//------------------------------//
// Chapter 3 
// Story: Eternal Love 
// by Swift Quill 
//------------------------------//

  The next morning, Slava wakes up with a yawn and stretches his legs.
He notices Fire Heart looking out of the window, and walks up to him.
“So, how did last night go?” He asks Fire Heart, sitting down next to him.
Fire Heart looks away from the window, “It went well. Thanks.”
“Then why are you looking out the window?” Slava asks him.
“Oh, no reason, just reflecting. Trying to get my head around things.”
Slava nods in agreement and walks to the bar.

A few minutes later, Fire Heart gets up to follow Slava.
He walks into the bar, and sees Rosebud. He walks up to her and gives her a kiss.
“What are you going to do today?” Rosebud asks him, giving him a hug.
“I’m going to ask Slava if he wants to go see our parents today.”
Rosebud holds him closer to herself, “I hope you find them honey.” She says, giving him a kiss.
“I do too, I’ve missed them so much.” He kisses her and walks toward his brother.



He finds Slava sitting at a table and sits opposite him.
“So, little brother. Want to go find out parents today?”
Slava nods and says he was hoping he would ask, “But what about Rosebud?”
Fire Heart says that Rosebud understands and that they should start on their way to finding their parents.  He gets up and gives Rosebud a hug and a kiss, and says that they will be back later in the day. Rosebud smiles and kisses him back, saying that she can’t wait to hear all about it.

Fire Heart and Slava walk to their room to get their saddlebags, then walk back downstairs. The leave the Inn and make their way to the train station. On their way they bump into Speed Lane, and he asks where they are going. They reply that they are on their way to Canterlot to find their parents, Speed Lane says that he hopes they find them and that he is also on his way to Canterlot. 
Fire Heart, Slava and Speed Lane board the train.

They arrive at Canterlot and get off the train.
Speed Lane says his farewells to Fire Heart and Slava, and makes his way to the Palace.
On their way to the address that his foster parents gave him, Slava asks Fire Heart about them. Fire Heart replies that he was only a few moons old when they disappeared, but what he does remember, was that they were kind, caring and loving. He says that their mother was extremely beautiful and that their father was very handsome. Slava nods.

After reaching the address, Fire Heart hesitates to knock on the door, and looks at Slava.
Slava nudges him on, and Fire Heart knocks on the door. A voice from behind the door asks who it is, and Fire Heart says his and Slava names. The door opens and a grey unicorn mare looks at them.
The mare gasps and shouts for her husband to come over from the living room.
A few moments later a green Pegasus stallion arrives at the door, and faints.

Fire Heart hesitates for a while then asks, “Mother? Father? Is that really you?”
The mare asks them to come in while she revives her husband.
She then breaks down in tears, “Yes, yes! Oh Fire Heart! Slava! We’ve missed you both so much!”

Fire Heart gives her a hug and asks her why they disappeared, his mother explains that they didn’t mean to disappear, but on their way home from their night out, a strange stallion had come up to them, asking for the time, and then he knocked them out and foalnapped them. They had managed to escape a few years later, but with no bits and nowhere to go. Fire Heart starts crying and tells them how he had to grow up in the orphanage, how every filly and colt would tease and pick on him for being an orphan and how Briar Thorns was his only and best friend because of it.
Fire Heart and Slava’s mother says that she is really sorry for what happened to him, and that she wishes that they weren’t foalnapped. 

Meanwhile their father regains consciousness, he then looks over at Slava and gives him a big hug. 
Slava asks him about why they left him at his foster parents’ house, and his father explains that, a year or two after they had escaped, he had managed to find a job, but just as Slava was being born, his company got shut down and he couldn’t find work, so fearing that Slava would die from malnourishment from the poverty, they chose to give Slava to a couple who couldn’t have children of their own, but would look after him as if he was their own. 

Fire Heart, still crying, asks their mother why, when they escaped, why they didn’t go looking for him. She replies that they had feared that if they went looking for him, that something would happen to him, and they still had no bits at the time, and wouldn’t have been able to look after him properly. Fire Heart gives her a hug and says, that he wouldn’t have cared if they had bits or not, that all he ever wanted was a family, he only wanted his mother and father back in his life.

After a few hours of talking, Fire Heart tells their parents that he has a special somepony now, and that he and her are very much in love, but he also has feelings for Princess Luna. Their mother tells Fire Heart, that she knows that he will make the right decision and asks who the special somepony is. Fire Heart replies that the mare’s name is Rosebud Thorns, and that she is actually also the cousin to his best friend Briar Thorns. 

Fire Heart and Slava look at the time and say that it was great to finally find and meet their parents, but they should get back to the train station, before the last train to Ponyville leaves. Their parents give them a hug and say that they are welcome to visit anytime.

An hour passes and Fire Heart and Slava reach the station.
“Whew! Just in time!” Fire Heart exclaims as they reach the station, to see that passengers are still boarding the train.
They quickly purchase their tickets and board the train, and begin their ride back to Ponyville.

