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Twilight dropped her saddle bags on the floor as she stepped in through the castle doors. It had been a very long trip home from Canterlot and the only thing she could think about was seeing her boys again.

“Inky, Flash!” She called out “I’m home!”

No response.
The castle was a big place after all so it wasn’t all that surprising they hadn’t heard her. She instead trotted along the unlit corridors and dark windows hoping they hadn’t gone to bed just quite yet.

Soon she could hear sounds eminating from the play room further down the hall. She quickened her step and soon heard the unmistakeable sound of snoring. Peeking in through the door she could see the table in the middle of the room adorned with candles and set up for a cozy evening of playing cards. She could also see Flash slumped over the table, sleeping audibly, and Inkwell clumsily pulling a blanket around him.

“Its okay dad, we can play tomorrow” he said through gritted teeth as he tried his best to comfortably cover his dad, smiling while doing so.

Twilight stepped into the room quietly and whispered “Inky, mommy is home”

The little colt looked up at her gleefully and did his best to finish his job before bouncing over to her and giving her a huge hug.
“Mommy! I missed you” He whispered back.

Twilight had now stepped close enough to get a good look, and unfortunately a good sniff at Flash. It was obvious he had been drinking.
She scowled slightly yet turned her attention away from him and onto Inkwell.

“Mommy missed her favorite little guy too” she answered him “What did you and daddy do when I was gone?”

“Oh, Daddy just got home too, I’ve played with Nana all day” Inkwell sounded a bit dissapointed when he continued “He promised he’d play cards with me when he got home though, so me and Nana put everything up for when he got back. But he fell asleep when we were about to start. So I did what you always do when I fall asleep”

A concerned frown spread across Twilight’s face but before she coud do anything too telling she levitated the deck up in the air and patted Inkwell’s head lovingly.
“What about you and me play instead up in our bed and daddy can continue sleeping down here?”

Inkwell lit up slightly and gave a small smile.

“Alright”

---

So yeah. Flash is a drunk.
Whenever he wasn’t out working late or drinking he was a real good dad who loved his son dearly. However as time went on his bad habits became worse and worse.
Inkwell kept idolizing him as his hero though. Always eager to spend any little time he could with his awesome dad.