Bonding with Nature

 

>For once, things were *not awful, despite being dragged off on this journey against her own will. There was no regret in her heart, that much was for certain.

 

>It was strange though, these runes. Something about them made her wings itch, and her horn ached despite being a fair distance away.

 

>But that couldn't be right. Roseluck was just a plain old earth pony. Nothing more, nothing less. Yet she couldn't shake the feeling as she felt herself drawn closer and closer to these strange artifacts. She chuckled.

 

"Silly Roseluck. You and your old superstitions. Just a few magic rocks in the middle of nowhere." She paused, taking a once over of them as the pressure built in her barrel. She took a deep breath and sighed.

 

"Just a bunch of rocks only Twilight Sparkle would fret over."

 

Well... Not a bunch of dumb rocks. She was sure the purple pony would rake her over the coals if she even mentioned as such in her presence. But besides the building feeling she felt in her chest, there didn't appear to be anything *too* special about them. Roseluck shook her heads as she came within a hair's breath from the standing stones.

 

"I mean... What are the odds these things have any magic left in them-?" A sharp intake of breath fell into her lungs as Rose's eyes widened. Pressure the likes of none she had ever felt before pressed in all around her as the stones shot to life. The magical ambiance around her skyrocketed in their quantity, swirling around her very form as Roseluck looked around in a frantic manner.

 

*Oh no... I-* Her thoughts stilled, the voice quiet in her chest as a loud hum of magical energy pressed into her form. She wanted to move. *Had* to move. But she could not wretch her hoof away for whatever reason. The pressure was almost crushing, so overpowering as it pressed up against her skin. She tried to swallow, but the muscles in her throat refused to move as she sensed *something* looking down upon her.

 

"Oh, ho, ho... A little one has finally found my domain. Such a humble little creature too."

 

Out of the mists of blue energy, a translucent deer took form. Roseluck trembled, her limbs going cold as she felt the magic caress her form. The deer chuckled, bowing its head as it dipped down to see her at eye level. Roseluck choked, her throat tight as emerald eyes dressed down her very form.

 

"Ah... One of the earthen tribes then. Though no longer in conflict? United under the Celestials? Interesting... To see that their efforts bore fruit." It... Or rather she nickered. "We have been gone for a long time indeed little earthen."

 

"Who... Who are you?" Rose managed to force out, the air hot against her lungs. The deer smiled, taking several steps in a small circle around her.

 

"Who am I? Why... I don't know. Some call me the spirit of nature's past. Others a demonic influence from the depths of Tartarus. But if you ask me, I am but just one more spirit of the world. One a little more connected with nature than most, but a spirit all the same. One who made this little forest my home. A quiet place to be sure, but one that was once home to my ancestors."

 

"An-cestors? B-but there are no records of anypony living here. At least not that we know of..." The deer shrugged.

 

"Perhaps not. But my people once lived here all the same, these runes but the last of our remnant before we disappeared."

 

"How?" The deer paused for a moment before shaking her head.

 

"I do not know little one, for that memory has long since faded from my mind. But I do know that our magicks has slumbered for a long time yet. For eons upon eons since the sisters you worship first grew wings and horns alike." Rose blinked, her brain stirring back to life as she processed the information.

 

"Wait. You mean to imply that..." A melodic chuckle left the deer's muzzle.

 

"They were once mere mortals such as yourselves, of the earthen tribes too. Peculiar though to see them gain such affinity for their given forms. Then again, you little ones are full of surprises." She chuckled, gazing upon the solar sun and celestial moon up high in twine for a moment before turning her gaze back upon her. The pressure Roseluck felt before returned with a vengeance as the deer's head pulled up just inches from her own muzzle.

 

"And you little one, I sense much the same potential."

 

Roseluck blinked. She blinked again. Then once more for good measure as her jaw parted, taking a single step back as her brain processed the information over and over again. A few seconds passed as Roseluck forced herself to work her jaw as she considered her thoughts, shaking her head as she tried to ignore the ambient energy poking at her form.

