted as a tree tumbled down in front of Luna and I. "All good!" She said with a perky smile on in spite of the bitter cold. As I was saying, an important source of information, a jewelry based assassin, a beautiful alicorn princess, and then me. The youngest member of the team. I can't fly. I'm not as strong as AJ or Big Mac o do magic. The only thing special I had was some killer armour. Maybe the cold is getting to me because I am not usually this whiney. That's Raritys job. Heh. That was mean, but it made me feel better when I wrote that down.
As we approached the cave, Luna used her horn to light up the path and show us all the cave. As we all entered, we read the sign that called it "Blizzards Haven" and took a break from the cold. "We shall rest here until the storm subsides. Take your respite, everypony. You have all earned it."
I dropped like a rock in a lake when she said that. To hay with the baggage. They could pick it up off of me if they felt like it. And that's what they did. In fact, every five minutes, somepony else got something, keeping me from sleeping. So I just walked over to where Twilight and Spike was trying to start a fire. And failing. Wet kindling. And matches. Kinda sucked. "Twilight, don't you know any spells that can help?"
"I'll try, Spike." Twilight tried to warm her horn to try to dry the everything. It didn't work. She was too exhausted. "I'm sorry, everypony. We'll have to tough it out in the cold tonight." There was a resounding groan from over half of us.
"Hmph, too bad we didn't still have dragon with us." I muttered under my breath as every pony tried to huddle together for warmth. That's when it occured to me. "I'm a genius!" I shouted as everypony tried to lay down for some sleep. They looked at me like I just fell off the face of Equestria. "Spike! You don't have a cutie mark yet, do you?!"
"No, why?" Spike wasn't sure he knew where I was going. But I knew.
"Because! You were a dragon! More importantly, you were a FIRE breathing dragon!" I paused as everypony else began to put two and two together. "Which means, my formerly scaly friend, that YOU might have a special talent that has something to do the fire! Go ahead, try to heat up that log."
"Spirit, do ya really thank that'll work?" AJ asked me, unsure of my idea. I did not blame her, but it was cold in here, and I didn't like it.
"It's worth a shot!" Spike answered for me. He concentrated on the log placed in front of him as he tried to either heat it to dry, or set it on fire. "Ugh. Nothing."
"Try harder!" I ordered.
"Alright," He focused even harder on the inner fire I knew was in him. Soon, we all saw a green glow from within the piece of wood. And soon after that, he set it ablaze in a glorious green hew. "I did it!" And then his cutie mark appeared on his flank. Huh. You know, it has been years since I thought of that phrase. You would have thought that a more colt friendly term would have come up in the hundreds of years that that has been called that. Weird. "My special skill is... Fire!" Spike took a moment to take in the fact that he still had fire powers, albiet from his horn and not his mouth.
"Fabulous, Spikey!" Rarity ran over to him and clung to him like a wet blanket. "And such and lovely tone of green as well!" She still wore her black suit filled with death gems. Any time it tore, she repaired it, and anytime it needed something new, she added it.
"Heh" Spike blushed as Rarity expressed her appreciation. We all got a kick out of it. Amd after that first burst of fire power, Spike went ahead and lit three more, then practiced deeper in the cave to make sure it didn't just come and go. After a few minutes, everypony gathered around the fire to get warmer. Eventually, they were all reminiscing about the "good ole days". Rainbow and AJ even shared some of the memories they had with their own colts. Like the time when AJ and Soarin' got into a pie fight. Or when Rainbow and Braeburn went buffalo tipping. And then got chased out of town. She said it what his idea, but none of us believed her.

As everypony was laughing and enjoying themselves more than they had in years, I took a moment to go look into the blizzard. I couldn't even see five feet into the icy maelstrom, but I still just sat there, staring into the frozen desolation. "They say that this mountains storm was caused by First Snow, greatest unicorn of her age. She placed it here as a test to those who try their own resolve." Luna had snuck up behind me. It was nice that she held me in that kind of regard.
"Is that right?" I asked, trying and failing to sound interested.
"What troubles you, Noble?" So she knew there was something off with me tonight. She must have heard my earlier dragon comment. "Why do you wish to be left alone?"
"What makes you think that I'm troubled?" I was hiding it badly. Even I could see that.
"Spirit, please. After all the years we had known each other, do you really think that I would not know when something was on your mind?" She sat down next to me as she plied me with questions. "What is it that ails you?"
I took in a deep sigh as she asked. She deserved to know. "It's just... everypony else is either super strong or skilled at flying or magic or just being really strong. I don't get any of that, Luna. I've hardly done anything except haul luggage. I'm just the regular earthpony that tagged along for the ride."
"But you have heart, and you have spirit." She looked deep into my eyes as she continued. "And you have me."
"What are you...?"
"Spirit, ever since you swore to keep my presence a secret, you have been to protect me, an alicorn princess. You could have easily walked away from all of this for the longest time. You have shown naught but valour and courage in a battle that was not yours to wage. You have always been there for me and have always shown me the one thing that might have saved me from the jealousy that entered my heart all those centuries ago: love."
"Luna." I wanted to interrupt, but something in my mind wouldn't let me.
"You have been my friend from the very beginning and..." She kissed me before she even finished her sentence. "I love you, Noble. More than anypony should be able to love another."
"I..." I didn't know what to say. I knew we liked each other, but I had no idea her feelings ran so deep. As deep as my own, in fact. I kissed her back as she looked into my brown eyes. "I love you too, Luna. Ever since we first, met I've loved you." As I took her hooves into mine, I stared into the sapphires that resided within her eyes. I wanted to say more, but I couldn't even think of the words to express how I felt. So we just sat there, leaning on one another and watching the light from the fire bounce off the frozen and desolate beauty of the mountain. Even with all the cold raging around us, the moment was more perfect than I could have ever hoped.