Phantom Horse

I walked back outside and over to the stall; sliding my hands along the frozen railing, touching little bumps of ice as I went forward. I walked into the stall and quickly stripped feeling the blast of frozen air hit my body I bit my lip and shivered. The next thing I knew I was growing bigger, my hands and feet turned into hooves, a tail grew and my hair turned back into a mane. I turned pure white with a little grey on my muzzle. My eyes turned a misty black with grey and white little speckles. I snorted and pranced loving the feel of being back in my original body. Accustoming to the cold I slowly took a step out into the snow. Feeling the cold wet snow covering my hooves it felt nice but cold.

I trotted out of the stall and over to my herd, greeting them as I usually did. I snorted and started running into the forest. Winter is here, it's time that I look for horses in need. I know it's wrong because they own them but it's my job to save a few horses from each ranch I'm near let them out into the wild to be free. If they get caught again, well, maybe another time. But there are over 50,000 horses in the whole world. But less than 100 Unicorns and Pegasus's in Ethiopia. In tradition Unicorn's are suppose to mate with Unicorn's, Pegasus’s are suppose to mate with Pegasus’s, and Horses mate with Horses. There is no cross breeding with us Mythical Creature's it's prohibited. And on Earth there are two major rules. No dating Humans or Animals. Or no mating with neither Humans nor Animals. It's a weird rule.

I made my way through the branches and trees with my herd behind me. They'd come with me as far as they could but they won't leave my property for fear of safety that if they leave they would get captured or injured. Worse killed or eaten. I slowed down as I heard the sound of water. I flicked my ears in that direction and started heading that way. I stopped when I heard my name being called, "Luna! Wait for me."

I laughed and slowed down to a stop turning a little to see red dashing through the snow towards us. When he caught up I bent my head down to the ground and nuzzled him with my muzzle and nipped at his little fluffy tail, "Glad you can join us Ballad."

"It'll be my pleasure My Lady." He yipped with a smile growing at the corner of his mouth.

Rolling my eyes I looked at him, "How many times do I have to tell you not to call me that Ballad?"

"It can't be helped. It's just the way I was born and raised." He yipped proudly and marched forward through the snow that came up to his chest.

I snorted and lifted my head high and shook it from side to side slowly, "Its an odd question. Do you want a ride?"

He looked at me shocked and confused, "What do you mean My Lady? Ride?"

"Do you want to ride on my back? It would be easier through the snow." I whinnied at him.

He looked down at his buried feet and then up at my back as if deciding which would be easiest, "No thank you. I'd rather keep my feet firmly on the ground even if I have to plow through the snow."

"You're choice." I said and started up a light trot and crossed the little flowing river.

As my hoof hit the water I shivered at the slight coldness of the water and quickly pranced through the water to the other side. Cloud came up to the front of the herd on the other side of the little river, "Be safe Luna."

I nodded my head, "Don't worry. You should know me by now. No one has ever caught me in 40 years."

"Yes, but now the Myth is spreading more and being talked about all over the world." Cloud neighed warningly.

"True. I promise I will return safely." I whinnied surely and then turned to start walking but stopped as I heard a yelp.

I looked back to see Ballad looking at the obstacle in his path and shook my head. I turned around and walked back into the middle of the little river and bent my neck to gently bite down on the scruff of his neck and lift him up. Ignoring the icy cold water flowing around my hooves I turned back around and quickly trotted out of the water and set Ballad down on the ground softly.

He looked up at me thankfully and apologetically, "Thank you My Lady."

Snorting I looked at, "It's not a problem Ballad."

"You are too kind." He yipped at me softly.

"I just don't see reason for being cruel." I whinnied as we made our way through the snow.

We made our way through the trees and out into the open. It wasn't my property anymore; just wide open spaces for free horses to roam. I knew where some of the herds I've helped escape normally were and they'd pass stories on to their foals and they'd come up to me and tell me their stories of their adventures form one place to another. I smiled at the times I've seen the foals and their faces light up with excitement as they tell me what they've done.

Trotting through the snow towards the open sky I saw a little fence off in the distance. The fence bordered some old guy’s ranch. He wasn't very nice either. I had checked some of the ranches near by to get to know the owners and hopefully be able to pick which ones I should visit first and the first on my list is this rotten old man's farm. His horses looked like they were on the verge of starvation. I can't believe some of the people now a day. I've rescued hundreds of horses. Jumpers, Racers, Hunters, Eventers, Endurance's, and etc. There are a lot of horses that look pristine on the track and field but they're not being devoted too. They're either practically on starvation or abused, un-loved or not cared for; which by the way is the same thing.

As we got closer to the fence I picked up my momentum and kicked off the ground. My back hooves just barely touched the barbed wire and landed with a thud. I turned my head to see Ballad easily slip through the fence, I picked up my light canter again and headed to the nearest stables. The cold air was blowing around me and I shivered as my skin twitched. I slowed down as a thought kept coming up and I had a sudden urge. I plopped onto the ground and rolled onto my back and kicked my legs up in the air. I giggled as rolled in the snow, Ballad was just sitting there laughing at my silliness. I just stuck my tongue out at him and rolled back onto my stomach and pushed myself up off the ground. I shook off all the excess snow that I could get off and started back up a canter.

When I finally saw one of the stables next to a bunch of trees, I heard whinnies coming from inside and trotted cautiously over to the opening just to make sure the owner wasn't inside. I peeked my head around the corner and there were horses in there stall. Not too far away from the stables was the house. The barn was and old brown wood barn that looked like it could have use a fix up. I saw no one besides the horses in their so I slowly made my way inside. The horses quickly looked my way once they noticed me. Some horses eyes went wide and they started to whinny loudly in terror. I neighed out quickly, "Please, calm down. I'm here to see which one's are being abused or not properly fed. I am not going to harm any of you."

Some shrilly said, "How can we trust you?"

Obviously some of them weren't treated right. I sighed and used my magic to let my horn grow. I felt my horn growing from my head and I winced at the slight pain it caused. Then looked at all the horses around me, "I know you may not trust me but I'm a Unicorn. As you can see they're not many of us out there but, since you alerted the owner I don't have that much time. Those of you who want to go, knod your head when I'm in front of your stall. And Ballad, will you please watch and out for the owner or a worker?"

"Yes, my lady." He yipped and trotted over to the opening and looked out the stable door towards the big light brown house.

I walked to each one of the stalls of every horse I could get to quickly I had let 6 of the horses out by the time I heard Ballad's yip and I quickly ran the little herd out of the barn as fast as I could. I didn't want to leave any of them behind. I called out, "Hurry up, we don't have all day the owner's coming!"

That seemed to pic them up but some were being slow pokes so I hurried up back inside and went behind a few of them and nipped them softly and they jumped a little bit and moved a little bit quicker. I heard shouting now, "Who ever you are get away from my horses!"

I was trying to keep calm since keeping calm was the best way to make it out of a lot of situations but a lot of times I don't get even near the owner. I got them all out of the barn and saw the guy running towards us with a few other guys behind him. When they saw me their went wide and I mentally cursed at myself for not hiding my horn and quickly made it vanish and they nearly stopped in their tracks. I reared up and pawed at the air in front of me and they took a step back and I bared my teeth and flattened my ears back and let out a shrill warning. I saw movement just in my peripheral an hopped backwards diagnally to try and get away from whatever the movement is. I went back down on my front hooves and turned to take off with the other horses and just as I made a dash to get away something made its way in front of me. It was another horse. A stallion. A booby trap horse.