Episode 5 begins! Enjoy! Phew, finally, no? X.x

Episode 5

The Mole's game narrows down, and only six are left. After last night's grueling execution, it was Diddy who failed to be saved as he faced elimination. He was the most enthusiastic player without a doubt, his dedication to the game being far stronger than any of the others. But now that he's gone, everything of him has vanished. Six players continue this game like the bullets in a revolver, slowly firing one by one. But of course, one bullet is a dud, the one unable to leave this game by any means. A trick to the others: The Mole.

Luvbi

Surname: Nimbis

Birthday: May 5

Occupation: Harpist/Oracle

Wario

Surname: Garlimo

Birthday: September 29

Occupation: Moneylender/Explorer

Vivian

Surname: Shadens

Birthday: October 4

Occupation: Visual Display Artist

Yoshi

Surname: Dino

Birthday: April 13

Occupation: Fruiterer/Waiter

Bobbery

Surname: Keelers

Birthday: August 17

Occupation: Admiral

Goombella

Surname: Frankster

Birthday: April 16

Occupation: Archeologist

Goombella: Oh, my gosh. There goes my coalition with Diddy. Just when Diddy and I began to know we could trust each other, one of us leaves the game. Just twist after twist, isn't it?

Wario: I am just lost at the moment. I thought Diddy was going to make it farther, not be executed at an early episode just like last night.

Bobbery: Diddy had a lot of potential as a player. It's a shame knowing that certain people were meant for certain things, but unfortunately are cut short.

Vivian: I feel like I'm slowly being fixed into this game. I really don't like how everything I know is changing around me, but I guess it has to.

Yoshi: Since this is a new episode, we have to remember everything we know and see. Absorb info like a sponge.

Luvbi: I'm glad I'm alive. I didn't need to be saved to enter into this fifth round. If someone thought I wasn't trustworthy enough to be saved, then I guess he found himself out of this game.

Breakfast was well prepared, causing the disorganized supper of last night to be quickly forgotten. The food on the table neutralized the aroma of the fishy port, setting an appropriate breakfast room with a good scent for the six players. But as they arrived to see their assortment of food, one other object on the table caught their attention for the fact that it did not belong among a variety of culinary visuals: a camera.

"A camera on our breakfast table," Bobbery stated, as they all looked at it, taking their seats one by one.

"Is it a video camera?" Vivian said cautiously. The others continued to look at the device. It was a digital camera, block-shaped with its lense protruding out from its body.

Luvbi: Obviously, this was not just going to be disregarded. Even a piece of green lint on a table is significant, when playing this game.

"What is this thing anyway?" Wario questioned, picking it up. Finding no use for it, he wrapped the hanging neck strap around the device, then set it back on the table, as the players continued to direct no more attention to it.

"Perhaps our mission has begun," Luvbi considered, eating a fish-shaped croissant. "Maybe the camera holds clues for all of us."

"Oh, apologies," came the host's voice, coming from behind, swooping over Vivian to grab the camera. "This is mine. Enjoy your breakfast."

"Mmhmm," said Goombella, not bothering to take her eyes off the host as he put the camera around his own neck.

The players packed their bags to their next location. Ricco Harbor was never to be visited again, something that didn't disfavor to any of the players at all, especially since that location held a terrible aroma and held the location for one of their most corrupt missions. Still feeling the aftermath of Diddy's execution, the players could only sit in lessened silence as the boat traveled further to the game's next location.

"Well," Luvbi decided to speak up to break the continuous. "We're a group of cutthroats, aren't we?"

"What do you mean?" Vivian asked her, confused.

"Yesterday, we showed more true colors," Luvbi pointed out, "didn't we?" Goombella looked slightly at Wario, then to the ground.

"Well, it was a game," Goombella defended, as Yoshi nodded with agreement.

"That's the same excuse I used!" Wario spoke up, probably grumpy with the fact that it was the early hours of the days. Bobbery was looking out to sea, but listened to everything being said.

Bobbery: We used to be ten companions. From personal analyzation, it's a bit apparent that the less people there are in the game, the more vicious we become.

"Well, a game is a game," Bobbery told them. "But morals shouldn't change within a game. Like, when offered to grab an exemption as an example. Goombella, you'd probably refuse it. Luvbi, you'd take it without a tint of hesitation." As Goombella nodded, Luvbi looked offended.

"Oh, fibs," Luvbi said to him. "I only grab exemptions in reach."

"Well, you're right about reach," Wario said with a snicker. "Reaching for Diddy's pocket to steal an exemption that didn't even count for you." Luvbi glared at him.

