Enter Toxic Pea's shy and caring conscience, and experience his own pains and secrets, as he turns away from Mystic Flower's help...but why? Will the young Peashooter manage to push aside his selflessness that's getting in the way of healing his severe injuries?
Enter Power Chomper and Power Flower! Two friends that have been chums ever since day one of L.E.A.F training. Power Flower feels something more, but Power Chomper doesn't see it. Are these feelings of Power Flower's going to get in the way of Garden Warfare?
Mystic Flower is struggling to help Toxic Pea. Will she manage to get him to crack his shell in time to heal him in time before he is lost?
Toxic Pea
The ride on the RV is quiet.
It's mostly because I'm keeping the silence.
I fight to not yelp or cry out in pain, because I don't want Mystic Flower to worry about me. I also need to stay strong and just get through it like any other L.E.A.F agent, even though my injuries are very serious. I'll pull through and stay strong, with some help from friends. I'd rather I be hurt instead of those I care about, because it pains me more to see someplant I care about injured seriously.
"We're heeeeeeeereeeeee! Yapple dapple plants!" Crazy Dave yells happily, spinning the silver pan object on his head, or is it a pot? We may never know.
Mystic Flower helps me up, and guides me off of the RV. I can feel more pain rushing through my vines, but I ignore it, moving with Mystic Flower to the Backyard Battleground medical area.
Power Chomper
"And I said "goat any last words? Cause he was a goat..." Druid Rose chuckles. "And then he was vanquished...."
Laughter echoes throughout the nutrient fields, the area where we all sink our roots into these incredibly nutrient-filled fields for energy. For meals, we come here to suck nutrients when we crave more energy or when we feel a sensation called hunger. Rahahahaha! Also the time for jokes, laughs, chuckles and gestures!
Occasionally, some Zombies find their way close to this field, or even into this field, but, haha, that just means it's time for us Chompers to eat some zombies... With a dash of salt of course! Rahahahaha! I love eating zombies. Their legs in between my jaws feel like the Rainbow Heavens. Don't judge. You should try them before you judge them! Rahahahaha!
When I'm done sucking out the delicious nutrients, my friend Fire Chomper approaches me, and burps.
"Rarra! Good one Fire Chomp." I let out a laugh, extending my jaws upwards.
"It's always good one!" Fire Chomper laughs, doing the same.
"Hey I'm going to go visit Fire Cactus. You don't mind do you?" Fire Chomper asks, his flames burning brightly around his head.
"Not at all Fire Chomp. Later!" I extend my jaws in farewell.
"Thanks Power Chomp!" Fire Chomper dances around like a happy puppy and uses his Burrow ability to dig underground towards Fire Cactus. I bet he's gonna scare her again.
I start sucking out more nutrients from the ground, my roots nourishing the energy and food as I feel tired from today's fight. My inner stems jump a little from hearing a large shriek of surprise from Fire Cactus. Looks like Fire Chomp scared her.
I sigh in content when I hear a Sunflower call out to me.
I see Power Flower waving her flower hand at me, calling me. I strut towards her, my head shaking as I get closer to her.
"Hi Power Flower!" I say happily.
"Hi Power Chomp!" Power Flower giggles. "Did you see Fire Chomper scare Fire Cactus? It was very funny!"
"Rahahahaha! I wasn't looking, but I heard Fire Cactus!" I chuckle, and withdraw my roots from the soil.
"Come on Power Chomp. Let's join them!"
I laugh, and follow her, happy to have a break from The Garden Warfare.
Power Flower
I ignore the heat coming to my cheeks as Power Chomper follows me.
We've been best friends ever since we joined L.E.A.F, and I guess throughout the entire time, I sort of... Started feeling these feelings towards him. But I honestly just push them away. There isn't time for feelings in Garden Warfare.
I spot Peashooter and Ice Pea in a deep conversation, Zen Cactus and Petrified Cactus, the newest members of L.E.A.F, chatting about sniping and scopes. Frost Rose is talking to Ice Citron, and Mob Cob is talking to Fire Rose.
It feels nice to have even a little break from the Garden War. Spending time with teammates, friends, and meeting new recruits and plants is much better than fighting in the Garden War. Sometimes, us plants need a little peace.
