Will strode through the halls of the University of Canterlot, heading towards Celestia’s office. He exchanged a few casual greetings with whoever passed by, getting smiles in response.

His fun would soon come to an end as he found himself face to face with the light brown, wooden-looking door to Celestia’s office.

Will rapped the knuckles of his left hand across the surface of the door three times. “Come in,” Celestia’s voice flowed from the other side. He gently opened the door and stepped inside. “Oh, Will! I’m so glad you came to visit. I was just about to go find you myself.” Celestia was tall, even by Anthro standards, standing at least a head above any others, sometimes even more. She had pink hair with teal and turquoise stripes, looking like an aurora one might see in the northern lands at night. A caring look adorned her magenta eyes as she watched Will enter her office. She was wearing a long, flowing white dress that showed off her figure well, or at least it would if she were standing and not sitting behind a giant mahogany desk, not unlike Will’s own back at the hostel.

“Oh?” He gave his signature soft smile. “What’s the trouble?” The entire wall behind Celestia was crammed with bookshelves absolutely stuffed with various books and documents. Other than that, a few potted plants sat in the corners of her office and a few smaller ones were placed on the windowsill. She did enjoy looking after them in her spare time.

“It’s not trouble, per say,” she responded, holding out a few papers for him to take. Will sat across from her and while he instinctively reached for them with his right hand, he quickly drew it back and took them gently with his left. He noted that they were transfer forms for two students to enroll at UC. Will put two and two together and his eyes searched down for their brief descriptions and the accompanying pictures.

“A successful model from Prance… and a martial arts master from Manehattan? At that young of an age?” he asked, more to himself than to Celestia. “Let’s see… Fleur de Lis…” The picture showed a happy and attractive looking woman with very pale white skin and snow-white hair, flowing freely down her head. A pair of purple eyes was glancing playfully through the photo, “…and Lyra Heartstrings?” The other photograph showed a mint green skinned woman with hair of a slightly lighter shade. Her golden eyes shone through the photo, displaying the confidence that came with being the master of a craft. He glanced up to Celestia. “How long would I have, before they arrive I mean?”

“A week,” she reassured him.

He crossed his arms and glanced out the window. “That means we’ll be full up,” he muttered.

“Wouldn’t adding those two only make nine tenants? I thought the hostel had room for ten.”

He shook his head and leaned forward. “The Prince wants to stay a while,” She jolted up in surprise, even though she was one of the few people who knew about Will’s origins.

Will pulled his chair a little closer to he desk and let his head rest on the cold hard surface. He sighed in exasperation, “I just… don’t know what to do,”

“Why don’t you start from the beginning,” She soothingly murmured to him, resting a hand on the back of his head, gently running her fingers through his unruly hair.

“I got a letter this morning from Kain,” he mumbled, so only Celestia could hear. “Apparently, my father,” his words became laced with venom at the very mention of the word. “Gravely wounded the king. Kain isn’t even in Saddle Arabia anymore, and he’s looking for a place to stay. Too many uncertainties plague my mind, I can’t seem to come to a decision,”

“Go on,” she cooed supportively, trying to reassure the young man in front of her.

“If I don’t accept, then I’ll worry about what happened to him. But if I do accept to let him stay here, then what will I have to tell the girls? What if my father comes after Kain? How can I protect my friends, both old and new?” He tapped the papers in his hand to emphasize the new part. “Regardless of my decision on Kain, I do believe that there won’t be a problem with letting Fleur and Lyra stay at the hostel.”

“Why don’t you just tell them the truth then?”

“I know it’s selfish, but I just can’t tell them about… Him,” he swallowed heavily, the weight of the words more than he realized. “There’s just too much pain. And would alerting them to his presence change anything? Well, they might get the hare-brained idea to attack him with their magic. That will only end in their demise, an outcome I would not be able to stand. I can speak from… personal experience that he will wipe the floor with them. No one can stand against… his might and win, not even someone as wise and powerful as you.”

Celestia contemplated her options, and after a few seconds of deduction, she came to a proposal, “Would it help you if I was there? For the explanation, I mean?”

Will pondered that thought, and it appealed to him greatly. “More than I realized,” he answered, raising his head and giving her a grateful smile. “I have decided that, against my concerns, I will allow Kain to stay with me,”

“When will you leave?”

Will thought for a second. “I’ll send a letter today, and I’ll leave first thing in the morning… well, third or fourth thing in the morning,” he amended, chuckling. “I will return with Kain at the latest, two days after that, though it shouldn’t take that long.” He passed the enrollment forms back to Celestia. “You’ll be needing to file these, no doubt,” he murmured, standing. “Thank you for indulging my little bout of self doubt,” he bowed respectfully. “It has helped me clear my head on the matter,”

“I’m always here,” she murmured, standing and walking around her desk to envelop Will in a hug, “should you ever need to talk,”

“Thank you, Aunt Celestia,”

She giggled at him, knowing she’d acted as his main source of emotional support when his mother died, “You’re welcome, little Zephyr.” They stayed in the embrace for about a minute until Celestia pulled them apart. “You’d best be getting ready. Kain will want the good news,”

“Right,” he nodded turning towards the door. Just before he opened the door, he added, “Though I dread the upcoming talk… I also look forward to it.” He gave one last smile to Celestia before he turned and quietly exited the room, leaving a light click as evidence to his departure.

Author's Note

All I will say is "Will has Daddy issues!"

comments always appreciated.