Hope you all had a Happy New Year! Here comes the first chapter of The Mole: Saboteur's Island, of 2010!

Episode 5 (Part 3)

A pile of ear pieces, walkie talkies, and other mechanical gadgets were littered into a pile below the hanging bee's nest at the entrance of the village. All players had been finally gathered, their game done.

Goombella: For the first time in this game, I felt like I've been drained mentally. The mission just had so many components happening at the same time. Everyone was bustling.

"Man, that was tough," Goombella said with a heavy breath, throwing her other walkie talkie into the pile. To no surprise, the group of six had separated themselves before McHallyboo: Yoshi and Vivian seemed to be together, as well as Luvbi and Goombella. Bobbery stood on his own side, standing proud, and Wario was even farther away from everyone else. In other words, no one bothered to stand near Wario, the camera hunter of their recently-ended mission.

"Players, your mission was well witnessed by me," McHallyboo said to them, "and I imagine you all just want to know how well you did. Well, luckily for you all, I have the results." The players could only listen anxiously to the upcoming results, known only by the host himself. Everything within the mission, especially the final few moments of it, seemed like a blur in their minds. Too much had been going on at a time, but all would be cleared up in the next few minutes.

"At the very last second, both Wario and Vivian took snapshots of each other, just milliseconds apart," the host explained. All players held their breaths.

"But Wario snapped first." The player in yellow let out a roar of happiness, throwing his arms in the air with victory in the shape of fists. The other five were appalled, if not disappointed. Vivian looked down at the ground miserably.

Vivian: I really did try my best. Everything at the last second went so fast, and my actions weren't as fast as my thoughts.

Bobbery: We all find it distasteful when the person of bad attitude gets awarded. This case apparently happens quite a lot, and I was getting quite bushed about it.

"Oh, poppies," Bobbery said sternly, the only player who was more irate and angry than downhearted.

"But that does not mean you got the exemption, Wario," the host said suddenly, as all twelve pairs of eyes faced the host with perplexity and surprise. One of the pair of eyes raged with flabbergasted fury.

"Like stated throughout the game, you had to capture the full image of a photographer," McHallyboo reminded him, holding up a developed picture, "and this is what you gave me, Wario." The picture that they all saw was of purple blur, and some of the players could make out the slight figure of one of Vivian's hair curls, but magnified by at least a hundred. Wario snorted, calming down at an astonishing rate.

"Well, I guess fair is fair," he said, "but I did deserve that exemption more than anyone else!"

"So did we get that final picture?" Goombella asked the host. "Money wise, did we get it?"

"Unfortunately, no," McHallyboo added, causing a stir among the team of five. "You had to get a full picture of Wario."

"Wait, no we didn't," Goombella said, remembering the last few minutes of their mission. "The Picture objective said nothing about a full image."

"This is the Picture Objective that was present in the game." McHallyboo took out a paper slip from his pocket and exposed it, face-up in his palm. The players saw the large dark letters that spelled a message, a font which Luvbi had been reading from for the entirety of the game:

Snap the camera hunter, and make this game over. Take a full image and win the game."

"That last line wasn't...there?" Goombella said, her sentence at first sounding confident and aggravated, but then dropped. With an odd look, she turned to Luvbi.

"What?" Luvbi said, flatly.

"Luvbi, you relayed us the wrong message," Goombella recognized. Luvbi looked hard at the piece of paper, which was still being held by McHallyboo.

"I gave you the info we needed though," Luvbi said back. "We were fine anyways."

"But you missed an entirety sentence," Goombella pointed out.

"You can't just blame, over this very, very miniscule error I made," Luvbi stated back to her. "You were dilly-dallying up at the top and did your big share of errors as well. I did one."

"I think I did an excellent job," Goombella objected, being offended by Luvbi's blame. McHallyboo took something else from his coat pocket: two photographs, those taken by the Camera Shy people.

"This picture," said McHallyboo, holding up the one Vivian took of the Piantas, "only has four Piantas." Vivian looked confused, seeing her own photograph developed.

