Hey there Peoples!

WELCOME! WELCOME! FINALLY, THE LONG-AWAITED CHAPTER OF GORE HAS ARRIVED! HAHAHAHAHAHA!

River: … Oh god

Breeze: Please… end me before I have to deal with this...

Dib: WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS TO MEEEEEEE?!

Me: AHAHAHAHAHAHA! BOW! BOW AND BE AFRAID! I AM YOUR MASTER! YOU ARE ALL IN MY MERCY!

Characters: *WHIIIIIIIIIINE!

Me: I am going to have SO much fun!

I've gotten a few reviews with people telling me how they can't WAIT until the Irken Armada shows up. I'M HERE TO SAY THAT YOU WON'T BE DISAPPOINTED WHEN THEY DO!

Zim: Can't we just… have a happy story?

Me: HAPPY STORIES GET NO REVIEWS!

Annora: That's not true! There's PLENTY of happy stories with TONS of reviews!

Me: I've gone too far! THERE'S NO TURNING BACK!

ENJOY THE STORY! MAYBE I CAN ACTUALLY GET IT FINISHED BEFORE THE END OF THE MONTH!

Annora: I doubt it.

Me: SILEEEEEEEEEEENCE!

(Annora P.O.V)

Time seemed to past quickly. The holidays ended with a bang, literally, as fireworks announced the end of the old year. Under a sparkling sky, our small group danced and laughed and held each other in relief that we had all survived together somehow through the madness.

I'd only been in the dimension for a few months, but I already felt more at home than I'd ever felt in my uncle's house.

The month of January brought more snow. We were shut up in the house after another blizzard hit the city.

Not that I was complaining. It was fun playing games and just enjoying each other's company.

January turned to February. As expected, I spent Valentine's Day with my special someone. River and Breeze pretty much stalked us the whole day, to make sure we didn't do anything 'inapro-pro.'

February to March. March to April. April to May. May to June. The months flew by in a flurry of memory, each with an event that was forever engrained in my mind. Wonderful events.

The month of July... The sky had been clear and the sun had shone on the dry ground below. The grass withered slightly in the heat. Bugs refused to fly in the middle of the day. Skool had let out so that the students could finally have a break.

Things had changed. A lot of things had changed in my family ever since we had first fallen out of the sky.

For one thing, Breeze seemed more care-free and happy, rather than being cold, silent and sad all the time for looking different. River seemed even more hyper than usual, but it was her growing maturity that stood out the most. She knew how to handle tough situations, and she was no longer the frightened little girl that needed other people to fight her fights for her. She knew how to hold her own.

I had changed as well, but I couldn't figure out exactly how. I was calmer now. Happier and more likely to smile.

I hadn't smiled so much in years.

There was one other thing that had changed that wasn't part of my personality: I didn't wear the Lucky Rainbow anymore.

It wasn't broken; Breeze had fixed it for me the day after Christmas. But even though it was wearable, I simply kept it in my pocket.

There were a couple of reasons why. Mainly, it was because I was afraid of it.

I'd always known that it contained a large amount of magic stored up in the gems. I was able to sense it because of my power. Freya had told me that it was supposed to protect the wearer, but because it had always either fallen off or broken when something attacked me, I'd never really had to chance to prove that theory.

But there was one time when the necklace had been stolen by a thief on the street. He had snatched it off my neck, put it around his own and took off down an alley. My sisters and I had chased him, and when Breeze managed to punch him in the thigh, he crumpled and I was able to reclaim my property.

But my sisters hadn't seen what I had seen.

When Breeze had punched the man, I had noticed wisps of energy flow out of the gems and gather in the area where my sister had struck. Instead of protecting him, the magic had AMPLIFIED the blow and broken the man's leg.

Breeze had just thought that she had done the damaged because of her gift. I knew that the damage was as bad as it was because of the necklace.

I didn't know what to think anymore. Was the necklace supposed to HURT the wearer instead of PROTECT them? If so, then why had Freya given it to me?

I didn't exactly TRUST Freya anymore. I still loved her, but I was starting to wonder if she really had my best interests in mind.

So, I pushed the thoughts of her away and kept the necklace in my pocket. I wasn't ready to part with it COMPLETELY yet.

The summer had been hotter than I expected. My sisters and I had continued to fly under the light of the moon, but we were careful. More and more people had been going out at night rather than in the day.

We had never gotten around the telling Dib the truth. We felt guilty for not trusting him completely, but then again, Dib was a Paranormal Investigator.

His actions could be unpredictable.

Zim had used my Christmas gift to power his base. I had found out that the lower levels included a training room, medical lab and a Hologram Room.

The Hologram Room was a way from my sisters and I to either goof off or practice using out skills. I had decided to take Santa's warning to heart; I was going to prepare myself.

Zim knew enough about combat to give us simple lessons. My favorite type of fighting style was one that I invented with his help; combining hand-to-hand combat with my power.

Our days had been pretty busy, but we always found time to go out and relax.

