Morning arrived as Celestia stood outside the Ponyville General Hospital, and raised her sun. She closed her eyes softly, and allowed a silent tear to cascade down her cheek as she whispered to herself “Please let my precious little nephew be okay.” She took a deep breath of the fresh morning air, and turned to trot back into the hospital’s lobby.
Every pony stayed overnight at the hospital not wanted to leave, just in case there were any updates about Toby’s condition. A soft and warm smile crept across Celestia’s face as she looked upon her ponies as the nurse came trotting in. Celestia gave Nurse Redheart a warm smile, and looked at the others sleeping peacefully.
“Wake up my little ponies,” she spoke with her usual soft motherly tone.
The group slowly blinked their eyes open, and immediately shot awake when they saw Nurse Redheart. Fluttershy trotted up to her with a look of deep concern. “How is Toby Nurse Redheart? Is he okay?” She bit her lower lip nervously.
Nurse Redheart gently placed a hoof on the deeply concerned Pegasus’ shoulder, and gave her a warm smile with a nod “Yes Fluttershy, he is doing fine. However, he was very weak when you brought him in, and dehydrated. We gave him some fluids, and he is sleeping right now. If you would like to go back and see him though, it would be okay.” She gave Fluttershy and the others a warm smile.
“I will go get the fillies and Spike. I am sure they will be happy to know that Toby is okay,” Twilight smiled as she teleported in a flash out of the hospital.
A smile of relief crept across Fluttershy’s face as she wrapped her forelegs around Nurse Redheart’s neck “Thank you Nurse Redheart for saving my precious little Toby.” She began shaking with sobs of joy, and she let her tears to flow freely down her cheeks.
Nurse Redheart reached up and rubbed up and down Fluttershy’s back soothingly. “There is no need to thank me dear.” She looked at the others with a warm smile as she patted Fluttershy’s back before breaking the hug. “Follow me, I will show you to his room.” She turn to trot ahead as the others followed.
Upon entering the room, Fluttershy saw her son sleeping peacefully as he lay on his back, and his chest slowly rising and falling. She carefully trotted up to the side of the hospital bed, sat down on her haunches, and reached a hoof up to place on his small hand. A tearful smile was etched on her face as she leaned her head in to give him a gentle kiss on the forehead.
The others had tearful smiles of their own as they carefully trotted in, and sat down on their haunches around the bed.
Nurse Redheart gave the child a warm smile as she came trotting in from the doorway “He is such a precious little colt. I don’t understand why some pony would do this to such a young, innocent child.” Her smile turned into a frown.
Celestia nodded “I know my little pony. Yet, it was Queen Chrysalis who done this to our precious little nephew.” Nurse Redheart gasped at hearing the changeling queen’s name, but Celestia gently waved a hoof “Don’t worry though Nurse Redheart, my sister and I gave her the rightful punishment she deserves.” Luna and the others nodded in agreement.
“M-Momma?” the small voice of Toby spoke as he very slowly started to blink his eyes opened.
Fluttershy immediately stood up on all fours, lifted a foreleg up to lay over his small, and leaned her head to give him a nuzzle on his cheek. “Momma’s here sweetie,” she gave a warm smile as he opened his eyes.
Tears stung his eyes as he reached up and wrapped his little arms her neck tightly. “MOMMA!” he cried out loud happily, and started to cry into her shoulder sitting up in his bed.
Fluttershy carefully climbed up onto the edge of the bed, wrapped her forelegs gently around him, and stroked up and down his back. “Shh… it’s okay my baby boy, Momma’s here… shhh.”
Nurse Redheart wiped at her tear stained eyes with a fore hoof as she looked up at Princess Celestia, and whispered “I will just leave you all while I go get the papers to sign for him to be released.” Celestia gave her a silent nod, and warm smile as Nurse Redheart trotted out of the door.
Fluttershy held Toby close to her as he continued to cry into her shoulder shaking with sobs of joy to finally be reunited with his mom. She stroked along his back with her foreleg, and gave him a tender kiss on the top of his head. She very carefully lifted him up from underneath his legs, picking him up from the bed, and gently sat him in her lap to let him rest in the crook of her foreleg.
After several minutes of releasing his tears, and crying into his mom’s shoulder, Toby lifted his head to look up into her sky blue eyes sniffling “Oh Momma. I missed you so much, I love you!”
Fluttershy smiled tearfully as she kissed him gently on the forehead “Oh my baby boy, Momma missed you so much too. Momma loves you, and I will never ever let anything bad happen to you again.” She stroked along his side as he sat in her lap.
He sniffled, let out a heavy sigh, and looked up at her, then around at the others “Momma, aunties, I am so sorry for you getting hurt because of me,” he lowered his head sadly. “I wanted to help, but I was too weak, too small, and you all got hurt because of me.” He started shaking with sobs once again.