"Isn't that what we needed?" she asked with confusion.

"The Picture Objective read, 'A lone Pianta is insignificant, but four more make a photo,'" McHallyboo said, slipping the fifth Picture Objective paper out and reading it out to them.

"Okay?" said Vivian, still confused at his words.

"Four plus one equals five. You needed five Piantas in the picture." This time, everyone faced at different people. Goombella and Vivian faced Luvbi, as the males in the group turned to Vivian, the taker of the snapshot.

"Luvbi, you said that we needed four Piantas," Goombella said, shaking her head more heavily this time. "Will you finally admit that you made a mistake?"

"Well, I undoubtedly read the Picture Objective out loud to you, so you heard it as well!" Luvbi said, tossing her head. "You're giving me all the blame?"

"But you gave us directions during all this frenzy!" Goombella pointed out. "We were busy avoiding Wario. The Picture Objectives were your job."

"Oh, so teamwork was abandoned?" Luvbi snapped. "I can't take all the blame. You didn't realize five Piantas were required either." Vivian just looked back at McHallyboo, not wanting to blame anyone or stir up a fight. Goombella sighed, and then turned to face the host.

"It's a game," she repeated, keeping her focus and closing her eyes.

"This picture also had a problem," McHallyboo continued, holding up the photograph taken near the hot springs.

"Hey, that's my picture!" Yoshi spoke up. "What's wrong with it?"

"My rules states that you yourself had to take the picture," the host pointed out. "We spied on you, and saw that a Pianta took this picture instead."

"Come on," Yoshi argued. "A picture is a picture, no matter who took it."

"And a rule is a rule, no matter how small," the host replied, triumphantly. Yoshi grumbled.

"And just one more thing you might find in interest," McHallyboo added, putting all photographs back into his pocket. "When Bobbery was knocked out early from the group, I gave him an offer to freeze Wario for a length of five minutes."

"Yes, well..." Bobbery said quickly, in an attempt to stop the host's sentence.

"But in return, he had to take a neutralizer, voiding him of any exemptions for the remainder of the episode," the host went on. "Bobbery, what did you do?" The elder player looked awkwardly at the players, but cleared his throat regardless.

"I had faith that you two would have the littlest of trouble avoiding Wario," Bobbery said grandly, giving a smile and a nod towards both Vivian and Yoshi. "Five minutes wouldn't have made much of a difference, anyway."

"It didn't have anything to do with the fact that you didn't want to sacrifice yourself for any later exemptions?" the host questioned him.

"That may have been just one of the many reasons," the admiral admitted, looking to the floor.

Goombella: Why would this episode offer any other exemptions after Wario was already offered one? Bobbery should have taken the neutralizer. He wasn't thinking clearly at all when he refused the offer.

"So do I still get the exemption?" Wario said, noticing the various flaws that the team of five had performed.

"No, none of that had anything to do with you," McHallyboo said to Wario, who gave out a heavy frown. "You still did not win the exemption. But, the team as a whole wins 15,000 coins. So you could say that the glass of success was half full!"

"Or half empty," Luvbi said, finishing the phrase.

TOTAL POT VALUE

114,000 COINS

Goombella: There were a lot of twists and turns in this mission. The end of the game had as much surprises as the mission itself.

Luvbi: Goombella did a less than mediocre job as the helper from above. She just wasn't capable enough to keep the game controlled under her guidance, and even just with audio, I was able to determine that.

Vivian: I do admit that at one point in the game, it seemed like Goombella was trying to get us caught by Wario by not warning us. I'm not sure how busy her job was at all, but when we were heading directly into Wario's path, neither Yoshi nor I were warned.

Goombella: I'm just trying not to scream at Luvbi, because I was getting that close. She was blaming me for the mistakes that she made. Her job was to simply read messages off from a piece of paper, and she couldn't even do that.

Vivian: Luvbi's mistakes were indeed the biggest errors in this mission. The things she did were very Mole-like, and Luvbi being the Mole is just one of the least things I want to imagine being as possible. To me, at least.