At the moment, I was sitting in class. It was the month of September.

It was a little shocking to realize that we had spent almost a full year in the I.Z realm. I could barely remember what it was like in our first dimension.

Ms. Bitters was ranting.

"DOOM, DOOM, DOOM, DOOM, DOOM!" she shrieked. "DOOMED YOU ALL ARE! DOOMED I SAY! DOOMED, DOOMED, DOOOOOOOOOOOMED!"

Zim was snoring in the seat in front of me. I was bored with the whole situation, so I lean forward and tapped him lightly on the shoulder.

"ARGH!" he gasped, his eyes snapping open. "I DIDN'T EAT IT! I SWEAR!"

I rolled my eyes.

"Wake up, dude."

"… Annora? Where's the cake?"

I hid my smile behind my finger tips and shook my head sadly.

"No cake, sorry…" I whispered, flicking my eyes up at Ms. Bitters. "Listen… I'm going to call it quits for today."

Zim gave me a weird look.

"…What?"

"I've gotta…. fly," I said simply. Zim sighed.

"Fine… but wait, that means-"

"You'll survive the day," I laughed. "Besides, you have River and Breeze!"

"And Dib," River added. From across the room, Dib's head perked as he heard his name.

"… Um, I've actually got to go somewhere too…" he said, sounding sheepish.

I raised an eyebrow.

Is it just me, or does he sound like he's…. hiding something?

"Don't wait for me…" I said quietly. "I'll be gone for a while."

Breeze gave me a blank look.

"It's the middle of the day."

"Does it look like a care?"

I was desperate to fly. I hadn't actually been able to for a few weeks. It would be so much better at night, but I needed to seize my chance when I could.

"Be careful," Zim ordered.

"Yessir."

I slipped out of my chair and walked quietly over to the door. Ms. Bitters didn't even notice.

"DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!"

I snorted and left the room.

I walked down the road, taking in a few deep breaths. I mused silently to myself over the past few months.

I haven't seen Freya in a while… I wonder what's up?

I bit my lip and pushed all thoughts of the ghost away.

I don't want to think about this right now...

I let out a sigh when I saw the forest again.

"Hello!" I said, mostly to myself. "Go to see you again."

There was no answer. I didn't know why, but it felt like the forest was… frightened. Scared.

I listened closely and heard no birds.

"Hm…" I said, frowning. The birds usually never shut up.

I shrugged and walked down to the tree-line. The musty scent of foliage and earth met my nostrils.

"Mmmm…." I smiled. "That's nice."

I walked a litter further through the woods, pausing ever so often to call out to the branches above me.

"Birds! Hey birds! Where'd you go?"

There was never any answer.

I was a little unnerved by this, but I managed to continue walking.

Eventually, I reached the hedge. I gave a sigh of relief and walked up to it.

"Hey, Hedge?" I asked. "Where are all the birds?"

There was no answer.

"Hedge?" I called quietly. "Hedge!"

I reached out and touched the hedge's leaves with my fingers. They were brittle and snapped off in my grip.

"Hey, Hedge!"

I gently shook the branches. I felt no aura of life coming from the plant.

I stepped back with a lump in my throat.

"...Hedge?" I whispered.

There was no answer.

Feeling horrified, I sat down on the ground and stared at my knees.

"It's dead..." I said to myself.

The hedge was dead. I felt absolutely devastated by this, as if a family member had just died.

"Hedge!" I pleaded. "Please wake up!"

I didn't get a reply.

I buried my face in my knees and sobbed quietly.

Oh god... what is happening?

I wiped my eyes and stood up.

It was silly of me to think that things would last forever. Even the hedge was bound to die. I just hadn't expected it to be so... soon.

"You were good to me..." I said softly, stroking the withered leaves. "Wherever you are, I hope there's lots of sunshine and water."

I sniffed and forced myself to smile.

"Goodbye."

Turning away from the plant, and looked up at the sky. The whole forest seemed so sick... it made me uncomfortable.

"I'll feel better if I fly..." I said softly.

Something darted behind a tree in the corner of my eye. Surprised, I whirled around.

"Who's there?" I demanded. No answer.

Jeez, is it National Silence Day or what?

"Hey!" I called. "HEY! Answer me! I know you're there!"

Nothing.

I glared at the trees for a while longer before I decided to give up. I was too burnt out to chase deer or whatever the thing had been.

I crouched low to the ground and pressed my knuckles together. I grinned to myself as I felt my powerful wings unfurl once again.

"Ah... good to be back."

Scrunching up my legs, I pushed off against the earth and rocketed into the air. Wind whistled past me at extreme speeds.

I screamed with joy, forgetting all of my sorrows and all of my fears. Boldly, I spiraled in the sky and zig-zaged through wispy clouds.

I hovered in the air, letting the cool air sink into my lungs. I took a few deep breath, and then smiled.

"My heaven."

I froze as a loud screech rang through the air. It was foreign sound; not any sort of animal that I had heard in the forest before.

