//------------------------------//
// Chapter 6: Meeting the Sentrys Part 3 
// Story: How to Meet the Parents 
// by Piemaster128 
//------------------------------//

As Flash and Twilight entered the kitchen, Flash took a moment to take in the familiar sight. The room was still painted a bright and cheery yellow with the familiar dark wooden cabinets, granite countertop, and a moderately sized oak table just where he remembered them. The table and six chairs still sat near the wall, right next to a large window where everypony could see the ocean of flowers that were spilling out across the yard. The sun was low and casted the kitchen in a wonderful orange glow, reminding Flash of so many evenings he had shared with his parents in this very room. 
And, of course, there were a number of flowerpots and hanging planters that contained even more flowers spread throughout the kitchen, some of which had picked stems indicating that they had played a role in tonight’s meal. 
It’s a good thing no pony we know has allergies. I still remember that one time a construction worker was here to work on the kitchen and just couldn’t stop sneezing. It wasn’t until Dad moved all the flowers upstairs that the poor stallion could focus on his work. 
“Hurry up, you two!” Swift Strike called out, waving excitedly from her seat at the table. “The sooner we all sit the sooner I can eat these sandwiches! Come on, move those legs!” 
“You can always start without them, Swifty,” Aaron chuckled as he sat down next to her with a thud, the extra large chair shuddering slightly. 
“I WOULD, but we both know that we should let them get a few pieces because once I start, I won’t stop!” Swift Strike said, her mouth watering as she looked at the plate of sandwiches in front of her. “And I can’t deny my son’s marefriend a chance to enjoy the best food in existence!” 
“I don’t know, Pinkie Pie makes some pretty tasty cupcakes,” Flash said with a grin as he pulled out a chair for Twilight.
“BLASPHEMY!” Swift Strike cried in mock horror, pointing a hoof at him in accusation, only to be buried in Aaron’s wing as he wrapped it around her. “Honey, not now! I’m trying to defend your incredibly culinary skills that would make Luna sing your praises!” she exclaimed as she struggled to escape. 
“There’s nothing wrong with a little competition, dear,” Aaron said playfully, winking at Flash as he and Twilight sat down. “And I’m sure Princess Luna can sing songs about more than just one chef.” 
“Everything smells amazing,” Twilight said, grabbing three sandwiches and a roll as Aaron scooped her out a large blob of ziti, holding the spoon in his free wing with practiced ease. “Thank you for taking the time to make all this.”
“It was my pleasure, Twilight,” Aaron said with a happy nod as he passed Flash the spoon. “I always enjoy cooking and baking for new friends, just so long as Flash doesn’t try and help with the actual baking part, of course.” 
Flash nearly dropped the spoon, his face flushing red.
Why, Dad? Why would you bring that up now? Just…why?!
“Huh?” Twilight asked in confusion, looking at Flash. 
“I…um,” Flash began, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment. “I can’t bake. I can use a cooktop, microwave, or anything else without problem, but any time I try to bake…”
“The kitchen is filled with smoke,” Swift Strike said, finally freeing herself from Aaron’s wing and grabbing a few sandwiches for herself. “He’s been banned from using the oven after he set a tray of cookies on fire!”
“You what?” Twilight asked in surprise. “I know ovens can be dangerous, but wouldn’t you have noticed they were burning long before they caught fire? How did that even happen?”
“I don’t KNOW,” Flash groaned, burying his face in his hooves, “I followed the recipe exactly, and even set the oven to a lower temperature than the recipe called for just in case, but somehow they caught fire five minutes after I put them in the oven! It makes no sense!”
At least they were better than the ones where I misread the recipe and didn’t add enough flour. Those ones MELTED in the oven and we had to scrub out the charred slime. 
“He gets it from his mom,” Aaron said with a laugh, taking the spoon back from Flash and scooping some ziti for himself and Swift Strike. “She’s just as bad at baking, though her problem is that she always bakes things at too high a temperature to try and make them faster. It never ends well.” 
Swift Strike’s feathers and chest fluffed up in annoyance, but Aaron gave her a quick kiss just as she opened her mouth, cutting off whatever retort she was about to make. Though that didn’t stop her from grumbling, “I am not THAT bad…” once Aaron had broken away. 
Aaron gave her a small, warm smile and another quick kiss on the forehead.  
Twilight giggled and gave Flash a reassuring pat on the back with a wing.   
Thanks, Twilight. I promise not to set your castle on fire if I ever try to bake you a patented Pinkie Pie Thank You Cake™. In fact, I may just enlist Pinkie to help with the actual baking portion of that little endeavor. That way I can still say I made most of it, and the risk of fire or smoke is reduced by one hundred…make that ninety-five percent!  
“Now then, why don’t we all dig in?” Aaron asked, and before he’d even finished speaking, Swift Strike had already shoved an entire sandwich into her mouth faster than Flash could see. She let out a happy moan as she slowly chewed, savoring every ounce of flavor. Twilight, watching Swift Strike’s reaction curiously, picked up her own sandwich and took a small bite. 
“Whoa,” she muttered, her eyes going wide before she dug into the sandwich with gusto. “This is amazing!”
“I told you!” Swift Strike said in the split second she had before she started devouring her second sandwich. Her wings reached out to grab two more without her mouth missing a beat. Twilight did one better, grabbing three in her magic and adding them to her plate as she devoured her current one.
Something tells me my dad might have two ponies addicted to his sandwiches now, Flash thought, quickly grabbing one for himself before they were all gone. Aaron, meanwhile, just smiled in satisfaction as he calmly ate his own food. 
They continued in silence for a few minutes, enjoying the meal. After finishing a second sandwich, Twilight took a bite of the ziti, and, given how she quickly scooped herself some more, Flash could safely assume that she found it to be just as good. 
“By the way, honey,” Aaron began as they continued to eat. “I could have sworn I heard the sound of hooves on a table before you entered the kitchen. Seeing as there was no screaming or crashing, I’m assuming that nothing’s broken this time?” 
Swift Strike took a moment to pause in her eating and glare at him. A glare that lasted all of three seconds before he made a silly face and she burst into giggles. Satisfied with that response, Aaron grinned playfully and winked at Flash. 
“That was one time and you know it!” Swifty said, playfully punching Aaron on the shoulder. “And we both know I hardly ever break things, Mister I’m-going-to-stick-my-head-in-the-washing-machine-and-get-so-stuck-we-need-to-take-it-apart-just-to-get-you-out.” 
“Just making sure,” Aaron said with a deep chuckle. “And in my defense, I did manage to put the washer back together again. It even worked better than it did before you had to take it apart! Somehow.”
I really don’t think that’s the point here, Dad, Flash thought with an internal eye roll and a smile. You ARE the one who tends to break things around the house, which is surprising given Mom’s…well, everything. 
“I feel like there’s another story coming,” Twilight said between bites, her eyebrow raising in curiosity. 
“My turn, then, though this story is pretty short,” Flash said with a grin, ignoring his mother’s small snort of amusement. “About two weeks before I was supposed to start taking her class, something that my mom was EXTRA excited for, she asked me if we could do a special combat exercise. As I said, the class starts with my mom finding out how everypony reacts when they’re afraid. Normally, she also has a graduate student attend the class to spar with her to demonstrate what the class will teach over the next few weeks. However, as a way to supplement the lesson, she wanted to see if I would be willing to spar with her before the first official class so that she could show everypony how even just knowing your fear can help you be better prepared.”
