Four eyes met across the table.
Neither spoke.
Garfield broke first, scratching his furry head with a paw. "Uh... kid? You okay?"
The girl's eyes went wide. "The cat can talk."
Garfield rolled his eyes so hard it nearly strained something. "Yes, the cat talks. The cat also drinks milk and eats your fish crackers."
"Want to make it a whole thing?"
The girl sat frozen, blinking at her surroundings.
This wasn't the city she remembered. Where was this place? So backward.
Did the universe even have locations this primitive?
She tugged at her hair, confusion swirling. One moment she'd been training at the Jedi Temple.
The next… a force malfunction? A spatial rupture?
That cat looked familiar, though. Especially the rings on its paws. The collar around its neck.
Garfield studied her in return. Four years old, maybe five.
Dark hair, dark eyes, dressed in training robes.
He couldn't place her origin, but he could feel her, that unmistakable ripple of power beneath the surface.
"What's your name, girl?"
Still disoriented, she answered the only talking creature in sight. "I'm Mari. Mari Amithest. Young apprentice of the Jedi Knights."
Jedi young apprentice.
Garfield's brain short-circuited. You're kidding me.
This tiny thing? The Star Wars universe had spawned countless, he'd lost track of the timelines, the splinters, the endless variations.
But this child's power felt... pure. Undeniably Jedi.
He drew himself up with what dignity a fat orange cat could muster. "Hello. I'm Garfield. Or Garfield Odinson, though I'm not fond of that one."
"That's my godfather's name, and I'm picky about who uses it."
Mari's eyes widened further.
Then she lunged forward and hugged him.
"Master Garfield!" Tears streamed down her small face. "The Republic is falling apart!"
"Planets are seceding, the Trade Alliance is breaking away, and so many Jedi, so many brothers and sisters, they're gone—"
Master?
Garfield's mind raced. When did I adopt a Jedi?
Which universe even is this? If I actually showed up there, I'd probably end up running an empire before lunch.
He patted her awkwardly with a paw. "Mari. Mari. Listen. Are you sure I'm your master?"
"Because this isn't your universe."
"What?"
Still sniffling, Mari tapped the metal ring on her finger.
Holographic projections flickered to life Jedi Knights, one after another.
Garfield recognized the tiny green figure immediately. Yoda. And there familiar Anakin Skywalker.
"You know Master Yoda? And Master Skywalker?" Mari's voice trembled with hope.
Garfield studied the images.
The orange cat in one projection caught his eye, the collar, the absolutely done-with-this-expression.
Well. That's me.
What to Do Next
Take her home first.
Garfield gently patted Mari on the head. "Come on, let's go to my place."
"I should tell you, this isn't your original universe. I'll explain everything once we're home."
Mari, who had found herself in this strange world, nodded like someone who'd just discovered a familiar face after Garfield's roundabout admission of his identity.
"Okay, Master Garfield."
It was only then that Garfield realized the door he'd opened hadn't led to his home, but to a suburb some distance from New York.
He quickly anchored the space, sealed it with magic, and cast a Muggle-repelling charm.
Once everything was secured, he took young Mari's hand and opened another door home.
The portal materialized inside his shop. Garfield and Mari stepped through.
Lilith, Vivienne, and Shōkyū all currently unoccupied were lounging around the store.
Baima, Pandora, Queenie, and the others were nowhere to be seen.
"Lord Garfield."
"Welcome back, sir." Lilith and Vivienne immediately rose and bowed.
Shōkyū, perched on the counter, eyed Garfield and the girl beside him with a knowing smirk. "A few days away from home and you've already brought back another little one."
"Wait until Sister Pandora gets back, she's probably going to come at you with a toothbrush."
Garfield waved a dismissive paw. "Oh, stop it, Shōkyū. Don't cause trouble. The child doesn't even realize she's crossed into another world yet."
Shōkyū quieted down.
She understood how Rin had arrived, and as someone who was also brought here from elsewhere, she knew Garfield meant it when he said Mari was unaware.
This was likely similar to Rin's situation.
Shōkyū waved cheerfully at Mari. "Hey there, little one! I'm Shōkyū a tailed beast."
Mari responded politely, "Hello. I'm Mari Amithest, a youngling of the Jedi Knights."
Jedi?
Shōkyū had no idea what that meant.
She figured either the all-knowing Pandora or the mangy cat would understand.
Both of them were special like that.
As for why Shōkyū was lounging around? In her eyes, Garfield was basically Pandora's personal mount.
"Even though I don't know where you're from," Shōkyū said warmly, taking Mari's hand. "Welcome to the family!"
"Let me introduce you around. The big sister of our house is Pandora, also known as Pandora Godzilla. She's the absolute boss around here."
"When she talks, even the stinky cat doesn't dare argue."
Mari blinked, overwhelmed but listening intently.
Shōkyū continued enthusiastically, "These are Lilith and Vivienne, Lady Pandora's attendants. They're succubus sisters."
"Don't let their looks fool you, they're actually centuries old! Someday, you might grow up to be a beautiful devil girl too."
"Downstairs in the training space, you'll meet Rin, Kumatarō, and Kumajirō. Rin's the commander, and the other two are part-time enforcers and occasional laborers."
It was as if Shōkyū hadn't spoken in centuries. She rattled on while Mari stood there, dazed but no longer frightened.
Garfield reached out a paw, grabbed Shōkyū's tail, and tugged gently. "Have you been causing trouble while I was gone?"
"Not at all." Shōkyū shook her head firmly.
"I've been perfectly behaved. Stayed home every day, watched the shop, never went out."
Garfield glanced at Lilith and Vivienne. Both succubi shrank back, avoiding his gaze.
Yep. Definitely trouble.
He fixed Shōkyū with a serious look. "Tell me exactly what you did while I was away."
"It was nothing... just... well..."