Sorry for taking so long on this chapter, it was not writers block, nor was it having too much happening in my life, no, it was pure procrastination. Without further ado, here is a quarter! (*winces at bad joke* If you didn't get the joke, it means chapter 25, get it because a quarter is 25 cents and... I will go sit in the corner of shame now, just read the chapter)
Star felt both good about today and anxious, he would be going to Canterlot today and seeing the Hearth Warming eve play, afterwards he would be spending the night in Canterlot, the next day, he would give his gifts to his friends and then the moment of truth would approach, he would confront Princess Celestia about his past.
Star smiled at the thought, on Hearth's warming eve, everything would come to an end, either he would know who he was, or he would provoke the princess more until she banished him or something of the sort, this was going to certainly be very eventful.
He just kept going over this in his mind over and over again all morning, he didn't pay attention to almost anything else, short of seeing his friends off for their trip to Canterlot. He stood idly by as they each got ready to leave, they were all gathering in front of the train station, they would be taking a train to Canterlot.
"Are ya sure ya don't want ta just ride with us?" Applejack asked him
"Yep, I have business to take care of first" Star reassured her
Just then Pinkie came by dragging a very large and heavy looking suitcase "Could you help me with this Star?" she asked
He walked over to Pinkie and started to help her drag the suitcase "Not like that, with your magic" she explained
"I don't have any magic anymore" he said simply
Pinkie suddenly stopped and stared at him, so did all of their other friends except for Twilight "When did this happen?" Rarity asked
"Yesterday, my magic stopped working, I think I may not have been using my own magic anyway, I am pretty sure that I was just using the magic stored in the amulet. Twilight and I think that Discords magic may be blocking off my magic" he explained
"So the first thing you think of is that it was Discord, not something else? How could you possibly know that that's why you don't have any magic?" Rainbow asked
"I don't know, but that seemed the most logical explanation, I am a unicorn with no magic, and Discord just so happens to have some magical influence shielding something inside my subconscious, so until we find out the actual reason, I am going to guess that that's it" he explained
"Wait, without your magic you won't be able to decipher the journals anymore, what are you going to do now?" Fluttershy asked in sudden realization
"That is why I am going to go to Canterlot with you girls, I am going to confront Celestia about it and ask her what happened to me and who I was" he answered
The other ponies and baby dragon stared at him as if he were a crazy pony "Are you crazy? What if you upset her and she banishes you to the moon!" Pinkie said in surprise
"Yeah! That sounds like a bad idea" Spike agreed
"She wouldn't do that…. Would she?" Star asked worriedly
"No, that is just an old foals tale, she does not banish ponies to the moon for no good reason!" Twilight said slightly annoyed
"Looks like the train is waiting" Star said gesturing towards the train that had just pulled up to the station.
They all boarded the carriage and Star waved as they left, now he had to start his preparations for tonight.
His first stop was to go and rent a cart to carry the presents over to Canterlot. One hour a cart, a misunderstanding, and a complimentary cart rental later he was on his way to the pet shop to pick up the kitten and the pet food.
After getting the kitten and the cat food he stopped by his home and retrieved the items from the small hole where they were located. With only the kitten as his company he was on his way to Canterlot.
The walk there was uneventful until he came upon a large group of ponies surrounding a snow hill. As he got closer he saw that a few ponies were digging at the snow and there were some guilty looking Cutiemark Crusaders right by it "What happened here?" he asked them
"We were trying to get our demolitionist Cutiemarks and we kinda…. Sorta….. caused a teeny tiny bit of the smallest…" Sweetiebelle tried to explain
"Avalanche, we caused an avalanche" Scootaloo interjected
"I was getting to that" Sweetiebelle said shooting an annoyed look at Scootaloo
"and why are there ponies digging at the snow pile?" he asked
"There might've been one or two ponies there when it happened" Applebloom said carefully
"Have they found them yet?" he asked
"Nope" Scootaloo answered
Star turned away from the Cutiemark Crusaders and approached the snow pile, he then proceeded to walk across the top and dug at anything that raised above the relatively flat snowline. Eventually he came upon a pony who's shouts for help had been muffled until that moment "heeeeeellllp!" he heard just as he uncovered the pony
He looked down at the pony and saw that it was a unicorn mare "Are you okay?" he asked helping her out of the snow
Upon closer inspection he saw that the pony was blue with a silvery mane, she was wearing a hat and cape with star-like designs "I'm f-f-fine," she said between shivers "thanks Mr….?"
