DISCLAIMER;

**The songs in the following chapter do NOT belong to me nor do I have any affiliation with them . They belong to their respective bands and companies. Lyrics have come off AZLYRICS.COM.**

An hour before the performance Kyt ran about, getting herself prepared; letting out nervous energy. As she went back and forth she kept looking at the box filled with a few of things of that belonged to her mother. The rest of her belongings were in a storage unit: Her foster family didn't have enough room for all of her things. She hadn't opened the box at all. Everything inside was a mystery.

Kyt paused on her way to the bathroom to curl the rest of her hair... Her eyes fixed on the box. Her usual depression was overridden by anxiety and curiosity. Kyt's body moved towards it, kneeling down. She needed something. Anything to calm her in the slightest.

     Her hands became shakey as she pulled the flaps of the box open. Inside were clothes and jewelry she had never seen her mother wear; long silken dressed and crystalline necklaces. At the very bottom was a normal sweater though, thick of woolly fuzz. She unfolded it and felt an object drop into her lap. A small opaline figure of a sixes winged angel with her arms spread out as if to suggest for someone to look all around them. Her face was calm, definitive, and commanding...

Kytïel.

"Curiouser and curiouser.." Kyt narrowed her eyes at the little figure as she stood, setting it on her dresser. Something was very familiar about it. Before she could think on it more, her foster mother, called up to her. "Be down in a few!"

A gnawing sensation went through her as she carefully shut the box, and all the worry she had in her began to dissipate like she knew something. But what did she know?

Gathering her bag of make up, she skipped down the stairs, before pulling on the sweater over her head.

They made their way down to the Hi Skool, shocked at how much traffick there was. Regardless they made it with time to spare. Had it been her mother to drop her off , she would have kissed her on the cheek and ran off while she found a parking spot. But this wasn't her mother, so she just smiled and thanked her while she went to get a . Kyt quickly got out, excited to see Gaz, and Gir, and Dib. She bit her lip remembering their first kiss a week ago. She hadn't even realized what she felt for him. It made her feel dumb really. But now as she was walking towards the building, Kyt felt butterflies all throughout her chest. She made her way through the crowd and went around to the back of the auditorium.

As she went in backstage, she noticed a few people were already there... Like Zim. Beside him Gir noticed her and waved, yelling her nickname to her. Tak was nowhere in sight. Slowly she walked over to be pulled into a hug by Gir, "Kyttie! I'm going to draw a picture like DaVincci!"

She hugged back with a smile, "Can't wait to see."

"My paints!" Gir suddenly yelled as if he just remembered he had to get them. "Zim! I forgot my paints in my locker!"

"Go get them!" Zim snapped in an irritated tone. Gir screamed an okay and ran like his robot life depended upon his paints, and to Gir it most likely did. This left Zim and Kyt somewhat alone, except for the few others talking with themselves. They stood in awkward silence, then Zim sighed. "Kyt..."

He looked up to her from his hunched over position. He looked into her eyes and felt sudden regret. Why had he ever listened to Tak? He wanted to obliterate something. How could such misfortune fall upon Zim?! He would have invaded Earth on his own eventually... And would have come back the mightiest of Irken Invaders! He could have kept from hurting Kyt. He nearly laughed, then, remembering what Tak had told him. "Zim is sorry..."

"...It's..." Kyt paused, she was about to say it was fine, but she backtracked. It wasn't fine. It wasn't fine to side with a bully, especially against a friend. "Zim, why didn't you help me?"

"I cannot tell you, Kyt..." he kicked at the ground, "It is... Too complex for the hyuman mind."

"Try me." Zim groaned and wiped his hand-claw down his face. He couldn't. Not without losing the title of an Irken Invader. He shook his head, stepping back. He looked at Kyt and felt regret, so much filthy regret! He always was the one to harm her. He was better than this.

Torturous to Zim, she turned away just as Gir was returning with his paints. Behind him came in Dib, who smiled with pure joy at the sight of her. Zim wanted to rip the puny human to shreds, to hear his bloody screams. He turned away and went off to get ready... And to find Tak.

All of the students performing sat in the front rows of the auditorium. Before their turn they would go backstage to get their things set up and out. They all sat in order. Zim and Tak were two people in front of Dib, who was about ten people in front of Kyt. The very first act was Gir. The principal went through a speech that no one payed any attention to. He announced Gir Fartsparkle as the "opening act". His name earned a few cheers, laughs, and looks of confusion. Kyt was among the ones to cheer and laugh. He never failed to entertain her, even with his name. She chuckled to herself, "Fartsparkle."

