It's hard to handle a worried and frantic friend and manage to heal every plant on time! Talk about tiring...Alien Flower doesn't have it easy right now!
Toxic Pea is still having nightmares and there's a dark force of the zombies at work here.
Enter BBQ Corn! It's hard to keep in shape when fighting so why shouldn't he train at night? And why shouldn't he mess with a certain rose? He's about to find out!
Fire Pea starts to grow even closer to Fire Flower...what's going to happen? And what does a mysterious nightmare he gets mean?
Fire Rose is ready to teach BBQ Corn a lesson...a crazy lesson...Roses do more than just cast little spells!
Ice Pea has just returned from a Garden Ops mission at Frosty Peak...how does he take his close friend's injuries and near-death condition? And Druid Rose is sensing a deep darkness stirring...
Alien Flower
"So is he ok? How is he? Is he healing? Are his roots ok? What about his bottom leaves? How are his pods?"
My purple petals slap down in annoyance. "Fire Pea I told you that he's asleep and in peace... For now at least. And ask Mystic! She's been with him the whole time."
Fire Pea has been pestering for at least ten minutes straight. He sure does care a lot about his friend...but does he really need to pester me with everything?
"But she's sleeping!" Fire Pea protests, throwing his pods up into the air.
"Shucks for you." I chuckle at the pun that Kernel Corn uses. "Now go and rest up."
Fire Pea sighs and Hypers off, his Peashooter noises echoing throughout the area. My petals crinkle from the heat from his body.
"Weed brain." I roll my large eyes, dusting some sparkling spores away from my petals. "Someone should slap him lightly with a shovel and tell him to calm down."
I stretch my spore flower hands, and more purple sparkles dropping from them. I sigh sleepily. I should get some sleep...I have to rest for tomorrow...
I yawn, smiling tiredly and head back to get a little bit of sleep, hoping that Fire Pea wouldn't wake me up. After all...
More than just a few Sunflowers have to help the others tomorrow....
Power Chomper
"Burrow! Go go go! Power Chomper you're sluggish today! Go! Go! Go! Rararararara! Rararararara! We eat zombies!"
I grunt as I dig right into the ground, using my Burrow ability. I dig as fast I can towards the zombie target and pop up, my jaws opening up and then clamping shut and the wood is broken to pieces. I quickly spit them out, and then look at Champion Chomper, his bronze and gold light surrounding his body.
This is one of my training sessions. Right now, we are practicing our Burrow ability. The session is almost done. I can feel my leaves drooping with exhaustion, and I shake my large head and stretch my jaws out again.
"Rrrrrrrggghhhhh! That ends today's session." Champion Chomper announces, burping. He makes several Chomper noises, and instructs "you are all dismissed."
"Rrrrrrrrrgh!" I growl out and strut my way to Power Flower, who is waiting for me.
"Hi!" She smiles brightly. "You seem tired!" She quickly releases her Heal Beam, just a straight golden Heal Beam, on me for a few seconds and then withdraws it, because I'm just tired and not injured. "Champion Chomper sure is tough!"
I nod my head. "Rargh." I growl, before responding,. "He is. How did your training session go?"
Power Flower frowns. "Tonight, Champion Sunflower taught the new Sunflowers strategies to stay alive throughout any fight. I didn't learn anything, but I helped!"
I tilt my lips up into a smile. "That's cool!" I look up at the sky.
"Come on." Power Flower says softly. "Let's go and rest up. We need some sleep."
I nod my head and follow her, feeling a nice easing feeling ease around me.
BBQ Corn
I aim hard at a target in front of me, and blast it, Spicy Hot Shots twirling and coming from my cob hands.
My attack hits the target, and it explodes. Satisfaction floods through my inner vines. A good L.E.A.F agent must always have accuracy.
"Hut!" I salut the broken target and reload my Spicy Hot Shot attack.
"What are you doing? It's late!"
I freeze in my tracks, only to turn around to see Fire Rose glaring at me.
"Training." I scoff, batting one of my corn bobs.
"At this hour? You are so noisy! You're firing and yelling and smashing while everyone is trying to rest up for tomorrow! Have some respect." Fire Rose scolds, the flames around her head burning brighter. Her dark lashes and fiery eyes narrow, the golden gems around her neck glowing a little brighter.
