Shilo Burbans (1) : Yeah, usually, there are many acts of sabotage during the three questions game, as well as lots of mistakes, but that's understandable since there's a Mole in the group and everything. I lol'd at your list, mainly at what was written between the parenthesis. XD Thank you for your review. ^^
Cyan Comet (1) : Don't worry, short reviews are reviews and as such, they are really appreciated ! ^^ I see that you've basically chosen as your Mole. ^^
Krisetchers : Yeah, true, I like controversy myself. XD As for Bootler's story, I've always wondered why, in Paper Mario, there was a reference to youth when it concerned Boo because I thought that ghosts were immortal and ageless, so I decided to write a little 'backstory'. It's always fun to make sense of a universe which doesn't make much sense to begin with. Well, I'd rather credit you, because it's your idea, and also because I would feel bad 'stealing' from your stories, which are awesome.
Cyan Comet (2) : Haha, you didn't need to make such a long review if you didn't want to. XD Mmmh, from your post, I can safely deduce the character you want to see win this game. Thank you so much for your last comment, but there are better stories out there, I'm sure of it. ^^
Champ (1) : Thanks for your review, and I'm actually quite excited myself to finish this story, because I really want to detail the players' strategies and everything that went on behind the scenes. I liked the fact that you sent in your quiz. XD I would have liked to suggest reviewers to do that for the final episode, but then I wouldn't be able to do much with speed ties and people woud be able to read the previous chapters to be reminded of who did what, which is pretty natural. + Sorry for Jojora, but looking at the reviews, I saw that she was basically always unsuspected so... And to say that she was the original winner of this story. XD
Champ (2) : Yeah, the Three questions game is hard, but that's what makes it fun, though I must say people take things too seriously sometimes. But hey, if you're the Mole, then you can pretend to be angry, to sabotage, lol.
Champ (3) : Yup, big failure. Most of the time, I like to mitigate the damages, but not this time. And normally, they should be able to add enough money to the pot so that they can reach 200 000 coins. Normally.
Cyan Comet (3) & (4) : I was curious as to what you had discovered, but then you said that you misinterpreted things. Oh well, don't worry, I bet you've already found clues. ^^
Shilo Burbans (2) : But didn't the character you mentioned in your review fail right before the final 3? A little like how you know who was played right before the final in the second season of the Mole US.
Person With A Question : Yes, I do have fake clues, though I don't really remember all of them. There might also be coincidences. Because sometimes, I'll write some parts of the story normally, without any clue, and then someone will point out that there's a clue in this passage. People already pointed things in my second French story. Things that were misinterpreted but that led them to the real Mole, lol. As to your question, the correct answer is : 'Tu as un stylo.' because 'stylo/pen' is a masculine word. Your second proposition is false because it is missing the verb 'as' which is 'avoir' conjugated at the second person of the singular. I hope I helped you. ^^
Previously, on the Mole, the players had begun the first challenge of the last episode, called 'The Three Questions Game'. After they had failed the first round, with Noki and Toad trying to answer the questions to find Bootler, it was time for the inhabitant of Isle Delfino to hide herself. Bootler and Toad often disagreed with each other when they answered the questions, and ultimately failed to reach Noki as they had made a mistake at the first junction. Afterward, Toad was the last one to hide while Bootler and Noki were to find where he was hidden. They also failed because Toad had apparently answered a question in a controversial way, which meant that the players won no coin at all during the challenge. Thankfully, two more challenges were awaiting them. Would they add money to the pot?
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
30 : Cradle of Knowledge
Monty Mole and the three remaining players, Bootler, Noki and Toad, emerged from Gate Seven, looking pleased despite the loss of the challenge they had played only earlier during the day. As per usual, Monty Mole was leading the group, his face concealed from the players' eyes. Behind him, the final three players were chatting happily.
"I can't believe it," Noki giggled heartily. "We're almost done with this game! I never thought I would say this, but I'm going to miss the action and everything once it's over!"
"Yeah!" Toad confirmed enthusiastically. "To think that we only have one more challenge... It's crazy, right?" Monty Mole smiled ever so slightly at this remark.
Bootler nodded. "Yes, you are quite right, Toad. Even though we will all miss this game, all good things have an end! Besides, I cannot speak for you two, but I wish to return to Boo Mansion. I am a little homesick." The Boo shielded his eyes with his hand. "Oh, if only this sun would stop being so bright!"
Noki and Toad chuckled, soon joined by Monty Mole.
Bootler : I admit that I want this game to end soon, because I miss Boo Mansion and more particularly Lady Bow, however, at the same time, I wish it would never end. After living with them for so long, it is almost as if Noki, Toad and Monty Mole were part of my family. I will definitely miss them once we have finished our adventure.
