//------------------------------//
// The choice is yours 
// Story: To protect the society 
// by TwiwnB 
//------------------------------//

Twilight was taking a well deserved little two minutes nap between two books she was reading about an old epic pony war and particularly the debate between Luna and Celestia about the treatment of those who had been captured.

Those were very boring books to be honest, but the thirst for knowledge of the newly crowned princess was enough to help her go through it, even if she was learning about practices that had died so long that it had taken the status of mere legends.

But a knocking on her room’s door interrupted her nap about thirty two seconds before its end.

“I’m very sorry to interrupt you, your majesty.” said the guard that had opened the door. “But judge Fairy has arrived.”

Twilight instinctively asked herself what she could have done wrong for a judge to come see her, but she quickly remembered that she did have an appointment with him. He was simply twenty minutes too early.

She shook away the little frustration of having her splendid schedule disturbed in such a way and told the guard to let the judge come in.

“Your majesty!” almost gasped the judge in amazement, as he was holding the princess of friendship in very high regard. “It’s such an honor to finally meet you.”

The alicorn blushed, but kept her composure.

“The honor is mutual.” she responded. “Please tell me what brought you here.”

“Of course!” almost apologized her interlocutor, having realized, or at least thinking he had realized, that the princess had some very important things to do and that he had to make sure he wouldn’t be wasting any of her seconds.

“It’s very simple.” he began, taking a huge file out of his briefcase and deposing it before the princess. “Following the third principle of the Equestrian constitution and the article 23 alinea 6, letter c of the order on the application of the law, I come here to hereby hand over a judicial case to you. You’ll find all the necessary details into the case file.”

There is a theory saying that people take a huge pleasure when they have the opportunity to confuse someone else. The same could certainly apply just as well to ponies. And if it’s very arguable that it had been the Wright Fairy’s intention to confuse Twilight, another one would have enjoyed the lost expression on her face with quite a delight.

“The article 23…” she repeated, thinking out loud.

“Article 23, alinea 6, letter c of the order on the application of the law. Exactly.” helped her the judge.

It took him some time to understand that she had no idea what that specific part of the law was and how that was concerning her. She knew the third principle of the Equestrian constitution, that was basically putting the princesses in charge of everything in the land, but she had no idea what was specifically happening there.

“I need you to pass judgment on my behalf.” the judge began to explain. “Because I can’t, as I’m facing a conundrum. I’m utterly convinced that the suspect is guilty, but there isn’t enough evidence to technically prove his guilt.”

And as she understood the situation, Twilight began to turn pale.

“Did you…” she slowly tried to say, “Wouldn’t you consider asking princess Celestia about this?” she asked, almost hoping the judge would take the problem away from her, as she wasn’t feeling competent to decide on some pony’s guilt, or maybe was feeling way too competent about it.

“I admit I was about to submit the case to the Canterlot princesses, as we all used to until now, but I was told, to my biggest pleasure, that I should come to you. Be certain that I would have come directly to you, would I have known you have taken over that jurisdiction.”

He was apologizing, as he was really respecting Twilight as a princess, and didn’t want her to think she was just a second choice. In truth, he had almost been awaiting the day he would require the help of the new princess.

Overcoming the will to flee as far as ponyly possible, Twilight asked:

“What is the crime that is being judged?”

“He burned the house of his former girlfriend.” replied judge Fairy, before realizing his mistake and correcting himself: “I mean, he is suspected of having burned the house of a pony who he is related to.”

He looked down and added:

“You see why I can’t pass judgment? It’s just so obvious to me that he has done it, the risk I overlooked something is way too high. But I’m sure you’ll be able to find out what the right thing to do is just by reading the case’s file.”

Twilight wasn’t so sure about that, but she had no other choice than to accept the responsibility to pass the ultimate judgment on the case.

Judge Fairy thanked her in advance for her service to justice, assured her of all his respect once again and finally walked away, barely avoiding to crash into Spike as he was leaving the room.

“Who was that?” asked the little dragon.

Twilight only told him to reschedule the whole day to free her two hours and began to read the file the judge had brought her.