The Mole: Paper Mario Edition

by The Smart One 64

*Website located at the top of my profile* 12 characters from across the Paper Mario world embark on a journey that could be worth up to one million coins. But one of them isn't who they appear to be, as their purpose in the game is to thwart the attempts at earning the money. Can you spot the traitor? Who is the Mole?

5. The First Petal Falls

Episode 1 (Part 5)

One simple word had the power to transform the very dynamic of the mission. Sushie stared at the card, speechless, but her head was spinning with a number of thoughts regarding what she had just read.

Sushie: Basically, an exemption is like a lifeline in this game. If the Mole's got you boggled and you just can't pinpoint their identity, all you need is an exemption in your coat pocket and you can kiss your worries and doubts good-bye. Regardless of how you perform on the quiz, even if you're the lowest scorer, you can't be executed. So, discovering that pivotal word on our card certainly piqued my curiosity.

Mamar wiped a band of sweat that had started to form from the sudden anxiety. "There's more to the card," she said, pointing to the lines following:

EXEMPTION

If you truly are without a clue, then this offer should be one to consider. The final coordinate (P19, H7). Located on the left side of your combination-guarded drain is a red lever. If pulled, the hole at the bottom of the pool will not close, but widen, thus causing the outflow of water to increase at a greater rate, reducing the amount of time left before the bag is swept under. In order for both clue solvers to earn an exemption into Episode Two, the lever must be pulled before these coordinates are relayed to the scavengers. The choice is yours.

Mamar scanned the passage once more with her eyes as if trying to find a change the second time. "So let me get this straight: we both get exemptions for the next round if we decide to sabotage the group, possibly jeopardizing the mission."

"I concur," Sushie responded with a sigh. "Well, are we taking it or what?"

"Hold up: we have time. I don't want us to rush a decision just for us to regret it later," Mamar warned. She turned to face the electronic lock, already containing two of the six numbers, and then at the drain it was securing. "Besides, nobody's on the other end, so we don't have to choose just yet."

"Hey, give me the-yeah, not happening." Both Mamar and Sushie were startled by the sounds being transmitted from the device on the picnic table. Distracted away from their exemption conversation, Sushie ran to respond. "Hello?"

"Yeah, the coordinates you gave us? No basket. So be a doll, and work to give us the right ones this time, mkay? Thanks."

"Oh, um, my apologies," Sushie sputtered, unsure of how to respond. She released her push on the button and faced her partner. "Seems like we made a mistake; Nastasia does not sound pleased with us."

"Sure they didn't just miscalculate where the digit might be?" Mamar suggested. She quickly discarded the possibility and located the yellow card:

YELLOW

Which item in this list is not like the others? GATE TAG/GOOD DOG/LACED DECAL/LONELY TYLENOL/MEGA GEM

A.) Good Dog: (E4, L19)

B.) Laced Decal: (B8, Q11) X

C.) Mega Gem: (J12, N2)

Mamar sighed. "Great, this one. I'm still stumped..."

"On a positive note, at least we've eliminated one of the options," Sushie motivated heartily, but her attempts at encouragement fell on deaf ears. "Ah, well. Two options: Good Dog, Mega Gem. Um...dogs are the only living one?"

"Wouldn't that be too obvious though?" Mamar wondered. "As far as Mega Gem goes...um...it's the only one without a label? Dogs have tags, tags obviously have tags, decals would, a Tylenol bottle would..."

Sushie looked at her skeptically. "My, that's certainly far-fetched, wouldn't you agree? Besides, wouldn't, say, the crown jewels of the Mushroom Kingdom be labeled?" She rubbed her temples in contemplation of the clue. "We must be looking at this backwards..."

Suddenly, Mamar's face lit up. "That's it! We need to look at them backwards!"

"Now just what did you slip into your breakfast cereal?"

The Star Spirit groaned. "See? Look at each of the words. Gate Tag, when flipped, is still Gate Tag. Same with Laced Decal and Lonely Tylenol. Which leaves Mega Gem and Good Dog. Mega Gem works, but Good Dog turns into God Doog. They're palindromes."

"...by golly, give me some of those Wheaties," Sushie said with a grin as she returned to the walkie-talkie. "Sushie coming in! Your correct coordinates are E4, L19. Have them memorized?" She let go of the button to listen, but all she heard was the sound of the device on the other end being pressed, than being set on a picnic table.

"Guess they heard us and ran off," Mamar observed. She turned back to the drain and the purple card's instructions.

"And guess that gives us more time before to think about our choice."

---

Shaky in their recollection of the coordinates, Ms. Mowz followed her Paratroopa partner as he maintained a gallop towards the northeastern section of the orchard. Although she kept up the speed, Bree's mind was still trying to contemplate what the puzzle duo had given her just minutes before.

"You'd think after years of doing what I do best that I'd be immune to such an error," she explained, as if defending her skill set.

Parakarry offered her a reassuring smile. "Hey, don't get your wings too twisted. The excitement got to me too, didn't it? Plus, in fairness, they did mess us up a bit."

"How so?" she asked, though her mind was evidently elsewhere from conversing with Parakarry.

"Well...they kinda gave us the words...um...funky," Parakarry stuttered while attempting to offer some encouragement. "Like, the last one they gave. When she specified what the letters were, she chose words that sounded similar. I mean, tie and guy kinda threw me off-turn around."

Despite having heard him correctly, Ms. Mowz remained dumbfounded by the outburst. "Well by all means, don't hold back darling," she replied, insinuating an explanation.

"The coordinates aren't G-T; it's flipped," he clarified. "I remember because I at first thought she'd said Shy Guy and then thought about how close those coordinates were to us and...it's T-G. We should have headed east from the picnic table, not north.."

Ms. Mowz: For someone who, moments prior, could not remember what Mamar had relayed to us either, he sure seemed to have used a lot of brain cells over their memorization.

Ms. Mowz hesitated. "Shouldn't we explore what's up here first, darling? I mean, we're nearly there. Wouldn't it be dreadful to pass up what would be the coin when we were mere yards away from it?"

Parakarry: She was happy to follow me up the wrong path, but when I suddenly recall she tries to put the foot down? I'd have almost let her gotten away with it had I been less confident.

Parakarry, prepared to drop the subject and continue north, shook his head in obstinacy. "You told me to make the executive decision, didn't you? Well...now I'm saying we should turn around." Despite the words struggling to come off his tongue, Parakarry switched directions determinedly. Ms. Mowz followed, obligatorily, smiling to herself both in humor and anxiety.

---

"Talk about the worst game of Battleship ever," Koover laughed as he rounded the corner beneath the row of trees in the L section. As he ran by, however, he noticed in his peripheral vision that Vinny was still more than a row behind him.

Koover: I hate to be that person...but the guy's a bodyguard. For, like, the Don Pianta himself. You have to wonder what's slowing him down so much. At the same time, the coordinates we're receiving are somewhat far from our starting point. It's taking a lot of time just to get there, only to discover for ourselves whether or not they're right.

"Huff...of course, we get da endurance challenge on da day when da sun is shining at its brightest overhead," Vinny grumbled amidst breaths. He proceeded to sit down next to the signpost, which clearly alarmed Koover.

"Hey...let's try to stay active now," Koover pleaded, offering his hand to the Pianta reassuringly. "I promise you, there is oxygen present, but we gotta keep moving. And it really isn't that far away."

Vinny shot him a look both of frustration and annoyance. "Just minor dehydration, I'm sure. Now, you...you go ahead. I'll catch up, I just need a moment..."

Koover raised an eyebrow. "You're willing to just let me go check it out by myself, let alone trust that I'll actually search for it?"

"Two lungs overrule one brain, so yes, I trust ya. Just go," Vinny sputtered, clearly not caring at this point. After refusing Koover's outstretched hand to help him back up, Koover pursed his lips together as he ran away from Vinny and deeper into the orchard.

"Stay here, I guess," Koover hollered back, to which the Pianta responded with an exhausted wave. The weatherman could only hope to be successful, now with one less pair of eyes to assist him.

---

Nerves were high as the money bag spun precariously in the much depleted water. Although the pool continued to discharge at the same rate it had at the start, the player-produced input of water had increased significantly. Specifically, a rusty pipe that had previously been left unnoticed was at last releasing water into the vat, the amount determined by the successive pumping produced by Pennington and Dimentio. Despite finding a mechanism to increase their productivity, conversation remained limited between the two players as they adjusted to their new routine.

"How long since we started?" Pennington finally asked. Just as he proceeded to let go of his handle to snag a peek at the water level, Dimentio abruptly pushed down on his end, forcing the lever back into Pennington's unsuspecting fins. "Easy, easy!"

"Doesn't matter how long we've been working, matters more we're able to continue working," Dimentio rationalized, motioning for the duo to continue their action. Although evidently peeved, Pennington made no further fuss.

Dimentio: I had every right to be cranky. My job was the indubitable worst: not only was it tiring physically, but my excitement was draining with the water. The task was witless and banal and child's play. I'm not above raising a stinker, I'm here to enjoy and dominate the game, not be entertained by the teeter-totter.

"Still, no need to be so brusque about it," Pennington huffed, not hiding his irritation. "We're working together, are we not?"

"We may be working together, but in no way are we together," Dimentio said flatly. "So I'm not going to twiddle my fingers if it allows you to jeopardize the mission. I'd personally like 20000 coins, and if that money sinks, it's on your hands."

Unsure how to respond, Pennington held his tongue and continued pumping. "Let's not forget," he began, "who found us this pump in the first place."

Pennington: It's quite elementary, the way Dimentio believes himself to be better than his competitors. I think it's brilliant the way I'm underestimated, because when I oust each and every one of them in this game, all will be humbled by The Penguin with the Incredibly Large Brain. Not to boast, or anything.

