This is the sequel to Invaders Need No One, so you should go read that one first. Basically the story is that INNO had a really sad ending and I decided to give the characters another chance at a happy ending. But how can I do that when Tenn is dead and the Irkens have almost completed Universal Conquest? So I combined these ideas with a story idea that had been bothering me for a while and I ended up with this. Hope you like it!

I do not own Invader Zim.

I have a theory, that it is possible for reincarnation to occur as long as it is in the same bloodline.

So that would mean that you could be a reincarnation of one of your ancestors right now.

~Irken Philosopher

It had been many years since the Irkens had completed Operation Impending Doom 2. With a change of Tallests came a more lenient and less cruel rule over the captured planets by the their part. Almost peaceful. But none of the leaders were willing to give up what had taken their species many years and many lives. They would never grant the enslaved planets' freedom.

The planet Earth had been taken almost last. Invader Zim had been found on it, and had turned against his own race in order to protect the planet he considered to be home. He was aided by an Earthen native named Dib Membrane. Both fought well, but they were outnumbered in every way and were killed in the battle for Earth. It is still unknown why Zim betrayed his people and relinquished his Irken vows.

Dib's family line was exterminated, along with any other resistance from the planet. However, due to the cloning method used as the means of Irken reproduction, Zim's line was not. No one is sure who may be a descendant of the former Invader.

~Skool Textbook (approved by Irken Education Department)

Vic turned to stare out the window. She often did these days. Every time she heard that name...

Zim.

Why did it make her feel so strange?

It was the anniversary of the taking of the planet Earth, the one she was currently living on. She was part of an Irken colony.

Zim.

Why did she feel so strange?

Zim was a name most Irkens hated, the name of a defect, a traitor. He had been disliked even before then, but he had been an Invader. Had he taken the planet, the Tallest would have returned his status and given him full credit.

Why did he decide to leave the race?

Vic is a historian, and she is studying Earth's history. And Zim is part of that history. But she is part of the race he betrayed. She should hate him.

But she didn't.

Why?

Zim.

So strange. She couldn't describe it. Like she had just eaten some warm soup, or had drunk some of the rotten grains that humans liked so much. What was it called? Alcohol, right?

She felt weird. Why?

Why did he leave?

It was so sudden, that was sure.

What did he know that made him defend another planet instead of his own?

Why did he make her feel like this?

Vic sighed. It didn't really matter how she felt, anyway. Zim had died in the battle long ago. It had been longer than a human lifespan that he had. Longer than an Irken life span. He shouldn't bother her.

But he did.

What did he know that made him turn away from everything that he knew?

Vic turned her eyes to the bright blue sky.

Iko watched the girl. She seemed young to be working as a historian. She was pretty.

She stared at the sky. Iko smiled. On this planet, the sky was the same color as her eyes. She turned those eyes to him and smiled at him. Just a little one.

Iko smiled to her and turned back to his holobook. It was the history on Invader Tenn. He was really interested in her. He wasn't sure why, but it was almost like he knew her from somewhere.

But that was silly. She had died in the Battle of Meekrob in an attempt to finally take the planet. She had know it would probably mean her death, but she did it anyway. Most people brushed that off as courage and her devotion to the cause, but Iko had seen enough holograms of her right before the battle to know something was off. He opened one of those holograms now.

He stared at the eyes of the girl in the picture. They were sad and glossy. History was missing something here. Something wasn't right.

The sky-eyes girl walk over to Iko.

"Hi," she said in Irken.

Iko smiled at her. "Hi."

"What are you looking at?"

He showed her the hologram. She studied it. "Why does she look so sad?"

Iko shook his head. He felt his antennae sway in the breeze of this planet. "That's what I'm wondering."

He reached over to take the hologram back. Their hands brushed each other for a fraction of a second. Iko paused and looked at the girl again.

"By the way, I'm Iko."

"Vic." She held out her hand in a typical Irken greeting. Iko put his hand against hers, three fingers against each other. There it was again.

The weird feeling. He felt it more and more often. That feeling of being there before, or of knowing someone you couldn't possibly know. What did the humans call it? Deja vu?

He watched Vic turn to leave, and then stop.

"Want to go on a quick walk with me?" she asked.

"Sure, where to?" Iko replied.

"The moon."

Vic loved the moon. It was just so peaceful to be surrounded by nothing but quiet and to be able to watch the little blue planet rise over the horizon. Irken Paks came equipped with a space suit, so both her and Iko were safe there.

They just sat in silence for a while.

Vic turned to watch the way the sunlight glinted off his red eyes. They vaguely reminded her of something...

But that didn't matter right now. She was at peace.

Vic turned to stare far out into the void of space.

"Look at all those stars," She said quietly.

"We could probably see more if we walked over to the dark side." Iko said, motioning to the dark side of the moon.

"What?" Vic sat up and looked at him. "We can't do that? Didn't you hear?"

Iko sat up. "Hear what?"

Vic sighed. "Zim's insane SIR robot lives on the dark side. Last time someone went over there, he was never the same again."

"Why would Zim's robot live on the moon?"

