A Changeling That Changed

Merrick and Rainbow Dash landed in the field near Sweet Apple Acres that they had started in. The whole flight Dash had managed to stay just ahead of him. Merrick landed and, in a brilliant flash, he turned back into himself.

"Well Merrick it looks like you may actually take my speed!" Dash said with a smile "But it looks like you lack the skill to use it!"

She laughed for a second, and Merrick laughed with her. He did indeed have fun racing. Being friends with this pony was something he could get used to.

"Maybe I let you win!" He said.

"Hah as if!" Rainbow Dash said with a laugh.

They sat there for a moment as Rainbow Dash dusted herself off. Several pebbles and bits off dirt had hit her coat.

"Well I'm starving!" Rainbow Dash suddenly exclaimed as she finished cleaning off. "You want to go get a hay burger or something? There's this awesome little burger joint near the outskirts of town and-"

"As much as I would love too," Merrick cut her off. "I'm afraid that eating your food wouldn't really do much in the way of feeding me."

Rainbow Dash immediately realized her mistake and felt embarrassed. Her cheeks started to turn a light shade of red as she figured out what he meant.

"Oh right." She said, her face was getting more red by the second. "Well I guess you could come with anyway! Or maybe you could go hangout with somepony else! I can tell you where they live if you need it!" She said the last words with a smile.

"I guess I could go visit the pony with the white coat and purple mane. You know the marshmallow one."

"Marshmallow one?" Rainbow Dashes ears flopped down as she tilted her head. "You mean... Rarity?" Rainbow Dash giggled at Merrick's description. "She lives in a big boutique. You can't miss it! Should be pretty easy to find, it will probably have a sign out front or something that says Carousel Boutique."

Merrick nodded in understanding.

"Thank you very much Rainbow Dash." He paused for a moment, unsure of whether or not he should thank her. "I'm glad you were willing to spend time with me."

"Well I'm glad I did spend time with you! You're a lot... Cooler than I expected!"  She said smiling at him.

"Well that's a very good thing to hear!" Merrick said happily.

"Well Merrick I'll see you around. I guess if it wasn't obvious I'll say that you've got my vote!" She said it with a smile and took off towards Ponyville, muttering to herself about how she was going to have to use the marshmallow thing as an insult.

Merrick started to head towards Sweet Apple Acres. He crossed through the farm without a disguise, as he knew that "The Apple Pony" was probably here. She seemed pretty nice when they met, she had even given him the courtesy of tipping her hat, most ponies wouldn't even think about doing such a thing to a Changeling, let alone even look at one without hitting it first.

The six ponies he was meeting did seem different than most. For one thing they all seemed willing to talk to him, and he hadn't been beaten up or attacked yet, which seemed pretty nice.

Merrick walked through the gate, and began changing into a pegasus. In that moment he bumped into somepony. They both fell to the ground, and in the second they hit each other he fully changed into his pegasus disguise immediately.

"Merrick!" Applejack yelled, still on the ground. "What in the hay are you doin' in Sweet Apple Acres!"

She had seen him walking through the farm and come to talk to him.

"I'm so sorry Apple Pony, I didn't mean to hurt you!" He said as he quickly stood up.

He rushed over to her, and extended his hoof to help her stand back up. She looked at him for a moment, and then pushed his hoof to the side.

"I don't need your help thank you very much." She said angrily as she stood back up.

"I'm so sorry Apple Pony, are you injured? Did I hurt you in any way?" Merrick sensed she was angry, and he grew more and more worried by the second.

"I'm fine!" She yelled, getting fed up with his questions. "But I wanna know what you're doin' on my farm without me bein' here!"

"Oh that?" He said relieved. "Me and Rainbow Dash went out to an empty field near here in order for me to be able to stay in my natural form. I was just cutting through the farm in order to return to Ponyville."

Applejack stared at him for a moment, before putting her hoof to his chest.

"Y'all listen here," She started, the tone in her voice let Merrick know she wasn't happy. "I don't like you. At all. I don't trust you or any other Changeling for that matter. Y'all are creepy, evil, schemin' creatures, and I know for a fact that you could ruin my family in an instant."