Troubled, I scanned the tree tops.

"What-?"

If I didn't have razor-sharp senses, I probably would have died. As it was, I barely had to dive out of the way as something massive exploded from the forest right below me and zipped past.

I screamed and tumbled backward through the air, terrified.

The creature stopped and hovered right in front of me.

The thing was the size of a truck. The best thing I could compare its appearance to was a Griffin: It had a cat-like body, two large feathered wings and a bird-like head. But the creature had FOUR paws, each with wickedly sharp talons and a mouth full of needle-like teeth. Its long ears swiveled as it listened to my harsh breathing. The fur and feathers on its entire body were black. Its eyes reminded me a bit of Zim's: Purely crimson, with no pupils.

But these eyes held no warmth or friendship. Only a fiery hunger and a mocking look.

I glanced behind it for a moment. One of the more shocking features of the creature was the long dragon tail that it processed. Even though it was covered in the fur that coated the body, the tail ended in a large spearhead made of bone that looked absolutely terrifying and harmful.

"...Excuse me?" I asked timidly. I was, after all, a Ferni Being.

"Excuse me, what exactly do you think you're doing?" I continued. "I was right under you, you could have hurt me."

The creature narrowed its eyes as I spoke.

"Can you please not do that in the future?" I asked.

The creature stared at me. After a moment, its mouth curled into a menacing grin that showcased every single one of its fangs.

Oh shit.

With a snarl, the creature flung itself at me. I cried out and took off in the other direction.

Blood was pounding in my ears. I struggled to keep ahead of the creature, who was surprisingly fast for its size.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" I screamed. The creature didn't say anything.

I folded my wings and dived through the trees, twisting and turning my way around the trunks. The creature followed me, roaring in rage and it became caught in the branches.

Speeding away, I broke through the canopy and paused above the forest. Far way, the trees were trembling as the creature attempted to escape. I smiled.

A scream echoed through the woods, wiping the smile off my face. An achingly familiar voice.

My blood ran cold as I realized: The creature wasn't stuck.

It had simply found a NEW target.

"OH SHIT!" I shrieked, taking off towards the spot. I landed on the branches of a large oak and crouched like a cat in the shelter of the leaves.

Down below, the creature slowly stalked a human boy, backing him up against a tree. It didn't seem to care about the small creek it was standing in.

The boy, whose clothing was ripped and torn, stared at the animal in absolute horror.

"Goddamn it, Dib!" I hissed softly.

Dib trembled as the creature slowly reached out with its claws.

"Stop!" he whimpered.

I dive-bombed off the tree and crashed into the side of the animal's skull.

"STAY AWAY!" I screamed.

The creature roared in agony and took a swing at me with its paw. I ducked and managed to ram the thing underneath the chin with my forehead.

The creature squealed as it bit its own tongue. Furious, it back up and glared at me.

Standing in fornt of Dib, I lowered my head and hissed. Universal animal way to say: 'BACK OFF!'

The creature roared at me. The volume was so loud, the trees around us shook. Off in the distance, a few birds took to the air.

THAT'S where the are!

I flung back my head and screeched. It was a sound that all animals would understand. It meant: 'HELP ME!'

Something came flying out at me and struck me across the temple. I was thrown back against and tree and slammed my skull against the wood.

I blacked out for a moment.

What's happening to me? Why is this happening!? WHY DO I HAVE TO DEAL WITH THIS?!

There was something sharp digging into my cheek. I whined and pushed it away.

Ugh, River... leave me alone...

The sharp thing intensified. I was also aware of a noise. It was muted and warped, but I recognized the voice.

"GET UP!" it was screaming. "ANNORA, WAKE UP!"

With a gasp, my eyes snapped open as ice-coldwater was thrown onto my face.

Dib kneeled over me, his glasses cracked and his eyes widened in terror.

"Annora!" he sobbed. "I thought you were dead!"

I stared at him for a moment. He didn't seem at all freaked out that I was obviously NOT human.

"...You okay..? I whispered hoarsely. Dib just nodded.

I heard a loud squawk and remembered the beast.

It was an incredible sight. Animals of all kinds were attacking the creature, from bears to birds to deer. The animal was crumpling under the bites and the slashes, screaming in rage and pain.

Dib glanced at me.

"Did you do that?" he asked. I frowned.

"I don't know. Did I?"

The creature swung out with its tail and killed a bear in seconds. I realized that I was putting these animal's lives in danger by asking them to fight this thing.

"ENOUGH!" I screamed. "ENOUGH, RUN AWAY!"

Almost immediately, the forest animals slunk back into the trees, disappearing like smoke. The creature groaned and wobbled to its knees. It was hurt, but I didn't expect it to stay down for long.

I need to get out of here. But... what about Dib?

"Hey, Dib?" I asked. His gaze was locked on the creature.

"... Yeah?" he asked.

"I hope you're not afraid of heights."

"That's nic- wait, what?"

