The following morning, Rumble and Sweetie Belle began making their way out of the Boutique, ready to catch their train to Rainbow Falls.

Along the way they received the occasional congratulatory praise from the nearby ponies on their marriage, much to the appreciation of the newlywed couple.

"I feel so famous, it seems like everypony in town knows that we're married," Sweetie Belle said.

"Well that's pretty common knowledge in this town," Rumble said. "Our wedding may not have been as big or well known as Twilight's but we are pretty popular in town. I mean we were already famous for helping save Equestria."

"Yeah you're right, never really thought about being a hero in Equestria though, feels like that mostly goes to my sister and her friends," Sweetie Belle said.

"Rightfully so, they do more for Equestria after all," Rumble said. "Though we do have our share of fans, a lot of the Wonderbolts in training know me as the boy who helped Princess Twilight defeat Grogar, and they know you as the filly who was there too."

"Word spread at The Academy?" Sweetie Belle asked.

"Thanks mostly to Barley," Rumble said. "Speaking of Barley, I asked her and Scootaloo if she could keep Cozy Glow company for the week, I know she's going to get lonely without us there, even with little Cumie with her."

"That's nice of you, I hope we can get a date for Cozy Glow one day," Sweetie Belle said. "Too bad we don't know many ponies she might have a crush on, aside from you, or me."

"I think she had a crush on Sandbar, but he's dating one of his friends," Rumble said. "Don't remember which one though."

"Well who else do we know?" Sweetie Belle asked. "I mean, as far as colts go, we know that Button is with Babs, Skedaddle is with Kettle Corn, Chip is with Diamond Tiara, and Pickle is with Scootaloo, who else is there?"

"It can't be just anyone, whoever she gets with is going to be a step parent to my son, I'd rather Cozy date someone who would take good care of her and Cumie," Rumble said.

"What about Pipsqueak then? I heard he's a Royal Guard in training," Sweetie Belle said.

"Eh, I think Cozy Glow can do better," Rumble said. "Pip's alright but I just don't see it happening."

"Well what about First Base?" Sweetie Belle asked.

"Maybe, he is a sporty pony, but he just doesn't strike me as dating material for Cozy," Rumble said.

"Well what about Featherweight?" Sweetie Belle asked.

"I don't think he'd like Cozy Glow," Rumble said.

"Crackle Pop?" Sweetie Belle suggested.

"Not bad...but let's keep brainstorming," Rumble said.

"How about Snips? Or Snails?" Sweetie Belle asked.

"Is that a joke?" Rumble replied. "Cozy is WAY out of their league. Plus I was under the impression they got with each other, I've seen the signs since our foalhood."

Sweetie Belle wasn't sure about those rumors, but she was probably stretching with that suggestion. "How about Shady Daze?"

"I don't even know who that is," Rumble said.

"He was in my class!" Sweetie Belle said. "When I was a filly!"

"Doesn't ring a bell," Rumble said. "Guess there aren't that many suitable colts, but it's harder to find a filly that likes other fillies."

"I mean, we could ask," Sweetie Belle said. "Like Rainbow Dash may know about Wind Sprint, or thinking about it, Barley could be a good fit for her, especially after that one night."

"Good point," Rumble said.

"Maybe Cadance could help too, she is the Princess of Love after all," Sweetie Belle said.

"Speaking of Cadance...have you noticed how close Flurry has been to Cozy Glow?" Rumble asked.

"Yeah, Flurry seems to like being by her side," Sweetie Belle said. "I think it's really cute how well they get along with each other."

"I also remember Flurry kissing Cozy Glow, like the way she used to sneak in a kiss with me," Rumble said. "I think Flurry really likes Cozy Glow, even Dinky mentioned it to me last night when she came by."

"So you think Flurry and Cozy Glow will end up together?" Sweetie Belle asked.

"Not now obviously, but maybe in the future, that's what it seems like," Rumble said.

"That might be a long wait though, Flurry is still pretty young, plus if they end up together, Flurry would be Cumie's step mother, and Flurry really isn't that much older than Cumie, so imagine how strange that may be for him," Sweetie Belle said.

"I mean, you do have a point, and maybe Cozy is better off with somepony closer to her age," Rumble said. "I do wonder if Cozy is interested in the idea though."

"Depends if she wants to follow Twilight's example," Cozy Glow said.

"That's a strange example to follow from Twilight, though it would be ironic that of all the things Twilight tried to teach her, marrying a younger pony would be the one that sticks with Cozy Glow," Rumble said. "Of course there are benefits, if Cozy and Flurry do get together and make it official, Cozy would be an actual Princess, just like she wanted."

