"We were just wrapping up here," Electra said, waving her big hands. "Your service isn't needed."

Finnex Wright crossed his arms and shook his head. "I heard that there was one more witness about to testify and denying her makes this a kangaroo court…"--Finnex turned his sharp eyes to a nearly deflated looking Ashlan. "Or in this case, a lioness' court."

Electra put her large hand forward. "Whatever," she said, "At least it gives me an excuse to gaze at what a handsome, if unscrupulous creature you are!"

Finnex chuckled in his deep voice. "I do believe in practicing a lot of physical fishness, but being a good looking attorney is second to being an effective one."

Finnex motioned his shoulder to Mena. "Now if you would kindly, Miss Willow, take the stand."

"Homina homina homina," Mena said as he made direct eye contact with her. She slapped her own face, and then quickly mounted the stage.

"So…" Finnex said, using Electra's stunned silence to his advantage. "Mind if I probe your mind for further testimony."

"You can do more than that," Mena said, before clearing her throat and slapping herself again.

Escaping her lovelorn trance, she swallowed hard. All eyes were on her, and some, like in Electra's case were not so kind. Mena's face turned rosy red and she grinned sheepishly.

She pushed her fingers together shyly. "Yesh," she lisped, "two special people in my life were competing for my hand in the play. This is true. I guess I have the dental problems that launched a thousand ships."

"Enough vanity, dear," Electra muttered. "You're making me look modest."

"But," Mena said with a full stop. "I know for certain that neither of them would kill each other for me...as romantic as that sounds."

Electra rolled her eyes. "So you mean to tell me that Prince Tal tripped, fell and landed on her sword?"

"No!" Mena cried out. "I believe that there is a phantom that possessed her and made her do it."

The whole room fell silent, but Electra immediately slapped her knee and gave her an obnoxious howl of laughter."Ah yes, the ol' 'otherworldly specter possessed me and made me do it' play. That's the excuse I could easily use for why I ate two slices of chocolate cake and got a tummy ache!"

Finnix, who had been looking over the trial transcript nodded. "The thing is, Ms. Electra, that there is one witness before young Mena who produced a testimony that lends to theory."

Even Electra's injected forehead wrinkled at Finnix's words. "B-but my testimony was as flawless as I am...who could have possibly lended any credence to your cockymayne scheme?"

Finnix Wright dramatically pointed at Janus Harvestar. "This bony lass sensed death in the direction of the stage...Could she have possibly detected something other than bloodlust from Miss O'Ryan?...Like a spectre of death haunting the stage, perhaps?"

Electra's mouth dropped open dramatically and her eyes shifted over to Stellaris. "Your honor...you can't believe this drivel. The fact that they're using the ghost excuse is preposterous. Why would there be a ghost…"--her eyes turned to Caligari--"other than her haunting the school?"

Mena had bitten her tongue...but she could no longer do that. She had to admit her crime that she perpetrated earlier that year. "Because I might have summoned it and it possessed Ashlan."

"What do you mean, Mena?" Stellaris asked with widened eyes.

"My mother...Anguish the Blood Siren,"--Mena's mention of the name caused many people to gasp in horror--"was a huge thespian when she attended Nightdream Academy..."

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

("I can testify to that," Toyah O'Ryan added, having recovered from her fainting spell.)

Mena took a deep breath, she looked up at the ceiling to petition the goddess of dreams. "And inside her transcript for Romulus and Julianna, she perfected a spell that automatically improved the acting skills of anyone who used it."

From the pews, May puffed out her cheeks angrily. Mena had not told May about this, only Janus. Mena gulped, but closed her eyes. "I used it… and I might have unleashed a dark magic curse on the whole play. And especially Ashlan O'Ryan.

Toyah immediately dropped down on the elf twins. "Oof!" Laetitia groaned. "I know she's a predator, but Ashlan's mom should lay off the prime rib."

Stellaris immediately faced Mena from her judge's seat. "Mena, why didn't you tell me this when we spoke earlier?"

