Sacrifice and Loyalty

"I still can't believe..."

"Just don't think about it and it will fade from memory, Luna."

At this the dark mare shuddered and forced her mind to other subjects.

"Luna, I'd also like to thank you for allowing me to stay in your room for the night." thanked Celestia.

"Of course."

The two mares stopped talking and turned their attention to the couple that had caused them such stress the previous night.

"Morning." quiped Loyal, who seemed to not care about what had happened.

'They'll think whatever they think, can't change that.'

"Uhm, yeah, good morning your highness'" muttered Dash, who was still nervous after the happenings in Princess Celestia's quarters.

The ponies ate their breakfast in relative silence and after finishing moved to the study to have their discussion.

"So I'm assuming you know why I called you two to come to the palace?" inquired Celestia.

It was Loyal who answered. "I'd have to assume it has to do with the curiuosity of me being alive at this moment."

"Yes Loyal. Do you have any idea exactly what had happened?"

Well, yes and no...  When you arrive in the after life everything is supposed to be perfect. You never grow hungry, your never wake up sore, you don't actually get tired. It's supposed to be paradise."

"But it wasn't, was it?" quested Luna.

"No. I spent every day for the next year loathing not being able to be by Rainbow's side. It left a ragged hole in my heart. Now then, when you first arrive you're given a one time use pass. The pass allows you to come back for one day and see, but not interact with, all those you left behind. After a year of waiting I finally felt it in my heart to use it."

Loyal went on to describe how he was given his wings. "So that's why you have them. It was going to be my next question but do go on." interjected Celestia. Then from there he described visiting different ponies up until seeing his old unkempt house.

"That's when I found the note. At first I couldn't even touch the thing but after a few times and growing desperation for Dash's safety were peaking I felt like my hoof snapped through something and I managed to grasp the note. I quickly took it to the other elements and taking off to find Dash."

Loyal continues to explain his frantic searching while Luna quipped in about the note they'd recieved from Twilight explaining the situation.

"I eventually found Dash up on a cloud." he started but stopped as he turned to comfort his mare, who was having a hard time of having her moment of weakness laid out for all to see.

"You ok Dash, I'm sure Celestia and Luna won't mind us taking a break."

"M"fine Loyal." muttered Dash, who then continued the story. "Anyway your highness', I was up on the cloud, and I just, I don't know what was wrong in my head. All I could think of was getting back to Loyal *sob* so I....I tied my wings down with a belt and..... well, y'know......I jumped." As she finished her voice was barely an audible whisper.

Both Luna and Celestia nodded in empathy. Their parting when Luna had been corrupted had not been easy and they both understood what the mare had to have been feeling.

"And all I could do was watch. I knew where Dash would go if she did this. In desperation I dove after her. At this point the sun was setting and an invisible force grasped me to bring me back up. I refused though. I couldn't allow Dash to suffer this so I fought back. Eventually I felt all resistance snap, I think it would be fitting to saying it's alot like breaking the sound barrier. With this lack of resistance I shot forward and grabbed Dash. I pulled up and we had a minor crash landing. After that we found the girls, who nearly died of shock, and the rest was us just living normally."

"So you had resistance? But was there a voice?" inquired Celestia.

At this Loyal ducked his head slightly.

"You haven't told her have you?!" shot Luna in a rather accusatory tone.

"No I haven't, and I didn't feel Dash needed to know!" Loyal shot back.

Dash's ears perked up, "Know what?"

"You do realize she need's to be told!" glared Celestia, who in turn faced the chromatic mare, "Dash you realize that in Loyal's ret...."

"I will NOT allow this! Royalty or no, Dash does not need this to be piled upon her!"

"HOW DAREST THOU SPEAKETH TO MINE ELDER SISTER IN SUCH A WAY!"  commanded Luna while slipping into her old speach habits.

"I DARE BECAUSE IT'S NOT YOUR RIGHT, NOR YOUR PLACE TO TELL HER!" Loyal fired back.

"What is going on?!" demanded Rainbow Dash.

Luna was rather taken aback, as was Celestia, when the stallion had roared back at her.

Luna took a lower, kinder tone. Even she realized that her shouting commands would gain no ground with this stallion who dispalyed a degree of loyalty that surpassed all self preservation.

"I understand Loyal, I really do. How you felt with out Dash there beside you, how hard it is to tell the truth for fear it will harm those around you or somepony you care for. But that feeling you suffered, how do you believe your Rainbow Dash would feel when she realized that you couldn't be by your side?"

"You're....you are right Luna, and I apologize for yelling at you, both of you actually."