"Well technically she wants to be an Alicorn Princess," Sweetie Belle corrected. "But you might have a point. I just hope it never comes down to a scenario where Cozy only wants to be with Flurry because it would make her a Princess."

"I doubt it, Cozy's matured a lot over the past year, becoming a mother really changed her," Rumble said.

"Oh yeah, it really has, I'm glad she stopped being so bratty," Sweetie Belle said. "To think there was a time I thought of her as worse than Diamond Tiara, I mean as bratty as Dia was, at least she never tried anything that drastic."

"Probably good that Cozy Glow never met Diamond before you girls snapped her out of her bratty attitude, I could only imagine what would happen if they formed an alliance," Rumble said.

"I still don't think Dia would have gone the extremes that Cozy went, but I guess the best case scenario would be that Cozy gets brought down from a world conquering villain to more of a petty bully," Sweetie Belle said.

"Makes you wonder, if Cozy Glow had better influence, like more genuine Friendships, could she have been better off?" Rumble wondered. "When did Tirek reach out to her? Or did she reach out to Tirek?"

"Too bad Cozy Glow still doesn't like talking much about it, not that I blame her, she really feels remorseful for what she's done," Sweetie Belle said.

Rumble looked back at the direction of the Boutique, feeling a sense of worry and concern, "Is it really alright for us to take this trip? I mean we were thinking of postponing it."

"Cozy's alright with it, I think she'd rather us enjoy ourselves than worry about her," Sweetie Belle said. "You don't want her thinking she messed up our Honeymoon, do you?"

"I know, but I still feel like she needs us," Rumble said.

"I'm worried about her too, but Cozy wants this for us," Sweetie Belle said. "She's trying her hardest to let go and move on, if we give her some distance then it could be beneficial for her."

"I hope you're right," Rumble said.

"Try not to worry too much while we're at Rainbow Falls, I just want it to be about us," Sweetie Belle said. "When we get back, we'll take care of Cozy Glow again but we also have to give her a chance to take care of herself, or better yet, see if she can find another pony to do that, one she can fall in love with."

"As long as that pony loves her and Cumie just as much, then that's all that matters to me," Rumble said.

"You're so thoughtful, if you care this much about your former love, I guess I'm really in for a treat as far as our marriage goes," Sweetie Belle said. Suddenly Rumble stopped in place, Sweetie Belle curiously glancing back at him. "Hey what's wrong?"

"Sorry, this might sound silly but, it's just really dawning on me that we're married, that we're husband and wife," Rumble said. "We're taking the first major step of our lives together, it almost feels like I'm dreaming."

Sweetie Belle trotted over and locked a kiss with Rumble, "This isn't a dream, I'm really your wife now, and I am more than eager to enjoy my new life with you as my husband."

"Same here, wife," Rumble said.

Sweetie Belle gestured to the train station, "Let's hurry, we don't want to miss our train."

"Totally," Rumble said, picking up the pace and quickly heading to the train station.

The two began their trip to Rainbow Falls, arriving early enough to leave all their belongings at a hotel while they went to explore the scenery. Sweetie Belle of course had the most appreciation, she loved the natural beauty of some lands, and while she had a softer spot for Mount Aris, this place wasn't anything to nod off.

Rumble took to the skies, flying around in his usual formation, getting in a little extra practice while also trying to enjoy the scenery in his own way.

The two had also gone to a nearby town where they had a nice meal together and took a nice view of a nearby lake. It set a nice romantic mood for them, one that they needed for their nightly activity together.

Later on, Sweetie Belle awaited Rumble in their room, the lights dimmed to set the proper mood. She could feel the heat emanating from her body, she knew what could potentially happen after tonight, and she was ready for it.

It wasn't long before her husband entered the room, Rumble looking ready to enjoy his first post marriage night of romance with Sweetie Belle. He trotted over to her bed, lying down right beside her as he quickly engaged her in a kiss.

"Are you ready for this Rumble?" Sweetie Belle asked.

"Of course, I mean it's not our first time doing this," Rumble said.

"Yes, but it is our first time doing this while I'm in heat, I could get pregnant," Sweetie Belle said. "Are you really prepared for our first baby?"

"I am, are you?" Rumble asked.

Sweetie Belle nodded her head, "Yes, I do want this, I want a baby. I hope this is the first of many too."

"We'll have lots of kids together," Rumble said. "That I can promise you."

"Well then, let's get started," Sweetie Belle said, laying on her stomach with her flank raised up. "Make me feel like I'm all that matters in the world."

