Craw, Sigma, and the Gryphons arrived at the warehouse, and broke down the front doors.
"This is a raid!" shouted Craw. "The Chrysalis Syndicate owns all your--"
Suddenly, there was a burst of gunfire, and one of the Gryphons was hit in the leg with four ten-millimeter bullets. Gilda had her fellow Gryphons drag their injured friend out of the building, while she stayed behind with the two Syndicate soldiers.
"Let's rock and roll!" Gilda shouted, as she pulled out two pistols from her leather belt.
She opened fire on the Diamond Dog gunmen, and struck several of them down. Craw took out his own gas-powered pistol, and fired it five times into the small army of thugs. Each time the gun was fired, the sound of the pistons hissing and shifting within the firearm became audible, a small jet of bluish-white flames erupted from the gun's barrel, and a black-and-silver bullet penetrated the armor of the Diamond Dogs. All the while, Sigma was discharging ammunition from his sub-machine gun throughout the room, plunging it into chaos.
"Pull back!" shouted a Diamond Dog. "Get everyone out of this room!"
The remaining cartel enforcers fled downstairs, while firing back at the three attackers. But between Gilda's reflexes and the protective combat armor that Craw and Sigma were wearing, their resistance proved futile. Sergeant Craw and Lieutenant Sigma began knocking down doors to search for the hostages, while Gilda went back outside to bring the rest of the Gryphons back into the building to search for their missing comrades. Some of them even took guns from the fallen enforcers, and used them for themselves.
"Sergeant, call Cap'n Umbriel to 'ave 'im send reinforcements over here!" said Sigma.
Meanwhile, it was night-time in Canterlot. The palace was mostly quiet. Sunset Shimmer was asleep in her bedroom, dreaming once again about the human world. In this one, she imagined herself lying in the crater that was made when Twilight Sparkle and her human friends defeated her with the power of the Elements of Harmony.
"You will never rule in Equestria!" said the voice of Twilight Sparkle, in that familiar, scolding tone. "Whatever power you had in this world is gone! Tonight, you've shown everyone what you really are! You've shown them what was in your--"
Suddenly, Twilight Sparkle was grabbed from behind by an armored hand. She was lifted up, and beating her wings desperately. She was flung into the pit with no warning. Her body fell on top of Sunset's, and the two groaned painfully as they looked up. There were now dozens of armored soldiers of the Chrysalis Syndicate standing around the pit, all aiming rifles down into the hole. Sunset noticed that there were attachments that she assumed to be tranquilizers on each gun.
"In the end, you're both a bunch of disgusting freaks!" shouted the voice of the enforcer that Sunset encountered in real life. "Hit the one with wings first!"
Suddenly, a dart struck Twilight in the neck, and she began reeling in pain. She tried to stand back up, but three of the men above shot her in the legs and wings. She collapsed onto her back, her eyes streaming tears of agony as she reached over to pull the darts out of her wounds.
"But...I just saved your world from..." Twilight gasped through the pain.
"We don't need help from or against any pony freak!" said the distorted voice of another Syndicate commando. "Boys, let's send these freaks back to where they came from. As you can all see, a high school's no place for a couple of ponies!"
Then several men clambered down and seized Twilight and Sunset by the arms. They dragged them up out of the crater, and towards the horse statue, where Spike was being kicked through the concealed portal by yet another soldier.
"And stay out!" shouted the soldier, when the dragon-turned-dog disappeared into the gray stone.
All around them, Syndicate troops were ordering the students and teachers back into the school. Sunset Shimmer and Twilight Sparkle were dropped in front of the portal.
"Which one goes first?" asked the enforcer. "The ex-demon or the wing-girl?"
"Why not both at once?" asked the voice of a soldier with a familiar voice.
"Sounds good to me, captain!" said the enforcer.
Then two Syndicate soldiers each lifted Twilight Sparkle and Sunset Shimmer off the ground, and forced them to stand upright. Twilight Sparkle glared at Sunset, in spite of the intense pain she was visibly suffering through.
