"When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves."
Victor Frankl
Pheromones of Doom
"Talking"
'Thinking'
StressedDib watched as the ship came closer to the planet. He wondered if it was really Gaz inside. So many questions, and yet they all remained unanswered. Dib sighed and Tak looked at him in confusion. She was still trying to get used to all the emotions she felt. The removal of her Pak had opened up many doors. It was overwhelming at time; especially she felt the need to help others. It seemed to be worst then the need to conquer.
"What's wrong?" Tak questioned.
"Do you think she's okay?" Dib questioned.
"Gaz is a tough girl…she wouldn't let Irk get the best of her," Tak assured. This change made her feel like a different Tak. It excited and scared her at the same time.
"I know that…but Zim is with her…releasing pheromones of evil," Dib explained with a shudder.
"If what you said is true…then it's possible that he loves her," Tak cautiously said.
"It's not right!" Dib growled.
"Irkens don't mate for love all the time, it could be for the strongest offspring," Tak tried to comfort.
"That is not comforting," Dib sighed.
"You can't stop something like this," Tak spoke.
"Why not?" Dib questioned with a challenging glare.
"Because Zim would release another pheromone that would send Gaz into a rage," Tak answered.
"Wait…why?" Dib cried in confusion.
"It would be so she would destroy you," Tak replied with a smirk.
"He wouldn't…you know…force her into anything?" Dib softly asked.
"No, something like this is delicate. It forms an unbreakable bond," Tak assured.
"You've really changed," Dib softly said in awe.
"Everything changes, even me," Tak replied as Dib smiled at her.
"After this…do you want to go get something to eat?" Dib questioned.
"Are you asking me on a date?" Tak teased.
"If you say yes…then I guess so," Dib said.
"I guess I have no choice then," Tak mused.
"The beam worked!" Klavier cheered and then looked at Dib. "I built it myself."
Dib sighed and watched as the ship landed roughly. Klavier groaned about having another hole in the ground. He was happy that it wasn't his house. Dib watched as the door opened and a ramp came down. Gir was the first run to run out and lunge at Dib. Dib cried out as Gir latched onto his face and laughed.
"I missed you!" Gir sang as he squeezed Dib.
"Just tell Gir to hug someone and that will be his way of restraining," Gaz mused as she came down the ramp.
"He's enthusiastic," Skoodge noticed as Dib's head began to turn purple.
"Gir!" Zim shouted and then noticed it was Dib. "Good job."
"Dib?" Gaz questioned. "Why are you here?"
Gir was finally pried off Dib's face and he took a deep breath. Dib looked at Gaz and smiled. He ran over and tightly hugged her.
"Put me down before I send you into a pit of despair," Gaz growled.
"I've missed you too!" Dib happily said as he released her.
"Tak?" Zim questioned.
"Hello Zim, I see you're well," Tak greeted with a grin.
"Hello everyone!" Klavier greeted. They all stared at him and blinked.
"He's got no Pak," Gir pointed out.
"Strange," Zim mumbled.
"I'm only going to ask one more time. But why are we here?" Gaz questioned.
"You are on Zeta, home of the Pakless Irkens," Klavier answered.
"Pakless," Zim repeated as Tak turned around and showed them her back.
"This is madness!" Zim shouted.
"That answers that, now why are you here Dib?" Gaz questioned and Dib smirked.
"I was going to Irk, but I stopped at this planet. I found some disks on Irkens and the ship told me that Tak had been searching in this sector," Dib explained.
"Disks? Research?" Zim questioned.
"Yeah, research on your race," Dib assured.
"Who's this short guy?" Klavier interrupted as he pointed down to Skoodge.
"He helped me escape from prison. He also helped me reactivate Zim. This is Skoodge," Gaz introduced.
"He's all cute and pudgy," Klavier cooed.
"Nice to meet you," Skoodge said as he hit Klavier's hand away. Klavier was trying to pinch his cheeks.
"I remember him," Tak mused with a grin.
"Greeting Tak," Skoodge said as he smiled.
"Good to see you again," Tak greeted with her own smile.
"What happened to Mimi?" Gaz questioned.
"Klavier broke her when he tried to fix the personality glitch," Tak answered.
"I think we should go back to the house and explain everything," Klavier seriously said.
"What's with that flower smell?" Zim questioned.
"I still smell honey," Gaz said.
"Explanations would be good," Dib quickly said.
Gaz sat in a chair far away from Zim. Her eyes were fully shut and she made no move to talk. Zim was stuttering and not managing to form any sentences or words. Tak looked at both of them and sighed. Klavier was grinning like a fool; he loved flustering everyone. Dib cautiously looked to Gaz and she seemed calm. Tak knew that this would cause them both to think deeply about things. She had only witnessed four of the Irken mating rituals. The first one ended with the female killing her male. The second one was a success that gained them all about six smeets. The third ended up with both dead, and the last ended up with female being killed.
'That explains the honey scent,' Gaz thought.
"I think Zim's brain is dead," Klavier teased as he poked Zim in the head.
Gaz turned her gaze to Zim. She didn't know what to think. It was oblivious that she cared; he was the only person that she deeply cared for. The time that they had spent together had proved this to her. She had long ago thought that she wasn't capable of anything because of her being a clone. Spending time had proved her wrong despite her quiet hate about it. She wondered if she could really do that with him.
'I care…but do I love?' Gaz questioned in thought.
Her eyes traced his features and she sighed. If she did care about him, did that mean he cared. Or was he only releasing pheromone to produce strong offspring. Gaz could feel the headache coming on. She wondered why she was thinking deeply on this. It would be better if she could just deny her feelings and say no to him. It might end everything for the better. She knew that she would miss something.
