I fluttered about the forest, a chilly wind hitting my face. Two more days had passed, and the character of the woodland had changed even further. Overnight, a windstorm had obliterated what was left of the canopy, giving the trees an eerie, skeletal appearance. Colorflyers and Nectar Spirits were becoming increasingly rare—presumably because they were fleeing the cold—and a light snowfall had occurred the previous day. It hadn't been enough to form a blanket, and it vanished almost as soon as it began, but it did make one thing clear.

The Season of Snow was imminent.

A sickly feeling coursed through me, but it wasn't because of the changing weather. Ever since the female yellow had told me about the White Onion, I had been unable to see the white or the blue the same way—especially not the blue. Having to silently tolerate him and his underhanded background was uncomfortable enough on its own, but knowing that the very pikmin he lied to was blissfully living under his leadership?

Downright nauseating.

Despite my promise to the female yellow, I knew that someday I would have to let the truth out. There was simply no way I could keep this to myself forever; the white deserved to know who she really was, and who the blue really was for that matter. I did not know when it would happen exactly, but I did know this: It wouldn't be during the cold season. Our ability to coexist was more important than ever now, and as much as I hated keeping my mouth shut, survival had to come first.

At the moment, I was on the lookout for something to eat. For obvious reasons, eggs had become nigh-impossible to find while nectar grass was steadily dying off, so we had taken to relying on fruit. Unfortunately, even this wasn't always easy to find, so while the others were foraging close to the nest, my search had taken me quite some distance away from it. I had mostly been flying in one direction and saw nothing worthwhile for a long time, but right when I was about to give up, a delightful burst of ruby caught my eye.

Without hesitation, I flew towards the source. In a glade was a raspberry bush; one that had precisely four fruit remaining. With a great heave, I plucked one and ascended straight up, my wings straining to support the fruit's weight. Ordinarily I would've used brute force to smash my food into a pulp, but with my newfound weakness, I had to employ a new strategy. Once I was halfway to the canopy, I dropped the raspberry to the forest floor. It hit the ground with a "splut" and was reduced to a red splatter on the brown leaf litter.

The juice was sweet and delicious, and once I had had my fill of it, I decided to take a fresh one back to the others. It would've been enough to feed all five of them for the day, and if I was lucky, I might've been able to retrieve a second, perhaps even a third berry before a creature happened upon them.

But I was not lucky. Before I could so much as touch another raspberry, my ears alerted me to a presence. Close by were heavy footsteps, along with a low grumbling noise. Recognizing the sound, I immediately shot upwards.

From my vantage point, I saw something that made my eyes squint with confusion. A Spotted Demon was trudging through the forest, leaves cracking and shifting under its weight. Its eyes were slightly bloodshot, and it was growling in what I assumed was frustration. As I stared at the red-backed beast, an obvious question floated in my head: Why was a Demon out and about during the day?

Sniffing the air, the Demon turned and spied the raspberry I had dropped. Stomping forward, it promptly lapped it up before helping itself to the remaining berries. Terrific. Simply terrific.

Incapable of stopping the glutton, I could only watch as it finished off what should've been our meal and struck off. I was still weirded out by the Demon's very presence, but since it wasn't heading towards the nest, I decided to forget about it and leave. With a sharp turn, I went back the way I came, internally kicking myself for not bringing back the first berry to begin with. I had hardly flown for a minute when a racket pierced the air.

I turned and saw two Demons: another Red Demon, and a Dark Demon. The Dark Demon. They were engaged in what appeared to be a scuffle, with both parties snarling and baring their fangs. Surrendering to curiosity, I decided to get closer.

The Red Demon gave a high-pitched roar and stamped the ground, issuing a clear threat to the Dark Demon. The Dark, evidently unfazed, unleashed a deep below and charged forward, ramming its opponent head-on. The Red stood firm and tried to push back, but was quickly overwhelmed by the bigger Demon. With a solid thrust, the Red was sent stumbling backwards.

