RECAP:

After completing his training with Merlon and receiving his master's full blessing, Junior raced off for Bowser's Castle; fearing the others might be in trouble. Meanwhile, Roy, Peach, Larry and Iggy were escorted by Corporal Paraplonk - a blacklisted minion of Bowser's army - under the promise that he would lead them to the master key. They quickly discovered however, that this was a trap as they found themselves trapped squarely in Eris's clutches.

Luckily, Junior arrived just in time to rescue his comrades. Together, they managed to fight off Eris, Morton, Lemmy, and Wendy and retreated for the airship. It was a narrow escape as Eris flooded the castle in a mysterious red water. In their darkest hour and as if by fate, Junior used his claw as the real master key they needed to start the engine and allow the ship to take flight.

Now the crew was headed for Sarasaland in search of Daisy. But what exactly was waiting for them there remained to be seen.

Leanna and Bowser sat at the booth near the table where Mario was resting peacefully. Neither one was quite sure what to say as they each quietly nursed their coffee. The woman examined the serious, troubled expression in Bowser's eyes, took a small sip of her drink, then spoke up at last.

"Before I say anything else, let's get one thing straight."

"What's that?" Bowser permitted with a neutral expression.

"Contemno and I have some history together. But it's not what you think. As a matter of fact, I can't stand him. I want the man dead, and I want to do it on my terms or not at all. So if you think there's any chance I could be deceiving you right now or that I might sell you out, you're dead wrong." Bowser shut his eyes and took a hardy swig of his beverage, burning his tongue slightly.

"It's gonna take more than that to earn my trust. But I admire you being so direct. I'll hear you out." Leanna nodded. "I take it you're not a real waitress then?" The woman paused, wondering where to begin.

"That obvious, huh?"

"Between the shotgun, the motorcycle, your weird little voodoo you just did on Mario a little while ago, and the fact that you seem pretty well-acquainted with Contemno, let's just call it a hunch."

"Sounds like you've got me pegged. You're right, I'm not a real waitress. I know my way around a stove and a recipe book. But other than that, it's all a cover story. My diner's just a gig; something to keep Contemno's eyes off me when he's in the area."

"But what about your customers?" Bowser asked.

"I never get any. You and your mustached friend over there were the first real patrons I've ever had."

"I don't buy that. We saw tons of people out on the street on our way here. You can't honestly tell me that none of them have ever stopped by even once for a hot meal in this awful weather."

"Did you actually see those people, or just their coats and hats?"

"What does it matter?"

"They're not real people. They're illusions." Bowser choked on his coffee slightly, though it was subtle enough not to draw Leanna's attention.

"What do you mean?" Bowser asked.

"Think about what Contemno told you before. You're in his heart's kingdom right now," Leanna explained. "It's not the real world. It's a place he created entirely out of magic. How could real people just randomly live in a place like this?" Bowser stopped to consider such an idea.

"I…guess they couldn't. But what about you? Does that mean I'm just talking to an illusion right now too?" Leanna gripped her mug tightly and blew a sharp breath.

"If only that were true. I wish I could just leave this all behind and drop off the grid for good. Sometimes I wish I'd disappeared a long time ago..."

"Are you just gonna sit there and brood, or do you wanna answer my question?" This made Leanna smile slightly as a small laugh escaped her lips. Bowser's expression glowed with the same kind of subtle, light-hearted sentiment. It seemed they had a similar sense of humor at the very least.

"Oh I'm very real. I snuck into this place on my own, and I have my ways of coming and going as I please. Can't say the same for you. After all, you and your friend are just copies." Bowser's eyebrows rose.

"'Copies?'" he echoed. Leanna nodded.

"Yup. Contemno didn't actually drag you into his heart's kingdom, even if that's what he wants you to think. He just pulled your minds in here and created identical bodies to hold them while you're here."

"Ya lost me…" Leanna finished her drink, set down her mug, and sat up straight in her seat.

"Let me put it to you this way. What's the last thing you remember before waking up in this 'city?'" she asked.

Bowser explained his encounter with the Broodals when he and Rosalina were on the path to Shooting Star Summit. He recalled getting smothered in Spewart's purple liquid and losing consciousness sometime during the fight.

"That's probably when it happened then," said Leanna.

"When what happened?" Bowser pressed.