She slowly moved forward, her hoof still pressed against his chest, causing him to back up until he hit the tree that was behind him.

"I don't want you here, but I have to give you a chance or else Twilight ain't gonna be happy with me. But I know how much Pinkie Pie likes you, and I know you'll probably take advantage of that."

Applejack paused for a moment as she released pressure of his chest, and put her hoof back on the ground.

"So I'm gonna let you have your fun, and let you meet all the others. But if Pinkie Pie, or any other pony gets hurt, and I have even the most remote suspicion it was you... You better run boy."

Merrick nodded at her, he was more fearful than he had ever been. Alicorn magic was powerful, and painful, but getting beaten up by an Earth Pony didn't sound very appealing either.

He must have been silent for too long as Applejack started to raise a hoof as if to hit him.

"I swear I'm not planning on hurting anyone, I promise!" He said, frantically, practically begging her not to hit him. "D-don't hurt me!" He stuttered over the words.

It was here that Applejack felt a little sorry for him. She realized that maybe he was as harmless as Twilight had said. She forgot the thought as she remembered that her family was potentially in danger.

"Good." She said. "As long as you don't hurt nopony we won't have any problems." She put her hoof back to the ground. "Now run along! You have ponies to meet."

She tipped her hat, and walked through the gate. Merrick sighed out of relief, and started to head towards Ponyville.

*                                                                            *                                                                                              *

Merrick stopped in front of the boutique. He started to look around for any sign that this was the one that belonged to Rarity, when he saw the small purple dragon walk out.

"Hello young purple dragon! Is this the shop where the marshmallow pony resides?"

Spike stopped walking and looked at him.

"Uh who are you?" Spike asked.

"You've met me before in my natural form." Merrick whispered. "I'm the Changeling."

"Oh yeah! Twilight said we should be nice to you! This is Rarity's boutique. Make sure you remember her name. Rarity. She'll probably get mad if you call her a marshmallow." Spike said the words casually as he walked away, munching on gems as he went.

"Thank you young dragon!" Merrick called out with a smile and a wave.

He proceeded to walk up to the entrance and through the doors.

"Hello?" He called out. "Is this Rarity's boutique?"

He closed the door behind him, and walked into the middle of the room. There were several dresses and dress stands lined up.

Rarity quickly ran out from a back room and looked at him.

"Why hello there!" She called out. "I don't believe we met. Welcome to Carousel Boutique, I am Rarity as you already appear to know." She touched her mane as she said her name. "Who might you be?"

"Well actually you have met me. At that big castle." Merrick said the words before changing back into his regular form.

"Oh yes! I have indeed met you." Rarity said the words with a shocked tone. "You're that Changeling fellow that Pinkie Pie found. I apologize, but I don't quite recall your name."

"I'm Merrick." Rarity quickly closed the curtains on the windows as he said it. "Why are you closing the windows?"

"Well darling I'd rather people not discover a Changeling before we've made our decision. It would cause just about as much chaos as... Well Discord."

"Well Mrs. Rarity it's a pleasure to meet you!" Merrick said the words with a smile as he extended his hoof to her.

Rarity looked at it disdainfully.

"I'd hate to be rude dear but... I'd rather not. From what I've heard Changelings feel quite... Slimy." She shivered a little at the thought.

She gave him a sincere smile after she said the words to show she meant no offense. Merrick put down his hoof. She seemed like she meant no disrespect and more like she was genuinely afraid of him.

"Well I can inform you that we are not slimy." He said with a smile. "And I take no offense, I can understand if you don't trust me or want to touch me. But I'd like to let you know that I am here to help you with anything, and I'll give it my one hundred percent effort!"

"Well darling that's fantastic! I hope you know how to sew." Rarity said as she gathered materials.

Merrick looked at her in confusion, and then realized that she meant make clothes.

"I'm afraid not Mrs. Rarity. Changelings don't wear clothes." He said.

