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Good day, readers! I'm writing this from my laptop today since my PSU problems have now evolved into hard drive problems, so please excuse any misspellings as I adapt to the new keyboard. Also! Thank you so much to everyone who went to support FistApology over on DA, it meant a lot and they've even posted their first concept piece. Ugh it's so beautiful, I'll end up going on a rant if I don't shut up now!
Zim avoided Gaz's eyes like the plague.
The group was sat silently at his kitchen table. His old clothes scratched at his skin and they felt tight in some areas...still, they had given him a semblance of comfort and he'd be lying if he said he hadn't felt satisfaction when he tossed his gown into the incinerator. Of course, while Gaz and Dib had waited patiently for him, Gir hadn't left his side for a second. The robot was now positioned firmly in his lap, still snuggling up against him, yet underneath it all his grip was almost bone-breakingly tight. He didn't have the heart to push him away just yet, so he put practice into effect and endured.
Dib was pitched forward in his chair, glasses on the table and his head in his hands as he internally processed what was happening. Gaz, on the other hand, had yet to stop staring at him. She was quiet awe at how drastically different he was...he'd grown, though he was still slightly shorter than her. The antennae on his head were longer and they now had a pointed ridge at their tips. His complexion had paled some, a sickly grey undertone to it. His hands were bare...but also talon-less. She worked her jaw, unsure how to take how unnatural it looked on him. Taking from Dib's research on Irkens, she knew how tough their claws were designed to be. You couldn't just shorten them the way humans did with their own nails. Judging by how irritated the skin looked, cutting them had been no easy feat. They could worry about that later, however, right now she the only thing she was concerned with were answers. Whatever happiness she may have felt before seemed to be long gone and Zim could note a certain level of accusation in the way she looked at him. He tried his best to make himself small, the realization of just how unlike himself it was hitting him painfully. Or maybe it was like himself now...? He tried to remember how he was before his marriage, how he should be acting right now, what kind of front he should be putting up. He didn't know if the memories he recalled were skewed or if he'd really been so...inadmissible. Either way, none of his tactics to placate her seemed to work and he found himself simply studying the edge of the table. His eyes followed the patterns of the grooves and the layers of every chipped corner until-
"Well?" a voice said, roughly.
He realized a second too late that he'd jumped. Gaz seemed put off by it as well, but thankfully chose not to mention it.
"Are you gonna spill or what?" she continued. Dib appeared to be at full attention now, picking up his glasses and sliding them onto his face.
Zim fidgeted, "Uh...where should I...?"
"The beginning would be nice." Gaz hissed before Dib cut in.
"What we mean is...you've been gone almost five years and now you're...back? It's time to tell us the whole story, Zim."
The Irken juggled his focus between them, one pleading and the other simmering. Even Gir had stopped long enough to meet his eyes.
His expression tightened with his conflicting emotions and he sighed, "Okay, okay! You're right, it's just...kind of a lot to take in...and you have to save your questions until after I'm done!"
They nodded.
"Okay...I guess I should start from the beginning of the beginning. A long time ago, farther than any Earth lifespan, Irk was on the brink of war. Nothing new, but this time was different..."
Tallest Miyuki walked briskly through the hall, two guards at her back. She was silent and her face was serene, but there was a fierce storm brewing. She held her head up and strode at her full height, making a point to ignore the Noxan royal guards posted along her path. The glares of disgust that were sent her way were oh so subtle. She clenched her jaw in agitation.
How could Spork do this? There was a reason there were two of them! If he weren't so incompetent, she would have forced him to be here instead.
She came to a halt before a set of large doors, her servants scurrying around her to push them open. They saluted robotically as she passed, but said nothing. Not surprisingly, there were four more foreign guards inside and, on the far end of the room, King Enohen of Noxisis.
She held up a dismissing hand, "Alori,Taf..." they stiffened, "please wait out in the hall."
The two fell slack in confusion. Exchanging a look, one uttered, "...M-My Tallest?"
"We won't be here long. The hall, please."
