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“Zizzy! Are you ok? It’s ok! Everything is going to be ok!”
Pony’s voice was frantic in the darkness, causing a shiver to rush up Zizzy’s spine. She couldn’t tell what it was that had been chasing them, but the zebra could tell it was big by the heavy footsteps that followed behind them. Lucky for them, it seemed that they’d managed to escape its clutches. For how long, she couldn’t be sure. But for now, at least, the sound of the footsteps had disappeared. The only thing that could be heard was the sound of Pony’s heavy breathing and the thundering of her heart rushing through her ears. In the distance, she could hear the echoing of what sounded like dripping water and even as she strained and flicked her ears this way and that, she couldn’t hear anything further from the monster that had been chasing them.
An audible squeak slipped past her lips as she tensed at the sudden brush to her arm. Fingers curled around her arm and she felt herself being pulled into a tight embrace. Pony. She couldn’t see him through the extreme darkness before them, but she could sense him, and she could smell him. This feeling had always felt like home to her. Despite everything that had been happening in the world and despite losing her sisters in the chaos, she felt her fears and worries melting away. Even if only for a moment. The hug ended far too quickly as the horse pulled back from her. However, his fingers trailed over her arm until they reached her hand, and she felt a shiver rush up her spine. She wasn’t sure if that shiver was from the sensation of his fingers brushing over her fur or if it was because of the silent fear she felt. Whatever the case, Zizzy felt a sense of relief rush over her as Pony’s soft-gentle voice filled the deafening silence around them.
“Don’t worry. Just stay close to me and we will get out of here, I promise.”
“Pony…”
Beep…Beep…Beep…Beep…
A sudden and rhythmic beeping sounded through the air, causing Zizzy to jump. She instinctively tightened her own grip on Pony’s hand and found herself moving a little closer to him. However, his hand suddenly disappeared and Zizzy found herself desperately trying to reach out to where the horse had been standing. Nothing. Her heart sunk in her chest and panic swallowed her whole as she frantically moved forward, the horse's name escaping from her lips again and again and again.
“Hello again, brave warrior…”
Oh no… She had heard that voice before… She knew exactly who it was. But she still never did find out exactly what it was that this creature wanted. She cautiously turned on her heels to see nothing more than the glowing orange eye of the stranger who had called for her before, after the scratch she had taken to her arm. Subconsciously, her hand reached up to brush over the soft fur that now covered the old wound. “What do you want? I already told you no! I don’t want any part of your plan and any part of your deals! I-“ Her words were cut short as a scream slipped from her throat. Violet eyes squeezed tightly closed and her body tensed up, prepared for full impact as a growl of anger slipped past the strangers’ lips before he came running full speed at her.
“NO!”
Violet eyes shot open, but were immediately met with a bright, bright light that caused them to wince. The lines between reality and slumber still felt very blurred as she struggled to regain her full consciousness. Where was she? What was she doing here? How did she get here? Beep beep beep beep. There was that rhythmic beeping again. It was enough to drive her crazy. What was that? She pulled herself up as much as her aching body would allow her. What happened? Why was she in so much pain? Why did her muscles and joints scream at her to lie back down again? What happened that she simply wasn’t remembering?
The zebra’s eyes flicked this way and that, blinking several times to chase away the burning that was caused by the sudden shift from complete darkness to her new and bright surroundings. Was this some sort of trick? Maybe a mind trick that was brought on by the mystery man that she had seen just moments ago? Beep beep beep… A heart monitor? The monitor seemed to be keeping track of all her vitals. But her heart rate was the most prominent fixture that took up the screen. The little green line rose and fell in perfect rhythm with the loud beeping that rang through her ears.
Three large windows lined the white wall, and a black couch was nestled perfectly in place just beneath them. Her eyes dropped to look at her arm, seeing several lines coming from her arm and leading to a bag of fluid that hung above her bed. A sudden noise caused her to jump, and she quickly turned her head towards the sound. “P-Pony…?” The sting of the tears that welled in the corners of her eyes was almost overwhelming as she looked at the sleeping form of the horse before her. He was sitting in a chair next to her bed, his arms folded over the top of the mattress and his head was resting atop his arms. He was sound asleep, shifting only to get into a more comfortable position. Or perhaps the beeping of the machine to her right was causing him to stir awake.
The horses’ arms were covered in bandage wraps and other places were covered in scratches that looked as if they were fresh. His emerald eyes were hidden away behind wavy strands of light brown hair. Hair that had grown longer and even more unruly since the last time she had seen him. His breathing was soft and steady, and he looked as if he was truly exhausted. It was clear that Zizzy was in some sort of hospital and Pony had likely been here all along. How long had she been here? How long had he been staying here with her? The young zebra shifted where she lay, reaching a hand out to delicately move the strands of hair that covered his face. A small gasp slipped past her lips, muffled as she bit down onto her lower lip so as not to frighten him. His right eyes were bandaged up completely and peeking just over the edges of the white bandage were what looked like claw marks or cuts. Had he damaged his eye? Was he able to see from it? Pony looked so banged up and so pathetic at this moment in Zizzy’s eyes.
