Arm: Well, it was only a matter of time. What am I talking about, you ask? Why, this new, Invader Zim fanfic, that's what.

Leg: Arm knew she couldn't just write one story for IZ at a time, she had to write at least two.

Arm: And it's all your damn fault, you are the one who told me to write this. Usual couple (Zim/Dib)! And this is only the prologue, but it's very angsty. The story shall reveal itself, in time…. And do not worry, just because we started this does not mean that I will leave BtR unfinished and alone, as a matter of fact, we're workin' on chapter nine as we speak. But enough talk, go ahead and read this!

A Strange Twist of Fate: Prologue

Dib looked up at the image on his computer and sighed. Five years ago an alien came to Earth and turned his world upside down. Dib couldn't believe how quickly that time had passed by him. Zim, the alien, had left over a year ago, but instead of being jumping for joy that Zim was finally gone, Dib instantly missed him.

Dib never knew why Zim had left Earth. Dib figured it was because he kept on getting in Zim's way whenever the alien would try to take over the world. Deep down, however, Dib knew that that couldn't have been the case, for Zim was just as bull-headed as he was. The two of them never just "gave up," they fought harder to the bitter end because they both believed that quitting just wasn't an option. There was no way Zim would have left because of him after about four years of getting in the way.

There were other possible reasons, however. Zim might have finally gotten sick of Earth, but whenever Dib told himself that was the reason, his common sense would disagree. If that were the true reason, Zim would have left a whole lot sooner. Dib vaguely remembered the transmission he had intercepted more than five years ago. Maybe his superiors made him came back for some reason or another.

That brought Dib to remembering the last day he had seen Zim. Zim looked angry about something, and there was a sense of sadness coming from him as well. Maybe Zim didn't want to leave Earth, but why would he? Zim hated Earth, and with a passion at that. What would have made Zim like it there on Earth in the first place?

Dib figured that Zim must have fell for someone on Earth, but who would that be? Zim never seemed to show any kind of an attraction for any of the humans. He did save Dib's life once, but that didn't prove anything. Zim had given him a good and believable reason as to why he did it, but Dib didn't want to think about it. When Zim had saved his life, he was about to jump off of Suicide Bridge out of depression. Dib was depressed for a lot of reasons; the most major reason being that he was finally sick of the way humanity treated him.

Dib still hated the way the damn planet treated him, but at least now he knew when to speak up about his opinions and when to remain quiet. He hated the way people continued to judge him without getting to know him, but he grew used to it by now. He still hated how his own family was like, ever since his mother died.

When Dib was going to jump off the bridge, Zim had just been passing by, walking his "dog," named Gir. Zim most likely heard him mutter something and recognized his voice. Dib didn't even hear Zim walk up behind him until Zim asked him why he was at Suicide Bridge. Dib had jumped slightly at Zim's voice, but he didn't hesitate to answer him.

"The same reason why many other kids before me came here: to throw myself over the rail of this damn bridge and die slowly at the bottom of the river," was Dib's own creative answer. Zim had asked him why and stated that Dib couldn't kill himself, not because he had too much to live for, but because Zim wanted to be the one to kill him.

Dib went and took that opportunity to ask Zim to kill him, but Zim refused. He said that he just couldn't kill anyone who wished to die like Dib had. Zim then walked away after that, and said back to him: "Besides, Dib, you still have to get me on an autopsy table like you promised me you would."

Dib had shook his head and realized that Zim had been right, at the time. Now, in the present, Dib knew the reasons why he should go on living were almost done. His family wouldn't really care if he died. The world wouldn't give a fuckin' damn if he went and killed himself; the world just pretended he didn't exist anyway. Why not make it so that the world didn't have to pretend that he wasn't there anymore? So that they didn't have to ignore his silent pleas to be noticed anymore?

And this time he knew Zim wouldn't be there to get in the way. Dib had enough of his life, and this time he knew he wouldn't be interrupted in ending it. His mind was made up, even more than the last time he decided to do this.

Dib got up from his computer chair and looked at the time: 3:35 AM. Dib noted that he should have been asleep hours ago, and he knew that his father would definitely be asleep by now, so he knew he could sneak out without a problem. Dib walked out of his room and down the stairs as quickly as he could. He learned that the faster you went down the stairs, the less noise you made than going down them slowly.

Dib asked himself why he was going to do try and commit suicide. Was it because he really wanted to die? Or was it because he wanted to see what would happen, what suicide was like? Whatever the reason, he knew that neither of them was it.

