Doom Witch
By Julie Danskin
Author's Note: ^o^ been getting mixed reviews on Jed's demise . . . well here's the one, will she die or will she live? Who knows? ME!! MWAAAHHAHAHA! Well, you'll know too if you read on, thanks to all who reviewed, answers to reviews are given at the end of the chapter! Boom boom! This is quite a short chapter anyway, not a lot happens in it, it's mainly talking and whatnot but quite important . . . YUM! Okay. HERE! *hands chapter on a plate with happy little flowers and bunny rabbits on it* Mmyep.
Chapter 33: Love You So Much
. . . No . . .
"NO!"
It was Zim yelling, but Jed couldn't hear him. No one could hear him and make a difference. The fact was that Jed had shot herself, and now she was on the ground shaking like jelly. Dib was standing over Zita's body, his own grief taking over his soul from all other matters that may be going on at the same time. Fia knelt by Zenin who was lying face down, and when turned over seemed at her most peaceful, as if she had been longing for someone to shoot her a long time ago. MAX was lying in a sizzling heap not far from Zenin, but away off to the side of her struggling sister lay Tak, to whom no one was paying any attention whatsoever. Tak did not matter to anyone there except Jed, who was more concerned about staying alive long enough to say what she needed to say to Zim than her sister, whom was the cause of all the pain.
As tentatively as the word could possibly mean, Zim stepped forward to stand beside Jed, a lump quickly developing in his throat. He collapsed to his knees and he bent over her, his deep red eyes looking in to her fading ones.
". . . Jed?" he enquired, making a big effort not to allow a sob into his voice. He felt Gaz's presence behind him, felt her eyes boring into his back as she watched him stroke her antennae hopelessly. He felt uneasy under her gaze, but she did not say anything, did not try to remove him from Jed's side, or her from his. She just stood there, observing.
Jed closed her eyes, obviously the pain was too great for her to speak and see simultaneously. Her senses were failing one by one, each organ closing down in a step-by-step process of the Irken body closing down sequence. She did not have long.
"Zim . . ." it was a start. His name was not especially what she hoped to achieve but it proved that she could in fact muster speech. She opened her eyes to look at him again, tears swimming around them signalling the agony she was in. She groaned as she noticed Zim's hands travelling down her torso to reach the wound. He looked up at her helplessly, a look she had never before seen in his eyes, not even when she had been holding him at gunpoint when they first met. She didn't like it. She tried to sit up and reach him, hold him, tell him she was not in any pain and that she was fine, but she could not muster the strength or will.
Zim could not look at her wound anymore, so he stretched his body up to meet her eyes. They looked at each other for a while until Zim reached out a gloved hand and stroked the side of her large head.
"Why did you do that?. . ." he choked weakly, the usual force in his voice somewhere else, somewhere that didn't matter at the moment. "Why would you shoot yourself?"
"Because you wouldn't," she replied simply, and he imagined that had she been healthy she would have shrugged, nonplussed. But circumstances – or rather, consequences – being what they were, things had not worked out like that. "And you didn't love me."
"I do love you," Zim told her desperately, well aware of Gaz's eyes, but now was the time for truth. Zim did not understand love, not even now, but he knew he felt some form of great affection for Jed despite it perhaps not being as strong as the alien emotion he felt for the human.
Jed attempted a small laugh or a scoff, but it came out only as a splutter and she began to cough. Zim lifted her head and shoulders with his short arms so she wouldn't choke, and she spat out some gooey liquid that fell onto Zim's garment.
It was sticky, shiny and the blackest black. It was Irken blood. Both Zim and Jed looked at it and new time was running thin. A single tear ran down the side of Jed's face and Zim caught it with a sharp finger. They held a look and Jed spoke again, the pain becoming increasingly restraining.
"Forgive me, Zim," she said, not a request but an order. "You have to forgive me."
"What for?" Zim asked.
Jed shook her head, the lost look entering her eyes as she saw nothing ahead of her. "Everything. For being so blind, for not understanding . . ."
"Shh, shh," Zim soothed, stroking her brow, all screwed up with the struggle to stay alive. "It doesn't matter. I'm sorry too."