 

"S-same potential? You must be mistaken. I'm just another gal just trying to make it in the world. I wasn't even meant to be here for Celestia's sake! Just a mare from Ponyville with no great destiny doing my own little thing." She paused for a moment, her lips twisting in hard focus. "A-and how do you even know my name?" The deer cocked her head to the side, ears twitching as a flash of amusement sparked upon her face.

 

"To answer your last question, the very earth speaks your name and history to me. Your life laid bare, deemed worthy of attention by the magics that course through these lands. Even now, you feel it, don't you?" Roseluck jerked as she felt something prod at her legs. A cold hush ran down her form as she sighted flora covered vines and shrubbery push out of the snow and around her form. Her head twisted this way and that, a great apprehension combing her breast as warmth filled the air alongside a sweet scent of flora that she could not quite place the name of at that moment. The deer took this moment to take a walk around her in a circle.

 

"Not all beings are destined for greatness from the start Roseluck. Some are born for it. Some are groomed for it. And some just happen to stumble upon such and have it thrusted upon them. Some of the great beings of this plane's history were accounted for such in the very latter, say..." The deer paused as she rounded right back up to Roseluck, allowing the moment to hang in the air as she dipped her head back down to eye level with her.

 

"Your Celestials."

 

Rose shivered, forcing down a gulp as her mind hanged. The shock from before fell harder upon her head, her thoughts coming to disorder as the added weight of this new revelation pushed against her mind. How could it be that the princesses were once mortal like herself? Then again, she never really bothered to look up their histories. She did know of how they managed to found Equestria, of how they united the tribes against the common threats after dealing with the darkness of the past. But come to think of it, they did not actually go over how they both came to be. Or at least, none that she remembered. But shouldn't she have learned such back when she was a filly? That sort of stuff was very important, was it not? Perhaps it was because of what happened to Princess Luna, or maybe things shifted focus from their origins to more contemporary things the millennia that Equestria has existed for. But still, something like that should have been-

 

Roseluck jerked as the spirit nuzzled her. In that very instant, she felt the incorporeal entity become solid, her fur brushing up against the deer's own as the deer took her inbetween her forelegs as a blissful silence fell over them. Roseluck shifted, the intimacy causing something within her heart to stir as she felt the magic enveloping her form. Her breath held tight in her body as the deer pulled her head back as obsidian eyes poured over her form.

 

"There is much you have to learn little Roseluck. So much you have yet to do. For one so humble as yourself and drawn to nature as you are, you as you are is good enough for you to be accepted for what needs to be done." At that Roseluck's thoughts turned to her life in Ponyville. Of her friends, of her life's passion, of the simple life where she was content to be who she was. Is in any case. She hardened her gaze, fixing the deer with a hard stare as she tried to maintain her composure.

 

"Do I even have a say in all of this? What if I don't want any of this responsibility? I actually *like* being who I am, not having to worry about much more than things in every day life. What makes *me* suited for any of this? What happens if I just leave you here just the way I came?" She said, tossing her hoof around her as the flora held steady just inches apart from her, standing ready at attention. For the first time since she saw her, the deer frowned.

 

"Then quite simply the magic in this land will fade, and with it the last legacy of my people. Of all our memories, of all our accomplishments, of all our history lost to the passage of time. Your very presence was what unlocked it in the first place, and the magic waits for you and your decision. If you choose to leave this place as is, then the lands of which you see will crumble into so much dust, and the rest left forever barren of life that could have been." A punch to the gut. The sadness seemed to seep into Rose's very soul as she *felt* the deer's emotions and images of what once was, could still be slam into her. Of the forests that once were dead, forgotten, and the last of a people's legacy... (Have Roseluck as why this is the case, why it can’t go back to what it was.)

 

Roseluck groaned, tilting as her head began to pound, a rush of… Something began to flow into her. As she began to tilted, tilted, the flora from before embraced her as it held the earth pony steady on her hooves. Her peripheral vision began to dim as the deer in front of her came into sharper focus. The deer’s form flickered, seeming to shed its translucent form as flesh and bone took its place. As this was happening however, the trappings of which adorned her began to shift to something else.

