Previously on the Mole, the players were tricked by Monty Mole. Indeed, the host promised them that they would be able to relax in Mario's Rainbow Castle, but as soon as they stepped into the huge building, he closed the door without giving them any clue. Or at least, that was what the players thought before Noki and Bootler managed to understand the rules of the challenge. They had to find a ten digit combination which would let them take the elevator to the highest part of castle. The contestants split up into two groups. The boys were to inspect the left wing of the castle while the girls would take the right one. Both groups have already found three digits, what will happen next?

First name : Birdo

Surname : Ribbon

Birthday : May 15

Job : Fashion Designer

First name : Bootler

Surname : Majordome

Birthday : September 6

Job : Butler

First name : Noki

Surname : Delphis

Birthday : August 7

Job : Air Hostess

First name : Toad

Surname : Phalloïde

Birthday : June 1

Job : Gardener

First name : Jojora

Surname : Teeheena

Birthday : December 27

Job : Sculptor

21 : High Stakes

Toad and Bootler rushed into the long corridor when suddenly Toad's foot got caught in one of the knight armor. The mushroom boy fell to the ground, followed by the numerous armors. "Whoops!" he exclaimed sheepishly. "Didn't mean to do that," he added after he had gotten up.

"Are you alright?" asked a concerned Bootler. "I would not want you to be hurt, maybe we should stop the game?"

"Woah! Wait a moment. I'm perfectly fine!" interrupted Toad. "I fall all the time, really. I guess it's probably because I don't have any leg, or maybe I'm just clumsy. But really, I'm fine, let's win this challenge!" he yelled, going into another room.

Toad : Well, that was sure strange of Bootler to want to stop the challenge just because I fell down. It will just leave a few scratches, nothing else. I suppose it's normal for old people to worry about everything, though.

Bootler : I do find interesting the fact that Toad keeps on injuring himself during those challenges. I may be over analyzing everything, but when you are playing the Mole, every little detail has its own importance. Whether it is what people say or do, you need to take everything into consideration. After all, the Mole is bound to make a mistake one time or another.

Bootler was going to follow the little mushroom when he suddenly stopped. He glanced around the room and his eyes became fixed on one peculiar armor. He watched it for a moment and was going to make his way toward it when Toad's voice rang in his ears. "Bootler? You're coming?"

After that, the old Boo decided to enter the room Toad was currently in. "What do we need to do?"

"Well," started Toad, looking ahead of him, "We have to go through a maze to claim our number, it should be easy enough, right?"

"I do agree. Let us split up so we can cover more ground, then," demanded Bootler. Toad held him by the arm.

"Wait. We can't split up. There's a chance that we'll never be able to go back to this labyrinth's entrance if we do that."

"So what is it you wish to do?" inquired the butler.

Toad smiled. "I know how to go through this mini-challenge. We just need to stay together and feel the walls. Just follow me, it'll be quick."

Bootler nodded and accompanied Toad who was leading the way. As he had said earlier, the mushroom put his right hand on the wall and kept following it. Although it did seem a little long, they managed to get to the number in no time.

"I must say, Toad, I never knew you were so good with mazes."

"Thanks! I actually didn't know it myself at the beginning of this game show, but I made some research on the Internet and I found out that you could easily find your way out of a maze by following one wall all along. Yup, I did my homework!" exclaimed Toad joyfully.

Toad : I finally showed my worth in a challenge! It was about time too, with the Mole that's always sabotaging the challenges and everything... Though, I wonder why on earth Bootler wanted us to split up in a maze. He is really bright, so I can't help but wonder if he suggested that idea knowing deliberately that it would make us fail... So much things to think about and so little time to do so...

Bootler : Toad impressed me during the challenge, it was really smart of him to foresee that we would have a challenge like that one and to research how to go through a labyrinth. If he really did his homework, that is.

…

"How much time do we have left?" asked Noki to the two other girls. Birdo shrugged while Jojora looked annoyed.

"How the heck should I know? Monty Mole never left us any indication!" she yelled angrily. The ice fairy reached for the doorknob but as soon as she pulled the door, tons of various objects poured out of the room, almost flooding her. "What was that?"

