Under New Management
"What manner of creature is that?"
Luna studied the image that their agent, Wild Wing, had sent them, concerning the one who had struck down King Sombra. While the two were resting in a cave in the Crystal Mountains, Celestia had decided to contact the spy, hoping for an update on the situation, and maybe a clue as to where the Crystal Heart might have been hidden. They certainly had not expected the most recent piece of news.
Wild Wing had been in place prior to the conquest, but her role had been intended for simply keeping an eye of the nobility of the Crystal Empire. Instead, within a week of her arrival, the pegasus had been thrust headfirst into a nightmare scenario that nopony could have predicted. Luna made a note to herself to recommend Wild Wing for a promotion. The things that the young pegasus had gone through went above and beyond the call of duty.
Luna looked over to her sister as she considered her answer to Celestia's question. Luna had once read Starswirl the Bearded's Monster Almanac from cover to cover, and she had never seen anything like this creature. It seemed as if a pony had somehow merged with a giant insect, added wings and a horn, then added a pair of fangs for good measure. The fact that the creature's chitinous exterior was a luminous blue only deepened its strangeness. And that was leaving aside the holes in its legs...
She briefly considered if it could indeed be an amalgamation of two or more different kinds of creature. While certainly possible, she supposed (Hippogriffs were proof of that), being able to deduce the parentage of such a bizarre creature was beyond the younger alicorn's ability.
"I could not say, sister," Luna said, admitting defeat. Suddenly, inspiration struck her as she added, "There are a multitude of lands outside of Equestria, however, and not all of them are named, let alone explored. This creature could be from such a realm."
Celestia pondered that. "I would not dispute such a conclusion. The world is vast, and its inhabitants diverse." After a moment's consideration, she said, "However, that would still leave the question of its intentions. The most recent creatures to come from outside of Equestria were Tirek and Scorpan. While Scorpan redeemed himself, and aided us in defeating his brother, that does not change the fact that originally, both of them came here with dark intentions."
Giving that the consideration it was due, Luna tilted her head to one side and thought. After a moment, she tapped her chin with one hoof, then said, "Well, we can theorize all we want, but the only thing that will bring us any closer to the truth would be to go there ourselves." Studying the image again, she pondered the strangeness of such a creature. And yet...
Sighing, Celestia dismissed the image of the new ruler of the Crystal Empire, then said, "You are right, Luna. We could spent all night puzzling over all of this, but the truth is that we will know nothing for certain until we arrive at our destination tomorrow. The good news, at least, is that we are unlikely to have a fight on our hooves the moment we arrive." With a shrug, she said, "Given the week we've had, even a brief respite is welcome."
Luna nodded, then said, "The first thing I would like when we arrive, if possible, would be a nice, long bath. I swear, I have never felt as tired, nor as filthy, as I do now." A subtle hint of irritation infiltrated her tone as she said this. Celestia, for all that she had done her fair share of the 'heavy lifting', looked absolutely spotless, and did not show even the slightest sign of exhaustion. Luna, on the other hoof, looked as though she'd been smeared with dirt and grime, and when she had seen her reflection in the ice of the cave wall, she could see visible bags under her eyes. Her entire body ached. She was in sorry shape. It was almost as if all of the dirt, the fatigue, every last misfortune that should have stuck to Celestia was transferred to Luna instead.
It was wrong to feel that way, but Luna could not help but be jealous of her older sister...
Chuckling, Celestia said, "I could do with a bath myself, sister. We'll see if we can make that happen. We should arrive early in the morning. We'll see how things go from there."
---------------------------
That night, the emperor dreamed...
He was surprised to find himself sitting at a desk. There was a chair opposite him, and he got the immediate impression that there was someone, or something, on the other side. It was strange, but he could not make out any other details. In fact, he couldn't be certain that he was sitting in a chair, or if there truly was a desk in front of him. Instead, there was just the impression of a desk. It was like how, in dreams, you never saw details unless you actively focused on them...