 

*Ceridwen*. The name pressed into her brain as the vines caressed her skull, massaging the sides of her temples while probing up and down her form all the while. Her eyes watered as the magic pushed further against the exterior of her form, almost suffocating the earth pony in their presence as Ceridwen’s forelegs bulked, shedding fur as cloven hooves split open to reveal obsidian talons that gleamed in the light.

 

“What… Oh Celestia just...” Oh how she wanted to vomit, retching as Ceridwen sat in front of her and took the earth pony between her *claws*. In that moment, her cervine visage twisted as the slender muzzle curved, lips hardening into keratin as the tips curved downward into something that was elegant as it was sharp, while a set of great antlers pushed at the base of her skull, pushing back for a few inches before curling under the ears. Golden eyes looked upon her in tender concern as she heard a burst of wings popping upon either side, what left of her peripheral vision catching an impressive wingspan before the wrapped themselves around her form. Roseluck jolted, yet remained still as the tips of one set of talons combed through her mane, while the other still trailed beneath her chin.

 

“Forgive me little one, for you are the only one that can bear this burden.”

 

Rose’s heart rate quickened as the coat she wore was torn away, leaving just the warmth of Cerid’s wings to keep her from freezing. The vines from before trailed beneath her legs, curling up as they probed her barrel and flesh before one of them prodded her muzzle. Cerid’s antlers glowed, casting an ambient gold color across her as she felt whatever barriers she had fall away. She moaned, shutting her eyes as she felt the magic seep into her being, unable to vocalize anything more for fear of-

 

Her eyes shot open as the edges of an open beak pressed horizontally against her lips, a slender emissary dwarfing her own pushing past her teeth and gripping her tongue. The sweet taste of honey and citrus fruit poured into her maw, causing Roseluck to squirm as she swallowed the concoction on instinct. She whimpered, trying to move when her limbs went slack. Her body flushed with heat as the magic around her flowed into her very form, permeating her entire being as Cerid pulled away and let loose a musical trill.

 

“Be calm Roseluck. For what has occurred has only just begun.”

 

Roseluck would have cursed the avian if she were not feeling such an unnatural calmness. The heat from before was no longer a great discomfort. Indeed, the earth pony felt more at ease with it for every second that passed, even feeling a thrill of anticipation course through her as her own inner magic began to shift in twain. She felt such a lightness that she could just about float as the vine from before pushed past her muzzle and began to pump in a similarly sweet, if not the same liquid while the rest in turn pulled and pinched at her form. Cerid chuckled as she pushed Roseluck to the ground, a bed of soft flora and silk shielding her from the frozen snow below as the entity began to knead at her forelegs.

 

“Easy does it Roseluck. Just relax and enjoy what is to come.” She whispered, giving the earth pony a small nuzzle before pulling at her foreleg. Roseluck’s head was pushed forward just enough by a cushion of flowers to allow the earth pony to see what would happen next.

 

The first thing she noticed was the pounding of her muscles Cerid began to push and pull on it. With every stroke of her talons, her muscles and bones began to shift and bulk in some areas, while in others they shrunk to something altogether more fitting down closer to her hoof as she felt several tingles in her nail. A lance of pain ripped through it, causing Rose to hiss in surprise as it began to split.

 

First in two. Then four. Then into five scaly stubs as the hoof gave way in mass. More scales of gray silver streaked up her shedding fetlocks, while the upper portion of her leg and barrel began to fill with plumage much like the coloration of her fur. At that point Cerid began to pull at the nubs, massaging them until a slender finger came to be one by one, a sharp talon adorned to each. Her newly adorned fingers flexed as the last of her hoof was pulled into a dew claw. She huffed, twisting her arms into different positions as she marveled at their dexterity. She blinked noticing her other foreleg had undergone the same process as Cerid gripped her talons with her own. Roseluck cheeks heated up, shrinking under the spirit’s warm gaze.

 

“A lovely set of limbs my dear. But we are not done yet.”

