Piano keys were being taped without fingers somewhere in the marketplace, along with the strings of a lute playing itself. The song was pleasant, like the first warming breeze of Spring kissing goodbye chilled Winter days. Some men and their ladies danced.

The music, the sounds of people buying and selling their wares, the clatter of silverware against plates from outdoor restaurants, the happily laughing women, all had been a comforting presence that surrounded Star in an embrace all its own every time she was able to travel to the square. But now, all of the to-do became a single merged unwanted din to her ears, and none of it at all as comforting as before. It was a cloud of chaos that she was intent on escaping as quickly as possible.

She rushed past a couple of other concubines, accidentally bumping into them and nearly tripping on her long shimmering gown.

Star stammered an incoherent 'So-orry!' not sparing them a glance. But with the jostle of the crowd, nobody heard much of anything and didn't take the time for pleasantries towards the people they knocked into. She kept her eyes forward, her feet run-jumping, as fast as they could carry her out to the front of the pavilion where a great marble fountain marked the place of transit.

The fountain was an entire story tall, with jets of water constantly surging out from the horns of a dozen floating stone-faced pony heads encircling around its base. The water danced with an array of colors; it shifted hues as it traveled through the air before diving back into the fountain, only to rain down like a multicolored waterfall into the holding pool below. It was a portrait of calm nestled within the chaos.

Cars hovered around the fountain as they speedily pulled up curbside to take on their passengers. Valets got out, still taking a brief moment to bow to their fares as they hurried inside the magical vehicles. Some of the vehicle doors opened up like the wings of eagles, while others slid up or away on invisible tracks.

Without pause Star waved down one of the drivers, jumping into the humming machine as soon as the door had opened wide enough to allow her to squeeze through.

"Where to, miss?" asked the surprised driver. "Reports are coming in of a monster in the pavillion?"

She barked like a thief that was trying to make a getaway from the scene of a crime.

"I don't know, just drive to anywhere, just not here!"

"Excuse me, my lady?"

The driver furrowed his brow, unsure that he'd been spoken to in the manner that he'd heard, and doubly unsure if the panic residing in the young woman's eyes was simply due to the lights from the aether-tech gauges reflecting therein, or if she truly was in need of some kind of assistance. He wasn't certain whatever was happening in the marketplace wasn't just a publicity stunt of over-hyped drama. He had been so startled from the speed at which he took on his new guest that he couldn't be sure if maybe he was seeing in her face, or hearing in her voice, things that weren't there.

He got into the vehicle and adjusted the mirror to better see his frazzled, but elegantly dressed, passenger, almost ignoring all others, or at least the notion of panic in the area.

"Uurm, that is," Star quickly worked to calm herself, giggling lightly back at his questioning stare, "…that is to say, anywhere away from all of this commotion!"

She exaggerated breathily, fanning her hand in front of her face for effect. She hoped, secretly, that she wouldn't actually pass out while she tried to relax her racing heart.

"It has made me dizzy, with all the lights and sounds."

"Ah, I understand, miss!"

The driver tipped his hat to her in the rearview mirror while his face once again took on a calm rosy exterior, his mind returned back to its ignorant cradle of worriless, wealthy Mewnian peace. He drove around-about the fountain and began to head away.

"A pretty lady like yourself needs to take a bit better care not to become overwhelmed. It is lovely though, isn't it, Mewni at night? It could easily make someone less accustomed to traveling faint just from the sight."

He had noticed her collar, and began to head towards the concubine district, presuming that the market square was all new to her, and that she'd been sorely out of her element.

"You like a water, miss?" he asked, pushing a button on his console before awaiting a response.

An armrest lowered itself next to her. The top portion of it drew back into itself, a small hidden platform elevating up a more than ample liter bottle of clear, cold water. Within the bottle was a single frost-glow orb, resembling a golf-ball-sized blue marble that constantly emitted an icy chill while wet, fading in and out with almost breathing neon light.

She shyly took hold of the glass bottle in her hand. It misted over her face and hands when she cracked the top open to drink. As she sipped the refreshing liquid, she realized just how much she truly was grateful for it, wiping a bit of sweat from her brow. The large bottle continued to spill a foggy vapor out the top even when she had stopped drinking.

"Thank you," she said.

The heartbeats in her ears finally began to slow down as her breath did the same, looking out the window and seeing that the night had indeed come on rather quickly. The marketplace was so far in the distance she felt she could let her nerves relax just a little.

But in the absence of adrenaline her thoughts began to take over, hissing sentences from the depths of her mind as if they slithered out from the mouths of the nameless people in the square, and all at once. They were demanding answers, shouting with countless fingers pointing her way, volleying doubts against her back while they clawed at her resolve.

How could you leave your caretakers that loved you so? Look at your fine dress, your collar, your headband. How could you ever leave your only friends behind? Willow's heart will break. Can you live with knowing they suffer in silence as you go free? Don't you know your place?

Worse still, she wasn't sure where her new place would be. Concubines had keepers or served in the pleasure palaces. It was wholly unacceptable in society for a concubine to live on their own.

The voices persisted: Why are you so selfish in thinking that there is a better life than what you had? What are you even good for?

She pushed through her reservations, through the newfound fear that was making her fingers tremble; they clutched the water bottle harder. Did she really deserve anything better or should she have just been thankful for what she had, especially since she would now lose everything she'd ever known?

She refused to go back. There was only forward, no matter the cost, or where it led.

It was all Star could do to keep her head against the limousine's window, trying not to allow the quiet rumble of it to allow those thoughts to enter in again. A slight line of light passed over her, waking her from her troubled reverie. The arc gate scanner had passed through the car, signaling their entry into the concubine district.

"Wait, driver? Can you take me to," she hesitated, leaning forward in her leathery seat; she knew she couldn't ask to be dropped off just anywhere, and especially not directly on the outskirts of Mewni; instead she offered, "erm, to uh, the industrial district?"

"The industrial district? Are you quite all right, miss? What would a pretty thing like you be doing down in the industrial district?"

"Oh, it's where my uh, client is I need to see."

The driver narrowed his lips, remaining quiet a while before tilting his head back to speak, without taking his eyes from the road.

"Forgive me, my lady, but you're not exactly dressed for being in that district, if I may be so bold to say."

Star knew he meant to say something regarding the lower classed workers not being able to afford a concubine of her caliber, but to his credit he did rephrase the question in a way that was palatable for the ears. She played the game.

"Well, this is a very special occasion for one of the factory owners. It's his retirement party."

"Ah, my apologies! Say no more," he said with a knowing wink.

Star had never even come close to descending into lower Mewni. She was used to being able to see the sky overhead, with its wispy clouds and occasional advertisements, the colorful array of birds that sang cheerfully in the gardens, and the lush planted trees and shrubs dutifully placed all around for decor. But as the driver drove she saw less and less of the sky, fewer instances of green and other bright colors. The open air and pretty sights of upper Mewni were slowly replaced, covered over by pillars and support structures, multiple bridges and stonework, all completely enveloping everything overhead.

The vehicle drove down the many sloping layers of Mewni that squeezed out natural light, heading deeper and deeper into the lower parts of it. As Star watched out her window she was confused and amazed at how different the worldview became, and how surrounded she was by architecture on all conceivable sides. The wealthy of Mewni simply built their world on top of the former, poorer structures, lower Mewni serving merely as the elite's groundwork, forgetting and ignoring the downtrodden, literally concealing them from sight.

They continued on for the better part of an hour until they arrived at the industrial district's arc gates. The vehicle hovered along the roadway which became less fancy of inlaid flagstone and instead more like cobblestone. The buildings in the district, even though roofed-over by other buildings and roadways above them, were far taller than any of the grand manors Star had been used to seeing, which said a lot. Even though the factories were meant for the inventing of future aether-tech, their lofty exteriors were spotlessly clean, like palaces that hadn't yet been adorned by splashes of color from an artist's brush. Their outsides were lit all around and gave off a very sterile, almost medical building vibe. Smokestacks coiled around the exteriors and rose upwards, disappearing into the city's framework beyond Star's visibility. Somewhere higher in upper Mewni they emerged, spewing various colorful plumes out that, during the daylight hours, would appear as if they were manufacturing rainbows.

When they had gone far enough down, Star signaled the driver to let her out in front of one of the factory buildings. She had chosen one that looked both a bit more regal, but which also had the least amount of people milling around. Luckily, even though the laborers worked at all hours, designing and developing twenty-four-seven, there were fewer workers around during the dinner hour.

At least she would have that as an advantage, she thought, as she got out of the vehicle and tipped the driver with the few pieces of silver she had left in her small handbag. As the vehicle hovered away she sighed at the emptiness in her purse, then started the long walk through the industrial district, keeping her head down and trying not to attract anyone's attention.

The industrial district was the last vestige of what would be considered proper Mewni. Wealthy Mewmans wanted as much separation between themselves as the poorer Mewmans, and the factory buildings served as a suitable buffer zone between those that could afford aether-tech, and those that could not. Going further was something inconceivable.

Quietly, she followed along roadways that crept ever downward.

Eventually the factories began to lessen in stature and number, the cobblestones giving way to flat grey cement, devoid of any character or warmth. The further Star traveled on its drab surface, the more pock-marked and fissured it seemed to get with lack of upkeep or care, and the more out of place she appeared among the changed landscape.

There wasn't a single road in the Mewni she was acquainted with that wasn't bathed in aether light; but in this strange subterranean Mewni, there was a shortage of streetlights and lights coming from the very buildings themselves. The sparkling gauges covering every surface were not present. Any light at all came from fogged windows from the insides of the buildings. Instead of fine marble and well-maintained clay, the buildings were crafted from bricks and mortar, left almost forgotten by time, covered with cracks and grime.

"So dark," Star whispered to herself. She wasn't used to nighttime not being lit up enough to compensate for daylight, especially in a place completely enclosed with buildings that didn't feel the touch of the sun. "Well, everything should look better by tomorrow," she hoped, finding comfort in her own thoughts as she slowly followed what little light she could see until it cast her shadow long behind her. The light steadily increased as she got closer, finally coming up to a gateway of a kind she'd never seen before. She could only guess which type of gates they were, presuming them to be aether-driven due to their incessant glow, with a hue like cherry blossoms.

