The Cutie Alchemist

by Visharo

Stygian

Stygian: extremely dark, gloomy, or forbidding

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Several sunrises have passed since the new creature appeared. Starswirl the Bearded didn't know what to do with her but everypony else seemed infatuated with her. In that time, Sunset had more control with her magic and seemed to prefer Rain Shine over anypony else, Celestia and Luna seemed to be getting on a lot more, Cadance was more carefree, Fizzlepop was coming out of her shell more, and the grumpy Granny Smith was having a blast.

The gray stallion heaved yet another log into a hole and patted the bark almost affectionate-like. This particular piece of wood finished up the wall, leaving one side left. Granny and Starswirl have been hard at work rebuilding the remains of their hut after the torrential rains swept the wood away, they even had help from Rain, but most of the time she was off with the fillies.

He swept a hand across his brow, sweat coming off his forehead in bunches, and looked around. The aforementioned creature was... meditating, if he were to guess, in the middle of the field while the fillies were playing around her, even Luna. Nearby, underneath a tree, was Granny, eating a hearty meal. Starswirl smiled and made his way over, picking up several leaves and flowers for his own hunger, and sat down next to her. What surprised him was to see a genuine cheerfulness in the otherwise cranky mare.

"Starswirl. How's the wall?" From a glance, he could make out dandelion, chestnut, and mint leaves wrapping around daises, petunias, and lilies. Names that all came from Rain Shine. Granny took a big bite.

"It is going smoothly. We only have one more wall left to do."

"Then it's the roof."

"Yes." For his meal, he picked out dandelion leaves as well, in addition to aspen and beech leaves. He also had dandelion flowers and poppies. He had no idea why, but he adored the beech and aspen combination, another thing the new creature showed them.

While he ate, he thought of Rain Shine. She scared him in ways he could not even comprehend, but she was gentle and caring, but most importantly, knowledgeable. She showed him words and feelings he never knew, but there was something beneath those eyes. He was grateful of her taking the fillies' attention, allowing for Granny and him to work peacefully on the hut, and yet, frightened at the same time. Even after all this time, he still had no idea what to feel for the creature.

"Granny?"

"What is it, ah'm a tad busy." She then proceeded to take another huge bite. Starswirl felt the urge to roll his eyes but didn't act on it.

"How do you feel about Rain Shine? It has been playing on my mind for a while." He said hesitantly.

"Ain't nuthin' wrong with a bit 'o rain. Ah think somethin' else's got ya in a tizzy. Why don't ya go hash it out wit' the creature, and if ya do, go over yonder, leave me to mah meal." Granny glared to get her point across before going back to her salad.

Starswirl stared for a while before sighing and getting up. He quickly finished his salad and made his way to Rain. It didn't take long before the creature noticed his presence despite her not even opening her eyes. He was still getting used to it.

"Ah, Swirler of Star, your presence has been noted. What do you require?" She kept her eyes closed and sat in that very awkward position. Legs crossed in front of her and her arms resting atop her thighs. Yet again, more words from Rain Shine.

"A talk, if you are willing." Starswirl then turned to leave, not willing to wait for her. He wasn't all that surprised to see her after turning his head to the side.

"Let us talk then, Guardian of Harmony." The two of them walked together for a while, eventually stepping into the nearby forest.

"Rain Shine. What are you?" Starswirl gestured at everything. Her curly green mane around her neck, her very tallness, her scaly back, and the very peculiar horn that curves and then splits into two at the top.

"I am a Kirin. I find it most curious that a mage of your intellect and capability does not know of the Kirin race. How is this be?" She lowered herself to the ground and peered into his eyes. Starswirl shifted uncomfortably.

"You are the first of your kind since I have arrived on Equus. I do not know why, but perhaps it is the glass cup shaping our futures."

"What is this glass cup you speak of?" Rain asked, unrestrained curiosity clearly evident in her eyes. Starswirl always made sure the cup was on his person at all times after several...er, misuses. He carefully took it out and presented it to the Kirin. "Swirler of Star, that is no mere cup! That is the Chalice of Life, he who holds the Chalice, holds the entirety of life and those who kneel before it! I have gravely mistaken your role in the universe, forgive this old Kirin for her blindness, I swear it upon name and fate that it would not happen again!."

Starswirl was taken aback. He didn't want this responsibility, being the Guardian of Harmony was enough, not that he did much mind you, but still! He shook his head at first, mumbling words that went along the lines of "no, I can not," and "why me?"

