Kyt stared at the sky for what seemed like eternity.

      She felt a hand on her shoulder, trying to reassure her. Then Gir's face loomed over hers, "Awww, don't cry, Kyttie!"

      He placed his forehead on hers, his crystal turquoise eyes focused on nothing but her own. She focused her eyes on his, hiccupping from all the crying. Her fingers were woven into the scythe-like part of Dib's hair; taking in a shuddering breath, she released her grip and his head felt even more limp in her lap. A muffled sound came from her throat and she screwed her eyes shut, gently placing him on the ground and rose. Kyt felt a hand on her elbow, but didn't bother to look. She was too fixated on Dib just... laying there.

      It took what felt another hour for her to even look over at anyone else. Zim was whispering quietly to her mother. Gir was smiling at her and holding her arm. Gaz was brooding; her head to the sky and arms crossed. She was the first one to speak, "I only regret... I wasn't the one to end him."

       She let out a sniffle, sighing as she uncrossed her arms. Kyt glanced back at Gir, Zim and her mother all watching her.

      "What now?"

       The question had been sitting there like a ghost and now it was presented before them. What now? Their reaction was slow, looking from one seemingly human creature- Gaz being the only true human standing there-  to the other as if one of them would give the answer. Kyt already knew the answer and she knew everyone else did, too. So what was the hold up? Why couldn't any of them bring themselves to say it?

     Turning on her toes she began to walk down the street, trying to think. Her first boyfriend has just died. She was some prehistoric alien thing being attacked by other alien things.

       The remaining four followed with their eyes, unsure of what to do themselves. Their minds still in a state of shock.

       "You..." Kyt's mother began, still focused on Kyt herself off in the distance. "You four need to stop this."

       She turned her head to look at the children, trying to look sure of herself and commanding. One set of wide eyes and two of narrower eyes stared back. She could only hope that they understood. "I'll take care of Dib."

        Gaz and Zim looked at one another, then at Gir who was already running to catch up with Kyt. Zim took a deep breath and puffed his chest out, remembering it was some sort of hyu-man gesture that males make to show strength. Or something...

         "Zim can fix this. Nothing can stand in Zim's way!" He exclaimed loudly, rushing off after the other two, leaving Gaz and Kyt's mother.

        "What are you going to do?" Gaz questioned the woman, her eyes trying to scour her for some sort of sign. Kyt's mom was much like her, in terms of personality. She kept a calm expression; a blank expression as she went to meet the younger girl's gaze head on. Gaz's glare could cause many to break down and pour out all that she wanted to know. To her surprise, Kyt's mother didn't do so much as bend.

        "You should worry about what you're going to do... Important things get done faster."

       Leaving Gaz thinking and slightly stunned as the woman walked to Dib's body. In the short steps it took for her to reach him, she had sprouted her own massive wings of white, silver, and gold hues. Gaz's eyes grew wide as she watched her grow taller and a bit thicker; like a goddess. She kneeled down and lifted her brother's body up with ease, a glow overcoming the two. She found herself gazing into golden brown piercing orbs, snapping her out of her trance. "Hurry."

        Gaz nodded, whirling around to run down the block.

       Kyt's wings had re-spawned, allowing her to glide ahead of her friends through the burning city. The Irken guards were lingering here and there with no human in sight. They were speaking in hushed voices but she could hear them and pieces of their conversations.

       "...Intense light..."

       "Fire like rain..."

        "Where is Ariël?"

      "...Almighty coming..."

        "Burning this 'Earth' for rebirth..."

        "Kyt!" At the sound of her name, she slowed and felt the air move around her as Zim caught up; the legs that came out of his Pak moving rapidly in flashes of silver. "Slow down. Zim is fast enough to keep up, of course. But they are not."

      He nodded back towards Gaz, who was running and seemingly in pain from it, and Gir, who was enjoying himself. Kyt gazed back at the two as she lowered herself to the ground and skid to a stop, her wings vanishing into thin air.

        "What we do now?!" Gir screamed happily once he had caught up, earning him a smack and hiss to be quiet from Zim. Kyt's eyes darkened when she looked back over her shoulder; in the direction of Tak's ship.

       "We end this, of course." She looked over at Zim, who in turn froze up once he met her eyes. The full blown thought that Dib had just died hit him. She was no longer with that pig! "Zim."

        "Yes?" He tried to speak in his most authoritative tone. They were trying to save not only Earth, but her kind. He couldn't be thinking of his love life with Kyt!

        "The Massive... do you have any idea on when it should arrive here?"

        Zim shrugged, averting his eyes to the smoke rising from further downtown. "Zim could not say for sure. But it's only a matter of days in accordance to when we escaped..."

       All competition was gone.

     "We can get prepared..." Kyt thought aloud.

      Zim slowly looked at her, her words unregistered in his mind although he nodded. He held her stare longer than he should have, he knew. She snapped her fingers in front of his face, brows furrowed.