The aether-gates were large expanses of humming, pinkish light that stretched like a rippling transparent barrier, as if water could be controlled and held in a wall-like vertical plane so thin you could see through to the other side, albeit murkily. The barriers were wide enough to allow the width of a car, like arc gates, but it wasn't simple light beams that scanned passengers going through. The forcefield was a solid plane of magical current preventing all physical entry unless the field itself was disabled by the guards.

She'd only heard whispers of their existence, which prevented lesser-classed Mewmans from passing into zones meant for higher-classed citizenry… by force. The rumor was that touching the forcefield beam meant instant debilitating shock which would render the victim unconscious, or worse. A solid wall was built high enough on either side that they were load-bearing to the many countless floors higher above. There was no way to get further below in Mewni except by aether-gate access.

Star stood there, transfixed by the swirling patterns reaching from one side of the gate to the other. It was a pretty light, and stood out as much as her attire compared to the drab, crumbling surroundings.

There was a guard posted at each end of the beam, and a panel inset on both metal pillars behind them that cast out their portion of the glowing aether-shield. It wasn't long before the pinkish barrier-light caught her gown and sent a dazzling display of sparkles into the dull eyes of the guards, stealing away their attention. They locked onto her, their chuckling words cut off mid-sentence. Confusion from both sides kept the silence in the air palpable for a lengthy minute, before one of the guards finally spoke.

"You there, miss!"

Star visibly shuddered from the shout, bracing for further word impact. She scrambled for thoughts on how to convince the guards to let her pass. To her dismay, the guard that had spoken softened his tone and ushered a hand wave for her to come forward.

"Come, come. Don't be shy."

Star didn't want to appear as if she had the backbone of a mouse, so she stiffened her spine and walked forward with intent. She made a conscious effort to keep her chin up and her footsteps purposeful, her eyelids not overly wide as if she would bolt at the first sign of her pan unraveling.

"Not often we see a beautiful woman like you in these parts," the guard said. "This gate will take you down into the Alleys. Is that where you're headed?

Star had never heard of the Alleys, but she acted like she'd been there countless times.

"Yes, of course."

"You have the Gate Allowance?"

At this she hesitated, looking to the other guard, who offered, "The Pink Slip," which didn't help her one bit towards acknowledging whatever it was they wanted. She looked through her empty purse for the imaginary pink slip that she was pretending should be within. Her fingers ruffled the bag's interior aimlessly while her mind sought for excuses, her heartbeat starting to put an edge on her nerves.

"Ehh, you have it?" the first guard asked, his eyes captivated more so on her chest and dress than the charade she was desperately attempting to pull off, looking through her bag.

"No, I'm sorry. I must have left it in my other bag. Could I still pass? After all," she quickly chuckled, "I wouldn't want to be here if I didn't have a reason."

"I dare say not!" the guard laughed. "But, even so, if you got business down there, I need some sort of ID."

She fumbled and stopped looking through her purse, turning her eyes up to him.

"I don't really have anything other than the pink slip… it had everything on it I needed." She looked down, fluttering her eyelashes and sighing as if she might cry. "But it took a while to get down here. Don't make me go back all that way back just for the slip. I have business I have to do and will get in trouble if I don't get it done."

The second guard shook his head. "We can't let you pass without it. I would, and he would, but it's our jobs on the line, sorry."

Star looked past the guards at the control panels behind them. There was no way for her to run behind one guard, hit whatever button it was to remove the forcefield, and then get through. The button had to be pushed at each panel at the same time, by each guard.

"I insist you let me through. If not, perhaps your jobs will be more at stake than you realize."

She felt her nerves gather up like a cat on the hunt, all pretense towards acting pitiful dropped, as she debated such dodgy actions. She realized it would be foolhardy to try, but was prepared for a last ditch effort. She took a few bold steps towards the aether-field.

"Hold on, there." The first guard stepped away from the panel.

Her eyes took note of the gap, the opportunity she could capitalize on.

Slowly, the guard reached out towards her. Her first reaction was to shy away, but she didn't, still putting on the front that she was supposed to be there and not illicitly trying to get into lower Mewni.

His crusted, fingernailed hand brushed the hair aside from her white neck, meaty fingers tracing along the collar.

"Who sent you down here?"

"My caretakers; who else?" she replied, matter-of-factly, gauging the distance between the guard and the panel, and the secondary guard and his panel across the way. Her stance widened ever so slightly.

"And who might they be, miss?"

The first guard's eyelids rose, his hand stopping in a shocked fashion as his eyes saw the engraved seal on the fine collar which belonged to Aage and Aagil. He quickly stepped back towards the panel.

Star's heart sank as she saw the window of escape closing, but the guard hit three buttons on his control panel, giving a hand signal to the other who, after a hesitant pause, did the same.

All at once the glowing barrier sucked back into itself on both sides, leaving the way open to her.

"Sorry about that, miss, but I have orders. You understand."

Star blinked, uncertain what had just occurred, while her feet carried her numbly forward. It took her a moment but she said, "Thank you," as if the exchange she'd just had never carried with it the least bit of concern to her.

The second guard walked over to the first to discuss what that all was about. There was a questioning look on his face as he immediately pulled a small monitor and keypad device from his pocket and finger-punched a bunch of buttons.

"Wait a second," he said.

But Star didn't wait, pretending not to have heard them. She scanned the area for where to go next, and quickly. She wanted to put as much distance between herself and the guards as possible before they realized anything was amiss. She took as many turns around bends she could, easily losing her own sense of direction as she sought mainly to get away.

The second guard had pulled up an image of Star. In moments, they sprang into action.

When Star thought it was safe to slow her pace and regain her breath, she heard the thunder of a pair of heavily boot-clad feet pounding towards her direction. The guards were yelling for her to stop.

She did the opposite, taking a deep breath and pushing her legs harder.

"We found her," one of the guards was yelling into a communication device on his wrist. "She's heading to the lower jurisdictions!"

The place she was in was hardly enough of a labyrinth, but finally she came across a single door without a handle, a grubby light fixture alighting it in a hazy glow as if it was a focal point of the area. There didn't appear to be any other place to go. Even the walls seemed to funnel her towards it.

The door automatically slid back into the wall to give her entrance, a ping sound buzzing dolefully in her ears. It was a type of elevator, she knew, but this one was walled in on all sides and only had one direction to choose from – down. There weren't even floors to select. The type she was used to would hover to their destinations, enclosed by sheer panes of glass you could see through on all sides, and were not limited directionally; and as she stepped into the belly of the box awaiting her, with no other choice, the claustrophobic atmosphere creeped over her shoulders like a cape of foreboding gloom.

She saw the two guards down the wide hall. They caught sight of her the same moment as she did them. They stormed forward, but couldn't cover the distance fast enough before the elevator door slid closed.

The interior was greasy, every surface covered in an unknown stain from an unknown source, each splotch competing against the other for maximum coverage as they crawled up the walls. The floor was metal and long since scraped to a perpetually dirty state, caked in sticky grime. The slight rank of ammonia also filled Star's nostrils while the single green light inside flickered like a dying lightning bug.

The box lurched her downward fast on creaking cords, her stomach keenly feeling the effects of the janky travel. Thankfully though, the ride wasn't long. She was grateful, for fear at any moment the box holding her would come to a screaming halt due to the guard above hitting any switches to trap her inside, but it never occured. It bounced a couple times, as if deciding whether to continue, or perhaps to return back upwards, and it made her stomach sea-sick.

Then the box hit the ground like a giant falling on its rear.

The doors opened after what felt like an eternity. Star practically jumped out of it and into the open.

Even the air was different in lower Mewni. It wasn't crisp and clean but almost had a taste to it Star couldn't quite identify. It was like oil mixed with dirt. She could practically feel it adding another layer onto her bare skin.

Unlike the last place she'd been, this was an area full of decrepit buildings and streets she could easily get lost in.

The few cars there were no longer hovered but drove on tires that touched the ground; and they didn't have steering wheels, two long stick-levers with handles replacing them. Smoke and steam billowed out from pipes as they drove by, making her cough when she accidentally inhaled it. She almost didn't recognize that they were cars at all, so different they were in appearance to the sleek, flawless elegance of the limousines she was used to. They were haggard, broken down sheet metal things held together with gears, rivets, and possibly even prayers to the Great Stump.

There were only a few people around, but they were enough to raise the hairs along the back of her neck whenever she met eyes with them. Their faces seemed always to have a smear of dust while their bodies were noticeably gaunt, so scrawny and thin they couldn't possibly be eating three meals a day.

And the way they dressed, if she even considered it 'dress,' was nothing like she had ever seen before. Men and women tended to wear fingerless, knitted gloves with loose threads poking out every which way, while their shirts and coats were so age-worn she wondered if they were the only coats they had ever owned in their lives. Shoes were not polished but were scuffed, dresses were ruffled but tattered and patched, no stocking had a lack of ladder-like runs, and their hair was unkempt as if a perpetual wind had blown them out of place, or perhaps they didn't even have combs.

Star had heard rumors that the poorer Mewmans didn't have aether-tech, but she never believed such wild stories. How anyone could live without it, her brain couldn't even fathom. Yet, she saw only gearworks and pipes, steam-powered locomotives and devices she couldn't put any sort of name on. Nothing at all glowed of magic.

"Not all technology has to be magic. I can do without… I think."

While she walked aimlessly, spinning around as if a visitor in a foreign land, or perhaps even another dimension, out from the alleyways crept a few gloomy figures. The evening had drawn on and even though Star wasn't immediately aware of it, the streets had emptied of the few citizens that had been milling around, leaving her quite unattended.

The shadows watched Star like a pack of wolves, sizing her up as they would their prey. The dress she wore caught their fancy first, its glistening sapphire drawing their eyes like hypnotized moths to flame. There were no bright colors in the lower part of Mewni, since it was covered in neutral, cheerless tones, typically spattered in soot. The flash of blue made her garment stand out as if she were the only color against a backdrop of blackened coal. From her glittery headband down to her shining shoes, she was untarnished even from walking along the dirty pavement. Her skin hadn't a stain, and the collar around her neck was a flawless red gem, making them lick their lips with greed.