"I see no use looking into the past," said Yoshi. "Today's a brand new day. The Earth made a cycle, right?"

"You're right," Goombella said, taking a small sigh. "There's no use looking into the past, especially right now."

"Well, I'm always keeping the past in my possession," said Bobbery. His voice has the sound of reassurance as he gave his journal the gentlest and most thankful of pats.

The players were brought to a remote side of Isle Delfino, to a gigantic land piece that hid a majority of what lay inside. After a complex entrance into the area involving the usage of a tour guide and the host's map, the players could barely comprehend the village they had entered: a large crater had apparently sunk into the mountain range, and from it grew a tree of enormous measure. The platform that branched out from the sides of the tree was where a whole miniature village was located, and in the very middle, a tree protruded that bared resemblance to the heads of the species they had encountered far too many times during their adventure.

"That tree looks oddly in resemblance to a Pianta head," Bobbery realized, looking ahead at the village's tallest existing object.

"Well, it's no surprise," McHallyboo said to them. "This is Pianta Village."

"By all means," Bobbery said with surprise, remembering a mention of the village itself.

"This place is so weird," Vivian said, looking down and noticing mushrooms in an array of color under the village platform. In front of them was the bridge to enter into this unfamiliar civilized living, one of proportionate wonders to them. As they crossed the bridge though, they came to the traditional village life and realized that it was no different than any other part of Isle Delfino. Mushroom littered the area and served as shade for the tired, and bamboo constructions served as building blocks for the small town. The players smiled, liking the location for their next game.

"I bet this place would look so much prettier at night," Goombella imagined, looking slowly at the sun that was blocked by the huge leaves of the towering tree. Piantas walked and ran the path, most of them eyeing the new visitors with curiosity.

"So let me guess," Wario said, looking around their area. "We're going to be taking pictures of something? Hopefully not a Pianta."

"Pictures?" said Yoshi.

"The camera, remember" Wario said, shrugging. "I'm just guessing."

"Well, before we get to our game, I'd like to make a little analysis," McHallyboo said, turning to them and acting as a blockade to prevent any of the players from taking a step more into the village.

"We're here at Episode 5," he said to them. "Four grueling executions, and the six of you still remain."

"Obviously and fortunately," Luvbi confirmed.

"But of course," continued the host, a small gleam appearing in his eyes, "one of you is the Mole, making it to the end. Of course, the Mole has to be of high intelligence. Possibly a university student with advantages." As his eyes turned to Goombella, the eyes of the surrounding players as well turned to the individual, who was caught off guard by the actions of her peers.

"O...kay," Goombella said, letting out a laugh and swirling her ponytail around.

"Or, perhaps the image of someone who is quite the opposite," McHallyboo said, as they all looked at him with confusion.

"Someone who is loaded with a sense of greed and therefore isn't here for the money," he continued. "Someone who just doesn't appear to be it." All players turned to Wario, who looked back at the host hard.

"Or could it be one from old money, and living quite high from the rest of us and possibly the saboteur?" considered McHallyboo, as Luvbi stood straight in her spot, her eyes diverting from the host to the players around her.

"A dinosaur, doing a job of harm rather than helping?" Yoshi tilted his head to one side and looked at the host as well.

"How about someone who can have the will and capacity to sail to a place like this, gaining respect in more than one way?" McHallyboo spoke out, as Bobbery gave a nod and a grin to the host, realizing his sentence had come up.

"And a player, as innocent as she may seem," McHallyboo said, as Vivian looked at the ground quickly, smiling. McHallyboo smiled as well.

"But of course, that's not something for me to ponder about," he finished. "Now, let's introduce the next game, shall we? Before we begin and choose your very important roles, I'd like to mention that one of you has the possibility of gaining an exemption this very mission."

"Heh, choose roles," Wario spoke up, imitating a previous player. "Luvbi, you get the exemption. Yoshi, roam the place. Bobbery, sail around the world." The others laughed with recent remembrance, nodding and amused.

Goombella: With Diddy gone, it just changes the game a lot. He was almost our leader, so the game was definitely a step different than before.

"The player who will take the role as exemption hunter is the player who was first to touch the camera at this morning's breakfast," McHallyboo pointed out. The players looked at each other, none of them completely sure of the answer but the Mole.

"That was...Goombella?" Yoshi said, fingers pointing everywhere. "Wario? Me?"

"I barely even remember the camera at all," Vivian admitted.