The other frowned at him, but Luna carefully trotted up to mom and son. She leaned head down and nuzzled at his cheek “No dear Toby, do not blame yourself my sweet little nephew.” She gave him a reassuring smile.
“The princess is right sugarcube,” Applejack spoke up as she gave him a soft smile. “Ya were just being used as a pawn in that rotten varmint’s plan to try, and take over Equestria. She is a full grown mare little feller, and she thought ya was an easy target in being a young child.”
Rarity nodded in agreement “Applejack is absolutely right darling, that ruffian of a queen showed nothing but weakness when she had you locked in them awful, and heavy chains and shackles.” Her lips pursed with anger at the memory of seeing her little nephew in the position. She let out a deep sigh “But you showed great strength Toby, because you never let her corrupt your heart.” She gave him a warm smile.
Toby gave a light smile, and turned to look up at the two royal sisters. “Auntie Luna, Auntie Celestia, why was Queen Chrysalis so mean?” He looked at them curiously, but with a frown.
Celestia stepped forward, and sat down on her haunches, looking at the small child in Fluttershy’s lap. “Well my dear little nephew, Chrysalis is a mystery to us all. The only thing we know of her is that her, and her children of changelings thrive on the love from other ponies, in which they feed off of.” She let out a heavy sigh.
Toby nodded sadly. He looked up, and looked up into his mom’s eyes “Momma, where is Auntie Twilight?” He was curiously.
Out of nowhere a flash of light occurred, and Twilight, along with the fillies, Spike, and Cadence appeared in the hospital room. “Did some pony ask for me?” She giggled and trotted over to Toby, nuzzling him on his cheek “It is good to see that you are doing better sweetheart.”
He reached up and hugged around her neck “Auntie Twilight!” He said happily as he sat in his mom’s lap.
Twilight reached up and patted him on the back “Hello dear. I brought you some special guests too,” she giggled and stepped aside to reveal the fillies and Spike.
Toby smiled happily “Big sisters and Uncle Spike!” They came up to him and swallowed him up in a big group.
The adults smiled warmly at the young ones.
After they broke the embrace, the CMC looked at their little brother with frowns upon their faces. Toby looked at them concerned “What’s wrong big sisters?”
Applebloom started for the three “Well little buddy, for what we did in luring you to that slimy, rotten excuse for a pony, we just want to say…” She looked at the other two
“We’re sorry Toby!” They said altogether lowering their heads in shame.
Toby frowned “Big sisters, please don’t be sad. You didn’t do anything wrong. Queen Chrysalis used you like she done me.” He reached forward to give Applebloom a hug around her neck and the other two joined in. “I love you my big sisters.”
They each gave him a tearful smile, and nuzzled at him “We love you too little brother!”
The other da’wwed at the four as they broke the hug as Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon trotted up.
Silver Spoon leaned in to give him a gentle kiss on the cheek. “Hello sweetie pie. I am glad you are doing better Toby, I was so worried about you.” She gave him a warm smile, and reached up to lightly touch his hand.
He blushed at the kissed “Thank you Silver Spoon. I am okay now, so you don’t have to worry about me anymore.” He leaned in to give her a soft kiss on her cheek.
Silver Spoon blushed at the kiss and trotted to the side. Diamond Tiara reached up a hoof to place gently on his shoulder, and pulled him close to her in a hug. “I am glad you are okay too little guy. No pony deserves that kind of treatment, especially one as sweet as you Toby.” She broke the hug and trotted over to join the others.
Toby smiled as he turned to see Cadence “Auntie Cadence!”
She trotted up to him and nuzzled the top of his head “Hello sweetheart. Your Uncle Shining wanted me to give you his best wishes.” She gave him a warm smile, and patted his lap gently with a hoof.
He nodded and gave her a hug around her neck “Thank you for coming Auntie Cadence, I love you. Tell Uncle Shining I love him too when you go back home.”
She reached up and patted him on the back with a hoof “Of course dear. I am just glad you are doing better, and don’t worry, I will tell Shining that his nephew does love him.” She gently broke the hug as she trotted off to the side.
Celestia smiled warmly at the child, but a look of concern and curiosity crept across her face. “Toby dear, I want to ask you something, is that okay?” She laid down on all fours as every pony else did.
He looked at her worriedly “Yes you can Auntie Celestia. Is something wrong?” The concern of his voice earned him a gentle shake of the head from Celestia.
“Oh no my dear nephew, there is nothing wrong at all.” She gave him a warm smile “However though, I wanted to ask you, when Chrysalis told us that you witnessed the truth when she chained me and Luna up, what did she mean?”
A look of fear came upon the small child’s face as he looked at Celestia, Luna, around at the others, and finally up into the eyes of his mother. Fluttershy looked down concerned for her son, and pulled him close to her rubbing at his side. He looked up at her, and curled up closer to her in the crook of her foreleg, letting out a heavy sigh.