---

"E4, L19...E4, L19," Goombella repeated to herself, monitoring the signposts carefully as she and Nastasia ran north into the orchard. "E4, L19. E4-"

"Must you continue repeating that?" Nastasia snapped in irritation. "I'm certain we won't forget it after having instilled it fifty times now."

The archaeology student paid no attention to her teammate's remarks. "Well, I have to memorize it if I can't count on you to recall it, as evidenced by ten minutes ago."

"Oh, look at you on your high horse. The coordinates were wrong, so either one of us could have made that mistake," Nastasia defended. As eye rolls were exchanged, the players noticed the sign indicating Row E and made a right turn. With that turn, however, came a change of attitude.

"Look, let's face it," Goombella began hesitantly. "You and I, we didn't exactly get off to a great start. But I'm happy to push that aside and start fresh. It's only the second day, and I don't want for whatever this is to interfere with my playing the game."

Laughter was not the response Goombella was expecting to receive. "Yeah, so let me get this straight. It's all about you still. And I'm just a roadblock in your way." Nastasia chuckled to herself more, which only irritated Goombella further.

"No, I just don't want this attitude you're kicking out to spoil this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me."

"Oh, I see," Nastasia spat in frustration, hands now on her hips. Before letting the words come out of her mouth, however, she collected her emotions, biting her lip instead. "Word to wise, practice what you preach before heading up to the pulpit." With that, she about-faced and picked up her stride. Her Goomba comrade let out a sigh of frustration, audible only to her ears. She sighed again as she bent down to retie her shoelaces with her teeth.

"Stupid luck I have," she muttered, finishing up the knots. When she stood back up, however, her face dropped.

"Nastasia?" Her partner was nowhere to be seen.

Goombella: She was just gone. And it was obviously intentional, because we had a clear path ahead of us through the orchard and I couldn't even see a silhouette of her. I get it, you don't want us to be besties for the resties. But to just up and disappear like that, during a mission? Talk about issues.

---

"And...left turn," Parakarry directed, having taken over the lead as navigator. Ms. Mowz made no objection, only sniffing her nose as she followed close behind.

"Mmm hmm hmm! You're certainly enjoying this new power position," she said with a smile on her face. It took only a matter of seconds before Parakarry's cheeks turned a rosy shade of red. "Authority can be an attractive quality in a man."

Parakarry's eyes widened. "Um...say, I'd love to snack on one of these peaches after this game's over," he said while avoiding eye contact with his partner.

"Dah, am I making you uncomfortable, Mailora?" Ms. Mowz snickered, clearing enjoying the new game she had created. "Oh, don't sweat it dearie, I'm just teasing! Unless you took it to heart. I mean, sensitivity in a man can be just as riveting-"

"Hey, here we are!" Parakarry cut her off, wiping away a band of sweat. "Should be the fifteenth row, fourth column, agreed?"

Ms. Mowz: I do take too much liberty. But it's a game, so it should be nothing short of an adventure! And there are certainly some fine treasures to be found. And I'm not just talking about the pot.

Ms. Mowz, out of graciousness, dropped the topic and began searching among the trees for the green medallion. "Good thing you spoke up when you did," Ms. Mowz said with a smile. "Otherwise we'd certainly be chasing our tails back there. Well, assuming that we didn't waste our time coming back here."

"Don't worry, it should be here...I hope..." Parakarry's voice trailed, as if his assurance was being sifted through an hourglass. He counted each tree he passed to himself, stopping before the one he felt should have the medallion. Nothing.

"Where is it?"

"...three feet to your left," Ms. Mowz explained, grabbing and redirecting his head in the appropriate direction. She patted his cheek twice before bouncing over to retrieve the medallion. "Shall we head back then?"

---

Despite being finished with their assigned portion of the challenge, neither Peach nor Bandy Andy could avoid being nervous as they sprawled on a flowerbed beside the vat, watching their precious money bag with bated breath. "This feeling of powerlessness just eats away at you," Bandy Andy noted. "It's a struggle not to just swim out and grab the darned thing, you know?"

Peach, who had been treating the flower bed as a makeshift tanning booth, sat up to observe the height of the water. "It's getting pretty low," she said, her voice trailing with concern. She squinted her eyes to make out the shapes of the two timekeepers on the opposite shore, where a hose added water at an intermittent rate. "And it doesn't look like their efforts are contributing a great amount, either."

"You think there might be a reason for that?" the fighter asked skeptically.

The princess shrugged indifferently. "Beats me. All I know is, at least we aced our portion. Whatever happens to our money now is completely up to them." She bit her lip nervously, now too fixated on the money bag to peel herself away from the scene unfolding.

Peach: As a politician, I confess: there's comfort in control. So missions like this one just tear away at me. I know that I can carry my weight in the challenge; enter a Mole into the equation, and everything is set off balance. But there's many Moles in this game: which one was the force that set the ball in motion?

---

Alone in the orchard, Koover paused to stare down the square grove ahead of him. "L3, F4...which makes that the top left," he rationalized, running up the path bordering the section of trees in concern.

"At least it shouldn't be too difficult to spot," he reassured himself as scanned the various trees. Upon reaching the third row, the Koopa dove out of sight from the camera. When he emerged from the trees, the frown on his face indicated negative success.

"Figures," Koover sighed, returning to the path he had come from where his partner would be waiting. When he veered the corner, however, he collided head-on with the Pianta in question.

"Doof! Easy dere," Vinny laughed between breaths. "Never mind dat. Do you have da token?"

Koover rubbed his forehead, first offering a simple "no" as he reoriented himself following the collision. "No. Nothing's there-right coordinates and everything, so we should head back-wait, where are you going?"

"Ta have a look myself," Vinny professed, brushing past Koover.

Vinny: Of course it was all a big test. Sure enough, he says no; of course I don't buy dat for a second. In a game like dis, it'd be stupid not ta check for myself.

"I just checked it, though, and I promise there's nothing there!" Koover pled, met only by the marching of a determined bodyguard. "You can hold me personally accountable if I'm wrong, but I'm telling you, we're just wasting precious time now." Vinny didn't respond as he retraced the same movements Koover had taken prior. Vinny vanished from the camera's view similar to the way Koover had. When the camera caught up, it at last revealed the tree and, more importantly, no blue coin to be seen.

"Hmm. Guess you were right," Vinny said blankly, countering Koover's frustrated sigh with a neutral shrug.

Koover: Does he not realize-or better yet, does he not care that our money floats on a tight deadline?

---

Nastasia: I split. So what? Nothing in the rules of the mission required us to be joined at the hip. And at that point, I didn't feel like dealing with that negativity, mkay?

Though having only immersed herself in the orchard by two rows of trees, the leafy branches cloaked Nastasia from any direct visibility the main path between groves might offer. Despite being away from indicators of which section she was in, she continued to march between as she counted peacefully to herself.

"I may be spoiling her experience, but no way is she spoiling my money," she smirked to herself, pausing for a moment to read the L column sign. She proceeded to sidestep out of the trees towards the cross-section, heading for the fourth row. The secretary further continued down said row, counting her way until she reached the second from the end.

"What do y'know," she chuckled, kneeling to retrieve a yellow medallion from the basket at the base of the tree. She lowered her glasses, observing the 9 imprinted on the coin's surface. "Guess it could be found even without an archaeologist," she told the camera bemusedly as she stuck the coin in her blouse pocket and ran back out to the main path.

At first, she seemed a bit confused to not see her partner anywhere in the distance, but that thought didn't hinder her from running back down the path. She continued this trot until, upon passing by the G column-

"Nastasia!"

The secretary jumped, clearly startled by the outburst, but maintained her composure as she responded to Goombella with an agitated look. "Overkill much? Never mind, just-whatever, just come."

"Where did you go?" Goombella snapped. Nastasia tried brushing her off, but Goombella held her shoulder, evidently peeved. "You just vanished in the middle of a mission! I've been looking everywhere for you!"

Nastasia: I'll admit, I was shocked. While I left to go retrieve the medallion, what was she doing? Looking for me? I didn't realize that locating me was what we needed to do to win 20000 coins.

"What does it matter where I went? I got the coin, didn't I?" She waved the medallion as if it would wield off her accuser. "Just...let's...get back to the task at hand."

---

The walkie-talkie was visibly the black sheep of the area. Mamar eyed it cautiously as she paced back and forth around the picnic table, anticipating the device to light up and prompt a decision on their part. Sushie possessed a similar gaze of concentration: her fin held the pivotal purple card.

"Should we have decided already?" Mamar wondered aloud, peering over Sushie to take another look at the message. "I mean, assuming we're actually considering the offer, we probably want to be prepared for a ring..."

Mamar: What choice are you supposed to make in that situation? If the money sinks anyway and we didn't snatch the exemption, that's such a wasted opportunity. But if we take the exemption and money sinks, we have no idea whether passing it would have been enough for us to salvage the money still, and we just walk away the villains. At the same time, it's the first quiz and nobody knows the Mole, so everyone is as clueless as me...but I'm just as clueless as everybody else...

Sushie raised the card to her face. "In order for both clue solvers to earn an exemption into Episode Two, the lever must be pulled before these coordinates are relayed to the scavengers..." Yards away from them, the red lever stood out all the more obnoxiously in their eyes.

"Well, are we or aren't we?" Sushie said bluntly. Her eyes followed a path of chrysanthemums from the lever to the vat. The water level had dropped significantly, making their decision all the more consequential to the security of their mission.

"It's pretty low already," Mamar observed. "If we take the exemption, and we don't those digits soon, then that money is as good as-"

"BZZZ! Mamar, Sushie! It's Parakarry, over!"

Sushie's face sank as she picked up the device. "Hey, it's Sushie...um, please tell me you two were successful, because you kids need to hurry."

"We were! The green digit is a 9, repeat, the green digit is a 9, over!" Picking up on the conversation, Mamar rushed over to the lock, inputting the given number into the fourth slot. Accepted.