"Mmmh, Monty, where are we going?" Toad wondered aloud, startling the host. The mole did not bother to turn toward him.
"We're going nowhere, actually. You guys are just following me like stalkers," Monty Mole joked merrily, earning a laugh from the competitors. "Seriously, you are free to do whatever you want. But!" he exclaimed suddenly, facing the players with a stern look on his face, "I want you all at our usual meeting place at seven PM sharp. Terrible consequences await you if you arrive late," he warned.
Noki : At this point of the game, we've all understood that when we don't follow the rules, the team is penalized. Since we're this close to the end of the game, it would be useless to break those rules just to seem suspicious, especially when the consequences involve the loss of money. We all have our own suspect, and we will all answer accordingly tomorrow. Assuming that the final quiz is tomorrow.
Wit nothing better to do than hang out together in Pipetown, the three remaining players decided to take advantage of their free time to relax together. They knew the game was finally reaching its end, and with everyone having their definite suspect, there were no tensions, just three friends who had survived the whole duration of this festive vacation.
"Well, what do you guys want to do?" Noki questioned.
"Hmm... I really don't know," Toad shrugged. "What is there to do, anyways?"
Bootler suggested his idea. "I suppose we could buy souvenirs for our friends, families and even for ourselves, for I doubt we will have the occasion to do so later on. I can feel it, our last challenge is going to happen very soon," he explained, nodding to himself.
"Okay! Actually, I kind of like the idea," Noki beamed happily. "That reminds me of trips, when we were at school. Always toward the end of those trips, we would be allowed to squander our money on bibelots or ornaments," she recalled.
"Cool!" Toad exclaimed. "Then it's settled, let's buy things we don't need!" He earned a laugh from his teammates. "Does anyone have a map?"
"I don't," replied Noki.
"Neither do I," Bootler answered in the same fashion. Toad sighed.
"Well, I guess we should head to our hotel. I have a map in my luggage."
Noki and Bootler agreed and together, they made their way toward their hotel. There, they saw Monty Mole seated at a table, enjoying a fresh lemonade and reading a large book. As he spotted them, he waved warmly.
"So you decided to walk straight home? I didn't know you were so afraid of the terrible consequences I mentioned earlier," the host declared mysteriously.
"Nah, it's nothing of the sort. We're here so that I can retrieve a map from my room," Toad replied. He excused himself from the scene and ran toward his room, hurriedly, while Monty Mole shrugged and went back to his book.
"Good book?" Noki tried to make small talk with the host.
"Oh yes, it's very interesting," Monty Mole answered politely.
"I bet it's a mystery novel!" Noki assumed, pointing her finger at the host, accusingly.
"Not quite," he smiled. "However, it's definitely a book everyone should know. Especially me, since I'm linked to the author, in a bizarre sort of way."
"Oh, I see," Noki whispered, a small smile gracing her features. She decided to stay here with her conversation as she did not want to disrupt the host anymore. Meanwhile, Bootler squinted his eyes to see the title of the book, to no avail.
Bootler : I was contemplating the idea that the host reading a book might have been a clue pointing to the Mole's identity, as he said there was a bizarre link tying him to its author, however, as far as I know, none of us has written a book. Furthermore, it would have been very impolite to interrupt him further, so I decided to drop the subject. I assume I will see in due time whether it was a clue or not. However, the way he emphasized everything he said was still bothering me. His cryptic words did not help either.
Toad suddenly emerged from the entrance of the hotel, holding victoriously a map in his hand. "Hey, I got it everyone! Here we go!"
"I'm not sure Mario would be very pleased if he heard that you'd stolen his catchphrase," Monty Mole pointed out, still reading his book.
Toad shrugged. "Well, what he doesn't know won't hurt him!"
…
"According to the map, we should be here," Toad trailed off, looking at what was before him.
The players were standing before a huge swimming pool which had a dome-like structure instead of a commercial zone, the place they wanted to go to. Needless to say, the three players were confused, was the map lying to them?
The blue-shelled girl approached the building and looked around, trying to discover the location of the shops, while Bootler stayed behind with Toad. "I don't see anything... Is the map lying to us?"
Bootler scratched his chin. "Toad, may I see the map?" The mushroom boy gave it to him. "Thank you..." Bootler spent some time, looking intently at the map before folding it. "I do not know how you did it, Toad, but you misled us. We are definitely not where we were supposed to be. I take it that you are not good with directions?"
Toad shrugged and Noki came back. "Well, I found something fun to do while we're here!" she chirped gleefully.
