Aisede

Well now I'm thinking of making this like a D&D thing XD

"Whoever said it was for me?" The Purrveyor purred in mirth. "Oh no, I have no use for such things."

"This is for you!" Suddenly, her own voice sounded off from behind her, just before we two hooves gripped her shoulders and turned her around to face her grinning counterpart. 

I may be interested in this

That is an idea... What did you have in mind?

Oh?

"Ah, seasonal traditions." Rose seemed to understand, looking down at her cocoa with new context. "I beleive I researched Hearth's Warming once. We have a similar holiday where I come from, it is called Fiesta de Los tres Reyes Magos, or Three Queens Day. It's when three Queens came to give gifts to Queen Moor- not changelings, by the way."

"Instead of cocoa, we drink cognac, which is what Queen Moor served her visitors."

She paused, taking another sip. 

"... What else is there to Hearth's Warming? There are... Gifts, right?"

"Why, I'm glad you asked!" He beamed and turned to face the room, where Reflection was now standing outside the mirror. 

"There is a diplomat from Feline Fjord residing in the Diamond Pass right now- Scratch! Oh, I mean Princess Pomegranate ~" he called out with cupped hands. 

Suddenly, the door to the room opened to admit a fair white feline into the room. That's as much as the pony would be able to gleam, as there was an odd... Vagueness to her, as if viewed through a perception filter. 

What wasn't vague was the crystal fruit she withdrew from her person, displaying it within the palm of her hand for the both of them to appreciate.

It was... A pomegranate, made of pure rubellite. A fruit made entirely of crystal, down to the last molecule. It glittered and shimmered in the dim light of the study, rich in color and perfect in shape.

"I would like for you to convince her to give you the crystal fruit."

I, too, am a fellow artist.

Rose did so, moving over to the other chair and taking the waiting cup in her aura. She sniffed at the substance curiously.

"Hm. Cocoa. A reliable antioxidant and good for improving heart health. I used to use some of this in potions for cardiac troubles before I found a more efficient process."

Tilting the mug back, she took an expiremental sip, eyes narrowing in contemplation as she let the flavors roll around her tongue.

"And... Sweet. You put sugar in this... What is the significance behind this drink, Aloe?"

Rose was a bit stunned for a moment, having been caught off-guard, but was quick to recover and reciprocate Aloe's affection with a hug and kiss of her own.

"Oh yes, although they're still a bit skittish for some reason." She was never entirely sure what made them so uneasy around her. She was still kind to them...

Quietly, she levitated the bags up onto the table for her to see- just incase. Rose's memory was nigh flawless, but thoughts of Aloe could be... Distracting at times.

"Honey, I'm home!" Hoofsteps could be heard- for once- as Rose opted to be a normal pedestrian and refrain from simply teleporting in. She wasn't in a rush or anything, so why waste the magic?

She smiled as soon as she saw her beloved Aloe, setting the grocery bags down on the floor before approaching, a curious glint in her eyes.

"Oh, what's this?" 

That was a lot to digest, and not a lot of context to digest it with. For once, Rose actually came to doubt her own capacity for memory, and summoned a blank journal to begin writing in. The words, of course, simply etched themselves onto the paper. Transmuting ink onto the page.

Why do things the simple, mundane way? Alchemy is much more fun.

Was she really taking this too far? Was she sabatoging herself by trying to become the opposite of her original? She had thought that, by being a positive influence and helping hoof, her children would grow to be prosperous and powerful. Well, Albedo will already grow to be powerful, but she'll need the discipline to use that power. 

But of course her work won't come before them! They're her legacy, her gift to the world. Preserving life is one thing, but making it... Making it is quite another. 

"Right..." She finished off the notes with a flourish and an uneasy look, before banishing the booklet and returning her attention to the matter at-hoof. "The spell."

She took a breath, closed her eyes... And took a drink.

"The spell... You've given me much to think about, friend Hou. But present matters are why we're all here." She gave Dox a look, but Hou is who really had her attention. 

