//------------------------------//
// retreat 
// Story: Child of Harmony 
// by Shilic 
//------------------------------//

The castle shook again.

Flurry held on tighter, her front legs wrapped firmly around her mother’s neck as Princess Cadence ran down the crystal hallway, flanked by a pair of Crystal Guards. Shining Armor ran ahead of her, a sword held in his magical grasp. More guards, all with weapons drawn, rushed past them, charging into combat.

Shining Armor skidded on the ground as he turned a corner, eyes going wide. With but a fraction of a second of hesitation, he swung his sword, the horrible sound of steel cutting through flesh making Flurry wince and flatten her ears. There was a light thud as his foe fell to the ground. Flurry squeezed her eyes shut as Cadence rounded the same corner, not wanting to see… whatever it was that had attacked her father.

“Your Highness! Captain Armor! This way!” A rough voice called out from ahead of them. Flurry opened her eyes a crack to see another guard at the end of the hall, gesturing to an opening in the wall, one she didn’t remember being in this particular hall. “You need to get out of here, now!”

Shining Armor stopped, spinning around to face Cadence. “Honey, take Flurry and go.”

“But Shiny-”

“My soldiers need me. I can’t abandon them.” 

“I need you!” Cadence protested. “Flurry needs you! Please, just come with us!”

“Daddy?” Flurry tilted her head. “You’re gonna come with us… right?”

Shining hesitated for a brief moment, and then shook his head. “I… I can’t. My place is here. If I stay, we’ll be able to hold them off longer, and more ponies will be able to escape… I have to.”

“Shiny…” Tears welled up in Cadence’s eyes. 

A thunderous shattering sound reverberated throughout the castle, thin cracks forming in the hallway walls. Shining and the guards raised their weapons, spinning around. “Just go!” He shouted. 

“Your Highness, this way!” One of the guards raised his spear and gestured to the passage, ducking inside and letting the glow of his horn light the path. Cadence turned to look at Shining one more time, a single teardrop falling from her face, before she tore her gaze from her husband and entered into the passage.

“Daddy? Daddy!” Flurry called out, reaching out with a hoof. “Mommy, we’re leaving Daddy behind!”

Cadence didn’t reply, holding back a choked sob.

The entrance to the passage began to close up with a rumble. As it closed, Flurry saw Shining and the guards turn to look down the hallway. “All right, soldiers! For the Crystal Empire!” The last thing visible through the gap before it closed was Shining raising a shield around him and the other guards, a dark shape impacting with it just before the opening shut completely.

Flurry Heart never saw her father again.