"And what would that be?" Bootler wondered, eyebrow arched.
"Fortune telling!"
"I would have never guessed that you were into divination," Bootler chuckled lightly.
"It could be cool!" Toad agreed. "Let's give it a try! Maybe the fortune teller will be able to tell us who will win this game?"
"I would not get my hopes too high," Bootler advised, already considering the fact that the fortune teller could very well be a swindler.
The trio made its way toward the fortune teller's caravan and entered it. Inside, they could see a lot of strange ornaments situated on shelves, many curtains and veils with shades of blue and purple. On those materials were constellations. And the most important thing was located at the very center of the small caravan : a small table covered by a purple sheet on which was located a beautiful crystal ball. Strangely enough, the fortune teller was not present.
"I see," muttered the old butler. "So that is where she decided to exercise her job..."
"What do you mean, Bootler? You know something?" Toad inquired, curious as to his friend's declaration.
"Yes, as a matter of fact, I know the fortune teller. Let me call her." The Boo went to a shelf and retrieved a flashlight. He activated it and pointed the beam of light toward the crystal ball which began to glow brighter and brighter. Soon, the whole room was illuminated and a female ghost appeared on the other side of the table. "Good afternoon, Madame Clairvoya," Bootler bowed politely.
"Oh, Bootler, I see! What a surprise to see you here!" Madame Clairvoya greeted warmly. "What is it you seek to know?"
"Oh well, my friend, Noki-"
"Hi!" Noki waved shyly.
"-wanted us to see a fortune teller. You see, we are partaking in a game and we are the final three, so we wanted to consult you to know more about...our future," Bootler explained simply.
Toad nodded. "Yeah, like, who's going to win, and what's going to happen and stuff like that," he went on.
"Destiny chooses our paths, there is nothing you can do to avoid it. Do you still wish to know?" Madame Clairvoya asked, a mysterious tone in her voice.
"She's right," Toad pointed out, "do we?"
"I'm not sure anymore," Noki whispered, biting her nails. "I don't want to be disappointed."
Bootler shook his head. "It should not be an issue. Madame Clairvoya can only see up to forty nine days in the future. So even if we were to ask her who will win our game, she would be unable to respond."
"Indeed, that is correct," the female ghost confirmed. "I would also need something that you own to you read your future and give you details. However, I can also do normal fortune telling. I will not force you, take your time."
"Let's do the general thing, I say!" Toad suggested.
"Yes, do that," Madame Clairvoya agreed.
Toad sat at the opposite side of the table, followed by Noki and Bootler. "I'm Toad, by the way!"
"I know, the spirits told me."
"Huh... Okay..."
Madame Clairvoya looked intently at her crystal ball, before she spoke up. "Ah! I see! My orb tells me a great many things about your journey! Aaaah! The end is near and your morals are tested! What to do? What to do? I see a mole...with plenty of money... And a finish line! Harumm... Oooh! One for all or all for one? A final test of hard difficulty! Aaah! But even before that, I see a book! It threatens your friendship! I see, I see much money next to this book! Temptation creeps into you! Oooh! The spirits depart, I can see no more. This is all I can tell you."
"That was very...dramatic," Noki noted, smiling lightly. "But thank you nevertheless! I'll keep in mind what you told us for the remainder of our adventure."
Toad tilted his head to the side. "Apparently, our future challenges involve teamwork but if we're greedy, we'll lose them. Did I get that right?"
"I would assume so," Bootler answered as they exited Madame Clairvoya's caravan. "Now, there is something that is puzzling me. Madame Clairvoya spoke of a book which surely represented money, and earlier, we saw someone we know very well with a strange book. I would like to inspect Monty Mole's book. The way he talked about it seemed quite peculiar to me."
Noki stood against the caravan, an interested look on her face. "You're right! Monty didn't do anything to hide the fact that it was important!" Suddenly, she stopped beaming. "But I got a close look at his book. It was a normal book, no money was inside and it didn't seem like it was holding any secret."
"I'm totally lost," Toad could not help saying.
"Come on Toad!" Noki laughed, giving him a small push on the shoulders. "We're going back to the hotel to check Monty's book because Bootler thinks it's important." Toad shrugged and followed them.
"You know... The book she talked about could represent our journals," Toad mentioned, before stopping dead in his tracks. "Or... It could represent the Mole's journal!"
"Or," Noki went on, "our next challenge could simply involve books."
"Yes, I suppose we will see what it is in due time," Bootler finished.
…
Unfortunately for them, Monty Mole was gone when they arrived at their hotel. They looked for him everywhere, to no avail. They decided to use their remaining time to buy souvenirs like they had planned and came back fifteen minutes before their allotted time was over, ensuring that they would not lose money from the team pot.