"I am not often in a position where I find myself completely at a loss for an explanation." The chair swiveled around, and Pan saw the one who spoke. He was tall for a unicorn, with an ash gray coat and soot black mane and tail. His eyes were a deep red. Surprisingly enough, he did not seem angry. It took a moment for Pan to remember where he had seen this individual last. The last time he had seen this pony, those eyes had been wide with shock, a second before they had collided.
...Pan was now face to face with King Sombra.
The tyrant continued, stating, "You are a mystery. Those that dwell in Tartarus keep records on every creature that exists, and even they are mystified by you. As far as the universe is concerned, you literally did not exist until earlier today. Care to explain that?"
This was a dream. It had to be. As such, Pan saw no point in lying. "I came from the future. Or maybe just a future. I'm pretty sure that, by killing you, I changed history. Sorry about that."
An eyebrow raised, Sombra said, "Remarkable. I'd read everything there was to read concerning time travel theory, including the rather amusing treatise on the concept of 'The Trousers Of Time', but I never imagined that I'd come across a true time traveler. I must admit, I am shocked. However, that does answer the question as to why you didn't exist yesterday."
Pan, rather nervously, asked, "Am I going to exist tomorrow?"
Chuckling, Sombra said, "Yes. Even if I did not feel indebted to you for your little offering earlier, there is very little I could do to you here, except possibly scar you mentally." Suddenly, there was a loud blaring noise, like a fire alarm going off. "Blast, one moment please."
Sombra abruptly reached behind him, then pulled out an overly large umbrella and opened it up, covering both the changeling and himself. Not a second later, there was a rather large downpour. The rain that fell was rather yellowish in color, and had a rather distinctive smell. Not certain if he could believe it, Pan asked, "Is that really..."
Sighing, the tyrant said, "Yes, that's from ponies urinating on my grave. Just as every drink poured in the name of the deceased is sent here, so to is every drop of urine released on a grave sent down here for the one it is spilled on. Tartarus is funny like that." With a wry chuckle, Sombra added, "I'm rather glad I was not in any recognizable shape. Had I been in one piece, I imagine they would have buried my face up with my mouth open, and I'd be forced to drink something I would rather not know the taste of."
Looking apologetic, Pan started to say, "Look, I'm sorry I..."
"It wasn't your fault," Sombra interrupted, looking, if anything, slightly embarrassed. "I could see, even before we collided, that you had no control of your flight. I should have teleported, or raised a force field, or really just anything other than standing around like a fool when I saw that something was about to hit me. It was an accident, and holding a grudge over something like that would be childish."
Sombra sighed again, then said, "The reason I'm here is because I wanted to give you some information. You did me a great kindness earlier, and I wanted to pay you back for it."
Pan nodded, then said, "Alright. I'm listening."
The tyrant cleared his throat, then said, "You are going to encounter several problems within the first days of your rule. Some of them are mundane, and you are should be well equipped to deal with them. Other threats," the former monarch continued, "are a bit more difficult, being more magical in nature. I cannot say I know what all will come against you in the days ahead, but there is one threat that I know you will be faced with, and it will be a threat to both you and the kingdom both. It's something that I, unintentionally, set in motion: The first threat to Equestria, the one that came before there truly was an Equestria, has caught the scent of my magic, and is approaching with all possible speed. Winter is coming. Be ready to drive it back, or there will never be a spring." The unicorn's eyes narrowed, and he said, "This makes us even. What happens next is in your hooves."
His expression softening, he added, "However, if you feel you need more advice, I would not be against you pouring out a bottle in my name sometime. I prefer wine, although I would not object to brandy, or even rum. But no whiskey or beer. I simply cannot stand the stuff. Oh, and if you could do something about the 'weather', I would consider it a favor." Chuckling, he added, "Good luck."
And with that, Pan awoke.
-------------------------
Pan woke to the sound of the Crystal Ponies singing his praises. This was not a metaphor: They were actually singing a song about him, and how great he was. It was kind of catchy, admittedly. He realy ought to have expected something like this: You give a pony a tune and a reason to celebrate, and they will start a spontaneous musical number. They were funny like that...
Long live the greatest Emperor,
Who slew the evil Sorceror!
