I peeked out of a window to get a good look at the raider’s that were in the process of setting up their camp in preparation for an assault on the farmstead. I counted about ten setting up barricades while another five were intently observing us, guns pointed in our direction.

I ducked back down, staring at Orange who looked back at me, “So.” Orange began, “How’s it looking outside?”

Well, not good, whatever it is they’ve got planned, the raiders are building a camp and are in it for the long haul.” I replied.

“It’s just as I feared.” I heard a voice behind me, I craned my head to the left to spot Coco glancing outside of the window. “I knew this was gonna happen. But by the goddesses I will stay and fight for this farm!”

I stood up, “I have an idea.” I announced gaining everycreature’s attention. “The plan is simple, I sneak into their camp and disrupt their operations and maybe assassinate any of their leaders if possible.”

Coco tilted his head sideways, clearly skeptical of my plan, while Orange had a look of unease.

“And how will you achieve it?” Coco’s voice carried a tinge of skepticism as he asked, before continuing. “I mean last I checked you don’t exactly look like a raider nor act like one. Hell if anything your friend Cherry fits the bill more than you do.”

Smirking I said. “Oh I have my ways just wait.”

“Uhh, yeah sure…” Coco responded, still not convinced.

It was then that Orange piped up “I sure hope that you know what you’re doing… Just try not to get hurt.”

“Don’t worry, I promise that I won’t get hurt.” Was all I said before I left through the back entrance.

Part of being a queen requires that I was trained in infiltration. While I wasn’t bad at it nor was I particularly good, I only received basic training which was enough to pass my infiltration training. Drawing upon the lessons I had learned even if I hadn’t used them before and during the war two hundred years ago. I now found myself putting my skills to the test.

I left all of my things, saddlebags included, back inside the farmhouse, a stupid move I know, but I can't bring my items with me for fear that my planned disguise will get ruined and I be discovered, so I decided to take the form of the dead earth pony mare that Orange killed and take whatever she was carrying instead. I meticulously adjusted my appearance to match her features, ensuring that I got every detail correct even if it meant expending more of my love reserves. I wanted to ensure that there are simply no mistakes to my disguise and risk jeopardizing my mission. I then shifted my barding to match the spiked armor she once wore. With my transformation complete, I stealthily approached the partially constructed raider camp, taking utmost care to steer clear of the farmhouse so as not to draw any unwanted attention from my allies and companions.

It didn’t take me long to reach the raider camp. I stopped behind a log carefully examining the camp. I spotted an entryway into the camp with two raiders, one mare and one stallion both standing side by side observing the perimeter. Taking a deep breath and exhaling. I got up and walked around the log.

The two guards spotted me and I heard one of the two exclaim “Whoa, holy shit, It’s Spikeweed, didn’t think you’d survive, anyway what happened to Tumble? Why isn’t he with you?”

“He died, turns out they were waiting for us and got the jump on us, I barely made it alive, and before he died he said to me: ‘Tell the gang that sneaking in was out of the question.’ and here I am telling you that.” I lied, feigning sadness in my voice.

“Crap.” The Stallion said, then he sported “Looks like that dumb bastard was wrong and owes me fifty caps. Well whatever, go report to Crimson, oh and don’t blame us if she has you whipped. She should be inside the boss’s tent.”

I nodded and walked inside the camp, which wasn’t much as it was still under construction. Walking past a line of tents, I eventually reached a larger tent guarded by two ponies. I paused at a safe distance away, taking a moment to steady my nerves as this was my first real infiltration mission, the encounter at that tiny raider camp near the Everglade Town did not count. After I had calmed down enough, I approached the tent.

The guards caught sight of me as I approached and beckoned for me to enter the tent. I stopped just in front of the tent flaps. “Nervous?” I whipped my head to the right to look at the pony who spoke. It was a cyan coated unicorn stallion wearing a hoofball helmet and wearing leather with sheet metal strewn about.

I gulped, “Yeah.”

