We Could Go Anywhere (Nimona)

Part 18

Nimona, Ballister and Kayden were freaking the fuck out. Nimona sat down next to him and had to take a deep breath, herself before turning to said black cat and telling him to do the same.

Cat: Calm?! How can I be calm?! I just turned into a cat!

Nimona: Dad, I know how crazy this is, I never thought that it would happen.

Ballister: Yeah, says the shapeshifter expert to the guy who just accidentally became a cat!

Nimona: Yeah, that's how I expected you to respond.

Kayden: I thought this was only possible between two parties that both wanted it, regardless of their relationship.

Nimona: It should. When Gloreth and I were friends, we discussed how cool it would be to be two shifters together out in the world. Dad didn't even know that it was possible. How did this happen to him?

Kayden: You think that the explanation is in my brain if YOU don't have a clue?

Ballister: Will someone please explain what happened to me?!

Nimona: Dad, don't freak out any more than you already are, but...you've turned into a shapeshifter. Like Kayden and I...

Ballister: What?! How?!

Nimona: I'm not entirely sure. I only knew that two people who knew about shape-shifting and agreed to it would both become what we are. Also, Mom told me that when shifters didn't have a large gene pool like millenia ago, they turned to this solution--with the consent of their partner--to grow their population. Some turned their lifelong friends so that they wouldn't have to mourn them, but other than that, totally unheard of. Until Ballister and I, no shifter's ever had a human parental figure before, much less turned them.

Ballister: (still in cat form) That isn't helping!

Nimona: It's not like I'm some old, wise shapeshifter, Dad. I may be over a thousand years older than you, but in a shape-shifter, I'm still only a teenager.

Ballister: Can you at least tell me how to change into regular form, please?

Nimona: Alright, alright. Just imagine yourself as you normally are and feel as if you want to become that.

Ballister follows her instructions and ends up a person again. How was he supposed to explain this to Ambrosius? How was he supposed to cope, himself?

Nimona: (snaps fingers at him) Hey! Broody! (as he looks at her) Yeah, look here. We're going to figure out how to turn you back, you hear?

Ballister: Okay. If you say so?

Nimona: Hey, the good thing is that you and King Goldenbitch are on a break, so you don't have to worry about explaining it to him, right?

Ballister: Side note, what is it with you and Ambrosius. Is he really the one that you hate over me, or is it because he first presented to you just like Gloreth, his ancestor?

Nimona: Maybe a little of both, if honesty is the goal here, Boss.

Kayden: Wait, King Ambrosius is a descendant of Gloreth herself?!

Nimona: Direct descendant, don't forget, Kayden. Also, don't forget your date with my shithead brother later.

Kayden: Fuck, I did. Thanks, Nimona. You do remember stuff easily.

Nimona: Comes with the territory of surviving alone for so long. Okay, so, first, it looks like I'll have to teach you the basics of shifting so that you don't panic and go on a spree in public. Then, we can talk to my mom and see if she might know more.

Meanwhile, with Mira...

The kiss was deep. Lyra was a great kisser and she regretted missing out on this for so long. They'd just confessed their mutual feelings after decades of suppression and were now making up for lost time. Mira had told Lyra of her dreams of them raising Nolan and Nimona without Alex, together and Lyra was totally on board. Not that they could now. Nolan and Kayden were young adults and Nimona...might as well have been for as long as she'd been alone and had to figure out herself. Plus, she had Ballister now and they wouldn't step in the way of that. Alex, having no other allies than formerly his son, was locked away and Olivia was now in charge with her mate, Lucas and they were expecting soon. Lyra, once she was sure that it was safe, had tracked and followed Mira and Nolan to the kingdom.

Lyra: Could you imagine if we'd known sooner? We could've found the kids and maybe used the ancient ways to have our own.

Mira: (blushes and smiles) Yeah, maybe we could have. It was my fault. I would never regret my kids, just the father that I made them with. I really should've said that my parents had the wrong one, but they were under pressure, too. Maybe then, Alex could've been with Dalia or some other poor shifter he'd have had to manipulate into being with him.

Lyra: Well, now he can't try to control anyone. Nolan's on his way to being better and Nimona...she's a powerhouse.