The Sun and the Clover

by BG9

Invitation

They walked slowly back to the dorm. Anon realized he didn't need to lie, just tell half the story. They'd probably be his best hope of exercising the wraith, or knowing someone who could. As they entered Generosity House, Rarity was waiting with an unhappy look across her face.

"Anon." she said "A word please. In private."

"Yes m'am."

He turned back to his body guards

"We'll be waiting in the room." Lyra said

"Right."

He followed Rarity down a back hallway. He was going to get his head bitten off for sure. Rarity walked to the end of the hall with and stared at a painting. It was a beautiful oil painting of a long wooden table inside a castle. It looked like something straight out of a mediaeval tale. Rarity grabbed his arm tightly and touched the painting with her wand. With a flash of light, they were both forcefully pulled in.

The inside was strange. It was like walking into a room made of oil paint. It was flat, yet had dimensions. He was having a hard time figuring out just what this place was.

"Welcome, Anon, too the meeting place of the Way of White. Of course I am the last surviving member. Tell me, how much do you know of us?"

"In truth, not much at all. A friend of me told me you were established in the magic Ancient Age, also that you were a religious order."

"Correct. And do you know to what god we owe our loyalty?"

"No."

"The Greater Magic."

"Alright... I'm sorry, I'm just having a hard time knowing the point of all this."

Rarity sat down in one of the chairs.

"I've been watching you closely." she said "You've been trying to find the truth of that crest. Right now our goals are similar."

"How do you figure?"

"As I'm sure you've realized, Clover is connected with the Greater Magic somehow. It's in my interest how and why. And I'm willing to help you in all ways I'm able too. On one condition."

"What's that?"

"You must become a member of the Way of White."

"Sure I suppose."

"It's not so simple as that. There is a ritual to earn you corona. It's a ritual mages practiced since ancient times. I know you're not very familiar with the ancient rites of mages but..." she paused "let's just say they tend to be quite painful and difficult."

"How painful are we talking?"

"Quite. So painful in fact I fear you aren't ready for it. It will send your magic abilities to new levels and allow you to briefly commune with the Great Magic safely. I'm going to personally prepare you for the procedure."

"Like right now?"

"No. This will take a month at least." she said "I hereby dismiss you from all chores and will give you a lot of extra leeway with assignments. I'm also extending the amount of times you're allowed to call in sick."

Normally this would make him pleased but it really sounded like this was going to be so taxing he could hardly do anything else

"Do you have any questions?"

"What will I be doing?"

"Mostly strength exercises and mental resilience. We'll also be putting your mana through its paces. You have a tutor correct?"

"Yes. Sunset Shimmer."

Rarity raised her eyebrow

"Cozying up to the elites are we? Never mind." she said "I want you to give her this note."

she flicked her wand and a big scroll appeared right in his hand

"But one thing to remember: you are not to tell anyone else of this, understand? The Way of White's Customs are not to be shared with those outside the circle."

"Alright. I promise."

"Good. I'll let you take your leave then. Oh and one other thing."

She tapped her wand on his hand, causing his magic crest to pulse once

"Should you ever need to return to the painting for any reason, all you have to do is place your hand on it. This painting is protected by extremely powerful magic and only those with permission are allowed entrance."

"Thank you Miss Rarity."

"Please. Refer to me as Rarity or Grandmaster from now on."

Anon left the painting with his head spinning. Way too much was happening all at once. A traitor in his midst. Clover's previously unheard of sister. Wraiths. And now exclusive entrance to an ancient and once powerful religious order through an extremely painful and arduous rite made by mages in the stone age. It was all so crazy he could write a book on it. Maybe he would some day, when this was all over.

Anon returned to his room where Bonnie and Lyra, as well as the rest of his bunkmates were waiting. Trixie was fast asleep, while Coloratura read some sort of tome. Wallflower was absent. Bonbon hardly wasted a moment before throwing you and Lyra in closed space.

"Ready to talk about what happened back there? Was worried like crazy about you."

"Sorry about that. I didn't want to say this were others might hear." you said "I found another piece too the puzzle: apparently Clover had a sister and she haunts the orphanage they used to stay at. I need to track down a monster hunter with exorcism magic. She'll likely be able to fill in a lot of blanks."

"I'd say that was too crazy be true" Bonnie said "but honestly nothing surprises me these days. Did you learn anything else?"

"Nothing. Do you know anyone who could help us with that?"

"I've got a few people who would be useful yes. I'll talk to them tomorrow."

"What did Rarity talk to you about?" Lyra asked "You were with her for quite a while."

"Just scolding me for being off school grounds after curfew. She's got eyes of a hawk apparently."

Bonbon returned them to the real world. Wallflower had returned and was writing in a notebook. She looked up, surprised.

"You guys sure look serious." Wallflower stated

"Don't worry about it." Anon said "We're all good."

"I won't press you."

He reached his bed and plopped down. With barely another word spoken, he fell into a slumber.

That night he had a repeat of the nightmare he had before. The large gateway, the room full of rattle snakes, the figure speaking only four words. He awoke with a jolt early in the morning. He leaned his back against the wall. The stress was starting to get to him, he felt. He needed a vacation. Yet, it seemed, the hardest was coming further ahead still.

"Psst." a voice hissed through the darkness "You awake too?"

"Trixie?" he whispered in response

"Yeah. I have could hardly sleep at all last night."

"That sucks. What got you so worked up last night?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

"The nerve is that raw huh?"

"Be quiet. Anyway. How are things at your end?"

"Stressful. I don't think I realized how much I signed up for."

"You're telling me."

Anon hopped down off his bed

"What're you doing?"

"Just looking at something."

