In the midst of the repairs, I finally managed to propose to Barb properly. Of course, she'd already said yes in the aftermath of the castle fire, but I still gave her a ring anyway. I gave it to her at the end of one of our date nights.

"Wow Stud, this ring is AMAZING! You didn't have to get this for me though. I would be perfectly fine without one!"

"Yeah, I know Barb, but I wanted you to have one."

Barb then hugged me, before leaning up to kiss me. "I love it Stud, though I love you more!"

I then blushed a bit. "Only the best for my soon-to-be wife, and I love you too Barb."

Barb giggled a bit, before pushing her green bangs out of her eyes again, and kissing me again.

Over the course of the next few weeks, preparations for Barb and I's wedding were underway. Since it was late Spring, we decided to have the wedding outdoors, and in Dusk's castle garden. It hadn't been touched by the fire, and we both knew that it would be prefect for what we needed. The date was set for April 22nd, and while we knew that it wouldn't be the largest one ever, it was certainly going to be special!

All too soon, Barb found herself at Rarity's boutique, being measured out for her wedding dress. This was going to be slightly difficult for her, not only for the fact that she was a tomboy who HATED girly things, but she also now sported a visible baby-bump! She was only about 3 weeks along, but Barb's belly was already starting to get rounder. (She decided to wait until after our honeymoon before she went in to find out what gender our baby was).

"Rarity, you REALLY don't have to do this you know! It's NOT a royal wedding, it's just my wedding!"

Rarity looked at her from over her red-rimmed glasses. "Nonsense Darling! Your wedding is a VERY important occasion, so your dress must be perfect! Of course, I WILL have to alter it a bit so as to accommodate your 'little passenger', but it will be FABULOUS when I'm done with it!"

Barb just put a hand over her face. She knew that it was pointless to argue with Rarity once she had her mind made up about ANYTHING related to fashion, but she was REALLY wishing that there were options for tomboys when it came to wedding dresses!

On the flipside, I didn't have this problem due to the fact that I would be wearing my formal fireman's uniform. It had a white shirt, a black tie, black pants with a yellow stripe on the side, black shoes, and a black button-up tunic with my awards and decorations on it. It resembled a formal military uniform, though it was clearly different. It was given to me on the day that I became a fully-fledged fireman with Firehouse No.1, and I'd only worn it a few times for special events. I tried it on again just to make sure that it still fit, and I was glad that it still did.

"Phew, glad that this still fits me. I would HATE to have to have Rarity adjust it for me!" I knew that she was a good woman, but I couldn't STAND to hear her talk about fashion, clothes, and EVERYTHING related to them!

I also knew that Pinkie was taking care of the wedding cake, Applejack was taking care of the rest of the food, Dusk was organizing everything, (and he was going to be my Best Man) and I learned from Barb that Dusk's dad Nightlight was going to be walking her down the aisle.

"I was raised by Mr. and Mrs. Sparkle almost as much as Dusk raised me, so they're the closest things that I have to real parents."

"It's fine by me Barb. I don't have any problems with it at all." I then thought of something. "Oh, and who's taking care of the music, pictures, and flowers again?"

"Octavia and Vinyl, Photo Finish, and the Flower Trio respectively. And who's helping set up?"

"Well, Dusk, the other Element Bearers, Dusk's parents, I'm helping too, as are my other buddies from the firehouse."

Barb nodded. "Ok, that's good. With all luck, this wedding should go smoothly."

"Yeah, and then we can begin our lives together!"

"Yeah, yeah we will. And then we can take our honeymoon."

"And see what gender our baby is too."

"Which is something that I look forwards to VERY MUCH Stud!"

Barb and I then kissed one more time, and then we got back to work on our wedding preparations.

Eventually, the big day arrived. April 22nd thankfully wasn't a hot day, though it was a little bit cloudy at times. No chances of rain, but the clouds did provide welcome relief from the sun's heat. Everything was all set up, the guests were starting to arrive, and the bride and groom, as well as their parties, were all in their ready rooms getting ready. The wedding would start at 4pm, and then the reception would be at 4:30 in the castle's Main Hall.

