The head judge was a bald man with big grey poofy eyebrows and appeared to be the oldest of the judges. All 40 judges wore blue robes, trimmed in yellow. Except for the head judge, his robes were white with black trim. The head judge spoke he explained how things would proceed. I had a feeling this explanation was more for my benefit than anyone else. Explaining how a trial like this would normally take place in the courthouse. This was said with a hint of annoyance directed at me, stating, "You, should be honored that we went to such an effort to accommodate you, hero." I think he was referring to my size. He also explained that everyone was instructed to, "Speak in the hero's native tongue." That way I don't get confused.

My experience with Tulip was that of someone who knew enough about the human world, but still had a lot to learn, so I was a little relieved that they didn't confuse my "native tongue," and start speaking to me in Japanese. My brother and I were the second generation on my mother's side of the family to be born in the U.S, and I only knew enough of the spoken language to order food and ask directions. So I was glad that they were speaking English.

However, I was also instructed not to speak unless first spoken to. I liked these people more and more all the time. Not.

He then turned his attention to Tulip. "Tulip Daughter of Thorn and Violet. The charges brought against you are as follows. Unauthorized use of divine power to grant a human the ability to use divine power, and conspiracy to use this human's newfound power to take over the Village of FeyMark, and possibly the world." Did they think she was an evil genius or something? Also was world conquest something I was even capable of? They seemed to think so.

They started by bringing out people from Tulip's past to assess her character by asking them questions. The first was an old teacher of hers. A middle aged Pixie flew before the Judges.

"Chairman!" A Pixie Judge stood. "May I be recognized?!" 

"You are!" replied the Chairman. So that was his real title. I've been calling head judge until now. 

The Judge began questioning Tulip's old teacher. "Professor Breen, how would you have described Lady Tulip, back when she was in your care? Was she a good student?"

"Well, she was an interesting one, she was always trying her hardest, and most of the time she would be fine until she got excited then all manner of sense would leave the girls head."

"So she is incompetent? Is that what you are saying? The Judge asked smugly. 

"What no! she was a perfectly good student! She put her heart into everything she did and..." The Profesor rambled on, falling into several more of the Judge's word traps along the way. Looking over Tulip's way, her face was tense and hands balled into fists, she didn't seem to approve of the treatment of her old mentor. 

The picture I got from this exchange of Q&A was that Tulip was just normal. A perfectly normal student with a dream to do the work of her heroes the mascots who fought side by side with the old heroes, she also had a lot of drive. A drive that gave her a tendency to get ahead of herself. The Judge was twisting this picture into someone who was incompetent, stupid, and reckless. 

After a while The Profesor was dismissed, and the Judge who did the questioning gave her opinion on the information given. She felt that Tulip wasn't smart enough to plot against the village, but also should have never been given the position of a Wish Giver, claiming that someone who has proven to be overzealous was too irresponsible.

There was some deliberation among the other Judges. A few felt as the Judge who questioned the professor that someone like Tulip would no doubt place her own ambition, of walking in the footsteps of her hero's, ahead of her duty to grant wishes to the few humans that deserved them. 

And yes she used the word "Few." how insulting.

There was another set of opinions that reflected more with reality and was in Tulip's favor. The problem was it was hard to tell if these people were in the majority. I hoped so for both Tulips and my sake. 

Next up was me. "Miss. Lilyana would you step forward for questioning?" Asked the chairman. They seemed to use my little girl's name a lot. Did they not know my real name?

Stepping forward, I looked Tulip in the eye, she didn't appear worried, but she didn't hopeful either. She gave me a meek smile as I took my place in front of her. At least a dozen Judges stood and asked to be recognized. I wasn't sure how this worked. Was it first come first serve? Well, however, it worked only one was recognized. A salt and pepper haired fairy with a curly handlebar mustache flew toward me. 

Unlike with the last Judge, who acted like a cat playing with a mouse this guy was very polite. Too polite. "Well little Miss, would you mind tell us what exactly your original wish was?" Did you catch that? Not only did he call me "Little Miss" but he, and I assume the rest of them also, had no clue what wish I had been granted that day. Being the smart guy that I am I put all the little pieces together. 

In their eyes, I was a young and impressionable child. A girl who was possibly coerced into making a wish for the gain of the wish giver. This was likely the reason for the conspiracy charge. The only question in my mind was... Do I tell them now or later? My inner asshole was telling me later. "Ok, so I'm sitting in the park after being robbed blind by my own employees, long story, watching two children playing, two sisters I think, they were playing with their dog, and having the long day that I had I said to myself  "Man, I wish I were like them right now." Being exhausted at the time I only meant that I wanted to be energetic and carefree like I was when I was a kid. But the screw up behind me got all excited about her first-ever wish and forgot to work the details out with me and..." I gave my fingers a snap. "Poof, here I am. Believe me, this is not my true form."