I join Fire Cactus, Toxic Chomper, Fire Chomper, and Rock Pea with Power Chomper following close behind me.
"So." Toxic Chomper burps, extending his wide mouth. "Who wants to hear about the All-Stars I ate today?"
______________________________________________________
I can't stop laughing. The smile doesn't wipe off of my face, and my vines feel fresh and free with humor.
"So the Engineer is just lying on the lawn... I don't know what stupid thing Dr Zhangus told him to do- and there is a lawn-mower beside him and he's covered in leaves and grass." Rock Pea jokes. "And then I come up and ask "is it ok if I vanquish you, or do you want me to leave you a-lawn?"
I burst out laughing, my petals shaking so hard that they are starting to feel funny. All of the Chompers have their mouths wide open with laughter, and Rock Pea is waving his rock pea pods up and down while Fire Cactus pokes her short tub-like nose in the air repeatedly.
I wish that the peace could last forever, but it is a wish that not even an amazing sorceress like Rose could grant.
Toxic Pea
After Mystic Flower brings me to the medical area, she helps me suck up some nutrients from a patch in the medical area, and then puts me on the flower bed, making me sit up. She looks at me and releases her Rainbow Heal Beam. It feels nice and soothing as I feel myself heal slowly.
Just because I'm alright, it doesn't mean I'm not frightened. What if Dr Zomboss really does want to make a serum like that? What if he succeeds and takes out all of the plants? And it could be my fault...in a way.
Mystic Flower looks at me. "Toxic Pea... Can you move your right toxic pea pod?"
I instantly feel slightly guilty. I don't want to tell her that I think it's broken. I've put her through enough today.
"Yes." I say, bobbing my head up and down letting out a Peashooter sound.
Mystic Flower narrows her eyes. "Are you sure?"
I bob my head up and down again. "I'm fine."
"Can I see you move it?"
I gulp. This is going to hurt, but I have to prove that I can move it.
"Ok." I say in a tight voice and quickly move my left toxic pea pod up in the air super fast. "See? I'm ok."
Mystic Flower laughs. "Your right one Toxic Pea. That was your left one."
"Right..." There goes my last plan. "Ok..."
I slowly lift my right toxic pod up, when suddenly pain shoots through it, faster than a blow from a Foot Soldier's Z-11 assault blaster.
I yelp instantly, my head thrashing backwards and I see Mystic Flower's glowing eyes widen.
"Oh Toxic Pea... Please don't be stubborn." She murmurs, moving her Rainbow Heal Beam to my right toxic pod.
"It's fine." I hiss, trying to endure the pain still. "You should relax Mystic Flower. I don't think that you want to be around me right now. I've put you through so much already...don't waste all of your energy on me. We're the only ones in here! You should be sucking nutrients from the Nutrient fields!"
Mystic Flower sighs. "Toxic Pea, I want to be here. I care about you as my patient. Please don't be stubborn."
I feel a slight surprise surge through my inner vines at her words. I honestly thought that she would just nod her head and leave. But she doesn't.
"Please tell me where you're hurt." She says gently, touching me with one of her flower hands.
I don't say anything, only murmuring a few Peashooter noises as I look away, unable to meet her eyes.
"Toxic Pea..." She sighs.
I don't say anything as she gently feels around my central stem. As she touches the cuts, bruises, bites, and all of the damaged parts on and in me, I don't react at all, forcing myself not to cry out or yelp. I only stay silent.
"Toxic Pea please..." She sighs again, feeling around me once more. I repeat the same action, not letting any yelp or cry escape my mouth, but it's killing me on the inside.
"Why won't you cooperate?" She asks in frustration.
I don't say anything. I don't want her to keep spending and wasting her time and energy on me. I'm honestly not even that important.
"Fine." She says firmly. "I don't want to hurt you, but this seems to be the only way."
She starts to examine me again, but this time, she presses harder everywhere.
I try my best to stay silent, and succeed until she is about to reach some of the bottom leaves that help me move. I quickly turn them over so that she can't see some of the damage on them, but she sees me trying to hide them.
"Toxic Pea..." Mystic Flower says sternly.
I ignore her, keeping them turned over and she sighs. "Fine. You leave me no choice."