In the bride's ready room, Barb was standing in front of a full-length mirror. Rarity was putting the finishing touches on her dress, while Pinkie and Fluttershy were helping her with her makeup. She didn't have much makeup, aside from a little bit of blush on her cheeks, and some cherry-flavored lip gloss, but that was more than enough for a tomboy like her!

Her dress was white, but it also had a purple hue to it, and it also had a green trim. This was done to match her hair and eyes, and Barb said that it looked amazing. "Wow, this is really great Rarity! Thanks!"

"You're welcome Darling. This is some of my finest work after all! I'm glad that you like it!"

Once Rarity was done, Dusk's mom Velvet took a picture of her. "Barbara, even though you're not my daughter, I've still thought of you as one since Dusk first brought you home. And now you're all grown up!"

Barb blushed a bit. "Eh....t-thanks, Mom. Yes, I know that you're not my real mom, but you're the closest thing that I have to one!"

Velvet nodded. "You're welcome. And how does it feel to be a bride?"

"It feels so.....surreal. It feels like just a few days ago that I first met Mick, and that we first started dating, in spite of Dusk's objections, and now look at us! We're getting married, AND I'm pregnant from him!"

"I know, and it's so beautiful Barbara. I know that you'll be VERY happy with Mick!"

Barb agreed, and after a few more pictures were taken, it was time for all of them to head on down to the garden for the wedding. Velvet helped Barb lower her veil, and while the 5 Element Bearers held up her dress's train, they all walked down to the garden.

At 4pm, the wedding began. Once all of the guests were seated, including of course my parents, it was time to start. On the first cue, I walked outside, and began to walk down the aisle. Dusk as my Best Man walked just behind me, and then my other Groomsmen, who were my friends from the firehouse. I then walked up to the flowered arbor at the middle of the garden where the wedding was going to be performed, right next to Mayor Mare, who was our officiate. Dusk stood behind me, while the other Groomsmen stood off to the side at intervals.

Then, once we were ready, the music switched, and the bride walked out. When everyone there saw Barb, their eyes widened in surprise. She looked SO beautiful in her wedding dress, white heels, purple collar, and carrying her wedding bouquet. She was being walked down the aisle by Nightlight, and behind her came her Maid of Honor Princess Cadence, and 5 of the Elements as her 5 Bridesmaids. The CMC's and Princess Flurry Heart were the flower girls, and Barb chose Pipsqueak to be the ringbearer.

Once she reached the front, Nightlight then took his seat next to Velvet in the row opposite of my parents, and then Barb joined me at the altar. She held my hand for a moment, before we turned to face each other. We then smiled at the other, and held each other's hands.

Mayor Mare then looked at us. "Are you two ready to begin?"

"Yes Ma'am, I'm ready!"

"I'm ready too Mayor Mare!"

"Ok, let's begin then." She then looked out into the audience. "Pipsqueak, please bring up the rings." He then brought them up to the front.

Once he did, Mayor Mare then turned to Barb. “Now then, do you, Barbara Shine, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband? To have and to hold, to love and to cherish, in sickness and in health, from the good times to the bad, to love faithfully, no matter what fires Life throws at you?"

The audience did laugh a bit at this. Barb however took her ring, and placed it on my finger. She then looked at me with tears in her eyes. "Yes, I do. I take you Mick, to be my lawfully wedded husband. To have and to hold, to love and to cherish, in sickness and in health, from the good times to the bad, to love faithfully, no matter what fires Life throws at us! Plus, I kinda AM pregnant thanks to you, so isn't it a given that I want you Stud?"

There was some laughter, plus a few gasps of shock when Barb said that. Mayor Mare then turned to me. “And do you, Michael Edwards, take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife? To have and to hold, to love and to cherish, in sickness and in health, from the good times to the bad, to love faithfully, no matter what fires Life throws at you?"

