A Second Chance

"Wake up my dear, the sun is nearly here."

Chrysalis tosses and turns in a makeshift hammock. A crack in the wall lets in a piercing ray of light. The brewing aromas of fresh picked berries and herbs caresses her senses and awakens her more soothingly. The stranger, by the looks of things is a medicine mare, she thought to herself. Bubbling brews and dripping kettles were adorned with remnants of bone and marrow. Large ivy vines grow in and out of the cozy hut creating a welcoming display of quaint affection. Chrysalis peers around the room with her only eye and makes contact with the striped stranger.

"Ah, you have finished awaking? Here, try some of my baking." The medicine mare gathers rolls from her counter and piles them up onto a platter for Chrysalis. With a smile, she rests the platter next to the wounded Chrysalis. The warm steam coming off from the rolls tempt Chrysalis' mouth to water. Chrysalis addresses the medicine mare angry and confused, "Where am I, zebra?"

The medicine mare chuckles, "My name is 'Zecora', and I have found you passed out on flowers of blue. I can see the poison joke has no affect on you." Zecora passes a warm and fluffy roll to Chrysalis and goes on to also pour tea for her. Zecora continues, "I know who you are, you come from a scary place of far. You are the Changeling Queen, though we were destined to meet it seems."

"Right. So, Zecora was it? Are we still in Everfree Forest?" Chrysalis takes a roll and stuffs her face with fluffy security.

"Yes, though we are not far from Ponyville. There is no need to leave yet, you are still very ill."

"Ill? Zebra, you are mistaken I have only suffered wounds from the night before. I am blinded in my right eye, my ribs must be broken, and my mane is, well, you can see it for yourself! What kind of illness do you think I have?" Chrysalis demands offended, but too weak to show much strength.

"No, no, I am afraid you are mistaking. You are not ill like having a cold, your heart is merely aching."

"What do you mean, my heart? Changelings don't get broken hearts, Zebra."

"It's Zecora, and why so skeptic? It is no secret that Changelings want to be accepted."

"What are you talking about?" hisses Chrysalis.

"My apologies that came out wrong, I will tell you where you once belonged. Your Changeling ways are not what they seem, for I have heard from stories when I lived upstream. You were once ponies, not much different from me, you lived life in love and joyous jubilee! Changelings loved to dance and sing, but most important were your wings. Changelings changed alongside with nature, each one represented a different creature. Instead of bearing cutie marks, you all had wings from bees and larks. From bugs to birds to dragons and so on, but now all that remains is forgotten and gone. The Everfree Forest was once your home, but now is a shell, dead and cold."

"I do not understand, Zecora. Are you saying that Changelings originally 'changed' due to their surroundings? And, wings from different animals? Not like pegasus wings, but you're saying more like bird and bee wings? Complete nonsense, how would a zebra know anything about Changelings! I wish to go now, I can't stand to hear any more of these lies."

Zecora sighs and gifts the stubborn Changeling a red translucent concoction. "Very well, I will not keep you captive, but take this medicine; it is a potion I enchanted. It will heal you to your original self, farewell for now, I hope I was much help."

"Sure, thanks. I'll be going now." Before leaving Chrysalis eyeballs the heavenly rolls one last time.

Zecora smiles and laughs pridefully, "Here take these with you, you are the only pony I know who can eat the flowers of blue." Zecora wraps up the poison joke rolls into a neat sack. Zecora shows Chrysalis to the door and waves her farewell one last time, "Goodbye Changeling Queen!"

Chrysalis ties the sack around her waist and trots off with the healing potion in her hoof, "So long."

Just as Chrysalis walks away Zecora sadly mutters under her breath, "I hope others will see, you are not so mean."