Chapter 17: Readers Review, The End is Near!
"I wonder if he'd still have said it if he'd known..." broadcasted Zim's voice into the microphone, "if he'd known the truth about me...that I'm..."
Dib went slack-jawed. What the...?
"It wouldn't have mattered if he did anyway! The results would be the same! It's not like emotions are magic lamps that can fix everything and give everyone what they want!"
There was a pause. Everyone remained silent as they listened, spell bound, to the static playing in the background.
"No," Zim's voice came again, "(sigh)...It wouldn't have made a difference whether he knew I was really male or not..."
Shirley cut the feed just as GIR was making his entrance, the click from the recorder's 'stop' button echoing impossibly long after it had any right to.
As a single entity, all eyes shifted from Shirley to the owner of the voice they'd just heard confessing. Dib's eyes were the widest of all, his mouth opening and closing in a ridiculous imitation of a fish.
Zim, for his part, never tore his eyes from Shirley. He pushed himself out of Dib's arms and staggered toward the smiling blond, taking only a couple of steps before his tipsyness caused him to stumble. Despite his mind still being in shock, Dib's body reacted and was at Zim's side in an instant, catching him before he hit the ground and holding him up by his sides.
Zim ignored him, still glaring toward center stage. He pointed a wavering claw at his tiara, "You want this?"
He jerked the circlet off and flung it at the girl's feet, a few fake diamonds popping out of place and bouncing off the floor, "Take it!"
The Irken then turned and flung his arms around the boy-holding-him-up's neck, "Just let me keep the Dib..."
Dib's arms automatically encircled Zim's waist and pressed him close without a second thought or even a first one. Even after he took notice of everyone staring at them, it didn't occur to him to let go.
The invader glared back at them, "Don't give me those looks! It's his loyalty to you that keeps him from me in the first place!" He swung his glare around the room, "You have no idea how much you owe him! No friggen idea how hard he's fought or how much he's sacrificed to keep you all safe! But I know! I know and it makes me sick to see him have to put up all your crap afterwards! You should be praising him! Building statues in his honor and calling him 'Hero'!"
Tears were streaming down his cheeks now, "I wish I respected you all enough to despise you, but you aren't worth it! You have chosen to reject your savior, and that is your choice! What will you do when the next foreign threat come along? One less easily tamed by filthy human emotions? You'll either be assimilated or die, and wish you'd listened to him before!" Zim turned, his eyes fixed pleadingly on the boy, "If they don't want you, let me have you! I want you, Dib!"
He brought his face millimeters from Dib's own, his lips trembling slightly as he whispered his next words to him,
"I love you, too."
(End of horribly cruel, teaser chapter!)
Hee-hee, that last chapter made it look like a sad ending for our heroes didn't it? And now this chapter comes along and makes it look like they might still have a chance! It's all up to Dib now.
SingerOfDoom: The last chapter will be updated the 24th of June. Happy now? You have been given a glimpse of the future! Be happy, dang it!
chickens: Hehe, if you were mad last chapter, I bet you're tearing your hair out on this one, right? Ah, but my fun will soon come to an end, as will this fic, and so will your suffering. Rejoice!
Capra hircus: I think Zim's little rant here has pretty much nullified whatever chances they had of being re-elected. But who knows? Maybe there'll be some gay right's supporters among the crowd! Then Zim'll have to fight Shirley for the tiara again, since he threw it at her. In the fight his wig might come off! Or Shirley's clothes might get torn by Zim's claws! Or maybe Dib will step in and...do something! Which will it be? Stay tuned to find out!
DibMagician: Zim just gave up his crown. But can he still win? Can he still have the thing he covets most? But what is that? Or who!
Anukis-san: Very evil...I just LOVE suspense, don't you? No? Yeah, me neither...I can dish it out, but I can't take it. And dish it I will! Such a yummy dish it is!
Anime Obsessor YR: (hands back Becca's arm) You can have it back for now. I trust you. Besides, the pic won't come out as nice if you're only using one hand to draw it with! I demand QUALITY gosh darn it!
Dreamer16: Am happeh you enjoy it! One last helping of enjoyment coming up after this, so be ready for it!
Hamato Kameko: Actually, by the time you reviewed and the date I posted, you only had to wait 8 days instead of 2 weeks. And now another 2 week long wait is in progress! My cruelty knows no bounds! (insert thunderous creepy laughter)
'Invader' Kri: So true. So many fics these days are left alone and unfinished by their creators, abandoned and forgotten. I admit to being cruel, and evil, VERY evil, but not THAT evil! As I'm sure you've read by now, the smeets WILL go on! They will merely be going at a sluggishly sluggish pace. And the slug the fic rides on is lazy. He's lazy because he knows I can't carry out my threats of sending him to France in a bucket of salt if he doesn't hurry up, because then I'd have no one left to carry his burden. The BUM!
Mystery Reviewer: The fluff commands you! OBEY THE FLUFF! Hehe, yeah, a she-Zim is a novel idea to most people who read this. And I KNEW I got the idea of Shirleys groupies from an Anime, but didn't remember which. It was the ones from Fruit Basket! Yay! More is here! And one more to go! Thanks for the many MANY reviewingness!
