The Piebald diaries

We were unsure how to proceed after our defeat at the spire. So we rested back in the foot hills of Mt. Killmarejaro. Our party is 20 now. Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Me, Thunder, Soarin', Braeburn of Appelousa, Big Macintosh, Appleblossom, a zebra called Zecura, two other fillies of about Scootaloos age, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Bell, Scootaloo, Cadance, Shining Armour, their twins, Shooting Star and Shining Star, and I believe that that is all of us on board Princess Cadances airship, The Soaring Song. I believe this would be the best place to begin since our loss. I am currently writing this from my own quarters aboard this ship. Everypony else is at a makeshift funeral on the deck of this sky vessel, but I fear that I could not keep my wits about if I spoke a eulogy for my departed beloved. Or everypony lost in the battle for the spire. After we had escaped aboard my nieces ship, we witnessed an explosion of which even I had never seen. My sister or Samarus Night had created it. If my sister, then she knew we would escape and was willing to sacrifice the entirety of two armies and herself to kill one monster, and if Samarus, then he knew he would survive and live to kill us another day. Everypony there's death, there very blood, was on my hooves. All because I had been inpatient in bringing Celestia to justice. And only to find out that she had been secretly manipulated all along. As I had been. By our own teacher. The very unicron that had taught us to fight and to win against Discord. My whole life had been naught of a cruel joke played upon me by the a monster whom we all thought had perished over 1000 years ago. I then heard a knocking at my door. I am trying to ignore it, but it still persists. Who would bother me now, when there had been a funeral for a dear friend to us all. So I finally decide to open the door, and to my surprise, it is Scootaloo. "What is it you want?"
I might as well had invited her in, as she clearly had no qualms about inviting herself in. "We're missing you at the funeral." She refused to make eye contact to me, implying she had also been going through a difficult time from Nobles passing.
"What do you mean, "missing"?" It was a valid question, I had thought.
"What I mean, Princess, is that we're not done. We won't finish it with out you, Luna." She paused and gulped. "We all agreed that it's what Noble would have wanted."
"What does it matter?" I couldn't bear to look at anypony in the eye. I had only wished to be left to stew within my grief. "A funeral would not bring him back."
But Scootaloos response had taken totally off guard. She struck me across my cheek and pressed me against the wall. I had suddenly gotten the feeling that I had angered Nobles former flame. "You just don't get it, do you, Princess?" Rage entered her voice like I had never heard from her. "Noble gave his life for all of us! He gave it for you! And do you know why?! Because he believed in what you were fighting for! Because he loved you in a way that he never loved me back!" All I did, all I could do, was stare into her eyes as anger and sorrow were forged into one emotion. "And all you want to do is sit here and write about how bad you feel? He bucking died for you, and that's your game plan? Hmph, well here I was thinking that he traded up from little ole' me, but it turns out I was dead wrong." She released me from her vice grip and turned her back on me. "We still haven't read out his final words. Turns out he slipped them into AJs armour before the big fight got rolling. I came in here to tell you, since you were the person he cared about most, but I guess if you want to sit here in your little puddle of tears, I won't stop you." She had said that with so much hatred in her voice. She left the room after she had said that, and all I could do was weep. Not for Noble Spirit, but for myself. She had been correct in every way. What a wretched thing I had done, choosing to feel naught but sorrow when there were much bigger problems underfoot.
"Where's Princess Luna?" Applejack had asked, concerned.
"Don't worry about her." Scootaloo had stated bitterly. "She has more impor-"
"No, Scootaloo," I interrupted her as I set hoof atop the deck of the Soaring song. She had been completely and utterly correct about me. And if Noble had stayed with me after they had been reunited from a separation that neither truly wanted, than I had to make damn certain that I had been worth it. "I am here. Noble would not have it any other way, I think."
"I'm glad to see you changed your mind, Princess."
"Well, I had just remembered some good advice given to me."
She only smirked as she mumbled "Yeah, I'll bet."
"Well, if we're all done with that, Ah'd like ta start readin' out Nobles final words, if that's alright with y'all." Applejack cut in.
"No, please. Continue." I requested.
"Well, alright then. Hurkhmh" She cleared her throat as she began to read aloud my loves final thoughts. "If you all are reading this, then I have either died in the Battle of Maredrid, or had been captured. If it's the former, then I hope my sacrifice will be worth it. And if the latter, then I will get to that later. Applejack said that I should say something in case things went south, so here goes. I'll try to be brief. First, I wanna say to Applejack and Big Macintosh, and Applebloom if you guys see her, that you guys were like the brother and sisters that I never had. You guys made me strong and made me the colt I am today." Applejack took a moment to choke back her tears as she read, but she continued. "Thank you. Rarity, I never want you to forget the miracle that Princess Celestia gave you. You and Spike were made for each other. I genuinely believe that. And lastly, to my dear Princess Luna. I never could fully let you know how much I loved you. Even with Twilights tutoring while we were on the run, I never found any words strong enough to describe how beautiful you were or how I felt. Even to my last breath, I never stopped thinking about your face, and how it would be you that saved Equestria. And that is why I must say this. If I failed to survive this battle, it would have been because there were more powerful forces behind what had made Princess Celestia corrupt, and possibly what made you jealous all those years ago. And if my suspicions are confirmed and I have survived the battle only to be captured, then, as much as it pains me, I must ask this of you all. Do not try to find and rescue me and do not storm the castle to try to end whatever evil has been behind all of this hell. I didn't give you the chance to escape just to get captured or killed or broken. Live to fight another day. With all of my love and from the bottom of my heart, goodbye, everypony. This is Sir Noble Spirit, Knight of the Moon, signing off." Everypony then realized that Noble had an idea of what was to happen, at least in the back of his head.
