Author's Notes: This is it, folks! This is the chapter where we learn our saboteur's true identity. Are you feeling confident in your guess?
Finale Part 1
Anderson's devious challenges have been conquered. The final quiz has been completed. The game is over. But now it's time to see how everyone fared. Who was the Mole's final victim? Who emerged victorious? How do the executed players feel about all this? All that is quite important, but I'm sure something even more pressing is weighing on our viewers at home. You know what the question is: Who is the Mole?
It had been quite a while since that hectic day on Molehill Isle. The scars in the earth had been repaired, the forest had started to regrow, and the wreckage of the M013 had been hauled away to parts unknow. But Fiend's Burrow remain virtually untouched. Anderson Blooper smiled as he walked in and took a seat at the rustic table in the middle of the room.
"Welcome to the finale of The Mole: Fiend's Burrow! Today we're gathered to finally lay our cards on the table and reveal the identity of the Mole!" said Anderson. "Is it Toadiko Shroomose, the passionate scholar? Or is it Mallow Nimbus, the plucky prince and weatherman? Or perhaps it's Shy Guy Maskio, the mysterious actor?"
Anderson motioned to the left wall. Built into the wall were three old cells where the players had taken their final quiz. Today each cell was covered in a green silk curtain. "Speaking of, we have our winner, runner-up, and Mole right here, though not necessarily in that order. They're waiting patiently as we get everything in order."
"But it wouldn't be much of a finale if those three were the ones who could see it, right?" continued Anderson. "So let's bring in the whole cast so they can finally learn who betrayed them! And who better to start with than the Mole's first victim?"
Emerging from the hallway was a Toad woman dressed in a crimson pantsuit. She strode into the room confidently and took her place on the couches lining the far wall. She brushed her long, blonde bangs out of her face and pushed up her glasses before grinning.
"Great to be back, Anderson."
Jolene
Surname: Mush
Birthday: April 18th
Occupation: Boxing Ref/Manager
"How does it feel?" asked the host.
"Strange," said Jolene. "I thought I was pretty caught up when you brought us back in Episode 6, but from what I've heard, I missed one heck of a slugfest here."
Anderson chuckled. "That you did! I can't help but wonder if Toadiko is still angry about that." He paused to eye the relevant player's cell. "Anywho, let's get our next player in here!"
Waddling into Fiend's Burrow was a plain-looking mole who hadn't bothered to dress up for the event. He walked through the room slowly, looking around at the strange place.
"Yer tellin' me it was my kin who built this place?" he asked. "Huh, who knew!"
Monty
Surname: Mole
Birthday: January 17th
Occupation: Miner
"Welcome!" said Anderson. "How's it feel to be back, Monty?"
"Real good!" said Monty, flashing his huge buck teeth as he smiled. "I'm excited to get the crew back together."
"Then let's keep bringing them in!" said Anderson.
A tall human woman strode into the room. Rather than her usual sportwear she'd been wearing for most of her time in the game, she was now wearing a luxurious orange dress. She walked over to the couch and flopped down next to Monty.
"Hi!"
Daisy
Surname: Sarasa
Birthday: June 2nd
Occupation: Pro Tennis Player
"How are you feeling about being back?" asked Anderson.
"First of all, let me just say that you all did my girl Mona dirty," said Daisy. "But hey, it's cool to see everyone!"
"You can take your complaints up with the Mole as soon as we show them off," Anderson said with a wink. "For now, let's keep going!"
Hopping into a room was a man everyone watching recognized instantly, from his blue overalls, to his luxurious mustache, to his signature red cap. He gave the group a jolly smile before jumping over to the couch and sitting down.
"Wahoo!" he cheered.
Mario
Surname: Mario
Birthday: May 22nd
Occupation: Plumber/Adventurer
"And so the hero returns!" said Anderson. "How does it feel to catch up with an adventure you missed most of?"
"I'm so proud!" Mario said immediately. "Those three have really become heroes!"
"Even the Mole?"
"Eh, we'll see," said Mario.
"That we will," Anderson said with nod. "Up next?"
A yellow-spotted Toad sprinted into the room, pumping his fist as he ran. Still going at full speed, he jumped and flopped onto the second couch.
"Did ya miss me?"
