The Rise of Passion

With shaking claws, Gallus stepped into the hallway. He'd just finished having sex with Silverstream, and while she had rolled over and went to sleep, he had other things he needed to be doing. He swallowed hard and started down the hallway.

He'd taken to wearing his helmet lately. After the lockdown was announced, he'd started carrying a knife, and being a trusted security buff, he'd been swarmed by students looking for his protection. Applejack had put a stop to that, making him remove the knife from school grounds. Now he carried a claw file, instead. It wasn't a weapon, but he could stab somepony with it if he needed to.

The point of doing so was twofold. If Applejack found out what was going on, he needed protection. If she didn't, it would make the other students feel paranoid. Gallus always knew when there was a fight coming. If he saw one approaching, then it was time to seek shelter. Many of the students believed that they were next.

He walked down the halls, trying to hide his apprehension. There would be no shame in turning around and waiting for another night. Nopony would know but him. He could go back to Silverstream's room and climb up into her bed, resting and waiting for tomorrow.

He shook his head. Waiting until tomorrow would only make him want to wait until the next day, and then the next. Putting things off only worked if you knew that better conditions were coming. Things would only become more tense from this point until something forced his claw. Best to do this now, when he still had a choice in the matter.

Of course, Headmare Twilight's bedroom was guarded at this hour. She was in there, after all. As he approached the guards, he put his claws in the air, then against the far wall. "I need to talk to Headmare Twilight. If you wouldn't mind searching me, we can move this along."

The guards looked at each other. "You... want a full cavity search?"

"My ideal is the safety of Headmare Twilight. If you want me to tell her that you let somepony in who was hiding a dagger up their arse, I ca--"

Gallus shut up as one of the guards began searching him very thoroughly, even going so far as to shove a gloved hoof up his arse. Gallus had left his file behind, knowing that they'd be reluctant to let him in if he had been carrying a makeshift weapon. He'd actually worked with both of them previously.

When they were satisfied, one of them rapped on the door for him. Applejack pulled the door open. "What do you want, Gallus?" she growled.

"I need to talk to Headmare Twilight," said Gallus. "It's a matter concerning her safety."

Applejack narrowed her eyes. "You'd best be tellin' the truth," she growled. "Search 'im."

"We did," said one of the guards. "He's clean."

"Search 'im again," insisted Applejack. "Ah wanna make sure ya do it right."

Gallus shrugged and placed his claws against the wall again. Once more, he was searched thoroughly, and after Applejack inspected his eyes closely to ensure that he wasn't a rogue changeling, she begrudgingly let him come in, but left the door open. "One word from me, an' the guards'll be on you like a coyote on a cadaver," Applejack warned.

Twilight sighed, clearly already frustrated by the increased security. "Such a macabre analogy." She picked herself up and becalmed her face for Gallus. "What is it you need, Gallus? If you're ready to submit to a cavity search twice, it must be pretty important."

"It most certainly is," he nodded. "I'd once again like to offer my services for your protection."

"No!" groused Applejack.

Twilight put a hoof on her shoulder. "Listen, Gallus, I appreciate the offer, and I recognise that you really want to help. Trust me, if I had more say in the matter, I'd want you by my side throughout. But right now, there's an increased pressure on security within the security forces. You're too young for me to send you though the standards required to guard me."

Gallus took a deep breath. "I've uncovered a plot," he said plainly. "Cozy Glow is back, and she's trying to take you out of the picture."

"We know she's back," sneered Applejack. "An' it don't take a genius ta figure out that she's slowly encroachin' on Twilight. Attackin' her family, attackin' her friends... This ain't exactly a news flash."

He turned to Applejack. "You're next in line, Applejack. She's going to take you down and then go after Twilight."

"How'd you come by this information?" asked Twilight. "What makes you so sure?"

Gallus reached into his helmet, which had not been checked, and pulled out a ripped-open envelope that said "Open when you're alone" on the front in Cozy's hoofwriting. "I found this under a bush in the masonry section of the gardens as I was leaving class."

Applejack tried to snatch it, but Twilight grabbed it instead with her magic, quickly scanning over it. "It even smells like Cozy's preferred brand of perfume," she noted. "She congratulates the recipient for a job well done kidnapping Pinkie and Rarity by turning them to stone and dragging them out to the gardens to hide among the other statues. She goes on to say that the bodies have since been..." she choked up a bit, "disposed of..."

Applejack glares at Gallus for bringing this news, but he continues to stand stone-faced.

"She then goes on to say that there are poison darts in the clock tower, and a clear like of sight between your office window and the tower, and that they should strike after class when you're grading papers." Twilight covered her mouth like she was going to be sick. After a hard swallow, she turned to Applejack. "I told you something felt unsafe about your office this afternoon!"

Applejack looked like she'd been shaken by this revelation. Having Twilight's safety at the forefront of her mind, she was okay with taking a hit. Now that she was the target, that changed things.

Or did it? Gallus could have forged it to make it seem as if she were the target so they would have a clear shot at Twilight. "Ya can't seriously believe this, right, Twilight?"

Twilight took a deep breath and wiped her eyes. "Thank you for bringing this, Gallus. It seems I was a bit hasty in my decision to disallow you joining the security force."

Gallus held his head high. "I promise, I will not leave your side."

"No," corrected Twilight. "You will. You will not leave Applejack's side."

Applejack's jaw dropped. "Have you spit your bit?!"

Twilight shook her head. "Applejack, you wanted to keep a closer eye on him. I said no. Now that we know that somepony's coming after you, you can watch him, and he'll watch you. And, it keeps him out of the struggle going on in internal affairs."

Applejack groaned. "Fine..."