Before he had time to protest, I had grabbed him underneath the arms and hauled him up.

"Don't look down!" I warned. Bunching up my legs, I rocketed back into the air. Dib screamed.

"HOLY SHIT ANNORAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

Dib wasn't heavy, but I was still a bit dazed from being thrown against the tree. The takeoff was bit shaky, and I struggled to keep leveled.

Down below, I heard the creature roar in rage and come after us. Breathing hard, I pumped my wings and went faster.

"WHERE ARE WE GOING?!" Dib cried.

"NO IDEA!" I yelled back.

I could hear the creature behind us. It was panting heavily, but I couldn't ignore the evil growl it was making. The pissed-of noise sounded like the creature was saying: 'I'm going to eat your soul and spit on your grave.'

I wanted to keep my grave spit-free, thank you very much.

Clutching Dib closer to my chest, I noticed a gap in the trees.

"The canyon!" I gasped.

There was a weird hope... If I could get the thing to follow me...

"Hold tight, Dibbers!" I ordered. Dib paled and glanced downward.

"WAIT! MAYBE WE CAN TALK THIS OVER! YOU CAN'T SERIOUSLY BE GOING INTO THA- OOOOOOOHHHHHH CRRRRAAAAAAAAAAPPPPP!"

I folded my wings and went into a free fall. Dib cried out in fear.

The creature hesitated for a moment and then followed up into the canyon.

"A little more..." I mumbled. "Come on, come on..."

I kept my wings folded. We continued to speed towards the raging river below.

Instead of the care-free joy that I had felt when I first attempted the dive, I now felt a strained sense of determination.

"NOW!" Dib screamed. "ANNORA, YOU'RE GOING TO KILL US!"

I ignored him and continued to dive. The creature roared in triumph.

"ANNORA!"

"NOW!" I cried, spreading out my wings. The river was only a few feet below us, and when I rocketed back into the air, I heard a loud shriek and a huge splash.

"HA!" I laughed, my eyes flashing. "IT WORKED!"

I flew out of the canyon and hovered for a moment, trying to catch my breath. Dib sucked in deep breaths.

"DAMN YOU!" he growled. "THAT SCARED THE CRAP OUT OF ME!"

I sighed.

"I'm sorry... I probably should have warned you."

Dib groaned.

"There was a long pause."

"So, you're NOT human, are you?"

I flashed him a weak smile.

"No, not entirely..."

"..."

"I'm sorry I didn't say anything before. I was afraid that you would try to dissect me or something."

Dib sighed.

"I wouldn't do that, you're a good person... wait, and your sisters...?"

I bit my lip.

"They're the same. Listen, we can talk about this later. Right now, I need to get back to the-"

"LOOK OUT!" Dib suddenly screamed. "BEHIND YOU!"

I swerved out of the way as the creature came barreling out of the gorge, soaking wet and 100% pissed-off.

"SHIT!" I shouted. "I THOUGHT THAT WOULD LAST LONGER!"

The creature screeched in fury and swung out at me with its talons. I managed to dodge and zip behind the animal.

"Hold on, Dib!" I ordered. "Things are gonna get rough!"

I landed on the creature's back. It snarled and tried to snap at me.

"ANNORA, YOU'RE INSAAAAAANE!" Dib shrieked. I ignored him and used the creature as a launching pad to fly straight up.

"HOLD ON TO ME!" I cried. "DON'T YOU DARE LET GO!"

"I'M TRYIIIIIIIIIIIIIING!"

The creature whirled around and shot after me. Black saliva dripped from the corner of its mouth.

"HANG ON!" I screamed to Dib. "I'M GOING TO-"

I was cut off as the creature swung its tail out at me. I managed to dodge most of the blow, but the tip of the appendage snagged my wing and bent it backwards.

A loud snap sounded through the air.

I screamed in sheer agony as pain raced though my back. Twisted and mutilated, the wing was now useless.

Helplessly, we began to plunge towards the earth.

I fought to stay conscious, but my feverish mind wanted nothing more than to shut down and be rid of the pain. I was vaguely aware of screaming, whether it was Dib or me I didn't know.

Help me... I thought. Anyone... Freya... please...

I closed my eyes and moaned as the needle stings turned into dull throbs, equally painful.

"ANNORA!"

My eyes snapped open. Dib was screaming in my ear.

"ANNORA! WE'RE GOING TO DIE!"

I glanced downward and saw that we were quickly approaching a clearing in the trees. Grimacing and ignoring my pain, I extended both of my wings and went into a steep glide.

"Hang on!" I rasped. "This is gonna be rough!"

At the last moment, I turned around and faced my back to the incoming ground, protecting Dib with my body.

'WHUMPH!'

We strike at an alarming speed. I felt my already injured wing twist even further backwards.

I lost my grip on the human and bounced across the earth, creating an indent in the musty dirt.

When I finally came to a stop, my entire being was trembling and in pain. I lay my face agains the cool ground, listening to the dull thumps.

