He wasn’t afraid, Balefire didn’t do afraid. Why should he be? Sure it was the middle of the night and other than make scary noises, bump into things and move stuff around, the creature under his bed wasn’t that bad. They listened to me when I rambled about my day and they kept me company every night. More so than Pa ever did, seeing as I rarely saw him, day or night. Never meet my mama, or if I did I don’t remember it.
Anyways, back to the creature under his bed. He couldn’t call it a monster, as monsters were only those that hurt or attacked others on purpose. Trying to come up with a name for them was hard too, as he’d only caught glimpses of them.
“Maybe I should call you Zip? Because you know, you zip around and out of sight before anyone can see you?” He asked aloud, while looking under his bed, only seeing a vague shape shifting in the shadows near the very back. “Speedy? Runner? Shadow? I’m not entirely sure, but I have to call you something. I can’t call a potential friend a thing, that’d just be rude.”
He heard a very faint snort as he righted himself on the bed, pulling his legs under him, as he rubbed his chin with his foreleg. This was hard, he didn’t know what to choose. Debating on the various names his young mind brought up.
“I think i’m gonna call you Zip. It’s simple and I can remember it easily!” Looking under his bed yet again, he could see this time four reddish-yellow eyes reflecting back into his two gold ones. “What do you think? Is it okay if I call you Zip? I don’t wanna be rude by calling you something you don’t like. Like my Pa, he calls me all sorts of things that I hate when he’s home. Like a waste of space. I don’t like it, and teach said it’s rude to call people things like that.”
The eyes simply blinked back at him, before disappearing back into the darkness. Huffing at the lack of response the foal flopped onto his back, bouncing a bit before staring at Luna's moon through his window, high in the sky. Why was making friends just so hard? Sure he looked a bit weird, but he wasn’t mean or anything like that. Sitting back up, he let out a loud yelp of surprise when he saw how close the creature had gotten to him without a sound. Barely a few inches apart, the creature decided today was the night it was going to fully show itself. They were a lot bigger than the foal expected.
Snorting the beast leaned in even closer to the foal, looking them over closely, tilting their long thin head this way and that, almost completely blending in with the darkness. Well other than their eyes, and many gleaming needle sharp teeth. Balefire could proudly say he didn’t scream once he saw them, but he was more than a little afraid. But fear wasn’t about to stop him.
“O-oh, hello! Um- I wasn’t actually expecting you to uh...come out from under the bed…” He trailed off, not knowing what else to say to them. It was not everyday the monster under the bed actually came out from under it. At least not in direct view. He never knew that something that could fit under the thin space under where he sleep could be so big though. They stood at least a good pony and a half tall!
Before he could say anything else or even react he found himself being pulled forwards by his hind leg. Yelping a second time in surprise he couldn’t get much out before he found himself...in a hug? Yep, seems he was in a hug. Zip as he’d come to call them, had yanked them off the bed, into their lap, and rested their head on his, in a very weird type of hug. He wasn’t quite sure if his friend had bones or not with how they were bending though.
Awkwardly he tried to hug back, not familiar with close contact so not entirely sure as to what to do. Hearing a snort and then suddenly he found himself on his new friends back as they stood up to their full height. Looking up and meeting their eyes, he was curious as to what they were up to.
He pushed himself into an awkward sitting position and watched as Zip grabbed his backpack and dumped out all of it’s contents onto the floor. Before grabbing a few blank notebooks, feathers and inkwells, pencils and erasers, and a few binders and putting them back in. Any of his school work was left, and only his books that had to do with learning were also put back in. Next to go into my bag were his winter clothes, a coloring book, crayons, and a few of his favorite toys before there was no more room left. Once the bag was handed to him, he put it on curious as to what was happening.
Zip walked out of his bedroom, into the main living area of the small apartment he lived in, and plopped him on the old and broken couch, before heading towards his Pa’s room. He stayed put and waited, before grabbing the picture of his family off the badly stained coffee table, that sat next to the couch. He was still looking at it when Zip came back and dumped a half full duffle bag on the floor by him and heading into the kitchen to raid the pantry of its non-perishables. Putting everything they could fit into the bag, including some cookware. Next they raided the closet and pulled out a tent I didn’t know we owned, an old sleeping bag, and some other camping gear and filling the duffle the rest of the way up.
“What are you doing with all this stuff?” Curiosity was a big thing that often got me into trouble, but I couldn’t help it, I had to ask. I was surprised when I got an answer.
“Away.” Zips voice was gravely, and a bit odd but sounded like they were a she. She then gently took the photo of my Mama and Pa from my hands, and stuffed it careful into the bag.
“To where? Is Pa gonna be coming?”
“...I don’t think it’d be best if he did little one…” Zip had picked up the duffle bag she’d been filling and closed it, slinging it onto her back. I was then placed on her back.
“Are you taking me away because Pa is a bad pony?” She paused at the door when I asked this, before nodding. She then made a shushing motion, before she sneaked both of us out of the building, silent as the night. Once we were out of the building, she took a lot of twisting alleyways and backways that it made my head spin. She was moving fairly quickly, I noticed as we went Zip avoided any light if at all possible, and darted through the street lights if she couldn’t. Soon we made it out of town and exited near a field of wheat, where the farmland meet civilization.
I didn’t know where we were going, but hopefully it would be an amazing adventure. I made my thoughts known by stating this out loud.
“I don’t know where away is, but I hope we have a fun time getting there!” I smiled wide and received a small one in return. Zip walked down the paved road, with me on her back, moonlight shining down on the both of us. I guess tonight I gained a friend.