They didn't waste any more time as they quickly saluted her back, turned, and made for the hall. The King watched her lazily, considering her actions, before flicking his hand widely and sending out his own. Miyuki felt her antennae twitch as the doors were shut loudly behind her, the sound echoing a low rumble.
"Ahh, Tallest Miyuki," Enohen announced, standing from his seat.
She stood firm as he approached her, a glint of disdain in her eyes. By the proximity in which he stopped, she could immediately tell that he was trying to assert himself over her. Luckily, her stature made it difficult and she looked him straight in the eye as he shook her hand lightly. She resisted the urge to smirk.
"Please..." he gestured over to a set of chairs in front of a large window.
She followed him and he waited for her to be seated before settling down himself. Their position overlooked a good part of his kingdom and she could see the bustling of the city below. On the outskirts lay a dense overgrowth of forest and, even further, an expanse of red water. She trailed the sea with her gaze until it merged into a lavender sky, the planet's white sun shimmering over the rippling surface. In some respect, she wished she had been alive to see the organic life that had once been present on Irk. She wondered if it had been just as beautiful before they had depleted it dry. She snorted lightly; to the untrained eye, all of this beauty could easily mask the horrors within. With a planet this well maintained and plentiful, it was a shame that it was ruled by such a tyrant.
"So, to what do I owe the pleasure of this meeting?" he asked
She cleared her throat, "I'm here on behalf of my people's infringement on our agreement and to formally apologize for my co-Tallest's choice of action."
He hummed in acknowledgement, "...and where is your partner? Should he not be here to answer for himself?"
"I've volunteered to come in his place. He is...unwell at this moment, your Majesty."
"'Unwell'," he echoed, "He orders the invasion of a Noxan controlled planet and now he's suddenly 'unwell' when it comes time to face the consequences."
"I apologize for the inconvenience. I've since seen to it that all Irken outposts have been withdrawn from the planet."
"Of course they have," he waved "unfortunately, that doesn't mend the fact that our treaty has been broken by your kind."
She squinted, folding her hands tightly in her lap, "With all due respect, the planet was unmarked on our star-maps. It was a grave mista-"
"Your partner knew full well that Alel 5 sat in our territory! It may not have been colonized yet, but it matters not! You see, I now have reason to believe that the Irken Empire is spiraling out of reasonable control."
A calming breath, despite the pounding in her chest, "The planet will be marked and the territorial line will be reestablished among Tallest Spork's ranks, as well as my own. I, once again, apologize."
The King paused, studying her, before speaking in a more calculated tone.
"You are aware, Tallest Miyuki, that the event of war between our species would be most critical to your side?"
"I...am aware."
"Hm...then what do you plan to do in order to prevent it? I doubt that you or your partner would be appreciative to go down in your people's history as the 'Tallests that almost caused the extinction of Irken kind', mm?"
She tilted her head, anger rising, "I attempt to appeal to your reasonability and compassion, you Lordship."
He laughed before standing and walking over to the window, "Neither of our societies are run on 'compassion', your Tallness. This little blunder has left me in need of extra...insurance."
His reflection stared at her, "...What did you have in mind, your Majesty?"
Smirking, he said, "My people are heavily reliant on familial allegiance. There have been instances in the past where our planet has aligned with others through espousal..."
"I...I'm afraid I don't under-"
"My Queen is currently pregnant with my heir. A son. When my time to rule is passed onto him, he will need a partner of his own. So, my proposition is this; I will uphold our peace treaty only in the event that he is presented with this partner by the time he is crowned."
Miyuki sat shocked, unable to hide the horror on her face, "B-but...what of future heirs? We are born sterile..."
He turned to regard her, "Oh, I know of you Irkens...and I know that you are no strangers to genetic altering," he smiled sweetly, "I'm confident that you will find a solution. Now, do we have ourselves an agreement?"
He offered her a hand, but she didn't take it right away. She was on her feet in a flash, racking her brain for any possible out, anything that would save her species without having to give one of them away!