After the long and arduous train ride back to Ponyville, they finally get back.
They get off the train and make their way back to the Inn. Fire Heart tells his brother that he is really excited to tell Rosebud about finding and meeting their parents, but he is also scared to tell her, that even though he said he knew that his feelings for Princess Luna were only a crush or lust, he is still unsure about them. Slava nods and says that he understands, and that maybe it would be best not tell her just yet.

On their way to the Inn, they bump into Speed Lane and he tells them that he’s glad that he found them. Slava asks why, and Speed Lane says that he was successful and that he starts training in about a week. Slava congratulates him and they continue on their way to the Inn.
They get to the Inn and Fire Heart opens the door, Rosebud sees him and runs to him and gives him a big hug and a kiss. He hugs and kisses her back

A few hours later, Rosebud finishes asking ponies to leave the Inn, and after making sure they all left safely, she locks up and walks over to Fire Heart. She drapes her hooves over his shoulders and asks how finding their parents went. Holding her hooves close to his chest, she tells her that he and Slava finally found and met their parents. She hugs him tightly and says that it’s wonderful that they found and met them. She asks him how it went, and he goes on to tell her that they were shocked to see them turn up at their doorstep all of a sudden, but were thrilled at the same time. He then tells her the story of what happened to them when he was a very little foal, and then of what happened when his brother was born. 

Tears start forming in Rosebud’s eyes and she leans in and gives Fire Heart a kiss.
Fire Heart sighs and kisses her back. He tells her that he is tired from everything that has happened, and wants to go upstairs to go to bed. Rosebud gives him another kiss and says that she understands. On his way up the stairs, Fire Heart faints and falls down, hitting his head on the edge of the stairs with a loud thud and crack. Rosebud hears it and runs to him, she sees blood coming from his head and screams.

“What…What is it?” Slava asks as he comes running up to her.
Rosebud points to the blood. Slava rummages around his pack for a bandage, finding one, he puts it over the wound.
“We have to get him to hospital! He needs stitches this time!”
He picks Fire Heart up and puts him on his back. 
Rosebud who is crying, wipes her tears away and follows Slava to the hospital.

Slava and Rosebud arrive at the hospital.
With Fire Heart still on his back, Slava runs up to the front desk and asks to be seen immediately.
The nurse at the desk sees Fire Heart on his back and nods. She calls over for another nurse to take over at the desk and when the other nurse arrives, she get a gurney and places Fire Heart on it. She notices the bandage on his head, and asks who did the bandage, Slava says it was him. The nurse says that it was a good thing he did, and rushes him to a vacant room.

Rosebud follows close behind, asking if Fire Heart will be alright.
The nurse nods and says that he will, and that was a good thing he was rushed to the hospital.
She asks Slava and Rosebud to leave the room while she operates. They agree and wait in the waiting room.

An hour goes by and the nurse walks out of the operating room.
Rosebud asks how the operation went, and the nurse says that it went well, without any problems.
The other nurse who operated on Fire Heart, walks out of the room with Fire Heart in a wheel chair.
Slava sees that the nurse wheeling Fire Heart in the wheel chair is cute and he blushes and goes all quiet. The nurse notices and when walking past Slava, says hello. He manages to stutter a hello and blushes. 

“Is he normally like this?” the nurse asks Rosebud who is giggling.
“Oh Slava, no, not really.” Rosebud replies, trying hard to hide a big smile under a hoof.
“Oh ok, well why is he like that then?”
“I believe, he is like that because he thinks you’re cute.”
“Really? Oh well, thank you.”

The nurse walks past Slava and says,
“Hello there sweetheart, my name is Nurse Redheart. What’s yours?”
“S…Slava” Slava mumbles
“I’m sorry dear, I didn’t quite catch that.” Nurse Redheart says with a smile.
“It’s Slava, and umm…” He says a bit more clearly.
“And what dear?”
“And I think you’re really cute. Would you go on a date with me?” He blurts out, then realizes what he did and covers his mouth with his hooves.
Nurse Redheart giggles and smiles,
“Thank you dear, and yes I will go out on a date with you. I think you’re cute too.”
Slava blushes even more profusely and asks when she gets off work.
Nurse Redheart says that she gets off as soon as she gets Fire Heart into his hospital bed and settled.
She takes Fire Heart to his room and gets him into the bed, and tucks him in. Rosebud walks in and asks if she may stay with him. Nurse Redheart says that it would be fine, and that Fire Heart should regain consciousness in a while. She leaves the room smiling, and tells Slava that she should be ready in a few minutes. Slava nods and walks into Fire Heart’s room. He sees Rosebud sitting next to Fire Heart, holding his hoof and stroking his mane.

Slava walks up to her and says that Fire Heart should be fine.
Rosebud thanks him and says that he should go get ready for his date.
Slava nods and leaves the room. He walks into the bathroom and spikes his mane and grooms himself quickly, then walks into the waiting to wait for Nurse Redheart.



