The Cutie Alchemist's Daughter

by Visharo

‎ ‎ ‎ Raven Inkwell

Celestia had been traveling with Capper for the past two sunrises and she felt beat. Her body ached, her eyes felt heavy, and her hooves felt sore in most inconvenient places. The two were currently traversing through a forest that had seemed to have lost all of its luster. The green leaves no longer held the vibrance of the sun, it almost felt like they were drawing energy from the darkness that was brewing behind them. She frowned, speaking of...

"Capper?"

"Yes child?" The Abyssinian swept backwards and took a bow before the white unicorn. "How may I be of assistance?"

"Why are we heading away from the darkness? Shouldn't we...I don't know, go towards it?"

"Sweet, naive, pony. The darkness is the source of your troubles, is it not?" Celestia nodded. Capper grinned and continued. "Then to gain a different perspective, you must place yourself in a different place, a different mindset, you get me?"

"I...think so."

"Good!" Capper sprung back up to his normal stature and continued walking.

"Uhm..."

"Yeeees?" He turned back with the same mischievous smile.

"Could we...rest?" Celestia felt very unsure of herself. These past two sunrises didn't do anything with her relationship with the furry creature. The atmosphere around him felt very off to Celestia, but he doesn't seem that malicious, so she trusts him. Warily.

"But of course! It isn't right to walk for hours on end. A splendid idea." Capper proclaimed before plopping down on a rock. He stretched out with a satisfied grunt. Celestia followed suit but kept an eye out in his direction.

As she rested, she took the time to analyze him. His red coat looked well worn, even had a few scratches in the fabric here and there. His top hat, however, looked relatively clean. As for Capper himself, he looked very certain of himself. He also had some sort of smile, even if the majority of them didn't feel real. His face looked rugged and his eyes seemed to hold some sort of darkness within them. But even behind all of that, Celestia sensed a goodness within the Abyssinian. Perhaps that's why she stuck with him.

"Miss."

"Yes?" Celestia looked up, suddenly very wary.

"You're wondering about me, aren't you?" Capper had this very serious expression.

"...yes."

"A little piece of advice in a tossed up world, always be wary. Always wary but never let them see what's inside. A fake but pleasant smile can act as a shield greater than actual defense. If you understand that, then you'll survive much longer." Capper paused and stared in her direction with an almost contemplative look. Then, he tilted his head and smiled. "Come on, we've rested long enough. There's this hill I want you to see."

Night was falling, it made the entire world feel heavy with despair. The branches on the trees seemed to hang lower, the bushes around them clung to the travelers' pelts, even the cries of the forest critters carried a hunger.

"Where shall we stop for the night?" Celestia asked, glancing all around her. She did not like how that particular creature looked at her.

"Just a bit further. We should be nearing the hill very soon."

"Okay..."

The two trudged on, unconsciously speeding up. Even Capper seemed nervous, jumping every so often at unexpected noises. Then the ground started to slope upwards. They breathed a sigh of relief when the trees started to thin out, revealing an overgrown field. Celestia gazed at the tall wheat plants that brushed against her shoulders. There were purple plants that looked like islands amongst a sea of yellow. Capper avoided them however, so Celestia thought it safe to follow his lead.

By the time they reached the hill's peak, the moon had moved a considerable distance in the sky. Capper took one last glance around before collapsing down on the grass. "Phoooo...that was an experience and a half. How're you, miss?"

"I'm alright." Celestia instinctively tried for a smile, one that she didn't put any real emotion behind.

"There ya go! Keep up those smiles and good will come out of it." Capper laughed a little before hardening his features. "One other important advice. If you do continue down the path of disingenuous smiles, remember that you are a pony, a living being like no other. It's okay to feel emotions, even if you don't want them."

Celestia looked at him for a bit, then nodded. Unsure what it all meant, but it felt genuine enough to consider.

"Right, enough of that!" Capper stood up with a big grin. "Lemme show you what I wanted you to see." He extended a hand which Celestia took gratefully. He heaved her up and together, they looked out in front of them.

The scene was mesmerizing. A glittering lake, awash with varying colors that clash smoothly, as well as the twinkling of the stars up above. It felt nostalgic, almost like the time that Starswirl brought her and Luna to a similar edge overlooking the vast world. She wiped her eyes and smiled.

"Told you it was great." Capper chuckled.

"It is, it really is."

"Uhmm...miss?" Celestia woke up to her arm being shook. She blinked her eyes open warily and saw a confused Capper looking down at her. "Ah, you're awake. Good. Please tell me who this pony is."

"What?" Celestia rolled to her side and looked up through hazy eyes. A white form appeared before her with a stern gaze.

"Miss Celestia. I'd appreciate it if you didn't run off without telling anypony. You mustn't make my job harder than it already is."

"I'm...what?" Celestia rubbed her eyes and blinked them open again. There definitely was a pony in front of her. She got up and looked at them closely. A white earth pony mare with brown hair. Her mane was tied up in a bun, she also had a clipboard in her arms. She was glaring at Celestia, causing her to take a step back in surprise.

"Yeaaah. I was surprised to. She just showed up out of nowhere claiming she was your aide...?" Capper chuckled weakly and glanced at Celestia.

"What?"

"Miss, your vocabulary is insufficient as well as inappropriate. Do we need to do another session regarding etiquette?"

"Uhhh...no. No we do not." Celestia looked helplessly to Capper. He just shrugged with an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, I am very confused. Who are you?"

"Tch. I'm Raven Inkwell, miss Celestia. Do better at remembering." Raven scoffed and turned her head to the side.

"Well, I can see that we're going to get along quite famously." Capper laughed heartedly.