Aisede

Howdy

Rose, too, Rose to her hooves with a grateful smile and a respectful incline of her head. "It was a pleasure conversing with you as well. Refreshing, even." She was about to make her own departure, but one thing stopped her. "Oh! Before I depart, I must ask if you have experienced any side-effects of the treatment. Nothing unusual, I hope." If all was going right, then the good Mayor Rich would not, in fact, be experiencing any side-effects. Rose's own scans came back clean, at any rate.

"Magic desires to be used, and is expressed through special talents and unique traits attributes to species and race," Rose summarized thoughtfully. "And creatures born into this world use The Root to regulate their thaumic input and output. I still don't see what this has to do with Albedo, though- she may have been made by my foreign blood, but she was born of Aloe's body. She should be a native to this world, even if I am not."

A representative of a major metropolis? That may work quite well. Perhaps she can find a way to mass produce her potions and distribute them? "I would appreciate that very much, thank you ~" Rose respectfully inclined her head.

Rose nodded, thankful for her consideration. "Of course, Mayor Rich. I..." Here, she blushed just a little. It was embarrassing to admit, but she was still very much a stranger in a strange land. "I hate to admit it, but despite all the time I spend with the reigning monarch, I'm still quite unfamiliar with the political landscape of Equestria. I've already acquainted myself with S.T.A.R., and the new distant griffon colony, but neither of those will be enough to get my projects into motion."

Rose retracted her hoof with a private laugh. Good to know I've made a new friend. "I do believe the actual politics will fall down to us lowly pragmatists," she said with no small amount of humor. "I, for one, have already put into motion the circulation of a particularly potent regeneration potion. Hopefully prosphetics will be a thing of the past soon..." Soon. "But that's enough about me. What do you plan to do now?"

"Ah," Rose tittered. "More of this 'friendship' stuff Twilight has been telling me all about. The sort of friendship that evidently requires an academic course, and the founding of an entire school." She shook her head, understanding dawning in her eyes. "I'm so sorry to hear that, Miss Rich. So much potential..." She sighed, then reached out a hoof to settle on her shoulder. "But your legacy does not have to end with them. You still have many years ahead of you, my friend, and creatures who may yet support you and your goals... Asides from me, of course," she added with a smirk.

"The Root?" Rose echoed, unbothered by Hou's threat. No power in this world short of maybe Twilight could actually harm her in any permanent way- at least, that's what she beleives. "Is this tied to cosmic magic? The source Twilight is tied to that grants her so much power." The power she wishes to obtain, if just briefly. She felt like there was something she should know... Back from the lake... But she just can't recall anything other than a discrepancy in memory from her simulacrums. "Should I... Enhance Albedo? Like I enhanced myself?" There are permanent forms of alchemy. Changing oneself for the better. There are a lot of traits that have been more or less baked into her, albeit that's because of her original. She was, after all, built to serve as a backup incase OG Rose's vessel was damaged beyond repair, and thus possessed all the basic facilities she needed to operate at peak efficiency.

Well... Rose took Aloe fishing once. And then they ended up doing other activities. Come to think of it, just about anything they do evolves into 'other activities.' She, personally, did not see the problem. "Well, soon-to-be, but yes. At the least, the position will put me into contact with the connections I need to make changes. Such as... Agricultural." Rose glanced away at this- she hadn't actually studied agricultural alchemy all that much yet. "What do you mean by Albedo only has ten years to live, though?" Rose tilted her head, not understanding how Hou could tell such a thing. She appeared perfectly fine to Rose. And speaking of... Albedo twitched towards Hou when she approached, backing into the back of her bubble as it was tapped. However, whatever caution she was excersizing quickly evaporated and she tried to grab the hoof in her aura before it could pull away, reaching out with her forelegs. Undoubtedly, she wanted to examine this strange creature more personally, but she was not nearly strong enough to hold onto the elder pony.

Rose listened attentively, and without interruption. A veil of silence surrounded their little pocket of privacy with a flicker of her horn, but they could still hear each other, of course. "Ah, ambitions. They truly can get away from us." She sighed, ears flicking back as she looked off into the distance. "I, too, suffered for a lack of restraint. Let it become the only thing that mattered, and neglected my family." A hoarse, humorless laugh escaped her and she hook her head. "I think my liuetenant treated them better than I did, before she up and left..." She bit her lip, then looked over at Spoiled. "Have you tried seeing things from Diamond's perspective? Sympathizing with her goals?"

