Hello fellow reader! :D
All right. Are you guys ready?
Here it is… THE END!
Well...I guess we're here. This is it.
Here it goes below. Enjoy!
Episode 8 (FINAL PART)
The pot was cut in half. And all of a sudden, the game was different.
"What…" Piantissimo began to stutter. "What…what…why..why..." His eyes were filled with shock. For a moment, there was nothing but silence in the large expanse of darkness. Each player felt numb...and even the Mole felt as if the decision was wrong.
"We all would have done it..." Tiny spoke with a whisper, but she was looking down in silence; her face was full of guilt. Piantissimo was at a loss for words.
"You...just...sacrificed...over ninety-thousand coins of our team pot…" Piantissimo spoke in heavy breaths of disbelief. Eclair looked at him, worried.
"Guys...please…" she began.
"It was NEVER about the money," Tiny replied, staring at him strongly.
"It totally WAS about the money!" Piantissimo retorted. "Let's cut that crap! We wouldn't be playing this game if there wasn't any money waiting for us in the end! And now...there truly isn't any left." His voice trailed off. Tiny shook her head at him, but she looked dejected herself.
"When?" Eclair asked softly, turning to Tiny. "When did this happen?" Tiny, her eyes turning wide and silent, looked at the princess.
"After I finished my game in the chair, McHallyboo brought me to this...this outside patio, with torches," Tiny explained in a whisper, looking at her. "And that is where he made this...this deal to me." The other two listened in silence.
"He asked me how much I wanted to give away...for the Mole's dossier." Her voice seemed to drain and become weaker with every sentence she spoke. With a face of remorse, she was struggling to will herself to speak.
"I...saw...ugh! I can't." Tiny covered her face, as if not wanting to admit the last ten minutes of her life...and her actions.
"I shouldn't have done that," she whispered. "It was so wrong...so, so wrong. I did it out of panic!"
"Out of panic?" Piantissimo repeated, doubtful. "You did it out of greed...or-"
"He gave me only thirty seconds to decide...I…" Tiny knelt down on the dark ground below her, and her face was full of stress.
"I panicked...and made the worst decision of my life," Tiny told them. "This...green folder...arggh!" She took the folder in her hand...and threw it into the darkness. Eclair jumped back, alarmed.
"Tiny…" Eclair whispered, going up to her.
"You finally realize how wrong of a decision it was...after our pot is cut to a measly half," Piantissimo spoke slowly, and he seemed to give up, looking at the dark floor. The players continued in their silence.
"This sounds suspiciously similar to the scenario at the end of Season 1," Piantissimo spoke, still melancholy but at the same time thinking heavily with his mind, "when McHallyboo made an offer for the Mole's dossier to all of the three final players. It was exactly that. On a patio. With torches. And a green, suspicious folder." He let out a groan.
"So McHallyboo brought a game back from the first season for you to play?" Eclair asked Tiny, confused. Piantissimo nodded with confirmation.
"McHallyboo…" Piantissimo muttered, continuing. "And...you, Tiny. Both of you. All that...that lost money. We could have kept it...it was enough."
"Nothing would have ever been enough…" Tiny said in a silence voice, looking to the floor. Eclair turned to her, curious.
"What...do you mean by that?" Eclair asked her, trying to get more out of her. Tiny crossed her arms, and shook her head at the game.
"After all we've been through...all the torture we have been subjected to...do you really think even a million coins could justify all that we've been through?" Tiny told them, looking to the dark sky. The other two thought about her sentence.
"No…" Eclair said quietly. "I don't think so." Piantissimo looked grudgingly at the floor.
"But I do know one thing," Eclair told her in a soft voice, "I had initially traveled far from the land of the Waffle Kingdom not for the money at all….but to discover what else I could achieve besides just being princess and staying in one place. I wanted to see what else there was in this world. That is why I had joined this game." The other two looked at her in silence, then Tiny opened her mouth to speak.
"I joined this game," began Tiny, looking at her, "because I thought it'd be fun...and at first, it wasn't at all. I wanted to quit after Episode 3. But…" She paused.
"Halfway through the game, something really changed. I realized that I wanted to be able to say, 'I'm just so happy to have played this awesome thing and won it too!'" Eclair turned to Piantissimo.
"Why did you join this game, Piantissimo?" Eclair asked him. Piantissimo's eyes went wide at her question, and he was silent.
"I joined, because…"
But before he could answer, something appeared high above them. It wasn't a video, or letters, or a folder of informative proportions. It was numbers.
1:00...0:59...0:58...
Time was still ticking.
"It doesn't matter," Tiny voiced despondently. "I messed up." The clock ticked even more.
"But the timer...why has it not stopped?" Eclair wondered. They faced each other in mystification. And as they looked together, they saw it continue to tick down above them, second by second.
"But wait...what if you can still fix it?" Piantissimo realized, his eyes lighting up. Then he snapped his fingers.
"That's it," he said out loud. "That's….that's it!" His exclamation surprised the others, and he almost smiled in discovery.
"I...do not get it," Eclair said. "What do you mean, fix it?"
"It's useless, guys," Tiny admitted, looking to the ground. "It's okay: you don't have to try."
"Your mistake!" continued Piantissimo. "Look at this: I had mine. Then Eclair. Now...you!" Then, his face changed immediately to a sour one.
Piantissimo: I still could not believe what she had done, however.
Eclair: But we all had a chance to be redeemed.
"Your mistake...yes," Eclair gasped, realizing the truth in Piantissimo's early words. She turned to her.
"Tiny: we had both made mistakes. Me writing those words about Piantissimo. Piantissimo ruining me in Episode 3. But yours...what was yours?" The three of them looked at each other.
"I...I haven't had a turn yet," Tiny realized, her eyes widening.
"Perhaps this is yours. Yours to fix. Maybe it is your turn...to restore balance and repair your mistake." Tiny looked at her, and gasped.
44...43...42…
"My mistake...of taking the dossier?" Tiny realized. "This action?" Eclair nodded.
"Maybe...this really is my final error. The one I have to fix." She closed her eyes, and as the time ticked, the ground seemed to shake lightly. But the players didn't notice at first.
"Because like Toadette even pointed out in Season 1, now that I remember…" Tiny said slowly, remembering to the best of her ability. "The Mole said that taking the exemption is just...just so unfair. To the other two. And it's true...I can't do that. The exemption...it's wrong" Tiny was silent, as the clock continued to tick down.
