AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hi! Thank you for checking this story out. I used to be a writer here known as Larryboyrock9000, but it's been a very long time since I have written anything, so here goes for the first story to be published here for almost a decade. (WOW!)

This story will be: Planet Of The Grapes, and as you can tell, it is a Veggie-fied version of the classic 1968 movie "Planet Of The Apes", as well as the book it was based on. Feel free to point out any references you get in the reviews! Props to whoever catches the most!

Introduction: Opening Countertop

Bob the Tomato and Larry The Cucumber are looking towards the camera, getting ready for the show to begin. The Countertop set was brightly lit, with three over-sized canisters behind them. Larry stood to the left of Bob and a little behind him.

"Hi kids," Bob said, beginning the show, "And welcome to VeggieTales. I'm Bob The Tomato."

"And I'm Larry The Cucumber!" Larry added, enthusiastically.

"And we're here to answer your questions." Bob paused shortly before turning around to face his cucumber co-host. "Today, Larry, we got a letter from Sean Long from Saint Joe, Indiana. Sean says-" Bob pulled out a letter from behind his back.

"Dear Bob and Larry, I've been confused lately. I'm in the second grade and my class has gotten a new student in named Marco. He's from another country and the other students have been teasing him for his accent as well as his unfamiliarity with how our school operates. My friends have been trying to get me to go along, but I don't understand why. I quite like Marco and I can't figure out why everyone is trying to make him feel bad. You friend, Sean."

"Wow," Larry said. "That sure is a pickle."

"It sure is," Bob agreed. "It's no easy task trying to explain bigotry, especially to someone so young. I wonder if we have a story-"

"Hold 'zat thought, tomato!" A voice came out from the right. Bob and Larry both looked over to see Jean-Claude Pea hopping up beside them along with his friend, Philippe. Jean-Claude was the one who spoke. The two stopped right beside Bob.

"Oh," Bob said, a little unsure. "Hi guys..." Jean-Claude and Philippe were great cast-members, but they were more known for causing mischief than anything else. Bob wasn't prepared to deal with any shenanigans.

"'Allo," Jean-Claude said. "We couldn't help but overhear your here predicament. We would like to help out Sean, yeah?"

"Oui," Philippe answered. "We have a story prepared just for this problem."

"You do?" Bob asked, still hesitant. Bob wasn't sure what to make of this. Despite their usual mischief, the French peas had once provided an excellent story in "Madame Blueberry" when Larry had a streak of greediness. Would they be able to re-capture that kind of success?

"Oui," Jean-Claude said. "It is from a famed French author. An Americanized rendition of "La Planete Des Raisins," "The Planet Of 'Ze Grapes"!

"Planet Of The Grapes?" Larry said. "I've heard of that one. Didn't that author also write "Bridge Over Pumpkin Pie?"

"'Zat is correct," Philippe answered. "We have altered the story to be fitting for an American audience. We thought it would be a good staring vehicle for the stuffy one."

"Stuffy one?" Larry exclaimed, not knowing to whom Philippe was referring to. He legitimately wondered for a moment whether or not they were going to be making a show with a stuffed animal as the lead.

"I think he means Archibald, Larry," Bob cleared up. Archibald did have a history of being a little stiff and stuck-up, but he could be an incredible lead actor, as proven many times before, not the least when he scored lead in their first theatrical film, "Jonah: A VeggieTales Movie."

"Yes...," Philippe said. "'Zat is ze one. What do you say, Tomato? Can we roll 'ze film?"

"Well," Bob said. "I guess this episode is about respecting other cultures." Bob hesitated before a second before shrugging and shooting the French peas a smile. "Alright! Go ahead!"

"Excellent!" Jean-Claude exclaimed. "You will not be sorry!"

"I sure hope not..."

"Ladies and gentleman, boys and girls...get ready to go grape. Roll film!"

_\

Chapter One: Star Veggies

The space station ANSA had been preparing three of their highest officers for a mission. The date was August 22nd and the crew was ready to lead an expedition into outer space, on a mission to find a habitable planet for Veggie kind. The brains behind the mission included General Grape and his son Reggie.