Rumble did just that, going into the dephth of night, he and Sweetie Belle fully expressed their love through physical actions, Rumble hoping everything he did would help the dream he and Sweetie Belle had of being parents.

Back in the Boutique, Barley kept her promise to take good care of Cozy Glow, the two bonding together on the couch.

"So how exactly was your relationship with Rumble like?" Barley asked.

"He treated me like a Princess, like I was his Princess," Cozy Glow said. "And boy did he ever, I didn't even need Twilight's crown to feel like I ruled."

"That's really nice, he didn't really give me that Princess talk when we dated, but that's not really my style anyway," Barley said.

"Rumble has different ways of talking to different girls I guess," Cozy Glow said, laying back against the couch.

Barley took a moment to gaze at Cozy Glow's belly, taking a second to rub, "Funny, to think a foal lived in such a tiny place."

"Sure did, for eleven months," Cozy Glow said.

"Must have been tough, you had to squeeze a baby out of you," Barley said.

"It was a labor of love, what matters is that I have my baby now, and I love him very much," Cozy Glow said.

"Kind of wish I had a baby of my own, but it's hard finding someone," Barley said. "Though there's still my career to think about."

"Is there anypony you like?" Cozy Glow asked.

"Truth be told, the pony I like, is you Cozy Glow," Barley said, piquing Cozy's interest. "I've liked you since we bonded at the Academy, and over time, I that affection grew."

"Is that why you offered to come by while Rumble and Sweetie Belle were away?" Cozy Glow asked.

"Yeah, pretty much," Barley said. "I wanted to spend some time with you."

"That was nice of you," Cozy Glow said. "I'm not surprised you have a crush on me, I am pretty lovable."

"Do you think we can be a thing?" Barley asked. "You know, girlfriends?"

"You want to be my girlfriend?" Cozy Glow said.

"Well, yeah, kind of," Barley said. Cozy did not seem too satisfied with that uncertainty. "Alright, I totally want to, one hundre percent."

"This is because you actually like me right? It's not just my looks?" Cozy Glow asked. "Or my body?"

"Of course, I think you're super nice," Barley said.

"Even though I used to be a villain?" Cozy Glow asked.

"Well you changed and I admire you for that," Barley said. "Look, I swear I think you're great, and I want to keep getting to know you."

"Well I do appreciate the offer Barley, but there's still a lot for me to consider before I make you my girlfriend," Cozy Glow said. "Keep in mind that I have a son to take care of."

"That's totally cool, you being a mom doesn't bother me," Barley said.

"I'm going to need more than it not bothering you," Cozy Glow said. "If I get with another pony, I want that pony to be a good parent to my child. Would you be a good mother to Cumie?"

"He seems to like me," Barley said. "And I totally like him, he's adorable."

"Would you be able to properly take care of him though? It's quite a bit of work, I mean I do have Rumble's help since he's the baby's father and Sweetie Belle helps because she loves the baby enough to want to," Cozy explained. "If you and I date, and possibly get married as a result, then you'd be responsible for my baby too, especially if we move away and live somewhere together. Do you think you can handle that?"

"Uh...well, I think so," Barley asked. "I mean, can it really be that hard looking after a baby? Just feed it, change it's diaper and rock it to sleep."

"It's not that simple," Cozy Glow said. "If you're serious about wanting me, I need to make sure you're compatible with my baby. So I need you to really commit, or you can hit the road because I'm not in the mood for maybes."

Barley looked a bit disheartened, but she can't blame Cozy Glow, she knows that the mare needs to prioritize her son before anything else, and she really respected that, it showed that Cozy Glow is a good mom.

"I guess you're right, I have a lot of work to do before I consider this," Barley said. "Sorry I sprung this on you so suddenly."

"It's alright, I don't blame you for asking," Cozy said.

"At least, let me try to convince you with this," Barley said. Without waiting for a response, she pulled Cozy Glow into a kiss, surprising the mare as she pulled away a second.

"What are you..." Cozy asked, then found herself in another kiss.

"Let me make you feel nice," Barley said, in between their kisses "I want to make the most of this, because I may not get this chance again." Barley planted another kiss. "Plus, you deserve to have someone show you this type of affection."

Barley started to affectionately kiss Cozy Glow, laying her agains the couch and making out with the filly, hoping to help her chances in winning her over through physical affection.

"Uh..." Came Scootaloo's voice, the mare getting their attention. "Cozy? Barley?"

"I almost forgot Scootaloo was here," Barley said.

"I'll go wait in my room," Cozy Glow said, flying away in embarrassment of being caught like this.

