Here's chapter 2. I included a little more than just the battle with the Snagret. And yes, the bulborb will matter later on. Plus, I know that when a boss eats a white pikmin, only minimal damage is done, but I decided to put in symptoms of poisoning myself.

Chapter 2: Fate of the Snagret.

Some days it's just too easy.

Plucking bugs in a frenzy with no guardian anywhere, pretty soon, we Snagrets will become the territorial kings of this land.

It was very noticeable; the number of Bulborbs around here has been decreasing. Usually, there would be a Bulborb here and there, but I only saw two today. I overheard those Creeping Crysanthemums near the Snagret hole that an entire squad of pikmin had entered the Hole of Beasts with Bulborbs scurrying away like crazy. If only I was there, I would've had a snacking to a Bulborb or two. But anyway…

With the Hole of Beasts empty, it was free territory for the taking. I went to the hole as soon as I heard the news, but the entire cavern was caved in! Something went down in there alright. I went down to see the rotting remains of Bulborbs and other insects; those pikmin are a cruel bunch. I would've nipped at the bodies but they were too rotten to even smell; these guys sure don't stay fresh for long. Many of the tunnels inside were blocked but I managed to burrow down as many levels as I could. When I was no longer able to penetrate the rock, I rose out of the ground to find the entire area moist with a thin fluid. If I remembered correctly, an Empress Bulblax was here. I was about to leave when something caught my eye.

In the corner of the arena was a red Bulborb, looking like a day young, but the little thing was shaking. I moved close to the tiny creature and it looked up at me.

"…I'm…scared…" it told me.

"You gotta learn to live with it kid," I said, "Things don't go easy in this world. When I was a little hatchling, my mom suffered at the hands of pikmin too."

"…how'd…you know?" it asked me.

"So your mother shared the same fate too?" I said. "Doesn't surprise me. My mother was the alpha female along with three other Snagrets. I've never heard from them since, but I wasn't surprised when I heard those pikmin had something to do with them."

"…and…you're not…sad?" it asked me. Hmm, fair question.

"Well, I guess I just accepted it. It was gonna happen one day, but what really scared me was that I was born with no instincts."

"…" it stood there, slightly shaking less.

"But that didn't stop me from getting to where I am today. I made it into this world by myself, and I don't need anyone's help. Never had, never will."

"…don't you…have a…family?" it asked.

I looked at it with an unchanged expression. I thought back to my brethren who I was left with at the time our parents died.

"I was the runt of them. I didn't like them, but we still traveled together. But as soon as they matured, I was left alone. But I saw it coming. I know they're here in Awakening Wood."

The little Bulborb looked down to the floor in sadness. I had forgotten that the Empress died, along with his siblings. He was the only one left.

"Oh yeah, I forgot, your family is dead. Some of them probably died before they were born, right?"

"…no…some of us…still survived…but we had no food…I ate my brothers and sisters who died of hunger…and here I am…all alone…"

Now that took guts.

And at such a young age. But he looked guilty about it. Guess he still hasn't realized it yet.

"Don't cry about that. What you did was what anyone would've done. In this world, everything is a predator and everything is prey. You just feel guilt, nothing more. Soon, when you're all grown up, you'll be looking back and be happy that you're alive."

Until I get hungry at least.

"…I…see…" it said.

The Bulborb looked down in thought and moments of silenced passed. I was about to walk, or burrow, away when the little Bulborb spoke up.

"Please mister Snagret sir, can you take me outside?" it asked.

"Now you're just being stupid," I said, earning a look of surprise from the young Bulborb, "We are animals of this world, there is no line of friendship between us, or any animal, that could but never exist. You should be lucky that I'm not craving Bulborb right now. You should live life like everyone else did; by themselves," I said as I burrowed away.

Those last words had me thinking. Those pikmin probably don't follow this philosophy at all. What disgraceful little runts. I'll take note to chew on at least two of them soon; maybe those blue pikmin in the pool would provide a tasty snack.

I resurfaced from the ground to find that the sun was setting. I was already feeling sleepy as I headed back to my nest. I wondered for a moment if I should visit my brothers and sisters over by the Snagret hole, but that Pileated Snagret master of theirs would forbid any contact from me. Some days I wondered what exactly makes him a suitable leader to them. Just because he has one appendage more doesn't make him the boss of the Snagrets. Besides, they probably have forgotten about me…is it okay to be forgotten?

Bah! What do I care if they forgot about me? I made it into this world without them and I never will need them. I don't need some master to tell me what to do. But, that is how the pikmin had thwarted the Empress… but anyone could've done that! The Empress saw it coming; she wouldn't even be able to defend herself from a Sheargrub! But then again, these guys may be out for this land once again. Some say they've come back to dominate the animals of this world and become the kings of the food chain. Like that'll ever happen! But if they are planning to do so, then that means I'll be next soon…

Hmph! I'm thinking too much, I'd better take it easy and rest 'til tomorrow…

"This place is huge!"

"There's some sort of an arena over there!"

"I'm a white pikmin!"

"Stop saying that!"

"Those eggs mean trouble!"

"Don't tell me we're going over there, are we?"

"We pwn3d an Empress Bulblax before, what's the worse that could be here?"