"Contemno locked you up somewhere in the real world while you were out cold. Right now, you're probably still there; stuck in a coma. While your body's out of commission in the real world, your mind is stuck here in Contemno's world."

"So...I'm just dreaming then?" Leanna shook her head.

"If it were that simple, you would've woken up in the real world already. My guess is, Contemno's got you under some kind of spell or curse that's forcing you to stay asleep no matter what. You can fall asleep, wake up, and run around as much as you want here in the heart kingdom. But no matter what, your body is stuck in a coma in reality. Same is probably true for your friend."

""He has a name."

"Right. 'Mario' was it?" Bowser nodded.

"Well, what about you? Are you in a coma then too?" Leanna stood up and brought the coffee pot over from behind the bar to refill her mug.

"Nope. It's the real me. There's a whole system to all of this, and I've got it figured out pretty well for the most part."

"Well, then you gotta help us somehow!" Bowser exclaimed as Leanna topped off his drink. "How do we get our minds back into our bodies? How do we wake up?"

"Simple, you just have to leave Contemno's heart kingdom. Then your mind will go back to your body and you can wake up; provided there's someone there to lift the curse that's keeping you asleep on the other side beforehand."

"Get out? You mean like, get out of the city?" Leanna shook her head.

"No. This city's floating over a bottomless empty void. If you try waltzing through those gates, you'll just be walking straight off a cliff and falling into who-knows-where." Bowser was absolutely dumbfounded by all of this. "Don't you remember what Contemno told you before?"

"How would you know? You weren't there!"

"It's called spying and eavesdropping, genius. Now think." The Koopa King wracked his brain as he tried to recall it.

The only way in or out of this realm is through me.

I can allow you to leave this realm with both your memory and voice intact. But only if you swear your allegiance to me.

"Contemno told Mario that the only way out was through him," Bowser recounted.

"Exactly. He can pull you out of his heart's kingdom. That's the first way."

"But after how much I've ticked him off already, there's no way he'll ever do that for me on a whim," Bowser rambled. "Wait…hold on. First way? There's more?" The woman nodded.

"Did you really think Contemno's cronies intentionally put themselves into comas just to follow him in here?"

"I wouldn't put it past them if they're really brain-dead enough to put up with his nonsense," said Bowser. Leanna chuckled.

"You're probably right. But there is another way. They all have this." Leanna showed Bowser the palm of her hand, which housed a large red tattoo. It was shaped like some sort of Japanese symbol.

"Nice tattoo. There a point to it?"

"This is how I know you're asleep in reality," she said as she suddenly grabbed Bowser's hand to compare his empty palm with her own. "It's because you don't have this."

"Well, what does that do?"

"It's called a Kagi symbol. In the old days, magic users would give these symbols to people who normally couldn't do magic. It was like sharing a fraction of their power with people, even if those people were physically incapable of doing magic; though its use is extremely limited to one spell." Bowser pulled his hand back and massaged his temples.

"Uggh, all this magic talk is making my head hurt. My kid should be learning all of this, not me. I'm too old," Bowser complained.

"Well you're gonna have to at least understand this stuff if you ever want to beat Contemno, old man. He's been studying magic his entire life. The only way you're ever going to get out of here and be rid of him for good is to beat him at his own game."

"Hold on, you never told me how exactly you know Contemno. What, is he your ex-boyfriend or something?" Leanna scoffed at this as her face scrunched in disgust.

"As if! I would never date a perpetual sad sack like him."

"Then what's your beef with him?" Leanna scowled at the very thought of having to talk about this. Bowser stared at her; mentally willing her to say more. She shook her head and sighed.

"We…used to be friends once; a long time ago. We were all just stupid little kids back then." Bowser sipped his coffee and made a nudging gesture with his mug; pressing her to elaborate.

"I didn't have much growing up. I was practically on my own from the start."

"What about your parents?"

"Never knew 'em. They disappeared not long after I was born. I'll never know why they decided to have a second kid if they were planning on checking out soon after."

"'Second?' Ah, so you have a sibling then."

"Yup, my sister. She practically raised me. We didn't have a home, so we wandered around from place to place for a while; eventually decided to settle in at an old, dumpy orphanage. That was where we met the boy who would one day become Contemno." Leanna stared deep into her dark brown reflection in her coffee.

"Wait, you don't know his actual name?" Bowser pressed.

