Everyone exchange looks of shock, but the most shocked of them all was Ashlan. She stood with her emerald eyes widened and her fangs bared. "Marie, Laetitia?! Why did you rat me out?!"

The twins traded looks. Mena observed that the dark haired Marie looked a bit sorrowful but Laetitia's face was firm. "You see, Ashlan," the silver haired Laetitia said, "We care about you, but after zee way zis peasant humilated us over the semesters, we'd like to settle the score."

"At least my sista would," Marie said, "I'd rather have you back," causing Laetitia to glare at her.

Mena grimaced at the terrible twins. "So getting me in trouble is more important than helping your dearest friend, Ashlan?"

Laetitia placed her hands on her hips and closed her eyes. "Zis is a necessary evil!"

"You've got the evil part right," Janus muttered. "You need better friends, Lionbrain."

"I can't believe both of you," Ashlan said, stomping her feet. "You should be crusading for my freedom and innocence, not trying to get even with Mena and her friends."

Marie looked remorseful, but Laetitia turned her head. "Ashlan, zat peasant humilated us so much in her first semester. Before zat we were never on probation. She sullied our records which were normally as clean as our fingernails!"

Janus rolled her eyes. "That analogy is as odd as they are."

Ashlan's eyes watered but she crossed her arms. "All the while, I've been avoiding Mena because of you two, but now...it's plain to see who my real friends are."

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"Wait…" Laetitia said, stifling a cry. "Ashlan…" but the lioness was led away in cuffs.

"Talk to the paw," she said, and she turned to Mena. "I'm sorry that it came to this, Mena, but thank you for believing in me."

"I'm going to make things right for both you and Tal!" Mena cried.

Ashlan's shoulders slumped as she was led away by the Lollypop Security, leaving Mena and her friends alone with Electra and the twins.

Electra glared at them. "Why did you let this felon escape? Stellaris ought to have you tried at this for aiding and abetting a criminal. Then you will be expelled and…"

"They believe in due process…" a high and sweet voice said

Scalia stood up from her desk and marched over to Mena and her friends.

"As Mena said," the green fishysuaz said. "Miss O'Ryan is innocent until proven guilty."

Electra adjusted her glasses. "Excuse me, professor, but what do you know about the law?"

Scalia giggled. "Well my father is an attorney at craw...fish!"

"He's whaaa?!" Mena and her friends screamed.

"That's what my father always wanted me to be," Scalia said. "He didn't believe I could be history professor, he wanted me to keep up the family business, but I bucked the trend."

"Plot twist!" Mena sang

"That said," Scalia said. "I'm going to call him up and have him protect this lion's due process."

"Oh yeah?" Electra said, her hands on her hips. "How are you going to reach him so fast?"

Scalia reached into her pocket and whipped out a colorful conch shell. "With my shell phone, of course!"

As Scalia dialed her father's number, Electra stormed out with their terrible twins. Even as she left, Electra continued her tirade, "Good luck defending a murderess who stabbed my student in front of my eyes. Lightning strike me dead if I'm wrong."

Mena frowned. She was endlessly grateful for Scalia, but this would be a hard case for everyone involved.

Scalia hung up the phone. "Ok my father will be here. Right before the big case."

Mena held her hands together in prayer. She desperately hoped for the best outcome for everyone, but sometimes justice could be messy.