Keri: This fan-fic will make more sense when the last chapter of ZiPT gets posted. Sorry about the lack of updated-ness, but I wanted to just work on a one-shot with them. It's more or less an insight into Kibt's mind, dunno. Drabble, I guess; no point other than I wanted to.

Warning: May contain spoilers for ZiPT, maybe.

Disclaimer: Invader Zim is to Jhonen as Kibt and Valle are to me.

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After school, watching the first of three bright suns set was his favorite time to think. To sit in the rust-colored dirt, listening to the sounds of others going about their day, doing what they could with the few hours of sun light left before the guards would come out to patrol the darkened streets. The young Irken sighed heavily, watching the glowing orb duck down behind the Tallests' castle, giving the building a golden halo.

Kibt knew he was not alone, his antennae perked, but he did not turn. His eyes stayed glued on the palace as his friend sat next to him.

The younger boy looked up at Kibt with sad eyes. "What are you thinking about? I have never seen you sit so still so quietly before. You are not reading," Valle placed a hand on his friend's shoulder, such contact was not normal for Irkens, but then again, Valle was not a normal Irken.

"Just sitting," Kibt said quietly. "Thinking about things. Life." The large, unblinking, red eyes remained on the building, his mind running a mile a minute thinking about all that had happened. He figured this was what depression must feel like. With no will other than to just sit and stare; not wanting to move or eat or sleep or doing anything he enjoyed before. The deep pang in his spootch that made him want to scream, and cry, and curse anything and everything. To crawl into bed and never get out; to want to kill himself, but not having the actual will to do so.

Concern crossed Valle's face. The younger pulled up his goggles revealing cyan eyes lined with black markings. The birth marks almost looked like black tears falling from the corners of his eyes. "Thinking about life? Like how, what is bothering you; you know you can tell me anything, Kibt."

The older shrugged, finding that in itself draining all his energy. Yet he willed himself to speak, "I…I do not know. Things…" he trailed off again. How on Irk would he be able to tell the other what he was feeling, when he himself was not even sure. Everything that had happened to him was so over whelming, even if it had not really happened. Just to have heard the things he had heard and to see the things he had seen. It had the boy letting out another sigh, curling in tighter on himself.

Valle took Kibt's face in his hands. "Kibt, please, what is wrong? I know Irkens do not usually talk about these kinds of things, but they do not get affected by them either." He tugged playfully on one antenna, "Open up: if you can feel it, you can say it."

"If I can feel it, I can…" Kibt thought this over. "Something your mother said?" He removed the younger's hands from his cheeks. "I think…I do not know Valle. It is just…I feel like my entire world is falling apart, like there is no reason to go on. I…this world, it is so…messed up. I guess. It has done something to me, and I want to fix it but…Zim…he…"

"Ah," Valle smiled, "I thought it was something to do with him. Kibt," Valle sat Indian style in front of the other, "you are what my father calls an 'awake' Irken." He placed his hand on Kibt's.

"Awake…?" Kibt repeated. "Like…what do you mean 'awake'? I did not know others were asleep."

Valle laughed, "No, no not asleep-and-awake literally, just, aware. You know your planet is messed up, but have no idea how to fix it. You know there is something better, but can not hold onto it. It is okay; you know I can help you. Just say the word and you have a place in the Resisty. My grandmother's taken a liking to you so it is not like it will be hard to get you in; she practically runs the joint."

Kibt stared at the ground. "I wish it were that simple: I am an Irken, Valle, I can not leave. Can not go. The Tallests do not want another Zim on their hands; they are already keeping a close eye on me. If they notice me deviating from the path they set for me, they will have my PAK shut off."

"But you are a defect, Kibt. I do not mean that in a bad way, but it is the truth and you know it. You do not think like the others do, you do not act like the others do. You are awake, only defects can be awake. Only they are open minded enough to see how bad this type of government is for them." Valle swallowed thickly. "Please do not be angry Kibt, but you are a defect, and there is nothing wrong with that."

The taller nodded slightly. "I am aware of that much. Irkens are not like me. All they care for is to please the tallest, who ever that is. They follow no loyalty to one: if the Control Brains say it, they do it. I bet if they told everyone to kill themselves, they would."

"But not you?"

"But not me…"