Bruno fidgeted; tossed and turned, his limp body almost slid off of the medical compact bed. His eyes flickered open. He blinked rapidly, and glanced around. He could smell the stench of corpses. As he glanced around, he saw carnage, not major carnage, but carnage none the less. Blood spatters on the ground, broken medical beds; he started to hear beeping above him. He took a glance at his vitals, they were fairly decent. No one could be heard or seen, but him. He rubbed his head, he felt multiple gauze and bandages on his head. “Wh-What? I-I, this doesn’t.” He paused. “This has to be the work of Celestia.” He snickered. He tried to move his hooves, they stayed still, they were frozen. He closed his eyes, and he threw himself on the ground. He grunted; his right hoof trembling above his head, he grimaced in pain. He winced, and writhed in pain as all of his other hooves did the same. He was on all fours by now, his grimaced slowly fading. Unlike the other Changelings, he wasn’t just some soldier, but he was Chrysalis’ right hoof colt. Same goes with his appearance, he looked like a pony, he had white scleras, he had midnight blue corneas, caramel hair, and a black coat, he even had wings with small holes in them, his mother was a pegasus. He was a mixture of a pony, and changeling. But Chrysalis brought him in, and he’s been loyal to her and the empire just like a regular changeling. He stood still, and concentrated, closing his eyes, stepping right and left, continuously, after a while he regained his ability to walk.
He made his way outside, he came to a halt outside, he saw many changeling corpses. His body clenched with a unique mixture of anger and sadness. His face all scrunched up, tears poured from his right eye, he slid to the ground, sobbing and all. “D-Darn... “ He wiped at his tears,”Okay Bruno, stop all the mess, stop crying. Stop. It doesn’t help anything.” No, cry Bruno. He now fought with himself. Cry, remember what mother always told you. He spoke softly then he usually would. He began to backtrack to his childhood.
“M-Mom?” Young Bruno asked.
“Yes dear?” His mother held him by his head, caressing it softly.
“Wh-W-” Young Bruno stammered. His mother kissed his cheek. Then he began again,”Where is dad?”
“Well, dad, h-he, he didn’t follow the ‘rules’ of his queen.” His mother held him softly.
Young Bruno teared up a bit. “And what would that mean?”
“He had to go somewhere, since he did not follow the certain ‘rules’ he had to go somewhere. Don’t question me darling, it’s fine.” His mother spoke again, having the slightest idea on what to say and how.
Young Bruno wiped his tears and adjusted his lip. “Okay momma, but I will be strong like daddy always said. I will not cry.”
His mother chuckled, shaking her head in disbelief. “Hun’, cry, let it out, keeping the tears in, it’s like, like a balloon, you know?”
He glared at her, his lip shivering. “No, I don’t mom.” He growled under his breath.
His mother stared down, tears welling her eyes. “Lo-Look, it’s just like, like, okay, so you blow a balloon up, and.” She paused. “Scratch that.”
Young Bruno inhaled deeply, annoyed. “Mother. I don’t have time for your foolishness.” Bruno usually didn’t speak very respectfully of his mother. Some might say he had more traits from his Changeling father.
His mother sighed,”It’s just like, a overfilled bag of water. If you fill it up too much, and don’t pour anything out, you will implode. Now, with you, you might implode with your emotions, screaming, hollering, and you might end up hurting somepony or even yourself.” His mother looked down at him, it had seemed he understood.
He cut back to reality, he was stumped, couldn’t remember anything else. “Damnation.” He muttered. But he went back to his mother’s words; he began to resume crying and sobbing. After sometime he got up, and wiped his tears. I’ll take a look around. That might get me somewhere he thought to himself and strolled.
Bruno was stumped, but he found a small route to what seemed to be PonyVille, he tilted his head and followed the nature made road. Fireworks and firecrackers could be seen, as well as heard. As he got closer he could hear a middle-aged mare’s voice, it was Mayor Mare. He plopped down on the dirt road and perked his ears up.