38...37...36
"And the pot…" Piantissimo began, realizing the truth himself. "It's not...not just money. It's the work of our friends...all their effort." Eclair put her hand on Tiny's, as Tiny looked at the princess sorrily.
"That is the sacrifice of our friends...their efforts...their energy…their work..." Eclair said softly to her. "They all sacrificed themselves to help one of us in the end of this game. Every one of them. Flurrie...Dry Bones...Zess…"
"Even Mimi," Piantissimo said, then emotionally with a small sniff, he added, "Bowser Jr also."
"Dashell," Eclair whispered, softly to herself.
"And Snifit," Tiny finished, and she found a small tear in her eye. "Him too. He helped us a lot. He helped...me a lot." They all looked at each other in a moment of sadness, and determination. Looking to the dark sky, Tiny nodded.
"If I don't take this back...it's as if all their efforts would just go to waste," Tiny said, swallowing hard.
20...19...18...
All of a sudden, the world seemed to crumble slowly. In the very dim light, they could see dark blocks and squares falling from the ceiling. They all looked up at the ending world, and gasped.
"We don't have much time…" Piantissimo realized, looking above him with a panicked face. Eclair put her hand on Tiny's hand gently.
"Tiny, this is up to you," Eclair voiced softly. "You must do it on your own. Like we had!" Tiny looked at her, scared.
"Okay…" Tiny began, and she shut her eyes hard, her face scrunched with fear and emotion.
The world began to shake around them even heavier. Now, the game was coming to an end.
15...14...13...
Tiny opened her mouth.
"I..I denounce the dossier," Tiny began, her voice wavering with anxiousness as she kept looking at the sky. "I did it...not considering the true consequences it'd have on my teammates...my friends…and I did not do it out of panic, but out of selfishness."
The darkness began to become darker, the world even more imbalanced. The timer was running out.
10...9...8...
"And I want to take the offer back!" Tiny shouted, almost as if talking to the dark sky itself above her. "I wasn't thinking of anyone else...anyone else but myself!" The floor shook more. Eclair grabbed onto Tiny. Piantissimo struggled to stand up in place.
"Hurry, Tiny!" Eclair gasped.
6...5...4...
"But now I see what truly matters in this game." And for a moment, it seemed as if the entire sky was disappearing.
3...2...1…
"And I'm...I'm sorry," were Tiny's last words.
And in those last ten seconds, with everything having fallen to the ground...the sky was no longer dark, but a white sky.
Final Game Finish
The three players opened their eyes. A blue hat greeted them.
"Well...hello!" The three players looked around and saw that they were in a room that was lightly ordained, with flowers on each windowsill and light fixture decorations on the walls all around them. But the biggest thing that surprised them was the less-than-perfect banner hanging from the wall, greeting them from their final game.
Congratulations on finishing the final game! it read in blue marker.
Piantissimo: Huh...we were back. Well, at least away from that time travelling conundrum.
"I was working on that banner for you guys while you were finishing up the last ten or so minutes of the mission," McHallyboo said. "It was the last mission...so I wanted to show at least a little bit of celebration." The players didn't talk for a second.
"Thanks…" uttered Piantissimo, his eyes stunned and open.
"McHallyboo...the final results…"" Eclair asked worriedly, and the other two couldn't have thought more of the same thing. Tiny, however, seemed more quiet than the others. McHallyboo lit up.
"Ah...yes!" he began. "Okay, so…" He took out a card from his pocket, then glanced at the players. Then he looked back at the card, and he began to speak to them.
"Congratulations," he repeated again. The players nodded. The final mission was truly over.
"This game was one of the most complex, energy-draining, and intricate games of this entire season," he started. "Of course, since it was the last mission of the entire game, I made sure that it was exactly so. You had traveled through three seasons, and twelve missions...and also traveled through many, many emotions. And now, you are here. Safe and sound."
"Safe and sound indeed…" Piantissimo repeated. The players, for a second, took a quick moment to reflect on how intense the game had truly been.
"You began the game at 190,000 coins," McHallyboo continued. "And then...it dropped." Tiny's eyes looked rigidly looked at the host.
"95,000 coins was the final pot total," the host said, and from that sentence, the hearts of the three players sank. "From the final decision...the game stated that Tiny gets the dossier, and the pot stays at that." Eclair, Piantissimo, and Tiny looked at each other.
TEAM POT
95,000 COINS
"I'm...I'm so sorry," Tiny repeated, looking at the floor sadly.
"It is...all of our faults," Eclair smiled at her. "Not just you." Piantissimo, shrugging, let out a slight grin.
"We all had mistakes," Piantissimo said, admitting.
"Was the final pot total" McHallynoo repeated with emphasis. The players looked at him, suddenly alert.
"But it changed," McHallyboo concluded. "Because of three final actions." He looked at the final three players, almost proudly.
"Piantissimo...Eclair...and Tiny. You all took back your biggest errors. And that was the entire point of the game. If you didn't do it, then the game wouldn't have succeeded. But you erased them. You fixed not only the mistakes of the past players...but errors of your very own." The three finalists looked at him, then at each other in shock.
"And that is why...not only do you win the final fifty thousand coins for this epic challenge...but your pot is back as well." He smiled grandly at the final three players.
Piantissimo: So that means that our final pot value was…!
"Two hundred and forty thousand coins," he announced, and the players couldn't have been more in awe, shock, or elation.
FINAL TEAM POT
240,000 COINS
"We...we did it," Piantissimo said, grinning happily. "We did it!" The players in that moment hugged, and it was the very first time they had hugged as a trio. Noticing this, McHallyboo couldn't help but smile even more.
"Yes," Eclair said, in relief. They were all relieved not only because they had succeeded the final game together, but that the game was over. Tiny turned to the other two, smiling slightly, but still biting her lip. Her eyes still seemed down.
"It is okay…" Eclair whispered, and she put her hand softly on Tiny's shoulder. Tiny smiled too, but she sighed.
"I'm so sorry, guys," she repeated. "It really is my fault that the pot almost dropped. That...really was my biggest mistake this game." The other two nodded, not affected.
"Well, don't worry anymore," Piantissimo said, waving his hand. "We all had made mistakes, had we not?"
