"Why do you think he wanted us to stay here, sister?"
The two princesses were examining the chambers they would be using during their stay in the Crystal Empire. It was a fairly standard check: The two princesses doubted that the new ruler had done anything to the guest rooms since he'd arrived, but the didn't mean that King Sombra might not have put any number of nasty surprises in place.
Celestia, using a spell to check for any eavesdropping spells, shrugged, then answered, "There are several very good reasons that come to mind. He might want our assistance in getting the kingdom back up and running. I wouldn't blame him: Sombra made a royal mess of things here, pardon the pun. While the crystal ponies would be able to get most things fixed within a few weeks or moons, a little alicorn assistance might reduce that to just a few short days. Pan may also want to use our presence here to help in solidifying his position as the ruler of this kingdom: The nobility would be hesitant to challenge his rule directly while you and I are here. Just being present implies that we approve of his continued rule, and that we'd consider an attack on him to be a challenge to our authority."
Finishing her own check for any possible traps in the beds and other furnishings, Luna added, "Or he may simply be trying to be nice?"
Celestia laughed aloud, and said, "It's rare for you to be playing the angel's advocate, sister. Yes, I admit, that is a possibility. Unlikely, but possible. He seems to be a decent sort, but his mettle has not yet been proven. Good is one thing, but soft is another. If he doesn't have at least a little steel in him, he may be deposed well before his coronation next year..."
Luna, surprisingly, felt bad about that. Pan definitely seemed to be kind and generous, regardless of whatever his species might be. It would be a pity to lose him before they had gotten to know him better. "Then it might be a good idea to help him prepare for the challenges to come, wouldn't you agree?"
Celestia raised an eyebrow, and asked, "Oh, and will you be asking him out to the Grand Galloping Gala next?"
Luna blushed bright red, and Celestia chuckled. "I jest, Luna. I would not be against aiding him in securing his rule and keeping the nobility on a leash. However, before we do anything of the sort, we have to make absolutely certain that he's exactly what he seems to be. I will not trade one tyrant for another, and I definitely will not place a pony-eating monster as the ruler of the most isolated city in Equestria. I would not want to leave this place in Pan's hooves until I am certain that I will not be coming back here next year to kick him off the throne for devouring our subjects. More importantly, we have to make certain he's fully qualified for his role as emperor: We cannot hold his hoof if he's going to be the ruler here. The fact that this kingdom is unreachable for half the year, in and of itself, means that the one in charge must be able to handle any crisis that may appear all on his own. If he plans to keep the crown, he must recognize that, in the end, its weight is his alone to bear."
Luna examined the softness of one of the beds and said, "I understand, sister." She could not argue with Celestia's logic...
That didn't mean she had to like it.
---------------------------
Pan looked at the latest bottle of wine as he sat upon the throne, then said, "I should probably stop for now. Send that one back to the cellars with my thanks to Malted Barley."
The servant nodded in understanding, then left with the bottle in tow. Pen Stroke breathed a visible sigh of relief. Chuckling, Pan asked, "Thought I didn't know my limits, chancellor?"
Blushing slightly in embarrassment, the pony admitted, "I was beginning to become concerned, yes. You drink a great deal, milord: You've imbibed half your weight in spirits since you woke up this morning, and noon is more than an hour away."
Sighing, Pan admitted, "Yes, I'll admit, I've been overdoing it a bit. I've been in the habit of consuming as much alchohol as I can, whenever I have it on hoof. Since I have enough liquor to fill a lake now, I should try to control myself better. And I should definitely try to keep at least somewhat sober until the celebration is in full swing. On that note..." Pan paused, closed his eyes, then concentrated. For a few seconds, he burned love to increase the effectiveness of his liver, burning the majority of the alchohol out of his system.
There was a startled gasp from the chancellor and the other assembled crystal ponies. Opening his eyes, Pan asked, surprised, "Is something wrong?"
Pen Stroke, startled, said, "For a moment, milord, you turned green."
Eyes wide in surprise, Pan asked, "Really? I didn't realize that could happen..." Of course, Pan had never tried to burn love while he was glowing like this. After all, that would be wasteful, since burning love is normally reserved for emergencies. Pan would normally never burn love just to reduce his level of inebriation, but since he was getting love non-stop...
Wait... he'd never tried changing his appearance while he was glowing, either. Of course, love absorption is normally a very brief process, just touching the horn-like extension on a changeling's head to the horn or forehead of the drainee, or the more gentle version where the drainee just sort of sends the energy your way. But now that Pan had a constant supply coming in, maybe it would be possible to experiment and see if he could change his appearance while he was glowing. Glowing is just emitting light, and what is an illusion but the bending of light?
