finding usefulness

Belle giggled a bit at Heartspan's mini story of crushing on Nightmare Moon.

"You had a crush on Nightmare Moon? Really?" she laughed again, then, she heard a snapping noise and glanced behind her.

"What was that?" she asked, terrified, her sapphire eyes wide with fear. She backed up a few steps, unsure if that was smart or not. She gulped and stood her ground, calling bravely

"Wh-who's there?"

Heartspan turned at the terrified tone of her voice. He listened intently but he didn't hear anything. He was just about to brush it off when Belle backed up a few paces and stood bravely facing the path behind them.

"Wh-who's there?" belle shouted.

Heartspan followed her gaze but he could not hear or see anything strange. Then it dawned on him, he really couldn't hear anything but their own breathing. No birds chirped, no sound of scampering critters. He didn't allow his concern to show but his saddle bag drifted gently to the ground as he simultaneously lifted three small stones out of the pack with his magic. While he could not really hold his own in hoof to hoof combat he was more than certain he could fling a stone with devastating force provided he used his telekinetic abilities.

He kept himself still and quiet just as mother had instructed him. He knew he had made a mistake rushing after them. Now he would have to be doubly careful. They knew he was here waiting for them.
He focused his will and soon a sound like a small birds chirping filled the air. He was sure these lesser creatures would easily fall for this ruse. Platinum Blade smiled as he waited patiently for his prey to drop their guard. He was powerful in the art of illusory magic, he had after all been hoof chosen by Mother.

Belle blinked, her eyes frantically observing the path behind them. A sound similar to a bird call rang through the air, but it sounded off somehow.

"I-I guess it was nothing." she said, though she was positive it wasn't nothing. She kept herself aware, listening for any sound, watching for any sign of movement. Her ears kept swiveling backwards in order to hear better. She began walking down the another again, but not letting her guard down.

Although she was thin and rather frail-looking, she could fight well. Using magic to deflect attacks or levitate objects aided, but she was fairly good at hoof to hoof combat, having grown up with bullies. Her mother had made her take self defense classes, just in case.

Whatever was out there had spooked Belle pretty well. All of heartspan's senses were working over time as he tried to ascertain what belle had noticed. Then suddenly the ominous silence was broken by the call of a single bird.

"I-I guess it was nothing." bell said but to Heartspan her voice seemed unsure.

Never the less she took off down the path again. He waited until she had gone a few steps past him before levitating his saddle bag again. He noted her guarded posture and in turn he kept his stones in a careful orbit around his neck. With a final glance into the forest he turned and caught up with Belle.

Heartspan did his level best to keep careful watch but his heart beat seemed to drown out some of his hearing. He hadn't noticed much, just the unnatural silence but the way belle's ears continual swiveled and the way her eyes peered her and there sent shivers down his spine.

Platinum Blade waited until his prey was well out of sight. Then very carefully he exerted his will on the forest. Vines and small scrub brush spread out along the path out of the ever free forest until it had all but vanished. He was careful not to allow his prey to notice the subtle erasing of their escape route.
Once accomplished he darted into the air soaring well out of sight of prey. He would race ahead of them and there he would lay a trap for them.

Belle continue trotting along, senses peaked. But she failed to notice a shrub in the middle of the path and tripped over it, face planting into another bush.

"Ow" she said quietly, rubbing her head as she stood up, "where did that come from?"

Belle was never that ungraceful, and falling face first into the dirt left a mark on her cheek.

They had trotted along for quite a time when suddenly Belle pitched head first into some bushes. She rose quickly, and rubbed her head as if in pain. Heartspan trotted up quickly.

“ Are you ok Belle.” he asked in surprise.

Honestly he had not expected her to fall when she had seemed so focused. Then his eyes narrowed into a scowl. He was not looking at Belle but beyond her to a point farther into the forest.

“ Belle, I think you should turn around...” he said very quietly.

Platinum could hardly believe how stupid these creatures were. He quickly stepped out onto the path in clear view. He made sure to make just enough noise to catch their attention. He exerted his will on the forest as he stood there, slowly closing off their route of escape.

