The frozen winds of Magehold were especially chilly today. Not to say that it was unusual for it to be this cold, but the winter had been much harsher this year.
It didn't bother Rosa Maledicta, though. One of the perks of becoming a Lich was no longer being sensitive to trivial matters such as the lack of heat. Still, she wore a basic cloak as she gazed over the dead city from her ivory tower. She was still fond of it, despite the fabric serving no functional purpose.
She'd just recently laid to rest the last of her undead armies, as they also no longer served any purpose. Just yesterday, the last remnants of the living had been snuffed out, and there was no point in having an army if there's nopony left to fight it!
Rosa mused on the moment when she had gotten the news. The poor souls had tried to hide themselves deep underground, but neglected to make sure that there weren't any corpses buried near them. She wondered how they must have felt. Did they know that they were the last?
She briefly considered that maybe she should have let them live a little longer, and invited them to Magehold so that she might share her accomplishment with somepony that could truly understand it.
Oh well, she thought, they probably wouldn't have wanted to talk with me anyways.
What had surprised Rosa most of all were the denizens of Magehold who had clinged to their unlife as if they were still alive. She had made it very clear during her Black Crusade that no one would be spared, yet those lesser necromancers thought themselves exempt from her decree.
She chuckled, Fools.
Now Rosa stood alone. There was nocreature left in the world, save for her. She looked upon Magehold once more, taking in the glistening snowflakes reflecting the moonlight all across the silent city.
Rosa turned her gaze upwards towards the moon. She'd of course heard the story of Nightmare Moon being imprisoned there, so during her crusade she had had her best scryers make sure that nopony was hiding there.
She remembered catching a glimpse of the moon through the crystal ball and feeling awe-struck. A beautiful, desolate landscape in every direction for as far as the eye could see. Nothing lived there, and she was sure that nothing could live there.
The icy wind began to pick up. Rosa sighed, knowing that the otherworldly creatures known as the Windigos would soon arrive. She detested them, for they had manipulated her into creating an immense amount of conflict and strife in the world, which somehow sustained their existence.
But they thought I would stop my crusade eventually. She smirked, knowing that soon, they too would fade away. There was no disharmony left in the world for them to feed off of.
The wind began to swirl behind Rosa, signaling the imminent arrival of those ancient specters. She looked down from her balcony, seeing the stone walkway far below. She still had one final act of petty revenge left for the Windigos: to deny them the chance to take out their anger on her.
Rosa ignited her horn and removed her necklace. She levitated it in front of her, focusing her magic on the crimson locket she had carried since she was little.
With a snap, it popped open, revealing a photograph of a very young diamond dog hugging an equally young filly.
Rosa's heart ached, if but for a moment. It had been so long, but the pain was still there. The moment when she had lost her best friend... the moment she had realized what power she possessed... and the moment she had gotten her cutie mark.
"Come on Rosa, don't be scared!"
"I'm not scared! You're just crazy!"
Rosa looked up at the nimble diamond dog as he climbed the rather large tree in her family's backyard. She had told him repeatedly that he didn't have to show off, but he didn't listen. He never did.
The diamond dog laughed, "The only thing that's crazy is how much fun you're missing out on!" he beckoned her to join him, "I can see everything from up here!"
The young filly wasn't impressed. "It's too dangerous! Please come down!"
Rosa's friend didn't seem to think so. "If it's so dangerous," he jumped to a nearby branch, "then why can I do thi-"
*SNAP*
The old branch broke, sending the young diamond dog spinning towards the ground. He pawed at the air, trying to grasp onto something, anything.
Rosa's eyes widened as she saw her friend in trouble. She had to help him! She ignited her horn, focusing on him, and...
She froze, paralyzed by fear. She couldn't help him. She didn't know how to. She was a blank flank, she had no talents, and she... she...
...She closed her eyes.
*CRACK*
Rosa was terrified. Her body was shaking. She didn't dare open her eyes, afraid of what she might see. "A-Are you okay?" she asked, trying to sound brave. "P-Please tell me you're okay..."
There was silence. Eventually, she slowly took a peek.
Rosa screamed.
Her parents rushed outside upon hearing their daughter's distress. "What is it? What's wrong?" Her father said, having not seen her friend yet.
"NOOOOO!!!" she wailed, running over to her limp friend.
Her mother gasped as she saw what Rosa was running to. She firmly tapped her husband, fiercely whispering, "Get her away from him, I'll go get a doctor!"