"And we fixed them, both together and on our own," Eclair added. Tiny nodded, and she managed a smile. The three players of them took in the victory together, but then, paused for a second in incredulity at the final pot value.
"Two-hundred and forty thousand coins...," Piantissimo said with an excited shrug. "That is enough to help somebody...and change their life."
"It is a lot of money and MORE than enough to change someone's life," Tiny said, thinking. "But…" She shook her head.
"It would have been a lot less, had we not done those final right actions." Eclair nodded at Tiny.
"I am just happy that the game is over," Tiny whispered. McHallyboo cleared his throat.
"The game isn't over," the host finally spoke. "You still have a final moment of relaxation...a final meal, and then...a final quiz."
"Which is when?" Piantissimo asked nervously. The players looked at McHallyboo suddenly, remembering. Their final quiz was to remain.
"It is exactly twenty-four hours from now," the host said, and the players nodded in understanding. It was still many hours away, but in the grand total scheme of the building's game, it seemed like such a short time.
"You will each be sent, for the next twelve hours...to another land," the host explained, as the players looked at him with heavy listening and attention. "Either Donkey Kong Island...the Waffle Kingdom...or the Pinsonneault Farmlands." The three players nodded, but then the host added something that surprised them all.
"You will be travelling to the land...of the person you most suspect of being the Mole," McHallyboo spoke aloud, and the players' eyes all widened. "There...you will study. Take in your notes. Reflect. Absorb the world...of your biggest suspect." They faced one another, faces in complete surprise.
"And which land...would the Mole go to?" Tiny asked carefully.
"Their very own world, of course!" the host said with a wink. The players faced each other.
Eclair: It was indeed the most unusual way to spend our final moments in this game.
Piantissimo: And I knew exactly which world I would be going to.
"Well...it is time to go," McHallyboo finished. He looked at the players, then at the surroundings. The banner from the ceiling seemed to be drooping slightly, and the flowers seemed to wilt. He closed his eyes.
"The final energy within this building…is coming closer to its end," he whispered. "So enjoy...these final worlds." The players nodded. They finished their final game, and now, only one game remained: their quiz about the Mole.
And within a minute, the place changed. And they were separated.
It had been more than an hour since they had all gone to their respective lands. Piantissimo was sitting on a chair, his feet having been situated on a brown surface for so long that his shoes had slightly sunk into it. The sky was in its final moments of sunset with just a few minutes remaining until sundown, but before it would be nighttime, it shined a peaceful sun.
He studied his journal, reading every word over and over again and throwing away all distractions around him, brushing away every red and purple leaf that flew into his face or smell that hit his nose. For the next several hours, he would have to try and ignore the setting, disappearing light as well as the continuing feelings of nervousness he had of the game coming to a close.
1. Are you the Mole? (Say yes and explain why)
Piantissimo: Well, this is an incredibly false declaration, but I shall make it anyway: I am the Mole. The saboteur of this entire game indeed. I've done it through sabotage and a little bit of wit and deceit, here and there. The traitor since Episode 1...it has been me.
2. Are you the Mole? (Say no and explain why)
Piantissimo: I cannot be the Mole, obviously, because I had obviously come here in the first place to win. It is as simple as that, really. How can I be the Mole if I had come here in the very, very beginning with the mindset to win the entire game?
3. If you win the game, what would you do with the money?
Piantissimo: I think that I will use a large portion of it to help my parents' farm. But it does not just end at that. My family's farm improvements will help the economy of our entire, small town as well. We've been struggling financially, unfortunately...our entire village has. We plan to also flourish and donate to other neighboring farms as well. Our country is very close-knit and like family.
4. What will you do for the end of this final episode?
Piantissimo: Of course, give it my best. I need to keep my head open...and I can't be as cocky as I have been before. I need to give it my best to win...but humbly, perhaps.
As the moon shined above her, Eclair was holding her journal in one hand, reading every note and sentence she had taken in the past few weeks repeatedly in her head. With her other hand, she kept her head up in the early hours of the morning. It was currently three hours past midnight, and even the smell around her could not keep her fully awake. She could hear the sound of chirping birds from behind her, awake, eating, and full of energy: the opposite of her current state. Her eyes drifted, ever so slightly.
Until she thought of Dashell. And Snifit. And everyone else who had helped her continue and survive through the game.
"I have…to continue," she would say with determination, and then she would be fully awake and alert once again. She would then read another page as the moon shined brightly from behind the hills and mountains in the distance, giving her just enough light to continue her final journal reading.
1. Are you the Mole? (Say yes and explain why)
Eclair: I am the Mole because I am very resourceful, and I believe the Mole should be resourceful. I also believe the Mole should be kind, and I am kind as well.
2. Are you the Mole? (Say no and explain why)
Eclair: To be the Mole would be a game of unimaginable distress. I do not wish to feel such guilt. It would be a game of distress, difficulty, but most of all...pain.
3. If you win the game, what would you do with the money?
Eclair: My first priority would be to help the people of my kingdom. While we are currently stable, our economy has continuously been struggling. I notice that some shop owners are struggling to keep their shops open, and it would be my desire to help them. I would also use the money to hire more chefs and pastry makers in order to increase our output of supplies. I would like to help our kingdom and its people overall.
4. What will you do for the end of this final episode?
Eclair: I will use the inspiration I had received from past players to make way towards victory. I feel it from them...inside me...to win.
It was morning time, and Tiny was sipping a smoothie that she had made herself.
"Oh boy...well, time to get reading..." she said to herself, picking up her journal again.
There was a shed in her land: a single shed, filled with bagels, fruits, and other assortments of breakfast food that Tiny took the time to enjoy. Barricaded windows kept the sun out, and after another hour, she decided to go out and stretch.
As soon as she was outside, Tiny felt the breeze travel through the air. She took in a breath.
"The breezes on this land," she said to herself, "strangely feel just like the morning breezes on my island." She let out a smile.
1. Are you the Mole? (Say yes and explain why)
Tiny: I could be the Mole. I've shown it so many times. And of course, everyone knows how much I sabotaged in the past. Losing the camera photo, quitting the Apocalypse game, almost losing the team pot half of its money just a few hours ago...who could be more of the Mole?
2. Are you the Mole? (Say no and explain why)
Tiny: There is no way I can be the Mole, like, really...it just seems so stressful. So I have no reason to even want to be in such a situation or role. A nerve-wracking, terrible role. It'd say a lot about me if I desired to be such, huh?
