Episode 8 Part 2

Toadiko: Now that I think about it, Anderson mentioned Molehill Isle way back at the start of Episode 5, didn't he? With all the chaos, I think it slipped everyone's mind. I mean, I certainly hadn't heard of it before. Could it be a place named by the producers for drama? Or is it really an obscure piece of history even I am not privy to?

Mallow: Molehill Isle… Something about the name really puts me on edge. Whatever it is, it sounds like the Mole's homeland. A place like that can't be good news.

Shy Guy: The name 'Molehill Isle' is too perfect. Yet, something tells me that this isn't just some private island the producers bought and named. This has been our destination along, and the fact that it's only a few hours away from the peninsula of Yell Yell Desert feels highly convenient. I'm starting to wonder if the whole second half of the journey was just meant to get us here – if the Yell Yell Desert was simply a means to an end, rather than an intentional part of the journey.

About an hour after the end of the last mission, the players, gathered at the front of the ferry, finally saw it creep over the horizon. From a distance, it was immediately clear how the island got this name: though many other features would come into view, it resembled a pile of dirt with a big, brown hill poking out of it. As they got closer, it became clear that what they were looking at was less of a big hill and more of a small mountain. Surrounding the base of the mountain was a small forest of palms and mangroves, and old, clearly abandoned buildings sat close to the island's beaches.

Long before they'd caught sight of the island, the sky had grown overcast, but now the wind began to howl, and a light drizzle of cold rain spattered over them.

"What a welcome," Shy Guy muttered.

Mallow held up a hand to keep the rain out of his eyes. "I think I see an old fort on the left side of the island. What the heck is this place?"

"We're stepping into history I've never seen before," said Toadiko. It's fascinating, but…"

"Scary," said Mallow.

"Yeah," said Toadiko. "Very intimidating."

"Fitting for our final battle," said Shy Guy.

The ferry came to a stop by a desolate stretch of beach. Long ramps were immediately extended from the edge of the boat and dropped, their far ends crashing into the sand. Crew began unloading unmarked crates down one ramp, while Anderson led the players down another.

"Here we are: the elusive Molehill Isle!" said Anderson. "It's not exactly a comfortable place, but you'll only be here for the day."

"What exactly is this place?" asked Toadiko. "I've never heard of it before."

"That's to be expected. It's not particularly important in the grand scheme of things," said Anderson. "A few decades ago, this small island was home to a small colony of Monty Moles. Their exact goal was unknown, though rumor has it the island holds rich ore deposits they were using to develop weapons."

"So you're saying we're standing on some kind of secret military base?" asked Mallow, looking around the beach nervously.

"Like I said, just rumors," said Anderson. "Regardless, the moles who left the island say it was abandoned due to infighting."

Shy Guy raised an eyebrow. "A disaster because of infighting? Is that supposed to be a metaphor for us?"

"Whaaat? Noooo!" Anderson said completely unconvincingly. "What it means is that we have this cool location to explore! Which, of course, is exactly what you're about to do."

Mallow: The next mission already? I know we only have a day, but I thought we'd get a breather on the island for a bit.

"This is going to sound like I'm changing the subject, but hear me out," said Anderson. "Our little quiz show made it clear that your memory is getting spotty when it comes to the earlier episodes. I know the beginning feels like it was years ago, but it will still be important in the final quiz. That's why I want to offer one of you some help."

Everyone's eyes widened at that comment. "What else can you offer us at this point?" asked Toadiko.

"The Mole's dossier," said Anderson. "A file absolutely stuffed with information about the Mole, from a profile, to a list of their actions, to some thoughts directly from their journal."

Shy Guy: This is better than any exemption. Even if my journal had perfect information about the Mole, there's no way it would be that organized.

Toadiko: I have everything I need for tonight's execution, but the last thing I want to deal with is Mallow or Shy Guy armed with that thing.

Mallow: Those two are really, really smart. I'm gonna need every advantage I can get if I wanna beat the one who isn't the Mole. This could be my chance to really win!

"What's your price?" asked Shy Guy.