Rosa threw herself on top of her friend. His neck was twisted at an unnatural angle, and Rosa tried her best to twist it back in vain hopes that she could fix him.
Her father's telekinetic grip pulled her from her friend. "Rosey, come on. A doctor is coming... everything will be okay."
"No!" she screamed again, resisting her father as much as she could, "I need to help him! I need to help him get better!"
Rosa's father bit his tongue as he kept pulling her away. He took one look at the poor diamond dog, and he knew that there would be no recovering from that. He took a deep breath, and decided to just be honest with his little filly. "Rosey... he's not gonna get better. He's gone."
He's gone.
Upon hearing those words, Rosa squirmed even harder. She slipped through her father's grip and ran back towards her best friend. Though consumed with sorrow, she felt an unknown strength inside her. When she reached him, she suddenly felt like she knew how to fix him.
Her father reached towards her again, "Rosa, stay away from him! You can't help him anymore!"
"YES! I! CAN!" she shouted as tears strewn across her face. A sickly green aura formed around her horn, and with gritted teeth she focused her magic on the dead dog before her.
Her aura enveloped the diamond dog. The green energy seemed to focus around his head before spreading across the rest of his body. Rosa grimaced, channeling all her power into her friend. She didn't know what she was doing, though the power she felt coursing through her horn seemed to have a mind of its own.
Rosa's father stopped briefly, having recognized the tell-tale signs of healing magic. His daughter had never been magically adept, but here she was, attempting a spell well beyond her years. He didn't know why it was slightly off-color, though. Perhaps it was because she was so young? Regardless, he grasped his daughter, trying to pull her away again. "You can't heal him, Rosey..."
Rosa's intense aura began to taper off. She couldn't maintain her focus anymore. She sobbed, having given it her all, and fell against her father. The aura around her friend persisted, however, but remained much fainter than it was before.
"Dad..." she cried, trying to hold back her tears, "Why does it hurt so much?"
Her father was at a loss for words. This was something nopony ever looked forward to discussing, much less with their own child. He simply held her close, opting not to answer her question. "There, there..."
*CRUNCH*
Rosa and her father whipped their heads towards the noise. The only thing they saw, though, was her still-dead friend. The sickly-green aura still surrounded him, though Rosa had long since stopped using magic.
Rosa's father was perplexed. He was trying to determine exactly what his daughter had done. Though he was not the most skilled unicorn in his family, he did know a fair amount of healing spells from his time working as a nurse. He surmised that she must have cast a spell to force the bones in her friend's broken neck back into place... but then why did it happen after she cast it, and not during?
Suddenly, the dog's front paw rose into the air.
Rosa's father was aghast. He looked at his daughter to confirm that she wasn't still using magic, and then back to her friend. "But... that's impossible..." he quietly uttered.
The paw reached down to the ground and began to push up the body. Another paw moved to steady itself. The third and forth paws moved in unison, raising the corpse off of the ground.
Rosa stopped sobbing long enough to look into her friend's eyes, which now glowed a slight yellow. His pupils looked absent and unfocused, like there wasn't anybody there. Somehow, this didn't bother her. She stared at him, and he at her. She now felt much calmer, despite everything.
Her father was focused on the standing corpse, trying to ascertain its motives, if it had any. He held his daughter away from the creature, equally parts protective of her, and terrified at what she had done. "Rosa... what did you do?"
There was a bright flash behind Rosa. She looked behind herself, and her heart fluttered. A wilted rose had appeared on her flank, and though she was still distraught at her best friend's death, she no longer felt like an aimless filly. She had her cutie mark now, and somehow, that made everything okay.
The Queen of Bones would have shed a tear if she could. Her friend's death had been the key to her future, yet there were still private moments where she had wondered what her life would have been like had his life not been cut short. She raised her hoof to gently close the locket.
"Goodbye, Silverpaw."
Rosa took a deep breath, charged a magical beam, and focused it on her locket.
It quickly shattered, its pieces disintegrating into dust.
She felt a shocking pain suddenly course throughout her whole body. She gasped, nearly collapsing from the agony. In that instant, she knew she was mortal once more.
She had destroyed her phylactery; the very thing which had ensured that she would never truly die.
Taking a moment to recover from the trauma of losing her immortality, Rosa turned her gaze to the edge of the balcony from which she stood. It was a very long way down. Emotions of all kinds flooded into her: Satisfaction, relief, comfort, regret, jo-
Rosa frowned. Regret. Why did she feel regretful?
