Horse of the Year

Light Chapter Four: The Free Press/Horses

“Well Normally one does not sip scotch, drink it, yes, but not sip it” said John and Shadow Eyes gave a choking laugh as her ears popped as the plane began its descent.

“Fall with me and you’ll see. A world of Glory and might.” she whispered to herself.

“Excuse me?”

“Nothing, just a bit of a sonnet that the pegasi used to play, ‘Fall with me, and you’ll see. A world of Glory and might. Never fear, for I am here. Your sword amongst this frigid flight.’ It’s supposed to be a romantic yet tragic song about a high ranking pegasi soldier and an unicorn stallion who dreamed of flying with the pegasi, there were twelve verses I think, written back before Equestria was founded,” said Shadow Eyes as she sat there thinking, “I always found it to be romantic, a pegasus falling for a unicorn, or any ground walker for that matter, was almost unheard of in those days. Well the pegasi that the song was talking about fell inlove with a unicorn noble, and he with her,” with a smile her her lips she recalled what she read of the story “whenever she was stationed near him, she would sneak off when she was off-duty, and frolic with him while the other pegasi waged war. But his wife found out, and she threatened to have him killed if the pegasus mare so much as glide over the estate.” Shadow Eyes then frowned as the plane bounced in the air on it’s way to land at Baltimore international “It is here that history and the song differ, the song says that he learned how to use gossamer and morning dew to form wings and he flew out to meet her over a field where they would spend days just being together.” said Shadow Eyes a ghost of a smile on her lips. “Again the wife found out and tried to kill the husband for being unfaithful to her, although it had been an arranged marriage, when the pegasus pushed her lover out of the way of a blast of magic, the blast shattered her wings.” she gripped the armrest as the plane bounced on the tarmac as it landed. “Her armor saved her, but when she pushed him out of the way, she caused the wings he had made to fall apart and he fell to his death. Feeling vindicated the jilted wife returned to the estate, and soon found out why the pegasi soldier was able to sneak out as often as she did when a battalion of pegasi razed the estate to the ground, the pegasus that loved the noble? She was carrying his foals and gave birth to two healthy pegasus fillies and, because of her being earthbound, a healthy unicorn colt.” as she told the story, a secret service agent made his way to the president and whispered something in his ear.

“Thank you for the story, Shadow Eyes, I should warn you though, there are cameramen and reporters waiting to interview you, and myself in regards to the last few attempts on my life. We aren’t likely to get to the car without one of them getting a photograph of us, and if we don’t want them making up their own stories-”

“I get it, we should talk to them if only to allay their fears that I am somehow controlling their leader” said Shadow Eyes as she stood up from the chair, the plane having stopped and was being wheeled to the hangar where a podium was being set up in front of a bunch of reporters that were waiting to talk to the president and though the reporters didn’t know, the one that saved him.

“Mr. President! Mr. President! How does it feel to be saved by a mythical creature?”

“Is it true you believe that this animal can talk?”

“What are your thoughts on the war going on in Vietnam?” the reporters were all talking over one another and Shadow Eyes was getting annoyed, particularly at being called ‘this animal’

“I don’t know, why don’t you ask her yourself” she shouted over the shouting reporters and they all fell quiet in shock. “Now if you don’t mind, one at a time, I am sure your president can answer all of your questions if you just give him the chance to do so” she said calmly though one could tell she was still ready to scream, if they knew her well enough.

“Mr. President, why are you in the presence of a demon from Hell?” asked a reporter and Shadow Eyes snorted.

“Shadow Eyes, is no demon” said John

“Then how come she can talk? No creature other than man can talk unless a demon is using it”

“First off, that is not correct, Saul’s donkey in the new testament talked because God gave him the ability to do so. Also she is not from this Earth” as soon as he said that there was an explosion of questions.

“Where are you from Ms. Eyes?” asked a reporter

“Is this proof that there is life on Mars?”