Jed didn't press the matter. Something entered her head that she knew had to be made known. Whether Zim believed her or not was irrelevant, she had to do what he could lest he be unaware of the plots.
"I want you to hear me, Zim," she said, "just listen. This is why you must forgive me, because I didn't tell you before, and I've had so many chances."
"Alright," Zim acknowledged anxiously. Jed took a deep breath although it added a great strain to her Irken equivalent to lungs.
"The Almighty Tallest . . ." she began, "they hate you. They hate you so much that they will stop at nothing to dest-destroy you . . ."
Zim said nothing. Jed was sure he didn't believe her.
"It's true, Zim!" she cried, the pain mounting up in her chest, the explosion in her stomach spreading, "I swear to you! I am . . . was . . . one of their plans to kill you . . . but I fell for you and I couldn't, which is why they sent Tak . . ."
Zim nodded. He'd known, he'd always known. He believed her, because he already knew.
"I believe you," he said gently, "and it doesn't matter. I will avenge you. It's my fault you're dying, and it's the Tallests' fault that you're here, causing me to kill you eventually. Jed . . . I will kill the Tallest and then . . ."
"Don't kill yourself."
"But then your name will be . . ."
"I don't give a shit about my name. My name . . . you knew my name, Zim, you knew it . . . and you knew me. You . . . you've given me more than I could ever hope for, and this was the only way it could end. Either . . . you died or I did. I'm glad it . . . was me." Jed sank back into Zim's arms after the effort and for a dreadful moment Zim thought she was dead, but she opened her eyes again one last time.
Zim heard a dramatic sob from behind him. GIR was standing beside Gaz, holding onto the bottom of her skirt and wailing into the material.
"DAT'S THE ROMANTICEST THINGIE AH EVER SAWED!" he moaned. Zim didn't care. Jed smiled from the side of her mouth, wincing as she did so. Zim thought it was because she was amused.
When Zim's head was turned for the second as he looked at GIR, an opening was made so that Gaz and Jed could see each other in the eyes. Jed looked at Gaz, and the stare was returned. Jed's eyes softened and she smiled at her rival, a friendly, forgiving smile that shocked Gaz. Unexpected though it was, it was welcomed, and Gaz gave her an acknowledging nod of good sportsmanship.
Zim turned back to her and saw her smiling, but not at GIR. Zim never knew about the understanding Jed and Gaz had shared, neither of them felt he needed to because it was for them only. There was no time for hatred or competition when death was involved. Only repentance and the things in the life that had mattered were to be shared.
Jed stopped smiling as Zim's head once more blocked out Gaz from her view. She gestured for Zim to come so she could whisper in his ear.
"Thank you," she said so quietly it was almost inaudible, but loud enough so that he could just hear her, "thank you for showing me so much. I love you . . . I love you so much that you could never know. I don't care for you not feeling the same, but you introduced me to . . . so much I thought I'd never see. Thank you Zim, I'll see you again one day."
"Jed . . ."
"Will you do me one last thing?"
"Anything."
"Will you please kiss me goodnight?"
Zim's face screwed up as if he might burst into tears, but he somehow knew Jed would not want him to. He looked at her long and hard before bending his head down to kiss her lips, his tongue entering her mouth and searching it for something, possibly life that he could restore into her. Her tongue danced with his for a few seconds, but then it fell away, fell useless and limp to the side of her mouth, leaving only his tongue in her mouth.
Zim pulled away reluctantly, the soft lips not giving any feedback to his. A droplet of salt water fell into her closed eye from his, but no one ever knew about it except Zim, and perhaps Jed. But Jed was gone now, she was just a body. Everything inside her had stopped working and she was nothing to anyone who walked by. She was nothing, not even to her sister. But to Zim she had been an Irken Invader, one of the elite and he had respected her, and loved her.
And he would avenge her death if it was the very last thing he ever did.
~*~
As Zim lowered Jed's head to the ground and crossed her arms over her chest, picked her up and stood, Dib was already standing beside his sister and GIR, holding Zita in his arms, tears rolling down his human face.
"Come, GIR," croaked Zim, looking at Dib in the face but speaking to his robot. "Let's go home."
