Setting Roots
“Home.” A place where one can return to escape the stress of the everyday. Where one can kick up their hooves and recover from the worries of the world. Where friends and loved ones gather to spend time with one another and share in each other’s lives. A place for togetherness.
“Home.” Is that a town? A house? A region or state? Maybe the people you interact with, your friends and family? Can home truly be where the heart is? What if your heart belongs to another world? What if you aren’t sure that that world is yours to roam?
I strolled leisurely along the well traveled roads of Ponyville, absently looking at the stores I passed by and the ponies going about their day as my mind wandered elsewhere. “I’ve been in this world now for just over two months. So much has happened since I found myself here, but somehow it feels like I arrived only a few short days ago. Can I really call this world home? The Mayor, my friends, and even Princess Celestia said it’s okay. They even accept me for who and what I am… but can I really say I belong?”
“Miss Zinnia!” A familiar young voice called, pulling me away from the dark thoughts still clinging to the corners of my mind. My ears perked up and flicked to the direction the little voice came from, catching the sound of two small pairs of hooves galloping quickly towards me.
“Is that…?” I turned to see who was so eager to find me on my self-absorbed walk, and was quickly greeted by a shock of short, blue mane bouncing excitedly in and out of view. Looking down revealed a smile so big that his round little light orange face could barely contain it. “First Base!” I exclaimed, genuinely surprised to see him.
“Wow, it really is her,” said a second little voice, not too far behind First Base. A little filly trotted forward, looking at me as though I was some comic book hero who just stepped off the page and into the real world. Her carnation coat reminded me of another pony I’d met not too long ago at Twilight’s library, and her two-tone pink mane partially hid a tiny horn whose tip just barely poked out through her bangs.
“See! I told you, Ruby!” The little colt said, still excitedly bouncing around me. I couldn’t help but giggle at the show the two foals were putting on around me. I had been wanting to visit First Base after the Everfree fiasco but so much happened between then and now that I’d almost forgotten about my new little friend. If him jumping laps around me was any kind of hint, I’d say he was just as happy to see me as I was to see him, if not more so.
“I’m so glad to see you, Base! How are you?” I asked as I caught him in a hug mid bounce.
“I’m all better! I only had a little bruise on my knee, thanks to you! What about you? Apple Bloom said that you couldn’t fly anymore…” He said, his happy smile melting into worry as he pointed to my wings. Ruby gasped as well, looking like she was starting to tear up.
“Oh! No. I wasn’t hurt that badly. Just a little sprain! See?” I said as I opened my wings. “The doctor told me not to fly for a few days, just to be sure they were ok.”
He didn’t seem too convinced at my explanation, giving my wings an unsure glance. “Are you su-woah!” Before he could finish, I lifted us both off the ground with a few strained flaps before settling back down on the ground. I didn’t want to show it, but it actually took a lot more effort to lift us both than I expected. I tried hiding my slight shortness of breath behind a confident grin, which seemed to satisfy both of the foals, who clapped their hooves together triumphantly.
“Was he that heavy when I flew him away from that manticore thing? Maybe earth ponies are just really dense. Or maybe I’m still a weak flyer. Or both. Probably both.”
“Wow! That’s so cool!” Ruby exclaimed happily as it seemed it was her turn to bounce around in excitement, warranting another giggle from me.
“So, Base. Who’s your friend here?” I asked, reminding him that he hadn’t yet introduced me to Ruby, though I had a pretty good idea of who she was now that I knew her name. I remembered Berryshine mentioning Ruby and how she was having some trouble learning to use her magic before my impromptu visit from Princess Celestia, but thought it was better for First Base to introduce us.
“Oh! Right! Ruby’s one of my friends from school! Ruby, this is Zinnia! She’s the pony I told everypony about, who rescued me from the monster in the Everfree forest!” He said trotting over to his little filly friend and urging her to come say hello. I thought she’d be more skittish considering her age, but she walked right up to me like I was just another one of her regular friends.
I wasn’t sure exactly what I was expecting from her, but it certainly wasn’t, “Miss Zinnia! Is it really true that you beat up like, five timberwolves with your bare hooves without using your wings?! Apple Bloom talks about it all the time, and nopony really believes her, but I do! You saved First Base from a manticore so it’s gotta be true!”
“Ahh, I see the tales of my survival were greatly exaggerated. How does the number of wolves I ‘beat up’ keep increasing? And why am I known for brutalizing wildlife!” I sighed, trying to think of the best way to set the record straight when my blue maned buddy immediately chimed in.