Author's Note
Heyo! So uh, this is the first story thing I've actually posted anywhere so I hope you all enjoy? I appreciate any and all comments, and if ya see an error anywhere, please lemme know!
Anyways I uh, do have to say it'll probably be an erratic update schedule, so please be patient with me!
Here have a quick doodle of what Zip looks like!
At some point in the night he must of fallen asleep, because when he next opened his eyes he was looking at the walls of a tent, as faint sunlight filtered through. The shadowy shapes of tree limbs scattered all around. Trying to get up he found himself slightly pinned under the claws of his new traveling companion. This may be a slight problem. He was a bit hungry, and yet he didn’t want to be a bother and wake up his friend. So He tried to slide free and failed at it.
Try as he might, he couldn’t wiggle free without risking waking her up, which he didn’t want to do as it would be rude. Sighing, he resigned to his fate of being cuddled when he heard an amused snort.
“Giving up on freedom so soon?” Zip lifted her head to look at him, giving him a amused look. Or well, what he assumed was an amused look.
“I didn’t wanna wake you…” Finally wiggling free of her claws and stretching a bit, before letting out a big yawn. He noticed they didn’t have much moving room in the tent, just the small space near himself that he was standing in currently. The rest of it was taken up by most of Zips bulk, her tail had to be as long as her body! Attempting to climb over her withers was proving a bit difficult, as that was the area closest to the door.
“Here, let me help.” Flailing when he felt himself getting picked up, he quickly settled down when he realized he was being lifted and the set down right in front of the door. Quickly opening the door and darting out with the energy only that of a foal can have, he quickly took in his surroundings. They were in a fairly thick wooded bit of the forest, but light still came through with ease. Also noting the large raspberry bushes surrounding almost all sides of the camp, curiosity yet again got the better of him.
“How’d we get here Zip? I don’t see a way through the bushes that wouldn’t hurt us with the thorns?” Turning to look curiously at his friend as they exited into the open. “Hey wait, doesn’t the light hurt you?”
“Artificial lights do a bit, natural light or somewhat natural, like fire, oil lamps, sunlight and coal lights don’t hurt me. But lights made from electricity, do irritate me more than I like. Now as to how we got into the middle of this thicket? It was easy as I had climbed the trees. What surprised me is you didn’t wake up during the entire journey after we got past the farmlands.” Watching her stretch out, I realized she had a point. How did I fall asleep so easily? Normally i’m a very light sleeper.
Also the fact she’s a lot bigger than me, along with being very different in both appearances and ways in which she can interact with the world, it wouldn’t be hard to bypass the brambles. Walking over towards the brambles, I began plucking what berries I could off the branches, flinching each time I pricked myself on the thorns. I had only managed to gather a small hoof full before I was pulled away and get down next to Zip.
“Here, you hold the bowl and I’ll pick the berries.” Eagerly taking the bowl and following Zip closely. She was a lot better at getting the berries than he was, as her long claws allowed he to reach them without getting pricked by the thorns. In no time at all the bowl was full of fresh berries, nearly spilling out of the bowl. Setting the bowl down next to a stump right by the tent, he tilted his head at Zip, popping a berry into his mouth.
“Hey Zip? Do you have an actual name I can call you?” Zip had been pulling more berries off the bushes and putting them into a container, but at his question she stopped.
“I...do not little one, monsters usually aren’t meant to have ones. Races refrain from giving us names, to avoid giving us power. They believe there is power to be gained in a name. So I cherish the one you have given me, even if it is...a little odd, I must admit.” Walking past him and reaching into the tent, she placed the container of fresh berries into one of its many pockets. Turning back to me, she sighed. “I must admit, I do believe I am in over my head.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean little one, other than the basics, i’m not sure what I can do for you. I highly doubt Equestrians would accept someone that looks like me.” While saying this she tapped her claws against her teeth.
“Why not? Didn’t the Elements reform Discord? He looks odd. Why can’t you be accepted if you can show you’re nice?” He plopped more berries into his mouth, and offered some to Zip, who took a clawful.
“Because Discord from what I know got hit twice point blank by those elements, and the first time he simply was put back into stone.”
“So why not have the Elements verify you then? We could go to ponyville and I could go up and ask the Princess of Friendship for help! I mean, that should work right? Don’t they go around solving friendship problems?” Hopping up and nearly sending the bowl of berries flying he started pacing as he thought up a plan on how best to ask for help.
“I...suppose we could make an attempt…” Zip placed the bowl she caught down next to her gently, she watched him pace. From what he could tell, she didn’t look entirely certain. At the very least she was willing to try though.
His pacing was suddenly stopped when he let out an enormous yawn, the reality of spending most of the night awake hitting him. Granted he’d slept until noon, but not nearly enough sleep was gained.
“I do believe it might be best if we went back to sleep, we have a lot to do once dusk arrives. I do hope you don’t mind us traveling again so soon after stopping.” As Zip said this, she was moving what items we’d taken out back into the small tent. Once those were stashed away I found myself scooped up and plopped inside as well.
Yawning once more, I grew a bit confused. Wasn’t I just wide awake? Maybe it was because I now had a full belly of berries and no longer hungry, that exhaustion decided to make itself known again. Either way, I cuddled in with ease once Zip had settled down around me, closing the tent door as she did so.
“Good day little one, see you once the moon rises…” I didn’t hear much else after that, I slipped blissfully into dreamland.
Author's Note
I'm entirely new to this and eventually i'm going to learn how to get into the next chapter without the protagonist passing out.
Then again, Balefire is a foal, so who knows!
Anyways! Thank you so much to those already commenting and favoriting! Stories only been up a few hours at most from me posting this new chapter and i'm already seeing so much love!
So all the thanks!
