“What?” The man standing beside my bed said aloud.

“Who is Star?” I asked again.

The man smacked his lips and shrugged, “I’ll locate the doctor…”

“I’ll come with…” The bright pink haired women said.

“Ah’ll come too.” The blonde haired woman said.

I looked to my right and saw the pink haired woman that kissed me, staring at me in horror as she looked like tears were about to fall from her face.

“Did… I do something wrong?” I asked in a concerned tone. Everyone stared at me silently, all of them in shock.

--------------------------

“What do you mean you don’t know!” I screamed. “MY FRIEND DOESN’T REMEMBER HIS OWN FUCKING NAME LET ALONE ANY OF US!”

“Sir please I may not understand what you're going through but screaming at me isn’t going to help!” The surgeon said, “I just performed the operation!”

“Then who might know what’s going on?!?” I questioned angrily.

“Doctor Cross might!” The surgeon said pointing further down the hall.

I walked down to Cross’ office. I opened the door and entered.

“Oh J…” Cross said, standing up from his chair.

“You are going to tell me what’s wrong with my friend.” I stated coldly.

“Just calm down…” Cross said, taking a step back.

I took a deep breath in, “Fine. What is wrong with my friend…” I said again this time a little more calmly.

“There were risks during the surgery but… Specifically though, it was the tumor that caused it.” Cross said.

“English if you would.” I stated.

“Well… The spot that the tumor in was… It was pressing very hard against a portion of the brain, cutting off blood flow to that specific area. And when we removed it… It formed a clot.” Cross said.

“I understand so little… Just go on.” I said.

“Well, it wouldn’t have been a problem but… It moved.” Cross said, “Specifically… to the area that stores memories. And that clot is still inside him.”

“Is it permanent?” I asked.

“Well that’s the thing. I don’t know. It could last a day… Maybe a week. Maybe forever…” Cross said, “The clot itself isn’t the problem. That inevitably will disperse but… It’s already done damage. I’m not saying the memories are ‘gone’ but… They could come back at any time. Maybe try suggesting things to him that could trigger it or… Take him to a familiar place… I honestly don’t know.”

I sighed, “Well… I know one thing that could kick start it… But no. I won’t do that to him again.” I said. “Maybe… no… I’m not of any use to do that… I can just hope and wait. I’ll go back and see if anything changed. Thank you.” I walked out and headed for the room.

I stopped outside and both Pinkie and Applejack hugged me, “So… what should we do?”

A moment later, Fluttershy ran from Star’s room, crying. She ran down the hall and out of the hospital.

“One of you should get her… I think we should get a little something to eat. Maybe… if it is long lasting we should at least try to refriend him while we wait.” I suggested.

“Okay! I will!” Pinkie said, “The ice cream shop right?”

I nodded as she rushed out of the hospital after Fluttershy.

AJ let go of me as we walked into the room. Other than a small cough and the beep of the heart monitor the room was deathly quiet.

“Why was she crying?” Star asked, “I didn’t mean to upset her…”

“It’s… just what happened that caused it.” I said quietly as I looked at the rest of them, “The Doc said he doesn’t know how long it will last… but we could try to trigger his memories return.”

“Okay…” Star said, standing up and nearly falling as he caught his balance.

“Woah! You shouldn’t be standing until the nurse or doctor gives you the go ahead!” I said rushing over to help him stand steadily.

“I don’t think the nurse has any say over it.” Star said, “I want to leave.”

“Not until Doctor Cross says it’s alright for you to leave.” I retorted, “You aren’t getting hurt because of some pride. Your health is more important.”

“I don’t even know you…” Star said.

“You may not but that doesn’t mean anything does it? I’m the one who’s going to be taking care of you while you fully recover. So get used to me.” I said back.

“Alright…” Star said, sitting back down.

I looked back at everyone else, “Any ideas where we should start?” I questioned. “I mean after we go for something to eat.”

“Up to you. I’ll let my ‘captors’ decide.” Star said sarcastically.

“So no ideas from anyone else?” I asked the rest of them, “None whatsoever?”

“Well… there is…” Twilight began.

“No.” I stated, “Just don’t even suggest that.”