Star didn't pick up on the fact that she was being followed right away. The sights distracted her, each glance this way or that bringing her even more insight into the abysmal, claustrophobic world that poorer Mewmans were forced to live in. It appalled her to the core with each passing second she took it all in, her nose wrinkling from the dust in the air. So much of the stories she had heard through haughty whispers had turned out to be true after all. Seeing it come to life, she wished it weren't so.

Along a row of tightly packed buildings, while she peeked into some windows so caked-up she couldn't even see through, she thought she caught movement from the corner of her eye. Something, or someone, had darted back around a corner. There wasn't enough light anywhere for her to see by, so she wasn't completely sure if she'd actually seen something or not. Too much of this Mewni was covered in darkness.

"It's all right, Star," she whispered to herself. "This is fine. Your mind is just playing tricks on you. Not used to all this dark is all."

Star had never known true nightfall. She only knew a Mewni bathed in so much light that night was relatively equal to the day. She hadn't known that darkness could have its own ominous feeling to it either, except maybe in bad dreams or somewhere in her distant memories. But where she tread now, even the darkness seemed to have a skittering life of its own, and she didn't enjoy feeling the crawling threat of it simply due to a phenomenal lack of lights.

She knew she needed to find some place to stay for the night. Some place safe.

Her shoes clicked against the cement as she carried on with a bit more speed in her step. They almost echoed against the squished-together buildings, the streets were so narrow and vacant; that, or another pair of footsteps mimicked her own, she couldn't tell.

"I can do this. No biggie, just dark, and I'm not afraid of the dark. I can do this, chin up…"

One building crushed right up against another, leaving very little space anywhere between. They all looked fairly the same, save one in particular that stood out from the rest, tucked in-between two ramshackle houses. She couldn't tell if it was a business or a house, since there didn't appear to be any district separations to keep the two zones apart, but it was larger than the others, and more well lit inside.

The structure had two stories of multiple windows along the sides, glowing a warm amber in the evening, full of fine reddish drapes with black fringe. It even had small white pillars out front and a modest matching staircase, leading up to wooden double doors more well kept than the rest of the building. It was the most welcoming thing Star had seen yet and she headed its way. If nothing else it was familiar, in a stylish kind of way.

"You look a might bit lost."

Star visibly jumped from the voice that sidled up suddenly behind her. She whirled around to see a woman of maybe twice her age, but whose face was as lean as all the rest, the wrinkles of stress and poor diet adding more years other than were true. Her dirty-blond hair was covered in a threadbare shawl, hooding over it to keep it in place.

"Uhm, well, I am a bit new around here," Star admitted.

"A bit new indeed," the woman replied between a few chipped teeth.

Star wasn't sure of the scrutinizing look on the woman's face, but the way in which she repeated her own words set her more on edge than before.

"Yeah, getting a little late so I'm just looking for a place to sleep for the night."

"Ahh, looking for a place…"

The woman squinted and looked her over as if studying a machine to find out what makes it tick, enjoying the exterior of it all the while. Her eyes seemed to flit between Star's dress and her collar, requiring a force of will to meet eyes with Star's own.

"You're not a girl from these parts."

It was a statement, and spoken with a gleeful jeer. Star wanted nothing more than to get to the building.

"Just visiting, yep. Taking in the sights, and it's getting late sooo..."

"You're from up there, aren't you," the woman continued to speak, not a hint of question in her voice. "You're a long way from home, lass. Someone surely is missing you… someone who would be willing to pay dearly to get you back."

Star didn't know where to turn. She took a few steps backward, excusing herself with a nervous chuckle. "I'm sorry, it was nice to meet you but I'm very tired and I really have to be going."

"And so nice to meet you too!" she whined menacingly as she kept pace with Star, edging forward. "Say, you said you wanted to find a place to stay for the night, yes? I can help with that bit. Why not come with me? I have a right nice place for you."

"Thanks, but actually I'm heading over to…"

"To where, my finely dressed lady? Wouldn't want anyone to hurt you out here. That trinket around your neck must be worth more than most people's homes out in these parts. Such a thing could feed a family for weeks! Shame to see it stolen… shame!"

Star's feet backed up more quickly, despite her trying to maintain her composure.

"Sorry, I have to go!"

"Oh lassie, there's really no hurry. Come with me, I insist!"

Star backed up to the end of the walkway curb. When she stepped into the street, a pair of feet thunked heavily out from the shadows to cut hers off. Her back slammed into the chest of a large someone that was twice her height and almost as hard as a wall. The burly gentleman shed backed into latched onto her shoulders with two huge weighty palms.

"What should I do with her?" he grumbled dumbly.

"You take her with us, obviously, you dolt!" Her voice became shrill and high-pitched. It was grating, and it stung the ears when she yelled. But in the same breath she dropped her tone in a sickening fashion, crooning towards Star.

"Oooh, this necklace of yours."

Her cold fingers began touching the collar, working to find a clasp to undo it. They curled uselessly around the exquisite silver edges, trying to yank it off.

"Stop!" Star resisted, feeling the nails scratching hard into her neck as they tried to loop around the band. "It-It doesn't come off! It belongs to me!"

"It belongs to us now, so let us have it! Now, lass!"

The woman didn't interpret the meaning of the collar 'belonging' to its owner, and there was no use trying to explain as the two hands gripped harder in Star's shoulders, broken fingernails digging into her dress to hold her still.

"Watch it! Don't damage the goods!" the woman yelled. "That dress'll fetch us a good price too!"

She snatched the small handbag attached to Star's wrist, opening it and creasing her brow at the emptiness found within.

"What's this, nothing here?"

"Give that back!" Star yelled, and loudly, the sensation of being captured by Aagil still a fresh memory in her mind. Again she felt a heat rising in her face; but she remembered her reflection in the mirror, didn't want to tap into the part of herself she had experienced before, but her limbs began to quake.

"Time for you upper class to give back a little I'd say, girl," she said without concern for Star's force of words.

"Let me go!"

She elbowed the overhanging gut of the man holding her and jammed her heel deep into one of his grubby boots.

The man roared, his palms releasing as he hopped off his injured foot. Star saw her opening, this time making a break for it without hesitation, though her graceful shoes were not made for running.

"After her! Don't let her get away!"

The woman was surprisingly spry for being such a scrawny figure. As she shouted, she bounded after Star, managing to grab a fast hold of her wrist before she could get even three yards away. Star tried to break her bony grasp, but her hulking sidekick recovered quickly, his leg lashing out to trip her from behind. She was sent hard into the concrete, allowing the woman to regain a hold on her.

"Nice try, little princess!"

The word 'princess' gave Star pause. It was another moment when something deeper within herself was triggered, only she had no idea why or for what purpose. Somehow, even though the witch-like face had spoken it with spitting malice, it sounded right to her ears, as if it was originally part of her name.

She was literally shaken from her thoughts, a set of fingers yanking her up by her hair until her shoes barely touched the ground. A cry of pain burst from her lips, having never felt something so harshly done to her before. She didn't know if sections of hair were being pulled from her skull, but it felt likely they were. And for the first time since she could remember, she was hurt, and in several places, the skin of her knees and elbows grazed and bleeding.

The female grabbed the sparkling headband as it slipped down her face.

"Pretty, so pretty," she murmured, transfixed by the beautiful thing in her hands.

"Let me go!"

The henchman held the squirming Star out far from his body as fright flooded her senses. She flailed uselessly around, grunting and trying to kick any part of anyone she could connect with, all the while trying to free her hair with her hands. The thick-chested thug was simply too strong a force, his fist like the jaws of a clamped crocodile. She wasn't used to feeling agonizing pain and she didn't know what else they would do to her. The glaring image of Ginger's lacerations flashed across her mind.

"URGHH! Release me!" Her voice gave way to desperation.

With the opportunity at hand, the woman snatched hold of her thrashing feet. She clenched them tightly under an arm and wrenched both shoes clear off their now-ripped stockings.

"You won't be runnin' away again, lass!"

"What're you going to do with me!? You dregs!"

The woman sneered, then back-handed Star across her mouth.

"You'll be our um, guest, until some of the uppers come looking for you. I'm sure their pocketbook will hold more than yours!"

She tucked the headband with the shoes covetously against her chest and barked at her cohort. "Now let's get out of here before someone hears her crying and tries to steal our prize!"

Two bright beams of light cut through the blackness around the group. With a grunt of sound, the man holding Star stiffened, his pupils becoming tiny pinpricks against it. The woman instinctually tried to hide the stolen goods behind her back. Star continued to dangle, partially dazed, unable to see past the light freezing them all to the street nor the dots of sparkles still littering her view from being struck.

A calm voice reverberated around them, sounding amplified somehow, and larger than life.

"Release the girl and put your hands in the air."

The next thing she knew, Star was dropped to the ground, the pavement coming up to meet her like a second filthy slap to the face. The man didn't need to be told twice.

The woman shouted, "Run, you nitwit!" already running away. "If the police catch you, I'm not coming back to save you!"

The man took off in the opposite direction as fast as his feet would carry him.

Star reached a hand up to shield her eyes from the floodlights. Suddenly a siren sounded. She saw colors of red and blue flashing all around. The twin beams grew larger as the growling sound of an engine increased with intensity and speed. Whatever vehicle it was accelerated towards her as if to mow her down.

She wouldn't have been able to roll out of the way fast enough if she tried, but the machine drifted sideways just as it reached her sprawled form, forcibly stopping. The lights no longer blinded her but the maneuver kicked up a cloud of street debris, and the exhaust fumes made her gag.

Her attackers had fled.

Mercifully, the driver shut down the blaring siren. She could only hear the softer rumble of the engine issuing out from the many pipes along the undercarriage. She knew it was some form of law enforcement car, but it wasn't anything she'd seen before. The front of it had only one large rubberized wheel while four smaller gear-like wheels in the rear were covered in thick metal treads, a pair on either side of a window-less carriage.

Her eyes adjusted slowly as the figure from the vehicle opened the squad car's door. Star saw his shoes first as they stepped out onto the ground. They weren't scraped-up like all the others in this downtrodden version of Mewni, but highly polished and looking new. He was tall and slender, but not from lack of eating, and his skin was a pale grey-green. Atop his head rested perfectly brushed, slick black hair that ran down to his shoulders.