The eyes of the two enemies met and held, their hatred for each other put on hold for grief to coincide and conquer their souls for the time being. They regarded each other and the grief that they shared but didn't say anything, either of them. There was nothing to say, because for the first time they understood exactly what the other was feeling, and that frightened them both.
They both felt anger and pain. Both wanted to hurt what had happened, and it all came down to the Almighty Tallest. It was them that would pay the ultimate price.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
A/N: I'm so sad now. Sorry to all those that liked Jed, but I thought this would give the story a better impact. Apologies for being so late in updating-ness, but more exams are evilly approaching and I'm beginning to SLIGHTLY PANIC! I'm also dying from chocolate withdrawal for forty days, cos I gave up sweets, chocolate, cake, crisps etc for Lent and I am DYING!!!!! Not long to go . . . just a few days . . . tee hee hee . . . ho hum hum . . .
Okay, here are my responses to the reviews I got for last chapter:
Queen of the Mooses: Well, you got your wish anyway! Jed's now dead because of cold-hearted, nasty people with pointy sharp teeth that Jed is now deceased and Zim is sad. But you're right, Gaz saw Zim first so I hope you're happy cos I did it for you! I'm glad you like the story, and I agree that it was probably . . . sniff . . . best . . . for Zim and the story in general. Plus I was scared you might come and slice me with a cheese knife if I showed mercy. Ah well, keep reading!
Gir's hell: Yes, an update. After a long time, I know. I hope you still care, and am glad you reviewed. I know I didn't update for ages and see where you're coming from in the area that I might not have continued, because I did in fact ponder over stopping it but then realised I probably wouldn't get away with my life. I am sorry that I take so long, but I have a busy schedule at the moment, never mind a severe case of writer's block. But there are no excuses. I'm sorry from the depths of my soul. But I'm glad you reviewed.
anymous: I'm sorry. I know how you feel. I wish things could be different but . . . some characters are just meant to die. I'm very sad. Perhaps we can go to a meeting where people get over bereavements, cos I know it's sad. Blame the nasty people who enforced it on me! I'M SORREEEE! I hope I gave her a good enough send-off for you.
Piggy: I'm sorry. I'm sorry like a thousand apologetic sorry people who have graduated from the University of Sorry with a PHd in Apologetics. I hope you can forgive me. You can come to the meeting too. I'll bring some tacos and biscuits. Or shortbread! Yeah, I'll bring some shortbread. WOO! Everything will be fine. *rocks back and forwards* Shortbread . . . shortbread . . . WOO!
HappyNoodleGurl: Well Bonez, ol' buddy, ol' pal, I did as you wished. I hope you're a happy goose-goose now. YOU BETTER BE! I'm soooooo upset that everyone hates Jed, but you know, I think it's for the best after all. I'm still a shiny happy person and I'm just away to skip off to watch Trainspotting. Mmyep, that'll be happy! I'm glad you think Gaz is the "shiznit". You've still not reviewed any of my stuff on fictionpress.com. I demand you do, and if you have one then you need to give it to meeee! Username is 'Exegesis' okay? Anyway, hope you liked this chapter, Bonez, love ya!
Emily Strange: Again, I was reluctant to have to kill Jed off but it's what the fans want y'know and the plot after Jed died did fit in more. I was going to have a big Jed-Gaz face-off but thought it would be best if she died in the 'dramatic' big showdown of doom and blood and stuff. I'm glad of my assumption being good now you have assured me it can be so. Or something. I don't really want to be killed by the evil Monty Python rabbit, but I have my Holy Hand-Grenade of Antioc at the ready if needs be. BWAAAHAAA! I love Monty Python. Wow. It rocks. I have written, updated and you have read, I imagine. Or maybe you drink words, I don't know how you do it on your planet. Tee hee. Anyway, I took the hint and here is the produce. I hope you enjoy it and review again! Byee!
Till next chapter, folks!
