Chapter 4:

A week passed and Dib made more friends, while Zim watched him from afar, avoiding him, and questioned his meaning for being on Earth.

Then one day, during his annual report, Zim just flat out ask, "My Tallest...is...my mission...a fake?"

Tallest Red's face twisted into a grimace as he tried to find an easy way to break the news to him "...Yup."

Tallest Purple wasn't as sympathetic. "HAHAHAHAHA! DUMB ASS!"

"Purple!" Red cried.

"...END TRANSMISSION!" Zim cried, before his leaders could see the tears springing to his eyes. "NOOO! The Dib was right!"

GIR had been dancing nearby, but he stopped upon recognizing an emotion other than pride or rage in Zim's face. "...Master...?"

Zim didn't answer him. He just smiled, a sad, self-mocking smile. "...But...somehow, I kinda knew it all along...heh-heh...hahaha...heeheeheehee-WHAHAHAHAHAAAAA!"

(Page break)

The next day after school, Dib was showing his new friends an old method of multiplying that involved simply bending one of your fingers.

"HAHA! That's cool, Dib!" they said.

"Heh-heh," Dib blushed. "Um...I've got to go now...bye."

"BYYYEEE!"

They all dispersed and went their separate ways and Dib grinned as he walked down the path to his home.

"Boy...hmm," he thought aloud, he hadn't been able to ditch the habit yet. "It's kinda nice not being called crazy. Haha...Oof! Hmm?" He looked down and blinked at what he'd bumped into. "Zim?"

Zim stared wordlessly at him for a moment and then looked away. "You-you were right..."

"Hey," Dib said gently, suddenly regretting his harshness from last week. "Everybody makes mistakes...it's part of being human."

Zim had no reply to that. He just turned and walked away.

(Page break)

Later that day...

"Mmm..." said Dib. "Great dinner, Gazzy!"

Gaz smiled a little and blushed.

"And good work on your studies, Son!" said Membrane. "Well, I gotta go, BYE!"

He ran out the door and almost ran over Zim. "Oops...Sorry, green little boy!" And he took off again.

Zim watched him leave and then turned to knock on the door.

Dib answered it. "Zim!...What do you want?" he was getting a little tired of the little invader now. "...And where's your costume?"

"You should act how you really are..." Zim replied, crying a little. "I never REALLY thought you were crazy, Dib...'till now..."

And that was all he had to say. Zim turned and ran, shouting over his shoulder, "GO BACK TO NORMAL, DIB!"

"..." Dib slowly closed the door and walked dazedly back into the kitchen.

"Who was it, bro?" asked Gaz.

"...No one."

(Page break)

Zim's words stayed with Dib the entire day. That same night, Dib was once again studying himself in his dresser mirror, this time wearing his old glasses.

"...Normal." he whispered softly, silent tears rolling down his cheeks. "...I can't Zim...I've changed...and I can't go back...but," he smiled slightly. "I'll start acting how I want to act...heh-heh."

"I'm glad."

Dib smiled a little more and looked up towards his ceiling. "I knew you were there...Zim," he asked tentatively. "Did you really like the old me better?"

Zim dropped down in front of him, returning the boy's smile, "Yes."

"...Thanks, Zim."

(End Chapter 4! So whatcha think!)

Ryu Forte: Like I said, I don't watch the show, and when my friend told me her dream, Dib said 'Adam' so since I didn't know any better I left it in there. Ah, spiffy! I've never been haunted before! Now I can blame you when stuff happens! "It wasn't ME, Mom! It was the ghost of this one person who's haunting me that ate all the cookie dough! I SWEAR!"

Aseret Kitsune: I made you wait anyway! Bwahaha!

Kami Count D: Depressing? We haven't even gotten to the TRUELY depressing part yet! Glad you likes my Smeets! The spit-swapping scene...you're another one of those HORRIBLE chapter 3 lovers aren't you? Ah, well...as for Dib, I will tell you what I've told everyone else: THAT'S A SECRET! You must continue reading the story to find out! And none of your guesses come close, either! Mwahahaha!

SingerOfDoom: Another short chapter for you! But it least it came quicker than the others, right?

Pigmaster: I don't have a problem with glasses...BUT, if you'd read the author's note at the beginning of the first chapter, you'd know that this was a DREAM my FRIEND had, and I'm keeping most of the original dialogue and stuff. So even though Gir IS in this chapter, it's because that's how it was in the dream, and not because I put him there. Oo;

Phoebe Telumetar: I'll have you know that I'm updating frequently NOT because you told me to, but because it's not really my story and was already dreamed to completion! Which explains why my OTHER fic will remain updateless for longer periods than this one! Bwahaha!