His tail shut the door behind him.

Her eyes went immediately to his butter yellow spheres as the man knelt down beside her, extending a hand.

"My lady, are you all right?"

"I…"

It was her nature to take an outstretched hand, so she placed hers into his, allowing him to pull her up. At first she thought he had only three fingers but, when she did a double-take, saw that he had all four.

"I-I think so."

"I am officer Toffee," he said gently. "And you are? Hmm… not from around here, I see."

Star smoothed her dress with her hands and tried to straighten her abused hair. She still felt the pain of the pull throbbing against her scalp. She grabbed one of her sore elbows with a hand and embarrassingly looked down over her tousled clothes.

"I'm Star."

As she absently swept her long hair away from her neck, no longer having a headband to keep it held back in place, Toffee's eyebrows raised in surprise. The red heart gem of the collar reflected in his widening eyes like a mirror. He was momentarily held captive by it like so many before him. The finery that Star wore made him realize exactly where she had come from, and what she was.

"It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Star," he said pleasantly. "This is no place for a lady such as yourself. Please, let me take you back to the station so we can write up a report."

"I don't really want to cause any trouble. I can just… uhm, be on my way."

"Nonsense. No trouble at all for you, my lady. Those derelicts accosted you, and did they likewise steal your things?" His eyes had already taken her all in, and she caught them glancing down at her feet. "I presume you didn't walk all the way from home without shoes?"

"Well I… no."

He cocked an eyebrow, a smile disarmingly gracing his long face as he guided her towards his vehicle.

"Come. You will be safe at the station. At least we can tend to your injuries. I'll get you something warm to drink, something for your feet, and after we file the report you can be on your way, if that is your wish."

Star had become confused with knowing what exactly her wish was, not having planned very much past getting away from the manor and every aspect of the Mewni she knew. She wasn't used to making her own decisions. But, Toffee's suave demeanor and soft spoken words soothed her like a warm blanket, easily sliding her worries away and leaving her feeling comfortably sheltered. His uniform was well tailored, and his badge glistened with authority.

She was still in shock from the mugging, not thinking her clearest, or even caring, past the desire to get safe. She found herself allowing the Officer to lead her into his car.

He opened the door for her and held her hand to assist her in, giving a gracious bow like a valet.

"My lady."

Star had to almost climb into the vehicle, so lifted off the ground it was by the treaded wheels of the rear. She sat in the passenger seat besides Toffee as if she were his partner, the back part of the squad separated by thick plexiglass and iron-barred windows. She noted there was room enough in the back to seat up to four people sitting across from each other. Shackle-like devices hung from the sidewalls at the ready, attached to the interior frame.

"Those are called handcuffs. I know you've probably never seen them where you're from, although they have something similar… stronger of course. Don't worry, you're up here with me, not back there with them."

She gave a small chuckle.

The corners of Toffee's lips turned upwards into a smile, murmuring a small laugh. His eyelids just partially lowered over his eyes, giving him a charming countenance.

He slid into the driver seat and closed the door, immediately pulling two of the many levers inside with his hands. The long metal bars went down into the floor and connected with the frame and engine out of sight. The vehicle spun as if in place, making a zero-turn in the street.

Star watched out her window as the one building she had been heading towards was quickly fading into the distant night and getting lost among all of the other ones crowding in around it.

For a while, the pair was quiet. Star began to feel her bruises pulse as she sat back against the seat. A light fog of steam from a pipe exiting the vehicle's hood started to puff against her windowpane, the droplets picking up the outer coating of grunge along the car's surface and running down like grey rivers against the glass. Star's mind drifted as she watched the beads.

When she looked over at Toffee she saw in him, and in his impeccably-kept outfit, someone she felt she knew.

"You have been to, uhm, where I'm from?" she asked, as shyly as a child asking a question she feared might cause unease.

Without turning his head, Toffee's eyes drifted to Star then back on the road.

"Yes, I used to serve as a… factory worker."

"Oh," she whispered. She knew none of the working class personally, and there was no way she'd have ever been in contact with them.

Again Toffee took a quick glance at her. He thought to keep the questions one-sided.

"Yes, I left, same as you I presume? If that is what you intended to ask next."

"No-no-nooo, I just thought maybe you were someone I ran in to at some point. I don't mean to be nosey."

"Someone as ravishing as you, my dear Star, I would have certainly remembered, and I would have made sure you'd remember me."

A rosy color filled her cheeks. The air was subdued between them, but not awkwardly so. He went on speaking, his words becoming lighter, more reassuring.

"Star, may I ask why you decided to leave?"

"I just…" she trailed off, looking down and seeing that her fingers had gathered the folds of her dress in involuntary fists. She opened her hands quickly, letting go of the fabric. "I just didn't like…"

"It's all right. If it troubles you, you need not say."

The desire to speak her mind to someone rose like a small fire within herself.

"No, it's ok. I just thought I could be… meant for better things?"

"You feel like you didn't matter there. The people you lived with saw you as nothing more than property."

She found that when he'd given her space, she couldn't stem the surge of words that wanted to stream from her mouth, and wasn't entirely sure of everything that came out once it started. His question-like statements fed the growing fire of emotion within her like tinder, and once started, the blaze had to burn.

"They loved me. They said they loved me. But they acted the complete opposite. I had a good life and I loved them, like if they were my parents, I mean. But… they only saw what they wanted to see in me. I was their doll to dress up, and I allowed it. They did things to me I didn't want, and I allowed that too. They kept wanting more and more until I felt like nothing at all but a thing. Don't I have a say? Am I wrong to want my own say? Can't I say 'no' to being just… just a…"

"Slave?"

"A plaything."

Toffee raised an eyebrow on the side not facing Star, noting her side-step of his bold word, and how she downgraded it into something she could more easily swallow. He listened, fascinated with the strange woman seated next to him that gave him an awkward vibe. Her pitch became louder and broken with tiny sequels at the peaks.

"They only saw what's on the outside. That's all that mattered; not how I felt inside, only what I offered and what I could give, or they could take! I ran away and don't even know if I did the right thing. I left everything I knew behind… my only family and my friends. I don't know where to go. I don't know what I even want because I've only ever given others what THEY wanted. I don't even know myself."

Her chin dropped as she turned back towards the window, shielding her face from his by the barrier of her golden hair, preventing him from seeing the tiny tear that escaped down her face.

"What if I was wrong?" she sniffed quietly, watching the steam drops dance against the window.

Toffee could sense the mild sobbing and sought to rebuild her prior confidence.

"I have only known you a few minutes and already can tell that you're remarkable. Your leaving was no mistake at all. They didn't appreciate you, Star, and that was their mistake." He handed her a handkerchief from one of his many vest pockets. It was embroidered with a lower Mewman symbol for the letter 'T'. He held it out for her and waited until she took it, to dab at her eyes before continuing.

"You know, it takes bravery to break away from everything and take control of your own life. So few have the strength to be anything but a follower. Oh they all say they want to be individuals and stand up for themselves, but in the end most of them just cower like sheep. You're not alone in wanting to find your own way outside the flock."

"There are others like me?"

He spoke more slowly, carefully choosing his words.

"Well, not quite of the same class as you, but a few, yes, that have escaped over the years and come to this place to start over in obscurity. Look at me. I am an officer now, not some worker in an aether-tech factory known only by a number, building the toys that only the wealthy can enjoy. I think you'll find this part of Mewni to be a good place to disappear."

"And remake myself, you're right! Like, a caterpillar transforming into a butterfly!"

"Yes well, one step at a time, Star."

The officer gave her a light smile and returned his focus to the road. Star was uplifted by the support of his words, and even though it was dark and bleak outside, the lights of the vehicle skimming over lower Mewni and making random alley rats scatter, she had a more positive feeling than before.

Star was staring out the window. While her eyes had been seeing the word going by, she only briefly took it in, her eyes staring blankly as the world went by. She allowed her thoughts to take precedence over her vision, wondering what the next day would bring and how she'd get started in this underworld of new experiences. Then, Officer Toffee shook her back into the moment.

"Would you care for a snack or drink?"

"Uhm… sure," she said.

He reached over to her side of the car and tapped the dash. He did it twice, as the dash didn't immediately respond, unlike the luxury vehicles with their holographic screens and buttons you'd tap in the air. He simply tapped the dash itself. With a slight grunt of annoyance, he nudged the part of the dash that opened but not all the way.

There was a compartment within the dash that held a few odds and ends of police business paperwork and set over them was some kind of wrapped candy bar and a very small bottle of water. It did not have an ice orb in it and didn't particularly look appetizing, and she wasn't really peckish, but she didn't want to seem ungrateful. She thanked the officer and took the candy, slowly unwrapping the shiny paper from the chocolaty insides.

"Mmm, thank you," she said while swallowing. "What is this?"

"That? That is a Snookers bar. It's the great equalizer… sold to all classes in Mewni."

"It's pretty good."

As she took small nibbles of the candy she realized how thirsty it was making her, and decided to go ahead and take the offered water as well. Officer Toffee nodded his approval while his hands turned the levers. Outside the window the world all looked the same despite being new to Star. It almost seemed as if they were driving in circles.

She had become dizzy. And tired. Her arms felt difficult to raise. She was having trouble keeping her eyes open. It had come upon her so quickly it brought along with it a sense of dread. Something was wrong.

She looked over at Officer Toffee, who had a tiny smirk playing in the corners of his lips, looking at her from the sideways glance of his eyes. She thought she heard him chuckle, but maybe she imagined it, or saw something not there. Her eyes were blinking more than usual, her head lolling slightly when she turned away.

Her head and eyelids became heavy like her arms. The anxious fear that had taken hold was like a dull background pulse that wasn't fully connected to her body. It was there, crying out to her every sinew to make her move, but she couldn't muster the energy. Sleep felt inevitable, the fight too great.

Finally her resistance drained. It was impossible not to shut the lids that wanted to seal her eyes and the world around her away.

When Star's eyes fluttered open, as the sleepy haze wore off, the strong scent of something itched inside her nostrils. It had tickled her out of the blackness of false slumber.

