*I own nothing except Era and Irz =){ohh and Era isn't mary-sueish. just saying} SONG OF THE CHAPTER:: My Immortal-Evanescence

Era squinted her eyes, staring up at the sun. "Let her go." She said simply and dropped her eyes to the desk.

The school bell rang and the classroom was empty except for Dib, Zim and Era. "Wow, two aliens, one human. A dream come true!" Dib laughed, nudging Era's shoulder. Era moved her elbow away and rubbed her eyes.

"E-era?" Zim asked, taking a step closer to her. Her feet crossed at the ankles and her eyes looked at Zim.

"What?" She replied. Zim hadn't expected her to respond, so naturally this surprised him.

"Shouldn't we go after her? What if she's going to destroy the Tallest?" He started, looking occasionally at Dib. For once, he felt like he would need Dib's help with Era.

She shrugged and gathered her things. "Do what you want to. I have other matters to attend to Zim. For example, I have a conference with my brothers in four hours." Era said, opening a window.

"Wha? Where you goinn?" Dib started.

"Era! Stop this nonsense! At least look at me when you talk to me! Otherwise, just-just, don't talk to me!" Zim blurted.

Era's Pak had already extended and dialed Irz. She paused and turned to him. Her eyes looked sad, both Dib and Zim could tell.

"If that's so, then I won't be talking to you." She said and Irz's voice came up on the small screen.

"Irz, I want to go home now." She said simply, and hung up. Within minutes, Irz appeared at the window in a sky-blue ship. Era climbed in without a word and the two disappeared into the distance.

Dib turned to Zim. His expression looked hurt-defeated. Nothing ever made Zim feel defeated. He thought he won no matter what. He was surprised and took a step to Zim. He fidgeted with his fingers for a minute, waiting for Zim to shout something to show he wasn't affected. For the three years Zim had been on Earth, Dib hadn't seen him like this ever. Since she showed up, he wasn't his normal self.

"Um, Zim?" Dib said, breaking the silence. Zim spun around to him and glared.

"Why do you speak to ZIM?" He asked, clenching his fists.

Dib rolled his eyes and picked up a paper from Era's desk. He tossed it to Zim. Zim fumbled to catch it in the air, but snatched it off the floor when he missed.

"You're, you're not yourself Zim. What's up with you two?" He asked, becoming more forward with his questions.

Zim's tough expression changed to sensitive as he glanced at the paper. "Well, you're a human and therefore unworthy of an Irken's time. But, since this is a very important matter, and you're the only human not completely dumb, I guess I can tell you."

Dib laughed and rolled his eyes. "I'm smarter than you think. But whatever, tell me."

Zim sat on a chair and smoothed the paper onto the desk.

"It all started about 77 years ago. It's a really long story, and you're much too dumb and behind in technology to understand much of it, but try to follow along with your stupid human brain." Zim started. Dib sat down and rested his chin on his hand.

"We had just finished a daily training on Hobo 13, Era was there with her mother, a member of the Tallest, named Raya. Then all of a sudden a group called The Resisty, dumb aliens who thought they could overpower the almighty Irkens, invaded the planet and just started killing off any Irken in sight. Her mother was the first to act, she fought for a long time, but they eventually killed her. Era was crushed." He paused for a moment and touched the paper. Then he smiled.

"It was the first time I talked to her, that day." He started, then Gir burst in and sat in the floor beside Dib.

"YAY! Storytime!" Gir cheered. Zim glared at him and popped his wrists.

"Anyway, so she just sat there and waited for someone to kill her. Just as they got to her I pulled her out of the way. I pushed her into my ship and escaped from the invaders. She didn't say anything for a long time. But just as we were approaching The Massive she touched my hand." He touched Era's name on the paper and laughed. "I'd never heard her speak. But it was like bells. She said, 'Thank you for saving me.' While that's all she said for the time, it was like hearing your name called out as the Invader of the Decade."

"So, wait, you liked her?!" Dib shouted. Zim shot him a 'back-off-I'll-kill-you' look.

"As I was saying," he continued, completely ignoring Dib's question, "I helped her onto the Massive, she grasped my hand and walked up to her brothers, The Tallest. They took her away from me and walked away, to give the news to the rest of the Irken empire that the Almighty Tallest had fallen. When I saw the three on the screen, I died a little inside. Their faces looked like they had been defeated. Era's face was still smudged with dust and spots of blood and tears. For months, all Irks in the univers grieved over the loss. I, however, stayed with Era on The Massive to help her cope. I was a very strong willed Irken, and still am." He said.

Dib shrugged and nodded for Zim to continue. It was weird to him to hear that Zim cared for someone, and even weirder that he felt sorry for an alien.

"One day the grief got to her too much, and in a rampage she destroyed the Resisty's base when she had stolen a war vessel. She totaled the planet and left nothing or no one alive, including captive aliens. She couldn't hold in her grief anymore. It was a dark time for her. Luckily, I showed up before she decided to throw herself into a fire on the base. I pulled her away and held her in my arms for a minute. She meant alot to me Dib, she really did." Zim said crestfallen.

Dib's mouth dropped wide open. Gir poked his teeth and laughed. "So, you two were, like, in love?" He shouted even louder.

Zim stood and grabbed Gir. "I'll continue this conversation tonight. I expect you to be at my house in exactly three earth-hours."

"Why?" Dib asked.

"Because I'll need your technology, along with mine, to interfere with Era's conversation. I must know why she's here."