Shooting pain throbbed with the slow rhythmic flashing of the crystals choking the life out of Elly's right arm. Bolting out of Star's room was enough of a scene she regretted making. But the absolute agonizing pain onset by the bracelet nearly took the breath out of Elly. Each pang of the crystals increasing in pain and she had no idea how to even stop it.

Out the Dias's front door without even stopping to say goodbye to Marco's parents, Elly dashed off into the twilight not thinking. Fight or flight grunting and fighting to free herself of the bracelet. To no avail she travelled down several blocks in a direction she didn't quite orientate herself with. Elly whipped around the moment her ears picked up on some scuttling noise behind her. Light draining from the days end even squinting her grey eyes meant she saw stagnant shapes and nothing more. Distress overriding the fight in Elly's prey drive sent her down the closest alley she could see down.

"Owe-!" Hissing through clenched teeth the panic of being followed didn't surpass the infliction of the burning beads on her wrist. Elly near fear stricken tears swung around at the crunching noise of trash behind her. No time to even scream when the antlered monster through a bag over her head and the grizzled fist of the giant bull horned devil plowed his fist into her stomach.

Doubled over Elly so out of breath willed herself to squirm out of the manhandling grip but to no success. What she could identify was the familiar sound of tearing dimensions. But instead of the blue glow Star's had, all Elly got was the eerie black light cast through the fibers of her confines. Thinking she had enough strength to thwack her knees against the monster's body was thwarted the very second those dastardly beads reacted violently with the portal. Blackout lights erupting in Elly's mind and ringing nothingness swallowing up her senses too nothing.

Toffee ran his index finger along the shabby dusty desk he had sat before only days before. Now with a simple look at the chicken monster guarding the door, he was assured with a report by the festering creature that Ludo had indeed been thrown out to the furthest lengths of the once great castle grounds.

"Good," his low silken voice barely past his scaly lips when he walked around the once grand symbol of Ludo's power over his mindless minions. Toffee now the one standing tall behind the gnarled bureau, "And the other two?"

"Ark-! On-On the- ARK- way moments now!" Clattering hardly understandable beak clicking the chicken did it's best to convey to Toffee what he asked.

A nod and Toffee whisked the beast out with a faint hand gesture. Secluded the septarian noticed the average sized mirror in the office. Thinking Ludo would have narcissitically had a two foot one on the ground instead. The body length mirror suited the 6'9" being as he did one thing he often didn't do, look himself over.

Padding down the fronts of his dress shirt then aligning his jacket pleats. Lastly straightening out the blood red tie that never went untightened. Order in all things Toffee really didn't fix anything and only stared at himself in the mere moments prior to the door being thrown open and crashed into by bumbling idiots.

"Heuheu got her boss!" Big and buff was all the twin dunces had going for each other as they scrambled with the limp lump over the bulls shoulder, "We got the stupid-"

Toffee's intensely yellow eyes flickered on the henchman about to lose his tongue if words were not chose lightly. Both fearful looks of prey caught by a predator, they proceeded to set the kidnapped down very gently. No need to be dismissed they scooted out of the office without letting the door hit them on the way out.

Muttering grumbles from the body shaped bag on the ground, Toffee did not make to remove the fabric right away until he saw the flash of the charged mewnian crystals and a sharp inward groan as they harmed their wearer. Decisive movements as Toffee bent down and undraped the scratchy fabric from at least the side of its contents face.

Elly curled into a pathetic fetal position barely recognised she'd stopped moving by the brutes lugging her around. The pain on her wrist had escalated to the rest of her body and all she had was the sense to go numb to the onset pain becoming chronic. With the dull light of the office breaking the darkness of the bag was her first indicator to a change in scenery. Not expected was that who stood fixed but an arms length away.

"Toffee!" The inane crying out of his name didn't help her cause as Elly shot forth from her place on the ground right into the Septarian's chest. No thought for the kidnapping, the crystal causing pain or the mess she'd just left her friends. Elly threw her arms around Toffee's broad chest. Not even thinking of the repercussions as she buried her face into the previously neatened tailored jacket, clinging to the only thing she new as Elly childishly teetered on a break down.

Counting a couple of seconds silently to himself, arms away from his sides slightly raised as the indulgence clung rib crushingly tight to his torso. As soon as the onset of sniveling was near he knew far better than to let her indulge in that behavior, "Kathryn."

Dropped back into reality, she quickly lurched back from the embraced she initiated. Fear engulfing her far worse than the kidnapping and pain. Elly searched his placid face for the inclination she should submit any will.

Nothing changed though. Toffee lowered his long arms. Re-neatening his outfit before letting his golden serpentine eyes drift down on the hot mess of mewman before him.

Fumbling over herself she thought he was giving her a chance to apologize for the emotional outburst, "Toffee- I didn't mean to-"

"Look at you," He spoke calmly over her, deep voice as entrancing as the tender touch that came up to caress her left cheek. Bit of tussle dirt on her cheek from those brutes going about it so poorly. Toffee swiped his thumb over her cheek to brush it off. How easily the manipulated melted into his palm never ceased to fill the monster with pride for what was his, "Earth took my finest warrior from me."

"Toffe I-"

His thumb pressed to her lip. Elly swallowed what she intended to say. None the less distressed about it as his touch fended off the aches and bruises like magic.

