A/N: Hello, everyone. Sorry about the lack of updates in the last three months. I've been too hooked on ponies and The Hunger Games. Plus, I started a new ZaGr fanfic (update: now deleted). I never thought of the consequences of writing two stories at the same time, which may soon be three.
Disclaimer: for the last time, I do not own my little pony... wait, wrong cartoon... Invader Zim. I did not create Zim, GIR, Fluttershy ... Dib, or Gaz!
...
It was quiet, too quiet in the vast space of Zim's underground lair. No tip-tap or the pitter-patter of feet.
GIR was out of the house most of the time at his new 'book club' with Minimoose, so the house was empty and lonely now without the clatter of robot feet, or the stir of a ghostly guest.
It made Zim feel sad, very, very, deep down in the hollow void of his chest.
It had been two days since she was last seen, but it felt like so long ago now. The experience was enough to shake the very foundations of Zim's world that it was impossible to get back into the familiar routine of his previous life.
He would hear a creak behind him while he worked, and turn around expecting to see her there. But it was just a regular noise with a reasonable explanation.
Why did he feel so melancholy? He wanted nothing more than to be rid of her cold, despairing presence before. But now he needed to see her again to get some answers, if just for one more time.
That was it. He needed to know why she had picked him in the first place. None of it added up.
These nagging questions were tearing him apart. He was of two minds now. One half of his mind convinced him that he should be glad she was gone, and the other told him to find her again, to know why she had shown her face.
Zim walked through the empty halls of his underground base. He stopped in one long corridor, and started hammering his head into the cold, pink metal of the wall. The sound echoed throughout the adjoining halls.
He stopped after the fifth time, knowing that it would not help him now. He just had to accept that the spirit of the girl had gone, and he was free to go on with his old life as if nothing happened.
He walked through the automatic doors of his testing room to see if there was any work to do. He had tried for the past couple of days to come up with a new plan to destroy the humans, but nothing came. He even drew a brainstorming cloud with arrows leading to possible suggestions. But they all seemed juvenile, nothing like the amazing ideas his brain had conjured in the past, like his giant water balloon and rampaging hamster...
The room was now cleared of all traces of glass from Tuesday night. But he had a hard time acquiring new glass, as the holding tubes needed to be replaced.
The marine subjects he had housed did not make it, sadly, and he hadn't bothered checking up on Nick since the incident. The computer replaced him somewhere else. In fact, Zim may have forgotten his entire existence, since he had a lot on his plate.
Zim stood alone in the long room, which would have been lit up with a pink light from the tubes, but now it was dull and lifeless. He gave a wistful sigh.
His left antenna twitched towards the sound of a rhythmic, metallic hum. It sounded like teeth grinding against bars. Naturally curious, he walked around to where he kept the mouse-brained girl, and there she was.
She had climbed up to the bars and was now gnawing on them with her teeth. Her rodent mind didn't realise they were made of steel, or that her human teeth may simply break...
Zim shook his head, and approached the cage to scrutinize her pitiful attempts to escape. Though the real reason she performed in this way was because she needed some enrichment, like all captive beasts.
She stopped gnawing once he approached her cage, and climbed down to greet him.
Zim noticed how bad she smelled as she really needed a bath, but he didn't want to do it. He felt uncomfortable bathing a full-grown woman, even if her anatomy was different to his. He could probably just shove her into a pool of disinfectant to rid the smell. Her pyjamas would also need changing; they were beginning to look dirty.
She sniffed through the bars next, probably expecting some treat due to his arrival. Human Lisa would be appalled at mouse Lisa's gluttony, as human Lisa liked to watch her weight...
Zim suddenly felt a tingle up his nose, and then he sneezed all over Lisa. She sneezed back.
"Gesundheit."
Zim looked around at the sound of the computer, irked, but he didn't have much to say. His nose felt rather stuffy now after that sneeze. Lisa wasn't looking too good either.
Forgetting about his sneeze scare, which was probably a one time thing, he opened the door of Lisa's cage and placed a lead and collar around her neck. He gave it a light pull.
"Come on, Lisa, follow Zim," he said. She soon followed. He didn't really have any use for her now, but sometimes he liked to take her for walks.
She crawled behind him as he took her to a private sector, where he would create new plans to overthrow the human race. Basically, it was similar to a small study, except it had more of an alien, hi-tech appearance. He would usually come down here to escape from GIR, and to get some alone time to concentrate on his plans.
But what was that new plan?
He tied Lisa's lead to his desk, and settled her down on a cushion.
"Stay," he ordered
She looked up with big puppy eyes — the same look she used to give her ex-boyfriend, before she turned into a mouse.
Zim eventually caved in and gave her a treat. Once he knew she was satisfied, he sat down, and got to work by typing rapidly into his keyboard.
He was sure he saved the file of his latest plan before the whole ghost fiasco, naming it something along the lines of "ZIM's 1000th DOOMSDAY PLAN TO END THE HUMAN RACE FOR GOOD!" But he couldn't find anything, because a file with that name would be hard to miss. He must have forgotten to save it. How very foolish of him.
He let it be, since the plan wasn't that good, anyway, because it involved mutated owl/zombie hybrids, and decided to start a new one from scratch. The impulsive plans always turned out the best.
