How long has it been? Years, months? Days? Only a day? Maybe a few? Kyt. Where is Kyt?

    Dib's thoughts scrambled around in his mind. Running into the darkness, frantically. He wanted to cough, to breathe in more air. It was hard, almost like he had forgotten how to. His body had forgotten how to work properly. He tried moving his fingers. Each one slowly responded to his brain signals. There was a pounding pain in his head and his heart was hammering in his chest. What had happened?

Where was he? Dib's body was regaining feeling, sluggishly and he could feel warmth near by. He took in a breath to speak, his throat aching, voice hollow, "Kyt?"

A gentle "shush" came from nearby. He couldn't help it though as he struggled to see, he managed another word, "Who?"

     "Mortal, quiet." The womanly voice spoke a bit more harshly. "Can you see?"

     Dib went to shake his head no, but the muscles in his neck locked and be choked on pain. He felt a hand brush along his chest and neck, immense heat following. It was like his body was on fire the further to his face the hand moved. The darkness that surrounded him became less harsh as light bled through in patches. He could make out the blurry outline of the woman and inanimate objects around the room. The heat was making him break into a waterfall of sweat and he felt himself sit up, wanting to escape. This time the godly woman made no movement to stop him and his vision blurred before focusing. His eyes flickered around the room: Around Kyt's living room. He was sitting on the couch that he had sat on many times playing video games or watching movies with Kyt, Gaz, Gir, and on occasion, Zim.

"Kyt?" He called out instinctively, wanting to hear her respond by poking her head out of the kitchen. Everything had to be some sick dream from the depths of his imagination. He looked up at the woman, her mother, looming over him. She was evidently no longer human; she was too graceful, her presence was enormous in comparison to any human's. "Where is she?"

     "She has gone to another side of this universe. You have just returned from another side of this existence." The woman said, watching him as he looked around like a scared animal in a new surrounding. His eyes locked on hers, puzzled. She made her way to the kitchen, breaking their eye contact.

      She could hear him scramble off the couch and fall as he tried to use his revived body. Curse words were whispered as he struggled.

He lifted himself off the ground feeling impossibly weak and helpless, he tried recalling what had happened. He had been trying to apologize to Kyt. And then nothing. There had been the rush of air and movement before darkness overtook him. He closed his eyes, focusing on how to stand as he slowly pulled himself up with the arm of the couch. Is this what it feels like to be a baby?

Dib's legs wobbled at his weight being set on them after lying in a state where they would never be used again. He opened his eyes to the familiar scenery around him, the television by the door, the couch across from it. The stairs were to the right and the kitchen was behind the couch; he could hear low murmurs of quick discussion. With his legs returning to him, he slowly made his way to the kitchen where he was met by two pairs of brown eyes. He felt his hand tighten on the door frame as he locked eyes with Ari, although it felt off. The man no longer appeared ethereal to the eye, his presence wasn't as powerful. He was just an attractive man sitting with an angelic alien at a table. "Why are you here?"

"This is my home," Ari stated bluntly, taking a sip from the mug in front of him."Don't worry about me, Kyt took care of that."

A sour chuckle escaped the angel's lips as he shifted his eyes off to the window over the sink. Dib shook his head in attempt to get the disoriented feeling out of his head. Was any of this real? "What do you mean? Kyt... Where is...?"

Dib felt warm hands touch his shoulders, guiding him to the chair opposite of Ari. He looked up at the motherly figure, her eyes gentle, already different than before. "Halön have a variety of abilities. Dependent upon our place in the hierarchy some of us have more at their disposal than others."

"Kytïel has achieved the rare ability to manipulate ones energy by her White Fire... her 'Holy Fire'," Ari spoke blatantly, his eyes focused nowhere but the blue sky outside of the window. "She can purify with it by any means necessary. For me, it was removing any trace of being a Halön. If that can ever be returned, it's unknown to us."

He stood then, putting his mug in the sink as he peered further up into the sky. "She's on Irk. What position or condition she is in isn't in our knowledge. She could have failed by now. Same can be said for the others."

Dib felt his stomach sink as his words slowly formed in his mind. Gaz could be in trouble. Kyt. Even Zim. He wanted to push himself out of his chair and charge towards something, anything that could get him to Irk. But he knew he would only fall over, unimaginably weak. He couldn't just sit there and wait either. Not after having gone so far. Think, Big Head.

He had to help; he had to find out just some way to be useful. He struggled to turn his head, pain blossoming in his neck. "The Irken ships. Where are they?"

"Gone." Ari spoke calmly, a contrast to how ironically fiery he been with his supernatural powers. "The only Irken activity left is in the Skool. The city is completely unaware."

Ari leaned against the counter, meeting Dib's light brown eyes with his intense, darker orbs. "It's almost as if nothing has happened."

Wrong. Too much has happened.