We Could Go Anywhere (Nimona)

Part 4

He did it...he was over the wall. It was...just as Nimona described. No monsters, just nature as far as the eye could see. His jaw dropped at how beautiful it all was. Nimona smiled at him from his side.

Nimona: Told you, Boss.

Ballister: (eyes wide) You sure did. I can't believe that I'm the first person--besides you--to be out here in a thousand years.

Nimona: (chuckles) Progress, for sure. Over the wall was tough. Why don't we rest a couple of hours from here so that you can take it all in away from surveillance?

Ballister: (nods, breathlessly)

They trudge through the forest, Nimona carrying the heaviest of the two packs. Ballister was busy looking around, awing at everything. Nimona chuckled. He truly looked like a child in a candy store.

Ballister: I can't believe that you've been out here so many times.

Nimona: (stifles a laugh) Had an easier time believing that I'm over a thousand years old?

Ballister: Not exactly clicking, either. A lot of things don't make sense right now. Where did you come from? Out here?

Nimona: Naw, it was further north than this. When I was little, I got separated from a family who knew about my shape-shifting abilities but still loved me by a forest fire. Never saw them again. Can't for the life of me remember who they were to me. Like I said, I was little at the time. It was only a few months of isolation after that that I met Gloreth to put it in perspective.

Ballister: Goodness, that's horrible! So, no family or anything?

Nimona: I'm not positive, but I think--no, hope that the first family was the one that I was born into. It's all fuzzy, but I remember calling the big bulky man 'Daddy' and the woman 'Mommy'. The man had my hair color, so even though I can't remember, I always hoped/assumed that he was my birth father. I remember the woman's hair color, too. Golden blonde, like Gloreth's. Maybe that's why I was so curious about her. She reminded me of her by her hair color. All of this was well over a thousand years ago, so I doubt any of them are still alive. Since then, no one except... you have ever treated me like anything close to family.

Nimona didn't expect such a heartfelt reaction, but he immediately hugged her. He apologized.

Ballister: I'm so sorry, Ninona. You'll always have a home with me. Well, however long I live relevant to you.

Nimona's eyes started tearing up. She'd long thought of Ballister as her new dad but never got up the courage to tell him, especially when he wanted to get back with Golden Boy. Ballister knew her anger and resentment for Gloreth must run deep to have the reaction that she did to hearing about Ambrosius being her descendant of a thousand years later. She hugged him back.

Nimona: You know, you may be uptight, but you've always looked out for me. I'm sorry that I couldn't tell you before, but I feel like for the first time in over a millennium, I have a dad.

Ballister: (eyes go wide) R-really?

Nimona: (chuckles) Yeah, as silly as that probably sounds to you.

Ballister: (suddenly hugs Nimona harder, tears falling freely) It's not 'silly', Nimona. I love you as my daughter, too!

Then, for a minute, they stood there hugging each other. Finally, they each had a loving family. Then, when they could let go, they continued onward. Ballister had reasoned that there would be fewer people to recognize him if they headed north. Plus, it had the most land in any other direction. Turns out they were descended from a southern, lakeside village. More distance to put between them and this fucking kingdom... and Ambrosius. He may have still harbored feelings for him, but Nimona was his child now. They came first. Plus, he had chopped off his arm and accused him of murder, so there was that little factoid. Maybe this break-up would be good for them. They could both grow and change prospectively. Meet new people, although Ballister was not ready for another relationship yet. That was fine. He had Nimona to keep him company. He hoped that Ambrosius would be alright, though. He hadn't realized that he'd zoned out.

Nimona: (still unsure about calling him 'Dad's yet) You okay, Boss?

Ballister: (sighs) I will be, Nimona. It's just...sinking in how hard it'll be to let go of something I've heard my whole life.

Nimona: (shrugs) I get that. I had a thousand years to unlearn all the bad things people said about me. I guess it took meeting you to realize that none of them were true.

Ballister: (chuckles) Too bad Gloreth didn't realize that you were such a softie.

Nimona: (grits teeth) She did. We played, and I never hurt her. She just didn't care. All she wanted was to drive a sword through my heart, and she passed that on to the entire kingdom for thousands of years.

Ballister: (rubs back of neck) Sorry, I'm terrible at lightening the mood.

Nimona: Comes with practice, Boss. Sorry, I just haven't had a dad in over a millennium.

Ballister: That's alright. Take your time.