“Congratulations, to and for the Elements of Harmony, for once again saving a potential endangering of Equestria! By defeating, Queen Chrysalis and her empire of Changelings!” He could hear that part clearly, the rest were just muttering and mumbles. He doesn’t know much about the Elements of Harmony, but this information was enough to want them dead.
“I can’t be seen like this.” He muttered before shifting himself into a thirteen year-old pegasus, indigo coat, emerald green eyes and hair. He gave himself a Manehattan accent, with a mix of a Cloudsdale accent. He began to trot down the dirt road. He blinked, fool, you know how to fly, what are you doing? He sprung his wings out, flapped, flying into the air, now gliding across PonyVille, he bumped into another pegasus.
“Hey, watch where you’re-” The pegasus paused. “H-Hey, I’ve never seen your type around, who are you?” The pegasus, poking at him, as if he were a robot or android of some type. Bruno flinched.
“C’mon man, could you get your hooves off me mate” Bruno batted his hooves away.
The pegasus grunted and smirked. “The name’s Star Stud.”
“Ought a fool like you, have cliché name like Sky Rocket.” Bruno chuckled aloud, holding his abdomen, giggling. “Sweet Celestia, man, that was a good one.”
Star Stud frowned. “Really? You’re being very snobby, and I’ve been nothing but kind to you.”
“Hmph.” He stared blankly. “Well it does only seems fair if I give you the same respect.” “Well, Star Stud, would you know where I could find, perhaps, a place to sleep?”
Star Stud searched down. “Well, look at all of those allies there, just land in one of them.” He handed him two moderately torn bed sheets. Bruno snathced them,”Thanks.” Bruno spoke; before gliding down to the designated alley.
He landed, looking around. “Hmph. Well isn’t this nice.” He glared at an earth pony who had already took his spot. “Sir, would you mind moving somewhere else?”
“I am not a sir.” A voice came sternly. The supposed earth pony turned. “And I am not an earth pony, do you not see these wings? Are you blind, sir?” It was Scootaloo, well, at least he didn’t know so.
“Then who might you be, ma’am?” Bruno stood still, titling his head.
“I am Scootaloo.” Scootaloo spoke.
“Wh-H-How?-” Bruno stammered, his eyes flenching. “How do you pronounce that?” Bruno hated, not having knowledge on how to say, do, or perform something. He absolutely despised it.
“Scoot-tah-lew” Scootaloo refrained, her eyebrows scrunched up, shaking her head at Bruno’s naivety.
“Well, Scootaloo, how about you tell me a bit about yourself?” Bruno slid on the wall, next to her, looking at her slowly.
“Whoa, sir slow down, I don’t just give out things about me. You are going to have to tell me about you first.” Scootaloo stated firmly, glaring at him.
Bruno sighed deeply. “Fine. My name is Bruno… wait…” Bruno wasn’t thinking, he didn’t want to give away his real name, he sighed. “Yep, it’s Bruno.”
“Well you don’t seem to have a name like “regular” ponies do.” Scootaloo said rubbing her chin, Bruno gulping nervously. “Come to think of it, I don’t either.” She took Bruno’s hoof with her two hooves and shook up and down fastly, closing her eyes. “Nice to meet you, you can call me Scoot or Scootaloo, I’m quite the daredevil sir.”
Bruno smiled, first time he had in years. “Oh really? I am one a bit myself.” He bragged jokely. He hand Scootaloo a bed sheet. “Here you go ma’am.” He smiled, laying down.
“Going to sleep already?” Scootaloo asked, raising an eyebrow.
“What?- No. Definitely not. Bet you I’d stay up longer than you.” Bruno squinted competitively.
“Oh, is that so? Well we will just wait and see about that.” Scootaloo chuckled.
