Tower and Beacon
Author's Note: Hello world! This might sound really confusing, but I think I have a mind which constantly changes its obsession. Crazy no? But hey, I'm bored of being normal. I find crazy (not to mention hectic) a frequent norm these days.
But enough of that, let's start.
Disclaimer: No, I do not own Plants vs. Zombies.
Special mention: This story was brought up by my classmates. So I give the following thanks just for them! Thanks Sen, Kim, and Melisse, probably a lot more but what the hell let's get this show on the road.
P.S.: They're playing Survival: Pool in this fiction.
*Tower and Beacon*
I watch silently as he continued to fire more peas toward the undead. One, two, three, so on and so forth. How does he do that, whilst protecting me from the herd of zombies on the other side of his stature?
I remember asking him that one day, and he replies with a smile playing its way onto his perfectly rounded mouth. "A healthy, well- balanced diet of sunlight and carbon dioxide makes it all possible." He said, in a very joking manner. I joined in the chuckle, which soon turned into heart-filled laughter without caring about anyone else.
But as we stopped, he turns back to me with those beady, black eyes. "That's only part of everything though. The other part was that I know I need to protect you."
He's doing that now.
He fires continuous green peas at the zombies ahead of us, and with each passing pea (with a huge amount of firepower by our resident Torchwood) the horde began to weaken. But we all knew that this wasn't over yet.
The pool has always been a challenge for us. We need all these new aquatic plants and such. It's not that I don't fancy the likes of them- in fact I've talked to some of them and we get along pretty well. It's just, well, I can't seem to find Peashooter anywhere in my reaches anymore. It's not their fault- our crowd just got bigger. And with bigger crowds, the plant you're looking for will be much harder to find.
The zombies seem to have mixed up new tactics as well. Dislocating their arms and beheading their brain-less heads haven't been as easy as they used to be.
That meant more work for Peashooter especially. Because every time our planter plants us right next to each other in the lawn (or in the pool's case, on Lily Pad's dry side) , he would tell Peashooter the same thing: "Protect the plants behind you, at any cost."
The plant behind him was always me. It's always been me. The producer of all the sunlight every plant needed to grow. I was a valuable plant, and I played an important role in our lawn defense. It wasn't too hard for Peashooter's head to register, and as the days passed by I could see that he took it upon himself to protect me.
Even after all those days though, I can never seem to understand why he does it. Why every single day he goes out of his way to defend my being like he's doing right this very moment. It's not like he has to, our planter can always plant more of me, and he'll never know the difference.
I sigh softly, and drifted my eyes over to the familiar green bulb of a shooter that was none other than Peashooter himself. He had sweat on the sides of his head, but it looked like it didn't matter to him as long as he kept firing his peas at a fast pace.
It was strange how sweat could form on plants. Sure, we were tired, but we were so sure that only animals could sweat. Some of us shrugged the thought off, thinking that it was natural for us to do so. We weren't ordinary plants, after all.
But some plants who have a lot of time to think say otherwise. Plants like me, for example. I just wait for twenty-four bounces of mine for a sun to come out. I don't understand how it worked, and I doubt I ever will. Plants like me thinking about ridiculous things like how sweat can drip from our bulbs and petals. Some of the other plants (namely Spikeweed and Repeater these days) tease me about it because they had suspicions that my existential behavior was because of Peashooter.
Unfortunately, they were right. But there is no way in the planter's name I am going to admit that to those guys.
For a brief moment I glanced at Peashooter's bulb again, and I find the sweat gone. I gasp a bit as his eyes found mine staring at the back of his head.
"Is something on my head Sunny?" He asks. I blush a little at the said nickname. I shake my petal-lined head at a questionable pace.
"N-Nothing's wrong! Just keep doing what you're doing Pea, don't mind me, hehe," My voice went against me, since when did I start nervous chuckling?
To my surprise though, he chuckles a little as well. "Well, okay then. Just make sure my leaf is still there when we're done, okay Sunny?" he jokes, and I blush harder. Thankfully, he went back to shooting his peas.
But before I could start my process of producing sun again, he spoke without looking at me. "Don't you worry about a thing either. Remember, they can't touch you while I'm still here."
That remark sent several chills down my stem, frantic beating from where a plant's left chest should be, and a lot of blush that was enough for my face to look and explode like Cherry Bomb.
As you may have noticed, I've developed some sort of an infatuation with Peashooter. When did this start? I don't know. I'm not even sure that I should even have that attachment to him in the first place. Do plants have emotion? I guess, otherwise I shouldn't have these.
