Nimona fanfic: the prince, the Blackheart, and the shapeshifter
prologue: betrayed
the dirt road to the village had already transformed into wet mud even though the rain storm had come but a few minutes ago. The rain was followed by bolts of white lightning which resounded with a crash of thunder.
Puddles formed in the road and rippled with motion.
A booted foot slams into one of the puddles followed by another thunder crack echoing out across the countryside.
The little pink haired girl felt her legs sink in the mud delaying her flight from the village. She wore a peasents tunic and skirt but had fear in her scarlet eyes.
She tripped into the mud with a thud covering her white freckled face wih dark black mud. The girl gasped through breath picking herself out of the mud not minding what clung to her clothes pushing through the mud and rain.
Her eyes darted behind her looking for fire and steel as she turned into a soaking wet forest wasting no time to run to her hide out.
The very shadows of the trees filled her heart with worry as each could hold one of the villagers who now saw her as nothing but a monster.
The rain came down blackening the already dark woods and if it wasnt for the girls ability to see in the dark perfect she'd have never seen her respite. The old watchtower which was said to be haunted and the girl knew they wouldnt come here only one person knows about this place most sacred to the girl and he was dead… and it was all her fault.
The girl closed the door behind her latching the piece of wood that served as the lock in place then pressed her back against the door for added safety.
The girl felt her self hic from her crying. She allowed her body drowned in rain, mud, and blood to slide to the bottom of the floor. The girl stayed in the darkness until she could physically cry no more.
After that she forced her numb body to stand enough. She was aware enough to light a torch then look at the wall covered in crude childrens drawing. Her eyes hyper focused on a single photo of a smaller version of her holding hands with a a slightly taller boy, thin like her but with black hair and sparkling blue eyes. Her heart sinked as she looked at the one next to it her and the tall boy sharing a kiss which was made by her after they first shared their kiss when she brought him here.
The girl fell to her knees when she saw the last picture they made together of both of them holding hands and running away from the village when they were teen. The caption was from him.
To nimona, I will always love you. I will never abandon you.
Nimona roared in anger as lightning flashed again stirring the winds. The wooden window so the door flew open blowing out the torches returning nimona to the darkness.
She remembered how this all happened even though she couldn't believe it and she knew who else to blame.
It was a normal day in the village. The sun shined bright upon the golden fields of wheat. The laugther of two children running through those fields emitted as the two exitted the fields a screaming farmer behind him.
"You kids stay out of these fields now, ya hear?" the old squat farmer had gray sideburns and wore a straw hat over his eyes.
The two children ran up the hill leaving behind the farmer as he bent over panting.
They stopped their flight atop a hill as both plopped on the ground with panting smiles.
"That was fun. What do you want to do next." nimona asked her long red hair reaching her shoulder and half covering her face.
The ten year old boy laying beside her short black hair cut neat and wearing a new doublet of black and white from his rich family looked at her with his baby blue eyes which made her melt.
"Nimona, let's run away today." he offered like he did everyday with a smile open to everyone.
"We can't, we have nowhere to go."
"Nowhere with you is the best place I can be." he replied making her flush.
Nimona stood on her knees and covered her face with her hands.
"you don't mean that." she said embarrassed.
"I do nimona. Your amazing and beautiful but… you know how my mom and aunt are like they want me to marry gloreth."
The two pretended to gag upon saying her name and chuckled.
Nimona then used her magic to transform into an exat replica of gloreth right down to her bunned up golden hair and her emerald eyes with an exact match of her white and gold dress.
"Jeane you shouldn't be hanging around filthy creatures like nimona." the shapechanger emphasized each volume like she was a high society stereo type.
Jeane supressed a grin when he saw his mother walk down the road.
"Nimona stop. Mom alert." Jeane whispered.
Nimona nodded her head then sat her back against the tree and kneeled down still in the form of gloreth.
Jeanes mother lady Margeary was the leige of this village and third in line to be monarch as her family made prestigious marriage alliances for years. Jeane would be the royal consort if he were to marry the heiress of the kingdom… gloreth as his mother and aunt who happened to be gloreths god mother wanted.
Lady margeary had the old blood inside them. The first beings of this world made their line like all noble families. Since their line was so direct that meant that the family members were practically immune to aging.
Lady margeary was almost 80 but she looked thirty dressed in a black dress with white trim. She had red earrings and gloves with a ruby necklace over the cleavage of her huge breasts. Her hand was covered in gold and emerald rings. she was built with big child bearing hips and a big bottocks which mustve drove her late husband crazy when they made jeane.
Nimona didn't like lady margeary or her sister lady vivian as they thought themselves better then the commoners and didn't respect the first beings other creations like her a changeling.
"There he is, my little duckling. What is todays adventure dear." she said sweetly even though jeane knew enough about his mother to know she came today to make a demand of him.
"Good mother, I ran through the wheatfields again… made the farmer mad though." jeane joked but his mother stayed with her half smile.
"Let him be mad. As long as he does as he is told he can do what he wants." margeary turned her gaze to nimona disguised as gloreth and her face warmed.