She picked herself up, turning her thoughts inward. Was it because of him? She shook her head. No. It was something else... Rosa leaned against the balcony, still recovering her strength. She scanned her memories, looking for anything that she might have felt regret for.
Killing her parents during her crusade? I came to terms with that long ago. It was necessary.
Reanimating dead foals as soldiers to demoralize the living? No, that part was fun.
That blasted griffon knight from those Arcturian fools who offered himself to spare his comrades? Especially not that.
The wind suddenly stopped. The silence was deafening. Rosa's ears froze, she knew that the Windigos had arrived.
She turned around to face them all, but was surprised to see only one: Queen Spectre, the supernatural entity that had tormented her for years.
Queen Spectre did not speak, it never did. Instead, immense hate radiated off of its ethereal form. Before Rosa had destroyed her Phylactery, Queen Spectre's presence was merely overpowering. Now however, it choked the very breath out of her, threatening to snuff out her existence then and there. It was filled with more fury than Rosa had thought possible.
Rosa struggled to keep herself awake. She knew that no matter what the Windigo did, it would still fade into nothingness, that much was certain. It could kill her right here, and that would have only sped up its demise.
However, as quickly as Queen Spectre appeared, it began to fade. Without any disharmony left in the world to feed off of, the Windigo's power was greatly diminished. Evidently, it couldn't manifest itself for long. Rosa glared at the apparition as it dissipated. She knew that it wasn't fully dead yet, but its days were numbered. She estimated a week at most until it was nothing more than a cold breeze.
Soon, Rosa was left alone once again. She breathed heavily, struggling to stand upright. She held onto the balcony's railing for support, and focused on her thoughts on the regret she had felt earlier. Almost immediately, she recalled something from her past. That encounter with Queen Spectre must have jogged her memory.
She thought back to when she had first killed another living creature.
"And that's why we always wash our hooves before handling the sick!" proudly declared the professor, "That way, we don't risk getting sick ourselves!"
Rosa sat amongst her peers in Canterlot University, idly listening to the instructor. Ever since she'd had that traumatic experience as a filly, her parents had done as much as they could to prevent her from learning more about her special talent. She wasn't allowed to have pets, because they might have died. She wasn't allowed to read about medicine, since the topic of death would inevitably come up. They had hoped that her curiosity about her talent would wane, but as fate would have it, their efforts only magnified her interest in death.
Once she was old enough, she had applied for Canterlot University. She'd told her parents that she was going to major in agricultural studies, a lie which only served to let her learn about what she really wanted to become: a doctor.
But not just any doctor, Rosa wanted to be the greatest doctor in Equestria.
And so she had worked for years, practicing her talent in secret on insects and other small critters. Eventually, she was able to reliably bring them back from even the most gruesome of deaths. Some even retained parts of their autonomy, surprisingly.
She was going to revolutionize the medical field.
"Any questions?" asked the professor. Fortunately, nopony raised their hoof. He smiled, "Splendid! Then we will begin with our hooves-on exam."
The professor walked over to a small curtain set up near his desk. "Today we have a special guest! Everypony, say hello to Bright Light!" He flung open the curtain, revealing an immobile, old-looking mare laying on a long table.
Many students gasped, and the whispering began in earnest. One stallion raised his hoof, catching the eye of the professor.
"Yes! You there! Have a question?"
The stallion lowered his hoof. "Professor... is that mare really... you know..."
The professor finished his student's thought, "Dead! Yes indeed! This cadaver was recently donated to us by their family to advance the medical field."
Whereas before Rosa was only half-awake, now she was paying full attention.
The professor continued, walking around the cadaver as he spoke. "For today's exam, instead of a traditional essay, each of you is going to come down here and I will ask you a question about our patient, and you use your medical knowledge to give me the answer! I hope you've been studying!"
The entire class, save for Rosa, groaned.
With a grin, the professor asked, "So! Who would like to go fir-"
"Me! Mememe!" shouted Rosa, waving her hoof frantically in the air.
"Eager, are we? Well then," the professor raised an eyebrow and beckoned the young mare down, "Come on down, Ms... ah, do forgive me, I seem to have forgotten your name!"
"It's Rosa, professor!" she practically sprinted down the steps, slowing just as she reached the bottom. She nearly tripped over herself, earning a few snickering remarks from her peers.
