The Shadow's Mother

Finding Shade

10 years in the past
(Name)
I was sitting on a bench telling the tale of Monkey King and my father's final battle many years ago.

"The thing you need to understand about the old legends is that the story is never finished. There may be no pages left to turn, but there is always more to the journey. Rising from the Netherworld, the Demon Bull King attacked. No one could stop him, no one could resist. No one except... the legendary Monkey King. The Monkey King used his magical staff to pick up a nearby mountain. He trapped the Demon Bull King underneath it. The Monkey King sealed the mountain with the staff that no other being could wield, trapping the Demon Bull King forever. With the battle won, the Monkey King vanished, never to be seen again."

The kids were in awe when I finished.

"Is this all true lady?"

I chuckled at the little girl's question.

"No sweetie. It's just a story I heard when I was little."

I answered ruffling her hair.

"Excuse me ma'am, but could you please find my friend?"

I looked to my left and saw a little girl with acid green hair, or is it electric green?

"Sure kid. What do they look like?"

I asked crouching down to her level.

"Black hair, pale skin and black eyes." "That's not much to go off of. What's their name?" "His name is Shade." "Odd name... but I have no room to talk. I'll him for you. Don't worry... what's your name?" "Tox." "Well, don't worry Tox. You'll have your friend back soon."

Tox hugged my leg tightly.

"Thank you lady!"

I ruffled her hair before getting her off my leg. I walked off.

When I was far enough, I closed my eyes and looked through every shadow.

_______________________
"Come kid, where are you?"

As I looked through a shadow in the nearby forest for the seventh time, I finally spotted a little kid stuck in a hole.

"I sure hope this kid is Shade."

I said before entering my shadow portal. I came out in front of the hole. I looked down it and saw the kid from seconds ago.

"Hey kid, are you Shade?"

The small child looked up at me. He looked frightened.

"Y-yeah, I-I'm Shade. C-can y-you help m-me g-get out?"

I sighed.

"Yeah kid, just-"

I got on the ground and reached my right arm down.

"-grab my hand."

He tried to grab it, but fell short.

"I-I can't r-reach it."

I stood up and looked around. I saw no one around so I used my powers to make a shadow ladder down the hole. I climbed down and picked him up with one arm.

"You okay kid?" "N-no m-ma'am. I twisted m-my a-ankle."

I climbed up the ladder and dispersed the ladder.

"W-why w-ere you l-looking f-for me?" "Your friend Tox asked me to look for you."

I noticed he was pouting when I said that.

"S-she's n-not my f-friend. S-she's the r-reason I w-was d-down there." "Oh. Well I'm sure your parents are worried about you." "I d-don't h-have any."

What? This kid doesn't have parents? What should I do? I can't just leave him, but I also don't know the first thing about raising kids. Maybe I should have asked my eldest sister to come with me. She knows a lot about kids.

I looked at the kid in my arms. I could feel him shivering.

"Let's get you warmed up Shade."

He nodded and held on tightly to my shirt. I walked into a cave, as it was dark out. I sat him down a rock and told him to stay put. He nodded. I left and came back with some firewood. I put the wood down and lit it with a match.

"This should warm you up."

He nodded and got closer to the fire.

___________________________________________

The next day I woke up and stretched. I looked at the sleeping kid and picked him up carefully. I made sure the fire was out using my foot. I then walked out of the cave and back to the village.

"You found him."

I looked down and saw Tox. I glared at her.

"You told him he was your friend, he told me you were the reason he was in a hole." "He lied to you. He is my friend, his parents left him with mine."

I looked back at Shade then her.

"Well, now he is under my care. So tell your folks that Shade is under the care of (Name) Bull. Got it?"

I then walked to my hotel room and laid him down.

I can't believe I said he's under my care. I told myself I can't raise a kid. What would my siblings say about this? Probably that I'm crazy for doing this. Or that I did the right thing, which is not the Bull way.

I sat down in the chair and looked at him peacefully sleeping. I even heard him say my name in his sleep. A small smile rested on my face.

I guess this could be a good thing. I could raise better than my folks raised me and my siblings.

I sighed before taking my phone and researched how to care for a child.