Come
I will wait for you
Like the nightshade blooms
Twilight muse
Soar
Flying high for you
Like a hawk for you
I will watch over you

Hail the night in fire
So alive in fire
Silver fire
In light
In blood
Hail the night
New dawn
My treasure
Nightshade-Rhea's Obsession

"Enter." That one word sent yet another shiver down his spine as he stood outside her door. He'd only just arrived and she knew. Taking a deep breath to steady his nerves, Zim parted the curtains that hid her domain from prying eyes and stepped into another world.

Smoke and almost sickly-sweet incense swirled around him as if they were living beings. Flames burned warmly throughout the room, the only source of light granted to him. The sorcerress fobade anything artificial to be allowed into her home, including light fixtures and computers. No wonder she lived so far removed from Irken society; she shunned everything that made the species what it was. And yet she was the one who held true power. No one, not even the Control Brains, dared make a decision without her consult. She was the most feared and revered being within the Empire; every Tallest she had consulted had a special fear of her for she told them all at the beginning of their reigns how their rule would end. It was never a peaceful death for a Tallest. But still, all Invaders were required to meet with her prior to their first mission. None could leave the planet without her blessing.

Through the haze of smoke and firelight, he saw her. Tak the sorcerress, the prophetess whose word was law. Her eyes were downcast, gazing deeply into a bowl of water as if seeing something beyond sight. He remained standing before her for several minutes, not daring to speak. He'd been made aware of the protocol he needed to follow once he set foot into her home, and he could not sit until she said so. He watched her, studying her, attempting to learn her secrets by mere observation.

Tak let out a long breath, causing the water to ripple, and looked at him. Only one eye was visible to him, the other hidden behind a bejewelled white mask that concealed the right side of her face. One rumor was that she had been horribly disfigured by some accident as a child, hence the mask. It was never confirmed, however. Zim had always been curious about the truth, but now that he was here he wasn't sure if the question would be appropriate. Her gaze gave away nothing, but she seemed to study him just as he had been studying her. A chiming sound reached his ears when she raised her arm in a gesture for him to sit. He saw that the source was dozens of tiny bells wrapped around her wrist, a matching set on her other arm. He kept an eye on her hand, particularly her sharpened claws, as he obeyed her silent command.

Once he had situated himself, she stood and walked over to him, her royal purple robes flowing like liquid behind her. More chimes echoed in the small space, the result of several more bells around her ankles. She chose a palette of incense and brought it over to him. She waved it around his head and blew some of the smoke into his face. He only closed his eyes against the intrusion, not wanting to appear weak. He opened them again when he heard her chuckle lightly. She moved back to her seat and took her place on the well-worn cushion, leaving the incense on a small table off to the side. "So you wish to think yourself an Invader," she said, her voice as low and hazy as the atmosphere around them. She took the bowl she'd been contemplating upon his arrival and threw its contents over her shoulder. She saw his gaze follow the liquid questioningly. She gave a small half-smile in repsonse. "Everything must be made fresh for a new scrying," she clarified. "What was used for one must not be used for another." She took a silver pitcher from beneath the table they sat at and refilled the bowl. "Now, to work." Another half-smaile and she turned her focus onto the water.

Zim watched closely, yet could see nothing but the glow of candlelight reflected in the bowl. Tak spoke softly as she observed, seeing something he could not fathom. "You will go to a distant planet, farther than any Irken, Invader or not, before you." He smirked to himself at that, though it disappeared when the flames suddenly grew higher and brighter for a moment before dying back down. "There you shall make many enemies of the native population, one in particular. He will make it his life's goal to overturn your plans and chase you from the planet." She went quiet.

"Will he succeed?" he asked hesitantly.

There was an agonizing beat before she answered him. "Everything past that is cloudy." He saw her brow furrow, though whether in concentration or confusion he could not tell. "But know this: your name will be forever remembered in Irken history. Whether it be positive or negative remains to be seen."

The way she talked gave him pause. "You speak as if you yourself are not Irken. You did not say ' farther than any of us' or 'our history'. And you refuse to allow any of our technology near you or your home. Why?" Once he spoke he found his confidence to continue and grow bolder.

That smile again. She lifted her head and looked directly into his eyes, as if boring into his very soul. He could have sworn there was a flash of light inside those violet orbs. "Can you keep a secret, Invader Zim?" He nodded just once. "So can I." She giggled to herself at his reaction to that. "In truth, my reasons are my own. Do you have any more questions for me?"

He observed her again, taking in the elaborate mask, the beaded headdress, the knowing smirk on her lips, the way her hands rested lightly on either side of the water bowl. Was she taunting him? Or was she being sincere? Well, there was only one way to find out. "Just one more. Why do you wear that mask?"

She laughed in earnest now at his brazenness. "You are different from the others. You have an inquisitiveness in you that I have not seen in an Irken for some time. Perhaps you shall do well in your mission." She leaned forward on her elbows, a decidedly more relaxed pose than she'd exhibited since this little meeting began. "This mask represents what may be, while the bared side of my face represents what is. Very cliche, isn't it." She did not phrase that as a question. Another laugh before she raised a hand to said mask. She pulled it away from her skin and lay it between them. "Irkens are relatively simple creatures, in all honesty. Anything even slightly out of the ordinary throws them off guard. But rest assured that my abilities are not illusion." She let the smile fade from her lips and eyes as she grew more thoughtful. "You face dark and dangerous times ahead, Invader Zim. Do not allow your guard to drop as others would. Do not let yourself be blinded by arrogance and greed. That is my advice to you."

Only the flickering of the candles could be heard then. Zim wondered if she was making fun of him; that "advice" was common sense to any Irken, Invader or not. Was that the great revelation he was to take away from this encounter? This was the great power behind the throne? Was this a joke?

"Do not doubt me, Invader," she said sharply. "You make your own destiny. I merely guide you to the place where your path forks. At that crossroads, it is up to you to decide where to go next. I cannot give you all the answers."

"And why not?"

"Where's the fun in that?" She was laughing at him again. He narrowed his eyes at that realization, wanting very badly to bring her down a few pegs. "Now go. Do what you must for the Empire, but be wary. Your enemy on this new planet may be an obstacle to your mission, but your worst enemy will be yourself."

And that was that. The mask slipped back onto her face with a finality that matched her words, ones that he would think on deeply during the long journey to his assigned planet. He hurried out of her domicile, eager to breathe the free air once more.

Tak smiled after him, hoping he would take her advice to heart, yet knowing he wouldn't. She shook her head then began preparing for her next appointment.

Note: Thank you to everyone who reviewed so far! I'm happy this experiment has made even one person happy :) I just wanted to let you guys know that this may be the last chapter I do for a while; I've got ideas and concepts for other songs that came up, but I'm having trouble elaborating them and making them into something readable. I tried to write out a couple at a convention I went to recently, but I just wasn't happy with them. I'm going to have to try some new approaches or something. Anyway, thank you for reading, and I hope to have more chapters up soon!