"It was indeed Wario," the host announced, as Wario's face turned into a surprised but thankful grin. "Wario, your job in this game is the role of Camera Hunter. Congratulations, because that role is exemption-worthy for this mission."

"All right!" the man in yellow bellowed, taking a camera from McHallyboo, as the others all looked at him with a tint of jealousy.

"For the rest of you, you'll all be in a team and play the main part of this mission," McHallyboo explained. "I want one person who is helpful from above, someone who is helpful from below, and three camera shy people."

"Helpful from above," Bobbery said immediately, turning to Luvbi. "Volunteer yourself."

"I'm afraid I'm too knowledged for this game to do that," Luvbi said, shaking her head.

"What does that mean? Goombella asked, baffled and laughing.

"Can I be a camera shy?" Yoshi volunteered.

"What I'm saying is, the roles are definitely not as they seem," Luvbi continued. "Episode 3: those who volunteered not to work ended up working. It's been constant like that."

"All right, then," Bobbery reconsidered, "Would you like to be the person who is helpful from below?"

"Gladly," Luvbi confirmed.

"I'll be camera shy with Yoshi," Vivian said out loud, going over to his side.

"I guess I'll be helpful from above," Goombella spoke, volunteering herself. Bobbery went over to join the camera trio.

"Well, roles are set," McHallyboo said gladly. "This mission is called Snap to See, and it'll involve a wild goose chase around this village. Those who volunteered to be camera shy: you will be the photographers. Your objective is to bring me six certain photographs before the half-hour time limit is over." The players grinned, a bit excited but completely unsure of their game. Wario's grin shined more than the others with the most excitement.

"Luvbi, you will be down at the mushrooms," said the host. "Attached to a cable, you will have to make your hops from fungi to fungi and retrieve Picture Objectives.."

"Hopping on mushrooms?" Vivian said, giggling, while Luvbi rolled her eyes.

"The Mole in Season 1 wasn't truthful," McHallyboo added, "but she's the only truth in this second season." Luvbi nodded carefully as the host turned to Goombella.

"Picture Objectives must be relayed to Goombella," the host continued. "Goombella, you will be up on that yellow mushroom of sparkling gold." They all turned in the direction of McHallyboo's point, as Goombella nodded.

"Goombella, you will have a walkie talkie that connects to the earpieces of all three photographers. You must relay the Picture Objectives descriptions achieved by Luvbi to them, to direct them to exactly what photographs they need. For each successful Picture Objective taken by a photographer, 5,000 coins will be added to the pot. There are six total Picture Objectives that could be acquired. However, it won't be that easy." McHallyboo then turned to Wario.

"Wario, you will be holding the camera from this morning," the host explained. "It's peripheral vision is indeed more magnified than the others. Your job is to hunt down these three photographers by chasing them and taking pictures of them. Once a photographer and their complete body is snapshotted, they're out of the game. If you manage to snap down all three within thirty minutes, you will earn an exemption."

"Nice!" Wario said with a more than pleased look, as the team of five shook their heads with dissent.

"But, hold it," McHallyboo said, taking something from his coat pocket. Resembling glasses, the device was a pair of goggles with a blinking chip at its very top, giving off an overall mechanized appearance that unsettled Wario.

"You will be wearing these," McHallyboo added. "Those goggles will be hooked to your camera. Every time to take a snapshot, the lenses will be obstructed for a full three minutes. In other words, you'll be in pitch black for three minutes every time you take a snapshot, and you will not be able to take any pictures." The other players laughed, feeling a bit of relief for the objective of the game. Wario took the goggles and put them on with a smirk, still with the same confidence.

"Got it?" All players nodded.

Yoshi: I looked at Wario and his eyes were yelling at me, "This exemption is already mine!"

Goombella: It was up to me to just bring our whole team together. I was connecting the gap between everybody, so when McHallyboo was explaining the rules, I knew it all relied on me.

The mission was set to start. Fortunately for everyone, the sun was at its brightest moment, giving a wide view of where everything was. In this case, a player could spot everything, from a secluded area within the village to a running player holding your chance at an exemption. McHallyboo had Wario turned around, facing away from the village, as the three photographers held their small-sized cameras in their hands and took their stance, ready to run off at any moment.

"You will have a thirty second head-start before Wario," McHallyboo said, raising a white flag. "Are you ready!" Bobbery nodded, then Vivian, then finally Yoshi.

"Get ready, set...go!" The three of them ran off, their directions scattered at first until Bobbery gave out an audible grunt of disagreement to catch the attention of his two teammates.

