"We are gathered here today to celebrate the end of slavery."

Pan grinned as he addressed his subjects, all of which were looking up at him with expressions of adoration. If love energy had a physical impact when delivered, then the moment he had climbed up on to the podium to give this speech, he'd have been beaten to death. As it was, the outpouring of love from his subjects verged on a physical force. The sheer, unbridled abundance of it was mind-boggling. He was getting more, each second, than the swarm had ever succeeded in getting when they had conquered a city-state. The changeling was beginning to wonder if there was an upper limit to how much energy he could hold, and if so, what would happen when he reached it.

Nana Cream Pie had outdone herself, (More than likely, anyways: It would be hard to say for certain until he saw another one of her parties, but if this was a half-flanked effort, then that pony going all out was a sight to behold), with the preparations for the party. Streamers, bunting, confetti, and more were present in glorious excess. This was the party that a party would go to, if parties could party. The entire affair was so festive that it was nearly absurd. The only thing that outshone the decorations was the food.

Pan had requested a meal fit for a king, large enough to feed the entire city. He had not quite realized how tremendous an undertaking that would be, but the palace cooks had risen to the challenge with a repast that could have satisfied every king in the world, all at once, along with their retinues and extended families (and even their illegitimate children, which would likely have been legion). The princesses themselves were seen licking their lips as they gazed upon the massive feast before them.

"King Sombra is dead and buried, but his legacy is that the city is currently a shadow of its former glory. Tonight, we feast, we celebrate our freedom, and we prepare ourselves for the road ahead... for tomorrow, we will begin the long and difficult task of restoring the Crystal Empire."

There were nods from the assembled ponies. It would have been nice if the entire city had magically been returned to what it once was, but they understood that magic had its limits... and when those limits were met, you rolled up your sleeves (if you had them) and got your hooves dirty. After all, if magic could do everything, why would anypony need to do anything?

"When the snow fully clears from the mountain passes, merchant caravans will arrive, looking for goods to trade. While we may not yet have much to give them, they will leave with what we can spare. More importantly, they will carry a message to the rest of the world: The Crystal Empire Is Alive!" There were cheers and applause to that announcement.

"I promise to be here with all of you, every step of the way. While I may not be plowing the fields, scrubbing the windows, or sweeping the streets, I assure you that I will do my part and more. We are all in this together. It will be my goal to make certain that by this time next year, the Crystal Empire will shine as brightly as it did before any of you heard the name Sombra. And the year after that, it shall shine brighter than ever before in its history."

The cheers of the ponies grey much louder, and out of the corner of his eye, Pan saw the princesses nodding in approval. While the changeling didn't know for certain if it was possible, he was certain that everypony here would work their hardest to make it so.

"With that said," Pan said, chuckling, "let the feast begin. Whether you are common-born or noble, you may eat whatever you please, and however much you wish. Regardless of birth, tonight, we are all equal in our joy at having regained our freedom!"

The cheers escalated further, and the ponies assembled stomped their hooves in joy, loud enough to rattle Pan's teeth. In short order, the cheers turned into a single word, repeated over and over again...

"Imperator."

Bowing, Pan stepped down from the podium and the feasting began.
----------------------------

Urchin really didn't pay much attention to the big blue bug and his fancy speech. Regardless of whatever he might say, she was pretty certain that her lot in life wasn't going to be improving any time soon. No parents, no home, no friends, before Sombra had come along, she'd been searching rubbish piles for food to eat, and in many ways, the tyrant had been an improvement: While the gruel wasn't very good, at least she'd gotten three meals a day. Now she couldn't even be guaranteed that much...

Struggling to reach the tables through the crowds, the small crystal unicorn muttered angrily under her breath. "Sure, everypony, let's hold a big feast to the return to the way things were, where the ponies with the right parents lorded over everypony else, and the poor ponies without anyone to look after them were lucky if they didn't starve..."

At least under King Sombra, everypony was equally miserable.

"Well, this won't do at all."

Urchin was startled to feel a hoof on her back, and was abruptly lifted off of her hooves. Whipping her head around to see who had grabbed her, she was shocked to see that she was being held up by the new emperor. Grinning, the bug placed her upon his back and walked through the rapidly parting crowd. "I saw you were having trouble getting to the tables. Let me walk you over."