“I was a…little hesitant at first,” Flash said, remembering his mom’s excited, if mildly terrifying, smile when he had said yes. “But in the end, I figured it would be better to get a head start on this ‘fear training,’ as Mom calls it, and agreed to spar with her. We set it up so that at some point between that day and the start of class, she would ‘attack’ me when I wasn’t expecting it. We even had a codeword that I could yell if the test was becoming too intense for me.”
“The codeword was ‘codeword,’” Aaron chuckled. “The perfect way not to forget the codeword. At least, in theory,” he added with a wink. Flash tried not to groan.
I know, Dad. I know. I’ll get to there soon. And hopefully Twilight won’t laugh too much. Even if she does have a beautiful laugh…
  Focus…
“My dad also contacted a friend of his who helped him move a lot of the more delicate items upstairs before the sparing session began so we had most of the lower floor to practice without rick of breaking things like picture frames or vases,” Flash continued. 
“The kitchen was the only place that was off limits,” Aaron said with a nod. “Afterall, somepony had to make sure his little warriors would have a nice hearty meal when they were done chasing each other in circles.”
“And what a good meal it was. Almost as good as this one!” Swifty exclaimed with a happy nod before another sandwich vanished into her mouth.
“Anyway,” Flash continued. “A few days before I was supposed to take my mom’s class, I had just gotten home from a patrol shift. I hadn’t had a chance to take off my armor yet, but suddenly I hear my mom scream ‘SURPRISE ATTACK!’ and pounced at me from the upper level. She was wearing her full armor as well, and I barely managed to dodge her ambush.”
“You got lucky, my dear,” Swifty said with a wide grin. “One second later and I would have had you!”
“I know, Mom,” Flash said with a playful eyeroll. “I’m just surprised you announced your attack at all. So many of your stories of your time in the scout unit involved you being a master of stealth.”
“She can be if she wants to be,” Aaron said with a laugh. “But if her cover’s been blown or she can’t use stealth due to the situation or the terrain, then she’s about as stealthy as a marching band falling down a flight of stairs. And trust me, I know how loud that can be.” He winked at Swifty, who puffed her cheeks out in indignation. 
“In Mom’s defense, though, intimidation through sound is a real tactic,” Flash said, earning a grin from Swifty. “But in this case, she didn’t catch me right then thanks to her little shout, and so she started chasing me through the house. But even though I knew it was a training exercise and that I had agreed to this, I still felt pretty scared at the time, especially as Mom was going all out to try and catch me. She was running along the walls, kicking off of any surface she could to try and grab me, performing turns so tight I thought she had a missed career as a Wonderbolt. In short, I didn’t stand a chance against her, and I quickly realized what happened when I was afraid.”
“What?” Twilight asked innocently. 
“He forgets,” Aaron cut in. “If he doesn’t have a combat move down to muscle memory, he forgets it. If he has a new tool or a new weapon that he hasn’t practiced with, he forgets about it. If he has a codeword he can use to end the exercise…”
“You forgot the codeword?!” Twilight asked in shock, her mouth falling open. “But it was just ‘codeword!’” 
Flash couldn’t help but blush a little as he nodded in shame. “Yes, I did forget. I tried to keep up with her at first, but soon I was so busy just trying to dodge her pursuit that by the time I realized I wanted to end the exercise, I couldn’t think of what I was supposed to say! And because I wasn’t using the codeword, Mom didn’t stop! She just kept coming and didn’t realize that I had forgotten how to end the exercise. She also just kept yelling about how she needed to learn about my fear and to stop playing around. It was…pretty intense. Definitely not my scariest fight, but it was quite the introduction to her class.”
“That was the point, and you became one of my best students!” Swift Strike exclaimed proudly. “At the time, I thought you didn’t feel scared enough yet, which is why you weren’t using the codeword, or saying anything at all! So I was trying to slowly ramp it up.”
“Slowly. Right. That same slowly that led to you literally bucking the coffee table in half when I tried to use it as a shield,” Flash deadpanned. Twilight gasped in shock, and Aaron burst out laughing. “By that point, I had given up trying to remember what the codeword was and just tried to stay out of range of your attacks as I called for reinforcements!”
I had never been so happy to see a stallion a head taller than me tackle a guard half my size as I was the moment he showed up, Flash thought. Granted, it’s the only time it happened, but still!
“I believe his exact words were ‘DAD! HELP! MOM JUST BROKE THE COFFEE TABLE IN HALF AND SHE’S STILL COMING! I CAN’T REMEMBER HOW TO MAKE HER STOP!’” Aaron chuckled, earning a pout/glare from his wife. “I could tell from the panic in his voice that Flash had indeed forgotten the codeword in the middle of it. So when I heard that, I simply came into the room to try and help sort out the problem. However, once I saw what a mess had been made of the family room, I decided to calm Swifty down directly before something else got broken, rather than just yell ‘codeword.’”
“You ran into the room and tackled me from behind!” Swift Strike yelled. “And I had just pulled off this super cool turn too! The moment Flash yelled that out, I realized something was wrong and veered off from my attack and began to lose speed. The tackle was unnecessary.”
“Maybe, but given the mess you made, I wanted to make sure you didn’t crash into anything while trying to slow down. Or make yourself sick given how tight of a circle you would need to make to burn off all that speed in such a small room,” Aaron said, nuzzling the top of Swifty’s head. “Plus, it served as a clear indicator to Flash that the exercise was over and that he could start to calm down too.”
“Fair,” Swifty said. “The cuddle session you gave me after the tackle did help me calm down a bit as well. I just wish the start of it wasn’t so rough.”
“Says little miss I’m-going-to-tackle-my-husband-because-I-love-him-so-much-and-missed-him-these-past-few-days-while-on-deployment,” Aaron said with a low rumbling chuckle. Swifty just blew a raspberry at him. 
“What happened after Aaron stopped the match?” Twilight asked, helpfully bringing the conversation back on track. 
“Well, after we took a minute to make sure Flashie wasn’t injured, which he wasn’t, Swifty and I hugged him – a little awkwardly, in Swifty’s case - and then sent him to the kitchen to get some water for himself and his mom. I also told him to take a few minutes to take some deep breaths while I snuggled his sparing partner to help her calm down,” Aaron said. “Then, when he came back, I let Swifty up so she could debrief Flash.
“It’s a standard procedure that takes place after the more intense lessons in the guard,” Swifty said. “I basically went over the events that happened during the match, praised his successes like his stamina and ability to avoid my attacks, made sure he was aware of his mistakes and what he could do to improve, and helped him understand what how his mind reacted to his fear.”
“It turns out that not only do I forget things when I’m afraid, but that I also tend to become hyper-focused on those things I’m forgetting, which can impact my ability to adapt if I’m not careful,” Flash said. “The reason it took me so long to call for Dad’s help or for mom to stop attacking was because I was so focused on dodging and trying to remember what the codeword was that it just never occurred to me to try and end the exercise some other way.”
“We managed to work out that issue during his time in the class, thankfully,” Swifty said with a proud nod. “But back on topic, once I had finished the debriefing, Flashie was feeling better and I could already see his mind working on how to address his weakness. I knew from the look in his eyes that he would be a pony who got a lot out of my classes. 
“But then the mood was COMPLETELY ruined by my goofball of a husband who decided that he would grab me again and spend the next hour laying on top of me!” she exclaimed, giving Aaron a very playful glare. The larger stallion just laughed. 
“I could tell Swifty was still a little bit jittery from the fight even after the debriefing, and so I thought what better way to calm her down then to spend some more time being pinned under some soft, warm pressure?” Aaron said with a wink. 
“So you just randomly decided to become my own personal weighted blanket?” Swifty snarked, playfully batting him with her wing.