Anderson chuckled. "No price. But good to know you're so willing to sell out. I'm offering the dossier for free to whichever player can find it first."

"So it's hidden somewhere on the island?" asked Toadiko. Her eyes were already darting around the landscape, looking for potential hiding places.

Anderson shook his head. "Actually, I'll tell you exactly where it is, given you indulge me in a little more rumormongering. They say that the moles that opposed the leadership here began to organize and prepare for conflict. Those traitors needed a place to gather, so allegedly the met deep in the mines. All the Monty Moles we talked to gave us the same name: Fiend's Burrow."

Shy Guy: Just as I thought. This whole game, right down to the subtitle, was angling to bring us here. That or Anderson's making up lore for fun.

"Fiend's Burrow is where you'll find the dossier. That being said, I don't want this mission to turn into just a footrace, so you'll each be starting at a different part of the island. From there, you'll have to work your way to the northwestern foot of the mountain, where you'll find the entrance. There is no time limit. The dossier will simply go to whomever makes it there first. Any questions?"

The players were silent, each itching to get their hands on the dossier and its secrets. Perhaps more than anyone else, the Mole felt desperate to win this mission.

"Alright, I'll summon your rides." Anderson whistled loudly, and after a moment, three Lakitus flew down from the ferry, each carrying a blindfold. "You'll need to stay blindfolded until you hear my signal."

And with Anderson's final instruction, Toadiko, Shy Guy, and Mallow took one last look at each other before being blindfolded. Their expressions were a mixture of nervous, hopeful, and outright hostile.

Kaboom! The sound of Anderson's flare gun blasted across the island. Mallow immediately tossed his blindfold off and took a look around him.

"Well that would explain why it's been so drafty," he muttered. He was perched right at the peak of the mountain, though it was more of a small plateau at the very top. The ledge in front of him was too steep to simply walk down, so he spun around and took a look at the rest of the plateau. Much to his surprise, there was actually quite a bit of construction equipment abandoned there, up to and including an excavator.

Mallow: I thought about just jumping off and trying to float down, but it was so windy that I started to worry I'd be flung out to sea! Anyways, if those moles managed to get an excavator up here, then there must be a better path!

He walked around the perimeter of the plateau, hoping for a nice, paved road all the way down the mountain. Instead, he found a gravel path that was horribly worn from decades of erosion. It was now nothing more than a few steep patches of gravel separated by nearly sheer drops down the cliff. Still, it seemed navigable enough.

Mallow took one last look down at the island, attempting to spot the mine entrance. He quickly spotted a wooden structure built into the side of the mountain. After taking a minute to make a mental map, he turned back to the gravel path and began his descent.

Wherever Toadiko had bed placed, it was strangely soft. It certainly wasn't the sort of comfort she expected when arriving on Molehill Isle. As soon as she heard the flare gun, she tore off the blindfold and investigated. As it turns out, she was sitting on a bed. The sheets were worn and moth-eaten and the mattress had a few busted springs, but it was comfy nonetheless.

The bedroom she was in looked like it had once been nice but had fallen into disrepair over the decades. The carpet was mostly overgrown with moss and grass. A bookshelf and several paintings had fallen onto the floor and had mostly rotted away. There were even some old clothes laying on the ground.

Toadiko: It was like this place had been through the apocalypse.

She tentatively stepped down onto the carpet. The floorboards seemed fine, at least. Confident that the room wasn't going to collapse, she pushed forward, stepping through the doorway whose door had long since fallen off.

She entered into the main room of an open-floor villa, which contained a living room, kitchen, and dining room. The wall facing the sea was entirely made of windows, half of which were shattered. As she walked past the kitchen area, she noticed something poking out from a door.

Toadiko: A mushroom was sitting by the pantry door. I'm surprised it looked so fresh after all this time. I guess it's damp enough here that it didn't dry out.

She took one last look around the room before darting towards what appeared to be the front door.

"No time to waste!" she said to herself.

Shy Guy was barely able to hear the flare gun, and once he removed his blindfold, it was obvious why: the walls of this room were made of thick stone.