"Woah, you're alright?" questioned Birdo. "This is messed up! Seriously, we could have been hurt!"

Noki was deep in thought and actually paid no attention to what had just happened. Her face lit up, as though she had understood something. "I think the challenges of this aisle were designed for strong people, preferably males. And I also suppose that Bootler and Toad just have to solve riddles."

"Thank you, genius! It would have really been helpful if you had said it earlier," uttered Jojora, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "I don't really see how taking a plus one or remembering about previous challenges asks for our strength either."

"That is only a supposition, but males are often more 'daring' than females, if you know what I mean. But you're right, it doesn't make much sense when you think about what was in the previous room."

Birdo tapped her foot on the floor impatiently. "Do I need to remind you of the timer? Help me search through this clutter!"

"It seems like it will be time-consuming. Maybe we don't have to search this mess..."

The pink dinosaur contemplated the idea, but quickly shook her head. "We don't know for sure. Let's just inspect this room."

Jojora mumbled something under her breath and helped Birdo, throwing various things in the corridor. It took them around ten minutes to clear a passage going from the entrance to the end of the room. There, a single sheet of paper was stuck to the wall.

"Let's see... 'Number of the room.' That's all it says," claimed Noki, her voice showing that she was clearly unhappy at the turn of events.

"Great, just great!"

Jojora : Noki has been suspicious throughout the challenge. Scratch that. Noki has been really suspicious throughout the whole game. There's something about her that makes me wary. Maybe it's because she's more knowledgeable than she wants to let it seem. She has a way to discover the true meaning of things, only it's always too late when she tells us. I personally think that that would be an awesome strategy for the Mole.

Birdo sighed. "At least we made some progress. There were only ten digits in the combination and we already got four of them. It shouldn't be much of a stretch to assume that there's only one left in this aisle of the castle."

Noki agreed. "Good point. We may still have time, let's get the last number!"

…

"I am one hundred percent sure that there is something wrong with this armor," pointed out Bootler as he and Toad were entering the last room of their aisle. "It does not seem right at all."

"Why are you so focused on that armor? It isn't like you to act like that. Let's go back to the challenge, we can still inspect whatever you want to inspect after this challenge's over. But for now, twenty thousand coins are waiting for us at the top of this castle," retorted the gardener. Bootler complied and followed him.

They both entered the last room and found themselves in what looked like a gymnasium. Inside was a long obstacle course which made Bootler a bit edgy. He floated carefully to the wines and tried to 'test' them. He pulled it with all his might and was satisfied to see that it had not moved at all. Toad was looking at him the whole time, amused.

"You know, you don't have to do it. I'm sure I'll do fine by myself, you could rest for a moment," offered Toad kindly.

Bootler smiled and shook his head. "While it sure is considerate of you to think about my well-being, I can assure you that I will not falter. We are a team, we should progress as a team."

Toad laughed. "Whatever floats your boat, Bootler!" He caught the wines in his hands and, being very nimble, made it to the top in no time. Bootler took his time and made it too. Toad seemed impressed by Bootler's performance.

"I would have never imagined that you could climb so easily... Tell me, what's your secret?" joked the mushroom as he and his partner were crossing a thin beam, trying to keep their balance.

"Let us simply say that I am experienced in climbing," chuckled the ghost lightly as he remembered his first steps into the game.

Soon, Toad started to wobble dangerously, however, he quickly regained his balance and went onward. It took them a little while to reach the other end of the tightrope, but they made it safe and sound. After that, they had to navigate through a giant net, where they started having trouble. Bootler was totally tangled up so Toad assisted him. Then, the two boys watched where they put their hands and feet in Toad's case.

"It's so long and boring," whined Toad childishly. "Honestly, I'm kind of tired of those challenges where everyone is separated. It's not really funny when it's just the two of us, no offense meant, Bootler."

