Chapter 3 - Toby's Story
*Joshua’s P.O.V.*
Fluttershy’s face became sad looking when she started telling me Toby’s story.
Over a year ago, I felt really lonely. I thought about how all of my best friends had someone special to care for, but I didn’t. That night, I made a wish on Princess Luna’s moon to be the mother or older sister of a little colt or filly. The next morning I woke up to see Angel trying to tell me something. I followed him to the edge of the Everfree Forest and there, I saw that he found a little human shivering.
“Was it Toby?” I asked.
“Yes it was,” Fluttershy said nodding and smiling. She then continued.
I took Toby to introduce him to all of my friends, but while introducing Toby to everypony, he acted very shy and timid, even more so than me. The next day we all showed him to Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. While we were there, Princess Celestia could tell that something was bothering him. What he told us was very disturbing and heart breaking. He said that he lost his mother a year ago, and his father told him that it was his fault that she was gone.
“What?!” I said surprised, “Why?!”
“I’ll get to that in a little bit,” Fluttershy said.
We decided to throw Toby a celebration in Canterlot to welcome him to Equestria and show him that he truly was loved and cared for. During the party, I asked Princess Luna if we could look into Toby’s mind while he was asleep to find out why he was acting shy and timid around us. Princess Luna agreed and that night while he was asleep, all six of us along with Princess Luna looked into Toby’s memories.
We saw one of when he was a baby, when he was four years old when his mother gave him his locket, which looks a lot like yours, and one shortly after his mother died. But the last one we saw was terrible. It was his last night on his old home. Toby ran into his room crying with his father close behind him. He said to Toby that why his mother died was so she couldn’t look at his blubbering face again, and he slapped Toby’s cheek really hard.
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Why would a daddy hurt his own son? I saw that Fluttershy had tears in her eyes. She then took a deep breath and continued.
After his father left, Toby looked out the window and made a wish to be in a new home with a new family that would love him and never be mean to him.
“And he was sent to Equestria?” I asked.
“That’s right, and it was Princess Luna who brought him here,” Fluttershy said smiling.
The next morning, I told Toby that we all wanted him to be a part of our family. He said he would, and he asked me if I could be his momma. I said yes and adopted him the day after that. My best friends became his aunts and Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo became his big sisters. He also gained a filly friend in Silver Spoon.
Fluttershy smiled after she said that, but then frowned again, “Later on though, we found out the real reason his mother died.”
“What happened?”
Princess Luna heard the mind of somepony, and that somepony was Toby’s father. She looked into his memories and what she saw was terrible. She showed all of us, Toby included, what really happened. His mother was on her way to pick him up from school when his father came up and knocked the horseless carriage she was in with his own into a ditch, all because she wouldn’t show him the same amount of attention that she showed Toby.
“So it was his daddy that did it?” I asked, “Because he was jealous?”
“He was and he did,” Fluttershy said nodding sadly. I felt tears in my eyes when I heard that.
Princess Luna brought his father here so we could confront him and tell him how wrong he was for blaming his own son for his mother’s death. Everypony then started to decide what punishment would be fitting for Toby’s father, but then we had a surprise visit from Toby’s mother. After she told Toby that she knew he would make the right decision, we left it up to him to decide what to do.
“So what did he do?” I asked.
“He forgave his father, because his mother taught him that if he stayed mad for a long time, it would change who he was, and he didn’t want to be mad like his father,” Fluttershy said. I was surprised. “Toby’s father turned himself in to the authorities back where he came from for killing his wife, with a little bit of chaos on the side.”
“Discord, right?” I asked.
“Mm-hmm,” Fluttershy nodded.
“Wow Fluttershy,” I said sniffling a little bit, “You’re right, that was sad.” I rubbed my hands against my eyes to wipe away the tears that were falling. I felt Fluttershy put her hoof on my back and she rubbed it.
“Well, are you feeling better now?” she asked me after I stopped crying.
“Uh-huh,” I said nodding my head, “but I don’t know how I’m going to get back though. I miss my mommy and Nyx and Spike.”
“Well, we don’t have a Nyx here, but we do have a Twilight and Spike,” Fluttershy said, “Would you like to come with me and Toby and see them, along with our other friends?”
“Yeah,” I said. Even though it wasn’t going to be the Twilight I called Mommy, it was still going to be Twilight.
“Well, let’s head out then,” Fluttershy said helping me out of her bed. We then walked downstairs where we saw Toby coming out of the kitchen. “Are you ready to go sweetie?” she asked him.
“Yes Momma,” Toby replied nodding. Fluttershy then looked over to a white rabbit who I knew was Angel Bunny.
“Angel, you’re in charge while we’re gone okay?” she said. Angel nodded and put his paw on his head. Fluttershy smiled, and Toby and I followed her out of her cottage.
Meanwhile…
*Nyx’s P.O.V.*
It’s been two whole days since I accidentally teleported Joshua to another dimension. I felt really guilty doing that to my little brother, but at least he wasn’t hurt, or I hope he wasn’t. Twilight went to Canterlot to tell Princess Celestia what had happened and if there was a way to get him back. She asked Fluttershy to take care of me while she was away, and she happily accepted.
My cold was starting to go away, but I still had the sniffles though.
“Are you feeling any better Nyx?” Fluttershy asked me.
“Well, my cold is going away,” I said, “But I still feel bad about sending my brother away like that. Twilight said I teleported him to another dimension. What if I sent him back to where he came from?! I would never be able to forgive myself if I did that!”
“Nyx,” Fluttershy gently but firmly said placing a hoof on my back, “I’m pretty sure it’s not as bad as that. I really don’t believe you sent him there.”
“I’m still worried about him though,” I said.
“We’ll get him back somehow,” Fluttershy said, “Don’t worry. Everything will be okay.” I then let out a yawn. The cold was making me more tired than usual. “You get some sleep Nyx,” Fluttershy said, “I’ll be here when you wake up.”
“Thanks Fluttershy,” I said falling asleep.
*Twilight’s P.O.V.*
“...and that’s what happened,” I said finishing. I was in the throne room telling Princess Celestia and Princess Luna what happened to Joshua. Spike was with me in the room and was shocked to hear what happened as well.
“I see,” Princess Celestia said, “And you say that Nyx is the one who accidentally sent him?”
“Yes,” I said nodding.
Princess Celestia closed her eyes for a few seconds. She then opened them and looked at me seriously.
“There is only one solution for getting him back then,” she said, “Since Nyx is the one who sent him, then she is the one who has to go wherever she sent him and bring him back.”
“WHAT?!” Spike and I exclaimed.