We Could Go Anywhere (Nimona)

Part 12

A Few Weeks Later...

Ballister knew where he was, so there was no reason for the blindfold. Once it was taken off, he scowled disappointed at his former boyfriend.

Ambrosius: Ballister! Thank goodness that you're safe!

Ballister: (doesn't say a word)

He looks Ambrosius up and down. He would admit, he looked better than ever, but that doesn't mean that all he did just went away.

Ambrosius: Bal, can you please say something?

Ballister: I thought that I was clear in the pub. We're done. I can't be with someone who would put no effort into asking me why or if I even knew what was going on.

Ambrosius: Ballister, you have to admit that the Director set it up to be pretty damning.

Ballister: I don't care. If the roles had been reversed, I would've investigated deeper, not just took appearances for what was. Honestly, I don't know what else I was expecting. From a direct descendant of Gloreth.

Ambrosius: Bal, what are you implying?

Ballister: Here's some facts. Nimona has never hurt or doubted me even once. Not even when she easily could have outside of the wall, and nobody would have known. Yet, you don't see that. You only see her abilities as that of a monster. She was right. About you, the Kingdom, everything. That scroll that you found, who was it made by or for? Maybe you and your fancy new life should go on without me and and I'll live my own, Your Majesty.

Ambrosius: (inhales, deeply) Look, Ballister, I know that we've had our ups and downs, but if you could give me another chance--!

Ballister: You had a chance. To stand by me when no one else would. You didn't take it. Nimona didn't even know me, and yet, she helped me when not even my own boyfriend who has known me since we were kids would.

All of a sudden, Diego pops in, ready to untie Ballister. Ambrosius gives him the go-ahead, and Ballister stands afterward and thanks Diego. Diego nods and follows him out. Ambrosius sits back in another chair, sighing. He'd messed up big time, and it cost him his soulmate. He couldn't blame Nimona anymore, as Ballister confirmed that it was all his doing. Why did he feel so crummy? He'd never wanted to hurt Ballister. He'd just...been manipulated by the Director. Why couldn't she accept changing times? To his knowledge, Gloreth had never said that no one else could be a knight but that the descendants of her heroes would. It was rather presumptious to assume that all of the descendants would want to be knights. Maybe there was more to Ballister's claims of Gloreth being a little less than deserving of everybody's reverence.

Ambrosius: What am I thinking? Gloreth wouldn't steer us wrong, would she?

Meanwhile, With Ballister and Diego...

Ballister: Hey, I never got to apologize completely, but I'm sorry for kidnapping you and for everything else.

Diego: Thank you. That means a lot. I accept your apology. I'm sorry for not sending you that video sooner. Maybe things would have been different. Maybe you wouldn't have broken up with Ambrosius.

Ballister: Maybe, but the past is not changeable, Diego. Maybe I would have met Nimona another way, but now, things have changed.

Diego: What are you going to do now?

Ballister: If I tell you, Ambrosius will work it out of you. I hope that things work out better between you and Jackson. See you later, Diego.

Diego: (blushes) Thank you. Goodbye, Ballister.

Diego got in a chopper and flew off. Ballister walked down the steps and  through the Courtyard. His path was blocked, but he heard a familiar roar from above and smirked. No one here cared about him...except HER. All the knights gasped and murmured. He'd tried being a hero and that never made people think differently about him. He now understood why Nimona was how she was about the Kingdom. All he wanted now was to live out in the woods alone with Nimona.

Ballister: That's my ride.

Nimona lands in dragon form and lets him get on. He was surprised to see that there was a second shadow in the sky. A second shifter. They went to grab some things from the lair and then took off to meet him in the sky and then shot off past the wall again, this time in a random direction. They all landed after an hours-long silent flight and Nimona and Kayden shifted back once Ballister hopped down.

Ballister: (hugs Nimona, tightly) Nimona! You came back!

Nimona: Of course I did. Things got boring real quick in the shifter village. Plus, things with Daddy Dearest never worked out, so I guess that you're stuck with me, Clenched 'Stache.

Ballister: I'm so happy. Not that things didn't work out, but that you decided to come back. (turns to Kayden) So, what about him?

Nimona: Eh. Not sure. He just kind of tagged along and I was too busy trying to get past the other shifters trying to keep me from leaving my controlling birth father to get to saving you that running off someone who wasn't trying to hurt or impede me seemed like a waste of energy. Plus, he's my older brother's ex, so...I told him to come if he wants, just to take care of himself out here and don't try to stop me.

Ballister: Oh, well. (extends real arm) Hello again, Kayden.

Kayden awkwardly shakes it and they all hunker down for the night. Tomorrow, they needed a strategy for dealing with Nimona's crazy father so that he wouldn't keep sending shifters after her.