Guardian of a Fallen Queen

Cameron awoke with the mother of all headaches. It was a constant pounding on the inside of his skull, like a blacksmith’s hammer on an anvil it seemed.

Cameron also became aware of a warm fuzzy blob latched onto his side in the form of a dark grey unicorn mare.

Another slam against the side of his head made Cameron wince in pain. He reluctantly got out of bed to go and find something to alleviate the pain.

Right, that pain potion should work. Maybe Umbra will want some as well, he thought to himself.

He grabbed the bottle from the bathroom medicine cabinet and took a few swigs. He felt all warm and giddy inside for a few seconds and the pain disappeared shortly after.

Cameron trudged back into the bedroom to see the grey mare curled up and mumbling in her sleep.

A twinge of worry crossing his mind, Cameron increased his pace to Umbra, who was now twitching.

“No, please. I’m free from you. You can’t do this. I will no longer be a mere surrogate for your dark ways! What are you doing? No, PLEASE STOP! CAMERON!” Umbra screamed as she shot up in bed, tears falling down her eyes.

“Umbra! Are you alright?” Cameron hurried to her side and put his arm around her.

“Cameron!” Umbra sighed in relief and let her sobs loose upon Cameron’s shoulder.

“Shhh. It was only a dream. I’m here. It’s ok.” Cameron tried to soothe the mare with his words and rubbing his hand up and down her back.

“The dark ponies, they tortured you, they killed you, I thought you were gone for good...” Umbra sniffled.

“Nope, still ticking here.” Cameron smiled.

“My head really hurts,” Umbra whispered.

“I figured it would. Take a few gulps of this,” Cameron said, handing Umbra the bottle.

She did as instructed and took a dose of the pain killers.

“Better?” Cameron asked?

“Much.” Umbra smiled.

Suddenly, her horn shot out a blast of dark violet magic, causing Cameron to duck. The blast harmlessly ricocheted against the wall behind Cameron.

“What the hell?” Cameron asked in shock.

“Guess my normal magical ability is coming back,” Umbra said with a look of worry on her face.

A small pop accompanied by a purple spark sputtered out of Umbra’s horn. It sounded like a deflating whoopee cushion to Cameron and his inner twelve  year-old came out in the form of a loud snort of laughter.

“Oh come on, Cameron. It’s as if you are a mere child again...” Umbra muttered, failing miserably to hold back a smile and a giggle of her own.

“Umbra please, that was funny and you know it!” Cameron snorted again.

“Ok, I’ll admit it was a tad goofy if nothing else...” Umbra admitted with a smile that she hid by turning her eyes to the floor.

Cameron noticed this and he flopped down on his back, turned and slid himself right underneath Umbra’s downward turned face.

Umbra let out a tiny squeak of surprise but didn’t move away from the human looking up at her.

“Has anyone told you that you have the most beautiful eyes?” Cameron said with a small smile.

“Not of their own free will, they haven’t,” Umbra giggled.

“Well, I guess that makes me the first,” Cameron said as he raised his index finger and brought it to her face.

“What are you...” Umbra trailed off as her question was answered by Cameron’s finger lightly poking her nose.

“Boop,” he said.

Umbra blushed madly and scampered back a few steps.

“Oh, sorry. I didn’t know it made you uncomfortable,” Cameron said as he scrambled to his knees.

“No it’s not that. You just surprised me, that’s all.” Umbra managed to stammer out, her face still hued a light red.

 “Oh, ok.” Cameron smiled sheepishly as he scratched the back of his neck.

Out of nowhere, Umbra felt a ton of butterflies drop directly into her stomach as she looked into his faintly glimmering blue eyes.

“Umbra, you alright?” Cameron asked.

Umbra shook herself out of her reverie and scrambled for a response.

“I-uh, yes. I’m quite fine.” Umbra found her answer.

“Ok then. I’ll go get us something to eat.” Cameron said, fighting off his own butterflies. He made to get up but was stopped by Umbra’s voice.

“Cameron, I... can I ask you something?” Umbra directed her gaze to the floor again.

“Yeah?” Cameron said, cocking an eyebrow.