"The spell still serves a purpose, outside of coddling my children. If and when it gains sentience, I will transfer it into an artificial body. With luck, it will be an incredibly intelligent and efficient mind capable of solving problems beyond any of us, given the right tools. There are many ways that can go wrong, however."

"Corruption. Thaumic Decay. But it is too soon to begin worrying about much more. First... we let it grow and develop, and see where to go from there. Do you have any questions? Concerns?"

"O-ho-ho-my!" How ceaselessly amusing this pony must be. He took a step towards her, crossing his arms behind his back as he leaned down to me more... Level with her.

"I am the Purrveyor of Dreams, young pony!" 

With a thespian air, he drew himself up and flung his arms our wide. Like am ember dropped upon the surface of a rainbow lake, their reality peeled away to reveal a cozy study. A familiar study.

The feline appraised himself in a mirror, turning this way and that with smug satisfaction. Reflection was in the mirror, too... In a quite literal way. My, what an experience that must be, but at least she had company in form of this fine cat's fantastic reflection!

"All that you can dream up, I can make a reality... For a price ~"

Naturally, Rose can't miss a chance to sample Equestrian culture. 

All she wants for Christmas  Hearth's Warming is You  Literally anything thoughtful, although she always appreciates exotic plants or animal materials

More and more Rose's admiration of this mare grew. What was she doing in her past life? Asides from causing mass chaos. 

She gracefully accepted the notes, dedicating them to memory before porting them off to a safe place. She'll definitely go investigate this site and see for herself what this plant can do. The idea of different dimensions having different plants... The potion. That one, missing ingredient. The key to immortality. She could still get to it if only she could find what world she came from, and what time.

Time is important. She doesn't want to encounter her old self under any circumstances.

"I... Have little experience in agriculture, unfortunately, but I have shared what knowledge I possess with the new griffon kingdom and their Tenochtitlan allies. I'm confident their crops will grow fruitful and abundant, if they follow my instructions."

If. 

"Reducing fertility is also a good idea..." Now she was really musing, rubbing her chin with the top of her hoof as she thought. "And yes, I know some ponies will use it for ill. That is pony nature, and they will be dealt with if and when they become a problem. I doubt many mortal ponies will be able to modify the potion in any meaningful way."

And then there was the whammy. The purpose behind her experiment. There was another reason for it asides- many reasons, in fact- but a legacy was the main one.

"... I won't give it to her immediately," she said, failing to mention she only just now decided this. "I won't stunt her growth. I just..."

She hanged her head, scuffing the floor with a hoof.

"... If something were to happen to me. If something were to happen to Aloe- I need something of myself to remain, to guide her. To help her. I never had a mother. I never had anyone to pick me up when I fell. Nobody has ever given me a gift, or love- until Aloe."

"I'll be there for Albedo, and Rubedo and Nigredo. I'll be there for them for as long as I can, and beyond. This... Is just a tool."

"A head start?" As if she needed one! "I propose a counter offer: you take the head start, and I'll follow soon after. I understand that you terrestrial equines have a harder time traversing deep waters, if you're capable of it at all."

Indeed, while some ponies seemed to have an affinity for water, few could truly embrace it. She was curious to see how long it would take for the alicorn to exhaust herself, and just how far she would get.

Naturally, she'd adhere to whatever wishes Twilight had- whether that be the insurance that she goes first, or vice versa- and then rocket through the water like a piscine bullet. If it was a race she wanted, it's a race she'll get!

Rose would never cause a zombie outbreak (intentionally). The undead suited a much better role as soldiers, or to instill terror. Now a mutant fish outbreak... 

Hm. She should grab herself an immortal jellyfish to expirement on sometime. 

"Indeed!" Following this excited exclamation, she bolted after the purple fish-pony, exhibiting a grace and finesse that few terrestrial creatures would witness in an equine. This was her element- the sea was her birthright! 

