"Ghost, I trust that you acquired the Alicorn Amulet?" questioned Lord Umbriel, seconds after his subordinate teleported into his cell.
"Yes, my lord." nodded Ghost. "But that's not all I found."
"I trust that this news involves the whereabouts of Sunset Shimmer?" asked Captain Umbriel.
"It sure does." confirmed Corporal Ghost. "I can confirm that not only is she not in Canterbury,..."
"No...he can't have found out about it!" thought Sergeant Craw, dismayed.
"But she's not even in this world any longer!" said Ghost.
"Whatever do you mean, corporal?"
Corporal Ghost told Captain Umbriel about the portal, and his interactions with his Equestria counterpart.
"It really adds up, I must say." said Corporal Ghost. "I can't believe it took so long to find out where she went. The answer was right there in front of me, and I didn't even realize it."
"And if everyone in this world hypothetically has a counterpart in Equestria, then that would explain why Sunset Shimmer and Susan Shelby were so identical to each other in appearance." commented Captain Umbriel. "And just think: Our counterparts there have an entire empire to themselves, and have the combined traits of two of the three major types of pony, plus a shape-shifting ability."
"How intriguing a concept." said Lord Umbriel to Ghost, once he finished explaining his discovery regarding the Crystal Mirror. "I must meet my own counterpart at once. Ghost, teleport me into that room where you found the mirror."
"Yes, my lord." said Ghost, whose horn was glowing.
The two were warped into the basement, and right in front of the mirror. Ghost walked up to the mirror, and the Alicorn Amulet began to glow again.
Captain Umbriel marched out of Canterlot High, and stood in front of the horse statue. He knelt over, and tapped the base of the statue. Nothing happened.
"Is anyone in there?" he spoke aloud, in a calm voice.
There was no response. Corporal Ghost had told him exactly which side of the statue he saw his counterpart through. After a while, the captain grew impatient, and slowly turned back to the school while cursing under his breath.
"Does anyone hear me over there?!" called Ghost's voice.
"Corporal, I am in no mood for this right now." said Captain Umbriel, looking around.
But the corporal was nowhere in sight. Umbriel looked at the base of the statue again, and slowly approached it. Brandishing his sidearm, he knelt over again and spoke.
"I hear you." he said.
"Likewise, captain." said a voice identical to his own, albeit layered. "And well met, I daresay."
"So, my corporal was correct, after all." said Captain Umbriel. "Might I assume that you may be."
"Lord Umbriel, junior regent of the Changeling Empire, at your service." said the voice, haughtily.
"And Captain Umbriel, of the Chrysalis Syndicate, at yours. However, I cannot stress enough how glad I would be if I can truly see you."
Suddenly, the base of the statue began to shimmer, and produced an image in the gray stone as though it were a television screen. Surely enough, he could see two horse-like creatures standing in what looked like a chamber in a castle. The bigger of the two was standing squarely across from where the captain stood on his own side of the portal. Like the captain himself, he was very muscular, had a short, wild turquoise hairstyle, green eyes with red pupils, and a strong chin. Lord Umbriel's body was jet-black, and wore a ribbed green saddle-like garment that vaguely resembled the torso covering of Captain Umbriel's own custom-made Dragonfly armor in both shape and color.
"I...you look...marvelous." said the captain.
"As do you, captain." said the lord.
Captain Umbriel extended his hand towards the base of the statue, as if to reach for his counterpart. But his armored fingers clinked against the transparent stone surface.
"It seems the portal still is not open, despite my best efforts." said Lord Umbriel. "But I at least have made it possible for us to see each other. This should be enough for you and I to conduct business. I have been informed that one Sunset Shimmer has crossed over into your world through this very portal."
"Oh, yes indeed." nodded Captain Umbriel. "I have had my troops scouring Canterlot High, the building right behind me, for weeks looking for her. But now my corporal tells me that she crossed through it back to your side."
"She most certainly has." said Lord Umbriel. "And I've never encountered a unicorn anywhere as amusing as her."
"Sunset Shimmer has been an object of interest among the members of my organization for nearly two months now." commented the captain. "I just came over here from an argument about her with Sergeant Craw."
"Ah, so your organization has a Craw of its own?" asked the lord, curiously.
"That's an affirmative, your lordship." said the human Umbriel. "And does he have a counterpart over in Equestria, as well?"
"Oh, most definitely." said the equine Umbriel. "And I can say that he has been quite the handful for the past year or so. He is a good soldier, even if.."
"He has..." added Captain Umbriel.
"A knack for..." continued Lord Umbriel.
"Being an ungrateful prat." said the two Umbriels at once, who then guffawed in perfect synchronization with each other.
"This is truly an interesting experience for me, captain." said Lord Umbriel.
"And for me, your lordship." concurred Captain Umbriel. "But for a moment, I would certainly like to take this moment to know each other a little more."
"Then ask away." said Lord Umbriel.
"I was informed by my corporal that you and my sister's counterpart are members of a royal family in Equestria."
"Ah, of course." verified his counterpart. "The Changeling Royal Family has truly had its ups and downs in the past few generations, but I am proud to call my sister my true and proper leader and a rightful queen amongst the Changeling Empire."
"And if my sister's counterpart is a queen, does that make you..."
