Important Note: This, lovely and constant reader, is a story I volunteered to finish for The-Death-Bringer-of-Hell. She allowed me to and here I am. Credit for this chapter goes to her, because this is her work. I just fixed it up a little. Now, enjoy!

Persona Reversed

Chapter Five: Surprises Come in Strange Places

"Invader you say?" Inquired Rina, looking… happy. "Very well. I was going to charge you for this task, though you say you are my friend Dib. But… I shall reconsider, Invader. I will help you. But I will still need a blood sample." She finished, an insane, twisted smile growing on her face.

Dib nudged Zim again. "Come on, Zimmy-boy! Don't you want to be a boy again? AND get back into your own body?" Dib said, traces of urgency on her words.

"Ooook… BUT JUST ONE, FILTHY HUMAN GIRL! ANYMORE THAN THAT AND I WILL SERVE YOU THINGS THAT WHICH WILL CAUSE YOU MUCH… PAIN… STUFF!" Zim shouted at the girl, who just blinked and agreed.

"Very well. Just one. But… what happens when your blood dries out… and I NEED another sample?" She said, lazily, like she wasn't interested very much anymore. Zim was flustered. She hasn't thought of that.

"OH, VERY WELL! TAKE AS MANY AS YOU NEED! NOTHING MORE, HUMAN! OR THEIR SHALL BE ROYAL WITNESSES TO WITNESS THE DESTRUCTION OF THIS PLANET AND TO WITNESS THE CRUSHING OF THE HUMANS THAT INHABIT IT!" Zim was losing her temper, and quickly. But Rina could handle herself, all the same.

"I do not wish to watch that." She told her quietly, trying to calm her down a bit. And it worked. At least, to some extent.

"Oh, OK. I was just saying…" Zim mumbled, extending her arm as Rina brought out a needle. "Go ahead. Do your worst." Zim said, as she hung her head in defeat.

Rina chuckled slightly. "It doesn't hurt much at all, Zim. Trust me…?" She smiled at her. A loving smile; something the Tallest nor anyone, besides Dib, had ever given her.

"Ooook… I guess I'll trust you if the Earth-boy does." Realizing what she said, Zim added hastily, "But I don't have to like it!" Rina nodded, still smiling, as she put some brownish-red liquid (Iodine) on Zim's arm.

"Very well. Now hold still." She whispered and the needle plunged into Zim's arm. Rina was right. It didn't hurt that badly. Rina pulled back on the handle and got a very good sample of blood before she pulled it out of the Invader's arm. "See, it wasn't that bad. And I have gotten a very good sample from you, Invader. And now onto Dib." Rina looked at the green girl as she pulled out yet another sterile needle.

"Now hold still." Rina said, plunging the needle into Dib's new green skin, after applying the Iodine. Dib's eye twitched in pain, but she remained silent. Rina gently drew back on the handle and got another good sample of green blood before pulling out the needle. "There… Another fine sample. You are welcome to stay here, but I need to research these samples right away. Atonohouno." She bowed, holding the two needles, and walked to her lab down stairs.

"Atonohouno? WHAT THE HELL DOES THAT MEAN? WHAT THE HELL IS SHE TALKIONG ABOUT? SHE'S MOCKING ME, ISN'T SHE? JUST LIKE EVERYONE ELSE!" Shouted Zim, as Rina's lab-coat disappeared from sight. Dib shook her head.

"Rina's from another country called Japan, Alien-Boy. She speaks Japanese. Just like you speak… whatever on the planet you're from. Atonohouno is Japanese for 'Later.'" She explained, knowing Zim would probably not know what Japan was.

"I see. So… This human female is not from around here, either, hm? Interesting…" Zim smiled.

They stood for what seemed like an hour in utter silence, both trying hard not to look at the other. Dib rocked on her heels while Zim stared at the floor. She looked around then seated herself on the love-seat. Dib followed shortly.

"You tired, Zim?" She asked, seeing utter exhaustion on "Zim's" face.

"Yes," She replied with a yawn. "But I don't know why. Your body does tend to need a lot of sleep. And I got a whole night of sleep last night, didn't I?" Zim was confused. Was the human body really this complex? Did it really do strange things like make you more tired?