Wolley
Surname: Ohtoad
Birthday: December 19th
Occupation: Royal Assistant
"How are you feeling about being back, Wolley?" asked Anderson.
"Dude, I missed so much!" shouted Wolley. "You had a freaking mech this whole time? Jeez, if I'd known you were that cool, I would've given you some more credit!"
"Polite as ever, I see," Anderson said sarcastically.
"Hey, you tried to crush Toadiko! I think almost ending my friend's game like that earns a few burns, buddy."
Anderson shrugged. "Touché. Let's move on before you try to burn me again."
A tall, frail-looking human woman walked into the burrow. She paused to give the room a quick look over before smiling and walking over to the couch, where she settled on the opposite side from Wolley.
"My, it's been some time, hasn't it?"
Timpani
Surname: Bleck
Birthday: March 4th
Occupation: Psychologist
"Timpani, you're the first player who didn't get a chance to re-visit the game after your execution. How are you feeling right now?"
"Mostly curious to see the Mole," she said. "Of course, I'm happy to see everyone else, but I was so close to the end, and that question has been clawing at me."
"I won't waste any more time then," said Anderson. "Let's bring out our last victim – so far at least."
Another human woman walked in, clad in a biker helmet, a jean jacket, and leather pants. She waved and ran over to the couches, giving Daisy a high five before settling between Timpani and Wolley.
"So this is the place I missed, huh? What a dump!"
Mona
Surname: Martin
Birthday: August 16th
Occupation: Game Designer/Cook
"And how do you feel about being back?" asked Anderson.
"What do you mean?" Mona asked with a chuckle. "I just left!"
"To you, it feels like your game only just ended, but for others it's been quite a long time," said Anderson. "Each of you has a very different perspective on the game. You had different friends, only saw certain missions, and were around for different lengths of time. For that reason, I'm quite curious to see your opinions on the identity of the Mole."
"You just want us to up and guess?" asked Monty.
Anderson nodded. "There's no penalty for being wrong. I'm just curious to get your thoughts. Plus, I'm sure you all have been thinking about it non-stop since your departures."
"Quite a bit, yes," said Timpani.
"I think we'll go in the same order," said Anderson. "Jolene, you were in the game for the shortest amount of time. You only got to see our finalists for a few missions, and I'm sure you're working mostly on first impressions, but who do you think is the Mole?"
"Even if the first episode dominates my impressions of them, it's not like I haven't watched the show as it's aired," said Jolene. "So maybe you should be taking my opinion just a bit more seriously."
"But of course. Please give us your well-informed opinion."
"Well now you're just being condescending," grumbled Jolene.
"There's no winning with him," said Mona. "Just go for it."
"Right," said Jolene. "I think it's Toadiko. Her fear felt like a farce when seeing her on air."
"Oh come on!" said Wolley. "That's just mean."
"You won't be defending your friend like that once you find out she's been lying to you the whole time," said Jolene. Wolley grit his teeth but said nothing.
"You'll have your time to speak, Wolley," said Anderson. "But for now, let's hear from Monty!"
"I… didn't actually get to watch most of the episodes," Monty said with a sheepish grin. "Life got in the way, and all that. So this guess is mostly based of memory. I think it's Shy Guy. That quiet fella seemed like he had a lot to hide." Anderson nodded before pointing to Daisy.
"It's Toadiko!" Daisy said confidently. "No offense to Shy Guy and Mallow, but she's obviously the smartest one there. I think she's the best one for the job."
"One would expect the winner to be smart as well though, correct?" asked Timpani.
"Sure, but the Mole had to outsmart all of us!" said Daisy. "So the smartest player would make the most sense. But hey, I was the third one out, so there's a good chance I'm wrong."
"Mario," said Anderson. "You've dealt with more baddies than any of us. Who do you think it is?"
Mario laughed heartily. "But I only made it halfway, so I wouldn't say I'm any better at this than the rest of you." He pulled at his mustache as he thought of how to explain his suspicion. "I think it's Mallow. I can't really explain why, I just feel it."
Wolley raised an eyebrow at that. "You're really gonna pin it on your friend like that?"
"It's a game of betrayal," said Mario. "And hey Mallow!" He raised his voice so the finalists could hear him from their cells. "No hard feelings if it's really you!"