Sushie: And with that, our time was up.

"Green digit has been confirmed," Sushie eventually responded. "The next coordinates are..."

---

Time was against the two men chosen to battle it. Backs breaking and sweat brewing underneath the afternoon sun, Pennington and Dimentio appeared exhausted, though neither tried to reveal it to the other. Instead, they carried on their pumping routine in stoic cadence. As much as they wished they could ignore it, the fate of the 20000 coins failed to escape their minds.

Pennington took a second to wipe his forehead before returning to his end of the pump. "It's officially official," he huffed. "There is simply no joy to be found in our task. Case closed."

"Tell you what," Dimentio said, attempting to disguise his own panting. "I'll smile as soon as my money's sleeping like an invulnerable infant."

Reflecting upon Dimentio's comment forced a light chuckle out of the detective. "I love how complacently you assume those coins will eventually be leaving in your wallet. But as the saying goes, great expectations yield greater-"

VERRROOOSH.

"What was that?!" Dimentio spat accusingly, quick to assume that Pennington had somehow caused the bizarre noise. The Bumpty, equally confused, threw up his hands defensively. Dimentio could not place the blame on him, however, for the sound his ears heard had originated from behind him. Hesitantly, the jester let go of the pump to determine the source.

Pennington waddled around the pump, joining him alongside the edge of the pool. Within seconds, the blood had rushed from his face.

"The water...it's-"

"Faster," Dimentio interrupted, wasting no time as he rushed back to his side of pump. "Quit dilly-dallying, old man!" Pennington remained frozen. "Move!"

"R-right," his partner stuttered, stumbling over his own feet to resume his occupation-an occupation which just became all the more imperative.

Mamar: Our decision certainly sealed one thing all right...and it wasn't the hole at the bottom of the pond. Now we had to face the consequences.

---

Rounding the last corner en route to the picnic tables, Koover broke away from Vinny in a sprint to relay the bad news, nearly tackling the walkie-talkie as he did so. "Clue team! It's Koover! Something was wrong with the coordinates you gave us, and we need some new ones stat!"

On the receiving end of the transmission, Mamar ran to retrieve the device. Neither her nor Sushie were positioned by the blackboard; rather, they were fixated around the combination lock as if attempting to crack the code through their own concentration. Before responding, the Star Spirit shot a panicked look to her partner.

"Koover, I have bad news. I don't know how much time we have left, but it's not much, and we only have three digits entered, so Sushie and I are exploring our options at this point."

"What's up?" Vinny asked, having caught up to Koover.

"Sounds like the pool's almost empty," Koover relayed over his shoulder before returning to the walkie-talkie. "Okay, Mamar. Um, about how much time are we operating under, would you guess? Enough to test another location?"

Glancing at the water only incited further alarm about their situation. Mamar threw her head back in exasperation. "I have no clue!"

Vinny: Irony?

"There has to be some way to unlock this lever," Sushie offered determinedly, still squatting intensively over the keypad. 9-14-_-9-_-_. Yellow, blue and purple remained. "Here, give him whatever coordinate is closest and just tell him to book it. Hopefully the other groups will be back soon with theirs."

Nodding, Mamar rushed to retrieve the blue card, marking off choice A from the list:

BLUE

A.) Suspect A: (L3, F4) X

B.) Suspect B: (N16, B20)

C.) Suspect C: (C3, Q2)

"Koover, check this: N16, B20," Mamar replied after imagining the scavengers' position in the orchard in her head. "And hurry! Sushie and I are trying to figure out the combination lock, but we only have one chance per number, which is something between one and twenty. I-I don't know, just hurry."

"Is there something we're missing?" Koover wondered, unsure of how best to help the puzzle-solvers without being able to see the lock himself. Flustered, he handed the walkie-talkie over to Vinny. "They want me to go check a coordinate," he said while running off into the orchard. "You stay and keep in touch with them. Try to come up with something if crunch time begins to crunch."

Just as Vinny was waving Koover off, two figures emerged from the path in the distance. "Hey! Youse need ta hurry over here!" he hollered out to them. Picking up on his distress call, Nastasia and Goombella began to hustle over to the picnic table. The sense for speed loomed overhead.

"Oh!" Goombella cried, reaching for the medallion from Nastasia, who was surprisingly quick to hand it to her. "Vinny! Tell them that the yellow number is a four!" The Pianta nodded in affirmation and promptly relayed the information to Mamar, his chubby fingers scrambling to find the transmission button.

"Put in a four for yellow!" Mamar called out to Sushie. The Cheep Cheep held her breath as she did so, though the number was safely accepted by the computer.

"Oh thank heavens," she sighed. Her relief was cut short by reminder of draining water nearby. "Mamar!" Her cry echoed the general panic of the moment as it rippled across the nearby lilies.

Mamar rejoined her by the lever, carefully observing the four inputted digits alongside the two blank slots. "Guys, let's see if we can't figure something out with the numbers," Mamar suggested to the scavengers before reaffirming the numbers color by color.

"Nine...fourteen...four...nine," Goombella recited. "Is there a pattern in there somewhere?"

Nastasia closed her eyes to concentrate. "Nine plus five makes fourteen...minus ten makes four...plus five makes nine...ten is five times two...could five be an important number somehow?"

"But dere's six total, not five," Vinny said with a frown. "I dunno, but dat wouldn't make much sense to me." Goombella, sinking in defeat onto the bench, collapsed her face into one of the grooves of the table.

"What made us go so wrong?"

---

"We're not that far, dearie," Ms. Mowz offered optimistically. Despite their section being generally close to their starting point, it felt much farther under a demanding timer.

"We can make it...we can make it," Parakarry repeated robotically between strides. He didn't even pause when they reached the H-column, immediately swerving left to scan through the trees.

"Second row from the bottom!" Ms. Mowz called out. "It has to be there! I can just sense it!"

"Yes!" The Paratroopa lunged between an arch of pear branches for a purple object that seemed to radiate life for the group. "Now we just have to-"

Whatever words may have concluded his sentence found themselves lodged inside of his throat. When Parakarry lifted his head, his eyes did not come in contact with the ruby slip-ons of a feminine Mowz, but the polished brown loafers worn by a certain fungal harbinger of both triumph and upset.

The water had reached the bottom of vat. Bursts of water from a sideline pump proved futile as the delicate bag bobbed steadily towards the whirlpool in the middle. It took only three swirls before the current overpowered it completely.

20000 coins...down the drain.

---

Clouds with resemblance to cotton candy slowly began to replace the clear afternoon skies the players had enjoyed earlier. The contestants had been reunited underneath a wisteria trellis located about fifty yards away from the pool, which rested to their backs. None of them had the spirit to face the barren bowl of cobblestone behind them: it was difficult enough to face their teammates as it was.

"The itsy-bitsy Mole-y went up the water-spout..." This sudden sing-song outburst startled a few of the players, who craned their necks to uncover the source. "Down went the drain to wash that money out..."

Blue whistled a few notes before continuing his melody. "Out came the plug and dried up all the drain, and the poor contestants' money...hm, how does that end again?"

"Dearie, I think we're quite familiar with the rhyme, thank you," Ms. Mowz said as she attempted a lighthearted smile.

"Ah, but a refresher may be necessary, because sadly, that money will not be coming out again." His performance concluded, the host withdrew a dripping money bag from his pocket, tantalizing the group before shrugging his shoulders and returning it to the confines of his waistcoat.

Pull the Plug Results

0c/20000c

Team Pot

20000c/70000c

"A lot of suspicious activity plagued your efforts in this mission," the Toad observed, pacing contemplatively before the players. "It is up to you to decide, however, which actions were merely genuine errors and which, if any, were deliberate sabotage. Perhaps we should consider walking through the events of this afternoon?"

Parakarry: The way we worked as a team today, the Mole is probably rolling with laughter. We can't go down the road of doing the Mole's dirty work for him or her through our own dysfunction. And if today's events are any indicator of future missions, our pot is going to stay as dried up as the pond.

"As you are all aware, four of the six digits were entered before the money sank," Blue began. "However, in order for the lever to be released, all six were required. However, neither Mamar nor Sushie could input the blue or purple digit, for neither token was recovered by the scavengers in the field. And from what I've gathered, it would appear that there were certain...difficulties in the orchard." The attention immediately turned to the six scavengers, though none of them seemed eager to provide an explanation.

"Difficulties?" Pennington questioned with a raised eyebrow. The host refrained from any confirmation.

Dimentio: It would make sense if the Mole chose to disguise themselves in the orchard. There's nobody to watch what you do once you're covered by those trees. I imagine it'd be very easy to simply "smell the roses" so to speak, or gloss over a coin as you skip merrily past it. And nobody would be the wiser.

"I'll leave that up to you to determine. Of course, there is one minor hitch to point out..." Everybody paused as the host proceeded to clarify. "Before the mission began, I explained to you how the orchard grid system worked. I also gave you an example coordinate: A1, T20, specifically. From where the picnic table was situated, that tree would be on the opposite corner of the orchard. A tree 'of particular interest' as I called it."

Vinny crossed his shoulders. "Wat's dat supposed ta-"

Blue withdrew yet another item from his waistcoat: a walkie-talkie. "You were only given one of these, which was required to remain at the picnic table throughout the mission. However, had any of you proceeded to the coordinate I offered you, you would have found another one of these devices, already tuned to the precise station. Had any of you found it, communication would have been much easier." While this revelation raised some leeriness among some players, the scavengers appeared dumbfounded.

"Yeah, don't you think that's a bit of a stretch?" Nastasia asked, clearly unsatisfied by his disclosure. "I mean, who could expect us to check there anyways, let alone pick up on a hint as subtle as that one?"

"Of course, the scavengers were looking only in locations offered to them by the puzzle-solving skills of two others," Blue said, addressing two ladies in particular. "I also gather that there may have been relay of some incorrect answers."