He nodded. “Understandable.” The raider stallion said, “Crimson doesn’t like failure, maybe she’ll let you go with just a whipping if she’s in a good mood, well anyways don’t keep her waiting.”

I nodded and entered inside. As soon as I entered inside I was hit with the stench of alcohol and sex, taking a deep breath, I tried to steady myself amidst the assault of putrid smells that permeated the air inside. I spotted a makeshift bed of dirty furs and torn blankets is haphazardly laid out in the top right corner of the tent, and in the center theres a table able with a knife and empty alcohol bottles, on the other side sat a maroon coated unicorn mare with a disheveled dark orange mane, wearing a mix of leather and scrap metal haphazardly strewn together as her barding, her helmet an old Equestrian Army MK-III helmet that Equestrian soldiers used during the Changeling War, the helmet had scratches and bore a faded sun on it's left side. It simply laid to the side. Her hooves were crossed and she was staring, no more like glaring deeply at me.

“So.” She started, “Why have you returned alone?”

“Well I-” I was cut off from what I was about to say.

“Shut It. You knew damn well that I. Don't. Tolerate Failure.” She said, and stood up, and she began walking toward “I wanna know why I shouldn’t just throw you out to be used as the camp toy.” Crimson was practically right at my face.

It was now or never the leader of this camp was right in front of me. I take it now and cut the head off of the snake. “Well mam, I just wanna say this.” I started, pausing briefly and I leaned close to her ear. “I want to say, catch.” Before I sprung into action and my horn glowed.

Crimson's eyes widened with surprise, caught off guard by my swift action. Without giving her a chance to react, I unleashed a meticulously prepared paralysis spell that I had readied long before our arrival. The spell hit her and I watched her fall to the ground still sporting that same surprised expression.

I removed her barding, then I proceeded to wrap Crimson's hooves and horn with layers of wax, rendering her casting capabilities effectively neutralized. Finally, I coated her muzzle with a thin layer of wax, carefully creating two small breathing holes so that she could still breathe. Once I was done I carried Crimson on my back and I plopped her back down onto the chair and I undid the paralysis spell. I watched as she began to struggle in her bindings.

“Listen, here's what’s gonna happen, I’m not gonna kill you, not yet anyway.” I said, “No I’m gonna leave you here as you watch me wreck havoc in your camp as I take your form.”

The bound mare glared at me but I disregarded her gaze. “What.” I said, sounding offended, “You don’t believe me? Well watch.” I said as green flames engulfed me and I took her form just without the barding, upon seeing, well herself standing right in front of her I began. “I wonder how many creatures you and your boss have terrorised?” I smiled when I saw her eyes stare back at me in terror.

I retrieved her barding and helmet, donning them to complete my disguise. Turning to face her, I locked eyes with the mare, a hint of mischief dancing in my gaze. "Now, don't be too sad," I said, my voice filled with a mix of reassurance and amusement. I leaned in closer and gently cupped her chin, ensuring she remained focused on me. "I'll only be borrowing your face for the moment. You'll have it back soon enough, I promise, until then you just sit tight."

I lifted her off the chair and placed her onto the bed covering her from head to hoof in whatever blankets and covers I could find. Of course I made sure that she was still able to breathe, I’m not that cruel. After I finished tucking Crimson into bed I went outside and greeted the two guards Crimson’s Te - My tent.

“Ensure that no nothing ever enters inside my tent, I have a special event planned for Spikeweed, or else.” I instructed the two guards, which they both saluted and gave me affirmations that absolutely nothing would get inside. I nodded satisfied that I can use Crimson’s reputation for being cruel to my advantage and walked off to explore the camp.

As I was strolling around the camp, head held high, I noticed that the raiders would stop whatever conversation they had and go silent in my presence. I stopped by their field mess and by their kitchen. If you could even call it that, it looked like the tent would collapse any moment. Entering inside the tent kitchen I spotted a blue coated stallion with a tar colored mane and tail wearing a shock collar, which I admit did surprise me a bit, and he was tending to a boiling pot. I developed an idea on how I can eliminate this gang in one fell swoop.