"Well that's alright dear, it was more of a joke really. I have one dress left to make, and it's the hardest one. I'd hate to say it but getting to know you may be harder than I had planned. I'm quite busy with this dress you see."

"Why is this one dress so hard? You appear to have made... Countless others." He said it as he gesture around the room at all of the dresses.

"Well you see the pony for whom I am making this dress has a very... Specific body type. One not many other ponies match. Figuring out the correct size is going to take me ages!"

Merrick stared at Rarity, as she started to right down correct measurements and angles for the dress.

"Well what does this pony look like?" Merrick asked. "I may be able to help."

"Help? How would you be able to help with that? If you can't make a dress you probably won't be able to figure out the dimensions of one!"

"That's true," Merrick began, a smug look on his face. "But I can model for you."

"Why whatever do yo-" Rarity stopped herself before finishing the sentence. "You're a Changeling!" She screamed.

She ran around in excitement as she grabbed a few more items, measuring tape, her glasses, and a few other assorted measuring items. She stopped and stood next to a pedestal.

"Merrick I need you to come over here." Merrick quickly walked over, eager to help. "Please stand on this pedestal." She said.

"Now you see Merrick this dress is for a very important client. Here's her picture. If I can make this dress to her exact size first try she'll definitely spread the word!"

Merrick looked at the mare in the photo. One click glance and he was already sparking up his horn. Within a matter of seconds he was an exact copy of the pony, mane, body size, and all.

Rarity made a noise of delight as he changed.

"Good good! Now I need you to stand there, in this pose." She said the words as she showed him a pose that would allow her to easily measure him without many problems.

Merrick copied the pose, and she was immediately measuring him. He stood there for a few minutes, not caring about how long it would take. It was of no matter as he was happy to help.

"And... Done!" Rarity said as she moved away from him. "Thank you very much Merrick."

"It was no problem." He said as he turned back into his regular form. "If you ever need a model for a dress or any other type of clothing I can help. I'm very good at fitting other ponies' body types."

"Well I'm afraid I'll have to get to work making this now." Rarity said as she moved over to her sewing machine. "I appreciate the help, but perhaps you should go visit with some other pony while I'm busy?"

Merrick stood there for a moment. He took the hint he had to leave, but he had one last question.

"May I ask where the yellow pegasus' house is? I would like to spend some time with her next."

"Why of course darling! She lives just on the outskirts of town in a little cottage. Here I'll right down the directions for you."

As Rarity wrote it down Merrick looked at her expectantly, he still had one last question.

He extended his hoof and opened his mouth, but immediately backed down. Rarity must have noticed he had a question, as she immediately stopped writing.

"What is it darling?" She asked.

"Well... I just..." He trailed off, unsure of whether or not to ask.

"Go on. You have nothing to fear."

Merrick sighed. He was afraid that asking would ruin his chances of her voting on letting him stay.

"It's just... What do you think of me? Are you willing to let me stay here?"

Rarity laughed at the question.

"Yes darling, I thought it would be obvious. Based on the way that you can become anypony you'll prove quite helpful in clothes making. Honestly it seems like everypony wants you here!"

"Not Applejack..." He said as she continued writing.

"Well of course not Applejack." Rarity said as she handed him the note. "She has a family that she fears for. She's also quite the ruffian. Don't worry about her she'll come around eventually. Now run along! I have work to do."

Merrick took the note and began to head to the door before he stopped himself.

"One more thing Mrs. Rarity." He said.

"Yes what is it?" She said looking up.

"I have this old helmet, from my father. He was very high ranking in the Changeling army. It got quite damaged at Canterlot. I was wondering if perhaps you would be willing to fix the leather interior? It just needs some sowing."

Rarity laughed.

"Of course darling. Just bring it here sometime. You scratch my back I'll scratch yours!"

"What?" Merrick didn't understand the expression.

"It means that if you help me I'll help you! Now run along. Fluttershy is probably waiting for you."

Merrick walked out the door and started to head towards the forest, unsure of how he would approach this "Fluttershy" and worried about how he would get Applejack to like him.