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Description
Going out in public was always a challenge for Bumblebee. Outside the safety of his bayou home, he stuck out like a sore pimple. Unlike most ponies, he didn’t have the luxury of going about his day unnoticed. He couldn’t even go out in a magical disguise—his half-changeling genes weren’t strong enough for that. Not that he’d even try and risk it anyway.

So on the occasions he was brought out for errands with his Mama, he stayed hunched over as he followed her, trying his best not to stand out more than he had to.

“How do you do, Mr. Wesley?”

Meadowbrook struck up a conversation with the fruit stand cashier, and Bumble rolled his eyes in irritation. He loved his Mama but the small talk was a little much! All he could do was stand impatiently behind her and take a look at his surroundings.

When he wasn’t scrutinizing himself constantly, it could be quite fun to watch ponies go about their day. They always looked so happy. They never hesitated to talk and laugh with even total strangers, they were so trusting and carefree. It seemed to be in the ponies’ nature, it’s how Meadowbrook took in a creature like him after all. And it was in Bumble’s nature too, at least what he wanted it to be—if he wasn’t so scared.

But most ponies weren’t even looking at him today. Maybe it wasn’t as bad as he feared.

“What’s THAT doing here?”

Then he saw them.

Peacock Feather and Picnic Basket. Two ponies he was trying to forget, staring at him like he was a ghastly, unsightly freak. They hadn’t forgotten about him at all.

All the hope Bumble had dissipated and was replaced by terror. All he could think of was their jeers and taunts, and he would do anything to avoid facing them again.

“Mama?”

Bumblebee tugged on Meadowbrook’s skirt with desperation.

“Are you near done? I wanna go home.”

Meadowbrook knew why he was afraid of being in public and did her best to help him through it, but she was rather oblivious to his current fears.

“Now Bumblebee, don’t be rude! Mr. Wesley’s nice, he’s a friend. Why, we were just talkin’ about—“

“Please!”

He didn’t wait for her to finish as he continued begging and searching for a place to hide. It didn’t take long for him to realize that he was too big to disappear behind either of these ponies, the only thing big enough to shield him was the fruit stand.

“Bumblebee, what’s goin’ on?”

His Mama asked, quickly catching on that he was stressed about something more.

“Nothin’, Mama!”

He insisted, trying not to make a scene.

But that effort soon proved futile.

“Hey, Spider-Face!”

Peacock called out, and he instantly went into flight mode. He dove under the fruit stand as fast as he could, not thinking to duck far enough to fit. So the entire structure flipped over on top of him, spilling tomatoes, watermelons, grapes, and more all over the place.

“AH! Get away, get away!”

The bullies screamed, but the bemused grins on their faces made it clear that they weren’t scared at all. Taunting him was exactly what they were here to do.

Bumble knew this well, but it didn’t make him feel any less awful.

“Move along now, young’uns! Quit yer tomfoolery!”

Mr. Wesley started swatting at them with a broom and they quickly galloped off, not wanting to be caught in the scene that now captured everypony’s attention.

Now all anypony could see was a disaster and the creature who caused it. They all stared at Bumblebee in his sorry, messy state, probably thinking he did this intentionally. That he was dangerous, just like the bullies thought of him.

“My little Ladybug, do you know those foals?”

His Mama started worriedly asking him questions as she fussed over him, cleaning the smashed fruit and checking him for injuries.

“Is that what that was all about? Are those ponies bein’ mean to you?”

But when Bumblebee would have normally collapsed into his mother’s arms and spilled all his complicated emotions, now he didn’t want to. The kindness coming from her and the fruit stand cashier suddenly felt like pity, and the last thing he wanted was even more attention. Of any kind.

All he could do was grimace and attempt to shield his face from everypony’s gaze, and shield his feelings from more hurt.

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

He had so many feelings that his Mama didn’t understand right now, but she did know there would be a time when her baby would grow up and not want to talk to her as much. It hurt that it was coming so soon.