"Well, that was fun!" Toad grinned.
"So true," Noki replied warmly. "I wonder, why we didn't do that sooner?"
"My guess would be that with all the alliances and the stress built up because of the game, we were focused on our main objective and thus, we could not really interact with each other. We did not have to either, because we were 'enemies' in a way," Bootler explicated once again. "Not to mention that we were quite divided, and that, from the very beginning of our adventure. Do you remember? Jojora brought a lot of unneeded tension between the protagonists of this game right after the first challenge."
"Don't remind me," Noki rolled her eyes, reminded of the fact that Jojora had made Flurrie's life horrible in The Mole.
Toad : It's funny how we were on opposite sides at the beginning, because it certainly doesn't feel this way anymore. We've grown to like each other a lot and to be honest, I feel like I've always known Noki and Bootler while in fact, I don't know them at all. It's kind of crazy.
The players had been waiting in the lounge for ten minutes when Monty Mole finally made his apparition. He motioned for them to follow him in the dining area.
"Well, players, we are on a tight schedule, so we'd better not waste any time," the host announced right off the bat. "We're going to have dinner first and then, we'll go straight to the location of our next challenge."
"I guess it's useless to try to get more information about the challenge?"
"Your guess is absolutely correct, Toad. Now, let's eat!" Monty Mole demanded, sitting at their usual table.
"I wonder why he is so impatient," Bootler could not help but whisper to Noki. The blue-shelled girl shrugged.
"I have a hypothesis. Maybe we're going to some place which will be closed if we don't hurry up," she replied in a hushed tone. The inhabitant of Delfino Island scanned the menu and made her choice. "I'll have lasagna," she told the waiter.
"Give me a mushroom omelette," Monty Mole ordered gently.
"Stuffed calamari, if you please," Bootler chose politely.
"And I'll take boiled beef with vegetables," Toad nodded to himself.
"And make it quick, we are in a hurry," Monty Mole added, smiling to the waiter.
Noki : It was pretty strange for Monty Mole to be in such a hurry, which made me think that our next mission would probably be timed. When you think about it, this is the only logical conclusion you can draw.
…
"Excellent!" exclaimed Monty Mole, on their way to their next destination. "We have more than enough time for this challenge!"
"Where are we headed?" Bootler inquired calmly. From the direction they were taking, the players could deduce that their challenge would not happen in any of the different party worlds.
Monty did not reply, instead he hummed a tune. Toad cast a glance toward their host, shrugging.
"That's weird, usually we don't have any challenge after dinner," Noki pointed out.
"I just hope it won't be tiring. I need my beauty sleep," Toad complained. Noki rolled her eyes.
"Come on, last challenge wasn't that hard," she commented, shaking her head.
Toad grinned. "Or was it? We've walked all day long, it's a wonder you're not tired yourself," the mushroom boy noted.
"Oh, you're right," she put her hand on her mouth, a look of realization crossing her face. Suddenly, Bootler put his palm on his face.
"I should have known," he muttered loud enough so that the others could hear him. "Of course, that was the clue."
Noki and Toad glanced at him, baffled. "What do you mean?" Noki asked.
"Well, see for yourselves," Bootler answered, pointing at the building they were facing.
"What do you-Oh!" Toad realized. "A library, huh?"
Monty Mole nodded and beckoned to them. They took that as their cue to follow him. They did so hastily and opened the door to the library which was really huge, at least to them. The library contained so much books that it had two floors, they were also tables disposed strategically, for people who were conducting researches. In spite of the late hours of the day, they were still many customers inside the building. Bootler, Noki and Toad observed the building, a look of uneasiness plastered on their faces.
"I have a bad feeling about this," Noki trailed off, voicing her friends' concern.
Bootler smiled slightly. "We can only hope it is not one of those needle in a haystack type of challenges."
"Fear not, Bootler, for your mental capacities will also be put to the test," Monty Mole winked slyly. "This, is your next challenge. Together, you will have to find books thanks to clues. In each book figures a clue leading to another book, the first one being given to you at the beginning of the challenge."
"That doesn't sound too bad," Toad crossed his arms, unimpressed.
"It depends on your perception of 'bad'," Monty retorted smartly. "You see, the clues will never give you an answer right away. Using your knowledge and wits, you'll have to uncover their true meaning. Once you've found their signification, you'll have to find another book and then you repeat everything until you found your last clue."
Noki smiled kindly. "Easy as pie!"
