A Changeling That Changed

Pinkie Pie woke up the next morning to see Merrick still asleep on the little makeshift bed she made for him. She was surprised that he didn't attack her, and even more surprised at the fact that Gummy was in his lap while he slept, with a smile on his face.

Pinkie was confused at the sight. Emotions and Gummy weren't usually two things that she saw together.

"Woah!" She screamed, which caused Merrick too jump up awake at the sudden noise.

"What is it?" He screamed. "Did I do something wrong? Was I not supposed to touch the alligator? Please don't make me leave!"

"No you're fine Merrick!" Pinkie said with a giggle. "It's just-" She stopped again giggling. "I've never seen Gummy smile so much!"

"Is he not normally this happy?" Merrick asked. "He was like that all night."

"Nope. He normally stands still, with a blank expression on his face, and his eyes looking in different directions! Like this!" Pinkie made a weird face to try and show what she meant.

Merrick stared at her for a moment. He was so confused by her, and didn't understand any of her antics. He shook his head around, and stopped thinking about it.

"So Pinkie Pie are we going to go meet this friend now?" He asked. "Which one is she? Do you really think she'll agree to let me stay?"

"The train bringing them back from Canterlot came in last night at midnight!" Pinkie said. "Which means she's home. It's nine right now, so she's probably awake! I'll tell you about her while we walk their!"

Pinkie had Merrick disguise again and they headed out into Ponyville. Pinkie told him all about her as they made their way to Twilights large castle.

"We don't have a name for it yet!" She said "I still think we should call it The Friendship Fortress!"

"Then let's hurry to this Friendship Fortress!" Merrick said enthusiastically.

This Twilight Sparkle sounded like his kind of pony. Nice, smart, and wouldn't hurt him unless she had too. Merrick had a large fear of being hurt ever since the blast at Canterlot. He never wanted to feel something so painful again.

They stood outside the door as Pinkie knocked happily. Merrick felt a knot in his stomach. He knew it was just the fact he was nervous, but it grew as the door opened and Twilight looked at him.

"Oh, hi Pinkie Pie!" She said "I see you brought a friend with you. I don't think we've met before!"

"Hi Twilight can we please come in? We really need to talk to you about something!"

"Sure thing Pinkie Pie. We can talk in a private room. You can tell me about your new friend while we walk!" She said.

Merrick looked around the building as they walked. He knew that if Twilight would accept a Changeling then they would be close friends. He loved to read and learn, and according to Pinkie Pie and all the books in the room so did she. The knot in his stomach had loosened a little when he thought about this, but tightened again when he remembered the amazing magical powers alicorns had, and how she could destroy him if she didn't want a Changeling here.

"This is my new friend!" Pinkie said "His names uh-" She stopped herself mid sentence. She couldn't say Merrick as that might give away the secret. No pony has a name like Merrick. She wanted to make Twilight promise she wouldn't be mad about him before she told her.

"His names uh- Windy Wings!" She said. She soon after realized how fake it sounded, and blushed.

"Windy Wings?" Twilight said, kind of taken aback "I've never heard a name like that before, but who am I to judge? Pleasure to meet you!"

"Pleasure too meet you too..." "Windy Wings" barely squeaked the words out. The knot in his stomach was so tight, and he was so nervous.

They arrived in the private room Twilight had talked about. It was a large round room stacked with books. Some alchemy equipment was in the back and a few other miscellaneous items were laid all around the room. There were four chairs here, and Twilight sat in one that faced the other three.

"This is where I do Twilight Time ever since the library got destroyed." She said to Pinkie "Please both of you take a seat."

They both sat down in the chairs that faced Twilight. The knot in Merricks stomach grew, as he knew his reveal was coming. He was afraid of being so close to her when it happened.

"So Pinkie Pie," Twilight said "What do you guys need to talk about? Is something wrong?"

"Twilight before I tell you I need you to promise you won't be upset." Pinkie Pie said worriedly.