Shy Guy: That Lakitu must've stuck me in that old fortress. If I remember right, it was on the same side of the island as the mine, so I shouldn't be too far away. I just gotta figure out how to get out of here.

Shy Guy didn't waste time exploring the room, instead opting to dash towards the one exit. The halls were lit by old electric lights that were flickering eerily. The halls were winding, and the poor lighting didn't help much. After a couple minutes of running, he began to suspect that he was going in circles. Finally though, he found a hallway he was sure he hadn't seen yet. Unfortunately, it led up towards the roof.

Shy Guy: That's not what I'm looking for, but maybe it'll give me a good vantage point.

With a shrug, Shy Guy booked it towards the steps and out into the rain.

Mallow had made it down quite a few ledges, an a flatter, more walkable part of the mountain was in sight, but for the time being, he still had to jump down to a few more gravel patches.

Mallow: You know, if you'd told me I'd be casually jumping down a mountain like this way back in Episode 1, I don't know if I'd believe you. Don't get me wrong, it's still scary, but this is the most adventurous I've been since my journey with Mario!

The drops were getting a bit farther, but so far they hadn't been a problem. He jumped again. The wind jostled him on his way down, causing him to stumble and almost fall on his face as he landed, but he narrowly managed to regain his footing. The next one was even farther, but it was the second to last one before he was safely on flat ground.

Mallow jumped, but just as he did, a gust of wind tossed him away from the cliff. "Eeep! No no no no!" he yelped, flailing his arms to try and grab a hold of the ledge. One hand managed to get a firm grip, but the other just succeeded in ripping a handful of gravel off the cliff.

Mallow: I couldn't go out like this! I mean, the fall probably wouldn't hurt me too much, but if I got carried away, there'd be no way I'd get the dossier. I'm not about to let some wind make me lose. I'm a weatherman, dangit!

He flung his arm, which had been limply flapping in the wind, back onto the cliff. He winced as the gravel dug into his fingers, but the kept a tight grip as he slowly pulled himself back up to safety.

"Phew!" he said, grinning brightly. "Fiend's Burrow, here I come!"

Shy Guy patrolled the fort's parapets, scanning the tree line ahead for any sign of the mine. He was so focused on his search that he ran right into a large wooden object sitting atop the wall. He tumbled backwards in a daze and took a second to clear the stars from his vision before finally realizing what he hit.

Shy Guy: A ballista? What does this place need such a big bow for? Even if they were developing weapons, were they expecting the island to be invaded or something?

He carefully pushed on the front section and, much to his surprise, it began to pivot with relatively little resistance. He stared at it for a moment before shaking his head and returning his gaze to the forest.

"No time to waste," he muttered.

After only a few more seconds of searching, he caught sight of the wooden structure jutting into the mountain. And luckily for him, it seemed to be straight ahead from what he believed was the fortress's main entrance.

Shy Guy: If I can just find my way out of here, then I have a real chance of winning this thing.

Toadiko ran out of the villa and onto the beach, where the rain had picked up slightly from when they first arrived on the island. She looked around, trying to get a sense for where she was.

Toadiko: I think this is one of the buildings I spotted from the boat. If it's what I'm thinking, I'm on the other side of the mountain from the mine! My path is clear for now, but I've got quite a run ahead of me.

She started sprinting down the gravelly beach, moving even faster than she had when running from Mona an episode ago. She made it maybe a hundred yards down the beach before she had to slow down to a jog, panting heavily.

Toadiko: As much as I want to charge to Fiend's Burrow at full speed, I think I'd collapse before I even made it to the mine… But then again, I can't let Shy Guy or Mallow get there first! I need to push myself harder than ever before.

She picked up the pace again, not quite hitting a full sprint, but still tearing down the beach towards the other side of the mountain.

Shy Guy plunged back into the fortress. It wasn't long before he found another path splitting off from the main circle. He came running to a long, mostly dark hallway. Gritting his teeth, he broke into a full sprint down the hall, but nearly tripped as he tried to skid to a stop around the halfway point.

"What the heck?" he gasped quietly.