“One at a time!” shouted Shadow Eyes and the questions started to die down. “I am from the principality of Equestria, on the planet of Equis. I am the Court Magician, under Princess Celestia” said Shadow Eyes into the microphone before giving a flourished bow. “I don’t know of what this Mars is, I just appeared here through a dark portal.”

“A dark portal? As in a portal from Hell?” asked a reporter.

“No a portal made of Dark Magic, ‘Cast me when all hope is lost, and I will save you from your fate, but be forewarned, where I take you is far worse’” said Shadow Eyes quoting the spell’s text. “A place where magic is scorned and my species is considered lore… Which implies that there have been others that have been here” said the mare.

“Are you attempting to control our species?”

“Why would I? Better question, how can I? Mind Control magic is prohibitively difficult, and from what your president said if I wanted to do so, I would have to take control of several members of your government. No I just want to find the mare responsible for bringing me here and force her to take me home, bar that, I will do all I can to help better your society.” said Shadow Eyes and there was an other explosion of questions.

“Quiet down, yes, what is your question?” asked John.

“Do you intend to follow some alien when your job is to lead the American people?”

“Now see here-!”

“This, what was the word? Alien? As you call her saved my life and has not asked anything in return, if we ask her for advice on difficult problems, we would be more indebted to her then we already are, however, she has already offered such services. Her people have none of the problems we have, no segregation because of race, no pay difference for someone based on the color of their skin.”

“There is many things I can teach you all, but I am not a politician, I say things like it is, and some of the ways you do things…” she shook her head…

“I hate your press” said Shadow Eyes as she sat in the limo, she had convinced the Secret Service to allow her to crack the window just a bit, breaking the seal that prevented her from seeing outside of the vehicle. Jacqueline laughed a bit and John smiled softly. “What? No reporter in their right mind would have attacked the Princesses like that”

“We have what is known as Freedom of the Press and Free Speech written in our constitution, and we have a media that helps the citizens keep an eye on the politicians.” said John and Shadow Eyes scoffed before sighing.

“Just watch that that, ‘Watchdog media’ does become an enabler hiding the truth from your people, and attacking others that show the truth”

“I take it that has happened?”

“Not in Equestria, but in the Diamond Dog’s nation of Caninda they had similar setup, and their, what did they call it? Mainstream Media? Well, they began to hide the faults of certain politicians, and defaming anyone that spoke out against them. They falsified facts to support their claims, and the undereducated and/or trusting common citizens believed them, the ones that were educated, and/or untrusting, got their news sources from alternative sources that still held true to the principles of Watchdog Media, but they were again defamed by the Mainstream Media.” said Shadow Eyes as a warning and John looked at his wife in worry, surely that wouldn’t happen in the United States. “Tell me something about your history” said the mare as she focused out the window, and around the car.

“There is a lot to tell, and not a lot of time to cover it. Perhaps we can talk about getting you citizenship while you are here in the United States” Shadow Eyes froze as it crossed her mind, becoming a citizen to the country she was stuck in, probably for the rest of her life…

“I… Would I even be able to do so? Would I be correct in assuming that you only have humans as an intelligent species on your planet? If so you wouldn’t even have any laws pertaining to unicorns, or pegasi, or even earth ponies” said Shadow Eyes.

“Earth ponies?”

“Ponies that are neither unicorns or pegasi, the ponies of my…” she trailed off as she caught sight of a police officer on top of a horse…

“Are you alright, Shadow Eyes?”

“I didn’t realize you had your own equines, I figured that you had some Equestrians show up here and that is why you knew I was a unicorn… Tell me, how do you get the equines to let you ride them?” John and Jacqueline shifted uncomfortably. “What?”

“Horses aren’t… They aren’t sentient” said John and Shadow Eyes turned to face him and regarded him for a bit.

“You can’t mean that” she said and John nodded and she was quiet for the rest of the ride…