The guard glanced from side to side again. The palace grounds had stayed quiet all day. All week, even. That worried her. It seemed like every week something happened somewhere in Equestria. Ponyville got a lot of it, of course. Any place with a princess seemed to attract it, however, and Canterlot was no exception.

Canterlot felt overdue. It was the same as earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. If the weather and topography and geological crews didn’t schedule them regularly, the pressure would build up, and the next one became worse.

The guard scanned the area again. The palace grounds sounded quiet, seemed pleasant and peaceful. She had checked the front gate, the front doors, and the central walkway a dozen times, and everything looked fine.

She tightened her grip on her spear. It had been enchanted, of course, but she often supposed they gave out armor and weapons to the guards for psychological security rather than martial efficacy.

The front gate swung open, and the guard readied her spear. Whoever was opening it had failed to announce themselves, and that worried her. She prepared to call out to them, to order them to identify themselves. Her mouth began to form the words right as the gates opened fully.

The guard paused. The words stuck in her throat.

Princess Celestia walked through the gate—except she looked different. Her ceremonial barding had rusted slightly, and thin streaks of dirt matted her coat. Most noticeable was her hair; black streaks accompanied its usual multicolored luster. They looked like discolorations in an old photograph.

The Not-Celestia walked so slowly. She strolled casually up the central walkway, her hooves clacking softly on the marble tiles. Every step echoed across the front garden. Every swish of hair and clank of armor seemed like a firework’s explosion.

Finally, she arrived at the front doors and looked down at the guard.

Celestia smiled, and it looked just like her usual, warm, comforting smile. “H-hello, my little p-pony. I was h-hoping to have an audience with the p-princesses.”

The guard finally closed her mouth and lifted up her spear. She struggled for a moment about how to address the Celestia in front of her. Formally? Informally? Militarily?

Eventually, she groped around in her chestpiece and pulled out the dragonfire flare they had given her. She pointed it towards the sky and pulled the cord with her teeth. It shot upward and scorched a huge green sun symbol into the sky. If this didn’t qualify as an “emergency”, then nothing would.

She made sure the symbol stayed in place and then turned her attention back to the Celestia in front of her. Her spear pointed ineffectually at Celestia’s chest. The tarnished alicorn simply sat there, smiling serenely.

At least the suspense had ended.