Authors Note: This chapter is longer than the first. More angst because I'm in an angsty mood. School doesn't really help either. Soooo, I dedicated this to Niki (ZIM BACKPACK!), Alex (for getting me obsessed), Klia (for encouraging me to write), Teresa (sheyells a lot), Jordyn (for being a good friend), Zack (he's just Zack), and ME! because I wrote it. Oh and all of those other people who visit my site because your reviews make me look good! HAH!

Chapter 2

It was so easy. Easier than he thought. Always before he'd deliver a long speech before he attacked. It was to break their spirit so that their bodies would be more venerable. So that they'd remember the name of ZIM! They'd remember it when his victory came and he would be hailed as a savior on his planet for invading and breaking the unbeatable planet of earth.

He realized he could break their bodies. Oh that was almost pathetic. But he didn't know hot to break their spirits. And that's why Dib smiled when he knew Zim held his final hours in the form of a bottle. He smiled knowing that he won and wouldn't let Zim have the pride of breaking him. And that's why the spirits of everyone Zim obliterated stood around him and crowded his thoughts.

"Why did I?"

Zim jumped at the thought. He never asked that question. Invaders go on their instinct and their judgement was never wrong. But then what was leading him to his laboratory. Maybe underground he could clear his thoughts and worries. Maybe the layers of caked darkness would smother him and erase all he had done. But he knew that was useless. But what force was guiding him down here?

And then he remembered. Well, didn't remember but was brought back in time. By touching the residue of the event, a chain-reaction occurred. Irkens were known for having good memory but Zim had censored this one out. Just a bad dream that soon faded into oblivion. But the evidence was there and he had felt the aura of the moment again. Although he never meddled with time machines and rip the fabrics of space, he knew that this would be what it felt like to be sucked back in a replay of time.

A heavy pressure pushed him on his feet leaving him crumpled. But it was better that way, he wanted to leave this world and all its problems by curling into a ball and forgetting about it. But that was impossible. It was too late. This memory had come alive and shown him what he didn't want to be shown. Just like how his body, his green body and green hand had forced him to understand.

Panting, he let the flashback occur.

It hit him like a tidal wave. No, more like a tornado. He was caught in a torrent of volleys. Battling to get a grip and not being able to hear himself scream. He did scream. He yelled and called for help. But he knew no one was to come, he turned his back on the world. Finally he was dropped in the eye of the storm. It was a deep breath before the deep plunge again into rage, happiness, frustration, guilt, and then finally acceptance. The memory came as Zim was numbed by emotions and finally not caring or fighting what he knew was to come next.

"Prepare to meet your DOOM, Dib monkey!"

"Yeah, well you'll never get away with this Zim!"

"Oh come on! We'll just see about that, won't we Gir? GIR! Off my head!"

"You've got a mushyroooom!"

"Indeed, indeed I do. But would Dib like to see it?"

Zim got up off his knees to prepare. Ready to fight the strongest wave of emotion ready to swarm over him. The remembering continued with or without his consent. He remembered throwing the jar at Dib's feet and Dib frozen with fear. The glass shattered into countless pieces, reflecting the unbreakable smile etched on Dib's face a million times over. Forever branding it on Zim's mind.

Now that the jar was broken, the mushroom lay open to all. The many fans quickly spread its spores, covering all in a thin, invisible blanket. Dib started to cough remembering all the symptoms he would go suffer before…before the final one.

He recalled the bologna mutation. But thanks to his Dad's supreme technology, the effects wore off and Zim's alien body was able to fight it off. But Dib knew that neither his body nor his Dad's technology could save him now. Many years of research in Professor Membrane's lab still couldn't find the cure for the common cold. And this Zim took advantage of. He mutated the spores of mushrooms to create a hybrid virus with the cold. The virus constantly mutating into new forms so that if part of the chain weakened and died, the rest would be unaffected and further spread. But unlike the common cold, Zim made sure that the effects were much worse.

Dib smiled even as he fell, his body exhausted from the battle. Zim just stood there. The battle lust gone and his own laughter fading in front of this show of defeat. He wasn't sure he really liked this feeling although he had been preparing it all his life. Finally Dib collapsed under his own weight and fell into a coma-like sleep. Still hanging onto life when he could just as easily give up. The smile never once leaving his face.

Then the image faded and Zim was once again venerable to his emotions. Finally, Zim was able to see what had triggered the emotional backwash. It was Dib's body laying face-up, his smile boring into Zim's weary eyes.

Authors Note: There you go! Longer than before and more to come.Please review and tell me if you think this story is going in the right direction.