The Cutie Alchemist

by Visharo

Shining Armor

Shining: bright and often splendid in appearance

Armor: a quality or circumstance that affords protection

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Celestia and Starswirl stumbled into the clearing and Granny Smith was the first one up.

"What happened? Starswirl, dagnabbit, ah trusted ya and ya repay me with hurtin' mah poor filly!"

"Your filly!?"

"She's just as mine as she's yours! Now spill, we ain't got time for this nonsense!" She was right. Celestia was shivering and looked considerably pale, which was a feat considering her coat was white. Even her lustrous pink mane took on a sickly hue. Together, the two of them helped the unicorn to a padded rock while Starswirl told the story.

After he finished the story everybody else was gathered around, looking fearful except Stygian. He seemed more thoughtful, but Starswirl didn't have time to dwell on that. The longer they talked and fretted, the more Celestia shivered and whimpered. Her eyes were closed but he could see the rapid eye movement beneath the eyelids. She was dreaming.

"Quick, everypony! Step back." He waited for them to do exactly that and lowered his horn. He started casting a spell, the same exact one he used on Sunset, and waited. His heart was beating far too fast to be normal and he didn't notice how uncontrollably fast his breath was until Granny put a hand on his shoulder. He nodded his thanks but didn't dare look away from Celestia.

After a considerable while, her breathing eased and her coat shone a bit more, but it wasn't enough. Starswirl released the spell with an exhausted sigh and slumped down, choking back a sob. Luna was by his side immediately and wrapped herself around him and the two of them held back their tears. The two of them have been with her the longest, moons of life and fun.

"I...I do not know what to do." It came out as a plea, a cry for help, but nopony answered. Through the haze of unshed tears, he saw Fizzlepop and Stygian leave. Sunset and Cadance were hugging each other and Granny was standing beside him with a comforting hand.

"Ah'm sorry. Ah don't know what we can do for her, all we can do is wait and pray." Her usual crankiness was replaced with motherly warmth. It surprised him but he accepted it all the same.

Several sunrises passed and nothing felt the same. Celestia was moved inside and the moss and leaves underneath her were replaced daily and to keep her from getting worse, Starswirl subjected himself to casting the same spell over and over again every morning. For the rest of the day, he spent recovering and researching with Stygian on figuring out how to make a better spell. They were getting nowhere.

"Starswirl. I think you need to rest. When was the last time you slept?" The gray unicorn had a tone of worry. He never really showed emotions before and it surprised Starswirl. He quickly recovered and shook his head violently. He will not abandon his daughter!

"I am well. I have no need for rest." As if listening, his body decided to betray him and his mouth opened wide. Recently, he figured out that was a sign of needing rest. He quickly covered it, hoping in vain that Stygian didn't see it. He saw it. He merely looked pointedly and raised an eyebrow.

"Fine!" He threw his hands in the air in defeat and stomped back to his padded floor and fell down on it like a filly having a tantrum. He harrumphed before promptly falling asleep. Guess he was tired after all.

***

He awoke to a blue ethereal atmosphere. Starswirl couldn't believe what he was seeing. There was nothing around him, just blue. There wasn't even a ground beneath him causing him to scramble around for a few countings. It took him a while but he slowly calmed down and gazed around in curiosity. How did he get here?

He wasn't sure how long he was in here but he tried everything he could think of. Running, walking, jumping. Nothing seemed to have any effect on his surroundings or himself. He felt no tiredness. It was at that moment that a wooden portal opened up.

"He...hello?" A scared voice called out. A familiar voice.

"Luna?" Confusion.

"Swirly?" Hope and desperation.

Starswirl ran through the portal into another environment. This one is infinitely better than the one he was in previously. It was a starry night sky with a grass hill. Around the hill was clear still water that reflected the night sky. The wooden portal he came through disappeared landing him into the water below. He was pleasantly surprised to find it really shallow and allowed him to walk over to the young mare gaping in surprise.

She quickly got up and charged into the water to meet him. They collided together and hugged tightly. The water lapped at their hooves yet he didn't feel wet. Luna didn't feel wet, even though she should have been after that run. He loosened himself out of her grip and held her at arms length.

"What is happening? What is this place?" Starswirl took it all in again, feeling the calm overtake him. If he could, he probably would stay here forever. There was a tug, he looked back down at Luna. She shook her head fearfully.

"Don't get drawn in! It'll corrupt you! You wouldn't be Swirly anymore and I don't want that to happen." She uncharacteristically burst into tears and gripped him even tighter. She kept on babbling about how this place was for nightmares and how she'd been the only to visit. How this place was evil and good at the same time and how she got lost the first time she visited. How a creature of shadow saved her. This place scared her because of how peaceful it was.

"Alright, alright. I will do nothing. I am here." Starswirl hugged her daughter again and the sobs slowly subsided. "How do you know all this?"