"Take my hand, come undercover. They can't hurt you now, can't hurt you now, can't hurt you now because the night belongs to lovers, because the night belongs to lust." – Because The Night, Patti Smith and Bruce Springsteen
By Julie Danskin
Author's Note: ^o^ been getting mixed reviews on Jed's demise . . . well here's the one, will she die or will she live? Who knows? ME!! MWAAAHHAHAHA! Well, you'll know too if you read on, thanks to all who reviewed, answers to reviews are given at the end of the chapter! Boom boom! This is quite a short chapter anyway, not a lot happens in it, it's mainly talking and whatnot but quite important . . . YUM! Okay. HERE! *hands chapter on a plate with happy little flowers and bunny rabbits on it* Mmyep.
Chapter 33: Love You So Much
. . . No . . .
"NO!"
It was Zim yelling, but Jed couldn't hear him. No one could hear him and make a difference. The fact was that Jed had shot herself, and now she was on the ground shaking like jelly. Dib was standing over Zita's body, his own grief taking over his soul from all other matters that may be going on at the same time. Fia knelt by Zenin who was lying face down, and when turned over seemed at her most peaceful, as if she had been longing for someone to shoot her a long time ago. MAX was lying in a sizzling heap not far from Zenin, but away off to the side of her struggling sister lay Tak, to whom no one was paying any attention whatsoever. Tak did not matter to anyone there except Jed, who was more concerned about staying alive long enough to say what she needed to say to Zim than her sister, whom was the cause of all the pain.
As tentatively as the word could possibly mean, Zim stepped forward to stand beside Jed, a lump quickly developing in his throat. He collapsed to his knees and he bent over her, his deep red eyes looking in to her fading ones.
". . . Jed?" he enquired, making a big effort not to allow a sob into his voice. He felt Gaz's presence behind him, felt her eyes boring into his back as she watched him stroke her antennae hopelessly. He felt uneasy under her gaze, but she did not say anything, did not try to remove him from Jed's side, or her from his. She just stood there, observing.
Jed closed her eyes, obviously the pain was too great for her to speak and see simultaneously. Her senses were failing one by one, each organ closing down in a step-by-step process of the Irken body closing down sequence. She did not have long.
"Zim . . ." it was a start. His name was not especially what she hoped to achieve but it proved that she could in fact muster speech. She opened her eyes to look at him again, tears swimming around them signalling the agony she was in. She groaned as she noticed Zim's hands travelling down her torso to reach the wound. He looked up at her helplessly, a look she had never before seen in his eyes, not even when she had been holding him at gunpoint when they first met. She didn't like it. She tried to sit up and reach him, hold him, tell him she was not in any pain and that she was fine, but she could not muster the strength or will.
Zim could not look at her wound anymore, so he stretched his body up to meet her eyes. They looked at each other for a while until Zim reached out a gloved hand and stroked the side of her large head.
"Why did you do that?. . ." he choked weakly, the usual force in his voice somewhere else, somewhere that didn't matter at the moment. "Why would you shoot yourself?"
"Because you wouldn't," she replied simply, and he imagined that had she been healthy she would have shrugged, nonplussed. But circumstances – or rather, consequences – being what they were, things had not worked out like that. "And you didn't love me."
"I do love you," Zim told her desperately, well aware of Gaz's eyes, but now was the time for truth. Zim did not understand love, not even now, but he knew he felt some form of great affection for Jed despite it perhaps not being as strong as the alien emotion he felt for the human.
Jed attempted a small laugh or a scoff, but it came out only as a splutter and she began to cough. Zim lifted her head and shoulders with his short arms so she wouldn't choke, and she spat out some gooey liquid that fell onto Zim's garment.
It was sticky, shiny and the blackest black. It was Irken blood. Both Zim and Jed looked at it and new time was running thin. A single tear ran down the side of Jed's face and Zim caught it with a sharp finger. They held a look and Jed spoke again, the pain becoming increasingly restraining.
"Forgive me, Zim," she said, not a request but an order. "You have to forgive me."
"What for?" Zim asked.
Jed shook her head, the lost look entering her eyes as she saw nothing ahead of her. "Everything. For being so blind, for not understanding . . ."
"Shh, shh," Zim soothed, stroking her brow, all screwed up with the struggle to stay alive. "It doesn't matter. I'm sorry too."