“If you didn’t like it, why didn’t you just tickle yourself out?” Aaron bantered back with a cheeky grin. “You’ve escaped from similar positions before. Rather easily, I might add. At the time, I just wanted to be completely sure that there wouldn’t be any more broken furniture given how buzzy you still were.”
“More like you just wanted to be a cheeky husband who playfully pushed my buttons while simultaneously comforting me so I didn’t feel bad about breaking the table,” Swifty said, flying out of her chair slightly so she could reach up and boop Aaron on the nose.
“And, if I remember correctly, once you had managed to lay on her, you asked me for one of the magazines that had been on the table before Mom smashed it,” Flash said. Swift Strike blinked, then nearly burst out laughing as she facehoofed. 
“Oh sweet Luna, I forgot about that,” Swifty exclaimed.
“Of course I did! After all, I knew Swifty could get out if she wanted to, and that a nice warm press would help prevent her from feeling too sore the next day. Plus, I had been falling behind in my reading of ‘Equestrian Flower’s Monthly,’” Aaron said casually. “So why not plant two seeds in one hole?”
“Mom spent the first few minutes snarking at my dad to let her up, but eventually just decided to wait it out. So she and I talked some more about the exercise, at which point I was able to compliment her on that veer move she pulled off, which was pretty cool. But eventually, she fell asleep under my dad, which I have to say is probably the silliest place she had ever fallen asleep,” Flash joked, only for Swift Strike to punch a roll and send it flying into his mouth. 
I can’t tell if I should be upset she just muted me or happy given how delicious this roll is, Flash thought, chewing the warm buttery goodness in his mouth. I still wish I knew how she was able to do that so perfectly. It would be a good tactic if Twilight ever gets too excited about a science problem she’s researching. Even if she is pretty cute when she’s ranting.
  Focus…
“Cheeky colt,” Swift Strike huffed. “It was very nice, even if I still would have preferred to just snuggle on the couch. Still, I am glad that we went through with the exercise, coffee table aside. This kind of fear is usually one that I only find after my second or third class, so I was glad that I was able to discover it earlier and get to work helping you sooner. Plus, it was so wonderful to see you improve right before my eyes and to hear you say how much my work helped you become a better guard.”
“And it was wonderful to see how happy you were to hear that from me,” Flash agreed, swallowing the last of the roll. “And you put so much effort into helping me overcome that weakness. You spent hours teaching me so many different moves, making sure I was moving correctly, fixing little mistakes, and helping me practice until I could do a maneuver without even thinking. It helped me feel more prepared to handle numerous situations and reduced the risk of me fear-blanking.” 
He smiled at the memory of him and his mom practicing in the training room until Flash had a move memorized. Of her staying up with him late into the night, helping him perfect one move or another that he was struggling with. Of them finally stopping and sharing a granola bar to recover. He could still remember thanking her that one night they had stayed up until almost one in the morning, and her hugging him and saying ‘anytime.’
She would do anything to make sure I could be the best Royal Guard I could be. 
“Honestly, it has helped me in multiple situations back in the Crystal Empire and Ponyville,” Flash said. “I’ve even helped train a few of the crystal guards that were suffering from a similar fear reaction. Though I didn’t have a chance to teach them suplexing before being reassigned. Hey, remember when we tried the exercise again a few years later and I panic-suplexed you?” 
Swifty let out a loud happy laugh. “THAT was so amazing! You completely forgot everything you were doing, but you had memorized suplexing so well you just did it on instinct!” she exclaimed, sounding almost as proud as the day Flash had graduated from the guard academy. “You wouldn’t mind doing that training exercise again, would you, Flashie?” She gave a very excited Momma-isn’t-messing-around-grin at the prospect, prompting Flash to roll his eyes. 
It wouldn’t be a family visit if Mom wasn’t asking me to do her test or spar at least once. Though I don’t think that’s a good idea right now. The last thing I need it for Twilight to see me panic-attacking my own mother because she decided to ambush me from inside a closet. 
“Swifty, stop teasing him,” Aaron said, bending over and giving Swift Strike a gentle tug on the ear. “We both know what his answer is going to be. And besides, if we took time to do your little test, then we might not have a time for your family tradition: the baby photos.” 
You know, I had almost forgotten about that, Flash groaned internally, even as Twilight’s ears perked up in interest. Almost. I would ask if we can skip the baby photos, but I know that Mom would never let that happen. Plus, I did tell Twilight my mom would share my baby photos, so it wouldn’t be fair if I’m the only one to be embarrassed by them. 
“Fine, fine. But are you sure I can’t spar with him? Just once? It’s been years since the last time we spared and I want to see how much better he’s gotten! And if he’s learned any new moves I can use in my lessons! Especially since we barely got to see him while he was stationed in the Crystal Empire! Well, we did spend a few days in Ponyville after he transferred to see him when he was free, but he declined a chance to spar then too!”
“Not tonight, dear. You can spar with him when we go to visit him in Ponyville again if he wants. But no Super-Swifty-Surprise-Suplexing.”
“Awwwww…” Swift Strike exclaimed with an obviously exaggerated moan, followed by some very clearly fake pouting. Flash just shook his head and let out a small chuckle.
Never changes, Mom. Never change. Unless you’re going to not suplex things anymore. At which point, change only that one thing and nothing else.
“Is there a reason you weren’t able to see him once he moved to the Crystal Empire?” Twilight asked, tilting her head curiously. “I’m sure Cadance would have given him some time off when you came to visit.”
“That wasn’t really the problem,” Aaron said, a happy smile crossing his muzzle. “The problem was getting Swifty to the Empire at all, given how her two biggest weaknesses were standing in the way.” He gave Swift Strike a small kiss on the nose as she rolled her eyes and playfully shoved him.
“Her two biggest weaknesses?” Twilight asked.
“Trains and snow,” Flash said, nodding. “Despite how fluffy Mom is, she has almost no tolerance for cold weather. At all. Even with just a light sprinkling of snow and she needs to bundle up in a sweatshirt, a super fluffy jacket, boots, and a thick scarf to feel comfortable. Even when she used to work as a guard in the winter she would always wear three layers of warmth under her armor.”
“And more than once, Flash acted as her little portable space heater when he was a foal,” Aaron laughed, nuzzling Swift Strike as she blushed. “I still remember the time our heat went out in the middle of winter. She spent almost the entire time wrapped in a cocoon of blankets and was still complaining about the cold. It wasn’t until Flash crawled under the covers with her that she finally felt comfortable, and she spent most of the night aggressively cuddling a six-year-old Flash as he happily slept away in her legs.”
I still remember that, Flash thought, giggling a little at the memory. Even when I woke up the next morning she was still hugging me, and I had to spend ten minutes squirming out of her sleepy grip so I could go to the bathroom.
“I didn’t think Flash would be that warm,” Twilight said, looking at Flash curiously. “I mean, his fur isn’t really that long, and whenever we hug, he doesn’t feel that warm. My friend Rainbow Dash usually feels warmer than he does.”
“That’s because he cuts his coat every other week,” Swift Strike said, her eyes gleaming with a playfulness that only a mother could have. 
Oh dear. Why, Mom? Why did you need to mention that?
“Really?” Twilight asked in surprise. Flash just blushed and nodded a bit. 
“I…kinda got whatever gene my mom has that makes my fur grow a lot faster than other ponies. If I don’t cut it regularly, I become really fluffy. Not as much as my mom, but enough that it gets pretty distracting.”
“Distracting how?” Twilight asked, tilting her head VERY adorably.