"I used to. But I don't remember it anymore. I'll get to that later. I remember everyone at the orphanage calling the boy Kitsune, so that's what I'll call him for the time being. Anyway, Kitsune seemed harmless when I first met him, so I didn't think much of him back then. I was too young to know any better."

"What happened?" Bowser asked as he became more engrossed by Leanna's story by the second.

"My sister already had a love of magic as a young girl, and she taught me everything she knew. It was what kept us close. Kitsune knew a thing or two about magic as well, but not as much as my sister. So she gave him some pointers. Turned out that magic was the spark that brought them together."

"You mean…Kitsune and…your sister?" Bowser probed. Leanna nodded solemnly.

"I became the definition of a third wheel. Those two were the closest of friends. They spent all their time together. I used to be the most important person in my sister's life. I was the only family she had, after all. But then Kitsune came along and suddenly, it was like I was invisible. I didn't matter anymore. There was no room left for me in her heart."

"You felt unloved…"

"Yeah, it sucked."

"Well, I know how that feels." Leanna looked at Bowser.

"…You do?" Bowser nodded slowly and sipped his coffee.

"It sounds like neither of us had an ideal childhood," he commented.

"Were you an orphan too?" she asked. Bowser gripped his mug tightly as he felt his deep-seeded hatred begin to fester once more.

"I wish. My parents were ashamed of me from day one. My father especially just never had it in him to love me. I never understood why. It was as if he saw something in me the first time he laid his eyes on me; like he could already tell I would grow up to be a disappointment; someone who would never live up to the family name; someone for whom he could never be proud to call his child."

"I'm sorry…," Leanna offered. Bowser didn't acknowledge her in the slightest.

"I probably would've been better off in an orphanage like you. At least there I might've had a chance to find someone who could've loved me; even just a little bit."

"It gets better with time. You learn to look out for yourself and not give a damn about anyone else."

"Ain't that the truth, sister," Bowser affirmed as he lifted his coffee mug for a toast. Their glasses clinked in bitter agreement.

Iggy sat up slowly, put on his glasses, slunk out of bed, and strolled quietly through the sleeping quarters. He had no idea what time it was or how much sleep he'd actually gotten, but it didn't matter. Not yet anyway.

He looked around the room behind him. Everyone else was sleeping soundly. Peach was turned away and facing the wall, completely motionless. Roy was snoring, Junior was drooling on his pillow a bit, and Larry's blanket was halfway off the bed. Iggy pulled it back over his sibling gently before quietly exiting the room.

Although he himself was reluctant to wake up, Iggy knew it was important to check the navigation system in the control room every few hours in order to ensure the ship was staying on course and there weren't any signs of trouble. As he ascended the stairs, a bitter cold devoured him. The Koopaling began to shiver instantly. His breath was visible, and ice was already beginning to form on the lenses of his glasses.

Iggy couldn't believe how cold it had gotten all of a sudden. When he entered the ship's control room, the map on the monitor indicated they had crossed over the border into Sarasaland about two hours ago. They were now cruising through the outskirts, and Iggy calculated it would take several more hours before they reached the city that Daisy ruled over. If it was this cold already and this far out, the Koopaling shuttered to think of how cold it would get in the capital. He reached for his piping hot cup of tea and sipped it. The drink burned his tongue, but Iggy hardly noticed. He was too lost in thought.

More than anything else, he was desperate to find out what was happening to this place.

"So what happened next? With your sister and Kitsune, I mean. Is she still around?" Bowser asked. Leanna slowly sipped her coffee.

"Well…," she started. "One day, someone came to the orphanage looking to adopt. The guy settled on Kitsune. My sister was devastated when he told her this. She had been crushing on him so hard at the time that she couldn't stand the idea of them ever being apart. He was all she cared about; her entire world. Losing him would ruin her. Kitsune offered my sister to come along; to try and convince the adopter to take them both in as a packaged set. Kitsune even came up with this crazy scheme to convince the guy that he and my sister were siblings."

"So...what happened?"

"My sister refused."

"Huh? Why would she do that if she loved this guy so much?"

