The world had changed since Meadowbrook had last seen it.
That was to be expected, of course. It had been well over a thousand years since her exile to Limbo, and Meadowbrook knew full well how much could change in even a century. She'd been born into a world without Harmony, and grown into a mare who had helped sow its seeds for future generations to reap. And now, she was able to enjoy the fruits of that labour, in a world that had flourished and grown so very much into a land she was proud to call her new home.
What was more surprising was how, even in this changed land, some parts of it still felt so familiar to her.
The town of Ponyville hadn't existed in her time, of course. Meadowbrook remembered when this land had still been nothing but plains as far as the eye could see in one direction, with the capital of Equestria in the other.
And yet, it felt more like her home of Hayseed Swamp than many of the places she had travelled to in her own time.
In her few visits here, she'd found the ponies to be friendly and down-to-earth in a way that was refreshing to her. Meadowbrook might have been a scholar and a lauded mage, but at her core, she was still just a simple healer from a simple town, who had ignored the politics of the courts and the wizard towers and focused on her own studies until Stygian had found her.
That was what made Ponyville the perfect place for her to settle down in, now that she'd finally buried the demons of the past. As she walked through the open-air market, letting the organic hum of ponies milling about or selling their wares wash over her, Meadowbrook felt right at home once again.
She made her way down the streets, delighting in the mixture of old and new wares being sold. The shovel, the rake, the scythe, these tools hadn't changed in a thousand years, were still as useful as they'd always been, but the plows looked completely different now, and there were even farming tools that looked to be magical in nature, which would have been unheard of in the past.
So much to learn from this new world, and Meadowbrook couldn’t wait to learn all about it.
One particularly bright red cart caught her eye, and she trotted over towards the stall and the yellow-coated mare with a red mane standing next to it.
"Strawberries, five bits a bushel!" the mare called out, pointing towards the sign in front of the cart that indicated the same price.
Meadowbrook eyed the various types of strawberries, some ancient memory stirring in the back of her mind. "Ma'am, if I might ask, what breed of strawberries are these?" She pointed at one row in particular.
"They're Daybreaks," the mare said proudly. "You won't find these anywhere else in Equestria. Everypony loves the Garden variety too much. Personally, I think they're overrated, but we've got some of those too if you want."
Meadowbrook cracked a small smile at the name. "Well I'll be. I'll take a bushel of 'em, if you please."
The shopkeeper nodded. "I should probably warn you that they don't taste like the ones you're probably used to. They're better, but lots of ponies don't agree for some reason."
"I reckon I've had these before," Meadowbrook replied as she handed over the bits. "But they'd be the first I didn't grow with my own four hooves." She took a bite of one, delighting in the tartness of the fruit on her tongue. "Oh heavens, it's almost exactly how I remember it."
Brightening at her response, the shopkeeper smiled. "You a farmer too?"
Meadowbrook laughed. "I never had the constitution for it. But I was born and raised in a town of farmers, and I helped them create new breeds of crops."
"Oh, yeah, that sort of stuff is pretty cool, I guess," the other mare said. "But I still think you can't beat the classics, like the Daybreak."
It was hard for Meadowbrook not to laugh again. "Why, thank ya kindly. I put a lot of work into getting that one just right, and it's nice to know that there's ponies who still appreciate it." She extended a hoof out. "I'm Meadowbrook."
"Strawberry Sunrise." The mare shook her hoof, and then her eyes narrowed. "Wait, Meadowbrook, I recognize that name. Aren't you one of those Pillars of Equestria who just came back from the dead?"
"From Limbo, actually," Meadowbrook corrected.
Strawberry Sunrise sighed. "Please tell me we're not about to get attacked by some ancient evil from the dawn of Equestria. I just finished repairing my cart after the last time." The way she looked at her stall with such total resignation was almost comical.
"Oh, nothing so serious," Meadowbrook said. "It's just time for me to settle down again, and Ponyville seems like a lovely place for it."
Strawberry Sunrise nodded. "It's got its charms." She paused, her eyes widening. "Wait, what was that you said about the Daybreak?"
"Oh, that was supposed to be a gift, once upon a time." The pleasant haze of memory washed over Meadowbrook as she smiled fondly. "There was an alicorn filly named Luna who was going to be the princess of Equestria, and she loved strawberries. So, one day, I decided to create a breed just for her, so she could have the perfect strawberry. That's why it's not to everypony's tastes."
"Wow," Strawberry Sunrise breathed. "You can just do that? Make a plant just for one pony?"
"If I know them well enough, yes," Meadowbrook replied. "Though, I'm surprised it isn't more common. With all these marvels, have you not also improved on this art?"
"Pretty sure I've never heard of anypony doing that before," Strawberry Sunrise replied.
"Oh my." Meadowbrook pressed a hoof against her muzzle. "I truly am sad to see such an art lost to time."
"Well," Strawberry Sunrise said. "You can always try to bring it back. It might be fun to have a fruit that's made just for me."
"I could teach you." The offer slipped out before Meadowbrook had time to think on it, but she didn't regret it. "If you're a skilled farmer, then your magic should be plenty strong for this sort of work. It's just a matter of learning how to channel it the proper way, and pegasi magic is closer to earth pony magic than what the unicorns wield."
"Huh." Strawberry Sunrise shrugged. "That could be fun, and probably good for business too. Thanks for the offer."
"My pleasure." It was good to feel a sense of purpose again as well. "It was lovely meeting you, Miss Sunrise."
"Please, call me Strawberry," Strawberry said. "And I'll be done here at six, if you want to grab dinner after?" She grinned. "I can help show you around, and you seem pretty fun to hang out with."
Meadowbrook smiled. "I would love the help, and you seem like good company as well." She curtsied politely. "I'll see you around, Strawberry."
"See ya later, Meadowbrook."
With that, Meadowbrook took her leave, with a bushel of strawberries and the certainty that she had chosen the right town to make her new home in.
