I sat in the grade school area once again. Whoever was running the foal rearing part of this seemed to have taken a liking to me and promoted me to taking care of any and all non adult bat ponies. My new job was basically me sitting and babysitting the foals no one else wanted to, the gradeschoolers. It wasn't that they were poorly behaved, matter of fact my spanking episode had instilled a good deal of discipline.

They were still kids though, and I let them get away with little things. But they were dangerous. They were a danger to themselves, while they fly they're like damn groin seeking missiles, and the are constantly sticky. But they were slowly turning into my kids. With no major figure in their lives I was filling the gap, it was nice, they listened to me, liked me, and even when they got pissy, they would always come back and apologize.

"Ben!" The golden maned filly, Castor, ran over. "Ben...hi." She walked over beside me and sat down. "Ben, we're married."

I suppressed a laugh and pet her mane. "Castor, go play with your friends."

She looked up at me, bright yellow eyes like dinner plates. "But...we're friends."

I felt horribly guilty as she stared up at me. "Yeah but I- I gotta watch the others too...."

"But...Ben...I wanna play." She hugged my leg, headbutting my knee. "We're friends, you said to play with friends!"

"Ffff-- yeah...I guess I did." I rubbed her ears, calming her. "Hug?"

She popped her chin up, pressing against my shin. "Hug!?"

I scooped up the ecstatic filly under her forelegs and tucked her against my shoulder. I cradled her against me and rubbed her back. She cooed softly as I held her against me.

"Oh gosh, that's so cute!" A familiarly sweet voice cut off my moment. I popped my eyes open, finding Datura walking over. "Look at you, putting the moves on a little filly."

I left Castor hanging off my neck while I turned to Datura. "What can I say, apparently we're married."

"Eeaaha, that's so cute! I love Castor!" Datura squealed, "Come here!" Datura trotted over, trying to pry Castor from my neck. Castor promptly kicked free and hissed at her. "Whoa, hey!"

"Mine!" Castor yelled, tightening her grip.

"Castor! Off now!" I tucked my hands under her forelegs and yanked her off. "That's not okay."

"But--"

"No buts! Corner, five minutes." I stood and carried the huffing filly to a corner with a stool. "We don't kick ponies, especially not your elders."

"Ben- I don't wanna--" I sat her down and turned her towards the corner. She started crying as I scooted her into the corner. "I don't wanna--"

"Five minutes, no talking, no getting up." I set a timer and hung it on the wall. "Good ponies don't kick people without a reason."

"But she tried to take you away!"

I shook my head. "A good reason Castor, and you get to play with me for hours, I see Datura maybe once a week. Now the time doesn't start until you're quiet."

Castor stopped her huffing and settled down. I started the timer and turned to the small crowd growing around us. "Don't talk to Castor right now, okay?"

The kids mumbled and slowly dispersed. Datura was still sitting where I had left my chair. "Geez, I feel a little bad now."

"Don't. It's five minutes, and once it's over she'll come and lay down next to me like nothing happened." I rubbed my neck, pinching my hair as I did. "It's- hey!" I jumped up, charging over and catching a colt harassing Castor. "What did I say?"

"I- I- I--" The colt locked up as I stared down at him. I picked him up, carrying him over to another corner. "No! I didn't do it!"

"I saw you making faces. I told you Castor's in trouble, that doesn't mean you can make fun." I repeated the process as with Castor. "Five minutes. You wait for me, you don't leave on your own."

"But I--"

"No buts." I wiped my hands off on my pants and joined Datura again. I made sure the two were left alone while we talked. "Alright...now did you need something?"

"Not really. Luna asked me to deliver some mail." She pulled a few letters from her pack. "She said she forgot to send them out sooner. That's all." Datura turned away. "Hi kids! Hi!" She nuzzled a colt and walked out of the room.

I started looking through the letters. Starting top down I got reading.

Dear Mr. Wesk...title of Night Baron of Central Canterlot....congratulations on this amazing achievement....

"Neat!" I tucked the letter away. "Guess she's been keeping an eye on me."

Dear Mr. Wesk....title of Night Count of North East Equestria...amazing achievement...land grant....

"Whoa shi- aaaah...." I stopped myself from swearing. I had known the only other human to receive a count title. He was the barman from a few days ago. From what I heard he had given his land back to the government. I moved on to the next letter.

Want the size of a stallion? Want stamina like a human? Want the force of a griffon, call--

I crumpled up the spam and chucked it in a bin across the room. "Crap." I moved on.