"Name's Midnight Star, pleasure to make your acquaintance Ms….?" He asked repeating her actions
"T-T-Trixie, known by m-most as The g-great and p-powerful Tr-Trixie" she said shivering again
"May I offer you some nice hot chocolate? My home isn't far from here" he offered
"T-that would be nice, m-m-may I ask where you live exactly?" she asked
"Ponyville" he responded
Suddenly she made a sour expression "Oh, you live THERE" she said with emphasis "don't you already know who I am?" she asked
"Nope, I moved in about 5 months ago, why, should people in Ponyville know you?" he asked
"Yes, I was h-humiliated during one of my shows by Twilight Sparkle, I had not thought that I would find such a t-talented pony in the audience, I usually go to a town and out show the local h-hotheads, but I was out shown and defeated, I even lost my c-cart, it took me up until about a month ago to get all of my equipment back" she said in an annoyed tone
"She is my friend, I am sure she just thought that you were some over confident bragging pony" he explained "she is a good pony, but nopony ever accused her of under reacting"
This earned a small chuckle from her "I guess I c-can understand that, I kind of h-humiliated her friends when they took my b-bait, I act over confident and act l-like I can out show anyp-pony, and when a pony is angry and trying to prove that they are b-better, they tend to mess up m-more, making it easier for me to best th-them, it didn't help when two of my f-fans brought an ursa minor to the town either" she said rolling her eyes
"So, would you like some of that hot chocolate or not? It will be a while before they get your cart out from under there and I can't get past until they uncover the road" he offered
She smiled "That would be nice"
When they got off of the tall hill of snow the Cutiemark Crusaders approached them "What are you doing hanging around HER" Scootaloo asked
"She is the pony that you girls hit with your avalanche" he answered
"We're sorry" they said with their trademark puppy dog eyes
Trixie looked at them in confusion "YOU caused the avalanche? How did you manage that?" she asked incredulously
"We might've sorta set off some dynamite at the top of the hill" Applebloom explained gesturing to a nearby hill
"Why?" she asked
"We were trying to get demolition Cutiemarks" Sweetiebelle explained"
"I never asked, blowing up what?" Star questioned
"Just some boulders we found…" she answered
"And did you blow up the boulders?" he asked
"Kind of" she said reluctantly
"What happened to the boulders then?" he pressed
"They might've flown off in random directions and hit a few things, just a little bit" Applebloom demonstrated by holding her hooves very close together
"Did they hit anypony's property?" he asked
"Not that ah know of, one flew towards Everfee, one flew towards the road, and one flew towards….. Sweet Apple Acres!" she exclaimed running towards her farm
Star was about to follow when he remembered that he was going to get himself and Trixie some hot chocolate while they waited for her cart to be unburied, so he watched them rush off and went to get his cart.
The walk to his home was quiet until Trixie heard a faint meow from the cart "What is in there anyway?" she asked
"Presents for my friends, you probably heard the kitten that I got for Fluttershy" he explained
"Presents for what?" she asked
"Hearth's warming day" he answered
"I had forgotten that, it's tomorrow isn't it?" she guessed
"Yep" he said
They eventually arrived back at his home where for the next few hours they just drank hot chocolate, talked and ended up playing with the kitten. Star learned a lot about Trixie, she was an apprentice to a wizard pony who was very successful in his trade, he was also apparently very famous, his stage name was The Amazing Hoofdini.
He also told Trixie that he had no memory of his past, he refined from telling her about his being Starswirl's apprentice and son, seeing as he had just met her. Eventually there was a lull in the conversation "Well, I guess we can check and see if they got your cart out now" Star suggested
"Guess so" she agreed
Sure enough when they arrived back at the scene of the avalanche, the ponies had uncovered her cart and were asking around who's it was "It's mine" Trixie explained
After she was asked a few questions and given a few dirty looks from ponies who were crowding around the avalanche, which Star assumed they saw her when she first went to Ponyville, she was allowed to take her cart.