"Oh, really?" An imperceptible smirk made its way on Monty Mole's face. "What if I told you that your challenge is timed, and that you cannot speak with the employees?"
"Well, that complicates our affairs slightly," Bootler grumbled.
"What is this challenge's name, anyway?" Noki inquired.
"That, I can't tell you yet, not that it's really important. This challenge is worth twenty thousand coins. If you succeed in less than thirty minutes, the whole sum will be added to your pot. However, every ten minutes after this deadline, five thousand coins will be lost. It might be confusing, so I'll give you an example. Let's say that you finish the challenge forty five minutes after it started. Then you'll only earn ten thousand coins. Did you understand?" the host questioned.
"Yes," Noki confirmed.
"So in total, we have one hour," Toad calculated.
Bootler : Timed challenges are the worst kind, because no matter what happens, we must hurry and always go onward. Since we are pressed for time, we make stupid mistakes that we could normally avoid and we do not even realize it until it is too late. This was the only time I really did want to win. The other times, it did not matter that much.
Toad : Monty Mole was very vague and distant in his explanations, nothing he said corroborated Madame Clairvoya's vision, so I was kind of dubious. Was it really our last challenge?
Monty Mole acquiesced. "Indeed. While you can't talk to the employees, you can and probably will talk to the other people if you want to win, since you might need a little help in this big library."
"You can say that again," Toad grinned.
"You should always expect the unexpected," Monty added as a last advice. "Now, if everyone's ready, I'll give you the first clue. Any objection?" Nobody answered his question, so he assumed that there was indeed no objection. "Very well then, the challenge shall begin...now."
The host handed them a first slip of paper on which was written a clue, and walked toward one of the sections of the library to take a book. He nodded to himself and sat at a nearby table to begin his reading. The last remaining players followed him with their eyes, suspicious of their host.
"Well, maybe we should open it," Toad proposed, glancing at Bootler. The Boo opened it delicately and read its content, his face showing he was puzzled.
"Ah-hem... There are numbers : 'two, seven, eight, thirteen'. Whatever could that mean?"
Noki bit her nails, showing anxiousness. "Are you sure there isn't something else on it?"
"Certain," responded the ghost. "See for yourself." Noki inspected the note but found nothing else.
Meanwhile, Toad had decided to ask people some questions about this library. "Excuse me?" he asked a Sniffit.
"Yes?" The Sniffit was surprised. "Are you looking for something?"
"Well, yeah. I was wondering, do you often come to read books?"
"Yes, I do."
"Okay, so can I ask you some questions about this library? Like, I'm new here, and I don't know what kind of system they use to sort the books. Do you think you could tell me?"
The purple Sniffit smiled to the mushroom. "It's really easy, there's a call number on every book. The first number will either be one of two. With it, you can tell on which floor is located the book. Then, there's the section number. Basically, it tells you on which aisle you should find the book. If you look above you, you should see the numbers as well as what they represent. For example, in front of us," he pointed toward the sign he and Toad were facing, "we have the Greek aisle, with all kind of books dealing with Greek. The second-to-last number should help you put the book back where it belongs, since the aisles themselves are more defined."
"Thank you so much! You have no idea how much you helped me!" Toad waved before returning to his friends who were currently checking the aisle in which Monty Mole had borrowed a book.
"It's no use, we're doing something wrong," Noki whispered, shaking her head.
"Hey guys!" Toad exclaimed. "I asked someone and he told me a few things. Let's go find our first book."
"So you know where it is located?" Bootler wondered aloud, eyebrow raised.
"Yeah! My informant told me that numbers were use to classify the books in this library. Basically, the first number serves to locate on which floor the book should be, the second one determine the aisle and the third one, the category," Toad explained rapidly, going up the stairs two steps at a time.
"Oh! I see it!" Noki pointed to a sign and ran to it, followed closely by her peers. "Recipe books!"
The three players decided to go their separate ways to cover more ground, however, in the end, they did not find the eighth section.
"We might have overlooked it during our search," Bootler noted, his eyes closed. "Let us stay together, that way, if one of us misses a row, the others can still see it. What do you say?"
"I'm all for that suggestion!" Toad agreed enthusiastically. "But let's move, we're wasting time. We don't even know how many books there are."
Noki was looking particularly focused. "Eight... Eight... Eight! There it is!" she pointed at a peculiar part of the bookcase. Bootler, it was on your side."
Bootler frowned. "My apologies, I must have missed it."
Noki : It was odd for Bootler to miss such an obvious thing, since he always has an eye for details. I found that very out of character, but it would make sense if he were the Mole, since they only need to waste our time like that so we can lose. Honestly, that's the kind of mistake I would have expected from Toad.