"Fine. But I'm going to hit this last target." I say gruffly, readying my attack.
Fire Rose gives me a look of annoyance. Her Scorching Sceptre starts to glow and then she thrusts it forwards and a large charged up swirl and ball of flames smashes the target. I stare at it.
"Now can you go to sleep?" She yawns, her cape barely floating in the air.
I stare at her, and a smirk comes up to her mouth.
"Y-y-yeah sure." I stammer, heading off in a random direction.
"It's that way, you know that right?" Fire Rose says, a hint of smugness in her words.
"I knew that." I say forcefully, embarrassment rushing to my face, making it warm and I feel like my kernels are gonna pop out.
"The embarrassment on your face says otherwise, but no matter." Fire Rose looks at her sceptre in amusement. "Goodnight." She laughs and vanishes and flaming rose petals explode into the air.
I bat them away from from me, and head off in the right direction to go get some shut eye.
I hate Fire Rose...
Fire Pea
I sigh, sitting on soft grass outside. Another win. Another victory.
Fire Flower sits next to me, looking up at the night sky. She let's out a sigh of content.
"Look at those glowing balls in the sky." She sighs in awe.
I stare at them, feeling warmth shooting through my vines.
"They're beautiful aren't they?" Fire Flower whispers.
"They're so sparkly..." I chuckle.
"They're called stars." Fire Flower whispers in awe. She nuzzles my cheek softly. "I love the stars. One day, maybe when I perish, I'll become a star."
"And I'll follow you." I murmur.
Fire Flower sighs, and her eyes close and in a few minutes she's fallen asleep. I lean her gently against me, not wanting her to fall while she's sleeping. Her breathing is soft and comforting against my central stem. I gently stroke her flaming, warm bright petals.
I hope Toxic Pea's ok. I sigh, and then close my own eyes as sleep drifts into my leaves and I fall asleep.
"You scallywag fool! Curses! I knew that you idiots were too dumb to kill that Pea or take him alive!" Dr Zomboss's annoying voice rings through my head.
"It waz flower! Flower! RAGH RAGH RAGH!" A Sky Trooper yells.
"That Imp and that L'il Drake ain't alivez no more." Captain Deadbeard scowls.
"Blast! I don't care if I loose two measley Imps, I have a whole zombie army that I can deploy! If you imbeciles can't do it, then I will! I am the only genius out of anyone here!" Zomboss growls. "Next time you see them, crank up a Zing-Pow! Kill these weeds!"
And then everything fades.
BBQ Corn
"Greetings Mob Cob- oh it's YOU."
I blink an eye open, grunting, and I holding out my BBQ corn cobs. "Who is there?" I shake, ready for an ambush.
"Show yourself! This corn ain't scared of you. Come out you cowardly stink-breathin' zombie! Come out so I can grill ya!" I growl, narrowing my eyes.
"Zombie? I'm rather offended."
I stare, looking around the area. "I know your voice. I've heard it from somewhere. Just come out already. You aren't scaring anyplant."
Let's see. Who could it be? It must be someone from the future or something. Or some kind of creepy plant voodoo.
"Come on out you fertilizin' freak! Or I'll shoot your head off and roast it on my grill and feed it to some Chomps." I growl, readying my Spicy Hot Shot attack. I can feel the BBQ sauce pumping through my vines, ready as it will ever be against my attacker or enemy.
"You would kill a fellow plant? Tsk tsk Kernel brain." The voice chides teasingly. "You should know better. After all, you ARE a L.E.A.F agent. If you turn on me, then you'll be breaking some rules. You aren't a toaster, are you?"
I'm speechless, and the voice laughs. "Your expression is priceless. Well then, the grand reveal will be hilarious...well to me at least." The voice chuckles.
I keep my eyes narrowed, gritting my teeth, waiting for that weed head to show up.
Suddenly, a slight voice sings an opening note. Swirls of fire appear, and soon, I come face to face with...
Fire Rose.
I let out a hiss of annoyance, my eyes narrowing and my teeth gnashing in anger. "Fire Rose! What are you doing here!? Get out!"
