Screams of terror and agony roared in the her ears as the small girl ran.

       Her nearly white hair was tinted red and brown with the blood and dirt flying in the air around her. She did not stop, not when weapons came near her or black gloved hands reached out to snatch her.

        She could see her people above her in the sky, their flames falling around her. It lit her city of diamonds glittering like millions of stars. It was horrifying and beautiful.

      "Kytïel!"

       Her name rung in her ears as a wind of freezing ice ran through her body, freezing all around her.

~¥~

      Kyt woke to the low rumbling of an engine. Had she fallen asleep in a car? Where had she gone?

       As she rubbed at her eyes it became clear to her that she wasn't in an automobile, but instead a cage made of a sparkling crystalline structure. Outside of the cage was a room of metal with wires and grids all across the walls and floor leading up into a hole in the ceiling.

      She remembered now. She was in a ship. An alien ship.

       A cough made Kyt's eyes stop examining the room around her and shift to the source of the sound, causing her to move towards the cage beside hers. "Ariël?"

      The name slipped from her mouth just as a door slid open and the stomping of boots echoed through the barren room, stopping at Kyt's crystal box. The caged girl raised her eyes to meet cold eyes narrowed down at her. Only the voice of another Irken pulled Tak's eyes away and towards Ari's cage.

      "Tak, it seems this one has tried to burn through."

      Tak only gave a laugh, "You fool! They couldn't get out if both of them tried. These crystals were found on their planet; able to withstand even white fire. Now. Make them presentable for the Almighty Tallest."

        Tak slowly looked back down to Kyt, a cruel smile on her face, "Especially her. She is to be their mate and weapon. A perfect combination that will certainly please our Leaders."

     "No! Tak, we had a deal!" Kyt looked at her brother, her eyes growing wide before narrowing. She couldn't describe the pain that went through her, the feeling of betrayal. And most of all the pure anger as she looked up to Tak's smile.

    "You... WERE WORKING WITH HER?!" Kyt's voice raised as she spoke. Her brother looked at her in silence, before hanging his head.

      "I was only trying to do what was best...."

      Kyt gave a short laugh, standing up and going to the edge of the cage where two Irk males were unlocking the door to escort her away. Another pair of Irk coming in to take away Ariël.

     Without another word, she walked out being accompanied on either side by a guard.

~¥~

     A groan escaped Dib's lips as the white walls came into focus. He slowly sat up, realizing he was in the nurse's office. The higher he sat up the more he felt the pain at the crown of his head. He reached up touching his head feeling his hair was matted and something sticky had dried in it.

     "Blood..." he mumbled as the door opened. He looked at it hoping for it to be the nurse so he could ask for an ice pack and leave. To his dismay, it wasn't. He scowled, "Zim."

      "Yes, it is I, filthy Dib-worm." The alien, now out of his disguise, folded his arms across his chest. "How is that big melon of yours?"

       "What do you care?" Dib snarled, turning his head to look out the window. Why the hell did that little freak care? "You caused it."

     "Do not be so damned pleased," Zim laughed, "I'm not asking because I care. Zim is asking because..."

       Zim cut his own sentence off, looking as if he wanted to puke. And he did. How could he ask the filth he has looked down upon for years for help? He spoke through gritted teeth, "Zim comes to you.. For help."

      Dib stared at the alien, blankly. Had he heard right? He wanted help? From him? A giggle forced its way out of Dib and became uncontrollable laughs. "After years of humiliation... You want me to help you? Are you kidding? No."

        "Fine, then. Zim will save Kyt, with or without a filthy hyu-man pig!" The alien saw the boy tense at the mentioning of his beloved... Girlfriend.

      Zim mentally gagged at the memory of the Dib-worm holding Kyt. But at least he now knew he had the boy's interest, which was exactly what he wanted. He watched as Dib thought, clearly at war with himself. How are humans so transparent?

      He finally let out a sigh, "Only for Kyt."

       "Good because she would be... As you human's put it: wedded to my leaders."

      "What?!" Dib nearly screeched the same way Zim had done when he had discovered this. "But... She's... She's mine!"