I nodded, before taking my ring, and placed it on Barb's finger. I then looked at her while smiling. "Yes, of course I do! I take you Barb, to be my lawfully wedded wife. To have and to hold, to love and to cherish, in sickness and in health, from the good times to the bad, to love faithfully, no matter what fires Life throws at us! And yes, I want our child to grow up with both a mother and a father, so I want you too Barb!"

A little bit more laughter, and then Mayor Mare turned to the audience. "And do any of you have any objections to this union? If so, speak now, or forever hold your peace!"

I thought that there was only going to be silence, but I was wrong. From behind me, I heard, "Well, I don't object now, but just a few months ago I would have flipped my lid if I heard that Barb was getting married to Mick here! It's amazing how a little castle fire can change a man's mind, isn't it?"

I turned back and shot Dusk a look, but I was laughing too, as were Barb, Mayor Mare, and others.

"Well, that's certainly nice to know Prince Dusk! Any objections?" There was only silence. She then looked back at us. "Well then, by the power vested in my as presider over this wedding union, I now pronounce you both Husband and Wife! You may kiss the bride Mick!"

I then lifted up Barb's veil, and after she jumped into my arms, we shared a very deep, passionate kiss. The audience was clapping and cheering for us, and we then went back inside of the castle for the cake and other food.

After we'd both fed a bit of cake to each other, everyone else got a slice, and after our first dance, Barb tossed out her bouquet, (which was caught by Rainbow Dash), and I tossed out Barb's garter, (which was caught by Dusk oddly enough!) After more dancing, Barb and I then left the castle, and while people threw rice at us, we ran out to a painted, streamered, and wedding-styled decked-out Gusher, and I drove her away to the Ponyville Grand Hotel, with soda cans tied up behind us!

After a night in the Ponyville Grand Hotel, we went off on our honeymoon to a resort in Baltimare. Once we came back though, it was time for Barb to go in for her maternity checkup. During the course of our honeymoon, Barb had gotten a bit rounder still, and she was starting to wonder if she was just having one baby, or 2, since she was a bit rounder than she should have been.

Once it was her turn, she was taken back to an exam room, where her maternity doctor, Nurse Mary Redheart, would take care of her. Once Barb was up on the exam table, she removed her shirt, and Nurse Redheart began her examination. She checked Barb's heart and breathing rates, before feeling her tummy a bit, just to make sure that everything was sound.

"And what week of pregnancy are you into Barb?"

Barb thought for a second. "Eh.......I think that this is week 8, or about 2 months now."

"Ok." She wrote a few things down on her clipboard. "And now for the really fun part, the ultrasound."

"And then we can finally learn what gender our baby is." I said quietly.

"Yes, yes we will."

"Were you hoping for a boy or a girl?" Redheart asked.

"I'm hoping for a girl, while Mick was hoping for a boy."

"Ok, so then let's see who's right." She then took that special gel, and after rubbing it onto Barb's belly, she began to move the ultrasound over it. She then began to try and see what she could see.

"Oh my!"

"What?" Barb asked.

Redheart looked at her. "Um......you don't have just one baby Barb........you have 3!"

When Barb hear that, her jaw hit the floor! "WHAT?!?!?! I'M PREGNANT WITH TRIPLETS?!?!?!"

"Yes! 2 girls and 1 boy; congratulations!"

When I heard that, I had to sit down to keep from fainting, while Barb had to lay down to keep from doing the same thing! I had gotten Barb pregnant with triplets!

Dusk really DID faint when he heard the news, and my parents were shocked, as were Nightlight, Velvet, the other Element Bearers, my friends at the firehouse, and others who heard about Barb's pregnancy too! None of them could believe that we were having triplets, but they were still happy for us all the same.