A foal stood on the path some ways away. From what Heartspan could tell the colt was a unicorn, but something seemed off. Heartspan was to far away to make out many details but he felt suddenly very angry.

Platinum began to slowly lace vines over the mares legs. Once she was snared he would deal with the stallion. For Platinum the mare presented the worst problem. She had been the first to notice him. She was healthy and strong . She was alert and she would need to be dealt with quickly.

Belle nodded slowly "yeh, I'm fine, thanks."

Heartspan was looking at something behind her, but she could make out what he was saying. She turned around, but had to blink a few times. Her head was pounding.

There was a colt in the path, and Heartspan looked very angry. Belle felt something snaking sound her leg and looked down. She squinted and stared at the vines creeping up her legs. She couldn't bring a scream to her lips, and instead levitated a sharp stone.

She brought the rock down hard on the vines, trying to keep her head clear.

Heartspan turned his head sharply toward belle when he noticed the movement out of the corner of his eye. he watched as a sharp rock descended on a patch of vines shearing them apart. Suddenly the nearest shrubbery seemed to come to life. Branches thick with foliage reached out, and vines slithered like serpents all with what seemed like a desire to grasp belle.

heartspan was utterly stunned. he had not seen any of the tell tale signs of magic and yet here he could not deny a spell. As quickly as he could manage he pictured the foliage around them as it reach and clawed with unnatural energy. His horn flashed with a sudden intense light as he warped and twisted the laws of nature. For a moment the branches and vines froze in place. A sound like soap bubbles popping filled the moment of silence that had followed the sudden stillness of the vegetation. In that instant the branches and vines nearest to them, and those that had made their way onto belle collapsed into piles of beach sand glistening and white.

Platinum had momentarily been caught off guard and rushed to regain control of the foliage. only this time he chose a patch very close to himself. Mother did not need both of them and as he warped thick branches into razor tipped spikes he grinned.

Belle's voice returned to her and she managed to gasp out "Thanks." She then turned back to the foal, who was grinning wickedly. Levitated spiky foliage surrounded him and Belle stared in awe at the foal's power. She shook her head-which was a bad decision, as it began stinging. She placed her hoof to her head an closed her eyes momentarily,

She reopened them and rose a thick branch off to the side of the road. She wasn't that great with spells, but it was easier from afar, and she preferred to say at a safer distance.

Platinum didn't give them a moment to relax he could see the thick branch drifting into his field of view. It was such a pathetic attempt at defense the he nearly laughed. He launched the spear like branches he had crafted with astounding speed. He intended to strike them both and which everyone survived would become the prize he brought home to mother.

Heartspan turned toward the foal but when he saw belle place her hoof to her head he suddenly realized her fall had done a lot more damage to her than he had thought. A sudden movement caught his attention. He watched hundreds of small sharp branches hurtle toward them as belle lifted a branch from the side of the road. that moment of concern had been a critical mistake he thought.

The projectiles moved with so much speed that he knew he would not be able to deflect them all. He only knew the two spells. he reached out with his telekinesis, pushing as many as he could toward the side of the road, but there were too many even for him and they were moving so much faster than he could have thought possible.

Belle was terrified, but retained a calm demeanor as the needle point branches zoomed towards them. She closed her eyes and focused all her mind and created a force field of some sorts. She could already feel it slipping as the branches punctured it.

She gasped as it broke and the spears spiked through towards her. They smashed into her neck and legs, but she remained standing as blood seeped out of the wounds. She glared fiercely at the colt and re-levitated the branch, swinging it fiercely at the foal.

She flinched and crumpled to the ground, blood flowing more freely. She weakly stood up and removed any splinters from her chest.

Heartspan had done his level best and at the last minute he turned away from the onslaught. needle like shards of wood pierced his should, and his legs but at least he had been able to deflect some of the more lethal shards. he held his breath against the pain. he suddenly collapsed partly in pain and partly because he realized what he would do next.

he took one more look at belle, glad that she stood bold an defiant. It gave him a little more courage. It would take most of his remaining energy but he was going to turn that foal to stone even if it cost him his life, it was the only thing he could think of. he closed his eyes concentrating as hard as he could despite the searing pain flooding his senses. In his mind he began to picture the transmutation of flesh into stone.


