Identity Crisis:Part Three

     Lichen paused. Her pets looked up at her expectantly.

      "I need a drink."

     Smaug stayed silent as Lichen moved away, occupied as he was with trying to figure out what to think, never mind what to say. The fact of the matter was that she had been lying to him, as well as to Ixi and Werty, his whole life. Yet if what she was saying was true – and he was confident she was telling the truth – he could understand why she had felt such a need to keep it secret.

     His brother sat next to him – the brother he never knew he had. The Moehog sat grinning at him, almost unblinking. Smaug had heard of the "Crazy" DrSlothWannabe belonging to Ted. Lichen had supposedly gained the information from talking to Ted directly. "Talking to herself, more like."

     He'd found the stories amusing at the time of telling – the tales of an enthusiastic but level-headed minion and his obsessive, impulsive charge – but suddenly these wacky characters, so far removed from his life with Ixi, Werty and Lichen, were members of his own family. Lichen was Ted. Ted was Lichen. Crazy was his half-brother, so to speak.

     And what to think of it all - especially the one staring at him? His little brother had been the one who had nearly a whole bookcase thrown at him on Kreludor. His little brother had been the one causing all sorts of mayhem on the Space Station, and who almost got his owner – their owner – thrown off a tour boat in the middle of Kiko Lake.

     "So what's it like living in the Haunted Woods?" whispered Crazy, catching Smaug off-guard.

     "Er, um, um, er," he stumbled. "Well, er, there's lots of ghosts. Especially at night."

     "But what's it like living with Ted and his other, uh, pets?"

     Smaug glanced over at Lichen. It appeared she was downing her second glass of water.

     "We don't see Lichen as often these days. During the summer she took us to Altador to see the cup. She managed to get us seats for every single Virtupets match."

     "Lichen is what you call Ted, right?" said Crazy. Smaug nodded. "What about our brother and sister? What are they like?"

     Their conversation was interrupted by Lichen's return.

     "That's better," she sighed before resuming her position on the seat. Her water rested on the top of her thigh, her fingers subconsciously tapping against the side of the glass. "So..." she continued. "Doctor Sloth."

     Crazy's eyes widened. Smaug simply waited. He remembered how charming Dr. Sloth – Lichen's master? – had seemed at the Team Virtupets Altador Cup after-party. He had even talked to Lichen. How much of that conversation had been choreographed? Smaug had been easily convinced that was the first time they'd met. Obviously, it wasn't, and he felt cheated out of the emotions he had shared with her over that "traumatic experience" they'd supposedly faced together. Beneath that, though, he was curious about how she had felt when she truly met Sloth for the first time.

     Over the next few days, the teenager's mind is filled with fear, and with doubt. Eventually, she comes to a decision. Despite the uncertainty and the potential danger she might be putting herself in, she realises there is only one way she will find answers to her questions.

     She will meet the Grundo. She knows not what he wants, though she has her suspicions, but this is the only way for her to find the truth. He had promised answers, and she is determined to hold him to that promise.

     Her speculations are only proved more likely when she does turn up at the meeting place and is greeted by three Grundos on top of the one she expected. It is now that she asks them who they work for. She refuses to go anywhere with them until they tell her.

     Yes, the original Grundo reveals, they work for Virtupets. Yes, he says, they work for Dr. Sloth.

     During the journey to the Space Station, the Grundos face a barrage of questions. The teenager is excited, confused, intrigued, and emboldened by every answer she receives. Dr. Sloth wants to meet her? The great and powerful and infamous Dr. Sloth wants to offer her a job? She can hardly believe it – there must be something else to this picture, something she doesn't see.

     Upon arrival, she is given a tour of the Space Station, introduced to some employees, and educated on many aspects of the work environment, including Health & Safety protocols, accessibility regulations, and many other such interesting topics.

     It almost feels as if she is dreaming. So this is the real Virtupets. This is what exists behind those "staff and residents only" notices. She had always wondered.

     But now, the Grundo says, she is almost ready to meet the boss. They take a break for some refreshments from the cafeteria, and her guide asks her what she thinks so far. She confesses that it is not at all what she expected, and it seems like a very nice environment to work in.

     The Grundo agrees, saying that every human he's met has had a similar reaction. It is hard to believe that a place can be tolerable, even pleasant, he says, when so many horrible things are said to have happened there.

     And so, the time comes for her to meet the one who had summoned her to this place. The time comes for her to speak with the most powerful man to have ever set foot on Neopia. The teenager's heart crawls its way up her trachea. She asks the Grundo for some last-minute advice before she is thrust into a room, the door almost snapping shut behind her.

