January 25th, 1960: Jack Comes to Equestria
Author's Note
Disclaimer 1: I do not own "My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic" or its characters. They are property of Hasbro Studios and DHX Media.
Disclaimer 2: The song "Abraham, Martin and John" is property of Dion Dimucci.
*Dedicated to all members of the Kennedy family
January 25th, 1960: Jack Comes to Equestria
Anybody here, seen my old friend John? Can you tell me where he's gone?
He freed a lot of people, but seemed the good, they died young,
I just looked around and he's gone
…
It's really hard to believe that it has been 45 and 50 years since they have been killed. My most faithful student, Twilight Sparkle, is about to be crowned a princess of Equestria and neither Jack nor Bobby is here to see this historic moment. Both of them and Twilight would have totally hit it off greatly, sharing their stories with one another. But, thanks to assassins' bullets, that will more than likely will never happen.
As I lie here in my bed the night before Twilight's coronation, I think back to the moments I had with both of them and the potential that could have been.
He was a rare breed of President, full of optimism and hope for the future at a time when the world was tumultuous. He had a beautiful wife in Jackie, a beautiful daughter in Caroline and a handsome son in John, Jr. or John-John as he was called. It was a dream that was shattered on November 22nd, 1963 when he was murdered in an open motorcade while parading through a major American city.
Bobby was just like Jack, eager to pick up where his older brother had left off. But, five years after Jack was murdered, on the night of June 4th, 1968, Bobby was murdered in a hotel while trying to earn the right to do just that.
The United States and Equestria have and always will be friends, however our relationship will never come close to when Jack was president. But, I've always learned that it is best to think back to the beginning and work my way forward to the present before looking towards the future.
…
The day that Jack first came to Equestria was just like any other that took place either four or eight years. It was tradition that I meet with a newly elected or crowned world leader and establish a connection with them. It was a cold winter morning in Equestria, a few weeks after Hearth's Warming Eve. I sat on my throne as I waited for the newly elected President and his family to come through the doors. Just then, the trumpets sounded and the doors to the throne room opened with a lead guard standing in the doorway.
"Your highness," he shouted. "The 35th President of the United States, John F. Kennedy!"
He moved out of the way and there I saw them, a young human family that was healthy and happy. The newly elected president clad in an overcoat and top hat with a smile that would have looked pathetic in somepony less successful. Feeling proud of this young man, I came down from the throne and met the new president and his wife, eager to get to know them better.
"On behalf of myself and my subjects," I said proudly. "I welcome you to Equestria, Mr. President."
"Thank you, Princess Celestia," replied Jack, both him and his wife bowing to me in respect. "I look forward to continue the relationship between the United States and Equestria. But, there is something that I wish to say to you."
"Yes?" I asked, feeling somewhat confused. "What is it?"
"I'm not one to break traditions," he chuckled. "But, all this formality kind of gets me down a little bit. So how about instead of calling me "Mr. President," why don't you call me "Jack"? Everybody else does."
I couldn't help but chuckle at this and I too, was not one who was a fan of tradition.
"Jack has always been someone who is laid back," remarked Jackie. "I don't know, it runs in our family to an extent."
"Do you have any children?" I asked as we left the throne room for the conference room.
"We have a healthy daughter," answered Jack. "Caroline, who's three and we are currently expecting our next child later this year."
"Congratulations," I said as we walked down the hall, going past the stained glass windows that commemorated several major accomplishments in Equestria's history. But as we walked, I noticed that Jackie was somewhat unhappy. "Is something wrong, Jackie?"
"Sorry," she muttered, looking up at me. "Jack and I had two miscarriages a while back."
Hearing this, I draped a wing over the first lady.
"Well, I am very sorry for your losses, Jackie," I said in a comforting voice, while also thinking about Luna, who, at the time, had been on the moon for over 950 years. "But, always remember that you have a friend in me if you ever wish to talk about anything that is bothering you."
Jackie smiled at these words and we made our way into the conference hall, knowing that getting down to business was at hand.
"Now," said Jack, beginning the meeting. "As you know as President of the United States, it is my job to lead and set an example for the citizens of our country. Our country and our world for that matter is continuing to change in the aftermath of the second world war, of which I was a part of."
"Indeed," I remarked. "I remember the second world war all too well, Jack. It certainly was a dark time even though Equestria was never invaded by the Nazis and their allies. I have ruled Equestria for a thousand years and every single day, I seek to set an example for spreading the magic of friendship."
"Which is what our world needs, Celestia," said Jack. "There are people who are afraid of the future our world is about to face. There is discrimination that I seek to abolish. Particularly in the southern United States, there are negros…"
"Um, Jack?" interrupted Jackie, stopping her husband mid sentence. "Do you think that perhaps that word is somewhat inappropriate to say?"
"It's all right, Jackie," I interjected, looking over at her. "It's important to sometimes be open and honest about certain things."
Jackie nodded her head in both agreement and reluctance as we went back to the meeting at hand.
"As I was saying," said Jack, clearing his throat and cautioning himself around his wife. "There are people of different colors who are being told to use assigned bathrooms and sinks. Ever since Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat for a white person, there has been a deafening cry for civil rights, which is what I am trying to fight for."
Hearing that there were subjects of Jack's kind being treated this way made me feel very both tense and uncomfortable. In fact, part of me wanted to go down to the Southern United States and give these haters a piece of my mind.
"Well, you have my support in this matter, Jack," I reassured, writing down an order on a piece of parchment. "I, for one, feel that this is unacceptable behavior that must be stopped as soon as possible. When Abraham Lincoln was president, we ended slavery together since it was an unfair practice that people were being treated as property."
"It is quite sad, Celestia," Jack remarked. "That our country still hasn't gotten over these matters and probably never will. I know that we can't erase all the wrongs of this world by ourselves, but we can take a little bit of the unhappiness away."
Almost immediately, I knew that Jack was a man filled with optimism. He was right about one thing, that we couldn't erase all the wrongs of this world by ourselves. But, this was only our first meeting together. There would be plenty more meetings to come in the days and weeks ahead while at the same time, I would be getting to know a family that was filled with promise and hope for the future…a future that would sadly be destroyed in time thanks to assassin's bullets.
TO BE CONTINUED…