"For his new plan, Zim shall... he shall... uh... A-ha! Solve world hunger! No, that would be saving humanity... Okay, one more time. For Zim's new plan, he shall... engineer tiny microchips and insert them into the brains of all animals, turning them savage so that they turn on the humans. Genius! How did I come up with that so fast?"
Regardless of his plan's spooky origins, Zim decided it was his best one yet. However, it never occurred to him that the savage animals would probably turn on him and each other, thus destroying everything to no gain.
He grabbed a pencil and a piece of paper, and began to sketch the design of his microchip. They have to be small, too small for the naked eye. Then they have to mutate in the animals' cells until they've overcome the animal itself.
While drawing the blueprint, his mind started to ponder on the existence of microorganisms, since the chips need to be as small to play a similar role. The microchip will invade the host like a virus, inevitably mutating with its cells.
He shuddered over the thought; the small threats were always the worst. Never mind the human race when a tiny, unseen creature is invading your body at such a rate.
As his thoughts revolved around his tiniest enemies, his eyes began to tingle, and then a stinging sensation reached his nose. He took in a sharp breath, and let out another sneeze, but this time it came with a stringy residue of snot.
Repulsed, he wiped his snot away with the back of his gloved hand— a tissue wasn't available, just as it never was— and inspected the discharge. This seemed familiar...
He scanned through his PAK's memory files, searching for any relevant information, but he was coming up empty. Suddenly, like an electric shock, his PAK triggered his brain, and he found the answer.
Sometime after his 'germaphobe' phase, he was rather curious to look up information regarding Earth germs which might be useful for future reference. A lot of what he saw frightened him. He even checked out a book from the city's library called "Earth Parasites and Pathogens for Dumb Extra-terrestrials Who Know No Better". He became deeply engrossed, and stayed up many a night to read its pages, until his PAK stored all the relevant data.
This mucus was one of a few symptoms of a variety of Earth diseases. When had he come into contact with germs? And why wasn't he dead yet? This was bad, very bad. What was he to do?
He rose to his feet and looked over at Lisa, as if she had the answer to his problems. Of course she did not. She only continued to gnaw on her lead, creating a frayed edge.
Zim ran all the way to his microbiology lab, and once there he grabbed a cotton swab and blew away any remaining snot. Next, he placed it beneath a hi-tech microscope. What he saw scarred him for life.
There were millions of tiny virus particles... He began to feel light-headed as he staggered back, and held his hands on the table for support. This couldn't be happening to him. He was always careful not to come into contact with germs, and now he had been contaminated.
He couldn't remember when he had caught the virus. Well, he did go to a skool full of Earth children, but that didn't stop him from going to extreme levels to impede their influence over his body. He would bathe in disinfectant to be rid of any contagious disease, killing off half his own skin cells in the process.
His PAK brought him back to several days previous, after his talk with Ms. Bitters...
He had been walking up the hall, minding his own business, but then Dib jumped out and startled him from behind. As he fell back, his foot got caught in one of those Earth disposal crates. The litter spilt all over him, covering him in filth. One of the wastebasket's contents had been a snotty tissue, as he inhaled all the tiny virus particles.
Now they were invading his cells, and multiplying at an increasing rate. The Invader had become the invaded...
Zim was left frozen at the revelation. He didn't move for a while as he began to shake. The room began to spin around in circles, and then he fell back against a table, knocking over all the equipment that sat on top.
He sat up dazed, letting the information sink in. He was sick because of his own negligence. How could he have been so stupid and careless? He was always ready every Earth-day to conquer the tiny, invisible threats that lingered everywhere.
Of course, it all added up. He was too preoccupied about the ghosts in his life that he had forgotten completely. In his weakened state, the virus easily overcame his immune system, turning him defenceless. He had been poorly with stress the past few days, so it provided a perfect gateway for the virus to invade his body, thus making him more susceptible to catching a deathly disease.
Zim stood up with wobbly legs. What would become of him now? Would he die? This couldn't be happening to him. No, he refused to believe he was dying. But he wasn't a native of this planet, and his body hadn't built a resistance against the virus. He should be dead now. Maybe the virus is slowly killing him, making it all the more painful to bear. Then that stupid movie he watched with GIR came to mind, only adding to his anxiety.
He was going to fight this mighty Earth threat. No microbial life form is going to destroy him from within. He could envision them now, multiplying with his Irken cells.
His head began to throb as a thin-film covered his eyes.
"C-computer," he choked, noticing the strain on his voice.
"What?"
"I... I'm sick!" He raised his voice, as it left his throat all scratchy.
"Well what do you want me to do about it?"
"Call GIR, I need him home this instant. There are errands he needs to complete, such as searching all the stores for medical supplies. Otherwise, I could be dead within a matter of days!"
"Irk forbid that should ever happen..." There was sarcasm in the computer's voice, which Zim either didn't notice or care to.
"It won't, computer. I'll make sure of that! Quickly, run a bio-scan though my superior anatomy, and let's see what mighty threat this virus poses."
"If you wish…"
A light emanated from the ceiling. It shot down on Zim like a laser, inspecting every piece of information his DNA contained. Another ten seconds passed, and then the lights disappeared, leaving the room in darkness. Zim squinted his eyes, trying to adjust his vision.
"Well, what did you find? Tell me, tell me!" he yelled, causing a racking cough to escape his mouth; the kind that makes your eyes water.
"It's just a cold, sir, a very common Earth disease. The humans get them all the time. It should pass in two weeks."
