Home Base (Closed: ALoe/Rose)

[Aisede]

After the... taxing event which resulted in the first of Aloe and Rose's eggs, Rose could not have been more giddy to show the mare what she had done with the lake in which she expressed an interest in a week or so prior. Hoofing over the potion and diving in, she pinged the invisible tracker she'd planted at the unbuilt house's location and quickly swam after it, making sure not to leave Aloe behind any step of the way.

"So this hippogriff bandit- or whatever he claimed to be- came to my shop the other day and expressed an interest in my wares. In exchange for giving him a hoof, he tutored me in the ways of underwater architecture, and built the foundations of a 'hideout', although I intend on adding more homely furnishings to the structure. We should talk about that later- but look!"

Darting forward, she pointed out the smoothed stony floor of the modestly sized hole in the lakebed, illuminated by floating, jellyfish-shaped lanterns dotted through the room, glowing her trademark turquoise. Specifically, she bypassed the dark-wood columns create a patchwork lattice outlining the general shape of the intended structure, and went straight for a series of stony constructs, seeming to have been at least in-part renovated to a more presentable state. To the uninitiated, they may just look like strange bits and pieces of an architect's artwork, but they were really 'borrowed' Maretonian ruins, ancient runes and newer additions faintly pulsing with a soft, white light. "I've acquired these peculiar structures and enchanted them to create a safe-zone. This little area could act as a nursery of sorts, and prevent the guppy from straying too far out of a safe zone. What do you think? Is there anything I should add?" Oh, she was just too excited for this.

[IceStorm]

 

 

 

It had been about a week since that quite taxing exam procedure that Rose had used on her, and she really couldn't argue with the result no matter how uncomfortable it made her at the time. It also did them well to learn just where the boundaries were so that they wouldn't cross them again next time. Of course that wasn't really what was on Aloe's mind at the moment. Apparently in the days following Rose had been busy consulting with others and she had given her another one of those potions that would let her temporarily turn into a seapony. She drank the concoction once they got to the lake. She heard Rose talking about some sort of hippogriff bandit or something coming to the shop and expressed and interest in her wares. She resisted the urge to be a smart-flank and say that yes, that was generally why a pony went to a store to begin with, but she held her tongue. Rose seemed quite exquisitely happy today and didn't want to jeapordize that with some untimely sarcasm.

 

She made sure to stay close to her as she lead her way to a part of the lake that either they hadn't been to yet or they had completely overlooked. One thing that she knew for certain though, was she absolutely did not remember any of these ruins being here before. She could tell that they were the start of something and she heard rose say that she had found these structures and had enchanted them to be something sort of a safe zone. that the area could act as a nursery of sorts and prevent the guppie from straying too far out of the safe zone. It seemed like a logical plan. When she asked if there was anything else that she should add, Aloe pondered.

 

"Well, I can't say for certain without seeing the blueprints for the house itself, but I like the floor plan so far. I just need to know how many rooms we're planning on having and where they are so I can get a better idea of things. Or you can simply take me to the different parts of the layout and you could tell me what you were thinking. I like the old Maretonian Ruins idea and we could definitely work around that," she said as her eyes went wide with and idea. "Hey! what if we made an underwater Maretonian Palace using the ancient archetecture! There aren't a lot of the ruins here to go off of, but I'm sure with a few books we could find just what we're looking for. Only I don't know how expensive that would be to build on land, let alone underwater..." she said thinking about it more.

[Aisede]

Building their own private palace underwater? It was ambitious, and expensive. She liked it. "Excellent idea, my love! Although, I must admit that I am unfamiliar with this Maretonia and its architecture. In Andalusia, the sea harbored many a lost temple- typically, though, they housed cursed treasures, or were cursed themselves. Thus, they were never extensively explored.

 

... I do recall seeing similar architecture in some world geography pamphlets, though," Rose continued after some thought. Taking Aloe by the hoof, she swam the two of them a good distance away from the structure to view it from a better vantage point. "Tenochtitlan. I was mistaken as a pony belonging to their culture by the Prince, once. I also aided one of them- or their benefactor- out in the griffon lands. I should still have a simulacrum there, in fact..." 

 

Yes, the pieces were falling into place. As she clapped her hooves together with a giddy smile, she turned towards Aloe, gripping her hooves in her own. "Oh, Aloe you brilliant spa pony you! We're going to have the perfect home to raise our foals in."