Yoshi: My ankle's as sore as ever. The thing that makes the pain worth it? We kept Wario from his exemption, and I feel proud because I contributed the most with my running. We didn't need to get a car and tour us.

Wario: Yoshi was just really getting back at me this episode. Last episode, I took his exemption. Now he took mine. I refuse to think this is karma.

Bobbery: It's still very questionable to me when Wario touched that camera on the breakfast table this morning. Little did we know that simply touching it would give him a chance at an exemption. I'm questioning it deeply, and so will my journal.

Yoshi: I was kinda disappointed with Bobbery. He could have been a great guider for us, but was shot down within the first ten minutes of the game. Then he had the chance to help the team later on, but he refused. He's really fighting for himself in this game and disadvantaging the team.

Wario: When I was offered an exemption in Episode 3, it was like a piece of paper to me. A useless, green colored piece of paper. And I hate to say this about myself, but I think I'm learning from this game. What am I learning? That I shouldn't just waste things.

The sun set in Pianta Village, giving the players a look at its second life. Each piece of glossy land seemed to glow within the community, and with the village being so elevated over the rest of Isle Delfino, the air seemed different as well. If it weren't for the flames that were lit over the waxy surfaces of each mushroom, the place would have appeared and felt as cold and gloomy as a jungle. But with the sight of bustling and happy Piantas doing their daily routine actions at nightfall, the place was miles off from being called a jungle at all.

"Ah, the water feels soo good," Goombella said, sighing as she stepped her way into the pool. Having finished dinner, the players headed to the village's most popular attraction: the hot springs.

"Bah, you call this a jungle?" Bobbery scoffed, submerging himself into the pool so much that only his mouth was above water. "When I was shipwrecked the day I first discovered Keelhaul Key, I had to survive on my own. Little protection at all. No people. A jungle that was."

"Hey, any room for me?" Wario demanded, getting into the hot springs and causing Goombella to give out a slight sigh of repulsion.

"I was stranded too," Yoshi piped up, wading his feet at the edge of the pool. "Remember Episode Two? Diddy, Rosalina and I had to stay for an entire night on that jungle island."

"Yes, you did," Bobbery said, interrupting politely, "but you had an entire camera crew to accompany you, now didn't you?"

"Hey, come on in you two!" Goombella called to the two females behind her. Luvbi and Vivian found their seating on the marble counter that surrounded the hot springs, and both shook their heads, almost at the same time.

"I'm not a fan of water, in most cases," Luvbi said, her voice sounding refined.

"I really didn't bring a bathing suit," Vivian admitted. "I'll just stay here."

"I would perhaps like a stroll later tonight through the village," Luvbi reconsidered. "Goombella, you can be my guide, since you have no more of my distractions to hinder you."

"Oh, stop it," Goombella said, giving an exasperated look towards her.

The moon was directly over their heads, and occasionally, a player would tilt their heads up and enjoy the rare beauty that the game had given them, for surviving to a location like this. But of course, every peaceful moment had its opposite right next door.

"Hhhhhhheyyyy, players!" shouted McHallyboo, startling Yoshi so much that he fell face first into the pool. Goombella shrieked, the splash being so large that McHallyboo's shoes were pelted with water as well. Luvbi and Vivian were victim to laughter as the other four players scrambled to get out of the hot springs, Yoshi looking the most overwhelmed out of all.

"You just HAD to do that!" Wario snarled, taking a seat on the hot spring's edge, and eyeing something fishy in the host's hands.

"Sorry, I just wanted to give you all a hearty entrance," the host said, rolling his eyes. "You all seemed to be in a peaceful trance. I just haaad to break it."

"Oh, so you're not here to join the peacefulness?" Luvbi asked McHallyboo, who shook his head. The host took out a layer of stacked piles, consisting of books that were all too recognizable to the players. Their mouths dropped open as he held all of them in his hands, then dropped them to the ground carelessly.

"Careful with my journal," Bobbery spoke up with alarm, standing up from the pool to retrieve his. But McHallyboo just wagged his finger as the player approached him.