"Here we go," the giant glowy blue bug said, once they reached a table covered with more food than Urchin would have thought existed in the whole entire world. Pulling out a plate, the emperor asked, "Well, young lady, what would you like?"

Looking out at the massive spread, she almost felt like crying. There was just so much! There was no way she could try all of it, even if she took just a tiny bite of each! She pointed to a tray heaped with what looked to be some sort of fruit slathered with honey. That looked really good. The emperor took a good-sized (well, for a filly of five years old, anyways) portion and put in on the plate, then asked, "What else?"

Wait, she could have more? What madness was this? Urchin pointed to another scrumptious-looking item at random, and the emperor repeated the process. Thrice more he fulfilled her request, then said, "Alright, I think that should be enough for your first trip up here. The night is young, and there's plenty for everypony." Wait, was he saying... she could have more? INCONCEIVABLE!!!

Turning away from the feast to end all feasts (at least to a filly of five who had never had much more than a half-eaten apple), the emperor said, "Now, why don't you point me over to your parents so I can walk you over to them?"

"I... um... don't have any," Urchin said, sadly.

The bug's voice sounded quite surprised as he asked, "Then who has been looking after you?"

"Me," Urchin answered, "for as long as I can remember."

The emperor stopped in his tracks, then muttered to himself, "That simply will not do." After a moment, he asked, "What's your name?"

After a moment, the filly said, "Everypony calls me Urchin."

"I didn't ask for what everypony calls you," the big bug said, "I asked for your name."

After a few seconds, she admitted, "I don't have one..."

The emperor began moving towards where he, the chancellor, and the princesses were seated, and as he did, he said, "That's something we'll need to fix, then. First things first, though: Let's get you seated and eating. You are way too light for a filly your age, and the only cure for that is food, and plenty of it. While you do that, I need to have a chat with my chancellor. It seems that I've got a bigger job ahead of me than I thought..."
-------------------------

"Pen Stroke, a moment of your time, please?"

Celestia's eyes widened as Pandinus Imperator walked up, a brownish filly sitting upon his back. The filly was holding a plate and digging into her meal with surprising enthusiasm, as though this was the first real meal she'd had in a long time... and given her gaunt appearance, it very easily could be so.

Pen Stoke's expression was one of pure shock... which was something that continued to surprise the princess herself. Pen had always seemed an unflappable sort. In fact, he'd always been rather stuffy, and a serious stickler for protocol in all situations. Now, however, it seemed he was wearing his emotions on his sleeve. Maybe it was just because of the fact that, until just a day and a half ago, he had suffered under the yoke of a terrible tyrant, or perhaps the new emperor and his unconventional behavior was having an effect on the crystal pony, but the earth pony was a great deal less formal than before...

Celestia found that this was something she heartily approved of.

"I found this young lady, unattended and struggling to reach the tables," Pan said, his expression stern. "After helping her get her fair share, I inquired about where her parents might be. I was shocked to find that they were no longer among the living." His expression sorrowful, the insect-like creature continued, saying, "Were it Sombra's fault that she was an orphan, that would be terrible enough. However, I was horrified, simply horrified, to find that this was the way it had always been for her. That even before Sombra came here, she was reduced to digging through refuse piles for sustenance, with nopony extending a helping hoof to her."

Pen Stroke cleared his throat, looking clearly embarrassed, then said, "I do imagine that would be something of a shock to you, milord. However, I am uncertain as to why you seem so upset. Such a thing should be beneath your concerns."

Pan's back had turned momentarily as he placed the small filly in the chair that had been reserved for him, and when he turned back, Celestia was taken aback by the expression upon the creature's features. It was as if somepony had just asked him why kicking puppies would be considered a bad thing. After a moment, Pan cleared his throat, then asked, in a voice all the more terrible for gentle it was, "Really? Are you truly so heartless? What if you died and your son was left in such a state? Or the child of one of your friends? Could you truly remain so blasé then?"

The chancellor was clearly taken aback. After a moment, Pen Stroke regained his composure and admitted, "Forgive me, milord, I had not even considered it in those terms."

