Earthworm Zim Chp. 18, part 2

Pinkie Pie craned her neck as she tried looking over some of the others from behind the DJ table where she stood. Some of the people were just standing around and looking to Zim and the Tallest and not dancing or enjoying the party. Being Pinkie Pie, she was both annoyed by the fact that some were not partying and a bit concerned.

The look on Zim's face made her concern rise even more.

Zim just sat there, his ruby eyes staring into space while his jaw was unhinged. He was stiff as a statue...looking so overwhelmed and lifeless.

Rita and Brian stood by the Tallest, both looking at them with desperate eyes, the expressions on their faces asking and pleading that what they had told their adopted alien child was completely false.

Purple sadly looked at the couple. With a guilty sigh, he nodded. That gesture was more than enough for Rita to gasp in horror.

Rocky gazed at Zim in utter worry. She hadn't seem him this way since the time he found out his mission on Earth was a fake. He looked so broken...dead inside.

"Is he okay?" Rocky turned to see Numbuh 13 look at Zim from the edge of the couch. The clumsy child had just returned from the bathroom, as Rocky noticed a piece of toilet paper on his shoe, so he might have not heard the excruciating details.

Rocky looked at him sadly before turning back to Zim, who still remained as he always been since the Tallest told him the horrible truth. "Zim?" She spoke softly. Before she knew it, she slipped her hand into his and grasped it softly. "Are you okay?"

As if by magic, Zim finally blinked, yet his eyes still remained wide as he gazed down at the floor, completely overwhelmed by the truth of it all.

He was Miyuki and Spork's son...and they tried to kill him...

Since the day he was 'born', Zim had often wondered and dreamed what his parents could be like. He had always imagined they were special people who donated DNA to create a special smeet.

But the people who 'donated' Zim were cruel, shallow Irkens...and they had thought Zim was far from special.

A wave of emotions flooded Zim's mind as he gazed hard at the floor, ignoring the worried stares of his friends and family, not even realizing that Rocky was grasping his hand tightly.

Shock, sadness, anger, despair...Zim felt like he just wanted to punch a wall while on the other hand he just wanted to crawl into a corner and cry.

"The first leaders of your planet..." Rita said, trying to keep her voice steady as she stared desperately at Red, "the ones who looked down on aliens like you guys when you were young...the ones who stupidly got themselves killed...they tried to kill my baby alien boy?" Hard as she tried, her voice was cracking and tears threatened her eyes.

"It's true, Rita," Twilight stepped up as she gazed up at her with sad eyes. "This must be the reason why the diaries were perfectly sealed all these years..."

"I think I'm starting to regret ever opening the code like a show-off..." Keswick muttered to himself as he stood on the side.

Rocky kept staring at Zim, her brown eyes threatening to shed tears. She knew there were cruel people in this world...she never assumed there would be cruel ones in another world. Ones who would be so low as to kill their own unborn children because of something stupid like height. Sure Zim was quite short, but maybe if those stupid former Tallest had seen how much their son had developed, they'd probably regret what they've done. They'd probably be stripped of their rank for child cruelty...

She watched as Gir walked up to his master and patted his leg, his metallic eyes drooping in sadness, wishing desperately that his master wouldn't be sad.

"Oh, Zim..." Rocky sighed. "I'm so sorry..." What more could she say?

Brian gazed at his adopted son, sadness and anger coursing through his veins.

Damn that Spork guy! Brian hoped he was in some kind of alien Hell for doing what he had done to Zim! And Zim had not been born yet!

And damn that Miyuki! Though Brian only knew her from stories, none of those stories shined positive feedback from him; so he thought she was the biggest intergalactic bitch in the universe. He hoped she was in alien Hell as well.

No matter how menacing Brian thought of the former leaders, it couldn't stop the fact that his son now knew the truth...that his real parents tried to kill him...

"Oh, my poor baby..." Rita said before she rushed over and hugged Zim.

"I'm really sorry, Zim..." Red said as he dropped his head in shame. "Even Purple and I wouldn't do something so horrible..."

Moments passed as Zim just sat there quietly, letting Rita hug him as Rocky held his hand.

Finally, he spoke. "So I'm really the son of the former Tallest?" He asked quietly.

"Yes you are, Zim," Purple nodded. "I know, if they weren't such jerks and the whole trying-to-kill-you thing, you'd be smiling right now...but now you're not..." He added quietly.

Zim bit his lip. "I always thought my real parents were special..."

"Oh, sweetie, I-" Rita began.

"And I was right."

Rita's eyes widened before she got a good look at Zim. "What?" She exclaimed. "How could you say that after what they-"

"They aren't my real parents," Zim said as he gazed at the woman. He gave a small smile. "They didn't read The Ugly Duckling to me..."

Suddenly, it dawned on Rita's face as she gazed at Zim with such surprise. Zim shrugged a bit, his smile faltering a bit.

"Though I am deeply wounded by the fact that my own mother and father were mean Irkens who wanted nothing to do with me..." He looked over and gazed at Brian. "I am honestly happy that they tried but failed to kill me and messed with my born-smeet cycle. If they had kept me and let me be born a long time ago, I would be worse than them...and my goal for world conquest might have become more severe..." He turned to Rocky. "I would have conquered Earth..."

Rocky smiled at him, her lip quivering a bit.

"Thank God for that..." Winn muttered under her breath.

Zim turned his head and smiled at his leaders. "Irk would not be Irk without the two best leaders of the universe. You two lead ten times better than Miyuki and Spork could ever..."