"No it won't! Don't you realize what's happening? This so-called cold, a common human disease, could be fatal to me. I haven't evolved on this stupid rock for the past millennia, computer. I am going to die, but not if I can fight this virus first. I shall be the victor in this battle!"
"Stop being a drama queen. You're over analyzing, which is a first for you, considering you hardly give anything a second thought."
"Zim's life is on the line, and you're comparing him to the queen of drama? I order you to call GIR at once, computer. Or I shall have you court-martialed for insubordination!"
"What...?"
"You heard me..."
There was a sigh of exasperation from the computer, which sounded like a static radio. "Fine, I'll—"
"No, stay back!" Zim fell to the floor and huddled against the wall. "It's the Grim Reaper. He's going to reap my soul! No, I don't want to die. I want to live! I want to live!"
"That's it! I can't take this anymore!"
A robot hand moved down from the ceiling, and lifted Zim up by the collar.
"What are you doing? Put me down!" Zim growled and scratched the air with his claws. "Forget court-martialed; I'll have your hard drive wiped clean, erasing your entire personality so that you cease to exist. It's back to factory settings for you!"
The arm flew across the room and threw Zim into a glass dome, trapping him inside like an insect.
He hit the bottom roughly, as his flesh made a squishing sound. He looked around the dome bewildered until he released a growl from his lips.
"What am I doing in here? Let me out!"
He got up off the floor and ran over to the glass, trying to scratch his way out. "LET ME OUT. I AM YOUR MASTER!" His voice bounced back against the walls of the dome.
"No. I don't want to. Your voice was driving me insane, so I think it's best that you stay in there for a while until I figure out what to do with you."
"Until you figure out what to do with me?" Zim ground his teeth. "Let me out, now, or I won't be held responsible for what I'm about to do..." He spoke in a low tone which he hoped was intimidating.
"You're trapped inside a dome. What could you do exactly?"
Zim smiled, showing off a row of pink-enamelled teeth. "Don't tempt me, computer. Remember, I can destroy you in a matter of seconds..."
"So what, it's worth it if I can get a least three hours of rest from your stupid voice!"
"Three hours? That's it! You leave me no choice."
His spider legs sprouted from his PAK, as he aimed them towards the glass. Unfortunately, the glass remained intact, but the lights provided a pretty display.
The glass of the dome was indestructible from the inside, but easy to break on the outside — an Irken invention, of course.
Hating his own race for their brilliancy for just a moment, he pressed his palms against the glass, and then whacked his head in a last bid to escape.
"Ow!" he yelped. The glass is also head-proof too, as one might presume.
Zim sighed. "Just let me out, computer. I could be dead in twenty-four hours. I must take immediate action to rid my body of this virus."
Silence followed. Zim was about to give up, until the computer spoke again.
"There's not much you can do. I've done some quick research, which reveals that your body is fighting the virus. All those symptoms you feel, such as sneezing and coughing, are just signs that your body is taking action. So you can stop worrying now."
"So, what you're saying is that there's a micro-war right now inside of me? I actually want the little Invaders to die in this war. Ironic. But I thought aliens couldn't survive against Earth-germs?"
"I don't know about most other aliens, but Irkens are genetically engineered to evade all kinds of disease on any planet in any galaxy..."
"Oh yeah, I guess I forgot. When did you get so... less stupid, computer?"
"Minimoose was sick of all the inaccurate data I was finding, so he fixed my faulty AI brain. Not like you were ever going to do it."
"That moose," Zim hissed. "Who does he think he is?"
"Well at least you know you're not dying. The common cold is unpleasant, but not fatal, sir"
"Yeah, yeah, I've had my brush with death... So can I come out now?"
"No."
"But I am Zim! Your master and future ruler of this planet. I demand to be let out of this disgusting glass!"
This time silence really did follow. The computer went to who knows where. Now Zim was finally alone in the empty room.
He pressed his burning forehead against the dome, breathing through his mouth slowly as he fogged up the glass. The cold surface felt nice on his skin.
Suppose three hours weren't so bad. It gave him an opportunity to mull over his thoughts. Regardless of how sick he felt, he still hadn't forgotten everything. It did add an extra problem, but there was not much he could do.
Zim pressed his back to the glass, and slid down until his rear found the floor. He gasped for air a few times, and then put his cheek against the glass, falling into a deep sleep.
…
A bang on the glass brought him straight out of sleep. He sat up panicked, releasing heavy breaths.
He snapped his head in every direction, trying to find the bang's source.
As far as he could tell, there was no one standing on the other side of the dome. So who banged against the glass to rouse him out of sleep?
He lay down again and let it be. His forehead was sticky with sweat, as lifting his body required too much effort. His head felt like it had been stuffed with cotton balls.
His mouth was dry. So he pulled on his long tongue, and noticed it was rough like sandpaper, having taken his glove off first; they had come into contact with a lot of germs. It looks like a new pair of gloves were on the agenda...
He would have done anything for a can of poop to mend his dry, scratchy throat. The air in the dome was too stuffy, and smelled like pure sicky sickness. It made him feel drowsy and heavy.
He felt a sinking sensation next, like he was melting into the glass floor. A green puddle of Irken flesh, he wouldn't be surprised.
Not letting his sickness— or whatever that sinking sensation was—get the better of him, he got up onto his feet, legs wobbling, and looked around the room. How long had he been in here? It must be more than three hours.