      "Yes, yes. Now let's go." Zim growled, grabbing hold of his arm and yanking him off the leathery bed. Dib let Zim drag him a few steps before pulling his arm out of the filthy green monster's grasp.

      "Where is Gaz?" He asked, the thought suddenly hitting him. Zim kept walking until they reached the doorway and pushing open the door. Outside smoke filled the air, hiding the nearly post-apocalyptic city.

        "She is with Gir on their way to Kyt's home. They will wait for us there." Zim said as he marched out into the thick heat. Dib squinted his eyes, adjusting his glasses. In the horizon were great black ships, hovering. That was were Zim was headed. "How do I know this isn't a trap?"

        Zim laughed, "Do you not remember Kyt being captured? Zim did not mean to hit you that hard."

      Dib closed his mouth, following his most hated enemy. He paused in realization, "We aren't going the right way."

       "....Yes, we are." Zim rolled his eyes, looking back over his shoulder.

       "Kyt's house is the other way!"

        "I said Kyt's home, not her house. She is more than you think, Dib." Zim scoffed, looking forward and continuing on. Dib inhaled deeply, holding his anger in and marched behind the alien.

       Following his enemy to who knows where was the last thing he ever wanted to do.

~¥~

        "Ow!" Kyt snarled, as two Irken females grabbed beneath her shoulder blades and pushed hard with their clawed fingers. The second they did this she heard a snap, and felt her muscles move upward, stretching. She felt something soft against the skin her shoulders, which her dressed left revealed. She slowly turned her head, staring at the shimmery white wing protruding from her back. She blinked several times, trying to take it in. Since when was she winged?

Mother... What have you been hiding all my life?

      Kyt's attention was snapped back as one of the Irkens sighed. "Even the Halön's beauty far surpasses ours... She is by far fit to be our leaders' mate."

       The girl cringed. They mentioned it again. She didn't want to be a mate to anything! This was the second time they had mentioned anything about Halön. She looked at them as they admired their work. She had been standing there for over an hour, unmoving as the chattered over how to dress her. They had decided in her traditional attire, which was all very light and airy material. Quietly and coldly she asked, "Who are the Halön?"

       They looked at each other, before giggling at her. Kyt narrowed her eyes. These females... They reminded her of all the other girls from Earth. How they had always treated her.

     They irked her.

     "They are your people." The three looked up to the doorway to Tak, behind her was her brother. The two Irk bowed and stepped away from Kyt, running out of the room. "Fine job. They made even you a sight."

        Kyt said nothing as Tak led her out of the room. She immediately fell into step with her brother who was wearing gladiator-like clothes. A leather skirt and hard chest plate. His face was dark as if he would blow up any moment and his wings were stiff pillars behind him, showing he was on guard for anything.

        They walked through a hall that was strangely filled with many snack bars and vending machines.

        "I hope they aren't fat frogs.." Kyt mumbled below her breath. She guessed Ari had heard her because he chuckled. Tak suddenly stopped, looking at the two, then pointed at a large futuristic door in front of them, easily looming thirty feet. "Behind here are my leaders. Almighty Tallest Red and Almighty Tallest Purple. You will bow at the foot of their thrones and spoke if spoken too. Understood?"

        The siblings said nothing.

       Kyt would look at her brother for reassurance but she was still irked by him to. She couldn't believe he would betray her like he had.

        Without any other sound, Tak knocked on the door. Which opened and strange fog poured out as she lead them in.

       The room was all metal like the rest of the Massive, but a lot bigger. The floors were covered by soft red carpet and most of the walls of the room were made of glass, showing the endless space beyond and part of the planet Irk. Scattered around the room were tables with heaps of snacks and greasy food.

        At the farthest end of the room were two thrones on a dias. And on the two thrones were two Irkens, staring straight down at them. They were named by color, she noted.

       Red and Purple.

       As they reached the foot of their alter, they stood. They were much taller than all the other Irkens Kyt had seen, save Zim and Tak. Most of them reached to her knee or hip. She slowly bowed, feeling her wings curl around her shoulders as she did so. Beside her, Ari bowed, his wings lifting on the air slightly. When the two stood straight, Kyt found that the Almighty Tallests were staring at her. Red was the first one to speak.
     
"How interesting."