Despite his remorse and sadness for the young Irken, Red and Purple had to smile. At first, Zim was quite heartbroken, but then he suddenly found the bright side of it all. And he was right, Red and Purple were the better leaders.

"So what now?" All eyes turned to Winn. "I mean, Zim knows the truth, that he's the former leaders' son. Doesn't that make him a missing heir or something like that?"

"Heir!" Twilight's eyes widened. "Of course!" She turned from Red to Zim. "Zim, you might be the third leader of your planet!"

Zim gasped, his eyes wide. "Me?" He cried. "But I'm an invader!"

"Oh, come on!" Abjay rolled her eyes as she pushed her way through the crowd and looked at Zim. "You were barely an invader to begin with."

"Abjay!" Dib hissed at her.

"Invader or not," Red said as he turned back to Zim. "Invader's blood courses through your veins like giant radioactive rubber pants." He smiled, remembering Zim saying those words the day he was given his 'mission'. "And so does the blood of leadership." He turned to Purple and nodded.

Purple immediately understood and nodded back. "Looks like we got some work to do..."

"You're leaving?" Purple looked down to see Apple Bloom and the Cutie Mark Crusaders look up at him sadly. Apple Bloom looked the saddest, her hazel eyes glistening with despair, not wanting to lose their friends.

Purple gave her an assuring smile before bending down to her level. "Yes, sweetie, we're leaving," he said softly. "But we're taking something with us as well...and not just souvenirs."

Suddenly, Apple Bloom's eyes widened in realization. "You mean...?" The most heartmelting smile appeared on her face.

Purple just smiled before he stood up and looked from Red before turning to Winn, whom smiled at her alien lover in deep understanding.

"You really mean it?" Lol began before she turned to Red.

"Oh, Lol," Red said before he draped an arm around her. "I wouldn't dare leave this planet if I couldn't take you with me."

"Excuse me!" Pinkie Pie bursted from out of nowhere before gazing hard at the Tallest and everyone else that wasn't in the party mood. "Why is everyone not partying? The party's not over!"

Red chuckled before smiling at her. "Don't worry, Pinkie..." He smiled to all the others. "The real party's just getting started..."
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"Uh, should we really be doing this?" Oscar asked as he played with his fingers nervously as he watched his brother pack a few things into a small backpack.

"Bro, this is space we're talking about!" Milo exclaimed with excitement as he checked his camera. "A whole other planet besides Earth!" He smirked at Oscar. "Maybe there might be some fine-looking alien chicks who would want an afro-sporting brother like you."

"Gee, I don't know..." Oscar gulped. "I'm not really into the whole inter-species dating thing..."

Milo raised an eyebrow at him. "Uh, and Desiree?"

"Let me rephrase that," Oscar said, "I'm not really into the whole inter-species, intergalactic dating thing..."

A knock banged on the door, and before either could answer, it swung open and in swam Bea with a girlish pink backpack.

"Okay, I told my parents I was going with you guys to hang with some others for the next few days," she said happily, "they'll assume I'm either in Ponyville or maybe Marzipan City so they're not too worried."

"Wait a minute!" Oscar cried. "What about school?"

"Aw, don't worry!" Milo assured him. "Bart said he's got that covered!"
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Mr. Baldwin and Principal Stickler screamed in horror as they swam down the halls of what was suppose to be Freshwater High.

The lockers were sprayed with red paint, the windows of every door in the hall looked like they were broken apart by a hammer, and the floor was completely covered with fake vomit.

"Great Maiden of the Sea!" The principal cried as he gazed at what was once a proud school. "The school's been vandalized! Oh, it must have been those rotten lizards, getting back at us for winning that soccer game..."

"What do we do now?" Mr. Baldwin asked.

"Baldwin, call all the parents!" The principal ordered. "Tell them to tell their children that this school will be closed for weeks!"

Beneath the shadows behind a dilapidated locker, a spike-haired boy stifled his laughter, holding his trusty hammer close to him before he ran off, his mission complete.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
"What do you mean you're leaving?"

Velma turned from her book to look at the red-haired teen. Another mystery quickly solved, she brought the gang back to her mother's book shop to provide coffee as well as tell them news. "Daphne, guys..." She looked to the others whom looked back at her with surprise. "This is special business. I mean, you remember I mentioned my friend Dudley."

"Oh, yeah," Daphne remembered. "Isn't he a dog?"

"A dog?" Shaggy exclaimed in surprise.

"Yes, he's a dog," Velma rolled her eyes at him. "And a very sweet one at that..." She shifted her eyes down at Scooby before turning back to her book.

"Is he cute?" Daphne couldn't help but ask with a smile.

"Well, he's cooperative, helpful, brave, courageous, funny..." Velma listed as she thought back to the dog that brought her to a whole new level of adventure. She smiled to herself. "So, yeah...I think he's cute."

"Zoinks..." Shaggy gulped. "Cute?"

Velam raised an eyebrow at him. "Well, his blue eyes are adorable..."

"Oh, Velma!" Daphne squealed. "It's like fate brought you together!"

No, it was just walk right into a bar...Velma thought with a smile.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Twilight tugged on the straps of her pack before turning to the others. All met up at Rarity's boutique to get ready to leave with the Tallest. The Cutie Mark Crusaders were coming as well, they wanted to explore Zim's planet as well as try and get their cutie marks by going into space.

"Boy, I wish I could bring a whole barrel of my apple treats," Applejack sighed. "I could maybe make some money selling them to aliens."

"Now, Applejack," Rarity began as she put some things into her pack. "We mustn't bring so much for our little trip."

