“You know, Boss, when you teleported onto my kitchen table this morning shouting ‘FIELD TRIP!’, I expected we were going hiking up the falls for miracle petals, or to Crater Lake for jicama root. Not… this,” She gestured to the area she was hovering above. “You HATE mud!”
Slogging barrel-deep in the muck, Arca turned and smiled at his apprentice. “Juniper, when have I ever done anything without a reason?”
“Last week you caused a landslide outside of town ‘because it was cool’.”
“Hey, those boulders were practically begging to get shoved! And don't worry, I know plenty of cleaning spells to make me and my lab coat presentable.”
Juniper stopped for a moment, hovering in the air. “Presentable? For what, do we have a double date or something?”
“Oh, Juniper. Never change. No, we are not going on a double date. We are, however, meeting somepony. Didn't you check the map? Or have you forgotten which famous pony lives in Hayseed Swamp?”
“Wait, seriously?!” The pegasus shared wide-eyed at her mentor in realization. “We're going to meet THE Mage Meadowbrook? Pillar of Equestria, master healer?” Juniper's demeanor changed quickly into fangirl mode as she smiled, her grin growing progressively larger. “Blue coat, auburn mane? There's a signed first edition copy of her recipe book in the town library you need special permission to even touch? THAT Mage Meadowbrook?”
“The same. I was hoping we could compare notes on brewing techniques, and maybe-”
“EEEEEEEE!” Juniper squealed with pure joy as she began flying in circles around her boss. “And you brought me along? Thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou!”
Arca chuckled, tracking his apprentice’s movements. “Anything for my number one apprentice. Besides, I can't expect you to become a world-class alchemist if all I have you do is sit on the sidelines! Look, you can see her treehouse in the dist-”
*shoom*
“-ance. And, she's gone. I guess I'll just walk the rest of the way. Or would swimming be faster? Eh, whatever.”
Meadowbrook, or Meadow as she preferred to be called, was busy explaining to customers about the various remedies she had to offer when a very excited pegasus entered the shop. Great, another overexcited historian, she thought to herself. Ever since she and the rest of the Pillars of Old Equestria had returned from limbo, historians from all over had been coming and going to hear their perspectives on both modern times and events from their era.
Deciding it would be better head this off before too much of a commotion ensued, she motioned for the pony to wait a minute and finished her explanation before trotting over. “Hey there, sweetie, can I help you?” she inquired. “You seem a little… eager.”
Juniper Berry, firstborn of her siblings, had been through a lot of fiascos and shenanigans. Far more that the average pony, possibly even more than those mares she kept reading about in the paper. But nothing prepared her to meet the pony she idolized, the one she had only hoped of meeting in her wildest dreams, the one whose selflessness drove her to study alchemy. So she began hyperventilating as soon as Meadowbrook offered her a hoof to shake.
“Oh, dear. A big fan, I take it? Calm down, deep breaths.” Juniper's breathing slowed down slightly, but not yet to a manageable level. “Calm down. There's nothing to worry about, and I'm a very calm, patient pony, so nothing you could say or do is likely to upset me. Just say whatever comes to mind.”
“I-I… y-you… hi?”
“Hello, dearie,” Meadow replied, offering a warm, motherly smile. “And what might your name be?”
The light green pegasus barely managed to stammer out a response. “J-Juniper. Juniper Berry. I'm a junior alchemist, and I'm a huge fan, M-Mage Meadowbrook.”
“See? Was that difficult, sweetie? This place is a tranquil place, where relaxation and peace are key, and cooler heads prevail…”
Suddenly, a loud FOOM noise was heard as smoke erupted from the cauldron where an herbal remedy had been brewing. Meadowbrook’s attitude did an immediate 180, angrily turning and shouting towards the the slowly dissipating cloud.
“ARCANE CATALYST! HOW MANY TIMES HAVE I TOLD YOU TO- wait, force of habit...” She let her head droop, as though remembering somepony from long ago, tears glistening in the corners of her eyes.
“Whoops. Guess adding thunderthistle to the mix wasn't such a good idea.”
Meadowbrook's ears sprung to attention. “Wait. There's no way…”
“Hey, Boss.”
“Arca?”
“I'm home.”
“ARCA!”