A Changeling That Changed

Merrick stood outside the gate to the farm. This was it, the big one. He was about to meet with Applajack, the pony that would be the hardest to get on his side.

He knew that he was already in. He wouldn't be kicked out of Ponyville, and he didn't have to worry about losing his new friends that he cared for so much, that he loved. But he did have one thing to worry about, one thing more important than being forced to leave.

He had to worry about the rest of his life.

If Applejack hated him it was basically over. If he couldn't get the orange coated pony on his side then there was no possible way he would live a happy life in Ponyville. She would make sure he was shunned, make sure nopony liked him, make sure that his entire life was miserable, all in order to protect her family.

In a way he understood it. Family, friendship, and love seemed to be major things with these ponies, and when one of them is threatened you're practically threatening their way of life. In Merrick's case he was a threat to two of them: family and love.

And so he needed Applejack to like him. He really had no idea how that was going to happen though.

With each of the ponies he was able to do something that they either enjoyed or found helpful.

Pinkie Pie simply seemed to like him immediately, Twilight Sparkle wanted to study him and share her books, Rainbow Dash found his ability amusing and loved racing him, Rarity love having him help as a model, and Fluttershy was just so nice and wanted to talk.

All things that he either loved or could do when helping them.

But with Applejack?

He didn't know a thing about farming, or apples for that matter. The two things she seemed to do, and he couldn't talk about or help with. He was literally going in blind, with high hopes that she would like him.

Perhaps the young filly he met had put in a good word for him?

He slowly walked onto the farm, and approached the orange pony still in his pegasus disguise. She was bucking a tree, collecting all the apples in the bucket.

The moment she saw him she knew who it was. She recognized his pegasus disguise

She stopped her apple bucking and walked towards him.

"Hello there Merrick. I take it it's my turn to spend some time with yah?"

"Y-yes Applejack." He said, still nervous around her.

"Follow me then, I think it'd be best if we talked in the barn." She stopped talking, but seeing he didn't understand why continued. "It's private there. Ya'll can go into your uh... natural form."

They walked into the barn, and before she had even closed the door behind him he had changed back to his regular self.

They stood there uncomfortably for several moments, before Applejack finally broke the silence.

"Merrick let me tell you somethin'." She said as the two stood in the large barn.

"S-sure Applejack." He said, still rather nervous.

"Well... I'm gonna be honest with you here." She said hesitantly. "I don't really like you. But you already knew that right?"

She stopped talking and looked up at him expecting an answer. He simply nodded in return.

"Well yah see, I know it's wrong but I do. I don't exactly trust ya." She continued on. "The thing is, is that you feed on love, which is a big part of my life. It just worries me ya hear?"

He nodded. He completely understood, trusting a Changeling after what she had seen at the wedding would probably prove difficult, and that simply made sense to him.

"And well... love is the glue that holds mah family together." She continued her speech, as if she was getting to the point. "So I'm afraid for them. My sister met yah, and said you were real nice, but she doesn't know ya'll are a Changeling."

"Y-yes. Your sister Applebloom." Merrick smiled. "I gave her a cupcake. Her and her friends crashed into me."

"And I thank ya for not gettin' very mad at 'em." She said with a smile.

"Mad? How could I be mad? They're just fillies, they don't know any better. And even if they did it wasn't their fault they hit me!" He paused for a moment; it seemed as if his words had caught Applejack's attention. "Besides I was more worried about their safety than scolding them. What if they had been hurt?"

Applejack was happy to hear those words. It was as if one of her biggest fears about him had been ended.

"That's mighty decent of yah Merrick." She said.

"What kind of cruel monster could hurt a filly and not feel bad?" He said with a crack in his voice.

There was silence for a moment.

"So let me tell yah one last thing." Applejack said breaking the silence.

Merrick looked up at her expectantly.

"I may not like you, and you already know this. I'm afraid of yah. Afraid for my family." She paused. "But from what I understand you already have a home here. All the others love yah."

Merrick looked up at her and blushed.

"So I realize that even though I don't like yah... there ain't no use fightin' it." She said, causing Merrick's ears to perk up. "I know they all want yah here. Pinkie Pie simply loves yah, Twilight wants to study yah and read with yah, Rainbow Dash keeps talkin' about how awesome you are, Rarity's told me all about your fantastic modelin', and I'm assuming you saw Fluttershy before you came here?"

Merrick nodded in excitement, he wanted to hear where this was going.

"Well it's safe to assume she's too nice to not let you stay here."

Merrick nodded, letting her know that she was right. Fluttershy did want him to stay.

"Well... if mah friends are gonna keep yah here..." Applejack lowered her hat a little. "I may as well let yah stay too."

Merrick looked at her, a light in his eyes and a smile on his face.

"Re-really?" He said happily. "Y-you'll let me stay here?"

"I figured if ya'll are gonna have the votes of everypony else I may as well vote to let you stay here too. I may not like yah... but I'm gonna give you a chance okay?"

Merrick didn't know what to say. She was going to let him stay. She was giving him a chance to love here.

He moved forward and hugged her.

"Thank you thank you thank you!" He shouted squeezing her even tighter the more he yelled.

Her hat fell off and she giggled at him.

"Lookie here I may as well give you the chance... and from what I've heard you're gainin' your own love. So I reckon I won't have to worry about that no more."

"I- I promise I won't betray your trust! I- I swear!" He moved away from the hug and smiled at her. "Th-thank you!"

"I believe you'll live up to my trust." She said slapping him on the back, nearly knocking him over. "I know ya'll are tellin' the truth. Honesty recognizes honesty."

She said the last bit with a smirk, and kept smirking at him.

"So... how do you feel about apples?" She said while putting her hat back on.

He smiled at her as he transformed, a bright flash turning him into an exact replica of her.

"I know that I can help yah buck 'em with the same strength you have!" He said cheerily in her voice.

"Well then... looks like I found a new apple buckin' partner." She giggled slightly. "And it's me!"