Aisede

Rose wasn't sure she liked everything she was hearing, and this was reflected in her expression. "While I agree with your suggestion, I'd rather not this be a private practice. The end-goal, after all, is to make this available to all creatures." Across the globe, she'd have liked to add, but she didn't want to come off as overambitious. Despite all the time she's had to hone her craft, she really was woefully lacking in professionalism. One of the drawbacks of a nomadic life, she supposed. And a consequence of her past life, definitely. Sighing, she deflated just a bit. "This time is so much different from my own..."

Overdosage, in fact, would lead to cancer. And lots of it. Too many cells all in one space, and none of them willing to die off because they're too healthy. "There is a prescribed dosage, in fact. But as of right now, I have no way of limiting exposure to the substance beyond simply limiting supply. That's part of the reason I inquired about the local medical facilities, as I would hope they'd be capable of that... Given they accept my proposal." Looking down at the bottle herself, she tapped it with a hoof, watching the green fluid ripple briefly on the surface before calming down again. "Overdosage to any drug will lead to consequences. Doctors know this best." And that's when she turned it around, revealing a nice, appropriately clinical label on the back- or maybe that was the front. Depending on how you looked at it. It proclaimed the substance as something simply called "Anti-senex" and detailed instructions on dosage and how often to take the 'medication.' Apparently, you only need to consume about a quarter of it once every three months for it to take effect, and stay effective. In reality, this was so that cells stayed healthy, and still staved off harmful effects of aging, but gave those same cells time to wear down enough so that the next dosage didn't cause problems. In Rose's mind, it was like loading a cannon. Put in just the right amount of power, and it blows the enemy to pieces. Put in too much powder all at once, and it blows your ship to pieces.

Rose acknowledged this with a short hum of appreciation, nodding to herself as she got her results. That was enough to bring a more genuine smile back. "So I can see." She was liking what she was hearing. "Did you know," she started in a tone not unlike a professor, "that over time, the cells in your body lose the ability to divide and die? These 'undead' cells gather up in the body and... Clutter your system. Indeed, this process, called senescence, is beleived to be what causes old age." Raising a hoof, a spectacle of magic began to manifest. A slow gathering of greenish-blue energy that, slowly, began to take on a definitive shape. "Now, what if you could stave off this process? Allow the cells in your body to last nigh indefinitely without difficulties, and still allow them to die when the time is right?" At the end of her sentence, the shape coalesced into an incandescent bottle of greenish fluid. "Ponies could live longer, healthier lives, without having to worry about growing old and wrinkled. Don't get me wrong, they'd still age, but things like arthritis, cardiac dysfunction, atherosclerosis- nobody wants to experience those things as a consequence of their own body's inefficiency." Her smile grew a little more at this, and the bottle floated off of the frog of her hoof to settle at the edge of the Mayor's table. "That's what I aim to fix. Although it won't reverse the damage already done, sadly." Her ears flicked down at this as she tossed a sour look off into the distance.

Rose looked up at the sky... Then she raised her astrolabe before realizing it wasn't the right kind. Right, different breed of machine. Luckily, she still knew well enough about the sun to know where they were going, so she nodded. "Aye. Here, let me get a little wind in our sails." Her horn glowed, and a firm breeze filled the sails. They lurched forward before settling into a good, steady, and slow pace. "Now, try not to turn the ship too fast or we may capsize. Also don't go against the wind. I can fill our sails for now, but on the sea you must always sail with the wind, and never against it. Sailing against the wind severely limits maneuverability, and drastically reduces speed."

"I have not, actually." Ross hadn't even thought to converse with a nurse. They typically lack the requisite influence to introduce proper changes to a population. "Although I shall take this 'Redheart' into future consideration. Currently, my goals range within life extension and enhancement of the immune system." "In the past, I've found I have quite the affinity for..." She appraised the mare before her, noting her rather advanced age. "Vitality." Subtly, barely more than a flicker of light, she cast a spell to scan the mare and get a general understanding of her overall health.

Rose nodded... slowly and a little uncertainly. "That's more or less correct," she said, but decided to elaborate. "You see those ropes?" She asked, pointing towards the steering wheel. Behind it, two ropes extended from a coil that travelled down into the ship on either side. "Those ropes are connected to the tiller, which controls the rudder- which, in turn, steers the ship." "If you turn the wheel towards starboard- the right," taking the wheel in her hooves, she turned the wheel right. The left side of the rope was pulled up, and the right rope descended. "We go right. Conversely, if we turn it to port- left," this time, the left rope dropped and the right one went taught. "We go left." Releasing the wheel, she stepped back to give Aloe room, gesturing towards it. "Why don't you give it a try? The wheel can be a little stubborn, but you're an earth pony so you shouldn't have any problems."

