To a chorus of gasps (cliche), Friedrich walks through the doorway. "You punished me for doing nothing wrong. These people," He spits the word. "The weren't real people. All of them, kids and adults both, were impure, and I was merely serving my Vaterland…"

Twilight asks "Why aren't you in jail?"

"Well, it was rather easy. The guards were fools, thinking I would 'reform' into some judeo bolshevik," The stallion smiles pleasantly. "But even the captain of your guard fell quick enough,"

"WHAT DID YOU DO TO SHINING!?!?" Cadence screams in rage. Never had she been so thoroughly angry before. It was as if she had become the rage, gaining a Daybreaker of her own.

"Just like the other 3, slit his throat," He wears a sadistic smile now. "Or did I cut his head off? Stab his eyes and spit on the corpse? I don't know, it was so ea-"

Friedreich disappears in a blast of pink light. Cadence's horn flares and seems as if it is about to shatter from the exertion; however, the blast works, the horn rallies and holds, and soon enough, Fredrich is non-existent.

"Shiney!" Cadence screams, tears flying, running into the hallway. "Where are you?!?!"

The grey stallion appears at the door. "Eh, is zis a bad time?" He had escaped too. After all, it was an opportunity for… something. He didn't know, but he and James had had a talk, and he needed peace.

"I mean…" Celestia says. "Just fuck off, please," The grey one obliges, happy to be alive, as Twilight leaves the room, chasing Cadence. Partly in fear and partly in worry.

Cadence kept running, tears not stopping as she continued to scream her throat raw. Many a guard and servant fled to hide from the rampaging mare, making her way to the dungeon.

Once she arrives, she sees three dead guards and a dying captain. His flank is cut open, intestines starting to spill. Screaming in rage and frustration, Cadence approaches her only love: "NOOOOOOO!"

"C-Cadence…" Shining manages, smiling. "Please... d-dont cry… for me…" He passes out. Or dies. It's hard to tell.

Cadence suddenly gets an idea. Teleporting to the library, she rushes to the dark arts section, immediately finding a restoration book. Yadda yadda I might die yadda yadda warnings yadda yadda found it!

Teleporting back, Cadence immediately casts the spell. Shining's wounds start to close up, his eyes gaining life again. At a decelerated rate, Cadence slowly loses strength and magic capabilities. Eventually, when Shining looks weak, but otherwise fine, Cadence stops, collapsing from exhaustion.

"Cadence?!?" Shining asks. "Are you ok?!? Please be ok," He feels guilty that she has sacrificed so much for him...

Twilight comes around the corner. "Wha-" she inhales sharply. Chewing her lip and seeing the book on the floor, she recalls her lessons. "How long was she using that spell?"

"Twenty-ish seconds, why?!? Tell me she'll be fine, Twi,"

"She'll live," Twi says, causing Shining to jump with glee. "But she will always be weaker, as far as I know. Same with you,"

"Wha… why… I…" Shining tears up and starts sobbing. "Give her back her power, Twi," Twilight lets him rest his head on her lap,like a mother would to a foal.

"I can't. It's yours," Twilight says, petting him to comfort him. The spell required that the owner willingly gave it to a consenting party. "At least you'll both live," Shining wept harder, and doesn't stop until he passes out.

When the guards thought it safe to come out again, hours later, they found three dead kinsmen, a passed out princess, and two sleeping siblings. So, every other Tuesday with Cadence.

Author's Note

Ok, I got it out. Another short one, but this felt... Right, I suppose.