"Says the pony who's brining like ten different scarves and hats," Rainbow Dash pointed out.

"Fashion, on the other hand, is simply a must to bring on a trip," Rarity said hotly. "Even in the depths of space must beauty be regarded."

"Even if you could bring your treats, Applejack," Twilight said as she looked to her. "Irken money won't do for a pony. While here on Earth we have money, on Irk the currency is known as 'monies'."

"How do you know that, Twi?" Applejack asked.

The sparkle-eyed pony shifted her hooves a little. "I've had Red tutor me a bit about alien life..."

"Oh, Red again?" Rainbow Dash cried as she looked at Twilight. "Seriously, are you ever going to ask him if he loves you just as much as you love him?"

"Twilight loves Red?" Apple Bloom gasped as she turned from helping Sweetie Belle pack some of her toys.

Twilight sighed in embarrassment. "Yes, I, uh, I do..." She smiled nervously.

"Even though he's with Lol?" Scootaloo added.

"Yes..." Twilight gave a depressed sigh. "Even though he's with Lol..."

"That just makes her love him even more!" Pinkie Pie giggled.

"That's just weird..." Spike rolled his eyes.

"Again, are you ever going to ask him?" Rainbow Dash asked Twilight.

"I've been trying to ask him!" Twilight retorted. "Every attempt has been ruined because of interruptions!" She pondered a bit. "Maybe as soon as we board their ship, and me and Red are all alone, then I'll get my chance."

"I can't wait to go on the ship!" Apple Bloom said excitedly. "And go to their planet! We'll get our cutie marks for sure!"

"For meeting aliens?" Twilight asked in doubt.

"For make new friends and exploring new places!" The little filly said.

"Weren't Princess Celestia and Princess Luna invited?" Fluttershy asked Twilight.

"They were..." Twilight sighed. "But, you know, princess duties and all..."

"Aw, they're going to miss the party!" Pinkie Pie said. "I bet the alien people will shower us with balloons, party favors, music, and maybe even chocolate!"

"I don't think Zim's people, after just meeting us, will give us a party," Twilight said uneasily. "In fact, I don't think they'll give us the least bit of praise at all. I mean, I did use my magic to kind of kidnap their leaders-"

"You did not kidnap them!" Rainbow Dash retorted. "You were just...what's the geeky word for it? Negotiating?" The word ran off her tongue carefully.

"Still, the Tallest must make an explanation for their long absence, and frankly..." She looked around the room. "We're it."

"Don't forget Rocky," Rainbow Dash added, "she's the one who planned it."
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
"Okay, so mom's going to use the 'my-kids-are-practicing-getting-homeschooled' excuse so the principal won't dub us absent..." Rocky went over as she read from a paper as she stood in her sister Ashley's room.

"Hope getting 'homeschooled' is more than just a few days," Ashley joked as she reached into a nearby drawer and took out her wallet. "You think aliens will accept credit from a kid?"

"Uh, I don't think they'll accept Earth money," Rocky said uneasily. "Zim's planet has never really known Earth until now."

"Oh, maybe they'll be like natives and trade," Ashely pondered. "You think they like silver?" She held a nickel in her hand.

"They're above that, Ash," Rocky reminded her adopted sister.

Ashley smiled at her. "You know, we've been in space before, remember?"

"Yeah, but moonbase is not as far as where Irk is," Rocky reminded her. "Zim said it took him a really long time to come here all the way from some planet called Conventia or something. Plus, moonbase doesn't have creatures like where Zim lives."

"Fanny doesn't count?" Ashley joked.

Rocky smirked, remembering the fuming redhead she often butted heads with. "Creature doesn't even begin to describe her..."
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
"Veronica, remember to bring a jacket!"

"Okay, mom," Veronica called from her room as she placed her wallet in her bag. Though it seemed unlikely that people from Zim's planet would take her Earth money, she needed to be prepared.

She was going to space to a whole different planet...and yet she was treating the whole thing like it was a trip to France.

Veronica looked over to her dresser where her photos stood. There was one frame where she and Rocky were posed for the camera, then there was the other one with her, her mom, and her mandrill step-dad, and there was the one with her and Bull. She had trashed every photo featuring her and Trixie, most of them had just been Trixie in the shot, considering Veronica used to have an obsession with being just like her...thank goodness Veronica realized she was much better being herself than some dumb, popularity-obsessed moron...

Just as Veronica was deciding which sunglasses to bring since she wondered if Zim's planet had a sun, a bright light shone from behind her.

Veronica smiled as she turned around. "That must have been the longest Fairy convention ever."

The bright light ceased and there stood a cow in a business suit, along with a wand, wings, and a crown, in its place.

The cow smiled at Veronica. "Well, Jorgen didn't want the party to end so he tried turning back time over and over."

Veronica laughed before she stood up and gave her fairy godparent a hug. "Welcome home, Morty."

"I know I've been gone like almost a month," he said with guilt, "I must have a lot of wish-granting to make up."

"It's okay, I've kept myself busy with friends and new ones," Veronica assured him.

"Oh, new friends!" Morty smiled. "Do they like Trixie? Because if they do then try and keep them from going to the dark side..."

"Don't worry," Veronica smirked to herself, remembering Purple telling off Trixie. "They know."

Morty smiled before looking over to see her things being packed. "Going on a trip?"

Veronica suddenly realized that Morty had been gone during the following events that happened this month. "Hey, Morty?" She began as she rubbed the back of her neck. "Something I have to tell you..."