"Crazy bastard knew all along, didn't he?" Shining threw in after a few moments of silence.
"Shining!" my niece scolded her husband for what he had said.
"He had an idea all along of what would happen and he didn't tell any of us." Shining Armour was bitter at the loss of what may have been his rival. From what I understood, he and Noble had faced each other twice before. Once in the trap where he intended to capture or kill him, and then at the battle for the spire. "Crazy-flank son of a griffon." I could see the anger in Shinings eyes after losing a chance for a real fight with Noble.
"So what's the game plan, guys?" Scootaloo asked. It was a good question. "We'll need one if we're going to bring down Samarus whatever."
"Everypony," I announced, struggling to keep my emotions hidden from them. "It is late, so I suggest we call this a night and continue this discussion come the morn. Get some rest, my friends, for tomorrow, we shall plan a revolution." An insane plot began to unfold within my head. Perhaps Noble had rubbed off on me.

T'was the dead of night when I had all of my belongings prepared for departure from the ship. I had not packed much, just a loaf of bread, for I knew there had still been fruit trees we still had not picked clean from our previous time here. And it was still autumn, so they shall be nice and ripe. If Noble had an idea of what would transpire, he no doubt knew his demise would serve to strengthen the resolve of the team. Forever the fox, ever the trickster. Shining Armour was right. Noble Spirit was crazy. I think he had always been that way. But in each fight he arose from, his insanity had always served us well. He knew exactly what to do. And in each fight, you need only look into his eyes to know that you had, in one manner or another, already lost. But we lose this fight, and his life would not be forfeit. It was my sincere belief that if had fought hard enough, he would have no doubt have caught Samarus Nights attention. And if that were true, then he would have no doubt noticed the more intricate armour he had dawned for that fight. No doubt linking the armour to me. He was still alive. I was certain of it. As I crept past each door of the ship, I spotted the door to the deck. I had left a note on my door, stating what I aimed to accomplish. "Goodbye everypony." I whispered as I exited the interior of the ship.
"And where do you think you're going, Princess?" Scootaloo had been waiting the whole time behind the door to the inside.
"Scootaloo..." I suppose she could get an explanation here and now. "I was going to..."
"Going to rescue Noble from Samarus? You know I can't let you do that alone." She paused, with me curious at what she had last said. What did she mean, alone? "I'm coming too."
"Wait, what?" It was only suitable response to what had just happened, I think.
"I got my saddle bag rocked and ready to roll. In fact, I'm looking forward to this party so much, I invited some friends." And as she finished those words, I had known exactly what she meant. "You mind, Princess?" And they all piled in, from port, starboard, and from the inside of my nieces vessel.
"I am afraid that I cannot allow this. You all will be outmatched in every sense of the word. And I cannot allow 16 of my dearest friends to fall for my own folly." I had to argue this fervently, for there would most likely be no homecoming this time. "I am sorry, but no."
"And I'm sorry, but we didn't recall asking your permission, did we?" I could tell right then that this would not be an easy argument to win. "And besides, Noble was our friend before he was your "beloved." Hay, he'd been there for all of us longer than we'd care to remember. He saved all of our flanks up on Killmarejaro."
"But the castles defenses shall be nigh impregnable!"
"So we bring Shining. He's got a force field." Then she turned to Shining Armour. "Hey, you got us covered, Soldier Boy?"
"Yes, I have it covered." I could tell his irritation at being called "soldier boy". "Besides, I still owe Noble a beat down."
"His heart is in the right place." Scootaloo stated defensively, giving a wry smile.
"But the corridors will be crawling with guards of the highest calibur!" I needed to dissuade them somehow.
"So we'll be better."
"But if I were to face him, I would be totally out matched. You all saw how easily he had me at my knees! And that was after a fight with my sister!"
"Well for one thing," I could tell right then and there that I would lose this debate after she said that. "Celestia wasn't giving it her A-game the first time around. Second, nothing could have survived uninjured after she actually did, meaning Samarus or Star Swirl or what ever he feels like calling himself right now won't be able to play at his own absolute best. And third, Princess Cadance?" She pointed to her left to where Cadance was standing, holding an intricately decorated and jeweled chest. And within it were the elements of harmony. "Boom. Any more questions you wanna ask there, Princess?"
"You all really will not allow me to leave without any of you, will you?"
"You got that right, Princess. Noble is our friend, through and through, and thick and thin." Scootaloo took a determined smile as she continued, not just speaking, but stating as though it were a law. "And we would follow you to the gates of tartouros and back if it meant bringing him back safely. Because he would do the same for any of us."
I simply took a smile as she finished her winning argument. There they all were. My comrades in arms, and my brothers and sisters in this, Equestrias most dire hour of need. My heart filled with pride as I looked upon them. Ace fliers and farmers. A fashion designer and an honor guard. And even a sheriff and wizard. Never has a team of this been assembled, and I would doubt that another one would ever exist like this again. They were to save Equestria or avenge it. But for now, I could not even deny my anticipation of the upcoming battle that would decide not just my fate or Nobles fate or even their fate, but the fate of the entire world. And so I issued one last order: "Very well! Then rest tonight, everypony, for tomorrow we shall fly straight into hell itself!"