Not too long after this, we started settling into our new home. Yes, this was our wedding gift from Dusk; he'd gotten us a house! And not just ANY house, it was a fully-restored and re-furnished Golden Oak Library! Dusk joked that since he was a prince now, he'd outgrown his old library, and after "fixing it up" for his "little sister" and her husband, he gave it to us to live in and take care of.

"Dusk, this is SO freaking amazing! I NEVER thought that I would ever see this pace in once piece ever again!"

"Well, up until Mick got with you Barb, neither did I! After this, plus MANY complaints from Ponyville residents about Ponyville lacking a library since Tirek wiped out Golden Oak, I decided that it was FINALLY time to bring it back to life. It was NOT easy, growing a whole new tree around what was left of the old one, but I got it done in record time with help from the Princesses, as well as my brother Shining Armor, and then we all quickly restored the interior, and fully refurnished it as well. It's all there, EXACTLY the way it was on the last day before Tirek destroyed it!"

I then looked at him. "You didn't have to do this Dusk."

"Oh, but I kinda DID Mick! Ponyville needs the Golden Oak Library, just as you and Barb need a place to live. Now you can live here, and you're just down the street from the firehouse, and just a little bit farther than that from the castle. It's the PERFECT commute, Ponyville gets the Golden Oak Library back, and now Barb can take care of the second house that she ever knew. You can raise your triplets here, it'll be the perfect house for you, and with Barb as the new librarian, (pending her maternity leave!) Golden Oak will thrive once again!"

We both then thanked Dusk, before moving in, and turning Golden Oak into our home. Sure enough, once we had the library part of it up and running again, the good folks of Ponyville flocked to it once again to check out books. In the upstairs living quarters, next to the room that used to belong to Dusk, Barb and I set up our nursery. We put up a large crib, a changing table, a rocking cradle, a rocking chair was put by the window, Barb got a whole wardrobe for our babies, there was a star-patterned rug on the floor, a mobile was attached to the crib, and there were a number of toys as well.

"This.....this is so beautiful Barb." I whispered once we were done.

"Yes, yes it is Babe." This room will be PERFECT for our triplets!"

That same night, as we cuddled in the bed that used to belong to Dusk, (complete with his old moon and star comforter, and the sheets below it!) we talked about our babies.

"What are we going to name them Barb?"

"Well, I thought that we should name our 2 girls Brenda and Amanda, and how about we name our son Dusk? I KNOW that it'll melt Duskie's heart if we do that!"

I thought about that. "Yes, that will work for our kids. Though can Dusk's middle name be Michael?"

Barb nodded. "Of course it can Stud."

I then kissed Barb, and we both then snuggled close to each other, and fell asleep.

I had to work most days, but Barb spent a lot of time with Dusk while I was working, and she had her friends close to her too. Her belly was soon getting VERY swollen, and at around 3 months, our triplets began to kick! Barb was in pain a lot from the kicking, her ankles were getting swollen, she was moody a lot, and the weird cravings started up too. Everything from mac and cheese and watermelon, to chocolate ice cream with sprinkles!

"How are you feeling Babe?" I asked her when I came home one day.

"Like shit. Thanks a lot for NOT using a condom when you f@#ked me!"

"Don't blame me, blame DUSK for switching your birth control with M&M's!"

"And I can understand one baby, but TRIPLETS?! WHY did it have to be TRIPLETS?!"

I shrugged. "I don't know Babe. It's just the Universe's idea of a sick joke I guess."

"Maybe, but WHY did it have to happen to me?! What did I do to deserve this?!"

"Well, you snuck me into your room, and we had unprotected sex. I guess that my sperm got to 2 of your eggs, and then one of those eggs later split into 2. I'm pretty sure that 2 of our babies will be identical twins, since that's usually how triplets work."

Barb groaned as the triplets started kicking her again. "Well, whatever the f@#k happened, I'm just going to be REALLY glad when these 3 are out of me, and out into the world!"

"So will I Babe."