But she respected that and probed no further. He would open up when he was ready.

~~~~~~~~~~

Previous: Chilopod
Next: Duckling

Collaboration with ArtinAndWritin8

Background by BonesWolbach

Description
Going out in public was always a challenge for Bumblebee. Outside the safety of his bayou home, he stuck out like a sore pimple. Unlike most ponies, he didn’t have the luxury of going about his day unnoticed. He couldn’t even go out in a magical disguise—his half-changeling genes weren’t strong enough for that. Not that he’d even try and risk it anyway.

So on the occasions he was brought out for errands with his Mama, he stayed hunched over as he followed her, trying his best not to stand out more than he had to.

“How do you do, Mr. Wesley?”

Meadowbrook struck up a conversation with the fruit stand cashier, and Bumble rolled his eyes in irritation. He loved his Mama but the small talk was a little much! All he could do was stand impatiently behind her and take a look at his surroundings.

When he wasn’t scrutinizing himself constantly, it could be quite fun to watch ponies go about their day. They always looked so happy. They never hesitated to talk and laugh with even total strangers, they were so trusting and carefree. It seemed to be in the ponies’ nature, it’s how Meadowbrook took in a creature like him after all. And it was in Bumble’s nature too, at least what he wanted it to be—if he wasn’t so scared.

But most ponies weren’t even looking at him today. Maybe it wasn’t as bad as he feared.

“What’s THAT doing here?”

Then he saw them.

Peacock Feather and Picnic Basket. Two ponies he was trying to forget, staring at him like he was a ghastly, unsightly freak. They hadn’t forgotten about him at all.

All the hope Bumble had dissipated and was replaced by terror. All he could think of was their jeers and taunts, and he would do anything to avoid facing them again.

“Mama?”

Bumblebee tugged on Meadowbrook’s skirt with desperation.

“Are you near done? I wanna go home.”

Meadowbrook knew why he was afraid of being in public and did her best to help him through it, but she was rather oblivious to his current fears.

“Now Bumblebee, don’t be rude! Mr. Wesley’s nice, he’s a friend. Why, we were just talkin’ about—“

“Please!”

He didn’t wait for her to finish as he continued begging and searching for a place to hide. It didn’t take long for him to realize that he was too big to disappear behind either of these ponies, the only thing big enough to shield him was the fruit stand.

“Bumblebee, what’s goin’ on?”

His Mama asked, quickly catching on that he was stressed about something more.

“Nothin’, Mama!”

He insisted, trying not to make a scene.

But that effort soon proved futile.

“Hey, Spider-Face!”

Peacock called out, and he instantly went into flight mode. He dove under the fruit stand as fast as he could, not thinking to duck far enough to fit. So the entire structure flipped over on top of him, spilling tomatoes, watermelons, grapes, and more all over the place.

“AH! Get away, get away!”

The bullies screamed, but the bemused grins on their faces made it clear that they weren’t scared at all. Taunting him was exactly what they were here to do.

Bumble knew this well, but it didn’t make him feel any less awful.

“Move along now, young’uns! Quit yer tomfoolery!”

Mr. Wesley started swatting at them with a broom and they quickly galloped off, not wanting to be caught in the scene that now captured everypony’s attention.

Now all anypony could see was a disaster and the creature who caused it. They all stared at Bumblebee in his sorry, messy state, probably thinking he did this intentionally. That he was dangerous, just like the bullies thought of him.

“My little Ladybug, do you know those foals?”

His Mama started worriedly asking him questions as she fussed over him, cleaning the smashed fruit and checking him for injuries.

“Is that what that was all about? Are those ponies bein’ mean to you?”

But when Bumblebee would have normally collapsed into his mother’s arms and spilled all his complicated emotions, now he didn’t want to. The kindness coming from her and the fruit stand cashier suddenly felt like pity, and the last thing he wanted was even more attention. Of any kind.

All he could do was grimace and attempt to shield his face from everypony’s gaze, and shield his feelings from more hurt.

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

He had so many feelings that his Mama didn’t understand right now, but she did know there would be a time when her baby would grow up and not want to talk to her as much. It hurt that it was coming so soon.

But she respected that and probed no further. He would open up when he was ready.

~~~~~~~~~~

Previous: Chilopod
Next: Duckling

Collaboration with ArtinAndWritin8

Background by BonesWolbach