 

Her heart jumped, but before Roseluck could do anything, Cerid’s talons had moved up to her face. Like before, an intense heat flushed through the earth pony’s muscles and bones, her eyes burning as teeth began to shift. Roseluck shut her eyes, expecting an intense pain. She flinched as she felt her eyes pulled and pushed into an altogether different shape, the rest of her skull streamlining as it began to elongate. Yet after a few seconds, Roseluck open her eyes as the pain she expected never came. Instead all she felt was a dull ache as fingers pulled and prodded at the exterior of her muzzle as the vine from before withdrew.

 

“You are coming along nicely. How about we give you a little reward for being so cooperative?”

 

Rose did not even try to resist as her beak pressed against her muzzle. She moaned, an errant talon drifting southward before she stopped herself as her tongue began to shift into a more avian device, while gums began to force itself forward as her teeth began to dissolve into the slurry that was pushing past into her throat. All the while her lips dried as they hardened into keratin, her nostrils migrating closer to her eyes. Yet to Roseluck’s surprise, she felt new teeth more suited to her anatomy punch past a new formation of gums, while the rest of it solidified into a sharp, tapered beak. Chancing a bold move, Roseluck forced her tongue past Cerid’s beak and found a combination of flat molars and sharp incisors much like her own before she felt talons combing through her hair.

 

*You are taking to the changes well little Rose.*

 

That she was. At the very least, Roseluck expected to have panicked during all of this. Yet for whatever reason she found none of the emotion to be had. Instead, she pressed into the kiss further as her heart pounded even harder as something bursted from the top of her skull. Her mane parted as a set of antlers pushed out and curled around under both sides of her ears, before expanding out further into a sizable rack, Cerid’s talons combing through her mane as she pressed and pulled on them. Rose pressed into their touch, feeling every touch as she took in even more magic through them. It was almost incapacitating, the raw *power* she felt coursing around her. Or to be more accurate, the ambient magic swirling into her changing form. It was like being drunk, yet still having all the clarity to know what was happening. Or something close to like that.

 

Gods, she could only wonder what she even looked like now. Would anypony even recognize her if they saw her? Tartarus, would she even recognize herself?

 

*You would be surprised little pony how this new self will reflect much of your old one.* With great reluctance, Roseluck pulled from the kiss as her antlers finished forming. She panted, a claw pulling a handful of dirt as they dug into the earth as she recovered herself. She clapped her beak a few times as she looked down upon it for a moment, rubbing a claw down from the top of it. Even the slightest amount of pressure was felt, every scratch, every touch, all of it was felt as she continued to touch it.

 

“It’s… It’s so smooth and sensitive! And… The colors on it are like my claws.” Cerid chuckled, giving her a pat on the shoulder as she trailed around her flank, pressing one of her claws into her shoulder blades, the other caressing the mass of antlers behind her ears.

 

“Indeed. And you have taken on some extra mass as well dear. I must say your antlers came out very splendid indeed.”

 

They certainly felt like it. If Rose focused, she could feel their presence on her skull. It was odd, but she supposed it could be worse to feel them all the time. It was strangely comforting to her, to have them set with her skull.

 

Before she could contemplate on the thought further however, Roseluck jolted as she felt her mane begin to twist, the rest of her fur in turn shedding as more plumage began to filter in to replace it. Roseluck giggled as the feathers tickled her skin, vibrant plumage of red coursing up the borders of her ear tuffs, while her actual ears shift into an asymmetrical position on either side. Her hearing creaked, sharpening twice over as her neck feathers formed a green necklace pattern around her, leaving the rest untouched like the color of her fur. Pieces of her mane fell to the ground as Rose rubbed the top of her head, feeling self conscious as she noted the absence of her pride as a mare. Oh she wasn’t vain like that Rarity was, but still! What self respecting fyaffoness wouldn’t care for their own mane?

 

“I think you’ll find that you look quite lovely with what you have right now. But first let’s complete the rest of you first.” Rose rolled her eyes as she twisted to look back at Cerid.

 

“You thin-” Her eyes shot open for the thousandth time as her spine cracked. Roseluck fell to the ground incapacitated as talons dug into her shoulders.