"None taken. However, you have to realize that you cannot always have what you want in this game, it is only fair that we partake in various challenges, some of which do not appeal to us at all. Think of the reward, if you do not like it. Hopefully, we will be able to relax in this beautiful castle," daydreamed Bootler, disconnected of reality. It was only when he heard Toad's warning that he woke up from his reverie and found himself in a strange position.

Bootler : I am honestly grateful for this alliance with Toad. Without it, I cannot say that I would have reached this stage of the game. This coalition leads me closer to the end of the game...

Toad shook his head and untangled the butler. A few meters later, they emerged from the net and discovered the last obstacle : a swimming pool filled with ping pong balls. Bootler stared at the white sea, disbelief written in his eyes. "Do they expect us to look for one different ball located in this pool?"

Toad sent him a confused glance. "What do you mean? I think we just need to reach the other side."

"Oh, I suppose I was mistaken, then. Sorry about that, I just remembered a challenge which happened in an Amazing Race... It was not pretty."

"You liked this show too? It's awesome!" cheered Toad excitedly. "I've watched some seasons, the show is really suspenseful!"

"Well, of course I watch it. I was even invited to partake in one of them, which I did, accompanied by my lovely Princess Bow," he reminisced.

"Really? I so have to watch the season you were in! How was it called?" asked a hyper Toad.

Bootler rubbed his chin for a moment before answering calmly. "The Amazing Race: Mario Edition, if I remember correctly."

"Cool! I'll be sure to check that out! Look, we're almost there!"

Indeed, the two men were so enthralled in their conversation that they had made very quick progress and were at the other end of the swimming pool. They climbed the ladder and found their last number. It was a five. They high-fived each other and ran as fast as possible to the center hall.

Once there, they noticed with dissatisfaction that the girls were still in their aisle. They decided to wait for them near the elevator.

Toad : Thinking about it, it was probably the dumbest mistake someone has ever made on the Mole. We could have helped them but the thought never crossed our minds. Oh well, you can't always think rationally.

…

The three girls entered the last room and discovered with stupefaction that it contained a soccer field. They walked up to the center of the field and saw five persons talking with each other. Birdo started up the conversation.

"Hey guys! Do you know where we have to go to find some number? We're supposed to get a combination to reach the top of the castle," she specified.

Noki chimed in. "It's for a game, The Mole, to be exact."

"Oh! We were waiting for you guys- I mean, girls, to show up," responded a friendly Hammer Bro conveniently named Hamma. "Weren't you supposed to be five, though?"

"No, we decided to divide ourselves in two groups, so the two boys aren't here," answered Jojora calmly.

"I see," continued Hamma who seemed to be the leader. "Well then, it means that you'll have to score two goals against Girolle, Toodia and Booenissima if you want to get your number. Think you can do it?" he taunted them lightly.

"I'm not-" Noki was interrupted by Jojora.

"Yeah! We'll definitely destroy you!" yelled the blue fairy, her competitiveness raising.

Noki : Hmm, what? I've never played soccer at all in my entire life! How was I supposed to score two goals against such good players?

Jojora : I must admit that I had totally forgotten that I had two polar opposites on my team. It wasn't going to be good. I had to rely on strategy because while Birdo had a strong kick, Noki's was totally weak and while Noki's speed was outstanding, Birdo was really slow.

The little group went to one side of the soccer field while the three girls of the soccer team went to the other. Before the match, Jojora talked strategy with her two allies. "Well, if I remember correctly, Toadette are quick on their feet, so we'll have to be wary of Toodia. I think that you won't have any problem stealing the football from her, Noki."

"I guess I could do that, but I'm not really strong. You can't expect me to score against a professional team," retorted the blue-shelled girl.

"You could pass the football to us. Birdo are a species which is naturally strong, and I'm not weak either. Anyway, I think that I can tail the Boo... Booenissima, I think? She might be a little faster than me, but I'm positive I can beat her. As to the last one who is a Monty Mole, I think that Donkey mentioned that they were very slow but unbelievably strong so we need to be very careful about her. I think her name was Girolle or something."

Birdo smiled. "It doesn't matter whether or not Girolle scores. All that matters is that we score two times." Jojora nodded.