"So running through the fields. You didn't by chance steal anything did you my son?" a teasing grin entered the womans face.
Jeane waved his hands frantically. "Id never steal mother. That is beneath me."
"Oh you cant fool me sweetly. Your of the age where your starting to notice the beauty that a nice noble girl can provide. So if you want to steal some kisses from little gloreth over there I wont judge."
Jeane had to resist gagging upon hearing his mother say this but one look in her eye showed she was pleased.
"I am proud of you son. I knew you'd find a way to make your mother proud. You'll be a king my son in all but name. Now give your mama a kiss."
Margeary puckered her red lips and leaned down. Village custom stated that when a noble lady asks for a kiss of a junior family member it was respectful to do it on the lips.
Jeane lightly kissed his mother feeling her puffy lips on his almost made him cringe.
"Thank you sweet heart." she cooed. "Be home in an hour, we're having dinner at gloreths house to discuss a potential union."
Jeane nodded his head and his mother kissed his cheek.
"have fun jeane. I love you." margeary walked away toward the marketplace.
Nimona walked up to jeane and kissed his cheek.
"Nimona, stop," jeane said sullen.
"What, your mom said it was okay for you to steal kisses from gloreth, your one true love." nimona teased, clacking her freshly sharpened teeth making the boy jump.
"Im serious nimona. I don't want to marry gloreth. She's terrible. Thats why we need to run away." Jeane sounded serious and scared.
"Where would we run too?" Nimona asked.
"I don't know. But anywhere is better then this kingdom." Jeane balled his fists at his side and clenched them.
"I know what you mean. If you arent a noble your nothing. But if your the king you can change it, right." Nimona replied optimistic.
"And you think gloreth will let that happen?" Jeane replied raising an eyebrow.
Nimona shook her head.
"No she wouldnt nimona. She just wants a husband who will make her feel good not someone who will help her lead." Jeane fists loosened as he turned around, his gaze facing the round of out the village and into the forest south of the village which lead to parts unknown. "I wont be some bird in a cage. Nimona. Please run away with me and we can be happy together."
Nimona hated to admit it but Jeane was right. They could never be themselves here. "Okay jeane, lets do it tonight. When everyones asleep."
Jeane nodded his head. "Can I see what you really look like?"
"What do ya mean?" Nimona replied.
"I mean, your true form. I know what you are but I don't know what you really look like."
"I don't have a true form. I am formless and that is why I feel the need to shapeshift to fill me with something I lack." nimona returned to her red haired form.
"Nimona, I didn't know. That must be terrible."
Nimona wrapped her arms around him and gave the boy a hug. "it aint all bad. I got to meet you because of fit."
"only because I fell off that cliff." Jeane remembered that day three years ago. He had run away when his mother had embarrassed him in front of everyone. He hated being a noble and even more how they treated those not of their kind.
Nobles like gloreth didn't deserve to have everything. If jeane could have it his way their would be no nobility and instead the world would be run by he people being equal. Thats why he always ran to nature. In nature it wasnt neccesarily perfect but it was fair everyone had a place in the ecosystem be they predator or prey and none were more important then the other.
"Jeane, when we get older will you marry me?" Nimona asked, blushing.
"Is that a proposal?"
Nimona looked away her face red like a tomato. "I mean, no, but if you were interested. Just forget it!" Nimona exclaimed but felt him kiss her cheek and her face reddened competely.
"I will… when we are adults I will marry you." Jeane smiled.
The two stared into each others eyes for a few minutes then a stone hit jeanes head.
"Ow, who did that?" The boy rubbed his head.
Nimona turned her head, her eyes narrowing to daggers and a frown formed. "Take a guess."
The boy saw what she was looking at dressed in a golden dress with blue accents was gloreth her her like gold as well hung in her signature bun and her pearly skin shined in the sun. her hands were on her hip and her face a direct mirror of nimonas.
The two girls strode up to each other and paced around each sizing their rival up.
Jeane was uncomfortable because he knew gloreth was trying to get nimona kicked out of the village. It was only because the villagers saw Nimona as a good luck charm that she was allowed to stay in the farmers barn.
"Look who decided to mingle with the commoners, its prissy gloreth." Nimona taunted her body language reading aggressive.
Gloreth held her nose hi and walked like a noble woman slow steps with a face that immediately turned emotionless and calculating. "A common beast like you should know better then to talk to a lady in such fashion."
"thanks for the advice. When I find a lady ill remember to forget it."
The two did a full circle around each other and then went counterclockwise.
"such a vulgar creature. I don't know what jeane sees in you." Gloreth flared her nose at nimona.
"More he sees in you Crap queen." Nimona stuck out her tongue and blew a raspberry.
"Ugly brute."
"Prissy primadonna."
"foul mouthed cretin."
"Spoiled brat."
"Freak!"
"Airhead!"
"Beast!"
"No brains!"
"Monster!" Gloreth shouted pushing nimona knocking her back.
Nimona's body shook and jeane could see she was growing claws and her teeth sharpened again.
