Disclaimer: This story is based upon characters created by Bob Schooley and Mark McCorkle for Disney.
After a few hours of exercises, Dawn's grandmothers brought her to what appeared to be a small classroom with a drawing board on one wall. Dawn sat down in a seat.
"We're going to explain some rules about time travel," said Nana.
"Few rules are more important than these as you will see," said Gran.
Nana picked up a marker, "Time is often viewed on a line." She drew a black line across the board. "But traveling in time changes that. One classic example is when a person travels back, "she picked up a green marker and drew a curved line from a place on the line near the right end back to the middle, "and somehow causes the death of his grandfather. This is actually called 'The Grandfather Paradox'."
"Of course, your mission is to do the exact opposite," Gran smiled.
"You follow so far?" asked Nana.
"Oh, sure, Nana," said Dawn. This part she had down.
"There is one more thing we need to change, Dawn," Gran frowned. "We need you to stop calling us 'Nana' and 'Gran'." She pointed at Nana with a thumb, "That's Kim," she then pointed it back at herself, "and I'm Shego."
"I'll try," said Dawn.
"During your mission, you can't reveal anything about yourself or our lives after that time. That kind of knowledge could also change the timeline." Nana drew another black line starting from where the left end of the curved green line met the first, longer black line. This line branched down then turned to parallel the other black line. "This creates a new timeline."
Nana tapped the new line with the marker, "In this timeline, the grandfather is dead, so the person that traveled back is never born."
Dawn pondered that, "So how can he kill his grandfather?"
"That's the paradox," said Nana. "He came from this timeline," she tapped the longer line, "and caused this one," she pointed to the new line.
"What you are doing makes more sense," said Gran. "You are coming from here," she traced the green line, "to here, in order to prevent this," she gestured at the newest, shorter, black line.
"But, in a way aren't they both true at the same time?" asked Dawn.
Gran's eyes became as wide as saucers.
Nana's jaw dropped, "You figured that out?"
"Is it right?" Dawn asked sweetly.
"It took Wade a week to explain that to me," said Nana.
"Our kids are raising a genius," Gran said softly.
Nana composed herself, "Of course, since people are creatures of time, we only see one timeline ourselves."
"You're going back to make certain that this timeline happens," said Gran. "Since we remember you there, it actually can't happen unless you go." She paused thoughtfully, "Uh, did you get that?"
"Yeah," Dawn nodded.
Gran put one hand on her head, "Good, because I lost it."
"The important thing is to not change more than absolutely necessary," said Nana. "You have to stop me from hurting Shego without saying who you are or why."
"Which won't be easy," said Gran.
"But she stopped me," said Nana.
"If I couldn't see it for myself, I wouldn't believe it." said Dawn.
"Your very existence is proof of your success," said Nana. "If you can grasp that."
"I think so," said Dawn.
"Alternate timelines would explain why I don't remember meeting you father before he was born," Nana erased the left section of the curved, green line. "He came back like this." She redrew the erased section so that it connected to the main line just to the right of where the shorter black line branched off. "The teen Kim probably came from someplace like this," She drew a red line from the short line to where the green line met the main line.
"Since we are on this line," Nana drew over the main line in black, so that it was bolder. "I don't remember being there."
"Cool!" said Dawn.
"I need an aspirin," said Gran.
"I'm curious just how far this kid's brain can stretch," Nana said challengingly.
"I'll be over here if you need me," Gran took out a nail file and sat down.
Nana looked intently at Dawn, "You ready?"
"For what?" asked Dawn.
"Your Dad met somebody else that day."
"Like who?" Dawn frowned, "It wasn't me, was it?"
Nana giggled, "No." She drew another black line that stretched from the main line left of the second line, over the green line and across the board. She then drew a blue line from a point on that line back to where this newest black line began. "There was another Kim there."
"How many were there?" Dawned asked, skeptically.
"Well," Nana tapped the left end of the main line with her finger, "There was preschool Kim, who was playing with Ron the whole time." She tapped the second, lower line, "Teen Kim," and then tapped the newest line, "and adult Kim."
"Let me guess," Dawn said sarcastically. "You don't remember being her either."
"That's right!" Nana said proudly. "She told your Dad and I that she didn't meet your Pappy in preschool." She gestured along the top black line that represented that woman's timeline.
Dawn finally got confused, "But you just said she was there when you met."
Nana nodded, "She met Ron after she had married someone else." She tapped the top line again. "She regretted that marriage -and divorce - so much that she went back," Nana followed the blue line back to the main line, left of where the red and green lines met. "And arranged for Ron to go to my preschool."
"You're kidding!" cried Gran.
Nana smiled, "I didn't think you were listening."
Gran kept filing her nails, "I wasn't."
Nana drew another blue curve from where the first blue line met the main line to where all the other colored lines met. "She then went to see how it went. Which is where Don met her."
"So we owe everything to time travel, including Dad?" said Dawn.
"Yup," said Nana.
"Wow!"
"Understand now why you can't say more than you have to?" asked Gran.
"Oh, yeah!"
"Actually, there is one thing you might have to say," said Gran. "You see Shego is the skeptical type."
"So you won't listen to me," said Dawn.
"Right," so I can tell you something that she would know that only I know." Gran hesitated, considering what she had just said, "Great, now I sound like you guys."
"What is it?"
Gran leaned in closely. She turned her head at Nana, who was watching them both, "Go file your own nails."
Nana turned around and started to erase the board.
Gran put her lips right at Dawn's ear and spoke so softly that Dawn almost missed it.
"What's that supposed to mean?" asked Dawn.
"I'll know," she said plainly. Then her face became fierce, "But you never tell that to anyone but me, and only if I don't believe you are who you say."
"I promise," said Dawn. "But you guys said I can't say who I am. Why would you have to believe me?"
Nana smiled, "Always be prepared."
"So, next," said Gran as she stepped up to the board. "All about the fight you will be interrupting..."
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Next chapter, we will all be ringside!