"But...who could possibly fit such a standard?" she asked, shakily.
He sent her a knowing look, "Surprise me."
.
.
.
It wasn't until after returning to her quarters on Irk that Miyuki finally let loose. She had ignored Spork's questioning, one look of her burning fury effectively silencing him. She left her two guards in the dust as she retreated to the bowels of the ship, requesting only the presence of her personal assistant.
She was a relatively young servant. Average height, though just short enough to have her usefulness limited. Her curled antennae were flatted against her head and she rocked nervously on her feet as she watched her Tallest pace about, muttering curses and criticisms. It didn't last long, however, and soon the leader stood stiffly in the middle of the room. One hand rested over her mouth while the other was hugged against her middle. She stared far off.
"A marriage..." she spoke softly, "He wants marriage..."
"My Tallest?"
Suddenly, Miyuki straightened. Her arms feel to her side and she stood there quietly as she ran over her final decision in her head.
"Io," she said, darkly, "please accompany me to the smeetery"
They were silent as they made their way down, Miyuki making sure to dismiss any lingering workers. Working passed various experiments and technological prototypes, the pair slipped into a deeper section. It was mostly unused now that the main smeetery had been moved to the upper levels. The power draw had always been so difficult to sustain down here, combined with the sheer capacity of fresh soldiers that were needed on the daily, the lower levels dolled out more incompatible smeets than any other. It was all outdated tech; they didn't even use vertical canisters anymore! It was a wasteland to most, but to her it held a very unique treasure.
She stopped at the far canister, gently uncovering it as green light settled onto her face. A familiar warmth filled her chest and she smiled lovingly as she caught sight of the small body floating in the tube. It had certainly grown since she'd last been here...almost ready to be hatched, even. She just hoped its pak was ready by then...
"It's a tad small for its age range, but otherwise it looks healthy, My Tallest. It should be emerging soon." Io's high-pitched voice cut in.
She frowned, "All the more reason to have a pak ready."
"Quite right, Ma'am. Its base functions are complete, however, I'll need your input regarding configuration."
The Smaller began to make her way over to a work bench where a small pak lay. She would be lying if she said she wasn't proud of her work. Paks were incredibly intricate pieces of technology, perhaps the greatest in all of Irken kind! And she'd been able to use her scientific knowledge to make one from scratch. It had taken weeks and it was nerve-wracking work, but her purpose was to please her Tallest and right now...her Tallest wanted a smeet. Not just through title, but through blood. She was fascinated by the concept of "motherhood" that she had witnessed in other species'. She wanted to experience it for herself.
It was no secret that Tallests were prohibited to donating to smeeteries. The Control Brains had argued that it would put an unfair advantage into the system...reasoned that cloning from a Tallest would result in ruling passed one's lifetime should the universe decide that the smeet grow to the level of their predecessor. The Smaller silently prayed that the smeet wouldn't grow passed average height...
When she arrived at her work station, she realized that she was alone. Turning, she saw that Miyuki was still entranced by the canister and the life within it. Something seemed off...her superior didn't seem as happy as she usually did when they came down here.
"...My Tallest? Are you alright?" she called.
"Yes, yes, I just...can't believe this is really happening."
Io shifted her eyes between her leader and the tube. She didn't feel the same sentiment and seeing it displayed so openly, by a Tallest no less, confused her...but she tried her best to be supportive anyway as she offered a distant reply.
"It's quite beautiful."
Miyuki smiled, a certain sadness washing over her features as she thought again to her decision.
"Yes," she whispered, "he is."
*Ugly moaning* oh my gooooood, I'm so tired after this chapter! It's pretty late where I am, but know that I stayed up to finish this because I love you all! Also, I feel the need to clarify events since I always call out flashback scenes when I see them. I wanted to try my hand at merging the explanation into flashback AND THEN turn it into a separate narrative. I think I did alright for part 1. I wanted to tie in Miyuki's perspective juuuust a little bit so that we get SOME characterization for her. Anyway, I'm going for my long rest now. Thank you all for reading, see you next time!