“Would you be willing to stay with me like last night? My nightmares are coming back and I’d feel a lot safer if you were with me. You can say no if you don’t want to,” Umbra asked rapidly.

“I don’t see why not. I’ll do it if it makes you feel better,” Cameron said shrugging, hiding the exact feeling of joy and relief Umbra had within her own mind.

Umbra trotted over to the still kneeling Cameron, wrapped her forehooves around his shoulders and hugged him, resting her head on his bulky shoulder.

Cameron was taken aback by the gesture, but gladly returned the hug as he wrapped his own arms around her back and drew her closer into the hug.

Umbra felt the sudden animalistic urge to kiss him right then and there, but she knew that could potentially ruin her relationship with the caring human.

Meanwhile, Cameron was fighting his own urge to run his hands up and down her silky smooth fur. Eventually, the pair separated despite their bodies screaming to do the opposite.

“You hungry?” Cameron asked.

A grumble of Umbra’s stomach answered that question for her.

She giggled and Cameron couldn’t help but let out a small chuckle.

“I’ll take that as a yes.” Cameron rose to his feet and made his way to the kitchen with Umbra hot on his heels.

“Any requests?” Cameron asked.

“Hmm, now that you ask, it’s been awhile since I had a nice salmon fillet,” Umbra said with a lick of her chops.

“I like the sound of that. Grilled or seared?” Cameron asked the unicorn as he opened the fridge to find the fish he had purchased.

“Grilled, please,” Umbra answered quickly.

“As you wish, my queen.” Cameron mock bowed to her as he pulled out the fish.

“I can whip up a salad if it’s no trouble to you,” Umbra offered.

“Sure, but don’t you need your magic for that?” Cameron pulled fresh vegetables and lettuce out of the fridge and placed them on the counter.

Umbra found the knives easily and tried to get it with her magic. The handle glowed a deep violet and it slowly lifted out of the wooden block.

“Cameron! Look!” Umbra shouted in glee as the knife now completely slid out of its slot in the block.

Cameron spun his head around and saw the knife hovering in the air above the counter.

“Nice work there, Umbra!” Cameron smiled.

Just as he acknowledged her work, her horn sputtered and sparked as the aura around the knife petered out and it clattered to the counter.

“Buck!” Umbra shouted in frustration.

“It’s ok, I’ll take care of the salad,” Cameron offered.

“Fine. I was so close, too. Celestia damn these curses and magical weakness!” Umbra cried out in despair.

Cameron got down onto one knee so he was eye level with the beautiful mare.

“Umbra, you are beautiful, kindhearted, sweet, and most importantly, you have a will of forged steel. You’ll get it eventually. I know it. Just sit back and relax while I’ll take care of dinner,” Cameron instructed her as he ushered her to the living room and its ultra comfortable couch.

Umbra did as Cameron told her and laid down on the couch. Umbra shivered as the true chill of the early spring air hit her fur.

Cameron noticed this as he pulled a blanket down from the top of the cushion and wrapped it around her. He gazed into her sparkling red irises with nothing but care in his eyes.

Kiss me dammit! Just bucking kiss me already! Umbra’s mind screamed, but it did not get its wish as Cameron rose and returned to cooking.

As she lay on the couch, she watched the human work with suppressed awe at the speed of his cutting, dicing, and chopping.

Umbra also became aware of a tune she had heard him hum some times previously, but she heard the same tune coming out as words this time. Though she herself knew not what the words meant, she knew that they were words nonetheless.

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The tune was somber yet powerful enough for Umbra to begin swaying her head to the tempo of his voice. The sound reminded of when she attended the Crystal Opera before her corruption. The way the voices of those ponies would worm into her ears and make her lose track of everything that bothered her in the world. Soon enough, her faltering magic was the farthest thing from her mind as the power of Cameron’s voice was felt even in her chest.

She even tuned out the smell of grilling fish in favor of hearing his tune being belted out. Cameron seemed to have forgotten that she was in the other room not fifteen feet away from him.

However, all good things had to come to an end. As the last words came out of his mouth, he finished plating their food and then...silence.

“Umbra?” Cameron called into the living room.