3. If you win the game, what would you do with the money?
Tiny: It'd be great to help my sister through her education, and then maybe myself through a possible future, further education. And then after that...I'm not so sure actually. It really hasn't dawned on me, the possibility of winning the money, until this episode. It is crazy...to be honest. It'd be pretty incredible though.
4. What will you do for the end of this final episode?
Tiny: Well...there isn't much left to this episode. It's the final quiz, and, well...I'm nervous. Probably more nervous than I've ever been before in my life. But I'm trying to take things easy to lessen my nerves. I've written down questions that I THINK will be on the final quiz...but no one knows for sure what will actually be on it. Except for the Mole.
Night finally came again. It had been almost twenty-four hours since the three players had been separated after their final mission to majestic lands, lands that were either foreign or familiar to them. Now, they were having their final dinner together, on a grand table bigger than any table they had encountered before over their past five and a half weeks.
The table had an eclectic assortment. Tiny saw that most of the appetizers were plates and bowls of either salted fishes, rice, green figs, plantains, or beans, and she recognized them all as island food. Piantissimo looked with a raised eyebrow at the large bowls of fettucine alfredo pasta in the center of the table as well as the three plates of pasta puttanesca that were placed near one of them each. And lastly, Eclair spotted some of her favorite French desserts scattered amuck, which consisted of macarons, tuiles, St. Honore cakes, angel wings, creme brulees, yule logs, la petits, and of course, miniature eclairs.
"Well...thanks for bringing some of our iconic dishes together from our land," Tiny told the host, after finishing the last strand of her fettucine alfredo pasta on her plate.
Tiny: It was almost scary...how accurate the food was on the table to the food back on my island.
"I saw that, in line with the Italian stereotype, you simply had just pasta for me," Piantissimo noticed, taking a bite out of a macaron and frowning at the host. The host grinned.
"Did you want pizza instead?" McHallyboo asked. Piantissimo shook his head in disbelief at him, and began eating again.
"Anything is good….but I just...can't eat so much before the quiz," Tiny said, looking at the rest of the food with uneasiness. "I already feel just sick. Cause we're about to take...the final quiz."
"Yes…" Eclair had an eclair on her plate. She was not hungry.
"Eclair...take a bite," McHallyboo encouraged. "The food is delicious!" The princess smiled, but she was still. She had a piece of paper in her hand, under the table, that she had been holding on to for the entire dinner.
"Well, this was a wonderful dinner," McHallyboo began, slightly standing up. Upon hearing this, Eclair panicked.
"Tiny...I was wondering: how many siblings do you have?" she asked bluntly. Tiny faced her, eyeing her a little oddly.
"Just one...Dixie," Tiny replied. "You met her earlier...remember?" Eclair silently nodded.
"And Piantissimo...I was wondering...you?" Eclair asked quickly. After Piantissimo finished his final angel wing pastry, he looked up at Eclair and laughed.
"Siblings," he chortled, almost talking to himself. "My parents were always bothered by me always asking for a sibling. I remember incessantly saying every day as a child, 'Give me a brother or I'm going to yell this! I'm going to yell that!'" He laughed.
"Yes, but do you have siblings?" Eclair asked. Piantissimo opened his mouth to speak, but before he could answer, McHallyboo announced another sentence.
"Shortly, you will be taking your quizzes," McHallyboo interrupted. "They are ready, and they are waiting. Please, if you would...I would appreciate it if you followed me to the back hallway." Piantissimo stood up, a curious look on his face as he continued to follow the host. Eclair, a face of discontent, followed behind him, and Tiny, her eyes suspicious and also full of realization, followed behind her.
The hallway was long and dizzying, but lights led them towards their final destination. As McHallyboo and Piantissimo were up ahead, having their own conversation, Tiny gave the opportunity to silently give a signal to Eclair.
"...I'm wondering why you asked that question to the both of us," Tiny asked, keeping a careful eye out for the host and Piantissimo in front of her. Eclair, surprised, only turned to look at her silently. They kept on walking in silence.
"In case you were wondering," Tiny continued, facing Eclair, "Piantissimo doesn't have any siblings. He's an only child. So he has no siblings. And for myself? I have one sibling." Eclair looked at her silently.
"Thank you…" she decided to whisper, after a second. Eclair eyes kept forwards for another minute, then she turned back to Tiny with an open mouth.
"Why are you…" Eclair began. But Tiny just shook her head, smiling.
"Just because we are opponents...doesn't mean we can't help each other," Tiny added. Eclair looked at Tiny, confused.
"Who do you think is the Mole, Eclair?" Tiny asked her. Eclair's mouth opened, but she didn't reply.
"What I think is...you and I...we might be more on the same track than you think," was Tiny's last sentence to her. And with a wink, she continued to walk ahead down the hallway. Eclair, confused, could only think in silence about her opponent's sentence.
"Did you enjoy your land?" McHallyboo decided to ask Piantissimo, seeing the player walk directly besides him. Piantissimo, a little caught off guard, turned to McHallyboo.
"Yes, in fact, I did," Piantissimo replied, posture upright and still facing forwards. "It was an interesting land."
"Nice to know," McHallyboo said, and then added, "I've been there before. In the real world."
"Have you really?" Piantissimo replied, looking only slightly interested. And with that, Piantissimo didn't say anything else as they walked down the hallway together. Until the host asked him another question.
"And you haven't donned your mask since you had taken it off last episode," the host said reflectively. "So it tells me that you're seeing yourself in a different light. It's great when players grow in this game." Piantissimo shrugged.
"I do not understand why I had that mask in the first place," Piantissimo told the host. "Perhaps I was not comfortable with my human self."
"So you consider yourself a human now?" McHallyboo questioned. The player looked back at him, a little baffled.
"Why are you so adamant on hearing my declaration of whether I am human or not?" Piantissimo replied. "I have no reason to talk about such with you." McHallyboo, chuckling to himself, didn't say anything else.
First, there were ten. Ten players who first met in a mysterious building of deceit, mayhem, and mystery, working as a team and not knowing who to trust. One by one, floor by floor, they fell victim. Now, there are three: Piantissimo, Eclair, and Tiny. The journey nears its end. Here in this old, abandoned building, one of them will rise to the top. The final battle will determine who will win. It will also determine which player would meet their unfortunate end. But most of all, it will finally tell us the answer to the long-waited question:
Who...is...the Mole?