Dib sighed, then, with a small chuckle, replied, "Sometimes, humans need more sleep during the day. Sometimes, we barley need any. You just had some blood taken out of you, so that'll add to it, too. If you wanna sleep, go ahead. I think it'll take Rina a while to find the cure to… whatever this is…"

Zim merely shook her head. She at last spoke with, "I don't need any sleep. I'm not of this world as you know, and I'm a proud Invader." Dib looked at Zim a minute, then shrugged and turned on the television. Mysterious Mysteries was on and she didn't want to miss it.

After a few minutes, she felt a sudden pressure on her shoulder. She looked over only to see Zim asleep, resting her drooping head on Dib's shoulder. Dib was shocked at first, but then remembered that Zim would have no control over her body in her sleep. Being cautious, Dib silently slipped an arm around Zim's limp shoulders and held her close. She would never say this in mixed company but… Zim… I think I love you. She thought to herself, kissing Zim's forehead. And I think I always have. But I just realized my feelings recently. I know you could never return my love, but…

"Zim, I love you."

Rina reappeared an hour later with two beakers, one filled with a green liquid, one with a red liquid. "This should do the trick." Zim was awake by this point, unaware of the things Dib had said to her.

"What should do the trick, human?" She snapped, back to her hyper self again.

She has got to have ADHD or something… Rina thought to herself. "I have the cure. Here." She handed Dib the beaker of red liquid and then the green one to Zim. "Drink them. That should fix you. Or at least, I hope it will." She concluded.

Zim and Dib stared at each other, then at the beakers. "Well, down the hatch." Whispered Dib, downing it in one gulp. Zim stared a while longer then did the same. The next thing the three of them saw was a bright flash of light, then Dib could finally see the body she had inhabited for so long. Wow… Zim's hot as a… GIRL?

"Oh, no." Rina exclaimed, covering her mouth with her hands in surprise.

"WHY AM I STILL OF THE FEMALE SPECIES?" Zim roared.

"I apologize." Rina said, bowing. "I will need another sample of blood to complete this." Zim twitched, and stabbed herself in the arm. "Ara waga kyuuten! (Oh my Heavens!)" Rina was short of breath. Was this really that kind of desperate time?

"THERE! TAKE AS MUCH AS YOU NEED, FILTHY HUMAN!" Rina, in a state of shock, took another sample of Zim's blood. Reality coming back to her, she quickly wrapped Zim's arm in bandages.

"Silly girl. That was foolish." Then, after getting another sample of Dib's blood, went back to the lab. Dib was still staring at Zim because of her wild outburst.

"Z-Zim… Why did you do that…?" Zim pulled her knees to her chest and hugged them.

"I'm just… frustrated, Human… I'm surprised you aren't." She said after a minute. "I just want things to go back to normal… I just want to go home…" She whimpered.

Dib was concerned. "But… your home is right down the street." She tried to comfort Zim, but to no avail.

"NO… Not "Hidden-Base" home… I want to go back to Irk! I want to go home!" She cried, as her disguise fell from her head. Dib said no more, knowing Zim needed her space.

Rina, once again, reappeared a while later carrying two blue beakers this time, only to find Zim and Dib sleeping on her couch. She looked at Zim with sorrowful eyes, then poured one of the beakers into her mouth. She turned to Dib and did the same and watched them as they slowly morphed back to normal. 'Wow, they really are Dib and his friend Zim. But how will I break it to them? This is very serious…' Rina thought as the boys finished morphing.

Dib woke up first, as Rina suspected. Dib looked around and saw Zim, lying near him and let out a shout of joy. "I'M A GUY AGAIN! FEEL THE WRATH OF DIB, THE HUMAN BOY PARANORMAL INVESTIGATOR!" He did a little victory dance to celebrate. He felt as though he were the happiest person alive. At least, until he looked at Rina's face; so full of sorrow. "Rina, what's wrong?" He asked, taking a step toward her.

"Dib, I need to tell you something. It's very important." She whispered, casting her gaze down at Dib's worried face. "Dib, Zim is very ill. He has an Irken disease. It will slowly eat away at his body from the inside. The only ones I know of that can create this virus is the Almighty Tallest of Irk. If we cannot get him there, he WILL die…" Dib was horror struck then had a thought…

"Hey. How did you know that Zim was an Irken?" Dib was getting suspicious. Rina's reply made his heart skip.

"Oh, well, that's easy. That's because…"

AN: Hope you enjoyed! Credit goes to the above mentioned. Please review! Well, bye!