"I promise."

"I need you to Pinkie Promise! Please you have too!"

Twilight knew that if she wanted a Pinkie Promise it must be serious. She agreed.

"Okay Pinkie." She said "Cross my heart, and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye!" She said while doing the gesture.

"Okay..." Pinkie said "Um... Oh boy... Twilight... My friend here has a secret."

"Okay." Twilight said. She wanted details. "What kind of secret?"

Pinkie Pie sighed. "Show her." She said. "Twilight please don't get mad. I promise you he's friendly!"

Twilight turned to him and stared. He sat their nervously, unsure of whether or not he should do it. He was so afraid of what she might do.

"Go on, I Pinkie Promised there's nothing to be afraid of." She said.

He gulped, and slowly started to change himself. He was quivering the whole time, and then in a brilliant flash he went from looking like just another pegasus to his true form. A Changeling with purple eyes and orange tinted wings.

Twilight stared for a second, and stood up. She had immediately started to cast a spell, Pinkie knew because her horn had lit up.

Merrick shrunk back, and put his hands over his head, slowly sliding backwards towards the nearest corner. He thought this would happen, and he wanted to be prepared for the blast, or the end. Whichever happened quicker when she casted her magic.

"Please, please don't hurt him Twilight!" Pinkie Pie screamed. "I promise you he's friendly! He stayed in my house all last night, and he didn't hurt me, and he makes Gummy smile, and he's-"

She jumped to Twilights hooves, and held on to them screaming.

"Hurt him?" Twilight asked, slowly picking him up with a levitation spell. "Why would I hurt him?"

She pulled Pinkie off of her hooves. She then walked over to the nearest table, cleared some things off, and grabbed several magnifying glasses, a pen, and some paper.

"Because he's a Changeling!" Pinkie Pie said.

"Pinkie I promised I wouldn't hurt him. Do you think I'd break a Pinkie Promise? If I remember that's the quickest way to lose a friend forever." She said the last bit jokingly, and giggled after.

"Well... I didn't think you'd hurt him I just..." Pinkie trailed off. She realized that her fears had been pointless.

"Besides," Twilight said "Look at him! He's practically crying with fear! He's clearly harmless."

Merrick felt relieved as she sat him down nearby the table. He looked up at her, and saw a smiling face.

"So Changeling what's your real name? I don't think a Changeling would be called Windy Wings. I don't think anypony would!" Twilight said with a giggle.

"I'm Merrick." He said. "You're not going to hurt me? I promise I'm friendly Princess Twilight! I promise! I won't do anything bad!"

"Well Merrick it's nice to meet you!"  She said. She seemed giddy with excitement. "I won't hurt you! I'm so sorry if I frightened you with my magic."

She levitated a tissue box over, and wiped the tear from his cheek.

"I didn't know Changelings cried!" She said with excitement. She immediately started writing something down.

"It's okay. I know you didn't mean to scare me. I've just been afraid of Alicorn magic ever since... The invasion of Canterlot." He replied

"Well Merrick you seem very nice. I'm sure you didn't want to hurt anypony at the invasion!" She said.

"Yes Princess I'm very friendly. And I promise I tried to tell the Queen not to invade I knew we would fail, I knew it!"

"Don't worry about it. Canterlot is in the past." She said calmly. "Merrick a friendly Changeling is a rare thing, but I'm assuming you know this?"

Merrick nodded his head.

"Well a friendly Changeling could help me out a lot. If you would let me I'd like to study you! I could even send a report to Princess Celestia on my findings of your species!"

"Sure I'll let you study me." He said happily.

Twilight jumped around with excitement. It was as if this was the best thing she could have had happen to her all day. Her excitement made Merrick feel relieved, and the knot in his stomach went away.

"Great!" Twilight said. "Pinkie Pie while I do this, would you please tell me why you have a Changeling with you? And more importantly why you didn't tell me sooner?" Twilight said.