"You have to understand, my sister was something of a free spirit. She had been wandering around on the road with only me by her side for so long that she could never let herself be tied down in one place forever. With our parents gone, I was the only family she ever had. But after she met Kitsune, even I didn't matter anymore. The concept of having a family and planting roots with them had zero appeal to her. She just wanted to be with him forever. Nothing more, nothing less. With Kitsune going away, there was nothing keeping my sister at the orphanage anymore. So, like she always did when things got too hard, she ran away."

"That must've been rough," Bowser commented. "What about you?"

"Same thing."

"How so?"

"Since Kitsune stole all of my sister's attention, I had to become more independent when we were living at the orphanage. I was such a loner that most families who came to the orphanage to adopt didn't bat an eye at me. I had immunity. With all my free time and just like my sister, I also found someone special at the orphanage. There was a guy who I deeply cared about too. But as fate would have it, my new friend also got adopted around the same time as Kitsune. But unlike my sister, I never got a chance to tell the guy how I felt about him." Bowser looked to the floor in disbelief.

"Ouch…that really sucks…," he offered. Leanna shrugged and shook her head.

"Hey, that's what you get for living in an orphanage. One minute your friends are there with you, then the next, they're gone; never to be seen again."

"What did you do then?"

"With my heart ripped out, I ran right back into my sister's arms, and surprisingly, she came back to me. We realized then that we needed each other again. No matter who came and went in our lives, we'd always have each other." The woman gave a half-hearted chuckle.

"I take it that's not where your story ends, is it?" Bowser inquired. Leanna shook her head and wiped at the tear forming in her eye as she smothered her emotion before it could overtake her.

"If it was, she'd probably be here sipping coffee with us right now. We'd be laughing about all of this looking back on it now. But…that's just not how it is…"

"But if Kitsune – or I guess, Contemno - got adopted back then, how did he rope you back into all of this now? Where's your sister? Is she…?"

"Dead?" Leanna finished. "No. She's still around. In fact, I still see her every now and then. But she hardly pays me any mind." A heavy sigh as the woman leaned back in against the leather booth. "It feels just like when we were kids. She has her precious Kitsune back so…I've been invisible again ever since…" she described as her voice shook a little.

Bowser could tell it was getting harder and harder for Leanna to keep going. Clearly, the story was getting increasingly more painful for her to retell. But he was determined to hear it all. He needed to learn as much about Contemno as he could.

Besides, if what Contemno had said before was true, Bowser was trapped in this magic world. And even aside from that, Mario was out of commission at the moment. Bowser knew he couldn't go anywhere without his partner. So for the moment, the Koopa King had nothing better to do than listen to Leanna's story. If nothing else, it killed time.

There was only one thing he could do now. It was time to channel whatever minuscule ounce of sympathy he had developed in the pit of his stomach while under Peach's tutelage.

In a bold gesture and at the risk of overstepping some boundaries, Bowser placed his hand over Leanna's. She froze and looked at him, startled.

"I know this is hard for you. But I need you to keep going," said Bowser sternly. Leanna took back her hand and rubbed her face in exhaustion. He grabbed the empty coffee pot and climbed out of the booth. "I'll make us another pot."

"No…I'm fine," said Leanna. "I'll keep going." Bowser took his seat and prepared himself to listen for more.

"What happened next?" he asked.

"A few years after my sister and I left the orphanage, our paths crossed with Kitsune again; pretty much out of nowhere. We ran into him in some random town we just so happen to be passing through. Of course, he and my sister were anxious to catch up again, but I couldn't have cared less. That was when we learned how utterly miserable Kitsune had been in his new home."

"'Miserable?" Bowser repeated. Leanna nodded.

"He couldn't stand the family he had ended up with, but he felt obligated to be courteous with them since they had taken him in all those years before. So, he kept his hatred a secret from them."

"What was so bad about his family?"

"I don't really know, honestly. He didn't talk about them in too much detail, at least not to me; probably didn't want to because he just couldn't stand living with them that much. Kitsune was much too old to move back into the orphanage at that point, and of course, my sister couldn't help but think of him throughout all the time they had been apart. So the obvious choice then was for them to get back together and stay that way. They would use magic to build a new life for themselves together; the kind they had always dreamed of."

"But that wasn't what you wanted, was it?" Bowser gathered.

"You kidding? I was just tagging along for the ride at that point. I had nowhere else to go."

"Well you're obviously not with them now. Why is that?" said Bowser as he prodded the issue further. He was unsettled by the cold despair in Leanna's eyes when she looked at him.