Fire Rose let's out a soft, musical laugh. "Why, I'm visiting you in your dreams of course!" And then she frowns. "I meant to visit Mob Cob, but I guess I got the spell wrong. Whenever I visit Mob Cob, it is quite fun...." Her eyes narrow when she looks at me. "Alas, I arrived here tonight instead. Pity..." She toys with her sceptre, and it makes me want to explode. "So, I guess you'll have to deal with me in your dreams tonight." She laughs. "Have I annoyed you yet?"
"Very." I hiss through my clenched teeth, feeling my inner kernels pop. "Can't you just get out?"
Fire Rose chuckles. "What a nice host you are." I hate how she's so calm for once and I'm the one who's about to explode.
"What do you like to do?" She asks.
Her question surprises me. "I like to...er, fight and train?" I stammer a bit, but regain my composure and make my voice gruff.
"Then that's what we'll do!" Fire Rose smiles cheerily. "We can shoot targets! Not my preference of course, but this is your dream...so you can choose!"
"Can I choose to kick you out?" I ask hopefully.
"I'm afraid not corn brain." Fire Rose laughs again.
"Whatever." I grunt. "Go visit Mob Cob. You'll have more fun there."
Fire Rose shakes her head. "Are you afraid of loosing to me, kernel brain?"
I glare at her. "As if Ms Fire Thistles. I bet your scorching little thorns could break maybe a few targets...and that's it."
Fire Rose rolls her eyes. "Who was the one who blasted that target the other night?"
"You got lucky." I respond in a stony way.
"Well then prove it. I challenge you." Fire Rose lifts her chin, waving her wand to make targets appear.
"Oh it's grow time. Prepare to get grilled." I smirk, pumping my corn arms."
________________________________________________________
"THAT WAS... THAT WAS...THAT WAS ACTUALLY FUN!"
Me and Fire Rose are sitting breathless on the grass in my dream, broken, smashed, and splintered targets scattering the area. I'm breathing heavily, the adrenaline leaving my corn leaves and vines, as I let out a saluting puff.
"I had lots of fun." Fire Rose admits grudgingly. "I told you that us Roses do more than just cast little spells." She says.
"Ok fine." I sigh. "I was wrong."
"Ah it feels good to hear that from a Corn." She smiles, toying with her sceptre again. "Sorry I didn't hear you the first time. Can you repeat that?"
"I was wrong." I repeat, and roll my eyes.
"I'm sorry what was that?"
"I was wrong." I roll my eyes again.
"Ok now do it a fourth time but this time sound more stupid-"
"Fire Rose." I roll my eyes again.
"Fine fine." Fire Rose rolls her eyes in amusement."It was a lot of fun. Although...it's a pity that we'll never be able to settle the tie..."
I look at her questionably. "Why not?"
"Well, number one, I can't stand you. Number two, me coming into this dream was an accident and I'm sure you don't want me in here again."
"Well I can't stand you either." I say. "But I guess that was kinda fun...."
I would have kicked Fire Rose out sooner, but it was actually fun competing and I've never known this side to Fire Rose before.
"Also, You would have lost next time. Because I almost won." I add.
"No you didn't you cocky corn head. You missed by more than just a little bit." Fire Rose snaps, her eyes narrowing.
"Well you didn't hit the last one either." I shoot back. "So we are tied."
"My attack has a homing ability. I don't know how I missed..."
"That's cheap. I knew it. You cheated! Homing ability isn't fair." I state. "No wonder why you did so well!"
"But I SHOWED you when I launched several Gotify spells at the targets and hit them spot on. I do have skill. They don't have a homing ability." Fire Rose rolls her eyes. "Such an annoying corn."
"Such an annoying rose." I fire back. "And spells! You do cast little spells!"
"I do not!" Fire Rose snaps bitterly.
"They are just spells."
"I can teach you to be afraid of my "little spells". She hisses venomously.
"I'm good. You'll probably cheat in those too."
"I didn't CHEAT!"
"Liar."
"Whatever kernel brain."
"Whatever Ms Wands and Thorns."
We glare at each each other, a rift of rivalry forming between us.
I break the glare, and adjust my bandanna.
"I'm leaving. Fire Rose mutters. Then her fiery eyes round up on me, burning in a slight anger.
