The guards looked left and right as they waited outside the doors to Celestia's chambers for her. They were anxious: Celestia wanted to go out into Canterlot for a nice stroll. They were aware she had no obvious enemies, as the worst threats to her kingdom had almost all been reformed, but they were still not happy about letting her walk around a large city such as Canterlot. The guard to the left of the door, a younger, less experienced guard, looked over to his partner, a grizzled veteran who had been a guard since long before Nightmare Moon reappeared. "D-do you think this is a g-good idea?" he asked nervously.
The veteran looked to him and shrugged his shoulders. He twirled a small stick on his knuckles. "I don't know. I would think so, since Celestia herself knows how to fight, but if she gets shot by an arrow or... Well, worse CAN come to worse." He noticed that the younger guard was shaking. "Hey, don't worry. We were selected BY her. We are the best. We will make sure she's safe."
The younger guard gulped down his anxiousness. "I sure hope so." he said shakily.

Inside, Celestia was looking through her dressers rather methodically. Luna was lying on the bed in her pajamas watching her sister with interest. "What are you going out for, dear sister?" she asked.
Celestia smiled at her sister. "Oh, just going to take a walk, maybe buy a few new dresses, maybe get you a present... Like that Wind Shaker game or whatever it's called that you wanted so much."
"Wind Waker?! That'd be the most amazing thing you could ever get me!" Luna said, the excitement in her voice palpable.
"Yes, that game with the baton and the bird-people. Seriously, that's so odd, people with the parts of BIRDS!" She muttered the last part to herself.
Luna smiled and hopped up off the bed. She walked over to her sister's side and looked into the mirror above the dresser. Her hair was messy and going practically every direction possible, in stark contrast to the perfect, flowing beauty she saw in her sister's hair. "Sister?"
"Hmm?"
"Do you have anypony... Well... SPECIAL in your life?" Luna twirled a finger in her hair absent-mindedly.
Celestia raised an eyebrow and looked at her younger sibling. "I'm more than a thousand years old. I doubt anyone would fall in love with me." she said incredulously.
"But you're the most beautiful mare in the land, and I know hundreds of your subjects, male and female, dream about being with you." Celestia looked at her sister with shock. She raised her hands defensively. "I can't help it that I'm also the princess of dreams."
Celestia pondered this for a moment. "I've never dated anyone, though. I'm less experienced with romance than you, considering you did date that human who lived here for a year... What was his name? Francis?"
"Yes... Tis a shame he had to return to his world, even with his monthly letters he still sends." She sighed. "But yes, dear sister, you should find someone you can connect with on a romantic level."
Celestia shrugged and put on a yellow t-shirt with a drawing of a pig's head on it, the words Vote Napoleon in big letters underneath it. "Perhaps. I don't know how I'd meet anyone, though." she said, putting a pair of white jeans on.
Luna smiled. "Maybe you'll meet someone on this walkabout?"
Celestia smiled back. "Yes. Maybe so." She tossled her little sister's hair affectionately, gave her a quick hug and a sisterly kiss on the cheek, and walked to the door. She grabbed a handful of bits that were laying on the shelf by the door and put them in her pocket before walking out to the greetings of "Your Majesty" from the two guards.

Celestia walked down the hallway, the guards walking along on either side of her. The veteran raised an eyebrow. "Why the common clothes, Princess?"
She looked over to him. "You think I'm going to wear a dress in public? That's a good way to ruin a dress." She looked back down the hall and smirked. "You think that our head scientist finished that little project I suggested to him?"
"Maybe he did! " the younger one said happily.
Celestia took a left, towards the stairs. She whistled as she walked, causing the guards to look at each other in confusion. "You're in high spirits today, Miss." the veteran observed.
"I had a nice dream last night. I was floating on a raft made of stars, adrift on a celestial sea... No pun intended, of course. It was so peaceful, seeing the expanse of space drift past as I lay down and relax." She smiled. "I may just try and recreate that dream, or get Luna to help me." They walked down the stairs to the laboratory, which, though it was in the basement of the castle, was much more like a true scientistic lab than a dungeon lab most ponies would expect to be in the basement of a castle. About 25 scientists worked there, trying to find new innovations both in technology and in magic. More in the latter, due to many other labs in Canterlot working on the former.
A middle-aged Pegasus stallion with long, slightly wavy hair walked up to the princess. "We finished the adaptation potion, Cel. We finished some tests, it works perfectly."
"Cool. Bring it to me, let's do this." She sat down on a plastic bench and waited as he walked off to get it.
The guards were puzzled. "Adaptation potion?" the younger guard asked.
"Yes. It's basically a potion that transforms anypony into any other type of pony they want. In this case, I want to become an earth pony so you guys can put on plain-clothes and we won't look obvious."
"That's... Genius." the veteran said, in awe.
Celestia reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone, starting to play some game and periodically groaning in frustration. "Damned flappy son of a..." She turned off her phone and put it back in her pocket. The stallion returned with a light yellow, carbonated liquid that he contained in a small glass. It looked quite like ginger ale. He handed it to her and she quickly downed it. "How long until the effects start and how long do they last?"
"Respectively, 60 seconds and 2 hours." the scientist replied. "We modified your drink so it would keep your hair from looking so glittery and shiny so you look extremely normal."
Celestia hopped up and high-fived the scientist. "Thanks, dude. See you later!" She turned to the guards. "Meet me outside in two minutes in t-shirts and jeans." She ran up the stairs and to the doors.
The guards looked at each other, confused. "I don't know what just happened." The rookie walked towards the stairs with the veteran behind him.
"Neither do I, man. I've been doing this for 9 years and she's never done anything like this." He shrugged. "Well, it will make our jobs easier. She WILL look normal and nobody will fuck with her."
"True."