He called out to the computer, but his voice caught in his throat. How odd. He could hardly speak. It was like the energy had drained out of him, but he was alert. Well, alert as he could be in his current condition.
He tried to call the computer again, managing to get some air out of his mouth. But his voice was different, not his usually clear and demanding voice.
"Computer… I think I'm done from time out. Dome … must leave … to go and do … stuff." He couldn't even form a coherent sentence. It was strange. He was awake, but his voice sounded like it was still sleeping.
The side door of the dome opened next, and he perked up, relieved. He staggered through the door and felt a cool, fresh breeze brush against his sweat-covered face.
After being inside that stuffy dome for hours with nothing but stale air to breathe, it was a relief. All he needed to do now was find a drink to sooth his dry mouth and throat.
If he weren't so sick, he would probably punish the computer. But he didn't have the energy now, and he would've already forgotten by the time he was well again. So just a tap on the wrist. If the computer had a pair of wrists, that is.
"If you pull another trick like that, computer, then I'll definitely…" He stopped mumbling, feeling an odd, weightless sensation. It was strange. If one were to sit on a cloud, this is probably how it would feel.
He was light-headed again as he stumbled on his feet, only just catching himself in time. His lab began to look like a different place from what he could see. Everything looked rearranged differently. It was even spinning at one point.
"Just one leg in front of the other," he told himself. So he put one leg out in front, but his foot gave away beneath him through a crack in the floor, and he fell deep into the Earth's core.
For a moment, he thought he saw himself sleeping in the dome, but it passed quickly.
…
Zim may have fallen for hours by the time he landed on soft ground. A strong wind brushed against his antennae, as he felt a stream of rough sand.
He opened his eyes carefully, narrowing them against the sandy wind. What he saw took him by surprise.
The Irken was in a wide, desolate place like a desert. But instead of sand, grey ash covered the land from one end to the other. There was a strange, orange glow along the horizon, like the burning aftermath of a fire.
It looked like a fire had scorched the land of all life. Dead trees scattered here and there, but they were disintegrating. All that was left was their naked branches and blackened limbs.
His feet sunk into the ash once he stood up to survey his surroundings. He decided to look around to see if some life remained of this barren world. Determined to move on, even if he were to sink up to his head, he began his trek through unknown terrain.
As he walked through the wasteland, he noticed how quiet it was. Only the whistling of the wind accompanied him, and the sound of dry dust.
It gave him a horrible feeling of hopelessness, and of being lost. It was a place where dreams ceased to exist, and evaporate till they are nothing but dust.
He wondered if this was planet Earth, which finally met its end by the hands of some great and powerful force. Could this be the future of Earth? Was he not seeing the damage brought down upon the planet he hated so much by his own race? But they never would have abandoned the Earth.
As ruthless as the Irkens were, they did not destroy for the sake of destroying; they always had a motive. They would have made some use for this planet, not just leave it to float through space for the rest of eternity.
Whatever the cause, it didn't bring him any satisfaction. It was just an empty place now, completely useless.
He would have done anything to see the Earth's star at that moment. So he lifted his head towards the sky, but it was nothing more than a thick, grey blanket of cloud and smoke.
The sun seemed to have vanished. These ominous clouds masked its life-giving nourishment, swirling and twisting into horrible patterns. Maybe the sun finally came to the end of its life. Ms. Bitters' prophecy held true...
The sun's mass had increased as it slowly runs out of fuel, destroying the Earth in the process. All stars must burn out eventually. It's a continuous cycle. New stars are born all over the universe, so old ones must die.
Was he seeing the Earth in several billions of years? The humans would be long gone by then. They weren't going to last forever... The Irkens, however, were mere clones of their ancestors, hybridized with other aliens to create the best genetic traits to last through the ages. But even they must come to an end, surely.
He wandered aimlessly for hours, hoping to find some form of life. The desolate, dry land was discouraging, just about anything could animate this colourless landscape right about now. Even the Dib would be a blessing, and GIR, though he wouldn't admit it.
He kicked a small rock in frustration, as it crumbled into ash. Did everything just wither away to dust? It was too depressing, even for him. He was more fiery and spirited, so it did nothing to match his feisty personality.
The alien sat down on the ash-covered ground, sick and tired of looking for something that would never exist again.
The smell of smoke was overbearing, though he was surprised he could smell it. His nose wasn't blocked anymore. It was the first time he felt happy after landing in this place through the crack in the floor of his lab. He only just started to notice how weird that was.
The dry air in this land was dreadful to breathe, and the scenery only added to that miserable fact.
It encouraged Zim to appreciate the rich life of Earth, or what it used to be: a world once full of wonder and diversity.
Now it was all gone. It was never a significant planet. Not on a universal scale, but it was still something in the least, a part of something bigger than itself.
Irk was nothing but a giant mechanical rock of sprawling cities. No natural organic matter remained. Everything was artificial. The core was hollowed out for their offspring, where the children of Irk are born in laboratories and raised by machines.
Zim had early memories of sitting on a long conveyor belt with millions of other smeets, just to have his diaper changed by robot hands. He used to reach out for them, craving affection, anything to feel the caress of another living thing. But they were mere robotic arms with no feeling, and no warmth to give.
Though he found all aspects of human life revolting, he still saw with vague interest how celebrated Earth children were.