"Did...you...know about these guys?" hissed Twilight, angrily.
"No! I didn't!" shouted back Sunset, panicking. "I swear I didn't know they existed!"
"Well, I don't even want to think about whether or not I was better off with--" Twilight began, before being smacked in the head by a Syndicate trooper. His armored hand left a nasty bruise on her face.
Then the two humanized ponies were pushed into the portal, and they fell through together. They both came out the other side in their equine bodies. Before them stood Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, Princess Cadence, and Twilight Sparkle's pony friends. But they all had sinister expressions on their faces.
"You see, Sunset? You couldn't hide from us, no matter where you went!" said Princess Celestia, with a strange voice. "Somehow and someway, we shall find you!"
Suddenly, they all transformed into Changelings, with Princess Celestia turning into Lord Umbriel.
"Now, my dear, let's finish what we started!" laughed Umbriel, a wicked grin on his face.
"Please...don't!" begged Sunset, tearfully. "I don't want this!"
"Stop crying, sweetheart!" said the Changeling lord. "Now be a good little pony, and see what your reckless actions have stirred up!"
His horn started to glow, and Sunset felt her throat tighten. Suddenly, she was lifted up and turned around through telekinesis, and she saw her reflection in the mirror. She saw herself, with a frightened look on her face, with the Changelings behind her all laughing evilly. Suddenly, the image in the glass was twisting and expanding. Now she saw herself in her human body cowering in front of an army of Chrysalis Syndicate soldiers.
"Shall we begin?" said the captain of the Chrysalis Syndicate, who approached Sunset from behind in the reflection.
Sunset Shimmer could feel the cold metal of his armored glove grasping her shoulder. She turned around and saw Umbriel's hideous face looming over her. He laughed deeply at her misery.
"Isn't it just....grand?" chortled the Changeling. "It is just what I always wanted to come of you and Twilight Sparkle. This is truly the most wonderful thing that could ever happen to either of you!"
"This is all your fault, Sunset Shimmer!" Twilight Sparkle shouted, even as she was being hauled away by Changelings. "I hate you! I hate you forever!"
"Luna, help me!" Sunset desperately shouted, her eyes suddenly opening.
She was now awake, and it was half past midnight. She looked frantically around her bedroom, and found everything was quiet again. Suddenly, she heard a hoof knocking against her door.
"Sunset, are you okay in there?" asked the voice of Trixie Lulamoon.
"Yeah, I'm okay!" said Sunset Shimmer. "Just a bad dream!"
"Okay, then." she sighed. "Good night, again!"
When the sounds of Trixie's hooves ceased, Sunset tried to fall back asleep. But she found she was wide awake, so she climbed out of bed, and went down to the throne room. Radiant Dawn was chatting with Silver Shadow outside the royal chamber's doors, both of them in full black and silver armor and helmets.
"I tell you, these helmets we're wearing are a lot better than the royal guards' helmets." said Radiant, before turning to see Sunset Shimmer. "Oh hey there, Sunny. You're up a little late."
"I need to speak with Princess Luna." said Sunset. "Can you get me in there, big brother?"
"Sure thing, Sunny." said Radiant, before telekinetically opening the doors.
The Sun Siblings went inside. Being a member of the Night Guard, Radiant Dawn knelt first before the princess of the night.
"Princess Luna, your student requests an audience with you." he announced, with a suave tone in his voice.
"Very good." said Luna. "You are dismissed, lieutenant."
Radiant Dawn nodded, then returned outside to resume his conversation with Silver Shadow.
"Sunset Shimmer, whatever may I, the princess of the night, do for her pupil?" asked Princess Luna. "Hast thou been disturbed in your slumber?"
"Yes, princess." said Sunset, with a nod. "I've been having these...dreams...about the human world."
"I see." said Luna. "What sort of dreams?"