Does this have something to do with Peashooter shooting peas at zombies? Maybe,
I look back to the chaos in the backyard. There was a noticeable decrease in the amount of zombies, so that must mean that another wave is coming.
"Guys, I think this is the final wave." Torchwood told us from behind Tall-nut, who was in the very front of the line.
Here we go again, I think to myself.
I've always hated the moments that occur before the Final Wave. I don't understand why, but I assume that it's just because the Final Waves are always the scariest. The zombies go all-out on us, and sometimes they even surprised us by bringing new zombies along.
The worst part of it was that we never know when they eat one of our own.
My roots held tighter to the ground, like they always did before a Final Wave, but still I kept on bouncing to the unheard beat. Another sun pops out, and my planter comes to collect it.
Peashooter was shaking slightly, not from the moisture attack the pool was trying to give him, but from the fact that intense anxiety was consuming him. Final Waves give Peashooter the jitters as well. It was one of his very fatal flaws-it gave him another reason to hate zombies-, but I liked him that way.
I can't blame him though.
A few moments have passed, and the zombies weren't anywhere in our sight. At least, not yet. I feel myself shaking too. The uncomfortable silence was enough to make me spit out a thousand suns. Literally.
I feel a leaf on my side. It was Peashooter.
We were so still in those few moments, so still that I could almost swear that his shakes found their way inside my system. He was smiling determinedly, as if trying to encourage me.
"Don't worry about getting eaten. It's like I said. No zombie gets a hold of even one of your petals while I'm still around." He said to me. I don't blush, but instead I stare at him, awestruck.
Gathering my voice back, I asked him. "W-what about you?"
Peashooter stood in silence at my question. But after a few moments, he answers. "I promise I won't get eaten." Then, he ruffles the petals on the top of my head. "Sheesh, you're getting clingy these days Sunny. You're really gonna miss me that much?" he chuckles while doing so.
This time I actually do blush. And I still did even when he turned away.
I must admit that I have gotten a bit clingy in the past few weeks, not that I'd call it that. I prefer the term 'attached'. But that's only because the attacks have gotten stronger since their visit for a slumber party. I shudder to think of the announced menu (ice cream and our owner's brains) in that piece of parchment they gave us.
A horn made the train of my thoughts stop. I stretched my stem making me look as if I was standing on tippy-toe, and as soon as my eyes registered what was to be ahead, I gasped.
Gargantuars, Catapult zombies, and- WHAT THE FERTILIZER?! I think I saw a yeti! Why would they even resort to using a YETI of all zombies to get a single brain?!
I hid my mini-hyperventilation attack, but what the juice? I still can't get over the fact that they used a yeti, so a few of the other sunflowers beside me noticed.
"You okay Sunny?" asked Beam, a friend of mine. I nodded, but continued breathing at a fast pace. Beam looked skeptical of my words, but she pressed no further, thankfully.
It took a few sounds of flaming peas to wake me from my hyperventilating state, and to make me realize that the Final Wave has started.
Soon enough, I could hear the different sounds of war coming from my friends, and the groans of the zombies filling in the tiny spaces void of sound in the background. Peas and cactus spikes and flying metal objects were observed through my black eyes, and I could see zombie heads and a few dead arms here and there.
As I bounced to the beat of the Earthly rhythm, I could see Peashooter taking out zombie after zombie with his comrades, a look of determination visible in his black eyes. Everyone fought until the Gargantuars threw their Imps. One by one, each Imp flew in the air, and landed surprisingly expertly on the ground.
"Oh fertilizer…" Another peashooter swore beside Peashooter, who was too busy fending off another Buckethead zombie up front. Oh No.
"Peas look out!" I shouted just in time for him to hear a high pitched cackle coming straight at him. Peashooter looked up, and his eyes went wide.
"AH!" He frantically shot peas at the imp before it could even take a bite out of his leaves. I exhaled in relief, knowing Peashooter was safe.
He flashed me a grin. "Thanks Sunny!" And he went back to shooting peas at the zombies ahead of him. I let out a dreamy sigh before popping out another sun.
As I spit out sun after sun, I looked at Peashooter. He's just so, heroic when he shoots peas at zombies like that.
The fight went on for a few more minutes, until finally, the last zombie head popped out of its undead body.
There was silence for a while.
"WE DID IT! WOOF!WOOF!" A cattail from the pool shouted (and barked) happily, and that shout was followed by an eruption of cheers from the other plants, roaring and yelling out our victory. Our voices were so loud that that for a moment I thought that a window broke in Crazy Dave's car/shop. Smiles were the only things our mouths made visible, and happiness was the only emotion felt as we rejoiced another victory against the undead.
Our planter came out of the house, looking relieved that the zombie invasion was (temporarily) over. A bright smile was also on his face.