Brave Pandinus Imperator,
The kingdom's great liberator!
And that was just the chorus. It seemed thatt here was no end to the number of verses. As Pan slowly rose from bed and stretched the kinks from his limbs, his subjects sang verse after verse, detailing their new ruler's many qualities. They dedicated three verses to his incredible good looks (Wildly exaggerated, to be honest with you), five versus to his incredible strength (He could burn love to match feats like that, but normally it wasn't all that impressive), and three to his courage (Well, he had done some pretty reckless stuff when he was sufficiently hammered). He was feeling pretty good about himself by that point. And the song kept going on and on and on...
He noticed that somepony had deposited a bottle of of wine in a bucket of ice beside his bed. He vaguely remembered requesting that from a passing maid before he had tucked in for the night. While some would argue that it was too early for drinking, Pandinus Imperator was of the opinion that time had no bearing on good spirits. Popping the cork off, Pan took a long pull...
...And nearly spit it out all over the room when the Crystal Ponies began singing, in unison, about their new leader's unmatched... 'virility'.
His subjects were using a lot of metaphors, thank goodness, but anypony who was old enough to have any sort of knowledge about that kind of thing would immediately know that when they were singing about his 'long and powerful lance', they were not singing about jousting. The line about him being a match for twelve, either one at a time or all at once, certainly wasn't about his prowess as a fighter, either.
If the changeling were not still in a state of permanent blush, he was certain that he would be brilliantly blue from hoof to head. Instead, his glow brightened about two notches. There are some things that you should not hear from an entire city, sung in unison.
Oh sweet, merciful heavens, if the princesses heard that...
---------------------
Celestia was laughing so hard that she could barely fly straight. Luna, on the other hoof, didn't see what was so funny. In fact, it was rather intimidating, hearing about how mighty a warrior this new emperor was. She should have realized that he must be strong, having destroyed King Sombra in a single blow, but this defied belief! Still, the Crystal Ponies seemed pretty happy about their city's new leader. She supposed that having a protector so fearsome must be a great relief...
With an exasperated sigh, Luna turned towards her sister and asked, "What in blazes is so funny, sister?"
Celestia looked over at Luna, her expression surprised, then suddenly broke into even greater mirth. It took her a little bit of time for her to regain her composure. When she finally got her composure back, she asked, "Do you remember that talk we had when you came of age?"
How could she forget? It was one of the most mortifying moments of her life, having Celestia explain the 'facts of life' to her. Celestia had brought 'visual aids' that Luna would gladly have paid money to unsee. There had been a quiz at the end, and Luna had failed it twice, requiring Celestia to go over the material all over again. But what did...
...Oh.
Luna began blushing as she began to get the joke. Well, if you could call it a joke. Fighting the mounting embarrassment that threatened to overcome her, she asked, "Why would they be singing about that in public? And why would anypony write a song like that?"
Celestia, still giggling, said, "I think that the song writer wanted to get on the emperor's good side Stallions like to be complimented about that kind of thing. As for why they're singing it, it is set to a rather catchy tune, bawdy or not." After a moment, she laughed and asked, "I wonder what will happen to whoever wrote it?"
-------------------
"Tell whoever wrote that song that they are now the royal minstrel, and have her brought to the palace, post haste," Pan said to Pen Stroke a few minutes later, after he'd made his way to the throne room and requested the chancellor be brought to him.
Pen Stroke, confused, asked, "Truly, milord? I thought that you would be shocked by her brazen verse?" The fact that, until a moment ago, the pony had been humming along implied that, brazen or not, Pen had been enjoying the song immensely.
"I am," the emperor admitted, "but I am also gravely concerned as to what she might do if I were to leave her at large, or worse, get on her bad side. Subject matter aside, it's clear that the bard behind this has a gift. If nothing else, I can ask her to write songs about my enemies."
This got a good laugh out of the royal chancellor, who nodded, then said, "I'll take care of it. Ah, I should let you know, Celestia and Luna have been spotted. They'll be here shortly. We'll need you to prepare to receive them."