The professor waved his hoof towards his class, "All right, settle down now. You'll all get your turn, don't worry." He stopped over by his desk to pick up a clipboard before returning to Rosa, "Okay! Ms. Rosa, if you would please examine Mrs. Bright. I'd like you, using what knowledge you have, to tell me what her cause of death was. Did she pass away from natural causes, a pre-existing medical condition, or some other reason?"
Rosa looked over the body laid before her. It was serene, almost. As Rosa took in every detail about Bright Light, her breathing quickened. "Professor?" she asked, an idea popping into her mind.
The older stallion scratched his beard, "Yes? Something wrong?"
Rosa shook her head. "No, its just... I don't know how she died, but... I think I know a way to find out how."
The professor turned his head slightly. "Well, I did ask you to use what you know, so by all means, tell me how you'd find out her cause of death."
The young mare smiled, her horn beginning to glow. "By asking her, of course."
"What? You can't, she's dead." said the professor with a slight chuckle, "Unless you think you're some mystic who can reach beyond the veil!"
"No, nothing like that," Rosa closed her eyes, concentrating on the old mare's body, "Like I said, I'm going to ask her myself."
Rosa's horn glowed brightly, her magic feeding into a glowing orb. Slowly, it descended onto Bright Light.
The professor narrowed his eyes, trying to figure out what his student was doing, "Whatever it is, I will not allow you to damage this cadaver. Cease your magic at once, young mare!"
"I've already cast the spell, professor." Retaining her slight smile, Rosa looked towards her class. She was a little afraid, but she also felt exhilarated. Finally, after so many years of hidden practice, after being told so many times by her parents that she should never use her special talent, she was now able to realize her potential.
"What spell? What did you do?!" the professor asked incredulously.
Rosa gestured towards the old mare's body. A sickly green aura enveloped her, with most of it concentrated on her head. Soon however, the magic aura faded away.
The professor was furious at this point. "Ms. Rosa! Tell me what you did at once!" He examined every inch of the cadaver, eventually examining her face for magical alterations.
Bright Light opened her eyes.
The professor fell over backwards in shock, hitting the ground with his head. His breathing became erratic as he clutched his heart.
Bright Light slowly rose, and the entire classroom screamed.
Rosa panicked. "Wait! It's fine!" she cried, trying to calm everyone, but to no avail. "It's just temporary! She's... she's..." Rosa turned to her new friend, whose eyes now glowed a faint yellow.
Bright Light looked directly at Rosa. Her face contorted into an expression of agony. "K-kill... m-me..." She pleaded, "Y-You... m-monster..."
Rosa's heart sank. She'd never attempted to reanimate a sentient being before... aside from her best friend, but... she was less skilled then. She thought that if she was careful, she could bring back Bright Light's sentience along with with her body. She didn't think that it might hurt her!
All around Rosa, the other students were shouting hurtful things at her.
"What in Tartarus did she do!?"
"That's just wrong!"
"She's using the magic of demons!"
Rosa couldn't handle it. Tears formed in her eyes, and she ignited her horn again, intending to remove her spell on Bright Light.
"You've done something truly evil!" said the professor, breaking Rosa's focus. He still laid on the floor, hoof at his heart, but he seemed to have recovered enough to speak again.
"I just wanted to help!" cried Rosa, blinded by her tears.
The professor jabbed a hoof in her direction. "You can never help ponies with black magic like that!" he spat, "Where did you even learn that spell?!"
Rosa was shaking. She'd made a mistake, her parents were right. Why did her talent make ponies react this way? Why, WHY?!
All she wanted to do was help.
Rosa's voice cracked, "I... d-don't..."
"Get out!" screamed the professor, "Get out of my classroom! Get out of this school! Never show your face here ever again! And if you know what's good for you, you'll never cast that wicked spell again either!"
Something inside Rosa snapped. She was tired of being yelled at like that, especially after she'd poured her whole heart into being the best pony she could be. She stopped crying, and her face became filled with outrage.
"No, you listen to me!" she shouted at the professor, fed up with his reaction, "Why does this have to be evil? Why can't I use this spell to help ponies?"
"It's unholy! Your spell isn't good for anything other than causing suffering!" replied the professor with hostility.
"NO IT ISN'T!" screamed Rosa, stomping her hoof.
*CRACK*
Rosa gasped, all her anger vanishing in an instant. "Oh no. No, no, no!"