"You better watch your tongue Corn." Is all she snaps to me. She doesn't even say goodbye as she twirls her Scorching Sceptre and vanishes, leaving flaming rose petals floating down to the ground and against my face.
"Good riddance." I spit, and I bat the petals away, just like I did before when she caught me training, questioning if what just happened was some sort of illusion or if it really happened...
Toxic Pea
"Ruahahaha!" Dr Zomboss laughs, hide yes wide. "Our enemies will perish! Soon, those pathetic little weeds will feel the wrath of I! Or is it me... Meh no matter! Muahahaha!"
What is he doing? What is Dr Zomboss doing?
Seeds! The tubes...
"You are an interesting...plant." Dr Zomboss leans towards me, his terrible face looking at my stems and leaves. "I don't see Peas like you very often. Still trying to be a hero?"
I instantly narrow my leaf eyebrows, and hiss.
"Grow away!" I snap fiercely.
"Muahaha! The weed is trying to fight back!" Zomboss mocks me, laughing. "You'll die soon, you weak little stem. Soon you and all of your weak army will DIE, and then no one will stop me from having my domination! No one!"
I shriek, feeling the tubes sink deeper into my leaves and stems.
All I hear is his evil laughter. And...whatever he's saying....
"Why don't you come and fight us then?" I gasp as the tubes pierce something painful in my central stem.
Zomboss only raises an eyebrow, and for a moment pity lingers in his eyes. "Your strongest lawn plant launches watermelons. Do you really want to fight me? My zombies could destroy anything in moments!"
"You're all talk Zomboss." I hiss, ignoring the fiery pain in my pods.
Zomboss raises his eyebrow higher. "And your strongest potted plant, that "Doom Shroom", only explodes once before having to rest and recharge. My zombies need no recharge! Those that are shot down are only replaced with more and more zombies! Do you really think you can fight me? TOXIC Peashooter?"
I squirm as the tubes continue draining my strength. He said he didn't see Peashooters like me very often. "How do you know me?" I snarl, my glowing green eyes flaring.
Zomboss only smiles wider. "You think I don't remember you? You are the exact same Peashooter I experimented on all of those years ago when you were very young. Then he chuckles. "I see your eyes flaring in rage and courage, fiery with challenge, but...how are you really feeling? I see your fear."
I shiver, feeling the fire in my eyes start to quench out.
Zomboss's smile grows. "That's what I thought."
"What do you want from me?" I ask, struggling not to rasp out the words. My strength fading, and I feel my pods go numb.
"Your energy is what I need." Zomboss's smile turns devious, his face shaded with ambition. "To create the ultimate weapon against all of your kind." He cackles. "And your toxic energy is the strongest out of them all."
"NO!" I choke out. "You can't..." I feel my eyes growing heavy, my inner vines starting to no longer rush with aloe and fluids, my toxic energy now completely gone. I feel my bottom leaves relax and stop moving, my pods stop moving and my inner stems no longer shift actively. "We'll...we'll stop you! We always have!" My eyes close and everything starts to fade. Zomboss laughs.
"But this time...there's absolutely nothing you can do to stop me plant....absolutely nothing..."
Fire Pea
I wake up with a start, the golden sun flashing in my eyes. Fire Flower is still asleep.
"Hey..." I shake her, and she murmurs something in her sleep. "Get up Fire Flower. We're going to be late! Move those stems!" I add humorously.
Fire Flower stirs, and I shake her a little more.
Finally, she gets up and yawns, stretching her little fire flower hands. "Ah, ah." She says cheerily, then she looks at me. "Hi there." She smiles.
"Hi!" I reply jovially.
"Ok. I'm ready..." She yawns again.
"Alright." I yawn, making some Peashooter noises as I stretch out my fire pea pods. A Chomper is snoring a few meters away.
"Let's go." She yawns again, and she takes one of my fire pea pods in her hand. "Don't want to be late..." We hold hands, her fire flower hands and my fire pea pods, with her strutting and me scuttling across the grass for today's battle plan.
Mystic Flower
"Hey Toxic Pea. Toxic Pea."
I shake him, but he doesn't wake up. He stirs a little, but his eyes are shut very tightly and he rolls over.
"Wake up." I say gently, stroking his head comfortingly. Toxic Pea's eyes start to open, and he seems to sigh in relief. A haunted look shadows his face.