They had reached their final destination. The long walk had taken them across the large expanse of the 7th floor. There, they seemed to reach an end point.
Flash!
The flash was strong, and the beautiful hallway disappeared behind them. They turned around and only saw a dusty and empty interior of what looked like a deserted warehouse. It was so large, however, that it looked like an entire, separate world to them, and they all felt as if they were looking at a large land from upon a clifftop. Little lights flickered and sparked all around, and mechanical sounds came from the ceiling, but nothing else existed in the mysterious region. The players looked at it in awe.
Tiny: I can't imagine...our whole world was just this entire, giant building. Like...I can't believe each world we had gone to was just this...fake darkness. But to us, it didn't even feel like that at all. This game was unforgettable.
In front of them, they saw three doors. As the players stared at them with mystification, they eventually came to realize the truth about the set of doors: they were elevators. Each set of doors was metal, austere, but small. They were the three elevators, existing in the real world, that would determine their fates for the end of the game.
"Welcome...to the end," McHallyboo said, as they turned to the host.
"You have traveled through seven floors, eight episodes, and twenty-three grueling missions...and now, it all ends here." The players looked at the elevators, then at him, still in silence. Then, he went to stand in front of the set of metal doors.
"These three elevators will rise and bring you out to the roof," McHallyboo told them. The players were surprised.
"The...roof?" Tiny repeated, flabbergasted.
"It will bring you out...out of this game for the very first time since you had stepped into this building over a month ago." At this, the players gasped.
"The real world," Piantissimo couldn't help saying. He turned to the others. McHallyboo spread his arms, motioning them to the doors.
"You will each enter your own individual elevator," the host explained. "And that will be your elevator, and your elevator only. Inside each elevator car is one chair, one table, and...one computer. Your quiz." The players nodded silently.
"We will be taking the quizzes...in there?" Piantissimo asked, nervously looking at the three elevators before him. McHallyboo nodded.
"After you are all finished...one at a time...each elevator will rise to the roof," the host said, and with a deeper voice, he added, "and within just an hour from this very moment...one by one..all of you will have found out your own results for this game." At this sentence, the players felt a wave of slight queasiness and shock go through them.
Eclair: For we did not expect the game to end so soon.
"So, we will discover," Piantissimo said slowly, looking at the others, "within an hour...whether we are the winner of this game…"
"...Or the victim," Eclair said, looking at the ground.
"Or the Mole," Tiny finished to the others. The three of them took in the unimaginable truth in silence.
DING!
And before they could fully take in the game's impending end, all three elevator doors opened simultaneously. The players faced them, in stunned silence, and for a second, they were confused and did not know what to do. But as McHallyboo only stood to the side, Tiny, Eclair, and Piantissimo all knew that they had to enter their own elevator each. They turned to each other, and did not know what to say.
Tiny: There was nothing else to do...but go in.
"Well...this is it," Piantissimo said after taking a deep breath, and he looked back at the players at his sides. "I guess we enter here. This is the end." Eclair nodded, but then her face changed with realization.
"Will...will we be seeing each other after we enter into the elevators?" Eclair wondered, looking at her teammates with a face of realization. "Or…" She turned to Tiny, who looked stunned and didn't know either.
"Maybe this is it..." whispered Tiny, her eyes wide. "I mean...this might be the last moment we will see…each other."
She turned to Piantissimo, then to Eclair, and their faces were all of a sudden hit with a slow realization of sadness. The three of them knew that after they stepped into the elevator, the game would be finished, and with the game finished, they would have no purpose to play with each other anymore. Piantissimo, Tiny, and Eclair all looked at each other, and they were sorrowful, but they managed to smile.
"It was...really great playing this game with you guys," Tiny said, managing a laugh. "I'm...really thankful." But in saying her sentence, she found tears in her eyes.
"Yeah…" Piantissimo voiced, looking at the floor glumly. "But I suppose this is it." He laughed too, but his face immediately turned sad again.
"Thanks for dealing with me," Piantissimo admitted, sniffing and not being able to look at them. "My idiosyncrasies...boastfulness...awesomeness..." Tiny laughed, shaking her head. Eclair closed her eyes.
Eclair: I will never...forget these two others. They had changed my life.
"Thank you...both of you...for having made my journey here incredible," Eclair whispered, closing her eyes sadly. "I do hope...that after this is all over...we may be able to visit each other in lands, still as friends." Tiny looked at her, emotionally.
"Of course!" Tiny said. "I'm going to make you the best smoothies you can ever have on my island! You're invited every day of the year! Whenever you want to come...I'll be there." She faced them, wiping her tears.
"Thank you," Eclair said softly, tearfully and smiling happily.
"Like...you guys...are just the most awesome people to have played this game with," Tiny said, looking at them in silence. "So thanks...too." Piantissimo, amidst his own tears, grinned.
"And you mean that...even if one of us could be the Mole?" Piantissimo joked, folding his arms. The three of them laughed together. It was a rare moment of appreciation that they had for each other in that very moment...a very moment that had come too late. The host cleared his throat.
"It is time...to enter," he said in a solemn voice. And the players nodded together.
Piantissimo: And then we entered, into the beginning of our end.
And as Piantissimo made his way to enter the darkness of the first elevator, Eclair went carefully into the middle elevator and sat down, and Tiny took the right-most elevator, sitting down in her seat nervously. Each finalist was now seated at their computer, within their fated elevator.
McHallyboo made his way in front of the open elevator doors. He was the last person they saw, before the elevator doors would trap them into their darkness.
"When I see you again...I will be announcing who you are," he said quietly. The host in the blue hat tipped his hat towards them.
Tiny: This was it...goodbye, game.
Piantissimo: And hello, quiz.
"I wish the best of you...the best of luck," were McHallyboo's final words, and the elevator doors closed shut.
The only light they could see was the light from their screens. The elevator cars were pitch dark, and nothing was visible...except for the quiz.
Tiny scrunched her eyes, trying to adjust to the light in front of her. The screen glowed, and finally, she could make out the first words on the page. She stared with surprised eyes: it was the first question of the quiz. She immediately began answering.
The Final Quiz
1. In the very first mission of the game, how many players had jumped off the cliff top AFTER the Mole had completed their own jump?