"So Wolley, I can assume you don't think it's Toadiko?" asked Anderson.
Wolley shook his head. "It's totally not her. That, or she really pulled one over on me." He narrowed his eyes. "Hey Toadiko!" he said, raising his voice. "If you're the Mole, buy me a soda and maybe then I'll forgive you!"
"So needlessly petty," grumbled Timpani.
"That's the Wolley way!" Wolley said with a wink. "Oh, but I actually agree with you, Mario. I just didn't expect you to say Mallow too. "Maybe I'm wrong here because I already knew Toadiko and Shy Guy and I just vibed, but I never felt like I could connect to Mallow in the same way I could the other two. Maybe he had something to hide? Or maybe we just weren't a good match." He shrugged.
"Fair enough," said Anderson. "Now then, Timpani?"
"If I am being completely honest, my confidence was completely shaken by my execution," said Timpani. "So no one pick feels right. However, if I absolutely had to choose, I would pick Shy Guy. At first I simply thought he was shy (go figure), but by the end of my tenure, I was certain that he was playing a character, at least partially."
Anderson raised his eyebrows at that. "Interesting theory! Regardless of whether or not he's the Mole, we'll have to hear what he has to say about that."
Mona sat up straight. "So, is it my turn to guess?"
Anderson shook his head. "By the time you were eliminated, the group had already come to a consensus on the identity of the Mole. Your word would be a dead giveaway."
Mona's eyes widened. "Wait shut up, you mean I was right?"
Anderson nodded. "That you were."
Mona leapt to her feet and let out a loud whoop, pumping both her fists. "Oh yeah, Mona Martin got the Mole! Yes! Take that!" She opened her mouth to keep boasting, but Anderson held out a tentacle to silence her.
"Mona!" he snapped. "You have every right to be excited, but I'm worried you're about to spoil the Mole right here and now."
Mona slowly sat down and looked at her feet. "Yeeeah I was pretty close to letting something slip, wasn't I?"
Anderson started counting something on his tentacles. "Well would you look at that: we have a perfect split! Two votes Toadiko, two votes Shy Guy, two votes Mallow, and one vote forcibly censored! It seems that, no matter who we reveal, the seven of you will be in for a huge surprise!"
He pulled a small button out of his pocket and clicked it, causing a screen to descend over the wall of empty cells. "But to keep you on your toes just a bit more, let's look over each of the finalists' most suspicious moments."
Shy Guy Maskio
In a game full of players raring to do the right thing, Shy Guy was always ready to sacrifice money for his own game. On three separate occasions he was "lucky" enough to be put in a position where he could betray the party and win an exemption. Was he just a ruthless player out for victory, or the Mole using a perfect opportunity to devastate the pot?
Bag Shooters
Flashback: "Shy Guy will stay here in the garden and every two minutes will attempt to shoot down a random bag with an arrow," said Anderson. "If a bag is shot down, it will be eaten by a Piranha Plant and 2,000 coins will be lost."
Flashback: "This is bad!" said Mona, "He didn't even have to try when aiming for the harder pipe!"
Flashback: "And let's not forget that since Shy Guy successfully shot down four bags, he gets an exemption!" said Anderson.
8,000 coins lost.
Overheating Odyssey
Flashback: Shy Guy picked up the small slip of paper and gasped quietly. "Poke a hole in your bucket and this episode's sole exemption is yours."
Flashback: "Why the heck is your bucket empty?" asked Wolley.
Flashback: "Those repairs will cost 10,000 coins, so that's no money earned towards the team pot."
10,000 coins lost.
Cultural Criminal
Flashback: "If one of you is captured, but the other escapes, then the escapee gets the exemption and no coins are added to the pot."
Flashback: "Toadiko, I…" he began. "I'm sorry, but I'm sure you saw this part coming." And with that, he bolted, leaving Toadiko to her fate.
15,000 coins lost.
Mallow Nimbus
Mallow, despite being a happy lad and a team player, can't help but seem a bit helpless at times. It's almost like, if there wasn't an encouraging teammate there to help him out, he would let missions fall apart.
Pipeline Rocketboard
Flashback: "C'mon Mario! Please! It's scary!" pleaded Mallow, falling to his knees and clasping his hands together.