Focus…
“Well,” Flash began, thinking of the downsides he had experienced with his longer coat. “When I work out, my sweat stays in my fur a lot more, which weighs me down. It also just feels weird having that much fur between the straps of my armor. And there’s the knots that can form in it, which can be a real pain to get out. Plus, unlike my mom, I don’t do too well in the summer with such a long coat, especially when I’m wearing my armor.” 
“I’m sure you could probably grow it out a little bit more without running into any problems,” Aaron said with a wink. “After all, mares love a stallion who’s fluffy and huggable. Why do you think I used to wait so long before cutting my coat? Any downsides are greatly outweighed by getting more hugs from my lovable wife!”
“I actually always thought you did that so Mom didn’t feel so weird being a giant ball of fur,” Flash said, earning a giggle from Twilight. “And I think I’ll keep cutting mine.”
“Are you sure?” Twilight teased, brushing his side with a wing. 
EEEP! Twilight! What?
“I will admit, after feeling how soft your mom’s coat is, I’m actually a bit curious how much better our hugs would be if your coat was a bit fluffier,” Twilight said playfully, causing Flash’s wings to spring out in surprise as he blushed madly. “I certainly won’t force you to do anything you’re not comfortable with, but would you be willing to grow your fur out a little bit?”
Daaaaa…Focus Flash, focus! I actually feel pretty torn now. On the one hoof, I’ve always found long fur to be more annoying, especially back in elementary school. And it’s been so long since I’ve let it grow out that it might be even more uncomfortable than I remember. On the other hoof, more hugs from Twilight would certainly be very nice. And if she likes hugging me, then it could help both of us feel just a little bit more relaxed if we have a rough day. Who knows, maybe she would even know of some sort of cooling spell to help me in the summer? 
 …I suppose just trying it out wouldn’t be too bad. And if it is too much of a problem, I can always go back to cutting it shorter.  
Flash sighed. “I suppose I can let it grow a little bit and see how you like it, Twilight.”
“Aww, thank you, Flash” Twilight said, pulling him into a massive kiss that left him grinning like a goofball. “If it does turn out to be too much on an inconvenience for you, you can go back to cutting it however you want, but thank you for at least giving it a try.”
“Hahaha! With a reaction like that, all you need to do is give him more kisses and he’ll keep it long for as long as you—MMMPH!” Swift Strike called between laughs, only for Aaron to sweep her right out of her chair and into a huge kiss of her own. 
Nice to see Dad reminding her that she’s just as vulnerable to kisses as I am. Actually, I wonder if I could kiss Twilight in such a way that it would help her calm down if she was ever super stressed? Or maybe a kiss to pull her out of one of her sciencey moods where she gets too wrapped up in an experiment and doesn’t listen to anypony until after the science is done even if it might be dangerous? I still remember that time she flooded the castle basement with blue foam. 
  Focus…Worry about developing a Princess-Pacifying-Kiss later…
“Going back a bit, you mentioned that your mom didn’t like trains?” Twilight asked once Aaron had released the now very happy Swift Strike from their shared kiss. “Is it a phobia, or…”
“No, no, nothing that bad,” Swift Strike said as she got back into her own seat. “I just get…hyper when I’m on a train. And motion sick. I don’t like being in a metal box that moves when flying is a perfectly fine alternative. I’d rather be in control of my movements rather than sitting still while some machine moves me around, especially when those movements make me taste my breakfast.”
“She doesn’t mind balloons, blimps, or air carriages because she can easily just jump off and go for a quick fly if she starts to get too much pent-up energy,” Aaron said. “But half an hour on a train? She’ll be crawling up the walls unless she’s asleep, and it’s rare her nausea lets her do that. And even if we have the window open for fresh air to try and help, her pent-up energy makes it difficult for her to stay still and lie down. Which, in turn, just serves to aggravate her nausea even more. It’s not a fun time for anypony.”
“Have you tried a sleep medication?” Twilight asked. “I hear they make those for ponies who have trouble flying in airships or balloons. Or maybe some motion sickness medication?”
“The sleeping medicines just make the motion sickness even worse, to the point where I usually just throw them up,” Swift Strike said, sighing dejectedly. “And the motion sickness ones just make me feel nauseous constantly, even when I’m not ON the train! As far as my doctor can tell, there must be certain chemicals in those types of medications that my body just doesn’t agree with. We still don’t know WHICH one, but regardless I have yet to find a medication that works for me.”
You know, I wonder if Twilight or Zecora could try to mix something up for her, Flash thought. Zecora especially has a lot of knowledge about medicine and herbs, so maybe she would know something more natural for my mom to take. It might be worth a try. That way we could all go on vacation somewhere and we wouldn’t need to worry about Mom carrying most of the luggage in the wagon we have in the attic. 
“And because of all the snow around the Crystal Empire, my mom can’t fly there,” Flash said, pulling himself back to the real world. “The amount of gear she would need to feel comfortable in the cold temperatures would be too heavy for her to fly for long periods, something I know because she and my dad actually tried to fly to the Crystal Empire once, but he ended up having to carry her most of the way.”
“A good workout, but not one you want to do frequently,” Aaron said. 
“I am still sorry about that,” Swift Strike said.
“Don’t be, honey. I was happy to help. And you massaged the knots out of my muscles like a true pro!”
Swift Strike giggled and Aaron gave her another quick kiss.
“So between those two factors, the two of us only visited the Crystal Empire three times while Flash was stationed there, with him coming home the rest of the times we saw him. We relied on letters otherwise.”
“Which is actually how we noticed that something might be going on with our little Flashie these last few months,” Swift Strike said with a grin. “He kept sending us letters, but they were typically shorter and a bit light on details. To think he would have found a marefriend after punching a noble and that he WOULDN’T TELL ME AFTER THREE AND A HALMMPH—!” 
Her angry rant was cut short by Aaron and a well-placed sandwich right in her mouth. She hummed in bliss and Aaron just winked. 
I wonder if that would work on Twilight now that she’s tried Dad’s sandwiches? Or if a hayburger would have the same effect. Twilight certainly loves hayburgers enough to stop working and eat. Not to mention how adorable she is with that blissful look on her face whenever we go get some…
Focus…
“The reason I didn’t tell you was because I wasn’t really sure how to put it into words,” Flash said. “Dating Twilight was such a new and exciting experience that I just couldn’t find a way to get my thoughts out onto paper. It’s why, once I realized I hadn’t been writing for a few weeks, I simply wrote that I had some great news to tell you, and that we should meet up once your second honeymoon was over.”
“Fair enough, I suppose,” Swifty said with a forgiving nod, grabbing another sandwich. “But you better not wait that long for any future exciting news, young stallion!” She pointed the sandwich in Flash’s direction like it was the world’s tastiest weapon.
“I promise,” he said, trying not to laugh too hard at the sight.
“Good,” Swifty said, and took another hearty bite of the sandwich like nothing had happened. Flash quickly lost his battle and laughed, and his mom winked at him and made exaggerated big eyes as she chewed.
It does feel good to finally tell them, he thought as he ate a little more of his own food. And it feels even better that they like Twilight so much! 
“So all in all, Swifty can’t handle snow or trains, Flash gets fluffy if he doesn’t cut his coat, and we didn’t get to see Flash very often save for when he came home himself. Because we couldn’t see him often, Swifty hasn’t had much of a chance to spar with him, and we didn’t get to see him since you started dating because of our trip,” Aaron summed up as he grabbed a bit more food. “Oh, and Swifty can be pacified by an emergency sandwich in many instances. Any questions?”
