//------------------------------// // One of Us // Story: Suddenly Starlet // by DerpyStarlet //------------------------------// We all walk back to the car as a group, I don’t hear very much of her thoughts, it always seems like a low mumble. I could tell that I could still hear them, but they are mostly quiet. If I try really hard I can make out a few words, but I don’t want to intrude on her privacy. Every once in a while a thought will jump out and I will hear it. I try to ignore it for the most part, but I look over every once in a while when I can’t tell thought from speech. This mind reading thing was really concerning me, I can’t take my mind off of it. I ignore the thoughts coming from Leandra, I might as well try conversing with her. “So, do you know what pony you turned into?” I look back at her to make sure I know when she answers. “What? Oh, yeah. I became my OC Pixel Berry,” she looks herself over as if she isn’t quite sure of it herself. “I see…” it seems like OC’s are a common thing. The pony from the gas-station looked like a background pony, but I can’t be sure it wasn’t an OC. Does this have any significance? Probably not, there aren’t that many ponies in the show compared to people in the world. It would make sense if there were a lot of ponies that looked like the OC’s. All of the OC’s do exist somewhere, if we think about the infinite universe theory. Maybe they aren’t shown because they aren’t in the area the show encompasses. There is probably a lot more to Equestria than Ponyville and Canterlot, including a few other choice places. That is to assume that these bodies came from that universe, but I can’t really assume that. The way this is going I would bet more money that we became those ponies, it makes sense. That would explain the abundance of OC’s, and why the pony isn’t actually here. We aren’t that pony, we just look like them, so where would the mind have to go? Where would our body go? It only makes sense that this is our body, and it just looks like that pony. I guess attributes of the pony must come with the body, how else would the voice imitation and mind reading be explained? That’s another thing, the mind reading. How does it work? Why does it work? When does it work? Who does it work on? What are the implications? Why can I not find any answers? The more I think about it, the less answers I get. Which is to say I am only raising more questions, I guess I should just not think about it. Answers may just come in time. “What’s she thinking about?” I was snapped out of my thoughts. “Oh, just thinking on all the things that are happening…” I really am clueless, I face-hoof when I realized what I just did. “Sorry, it’s pretty hard for me to focus on that all the time. The only real difference between the sounds is a slight distortion, or difference in your actual voice that’s hard to detect. Most of the thoughts are muddled, but when I do hear some of them they are clear. There isn’t any distortion like the other, it’s just crystal clear,” She just nods in understanding. We finally make it back to Ron's van and we all hop in, Ron starts up the vehicle. I make an attempt at conversation, “So, tell us about yourself,” I look to pixel and she looks back at me. “What don't you already know?” she directed that thought at me on purpose. “Please don't do that, I' already uncomfortable with it as it is. I don't need to be thinking you hate me for it,” she just looks at me and sighs. “Sorry, I guess I' just not all that used to it. But, honestly, what do you know?” I guess I have to think about that. “Well, your name is Leandra, your seventeen. Your close to your family, especially your little brother. Your a music enthusiast and you like most types of art. Your not a big reader, but you'll enjoy a good book. As a human you were a very intelligent young lady, and I must say that you certainly had better grades than me. You were out here with some friends, and you missed the flight back today... because of the situation you've found yourself in. that sucks, well, welcome aboard anyhow. Do you want more?” she shakes her head. “So you can find out essentially anything?” she asks. “Essentially, but I assume it would take a lot of concentration. Like I said, some thoughts are stronger than others,” she looks at me as though I'm a puzzle waiting to be solved. I wish I was as easy to be solved as a puzzle. “So... what about Ron? What do you know about him?” she asks after a while. “Surprisingly, very little. He's in computer repair, and it makes him pretty sharp. He's twenty something, and his name is Ron. Oh, and he thinks I'm beautiful,” I add just the right tone to let it be known the last part is a joke, only Ron notices. “I thought you couldn't read my mind?” he jokes. I'm glad he played along, jokes are just awkward if both sides don't play their part. “I don't need to be able too, of course you think I'm beautiful,” I give a flip of my mane. I chuckle slightly and settle back down, “just kidding, I know I'm not all that. I mean, look at my hair, even if it is an organized mess, it's still as unmanageable as before. Well, actually it's worse,” pixel holds her hoof before I can go on obsessing over my mane. “Hold up, you can't read his mind? Why the hell not?” she looks a little jealous at this. “I don't know why, but it only seems to work on some people,” I just shrug. “That's stupid,” I agree, but I can't change it. “So what about you?” what should I tell them? “What about me?” I try to buy myself time as I argue over what I should tell them. I finally decide that the truth will be the easiest to explain. “Who are you? What should I know?” I don't really know the answer to either of those questions. “What do you want to know?” how long will we continue answering questions with more questions? “Whatever your willing to tell me,” I feel that the world mocks your internal sarcasm with situational irony. At least I think it's situational irony... I'm not very knowledgeable on irony. “I'm an optimistic skeptic