Trixie approached Star as he was getting ready to leave "Thanks for the hot chocolate" she said
"My pleasure" he said while hitching himself to the cart
"So, where are you going now?" she asked
"Canterlot" he answered
"Well, if I am ever in a town you are in, feel free to come and see one of my shows" she offered
"I would like that" he said happily
Trixie then said her farewell and went on her way. During that event he had lost a few hours before his traveling time, but it didn't matter, he wouldn't be doing anything in Canterlot until that night anyway. During his peaceful walk he suddenly heard a voice, but it sounded faint, almost from a distance.
He kept hearing it getting louder and louder until he could finally make out a faint "HEY STAR, WAIT UP!"
He turned to see what looked like Macintosh pulling a wagon. He waited and sure enough it was Big Macintosh pulling a wagon with the Cutiemark Crusaders and Granny smith in it "Howdy Star" Macintosh greeted
"Hey" he greeted "Where are you all headed?" he asked
"To Canterlot for the play of course, did ya think we would miss out sister's performance?" Applebloom asked
"No, it didn't occur to me" he said with a shrug of his shoulders "So, why are you walking like I am, instead of taking the train like the others did?" he asked
"The trains are done runnin fer today, so we usually just take this cart up" Macintosh explained
The rest of the walk Star and Macintosh walked side by side down the road making small talk. Eventually they came upon the place they were headed, they arrived in Canterlot. They said their farewells as Star went to find a hotel to sleep in for the night and Macintosh and the others left to find Applejack.
He wandered through town before eventually stumbling upon what he had been searching for, he found a hotel by the name of The Golden Horseshoe Hotel, it was a wide hotel instead of a large one, it had separate buildings off to the side for the hotel rooms, instead of inside the main building itself.
He walked in to find a white unicorn with a blonde mane standing at the counter in the front staring into a small mirror. Star approached him "Excuse me, I would like to rent a room" he asked
The other pony after hearing Star seemed much more interested in his mirror. After a few moments passed he asked "Do you have any available rooms?"
The other pony sighed "We have a few rooms available, if you want one, the deposit on the room is thirty bits a day"
Star pulled out his bag of bits and gave the pony the bits for the room. After waiting for a few moments he asked "Which room will I be staying in?"
The other pony sighed in annoyance "Do I have to do everything? I am a prince you know, I don't have to take this" he complained
"And I'm over a thousand years old, now which room is mine" Star said cheerfully
"I am serious! I am Prince Blueblood!" he said in defiance
"I believe you, so what is a prince like you doing in a hotel" Star inquired
"Well, if you must know, I apparently over reacted at last years gala and mistreated somepony, my parents found out and made me get a job to learn ethics and how to treat other ponies or something like that" he answered
"Sounds to me like you deserved it" Star said simply
"You annoy me" he said flatly
"The sooner you tell me which room is mine, the sooner I am out of your mane and out of your life" Star offered
He smiled at this "Room forty-six, now go away" he said giving him the key and shooing him away
Star left the main building and brought his cart around to one of the nearby buildings. Eventually he came upon a door that said the number 46. He got into the room and brought each of the presents into it. After this he left to find himself and the kitten something to eat.
He returned an hour later with a can of tuna for the kitten, which he enjoyed a lot. Looking outside at the sun he saw that it was starting to set so he left on his way to find the theatre where the play was being held.
It wasn't that hard to find it, seeing as the streets were full of ponies heading for the same destination as him. When he finally got to the theatre he hurried to find a seat before the whole place got too packed up, he found a seat by Big Macintosh near the front.
Just as the last of the ponies filed into the theatre the lights dimmed and he saw Spike walk onto the stage. He gave an introduction explaining that a long time ago the three pony races didn't live in harmony and they all hated each other. Then the actual performance started and it told the story of Hearth's warming eve.