"You try answering some of those brainteasers," Sushie chuckled in nervous defense, recalling some of the puzzles she would have preferred to forget.

"Fair enough, I suppose. Perhaps you could have solved them, assuming time had not run out when it did." Again, the focus was shifted, this time to the timekeepers. "The money sank as the water ran out, after all. Two people supplied that water...but could they have done more?"

"These callouses would beg to differ," Pennington grumbled, holding out his wings for the others to see. Dimentio avoided eye contact.

"I'm assuming you received those from the pump?" Blue inquired quizzically. "I mean, it would have been difficult to obtain those from the bucket system you two used prior. Just how well did the well work?" His smile concluded his comment, though it was enough to give the players goosebumps.

Bandy Andy: Our host is just plain sadistic, bro.

The rhetoric was not over yet, as Blue continued down the line. "And then there's the story of Buffalo Bill and Annie Oakley." The comparison stifled a laugh from the Glitz Pit fighter, though he quickly recovered a serious composure. "You two quickly discovered that the slingshots we quipped you with were mere props. Accordingly, you made steady work of the rainbow targets. And following that, you...?"

"Well, our task was finished, so I guess we just played cheerleader," Peach explained. Seconds later, her hand shot up to cover her mouth. "Wait, are you saying that-"

"My directions to you were as follows: 'When you have a bag, you will transport it to Mamar and Sushie at this blackboard. Whatever you do afterwards is up to you.'"

It took a few moments to register for some people, but eventually the realization hit everyone. "I'm confused," Koover interjected. "When you use the word 'whatever', what exactly does that entail? Are you saying they could have helped us search in the orchard?"

"Scavenging, pumping water, helping to solve puzzles...'whatever' suggests a liberty to do, well, whatever."

"And you didn't think to do anything?" Dimentio spat accusingly. "I pumped like a dynamite-happy Monty Mole and you two just sat there?" Peach turned to Bandy Andy for support; the latter kicked the ground to release his frustration.

Goombella: Obviously, that's something that can't be overlooked. Peach and Bandy Andy had a perfect opportunity to help a mission that was already floundering, and both failed to do so. They watched the chaos unfold and just sat back with their hands in their laps, when their help could have been very conducive to recovering the money.

Peach: I feel like an idiot, but I find the finger-pointing completely unnecessary. Who's to say any of them wouldn't have made the same mistake had they been in our shoes?

"I'll leave you with one more bite to swallow," the host offered casually. "It regards the combination lock. The full password is 9-14-4-9-7-15. Seemingly random numbers, but nevertheless resemble what was missing in this mission."

"Well I'll be! No way we could have finished that on our own," Sushie said as an encouragement to her clue-solving companion. Mamar simply nodded, attempting to resist what appeared to be an oncoming headache.

"Couldn't you have?" Blue questioned with a grin. "A simple rearrangement of the numbers into corresponding letters gives you a word: indigo. As I instructed, in order to seal the hole at the bottom of the lake, you had to find what was considered missing in this game. Which brings us back to our gunslingers: you were required to shoot and retrieve the targets in rainbow order. However, you only faced six targets, yet the standard electromagnetic rainbow recognizes seven: red, orange, yellow, green, blue..."

"...indigo and violet," Peach finished in bewilderment. "Who would have thought." This ultimatum kept everyone speechless. Unable to express their disbelief in words, the players left to dwell upon their own frustrations and premonitions regarding their failure in the mission.

"In the end, the itsy-bitsy Moley was the only one to have found a happy ending, and 20000 coins were flushed away along with your hopes for success." The host pretended to walk away before dramatizing his return. "Oh, yes, there is...one more thing. Perhaps you would care to elaborate, ladies?"

Having not specified whom, the contestants traced the host's line of vision to the receptors of his dialogue. "...something you two want to share with the class?" Nastasia asked in an irritated tone, facing the deducted culprits.

"Um...well by all means, don't abandon me in the limelight," Sushie pleaded, seeking to deflect as much heat away from her as possible.

Mamar sighed, accepting the inevitability of the conversation. "Sushie and I had to make a decision before we could relay the coordinates from the purple card to any of the scavengers," she explained cautiously. "Um...basically, Sushie and I were offered exemptions on the first quiz if...if..."

Sushie came to her rescue. "If Mamar and I pulled a lever leading to the pond," she finished. "Which, if released...would cause the hole at the bottom of the pool to widen..."

"Well? Did you?" Goombella asked apprehensively.

"...no."

"Something wrong, dearie?" Ms. Mowz asked Dimentio, who had made the outburst.

"No...that noise...that was you. The drain opened...because of you," Dimentio said, fists clenched. "We lost that money...because of you."

"And you both get exemptions?" Vinny asked with a trace of concern in his tone. When both Blue and Mamar nodded in confirmation, the bodyguard turned away from the group, making no further comment.

"Of course they do," Bandy Andy intruded irksomely. "That's the twisted mentality of this game. Where kids are taught that being selfish is a good thing."

Mamar may have wanted to disappear, but Sushie refused to be told off. "Now just who do you think you're talking to, sonny? Because when I think of selfish, I'm reminded of your generation and your poorly conceived notion of entitlement! So don't start by calling me selfish!"

"Guys, guys! Knock it off, now," Koover said in an elevated voice. "Mission's over. We lost, end of story. All of us are tired, so there's no point in raising a big stink."

"Seriously," Parakarry agreed, "the Mole's the only one who wins if we let the game toy with our emotions. I mean, it's only the second day! Let's not be burning bridges."

With tensions escalated after an afternoon of disappointment, Blue felt it wisest to conclude his address to the players. "Ultimately, I'm certain each of you have several questions to wrestle with. Unfortunately, it will be up to you to answer them. Despite any letdowns, I assure you: the Mole can be conquered. Dig your way past the back break, the heartbreak, and the path to catching the Mole is made all the more clearer. Rest up tonight, and focus on what you need to do to unmask the saboteur. Tomorrow night, you will take your first quiz, and one of you will be the first victim. Work hard to stay afloat in this game-lest you should be swept away...by the Mole."

---

DAY 3 09:16:31 AM

LOCATION: FLOWER FIELDS

A new sunrise offered new prospects for the twelve contestants in Flower Fields. After enduring another night of camping in the rough, the players were granted a day free from any monetary stresses found in the missions. With hours before the fateful first quiz, many used this opportunity to comb over their notes, mature their suspicions, interact with each other, and ultimately prepare themselves for whatever lied ahead.

Ms. Mowz: I'm discovering that, in order to master the art of a Mole aficionado, one cannot lose their concentration for even a second. Yesterday's breakdown of the group mentality only lifts my spirits. I mean, with only one Mole, I find it quite petty to raise such a fuss over trivial matters. You can't blame a person for throwing a nicer hardball than the one you practice poorly at. But hey, if everyone wants to over-think their way out of this game, I shan't complain. More room for me to search for this hunky Mole character, mm hm hmm!

A few of the contestants settled on a day of rejuvenation, spending their time in a location which had been far from such the previous day. The pond that had been a whirlpool of Moleish behavior yesterday had been replenished with water, transformed now into a large lily pad spa of sorts.

Peach delicately wrung some of the water from her blonde hair. "Goodness, it's certainly weird to be soaking up some rays from the pond than from the bank yesterday," she addressed as she leaned against the end of the pool, her swim completed.

"Part of me is apprehensive that the water is going to start draining from underneath us," Mamar laughed, adjusting herself so she was between the princess and Ms. Mowz. Suddenly, her face dropped, and her amusement turned to seriousness.

"Pulling the lever...all for an exemption," she trailed, evidently uncomfortable by the thought. "I put my own concerns before the team. Bandy Andy was right, that was...selfish."

"Now now, don't harp on yourself so much, sweetie," Ms. Mowz encouraged, wrapping her arm around her. "He's just a bunch of gab. I'm willing to bet he wouldn't even have batted an eye had he been granted that offer."

Mamar forged a smile. "Maybe you're right, but even so, I deliberately chose to go against the group, and as a result, the money sank. And all for what: a free pass?" It was clear to her teammates that the decision had been tough on her.

Mamar: As a Star Spirit and sponsor for charities, my life has been dedicated to the service of others, putting their wishes before those of my own. And I truly enjoy that and am grateful whenever I can bring a smile to someone's face. I entered this game realizing that, in order to well, I may have to compromise some of those values in order to preserve my role in the game. But that doesn't make it easy.

Peach offered her a hug. "It's much more than just a free pass, and you deserve it. Any one of us could be executed tonight, because nobody can be certain who the Mole is. I'd say you've got more of a clue to avoid playing those odds."

"Speaking of dose odds, perhaps you should be working ta increase yours." The three ladies jumped in surprise by the intrusive comment, but none more than Peach: her hands immediately shot out of the water, splashing both Mamar and Ms. Mowz.

"Oh, um, sorry, maybe dat wasn't da best way ta..." Vinny trailed, his face blushing in response to the princess's glare. The other two were trying their best to contain their laughter as they sought to dry off once more.

"Well, Mr. Pianta, if you want to participate in this conversation, your invitation can be to disclose your own thoughts on the Mole," Peach justified with a forgiving smile.

Vinny nodded reflectively. "Fair enough, I suppose. Well, dere's always da possibility dat da Mole stayed in da background dis episode. Perhaps dey let everybody else fail while dey just stayed quiet."

"Quiet...you mean like yourself?" Ms. Mowz asked with a sly grin. Vinny was hesitant to respond. "Oh, there's nothing wrong with that dearie! You just can't deny that you might fit that same mantra."

"Perhaps...but dat doesn't mean da Mole has to be quiet," Vinny explained with a contemplative stroke of the chin. "Dere sabotage just has ta be. Which leads me ta someone like Dimentio: he takes da games very aggressively, yet he definitely plays a part in dere failures."

