Twilight was exhausted when she finally reached the city limits to Canterlot, the trip had been long but uneventful, which she was grateful for.
She looked up at the capital of Equestria. The city she had once called home, stood a gleaming beacon of white marble built into a mountain side.
Twilight allowed herself a fanged smile and trotted forward to the pair of guards at the city gates.
"Halt!"
"Who goes there?"
"Twilight Sparkle, student and niece of Princess Celestia, younger sister of Captain Shining Armor and Princess Mi Amore Cadenza and wielder of the Element of Magic, captured during the siege of Canterlot and turned into a Changeling, briefly brainwashed, since deprogrammed and still loyal to the diarchy of Equestria."
The younger guard stood there stunned,jaw agape as he struggled to process all the information.
The older guard simply rolled his eyes and cast an identification spell over the purple Changeling before him.
"Everything checks out, welcome back to Canterlot miss Sparkle. Will you be staying long?"
"With any luck, not this time. I've simply come to warn the Princess's of a possible impending Changeling invasion upon a town bordering Canterlot, please alert my brother and have him sent out to escort me around the castle. I do wish to brief him on what he may be up against." She ordered as she trotted through the gates.
"Right away Lady Sparkle." The guard acknowledged before he trotted to a radio linked to the guards barracks. "Captain Armor, Captain Armor. Please report to the city gates to escort a ViP to the castle."
The response was nearly instantaneous. "This had better be something more than just a visiting celebrity this time." the voice sighed. "I'm getting kind of annoyed being dragged away from my wife all the time when I'm supposed to be off duty."
"Apologies sir but this ViP asked specifically for you."
"I'll be there in about five minutes."
---
True to his word, Captain Shining Armor was at the gate 5 minutes later. "Alright. Where is this so called ViP?"
"Waiting just over there sir." The rookie pointed to the insectoid equine sitting on the bench waiting.
"You let a Changeling into Canterlot?" Shining Armor asked, stunned disbelief creeping into his voice. "I thought the Princess's orders were clear!"
"And I though my older brother was a kinder superior to his troops." Twilight said as she stepped into the light to show off her purple chitin.
"Twily? Oh Twily it's you!" Shining Armor exclaimed as he galloped over and hugged his little sister. "Ugh... it feels weird hugging you now. Can't you shapeshift into what you used to look like?"
The Captain of the Royal Day guard got a light smack upside the head from his younger sister for that remark.