-------------------------
Celestia and Luna touched down just in front of the entrance to Crystal Palace. Luna did her best to keep her discomfort from showing: Her wings were painfully sore, as was most of her body, to be honest. This week would likely go down in history as the most unpleasant she had ever experienced...
As she and Celestia walked in, escorted by a quartet of local guards, she was surprised to hear what sounded like an argument further down the hall. One of the speakers was the Royal Chancellor, Pen Stroke, whose voice she recognized, having spoken with him on many occasions in the past. The other, given the context, must have been this Pandinus Imperator, the new ruler...
"Milord," the chancellor said, clearly upset, "I must insist that you put on some form of the royal regalia before you meet them."
"They've flown far too many miles," the other said, "to be kept waiting on my doorstep while you dress me up in something uncomfortable and impractical."
"But milord," Pen Stroke insisted, "for propriety's sake..."
"Propriety," the other said, anger rising, "can kiss my gloriously radiant imperial flank!" After a moment, there was a sigh, followed by, "I'm sorry. That was hardly kind, especially after you've been so good to me. I guess that bottle of wine is starting to go to my head. Look, we've agreed that we're not holding the coronation ceremony until it's established that I'll be here for the long haul, and that'll be at least a year from now. When that time comes, you can dress me with all the regalia you want, and I promise, I won't complain about any of it, no matter how heavy, hot, or just plain ridiculous it may be. Until then, if I must wear something, then stick a crown on me. Anything beyond that is just showing off."
"...Very well, milord. I suppose that you have a point," Pen Stroke admitted. "Propriety should not be put before common courtesy, especially during such unusual circumstances. I do have a crown you can make use of, although it is a bit heavy."
After a pause, the other said, "Not bad. It's a little too grand for just walking about in the city. I'll need to see about something a bit more modest for the feast tonight, but this should do for now. Alright, if we're all set, please announce me. Oh, and please keep it as short as you can. I'd rather not keep the princesses waiting."
Pen Stroke strode into view, cleared his throat, then proclaimed, "Presenting his Imperial Majesty, Pandinus Imperator The First, Ruler Of The Crystal Empire And All Who Dwell Within!"
Then the creature stepped out, a modest crown of silver and gold atop his head...
--------------------
Pan was pretty sure he had the regal look down, even if he didn't have much practice with it. Still, he felt that he would make a good impression on the two princesses. Maybe it was just the crown, but he swore that when he saw himself in the mirror, he looked taller, and a littler broader, than he had the day before...
The changeling stopped dead in his tracks when he saw the princesses. He was shocked to see that, while Celestia looked just slightly winded, Luna looked like she'd just barely survived a natural disaster... then had been thrust headfirst into another, and then a third afterwards. She honestly looked like she was nearly ready to fall over.
Pan had understood, in a general way, that Luna and Celestia had fought Discord and Sombra within a week of one another, along with other threats in between. However, reading of such things was one thing: Seeing the end of what such battles could do to a pony afterwards is quite another. It was clear that the two princesses had experienced the week from Tartarus, although Celestia, being the older and more experienced of the two, was bearing the strain better than her sibling.
Pen Stroke had prepared a short speech for the changeling to recite, in order to 'officially' greet the two princesses. Pan mentally tossed it aside, and simply said, "I gladly welcome you to the Crystal Empire, your majesties. Please, come inside, I will have the royal baths prepared for you." Turning towards Pen Stroke, the changeling said, "Prepare a privacy screen to separate the normal and grand bathing areas, and get the staff up there, so nopony will make any comments about 'propriety'. Prepare a hot bath in both: I'll take the normal bath. The princesses can make fully use of the grand one."
Pen Stroke, clearly shocked by this sudden deviation from protocol, asked, "Are you certain, milord?"
"Look at them," Pan said, "and tell me if they look like they're in any state for a welcoming ceremony."
Glancing over at the two princesses, Pen Stroke nodded, then said, "I understand: I suppose that propriety can kiss both of our flanks today. I'll make the necessary arrangements." The chancellor made a series of gestures to a nearby guard, who rushed off.