“Yes, several, I think,” Twilight said, a bemused but genuine smile on her face, “but I’m not quite sure how to word them, so they can wait for now.” She grabbed more of the ziti and dove back into her meal. 
“Now there’s something you don’t see every day. The mare with an unquenchable thirst for knowledge not asking any more questions. We may just have broken her, Dad,” Flash said in a mock-serious voice, earning a small swat from Twilight’s wing. 
“We are quite an unusual family,” Aaron said with a shrug. “Nothing wrong with taking some time to digest what she’s heard.”
“I can’t tell if you’re trying to make a pun or not,” Swift Strike chimed in now that she had finished her latest sandwich, narrowing her gaze at her husband. 
“Yes,” Aaron replied. 
“Yes, you are making a pun because we’re eating, or yes, you’re not making a pun?”
“Yes.”
Swift Strike’s mouth flattened to a straight line in deadpan annoyance, so Aaron just bent over and gave her another quick kiss on the nose. 
“Kissing me only gets you out of so much trouble, mister.”
“But making you sandwiches gets me all the way out!”
“…You’re so lucky they are the best sandwiches in existence.”
“No, I’m so lucky that I was able to meet a mare just as amazing as you, and even more so that I get to spend my life with you too.”
I wonder it me and Twilight will ever be that cheesy? Flash thought, grinning as his mom burst into bashful giggles and stole a quick kiss before going back to her meal. I should remember that line if Twilight’s ever in a bad mood. He stole a quick glance at his marefriend. 
She had paused to watch his parent’s little interaction and was smiling softly at the display. Flash’s heart fluttered a bit at the sight, though he wasn’t sure why. He’d have time to figure it out later, and so long as Twilight was happy, then he was happy.
The rest of dinner was rather uneventful. Aaron and Swift Strike recounted some of the fun they had on their trip, including nature walks, ziplining, and a scuba diving tour they had taken. Swift Strike had especially enjoyed diving, chatting animatedly about how she swam around with the fish and how a few had tried to hide in her mane under the water. She even had a baby clownfish swimming with her for quite a while who she had decided to name Nemo. 
Twilight also spoke a bit about some of her adventures in Ponyville, including the time Cerberus ran into town only to be calmed down by Fluttershy and the time that Applejack had accidentally run a stampede of bunnies into town while sleep-deprived. Flash tried to point out that ‘almost all of these crazy events seem to happen on Tuesdays,’ but Twilight still insisted that ‘it was just a coincidence, Flash, don’t exaggerate.’ 
Though Aaron sided with Flash, saying ‘there is just something weird about Tuesdays,’ much to Twilight’s playful annoyance and Swifty’s loud laughter.
Once dinner was complete, the family retired to the family room to rest and digest – well, everypony save for Swift Strike, who had dashed off to, of course, go and get the photo album. 
Here it comes. Time for the silly baby pictures. Please let this be over quickly—wait a second…
“Am I imagining things, or is the photo album bigger than last time?” Flash asked in mild concern as his mom skipped back into the family room with a large album balanced on her head, grinning like a little filly. 
“It’s bigger,” Aaron confirmed with a chuckle. He was sitting next to Flash, with his wing draped over him and Twilight like a blanket, gently covering the two of them and the spot in the middle of the sofa that was being saved for Swift Strike. “She was going through all our old photos boxes and found a good chunk of photos that we had almost forgotten about. She loved them so much that she decided to add a few more pages to the book so they were all in one place rather than scattered throughout a number of boxes.”
“Oh, joy,” Flash groaned. Twilight giggled, and not even Flash’s please-don’t-encourage-them-please-please-please look made her lose her smile. 
This is going to be a LONG trip down memory lane. Hopefully Twilight falls asleep and forgets a little bit of the embarrassing photos. 
“Yep!” Swift Strike said with so much cheer that Flash thought she might just give Pinkie a run for her element. “I had to! I have so many cute photos of you as a foal! I couldn’t even fit them all in one book! I’ve already started organizing a second book, and don’t give me that look, you cheeky colt!” she added as Flash opened his mouth. “I started long before I knew you were dating!” 
“She did,” Aaron confirmed.
“And at the rate I’m going, I should have it ready in time for your next visit!”
“Please no,” Flash pleaded. 
“Please yes,” Twilight countered. “You wanted to see all of my baby photos, so it’s only fair that I get to see some of yours too!”
“But I only saw one book!” Flash protested, secretly hoping Twilight forgot about him asking for the second book.
“Only because I insisted we not go get another one!” Twilight countered, clearly having NOT forgotten about that.
“But I was joking about the second one! Kinda. Sorta. But I only saw one, and isn’t one book enough?” Flash asked desperately. He knew it was a losing battle, but he had to try right? His mom did say to never give up!
“Too late! My dad showed Aaron all of mine, so the story continues! Because unlike his silly ‘boop’ tradition, THIS is actually fun!” Swift Strike cheered, sinking Flash’s last fleeting hope. 
It could be worse, Flash thought as Swifty hopped over the coffee table and landed flawlessly between him and Twilight, the book falling perfectly into her lap. After all, if Mom shows Twilight a second book of baby photos, then maybe I can see more of Twilight’s baby photos. She WAS really cute in some of them. 
“EEEEEE! This is gonna be great!” Swifty cheered, opening the book with a flourish. 
“Awww, he’s so cute!” Twilight squealed in delight. Flash could see she was looking at the photo of him right after he was born. He was wrapped in a blanket, cradled in Swift Strike’s hooves, gazing at the camera in complete wonder. His parents watched him, gentle smiles on their faces. Despite his embarrassment over Twilight’s rapt attention, he did feel a spark of happiness in his chest as he gazed into the photo.
I wonder what it would be like to remember that day? To experience everything for the first time?
“Don’t let that cute face fool you,” Swift Strike said with an impish grin, completely spoiling Flash’s moment. “This little goofball was quite the troublemaker when he was first born. Silly little foal would eat a little bit, fall asleep, then cry again a half an hour later because he was still hungry. He was quite the notorious snacker unless we were constantly giving him attention!”
“Moooom,” Flash whined, silently wishing for the plot to demand Pinkie.
Alas, no such luck. 
Yeah, I thought that would be a far shot. CURSE YOU MR. UNIVERSE AND YOUR LOVE OF MESSING WITH ME!
The universe just sat there, doing nothing and waiting for its next moment to strike. 
Most of the photos on the first page focused on Flash in the hospital, but there was one of the day he finally went home for the first time, his eyes filled with wonder as he sat atop Aaron’s back, staring at everything around him. Though Swifty’s favorite was the image of her in the hospital room, happily watching from a cloud as a tiny Flash waddling his way towards her on a padded carpet as Aaron kept close watch. 
Despite wishing to sink into the couch and never return, Flash did grin a little at the photos. Each one showed his parents as well as himself, and Flash could practically see their love in each of them. Their warm smiles, their excited eyes, their sunny body language. They always loved him and it showed. 
Now if only they could show that love without pointing out every little thing I did as a foal. I know I’m exaggerating, but if Mom really does bring out a second book at our next visit, then it won’t be by much. 
“He was so cute when he first learned to trot,” Swifty said, pointing at the picture. “I knew from how much of a kicker he was in my belly that he would be walking all over the place in no time. Good thing the nurses kept the door closed, otherwise he would have waddled right out the door to go explore the hospital!” She nuzzled Flash’s chin happily. Flash returned it, trying his darndest to ignore the heat slowly flooding his cheeks. 
“He was quite excitable, too,” Aaron chimed in, making Twilight giggle. “Always wanting to be held or played with, and it could take him so long to settle down for a nap, even in the middle of the night.”