One Minute and 23 Seconds Later

Celestia relaxed on a bench. Her wings and horn were gone and her hair was just normal straight light pink hair. She looked in a mirror across from her. "It works. Sweet." The two guards walked through the doors and up to her. The veteran was wearing a black t-shirt with the words "I'm Still Alive" on the back in white lettering, a pair of carpenter jeans, and a blue baseball cap, while the rookie was wearing a white t-shirt with the words "Do The Evolution" on the front in red lettering and skinny jeans. He didn't wear a hat, so his light red hair was strung about his face rather messily. Celestia smiled. "You guys look like everyday ponies. Sweet. Let's roll, guys!"

An hour later, Celestia had bought several dresses, Wind Waker, and a bag of candy for later. She and the guards walked down a busy street, filled with ponies getting shopping done and going to and fro. Celestia sighed happily and sat down on a bench on the side of the street. "It's a nice day," she said with a smile. "Very sunny." She relaxed and leaned her head back. Then she quickly sat up and turned around, as if she heard something.
"What's wrong?" the rookie asked.
"I... You guys go to the castle without me. Take the bags." Celestia said quickly.
"But-"
"Just do it." She stood up and ran in the direction she was looking. The guards picked up the bags and walked back to the castle.
Celestia dodged several ponies in the street as she sprinted towards a blue house with a white roof. She stopped at the door. "It stopped... Oh no." She quickly opened the door and looked to the ceiling. She gasped and put her hand to her mouth. A stallion was hanging from a rope running from a hook on the ceiling. She quickly ran to him and picked him up at the hips so he wouldn't be choked anymore and she quickly looked around for something to cut the rope with. She saw a pocket knife on a table directly behind the stallion, so she grabbed it and cut the rope in a swift motion. The stallion landed in her arms and she laid him on the floor. She checked for a pulse... Weak, but there. He was still breathing, even though it was somewhat ragged. She looked down at his face. His grey-blue hair was strewn around the floor like a frame. She sighed and sat on the floor next to him, occasionally checking his pulse, until a half an hour had passed, at which point he stirred.

He slowly opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling where the rope had once been. His breathing increased pace to normal levels and he looked around. "Wha... What happened..." His eyes stopped at Celestia. He gasped and sat up, scurrying back to the wall and pressing against it, seemingly scared. "Are you going to rob me?!"
"What? Why would I rob-"
He quickly noticed the pocketknife on the table and the cut rope. "You... You stopped me from killing myself... You cut me down..."
Celestia stood up and walked over to him. "I heard the sobbing before you did it. I felt like something was wrong so I ran over as fast as possible."
"Why'd you save me, though?"
"It's my duty as a-" She stopped and looked to his neck. There was a slight indentation from the rope.
"Your duty as a what? Good Samaritan?" He stood and looked her in the eyes. "You don't seem the type." he said in a harsh voice
She rubbed her shoulder, slightly embarrassed. "That's not exactly the thanks I was sorta expecting..."
He scoffed. "Thanks. Really. I attempted suicide, with the intent to die. You expect me to thank you now that I'm still alive?"
"Yes. I want to help."
"I don't need help, especially not from crazy mares who don't even know when someone wants to die." He sighed. "I'm sorry. Thanks for 'helping', even if it's not that helpful. What's your name?"
"It's Cele- I mean, Cel. It's Cel." She looked at his face. "You look like a Kai. Am I close?"
He raised an eyebrow. "It's actually Ki, but good guess. Are you a psychic or some bullshit like that?" he asked.
"No, I'm... I'll explain later. I don't really want to be here and I don't trust you to be alone, so come with me to my home."
"Huh. Mare saves me, invites me back to her place. Normally I'd be thrilled, but today's an exception." He shrugged. "I guess that makes sense to no trust me to be alone... I don't really trust myself to be alone either."
She put a hand on his shoulder. "Come on. I'll get the chefs to fix you a hot meal."
"Chefs? Are you rich?"
"Well... It's complicated. Come on." She walked over to the door and he followed close behind.

As they got closer to the castle he stopped and looked up at it. "You're fucking kidding."
"Nope." She kept walking as he stared at the castle, until he snapped out of it and caught back up.
"You live in the castle? Are you a maid?"
"No."
"Guard?"
"Negative."
"Student to Celestia?"
"Getting warmer." She smirked and did the hand signal that meant 'Open' to the doorman. He did so quickly.
Ki stared at her. "You're..."
She looked to him and walked in, sitting on a chair just inside. She checked her watch, counting down the seconds in her head. Ten... Nine... Eight...
"Fuck. You're lying. You're an earth pony." He stood directly in front of her and stared her in the eyes, somewhat judging her.
"I am?" Two... One... As the potion wore off, Celestia's hair regained it's supernatural shimmer and wave, glistening in the light shining through the windows. A horn materialized on her forehead, and she stood as two great wings erupted from the back of her shirt, showing their full wingspan. Ki's jaw dropped. "I told you 'it was in my duty as a' and never finished. I meant to say 'as a princess', if you were wondering."
Ki collapsed to his knees and stared up at her. "You... Saved my life... A lowly subject to you..." A tear slowly ran down his face.
She kneeled and hugged him. "I saved you as Cel and you didn't appreciate it, as Celestia it's the grandest gesture you could ever be presented with..."
He remained still for a second, shocked by the sudden hug, before he returned it. He quickly sobbed openly into her shoulder. "Thank you... Thank you..."
She smiled and stroked the back of his head. "Now, how about that hot meal, huh? I'm sure my sister will like to meet you."
He removed his face from her shoulder and looked into her kind eyes. He nodded and they stood up. She walked towards the dining room with him following slowly, dazed.

Author's Note

Well, I like it. Tell me what you guys think, though!