"Kitsune and my sister corrupted each other," she answered.

"'Corrupted?' What do you mean corrupted?"

"They became obsessed with magic and learning as much as they could. They tore into a bunch of these old books about some ancient magic society Kitsune had learned about in the time they had been apart. But even then, they had no idea what kind of powers they were messing around with. The two of them became obsessed with getting back at the world for all the pain it had caused them as children."

"But…you're not like that."

"It never felt right to me. I tried to get them to stop; I tried to talk some sense into my sister. But she wouldn't listen. She was too far gone; too blinded by her lust for power and her love for Kitsune. I'd had enough. So, I walked out of my sister's life forever. But not before I got a little parting gift…" Bowser's eyebrows rose slightly. He watched Leanna raise a few of her bangs to reveal a large scar on her forehead.

"Yikes…," Bowser commented.

"Since I wouldn't join them, this was Kitsune's little warning for me to stay out of their way."

"He thought you might come back and try something against them; for the sake of your sister," Bowser gathered.

"Yes. But it's not just any ordinary scar. It's a curse," said Leanna.

"A curse?" Bowser repeated. The woman nodded.

"Contemno messed with my head. I can't fully explain it, but somehow he physically removed his name from my memory."

"...What?"

"Remember how I said I used to remember his real name? Yeah, that was his doing. This curse he placed on me actually removed his real name from my memory. Try as I might, I can't actually remember his real name or face. Just everything else."

"That's...nuts!"

"Yeah, it is. He must've been afraid I'd use his real identity against him somehow. But this curse is no joke. No matter how much I've studied, I've never found a way to lift it. Until I do, it's something he'll always have over me. That, and my sister, of course."

"But…why didn't he just kill you back then? Why not get it over with quickly and be done with it?"

"Kitsune…," she hesitated, and her expression constricted itself in such a way so as to convey the reality that she just couldn't refer to him by that name any longer. "I mean…Contemno won't kill me because he can't kill me, and he knows it."

"Why's that?"

"Because if he kills me, he loses the only thing he could possibly care about more than magic or himself: the love of his life."

"You don't mean…"

"You've been around Contemno for a few days, right? Does the name 'Eris' ring a bell?"

"That spooky chick in the evening gown?" Leanna nodded.

"Eris is my sister."

"Where in the world have you been!?" Contemno exclaimed as Topper and the Broodals solemnly entered the room; anticipating the eminent scolding.

"W-we was out lookin' for Bowsa's kid! J-just like you asked, soir!" Topper stammered as his fellow Broodals cowered behind him.

"Well, the very fact that they waltzed right into this castle and stole an airship speaks volumes about your incompetence, doesn't it!?"

"P-please, soir! W-we'll get 'em! Honest!"

"Enough! You had your chance and you failed. Get out of my sight."

"R-right! W-we'll get back out there! We'll c-catch them before we lose da trail and-"

"No. You are to remain on stand-by until you receive further orders. Is that clear?"

"Y-yeah…crystal…"

"Then go!" The Broodals scurried out of the room together at lightning speed.

"What are you getting so worked up about? I already told you, this is no big deal," said Eris.

"Have you lost your mind!?" Contemno exclaimed as he sharply turned back at her. He winced in pain as she continued wrapping a bandage around his wounded hand. "How could you let them escape!? Do you have any idea what will happen now!?"

"Who cares? I told them how it is. There's nowhere in the world they can go. It's just a matter of time before we catch them again."

"No, we-" Contemno paused and took a deep, albeit razor sharp breath as if he just barely stopped himself from saying something he knew he'd regret. "You're missing the point entirely," he settled on saying.

"How do you figure that?"

"It is not about where they go. The problem is the very fact that they're still running around out there at all! I gave you one simple request: guard the castle, and if they come back, capture them. Yet you couldn't even do that right!" Eris tightened the bandage aggressively to make Contemno wince again.

"Oh, you're one to talk!" she snapped back. "You had the 'simple' job of turning Mario over to our side, yet I don't seem him here now! On top of that, you let Bowser get away after you preached about how valuable of a test subject he would be! So what does all of that say about you as a leader then!?" Contemno suddenly stood up and backhanded Eris across the face with his good hand. She stumbled back a bit in shock and held her cheek.

"I WILL NOT HAVE YOU QUESTIONING MY AUTHORITY TOO!" he roared.