“I believe her! And so does her friends!” First Base said, whining a little as if they’ve been through this same conversation before.
“Of course Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle believe her! I bet they get to play with Zinnia all the time since she lives with Apple Bloom!” Ruby retorted.
“They do! Skootaloo told me that Zinnia is an honorary Cutie Mark Crusader, too!”
“Uh oh… When did that happen? I hope that doesn’t make me an accomplice or guilty by association.”
“Hey, maybe we should ask them if we can join!” Ruby said, looking at me as if expecting an answer.
“I-I think that’s probably a better question for them to answer. I’m just an ‘honorary member,’ after all.” I said, trying my best not to overstep my newly discovered title and rank.
“We should go ask! I bet they’re still in town, Base!”
“Yeah! Let’s go!” First Base nearly shouted in excitement as he and Ruby darted off towards the center of town, leaving a little cloud of dust in their wake.
I watched them run off a little way before Ruby seemed to realize something. She turned her head to look back at me before nudging First Base with her head, nearly knocking the both of them over as they ran. The two foals came to a stop and seemed to talk for a moment, before Ruby pointed to me and First Base face-hoofed. He turned to me and placed his little hooves near his mouth and took a deep breath.
“Thank you for coming to Ponyville, Miss Zinnia! See you later!” He shouted, and waved.
“Bye, Miss Zinnia!” Ruby called as she waved too, before nudging First Base a final time and they both ran off on the hunt for Apple Bloom and her friends.
I waved as they disappeared around the corner of a building, a smile still spread across my face. I really was relieved that he was ok, and that the incident hadn’t left him worse for wear. He was a pretty tough little pony.
“What was I so concerned about before? Whatever it was couldn’t be that important if I forgot… Oh well. I wonder if I can find a new shampoo. I’d like to try something that isn’t apple scented.” I thought as an errant breeze lazily drifted through town, wafting some of the fruit scented product from my mane to greet my nose.
After a pleasant afternoon of window shopping, I stumbled across a store with a sign that looked like a soap bar with suds and bubbles and decided to take a look inside. The shop was impressively clean, and the air inside was a riot of different scents from a wide variety of different soaps, shampoos, conditioners, and other personal care products. I took a moment to breathe deeply and enjoy the onslaught of fragrances before stepping further inside.
“Hello! Welcome!” An older mare with a very similar cutie mark to the sign outside waved me in as she placed what seemed to be a bottle of hoof polish onto a shelf near the back of the shop. She squinted at me briefly before seemingly recognizing me, a grin forming on her aging face. “How may I help you today?”
“Oh, hello. I was actually looking to try a new shampoo, and maybe a conditioner too. I don’t have many bits though. Do you have a discount section, or maybe something inexpensive you would recommend?” I asked, feeling somewhat embarrassed about my lack of funds.
“Hmm…” The mare pondered as she turned to examine the shelves before landing on a stand of colorful bottles near the back of the store. “I think you might like these.” She motioned me to follow her to the back, past several racks of “popular” herb scented products that seemed to be closer to Rarity’s price range. Even the bottles, which were more delicately designed, looked quite expensive which made me wonder if the price was due to the bottle or the product itself.
“Are there glassblowers that make those bottles or are they made using magic?” I wondered as we passed them by, thankful that the shopkeeper didn’t try to up-sell me.
The rack she brought me to was lined with much more simply shaped bottles. Each product’s label showed pictures of different berries, herbs, and fruits denoting their contents. Some pictures were familiar, while others left me puzzled until I remembered seeing similar images in one of the books I borrowed from Twilight during my hospital stay. I was worried that the bottle's contents would be a lower quality than what I was used to using, but one quick sniff from a bottle of lemon-lavender scented body wash quickly dispelled my suspicions.
“Wow, these are wonderful!” I said looking at another who’s label looked like some type of strange blue flower and smelled oddly nutty.
“Why, of course! Suds and Sundries only carries the best for any budget! These products are also great for washing away build up after a long day of work on the farm!” She said with a wink.
“How did you know I work at a farm?” I asked, now a little scared that my last bath didn’t get me as clean as I’d have hoped.