She felt the currents resist her, tasted the salt in her fabricated gills; she was alive.

"Race you to the bottom?" Rose shot Twilight a challenging look as she charged her horn with a depth enchantment. Half of her copies on the surface simply poofed out of existence- leaving a very confused few ponies behind in the wake or such an event- but Rose didn't care. She needed that magic to resist the pressure if the sea. As much power as she could muster without turning into a sea monster.

But that would be cheating. She needed to at least give Twi s chance. 

Rose adopted a contemplative expression at this, tapping her chin in faux thought. "Hmm... An enticing offer, but I'll have to decline. Aloe would probably complain if she had to pay an admission fee to see me."

The sea-pony giggled, then spun around to face the purple-corn. "A royal aquarium doesn't sound like a bad idea, though. I could probably fish up a few monsters, if there are any left in these waters. And if not, I could probably whip up a few in my labs. I haven't told anypony yet, but I like to test my formulas on insentient homunculi I grow at home. It's entirely possible for me to also grow sea monsters..." She narrowed her eyes and looked off into the distance. "In theory, at least... I don't know yet how I'd make them replicate the behaviors of their real life counterparts."

Given the proverbial green light (even if Aloe didn't quite seem to approve of her expirementing on her customers) Rose perked up and ignited her horn.

As she did so, she'd wave her hoof in a vague gesture as she lead the kelpie into the spa proper. "My first experience was with the mud bath. It can be a strange experience, especially given the texture and name, but the minerals in the mud help to moisturize the skin."

She paused, the kelpie already halfway through fading the green light when a thought came to her. She rounded on the kelpie, really getting a good look at her. "Right... Moisturizing... I suppose that wouldn't be on the top of your priorities."

An amused chuckle echoed through the void, proving to be cold company to her mounting fears.

The 'eye' shrunk down until it was nary the size of a coin. Another blink, and it multiplied by a factor of two.

"Please, call me the Purrveyor ~"

The entity purred in mirth, then stepped forward from the murky blackness as if shedding a coat. There, standing before her now, was a lanky feline figure; an orange jacket loosely fit his nimble frame, exposing a tan coat and orange stripe-like markings.

Eyes like white starlight glittered with mischief as he graced the pony with a sly smile. 

"As for why... Well, you're quite the detective. I'm sure you'll figure it out."

That seemed to do the trick. Rose calmed down considerably after this, and even managed a rather sheepish smile of her own. 

"Right... Right." She took a deep breath... Then let it out. Perhaps the light winds filling the ketch's sails on her exhale was symbolic. "A cure is also a good idea. I admit, I've only ever thought about how to extend life, but release was always something I intended to include as well."

Leaning forward, she muzzled her little pony. "And Albedo, at least, is destined to live at least as long as I. She's not quite a gyne, but not a drone either. She's a special one ~" reaching up, she booked the pink pony on the nose. "Just like her special mother."

A distant splash heralded the rise and fall of squid-Rose's tentacles breaching the surface for a playful splash. 

Indeed, came the rumble of Rose's thoughts. Twilight wouldn't spot her immediately... Until a lone, sinuous appendage rose from the dark with eerie fluidity. This tendril was accompanied by another, and another, until a gaping maw large enough to swallow a carriage whole opened up beneath her. her teeth were like javelins, lined up row after row as the tendrils closed in around her.

And right as they wrapped around her squishy little body- Poof! Those ominous tendrils were replaced by a pair of seafoam green legs, squeezing her in a hug.

"I got ya!"

Hearing Niilavin's passionate assertion, Rose respectfully inclined her head. "Very well, you have my word her spirit shall remain untouched and untarnished."

She gave a nod to Enbarr, too, albeit a much smaller one. If she were being honest, the mare appeared quite unremarkable- but who was she to judge a book by its cover? 

Rose's attention was stolen away by Wind when he spoke up, and she listened carefully to what he had to say. She had to admit, he seemed to know what he was doing- there was a reason her own transformation potions rarely lasted more than 3 hours at a time. 