Mamar reflected on this consideration. "Dimentio? I just don't see it. Sure, he could have delayed Pennington from finding the pump, but he's so passionate...almost frighteningly so. Personally, when I consider a subtle Mole, somebody like Parakarry comes to mind. But at the same time, he seems so genuine...that it's almost believable."

"Trust me, it isn't that slice o' cheddar," Ms. Mowz giggled mischievously. "What? His heart's too soft. And his feet are a bit too tender to play the part."

"But maybe that's what would make a perfect Mole," Peach wondered. "After all, wouldn't he or she want to be underestimated by us for those very reasons?"

"Hm...you're right. That's exactly what we must avoid doing-what I must avoid doing," the badge shop owner concluded. She paused, staring at the center of the pool, before winking at Peach. "The moment the Mole escapes all credibility, is the moment the Mole knocks us...right off our feet!" Immediately as the words left her mouth, both she and Peach grabbed Vinny's hands and, with a playful tug, pulled him into the pool. Mamar screamed as the Pianta produced a giant splash, before laughing it off when he emerged from the water, completely soaked-but smiling nonetheless.

---

Distancing herself from the players, Nastasia had settled underneath the shade of the Wise Wisterwood to write in her journal. Although she would have preferred the privacy of her own thoughts, privacy proved hard to come by in the game of the Mole.

"And like a diamond in the rough, I dazzle you with my presence!" Dimentio recited, swaying back and forth on one of the protruding roots.

Nastasia, not spooked by his antics, closed her journal with a huff, stuffing it behind her back and out of his sight. "Hooray. I feel just so blessed," she muttered, removing her glasses to glare at the magician.

"Never did grow a funny bone, didja Natty?" Dimentio joshed, leaping from the root and sprawling out on a nearby patch of geraniums.

"Call me that again and I'll break yours," she snapped angrily. Dimentio retaliated with a playful frown, but to his disappointment, Nastasia had returned her attention to cleaning her glasses.

Dimentio cleared his throat casually as he sat upright. "You know," he began, his face curling into a sly smile, "it has been a while since our paths last crossed. Since you took that opportunity as a secretary and I went on to...well, continued to dazzle with my many talents." He moved from his position towards one that was closer to hers, attempting to gain her focus beyond his failing attempts at small talk.

"Seems strange: friends reuniting in a game full of lies...yet the only one who's lying to themselves is you."

Dimentio: Nastasia...the cool ice of her personality has always been hard to crack. Verily, I'm surprised by how distant she seems to be in this game. Something about her psyche is bothering her beyond the level I've typically reached with her. But let's be honest: in this game, it's survival of the fittest. I'm more piqued with discovering whether this shift in character is due to a stressful hire. If she isn't the Mole, then I anticipate she'll be early fodder for our hungry agent.

This comment managed to rattle her a little bit, but nevertheless Nastasia maintained her stoicism. "Yeah, if your goal is to break me, you'll need better ammunition than that." She turned her face away from him for a moment. "All you are is talk," she added under her breath.

"Aw, I was expecting better retaliation from you," Dimentio moped in playful disappointment. "I mean, the last Bleck-tacular Reunion was years ago. I've been incomplete without a pillar of solidarity to bounce rhetoric off of. Come on, I've missed you, Natty!"

"No," Nastasia replied eloquently, this time with a hint of aggression. "You don't get to play any pity cards. You don't get to blame me for leaving when...when you left yourself..."

Dimentio let out a light chuckle. "Wow, wouldn't have anticipated you would allow personal rancors to interfere with you in a game like this. But by all means, be my guest: it's your funeral." Nastasia, deciding that this conversation had carried on too long for her pleasure, brushed some flower petals off her dress and promptly prepared to leave.

"I'm a man of many masks," Dimentio said with a shrug as he watched the secretary march away from him. "But by no means am I the only one who wears them."

"...yeah. I'll see you tonight," Nastasia muttered over her shoulder. But before she could take another step, Dimentio had pivoted himself so that he was towering in front of her.

"If I were you," he whispered intimidatingly, "I'd only concentrate on two masks. That of the Mole...and that of your own."

---

"Bandy Andy? Nah, it couldn't be him," Sushie declared with minimal consideration. She found herself in the company of a certain Bumpty detective who was using this opportunity for interrogation prior to the quiz that would be held later in the evening.

"Really? But there's plenty of dirt one can gather on him," Pennington defended, taking a moment to reflect over his notes. "I mean, just look at his performance today. Has the chance to double the workload of the timekeeping and instead he has a siesta. Undeniably suspicious."

Sushie took this into consideration. "Hmm...well, possibly. Couldn't complain if he's the Mole; wouldn't mind getting to be around eye candy like him the whole time we're here!" Pennington slapped his forehead in frustration.

Pennington: Part of me questions the will of my fellow competitors. It certainly astounds me how laid-back everyone seems to be when it comes to Mole-hunting. I mean, in my career, if I don't devote every ounce of my energy towards my labor, I could be allowing a criminal to escape the long arm of the law! I imagine these first executions will truly separate the men from the boys in terms of who's head is in the game.

"I'm quite confident that's not the kind of appearance the Mole is intended to put up," Pennington said in a frustrated tone. "But by all means, feel free to take that approach to the quizzes; 'twas a privilege to make your acquaintance."

"Oh, lighten up a little," the Cheep Cheep chuckled amusedly. "I thought people of our generation were supposed to have each other's backs!"

"Birds of a feather flock together," Pennington recited, staring at a hummingbird pollinating a nearby flower patch. "Of course, the early bird also catches the Mole."

Sushie cocked her head back. "And each bird loves to hear himself sing, so I'm told." Laughing at her own wit, she opened a fresh page of her journal and decided to use the time for note-taking.

"Has my wisdom offered you some inspiration?" he asked lightheartedly. His eyes drifted to the blank page Sushie had reached. "Hardly even touched it, I see. Wherever can your head be in this game?"

"Well-grounded, thank you kindly," Sushie spat in annoyance, lifting her journal out of Pennington's gaze before realizing that there were no contents to keep hidden. "I may not be as sharp as you esteem yourself to be, but believe me when I tell you that my memory is like a sponge!"

Pennington grinned to himself. "So, highly absorbent...or full of holes?"

The Cheep Cheep bit her lip at this remark. "Okay wise guy. Perhaps my note-taking will never measure up to the dissertation you're producing with your own journal. But don't you ever take the time to catch your breath?" Pennington, with some struggle, decided to set his pen aside.

"Sure, the end goal is to win and unmask the Mole," Sushie began thoughtfully, "but what good is all that stress if you don't appreciate what an opportunity you have. Why, just look at that!" she exclaimed, pointing her fin towards the nearby Bubble Berry plant. The petals slowly furled inward before the ethereal plant released a spree of bubbles. "I mean, I'm quite familiar with exotic flora, but don't you just find that spectacular?"

Pennington considered her words for a moment, allowing himself to appreciate the plant's beauty. "Well, I suppose you're the kind of sponge that wants to soak up everything they can, eh?"

"Well, if we're being honest," she explained, "I'd much prefer soaking in a nice hot bath right about now!"

The detective laughed in unison with the nanny. "There's at least one thing we can agree upon," he concluded, watching the plant return to its dormant state. "And I'm certain we can agree that Goombella is a highly viable contender for the role of the Mole..."

---

As the morning rolled swiftly into the afternoon, more players had gathered for discussion near Petunia's Garden. "Gee, how appropriate," Koover laughed, pointing to a sign that read 'WATCH FOR MOLES'.

"Wait...is it insinuating that there's more than one Mole?" Parakarry said, already beginning to over-analyze it. "I mean, Petunia said she's had trouble with Monty Moles causing a ruckus around here, but you don't think that..."

Goombella gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "I'm pretty sure that sign is designed specifically for your own torture," she joked at his expense. "But in all seriousness, I was hoping to chat with some people before the execution tonight. Like, I'm still reeling from the adrenaline of yesterday, and I'm not feeling at all confident about this first quiz."

Koover nodded understandingly. "Honestly, I'm finding it difficult to find a solid suspect for tonight. I feel like it's still way too early to tell for sure, so it's just a crapshoot. I dunno...I guess my strategy will be to take the test as fast as I can and hope that, should I end up tying, my time is fast enough to carry me through tomorrow, where I'll hopefully be able to mature my suspicions a bit."

Parakarry seemed skeptical about the approach the weatherman had just presented. "Don't you think that's a bit risky though? I mean, not to discount it or anything...but what if you accidentally end up misclicking a wrong answer? Don't you risk the possibility of nobody tying?"

"Yeah, but hedging it all on one or two candidates with minimal certainty is a bit risky too, wouldn't you agree?" Koover considered. Goombella nodded in apparent understanding, though Parakarry didn't seem to buy into it.

Koover: Truthfully, I don't plan on following the strategy I've been telling the others for tonight's quiz. I think it's a lot safer to be thorough rather than rushed, so I'll be choosing the answers which seem to apply to the most people in hopes of increasing my odds enough for the first round. I mean, I don't feel like I've had a lot of information to process after being isolated as a "Mole" during the first mission and separated from the group again in the orchard yesterday. I'm juggling a few suspects, but I'd rather be safer than sorry, and if somebody else makes a silly mistake, that gets me one step closer to the Mole.

"Fair enough," Parakarry resounded. "I'm probably going to focus more on waging my top suspects. At this point, I'm wavering between three or so, but I'd say that one is definitely higher than the others."

"What do you guys think about yesterday's mission?" Goombella asked curiously. "I realize all of us were in the orchard, but any of you catch anything fishy from what your partners did?"

"Probably wasn't a bright idea on my part to suggest we split in pairs like that," Koover confessed in disappointed reflection. "All I got from Vinny was confirmation that he's slow. He actually stopped at one point and had me run ahead while he held back to catch his breath. I dunno...I guess that's suspicious?"