"Good point, but we also need to win as soon as possible, because the clock is ticking," encouraged them Jojora.

They positioned themselves on the soccer field and waited for Hamma to kick off the match. Toodia began to rush toward the team's goal with Noki in hot pursuit, but the Toadette saw her and quickly made a pass to her Boo partner who was situated in front of the team's goal. She scored effortlessly.

"Damn, they're good," cursed Jojora.

Birdo sighed. "Well, they are professionals..."

"No duh."

Noki frowned. "Come on, don't start bickering or else we'll never win!"

Noki ran to the other team's goal, but as she was not used to dribbling, she tripped and fell flat on her face. Girolle took the ball and gave it a strong kick which sent it to Toodia who jumped over the team's goal and scored.

"Focus, people!" fumed Jojora. "We can't win if you make such blatant mistakes! And Birdo, what are you doing? We need you to actually play the game for once, if it isn't asking for too much."

"Well, excuse me!" snapped Birdo. "But I don't see you doing anything either! And what can I do? I didn't get the football at least once! Hard to play in those conditions."

Birdo : It was pretty obvious that our team was dysfunctional. If Toad and Bootler had been here, I'm sure we could have pulled it off easily.

Jojora : She tripped! In a soccer game! And don't tell me that she never played with a ball before, because I won't believe you. I think she was sabotaging the team. But then again, Birdo wasn't helping at all. They're both to blame.

Noki : The truth is that Jojora wasn't doing much either. I think she was yelling at us because she realized herself that we weren't playing in the same league.

After a couple more failures, Jojora finally managed to snatch the football out of the Monty Mole's feet. She made a pass to Birdo who concentrated and unleashed a powerful kick toward the goal before Toodia or Booenissima managed to reach her.

Needless to say, she scored easily. Noki congratulated her.

"Wow, that was amazing!" She cheered, putting emphasis on the last word. Birdo grinned in return.

"Well, Jojora made a great play too! I think it was a collective effort, you know."

It took them several unsuccessful tries, but they finally managed to score another goal. Toodia was nearing the team's goal when Noki arrived out of nowhere and stole the football. Before Booenissima retaliated, she sent the football to Birdo who immediately sent it to Jojora who tricked the other team's goalkeeper and score the second point. Hamma and the rest of his team gave them a loud applaud and gave them their reward : the last digit they needed.

"Here you go girls, we were keeping a number which is six."

"Thanks!" winked Birdo. "C'mon, let's go back to the elevator now." The other two nodded and raced back to the great hall.

…

When they arrived, Birdo, Noki and Jojora saw that Bootler and Toad were already there, waiting for them near the elevator. Noki breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness they are finished."

Toad heard her and waved. "Hey! Did you find the numbers? We got five!"

Jojora nodded and made her way to the elevator. As she was getting ready to type the numbers she and her team had found, Bootler stopped her. "I was wondering... How are we supposed to find the right combination? I believe it is impossible to find the right one instantly. There are thousand of possible combinations."

"You raise a good point," nodded Noki. "However, since we don't really have an answer, we might as well enter them randomly. I doubt we need to put the numbers in order, maybe we only need to enter them to win."

"It's worth a try," shrugged Jojora. She typed her numbers and asked for the ones Bootler and Toad had found. "Okay, so that's two, two, eight, five, six, one, seven, four, two and five. Enter!"

"Please let it be right," hoped Noki, crossing her fingers.

Noki : I really didn't want to lose that mission. It was definitely hard and tiring, and I wouldn't want to be rewarded with nothing after my hard work.

Birdo was confident they would win this challenge. "If we had lost, I suppose Monty Mole would have told us already. But since he didn't, there's still hope."

"The password is incorrect," stated Jojora. Toad looked surprised.

"Maybe you typed it incorrectly?" he suggested.

"No, I'm pretty sure I didn't. I triple checked, so that means that at least one of the number is wrong. Where do you think you messed up?"

"What do you mean by that? We did not mess up, I'm one hundred percent positive the mistake isn't ours," replied the mushroom.

