//------------------------------//
// Chapter Seven: The Reason 
// Story: The Return of the Ursa Minor 
// by MyMindrigUniverse 
//------------------------------//


This chapter surrounds Starlight and Trixie's venture into the Everfree Forest

Takes place at the same time as the last three chapters


Trixie was really starting to regret following Starlight into Ponyville, now with everypony running amok as if their heads have been lopped off. But the chaotic state of the town wasn't what brought forth her regret. No. It was something deeper, more personal, as if all old parts of her was warning her of impending doom.

Well, Trixie decided to ignore it. She didn't care. The blue pony was content with just going with the flow, if she dared to actually stop and think about her life within the past 3 months, she would quickly find herself in the, House of "Special" Mares and Stallions, barking alongside other occupants of the fine establishment. So yes, she was very content with pushing all thoughts to the back of her mind and catching up with her best friend.

"So do we actually have a plan," Trixie said, now caught up with Starlight. "Or did you just run off without one. Well, other than Celestia's 'plan'." 

Trixie and Starlight had to jump a downed pony before Trixie could get a response.

"I have absolutely no clue what to do other than to go into the forest and 'obtain' information." Starlight replied. Trixie noticed her look of uncertainty.

"So, does that mean you are trying to come up with something. Something close to a plan." Trixie was trying to hold back her fears and doubts. Not really for her sake, but for Starlight. Trixie feared for the poor mare's ability to cope under pressure while also staying 'the good guy'. Yeah, if Starlight was just as or even worse at being a goodie-two-shoes as Trixie, then she really feared for her and her capacity of niceness.

"Oh, I am trying. I am most definitely trying Trixie." Starlight's painful smile was as convincing as Spike was scary.

Not a good sign. Trixie thought. Too much pressure is on Starlight. And if I've come to know anything about her after all this time, it is that she works horrible under pressure. So, Trixie decided to do what she is best at, apparently, and that was making others laugh.

"Well, whatever you come up with," Trixie paused for dramatic effect. " Know that. I, THE GREAT AND POWERFUL TRIXIE, has your back." 

Trixie saw as her overly-dramatic nature took effect on her best friend, and she started to giggle in response.

Finally, a fun face. Trixie thought in relief. 

"Thanks, Trix. I appreciate your, uh, assurance." Her smile was sincere and her face relaxed. 

"Trix? Now your giving the almighty me nicknames?" Trixie said in playful gesturing. "You offend my greatness."

"Oh stop. Let's get going. I think I know what to do." Starlight's face was now truly that of a leader. Confident in her abilities, and Trixie felt that she had accomplished something.

Maybe everypony was right. I really am needed... Trixie paused in contemplation. Meaning even Twilight was right. Well it's not like I will ever admit it. She shrugged, and followed Starlight as she sped up.




It wasn't until their conversation had ended that they started observing their surroundings. And of course, lots and lots of disharmony. Very physical stuff, some were acting very unpony-like. To the point that it seemed more like the worst back ally in the worst part of Manehattan. Although, Trixie was still grateful that no fires had started. But she expected them to start soon. So her reaction as Mayor Mare suddenly trampling over Starlight, as they made way in a mass gathering of fearful ponies, was anything but positive.

"Oh, I'm so sorry dear." The mayor hurriedly said as she helped up Starlight. "The town is in chaos, I have tried calming everypony, telling them that we are protected by the princess's, but they seem to not be listening." Fear and panic was clear on her face. "And I have a feeling a few fires may soon start."

I knew it. Trixie thought before, Mayor Mare continued.

"Please tell me you know what to do. As your position clearly states. This kind of distraught in Ponyville can only be quelled by the Princess of Friendship, which is only possible by leading and protecting us.So please tell me wh-" She paused, noticing how she must have sounded, and began again with tact. "I'm sorry to sound like this way to you dear. But it is now your job to lead us, or at least help me lead them."

"I...I can't." Starlight said, lowering her head in guilt. Much to Trixie's dismay, it seemed that her attempts at comforting Starlight eariler were starting to wear off, and initial fear was returning. "I must travel into the forest at the request of, Princess Celestia and find the source of this problem. I'm sorry, you must do all you can to lead everypony."

"Celestia?" The mayor asked, more to herself than anypony else. 

Trixie noticed the mayor begin to withdraw, deep in thought, as if trying to remember something. Which confused the blue mare, as she further noticed, Mayor Mare's absence in using Princess Celestia's title.  

However, impatient, anxious, and guilty as she was, Starlight did not notice, and grabbed for Trixie to continue toward the forest. Which would take galloping through a large gathering of spooked ponies.

But as they went through the madness, Trixie glanced back towards the mayor, but saw that she was gone. Which only lead to the resurfacing of that weird feeling of unease deep down in Trixie's gut.