A half-smile formed on the creature's face as he said, "I am the ruler of this city, chancellor. That means I am responsible for the lives of all who dwell within. To put it another way, every colt, filly, and foal in the city is my 'child'. Every pony is my 'friend'... and I am shocked to find some of my friends and my children are suffering even now. So, here's what is going to happen."

Pointing at the filly, who was still merrily consuming a meal fit for a princess, Pan said, "That young lady sleeps in a warm bed tonight. That will be your responsibility. See to it. I don't care if she has to share the room with your son, with your wife, or with the princesses, but she gets the best we can provide."

Nodding, Celestia said, "I would not be against allowing her to bed in the royal guest room tonight." The alicorn had long held a soft spot in her heart for youngsters.

Moreover, Pan's attitude was, in many ways, one that was similar to her own: While she had made significant strides towards improving Equestria as a whole, young colts and fillies, often the orphans of war or the squabbles that broke out between noble houses, were often found roaming the streets. Celestia had recently introduced the concept of the 'orphanage' to Equestria, but it was slow going in getting them properly established...

Pan nodded towards Celestia, silently mouthing 'thank you' to the princess, before turning back towards the chancellor. "In the morning, we'll start working out what can be done for her, going forward. She needs a name: She's not even been given that much. We will also begin working out the best way to handle other ponies who are in situations like her's. Where there is one, I am certain that dozens more can be found. We'll go over the details tomorrow, about how to fund it, and where the children can be placed, but this is something we will be dedicating time and effort to, understand?"

Pen Stroke, his expression thoughtful, said, "I understand, milord. I will make it a priority."

Pan looked around, and after a moment, asked, "Where did Luna go?"

Celestia, a little uncomfortable, admitted, "My sister told me that she would be returning to our chambers after she'd eaten her fill. While she is feeling much better than before, she is still weary. The last week has left her in much worse shape than I, and I assure you, I am feeling every second of my age right now."

Pan, his expression one of grave concern, said, "I should go make certain that she made it there safely."

Pen Stroke, his expression suddenly concerned as well, asked, "You fear something may happen to her?"

The creature's tone was evasive as he said, "I doubt anything currently in the city could hurt her. Still, she is my guest, so for my own peace of mind..."

Celestia, her expression neutral, said, "In truth, I'm half-tempted to bow out myself, but there are a few ponies that I need to speak with tonight with before I turn in." Her expression grew grave as she said, "However, I will admit that I am worried about her. This last week has been a nightmare, and were her aid not absolutely necessary, I would have felt better leaving Luna with overseeing the kingdom while I took care of things. She is not quite as experienced as I am, and while the last week has helped to prepare her for the future, I am gravely concerned that..." She stopped herself before she said something more. "No, it is probably nothing. Still, feel free to make certain that she is alright. I'll see to it that the little one gets tucked into bed tonight."

Nodding in thanks, Pan said, "I am grateful, your majesty."

Celestia smiled, but inside she was gravely concerned: She found herself liking Pan a great deal, but the more he seemed to be a fine upstanding individual, the more she worried about what would be revealed when the other horseshoe dropped...
-------------------------

Golden Grace watched the emperor depart, his expression unreadable. He looked over to his cousin, Scarlet Wake, and asked, quietly, "And that is the one you want to challenge for the throne?"

Rolling his eyes, the red unicorn said, "Please. He's only one creature, and whatever else he may be, he is no alicorn. I could overthrow him tonight, if I had a mind. He sleeps with no concern towards his own safety: I've heard that there's not even a guard on his door. An assassin could slip in and out and get the job done in less than a minute. From there, it would be foal's play for the two of us to take over."

This time, the bright yellow unicorn rolled his eyes, then said, "And by dawn, we'd be swinging from the highest tree in the city. You fail to see the bigger picture, cousin. He has, in just a day, cemented his position, at least amongst the smallfolk, a feat that ensures that he has a level of protection that makes him proof against such a feat."

"Bah," Scarlet said, his tone dismissive, "what good is that? Why would I care what a bunch of farmers and bakers think?"