"Today's the big day," General Grape said. General Grape was a rather large grape with a large mustache often hiding is mouth. His son followed from behind him. Reggie had an ANSA uniform on like is father and a pair of over-sized glasses.

"You guys are so lucky," Reggie said. "Getting to travel into outer space!"

Three men were lined up, ready to go on board their space-shuttle: the Asparicus. There was Colonel Wally Charlton (Archibald Asparagus), a tall British asparagus with a monocle over his right eye. He seemed to be rather uncomfortable, and looked up and down over his superior with disdain. Beside him stood Lieutenant Ben Landis (Jimmy Gourd), a gourd who was sipping on a raspberry slushie. The last one was Lieutenant Greg Cuke (Larry The Cucumber), a cucumber not too much shorter than Charlton. Charlton was the first to speak,

"Yes, well... Do we need to wait any longer to get in, It's not likely the reporter will get here." Just then, the doors to the institution opened up, and in came a reporter (Petunia Rhubarb) followed by a news crew consisting of a yellow gourd (Jerry Gourd) holding the camera and two carrots. Charlton scoffed. "Took them long enough."

"Miss Mall," General Grape said. "You came just in time!" Charlton rolled his eyes as his companions stood still.

"Yes," the Rhubarb said. "This is Linda Mall with channel VBN, here to oversee the launch of the U.S.S. Asparicus. Three brave men are scheduled to leave in just twelve minutes to take off for the deep outer limits of space...and here they are!" Linda walked up to Lieutenant Cuke. "Lieutenant Cuke, what is your inspiration for going on this expedition?"

"Oh," the cucumber chuckled. "It's a true adventure, right? We're going to travel the stars moving faster than the speed of light! I'm going to be one of the first veggies to set foot on an alien planet!" He was very excited for the mission. "I guess to put it simply, I'm very excited to go where no cucumber has gone before."

"Alright. What about you, Lieutenant Landis?"

"It's the same with me," Landis said. "I've been working at ANSA for so long I don't think I've even left this town in three years. It's going to be quite a thrill to see the far reaches of the galaxy. I'm especially interested in the asteroids, not sure why..."

"Thank you, Lieutenant." Linda moved on to the last astronaut. "And what's your interest in this, Colonel Charlton?" Charlton looked over to his two companions before turning his focus to the interviewer.

"My lady," Charlton said. "My need is to further our own knowledge and standards. I can't shake this feeling that somewhere, somehow, there must be something greater than vegetable! Not that that should be too hard." Charlton threw a dirty look at the two grapes standing nearby.

"O...k... Well, you will give the signal that you made it to a planet once you get there, right?"

"Of course. I'm not stupid."

"Wally," Landis nudged the asparagus. "Be nice."

"I don't need to worry about formality anymore," Charlton hissed. "Since this is a one-way mission, I can let everyone here know my true thoughts: I want to find a more sophisticated culture. There's nothing worse than being here and having to answer to a bunch of...a bunch of dirty GRAPES!"

"Wally!" Cuke said. "What is that all about?"

"It's true," Charlton said, "Ever since we allowed these...people into positions of power, everything has been going for the worse!" General Grape and his son stood, dumbfounded, not even reacting to Charlton's words.

"Well..." Linda said, chuckling nervously. "These are our...our crew members..." General Grape hopped towards Charlton.

"You hate us this much, huh?" He tried to keep his voice from getting too loud. "Well, this planet can benefit from losing someone like you any day! Goodbye, and good riddance! Come on Reggie... We've got to oversee the launch." The two grapes hopped to another room. Moments later, the ceiling of the space center opened up and another door opened, revealing the U.S.S. Asparicus in all it's glory.

The green space ship stood at 70 feet high and 40 feet wide. The tip of the ship was pointy in the way of an asparagus spear. The ship's doors opened up, making way for the crew. Charlton was the first to make his way to the ship with Landis and Cuke following his lead. The three veggies climbed the ladder and entered the space ship, all of them putting on helmets before strapping in.

"Alright," General Grape said, trying to hide his upset feelings. "Prepare for liftoff in 10...9..8...7...6...5...4...3...2...1."

