Celestia paced a circle in her office, chafing the lion-pelt rug beneath her hooves like it cost no more than a few bits. Snow fell outside the window, frost creeping along the sill with it's icy talons. The Princess was beyond irate, she was beyond angry, she was having the absolute worst of luck and her eyes sparked with the beginnings of Hate. Rumors were flying around that Seamus had been assassinated, others that she had sent him to the moon (*Something she was considering*), and the worst one yet was that she was keeping him trapped in the castle. The latter-most of those was, in fact true, she had pinned him up in here until he recovered, but it didn't help that somehow her private affairs were being leaked to the public. There was a hole in her barrier, her wall of ponies she kept around her and trusted with the most important secrets, a spy. One of her most trusted advisers was lying to her and giving all the happenings of the inner court to the press.

A guard ran in, his eyes wild, but a smile on his face. "Madame! There is something that you need to hear!"

"Shush, Silver Helm. I need to think."

"Miss, the other alico-"

"Silver Helm the Second, leave me be! I need to think of a very delicate matter."

"But Princess-"

"Leave!"

"Seamus is awake."

The goddess was on her hooves and walking toward him in a flash, her eyes wide.

"When did this happen?! Is he still in his room? Is he panicked? Is his horn sheathe still on?!"

"It happened just an hour ago and he's still in there. He's scared witless because he had no idea what's going on, but he isn't violent. He hasn't said anything, he's just kind of sat there..."

"Take me to him, Is he still awake?"

"He's asleep. Ma'am, I was told to alert somepony else before you, your student said she wanted to be here when he woke."

The Princess narrowed her eyes. Twilight was the last thing she wanted near Seamus on the first day he was awake, especially since the mare might still be upset at her for the whole locking her in a room for a month thing.  

"Take me to him, and don't let anypony near him besides the guards."

"There are no guards on duty right now, it's Sunday."

"What?! Are you sure? There must be somepony you can drag in to watch him."

"There isn't, ma'am... well, there is one, but he's on suspension."

"I don't care, it's better than nothing."

"But Ma'am he was suspended for taking unnecessary risks, he made a mockery of the royal guard by performing a stunt while coming to work drunk! He was wasted!"

"As long as he's sober, he'll do."

WindSnap the pegasus guard was not the most stable stallion, he was more of a free spirit, a loner and a roamer. Very few really knew him, not even his own parents. He spent his days grooming himself and partying, Alternating those between his job as a guard and his social life. He was physically fit and of medium build, like most other guards. Unlike most other guards, he was a tan color, the color of bleached sand. He had a copper mane he groomed into a lock over his forehead, curled over his left eye in a single gold/russet swoop. He was overall handsome, but his attitude was overall confrontational. If he felt something was better than him, he would go to prove it wrong.

So when a guard ran up to him and nearly crashed right into his left side, he stuck out a hoof and stopped him dead in his tracks, scowling. He sat at a table in one of the fanciest restaurants in all of Canterlot, his food eaten and his waiter ready to come and take his money, hoping he would tip her well. He looked over at the white unicorn mare with complete disinterest, she saw the expression on his face and looked away, thinking she had done something wrong. He just rolled his eyes and waved her over, throwing the tip down on the table like the money was borderline worthless. In truth, to him it was. He wanted adventure, and if money got him adventure, he would get money.

WindSnap turned to Guard Captain, letting out a huge, bored exhale.  

"I thought you put me on suspension, captain. Come to me with a job?"

The Captain opened his mouth to speak, then shut it and nodded.

"What is it?" WindSnap sighed.

"We need you to guard the new alicorn."

The stallion looked at him skeptically. "Sure, you're just going to mob me like every other prank you've put me through."

"No, this is dead serious, Snaps. Celestia wants you to be the kid's personal guard. She'll pay you."

"How much?"

"A hundred-fifty bits a day."

The young stallion's head snapped around. "I'm only seven and she wants me to guard on of the most important beings in Equestria? For that price?"

"She has confidence that you're the best for the job."

WindSnap got up from the table, smiling. "I knew she'd come around."

Celestia looked down at WindSnap, scowling. "You didn't mention he was so young."

"I'm sorry ma'am, but he's the best we've got. The fastest, too." Grey Helm answered.

"I don't like it. Are you sure there isn't another guard I could get? Older and less..." She gestured to the whole of the stallion. "This."

"You just gestuered to all of me."

"Well, I don't like all of you."

He made his eyebrows flat, displaying his annoyance. "Thanks, that make me feel so good about myself."

"You're welcome!" Celestia chirped, giving him a sarcastic smile. "Now, get in there and alert me when he awakes. And don't do anything... stupid."

