Chapter 3
Turn Back
Inn sat in the attic for two and a half hours, looking at her reflection. Trying to think of a way to change back. As she did this she could hear the cheers, screams, and laughter of the ponies playing out side. Inn tried to focus on the mirror, but the sounds got to her. She looked out the window and saw the others playing tag. She watched the others who shunned her have fun for a few minutes, before finally turning back to her mirror as if it had all the answers. As she turned, she had a quick thought... hadn’t the roof been closer to her head?
The mirror showed a small white filly.
Her eyes grew big, this was good. She could test somethings to see what made the change unchange! Rushing down the stairs, Inn went to her room to think of what to test first.
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There was lots of commotion down stairs in the lobby of the Inn. It distracted Inn from her planing, and eventually drew her attention. Going down to the first floor, she saw her parents and two guests, the first one was Feather, but the other was new, another traveler? The two were talking to one another. The newcomer looked like he did a lot of traveling, his clothing was a little warn, but still sturdy.
When Feather was done talking they all laughed. Inn missed was said, but it gave her an idea of the stallion's voice, a mildly deep tone with a bit a “high class” sort of sound. Inn creeped into the room and hid behind the desk. She tried to just focus on the voices. Every detail. This was a good chance to test something else.
A deep voice, one that commanded authority with a simple “yes.” A voice that could be scary at times, and would have been good for a king to lead his people. This was her dad's voice, she knew it well. The next was soft and somber with no ill intent detected any where in it. When raised, it was still just as soft and and just as somber, with no change to the mood, and no real threat. This was her mom's voice, another that she knew well. Inn could sometimes hear the sound of it in her mind, even when her mom wasn't around.
But then there was the other two. Both new. A soft gentile voice, that makes things sound like it will all be okay. This was the only other female voice, witch made it obvious that it was Feather. The other voice that sounded older, with an accent the was not quite familiar to the little filly. This one belonged to the new traveler. Inn thought it was a nice voice, but the filly could not put her hoof on the reason she liked it. Was it the age or the accent?
“Let me look and see if there is a file like that,” Spark said. Inn's focus broke as she realized her dad was coming this way. She was petrified, all she could do was stay laying down where she was.
Spark got to the desk and looked to see a shaking white filly staring back at him as though he were the scariest thing she had ever seen. He gestures toward the room as if to ask, do you want to meet the new pony? With a shake, Inn nods yes. Spark smiles and continues to look for the file.
After getting the file, he and Inn come out from behind the desk. “Sir Pierce, I would like to introduce my daughter to you,” said Spark, turning his head to the filly. “This is Inn.”
Pierce was completely unfazed by the little filly’s appearance. “Oh, aren't you adorable. This little filly is yours?” said the stallion with vigor.
The little filly slowly looked up, “You, y-you don’t , think that I’m scary looking?” Feather’s eyes widened as her pupils dilated. Feather was very interested in this comment as it said a lot about the little filly.
The stallion chuckled, “Ho, ho, ho ho... no, no. I have fought dragons and have medals to show for it, a little filly is not that spooky.”
This got Inn to perk up a little, although still showing fear. She went and sat next to Chrysanthemum, who was sitting next to Feather on the couch. Pierce and Spark where in chairs, and for the most part this gave Inn a little comfort that she would not have to share a seat with a new pony.
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After about an hour of the adults talking, Inn finally spoke up. “Ah, ah, I-I-I’ve, been trying to learn something, do you mind, Sir, Pierce, if I see, how I am at it? It... may take a few tries, but I think I can do it.” she asked, sounding so cute as she stuttered.
Inn had been humming as they talked, and nopony had noticed her voice changing. She had been practicing in a small way, but that was with small hard to notice things. This would be this a big test of her new skill. Maybe even the test. Pierce had noticed the humming, and seeing that Inn was an Earth filly, she would not do magic or fly. If not hum, he was thinking maybe she would try dancing. That was a common thing for fillies to do, even if they only did it for a short time before changing to a new thing like drawing. “Yes in deed, go ahead.”
Inn walked over to Pierce with her head down. When she was in front of him, she looked up at him. With a hoof to her mouth, she started to clear her throat. Each cough getting a little deeper.
“How, how is, this?” Inn tried, in a voice much to deep for a filly, one that sounded as though it had some age to it. But it had no accent and too much stuttering.
Other than those two flaws, it was a perfect impression. Nopony had any idea what to make of this, so they just sat there in stunned silence. The old stallion was in awe. If he had seen dragons doing this... “Go- good job. That sounded almost like me. You just have to work on you nerve there young-un,” said Pierce, with a forced smile.
