Korin's Trial

     "Is something wrong?" asked Korin's owner, an Air Faerie named Asukari, from the kitchen doorway.

     "No, not really," answered the Faerie Xweetok. "Just some more outrageous stories about the painted pets."

     "Oh, sweetie, you know that they aren't true," said Asukari, walking over to the couch and hugging her pet.

     "I know, but it hurts me that they don't know the truth! Those writers probably have pets that lie to them about us!" complained Korin.

     "Korin, you know that in some cases, the painted pet really does bully the unpainted, unpopular pets," the Faerie lectured. "Just because it doesn't happen to you doesn't mean it doesn't happen at all."

     The Faerie Xweetok sighed, then tore the offending story out of the newspaper and threw it away. Then, she walked glumly up the steps and into the room she shared with her Faerie Peophin sister, Madichel.

     "Another story?" asked the Peophin without even looking up from the book she was reading.

     "Yup. Yet another Faerie Uni makes the poor little Green Kacheek feel bad," said Korin. "Mom says that they aren't true and that I shouldn't listen to them."

     "You shouldn't," agreed Madichel.

     "That's not the point! The point is that those stories are being written in the first place!" wailed the Faerie Xweetok, throwing herself onto her bed.

     "Then why don't you do something about it?" suggested the Faerie Peophin.

     "Like what?" exclaimed Korin exasperatedly, still face down on her bed.

     "I don't know... write a story where the unpainted, popular pets bully the lavishly painted and popular pets and send it into the Neopian Times?" replied Madichel, never taking her eyes off of her book for one second.

     Korin sat up suddenly at hearing this.

     "Madichel! You're a genius!" shouted the Xweetok, racing over to her desk and whisking out paper and pencil.

     "I know," the Peophin said. "Just look at my stats."

     Korin ignored this remark and started brainstorming possible ideas. The unpainted pet could be the one that had been tormenting her at school! All she had to do was change the names a bit, and this story could be her own story of woes from her own school! Aussemick the Yellow Elephante would become Ausick the Blue Elephante. Ashukorin the Faerie Xweetok would become Nirokuhsa the Pink Xweetok, Mr. Nimno, the Green Nimmo principal, would be Mrs. Techto, the Red Techo. It was the perfect idea!

     Within an hour, the Faerie Xweetok had finished writing and editing the story. She shoved it into the mailbox, then decided to wander around the Neopia Central shops a bit. Running back into her house, Korin left a quick note explaining where she was going. Then, she flew towards the Neopian Music Shop.

     Unfortunately, once there, she met her worst enemy: Aussemick the Yellow Elephante. He took one look at her, then grinned wickedly and went into the shop. He said something to the shopkeeper, and moments later, the Red Kyrii shopkeeper came out and started to yell at the Faerie Xweetok.

     "HOW DARE YOU PICK ON THAT POOR YELLOW ELEPHANTE! IN FRONT OF MY SHOP, NO LESS!" screamed the Kyrii.

     "But--" started Korin. She realized what Aussemick had done, and her temper began to rise.

     "AND BESIDES THAT, CALLING HIM AN UNPAINTED FREAK!!" continued the shopkeeper.

     "I DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING TO HIM!!" screamed Korin, losing her temper. "ALL THE TIME, IT'S 'THAT MEAN PAINTED PET SAID MEAN THINGS TO THAT POOR UNPAINTED PET'! WHY CAN'T ANYONE REALIZE THAT THE TRUTH IS THOSE 'POOR UNPAINTED PETS' ARE THE REAL TORMENTERS?!!"

     Korin glared at the Kyrii and the Elephante, panting, after this outburst. The Music Store shopkeeper stood openmouthed and speechless. Never before had he heard this side of the story. Slowly, he turned to Aussemick.

     "Is this true?" he asked quietly, although he already knew the answer.

     The Yellow Elephante groped for words. "I... she... SHE LIED!!" he shouted desperately.

     By this time, quite a crowd had gathered around the scene. Murmurs could be heard from them. Korin could hear some of them quite clearly. The majority of the comments were in her favor.

     "I... I don't know what to say," said the Kyrii. "That Elephante over there just came into my shop and told me in a very convincing, quivering voice that the Faerie Xweetok outside had called him a worthless, unpainted, fat freak. I just assumed he was telling the truth. I never thought that--"

     "Well, you should have," snarled Korin. "That guy over there is the cause of all my problems. He tells everyone lies about how I insult him daily. And everyone believes him! Just because it's a 'common occurrence', as they call it. I don't know why he had to pick on me for his own amusement. He's a liar!"

     "WHY ARE YOU BELIEVING HER?!" shouted Aussemick suddenly. "SHE'S THE ONE WHO'S BEEN TORMENTING ME! SHE EVEN CALLED ME A LIAR! EVERYONE KNOWS THAT ALL PAINTED PETS ARE STUCK UP AND MEAN TO OTHER, UNPAINTED PETS!"

     It was the wrong thing to say. Immediately, at least twenty-five painted pets attacked the Yellow Elephante. Screams of, "SEE WHAT I MEAN?!" could be heard from Aussemick, but no one did anything. Suddenly, though, a Silver Grarrl with a black robe entered the area.

     "Cease this bickering!" he shouted. "I am a judge: Judge Arlgo. I shall settle this matter! First, let us choose a jury."

     A random group of pets was picked, but no one except for Korin noticed that the pets were mostly Elephantes. She had no time to process this information, though, for Judge Arlgo continued speaking, "Now, state your name and your case."

     The shopkeeper, Aussemick, and Korin each explained their part of the story. Then, the "jury" discussed the matter, soon coming up with an answer. Aussemick was in the right. The crowd protested, and the Faerie Xweetok was shocked. They had actually believed that liar. Then, a revelation hit her like an anvil.

     "But don't you all realize that the jury is Aussemick's family?" asked Korin above the hubbub.

     The makeshift jury looked stunned. That Faerie Xweetok had discovered their ruse!

     "It's not true!" wailed Aussemick, but it was no use. Another group of random pets were selected, and everyone looked carefully to make sure that none were related whatsoever.

     Eventually, after an hour or so of arguing the case back and forth, this jury declared Korin in the right. Aussemick was sent home with a warning. The next time, however, would bring penalties with it. From then on, Aussemick the Yellow Elephante never bothered anyone again. Of course, that may have been due to the fact that the group of painted pets that had attacked him that day secretly painted the Elephante one night. He woke up in a lovely Baby form.

     Korin's story to the Neopian Times was rejected, but her "trial" was already quite well known. Madichel and Asukari were constantly bombarded with Neomails of "We agree/disagree with Ashukorin!" After a while, though, the trial became a story, and was written and entered into the Neopian Times.

     Guess what you just read?

The End