Grape flipped through the book, then reshelved it. She had been trying to find a tragedy that she hadn't read yet, but the shop always held the same few plays. Lance held a book to her.

"Try this one!"

Grape accepted it and turned it around to read the summary.

"It's kind of fantasy themed. Your plays are fantasy, right?"

"Lance, I appreciate this, but..." She flipped to the end, then shut the book. "It's pleasant. I don't like happy endings, remember?"

"Can't you just...ignore it this time? I really have a feeling you'd love this book! Plus, just because some things end badly doesn't mean everything does. And it's the same with happy endings. Not all of them are happy either."

She sighed. "Oh, alright. But only because you're so certain about this." She checked back to the shelf.

"You really do love your tragedies, don't you?" The bookkeep hobbled over with her cane.

"Oh, Faire. I thought you were out of town this week."

"I came back early. The plane was delayed so I just decided the wait wasn't worth it. I don't have much life left, why waste it waiting for a plane?"

Grape chuckled. "Do you mind? I was thinking about this one."

She pushed up her small reading glasses. "Oh? But this is one of my favorites! This doesn't suit your usual style, are you sure?"

Grape nodded. "I thought I should try giving other things a chance."

"If you don't like it, you can always return it. You've been buying up my entire Shakespeare collection!"

"You know he's my favorite! I think I've read almost all of his plays now. Do you have any more Edgar Allen Poe in your storage?"

"No, the new shipment hasn't came in yet."

"You look familiar to me...Do you know anyone named Mimi?"

"Mimi? That's my granddaughter's name! You know the Widow family?" She grabbed a stool and put it on the ground, stepping onto it.

"Remember how I told you that I had a half-brother?"

"Yes." She reached for the book.

Grape handed it to her. "He and Mimi are kind of a...thing."

"Oh? So she's dating now? I hope Minuetta won't be too hard on her. My daughter is very strict to our family name."

"Strange, so was Rex."

"He died, didn't he?"

"I killed him. I feel terrible about it now but..."

"Here's your book. Didn't you say you had something to do today?"

"No, it was cancelled. I'm free all day now."

The bell over the door rang and a figure stomped inside. The heavy footfalls came towards them from the other side of the store.

"Ah, my other weekly customer! I'll be right with you!"

"Don't take forever like last time!" The gruff voice said.

"There's another customer? I thought I was the only one who came by here?" Grape tucked the newly-bought book into her jacket.

"Oh, he doesn't come by for himself. He picks up books for his kids and caretaker. I think it's sweet, but he doesn't like people knowing about it."

Grape followed the spider woman to the entrance of the store. The voice had belonged to a large beast, strong in stature and looked quite...pointy.

"Bowser, welcome again. Unfortunately, the deliveries haven't come in yet. My other weekly customer had just heard that. I'm afraid it might still be another week or more."

"You think I'll wait that long?! I need those books to keep my kids under control! They have way too much energy and access to an army! If I don't do something to keep them entertained while I'm out, then they'll probably blow my castle to smithereens!" He looked at Grape. "Who are you? I think I've seen you before..."

"Weren't you two fighting Darethend together?" The bookkeep asked.

"You know about that? I didn't think the news of that would have come out this way."

"I told her about it," Grape said. "She's like my friend, in a way." She removed her hat and bowed. "My name is Grape. The others with me is my crew, the Sour Bunch."

Lance waved.

She straightened back up and put her hat back on. "And you were...?"

"You don't know who I am?! I'm the mighty Koopa King! Bowser! The name doesn't ring any bells?!"

Grape shook her head.

Jax finally spoke. "He's really loud, for one thing. If I don't know who he is, I could at least hear him coming from a mile away. The-"

Grape pat his head. "You. Leave. Let me talk to him, alright? Here, Lance, take this and meet me outside."

Lance took the book from her and he and Jax left.

"Bowser, you said? A pleasure to meet you."

"Oh, stop with the formal talk! You have no reason to talk to me like that! You're taking too long this way! Get to your point, I have a kart race soon!"

"Pardon me?"

The bookkeep smiled. "You don't know? The Mushroom and Koopa kingdoms hold kart races on a general basis."

"And why does it matter? Doesn't it get in the way of your plans?"

"Well, you can get a shiny, gold trophy if you place in first. It's huge too, from what I've heard."

"Gold...trophy? Gold? Trophy?!"

"Now, don't get too ahead of yoursssself. We need to evaluate the ssssituation firssst..." She felt Flick on her shoulder again.

Bowser scoffed. "Why do you care? From what I know, you aren't even from the Mushroom or Koopa kingdoms! So you can't participate!"

"Don't say that," the bookkeep defended. "You let the hero of Hyrule into your race, and a squid child as well! Who says this perfectly capable young woman can't join?"

"You don't even have feet!"

"You have a ghost who is perfectly capable of driving, who says she cannot? The Sour Bunch does own a blimp, and a boat. And they have a train as well. Who said she was incapable?"

"I need to get that trophy," Grape said, feeling excited for the first time in years. "Last time I've felt like this was when I saw a human for the first time!"