“Hopefully it won’t BE the middle of the night by the time this all ends,” Flash muttered to nopony in particular, though everypony else was too busy looking over the next page to listen. 
Please don’t let this last all night. Not even Twilight’s baby photos were than long! I know they were cute, but even I had my limit. Half-joking about a second book aside…
Focus…
The next page was dedicated to his first baths. Why his mom had added an ENTIRE PAGE dedicated to Flash in the tub he would never know, but there was no escaping it now. Even if seeing his rubber duck Sergent Quackers in the photos did bring a small smile to his lips. The first image showed him happily chewing on said ducky as his dad gently poured water over his short mane. In fact, the ducky was in every photo on this page, even one where Flash was asleep as Swifty washed his tiny hooves, and Aaron confirmed that yes, out of all his toys, Flash’s favorite managed to be a little rubber duck. 
“He was a very nice duck,” Flash admitted, silently praying to Harmony that Twilight would never discover that he still had said duck in his bathroom in the castle. 
Don’t you even think about it, Mister Universe! Flash thought, seeing the universe innocently taking notes. Well, with as innocently as a non-physical entity that loved to mess with him could actually muster.
The next page showed a combination of Flash happily running around the house, ducking between Aaron’s legs as Swift Strike playfully chased him, and him sleeping in various places. Twilight’s favorite was the one of him sucking on his hoof as he slept in Swift Strike’s legs, if her squeals of how cute he was were anything to go by. That one wasn’t too embarrassing, though Flash still felt his heart beat faster as Twilight continued to fawn over the photos.
“Flash was either awake and energetic, or fast asleep,” Swifty said with a grin. “He had no middle ground those first few months. Either we could relax, or we needed to be hyper-aware and make sure he didn’t fly out a window!” She pointed to a picture of Flash trying to fly away out of the kitchen, only for Aaron to casually hold his son’s tail between his teeth to keep Flash in place as he washed some dishes with his free hooves. 
Flash remembered that one. Shortly after that picture was taken, his dad had started sending soap bubbles up into the air. Flash had been so amazed by the bubbles that he had spent the next half an hour chasing them around his dad’s head, much to Aaron’s delight. And when Flash had finally tired himself out, he curled up and went to sleep right on his dad’s head.
You know, I wonder who I preferred to sleep on the most when I was a baby. My first thought is that it would be mom given how fluffy she is, but I’m not sure. 
“Don’t forget how he would try to hide on top of the cabinets, only to stare in surprise when he would realize we could fly up to get him,” Aaron agreed, earning a laugh from Twilight as Flash just facehooved. 
Apparently, object permanence also applied to the fact that my parents could fly as well, Flash sighed internally. This was already embarrassing enough without that little tidbit, Dad. 
“If I remember correctly, pegasi foal magic surges tend to show up as burst of flight and energy. I take it that explains a lot of this?” Twilight asked, curious yet playful. 
“Definitely,” Swift Strike said with an enthusiastic nod. “I knew he would be a great flier from the moment he started buzzing around the house, especially once he started escaping his enclosed playpen! Even if we did need to add safety latches to all the upper cabinets after we found him sleeping next to the flour.”
“Don’t forget when he kept trying to explore the spice cabinet,” Aaron chimed in, making Twilight and Swifty laugh as Flash tried to will himself out of existence for a few minutes. Alas, he could not escape this situation or the strange mix of wanting to be anywhere else and the bit of laughter bubbling up from inside him at how silly his younger self had been.  
Funny or not though, if Mom really has a story for every picture, this embarrassment is never going to end. Flash sighed to himself. Though if she DOES create a second book of baby photos, I wonder if I can convince Twilight Velvet to show me more of Twilight’s. She was even cuter than I was and I can’t believe I just thought that…
  Focus…
After what seemed like way too long, Swifty flipped the page, and Twilight immediately squealed. 
“Oh my Celestia, he’s so fluffy!” she gushed, causing Flash’s face to become almost entirely red as he saw the photo she was looking at. Said photo, titled ‘Flash: Five Months Old,’ showed Flash sitting half-covered by a blanket with a pacifier in his mouth. By this point, Flash’s mane and coat were starting to take on his mother’s characteristics, becoming fluffier and longer than most foals at that age, at least according to his parents. 
And that’s not even close to the fluffiest I can get. This was just when that trait was starting to make itself known.
“Oh, you haven’t seen anything yet, sweetie,” Swift Strike said with a grin. “By this point, he was just a little ball of fluff, and he just kept getting fluffier! You should have seen how many of my friends wanted to hold him and how many thought he was just the most huggable colt of all time!”
And Mom is reading my mind again. Super. Now that she’s seen me so fluffy, something tells me that now Twilight is really going to love my longer coat.
  Although Twilight will probably give me more hugs once it grows out. And happy Twilight hugs are always a good thing…
  Focus on the photos for now, Flash. Worry about inevitable hugs from your marefriend later.
The next photo showed a still-very-fluffy Flash hidden among a small patch of clouds above their home’s entryway. Only the top of his head and his tail were showing, but the latter was clearly flicking back and forth excitedly as he prepared to pounce on Swift Strike. His mom, on the other hoof was giving the camera a look the screamed ‘I know what he’s trying to do, and it won’t work.’
“Flash loved to hide around the house to try and surprise us,” Aaron said, pointing out the picture with a feather. “But he wasn’t really very good at hiding his tail.”
“Or keeping his giggling under control,” Swift Strike said with a nod. “He was never a stealthy colt.”
“Let the record show that I’ve gotten MUCH better,” Flash chuckled. He had to admit, these pictures always made him laugh. “Though yes, I was pretty terrible at stealth back then.” He pointed to the next photo, where his mom was lying on top of him and his expression just screamed ‘How did she see me coming?’. “However, I do think there was one time I managed to surprise Mom by jumping out of the laundry basket.”
“I heard her squeal of shock from across the house,” Aaron agreed, laughing as Swifty turned to give Flash a look that was the personification of her ‘cheeky colt.’ He stuck his tongue out at her and raspberried. 
Another photo showed Flash running through Aaron’s flower fields, his dad hovering over him and trying to get a grip on the cheerful colt without causing any more damage to the plants than Flash’s game of tag was already causing. This was followed immediately by a picture of a relieved Aaron holding a now very dirty and still excited Flash in his hooves, a path of destruction clearly evident in the flower field behind them. 
“Swifty was absolutely no help in keeping Flash out of my garden,” Aaron said, prompting Swift Strike to playfully nudge him with her wing. 
“I helped when he got too close to the area you used to grow your special flowers or the ones you used for custom orders. Besides, between here and the greenhouse you have at the shop, you have more than enough flowers to fill your shop, experiment with all the designs you could ever dream up, and make all the sandwiches I could ever eat,” she teased. “And I DID warn you that this would happen if you didn’t give Flash enough room to run around in the yard.” 
Flash smirked a little bit at that. He always did love running around in the flowers as a foal. The bright colors, the plethora of places he could hide during a game of hide and seek, the ability to get a snack anytime he wanted. Was it any wonder that he had caused so much trouble even when he began flying after his magic surges had died down? 
And yet Dad’s flowers dominated the yard, though he did invest in some high fences until I was older. And he DID clear a larger patch for my play area and grew a whole patch of flowers just for me to run around in, all to myself. I still remember that one year it was almost entirely filled with dandelions and I got completely covered in those fluffy seeds. 
That was fun.
