Chapter 5. A New Life.

There was a worried group of people around Aisha when she came round. Madam Ligren, who had attended countless mating events, had not seen anything like this. Mistress Vargan and the Grand Master, looking distinctly worried, were talking quietly to each other. Mistress Vargan was reproaching herself for being instrumental in bringing Aisha to Sharezeem and the Grand Master was telling her that she wasn’t to be blamed, there was no way to tell what was going to happen.

Groyke was with Aisha, releasing her bonds and helping her to her feet but ready with a steadying hand should she need one. The relief on his face was obvious when Aisha shook herself from his hold, nibbled his ear and calmly placed her arms behind her back ready for binding. She was taken straight to the veterinary hospital for checks.

It was a happy and relieved group that went to Madam Ligren’s office once told that Aisha had suffered no damage and was in perfect health. It appears, said the vet, that humans react to mating differently to Sharezeemians, in that they don’t just use sex for procreation, they actually do it just for pleasure; he had been reading Granja Vargan’s report.

* * *

It was just a few days later when the chief veterinary surgeon called in on Madam Ligren’s office and informed her that Aisha was in foal, that all was well and as it should be, and more importantly, she that was carrying a filly. This news was immediately relayed to the ruling Council.

Such was the importance given to the event that at the monthly meeting of the Council, prayers were offered up for the safe delivery of Aisha’s foal. The whole of Sharezeem was agog waiting for news. Security at the Ligren stables was tightened in order that Aisha got as much rest and peace as she needed and wasn’t besieged by crowds of people trying to catch a glimpse of her.

Aisha had been moved into the hospital wing immediately conception had been confirmed and Groyke had moved in with her. Her days were pretty much as they had been before with the exception that she was only walked around gently for her exercise and she had a daily medical examination checking the progress of her foal.

Everyone at the stables was kept informed of Aisha’s progress, which meant that Bregor was able to keep Freke informed. He was quite a celebrity in his own right as the sire of the first filly to be conceived after the outbreak of equus equinia, which had threatened the whole equine species. Grooms came to pet him and most of them gave him a milking as well; he was in his element. He got to strutting about so much that Bregor was forced to whip him quite severely to show him who was in charge.

* * *

As the weeks went by Aisha’s pregnancy was progressing well, until the eighth week when there was loud and plaintive whinnying coming from her stall. Both the duty vet and Groyke rushed in to see Aisha in some distress and pain lying on the floor. It was obvious that the foal was about to be born, but it also was obvious that Aisha was fighting the process. Not even Groyke could calm her.

Fortunately Mistress Vargan had arrived to check on Aisha’s condition and it was her quick thinking that saved the situation. "Aisha, listen to me, you are not losing your foal, it is a perfectly normal delivery, you weren’t to know that on Sharezeem the gestation period is two months not nine as on earth." It was a while before this information sank in to Aisha’s brain and Mistress Vargan had to repeat it in order to make sure that it had registered. Aisha looked from Groyke to the vet and back to Mistress Vargan. All were smiling their agreement. She was still stressed but the vet gave her an injection to calm her. Six hours later she was delivered of a beautiful healthy filly. Within minutes of the birth the whole of Sharezeem was celebrating.

The foal, which was being called Aishana (daughter of Aisha) was put to suckle at her mother’s breast and afterwards was taken to the special care unit to be checked by the vet so that Aisha could have some rest. It was after Aisha had had a good night’s sleep that Mistress Vargan thought of something else that might alarm her unless warned; foals on Sharezeem grew a lot quicker than on earth. She had Madam Ligren with her when she told Aisha as gently as she could that by the time Aishana was two months old she would be the equivalent of a seven year old on earth, that the foal would only need to suckle at her breast for one month; Madam Ligren also told her that after the two months Aishana would be taken from her completely so that she could begin her training. Neither Mistress Vargan nor Madam Ligren were sure if Aisha had absorbed the information but Groyke said that he would remind her after a little while.

* * *

Aisha recovered quickly from the birth and Groyke with the consent of the chief vet decided that she would benefit from daily exercises with a view to getting her fit for racing again. Aisha reunited with Leilah, who had her trotting slowly round the track, first just one lap and resting then two laps and resting. Leilah quickly realised that Aisha was a lot fitter than anticipated and let her have her head. Soon they were flying round doing as many as eight or ten laps at a time before Aisha was even slightly out of breath.

Aisha was getting bored, she was back to full fitness and she wanted to be racing again. She loved the attention and, yes, the adoration of the crowds. It was a far cry from the first time she was raced when she bolted in fright but she had overcome her fear and was revelling in the adulation she was receiving. She loved the petting and stroking and the Ahs and the Oohs and the isn’t she beautifuls. Who would have thought that she, Jill Meadows, (she occasionally referred to herself in thought as Jill, though mostly even to herself she was Aisha; it was such a beautiful name) would actually enjoy being paraded around naked, in public, and racing as a pony.