"Wait, so you split up with your partner too?" Goombella asked him in surprise. "Because Nastasia totally ditched me, like, out of nowhere. No warning whatsoever, just gone. Not to mention she was acting totally hostile with me. Ug...I don't know what her problem is." Although the nature of her suspicion was in itself serious, both Koover and Parakarry found mild amusement in the picture of the two girls having a spat in the orchard.

Parakarry cleared his throat as he refocused. "Ms. Mowz was the exact opposite from what you described. Almost wish she had been less...friendly." The Paratroopa quickly found a distraction in plucking a leaf from the limb of an overhanging tree, attempting to conceal any blush which may have formed on his cheeks.

"Remind me to trade with you next time," Goombella smirked lightly. "Well, thank you gentleman for your thoughts. I think I'm going to review my notes a little bit before cleaning up for dinner. Well, as much as one can when one makes their dwelling in a tent..."

"Hopefully we'll find comfier arrangements before long," Parakarry reassured as he helped Goombella up from the log she had been sitting on. "Well, in case I don't get to say it later, good luck to both of you!" With that, the players departed from Petunia's Garden in different directions. Before Koover could make it far, however, Bandy Andy swung in from behind him.

"Hey! So, get any scoop on the Mole?" the fighter asked enthusiastically. Koover looked behind him to make sure that Goombella and Parakarry were out of earshot.

"I'm assuming you want to know about Vinny, right?" Koover clarified, to which Bandy Andy confirmed with a nod. "Well, here's the thing: I can't tell if he's genuine or not, which terrifies me. Like, he seemed to have a lot of difficulty with the running, and I'd think an elite bodyguard like him would at least appear a bit more athletic." He paused the thought as he pulled out his journal.

"The dude's no Glitz Pit fighter, that's for sure," Bandy Any joked as he sprawled out on the flowerbed. Before making himself comfortable, however, he changed his mind and sat upright. "Actually, that's probably the last thing I wanna do, considering that was my stumbling block today," he explained sheepishly.

"Come to think of it, how was Peach?" Koover asked with a raised eyebrow. "Anything sketchy you could draw from her?"

Somehow, this warranted a snicker from Bandy Andy. "Heh heh...sketchy, draw...never mind. Actually, I can't say I caught anything terribly suspicious from her end. Had decent success with shooting...I guess it's possible she distracted us from helping out after our role was completed, but it feels like a genuine mistake to me."

Koover pondered this account as he rubbed his chin. "Perhaps we're looking down the wrong mole holes," he said as he tried to mask a hint of worry in his voice.

"Lots of options to consider," Bandy Andy deduced concernedly as he turned to face his coalition partner. "Guess we just see how this first quiz pans out...and just hope it isn't our screen that turns up red."

---

Dinner was once again served under the enchanting shade of Posie's crystal tree. Unlike the first night, the host had joined them at the head of the table and was happy to engage in carefree conversation with the players. Having grown more accustomed to each other's presence after three days of meeting (and reuniting) with one another, the discussion soon turned to laughter. As cheerful as this picture may have seemed, however, many of the chuckles were just attempts to conceal their own worries about the steadily approaching quiz.

"I promise you I'm not self-conscious," Bandy Andy began defensively, "but I'm telling you, these crystals keep making me look fat." Ms. Mowz struggled to hold back the bite of salmon she had just taken in an effort to suppress her laughter, but the eruption by those around her was making this rather difficult.

"Wow, never expected the athlete to be the vain one," Peach giggled politely as she sank back into her hair. Suddenly, she caught her own reflection in the gleam of a nearby crystal and received a similar shock. "Um...I mean, it's just the crystals, right?"

"Too much concern about appearances in dis game," Vinny sighed, shaking his head in mirth. "I suppose it doesn't matter ta me nearly as much as it does ta you guys."

"Appearance is critical for a magician," Dimentio explained pridefully. "The appearance that an illusion is reality, or that a trick is legitimate. Which is why I'm perfectly suited to last in this game."

"Yeah, yeah...Mole," teased Ms. Mowz as she bumped him playfully on the shoulder.

"Oh! That reminds me," Sushie lit up excitedly, remembering what she had wanted to ask earlier. "Couldn't you show us all one of your tricks? Or do you demand a fee?"

Dimentio shrugged his shoulders disinterestedly. "My condolences, but I'm too busy playing my cards against all of you. But please, feel free to fold your hand and I'll be delighted to show you mine!" With that, his eyes traveled in Nastasia's direction, who was didn't make eye contact.

Before the conversation could be carried any further, Blue startled the players as he tapped his spoon against his crystal glass. "Players, as much as it displeases me to be the bearer of bad news, I am obliged to remind you that, following dinner this evening, each of you will be led to complete a computer questionnaire: ten questions about the Mole. This will be customary before every execution ceremony, at which the player who receives the lowest score on the quiz will be forced to depart this game immediately."

The jovial attitude of the contestants quickly shifted back to their unpleasant reality. "Just have to put a damper on our dinner, don't you dearie?" Ms. Mowz said, her cheerful smile slowly fading along with everyone else's.

Koover's eyes peered suspiciously down the table. "I love how our journals seem to have made a casual reappearance," he laughed, noticing that some of the others seemed to be hiding a bulky book underneath their napkins.

"...busted," Mamar giggled as she guiltily put away the pen she had just pulled out.

"What reason do you have ta be nervous?" Vinny wondered, remembering that Mamar's decision at the challenge made her exempt from elimination that evening. "Shouldn't you be breathing easily knowing dat you're safe?"

Mamar shrugged her shoulders, unsure of how best to defend her actions. "I guess...I don't know. You can never be too comfortable in this game. Even though I have no reason to fear, I can't help but be empathetic to the idea that this adventure will be cut short for one of us."

"Yes...I expect it will be surprisingly sad to bid farewell to one of you," Pennington addressed. He continued to jot down additional notes in his journal, not concerned with being antisocial.

"Gee, admire your confidence," Goombella laughed hesitantly. "I really hope it won't be me tonight. Like, to be the first victim...I imagine that'd be the absolute worst."

"It might seem cliche of me," Peach began as she stared across the table, "But I feel like I've known you all forever. To imagine the number at this table diminish...it will be incomplete."

"Yeah, that's just the nature of the game," Nastasia deduced. She turned to face the magician. "Departure," she muttered in a barely audible voice.

At that moment, Blue stood up his seat, regaining the attention of the group. "Players," he addressed, as his hand reached into the pocket of his overcoat. "It would appear that the Mole desires to offer you some sage words of encouragement before we commence tonight's ceremony." Confused, the contestants watched as their host withdrew a vanilla envelope and laid it gently at the head of the table.

"Oh boy, it's real now," Parakarry said with a grin as he reached for the item Blue had just revealed. The words "TOP SECRET" were written in large black letters on the front label, which was sealed with a green thumbprint sticker.

"Anybody opposed to me opening it?" he asked in confirmation. After no objections, the postal worker tore into the contents, withdrawing a single green card with a message typed in a variety of fonts which read:

Greetings from the Mole!

It is an honor to make your acquaintance. Even if it means deceiving every one of you.

Your sanguine attitude is amusing to watch. But I imagine the disappointment in your eyes at your execution will provide even more entertainment.

Best of luck to all of you in your pitiful attempts to stay afloat! Try not to get...washed away.

The Fake. The Phony.

-The Mole.

Many of them were left speechless by the the note, while others managed to stifle a nervous laugh. "Now that's just pure mockery," Sushie laughed, shaking her head in remembrance of yesterday's mission.

"Mind if I have a look, sweetie?" Ms. Mowz asked Parakarry, who after a few more seconds of observation passed the envelope down the table. Impatient, Bandy Andy craned his neck over Bree in an effort to retain as much of the note as possible. Pennington also bolted from his seat, but Ms. Mowz quickly covered the note with her hand.

"Easy boys!" she teased with a sly grin. "There will be plenty of time to gawk over me. Oh, you wanted the letter!"

"Permission to take notes, journal police?" Goombella asked Koover jokingly. The players laughed when it was revealed that Koover too had been secretly writing down information.

Dimentio dropped his fork on the table and removed his napkin from his neck. "Well, I see no reason to delay the inevitable. No need to satisfy the Mole's hunger for chaos any more than we are with our own premonitions about this test."

"Yes, and good luck to all of you," Mamar announced as she took one final sip from her beverage. "And to whoever is executed tonight, may you find peace in the experiences we've shared already."

Bandy Andy raised his glass. "And may you enjoy sleeping in a big comfy mattress while the rest of us endure yet another night of camping!"

"Here here!" Pennington cheered, elevating his as well. Many of the players clinked glasses with one another at this optimistic toast, albeit drinking at the expense of one of their companions.

"Fifty bucks for that exemption?" Parakarry asked Sushie, causing the group to erupt once more into laughter as the Cheep Cheep slapped his shoulder with her fin. "What? I'm not above bribery!"

As their meal concluded, the players were led one at a time towards the site where they would begin their first quiz. Many of them stared at their reflections on their way out, wondering if this would be the last opportunity they'd have to experience this surreal setting.

The Mole looked at their own reflection satisfactorily. Tonight's execution would serve as reinforcement of one player's shortfall; for the Mole, it would serve as reinforcement of their own successes.

---

The quiz was to be conducted under a gazebo situated nearby the block puzzle from the first mission-a suitable location considering the trivial questions the players faced as they braced themselves for the first computer questionnaire of the game. Ten questions ranging in varying degrees of difficulty would determine who would continue their sleuth in the game, and who would face an unfortunate first departure.

Peach took a deep breath as she adjusted herself in her chair. Flexing her fingers anxiously, she proceeded with the quiz.

1.) Is the Mole...

A. MALE

B. FEMALE

Peach: A lot of nerves going into this first execution...goodness, that's such an unpleasant term to call it. I think I'm going to split my answers between my top suspects, maybe a one or two for Koover, a couple for Mamar, a few more for Bandy Andy, and so forth.