Everyone settled to watch as Gir dragged an easel onto stage. He had a board and palette. He bowed to the crowd and without a word began to paint. He moved about quickly and people gasped in awe as it only took him ten minutes to finish his painting. It was a bird in flight with six wings of beautiful colors that bedazzled the minds of the crowd. It had a long elegant tail that seemed to be attached by strange gears. The crowd clapped and cheered, making him screech in pleasure as he took his painting backstage. They all watched the next acts in amazement. They ranged from short skits, to short musicals, to creating small robots, to solving equations, to singing, and dancing, or playing an instrument. A few girls did a performance with flags that shimmered and shined in the lights. Everyone got an applaud and cheers, no matter how awful it was. Finally it came to be Zim and Tak's turn. Everyone gave a confused 'huh' as Gir and Tak came out. Then Zim's voice boomed through the air.

"Filthy earthworms! Prepare to have your mind blown away by the pure greatness of ZIM! Ahahahaha!"

Kyt grabbed the arms to her seat as Gir began to peel off his skin- human suit- to reveal Zim underneath. For some reason this made Kyt feel sick. She continued to watch as Zim and Tak did tricks that seemed humanly impossible. Finally, Tak was put in a box and was being sawed in half when she grew six long legs. The crowd went wild as the disappeared off the stage. When they were going to sit, they were perfectly normal. Soon enough it came to be Dib's turn. Everyone watched as he awkwardly walked on stage, Gaz was with him carrying a stool and acoustic guitar. Dib felt his cheeks already heating up. He spoke into the microphone, his voice shaken. "Hello, there..."

Someone yelled a rude remark, making him shrink back. He continued to speak, "I will be singing a song I wrote... For a special friend. James Dean&Audrey Hepburn."

Gaz scoffed from behind him. He heard her getting ready behind her, then gave a tap to show he was ready. All went silent as Dib took a deep gulp of air and began,

"One, two, one, two, three...
Stay for tonight
If you want to
I can show you
What my dreams are made of,
As I'm dreaming of your face
I've been away for a long time
Such a long time
And I miss you there
I can't imagine being anywhere else
I can't imagine being anywhere else but here
How the hell did you ever pick me?
Honestly, 'cause I could sing you a song
But I don't think words can express your beauty
It's singing to me
How the hell did we end up like this?
You bring out the beast in me
I fell in love from the moment we kissed
Since then we've been history
They say that love is forever
Your forever is all that I need
Please stay as long as you need
Can't promise that things won't be broken
But I swear that I will never leave
Please stay forever with me
(If you want to, I can show you.)
(If you want to, I can show you.)
It goes to show, I hope that you know that you are
What my dreams are made of
And I can't fall asleep,
I lay in my bed awake at nights,
And I'll fall in love, you'll fall in love
It could mean everything, everything to me
Ooh This could mean everything to me
They say that love is forever
Your forever is all that I need
Please stay as long as you need
Can't promise that things won't be broken
But I swear that I will never leave
Please stay forever...
The way that we are
Is the reason I stay
As long as you're here with me
I know I'll be OK
They say that love is forever
Your forever is all that I need
Please stay, please stay as long as you need
Can't promise that things won't be broken
But I swear that I will never leave
Please stay forever with me
(It goes to show, I hope that you know that you are
What my dreams are made of)
(It goes to show, I hope that you know that you are)
Please stay, please stay as long as you need
(What my dreams are made of)
(They say that love is forever
Your forever is all that I need
They say that love is forever)
Please stay forever with me..."

A long silence remained as the last notes hung in the air. Then the throng of people burst into cheers and hollers and fan girlish screams. Kyt sat staring at Dib, who had been looking directly at her the whole song. She couldn't believe it. He had written and sung that heartbreakingly beautiful song... For her!

     In an instant, Kyt was up and cheering with all of his audience. He smiled so wide and even Gaz grinned lightly. They both bowed and went off stage. From the corner of her eye, she noticed Zim watching her. She couldn't read the expression on his face, but she shrugged it off.

The next few performances didn't match up to Dib's. Who would've guessed he could have done something like that? As Kyt went back stage to tell what she needed done, she had come to the conclusion she was to be a failure. Not only was Dib's song amazing, but singing was being overused. Oh, well... She sighed, clenching the sleeve of her mother's sweater tightly. "Here I go, mother..."

On the announcement of her name she stepped out onto the stage. The claps for the last showing died off almost instantly. They all stared at her in absolute silence. They weren't staring like they had at Dib, like she was some sort of freak. No they were staring at her the way she had been stared at her first day here at the Hi Skool. As unsettling as she found it, she forced herself to calmly speak into the microphone, "Nothing Left To Say by Kyt Lucifine."