 

“O-oh right. Wings.” She said, so nonchalant yet still with a hint of excitement as she felt her skin shudder for a moment before those familiar tingles popped around the area where Cerid was massaging.

 

“Oh Celestia, don’t stop...” Not to fault either Aloe or Lotus, but having talons run through your flesh was just…

 

“Heavenly...” She muttered. A trill left her beak as a pieces of flesh poked out on either side, the vines tending to one, and Cerid the other as the began to grow at a rapid pace. All the while Rose noticed that she seemed to feel… Heavier? No, that wasn’t it. She would have noticed if she had gotten bigger, right? It felt like she had more heft in her muscles. And Ceridwen didn’t seem as big as she was before, more like a normal pony than anything else. She sighed, closing her eyes as she let the fyaffoness do her work. Celestia help her, she couldn’t move even if her life depended on it. It was just so *relaxing* to feel those fingers do their work. Roseluck could not help but sigh as she focused on the sensation of her feathers popping into place, feeling the current of the wind caressing them as more warmth filled her soul as more and more of her body shifted into something quite unequine. Not that it really mattered to her. Why bother panicking about a good thing? It’s certainly make her day to day tasks hell of a lot easier, even with the fact that earth ponies had some limited form of dexterity about them compared to other ponies.

 

“-maybe I should get a job at Aloe and Lotus’s place. Sure they’d like to have someone with these talons.” Cerid paused for a moment.

 

“Who?”

 

“Local masseuses. Nothing like a good massage coming from them after a hard day’s work. I go every other week or once a month as long as the coin is good. Easy on the bones and muscle.” She murmured, lifting the stub of her wing as she allowed Cerid better access to it.

 

“Perhaps I should meet them someday then...” Cerid muttered, her tone seeming… Off as she continued. Roseluck poke one eye open as she turned to see her plumage glinting in the sunlit snow. Her primaries and secondaries were red tipped, with the rest of the feathers colored just like her fur, with the coverts green tipped in turn. The sight was stunning enough that she almost didn’t see the glum look upon Cerid’s face.

 

Almost. But not quite.

 

“Cerid?” The fyaffoness jerked to attention, her features twisting for a moment before raising up in a smile.

 

“I am fine Rose. Just thinking on a few things.” Rose raised an eye.

 

“Like what?” She paused, her eyes shifting downward for a second before shaking her head.

 

“I’ll tell you once we’re done with all of this.” Rose shrugged, content to lay her head down as she allowed the fyaffoness to comb and preen her feathers.

 

For all of ten seconds before Rose felt the irresistible urge rising within her to return the favor. Without warning, Roseluck rose up and turned toward the fyaffoness and took a wing into her fingers. Ceridwen’s eyes shot open as she turned toward her before Rose raised a hand to stall her.

 

“I can’t very well let you pamper me while I sit here idle. I want to work my new beak and claws anyway.” Before Cerid could so much as speak to the contrary, the fyaffoness jerked as Rose hit a tender spot with her beak. She smirked, at least as much as her beak and eyes could allow her so as Cerid moaned.

 

“Oh… Oh goddess I have not felt touch a tender touch in *ages*. I… I managed to forget how good it feels to have someone else preen things wings.” Roseluck did not miss the hint of pleading in her voice, regardless of how she otherwise carried herself in a prim and proper tone. The minted fyaffoness to be carried on with greater abandon, instincts guiding her as the rest of her wings formed in sync with each area she tended to, until at last the very end of her wings had formed. She had sensed her counterpart slacken, slowing as more and more of her wings had formed until the fyaffoness had all but collapsed under Rose’s tender ministrations. Roseluck herself somehow managed to hold herself steady as she *flapped* her wings, taking a moment to allow herself the joy of wind rushing through them. She could already see it, her mind’s eye strong as she dove through the cloud layer and into the mountain passes and between the trees.