------------------------
Luna was blushing visibly as the strange creature decided to dispense with the traditional speeches and whatnot, drop everything, and see to the needs of both herself and her sister without any ceremony whatsoever. While normally a stickler for protocol herself, Luna had been dreading the next hour, at least, as all of the necessary formalities were observed. Instead, the 'necessary formalities' had been thrown out the window. Luna wasn't certain if she should be shocked, or if she should applaud the new emperor's consideration for his guests. The younger alicorn wondered if she'd ever have the courage to do something like that...
Looking up to her sister, Luna noticed that Celestia had a slight smile on her face. "Well," the elder alicorn said, "just when you think you've seen everything..."
-------------------------
"So," Pan asked, as he reclined in his bath, sipping wine from a goblet, "I take it you've had something of a rough week?"
A privacy screen wide enough to divide the entire room had been brought in (It was nice to know that Pan was not the first one to think that having one was a good idea), and a dozen attendants were standing by, ready to take care of any request that the emperor and his guests might make. Since this was the first bath Pan had taken in weeks, he was definitely enjoying it, and the fact that he could have any drink he desired brought to him with the wave of a hoof was a nice bonus.
On the other side of the screen, Celestia, chuckling, admitted, "Yes, you could say that. It seemed as if every dark force on the planet had decided that this was the week to come to Equestria and start causing trouble. I can honestly tell you that my sister and I were dreading the fight with Sombra."
Luna, a bit more stern, added, "If my sister and I were fresh, and had not had to traverse the frozen wastes that separate the two lands, we would not have been overly worried. Sombra is but one, and as great as his power is, he would be no match for the two of us working in tandem. Even after so many harsh battles, I think we would have persevered. However, the city's isolated nature, normally its greatest defense, worked in Sombra's favor after he took over. The fact that his conquest took place during the winter meant that the mountain passes were closed, preventing the use of armies or royal wizards to unseat him until spring. Even my sister and I would find the journey harrowing. Even now, in spring, the way is difficult."
Celestia sighed, then said, "The fact that the city is so difficult to reach is why, even though it is part of Equestria, it has required its own sovereign ruler since ancient times. The citizens cannot wait for a minor functionary to request instruction from my sister or myself when danger threatens the safety of the realm. Still, even though the city's ruler has always been considered royalty, the king or queen has still considered a vassal to the Equestrian throne."
That made sense: Even during the spring, the journey from the closest city to the Crystal Empire would through unforgiving territory. The invention of the train would probably help mitigate that, but if the journey had to be made on hoof or wing, it would take many days, especially if cargo had to be carried. In such a situation, somepony had to be on hoof with absolute authority, to make certain that any crisis that came up was handled quickly and effectively.
At the same time, the underlying message the two were relaying was perfectly clear: You might be a king, or an emperor, but you still called the princesses your boss if you knew what was good for you.
Well, Pan wasn't about to pick a fight with the lady who told the sun when to get out of bed in the morning, or the one who told the moon and stars what their bedtime was. Grinning, Pan said, "I see no reason why that should change. The Crystal Empire is one city, while Equestria is a large nation. It's perfectly clear which one should reign over the other. The only reason I hold the title of emperor is because my subjects decided that it should be so. Given that the last king they had was Sombra, they clearly felt a change was in order."
There was an impression of a sigh of relief being made on the other side of the screen. After a moment, Celestia said, "Quite understandable. After the events of the last few moons, I doubt that your subjects would want any reminders of the tyrant's reign." After a moment, she cleared her throat, and added, "We have a great deal to discuss with you, Imperator, concerning the future of the Crystal Empire..."
"Please," the changeling said, still grinning, "call me Pan. None of us are wearing our crowns right now, are we?" The crowns of both the emperor and the princesses were currently hanging on a hat rack by the entrance. That had been Pan's idea: He'd stated, rather clearly, that this was a title-free zone. They were not going to discuss matters of state in the baths. Not now, and not ever, if the changeling had his way.