What's scaring him so much?
"The meeting." Is all he says as his eyes widen.
"You aren't going to the meeting. Not in your condition." I say firmly, ready for his argument.
"But...but I need to know the battle plan." He protests, wincing from his newly-healed pod.
"No you don't. Because you're not fighting." I tell him.
"But I have to!"
"No you aren't. I already told Crazy Dave. He said that you should rest up and that you are in trouble..." Kind of twisting his words but it's for Toxic Pea's sake!
"But I'm healed now." He protests. "I feel a bit better than yesterday..."
"A little bit isn't enough." I say firmly, and as Toxic Pea is about to protest again, I cut in.
"The holes in your bottom leaves are still there, some are still broken, your right toxic pod is still healing, and who knows what other injuries you have that you haven't told me about." I state.
"But-" he starts to protest again.
"But nothing! Crazy Dave won't let you fight." I say. Sorry Crazy Dave. But Toxic Pea isn't ready to fight...and your answer was "Victory tastes like soap...it's the best ever!" I'll just treat it as a no.
Toxic Pea sighs, then rests his head on the bed.
"Can you even Hyper? Or reload, or launch Chili Bean or Sombrero Bean Bombs? Can you use your Pea Gatling?" I ask.
Toxic Pea doesn't respond.
"I'll take that as a no. Now be honest with me while I'm checking you ok?" I say sternly, crinkling my leaves.
Toxic Pea sighs and I know that right from then that this will be a difficult task.
Toxic Pea
"Does this hurt?" Mystic Flower asks, pressing on one of my bottom leaves that's broken.
"No." I hiss, forcing pain out of my voice.
"Toxic Pea.... I told you to stop lying." Mystic Flower says sternly.
I let out a Peashooter sigh. "I'm not lying."
"Yes you are." Mystic Flower hisses in frustration. "I told you I'm ok. I told you I want to be here and I feel strong."
"I'm really sorry..." I mumble. "I'm not lying about this though....it's just kind of...sore."
"It's more than that." Mystic Flower insists.
"Ok it is. But it doesn't bother me that much." I assure her quickly.
"Do you need anything?" She quizzes.
"I just...I...I need to..." I stammer.
"Need to what?" Mystic Flower asks.
I sigh. I'm so tired of being injured. Of waiting. Of not helping the other plants and my friends. I'm so tired of feeling useless.
"I don't know." I sigh. "Nothing...I'm just...."
"Don't worry. You're healing." Mystic Flowers assures me gently.
"I know..." I blink, taking in a soft deep breath.
"Don't worry. Everything will turn out fine." Mystic Flower gives me a reassuring smile.
That same smile she gave me that night we first met.
I chuckle.
Mystic Flower tilts her head. "What?"
"Oh nothing." I reply breezily, leaving her to wonder.
Electro Citron
"Get up you lazy peel ball. The meeting!"
I hear my friend Party Citron waking someone up, and one of my eyes squints open. I let out a slow, low Citron yawn, slowly shifting my electro orange sliced legs. I make sure my mask is on before blinking multiple times to get rid of some citron juice that's formed under my eyes. I make sure not to blink as I take parts of my mask off, and then yawn lowly again.
"Hey at least Electro C is up! Come on Icy C! Wake up!"
Party Citron...always...trying to make things...a party. I roll my eyes in my head.
"I'm rollin' out. See you peals later." I grunt lazily, rolling up into my citron ball and heading off.
Ice Pea
"Is Toxic Pea ok?"
I've just gotten back from my mission at the Frosty Creek, successfully defending the garden from ten waves of zombies. It was very frost related, so me, Frost Rose, Ice Cactus, and Yeti Chomper decided to go. It was hard without any Sunflowers, but the potted Heal Flowers did their job well. We did prevail, as I said, and then participated at the battle for Sharkbite Shores. We ended up loosing, and I lost one of my friends, a Chomper, who was blown up by an Imp Punt by a Hockey Star. It blew him off into the water, and his body wouldn't resurface and he was determined un-revivable.
I shiver as I remember those words. I hope Fire Pea is ok, and I'm very worried about Toxic Pea...