Suddenly, Mort's pager beeped and he checked it. "Oh, you got to be kidding me..."

"What is it?" Veronica asked.

"Looks like Jorgen's calling for a fairy meeting," Morty sighed. "A long one." He looked at Veronica. "I don't want to leave my godkid after just coming back."

Veronica smiled at him, touched by his consideration. "Don't worry, just go."

His eyes widened. "You sure?"

"Don't worry," she assured him, "I'm going on a trip with my parents and some friends. I'll be totally busy by the time you'll come back."

She could always tell him after she came back from space.
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"Okay, Soldier, just get in there," Red said gently as he led the rabbit into a small carrier. "Good boy."

"We're bringing Soldier?" Red turned to see Lol enter the living room, a bad slung over her shoulder.

"I have feeling it'll lead to something nice," Red told her with a smile. "That's all you'll bring?"

"I just brought the important things like my wallet, my ID, and some gum," Lol chuckled.

"Those are good," Red nodded. He continued smiling at her. "Lol, I'm really glad you and Winn are coming with us. You two are the proud examples of why my planet should not consider yours an enemy."

Lol looked a little uneasy. "Are you sure no problems will rise with humans going to your planet?"

"There might be some awkward feedback," Red shrugged, "but I promise you we can do this. As Almighty Tallest, we strive to make Irken civilization as comfortable as possible, especially for our chosen loves."

Lol smiled at him, her hand having found its way into his as her fingers connected with his two long thing ones. Before she could say anything, the door of the apartment burst open and the colors of purple and orange flashed past into the room.

"To the S!" Fanboy shouted.

"To the P!" Chum Chum added.

"To the A!"

"To the C!"

"To the E!"

"What's that spell?" Chum Chum exclaimed.

"Space!" They cheered.

"Sorry about that," Vanessa said as she quickly entered the room. "They've been fueling up on sugar treats to psyche themselves for the trip. They're planning to bring a lot of Frosty Freeze..." She bit her lip. "I just hope you have a good bathroom..."
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
"Gir, my hair."

Gir gave a salute before he handed the black wig to Zim as the alien stood in front of the mirror. Having prepared his things and double-checked his PAK, Zim was waiting for his parents to get ready.

"Master, why you wear disguise?" The robot asked. "You're going back to Irk. No need to hide yourself there."

"Yes, I know Gir," Zim said as he placed on his eye contacts, "I'm just dressing this way to show my people what I've done back on Earth, minus the whole trying to take over part..."

"Are you still sad that your own parents tried to kill you?" Gir asked innocently.

Zim flinched. He looked to Gir, raising an eyeride at him.

"Sweetie?" Rita called as she and Brian entered the room. "Sweetie, we're ready."

"Man, son, I can't believe we're going to your planet," Brian smiled. "Wait until those aliens see what a proud father I am to have such a special son."

Zim smiled at them before turning to Gir. "Actually, Gir...I think them having tried to kill me was the best moment of my before-life."
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Red stood on the grass, both he and Purple back in their usual leader attire. They weren't going to dress Earthly casual on their planet just yet. It was amazing to believe that just a few weeks ago they had stood on this Earthly grass for the first time that night when they had first met Rocky and Twilight(when they were dressed in creepy black robes).  

Morning on Earth never looked so beautiful, and the Tallest couldn't wait to show their friends what morning looked like back on Irk. The Tallest looked behind them, friends young and old anticipating for the upcoming events that would happen. Fanboy and Chum Chum gave them the thumbs up.

Red turned to see Twilight stand beside him, looking proud and determined for what was ahead. She turned to him and smiled at him sweetly. He returned the smile before turning to Lol, whom smiled at him.

Finally, Dib and Rocky came forward, computers in their hands, typing away.

"So how exactly did you do it, again?" Purple asked them.  

"Simple," Dib explained. "I hacked into the ship's computer."

"And I processed the connection to speed," Rocky added.

"And I used my magic to make sure it was both fast and a safe flight," Twilight said proudly, her horn sparkling.

"Oh, man, I love it when her horn sparkles!" Milo said to himself as he and Oscar watched from a good distance.

"Won't it be dangerous if they brought the ship during the daytime?" Oscar asked.

"Even if people saw the ship," Rainbow Dash said. "I'm sure they'd think they've gone crazy."

"Hacking has gotten on ten percent," Dib announced as he typed. "This may take a little longer than last time..."

Lol turned to Red. "What are you going to tell your men when they see you and Purple?"

"Honestly," Red shrugged, "I'm probably just going to tell them we're okay."

"Twelve percent..." Rocky added as she typed. She turned to Twilight. "Fire up the magic, Sparkle."

"On it," Twilight said as she closed her eyes and raised her head up to the sky. "Though I'm not sure the second time will be any easier..." She grunted as the purple light of her horn shone brighter.

"Twenty percent..." Rocky muttered.

"Oh, come on!" Dib groaned.

Voltura smiled to herself as she walked over to them. "Perhaps I can be of assistance?"

"Voltura?" Dib raised an eyebrow.

"Dib, I'm a super villain," the woman laughed. "I've hacked into many banks with the slight move of a fingernail." She offered her hand. "Allow me. This chica has a few tricks up her sleeve."

"Um, okay," Dib said uneasily as he handed her his computer.

"What are you going to do?" Winn asked as she peered over her shoulder.

"The same thing I've done when I hacked into the main system of those ships that were arriving from Europe," Voltura smirked as she typed at the speed of light. "They were carrying lovely fur coats."

