When I walked out of Cactus' room, I bumped into Rose.
"Oh Stuffy, you're up!" She exclaimed.
"What did you tell Chomp?"
Her smug expression vanished as soon as I mentioned Chomp.
"I'm just doing everyone a favor, and keeping us alive. I saw something, I'm not sure when it's going to happen exactly but if you and Chomp were to leave the backyard together he was going to die."
I stared ahead.
"But we were always together, there has to be another way to prevent it!"
"Just stay away from him for the time being, and don't go with him or follow him outside of the backyard."
Rose floated away into Cactus' room, leaving me to wander the halls until I found a stairwell that led down the middle of a tree trunk. When I reached the bottom there were so many other plants and variants. I've apologized to a few Peashooters I accidentally nudged, until I made my way into the main grotto. There were Cacti up on the wooden ledges monitoring and sniping any nearby zombies. I couldn't believe there were so many and we didn't see them when we had arrived.
"Stuffy you're alive!" It was KC, he rubbed the back of my stem and asked how I was feeling.
"Good." I said, even though I felt really isolated from everyone. Future Cactus was asleep, Chomp needed to stay away from me in order to live, Pea and I weren't on speaking nerves right now, and I don't know what to think of Rose anymore that she decided to tell Chomp about her vision instead of both of us together. I really had no one but KC with me right now but it wouldn't be right for me to hog him all to myself to fill a void of loneliness. I literally just got up and started walking around the backyard, maybe I would be alright and there are other plants here to make friends with. Maybe I could just forget about the others and start a new life or identity for myself.
"So a lot of plants here have had plans to take out the zombies for a long time since they took over." KC began. "There are numerous squadrons that I would like to introduce you to and I have a gut feeling I know which one you'd prefer."
"Like what?"
KC and I started walking down the dirt sidewalk past a throng of weeds and others. There was a large portal in the corner with blue material spiraling. It kind of looked like water, except it wasn't splashing onto the grass.
"There's the first battalion, and those plants normally consists of Weeds with the exception of some main plants like Sunflowers to keep them alive. Their main job is to keep the browncoats at bay."
We marched up the wooden stairs and onto the ledge where a majority of Cacti were sniping. There was a large flag in the center of a field, as well as a zombie base right across.
"How convenient."I rolled my eyes.
"Plants have been at a stalemate with these zombies for years now, none of them were able to gain the advantage and take the other base. Anyway, the next group is the Second Battalion, a lot of the main plants use that portal we walked past to go around the planet and fight for Suburbia almost everyone is needed for that group and luckily it works. However they've just added a Third Battalion since our arrival with Penny. Because Penny can time travel, one of the leaders decided to send some troops back into the past back to wherever they could be needed to turn the tides and I figure you'd be up for that Battalion."
It was perfect.
"I'll do it!"I shook KC's hand. "What progress have they made so far?"
"They just started, so we're not really sure, we haven't received any news. Plus, Penny can't take a lot of plants with her and travel to all the centuries we need her too right away. She needs more fuel."
KC and I started walking away from the group of Cacti, and he leaned in slowly to whisper.
"I know saving our friends is really important to you. But unfortunately the leader here won't allow us to go back to that time specifically for one plant. She wants us to go back only to turn the tides of battle. That means she doesn't see Alien Flower or the others as a priority."
I gulped. "Then what do we do?"
"I don't know, I'm in the Second Battalion there's nothing I can do with Penny anymore. If anything, it's up to you."
"What battalion are the others in?"
"The rest of us are all in the second battalion, except Future Cactus. We have to wait for her to wake up for her to make her choice."
"So I'm gonna be alone again?"
KC remained silent, but he nodded his head. "I mean, we can all see each other again-"
"If you come back alive!"
"There's numerous of Sunflowers on the second battalion, they'll keep us healed."
"KC!" Someone shouted, I peeked behind KC and got a glimpse of a mushroom dude running up to us with tiny legs. He was pinkish purple, with spots on his head. His right hand was regular, but his left hand seemed to be a gun which was another mushroom, and he also wore these green goggles. He was extremely short, more so than Pea.
"Mushroom man! How're you?"
"Fine, but I got the blueprints for Penny like you asked." When Mushroom man spoke, he had a slow lull to his voice and a lisp. "Ohh you must be Stuffy! It's good to see that you're up no one could shut up about you."
"Oh."I smiled at KC, and shook Mushroom man's hand.
"He's going to be in the third battalion with you."
"Well at least I can say I know someone." I said to Mushroom man.
"Well if we're paired up on the same mission."Mushroom man beckoned us to follow him outside of the backyard. We walked down the side of the road, near a soccer field but there weren't a lot of plants nearby to listen.
"I've been listening around and the plants on the third battalion are paired up randomly depending on which time period they're going to. But KC told me about you and your friends so I'm willing to help, but only because you need to help me to."
I glanced at KC, who just stood with crossed arms.
"I can help you find whoever you're looking for." I offered.
"It's not who, it's what!" Mushroom man shot back. "When I was a little baby, my mommy left me with something that was specifically for me but then she died! And I was taken in by the Sunflower Queen, our leader. But I didn't get to take whatever my mom left with me."
"Ok well we can find it." I said.
Mushroom man nodded, but he was silent.
"The only issue is that I don't even know what it is."
I had to restrain the urge to roll my eyes, or eye.
"Then how am I supposed to help you?"
"Easy!" Mushroom man shouted. "We're gonna go back to the day my mother died, and we're gonna see what she left me."
"Couldn't we also just save your mom in the process?"
"No she had nothing to live for."
KC shook his head but said. "He's the only one willing to help you. And he's good with machines."
"We're also gonna have to steal Penny back." Mushroom man said. "It'll ruin all of the plans for the third battalion but if you wanna help your friends you gotta help me."
I really didn't have a choice, but even KC was sharing a similar look with me.
He muttered. "Please bring Alien Flower back.. For me."