In her rage, Rosa failed to see what Bright Light was doing. She had forgotten that her puppets reacted to her emotions. She was so angry at her professor, and didn't think about the what could happen, and...
Bright Light had swung a hoof at the professor's face with immense strength, enough to crack his neck. He collapsed to the ground, immobile.
"W-Why...?" croaked Bright Light, frozen in her act of violence.
Rosa released her. Bright Light fell to the ground, as lifeless as the professor next to her.
"SHE KILLED HIM!" screamed one student.
"SHE'S A MONSTER!" screamed another.
Rosa was distraught. She just killed somepony. She murdered somepony. It may have not been by her own hoof, but it was still her fault. Maybe the professor was right... her spell only caused suffering.
Tears began to flow again as Rosa realized the consequences of her actions. She'd be arrested and tried for murder, and then her hopes and dreams would truly be over.
She fled, running as far away as she could.
The Queen of Bones pondered on that moment. If she hadn't decided to reveal her powers that day, she'd never have been forced to leave Equestria. She'd never have found her way to Magehold, and trained with others who shared her talents. She'd never have festered her hatred for those that scorned her for who she was. She'd never have called herself Maledicta in honor of the first necromancer.
Was that her regret? Killing that irritating professor?
...
Yes.
She continued leaning against the balcony's edge in silence, contemplating her realization.
She had killed billions and not batted an eye, but one measly old pony's death had her second guessing her entire career? Why?
The wind began to pick up again. It wasn't quite as cold as before, so Rosa knew that it wasn't the Windigo's doing.
Maybe it's because I didn't mean to kill him.
Rosa coughed, closing her eyes. She now understood why she had felt that pang of regret. Out of all the living and unliving beings she had killed, there was only one where she didn't do it on purpose.
The wind blew off her crown, sending it tumbling down to the street below. She didn't react, for such trivial things didn't matter anymore.
As Rosa took a deep breath, she looked over the edge of the balcony for perhaps the final time. She asked herself one last question: If I could go back to that moment, would I have done things differently?
The railing cracked slightly against the pressure Rosa was exerting on it.
...
...
I don't know.
She sighed in defeat. She was tired, and she didn't feel like debating morals with herself anymore. She could stand here alone, forever, until her mortal body deteriorated, or she could finish her mission. And if that meant not coming to terms with herself, then so be it.
Rosa Maledicta started her Black Crusade because the Windigos amplified her hatred of the living, and she finished it because of her hatred of the Windigos.
She climbed on top of the balcony railing.
This was Rosa's final revenge. To liberate the world of strife, which also liberated the Windigos of their very lifeblood.
This bitter satisfaction was a very nice emotion to exit with.
Rosa took one final breath, closed her eyes, enjoyed the peace and quiet, and...
Leaped.
Author's Note
I had always like Rosa Maledicta as a character, but it felt like we were missing a huge chunk of her past. This was my attempt to create her story; her reason for being the way she is.
All feedback is appreciated.
p.s. There will be another chapter.
p.p.s. "Onwatchlistnonartist" drew a picture of Rosa as a college nerd, what a legend 
Author's Note
In this author's personal opinion, its best if you go into this chapter thinking of it as an alternate ending instead of a continuation to Vita Aeterna.
Vide te mox
The icy wind rushed at Rosa as she fell. Though before she hadn't minded the freezing cold of the Dread Peninsula, now all her senses were turned up to eleven. The snowy particles striking her skin were almost scalding, and the quickly approaching ground wasn't doing her frail heart any favors at all.
Some part of her psyche screamed in panic, knowing that its end was fast approaching. She tried to suppress it, but it's hard to focus when one is in free fall.
For the first time in years, Rosa's eyes began to water. She cursed herself for being so weak-willed, but a mortal body's fear of death was hard to overcome. She knew it wouldn't matter soon, but she resorted to an old tactic she had utilized when she was scared.
She closed her eyes.
Rosa tried to steady her breath, waiting for the end to come. Soon, she wouldn't have to think about it anymore.
...
...
...
Nothing was happening...
Rosa started to become annoyed.
How long does it take to hit the ground? she grumbled internally, The tower wasn't that high.
The cold had numbed her senses so much that she couldn't even tell that she was falling anymore. Still, she didn't want to open her eyes and risk subjecting her fraying mind to more torment.
...
"Miss... Roooosaaa..." called out an otherworldy voice, emphasizing each syllable.