"Who knows how long I've been awake now
The shadows on my wall don't sleep
They keep calling me
Beckoning...
Who knows what's right;
the lines keep getting thinner
My age has never made me wise
But I keep pushing on and on and on and on
(ooh)
There's nothing left to say now
(ooh)
There's nothing left to say now
(ooh)
I'm giving up, giving up(hey hey) giving up now
I'm giving up, giving up(hey hey) giving up now
(ooh)
There's nothing left to say now
(ooh)
There's nothing left to say now
(ooh)
I'm giving up, giving up(hey hey) giving up now
I'm giving up, giving up(hey hey) giving up now
Below, my soul, 
I feel an engine
Collapsing as it sees the pain
If I could only shut it out
I've come, too far, to see the end now
Even if my way is wrong
But I keep pushing on and on and on and on
(ooh)
There's nothing left to say now
(ooh)
There's nothing left to say now
(ooh)
I'm giving up, giving up(hey hey) giving up now
I'm giving up, giving up(hey hey) giving up now
(ooh)
There's nothing left to say now
(ooh)
There's nothing left to say now
(ooh)
I'm giving up, giving up(hey hey) giving up now
I'm giving up, giving up(hey hey) giving up now
I keep falling, I keep falling down
I keep falling, I keep falling down
(hey)
I keep falling, I keep falling down
I keep falling, I keep falling down
If you could only save me
I'm drowning in the waters of my soul
(ooh)
There's nothing left to say now
(ooh)
There's nothing left to say now
(ooh)
I'm giving up, giving up(hey hey) giving up now
I'm giving up, giving up(hey hey) giving up now
(ooh)
There's nothing left to say now
(ooh)
There's nothing left to say now
(ooh)
I'm giving up, giving up(hey hey) giving up now
I'm giving up, giving up(hey hey) giving up now
(oooh,oooh,oooh,oooh)
(oooh,oooh,oooh,oooh)
(oooh,oooh,oooh,oooh)
(oooh,oooh,oooh,oooh)
(oooh,oooh,oooh,oooh)"

Kyt sunk to the ground, drawing the microphone away from her lips, waiting for the music to end. She bowed her head, her snowy hair acting as a veil around her face. She closed her eyes, waiting for some sort of noise. When there wasn't Kyt slowly stood, then she heard one clap and then another and another until it became an uproar. Kyt didn't even realize how surreal her voice had echoed out against the walls and into the ears of the crowd. She bowed, and ran off the stage. Behind the stage, there was Zim speaking to the principle. Begging, more than speaking. Slipping out of the door to go back down into the audience he heard the principle agree.

All of the people near where she sat, clapped her on the back, high-fived her and gave praises that made her feel as if she were some goddess.

Kyt smiled throughout all the performances. But not until the very end.

"Ladies and gentlemen, as you await for the judges to come to a decision on awards, please enjoy one final performance."

Everyone in the talent show, looked around confused. There was no one else. Kyt looked across the crowd to Dib who only shrugged. Then it struck her. She turned to look on the stage just as he came on. His green skin glowing under the light. People watched, murmuring with curiosity. He cleared his throat but said nothing as music started.

"I'm bleeding out
So if the last thing that I do
Is bring you down
I'll bleed out for you
So I bare my skin
And I count my sins
And I close my eyes
And I take it in
I'm bleeding out
I'm bleeding out for you, for you.
When the day has come
That I've lost my way around
And the seasons stop and hide beneath the ground
When the sky turns gray
And everything is screaming
I will reach inside
Just to find my heart is beating
Oh, you tell me to hold on
Oh, you tell me to hold on
But innocence is gone
And what was right is wrong
'Cause I'm bleeding out
So if the last thing that I do
Is to bring you down
I'll bleed out for you
So I bare my skin
And I count my sins
And I close my eyes
And I take it in
And I'm bleeding out
I'm bleeding out for you (for you)
When the hour is night
And hopelessness is sinking in
And the wolves all cry
To fill the night with hollering
When your eyes are red
And emptiness is all you know
With the darkness fed
I will be your scarecrow
You tell me to hold on
Oh you tell me to hold on
But innocence is gone
And what was right is wrong
'Cause I'm bleeding out
So if the last thing that I do
Is to bring you down
I'll bleed out for you
So I bare my skin
And I count my sins
And I close my eyes
And I take it in
And I'm bleeding out
I'm bleeding out for you, for you.
I'm bleeding out for you (for you)
I'm bleeding out for you (for you)
I'm bleeding out for you (for you)
I'm bleeding out for you
'Cause I'm bleeding out
So if the last thing that I do
Is to bring you down
I'll bleed out for you
So I bare my skin
And I count my sins
And I close my eyes
And I take it in
And I'm bleeding out
I'm bleeding out for you, for you."

For the third time that night, the crowd turned into a complete zoo. Again, Kyt sat speechless watching Zim like he was watching her. He mouthed, 'Zim is sorry.'

She stared at him, then stood giving the slightest of nods. With that she left. She didn't bother saying good-bye to anyone. She felt sick. She felt something towards Zim, and she didn't understand it, the swelling in her heart. The dull ache.

She didn't care... She didn't care...

What the hell was wrong with her?