Eternal Love

by Swift Quill

Chapter 6

A few months have passed.
Fire Heart and Rosebud are now deeply in love, more so than ever. Fire Heart wakes up with a yawn and sees Rosebud next to him in bed, smiles and strokes her mane. Rosebud wakes up and gives him a kiss. He smiles and kisses her back. Rosebud sees the time and says it is about time to open up the inn. She gets up, kisses Fire Heart again and goes downstairs to open up the inn.

Fire Heart sighs.
“Well, it’s now or never.” He says to himself, while stretching his legs.
He walks downstairs, and gives Rosebud a hug and a kiss.
“I’ll be back in a bit.” He says to her.
“Oh, where are you going love?” Rosebud asks him, with a sigh.
“Oh nowhere specific. Just going to do a bit of shopping.”
“Ok, stay safe darling.” Rosebud says, then kisses him.
Fire Heart gives Rosebud a kiss back and leaves the inn.

After a few minutes of browsing a few stores, he makes his way to the jewellery store.
He walks in and automatically spots the ring he wants to get Rosebud. The clerk comes up from behind the counter, “Good morning sir, how may I help you?”
Fire Heart points out the ring with a hoof and says, “I would like that ring please.”
“Certainly sir” the clerk says, taking the ring out from the display case, “Here you are. The mare you are getting this for, must be somepony really special.”
Fire Heart smiles, “Oh, she is. I’m going to propose to her today.” He says as he takes out the bits to pay for the ring.
“Well, I wish you luck and hope she says yes.” The clerk says, giving over the box with the ring in it.

Fire Heart thanks the clerk and makes his way back to the inn.
He looks at his watch, “No, it’s still too early. I’ll ask her later on, when she’s more awake.” He says to himself. He finds a nice café that isn’t too full and finds a table. A few minutes later, the bus colt comes up and asks what Fire Heart would like. Fire Heart orders a milkshake and a cheese sandwich. The bus colt nods and says he will be back with his order soon. While waiting for his milkshake and sandwich to arrive, Fire Heart takes out the box with the ring in it and looks at it.

Five minutes pass.
He sees the bus colt walking towards him with his order and puts the ring box away. The bus colt arrives with his order and asks what’s in the box. Fire Heart tells him that he is going to propose his girlfriend today, and the bus colt slaps says that he hopes Fire Heart’s girlfriend says yes and that as he is the son of the proprietor of the café, and that he and his father are suckers for romance, that Fire Heart’s order is on the house. Fire Heart thanks him and decides to take his time to enjoy his milkshake and sandwich, and to enjoy the perfect weather.

Fire Heart finishes his milkshake and sandwich.
He gets up from his table and makes his way to the inn. Just before he reaches it, he starts getting nervous and he starts sweating. Needing the extra courage to ask Rosebud to marry him, he takes out a flask and takes a swig from it. He gulps and enters the inn. He sees his little brother and winks at him awkwardly. Slava just sits there and nods. Fire Heart walks up to Rosebud, grabs her with both front hooves and kisses her passionately. A little surprised but happy that Fire Heart is in a good mood, Rosebud kisses him back.

“What was that all about love?” Rosebud asks Fire Heart with a smile.
“Well, come upstairs with me, and you will know in time.” Fire Heart replies, hiding the ring box.
“Ok darling.” She turns to Slava, “Will you watch over the inn for a while please?” she asks him.
Slava nods and moves to the book desk to watch over the customers.

Fire Heart picks up Rosebud in his front hooves and carries her upstairs.
He gets to their room and opens the door, he then lays Rosebud on the bed, and asks her to sit up.
Rosebud sits up and asks what is going on. Fire Heart gets down on his knees and hiding the ring box behind his back, proposes to her.

“Rosebud, you are my sun in the day, my moon and stars in the night. You are my life, without you, I will surely die. You are the kindest, most caring, loving, and sweetest and without doubt, the most beautiful mare I have ever seen.” He takes out the ring box from behind his back, opens it and places it in Rosebud’s hooves, “Will you do me the honour,” he gulps, “of becoming my wife?”
Rosebud’s eyes light up at the sight of the ring, “YES! YES OFCOURSE I WILL MARRY YOU!” She shouts, suddenly getting up, grabbing Fire Heart in a massive pony hug and kissing him passionately.

Rosebud’s yells of yes was so loud that everypony downstairs could hear it.
Knowing full well why Rosebud was yelling yes, Slava smiles to himself and makes a note to congratulate his big brother. A pony comes up to the book desk and asks what that was all about, and Slava replies that his big brother had just proposed to his girlfriend. The pony nods and walks away. Rosebud and Fire Heart walk back downstairs, both with very big smiles on their faces.

“So, you finally did it, eh big brother?” Slava says, slapping Fire Heart across the back.
“Y…Yes.” Fire Heart replies, a little shakily.
“What’s wrong big brother? She said yes, everypony from here to Canterlot could hear her.” Slava says with a big smile.
“I’m just a little shaken with how loud she said yes, and well the effects of the cider I had is wearing off.”
“Oh well, that would explain it. Anyway, congratulations mate!”
Fire Heart thanks his little brother and sits down at an empty table.