The following weeks went by in a blur, there was training and exercising, recreation with the other fillies in the paddock and there were the races. Aisha was being raced once a week at meetings all over the planet. Everywhere she went crowds turned out to see her. Out of thirty races she recorded 27 wins, two seconds and one third.

* * *

The chief veterinary officer for the planet of Sharezeem was addressing the Council, "ladies and gentlemen, we have isolated a gene from Aisha that we have implanted into three of our other fillies and had them impregnated, by different stallions. I am very pleased to report that all three have conceived; two are expecting fillies and one a colt. We will need to run further trials with a larger test base of around 30 fillies. Each mare will be impregnated by artificial insemination, as this would not only save time but would not necessitate bringing a number of stallions into the experimental stables. We cannot be certain but we are fairly confident that the crisis is over."

The Council naturally greeted with great relief the statement from the chief vet that the equine species looked as though it had been saved, and excited discussions took place between them. The Grand Master quickly brought these discussions under control by offering a vote of thanks to the scientists for their dedication and hard work.

And he had a special word to say about Aisha, without whom there would be no equine species. He proposed that as a mark of respect a statue of Aisha in full racing gear with sulky should be commissioned for display in the council chamber. He also requested that the council give consideration to releasing Aisha from captivity and returning her to earth.

Mistress Vargan in seconding the proposals said that although she would be extremely sorry to see Aisha leave she felt that it was right and proper. The reaction to the first part of the proposal was carried unanimously without discussion. The second part understandably took a lot longer to resolve, many members being loathe to part with the saviour of the equine herd. However, they unanimously, albeit reluctantly, agreed.

* * *

Aisha had just finished her final race of the season and was being returned to the Ligren stables. She was happy. She won a large majority of her races and had seen other parts of the planet. In actual fact all that she saw were the race courses where she was competing and the areas surrounding them. She wasn’t taken sightseeing by Groyke or Leilah, nevertheless she loved the travelling.

She was looking forward to getting back to Ligren though, as she was getting tired after all her racing. Her groom, Groyke, off-loaded her and the other ponies from the horse trailer, making sure that they were fed and watered before leading them to the respective stalls. As soon as the horse trailer and sulkies were stowed away the ponies would be hosed down, allowed a few minutes in the paddock and then settled for the night.

Groyke and Leilah reported to Madam Ligren and were told of the decision of the ruling council regarding the statue, the releasing of Aisha from captivity and the returning to earth. They were both pleased and upset, for the same reasons as the council members.

It was decided that Aisha would be told of the statue being sculpted of her but that the decision to free her would be kept until after the statue had been finished. Aisha felt honoured that she was so loved by everyone that they would carve a statue of her and proudly stood for the sculptor. Overall the carving took around three weeks to complete.

She had been a pony for almost a year and had been seen naked by thousands of people, been petted, stroked and fondled by them and been handled by Groyke and other grooms. Yet it was still a shock to her to witness her likeness in bronze, it was like looking at her image in a mirror; something she had not done while on Sharezeem.

The sculptor had had her pose in racing mode. This had been a little difficult but he got around this problem by placing a box under her raised leg so she didn’t fall. He had captured everything; the bells on her nipples, her breasts, her tail, her hairless vagina, even the crease where her labia lips met. It was beautiful; nonetheless it brought a blush to her face.

* * *

It was when the Grand Master and Mistress Vargan came to the stables to take possession of the statue that they decided that the time was right to give Aisha the good news. They hadn’t bargained for her reaction. She whinnied plaintively, was stamped her hooves, pulled on her reins and almost succeeded in breaking away from Groyke. It took all three of them to get her under control and quietened down.

Mistress Vargan spoke quietly to the Grand Master who nodded in agreement. "Aisha," said Mistress Vargan, "I am going to give you your voice back, do you understand?" Aisha whinnied, nodding her head at the same time, but also looking worried. Mistress Vargan touched her box to Aisha’s throat and immediately Aisha’s whinnies became proper speech.

It took her a little while to get used to hearing speech emanating from her mouth instead of neighs, snorts and whinnies but when she did she asked why they were sending her away, what had she done wrong? "You have done absolutely nothing wrong," said Mistress Vargan. "We are very proud of you. In fact if it hadn’t been for you our equine herd would have become extinct. So as a reward we are going to send you home to earth." "But do I have to go? I am happy here."

Mistress Vargan looked at the Grand Master, who explained, "nobody here wants you to leave, Aisha. In fact the Council debated this for a very long time and we were all agreed that we didn’t want you to go, but we felt that it was right that we should give you back your freedom in return for all that you have done for us." "I have never been freer that I am here," Aisha paused and went on "I beg you not to return me to earth. I have nothing there, no family, no friends, nothing."

"I have to warn you, Aisha," replied Mistress Vargan, "that if we keep you it will be as a mare, you will never become a free citizen of Sharezeem. Also I have to warn you that your life span on Sharezeem will be somewhere around 200 years. You will be kept in captivity and living in stables for an awfully long time and your voice will not be returned to you again."

Aisha looked from one to the other and said simply, "I’m ready" and offered her throat to Mistress Vargan.