     "There's a shelter down a block..." Gaz interrupted before Kyt could begin to question the alien boy's behavior. They all turned to look at her as she pointed at an arrow-shaped sign, pointing at a house. The words "refuge" painted boldly in green.

       "Oooh, clever!" Gir said, skipping down the sideway, free and oblivious the world around him. Zim shook his head, following his minion with his head hung. Gaz gave a quick glance to Kyt and followed suit. Kyt watched them all get to the door, her mind wandering. They could rest, gather supplies... They could avenge Dib's death. She could feel at peace then, maybe.

       Taking a deep breath, Kyt hurried after them. There wasn't much thought going through her head. Trying to accept death and then trying to be productive was difficult because all her mind wanted to focus on was the fact that Dib was gone. After her mother's fake death and the pain she had felt then was different from the one she felt now. She didn't have the urge to curl up in bed and hide in her darkened room all day; but either way, she couldn't wrap her head around it.

      Zim was knocking on the rickety door just as she caught up. A voice whispered from behind. "Password?"

       "Password?" Zim questioned, "We need no password! We are here to save you, you filthy pig!"

        "GIR!" Gir said his name cheerily as he looked up above the doorway. He tugged on Kyt's arm, pointing at the paneling above the door. "I'm Gir! Hey, hey! That's me! I'm on the wall!"

       "Accepted," The voice spoke a little louder and the door opened revealing a taller girl who's eyes widened at the sight of the four. Her eyes immediately focused on Gir and she gasped.

      "You! You're... You're Gir!"

       Kyt remembered her from school... One of the many girls that tailed oblivious Gir through the halls. One of the girls that had stared with awe and jealousy at Kyt during the dance. One of his many fans.

       "Come in!" She yanked Gir in by the arm, leaving the door open for the rest of them. The rest followed in, shutting the door and gazing around them. There were a few people. A majority of them were girls in their school, swarming around Gir.

      There was a small family sitting on the couch that had turned back to watch them with huge eyes. A few mismatched people scattered everywhere with those same eyes. Eyes that were glued right on Zim, who in turn glared back at them. He already knew what they were thinking. That he was with his own kind.

       "Foolish earth worm pigs." Zim muttered under his breath, stepping into a different room. Those filthy, redundant hyu-mans didn't understand he would be the one and only Irken Invader to take them over. Not his own race.

       He looked around the room and Kyt poked her head in. "This should be big enough. Gaz, get Gir."

       Zim felt his body freeze up as Kyt stepped in, her flowing dress tattered, burnt, and tainted with blood. Even that way, she was beautiful. She went to one of the nearby chairs and sat down, tilting her head back.

       Zim stood there awkwardly, fighting the urge to touch her pale neck or hug her or whatever humans do to show affection. He only looked away, casting his eyes at the ground as Gaz and Gir came in dragging blankets. Gir saying goodbye to every girl outside of their little room before slamming the door shut.

       Gaz threw down her blankets and dug into the pile to pull out some food. Silently, she went to Gir handing him food then to Kyt, nudging her with the box of crackers to wake her. Kyt raised a hand to take it from her, mumbling a sleepy thank you.

       Zim didn't raise his head to meet Gaz's eyes or didn't bother to take the food she held out to him. He only scowled, crossing his lanky arms, "I want none."

       "It's nothing that will hurt you." Gaz growled in return, shoving it into his chest. He grabbed it then, his face shocked as he went to face at her. He kept a grip on the bag of chips, letting his arm go to his side. His mind was still drifting towards Kyt. "Everything on this planet hurts."

       Gaz seemed to watch him for what felt years before she said a word. Like she had read his thoughts, she gestured to Kyt in the chair behind her, "No one likes sleeping like that."

       Zim shifted his eyes between Kyt's sleeping figure and Gaz staring at him. Gaz sighed and pinched her nose. She growled, trying to contain her frustration. She was tired and hungry,"Go pick her up and move her."

       The alien boy nodded, rushing over to her. He watched her sleeping figure, unsure of how to pick her up, but finally slid an arm under hers and around her back. His other arm went under her knees as he squatted to slowly lifted her up; he was trying not to wake her. He shuffled slowly across the floor, avoiding Gir who was now sprawled out.

       With his foot he slowly unfolded a blanket and laid her down on it, sitting next to her. His red eyes focused on her as the moonlight streaming through the window made Kyt seem like she was glowing. Glowing with white fire...

       He brought his knees up to his chest and wrapped his arm around them, resting his head.

       It struck Zim as funny that after all these years, Dib was gone. No one to bully on or call insane. He had died right before his eyes, but not by his hand. Zim realized then, it could have been the other way. It could be himself lying out there with Kyt's mother. He hummed out a few notes, reaching a hand out to touch Kyt's hair as he formed words.

    "When my time comes
Forget the wrong that I've done
Help me leave behind some
...reasons to missed...
Leave out all the rest..."