 

[IceStorm]

~~~Aloe Blossom~~~

 

 

 

Aloe was pleased to hear that Rose liked her idea of the underwater palace. Though she admitted that she wasn't real familiar with the actual architecture from Maretonia. She said that most of the ruins that were in the ocean were either cursed or had cursed items in them and weren't really explored. She did say that she recalled seeing similar architecture from the Tenochtiltan era. She had heard of it but had never seen it herself, but if it was similar to the Maretonian ruins then she was all for it. "The Tenococklititan or however it's pronounced is fun with me. I just wanted something that would go with the ruins that were already here once we cleaned them up a bit," Aloe said with a smile.

 

Rose them went on to say that she was mistaken as a pony of their culture once but the prince and was aiding them as a benefactor of things. She wasn't really sure what that meant other than she got to see places, and that would help them here. She could see Rose getting more and more excited though as she thought about it and she couldn't help but blush a bit when she heard Rose complement hey and say that they would have the perfect home to raise their foals. "I can't wait for it, it might even be almost as amazing as you are," Aloe giggled before booping Rose with her nose.

[Aisede]

Rose giggled at Aloe's playful poke, nuzzling her affectionately in return. "While I wait on my simulacrums, would you care to join me in a hunt for some marine regeants? As a tremendous stroke of ironic luck, I happen to be short on stock of aquatic plants due to my recent landlocked operations. We can start here, and if we don't find anything particularly notable, I'll take us to some places I've flagged down as points of interest."

 

Taking her hoof and smiling, she looked the pony in the eyes. "While we're at it, you can catch me up on how the spa's been doing. We live together, but yet I hardly feel I know more about your work than my own personal experience!" She laughed at that, a bright and cheery note.

[IceStorm]

~~~Aloe Blossom~~~

 

 

Aloe nodded when Rose asked if she would help her grab some marine reagents. She heard mostly just used kelp herself. Kelp wraps were actually quite popular at her spa. She wasn't sure what other reagents Rose would be looking for down here. But she did know that Rose would let her know and explain things along the way if she had questions. She also said that she could catch Rose up on everything at the spa.

 

"Well, there isn't a whole lot to catch up. That leaky valve that Applejack fixed was finally replaced the other night so we don't have to worry about the gasket or the patch coming off and it leaking again. Outside of that, profits have been up despite hiring some more help for when we start going on adventures. Having the extra help let's us see more ponies in a day, and that's been giving us more opportunities," Aloe smiled as she swam next to Rose. "Also, your going to have to point out things that your looking for outside of kelp. That's really the only thing I've ever used out of the lake. Kelp wraps are one of the more popular treatments we have."

[Aisede]

"Huh..." Rose blinked, processing all of this. "Asides from you, I've never really known any ponies that utilized that practice. Kelp has always been something of a staple food in some maritime communities, and has some medicinal properties as well, depending on the type and the wound..."

 

"It's good that your business is doing well, too! I'm wondering what would happen if we moved it out here... " She looked out into the somewhat murky waters. Distant. "Thoughts for another time, I suppose. Come, come! Let us begin the search!"

 

Dragging Aloe along with a giddy giggle, she scanned the lakebed for... Something. "Alright, so there's hydrallia, a twenty-five foot long branch with small leaves on the them. I'd you cut it anywhere above the base, it'll grow two new stems. I shouldn't have to tell you what I intend to use it for.

 

There's also the dog-eared pondweed, which is said to improve hearing and fix hearing loss. Conetail I intend to use in an expirement with the doctor, Solar Flare. It possesses proteins that specifically target the cones of the eyes. If I can hijack that protein and modify it, it can do a lot more. 

 

There's the Dryad weed, which grows in the roots of swamp trees and acts as excellent fertilizer... " She tapped her chin as she rambled on, but paused at the last one. "Conestails look like... Erm... Curly hayfries. Yes, green, underwater curly hayfries. Dryads look like flattened hooves, actually. Clinging to roots. We're not going to find those here."