A newborn baby is made such a fuss about, like the one in his street a few weeks back — he remembered wanting to destroy it one night with its horrible, high-pitched wailing. So many cars gathered in the street that day, with family no doubt. Blue banners with the words "It's a boy" covered every window of the house.
A newborn smeet was just another soldier destined for battle. That human boy could grow up to be anything he wanted, with no path decided for him.
He realised now how much of Earth he took for granted. Such an astonishing planet, yet he wanted nothing more than its demise to please... who exactly? The Tallest never would have appreciated his efforts even if he had destroyed the Earth. Life would just move on once the next planet is added to the Empire.
But he was willing to sacrifice anything for glory, so it never passed his mind that he could be ruining the lives of many creatures; not that it ever crossed any Irken's mind before. They are programmed to devastate, so they only do what they are meant to, or believe they have to for the Empire.
A small part of Zim knew he would have never gained the Tallest' respect, no matter what he did. But he was still naïve enough to think there was some hope in trying, to prove how determined he was.
He was rather remarkable when he killed all those other Invaders in the first Operation Impending Doom. That had to amount for something, blowing up more than any other Invader. The fires burnt all night long. It was beautiful.
Zim looked around wistfully. He couldn't believe the humans were gone. As damaging as they were to their own planet, they were still compassionate creatures even so. Truly unique; there was not another race like them for billions of light years...
He hung his head, feeling a knot tying in his chest. A great swelling engulfed his heart; Zim had no idea where it came from or how to handle it. Tears formed in his eyes as one dripped down his cheek.
Why was this affecting him so much? It wasn't that big of a deal. A species has been wiped out. So what. It happens all over the universe.
He gripped a handful of ash in both hands, and squeezed them tight. This sadness was becoming a burden. It was inevitable. He knew this once his chest felt like it was going to burst from holding it in for so long. And so he began to cry, disturbing the silent air of the desert.
He didn't know where this overwhelming feeling came from, but he couldn't think of anything else to do then to let it out. No one was here to witness him cry.
He was probably the only source of life and sound at that moment, which tugged at his aching heart. Being so alone, it was unbearable, frightening even. He wanted someone then. The need for companionship was strong, just someone to hold onto while he choked and sobbed. The cool, dry air made him shiver.
He noticed his cries sounded different once they echoed back. They had raised in pitch slightly. So he stopped and listened. They continued long after.
He finally realised that those small, fragile cries weren't coming from him. They were too innocent and helpless, like the cries of a young smeet.
He rose from the ash and faced the sound. Wasting no time in sticking around, he ran straight towards the disembodied cry beyond the hill, or maybe it was a large pile of dust.
Once he climbed the peak, he had a wider view of the entire landscape. It stretched as far out as he could see like a great sea of ash. Just at the bottom of the hill, there were a few rocks, but inside a groove sat a small, hunched figure. He could hardly make it out, but he noticed how slight the creature was.
Naturally, he would have looked away and left the thing there, but he continued on towards the groove.
He kept his eyes on the little creature, and after sometime he began to notice its hair. Human hair to be exact. Probably the last of its kind, no wonder it was sad. He was grateful to see another sign of life, so he kept his feet moving, noticing they were going faster each step.
He wasn't far behind the human now, as he approached it slowly. He could see how truly small they were. Next, his face lit up in realisation. It was a child, but not just any child. It was her, the spirit...
The revelation left him baffled. Why was she still here after the end of mankind? Even her spirit resided on this lifeless rock once the humans vanished. He couldn't explain his feeling next, but it was somewhat synonymous with joy. Just seeing her again after he thought he never would made him glad.
She was buried deep in the ash, crying just like he did before. Zim figured her behaviour had reflected on him like a mirror. Were his emotions still tied with hers?
He only stood a foot away from her at the base of the hill, but he couldn't think of what to say. What was he supposed to say? There were too many questions to ask, and he scared her off.
"H-hey, you... Ghost... human child..."
She didn't respond. Zim moved closer until he was right behind her. He reached his hand to her shaking shoulder, but she didn't flinch.
"Hello, can you hear me?" It was obvious she could not. She didn't seem to acknowledge his presence.
Now he walked around in front of her, and looked at her face. She had tear-stained, ashy cheeks. Now she resembled a human child one-hundred percent, but she still looked rough and tired, like she needed a long rest. It was probably a while since she last slept, being such a restless spirit.
She didn't seem to register him at all, even now when he was standing right in front of her. The only thing she did was sob helplessly, and lift a hand to wipe away her tears, creating a smudge on her ash-covered face.
Maybe she was ignoring him on purpose. Zim didn't like to be ignored, and the very thought made his blood boil.
"Don't you ignore me, Earth-child. I am Zim, one whose presence must always be known!"
She lifted her head slightly, and tilted it to the side as if to contemplate a sound in the wind. Zim's furious face softened then, finally realising the truth.
"You can't see me, can you?"
She only answered with silence, apart from the small whimper coming from her mouth.
"I... don't understand."
"It's not too late, Zim, but you scared her away. Now she's broken any connection she had with you. You don't exist anymore to her, just as she doesn't to you."
"You again? That voice!"
"Yeah, here I am. How you, Zim?"
"How am I? What kind of stupid—?"
"All questions will be answered later, but for now just try to talk to her. Make her notice you."
"But what do I say? I've tried, and it didn't work." Zim almost sounded sad.
