It had been 2 year's since the zombies turned the tide of the war in their favour. I was sitting at a table discussing the situation with a commando peashooter named Peter. Peter and I had been friends since just before the war turned on us and we had been through some of the toughest battles since the tide changed. The past 2 years we've spent slowing the zombie advance and fighting for survival, it seems our efforts have started to pay off. The zombie advance, in the sector we're operating in, has been halted, for now. With the loss of large swathes of suburbia to the zombies, it seemed the logical thing was to strike back, take back our turf from the undead invaders. Recently I have been discussing with the other plants in my team, which we named Sierra, about the possibilities of taking the offensive, taking down the zombies graveyards, and replacing them with gardens. The problem that we kept running up on, was the fact only us advanced plants could really take the fight to the zombies. Getting up, I walked to the window that overlooked the lawn that had become the home for the recruits I was responsible for training, damn my life has changed a lot. Peter came over and said.
"You know, it's not too bad, we're all still here, me, Alison, Wulf, Elanor, Sonatra and Cole, you can count on us." I looked at Peter, the bruises he sustained in the last attack were still there. I replied.
"I know, but it's been 2 years and I haven't honoured my promise and I'll still feel guilty over it until I fulfill that promise. I need to go back, but I can't risk all we've succeeded." I looked away from Peter and continued. "How did you do it? Back before all of this happened. How did you know what was the right thing to do back when you lead a team?" Peter patted my back and said.
"Easy, I listened to my instincts, thats how I knew if something was right." I walked back to the table and had the rest of my glass of water and said.
"I was never cut out to lead, why am I a leader?" Peter slammed his pod on the windowsill and said.
"Dammit Pete, you were cut out to lead, look at what you you have managed to get done. You've managed to stop an entire zombie army with a small ragtag group of plants. Open your eyes and listen to them, you inspire them just being in their presence, the stories some of them say." He paused and let me think for a bit before he continued. "That time you jumped on a gargantuar to save that cactus, that still inspires them to stand up. Be yourself and they will follow you." When Peter finished, he walked out and headed out onto the lawn. I stayed in the room and tried listening to my instincts. It took a while, but I found out the right thing to do.

I headed out onto the lawn were some of the new recruits were showing off to each other. I hypered faster and further then the peashooter practicing it, out shot a cactus and out revived a sunflower who hadn't had much medical training. After showing up the recruits I ordered them into line, which they did rather enthusiastically. I then split them into groups, the sunflower I sent to the infirmary and told her.
"Ask for Alison, tell her Pete asks if you'll mentor you." the sunflower went off happily. I split the 2 cacti into a group and sent them off after one of the few cacti in camp. The chomper I told to go and find Cole, so I was left with a young Toxic Peashooter and a slightly older Ice Peashooter. The Ice Pea introduced themselves first.
"Hi, I am Josh and this is my younger brother, Colin." Josh pointed to the Toxic Pea named Colin who shyly waved. I laughed and introduced myself.
"The names Pete, I will be your mentor while you both train then." They both smiled and Colin asked.
"Is it true you fought a gargantuar?" I looked at the enthusiastic Toxic Pea, now I knew what Peter meant by I inspired plants. I said to Colin.
"Yes, I fought the Gargantuar to protect a cactus." Colin and Josh had looks of astonishment on there faces, I decided to begin their tutelage straight away.

I got the two brothers to practice hypering around the lawn to try and build up their endurance and confidence initially. When the two collapsed in exhaustion, I told them.
"That's enough, you're both really good, I doubt I could hyper that long at your age." The two brothers faces lit up in joy as they strode off inside for dinner, the sun was just setting.

I headed inside and sat next to Alison, she was still the 'hottest' sunflower in suburbia. She spoke to me as I sat down.
"You know the peashooter brothers, Colin and Josh, they have been jumping all over the place because of you." I must have been a deep green because Alison began to giggle, she couldn't help but do that when I blushed. I replied with.
"Well they are young and I was just trying to get their confidence and endurance up, I would be dead if it weren't for all the hypering I've been doing these past couple of years." Alison stopped giggling and said.
"Whatever you do, don't teach them how to do the gattling thing before dinner, I don't want to be in hear cleaning up all the pea stains on the walls." I laughed and ate my dinner. I was last to leave the canteen, so when I did leave, I went on a nighttime walk.

A/N: Short chapter because i'm tired :P, but first chapter for the sequel of AFTOIL :)