The Chalk Prince and the Clover

by FrostTheWolf

09- Magie

When it comes to the Everfree Forest, it was deemed as a place that no creature would dare to venture into under any circumstances. It was a woodland jungle where danger lurked everywhere you would look. If the dangerous fauna didn’t get you, then the numerous beasts that roamed the forest will. Many creatures who lived in the town of Ponyville thought of the forest as a danger because of what would emerge from the Everfree. Which, in the past, had led to more than a few misunderstandings with those who actually take up residence along the forest's borders.

Though, when Twilight and Ocellus were venturing with Albedo and Klee through the Everfree Forest, what the two equestrians thought would happen turned out to be the exact opposite. At first, the Timberwolves they encountered thought of the two siblings as easy prey. Though, they quickly realized that was not the case. When they tried to go for Klee, she greeted them with her bombs and when they tried to go for Albedo, the alchemist had his Cinnabar Spindle at the ready as well as his alchemy to act in self defense against those that wished to do him harm.

After some time and several failed attempts to try and attack them, the Timberwolves that prowled the forest began to keep their distance from Albedo and Klee. Now, even though Albedo saw this as a relief, Klee didn’t really think the same way. To her, she saw throwing her bombs at the monsters as nothing more than playtime. If there were no monsters for her to play with, then playtime was over. Which was a disappointment to her since playing with the monsters in the Everfree ended up being much shorter than the usual time she spent playing outside the city of Mondstadt.

The alchemist’s attention was less focused on Klee’s disappointment, but more on both of the equestrians that were with them at the time, “Are you two alright?”

Both the changeling and alicorn nodded their heads, before Twilight took a chance to speak, “Y-yeah, but… why did Klee just-?”

“Immediately start throwing bombs with no restraint?” Albedo interjected, “Well, Alice did teach her from an early age to protect herself if she found herself in danger. Though, over time, she began to see this more like playtime with her mother than anything else. It’s probably why she keeps on doing it-”

“Alice? Who’s that?” Ocellus then asked.

That had Albedo pause for a moment, before letting out a small breath as Klee came back to him, “She’s… a dear friend. An adventurer and author that knew my teacher and helped me get started with being an Alchemist in Mondstadt. However, three years ago, she left Klee in the care of the Knights of Favonius and proceeded to go on another adventure… and hasn’t returned since.”

That response caught Twilight off guard. When he first mentioned Alice, the alicorn thought that she sounded like their version of AK Yearling. However, when she learned that Alice had not come back, Twilight couldn’t help but feel sorry for Klee. To not know whether or not her mother was okay for so long must have been devastating to a child as young as she was. Yet, Klee always happened to have a smile on her face anytime she looked at them.

Of course, Klee was also quick to notice Twilight’s reaction to what Albedo told her and she decided to try and put the alicorn’s mind at ease. “Don’t worry about me. As long as Klee keeps on blasting and does what she told me, mommy will always be proud of me no matter where she is! Klee’s a big girl!!”

Albedo smiled at that, before patting Klee’s head as he looked back to Twilight and Ocellus. “Perhaps we should continue our conversation while we walk? It would be better than just standing around and being noticeable to every creature that comes by.”

The alchemist made a rather valid point, all things considered. After all, they still had a bit of a ways to go before they actually reached the cave of harmony. Not only that, but Timberwolves weren’t the only creatures that roamed the woodlands this time of day. Mainly because Twilight didn’t want to have an incident on her hooves if they happened to encounter one of Fluttershy’s animals and Klee mistook them for a monster.

Unfortunately though, it took some time for them to make their way through the Everfree after they first entered the forest. Not because of the monsters, but because of obstacles in the forest. Some trees that had been sturdy for some time had fallen over and blocked the path forward. Though, before Twilight could even cast a spell, Albedo raised a hand, “Allow me. I’ll take care of this.”

The alicorn was unsure by what he meant, but as the alchemist touched the fallen tree trunk, a golden aura began to radiate from his hands and spread. As the tree glowed, it began to morph and change. In front of their eyes, the giant fallen tree began to shrink and straighten itself out, shedding away any bark that was on there before. By the time that Albedo was done, the obstacle that once blocked their path was nothing more than a walking stick. “There we go. Problem solved.”

“H-how… did you do that?”

The alchemist paused, before turning towards the shocked alicorn with a raised eyebrow. “Do what, exactly?”

“W-what you just did!”

“Oh this?” Albedo asked, motioning to the stick that was in his hand, “It was just a simple alchemical transmutation.”

“S-simple!?” the alicorn retorted, “You just touched the tree and changed it into a walking stick! How is that alchemy?!”

Now Albedo was beginning to see what the issue was. Much like Ocellus and her friends earlier in the day, Twilight must’ve thought that alchemy only involved crafting potions. “Where I’m from, the alchemy that you are familiar with is only one piece of something far greater. Though, this is not the ideal place to have such a conversation. After all, we have some more pressing matters to attend too.”

As he handed the stick to Twilight, the group continued to venture forth without too much difficulty. Though, the alicorn was still trying to make sense of everything that she had seen. Nothing that she knew about alchemy could explain what it was that Albedo just did. Maybe it was something along the lines of ‘gifts from the gods’ that Starlight had mentioned before. That would also explain how Klee was able to do what she did earlier when the Timberwolves tried to attack them.

Eventually, their trek through the forest came to an end as the group arrived at the entrance to the cave. From the outside, there didn’t really look to be anything that would really give the indication that something important was inside. Though, as they went inside, any doubts that Albedo and Klee originally had were dispelled at the sight of the glowing crystalline tree in the back of the cave.

