When they originally arrived at the Tree of Harmony, Ocellus thought that the talk they were going to have was going to be very simple. They go in, make their case to the Tree of Harmony and if all goes well, the Tree will lend their assistance to help Albedo and Klee with their efforts in trying to find a way back home. However, despite this, the changeling did not expect for Harmonia to have concerns after meeting Albedo in person. Concerns that would warrant for the manifestation to test the alchemist in a manner similar to that of when they tested her and her friends some time ago
“Good, then let us begin.”
Before Ocellus and the others could say anything, both Albedo and Harmonia disappeared in a flash of light. Leaving the changeling with now just the Headmare, but also Klee. The latter of which wasn’t entirely prepared for her brother disappearing right in front of her eyes. “Brother? Where did you go?” she asked, curiously looking around the room before an idea emerged in her mind, “Oh, are we playing Hide and Seek? Did you want for me to come find you, brother?”
The alicorn and the changeling were quick to look back towards one another, before diverting their attention back to Klee. After the two of them witnessed what Klee was capable of earlier on the way here, the last thing that either of them wanted was for the little girl to end up having the Tree of Harmony explode in search of her brother. Which meant that it fell on them to keep the little bombardier occupied while Albedo was doing Harmonia’s test. A task that wasn’t entirely something that they wanted to do, but they didn’t really have a choice on the matter.
“H-hey Klee,” Twilight spoke up to catch the little girl’s attention, “H-how about you come wait with Ocellus and I?”
“But brother is still hiding! Klee hasn’t found him yet,” Klee said, before running straight for the roots of the Tree of Harmony, “Brother! Where are you-?”
“Klee, he’s not hiding,” Ocellus took a turn to speak as the changeling recalled something that she remembered the alchemist sharing earlier while at the school library, “He’s… working on an experiment in progress right now. He’ll be back soon”
Klee’s tone soon changed as the little girl looked back towards the two of them with a tilted head, “Oh? Then why didn’t you say so? Klee can be a good girl and wait for him!”
As Klee skipped back over to Twilight and Ocellus, the two of them let out a simultaneous sigh of relief. Thanks to the changeling’s quick thinking, they were able to prevent Klee from potentially causing a disaster inside the cave that housed the Tree of Harmony. Though, there was no telling how much time this actually bought them until Klee would start asking questions again and wonder about her brother's whereabouts.
All they could really do now is just sit around and wait for their return.
When Albedo had opened his eyes again, he found himself standing in what could only be described as a never ending field of stars. A canvas of the starry void that some would use to describe the universe. While the sight of it all was breathtaking to see, Albedo thought that was another reason as to why he was seeing this. That it, in some way, was part of Harmonia’s test for him.
His assumptions were proven correct when he began to hear Harmonia’s voice echo all around him, “Beautiful, isn’t it? The night sky and the stars that shine brightly in the light of the moon. However, what many don’t see is that there is a deeper meaning to the stars in the night sky than just something nice to see as shooting stars pass by. So, what do you see?”
That was a rather specific question, and one that would be more fit for someone who studied the stars. Albedo had heard of an astrologist in Mondstadt that did so and they had met Klee before, but the alchemist never met them himself. “That is open to interpretation,” he answered, “There are some in my world that study the stars in the sky and read the constellations they form. Every person has their own constellation and can be seen differently by different people, whether it be something that brings them good fortune or speaks of misfortunes that they have to endure.”
“Then what is your interpretation?” Harmonia then asked, emerging into the room now. While the room around them looked like an endless nebula of space, that was because of the magic that Harmonia had placed around the room they were in. The manifestation masked the domain with a spell that had it reflect what the person in control of it was thinking and have it morph to their thoughts. “You speak of what others say, but not yourself. This test is about you, not them.”
It took the alchemist a little bit to think of the proper words to say. If this test was to understand him, then Albedo needed to take a different approach to how he answered Harmonia’s questions. “The night sky and the stars are part of the universe, and the universe is the sable essence of the starry void. One piece in a larger puzzle that is the truth of the world I’m from.”
“The truth of the world, you say?” the manifestation now asked, curious by the way that the alchemist phrased his words. To Harmonia, the fact that Albedo placed emphasis on that statement made them think that it was somehow important to him. It intrigued Harmonia, yet left them wanting to know more.