"It's nothing to be concerned about," Pan said, with a dismissive wave. "When I use some of my abilities, it seems my radiance changes temporarily."
Pen Stroke nodded in understanding, then said, "I will keep that in mind, milord." After a moment, Gold Coin ran in, carrying something on his back. Carefully picking up the item, a small chest, the elder pony said, "The item you requested is complete, milord." Opening it up, Pen Stroke revealed its contents.
It was a very simple item, little more than a thin circle of silver, large enough to fit upon a changeling's head. At one point on the ring was a blue sapphire, obviously intended to be set upon the forehead. While it would be quite valuable to the common pony, it was relatively inexpensive to reproduce if this one was ever lost. Essentially, this would be Pan's 'walking around' crown. Well, more of a coronet, really...
Chuckling, Pan said, "Your jeweler works fast." He'd requested the item only an hour ago.
Bowing deeply, Pen Stroke said, "It was a simple design, and in truth, the king who reigned before Sombra had similar tastes, although his preferences ran more towards gold and diamonds. The most difficult part was convincing the jeweler that you didn't want anything more ostentatious. I had to tell him three times that it definitely had to be silver, not platinum, and that you wanted a sapphire, not a blue diamond."
"Of course," Pan said, nodding with a wry smile, "Most kings wear the most expensive things imaginable. Well, there may come a day when I'll feel comfortable wearing enough bits to buy a small city, but I'd prefer to keep modest, at least until the city prospers again. Besides, I doubt that the majority of my subjects would be able to tell the difference between silver and platinum, let alone a sapphire and a blue diamond." Clearing his throat, the changeling asked, "And how go the preparations for the celebration tonight?"
"They're going quite well," the chancellor said, brightening significantly. "We were most fortunate to have a skilled celebration planner arrive just this morning. Miss Nannette Cream Pie has proven to be more than up to making the preparations needed."
"Please, call me Nana. Everypony else does."
An earth pony strode into the throne room, smiling brightly. While her coat was banana yellow, and her mane and tail pure white, those bright blue eyes and that poofie mane style were very familiar. His jaw dropping, Pan asked, "Pinkie Pie?"
Giggling, Nana Cream Pie asked, "How did you know my gram-gram's name?"
-----------------------
It took a few minutes to get the throne room cleared out, and a bit longer to convince Pen Stroke to leave as well. When the room was finally cleared, Pan decided that it was time to get some answers.
The answers he got were weird...
"So," Pan said, having difficulty following what he'd just been told, "you're from one thousand years in the future, but not my one thousand years in the future."
Nana giggled and said, "Yup. I was told that you came from around the same time I am, but because you went back in time, you changed what the world is like a thousand years from now. At least, that's what Morning Glory told me."
Making sure he remembered correctly, he asked, "And Morning Glory is your time's Element of Magic?"
Nodding vigorously, the earth pony said, "Yup, and I'm the Element of Laughter."
That much he understood pretty well. Of course the equivalent of Pinkie Pie in the future would have the same element. "And you were sent back why, exactly?"
"I was sent back," Nana said, still smiling, "because in the future, I was in the past. It's a time-wimey loopie-woopie. I was sent here because I was here, so I am here."
Pan decided not to examine that too closely. If he wanted his head to explode, he'd just do some crystal meth instead. "...Right. But wasn't there something you were told to do? Was it because you were supposed to plan the big celebration today, or because somepony in the future wanted me to have a headache?"
"Well, the party planning was just because it's kind of my thing," Nana admitted, "and the headache is just kind of a bonus. The real reason I was sent here was because I needed to give you a really important message."
Curious, Pan asked, "And that message would be?"
Her expression deadly serious, Nana Cream Pie said, "Princess Luna wanted me to tell you that, when you wake up tomorrow morning, try not to scream too loudly."
"I don't suppose," the changeling asked, "you could explain what I shouldn't scream about?"
"Well, I could try," Nana answered, "but if I did, I'd probably be sent back right away. The time travel spell Morning Glory used doesn't allow for paradoxes-es-es-es. Es."
Nodding, Pan said, "I understand. When you get back, thank Princess Luna for the warning. I don't know if it will help, but I do appreciate it."
Saluting, Nana said, "Kay-Oh-Dokie-Doke!"
"Ummm, not that I'm in any hurry for you to leave," Pan began, "but how long until you go back?"
Grinning, Nana said, "I'll be gone before I finish this..." And she vanished in a flash of bright light.
"...Sentence," Pan finished helpfully. Well, that was surreal, and worrying. But at the same time, it was kind of nice to know that Equestria would still be there in a thousand years, even if it would be different from the way it was...