The wall had a huge hole torn through it. As far as Shy Guy could tell, this wasn't some sort of natural collapse or an accident. Something tore through it. Shy Guy shuttered a bit as he approached and poked his head through the gash. On the other side he spotted a large, circular chamber whose floor had been reduced to rubble mixed with earth. He was about to duck away when he saw a large hallway heading away from the room.

Shy Guy: Maybe this was meant to be a shortcut out of here. Maybe it's nothing and I'm wasting time. Or maybe I stumbled upon some frightening piece of history. No sense in wondering for now.

He easily squeezed himself through the gap and maneuvered his way through the rubble until he came to the hall. Sure enough, it led right to a huge doorway that opened right to the rainy exterior. Or at least, what was left of the doorway, as much of it had collapsed.

Shy Guy: As long as I can keep my bearings in the woods, it's a straight shot to the mines. Here we go!

Finally on the lower half of the mountain, Mallow's journey was split between narrow and winding, but manageable paths, and large, flat sections of bare stone. These sections had been pretty manageable – that is, until Mallow came upon something he hadn't expected.

"Baah." A goat stood in the middle of a platform, just minding its own business right in between Mallow and the next path down.

"Oh! Hey there, Mr. Goat. Do you think you can let me pass?" Mallow said in a chipper tone.

"Baah," bleated the goat.

"Alright, I'm just gonna slooowly go around you," Mallow said, inching past the goat, making sure to always face the curious critter.

"Baah."

"So far so good," Mallow muttered. Just when he got passed the goat, however, he slipped slightly, spraying gravel everywhere as his foot flew back.

"Baaaaah!"

"Ah no! Forgive meeee!" wailed Mallow, bolting towards the next path without looking to see if he was being followed.

The goat stared down the path, blinked a few times, then went back to its business.

"Baah."

Toadiko: My heart was pounding in my ears so loudly that I couldn't hear the rain, and I swear at any moment my lungs were about to shut down, but I made it to the forest! I just need to follow the base of the mountain and I'll be golden!

The forest was surprisingly dense, with palms managing to grow in the gaps of mangrove roots, leaving very little room to maneuver, especially if Toadiko tried to avoid climbing on the trees' slick roots. She sighed angrily as she pushed past a branch, only for it to swing back and it her in the back of the head.

Toadiko: This forest was really testing my patience. I can do this. I can do this. I really hope I can do this.

Shy Guy tore across the brief bit of muddy land separating the fortress and the forest. He was distraught to see just how thick the thicket was, but didn't let that slow down his run.

Shy Guy: I need to avoid losing my way at all costs. I'll climb over roots or under roots. I'll push palm trees out of the way if I can. I just gotta get there.

He was thankful that that the canopy cut out a good bit of the rain, but unfortunately that just meant that he was left in a damp, dark forest, which still wasn't especially pleasant.

Shy Guy: I can do this.

After a while, Mallow had checked to see if the goat was chasing him. While he was relieved to see that it wasn't, he kept up the pace, determined to get down to the woods.

Mallow: If I'm remembering right, this path should put me down pretty close to the mine! If I just follow the mountain then I'll be there in no time! This climb's been a bit long, but hopefully I'll be the first one in, since I'm so close.

The final stretch of mountain had no discernable path. No gravel, no worn down walkway, no stone platform, nothing. As far as Mallow could tell, he had to brave the muddy slope to make it to the bottom. He took a step, felt himself slip forward, and took another step to compensate. Then another. And another. Soon, he was running full speed down this muddy slope, desperately trying not to fall.

Once he finally got onto flat ground, he immediately stopped running, and was forced to flail his arms to keep himself from falling and to stop himself from skidding right into a tree.

Mallow: Here I am. Just gotta find the mine. I can do this! I totally got this!

The entrance to the mine stood ahead, opening like the mountain's dusty maw. The air from inside was frigid, and it was lit only by dim, flickering lights. The whole thing sent a shiver down Toadiko's spine, but nevertheless, she entered.