Pinkie Pie was completely zoned out. She noticed Twilight staring at her, shook her head and answered the question.

"Well you see," Pinkie said "I met him yesterday while you guys were all gone. I saw him in his house, and thought Ponyville was in danger! I chased him to the woods nearby where I found him on a cliff."

"His house? He has a house here?" She looked at Merrick.

"You live here?"

"Yes. I have since the defeat of Queen Chrysalis at Canterlot."

Twilight nodded at him in understanding.

"With each answer comes a new question." She said.

"Go on." Twilight said to Pinkie Pie, the whole time she was poking and prodding at Merrick, who sat there with a smile. He certainly seemed to enjoy the attention.

"I met him on the hill and talked to him." She said "He seemed harmless, and he told me his story. He moved here when the Changelings were defeated, and found a new way to feed without sucking the love out of everypony!"

Twilight looked back at Merrick.

"Why would you move here? And how do you feed without stealing love?"

"I moved here because I couldn't force myself back to the Badlands. I stumbled into the town still hurt from the blast, and bought a house here. I was able to feed by engaging with the townsponies. They were all so loving that I was able to feed just by being friendly and helping them. It felt much better than stealing the love."

"Alright, things are starting to make sense." She said. "But one last question: Why did you guys need to see me?"

"Well Princess I want to continue living here." Merrick said. "Pinkie Pie came up with a plan to convince you and your other four friends to let me stay. She said to come to you first."

"I thought that you would be the most understanding, and help me convince the others to let him stay here!" Pinkie Pie said.

"I don't see why not." Twilight responded. "He's definitely harmless, he's complied with all my tests, and he found a way too feed that doesn't hurt anypony. If we convince the others too let him stay the town will agree. I certainly like him so far, and if we keep him I can learn even more about Changelings!" She said the last part with added enthusiasm.

"You're a lot more accepting of this than I thought you would be." Pinkie said.

"If my lessons have taught me anything it's that anypony, or anything can become a friend."

"Thank you so much Princess." Merrick said.

"Please, call me Twilight."

Merrick stopped himself and smiled. He realized in full how kind these ponies were.

"Thank you so much Twilight." He said "How will you convince these friends that they should let me stay?"

"Pinkie Pie, could you go get the others?" Twilight asked. "Bring them back here, and meet me in the council room. I'd like to let them meet Merrick."

They all stood up and started to walk to the entrance to the castle.

"Sure thing Twilight!" Pinkie said as she hopped towards the front door. "But wait a second." Pinkie Pie stopped herself. "What's your plan?"

"You'll find out at the meeting! It's probably the best course of action, trust me. And make sure to tell them to not attack him on sight." Twilight said.

"Okie dokie loki!" Pinkie said with glee as she left the building.

"Spike put an extra chair in the council room for our guest please." Twilight said.

"Sure thing Twilight." Spike said as he walked down the stairs. He looked at Merrick for a second and stopped. He stared confused.

"Don't worry Spike he's nice. Maybe you can have a Changeling friend when this is all over."

Spike simply nodded as he stared, and slowly walked off to get a chair. Twilight and Merrick stood there in silence.

Merrick tried to find something to break the awkward situation.

"If you would not object, maybe you can show me some of your favorite books you had collected here?" Merrick asked. "I do love to read, but never came to your library out of fear of being discovered."

Twilights ears perked up at the sound of this.

"You like to read?" She said happily. "Come on I'll show you all my favorites!"

They made their way to the collection of books, and she started too show Merrick her favorites. He smiled at her.

"Princess Twilight." He said "Thank you for giving me a chance. And thank you especially for not hurting me. I believe I said before that I have a great fear of Alicorn magic since the blast."

"Everyone deserves a chance Merrick!" She said. "Ooh look this is one of my favorites! Daring Do and the Quest for the Sapphire Stone! It's the first one in the series!"

As Twilight went on about the books Merricks smile grew bigger. Deep down inside he knew everything was going to be okay for him.