-1 person
-2 people
-3 people
-4 people
-5 people
-6 people
-7 people
Tiny: I'm so conflicted on who could be the Mole...I think that it could be Eclair. She's quiet, sophisticated, and also very smart. She could be it.
2. In the 1st execution ceremony of the game, which of the following attire was the Mole wearing?
-A Green Shirt
-A White Dress
-A Maroon Blouse
-A Black Vest
-An Orange Shirt
-A Yellow Dress
-A Suit with Tie
-A Charteuse Blouse
Piantissimo: The Mole must be a smart, clever person, so that can definitely be Eclair. When Eclair chose a waffle iron in Episode 1's Desert mission, it messed us up quite a bit and wasn't a good choice at all. She is definitely a Mole candidate in my mind.
Flashback Flurrie: (in the desert) "OH MY GOODNESS! No, the waffle iron must definitely be Eclair's. She is from the Waffle Kingdom!"
(Zess and Eclair exchanged glances of alarm, as everyone looks at the princess)
Eclair, caught off guard by how difficult the first two quiz questions were, continued on in the elevator with focused eyes. Then, she closed her eyes as she tried to remember the mission from Episode 2.
3. In Saboteur Island Sabotage, how many coins did the Mole win individually for his or her team?
-0 coins
-1,000 coins
-2,000 coins
-3,000 coins
-4,000 coins
-5,000 coins
Eclair: Even since the first few episodes of the game...I had always believed that there was something fictitious about Piantissimo. The way he acted and exaggerated throughout these games...it always made me think that maybe perhaps he wasn't a genuine player in this game.
4. Of the minigames the Mole had played in Minigame Madness, which minigame was the Mole the most successful in, in comparison to his or her teammates?
-Mushroom Mix-up
-Lava Tile Isle
-Dungeon Duos
-Three Door Monty
Tiny: Piantissimo's argument with Mimi during Exemption and Bust is what ultimately caused the mission to fail...but he passed his emotions off so realistically that none of us questioned it. That is the perfect cover-up for a Mole, having us think your sabotage is just part of your character.
Flashback Snifit: (on the boat in Episode 2) "Why don't we just give the exemption to Mimi then?"
Flashback Piantissimo: (angrily) "Well, I'm not admitting that she's better than me! And for that reason, I'm not voting for her"
Flashback Mimi: "Then…then…I'm not voting for you too either, you little loser!" (as the fight between the two goes on, the other players look on in shock)
5. After the game time began, how many other players did the Mole encounter during the Haunted Getaway?
-One
-Two
-Three
-Four
Piantissimo, careful with every click of his finger, read the questions carefully in the dark, small elevator car. He could barely even see his own hands as he continued on.
6. Who did the Mole get shot by during the game Snowball Shootout?
-Flurrie
-Bowser Jr.
-Mimi
-Snifit
-The Mole was in Snow Tours
Piantissimo: And then you have Tiny. She is a character who has always done questionable actions in our missions. Like when she decided to volunteer for the snow gun during the snowball mission in Episode 4...her actions are sometimes just strange.
Flashback McHallyboo: "Who would like to volunteer? Just to warn, this device is around thirty to forty pounds".
Flashback Tiny: (raising her hand) "I think…I'll decide to take it. I'll do it." (the others face her with surprise)
Flashback Zess: "Are you sure?" (Tiny nods at her)
Eclair, looking at the quiz with heavy thought, could only think about her other two opponents and their actions of deceit over the past several weeks. She closed her eyes again.
Eclair: As much as she is my friend...maybe there is a possibility that Tiny might be the Mole.
The quiz continued.
The players continued to take their final quiz of the game. They heard a strange, slow rumbling, but they were too occupied on their final quizzes to fully notice it. But little to their knowledge...the elevators were sinking back down to the first floor, foot by foot. The final energy in the building was coming to its end.
7. How long did the Mole last in the ice cave in Episode 4?
-1 to 20 minutes
-20 to 40 minutes
-40 minutes to an hour
-Longer than an hour
Piantissimo: Eclair was really suspicious in the Ice Cave, spending so much money on winter objects, costing so much money from the pot and sabotaging the team. So she may obviously be the Mole because of these overt, over-the-top actions.
Flashback Eclair: (in the ice cave, with a calm face) "And a wool hat, if you please."
(As McHallyboo hands her the second object, Piantissimo's mouth drops open with incredulity)
8. In the Tentways of Fate, what was the result of the Mole's choice?
-Decreased the pot
-No Change to the pot
-Increased the pot
Flashback Piantissimo: "I do not know who said that quote.I have absolutely no idea so I will guess Snifit."
Flashback McHallyboo: "Actually, the quote was spoken by none other than Bowser Jr." (the others look at Piantissimo in surprise, who looks surprised)
Tiny: In Who Said That?, Piantissimo was given a quote that was spoken by Bowser Jr. Even though Bowser Jr. was basically his best friend in the game...he somehow got it wrong and guessed Snifit. It was really odd.
9. Combining all questions together in the Lie Detector game, which question did the Mole answer last?
-Questions 1-5
-Questions 6-10
-Questions 11-15
Piantissimo stared at his bright screen.
Piantissimo: Tiny not answering her question in the Lie Detector chair really makes you think: was there a reason she didn't answer it? Because a genuine player would have had no problem at all.
Flashback Tiny: (sitting in the chair) "If I refuse to answer this question...then my round is forfeited? Right?"
Flashback McHallyboo: "I believe that is correct."
Flashback Tiny: (with a dejected sigh) "Then I guess I'm going to have to forfeit."
10. In order from being on the deck of the ship the shortest to the longest, how long did the Mole spend on the top deck of the ship?
-The Shortest
-Second shortest
-Third shortest
-One of the two longest on the deck
Tiny: Eclair blew up the ship in the Sailing Mission, so that was obviously an act of sabotage, but then Piantissimo caused us to almost be sunk down by pirates because he accidentally spelled "fiend" instead of "friend with flags. They both sabotaged that mission. Hmm.
The elevators seemed to shake a little bit more at the moment that each player had passed their tenth question. Now, each elevator car was at the bottom of the building: they were on the first floor. And slowly, foot by foot, they began to rise again.
Now, half the questions remained. In the dark, they continued.
