Blessing in Disguise
By Cybra

A/N: :::shakes head, chuckling::: I can't believe that I actually earned approval from people other than my buddy Vyse/Anxia for "Unanswerable Question". Amazing. Anyway, I decided to write another Invader Zim fic just for the heck of it. Enjoy!

Special Notes: There are plants here on Earth that only grow after fire has destroyed surrounding plants and/or only release their seeds when the temperature is hot enough. I don't know if Irk has those types of plants, so I'm taking a few liberties with the ecology of the planet. Also, fire has a way of renewing the soil to let new plants grow. I also do not know if there is a Farming class Irken society, so I'm taking the liberty of making a class of Farmers for the sake of this story.

Disclaimer: I do not own Invader Zim! I don't, I don't, I don't! How can you people possibly think that I would say such a thing?! continues ranting ala Zim

The Tallest never liked to admit it, but their home planet was slowly wearing itself out.

As Irken technology grew, the planet began to sicken. Many species of animals that couldn't adapt died or mutated beyond recognition. Plants struggled to gain what they needed to survive, but it was becoming more difficult for them each passing year.

Of course, the disaster of Operation Impending Doom I hadn't helped, either.

Tallest Purple sighed as he scanned the burned landscape from the large building on the edge of Irk's main city. What greenery there had been had been totally annihilated when the smallest Irken ever to hatch lit up half the planet like a fireball.

"My Tallest?" a voice tentatively asked.

The only one of the two tallest Irkens present turned to his visitor. "Farmer Skelben, I presume?"

The smaller Irken nodded his head, his golden eyes looking up admiringly if not a little jealously at his leader. "You wished me to update you on the crop situation, sir?"

Tallest Purple floated over to a chair and sat down. "Yes, I did. What is the situation?"

Skelben actually smiled a little, pleased with something. The Tallest half-closed one eye in the Irken equivalent of a raised eyebrow.

Crops on Irk had been dying due to mutated crop diseases and poor soil for years. Each year, fewer and fewer crops could be grown on the home world. Fortunately, there were other conquered planets raising much of the Irken Empire's food, but there were certain crops that could not be grown on anything but Irken soil. Soon, those plants, like so many others, would become extinct.

"I assume that the attempts of the Students have succeeded?" the tall Irken asked, leaning forward with a smile on his face.

The Farmer looked confused and shook his head, saying, "No, My Tallest. Their attempts continue to fail."

Tallest Purple frowned. "Then why are you so pleased?"

"Because someone did fix the problem…even if it was by accident."

"Who?"

"…Invader Zim."

"What?!" the Tallest shouted in shock, frightening the smaller Irken into falling to his knees. "Explain!"

The golden-eyed Irken trembled at his leader's feet, trying to gather his courage. "Sir, the fire caused by Operation Impending Doom I has actually started to bring back some of the local plant life." Shakily, he reached into a pocket of his Farming uniform and brought out a bag containing a fresh green clipping from a fern-like plant. "I'm sure you know, My Tallest, that it was thought the Zimphela plant was extinct."

"It isn't?" Tallest Purple asked, his purple eyes wide in astonishment as the Farmer slowly rose to his feet and brought the sample to him.

"No, My Tallest. It seems that the strange stones found around where Zimphelas used to grow were actually seedpods. Apparently, they could only be opened during extreme heat." Skelben paused, watching as his leader studied the clipping. "A month ago, I spotted something green out in the fields. I didn't recognize it at first, but when I consulted my computer…you can imagine my shock, Sir."

"I don't believe this…" Purple whispered, his eyes almost starting to tear with joy. "Something actually started growing without needing to be attended…"

Emboldened by the tall Irken's obvious approval, Skelben continued, "The plant was in remarkably good health, My Tallest. It was in even better health than the last Zimphela recorded before I found this one. I hope I didn't overstep my boundaries, Sir, when I asked for a few Students to take a look at the plant and the surrounding soil."

"No, you did the right thing, Farmer Skelben," the purple-eyed Irken replied absent-mindedly, still studying the cutting in wonder.

"The Students ran tests on the soil and discovered that the nutrient levels haven't been this high for at least a century. When all the dead and dying plants and animals were burned in one large bonfire, the soil soaked up the nutrients. Crop yield is expected to be at least quadrupled from last year!" the Farmer exclaimed, unable to contain his excitement anymore. "My Tallest, the fire of Operation Impending Doom I may have destroyed half the planet, but it also revived half of Irk!"

"By the First Tallest," Tallest Purple swore quietly to himself, in shock.

Irk was coming alive again. The fire – that cursed fire – had actually done as much good as it had done harm. If his calculations were correct, plants would be shooting up faster than they had in decades, eager to grow in the now nutrient-rich soil.

"You may go, Farmer Skelben," Purple said.

The excited Irken exited quickly, a small spring in his step.

Purple normally didn't walk anywhere, but he was in such a daze that he didn't notice or care that he had stood up and walked to the window once more, his gaze still on the fresh clipping from the once-assumed-to-be-extinct Zimphela plant. He looked outward once more, scanning the horizon as if hoping to catch a glimpse of this phenomenon from his position.

"How ironic," he whispered to himself. "Zim destroys half of Irk, and the soil brings forth a Zimphela all on its own." A joyful tear slipped down his cheek. "Mother of Irk, it's almost fitting!"

Some part of his mind registered that the name "Zim" originally came from the plant's name. And didn't "Zimphela" mean "rising from the ashes"? It was like a sign from the First Tallest!

"Thank you, Zim," Purple whispered, pulling the clipping out of its bag and rubbing his fingers against its tiny, healthy leaves. "Thank you."

Invader Zim's mistake and reason for exile was a blessing in disguise.