Barley looked annoyed and turned to Scootaloo, "Gee thanks."

"Hey I just wanted to let her know that her son's sleeping, and if she wanted some food for him when he woke up," Scootaloo said.

"I...guess that makes sense to inquire about," Barley said.

"So, making out with Cozy Glow?" Scootaloo asked.

"Sure was," Barley said.

"Uh-huh, now was there any reason you're doing that?" Scootaloo asked.

"Well, because I like her," Barley said. "She's super cute and she needs that affection."

"Right...say you're not leading her on, are you?" Scootaloo asked. "She's already a single mother, she doesn't need any hopes raised."

"I wouldn't lead a pony on, I am serious about dating her." Barley said. "She doesn't seem to be interested though."

"Well she has a lot to think about, plus she has to consider her son," Scootaloo said.

"I know that being with Cozy Glow also means being a step-mother to Cumulon, and I'm good with that," Barley said. "I don't mind having a son."

"You're way too casual about this, even Pinkie Pie knows to take things seriously when she foal-sat for The Cakes," Scootaloo said. "Plus, you might be too late, somepony else has her eyes on Cozy Glow, and I think that Cozy is going to wait til she's ready."

"Somepony else wants to be with her?" Barley asked. "Who is it? I bet I'm more fitting than whoever she is."

"You'd have to ask Cozy Glow herself, but if I were you, I wouldn't get my hopes too high," Scootaloo said.

Barley huffed in annoyance, "Well that's just great, once again I'm missing a chance, here I thought I'd have better luck with Cozy Glow."

"Hey it takes a while sometimes," Scootaloo said. "I mean I'm with your brother, but that took a while. Once I moved past Rumble, I stuck with Pickle and rolled with it, and it took me years to find somepony. You have time Barley, don't worry about how long it takes."

"I know, but seeing the recent marriages and how happy other ponies are just makes me feel a bit lonely," Barley said. "Rumble has Sweetie Belle, Tender Taps has Princess Twilight, Diamond Tiara has Chip, and you have my brother. Truth be told Scootaloo, I wish you had wanted me instead of Pickle."

"Really? How flattering," Scootaloo said. "I'm not above doing it with another filly, but in the end I think I prefer stallions. And while your brother needs a bit of work, dude is a real stallion."

"Never thought I'd hear somepony say that about my brother," Barley said. "At least you really do like him, sometimes he worries that you like Rumble better."

"He really needs to stop worrying about that, Rumble's my first crush and all but I eventually came to accept that he's with Sweetie Belle," Scootaloo said. "Besides, if I wanted to be with Rumble, I would have by now. I had the chance to, but I felt like he was better off making peace with Sweetie Belle. She's better for him and I think Pickle is good for me. But if he wants to make this relationship work, he's going to have to work out his issues."

"I'll be sure to relay that to him," Barley said. "But if he's smart, then he'd understand just how great of a catch you are."

"I appreciate that," Scootaloo said, then went upstairs. "I'm gonna go check on Cozy Glow."

"You do that,," Barley said, intending to check on Cozy Glow later herself, hoping to further prove her point, even if she has to show her some in-bed skills. "I do hope everything works out."

After a nice week, Rumble and Sweetie Belle finally came back home, the former eager to see his son and the latter wanting to take a test to be sure of something.

Once home, Rumble called out to whoever might be inside, "Cozy Glow! Rarity! We're back!"

"Rumble?" Came Barley's voice as the filly trotted into view.

"Hey Barley, are Cozy Glow or Rarity around?" Rumble asked.

"Rarity's out shopping, it's just me and Cozy Glow," Barley said. "Scootaloo was here this morning but she had to go, she's meeting my brother for a date."

"Aw, that's nice," Sweetie Belle said.

"Yeah, my brother's pretty lucky, Scootaloo's a really nice mare," Barley said. "I just hope he doesn't screw up their relationship."

"Pickle's a decent guy, I think he'll be a good colt for Scootaloo," Rumble said. "So where is Cozy Glow?"

"Last I saw her, she was upstairs feeding Cumulon his bottle," Barley said. "By the way, your son is super cute."

"Well Cumulon is Rumble's son, so of course he takes after his daddy," Sweetie Belle playfully stated, getting a blush from Rumble.

"I say he gets most of it from Cozy Glow," Rumble insisted. "Anyway, he wasn't any trouble?"

"Well he is a bit of a hyper flyer, and a bit messy, but otherwise he's a joy to be around," Barley said. "I enjoyed taking care of him with Cozy Glow."