~¥~

      In the morning, they all decided it was best to leave. They couldn't let the Irkens have their way. Zim would never let Tak, of all the creatures in the universe, take all his glory among his empire. Never will that rotten, foolish Irk filth... Zim growled to himself as the four of them made their way back to his home.

      There was no sign of Dib, except the dried blood pool on the front step- which Kyt made sure to avoid and pretend it didn't exist- or Kyt's mother. Kyt knew where her mother was; she could hear her soft voice humming and a musical sort of sound in the air. Music crackling and popping like fire.

      All from her house.

       They made their way back down to the basement of Zim's home, to his lair.

      "Computer!" Zim yelled, awakening the system underlying his home. The advanced Irken technology responded with no pause between his command and it turning on. "Track the Almighty Tallest. "

       Gaz raised a brow at Kyt as he sang out the command. It was in his nature to be pleased when mentioning his leaders and very rarely did he act against that nature.

       "Certainly."

       The computer silently did its task in a matter of seconds, giving Zim the exact coordinates of the Massive. Zim unlocked the door to his armory, shaking his head. "They are nearly here."

       "How close?" Gaz questioned, examining a ray gun she had pulled off a shelf.

         "That chunk of rock you hyu-mans call Mars." He said, as he walked over to a table then barked out, "Gir! Go get and get your suit fixed, its need of maintenance is extremely high. Zim does not know why he allows you to wear that thing all the time."

       Gir pouted at his master, crossing his arms. "Don't take it away!"

        Zim shook his head, searching a shelf, "Right now is not the time I would."

      Gir cheered and spun around at not having to get rid of his human body. "Gir! Go!"

       "Okieee! Okieeeeeee! Sheesh." The robot boy ran off into a different room near Kyt, who let the corner of her lip raise at the sight of her friend. Uncaring and free even in this situation.

        Zim felt his squeedly spooch flip at the sight of even her faintest smiles. He felt as if seeing her smile was a miracle. Without thinking he found himself peering over her shoulder. She wasn't fascinated by the laser guns or rays or synthesized energy blades. Instead she was staring at the artifacts that Tak had brought from Halön. Swords with curved edges and ripples made from rustic material, not iron or any known metal.

        Her fingers were running along two circles with six spikes protruding from the sides and two bars at the center for hands to hold. Intricate swirls and jagged lined patterns were carved into them. Zim tried to conjure up the name Tak had given him for them. Chalk... Rooms? No, no, he shook his head for the thousandth time that hour at the thought.

        "These were his." Kyt said, turning around to face him. The image of her father with the weapons at his hips. She had already known he was there. "They're chakrams..."

       "You may have them back." Zim said without any emotion. He didn't know what was his problem, acting like this all over again. Kyt grabbed then with no hesitation and grabbed the belt they could be clasped to. Zim watched the girl fumble as she attempted to put them in the clasp. His hand was moving hers aside before he could think of doing so. He kneeled down and placed the outer rim of the chakrams into the clasp, positioning them where they would be easy to pull off.

       "Thank you..." Her soft voice snapped him out of his concentration, causing him to rapidly stand. She was far too close to him. He couldn't think and the words came out.

       "Kyt, I know... I have said this enough," he felt his cheeks heat up, and his antennas folded back, trembling. "But I'm sorry. I'm sorry Zim was so stupid. But... I need... You. Please."

       Her shoulders sagged and her eyes went blank, while he felt the heat reach his head. He felt... Nauseous, leaning against the rack and over Kyt. He closed his eyes. She was mad he already knew because the heat was coming not only from his embarrassment but from her.

       He had to be kidding her. Her first boyfriend had just died... He had spent months betraying her, yet he expected for her to... To be his?! She shook her head, laughing. But deep down she felt that same feeling from before. And like before she shut it down, forcing it back into its box. "Are you kidding? Zim, I don't... I don't want to get involved with someone like you! I'm just wanting to fix this mess of YOURS..."

      She kept her eyes on him, wishing her gaze could cut holes into him. He was so stupid. He had to be kidding, right? Then again, he had apologized... If it weren't for him none of this would have happened. She wouldn't be stuck in a pit of negativity if it weren't for him. Kyt felt that tugging deep down; he wasn't all bad. She did enjoy his rare company. He had been there when she would get injured... He had tried to stop Tak. He was just stupid...

        A stupid boy.

      "I miss Dib..." She hung her head, then, unable to stop her tears. She didn't want to cry. She missed Dib, but having those little feeling pushing at the lid of her locked emotions was bothersome, too. All she wanted to do was get this over with. She wiped her eyes, furiously, "Are you kidding me?!"

        Her sniffling stopped abruptly, when she felt a plastic fabric against her chin. Her face was forced upwards to meet maroon eyes devoid of any emotion. "I'm not kidding."

       Kyt felt her body tense as he drew closer. She wanted to shove him away, burn him, but none of her muscles gave so much as a twitch.

       He didn't close his eyes, they simply stared into hers. Right through every part of her soul.

       There was the sound of metal hitting the ground.