Fire Pea had told me what happened when I came back. All I remember is that my vines felt like they were twisted and gnarled up inside with a sickening feeling from hearing this.
Now I am standing in front of Alien Flower, who I just happened to run into on my way to the battle plan meeting this morning.
"He's fine." She yawns, stretching her flowery-spore hands. "He fell asleep last night."
I yawn, stretching my ice pea pods. "As long as he's ok." I murmur, heading off to get the meeting, ready to hear the battle plan.
BBQ CORN
"Rise and shine soldiers! You're either up and ready or you're sleeping through the meeting!"
I hear Commander Corn yell through the sunrise and I feel one of my eyes squint open with tiredness.
"Gah." I hiss, my corn stems hurting.
Commander Corn raises a one of his brows that are deep within his kernel face. "Something wrong soldier?"
"No sir." I instantly reply.
"Good." Is all he replies and his gaze sweeps away from me, his husk leaves shifting around his neck.
I gruffly get up, feeling stiff all over as I rise from the soft grass below me, and face the sunrise, pumping my BBQ corn cobs with energy.
"Good job BBQ Corn. You can head off to the meeting." Commander Corn is back to eyeing me carefully, and I return his gaze. He nods in approval to me, and I feel my kernels puff up with pride.
"Thank you sir." I salut him, and run off to the meeting, wondering if Fire Rose is there.
_____________________________
"I'll drop air strikes here, here, and here. Cactuses, find a safe spot to deploy your Garlic Drones and provide air support from below. I have a question. Will a Flarghunstow help?" The Dave bot 3000.1 looks around at all of us plants cluelessly, and I stare at him.
It seems to confuse us all, and it laughs.
"Ahahahaha! Old fashion hamburgers! This meeting's over!" He laughs crazily and we all shuffle out, ready for the battle, and slightly confused...
I spot Fire Rose among the other plants, her fire crystal collar glinting in the sunlight, and her flames burning brightly around her head. I'm about to open my mouth to speak with her but then she looks, and spots me, her eyes brimming bitterly and then she looks away and ignores me, starting up a conversation with Frost Rose, not looking back at me once.
Fine. Be that way. I huff and shuffle out, ignoring her as well, and start towards my shooting area. Muttering, I start to shoot, sucked into a world of adrenaline, Spicy Hot Shots, wooden targets, and splats of BBQ sauce.
Druid Rose
"It was indeed pleasing...watching their heads pop off. Druid Rose? Druid Rose? Are you listening to anything I'm saying?"
I wake up from my trance, feeling a sudden dark presence pass over me. It sends trepidation shooting through my roots, and I fiddle with my wand nervously, narrowing my eyes behind my mask.
"Um...yes. My apologies Frost Rose. I um...sort of got lost in my own thoughts for a moment." I chuckle, trying not to show my nervousness.
"Where is Fire Rose? You two are normally with each other everyday. It's odd not seeing you two talking together." Frost Rose comments, blinking her blue eyes.
"Oh I don't know. She told me that she has some business to attend to." I reply, while questioning her whereabouts myself.
"Ok. Well then...how's Ice Citron been? I mean...you told me he got injured from a Multi-Rocket blow." I say, shifting my rose hands.
"Oh he's fine. It was just some splash and explosion damage. It sure was close however." Frost Rose sighs. "Yeti Chomper is ok too. I think we will all be ok in the end."
I nod. "Hopefully. Your Wand Of Freezing isn't...acting all strange again, has it?" I look at Frost Rose's wand.
"Oh no it's fine now. I sure hope that that dark force is gone. Possessing my wand? Outrageous!" Frost Rose lets out a hiss of annoyance, and I hear the ice crackling around her, showing her anger.
Frost Rose's wand had been possessed by an unknown dark force of evil not too recently. The wand tried freezing our entire backyard, until luckily, Fire Rose and I managed to stop it.
"My wand has been fine...and my Toxic Volley attack is still going strong. I guess maybe it was just a one-time thing that happened there..." I try not to sound uncertain.
"Well that's good news! I'll bid you farewell for now. Farewell!" Frost Rose laughs, and vanishes, leaving behind rose petals covered in ice shards.
My smile behind my mask fades, forming into a deep frown.
Something tells me that that dark force will be back-and a little wand is probably just one of the many things it can possess...