//------------------------------//
// 12 - Fixing Mistakes 
// Story: The GATE 
// by scifipony 
//------------------------------//

The biped stallion flipped backward out of the saddle.  His horse reared as Starlight nevertheless caught the injured fellow before a high fall compounded his injuries, laying him on the grass.

The biped mare turned to face me and Fluttershy as we approached, yelling angrily.  Her horse danced in place, clearly now becoming worried, bobbing her head and fighting her reins, having seen the other biped fall, and having noticed us, if not the guard, and found us unfamiliar and scary.  The biped mare moved her giant horse protectively between her and him.  Those hooves would hurt if one struck, and the way my shield was tuned, it offered no protection for something that slow.

But the semi-transparent arc of the red glowing apparition looked imposing.  I did not doubt the biped guessed its purpose if not its nature.

Fluttershy began speaking.

The horse immediately quieted.  A few moments later, the other horse appeared in the trees, peering cautiously around a trunk before nickering querulously.  In the relative quiet that brought, the biped stallion groaned.

The biped mare fought her mount, but the mount out-massed her and it asserted its will as Fluttershy reassured it that we weren't scary and that she needed to be calm.  When Fluttershy asked it to walk aside, the biped mare became agitated and jumped off her horse to crouch over her fallen mate.

She unholstered a knife that resembled mine.  It was good that it was only a knife.  I surmised she would have taken out a hoof-cannon had she had one.  The gray and brown weirdly splotched clothing made sense, as did the blackening makeup; it did help her blend into the shadows.

I dropped the shield and cast Illuminate.  She shielded her eyes with a fleshy claw, watching us nervously as Fluttershy walked away with the horses, deep in conversation.  Fluttershy's voice tinkled as she laughed at whinnies that still sounded inarticulate to me.  The biped mare's emerald green eyes reflected my light, as did her shiny hair.  She waved the knife in warning when I came within ten pony lengths.  

Or maybe it was when Starlight landed beside me encased in a green glow.  As she canceled Pegasus Simulation, I reiterated, "I said, no creature gets hurt."

"Sorry about that.  It worked, though."  

I sighed, then put a hoof up to stop the guard who hovered, coming closer, each with a javelin out.  "Please stay back."

The guard did, mostly.

A sudden crackling hiss broke the gathered silence.  I heard a bleep, then a distorted biped voice asking a question.

She looked at her hip.  I spotted a black amulet with a stick coming out of its top.  Starlight grabbed the knife and I grabbed the obvious communication device.  

The biped mare shrieked.  Had she the strength, I think she would have grabbed her mate and run into the forest, but he out-massed her and considering how he only groaned, I gathered the bipeds were neither as strong nor resilient as ponies.

Which meant I had to do something because we had hurt her mate.

I moved closer.  That Starlight took the opportunity to check their pockets and belts for weapons or devices with her magic didn't make it any easier.  A tensed biped mare glared at me. 

I said, "I know you can't understand me, but we really don't want to hurt you."

For a creature with such beady eyes, she held them quite widely.  I could see their whites clearly.  Fear, mostly.  Maybe it occurred to her that I was talking to her, also, which likely frightened her even more.  Despite weapons and clothing that seemed purpose-built to deceive, I doubted even more that I was dealing with military.  I couldn't help but think they had thought this a game.  Had been on some CMC-style quest.  Had thought they were dealing with animals.  I hoped one day that we would be able to laugh together and discuss what they had thought over some tea.

Part of me wanted to think they weren't as smart as a pony, but I quashed the idea.  There was danger in underestimating any potential enemy.

"I'm sorry."  I lowered my head in a small bow and spoke slowly.  "We did not want to hurt anypony, but that is what happened.  May I see if he is hurt?"  I pointed a hoof.

She couldn't understand my words, but she let me close enough that I could hear his breathing.  He wheezed.  Blood smeared his chest where the impact had split the skin and wet his camouflage shirt.  The biped seemed particularly fragile, and I wondered if maybe he had a broken rib or internal bleeding.

Starlight lit her horn, staying out of reach.  I used Levitate to gently palpate the stallion's chest.  He tensed and moaned, but I felt some bones move differently in the magical feedback than the rest, evidently incorrectly.  He made a gurgling noise.  The mare tensed, but didn't spring.  

I said to Starlight, "He's badly hurt.  I'm taking him to the hospital.  The both of them are too heavy for me.  Can you bring her?"

"I think I can."

A few seconds later I teleported the two of us out.