Crystal Empire
Southern Fort

In a flash of magic, I appeared before the fort's gate fully dressed with my now fixed armor.

The guards at the gates had already ordered them open the moment they had seen me, I walked through and was greeted by the sight of the fort's commander.

"Sir." He saluted.

I gave a nod towards him as I spoke. "Where are our "visitors" commander."

The commander saluted again before turning and starting to walk. "This way sir."

While the forts didn't have dedicated prisons they did have holding cells where captured enemies were held until transport.

As we walked I spoke to him. "What are their conditions, the one who called me said some of them where quite severely hurt if not dead."

The commander nodded as he spoke. "Yes sir, some of them died before medical care could be given but most are now being looked over by our healers."

I gave a thoughtful hum before speaking. "Were there any issues with that?"

"Well, their biology seems quite different from ours but basic first aid has proven to be effective so far." I simply nodded at his words as we reached a small flight of stairs.

"If they are what I think they are I may be able to help them." At least I hoped I could. When the guard who called spoke about insect looking ponies only one species came forth from my fractured memories.

As we reached the bottom of the stairs we were greeted by a wide hallway with multiple heavy looking doors to the sides.

The door closest to us was open and I could hear some clamoring coming from the inside.

Going in could see it was a large circular room with multiple cots around the room and even some carved directly inside of the walls. They were currently filled with black shapes that on a closer look confirmed my suspicions of what they were.

Most had bandages and splints on them and only a few seemed to be conscious. Walking around the room and checking on them were ponies dressed in robes that indicated them as healers.

Also standing at attention around the room were multiple guards.

"They are Changelings," I said.

The commander blinked for a moment before speaking. "They are what sir."

"Changelings," I repeated. "Shapeshifters that feed on love, and this bunch looks particularly starved I'd say."

And it was true, while not very apparent physically the bell let me see the small and pitiful amounts of love they had inside them.

Looking at the few conscious ones I started walking towards the closest.

The changeling in question was sitting on his bed and was remarkably different from its brethren, sporting a red fin and purple eyes.

Once I got close enough to him his head snapped in my direction and his eyes locked onto the bell hanging from my neck, a moment later he looked like he was going to attack me.

Thankfully before he could get himself killed by the commander and guards who suddenly looked ready to dogpile him a growl from me froze him as his instincts made him realize he was before a bigger monster.

inferior

With a whimper, he seemed to shrink down on himself as I drew closer, once I got in front of him he was laying on the ground and shaking slightly.

Looking down at him I placed my hoof on the bell, a second later I removed it and a blue wisp was pulled along with it.

The changeling had stopped shaking and was now starting transfixed at it.

With a thought, I sent it floating towards him and I didn't need to say anything as he immediately closed his jaws around it.

He chewed it a couple of times and when he swallowed it he froze, then he suddenly went limp and collapsed on the floor.

Pathetic

Looking expectantly at the changeling's unmoving form I felt curious as to if it was still alive, a moment later I could see his injuries healing and how his body gains a "healthy" sheen.

With a thoughtful hum, I used my magic to pick him up and drop him back on his cot.

Moving towards the nearest changeling I started the process again. Ten minutes later I left behind a room full of unconscious changelings and gave the commander orders to place more guards to keep an eye on them in case they woke up too "energetic".

Walking down the corridor I headed to where the single cells were located, apparently, once the leader had been stabilized she had woken up quite "agitated" and the guards had to strap her to the bed.

As I walked an unfamiliar smell got stronger and stro-TRESPASSER

I stumbled from the sudden feeling but before I could recover more came.

OTHER ALPHA
CHALLENGER
KILL
SUBJUGATE
BANISH
FIGHT

A moment of clarity let me see how my body tore through a steel door to the sight of an empty bed and broken restraints.

Then a black blur leaped at me from the ceiling and I lost all control.

When my consciousness returned I felt surprisingly good, all my stress had seemingly banished and I felt completely at rest.

Looking around the room I noticed cracks and indents all over the walls and even some on the roof, and as I took a sniff I realized there was a heavy musk all over that smelled of me and someone else.

A second look had me notice the fact that I was laying down on what looked like the remains of a bed along with a blanket covering me and a big bulge beside me.

Lifting the blanket revealed to me the form of a sleeping Chrysalis currently pressed against me.

"Huh," I muttered, connecting the dots.

"Fuck it," I said, before laying back down snuggling closer to her and making sure the blanket covered the both of us.

"Future me can deal with this."

CHAPTER END

Author's Note

Bug waifu acquired.
I decided to make the what-if on the last chapter into its own story, feel free to check it out it's longer.