2.) When the players first arrived in Toad Town, what train compartment was the Mole in?

A. FIRST

B. SECOND

C. THIRD

D. FOURTH

Nastasia: Yeah, other players might see my reservation as distant or snobby, but what do I care what they think? I didn't come here to win Miss Congeniality, and if they're too entitled to handle it then that's their problem. Better yet if they think I'm the Mole.

3.) In the Commencing Countdown mission, what was the Mole's role?

A. PARAGLIDER

B. RAPPELLER

C. PUZZLE SOLVER

D. MAZE RUNNER

E. "MOLE"

Vinny: Dere was something suspicious about Goombella and Pennington's performance in da first mission. Both seem eager ta show off dere smarts ta da rest of us, so for dem ta fail at something as simple as a puzzle seemed a bit odd ta me.

FLASBHACK: "What in tarnation did you do that for?" Pennington shouted, flabbergasted at Goombella's sudden action.

Ms. Mowz: Oh dear. I'm still peeved that we didn't succeed in the abseiling portion of the test when that challenge was practically catered to my skillset. Obviously my nose is turned towards Dimentio and Sushie for our failure. I'm lenient to be graceful towards Sushie for being incompetent, which is why I suspect Dimentio may have dabbled in some suspicious activity.

4.) Did the Mole's group earn money during the Commencing Countdown mission?

A. YES

B. NO

C. THE MOLE WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR ASSIGNING MONEY AMOUNTS

FLASHBACK: "I can assuredly inform you that your top two selections on the Mole are...Peach and Koover." (Camera shows the players' shocked reactions)

Dimentio: Peach and Koover's actions during the first mission can't be overlooked. They were in the prime position to sabotage because they were directly responsible for deciding what money we would earn. While certain players may have failed their assignments, the blame ultimately goes back to the people who delegated those tasks for them.

5.) What color sleeping bag did the Mole have during the overnight camp out in Flower Fields?

A. BLACK

B. BLUE

C. ORANGE

D. RED

E. PURPLE

Bandy Andy: I hope that I'm not shooting myself in the foot by forming a coalition this early in the game. As genuine as our conversations have felt, I can't help but be concerned that I might be doing a deal with the devil. But sometimes it doesn't hurt to have the devil on your side.

FLASHBACK: (Koover and Bandy Andy shake hands in their tent)

6.) In the Pull the Plug mission, what item was best associated with the Mole's role?

A. SLINGSHOT

B. CHALKBOARD

C. METAL BUCKET

D. WICKET BASKET

Parakarry: Taking an exemption is an action that might seem useless for the Mole, considering they're already immune from elimination. However, it could just as easily been a deceptive move on Mamar's or Sushie's part, forging the motivations a player might have while the vat grows ever wider.

FLASHBACK: VERRROOOSH! (Camera shows Pennington's and Dimentio's stunned reactions as they watch the water fall faster)

Mamar: People keep encouraging me that taking the exemption wasn't the reason why the money sank, but I can't be too sure. We only made the decision because we felt that the money was already lost at that point, which makes me look at who delayed us the most. It could be the timekeepers failing to notice the pump they were obviously intended to use, but it could also have been a certain inactivity on the Mole's part.

7.) In the Pull the Plug mission, what color tokens was the Mole sent out to look for in the orchard?

A. RED, GREEN AND PURPLE

B. ORANGE AND BLUE

C. YELLOW

D. THE MOLE WAS NOT IN THE ORCHARD

FLASHBACK: "Dearie, I don't see you jumping fill me in on the answer either," Ms. Mowz protested as she tried to remember the coordinates.

Sushie: I'm perplexed by why we only received four digits before the money sank, especially considering how we received the last two within the last few minutes of the game. But determining who sabotaged in the orchard feels nearly impossible since I wasn't present to see it. Thank heavens I have an exemption to carry me through this next round!

8.) Does the Mole commonly wear a mask?

A. YES

B. NO

Pennington: I believe it's entirely plausible that the Mole hasn't sabotaged the pot yet, or better yet, has allowed everybody else to sabotage for him or her. If people look immediately in one direction, there's a high likelihood they'll gain tunnel vision and limit their scope significantly. Not to mention, it doesn't hurt their image if the small amount of coins they make for the group over here goes on display for all to see so that nobody notices when they lose even more later on.

9.) Where does the Mole live?

A. TOAD TOWN

B. ROGUEPORT

C. KOOPA VILLAGE

D. POSHLEY HEIGHTS

E. GLITZVILLE

F. LAVALAVA ISLAND

G. THE BLECKLANDS

H. STAR HAVEN

Goombella: My number one suspect is currently Peach, because I think people would be hesitant to accuse royalty of sabotage. Second would be Nastasia, for obvious reasons. Third is Parakarry, because I think he's likable enough for people to turn the other cheek. Pennington's up there as well. And after that...well, everybody is suspicious. That's what makes this such a blast!

Koover: If tonight's my time, then tonight's my time. Within three days I feel I've already made countless memories. But man, I would hate to just see Flower Fields and nothing more! I feel like, if I want to survive in this game, I may need to be a little more ruthless.

Suddenly, it was the pivotal question that the players arrived at. Nobody could be fully confident of its answer...except for the one who bore its title.

10.) Who is the Mole?

A. ANDY

B. BREE

C. DIMENTIO

D. GOOMBELLA

E. KOOVER

F. MAMAR

G. NASTASIA

H. PARAKARRY

I. PEACH

J. PENNINGTON

K. SUSHIE

L. VINNY

---

Moonlight peeked out from the broad branches above the Wise Wisterwood, just enough to illuminate the twelve folding chairs which skirted the flowerbed underneath. A gentle breeze was beginning to stir, causing the leaves to rustle from overhead and chilling the air. One by one, the players took their seats, facing the television monitor before them. Currently, the screen displayed a green thumbprint on a black background. Minutes from now, that screen would render red to the Mole's first victim.

The players watched as their host emerged from the grove behind them, walking carefully towards the desk situated to the right of the monitor. On the mahogany desk rested a single laptop, the keypad beyond their sight. While some faced Blue, many found it difficult to peel their eyes away from the device, apprehensive about watching their name being painfully entered.

"Welcome to your first execution," Blue addressed them seriously, his tone in stark contrast to the playful banter he had participated in at dinner. "You have all completed your first computer questionnaire, ten questions pertaining to the identity of the Mole. The results of those tests have been calculated, and whoever scored the lowest will be leaving us tonight." The players nodded understandingly as they dreaded the reveal of their fate in the game.

"One by one I will enter your names into this computer," he explained, motioning to the laptop with his hand. "If the screen behind me turns green, it indicates that you are safe and will continue on this journey with us." Then he paused.

"If, however, the screen turns red," he clarified with intensity, "it means you have been executed, and must leave the game immediately. You may take your bag and follow me out." He then pivoted on his heel to face Mamar and Sushie who were conveniently seated next to each other.

"Two players were exempt from tonight's quiz," he said, indicating the two ladies in the front row. "As a result, they will not face elimination tonight. Which is a good thing, because an extraneous event occurred tonight: a tie."

"What?" Goombella exclaimed with a slackened jaw. Those around her expressed equally astonished expressions, realizing that their chances of going home that evening had magnified greatly.

Bandy Andy: Seriously? A tie on the first quiz? I think my heart fell into my stomach...

Ms. Mowz: I'm not too concerned because swiftness is my forte, but when the host drops a bombshell like that, it's a little unsettling.

"Allow me to elaborate," Blue offered. "In the event of a tie, the lowest scorer who took the longest to complete their quiz will be the Mole's first victim: a time difference of fourteen seconds." Many of the players began to reconsider their tests, wondering if their speed was sufficient enough to save them that evening.

"All right, if there are no further questions, I shall begin the execution ceremony." Blue turned around and sat in the chair. The players watched the monitor illuminate before them, taking obvious notice to the text box that had appeared. They waited with bated breath for their name to entered as the atmosphere in Flower Fields grew tenser and tenser. Nobody seemed eager to go first.

"Pennington." The Bumpty expressed a little surprise at hearing his name be announced first, but nevertheless continued watching as the host typed his name into the keypad. With every letter entered, Pennington seemed to clutch his journal tighter.

P-E-N-N-I-N-G-T-O-N

ENTER

...

...

...

...

...

GREEN

"Phew!" he sighed with relief. Sushie congratulated him as he sat upright in his chair, resuming a stance of sureness. Blue searched for another entry.

"Peach." The princess nodded in affirmation as she watched her name make an appearance on the screen.

P-E-A-C-H

ENTER

...

...

...

...

...

GREEN

"Oh thank heavens!" she burst, apparently having held her breath throughout the process. She received a few hesitant snickers at this break in composure.

"Andy," Blue continued, now facing the fighter. He bit his lip, but aside from that avoided making any visible signs of doubt or weakness.

A-N-D-Y

ENTER

...

...

...

...

...

GREEN

Bandy Andy pumped the air with his fist, excited that his journey did not end tonight.

With three names down, the host looked for a fourth. "Dimentio," he proceeded, typing all eight letters with his index fingers. Dimentio made no reaction, only watching the monitor with as much anticipation as everyone around him.

D-I-M-E-N-T-I-O

ENTER

...

...

...

...

...

GREEN

"There's my first trick for you," Dimentio whispered to Sushie smugly. Both Goombella and Nastasia rolled their eyes at this egotistic remark.

"Nastasia." It was now Dimentio's turn to watch the secretary receive her fate as she was caught off guard by the sudden declaration. She adjusted as if to get a better view of the screen, but in actuality turned away from it.

N-A-S-T-A-S-I-A

ENTER

...

...

...

...

...

GREEN

Nastasia looked over shoulder when it seemed that her results had sparked no reaction. Seeing that she was safe, she nodded to herself and continued to stare at the flora in the distance.

