Can You Love Me?

(Umbrus point of view)

I drew in a deep breath through MY nose. all the scents making MY mind swim with information. MY ears flicked back and forth picking up all every sound. I chuckle to myself,

I'm finally free. I smiled, feeling my mouth split into a wide grin. an odd sensation. I heard crying behind me and turned. Mellow Breeze was cowering against the counter. Her eyes, wide with fear, stared at me in panic. Seeing her look at me like that hurt me. Why did it hurt me? I was going to show these ponies not to look down on me anymore, so why should I care what she thinks?

Bleeding hearts of the world unite. I thought as I slowly made my way over to her. She tried to push herself farther back, like she was trying to become one with the wood. I squatted down in front of her and noticed the platter she had dropped next to her had the food Caim ordered. Sadly only one of the sandwiches survived,but my body was hungry so I picked it up anyway.

I know that weakling Caim has bits in this jacket somewhere. I finally found what I was looking for. looking into her eyes, I pushed the bits into one of her hooves much to her surprise and startelement.

"Thank you." I barely managed to say above a whisper before I quickly turned and made my way to the hole munching on the sandwich. I ate quickly, even though I was in bliss at the first taste of food.

That Caim may be a weakling, but he knows how to order good food I thought as I chewed the last bite and stepped through the wall. As I stepped through the hole I made with those pests, ready to finish what I started, but paused as I saw something, odd. The Stallions I had thrown, from what I could tell had landed on another, but that was trivial to who stood next to the pile of bodies.

She was an earth pony, or I should say earth pony like. Her fur a light purple and her mane being a dark violet purple. She had an interesting cutie mark, one I wouldn't expect to see on a pony. It was a sickly green skull and crossbones.

A pair of beautifully brilliant cyan eyes glared at me, but what drew my attention was her tail. It was purple like the rest of her body but was four feet long and segmented like a scorpions. It didn't end like a scorpions though. It ended in a sphere with two long, sharp and curved pincers that looked like they could snip my head off with no effort.

If Caim was in control he probably found this pony thing attractive I thought as The mare glared at me.
"And what are you supposed to be?" I ask crossing my arms. The mare seemed slightly unnerved by my question, but she shrugged it off.

"I'm an Earth pony, what else would I be?" She gave me the same "I'm better then you" look that all other ponies gave me, but it was something else she did that ticked me off.
Pretending to be something she's not... I hate ponies like that... I'll take her down a few pegs. I fumed internally.

"Not with that weird tail of yours... your mother must have fucked a worm." oh, if looks could kill, I'd be vaporized by her glare. The mare crouched slightly, getting to a fighting stance, her tail swaying back and forth slightly. I got the image of a cobra waiting to strike.

"HEY! I'M NOT A WORM!" She yelled at me. I stroked my chin in thought, trying to hide my shit eating grin that wanted to form.

"You're right that was a bit insensitive." I nodded my head slightly. The mare had a slightly confused look on her face. I delivered my verbal blow.

"To the worm." I couldn't get my triumphant smirk off my face as understanding spread over the mare's face followed by supernova levels of anger. She pawed the ground and snorted steam.

"Okay that's it! PIN MISSILE!" She shouted as the pincers on her tail glowed an ominous purple. I was shocked when a massive barrage of spine like projectiles shot from the end of her tail. I reacted on instinct and muscle memory, doing back flips along the restaurant's walk way, the insane amount of spikes following me as I went.

This is a pure range attack, if I can get in close it will be totally useless. I thought as I leapt off the end of the walk way. as I tumbled through the air, I saw an empty barrel next to the spot where I'd land. I grinned a plan forming in my mind.

that will do nicely. I landed grabbing the barrel and heaving it at the mare/scorpion hybrid. She jumps over the barrel with the grace of a swan, her toned legs absorbing the landing impact. I felt my face heat up slightly and a very odd feeling in my chest. I decided to ignore it as the mare was still a threat and she didn't look happy.

"Great now my tail is showing, you know how long it's gonna take me to get it back to the way it was?" Her eyes shot daggers at me.

"Now prepare to die a slow, poisonous death." If the way her tail was glowing she could do that... if she could catch me.

"If that last attack was how you'll go about killing me, I'm gonna die of old age first hot stuff" I shot toward her in a blur of movement, circling her so fast I left after images.

She'll try and strike one of the images and then I'll attack. that was plan A. it didn't turn out like I wanted.

"That won't work on me, you filthy anthro!" she exclaimed and, sweeping her tail in a circle, shooting those needles at my hooves causing me to trip on them. Even though she got the upper hand, I reacted quickly and somersaulted to my feet. I grabbed a throwing dagger from my right thigh holster and launched it in an underhand throw, sending it spinning toward her.