She slammed the door after him, locking it with magic and sealing the very frame in so not even air could circulate under the polished redwood. WindSnap sighed; he just had to get stuck with this boring old job. All he got to do was sit here and watch some twerp breathe. On hindsight, maybe it wasn't so bad, at least he wasn't on northern border patrol, freezing his flank off and waiting to be killed dead by refugees. So he decided to buck up, look around and see what there was to do. A bookshelf sat against a wall on one side, full to the brim with non-fiction books and reference guides. On the other, a hallway that led to a dingy old washroom. Straight ahead was an extravagant canopy bed, silky silver sheets and curtains with a single candle flickering on the oak headboard, casting it's lonely glow over the room.

Just under the candle, bathed in the warm light of the flame, was Seamus, the Venus Alicorn. He looked fine, fit, healthy as a horse as he slept. But sadly, his muscles were deteriorated, he wouldn't be able to move even if he came to. His wings were lashed down with belts and his horn was covered in a sheathe of leather to prevent him from panicking and taking out somepony. He looked... beautiful, serene in the candlelight. It took the stallion a moment to stop staring, the alicorn had a sense of unearthly grace about him, even in sleep.

"So that's what all that fuss is about... this little scrap." WindSnap sighed. "I guess that it's worth fighting for."

He pulled up a chair and sat down, getting comfortable. It was probably going to be quite awhile before Seamus woke. up.

The next thing WindSnap remembered was hearing a scream.

"I can't see!" Seamus wailed.

The sleeping pegasus leapt out of his chair, scared senseless by the sudden outburst. Seamus was sitting straight up in bed, looking around the room frantically with sightless purple eyes. He passed over the spot where the stallion stood three times, blindly seeking somepony, anypony to tell him what was going on.

"I can't see!" He nearly screamed again.

WindSnap leapt over to Seamus without a plan, he really had no clue what to do, but it was better than letting the poor colt sit there alone, shaking like a leaf in fear.

"Kid, kid. What's the matter?"

Seamus tried to locate the noise, grasping around the bed for something he could hold onto. Nothing came to him, so he fell back down onto the sheets, a tear leaking out of his useless eye.

"I... I can't see. Where am I? Am I... dead?"

"No. You're in the castle and my name's WindSnap. I'll keep you safe, okay? Just don't panic."

"But WindSnap I can't see! It's dark and I'm scared... I don't want to be alone. Don't go, okay? Just don't leave me here."

"Kid, I have to tell the Princess you're awake. I'll be right back."

"No!" Seamus cried, mortified at being left alone with nopony to talk to. "Don't go. I'm scared and I don't know what's going on... who am I? Why am I here?"

The stallion felt like leaving the helpless colt to his blind prison, but something in his usually dry heart gave a pang, a twitch in his heartstrings that made him reconsider. This poor defenseless colt was alone, he had no idea what was going on, he didn't know his name or who he was, why he was there or even what he was.

"Kid... you're name's Seamus. You're here because you got in an accident. You're an alicorn and you're a future ruler of the great country of Equestria. Stay here while I go get the princess, she'll take care of this little problem."

He dashed away before he could reconsider. Immediately it was like a blanket was ripped off him on a cold winter morning. Leaving the scared, lonely colt was like abandoning a puppy. It hurt, somewhere deep inside. He blinked and left to get the princess, eager to be away from Seamus. He didn't like emotion. He ran from it at all costs. It led to pain, and he couldn't afford pain.

The guard at the door told him Celestia was busy, so he flagged down a medic, who healed Seamus and left like he had something else more important to do. So there he was, alone yet again with the miserable colt. WindSnap wanted to hit his head off a wall, maybe dislodge this meddling emotion he felt. He didn't want to be there, this alicorn was dangerous. It made him feel something, a tenderness that made his head soft soft, exposed. The pegasus bit his bottom lip and sat down on the side of the bed, cursing his luck.

"It's me again kid. The princess is busy, but we got your eyes healed. I'm sure you can open 'em now."

Seamus blinked, his amethyst irises gleaming royal purple in that candlelight.

"You left me..."

"I'm sorry, kid, I had to it's my-"

Seamus tackled him over, his hooves wrapped around the larger stallion. The startled guard toppled to the floor, startled. The colt buried his face in WindSnap's neck with tears running down his mare-ish face, eyes squeezed shut and wings around his protector.

"D-don't leave me! Don't ever leave me again!" He sobbed. "I was so scared that y-you wouldn't come back..."

"Seamus, what's the matter, kid? I left for five seconds."

"It felt like years! I don't want to b-be alone. It's cold when I'm alone, like I'm in th-that place..."

"What place?"

"I h-had a dream about an alicorn like me, she was bigger and she.... she... took my horn. She was s-so scary and I was cold there, so cold by breathe showed."

"It's just a dream, Sea."