“No I’m curious… What?” Star asked her.

“We could just ask Pinkie or Fluttershy if they know anything that may help!” Twilight said.

I mentally face palmed. Of course she wasn’t going to suggest that she doesn’t even remember it. “Well we can do that at lunch.”

“If you aren’t going to let me walk out of here, get me a damn wheelchair and let’s go. I can’t stand this room anymore.” Star said.

“Just wait. You’ll be out of here soon.” I said as Doctor Cross walked into the room.

“Hello.” Cross said, coming up to Star. “Alright I’m going to go down the checklist, if you check out then you are free to leave.”

--------------------------------

“Okay… so just follow me everyone.” I said leading them off towards the pre-picked meeting spot.

“So where are we going?” Star asked.

“Two things. Ice cream and some lunch.” I stated glancing back looking for any reaction.

I got one from Dash whose wings shot-out and another from Scootaloo whose wings did the same thing.

“Sounds good.” Star said, continuing to walk.

I sighed. After another minute we got to the ice cream shop where Pinkie and Fluttershy were waiting. “Everyone go decide what they want. I’ll pay.” I said as I walked to them.

When I approached them Fluttershy was the first to spot me. She waved, not saying anything.

I sat down beside them, “I can’t really be of much help getting his memories back…” I said quietly, “I haven’t been with him long enough here to be of any use in that department.”

“Who’s he?” Star asked, pointing to Scootaloo.

I quickly looked at Star, “Scootaloo is my daughter. Why would she be a he?”

“I… Don’t know.” Star said, scratching his head, “I mean… I knew she was a ‘she’ but… It just came out. I’m sorry I didn’t mean…”

“Wait… it…” I smiled slightly.

Fluttershy seemed to share my reaction and looked happier now.

Scootaloo just stared at Star before looking back at the menu.

“I really didn’t mean anything offensive.” Star said quickly.

“She knows you didn’t… but still saying that is offensive.” I said back.

“It won’t happen again.” Star said, nodding in agreement.

“Just choose what you want.” I said as I turned back to Fluttershy and Pinkie. “See everyone else is more useful at this than I am.” I said quietly to them.

“The Rainbow Sundae looks good.” Star said, pointing to the menu.

Dash quickly sat down beside me, “Please… why are you torturing me like this?”

I shrugged, “I’m not. It seems Star is unconsciously doing it though.” I said, “Be glad he hasn’t gone through the rest.”

“Yeah, lots of whipped cream.” Star said. Scootaloo immediately crossed her legs.

“And… it steadily goes down hill. At least… no not going to say it. Not going to jinx myself.” I said looking back at Star, “It’s like he still knows he’s doing it. But… he doesn’t at the same time…” My dick was slightly hard just from remembering what happened before. After a moment you notice Star staring at Fluttershy.

I gently nudged Fluttershy, “He’s looking at you.” I said quietly. “Maybe it isn’t too far away…”

“I don’t mean to stare…” Star said, snapping out of his trance, “You just… Look really beautiful.”

Fluttershy smiled, “Thank you…” She said.

“Do… Did i know you?” Star asked.

I nodded, “I’m going to go look for what I want… you two… enjoy yourselves.” I said as I got up.

-------------------------

“I’m sorry if i upset you back at the hospital. I didn’t mean to.” I said.

“No you didn’t… It’s just…” Fluttershy said.

“What is it?” I asked.

“Nothing… Did you want to go out for dinner?” Fluttershy asked.

“Heh… Aren’t i supposed to be the one asking that? Sure.” I said, getting another smile in return. I got up and walked to the door, “You coming?” I asked.

“Okay.” She said, jumping up and running to my side. We left, heading down the road.

I watched two men point and look at us. They both walked over to us.

“Can I help you?” I asked.

“Yeah… you can.” One of them said. “Our friend needs some help and we were hoping someone would be nice enough to help us… but no one has been.”

“Alright. I’d be happy to help.” I said, following him with Fluttershy.

“Just back here.” He said as his friend got behind us. I could here the first guy snicker a little.

“So what happened.” I asked.