     "Ah, good. I am glad we finally have an opportunity to meet in person."

     Dr. Sloth stands across the room, his back turned, gazing out upon Neopia from the vast, seamless window. The teenager is awestruck. Even from her visits as a youngster, the planet has never looked so beautiful.

     He beckons her over.

     He has heard much about her, he says, and he begins to explain the reasons why he has proxies searching the planet's surface for potential employees, and why she in particular has been selected as a candidate for his "pet project" as he calls it.

     The conversation is long. The teenager wants to make sure she understands every single aspect of what he is offering her. It is a difficult choice. It involves signing away some of her rights, after all, and there will be no way for her to leave the contract.

     But her scientific curiosity overpowers her doubts. This is clearly not the crabbit, power-hungry maniac she had been warned about as a child. The man standing here, who talks of science and of political progress and ideologies, who clearly shows he has at least some feeling for the planet below, he seems charming. He seems... real. The respect his employees show is genuine, not just fear-induced obedience as the public is supposed to believe.

     And what does she believe? Even if lies have been told about him, does that automatically mean he is in the right? Her instinct tells her she can trust him, but should she trust her instinct? In the end, the rational part of her mind can find no real evidence against him, and so, after hours of going over small details, she signs the contract with her new employer, her new Master, and finally returns home.

     The first few months are difficult, as they always are in an unfamiliar work setting, but not once does she ever truly regret her decision. Lying to her pets causes her some guilt, but it becomes easier over time.

     Still, she wishes there could be some way she could share her adventures with her pets. Talking to her colleagues is all well and good, but she can't help but pick up on the slight air of competitiveness among her group, and so she guards her emotions carefully, lest someone should use them against her.

     "So that's why you became devotedslothminion?" interrupted Smaug.

     "Shh!" exclaimed Crazy, shooting a dark glare towards Smaug.

     "It's okay, it's okay!" said Lichen, sitting up as she spread her free hand widely. "Yep. It seems I've got a talent for keeping secrets, but that doesn't mean it doesn't eat at you. As Ted, I could be my minion-self and keep that identity separate from my life with you guys."

     "Wait," started Crazy. "Are you saying the only reason I'm here is because you were too emotionally attached to your Neopets to keep them from knowing the details of your job, but you still wouldn't risk telling them the whole truth in case they felt betrayed?"

     "Well, yes and no," said Lichen. "Devotedslothminion had been interacting with Neopians for some time before you were created. In fact, they appeared to the world just a few hours before Smaug was born."

     "What?" gasped Smaug. Was this significant? Was his very existence a direct result of Lichen's secret double life?

     "I must confess," she continued, glancing down. "Part of me had this crazy idea about maybe if I got another pet, if I raised 'em from birth, then I might be able to get 'em to keep my secret, so I wouldn't be alone when my other pets finally found out about it.

     "Don't get the wrong idea, though. I've always wanted a Hissi ever since I heard of them. This was the first time I'd actually been paying attention when Hissi day rolled round. And then I thought of the perfect name for you."

     Lichen looked up at Smaug, her expression unusually soft. He wondered if she was going to cry.

     Instead, she took a last swig of water and placed the empty glass on the floor.

     "Now we need to figure out what we're going to do."

     "Can I ask a question?" blurted Crazy. He continued, not waiting for a reply. "If he was supposed to be your secret confidante, why didn't you make him live in space like me?"

     "Aw, come here you!" exclaimed Lichen as she scooped the Moehog into a cuddle, ruffling his beanie affectionately.

     "Unhand me at once! I object to this behaviour!" he yelled, struggling against the embrace. Smaug buried his amusement beneath a confused expression. It wouldn't be polite to laugh at someone else's discomfort, especially someone he had just met. Even if it was just a harmless display of affection.

     Lichen finally loosened her hold on the Moehog, and he scooted backwards, trying to shake off the excess cuddle residue.

     "I admit it hadn't occurred to me at the time to create a side account. Besides, I think Werty and Ixi appreciated the new addition to the household," she said, smiling.

     Smaug thought he caught a glimpse of something, some glint of envy in Crazy's expression, but it was gone before it had time to properly register. Lichen's smile slowly faded. He knew what she was thinking.

     "How are you going to tell them?" he asked.

     "I have a few ideas," said Lichen, looking serious. "But I don't know how well they will work."

     She sighed and leant back in her chair.

     "I'm going to need your help."

     To be continued…