"Grape, let'sss think thisss over firssst. How do you even know you can trussst thisss man?" Flick warned quickly.

Grape's mood dampened. "But...maybe he is right. I'm not from the Mushroom Kingdom, and I've never driven any of those vehicles either. Those are handled by my Sour Bunch."

The bookkeep frowned. "Grape, where'd this change of attitude come from? I would be very happy if you would at least give this a chance? You've been working yourself too hard lately, and you need some time for yourself!"

"But-"

"Grape, don't try and talk you way out of it. At least try it once? If you don't like it, then you can quit, alright? I'm worried for your mental health, sweetie."

Grape looked into her sad eyes, then felt Flick tap her shoulder. She glanced at him, and he shook his head. She looked to Bowser, then nodded once.

Bowser sighed. "Fine. I have to head there anyways, so I guess I can take you there. But don't expect me to actually take you! The only thing I'm telling you is that's it's near the Mushroom Kingdom! You have to get there yourself!" He stormed out.

The bookkeep when back to her counter.

Flick shook his head, disappointed. "Grape, you didn't think. You didn't lisssten. You jussst did what they told you to."

"Isn't that what you want me to do with you?"

"I told you that I'm your mind. Sssshe pussshed you into doing ssssomething, and you fell into it. I wassssn't againssst the idea, but I did want you to think it over firssst."

Grape rubbed her wrist. "That was my fault..."

"It'ssss alright, jussst try to not make a habit of it."

Grape left the store and saw her Sour Bunch waiting for her. Lance held up the book.

"Ready to go?"

She took the book from him and tucked it into her jacket. "Actually, there's been a change of plans. We're going to the Mushroom Kingdom. There's a chance for us to win something worth a fortune!"

"What is it?" Jax asked, a hint of curiosity in his monotone voice.

"It's a kart race. It may sound a bit different than what we usually do, but if we win then," she tapped a finger to the side of her head, smiling, "we can win a golden trophy! Of course, if we fail, we can just take it. Who's going to stop us, Peach? She probably hasn't been able to use Sparkle since that battle with Darethend. She's only human; and human's can't use magic, after all!"

"But the fact she could during the battle is what scares me," Lance said.

"Relax, it's nothing to worry about! We're heading over to the Mushroom Kingdom for a quick little visit, alright?"

The two nodded hesitantly, then they started off behind her. She took the book out of her jacket and opened to the first page. Jax clapped his hands around something, then slowly opened them.

"Is this a letter?" He asked in a whisper.

"You shouldn't read that," Lance warned. "That's probably personal."

Jax opened it and, still whispering, started reading it aloud. "'Dear Gwendolyn, this is your mother, Tinala.'"

Lance watched in horror as Jax quieted down and read the note ever quicker. He lowered the paper and looked, terrified, into Lance's eyes.

"Madame Grape has been lying to us."

"What? Jax, I told you not to read that!"

Flick looked back at the two of them.

"She's not what she said she is." He handed Lance the letter. "You need to see this."

Lance looked over it reluctantly, and nearly gasped out loud when he saw what Tinala had written.

"W-we shouldn't have read this. Let's just slip it back to her in hopes she doesn't notice. I shouldn't have done that."

"Madame Grape is a human? But she doesn't look human at all. Well, besides the eyes, and nose, and hair...She looks more like Darkle than a human."

"Is everything alright?" Grape asked. "You two have been mumbling about for a bit now. You know how I hate the mumbling. Blah, blah, blah...It's all very annoying."

"Everything's fine, Madame Grape!" Lance lied with a salute. "It's nothing you should worry about."

"Oh, alright then." She continued reading.

"See? We almost got caught! She's on to us! We shouldn't have read it! We should have just told her she dropped it and gave it back to her!"

"But she's been keeping this secret, and we need to find out why," Jax said calmly.

"No! We don't! You have no idea what you just got us into, Jax!"

"Once we get back to the base, we can discuss this with her then. Let's no worry about it for now. It's the fact she was keeping this secret from her own family is making me worried."

Lance sighed. "Fine, as long as I don't need to think about it."

Flick tapped her shoulder. "They're plotting againsssst you, Grape."

"What?"

"They found your letter from Tinala."

"No they didn't, and they're not plotting against me! You're my conscience, so that must be fear talking! They're my family, they would never do something like that!"

"You ssssay that assss if Robbie and Travissss haven't already betrayed you."

She wanted to fight him, but realized he was right. Robbie and Travis had both left the Sour Bunch because of her, so Flick saying Jax and Lance planning against her could be entirely true. She glanced back at them and saw Lance did look a bit uncertain.

"I want to believe you, but I trust my Sour Bunch. Plus, I have no proof, so you can just keep your scaly mouth shut about this. Unless they actually do something, you keep this silent; understand?"

"Of coursssse, Grape. I would never dream of doing that. I jussst thought you would like to keep a clossser eye on them, isss all."

"Well, thank you then. I'll have to keep an eye on them now..."

Flick looked back at them, smiling, tounge flicking. Lance and Jax kept whispering for a little longer, then eventually fell silent.

Jax wasn't certain, but he could feel a presence near Grape.

And it was watching him.