In the middle of the Blade is a clearing surrounded by dense, black forest. A canopy spreads over the clearing so no light gets in. A stone podium stands at one end. It is a large and gray stone, smooth and polished. A semicircle of chairs sit around the podium: on either side: three to the right and four to the left. In the middle of the clearing is a large, black, obsidian dais. The dais is well-worn with the pacing of many feet. It seems to radiate pain, sorrow, and anger. Long wooden benches fan out from the dais, filling the rest of the clearing. Torch stands line the perimeter and are interspersed throughout the clearing. Even with every torch light, the place is blanketed in shadow. The area is sparse, dark, and secluded, conjuring the images of dark deeds and painful memories. The perfect place to plot revenge.
Visitors come to the clearing once a year, yet nothing grows there. Too much evil has been told and spread here, but not by the creatures crawling and clawing through the forest to have justice dispensed.
Among the first to arrive is the judge, the Cheshire Cat of Wonderland. He takes his seat behind the stone podium. In the torch light, his large emerald green eyes and jagged, sharp teeth gleam. His wide and ever-present grin appears sinister and is difficult to look at for more than a few minutes. The Cat unbuttons his green suit coat and smooths his purple fur, preparing for a long night. He jiggles his black, lacquered walking stick in his left hand as he checks his pocket watch with his right. Ten minutes until the start of the trial.
Standing beside the Cat is his bailiff, The Mad Hatter of Wonderland. His suit hangs from his gaunt frame, dirty and frayed. His overly large top hat, bent and faded, rests precariously on his head. The hair beneath sticks straight out in all directions, as if he was electrocuted. He probably was. The Hatter's hands hang limp at his sides and a wild and wiry beard grows on his face. Based on his haggard appearance, it is easy to miss the Hatter's eyes. They gleam in the torchlight with a combination of intelligence and madness. His eyes dart in every direction, seeking the sources of noises, both real and imagined. The Hatter stands between the Cat and the crowd and no one dares to cross the divide.
Others quickly arrive in the clearing. Jadis, the giantess, towers over the assembly. Dressed completely in white with frost covering her skin, other creatures give her a wide berth as she sits in the spectator seats. She has been petitioning the court for years to aid her in avenging her lover, the Magician. Together, the two had created a new world, Narnia. It was a magical Winter Wonderland, until Aslan, the lion, took over. He killed the Magician and made Narnians believe that Jadis was a witch. All her attempts to save Narnia failed, particularly when Aslan enlisted the Pevensie children. She was cast out of Narnia and made her way to the Neverends. She has been waiting ever since.
At the edge of the clearing, Cruella de Vil sits quietly sucking on her cigarette. Her black hair is streaked with white and her once-immaculate white fur coat is patched with odd pieces of brown, red, and blonde. It is as if she has been scavenging fur to keep herself warm. Cruella's attempts to shut down the Radcliffe's puppy mill cost her everything: her social standing, her home, and her family. The Radcliffe's were far too powerful, far too devious. She never stood a chance.
Baba Yaga enters the clearing to the sound of whispers and hisses. Her iron teeth make her lips protrude from her face, though not as much as her nose. Her skeletal frame looks as if she might tip over. She is muttering one word in Russian, though no one has ever been able to clearly understand what she says. Possibly the name of a child. It has been said that she eats children, but those old enough to know remember her hunting for a specific child. Maybe a grandchild who was lost?
The "Big Bad" Wolf lays curled at the edge of the clearing. He is covered in matted and tangled gray fur and he shakes with fear at the assemblage. The Wolf is featured in many fairy tales: The Three Little Pigs, Little Red Riding Hood, Peter and the Wolf, and so on. Looking at him, everyone knows that he was just a scapegoat. An easy way to explain the horrible things people do to each other.
The famous sorceress at the heart of King Arthur's downfall, Morgen La Fey, enters the clearing. She looks about twenty, though she is nearly one thousand years old. Dressed as if coming from a Medieval Court, Morgen wears a long-sleeved, flowing purple gown. She has her curly, black hair free with a simple silver circlet on her head, a pentagram at its center. Morgen Le Fay exudes power and smiles at those in the crowd. Her appearance and demeanor have greatly changed since the last Misfit Trial when the court ruled in her favor. She had finally been granted her revenge on her old nemesis, Merlin. Merlin's sins against Morgen were numerous, including poisoning her true love against her, stealing her son, and convincing her brother, Arthur, that she was evil. The court ruled that Merlin would feel all of the heart-rending pain that Morgen had felt throughout these many long years. They helped her hunt him down and pull his still-beating heart from his chest, piece by piece. She came to today's trial, not only to aid in providing justice to the next winner of the trial, but to mark the first anniversary of her retribution.