The alicorn just shivered on top of the larger stallion, his eyes shut tight. He never wanted to be alone again. This pony had been there for him and he was going to be there for that stallion. at that moment something happened, something that would have sent the pegasus packing if he'd know it happened. Seamus had imprinted on him, like a wolf cub to his parent. He would have followed WindSnap into a pit of snakes right then. The colt trusted his guardian completely.

"Okay, kid, enough with the snuggles n' stuff."

The stallion pried the colt off him, leaving a hurt-looking alicorn looking up at him with gigantic, pleading eyes.

"Who am I?"

The sudden question shook the pegasus to the bone. It was just too deep a question. He didn't personally know the colt, so he couldn't answer. From what he could tell the colt was a kind-hearted, innocent foal, but he had no idea who he was outside what he had seen in that last few hours.

"Um... well... you're name is-"

"I mean what am I like? How do I act around other ponies?"

"Er... I don't know. I just kind of met you."

"Who do you think I am?"

A long, rather tense silence ensued. Seamus looked up at the stallion, desperately searching for an answer.

"I think you're a nice little kid with a big heart." He confessed.

The alicorn nodded and hugged the stallion's leg, smiling. "So... do you like me?"

The stallion sighed. "Sure, kid. I like you."

Seamus nuzzled his leg contently. "So... what now?"

"I wait until Celestia get back, then I leave."

Again the alicorn looked hurt by WindSnap's words. "Don't leave. I like you too much."

"Kid, I've got to leave. I have other jobs. I'll see you around, but I can't be here 24/7."

Celestia strode in and shut the door behind her, abruptly cutting WindSnap off. She locked the massive deadbolt, turning to them. She looked like she'd seen a ghost, her wings stiff at her sides and hair limp, almost dragging along the floor.

"Did you explain to him that he is to be ruler? Yes, good. I need to talk to the colt in private, if you don't mind."

Seamus grabbed the stallion's leg and wouldn't let go, stubbornly glaring at Celestia. "I don't know who you are, but he's not going anywhere. He's my friend."

The Princess rolled her eyes, dismissing the statement. "Fine, not like it makes a difference. My name is Princess Celestia and I will be teaching you about, well, everything really. I would like to get off on the right hoof with you. Guard, did you tell him his name?"

"My name is Seamus, and I don't like how you keep talking to him. He has a name, it's WindSnap, and it's a great name."

"He's a guard and you will address him as such. He is below you, Seamus."

"No, he's my friend and he's right here next to me."

The Princess was annoyed by how stubborn the colt was being, what was this youngling's obsession with this stupid guard? He was just some stray they'd given a job to fill the spot. He hadn't even wanted it at first.

"Did you make sure to not talk to him like I told you?" Celestia asked WindSnap.

"Um, I sort of had a little conversation with him, see his optical nerve wasn't healed and he couldn't see. He woke up and he was panicking and so I talked to him, got him to calm down until I could get a medic."

The mare was furious; the boy's first memory was one of him, a very dangerous thing to be sure. The reason was an instinct called imprinting, the instant trust a helpless young adolescent has to a pony when in distress. Much to Celestia's irritation, Seamus had imprinted on WindSnap, not her. Her plan had been to make the colt trust her, not this stallion. Besides, this Stallion was obviously going to be a bad influence.

"I specifically told you to not talk to him! What good are you?!"

"Leave him alone!' Seamus shot back. "He was just being nice!"

"Don't back sass me! And you will be fired and court marshaled! Both of you are in trouble!"

"I won't do anything you say if you're going to fire him!" The colt clung to WindSnap tighter. "He didn't do anything wrong."

"You aren't in any position to be making decisions!"

"Yes I am! I don't care what you say I'm not going to let you lay a hoof on him."

An argument proceeded long into the evening, neither side gave heed to the other and it was more of a war zone. Celestia wanted to see WindSnap fired for disobedience as well as ruining her chances at mothering the colt. She wanted to be the authority figure he clung to, not this stallion. So it went back and forth and forth and back. After three hours Celestia herself was getting worn down by how stubborn Seamus was being. He just wouldn't give. It was like trying to move a mountain with a pebble, it was impossible. She was even considering giving up, when suddenly she found the perfect way to punish WIndSnap. He didn't look like he was having fun at all around Seamus, especially with how prone to snuggle the colt was.

So she hatched a dastardly plan on how she could punish him while appeasing the alicorn,

"Fine, tell you what, Seamus. I'll let him be your personal guard, how's that? He can be around you all day and you can be the best of friends."

The colt gave a yip and a hop of joy, beaming. "I knew you'd come around! Thanks Celery!"

WindSnap felt like he was having a stroke. "What?! I have to be around him all day? I have to live with the kid and follow him around everywhere all the time?! This has got to be illegal!"

"Actually, I have one and she does nicely. Now, WindSnap, you know where the room I set up for Sea is, show him to it. Seamus, I will be there in about an hour with a few guests I'd like you to meet. You used to know them and one's name is Fluttershy."

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