Zephyr Botanica
Gender: Female
Species: Pegasus
Mane: Pale Green
Tail: Pale Green
Eyes: Orchid Purple
Body: Tall, well-toned.
Cutie Mark: An orchid flower, whose leaves are feathers instead along the stem.
Age: Adult (Young)
Personality:
Zephyr, or ‘Zeph’ as her multitude of friends call her, is a very warm mare. She can always be seen with a bright smile on her face, which radiates with warmth and beauty. There’s always a bounce in her step, or flight pattern, should she be airborne. All-in-all, she’s quite cheerful, and has the type of personality to both infect and share that delight with others.
When it comes to her friends, she’s as loyal as they come. Zephyr will always be there when someone requires assistance, or just needs a friendly chat. While normally a passive individual, she knows when to stick her hoof down and assert herself, especially if someone she cares about is being threatened. While violence is usually avoided in confrontations, as a means, it is still a legit last resort.
Her true passion comes from nature in all its wondrous forms, but nothing makes her heart warmer than taking care of the tender flowers and foliage she helped raise from sprouts. She believes that all living things, including those incapable of comprehensive thought (such as plants), have every right to live long and fulfilling lives. The loving tendencies she presents towards her friends is amplified towards that of the earth’s immobile children.
While she might come off as a happy-go-lucky Pegasus, Zephyr is actually quite intelligent. She’s capable of not only identifying most plant-life and animals, but developing the former into a variety of medicines. Her knowledge of herbs is second-to-none. An extensive knowledge of the world in general is required for such, from its past to present, and seeing that accurate mathematics are essential for medicinal production, her mind is well-rounded.
Likes:
. Plants, flowers, animals.
. Interacting with others, befriending creatures of all sorts, developing long-lasting friendships.
. Sweets, fruits, vegetables, and the occasional cider.
Dislikes:
. Cruelty, bullies, inconsideration.
. Seeing others mistreating the planet, picking of flowers (unless they’re assured a new place to grow and thrive), the destruction of trees for mediocre goods.
. Anything bitter.
History:
The sky is the world for a Pegasus, the clouds their foundation and homes. Amongst all of the civilizations carved from the fluff, Cloudsdale is perhaps the most infamous of all. Not only is it a true city, with countless residential regions and shops, but it also homes an entire factory dedicated to the creation of weather, which most of Equestria depends on.
It is here that Zephyr Botanica was born and raised. Both of her parents were purebred Pegasus, known for their bloodline and status. Having descended from a long-line of purebloods (whom mixed with other purebloods, rather than to fall to the revolting act of incense), their reputation was not only a great gift, but a terrible burden. Whenever they were out in public, their heads had to be held high, manes groomed to perfection, hooves shiny and clothes original. They were so well-revered, that nearly the entire city was delighted to hear the rapidly-spread news of them having a foal.
She was birthed with no imperfections, just as her parents’ background demanded. Her coat was a stunning shade of blue, one unlike those the Pegasus were accustomed to seeing, making her a rare gem. As for her mane, the pale green caused some commotion, seeing as the heavens produced no such shade, save for a fraction of a rainbow. While perplexing, it shining strands were more than enough to satisfy the demands of both her folks and followers.
Raised in high-society, Zephyr was expected to become the perfect lady. From a young age, she was exposed to only the finer things in lives, and taught etiquette as a second nature. Only the best teachers were permitted to get near her, and she was expected to excel at everything. Having private tutors, while helpful in the terms of education, did not bode well for her socialization skills. Very rarely was she exposed to other Pegasus her age- and usually, they were during grand events her parents hosted. Even during those, however, contact was limited- the foals were there more for show and bragging rights than to make friends.
While she performed as her parents wished, Zephyr always felt hollow inside. She did enjoy making her folks happy, but she never understood their joy. She did experience a bit of the mysterious sensation when she snuck a peak, or a word, with the other foals, which satisfied her for a short duration. That little interacting had her yearning for more, so in secret, she started to read late at night from her parents’ private library, to figure out a way to join her fellow foals in merriment.
She came across an academy that specialized in teaching young Pegasus how to fly properly. No doubt, her mother and father planned on having a special instructor focus on such with her, so she needed to figure out a way to be enrolled instead. It would involve some minor manipulation, some deceit, and a whole load of arts and crafts.
The plan? Forge a brochure, to make the ‘basic’ Flight Academy look like It was meant for the prestige; the elite. It took a bunch of creativity, glue, and time, but the end result was worthwhile. Zephyr displayed her fabulous creation to her folks, whom fortunately weren’t all too keen on details. Either that, or she had truly done a fantastic job. Zephyr made it appear that only the purest of breeds would even be considered for enrollment, which was right up their tight alley. It took effort and great control to contain the excitement that wished to bust at her seams- for one, self-control was proper in the higher society, and secondly, she didn’t want to raise any suspicions.