Jed didn't press the matter. Something entered her head that she knew had to be made known. Whether Zim believed her or not was irrelevant, she had to do what he could lest he be unaware of the plots.
"I want you to hear me, Zim," she said, "just listen. This is why you must forgive me, because I didn't tell you before, and I've had so many chances."
"Alright," Zim acknowledged anxiously. Jed took a deep breath although it added a great strain to her Irken equivalent to lungs.
"The Almighty Tallest . . ." she began, "they hate you. They hate you so much that they will stop at nothing to dest-destroy you . . ."
Zim said nothing. Jed was sure he didn't believe her.
"It's true, Zim!" she cried, the pain mounting up in her chest, the explosion in her stomach spreading, "I swear to you! I am . . . was . . . one of their plans to kill you . . . but I fell for you and I couldn't, which is why they sent Tak . . ."
Zim nodded. He'd known, he'd always known. He believed her, because he already knew.
"I believe you," he said gently, "and it doesn't matter. I will avenge you. It's my fault you're dying, and it's the Tallests' fault that you're here, causing me to kill you eventually. Jed . . . I will kill the Tallest and then . . ."
"Don't kill yourself."
"But then your name will be . . ."
"I don't give a shit about my name. My name . . . you knew my name, Zim, you knew it . . . and you knew me. You . . . you've given me more than I could ever hope for, and this was the only way it could end. Either . . . you died or I did. I'm glad it . . . was me." Jed sank back into Zim's arms after the effort and for a dreadful moment Zim thought she was dead, but she opened her eyes again one last time.
Zim heard a dramatic sob from behind him. GIR was standing beside Gaz, holding onto the bottom of her skirt and wailing into the material.
"DAT'S THE ROMANTICEST THINGIE AH EVER SAWED!" he moaned. Zim didn't care. Jed smiled from the side of her mouth, wincing as she did so. Zim thought it was because she was amused.
When Zim's head was turned for the second as he looked at GIR, an opening was made so that Gaz and Jed could see each other in the eyes. Jed looked at Gaz, and the stare was returned. Jed's eyes softened and she smiled at her rival, a friendly, forgiving smile that shocked Gaz. Unexpected though it was, it was welcomed, and Gaz gave her an acknowledging nod of good sportsmanship.
Zim turned back to her and saw her smiling, but not at GIR. Zim never knew about the understanding Jed and Gaz had shared, neither of them felt he needed to because it was for them only. There was no time for hatred or competition when death was involved. Only repentance and the things in the life that had mattered were to be shared.
Jed stopped smiling as Zim's head once more blocked out Gaz from her view. She gestured for Zim to come so she could whisper in his ear.
"Thank you," she said so quietly it was almost inaudible, but loud enough so that he could just hear her, "thank you for showing me so much. I love you . . . I love you so much that you could never know. I don't care for you not feeling the same, but you introduced me to . . . so much I thought I'd never see. Thank you Zim, I'll see you again one day."
"Jed . . ."
"Will you do me one last thing?"
"Anything."
"Will you please kiss me goodnight?"
Zim's face screwed up as if he might burst into tears, but he somehow knew Jed would not want him to. He looked at her long and hard before bending his head down to kiss her lips, his tongue entering her mouth and searching it for something, possibly life that he could restore into her. Her tongue danced with his for a few seconds, but then it fell away, fell useless and limp to the side of her mouth, leaving only his tongue in her mouth.
Zim pulled away reluctantly, the soft lips not giving any feedback to his. A droplet of salt water fell into her closed eye from his, but no one ever knew about it except Zim, and perhaps Jed. But Jed was gone now, she was just a body. Everything inside her had stopped working and she was nothing to anyone who walked by. She was nothing, not even to her sister. But to Zim she had been an Irken Invader, one of the elite and he had respected her, and loved her.
And he would avenge her death if it was the very last thing he ever did.
~*~
As Zim lowered Jed's head to the ground and crossed her arms over her chest, picked her up and stood, Dib was already standing beside his sister and GIR, holding Zita in his arms, tears rolling down his human face.
"Come, GIR," croaked Zim, looking at Dib in the face but speaking to his robot. "Let's go home."
