AN: Angst, character death, suicide, and ZaDr fluff

Disclaimer: the poem used within is my own. DO NOT STEAL!!!

crystal tears and silver rain

he's got a path to pave,

a choice to make,

to dig his own grave,

or another life to take,

Dib finally got past the barrier programs and hacked into Zim's communication system.

"What do you mean it's a lie my tallest?"

The look on Zim's face had Dib thinking. He looked disbelievingly at the screen on which his leaders were displayed.

"You're not an invader Zim now stop calling us."

pride and pain,

play the game,

a world to gain,

but it's not the same,

They cut the communication and Zim's eyes brimmed with tears. Everything he'd done had been for them. He closed his big ruby eyes and let the tears fall freely. The little alien stood there in front of the blank screen for a good ten minutes completely unmoving save for the tears that rolled down his cheeks.

crystal tears,

and silver rain,

cleanse my fears,

wash away my pain,

Dib watched, awed that the alien could even cry. Finally he hacked further into the com system and spoke.

"Zim?"

The irken looked up at the screen now showing a rather worried looking Dib and blinked back even more tears.

"You heard?"

his voice was scratchy and choked like he'd swallowed glass.

"Yeah Zim. I-I'm sorry."

Zim blinked up at his enemy.

"Don't be. I won't bother you or your planet anymore."

biding time,

against the tide,

you can climb,

you must pick a side,

Zim cut the communication and walked slowly into the elevator. He left the house and didn't even look at the sky. He knew it would storm soon. He didn't even bother with a disguise. It wouldn't matter soon anyway. He looked up just as rain droplet hit him just below the left eye looking just like an acid tear.

"I'm the one who should be sorry..."

like a song,

that's been forsooth,

it's all gone wrong,

since I found the truth,

Dib left the house and ran as fast as he could to Zim's base but could not find the irken anywhere.

"Oh God, please let him be alive.."

He ran faster in the direction of the skool again finding nothing. The park was next. The clouds had darkened from gray to black by then and the drizzle had become a downpour.

now a bowl,

I'm bleeding in,

this is my soul,

this is my sin,

"ZIM!"

A pained moan answered from under a sapling oak tree. Dib rushed to the alien's side and held him in his arms, the tears rolling down his cheeks now indistinguishable from the pounding rain.

"Why Zim?"

Zim only stroked the boy's cheek with his thumb.

"Because my life is meaningless."

Dib cried all the harder.

what will he choose,

who will he save,

what will he lose,

to free a slave,

Zim coughed and wheezed, shivering hard in the cold. Who would care but Dib? If nothing else the boy should have been happy. Even with Zim dead he would have an alien specimen. Zim pulled Dib close and pressed his lips gently to the boy's. If nothing else they had always been able to depend on the other to be there and ready to fight. Zim gasped once and breathed no more.

darkness calls,

I'm giving in,

now he falls,

but neither win,

Dib's grip on the alien loosened as the irken fell limp in his arms. Dib fumbled for the switch and finally found it and opened Zim's pak. He pulled out the laser and aimed it at his heart and fired. He collapsed, broken and bleeding on top of Zim. After all, who would care but Zim? He had nothing to lose and a world to gain. Only in eternity could they put aside everything and be something other than enemies.

I cried out to you,

reaching for your hand,

what was I to do,

please understand...