As more time passed, Barb's belly started getting VERY swollen. Her belly button eventually popped out, and her symptoms kept getting worse. She was sick a lot, her ankles felt like rubber, none of her clothes were fitting, she had to pee all the time, and she was still eating a lot of weird foods. Since our babies were conceived in late March, the tentative due-date was sometime in mid-late December. We were both anxiously waiting for that date, as were Dusk, his parents, and my parents.

Finally, on December 28th, Barb went into labor. I called Dusk, as well as my parents, and told them to meet us at the hospital. It was almost 1am, but they were all wide-awake, and Nightlight and Velvet joined us there too. Dusk was the only one in the delivery room with us, but our parents waited just outside of the room.

Surprisingly, Barb made the somewhat risky decision to not do a C-section unless something went wrong, and instead chose to try and push her babies out the old-fashioned way! She also decided on a water birth.

"Yes, I KNOW the risks involved with a vaginal birth for a multi-baby pregnancy, but I do NOT want a C-section unless something goes wrong! I want to say that I gave birth to triplets the old-fashioned way; by pushing them out of my vagina!"

".......If you say so Barb." Nurse Redheart finally replied quietly. "You might not be able to give birth again after this, due to how badly you're going to get stretched, but hey, it's your life!"

Barb shot her a look. "You and I both know that that would make giving birth EASIER, rather than harder. And these 3 might do it for me. I might not have any more kids after this!" Barb then buckled down, and began to push once she felt her first contraction.

Surprisingly, Barb wasn't in too much pain during her delivery. She was sitting in a tub of warm water, just rising and falling with the flow of her contractions. She'd read MANY books on childbirth, and various birthing techniques, and she eventually discovered how to make her birth almost painless, and rather pleasurable. All while giving birth, Barb was cooing, purring, and even gently moaning with pleasure! I was sitting in the tub next to her, (she was naked, though I was in my boxers!) and Barb was VERY affectionate during the delivery too. She was hugging me, and we also kissed a lot too. I would also rub her belly, and gently massage her shoulders too.

"I can't believe it", Nurse Redheart muttered. "She's somehow riding out the pain of giving birth to triplets the old-fashioned way, she's NOT screaming or crying, AND it looks like she's about to have sex with her husband! This is INSANE!"

Dusk turned to her. "I'll take it that you've never seen an 'orgasmic birth' before?"

"No! I thought that they were a myth until now!"

"Oh, they're not a myth Nurse Redheart; they're VERY real!"

"I can see that, but I STILL can't believe it!"

Barb then giggled a bit, and got ready for the birthing process.

Soon, at about 1:47am, her water broke. Here things did get a little bit painful for Barb as our first child entered the birth canal, but she bravely endured it. I rubbed her belly to help ease the baby along, and Nurse Kindheart, one of Redheart's assistants, was at the lower end of the tub, ready to help deliver the babies when they came out. She didn't have too long to wait.

With Barb pushing, me helping to keep her calm, and Kindheart delivering the babies, Brenda was born at 2:03am, her brother Dusk followed her at 2:09, and Amanda followed them at 2:17. By 2:20am, their umbilical cords were all cut, and they were all cleaned up, before they were handed back to us. While Barb held Dusk and Brenda, I was holding Amanda. All 3 of them were crying a bit, though once we began to comfort them, they all calmed down quickly enough. Dusk and Brenda then began to nurse from Barb, while I fed Amanda a bottle of milk that Barb had pumped out of her breasts for her 3rd child while in labor. As they nursed/fed, I began to look at them.

I could tell right away that Dusk and Brenda were identical twins. Both of them had Barb's green hair, though it was streaked with dark brown, and they both had my blue eyes too. Amanda on the other hand had my brown hair, and Barb's emerald green eyes.

"They're so.......so perfect!"

"Yes.....yes they are, aren't they?"

"Yeah. And just think, I pushed all 3 of them out of my vagina, instead of having them cut out! I just survived a natural birth to triplets thanks to the miracle of 'orgasmic birth', and they're so beautiful!"