Chuckling, Celestia said, "Very true, 'Pan'. As I understand it, you've planned a rather grand feast for this evening, so you'll be busy for the entire day. We can hold off discussing the future of your reign for now. Beginning tomorrow, however, we will have a great deal to discuss."
Nodding to himself, Pan said, "That's fair. You're both welcome to join in the festivities, of course." Thinking on what he knew of the past, he added, seemingly almost as an afterthought, "In fact, feel free to stay here for as long as you wish, afterwards. Take a chance to unwind, gather your strength, and the like. You've more than earned the right to some rest and relaxation." His brow furrowed as he tensed for the answer. This was it, the moment of truth...
Seeing Luna today had caused Pan to have what might be called an epiphany. While he lacked all the details, he had a sneaking suspicion as to what had happened to Luna in the original timeline: Celestia and Luna had the week from Tartarus, and after defeating King Sombra, were forced to make the long, miserable journey back to their castle. Celestia, being older and more weathered than Luna, endured the journey just fine. Luna, on the other hoof, did not, and immediately required rest. However, celebrations were thrown in their honor, and Celestia was not able to refuse attendance. Luna would wake up to see and hear the ponies of their kingdom celebrating and praising Celestia's glorious victory... without a single word of praise to Luna. Luna, feelings hurt, would believe that Celestia was stealing all the glory of the last week for herself, in spite of Luna having put herself through Tartarus to aid Celestia in her time of need. The envy and jealousy within the younger sister would corrupt her from within, and as a result...
Nightmare Moon would be born.
Celestia, still weakened from the events of the last week, could not match the rested and fully-powered Nightmare Moon, and would be forced to use the Elements Of Harmony to seal her younger sister into the moon for a thousand years. Et cetera, et cetera, and so forth.
If Celestia got word of Pan being from the future, naturally the alicorn would ask why the changeling had not done anything to prevent this terrible tragedy before it happened. Odds were, if Celestia didn't like the answer, Pan would not be long for this world. Therefore, if Pan wanted to keep his position secure as the emperor, and wanted to keep from getting thrown into the sun by an angry alicorn, he'd have to do something to keep Princess Luna from becoming Nightmare Moon...
...And the only way to do that would be to keep them both here, where he could do something to mend a rift that neither of them realized was forming.
After a pause, Luna said, "Your offer is most gracious, Pan. However..."
Celestia interrupted her younger sister, saying in a thoughtful tone of voice, "You know, Luna, the two of us are overdue a holiday, and I am certainly not in a hurry to brave the frozen wastes again. After the week we've had, I doubt anypony would begrudge the two of us some time to ourselves. Say, two weeks?"
Luna made a thoughtful 'hmmmm', then said, "As tempting as it may be, I am uncertain if we could risk it. What if something were to befall Equestria in our absence?"
Celestia chuckled and said, "I know a few spells that will allow us to keep in contact with the staff back at the palace, so we can keep fully informed regarding any sudden developments. If something does come up, I am certain that Pan would be happy to assist us in preparing a long range teleportation spell."
"I would be happy to help in any way I can," the changeling said, a smile beginning to form on his face. Nightmare Moon, as far as Pan knew, was the last major nemesis that Celestia would face during this time period. He was confident that there would be no major interruptions during their stay...
Celestia cheerfully said, "Thank you. So, Luna, if there are no further concerns?"
After another thoughtful 'hmmmmm', Luna said, "I cannot think of any other objections that I could raise. And I will admit, I am also hesitant to throw myself back out there." After a moment, she said, "Very well, I accept."
Celestia, her tone quite cheerful, said, "As do I."
Grinning, Pan said, "Splendid."
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as pan said "Splendid"
If Pan wants to prevent NMM then he should make Luna feel good. Ask her out. Girls like to feel arractive
Also, there was a point where you have a "thatt" instead of "that". Simple typo.
Overall, I'm loving this character! I honestly can't wait to see what you have in store for this story, and this has quickly risen to the top of my favorites list. Good show, sir!
MOAR!
If you don't mind that is
...
EDIT: FIRST POST SUCKERS!
Edit: Shit.