 

It was not like her. Not one bit. But she supposed anypony who gained wings like this would feel the urge too to fly. Though speaking of which, her thoughts had not remained idle as she took an account of herself. As the time between them wore on, Roseluck had managed to sense… Something imposing upon her emotions. Keeping them calm. But it wasn’t until midway through the preening did she realize its presence as the fyaffoness next to her grew slack in her ministrations. She could sense it. A connection between them that had formed somehow. A small one to be sure, but it *was* there. One that could be nurtured given time. It didn’t tell her much, but the hints that were there quelled whatever anger or panic the once pony would have felt. And on top of that she realized a greater connection had been made with the flora around her. It started when she had idly thought of preening the other wing, only to realize she could *feel* said wing as she looked and notice *her* vines tending to Cerid’s wing. The fyaffoness made no comment as she lifted the wing on instinct, basking deep in Rose’s touch as she plucked and pulled at her feathers with the tiny sap and mouths adorning the end of her vines. It was a nifty feature to be sure, but they also gave a small drift feed of information. A small parcel to be sure, but enough that Rose had been able to piece things together herself.

 

She shook her head, kneading the base of the converts as she picked at the thoughts further.

 

Whoever Cerid was, whatever she might be, she was a lonely being. For her, eons had passed, trapped for so long here that even her own memories had faded. At least for the time being. The fyaffoness herself knew not how this place came to be, only that it was the last remnant of her people. And that she herself was made guardian of the place, for all others…

 

Rose grimaced, clicking her beak as she tugged at Cerid’s wing, causing the fyaffoness to groan. Well, Rose did not have the heart to blame the fyaffoness for what she did, even if a small part of her did feel some measure of agitation over the fact she had *forced* this change on her without Rose’s consent. She chuckled. She supposed the fyaffoness could be thrown in the brig for molesting her, violating her very being. But as far as she could tell, she was still more or less herself, save for some latent changes to her vocabulary and other instinctual things like movement. The fact she could notice any of this at all meant either Cerid herself had weaknesses to slip up like this, a trap to lull her into a false sense of security before moving to wipe her mind clean.

 

That, or perhaps an open invitation on her part. She shrugged. They would cross that bridge when they got there. It was nice being this calm. The other Roseluck wouldn’t have been half as calm as she was being now. She wasn’t sure how much of that Roseluck remained, but she was at least pretty sure it had something to do with the calming effect of whatever she ingested, and the calming if flirtatious presence of Cerid’s being. Who knows? Maybe she would return to normal, or close enough to it given time. She gave a quick glance at herself in the ice’s reflection and smiled.

 

“Well, at least I look a damn sight sharper.” She smirked, her reflection casting back a calm but confident gaze of a gryphoness, at least like the ones she saw in her memory. The visage that stared back was her, no questions about it, even if she now had a beak and a shorter mane, the visage *screamed* Roseluck. A grey-silver beak, green eyes, a necklace of green, tuffs of red, and her mane reformed into something more trimmed to suit her form. And that was about it...

 

She blinked for a moment before chuckling, giving her antlers a tap.

 

“Right. Don’t forget about those. Huh. Guess I’ll have to be careful not to bump into any doorways. Can’t believe I forgot about them already.” Then there was the rest of her body to consider. While her hind legs and tail remained unchanged, her form had otherwise bulked up by a considerable amount during the interlude. Earth ponies were big, bigger than their cousins at any rate, and could face down a gryphon if the need arose.

 

But Celestia, whatever it was that the magic did to her, it certainly caused her to bulk. She squeezed one of her muscles, marveling at the bands that popped up for a moment before releasing a sigh. She definitely dwarfed most anypony that wasn’t an earth pony now, and she reckoned she even tower over Big Mac too. She tried to fit one of her arms through the shredded jacket, yet found she could not even fit anything past the elbow through it.

 

Pity. It was a very nice coat too. Did they *really* have to tear it up? It costed her a pretty bit to get!

 

“Maybe I can get these vines to help fix it.” She muttered, collecting the last piece before flinging it on top of the pile she had collected. Yet another small marvel with these new hands of hers. Whatever her form was, she suspected they laid closer to… Well, maybe a high level unicorn on average. Yet if that was the case, what caused them to disappear? She shook her head.