The last time Aloe and Rose went out to the lake, it was in a boat no larger than cardboard box fit for two. This time would be different. Through a little bit of negotiation (and mental manipulation through magic- not that she's going to tell anyone) she had 'acquired' a vessel worthy of mastering, yet also amatuer friendly. She had asked Aloe beforehand if she'd rather a schooner or ketch, and it seemed she liked the ketch more. So a ketch it is. So there they were now, Rose appraising the vessel and noting some of the more modern differences. It was still a ketch, though. Nothing drastic had changed. "So what do you think, dear?" Playfully elbowing her love, she grinned sidelong at her. "This time you get to take the reigns. Just don't be too rough with her, she doesn't have much experience." The astrolabe around her neck glinted in the sunlight as she chuckled.

She nodded. "Rose Compass, and I've come today to inquire about Ponyville's medical facilities, and the general health of the populace. While my original goals with alchemy may be... infeasible at the given moment, I still possess knowledge and expertise I beleive will be greatly beneficial to the health of Ponyville's denizens." And, in time she hoped, the rest of Equestria and beyond. She'd finally completed a functioning regeneration potion through trial and error with hydra blood and some exotic flora. Health potions were something she'd long ago mastered, as well. While, in practice, her methods may seem archaic- it was no less effective.

Taking one last moment to consolidate her feelings, she returned her attention to the alicorn, wiping at her eyes. "My lieutenant likely did a better job at that... Before she realized what I had become." She never did know what happened to Tarot Card, but she knew it'd take a force of nature to bring her down. Wherever she is now, she's making the best of her circumstances. Heeding Twilight's words, she approached porthole, gazing out into the sapphire depths. "Neigh, mine was the Alboaran Sea. Much less hospitable than your fair waters, and teeming with monsters of all kinds. They did make for a decent meal from time to time, though." A thought occured to her, then. And then another right after, filling her with a sudden energy as she wheeled on the pony. "Oh, have you ever tried the fried liver of a sea serpent? Most ponies may not have a taste for it, but when prepared right- Ah, the texture is like... Well, like chicken, honestly." She supposed it was a marine lizard. "Oh, oh! We should take a dive! Get our hooves wet! I can setup a temporal stasis field for a couple minutes and we can dive into the sea! They'll never know we were gone ~" She seemed absolutely giddy for this, almost bouncing on her hooves. Suddenly, she began rapidly transforming into various aquatic creatures, telepathically jabbering about what makes them facinating and how neat it would be to show them to her.

The moment Bracelets left, Rose Compass would appear, popping into existence without fanfare. She didn't want to come in at the wrong time, after all. "Mayor," she inclined her head, although her tone was a little more business than casual as she took a seat. She looked behind her, then adopted a grin, amused about some thing she failed to explain. "I see our Ponyville family grows. I should give her a gift when she comes back." Because she was fairly certain she was coming back. With a chuckle, she put that out of her mind and directed her full attention towards the mare, a cordial smile on her lips. "How are you, Mayor Rich?" Unlike usual, she was without her alchemical saddlebags- naked, except for a single new accessory hung around her neck. It was an astrolabe, supported to a thin white string.

Fascinating indeed. Perhaps she didn't do the best job expressing it, but it was an object of great interest to the mare, and a gift much appreciated. Shifting to her true, normal unicorn self- for reasons even she couldn't fully explain- she took the object in her magic to examine it, mindful not to handle it too roughly. "Fascinating..." Flipping it around, there wasn't much to see on the other side. Hm. "Mariners where I come from used a device much like this to help guide us at sea. It tracked the latitude of the Polar Star or sun..." Snorting, a fond smile came to her. "My sail master, Tail Wind, would use one all the time. He had a deep fascination for stars, and would often elucidate me on the intricacies of sextants and telescopes..." Closing her eyes, she let herself be taken back to another life, holding the device close to her heart. "Even when we were totally lost, he was a beacon that led us home..." Opening her eyes, she faced the little device. A drop of moisture splattered on the surface and she simply willed it out of existence. She hadn't realized it, but... "I miss him..." She knew this was supposed to be a happy moment. It was a gift, after all, and a very thoughtful one, but it also brought back memories. A melancholy gripped gripped her heart as she realized she would never see him again. "I miss all of my crew, even if I wasn't the kindest captain... " Releasing a shuddering breath, she planted a solemn kiss on the surface and held it dearly to her chest. "I hope they're alright..." For just a moment, the sound of crashing waves and the groan of a wooden hulk could be heard, faintly, throughout the room.