"I can't tell you what to say, I can only guide—"
"Well what use do I have for you if you can't help me? You're wasting my time."
"Will you just let me finish! You're so annoying. Are all aliens like this?"
"Aliens? You say that as if you're almost... human. Are you?"
"That isn't important right now."
"Funny, you don't seem to be coming from inside my head anymore. In fact, I would say you were right behind me."
Zim jumped around, expecting to see the being there. He wanted to know who and what it was. Nothing was there, but he did notice the shadow along the ash, created by the dim light that filtered through the clouds.
It was just a shadow, but there was nothing creating it. It was, however, anthropomorphized, giving it a somewhat human likeness. It definitely wasn't an animal, or a quadruped for that matter.
"Where are you? Show yourself. Are you even a physical being?"
"You'll find out in time..."
"But I want to know now!"
"Please, speak to the girl, Zim. Like I've said, she means no harm. Just open up to her."
"I… I can't. And I won't"
"Why?"
"I'm not sure how. The very thought sickens me. She's the enemy."
"Only because you were trained to see her as an enemy, but that doesn't make her one, Zim. You understand, right?"
"I'm aware of how I was raised, so you don't need to inform me. But you're right. I was designed to be a killer, a soldier of war. I do understand there's more to life than that, I've seen glimpses of it myself, but it's all I've known and that's all I'll accept. This 'opening up' is just not who I am. It's alien to me. So I'm sorry. Find someone else to open up to her."
"That's just what your brain is telling you, Zim, but not your heart. That's something else entirely."
"Eh? Brain? Heart? What have my organs got to do with anything? Unless you meant it figuratively? You must be hyooman... But I don't have one of those figurative hearts you speak of. None of my people do."
"You're wrong, Zim. You just choose to pretend they don't exist, but your hearts do. You belong to a very intelligent race, and intelligence tends to bring compassion, or an ability to feel. Lesser creatures—non-sentient, I mean— don't. It's a scientific principle."
"You're describing science to me, you, a disembodied voice? Ha! Well then, how does science explain you? Tell me that?!"
"It does not... That's the very beauty of it."
Zim didn't have anything to say to that, but the voice was right. He knew all along. The humans seemed dumb to him, but they were still pretty intelligent for a race of hairless apes, and so was his race, which were even more intelligent at that. For a race of giant bugs, they're not as dumb as they look...
"I will help you out a little. I'm still your guide, so I can offer you my hand."
"I don't see your hand. You lie!"
"I didn't mean my literal hand..." The voice sighed, and prepared its next question. "Okay, what is your earliest memory?"
Zim was about to protest, but he caved in, and gave the voice an answer. "I can remember being born. Why?"
"Really, you remember that? Impressive."
Zim smiled, all smug-like. "Oh I know. Zim is amazing, after all."
"Well after you were born, what was the first feeling you had?"
Zim thought for a while, but he couldn't find an answer.
"Why do you ask me this? I was a newly spawned smeet, so I was probably hungry. Spending seven months in an incubation chamber can really give you an appetite."
"Think harder, I know you have the answer."
Zim muttered to himself, and started going through his PAK's earliest memory files, but he needn't have bothered. He was just trying to stall since he knew all along. It was something he never forgot.
"I remember the cold, unfeeling robot arm. I told it that I… that I loved it. There, are you happy?"
"I want you to remember that feeling. Hold on to it and never let it go. Use it to help find your heart. You do have one, Zim. All your kind does. You weren't born monsters..."
"I know," Zim admitted, almost mournfully.
"Just reach out for her. You'll be amazed with what you're capable of."
He sighed, "Fine. But I'm afraid of turning weak, of how it will make me look."
"You won't look weak. If anything, it will make you stronger. Now go on, go to her..." He felt a gentle shove pushing him in the child's direction.
She huddled up into a ball, which made her look so small and doll-like. The wind swept up a cloud of dust from the floor, making her shiver.
Zim gulped. He didn't know what to say, but was it really for the best? That he was to stop closing off his heart to this child, and give in to her like a weakling? His desire for a normal life was too strong. If he just hurried up and got it all done with, then he could return once again to that life.
He was only doing this for his benefit, but a small part of him knew it was the right thing to do.
"I… I'm sorry." That was all he got out.
His words rang through the air, but she still couldn't hear him. Though she did rouse slightly from her curled position.
"I'm sorry I ignored you all those times. I knew you were just looking for help. Zim should have known better. But anything you want me to do, I promise I'll help now. So, what do you say… f-friend?" Zim hated the way the word tasted on his tongue. It left an awful after taste.
He looked over at her expectantly, waiting for her reply. What would she say? This was the moment he had anticipated since her departure. He finally got his second chance, but she still wouldn't answer.
Zim gave up. It was too late. No matter what he said or did, it wouldn't make any difference. She had completely tuned him out, forgetting about him entirely, but he knew he deserved to be ignored after how he treated her. He never knew such regret.
"I tried, voice. It's hopeless. She won't acknowledge my presence. She doesn't want to know now, just like I didn't..."
Zim noticed the lack of sound at that moment. The wind vanished, and he noticed, too, that her crying stopped. It gave him goose pimples, as he felt as if someone was watching him.
He turned around to look at her. The girl had risen to her feet, but now she was looking directly at him, as if she just saw him for the first time. She even looked frightened.
"Go away! You were mean to me. I don't like you!"