“Well, you can’t get around smelling like apples from Sweet Apple Acres, for one.” She said, in a matter-of-fact tone, which only drove home the point that I needed something new. I worked with apples, but now I was afraid I might turn into one. “But I’ve heard about how much you’ve helped the Apples since you came to Ponyville, and I was there at the party when you received the reward for helping find that little colt. You know, I was friends with First Base’s grandpa when I was just a filly.”
“Oh, you were?” I asked, picking up a bottle with a yellow-orange fruit pictured on the front. “First Base’s grandpa liked playing sports, right?”
“He sure did! It was just about the only thing that mattered to him when he was just a young, hoofsome colt.” She said wistfully. “Why, I remember when we were both just little foals. He’d spend nearly every afternoon practicing pitching and catching, and if he wasn’t practicing he was going on about how he’d make it to the big leagues someday.” Her little smile had now stretched wide across her face as she reminisced. She actually reminded me a lot of someone I used to listen to in my past; a little old lady who owned a grocery store in town. It was always a pleasure listening to her tell stories about her youth, or about the town, or the people in it. I couldn’t help but mirror the old mare’s smile as she continued.
“After he grew up a little, he went and moved to Fillydelphia to join a team in a big city. Became a real star player, he did. He never quite managed to make it as far as he wanted to, but he was a hero to a lot of ponies back here in Ponyville. Well, some more years went by and he got a little older, as ponyfolk do, and he moved back home when it was time to retire. It was good to see him again after he hung up his glove but he never gave up his love for the game. He’d spend hours playing catch with First Base in the park, and taught little Base everything he knew! You wouldn’t believe how happy he was when Base got his cutie mark! It looks just like his grandpa’s except Base has a bat instead of a glove.
The mare’s smile took on a hint of sadness as she continued, “Well… he continued to grow older, as ponyfolk do, and not too long ago he passed. First Base wasn’t quite the same for a while after that. Poor little colt could barely manage. I hated watching him play catch by himself in the park with his grandpa’s ball.” She said, her eyes beginning to moisten from the memory.
“Well, one day, Berryshine’s filly, Ruby, saw him playing alone and felt bad for him, seeing him out there tossing his old ball all by himself. Little Ruby’s a good filly, but she’s a unicorn you see, and unicorns when they’re that young sometimes aren’t too good at using their magic yet. Well, Ruby went to Base and they started playing catch together. Little Base looked happier than he’d been in months, but then Ruby had a little accident with her magic and threw his ball so hard it flew all the way into the Everfree!”
“Wait, this sounds familiar.” I thought to myself, “No… There’s no way. Ruby was the unicorn who chucked his grandpa’s ball into the woods? I thought it was a bully who did it! And by accident? No wonder Berryshine was having trouble…”
“Well, as you can imagine, little Base wasn’t very happy with Ruby, and ran off into the woods to get his grandpa’s ball back. I told him not to go, but he wouldn’t listen and ran off. I’m too old to chase after him, so I told everypony I could. It just so happens that there was a new mare in town who heard about a missing colt, and tracked him down just in the nick of time! I believe that’s you, dear.” She said, giving me a knowing wink.
“And then would you believe the mare turned down the reward she got and shared it with her friends instead! Something about how they made her feel like Ponyville was a home to her or some other nonsense. As far as I see it, she’s as close to family to me as First Base is. After all, my grandson wouldn’t be around right now if you hadn’t gone and done what you did."
"G-grandson?! No way! She's First Base's grandmother? Grandmare?" She must have amused by my slack-jawed, astonished stare. A small, mischievous smile crept back onto her face as she gauged my reaction, seemingly satisfied that her revelation totally caught me off-guard. I tried in vain to formulate a response but she quickly continued, cutting me off before I could get my mind and mouth on the same page.
“Now I know what you’re thinking. ‘I’m just some city-girl, working at some farm in some backwater town.’ But let me tell you, there's more than a few ponies here who appreciate you more than you know. I know Ponyville isn’t the big city that Manehattan is, and you probably don’t feel like you belong here sometimes seeing how it’s so different from where you’re from, but we’re glad you came all the same. Now, I assume that bottle of apricot shampoo you’re squeezing is what you’d like?”
“I-I u-umm…” I stammered, completely gobsmacked. I just dumbly looked at the colorfully labeled bottle I held in my hoof and nodded. "Y-yes, please."
“That’s a good one! You’ll have all the stallions chasing after you! One of my favorites. Tell ya what, since you were so kind as to listen to an old mare prattle on, I’ll go ahead and give you a bottle of body wash for free if you buy the shampoo and mane-and-tail conditioner.”