"I have the book number thirteen!" Toad yelled. "It's called 'Tayce T.'s Secrets'."
"Open it, our clue should be inside," Bootler indicated.
"Right! So my clue is... I'm sorry, but I can't read this language..."
Noki beamed. "It has to do with dictionaries, then!"
Toad cleared his throat. "No, I just said that I couldn't read the clue."
"Oh," Noki blushed, realizing her mistake. She picked the paper from Toad's mouth and began to read it. "Okay, let me read. 'Le conte d'un meurtre dans des contrées glaciales par un célèbre auteur.'."
"And what would that mean?" Bootler inquired. Since he did not know any other language than English, he was at a loss.
Noki knitted her brows. "I can roughly translate it as 'tale of a murder in icy climes by a famous author.'. Do you have any idea as to what book it could be about?"
Toad : Without Noki we'd have had to translate the words ourselves, which would have taken a really long time. Is it that much of a stretch to assume that Noki's the Mole just because of that?
"I actually do," Bootler confirmed. "However... Knowing what it means is useless, unless we find a way to locate its position. I believe the book in question is named 'Murder at Shiver City' and was written by none other than the famous Herringway."
"Should we ask people about the book?" Noki suggested.
"I don't think so," Toad intervened. "Since we know there's a call number on each of the book, there's probably a computer or a machine on which we can make researches."
Bootler grinned. "Good logic! Let us explore the library."
"No, I think we should ask people around," Toad objected quickly. "We'd lose too much time if we didn't."
The three partners decided that it was their best option, and as such, they started interrogating the readers. One of them gave valuable information to the group. "Yeah, there are six computers in this library, three on each floor. On the first floor, they are near the entrance while on the second floor, they are at the back of the room. You know, so people won't be disturbed by the noise."
The little group chose to find the computers located on the second floor, and they managed to do it. Their informant did not lie, three computers were hidden and set back from the main room. Toad and Noki immediately sat before the machines while Bootler stood back, thinking the other two would have an easier time.
"Thanks to Bootler, it shouldn't take long," Toad remarked. "Apparently, this software is pretty easy to use. You just have to enter the name of the author or the name of their novel and you should have your results."
"And I just got it!"
"Me too!"
"So? What are the numbers?" Bootler questioned.
"First floor, aisle twenty four, section four and book fifty one," replied Noki and Toad at the same time.
Bootler nodded. "Shall we?" The others did not have to be asked twice, they tore down the stairs leading to the first floor and immediately started to look for aisle twenty four. While Noki and Bootler were walking around aimlessly, Toad decided to take another approach by interrogating people.
"Hi!" he greeted warmly, giving his best smile to a Toadette in a blue dress. "Could you tell me where aisle twenty four is? Please?"
"Sure," replied the friendly Toadette. She led him to the right place and waved once she had done so. Toad easily found the right book and took the clue from the last page.
Toad : I figured that it would be easier to just ask people where the books were located instead of looking for them by myself. Not to mention that it saved time.
It took him some time to find both Noki and Bootler who were at opposite sides of the library, but once he did, he gave them his clue.
"Interesting," mumbled Bootler while scratching his chin. "'A tale of an ace smashing his way to the top'... I wonder what it could deal with..."
"My guess is it deals with planes or something like that," Toad suggested.
"I don't know," Noki hesitated. "I think it deals with sports, but I'm not a fan of sports so I can't tell you anything else, unfortunately."
"From the way it is worded, we can safely infer that we are looking for a biography. The words 'ace' and 'smashing' would indicate that the person in question is someone who plays tennis," Bootler explained calmly.
"But Mario is the best tennis player of this world, and he doesn't have a biography," Toad pointed out smartly.
"Why yes, I know that," Bootler smiled kindly, before he stared at the piece of paper one more time. "However, Mario has always been at the top of the tennis league as far as I remember, hasn't he? Here, we are looking for someone who went from an unknown tennis player to the best player ever."
"Oh... Then... I guess it's Alex we're talking about. Someone who comes from another planet," Toad added.
"Let's return to the computers, we can find out more about this Alex there," Noki noted.
The three players climbed the stairs two steps at a time and rushed toward the computers, careful not to bump into anyone. In their precipitation, they had forgotten that there was another set of computers on the first floor. Noki sat down at the computer while the other two watched her from behind.
"So, does this Alex have a name?" Noki asked Toad, who replied by shaking his head.
"I doubt anyone here knows what his real name is... But since it's an autobiography, the computer must have some data available for his name. I think."
"Yes, it would make sense," Noki paused, typing rapidly on the keyboard. "And... There it is! Second floor, aisle seventeen, category one and book number thirty three."
