The Rise of Passion

Gallus flushed his face with cold water and looked in the mirror. It had been a difficult few days, but tonight was the night. Tonight, he would show Cozy that he meant what he said; he was willing to undermine the current seat of power to put her on the throne.

The door squeaked open. "You 'bout done in there, boy?"

"Almost!" he called back. He picked up his helmet, put it on, made sure it was straight, and gave the handsome devil in the mirror his most charming wink and claw guns. Walking out the door, he was back in the hallway with the crystal guard leading him around. "Ready to go, Corporal."

The guard nodded and started down the hall. "Now, let's see what you remember. Patrol route Two-Alpha?"

"Starting at the front entrance, follow the outer wall to the armory, turn left and circle the southeast gate. Continue along the wall to the barracks, go through the central hall there and then left again to the northwest gate. Move quietly to the infirmary from there, circle around the inside, and then back to the front entrance."

"Very good," nodded the guard. "Ideally, though, you'll be quiet around the barracks, too. Two-Bravo."

"Two-Bravo starts at the northeast gate and heads north along the wall through administration. Take a left at the northwest gate and through the barracks the opposite way as Alpha. At the southwest gate, turn left, check the guest rooms, then back to the northeast gate. Be quiet throughout."

"Right again. You'll have this down in no time. Two-Charlie."

"That's the path we've been following all day," answered Gallus. "Except we were supposed to take a left two doors back."

The guard stopped, looked back, and turned around. "Right you are." They quickly returned to their path and continued onward. "So tell me, why is it that you were assigned to patrol with us at such a young age?"

Gallus shrugged. "Part of being a gryphon is being able to hold our ground and hold onto our belongings. Security in Griffinstone is a personal matter, not something handled by the public. We have guards, sure, but they're in it for the money. If someone makes off with your stuff, they'll retrieve your belongings and punish the thief, but they'll keep the goods. I guess, because I grew up in that environment, that I just kept a tight enough handle on my own belongings that when I came to Equestria, I took a bunch of classes with the intent of keeping my stuff safe. That may be a little selfish, I know, but it has led to me protecting other ponies' belongings."

"I suppose," shrugged the guard. "We're not really protecting belongings, though."

"It is if you think about it, though," argued Gallus. "Consider this. They are your responsibility. Your princesses. Your fellow soldiers. Your friends. You don't want other ponies breaking them or mistreating them or taking them away from you. You'd fight to protect your loved ones. Right?"

The guard shrugged. "I've never thought about it that way. I still would refrain from thinking about them as my belongings, though. It seems a little insensitive. They're ponies with their own wants and feelings, too. Not objects."

Gallus shook his head. "I'm not saying that you should treat them like a blender, where they break and stop being of use to you, and you throw them out for the new model with a variable speed motor. I'm saying, consider them to be of value to you. Be zealous in making sure they're all safe the same way you keep everything in your house safe."

With a bit of hoof-waving, the guard eventually nodded. "Yeah, okay, I see what you're saying. That's actually a bit difficult for ponies, because we're wired differently than gryphons, I guess. I suppose opening the borders to allow other creatures into Equestria is going to lead to some differences in opinion. Not that that's a bad thing, mind you. I guess I just don't spend a lot of time with gryphons, you know?"

"Hopefully, that will change," nodded Gallus. "The same will apply to dragons, too," he warned. "They like to protect their hoards the same way we do, but with a bit more fervor."

"I'll keep that in mind. You ready for tonight?"

Gallus took a deep breath. He didn't know if he was, given what was planned. Granted, the guard didn't know that. "I believe so, yes."

"Do you remember what you're doing?"

"Patrol Route Two-Bravo. I know the route well."

The guard patted his shoulder. They continued to chat, with Gallus being allowed to give out warnings and perform identification checks on anypony wandering the halls as part of his training. He was, of course, listed as a shadow, and his every move was scrutinized, but being a long-time student of security training, he was swift, efficient, and professional. He was even allowed to confiscate a can opener and take it to the security office.

"I'm surprised at you, Gallus," the guard said as they sat down in the guards' commissary. "You took to this like a duck to water."

"About that..." Gallus cleared his throat. "Comparing us to birds is kind of offensive."

"Sorry. It's an expression. What I meant wa--"

"I know what you meant. Just take note in the future if you ever meet another gryphon. They won't be as forgiving as me."

The guard nodded. "Right, well, I meant it as a compliment. You're really good at this."

Gallus smiled. "I try. It's been my goal for a long time to be a captain of the royal guard or better. A lot of this, I try to practise on my own time. Some of my classmates think I take it a little too seriously, but they change their tune when they want something kept safe. I'm always their go-to."

"Sounds like you're pretty dependable. I have no doubt you'll make it." He wrapped a hoof around Gallus's shoulders and pulled him into a sort of half-hug. "Hey, I know this is a bit unorthodox, but since you're already so advanced, how would you feel about tackling your route on your own?"

Gallus looked to him with his eyes wide open. "Are you serious?"

The guard nodded. "I was supposed to deal for a poker game tonight before you showed up. I'd like to have my scheduled night off, rather than escorting you around. There will be other guards on your route, don't worry."

Gallus took a deep breath and nodded, a smile running across his face. This was going better than he could have ever hoped.