Nyx was about the start another round of screaming but Chrysalis noticed this and quickly put her hoof in the filly's mouth. “What did I say about screaming? Now, promise me that, when I pull my hoof out of your mouth you're not going to scream. Ok?”

Nyx, still not fully realizing that she had a royal changeling hoof in her mouth, tried to answer but only produced some mumbling, which made the queen chuckle,“Can I take that as a yes?”

Nyx just nodded sheepishly.

“Good. Now that we're done with the freaking out, can you please explain some things to me? First, who are you? Never during my stay in the Canterlot castle have I ever heard of another alicorn.”

Nyx, having to do this more than once in the past, went on autopilot and recited the whole story of how she became alive, how she met Twilight and her friends, how she defeated both Celestia and Luna without a single death, how she freed her followers from the grasp of Nightmare Moon and how she saved Ponyville from the Everfree Forest beast and almost killing herself in the process.

During her storytelling, Nyx saw how different emotions painted the face of the queen in front of her and when she had finished her tale, she was surprised by the sight of tears in Chryslis's eyes. What happened next surprised her even more.

Chrysalis didn't know what was happening to her. Never had she felt so much compassion for a creature as for the filly she had listened to, and as soon as that filly had done talking, her motherly instincts and she flung at her and took the little thing in her embrace, all the while trying unsuccessful to hold back her tears. “I'm so sorry for you, little one. You are still so young and yet you have already experienced more grief than most would have in a whole lifetime”.

The warm feeling of tears running down her back washed all the doubt Nyx still had of the changeling queen. This couldn't be the same pony she had heard gruesome stories of. Not knowing what to do better, she returned the hug. Feeling that this eased the crying queen she hugged her even more and whispered apologetic words in her ears, “Sorry I freaked out. You are not the evil queen that ponies told me about. I should have know better than just blindly following the stories other ponies told.”

Finally, after all those days, the pain and grieve that had darkened the queen's heart flowed away in the tears that she shed. And the simple yet sweet words spoken by the little filly in her hooves patched the broken mind of the changeling. For the first time in forever, Chrysalis felt again the magic of friendship and love filling her body and soul. And for the first time since the invasion, she felt something she thought she would never feel again ignite in her, something she thought that had left with the death of her hive. What she felt, was the burning of a small flame of hope.

“Thank you little one. Thank you.”

~~~

For some time, Chrysalis and Nyx just sat there, The first silently weeping, the last trying her best to comfort the other one. When Chrysalis was calm enough and they finally left each others embrace, an awkward silence felt in the room.

Trying to lighten to mood, Nyx decided to ask the queen so questions about her specie, ”Euh... Chrysalis? If you don't actually eat ponies, how do you eat love?”

Chrysalis, happy with the change of subject, replied eagerly, “Well, we don't actually eat love as in using our mouth to eat it. It's more like a void stone. Do you know what that is?”

Nyx nodded. “I once read about them. They are a special kind of crystals that sucks the surrounding magic out of the air and store it within them. The Royal guard uses them to take away the magic abilities of a prisoner.”

“Indeed. We eat love the same way. The only difference is that, unlike the void stone, we can chose when we collect love. And that's a very important thing because or love collecting can injure the ponies we take love from, even to the point that they die, if the love isn't given freely to us or if no countermeasures are in place. These... Yes little one?”

Nyx was totally caught up in the lecture she was getting from the changeling and had spontaneously raised her hoof, just like she would do when sitting in her classroom and learning about the different subjects her teacher, Cheerilee, would teach them.

“What about the cocoons? Why do you put ponies in them? Oh, and please, you can call me Nyx.”

It warmed Chrysalis's heart to see one so eager to learn about their kind. “Ok... Nyx, I was about to tell you that. The cocoons are the countermeasures I spoke of. The jelly inside of them is a mixture of proteins, minerals and magic energy that cancels the effects of lovestealing. Unlike what many believe, we never intended to harm to ponies.”

Nyx felt suddenly really embarrassed. “Euhm Chrysalis's, when I told you my mom had told me that you ate ponies, I wasn't completely honest. She only told me that you fed on love and that you putted ponies in cocoons. It was me who thought that you literally ate ponies. You see, the love eating and the cocoons and the fact that you look like insects sound similar to the way spiders eat. I'm really sorry about that and, please, don't be mad at my mom.”

“Don't fear Nyx. I don't blame you nor your mother. Everypony makes mistakes. Everypony.” The remembrance of her faults made the queen wince.

Nyx saw this and scowled as she suddenly noticed something odd about the whole situation. She scold herself for not seeing it sooner. “Chrysalis, if you are a queen, why did you lay here all by yourself?”

Chrysalis couldn't nothing do but admire the observation of the filly. “I was laying here on my own, little Nyx, because, for as far I know, I'm the only changeling still alive after the Invasion.”

~~~

Hearing this made Nyx's eyes widen so far that it would even impress Pinkie Pie. “You mean that the aunty Cadance and uncle Shining killed all those changelings?” Tears started to fill Nyx's eyes as the pieces felt together.

Chrysalis, not wanting to put more weight on the fillies shoulder, quickly wiped the tears away,”Please little Nyx, do not cry. The burden of so many deaths is one I and only I deserve to suffer, as I and my own foolishness are the cause of it.”

Nyx's face shifted from one of sadness to one of determination after hearing this. “No! That's not true. It's not healthy to keep this kind of things for yourself! I'm your friend and helping others in bad times is something friends do!”

Chrysalis was taken aback by the filly's words. “Do you really want to be my friend?”

“Superdupersure,” said Nyx with big smile,”and I pinkie promise that I will help you no matter what, because that's what friends are for. Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye!”

That filly is really one out of thousands and I'm happy I can call her my friend.