The Fairy appeared to be taking in this new info and looked more and more confused the more he thought about it. It made sense that he would be, after all, I just blew their conspiracy charge out of the water. I also likely moved Tulip from the frying pan and into another frying pan. Doing this might look like a dick move on my part but in my defense, if I were to defend Tulip, and I had every intention to, It would be for the correct reasons. Not their false assumptions.

The Fairy Judge looked like he finally grasped some of what I said. "So what you're saying is, you are not a child?" I think I may have left out the part about being a man. But the general idea of what happened was now known, and that was what mattered. 

"No, I am 37." 

"Ah, I see, um." I don't think he knew where to go from here, and I saw quite a bit of chattering amongst the Judges on the bench behind him. 

The Chairman spoke up, "thank you, Judge, that will be all." 

"Sir Chairman." The Judge lowered his head to the Chairman out of respect and returned to his seat. 

After he was seated at least half of the bench stood hoping to be the next to question me. "I recognize myself!"

After the Chairman announced this, the bench went silent.

Then erupted, enraged. "AS UNPRECEDENTED AS IT IS! THERE IS NO RULE, AGAINST THE CHAIRMAN QUESTIONING THE WITNESS!" His shout seemed to be amplified somehow. I assumed magic. His eyes also glowed white, the same way Tulips did sometimes. Except this glow was accompanied by what appeared to be a pulse of energy, that resembled a flame.

The Chairman display of weight throwing worked, the Judges quieted down. As they sat, some put on a show of false pride, other rightfully sheepish. Either way, I realized the Chairman was an important figure around these parts.

The Chairman came before me and Tulip. He didn't address us, however, instead of to the onlookers and to the Bench of Judges, that he had pissed off only just seconds before. "As my fellow Fey should know..." I couldn't help notice his choice of words "Fellow Fey," meaning this explanation was more for my benefit than theirs..."There are many magics, however, we are not blessed with a talent for all of them, The power of creation, for example, is beyond our grasp. The only way for a Fey to access such power is to use the power of a wish. The power of creation can change a person or things very nature, for example, making a 37 year old human a 9 again. To reverse this, another wish is required." He then turned his attention to Tulip. "Is this what you intended Lady Tulip?"

"It was, Sir."

"Hm, I thought so. Although I can respect your taking responsibility in this matter by sacrificing your otherwise long life span. I can not condone your lack of judgment for keeping quiet about your problem. Why did you keep silent Lady Tulip?"

"I was embarrassed."

"Oh, and why was that?"

"As the Professor said earlier, I lose my head when I'm excited. It happened to me out on the field, and I could't handle the embarrassment." 

"I see." The Chairman then returned to the Judges Bench. "I believe we have all the information we need. Shall we deliberate?" No one opposed the motion. 

Four guards hovered in place in a box formation. Holding polearm's that appeared to have a clock carved into them. They said something in a language I didn't understand. 

And up went the walls. I recognized these walls they were the walls that had me and Tulip trapped for a time. "The Time out Box again?" I asked no one in particular. 

"Well, that should make things speedy," Tulip said behind me.

I turned to her. "So what do you think the odds are on death sentence?"

"Don't even joke about that! You'll die to you know!" 

"Ha, honestly with my luck we'll end up Isekaied as twin sisters or some bullshit."

"Iseka-what?"

"Oh, a word I picked up from my sleepover. That Elizabeth is an Anime nut. Apparently it means we'll be reincarnated in another world with our memories intact, or some BS like that."

"I somehow doubt that's a real thing."

"Yeah? Coming from a Pixie, I guess you would know better than me."

"Yeah... Hold on what would be so bullshit about being my twin sister, anyway?"

"No comment." 

"Really?" Tulip said with a growl.

While our silly tension breaker of a conversation was taking place. The walls of the Time Out Box faded, and dispersed, like water vapor. 

"Attention! We have decided!" The Chairman announced. "We have decided that considering new information to drop the conspiracy charge. Leaving the charge of the Unauthorised Creation of a Divine Hero. As for the sentencing of Lady Tulip daughter of Thorn and Violet. We have taken into consideration the sacrifice and the lengths you went to, to make amends, to the person who's life you carelessly ruined. Despite your failure to report this incident." The Chairman took a deep breath before continuing. I think I even hear Tulip gulp. "We decided that the shortened life span and constant service to a human is more than enough punishment." With that, the court was dismissed. 

So basically her punishment was to just carry on doing what she was already doing. What was the point of this trial again? Talk about anticlimactic. Oh well, a win for us is a win. So go team.

Megel454

FINALLY, IT IS DONE!! After a considerable amount of writer's block. for like the first 1\3 of the chapter. I finally did it.