"Well I should hope he enjoyed your company as much as you enjoyed his," Rumble said.

"Oh I definitely did, I wouldn't mind being around him more often," Barley said. "If I weren't a Wonderbolt, I'd offer to be his regular foalsitter."

"We have options for those, but I'm glad you feel that way, maybe on days off you can come by to see him," Rumble said.

"Yeah, bring your brother too, I don't think either of you really got to interact much with Cumie," Sweetie Belle said.

"I'll take you up on that offer," Barley said. What Rumble couldn't help notice was a hint of sadness in the mare's eyes.

"Hey, are you feeling alright there Barley?" Rumble asked.

"Oh it's nothing really," Barley insisted at first, but she couldn't really hide it well. "Alright, it's a little something."

"What's up?" Rumble asked.

"You two talk, I'm gonna check on Cozy Glow and Cumie," Sweetie Belle said, leaving the room to find the aforementioned ponies.

"Alright, tell me what's on your mind," Rumble said.

"I may have tried asking out Cozy Glow, and it didn't go too well," Barley said. "I don't think she's interested in me."

"Oh, sorry to hear," Rumble said. "Little surprised, didn't know you liked Cozy Glow that way. I mean, I noticed the physical attraction at least."

"Cozy probably does think the attraction is only physical, which was why she seemed hesitant to start dating me," Barley said.

"Did you tell her it wasn't?" Rumble asked.

"I tried to, but she seems very reluctant to give it a chance," Barley said. "That and I don't think she's comfortable with me being a step-mother to your son."

"Well being a parent is a big responsibility," Rumble said. "Not something you should rush into."

"I know it's a big deal, but I would have liked to give it a try," Barley said. "I mean, your son is really cute and I'd be happy to be his mother. It could even be a lot of fun."

"Fun's great, but can you put in the work?" Rumble asked. "Do you think you can handle feeding a picky eater? Flying after him when he gets hyper fast? Waking up in the midnight hours to see what he needs? Give him frequent diaper changes?"

"I…" Barley was stumped, she did consider a couple of those things, but hearing them listed like that does hurt her confidence. "Well…"

"I don't mean to dissuade you, I mean if you think you can handle the responsibility, then by all means, you can keep trying to woo Cozy," Rumble said. "As Cumie's father, I think I can trust you to want to be a good mother to my son, I just need to make sure that you know what you're getting into."

"Really flattered you feel that way," Barley said. "Not sure how much it matters, even if I get mature enough, it sounds like I have competition."

"Competition?" Rumble asked. "Who else could Cozy Glow be with? All our other friends are in relationships." Rumble came to a sudden realization. "Wait, are you talking about Flurry Heart?"

"Cozy Glow did mention another, and it sounds like that other if Flurry Heart," Barley said. "When I asked her about it recently, she told me that Flurry's been on her mind a lot, I think she's going to wait for her to grow up."

Rumble groaned in annoyance, he hoped this wasn't going to be a thing, "I really don't think Cozy Glow should be doing something like that, I know it worked out for Twilight but Cozy's in a very different position. Flurry would probably have a harder time being a step-mother to my child than you would. If I were you Barley, and you really did like Cozy Glow, I would keep at it. Even Twilight and Tender Taps considered their options before fully committing to each other."

"Kind of hard to compete with a literal Princess though," Barley said.

"That Princess is still a child," Rumble pointed out. "You'll be fine, just give it your best shot."

"I appreciate the words of encouragement," Barley said. "Well I should be off, I'll see Cozy Glow later, hopefully."

"You'll have your chance," Rumble said, waving Barley good-bye. He wished her the best, Cozy could use a nice girl like her. Plus with how great a Wonderbolts career is, she would be set for life.

For the time being, Rumble went with the flow, ready to enjoy his life alongside Sweetie Belle as her husband, and soon enough, their family would indeed start to grow.

Sweetie Belle had indeed gotten pregnant during the Honeymoon, and eleven months later, the two welcomed their first child into the world, a new baby son, a Pegasus by the name of Cloudburst.

Born just in time too, Rumble and Sweetie Belle had finally gotten a nice little house of their own, which both Cozy Glow and Cumulon moved into. Rumble had his nice little family containing his wife, his two sons and Cozy Glow, all living together peacefully.

One year later, Rumble honored a promise he made to his best friend Dinky. One month after she and Apple Bloom had gotten married, the two were ready to be mothers and introduce children into the world, and Rumble would be there to help.

One night at Rumble's house, the newlywed mares had come over for a little extra privacy, as neither wanted the attention of the other Apple Family residents.