“You there.” I said pointing to the stallion.

“Me?” He replied almost unsure.

“Yes you, don’t make me fucking repeat myself is that clear.” I said feigning agitation, “Come to me.”

He immediately went stiff and rigid “Yes Ma’am!” He replied, and galloped up to my side.

I closed the tent flaps, by now he was beginning to look nervous and I could even see beads of sweat forming around his face.

The stallion dropped to the ground. “Um please Crimson, I've done a good job.” The stallion pleaded, “Please tell me what I did wrong and I’ll correct it, I swear!.”

“Relax, I’m not gonna do anything to you.” I reassured, “In fact I’m going to free you from your shock collar, but I can only do so if you help me.”

The stallion's expression turned into one of deep confusion, he even looked as if his brain had shut down, struggling to comprehend and process the words I’d just said to him.

Shaking his head from his stupor, he got up. “Um, Excuse me, but what the fuck!” The stallion exclaimed, then his eyes widened and he dropped onto the floor, his forehooves covering his face, “Please have mercy on me Crimson!”

I visibly recoiled, although I should have expected such a reaction considering Crimson’s reputation. I turned back to ensure that the tent flaps were securely tied, then I addressed him. “Look, I get it, but I am not really Crimson.” I removed my equipment since they’re unenchanted and thus will get torn up when I transform. I felt the green flames engulf me as I transformed back into my natural form, now being taller than the stallion.

He looked up, noticing that the figure standing before him was no longer Crimson. Upon seeing me in my natural form he didn’t really react like I expected him to instead his expression morphed into one that’s accepted death.

“Look.” He started, then continued. “I’d rather die to a monstrous creature such as yourself offering false promises of freedom, than die being whipped a thousand times to an even monstrous creature in the shape of a pony such as Crimson and her boss Scarlet. Furthermore, I know about your kind, you're a changeling aren’t you? A queen to be precise.”

I admit I was honestly impressed that he at least knew about what a changeling is without me telling them. “Why yes I am, I’m Queen Aurelia, you can call me Aurelia, and you're right to be skeptical of my offer of breaking you out considering my kind’s history, but rest assured that my offer is genuine and that also extends to any others as well. And if I may ask how do you know about us?”

“Names Jam Tart, but please just call me Jam, and as for how I know about your kind? Well, I read about changelings in a book I found, plus they never really took down all those posters about changelings, at least not in the Tall Tale and Vanhoover region. This was before I got captured and enslaved. Instead they were covered over with posters against the Zebrican Empire.” Jam explained, “And to be perfectly honest I’d rather be cocooned than serve them.”

I nodded, and asked“I see… Well, I would have given you a ‘welcome to Olenia’ under better circumstances, but right now I’m on a mission to sabotage this camp, I don’t suppose you’ve got something in mind? Something that’ll incapacitate these raiders?”

Jam smiled, gleefully might I add, before turning around and walking towards a box that lay in between some cooking utensils. He opened the box, and rummaged around for a bit, before turning back around to face me and held a bag that had a green substance in it.

I levitated the bag toward me, “What is this?” I asked as I inspected it, before hoofing the bag back to Jam.

“Ahh, I’ve been saving this up, from what I know it’s a zebra poison that I’ve kept hidden even before I got captured. Don’t know what it’s called so don’t ask.” Jam explained, “I’ll just add this to the pot and watch the result.” He turned to look at me, “Hey, uhh, if there's a small possibility that you aren’t lying, do you have anywhere we can settle? There’s fifteen of us, again all wearing shock collars like the one I have. It's impossible to miss it, and we’re planning on staying as far away as we can from Equestria.”