I followed right behind the spinning knife, which the mare dodged, just like I wanted her to. I grinned wide as I jumped off the ground and delivered a powerful roundhouse kick to her head sending her skidding on the ground. She rolled to her hooves and stroked her jaw. Her body seemed to glow with the amount of anger she was feeling.

"DAUGHTER OF FAUST THAT HURT!" She seemed to be getting serious her whole body glowing. I could sense she did something, but I couldn't figure out what. I decided to poke the beast to see what I could learn.

"What? Did the pretty pony get a boo boo? Quit whining you freak." I got back into my fighting stance. she did the same.

" let me buck you in the face, then you....." She paused as many hoof falls could be heard coming our way. A large group of royal guards were galloping toward us. I honestly could care less but she seemed upset. "oh no" she said, pinning her scorpion tail between her legs and started to gallop over to where the unconscious stallions were.

This fight wasn't over. I quickly caught up to her and grabbed her tails, holding her from going any farther.

"Where do you think your going?!" I growled at her, yanking her toward me.

"Let me go you freak of nature! Everypony know anthro's shouldn't even exist!" those words rung like clashing symbols in my head, bringing up old and hated memories.

"Get over here!" using her tail like a rope I swung her around me. She tried to pull her tail out of my grip.

Those were the same word father said to us. That thought made my rage exploded! As i swung her around I made sure to have her make contact with the ground multiple times before I flung her into the air. She made a high arc, before coming back to earth. She twisted like a cat and landed on all four hooves with surprising grace but I was to angry to be impressed.
"WHO ARE YOU TO DECIDE WHO LIVES AND DIES!" I bellowed as I charged her, drawing the non throwing dagger on my right hip. holding it in a reverse grip I make a slash at her face, she dodged most of it but i manage to get a good cut on her right cheek. She twists and tries to buck me, but I had already jumped away.

Switching my grip so the blade was up I charged again, slashing in every direction conceivable.

"JUST BECAUSE I LOOK DIFFERENT I'M NOT WORTHY OF LIFE!?" I screamed as she dodged every one of my attacks. I decide to switch it up and kick my hoof out and I catch her in the chest, buckling her legs and sending her skidding back. She slowly gets to her feet, panting slightly.

"Huff ... huff... My dad gives me that right you peace of trash." She growls at me, her Cyan eyes blazing with anger. That caught my attention.

There's only one kind of being who could make that kind of choice. The probability that two of our kind would meet, let alone fight was completely insane. I started to laugh! this was too rich.

"Really?" I ask her, a massive smile spreading over my muzzle.
"Then let's see if the bastard who fucked your worm of a mother is as good at deciding as his daughter thinks!" I channel my energy through my body causing my hands to glow. The real reason I was considered a freak wasn't just because I was an anthro... it was that I was an Earth pony anthro who could use magic. I channeled a powerful lightning spell into my right hand forcing it into my blade.

By now the guards had reached us and formed a circle around the two of us, trying to box us in. I could see the fear on their faces as a bolt of lightning grew in my hand. It was nearly two feet long when I deemed it ready. The mare was glowing with a poisonous purple aura.

"My mom is not a worm! She's the strongest pony I know!" She yelled and launched an attack. It was a dark purple and green ball of sludge, but my instincts told me it would be deadly to touch. I ran a t full speed, the two foot long, sparking blade of plasma pulled back, ready to swing. I struck the ball of sludge with a cry.

"Lightning Slash!" My lightning bolt collides with the ball and it erupts into a cloud of purple smoke. I land on the ground and run forward, holding my breath so not to breath in the fumes. I emerge on the other side, seeing the mare just standing there, looking like she's won... not a chance in Tartarus. I lunge at her and tackle her to the ground. I grab her mane and swing my dagger at her neck, aiming for her carotid artery. As I see the tip of the blade just pierce her skin, I was hit by what felt like a boulder. I reeled as an awful din filled my mind.

"You loose Mother Fucker!"

"I'm all for some rough play but you take it to far big boy."

"I don't like keeping you locked up, but letting you out like this is a worse idea Umbrus."

"It's time to put the Pone in Pony!"

You may be part of me Umbrus, but you don't control me!" I screamed in pain clawing at the sides of my head as I felt my control slipping. I struggled to remain as I felt myself being dragged back into Caim's mind.

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!" I screamed, trying with all my might to stay in control. All the while my vision slowly tunneling away.

"You won't be rid of me that easy..." I said as I felt my final ounce of control slip.

"I'll be back!" I hissed and Caim's eyes closed as his body passed out.

(Inside Caim's mindscape. Caim's POV)

Zul, Clover, Beta, Orion and I wrestled with Umbrus, finally chaining him to the rock he chained me to.

"Damn it! Fucking bastard fights like a fucking cornered manticore.' Zul panted slightly. the only ones who didn't seem out of breath were Beta, Orion and myself.