Rose's eyes narrowed on the pony as she effortlessly invalidated her claim, but such as life. It would seem intelligent life really was all ungulate in some manner or another... "No," she said, taking another bite of her own food. "I have not been to Saddle Arabia, not in this world or another. But I have met creatures from such places. It surprised me greatly when you said the oryx here were not intelligent..." She trailed off as she contemplated the forking paths of evolution, and how similar yet different two worlds that mirrored each other could be. "In any case, I have been exposed to some modicum of their culture, and intend on visiting it one day." Readjusting her posture to get more comfortable, her ears perked up at Twilight's last statement. "Oh? For me? Ah, you shouldn't have ~" She said with a chuckle and dismissive wave... although she was burning with curiosity now.

Rose had to admit, that was fascinating. She tried to think of some other creatures, but her limited exposure to sentient life left her at a loss... Or she had been about to admit defeat when another thought crossed her mind. "That sphinx... Niilavin, I beleive. He is a very large creature, clearly from a land far from our own and sporting leonine features. I do not believe his kind is derived from the likes of griffons, or this Yali, yet he is sentient, and clearly very intelligent. What do you have to say about his origins, Twilight?" She really should get to know him better, if just to satisfy her scientific curiosity, but she'd been so busy lately the thought had left her mind entirely.

Probably a good idea for Rose to follow-up on her inquiry about fencing the Everfree, but also ask about public health. She does, after all, seek to improve the health of all living things. (And she's so good at healing that she can raise you from the dead! Ofc, as a mindless thrall ~)

"Right..." Rose nodded, releif flooding her system. She shouldn't be worrying about these things now anyway. "Right." She raised her hoof as a perch once Albedo had done enough exploring. It hadn't been too long since her hatching and she was already growing tired. All that swimming around used up a lot of energy, and despite love being dumped on her by the bucket load, she could only handle so much before she was full. "Hear that, little one? You have a bright future ahead of you, I'm sure of it ~" her smile turned warm as the little guppy settled atop her hoof, eye's half-closing as she slowed down at last. "Looks like she's already growing tired. Do you want to handle her, Aloe?"

This pony never ceased to amaze her, and she chuckled as she watched Twilight enjoy her food. "You know, Twilight, I'd have never taken such a humble mare as yourself to indulge in so many luxuries." Despite now being a bird, her voice still came out nearly the same as if she were a pony. The perks of being a parakeet. Seeing as the servant had departed, and they likely had some time to themselves at last, Rose transformed one final time back into a pony. Granted, this time instead of an average unicorn, she turned into a classical one. Nestling her forelegs under her barrel, she levitated some of the food to her mouth to sample it, humming in satisfaction. "Ah, the cheese has the perfect texture, but that servant of yours can out outperform a native chef." Taking a moment to clean her mouth and flick her leonine tail around her flanks, she looked up. "But speaking of dairy, I do beleive your assessment is not entirely correct. Perhaps bovines were the last creatures to develop intelligence in this world, but ungulates are not the only intelligent creatures. There are breeds of cats and dogs that also exhibit this trait- crafty creatures they are, in fact. And greedy too. You would not beleive how many pirates back home consisted of feline crews."

Rose would never admit it, but she really wasn't comfortable in her own skin. The form of 'Rose' was the purist persona she could imagine because of who it originally belonged to, and she could never take her 'true' form without being utterly repulsed. Luckily, today was a leisurely day where she could break all of her own rules and do whatever she wanted- and right now, that included being whatever she wanted. "I didn't!" She said with a gasp most dramatic. "It's hard to believe no species have made that breakthrough in such a vast amount of time. I'm assuming the last species to gain true intelligence would have been an ungulate?" She leaned forward, anticipation radiating off of her in palpable waves. That was, perhaps, an odd trait of the changeling queen: sometimes when she became particularly invested in a topic, her thoughts sort of 'spilled' out. Of course, the moment she sensed another living thing heading in their direction she would change into something else. Perhaps a rose-ringed parakeet? It'd certainly be humorous to see a servant walk in to see her talking to a bird.

