Yay! I get to force them to sing a duet! Thank you all for voting! I just really wanted to do that because I knew some people may find it strange. So, all you people who usually skip this, go ahead, nothing important today, just replying to a few anonymous people.

The first one left the name box blank, so, all you'll see is a space and a colon.

:0.0 Well, it's not really a ZADR story (although I admit I enjoy those. Yaoi faann!) but..er... yeah, my friend made me learn what 'lemon' meant in fanfictions the hard way, also I've never done that, this story is rated T only for language and wonderful gory violence (yay!) so I can't do that. It makes me uncomfortable just reading those, but thanks for the suggestion! You were the last vote! Woo!

KUUUUUUUUUUUURT: Best. Name. Evah. I know you voted no, and I totally respect that! You can skip until the next chapter if you like, or just read the first and last few paragraphs, if you can't go like on youtube or playlist or something to listen to the song, it's kind of a lost cause.

she-who-will-not-log-in: That'd be really cool! I really have my heart set on another song, but that is a great idea! Hmm... I think I may listen to that again! *later* I...have listened to that... at least fifty times...XD

Zim leaned against a tree at the edge of the village, waiting for Gaz to get over whatever she was upset about and come back. He needed her to just hurry up and let them do a ritual or whatever they were doing so they could just leave. The last few days had been almost pure torture.

Almost...

Gaz came out of the trees, looking annoyed and confused.

"Let's get this damn thing over with." she grumbled. She kept walking, completely ignoring the shorter villagers in her path, who moved out of her way and glanced back with a strange expression of anger mixed with admiration.

Zim rolled his eyes and followed after her. When she realized she didn't know where she was going, he passed in front of her and silently led her to the area the leader had told him to go to.

When they reached it, they both stopped abruptly. It was a stage, with several villagers flocked in front of it, waiting. On the stage, a few were holding strange-looking instruments. Zim raised a curious brow and walked up to it. Gaz followed, looking around.

Zim started talking to the apparent musicians. Gaz crossed her arms and looked at the expectant villagers, who had silenced themselves at her glance. She sighed.

"So, what, they're going to sing to us or something?"

"No," Zim said, looking confused. He turned to Gaz.

"They say... we have to sing to them."

Gaz made a disgusted face.

[OK, right here is where you want to go to YouTube or Playlist (dot) com and search the following song: Anything you can do. DON'T do the Annie Get Your Gun version, go to, like, the second one down on youtube. And then just read the next few lines, until it's time to start the video! For the sake of too much reading, use your imagination for most of the choreography, 'kay? But I did put much of it. You can ignore that if you want.]

"Uh, no."

"What, you afraid you can't sing as well as me?"

"What?"

"You heard me."

Gaz scowled.

*Vid starts here!*

"Anything you can do, I can do better."

"Ha!" he laughed a short laugh, and on that the musicians made one, loud note to accompany it.

"I can do anything better than you!"

"No you can't,"

"Yes I can."

"No you can't,"

"Yes I can."

"No you can't,"

"Yes I can, yes I caaaan!" Gaz found herself singing loud and long, and she didn't care.

Zim rolled his eyes and smirked, deciding however humiliating it would be, he would sing, too.

"Anything you can be, I can be greater! Sooner or later I'm greater than you,"

"No, you're not,"

"Yes I am,"

"No, you're not,"

"Yes I am,"

"No, you're not!"

"Yes I am, yes I aaamm!"

Pretending to shoot a gun at the sky, he sang: "I could shoot a partridge, with a single cartridge!"

Gaz scoffed.

"I could shoot a sparrow, with a bow and arrow!"

"I can live on bread and cheese!"

"And only on that?" Gaz asked.

"Yep!"

"So can a rat."

Zim heard a giggle and saw that Kama had joined the audience.

"Any note you can sing, I can sing higher!" he challenged.

"I can sing any note higher than you!"

Then, getting higher with each line they continued.

"No you can't,"

"Yes I can,"

"No you can't,"

"Yes I can,"

"No you can't,"

"Yes I can,"

"No you caaaan't!"

Gaz drew in a breath.

"Yes III, CAAAAAAAAN!"

Zim blinked.

"How do you sing that high?"

"I'm a GIRL!"

He scoffed. "Could-a fooled me."

He heard more laughter and continued.

"Anything you can say I can say softer,"

"I can say anything softer than you,"

"No you can't," he sang softer.

"Yes I can," Gaz sang even softer.

"No you can't,"

"Yes I can,"

"No you can't,"

"Yes I can, YES I CAN!" She burst out.

Zim reeled back, then shook his head.

"I can drink my liquor, faster then a flicker!" he stated.

"I can drink it quicker, and get even sicker." Gaz countered.

"I can open any safe!"

"Without bein' caught?"

"You bet!"

"That's what I thought, ya crook."

Gaz noticed the laughter now; it was hysterical. She rolled her eyes as Zim continued.

"Any note you can hold, I can hold longer,"

"I can hold any note longer than you."

"No you can't,"

"Yes I can,"

"No you can't,"

"Yes I can,"

"No you caaaaannnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn't-"

Gaz took a deep breath and started.

"Yes I can, YES I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I

can!"

Zim stared for a moment.

"Yes you caaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan!"

He cocked his head. "Where do you keep all that air?"

Gaz put her hand to her chest and exhaled loudly.

"Oh..." he looked away, then continued.

"Anything you can say, I can say faster,"

"I can say anything faster than you."

"...Noyoucan't,"

"YesIcan."

"Noyoucan't,"

"YsIcn,"

"Nyucn't,"

"Yscn,"

"Ncnt,"

"Ysc!Ysc!"

She threw up her arms in victory. Zim scowled in defeat.

"I can jump a hurdle," he boasted.

"I can wear a girdle," she suggested.

"I can knit a sweater,"

"I can fill it better,"

"I can do most anything!"

"Can you bake a pie?"

"No..."

"Neither can I..."

Kama laughed harder and fell over to the ground. The surrounding villagers glanced at her curiously. They obviously didn't understand the joke.

"Anything you can sing, I can sing sweeter," Zim challenged.

"I can sing anything sweeter than you,"

They paused and Zim smiled.

"No, you, caaaan't!" he sang sweetly.

"Yes, I cahahahahahahaaan,"

"No, you caaaaan't,"

"Yes III caaaaann!"

"Nooo you caaan't!"

"Yes I caan!"

"No you can't,"

"Oh, yes I caaan!"

"No you CAN'T CAN'T CAN'T!"Zim said, stomping forward with every 'can't.'

"Yes I CAN CAN CAN!" Gaz did likewise.

"Noo," Zim sang.

"Yesss!," Gaz sang at the same time.

"You," "I,"

"CAAAAAAAAANNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN!"

"'T!" Zim added.

The villagers stayed quiet for a moment. Gaz blinked. Had she really just been... singing?

After a moment, they started clapping. Quietly at first, then louder and louder until it was nearly deafening. Zim looked over to Gaz, smiling, but his face fell.

She was looking around the audience, her face red. She blinked, and he could've sworn he saw... was that a tear?

Gaz's eyes flickered in his direction. She turned sharply and ran off the stage.

Note: Now, I'm guessing before this chapter most of you hadn't realized that they had been drinking age for almost 1,000 years! Also, I typed this all out. Feel honored!