Flashback: Mario took on a more comforting tone, "Mallow, I know you can do it! You used to be scared like this, but not now," insisted the plumber.
Flashback: Mallow sighed. "Fine."
20,000 coins almost lost.
Overheating Odyssey
Flashback: "Um, Mallow you appear to be floating," commented the masked man, giving the situation a quizzical look.
Flashback: Mallow was frantically flailing his arms and legs from a few feet up in the air. "This is what exactly what happens when nimbians go to the desert!" he shouted panickedly. "I'm gonna evaporate, man!" he cried, flailing even harder.
Flashback: "I just need you to lift my bucket to me. A small sip of water should be enough to at least keep me grounded and it should harm our progress," instructed Mallow calmly.
Flashback: "Ouch, lost at the last second," chortled Anderson.
10,000 coins lost.
Toadiko Shroomose
While worldly in her studies, Toadiko is far from experienced in adventuring, and her performance would reflect that. From being petrified with fear in challenges others easily excelled at, to failing at more action-oriented activities, Toadiko could have easily leveraged her scholarly persona to make her sabotage look legitimate.
Rooftop Run
Flashback: "You have to climb down the building and we only have - Monty! How much time do we have? - fifty minutes!" said Wolley, knowing the full extent of Toadiko's fear of heights.
Flashback: Everyone passed the final/first hurdle with ease somehow and raced to the edge of the mall, where (with 25 minutes left) Toadiko was shaking in terror only a few stories down.
Flashback: Daisy looked up to Toadiko, "You're not gonna make it in time unless you jump most of the way down!" she shouted.
Flashback: "Absolutely not!" screamed Toadiko.
15,000 coins lost.
Castle Crashers
Flashback: "My Super Scope… jammed," gasped Toadiko over the headset.
Flashback: "Get some hits in on him, Timpani!" called Toadiko, struggling to hold off the Koopa King. Timpani managed to hit him with rapid fire for a moment until he finally tossed Toadiko out of the way.
30,000 coins lost.
"Did that help you narrow down your guesses?" asked Anderson.
Monty shook his head. "I think I'm even more confused now!"
"I'm still going with Mallow," said Wolley.
"And I'm still going for Toadiko!" said Daisy. "She totally could have lulled us into a false sense of security by acting like an innocent bookworm!"
"I already know I'm right," Mona said, flashing a smug grin.
"Well, for those of you who aren't Mona, I think it's time we make your guessing a little easier," said Anderson. A crew member handed him a laptop, which he opened gingerly. "When I instruct the computer, it will open the gate to the winner's cell. Once that happens, step out an claim victory."
"Finally, the Mole will be vanquished," said Jolene.
"Best of luck!" Mario cheered.
Anderson began typing.
W
I
N
N
E
R
.
.
.
.
Click!
Everyone fell silent as they heard one of the cell doors creak open, but it was still covered by the curtain. Slowly, a hand grasped a section of fabric and pulled it to the side, exposing the winner to the victims. He stepped out the cell and flashed a wonky grin.
"Oh wow… I had something prepared for this, but I'm really speechless. But hey, I guess that's what you'd expect from me, right?"
Standing before them was the winner: Shy Guy.
The victims' stunned silence was broken by Wolley. "Dude! Oh my gosh, dude! You actually did it!"
Mona grinned. "I knew you had it in ya!"
Timpani sighed. "It seems I completely misread you. You really weren't the Mole."
"Congratulations Shy Guy!" said Anderson. "You fought hard, and it's paid off. Those 282,000 coins the ten of you worked so hard to earn? All yours!"
"Th-thanks," Shy Guy managed to say. This was the quietest he had been in quite a few episodes. "Sorry, I'm still trying to process all this."
"Perhaps I should give you something a little easier to think about," said Anderson. "It's something you've been thinking about for a long time now. As the winner, you get the honor of helping unmask the Mole."
"Wait, right now?" gasped Daisy.
"This is really it?" asked Mario.
Anderson looked down at the winner. "If you're ready."
Shy Guy stood up straight and nodded. "I'm ready."
The group fell silent once again as Anderson instructed Shy Guy. "You know which cell holds the Mole, and which holds their final victim. If you could please show us which cell is the Mole's I will gladly unlock it for you."