“Oh… two people came back here stupidly following a stranger…” The first guy said as the second one punched me in the side. I fell to my knees, clutching my side as i gasped for air from the sudden sting of pain.

Fluttershy tried to escape but a third guy grabbed her and stabbed her wing dropping her to the ground right in front of me.

“So boss what should we do?” The second guy asked.

“Get their money…” The first guy said as he grabbed Fluttershy’s head, “Maybe bring her back with us…”

“Yeah… she’d be great… better than the last one.” The third guy laughed.

I was on my knees, staring up at the guy who punched me. I looked over to see blood running down her side, pooling on the ground. My expression turned to shock.

“FLUTTERSHY!” I screamed. I grabbed the second guys arm with one hand and punched it with the other, hearing a cracking as blood trickled down it.

“Shit!” The first said, “KILL HIM!”

The other thug charged me and attempted to slash at me. The man was encompassed in a red aura as the arm with the knife twisted back, stabbing himself in the stomach.

“AHHH!” He screamed in pain as the knife twisted deeper into him.

The boss pulled a large machete from his coat, “Come on… I’ll fucking kill you…” He said as he got low. I glared at him, challenging him to attack me.

“Ha. As if… come over here and fight me if you’re so damn tough… or are you scared of me?” He said cockily. I started walking towards him, throwing the first guy out of the way with my magic.

“Sh… Shit!” The leader said as he started backing away. I continued walking, staring at him with both anger and bloodlust in my eyes.

“What… the fuck…” He said as he started backing away faster before he turned and tried to run. He immediately froze in place, dropping the machete. His arms stretched out and his legs contorted as i turned him around, holding him up like a puppet.

“Please… let me go I won’t do it again…” He pleaded.

“You’re the boss right?” I asked.

“Y… yes I am…” He said weakly.

“Then tell me… How does it feel to have YOUR strings pulled.” I said, breaking one of his fingers, bending it all the way backwards.

He gritted his teeth against the pain, “Please… I won’t ever do it again…”

“Puppet’s don’t speak.” I said, clamping his mouth shut tightly. I tightened his mouth more and more, hearing muffled screams as his teeth cracked and broke.

“That’s better.” I said as tears started appearing from his eyes. Blood flowed from his mouth as he tried to speak, only for me to tighten it more each word he uttered.

“Now… Dance.” I said, twisting his arms and legs in different directions. His wrist slowly twisted more and more, hearing them snap as i forced them all the way around.

“Star…” Fluttershy said weakly.

I heard him scream, his eyes bulging out as his wrists snapped. I noticed he had wings. I stared at them, forcing them to extend.

“What does puppet need with wings?” I asked as the machete hovered, slowly approaching his back. The weapon swung back, about to cut into him.

“STAR STOP!” Fluttershy screamed. I snapped back to reality, looking back at her. I looked back at the man, seeing the blood running from his face, his broken finger and wrists, and the machete floating near him. I took a step back, dropping him and the weapon. He immediately coughed, spitting out bits and pieces of his teeth as all the blood he was choking on was forced out of his mouth.

“I… I don’t…” I stammered.

“Star look out!” She shouted, pointing to another man approaching. I lifted the machete up, throwing it at the man.

A silver aura surrounded the machete before it even left mine and dropped it limply to the ground. The man continued approaching, he raised his weapon and pulled something on it back.

I grabbed the knife with my magic, pulling it towards me and snatching it out of the air.

The silver aura quickly surrounded the downed thug and hovered him in the air.

“It’s scum like you that I wish to destroy… but it seems even my subordinates don’t understand that.” He said as he pointed the crossbow at the man. The bolt traveled through the thug’s skull and stuck in the wall behind him. The body dropped to the ground. “Now. It’s down to you two…” The man said as he turned towards us.

I backed up, shielding Fluttershy with myself as I made a red shield appear in front of me.

“Leave us alone!” I demanded.

He broke the shield with little effort, “If I had wanted to kill you I could have already done so. You younger unicorns are so brash.” He said as he strapped his crossbow to his hip and removed a bottle from the bag on his hip. “Now if you take her to the hospital they will ask questions. And you don’t want them finding these bodies do you?” He stopped a short distance from me. I glanced back at Fluttershy, who was in pain, still bleeding from her wound.