'Since when do I grow attached to other people?' Gaz growled as her teeth grinded together.
Gaz deeply scowled and realized she was acting like the thing she resented most. She was acting human. Never had she thought she would care for someone, much less an alien. Her features froze and she had the urge to reach up and touch her lips. She hated the urge, but wanted to do it. Zim had kissed her, she wondered if it meant something to him.
'I guess…it wouldn't hurt…to care for someone,' Gaz thought.
Zim had finally stopped stammering over his words and went silent. Tak believed that something had finally gotten pass that ego of his. He had turned his gaze to Gaz and remained staring at her. It couldn't be possible. There was no way he could care for another being, or human. He held no need to be with another. The thought sickened him. His squeedly spooch twisted in a knot as he thought about.
'She isn't that bad,' Zim thought.
He couldn't think of any reasons of why he had gone to Irk to rescue her. Zim knew it wasn't out of duty, because he owed no one anything. Yet, he had gone to rescue her and even risked his own life for her. He had never risked his own life foranyone or done anything to help another. Zim slightly tilted his head to the side and pondered something.
'Do I care…is it even possible?' Zim mused.
She wasn't as bad as the other humans. Zim scowled and tried to think of reasons why this was bad. She was human, weak, frail, and still above all human. He also reasoned that she was demented and needed help. Zim bit the inside of his cheek as he also found some good. She had a knack for destruction, had a will to survive, and managed to make the Tallest cringe. He guessed that she wasn't that bad.
'Then why did I kiss her?' Zim questioned.
He reasoned that something had pushed him to do it. Yet, he couldn't deny that he enjoyed it. His antennae perked up at this thought. He did enjoy, he enjoyed the feel of her body, her dark attitude. The time he spent in her company didn't annoy him to no end. There were times he hated her, but he scowled as he realized that he cared. Zim wondered if it would be bad to let this grow.
'Just an experiment,' Zim thought as he looked at Gaz.
"They're stunned into shock," Klavier teased.
"There's too much pheromone in the room," Dib mumbled.
"I can't smell anything," Tak smugly admitted.
"So what happens if I accept?" Gaz suddenly questioned.
"Then you enter the last phase," Klavier responded.
"How do I accept if I don't have antennae?" Gaz questioned.
"That's easy, because some Irken females are born without the pheromone gland in their antennae," Klavier explained. "There's a receptor at edge of males antennae that all you have to do it pinch. It's connected to some nerve."
"You mean I have to touch him?" Gaz questioned.
Tak swore she was about to pass out from all the tension. She was glad she wasn't in one of those anime.
"Touching is involved in this process," Klavier dryly pointed out.
"Zim needs no pinching!" Zim declared.
"I'm surprised they made it this far," Tak sighed. Dib nodded in agreement.
"Will you accept or pinch him?" Klavier questioned.
"Yeah…I guess so," Gaz replied as if she had nothing better to do. Gir passed Skoodge the popcorn.
Gaz pushed off the chair and walked over to Zim. He raised an antenna in confusion. Gaz reached out and this time her eyes opened.
"Hey? What are you doing? Hey!" Zim shouted as her hands reached out and pinched the edge of his antennae.
"OW!" Zim growled as he grasped his head in pain.
"Isn't something supposed to happen?" Gaz questioned.
The room went silent as Zim stopped his complaining. They could hear him inhale the air around him. His grip on his head tightened as his eyes squeezed shut. A rip was heard. Gaz turned her eyes to Zim's hands and found that his claws had lengthened enough to rip his gloves. Gaz took a step a back in confusion. His hands dropped to his sides and he stood up. He smacked the chair away and Gaz watched the chair fly by her and smash against the wall. His eyes snapped open to reveal deep crimson orbs. The color was so dark it reminded her of a wine color, of old blood.
Gaz took another step back and Zim crouched. His claws dug into the floor as he dug up parts of the tile. His gaze remained on Gaz as she took another step back.
"This may be dangerous," Klavier mused as Tak and Dib glared at him. Dib mostly glared at him. Dib lunged and tackled Zim to the ground.
"Run Gaz! Run!" Dib shouted.
She was so shocked that she ran pass them and out the door. A snarl was heard as she ran through the night. Zim smacked Dib away and lunged through the window. Glass exploded on the outside and cracked beneath his boots as he landed on the ground. His antennae perked and he darkly grinned. He took off into the night.
"Shit," Dib cursed as he struggled to his feet and then to the door.
"Will she be safe?" Tak asked.
"That seemed violent," Skoodge mumbled in shock.
"Master's insane," Gir laughed.
"Got to help Gaz," Dib muttered as he stumbled outside.
"Nope, if you go after them then it may turn out even worse," Tak scolded as she pulled him into the house.
"But—"
"It's best to wait," Tak sighed.
"I need to help her," Dib protested.
Tak rolled her eyes and pinched an area in his neck. Dib's eyes rolled back and he promptly passed out.
Author's Note:
Xenophilia has won an award or awards!(Throws confetti at reviewers and does a dance) It has won the Best of 2005 award and Most promising 2006 award on the Oc convention awards!
Thanks to all you wonderful reviewers that nominated me and actually reviewed.
Funny part is...I was never actually going to post Xenophilia, but I'm glad I did
Important! Progress: 26 is officialy the last chapter in this story, but I will put out an Epilouge that will introduce the second part of the story. It's going to be titled as Xenocide.