My, Twilight made alicorns sound so charming and wise ~ The thought made Rose giggle. Upon being placed on the table, she immidiately transformed into a loggerhead turtle, intent on getting comfortable. She found that solid surfaces didn't quite cater to this creature's comforts, however, and smoothly transitioned into an Arabian oryx, elegantly stepping off the table to seat herself properly. "Halawat El Jibn, you say?" She touched a hoof to her chin, looking up thoughtfully. "Yes, I do believe I am familiar with it. However, it wasn't in 'Arabia' but Assyria. Legend has it that was the birthplace of the very first sea-pony, can you believe it? ~" The antelope giggled in mirth, although there was some truth to stories... "Ah... The commoners never change, and neither does their veneration towards nobility. Well, nobility that they don't want to burn at the stake, of course." Those were good times. She wondered, briefly, if 'witches' still existed in this world, or if the term had fallen into mundanity.

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As if sensing their arrival by magic- which, she did- A slightly taller unicorn mare showed up through the passage leading into the rest of the spa. Despite having been working since she heard about the kelpie's appointment, she looked none the worse for wear. That's not to say she wasn't still a workaholic that would work herself into the ground... But love changes many things, including harmful habits. "Oh, hello! Welcome to our spa ~" she gestured towards the pink pony, then herself. "This is Aloe, and I'm Rose Compass." Magicking up a pair of spectacles, she squinted at the pony inquisitively. "Quick question- on top of hers, naturally- but is the composition of your body made up entirely of water, or some substance of similar makeup?" Oooh, as soon as she gets the chance, she's getting a sample. If she's what she appears to be, this may be the key to creating a new regenerative serum of hers.

"Oh really?" Rose did admit that Albedo would probably grow to be quite the lovely creature, but she still wasn't sure how changelings would be received in Equestria. The fear of society rejecting her child was very real, perhaps even ingrained in her from her own childhood. She began to wonder about schooling, and whether she should send her to a public school or homeschool her. She was more than qualified to teach her all of the sciences and magics, although Twilight could probably teach the latter better. Maybe a mixture of both? If she did send her to a school, which one? She'd heard of 'Celestia's school for gifted unicorns', but that reeked of speciesm. Similarly, Twilight's school for Friendship sounded outlandish to a juvenile degree. It didn't sound like a place to pursue academics. But she was sitting right across from the sole being responsible for managing this realm. Perhaps she should state her inquiries directly? "Twilight... How well are changelings received in Equestria? And in your personal opinion, what would be a good place to learn both academics and social skills?" Although it would be a long time before any of this became immidiately relevant, the relevancy yet remained.

As it turned out, something, or somepony, may have already done that. Just as she neared the edge of the treeline, she'd feel an odd static buildup on her coat- Crack! - and suddenly, the crackle of distant thunder could be heard! Yet there wasn't a cloud in the sky... Not too long after, a steady blue glow rose above the treeline, but it wasn't remotely close to where she was. The staticky feeling dissipated over the next few moments, but in its place there was a peculiar charge to the air, as if it could happen again at any moment.

Rose chuckled as Twilight treated her like the apparel she was masquerading as, settling back in place once the alicorn sat back down. Serpentine bodies were almost all muscle, so it'd take a lot more than laying on her to make her remotely uncomfortable. You are the first such being I have encountered, Twilight Sparkle. And it was true. She had heard of three more- no, four more- and was sure to encounter another at some point in time, but it was by no means a priority of hers. Although... I would not be averse to seeing the result of some 'cultural exchange' ~ Rose radiated amusement as she coiled up to Twilight's body to be just a touch snugger, resting her head above where her shoulder would be. I have already lived a lifetime alone... and it is a tragic thing. Thankfully, I have Aloe now, and my dear Albedo, who are both doing well. Albedo is developing well, and Aloe... She flicked her tongue again. Well, she is probably still recovering. She was so very excited to see me off this morning, personally.

Rose was, indeed, perfectly healthy as she arrived in the diplomatic unicorn's room. Long-distance teleportation like this always required her to consume a potion for a lack of... Certain modifications, but that was alright. "My calculations may have been a bit off, but impressive work nonetheless." Chuckling, she scurried her way up to the lavender lazypoke and up her leg, sticking her tongue out in mild amusement. "I just wanted to spend some time with my favorite alicorn. Life at home a little too lax for my liking." And with that said, she scurried up the rest of the way. By the time she reached her head, her body flashed in a burst of pyromantic light, and Twilight found her shoulders weighed down by a large sea snake. Hugging the mare rather loosely, she scanned the room, flicking her tongue out to sample the chemicals in the air. "You should be outside, enjoying the view. The waters here are spectacular."