Rocky watched as the woman typed before she turned to her computer. "Forty-five percent!"

"Come on, where's the ship?" Fanboy asked excitedly. "I want to ride with the aliens and play with their controls!"

"Sixty percent!"

Twilight grunted harder, biting her lip as her eyes tightened shut, the light of her horn glowing brighter.

"Now don't push it, Sparkle," Milo said uneasily as he watched the unicorn struggle.

"Can't you use your magic to help her?" Abjay asked as she turned to Rarity. "I mean, you're a unicorn, too."

"True," Rarity sighed sadly. "But my magic is nothing compared to Twilight's.  As well as my beauty."

"You know Photo Finish wants to a picture of her with the Tallest?" Pinkie Pie said randomly.

"Don't push it!" Rarity warned sharply.

"Seventy-five percent!"

"I wonder if I'll meet any alien scientists..." Velma pondered. "And I wonder if they're cute..."

Dudley just looked at her. "Keep on dreaming, honey..."

"Eighty-three percent!"

"Wait..." Lisa pondered. "What if they aren't friendly to us?"

"Never fear, dear child!" Frink assured her. "Why, if those aliens are anything like our dear friends, they should be peaceful. And if they aren't, I brought my ray gun." He added happily, holding out a special device from his bag.

"Ninety-two percent!"

Zim gazed up at the sky. He could make out a familiar dark pink object in the distance, heading straight for them. He gulped, never having felt so nervous before.

"Ninety-five percent!"

Suddenly, he felt a comforting touch on his shoulder. He looked up to see his Earth parents smile down at him. Suddenly, all fear washed away.

"Ninety-nine..." Rocky said slowly. "They're here."

Before anyone could move, before they had time to blink, the ship suddenly landed before them with a loud thud, it's bulk plunged roughly against the grass, dirt scattering everywhere.

"Oops..." Twilight laughed nervously, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment as her horn stopped glowing. "I guessed I must have used too much magic..."

Lol's eyes widened in disbelief at the ship before them. It was definitely massive. It looked big enough to fit an entire continent. She turned to Red, whom smiled at her.

"This is it," he said proudly.

"Wow!" Winn cried. "Does this place have a spa or somethi-"

Suddenly, the door of the front of the ship opened and a dozen Irken soldiers marched out, holding weapons.

Those weapons were pointed directly at everyone, except the Tallest.

"Sirs!" One of the soldiers exclaimed with relief as the other soldiers pushed their friends away from the leaders. "It is so good to see you are alright! We will take care of the captors and have them dissected as punishment for kidnapping you!"

"What?" Zim cried as he slapped the tip of a weapon away from him. "How dare you accuse us of such things! RELEASE ME FOR I AM ZIM!"

"Oh, that makes things so much more peachy..." The soldier muttered.

Red and Purple immediately turned to see Lol and Winn close together, weapons pointed at them. Apple Bloom and her friends had become separated from the other ponies and sat fearfully together as weapons pointed at them. Rocky was clutching Gir as she glared at the soldiers surrounding her.

Enough was enough...

"Soldiers!" Red barked.

All soldiers turned to salute him, awaiting orders.

"Refrain your weapons!" Red shouted angrily. "That is not how you treat the friends of the Almighty Tallest!"

"So get your pointy wands out of their faces!" Purple shouted angrily. "You're scaring the kids!"

The soldiers looked at each other in confusion. With a shrug, they lowered their weapons. As soon as they were down, Lol and Winn immediately ran beside Red and Purple.

"My apologies," one of the soldiers said.

"Sir?" Another soldier said. "What are we to do about the humans?"

"Why, take them aboard with us on our way back to Irk, of course," Red added, his voice becoming much more calm.

"Sir, should you do that?" The soldier exclaimed before he turned to Zim and Twilight. "You are bringing assumed enemies as well as the danger-prone Irken."

"Hey!" Zim retorted.

"They're not enemies," Red said as he draped a protective arm around Lol. "And Zim's is far from danger-prone." The short Irken smiled proudly as Twilight smiled up at Red nervously.

"So what are we waiting for?" Purple demanded. "Let's go, people!"

Without another word, the Tallest led their friends into the ship, followed by the soldiers.

Their friends stood close together, looking back at the soldiers nervously every now and then until finally they were aboard the ship.

"Whoa..." Fanboy and Chum Chum gasped as they gazed around the control room.

"It's beautiful..." Keswick muttered, amazing by so much technology.

"Uh, sirs?" One of the soldiers asked the Tallest. "Is it really wise to bring them to our planet? I mean, they kidnapped you!"

"They didn't kidnap us..." Red told him before turning to Twilight, who was busy gazing around in astonishment. "Just simple negotiation..."

"And for Zim," Purple added as he jerked his head over to the Irken, whom had taken off his disguise.

"But he's been exiled from Irk," the soldier reminded them.

"Oh, well," Red cleared his throat. "then I hereby declare Zim un-exiled."

"We also like to declare Zim something else, but we'll tell you when we get to Irk," Purple said.

Red smiled to himself before turning to Lol. "Please bring our friends to our quarters," he told the soldier without looking at him. "And provide them with whatever they want."

"No way, free service?" Boog asked as he stood beside the Tallest.

"That's right," Red chuckled.

"Okay then," the teen smirked. He turned to the soldier. "Yo, burritos, stat!"

The soldier flinched for a moment. Then he quickly saluted before dashing off.