She tried to keep up a jog, but between her winded state and the low visibility, she eventually had to settle for a walk. As she plunged deeper, she noticed various crates, tables, and minecarts abandoned, overturned, and covered with a thick layer of dust. She kept pushing forward until she finally encountered a narrow, low tunnel at the end of the chamber. Old, partially broken minecart tracks ran down the length of this tunnel as it twisted and dipped, moving deeper and deeper into the earth.

Toadiko: I'd never felt farther from home than I did walking into that tunnel. Even when drowning in fuzzies in Petal Meadows or locked in a room at Thwomp Volcano, I was never far from friends and allies. But here, deep in this deathly cold mine, struggling for air, I was all alone. I felt like I could be swallowed up by the ground and no one would find me. Or maybe that had already happened. And even if someone were with me, it wouldn't be comforting. So here I am: alone, frightened, and desperately hoping to stay that way.

The tunnel eventually led to a rectangular chamber that split off into a multitude of smaller mineshafts. But at the end was another tunnel that immediately went even farther down at a steep angle. Something inside Toadiko told her this was the way to go, so without missing a beat, she walked deeper.

By this point, the lights had gotten even dimmer. It was enough to see where she was walking, but not much more. She was practically a silhouette against the candle-like glow. She kept walking for what felt like hours but was likely only a few minutes.

Finally, she saw a faint glow – the literal light at the end of the tunnel. She picked up her pace. She wasn't quite comfortable enough to run, so she settled for a power walk. When she finally reached the end of the tunnel, she saw a sign, lit in flickering neon lettering.

FIEND'S

BURROW

Toadiko took a deep breath, shivering and coughing as the cold, dusty air entered her lungs.

Toadiko: This is it. Unless someone somehow beat me here, this is where the truth of the Mole will be confirmed. This is where I will learn everything about them and use that knowledge to strike them down once and for all.

She took a shaky step inside. The burrow was lit comfortably by warm lamplight. The walls were lined with jail cells of all things. Cells whose bars were rusted and broken. She let out a gasp, not at the cells, but at the other thing she saw.

"Toadiko, Toadiko, Toadiko… I'm so sorry, but it looks like I stole the prize from you once again."

Standing in the middle of Fiend's Burrow, clutching the Mole's dossier was Shy Guy Maskio.

Author's Notes: After seven and a fifth episodes of trials and tribulations, we have finally made it to the game's final location: Molehill Isle! And while it's not as harsh as the boiling heights of Thwomp Volcano or the scorching wastes of the Yell Yell Desert, its dramatic weather, unforgiving terrain, and foreboding history are already wearing the final three down!

I gotta say, I'm so happy to finally be at Molehill Isle. While Flashback Fun and the dossier mission are both relatively recent ideas, Molehill Isle itself has been bouncing around in my head since Episode 1! Though in case you're curious, Fiend's Burrow the subtitle predates Fiend's Burrow the location.

All this being said, we're only two parts into this episode. What can our players expect going forward? Oh don't worry, you'll see soon enough! *evil laughter*

And because of school stuff picking up a bit, I didn't get to last week's review replies, so I'll cover reviews for Episode 7 Part 5 and Episode 8 Part 1 here!

Princess Toady: Your analysis of Mona pretty much matched mine: she was one of the more meticulous, serious players, but I knew pretty early on that she wouldn't be able to compete with our true finalists. Glad you enjoyed Flashback Fun though! I figured it was not only a good way to look back on the events of the show, but also to give a good sense of where the players stand going into the final execution (putting aside any trickery from the Mole, of course). As for the strangeness of the final 24 hours, I definitely agree, and it ended up working out weirdly well with the hiatus and upload schedule. Not only is Episode 8 the shortest in-universe, but it's also probably the fastest ever uploaded. Thanks again for the review! Looking forward to seeing your takes on the last few actions of the players!

Krisetchers: Haha I totally agree on Mona's departure being sad. She was one of my favorites and frankly, seeing any player go after so long is sad. And obviously, I can't comment too much on your suspicions, but it was fun reading through them. Each player certainly presents a personality fit for an interesting Mole, but as for whether or not you picked the right one? I suppose we'll find out in about a month! Anywho, appreciate the review, and I look forward to hearing your takes on the rest of Episode 8!