~Prologue~



…Earth, the present…



A short fellow, black hair neatly combed back, striped shirt meticulously clean, boots shined, walked purposefully down the sidewalk in a neighborhood that could have been in any town in North America. Nothing was terribly odd about this, except for the fact that the fellow had green- tinged skin, and no ears. And on earth, green skin just isn't normal.

The dog walking at the fellow's heels was a bit odd, as well. The main reason for this was, well, the dog had a zipper. It wasn't terribly noticeable, however. Unless you looked really close, which most people didn't. The green-skinned, earless lad was usually more eye catching.

As the pair moved down the street, the zipper-dog stopped abruptly to sniff at a flower, jerking the leash from the gloved hand of the earless lad.

"Gir! We don't have time for such nonsense! Now come along." Picking up the leash and giving it a tug to add emphasis to his words, the lad continued on, zipper-dog following, though clearly disappointed. "Ooh, we never have time for nonsense. Sniff."

The short fellow continued on towards his destination, stopping at a nice little house with a white picket fence. He stared up at it for a few long moments, mustering the nerve to do what he knew he had to. Dropping the leash, he motioned for Gir to stay put, then approached the door.

He rang the bell, then waited a moment until it was answered. A young girl, dressed in dark purple and black, opened the door and look down. "Oh." She said, blinking. "It's -you-. I was expecting the pizza guy." The girl then began to glower darkly, as if it was the short fellow's fault that he wasn't a pizza delivery guy. With a sound of exasperation, the girl called back into the house, "Dib! That weird kid with the skin condition is at the door." Then she walked away, leaving the door open a crack.

A voice answered her from inside. "You mean Zim?!" A crashing sound then followed, much like someone tripping over their own feet and plummeting down a short flight of stairs. A moment later a new face appeared at the door, and the face wore glasses.

"Zim! What are you doing here? Did you come to eat my family? Or maybe you want to steal my dad's classified scientific equiptment? Hm, is that it?!" Dib was dressed in his typical fashion, t-shirt, black pants, boots and coat, though his clothes were a bit ruffled. Apparently he -had- fallen down the stairs. "Classified, you say?" Zim asked. If he had had ears, they would have perked. "No, wait, that's… not important." He reminded himself.

"Oh, no?! Then what is so important, Zim? I know you didn't come over to borrow my notes for that math test on Friday. So spill it, why are you here?" Dib glared daggers over the rim of his glasses, hands gripping the edge of the door as if he were afraid that Zim would try rushing him. "Why? Why, you ask! I'll tell you why, you pathetic worm baby." Zim glared back for a moment. Then strangely, his expression softened somehow. Zim cleared his throat.

"I've come to speak with you, Dib-human. Perhaps for the last time." Zim's tone was as serious as it ever got. "What are you talking about, Zim? Are you going to try to destroy the earth, again?" Dib's tone was more than a bit mocking, but Zim went on.

"Not this time, earthling. I'm going away. You wouldn't understand where – besides, it's… beside the point. I just want to say that… that… " Zim squared his shoulders, standing a bit taller, even more serious. "You were a worthy adversary. Had you been born Irken, you would be might." Dib blinked at Zim, mouth hanging open.

"Well. Fare well, Dib." Zim handed dib a small, sealed package, then turned swiftly and marched back towards Gir. Dib watched, gaping. Finally, he forced himself to reply.

"I don't know what new game you're playing, Zim, but I'm not fooled! You'll be back! And I'll be waiting! YOU'LL BE BACK!" Dib stood in the doorway for what seemed a lifetime, watching Zim pass out of sight.

"You'll be back… " He whispered at last, hopeful, and yet, sad.

* *

Zim, sat at the controls of the Vootrunner, high over the planet called Earth, maneuvering the craft out of the planet's gravity well. Gir sat beside him, holding a snapshot of a pig in his little robot hands, tears rolling down his metallic cheeks.

Glancing down at his mechanical companion, Zim frowned. "What are you blubbering about?" Gir sniffled, wiping away tears. "I'm gonna miss earth."

Zim began to glower as he set coordinates for some distant location. But after a moment he murmur, "So will I, Gir. So will I."

The vootrunner sped off towards the distant stars, leaving the tiny blue and green planet far behind. "Awww, somebody needs a hug!"

"Gir! Get off me, Gir!"