Thank you for your samples in the...Noctem e' Homonid, Night Human program...genetics....excellent results! -Boxwood, head of human research under Lady Luna.

"That's a hell of a title." I folded the notes away for further study later. Castor's timer went off. I kept reading as I walked over.

Back pay is waiting to be collected...please accept our apologies at the poor timing...thank you.

"Huh, all good things." I folded my letters away and picked up the sullen Castor. I carried her back to my chair and sat her down on my lap. She didn't say anything, she just curled against my stomach and laid there. "You okay hun?"

"Yeah...." Castor mumbled, pressing her forehead against my stomach. "I'm okay."

"Good lass." I turned back to my letters.

Ben, honey, I'm so proud of you! ...big decision...congratulations! ....make us proud. -Mom

"Oh man, that's cool!" I tucked the letter away. The last thing was a large clasp envelope. Full sized sheets of paper and everything.

I undid the tie and opened it up.

Dear Mr. Wesk...thank you for your adoptions...gesture of kindness will never be forgotten. ...while adopted, we expect you to use the recently build facility with our blessing. Finalization needed...numbered foals require names, elder foals require a meeting per foal....honorary title of Father of the Night....

The packet of papers was trailed by a huge list of names and numbers. "Uuuuuuuuuuh- Argyle, Datura, anyone!? Why is my name on this!?" I flipped through the pages. Each and every foal I was watching, and every foal I had cared for was on the list of adoption. "I- what did I do!?"

Castor looked at the pages as I stared at the ceiling. "What's adoption mean?"

"I- I don't- uuuuh...it means...your parents...are...uuuuh.... Tarus, you're out of timeout!"

The colt bolted, leaving the dreaded stool to join his friends. "Ben...are you okay?" Castor asked as she stood up. "What does this mean?" she pointed to the papers.

"I- I think I just adopted a generation!" I gripped my scalp, digging my nails in. "How- how the hell does this happen!?"

"You said a bad word! Timeout!" Castor shouted, bouncing her hooves on my lap. "Ben, you said a bad word!"

I needed to get out of this room and find things out. "Listen, you know your daddy?"

"No...."

I held my arms out, confusing the foal for a few seconds. "Adoption means you get a new daddy...and...my name's on the paper...so.... You get it?"

Castor shook her head. "No...."

I rubbed my temples. "I'm your dad...."

Castor's eyes went wide. "D-daddy?!"

"Apparently, you and everypony else here!"

Castor let out a sharp squeal and bolted off of me, running in circles while shouting. "I've got a daddy! I've got a daaaaaaaddy!"

"Castor shh--"

It was too late, a group of foals wandered over. "What happen?"

"H-h-he, he's my daddy!" Castor shrieked, pointing to me with her hoof.

"Liar!" I shook my head and held the papers for the wisest foal I knew. She read the paper and stopped suddenly. "I-...dad?"

Things quickly spiraled out of control as she started explaining things to the less coherent foals. "Kids...calm down!"

They were out of control, going mad at the prospect of parentage. Some crazed at having a father, some at the prospect of having brothers and sisters.

I tried to slip out of the room, caught mid step. Castor latched onto my leg, tripping me and slamming me face first into the ground. "Daddy!"

"I want a dad!"

"Yay!"

The foals went wild, creating a small stampede over to me. In seconds I was covered in a fifteen strong herd of foals, all either biting me, hugging me, or just standing on me. I tried to drag myself to the door, but the extra twenty pounds per pony proved a bit too heavy.

I gave up, letting the foals keep me down until someone else could show up and free my from my tiny prison. I felt soft coats nuzzling against my face, into my sleeve, and under my shirt. The ponies settled down after fifteen minutes of rioting.

"Ben, work's u-- whoa, what happened?" Another nanny walked in and sat before me. "B-e-e-en," Argyle started laughing. "What happened to you?"

I looked up at her sadly. "I'm a dad...." I slid the papers carefully out from under me.

Argyle picked up the papers and looked them over. "Oh my god!" He jumped back, loosing his mind and laughing like an idiot. "Ben, what did you do!?"

"I tried to be a good guy! Adopting a single foal, being a dad- now this! This is my life now!"

"Dear Luna...I think you just put me out of business!" He joked, trying to pick the foals off me. "Come on kids--"

"let em...you're never gonna get them this calm ever again. Just enjoy it...."

"Well shit...do you want some help?"

I let out a short huff. "Can you go pick up something to eat? This is gonna be a long night...."

"Sure dude. And, congratulations...it's a herd."