Then, of course, there was the one photo where Flash was covered in spaghetti sauce, with just as much pasta on his head as there was in his mouth. Aaron wasn’t much better, with his face partly covered and his hair swept back into a ridiculous position. Meanwhile, the bowl was empty on the kitchen table behind Aaron and little bits of cloud were floating innocently around them. 
Ah yes, I remember this one. One of the many, many instances where my magic surge led to something other than me flying around the room. Mom always kept a page of photos documenting all of the silly things that happened when I surged. I also seem to recall one where both of my parents covered in bubbles from a bath gone wrong. I wonder why that one wasn’t on the page of all the bath pictures.
I probably shouldn’t give her any more ideas. 
“I’m still surprised Swifty managed to stop laughing long enough to snap that photo,” Aaron said with a playful eyeroll. “Flash’s magic surges were quite unpredictable when he was a foal, and all of them seemed tailor-made to cause as much chaos as possible.”
“I was the same way when I was foal,” Swift Strike said with a wink. “And don’t even get me started on all his weather-related mishaps. Like the time he accidentally filled his room with snow!”
“Moooom,” Flash whined as that painfully embarrassing memory came to mind. He tried to forget about that particular surge, as well as to ignore Twilight’s constant giggling. His mom just beamed up at him.
Eventually the photos began to show moments that Flash could actually remember happening himself. The first one Flash could remember with perfect clarity was him boldly standing on the coffee table with his mom’s helmet lopsidedly placed on his head. His mom was saluting him as though he was the best guard captain in the world, something that had made him beam with all the intensity of a four-year-old. He could also vaguely recall demanding that dinner would be made of cake and candy that night. 
Of course, that never happened, and the next photo showed his mom now lying on top of him with her helmet rightfully reclaimed. He was pleading with the camera, and by extension his dad, to get the insubordinate mommy off of him so he could go back to being a captain. Even if he had completely mispronounced ‘insubordinate’ because for whatever reason, he wasn’t able to pronounce that word correctly until he was about eight. His mom had found the entire thing adorable, though, and had said that he would make a wonderful guard when he got older. 
Flash, meanwhile, had insisted that he was NOT adorable and that she would be court marshaled. Though he was pretty sure he actually said ‘court mashed potatoes,’ something that just made his mom double down on the adorable argument.
She was right about the guard though, surprisingly enough. I did eventually become captain. Still glad she didn’t lay on me when I took her helmet in the future though. After the first time, she made a rule that I was allowed to play with the helmet so long as I was careful with it and didn’t throw it or bang it into things, and when she needed it back she would just hug me for a few minutes. She also used to jokingly say I was going to fluffy jail for theft of royal property whenever she caught me, but she always let me out of her jail-hug if I asked her to.  
Next came a photo that made Flash chuckle at the memory. In it, his mom’s mane and coat were even poofier than normal thanks to a little thundercloud Flash had used to zap her. The lightning was no worse than being zapped by static electricity, and she even praised him for figuring out how to do that at such a young age, but that didn’t stop her from getting her own brand of harmless payback. In return for that little prank, his mom held him tight and energetically tousled his mane, transferring some of the soft static from her coat to his as he struggled to escape her iron grip.
By the end of that little tussle, both of them were just giant balls of fluff, and his dad had decided to enjoy the occasion by scooping them both up with his wings and carrying them around while he made lunch, much to both Flash’s and Swift Strike’s protests. But they never stopped smiling that entire time, and every picture of this little adventure showed them with big, silly grins on their faces. Flash felt a warmth in his chest as he still remembered how fun that all had been.
Wait…If Dad is holding us, who took that last photo? Flash wondered to himself. Maybe it was Jeffrey? His dad had pulled a massive Fluttershy and actually befriended a squirrel that frequented the back yard when Flash was a foal. Not only that, but he had even taught the little guy how to operate a camera for occasions such as this. 
Flash could remember the first time he saw Jeffrey holding the device – which was almost as big as he was, by the way – and thought he had smacked his head on something and was hallucinating. But Aaron had insisted Jeffrey was a very smart squirrel and never gave up trying to teach him, and Flash had to admit, if Jeffrey DID capture this picture, all that time was well spent after all.
“These two always get into trouble,” Aaron said, pulling Flash out of his rodent-related detour. “Sometimes the two of them would have their own little prank wars until I got involved. The number of messes I walked in on, I swear.”
“Oh, stop exaggerating,” Swift Strike defended playfully. “They were never that bad.”
“Says the mare who at one point ended up half covered in chocolate and peanut butter while my son was completely buried in several bags’ worth of marshmallows,” Aaron said, winking at Twilight, who was trying desperately not to giggle. Flash was not so restrained and fully laughed out loud.
“I remember that! We were trying to make s’mores with peanut butter in the oven and somehow things just got out of hoof! Why did we even have that many bags of marshmallows, anyway?” 
“A friend of ours had a bunch of leftover ones from a s’more cookout they did at their restaurant and thought that you might like them,” Swifty said as she turned the page. “He just didn’t know how quickly things would escalate when YOU, little mister, started throwing marshmallows at me. Honestly, I was cleaning out your ears for days after that little incident.”
Twilight snorted.   
The next picture showed Flash asleep on his father’s back as the latter continued to tend to his flowers undeterred. This was a pretty innocent photo, but Flash couldn’t help but blush at the next image where it showed that his dad had made him a flower crown out of bright pink flowers and placed it on Flash’s head while he had slept. Flash had been so mad when he had woken up, and his mom’s teasing about how adorable he looked didn’t help.
Especially since Flash, after several color-themed discussions with Rarity that he still didn’t know how he got into in the first place, now knew just how badly that shade of pink went with the orange and blue of his coat and mane. Still, he was just glad that photo had never been shown to anypony outside the family, though he did wish Twilight would stop laughing so hard. 
At least there isn’t a picture of that time I feel asleep and woke up with flowers braided into my mane and tail by my mom. That is soooooooo much worse than just a little crown.
Then there was the photo of his first day of school. His mom was squishing him with her forelegs and wings and giving him all the kisses she could manage as he struggled in vain to escape the safety of the school building. The only saving grace was that all the other foals were so excited for school that they didn’t pay any attention to him dying of embarrassment. His dad had been of absolutely no help either, snapping a few pictures ‘to capture the moment, Flash! This is a historic occasion!’ 
At least his dad had held his mom back by her tail once Flash did manage to pry his way free. Though that didn’t stop his mom from scooping him up like an eagle catching a mouse once his school day was over and repeating the process all over again. At least she had found a cloud to perch on and snuggle him rather than do it right in front of everypony. But she did that EVERY school year, so Flash was probably the only pony in high school that tried to get into the building EARLY to escape his mom’s crushing grasp. 
Yet no matter how early he woke up, he could never fully escape his mother and her ‘Have a great first day, my little foal,’ hugs. Even when he woke up at five in the morning that one year, she was already awake and waiting. She hadn’t even needed an alarm!
But Flash had to admit that, despite his embarrassment, he was enjoying this a lot more than he thought he would. Maybe it was the joy Twilight and his parents were getting from seeing the captured memories, or maybe it was seeing just how he used to be so many years ago. 
Maybe Mom showing a second book wouldn’t be TOOOOOO what am I thinking? Of course it would be just as bad! Some of the worst photos aren’t in this book, which means Mom must be saving them! Please let them not be in the next book!  
Abandoning that train of thought as quickly as possible, Flash focused back on the current (and hopefully ONLY) book. They had moved onto the Nightmare Night pictures, including the one from the year his mom had somehow convinced his dad to go as Princess Celestia while she and Flash had gone as royal guards. Twilight was completely flabbergasted at that one, and even Aaron blushed a little as Swifty pointed out that photo.