A heavy blanket had been draped around her shoulders. She had been nestled into it, and was no longer in a moving vehicle but a wooden chair. The fabric was almost comforting, were it not for the fact that she immediately found her arms and wrists held down by thick leather straps.

She awoke relatively quickly, the dulled fear she recalled having only minutes prior surging back into her veins like a spirit retaking its body.

"Ah, wonderful to see you awake."

It didn't take her semi-glazed eyes long to find Toffee. He stood before her, a pleased expression painting his maw. In one hand he had been holding some kind of small stick that was broken in half. She could smell the intense spice of it until he clasped his hands behind his back along with it.

"Before you decide to panic, let me make you aware of a couple points, shall I?" he asked, but continued on without waiting for her answer. "You're safely tucked away beneath the police station. No, you're not in the jail, nor are you under arrest, but you're in my… custody. As long as you cooperate, perhaps we can come to certain agreements."

"I-I thought you wanted to take a report," she muttered, trying to maintain her composure.

"You're right, Star."

Toffee spun on a heel and walked to the desk directly across from her. He sat briskly and immediately began to prick at a strange keypad device before him while looking at a glowing screen. His eyes skipped from the computer monitor to her, then back again, as his reptilian fingers danced across the Low Mewman letters. He seemed to delight in Star's amicable reaction to her capture.

Star didn't pay as much attention to his glances, unaware that his eyes often fixated on the collar about her throat. Her own eyes kept staring at the only thing in the room besides the table: the strange computer gadget lying on top, box-like and full of gears and small mechanical lights. On its front was a flat console screen, and in front of that was a touchable keyboard. There were computers where she was from but they looked so drastically different that Star almost felt like she had entered another time. Mewnian computers didn't require screens, displaying the images within the air from a console. One would touch the airborne symbols rather than physical keys on a board, like the difference between the fancy limousines and Toffee's dashboard.

Toffee was apparently recounting the evening while Star sat watching the interlocking gears turn, hearing the very faint murmur of a motor buried somewhere within that kept the computer alive. Within herself, her adrenaline was choking her throat, but she decided not to try her bonds or appear too stricken by her situation, trying to play along.

"So, you do this for all of your rescuees?"

"I beg your pardon?" he said, still distracted with the paperwork.

"You bring them here and make them comfortable, tying them to a chair?"

"No, it's not standard procedure, and a bit regrettable. I'm pleased to see you're taking it well."

She tilted her head to the side and gave a snarky attitude.

"I try to go with the flow."

"A wise decision."

There was the clacking of more typing as Star stared down Toffee. Without turning her eyes away she casually glanced about the room to get a look at the place. It wasn't filled with many objects besides cabinets and tables, mostly sterile, and not just in scant furnishings. The room was immaculately clean from floor to ceiling and painted white. It seemed medical in nature, and gave her an all new rush of fear when her eyes saw a metal tray with several needle-like apparatuses and tubes placed on it.

She broke the silence as much to keep herself calm as to find out more about Toffee.

"Why did you rescue me?"

"I am an officer. It's my job to stop the criminal element. I only allowed those two to run because taking care of you was my first priority. They are petty, short-sighted criminals and won't be on the loose for long when I get on their case."

"Uhm… that's not quite what I meant."

"You are asking why I rescued you and then brought you here, only to tie you up, I know."

The computer was making an annoying whirring noise, filling the stagnant air as his statement lingered within it, unnecessarily long.

In truth, he would have preferred not to have begun with her being restrained, but he'd sensed in her something different. Whatever it was gave him an uneasiness he wasn't accustomed to. He was not a man to let precautions slide.

He cleared his throat, looking up from his work.

"I also know you're used to a life of extravagance. It's a sheltered and entitled life. Your handlers kept you naïve to many things. But it's no wonder. Only the most prized concubines are dressed as you are and wear such a fine 'feature' about their necks. It's hard for you to understand how the real world works because you've never known otherwise."

Her blue eyes went wide with shock.

"Y-you knew all along?"

"I used to serve the wealthy elite, after all."

"As just a factory worker, you said."

"Yes, well," he brushed it quickly aside, "Regardless, I am well aware of those collars and the station one such as yours represents."

She pictured the magically sealed, smooth surface of the crimson heart that she often blindly toyed with. She'd made a motion as if you reach up and touch it, forgetting that she was prevented from so doing. It was so much a part of her that his continual staring at it made her feel exposed. She re-adjusted her legs as one of her bound hands fingered the blanket draping down off her shoulders.

"You said we all can make a new life for ourselves. I don't have to be what this collar says I am, and I don't plan on it."

"You were a slave before. Now, you're free."

She stretched her neck in an overstated manner to look at her still leather-strapped arms. "As free as free can be."

"And," he snorted a mild laugh as he smoothed back his hair, "if you'd like to remain that way, I can be of great service to you. Conversely, if you decide on the wrong choice…"

He stood and, rather casually, walked to the front of the table just inches away from her. He leaned against it, looking down into her eyes as she sat with bated breath. She had pulled her feet up off the floor and was sitting with them tucked up beside herself, wrapped in the blanket. Without shoes, her stockings did little against the cold of the concrete.

Toffee raised an eyebrow as he gradually maneuvered his tail. It slithered up underneath the blanket and against Star's legs. He could feel them shiver at his scaly touch.

Star felt the tail creep along, the tip of it tracing along the crease of her pressed legs like a finger trying to make its way northward. She remembered Aagil leisurely trying to train her, as if the pace at which the unwanted touch came had anything to do with her acceptance of it.

The flexible green limb didn't stop until it slithered its way over her arms, teased at her throat, and the end of it caressed at her cheek.

Her body stiffened, revolted, drawing away from Toffee while clutching the blanket. She averted her eyes sharply; that's when she caught from the corner of her eye something sparkle off Toffee's belt. He had several keys.

She yelled, trying not to look at the keys, as if Toffee would follow her gaze. "If you think I'm going to become YOUR concubine, you're making a big mistake!"

His calm demeanor belied his hidden desires, having fun with her fears. He didn't even bother to hide the smirk that crossed his lips. Swathed in the blanket Star appeared so frail, and yet was more beautiful than any female he had laid eyes on in quite a long while.

"I left because I didn't want the same path I had before! If I have to fight you like I had my caretakers, I will! I'm not about to let you-"

"Yes, you certainly will," interrupted Toffee, using his tail like an extra hand, tilting her head to both sides before pulling it back. "I can almost see the fire in you! Your bloodline hasn't completely lost it. Excellent."

She squinted slightly, confusion stopping her tongue from flying out further defensive statements. "What?"

"I am sure once we get better acquainted, you'll change your mind, in time, and see that my plans can mutually benefit us both."

"I don't plan to be here long enough to get better acquainted, so you better be the one to change your mind. Let me go, before I'm forced to hurt you too."

He chuckled as he cocked his head, reclining against his hands gripping the table's edge behind him. He continued with a tender, yet patronizing, tone.

"Forced to? Oooh my, you are quite the catch. But, why don't we take a step back and have a realistic chat, hmm?"

"Maybe we could have… if you didn't drug me and tie me to a chair."

"Relax. You certainly are stunning, but If I'd wanted to have my way with you, I'd not have woken you up with the smelling salts."

He acted as if he hadn't heard her sarcasm, reaching over his desk and proceeding to hit a couple of keys on the keypad. Then, he turned the screen to face her. Over the flat surface she could see images of Aage and Aagil, information written in higher Mewman, and an image of herself, and the collar.

"They are offering an obscene reward for your return, Star. I don't need to tell you that the sum would be utterly life-changing for anyone this side of Mewni. But as an officer, I am even more so obligated to bring you in."

"But you won't… right?" She tried to appeal to his sense of camaraderie. "I mean, you and I share escaping lives we didn't want. We wanted the same thing."

Toffee took a very deep breath. "I was free to leave any time. I wasn't anyone's property. A worker goes missing, there are plenty more to fill the gap. You, however, can't just disappear. That collar can't be removed except by your keepers, and so you'll forever stand out down here. You need my level of protection. I brought you here to protect you."

Star hovered between fear and hope, her eyes quivering from not blinking as she watched Toffee's expressionless face, unable to read it.

"But… you won't take me back?"

"I could be persuaded to break the rules on your behalf…"

"…If?"

"You disappoint me," he grinned with a sardonic smile. "You should know I'm not exactly a fan of the upper crust, having left there myself. Of course I sympathize with your plight."

"Then, if you don't want a concubine, why are you keeping me here?"

"You are from the uppermost city. You're one of the few Mewmans that's permitted to see the sky."

The sound of Toffee's thinly disguised resentment began to soak through his words, feeling like an obvious warning to her ears.

"As such, that makes you of particular interest to me. You see, my dear, the most privileged Mewmans have a particular lineage. They have done their best to keep the classes apart for many reasons, not all of which is political. Those criminals that mugged you saw value in keeping you alive not out of kindness, but because a kidnapping meant the potential for more money. Others might have killed you on the spot and just stolen your things, or tried to sell you."

"And you're different because…?"

Toffee's voice was low, almost barely audible, his eyes squarely resting on Star. "We all have our hungers, but my eyes are not so short-sighted. You are more precious to me alive than dead."

Toffee pulled away from the desk, instantly making her flinch. But rather than putting his hands on her, he instead turned and went back behind the computer.

"You need me to survive down here, and I need you for some… tests."

Star looked at the metallic tray cradling the implements she assumed were for what Toffee was implying.

"No."

"Just a small request, really. I would like to take a sample of your blood. Let me run it through my computer. If my theories are correct, your higher Mewman blood will-"

"Why would I allow you to do that?"

"Simply put, because I am asking… not ordering. I could have already taken your blood, just as I could have taken you, remember? You're merely tied as a safety measure while we can sort out a deal."

"I don't want a deal. I want you to let me go!"

Toffee's lips shrank into a small slit, his eyelids half closing with irritation.

"Think this through. You're a smart girl. The only way I'd let you go is to send you home and gain that reward. And as I've said, that's a pittance compared to what we can gain together using science and a little bit of your DNA."

"No, I'm not going back home."