Rosa's eyes shot open. She was no longer falling. In fact, she was no longer anywhere. There was nothing but blackness in every direction. She seemed suspended in mid-air... if she could call it air. Have I died?
"Over here, Miss Rosa..."
Rosa jerked her head around, looking for the source of the mysterious voice. It seemed to come from every direction, yet she couldn't locate anything the black void around her. But as she turned her head for the fourth time, her eyes met with a strange figure. It was slightly larger than her, and was covered entirely from top to bottom with a ragged, black cloak. A misty darkness seemed to obscure its exposed features.
It wasn't that far away, yet Rosa couldn't make out any details about it. She started to get irritated, as she didn't appreciate being toyed with. "Who are you? And where am I?!"
The entity chuckled, its unnatural voice reverberating throughout the void. "Why, Miss Rosa... you really don't know?"
Rosa tried to ignite her horn, intending to cast light on the figure in front of her. However, nothing happened. She grunted, focusing intensely on casting her spell, yet with all her might she couldn't even make her horn glow.
She pointed her hoof at the the cloaked being with frustration, "What did you do to me?!"
Though Rosa couldn't see its face, she could have sworn that it was smiling. "Oh, nothing permanent... yet." said the entity with a hint of sympathy.
Rosa paused. She assumed that based upon her surroundings, or in this case lack thereof, that she had died. So was this creature supposed to be... "Are you Death?"
It circled around her, gliding across the blackness of the void. "Names have power, Miss Rosa. And I assure you, mine is certainly not Death."
So if its not Death, then... "Why am I here?" said Rosa, "I was busy jumping off my balcony, you know."
It stopped. "To say that you've been... busy... would be a gross understatement, Miss Rosa..."
Rosa was fed up. She was the Dread Queen of Bones, for crying out loud! She had dealt with the Windigos for playing games with her mind and body, and she wouldn't take that sort of treatment from this thing either! "Answer me! What are you, and what do you want?!" spoke Rosa with hostility.
"Why Miss Rosa, the questions of what I am and what I want aren't nearly as important as what I can... offer you..."
Rosa narrowed her eyes, "What could you possibly offer me? I've already accomplished everything I set out to do."
The being chuckled again, "I can think of one thing." It rose one of its limbs into the air. Suddenly, a bright flash accompanied with the sound of thunder originated from the tip of its enshrouded limb, blinding and deafening Rosa for a moment.
When Rosa opened her eyes again, she was no longer surrounded by blackness. Instead, she found herself in a stone cottage. She was very unsettled, and her nerves were very much on end. "What magic is this..." she wondered aloud, looking around the cottage in hopes that she could find out why she was brought here. It seemed to be quaint, simple, yet the furnishing was clean. It looked like whoever lived here took pride in having a clean home.
"A very special kind of magic, Miss Rosa."
With a loud snap crackling through the air, the mysterious being manifested itself into existence in front of Rosa. Its defining features were still obscured by shadows, much to her annoyance.
She immediately tried to yank off its cloak with her telekinesis, but she still couldn't seem to cast spells. Evidently, whatever prevented her from using magic extended to this place, too.
Rosa grumbled, still upset, "What is this place? Why have you brought me here?"
The entity raised a limb in the direction of the front door. "Watch."
"I'm not here to play games, whatever you are! Tell me, now!" demanded Rosa, stomping a hoof.
No sooner did she finish speaking than the doorknob began to turn. Rosa turned to look at the door. It opened without much fanfare, and in stepped a mare, humming a tune. Rosa's eyes widened, her mouth agape. Impossible...
Rosa was looking at herself. She looked slightly younger, her mane was longer, and although she had the scars of undeath on her, she seemed very much alive. It was her. It was Rosa.
The other Rosa cheerfully trotted forward, passing through the enshrouded entity like it wasn't even there. She went over to the kitchen counter, where she began to gather ingredients.
"You look like you've seen a ghost." said the cloaked being with a hint of humor.
"What is happening...?" questioned Rosa in disbelief, her eyes glued to her duplicate.
The entity floated towards the couch, where it stopped to... take a seat? It was hard for her to tell. "You see, Miss Rosa... you've accomplished a great deal in the past few years."
"Uh-huh... why can't see she us? Is this one of my memories?" Rosa returned her gaze to the rest of the cottage, examining it for anything that looked familiar. "Why don't I remember it?"