That was probably one of my favorite Nightmare Nights, Flash thought with a smile. Dad really got into it. He was greeting everypony as ‘my subjects,’ acting regal and majestic when he walked, thanking his ‘royal guards’ for protecting him. I got SO much candy that year, with so many adults thanking me for protecting ‘the princess all night long.’ 
“This was the best Nightmare Night ever! He even won the costume contest that year!” Swifty laughed as Aaron just turned redder. Flash gave him a reassuring pat on the leg, severely hoping that the universe wouldn’t take notes on THAT picture and have something similar happen to him at some point. 
Though knowing the universe, it’s very likely that something like this WILL happen if I think it won’t, he thought resignedly. Still, I can hope. 
The next few pages were full of small family moments – some sweet, like him and his mom cuddling on the couch on near the fireplace on a cold night or his dad teaching him about gardening, and, of course, some embarrassing, like when he had first tried baking something only to end up covered in flour and soot or when he had tried to pull a prank on his mom only to end up covered in whipped cream when it backfired on him. Though he did have to laugh at the follow-up picture where his mom was covered in sprinkles, curtesy of his dad.
There were also plenty of photos of him during his older childhood and early teens. One showed him next to his mom on the day he was finally taller than her, much to his excitement. Another showed him getting stuck behind the couch when he was no longer small enough to explore behind it (his mom had been SO amused by that). Then there was the one of Aaron showing Flash how to make flower soup, with a follow-up pic of his mom eagerly enjoying his first solo attempt.
I can use the cooktop and the microwave ok. But the oven? Not a chance. At least the soup didn’t burn! It was actually pretty good, too! 
Towards the end, it even started to show a few photos of him from high school and his early days in the guard. One showed him in a nice tuxedo the night of his senior prom, next to the small group of mares and stallions that had all collectively decided to go as friends. Twilight squealed once again at how nice he looked all dressed up and Flash grinned. He hadn’t gotten nearly so fancy since the Gala, but maybe it would be worth it to wear something a little nice on their next date if she liked it so much.
All hecticness aside, the Gala WAS pretty fun. And so was this night! Leaf Splitter’s parents let us all come over for a pizza slumber party afterwards, and Dad had even dropped off some orange blossom cookies!
There were also photos of him wearing his first set of armor after applying to the guard while Swifty happily bounced behind him, a picture of him and his mom training together with one of him caught mid-my-mom-is-suplexing-me-send-help, and two of them running laps around the castle. There was even a picture of the smashed-up coffee table behind Aaron as he lay on Swift Strike and read a magazine. Given how Flash was also in the shot, sprawled out across the sofa in exhaustion, he was pretty sure Jeffrey had taken this photo too. 
He wasn’t sure why this photo was even IN the book in the first place as it didn’t quite fit in with the rest of the photos on the page. Although, Aaron DID grin like a loon and Swift Strike DID give Aaron one of her best death glare when Twilight pointed out the photo. 
Father, nothing needs to be said, but somehow I know you’re responsible for that… 
The last couple of pages were full of photos from the day he graduated from basic training, including the ceremony, him being tackled by his mom in excitement, and a group photo of some of the friends he had made at the academy. He still recognized a few of his friends from the photo, including Jet Stream, Honey Badger, and Noah. He still saw them occasionally when he came to Canterlot, but he hadn’t seen many of the others after his transfer to the Crystal Empire. 
Maybe he should write to them and see how they were doing? It would be fun to catch up with them after so long, and he knew Twilight would love to meet them. 
Flash couldn’t help but smile as he listened to his parents fill Twilight in on the last couple of photos. It felt to Flash as though he was sharing a part of himself with Twilight. Showing her his past in far more detail that words could ever hope to describe. Despite the embarrassment, it felt nice to share his life with his marefriend and all the fun memories he had made over the years, both good and bad. 
Though that still didn’t make him any less grateful once they closed the album and Aaron helped Flash convince Swift Strike to not show Twilight the beginnings of the second book. The photo showing a three-month-old Flash mistaking an overly fluffy coat in the closet for his mom had not made an appearance tonight and he would prefer it if Twilight never learned about that. 
Once the book was safely put away, Aaron invited everyone back into the kitchen before unveiling a triple-decker chocolate fruitcake, with each level containing a different fruit that was mixed in the perfect ration to enhance the chocolate taste without overpowering it. It had strawberries in one level, raspberries in another, and peaches in the top layer.
“These peaches are so gooood,” Twilight moaned, happily devouring her second slice of cake. “Where did you get them?”
“My old mate Hurricane gave them to me,” Aaron replied, as he took another bite of the raspberry. “He had a whole box of peaches from his most recent trip overseas as part of his weather service duties and gave them to me as a thank you for watching his garden a few months ago.”
“You have your flowers; he has his fruit,” Swifty giggled, devouring her third piece of strawberry. 
“And you have your suplexing,” Flash joked, smiling as he continued with his own piece of the raspberry layer. 
Wow, this is good. I think Nightlight might have some steep competition when it comes to the best dessert I’ve even had. Dad really pulled out all the stops.
“Cheeky colt,” Swifty said, glaring playfully at Flash for a few seconds before turning back to Twilight. “So, dear, did you have a good time tonight?”
“Oh, absolutely,” Twilight said with a happy nod. “It was wonderful to meet both of you and to learn more about you and Flash. If you are ever in Ponyville, please feel free to drop by. I would love to spend more time with you both!”
“Good to hear,” Aaron agreed. “I have been meaning to head back to Ponyville to look for new flowers and inspiration for new designs, and to see Flash of course, but I haven’t really had the time. I’m sure I’ll be able to make some room on my schedule now that I have another reason to go.”
“And because it’s just an hour or two’s flight away, Mom can visit without needing to worry about the train,” Flash joked. “EEP! HEY!”
“Cheeky colt,” Swifty grumbled again as her wing reached over and gave Flash’s ear a quick tug. “But I do think that coming to visit you again would be a great idea. We can even invite Velvet and Nightlight. OH OH OH! Maybe we could even swap picture books! I know Velvet would LOVE to see how cute Flashie was as a colt!”
“Please no,” Flash and Twilight groaned at the same time. 
“Let’s not do that for now,” Aaron suggested, chuckling deeply as Swifty pouted a bit. “I’m sure the two of them have had enough embarrassment for the rest of the year at least.”
“Fine, fine,” Swifty said, playfully rolling her eyes. “But don’t think I’ll forget about this idea.”
“I’m sure you won’t,” Flash said, silently praying to the universe that maybe, just maybe it would take pity on him this once and actually make his mom forget after all. He didn’t exactly have much faith in the idea, but hey, one could hope. “But I do think meeting up with Twilight’s family could make for a fun time. As long as it’s not on a Tuesday.”
“You and the Tuesdays, I swear to Celestia,” Twilight groaned. “Why is it always the Tuesdays?”
“Because they’re crazy and chaotic most of the time?”
“Not any more than any other day!”
“I don’t know, I did meet Swifty on a Tuesday,” Aaron said thoughtfully, causing Twilight to blink in surprise. 
“And we had our first official date on a Tuesday too,” Swifty said, humming. “You know, now that you mention it, a lot of crazy things do tend to happen on Tuesdays, even on the weeks when I don’t have a class that day.”
Twilight just let out a defeated sigh as Flash laughed and gently placed a wing over her back in reassurance. Chaotic Tuesdays or not, tonight, at least, had been a wonderful success, and he just knew that more wonderful memories would be awaiting them as time moved ever onwards.