"Because you are special." Rain Shine looked very determined and the sense of wrongness Starswirl felt from her rose even higher. He unconsciously took a step back, and unfortunately, she noticed. "What is this? I have not done anything wrong, I seek only for your and yours' protection, nothing more." There was a pause and then, her expression of betrayal fell away into soft understanding, although, still one of hurt. "You fear the fire that rages within me. You sense it and you cannot help but cower from it. It is okay, Swirler of Star, I understand and do not hold it against you. If such fear holds your heart, then I shall leave. Perhaps I could find more of my kin. You have need for me, seek for the land of the rising sun. Until we meet again, o great wielder of life, may your last be as great as your first."

Starswirl barely had anytime to react before she bounded into the forest, her bushy tail disappearing into the bushes, leaving no trace of her existence. Deep inside, he felt the wrongness lifted, but he could not help but feel guilty. As he trudged back, wondering how he would break the news to the others, yet another concept from the Kirin, the light started fading. He glanced up and wondered where the sun went and saw that a relatively large cloud and moved in front of it, casting a gloomy atmosphere in the forest. As we watched, a really dark shadow casted it's darkness onto the Chalice and it started to glow an unhealthy pitch black glow. It was so dark that he couldn't see a picture it depicted, but it was still bright enough that Starswirl had to avert his eyes.

"Oh, hello. I'm Stygian. Who might you be?"

***

Two whole moons had passed since Rain Shine left and Stygian appeared. Nopony was too keen on the new unicorn, his whole vibe didn't feel as quite right as anypony else's. Granny Smith even accused Starswirl of getting rid of Rain Shine because she was a different creature and replaced her with a unicorn, another pony. He was aghast at such claims and told her the entire story, swore on it by his name, the Chalice, and Harmony itself. He even got to his knees, begging that that was the truth. It was only then did Granny accept his story. He hasn't seen her smile since then.

The fillies also looked more miserable and it was heart wrenching for Starswirl to see that, but there wasn't much he could do. His gut feeling, that wrongness she exuded, it wasn't meant for a place amongst ponykind, at least, not yet. Starswirl was certain of that.

During that time, the hut was finished, furnished with several padded rocks and floors, walls to have privacy indoors, and several storage places for extra supplies. They even had a small table built for Starswirl and his projects.

His heart did mend somewhat once he learned that Stygian was as much of a scholar as he was not to mention he was a stallion, the first beside himself. Starswirl was beside himself with joy at that revelation and the two of them would go out together for little research trips, exploring and noting down things in their memories and as the sunrises passed, the closer they got together. Too close in fact.

"Swirly?" A voice that sounded familiar and yet, not all that familiar, spoke out. Starswirl turned away from a little side project he and Stygian were working on and looked to see who the speaker was. He was taken aback from the sight. Celestia had grown up, no longer was she the young filly/mare, but a full grown mare. How had he missed this?

"Yes, dear?" He quickly excused himself from his table and followed his daughter out. He paused, his daughter. He felt wretched.

"I miss you, Swirly." The white mare said after they went a significant distance away. "We haven't done anything together in moons! Just the two of us! Not only that, everypony else has been missing you, Luna especially."

Starswirl dropped to his knees and he heard a tink behind him, but foreign noises didn't matter right now, his daughter did. He took her hands in his and held them together, he let the tears fall and he looked up in the most pleading way possible. "I am sorry. I had no realized how much time has passed, look how big you have grown!" He chuckled halfheartedly, his heart fracturing as he realized how much he had missed, absorbed in his projects and Stygian. "Yes! Let us do something together, the two of us! Whatever you want, I will do! I want to make up for all the time we had lost, please forgive me!"

Celestia held his watering gaze for a moment before bursting into tears herself. The two unicorns hugged each other tight, not realizing there was a certain earth pony watching with a smile.

***

The Chalice of Life slipped from Starswirl's pack from the sudden movement. It fell and hit a rock, making an audible 'tink.' It was not noticed. Being on a slope, the Chalice started moving downhill. It picked up speed, hitting rocks and twigs, over flowers and through grass. It kept on rolling until it came to a sudden stop underneath a large tree, so large, no sunlight made it through the canopy.

Underneath a certain branch, lay a cocoon of simple proportions. One that would soon become a beautiful moth. But that cocoon caught a certain something's attention, a certain Chalice. It started to glow a putrid green, fog of the same color spewed from the top, and before long, the entire clearing was covered in gross fog. Then there was silence, not even a single cricket chirped.

It was broken by laughter, one made only by cruelty and hunger.

"Loooooove." It whispered.

Author's Note:

Let's gooooo, another chapter!
My apologies it took so long, t'was bust with things. Yep yep, sorry sorry. Anyways, hoped you liked this chapter as much as I did!
Kudos to Grey Ghost, you legend.

Comments

[Venerable Ro]

A shame Rain took off, I was rooting for her.

[Grey Ghost]

I genuinely like this Starswirl. He's not a gigantic asshole like canon.

[Visharo]

11590902
She'll come back, don't you worry.

[Visharo]

11590925
Thank you!