It only took a few minutes to get through the mob of ponies that had originally blocked the entrance into the Everfree Forest. Which would usually take hours. But thanks to some high level magical energy that flew across everypony, through the forest, and rebounded into the sky in a blazing fury, the plaza was instantly emptied as all within ran towards the opposite direction of the forest. Leaving the only two dumbest ponies stupid enough to enter the forest at this time. At least that was how everypony else viewed it.

But now, as the two were well within the forest, Starlight in-front, Trixie behind. They were finally able to calm down and gather a plan.

"So about that plan." Trixie said, certain that it was okay to talk to Starlight now.

"Yeah, there isn't one." Starlight replied hesitantly.

"What?"

"Well there was one a few minutes ago. You know, to get out of Ponyville unharmed." Starlight's habit of talking faster and faster was kicking in as she started explaining herself to Trixie. "But now, well, I don't have one."

"Starlight!" Trixie said, more whiny than angry. "Come on, you can't just get somepony to trust and follow you, just to tell them you know shit about what your doing."

"Hey look Trixie." Starlight angrily said. "If you don't like how I run things, you can take over instead."

"The thing is that you don't even run things. You're just haphazardly following what Princess Sunbutt told you to do, then you get all pissy and frustrated with everything around you." Trixie felt a selfish side of herself taking over, despite her previous attempts to support Starlight. The blue mare still had a snobbish side to her personality.

"Wait." Starlight said, suddenly stopping as if to think about something. "Princess Sunbutt?" 

"Yeah, that's my name for the princess when I decide to insult her." Trixie said, thankful that Starlight seemed to not have paid attention to Trixie's mean words.

"That's it!" She said, after pondering something.

"What?" Trixie said, confused. "Princess Sunbutt?"

"No." Starlight finally turned towards Trixie. "Before Princess Celestia left, she told me to put up a communication spell that can last long distances."

"I think I can remember her saying something along those lines." Trixie can vividly recall the princess talking as the blue mare coward in fear.

"Well, before I ran into Ponyville to get here. I put up, Lonteget Maxinant, a spell created by Coppercorn himself. Who is most famous for creating the single most strongest communication spell known to ponykind. It can keep anypony within 1000 miles of each other in touch." Starlight was starting to lose breath as she started going into a book-worm tangent. "So naturally, to be safe, I cast it. Just to be safe."

"Your repeating yourself." Trixie said, ignoring most of her add information, and only barely understanding the overall meaning.

"Yeah, whatever, are you listening?" Starlight said.

"Does it matter if I listen or even get what you're talking about?" Trixie said, still confused.

"Ugh, just stand there and wait. I need to concentrate." Starlight's horn began to glow as Trixie backed away. "Coppercorn is known for creating overly-complex spells for absolutely no reason other than to test the user, as if to see if they are worthy of his greatness...or that's what Twilight told me...which she was apparently told by an entry in Starswirl the Bearded's journal of-"

"I get it Starlight. Just cast the damn spell."

"Right, sorry."

The two ponies stood still as Starlight prodded for the spell. Attempting to reinvigorate it. But as time went on. Trixie was less and less faithful of it's appearance any time soon and overall use. However, the faded pink pony still tried, but to little effect other than pulsing veins spread all over her face.

"Um, Starlight?" Trixie was worried that her friends would pop a blood vessel if she tried any further. "I think it's time to stop."

However, the mare did not listen. In fact, her frustration just grew to an alarming rate. Trixie was about to interject, even if it came to forcing her friend to stop. But before she could move, a loud Ding noise could be heard. Which, Trixie guessed to have meant that Starlight's spell picked up.

Going by her reaction to the noise, Trixie was right. However there was no response.

"Princess? Princess? Damn, is my spell even up anymore?" Starlight's voice became frantic as her hopes were diminishing.

"Maybe it turned off, or you exhausted all your magic. It happens when you keep a spell on for thirty minutes without using it. Kinda just goes away." Trixie offered.

"Trixie." Starlight said in annoyance. "Magic doesn't work like that, plus even if it did, thirty minutes would not be en-"

But before she could finish, a familiar, regal voice could be heard as if it came from behind the two.  "My little ponies?!" 

"It worked!" Starlight visibly jumped for joy as Trixie was annoyed at her misjudgment.

"Princess Celestia. We have entered the forest after much difficulty, but we almost died from some magical orb, and Trixie is increasingly getting more annoying." Starlight paused to hush Trixie's retort before continuing. "I need to know why I am here again? I could be helping you or Princess Luna fight the Constellations instead of...whatever it is I am he-"

Ahh, I'm done! Trixie thought as she ignored the rest of Starlight's conversation with, Princess Celestia and turned forward, watching the forest as they traveled deeper and deeper into the center. If she wants to act like this, then the best I can do is just not talk at all. Now she's on her own, and if she revert it's not my fault. But it's not like she is gonna revert into some heartless bitch because of a little pressure. I mean, she did survive that Changeling incident. Yeah, and that that time I betrayed her and to-"

The pony remembered the time she hurt Starlight by actively using her to get to Twilight. To one up her rival, she was willing to throw away a friend, a friend she didn't have to try so hard to achieve. Starlight was just somepony that she easily connected with.

