A/N: This story is now back from it's mini-hiatus! This is a bit of a shorter chapter, however, I'm about to take this story in an interesting direction.
Mina Loveberry paced back and forth in her cramped cell like a caged animal. The Los Angeles County lockup facility was now her residence, a fact which made her even more enraged than usual. Mina had first arrived at the jail a few days earlier-after her disastrous attempt to attack the residents of Monster Town-along with a number of her followers who had also been arrested for their actions.
Her jailers had not considered what type of prisoner Mina was. Their first mistake was to place her in the general population wing of the jail. Some of the longer-term residents of the facility-in particular a number of female gang members-decided they would "welcome" the former Solarian General to their home. That was their first and last mistake. Mina left two of them lying on the floor beaten and bloodied. Another two had to be transported to a hospital to be treated for broken limbs. One woman was so traumatized by Mina's violent outburst, that she began begging the guards to put her in solitary confinement to keep her safe.
But instead, Mina would be the one put into solitary. A day later she was taken to the County courthouse to be arraigned on charges. Charges that had ended up being quite numerous. Many of her followers, both mewman and human, had either cooperated with the police, or had been persuaded by law enforcement to give evidence against her in exchange for lesser charges or charges against them being dropped altogether.
After her court hearing, Mina was transported back to the jail cell she was currently occupying by herself. It wasn't solitary confinement, but she wasn't allowed to mingle with the other prisoners either. Bail was set at a high amount, ensuring that she was to remain in custody for the foreseeable future. Her court appointed lawyer had quit the day earlier, due to Mina threatening him with bodily harm. Another one was supposed to be assigned to her in a day or two. But Mina didn't really care. She had no use for the pathetic humans and their due process. No jail could hold Mina Loveberry! Her goal was simple. Find a way out of the jail and then gather another army so she could attack the monsters and the Butterfly family once again.
Whatever thoughts of revenge on Mina's mind were suddenly interrupted by the sounds of her cell being unlocked. The door slid open, and on the other side was a female guard surrounded by a group of burly male guards.
"Mina Loveberry," the guard announced. "Come with us. Your bail has been posted."
Mina had no idea what the guard was talking about. She had heard of this "bail" only during her court appearance, and her useless lawyer had spent an inordinate amount of time arguing with the judge over what it should be set at. As far as Mina was concerned, no one just walked out of a jail cell.
Seeing that Mina was just standing there not responding to her-a fact the guard found quite confusing-the female guard addressed her again.
"It means you're free to leave this facility…"
Forty-five minutes later Mina walked into the main lobby of the jail, for all intents and purposes, a free woman. She was still in shock that on Earth one could walk out of a jail cell if they paid a sum of money. Or, if someone paid that money for them. That didn't mean she was necessarily happy. For starters, the clothing she was wearing was not the same outfit she was wearing when she entered. When she had collected her belongings, her clothes consisted of brand-new items. Namely a blue Los Angeles Dodgers t-shirt, a matching cap, a pair of blue jeans, and white running shoes. While she would fit in just fine walking around Southern California, Mina thought that she looked ridiculous. That was, until she saw Manfred.
Sitting in the lobby, next to another man in an expensive suit, was Manfred. The former servant to the Royal Family of Mewni was also dressed to blend in to the culture of Los Angeles. A purple Los Angeles Lakers jersey, matching basketball shorts, and white and yellow basketball sneakers were his current attire, along with his distinctive hat.
"You look ridiculous, Manny!" Mina remarked as she strode up to her follower and his companion.
"Ah, Mina dearest!" Manfred greeted her. "I'm so glad that you were able to be freed as well! This wonderful man here arranged everything."
Manfred motioned to the man sitting next to him. The man stood up and flashed a smile as he extended his hand towards her.
"Mina Loveberry? My name is Mark Sterling, attorney-at-law. Pleased to meet you...finally."
Mina just glared at him and crossed her arms.
"Just who are you, Mister fancy dress?"
"I'm the person who, as your friend indicated, secured your release from this facility," he replied undeterred by her behavior.
"Since when does one just walk out of a jail cell no questions asked?" Mina arched her eyebrow at the attorney.