"I can attest to that," agreed Bootler. "Most of the numbers were given to us, we only had to guess two of them, and I am convinced that our logic was sound. What about your rooms? I am not asking you whether you made a mistake or not, however, I would like you to tell me where you think it was possible for you to make a mistake."

"I don't see where, honestly," answered the blue fairy, more truthful than she had ever been.

Suddenly, Birdo gasped. "I know where we could have bee wrong! The room with the previous challenges! We just assumed that the challenges were won when we had received half of the money they were worth."

"Wait, what? You assumed...?" Toad interrogated, bewildered.

Birdo crossed her arms. "There wasn't much we could do since we were given not-so-explicit instructions."

Bootler rubbed his chin. "We should go back to the rooms. I say Birdo, Jojora and I check the let aisle while Toad and Noki verify the right one. Do not take too long!"

As the groups began to leave the hall, they heard the elevator going down. The players sent Jojora a questioning glance and waited for the machine to stop. As soon as it reached the floor, the players rushed toward it, only to stop dead in their track when they heard the familiar voice of Monty Mole.

"That won't be necessary. You just lost the game." The host stepped out of the elevator and retrieved the clue the players had found the day before. "If you look at it closely, you'll see that you had two wrong digits. Unfortunately, twenty thousand coins won't be added to your team pot."

Challenge's Results :

Money Won : 0

Team Pot : 133 000 coins

"This sucks," complained Toad. "I feel like I'm back at the beginning of the game where we were losing every single challenge."

"That is not entirely true, need I remind you that we won some coins during the first mission?" contradicted Bootler.

Noki admitted that Toad was right. "It's just not the same, Bootler. You can't say we won the first challenge because so much bad things happened and in the end, our glass was more than half-empty." She looked glum.

"Your pot still stands at one hundred and thirty three thousand coins!" Monty Mole cheered them up. "Don't forget that the winner will go back home with that sum. Additionally, to be the winner, you have to find out who the Mole is, and I bet that the Mole acted scummy during this challenge."

The players eyed each other warily. Once again, the host's witty comment had the anticipated effect.

Grinning from ear to ear, the host went on. "Wasn't it Jojora's idea to put the pictures of the challenges in which you had won less than half of the money they were worth in the lost challenge pile?"

"Hey, we had no idea on what to do and the other two decided to go with it," grunted Jojora, not admitting that she had done wrong.

"How about Bootler who solved with ease all of the enigmas but failed to take into consideration the true meaning of one of them? And what about Toad? Couldn't he have suggested to help the girls who had a hard time winning a soccer match?"

"Everyone makes mistakes," replied Toad. "Besides, we couldn't have known that they were in trouble."

The host pursued. "It was very selfless of Birdo to take risks, only to be rewarded by a plus one. Maybe she did know what was inside the glass container, mmh?"

"I didn't think about it. I just did it," she justified herself truthfully. "And since neither Jojora or Noki wanted to do it, I just volunteered."

"Speaking about Noki, wasn't it strange how she deduced how the challenge worked once it wasn't useful anymore?"

"You can't seriously blame me for that... I couldn't know beforehand."

"Oh, but you could. Just like everybody here. After all, the Mole knew what was going to happen, didn't they?" Monty Mole laughed heartily. "Also, I'm sorry to tell you that you missed out on the sole exemption of this episode. Follow me, I'll show you where it was."

The players ran after Monty Mole and found themselves in the left aisle of the castle. Birdo looked at the scene, amused. "I see that Jojora isn't the only one who destroyed armors during the challenge."

"I tripped."

"Oh."

"Yup."

Toad : Jojora destroyed the armors? During one of her mighty tantrums, perhaps?

Monty Mole cleared his throat and pointed at the armor that Bootler kept on remarking. "This armor right here, was hiding an exemption. It was located in its helmet."

"How I regret listening to you Toad, the exemption would have been mine if I hadn't followed you."

"Well, if we had won the mission, you would not have said that," pointed out Noki.

Bootler surrendered. "True enough."

"That is all! I probably won't need you anymore, so you're free to do whatever you want to do! Until next time!" Monty Mole hurried out of the room.

