Chapter 14
Toby open the door for Starbloom when they got to the cottage. Starbloom was wiping her eyes dry and doing her best to calm herself and smile so Fluttershy wouldn't worry about her. It had been a pretty stressful evening though and she was finding it hard to push her emotions down.
Toby himself, had red puffy eyes from crying as well, so it was hard for him to hide the fact he had been crying.
Once they got into the cottage Fluttershy looked out of the door way to the kitchen and smiled. "Welcome home Toby, and Starbloom." Fluttershy said cheerfully before noticing the two. "Oh my, what's wrong you both look like you've been crying." She said coming out of the kitchen and going over to them.
Starbloom looks over at Toby, who looked back at Starbloom before they look over at Fluttershy. Starbloom wasn't to sure what to say at first, so Toby spoke up. "W... when visiting Auntie Rarity.... Sweetie Belle came in and.... it upset Starbloom." Toby said looking over at Starbloom.
Fluttershy tilted her head faintly. "Sweetie Belle upset Starbloom? What happen?" She asked a little confused about what could of happen to upset Starbloom. She looked over at Starbloom for the answer as to what happen to upset her.
"It's.... well...." Starbloom tried to explain but was finding it hard to come up with the right words. She sighed softly lowering her head. "In my world... me and Sweetie Belle are very close...." Starbloom managed to get out fresh tears springing into her eyes but she wiped them away.
Toby reached over and rubbed her back softly to try and help calm her down. Starbloom looked over at him and smiled as the rubbing helped calm her down.
Fluttershy nodded at them faintly before speaking up again. "That explain why Starbloom is upset, but what about you Toby, how come you had been crying as well?" She asked, she knew Toby could get emotional but this seemed different.
"W... well Momma, S... Starbloom wanted to t... tell me something, so w... we sat down at the river, a.... and talked." He looks over at Starbloom with a soft smile, and then back up at his mom. "I... I'm going to go get r... ready for bed Momma, a... and Starbloom." He gave them both a smile as he turned to walk upstairs, but he still kind of felt guilty about keeping his Mommy's true reason of dying a secret from Starbloom.
"Well.... alright Toby, dinner will be ready shortly. I'll call up to you when it's done." She said watching Toby as he went upstairs. She looked over at Starbloom who was watching Toby as well. "I don't want to pry but can you tell me what you two talked about by the lake?" Fluttershy asked waving a hoof for Starbloom to follow her into the kitchen.
Starbloom followed her to the kitchen, nodding softly. "Toby, explained to me what happen to his mother. About how she died and how his father treated him.... I told him about Spike in my original world." She closed her eyes tight to keep the tears at bay, "How... I killed him in a lab explosion....." She paused to take a deep breath and compose herself.
Fluttershy looked over at Starbloom as she went back to preparing dinner. "Oh my... I'm sorry to hear that Starbloom, it was an accident though... wasn't it?" Fluttershy asked, she was sure it was an accident but she wanted to be sure.
"Yes... it was an accident, I got reckless...." She said softly sighing wiping at her eyes abit. "Toby comforted me, told me it wasn't my fault, just like his mother's death wasn't his... that it was just an accident, like his mother's death."
Fluttershy frowned and looked away for a moment before looking back at Starbloom, "His mother's death.... wasn't an accident." She said so softly that Starbloom almost missed it. "His father killed her, out of jealousy. Then blamed Toby telling him it was his fault." She said lowering her eyes to the floor.
Starbloom's eyes went wide at the revelation then narrowed at the though of Toby's father killing his mother then blaming Toby for it. "What kind of monster does that? Murdering your own wife, then blaming your son." She gritted her teeth and the gems on her headband sparked with magic fueled anger.
"Shh... Starbloom please, calm down." Fluttershy said going over and rubbing her back to calm her. "Getting angry about it wont change anything. Just relax it's been dealt with and that horrible man is where he belongs."
Starbloom closed her eyes and took slow deep breaths to calm herself down, the energy crackling around her settled and disappeared as she relaxed under Fluttershy's back rub. "I'm sorry I got upset Fluttershy... it's just hard to think about, even all my years as a police pony and then as Mare Do Well.... I never seen or heard about anything that horrible happening." Starbloom said opening her eyes looking at the floor.
"I know Starbloom, it's hard to believe things like that could happen." Fluttershy said before going back to the stove to finish dinner. "Help me get the table ready, if you don't mind."
Starbloom nodded and tried to let the thought of murder like that go. She used her magic to pull down some bowls, saucers and glasses setting them on the table before getting silverware out and placing them with the bowls and saucers on the table.
While Starbloom got the table ready, Fluttershy brought over a pot of vegetable stew and placed it on the table. Once she had that in place she got some fresh bread out of the oven and placed it on the table as well. "If you would like, you can get Toby while I get dinner served." Fluttershy said smiling over at Starbloom.
"Alright Fluttershy, I will." She said going to the stairs and heading up them. "Toby, dinner is ready." Starbloom called out for him.
"Okay Starbloom," Toby said smiling at her getting up, he was dressed for bed and had been sitting on the floor working on a picture. He got up and both of them headed down stairs to the kitchen for dinner. The paper left on the floor had an image of Toby, Fluttershy and Starbloom standing together in front of Fluttershy's cottage smiling happily.