" Looks like you're friend is out of luck!" Platinum shouted as he deflected her tree branch.
The he laughed as he began to lift the debris all around the two unicorns. the debris began to drift in a lazy circle around them that gained a little speed with each revolution. He would make a cyclone to punish this impudent pony. He hated her defiant look. the way she seemed unbreakable. No he would break this mare cruelly he thought.

Belle sighed as debris danced in circles around her.

"Luck? There is no such thing as luck." she stated boldly to the foal.

Growing up with bullies taught her that, even if luck existed, it never helped her.

She bravely stepped towards the colt, her courage unwavering even as blood continued dripping from her chest.

"You, you are just a coward. Standing so far away, using 'magic' to help you. Why not fight like a stallion? You are clearly not just a foal, so come and fight little boy." she called to him, mustering up words hidden in the back of her mind.

She glanced behind her at Heartspan, concentrating hard. Hopefully she could stall the colt-thing until her finished his spell.

Belle's eyes widened with fear as the thing charged. She side-stepped and placed a large branch right in his path. He was going too fast to stop before smashing into it.

Belle rushed to Heartspan, "Are you alright?" she asked quickly, glancing up every second.

Platinum collided with a thick branch as the mare deftly side stepped him. He crashed to the ground and lay for a moment seething in rage before he finally rose. Now that the body was damaged it was harder for Platinum to control it. The limbs shook and as he spoke the mouth simple hung slack.
" You will pay for that..." he declared as he looked at Belle. " I am going to make everyone of your nightmares come true before i give you over to mother."

Though she was concerned Heartspan ignored her as he completed his design. his spell required complete focus.

Belle blinked, "Nightmares?" she scoffed, "I don't have nightmares. You, on the other hand, should be terrified of what I am capable of. I endured years of taunting and teasing, you think I came out of that unprepared?"

She withdrew two throwing knives from her bag and twirled them around.

“ You honestly think a little taunting and teasing has prepared you for anything” Platinum chided through his sagging mouth. “ Allow me to introduce you to something entirely new!”
He rose up on his hind legs as he began to shift shape. His upper body becoming pure shadow which lunged toward belle with a sort of cruel greed.

Heartspan released his spell. His horn flared with an almost blinding light. He hadn't been able to fully account for the enemies new form but what else could he do. He would just have to hope for the best.

A sound like many fireworks bursting filled his ears, and this was followed by the smell of freshly burned bread.

Platinum froze for just a moment, he struggled but his body refused to obey him. He could see the hidden terror in the mares eyes and the glint of her knives. Then a blinding, searing light filled his view.
Panic filled him as he struggled to move, but it was too late. The last thing Platinum heard was a loud pop.

The light of Heartspan's horn vanished and once more the two were plunged into the darkness of the ever free forest. Silence hung in the air as heart span opened his eyes. He looked at the blood covering belle's coat and the knives she wielded. Then he slowly turned to where the colt had been standing. There remained only a strange statue, the lower half thick stone and the upper body nearly paper thin and stretched toward where belle had been standing. Then something caught his gaze. He looked past the statue to see man thin stones here and there. Some draped over trees or bushes and others along the ground. He had not been able to pay the full exchange and so his magic had turned many shadows into stone along with the strange creature that had wanted to kill them so badly.

He stood up slowly wincing in pain. Then he looked at Belle and her knives.
“ You ok?” he asked

Belle sighed with relief as the beast was turned to stone at the last moment. She gasped for air and fell to the forest floor, blinking her eyes to adjust to the darkness.

"You okay?" Heartspan asked.

Belle nodded and stood up again, looking down at her bleeding chest.

"Oh jeez, that doesn't look good. What about you? You okay? Any horrible aftermath from your spell?"

Belle replaced her knives in the bag.

"Oh jeez, that doesn't look good. What about you? You okay? Any horrible aftermath from your spell?" 