As for Albedo, he just simply nodded, “Yes. Though, I don’t believe my goals for back in my world relate to this test of yours-”
“On the contrary,” Harmonia interjected, “One’s goals and ambitions end up shaping their actions. For some, while their intentions might be noble, the method in which they carry out said intentions can be seen by others as the exact opposite. Some creatures over the course of history have learned this the hard way and have redeemed themselves for past actions.”
Yet, as the manifestation said that, three particular constellations formed in between the two of them. The first was a jagged crown, the second one looked like a demon with the horns of a bull and the last one looked like a rook on a chess board. “Yet, there are some whose intentions are too vile to ignore. A queen whose jealousy and desires led to the suffering of her own people and for her reign to come to an abrupt end, yet still schemes in the shadows. A centaur who desires to control all of Equestria with an iron fist led to them stealing magic from every creature like a leech and whose anger could shatter the world. A young soul who easily deceived those around her to steal all the magic in the world and tried to make themselves the ruler.”
From there, Harmonia now looked to Albedo, “Each one of them have been some of the greatest threats known to Equestria and were not just a threat to every creature in the world, but also to me and the balance. They wanted power for their own selfish desires and if they were successful, the world would be thrown into chaos. Now, you seek power from me.”
With a motion of her hoof, each of the constellations were gone as the manifestation’s eyes narrowed. “Now, for your test. To start, you must answer what I am going to ask you, and based on your answer, I will determine whether or not we move forward. Why is it that you seek power? What is your reason for trying to obtain something where others have tried to take by force and failed?”
For a moment, there was silence. The stars that were around them grew dark as Albedo closed his eyes, deep in thought and unaware that the manifestation had passed the ‘reins’ of the room to him. For a moment, Harmonia thought that he had nothing to say. Though, as time passed by, what looked like a sigil for a golden flower emerged under the alchemist. The room began to change and morph in ways that the manifestation wasn’t prepared for. Though, as Albedo opened his eyes, he had an answer.
“... To complete my final assignment.”
“Assignment?”
The room began to change again, though Albedo didn’t seem to notice as he spoke, “For most of my life, I had but one person I cared for the most. She is my only kin and my master, Rhinedottir,” he said, “She taught me everything that I knew about alchemy and about the study of life. Then one day, she vanished without a trace. The only message that she left for me was to complete the final assignment that she left for me. But it’s one that I can’t do if I’m not back in the world that I belong to.”
Then, Harmonia noticed something. A tear going down his cheek. Yet, Albedo showed no emotion whatsoever. Was it because he didn’t care… or because he couldn’t show emotion at all? “What is that final assignment you were given?”
The alchemist then looked to Harmonia and had one simple answer. “Show me the truth and meaning of this world. Her final assignment to me. For everything that my master had taught me and helped me get to where I am now, finishing her final assignment is my way of not only repaying her for everything she had done, but to hopefully find her again after so many years of being apart. And that is something I can’t do if I remain here.”
Albedo’s words had Harmonia split down the middle. The manifestation was having trouble telling if Albedo was being honest with them because of the lack of emotion on his face. Yet, the words themselves would move anyone to act. However, Harmonia had to be certain that he was speaking the truth. If that was the case, then there was only one thing that they had to do.
See that fateful moment for themselves. “Hold still. This will be only for a moment.” they said, before her form began to glow as the manifestation had placed a hoof on the Alchemist’s forehead as the flower sigil began to glow brighter.
“Master, I’ve returned-”
The laboratory that Albedo once called home was in disarray. Vials were broken, papers were scattered and debris was spread all over the floor. All things that belonged to his teacher and master, yet thrown around as if the place was ransacked. The place that, to him, was his sanctuary for learning the study of life was now gone and his master… his only kin, with it.
“Master? Master Rhinedottir, where are you?”
The young one did not seem much like his current self. For at this age, Albedo only had lived a simple and contented existence by his masters' side. Whether it was following through on orders or accompanying them on travel, Albedo felt as if his only goal in life was to meet his teacher’s expectations.
Among the mess, there was something that stood out to him. An envelope with his masters seal, an old classical text and a folded note. The note only had a simple message.
Albedo, go to Mondstadt. Find my old friend, Alice, and give her the recommendation letter. Complete your final assignment.
He stood silent as he looked at the note. All the assignments that he had been given before by his master were relatively hard, but this one… this one seemed beyond his own capabilities. Yet… if he somehow managed to do it, then there was the possibility that he would see his master again.
As he turned the note over, a single message was left.
Your final assignment: show me the truth and the meaning of this world.
Back in the present, Harmonia backed away moments after the memory had ended. It might have been short, but the amount of emotion that was in that single moment in the past was impactful to the alchemist.