Dinky waited in Rumble's room, laying on his bed. The mare was in heat and ready to get pregnant. Within moments, Rumble had entered the room, facing his foalhood best friend, knowing he would soon be putting a child inside of her.

Both Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle were in the room as well, wanting to oversee the session. It made Rumble feel better if Sweetie Belle was nearby, and Apple Bloom wanted to be there for the conceiving of her child.

"How long is Rumble going to take?" Dinky asked, getting a bit impatient. "I knew Rumble had to prepare but this is taking forever."

"He'll be here, he not only needs to mentally prepare for this, he also wants to make sure our two sons are asleep," Sweetie Belle said.

"Isn't Cozy Glow taking care of them though?" Dinky asked.

"She is, but Rumble just wants to help," Sweetie Belle said. "Plus Cozy wants to be here as well, for her own moral support."

"I just hope that-" Dinky saw Rumble come in, followed by Cozy Glow. "Oh good, you're finally here."

"Yeah, I'm ready, mostly," Rumble said, then turned to Cozy. "You can take a seat next to Sweetie Belle."

"Sure thing," Cozy Glow said, flying over to her best friend and taking the seat next to her.

"Get into position Dinky," Rumble ordered.

"You got it," Dinky said, laying on her stomach and putting her flank into the air. "Take it all in."

"Wow, real classy," Rumble sarcastically remarked. There was no turning back for him, he made a promise to his best friend, and he would keep it, no matter how weird this night would end up getting.

Thankfully the night turned out to success, days later, Dinky confirmed she was indeed pregnant, so thanks to Rumble, she and Apple Bloom were expecting their first child.

The years passed again, Rumble and Sweetie Belle had two more children, a Pegasus filly named Sugar Candy, and a Unicorn filly by the name of Snowflake. Sugar Candy was an average flyer and did not seem interested in flying professionally, but Sugar Candy seemed to be a prodigy in magic, already knowing some incredible spells, this even caught the attention of Twilight Sparkle.

Of course they were not the only ones blessed with children, thanks to Rumble on not one but two occasions, both Apple Bloom and Dinky welcomed two children into the world, a Unicorn filly named Apple Bush and a Pegasus colt named Caramel Seed. Like their Apple mother, the two worked to be farmers on Sweet Apple Acres, alongside their cousins, the children of Applejack and the children of Big Macintosh.

Even Babs Seed, who now lived nearby, would help with her daughter, Joy Mac. Button Mash could not handle being a farmer, so it was rare that he assisted, but he supported his family in his own way, being a successful gamer and winning tournaments left and right. Might not be the most stable income but it worked for him.

Diamond Tiara and Chip Cutter welcomed their son Emerald Curve, an Earth Pony who was constantly doted on by Diamond Tiara. Despite this, his father made sure to teach him the proper ethics of hard work. Much of a mama's boy he turned out to be, fortunately he wasn't too spoiled that he couldn't put in an effort in what he did.

Scootaloo and Pickle had finally gotten married and had two Pegasus twins named Cumber Patch and Sky Rider, one boy and one girl, just like their father and aunt. Unfortunately for Pickle and Scootaloo, their marriage did not last long. Not everyone could have a happy ending when it came to romance, and the two just happened to be that one unlucky couple. Frustrating as it was though, Scootaloo made due, she was done trying to find love and focused on just being a mom to her twins. Pickle of course continued his Wonderbolt career, wanting to provide for his kids himself. Despite their divorce, Scootaloo and Pickle Barrel remained on friendly terms, and worked together to raise their kids.

Twilight and Tender Taps had their own set of Unicorn twins, two girls named Dawn Stomp and Dusk Step. While Dawn was a fairly independent filly who seemed to admire her mother's work ethic in running a country, Dusk was the definition of Daddy's little girl who constantly clings to Tender Taps, and the stallion just adores it. Compared to the two, Dusk Step was more spoiled due to Tender Taps really treating her like a little Princess.

It had been fourteen years since the marriage of Rumble and Sweetie Belle, by this point Rumble had been retired from the Wonderbolts for about two years for two reasons. First he missed his wife a lot, and with so many kids, including another one on the way, Rumble felt it better to be closer. Second, he wanted to follow his dream of being a Chef, and got a job in Canterlot Castle, working under the head chef Sugar Belle.

His oldest son, Cumulon Gleam, was already a prodigy in flying and got into The Wonderbolts Academy despite his young age. His parents were proud of course, especially Rumble. While he wished that his daughter Sugar Candy would do the same, he accepts that she has no interest in following that lifestyle, and as her father, he would encourage whatever goals she had.