Five minutes before the start of the trial, the jurors arrive: the Fairy Godmother, Maleficent, and Tinkerbell. They sit in the three stone chairs to the right of the podium. They do not speak to the spectators, nor to each other. They are too diametrically opposite to one another to engage in small talk. And after all these years, why try?
Next to the podium sits the Fairy Godmother, hailing from stories such as Pinocchio and Cinderella. She is seen as the force of good on the jury. Shehelped the "heroes" of these stories, often to her utter disappointment: the murder of Gepetto by Pinocchio when he turned in to a real boy, the mouse footman from Cinderella's coach who terrorized the town by killing cats in truly frightening ways, and Lumiére, the man who was turned in to a candelabra when Prince Adam was turned in to a beast, who became an arsonist, and many more. The Godmother has her frizzy white hair pulled back from her face and wears a sparkling blue ball gown. Her face is lined with deep wrinkles, both from smiles and worry, and her fairy wings are tucked in close to her side to make sitting more comfortable. The Godmother glows slightly in the dark clearing, making her every move noticeable to the crowd. She can always be counted on to play the devil's advocate in these proceedings, an irony not lost on this group. The Godmother aided many of the heroes of these stories and greatly wishes for her deeds to have a happy ending.
Maleficent sits to the extreme right of the podium, as far from the Godmother as possible. Having had her wish turned down by the Godmother, Maleficent blames the Godmother for her unhappy ending. With the regal air of the queen she almost was, Maleficent sits straight-backed, holding her magic staff in her left hand. Her raven sits on her shoulder, eyeing the crowd. Maleficent's deep purple skin and black clothes cover her in shadows. She is seen as the friend of the petitioners. Having been wronged herself and the winner of one of the first Misfit Trials, she often argues in favor of the villain and pushes for harsher punishments of the heroes.
The wild card of the jury box is Tinkerbell, Peter Pan's sidekick. Though typically one-inch tall, Tinkerbell is full-sized for today's trial. The pixie looks like an unruly ten-year old child. Her long blonde hair is tangled and wild. Her face is smudged and her green sundress is ripped at the hem. She is the most neutral party in the box. Her mischievous streak makes her difficult to read and her judgements are erratic and unpredictable. She once ruled in favor of Mr. Smee, Captain Hook's first mate, against Wendy's brother, Michael Darling. After the final battle between Pan and the Lost Boys and Hook's pirates, Mr. Smee was one of the only two surviving pirates. The two were held for months in the hull of the Jolly Roger, unsure who else was alive and if they would live themselves. Michael frequently visited the pirates, promising to have them released. Instead, Michael was throwing half of their food overboard and insisting to Peter Pan that the pirates were swearing vengeance. Michael prolonged their stay in the hull, caused the death of the other pirate, and mentally tortured Mr. Smee. Tinkerbell voted in favor of kidnapping Michael and holding him in an abandoned tower. Five years later, Michael is still there. Mr. Smee visits frequently, promising to help to release him. Mr. Smee has the only key to Michael's chains.
And then there is me, Homer, the recorder of all of these proceedings. I sit in the front row, the only person allowed to get that close to the Cat without the Hatter's interference. My recordings of the Trojan War and Odysseus's journey home caught the attention of the court long ago and my presence is "requested" every year at this time.
The Cat checks his watch and walks to the podium. He bangs the gavel three times and smiles broadly at the crowd. Those on the benches immediately quiet and the Cat clears his throat. "I now call the 152nd session of the Misfit Trials to order," he says in a loud and authoritative voice. "For the last 152 years, we have dispensed justice to the many souls of the Neverends, just as we will do today."
Stretching his hand to the chairs on his right side, the Cat says, "Will the petitioners please step forward?"
Four people step out of the crowd to take their places in front of the stone chairs. The first is a young woman with flaming red hair. Her skin is pale green and she wears a long gown. She sits in the chair closest to the Cat. A wizened old man in peasant garb slowly walks to the second chair. A dwarf with a long white beard and a scowl walks to the third. Finally, a middle-aged woman in a brown cloak sits in the fourth chair. Her curly black hair is streaked white and her face is lined with worry.
After the petitioners are seated, the Cat begins his instructions. "The rules of this court are simple. Do not speak unless you are a petitioner or you have been spoken to. Do not interrupt the proceedings in any way, or the Hatter will...deal with you accordingly." The Cat grins his maniacal grin, sharing it with all of the audience to ensure that all understand. "Only one of these four will gain revenge from this party, though we will pass judgment on all four." Turning to the petitioners, he says, "Know that not all judgments will go in your favor." A shudder passes through the four as they quickly look away from the Cat.
After a brief moment of silence, the Cat bangs his gavel. "Let us begin."