"Apparently Zim once promised it that after he took the planet in the name of the Irken Empire he could have the moon. Then after the Irkens captured the planet, the robot decided to make good on Zim's promise and live on the moon. It's said that he keeps a life supply of rubber piggies and tacos there."

"Oh." Iko turned back to the stars. He glanced over at Vic. Her eyes were so blue... it was like he knew them from somewhere. But that was silly, right?

Vic and Iko sat in comfortable silence again.

I looked over the room. The teacher snarled at the class. She was terrifying. Definitely not human. Probably Serpentine. She moved about the same way.

"I'm Tess," I said. I couldn't tell the class my real name. Because then Zim would know who I was. My gaze slid over the room until I saw a familiar face.

Zim.

He had only the most basic disguise on. A wig and lenses. But it seemed to be working.

Zim.

My chest felt warm as I walked to my seat.

Zim.

He was the reason I was here. I would die for him.

I was in a field. I saw someone's eyes, a bright red. Like Zim's.

Zim.

My chest hurt at the thought of him. He didn't feel the same for me.

Someone is talking about a way to defeat the Meekrob. They are fighting hard. But I know how to do it. I also knew I wouldn't come back alive.

But what did it matter anymore?

Zim.

Pain.

I go out into the open. I watch the fighting. I don't realize that I'm walking forward until the Meekrob shoots me through the middle.

Pain.

But not as much as the one in my chest.

The world began to fade.

But it would be better this way. Because without him, I had nothing left to live for.

Vic woke with a start. The dream had been so vivid. So real.

She stood up and walked into the bathroom. She looked into the mirror and almost screamed.

It wasn't her who looked back. It was Tenn.

Vic grabbed for the light switch. Light flooded the small room.

No, it wasn't Tenn in the mirror. It was herself. How come she had never realized how much she looked like Tenn?

The field was ashen. It was a wasteland. She wasn't here.

I turned to leave, but a glint of blue stopped me. Blue like the sky of Earth. Blue like her eyes.

I ran toward it. Could it be her? Was it Tenn?

No, it was only her body.

She had died in a fight of some sort. She had never been much of a fighter.

But he had loved her.

He hadn't known it at first, but he did.

He loved Tenn.

But she was gone now.

The human boy cried.

Tenn was dead.

She died because no one would help her.

She died because no Irken would help her.

Well then, I don't want to be Irken anymore. If they shunned love and left their own to die, I don't want to be part of it anymore.

I look down at the body again and I walk away.

I will go to my only other home.

Iko looked around the room. The dream had been more like a memory. He still could feel the pain in his chest, but it had only been a dream. Right?

Vic looked at Iko again the next day. He looked like he had gotten about as much sleep as she had. She walked over to him.

"Hi."

"Hi."

It felt awkward.

"Wanna go for a walk on the moon again?" Iko asked. He couldn't explain it, but wanted to be with Vic alone for a while.

"Sure."

Iko and Vic sat next to each other for a little while. They were happy to just watch the stars and the planet go by.

"Master!"

The voice surprised both of the Irkens. A small robot was standing a few feet away. He looked like one of the discontinued SIR units, but with cyan eyes.

"Master!" He shouted again. "I knowed you'd come back!"

He launched himself at Iko.

Iko stood up and tried (unsuccessfully) to pull the cyan eyed robot off his head. Vic laughed.

After a few minutes of effort, Iko gave up and sunk back to the ground.

"Master sad?" The robot said, sliding down.

"I'm not your master," Iko tried to explain. "I don't know who you are!"

"I do." Vic said quietly. "You're Zim's robot, right?"

"Yea! And Master came back!" He hugged Iko.

"So you've been living on the moon all these years?" Vic asked. She was quite interested in the robot.

"Yup! Master said I could have the moon after the Irkens captured the planet. So after they did, I lived here!" He said happily. "But Master didn't come back for a long time. But now he did!"

Vic had heard the stories, but had never really believed them. So the SIR unit really had been living on the dark side.

"So, um, Robot, I'm your master, so you have to do what I say, right?" Iko asked.

The robot nodded his head vigorously.

"Go wait for me back where you were before, Ok?"

The robot saluted and his eyes flashed red. "Yes, Sir." He said in a deeper, more serious voice. Then he turned and ran back to the shadows.

Vic and Iko sat for a few more seconds, just enjoying the peace.

Vic had a strange urge to be closer to Iko. She scooted over a little. Iko scooted a little toward her. She moved a little more. This continued until they were touching. Iko lifted his hand and placed it on the small of Vic's back. She raised hers until it touched his side. They leaned together a little more.

Ikens almost never touch each other, but in that moment, both wanted to be as close together as possible.

Iko turned and embraced Vic. She fell onto her back and they rolled a little ways.

They laughed.

"Iko," Vic said, relishing in the closeness of him.

"Vic." He said in return.

"Iko."

"Vic."

Neither of them noticed when their words changed.

"Zim."

"Tenn."

"Zim."

"Tenn."

Memories began to fill in. Tenn lifted her head and laughed. After so long, she could finally have Zim.

From a distance, small glowing blue eyes watched.

"Master's happy now." He said quietly. "He with Tenn again. I knowed they'd come."