Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! Please enjoy my tribute to tomorrow's holiday~

The unnaturally cold air whipped around the small Invader's body, making a chill run down his spine. He tried to block it out by pulling the collar of his uniform higher over his chin until it covered his mouth. "Filthy planet," he muttered through the material. "Filthy IN-con-sissstent weather."

Zim did not like Earth, and now he had even more reason to destroy it. On Irk, weather conditions were strictly controlled. There was no burning poison-ran, and certainly no freezing "autumn" wind. It was always a certain temperature perfectly suited to the great Irken race.

"And the Dib-thing says it is only going to get worse when 'winter' comes," he said in a loud, sarcastic voice. "Ridiculous!"

Zim had never experienced a winter before. He had arrived on Earth in the late summer when school had already begun, where it hadn't even started to get cold. Now it was mid-November, and the cold was already taking over the town. With the changing temperature, Zim found himself in foul moods even more often than usual.

Dib had also been ragging on him for the past week, especially when the boy noticed his discomfort. "Hey, Zim," he would start. "What do you think of this chilly weather we're having? Just wait until winter gets here!" His rival's face was always smug before he'd say, "Then, when it gets really cold, it'll snow. Hopefully really hard, heh heh. You know what snow is, Space-boy? No? I know what water does to you. I know you'll be begging me to throw you off the Earth then!"

"Foolish hyooman! This snow is no match for the mighty Zim!" the alien yelled when thinking about Dib's teasing made him angry, but then regretted it when the biting cold stung his throat. He bundled himself again as best he could, trying to pull his wig further down his head. He recorded an internal note to remember to get a hat that would keep his head warm.

Zim was glad to see his base. He knew it would be warm indoors, so he picked up the pace to get to it faster and was soon inside. "Now, to let the perfect tem- wait! Why is it colder in here than outside?! Gir!"

The SIR unit popped into the room from some other unknown place. "Yes?" he said absentmindedly.

"I know you did something to the heating apparatus! What happened?!"

Gir made dramatic thinking motions and sounds, then the light seemed to come on and he said, "Ooooh, that BLEW up!" He threw his little hands in the air for effect.

"Are you sure?" Zim asked suspiciously.

"Uhhh, nope!"

Zim glared at Gir for a moment but gave up with trying to get him explain anything. Looking at the ceiling, he said, "Computer! Fix whatever is wrong with the temperature systems!" There was a computerized chirp signalling that the orders were being carried out.

He was still cold and not wanting to work on anything, so with his arms crossed, he sat on the couch. Gir came and sat next to him. "Mastah, why are ya back so early?"

"Because school was let out early."

"Why?"

"Because it is apparently an earthen holiday."

"Oooooh, what hol-I-day?"

Zim looked sideways at the SIR. "Ms. Bitters called it 'thanksgiving.' All the children worm-babies are sent home for a week to celebrate it. She said it is a time to be thankful for all the filth they have. Repulsive holiday." Sarcasm and disgust were heavy on his tongue. "Invaders have no need to be thankful for what we have! It's what more we can get that's important!"

Gir grinned widely. "Aww, I like it!"

Zim rolled his ocular implants. "Yes, Gir, I'm sure you do."

"I'm thankful for mah piggy! And TACOS!"

Zim snapped away when Gir's shrill cry of tacos made his antennae buzz. "Gir, keep it down!"

The robot jumped onto Zim, his arms wrapping around the Irken's neck and saying, "And I'm thankful for you, too, Mastah!"

The raw emotion was too much for the Invader, and he suddenly realized there was something in the base for him to work on. Quickly pulling Gir's arms off himself, he made mention of going below, and took the entrance under the end table because it was closer, leaving the robot alone on the couch.

When safely deep underground, a work table in front of him and a tool in his hand, Zim heaved a sigh. "Why couldn't the Tallests have given me a normal SIR?" He looked at the mess of highly electrical wires he was trying to weld together without them killing him in the process.

There was suddenly a metallic thump from behind. He knew it was Gir dropping in on him.

"Mastah, what you playin' with?" Gir ran over to Zim's space and peered over his arm. He saw the sparks on the ends of the wires, the brightness of it immediately capturing his attention. "Think it'll tickle?"

"No, Gir," Zim shouted angrily. "Do not touch them!"

"Just a poke!"

The robot reached, and Zim tried to stop him. "Listen to your master!"

ZAP!

Zim really tried to stop him.

Quite immediately, the shock had blown Gir's arm off completely and then popped one eye and the antenna out of the robot's head, both only just hanging from wires. His hard drive was fried on contact, effectively shutting down his body.

Gir had gotten himself shut down lots of times before, but this was different. There were ways of fixing a standard SIR after an electrocution, but Gir wasn't a normal unit. His brains were only made of junk, none of which was fixable.

That still didn't mean that Zim didn't try to fix him. In fact, Zim really tried to fix him. He was able to repair the proper robot parts, but that wouldn't help. Gir's essence was in his head. It was what activated him when he was first given to Zim.

The Invader held the broken pieces of his SIR. He hadn't had Gir long, but enough had happened on this planet to make even Zim...sad. He hadn't realized until now how important an Invader's SIR was.

He didn't notice when he quietly said, "Happy Thanksgiving, Gir."

Yes, I'm a horrible person T_T

Just FYI, Zim isn't sad about Gir because he cares for him like a human would care for someone. C'mon, people, this is Zim! He's upset because he's not a "true" Invader without a SIR, which is his way of caring. :)

To anyone who is reading "Rebel Skies": I AM still working on it! I'll never abandon that story.

~Anonymous reviews, critiques, and flames welcome~

cover art made by me