"Since there's certain rules and regulations, that if followed correctly, allows people like me to help people like you two. In this case, securing your release from the County Jail. With some conditions of course…"
"I say," Manfred remarked jovially. "I do like this system they have here on Earth. On Mewni they just threw you in jail, often without even a trial. Your sentence was whatever Queen Moon thought it should be at the time."
Mina gave Manfred a dirty look at the mention of the former ruler of Mewni.
"Actually, as much as I'd like to take all the credit, it was our mutual friend who came up with the funds to bail both of you out. I just filled out the proper paperwork."
"Mutual friend?" Mina again arched her eyebrow at the lawyer. "Since when the hell do we have the same friends?"
Mark Sterling gave a hearty laugh. "I can assure you Miss Loveberry, we do indeed have the same friends!"
"I for one would like to meet this friend of ours." Manfred remarked. "He must be a fine chap to be willing to provide funds to get us both released from this jail!"
"Well...he does have some considerable wealth." the attorney replied. "In any case, I believe we need to get going if we are to get to the residence on time. Traffic in this city can be dreadful at the best of times, and I don't want to keep our friend waiting. Shall we?"
"Only if you answer me one question." Mina asked pointedly. "Was it your idea to dress us up in these stupid outfits?"
Mark Sterling began laughing. "Absolutely not! Although...you both are wearing two of the most recognizable symbols of Los Angeles. Our friend picked out your current attire. He wanted you both to blend in with the local population."
"Well then, after I thank him for graciously getting us out of here, I may have to give him a piece of my mind about his fashion choices." Mina grumbled.
Mark laughed some more. "It's your choice I suppose. Now...both of you, please follow me."
The attorney led Mina and Manfred out of the jail and onto the street. They crossed the road to the parkade on the other side. Entering the parkade on the ground floor, the group travelled up a flight of stairs to the second floor. It was there that a black SUV was parked waiting for them. Mark unlocked the doors and made his way around to the passenger side. He held the passenger door open for Mina.
"Ladies first…"
Mina didn't really care for his chivalry, but climbed into the vehicle nonetheless. Mark then held the rear passenger door open for Manfred. With both his passengers secured, he made his way around to the driver's seat. Turning on the engine, he backed the SUV out of the spot and guided the vehicle towards the parkade exit.
Around an hour later, the SUV pulled into a driveway of a luxurious mansion in the Bel Air neighborhood of Los Angeles. Even Mina had to admit she was fairly impressed by the display of wealth and power as they drove along the tree lined streets towards their destination. The mansion was white in color, with two roman columns on either side of the front door. Whoever owned the mansion also paid quite a bit of money to keep the grounds in pristine condition. As the group made their way to the front steps, they passed by a manicured lawn adorned with concrete statues surrounded by mini gardens.
They passed through the front door without bothering to knock first. Apparently, the person they were there to meet wanted them to come right in. Mark Sterling led them up the grand staircase to the second-floor hallway. Moving down the hallway, they stopped in front of a door at the end. Again, without knocking, Mina and Manfred were led into a room with the window coverings drawn, blocking out the light of day. They were in a study. Bookshelves lined the two walls on either side of them. Near the back of the room stood a large oak desk, with a lamp on top it providing the only light in the room. Behind the desk was a leather chair that was currently facing away from the visitors.
"I hope we're not too late, sir." Mark walked around the side of the desk and addressed whoever was sitting in the chair.
"Not at all, Mark..." came the voice from the chair. "You're right on time."
Mina froze in place. She knew that voice! It was the voice of someone who was supposed to be dead. Killed a number of years ago by the Crown Princess of Mewni. As the person in the chair swiveled around to face their guests, Mina hoped that she was completely wrong about who it was. Unfortunately, her worst suspicions were confirmed.
"Mina...Manfred..." Toffee addressed the two mewmans standing in front of him with a wry grin. "Welcome. Welcome to my home. I'm glad you could make it..."
Manfred went as white as a sheet and tried hard not to faint on the spot. Mina did her best not to seem too unnerved in front of the archenemy of the Butterfly Kingdom, but even she was having trouble keeping her composure.