"So, what do we do, now?" inquired Birdo. "Maybe we could visit the castle together? I don't know, I'm just asking."

"Why not?"

…

As the five players visited the first floor, and more especially the master bedroom, Birdo took that as an opportunity to talk with a player she did not often speak with. Toad was looking at a beautiful painting on which Mario and five of his friends were flying above the Rainbow Castle. Birdo watched carefully what the others were doing and when the coast was clear, she simply engaged the conversation with the mushroom. "Hey Toad, beautiful painting, isn't it?"

Birdo : I'm often seen talking with Noki and it's normal since we're in a coalition, but I rarely speak to the others. When I talk with Jojora, we argue, Bootler is quite mysterious and I can't get a good read of him, so I just thought : "Why not try Toad? He's the friendliest around here.".

"Yes, it is." Toad noted that Birdo seemed a little strange. "You're not here to talk about the painting, are you?"

"Weeeeell... Not really. Even though it is a beautiful painting, I can't help thinking about the game."

"Oh, I get you, I think it's the same for everyone. I wouldn't be surprised if Jojora was plotting against us!" exclaimed Toad giddily. "You know, we should probably move. Just to make it look like we are actually visiting Mario's castle and not just exchanging information," he continued, looking outside of the window.

Toad : I'm not stupid. I know that Birdo wants me to tell her what happened on the other side of the castle, while she was stuck with Noki and Jojora. And I also know that she will repeat most of it to Noki since they are in a coalition. So why would I give her what she wants, you ask? Well, I see no reason not to comply. I see no point in hiding the truth from her except alienate myself from the others.

Birdo looked in the general direction Toad was staring at, and spoke up. "We never really talked to each other during this game. Most of the time, I was with Noki and Flurrie, while you were hanging with Pauline and Bootler, so I was wondering... Who do you suspect the Mole is?

Toad : Needless to say, I wasn't thinking she would be that blunt.

"To be honest, I still don't know. I have two potential suspects. And no offense Birdo, but at this stage of the game, I don't think I'll give you the two names," he added.

"I suppose I was a bit optimistic, but I understand you."

Toad smiled at her. "The truth is that I really don't know for sure that one of those two people is the Mole. For all I know, I could be totally off tracks. The night Pauline went home... I had based my entire questionnaire on her!"

"Huh, you did? I thought you were bluffing. But that means that you're pretty lucky to be here with us today, then."

"I can only assume that she did worse than me, or that she targeted someone who had no link whatsoever with the Mole."

"You probably know that I've been in a coalition with Noki for a long time, but you can still talk to me. I'm pretty sure she doesn't tell me everything either."

Toad raised an eyebrow. "You suspect her? That's strange, I thought you were very close to each other."

Birdo closed her eyes and turned toward the room's exit. "Sometimes, I feel like she could possibly be the Mole. Of course, I can't voice my suspicions otherwise she wouldn't trust me that much, even if I believe that she thinks the same of me. As far as I can recall, our coalition started on day one, although we realized it afterward."

Toad nodded his head and followed her outside. "Well, you're friends, so maybe your judgment isn't impartial."

Birdo looked at Toad intently. "Exactly. There's a tiny voice in my head that makes me doubt her because we're friends. Isn't that ironical? Plus, she's extraordinarily smart and she knows things that she shouldn't know."

Toad opened his eyes wide. "Just like me and Bootler! Except that our friendship is probably weaker than yours and Noki's. But we can't really leave Jojora and us out of the equation. You could be the Mole too."

"But the same goes for you," Birdo remarked.

Toad : Birdo is one of my suspects, but it seems like she's trying too hard for a Mole and most of the time she seems genuine. No, there is someone who is clearly more suspicious than her. Or at least two persons. Ugh, I'm so confused! Bootler, Noki, Birdo and Jojora all sabotaged and the clue isn't helping me at all!

Birdo : I didn't get names, but I know he suspects me a little. And from what I heard, I can safely say that he doesn't truly trust Bootler, so that helps me because I know that I can't ignore anyone. Right now, Bootler is at the top of my list, with Jojora and Toad following closely and Noki lagging behind, but that could change at any moment, my list is not definitive.

