Ut Ametur Iris

‘Knock Knock.’

Andrew blinked at hearing the sound of someone at the front door. He hadn’t been expecting anyone, and Rainbow was at the park with Scootaloo. Getting up from his expensive, varnished, desk (Which had costed a small fortune, yet Andrew still maintained it was well worth it.) he walked downstairs.

Money had been rolling in nicely from his patent, yet Andrew had decided to undertake an old occupation that he had always secretly dreamed of since he was a child.

He had always wanted to be an author.

It wasn’t a pipe dream either. He had always been good at spinning a tale and using words. When he had been given writing assessments in high school for ‘creative writing’ he had always gotten top marks. Everyone who had read them also said that he should go into writing, but of course, a busy mundane lifestyle ended that dream.

Now however, having so much more free time, less distractions and a steady income without working, it gave him the perfect opportunity to start. The two spares bedrooms in the house had been turned into a guest bedroom, and office, respectively.

It also helped he had a bookworm/princess for a friend, who could probably get him a publishing deal easily. Rainbow Dash had pressured him into writing something similar to Daring do yet Andrew had decided to do something a little more original.

The knocking came again, this time slightly harder, indicating that it’s creator was beginning to get restless. Wrapping a hand around the doorknob, he opened it to reveal a sap monster that had swallowed two familiar mares.

“What tree did you two fight and lose to?” Andrew snickered, looking over the sap covered Rainbow Dash and her ‘adopted’ sister Scootaloo.

“I was flying along side her, keeping an eye on her wing patterns when she flew us straight into a sap covered pine!” The Rainbow mare said, pointing a hoof at the filly, who was cringing with an embarrassed smile.

“I thought you were good at flying Dash,” He smirked.

“Yeah yeah, come on I wanna get cleaned up,” She said exasperatedly, pushing past him into the living room.

“So thats why you’re back early?”

“Well you can’t really keep flying when your feathers are stuck together,” Scootaloo spoke up as she headed towards the stairs.

Scootaloo had visited Rainbows new home frequently and had quickly made herself at home, navigating the house with ease.

“Makes sense,” Andrew replied, before calling after the filly. “You staying the night squirt?”

The eager filly was back at the top of the stairs in a flash, fluttering her wings excitedly. (Or at least as best she could while stuck to her body.)

“Can I Andrew?!” She squealed.

“Dunno, you know it’s Dash’s choice whether or not she wants to put up with you for the night,” he joked.

“Of course she can! Scoots our house is always open to you,” Rainbow responded warmly.

“Awesome!” Scootaloo squeed before running off to the bathroom.

“heh, kids,” Andrew commented as he turned to Rainbow who was fluttering in front of his face.

“Come here,” She said huskily, moving forward for a kiss.

“Whoa there!” Andrew cried, a hand shooting up to block here. “I don’t want your sappy hooves all over me. Go get cleaned up,” he ordered.

“You’re such a buzzkill!” She shouted.

“You’re sticky,” he giggled before adding. “Besides, do you want a Cutie Mark Crusader in our bathtub? Alone?”

Rainbows eyes widened in horror as she envisioned the inevitable flooding.

“Exactly. Go help her clean up. I know you always have trouble with that spot between your wings,” He said.

“You know I get you to clean that because it feels good right?” She asked.

“Duh. Now go, I gotta tell the orphanage that scoot is staying over.”

“Dash! How do I stop the water!?” The voice of scootaloo called from upstairs.

“Alright go! I’ll deal with this, but don’t forget you owe me a kiss!” Dash reminded him.

“Ooh, such a hard bargain. But I think I might be able to oblige,” he smirked as he headed for the door.

“Coming Scootaloo!” Dash called as she flew upstairs.

The walk to the orphanage was not a lengthy one. Just a few blocks down and a right turn would plant you on the large buildings’ doorstep. The double doors opened with a chime as Andrew entered.

The unicorn mare sitting behind the desk, immediately perked up. Being an orphanarium, business wasn’t exactly booming, so seeing a familiar face could be considered a daily highlight.

