//------------------------------// // Chapter 4 // Story: My Shadow's Keeper // by CrimsonRose97 //------------------------------// There were sounds of hammers hitting nails and planks being sawed inside the tree house. Was it a responsible adult handling all that hardware and dangerous tools? Nope, it was an eight year old with tons of excess energy needing to burn out. Wearing a hardhat and safety goggles, Umbré was near a makeshift table, using her magic to cut what wood she needed to replace the rotting boards and hammering in while coming up with a childish like blueprint of what she wants the treehouse to look like. “How's it going up there, Hopey?” Umbré looks up to ask. Seeing the doll sporting its own hardhat and a plush hammer leaning up against the knocked out window still. She smiled as if she got her answer and went back to the drawing board. “Say cheese!”  “Tomatoes!” Umbré immediately responded, followed by a quick flash of a camera. Ranger Arc chuckled, holding up a Polaroid camera. A photo spits out. Umbré grins. “There's my camera!” She chimed, setting her stuff down and went over to him. “It got mixed up with your mom's and mine things.” He said as he gave it to her. Before she could say thank you, Ranger stepped on a rotting board and his right hoof broke through. “Fucking hell!” He swore with a hiss. “Daddy!” Umbré yelped, using her magic to make a bigger hole so he could slip out. Ranger winced when he pulled it out, scraping his hoof in the process. Umbré’s ears fell. “Daddy, I'm sorry, I’m sorry I didn't mean for you to get hurt, are you okay?” She asked as she grabbed a rag that was on her makeshift table and went to clean it up. “No baby girl, it's fine, you didn't do anything wrong. Thank you though.” Ranger winced again when he saw her wrapping his hoof up. “I should've been watching where I was going.” “I could've sworn I got that spot.” She whimpered. “You're fine.” He gave her a reassured smile. “See? You doctored me right up,” he waved his bandaged hoof. “I'm better now.” and gave her a hug which she returned. After a moment of hugs, Umbré said, “You swore again, that's a bit in the swear jar.” She teased. Ranger snorted. “Don't tell your mother. She's the one who set that thing up.” “How else will I be able to afford college?” Umbré smirked, her dad as a result takes the hat off with his magic and ruffles her mane. Hearing her squeal. Watching afar, I witnessed the child interact with one of the ponies that had adopted her sitting on a branch of a large tree. Scowling at the sight of them and remembering when I was a colt the last time. Remembering being placed in that orphanage, not once the adults that came to adopt the other children ever batted an eye to me. Not so much a glance, perhaps sensing I was not normal. Yet this abomination was able to get adopted. This creature has a much more terrible fate and yet two ponies came and got her. Speaking of the two, the wife flew to the treehouse with a tray of food, joining the husband and child. “Do they even know what their precious child really is?” I growled. We came from similar circumstances, while no one wanted me, it gained a family. If I could somehow have these two disown the filly, surely that would set it on the path it was meant to go. “I’ve broken up families before, this would be~” “Hi Shadow!” I jumped out of surprise and began falling off the tree! Before I could turn to smoke, I was engulfed by blue magic, being froze in midair. I whipped my head up to see who it was. It was Umbré. “What?!” I yelped. How in bloody tartarus did she get up there and how did she get so close without me sensing her?! “What’s wrong, Shadow? You look as white as a ghost.” She giggled as she raised me back up to the branch.  “How did you get up here?!” Did she hear what I was talking about?! “Oh I have my ways.” She spoke innocently.  I turned around and stiffened. Umbré was still in that treehouse with her family. And yet she’s right in front of me! I looked back to the filly in front of me. She raised a hoof to shush. Her eyes turned completely white, her body turned completely black.. Became a shadow and slipped away. I watched bewildered as the shadow flew back over to the cottage. Going back to the treehouse as the real Umbré stepped outside. She looked at the shadow, seeing her head nodding before it returned to its spot and looking up. Looking straight at me and waving at me with a childish smile! It could be in two places at once?!?  I found myself waving my hoof back in disbelief. I have my work cut out for me. “Wish I could invite him over.” Umbré sighed, watching Shadow quickly climbing down the tree. She looked at her shadow. “I know you are still me and I wanted to say hi, not to knock him off.” “Knock who off?” Ranger asked, having to assist his daughter by putting up bookshelves. His wife putting up string lights up. “Our neighbor.” She responded. Then remembered she wasn’t supposed to mention Shadow. “Oh? I didn’t know there were other neighbors here.” Ambrosia looked at Ranger. “There is a zebra named Zecora who lives down there.” Ranger replied, pointing a hoof down a pathway. “The three of us were supposed to meet her after we finished setting the place up. Umbré nodded, knowing why she was going to see the pony. “She said him though.” Ambrosia said, floating up to her.  Umbré sighed, knowing she can’t hide anything from them. She honestly didn’t think it was a bad thing. “Just a colt. He’s around my age named Shadow Mists. He’s a little grumpy but I like him.” Umbré smiled. “Oh that sounds just lovely.” Ambrosia smiled. While Ranger looked at his wife with wide eyes. “He’s also kinda cute.” Umbré admits with a giggle. “Aaaand that’s enough out of that.” Ranger said quickly, picking up his child with her magic and turning her upside down. listening to her squealing and laughing. “Don't think about things like that until you’re forty.” “Daddy! Put me down!” She laughs before being carried back to the house. She quickly used her magic to get Hopey. It took a few days to get the cottage all situated and unpacked, turning into their new home. What Umbré didn’t realize that the cottage was going to have one more occupant soon enough.