Disclaimer: I don't own Fairly Odd Parents.

AN: Constructive criticism welcomed, particularly on characterization. If Losing Streak is on a losing streak, tell me so I can fix it. This fanfic is multi-chaptered so if you got an Alert for this chapter, you should go and read it from the beginning or else it won't make any sense. In addition, I allow reviews from people without accounts.

Chapter 21: Fairy? Court?

"Huh? Where am I?" asked Norm, feeling very confused.

"Fairy Court," replied a miniature human, pointing at a strange thing with weird symbols on it, ones similar to the ones on his TV.

Norm wondered if the weird symbols on the thing meant 'Fairy Court'. He figured they probably did. However, that only gave him another thing to wonder about: what was a "Fairy", and what was a "Court?"

He wondered if the mini-human would answer him if he asked. However, he supposed not.

His master seemed to share his confusion, taking it to a further extent than he did.

The mini-human at the front hit the object in front of him with a stick, creating an unstick-like noise.

"Order! Order!"

Norm wondered why the mini-human was asking for everything to be organized. It looked quite organized already. He also considering that the mini-human was asking for orders, but he doubted that too.

"The case of humanity vs. Norm the Genie is now in session," said the mini-human, pausing in confusion upon the word 'genie', as though he had never heard it before.

Norm wondered why the mini-human said there was a case against him, and what 'session' meant. He didn't seem any containers battling him, and the very notion sounded preposterous.

Fern turned on her TV. She and Percy had enjoyed watching Fairy Court Live - the Real Thing when they lived in Genie World. She knew that it always showed the Court case that was going on at the current moment, and therefore had one of the most unpredictable schedules in television history.

She noticed that she had managed to catch an episode this time. The title had almost faded from the screen, but it hadn't completely. She read it, and felt frozen with shock and horror.

The Case of Humanity vs. Norm the Genie

What?

The title lead her to conclude that Norm had done something bad to humanity, something bad enough that Fairy World had to get involved.

She did not want to believe it, wouldn't believe it.

The last time that she saw Norm, he was a cute baby. A cute, good baby that she'd do anything for.

Norm was still cute, but he looked too cynical for someone his age, which was thirteen now. He also didn't seem to understand the situation at all.

Fern wondered what he'd done, and what the humans had done to him. She knew that humanity didn't intend to cause harm (mostly), but ended up doing so because of their misunderstanding of the universe. Norm obviously didn't know that, or if he did, he didn't care.

Percy had turned on his TV a few minutes before Fern, and saw Norm's confusion with the symbols. He knew exactly what his son's confusion meant. Norm did not know how to read.

He remembered his prediction that Norm's masters would reduce his intelligence. He supposed that it had come true.

"Your honor, I'd like to approach the bench," said a member of the Fairy Council.

"You can."

"Spot me."

"Norm the Genie lied to his master, saying he was the Creator that they worshipped. That action would probably mess up human society eventually."

"Human society is messed up already," muttered Norm bitterly. "Messing with it more wouldn't matter, and would probably help it anyway."

Percy was shocked. Norm was thirteen, and he already had what could mature into political views, if he ever heard of politics. At least Percy hoped they were political views, because the alternative was far worse. And if they were political views, Percy wasn't that keen on Norm becoming an anarchist, or a dictator.

He partly agreed with Norm's opinion on humanity, but wondered why it didn't occur to him that humanity could clean up it's mess-up-ness. He supposed it was related to the conflict of Trust vs. Mistrust that happened in infancy, as he had hypothesized on Norm's first birthday.

To Fern, Norm sounded corrupted. He didn't seem to realize that humans were beings with their own feelings and thoughts, and that they weren't messed up at all. She and Percy had studied the humans before they were enslaved to them, and their culture was stable, if a bit simpler than she and Percy liked. She always reminded herself of that when she began to consider tricking them, though humans were worse up close than they ever were from their stable home in Genie World.

"That's not the point," replied the judge sternly. "It's your behavior that's under discussion, not the humans'."

"Really?" asked Norm suavely. "I thought we were against each other equally. I'm inferior to you too? Well then, thanks for telling me. I'll be sure to avoid you guys once I'm free."

Percy slapped his forehead. Court cases weren't video game battles, or sporting events. Norm wasn't supposed to literally battle anyone. If he wanted to engage into the metaphorical battle of law, he needed a lawyer, and a defendant. He had neither, and Percy presumed that he had never heard of either of them.

Norm did not like Court, or the "fairies" within it (he had guessed that since it was called "Fairy Court", the mini-humans actually were called "fairies.")

Even if the fairies weren't called mini-humans, Norm was sure they were just as bad. They thought that his attempt to escape his lamp was an evil crime that would mess up human society, despite the fact that the humans found nothing wrong with exploiting him.

Their society deserved to be messed up.

Norm spotted a weird square object held by one of the fairies. Many weird symbols were on it. He had learned that the weird symbols meant something. Maybe if he took something full of them, he'd discover the perfect method to escape his lamp.

GONG!

The object appeared in his hand. The fairy holding it didn't notice, and Norm attributed that to the fairy's old age.

Norm opened the object. He was correct; it was full of the weird symbols. He wondered how he'd ever learn to understand them, and hoped he would.

Zeroun watched the proceedings with distaste. Norm didn't seem to be warned at all. He just seemed to think that the Court was unfair, and that the fairies were evil. Also, he had moved his Feeling Sensor all around the room, and found that almost all the fairies hated the genie. He wondered if that impression would apply to any other genies, and he supposed it might.

He supposed that he had to POOF Norm and his master back to Earth. He scanned the room with his Feeling Sensor again. The fairies' attitudes hadn't changed a bit.

POOF!

Norm and his master appeared back on Earth. They both wondered how they had got there.

Norm groaned, knowing that his master would continue with the wishes, and definitely wouldn't set him free.