I was loosing the fight to stay conscious. Wearily, I closed my eyes.

Let me rest... Please just let me rest... I'm tired. I'm hurt. I need to sleep.

Something was pinching me. I frowned and moaned to make it go away.

Let me rest... Please let me rest...

"ANNORA! ANNORA, WAKE THE HELL UP! ANNORA, WAKE UP! ANNORA! ANNORA!"

The voice was annoying.

"Go away..." I mumbled, my voice cracking with pain. "Let me sleep, little thing. Can't you see I'm tired?"

"ANNORA! IT'S RIGHT BEHIND YOU!"

"Little thing..." I sighed. "Let me sleep... Let me be..."

There was a sharp pain in my side. Gasping, my eyes snapped open once again.

"ANNORA!"

"...Dib?" I whispered.

"ANNORA, GET UP!"

I blinked a few times before I remembered: The creature...

Moaning, I managed to get to my knees. I cast my blurry vision over at Dib, how looked bruised and battered but still very much alive.

"You're okay..." I sighed in relief.

Dib pinched me hard on the shoulder.

"GET UP! GET UP NOW!"

I held my head in my hands.

"What...?"

I heard a roar.

Gritting my teeth, I managed to stagger to my feet with Dib's help. Shaking and sweaty, I faced the creature.

It landed on the ground smartly, almost mockingly. Shaking its fur, it turned and looked at me with one eye.

I snarled. I didn't know WHAT this thing was, but I was going to tell it to leave us alone.

To my surprise, the creature let out a loose hissing noise. It wasn't menacing any way, but it wasn't friendly either.

It was... laughter.

"I don't know what you want!" I screamed, hoping that it could understand me. "But I want you to leave us alone!"

The creature lowered its head. For this first time, I took a closer look at its neck and saw that it was wearing a collar. A black collar, with.. was that.. a camera on it?

It was wearing a collar with a camera?

"Dib..." I whispered softly. "I think we have a problem..."

Dib gave me a frightened look.

"ANOTHER one?!"

"That thing. It has a collar."

Dib's eyes flickered towards the creature.

"..."

"Someone sent that thing..."

"It could have escaped from somewhere..." Dib whispered weakly.

"I highly doubt that."

The creature continued to stare at us. It snaked its tongue across its damp muzzle.

"...It's not talking to me..." I said quietly. "Dib? On the count of three, I want you to-"

The creature sat down and let out a harsh chuckle.

"Well, well, well..." it hissed. "Prey for Grezza! How lovely! Stay still, little ones... Grezza will make this quick..."

I recoiled in shock and fell backwards into the dirt.

"What the hell?!" Dib growled. "What's that weird noise it's making?!"

He glanced down at me.

"Annora?"

I covered my mouth.

"Stay still, little one..." the creature snarled. "You, I am not to kill... Stay still, or I shall make you suffer!"

My mind was reeling. I shouldn't have been surprised. After all, I was a Ferni Being. I could talk to animals.

But the sounds... they were... familiar.

"...Dib?" I whispered. Dib grabbed my arm and hauled me up.

"Come on, Annora!" he growled. "Get up! Do some alien action! Save our asses, please!"

I blinked slowly.

"That thing..."

"Grezza's lucky day..." the creature smiled. "Target and snack in one find! Lucky, lucky day..."

Then it hit me.

"Oh god..." I whispered. "Oh god, DIB!"

Dib stared at me.

"What?"

"That thing is speaking Irken."

"...What?"

"IT'S SPEAKING IRKEN!"

It became clear to me. The sounds were the same that Zim had showed my on my first day of Language Lessons.

"But- what?" Poor Dib looked confused.

I hissed and clenched my fists. I didn't know WHERE the thing came from, or WHAT it wanted, but at least now I could TALK to it.

"LISTEN!" I snarled. "YOU LEAVE US ALONE, YOU WITHERED HAWK!"

The creature, Grezza or whatever, reeled back in surprise.

"It speaks! Vermin, you dare not speak the noble tongue! Be silent!"

"I can speak it if I wish it! Now, leave us be! I don't know what you want, but I know you're not going to get it!"

Grezze stared at me for a moment and then grinned evilly.

"Little vermin feels so brave! Be silent, servant of serpents! Grezza was warned of your power!"

I gave him an ugly look.

"Who?"

Grezze laughed.

"I am no fool, vermin! I will not tell you! Now, be still! I am going to eat the small male."

"YOU WOULDN'T DARE!" I screamed in english.

"Annora! What's going on?!"

"Shut up, Dib..." I hissed. "YOU, GREZZA! DON'T COME CLOSER! I WILL KILL YOU!"

The creature laughed.

"STUPID VERMIN! YOU ARE WEAK AND STUPID! I AM THE MASTER HERE!"

Grezza took a step forward.

"STAY AWAY!" I screamed, but my voice was cracking with pain. I was loosing blood.

Grezza roared and shot forward, opening his jaws to swallow Dib whole. With a shout of alarm, I yanked the boy out of the way and stood in his place.

