Hi guys! Thanks for being so patient with me! I'm sorry I haven't posted sooner, but you know how it is once school starts up again. I'll try to be a little more regular. In fact, maybe I'll finish posting today, seeing as I only have a couple more chapters left and they're already typed up. It depends on my mood.

The Spatula Chick - Yes, I've read Dealing with Dragons, and that's how I got the idea for these titles. Thanks for your reviews! I checked out the Shirtless Nuriko Fanclub and the Nuriko is Not Cheese website. They're great!

Thanks to everyone else for their reviews, too!

***I do not own preowned characters, and credit goes to Patricia C. Wrede and her books for giving me the idea for the titles ^_^***

13) In Which Miaka Is Given an Unfair Trial

Miaka blinked, not believing her ears. "Wha-- ?"

The jurors began whispering again. Nakago rapped his gavel.

"Proceed," he said.

Miaka blinked. Suddenly Katey was dressed in a business suit. Miaka looked at the jury and found they had all pulled out pads of writing paper.

Turning to the jury, Katey spoke.

"I would like to call the first witness, Miaka Yuumi."

"That's Yuuki," Miaka muttered. She walked up to the witness stand and sat down.

"For the record, please state your name and occupation."

"Miaka Yuuki, Priestess of Suzaku." Several jurors had looks of disbelief.

"She's the priestess?" whispered Koji.

"That is not true," Katey said,

"You are lying."

The jury gasped and everyone bent over their pad, scribbling something.

"But I--"

"For the record, she is a character in a story; an actress."

"I'll have you know that--!"

Nakago banged his gavel. "Order!"

"Miaka lies. As you can see, she doesn't even tell the truth when asked her occupation." Katey looked at Nakago.

"Nothing more, Nakago."

Nakago looked at the jury. "Any cross examinations?" The jury shook their heads.

Amiboshi and Suboshi reappeared. Grabbing Miaka's shoulders, they led her off the witness stand to an empty spot in the clearing where they stood.

"But I didn't even get to explain my--"

"Order! " Nakago said, making it obvious to all that he liked to hear his own voice and that he was on an ego trip.

"Next witness."

"I call Hotohori."

Hotohori gracefully made his way from the jury to the witness stand, despite his duck shoes. He smiled. Everyone put on sunglasses to avoid the glare.

"My name is Hotohori. I was just composing a letter when Miaka fell on my head."

"Make sure you get that, jury," Katey said, "she interrupted someone and fell on his head!"

"Hey! Wait a minute! A juror can't be a witness! That's not fair!"

"Miss Yuuki, " Nakago said, "if you can't control your outbursts, I'll have to think of something horrible to punish you with."

* * *

"What kind of threat is that?" Katey asked incredulously.

Megan pressed pause on the CD player, this time pausing in the middle of a David Bowie song.

"What am I supposed to write, that he'll give Tamahome more kudoku, new clothes, alter his personality , and make him Nakago's minion?" Megan retorted.

"That would be better than what you just wrote."

"But it wouldn't make sense because Tamahome was just seen trying to please Nakago, so it seems like he's already under Nakago's influence, or something."

"True, true," Katey said, scratching her chin.

"So I'll just leave it as it was?" Megan asked. Katey nodded reluctantly.

Megan smiled, unpaused the CD player, and continued typing

* * *

"Miaka has also taken a key of mine and has not returned it." Hotohori continued.

Katey turned to look at Miaka.

"Do you have this key he speaks of, Miaka?" Katey asked.

Miaka reached into her pockets. Her fingers passed empty gum wrappers, frosted mushroom pieces, and then they touched something metal, Pulling it out, she saw that it was the key that Hotohori had pointed out to her.

"Please place that key in evidence," Katey replied.

Amiboshi took the key from Miaka's hands and gave it to Nakago. Nakago tried peeling the gold off. Realizing that it was real and not a chocolate key wrapped in foil, he then placed it on the table beside him.

"Anything else?" Katey asked Hotohori. "Yes. She ate my Dingie Rings (tm)."

More gasps emitted from the jury. More frantic scribbling on the pads. Katey smiled. "That's all."

Hotohori left the witness stand and made his way back to the jury. As he passed each person, they took off their sunglasses.

"Next witness," Katey called out, "Duchess Nuriko!"