Her heart broke to think of what he had been through since the two of them parted... All the pain he must have endured in every single way possible since they had lost one another… She remembered the desperation in his voice when she had discovered the scratch. He had tried so desperately to clutch onto anything he possibly could to be sure that she would leave with them. The promise of finding a cure. The promise to help her. Anything that he could say to convince her to stay with him. She remembered the hug they had shared, clinging onto one another one last time in what could have been their final farewell. In that brief moment, she had felt as if she were home in his arms. The feeling had been fleeting and the moment that they had been forced to pull away from one another, reality had caved back over them once more. Zizzy had soon been left alone with nothing more than the lingering warmth that had lasted only a few moments before it disappeared entirely. Tears welled up in Zizzy’s eyes as she brushed his hair back a little further from his face, hooking the loose strands over his drooped ear. Poor Pony. He was truly exhausted.
Her mind began to wander back to their childhood, and how she and Pony had first met. She remembered that he had been sitting alone at one of the lunch tables in school in kindergarten. She recalled the little horse looking so sad and so lonely as he brushed his fork along his food, never once taking a bite. She noticed that he had been ignored by the other kids for some time. Maybe it was because he was shy or maybe they were simply bullies that had to look for one reason or another to bully him. Whatever the case, Zizzy had taken notice of him some time ago and had taken this opportunity to go over to greet him. The horse had thought she had made some kind of mistake, mixing him up with someone else. But she had insisted that it was him she wanted to sit with and when he finally accepted, the two had hit it off right away. They had become fast friends and quickly became inseparable from one another. Time spent together in school had eventually turned into time spent together out of school.
She remembered the moment that Pony had shown up to school wearing a new pair of glasses in 4th grade. She remembered him being picked on for having to wear glasses both for the way he looked in them as well as the fact that his father was an optometrist. The irony of it all. Zizzy had been the one to stand up for him, demanding that they show him more respect and to stop teasing him for something he couldn’t help. She remembered Pony quietly thanking her one day after school when the two of them were walking home. She could tell he was nervous, his emerald green eyes cast downward as they had walked. It was in that moment that the two had shared their very first hug together. She had felt so inclined to hug him and to remind him that everything would be ok. Soon, they would be out of that school and they could move on with the next chapter of their lives.
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“Hey, Zizzy…?”
“Pony?!”
The signal through the phone was weak, and it always had been since this whole outbreak began. But she could tell right away who that voice belonged to. Pony. How long had it been since she last heard from the young horse? Did he know how late it was? The two had been friends almost all their lives and had grown up together. It was college that had torn the two close friends apart. Pony had gone on to study optometry like his father before him and Zizzy? Zizzy had stayed right here in the little, quiet town of Lucella, working as a fencing coach after picking up a particular interest for the sport while in high school. She often took up the time to teach her sisters as well as the class they had put her in charge of teaching. The two friends had had such clashing schedules that they seemed to almost never have the time to speak or see one another. Eventually, the pair had seemed to lose contact entirely and, while it broke Zizzy’s heart more than words could ever properly express, she was happy that the horse was out there chasing his dreams. Even if it meant that those dreams never included her….
“I was… I-… Zizzy, could you meet me here at the Lucella Factory? Please. The back entrance. In an hour. I-“
Suddenly, Zizzy was met with loud beeping as the call dropped suddenly. Violet eyes glanced at the phone in her hand as she lowered it from her ear. A picture of Pony flashed across the screen before the screen went dark once more. The old Factory. What was he doing there of all places? Whatever the case, Zizzy rushed to gather her fencing foil and emergency supplies in case she or the two of them were to run into any trouble that would prevent them from returning back to the Safe Place right away. Pony needed her. And she was willing to answer his call without so much as a second thought to her safety. Her sisters were safe here in the care of Mimi and Giraffy, the mismatched pair of survivors whom she had been fortunate to run into at the very beginning of the outbreak. They had resided at an old hotel that was referred to as The Safe Place and, so far, the place had proven time and time again that it was more than capable of withstanding the infected that now aimlessly wandered the streets. Zee and Zuzy would be fine here. They would be safe.
Zizzy remembered the warmth of his embrace, the safety and comfort that she had felt to be in his arms once again. She remembered the way that he had had to lean in over her to rest his head on her shoulder because of the height difference between them. It had been so long since she had last seen the horse, much less hug him. But there was something about this hug that was special and meant so much to her. Pony was here. He was alive. He hadn’t turned into one of those monsters, and Zizzy felt a sense of relief and safety in his arms that she had never felt before. That moment had been the start of everything. The beginning of the small group of survivors known as the Safe Place. Rekindling of long forgotten feelings for one another. And a reminder that they were so much better together than they ever were apart…
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The fingers that had swept Pony’s hair aside had shifted, gently tickling over the tufts of fur on his cheeks. Zizzy’s delicate touch moved to press through the fur, meeting with his cheek and carefully, gently brushing over his warm skin. Pony shifted beneath his touch, his ears flicking this way and that as a yawn slipped uninvited from his mouth. The zebra watched as he picked up his head and leaned back in his chair to stretch his arms high above his head. A grunt slipped from his lips as he stretched his back muscles before he finally settled back into place, laying his head down once more. That is until it finally seemed to click. She watched as he paused for a moment, stiff and still as if he had just seen a ghost. His head lifted once more and turned to face him. His one good emerald green eye focused on her, widening the moment that he saw her. “Zizzy!” His voice sounded so desperate and filled with emotion, but also filled with happiness and relief. Zizzy was awake! The cure had worked! She couldn’t help but to giggle as he stood up from his chair so fast, he knocked it backwards with a loud clatter on the hard tile floor. His arms flung out and she found herself pulled into a tight embrace. Her slender arms reached out to loop over his neck, pulling him in just a little tighter to her. Here, she felt at home. Here, she felt at peace. Here, she felt safe for the first time in forever… It was nice. It was comforting. She never wanted to let this moment go.