“What… Are you going to do?” I asked.

“Throw you this potion. It’s not like this is the first time you’ve drunk a strange red liquid from a strange man is it?” He questioned as he cocked his head, “I just have a silver tongue don’t I?”

“The fuck are you babbling about?” I asked.

“Just let her drink the damn thing and give me my bottle back.” He growled as he threw me the potion. I hesitantly gave it to Fluttershy, watching as she drank it. “Haven’t you ever played anything with potions in it? The healing are always red! It’s not like I’m trying to poison you that’s so impersonal and evil!”

“Not that I would remember… Do… I know you?” I asked.

“Not directly. You do know my…” He said as he facepalmed, “You should know the Silver Hand… God… I just wanted to make sure it never happened again and they go and do exactly the opposite of it!” He sighed, “Anyway… right about… now.” He said as he drew his weapon and pointed it at the entrance of the alleyway. “Keep the bottle I’ll find another one.”

He let a bolt loose and I heard it collide with something behind me. My head snapped around to see another silver cloaked body behind me. I turned back, and he was gone…

------------------------

“JUST FUCKING DIE ALREADY!” I screamed as I threw the knife at one of the Silver Hand members that attacked us.

We had managed to take down four of them and two remained.

They both bolted for the exit.

“What… the…” Twilight began.

“Not now! I need to finish these two off!” I said as I followed them out the massive hole in the store’s wall.

“SHIT HE’S BEHIND US!” One of them shouted.

“I TOLD YOU IT WAS A BAD IDEA TO ATTACK THE KID!” The second one shouted.

As they approached an alley I saw a bolt leave and collide with the first one’s skull.

“What the…” I said as the second one tripped over the body shortly after it fell.

“Please…” He begged as I lifted him up.

“Don’t ever… fucking touch my daughter again.” I stated as I dropped his sorry ass to the ground.

He crawled back and made a run for it. He was quickly surrounded in a purple aura and dragged back.

“Twilight let him go. It’ll just make the next time worse if they all die.” I stated.

The man was dropped and he ran out of sight.

I sighed, “Damn it… of course they attack now!” I said as I looked down the alley. “Fluttershy? Star?”

“J? Twilight?” Fluttershy said as the both of them rushed over.

“What happened to you two?” I asked as I looked at the three bodies in the alley.

“We got attacked by a bunch of thugs, then… Some guy in a silver cloak appeared and killed the leader.”

“What about the other two?” I asked. Star paused.

“They… Ran away.” Fluttershy interrupted.

“Mmk Ran away…” I said, “I’ll get someone to clean it up.” Then it hit me, “Wait… A man in a silver cloak didn’t attack you? He… killed the leader? What else did he do?”

“Well…” Star said, “One of the thugs stabbed Fluttershy in the wing, and the cloaked guy gave her a potion.”

“Color?” I asked.

“Just… It wasn’t green.” Star said hesitantly.

“Fluttershy what color was it?” I asked.

“I don’t know…” She said.

I facepalmed, “That… doesn’t help… Blue is mana… red is healing… green is poison. Wait… you were stabbed where?” I questioned.

“In the wing.” She said, extending it to see it had fully healed.

“Welp red it is.” I said, “Mustn’t have been the first time you drank a strange bottled red liquid that you got from a strange man.”

Star’s head shot to me, a half angry look on his face. A red glow encompassed me and slammed me into the wall, “What did you just say?” He said.

“Did I stutter?” I questioned bracing for the oncoming pain. “It mustn’t have been the first time you drank a strange bottled red liquid that you got from a strange man.”

“That is the same exact thing the cloaked man said…” He said, approaching me.

“If you’re accusing me of being a member of the Silver Hand then I am the most hypocritical thing alive! I don’t hunt my own!” I said quickly, “I was trying to protect Scootaloo from them when they attacked us in the ice cream shop!”

“Your own?” Star questioned.

“Our kind! We’re werewolves Star! That’s not something that you should ever be able to leave behind!” I said, “Did you suddenly become violent when Fluttershy was attacked?”