"YOU WANT MY RESPECT!? HOW ABOUT YOU START EARNING IT THEN!" she fought back.

"I don't need your respect when I already have your loyalty." Her eyes widened at this. "Have you forgotten our entire history together until now? We made a commitment to each other, and as of late, you have done everything except commit yourself to me."

Eris's breaths were short and inconsistent. She was still trying to get over the fact that he had just assaulted her out of the blue like that. Trembling, Eris fought valiantly to regain her composure. She couldn't break. Not now. Not again. Not ever.

"You…you swore to me…that it would never turn out this way. That's what you told me!" said Eris as her voice shook. "I know you remember that. There's no way you could possibly forget. You gave up everything to be with me." Contemno sighed and shook his head.

"I know…," he said softly. "I didn't forget. I didn't have much to lose in the first place." The two paused and allowed the tension to dissipate before either one said anything more.

"Look, I know how important all of this is to you," said Eris. "I get it. I understand why you're scared. But you don't need to be. We won't let them take this away from you. I won't let them. Wherever they are, we will find them. We'll get another chance. But for now, you can't let them get to you, Kitsune."

"Don't call me that…," said Contemno. "I discarded that worthless pet name long ago." Eris slowly raised her hand to Contemno's mask, but he gripped her wrist. "Now is not the time."

"What do you need from me?" Eris asked calmly.

Her heart was screaming and demanding an apology for what he'd just done to her just now. She was moments away from breaking down into tears. She needed him to make this right; to assure her that she'd made the right choice; and that all of this would still be worth it in the end. But Eris knew better than to expect that from Contemno or anyone else in the world for that matter. Her mind and logic smothered the sentiment.

Asking for an apology? How weak. Out of the question.

"Rest for now," Contemno instructed. "Regain your strength. Then send word to the others. Tell them to be on the lookout for Junior and his group. I now give them permission to kill those fools by any means necessary."

"What about you? Where are you going?" Eris asked.

"You're right. I did fail in my own mission to recruit Mario, and Bowser did escape," said Contemno. Eris's heart stopped.

What did he just say?

Was he actually acknowledging that she was right? He'd never done that. Was she not actually speaking out of term just now, or did he just not care? This came absolutely out of nowhere. What made him change his tune so quickly? Her mind was racing, but she fought to keep a straight face in front of him.

"I admit that you are not the only one who has failed. But you are right in that I cannot let this faze me. Without me, this entire operation will fall apart. I need to be better."

"You are better. You don't need to prove anything to me."

"It is not you I need to win over. If I do not prove my worth soon, the others will turn against us in pursuit of their own ambitions. The world will plunge into chaos. A war will break out that will tear apart our very way of life. That's why I need to become stronger if we're going to have any chance of coming out on top of things in the coming weeks."

"Kitsune…"

"I need to meditate on this, Eris," said Contemno as he briskly walked towards the door. She chased him.

"Where are you going?" Eris asked.

"That is not your concern. Please do not send for me. I will return when the time is right."

"But what about Bowser's brat?"

"Forget about him."

"What? But earlier, you said they-"

"Focus on preparing yourself for when we cross paths with them again. Come up with a new strategy and send out the Broodals only when you are confident they will succeed." She breathed sharply and looked aimlessly around the room.

"That's a lot of responsibility for someone who just came off of flopping an important job…," Eris scoffed. Contemno approached her and caressed her bruised cheek.

She froze in fear; partially anticipating him to hit her again for questioning him like this. But to her shock, he didn't. His touch was tender; familiar.

"I know you can do this." Eris regained her composure in a flash and stepped back as her defensive eyes stared at Contemno.

"I…," she hesitated. "I won't let you down."

"YOUR SISTER!?" Bowser exclaimed. Leanna said nothing more. The Koopa King laid back in his seat and shook his head in disbelief and he let out a long breath as if he were deflating like a balloon. "I mean, that's just…"

"Now you get it. That bastard took the only family I ever had away from me. He's poisoning her, Bowser."

"Haven't you tried…I dunno, talking some sense into your sister?"

"I already told you, she won't listen. Eris is too far gone and too infatuated with Contemno. My sister is too blind to see that he's going to drag her down with him."

"So what're you gonna do then?" Leanna sipped the last of her coffee and stared out the window. Her drink had long since cooled off.