"These will be part of our next mission," the host spoke up. "It's a short and easy one. Don't worry: you'll get your journal in soon time."

"You're not going to destroy the journals, are you?" Goombella asked dreadfully.

"No," the host admitted, sounding disappointed. "But maybe just one page. This game is called Page Six. In honor of the six of you left, I'll be ripping out page 6 from each of your journals." The players became stirred at this thought.

"The game will be a guessing game, and you can earn up to 20,000 coins," said the host. "But if one of you objects to the playing of this game, we won't play it, but your journals will remain intact." Everyone looked at each other, seeing a few shrugs from most of them in false nonchalance. Though these shrugs were merely for the game to go on, each one of them felt a slight bit of anxiousness.

"Guys, these are like, our journals," Vivian spoke up. "Mine has some personal information.

"As does mine," Bobbery couldn't help saying. "It's a simple bribe: keep privacy, or twenty thousand coins."

Bobbery: My journal was important, as well as what I write, but I wasn't going to ruin the game in such a blatant move.

"Unless anyone objects, you will all be playing for the money," McHallyboo spoke to them. As no one bothered to raise their voice, he continued.

"Well, here are the rules," McHallyboo explained. "One by one, Page 6 will be read out loud from each of your journals. A selected player must then guess who the writer of the entry was. If they're correct, that's one for the team. If there are at least three correct guesses, I'll add 20,000 coins to the pot. No cheating! No speaking out loud a name. Hand signals and any other signals will be heavily documented." The players nodded, even at the host's final dramatic sentence.

"Okay, we shall begin!" said McHallyboo, picking up the first journal from the pile on the ground. A piece of duck tape was placed onto each journal, concealing both its owner's name and the number it held. Counting to the sixth page, McHallyboo then ripped it out, causing all six players to feel a slight sickness at the sound of the tearing page, each one imagining their own journal being shredded at the moment. The host held the page up and read it out loud.

Okay, we're entering into a new game.

I can't seem to pinpoint exactly who it is. My suspect is Wario, but a lot of others fall right behind. Could it be Diddy? I pray not.

Wario: answered his question wrong in the Wiggler Cowardice Test. But then Luvbi refused. Maybe if there were two Moles in this game, that would have made perfect sense. But there's only one.

"I heard my name like, ten times in that one page," Wario said, aggravated to the max.

"Well, that's how we're playing," said McHallyboo. "Whoever's name appears the most or most centered on the page will be the guesser for the writer of the entry." Wario looked carefully at those around him, their faces looking silent. Wario then pointed to Goombella.

"How'd you know?" Yoshi said with disbelief.

"Well...it sounds like her talking," Wario said, confused. Goombella finally nodded.

"That's one," the host said, putting the ripped page back into the book and throwing it besides him, as they all saw the journal land on the grass ground with a thud.

Goombella: That journal page was much more revealing than I thought it was. But that was from like, Episode 3. I've changed a lot in my thoughts since then.

Wario: Was Goombella really writing what she meant? Maybe if she was the Mole, none of it was true at all. Any one of us could be the Mole, so any journal entry could be as false as ever.

"Good guess at knowing my writing style," Goombella laughed. "I never write in sentences though. Usually short bullets."

"Our next victim," McHallyboo said, looking more than a little happy as he ripped the page out.

Our team did fine this episode. We maneuvered watermelons all over.

No surprises, except for Luigi at the very end. The lad could have stayed much longer.

Mission: Cocomero Correto

Watermelons had to be rolled from amidst the beach to the dock, each fruit giving money. Diddy gained an exemption. Luvbi may have the lost the dictionary.

"Oh, absurd," Luvbi announced, shaking her head at the last sentence. "I'm being blamed, once again. And by the host as well."

"Luvbi, this is your guess," the host said to her. "Who do you think wrote the entry?" Luvbi, still looking aggravated by the writer's accusation, just sighed.

"I guess Vivian," she said out loud. The host shook his head, as Luvbi's face turned into one of incredulity.

