Twilight stared out the window of the train as it neared Canterlot’s train station. It had been the same short trip it always had been and Twilight spent it listening to her music with the ear buds she had as Pinkie suggested she use them so the other civilians on the train could enjoy their own conversations without interruption and Twilight had to agree.

It hadn’t taken long for Twilight to get ready to leave as she didn’t really need much, what took time had been her friends getting ready do to dealing with a depressed Pinkie Pie. After a bit Twilight told them she’d meet them at the train station and made her way over to it. She had to put Celestia and Luna into her pocket dimension as they wouldn’t fit safely on the train. Twilight had already purchased their tickets and was waiting on the platform when her friends finally arrived.

Once on the train the trip to Canterlot was a very uneventful one, at least compared to the last time she had been on a train but then this time she was a passenger that was supposed to be here this time. As the train pulled into the station Twilight stood from her seat and ignored the looks the civilians were giving her, she couldn’t figure out why everyone kept staring at her like that, you’d think they’d never seen a soldier before.

Once she was off the train she pull Celestia and Luna back out and they took up positions on her flanks and the crowd around her jumped back and avoided walking near her. The only civilians that approached her where her friends and even they seemed wary of her. Twilight sighed and started to make her way towards the castle in the distance.

It didn’t take long for them to reach the castle and when the gate guards saw her they moved to block her but she identified herself before they could. After that it wasn’t much issue for them to open the gate but when they saw Celestia and Luna their eyes bugged out for some reason Twilight couldn’t begin to figure out but she ignored it as she had more important things to worry about.

It was near the Throne room when something finally got her to stop.

“Twilly?” A voice said behind the group and twilight stopped and turned to face who it was who had spoken.

It was the only person who called her that. “Hello Captain Armor.” She said to her brother.

Shining Armor tried to hug her but Twilight dodged the hug and he blinked at her. “Are you okay Twilly?” He asked with concern.

“I am fine Captain.” She said simply.

“Why are you calling me Captain?” He asked in confusion.

“Because that is your rank, why wouldn’t I call you by your rank?” She asked blinking at him. Wasn’t he a soldier?

“Well…yes but I’m your brother, you don’t need to call me Captain.” He said looking at her.

“I’m on duty Captain.” She said simply.

“Duty?” He blinked in confusion.

“Yes, the Princess has requested me to report to her so there for I am on duty.” She said looking at the captain.

“But…that doesn’t mean you can’t chat a bit twilly.” He said.

“Commander.”

“What?”

“I am on duty and I’d thank you to use my rank.” She said curtly.

“Rank? But you’re not—“

“I am the second in command of the People Free Democratic Republic and am on duty so I’d like you to use my rank Captain.” She said emphasizing his rank to demonstrate.

The Captain stared at his little sister who was being so cold to him and not making much sense. “Who are the—“

Twilight cut him off again. “As much as I’d like to catch up Captain I am busy, perhaps we can have dinner this evening if there is time but for now I must go.” She said as she started to turn to leave.

“Stop.” The Captain said, if his sister wanted to act like a Royal Guard then he would treat her as such and then she’d stop acting like this once she got a taste of how a Royal Guard is treated.

Twilight stopped and looked back at the Captain and raised her eye brow at him. “Did you just give me an order?”

The Captain looked at her firmly. “Yes I did, if you want to play soldier I’ll treat you like one till you realize it’s not fun.” He said firmly. He didn’t know why she was acting this way but once she got a taste of real military life shed be back to normal he was sure of it.

Twilight stared at the captain for a moment before she burst out laughing. Seeing the confusion that spread over the Captain face only coughed her to laugh harder. Once she got herself under control she stared at the captain with an amused expression on her face. “You can’t order me around, last time I checked there was no Commander rank in the Royal Guard which means I am outside your chain of command, which means the only people above me would be the Princesses themselves and last time I checked Captain you are neither of them. “She chuckled again at the lookin his face then smirked. He deserved it for thinking he had any right to order her around like some Rook fresh out of training “See you this evening Captain.” She said and turned and started to head for the throne room leaving a sunned Captain of the Guard behind her.

Princess Celestia, Princess of the Sun and leader of Equestria alongside her sister stared out at the scene before her. The scene before her was 5 mares bowing before her as all of her little ponies did but what was most odd was the 6th mare stood rigid, her right hoof up at the edge of the strange helmet she wore while staring straight ahead with a neutral expression on her face.

Celestia recognized her student when she entered the room but it was mostly due to her face because the mare that was her student carried herself completely differently then what she used to. Her steps were filled with confidence and authority to the point that the Royal guard in the throne room subconsciously stood straighter as if Shining Armor himself had walked into the room.

Celestia looked over her student, there were other changes as well, she was far more fit then she used to be and the fact she could stand as still as a statue which was defiantly new. The most obvious of course being her metal legs and the machines behind her baring her and her sister’s name stenciled on the front of them.

“It is good to see you twilight, it has been so long.” Celestia said gently.

“Yes it has ma’am.” Twilight replied with a neutral tone.

Celestia frowned slightly. “Is everything alright Twilight?”

“Yes ma’am.” Twilight replied in the same voice, not once looking at Celestia.

Celestia looked over her student more. It was defiantly Twilight the magic was the same signature, but…she was far more powerful then when she vanished. If Celestia didn’t know better she’d think Twilight had ascended to Alicornhood while away do to the fact she has the same level of power as a young Alicon. But that’s not what held Celestia’s attention the most. That belonged to the thread of darkness that wove its way through her student’s magic.

Celestia hadn’t seen that sort of darkness in many years; it was the type of darkness that didn’t exist in peacetime. It told her two major things about her student. One being she had faced death before and the second and more disturbing of the facts was that Twilight would not hesitate to kill anypony.

Twilight stood at attention in the Princess personal study. They had moved her from the throne room at suggestion from Celestia. Twilight didn’t know why her friends hadn’t been allowed to come as well and the princess had asked that her sentries remain outside.

“Twilight you can relax.” Celestia told her Twilight dropped into rest. Celestia sighed at this. “What happened to you my most faithful student?”

“Many things ma’am.” Twilight replied.

Celestia sighed again from where she sat. “Can you please elaborate; I want to understand what happened a few days ago in Ponyville.”

“Simple ma’am, that Bugbear was a danger to the town so I neutralized the threat.” Twilight replied mater of factly.

Celestia looked at her. “Twilight can you tell me what happened to you while you were away?”

Twilight nodded and began to tell the Princess the same story she told her friends back in Ponyville, at least what she needed to know, Twilight admitted to herself it probably wasn’t good to lie to a superior but there are things best left buried.

Once she finished the edited story Celestia just looked at her for a long while till she finally stood and walked over to Twilight and put a wing over the smaller mare and pulled her into a hug. “I am sorry you had to experience that Twilight but you are home now and away from all of that.”

“Actually ma’am there is one thing I need to report that is of national security.” Twilight said and Celestia looked at her. “We found information that the Federal Army is planning on invading Epuus with the use of The Device and to put it simply we will lose.”

Author's Notes:

Well here it is, I know it's short but couldn't relay expand it without covering to much.

I hope I got Celestia down for this as she is hard to write.

I have a PATREON with fair rewards. Every bit is greatly appreciated and helps me out.