"We're not all the way here, so to speak. And this is not a memory, my undead friend. Or should I say, un-undead?"
"Then what is it? And why have you brought me here?!" said Rosa, immensely exasperated.
"Because," said the being, raising its limb towards the door once more, "I wanted to show you something."
Rosa turned her gaze towards the front door again. She wasn't used to not being in control of her surroundings, though clearly that thing was incredibly powerful. Still, if it wasn't Death, then what could it be? Some other unknown creature from the Afterlife, perhaps?
There was a knock at the door. "Be right there!" The other Rosa called out, who then set down the knife she was cutting vegetables with. She hurried over to the door and opened it. Her eyes went wide with surprise. "William? But I thought you were on a journey to the south!"
At the door was a well-groomed griffon, clad in the ceremonial armor of the knights of Arcturia. He looked somewhat tired, as if he'd neglected to rest. "I was," he said, "but I had found something truly miraculous."
"Surely it's not as important as your diplomatic mission!" reprimanded the other Rosa, "You did say you were going to open up the Order to outsiders!"
"I know, but this is more important." William smiled wearily, "May I come inside?"
The Queen of Bones was aghast. "What's HE doing here? I killed that wretched knight years ago!"
The cloaked being shushed her, "Need I remind you that most ponies would not get an opportunity like this?"
Her eyes narrowed. "What do you mean 'an opportunity?'" asked Rosa.
"Just watch."
The other Rosa stood aside to let William enter. Once inside, he removed the heavier portions of his armor, then set aside his sword.
"So," asked the other Rosa, "What brings you here on such short notice?"
The holy knight rummaged through his bags, as if he was looking for something. "Two things, actually."
The other Rosa tilted her head, curious. "I'm listening."
William took a deep breath as he grasped something inside of his bag. "Rosa... remember when you had confessed to me that you'd always wondered what it would be like to create life instead of ending it?"
"I do. William, what does that have to do with anything?"
The knight produced a small vial from his bag. "This is an elixir from the ancient springs in the Watertowns. It has been specially enchanted to help aspiring mothers be able to lay eggs. Or in your case, to bear foals."
"No..." spoke both Rosas with disbelief, but for different reasons.
William offered the vial to the stunned mare in front of him. "You can now realize that dream, Rosa."
Tears welled up in her eyes. The other Rosa gently levitated the vial out of William's claw, holding it close. "Thank you... thank you so much." She turned around and began to cry, not wanting to break down in front of him. "I don't know how I could ever repay you..."
"How about by accepting this?"
The sobbing mare turned around. What she saw broke her completely.
William was kneeling, and in his outstretched claws was a magnificent, sparkling ring. "Rosa, over the past few years I have come to see you in-hnn!"
"YES!" She practically threw herself at him. She grasped him as tightly as she could, tears streaming down her eyes. "Yes! I will..."
William merely returned her embrace. He closed his eyes, for he also began to cry tears of joy.
The Queen of Bones was at a loss for words. Here she was, seeing herself not only crying, but happy? At being proposed to by... by none other than William Steelbeak?! The very griffon that had first tried to thwart her plans? And to top it off, she had apparently wanted to become a mother?!?
"Do you want this?" said the cloaked being, suddenly moving in front of the Dread Queen.
Rosa was still trying to process everything that had happened. This was insane. She would never behave in such a way, yet there she was, falling hoof over heels for that blasted knight. She shook her head and managed to recover enough of her psyche to ask a pertinent question, "Why are you showing me this? What do you get out of this?"
It remained silent for a moment. "Think of it as a reward for all your hard work. You have succeeded in conquering the world, so now I am presenting you with an opportunity to enjoy an aspect of it that you would not have had the chance to." Rosa could have sworn that it almost sounded like it was pleading. "So I ask again: Do you want this?"
She sat in contemplation for some time. Everything about what she had just seen revolted her, so why did she feel a faint sense of longing? What small part of her was enticed by such a proposition?
I don't know.
Once again, she sighed in defeat. Despite mastering all manner of powerful dark magic, she still couldn't figure out how to master her own emotions.
...
...
Rosa found herself considering the being's offer. She was furious with herself for even thinking about it, but she couldn't help it. Why was she even entertaining the idea? Why? WHY?
She silently cursed herself and inquired further. "If I accept... would I be able to change my mind later?"
The cloaked being nodded, stating, "Yes, but then you would never get to see your daughter."