11. When the Mole walked down their path in Ten Tanks, how many tanks did they pass before they selected their tank?
-1 tank
-2-3 tanks
-4-7 tanks
-More than 7 tanks
Eclair: I will never know what happened during that incident when Tiny and Piantissimo played the eel game in Episode 6. Tiny claimed to have warned Piantissimo beforehand that she would throw the star...but Piantissimo insists that he was not warned at all and that Tiny had thrown it to him suddenly. While Tiny seems most suspect to blame...I also cannot help but think of Piantissimo's abilities as an athlete, and how capable he has been of catching objects thrown to him suddenly throughout his entire life. It only makes me think more.
12. Which scavenger item did the Mole hold onto the longest during the duration of Episode 7's mission?
-The triangle cake
-The pair of shoes
-The baseball mitt
-The lottery ticket
-The bronze car photo
-The sunglasses
Tiny: Eclair had given the baseball and the mitt to the little child during the Scavenger game. Her act of kindness was an act of sabotage. So that's perfect, speaking if Eclair was the Mole. Perhaps Eclair just really wanted to just lose money for the team. Maybe she didn't care about the child at all...which would be dark, but the case if so.
Flashback Eclair: "Here you go!" (she gives the baseball to the toad child, who smiles happily at her)
Flashback Snifit: "That would cost us the money!" (Eclair ignores his request)
13. After the Escape the Apocalypse mission ended, the Mole, from my left to right, was standing in which position?
-First
-Second
-Third
-Fourth
(flashback of Piantissimo and Tiny running through the city, and suddenly crashing into the man with papers)
Piantissimo: Tiny losing that piece of paper during the Scavenger Hunt seemed so...planned. You can't help but think that perhaps something in that scenario in Episode 6 may have been premeditated. Is it possible? Would they really plan that much effort? If Tiny was the Mole...then yes.
14. Before the final mission in Episode 8, how long did you spend in the Mole's land, from world creation to world change?
-10 hours
-14 hours
-20 hours
-28 hours
-30 hours
Eclair: Piantissimo choosing to flip the coin for the final question while on Tiny's island is something that Tiny and I afterwards kept on questioning. It did not make sense. Actions like these by him have cost us money, and yet we only keep on attributing them to Piantissimo's outlandish character, and nothing else.
15. Which elevator, starting from my left, is the Mole currently in?
-Elevator 1
-Elevator 2
-Elevator 3
Tiny: I...am just at my wits end. I don't know who to vote for on the quiz.
The elevators had risen to Floor 2.
16. Which of the stones below is the Mole's birthstone?
-Garnet
-Amethyst
-Aquamarine
-Diamond
-Emerald
-Pearl
-Ruby
-Peridot
-Sapphire
-Opal
-Topaz
-Turquoise
The elevators rose to Level 3.
Piantissimo looked to his left, at the direction of the other two players' elevator cards.
"One of them...one of them will be it," he said in a voice of determination.
After a few moments, the elevators had reached Level 4.
17. How many siblings does the Mole have?
-None
-One
-Two
Eclair gasped in the darkness. This was the question in which she was given. Now, it was up to her to answer it...with either herself, or someone else.
The elevators rose to Level 5.
18. How many times has the Mole's name been entered into the television computer in total during executions?
-Once
-Twice
-Three Times
-Four Times
-Five Times
-Six Times
-Seven Times
-Eight Times
Tiny closed her eyes, and with the click of her answer, she winced.
"I...I'm almost done," she said in disbelief, as she finished Question 18. Two questions remained. And the elevators rose to Level 6.
19. Combining exemptions, Plus 1's, Minus 1's, and neutralizers together, how many had the Mole been awarded this entire game?
-0 to 2
-2 to 4
-5 to 7
-7 to 9
-10 or more
The elevator doors had simultaneously reached the 7th floor. The quiet rumbling stopped, and the gears carrying each elevator slowed down. Now, each elevator was alive again, new, and refreshed. After years of not functioning or running, they were ready for their purpose: to bring a player of the game to their final level.
And to also elevate the Mole. Elevate them to the roof of truth, answers, and conclusion.
20. Who is the Mole?
-Piantissimo
-Eclair
-Tiny
Each player answered the final question silently. They knew, in their hearts and minds, who they each believed the Mole to truly be.
For the Mole, it was a question of ease.
Ding! A few seconds later, the first elevator had opened. With the first player inside, it had arrived on the roof of the building.
Ding! Five minutes later, the second elevator arrived. But the player from the first elevator was already gone.
Ding! Finally, it was the third elevator to arrive at the top of the building. For a moment, before exiting the building forever, the player and the host stood alone together on the top of the roof, taking the time to take in the entire game.
And within an hour since the final quiz had started, all players had been told their final fates of the game, individually, one by one.
And within the hour..they were all gone from the building.
Even the Mole.
To Be Continued…
On the Finale of The Mole: Agent's Elevation:
The executed players are all brought back and reunited since the beginning of the game. Together, they watch the unmasking of the Mole.
Flurrie: I believe Eclair is the Mole.
Bowser Jr: It can't be Piantissimo! No way!
Zess: I'll be darned...if the Mole is Tiny.
The stories behind the winner and loser are revealed to all, along with tales of the other players' journeys.
Mimi: Little did you guys know...I was helping her the entire time!
Dashell: I knew afterwards that only her...or me...could go on.
The Mole's entire gameplay and acts of sabotage are finally uncovered!
Dry Bones: What! I knew that was fishy during the Minigames!
And all the hidden clues are revealed since the beginning of the game.
McHallyboo: If you looked carefully at every execution ceremony, you might have noticed something...very revealing.
Who will be the winner of The Mole: Agent's Elevation? Who will be the loser?
And most importantly, who will finally be revealed as...the Mole?
AND THAT'S A WRAP!
THANK YOU GUYS!
...oh, the finale. Haha.
On the next part of this story, indeed, the Mole will be revealed. The game and story ends! And all is released into the open.
YOUR FINAL GUESS ON WHO THE MOLE IS ENDS HERE. If you haven't reviewed before, THIS IS IT! And if you have been, then your final Mole guess is it :)
But before that...I have a few review replies to give out. Thanks for being awesome guys xD If you aren't in one of the replies below, feel free to skip right to the juicyness below, haha! Right after the block.
Think of this as the mini intermission before the final, dramatic ending.