"A prince? Technically, yes. But I have recently been endowed with this extraordinary physique you see before you. And so, I was able to consider myself a lord. Before that, I was known as..."
"Embryo?" finished the captain.
"Were you once like that, too?"
"Yes, but I would like to hear how you came to be known as Umbriel."
"Very well." said Lord Umbriel. "Before I went by the name of 'Umbriel' I was a diminutive Changeling prince by the name of Embryo. I was small, scrawny, and pathetic to look at. But my brilliant tactical mind won over my peers and subjects, even just a little. Then the oh-so generous unicorn King Sombra cured me of my stunted growth with his magnificent powers."
"Much like how Foreman Sombra funded the bio-experiment that made me the Herculean super-soldier you see before you." the captain flexed one of his arms. "To think It was just a month ago, when I was last known as Intelligence Officer Embryo. Here I am now, leading--"
Then he remembered the importance of this moment, and couldn't waste time.
"Lord, how does that portal function?" questioned the captain.
"I really don't know?" said Lord Umbriel, flatly. "But perhaps we can figure it out. When was Sunset Shimmer last seen by your men?"
"It couldn't have been more than two or three weeks ago." answered Captain Umbriel. "I can guarantee, though, that it was thirty days after the incident that drew us to the school to begin with."
"And what incident would that be?" asked Lord Umbriel.
Then the captain fell silent.
"Excuse me." he said to his counterpart. "I have to contact my sister about this. Farewell, my counterpart."
"But...wait!" Lord Umbriel called after him.
But it was too late; Captain Umbriel was already out of earshot.
"Ghost...seal the viewport." grumbled the Changeling to his subordinate.
"Yes, my lord." said the albino Changeling, speaking for the first time in nearly ten minutes.
Ghost stepped away from the Crystal Mirror, the Alicorn Amulet stopped glowing and the faint image of Canterlot High disappeared from the enchanted glass.
"Well, what did you think?" he asked his master, curiously.
"Yes, that was indeed most intriguing." said Umbriel. "I don't know, though, if I can completely trust my human counterpart. It is certainly suspicious that he would just leave like that, before making clear his intentions. But of course, I do notice the irony in my suspicions; I would have done the same, were I able to contact my own sister under the present circumstances."
"Should I teleport out of here and tell Queen Chrysalis that you are in danger?" offered Ghost.
"No, that won't at all be necessary." dismissed Lord Umbriel. "I already have my own ways to salvage myself from this scenario, should I be compromised. Though I think we should return to my prison cell. We wouldn't want the guards to discover I have gone missing, now would we?"
"Sir, are you certain that would be a wise decision?" asked Ghost. "After all, we now have the Alicorn Amulet, and I could merely teleport you and myself straight out of the city at a moment's notice!"
"I perfectly understand what I am doing, my Albinistic cohort." said Umbriel. "Now teleport me into the cell!"
"As you wish, sir." said Ghost.
In a flash of light, Umbriel found himself once again in his prison cell....to find the door was opened, and Princess Luna and a trio of night guards standing immediately in front of him.
"You know, Umbriel...." scoffed Princess Luna, whose eyes narrowed. "If you desired a tour of the palace, I would have been more than happy to arrange one for you."
"Puh-lease, at these prices?" snarked Lord Umbriel, looking at the guards that were now encircling him. "It just wouldn't have been worth the trouble. Besides, I have a knack for thinking outside the box!"
"I see that a simple prison cell will not be enough to keep you at bay, Umbriel." said Luna. "This has called for something much more efficient. Come with me, and my sister will give you a more suitable place to stay. One that will almost certainly--"
But the Changeling lord guffawed sinisterly.
"You know, princess, I don't think you understand how much of a threat I am to your subjects." said Umbriel, now wearing his usual pompous grin. "I suspect you think I am nothing more than a bully that has nothing better to do than torment those weaker than me, because I am simply too cowardly to do anything against legitimate authority figures of the royal variety."
Umbriel opened up his four dragonfly wings, breaking the chains that held them in place.
"But nope." he sighed. "That's not the case at all. What I was doing was biding my time, waiting for the ideal moment to exact the next part of my plan."
"Umbriel, what are you talking about?!" demanded Luna, whose horn was now glowing.
"Now, just so that you are never again confused at the absolute extent of my power...." Umbriel taunted. "I will be more than happy to clarify it to you!"
He bent himself forwards, and blasted a wave of energy that knocked back the guards around him like bowling pins, before launching himself straight at Princess Luna herself. The night princess was taken by such surprise that she was unable to anticipate the possibility of a physical attack until the muscle-bound Changeling had thrust her out of the cell and into the corridor outside.
"Be ready to face the awesome power of the Changeling Empire, as you have never experienced it before!" Umbriel growled into Luna's ear.
Then the alicorn princess retaliated by blasting the Changeling lord with a magical projectile. But Umbriel only hovered back, and dropped back down to the ground. He laughed in a sinister manner.
"Here it is now, The moment I have anticipated ever since I was cured of my condition:" he spoke proudly. "When I, the younger ruler of the Changeling Empire, should do battle with you, the younger ruler of Equestria."
"Then bring it!" boomed Princess Luna, in her Royal Canterlot voice.