Dusk looked like he was trying to keep from crying as he looked over his nieces and nephew. "They look.......they look so much like you guys. I'm SO proud of you Barb!"

Barb smiled up at him. "Ngh......thanks Duskie. And don't worry, you can hold them in a minute."

Barb let him hold her kids one at a time, and she also called our parents into the room to see them too. They were all shocked when they heard that Barb had opted for a natural birth, but they were also so enraptured by how cute Brenda, Dusk and Amanda were. They looked like little copies of us, and they were perfect.

"I'm SO proud of you Mick!" My Mom told me. "Your kids are SO cute!"

"Thanks Mom."

"They're the perfect grandkids." My Dad agreed.

Nightlight and Velvet agreed with both of them, and they too took turns holding their kinda-sorta grandchildren. All 3 of them had been born without issue, we were holding them close to us, and all was right with the world.

A few weeks after this, Barb and I were sitting in the nursery. Brenda and Amanda were sleeping in the cradle, and I was holding Dusk while sitting in the rocking chair. I was trying to get him to fall asleep, while Barb was gently rocking our daughters in their cradle. While I was rocking with Dusk, Donna, Belle's Dalmatian pup that Barb and I had been allowed to adopt, was sleeping quietly at my feet. She was very calm for a pup, and she was also very good around our kids, which was somewhat unusual for a Dalmatian, though Barb and I rolled with it, and we loved Donna just as much as she loved us.

Once Dusk had FINALLY fallen asleep, I looked over at Barb. "Hey Babe?" I whispered.

"Yeah Stud?"

"Do you still think that you made the right decision when you snuck me into your room that one night last March?"

Barb giggled softly. "It may not have been the right thing to do Stud, but look at what happened because of it! We have 3 beautiful babies to love and take care of, we've been happily married for almost 8 months now, we have one of Belle's pups, AND we're living inside of the Golden Oak Library! I can't think of ANYTHING that's better than this!"

"Yeah, me neither Babe." I then gently stood up, and after walking over with Dusk, I set him in the cradle next to his 2 sisters. Barb then continued to rock them gently, though now I helped her.

"Now we can raise these 3 together, maybe raise a few more once they're older, live out the rest of our golden years together, then die in each other's arms, be buried, and then head on to Heaven hand in hand where we'll live out the rest of eternity."

Barb then leaned in, and kissed me on the cheek. "Mmm, and I wouldn't have it ANY other way Stud! I love you with ALL of my heart, and I NEVER want to live without you!"

I then wrapped my arm around my wife of almost 8 months, and held her close to me. "I don't want to live without you either Barb. I love you."

"Not as much as I love you Babe!"

We then kissed one last time, before turning back to our 3 beautiful babies. They would eventually grow up, and we would have 4 more kids by the time that we were done, bringing our total kid-count up to 7. 7 kids, and a Dalmatian, raised in a house in a tree that was built on top of a library that was ALSO in the same tree, a tree that was still alive and growing mind you! A house and library in a tree that was also lived in by a personal assistant-turned librarian, and a volunteer firefighter with the Ponyville Fire Department, who loved each other more than ANYTHING else in the world.

It was a fiery passion, that gave way to a fiery inferno, that became one of the most loving, fruit-bearing relationships. What more could I guy ask for? NOTHING, that's what!

THE END

Author's Note

And, that was the Epilogue. I REALLY hope that you all enjoyed this story, as it took me a fair amount of time to write. I wanted EVERYTHING to be perfect for this romantic-comedy with sex thrown in, and I think that I did a pretty good job, don't you? So now Barb and Mick are married, and they'll live out the rest of their lives in the Golden Oak Library, surrounded by their 7 kids, and their grand and great-grandkids. What more could a loving couple ask for?

Once again, I REALLY hope that you all enjoyed this story, and as always, comments, feedback, questions, as well as spreading the word about this story are always appreciated, and I'll see you all again in my next story, whatever that ends up being!

ScarFox out for now!