 

“Questions for later Rose.” She turned to Cerid, who had taken to resting on the floor as Roseluck ran her fingers through her fur. She smirked, pulling Cerid up with one of her wings while curling her equine tail with the fyaffoness’s feline one, the tip of the fluffy bit tightened in turn as she took in the fyaffoness’s dumb smile. Cerid’s eyes had closed, an expression of pure contentment and joy adorning her beak as she took a deep breath and sighed.

 

“Oh by the Creator, that was *wonderful*...” With clear reluctance, Cerid’s eyes pulled open as they revealed a newfound adoration directed upon Rose’s form. “I don’t suppose we could indulge a bit more, shall we?” Roseluck nodded for a moment before she pointed a wing at her flanks and tail.

 

“Sure. But first I want you to finish up getting the rest of me changed.” The fyaffoness nodded for a moment before freezing. Rose blinked before she felt a wave of horror wash over the fyaffoness.

Before Cerid could even think of doing anything, Rose took her into a hug, enveloping her with a great wingspan. Cerid stilled, blinking for a few moments as she looked down upon her hands before pressing into Rose’s neck.

 

“Oh Creator, you...” She nodded.

 

“Yeah… Managed to figure it all out while you were dosed up on bliss. Though having our little plant friends helped too.” Cerid pushed, forcing Rose back a pace as the fyaffoness shook her head.

 

“I… I lied back there. I was just so… So-” Cerid was shushed as Rose held a finger to her beak. With the utmost care, Rose pulsed a feeling of warmth, understanding, and annoyance across. The fyaffoness jerked, shrinking under Rose’s gaze as the entity found herself caught flat footed. The newer of the two pressed her advantage, fixing a soft but firm stare on Cerid’s being, making sure to stand tall over her.

 

“I understand. I don’t regret what happened Cerid. Not one bit, even if I am a tad annoyed you did *force* all of this on me.” Before the fyaffoness could shrink back, Rose took her by the shoulders and fixed her stance.

 

“Look, I get it. I don’t think I would have done any better if I had been trapped like that for Luna knows how long. Creator above, at least you didn’t turn out like Nightmare Moon.” Cerid blinked.

 

“Who?” Rose paused before letting out a sigh.

 

“Nevermind. Point is I don’t blame you. Actually, I find myself liking this form quite a bit. I think something about it beyond the little mental manipulation you put it makes me… Different, but in a good way.” She said, trying to find the right words to voice as she made a few gestures before shaking her head.

 

“Though I can’t help but wonder if everypony would feel the same way.” Her thoughts drifted back to the likes of Zecora and Gilda. Come to think of it, why *did* they scatter away like a bunch of… Well, ponies? Gilda she could understand, but *Zecora*? How in all of Celestia did they not have the clue to at least send somepony out to check her out? Maybe even the guard! Actually, why did they settle so close to the Everfree Forest in the first-

 

She slapped herself.

 

“Focus Rose… Celestia, I think I feel a headache coming on.” Cerid stood quiet on the side, unable to make any vocalizations as Rose turned about towards her.

 

“Look, let’s get these changes done first. *Then* we’ll go over everything else. I’ll tell you everything to get you up to date, and you tell me why in Creator’s name you… Well, us are now the only ones left of your species. Guessing it’ll be a long one too.” Rose wilted for a moment as a deep melancholy fell into her across the connection, but forced herself to hold firm as she held the fyaffoness in between her hooves.

 

“I… Okay.” Cerid muttered, a small smile pulling to her beak as Rose gave her a nuzzle.

 

“That’s the spirit! Now… About the rest of me. Just don’t nail my cutie mark if you can help it.” Cerid nodded, reaffirming her demeanor to the deer she was like before as she pressed her talons on her cutie mark.

 

“Well… We’ll see.” The fyaffoness gazed upon it for a moment, flushing with heat as Rose gave her a smirk.

 

“Like what you see? There’s more of that I can offer once we get this all done. I’d be willing to get to know you mare to mare, assuming you swing that way of course.”

 

Cerid paused, shooting her a mortified look as she picked up on Rose’s implications.