Shy Guy took a deep breath, puffed out his chest, and summoned his best action hero voice. "Alright Mole, the gig is up! This ends now." He slowly walked up to the rightmost cell and tugged weakly on the curtain.
"Final answer?" asked Anderson. Shy Guy nodded. "Thank you for your help. I will now unlock the Mole's cell." Shy Guy took a step back as Anderson typed a name into the computer.
Click!
Everyone heard the door slowly creak open. After a few seconds of waiting, the Mole took a tentative step towards the curtain and began to slowly open it. There were a few audible gasps as the Mole was finally unveiled in full. The took a step out, faced their victims, the host, and the one player who managed to best them, and smiled warmly.
"Guys, I'm so sorry for everything. I hope you'll forgive me, just like I asked." A tear, born of guilt and relief, streaked down his face.
Mallow Nimbus was the Mole.
Mario chuckled loudly. "I knew it was you, buddy! If only I knew that sooner."
"Mallow? You've gotta be kidding!" said Daisy. "I never would've picked you in a million years!"
"I knew it! I totally called it!" shouted Wolley.
"Mallow, I already knew you were the Mole when you asked us for forgiveness," said Mona. "And I stand by what I said back on the beach: I forgive ya."
"And I already said I forgive you," said Mario.
More tears streamed down Mallow's face, but he was smiling brightly. "You guys…"
"Isn't there someone else you should be asking for forgiveness?" asked Shy Guy, pointing to the third cell.
"Ah yes," said Anderson. "It's about time she joins us!" He tapped a few keys on the laptop, prompting one last click from the cells.
Mallow's final victim, Toadiko emerged from her cell with little fanfare. She was smiling, but it was clearly bittersweet. "Hey you two," she said, looking at the winner and the Mole.
"So," Mallow said awkwardly. "Are you mad at me?"
Toadiko shook her head. "If I can get over Anderson trying to flatten me with a tank, I can forgive a bit of Mole-ing."
Mallow's smile grew wider than ever. "Aww yay!" He paused for a moment before lunging for Shy Guy and Toadiko. "Group hug!"
"No!" snapped Shy Guy, squirming out of Mallow's grip. "I beat you at your own game, Mole. I think that means I've earned the right to not be part of group hugs."
"They've really become close, haven't they?" Monty said to Jolene. "Makes me a bit jealous that I never got to go that far."
Jolene nodded. "Agreed. I can't imagine having someone torment you for weeks and then end up liking them more. It must have been quite the transformative experience."
"I have to admit," said Toadiko. "I'm quite impressed with you two. You both did a great job beating me."
"I'm gonna be completely honest here," said Shy Guy. "I was terrified of you going into the final execution."
"I was scared of both of you going into the Episode 8," admitted Mallow.
"Yo, Toadiko!" called Mona. "Give yourself more credit! You played so well – way better than the rest of us!"
"Yeah come on, pat yourself on the back for once!" said Wolley. "And hey, you were basically the winner anyways. Shy Guy probably wouldn't have won if it weren't for that dossier."
"Now hold on, I wouldn't go that far," said Shy Guy.
Toadiko giggled. "I wouldn't either, but you're welcome to keep saying that, Wolley!"
As the players laughed and reconnected, and Mallow finally got the chance to talk about himself, Anderson slunk off towards the tunnel where a camera was stationed.
"Up next:" he said to the audience. "We'll take a look at the journeys that last two legitimate players took, and figure out just how Shy Guy managed to get the edge over Toadiko. Stay tuned, folks!"
Author's Notes: And there he is. After so many years of keeping his identity a secret, I can finally say that Mallow is the Mole. To everyone who put in a guess over the years, correct or not, thank you, and I hope you enjoyed the reveal!
PrincessToady: Hopefully you didn't skip to the end to read this, because I'm about to talk about the Mole's identity. Read it? Rad! You read me like a book! I remember feeling utterly shocked when you formally settled in on Mallow as your suspect- heck, I was a bit worried that I'd done a bad job of keeping him hidden! But at the end of the day, I think you were just really good at picking out hints and motivations! To be honest, part of what drove me to come back and finish this story is because I knew I'd denied you the satisfaction of knowing you got it right. So hey, kudos to you! Many fell to Mallow's trickery, but you managed to stay one step ahead every time. Congrats! :D