Nurse Redheart walks out of the changerooms and up to Slava.
He asks where she would like to go, and she replies that there’s a nice little café around the corner from the hospital. Slava nods and offers a hoof, and Nurse Redheart accepts it.
They leave the hospital and make their way to the café.

A few minutes later, Fire Heart wakes up and finds himself in a hospital bed, with Rosebud sitting next to him.
“Wha…What happened? Where am I?” He asks a little dazed and sore.
“You’re in the hospital love. You were on your way to bed, but blacked out and hit your head on the edge of a stair. Slava bandaged your wound and we rushed you to the hospital.” Rosebud says, with a sigh.
“Oh… Ow my head!” Fire Heart says, “Damn! It itches!” He reaches behind where the stitches are and starts to scratch.
Rosebud slaps his hoof away, “Don’t do that love! You had to have stitches put in, it was that bad. The nurse says not to touch them or they might come out.”
Fire Heart rubs his hoof, “Oh ok, well that would explain the itching. Say, where is Slava?”
“He’s on a date.”

Fire Heart’s jaw drops and he asks who the lucky mare is.
Rosebud tells him that it was one of the nurses who operated on him, and that her name is Nurse Redheart. She explains to him that when Slava first saw her, he went all quiet and shy.
Fire Heart laughs and says that Nurse Redheart must’ve been really beautiful to make his brother go like that. Rosebud giggles and says that it was really cute to see Slava go all quiet and shy.
She leans in and gives him a kiss.

Meanwhile at the café.
Slava is sitting opposite Nurse Redheart and is holding her hoof.
A waitress mare comes up to them with the menu and tells them to signal her when they are ready to order. They thank her and she walks off.
The café’s phone rings and the waitress mare answers it. 
A few minutes later she walks up to Slava and Nurse Redheart. She tells them that it was Fire Heart on the phone, and that they can order anything on the menu and that he will cover the costs.
Slava smiles and thanks her.

“Oh good, Fire Heart’s awake.” Slava says smiling.
“That is good, you must care a lot about your brother.” Nurse Redheart says.

Slava goes on to tell Nurse Redheart that they didn’t always know that they were brothers, and that that they only found out two or three days ago. He then tells her the story of how they met, and how they had been told by his foster parents, that they were brothers and then how they were given the address of his and Fire Heart’s parents place. He then tells her of how they went to Canterlot to find their parents and when they did, they found out why their parents disappeared when Fire Heart was only a few moons old, and why Slava was given to his foster parents.

Nurse Redheart smiles, “Oh wow, well the important thing is that you two found your parents.”
“It is, and we couldn’t be happier.” Slava replies with a smile.

The waitress mare comes up and asks if they are ready to order their meals.
They both nod and both ask for a light green salad. The waitress mare says that it is a good choice and that she will be back with their orders in a while. 

“So, tell me about yourself, I mean I know about you and Fire Heart being brothers and all that, but what do you do for work?” Nurse Redheart asks.
“Well I’m out of work at the moment. But my profession is medical.” Slava replies with a smile.
The waitress mare arrives with their salads. Slava and Nurse Redheart thank her and start eating.

An hour passes and they finish eating their salads.
Slava looks at the time, and says that it’s getting really late. Nurse Redheart agrees and offers to take him to the hospital to see his brother. Slava says that would be great.
On their way back to the hospital, Nurse Redheart gives Slava a kiss on the cheek and tells him that she had a wonderful time. Slava says that he also had a wonderful time and asks her when she would like to go out again. Nurse Redheart says that her schedule is packed for quite a while, but asks him to come see her again at the hospital. Slava smiles and says, that seeing as his brother is in hospital, so he’d be there almost daily. 

They reach the hospital, and walk into Fire Heart’s hospital room.
Seeing his brother holding Nurse Redheart’s hoof, Fire Heart smiles, “So, by the looks of it, your date went well then?”
“It did, and it’s good to see you awake, brother.” Slava replies.
“Yes, well…Rosebud tells me that I have you to thank for saving my life.”

Slava nods and says that Fire Heart is welcome, and that he and Rosebud should be getting back to the Inn. Rosebud doesn’t want to leave Fire Heart, but Fire Heart says that he will be ok and that somepony should be there to open up the Inn. He gives Rosebud a kiss. Rosebud kisses him back and leaves his room, telling him to get better soon. He says that he will and watches her leave the room.

Rosebud leaves the hospital with Slava, who offers to pay for the taxi cart home.
She accepts the offer and as they make their way back to the Inn, Rosebud asks Slava how the date went. Slava replies that it went really well and that there may be a second date sometime soon, when Nurse Redheart’s schedule is a bit more available. Rosebud tells him that he is lucky and that she thinks it’s wonderful that he has found a special somepony.

They arrive back at the Inn and Rosebud lets Slava in.
She soon follows him and locks the front door behind her, yawns and makes her way to her room.
She opens the door to her room, flops onto her bed and tries to go to sleep, but can’t, because she is thinking about Fire Heart, hoping that he will be alright by himself and wondering if he is thinking about her. A few hours of restlessness go by, and Rosebud finally gets to sleep.