"You're supposed to be dead…" Mina needed to say something...anything...to show that she wasn't in complete shock and awe of seeing the once deceased Septarian sitting in front of her.
"SURPRISE!" Toffee suddenly blurted out, his eyes going wide and his mouth flying open in a terrifying display. Manfred almost collapsed from the outburst. He managed to barely regain his composure and stayed upright. Even Mina was startled by Toffee. It took quite a lot of effort to keep her facade of calmness going in the face of the vicious creature sitting behind the desk. But then, to both mewman's surprise, Toffee began laughing hysterically.
"Oh...my…" he guffawed. "The expressions on both your faces were priceless! You should have seen yourselves!" After he was done amusing himself, Toffee proceeded to regain his composure. He straightened his tie and brushed out the wrinkles of the expensive suit he was wearing, all while affixing a smug gaze at his two guests.
Mina, meanwhile, didn't take kindly to being mocked by the lizard. She could feel her defiance rising again.
"Answer my question, Toffee! Why are you alive? You were killed by the Princess Butterfly a few years ago!"
"Wrong...Mina!" Toffee hissed menacingly. "That useless brat of a princess with her supposedly powerful magic didn't kill me. If anything, it was that ungrateful little shit Ludo who ultimately killed me by dropping a pillar on my head! It doesn't matter, though. As of right now I'm as alive as you two are standing in front of me."
"May I...inquire…since you had a pillar dropped on your head, as to how you are not actually deceased then?" Manfred interjected nervously
"Ah...Manfred." Toffee addressed him with some disdain. "Always being a kiss-ass. But seeing that I'm happy to have both of you in my home as of right now, I think I can indulge your request."
Both Mina and Manfred stared at him wordlessly.
"As you correctly pointed out, Mina, I should be dead. Although, if I was actually dead, then I likely wouldn't be able to describe the events that have led me to be sitting in front of you. Nevertheless...after Ludo put me out of my misery, I came to in what I can only describe as some sort of space. Even though I had been crushed by a pillar-and not to mention having my flesh ripped from my body prior to that-it appeared that my body was still intact in this particular space. I then saw in front of me a desk with a light on it. It was the only thing providing any illumination in the otherwise darkness. But it was who was sitting at the desk that I was surprised to see. Glossaryck."
"My goodness…" Manfred breathed. Mina, meanwhile, stayed silent.
"At first I didn't think he noticed me. He appeared to be engrossed in writing something on a parchment with a quill pen. But then he looked up, and on his face was a smug smile...as if he knew he was right about something all along."
Oh, hi Toffee. I didn't see you there. Glad that you could finally make it.
"When I asked specifically why he was glad to see me, and also exactly just where I was, he responded how I should have expected him to answer. He merely smiled that arrogant smile of his. After having all my plans foiled it was all just too much for me, and I ended up doing something that I don't usually do. I lost my cool."
Toffee smirked menacingly. "I laid into that little blue annoyance with everything I had. You should have heard the things coming out of my mouth. As far as I was concerned, Glossaryck was responsible for everything wrong in the universe. In fact, I lost track of time berating him for everything that had happened to me up to that point. Yet...in typical Glossaryck fashion, he just ignored me while I railed at him. Eventually, I ran out of steam..."
Feel better now that you got that out of your system, Toffee?
I should strangle you where you're sitting, Glossaryck!
Now...now...Toffee. Is that any way to treat an old friend?
Since when do we even consider ourselves friends?!
Well...don't you remember all the time we spent together when you were controlling Ludo?
I was trying to destroy the Magic Book of Spells and YOU along with it!
I'm still a bit disappointed about that. I thought we could have come to an understanding between us…
Let's see how disappointed you are when I rip both your arms off your body!
Well…I guess I was wrong then. It appears that you just aren't happy about being here right now. That's too bad. I was looking forward to spending a lot of quality time with you. I guess this means I'll have to send you somewhere else…
Somewhere else? What the hell are you going on about Glossaryck?!
Well...you're a Septarian...you figure it out...
