To Which Our Future Holds (A ZaDr Story)

Chapter 27

Zim closed his eyes as he once again slipped into his memories.

Zim stayed there for three of the planet's years. Due to a third of the planet having been destroyed its atmosphere was filled with debris and often suffered from meteor showers, they were never too bad, but Zim found himself repairing the base quite often. Though Zim never minded too much, it kept the irken busy.
While staying there Zim also found time to repair Gir's duty mode so he would keep his red eyes entirely when performing a task though he still was chaotic otherwise.

Zim paused. "Some days, when there was nothing to do, it was very hard and Zim felt completely alone. But I always loved it when it rained there. In fact the rain gave Zim an Idea."

Zim walked into his base twitching the rain off his anteni "Hey computer."
"Yes Master?"
"What is the chemical makeup of the rain on this planet?"
"H2O" the computer replied. Zim twitched his anteni in thought, causing a spray of small droplets to land on the floor "And what about on Earth?" Zim asked. "H2O" the computer replied.
Taking the new info Zim decided to return to Earth to study the water on its surface to determine why Earth water burned Zim but the dead planet's water didn't.

Dib interrupted Zim "Wait, but you said you where on the planet for three years, it's been thirteen" Zim looked at Dib with a scowl "Time travels differently for each planet and solar system, and this is actually not the first time Zim has been back to Earth." Dib stared at Zim in shock, "You've been back before? When?"
Zim laid his head on his knees "Well the first time was when Zim came to research the water, at that time Zim had asked Computer the date, it was June 24, Six Earth years after Zim had left."
Dib turned and stared in shock out the window. "That, that was the day me and Lizzy where married." Zim smirked "How Ironic" he mused, before continuing his story. "Well Zim hadn't stayed for very long, after about a week of research Zim concluded his studies and decided to return to the dead planet"

Zim stopped as his voice caught in a cold tone that seemed more of a whimper than anything. "But Zim never made it back. An irken patrol fleet intercepted Zim. They called me a traitor, a deserter, they brought me before my Tallests... In Chains."
Zim shivered slightly as he continued to tell the story, his eyes frantic almost as if he was living through the memory. "Zim was so scared, the tallest stood before Zim and they threw me in prison. Zim had been there for a time, when Red offered me a deal. He told me that he would spare my life, but in exchange he wanted Scars."

Dib looked at the shivering Zim remembering how the irkens viewed scars. Scars are seen as symbols, an irken's body is extremely well at healing. Practically any injury, no matter how devastating, could be healed through simple sleep recovery, so when an irken saw their injury as valuable they would recover naturally leaving a pale pink scar where they healed over.
Dib looked at Zim and the way he shook, he understood what Red had meant when he said he wanted scars, he wanted Zim.
Zim continued "I listened at first, I let him take me, and I gave him what he wanted. But after time and time again, Zim just couldn't take it. I refused, and he got mad. Cursing me for taking a human over my Tallest. I was thrown back in prison. Zim didn't care at first but when Gir was escorted to my cell, they did something horrible."
Zim's eyes were wide as tears started to stream down his face. "They held him in front of my cell and tore him apart in front of me, and all the while he laughed... Gir was being torn apart piece by piece and he just laughed." Zim began to choke on his sobs "It Hurts Dib It Hurts So Bad!" Zim shrieked as he sobbed.
Dib wrapped his arms around Zim and pulled him in close as he cried, "I'm sorry Zim" Dib whispered as Zims wails began to echo throughout the ship "I'm sorry.."

They stayed like that for hours as Zim poured out all the emotions he had bottled up, his wails and sobs disappearing as his voice could no longer bare It. Zim's small hics were all that was left as Dib stroked him softly not caring at all that his shirt was soaked in hot tears. "Do you want to head back now?" Dib asked tenderly, as Zim held onto him. Zim buried his face into Dib's shirt "N-not yet" he muttered through hics. Dib nodded as he continued to rub Zim's back soothingly "Ok then, whenever you're ready just let me know.

With those words the two held onto each other in a mournful silence that was only broken by the occasional whimper or hic from Zim's trembling figure.
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