The school was more than she could ever hope for. There were so many young Pegasus, of not only every color under the rainbow, but social status too! She had never seen so many youths, most of them undressed (she was used to wearing a gown at the least). Appaling? Not at all! It spoke of freedom, something she longed for! On her first day, all of her excitement exploded, and she immediately introduced herself to every pony around. It caused some to become uncomfortable or concerned, but there were many who admired her spirit, and were more than happy to chat.
Amazingly, it wasn’t difficult for her to make friends. Her normal politeness was appreciated, as was her discipline to pay attention when spoken to. Though she did tend to get distracted by all the fun, Zephyr still showed her stuff in the air. Her wings didn’t get much use outside of her home or at the balls, but her pureblood guaranteed success. She was efficient, though lacked a bit of stamina at first. She tired easily, but forced herself to continue on, less she disappoint her friends- or make them dislike her. Thus, when all others slumbered in her abode, she practiced her flying through the many halls and chambers.
Spending time with her classmates outside of the academy was nigh impossible. No one had recognized her status, which meant that no one had to feel like a lesser next to her, and she planned on keeping it that way. Plus, her folks wouldn’t have wanted any dirty-hooved foals galloping through their house. Over the months, she came up with excused one after the other to deter them from nagging her about a play date. It pained her to do it, even more so with their persistence, but it had to be done.
Come graduation, Zephyr had had enough hiding. She was proud of her friends, and of herself (for discovering her social talents). Putting her hoof down, she did the unthinkable: offered to host a celebration party for everyone. But not at home. Instead, she arranged a little adventure for everyone. Cloudsdale was too dangerous to hang around- she could easily be spotted and recognized. There weren’t any other nearby sky cities, which left her with but one choice: land. None of the Pegasus had ever dared venture too far beneath the clouds, but it was high time they all learned a little bit more about their world.
Down below, she lead them to a quaint little town just outside of a peaceful forest. Despite the ponies having never actually seen all the vegetation before, they did have a basic understanding of it all from school. Zephyr, upon her purple eyes settling upon the rich green of the land, instantly fell in love. She shifted course to the grassy hills, riddled with beautiful flowers, and reveled in the feeling of the dirt beneath her hooves. She rolled around in the grass, smelled all the flowers, and laughed up a storm of the most innocent delight.
Zephyr decided that the hill would be the perfect place for their party. It overlooked the unknown town, had a great view of the forest, and the sky above (thanks to their kin) was crystal blue. The Pegasus, all being of curious minds, agreed. They ventured back up to Cloudsdale, gathered the necessities, and created the most magnificent picnic down below. It was the best time she had ever had in her life.
After the celebration, and everyone said their goodbyes, she decided to stick around the ground level while her friends flew away. She returned to prancing around the meadow, inched her way closer to the forest, admired all the little critters that scurried about. The animals were incredible, but what really took her breath away, was all the fauna. Clearly, there were so many other species, most of which she never read about. The lack of knowledge rubbed her in the wrong way- she wanted to know all about the budding vegetation; their names, purposes, origins. Having a feeling she wouldn’t acquire such things back home, she hit the nearby village instead.
The village was even cuter than she imagined! Plus, there were so many Earth Ponies, Unicorns, and even her own species mingling about with one another. Zephyr had never heard of such gatherings before, but of course, loved the idea. No longer a shy foal, she conversed with the kind townsfolk, eager to learn everything about their homeland, themselves, and just about anything else imaginable. Eventually, she came across a book store and was immediately directed to the text she sought. The book was rather new, but contained information about the plants, flowers, weeds and so forth of Equestria from centuries past to the present.
With her nose buried in the book, Zephyr wandered the town, but kept the fact that her parents would be expecting her home soon in the back of her mind. She couldn’t find her fill, even after reading several dozen chapters. There was no choice but to bring the book back home and hide it, less her mother and father discover where she’s been.
From that day on, her spare time (outside of her standard scholarly teachings and ‘social’ events) was spent sneaking back down to the ground and personally inspecting the plants she learned about. Her favorite growths were the orchid flowers, whom were elegantly grown and required gentle care to prosper. So fond of them, Zephyr risked everything digging one up beneath the roots and replanting it in her room, where she could further admire it. Eventually, her studies became too simple; she wanted to get more in depth with the foliage.
That brought her back to the bookstore. On that trip, she purchased an alchemy book, one which explored the world of herbal remedies. Now that was fascinating! Not only were her vegetation beautiful to look at, and respectable considering their survivability, but they could also be used to aid the sick and injured. Zephyr devoured all the information, memorized every remedy, desperate to fully comprehend the plant world.
Her love, devotion, and the raw happiness she felt while studying the plan life caused a wondrous thing to occur: her Cutie Mark appeared. It took the form of an orchid, but its leaves were green feathers. The mark represented her love for the plant, as well as the freedom she obtained after making the decision to first venture from Cloudsdale. Unfortunately, the marking was nothing that her parents expected. Worse yet, when she explained what it was, she had to delve into her secret life, which shattered her folks’ world.