"I've been dreaming about...some of my worst memories." said Sunset. "Not necessarily memories themselves, but rather, dreams based on those memories. Just a few minutes ago, I just had a combination between three of the worst: When I was defeated by Twilight Sparkle at Canterlot High, my run-in with that man from the Chrysalis Syndicate, and my recent encounter with Lord Umbriel in Fillydelphia. I suspect that there's a connection with the latter two."
"Strange, you never told me about that second one." said Luna.
"Oh, yeah." said Sunset, with a frown. "Well, it's a very bad memory, and of an even worse man."
"You are, of course, referring to Craw, right?" asked Princess Luna.
"No, the other one." said Sunset. "The monster that held me at gunpoint, and nearly beat me to a pulp just before I went back to Equestria! Craw said some pretty intense stuff to me for being a pony, but the man he sent was the cruelest living being I had ever met on either side of the portal, so far. He almost reminded me of--well, me--when I turned into that demon. I could practically feel that same hateful energy burning within that armored body of his. He was like...the ghost of my demon self."
"Can you elaborate further on this, my student?" asked Luna.
"I would, but...I just don't feel like I could go on about it." said Sunset, who was shuddering. "Too uncomfortable."
"I see this is a difficult thing to discuss with you at the moment." nodded Luna. "Going back to the other parts of the dream: What sort of connection do you suggest?"
"Well, now that I've come to think about the armor that enforcer was wearing, it reminds me of the bodies of those Changelings. I think that the members of the Chrysalis Syndicate are the human world counterparts of these Changelings."
"Interesting." said Luna. "Come to think of it, there was a Changeling named King Craw."
"Really? What happened to him?" Sunset asked curiously, her eyes widened.
"He is dead now." said Luna. "He was killed by a warrior who was a good friend of ours. He had come to Equestria from another world."
"I see." said Sunset, frowning. "It's a shame, though. I thought maybe I'd be able to--Wait a minute!"
Sunset Shimmer now had an excited expression on her face.
"In Fillydelphia, I encountered a Changeling named General Synthe. He said that he had an encounter with an alien warrior, and barely survived. Maybe he has something to do with it."
"And do you know where this General Synthe is now?" asked Princess Luna.
"Unfortunately, no." Sunset shook her head. "He was teleported away somewhere by another Changeling named Ghost."
"Most Interesting." Luna nodded her head. "I think that we shall look into this more next week. Do you think you can wait until then, Sunset Shimmer?"
"Yes, princess." said Sunset. "Thank you."
"You are most welcome, my student." smiled Luna. "Now I suspect you will be returning to bed?"
"I sure am." said Sunset, bowing her head. "Good night, princess."
Then the unicorn went back outside the throne room, gave a salute to her brother, and ventured back up to her bedroom. She fell asleep quickly, and had no further nightmares that night. The following morning, Sunset Shimmer woke up with a smile. She climbed out of her bed, and went outside her room. She went downstairs to the banquet hall, where Princess Celestia and several other ponies were having breakfast.
"Good morning, Sunset Shimmer." said Princess Celestia, kindly. "Have you slept well?"
"Yes, princess." nodded Sunset. "I'm not too late for breakfast, am I?"
"Not at all, my dear." smiled Celestia. "Your friends have saved a seat for you."
Sunset saw that Trixie and Lightning Dust were seated at the end, and saw that they were both sitting on either side of a vacant chair. The amber unicorn climbed onto the seat, and thanked both of her friends for reserving it. They all helped themselves to the waffles and buttered toast on their plates. Sunset Shimmer ate all of her food with great speed. The other ponies at the table looked at the unicorn with surprise. Sunset looked up and blushed.
"Sorry." she said. "I've been hungry from all the stuff I went through the past month, even though I skimmed through last night's dinner."
"That is quite all right, Sunset Shimmer." said Princess Celestia, with a soft chuckle. "I have...gotten used to it."
"Say, where's Princess Luna?" asked Sunset.
"Oh, my sister's still asleep at this time."
"And my brother?"
"He went to bed shortly before you got up."
"Well, then I guess it's just me and my friends today." grinned Sunset, looking at Lightning Dust and Trixie. "Where do you two wanna go?"