Sharp teeth closed around my waist and bit through the skin.

I shrieked.

Grezza bit down hard and then released. Limply, I crumpled to the ground.

The animal's hissing laughter reached my ears.

"FOOLISH! NOW YOU ARE WEAKER! Masters will be PLEASED!"

I moaned and rolled to the side. I stared in surprise at the crimson liquid staining my arms.

What... is that... mine?

Grezza smirked and turned slowly towards Dib.

"Be still, little one... Grezza will make this quick..."

I was finding it hard to see. Through blurred eyes, I saw the creature stalking Dib. The boy was screaming, but I heard no sound.

Dib... I thought. Run... Please...

The human, who had a perfect path to the trees, refused to budge. Instead, he darted around Grezza and tried to reach me.

The creature swung out his tail and yanked Dib back.

"Don't be foolish..." Grezza hissed. "Stay... it will all be over..."

Dib struggled desperately. I wondered why Grezza's voice was the only thing I could hear as my eyes began to close.

"Stay..." echoed the voice through my fading consciousness. "Stay... it will be quick."

It will be quick.

No... NO, DIB!

My eyes snapped open.

"DIIIIIIIIB!" I screamed.

Rage roared through my bloodied limbs. Snarling, I sprang to my feet, oblivious to my injuries.

Dib was struggling in Grezza's clutches. I rushed to them and struck the creature on the snout with my ridged fingers. It left slash marks on his snout.

Grezza squealed and released the human. I grabbed Dib by the back of the shirt and hauled him away as the creature pawed at his wounded face.

"VERMIN!" Grezza howled. "YOU WILL PAY FOR THAT!"

I fought to hold on to the adrenaline rushing through my veins. With a growl, I smashed my knuckles painfully together.

I'M NOT GOING TO PAY! I'M GOING TO LIVE!

With a shout, I called the the few scraps of magic left in my body.

Purple lightning exploded out of the sky above Grezza. The animal screamed as the electricity burnt through his fur.

"VERMIN! STOP THIS!"

I flung my wrists at the monster.

"DIE!"

From out of the ground rose a wall of purple flame, fifty feet high. Grezza screeched at it engulfed him.

"STOP! STOP!"

I pushed harder, even though I felt as if my heart was being torn from my chest. The heat from the flames intensified.

"STOP, VERMIN! ENOUGH!"

I smelt burning flesh. Screaming in agony and rage, Grezza thrashed desperately as his body began to wither away.

"STOOOOOOOOOP!"

Grezza shrieked one last time as the flames of magic burnt through his skin and rushed through his veins. His final dying wail rang through the air.

And then there was silence.

I cut off the flow of magic and watched the flames sink back into the ground. I was covered in sweat and blood, panting harshly, blinking the blur from my eyes.

There was nothing left of Grezza, save a small pile of ashes.

My knees buckled. Moaning, I fell face-forward into the ground.

I was aware of a distant voice calling my name. But this time, I had no desire to open my eyes or reply.

Let me sleep... I'm tired... I want to rest.

Someone was shaking me.

I want to sleep...

Someone was crying.

I need to rest...

And then I felt nothing anymore and plunged into a world of black.

(Breeze P.O.V)

River was being the most annoying creature in the universe.

I tried to ignore her as she fired off question in rapid-fire session.

"Whatcha doing, Zim? What's that thing? What's it to? Why's your shirt off? How'd you get that scar? Whatcha doing, huh?"

I know, I know... the questions weren't even aimed at ME.

But still, I could share the alien's discomfort.

"River..." he grimaced, turning away slightly from the large computer in front of him. "You don't HAVE to be here, you know..."

"But whatcha doing?"

"I'm testing the toxicity levels in my blood..." Zim explained. River smiled.

"You look funny."

Zim did, indeed, have his shirt off. (He seemed slightly embarrassed.) There were three small suction cups attached to his torso: one on each arm and one on his stomach.

"But, why?" River continued to ask as Zim typed away on the dashboard.

"Well, I've been feeling a bit... under the weather lately..."

River's eyes widened.

"Are you contagious?"

Zim rolled his eyes.

"No."

"Oh. Why are you sick?"

"I'm not... ugh, listen up okay?"

River nodded.

"My P.A.K..." Zim explained. "Is a device that controls my life."

River continued to nod.

"Realistically, the Tallest COULD have downloaded a virus into it that would slowly eat me from the inside out."

River stopped nodding.

"Oh."

"But, due to the fact that I'm a DEFECT," Zim added, smiling. "It's possible that such a virus could not ENTER my P.A.K. However, just to be sure..."

"OHHHHH, I GET IT NOW!"

"Good," Zim sniffed. "Now, would you mind-"

"Helping you? SURE!"

Zim's antenna drooped slightly as River ran over and began adjusting the suction cups.

I laughed softly.

"Don't try and fight it, honey," I sighed. "She's a stubborn as a mule and twice as annoying."