On one day while Rumble was at work, helping Sugar Belle and Saffron Masala prepare a big dish for Tirek, Cozy Glow had gone to the Crystal Empire, where she had a promise to fulfil to a certain little Princess.

Cozy Glow struggled in romance for a couple of years, but now in a steady relationship with Barley Barrel, the two finally hitting it off. It helped that Cumulon really liked Barley and given how hard she tried to be a good role model, it was enough for Cozy to finally consider dating her.

Despite all that, Cozy had one other filly to meet with, and it was going to be an interesting meeting. Flurry Heart was now an adult mare, one who wanted something from Cozy Glow so many years ago. Barley of course knew about this, she knew about the promise Cozy Glow made and allowed her girlfriend to fulfil the promise, only wishing she could be there when it was, but she wanted to accompany her brother in taking her niece and nephew to see relatives, so it was just going to be Flurry and Cozy.

It was a fun night, and now Flurry has her experience, one she would use not too long later, when she set her eyes on a certain apprentice.

The following day, Rumble was once again getting ready for work, he hoped it would be a little less busy, not that he minds it too much but when days get really hectic, Sugar Belle gets very bossy, and that can be a pain to deal with.

"Off to work honey?" Sweetie Belle asked.

"Yeah, it should be a lighter day," Rumble said.

"That would be great, you've been working pretty hard lately, I hope you're not overdoing it," Sweetie Belle said.

"I'm fine, I was a Wonderbolt," Rumble boasted.

"Speaking of Wonderbolt, I might take the kids to go see Cumie, I think he really misses us," Sweetie Belle said.

"Cozy surely misses him, if she gets back today and I get off work early enough, we can all go," Rumble said.

"That'd be great," Sweetie Belle said.

"Mama, daddy?" came Snowflake's voice, the little filly trotting over to her parents.

"Hey, how's my little girl?" Rumble asked, ruffling her mane.

"Did you need something dear?" Sweetie Belle asked.

"I just want to see daddy, he looked really tired yesterday," Snowflake said.

"I'm fine little princess," Rumble said, picking up his daughter and wrapping her in a hug. "But thanks for checking on me, you're really good at keeping an eye on me, your mommy, your mama Cozy Glow, your brothers and your sister."

"Is Mama Cozy Glow coming back soon?" Snowflake asked.

"Hopefully, she really misses your big brother, so if she comes back today, make sure you spend extra time with her," Rumble said. "She loves you a lot, and it would mean the world to her if you reminded her that you feel just as much love."

"Ok, I see mama Cozy Glow later, I hope," Snowflake said.

"That's my girl," Rumble said and kissed her head. "Can you take care of your mommy again today?"

"Uh-huh," Snowflake said. "I'll be her little helper again."

"Good, because mommy needs a helper, especially while she's carrying you little brother or sister," Rumble said. He turned his attention back to Sweetie Belle. "Well I'm off to work, I will see you tonight."

After one more kiss good-bye, Rumble had left, leaving Sweetie Belle with her daughter, "Wanna help make daddy's favorite for dinner?"

"Okay mommy," Snowflake said, heading into the kitchen with Sweetie Belle following after.

Meanwhile at the castle, Twilight was seen overlooking Canterlot from her Balcony, including the sight of her twin daughters spending time with their father Tender Taps. She loved seeing how well they bonded with one another, further proof that she picked right when deciding her future.

Starlight and Sunburst had entered the throne room, the two happily married themselves, with their own lives as parents.

"How is it looking out there?" Starlight asked.

"Wonderful," Twilight responded. "My dear Tappy is so great with our kids."

"He really seems to enjoy spending time with them," Sunburst said. "To think he was worried about becoming a father."

"The moment those girls were born, he forgot all about those worries," Starlight said.

"He sure did, because he believed in himself, and it's showing," Twilight said. "So, how are things at the School of Friendship?"

"Very swell, but Luster Dawn is still struggling," Starlight said. "I'm getting concerned, I don't want her straying from the path of Friendship."

"That is alarming, I know Tender Taps tried getting through to her, even I have stepped in," Twilight said. "Maybe she needs to branch out a bit, see for herself how great it is like I have. The problem is whenever I have tried looking for some creature, it never turns out well."

"Having trouble Twilight?" Came Cozy Glow's voice, the mare flying in through the Balcony. "Hello."

"Cozy Glow? What are you doing in Canterlot?" Starlight asked.

"I came by to see Twilight about this very problem, funny how life works out," Cozy Glow said. "Twilight, the answer has been under your nose this entire time."