“Excuse me, Harmonia. Are you alright?”
Albedo’s question had the manifestation snap back to reality as they looked towards him. “I-i’m fine. Just… a bit shocked was all.”
“How so?” the alchemist asked, “You only just touched my forehead.”
Harmonia sighed, “My magic allows for me to see particular memories if I happen to come into contact with them while the memory is on their mind.”
Originally, Harmonia thought that Albedo was going to get mad at her for seeing something that many other creatures would see as either personal or private. Yet instead, the alchemist was not upset… but intrigued. “Interesting… did what you see help you in any sense?”
“I only wanted to see that memory as a way to confirm your story and to see that you weren’t lying to me,” Harmonia assured him, “Though, even with what I had seen, there is still more that I wish to verify. Which will be the remainder of your test.”
To which, Albedo then folded his arms and said the first thing that came to his mind, “And what would that consist of, if you don’t mind me asking?”
“Simply put, it involves the power that you possess. I may not have seen it for myself, but I surely have felt it. If I didn’t know any better, I would’ve assumed that Discord had decided to take on a creature as his replacement,” the manifestation retorted, “So, for the last of your test, you are to not only demonstrate what you can do, but explain it. Prove to me that it’s different from his Chaos Magic.”
Despite Albedo being unaware of who this ‘Discord’ was supposed to be, Harmonia’s tone on the matter and choice of words led him to paint a picture in his mind. A being whose power was unbound by rules and how they use their power was enough to have the embodiment of harmony be disgusted by their actions. Much different from what he could do and how his abilities worked. Yet, it was going to take more than words to convince them.
“The power that I wield is how alchemy works in my world, along with the elemental power of the vision I was granted from the god of contracts in my world, Morax,” the alchemist began his explanation, “While there are many things with my power that I can do, there is also a lot that I can’t. For while alchemy is the study of life and all living things, there is a process to which it must be done.”
“A… process?”
“Opus Magnum, the process of transmutation,” He spoke, before pulling out his journal and taking out a piece of paper in order to draw something on his clipboard that he was going to need later. All while he explained the process from memory, “Nigredo, the first step, draws from primordial forms. As living beings, we must find our own meaning.”
With a motion of his hand, Albedo brushed away some excess chalk on the paper and continued to sketch. Though right now, Harmonia was beginning to wonder what exactly was it that he was drawing as they listened, “Albedo, the next step, is where change begins. Clearing away the excess so we can take on all the knowledge that is available.”
Now the alchemist had placed the drawing on the ground between him and Harmonia as the manifestation had a clearer look at what it was that he was sketching. Much to their surprise, it was the six pointed star of the element of magic, but with outstretched wings the likes of which they had not seen before. Yet, Harmonia did not have the time to comment as Albedo was speaking again, “Rubedo, the third step, is the refinement of feeling. To refine oneself of their emotions.”
Now, Albedo placed a hand over the drawing as a golden aura began to take form around his hand, “Then we have the final stage, Citrinitas. The meaning of the object being transmuted has been brought to life, revealing its true value.”
Before Harmonia had the chance to speak, Albedo placed his hand on the page and the aura from his hands seeped into the paper. The drawing itself began to shudder as if it was a butterfly emerging from a cocoon, before disappearing into dust. At first, the manifestation thought that his creation had simply faded away into nothingness. That his attempt had failed.
Then, Albedo extended his right arm forward, hand open as his power swirled in his hand. Followed by one simple statement.
“Arise! Lifeless dust of the universe and that within, thou are reborn!”
Harmonia could only watch as the energy that swirled in his hand took shape into the drawing that the alchemist made. Yet, when she looked down at the floor, she realized that the paper that was on the ground was now completely empty. A blank sheet, with all the color that was originally there missing. Almost as if he never made anything at all.
Though, as they looked towards the winged crystalline star in his hand, that was when Albedo realized something. A hidden element to his craft, one of which Albedo didn’t even share. Unlike Discord, who was able to materialize practically anything he wished with just a mere thought, what Albedo did was different. He wasn’t able to create something from nothing, but instead create something by giving something up in return that was the same value as what he created.
An equivalent exchange.
“Does this answer your question, Harmonia?”
The alchemist’s question led to the manifestation looking back to him. The space around them began to glow and shimmer brightly as their words began to echo all around Albedo, “It does. Not only are your intentions noble, but your power is one that doesn’t tip the scales of balance. Congratulations, you’ve passed.”