"Ah, I knew you'd see things my way and come arou-"

"No!" her voice rose, feet stamping to the floor for emphasis, though they only made mild slaps from her stocking feet. Her loudness echoed through the nearly empty space around them. It turned her bold once again, as she had been when facing Ginger. "I'm not becoming some kind of lab experiment for you! Not to you or anyone else!"

Toffee narrowed his eyes. "You sound like you've made your choice."

Her chin lifted defiantly. "I have."

"Well then…"

Toffee rose and clasped his hands behind his back. He strode around Star, saying nothing, until she diverted her eyes from his pacing lanky form for just a moment.

CLICK!

It was a pitiless sound that slapped the memory of receiving her collar back to the forefront of her mind. She felt hard metal against her arm and jumped, looking down to see the handcuff-like brace that Toffee had locked near to her elbow. It snapped onto the armrest of her chair.

She flashed her eyes upwards, directly meeting his just inches away.

"Why're you-"

"I'm too tired to argue. Now, I'm not asking."

There was no time for a whimper. He pinned her wrist firmly against the chair and grasped one of the needles from the tray. Even though she struggled, he seemed not to need to apply any kind of force to fight against her resistance.

Toffee merely waited while he held her down, allowing her to expend her efforts futilely. She thrashed and kicked around for a good minute, her blond hair whipping teasingly around his long, amused face. What kicks connected he simply took.

She arched her back to break free, and even tried to lean over and bite him, but it was useless. She was reduced to a breathless, drained mess, her muscles trembling with both fear and exertion.

The blanket had completely fallen to the floor. Her kicking and jerking at his body had left her limbs spent. She tried to catch her breath.

"Finished?" he asked, with an utterly sweet ring to his voice. "I commend you for trying. It was a valiant effort. I especially enjoyed it."

He seized his opportunity and plunged the needle into her arm before she could muster any rebound strength.

Star cringed back a painful gasp, gritting her teeth and squeezing her eyes to the point she could see sparks behind her eyelids. She felt the violent rush she had had with Aagil in the bedroom, sizzling her nerves, making her cheeks hot. She didn't want to break the needle in her arm. It was painfully tearing her skin with each fruitless attempt to pull away.

The tongue in Toffee's mouth slid over his teeth as his lips parted, allowing himself a heavier breath as he got a strong scent of her. His tail wrapped itself, snake-like, constricting around her legs to hold them back against the chair, like a free hand without fingers, enjoying his complete control.

"Nnurgh! Toffee stop!"

"Just relax, my gorgeous princess. I will be gentle." He was steadily drawing back on the plunger, pulling her blood along with it. He stopped once enough of the crimson fluid had reached one of the scratched markings along the side of the syringe body.

Again, the word 'princess' sounded so familiar, yet she hadn't a second to dwell on it. She yelped a groan as she felt him lean forward into her. There wasn't a moment where the tension on her wrists relaxed enough to let her slip free.

He removed the metallic clamp that clenched her arm, then withdrew back to the computer with the vial. The small hole he'd left in her flesh beaded with a growing red droplet.

"Now, for the real test," Toffee mumbled, inserting the end of the vial into a hub at the back of the computer's box-like body. A bulb of light flashed from orange to green, and even more, smaller gears within the contraption started to spin.

With all the eagerness of a child opening a surprise gift, Toffee scrambled into his chair, leaning forward to study the screen as rows and columns of symbols appeared, trailing down it like raining blue text. Star was used to seeing the reptile predominantly without much expression, but now his eyes widened, pupils shrinking. The light and letters of the monitor reflected off the wet surface of them; he gobbled them up as soon as they hit the screen, his snout beginning to bare a wicked smile of teeth.

"I knew I was right about your bloodline, Star," he said happily, but then his brows pinched together, his lips puckering as whatever was being revealed to him changed from something amazing to something perplexing. "Hmm, interesting… rather interesting."

"What is?" Star growled, wanting to know, but at the same time snapping vengefully as if she didn't care. "Something the matter with your little machine?!"

"That would not be the case. My machines are highly calibrated. I leave no margins for error. No, this is something… within you, my lady, that is completely different than anything I've come across before."

"Do you plan to fill me in or just keep going on with your delusional rantings?"

He quirked a smarmy brow her way, smoothing back his oiled hair.

"Hardly delusional, but I suppose since you'll be here a while it's worth having a companion to talk to, or argue with – as the case may be – whether you understand these things or not. They do somewhat concern you."

She gave an over the top, overly cynical smile as she tilted her head like a cherub.

"I need to perform a second test. Don't worry, I can see on your face already you're itching for another fight, but I can still use the same vial."

Mere moments later the light on the gearbox computer went back to orange, then to green, making a steady, tripping sound like a ticking clock. Toffee's attention was so enthralled in his work that Star was completely safe in her ambitions to map out the room, focusing on the only door. As she did so, she squirmed her left arm. A thin sheen of sweat was all that was needed to help her squeeze her hand out from under the leather bindings. Using the part of the blanket that remained closest, she hid what she had done and began to work on her other wrist.

Toffee narrowed his eyes as the screen blipped. The results had proven Star's blood to be pure, which was very rare and yet a result of which he guessed, but pure to the extent it was surprised him. Not only was it without non-Mewman contaminants generationally, but it had another material intertwined with the DNA. Not a contaminant, but an RNA trace element of radiation, to a small but potent degree.

He whispered beneath his breath, "Amazing…" He questioned if it could possibly be a magic residue, trying to contain his quickening pulse. Certainly, now he would need to keep the girl as his secret prisoner, for the untapped potential alone and not just her pure blood. Not even he could determine how much power could be eked out of her veins. If she had any magic at all, it was a find beyond his imagination.

"You see, Star," he managed to tear his eyes away from the screen and stand up once more, hands a bit jittery, behind his back to keep them stable.

Star quickly hid the fact that she was half-way through breaking loose of the second leather strap, seeing his belt keys on his hip as she tossed her hair, feigning disinterest.

"…nobody is happy here in Lower Mewni. Forced to never smell the clean air or have sunlight on your skin will do that to you over time. I decided to correct this, which is why I was planning to enlist your help."

"I already said I-"

Toffee's chin went to his chest, his hand stretching out and ordering her silence. "I will have your assistance, willing or not. Using the purest Mewman blood I can find – yours – I can synthesize a drug that will temporarily relieve them of their dour moods, of all of their unhappiness, and all at a reasonable enough price point. I've experimented with other synthesized compounds and the effects were not as addictive or dynamic as I'd like. But with yours, the purity on your blood will drive these poor Mewmans out of their minds. Something that will make them forget their own miseries entirely. It will be society-changing. Imagine! Every Mewman wanting, no – needing – a taste!"

"So you're not just a kidnapper, but crooked officer dealing drugs as well?"

"I am no petty drug dealer, Star," he rumbled dangerously. "This would be well beyond the type of measly drugs on the market, in a class all its own. It's not so much a drug as a revolutionary medical treatment… a part of daily life like eating or drinking. The reason it's crafted from DNA is so that it bonds to the DNA of the users, at least in part. Once they use it once it will become a part of them, something they won't just crave, but need to survive off of, at the cellular level. It's genius!"

"I-it's mad!"

"Mad like the rulers in Mewni? Or Queen Omnia? The wealthy own the world, Star. You'd be wise to side with me. I may seek a little personal gain, but I'm a scientific philanthropist! Every Mewman will be happy again in this world, because of me. It will change all of Mewni, the poor and even the wealthy."

"You-you'd use fellow Mewmans like that? For your own sick profit? For power? By turning them all into genetically addicted slaves? That makes you no better than those who keep other Mewmans as concubines or erase the people down here from their sight! Maybe you shouldn't have left after all. You belong up there!"

The fire in her cheeks returned, becoming an even hotter sting as she tried to turn her head to break from his burning gaze. His sharp teeth threatened her as, instead of anger, he met her rage with a grin, taking a couple stalking paces forward.

"You have no idea how much I'd love to see their faces again when I rise back to the top! And all I need is you to elevate me there!"

At that moment a large sound erupted from an area above and the entire building shook. Dust and grains of cement crumbled down from the ceiling like powder. Toffee stopped, looking up at the grit which landed over them.

While Toffee's eyes were towards the ceiling, Star lunged, getting her second wrist free and reaching for the belt of keys.

She was hit by something hard; a slash of green whipped across her face. His tail sent her reeling as she slammed into the desk.

A fraction of a second after, another blast rocked the building, sending both Toffee and Star into different directions.

A sharp, high-pitched noise rang in Star's ears. She opened her eyes to find herself on the ground with a cloud of cement dust all around her. The desk had overturned and the computer, with all of its gears and lights, lay exposed and scattered in several parts about the floor. The vial was shattered. She had only blacked out for a moment, having mercifully landed on the blanket.

Slowly, the whine in her ears subsided and instead let in the muffled sounds of chaotic panic from dozens of shouting voices above.

"It's the resistance!"

"They broke through to the prison cells!"

"Are they in the basement?!"

"Get the steamhounds! Don't let them escape!"

Star coughed and looked around, seeing Toffee's body just a few feet away, sprawled next to the broken chair she had formerly been strapped to. A chunk of ceiling had come down over it leaving a gaping hole above, along with tearing down cabinets from off the walls. The tray and syringes were missing, replaced by plaster rock and broken glass.

Cautiously, she dragged away the chair as she reached Toffee's body. When she got closer she could see that he'd been badly injured. A large piece of wood had splintered off from the chairback and was sent deeply into his side. Ironically, he had probably protected her from it, having just bashed her aside when the explosion occurred. The wood was lodged just under his arm and through his ribs, blood pooling on the floor from the ugly wound.

Toffee appeared to be unconscious, but alive.

Star looked to the single door. The panel next to it was still intact.

Around Toffee's waist was her means of escape. Star grabbed for the keys, quickly figuring out how to undo the belt clasp. From there it was easy to pull them from the loose leather. She jumped to the door and got to work using the multiple smaller keys, trying to work them into the hole she figured was meant for one of them. Keys were more of an antique decoration she was used to seeing but not using, and her shaky hands hampered her efforts.