"Yeah, I love being human," Boog chuckled to himself.
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Rocky gazed out the window of the Tallest's room, seeing the stars so much closer than before. It had been an hour since they've boarded the Massive, and everyone was enjoying their stay in the luxuries of the ship, Boog especially with his orders for burritos.

Rocky and her KND team had been to space before, but nothing ever too far as moonbase. She wouldn't know how to handle farther depths of space. But now that she knew there was life beyond the galaxy, she was ready for new challenges. Zim had been her first.

"Intriguing, isn't it?" Zim said proudly as he stood beside her as they gazed out the window. "And you thought astronauts knew better."

"They're nowhere as close as the space dudes on your planet," Rocky said. "Oh, man, we're going to your planet!" She became uneasy. "What do I do? How do I act? Should I just bow to some people or shake hands?"

"Rocky, Rocky, Rocky..." Zim sighed. "And I thought Gunther was paranoid..."

"Sorry, it's just that..." Her voice trailed off.

"Yeah, I'm nervous, too..." Zim sighed. "I mean, everyone hates me because I invaded my own planet and ruined Impending Doom 1...but maybe once I tell them what exactly I found on Earth that is much better than an invasion..." He smiled. "I'll be fine."

"You will be," Rocky smiled at him. "You've discovered a planet no other alien has ever even dreamed of seeing."

"Plus, I'll be like the only donated smeet who actually has parents now," Zim added. "And who are much better than my supposed parents."

"Yeah, I'd kill them if they were alive today," Rocky added quietly.

"I would, too," Zim smiled.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Red and Purple stood in the control room as the soldiers worked getting them to Irk. Having made sure their friends were fine in their private quarters, they had come down to the main room to set things straight and explain.

"My Tallest," one of the soldiers saluted, "since you've been gone, we weren't sure whether or not to attack Earth or not. We stood by your word saying you would be fine. However..." The soldier played with his hands nervously. "You were gone a long time..."

"That's what happens when you have too much fun and a lot of sugar," Purple said.

"Yes, I know we've been gone quite a while," Red said. "But let me assure you we are fine and our new friends have been taking care of us."

"The humans?" The soldiers exclaimed.

"They are more than just a different species," Red smiled to himself, remembering how comfortable Lol was in the other room. "They are friends to Irk." He gazed back at the screen. "How much more time until we get to Irk?"

"I believe maybe a few more hours," one of the workers said. "Unless we had a boost of speed..."

Suddenly, a bright, glowing aura began covering the controls, much to the workers' shock. The lights of the control room flashed and the movement of the entire ship felt like it was moving faster.

A light cough was heard and all eyes turned to see who it was. Red smiled.

Twilight shifted her hooves nervously, an embarrassed smile on her face as her horn glowed as her magic worked the controls. "Uh, I thought you might need help..."
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
A slightly tall Irken in dark purple robes looked up suddenly when the doors of the palace opened.

And in walked the Tallest, followed by the others.

"My Tallest!" The Irken cried before he quickly bowed down. "Thank galaxies, you're alright! All of Irk had been concerned of your disappearance.  We were considering an Irken search for you on the planet Earth!"

"Yeah, it's good to see you, too, Shruin," Red chuckled as he and Purple smiled at the less taller Irken, "our trusted advisor."

"Seriously, why does every Irken consider invading Earth?" Purple rolled his eyes. "I mean, is it that hard to just make a phone call?"

"Yes, of course, My Tallest," Shruin bowed once again. "Again, it is so good you are back and safe." He raised his head up to smile at his leaders, then his eyes fell on the blonde and brunette that stood between them, followed by the entirely different species that were behind them. "Oh..." His voice trailed off uneasily. "Are these your...captors?"

"They didn't capture us, Shruin," Red said before he turned to Twilight, whom was gazing around the large room. "They just picked us up for some 'negotiations'."

"Exactly," Zim said proudly as he pushed through the others and stood before the advisor.

Shruin's eyes widened in horror. "Zim?" He cried. "I thought you were suppose to be dead!"

"How many of you guys on this planet want him dead?" Dib demanded as he stood defensively beside his best friend; that's right, his best friend.

"Yeah, Zim is great!" Apple Bloom said defensively as she nuzzled her head against Zim's side. "You big bully!"

Shruin was quite shocked when the Tallest showed no signs of annoyance toward a bunch of children, especially-what was the word?-human.

"Apple Bloom is right," Purple said as he folded his arms and gazed hard at their advisor. "That is no way to speak to the child of Tallest Miyuki and Spork."

As soon as he said that, Shruin's green skin became pale, and he felt his throat tighten. "W-what?"

"It's in the diaries," Red told him as he held out a large packet of papers.

"We broke into it," Keswick said proudly as he and Frink stood off to the side.  

"Our son is a good boy," Rita said as she and Brian looked at the advisor. "And he will make a good third leader beside the Tallest."

"Your son?" Shruin was painfully confused as he scratched his head, looking from Brian and Rita to Zim. "But the Tallest said he was the son of the former Tallest."

"It's a long story, sugarcone," Shruin flinched when Applejack stood beside him, giving him an assuring smile. "But I will be honest when I say Brian and Rita Griffin are better parents than some former leaders who probably couldn't tell a baby from a log."

"Oh, Applejack," Twilight rolled her eyes and sighed, feeling a bit embarrassed.

Shruin was just so overwhelmed and confused at the moment. Who exactly were these people? Why was Zim being respected? What has gotten into the Tallest? And who were those two girls that stood awfully close to them?

"Wow!" Apple Bloom exclaimed as she and the Cutie Mark Crusaders looked off across the room. "Are those your royal seats?"

