Somepony pounded at the door.

Aurora began to curse, but then cut himself off and changed to a different word midway through. He had been laying down on the floor, forelegs folded underneath himself, reading a book when the noise came, and struggled to lift himself up off the floor.

The dozens of baby changelings that giggled and crawled over him didn’t help matters, and he moved carefully, watching were his hooves landed within the crowd of lil’ ‘lings beneath him.

The door shook again with another round of knocking. Aurora could only laugh softly to himself.

“Dear, could you get that?” Kai called from the kitchen. “I’m feeding termites over here!”

Aurora laughed again, and then quickly—though cautiously—began to peel the changelings clinging to his wings off. “One moment!” he shouted at the door, setting one of the black bugs down. “You are not helping,” he said to another changeling, who giggled in response and then crawled off his wing joint.

Finally free enough of his swarm, he took off into the air, soaring over the sea of insect ponies that filled their living room floor. A particularly large mound of them lay piled up in front of the television, watching an episode of My Little Monkeys. Aurora picked up the remote as he soared over and turned down the volume.

The door knocked once more by the time Aurora had gotten to it. He cracked it open and looked outside, and then pulled it open fully, sidling some changelings near his legs backwards from the opening.

“Hi,” he smiled, peeling one more crawling infant off his cheek and onto the floor. “Welcome to the colony,” he joked, looking around behind him.

The adult changeling at the door only chuckled. “Good day. I’m Mr. Ermite with the Department of Changeling Affairs,” he introduced himself. “I assume you were expecting me?”

Aurora laughed. “It must look like we weren’t, but I promise you we knew.”

Mr. Ermite smiled in response. “They can be a little much to handle, even for us. We’ve come prepared, at least,” he said, stepping aside to indicate a bus-like carriage with cloud wheels parked behind him, and several staffers beside. “We have something for you, as well.”

“Oh?” Aurora asked, stepping to the side as Kai buzzed over and landed next to him, cradling a changeling in one hoof and holding a bottle filled with honey in the other.

A staffer walked up to the door and handed over a large gift basket, full of chocolates and bath luxuries. “A token of our thanks, to you.”

“Oh, how lovely!” Aurora exclaimed, grabbing the basket and setting it on a small stand beside the door. “Does every participant get these?” he asked, eyeing the contents. It seemed a pricey gift for a government organization.

“Only those who break previous records,” he answered, before bowing and then stepping back to make room for Mr. Ermite. “Thanks again,” he called over his shoulder as he walked away.

Aurora beamed, and he nuzzled against Kai’s chin. “It was a pleasure helping. These last two weeks have been hectic, but lovely. Oh, where are my manners? Come in, come in!”

Mr. Ermite lifted up into the air, his translucent green wings fluttering loudly. “Cheers. I hope you didn’t get too attached to them,” he sighed, offering a half-hearted smile at them. “They needed the time for their chitin to harden enough, but now they can travel they must be raised in a hive.”

“Oh, absolutely, we understand,” Kai answered, lifting up a group of babies and setting them down on top of another to make room to land. As soon as he did, the displaced children started to laugh and shriek and climb up his legs. He ignored them. “Though I can’t say I didn’t enjoy my time with the little scamps.”

“We were actually wondering,” Aurora mentioned as he flew the gift basket into the kitchen, “what the process for fostering them once they’re done with their education is.”

Mr. Ermite pushed his round glasses up his muzzle, bit his lip, and tilted his head back. “I think that can definitely be arranged. It’s a volunteer system, of course. No changeling need leave the hive if they do not wish to. But some children are restless and wish to see more of Equestria.”

Aurora nodded. “Sounds good. We’ll stop by the department next week for whatever we need to do to start that process.”

“Excellent, sir,” Mr. Ermite said, directing the staffers in and about the room. While Aurora and Kai watched, they began to gather and haul out batches of changelings from the house, filing them into the carriage. Aurora frowned, and sighed. He knew this day would come, and knew that none of these changelings were technically his. Well, maybe three dozen were Kai’s specifically, but once they entered the hive they would become part of it. Still though, his heartstrings tugged at him. Kai seemed to sense this, and rubbed Aurora’s withers.

“Don’t worry, babe. We’ll get to raise our own soon.”

“Thanks, hon.”

Half an hour later, the house had been cleared of every child within it. The staffers did one last inspection, looking under couch cushions and behind drapes, but the number they had collected matched the one Aurora provided for how many he had laid. With that done, the government employees shuffled out, waving goodbye to the somber couple. Mr. Ermite made his way out too, but then paused at the door.

“You know,” he said casually, looking back at the pegasus with a sly expression, “You’re always welcome to sign up for the Surrogacy Program again.”

“Oh, I’m aware,” Aurora replied, grinning into Kai’s eyes as he did so. “I’m already booked for my next session.”