Noticing the reactions, Inn lowered her head. “D-d-d-d-did I do bad? Or something... bad? S-s-s... sorry.” she could not stop from stuttering, and was on the verge of tears.
“No... no it, it’s just that that was just so odd dear,” answered Chrysanthemum.
“Me and your mom never heard you do that before, and that was just so... good,” added Spark.
Feather was still too dumbstruck to answer at this point.
“I say that is a good talent, and you should try working on it more... but-” started Chrysanthemum
“When did you start doing that?” Spark interrupted.
“Ahh, ahh, ah, I’ve only been p-pr-pr-practicing with humming, but I wanted to try talking using another voice.
“So that’s what you where doing!” exclaimed Pierce. Inn turned to him and nodded.
After a few hours of questions, and everypony stepping in, it was time for Inn to go to bed. This was possibly her biggest day ever.
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This morning was going to be a big morning, for Inn had some plans to test her transformation ability further. She was on her way to breakfast when she heard some murmuring in the kitchen. Inn went to listen in on what was being said.
“I’m telling you, she seems more depressed than usual,” Spark said.
“I don’t see it, she smiled last night. It may of been a weak smile but it is the best thing that we have seen from her,” Chrysanthemum argued.
“Yes, but she was ‘happy’ about being somepony else. That is what worries me, I can’t help but worry if the other little ponies have gotten to her.”
“Well, well, true, I guess that is possibly going on too. I still think that she enjoyed it,” said Chrysanthemum as she thought.
“Exactly, and that’s what makes me think she may have snapped, she isn’t happy being herself. It’s the others that got her to this point,” Spark quickly retorted.
Having heard enough to understand what was being said, Inn crept back up to her room. Getting the list of what to try first and ways to try them. She knew that she could mimic anything she wished, she just had to figure out how to control it. The main thing she needed was a place to practice in secret.
When she was outside, bag containing only a mirror and some pages. She began making her way toward a dark forest, a forest which most of the ponies in town tended to avoid. The Everfree Forest was the perfect place to go.
The sounds of Trottingham started to fade as she entered the forest. Met with silence and darkness, Inn made camp and began to practice.
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Panic. It had been five hours with no word from Inn. Chrysanthemum was looking furiously to find her little filly, but all she could think of was to ask the guests and look in Inn's hiding places. Everypony had aready looked in those places, but with no idea as to what would have made her even leave the inn, it was the only thing she could think of.
Chrysanthemum looked behind the desk. And looking back at her was an out of breath white filly, curled into a ball, and covered in dirt, twigs, and leaves. Inn seemed to be sleeping. “Honey?” whispered Chrysanthemum. The filly slowly raised her head. Looked at her mom, to see the fear in her eyes.
“Mom?”
Chrysanthemum goes and hugs Inn and then after a few seconds pulls away. “Where have you been? We where worried sick!”
Keeping her head down, eyes fixed on her mother, Inn answered, “I-I-I was in, I was wondering in, I... Everfree,” she finally blurts.
A big rush of fear struck Chrysanthemum, Everfree Forest. “Why, why did you go to in there? Did one of the other foals put you up to this?” asked Chrysanthemum with panic in her tone.
Inn shook her head. “No... I-I was trying to see... I wanted to work on... my fear.”
This made Chrysanthemum’s eyes narrow, Inn was working on her fears by going into the most dangerous place that she could.
“I-I-I thought that if, I could hand, there, then I could hand anything.”
Feather and Pierce where going back to say that they had not seen Inn anywhere in the inn, when they heard talking. They made their way to the sounds, to see the mother and daughter in the middle of their conversation.
“Aww, you got dirty,” said Feather, with look that said she thought Inn looked adorable.
“Yes, she did when she was in Everfree,” said Chrysanthemum, looking at Feather.
This made Inn sulk more, and the playful look on Feather’s face vanished. “She did what now?” Pierce chimed in.
“That is no place for ponies, especially for little fillies. You do know that right Inn?” asked Feather.
Spark was on his way back, when he heard the commotion. “What’s going on here?” he asked, as he came up behind them. “Inn... why are you so dirty?” said Spark with shock in his voice.
“Everfree.” The other three said in unison.
“She did what?!” Inn tried to make herself as small as possible.
“She was trying to overcome fear,” Chrysanthemum said with a sad voice.
Silence. As the adults tried to process the thinking processes of the little filly, it was utterly silent. It was so quiet, and Inn was so tired... the room was beginning to get hazy... with a soft thump, Inn fell asleep.