Red and Purple looked across the room and smiled, gazing at the chairs they had always sat on since the day they became Tallest.

"Those are the ones, Apple Bloom," Purple chuckled, "want to try them?"

"You bet!" The three fillies said excitedly before galloping over to them.

"Allowing children to dare sit on the special seats of our Almighty Tallest?" Shruin exclaimed with shock. He was horrified when he saw Apple Bloom climb, with help from her friends, up the one of the large chairs. She smiled proudly and sat her bottom atop the large cushion of the chair. "Hey, be careful!"

"I'm Tallest Apple Bloom!" She laughed. She helped her friends up and together they sat on the chair.

"Wow, this is so comfy!" Scootaloo said happily.

"It's like a bed!" Sweetie Belle exclaimed.

"My Tallest, you allow them to do this to your thrones?" Shruin demanded as he turned to his leaders. "What if they contaminate it with their germs?"

"Oh, they'll contaminate it alright," Purple chuckled. "With their cuteness!"

"Shruid, really, they're just kids enjoying their time here on Irk," Red told him. "Just like we enjoyed our time on Earth."

"You were..." Shruid gasped. "Just having fun?"

"What, is fun, like, never been invented on this planet?" Abjay asked him hotly.

"Abjay!" Rocky hissed.

"Where's the party?" Pinkie Pie asked as she trotted around the room. "Really, we should throw a party in here!"

"Not right now, Pinkie," Red told her. His expression became serious as he turned to Shruin. "We'd like to see the Control Brains right now."

Shruin gulped. "They might not be happy when they see your..." He looked over and watched as Pinkie Pie bumped into a giant vase, which was thankfully caught by Rodolfo. "...friends."

Red and Purple looked at each other. Both were worried as well as determined by the whole situation. If the Control Brains disapproved of the others...

And Zim...he was the son of the former Tallest, a third leader to the empire. The Control Brains were the one who had stripped Zim of his invader status and had tried banishing him, but Zim came back and received his 'mission', which brought this chamber of events and led them to this day. If the Control Brains rejected Zim's claim...

Suddenly, Rocky came forward, her hands clasping Red's hand. Red felt a wave of relief as the little girl held his hand tightly. Just like the first time he came to Earth, when he wanted to change, and he never let go of her hand...

"We'll change his mind," Rocky said in a quiet, serious tone, looking up at Shruin. "I know I will because this wouldn't be the first time." She smiled up at Red.

Red smiled down at him. He turned to see Lol place a supportive hand on his arm, smiling at him.

"Please let us meet these Control Brains," Lol asked softly.

Shruin gulped. "Okay..." He pressed a switch on his bracelet. "He'll know you're coming." His lime green eyes glistening with worry. "Good luck."

"With our friends on our side," Red chuckled as he turned to the others. "We can handle anything." He nodded to the others. "Let's go."

The group passed Shruin, whom watched them worriedly yet curiously. His eyes were focused on the two human women that stood close by his leaders.

"Pardon me..." He spoke to Milo, whom stopped in his tracks to look at him. "Um, weird-looking Earth creature..." He chuckled nervously. "But those two women with my leaders...?"

"Oh, Lol and Winn?" Milo laughed. "They're their girlfriends."

And Milo left Shruin standing there. The advisor's face became pale as his jaw dropped open, at the verge of fainting.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Fluttershy stood close by Dudley as they walked down the bridge into the slightly dark room that would lead to the Control Brains. She enjoyed the night sky, but walking through darkness in a place she had never been to before terrified her.

Dudley noticed this and placed an assuring hand on her mane. She looked up at him and smiled gratefully.

Kick, having brought his skateboard, rode quietly with the others, keeping his wheels steady while Gunther dug into his backpack and took out a soda can.

"You brought Cheetah Chug?" Kick asked him.

"Irken soda is okay," Gunther shrugged. "But nothing beats the power of cheetah sweat!" He grunted as he tried to open the top. "Darn it! This one a real doody!"

Zim tensed up a bit as he trailed down the bridge beside his human parents. He still remembered the last time he walked down here...to be stripped off his invader status and being banished to Foodcourtia.

"Zim?" Rita asked softly. "What do these Control Brains look like?"

"Like giant brains of robots," he explained.

"Just like me!" Gir said happily, not at all worried about the whole situation.

Lol stood close to Red as they neared their destination. It was like walking into an old classic sci-fi movie. In color. Red held her close as they came to the door that would lead to them.

"Uh, do we knock?" Winn asked.

"Enter," said a deep voice from within.

"Knocking's so not common anymore," Winn gulped as she stood close to Purple.

"This is it," Red gulped. He turned to everyone. "Let's go."

With nods of agreement, the others followed the Tallest through the open doors. Fluttershy nearly fainted at the sight.

The Control Brains were giant machines linked to one another, occupying most of the room. Soft, vibrant colors flashed through the many machines that supported the creature, giving it a terrifying yet technically-diplomatic appearance.

Rocky's eyes widened in astonishment as she gazed at the creature before them. But she didn't want to show fear. They came this far, and Zim deserved better from this piece of machinery who had dubbed him a defect. If the Control Brains refused him, Rocky would-no matter the consequences-make the stupid machine realize...

"Almighty Tallest Red and Purple..." The Control Brains said, the lights flashing. "You have returned." The machine became quiet for a few moments. "And who are these life-forms?"

"They are our friends," Red said in a steady tone. "The ones who've brought us to Earth and taught us Earth customs."

"Were they not holding you captive?" The Control Brains' voice boomed.