"Well, now it's obviously-"

"Ahh! Don't say it," McHallyboo warned, as he put the piece of paper back into the journal and threw it behind him.

"Maybe if the writer wasn't so vague, I would have gotten it," she said, shaking her head and sitting back down.

McHallyboo then reached down to grab the third journal from the remaining, and read it to the group:

Day 6: Joyous adventure indeed that took place today!

We took part in one of the most difficult mission up to date. Like the actions of an explorer himself, I did the job well. Below me it glistened like lava, and the area itself was a volcano. Fighting courage like my brave ancestors have done, I travelled at least 80 or 90 or 100 feet to my location. I'll do it, family! I believe in you! And I believe in myself! And yes sir, I accomplished!

Suspects: Vivian wore a green shirt at night. It might have been a clue.

"Sounds more like a storybook than a journal," Bobbery said, chuckling.

"Oh, err, I guess it's me then to guess," Vivian realized, looking around her at the straight faces. She turned to Wario, who looked back at her.

Vivian: I knew it was the mission from Episode 3, but I didn't even get to play in that game. So I had to guess between two people.

"Wario?" she answered sounding unsure. McHallyboo shook his head, as Vivian made a face of distress.

"No, it was not Wario's," the host said, as a half of the journals remained before him. "We will continue on."

"That wasn't my entry in the tiniest bit," Wario grunted, folding his arms. "I don't write like that at all! I'm more...never mind."

Taking the fourth journal, the host flipped carefully, tearing the single page out and reading out loud to the players once again.

Second list: Vivian and Yoshi.

Yoshi served food at the party. The table happened to collapse, so that made me look at him a lot. Vivian on the other hand looked as if

"I'm afraid the rest of the entry is in Page 7," the host shrugged.

"Is that me or Vivian to guess?" Yoshi asked. McHallyboo pointed at Yoshi, who then looked around at his fellow peers.

"Luvbi," he answered, as the player shook her own head.

"Darn!" McHallyboo held two fingers up, then threw the journal backwards and behind him into the now-majority pile.

"Wait, we don't get to know the writer if we're wrong?" Goombella questioned.

"I'm afraid not," the host told her.

"The game would be a rip-off if the writer was revealed," Bobbery pointed out to her. "Though of course, beneficial to us."

"You guys are two down. You need to get both these journal entries correct to win your twenty grand." Picking both journals up from the ground in front of him, McHallyboo weighed both books in his hands like a scale. Then, he dropped his left hand, leaving only one journal remaining on the moist floor. He ripped the sixth page out and read it to them.

Oh dear. I must say, this game has taken quite a turn since the first episode. We now have individuals stranded on an island.

Well, better to play safe than sorry in this game, I've learned. After taking the first exemption of this game, I feel an odd force, pushing me to go further and grab the rest. Maybe my intuition on who the Mole is will get better later on. But for now, I'll rest.

Ending the night, -

"And the writer signed his or her name here," finished McHallyboo. "Since the writer mentioned people stranded on an island, then I'll give this one to Yoshi again."

"I'm guessing this time it's Luvbi?" Yoshi guessed, as McHallyboo nodded.

"All right!" Wario shouted with a grin. "That's two, right?"

"Hmm," Luvbi said, looking immediately at the last journal remaining on the floor. All players looked tensely at the final journal on the ground. As the host picked it up and ripped the sixth page from its binding, every one of them opened their ears, ready to hear McHallyboo's reading of the final page of their game.

He said nothing. As McHallyboo flipped turned over the page to show the players what was written, he revealed a blank page to them, absent of writing and being as empty as the amount of remaining hope in each one of them.

Phew! I wanted to finish another episode part before school began, and success indeed =) Mega suspicions! The Mole is still alive, and their actions of sabotage will continue the remainder of the episode with no delay, so stay tuned!

This episode will consist of five parts instead of four, so the length of this chapter might have seemed a bit shorter than usual.

A picture clue! Finally, one in quite a while, no? x.x But this new one has a cool appearance overall, so hope you enjoy it on my profile!

(consider this update a small gift before the dreaded Monday, aheh)