 

“I… We did have partners for the same sex, though not for the purposes of pro-” Rose rolled her eyes.

 

“Yeah, yeah. Not for procreation. Don’t need to worry about that, since there are spells out there that exist if a mare *really* wants to do it with another mare. Or vice versa for stallions. Some ponies think it’s an abomination, but if you’re really that worr-”

 

“Nevermind! I… We’ll discuss this later.” Roseluck shrugged.

 

“Suit yourself.” Cerid sighed, though Rose could still pick up on the morbid interest bleeding across the connection as she watched, keeping her own thoughts grounded and down to earth as she allowed the fyaffoness to do her stuff. She took a deep breath for a few moments before releasing it as her hind legs were kneaded in turn. Her legs stretched and cracked as they took to mirroring her forelegs, her hooves splitting into cloven ones as her talons worked their way down her legs. Her cutie mark shimmered, blazing hot against her flank as the magics worked along into it before it flared in a flash of light. Cerid paused, a feeling of disquiet passing through her as the light blinded her for but a moment. Rose herself could not help but grimace, feeling a subtle but important shift in her being as she took a few moments to brace herself before forcing herself to look.

 

“Dear Celestia...” She muttered, her eyes wide.

 

Her cutie mark was still present in a fashion. Yet the rose was adorned with deadly thorns, centered on two interlocking sickles connected by the handles as one at the bottom.

 

But what really caught her attention was the previously blank flank of Ceridwen was adorned with the same iconography. The fyaffon, having felt the subtle shift, looked on in petrified curiosity and shock as she touched it. She blinked, then blinked again as Rose got up, ignoring the swish of her new tail behind her as she took a good look at it.

 

“Huh… Well, that’s new. I don’t think you expected this to happen, did you?” Cerid slowly shook her head, disbelief wide in her eyes as she struggled to work her beak.

 

“I-I don’t understand. There was no mention of this being able to happen. At least, not that I know of...” Roseluck shrugged, pulling her sister in arms by the talon as she held the fyffon up by the wings. With a start, it was then she realized she stood over Cerid by a few inches.

 

*Guess you are still an earth pony at heart then.* She laughed, feeling a sense of kinship and desire to take care of the fyaffoness welling up inside her as Rose enveloped the poor fyaffoness.

 

“Well, it looks like there were a few things you forgot to think about when creating this magic. Not that I mind.” She said, shooting Cerid a wink before pulling the fyffon on top of her. The fyaffoness shrieked as Rose landed on her back, wings and the snow cushioning her from the impact as Rose wrapped her tail around Cerid’s. One part of the fyaffon was tempted to slam the cute bird/pony/deer/gryphon with a kiss and take the adorable thing as her own. She flicked her tongue, the more rational part of her mind prevailing as she rubbed the back of Cerid’s mane. She squeaked, her eyes shooting wide as they shifted to a more rose like color, while the start of a golden mane shimmered in the sunlight as it pushed through her scalp. She moaned, her antlers clacking with Rose’s own as her tail pulled. Cerid’s tail popped, sending a shiver down the fyffon’s spine.

 

“I don’t know about you Cerid, but I think I’d be up for a little cuddle time between us if that’s alright with you.”

 

“T-that be nice.” She muttered, a shivering coursing through her as Roseluck pressed her head into her neck. It was an odd reversal from when they first met, and Rose wasn’t sure what was going to happen here on out. But for now, she was content to act a sister to a fyaffon who she was starting to grow a greater and greater amount of affection for. She chuckled. There were worse ways to find one’s special somepony, or somefyaffon rather. But if all went well, maybe all would go quite nicely between them. Rose’s eyes closed, letting the moment pass as darkness took her and Ceridwen’s form.

 

She had questions. But those would be answered in due time. Beneath her wings, Ceridwen had fallen into a slumber. Giving a soft smile, Roseluck gave her a peck on the head before drifting off to sleep herself in the warmth of each others embrace.

 

“Sleep well Ceridwen. Tomorrow will be a busy day indeed.”

 

Then, darkness fell.