"I thought you didn't want to be here, Geo?" Twilight asked. "Didn't you say that the people I'm waiting on 'make your skin crawl?'"
Geo nodded. "I did say that," he replied. "But I just popped in to remind you that I wasn't kidding when I said you owe me a favour."
Twilight looked out the window, where smoke could be seen rising from a few places in the city, and sighed. "I am well aware of that fact," she replied. "Anyway, this riot has reminded me that my decisions have consequences — which I have to put up with as a leader. If some people don't like the decisions I make, then so be it. It's true that this was the last thing I expected, but I still have to face the fact I can't please everyone. You have my thanks for helping to restore order, Geo, and I will do my best to return the favour whenever you ask me to do so."
"Not right though." Geo shook his head. "Soon." Raymond came up to the desk, and he grimaced. "I'm guessing that the weirdo brigade is here, so I'm going to go before I decide to crack a few more skulls." He thought for a moment. "Actually, come to think of it, I'm sure some of these sickos would love it if I did that..."
He walked out of the room, taking great care to avoid the three people who were walking in.
One of them was wearing nothing but a collar, another was wearing spiked heels and carrying a whip, while the third person was wearing a similar facial expression to the one Geo had been.
"Greetings, Princess," said the person holding the whip. "Given the recent riot, I would assume you are in no mood for delays. My name is Xu Plath, and I am a BDSM enthusiast. We happen to express our love differently, with different hobbies and activities. Shops exist to cater to the needs of 'normal' people, but do you have any idea how hard it is to get a quality whip? A little support for our hobbies would be appreciated!"
"Yeah!" exclaimed the person wearing the collar. "And like other couples, we want the right to display our affection in public. So if Master wants to take me for walkies, he should be able to."
"My name is Kirby Friendship, and I beg of you to consider the fact that this is not about 'showing affection,' it is actually about moral decency." the third person dissented wholeheartedly. "Think of the children, for Violet's sake, think of the children! We must criminalise and eradicate this perversion to keep them safe, which of course means we need to create a special task force to track down and capture these cretins!"
Twilight got up and began pacing around the room. "Where I come from, friendship and love are both powerful forces," she said. "I can't very well deny the right of anyone to express their love, even if it is in a way that most people would find abhorrent. So, it is for that reason, that I will grant these people the support they want, as well as the right to express their love in public."
"Oh, thank you, Your Highness!" Xu said eagerly.
"No, no, no!" Kirby screeched. "This is a big mistake, Princess, and I must ask you – no, I must beg you – to reconsider!"
Twilight shook her head. "My decision is final, Kirby," she replied. "The new law will come into force overnight."
Kirby cursed under her breath and stormed out of the room, while Xu and the other enthusiast bowed gracefully before following suit.
"Wow, Twi," Rainbow Dash said. "Are you sure you're not giving them what they want because you're into that sort of thing yourself?" She grinned. "You got a whip tucked away somewhere?"
Twilight rolled her eyes and giggled. "Oh, shush," she said. "I gave them what they wanted because it was their right. Surely there is nothing wrong with people expressing love?"
"You won't be saying that when you see the next issue," Raymond said flatly. "A medical report has detailed a twenty-fold increase in infection rates over the past ten years of the sexually transmitted disease VODAIS, which stands for Viral Overactive Dysfunction of the Auto-Immune System. People all over the nation are petitioning that the government do something about the epidemic."
Twilight groaned. "Dammit," she grumbled, while Raymond and her friends tried to suppress their laughter.
Suddenly, Geo came running back into the room. He motioned for everyone to be quiet and then dove under Twilight's desk. Before anyone could question him, Kirby appeared at the door and looked around for a moment before she sighed and left.
"She's gone now, Geo," Twilight said. "You can come out of your makeshift bunker now. What was that about, anyway?"
Geo crawled out from under the desk and stood up, smoothing out the creases in his uniform. "That crazy bitch accosted me in the corridor," he grumbled. "She said that she wanted to 'move to the Apocalypse, where perversion is not tolerated.' I wasn't in the mood to talk to her, and I certainly couldn't shoot her, so I was quick to make my escape. She's determined, though, I'll give her that. She chased me all over the building before I decided to try and hide up her, figuring that she wouldn't want to see you again."
"You figured correctly," Twilight said. "Anyway, now that I've dealt with the 'sickos,' are you going to resume your observations?"
Geo nodded. "Yes, of course."
"Very well." Twilight pointed at a seat. "Please sit down, then, and observe me while I deal with an STD epidemic."
Geo did as he was told, while Twilight signalled for the next group of petitioners to come in.