They were beyond appalled. No one lied to them. No one tricked them. To have their own blood go lollygagging about with a bunch of inferior bred Pegasus and other ponies was disgraceful, in their eyes. At first, Zephyr was so shocked, she was willing to flee her parents’ scolding gazes and never return. However, courage roared in her chest and ruffled her wing feathers. This was who she was, these were her folks. They had no right to dislike or shun her for being her true self. And she told them just that, but in much more detail.
They didn’t like having their morals twisted about. Nor did the two care to feel belittled and shamed. But in the end, they knew that their daughter was right, and found a whole new respect for her. Not only were they proud of her academic standings (from her private tutors), but she had excelled in the Flight Academy as well (and they realized they really never aided her wing training). Best of all, their little gal went above and beyond to fulfill her dreams, while still executing grace, and performing where and when her parents needed to for their namesake.
The discovery of her Cutie Mark marked not only a formerly blank spot on her flank, but the beginning of a whole new life for Zephyr. Her relationship with her parents grew strong and blossomed, much like the many flowers she took care of in the garden her parents constructed on the ground far, far below. So large was it, and so gorgeous, that many-a-pony, Pegasus, and Unicorn alike started to visit it. Her parents swelled with pride, for not only did they give her daughter a gift she truly appreciated, but now the land ponies had something to recognize with their name as well.
To this day, Zephyr tends to that garden, making its flowers bloom and the other vegetation grow strong. Countless herbs have been farmed as well, which she personally molds into medicines for any ailing folk. While she loves her time on the land, she can still be found in Cloudsdale, mingling with her dearest friends, and discovering new ones each day.
Example RP segment: (#1)
It was another beautiful day down on solid ground, a place where few Pegasus actually choose to gallop. But Zephyr Growth wasn’t a typical winged horse. Of course, those beautiful feathered wings weren’t purely for show- she was an adept flyer, more than capable of exploring the fluffy clouds above, but her true passion in life was far from her home of Cloudsdale. In honor of her bravery, honesty, and clear passion, her parents had developed a wondrous garden for her to tend to, which she did absolutely every day. Through rain, snow, drought, and whatever else her fellow Pegasus threw at the world, those flowers and fauna were taken care of as if they were her foals.
And like every day, she had gathered a good amount of herbs from her garden, which she stored in twin cloth bags strapped to her sides, to bring to the local village. Many-a-pony used them for cooking, others enjoyed growing them themselves, but their most important function came from medicinal usage. Zephyr had an extensive knowledge of the pros and cons to each leaf of every plant and used it for good. The townsfolk even offered her a place to open a small shop to sell her herbs and treat the ill with the concoctions she produced. They were oh so kind!
As she galloped along with a bounce in her step, head held high with glee, her erect ears picked up on a strange, foreign sound. She immediately planted her hooves into the ground, bringing herself to a skidding stop, and started twisting the pointed appendages around. Eventually, she tracked the source of the disturbance to a young brown foal, who had bright gold eyes, which shimmered with tears. From his shaking chest, he moaned and howled out in despair, while tucking his stubby tail in close to his body. Clearly distressed, the Pegasus ran on over to him, but made sure her steps were light and approach non-threatening.
She asked the foal what was wrong in a kind, soothing voice. After a few sniffles, he wiped his runny nose with a hoof and stuttered that he had lost his mother. She smiled sweetly, assuring him that she would help find his mom, and caressed his rounded cheek with a feather on her wing. He sobbed a bit more, but finally got himself under control, and agreed to be led about. Side-by-side, they ventured through the many streets of the village, the foal calling out his mother’s name, while Zephyr searched for any frantic mares.
With no success within the first few minutes, both of their spirits sagged. The foal was on the verge of a breakdown again, the signs were clear in his enlarging eyes. Swiftly, she ducked beneath the youth and fixed him on her back, then instructed him to hold on. With but one strong flap, the two were airborne, and the village below receded to the point that its civilians were mere dots. With this new bird’s-eye-view, Zephyr was able to get a better layout of the town and follow the residents’ movements more. Near the center, a lone mare was darting here and there, looking into bushes, under carts- anywhere there was enough space for something to be lost in.
Now having a lead, Zephyr gracefully glided over the many rooftops, her purple eyes working hard to keep the mare in sight, while also glancing back to ensure the foal was secure. Eventually, she came to a landing and lowered to her knees, permitting the foal to scoot off. Before she could even stand upright, he took off for the mare, whose coat matched his own. The Earth Pony mimicked the behavior, galloping as fast as her hooves would take her, until the two were joined in a warming embrace.
Zephyr smiled at the reunion, filled to the brim with pride and relief. Giving herself a nod, she turned and walked off, giving the two as much privacy as they needed. Having no desire for praise for her good deed, she didn’t look back even once, less the mare wish to reward her. No. She had done the right thing, and seeing their love was more than enough as a reward.
Subject: Zephyr Botanica 
Fri Jan 04, 2013 12:58 pm