Deep inside, Dib knew he why he was going to do this. He needed to see something, but he was pretty sure it would never happen. There was just no possible way it could.

Dib made it to Suicide Bridge and sighed in defeat. Dib leaned on the same rail in the same spot he was at all that time ago. He was so angry with himself, for being so stupid. Dib couldn't believe that he actually hoped it would work. He knew Zim just wasn't going to suddenly pop out of nowhere just because he was at Suicide Bridge. His vision fogged up from tears of disappointment. He had done this for every night for nearly three months now, in hopes that Zim would somehow return.

Dib wiped his eyes to get rid of the tears. He really missed Zim, and a whole lot more than he liked to admit. Zim really was his whole life, as corny as that sounded. Zim was probably the only alien he'd ever meet, and he probably be the only being to ever care enough about him to convince him not to do the unthinkable. Zim could have even been his friend, if they both were brave enough to look past their rivalry.

Dib looked down at his reflection in the river. His face looked different from what his face looked like the first time he came here, over a year ago. That time he looked very unhealthy and depressed, but now he looked healthy and just sad. Dib realized he should just go home, there was no way he was going to actually throw himself off the bridge, be it tonight or sometime in the distant future.

[Somewhere out in the middle of our solar system]

Zim sat in his Voot Runner and sighed. He couldn't wait to get back to Earth. Gir sat next to him, singing the Doom Song, but it didn't bother Zim at all. Zim was too distracted by his thoughts.

Zim remembered when he found out that the Tallest wanted him back on Irk. He was happy at first, but then he realized that he would be away from Earth…and Dib. Despite what most Irken's thought, Zim really liked Earth. The only reason why the Tallest wanted him to come back to Irk was his increase in height, so that they could have him stationed at a different planet.

Zim, of course, didn't find that out until he was at Irk, but when he did, he declined the offer. He stated that Earth was a hard planet to Invade, that it held its biggest weakness very well hidden, and that he wished to stay posted there. He conveniently left out the fact that he would never find the weakness to earth. Earth was too nice of a place to have under the Irken Empire's control.

Zim had no idea as to how his opinions on Earth had changed. Maybe it was because he liked his life as a regular Earthanoid better than the life as an Invader. Then there was that very amusing rivalry between him and that Earthling, Dib. Zim missed Dib more than he expected to. Zim felt like a part of him was missing the moment he left Earth.

Zim remembered what Dib was like the last time he had seen him. He hadn't liked the how depressed Dib was, it was almost scary. Zim remembered that night about a week before he left to go back to Irk, when Dib was going to throw himself over the rail of Suicide Bridge. Zim could not believe that Dib had given up all hope and was going to end his life, and he didn't want Dib to do that. Which shocked him almost as much as it shocked Dib, but Zim came up with the reason that Dib believed. He simply told Dib not to go through with it after that and went home. Zim was beyond relieved when the next morning at skool Dib walked into the classroom.

Zim was sapped out of his memories when Gir shrieked: "It's EARTH!" in his ear. Zim gazed at that planet in front of his Voot Runner. He smiled. It seemed as if he was finally home. Zim prepared for the landing and hoped that he would manage to land somewhere close to where his old home base on Earth was located. He piloted the Voot Runner as best he could while descending, dodging all the death bees the whole time. Zim instantly recognized the area and smiled even wider. He landed the Voot Runner near his home base and hoped that he didn't wake anyone up in the neighboring houses and he placed his Voot Runner back in the "attic" of his house.

Once everything was done, Zim walked back into his home and stretched. He was exhausted from his long journey to Earth. He would enroll himself back into his old high skool tomorrow morning; he needed to get some sleep. Even though he knew he wouldn't be able to fall asleep due to his excitement to be back on Earth.

"We're hoooome! Oh, look, the Scary Monkey Show is on!" Gir shouted in delight s he sat down in front of the TV set.

"I'm going to bed, Gir, don't destroy anything until tomorrow," Zim ordered as he went down into his lab. While sleeping, he had his first dream in months, since he had left Earth.

Arm: Ah, what a way to start a fic. We forgot the disclaimer…again… Well, Jhonen, and everyone who has rights to the awesome show known as Invader ZIM, we are only using your wonderful creations for fun, not profit.

Leg: Now we have to get ready for our mom's second wedding… Oi, I so don't want to wear that dress…. Review? Please? I beg of you all to review!