"Alright, let's move!" the mushroom boy exclaimed.
The three remaining contestants located the right aisle as fast as they could, helped by a friendly regular. They were starting to move books aside to get a clearer look, when Toad's voice was heard.
"Hey guys, I kind of forgot the number of the category, do you remember?"
"I think it was around thirty," Bootler responded immediately. Noki nodded.
"The number was thirty three, to be exact. Do you think we should split up?"
"'Suppose so," Toad shrugged, starting with the left side of the aisle. "Well, I've the first category here, so obviously the book must be on the other side," he called out to his fellow players.
"And I have the thirty third category right in front of my eyes," Bootler announced. "However, there is no autobiography written by Alex..."
"Are we missing something...?"
"I'm going back to the computer," Noki informed them, "we might have made a mistake."
Bootler : I do not understand how Noki could have made such a mistake, since she was the one who made the research. It truly bothers me. And before you tell me that I did a mistake myself, let me explain that I never read the information displayed on the screen.
Noki returned five minutes later, breathing heavily. "We were wrong, thirty three was the book's number while one is the category, which basically means that Toad was standing before the book this whole time!"
"Hey! Don't go accusing me like that, I didn't look at the books, you can't blame me!" he crossed his arms.
Noki : This is just ridiculous. Toad was standing in front of this big book on which was written 'Tales of an Ace' and he still didn't see it? I have a hard time believing that. Add to this that Bootler confused me when he said the category number was thirty something, and you have two potential Moles.
"Well, let us look on the bright side, we have our book," the old butler relativized.
Toad nodded as he reached for the book. He opened it and flipped through the pages, hoping to find the slip of paper rather quickly, which he did. Putting the book back into place he read the clue. "'A glorious and epic play starring stars of our kingdom'... Okay, do you think they are talking about the Mushroom Kingdom here?"
"No... In my opinion this clue is about a play that took place in Party Land," Noki theorized. "We aren't in the Mushroom Kingdom after all."
"Yeah, but the stars of Party Land are the same than those of the Mushroom Kingdom," Toad countered. He opened his mouth suddenly, eyes wide open. "I know! During Mario Party Two, we presented a play which was well-received by the public – mostly because of the people that were playing a role in it, but who cares – and I know what this is!"
"That's wonderful! I didn't know you were an actor!" Noki beamed.
"Well, I was more of a narrator, if you know what I mean. But yeah, it was fun."
"Excellent," Bootler grinned. "You should remember its title then, right?"
"Well, err..."
"You don't mean...?" Noki sighed.
"Juts kidding, of course I know its title, I'm not that dumb," Toad smirked. "We called it 'Mario Party', a simple title for a simple play." The others nodded and together, the group made its way toward the computers.
After a few clicks here and there, Noki was able to determine the location of their next book. "Second floor, aisle four, category ten, book five," she enumerated slowly, so that Bootler and Toad would remember it.
They ran as fast as they could and luckily succeeded in finding the fourth aisle. With the correct numbers in their head, they found the book in no time. Noki shook the book and another piece of paper fell out. She retrieved it from the floor and read it to her peers. "'An Alien race invading the Mushroom Kingdom, who's to say this story is entirely fictive?'"
Bootler, Noki and Toad were all puzzled by this riddle. Bootler was the first to have an idea. "We should probably split up and question everyone in this library. Someone is bound to know something, I am sure of it."
"No, let's stay together. Last time we split up, we had a hard time meeting up and we lost valuable time," Noki refused, walking toward a stranger to their group. "Excuse me, would you happen to know a book dealing with the invasion of aliens in the Mushroom Kingdom?"
The Goomba she spoke with had a look of incredulity. "Huh, no. Why do you ask? It's for a survey or something?"
"No, for a game. Thanks for you time," she replied.
Bootler decided that it was good to investigate, and with a nod to himself, he walked to a table at which were seated scholar-looking Koopa. "Pardon me, good sirs, would you be so kind as to enlighten me about this riddle?" he questioned in a refined manner. The Koopa were somewhat surprised yet very interested.
"Well, what's your riddle?" one of them asked, eager to hear about it.
Bootler smiled. "This enigma should give me the title of a book, just so you know. Here I go : 'An Alien race invading the Mushroom Kingdom, who's to say this story is entirely fictive?'"
"Oh, that's hard one," replied the same Koopa. One of his friends suddenly let out a small yell.
"I know a book that fits this riddle like a glove! It's 'The Shroob Threat' by an author called Kylie Koopa, if memory serves me right."
Bootler's eyes widened. "Are you one hundred percent sure?" The other replied positively. "Thank you very much!"