“Andrew!” Warm Smile cried as the human entered. Removing herself from the seat, she trotted up to him to embrace him in a hug. Outside of Rainbow’s friends and scootaloo, there were very few ponies who would actually hug the big human.

Warm Smile was one such pony. Initially, she had been rather friendly with Andrew. She had been described as arguably one of the most accepting, caring and understanding ponies in Ponyville.

The reason it was up for debate was Fluttershy, the two had some rivalry for the kindest mare in the town. Which both found funny seeing as they were good friends and found the competition completely ridiculous.

As a result, it made sense for her to work in an Orphanage. After all, who needed ‘warm smiles’ more than a foal who had lost their parents?

“Hey Warm. How you doing?” Andrew asked, breaking the hug.

“Better now that you’re here,” She joked. If she wasn’t a complete saint, Andrew would have sworn that she was hitting on him.

“So I take it you’re here for Scootaloo’s overnight bag?” She asked, already pulling the pre-prepared bag from under the counter. It having being moved from Scoots room to reception on account of how frequently it was used.

“You know one day I might actually just come in here to have a cup of tea and a chat,” he replied as she levitated the bag over to him.

“That sounds wonderful. Though I do wish you came over for other reasons,” She replied.

“Oh?” Andrew asked, curiosity pipped.

“Well, you and Rainbow are so happy together, yet you can’t have kids of your own, why not adopt?”

Andrew paused, and looked back to her. “I think it’s still a bit early for a family. I mean I’d like to get married first.”

“Oh come on Andrew! Kids like Scootaloo aren’t going to stay young forever! Snatch up the opportunity while you can. I mean, haven’t you ever thought of becoming a father?” She asked innocently.

Andrew stopped dead in his tracks. There wasn’t much you could do to the human to upset him, apart from one major, unspoken rule. Never mention fatherhood around him.

Even though Warm Smile was a close friend, her had refrained from telling her about his previous life and daughter. The less ponies knew the better, he didn’t want their pity, he would never have been able to move on otherwise. This was something that ponies who knew him respected, and kept quiet about it.

But Warm Smile didn’t know. Of course the Unicorn had no clue how much that statement had impacted him, and drilled into his soul.

Keeping calm, he responded. “Yes... But not yet.” he replied as he headed for the door.

“Not so soon,” he whispered to himself as he left without another word.

Having his mood severely soured did not suspend him from his duties of caretaker of two rambunctious mares. Upon entering, he called out.

“I’m back!”

“Andrew can you bring some towels up? I forget them,” Dash called back.

With a sigh, Andrew made his way to the linen cupboard in the hallway outside the bathroom. Andrew couldn’t fathom why they didn’t just keep towels in the bathroom all the time, but Dash maintained that the moisture in the air would dampen the towels anyway.

Not wanting to argue with a weather mare, he resigned to keep them in the small cupboard in the wall.

Grabbing two fluffy, white towels, he entered the bathroom. He needn't worry about seeing anything he shouldn’t, for obvious reasons. The main reasons doors existed on bathrooms in Equestria was to keep the steam in, or when somepony was on the toilet.

Scootaloo jumped up when he entered. Now sap free, she draped her small orange hooves over the side of the tub and greeted him with a closed eyed smile.

Rainbow moved up behind her, wrapping her hooves over the filles shoulders, she regarded Andrew with one of the most warm and loving expressions

Andrew felt his heart melt. The way her mane fell around her neck, and her perfect eyes conveying nothing but pure love for him, extinguished the sorrow that Warm Smile had unintentionally resurfaced.

Wrapping a towel around the orange filly, she galloped off to find her overnight bag, that held all her toys. Leaving Rainbow Dash to gracefully exit the bath.

“You know, I wouldn’t mind a kid like her,” Dash said as she watched the filly run off.

Andrew looked over too. Seeing Rainbow and Scootaloo like that, it made him realize just what he had been missing out on. He truly thought he was past the sorrow. Obviously he wasn’t and that was why he hadn’t thought of children.

But now. Now, seeing how much a foal could affect them. Maybe he was a step closer to giving in.

“Hey,” Rainbow said, causing Andrew to look over, resulting in a sudden kiss that he owed.

Maybe it was time. Time to start over.

To have a family.