Bruno gasped lowly, he had never seen a side to him like this. Getting along with a child, what, what is going on with you, damned fool. Father taught you better. You’re acting like mother you fool. Wait. Well, dad, what was ever wrong with talking to a child. I’m not kissing up to her or anything. Mother… I am so sorry for- His thoughts were interrupted by Scootaloo, as she stated,”Erm, you alright there? I’ve been asking you for quite some time now.”
Bruno shook his head. “It’s just- Erm.” He looked down, frozen, curling into a ball. “Y-You ever feel like you just want to curl up and die?” He asked, shivering.
“Sadly, yes. I have. As you can see, I’m an orphan.” Scootaloo’s head dropped.
Bruno sobbed, tears overwhelming his eyes, he held his knees, biting his lip. He got up after a 8 minutes. “My eyes hurt… They are dry. I just want to cry till’ eternity.” He shivered.
Scootaloo patted his back. and sighed. “Bruno. It’s fine.” She smiled.
Bruno smiled back, licking his lips. “You must certainly have somewhere else to sleep?” He asked, straightened his face.
Scootaloo shrugged. “We could go to the CMC clubhouse.” She paused, looking at Bruno’s flank. “Hey! You don’t have a cutie mark either. You can join CMC!” She hollered euphorically. “We’re always accepting new members.”
“CMC? What is that?” Bruno asked, tilting his head.
“Why that’d be called the Cutie Mark Crusaders, honary member are Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, Babs Seed, and I!” Scootaloo stared at him grinning.
Isn’t that one of Elements of Harmony. Wait. No. It’s her sister. It has to be. Bruno thought,”Hold on Scootaloo, let me think.” He began again, Okay. Let’s not make this cliché, Bruno. Let’s agree to joining, after awhile, take Apple Bloom hostage to reel in all of them. Or if Applejack just comes, then I will hunt them off, one, by one. So Applejack will decide what I do. “Yes. I will join your club, are we able to sleep there now. It’s getting very chilly.”
Scootaloo shook her head. “Nope. I will not risk being hurt, or getting you hurt.”
“Well it’s fine with me.” Bruno yawned.
Scootaloo giggled lightly. “Go to sleep.” She said. Her facial expression changed, as two figures; one the shape of a pony, and the other a bunny, overshadowed the both of them. Scootaloo jumped. “Who are you?”
A light voice came, ”O-Oops, sorry, didn’t mean to scare you.”
“Fluttershy?” Scootaloo spoke, arising. Bruno readied himself for anything, his eye twitching uncontrollably, his neck fidgeting, his legs wobbled, and he fell on his side. “B-Bruno!” Scootaloo’s eye widened, and she attended Bruno, she flipped him on his back; her hands wondering as they hovered above him. Bruno finally stopped, breathing heavily.
Fluttershy stood back nervously, frightened. “I-Is he going to be okay? D-Did I frighten you?” She asked softly.
Scootaloo stepped back, as Bruno got up. “I’m fine. I just have a minor case of tourettes, I won’t twitch or say incoherent things as much.” Bruno explained. “Anyways, what were we even talking about?”
Fluttershy stepped up,”W-Well, you guys seem like you need a place to stay… and I’ve seen Scootaloo around here, I was just too scared to really say anything, now that I know you have another friend, I just felt so bad, so I-” Fluttershy had been cut off,”Ma’am, don’t mention it. It’s fine, you really don’t need to say anything else.” Bruno stopped Fluttershy, his mind flipping back to his plan. “You guys go, I’ll catch up.” He motioned them, soon after both Scootaloo and Fluttershy walked off in the distance. He took a deep breath and went back over plan A, and his plan B; after time he got up and started to trot, soon being at the flank of Fluttershy. Both Scootaloo and Fluttershy turned ‘round to find him, the two mares’ head fiddled around as they saw he already caught on.
Bruno flinched irritably,”What?” No response came from the two pegasi, they simply turned back forward, continuing to walk; Bruno and Fluttershy heard a huge “thump” on the ground, both of their eyes shot at where the noise had been heard, they could not see anything.