Oh shit son, Pan saving the future again! Hell yeeeeeaaaah, can't wait to see where this goes! The Windigos will probably show up and either the Princesses will help to get rid of them, or they'll get pissed at Pandinus and think he dun it.
lets hope they dont fight over pan and create nightmare from another source.
Pan clearly needs to romance Luna.
After all, the best way to keep somebody from being unloved is to love them, and few things would secure his continued existence as well as a paramour who throws around medium-sized planetoids for a living.
That was some quick thinking, Pan; good work!
Now let's see if it pays off...
I am one chapter closer to unleashing the REAL wackiness in this story. Oh I cannot wait. Oh such glorious chaos awaits
...
4382045 Luna needs to stop being ignorant of the fact that she is literally The Finest piece of ass in all of Equestria.
Also, 'vrry arractive' if I do say so myself!
4382124
4382101
4382045
heheheheheheheh... MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!
i1.ytimg.com/vi/EsmQdAdOzZY/hqdefault.jpg
Be careful there, Imperator. You know what the universe will do to you if you accrue too much Paradox….
And the butterfly floats... I was worried Celestia and Luna would know what a Changeling was and try to execute Pan on the spot.
4382207 You mean all of the '*'s a*e cove*ed in some wei*d font that nobdy pa*ticula*ly ca*es about?
4382101 cache.desktopnexus.com/thumbnails/122185-bigthumbnail.jpg
that ships about to set sail
4382177 oh dear, you all gave our dear author idea's, now we have to wait to find out what those idea's are... I for one hope they are steamy.
4382124 Indeed. But also remember, Sombra said NO ONE is Tarturus knew what a changeling is, so either Changelings have never died, or they don't exist. Pan is probably the last/first of his kind. But changelings had to have come from somewhere
4382109 is he REALLY saving the future? Think about it, no NMM means no Mane Six meeting up to get the elements, so no one to stop Discord, the Changeling Queen,
Somb... Oh wait, scratch that, or Tirek!I'll be the odd one out and go for the camp of Pan being Luna's friend rather than a lover of some sort. Trying to romance people who are literally one or two steps from snapping and trying to destroy everything they love doesn't usually end well.
Wait if Luna does not become corrupted then would that mean maybe celestia might be taken over by hatred if pan focuses on just Luna or am I just overthinking
4382414
Changelings came about, assuming we go by the Cricketverse canon, when the crystal unicorns and pegasi and alicorn fled from Sombra, and he cursed them into changelings. He never had the chance to do that here, so either changelings come from somewhere else or there will never be other changelings.
Hasn’t anyone wondered why I keep putting up these helpful notices?
i1.ytimg.com/vi/EsmQdAdOzZY/hqdefault.jpg
4382120 Has nobody noticed the Nightmare Moon Tag on the story?
I kind of like what Pan is doing here. As he knows only the basics of what had happened, he is going for a more open ended approach. To me, the best end would be for Pan to be in charge of a fully independent Crystal Empire, free from the vassalage of Equestria. So he is trying to dig up information and hopefully being able to set one Princess against the other without Luna turning into Nightmare Moon
4382427
The origins of changelings has changed since the Cricket-verse rebooted. I still go under the assumption that changelings were originally made, not born, but the conditions have changed. Sombra doesn't feature, but he may have been indirectly responsible for their creation. Butterfly effect and all that.
4382433
?
Oh, wait, how did that ever get there
4382398
,
Oh no, I'm not laughing about having gotten an idea, I'm laughing because... heh, you'll see. I definitely don't want to spoil this
4382433 OMG!!!!!
4382464
To quote, or paraphrase an absolutely ancient page of VGCats, “I don’t care, I still believe in the gong!"
4382414 Or The Smooze!
Hail Lord Smooze!
Also, shouldn't the story pic be BLUE?
*Hiss!*
If that is the case, it is because you have had the ruler pledge fealty to you as his liege. Pan has done nothing of the sort, and is under no obligation to do so. Moreover, he specifically declared that matters of state could wait until after the baths - abusing his hospitality to force him to speak of matters _of which he likely knows little_ (having killed Sombra, what, yesterday?) is both rude and _very_ dangerous. It would take a master politician to avoid accidentally insulting the Princesses, should he say anything other than 'I am, of course, your loyal servant'.
