"Should be suspended…"

"Yesssssss!" Electra said and she broke into a round of husky belly laughs.

Ashlan turned paler than the skeletons, Mena sunk back in her pew, defeated, and for once, the male O'Ryans were able to catch Toyah before she squashed the Tessellations.

"Until the results come back, one month later…" the juror said in his tiny voice.

Everyone's faces froze (including Electra's which was already frozen from Slotox.) The tiny man continued his speech, "We, the jury, feel that for the safety of the school, Ashlan O'Ryan should remain at home. Once we find out if she was possessed or stabbed Prince Tal of her own free will, we will proceed from there…"

Electra balled her large hand into a fist. "Then justice will be served with a side of chips and tartar sauce!"

"Are you implying that justice is fishy?!" Finnex glared at her, but before the two could start fighting again, Stellaris banged her gavel. "Until then, court is dismissed."

Everyone was silent until Ashlan muttered, "I guess I should start packing now."

Mena made her way to the station in the rainbow tower. It was now a docking bay for people traveling in and out of the Dream Castle. A rainbow train track went all the way through the tower, but the trainbow had not arrived yet.

Mena surveyed the station for Ashlan, and she didn't look where when was going. "Oof!" she said and knocked Electra's red rimmed glasses clean off her face.

"Oh my galoshes!" Mena gasped. "What are you doing here, Ms. Electra?"

Electra searched blindly for her glasses, and Mena located them on the concrete. Handing them back to the professor, Electra thanked you. "Thank you, dear," Electra said in her husky voice. "I will tell you what I told the lion's parents."

Electra crossed her arms and exhaled through her nostrils. "It's nothing personal that I want their daughter expelled for all eternity. She simply endangered one of my student's lives, and as reputible and fashion-forward headmaster, I cannot stand idly and let her harm him."

Mena nodded. For all of Electra's flamboyant displays in the courtroom, she did give a reason to justify them.

"The chance of her being innocent," Electra remarked, "Is more slimmer than being struck by lightning"--Electra winked--"Especially when I'm around. But… if that lioness somehow turns out to be innocent I will eat my words with two lightning rods used as chopsticks."

"Gee, thanks, other headmaster," Mena said with a small smile. "That's fair and I can respect that."

Electra struck a sassy pose with one hand on her hip and one behind her head. "I may be outrageous in everything I do, but I do have morals...And I care about Tal!"

Mena's face turned rosy. "As do I. I hope for the best possible outcome for everyone."

"Of course, darling," Electra said,and began to strut away. "Now if you excuse me, I've got a date with the school spa. That trial might have given me some unwanted stress lines!"

As Mena bid the headmaster farewell, she realized she didn't hate Electra as much as she thought she did.

She ran to Ashlan and her family, who were standing with Scalia and her father.

"I can't thank you enough, Finnex!" Ashlan's father said as his bushy mustache bristled. "If it wasn't for your ace attorney skills, my daughter would have been poached for sure."

Finnex chuckled. "My duty is to serve the law, not the other way around. If young Ashlan is innocent, I will make it so she walks free."

Ashlan's father turned to Mena. "And I hate to admit, but this ground dweller who got my daughter into a lot of trouble in the second semester, somehow managed to put my daughter front and center in her testimony."

Toyah smiled and nudged her husband. "Ahem," he coughed. "Thank you."

"Aw shucks," Mena said scratching the back of her head. "Anything for a friend o' mine."

Ashlan's emerald eyes glistened as she looked into Mena's. Mr. O'Ryan gave a loud laugh. "I get it. You children want some time to say a proper goodbye."

Ashlan and Mena both nodded and they walked to the edge of the rainbow road.

"Well Rainy," Ashlan said with tears in her eyes." I hope this isn't goodbye...but if it is, we ended on a really good note."

"We did?" Mena asked. "But you're forced to go home…"

Ashlan smirked proudly through her teardrops. "I had my ex-roomate and one of my bestest friends crusade for me. I couldn't ask for more Rainy!"

Mena gave a playful wink. "Anything for you, Sunny. I'm happy we managed to give our friendship a reboot after all these semesters of being frienemied."

The two looked fondly into each others eyes, but a sudden question dogged Mena.

"But uh...Sunny...why were you…?"

"Why was I what?" Ashlan asked, wiping her tears.

"Why were you up on the balcony when I fell..?"

Suddenly, Aslan turned bright pink. "Er...ah…"

She was interupted by the loud steam of a cobalt black locomotive pulling into the station.

"Time to go, dear," Toyah hollared to Ashlan and the lioness started to back away.

"Can you tell me?" Mena asked as Ashlan turned to go.

"It was nothing sinister, I promise," Ashlan said. "Listen, Rainy," she said. "If I get off innocent and come back, I'll tell you."

"Okay…" Mena said.

Ashlan quickly added, "Rainy, you are the bestest friend this lion could ask for. I'll never forget you... if I don't return."

Tears seeped from both of their eyes as Mr. O'Ryan, Toyah and Ashlan boarded the train that would take them back to the Mind Jungles of Dula. Mena wished she could go with them, but that was an impossibility. Ashlan, in tears, waved from the window. "Byyyye Rainy!"

"Bye Sunny…" Mena said, sobbing to herself.

She watched as the train pulled away into the distance, heading off to the floating cranial trees of the Mind Jungles.

Mena sniffed loudly and blew her nose into her school robe. She didn't care if she was making a mess.

"Hey friend-of-Ashlan," a gruff voice accosted her.

Mena whimpered and blew her nose loudly. "Do you mind," she said, sniffling. "I'm snot doing so well."

But a large hairy hand spun her around. Standing in front of her was Ashlan's seven foot tall brother, Leo. His name looking quite roughly and bristly.

"Hi Leo," Mena said with her eyes downcast. "What's up?"

Leo wore a furious expression on his face. He slammed his furry fist together and snorted like a feral jungle beast. "I dunno who got my kid sis in trouble, but let me tell ya this, when I found out who it is"--Leo flashed his tanned brown muscles, the product of thousands of hours at the gym--"They're going to wish they didn't mess with the king of the jungle!"

Mena swallowed nervously.

She possibly unleashed the phantom onto Ashlan. If it turned out that Ashlan was possessed, and Mena's soularoids were too, it would mean big trouble with Ashlan's brother.

Mena prayed he was too stupid to realize that, but judging by the predator-like glow in his dark eyes, he knew full well that this case's outcome determined Mena's outcome too.