After several minutes of walking through the hallway, Jason and Twilight finally reach the Throne Room. Standing near the doorway, Jason can't help but sigh in relief.

("That walk took way longer than I intended... did we circle around the same areas fifty times before getting here? Everything in the hallways look the same!")

"We made it!" Twilight cheers, to which Jason simply responds with a nod and a half-hearted fist pump.

"Joy... are your friends still inside?"

Twilight nods before replying, "Yeah, they should still be in there. Come on, I'll introduce you to 'em... oh, but, before we go in there, there's probably something I need to bring up."

He raises an eyebrow before motioning for her to continue.

She points at his watch and asks, "Is... your Magatama supposed to be doing that?"

("My Magatama? What's wrong with-")

Curious, he looks at his watch, and gasps when he sees that, rather than glow green, it rests inside his watch, taking on a dark blue color.

"GAH! W-WHAT'S GOING ON WITH MY MAGATAMA?!"

He begins rubbing his watch with his thumb, while Twilight waves her forehooves towards him reassuringly.

"Calm down, Jason... it's probably nothing!"

"P-PROBABLY NOTHING?! ESSENTIALLY, MY MAIN TOOL, MY LIE DETECTOR, ISN'T WORKING! I'D SAY THAT'S QUITE A HUGE PROBLEM!"

"What, are you saying that you haven't done any interrogations without using your Magatama before?"

"N-no, that's not what I'm saying at all! I've been able to spot lies without using it beforehand, with little to no issues! But I'm in a land where Magic is considered normal, now... whereas, it would've been deemed impossible in my own world to even consider! In that sense, the Magatama was my main lifeline when it comes to finding The Truth here! But seeing how it's disabled, I fear that I may have trouble finding out what can and can not be done!"

"JASON! GET A HOLD OF YOURSELF!" She uses her magic to grip him by the collar of his shirt, so as to restrain him from freaking out.

This, of course, only makes him stop moving, but his worry is still present.

"B-but I..."

"Na! Zip it! Just... listen... why don't you bring an assistant along to help you out, then?" she suggests, rubbing her muzzle in thought. "That way, you can have a second opinion on these types of things, from a local who's already familiar with how things work here! You can conduct your research, and learn from one of us that way!"

"That-" he begins, before his panic slowly subsides. Rubbing his own chin in thought, a smile begins to form on his face.

"Whew... that... could work, actually."

"Very well then, Twilight! I'll accept your offer. And I presume you will be my assistant for this case as well, so there shouldn't be any issues, then. We'll have this case solved within a day's time!"

She flinches slightly, and then stands silent for a moment. Jason's calm demeanor soon turns to worry once again, as he repeats, though in question, "You... are going to be my assistant for this case, correct?"

A moment later, she lets out a long, drawn-out sigh, before shaking her head. "I'm sorry Jason, but... I can't right at the moment."

"Wait, WHAT?! But you brought me here in the first place! I thought you were going to be the one to help me out here!"

She deadpans at him, before nodding her head, as if stating the obvious. "And I intend to! Your Magatama even confirmed it while we were in your world!"

"But we're not even in my world, now! Why can't you help me now, while the Magatama's unavailable?!"

"Since you're still technically foreign here, of course! I have to work out the loopholes and file the paperwork that makes you an OFFICIAL Investigator here in Equestria before you can conduct your own Investigations! Without it, you'll be limited on how much ground you're permitted to cover!"

"But you're a princess, though! Can't you just tell them 'This is how it goes, so tough luck', or something?!"

She recoils at his statement, seemingly disgusted.

"Wha-?! I will not flaunt my title like that! And besides, I may be a princess, but I still have to bring it up with the other Princesses, and then sign the paperwork that'll be mailed to me shortly after, by the Board of Administration! And that's not counting the Acceptance Letters that I'll have to have signed by the Board's members afterwards! It should take about three days for me to complete the process, actually..."

"But that's just it, though! You're a Princess, so doesn't that mean you have the right to Investigate these things, regardless of what they say?!"

She shakes her head again, and replies, "Actually, no... not officially, at least. I've still got a day left, until my Investigator's Badge comes in, which will grant me the permission to do so... and my being a Princess could actually hinder that, if the Board finds it, and I quote, 'Too risky to endanger the life of Royalty'... if they don't see my past achievements and consider it enough to grant me an edge on a Political POV, then I wouldn't be able to go anywhere near the Crime Scenes, unless I were either a Witness, or a Suspect!"

He, in turn, recoils and deadpans.

("ARE YOU SERIOUS?! So in other words, I can't just show my badge, and be granted permission into the Crime Scenes while the trail could still be warm, AND A BLOODY PRINCESS CAN'T CONDUCT AN INVESTIGATION WITH ME?! Well, that's just making this lovely trip even more reassuring, isn't it?!")

"But there is a Silver Lining behind this, though!" she says, reading through his darkened expression clearly. "I can have you be the 'Assistant' for one of my friends who, by law, is permitted into the Crime Scenes, already!"

This manages to calm him down a little.

"Hmm... assistant, you say? But I'll still be authorized to Interrogate someone, correct?"

"Well... only to a certain degree. As the 'Assistant', you won't be able to make accusations without the approval of the one you're assisting, nor will you be able to actually do the Interrogating. You can only put your two bits in for the 'Investigator' to use while questioning the suspect. And the credits would still go mostly to my friend, since... you know... the papers would only mark you as the 'Assistant', and nothing more."

He waves a dismissive hand at her. "I could care less about Reputation. My job is to seek out the Truth, and bring the criminals to Justice."

She smiles and nods her head. "Precisely... and that's why I chose you to be the one on this case. Your Magatama may not work in this world, but that doesn't mean your Willpower and Determination is off the table. Just do what you do best, and Seek out the Truth!"

("... Huh. She's right! I shouldn't let my worries get me down! I may not have the Magatama's Powers on my side, but I know that, deep down, The Truth will be all I ever need!")

...

("Though it's quite disappointing to think that the one who would snap me out of my stupor was a Magical Pony... that wouldn't be something I'd like to see on my record, at the very least...")

"Hey, Twilight?"

"Yes, Jason?"

"..."

"... Thank you. I needed that reassurance... and you're right."

"..."

She smiles, before nodding her head. "Oh, well... you're welcome! And please remember that, while I can't be there to assist you on the field just yet, I'll still be here in the castle, if you ever need me for anything."

With his hand no longer on his watch, Jason takes a deep breath, before placing his hand on the door.

"So, mind telling me more about who I'll be the assistant of?"

("You... can't be serious...")