[IceStorm]

~~~Aloe Blossom~~~

 

 

 

Aloe smiled at Rose when she told her that she hadn't really known any other ponies that utilized that practice other than herself. Kelp had always been a staple food for marine life, but had a lot of medicinal properties as well depending on type and wound. "Indeed, combined with a bit of Aloe, the plant, not me," she giggled. "It can have wonderful pain reducing effects as well as making for a great bandage," she said as Rose started pulling her though the lake bed and started explaining some of the different reagents for her. There was one that was called Hydrallia and explained what it was. She didn't explain what it was used for, but also said that there really shouldn't be too much of a surprise as to what that was. Given the name, she presumed it was some sort of regenerative agent.

 

She also explained a few others, and what they did and what she was hopeful that some could do. She also mentioned a few others that she said that they probably weren't going to find in this lake. Honestly, that didn't matter to her. What did was she was out spending time with Rose. When she suggested the thought of moving the spa out here, Aloe Pondered for a moment. "Or we could open a second one here. I couldn't possibly shut down the Ponyville Spa, I would lose way too much business. Expanding the business though, is a possibility. What are the things that you're hoping to do with the one that can help with the eyes? You think there is a way to give sight back to a blind pony?" she asked curiously.

[Aisede]

"A second spa this close to Ponyville?" Rose sounded incredulous at the prospect, drifting closer to the lakebed to get a good look at the selection. Junk, junk, junk- oh, there's some dog-ear. Swooping in to harvest some of the plant, of which there was quite a lot, she continued the conversation. "Not to mention running two spa's is statistically impossible unless I create a simulacrum of you..."

 

She paused at that, adopting her 'I'm thinking of a terribly great idea' look. "Actually, I could do that, so long as you're comfortable having a magical copy of you trotting around town." She shook her head. "Anyway, expansion in general is possible, and I can help... But onto the subject of Solar Flare: in theory, yes. Blindness is a physical malady and, with enough... Alteration, can be cured. Fixing the cones is just one of many steps. The real issue is the moral and emotional implications of suddenly being exposed to experiences that may very well overwhelm you, and quickly."

 

She stopped at that, turning to face Aloe properly. "If I blinded you, Aloe, I could fix that pretty easily. Hells, I can give you the sight of an eagle right now if you asked- but I'm getting ahead of myself." She shook her head. "Imagine, for a moment, that I did take your sight away, then gave it back. Not much of an impact, is it? Seeing the world in three-d and color is normal for us. We've 'seen' the world all our lives, and being deprived of such sight is inconvenient.

 

Now imagine you've never been able to see at all, and suddenly you can. You can see the trees, and the sky, and the sun and moon. Ocean waves, birds, and the eye-stain that is the rainbow of colors all Equestrian ponies seem to come in for some goddess-awful reason- no offense, honey, I love your color scheme, I'm just not used to traipsing around ponies with literal rainbows in their mane. Natural rainbows."

[IceStorm]

~~~Aloe Blossom~~~

 

 

"It wouldn't be a second Spa so to say... more like an  expansion! I can't move the day spa, but I can offer different services at both locations. Althought that does lead to the issue of ponies going to the wrong spa for the wrong treatment... That wouldn't do well for business, nor would the wrong supplies getting sent to the wrong one... Things for us to think about later," Aloe said as Rose started to paint her a figurative picture. First one of their literally be two of her roaming around Ponyville. Her eye twitched a bit when she heard that and immediately shook her head.   "N...no thanks. While I'm certain that you are far more precise than your work than the mirror pool is, I couldn't possibly imagine having clones after myself after seeing the horror that a tornado of Pinkie Pies brought to Ponyville. One Pinkie Pie is fun, and a bit over excitable at times, but tolerable and she always tries to make everypony smile. Now, imagine that, times a hundred..." Aloe said shuddering again.

 

Rose then continued, talking about the moral aspects of restoring sight, especially to a pony that's never had it. "I can see the concern, but the risk of reward in that would drastically outweigh the possible setback. Give a pony a chance to see the world in a way that they were never able to before is like the gift of gifts! The only time something like that would cause a morality issue is if the pony doesn't want to be able to see and you do it anyway. Then you're technically forcing that pony to be like everypony else rather than letting them be okay with who they are. But if we can make a cure for blindness, and give it to the ponies that actually want to be able to see again, or at all, then I personally have no problems with doing that! In fact, I kind of want to do that more now than ever!" she said to Rose, getting excited about the prospect of curing blindness. IT was just a vague example, but if alchemy could do that then she wanted to be all about it!

[Aisede]

Well somepony was excitable today. Rose has to concede the mare's point: restoring sight wouldn't truly be all that bad... But it may be a good idea to do it little by little. 

 

She made a mental note to check up on this 'Mirror Pool' when she found the time.