"Captain?" She raised a curious brow at that. "No Captain- I am no longer in possession of a ship or crew. Just Rose will do." Taking the book in her aura, she scanned through the contents. "Hmm... Yes, I believe so, although it will require a tremendous amount of power. I can use a potion to bolster my own, but it'd be best to have a true professional on-hoof for the procedure."

Mentally cataloguing what she'd read, she closed the book and floated it back over to him. "I'll try and get into contact with Twilight, but in the meantime we should share notes. I'll admit that my expertise lies in more... Esoteric fields, but this is doable."

So... She'd accept it. She'd say yes... But with conditions.

Rose heard her words, and objectively she understood them, but she didn't care about any of that. A world without something to love and protect was a meaningless world that could burn to the bedrock if she couldn't have what she wanted.

There was a dangerous gleam in her eye as she considered what Aloe said, about other creatures selfishly coveting her cute. If they threatened her or hers, then they couldn't have it. They wouldn't. They will, all of them, die. By her own hoof or time itself.

"Well they can't have it," she said, and there was power in those words. A power that permeated the very air with a foreboding energy. "If they decide that our lives are worth less than theirs, then they will, every one of them, perish. By my hoof or time itself."

Rose's mind filled with images of just such a thing. A horde of hungry eyes, all of them set on her and her beloved. Her hooves tightened on the frail little pony in front of her as dark clouds began to gather above their quaint little ship.

Despite this, and the dim glow building up in her eyes, she smiled and eased up on her hold. She raised a single hoof to brush Aloe's cheek, voice soft and quiet.

"Friends will come and go. Our family will wax and wane- but we will always have each other. You will have what I have. Without age, without ailment..."

She shuddered and blinked, and that strange energy left her eyes. "I cannot tell you how lonely it is... " Reaching down, she gripped the astrolabe hanging from her neck. "So many centuries... So many lives..."

More and more Rose came to respect the strange mare- if not for her insights, than for her candor. She may be threatening and just a little too hostile, but most of what she said rang true in the changeling queen's skull. These were things she just didn't... Really think about all too often.

In hindsight, her past self never invested much effort into the raising of her young. They had been tools to be used and discarded when convenience demanded. That's how she lost her master-at-arms, and her liuetenant...

It was true she was still very fertile, too. Hells, the maternal compulsions of her 'queenly' status are what drove her away from her first love in fear of succumbing to her predatory instincts. She'd long mastered those, but she could never master her own need to propogate.

"... Advertisement," she said after a moment. She had to reacclimate to the here and now first, but she eventually came to. "I need my formulas to be known wide and far. I won't limit my findings to the Equestrians, or just our neighbors. All creatures deserve a longer, healthier life."

"I would also like to trade notes, if you're not unopposed to the idea," she added, quickly adopting a more formal tone for the occasion. "Alone, we can do much, but combined our knowledge can do wonders. I'm confident."

She nodded to Dox, signalling it was okay for him to take them. Then, she raised her hoof, and a luminescent greenish sphere manifested above her frog.

"Wonders such as this. Whatever may happen, this will make certain my children are prepared. I will, of course, take responsibility for their upbringing- although in a peaceful environment I will have to make changes- but this... "

She was getting too sentimental. Best to just explain it.

Settling it down between them, she looked to each pony in turn, expression clinical.

"This is an expiremental autonomous spell meant to learn, adapt, and cast independently. My hope is that, as it gathers and processes data, it will develop the tools neccesary to do so without input. For now, all it can do is gather data on its environment and relay this to a bonded host. What I need from you two-" she pointed to each in turn "- Is to simply take one of these and go about your daily lives as normal, using it whenever you wish."

Suddenly, the sphere divided into three, the two duplicates floating over to Hou and Dox. 

"It was created from my and Twilight's essense, and possess both of our magic. It has yet to be seen what the consequence of this is."