“Oh, there’s the up sell.” I laughed to myself. Tucking the bottles under my wing, we proceeded to the front counter were I produced my meager bag of bits, spilling its contents to made my first real purchase since my arrival. The mare happily took the large golden coins from me and placed my newly obtained bottles in a bag for me to take. I thanked her for helping me and for giving me a good deal, to which she pretended not to know what I was talking about.
“Thank you for shopping and Suds and Sundries, Zinnia! Come back and see me again sometime, dear.” She said with a wave before heading back to restock another shelf filled with an assortment of hair and tail accessories.
Adjusting my newly acquired bag of beauty supplies, I stepped out of the shop and wandered back into the street. I knew the town was small, but finding First Base's grandmare serendipitously at a soap store felt too coincidental. Her heartfelt story echoed in my mind, reminding me of the comforting and familiar connections I once had back in my hometown.
“Home. Oh yeah, that’s what I was thinking about…” For only the briefest of moments, I wondered again about what ‘home’ was, but the image of two happy little foals smiling and waving at me in the street and the old mare at the store erased any worries I had in my mind. it was as if a weight had been lifted from my withers, so much so that I found myself flying the rest of the way back, humming a little tune I’d heard somewhere in town. Earth might be out of reach, but as I landed back at the farm the idea dawned on me. “Earth or Equestria, Sweet Apple Acres or Ponyville, my old family or my new friends; it doesn’t matter where you are…”
I opened the front door to the house I’d lived at now for two months and was greeted by the warm smell of an apple cinnamon pie baking in the oven, Granny Smith crocheting a blanket in her rocking chair while shouting at Apple Bloom to make sure she finishes her chores before dinner, Big Mac coming in through the kitchen with a long day’s worth of sweat built up on his tired brow, and Applejack coming down from upstairs. A perfect scene, one I’ve come to love. My found family and friends, in a world that found me.
“It doesn’t matter where you are, so long as it’s where your heart yearns to be.”
“Oh, howdy Z! Welcome home!”
Hello, everyone! I hope this finds you well!
Wow... It's been a while huh? 
I'm still here, and the story is still being worked on! I swear! I promise I never forgot you!
This chapter finally marks the end to Zinnia's identity crisis, as she fully embraces her new life in Equestria. It's been a (very) long time since my last update, so I hope that my style or quality hasn't changed much since I've been away. If it has, I'm still always excited to receive your feedback and will work to fix any lingering issues I may have missed.
Thank you for your continued support, everyone! 
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Welcome Back! I was surprised to see this update after so long, I might need to do a re-read.
Still, it's great to see a good story continue.
Wow, it is alive?! Thanks for the chapter!
Definitely a very good definition.
Oh, deep thinking!
Reminds me of the Michaels back home.
As one steps into the store, almost unanimously they have a brief coughing spell is there assaulted by all of the chemicals in the air.
Nice. Just nice.
https://m.Also,
11906210
I haven't hear that song in *forever!* Also, hello again! I'm glad to see you!
I remembered liking this story but didn’t remember much about it. So now that I’ve reread the whole thing I can say: Good a job, glad to have you back.
11907352
Oh, how'd I miss that? Thank you!
Oh, you're back. Glad it happened and glad you're alive. How's your health?
11908500
Hale and hearty! Thank you! I'm glad to see everyone again!
How did she go from "friends with First Base's grandpa" and referring to First Base as "that little colt" to being his grandam?
11908952
Good question! First Base's grandmare is actually based off of someone I know, or at least knew, when I was growing up. They would always tell stories in a meandering way, and would omit details like that until the end of their stories. I wanted to try to capture her style of story telling. It's a little confusing, I know ^^;
Edit: and to be fair, if it wasn't clear than it was probably my fault for not making it more understandable. I'll attempt to do better in the future.
11909000
I think, in that case, that what it needs is a startled reaction from Zinnia upon hearing that little tidbit of information, to make it clear that the reader wasn't the only one being bamboozled.
11909029
Ahh, I see your point. I'll take another look at it. Thank you for your thoughtful feedback!
Yeeeeeeeeeesssssssssssssssssss!!!!!!
I've read all the chapters you've updated since 2022 in a few days and i have to say i'm really enjoying it and looking forward to the next chapter.
Wow, it was unexpected to see the Zinnia update in the feed.
The chapter is sweet and sincere) Thank you! Is there really going to be a sequel?
Glad to see you back!