“Coming.” Umbra reluctantly got up and trotted over to the kitchen table to see the meal Cameron had prepared.

“Go ahead and eat. I’ll clean up,” Cameron said as he turned on the sink and began washing the dishes.

Umbra simply nodded and began to dig in. The salmon was the best she had eaten in what seemed like eons, and the way the oils and spices mixed into the salad made it the most perfect meal Umbra had ever consumed.

Soon after she finished, a wave of exhaustion hit her like a ton of bricks. Umbra knew she needed some rest and got out of her seat. Night had already fallen.

“I’m heading to bed, Cameron,” Umbra said with a yawn.

Cameron had just sat down to eat his own dinner.

“Alright. Good night, Umbra,” Cameron said as he dug into his own meal.

As she got into bed, Umbra couldn’t help but feel alone and afraid of her surroundings. She had a right to be so, after all. A former tyrant and fearmonger that ruled over an entire empire that still regarded her as a threat. The demons that lived within her could return at any moment. She shivered at the last thought.

Cameron, I need you. Please... Umbra whimpered in her head.

A faint pink glow made Umbra open her eyes and look down at her chest. The crystal Cameron had given her was glowing a bright pink and tugging at her neck towards the bedroom door.

In the kitchen, Cameron’s own necklace was doing the same thing as he was cleaning his dishes.

As he finished, he followed the crystal’s directions to the bedroom. As he opened the door, he saw Umbra’s necklace doing the same thing as his own and then drop a split second later.

“Y-yours too?” Umbra whispered through the darkness.

“What is going on?” Cameron asked to no one in particular.

“I called for you in my head and my necklace started doing that,” Umbra said faintly.

“Are you ok?” Cameron asked.

“No Cameron, I’m not,” Umbra admitted.

“What’s wrong?” Cameron asked, puzzled and worried at the same time.

“I’m scared. The ponies around here hate me and would kill me at first sight. There are demons that could repossess me at any moment. I need you. You make me feel safe and sound again. I have been deprived of those feelings for too long and I can’t live any longer without them!” Umbra shouted in anguish.

“Umbra. What? Why?” Cameron asked in total confusion.

“Cameron. Please! I don’t feel safe without you around!” Umbra cried once more, tears now welling up in her eyes.

Cameron went over to the bed and put his arm around Umbra as the tears made dark streaks down her face.

“Love isn’t based off of who helps you in times of need, Umbra,” Cameron said.

“I know that you dumb buck!” Umbra let her coarse language fly out carelessly.

“Look Cameron, I know in every fiber of my being that these necklaces didn’t do what they just did for no reason! What else could it be?” Umbra probed Cameron.

Cameron hadn’t really thought about what the crystal did other than let him know about his house and the like. The concept of it doing more than that was a tad farfetched to him, yet somehow, it made perfect sense.

“Wow, I never really thought about it that way,” Cameron said, scratching his head in thought.

“It lead you to me regardless of what it is. Is that enough for you to let me spend the night with you?” Umbra asked.

“Sure. I’ll do it, Umbra.” Cameron sighed as he rubbed her back tenderly.

Umbra let out a cry of joy and pounced on the human, causing him to topple over backwards onto the bed.

It happened in a flash; their lips met for a split second before they separated in a gasp.

“I’m so sorry, Cameron!” Umbra squeaked in embarrassment.

Cameron just laid back, shocked at the contact as his stomach churned and filled with tiny butterflies. His hand absentmindedly rose to his lips and he touched them lightly.

“Cameron?” Umbra looked at the human, quite puzzled by his actions.

Cameron suddenly grabbed Umbra and pulled her under the covers with him following close behind her.

She lay there, her face mere inches apart from his own.

Umbra went in again, letting her lips touch his own for a few brief moments before she felt him press back into the kiss.

As they separated after a few seconds, they returned each other’s gaze and smiled.

“Good night, Cameron.” Umbra whispered, lifting her hoof and returning his earlier boop on the nose.

“Good night, Umbra. You’re safe and sound as long as I’m around,” Cameron said as he wrapped his arms around Umbra and pulled her close as she buried her head in the crook of his neck.