"What was that strange saying again? Cross my heart and hope to die? No, fly." Rose tried to pantamime the motions, but gave up halfway. "Trust me, Miss Spoiled, your secret is safe with me. As of late, I've become the bearer of a lot of secrets, actually." She smiled, Hou and 'Frostbite' coming to mind. "I'm not very involved in the local politics anyway. They rarely appreciate the values of science and medicine." Although, she supposed, Spoiled was a sort of politician.

"But now...?" Rose slowed down, giving her full attention to the mare now. "I won't pretend to be a psychiatrist, but I do have a fair amount of experience with creatures. Tell me what's bothering you." She hoped she wasn't overstepping any unspoken boundaries. It was still pretty hit or miss with most ponies- in her own opinion- but she did genuinely care about those that surrounded her. They were, after all, whom she strived to better- in health of body as well as mind.

"Oh yes. Windwright and I are working on the specifics, and we may bring Bevel Gear in for her personal experience. Alchemy is good at change, but it's usually a temperary thing. True transformation takes a little more..." She bobbed her head to the side, waving a hoof in a so-so gesture. "Magic." Rose chuckled, then. "I must apologize for the misunderstanding. Somehow I came to the conclusion that you wished to become a sphinx, before Blueblood cured me of that notion."

It wasn't often that Rose found herself with leisure time, despite her lack of much legitimate business. Oftentimes she'd simply appear, too excited or too anxious to approach the victims of her attention with anything less than maximum efficiency. Spoiled Rich was different, though. While Rose could sense there was something less overtly... Harmonic about the mare, Spoiled felt more grounded. More practical and pragmatic. Equestria as a whole sometimes felt like a dream, and she'd wake up one day to realize she was still in Andalusia, pursuing a singular mindless goal until the end of time. The ponies here were nice- if a bit quirky- and their society was ruled over by benevolent immortals, but some ponies didn't quite fit the theme. Ponies that, to her, felt normal. So it was that Rose Compass arrived in the gardens without saddlebags filled with supplies or some sort of agenda. She was just spending time with a close acquaintance and, hopefully soon, a new friend. "Good afternoon, Miss Rich," the seafoam mare greeted with a cordial smile. She gave her a once-over, and her smile grew just a bit. "I see you're in good health."

Rose graciously accepted the gift- for what else could it be? - and ported it off to her own lab after a cursory look. Interesting. "Oh, this isn't about showing up my old self, I just really enjoy Aloe's company is all," Rose said in response to Hou's quip. She shrugged. "And I don't expect to be running out of the local currency any time soon. After all, the title of 'Royal Alchemist' doesn't strike me as the title of a destitute mare ~" Now Rose grinned. Although she wasn't the royal alchemist yet, she certainly wasn't going to turn the offer down when she was ready to take it. "Anyways, Albedo is actually rather average for a guppie her age." She looked back at the baby changeling, who hadn't stopped staring... Until Rose turned her attention towards her. Albedo blinked and looked at her... Then began to roll her ball off the larger mare's back. "Oh! Wait-" she caught the ball in her aura just before it could hit the ground. It wouldn't have popped, but it'd have rattled the child. She placed her back on her back, where she stayed. Although Albedo was frowning now, and decided not to look at her or Hou anymore. "Hm. Anyway..." Rose turned back to Hou. "Andalusian changelings are amphibians, and go through cycles of life starting from a guppie to an adult. In... Give or take a couple months she should grow lungs and her hind legs, then begin to learn how to speak." "As for why she's albino, that really is me. As is her unusual levels of magical potency."