Is that the gratitude you show the hero who saved an entire city?
I can understand wanting to ensure that one tyrant has not been replaced with another, but immediately asserting your dominance after being saved from both having to fight your enemy, and the mind-numbing affairs of Court protocol is... rather in poor taste.
4382537
More like testing the waters to make sure you weren't about to swim with a shark.
Ack! Ok Sombra's rule didn't effect much...*pulls out gizmos* carry the one.....
Luna's transformation is vital to history! She must change, if not twilight won't be able to wield the elements and the world may be doomed! PAN!!!!!!!
4382517
fc05.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2012/068/6/0/praise_lord_smooze__by_askflutterguy-d4s7ls0.png
With our great leader, Fluttershy!
dash.ponychan.net/chan/files/src/139176451744.png
4382550
Except, if he isn't politically astute, he is going to either grant the Princesses a concession of some sort, which he will have to get out of later, or he is going to insult them somehow, which they can then use as leverage in their discussions.
Granted, there's not much two heads of state _can_ discuss without the Courtly Game coming into play, but a play at gaining sovereignty over the newbie just seems excessive.
...
I should probably point out now, however, that _any_ instance of politicking is going to garner my distaste. Especially where mon... diarchs are concerned.
This was a great chapter. I am looking forward to the next.
4382599 aren't you forgetting that it was because of what celestia had to do to Luna that twilight was 'needed' in the first place? No nightmare moon, no loss of elements. And when it comes to te birth of the mane six... That is a thousand years in the future. I think the time stream will be able to adjust so that it still hits the important points of events
4382672 I think it's a little too early to be thinking about this. Plus Pan was raised as an aristicrat not a farmpony so he knows the intrigues of court and how to navigate them. He's not a newbie per say when it comes to ruling but he still has to learn firsthand. Also this is just the beginning so save the political arguments for when things get political. Plus this is also a comedy and is probably not delve into the deep depths of political intrigue aside from the usual plotting and scheming
I thought that Tartarus i Equestria is prison for living magical beings not for dead.
i have to say, i like this fic... pen is a great changling
even sombra after death is nice
4382207
No time paradox. Pan´s action have already created an alternate timeline independent from the original. He is free to mess as much as he wants.
And Luna doesn´t need a lover. She needs someone who teaches her about the marvels of artificial light and how much it can help her to make ponies more "nocturnal". And a change of image too.
Shouldn't the love of an entire empire make him strong as shit?
Also, he needs to romance Luna.
4382599 More like something else will come into play as a villain.
Perhaps Pan or Celestia herself in an odd twist? Now that would be something.
Celestia becoming the demon in the process of averting another. Now that would be something that I would like to see.
And I hope Pan isn't overly dense to the point about being blunt and to the point about informing the two of Nightmare Moon.
Sadly, I don't see that happening for our naive king.
Windigos?
4382433 i know, i know, i am just guessing on the reason for her appearance.
4382414 um... Celestia only lost connection to the elements becuse she had to fight NMM, if NMM never appears they will keep the elements, be able to protect Equestria from danger etc, etc.
Why Celsetia lost connection is partly that Luna was her sister, and by banishing her to the moon she betrayed, hurt and lied(or at least swept everything under the rug).
4382981
Damn you Game of Thrones.
4383043 True, but that only takes care of Discord breaking out the first time. What about the other stuff? Heck, they wouldn't have Fluttershy, so Discord would never be reformed, Twilight would never become an Alicorn of Friendship to defeat Tirek, and so many other things.
Messing with time is a very messy business. I think we should follow the Elements of Harmony's example and just nuke all other time lines/multiverses to death
4383076
On the other hand, Discord may never escape because the seals don't weaken due to a fight between the two bearers. This could be good or bad for the future.
4382981
for one yes and as a bonus the nobles just got 200% more backstabby
Great chapter.