"Tante told me. The shadow I told you about. It...it tells me things." Starswirl paused at that. He opened his mouth to say something, to defend his daughter, but then stopped. She 's growing up and needs to do things her own way. He carefully lifted Luna's head so she was looking at him and he smiled softly.

"What does your gut tell you?"

"My gut?"

"Your gut will never lead you astray. Always trust your gut. When nopony is around to tell you what is right or wrong, trust your gut." He smiled sadly at the memory of him saying exactly that to Celestia.

"Okay...my gut." She looked downwards, towards the grass at their hooves, and thought. Starswirl waited patiently and thankfully, it didn't take long. She looked back up and her eyes held something, something that made Starswirl smile with pride. "I trust Tante. It helps me and whenever I'm around it, I feel safe."

"Well then, I trust it too!" He ruffled her mane with a chuckle. New words and actions. They didn't come as a surprise any more, they felt more natural with every passing sunrise. "Well, now what should we do?"

"Look at the stars?"

"I could not imagine anything else."

***

Starswirl awoke feeling more rested than ever. The dream he just had was certainly a weird one to say the least. He stretched before getting up and walking towards Celestia. He performed his ritual of casting the healing spell, easing her as best as he could, murmured some words into her ear, and then went outside. He was greeted by a familiar face and one he wouldn't think he would see again.

"Rain Shine!"

"Swirler of Stars. It is my most displeasure to arrive here again." Starswirl's gut didn't clench like last time she was here. She's here because Harmony allows it. That made him curious and fearful.

"Whatever do you mean?" He led her to a padded rock, Granny was already there with a critical eye.

"I have felt a disturbance in Harmony. A putrid fog of anti-love. Beware Swirler of Stars, the future is grim and uncertain. That is all I have to say, I am no longer needed here. Farewell and may the stars shine brightly on you and yours." With a nod in his direction and then a bow in Granny's, much to her amusement and allowed a smug smile to slip through her stoic demeanor, Rain Shine bounded off once again.

"Ain't she a hoot." Granny chuckled, before her features went hard again. "She's right ya know. We need to prepare. That bug messed with my filly and she ain't gonna get her again."

"Let us get to work then."

For the next few sunrises, everypony was hard at work, even Fizzlepop, building barricades and digging hideaways. Alternating between researching and experimenting with Stygian, caretaking for Celestia, and helping with the fortifications with Granny, Starswirl was extremely exhausted. His magic spluttered when he tried to lift a boulder and before he knew it, he was on the ground.

"Ah told ya to rest but ya never listen, do ya? Come on, let's get some Apple Cider, that'll fill yer bones." Granny led the exhausted stallion to the padded rocks and poured him a drink. He blinked gratefully and attempted to take the cup with magic. He nearly dropped it. "Tsk, relyin' on yer magic gonna get ya in trouble one day, Starswirl." She patted him on the arm twice before getting up and going back to work.

Starswirl was in the middle of drinking his third cup when a sudden glimmer caught his eye. Without thinking, he pulled out the broken and battered Chalice and held it up. It reacted almost instantly and started glowing bright blue. A picture of a...shield, the word popped into his mind with only countings to spare, was seen on the cup.

He placed the Chalice down on a flat rock and watched. It didn't take long for the others to start noticing, Stygian especially. Together, they watched with various forms of awe. Then with a bright flash, blinding everypony, a new pony entered the world.

Starswirl was relieved to see that it was a stallion, but something tugged at him wrong, not gut wrong, but wrong nonetheless. The stallion had a pure white coat and a handsome face. His two-toned mane was caught in the breeze and the way he stood made him look better. Then Starswirl caught the look Cadance was wearing. He frowned, feeling suddenly very protective of her and very weary of this new stallion.

"Introduce herself, dagnabbit! Standin' there, lookin' all high and mighty, ain't helpin' nobody!" Granny yelled across the clearing. Her words, as if magic, unfroze the stallion. He immediately fell over and crashed into a heap. He popped back up before Starswirl could think to offer help and offered a sheepish smile.

"Oh, uh, hi." He kicked at the grass. "My name is Shining Armor, what's yours?"

Author's Note:

WOOOO, lots of things are going here! I'm excited for the future. Sorry for the long wait, was busy with Equestrian Rim, SO glad that's finally over. Anyhoo, hoped you enjoyed it!
Kudos to Forcalor, you absolute legend.

Comments

[Lex_Drago]

Starswirl: OVERPROTECTIVE DAD MODE IS ON

[Visharo]

11621177
Dadswirl at a WHOLE new level!

[Forcalor]

Oh, I somehow missed a new installment of adventures of Dadswirl
Don't know why updates to the fics do not show, need to look into it I think I fixed it
Lil' bro arrived! And yeah, you're an absolute legend too, keep it up!

[Visharo]

11627840
Aw, thank you!