“Mom?” Flurry said to her mother. “You left me to go after him?”
Cadance froze up for a minute before looking away and frowning.
“It was selfish of me, I’m sorry,” Cadance sighed, rubbing her daughter’s mane. “Celestia found me in Tartarus and convinced me to go back. And then Twilight divorced us, with the sisters and the twins as witnesses. And then Shining just threw himself at Kerfuffle and teleported them out of the castle. Right in front of me, and I never saw him again. Maybe if I had just loosened my grip on him, then just maybe he wouldn’t chose to-”
“Mom,” Flurry interrupted her. “That won’t help.”
“I know sweetie,” Cadance whispered. “Leaving you like that, treating that mare the way I did, flying to Tartarus? I had lost touch with the feeling that I was supposed to be Princess of.”
“Well, if you’ve gotten touch with it again, maybe the divorce was good for you,” Flurry explained. “What about these twins you keep mentioning? Did they go back to Hope Hollow?”
“Luna tells me that they visit sometimes,” Cadance replied. “But ultimately, Luna decided to adopt them and take them back to Silver Shoals. Like any mother was going to oppose that decision, let alone their own.”
“Do you know if Dad and this Kerfuffle are still together?” Flurry asked.
“I don’t care to know,” Cadance huffed.
“Well, I suppose we’re different after all,” Flurry nodded, glancing at the wall. “I love you, Mom.”
“Flurry, what are you-”
A flash of light blinded Cadance’s vision for a few aching moments before she regained clarity, not seeing her daughter anywhere in sight.
After several more attempts, Flurry Heart finally found herself in a town labeled as Hope Hollow. Ponies of all shapes and sizes were chatting amongst themselves, many of them gravitating towards the bakery. Flurry’s eyes gazed at the town until she saw a shop full of shirts, hats, and other accessories.
Walking into the shop, Flurry saw a pastel blue unicorn with a short blonde mane, short tail, and a necklace with a heart with yellow, black, white, and purple colors.
“Woah, that’s a lovely necklace,” Flurry gasped as she walked towards the pony.
“Thanks, my name is Lake Valor, and you must be Flurry Heart!” the unicorn grinned.
“How did you know my name?” Flurry asked.
“Oh, my Dad would talk about you all the time, says that you might show up one day,” Valor explained. “C’mon, half-sister, don’t wanna keep him waiting any longer!”
Flurry was at a loss for words as her half-sibling galloped out of the shop. Flurry followed them as they opened a door to one of the houses.
“Dad!” Valor yelled into the living room. “Guess who’s finally here!”
Trudging out into the living room, a white unicorn with a grey-blue mane and slow walk approached them, his eyes shooting wide open as he looked at his daughter.
“F-Flurry?” Shining gasped. “You really showed up, you’re here.”
“I’ll leave you two to catch up,” Valor patted Flurry’s shoulder before leaving the house.
“Where’s Kerfuffle?” Flurry asked.
“She passed a few months ago at my bedside,” Shining sighed. “I miss that pink and blue sunshine everyday, but she left us a few foals to keep me company at least.”
“What about me?” Flurry growled. “Why the fuck are Kerfuffle and your foals good enough for your time, but not Mom? Or me? Dad, why?”
Flurry internally cursed at herself as she caught tears dripping down her face. A tear fell down Shining Armor’s face as well.
“Honey, your life was better without me dragging you and your mother down,” Shining explained.
“Did you even love me?” Flurry asked.
Shining’s face flinched as if he was smacked. Stumbling forward, he embraced his daughter as his sobs came out as shuddering breaths.
“More than anything,” he whispered.
Flurry couldn’t find it in herself to forgive him that day, but in that moment, she returned his embrace. And together, they wept.