Zim was taken aback by her screaming, but he tried to keep his composure. He was supposed to be the adult, so he had to stay calm.
"You must listen—"
"I said go away!" She picked up a rock, and threw it in his direction. "I don't like you anymore. You're just a big, fat green-meanie!"
Zim was getting angry. Why did she have to be so difficult?
"I'm not going anywhere. So I'm afraid you're going to have to put up with Zim until he can finally put this horrible nightmare behind him! I don't like this anymore than you."
"Zim, what are you doing? That is not opening up to someone. You're doing it all wrong!"
"She was the one who started it!"
"Will you shut up and do as I say for both of your sakes!"
The voice was so close now and clearly female, an older female with an accent he couldn't place.
"So, you're a female? I should have known. That nagging voice was unmistakable." Zim felt a blow to the head, and he was shoved, roughly this time, towards the girl by hands that gripped him tight.
"Well, you can't really blame her for hating you. No, 'hate' is too strong a word. She's just a child; she doesn't know how to hate. But she does know she fears you, and you created that fear, Zim."
"Then how do I make her not fear me? Tell me!"
"All you have to do is talk gently. Tell her she has nothing to fear. You can start with that."
"But I thought you couldn't tell me what to say?" he said, sardonically.
"We're running out of time. Besides, I didn't think it would take you this long."
"Then why should I listen to you now? You speak nothing but lies, voice, lies!"
"Who are you talking to?"
Zim turned around. She was looking at him curiously.
"She can't hear you? How?"
"Well I'm your spirit guide, after all. Not hers."
"Spirit guide? That's what you call yourself?"
"Could you please turn your attention back to the child. We're wasting too much time."
"You're weird," the girl said.
He faced her once again. She was sat on a rock, keeping her toes on the ground.
"What did you call me? You dare call Zim—"
"And you're ugly too."
Zim released a low, guttural growl. He lunged for her next as she fell back screaming, but then a force grabbed him by the collar.
"Zim, don't. They're nothing but childish insults."
"But she called me ugly. Me!"
"Well, you kind of are, but in a cute kind of way, like a pug!"
"Eh?"
"She's looking over at you. That's a good sign. Quickly, take advantage of it. And please, don't take any of her silly insults too seriously..."
"I don't take them seriously!"
"I told you to go away! I don't like you. You're mean, green, and ugly," she said like a broken record. She was just like a parrot, repeating the same insults over again. Suppose the voice was right.
Zim sighed, and walked towards her. "I'm afraid I can't. As much as it pains me to say, we're stuck with each other now like goo... If we can find some common ground, then we can finally leave this place for good. So, do you cooperate?"
She looked confused, mostly by his choice of words. She probably didn't know what 'cooperate' meant, like most five-year-olds. Zim seemed to catch on to this, and tried to speak to her level of understanding.
"I mean, if we could just make friends and help each other, then we can both go home. I know you hate it here as much as I do."
Her eyes widened at the word 'friend', but she still wrinkled that nose of hers.
"No. I will never, ever be friends with a horrible green monkey like you!" She blew a raspberry.
"Monkey?" Zim ground his teeth. "You dare refer to Zim—!"
"Zim? That's a stupid name."
"Don't provoke my wrath, child, because I will destroy—"
A rock hurled his way, as it hit him in the eye. "Ow! Oh, you're just asking for it now!"
He lunged for her again, hearing the voice sigh, but he didn't care. He was going to show this little brat what happens when you throw things at Zim.
She didn't seem so scared of him now. She almost looked as if she were enjoying herself, like she was playing a game of tag.
"You can't catch me!" she yelled, sticking out her tongue. She ran off through the rocky trench.
Zim ran after her, feeling the adrenaline building up inside. He too was seeing it like a game now. He wasn't sure what he was going to do once he caught her, but it was just the thrill of the chase.
There were a few rough turns through the trench, but Zim navigated through with ease. He wasn't so sure how she managed it. Her legs were even smaller than his. There was no way she could … Zim heard a cry up ahead, and wasted no time in going to investigate.
He found her fallen over on the ground. She was crying and screaming from the trauma, as her arm poured with blood.
Zim just stood there looking really stupid, while taking in the sight of her injury. She looked up at him with tear-filled, blue eyes.
"I hurt myself." She showed him her injured arm like a typical infant.
Zim approached her slowly, fearing she may run off, but she stayed put. She just sat there helplessly, letting him come over. Maybe she wanted him to.
"I want my Mommy," she cried next.
Zim's face softened at that. He knew this was it, where she was most vulnerable. He would have to be nice and caring towards her, or she might slip away. It made him want to barf.
It turns out he actually doesn't know how to be nice. So he said the best thing he could, trying to put on a gentler voice to add effect.
"Don't be silly, your mother can't possibly help you now. She's probably… " Zim stopped himself there, realising what he was about to say.
"When will I see her again?"
He was speechless now. Anything he could say next could make things worse. However, he did notice how her words tugged at his chest, and then he remembered what he learnt about holding on to that feeling and never letting it go. After all, he loved his mother figure once too.
"I don't know." That was all he could say. He had to be honest. Lying to her wouldn't help her.
She looked down at the ground sadly.
"So, do you take my offer for friendship? Besides, child, you should feel honored to even be considered a possible friend of—"
"Yeah," she said in a small, shaky voice. "I will."
"Finally, I was starting to think you never would say yes. I just want to go home."