Suddenly a leaf green mare with a light blue mane and tail gets up from her table, walks over to Fire Heart’s table and slams her hoof down on the table. Startled, Fire Heart looks up and sees who it is. “Briar? Is that you?” Fire Heart asks, adjusting his glasses.
The mare looks at him with intent in her eyes, “Well, who else do you think it would be?” She demands.
“Briar! It IS you!” Fire Heart exclaims. He gets up and gives her a hug, “But, what are you doing here? I mean it’s a surprise to see you, a pleasant one though.”
Briar hugs him back and kisses him on the cheek, “Well, I thought I’d pay you a surprise visit! It’s been so long since I’ve seen you last.”
“It has, hasn’t it? Well it certainly was a surprise. How long have you been here for?” Fire Heart asks her with a smile.
“Oh not long, and what was that shout of yes, I heard? That wasn’t you asking my cousin to marry you, and her saying yes, was it?”
“Well, since you asked, yes it was.” Fire Heart replies, blushing a little.
“Ah well, that’s great then!” Briar says, sitting opposite Fire Heart.

Rosebud sees Briar sitting at Fire Heart’s table.
She walks over to her, puts her hooves over Briar’s eyes and says, “Guess who!”
Briar thinks for a moment, “Umm, is it the mail mare?” She asks jokingly.
Rosebud giggles, “Nope, guess again.”
“Is it…oh, I don’t know, Pinkie Pie?”
Rosebud giggles again, “Nope, one last guess.”
“Is it…my sweet, adorable, gorgeous, caring little cousin?”
Rosebud removes her hooves, “You guessed it right, big cousin!” She drapes her hooves Briar’s shoulders and gives her a hug.
“I knew it all along, I was just humouring you.”
“Aaaw ok.” Rosebud hugs her cousin one more time, then stands behind Fire Heart, stroking his mane gently.
“So, I heard that my dolt of a best friend here,” she points to Fire Heart, “proposed to you.”
“Yes, he did. And I couldn’t be happier!” Rosebud gives Fire Heart a big hug and then sits down at the table, opposite him.

Briar congratulates the both of them and asks if Fire Heart has found his parents yet.
Fire Heart tells her of how he had come to Ponyville to find them, went to the inn to book a room, and how when he first saw Rosebud, he fell in love with her. He then tells Briar how he then met a pony by the name of Speed Lane, and how Speed Lane and his brother had talked Princess Celestia into lending the chariot to get him to Manehatten. He goes on to tell her how, when he was in Manehatten, he met a Pegasus by the name of Slava Medik, and how he met Slava’s foster parents, and they were told they were brothers, and then gave them their parents address.

“Oh wow, so were you able to find them? Did they remember you?” Briar asks excitedly.
Fire Heart stops his glasses from sliding down his muzzle, “Yes to both questions.”
He tells Briar, about why his parents disappeared and why they had abandoned his brother, and Briar starts crying. He gives her a hug and tells her that everything is better now.
She smiles and hugs him back, “And now, my one and only best friend is now going to marry my favourite little cousin! I couldn’t be happier for the both you.” Briar says, wiping the tears away, “So, where is this brother of yours then?”

“SLAVA! Little brother, come here please!” Fire Heart yells.
“Coming big brother!” Slava yells back, walking towards Fire Heart.
“Little brother, this is Briar, the pony who was my one and only best friend, growing up, oh and the cousin to my now fiancé. Briar, this is my long lost little brother, Slava.” Fire Heart says.
Slava holds out a hoof and Briar shakes it vigorously.
“I hope you’ve been looking after Fire Heart for me? He can be a big silly filly at times.” Rosebud asks with a sly smile on her face.
“Oh, I have, though he doesn’t really need me looking after him. Rosebud has been doing a great job at that, as is.” Slava replies with a smile.
“Oh, I bet she is.” Briar leans in close to Fire Heart, “You better take good care of my cousin!”
“I wouldn’t dream of doing otherwise.” Fire Heart replies with a big white grin.

Rosebud leans in and gives Fire Heart a kiss.
She looks up at the time and sees that it is near closing time.
“Wow, time sure does fly when you’re happy,” she says, “Will you please excuse me for a moment? She gets up from the table, leaving Fire Heart, Slava and Briar to talk while she kicks out the ponies who don’t have rooms and lock up. A few minutes later she walks back to the table.
Briar and Slava see that Fire Heart and Rosebud want to be alone together, excuse themselves and walk upstairs to their rooms.

Fire Heart and Rosebud get up from the table and go to sit on the couch, in front of the fire.
“I can’t believe that Briar is here, did you know about this?” Fire Heart asks Rosebud, stroking her mane.
“Well…Yes, I did. We wanted it to be a surprise for you. I had no idea you were going to propose to me though.” Rosebud replies, resting her head on his chest.
“Well it was a very pleasant surprise. “ Fire Heart says, leaning down to kiss her.
Not wanting to spoil the moment, neither of them say anything more. Fire Heart stops stroking Rosebuds mane, and wraps Rosebud in a hug. Soon after, they fall asleep on the couch.