I watched transfixed as the inferior Demon made a hasty retreat. Never before had I seen Demons fight each other. The occasional spat between Harbingers yes, but fully realized Demons had always seemed to coexist, even among different varieties. What could have provoked such abnormal behavior?

Despite winning the fight, the Dark Demon was far from finished. Without a moment's delay, it furiously attacked another Red that was sleeping nearby. Uttering a baffled cry, the disturbed Demon sprang to its feet and fled without so much as bothering to retaliate. Instantly the mystery of the berry-muncher had been solved, but now a bigger and more pertinent one had been raised.

The Dark Demon moved on, and out of a combination of curiosity and amusement, I followed it. The agitated beast stomped and bellowed as it stormed through the forest, with terrified Harbingers scattering in its wake. Before long, it happened upon a group of half-grown Reds.

The quartet of Demons was already awake, for the Dark had made its presence painfully clear. At first it seemed like they were going to mount a resistance against their aggressor, but once the Dark Demon charged, they hastily turned tail and retreated. I couldn't help but snicker as the usually fearsome creatures took to their heels in humiliation. However, the humor of the situation quickly faded when I realized something.

They were heading straight for the nest.

My wing muscles toiled as I raced homeward, sleeping Demons passing beneath me like leaves on a river. I had no idea where the Dark Demon or any of the conscious Red Demons were, but it was irrelevant at this point. I had to locate the other pikmin right away.

Soon, I arrived at the nest and saw that the white and female yellow were present. However, nobody else was in sight. Landing abruptly, I asked, "Where's everyone else?"

"They're still out foraging," said the white. "Why? What's going on?"

"Yeah, what's the deal? You look like you've seen a ghost," said the yellow.

"There's no time to explain," I said hurriedly. "I need to find the others. Whatever you do, don't stray far from the nest."

I took off without waiting for a response. Ascending rapidly, I went in the direction I remembered them leaving and checked my surroundings for any sign of them. My vision was mostly comprised of an eerie brown, which the occasional splash of emerald from a living plant. There were a few smudges of pink and purple from a cluster of Crawlers, a white beacon from a mushroom, and… Yes! A speck of red!

I swooped into the small clearing where my friend was located. Upon noticing me, he turned around and asked, "What's up, Pink?"

"We have to get out of here now! There's about to be-"

We both flinched when we heard an uproar not far away. The forest suddenly became alive with rustling as Demons thundered over the underbrush, filling our ears with their agitated snarls.

"What the hell is happening?!" the red exclaimed.

"Explain later! Go now!"

I grabbed him by the stem and hoisted him off just as two Demons crashed into the clearing. I wasn't sure whether they were after us or just trying to escape, but I didn't bother to check. Keeping my eyes forward, I lifted my friend into a diagonal ascent and brought us straight back to the nest. The two females had stayed put like I asked, and judging by their panicked expressions, they too had become aware of the impending danger. After I set the red down, I asked him, "Where are the blue and yellow?"

"We split up to cover more ground! They went in the same direction that those Demons came from!"

My blood went cold when he said this. Almost automatically, I launched off the ground and sped through the air. I heard the white yell, "Pink, wait!" but I kept on flying. There was too little time, if any at all.

I returned to the spot where I found the red—which now had Demons trafficking through it—and veered into the direction he told me to look. The forest had descended into absolute chaos. Demons rioted, Harbingers shrieked, and many kinds of small creatures darted about—sometimes with fatal consequences. Finding the missing pikmin seemed like it would be an impossible task, but I had to try. "Blue! Yellow!" I hollered. "Where are you?!"

The cacophony was all-consuming, but ever-so-faintly, I heard someone shout, "Pink!" Following the sound, I yelled again. "Blue?! Yellow?!"

"Pink! Over here!" I heard more clearly. Now I knew it was the male yellow talking, but his voice didn't seem to be coming from below. In fact, it almost seemed to be at my level. "Oi!"

I turned right and saw him standing across from me. He was perched upon the branch of a young tree, and despite the predators milling beneath him, he wasn't in any immediate danger. Approaching him, I asked, "Where's the blue?"