"Those farmers and bakers," Golden said, annoyed, "outnumber your personal soldiers a hundred to one, and I doubt that you'd find your retainers willing to turn their lances on a crowd containing their friends and family members. Besides, you'd be amazed at the damage a pitchfork or a rolling pin can do in the hooves of somepony who has used one all their lives. If the entire city marched upon your manor, you'd find yourself alone and defenseless while an angry mob tore you to pieces. Same as I." Sighing, the golden unicorn said, "He is a hero, Scarlet. He saved the city from Sombra while you, I, and the other nobles were too busy arguing over who should be king after we unseated the tyrant. Our own pride and arrogance held us deadlocked, while the city suffered under his cruel reign, and the commoners are unlikely to forget that anytime soon."

Scarlet snorted, then said, "You saw the same thing I did: Sombra's defeat was an accident. The 'emperor' had no control over his descent. He was lucky. He has no true claim to the throne."

Golden Grace, irritation entering his voice, said, "He defeated, on accident, the wizard that would have taken both the princesses to defeat... and you would risk seeing what he could do to you or I on purpose? I want no part of it, cousin."

His eyes wide in shock, Scarlet asked, "Seriously? You were anxious to take the throne when Sombra was still sitting upon it."

Taking a long drink from his cup, Golden said, "And if the new 'emperor' proves unworthy, I will endeavor to separate him from it. However, the princesses are here, and seem to support his claim to the throne. Any attack, no matter how oblique an approach one might take, would pose far more risk than reward. I shall wait and see if he can deliver on his promise of restoring the city to its former glory." With a long weary sigh, he continued, "In truth, after having been separated from my holdings for so long, I am in no way eager to risk losing them. My vineyards alone will be months, if not years, in recovery. If you think you can overthrow our new ruler, that is your business, not mine. I will take no part in it, cousin... and if you ever speak of this again, I will go directly to the princesses. Now, begone. You are spoiling my wine with your ill humor."

Rolling his eyes, Scarlet drained his own cup, then stormed off, angry.

Still, Golden Grace had a point, he supposed: If he wanted to take the throne from the emperor, he'd have to be subtle. If Imperator had the support of the commoners, unseating him would be a risky proposition: Any visible evidence that indicated that Scarlet had tried to unseat the king could result in... painful consequences. However, if Imperator were to lose that support through his own actions...

A wicked smile grew across Scarlet's face as a plan came to him.
-------------------------

This could work. This could definitely work.

Pan didn't have a real plan yet, the situation was still too unstable for that. However, he now had an opportunity to get close enough to Luna, without her sister present, so he could start 'defusing' her. He had a fairly good understanding of why she would become Nightmare Moon: The perceived lack of appreciation for all her hard work and effort would drive her to the madness. However, if she did begin to feel appreciated...

Spotting the alicorn, flying rather slowly, Pan drew up beside her . "Good night for some air," he observed.

Luna, an eyebrow raised, said, "I suppose it is. You do much flying after sunset?"

Chuckling, the changeling admitted, "I've done more than my fair share. There's a lot less traffic after night falls."

Nodding, the alicorn said, "I've noticed that. So, what brings you out here?"

Pan said, "I heard you were leaving early. I thought I'd escort you to the palace."

"Well, that's quite gentlecoltly of you," she said, then added, "Not that it's needed, but it is appreciated."

Nodding, Pan said, "Of course. I was thinking, though, we've not really had a chance to talk, and I know that you and your sister have a lot of questions about me. If you're not in a hurry to turn in, I was thinking I might answer a few of them."

Luna, surprised, said, "I'm not prone to going to bed early... and I definitely would like to get a few things cleared up."
-------------------------

Winter had reached the outskirts of the Crystal Empire. While the overwhelming love of the Crystal Heart kept him from entering the city, that was of little concern to him. Even now, Winter could feel hate seeping from the residents within. Not much, and definitely not the overwhelming source he had scented earlier, but enough to sire a few offspring to help him prepare for a true feast.

There was something within the city, a scent that was intoxicating to the one true king. It was like the aroma of a meal that was beginning to come to a boil. Not quite hate, but what you might get just before hatred is born. Winter was intrigued, and could not help but feel himself drawn to it.

For now, Winter, The One True King, Father Of All Windigos, He Who Would Freeze The World, would wait, and use the power of ice and snow to prevent anyone from leaving the city. When the time came, this beautiful hatred would come to fruition, and he would drink deeply. His power would grow...

...And then nothing would stop him from entering the city itself.

Author's Notes:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RqG8XzjvlVw