"Let's check the dungeon, I've been here before and it's really cool," suggested Toad after the two of them had finished their conversation.

…

"Woah!" shouted Noki, surprised about her discovery. "Look at Mario's wardrobe! It's just the same outfit over and over again!"

Bootler exited the room he was in and decided to talk to Noki. Jojora was also in the room, but she was writing something in a piece of paper and looked deep in concentration, thus, Bootler decided to leave her alone. Especially since he had heard her complain about her journal missing. "That is indeed a quite interesting sight to see. However, I doubt that Mario uses this castle as his home. It seems too...empty."

Noki : I was alone with Bootler, it seemed like a great opportunity to get to know him better...as well as the people he suspects the most.

"Poor Mario, he was actually a very good player and a fun player to talk to. I remember what he told us in King Boo's Mansion... He was so cryptic and hard to figure out, but he was also extremely kind and intelligent as well," Noki recalled, praising the fallen player.

"He was," nodded Bootler. "Unfortunately, it was his time to go. I suppose we cannot change the past..."

"Well, if I could change the past, I would ask him who he suspected before his elimination. That way I would know for sure that one of the player is genuine and I could try to narrow my list to some players," Noki admitted smartly. "I feel so lost in this game, how do you do to stay calm all the time?"

Bootler chuckled slightly. "It is only a facade. Deep down, I am unsure of what I do, but such is the nature of the game, you can only fully trust a player once they are eliminated, and once they are, you cannot talk to them anymore. However, I am feeling confident for this episode."

"It must be cool to know what you're doing. To be honest, I'm not really sure anymore. Jojora seems like the perfect culprit, but you have to admit that you and Toad are also suspicious," she winked cutely.

Bootler laughed once more, sounding refined. "As you are Noki, as you are... And I wouldn't count Birdo out. She did some, let us say...audacious sabotage throughout the game."

Bootler : I stayed vague on purpose. I would not want Noki to use my suspicions to move to the next round instead of me, as much as I like her. Besides, dropping hints here and there will most likely confuse her, which is what I intended to do.

Noki nodded. "I must approve, I did consider the possibility a long while ago, but now... I really think that she is a player, like you and me, if you aren't the Mole, that is."

"Which is for you to find out," smiled the ghost. "It would be amusing if we were in a coalition with the Mole, don't you think so?"

"I take it that you believe that the situation is funny, then," piped in Jojora which had now joined them. "Because I'm not the Mole, so that means that one of you will be deceived soon."

"Or maybe one of the players who were in an alliance has already been deceived by the Mole," insinuated Noki.

Jojora scoffed. "Well, no. Mario was the unfortunate victim of the Mole, not my victim if that's what you imply. As for me, I'm just a normal player with a grasp on reality. Thanks to Mario's elimination, I managed to erase one of my suspect. There's a player I've never voted for during the quizzes, so I know for sure it can't be them otherwise I wouldn't be here. I know I'm not the Mole either. So I have two suspects. If one gets eliminated during this episode, then I know who the Mole is."

Noki : I wouldn't tell her, but I was impressed. While Bootler and I were lost in a desert, Jojora had already figured the game. She's a dangerous player, no wonder she hasn't been eliminated yet.

Jojora : These players underestimated me, now they are paying the price. Unless they all manage to find out who the Mole is next episode, I'm guaranteed to reach the final three. It's inevitable, one of the two alliances will crumble.

"Or," began Bootler, "you could be the Mole. Which would explain why you are so sure of yourself."

Jojora smirked. "We'll see."

Bootler : Truthfully, it becomes more and more difficult to talk strategy with the other players, for the sole reason that the alliances are long established. Had they fallen apart earlier, I suppose we could have shared information more freely, however the coalition system prevents us from discussing openly. Not to mention that at this stage of the game, people tend to give away less information.