The eyes of the two enemies met and held, their hatred for each other put on hold for grief to coincide and conquer their souls for the time being. They regarded each other and the grief that they shared but didn't say anything, either of them. There was nothing to say, because for the first time they understood exactly what the other was feeling, and that frightened them both.
They both felt anger and pain. Both wanted to hurt what had happened, and it all came down to the Almighty Tallest. It was them that would pay the ultimate price.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
A/N: I'm so sad now. Sorry to all those that liked Jed, but I thought this would give the story a better impact. Apologies for being so late in updating-ness, but more exams are evilly approaching and I'm beginning to SLIGHTLY PANIC! I'm also dying from chocolate withdrawal for forty days, cos I gave up sweets, chocolate, cake, crisps etc for Lent and I am DYING!!!!! Not long to go . . . just a few days . . . tee hee hee . . . ho hum hum . . .
Okay, here are my responses to the reviews I got for last chapter:
Queen of the Mooses: Well, you got your wish anyway! Jed's now dead because of cold-hearted, nasty people with pointy sharp teeth that Jed is now deceased and Zim is sad. But you're right, Gaz saw Zim first so I hope you're happy cos I did it for you! I'm glad you like the story, and I agree that it was probably . . . sniff . . . best . . . for Zim and the story in general. Plus I was scared you might come and slice me with a cheese knife if I showed mercy. Ah well, keep reading!
Gir's hell: Yes, an update. After a long time, I know. I hope you still care, and am glad you reviewed. I know I didn't update for ages and see where you're coming from in the area that I might not have continued, because I did in fact ponder over stopping it but then realised I probably wouldn't get away with my life. I am sorry that I take so long, but I have a busy schedule at the moment, never mind a severe case of writer's block. But there are no excuses. I'm sorry from the depths of my soul. But I'm glad you reviewed.
anymous: I'm sorry. I know how you feel. I wish things could be different but . . . some characters are just meant to die. I'm very sad. Perhaps we can go to a meeting where people get over bereavements, cos I know it's sad. Blame the nasty people who enforced it on me! I'M SORREEEE! I hope I gave her a good enough send-off for you.
Piggy: I'm sorry. I'm sorry like a thousand apologetic sorry people who have graduated from the University of Sorry with a PHd in Apologetics. I hope you can forgive me. You can come to the meeting too. I'll bring some tacos and biscuits. Or shortbread! Yeah, I'll bring some shortbread. WOO! Everything will be fine. *rocks back and forwards* Shortbread . . . shortbread . . . WOO!
HappyNoodleGurl: Well Bonez, ol' buddy, ol' pal, I did as you wished. I hope you're a happy goose-goose now. YOU BETTER BE! I'm soooooo upset that everyone hates Jed, but you know, I think it's for the best after all. I'm still a shiny happy person and I'm just away to skip off to watch Trainspotting. Mmyep, that'll be happy! I'm glad you think Gaz is the "shiznit". You've still not reviewed any of my stuff on fictionpress.com. I demand you do, and if you have one then you need to give it to meeee! Username is 'Exegesis' okay? Anyway, hope you liked this chapter, Bonez, love ya!
Emily Strange: Again, I was reluctant to have to kill Jed off but it's what the fans want y'know and the plot after Jed died did fit in more. I was going to have a big Jed-Gaz face-off but thought it would be best if she died in the 'dramatic' big showdown of doom and blood and stuff. I'm glad of my assumption being good now you have assured me it can be so. Or something. I don't really want to be killed by the evil Monty Python rabbit, but I have my Holy Hand-Grenade of Antioc at the ready if needs be. BWAAAHAAA! I love Monty Python. Wow. It rocks. I have written, updated and you have read, I imagine. Or maybe you drink words, I don't know how you do it on your planet. Tee hee. Anyway, I took the hint and here is the produce. I hope you enjoy it and review again! Byee!
Till next chapter, folks!
"Take my hand, come undercover. They can't hurt you now, can't hurt you now, can't hurt you now because the night belongs to lovers, because the night belongs to lust." – Because The Night, Patti Smith and Bruce Springsteen