"Simple. I'm gonna kill him; no matter what it takes. He doesn't deserve to breathe the same air as us. I am going to put an end to that monster, even if it means putting my own sister down too…"

"All by yourself? You really think it'll be that easy?"

"I've managed so far."

"Maybe, but I hope you don't honestly expect us to just sit by and let you take all the credit." Leanna raised an eyebrow at this.

"Why not? What's your excuse for hating him?"

"He's humiliated me one too many times. If you think you're the only one who's got a personal grudge against him, you're wrong." Leanna laughed and stood up from the table.

"Sounds to me like we've reached an impasse. So what happens next?"

"You can start by helping Mario and me get out of Contemno's crazy little magic world."

"Why would I do that? I'm doing just fine on my own. I don't need you boys slowing me down."

"You said you were sorry Contemno got us involved in all this."

"Did I?"

"If you really meant that, then help us. It's obvious you know how, and we're clueless about this magic stuff. We'll never get out on our own." Leanna shot him a glare suddenly.

"You sure love bossing people around, don'tcha big guy?" Bowser smirked and closed his eyes.

"I'm a king. I'm used to giving out orders," he said proudly.

"Well you're a long way away from your little castle, tubby," said Leanna. "And I'm no subject of whatever kingdom you came from. Barking orders at me won't do anything except tick me off." This didn't seem to faze Bowser. In fact, he seemed rather excited by it. He enjoyed a hardy clash of wits.

"Lady, you haven't seen anger until you've met me. In fact, call me 'tubby' one more time and I'll gladly show you why I'm in charge back home."

Heh…this guy… Leanna thought. I thought he was just a push-over when I saw him weeping over his buddy back at the orphanage. Might not be the brightest, but he's got heart. Maybe he could be useful to me…

"So, you really wanna take Contemno down that badly, huh?" Leanna asked.

"Of course I do. I've got my pride on the line, and more importantly, I made a promise to someone that I'd put a stop to this guy and bring Mario home," Bowser explained.

"A 'promise?'" she repeated. "Those don't mean squat to me."

"I'm sure they don't. You don't exactly have much reason to trust people, do you?" Leanna smiled.

Maybe he's not as dumb as he looks either. That, or he's just a good listener…

"Alright, so let's say I were to agree and let you tag along. What's in it for me?" Leanna asked.

"How about protection? Some back-up? You really think you can take on Contemno and his cronies all by yourself?" Bowser countered.

"Sweetheart, I've been fighting Contemno a lot longer than you and I've stayed alive this long." Bowser sighed. It was hard to argue with that; even he realized it. The Koopa King resolved to back down slightly and gracefully. He had to show her he still had some fight left in him.

"Fine, if you won't take me, then at least take Mario with you." They each looked over at Mario, who was still sleeping soundly on the table nearby.

"Why? What's so special about him?"

"Shows how little you know about us. He and I go way back," Bowser explained. "Mario may not look like much, but trust me, he's a powerhouse," he said. "If nothing else, he's persistent and doesn't go down easily. The guy has saved the world from a lot bigger threats than Contemno could dream of being. Hell, I'd wager Mario can probably do this all on his own without either of us, given the right preparation."

"That's quite the glowing recommendation you're giving him," said Leanna.

"I know what I'm talking about here," said Bowser and he placed his arm down on the table and leaned forward with a stern look.

"Alright then, Mario might be a person of interest to me. But what about you? Why should I let you in on my operation?"

"You don't know much about me either. But besides that, I'm trapped in this stupid magic world with Mario. I've got my own stake in all this, and I plan on going after Contemno myself; with or without your help."

"Fair enough, but we both know you won't get far without any magic…," said Leanna as she pondered this. Bowser hesitated as she blew straight through his façade. "Fine, I'll help you two get out of Contemno's heart kingdom. If I think we've got a potential partnership in the making, we'll talk about it then. But if I think you're nothing more than dead weight, you'll be on your own after that. If it comes to that, I won't be responsible for whatever happens next should you be stupid enough to get in the crossfire when I'm taking aim at Contemno. Deal?" Bowser smirked and flashed his sharp teeth.

"Deal," he agreed as the two shook hands.

"Good. Now get some rest. I've got a couch in the back office you can use. Tomorrow morning, we've got work to do."