"Me too."
"Something we agree on," he pointed out to her.
Zim looked around the trench. "Okay, I did it. I got her to be my friend. I opened up. Can I go back home to my lab now? This dry air is making me sick!" He stuck his tongue out.
No sound followed. It reminded him of his odd relationship with the computer, another disembodied voice in his life.
"I'm bleeding," she said.
Zim looked down and noticed with disgust. She began to cry again.
"No, stop making crying sounds. Zim will help you!"
He pulled out his tiny first-aid kit from his PAK, as it swelled in size the minute it set loose in the air. He knelt beside her and opened it up, taking out some white cloth.
"Here, press this against your wound to stop the flow."
She took it from his hand and just stared at it. He snatched it off her again, impatiently.
"Give your arm to me," he ordered, as she gingerly surrendered her arm. He pressed the cloth onto her wound. She flinched, but he pretended not to notice.
"Just keep your hand on the cloth, and press it down like this. Got it?"
She nodded once, never taking her eyes off him.
He looked through the kit again, which had an Irken insignia on the front, and pulled out a huge tub of paste. Then he removed the cloth from her arm, grimacing from the blood, and inspected her wound.
"Well, it doesn't seem to be infected, but you're lucky you have no stones lodged…" He stopped, because a butterfly just flew in-between them.
"Aw, pretty," she chirped. Her face brightened up.
Zim looked at the insect confused. "Where did it come from?"
He looked around and noticed the patches of green grass below their feet. "Fascinating, the Earth appears to be rejuvenating itself. Do you know what this means?"
She shook her head.
"Wait a minute... this was never Earth, was it?"
"You mean Earth like our world?" she asked.
"No! Well, it was yours. Irk is mine."
"You come from a different world?"
"A 'planet' more precisely."
"Like from outer-space?" Her face lit up, intrigued.
"Well how else would I mean?"
"Are you an alien? Is that why you're green?"
"You've only just realized now?"
She gave a nod. "Well you looked different before. I looked different. I didn't like being that way..."
"Trust me, I didn't like you that way either. You were scary. You'll have to teach me how to be that terrifying sometime, you know, since we're friends now. However, I do much prefer you like this."
"Sorry I scared you, and sorry I yelled at you before. You're not mean and ugly. You're nice."
She gave a sweet smile, showing off her baby teeth. Zim watched her curiously.
"Why thank you, I guess. Zim is sorry about… well, everything. But you must understand. You were horrible back then, but now you're tolerable. In fact, you don't even seem like a ghost anymore."
"I'm not a ghost, silly," she giggled. "I'm a little girl."
"Well, you're definitely like a little girl now."
Zim dabbed some of the gooey stuff from the tub onto a cloth, and plastered it over her wound without warning.
"Ow!" she cried. "It hurts. It hurts!"
"Stop your whining, Zim is only helping you."
"Zim? I like that name. It's funny."
"Oh, so now it's funny? I thought it was stoopid..."
"My name's Molly," she said, sweetly.
"You mean like the doll? Which I guess belonged to you. Now that's a stupid name."
"Is not!"
"You dare disagree with Zim," he warned, but he only made her laugh.
Zim removed the cloth, which healed the whole wound. All that remained was an inflammation of red skin. The paste in the tub did the job. Molly looked at it amazed.
"Yes, fascinating, isn't it? I can tell by the looks of you that you agree..."
Molly wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tight.
It took him entirely by surprise. He thought she was trying to hurt him at first, but then he realised what she was doing, so he relaxed, but only a little. He still didn't like being this close to a human.
He remained frozen, not knowing what to do. But he had to let her keep hugging him, or she may disappear if he were to push her away. So he gave her a gentle pat on the head, feeling her pulse against him. It was odd she still had a heartbeat, but he never gave it much more thought.
Once they let go of each other, Zim looked around again. He gasped. The entire desert disappeared. Those rocks were replaced with trees. The barren wasteland grew into a beautiful forest, as the sun shone brightly through the leaves.
He had never seen a place like this. No forest on Earth could capture the same beauty. It was so alive and full of colour, which was such a relief from the old, colourless place it had once been. The sounds of life emanated through the trees with the songs of birds, and the flowing of a river nearby.
"Where are we?" Zim was smiling now. He was too happy not to.
"In my happy place," she said. "Isn't it wonderful?"
"Yeah, it really is..."
"Well done, Zim. I knew you could do it. Good for you. I'm proud..." The voice drifted away with the wind.
Zim looked over at Molly, who was picking a few flowers from a shrub.
He had never felt quite content, watching her there so happy and free from pain and distress, and in return it made him happy.
"She's not so bad after all..."
A/N: And they say Zim's heart grew three times bigger that day... Just kidding, but the title of this chapter was inspired by that line from the Grinch. I promise not to take too long updating this time, because once I'm into the flow of a story, I know I'll be fine.
Btw, I'm not so sure what route to take. I do have plans, but it's mostly about Dib's involvement. If you thought he was bad in the last chapter, he's only going to get worse, but he'll calm down. Dib was never a hero, really. He was just so obsessed with fame and exposing Zim, so I see this ghost as an opportunity for him not to want to miss. He's going to come off as a villain, but I need tips on how to make him less intense. I love Dib; he's just too adorable to make mean. I'm a Dib fangirl now (I tend to change from him to Zim from time to time).