There was a soft drone as I hovered across the ground. My movement was slow and straight, and I wasn't sure when or where I wanted to stop. The blue was following close behind, his feet squishing against some dew-covered moss. Soon we arrived at a small glade, and I decided right away that this would be the place. Landing within the circle of sunlight, I turned and faced the blue.

Things had been a little weird since the previous day. After the male yellow and I had returned from our "mission," he had immediately announced his new name to everyone. As was to be expected, their reactions had ranged from bewildered speechlessness to hysterical laughter (and in case it wasn't obvious, it was the female yellow who had done the latter). However, they had agreed to go along with it regardless, and so the male yellow had officially become Goldenrod.

When the blue had asked about the Dark Demon, Goldenrod told him that we had "failed" to find it, and that we had payed the trapmin a visit on the way back. The blue had figured out instantly that this was the reason behind his new name; however, he seemingly never realized that the Dark Demon thing had been a ruse. Then again, it wasn't hard to believe that Goldenrod would spontaneously request a trapmin visit after a mission, or at any time at all for that matter...

Mercifully, he hadn't mentioned the whole "Spicebloom" affair. I still hadn't made up my mind about that one, and even if I had, I couldn't have handled the extra attention anyway. My little "epiphany" had left me in a strange place—a place I still hadn't escaped—and the last thing I would've needed was for them to notice.

Today's plan was to try finding the Dark Demon again—this time with the white. But first I had asked the blue if we could talk privately. There was no need for excuses or cover stories this time—I was close enough to my endgame that I could forgo some subtlety.

And now it was time to talk.

"So," I began, "I've decided to take your advice. About the Harlequin Onion."

The blue raised his brow. "So you're leaving then?"

I nodded.

"Why did you wait until now to do this? Did you need time to mull it over, or...?"

"No, I made my decision that same day. I just want to address a few things before I leave."

"A few things, huh? Does anyone else know about this?"

"As of now, everyone except the white knows. I've already spoken with them individually, and now it's your turn."

"I see," the blue muttered, scratching his cheek. He didn't say it, but I had a hunch he was now realizing what I had really been doing yesterday. "So what do you want to address, then? Are you looking for another debate about Onions?"

"No. What I want is to understand you better."

He looked confused. "Why?"

"Well, why not? Do you not want to be understood?"

"I'm not against it. I just don't see the point. We won't be seeing each other much, so why bother?"

"Because you gave me something that I'm going to take with me. And I'll bet all the nectar in the forest that you have more to offer."

At first the blue furrowed his brows, but then he gave me a knowing smirk. "Very well. Let's get on with it, then."

"For starters, what do you think will happen to me once I leave?"

"You'll go soft."

"What leads you to believe that?"

"The temptation is too strong. You may be determined now, but without a drive to push yourself—a real drive—you'll eventually stagnate. I know I've lit a fire within you, but it won't burn in perpetuity. It needs to be fed, and where you're going, that's not gonna happen."

Well, that explained why he left Onion life instead of trying to change it. I didn't care to debate this point though, so I moved on to the next question. "What're you trying to accomplish out here, exactly?"

"You already know."

"No, I really don't. I mean, I know you're in it for growth, but what has that amounted to, exactly? When you started this little movement of yours, most pikmin stayed behind, and almost everyone that followed you is dead."

"The remainders are stronger than ever, though."

"You're right. But that's all they'll ever be: remainders. You may have made a difference for your pack of four, but pikminkind as a whole remains largely unchanged. At best, you'll be remembered as a runaway that probably got eaten by Demons. At worst, you've already been forgotten."

"That's... fine," he grumbled. "I'd be thrilled if large numbers of pikmin were inspired by my actions, but if that never happens, then so be it. I can still take satisfaction in the fact that I achieved my own potential, lack of legacy notwithstanding."

"So what you're telling me is that this is less of a movement and more of a personal journey?"

"Precisely. A revolution would've been ideal, but it was not to be expected."

"Makes sense," I shrugged. "One last question."

"Last question already? I thought this would go on all day," he sneered.

I rolled my eyes. "Are you glad you met me? Or do you think it would've been better if I had never shown up?"

As soon as I finished that sentence, his face dropped. "Wh-why do you ask?"

"We both know I got something out of you. Now I'm wondering if you got something out of me."

The blue gave me a peculiar stare before speaking. "Well, there was that one time you nearly got us killed by bloodthirsty lunatics. But then again, if you hadn't gotten involved, the war probably wouldn't have ended. And I did risk my life to save you, so..."

"So that's a yes?" I asked, amused by how indirect he was being.

"...Yes," he murmured. "And for the record, I did learn something from you."

"Oh?"

"Those two times you sought help from the trapmin... I didn't want to admit it, but your ideas were ingenious. The way you took advantage of their resources and abilities was real crafty; exactly the kind of creativity that I strive for."

"Really?" was all I could say. I had always assumed he hated those ideas, what with his bitter attitude.

"Yes, really. I'm confident that I could've thought of some clever trapmin schemes myself, if I had simply given it a chance. But I never did. I always had to convince myself that it was the wrong thing to do.""

"...Because?"

"Because I was determined to overcome my own trials. I came out here in pursuit of growth and self-reliance, and for the most part, I got what I wanted. But somewhere along the way, I became so entrenched in that mindset that I spurned help from any outside source, even if it was a life or death situation. And after seeing you in action, I've come to realize that that's not how I want it to be."