…

At the top of the castle, around dinner, the players were reunited around a round table, waiting for their host to arrive. While they had been told that there were no more challenge scheduled for the day, they somehow knew that they would have to participate in another one. The sky was displaying a nice shade of orange as the sun was starting to set. The four players and the Mole sighed, watching the beautiful scenery.

Noki broke the silence. "I wonder what we'll do..."

"I think I've an idea but I'm not certain," tried Jojora, pouring water in her glass.

"Please share, if you will," demanded Bootler politely.

"Our journals. I couldn't find mine, so I assume that Monty Mole took it. Now, I'm not sure as to what is going to happen, it will surely involve our journals, though."

"You're right Jojora!" clapped the host who had heard everything. The players jumped a little, startled by his appearance.

Birdo : Oh, Monty Mole and his sudden appearances...

"Anyway," the host cleared his throat, "I have a possible challenge for you guys. As Jojora deduced, the challenge involves your journals."

"I have a bad feeling about this," worried Noki. "When you say it's a 'possible challenge', what do you mean?"

"I mean that you don't have to play it if you don't want to. This challenge is worth ten thousand coins."

Toad looked around the table and spoke up. "I say we let Monty explain to us what the challenge is about. What do you say?" His proposition was a success.

"Well... The thing is that we designed three missions for you. I'll need someone to spin the wheel." As if on cue, someone pushed a wheel behind the host. "However, once you spin the wheel, there's no turning back. Who's feeling lucky?" questioned the host.

"I think we should spin the wheel. The worst that can happen is losing the challenge, right?" suggested Toad.

"I kind of don't want to risk my journal when only ten thousand coins are at stake," retorted Birdo.

Jojora smacked her forehead. "Are you dim? Toad is right, we can just lose the challenge on purpose!"

"Sorry, but I agree with Birdo. I'm not sacrificing my journal," confirmed Noki. Jojora snorted.

"Oh please, your journal and Birdo's are pretty much interchangeable! Bootler, the choice is yours."

Bootler : Jojora put me in a very delicate situation. I do not like it when they shine the spotlight upon me.

Bootler rubbed his temples. "Let us give it a try. If we have to burn our journals, we will forfeit."

"Very well. I still need a volunteer."

Jojora stood up from her chair and walked to the wheel. She spun it with all her strength and watched it stop on a pink area. She quickly went back to her seat and sat down. Monty Mole looked at a sheet of paper and nodded to himself.

"Good, this challenge is called 'Another Memory'. The goal is simple : all of you will have to exchange journals for the whole episode. Additionally, you are forbidden to change anything of what had already been written by the owner of the journal, you can't deteriorate his or her journal either. You can, however, write down your own thoughts in their journal. If nobody breaks any rule by the next execution, the money will be added to your team pot," explained Monty Mole carefully.

"Do we get to choose who gets our journal?" asked Noki hopefully.

"Of course...not. Otherwise, it wouldn't be funny, would it?" grinned the host mischievously.

"What would the other challenges have been called?" wondered Jojora.

"I can answer that. For the blue area, there was a challenge called 'Embarrassing Secrets', in which I would have ripped out a random page of your journal and read it out loud. The other players would have had to guess which person was the author of the passage. Three correctly identified pages would result in your pot becoming bigger."

"And the other one?"

"The green area would have let you compete in a challenge called 'Reduced to Shreds', in which you would have had to rip ten pages out of your journals in total to get ten thousand coins richer," the host responded.

"At least we didn't get the worse challenge," breathed Toad in relief.

"So? What will you do?" smiled the host as he laced his fingers together.

The players looked at each other, weighing down their options.

It wouldn't be an easy challenge.

The players have a crucial decision to make! What will they do? I wonder... ^^

I would like to thank the five individuals who were kind enough to vote on the poll located on my profile. I would be more than happy if some other readers were to vote too, unfortunately, I'm not sure you can vote if you aren't registered. I will reveal the results of the poll once this episode has finished. ^^

As always, reviews are much appreciated, be they negative or positive. Thank you for reading and sorry for the long wait! This chapter is slightly longer than the ones I usually publish (except for the execution chapters which are often incredibly long).

Until next time! ^^