The alien gave me an exasperated look.

"I-... ugh, never mind..."

River talked CONSTANTLY as she worked.

"When do you think Annora's getting home? How does this work? Will it hurt?"

Zim groaned.

"Yes, it's gonna hurt. It works by reading my pulse through the meters here, on my skin, and then injecting a syrum that will show any abnormalities in the blood. And, for your first question..."

He frowned.

"I.. don't know. She's been gone for a while. I'm a little worried."

River crooned softly.

"Love is a tender thing..."

"Shut up," Zim growled, but there was an amused look in his eyes.

I reached over and touched his shoulder.

"Do you want me to go look for her?"

Zim tilted his head.

"You decide. She's your sister, isn't she?"

River peeked over at us.

"The wonderful DIB man isn't here either."

"Oh yeah..." Zim mumbled.

River sighed.

"I really hope they're not in any TROUBLE-"

Zim's antenna perked up.

"Wait, do you hear that?"

I paused. I heard a dull thump from upstairs, like a door being shut.

River grinned.

"Finally! They're back!"

The thumping continued for a moment. Things lapsed into silence.

There was a pause.

Zim frowned.

"This is taking longer than it should."

River whined.

"What's going ON up there?"

"H.C..." Zim asked. The computer 'Meh'ed.

"What do you want?"

"Can you go check and see what's happening?"

H.C yawned.

"Magic word?"

"...Please?"

"Thank you."

There was a brief moment of silence.

"H.C!" Zim called again. "Who's up there?"

"Umm... It's them, I think..." H.C replied, sounding shaken. I frowned.

What's up with him?

"You THINK?"

"Master, you might want to put the testing on hold."

"Why?"

"There's a slight proble-"

The door to the lab crashed open. I flinched slightly.

"Whoa, dang..."

Dib came stumbling in. I was surprised to see that he was covered in cuts and that his glasses were broken.

"Hey!" River squealed, jumping up and down. "What's up? We were worried about you! Lookit Zim, doesn't he look funny-"

Dib groaned and hoisted something up on his shoulders.

River screamed and backed up.

"OH MY GOD! WHAT IS THAT?!"

I took a closer look and gasped.

"DIB! IS THAT-?!

Zim froze.

"Annora..."

Dib staggered over to a steel table and lay my sister down on it. She was bleeding and unconscious. Her clothing was torn in multiple places.

And she wasn't in human form.

In a flash, I was by her side.

"WHAT HAPPENED?" I screamed. "WHAT'S WRONG?!"

Dib started crying.

"I DON'T KNOW!" he wailed. "I WAS- THERE WAS... I CAN'T-"

Zim went over to him and smacked him hard.

"STOP THAT!" he shrieked. "TALK STRAIGHT!"

Dib cried out in pain and held his cheek.

"I DON'T KNOW! THERE WAS THIS THING IN THE WOODS!"

Zim's expression turned icy.

"What were you doing in the woods, Dib?"

The human bit his lip.

"I... I was walking home... I was gonna go to the lab... and I saw her walking into the woods and I... I was curious..."

"Curious..." Zim growled.

River was sobbing.

"SHE ISN'T BREATHING!"

Even though I was in shock, I managed to find my nerve and take control of the situation.

"Zim! Take care of Annora! DIB! TALK TO ME!"

Zim snarled and ignored me.

"YOU did this!" he spat, turning on the cowering human. "This is YOUR fault!"

"I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING! IT WAS THE CREATURE!"

Zim paused.

"LISTEN TO ME!" I hissed, pinching his antenna and bringing him back to reality. "I'LL talk to him! YOU take care of HER!"

Zim's eyes flashed.

"NOW!" I growled.

The Irken said something that I didn't take to be very polite and turned away.

"Now, Dib..." I said, trying to sound reasonable. "Why don't you continue?"

Dib wiped his eyes and took in a shuddery breath.

"I followed her..." he whispered. "I- I'm sorry, I didn't know that she was-"

"Shut up and continue."

"Uh... Uh, she was... she was talking to a bush."

River looked over.

"What?"

"She was talking to a bush and crying."

River looked confused.

"What?"

I rolled my eyes.

"She's a Ferni Being, dumbass. Dib, continue."

Dib stared blankly off towards the wall.

"I... I hid behind a tree. I think she saw me... but she didn't really care... She... I hid, I didn't know that she was-"

"She transformed, didn't she?"

Dib looked up at me with wide eyes.

"What are you?" he asked.

"That doesn't matter," I growled back. "Keep going."

The human blushed slightly.

"I watched her for a while.. she started flying... it was actually kinda cool, you know..."

Dib's expression darkened.

"Then this huge animal came out of the trees and attacked her."

From behind me, Zim froze. He had been working on Annora's limp body, trying to clean out the cuts and stop the bleeding.

"Animal?" he asked.

Dib's lip trembled.

"I- I didn't know what to do! It chased her, and she escaped from it, but it saw me and came after me instead!"