But I still treated her like crap. Trixie took a deep breath as she calmed herself down. She knew that even though her friend can get a bit tempered, herself especially, they would still be able to work it out.

With this in mind, Trixie returned her attention to Starlight, who was now in mid sentence, and much to the blue mare's surprise, was talking about how she creepily stalked Twilight when she used to be evil. Of course, with Trixie being herself, the pony was thoroughly creeped out. Which was plane on her face.

"Exactly. You made a seemingly impossible task seem possible. You did so much by yourself and was so close to coming out on top. Now imagine what two princess's, a nearly all-knowing Draconequus, and yourself would be able to accomplish if we could gain information on all six Constellations. As I admit, I seem to not have made as much of an effort to learn more about these beings other than their name in the past thousand years." Regret clear in the Princess of the Sun's voice.

"I guess your right," Starlight sighed in defeat.

"Wait a minute," interjected Trixie. "Those events are completely different. She seemingly stalked Twilight night and day, she is worse than me when I spied on her. It would make sense for her to have the upper-hand on somepony. But this? This is just waltzing into their home and taking a look. Not much can be learned from just that...I speak from experience." Trixie decided to give her input on the situation. Hoping to make up for ignoring her friend's entire conversation.

"That may be true Trixie. But if my suspicions are correct. Just simply searching their residence will be enough to find validation, to them of course, to attack and blame us." The princess lowered her voice. "I may be wrong, but I suspect we were set up."

Confused. Starlight tried to get the princess to expose her secret. "What do you mean set up? Who would want to do that, who could do that. This-"

Suddenly, a static like noise blasted into the ears of both ponies. The two mares reacted in shock at the suddenness of it, which caused them to stop and consider the source. Both even briefly believed the princess hung up; if that was even possible.

"Starlight?" Asked Trixie, worry shown across her face.

"This is impossible." Starlight was just as worried, but also perplexed. "Coppercorn made sure that no interference of any kind could possibly break the connection between to ponies."

"Maybe it's was a scam spell." Trixie offered.

"This spell was tested by Starswirl the Bearded himself." Starlight said in a factual tone. "To accuse the spell of being a scam, is to accuse Starswirl the Bearded a scam artist. Or worse. Somepony who would takes bribes."

"Okay. So what other possible reasons could there be, that would lead to such a great and powerful spell as Lonteget Maxinant being 'cut off'?" Trixie said sarcastically as she twirled her hooves.

"Well," Starlight took a moment to recall the answer to Trixie's question. "It would take a sizable amount of magical energy being expelled from within the the spells reach. More specifically, a barrier spell. But it is hard to consider something just as powerful as Coppercorns incantation."

"How powerful is it?" Trixie was actually curious this time.

"It took Starswirl the Bearded 2 whole minutes to master the spell."

"That's all?"

"It took Twilight 10 hours."

"And?"

"It took me 19 hours."

"So?"

"IT WOULD TAKE YOU A MONTH!" Starlight yelled, patience diminished.

"Oh," Trixie finally remembered the gap between her and these other Unicorns. "Cool."

Starlight sighed. "Let's just find the source of-"

"Wait." Trixie's eyes widened with realization to something she hadn't considered till now. "Do we even know where to find the lair of the Constellations, or were we really just that much more unprepared for this little venture into the Everfree Forest than I previously assumed." 

"Oh, that." Starlight said nonchalantly. "Twilight told me the story of how she beat the Ursa Minor. You would know. And in that story she told me where it lived." Starlight pointed forward. And as the two looked at were she pointed, they were met with surprise. A hooded figure, not 20 meters away, was in the middle of casting a spell.

Luckily, the pony-like figure had it's back turned to the Starlight and Trixie. Which allowed them to quickly hide in the nearest bushes once they had realized this.

"Who is that?" Trixie asked. Now completely terrified. "Is that the pony who is interfering with our signal?"

"I would think so." Starlight stared at the figures hooded head. Trying to make out the pony behind. "Just watch, we may learn more if we quietly stay here."

Before Trixie could defy Starlight's plan, they were instantly met with the ponies identity.

The pony threw it's hooves into the air as it finished it's incantation. Three small and purple lines of magic exited the pony and flew into the air, dispersing as it reached the highest tree. The hooded pony watched the sky for a few more seconds before beginning to laugh. And much to the two hiding ponies. It, no she. Spoke.

"Oh, if it isn't my favorite littlest ponies." The voice instantly threw the two off. They doubted it however, as they thought it was impossible. But were instantly proven wrong as she turned. Revealing Mayor Mare. 

"I was wondering how long it would take to find this place." Mare's face contorted into a sinister smile as she saw the surprised faces of both Starlight and Trixie.


END OF CHAPTER 7