Her words drew his attention to her wounds. He wanted to check out his own but the truth was he was worried he might find something serious. He limped over a little closer to her.

“ Unless you count turning a bunch of random shadows into stone, I avoided any harmful rebound.” he said warmly as he glanced at her wounds again. “ There is a first aid kit in my bag and some water......Belle, I am glad you were here, I don't think I would have fared so well alone....but..I'm sorry I got you into this trouble just for my own foolishness.”

He turned abruptly and limped over to his bag. He was exhausted, and his entire body ached. He felt bad for getting Belle hurt and worried he might have a serious injury though he doubted it since he could still walk, but logic never erased worry. He began to rummage through his saddle bags. He realized as he searched for the first aid kit that he hadn't even taken the time to get to know his traveling companion beyond some brief curiosity. For this he felt doubly bad, as he had been so caught up in himself that he had acted no better than the Canterlot ponies he disliked so much. His own hypocrisy stung worse than any of his wounds, but not nearly as much as knowing the harm he had gotten this mare into.

“ Unless you count turning a bunch of random shadows into stone, I avoided any harmful rebound. There is a first aid kit in my bag and some water......Belle, I am glad you were here, I don't think I would have fared so well alone....but..I'm sorry I got you into this trouble just for my own foolishness.”

Heartspan rummaged around in his saddlebag, looking for the kit, and Belle looked at his wounds.

"Oh, I'm fine. Just a little scratch. I've had worse." she said, waving her hoof, "But you seem to have some pretty bad injuries too." she added, glancing at his legs and shoulder with concern.

"Perhaps you should deal more with yours. I'm fine, really." she said again, squinting into the darkness at the stone shadow.

"Wow, what, what is that thing?"

"Oh, I'm fine. Just a little scratch. I've had worse." she said, waving her hoof, "But you seem to have some pretty bad injuries too.

Heartspan winced a little at her words, he wondered how bad his wounds could be and without thinking he looked down at his shoulder. Blood seeped from open wounds and from small shards of wood still protruding from his skin. He had to admit the wounds did look pretty bad but not life threatening and for this he heaved a small sigh of relief.

“ Well, yes, I planned on dealing with my....” he began but her next phrase drew his attention a way from wounds.

"Wow, what, what is that thing?"

hearing no worry in her voice he turned toward her slowly and seeing that she was peering at the statue he turned back to his bag.

“ I don't know what it is, but I can tell you sort of what it was made from.” he began but stopped once he found the first aid kit and water, pulling them carefully out of his bag.

“ I have enough for both of us. I wasn't sure how long I would be here, or how dangerous it might be so I didn't pack lightly. Of course you will have to tend your own wounds as I am not particularly gifted with medicine.” he commented matter of factly as he began to carefully and painfully pull out the shards of wood.

Belle shrugged and walked closer to Heartspan.

"Here, let me help." she said as she used her magic to carefully pull the shards out. "Sit still, this might hurt." she added as she pulled out a rather large one.

Once she finished, she took one of the water bottles and poured a little of the clear liquid on a cloth. She dabbed at Heart's wounds, cleaning the blood off.

"Do you have any disinfectant?" she asked as she looked through the first aid kit. "Oh wait, I found it. Now this might hurt a bit." she said as she sprayed the disinfectant on his injuries.

"There. All better." she said with a smile that probably looked more like a grimace.

Heartspan did his level best to remain calm as Belle tended his wounds. It hurt and he winced and fidgeted as she worked, though he tried not to. When she pulled out the big one his natural white coat turned a shade of unnatural green as his stomach lurched for a moment.

"There. All better."

he looked up at her and her grimace was mirrored on his own face.

“ Thanks..” he said trying to fit back his upset stomach. Then he closed his eyes for a moment until everything had subsided.

Belle began tending to her own wounds. Having already pulled out the pieces of wood, she merely had to wash the blood off and apply the spray. She winced a bit at the sting but finished and replaced the bottle in the first aid kit.

"Okay, what next?" she asked eagerly, her eyes bright and ready to go. "Oh, wait, are you alright? You're a little, erm, green. Here, have some water." she said, handing him the bottle of water.