“If by violent you mean this…” Star said, twisting my arm around, “Then yes.”

I gritted my teeth, “That’s an inborn mechanism! It’s meant to act as a defence to protect the pack!” I said. “And in this case your MATE!”

Fluttershy placed a hand on Star’s shoulder. He looked at her, then back to me. I was released, falling to the ground.

“Thank you…” I said as I cracked my arm back into place, “Gah… angry Star is very very bad…”

“Let’s… Say i believe you.” He said, “Where do we go from here?”

“We don’t move if that’s what you’re implying. You’ll have to get full re-acquainted to the pack and your family.” I responded as I stood up.

“Family… I can’t remember anything. I feel… Alone.” Star said.

“Well for starters… we’ve… we did know each other for a long time Star… We became brothers… and Scootaloo is your niece.” I said. “Though it may not be by blood… she’s still family. The pack can be considered extended family…”

I looked back after I heard a cough and saw Scootaloo slowly walk into the alley. “Um… is… is it alright for me to… you know…” She said quietly.

“Yeah… yeah it is.” I said with a nod. Star approached Scootaloo, getting on a knee as he looked into her eyes.

“You’re my niece?” Star asked.

Scootaloo nodded, “Yeah… I am.” She said.

“Well…” Star said, “I can't remember you, I don’t know you…”

There was a long pause, “But i would like to.” He said, hugging her.

“Nng…” Star said, grabbing his head.

I stepped forward, “What’s wrong?” I questioned as I got next to him.

“Nothing… My head just… Hurt a little.” Star said, looking back down at Scootaloo.

I sighed and took a step back.

“Doctor Cross said that you’d be better now…” Scootaloo said as she looked up at Star.

“Well I feel fine if that counts for anything.” Star said with a laugh, standing up.

“I think after today… we all need some sleep.” I said.

“Um.. Dad would you mind if I slept over with Sweetie and Applebloom at Rarity’s?” Scootaloo asked me.

“No go ahead and have fun!” I responded with a smile.

“Well I’d better start acting like an Uncle.” Star said, lifting Scootaloo onto his shoulder, “So let’s go!” He said, running off down the road as Scootaloo giggled.

My smile faded, “Maybe I should start being a better dad…” I said quietly.

I was promptly bitch slapped magically by Twilight, “So what defending your daughter against those men wasn’t being a good dad?” Twilight questioned, “I won’t ever be able to understand you!”

“It’d probably be best if I didn’t understand me…” I responded. “And what is it with you girls slapping me all of a sudden?”

--------------------------

“You’re going to have to start pointing soon or else we’re going to keep running in circles.” I said with a laugh as Scootaloo directed me to Rarity’s house. A few minutes later we got there and knocked on the door. Sweetie Belle answered the door.

“Hey Star! Hey Scootaloo. What’s up?” She asked.

“Hey Sweetie Belle.” Scootaloo said, “Would it be okay with Rarity if me and Applebloom stayed over tonight?”

“Probably, let me go ask her.” She said, running off upstairs.

“So, how ya doin?” I asked as Scootaloo jumped off my shoulders.

“Good.” Scootaloo said, still bubbly from the ride here.

“Well that’s good to hear.” I said

“Oh hello Star.” Rarity said, rushing to the door to greet us.

“Hey Rarity.” I said.

“Do you…” She stammered.

“No… I don’t. I’m sorry.” I said, shaking my head.

“Oh… Well alright. It hasn’t even been a day yet. Your memories will come back. I’m sure of it.” She said with a smile.

“Scootaloo wanted to know if she and Applebloom could stay over for the night?” I said.

“That would be splendid!” Rarity said, motioning Scootaloo inside, “I can go get Applebloom.”

“No that’s fine, I can get her.” I said, grabbing my cell phone and typing in Applejack’s number. Rarity stared at me.

“Hello? Applejack?” I asked, “Scoots wanted to know if Applebloom could sleep over at Rarity’s tonight. Alright cool, I hope they have a good time.”

I hung up the phone and glanced over at Rarity, who was staring at me in surprise.

“What?” I asked, before a sudden realization hit me. I just called Applejack…