The next morning, Chrysalis awoke to Eden opening her door and bringing in another bowl of soup.
“Good morning,” Eden told Chysalis, smiling at her. “I brought you breakfast. I don’t think that you’re well enough to have any solid food right now, so I made you some more soup. Drink up!” Eden again fed Chrysalis the soup. Chrysalis greedily drank every spoonful until the bowl was empty and her stomach was full again. When she was done, Eden put the bowl back on the tray. Then, sitting down on the floor next to the bed, she said to Chrysalis “I know that you have questions. Ask me them, and I will do my best to answer you.”
Chrysalis thought about all of the confusing things that had happened. A single word floated into her head. “Why?” she asked.
“Why would I help you, Chrysalis, Queen of the Changelings?” Eden replied. She shrugged. “You were hurt, and you needed help. It’s as simple as that.”
“But…why if you know who I am and what I’ve done, why would you help me?” Chrysalis asked.
Eden frowned. “I believe that everypony deserves a chance at redemption. And not just one chance, but many. We all stumble and fall, we all make mistakes from time to time. But the important thing is that we keep on trying until we get it right. But death…death is final. As far as we know, there can be no return from death. Therefore, it is important that we live as best we can, to our fullest extent. I know that you thought that you could conquer Equestria, and bring about a new golden age for the changelings, but perhaps you never considered the alternatives.” Chrysalis frowned. Alternatives? she thought. How could there have been any alternatives?
“I know you are wondering about that,” Eden said. “You feel like you had no choice, that, had you tried anything else, you would have been driven back. And perhaps that is true. Ponies and changelings have not often seen eye to eye. But I know that we two races do have the ability to live together in peace. Our races can help each other enormously, and bring about happiness and harmony for many. Many people do not understand me when I say this, and for that I live alone.” Eden looked sad when she said this. “But when I saw you, lying there in the snow, I knew that this was it. This was my opportunity to help you. And, in doing so, I could help everyone, changeling and pony alike.”
“But what if-” Chrysalis began.
“What if you wait until your strength is back and just attack me?” Eden finished. She shrugged. “Well, that certainly is a possibility, I won’t lie. But I don’t think that you would do that. And it’s a risk I must take. At any rate, there is no way that I could simply leave you to die. And now that you are here, in my home, I could not possibly turn you back out, into the snow and cold. Now rest,” she said, getting up and taking the tray over to the door. “You’re stil recovering. We will talk again later.” With that, she left, leaving Chrysalis alone in the room with only her thoughts for company.
Why would this pony help her? Chrysalis was still confused. Everywhere else they had gone, they had been turned away. Nopony had wanted anything to do with them. They were chased out, and warned in no uncertain terms never to return. But here, this pony, had taken her in and saved her. And not just because she was in the snow, but because she was the Queen of the Changelings. For some reason, Eden had been happy when she had found her, Chrysalis could tell. But what did she have planned? Why had she wanted to help her? She had said that she hoped that ponies and changelings could work together in peace. But that could never happen, could it? For as long as Chrysalis could remember, ponies and changelings had never gotten along.
Chrysalis felt her eyelids getting heavy as she lay back in the bed. This Eden certainly was a mystery. But, for now, there wasn’t much that she could do. For the time being, she would just wait and see what a nice nap would bring.