After the curtains closed Star got up with everypony else and started to leave, until he was stopped by a blob of pink "Did you like it? Didyadidyadidyadidyadidya?" she asked bouncing up and down
"It was pretty nice, you were all very good" he complimented
Star started to leave again but was stopped by her once more "We are all going to Pony Joes for a snack, do you want to come with? I was actually sent to come and ask you"
"Um, sure, I guess, why not" he agreed
Pinkie grabbed his hoof and dragged him over to the dressing room, the entire way there she was saying something about cupcakes and donuts, and something or other about oatmeal, until they got to the dressing room, where he was quickly pushed back out "Pinkie what are you doing leading a colt into a mare's dressing room?" Rarity said shutting the door
"Um, Rarity? It doesn't really matter does it?" Applejack asked
"Yes! We aren't wearing any clothes!" she said incredulously
"Ummm Rarity, we don't normally wear clothes, we already went over this" Applejack pointed out
Rarity rolled her eyes "Fine you can come in"
Star walked into the dressing room and saw them all putting their costumes away "So, any particular reason Pinkie was sent to invite me to Pony Joes?" he asked
"Just thought it would be nice to invite you" Twilight said quickly
"I may not be the most observational pony, I am pretty thick, and I get distracted easily…. Wait, what was my point again?" he thought for a second "Oh yeah, I may not be the most observational pony, but I can tell from your answer that there is another reason"
"Was I really that obvious?" she asked before sighing in defeat "We have all been talking and, maybe it isn't such a good idea to confront Celestia about the situation, maybe you should just leave the situation alone and just live your life as it is right now"
"You know I can't do that, even if she does banish me to the moon" he said jokingly
"Well, now that that's settled, how was your trip here?" Rarity asked trying to change the subject
"Oh, well I met Trixie-" he started
"What! What was that big meanie doing back in Ponyville" Pinkie said in surprise
"Two things, first, she isn't a "big meanie" and second, she wasn't going to Ponyville, I don't know exactly where she was going, but it wasn't here or Ponyville" he explained
"What do you mean she isn't a big meanie! She made fun of us and acted like she was better than us!" Pinkie said in outrage
"That is what she does for her shows, it isn't all just illusions and explosions, she acts all boastful so that she can draw out some of the local hotheads and make a show of it" he explained
"So you're tryin ta tell us that that boastful foal of a pony was just actin?" Applejack asked
"Yep, spent a few hours with her today because the Cutiemark Crusaders buried her and her new caravan in an avalanche" he answered
"They did what?" Rarity asked in shock
"They were trying to get their demolition Cutiemarks" he explained
"Did anypony get hurt?" Applejack asked
"Nopony got hurt" he reassured her
"Well if that is all the invitation to Pony Joes was, then I guess I'm-" he was interrupted by the door opening
"Good show girls, you did just as good if not better than last-" Princess Celestia walked into the room and stopped speaking just as she saw Star "This was a nice visit, but I believe I should be going" she immediately turned back to the door
"Wait" Star stopped her "I need to talk to you"
"No you don't" she said in a nervous tone
The other ponies just stared in surprise "Star, you are making Princess Celestia nervous, PRINCESS CELESTIA!" Rainbow said in surprise
"No he isn't I just have to leave" she started to walk out the door again but Star stopped her
"Look either I confront you about this tomorrow, or now, your choice, get it over with now or on a day for celebration" he offered
"Star! You can't tell Princess Celestia what to do!" Twilight said in surprise
He ignored her "I have gone five months now, looking like this," he took his hood off for dramatic effect causing Celestia to gasp "and not knowing why, and when I actually got close, you prevented that, so I am here right now and I demand an explanation!" he said boldly
"You can't talk like that to the princess what's wrong with you!" Twilight said in surprise again
Celestia looked at the ground in shame "No, it's alright, he deserves an explanation, after all, it's my fault that this happened to him anyway"
Two things I have to say, firstly I have to get this off my chest right now, I was not completely honest when I said that this story is nearing its conclusion, in all honesty, this is just nearing the end of an arc, this story still has potential for 2 more arcs and a prequel! I am excited about this, especially because I can actually think of 2 more stories for this and a prequel, but anyway I just had to say that.
Secondly, I have taken the liberty of making an OC to pair Star with, just in case I don't decide on a canon pony, so don't worry, if I don't come to a decision on one of the canon's there is always my other OC.