"Don't you call me a monster you…" she charged but jeane grabbed her from behind.
"Nimona stop!" jeane held her back as she tried to scratch at gloreth whose eyes widen but she then had an evil grin.
"Did you hear what she called me! You know I hate that word."
"Well its true isnt it."
Nimona roared jeane knew that if she wanted to she could get out of his grasp but she didn't want to hurt him.
"Gloreth get out of here! I don't want to talk to you."
Gloreth hmmed. "Fine! I didn't want to talk with you anyway! I swear you act like that thing is nothing more then a common pet. You should act like you care about your position. Jeane."
The golden haired girl stormed away from them turning a side eye to jeane her eyes softening tears forming.
"There there, she's gone nimona. She wont hurt you." Jeane held her close to his chest.
"why did you stop me?"
"Because if you attacked her she'd use it as an excuse to kick you out of the village and I wont let that happen." Jeane kissed nimonas forehead.
"You don't think im a monster do you?"
"Of course I don't. Your my friend and a good person."
"Thanks." Nimona and him smiled.
Jeane heard the dinner bell ring.
"I gotta go. See you tonight?" His smile made nimona melt.
"Yeah, I'll see you then." Nimona watched him strut away and her heart sunk. She didn't know how they would survive without the village but she knew whatever the future held she wouldnt be alone ever again.
Nimona hid behind her barn. The farmers would be sleeping in their warm bed with their families while she was to make do with hay and straw.
As soon as the last light In town turned off nimona turned into a cheetah then sped toward jeanes house.
The guard patrol would be lax today as it was the guards drinking day and they would be nursing headaches by now.
The girl found jeanes house to see him hiding in the alley.
"Does your mommy know your out this late?" Nimona teased appearing behind him.
The boy froze then smirked. "Nope and id like to keep it that way."
Nimona noticed he carried a whole knapsack.
"Whats in the purse?"
"Food, medicine, some petty cash. Enough to get us started until we reach a new home."
"I cant believe we're doing this?" Nimona said walking up close to jeane.
"I cant either." a third voice called.
The two turned to see gloreth emerge from the darkness.
"What are you doing here brat." Nimona growled like a dog.
"I could ask jeane the same thing. Id expect an animal like you to be skulking in the dark but you I expected bettered."
"Out of the way gloreth we're leaving."
"Not while im here. Ill give you chance go back inside or ill scream bloody murder." Gloreth threatened.
"Nimona lets go." Jeane said staring in gloreths eyes.
Gloreth yelled out a cry "The monster is kidnapping jeane!"
"You dirty!" Nimona roared turning into a horse and scooping up jeane then dashing past the blonde haired noble toward the norht gate.
"Nimona no, the south gate north leads further into the kingdom." Jeane instructed but all their fears soon realized as a couple guards blocked their way.
Before nimona could jump past she was tripped by loose stone on the road. The girl fell returning to her pink haired form.
"So kidnapping a noble is it nimona. I knew you were nothing but trouble." one of the guards came to arrest her.
Jeane stood in his way "she didn't kidnap me. I forced her to help me escape."
"He's lying, she has him bewitched by her fell magic." Gloreth called revealing a black spot on her cheek where she fell. "Look what that freak did to me. I want her in irons."
"Step aside lord jeane, we need to take her in or the king will have our heads."
Jeane looked back at a scared nimona. "turn into a bird and fly away."
Nimona shook her head.
"Do it now!"
"He's helping her escape kill her now!" Gloreth screamed.
A guard fired a bolt at her heart but before it could hit the distracted nimona jeane threw himself in front of her.
A splash of blood hit nimonas dress and face… jeanes blood. The arrow pierced his heart and blood pooled trough his mouth.
"Jeane?" Nimona felt her world crumble.
"Nimona… im sorry… forgive them." the boy fell into her arms forcing nimona to hold him as the light left his eyes.
The world went silent for a second as nimona held her dead friend in her arms.
"No! My baby!" A female voice broke the silence as nimona was pushed away by margeary who looked at jeane with tears. "no… no! Mamas here… mama will fix this… don't leave mommy! Oh jeane… my baby!"
Nimona felt terrible for her.
"I-i I'm so sorry."
Margearies tearfilled eyes bore hatred into nimona as she gritted her teeth. "You! This is your fault. If it wasnt for you and your heathen stories my son would never have wanted to leave."
"No I didn't."
"His blood is on your hands, its your fault he's dead."
The entire village screamed at her threw rocks.
"Seize her! I want hr executed now!"
Nimona transformed into a big bird and flew away to the north of town where their hide out was, the skys dark clouds began to pour rain and nimona took to ground to avoid lightning. She ran in the dark feeling angry, sad, and alone.
Nimona finally finished crying enough to try something risky. She knew this old magic wasnt garunteed to succeed but it was all she had.
She knew a spell that the first beings used to reincarnate themselves for future generations. She found her book of spells and recited it. She didn't know when or even jeane would come back but she had faith that he would return and when he did… she'd be there… and no one would take him away from her again.