"I'm so proud of you guys, I kind of thought that I was about to get my brains eaten for sure," he chuckled sheepishly. I wasn't amused though, we were practically giving our best out there! "But to be honest, I'm really glad that I placed my faith in you guys,"
That made up for the unfaithful comment at least. Overcome with happiness, I ran up to our planter, and hugged him. He was surprised at first, but he returned the hug. The plants cheered on again.
We had a big celebration that night. My fellow veterans were on their roots, dancing to the music that filled their non-existent ears. Our planter was already sleeping, I assumed that he was beyond tired, having dealt with the zombies with us. Whereas my friends are up and about, enjoying our latest victory. I saw Spikeweed trying to persuade Wall-nut and Tall-nut into competition. He was failing horribly too. A little distance away from the three, were the pult-brothers, Snow Pea, and Repeater planning a food fight. I guess everyone's pretty occupied, so that was one kind of happy confirmed.
Me? Oh, I celebrated as well, but not long after excused myself from the party. My roots led me to the front yard, and I sat on the porch. My roots found their way to the ground, and attached themselves to it. Out of nowhere came music. But I wasn't surprised. I welcomed the beautiful music into my mind, and soon my mind was filled with earth song.
Listening to the sounds of Mother Earth herself, I thought about the unique gift given to all sunflowers, which was this. The ability to hear the serene sounds of the earth. It was a nice way to assert our kind's uniqueness from others. I am very proud of it . And words could not even begin to comprehend how much I enjoy this.
Suddenly, I hear a door open and close behind me. Surprised, I turned my head around, but inside I felt giddy when I found out who it was.
"Hey Sunny," Peashooter greeted me with a smile on his face. I returned the favor.
"Hi Peas, not that I'm not glad to see you, but what are you doing out here?" I asked him. It was an honest question, but it wasn't that I don't want him beside me right now.
"Trust me when I say, you do NOT want to go in there," he replied. "Not right now at least," he chuckled lightly. For a fleeting second, a picture of a food fight involving every single plant inside crossed my mind.
"So, here's my question. What are you doing out here, hmm?" Peashooter nudged me slightly with his stem while looking at me.
"Well, seeing as the music in there's rock, I came out for my own music." I answered. "That, and I kind of foresaw what was going to happen in there." I grimaced, earning a lighthearted laugh from Peas.
"You knew huh? " I nodded, joining in the laugh. A few moments after laughing, Peashooter looks at me with interest gleaming in his eyes. "So what kind of music were you listening to before I came?"
"The Earth," I answered without fault.
"Uh, what?"
"The Earth, dummy! I was serious about that topic." I replied while listening to the said music. "It's something only sunflowers learn to hear."
"Oh," Peashooter can be smart at times, like on the lawn, but sometimes he can't get what others are trying to say.
"Mmhmm," I hum softly.
The area was plunged in silence again, with the exception of crickets and birds playing their last songs of the day. The moon was shining quite bright tonight, and I enjoy that dearly. Stars littered the black background that was the night sky, and the grass blades blew harmoniously in the wind.
I took a glance at Peashooter, and he was looking at a small dandelion on the grass ground near the porch. He watches its seeds blow away into the night, dancing in the air current like those ballerinas our planter told us about once. He looks so peaceful, and for some strange reason, I became full with peace too.
I think it's about time that you told him, a voice in my head told me.
I-I'll try, I responded, and I took a deep breath.
"Peashooter?"
"Yeah?"
I'm actually doing it. I. Am. Actually. Doing. This.
Finding my courage, I spoke. "Thank you. For everything."
I don't know what kind of force made me lean on his head, but I think it helped. He seemed startled at first, but then he puts a leaf around my stem.
I don't know if he got my message, maybe he didn't, but I don't really care about it that much right now. It was just us alone, that was all that mattered to me.
Besides, I think he did get my message, because he replied with the only three words that ca confirm it.
"You're welcome, Sunny."
Today I realize that Peashooter has always been there for me. I've also been there for him. We have each other's backs.
I know that until the end of time, he will be my tower standing tall.
And I'll try to be a beacon shining bright.
*The End*
Author's Note: I AM REALLY SORRY. This was my first time writing a Plants vs Zombies fiction, and, I guess I need a little work. As for some references in the making of this fanfiction, I used some of the behavior of the plants in Garden Warfare.
Again, I am really sorry for the evident crappiness of this fiction, and if you will excuse me, I will be crying tears of joy (for the first fic in like, three months) and utter sorrow (for the crappiness and for not finishing my homework, guilty ;) ).
AllShades is out, PEACE.