that dabbles in a little bit of just about every form of art. When I say every, I'm exaggerating, it's only about a few. I love to read though, and writing is a passion of mine. I love romance and have a certain affinity to emotions and feelings. I love to help and give advice, though it's debatable how good my help is. I'm gonna hope it's pretty good, considering it's my special talent,” I look down at my cutie mark to solidify my point. It starts to make me wonder though, is it really my cutie mark? I am only in the body of starlet, maybe it's just her cutie mark. She is made in my image, but she is still a different pony. You can't exactly choose your cutie mark, so maybe it's not my cutie mark. “Uh-huh, what about your family?” she continues. “They're pretty okay, nobody's perfect though,” most of the time we'll get along nicely and we're all happy. Lately things have been less pleasant, mostly because of my brother. I'm not saying he's bad, I don't even think it's entirely his fault. But lately he's been acting up, and his grades have plummeted. The thing is that he has an attitude issue, and he does some things he shouldn't. Such as talking back, or acting on impulse. So he get's in trouble a lot, nothing terrible, it's just a bunch of small things that add up. Me and him also share a bad work ethic, him more so than me. And that's saying something, considering I consider myself to have a terrible work ethic. I actually do the work, as in chores and stuff, that we have to. He'll just laze around and let me do it all, or just say he'll do it later. I'd try to get him to do it, but that only results in him refusing to do anything at all. Thus some of the problems he has with doing what he's supposed to, and with not listening to authority. “You okay?” I must have been spacing out there. “No, I potentially have split personality disorder and maybe even mood swings. I'm crazy and probably have multiple other symptoms I never have and will never be diagnosed with. But I'm fine, it's nothing new,” I give her a smile as I tell her about my mental health. She might as well know know what she may be getting herself into. “You sure?” she looks like the unsure one, but I'm not all that sure either. I never really have been, though I know that that's just the case with everything. “Yeah, no I'm fine,” it's true that I have problems, but I don't care. I am truly fine, perfectly fine. I am absolutely, positively, one hundred percent, okay. The more times I think it, the more it seems like a lie. “Welp, let's continue onto Cameron, we have to make it before it get's too late!” Ron nods and continues driving. I hadn't even noticed that pixel had a bag on beneath her hood... cape... thing. She pulled out her I-pod and escaped into her music. I left her to her own devices, and I turned on my own. I put my music on too, I then opened up the kindle app. I went back to my book on dream psychology and psychoanalysis. Dreams have meant something to me ever since I had `the dream`. Not just any dream, but a special dream. It's one of the only dreams I remember in detail, the only bad part is that I can't ever remember two things. The main one is why it means something to me. The part I'm reading is talking about how even a bad dream is a dream of wish fulfillment. It's talking about how a bad dream is the (disguised) fulfillment of a (suppressed, repressed) wish. Sometimes a person may have a wish they don't know or don't want to know about. Thus is the case with masochistic dreams, masochistic in the sense of embarrassment or emotional, as opposed to physical. I can understand the masochistic part, sometimes I wish I had someone who would break my heart. Something that I can feel pain for, but then I realize that I don't really want that. “Hey starlet, what you reading?” It's Pixel Berry. I begin to answer, but I realize I can't even hear myself over my music. I put it on the loudest safe volume so that I can drown out the car's music. I pull out my ear-buds and respond, “dream psychology and psychoanalysis for beginners,” she gives me a look of curiosity. “Why are you reading that?” she asks after she finds out I'm not kidding. Is it really that unusual to read this? “Cause it's interesting,” in my defense, it is very interesting. If you care about dreams, I guess, and if you can understand it. To which the answer for me is yes on both accounts. “So how are you with being a pony?” that's right, we have pony things to talk about. “I'm doing pretty well, I can't think of anything that's terribly wrong. I've got used to it,” after a while, being a pony gets easy. “Right, well... what can you do with your magic,” magic is still exciting no matter how much your used to it. “Teleportation, levitation, and simple transformation magic,” probably more if I try hard enough, but that's what I can do now. “Transformation magic?! That's awesome! What can you transform?” right, she might not be very advanced in her magic. “Average sized objects, but it really drains me,” I just hope she doesn't ask for a demonstration. “ I bet. I can only do levitation, I haven't tried much else though,” I'll have to help her practice sometime, though, she might not need it. “So you have split personalities?” the question caught me completely off guard. “I think so,” I have always just accepted it; I never really made sure that is actually what it is, but there is a possibility that I don't have it. “I haven't noticed a split personality,” she's pretty sharp too. This is another of my worries, I would've thought that he would come out by now. It's not like him to not even make a snide remark by now. I haven't had the urge to tell anyone to f*** off or anything else similarly vulgar. Though I have snapped at Ron a couple of times, maybe that's him. I doubt it though, it just doesn't seem like him. Regardless, it's still unnerving to not see much of him. It's like when someone you don't like becomes so routine, that when it stops, your unnerved. Not because you care all that much