Rose smiled a coy, knowing smile. "It's good to see you too, Hou." Turning around, she displayed her side. Or, more rather, what was perched on her back: a small, white amphibious creature with wide, observant pink eyes. Albedo floated within the center of a sphere of water that kept its shape despite its liquid state. "Meet Albedo, the first of my budding brood. Say hi, Albedo!" Albedo observed her surroundings with a wandering, detached interest. Then her eyes landed on Hou. Albedo stared. "... She... Does that a lot." Rose said. "Staring, I mean." Then Rose noticed what Hou had been harvesting, and a light switched on. "Ooh, I don't believe I've seen this particular species before. What is it?" Rose got closer, but not close enough to interrupt the pony. She didn't want to be rude, after all. Lastly... Hou may notice a third budding life, centered in Rose's belly of all places. This family really never stops expanding.

Rose just smiled, and chuckled at Hou's comment. "Don't worry, if he dies I'll just bring him back to life- granted his spirit still lingers." Already, as Dox expiremented with the orb, it reacted. Without any currently bound user, it more or less operated on autopilot, doing its best to dissect, disassemble, and reassemble whatever magic came into contact with it, broadcasting its findings in raw data around it. Something that could be comprehended without the use of actual words. Notably, it did not hold onto any of this magic longer than neccesary. It simply studied and let go- but somewhere deep inside, it kept a catelogue of everything it learned. "And I am a changeling, Miss Hou ~" Rose added after a moment, smiling slyly. "Being multifaceted is kind of in my nature."

Rose listened, and nodded along. All valid concerns. "We're both predators, Hou. My predecessor was a monster that makes you as you are look like a saint. And even if you do steal souls..." She chewed her lip. "Well, call it a gut feeling, but you don't strike me as the kind of pony who isn't aiming for a future greater good." "As for being a role model," she continued in a more upbeat tone. "I think you underestimate the positive impact you have on creatures. In the time I've gotten to know you, you have brazenly dispensed knowledge on how to properly care for my brood where I would otherwise have to learn the hard way. You cautioned me about the path to immortality I was taking, helping me to realize the folly in that thinking. You came when I called... You may not think so, but I would gladly call you a friend. You've done a lot for me, Hou, and I am thankful for that." In a show of respect, she inclined her head towards the pony. "You can rest assured that no spell of Twilight's is intermingled with my work. It is more of a... Spiritual thing. I'm sure you can understand that." She smiled, nodding towards the sphere. "So take it, use it how you wish. And if you ever need anything, you know how to summon me."

Rose wasn't feeling up for racing anymore. That whimsical mood that compelled her to see this pony out had soured a little too much, but she kept on anyways. She graciously accepted the hug, and followed, followed the mare to the very bottom. To depths that would crush lesser creatures, and Rob all but dwellers of the abyss their sights. You don't need sight to perceive your surroundings, however- just as she didn't need sight to know Twilight was there for her... For whatever that counts. Eventually- she wasn't sure when- their race came to an end. They had eventually reached the bottom, or close to it, and Rose was actually feeling rather winded. With a dull flash, she turned into something large but vague. Something that fit her somber mood in some form of fashion. And there she float, listless and lost in thought. "It's not about love, Twilight. I have love, more than I'd ever asked for. It's about... Kinship. Imagine if you were the last pony in this world. You can surround yourself with creatures who love you, but it's not the same..." A sigh spills into the void, and Rose takes a moment to collect her thoughts. "The first ever changeling I encountered was at Port Malaga. They were pink, and ran a brothel that took advantage of pony vices. I... My past self travelled there because she knew the location of something I wanted, and we struck a deal. A deal which was broken." "The first ever of my kind tried to kill me and my crew." She chuckled. "And yet I still feel more connected to them than I do any of the changelings walking around here. Hells, I'd even welcome their company now! At least... At least it'd be something familiar."

Rose's smile turned a touch apologetic at this final request. "I'm sorry, my expertise lies purely within the fields of medicine and augmentation... Although I should have a potion of invisibility somewhere." It never hurts to flex, and she was feeling particularly impish in that moment, so- she popped off a simulacrum to go fetch said potion, leaving the original Rose at the counter. The clone, for all intents and purposes, appeared to manifest from thin air right beside her before getting to work, searching the shelves with determination. "So, I should inform you that the enchantment, at this given moment, is inactive. It will activate only once the rings have been bestowed upon their new owners, binding them to the other three. It is... Spiritual... I suppose. You will know, instinctively, when one of your loved ones are in distress. However, you will also know when they are happy, or... " Her smile grew just a little wider. "Very happy ~" It didn't take long for the copy to find the potion, grinning triumphantly as she trotted over to present it to the unicorn. "Don't be shy about visiting me for any other odds or ends you may require. Conventional potions are not the only kinds we sell here." The copy winked.