I gazed deeply into Jam's eyes, seeing a glimmer of hope as he locked his gaze with mine. I proceeded to lay out three potential locations for him and his group to settle in. “You can head straight north, you'll run into a deer village called Smalstad, they’ll happily take you in even without me vouching for you. There's the farm which these raider’s are besieging right now. Or alternatively you can travel twelve kilometers north and then travel a further twenty kilometers west bypassing a city called Vaverfront. From there just keep heading west until you a reach a town called Everglade cause that’s where my hive is located- err was located.”

He was deep in thought as he pondered over what I just said, before finally speaking, “I think I’ll consult with my friends before making a decision, but before then we gotta set myself and them free. I know a way I can free my friends and I from our collars. So until then it's goodbye for now at least.”

I nodded, before the familiar green flames envelop me once again taking on the form of Crimson. I donned on my equipment before commanding Jam. “I order you to add the secret ingredient into your next batch of meals.”

In response to my command Jam smirked, then saluted and he proceeded to pour the green substance into the boiling pot and began mixing.

I exited the tent shortly thereafter.

Not much had happened after my talk with Jam. I had found the group of fifteen that Jam mentioned, and took them one by one into some raider’s tent and relayed the same conversation I had with Jam. Of course the raiders here thought nothing of it, as in their eyes it’s just ‘Crimson’ punishing the slaves. Afterwards I happened to stumble across the armory and I proceeded to tamper with their makeshift guns. They’ll be in for a surprise when their guns blow up in their face, while also hiding away some of their few good quality weapons for the Jam and his friends.

I was now back inside the boss’s or rather my tent and instructed the two guards to disallow anycreature to enter and disturb us while I was having a ‘nice’ conversation with the real Crimson, and to signal with a hoof through the tent flaps if it’s something important. Who was now sitting on the chair still in her wax bindings. I spent a considerable amount of love casting a silence spell inside the tent. I might have to consider absorbing some love from Orange at the rate I’m expending my love reserve.

"Don't bother screaming for help," I cautioned, a hint of amusement in my voice. "Nocreature will hear you. It's quite ironic, really—or perhaps not ironic at all. I used to believe Equestria was a shining example of friendship, but I suppose a lot can change over two centuries." Crimson flinched, realizing her hopes of rescue were in vain. I pressed on, relishing the discomfort in her eyes.

“W-what are you gonna do to me? You monster.” Crimson asked with a tinge of fear in her voice. “I know what you look like, you can't take my skin forever.”

“You know, it’s funny really this is the second time I’ve been called a monster, by a raider no less.” I mused, my gaze fixated on her, penetrating deep into her eyes. “And you wanna I said to him?”

"W-what?" Crimson stammered, her gaze filled with fear as she stared into my eyes, or rather, a copy of her own eyes.

Smirking, I leaned in closer until our faces were almost touching. "I said, 'It's you. You're the monster here, not me,'" I emphasized, my words laced with accusation. "And never has that been more true than what I've witnessed in this camp. Slavery? Equestria originally created those shock collars for violent prisoners and zebra prisoners of war. But I digress. After all, I'm the monster here, right? I mean, changelings, we're often seen as monsters due to our need for love to survive and our shapeshifting abilities."

Crimson trembled uncontrollably, beads of sweat streaming down her forehead as the chair beneath her even rattled with her fear. I almost thought the chair would break, but somehow the chair survived the violent shaking.

“Now why am I telling you about changelings? Because you won’t live to tell it.” I said as my horn glowed, grabbed the knife with telekinesis and slit her throat. Crimson's eyes widened in shock as a guttural gurgle escaped her lips. She slumped forward, collapsing onto the table, a pool of blood rapidly forming.

Afterwards I left the tent and the moment I stepped outside, I heard a loud explosion accompanied by a cackling laughter. Shouts of panic could be heard around the camp. I smirked, I knew that this must be what Cherry was cooking up.

It’s showtime.

Author's Note

Sorry that this took me a long time to finish, I just didn't wan't to spend multiple chapters on just infiltrating the camp.

Anyway hope you enjoy it.