He looked hard into the darkness and found it. It was the box of Bonbon's belongings. It didn't feel right, but he had to make sure she wasn't the traitor Moondancer spoke of. Lyra too. He reached out and touched it, only to receive a painful shock. Then he felt it, almost like a menacing presence.

"It's not nice to snoop through people's belongings."

Bonbon stood behind you, clearly unhappy.

"Sorry."

"Don't sorry me. Why were you going to try to go through my stuff."

"Curiosity is all."

"Well please keep your curiosity of my personal belongings to a minimum would you?"

"I will. I apologize."

"Thank you."

Anon got back to his bed

"So, Trixie."

"Yeah?"

"You said you'd show me a way to figure out my mana type. Still up for that?"

"Absolutely. It's a simple task really. We can do it a breakfast."

"It's really that simple?"

"Oh yeah. I can pull it off with a single spoon."

A few hours later and after so much needed showering, he and the rest of his room sat down for breakfast. Trixie held a spoon in front of her.

"There are two main umbrellas of mana, each with four subtypes. The two umbrellas are energetic and relaxed. While the subtypes are illusion, manifestation, encasing, and manipulation."

"Oh. Those are the main schools of magic."

"Precisely. It's from those four schools that all other magic stems from. Now for the test: if your mana is illusory, like mine, this will happen."

She pressed on finger to the spoon and it began to change color and shape

"My mana is also energetic. You can tell from how pronounced the effect is. Coloratura yours is relaxed right?"

"Right." she replied

"Then you can be next."

Coloratura took the spoon and placed it in front of her

"My mana is a relaxed manifestation. Like so."

She put her finger on the spoon and quietly a song was heard, almost like that of a music box

"Ya get it?" Trixie said

"I think so."

"All you have to do is thread your magic through the spoon."

"Is there any reason we're using a spoon in particular?"

"Metal is a good medium to view this in. Metal tends to trap and slowly release mana."

Anon put his finger on the spoon and threaded his magic through it. To his, and the rest of the tables surprise, the spoon curved upwards and a small garden erupted from the metal.

"What does that mean?"

"It means you're just like Clover the Clever. You have two mana types at the same time, manifestation, from how the spoon gave way to a garden, and manipulation from it curving upwards like that. Obviously it's supremely energetic too."

"Is that common? For the same mana types to be passed on?"

"It varies from family to family."

Wallflower changed the subject, apparently bored by the whole thing

"What classes do you have today?"

Anon reached into his pocket and pulled out his schedule. He always made a habit of keeping things like that close whenever he first got it. To his surprise, he was free all day. Which meant more time to spend with Sunset.

"I'm free all day."

Wallflower rolled her eyes

"Me too."

"Not happy with a day off?"

"No, just bored is all."

"Don't you have homework?"

"Like I said, bored. What about you two?"

"I've got music class." Coloratura said

"I've got history class" Trixie groaned "So boring."

Lyra nudged his shoulder

"So what's the plan then today?"

"I have to do some more work with Sunset. Maybe we can visit the Lady of Dreams again to explore more crest memories."

With breakfast over, Anon and his body guards walked outside of Generosity House. To his surprise, Sunset was already outside waiting.

"Oh. Hey, Sunset." he said "Wasn't expecting you."

"Well you should. I plan to do this more often when I can. Walk me to class?"

"Sure thing. I was hoping we could do some more magic practice today."

"Absolutely."

He had to sneak that note to Sunset without Bonbon and Lyra seeing. And he knew just the way. He hugged her tight, making sure her body and, more importantly, her bag, was out of their view before slipping it inside.

"Well aren't you just romantic?" she giggled

"What can I say? I'm hopeless."

They all began walking to another far point in the castle, past a wonderful garden. It was full of plants he'd never seen before, full of magic no doubt. There was a lie of blue flowers with petals larger than your entire body, a few plants with razor sharp teeth and tongues, even a few that uprooted themselves and began to walk across the ground using their roots as feet, whistling as the strolled the dirt. He knew he shouldn't feel surprised, but seeing it in real life was like something straight out of a fairy tale. It just didn't feel real. Sunset locked her arm around his.

"I see the garden has caught your eye."

"Yes. No matter how many oddities I see it just never feels real."

"Do you miss it? Your mortal life?"

"It's hard to say really. I think I'd enjoy this life a lot more if I wasn't carrying the crest of an ancient, powerful mage."

"That's fair I suppose."

It was every so slightly chilly outside and rain clouds were gathering. Hopefully whatever Rarity wanted Sunset to study with you wouldn't be an outdoor event. Once at the south side of the castle, Sunset gave him a big hug and left.

"What were you passing there? A love letter?"

He tensed up. Bonbon had eyes of a hawk.

"Maybe. What's it to you?"

Lyra giggled

"No need to be shy. You both are so cute."

"Quiet, ok? While we wait for Sunset to finish in class, anything fun we can do?"

"I've got a fun idea. Let's go fishing."

Comments

[8bitmadness]

Wow, an update to this finally. Good to know you're putting some work into this occasionally.

[BG9]

9445720
Yeah sorry the updates have been so infrequent. I think I figured out a solution to the writers block though so hopefully I can put out a lot more chapters more consistently. I've got a big plan for this story so thanks for being patient, I promise it'll be worth the wait.

[ArcherStern]

"I've got a fun idea. Let's go fishing."

Sorry to those of you who do this, but sitting around and waiting doesn't sound like a fun idea to me.

[unknowncape7377]

9891450
I've been fishing, it isn't all waiting. You have to randomly move the rod and catch the fish's attention and when they bite, reel em in. And then I send them back because I do catch and release.