Steadily he traced his thumb lightly over her bottom lip, looking down at Elly but not to her, more like at her. Toffee didn't stop the corner of his maw curling up, "But I saw you still have it, don't you, my dear?" Elly nodded, her face held onto by his firm hand. Toffee's free hand came up the opposite side of her face. Not to hurt as expected. The pleasant sensation of Toffee drawing his fingertips up the right side of her face until his two fingers met with her curly blonde hair to become intertwined in Elly's mop of hair. Unsure this was even real, Elly thinking the beads had in fact killed her or she'd passed out somewhere ungodly place on earth. It all came crashing back when the static pain of the bracelet yanked her back to actual reality.

Face turned away she couldn't help the wince written all over her face as the unimaginable pain wracked her entire body. Not as concerned as she'd been, Toffee dropped his hands from her face. Elly not even caring as she doubled over. Firmly grabbing her wrist was almost enough to make the mewman holler out in pain. Touch to her arm worse than what those stupid beads were doing.

Like the frantic beast Elly had been earlier trying to remove the evil jewelry. She was baffled as Toffee slipped it off her appendage as easily as when he'd put it on. Not only did he take it off, he held it barehanded like the pain it was causing her was totally in her head. Berserk with the idea Elly about to burst with how easily the crippling pain had been removed.

"They needed to be charged, to cover up your arrival," Toffee rotated the clicking beads in the palm of the hand he missed the middle finger from.

"A-Arrival?" Elly rung her wrist gingerly with her other hand. Rubbing the buzzing sensation as it dissipated through her system. It had been a moment for her to realize her surroundings where not that of normal.

Toffee stepped past her with his long gait. His tail following up to turn her face to follow in his direction towards the grand bay window in the dingy red and black room. Elly had followed the inclination of his tail tipping her face up to him and the window. Floored by what her eyes came to behind the man.

"Welcome back," Toffee enjoying his very simple sleight of hand to bring her back undetected, only to reflect in mass awe in the females eyes. Elly's feet moved on her own with no need for the slight usher Toffee gave her to the front of the window before him.

Towering above the already impressive structure Toffee kicked Ludo out of, was the picturesque view of generations upon generations of mewmans building up the royal Butterfly castle. The monumental stone castle casting it's giant shadow on everything even the window Elly gazed out of. A lithic testimony to Mewni's proud Butterfly ruling over hundreds of generations. No doubt it throwing a shadow on the kingdoms foes as the last attempt to remind all who was in power.

"Mewni-" Elly hardly bumbling out her stupidfied observation of where she was.

"Things have not changed," Toffee towered behind Elly by at least one good foot. Able to rest his chin a top her mess of curls if he felt so inclined. Instead he stepped close enough that the faint sense of his chest pressed to her back was clear to the female. Elly lethargic staring up at the castle she hadn't seen in countless years nor ever thought she would see again. There had been words years ago when she thought she'd come back. Now though there was nothing but the reflection of Mewni's castle in her deadpan eyes.

"They....they took me away," Elly finally broke her silence, unable to peel her eyes from the sight before her.

"Just like they took the honor from your family," Toffee's slow murmur right by her ear.

"M-My family-" torn away like a protective seal Elly could recall the flashes and breaks in her memories. Forming with the vacant dreams that plagued her on earth. Sowing themselves together as the banishment dissolved the longer she stood rooted before the shadow of Mewni's royal eye sore.

"Gone," Toffee's wicked grin forging itself on his face as he watched the magic surge of the beads do exactly what he'd hope. Tear up and break the disgusting magic they'd tormented her with when they banished her to earth, "All gone."

Broken from the reverie she'd lost herself in. Elly turned to be toe to toe with the tall, unwavering being she found herself before time after time. This time the contours and details in his face tenfold that of what the pewnie mirror would project. Not sure what to expect, Elly followed his eyes when they drifted back onto the table top.

Folded neatly, set upon one another and complete with the stoic skull pauldrons adorned with diamond cheeks as well as spade cheeks. Toffee knew she'd recognize the old battle armor. He stepped aside to allow her to investigate. The tentativeness she was plagued with on earth wiped clean. Elly came up to lay a hand on the cold bone and metal shoulder guards that she didn't even remember having.

"....my armor," Elly couldn't believe what she was looking at. Taking one of the skulls in her palms to feel the worn bone. Even seeing the old blood stains from countless battles waged for better or worse.

"My things are important to me," Toffee hadn't remained by the window. Instead he loomed over her shoulder as he took immense pleasure in seeing her blossom right back into her rightful place.

Pauldron clutched to her chest, Elly turned to him. Pinned between Toffee's larger frame and the bulky desk. She did not fault though as his wicked smirk exposed the teeth lining the maw of the beast. Toffee looked over to the rest of the armor in his neat pile. No need to be told twice, Elly seized the rest of the well preserved armor from Toffee's safe keeping. Her eyes finding his as she found the conviction she'd lost.

"I will not allow my failure again," Only bowing her head in regret for not succeeding for him the first time.

Toffee quietly lifted her chin up. No movement to place her under his thumb. Instead he held her gaze while the soft thrum of his voice hit her ears, "My plans don't include your failure, my dear."