“W-well, Queen Chrysalis showed me a dreamscape, and… and…” He shuddered in fear of telling the rest, and turned his head, burying his face into Fluttershy’s shoulder shaking with sobs of sadness
The others looked on with frowns, but Luna carefully approached Toby. “My dear nephew, please don’t be afraid. Here, let me try something. I promise it won’t hurt.” He turned his head to look at her, and sadly nodded, tears streaming down his cheeks. Luna allowed a single tear to fall from her eye as she leaned her head to him, and touched his fore head with her horn, lighting it up.
With her magic, Luna surrounded every pony with her warm blue aura, and the environment around them slowly turned to pitch black. After a few seconds, the environment started to ripple, and it turned into the same dreamscape in which Chrysalis created to show Toby.
After several minutes, every pony looked at Toby as he had a look of fear on his face. Fluttershy hugged him tight, and wrapped both of her forelegs, and wings around his trembling form. She laid her head over his, and kissed the top of his head.
He let out a heavy sigh as Fluttershy gently uncovered him after a few minutes in her embrace. He smiled up soft at her as he allowed his tears to continue to stream down his face, and he carefully climbed off her lap. He looked around at the others, and carefully walked to the window of the hospital room to look out at Celestia’s sun filling up the afternoon sky.
Fluttershy carefully trotted close to him “Toby sweetie, what’s wrong?” She looked worriedly at her son.
With a deep breath, Toby began to sing with a soft, warm tone.
(The song "This is Where I Belong belongs to Bryan Adams and Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron Soundtrack)
After he got done singing, every pony couldn’t keep their tears at bay any longer, and he immediately wrapped his arms tightly around Fluttershy’s neck and laid his head against her chest fur. The others joined the two in giving them a big warm hug, along with the three other princesses.
Deep within his heart, Toby knew that the dreamscape Chrysalis showed him was a lie. He knew that his family loved him with all their hearts, even if he wasn’t a pony. He knew that with his family, and in his new home of Equestria, is where he does belong.
During the night white Toby was asleep peacefully in Fluttershy’s bed, he was awoken to the sound of a light whimpering sound coming from downstairs. He quickly, yet carefully climbed out of bed, and went downstairs to see his mom stirring in her sleep. A look of deep concern crept across his face as he walked over to see what was wrong.
He placed his little hands on her shoulder, and very carefully nudged her “Momma? Momma, please wake up.” He frowned at seeing his mom whimpering in her sleep.
After nudging a couple more times, Fluttershy shot awake panting heavily. She looked down to see her son with his little hands on her foreleg, and gently picked him up in a warm embrace. “Oh my baby boy, you are safe.” She laid her head on his shoulder, and he wrapped his arms around her neck.
Toby felt his heart break at seeing his mom like this “Yes momma. I am okay.” He lifted his head up to try and look into her eyes. “What’s wrong Momma? Why are you crying in your sleep?” He reached up to wipe away a stray tear on her cheek.
She let out a very soft giggle as she saw her son wipe away her tear, and gave him a kiss on his forehead. “I had a bad dream sweetie, and I thought I have lost you forever,” her lips quivered with sadness. “I thought I would never see you again.” She let out a heavy sigh as she looked at him in his eyes, while holding him warmly in her forelegs. “I don’t know what I would do without you Toby.”
His frown grew deeper “Oh Momma, please don’t cry. I am here, I am okay, and I will always be here.” He held his hug around her neck, and laid his head on her shoulder. “Please Momma, don’t cry.”
Fluttershy sighed softly and turned her head to kiss his cheek gently. She held him close for what felt like eternity, rubbing along his back soothingly.
He lifted his head off her shoulder, and looked into her eyes “Momma, would you like to sleep in the bed with me tonight? I will chase away any more bad dreams you might have.” He gave her a soft smile, and laid his head back down on her shoulder.
She smiled warmly and hovered up off her lounge holding Toby around his back with a foreleg, with the other gently tucked on his legs. “Thank you sweetie,” she held him close as she hovered up to her bedroom. She hovered over to the bed, letting Toby to climb onto it first, and climbed up onto it next. She laid down, tucked her legs underneath her, and extended a wing for Toby to crawl under.
He gave her a warm smile and curled up under her wing, close to her side. He looked up at her “Goodnight Momma, I love you.” He reached his head up to give her a gentle kiss on the cheek, and let out a soft yawn.
Fluttershy closed her eyes to subdue her tears, and leaned her head down to kiss the top of his head. “Goodnight my baby boy, Momma loves you too, with all my heart.” She laid her wing over his small form, and laid her head over his to snuggle him close and warm.
With Luna’s moon shining warmly through the window, it casted a warm, comfortable glow over mother and son as they drifted off to a peaceful sleep.
Toby smiled happily in his sleep, because he knew this was his home. This is where he belonged.