I frowned.

"What happened?"

"It was going to eat me.. but she saved my life.. she tried to get me to safety, but, but..."

Dib closed his eyes.

"It got her and I think her wing broke."

I glanced over at my pale sister. Her wing was crumpled and twisted in an odd direction. She was also covered in dirt.

"She crashed, didn't she?" I asked, exasperated. Dib nodded and frowned.

"Wait.. you sound so... calm..."

I sighed.

"I mean it's BAD, but it's nothing she can't handle. If she just got battered around a bit, she'll heal up pretty quick. It's something we're able to do."

There was a slight pause.

"Dib..." River questioned softly. "She... she didn't use... MAGIC, did she?"

"The... purple fire?" the human whimpered.

My blood ran cold.

I hauled Dib to his fet and shook him.

"HOW MUCH?" I ordered.

Dib's eyes glazed over.

"A-A-A LOT! A WHOLE LOT! THE CREATURE WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED!"

I gasped and grabbed my sister's face.

"ANNORA! ANNORA! WAKE UP! COME ON, YOU NEED TO WAKE UP!"

Annora's closed eyes remained shut.

"ANNORA!"

I grabbed her wing and pinched it.

"WAKE UP!"

No answer.

I wailed.

"COME ON! HONEY, WAKE UP!"

I stroked her hair.

"Wake up..." I whispered.

Zim looked petrified. His jaw was clenched slightly as he glared down at Annora with a stony expression.

"Wait a second..."

He reached over and snaked his hand under the ruins of her shirt. After a moment, he grimaced and pulled something out.

It was a large tooth.

Zim seemed to have all the blood drain away from his face.

"Dib?" he asked. "Can you describe the creature please?"

He voice was almost scary soft.

Dib cleared his throat.

"Um... it was big... covered in black fur... big wings... eyes like yours, Zim..."

Zim seemed paralyzed.

"And... it had a collar... with a camera or something on it-"

"Did it speak Irken?"

Zim's tone was sharp and terrified.

"Er... yes."

"FRICK!" ZIm screamed. "FRICK!"

He whirled around, racing back to the computer.

"COMPUTER! LOCK DOWN THE BASE! PUT SECURITY ON HIGH ALERT!"

He paused.

"And check the base for bugs."

"But, master, the Tallest shorted ou-"

"DO IT, GODDAMN YOU, DO IT!"

H.C mumbled somthing. Zim typed away on the computer.

"Dib!" he ordered. "Did it look like this?"

A picture popped up on the screen. It was a frightening beast, that looked a lot like a griffin.

Dib recoiled in horror.

"YES! YES, THAT'S IT!"

Zim swore.

"FRICK!"

He suddenly looked exhausted. He slumped against the control board, his face ashen.

"Zim?" River whispered hoarsely, stroking Annora's cold hands. "What is it?"

Zim shuddered and ran a hand over his face.

"This is bad... this is really bad..."

He glanced up.

"I know what that creature is. It's... it's a Ferni Hunter..."

"Ferni Hunter?" River asked, looking confused.

"Yes."

"But, what would one be doing here?"

Zim gave her a dry look.

"What do you think? Because they're animals, they're able to sense the Ferni Beings more strongly."

"It-... what are you suggesting?"

"It spoke Irken, right?"

"But... No, that isn't-"

"It could have escaped," I offered. Zim snorted.

"From where? And besides, these things are valuable. There's only six of them in existence."

River whimpered.

"And who-?"

"All six are owned by the Irken Empire."

"But..." I frowned. "That would mean..."

"Yes, it would," Zim said bitterly. He glanced over at Annora, pain in his eyes.

"We have some visitors."

There was a brief moment of silence. Zim growled.

Slowly, he stood up and went over to Annora. Blinking back tears in an effort to be brave, he tenderly ran his finger through her hair.

"Looks like my wonderful leaders have discovered another Ferni Being."

:D

IT ALL GOES DOWNHILL FORM HERE, KIDDIES!

Characters: *WHINE!

Dib: I hate you, SOOO much!

Mw: Aw... you don't mean that!

Zim: I mean THIS! (Flips me the bird.)

(I make an anvil fall on his face)

Annora: ZIM!

Me: Eh. He'll recover. Maybe. He was being disrespectful.

Breeze: But, he doesn't respect anyone!

Me: Good point. River? Go get the healing gel.

River: I'm not your slave!

Me: You are what I say you are, and right now, you're a slave.

(River disappears in cloud of smoke. Reappears wearing the Princess Leia Slave costume.)

Dib: *Faint

Breeze: MY BABY SISTER! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!

Me: Jeez, she was asking for it...

ANYWAY, keep a lookout for my next few chapters! Thing are gonna start getting spicy!

Annora: ZIM IS DYING

Me: He'll survive. And if he doesn't...

Well, I actually don't know what happens then... He dies, I suppose.

Annora: I HATE YOU!

Me: You don't mean that...

See you all next chapter!