After what felt like minutes trying not to cough from her scratchy throat, and selecting key after key to pry into the slot, one of them made a satisfying click. A blue bulb illuminated through the dusty air over the panel. The door slid into itself, but when she stepped into the elevator, which was far more narrow than any she'd been in before, it didn't close behind her. It didn't move at all.

She looked for a listing of buttons or anything that would give it a command, but found none. Instead, against one wall was a large gear inset into the wall, with two thick ropes on either side.

"What the?"

She grabbed one of the ropes and pulled, the elevator slightly lifting. It was a dumb waiter style, requiring physical effort, the mechanics relying on a hidden system of pulleys within the wall. She learned fast. The elevator bucked into life with her ardent tugs.

She heaved until the box hit a stop. A black and blue bruise had started to throb on her forehead but the adrenaline prevented her from feeling it in full. The door creaked and slid once again into itself and opened to the turbulent ground floor of the police station.

A blackened fog billowed in over her along with the incoherent yells of people filling the air.

While stepping over and around chunks of wall debris, spilled office equipment and stacks of paper strewn all around, she dodged the other officers that were trying to get their bearings. They were tremendously focused on whatever rooms were nearby, so she kept afar back, hiding behind whatever she could find as she sidestepped around. She strove not to make a single sound of her own, even when her stocking feet stepped on hard concrete bits jetting into her soles.

Nobody so much as paid her attention, and she easily snuck out from the heavily damaged, smoke-filled building, camouflaged by the powder and soot covering her. When she was a good distance away she could see the extent of the damage. A large portion of the outside brick looked like it had been blasted away.

As she disappeared into the last remaining pieces of the night, Toffee was roused in the basement by a smaller officer shaking him.

"Toffee?! Toffee! You alright?" He called upwards into the air, "It's Toffee! I found him! He's down here!"

With a wince of pain, Toffee blinked and sat up. Noticing his wound, he tore the wood from the gash in his side, panting as it immediately began to enclose and heal. It left his uniform annoyingly torn, and worse - stained. He stood somewhat shakily and looked down at Laar.

"What happened, Toffee? What were you doing down here!? Toffee, the rebels - they were trying to break in, and you were in here doing… what!?"

Toffee growled as he buckled the leather, then brushed down his pants calmly, hiding any semblance of concern for being somewhat caught in his secret basement lab. There wasn't much anyone could make of it being such, however, a point he immediately noted with repressed ire.

"Go after her."

"What!? Who her? Toffee, didn't you hear what I just said!? The rebels-"

"I will handle the others. Go after the woman wearing the collar and blue dress that was just here."

"One of the rebels? You found one in the basement? In a dress?!"

"Do as I say and stop asking questions!"

"But Toffee!"

He shot the gnome-ishly short man a thunderous glare. "Need I remind you of rank?"

"N-no, but…"

"Then go! And do not disappoint me!"

The agitated and confused officer took off through the debris field.

It wasn't long until the new morning began, but the first beams of dawn that would've started to filter down over Mewni's wealthy metropolis did not so much as touch the dilapidated sector of Mewni. Star had been awake and on the move for longer than she'd known before, in a place that seemed forever too dark. So much of her was sore, tired, and completely spent from all she'd been through just fleeing from one bad situation to the next.

As the people began to wake up and go about their business, Star realized it must have turned morning. There was very little other way to tell that morning had indeed come, all of the lights being cheaply-made forgeries of those from Upper Mewni, and nowhere near enough to compensate for true daylight. Everything looked pretty much the same as it did during the nighttime hours. Lit only enough to dimly see by.

The streets were beginning to fill. She knew she needed a safe place to hide as far away from the police station as possible. She had to quickly duck around corners whenever she saw or heard a squad car motor past.

"At least they're all distracted," she muttered to herself. For the moment she was thankful that she looked as grubby and filthy as all the rest. Nobody turned their head to give her a second glance, keeping their own heads down as they went on with their own daily drudgeries.

She had wandered in many circles, easily getting lost multiple times. She felt trapped in a concrete maze. There were few, if any, street signs and the landmark buildings all looked as equally squalid as the next, without any truly distinguishing features. Finally though, she found the one building she sought. It was the same building she had laid eyes on when she had been mugged.

She headed for it as if it was an oasis in the center of a vast desert.

Star nervously approached the somewhat gaudy house. The stairs led up to a covered porch with small pillars on either side. It reminded her of a miniaturized but antique version of a mansion from her district of Mewni. At least it was somewhat familiar-feeling.

"I guess I have to at least try."

She reached forward, then tentatively knocked on the door.

The voice that answered from within belonged to a female, and it was deep and gravely, yet also sweet-sounding.

"We are closed until the evening hour, dear, but please come again later!"

"I'm not here for business, uhm, I'm," she wasn't sure what to say, because she didn't know exactly what kind of business the double-leveled house could have. She could only assume it was a hotel of some sort. "I-I'm just looking for a room. I'm sorry, I don't really have money to pay but I can trade, maybe?"

There was silence. Star struggled to find more to say.

"I'm so sorry. I'm very tired… and hungry. I wouldn't want to be any trouble and I wouldn't stay long. Please? I just need… some help."

Several locks were undone on the other side of the double doors. She could hear metal siding through latches, nothing at all electronic or magical sealing the door shut. And when the last bolt was slid one of the heavy mahogany doors creaked open. An older woman stood on the inside, her hair done up in a bun beneath a short-brimmed, feathered hat. She wore a deeply red, floor-length gown that was rather form-fitting, and looked to be around fifty years old.

"I am Madam Lovelace. Come in out of the streets, child."

She took Star's hands and pulled her in.

The place had a large living room lounge with couches and gaudy lamps all about, and a bar full of bottles of various liquors. She was welcomed by the warmth of it, and the perfumed scent that found her nostrils was so inviting compared to the outside that smelled of steam and wet aged grime. It was like lilacs in the summer. All of the windows were draped in red silky fabrics trimmed in black fringe. A staircase spiraled up on the left-hand side, leading to an upstairs portion with multiple hallways and rooms.

"Is this a hotel?" Star inquired.

The older woman beamed, perhaps finding her innocence amusing.

"Oh child, this is a place of temporary stays, yes, but not quite of the hotel sort."

She didn't know exactly what that meant, but just dropped her shoulders and gave up. "I just need a place to sleep a few hours. But I can only really offer you this dress as payment."

The Madam eyeballed her from head to toe, even walking all around her.

"Well, the dress seems mostly intact and not worse for wear, other than needing a cleaning. Can probably fix a few of those cuts, though those stockings have certainly exceeded their lifespan. And where are your shoes, child?"

When the woman spoke to her it wasn't at all in a demeaning way. It made her feel relaxed, even safe somehow. Maybe she was simply too exhausted to make up a story but she felt the last ounces of her guard slip away, and decided just to be straightforward.

"They got stolen."

"I see. That would happen when you wear such fine things out here." Her eyes seemed to linger on the collar. "You're not from this part of Mewni, are you?"

"No, ma'am."

"I know quality craftsmanship when I see it, despite it being covered in soot. You're a runaway concubine from one of the higher levels?"

Star looked up in surprise, then nodded sadly, grabbing an elbow with one hand and looking away again, ashamedly. "…Yes. Please don't try to take me back. I'm not going back."

The woman smiled in a genuinely heartfelt way as she took Star's hands into her own lacey, red-gloved ones. She led her to one of the couches.

"I wouldn't dream of it. I believe in doing what you can to survive, but that also means finding your own happiness."

She sat Star down and rang a small bell that sat atop a table next to a statue of a naked woman riding astride an overly-muscled warnicorn. A woman with wildly purple hair came down from the upper floor in response.

"Yes, Madam?"

"Beatrix, might you be able to scrounge up some of the dinner leftovers from last night?"

"Of course, mum, right away."

The woman was about the same age as Willow, Star thought, but more thin. She wore what might be considered an elegant styled dress for Lower Mewni, but it was very revealing of her figure, especially around her breasts, the dress sitting off the shoulders. The woman also had a very simple black lace collar with a large silver ring on it around her neck.

Star's face fell immediately into a pout. It hadn't gone unnoticed.

"Don't worry, child." The Madam gracefully set the small bell back down on the end table, facing Star. "I will not pretend anything with you. You'll find I am very direct. This is a pleasure house, much like the palaces they have in Upper Mewni. But all of my girls are not my slaves. They work for me, at their own will, and they get paid for their work. They can spend it however they wish and can leave whenever they want. Their collars are mere costume-ware to make the patrons feel a bit more… empowered compared to their lot in life. They remove them at the end of their shift."

"Really?" Star was confused. She couldn't immediately believe that anyone would choose to work in such a way when they were free to go, and to do anything else they wanted, not having masters that bought and paid for them.

"Yes, of course. All of my girls get room and board as well as a wage. I treat them fair, and you are welcome to speak with any of them. I could even take you on as a hire. That is, if you should change your mind."

Star's eyes widened with a note of apprehension.

"In time, I mean, child. You are quite young and beautiful, and would do well for yourself with me. It looks like you've been treated a bit roughly so far, judging by that bruise on your head and those knees. But know there is no pressure here. You are free to choose."

The older woman stood and went to the bar to jot some notes into a log book by hand. She used a feathered black quill, and Star's eyes were hypnotized by it as she saw it flutter over the page. She was dizzy, famished, and sleep was starting to make her limbs heavy.

"In the meantime," continued Madam Lovelace, "I shall have Beatrix prepare a room for you. I accept your trade offer and will take your gown as payment for say, two week's stay with full kitchen privileges. You can eat and drink however much you want, come and go as you like, have access to the bathing rooms, and have clean linens daily. I am sorry I cannot possibly offer you a truly fair trade for the dress. Even with those minor tears it's above my paygrade. This is the best I can offer you."

"Thank you. It means a lot to me."

"And who is 'me' child?" she smiled, stopping the feathered pen from its writing.

"Sorry, I didn't say earlier. My name's Star."

"Star, how lovely. Well Star, I am happy to have you with us for however long you wish to stay. And, if you decide to continue on here, we can come to another arrangement of course. Ah, Bee-Bee, please show Star to our dining room."