"I don't know. We got separated when the Demons attacked.

I squeezed my forehead and groaned. "Come on. Let's get you out of here."

"No. Leave me here," he ordered. "I'm perfectly safe in this tree, but the blue might be in trouble. You need to find him right away."

"But where am I supposed to look?"

"I don't know! Just start! His life depends on it!"

A tense feeling overcame me. Not knowing what else to do, I went off in a random direction. I didn't bother scanning with my eyes; the blue would've surely hidden himself by now, and if he hadn't, there would have been an unmissable army of Demons pursuing him. Instead, I would have to rely on sound. I called for him multiple times, but received no response, so I shifted my course and repeated the process, shouting loudly and listening carefully. Gradually, I covered a wide radius surrounding the male yellow, but at no point did I receive an answer from the blue. With so many Demons afoot, he could not have gotten far; certainly I would've crossed his hiding place by now. But what if he hadn't found one in time? Could he have been…?

…No. He was far too clever for such a typical demise. Blue had figured something out; I just wasn't sure what yet. He clearly wasn't to be found in the trees though, which meant I needed an extra set of eyes.

Swinging back, I sped over the yellow's perch, snatching him up in the process. "Pink?! What're you-?!"

"I know how to find the blue, but I need to go back to the nest first. Might as well bring you along."

The yellow said nothing, though I couldn't tell if it was an intrigued silence or a frustrated one. As the nest site came into view, I saw that a Demon and three Harbingers were ambling near the entrance, sniffing up the pikmin scent that covered the ground.

"Great! What're we supposed to do now?" I griped.

"I think I've figured out what your plan is," said the male yellow. "Put me on another branch. I'll create a diversion so you can get the white."

Nodding, I carried the yellow to a nearby branch, one that was high enough so that a Demon couldn't reach him, but also low enough so that it would be tempted to try anyway. As I left him behind, he emitted a loud screech, drawing the attention of all four Demons but only luring the large one. This had been enough. Moving as quickly as I could muster, I dropped to the ground across from the Harbingers, only to go up again when they started after me. Whizzing over their hungry eyes, I dove into the nest, grabbed the white, and flew back out before anyone could say a word.

"Whoa! Pink!" she exclaimed frantically.

"Sorry about the abrupt takeoff, White. A second longer and I would've been trapped in there," I said. "The male yellow is safe, but the blue appears to be hiding somewhere on the forest floor. I came to get you so-"

"So I can spot him for you?" she finished. "That's what you should've done in the first place!"

"Yes, yes, I know. I'll listen next time. Now let's find him before a Demon does."

I carried her to where I had found the male yellow and followed the same route as before. Thankfully, it wasn't long before we got a result. "Pink! I see him!"

"Where?" I asked as I came to a stop.

"In the middle of that space right there! Between the four trees! He's hiding under the leaf litter!"

Well, that explained why he didn't respond to me. Resourceful as this was, he was still in deep peril. Demons and Harbingers were crowding close by, and if we didn't act fast, he could be crushed beneath their feet. "Get ready to scream, White. We're going to make a diversion."

"Aye."

I brought us around the Demons so that they were between us and the blue. Once we were in a good position, I flew behind the nearest tree and came close the ground. "Okay, now!"

We both screamed as loud as we could. Right away, I took us higher and circled around the tree. Our trick had worked; inquisitive Demons were approaching the source of the noise. Immediately, I descended towards the blue…

…Only to see that a Harbinger had stayed behind. It was sniffing vigorously at the same spot that White had described, and was periodically scraping at the ground with its foot. "It knows!" I exclaimed.

"Drop me! I'll distract it!" the white barked.

I released her, leaving her to land on a leaf with a sharp crunch. Instantly the Harbinger turned, glaring at her with hungry eyes.

"Well? What're you waiting for? Come get me!"

The white spun around and bolted just as the Harbinger lunged forward, easily avoiding its snapping jaws. As the Harbinger gave chase, I dove down to summon the blue. "Blue! Come out! The coast is clear!"