"How so?" Twilight asked.

"You've been trying so hard to find a friend, but you're not thinking outside the box," Cozy Glow said. "Instead of looking for a friend in the school, how about a friend out of school?"

"A friend? Like who?" Twilight asked.

"Could be anypony, maybe an older pony to learn experiences from, like Wind Sprint, a younger pony who can be like a little sibling to her, like Lil' Cheese, or a pony around her age, like your niece, Princess Flurry Heart."

"Flurry Heart?" Twilight asked. "That might actually work."

"Of course, she already seems kind of interested. Plus she's a pro when it comes to friendship, helps that she had the Best Aunt Ever to train her," Cozy said.

Twilight felt flustered by the compliment, "You're too nice, maybe this can work."

"Oh it will, trust me on this Twilight," Cozy Glow said. "I'm doing this for Flurry Heart too, she's special to me after all."

"Yes, you are very fond of her," Twilight said. "Thank you Cozy Glow."

"No problem, now I should head home, something tells me that Snowflake really misses me," Cozy Glow said. "Give Tappy and the girls my regards."

Cozy Glow flew off, leaving Twilight satisfied with what she heard, "Smart filly. Well, time to get to it."

"You really think this will work?" Sunburst said.

"I..hope it will," Twilight said, wishing she could be more sure than that. "I'll get Spike to help me out with this, and I could use your assistance as well."

"Right there with you," both ponies said.

Within a week things seemed to be looking up. One day at the park, many of the couples had gathered, spending time with one another like if it were the Holidays.

Apple Bloom and Dinky sat under a tree with their two kids, both playing together with the older sibling giving the younger one a ride. Nothing made these two happier than their kids playing and enjoying each other's company.

Babs relaxing against a rock while Button Mash and his daughter played on their Joy Boys. Like father, like daughter, Babs considered herself lucky to have a caring husband like Button Mash.

Diamond Tiara talking with some workers while Chip helped his son build a mini statue near a pond. Diamond eventually put her work aside to marvel at her son's creation, feeling even more proud of the boy, and feeling the desire to have another kid to feel this joy for an extra several years.

Scootaloo was spending time with her twins at a picnic bench, even joined by their father Pickle, who had some treats for them. Scootaloo was happy to see how well he took care of the kids in his own way, and even though they're not together, Pickle is always thrilled to see the mother of his children.

Another couple in Kettle Corn and Skedaddle enjoyed their time nearby, the two having two children of their own, both of them boys. They're just here to hang out for a bit.

Then there was Cozy Glow and Barley, the two sat together with Cumulon telling them about his time at the Academy, how he can't wait to be a Wonderbolt, just like his father, and his step-mother before him.

Finally Rumble and Sweetie Belle were sitting together in the middle of the plains with their own picnic blanket, joined by their three kids. Sweetie Belle could not wait for the fourth child to be born, just to keep their family growing. She honestly would not mind having more kids after this one, neither would Rumble.

What made this special is seeing Flurry Heart nearby with Luster Dawn, the two growing their own Friendship together. Cozy felt proud knowing she set this up, and hoped that this would lead to romance for the two. Whether it would happen or not is still to be determined, but their chances were pretty high.

"Rumble, I'm glad I married you," Sweetie Belle said. "Just thought you should know that."

"I'm happy too," Rumble said. "I'm happy I had three lovely children with you, and that we're awaiting our fourth," Rumble said. "I'm even glad we have so many friends to celebrate these happy times with."

"We sure do," Sweetie Belle said, looking at Apple Bloom, the filly noticing and waving back. Sweetie Belle was so happy to see her with a wife and two lovely kids. She turned her attention to Scootaloo, the mare waving toward her friend as well. Sweetie Belle pitied Scootaloo's seemingly failed relationship, but seeing how happy she was despite that was a testament to Scootaloo's perseverance.

Rumble turned his attention to Cozy Glow and Cumulon, the young colt seeing his father and waving. Rumble always made sure to spend time with his son from another mare, and he was so proud of how he came up. Thankfully Cumulon understood his own situation, the colt was still happy, he had a father who spent time with him, a mother who was always there for him, and two separate step-parents who encouraged him any way they could.

"I love you Sweetie Belle," Rumble said.

"And I love you Rumble," Sweetie Belle replied.

The two shared one kiss together, happy to have persevered after all they've gone through, and the sweetest of affections the two shared. They have achieved their Happily Ever After, and with luck, the two will maintain such a feeling. The future is unknown, but the one certainty they believe in, is each other, and that will never change for them.


That's the end of this version, hope it was entertaining enough.