Beatrix had appeared from a side room carrying a plate of food, something looking like mashed potatoes with maybe a couple strips of meat laid over them, smothered in gravy. The scent of it immediately made Star's stomach grumble, waking her up just enough to stand and follow.

After she had scarfed the meal down, hardly allowing the food enough time to settle on her tongue for taste, Beatrix showed her to a room. It was a quarter of the size of her former bedroom at the manor, with a smaller wardrobe, smaller dresser for clothes, and a bed only large enough for one comfortably. The curtains had already been drawn for the night but it was already a darkened room. Nothing at all was white and bright like within the manor; the walls and flooring were composed of dark woods, covered with red and black matching rugs, wall-hangings, and bed furnishings, making it so much darker inside. There was one light with a lantern-like glass shade over it, its small flickering flame dancing from the tip of a fabric wick within. Due to the number of mirrors placed all around the room, the single light was surprisingly effective at keeping the interior aglow with a warm, cozy feeling.

"Beatrix?" Star looked to the girl that had shown her the room, and who was quickly making an exit.

She stopped in the doorway. "Yes? Anything else I can do for you?"

Star had questions in her head, and her tongue so wanted to ask them, but seeing Beatrix's soft green eyes, her mouth seemingly unable to frown, her attitude so upbeat, she decided to hold back. Rather than the heavier things she'd intended to ask, instead trickled out idle pleasantry.

"Thanks for showing me this great room."

"Ah, no bother! Mum decorates all the rooms but if you decide to stay you can change it however you like."

"You call her mum, is she… your mother?"

Beatrix chuckled a little. "No, no, that's just what all us girls call her. Most of us are from orphanages. Mum finds us in all places and offered us a chance at a new life. We all look up to her as a mother… of sorts."

Star held her tongue again, choosing not to inquire about the concubindome of Lower Mewni. Her body ached for sleep. The bed looked lumpy and misshapen, yet totally inviting.

"I'll bring up your clothing. When you're ready, just leave your dress and things beside the door and I'll fetch them later. You look pretty beat, best you get some sleep before tonight."

"W-why? What happens tonight?"

"Ahh, you know… the gentleman callers. It can get loud sometimes and lot of people coming and going."

"...Oh."

"Ahh," Beatrix shrugged and snickered again, "It's not as bad as it sounds! Don't worry. Most of us sleep during the day anyway."

Star crawled atop the bed. It sank in under her weight, a bit too much so, causing her to literally fall into it.

"You get some sleep, ok?" Beatrix smiled. "You can leave your dress near the door and I will fetch it later, and will leave you the new dress mum is going to get for you."

Star awkwardly rose back up from the bed which almost devoured her whole, breaking into a giggle herself. She was too used to her former bed, which was rigid and hard by comparison.

"Thanks again," she said. And when Beatrix closed the door she slid in under the sheets. The long broken-in bed springs hardly bothered to support her weight. She removed her dress and stockings, tossing them flippantly to the floor, and accepted the bed that acted more like a pillow. It was admittedly the most comfortable bed she'd slept in.

Later that afternoon Beatrix burst into her room. Star was still fast asleep, oblivious to the commotion as Beatrix snatched her dress and stockings, until the girl jumped into the bed with her, stuffing the dress down at their feet beneath the blankets.

"What's going-!?"

"Shhhhh! Police! Just play along!"

Her eyes went wide, her adrenaline instantly prompting her heart to beat into her throat. The sudden invasive awakening kicked Star's adrenaline into overdrive. Beatrix was on top of her underneath the covers, and embracing her tightly.

Star opened her mouth to speak again but the bedroom door flung open with a rough bang, and Beatrix planted her mouth onto hers, stifling her to muffled noise while adding in her own. The sound of crunching mechanical parts like footsteps, and sniffing hisses like steam vents, came into the room, as well as two other voices.

"Police! Just running a missing persons search, people, you can… ugh, continue," Laar grunted, seeing the struggling forms beneath the bed blankets and snorting, quickly averting his eyes with disgust. "Why can't Toffee do his own dirty work… he's the one that enjoys places like this."

Star was paralyzed in fear. Whatever was sniffing was taking long echoey breaths, edging closer.

"I thought Lovelace's didn't open until six of the clock?" the other officer grumbled, stepping ignorantly past Laar with a push into the room.

The sounds of the ratcheting metal was directly next to the bed, seeming to tower over it.

Star couldn't see through Beatrix's lavender locks draping over her entire head. It seemed that the concubine did so on purpose. When the officer spoke, Beatrix simply grunted harder, almost angrily. Star didn't so much play along as she remained stunned to the bed, wearing nothing but a bra and panties with the other woman groping her hands all around her in no particular fashion, being loud and obnoxious with her lips pressed against her.

The metal clanked like steel against steel, like teeth sharpening themselves. Star's body flooded with a rush of unknown heat, beginning at her cheeks.

The officer barked again, "I said, Lovelace's doesn't open until-"

"Until six, you're right, officer."

The voice came from the Madam herself. It was deep and without a hint of worry.

"Please, if you don't mind," she directed Laar and his partner away from the doorway, "I do allow for VIP clients to arrive two hours beforehand for special attention." She called out to Beatrix and Star, "My apologies for the intrusion, please feel free to help yourself to a sauna later, courtesy of the house."

Laar narrowed his eyes and took one last glance over at the bed, then sharply whistled. Whatever had made the mechanical noises bounded away, moving on multiple legs. The Madam closed the door and Star could hear the voices of the trio as they walked down the hall, followed more slowly by the grinding of gears.

"You certainly can check all of our rooms here but I assure you, no new girl has shown up in recent days, as a new hire or a client."

Laar persisted. "We just need to conduct the search room by room, regardless of what you say."

"I understand, but do so without barging into the rooms and questioning my clients. Do not disrupt my business whilst you conduct yours."

The voices faded away as they entered other rooms down the hall.

Beatrix finally unlocked her mouth from Star, sweeping her long hair away and leaning back, still straddling her.

"Whew, close one."

Star's eyes darted around Beatrix. "Whaaaaat just happened?" She wasn't yet ready to allow her muscles to relax. She stayed pinned beneath her, questioning what was about to happen next.

"That was the police looking for you. They asked about a girl wearing a beautiful gown and an irresistible heart collar, with long, flowing, amazing looking blond hair. Ring any bells?" she laughed lightly, a rosey blush flooding her cheeks hard.

"Did… did they use those exact words?" Star stammered, trying to break the tension with a sarcastic, yet nervous smile.

Beatrix could only laugh.

Awkwardly, Star looked up at Beatrix while she looked down at her. The moment seemed to last far longer than natural.

"Are you going to let me get up?" Star asked slowly.

"Oh! Ahh yes, sorry!" Beatrix hopped off of Star. "Stay here until they leave, all right? They still have the steamhound."

"Steamhound?"

"Yeah. That's why I couldn't hide you. I had to… ahh, improvise." Her cheeks flushed red as ever. "If I hid you anywhere else in here it would have seen you. Easier to turn you into a client since they'd expect two people in a bed, heh. It can see in the dark and where people are hiding. And when it finds what it's looking for it snaps its jaws down and you can't break that clamp. You'd never get away."

"Oh!"

"That's right, you're from Upper Mewni. Don't need no steamhounds there. Well, they're like a walking computer that looks like a huge dog, sort of. They're brutal machines. Fast, and unstoppable. You must be very important to someone because they don't send the dogs out except for like, the resistance members."

"Resistance members?" Star swung her legs over the side of the bed, covering herself with the blanket.

The motion of Star shielding herself made Beatrix suddenly realize Star's modesty. "By the way, I have the dress mum wanted to give you."

Beatrix walked over to the small dresser and pulled out what might have been considered a very nice dress for Low Mewni standards, but it wasn't quite what Star was used to. It was short, to the knees at most, and only had two spaghetti straps to hold it up once on the shoulders. There weren't any ruffles or lace except for the lacework along the spine, to keep the bodice attached. But, it was blue, a pleasant fading shade of dark indigo, and came with clean white stockings.

"It's lovely, thank you," Star grinned. She was sad to see the beauty and elegance of her old dress go, but happy she would be able to fit in.

"Mum figured you'd enjoy the blue, your other dress being blue and all."

"She's very thoughtful."

"Yes, you will love her, you'll see. You won't wanna leave."

"Uhm… well, I-"

Before Star could complete her sentence, they heard footsteps coming towards them in the hall. Beatrix immediately sprang to cover Star.

The door of the bedroom opened. It was Madam Lovelace, alone.

"It's all right girls, it's just me."

"Oh madam, so glad it's you!" Beatrix removed herself from her hug of Star and set the clothing on her lap for her to get dressed.

Star was left wondering just a little bit more about Beatrix, but she shook her head to clear the thought from her mind, beginning to slip on the dress so that she could express her thanks once again to Madam Lovelace directly, while being clothed. The fabric felt a little more course than silky but she was impressed how well it did fit her slender curves. Beatrix quickly moved to lace up the corset in the back without her needing to ask, while the older women walked up to them both.

"I keep having to thank you, madam." Star said with a slight bow. "The dress fits me perfect and it's so colorful."

The madam smiled gently. "Star, we both know it doesn't compare to what you had before, but I thank you for your desire to thank me just the same. Just don't pander to me, child, I can only tolerate so much flattery."

Were anyone else to speak such things, Star might find them to be too boldly assuming, but the way the older woman sweetly confided, with so soft yet authoritative of inflection, made her feel more like a sympathetic equal.

As Star grinned sheepishly, she continued. "It appears that you had a run in with the police."

"Yeeeeah, about that…"

"You needn't explain, child. You're a runaway from Upper Mewni. No doubt your former owners are seeking to get you back."

"Er, yeah, something like that. Listen, I gotta thank you for standing up for me, and… and not giving me away. You didn't have to do that and it means a lot-"

"Stop thanking me already, Star. Treat my place as your refuge. We all have to stick together sometimes against such… oppressions."

"Than-I mean, uhm, I will."

"Good girl," she said, seeing Star's quick compliance and brushing the back of he gloved hand along her cheek. "You're stronger than you know, Star."

She was unsure why the madam has said that. "What?"

"I thought I saw s