"He then threw his quill pen at me like a knife and the tip stuck in my chest. I could feel myself fading away from existence again. I actually thought that I was dying, as the tip of the pen felt like a knife blade in my chest. It was then I awoke lying on my back with the sun shining on my face. As I looked around to see where I had been sent to, I thought at first I had been sent back to Mewni. It was then I realized what Glossaryck's words actually meant."
"You mean Glossaryck raised you from the dead?" Mina asked incredulously.
"No, Mina. I wasn't dead in the first place! Because I can't be killed. I'm a Septarian...just like Glossaryck said. I suppose knowing that he wanted me to stay with him. To keep him company for all eternity. Obviously, I was having none of that and he sent me away to someplace else."
"I'm afraid I don't quite understand what you are going on about." Manfred interjected. "Why would Glossaryck send you back to Mewni, when you tried to destroy it in the first place?"
"He didn't, Manfred!" Toffee shot back. "I'll admit, I was fooled at first. The terrain, the trees. It looked just like Mewni. But it turns out that little arrogant blue annoyance sent me somewhere better. Dimension X-109."
"The dimension where we sent traitors to the realm?!" Mina spoke wide-eyed.
"Precisely…" Toffee grinned. "But it gets better. As I was lying on the ground trying to figure out where I was, I was discovered by a group of mewmans. It turns out they were descendants of the original inhabitants of the dimension. I'm sure this little fact had been whitewashed from your history books, but not everyone on Mewni was supportive of Eclipsa being crystalized. In fact, King Shastacan had a bit of a revolt on his hands after putting his wife to sleep, and he had to send a number of them to Dimension X-109 to quell it."
"I...never knew this…" Manfred admitted in an astonished tone.
"I learned about it from stories told by some of the really old knights of the kingdom while they were still alive." Mina countered. "But the rebel Mewmans were all monster smoochers just like Eclipsa, so they deserved to be sent away!"
"Careful, Mina." Toffee cautioned. "You might want to keep that attitude in check if you ever want to meet any of their ancestors."
"Why in the hell would I want to do that, Toffee?" Mina snapped at the lizard.
"Because…" Toffee's eyes gleamed. "I want you to train them…"
Mina Loveberry's eyes went wide from shock. Toffee wanted her to train the ancestors of Mewman traitors?"
"Are you out of your fucking mind!"
"Mark...please hand me the folder…" Toffee calmly asked his lawyer. Mark Sterling handed the septarian a manilla folder that he had been holding in his hands.
"Let's see…" Toffee began leafing through documents contained in the folder. "Charges against Mina Loveberry. Attempted murder with a deadly weapon. Attempted arson. Assault and battery. Inciting a riot. Unlawful gathering. Resisting arrest. Illegal use of a firearm...Mina, do you even know how to use a gun?"
Mina just stared back at Toffee blankly.
"Well...apparently some of your followers claimed that you were shooting guns at the residents of the Monster Town." Toffee pointed to one piece of paper. "Ostensibly to save their own asses since many of them were armed with illegal firearms themselves."
"Ah...yes." he continued. "They also charged you with one of my personal favorites...terroristic threats. Shall I continue, Mina? There's a few other charges that I haven't listed."
"Get to the fucking point…" she gritted through clenched teeth.
"With pleasure…" Toffee's mouth formed into a cruel grin. "Without me, and my associate here, you'd be rotting in a jail cell for quite some time. Then...after you were found guilty of all the charges I just listed; you'd be rotting in a prison cell for a very… very long time. The same goes for your friend Manfred."
"I am a Solarian Warrior." Mina said quietly but in a defiant tone. "I can't be contained by some prison."
"I assure you Miss Loveberry, in the United States of America our prisons will most definitely be able to hold you." Mark Sterling countered.
"You're also very lucky that these were charges brought forward by the State of California." Toffee added. "If these were federal charges there likely wouldn't have been any chance of bail being set. It's the only reason why you both are standing here in front of me."
"I say...Mina. Maybe Toffee and his associate have a point." Manfred spoke up.
"That's the smartest thing you've said this whole time, Manfred." Toffee grinned at the former Butterfly Kingdom servant.
"You both come with me, I keep you out of a prison cell." he addressed the both of them. "But you have to do something for me in return."