Ah, so that was why he had resented their help. It had wounded his pride. "So in other words, I taught you that it's okay to strike a middle ground?"

"Yes. And I promise that the next time I'm in dire straits, I won't let my fear get in the way."

I raised my brow. "Fear? I thought this was about pride?"

"Fair assumption," he shrugged. "But no, it was never about that. What actually happened was that I feared growing dependent on the trapmin. Self-sufficiency is more than just a philosophy to me—it's my whole identity. And I was so afraid of losing that that I... Well... You saw it yourself. I probably would've starved to death before it so much as occurred to me to consult the trapmin. It's almost like I saw them as..."

"An Onion?" I guessed.

"...Yes. An Onion," he frowned.

I crossed my arms. "Well, Foxtail said it himself: You helped them, and they helped you in return. They didn't become dependent on you, so I see no reason why you'd become dependent on them."

"Precisely, and I appreciate you teaching me that, unwittingly as it might have been."

"You're welcome," I nodded. "With that matter settled, I suppose we should get back to the others now. Unless you have something else to say?"

"I do, actually," he replied. "Tell me, Pink: What have you learned from all this? Do you still think serving an Onion means everything? Or do you see yourself as something more now?"

His question shot through me like a lightning bolt. Not because I didn't know the answer, but because I knew it far too well. "The trapmin don't serve an Onion. But they're complete. The same can be true of all pikmin."

"So you don't see yourself as just a servant anymore, then?" he asked with an irritating smirk. It was now his turn to be amused by my indirectness.

"I don't," I grunted. "Like I said, I learned a lot from you."

"Then why are you going back to Onion life? If you really did learn a lot from me, then why are you turning your back on me?"

"Because I'm a leader now," I said with all the firmness I could muster. "And as a leader, I choose to confront the failings of pikminkind instead of fleeing from them like you did. And that, my good 'min, is my drive, My real drive."

A stunned silence passed. The blue gazed at me with wide eyes, but then narrowed them. "You're the most baffling pikmin I've ever encountered, Pink."

"Same to you."

"You're also the most interesting."

"Same to you."

Another silence passed, but this one was more solemn. Lowering his stem, the blue asked, "Pink? Are you really going to look for the Dark Demon? Or did you just need an excuse to be alone with the white?"

"Oh, no. My talk with the white isn't happening until tomorrow," I replied. "I'm seriously gonna look for the Dark Demon this time. Just think of it as my final tribute to the group."

The blue smiled and nodded. "Thank you. I appreciate that."

We made our way back towards the nest, neither of us saying a word. The entire time, my mind was occupied with one thing: the blue's lie. During our conversation, there had been several times when I had felt a subtle temptation to bring it up, to reveal that I knew his dirty secret, to surprise him and call him out. Even now, I felt that urge. But I had already decided not to act on it. He would find out on his own soon enough, and there was no telling what lengths he would go to silence me. The blue was an enigma, and while that sometimes made him intriguing, it also made him intimidating.

Regardless, I did indeed get something else out of him—a greater resolve to change pikminkind for the better.

Just as the others came into view, something hit me at the last moment. The blue had asked, "If you really did learn a lot from me, then why are you turning your back on me?" The question had seemed straightforward enough at first, but... those last few words...

Why are you turning your back on me?

He hadn't asked why I was turning my back on his teachings.

He hadn't asked why I was turning my back on the group.

He had asked why I was turning my back on him.

...

...

...Hmm...

"Are you ready now?"

My widened slightly. Suddenly the white was standing in front of me, and she had an awkward look on her face.

"Oh, er... Yeah. Yeah, I'm ready," I mumbled.

"Pink?" asked the red. "Can I steal you for a bit?"

"Seriously?! Again?!" the white exclaimed. "I don't know what these private chit-chats are about, but can they please wait until after the mission?"

"It'll only be a second! I promise!"

The white sighed at him. "Fine. Just get on with it."

The red motioned for me to follow him, and he led me aside. "Um, Pink? I didn't want to ask this in front of the others, but are you doing okay? You seemed really off yesterday."

I winced when I heard this. My discussion with the blue had taken my mind off that completely, but now it was right back in my head. Thanks a lot, bud. "Well..."

"Did something happen with the trapmin?"

"No, nothing happened. It's just... surreal that we're about to leave, is all."

"About? Does that mean-?"

"Yes. It's happening tomorrow. Just one more convo and we're good to go."

"Sweet!" he said, grinning wider than he had in a long time. I couldn't bring myself to tell him what had really been bothering me, especially after seeing that smile. And yet, as bitter as the reality was, a tiny part of me was glad to be aware of it, if only for the sake of self-awareness. Did he deserve to be enlightened too, even if it would be unpleasant?

...There were more pressing matters at hand. I would consider telling him another time, but for now, he got to be happy. "Anyway, I'm gonna go do my thing now. White's getting impatient."

Without bothering to give her a heads up, I flew straight to the white and snatched her off the ground. "Took ya long enough," she snarked.

"Good things are worth waiting for," I replied. "Ready to put those eyes to use?"

"Always am. Ready for a regular mission that's probably gonna spiral into another chaotic misadventure?"

"Always am."

I carried her off into the woods. I knew deep down that her whole world was going to change tomorrow, but for today, I wanted nothing more than to enjoy one last regular mission with her. Perhaps a chaotic misadventure too, if I was lucky.