 

"I see your point. Then help me gather up some conetail and a few more specific reagents and we should be good. If we're changing priorities, we'll also be harvesting terrestrial plants from a few key locations, but that shouldn't be problematic."

 

And so it was that she ported away the dog-ear plant and began sweeping the basin for conical foliage, her head only halfway into the game as she lost herself in thought.

 

She thought about Solar Flare and her condition, and how she intended to fix it with Bevel's help. She thought about her encounter with Hou in the Saggalong Swamps, and what she had to say. She thought about her talks with Twilight, and how eye-opening they tended to be... And she thought about the day she met Aloe at that spa, haggard and hectic, stressed beyond her limits by her own lack of restraint.

 

Oh how her life had changed so much since that day. For one, her love kept her calm and steady, something she hadn't realized she was lacking before. Second, she was absolutely stunning, which didn't need to be said. 

 

Third, the egg.

 

"Aloe... I have an inquiry I wish to state, and it may seem a little unordinary, but I have to know." Looking over at the mare- the pregnant mare- she made an assessment. "Do you truly wish to be a mother? And if so, why?"

 

Before Aloe could raise any questions of her own, she lifted a hoof and cut her off. Just as they encountered a patch of conestails, too- what fortuitous timing. She blindly began plucking some up from the stem as she continued to talk, the spiraling leaves above bobbing in the current. "For me and my... Kind, I have a certain predilection over motherhood. I am a gyne, a queen bee amongst my kind. I grow irate and irrational if I do not tend to my biological needs, something no amount of alchemy could ever change."

 

"Ponies are not the same, however. You have the freedom of choice- outside of heat cycles, that is- and I have observed that many young ponies- and many ponies around your age- tend to avoid adding the responsibilities of parenthood to their pre-existing duties."

[IceStorm]

~~~Aloe Blossom~~~

 

 

 

Aloe nodded in response when she heard Rose asked her to help find some conetail instead. She wasn't entirely sure what she was looking for, but that would easily be fixed when Rose found some of it. Them aloe would know what she's looking for and wouldn't have to ask about it. She herself began thinking about how fast hey life was changing. Just a couple months ago she was just continuing to run the spa without so much of a rest. Then Rose came into the spa, and everything changed. She was about to become a mother, the two had become quite close and we're doing almost everything together. 

 

Her thoughts were pulled back though as she heard Rose ask a very peculiar question, especially given her situation. Did she want to be a mother? She heard Rose explain the intrinsic nature of what it was like for her, being a changling queen an and if she didn't tend to her needs as such she'd get quiet irate and basically become a different pony, but also added that she know ponies often had a choice in those things. She thought hard about her answer, and then started speaking.

 

"Motherhood for a pony is complicated. At the very core of every mare, yes. We want to be mothers. The gift of life and the bond that forms with that life before it even steps hoof into the world is irreplaceable. Most of the more mares my age put become a mother of because we often feel that we aren't ready. Most of the time we can barely handle taking care of ourselves, and we want to make sure our little ones have the most perfect worry free environment they can. Having the right stallion or the right book or potion for the mare on mare couples helps to," she said with a giggle. 

 

"As for myself, with this being my first o one... So I think I'm ready to be a mother? Honestly, no, but I'm going to make sure that I can do what I can for them and make sure that I and always here for them when they need me, and I can make myself be ready."

 

"As for why I want to be a mom... Well... It's the same reason ponies seek others out to begin with. Love, compassion, companionship, and the knowing that you created the life that is running around you. That the glorious filly or colt running around came from inside you. I've been told that there's no feeling like it. I still don't know o if I'm ready for it or not, but I'm ready for us to find out together. Besides, were kinda past the point where we could go back. Not that I would even if we could. This is the path we walk now, so this is the road we will take. I know I for one... Couldn't be happier," Aloe replied.

[Aisede]

A worry free environment? That came as quite the surprise to the mare, considering her usual method involved putting the child through a series of tests to thicken their proverbial skin. Still, everything else she said made sense, even the part about being uncertain.

 

She paused in her harvesting when she was done to swim over and give her a nuzzle-hug, speaking softly. "It brings me untold joy to hear you say that. For me, this will be a new beginning as well, a chance to be a real mother."

 

Giving her a brief kiss, she smiled. "I admit, may need some guidance myself on how to properly raise a foal in a 'worry free' environment. In another life, they'd be raised to fend for themselves in an inhospitable world. I still beleive they should learn life-skills, but perhaps not with such intensity as my prior regimen entailed."