"Why?" Mina asked simply.
"We have a common enemy now, Mina. The Butterfly family. I have a group of followers that were sent away by them. You were betrayed by them. If we join forces, we can both exact some revenge.
Mina stood on her spot stone faced contemplating the offer put forth to her.
"Fine...Toffee." Mina finally spoke. "You win. But before we go along with your plan, I'd like some more answers to the many questions I have right now."
Toffee sighed. "Mina, you're lucky that I'm in such a good mood today. Fine. I'll grant your request, but I'm only allowing two more questions."
Mina smirked at the lizard. "Question one. How the hell did you end up on Earth? If I recall correctly Dimension X-109 is one of the few dimensions that doesn't have any magic. Which means that dimensional scissors won't work to open a portal. It would make sense, since we were sending people there that we didn't want to ever come back to Mewni."
"Get to the second question, Mina…" Toffee interrupted in an annoyed tone.
Mina shot daggers with her eyes at Toffee. "Question two. I'm sure you noticed that magic was destroyed...and yet I'm assuming you want me to come with you to another dimension? Am I correct in this assumption?"
Toffee nodded with a grin.
"How the fuck are we supposed to get to another dimension without any magic?!" she spat at the Septarian.
On cue, Mark Sterling laid a black marble slab on Toffee's desk. On top of the slab was a green colored stone. Meanwhile, Toffee reached into one of the drawers of his desk and produced a pair of scissors.
"Do you know what these are?" he asked his two guests.
"Dimensional scissors!" Manfred exclaimed wide eyed.
Toffee stood up and walked over to a cabinet behind him. He opened it and pulled a small welder's torch off one of the shelves. He then moved back over to the desk and proceeded to light the torch. A thin blue flame began burning from the tip. Toffee turned the torch towards the green stone on the slab and began heating it. As it grew hotter, the stone started to glow an eerie green color. After heating it for approximately a minute, Toffee put down the torch and picked up the scissors. He held the shears over the glowing green stone until the scissors themselves began to glow green.
The lizard held the glowing scissors in front of his face, a sly smile forming on his mouth. With one motion he slashed the air with the shears. A tearing sound could be heard as space and time were ripped apart to form a portal out of thin air. Toffee turned to face his guest who now wore completely dumbfounded expressions.
"Magnificent...isn't it?" Toffee addressed Mina and Manfred. "These stones are native to Dimension X-109. They've been lying around for hundreds, if not thousands of years, and no one knew of their power until fairly recently. But when the inhabitants of the dimension found out what these things could do…"
"As corn as my witness…" Manfred breathed.
"People have been coming and going from the dimension for a number of years now. Some of them have even been able to return to Mewni to see their families. Imagine, being a resident of Mewni and seeing relatives you never thought even existed. If only the people that sent them to the dimension knew they were free from their cage." Toffee chuckled.
"Now then you two…" he motioned to Mina and Manfred. "The portal won't stay open indefinitely so come along. A deal is a deal. Mark...hold things down here for now. I'm not sure how long I'll be in the other dimension."
"You got it, Toffee." Mark Sterling flashed a grin at his associate.
Toffee was about to step through the portal when he noticed that his two guests still had incredulous expressions on their faces.
"Coming?" he asked, somewhat irritated. A realization then hit him.
"Oh...that's right. I never answered your first question Mina."
No response came from the former Solarian general. Instead Mina still wore a shocked expression, so Toffee chose to fill in the silence.
"It's a bit of a long story, so I'll fill you in on the details when we're on the other side. But I can give you a quick taste before we go. The inhabitants of Dimension X-109 showed me how to use the stones to activate dimensional scissors just as I did for you a moment ago. With this knowledge, I knew exactly what I needed to do. Although I could have used the scissors to return to Mewni, instead I used them to go another dimension. One you should be both familiar with by now."
A menacing look came over the lizard. "To answer your first question...I came to Earth...to kill Marco Diaz."
A/N: As I said, a shorter chapter but one with a major plot twist. I thank everyone again for reading my story. I hope the next update will come sooner than later. Please stay safe and healthy in these difficult times.
jkrust78