There was a faint crackle as the blue emerged from the detritus. Pulling himself up, he asked, "Where's the white? I heard her voice."

"She's over there," I said, pointing at her as she led the Harbinger in circles. "Speaking of which… White! It's time to go!"

"Roger that!"

White put on her full speed, leaving the rotund predator in the dust. However, when she had nearly reached us, she suddenly skidded to a halt. A Red Demon erupted into view, coming between us and her. "Oh, crap!" I exclaimed.

"Pink! Behind you!" the blue shouted.

I turned around and saw two more Demons coming right for us. In a swift motion, I seized the blue and pulled us upward, the Demons gazing at us with open mouths as we ascended. Once we were out of harm's way, I looked to the white and saw her being pursued by both the first Demon and the Harbinger. Neither had any hope of outrunning her, but then an additional creature appeared: the Dark Demon. Casting a shadow over the white, it let out a deep, guttural snarl that caused the Red Demon to hesitate. It was not intimidated for long, however, and soon charged, the white caught directly in its path.

"I can't get down there in time!" I shrieked. "What're we gonna do?!"

"White! Head for the Dark Demon!" the blue yelled.

"WHAT?!"

The white momentarily froze, then sprinted towards the Dark Demon. The hulking monster paid no attention to her as she darted between its legs, and before I realized it, it was ramming into the Red Demon.

At first I was confused, but then I remembered. In the chaos, we had both forgotten that the Dark Demon was aware of her poisonous nature.

"Now's our chance!" said the blue.

Shooting forward, I flew over the fighting Demons and swooped towards the white. She grabbed the blue by the feet, and I began to lift them up.

"Incoming!" the white shouted.

Looking aside, I spied one more Demon charging at us. The combined weight of Blue and White slowed my ascent, but still I strained to rise as fast as possible. In what felt like an instant, the Demon was upon us, my height matching that of its eyeballs. "Hold on tight! This is gonna be close!"

Gathering all my strength, I put on one last burst of effort. At the same time, the Demon angled its head upwards and launched itself at us, opening its mouth to the utmost width. Reality seemed to slow to a crawl as I stared down its cavernous throat, and in that moment, I was aware of nothing but my pounding heart and an icy sensation in my blood. Involuntarily, I closed my eyes and heard the jaws snap shut.

The Demon hit the ground with a thud, and I slowly drifted to the nearest tree. Feeling numb, I glanced down. The blue was still attached to me, and the white was still attached to him. Setting them both on a wide branch, I gently landed on my feet before promptly collapsing on my face. I was exhausted, and my arms and wing muscles were sore, but we were safe.

"Thanks for the rescue," said the blue.

"My pleasure," I mumbled.

A short time later, we were all safe and sound in the nest. The cries of disturbed Demons continued to haunt the forest, and it would probably be a while before we could venture outside again, but the worst part of the day was over. However, one question remained: What brought this on in the first place?

The blue had his own theory. "Such a high concentration of Demons would definitely put a strain on the local food supply," he explained. "The Dark Demon must be trying to eliminate the competition, especially since the Season of Snow is coming up."

"Well, whaddya know? Old black-back is actually serving a useful purpose for once," the female yellow snarked.

"I can't believe a single Dark Demon could run amok of so many Reds," said the male yellow. "I knew that Demons weren't the most coordinated creatures in the world, but this is just pathetic. They could learn a thing or two from us pikmin."

"Yeah, let's all teach them the joys teamwork so they can hunt us more effectively," my friend joked.

As the others continued the chat amongst themselves, I merely sat there, silent and disconnected. Normally I felt a great sense of achievement whenever I overcame trials like this, but at the moment I only felt bitterness. I had braved a legion of murderous creatures (again), narrowly escaped certain death (again), and rescued my fellow pikmin (again), but my mind remained fixated on one thing.

Grumbling to myself, my eyes shifted to the blue. Then to the white. Then to the blue again. Then to the white again.