Of the players eligible for execution that evening, half had already been entered. "Bree," he called, referring to the badge shop owner in the back row.

"I suppose I'm ready, dearie," she said with a smile. As her name made its way onto the monitor, however, Ms. Mowz found it more difficult to maintain it.

B-R-E-E

ENTER

...

...

...

...

...

GREEN

Her smile widened once more. "I guess I live to see another day," she affirmed, blowing a kiss to a host who paid no notice.

"Parakarry." All eyes turned to the Paratroopa, who sat at the edge of his seat in suspense. He teetered so close to the edge that some wondered if he was about to fall over completely.

P-A-R-A-K-A-R-R-Y

ENTER

...

...

...

...

...

RED

The shock was made evident by the gasps which erupted from the mouths of the players. One simple click of a key had the power to change the mood dramatically.

"No way," Mamar's voice trailed, watching as the wings on Parakarry's back sagged at the revelation. The execution was over: the Mole had claimed their first victim.

"Parakarry," the host said apologetically as he rose from his seat, "it would appear that you have been executed. Please follow me at once." He motioned for the mailman to come and retrieve his bag.

"Well, it's been a privilege," Parakarry addressed, holding his head high as he stood up from his chair. Having supplied its weight at such a distorted angle, the chair promptly collapsed behind him. Although the group hesitated to find humor in the incident, Parakarry simply shook his head, finding a way to laugh at his own misfortune.

"Farewell, sweetums," bade Ms. Mowz as she regretfully watched him follow the Toad away from the group. Within seconds, they had disappeared into the darkness, leaving those who remained to pick up the pieces of what had just happened.

---

"Wow, first victim of the Mole," Parakarry sighed as he trudged along a path of orchids. "I suppose I should take pride in having that unique title!"

"Allow me to offer you my sincerest condolences," Blue sympathized, leading him out of the vicinity of the others. "It has been an honor to have you as a player, for however long a time it may have been."

"It's a bittersweet taste," Parakarry explained, trying but failing to erase the image of his name followed by a red thumbprint. "Mostly bitter. I had so much more I wanted to accomplish in this game, so leaving this early feels a bit incomplete." He paused to look back at the group of players who were now far behind him.

"But it's been absolute blast," he continued, coughing to clear the lump in his throat. "I've enjoyed every second of my time here...well, except for fourteen of them."

---

"I'm still struggling to make sense of what just happened," Koover began, still shaking his head at the red screen before them all. "He was one of those players whom you just knew was being genuine with you. And to see him go..." His voice trailed, and he never completed that sentence.

Mamar shook her head in disbelief. "And to think, had he been faster with his quiz, he'd still be sitting here with us." She paused to look at the receding figures in the distance. "And just when you draw close to someone, they depart."

Already, Peach found herself struggling to hold back the tears which were welling in her eyes. "I admired...how kind his heart was," she struggled, batting her eyelids with her handkerchief. "He was always an absolute gentleman...and a truly stand-up guy."

FLASHBACK: "Oh, um, thank you," Peach said to Parakarry, who had politely pulled out her chair for her.

"There are many players in this game," Dimentio explained, reflecting upon a conversation held in their tent on the first night. "Sadly for him, it would appear that his role was simply that of a pawn."

"Don't call him that," Goombella interrupted, evidently unhappy with Dimentio's word choice. "He was, like, way stronger than that. Probably one of the strongest team players we have in this group."

"I can't think of a time when he put himself before da team," Vinny said, considering his limited memories with the mailman over the course of the previous days.

"He was enthusiastic ever since the paraglide on the first," Bandy Andy recalled, reminded of a shared role from the first mission. "Man, he was truly one awesome dude..."

FLASHBACK: (Parakarry runs bravely off the cloud with his instructor, cheering loudly as they gained momentum)

"You should have seen him in the orchard," Ms. Mowz recounted, unable to hide a smile as she did so. "Oh my word. He tried so hard, but no matter what just couldn't help being totally adorkable."

FLASHBACK: "OW! Seriously, how does that even happen?" (Camera shows Ms. Mowz stifle her laughter at the plum which landed unsuspectingly on Parakarry's head)

"I suspect that element of laughter is going to be missing from our group," Pennington deduced with a trace of sorrow in his voice. "But there's no use dawdling over what cannot be reversed. Parakarry would want us to solve the mystery of the Mole in his legacy, wouldn't he?" The others nodded, realizing that it was useless to feel guilty over an event that was beyond their control. After all, they were still alive and active partakers in the hunt for the Mole.

"We'll just have to provide the laughter in his steed," Sushie suggested, smiling in remembrance of their fallen comrade.

"Let the chips fall where they may," Nastasia declared. The players nodded understandingly as they continued to reflect silently upon their memories of Parakarry. The dosage of the evening had been hard to swallow. Even for the Mole.

---

"Advice for the remaining players...um, don't get executed," Parakarry offered, which produced a laugh from Blue. "But in all honesty, I know exactly what my downfall was."

"You do?" pressed the host inquisitively.

Parakarry nodded. "Well, I was planning to split my quiz questions between a few of my suspects, but as I progressed further into my questionnaire, I found that I was leaning more and more heavily on one suspect...and evidently, it wasn't them." He shrugged his shoulders in surrender, accepting at last that he had been the ultimate source of his demise.

"Only one Mole in this game, I'm afraid," Blue said, patting the executed player on the shoulder. "And as evidenced by tonight, that job title does not appear on your resume."

"Oh man, wouldn't that have been fun," Parakarry grinned, imagining what it must feel like to be the grand saboteur. However, he quickly found himself dismissing the notion. "Nah, no way I could handle it. Knowing me, I'd probably let something crucial slip, like, the moment we all met up. All the more credit to the Mole, I suppose. Whoever you are, you've done your job well."

Eventually, Parakarry noticed the van that would function as his departure vehicle. "I'm afraid your journey reaches its end here," Blue explained as he held open the passenger door. He paused, however, noticing that Parakarry was fixated on a tall, organic object that lingered on the horizon: the beanstalk.

"To imagine, I paraglided from a cloud," he considered, whistling in surprise at his own accomplishment. "Yep, that confirms it. I've got no regrets!"

"Of that I am happy to hear," Blue remarked with a smile. "Thank you for being such a great player. You will definitely be missed."

"Thank you for the opportunity; truly an incredible experience," Parakarry said. He shook hands with the host and prepared to buckle his seat before pausing to speak towards the camera. "And to the friends I've made, good luck. May your Mole detection skills wage far better than mine!" With that said, the host shut the van door, waving courteously as the vehicle plowed down the trail, away from the game...and away from the Mole.

---

Mamma mia. This chapter single-handedly breaks the record for the longest chapter I have ever written. Heck, I probably should have split this chapter into two separate parts (and updated, like, three months ago :P), but I hoped to maintain the five-chapter flow for episodes, hence the Everest I produced today. I kept finding that I was unable to limit myself and wanting to include every detail I could and...oy. From now on, I believe in brevity.

PARAKARRY NO! It saddens me to execute him so early on, but I had always planned on him being the early boot. Of course, this decision was made all the more difficult by reviews telling me how much everybody loved "Sexy" Parakarry, so I expect I probably made Public Enemy Number One for some of you. :P

CRAZYKIDS21: Thank you for your review! I definitely enjoyed selecting the cast: the Paper Mario universe has such a wide and unique selection to choose from. Good hunch on suspecting the exemption! I look forward to hearing more of your thoughts!

PRINCESS TOADY: WOW. Great suspect list! (And congrats on correctly guessing the nature of Peach and Bandy Andy's role in the mission!) And I'm glad you enjoyed the website: first time I've ever created one, so I'm hoping it'll turn out to be a helpful location for character bios and picture clues. Yeah, I am suffering a little bit with twelve-player regret (considering how much longer it'll take), but I truly couldn't imagine this story without any of the characters I included. Which sucks, because as I write them, I realize I want to keep writing about them...RIP Sexy Parakarry. *dodges bullets*

GROSSGIRL18: Hue hue hue...what's ironic is that, if I had posted this chapter into twenty-four sections, they'd almost end up being stand-alone chapters on their own. :P I expect that with senior year out of the way, writing will become more casual, hopefully meaning more updates.

THEMECHANICALONE: Hey! Thank you so much for your review! It's encouraging to know you think my story is of such high caliber even with my sporadic spree of updates. :P Wow, great character review! I greatly appreciate feedback on suspicions and likings/dislikings of my characters. As an author, it definitely helps me to understand the perception of my audience and allows me to develop them even further. And about Parakarry...:P

CHEERLEADER21: Thanks for reviewing! Yeah, Goombella is hands-down one of the best Paper Mario partners around. But then again, so's Parakarry, and look at how kindly I treated him! :P Thank you for your early suspicions: I look forward to hearing more of your sleuthing in the future!

Almost done! But before I conclude, here are the results of the *cough* year-long poll I had. Thanks to all who voted!

EPISODE 1: WHO IS THE MOLE?

-2 VOTES: KOOVER, MAMAR

-1 VOTE: BANDY ANDY, MS. MOWZ, NASTASIA, SUSHIE, PENNINGTON

-0 VOTES: DIMENTIO, GOOMBELLA, PARAKARRY, VINNY

And with that, I am happy to announce that EPISODE ONE IS FINALLY DONE! *confetti cannons everywhere* Thank you for your patience throughout all of it; support and reviews from readers like you truly motivate me to continue (and spend all day writing to finally meet a deadline :P). I will announce that the likelihood of an update over the summer is minimal, as I will be busy at work at a camp in the mountains, getting paid to hike every day. #livinthedream But as I turn over this new chapter in my life, I am enthusiastic to turn over a new chapter in this Mole story.

What surprises await the eleven remaining contestants in Episode Two? Stay tuned!