“So this is where you work now, Verd?” Beacon Fire asked as she followed her fillyhood friend down the paved stone path.

“Yep,” Verdant Moss replied. “Bea, welcome to what we like to call ‘The Garden.’”

He gestured to the expanse of flora before them. Beacon’s eyes scanned over it all, wide with awe. Paved pathways made a series of interconnected rings, each space full of vibrant green plants or brightly colored flowers. Wooden buildings line the outermost ring, some large, some smaller—the smaller ones seemed to be made inside of giant trees.

“And what exactly do you do here?” Beacon asked as they continued down the path.

“Well, Treehugger likes to call it the ‘Equestrian Botany Expedition,’ or ‘EBE’ for short,” Verdant continued. “Our mission is to keep a complete record of Equestria’s various flora—as well as the flora of other lands. In addition, we provide aid to those with ailing plants or crops. We’re… not official yet, though, in terms of being recognized by the Princesses.”

“Amazing,” Beacon said, looking up at a series of trees that shaded the path with their branches. “Where have you all been?”

“Well, some places have been less productive than others,” Verdant admitted. “Not many plants out in Griffonstone or Yakyakistan. But, we have been tied up for several weeks out in the Peaks of Peril. I plan on visiting there myself soon.”

“The home of the kirin?” Beacon asked.

“It’s a vibrant jungle, Bea. Numerous plants we’ve never seen before, and a variety of local edible fruits and plants,” Verdant said, his voice carrying a sense of awe. “In fact, we should be getting some starts here soon for what the kirin call ‘nirik peppers.’”

“Sounds spicy,” Beacon said with a laugh. “Well, as soon as we can get the inspectors out here, we should have no problem in getting you recognized by the royalty. Heck, the Princesses are probably going to want to see all this.”

“Really?” Verdant’s eyes lit up.

“Really. This place is amazing, Verd,” Beacon said, leaning in to sniff a nearby flower. She flashed her old friend a smirk. “Still wish you had joined the guard?”

Verdant laughed. “No, not really. I knew that wasn’t right for me the moment I got my cutie mark.” He smiled back at the image of a leaf under a magnifying glass. “Imagine me, discovering a new species of moss of all things.”

“You got an eye for plants,” Beacon agreed. “Remember the time, you, me, and Star went camping and you saved us from poison ivy?”

Verdant chuckled and brushed it off. “Oh stop. I’m sure either of you would’ve seen it before I did.”

“Well, it looks good walking around out here,” Beacon said. “What’s in all the buildings?”

“The larger buildings are laboratories and greenhouses to study plants,” Verdant said, pointing them out. “The smaller buildings are residencies for some of the non-travelling staff. Helps to be near your place of work, after all.”

“Right. Well, I’ll need to do is meet up with Treehugger and we can schedule an inspection,” Beacon said. “Where is she?”

“She’s off visiting her friend Fluttershy today, but she’ll be back by this evening,” Verdant said. “Why don’t I show you around some of the buildings, show you what we’re working on.”

“I’d like that,” Beacon said, following Verdant as he led her towards one of the larger buildings.

Author's Note

Fun fact: Verdant Moss, like Starshot Glitz, wanted to join the Royal Guard with Beacon Fire when they were younger, but he found his calling in botany. As such, he joined Treehuger's research project here.