Dash finally could stand being out of the know for no longer. "What the hay are you ponies talking about?!"

Steeling himself for an emotional response Loyal explained the situation. He explained that in returning for her he had given up his place in the after life. He went into every detail he understood, making it entirely clear that he would not be at her side when they both passed on again.

At first Dash was about ready to tear up, screaming at the world for all it's uneqaulity much like she had the night she lost Loyal. But no, Loyal didn't need to see that anguish, and she'd not lose him again.

"Fine, I'll make them accept you back." Dash dropped flatly.

"But I don't think you understand Dash..."

"No! You don't understand Loyal. Remeber that line. The one that says 'I can't be in a place of perfection without you.'? Well that works both ways. If they want me up there they will have to take you back otherwise I'm not going."

"I don't think you'll have a choice in the matter Dashie." Loyal sadly replied, nuzzling his mare.

"Then I'll make a new choice! Can't be that hard. How would I go about doing that your Highness'?

The two princess' did what they could on the topic, but it eventually strayed to other topics as the two royal mares promised to do research on the topic.

"So, Rainbow Dash hasn't hesitated to call us her highness', which is what most ponies do. I must inquire as to why you don't refer to us in that way Loyal." quested Celestia.

"Oh well it's nothing personal I assure you. I just, actually I don't know. I just kinda view you as two mares, only you have both horns and wings, not just one or the other. It's just how I see things."

Celestia nodded in understanding. "It's actually quite refreshing. Rainbow Dash I wouldn't mind you taking a page from Loyal's book. It's quite refreshing to have somepony who doesn't look at you like your an invincible godess."

"Hahaha. I'm sure it is."

"Speaking of invincibility Loyal, how has life been since your return?" Luna wondered out loud.

"Well, I still have to eat, and still have to sleep. I do have this tendency to pull back from arguements and I can veiw them from a more omniscient point. Not like I'm a god, but more like I can see everypony's view and stance on the matter at the same time. Also I don't find that I need to sleep as long as I used to, which goes the same for my food intake. Oh, yeah, and my wings are still here. Other than that everythings normal as can be."

"Might I ask if you two have any idea how Loyal came back anyway?" Rainbow Dash ventured. "I've wondered about it for a while now but can't place my hoof on it."

At this it was Luna who answered, "It has been a topic Celestia and I have pondered ourselves many a time. From the best we understand, the rules were put into place to control anypony coming from either side of the afterlife for self centred reasons. When Loyal refused to go back, not for himself, or to have you, but instead decided to give it all so you wouldn't suffer it snapped the rules."

"Wait! That's it Luna, your a genius!" crowed Celestia.

The other three ponies stared at the Solar princess awaiting her to explain the situation.

"It's quite obvious and simple now. The rule was as follows: Anypony who forces his or her return for their on wants shall be denied a their place in the afterlife and shall be sent to Tartarus upon their second death.."

Still getting clueless looks Celestia explained it. "Quite simply Loyal did not return for his own wants per se. Yes he wanted Dash to not suffer, but the root of that was that he was returning for another and not for himself. Loophole mother bucker!"

Celestia suddenly realized that she was still getting funny looks, but this time she also realized what she'd added at the end of her explanation. Flushing she sputtered out. "Erm sorry, I got a little carried away."

The four ponies busted out laughing at this and carried on throughout the day venturing into other topics such as how Ponyville was doing or the irony in the Element of Loyalty falling in love with the Element of Sacrifice. This also scored a humourous quip from Loyal. "As long as you two don't bring me some weird tiara or necklace I'm good."

Dash asked Luna and Celestia about their cutie marks too. Intrestingly enough they had always had them.

As the day drew on Loyal and Dash started packing up their supplies when Celestia presented them with a gift. It was her own bed.

"Oh no we couldn't possibly take that Celestia." sputtered Rainbow Dash.

"Nonsense, beside you two did kinda make your own mark on it. besides I have a whole warehouse of these. You two aren't the only ones to get excited."

That statment drew a rather obvious blush from Dash and a more subdued one from Loyal.

"Well then thank you Celestia." Loyal graciously replied.

It wasn't till Dash and Loyal were on the train back to Ponyville when Dash asked Loyal a question he'd never been asked before.

"Loyal, I know where my cutiemark is from, and now I know where Luna and Celestia got theirs from, but why do you not have a cutiemark."

"Hmmmm, I don't quite know. I guess we can try to figure it out later. For now though how 'bout we explore your other cutiemark?"

Alone in their train car Dash didn't even hesitate.