"You idiots! I was so close to ending that waste of space pony for good. I would have shown them..." Umbrus never got to finish as Zul rounded her glare on him and backhand slapped him across the face.

"Shown them what, ya fucking dip shit!? That you were no better than them in how you treat others!" Zul bellowed in Umbrus's face. He opened and closed his mouth like a fish.

"You really thought that doing the exact same thing they've done to us all our life will change how they see us? They would look at us like we were an abomination even more than they did before. " Zul was no longer yelling but her fury was still evident in her voice. Umbrus had a shocked look on his face. I placed a hand on Zul's shoulder, she looked at me and I shook my head.

She was still angry but she just sighed and accepted that she was done, stepping back, crossing her arms and glaring daggers at Umbrus. I looked at Umbrus, this was the first time I'd seen him in years. I'd always tried to push him away, keep him locked up. He was my sadness, loneliness all my negative feeling rolled together. I was never good at listening to him so i just ignored him instead... and it led to this... that had to change.

I sighed, Pushing him away had given him time to brood and plan, making him stronger till he burst out and took control like he did. I didn't like it but things had to change if this entire debacle was to be kept from happening again. that and I needed to stop running from myself.

"I can't keep ignoring you, can I?" I asked, not really expecting an answer. Umbrus just looked at me, a completely miserable look on his face.

"I don't think it's matter even if you kept trying to Caim." He said in a low voice. He sighed.

"I Can't believe I thought I could do better... guess that's why they say hindsight is twenty twenty huh?" I couldn't keep a small grin from forming.

"I've lost track of how many times I told myself that." Umbrus chuckled slightly.

"I know, I'm part of you remember... why do I always have to see logic after I've been and idiot?" Umbrus asked, letting his head hit the rock lightly as he leaned back. I sighed, not completely sure if what i was going to do was the wisest thing, I just knew it was the right thing. I waved my hand and the chains and rock vanished, making Umbrus stumble a bit as found he balance.

All the others gasped, or in Zul's case growled, in a mix of surprise and anger.

"If this is a joke Caim, this ain't funny dude." Beta said, taking a step backward. Orion just stood there, seeming to be lost in thought. Zul, I could tell, was still upset, but she knew anger could only get you so far so she held her tongue for the moment. It was Clover who surprised us, me most of all.

Clover slowly walked over to a very nervous looking Umbrus, smiling all the way. She stopped about a foot from him, then extended her arms and brought him into a hug. The look on his face was priceless, he was so stiff he could've passed for a wooden plank. What caught our attention, was after Clover released him from her hug, he was as pale as a ghost, sweating bullets and shaking slightly.

Clover just walked back toward the rest, with the same smile on her face.

"He should behave from now on... right Umbrus?" She twisted slightly looking over her shoulder at him. If Umbrus had nodded his head any harder it would've flown off.

"Good... Now let's all try to get along from now on, okay?" We all nodded, slightly unnerved by her actions. I shook my head and cleared my throat getting their attention.

"While Umbrus's action have been..." As I tried to think of a word, Zul spoke up for me.

"Cruel and unnecessarily sadistic?" Umbrus and I winced. Zul was always blunt.

"Harsh... but, fair." Umbrus agreed, surprising Zul slightly. I reined in the conversation before it got out of hand.

"But he's still a part of me as all of you. I've ignored him till now and I regret doing so." I turned to him.

"Denying you is like saying I have no hooves but can still walk. They are obviously there... I'm just sorry it took this to make me realize this." I said. I took a deep breath and held out my hand.

"It's a little late but, welcome Umbrus." Umbrus stared at my hand like it would bite him. Slowly, He reached out and grasped mine and taking a leaf from Clovers book, I pulled Umbrus into a one armed hug. He stiffened but, eventually returned the hug. then the moment was ruined by the only one who'd kept their mouth shut this whole time.

"Maybe that's why you've never tried to get laid... you must be more into guys." Both Umbrus and I snapped our heads up to stare slack jawed at Orion.

"I must say, you two look absolutely adorable together." He clasped his hands under his chin, his eyes sparkling with perverted happiness. Umbrus and I both shoved each other away, both feeling like we touched something that should never have been touched. Orion turned to Clover,

"Do you think a relationship with one's emotion counts as incest Clover or just masturbation?" Orion asked with a completely straight face. Beta couldn't hold it any longer, he crumpled to the floor laughing his guts out. Zul tried to punch Orion only for him to somehow dodge and slap his crotch in her face at the same time. Clover just smiled and watched as Zul ran after Orion, screaming a stream of profanity that should not ever be heard by mortal ears.

I turned to a confused and dumb struck Umbrus. i waved my hand in a sweeping motion,

"Welcome home." I gave him a small smile. Umbrus returned it with one of his own.

"Now you two should kiss!" Orion yelled at us.

"Shut up Orion!/Shut up Orion!"