about him, but because it's not the usual. “Me neither,” she doesn't push the matter anymore. “Hey! Maybe we should exchange numbers! In case we get separated,” I hadn't even thought about that. That will be the best way to stay safe and together, or at least together. “Mine's: 520-782-7538” she taps in the numbers slowly with her hoof. “Got it, mines: 914-532-6382,” I pull out my phone and tap the number in quickly with my magic. She stares in fascination as I don't even lift a hoof to type it in. “Wow, you need to teach me how you do some of these things,” I just nod and put my phone away. “I forget, where are we going?” she asks. “We're going to Cameron,” she gives me a blank stare, “Arizona,” still nothing... “Where my grandma lives,” her blank stare turns to a look of curiosity. “Your grandma? Is that where we're going” do I have difficulty explaining my plans, or are people just not listening to me like always? “Yes, I'm gonna see if we can crash with her for the night,” I can literally hear the gears turning in her head. Actually it sounds like a quick mumbling, but that's close enough. Is she trying to imagine who my grandma is or something? “Oh, okay. Is it really cool with her if we just stop by like this?” she finally asks “Yeah, she's always telling me how the reservation is my home. Also how I can always stay with her if I ever find the need to,” that earns a slow nod, but it's clear she has a question. “Reservation?” of course, nobody knows about the reservation. “The Native American reservation,” I wait for her next question. “Your Native American?” a reasonable question, I don't exactly look like it anymore. “Yeah, I'm half Navajo and less of other tribes,” I'm not completely sure I remember what they all are. “So we get to meet some of your family? That will be great!” I nod my head and she smiles. “That reminds me, I gotta plan our route for tomorrow,” she nods and turns back to her I-pod and I open up the Google maps app. We need to get to Loveland Colorado from Cameron Arizona, that shouldn't be too hard. Where do we have to stop in between? Definitely the Grand Canyon, it wouldn't feel right to go to Cameron and not even visit the Canyon. Plus, it'll be nice to visit my family there; I wouldn't be able to see them all, but maybe some of them. Besides, she said she wanted to see my family right? Then again... they won't really recognize me, so maybe it's not such a good idea to visit them... regardless, we're definitely going there. I'll decide on whether we'll stop and visit later. Where else? We could head through Utah, see some of our family on our mom's side; namely my grandparents. That would mean going through Hyrum and seeing my grandparents, maybe our great grandparents, but really only my grandparents seeing as they're the only ones that I know where they live. I don't know if going there is a good idea though, I know how Utah is. The whole state is crawling with religion, almost everyone there is religious. I know that's probably a huge overstatement and more than likely horribly wrong, but there is still a lot of religion. Especially where we'd be driving too, cause I know my grandparents are very religious. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against religion, I'm Mormon. But only as a title, not all of my beliefs line up with the Mormon religion. My point is that there's religion, and where there's religion, there's conflict. There's conflict everywhere, but religious conflict is especially common. It's inevitable, especially in our situation. How do people usually act towards things that are different? They act in fear, you know who else acts like that? P.A.P.A. acts like that. P.A.P.A. is just a group of people reacting against an unknown problem, they act in fear of this problem being a threat. Now I love religion, or at least the idea of it, but do you know how religion is always discriminating against certain group of people? When people use religion like that it makes me want no part in it. I have no problem with believing in god, in fact, I think religion would be better if that's all it was. Other people try to put god in everything, they try and force other people to believe. While their intent is good, execution of their plan needs some work. So we should steer clear of the religious fanatics just to be safe, they could prove to be troublesome. I can't think of anywhere else we should go; maybe I should ask the others, it would be pretty selfish of me to only put places of interest for me. This is their journey as much as it is mine. “Hey guys, anywhere in particular you want to go?” they both think on it for a second. “Grand Canyon, I've always wanted to go there,” pixel replies. “Me too, does that fit into our route?” Ron asks. “I actually already had that in our route, anywhere else? We're going to Colorado, so anywhere from Cameron to there. We can go other places, we just have to save those for later,” I answer. “Right, right...” they both go quiet for another while. “How about four corners?” Ron eventually asks. “Four corners? Sounds good, I'll see what I can do. Anywhere else?” they both shake their heads. I turn back to the map to see where these points are, I've never really had to plan a trip. I've also never been to four corners, didn't even cross my mind. I find the locations without great difficulty thankfully. The route is a bit lengthy, but if we leave early we should be fine on time. I return to my book after I save our route. I'm getting bored of the book again, after a while I finally put it away. What to do, what to do... I look out the window to see snow, looks like I was reading for longer than I thought. We must be near flagstaff, and that means it's close to dinner time. “Hey, we should stop here in flagstaff for dinner. We might not get a better chance than this for a while, and that will be well past dinner time,” Ron nods and continues driving. Maybe some food will calm my mind, cause I'm really nervous-cited about being so close to seeing grandma.