Rose melted into the kiss, and refrained from indulging in certain binding impulses. She leaned into it, tapping into the source, and graciously accepted the love that was given. She'd allow the embrace to last as long as Ice liked, and when it was over, she knew she had well enough energy to imbue in the rings. "Thank you ~" She said, returning to her old form. Then her smile turned a touch sly, and she flicked her tail. "You're quite the kisser. Aloe just might be jealous," if she told her about this exchange. "In any case," she clapped her hooves, and the rings floated up into the air. "Que haya luz!" The love specifically collected from Ice Storm would manifest just above the changeling's presented frog. Naturally, it took the form of a vibrant, beating pink heart, before fragmenting into four smaller hearts. These hearts met in the center of each ring before dissolving into glittery particles, saturating the ring's in Ice Storm's love. "There we are!"

Rose was silent for several seconds. Then, she smiled- a bitter, humorless smile that made her look just about her age. "I'm no stranger to dark and unsightly things, Miss Storm. I can promise you nothing you've experienced can disturb me." Taking a breath, she placed a hoof upon the astrolabe around her neck. She closed her eyes, and stilled like a statue. When she opened them again, the facade was referred and she appeared, for all intents and purposes, to be back to 100% "Alright, let us begin!" Rose's eyes gained a disquieting aquamarine glow as she focused on the blue unicorn. Icy would feel a... Presense... Probe her mind, asking for entry. Once allowed through, several images would float to the surface of her mind. Friends and acquaintances, ponies she may have forgotten she ever saw, and objects of affection. Finally, the four ponies she loved the most came to light, and the longer Rose concentrated, the more vivid and detailed those images became. Finally, in a burst of fire, Rose was replaced by Mythic Vision. She knew she was biased, having personally met the pony herself, but that should not get in the way or progress. 'Myth' smiled, unfocused eyes vaguely aimed in her direction. To add to authenticity, Rose actually blinded herself- temperarily, of course. She was fully capable of restoring her own sight at any time.

"Excellent!" Rose clapped her hooves together with a chipper smile. "I'm afraid I have not studied your particular condition very much, so we'll setup a later date for that. For now, I'd like for you to tell me who to turn into to evoke the strongest emotional response." "With your permission, I could also search your mind for this information directly, although I know that most ponies would not consent to that." She folded her forehooves over the counter, waiting patiently to proceed. "I want this experience to be as swift and painless as possible, Miss Storm. However you wish to proceed, that is what we shall do."

Those four strands multiplied by four more, then funnelled into the four rings. They glowed as if fresh from the forge for several seconds, and a mixture of Rose's own green flickered over the metal as well. "I don't mean to boast, and I, too, typically refrain from revealing this to mortals, but I have over a thousand years of experience treating creatures and their various illnesses. You won't find a more qualified doctor." "As for you." She turned her attention away from the rings, which rapidly cooled down, looking no different than they had before. "Extracting love can be an uncomfortable and distressing experience when taken. Would you like me to turn into one of your loved ones and receive your love that way?" If she knew any of them. Although with how many eyes she has in Equestria and beyond, it's unlikely she hasn't at least seen them.

Rose, respecting her fellow pony, said spoke nothing of her thoughts on that particular subject. Incontinence was one of many maladies she wished to fix, another of nature's failings. Perhaps she could create a potion to help her with this problem? She'll need time- it was not something she had put previous thought into- but it was not beyond her abilities. "This will do," she nodded, taking the object in her aura and focusing on the emotional energies left on it. The process was slow and methodical, and Rose sounded distracted as she continued the conversation. "And your secret is safe with me. In fact..." She narrowed her eyes on the object, the glow of her horn intensifying as a mixture of otherworldly colors rose to the surface of the diaper. "If you allow me, I may be able to assist with your medical problem. I fix maladies of all kinds, and this is far from beyond my skills." Slowly, the color pink began to dominate the others, then split into four distinct strands.