Rosa screamed at herself internally. She hated this, she hated this so much. But... she had to know. The being's answer burned itself into her mind so much that she simply could not refuse its offer anymore. She needed to see her daughter, as much as the concept of creating life disgusted her.
She took her face into her hooves and winced.
"...Okay. Fine. I'll try it."
With one final snap, everything went white.
Discord, the God of Chaos let out a heavy sigh of relief. He looked around himself as the cottage began to dissipate, revealing that he was still in his Realm of Chaos. He looked around into the endless abyss. He missed when it was a distorted purple, that was always one of his favorite colors... next to yellow and pink, of course. He smiled for the first time in years. With any luck, we'll see each other again, Miss Fluttershy...
He had spent the better part of the last year putting together this scheme. By the time he realized that he should have acted against the Dread Queen of Bones, it was too late. Most of the world was already dead, and even if she was defeated... nothing would ever be the same. Still, he had to try. He knew he couldn't take Rosa head on, so he had to figure out a way to get her to change her mind.
Once Equestria fell, however, he went back to the drawing board. His previous plans involved getting her to fall in love, or to guilt trip her into stopping her black crusade, but as time went on he realized that those were no longer viable options.
Discord had discreetly made his way into the ruins of the Canterlot Library, specifically the forbidden section of Dark Magic. Perusing through the piles and pieces of books, he had discovered something that might work. It was an old, dusted tome co-written by Star Swirl the Bearded himself.
What Never-Was and Couldn't-Be.
Inside its pages detailed the theoretical creation of an altered time travel spell, one that could be specially manipulated to let one visit alternate realities. Going sideways instead of back or forwards, as the author had put it.
Upon finishing the tome, Discord had briefly thought to abandon this reality entirely, since it would soon be lost to the Dread Queen's endless ranks of the dead. He decided against it, since he knew inside that he would be abandoning his friends here. And besides, he'd have to put up with some competition for Fluttershy's attention should he go to another reality... namely, himself.
Furthermore, he later came to realize that those alternate realities were not actually real, and were simply constructs made up by the spell.
Still, he had an idea of what to do. Utilizing the spell, he began to visit alternate possible realities, looking for one in which the Dread Queen was defeated. Surprisingly, almost every reality the spell showed him involved the Dread Queen being taken down, usually through the combined efforts of every major power in the world. Most of them still left the world a battered and scarred place, though. These were not what he was looking for.
Discord had needed to find a timeline in which Rosa voluntarily stopped her Crusade.
On and on he had searched, taking peeks into countless alternate realities. By the time he had found what he was looking for, the last strongholds of the living were already being sieged. He had needed to act fast.
He concocted a plan in which he would disguise himself as Death. Truthfully, Discord didn't like the fellow. Too moody in his opinion. He knew that Death would have its hooves full, though. It probably wouldn't notice Discord's scheme. Probably.
He would take Rosa to his Realm of Chaos, and rebuild it in the image of the alternate reality he saw. He would show her a world wherein she had redeemed herself, one where she had come to fully appreciate life and all of its gifts. He would offer her the chance to live out that life, while not forcing her to do so. It was important that she wanted to do it, after all. Otherwise she would probably start her black crusade once more.
He would tell her that the only way she would ever see that world is if she destroyed her Dread League, and surrendered herself to the Arcturians. If she accepted, he would use every last bit of his power to send her years back into her own timeline. If she refused, well... he would send her back anyways in hopes that she might reconsider. The alternative was a world without life, without chaos.
Now Discord sat on a wooden stool as what was left of his Realm of Chaos dissipated into nothingness.
Discord knew that the God of Time would not be happy with him for altering the past. That old coot was stuck in the past... figuratively speaking, of course. He'd face the consequences with a smile on his face, for he knew that somehow, somewhen, he would see Fluttershy's smiling face once again.
He raised his claw to scratch his chin, only to discover that his claw seemed to be transparent. Oh dear.
Discord examined the rest of himself and saw that he seemed to be fading away, much like his Realm of Chaos had deteriorated over the years. There wasn't any life left in the world, which meant that there was no randomness. No chaos. "Oh, the things I do for my friends." he chuckled.
Discord thought of all those souls that had died over the years. It seemed that he would be joining them soon. Truthfully he didn't know the full intricacies of time travel, so he could only hope that his plan had worked.
He felt his memories begin to fade away as well. He took one more breath, then closed his eyes.
"See you soon."
