2 - Such a Cutie

Blackness, blurs, then blazingly-bright daylight poured into my eyes. The room - wherever it was - was small, and the heat was nearly choking me. "Are you OK?" asked my mum.

"W-what happened to me?" I murmured, lacking any energy at all.

"You passed out in the park. You're lucky that this very nice kid saw you," she smiled, pointing towards a short child with tanned skin and a jet-black afro hairstyle.

"Nice tattoo," grinned the child. He looked about 8 years old.

"W-what ta - oh," I looked down to my hand. A game controller was on my skin. It looked a lot like a tattoo, but it was much smoother. I never really liked tattoos, temporary or not, but this one looked great. I looked down to it and managed to summon a weak smile. Starting to hear a voice in my head and feeling a pain in that same hand, I fell unconscious again...

I woke up again in my room. "Uuuuh..." I groaned, finding my first true wake-up after being unconscious tough. Shaking my head slowly, my eyelids rose like weightlifters under dumbbells, very slowly. I shoved the covers aside weakly and rolled to the edge of the bed, hanging my legs out. My toes touched the comfy carpet, and I stood up, feeling a little revitalised.

Great, you're on track now.

What!? Are you...a second consciousness?

Nope. Say hi to your cutie mark! My hand wiggled unconsciously.

Uh...hey. Please don't do that again...

As long as you do what I say, sure thing.

OK, ...what do you want me to call you?

It doesn't really matter. As long as it's not offensive.

OK. I thought for what seemed like a long while, then finally spoke, Can't think of anything. Luigi?

Hmm...I like it! How ' bout Mario, 'cause... My cutie mark took on a firmer tone. Let's get this straight, I'm in command here.

No, you're not! I'm me. You're just a small part of me.

No, I'm your destiny. I tell you where you're going.

Point taken. OK. How about Starlow? That's a bit more of a guide-y thing, right? And you're inside me, so...yeah.

Yes, she is. I'm male.

I used to think Starlow was male. Does it really matter? It doesn't sound completely feminine....

Alright. My cutie mark sighed. Starlow it is..Anyway, I've got stuff to tell you.

Yeah?

Firstly, you're not tripping. Yes, this is all real. Secondly, the fate of the worlds now depend on you. I'll say no more on that, except cupcakes. Cupcakes, cupcakes, cupcaaaakes.

Hold on, stop right there. Worlds?

Nnnnope. Not saying any -

WORLDS -

Schtum. Not saying anything, OK?

Hmmph, fine...

And lastly, you're no longer existent according to anyone in this world.

What!? You're not turning me into a godmodder, are you? And what about an emergency?

Nope...public safety... Starlow stuttered. With what's coming up, I'm afraid we'd have to get thousands in for counselling. I mean, you wouldn't be the only one going insane after seeing real small pastel-coloured horses that belong to you...

You're...serious? Pinkie was real?

Yep, and believe me, that music you just heard was definitely symbolic of who you're up against. I leapt back in fright, tripping over the bed. Also, about calling 999...Nurse Redheart can pull out at any moment. You're top priority.

No...way...You're serious, right?

Yeah, you bet I am! Get ready, Simon. It's gonna be a long, hard road to insanity. It'll be tough to come to terms with, but believe me. Once you've secured the fate of Equestria, you'll be repaid in the best way possible. Your life will become amazing. You'll be a hero. All you've got to do is lend a hoof - er, hand.

I left my room, shutting the door behind me gingerly. I called out for my mum, as I would usually when having faced something strange like that. Instinct always told me, whether or not confidentiality was an issue, to talk to someone about it, because it was usually interesting. I hated, and still hate, that childish instinct, but never more so than at this moment. I called out for everyone, tears stinging my eyes. Ponies were a part of my life, a phase everyone else hoped would pass. I was an outcast. But now, I'd lost my favourite thing. The thing I was the worst at, but the thing I enjoyed the most - to know that somebody else was alive, and that they knew me, and most importantly...that they loved me.

Tears stung my eyes like tiny bees, the personification of my anger. Why did it have to be this way. Yes, I liked ponies. Yes, I'd

dedicated just under 24 hours to watching a certain six grow through friendship, and I had learned - and been reminded of - a lot of things along the way. But I had never seen them as a life-binding thing.

Trust me, Simon. You'll be OK.

"R...r-really?" I sobbed. "B-but...I miss them so much! They might've been hard to cope hanging around with, and they could definitely say the same for me...but...they're humans!"

Don't say that, please! This is your destiny! You can take them back if you want. You can leave the ponies and your past behind. But just know that you're leaving behind thousands. Over nine thousand, in fact.

"W-wait...are you telling me that...every other brony knows I'm doing this?"

You bet.. They're all counting on you. And maybe a few might join you on your quest, who knows?

"So...I'm not alone?"

You bet you aren't. You'll have magic to spare. Come with me. My iPod slipped out of my pocket and took its place in the air in front of me. It moved back slowly, and I followed it curiously. A small rush of happiness began inside me as I Fight Dragons' album began to play. As I picked up speed, I noticed for the first time that I was invisible to the human eye. Just found out, eh? Imagine the looks on their faces when a wooden door collapses before their eyes... I laughed.

"Your sense of humour matches mine perfectly!"

What did you expect? I'm your cutie mark, for Celestia's sake! It sighed. Keep up the pace, and I might treat you to Crazie$. Great song.

We approached a weak wooden fence. 'D'you bring a paperclip? You're gonna need one soon.

"Think I've got one in my pocket. We'll see."

Hmm...what does Simonses have in his pocketses? My cutie mark chuckled at the reference, and so did I. I guessed swapping 7 billion people for a twin wasn't so bad after all. Go on, punch the fence. It looked rough and probably full of splinters. It wore a green stained patch like a giant bruise, except it wasn't really something to take pride in. It was smaller than me; it only reached my neck. I threw a low, powerful punch at it, and a plank budged. I wound up another, and the plank flew through the fence, taking some other chunks with it.

"Good enough, I guess." I shoved my leg through the hole and ducked through it. It was uncomfortable, and the loose wood brushed my back, leaving a small and fairly painful scratch.

Shake it off, my cutie mark sighed.

"Oh, and about Celestia...no offence to her, but I prefer Luna."

Great, 'cause she'll be the first pony you meet!

"Really? Awesome!" My heart danced a little. This was like a dream come true: the world in my hands – erm, hooves... – , meeting that one society I was dying to drop those lousy humans for (as much as I loved a few), and...Luna! I could relate to her so easily. We were both so reserved, but when we felt free we were loving to everyone.

Your thoughts are really telling me you're gonna love this. Hold your horses, because there's gonna be real danger up ahead.

"Yes, I know," I said valiantly. "I honestly don't care. I'll do anything for any of them. I owe it to the ponies."

Starlow and I headed on into the mists of happiness, uncertainty and danger.