"We can't just run about like chickens!" Bobbery pointed out. "These village is not easy to maneuver."

"Then what are we going to do?" Vivian said, feeling her ear piece and looking up at the yellow mushroom with Goombella upon it, who gave them a nod.

"How about we split?" Yoshi told them. "If we split, then Wario can't get us all."

"Suggestion taken," Bobbery said. "Then we'll wait on Luvbi to find her objectives." With a nod, the three of them went towards their only possible routes, each player taking one for him or herself: the left path, the right, and through the middle.

"Go!" came McHallyboo's voice from below. As Wario headed off from his spot, Goombella looked down at him from above with a nervous look. With a flick of static, she felt her ear piece become activated.

"Wait, who is this?"

"It's me. I'm far below all of you." Luvbi, strapped into a harness that connected itself to a cord, was aboard the first mushroom in the array that existed below. Peering down over the edge, she felt a bit of queasiness as she witnessed the area of abyss that she would have to jump over, to go from one overlarged mushroom to the other. On the platform of each mushroom was a glass container.

"Luvbi, we need the first Picture Objective!" Goombella realized. "Hoe do you get it?"

"I would achieve it by...forcefully jumping with this cord," Luvbi explained to her, looking up at where her harness connected to, "which obviously isn't the most nonchalant action I can take."

"Come on, we need you," said Goombella. "Wario's already off to get the photographers!" Luvbi looked hesitantly at the gap between the starting mushroom she was standing on to the pink one ahead of her.

"Luvbi, try jumping up," suggested Goombella. "How does it work with the cord?" As Luvbi gave it an attempt, her entire body was lifted, making her realize that her jump had been magnified by at least three times its length.

"More comforting," Luvbi said, then hesitantly, took her first jump to the first mushroom. Though frightened, her moon-like jump enabled a safe reach to the mushroom. Luvbi grabbed onto the glass pedastal for support, then looked at it: their first picture objective was encased inside

"I think I found what we need," she told Goombella, then tried lifting off the cap. The glass didn't budge as Luvbi continued to struggle with the glass stand, the piece of paper still within its box.

"Goombella...this won't open," Luvbi said, her voice with confusion. "The picture objective is inside the glass but it won't open."

"Can you see through the glass and read the Picture Objective?" Goombella asked.

"No, the paper is face down," Luvbi said, aggravation in her voice. "Why isn't this opening!" Goombella was perplexed, looked with worry as Wario began to make his path across the village.

Goombella: Luvbi was having trouble getting our first picture objective. As Wario headed off to find the others, my mind just entered a whole new level of panic.

"Oh." Luvbi looked to over at the side of the glass container and saw a red handle, as Luvbi pulled up on it. The glass container opened easily and the paper was immediately attainable.

"This is a joke," she said with a smile, still perplexed.

"What?"

"Oh Goombella, I was being narrow minded," Luvbi said with a roll of her eyes. "But this is the first picture objective! Listen as I read."

You make your way to an empty pond: a symbol of a sun inscribed into the tree above is what you need.

"Okay, repeat that into my earpiece as I relay this to the other three," Goombella ordered, grabbing a walkie talkie by her feet.

"Goombella!" came the voice of Yoshi. From behind a raised piece of land, Yoshi waved at her, visible but hidden in view from Wario.

"Yoshi, this is the first picture objective," Goombella told him. "At the empty pond, there's a sun symbol inscribed into the tree above it. Get a picture of that!"

"I'll get to it," Bobbery spoke up, his voice being heard. As Wario passed directly under her, Yoshi ducked away. From behind the large tree, Bobbery peeked to the side and saw the player with the hunting camera go right passed him, to the south side of the village. Goombella giggled as the two teammates shared a smile of confidence, then motioned for Bobbery to hide back.

"Oh no," Vivian said from her position. She was on the west side of the village among an garden of tall grass plants, and due to her slim body, covered her with its high greenness as she lay down. Even Goombella had trouble picking her out in view.

"Vivian?" came a voice to her ear piece.

"He...hello?" she replied with surprise. "Who is this?"

"Bobbery," came the voice. "All our earpieces and walkie-talkies are interconnected. Even Goombella can hear what we're saying."

"Shh," Vivian replied nervously. "Wario can hear me if I talk. I think I might just stay silent for now."

"Where are you?" he hissed. "I'm at the tree." Vivian raised her head and looked just enough to see a part of Bobbery's body, emerging from the side of the giant stump as he gave a look of confirmation,

"Oh!" Vivian realized. "You're right besides our first picture objective! You can get it!"