The ship shot out into the sky and made it's way out into the atmosphere. The rockets engaged and the ship propelled even further, eventually making it's way into outer space. The ship was equip with artificial gravity, that let the three vegetables walk around in it without a worry.

"I don't see what issue you have with grapes, Wally," Cuke said, unbuckling his seat belt and taking off his helmet. "I think they're pretty cool."

"I wouldn't expect you to understand," Charlton said. "You like basically everybody, no taste for the finer things in life."

"But General Grape was the one who oversaw this whole project," Landis said. "Doesn't that mean anything?"

"All that proves is that we've been too passive who is allowed to have positions of power on this god-forsaken world we we are thankfully leaving."

"I think you just like feeling superior," Cuke said.

"Yeah!" Exclaimed Landis. "Grapes are no different than you or me. Their only difference is that they are small and green, kind of like really big peas!"

Charlton grumbled. "Oh. I'm surrounded by idiots." The crew went to the back of the ship where there laid three cryo-chambers. Inside each chamber laid a small bed to sleep in. "I guess this is where we begin our sleep...as the ship's autopilot searches for a planet."

"I wonder how long it will take," Cuke said. "With the ship moving as fast as it is, hopefully it won't be long."

"It doesn't matter how long it will take," Charlton said. "We are going to be cryogenically frozen. It won't feel like more than an hour to us even if it took us three thousand years."

"I sure hope it doesn't take three thousand years," Landis said. "I'd like to still return home someday if life out on this new planet doesn't work out."

"You can do whatever you'd like," Charlton said, "I'm going to enjoy life with no grapes and proper authority."

"What authority?" Cuke asked.

"My own!" Charlton responded, his mouth curling into a smug grin. "I am in charge of our expedition from this point forward."

"Oh boy," Landis said. "There goes the planet!" Cuke and Landis began chuckling as Charlton shot them both a dirty look.

"Oh! Why don't the two of you just get into your beds and begin the cryo-sleep?"

"Oh, sure," Cuke scoffed. "Aye aye, Captain Wally!"

"I am your superior!" Charlton scolded his companion. "I will be referred to as Colonel Charlton!" Charlton's eyes were close to shut as his walked around to the behind of Cuke. "From this moment...any objections to authority will be considered null and void. Any attempts to act against my orders will be mutiny."

"Alright," Cuke said. "Aye aye Captain Colonel Wally Charlton!" Landis and Cuke again let out laughs.

"Oh!" Charlton scoffed. "Just get in." Despite having lots of fun with Landis, Cuke obeyed his superior's orders and got into his cryo-chamber and Landis got into his shortly after. Once the doors were shut, their locks turned and the cryo-sleep in both chambers were activated. Charlton hopped up to the ship's cockpit and sat down in the pilot's seat. Despite being navigated with an auto-pilot, the option to control the ship manually was still an option. Charlton turned on a computer to record a message.

"Today is truly one giant leap for Vegetable-kind. This is the first recording of Colonel Wally Charlton. Me and my less than desirable crew members of the U.S.S. Asparicus are currently on a mission to find an M class planet for re-population. By the time this message is received by ANSA, or whatever if may be called then, the ones who hear it may be of a new kind...hopefully one of higher class and culture., hopefully one worthy of sending more top-quality men and women to cultivate this new world. Hopefully they can nourish the culture I will plant. If vegetable is determined to continue lowering standards, they will drive themselves into despair and eventually be destroyed. Nothing could be worse than a world where man has lost all meaning, everything that makes life worth living: advance and mature. I beg of my listener's, do not forget these words. Advance: Keep exploring knowledge and finding new ways to improve veggies everywhere. Mature: Do not regress to minds of the feral. This can be done by preserving purity and remembering who is worthy, and who will be expelled from the gene-pool...for the greater good."

After Charlton finished his log, he took a bag of extra spicy jalapeno tortilla chips and ate a few, his eyes watering up as he consumed them. He quickly darted over to the refrigerator and pulled out a gallon of milk. He took a few gulps and then placed the beverage back into the icebox. "Ahem...well," Charlton spoke to himself. "Time to rest." He hopped over to his own cryo-chamber and got into it. Sleep followed.

Thank you for reading! I hope to post more soon!