She places one of her glowing golden flower hands on them and presses on them Hard. Really, really hard. Really really really hard.
I can't take it anymore. A yelp escapes my mouth and I instantly put my left toxic pod over my mouth, trying to ignore the burning pain and the fact that I just yelped.
"Toxic Pea." She warns, and I let out a small whimper, as she stops pressing on them. "Show me."
I fall back on the flower bed in agony, exposing my bottom leaves.
Mystic Flower let's out a huge gasp as she sees the damage on my bottom leaves. Holes are embroiled in them everywhere from the Imp and L'il Drake's Impkatas and the Sky Trooper's Danger Zone and a few of them are broken from a ZPG from the Sky Trooper as well. Mystic Flower didn't see the ZPG fired at me, but hopefully she doesn't notice and get too worried about the breaks...
"Oh my....seeds." She gasps. She frantically plants a Heal Flower beside me and moves her Rainbow Heal Beam on them. "Why didn't I notice these sooner? This must be why you have trouble scuttling!" She looks at me. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"I...I didn't want to." I mumble.
"Toxic Pea. Will you please listen? I'm trying to help you..." She sighs.
I don't reply. Instead I just lie there, fighting the pain alone. I can feel them healing slowly from the Rainbow Heal Beam, but the agony is spreading through my body like one of those scary forest fires that I've hear about when I was a little Pea.
I let out hiss and narrow my eyes, trying to calm down, but the pain is winning, binding my inner vines together and choking them.
I close my eyes and take a deep breath.
Mystic Flower
Why does Toxic Pea have to be so stubborn?
"Toxic Pea. Please can you answer me?"
I can hear Toxic Pea breathing hard, and I gasp.
"Toxic Pea you're pushing yourself too hard..." I say gently.
"I feel...fine." He forces out, his leafy brows knitted downwards in pain.
"Stubborn..." I mutter under my breath.
"Toxic Pea we both know that's a lie." I sigh.
"I need to see Fire Pea..." He breathes out forcefully. "He deserves to know that I'm ok...he has enough stress flooding his vines." Then he adds "I just need to leave this place." He looks down, his face vulnerable and weak, like he doesn't care about looking strong anymore.
"But you need to stay here." I reply softly. "Would Fire Pea want you to get hurt again?"
Toxic Pea looks down, his eyes bleak. "No..."
"Then stay." I reply. "So I can heal you. And rest."
"I'm sorry Mystic I just..." He shifts a little and winces. "I can't. I'll be fine. I'm just going to visit Fire Pea...I need to get out of here..." Agony clear on his face, his eyes meet the door.
"You can't even walk or scuttle properly! Almost all of your bottom leaves are broken! Look at the bruises all over your central stem and the still fresh wounds all over yourself...." For some reason, looking at the battered Peashooter reminds me of a recent, painful memory.
Then I let out a sigh of frustration, pushing that thought away. "Toxic Pea. Will you please just let me heal you first? Look at yourself! Just wait a little longer...a day or two! At least enough for your body to heal...."
Toxic Pea shakes his head forcefully, a glimmer of defiance sparkling in the depths of his weak glowing green eyes. He moves his left toxic pod which pushes him off the edge of the flower bed a little.
"What are you..." I sigh and realize what he's doing.
Toxic Pea pushes himself off. He lands on his front side, and let's out a painful moan and puts his left pod on the wall to push himself up onto his bottom leaves.
"Careful Toxic Pea! The holes haven't healed yet and some might be broken-" I realize that he isn't listening, as he uses his left pod and the wall to push himself forward.
I sigh in frustration. Stubborn weed head! "Fine! Be that way. You can leave and see Fire Pea and possibly die in the process! See if I care!" My eyes glow in anger and I can feel my petals eat up in pure, pure, anger, and...
Grief...
My eyes start to squint up in despair.
It's not him I'm mad at. It's myself. For not being able to save someplant important to me. And the fact that it just happened not too ago brings pain to my eyes.
Don't think about her.
The way Toxic Pea's limping across in pain, sick, evil pain brings me back to the beginning of today.
And then I feel them. Nectears flowing down from my eyes, golden and dripping down my face. I'm crying.
Don't remember. Don't have a painful flashback.