"Gah!" The two of them winced as a loud shout was emitted from their ear pieces. Walking into view was Yoshi, stumbling into the center of the village as he looked backwards. A few seconds later Wario came into view, his goggles no longer clear but the color of pitch black. He took slow steps, and everyone knew that he had taken a snapshot. Suddenly, a voice started to speak, from every single source of audio technology within the village.

"Hi players," said McHallyboo, talking into his special walkie-talkie. "I just received Wario's picture, and Wario, I'm afraid you only caught of a picture of Yoshi's leg. That means that all three Photographers are still alive."

"Booyah!" shouted Yoshi, as Wario let out a growl, sitting down on the ground. With the area secure, Bobbery immediately came out from behind the tree and faced up, getting a view of the sun design enscribed onto the tree. He took his first picture.

Snapshots: 1/6

"Yes!" said Goombella from her yellow mushroom, seeing Bobbery's action. "That's number one!" She picked up her other walkie talkie.

"Luvbi, you got the second picture objective already?"

"For heaven's sakes, I'm still on the first mushroom!" Luvbi replied.

"Hurry to the second! We need as many as we can!" Doing her job again, Luvbi took her aided leap with the cord above her and landed on he second mushroom, another of pink color. This time, she easily opened the container via red handle and got the second piece of paper.

Go onwards and enter and find a fruit, and place it down a vertical corridor. Snap the lonely (and rather destroyed) fruit.

"That's a weird one," Goombella said. Being smart, she placed the walkie talkie in connection with Luvbi right against her other one, enabling all five players in their team to hear the Picture Objective at once.

"There," Yoshi said quietly, pointing to a dome-shaped tree nearby on the multi-raised platform.

"Vivian!" Bobbery said, looking at her direction. "Come out! Wario's been blinded!"

"He's only going to be blind for three minutes!" she replied. "I think I'll just stay here."

"And I'll get you," growled Wario, a mere feet away from both Bobbery and Yoshi. "Get you all. By thirty minutes, you'll all be captured."

"You can't see me," chanted Yoshi, walking around Wario in circles, as the disabled player gave about dirty looks.

"Yoshi, we need to make it to the fruit tree," Bobbery said out loud, "That's where our next objective is." Silently, they tip-toed away, making sure that Wario got no hint of their next direction. Reaching their location, they climbed a series of raised land platforms until they were level with the tree. Ducking down, they all saw the array of fruits, each hanging so low that they were just inches from touching the ground. Yoshi grabbed a pear and pulled it off from its branch.

"Do you think a pear would be good?" he asked.

"The objective said 'fruit', so as long as we don't get multiple fruits like bananas, then I would assume it fine," Bobbery pointed out.

"Goombella, what do we do now?" Yoshi asked, looking around. But they both knew the answer as they turned to the side, catching into notice a square hole just a few feet away. Upon getting closer, they peered down at the long vertical corridor that extended to at least twenty feet into the center of the village.

"We throw it down here," Bobbery realized. "And take a picture. Simple as that. A lonely and destroyed fruit."

"That sounds right," Goombella said, nodding and speaking into their earphones. "Throw it down and snap the lonely fruit!" Yoshi held the pear above the open air and dropped it, as the fruit fell to the grating floor, splattering and leaving yellow ick that had splattered onto the sides of the pit. Yoshi looked down and snapped the picture with his camera.

Snapshots: 2/6

"Two!" Goombella said happily. "We're at a roll! And no one is down yet! Luvbi, get the next Picture-"

They all heard a snap, much louder than the one before. Upon looking at the source of sound and light, Bobbery looked with disbelief at Wario, peeking from under the edge of the platform step that lead to the fruit tree. His eyes were blocked with the color of black, but his smile gleamed at them.

"Thanks for giving your location away," Wario said, looking directly at the admiral, in the same direction he had taken his fatal picture.

"One down," came McHallyboo's voice to all ear pieces among the entire village. "Bobbery is out." As the host's message was delivered, the timer ticked near to twenty minutes: the perfect ratio of time to catch all three players and finish the game.

Oh snap! (no pun intended, heh). The mission goes on, as Episode 5 makes its start. Only six players exist. Who's innocent? And who is just plain suspicious in your eyes?

A happy holidays to all! Hopefully I can finish a majority of this episode this Christmas break. But don't kill me though T_T After all, it's the time for giving...well, at least not the giving of violent measures and actions towards a procrastinating author. Gahh, please nooo.

Stay tuned for soon! :)