Rocky felt sweat at the back of her neck.

"It wasn't really capture," Red assured the machine. "It was just an unexpected arrival with some negotiating."

"Negotiations?" The machine asked. "For what?"

The Tallest looked toward each other, than turned toward Zim, whom had fearfully stood behind his Earth mother. Realizing that now was the time, Zim slowly emerged from his hiding and took a deep breath.

Finally, he came in the Control Brains' view. "Me, sir."

"Zim?" The machine's voice boomed angrily, startling everyone. "You have returned even after I had banished you!"

"We had sent him to Earth to try and get rid of him!" Red said, standing defensively in front of Zim. "But then as time went on, Zim tried to take over Earth...but then changes in his life occurred, and so has ours."

Zim took a deep breath. "I know I am not an invader, Control Brains," he gulped. "And I'm actually glad for that."

"Then what is it you are if you are not an invader, which you are no longer, then?" The machine demanded.

Zim looked to the Control Brains, then turned to his friends and family, to the Cutie Mark Crusaders, to his best friend Dib, to his adopted Earth parents...to Rocky.

Rocky gave him a smile and a thumbs-up, silently cheering him on to show the Control Brains who it was messing with.

Zim smiled, feeling more at peace. He turned back to the Control Brains. "I am an earthworm."

"Earthworm?" Bea raised an eyebrow. "Is that what he calls us?"

"Hush up!" Milo shushed her.

"Earthworm?" The Control Brains repeated.

"Yes," Zim said proudly, "I am Earthworm Zim now." He turned to his loved ones. "And that's better than any Irken title."

Rocky smiled widely before she walked over and stood beside him, before she looked up at the Control Brains with no fear.

"Control Brains," Zim said, "this is Earthworm that has helped me realize I wanted to become one as well."

Rocky smirked up at the machine. "Greetings," she said in a charming tone.

"And all these other Earthworms," Zim said as he turned to the others. "They are my family who have accepted me as one of their own, making me realize that though Earth has its imperfections, it is truly not a planet for invasion."

"Oh, Zim," Rocky smiled at him. Suddenly, her eyes widened. "Zim! Remember the other thing!"

"What other thing?" Zim asked.

Red and Purple caught on. Red looked at the papers in his hands. Then he smiled to himself before turning back to the Control Brains.

"Sir," Red began as he came over to the processor. "There's something you didn't know about Zim that we had found out back on Earth."

"And we're the ones who helped find it!" Keswick said, he and Frink smiling proudly. He smiled nervously at the Control Brains. "Did I mention that I like your wires?"

Red inserted the large packet into the processor. The machines began beeping, indicating that the Control Brains were reading the info. Everyone began tensing up, awaiting the results...

"Stupid can!" Gunther muttered as he tried to open his Cheetah Chug.

Finally, the machine beeped, indicating the Control Brains had finished.

"What?" It cried. "Zim is...? No, it can't be! He's nothing like the former Tallest! They were tall and able to rule Irk without trouble or chaos! Zim would have been older by now!"

"But they're true!" Rocky shouted, letting go of her patience as she stood protectively besides Zim. "They tried to kill him, didn't you read that part? They placed him in a tube that froze his birth stage until you guys finally had him be born!"

"But Zim is a defect!" The Control Brains told her. "He had destroyed Impending Doom One, he has failed as an invader, he is no use as a third leader to our empire."

Gunther grunted, not paying much attention as the others listened to the Control Brains in shock. He growled to himself as he stood off to the side, a few feet away from everyone else, literally biting at the top of the can. "Come on!" He muttered. He used his thumb and pressed roughly agains the opener. He pulled hard...

Suddenly, it opened, but Cheetah Chug splashed out like a bullet. Thankfully, he didn't point it at any of his friends.

But it was splashing against one of the machines connected to the Control Brains. Before Gunther could try and fix it, he accidentally dropped his entire can, which splashed against the machine, Cheetah Chug seeping into the wires and controls.  

"No, it's false," the Control Brains said coldly. Though it had no eyes, Rocky could tell it was looking down at her with such malice. "This defect is-"

Suddenly, the Control Brains began short-circuiting, it's lights rapidly flashing. Rocky raised an eyebrow at the sort of gesture. Was this what the Control Brains usually did when trying to claim something false?

"-is the-" The Control Brains said in an automatic tone. "-the greatest Irken born with invader's blood through his veins like giant radioactive rubber pants-"

Rocky's jaw dropped in disbelief. Then it was replaced with a surprised smile. She quickly turned to Zim and the Tallest, who were just as shocked but were happy, nevertheless.

"A-a-" A few loud beeps out of the Control Brains. "A true Irken to our planet-" There was a few loud booms from inside it. "Who proved he is no defect but an earthworm, and will now become a great third leader, like our Tallest. Born from Tallest Miyuki and Spork-" There was the sound of a robotic hiccup. "I pronounce Zim no longer exiled from Irk, gaining a new status as third ruler, and-and-" A loud pop emerged from inside the Control Brains. "Earthworms are welcome."

"Yes!" Rocky cried in triumph before she turned to Zim, with the happiest smile on his face.

"Alright!" Kick cheered along with the others. He searched among everyone to find Gunther. The Nordic child was busy trying to drink whatever was left from his nearly empty can of Cheetah Chug. "Gunther! Didn't you hear? The Brains granted our requests!"

"That's awesome," Gunther said as he turned to Kick with a smile, though still looked at his empty can with disappointment. "Uh, I think I'll drink a can of Irken soda instead..."