Mena gazed down at the ground, looking forlorn. "I didn't want to lose my part in the play!"

"We'll speak about this later," the new headmaster said, sternly reprimanding her. "But in the mean time, how can we prove this phantom theory? "

Finnex gave a handsome chuckle. "Fortunately, when my dear daughter called me on my shell phone, and she told me of this case, I brought a fine piece of machinery for this particular outcome."

Somehow, Finnex managed to snap his fin and two squat orange and blue fishysauz entered the room, heaving what looked like a large metallic icebox. There was a black screen on it. A metal insignia was carved into the side, shaped like a small ghost.

"What is this?" Electra gasped. "What kind of tomfoolery are you bringing in here?"

Finnex leaned on the contraption with a winsome expression on his face. "This tomfinnery, was used in the some of the most high profile ghost possession cases in all of Dula, including the Repulsive Repossession of Seven-Forty-Boo!"

"I don't care about its history, Electra snapped. "What is it?"

"Aren't we charged up…" Finnex said, standing up straight. "This is an Electro-magnetic spectergraph! Which in layman's terms, this machine detects possession in a mortal's spirit. It's very handy for finding spectral imprints on a person's soul."

Electra was silent. Mena had a feeling she knew she was beaten.

"Step inside, my young lion friend…" Finnex said positioning his fins at the front door of the mini fridge.

The fishysauz opened the spectergraph and it steamed, revealing a cramped looking ice box. Ashlan crammed herself inside with a look of trepadation on her face. She was shivering as they closed it, but Mena whispered to her, "Be strong."

Five minutes passed and the box let out a sizzling sound, like dry ice being dipped into water. Ashlan emerged pale faced. She straightened out her neck. The two fishysauz assistants removed the frame on the front which depicted a white polaroid of Ashlan's body with black eyes.

"Now you, young Mena," Finnex said. "We'll see if you were possessed by your hapless spellcasting."

Mena pressed herself inside. Her already gawky frame fit awkwardly inside the chilling, ghost box.

Mena closed her eyes and took a deep breath as darkness cloaked her body..

Another five minutes elapsed and Mena was finally let out. "Miserable magicaps," she shivered. "It's colder and more soul sucking in there than Caligari's classroom!"

The phantom professor turned her head with a hmm, still fuming about Gemini. The fishysauz assistants removed the polaroid of Mena's body.

Electra observed the polaroids like they were a befuddling piece of abstract art. "Now what are these supposed to show?"

"These are photos of their souls!" Finnex exclaimed. "Or soularoids."

"Hah!" Mena exclaimed loudly, pointing at her fellow students. "This is undeniable proof that I have soul!"

Finnex patted Mena on the head. "If any ectoplasmic green shows up on their soularoids, then they were possessed."

Electra glared at him. "I don't see green on either."

Finnex rolled his lapis blue eyes. "It takes a month to develop…"

Elects stomped her heels. "What is this farce? I want justice now!"

Finnex turned his head away from Electra's tantrum. "It takes time to properly deliver justice, Ms. Electra, you seem to want it to come out with eleven toes."

Electra's fingers crackled with electricity. Her eyes glowed bright white in steaming anger. "I oughta fry you up and serve you with a side of chips for getting lippy with me, fish boy!"

Finnex balled up his fins. "Finnycuffs, it is!"

The two were about to square off when Stellaris banged her gavel. "Order!" She cried. "Finnex, Electra, we don't want another attempted homocide in here. Until the soularoids are developed, the jury will decide on a temporary settlement."

It was with those words, the jury deliberated for a full hour.

Mena was on pins and needles and she watched as Ashlan tapped her paw frantically. Ashlan's large father and brother held their hands behind Toyah to catch her if she fell on the elves again. The dim witted Marie Tessellation held out a parasol just in case.

When they returned to the courtroom, one of the Lollypop jurors anounced, "We have reached a verdict."

Mena watched the lips of the juror as they moved. "We, the jury believe that Ashlan O'Ryan…"