AUTHOR'S NOTE: I HAVE TO ADDRESS ANONYMOUS'S REVIEW. I PLANNED ON FINISHING THE ENTIRE STORY BEFORE REVISING IT. MY CONCERN IS THAT REVISING THE FIRST FIFTY WOULD GIVE READERS THE CHANCE TO LOSE INTEREST. THEREFORE I HAVE DECIDED TO BEGIN REVISIONS BUT NOT POST THEM UNTIL LATER. AS I SAID BEFORE I AM ABOUT HALFWAY THROUGH THE STORY BUT HAVE ONLY POSTED ABOUT A QUARTER OF THE STORY SO FAR. MY FRIENDS, THERE WILL BE MUCH MORE STORY TO COME! THAT BEING SAID, BACK TO THE MAGIC!

My day started normal enough with a predawn flight over Everfree. As I had neared the castle I heard screams coming from our chambers. Fear bolted through me as I put on a burst of speed. I zipped through the window and slid to a stop as the sight before me drove a spike of ice through my heart.

Cindra lay at my feet, her dull eyes staring straight ahead full of accusation. Small cuts covered her face and neck but the tiny hole in her forehead from which her purple blood leaked was the cause of death. Her mouth hung open in shock as her legs were splayed out.

My breath began coming in ragged pants as I slowly turned to survey the rest of the room. There was a mix of red and golden blood splattered across the floor and panic began to set in. I spotted movement on the bed and raced to the shape that was my beloved wife. She gasped and held pressure on a gash across her throat.

"Shadow", I gasped and pulled her close to me.

"How could you", she choked out around blood. "I thought you loved us."

A single tear slipped down her bloody cheek and her hoof fell to the side as the life left her in one quiet sigh. I hugged her to me and buried my face into her shoulder as I felt my heart being ripped from my chest. The sound of the door opening caught my attention and I turned my teary eyes toward the sound.

"I told you he was a monster", Blueblood grinned as Shining stared at me in shock.

Through my tears I noticed a single speck of purple blood glistening on his fore hoof and a veil of red hatred fell over my eyes.

"You did this", I snarled as I gently lay Shadow's head on the bed and closed her eyes for the last time. "You killed them!"

"I'm not the one covered in their blood", he smirked.

I launched myself across the room and grabbed his head with both hands. I slammed my forehead into his face and dug my thumbs into his eyes as he screamed like a little filly. As blood poured from his ruined eye sockets I slammed him into the wall and repeatedly smashed his head into the slowly crumbling wall.

"You killed them", I sobbed. "You fucking killed them!"

Over and over I screamed this as I beat his face into the wall. I heard and felt a satisfying crunch as I slammed his head into the wall one last time. Blood poured from his mouth, ears and nose as I let him slip to the floor.

"I trusted you", I shouted as I advanced on Shining Armor. "I trusted you to keep them safe!"

I rushed the guard captain and clamped my hands around his throat. I squeezed as I snarled over and over again about trusting him. His eyes began to bulge as he struggled to speak.

"Babe, wake up", he shouted clear as day despite being choked.

I faltered for a split second and before I knew it I felt a hoof connect with my cheek. I opened my eyes to morning sunlight streaming in through the window. I looked down and to my horror it was Cindra gasping in my grip instead of Shining Armor. I let go of her and leapt off the bed in horror.

I heaved in a shuddering teary gasp before bolting from the room onto the balcony. I stared out across the grounds. The clatter of two sets of hooves alerted me to their presence. I spun and held my hands in front of me to keep them away from me.

"Master", Cindra sniffed. "It's okay. You didn't hurt me."

"Jackson, what happened", Shadow asked quietly.

I stared at them for a few seconds as memories of the nightmare drifted back in. A single sob was all it took to break down my walls as I slipped to my knees and buried my face in my hands. Two warm bodies came and held me close, their grip tightening as I grabbed onto them for dear life.

"Babe, what is it", Shadow asked as she smoothed my sweat drenched hair.

"You were dead", I whispered tearfully. "You died in my arms."

The three of us sat huddled on the balcony for quite some time until my breathing returned to normal. I held onto them as if my very life depended on it. At that moment I felt as if it did.

We spent the rest of the day in our chambers just holding each other. Cindra had other plans but she understood when I pulled her hoof away from my crotch. The day began to turn to night as we huddled together and it wasn't until a servant brought up three trays of food that we got out of bed. The young stallion set our trays on the bedside table and bowed out of the room.

I could smell cooked hay and alfalfa drifting from the covered dishes and my mouth actually watered. I uncovered the tray and saw one tray had a nice juicy steak on it.

"At least we know which tray is yours", Shadow laughed as she nudged me.

We ate in companionable silence enjoying our meals and each other's company. A half-gallon pitcher of mead sat untouched on the table for the first half of the meal until I poured a flagon for all three of us. Cindra pouted cutely when I kept her mug from her but Shadow's hoof on my arm stopped the fun. We finished eating and drinking right around the time mom would be lowering the sun and rushed out to the balcony to try to see the wondrous event. To my disappointment all I could see over the trees was fading sunlight.

"Let's just fly up to watch it", Shadow suggested as she unfurled her wings with a grin.

We followed her suggestion and made it above the trees with seconds to spare. The three of us hovered high in the air and watched as the sun sank below the horizon. As the moon began to rise I felt some kind of weird pressure in my brain. I opened my mouth to say something but everything went dark.

You must return, a deep voice rumbled in my mind.

When I opened my eyes I found myself draped backwards across a tree branch. I felt a burning sensation in my back but I couldn't feel my legs. I spotted two frantic mares zipping around searching for me and shouted out to them. They rushed to my side and helped me down from the tree. They stood me on my feet but as soon as they let go I dropped like a rock.

"Jackson, are you okay", Shadow asked fearfully.

"I can't move my legs", I groaned as tears rolled from my cheeks. "I can't move my fucking legs!"

Cindra started to fly to the castle but I poofed all three of us into the courtyard before she even went two feet. There was a shout of alarm and the sound of galloping hooves met my ears. Silver demanded to know what happened when he reached us.

"We were watching the sun set and he just passed out", Shadow blurted.

"I can't move my legs", I grunted through the pain.

Silver called for a medic who arrived right away. His horn lit up and I felt the familiar tingle of his spell in my back. His breath hissed in as he stared at my back.

"Your back is broken, your Highness", he said gently. "I can't fix this."

Without another word I grabbed my two mares and poofed into Canterlot Castle. The guards shouted for me to stay still and I stared at them as if they were stupid.

"My fucking spine is broken", I shouted at the guard closest to me. "Just get Doctor Adryl!"

Stabs of pain shot through me as I lay on the floor and waited for the good doctor to arrive. Minutes later I heard the voice of Nurse Redheart as she galloped up the hallway. She slid to a stop beside me with a gasp as she turned and started shouting orders at the orderlies that followed her.

"Just hold on, Prince Jackson", she said quietly.

Magic lifted me from the floor and a back support was strapped to me. I couldn't move my head and simply held my hand out to Shadow and Cindra. Tears slipped from my eyes when I thought about not being able to walk again. The two wrapped their hooves around my hands as we rushed to the medical wing.

The night staff jumped into action when I was rushed through the door and in less than ten seconds I was laid face down on an operating table. I began to struggle and thrash when they tried to push Shadow and Cindra out of the room but a bright flash blinded me before everything went dark again.

I awoke in a hospital room with all of my friends and family gathered around. I still couldn't move my legs so the looks on their faces made me worry. The doctor came in with a frown on his face and my heart dropped.

"Well, fuck."