Bootler floated to Noki and Toad and told them exactly what he had discovered. "We need to find 'The Shroob Threat', by Kylie Koopa."
"What? Are you serious? Kylie Koopa? As in, the Kylie Koopa? The first Mole?" A flabbergasted Toad blurted out.
"That is why my informant told me," Bootler confirmed, sending a smile to his helper. Noki clapped her hands together.
"Let's hurry, I'm pretty sure this is the last book we need to find. To the computer!"
The trio hurried toward the computers and for the final time, they entered the necessary information for their research. "Okay!" Noki began, "our last book is situated on the first floor, aisle four, category eight and book seven!"
They abandoned the computers and rushed downstairs as they knew their mission was timed. The three of them were able to find aisle four which contained Science-Fiction books and looked around to find the right one. It only took them a minute of two. Bootler grabbed the book from its shelf and flipped its pages expertly, finding the clue in a record time.
"What does it say?" Toad asked in a giddy way.
"'Congratulations, you found me! Or did you?' and that is all," Bootler summed up. "Are we done with our challenge?"
Toad frowned as he saw that something was wrong with the book. "Hey... What was this book doing here? The call number is showing a completely different location!" Noki put her hand to her mouth.
"You're right! But what could this mean...?"
"I think we need to go to where this book should be."
"Well, in view of the fact that were are quite at a loss, I say we should try Toad's suggestion," Bootler advised. They moved quickly and easily found the true location of the book they had with them, however, there was nothing that could help them there.
"What are we doing wrong?" Noki wondered aloud. The blue-shelled girl's eyes began to wander across the library until they met something conclusive. "Guys! I found her!" she yelled, jumping up and down, which was really out of character for her.
"Who?"
"The Mole!"
"Huh?"
"No time to explain, just follow me!" she ordered rather vehemently. Bootler and Toad complied, following her closely. They suddenly stopped as Noki grabbed a Koopa's arm, mouthing a victorious 'I found you!'.
The mysterious individual turned to them, a sly smirk on her face. Adjusting her green beret, she turned to face them. "Congratulations, you really did find me this time."
Bootler, Noki and Toad cheered lightly, careful not to disrupt the other people in the room.
"But your challenge isn't over yet," she twirled on the spot as she held something that looked like a book to them. Seeing their crestfallen faces, she laughed. "I'd like to interview each of you, one at a time! So, who's going first?"
Nobody was volunteering, so Bootler made the choice to go first. "I will."
"Cool! So you two, wait over there until I'm done with Bootler," she ordered, pointing toward the first floor. As Noki and Toad disappeared from her sight, she faced the Boo. "Do you see this book in my hands?" she teased him by waving it in front of his face. "This is the Mole's Dossier, the most precious item of this entire game."
"Why are you showing this to me?" Bootler inquired.
"I'm showing this to you, because it can be yours, for a shoestring. All you have to do is give me an estimation of its worth. How much is it worth in your opinion, money-wise?"
"It does not look like it is very big... Also, I wonder if there really is something of value in this book... Hmm... If I were to buy it, I would pay twenty thousand coins."
"Are you sure?"
Sorry for the long delay, but as I said in my previous author note, I had some exams (which I ended up not preparing for in the end). Now that they are out of the way, I can continue this story. I actually had written 80% of it before my exams but then I didn't find the courage to finish it. Until now, that is.
I'm honestly not sure if this really is a cliffhanger or not, to be honest. I think it would have been better if I had cut it with 'But your challenge isn't over yet' or the decision of the players, but whatever I guess.
As you might have noticed, this is very similar to how Krisetchers included the Mole's Dossier in his first story, so the credit goes to him, obviously. There's only a small change to his twist. And unfortunately, I am not a fan of 'we give you clues that will lead you to a location and first one there has the opportunity to get the journal' challenges, it makes me rage, particularly when a certain someone I didn't like got it during the fifth season of the Mole US and somehow managed to win the whole game.
Anyways, next part we'll see how much Bootler, Noki and Toad bade for the Mole's Dossier, I will actually upload some kind of dossier myself on my account, but as you've probably all noticed, links aren't available anymore on our profiles, so you will have to right click and copy/paste it into the research bar at the top of your screens if you wish to consult it. That will be some kind of mini-puzzle, by replacing the end of the link by something you'll be able to unlock a new page... I'll detail the procedure once I have uploaded all the pages. And we'll also see the beginning of our last challenge (it will obviously be longer than this one).
Also, it's now your last occasion to vote for a winner, your votes will definitely have an influence ^^.
Anyway, have a nice day and see you next time ! ^^