I close my eyes, tightly and forcefully, trying to hold the painful and grieving memory back, but I can't as I take in breath after breath to try to stop it. I've lost too much...too many plants to this war.
I could have searched for her. I could have found her...healed her...but instead I...
My eyes squint up in despair.
I turned my back on her and left her underneath all of that rubble...I...I could've done something....
The ZPG hitting the three of us all comes back to me and Ice Cactus's scream echoes throughout my head.
Ice Cactus...you can't be dead...come back! I finally scream in my head, all of my held back emotions breaking free of my will'a grasp.
Please Ice Cactus...Don't leave! Don't be dead. I was never as close to Camo Cactus as I was to you...please come back...PLEASE! Golden nectears streaking down my face, I can feel
them on my cheeks, running down like sorrowful grieving golden waterfalls.
I hear Toxic Pea stop. He turns his head towards me and his eyes flash in concern.
He manages to limp towards me, using the wall to support himself.
"Are you ok?" He asks softly.
"I can't stop thinking about Ice Cactus." I whisper. "Could I have helped her? Even...saved her?" I cover my eyes with my mystic hands.
Toxic Pea looks at me, his eyes soft and gentle, and he does something completely unsuspected.
He wraps his left toxic pea pod and forces his right toxic pea pod that is barely healed around me and hugs me. I sniff and I can't stop crying, nectears flowing from my eyes. Toxic Pea pulls away slightly, his pods still wrapped around me. He winces from putting all of his weight on his injured bottom leaves, and then he looks at me.
"Everything happens for a reason...she's in a better place now." He murmurs, his eyes looking at my nectears and he pulls away completely. Then he looks at the nectears flowing down my face again. He places his left toxic pod on one of the running tears, and wipes it away. "Please don't cry."
I take in sharp, deep breaths and they shake as I try to calm down. I sigh.
"Let me heal you." I whisper through my tears. "Your pain reminds me too much of Ice Cactus's death....I... just...I feel like your life is in my control and that I can heal it unlike Ice Cactus's. Please...I mean...I just..."
"I'll see Fire Pea later..." Toxic Pea replies gently. "Do what you need to do."
I gently help him back towards the flower bed and he sits down, wincing.
I hop onto the flower bed and sit next to him, and plant a Heal Flower close to him and press the button that activates automatic healing. I then release my Rainbow Heal Beam, and silence is all that echoes through my ears.
I can feel a slight sense of peace shooting through my vines, and for once today I don't feel stressed or panicked. I sigh.
Toxic Pea stays quiet, and then he murmurs "Mystic Flower, the reason why I didn't want you to heal me is because..well...you don't have to waste all of your time and energy on me. I know that your Rainbow Heal Beam doesn't require any cool down time, but I know that it drains you sometimes. You look tired and exhausted and full of grief from Ice Cactus's death, and I just-
I sigh again. "Toxic Pea, I want to use up my time and energy to help you. It's my choice that I've made." I heave another sigh, looking down. "Toxic Pea, you keep putting everyone else in front of yourself. You're endangering yourself right now. You are the priority right now."
Toxic Pea doesn't say anything.
Then he asks "why me?" He asks. "I'm not that important. If I did perish, what would be so bad?"
"Because there are plants that care about you." I sigh. "Like Fire Pea. And me. And all of the plants that tried to help me wake you up today."
Toxic Pea's eyes glow warmly. "You're really sweet Mystic Flower. Like that honey that Crazy Dave really likes to eat when he isn't eating Tacos."
I laugh. "You were the sweet one when we first met back then."
Toxic Pea chuckles softly. "I can't believe you remember me."
"I wouldn't just forget you." I smile.
Toxic Pea's eye flash sincerely.
"Alright. You can go see Fire Pea. I've done everything I can. Take it easy." I say.
"Thank you Mystic Flower." He says gratefully and winces slightly from the holes that are starting to fill in thanks to the healing.
"Thank you for...helping me with Ice Cactus." I say her name with such sorrow that I have to force my smile from that point on. Toxic Pea's glowing green eyes gleam kindly and his eyes squint up happily.
"What are friends for?" He says kindly, looking forward out the window.
"Friends." I look up at the ceiling and smile, but this time it isn't forced.
"I'm glad I'm friends with you now Toxic Pea."