(Disclaimer: I don't own invader zim and well as the other characters that are not in invader zim, the plot is mine.)

Chapter 3: Memories

[Normal POV]

After the incident with the Tallest, Zim began living with Dib. Well, forced to, really. Dib knew that Zim was still in deep depression and also knew the temptations Zim would have of committing suicide. His dad fell for the white lie of Zim's house bursting into flames because of who knows what and no one knew where his parents or family members were and of course aloud him to stay. Gaz didn't care, as long as he left her in peace, and as long as he didn't touch her Game Slave. Before Zim could ask why, Dib had told him that there would be dire consequences if he went against her request, so Zim obliged. If he wanted to die, he didn't want to die at the hands of Gaz.

This didn't mean Zim trusted Dib. He began to think that at any moment, Dib would send Zim to the Swollen Eyeball or to the FBI (he still thought at the time that the FBI went after aliens with corn as their weapons), or thought that Dib would do away with him himself. Sometimes Dib would be tempted to do this to him, but his conscience always got in his way. That was a flaw in heroes, in his own opinion. They always seemed to listen to their conscience. And he being a hero himself had to listen. But that didn't stop their fights and quarrels.

Zim had tried to commit suicide a couple times. After all, he was loyal to his leaders even after being told those terrible things. If they wanted him dead he'd try to please him by dying for them. Dib was always there to stop him. He only wished he could figure out how to cheer him up. Even calling Zim "amazing" or those other things that usually would bring up his spirits just didn't work anymore. The truth about his mission really did hurt him. Especially since his own people had mocked him behind his back.

After a while, Zim had gotten a bit used to living with Dib, and, to Dib's hidden relief, had stopped trying to kill himself. He actually started to like Dib. It was like that one moment that he and Dib actually acted as though they've been friends for years. Having some quarrels, still, but nonetheless, friends.

It Saturday afternoon; a day in which parents feared all because their insane children would run around their house breaking things or even wrecking havoc in the city. Surprisingly, today, Zim wasn't the one causing any harm. Seeing that his master was getting overworked because of his "mission" GIR suggested, more likely forced, him into taking a day off, even locking him out of his base. "Stupid robot," Zim grumbled as he lay on the grass of hill only miles away from the loud city. Now that he thought about it, maybe GIR was a defective SIR. Just then, the devil himself, Dib, showed up. "Hey, alien-scum," Dib said standing over the Irken with a smirk.Oh joy, Zim thought sarcastically. "What do you want hyoo-man?"

"Nothing, really," Dib said as he walked beside Zim and sat next to him calmly, "Gaz threw me out of the house for spilling soda on her Game Slave, so I decided to go spy on you. When I got to your base, your crazy robot tackled into me and nearly hugged me to death."

The human boy gave a small glare as Zim softly snickered. Shaking this off, he continued, "He did however tell me you were here."

"That idiot," Zim hissed. Dib chuckled, "Well I don't expect much from him," he said. Zim had to agree with him. Whatever his leaders were thinking when they gave GIR to him must've been a time they became high. After all, they gave the robot to him laughing manically; it was obvious that it was an accident, to Zim anyway. Soon after, the two sparked an argument. Something about Zim randomly saying that he'd destroy Earth, while Dib believed otherwise, also saying that he'd stop him. Somehow or another it turned into a conversation when Zim mentioned the Irkens. At the time Dib didn't even know what alien specie Zim was to his own dismay. He actually thought at first that maybe Zim was a Martian, but then again he used the planet as a battle ship and even went as far as flying into an asteroid field. Zim wouldn't be so stupid as to put his whole planet in danger, Dib thought. He had no idea.

"So you know that the other Irkens shun you," Dib said in a dull tone. Zim gave him a glare. "Well, maybe them, but at least my leaders, the Tallest, don't."

"You're leaders are called the Tallest?" Dib eyed Zim as if the green-scum was being completely idiotic. Zim growled to himself realizing that he slipped out more information to the Dib-beast. "Why am I, ZIM, even talking to you?"

"I don't know," Dib shrugged, "Maybe because we're bored? And why the heck do you keep emphasizing your name?"

"Because I am amazing!" And with that the alien laughed like the maniac he was. Dib rolled his eyes. "Right," Dib said in dull sarcasm earning him another glare from Zim. The two listened to the screams of the city as flames went up the main buildings. The children were being violent to the extreme. For some odd reason this brought up a question.

"Why do save those who hate you so much?"

Dib turned to the alien with a confused expression written on his face. "What?"

"Your own people hate you," Zim told him, "They've insulted, called you insane, in front of you or behind your back. So why do you do it?"

Dib thought for a moment then turned back to Zim. "Well, why do you continue trying to conquer Earth for those who hate you as much as my people hate me?"

"Of course, to regain the honor I lost for nearly destroying Irk," he turned over to a shocked Dib, "by accident!"

Wow! He really was stupid enough to put his own planet in danger! If that was the name of his home planet, that is. Next thing he would be told was that Zim also accidentally killed his former leaders. He'd have to look up on that later. "Now tell Zim why you help those hideous earth-monkeys!" He had a disgusted emphasis at the last three words. But Dib didn't even glare at Zim. The human gave Zim a small smile. "Even though it'd be so easy for me to let you get away with destroying Earth," Dib said, "I guess, that it means a lot to me to do the right thing…" He slightly grinned more as he noticed Zim's awkward silence. The "almighty" Zim, having an awkward silence; now that'll be the day! "After all, Zim, I'm just as loyal to the humans as much as you're loyal to the Irkens."

"…I see," Zim said blinking. There was a long silence between the two as they looked up into the sky. This always made Zim feel home-sick, and this also made Dib dream more of going into space himself. After a while, Dib ended the silence."You know Zim," the human turned his head to the smaller one whose eyes gazed into the sky, "If we ever met under different circumstances, I think we would've been good friends."

Zim turned to Dib, staring at him in shock. But soon after, he began to smile.

"Maybe so, Dib," Zim said as he turned back to the sky.

That was the first time either of them got to know each other. The very first time, even if it was for a moment, that one thought that the other seemed okay for being of different specie. However, neither of them expected that this would be the last time either of them would truly be enemies, and that neither of them would even do so much as give a glance to each other until Zim would be told that his mission to conquer Earth was a lie.

That was the only memory that made him actually smile. All the other happy memories he had became a blur to him. The other memories he could remember were the bad ones, like the one of GIR and Mini-Moose being killed. Computer, either malfunctioning or doing this on purpose, began attacking Zim with random lasers, probably ones that Zim had forgotten he gave it. GIR and Mini-Moose managed to save him, but with a cost. Mini-Moose was destroyed, while GIR was beaten so much that he shut down completely with Zim having no way to fix him. Another was of the Tak incident. We all know that story. But it was the part when Tak said that his mission was a lie. He didn't believe her. He thought she was jealous of him.

Did he learn the hard way, or what?