I overslept.

Those Whiskerpillars can cause some pretty nasty stomachache, or maybe it was that weird piece of wool I found in the flowers? Why did I eat that thing again? Oh yeah, I was hungry. I was unable to sleep very well because the pain wouldn't subside. You live and learn, right? Well, the nausea has passed. Time to…

I silenced myself at the sound of tapping from above. Very light tapping, like that of an ant, but it was so loud, and it sounded like there were so many of them. Some chattering and some heavy trudging, I took a guess but I wanted to see for myself. By instinct, I erupted from the ground causing whatever they were to huddled back in surprise. I looked at what would be my breakfast.

I was right. There were pikmin here, but of a different variety. I recognized the red ones, but those purple and white ones were new to me. I wanted to try the yummy yet scrawny looking white as soon as I can, but first, the appetizer. Instinct took over as I dived at a red pikmin. I couldn't believe I had missed that small red treat. I quickly dived at another pikmin, this time a purple one. It escaped again! My accuracy must not be that good in the morning.

I watched the pikmin scurry to the other side of my nest. I chose not to follow because I have a hard time burrowing through dirt that isn't my territory. The pikmin watched me as I held still, waiting for them to come back. Some of them looked frightened at the sight of me while some looked eager waving their leaves about. I realized that pikmin, nor any other animal, would be stupid enough to go near territory when the predator who claimed it is still around. I sighed as I knew the pikmin would retreat, so I dug underground and waited for something else worth catching.

I heard the pitter-patter of their footsteps once more and thought that these guys had a death wish or something. It seemed more like they wouldn't be leaving until they got something here, maybe they want my head? I joked.

Answering their call, I rose up to the ground and faced them once more. But then suddenly, this weird pikmin and some blue guy began throwing the pikmin at me. One of them landed on my beak and looked at me, like he was wondering what to do next. Here's an idea: get out of the way so I can see what I'm eating!

But nooooooooooo, the little pikmin began to pound me with its leaf. It was pathetic, but all of these guys began to beat at my head at once. It was hurting a bit…now it was hurting some…okay, now it really hurts!

I shook them off realizing what they were trying to do to me, they wanted to kill me! Who told these guys my head was a weak spot? The same pikmin who landed on me lied still in front of me. I took no chances and snapped at the little pikmin. It was a white pikmin I had in my mouth and I was about to pluck at more, but the guy who threw them at me whistled to them back. I shrugged, thinking that they would retreat, as I swallowed the pikmin in my mouth and began to-

GAH! What…was that pikmin? My eyesight was blurring, my breathing was shallow, and my feathers began to flock off! My eyes were burning like crazy! I lost my sense of smell! I hacked and I hacked, but nothing came out, not even air! What…GASP…was happening to me!

"Look Olimar!" some voice out of nowhere spoke, I couldn't understand it, but my sudden allergy allusion prevented me from hearing it anyway, "the creature seems to be showing symptoms of poisoning after eating that white pikmin. The white pikmin seem to excrete a toxic solution when chewed or eaten. Fascinating!"

My senses were numbed, but I felt the pikmin beating at my head once again. This did not make me feel any better as my poisoning was going critical. I tried to shake them off, but I couldn't tell if I was moving or if the pikmin came off. Then, I heard a loud crack.

With a great twist of my body, I shook off all the pikmin that were on me and burrowed underground. My poisoning was beginning to subdue, but I was worried about my state of being. The loud crack was of my skull as I felt my head was an awkward shape. I was enraged. These pikmin managed to damage my body in a way I could never imagine. I gave no second though as I reemerged out of the ground and snapped at the first pikmin I saw.

I saw the pikmin retreating, but I felt a pikmin had been caught in my mouth. The pikmin watched in horror as their companion was ensnared by me. If I could smirk, I would, but the only thing I did to insult them was eat the pikmin while looking at them. I snapped up, and swallowed the pikmin whole. The other pikmin shrieked in terror as the pikmin went down my throat. They deserved to be-

GAH! Oh…no…I…was feeling the same effects again. I ate the same pikmin! My eyes began to water, my breathing began to shallow, but the conditions seemed worse this time, my body was churning, my mouth was drying, and my conscious was leaving me. Was I…dying?

In a shriek of terror, I yelled to the heavens as my body fell limp to the floor. My bones cracked at the point where my body was under the ground. Then, the worse came.

An internal combustion occurred. The bone snapping was more like fireworks to me, which I had no idea what was a firework, but it caused my entire body to explode! All that was left was my head and the strange object I ingested. My breathing was put to a stop as my beak closed shut. All went white as the last thing I saw was pikmin swarming my dead remains.

I had been defeated. Me, at the hands of those pikmin. They worked together to triumph against my form and I was the result, the remains, of their reign. I was born in this world by only one way, but my end of this world was a fault. Perhaps I was meant to perish…

Impossible! I depended on myself to strive for this long, but something like pikmin have no right to end my life like this. They aimed to take me out but I didn't stand a chance. I failed to even threaten them as a Snagret! I was born as a Snagret, but I failed to fight like one. I died in their name without a fight.

To die in their name was dying what you thought you were.

Next chapter: Fate of the Beady Long Legs.