“Huh. Fascinating,” the alchemist replied, “This was a lot different than what I was expecting.”

“W-were you expecting something different, Albedo?” Ocellus then asked.

“Well, hearing you telling Klee and I about the tree is one thing,” he commented, before slowly approaching the tree, “Though, actually seeing it in person is something else entirely… there’s one thing I am curious about though.”

“What’s that?” Twilight now asked.

“The markings on the tree,” Albedo said, pointing to the six pointed star in the center of the tree as well as the sun and the moon on the trunk, “If they were anything else, I would assume that they were carvings. Though, the star on the tree resembles the mark that you happen to have. Is that just a mere coincidence or is there more to it?”

“Well, from what we know, the star in the middle as well as the five gems around it represent the Elements of Harmony, since they resemble the same colored as the elements themselves,” the alicorn began to explain, “From left to right; it’s Honesty, Laughter, Loyalty, Generosity and Kindness with the star in the middle being magic. The sun and moon represent Princess Celestia and Princess Luna since they were the ones who originally discovered the tree and were the first ones to use the Elements of Harmony.”

“Luna?” Albedo asked, “Forgive me, but I was under the impression that there were only two princesses. That being Celestia and yourself.”

“To be fair, they’re not the only ones,” Ocellus spoke up, before noticing a particular glow from the tree as her ears perked up and she pointed towards the tree, “Though, we should probably save that conversation for later.”

As Albedo and Klee looked back towards the Tree of Harmony, they watched as a glowing ball of lavender light took form at the center of the tree, before floating over to where they were standing. As it moved closer, the ball began to grow and change in size and by the time that it reached them, it had taken on more of a physical form. By the time it had reached them, the magic from the tree had taken on the appearance of Twilight Sparkle as it looked at everyone.

“Well hello there,” it spoke, before turning its head to see all four of them, “A familiar face from the school, the princess of friendship herself and… some new faces. And to think I wasn’t expecting any visitors today.”

“Y-you’re… the tree of harmony?” Twilight stuttered, looking towards the projection of herself in shock and awe, “W-wow. I… don’t know what to say. It’s an honor to meet you… uh-”

“Harmonia,” it replied before the alicorn could finish her sentence, “It may be a simple name, but it works,” the projection then took a quick glance at the alicorn and the changeling, before noticing both Albedo and Klee, “Though, I don’t believe I’ve seen the likes of you two before. Would you kindly introduce yourselves?”

“Certainly,” Albedo spoke up, “My name is Albedo and this is my little sister Klee. As you probably might’ve noticed, we’re not from around here. One of Ocellus’ friends said that you could possibly help us.”

From there, the alchemist took his time to bring Harmonia up to speed on the current situation as well as why they seeked her help. He did his best to keep the explanation simple, but took it upon himself to make sure that he did not leave out any important details. After all, if Harmonia was going to help them, it would be best for them to know as much information about their situation as possible. At least, that was what Albedo had hoped.

“I see,” Harmonia replied, “So you came here to see if I can assist you with finding your way back to the world that you call home. Is that right?”

“Indeed,” Albedo responded, “I was hoping that you could help us find a ley line we can use that can allow for us to conduct our tests far away from where any civilians might be. While I do wish to find a way for Klee and I to return home, I don’t want to have anyone get hurt in the process. So, with that in mind, can you help us?”

“I could,” the projection replied, before the smile that was there before faded, “However, there is one complication.”

That surprised Albedo. He was sure to have explained everything to her perfectly and did not forget about anything. “Oh? What seems to be the problem?”

“Simply put, I don’t know if I can trust you,” they explained, “While I happen to know about Twilight Sparkle and Ocellus, I don’t know anything about you. Even though I am inclined to lend aid to those who need help, such as the case with Celestia and Luna all those years ago, it is not without probable cause. When I act, it is to either maintain peace and harmony or to defend myself from threats that want to misuse my power.”

What the manifestation said didn’t entirely sound hopeful. Though, Albedo wasn’t wanting to give up hope just yet. “I can assure you, my intent is not to misuse your power-”

“I understand. Yet, it’ll take more than just mere words to convince me. After all, one creature shows their true colors through their actions,” Harmonia told the alchemist, “Therefore, if you want for me to aid your cause, you must prove yourself through a test. If you happen to succeed and pass my test, I will help you. However, if you fail, I cannot in good conscience assist you in your endeavours. What do you say?”

That was something that surprised both Twilight and Klee when they heard Harmonia say that. Yet, to Ocellus, this just reminded her of when she and her friends first met the manifestation in the caverns under the school of friendship. When they told Harmonia that they didn’t think that friendship was in their nature, she gave them a test to overcome. At first, they thought it was impossible. Yet, they were able to overcome it by working together and helping each other.

However, there was no telling if Albedo was going to be given a similar test. That and, based on how Harmonia phrased their words, this was a test that the alchemist had to do alone with no help from any of them. It was a test to prove to the manifestation that if they were to help him, he would not misuse whatever aid they would provide. One that had no room for failure.

In response, Albedo only had one answer. “Very well. I will take part in this test of yours.”

“Good,” the manifestation smiled, before spreading its wings as its form began to shine brightly throughout the entire room, “Then let us begin.”

---

Author's Note:

Finding what you're looking for is only the first step. Yet, trust does not come easy. To prove yourself, one must demonstrate their beliefs and dedication through their actions.

Comments

[Nosoni]

Hopefully Albedo passes whatever tests Harmonia can throw at him

[Shirousagi]

Trust is something that must be earned through action, not with pretty words or promises. Very wise indeed...

[Twilight_Shimmer]

10699565
very true