*BEGIN INTERMISSION, QUEUE ELEVATOR MUSIC*
Princess Toady = The original Mole! How have you been? I can't believe it's been like 7 years since our foray into our own Mole game (well not really 7, lolol). I miss having you as my partner in crime, hehe. Anyways, your cursing in your review had me laughing from the start xD Oh man. And thank you for complimenting my use of possible "misdirecting dialogue" in my stories! It makes me feel smart, haha! But truthfully, it means a lot that readers like you pick up on these things, because they're meant to be picked up on by sharp readers : ) I need to reveal all the "double interpretation dialogues" in my finale (the ones that actually point to the Mole at least) so thank you for reminding me to make a list of those too : D Also, your French lessons were AWESOME!
fredthemontymole = My mannn! If it isn't Fred the Mole himself. Okay, so….your whole comment of how you started reading my Mole stories in middle school and are now in college made me look back at my own timeline and then all of a sudden, I became REALLY REALLY sentimental myself and now I feel like crying just typing this comment x'D. Cause now I realize: I started the first season in middle school. Now I'm out of college. Oh. My. Gosh. Almost 10 years ago. Like, I can't believe I was still typing about Yoshi in Pinna Park while finishing my sophomore year of high school. Like the timeline doesn't even make sense but it's true. Whaaa. Anyways, I got carried away myself You watched Whodunnit? I loved that show! I thought I'd hate it at first thinking it'd be a Mole "ripoff", but oh my gosh I fell in love with the characters. Yeah, that's definitely an option for me in fanfiction future xD And the return of Sniffbot! : D I need to make that a canon name.
Fiction Idea = Haha, you know me well! Angst is my middle name! It's good to see ya again! : ) You definitely are super-super-super on point with Tiny arriving late so good eye on noticing that! And if you think about it: answering one question in a chair is an infinity-times shorter than either having a duel on a dock or sailing across the ocean, haha. SO that also explains how Tiny had enough time to...play that one more final game in the end ; ) And omg, if we feel bad for the Mole, it's going to be Mole US Season 1 all over again xD with - (name censored!...unless you've already seen the first US Season then you know it it was : )
Guest = How you been! : D Omg I missed you. Yes, so you made me SO SO emotional explaining how you have appreciated the character stories of Eclair, Piantissimo etc….because you know what? I only realize in the end, looking back, that they HAD developed so much! : ( Your description of Piantissimo being "conflicted at times" but warm-hearted and trying to change almost made me cry because it's so true! And he's the kind of character I always wanted to include in a story of mine. Maybe I just like an angsty guy xD Anyways ahem! I made the boat scene way sadder than it was originally! And double its length! I'm so happy you appreciated it :'D About Piantissimo with Yoshi, it was basically, "Whoever touches the water at all loses" kind of rule, but good eye! Yoshi kind of phrased it like "Push me off", lol, so maybe it was his fault not being clear. McHallyboo is probably smh'ing at Yoshi right now for being rule vague lolol. I made it symbolic to how Piantissimo fell by himself in the beginning by Yoshi's dodge, and now, in the end...it was the exact opposite.
Sixthsense6 = STILL INSTANTANEOUS ENOUGH! I really have missed your reviews all these months : 'D How's you been? Anyways, I absolutely LOVE your pointing out of Yoshi's character and new personality. I was hoping someone would point it out. This is definitely a reveal to how Yoshi TRULY WASN'T as innocent, humble, or happy as he had displayed himself in Season 2. Yes, he may not be as cocky in real life as he displayed himself in Season 3 (maybe the whole "I was the Mole" superiority got to him just a bit, lol), but it just goes to show that a large part of who you saw of Yoshi in Season 2….wasn't the real Yoshi ; ) so nice sixth eye, sir! Ahehee.
Dark Punxysaur = LOL! The line of the century...or at least of last chapter. "Tiny, why did you do it?" Also, PUNXY! How are you?! How is life treating ya after our terrible, traumatizing game? Probably better, huh? xD
Elegance Silenced = Heyyy! Your reviews always make me feel like I have succeeded as a writer, so thanks for that : ' ) Sniff! Truly! I love your mentioning of "closure". This is definitely something I was hoping to at least succeed before the game came to a close. I knew there was a lot of tension between the players (especially with Piantissimo and Eclair in terms of Dashell) that I was hoping to seal before...the grand building was sealed forever. Haha Dx now I shall cry again….but ah, I'm so excited to see how your Mole pick goes! Hopefully it won't have to come down to that 50-50, haha : )
Masking What Remains = Oh man, thanks the review and it's NICE TO SEE YA AGAIN! You know what? Your username, I just realized, is perfect for a Mole fanfiction writer xD you should totally pick one up! ( : a Mole story, that is.
NintendoMLP = Ahhhh! First of all, I am HONORED to have had your beautiful reviews these manypast months…..years?! (oh gee, now I'm gonna cry T_T) for my story! Like my days were seriously made whenever I got the alert that you made one : ) And this day is no different! Anyways….LOL! YES! It absolutely felt good myself being able to write Dashell's name again xD Perhaps we should begin this inexorable formation of a Dashell fanclub. Omg, you're up to date on the E3 releases too! Okay, now we're just in the same boats of nerdiness and awesomness xD I love it. ROFL. You scolding Tiny at laughing at Yoshi. I actually have no idea why she laughed. It was more of a "disbelief" laugh, though yes, it is rude to laugh before a King. Also, I am laughing at you scolding me for "certain things" in your review xD I can't. You need to start a comedy show! Also, P.S. Did you ship Piantissimo and Yoshi?! :D I endorse it...I mean...what? COUGH! I am so happy that my ships are going all over the LGBTQ spectrum xD. But the best line goes to this: "Tiny and Piantissimo were silent….planning their future Dashclair fics." I am almost dying in my laughter from that...
The Wise Zora= And I GOT YOU RIGHT BEFORE I UPLOADED THIS! xD Thanks for being there for me all this time! I was like…. "Yah, I need to shout out to the Zora. Nope, not skipping out on my guy. : )" Haha.
*END INTERMISSION, QUEUE ELEVATOR MUSIC STOP*
I thank you all so much for reading and reviewing, you guys! All your help and support has finally led to this moment. And it's gonna be great! I promise.
Also, A POLL!
Finally, a poll...hehe. Yes, a final poll is now open on my profile as well! So do vote for who the Mole is
The next part reveals all. So who is it? Who is the Mole that we've all finally come to see in this final ending?
(like always, I will update a final time soon xD)
Stay tuned for the finale, folks!